Mini Review -Stars Without Numbers

When I think of a D&D based SciFi Game these days, I think of Star Siege.  Problem with that game is that the engine strays so far from from it's gaming roots it's almost hard to see them.

That does not appear to be the problem with Stars Without Number from Sine Nomine Publishing.  Available for the exorbitant  price of FREE, this 210 page PDF is D&D in Space - that's in the meaning of D&D mechanics.  Three core classes (Expert, Psi and a Warrior Class), skill packages, D20 for combat, 2d6 for skill resolution (I like bell curves) - did I mention its free?

I've barely scratched the surface of this fine PDF (which is an awesome resource to steal tech stuff for you Old School RPGs if you are so inclined).  I'll be reading this over the next few days.

From the publisher's blurb:

The year is 3200 and mankind's empire lies in ashes.

The Jump Gates fell six hundred years ago, severing the links between the myriad worlds of the human diaspora.

Now, the long isolation of the Silence falls away as men and women return to the skies above their scattered worlds.

Will you be among them?

Stars Without Number is a retro-inspired science fiction role playing game influenced by the Old School Renaissance. The contents are compatible with most old school clones and are designed to be easily imported to your own favorite gaming system. In addition to a complete pre-made stellar sector, Stars Without Number offers GMs and players the tools to create their own sandbox-style adventures in the far future.

• Classic mechanics adapted for science-fiction adventure in the far future

• Extensive GM support for building adventure-crammed sandbox settings more quickly and easily

• World building resources for creating system-neutral planets and star sectors

• 100 adventure seeds and guidelines for integrating them with the worlds you've made

• Old-school compatible rules for guns, cyberware, starships, and psionics

• Domain rules for experienced characters who want to set up their own colony, psychic academy, mercenary band, or other institution 

I Had This Really Great Idea For a Post...

and then I played with the cat for a few minutes and I derailed my train of thought.

I could rant about my Fed-Ex Delivery Guy, who apparently enjoyed playing "Ring-n-Run" in his youth, but why bother?

Good news is we have today's winner of a buck and thirty-four cents worth of LotFP from RPGNow... its Evan.  Dude, sent you an email to your Google Friends Connect email - let me know your choice.

Maybe it will come back to me after dinner and a few brews at the pub ;)

The Dead Stop Walking - Until Next Season

Last night's season finale of The Walking Dead was a bit of a nail biter. Damn good series and I can't wait for next season. No, really. I can't wait. I'm going to have to track down the comics / graphic novels and spoil everything ;)

Actually, I'll need to check out and find if they are available in digital format. Reading comics on the iPad is a sweet experience.


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Time For Some OpenQuest

James over at the Underdark Gazette did a great job of reminding me about OpenQuest, which is basically Runequest OGL'ed.  I got the previous version of OpenQuest when it was available for free.  The latest version isnt free, and the free version is no longer available.  So, what's a man to do?

Well, as James pointed out, you could check out Age of Shadows, a free RPG based on OpenQuest.  Not a bad choice, to tell the truth, but what if you want a copy of OpenQuest in PDF?  Its 10 bucks on RPGNow.  Or, you could try Lulu, where it is $9.06 (how's that for an odd price?).  Bring that even lower with the code REMARKABLEYEAR305 for 20% OFF your next Lulu purchase through the end of the year.

Lamentations of the Flame Princess (Weird Fantasy+) on Sale for $1.34

All of Jim Raggi's LotFP catalogue is on sale from now thru Sunday at RPGNow for a buck and thirty-four cents a piece..  That's a penny less then my large tea costs at the corner bodega by my job.

Weird Fantasy RPG?  $1.34

Death, Frost, Doom?  $1.34

The Grinding Gear?  $1.34

The rest of Jim's stuff?  $1.34 a piece.

Now, here's the fun part.  Tomorrow (Tuesday) thru Saturday I'll be giving away a LotFP PDF each day to one of my Google Friends Connect followers.  I throw a random name up each day, tell me what you want, and I'll forward it to your RPGNow account.

If you don't contact me to after the sale is done... I'll find a way to credit you $1.34 ;)

Contest Update

We hit our 75th member overnite. Woot!

Which means the prize package will be awarded this coming weekend to one lucky person who is following this site via Google Friends Connect. You can still enter until the stroke of noon on Sunday the 12th of December.

I may be adding something else to the prize pot as we hit out goal so fast. My mind is working on it. Give me a bit ;)

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Latest Contest at the Tavern - Follow via Google Connect to Enter

I love giving away freebies.  Sometimes the list to choose from is small, sometimes its large.  This time it is a large list, and the whole list will go to a single winner.

Here's the contest - lets get to 75 followers or more of Tenkar's Tavern by Noon (NYC Time) on Sunday, December 12th, 2011.  Shouldn't be too hard, we have 72 already.  So, if we have 75 or more followers via Google Connect, one of those 75+ will win a PDF copy of each of the following, thanks to RPGNow.com and the various publishers:

Weird War II Player's Guide [Pinnacle Entertainment]

Adventurer's Guide to Cthonia [Alea Publishing]

ArcheTech Special Report: An Assortment of Armor [Cracked Mirror Publishing]

Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade [Third Eye Games]

Martial Cultures: the Daikort Pack [Chaotic Shiney Productions]

Legend of the Five Rings (4th Edition) [AEG]

Dungeon Dwellers (Rev. 2nd Edition) [Empty Room Studios]

Fuzzy Heroes (2nd Edition) [Inner City Games]

Ave Molech (2nd Edition) [Morbidgames]

Book of Alignment (OGL/Pathfinder) [Emerald Press]

Yep, that's a list of 10 prizes to one lucky follower of this site.  If you are already a follower, you are already entered :)

Now, if there is something you want and can't wait to try and win it (or you aren't the winner) the following code will give you 20% off any of the above: Holiday2010BPCX

Last Call -Adamant Entertainment PDFs for a Buck Each at RPGNow

As I type this there are less then 12 hrs left in Adamant Entertainments a Buck a Book Sale at RPGNow.  I first mentioned this on Wednesday, so peek and see if there is anything you want.

Guns - Easing Relations Since 1250ish

So, I was out shopping earlier today (surprise), and the parking lot that had been packed when we got there was emptying out by the time we were finished.  As we approached our car, which was parked in a now very vacant and dark area of the parking lot, we were approached by a stranger.

I never like being approached by strangers.  Especially young male strangers.  At nite.  In a fairy vacant parking lot, away from others.  Maybe I watch too much TV, or maybe I've seen too much on my job, but these situations put my warning light on.

"Excuse me, hello?  Can you tell me the location of the nearest Sprint store?"  This was probably the most left field question he could have asked... how the hell would any of us know that?  We're just in the area shopping.

My girlfriend basically told him as much, and he explained that he was searching for a Sprint store that took repairs, and he was sent to a store location that had closed, and had done all this on foot, etc.

Me, my mom and my girl were apologetic that we couldn't help.

His final words as he continued his quest?  "You folks are the nicest I've spoken to all nite looking for this store.  Thank you."

My girl's first words as we got into the car?  "We spoke with him and tried to help him because we knew you were armed.  If you weren't, I would have ignored him and just locked the car.  If everyone was armed we could all be friendly to strangers."  Damn insightful.  Damn scary too.

Of course, it's the opposite in most RPGs.  The PCs are all armed and are suspicious of everyone, from the youngest child to the oldest crone and all in between.

I don't think arming the entire population of Greyhawk of the Forgotten Realms would make interactions any easier.  ;)

Black Adder, Dark Humor

Just as some had predicted, Black Adder renewed my faith in classic British Comedy. It was a polar opposite of the cringinly not funny 1st episode of The Young Ones.

Maybe it's my B.A.in History, with a concentration in Medieval History (what a surprise, right?). Maybe it's my gaming background, and my appreciation all thing Medieval from that end. Or maybe it's just because it's some funny shit.

My kid actually came out of his room to see why I was laughing... (this was during the dinner scene with the king's ghost being totally ignored). Good stuff.

I'd love to see a Black Adder GURPS Sourcebook, much like the Discworld ones they released. Not that I would ever truly expect it to happen, but it would be damn sweet. It would need to cover all the time periods tho. All the PCs would need skill levels in scheming and sniveling ;)


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Musical Mustard Interlude

If you want music mixed in with your RPG Blog, you'll generally be looking at Christian's Destination Unknown.  Some of his pieces are offbeat, but I've made more then one iTunes purchase off of the videos he's linked.

I've linked to this performer before.  He's got more soul then 99% of the performers out there in my honest opinion.  Daniel Mustard, formerly known as Homeless Mustard from the Opie & Anthony Show on Sirius/XM, has just released a 5 song EP via iTunes.  You can check more out at his website.

It's nice to see someone turn their life around.  In my profession, you don't see much of that.  It's a feel good story for the holidays, and it's good music besides all that.

Nope, this has nothing to do with RPGs.  I'll get back to that stuff tomorrow ;)

Digital to Dead Tree

In less then a week I get to be a Guinea Pig for OneBookShelf / RPGNow. They will be selling Print versions of some of PDFs they carry. I get to be one of the first users / buyers / testers of the new program.

Hopefully there is an OSR product in the initial test release ;)

More when I know more.


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Adamant Entertainment PDFs for a Buck Each at RPGNow

Somehow this escaped my attention earlier, but for the next 4 days Adamant Entertainment has their entire PDF product line on sale for a buck each at RPGnow (they are also giving an Amazon Kindle away to a random customer, but that's not the point.)

Here's the point:

Icons for a buck. (here's the rest of the Icons goodies)

The Imperial Age: True20 Edition - a buck

Mars: Savage Worlds Edition - yet another buck

I better not forget Thrilling Tales, which I picked up with their last Dollar Sale

I've got a few bucks to spend, I'm sure I'll find a few others that's I'll enjoy and can steal ideas from.

Reflecting on The Walking Dead

I've been thinking a lot about The Walking Dead recently, and not just because it a damn good TV series. I'm really enjoying the sub-story of the two former law enforcement partners. In many ways, it reminds me of an adventuring party after the party goes their separate ways.

Here's the deal: partners in law enforcement, are for the most part, a forced marriage of sorts. If you are lucky you may choose your partner, but many times it's the luck of the draw as to who you will be working with, day in day out, for months or years. This is the person that you have to rely on to risk their life for you without hesitation, and you for them.

It can be a very intense relationship, coming before family and friends in many cases. You will learn how they think, how they will react. Yet, for the most part, the only common interest shared, the only bond, is The Job.

It's pretty much the same for adventuring parties. Throw a bunch of strangers together into constant danger, where the only way to survive is to trust your fellows to risk their lives for yours... it just more like an arranged family then marriage. The bond is The Party.

I've made three honest to god, true friends in my numerous years in law enforcement... and not one of them was a partner of mine. Heck, the only times I see my old partners these days seems to be at funerals.

All of which is why I am truly enjoying the interaction between the two former partners in The Walking Dead, as it's as real a portrayal of any I've seen in movies and TV shows over the years.

(The Job, a very short lived TV series starring comedian Dennis Leary, is the closest I've seen to an authentic police oriented show. Brooklyn South also came very close - close enough that when I watched it on DVD recently I found myself feeling very sympathetic for the Desk Sgt ;)


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