On to the Greatest Datasphere, er, Internet, Hits for Numenera. If I missed a favorite of yours, let me know.
(edited April 10th, 2015)
1. Companions in Numenera. The MCG blog is always worth reading, but this puppy by Monte Cook I use all the time. I have it favorited on all three of my browsers. An elegant way to make your loyal seskii, zombie, or zombie seskii useful without adding a bunch of complicated die rolls.
2. How Story Gives Life to Mechanics, by Bruce Cordell. As a GM and game designer, I reread this every so often to keep my head in the game. Highly recommended.
3. Using Points for Defense, by Monte Cook. I've had a a player at my table say "No way am I going to spend hit points? That's crazy!" This post explains the concept clearly and helps me explain it to others.
4. Optional Rule: Effort for NPCs, by Monte Cook. A new one and one I tried just last night. I used it to help wrap up a combat where the players were defeating a group of chirogs. I had already used a GM intrusion in the combat, so this was perfect. I used Method 2: Based on Health, which made the chirogs both more dangerous and easier to finish off.
5. Quick and Dirty Adversaries, by Ryan Chaddock. It's easy to say "Level 5 thingy" but this post shows an easy way to make a creature memorable. I often start with an image or mini and go from there.
6. How to Play Numenera, the best game play video ever!
7. Transmissions from the Ninth World Podcast. This two time Ennie nominee is not to be missed. Highly informative.
8. I'm Vaux, an Informed Jack who Tells Tales. This is my Signal. Oh yeah. Ennie winner The Signal is a transmission from the Ninth World. This must be a lot of work but I wish there were 28 of these every day. The signal has gone quiet, but word in the datasphere is it will return.
9. The GM Intrusions Podcast. This since morphed into the very nice system neutral Game Master's Journey. It still covers Numenera among other games, and the old podcasts are in in archive. Check it out!
And of course there are vibrant Numenera communities on Facebook, G+, the Ninth World Hub, and The Ninth World.
See you in the datasphere...
Whine: You know that cool layout Monte Cook Games uses in their products? I heard Monte wonder on Lex Starwalker's GM Intrusions why other people don't copy it from him? After all, he copied it from Dorling Kindersley travel books. Well, I copied it, and it's hard to keep all the art, internal sidebars, the outer sidebar, and the text all together. Add a paragraph and a sidebar topic needs to move to the next page. Blah, blah, whine, blah.
But it does look cool and make it easy on the GM. The Sun Below: City on the Edge will be wrangled into shipping shape soon. I swear! (Edit: Available now!)