Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Lonely Coast Campaign Setting
The setting details a small area that can fit into just about any campaign world. It's designed to fit on the outskirts of a kingdom, and doesn't cover a huge area, so it shouldn't disrupt much if you drop it into a world you already plan to use.
Five wandering encounters are included to help the DM hit the ground rolling.
You can grab The Lonely Coast here and visit the Raging Swan Press' website here.
Raging Swan has also released an adventure named Retribution for 1st level PCs, that can be used with The Lonely Coast or not. It's also for Pathfinder and would required some conversion to use it with other rule sets. I'll give my thoughts on it when I finish reading it.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Fantasy Games Unlimited Seems Limitless
There are 26 adventures and supplements for Villains and Vigilantes along. I assume that they are pretty compatible to the new release of V&V, but maybe someone can confirm or deny that for me.
The title that caught most of my attention last night was Swordbearer. It was one of the first non-AD&D RPGs that I purchased. Never played it, not even sure if I understood how all the rules would have worked in game play, but I loved that boxed set. Come to think of it, games in boxes were generally more exciting then book format. It's kinda like opening a present every time you play.
I did use the Swordbearer adventure Dwarven Halls in my AD&D campaign back in the day. Wish I could remember how well it played, but time has stolen the details from me.
Anyhow, FGU appears to be participating in the Christmas in July promo on RPGNow. 25% off aint bad.
FGU Classic Releases on RPGNow
Last night I received numerous emails informing me of Fantasy Games Unlimited releasing classic titles from it's library on RPGNow. It included some V&V titles, some Aftermath and Space Opera supplements and even the Swordbearer rules (of which I have the original box packed away somewhere).
Over the weekend I'll take a closer look at the releases. I figured I'd let y'all know now, as there are some FGU fans out there ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, July 22, 2010
And The Winners Are...
Still haven't figured out a better method than rolling dice by hand, although I'm sure there is a better method.
Forty-three peeps registered via Google Friends Connect. I'm going to be lazy and just roll percentile dice and disregard any results over 43. Breaking out the pink crystal dice inked in black (which I SWORE were red when I ordered them online).
Ashley the Feline will be our dice rolling witness. Hopefully she will refrain from playing with the dice until after the winners are chosen.
And the rolls are:
Congrats to all.
Just think, we get to do it again at 50 - just need to check the prize closet and make note of what we have ;)
Breaking Out the Dice Tonight
We, I have three items to give away from June, and I'd hate to see them expire and go to waste, so everyone that is on the Tavern's Google Friends list by 7 pm NYC time tonight is entered. Raffling off PDF copies of:
Fantasy Craft Karma Roleplaying System Fat Dragon Deluxe Set
Should be fun ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
My ENnie Choices - Atomic Highway
Even the cover plays homage to the Road Warrior series of movies.
This book is a blast (nuclear?) to read. Simple rules (as in not too crunch heavy), nice setting rules (so you can customize your own setting) and a well done sample adventure. Haven't yet put the rules to a playtest, but I suspect they would be quickly picked up by the average gaming group. All that and a solid 5 star rating on RPGNow.
Now, for a free alternative post holocaust RPG (more on the side of Gamma World then Road Warrior) you can check out Mutant Future.
Or just read them both and make your own future.
The 40th Person Just Stepped up to the Bar
Tomorrow night I'll do the random rolling to determine the winner of a PDF copy of Fantasy Craft, compliments of RPGNow. Actually, I'm leaning on giving more then one prize away, as the codes are from June and I'd hate for them to expire ;)
Best of luck to all.
Bits n Pieces
Over the next few days I'll be posting some short reviews of my picks from the ENnies list. I figure most of them are independent publishers and might have flown under some folks radars.
I also need to complete another Tales of the Blue Knight installment. Let's see how far I can get on that.
Another week in the 90s here in NYC. Saturday will be gunning for 98. Did I mention I hate the heat?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Eenie, Meenie, More ENnies....
Best Production Values
Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios) - 'cause its a damn good book
Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo Publishing) - Paizo outdid their already high standards on this one
Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)- Holy Shit! Open the box and be left in awe!
Best Regalia
I'm not even sure what this means
Best Rules
Atomic Highway (Cubicle 7 & Radioactive Ape Designs) - a most excellent post nuke the world game
Diaspora (VSCA) - FATE system rules rule
Best Setting
Day After Ragnarok (Atomic Overmind Press) - If I were to play in a pulp setting, this would be it... excellent read, even w/o getting to play it
Best Supplement
eh, I refuse to vote for Player's Handbook 3
Best Website
Obsidian Portal - if you want a site that will help you run your game between sessions, this is it
Best Writing
Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios) - like i said before, its a damn good book
FantasyCraft (Crafty Games) - i like the book, even if i know i will never use it
Product of the Year
Pathfinder (Paizo Publishing) - why? because this one goes to ELEVEN! or 3.75, or the alternate 4e
Closing the Pandoren Box
Something I think I forgot to mention about iTabletop Pandoren is that is uses Silverlight or some such (I'm doing this from my iPad so I'm just gonna roll with it). There is nothing to download. Everything is saved server side, even the application.
Which can be good or bad, depending on the future health of the company. In the hear and now it is awesome. Log in on any computer that can access the Internet and your account, your resources, everything you have saved game-wise is there.
Alright, closing the Pandoren box for now. I'm sure I'll have more after I give it a bit of a workout in the coming weeks.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, July 19, 2010
Opening the Pandoren Box
For a brief time I was a volunteer mod on the site, it was at a point where v1.0 was no longer being worked on, and v2.0 wasn't even in pre-beta. Like any real growth, it was a rough spot. So I walked away. Not proud of it, but I was hoping to get my own fairly regular game running, and iTabletop wasn't ready for prime time. I turned my attention back to Fantasy Grounds 2, no slouch in the Virtual Table Top field, but with a decent learning curve if you wanted to run a game with it.
I never completely walked away from iTabletop Pandoren (which I assume is a play on Pandora's box), as the stream of emails updaying threads I was following on the forums could attest to.
At the moment they are offering $25 Lifetime memberships, good for one person, with all the bells and whistles. Crap, that's right, the bells and whistles that set iTabletop Pandoren apart from the others: Video and voice built into the platform. Which is damn nice, as my group is in NYC, Texas and Washington State... and everyone wants to make faces and crack jokes. Hard to do that via the chat log in Fantasy Grounds 2.
You can also share sounds for events, video clips, PDFs (tho the last part is a bit touchy, as copyrights can be involved). Suffice to say it is far enough along that I can now stumble my way thru the idea of getting a game running with it.
At the very least my group with use this for the 4 time a year Gathering of Fools... so that those in distant lands (Texas and Washington) can enjoy and participate in the foolishness.
Eenie, Meenie, ENnies....
Best Adventure
The Grinding Gear (Lamentations of the Flame Princess)
Best Aid or Accessory
er, don't know, don't rightly care
Best Art, Cover
Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
Best Art, Interior
Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo Publishing)
Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
Best Blog
guess i dont read the big ones
Best Cartography
and don't now much about the final picks
Best Electronic Book
not one of the finalists are on my digital bookshelf... sigh
Best Free Product
amazingly enough, I don't know anything off this list either... and I LOVE free
Best Game
Pathfinder (Paizo Publishing)
HM: Labyrinth Lord (Goblinoid Games) Honorable mention isnt bad, but I'd have preferred a vote ;)
Best Miniature Product
I dont really do minis these days
Best Monster/Adversary
Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
Pathfinder: Classic Horrors Revisited (Paizo Publishing)
Best Podcast
I listen to like 4 podcasts a year, so my vote doesn't count
eh, there's more, but I'll post it later tonight
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Quick Start Rules - The Listing - Part the Sixth
Misguided Ambitions - An Introduction to Earthdawn Third Edition - My experience with Earthdawn is limited to the harcover published by FASA back in my early days of gaming. This cover to the new edition's quickstart reminds me of little in that old book, which is a good thing.
Mage: The Awakening Demo Part 1 and Part 2 - ENnie Nominated for best free product or web enhancement. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the Ascension and Awakening line for Mage?
City of Heroes RPG Quickplay Pack - Based on the MMORPG of the same name, it appears the full system was never released. If this weren't a PDF, it would be a collectible.
A Players Guide to Castlemourn - Not so much a quick start as an intro to the setting with enough rules (for use with 3.5e) to allow a player to create a character for use. Includes original fiction from Ed Greenwood, which by itself means it deserves a gander, especially for free. Castlemourn Quickstart for the Cortex System here.

Blogs of Inspiration & Erudition
-
-
Character Creation Challenge: Blue Rose1st Edition, AGE Edition - [image: Blue Rose] Yesterday I featured Blue Rose, the True20 Edition. I am moving further afield now from the d20 base I started with, but there is stil...46 minutes ago
-
Pestilential Painting: Plague Burst Crawler Part One - Welcome back to the Vectorium! I now have 2 units left to complete my initial 50 PL Combat Patrol; a Rhino and a Plague Burst Crawler. I've decided to t...1 hour ago
-
-
Whimsy and Wonder, and Yet? - Neverland is that faraway land where Peter Pan and the Lost Boys frolic and play, fairies gather in revelries, Captain James Hook connives and seeks veng...6 hours ago
-
'Crash & Burn' - Cepheus Engine Rpg PC Workshop & Session Report One - So tonight there's been a DM's meeting & we're putting together another Hostile rpg Setting Cepheus Engine rpg one shot. Out on a Terran type worldlet in ...11 hours ago
-
-
Ruining the Game - Two quotes. Pandred wrote today on my last post: *"I always regret the mistrusting impulse I get in situations like this, where something bad happened ...12 hours ago
-
Pyramid Scheme Monday - In case you missed Sean Punch's update on this. The Pyramid Kickstarter launches Monday: Pyramid Scheme And here is an update with more details: Pyramid ...19 hours ago
-
The Origins of Rule Zero - The idea that a gamemaster has the discretion to alter or discard published rules was not an invention of role-playing games: it derived from a wargam...20 hours ago
-
Presenting the Zihindian Pantheon - We continue our exploration of the distant land of Zihindia with the first in a series of articles on the Zihindian pantheon. Zihindian religion is an inte...22 hours ago
-
Vampire: The Masquerade: Northeast Passage - On the Reeperbahn, late half past one If you got a girl, or got none You will have great fun, that’s the way it’s done On the Reeperbahn, late half past on...1 day ago
-
Tomb of the Witch Queen, D&D adventure review - By Jon Paget Jon Pagat Roleplay 5e Levels 1-12 (scales) My New Years resolution is to only review good adventures! Let’s go! 🙂 News has got out about a to...1 day ago
-
New Cover for The Salt Mine - Heya folks, got a new cover in for Dark Matter (The Salt Mine 15) and thought I should share.1 day ago
-
Geeky SKAturday: More love for Pokémon, with upbeats - Today's intersection of ska and geekdom comes courtesy of Jeremy at Skatune Network...who has to be one of the most musically talented individuals I've eve...1 day ago
-
Dungeons & Dragons: a TV series and a Movie? - It looks like a *Dungeons & Dragons* television series is now in the process of being developed by Derek Kolstad (the author of the script for the first ...1 day ago
-
Silver Highway Encounters - More for my Broken Hill post apoc adventure trail as im running it next after current game melts down. Of course, running stuff in play makes new dema...2 days ago
-
New Release: Miscreated Creatures - Miscreated Creatures in Hardback (Lulu) Miscreated Creatures in PDF (DriveThruRPG) If we lived in a world without adventure games, I think I’d still have w...3 days ago
-
Dwarven settlement & a new podcast episode - Hey! I finally got off my duff and created a new episode of "Gilligan's Isle Of ADD". You can listen here: https://anchor.fm/gilligans-isle-of-add/epis...4 days ago
-
On Artifices & Deceptions: Triggers, Proximity - This trigger is an extremely sensitive device that detects vibrations, most often transmitted through the air. They are generally sensitive and only used ...4 days ago
-
DIY Dice - I ordered a set of silicone dice moulds from Bangood, and they just arrived, two weeks earlier than their estimated ETA, which is nice. The basic set ...4 days ago
-
Song of the Ash-Sea Pirates - Many say the Great Ash Sea which spreads westwards from the furthest shore is impassable and empty, barren as a frozen heart, yet consider this song sung b...4 days ago
-
Free GM Resource: Goobertown Hobbies YouTube Channel - [image: Free GM Resource: Goobertown Hobbies YouTube Channel] I know that I missed last Monday. Last Monday kind of sucked because I lost my job and had a...5 days ago
-
Space, as Douglas Adams used to say, is big. - *Traveller* is a pretty funky little system for creating sci-fi universes, but, like any game, it has its limits. For one thing, the excellent mapping sy...5 days ago
-
Wednesday Lunchtime D&D Call to Arms - In these literal and figurative dark times, what we need is the light of Our Lady of Dungeons & Dragons to shine forth upon us. In that vein, I'd like to r...6 days ago
-
Ask the Stars - The Signs - The Signs are designed to work as oracles, similar to how I've used Spark Tables but with a dash of Tarot's symbolism and openness to interpretation. I w...6 days ago
-
Necrotic Gnome Website - It's been a long time since I last posted on this blog... and the reason for that is that I'm now posting news and updates at necroticgnome.com directly....6 days ago
-
Why I Don't Mind Aerith and Bob - Although I have gone into details on names in my campaigns before let's talk about it again. Why? Because it is on my mind, no more than that. In the B...1 week ago
-
-
Minimalist D&D VII - Six skill sets - Here is part VI. You asked for it, and you shall receive! More minimalist D&D is coming... hopefully, until it becomes an entire game. I talked about skil...1 week ago
-
Pits and Progress, Perils of Product... - Okay, sad news. Life happens, and real life takes priority over our imaginary ones, even the semi-real companies that publish the games we play. Recent...1 week ago
-
Behold! The World Breaker! - I got this beautiful beast today. A antique gold, metal 100 sided die. It weights almost a pound! This thing can do some damage. I love the look of it. ...1 week ago
-
[BEYONDE] Nox Archaist, the Hottest Apple ][ Game of 2020/2021 - Nox ArchaistA little known but useful Internet fact: Ultima fans and their money are quickly separated. Yes, Gentle Reader, *YOU too* can make good money...2 weeks ago
-
Majestic Fantasy RPG Release, Wilderlands Deal, and more. - Happy New Year everyone! It is 2021 and several Bat in the Attic Games items are happening right out of the gate. *Basic Rules for the Majestic Fantasy...2 weeks ago
-
2020 Year In Review - I’ll just post the numbers of my various sites, and leave the rest of the year below if you want to read about 2020 from my perspective. Twitter – Down 3...2 weeks ago
-
10 Stupid yet Robust Games for Video Calls - 2020 is a weird year. A lot of people are relying on video calls for holiday gatherings. This is fine, but it does limit the type of holiday games that c...2 weeks ago
-
TANX - [image: TANX - 16] [image: TANX - 05] [image: TANX - 11] [image: TANX - 06] [image: TANX - 03] [image: TANX - 14] [image: TANX - 12] [image: TANX - 15] [i...2 weeks ago
-
Labyrinth Lord OEC Player Quickstart - I thought I’d post the player quickstart I’m using for my Labyrinth Lord OEC campaign. If you’ve seen the other … Continue reading →2 weeks ago
-
Links to Blackmoor Play on Youtube - Watching other people play online is a mixed bag, but can be both informative and entertaining. I'm tempted, but I won't bore you with a discussion of ...3 weeks ago
-
Muster - Eero Tuovinen is crowd-funding a discussion about old school play: Muster: A Friendly Primer to Challengeful Dungeoneering. Why, you might ask, is another ...3 weeks ago
-
That information is not available… - One of the more…interesting?…Yeah, let’s go with ‘interesting>’! One of the more interesting parts of being a Genteel Magistrate is to keep a group of hero...4 weeks ago
-
AD&D Poison Notes - In *Dragon* magazine #81 (January 1984) the article "Taking the Sting Out of Poison" by author Chris Landsea offered truly exhaustive coverage of the top...1 month ago
-
Some Brechewold Forest Spots - These are a few hexes that will be part of the preview chapter of *The Yellow Book of Brechewold*. B1. Waterfall Mine and the Crone - Lan...1 month ago
-
My RPG Zine Trilogy is on Kickstarter! - I can't believe I didn't post about it here! The Dead are Coming, Screams Amongst the Stars and Running Out of Time are on *Kickstarter right now!* Thes...1 month ago
-
The Inn Between - This all basically grew from the idea of What If Spirited Away, But D&D? First of all, wiser souls have spoken of this before. The ruleset would be GLO...1 month ago
-
Prospects and Retrospects - 101 posts From Kuroth's Quill - Due to the vagaries of real-life timing winning out over planning, my 100th post in *From Kuroth's Quill* arrived uncelebrated as my compiled (and still ...1 month ago
-
Quantum D&D - A funny thing happened to D&D in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s: it got popular. It went from a game everyone learned from someone whose knowledge of the...2 months ago
-
Dolls and Devils - French Resistance sent a bizarre tale to Allied Intelligence. A French doctor, a Vichy traitor, was collaborating with the Third Reich. Doctor Le F. had...2 months ago
-
Maximum HP 004, one week to go - Just one week to go for Maximum HP issue #004, the undead. We are pushing through stretch goals and wracking up contributions for the best issue yet. We...2 months ago
-
The Bombing of the Quick Stop Gas Station Bench - *One of the ingredients that's coalescing for Bunkers & Billionaires is a completely surreal mission landscape. Rogue intelligence agents and terrorist c...3 months ago
-
Steve Jackson Interview - James Maliszewski recently did an interview with Steve Jackson over on his Grognardia blog. Steve chats about the beginnings of The Fantasy Trip and upcomi...4 months ago
-
The Hero’s Journey 2nd Edition, Campbellian roleplaying at its best! - (this review done using the reviewers own purchased copy) I have been a James Michael Spahn fan since he wrote his Swords & Wizardry Companion. His writing...4 months ago
-
Undermountain Map Origins - As documented on the Ruins of Undermountain sales page, "TSR didn't actually use Ed Greenwood's original maps," at least not in their entirety. This post d...6 months ago
-
Sometimes, the best move is not to play... - I had to do something really hard this weekend, I had to cancel my monthly tabletop Zoom AD&D game, as well as my bi-weekly online AD&D game. I'm taking a...7 months ago
-
A to Z of Megadungeons - I've seen a couple of A to Z's lately and decided we needed one for megadungeons. So here, we go. A is for Architect Someone needs to build the megadungeon...7 months ago
-
A Campaign Begins for Newbies - Like many of you, the affects of the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted how hundreds of millions of us fellow mutants interact and function in our jobs, co...8 months ago
-
WB:FMAG Total Print Sales - Hello Folks, The last time I did a quick sales report was in September 2018. I pulled reports from Amazon, Lulu and DrivethruRPG from October to current fo...8 months ago
-
The Minotaur for Old-School Essentials - *Minotaur* *Requirements:* Minimum STR 9, Minimum CON 9 *Prime Requisite:* STR and CON *Hit Dice:* 1d10 *Maximum Level:* 8 *Armor:* Leather, including shield...9 months ago
-
The Mauve Plague, Gravy Urns, and Batlace Frills: News from the Hill Cantons - And now the News... In a statement beamed from the Oracular Society today *Morafans the Rickmaster*, the Psychosocial Health Minister of the Overking, ha...10 months ago
-
WIZARDS OF POHJOLA - Init +0 Melee Atk • sword or dagger +1 (1d5 or 1d3) Ranged Atk • hot iron sparks +3 (1d4+2 to two targets within 20' but not closer than 5') AC 14 HD 12d...11 months ago
-
Strange, Dangerous, and Inhuman: The Fey and Fairie - When I was a boy I loved fairy tales. Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in Boots, Rumpelstiltskin - I devoured all of it. My fascination that there was a strang...1 year ago
-
Merlynd the Magician: A Remembrance of Don Kaye, TSR's Co-Founder Now Available - LINK to Description and Ordering: https://www.tlbgames.com/collections/the-red-book-line/products/merlynd-the-magician1 year ago
-
New AD&D Greyhawk Campaign Notes - I recently launched a new AD&D campaign on Fantasy Grounds. Although we're using the 2e ruleset FG released earlier this year, my only books for reference...1 year ago
-
The Withered Crag custom print version for sale again - Just re-enabled the direct sales button for the custom print (classic style detached cover) version of F4 The Withered Crag, and also for F3 Many Gates of...1 year ago
-
Dungeons & Dragonmead Fall Schedule - *As you know, I run public classic Dungeons & Dragons games at **The Loaded Die**/Metro Detroit Game Night's Board Game Nigh at **Dragonmead**, in Warren...1 year ago
-
Home Sweet Home Azeroth - A very simple mash up of the World of Warcraft Cinematic Trailer and Classic Announcement set to Mötley Crüe “Home Sweet Home” from the Theatre of Pain a...1 year ago
-
-
D&D Sling Damage vs. Large Targets - In many early editions of D&D, weapons were assigned two damage values: one for small/medium targets (i.e. man-sized) and one for large targets (giants and...1 year ago
-
James A. Smith, Jr. Memorial Video - A beloved father, devoted friend, and D&D Dungeon Master extraordinaire. We miss you! To view video, click here Memorial Video Note - The original video...1 year ago
-
Let's Talk About Pacing! - The idea, I think, is that the RPG is ultimately about the long game. Even rolling back to the early days of Basic & Expert, the goal of the player was...1 year ago
-
Profane and Profound Prep Part 2 - This is part 2 of my work to edit my magic items for a DMsGuild release, along with adding cursed items along the way. Here is part 1. Bone of a Saint 8000...1 year ago
-
SHORT BREAK. - I'm going to take a break for a week or so and will start up again in the New Year. Thanks for reading and we'll start with Level 6 when I get back.2 years ago
-
Iain Lovecraft, 3D Sculptor - Nope, it's got nothing to do with Cthulhu. I just did a video conversation with Iain Lovecraft, who designs 3D miniatures and terrain. If you're not doin...2 years ago
-
New website! - Slowly but surely, all the content here will make its way — in updated form! — to my new website: timbannock.com. For fairly obvious reasons, that site wil...2 years ago
-
Please Update Your Link! - If you're seeing this, it means your link to the Greyhawk Grognard blog is out of date. Please update your link to www.greyhawkgrognard.com (RSS feed is h...2 years ago
-
How can We Destroy this Campaign World? - d12 1. You must trick a bard into strumming the *Chords of Fate* on the *Lute of Annihilation* 2. Legends tell of thermonuclear weapons beneath megadungeo...2 years ago
-
Mord Mar - Session 6 - We weren't able to play Mord Mar last week, due to a family funeral. This week we played on Monday for the first time, due to kids returning to school and ...2 years ago
-
A Small, Quiet Plea - There has been a great deal of discussing political agendas, social grievances, and personal attacks within the little corner of gaming that is my hobby....2 years ago
-
Don’t Sleep It’s Broken - Expanding/editing my comments from What Makes Something Broken G+ thread: “Broken”, for me, is anything that makes normal character choices, tactics, or ro...2 years ago
-
Swords & Wizardry Light-Themed Birthday Party - Last month, my wife and I helped our oldest to celebrate his birthday in style. Ever since 2013, we have hosted a themed birthday party for our now-15-ye...3 years ago
