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The ACKS II Monstrous Manual has over 250 illustrations by artist Old School Jelly. So epic were these monster images that they inspired me to commission some heavy metal concert t-shirts with each monster as an imaginary heavy metal band.

Here’s the first one: a concert t-shirt for the Swedish power metal band LAMASSU, currently on tour to promote their smash album Glory Bound. Check out the epic sound of Lamassu here and then buy the concert t-shirt here.

If these prove popular, I stand ready to become a fashion and apparel mogul and/or concert promoter for imaginary metal bands.

The Bitter War of Memes Has Begun

Last week, to promote Before All Others: The Cyclopedia of Elven Civilization, Autarch unleashed the Bitter War of Memes, a contest of creativity, cruelty, and caption-fu fought between knife-ears and fat-beards. You can find a complete list of all the current contest entrants on X using the hashtag #BitterWars. Before you check them out, though, be sure to check out the Before All Others preview page and sign up to be notified when we launch.

The dwarven entrants are currently competing for the most likes, so I don’t want to tilt the balance one way or another; the elven entrants are competing for the favor of the high queen of the elves (e.g. my wife) so I can share a few of those without influencing the outcome.

There’s Still Time to Enter the Bitter War of Memes!

Entering the Bitter War of Memes is as easy as slaying beastmen with a vorpal sword.

Post a meme on X (formerly Twitter) anytime before 11:59PM EDT July 31 2025.
Include both:
- The hashtag #BitterWar
- The tag @_autarch_ or @archon (so I see it)
In the same thread, reply with a link to the Kickstarter preview page for Before All Others .
Hit “Send.” You’re now on the battlefield.

The full contest rules can be found in last week’s Arbiter of Worlds post.

What’s Grinding on ACKS to Grind?

Tonight (July 21st) I’ll be interviewing author @BrianNiemeier about the 10th anniversary edition of his book Nethereal, the premier novel in his award-winning Soul Cycle. Brian has already raised over $6,000 on Kickstarter. Be sure to check out the campaign and join the stream tonight:

Next week, Monday July 28th, I’ll be joined by game designer Josh Peters of Stellagama Publishing. Josh is the creator of The Sword of Cepheus, FTL: Nomad, and a number of related products. He and I will talk about the business of indie publishing outside the D20/5E market segment and the creative challenges of designing science-fiction RPGs in an era when we live in a science-fiction RPG.

In August, I’ll be joined on ACKS To Grind by writer, director, and gamer Pat Kilbane, creator of the documentary The Dreams in Gary’s Basement. This remarkable documentary tells the story of the creation of D&D from Gary Gygax’s point of view. It’s available https://rpghistory.net. (Disclaimer: I was interviewed as a contributor to the documentary and my contribution got cut on the cutting-room floor. *shakes fist*)

Other Announcements of Interest

I’ve got a few other exciting announcements as well:

A new draft of the Treasure Tome has been uploaded for backers. The file, ACKSII Treasure Tome WIP5, is a 326-page full-color PDF. It is now textually complete. The "Miscellaneous Items" are still in copy editing, while the rest of the book is in proof reading. All backer art has been completed and is in the book, while other art is still under development. If you aren’t currently a backer of the ACKS II Treasure Tome, you can get access today at the Kickstarter page.
The ACKS II Revised Rulebook, Judges Journal, and Monstrous Manual PDFs have been updated to correct all known errata. If (for some reason) you don't own these books, you can get the PDFs now at DriveThruRPG. In the more likely case that you already own the PDFs, the updated files will have automatically been uploaded to your DriveThruRPG Library. In addition, the DTRPG Library assets have also been updated to include separate files that summarize the major errata. Be sure to download those if you're working from the print copies, so you'll be able to quickly identify what has changed!
ACKS II is Available Now on the Autarch Emporium. There’s still some copies of ACKS II available for purchase on the Autarch Emporium. They’re selling fast and it won’t be long until the entire first run of these black-and-gold PU leather offset-print books is sold out.

Are You a Patron of the ACKS Patreon?

If you're interested in "what's next" for ACKS II, members of the Patreon are getting monthly updates and sneak previews. One of the best perks of being part of the Patreon is the opportunity to help shape the design process by seeing the earliest drafts. Those who've been with us for the long-term know that Autarch (me, really) listens intently to the community's playtest feedback. If you've never checked out the ACKS Patreon, you can find it here.

Support the Community

Once you’ve signed up for the crowdfunding campaign, head on over to these community links:

Thanks for reading Arbiter of Worlds! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Monstrously Metal T-Shirts are Unveiled