In parallel to the beastiary development lies the task of creating a compelling universe for these creatures to reside in. Furthermore, we are also looking at the process of developing inter-relationships between the Apothecary mage families that closely tie to the familial structures of the spells or antibiotics they wield.

And LASTLY, we are working on a overarching story that narrates the epic struggle between the forces of Pestilence and the Apothecaries. Perhaps most intriguing of all is the role that the player takes within this story, traveling through both worlds prior to being able to claim mastery of the art. Dude, this is about the most exhilarating project we’ve ever worked on!

Like this, only with MRSA.

For those of you who met us at the last AMSA conference in DC, you might have heard bits and pieces of a medical card game rumor. Well, let it be known that the rumor is indeed true. We here at Nerdcore Learning are developing the first microbiology-based strategy card game. Yes, if you can imagine the fun and excitement of playing a turn based card game in the spirit of Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, and World of Warcraft, while actually learning important medical facts for real life medical practice at the same time, then you have the spirit of “The Healing Blade.”

Now we plan to have many sets of cards, each with a different theme. Yet in every set, there will be two basic players: one called the Apothecary and the other called the Lord of Pestilence. The Apothecaries are the doctors or the healers in the world of The Healing Blade. Their weapons are their knowledge of medicine and the power of this knowledge to manifest itself into powerful attacks. The cards that you will play represent these attacks. The Lords of Pestilence players will play the side of, what else, pestilence and disease. Your weapons are the sheer variety of diseases that you have at your disposal to send against the Apothecaries. Each of these diseases manifests themselves into vicious creatures, which are, of course, represented by your cards as well. The key to winning the game depends on what side your playing during that particular session. If you are playing the Apothecary, then you must block and attack with the right treatments to counter and destroy each of the diseases sent your way. But, if you are a Lord of Pestilence, then you must try to outwit the Apothecary player by setting up different disease combinations to chip away at the health of your opponent.

As we mentioned  before, we’ll be creating each different series with a different theme. The first them that is slated to come out in March 2010 is titled, “Bugs”. That’s right, you guessed it! This first series of cards will take you into the battle field of Microbiology where you will have to pits your wits, strategy, and some luck to win the battle against the swarms of bacteria, viruses, and parasites being sent against you wave after wave. Of course, if you are the Pestilence player, then your goal is to send as many different bugs at a time, with as many different resistant strains as possible to overpower and overwhelm the Apothecary player into submission.

Whether you choose to play as the Apothecary or the Lord of Pestilence, you will learn something new each time you play. And the more you play, the sharper you will be in the real battlefield of medicine. So prepare yourself to enter the world of The Healing Blade, where fun, excitement, and knowledge converge to take you to new heights of prowess, not just in your game, but in your practice of the healing arts as well. Until next time my friends, Excelsior!