Tenkar's Tavern

Monday, December 15, 2025

OSR Christmas 2025 - The Festivities Begin Wed, Dec 17!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas - OSR Christmas, that is!

OSR Santa has been slow at getting things organized - again - this year. It's simply incredible how many distractions the world throws at you during December.

The year's BIG GIFT is again from the guys at Emperors Choice are gifting a copy of Portal to Adventure in its protective case from their recent Kickstarter.

This is a biggie - so we are going to remind folks REPEATEDLY, and set up a special email where folks can enter to be gifted - I think we'll leave that up for a few weeks so everyone gets a chance to enter.

We also have dice, books, DTRPG Gift Certs, and a few other things in the works to be gifted.

If you are a publisher, big or small, and want to get involved with OSR Christmas, we are looking for physical and digital gifts: Email tenkarsDOTtavern at that Gmail thing. Put OSR Christmas in the subject if you have gifts to donate!

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Tenkar

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Deal of the Day - Talislanta Player's Guide - Epic Edition

I still remember the tag line of Talislanta from the ads in Dragon Magazine: "No elves!"

Today's Deal of the Day is the Talislanta Player's Guide - Epic Edition, the latest version of Talislanta. Usually $24.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning, the Talislanta Player's Guide - Epic Edition is on sale for $7.50

Embark on an adventure through the unparalleled universe of Talislanta, where the boundaries of high fantasy are reimagined. The Talislanta Player’s Guide is your key to a realm filled with over 100 archetypes (class/race combinations) from the formidable Thrall Warriors and cunning Kang Trackers to the mystical Cymrillian Swordmages, enchanting Ariane Druas, fierce Jaka Beastmasters and the enigmatic Wizard Hunters. Each archetype invites you on a journey of discovery and heroism in a world where every character is a doorway to a new adventure. This guide is a visual masterpiece featuring stunning, full-color art that breathes life into the diverse and alien landscapes of Talislanta. The vivid illustrations serve not just to beautify but to inspire, drawing you deeper into the lore and majesty of this expansive world.

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Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Bundle of Holding - Worlds Without Number

If you haven't yet snagged one or more of Kevin Crawford's "Without Number" rulesets, do yourself a favor and do so. Kevin is very generous with the free rulesets he gives to the community.

Currently, Kevin has a Worlds Without Number Bundle on Bundle of Holding.

For just US$12.95 you get all three titles in our Numberless Worlds Collection (retail value $55) as DRM-free ebooks in both .PDF and ePub formats, including the complete 400-page Worlds Without Number Deluxe Edition corebook (previously in our November 2023 Sine Nomine Corebooks offer) along with two supplements new to the Bundle of Holding: the 223-page gazetteer Atlas of the Latter Earth and the introductory campaign setting Diocesi of Montfroid.

Even if you don't run it "as is", the tools included will help ANY DM looking to run a sandbox campaign.

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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

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