Bringing Method to Madness

There is generally little rhyme or reason to my posts. I post what I want, when I want. Which is fine until you realize that your Blogger's GADD keeps your from posting all that you want to, as you either get scatter brained or overwhelmed.

So I've decided on a loose schedule for my posts, inter-spread with random thoughts.

Weekends will consist of at least one posting of Tenkar's Tavern Buybacks... free RPG PDF goodies that I find and pass on to you. (see last weekend's post for an example)

Wednesday will be Happy Hour at Tenkar's Tavern. Usually a product review, it may not be free, but hopefully it will make someone happy to learn about it.

Tomorrow should be this week's posting of some buybacks ;)

GADD - Gamer's Attention Deficit Disorder

It's amazing how easily I am distracted from my original idea of reviewing some of the major VTTs. Instead I find myself reading more and more PDFs as they are released, or as I stumble across them.

I'll try to focus myself. No promises. ;)

Still, I found another treasure trove of free RPG goodness over the last two evenings, so it isn't all bad. I'll try and link that up over the weekend.

Real Life Intrussion

So, I'm about to leave work when my cellphone rings - I don't know the number, but I pick up anyway - which is rare.

"Trace the phone and wipe it!  I think he had a gun, or maybe a knife... CLICK!"  Yep, my son's phone call put me into panic mode.  Rain kept my commute home at a standstill.

Long story short:  my son had his cellphone snatched in the NYC Subway this afternoon by another "youth".  He was going to fight for it when something didn't seem right to him, and he stood down and let it go.  In the end he thinks the other kid had a knife, as he didn't run and was enjoying the confrontation.  My son then used one of those rare payphones you occasionally find in NYC to tell me briefly what happened.

Discretion, the better part of valor.  Property can be replaced.  People can't.

Of course, I'm a father and a sucker, so tomorrow I'll be supplying my kid with a new phone... no contract discount... ouch!

The thing is, after I was comfortable with the idea he was OK, after he talked about what happened, the story he painted, the details he remembered (and those he couldn't), were laid out like a damn good DM setting the scene for the party's latest encounter.  My son weaves an entertaining story.

My kid get's robbed, and I think about his gaming potential at the table. ;)

Most importantly, he is fine, and learned a lesson about showing valuables in public.  Course, my wallet is paying for that lesson...

ICONS on the iPad

My iPad is gonna need a sneeze guard.  I just got my preorder PDF of the ICONS superhero RPG.  Its FATE based, so it should be fun.  K, time to read.  I'll give my feedback after I digest this for a bit.

Allergies Suck Azz!

I sit here before my 28" computer screen (a TigerDirect.com bargain this past winter) wondering how long I have before one of my sneezes nail it dead center.  This afternoon the sneezing started full blast, and it hasn't left yet.  Would this count as an "At Will" power in 4e?  Alright, stepping away from the keyboard for a bit.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll be less congested.

Weekend Buy Backs at the Tavern

It never ceases to amaze me:  the amount and free and quality publications that are usable in old school (or really any school), gaming.

This weekends freebie finds:


Zor Draxtau, Issue 1 - official newsletter of the USHERWOOD ADVENTURES.  OSRIC compatible, it consists of 6 pages you can steal for any of the Old School D&D homages.


The One Page Dungeon Codex 2009, Deluxe - Dozens of dungeons (and other maps) that fit on a single page and are system generic.  If you can't mine this for ideas you need to go back to GM school.

Signs & Portents 80 - Yes, it is Mongoose's house organ, but its an excellent house organ.  This issue is lighter then others in the past, but still priced well.

D6 Core Set - D6 Adventure, Fantasy  and Space.  For free.  Under the OGL too.  (when you follow the link to the download page, download each book separately.  My "Bundle link" just game me the D6 Adventure book).  Further downloads for the D6 system (including the books I just listed) can be found here.