Summary: Ethan had the chance to sit down and speak with Chris Dias of Dias Ex Machina Games and author of the forthcoming Amethyst: Foundations campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. About Chris Dias Chris Tavares Dias is the literary equivalent of that crusty burnt cheese at the bottom of the fondue pot. He was probably born between 1970 and 1994. After years editing public forums and local publications, he pursued writing. In a decade of screenwriting, all he had to show for it was a half dozen unregistered spec scripts and an unaired British TV pilot he was never paid for. In the vast expanse of role playing, Chris was lucky enough to be signed onto two game companies, promising to publish work under his name, only months before the companies folded. In all that time, he maintained his website of Serenadawn.com and continued to produce free work, netting a monstrous $175 in donations since 1996. Several of these games garnered temporary and fleeting recognition in select circles across the globe. Amethyst is his first official publication. Chris Dias thinks he is Asian but is actually Portuguese-Canadian. In his spare time, he types phony biographies about himself and dreams of a time he could “dance and play the violin.” Despite accusations and assumptions given his marital state, he is admittedly not gay. Some people claim he looks like Mathew Perry. He would like that to be true. It’s not. In July, 2008, Chris was last seen staring at a dead raven that had fallen beside his car. Two months later, his watch and notepad were found in the stomach of a basking shark that washed ashore off the coast of Florida. About Amethyst: Foundations Which side will you choose? Which weapons will you wield? Venture into lands once claimed by skyscrapers and factories, now overrun by elves, goblins, and dragons. Ride gracefully on horseback or plow through the wilderness in an armored transport. Earth is torn between the order of science and the chaos of fantasy. The realm of magic has invaded our world, forcing man into the last few bastions of technology. These two worlds cannot mix. Will you embrace the wonder of legends and myths or accept the reality of refrigerators and washing machines? For 500 years the planet was locked in stalemate, but no more. The Stones of Amethyst have risen. When brought together, they could decide the future of the planet, cast off the remaining shred of technology, or close off the world of magic forever. Choose your path and commit to the quest. Monsters will hunt you; machines will track you. No gods will help you; no prophecies will choose you. The fate of the world rests with you. About Dias Ex Machina Dias Ex Machina was formed during sushi in May of 2007 with the soul intent of being the vehicle for an Amethyst role playing game (based on a long running campaign). In July of 2008, the company’s founder and its co-writer made the decision to abandon the previous D20 Amethyst in favor of adopting the GSL and converting Amethyst to 4 th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Soon after, the company formed an alliance with Goodman Games for print distribution. Amethyst Foundations was released in 2010 is extremely favorable reviews. Along with Amethyst, DEM also produces the upcoming NeuroSpasta role playing game—promising a universal Modern/Science-Fiction adaptation of 4 th Edition D&D rules. DEM considers itself the source for alternative games utilizing the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition architecture. [flgallery id=2 /]
