Kickstarter - Pyramid of the Lost King: Adventures in Basq (OSR Setting)

I've been remiss in my Kickstarter coverage. Well, remiss in that I've failed to cover all of the good ones, as the train wrecks (or even minor fender benders) are usually very entertaining.

One of the Kickstarters I've overlooked is Pyramid of the Lost King: Adventures in Basq, which is a foolish thing to overlook, as I've agreed to do a small part (as has +Tim Shorts , so if nothing else, my small part can be judged against Tim's small part - wait - that doesn't sound right at all.)

Pyramid of the Lost King is the newest Lands of Usarm adventure from Genius Loci Games. Pyramid takes place in the deserts far to the south of the Ruined City of Uostin where the merchant guilds of Neark are trying to open trade with the elvish forest kings of the Last Land. However, between the Lands of Usarm and the Last Lands stands the Saragubi Desert, A wild and unexplored place that offers adventurers a chance at fortune, fame, and of course certain death.   

Pyramid of the Lost King is a decentralized sandbox adventure centering around an area of the Desert known as the Narrows. The Narrows is a section of desert that is divided into a northern and southern half by a massive slab of sandstone over 200 miles wide and 300 feet in height. The only way (aside from walking around) past this slab of rock is through the narrow canyon the area gets its name form. The Narrows and the desert around it have become a hot bed of activity as the merchant guilds have come to rely on it for their caravans to the Last Lands. However, the desert around the Narrows is still unexplored and dangers, both ancient and new, encroach.

+Johua De Santo had me at "decentralized sandbox adventure"  ;)

Seriously, sandboxes are where the fun is, and no two parties ever play it the same way.

I'm looking forward to running this down the line.

Time to Award the White Box PDF Bundle Prize(s)

Yes. Prize(s). That's because in addition to the bundle that includes White Box Treasures, Bestiary and Companion, three additional winners will get to pick one of the three titles for themselves. +James Spahn , temporary temporal commander of the OSR in a generous benefactor ;)

All right, lets get to the goodies giving part :)

For the White Box Bundle - +Peter V. Dell'Orto 

For their choice of one of the three releases in PDF, we have:

+Brett Slocum 

Sir Corvus

Halenar Frosthelm

Email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. I'll need your RPGNow email and for the final three, the product that you want.

James and I thank everyone for participating.

As next week is GM's Week, I'm hoping to organize a few more giveaways. Should have one already tapped down :)

Review - Another Bunch of Content Issue #3 (OSR Supplement)

I never got around to reviewing Issues 1 and 2 of Another Bunch of Content, which is totally my fault. Well, that and work, as I've been trying to find time for reviews and they are often the more time consuming of posts.

Let me start with the simple statement - You Want This

Nothing subliminal, no beating around the bush, just a simple statement. Each issue has 26 pieces of content for your game. What kind of content are we talking about? Magic items, locations, personalities, history, spells, monsters.

It is literally inspiration for the DM that is looking for that one piece to the puzzle, but in this case they get 26 extremely varied pieces.

For a product like this, I think it's important to see some of the actual content instead of me trying to describe it, so I've included 2 fine pages as examples.

Here's The Badger's own words:

The third issue of the monthly system neutral series Another Bunch of Content has been released! Each month, InfiniBadger Press brings you 26 new pieces of open content for you to use in your games, one for each letter of the alphabet. Monsters, items, locations, people, encounters, dungeons, and a slew of anything else that that we think that you might be interested in will all be put together into these jam-packed system-neutral newsletters for your gaming utility and pleasure.

Yep, it's system neutral, uses both ascending  and descending AC where applicable and being open content other publishers can use what they like when fleshing out their own products.

It's $1.25 per issue or a subscription of 6 issues for $6. If you buy a sub now, you get the first 3 issues immediately.

Here's the ToC for issue #3:

Anarchy Bands (Item)
Bolgar's Fist (Location)
Challak Raiders (People)
Dragon Ticks (Monster)
Entirodon (Monster)
Faith's Hammer (Item)
Golem Speaking (Spell)
Hathamander, Lord of Strife (Personality)
Iambic Curse (Spell)
Jackleg (Setting)
Kaolisk (Monster)
Lesser Signature (Spell)
Mashka, Gateway to the Golden Realm (Location)
Neolithic Ward (Spell)
Octarchy of Gris (Setting)
Pannikins of Eltash (Item)
Questers (Setting)
Ravagers (Monster)
Spoileaters (Monster)
Tabinidic Demon (Monster)
Unatone (Spell)
Verbatim (Spell)
Warbler (Monster)
Xylonthi (People)
Yellow Iron Weapons (Item)
Zoo of Tyloem (Location)

One of my favorites is the Spoileaters, cannibals that eat the dead of recent battles. Lots of uses for these in dungeons ;)

James Spahn - Hottest Titles 1-4 Over at RPGNow!

I'm excited for +James Spahn and the OSR as a whole (and Swords & Wizardry in particular.)

If you thought, as I did, that James holding positions 1-3 on the RPGNow Hottest Titles list as of this past Monday was a thing beauty, holding the 1st-4th spots on that very list as of Saturday morning brings it to "eleven." (obligatory Spinal Tap reference)

For me, what is even more impressive, is that James' three White Box releases hold positions 1 through 3. I'll bet a week's pay that no one has held the first four spots at the same time.

If you want a chance to grab the White Box "Trilogy" of Barrel Rider Games releases in PDF for free you still have time. James is giving away such a bundle on the previous post. All you need to do is add a comment by 6 PM tonight, Eastern Time on the original post.

Congrats James!

White Box Giveaway - PDF Bundle of White Box Treasures, Companion and Newly Released Bestiary!

I was talking with +James Spahn of Barrel Rider Games earlier today about his newest White Box release - Bestiary - and we both had the same thought: why not do a White Box Bundle Giveaway?

So here it is.

James is giving away a PDF bundle of his three White Box Releases - Treasures, Companion and Bestiary.

Treasures is currently the hottest title on RPGNow and Companion is sitting at third.

What do you need to do to be in the mix? Simply make a comment on this post by 730 PM Eastern Time tomorrow, Saturday, February 28th, 2015.

Yep - 24 hrs to enter, so don't wait ;)

There's More Than One Way to Show Your Support of The Tavern

The Tavern's Patreon Page has been up for just over a week, and the support has been humbling. I will strive to meet your expectations and hopefully exceed them.

I've received in the past week more than a few inquiries as to ways to support The Tavern in ways other than Patreon. If you are reading this post, you are showing that support.

Yes, simply read this blog on a daily (or however often) basis is showing support, and I appreciate it greatly. Participate in post discussions. Hang out with us on Wednesday Nights for Tavern Chat. Be a part of our community. That type of support is priceless.

If you are going to shop, or even just browse at RPGNow / OneBookshelf, think about clicking one of the link from the RPGNow Hottest Items listing on the right hand side before you go there. The Tavern gets 5% back on all sales received after you click through one of our affiliate links, and those monies go to pay for the contests and giveaways here at The Tavern.

The Adsense Ad we run in the upper right hand corner is hit or miss, but it's a moderate supplement to the RPGNow monies we receive and allow for further prizes. You don't even need to click on it to make a small difference. Just do what you normally do, hang out at The Tavern.

See, all you need to do is continue what you are already doing :)

GM's Week is coming up soon and I expect to do a few giveaways. Depending on how the sale prices go, I intend to include a print item or two.

Again, thanks go out to all of you, as without you I wouldn't be doing all of this ;)

Wayward Kickstarter - Storyteller's Dictionary - Pictures Speak a Thousand Misspelled Words

Maybe the Trolls should have used a dictionary?

It's no secret that Troll Lord Games / Chenault & Gray have their own place in the "bad editing" history of gaming in general, but don't you think when you are asking for thousands of dollars you'd put your best foot forward?

I mean, they could have used any teenager for this one, as there is no way that typo would have escaped the average teen's eyes ;)

It is now fixed BTW. There is another issue with their pledge levels, but that's par for the course.

Storyteller's Dictionary - by those that can't spell ;)

Tip of the hat to The Badger :)

Minis - Yeah or Nay? Paint or Plain?

As you can see from the previous post, I got my Reapers Bones II Box earlier tonight.

I'm a funny guy when it comes to miniatures. I don't use them in game (not even in Roll20, where I have access to infinite "pogs" and the like and a perfect grid to use them with.

At the same time, I haven't painted miniatures in nearly 25 years. Simply too time consuming with a full time + job and family responsibilities.

And yet I buy more nearly every chance I get.

No to use in game, not to paint (yet).

Simply to own and love.

So, where to you fall on the miniatures grid?

Look What Arrived Tonight - Reapers Bones II :)

Compared to the size of the Reapers Bones I box, this was miniscule. I told my wife there must be more coming - if looks could kill ;)

The bottom pic shows the complete basic Reapers Bones II box that holds 150 minis. I'll pick through this a bit tomorrow, as I'm hanging out in Tavern Chat tonight :)

Chat Tonight at The Tavern - 830 PM to 1000 PM Eastern - Be There or Be Not!

I'm avoiding the scheduling function of G+, because it spams the notification. I'll be sharing this on G+ in the usual locations, so the word should still get out.

Although Tavern Chat officially starts at 830 PM , I'll probably be in around 745 or so.

Join us. It's always a blast.

We use the Chatwing chat box on the right side of this page.

Purple Sorcerer Games releases Sorcerer’s Grimoire online app for Testing (DCC RPG)

+Jon Marr has done it again!

Every DCC RPG player knows about The Crawler's Companion. So long as you have a smart phone, tablet or computer near by, you can roll just about anything and any table in the DCC RPG.

0-Level Character generator? Purple Sorcerer has you covered.

Now, Jon allows you to print out the spell tables for your character, one sheet per page with the Sorcerer's Grimoire. My God, the amount of page flipping done away with is going to save lives ;)

As always, its free.

Well done Jon. Well done.

The King Asked for a Duck and Got a Coot - Coots Rule! (Patreon Funded Art)

I've mentioned in the past that +Jim Magnusson does awesome work, but this simply rocks the house.

I was thinking of ducks from classic RuneQuest when I made my request to Jim, but I wanted the result to be meaner. Ducks were lame.

Jim gave us a Coot.

I'll give this some Swords & Wizardry stats later this week, both as a PC race and as a monster to kill and take it's stuff.

Damn the inspiration!

(Jim's Patreon page, where you can toss him a few coins for the amazing work he does, is here)

Blogger to No Longer Allow Sexually Explicit Material

You know those blogs on blogger that make you affirm that there is adult content before you can proceed to read it?

Google-owned blogging platform Blogger will no longer allow its users to post sexually explicit content, the company confirmed today. In a statement sent via email to selected Blogger users, Google said it would no longer allow blogs to feature "graphic nude images or video" from March 23rd. Any blogs that continued to show explicit images would be made private after that date — while graphic images and videos would remain, Google says they would only be visible to the blog owner, admins, and other people with whom the owner shared it. (The Verve)

I guess it IS better to host your own, like your own Wordpress blog than use a host like Blogger, at least for some. Doesn't effect 99% of us, but for the few it does, it's gonna be a huge PITA.

And this right after Zak S pulled the upcoming revamp of I Hit it With My Axe from The Escapist over the views of a newly hired staff member.

Dungeon Desk Pad - Free in PDF (Print at Home)

Well, print at home if you printer can handle the size. That being said, if you like the idea of this being Kickstarted but don't like the shipping costs from the UK to where you are, taking the file of the Dungeon Desk Pad to a print shop may just be the thing.

Of course, I went in head first for the Kickstarter. Even with the shipping costs.

Because mapping is as good as meditation :)

James Spahn Holds First 3 Spots on RPGNow's Hottest Titles List

In all my years of blogging and covering RPGs (especially Old School RPGs) I don't recall a writer ever holding the top three sales spots at RPGNow.

This evening, +James Spahn has the honor.

James is one of the authors of The One Ring - Ruins of the North and the writer and publisher of White Box Treasures and White Box Companion, both for Swords & Wizardry.

Now I need to work on reviews of James' two White Box releases...

More Far Away Land Styled Art by Reid San Fillippo

When is an Ent not and Ent? When it's in Far Away Land :)

I really love the work +Reid San Filippo has been doing with these conversions. Very inspirational.

White Box Treasures Releases (S&W White Box)

+James Spahn has released his second in what promises to be a series of "White Box" releases. This time James presents us with White Box Treasures, 100 magic items for your White Box (or most any OSR) game.

I'll review this over the next few days.

Open Call for 5e Adventure Designers - D&D Adventurers League

If I recall correctly, the D&D Adventurers League is WoTC's organized play arm for D&D 5e.

Here's the skinny:

Only 8 days left for the Open Call! The design test is only 2 encounters, give it a go, you never know if you’ve got what it takes unless you try! 

Have some great ideas for adventures? Want to hear all the great stories your friends will tell about the time they played that amazing adventure you designed for the D&D Adventurers League? Then take the first step towards being a D&D Adventurers League adventure designer! Check out the instructions in the Adventure Design Application and send your submission to Resource Manager, Bill Benham at submissions@dndadventurersleague.org. We will be accepting submissions for this open call until February 28th. 

You do not have to have previous design credits, but it helps!

You can see the rest at the Open Call link here.

Entries must be submitted by February 28th, 2015 - next Saturday.

Patreon Highlights - Jim Magnusson and his "The Lost Monster Manual" Page Postcards

I wish I could remember how I first came in contact with +Jim Magnusson , but I can't. I do know it was related to The Tavern and art. I can say that one day Jim pretty much pulled up to the virtual bar and said - "I'm here. What do you want me to do?"

I love Jim's work. It's tight with just a side of insanity.

The postcards are really cool. I like to imagine the look on my postal carrier and he sorts the mail for delivery ;)

I support Jim at an insanely high level, but I like having the influence. The dwarf on the right? That was done with me in mind. The next one coming up might have to do with "ducks."

You can't go wrong with "The Lost Monster Manual" Page Postcards. Jim's work can also be seen in some of the releases by +Tim Shorts of the Gothridge Manor blog.

The full list of Patreon Projects I support is here.

Kickstarter - Dungeon Desk Pad (Mapping Madness Lies Within)

Maps. Paper. Paper for mapping. Practical and useful. +Peter Regan knows mapping paper like no one else. He also knows how to run a successful Kickstarter. This Kickstarter is reminding me I need to get back to mapping.

If you are in the UK The Dungeon Desk Pad is a no brainer. Outside the UK, shipping is painful but doable for the smaller packages.

Of course, this is the one I want. Most certainly NOT a smaller package. It is, however, my previous. It will me mine. Yes, it will be mine.

And this is the struggle I had during the writing of this post, for those that have asked where Ashely has been :)

The Pieces Come Together - The Failed Lich starts to Fall into Place

+Reid San Filippo has been on a tear these past 24 hrs as can be seen with his Far Away Land-ification of Nicole Cardiff's flaming skeleton drawing. And so it was that The Failed Lich began to form in the nether regions of my mind. Wait, that doesn't sound quite right.

In any case, both versions are inspirational. Heck, I'm not sure which version of the art would work better with Tunnels & Trolls, as the system walks a fine line between serious and wacky at times.

I can't help but think that the setting piece I posted last night would be a nice fit. Crap, this is becoming a triple system stated creature and possibly a location and encounter.

Still, a Failed Lich. The bitterness. The disappointment. The burning anger.

Yep, this is going to be fun. I have an 90 minute drive to the in-laws tomorrow. Perfect brainstorming time.

Original by Nichole Cardiff

Far Away Land-ified by Reid San Filippo

Patreon Highlights - Tim Shorts and His Micro Adventures

I mentioned earlier this week I was going to highlight some Patreon RPG Projects. If all goes as planned, I'll be hitting one a day but plans rarely go as planned.

The first project I'll be looking at is +Tim Shorts and his Micro-Adventures. I'm sure I've mentioned Tim's Patreon Project before, but if I have, the below is what you can get for supporting Tim's project.

I literally just got them today (I checked the mailbox after I shoveled today's snow.)

Ashley refused to have her picture taken. Sorry Tim :(

If this isn't cool, I don't know what is. Awesome, shiny and unique. If I had any kind of artistic talent, I'd be doing the same thing, but I don't. Therefore, I blog and take fun pics. Besides, these pieces speak for themselves. Each is a solid evening of gameplay written and drawn by the master of Gothridge Manor himself.

All of the Patreon Projects I back are a worthy cause. They are creative and talented and simply awesome member of the OSR community. You can see them all here at Patreon.

Monster Art Far Away Land-ified!

I posted the other day that I was going to be creating creatures for S&W, T&T and Far Away Land due to my patrons on Pateron hitting a milestone. I dug into my stock art collection for inspiration, and you can look at the original post to see the four pieces of art I decided to use here as well as the fire elemental here.

Color me surprised when I received an email last night from +Reid San Filippo with the following pieces of art based off of +Eric Quigley 's original designs.

Eric's classic fantasy art has been Far Away Land-ified!

Did I mention how awesome The Tavern's community is?

Damn the Inspirational Art! Now I Need to Design an Encounter

Art by Malcolm McClinton

You know what the problem is when you start digging through the stock art collection on your hard drive? You stumble across stuff that just screams to be used.

I have a little something I need to work on for +Johua De Santo and I think I just found my inspiration.

My mind is bouncing like one of those 10 cent vending machine balls you'd get as a kid.

Damn you +Joe Wetzel :)

I've Tweaked The Tavern - Looking For Feedback on Loading Speed

Tweaking the slow moving cube ;)
Art by Malcolm McClinton

It was pointed out to be earlier today that The Tavern was having some real issues loading on some folks computers so I did some tweaking and pruning.

Gone are some graphics and links to feed readers - I figure if you use a feed reader, you know how to add a feed.

Also gone are about 30 blogs from the blog roll. It was time to trim the dead and dying - anything that had gone over 2 months was fair game, although a handful found a stay of execution due to nostalgia. More importantly, I killed the icons and thumbnails from the blog roll, as it appears even though I was showing only the last 25 blogs that updated, all of the blogs in the blog roll were having their icons and thumbnails loaded.

Hopefully these tweaks have some noticeable load time improvements for those that were chugging along ;)

If you see an improvement in load time, please comment below. If it's worse, definitely comment below!

Thanks for your time

Tweaking The Tavern - For Speed!

I received an email earlier today that The Tavern has been slow to load recently. I haven't seen it myself at home, but working off of 4g here at work, I can see the need to tweak a bit to quicken load times.

I'm sure last night's upload or art didn't help things much - I suspect those files were a bit large ;)

Let me know if you have any issues.

One thing I'll be doing is pruning the blog roll of inactive blogs. I pruned a bit earlier today and I think there are still 132 or so in the blog roll. I'll be aiming to remove any blog that hasn't updated in the last 60 days or so.

What Makes Monsters "Monstrous?"

Art by Eric Quigly

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm going to be working on some creatures or monsters for S&W, T&T and Far Away Land (FAL.) Many times, monsters in D&D and other fantasy games boil down to a set of stats - their combat ability if you will. I'd like them to be something more.

What makes monsters "monstrous"? Is it the threat they are to the PCs? Their appearance? Motivations? Eating habits? Odor? Sounds they make? Their history and origin?

Nothing truly exists in a vacuum - except perhaps in RPGs ;)

In any case, I'd like to create creatures that have depth, as well as being able to summarize what makes them click in two to three sentences. Yeah, I love a challenge.

So, tell me what makes monsters "monstrous" for you.

Some Thoughts on Triple Stating Some Unique Creatures for S&W, T&T and FAL

Art By Nicole Cardiff

So, one of the Milestones for The Tavern's Patreon support was to provide new creatures for use with Swords & Wizardry, Tunnels & Trolls and Far Away Land that I would post for all here at The Tavern. I figured it would take months to hit the $100 a month milestone. We hit it in 12 hrs.

Art by Malcolm McClinton

I owe The Tavern Community at least four creatures a month and I figured I'd get a bit of a head start by digging through my stock art collection. Yes, I know I'm not a publisher, but I've bought a ton of stock art over the years with the idea that, at some point, I'd have a use for it.

Surprise, I have a use for it ;)

Art by Jeff Ward

My thought is to reimagine the creatures from a Far Away Land perspective and then rework them back to Swords and Wizardry and Tunnels & Trolls.

Art by Eric Quigley

You know I had to include an +Eric Quigley piece in the first batch ;)

Alright, these are the pieces I've chosen to brainstorm with. Wish me luck...

White Box Companion for Swords & Wizardry Released by Barrel Rider Games

The White Box Companion for Swords & Wizardry was just released by Barrel Rider Games "introducing five new classes: Bard, Druid, Paladin, Ranger and Thief. While none of these classes were around in 1974, White Box Companion streamlines each of them and adds new options for players while keeping the same simplicity and elegance of Swords & Wizardry White Box. All in an easy to read 16-page digest format!"

+james spahn has done good work with Labyrinth Lord and recently started working on Swords & Wizardry Supplements. His Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry was well received.

We Raised $142 a Month of Funding for the Tavern in 12 Hrs - Thank You!

I've always said that the community here at The Tavern is amazing and generous, but you all have blown me away today. I am humbled and forever grateful.

We currently have $142 in monthly pledges for The Tavern and have hit the first 2 of The Tavern's Patreon Milestones.

5% of the pledge monies received will be Kicked Forward to other RPG related Patreon projects. Additionally, we'll be having some new creatures for use with Swords & Wizardry, Tunnels & Trolls and Far Away Land. Yep, each creature will be triple stated.

Heck, we are nearly to the halfway point of getting me to organize an Informal Online Old School Gaming Con.

In the next day or so I'll be giving a proper shout out to all of the Patreon backers.

Again, thank you. If ever I felt like a humble servant, it is now ;)

Tavern Chat - Tonight - 830 to 10 PM Eastern Time - Right Here at the Tavern

Tonight is another Tavern Chat at 830 Eastern.

I would have used the G+ Event Notification, but since it spams people instead of just leaving a notification like a normal G+ post, I figured I'd do it the old fashioned way.

The chat box is on the left hand side of this very blog page ==>

As an aside, The Tavern's Patreon Page went live earlier today and we already have $86 in monthly pledges. The Tavern Community has been consistently generous over the years and I am forever in the debt of all of you. Thanks :)

The Crusty Grog -- I'm Baaaaack! Professional GamesMaster Society? WTF?

I've be real quiet listening from the basement, eating scraps of information from between the floor boards. 

Nothing was worth talking about, or freaking out about...

UNTIL NOW.

Before I more further on this, I'd like to say...

There is nothing wrong with wanting to make a career out of your hobby, lots of people attempt to do it. Especially in our little hobby of gaming, people attempt to write modules and try to sell them, which is perfectly fine.

Some folks go a step further and create podcasts for their favorite game, Like:

• d20 Radio and its assortment of Podcasts. They've gone as far as creating their own games, and asking people to donate to the show, as a reward gave out custom dice.
• Mad Adventures Society who it seems branched off of d20 Radio, has their own set of podcasts, actual play podcasts and even have their own Patreon project, offering EXTRA content on top of the free stuff they do.
• Wild Games Productions has fallen in suit with MAS and has done something similar, offer early show access, preshow stuff and whatever else they promised.
• The Nerdy show does the same stuff.. 

I can go on and on, but what really burns my ass is something that was tried by Wizards of the Coast way back in the D&D 3.X era days, just slightly different.

Professional GamesMaster Society

What's so bad you say?

Well let me tell you.

Who the hell do they think they are, saying they are the leading authority on being a GM? Who they hell are they to have the nerve to CHARGE people to play a game that we've all been playing for years, taking advantage of the fact that certain people crave this type of shit.

They want to encourage a GM to charge per person, per game for them to run a game online or in person?

Why?

Because they are a professional Certified GM, and this is their living?

Well FUCK YOU for trying to make a buck because you can't figure out how to do anything else in our hobby, but PRAY ON new folks trying to get into the hobby and folks that don't have confidence in running games.

Oh yeah, did I forget? They are going to hold classes to teach you HOW TO BE A BETTER GM AND LIST THIS IN YOUR GAME POSTING SO PEOPLE WILL SAY, "Hey I'm a stupid fucking idiot, I should sign up because this douche is charging $10 a game, and he is certified!"

Stand with me and keep the hobby how it should be, FREE and passed down between friends, family and even strangers.

Patreon Funding is Live at The Tavern - Buy Your Bartender a Cup of Coffee

This morning the Patreon Page for Tenkar's Tavern went live. If you have a moment, swing by and tell me what you think.

Milestones include Kicking it Froward (taking a percentage of the pledges and using them to pledge to other RPG projects that the supporters decide upon), gaming content, bringing back Feltothraxis, organizing an online Old School Gaming convention and other fun stuff.

No one has to back anything. If we don't raise a cent, nothing will change at The Tavern. Posts will still come and go, Kickstarters will get highlighted and / or trashed and the blog will go on.

With enough support though, we can make things better for everyone in out little community.

Pledges start at $1.50 a month, which works out to be about 2 cents a post (or a large cup of coffee here in NYC.) Those that pledge a little higher have other perks, the top one being my wife Rachel picking through my game collection and mailing you some of my stuff (US Only.)

Thanks to all of you that read The Tavern on a regular basis. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be doing what I love.

Patreon - Thoughts on The Tavern and Where We Can Take It

So, as I sit here at my desk, avoiding solid food as my stomach is gurgling and my heartburn is burning (my wife Rachel is running a fever after doing her exorcist impression last night), I've given more thought to providing The Tavern's community the opportunity to support it via Patreon. I don't really see a downside (except for the fact that above exorcist impressionist wants to give away a chunk of my gaming collection.)

There is no way I could ask for folks to support The Tavern on a per post basis - it would be insane for everyone. Simply put, I post too much for that to work.

Looking at the posting numbers for 2014 we were at 920 posts in 12 months. That comes out to nearly 77 posts a month. For ease of math we'll say 75.

Maybe we'll set the ground level of support at $1.50 a month - 2 cents a post. Another level for other bloggers that want to be on a "Backer Blog List" and get highlighted with a blog post. Perhaps a level for a backer only G+ hangout to discuss possible blog topics (which all backers would then get to vote on.) Hmm, maybe a backer only email addy to reach me at, as my others get inundated with so much that isnt gaming related. Oh, and a level where Rach gives away some of my shit. She'll need to do the post office trip herself, but she really is excited by the whole idea.

I like the idea of kicking it forward. So one of the milestones would be Kicking Forward 5% to other Patreon projects (and later milestones would raise that - 7.5% and later 10%.) All the backers would get to vote on which projects to back.

I'd love to bring back Feltothraxis for more Dragon Puppet Game Reviews. They're fun to do but time consuming. So, another milestone.

Weekly gaming content posts - monsters, magic items, spells, classes - Old School D&D, Tunnels & Trolls and Far Away Land would be safe bets for systems. Those would be the low hanging fruits on the milesone tree.

Organizing an OSR Online Con via Roll20 would be up there and further away would be a online seasonal gameday.

Needless to say, monies raised would go towards prizes, giving a face lift to The Tavern and giving me a small flow of outside income when I retire from full-time employment next year. The more viable the blog is, the more time I can spend on both The Tavern and The Tavern's Community.

More time to do what I love to do in the first place. Should be a win-win.

I'm open to ideas and thoughts on the whole thingamawhop.

edit - should there be a milestone to back "Wayward Kickstarters?"

edit edit - The Tavern will always be a free to read blog. Patreon is a tip jar that (hopefully) will allow The Tavern to be an even better experience for all.

Live! - Brainstorm Podcast Live On Air - Right Now

Want to check out +Glen Hallstrom , +Vincent Florio and myself as we record The Brainstorm Podcast? Here's your chance!

Here's the link: https://plus.google.com/events/chl2ing0i5ff9ov27l3rnk93e38

Enjoy!

Minis - Do You Use Them?

I've probably asked this before, but I was listening to the latest Save or Die Podcast on my commute to work this morning and the use of miniatures came up.

Back in my early days of gaming, we used minis and dice interchangeably to determine marching order and occasionally the initial set up of an important battle. We never moved them around or plotted points and the like.

When I returned to gaming it was via Fantasy Grounds - a virtual Tabletop. I played in game that used virtual minis or pogs and those without. Those without always seem to be faster paced and there was more Theater of the  Mind going on.

These days, I DM via Roll20, another VTT, and while I use maps and fog of war to show the players where they are, I don't use minis. Slows the game up too much for my taste.

All that being said, I'm waiting on my Reaper's Bones II box of minis to show up at my door. I love minis. I just don't use them with my RPG gaming.

What about you? Do you use them? Why or why not?

Ursined, Sealed and Delivered - Swords and Wizardry Edition - $4.99 for POD w/PDF

sure, the cover says "Pathfinder" in the pic, but it's S&W

I was very surprised to see Ursined, Sealed and Delivered - Swords and Wizardry Edition available in Print on Demand at RPGNow for $4.99 (PDF included for instant gratification.)

Looking a bit deeper, I see some of the Hex Crawl Chronicles, One Night Stands and Splinters of Faith are also $4.99 for POD with PDF. It's kinda hit or miss at the moment, so maybe the Frogs are uploading print files as I type this.

The print copies no longer look to be available at Frog God.

In any case, a good deal on an interesting adventure written by none other than Dr. Dennis Sustare.

From the blurb:

One of the One Night Stands series, Ursined, Sealed and Delivered is a newly written adventure module, but it's a truly unique window into the early days of the game. The module is written by Dennis Sustare, the designer and author of the original Druid class that has become a key character class in virtually every fantasy game ever written since 1978. I've done almost no editing of Dennis's text, although the tournament format has been shifted around to be more easily used during play. The result is that you are about to read an adventure that's a direct window into the imagination of one of the great figures of fantasy gaming. Any typographical errors or glitches in the "flow" of the adventure are the responsibility of the editor, and all the high-adventurous moments of this fast-moving, gripping adventure are to the credit of the author. 

In addition to being written by Dennis Sustare, the module has cover artwork contributed by Paul Jaquays, who is also one of the great figures of fantasy gaming art. This new artwork sees the return of Paul's unique style, which will be instantly recognizable by those who gamed during the seventies and early eighties; it is an iconic, original vision of swords & sorcery that has not been seen on the cover of a module for decades. We're proud to be able to bring a new piece of Jaquays art to younger gamers who may never have seen examples of it before. He portrays a world that is stark and fierce, more visceral than art based on high fantasy, with the sort of rough-edged heroes who inhabit the fiction of sword & sorcery's earlier days, before the world-shaking influence of JRR Tolkien rearranged the foundations of the genre at every conceivable level.

Patreon - Now My Wife Understands Too Well

So, I read last night's Patreon post to my wife prior to actually posting it as I wanted to get the feedback of someone not all that familiar with crowdfunding. She understands Kickstarter well enough as see sees the occasional package arrive at our door, but Patreon was something totally new to her.

My wife: So, it's basically a tip jar that the community, whatever community, puts into. If you tip more, you might get some extra perks but in the end, everyone, even those that don't tip, get the same basic experience.

Me: Exactly!

My Wife: And if that experience sucks, I can withhold my tip in the future. So, you better keep up the quality or you won't get tipped.

Me: Yep. You have the concept down pretty well.

My Wife: So, if The Tavern had a tip jar, and there was some crazy perk level of $50 or so where your wife got to pick something from your game collection and ship it to a backer, that could work. Actually, it sounds like fun!

Me: Errrrrrrr

My Wife: Like your Tunnels and Trolls stuff. You have two of those falling apart orange boxes. Why two? Just think of what we could clear out of storage!

Yeah, she understands almost too well. Hell, she's almost sold me on not funding The Tavern with Patreon. Heh.

Patreon - Patronship Empowering Creators to Do What They Do, But Better

I really struggled with the title of this blog post because it falls far short of what Patreon and the concept of patronship really means.

Here, let's start with a simple comparison to Kickstarter and where the two are diametrically opposed (which might be a stronger term than needed, but whatever.)

Kickstarter allows folks to fund a promise. Remember Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons? "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." It's a bit like that, except you are paying for the hamburger today with a promise that you'll get the hamburger on Tuesday. Perhaps with a side of fries if certain stretch goals are met, but maybe you won't get that burger for 2 more weeks - or ever. That promise you are funding is only as good as the one giving it and even then, the best of intentions often become crowdfunded nightmares. Feel free to read some of the Kickstarter posts here at The Tavern. I've covered all types - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Patreon allows you to support something that was already being done and offered to the masses for free. It's a crowdfunded "tip jar" if you will, and the power of crowdfunding can be pretty amazing. It can allow bands and music producers to up the quality of their videos (Scott Bradley and his Post Modern Jukebox Band has pledges of over $3,400 per video) and podcasters to cover hosting and production costs (Wild Games Productions is getting a hair over $50 a month to cover costs of hosting a whole bunch of podcasts, The Brainstorm included.) +Dyson Logos (here) and +matt jackson (here) were posting maps and adventures to their blogs before Patreon was "a thing."

Few if any of us can be a "patron of the arts" like in the Renaissance Period. We can, however, put aside a buck or two a month to support those that bring some joy to our lives (and if you have more than a buck or two to tip with, many creators offering little extras. WGP offers a monthly hangout with an assortment of podcasts hosts for those that put a bit more in the tip jar.)

I personally support 11 different creators on Patreon, three of which are music creators. The other eight are in the RPG hobby.

As I cut back on backing Kickstarter material, I see myself putting a few more pieces of gold into various projects on the Patreon side of things. I see the results. I can get feedback from project creators when I want and give them feedback when they want it. It is much more of a community than Kickstarter could ever be.

Do I see The Tavern putting a Patreon tip jar on the bar in the near future? Probably. More contests. More prizes. More fun ;)

Blogging has always been something I've enjoyed and my family has been very accommodating and understanding of the time and funds I put into it. It will need to pay for itself when I retire shortly.

So, this was going to be a post about which Patreon projects were worth backing and has become more of a post about what Patreon actually is.

I'll link to some worthy Patreon projects during the  forthcoming week.

Sword Coast: Legends - Solo / Co-op Play D&D PC Game (DM Optional)

Sword Coast: Legends is the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset based PC game. Yep, no Playstation or Xbox versions - pure PC. 1-4 players and the possibility of using a DM for the 5th player.

Release date? Nebulously set sometime in 2015.

A few things to note:

- Although a licensed Dungeons & Dragons title, the D&D logo is noticeable small on the cover of the mock-up, almost an afterthought.

- Neverwinter Nights had promised an effective use of a DM - I don't recall it ever working all that well. It would be interesting if they can pull this off.

- it looks like there may be an adventure builder in the software. Again, if they can pull this off, it may be really cool. It needs to be simple enough for the average tabletop player to use effectively.

- system requirements aren't all that high, which should lower the entry bar.

- I didn't see mention of built in VOIP, but I'm going to assume for now that it is a given.

From the site:

About the Game 

Set in the lush and vibrant world of the Forgotten Realms, Sword Coast Legends offers an all-new way to enjoy the time-tested magic of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a shared storytelling experience. With a deep narrative developed by a team of long-time industry veterans and a partnership with Wizards of the Coast, the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends brings the world of Faerûn home like never before. 

Sword Coast Legends also brings the roleplaying dynamic between players and Dungeon Masters to life with DM Mode, a first-of-its-kind real-time experience in which Dungeon Masters guide players through unique customizable adventures. In DM Mode, the Dungeon Master engages players and empowers them to have fun in a way that suits the party best while creating a tailored, non-adversarial 4 with 1 experience that any RPG or pen-and-paper fan will enjoy. 

Game Features: 

Single player campaign created by members of the leadership team that brought you Dragon Age™: Origins 

Choose from five playable races and six unique character classes to build your own stalwart adventurer 

A return to form, Sword Coast Legends is the compelling and complex RPG you've been waiting for and features pause time, party-based tactical combat and involving storylines
Dungeon Master Mode: Create your own epic adventure to share with your friends, or enhance their experience in real time as they traverse your dungeon 

Set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe based on the fifth edition ruleset and populated with Dungeons & Dragons lore and legend

Lulu is Running a 28% off Coupon Through Sunday

Here I am, a day late and nearly 28% short. Yep, Lulu is running a coupon sale for 28% off print products. Damn temping.

+Tim Shorts has a fine list of recommendations over at Gothridge Manor. Regretfully, I have all but one of the picks on his list. I guess that means he's got a bunch of good picks :)

BTW, tell Ivy I said "Hi!" when you visit The Manor and make sure you comment on her decorating.

The coupon code is:

BELULUS

Mini Review - Crazy maze Daze (Far Away Land / PWYW)

Crazy Maze Daze is the third in the ongoing series of Far Away Land adventures. Like the ones that precede it, it's short and PWYW.

Unlike the adventures that precede it, Crazy Maze Daze is a dungeon, if not totally in the classic sense, than certainly skewed a bit in the "fun house" sense. Still, for those not fully comfortable with sandbox styled adventuring, the dungeon environment might be a good introduction for the traditional dungeon delvers and their adjustment to Far Away Land.

Crazy Maze Daze gives one traps, locked doors, magic keys, magical constructs, magical homunculus and more. If the previous two adventures were too light on combat for your players, this will give you a chance to make it up to them.

The map is done in that faux 3d style, with everything turned 90 degrees, which may may things like "we head north" or "we go west" a bit difficult for some. It is attractive and well done, so it's worth the mental adjustment if one needs to do so.

This should be a fun little dungeon romp.

Heroic and disturbing at the same time

Far Away Land - What Kind of Support are You Looking For?

Anyhow, I quickly threw together a Far Away Land Community on G+ last night, figuring I'd find myself with a dozen or so like minded individuals that would be interested in brainstorming some fun stuff to use in our (mostly forthcoming) Far Away Land game sessions.

As I type this approximately 24 hrs later, we stand at 53 members.

Talk about underestimating interest. Wow.

We already have members talking maps and adventures.

So, I figured I'd throw this to The Tavern Community at large (and cross post to the G+ community) - if you were to run a session or three (or a campaign) of Far Away Land, what kind of support would you be looking for?

Maps? Adventures? New creatures? Unique items (magical or otherwise?) New spells? Short plots? Short rules reference? A herd of cats? Two herds of cats? A robot with a blue nose?

Kickstarter Update - City State of the Invincible Overlord - Mini Overdose and More

It seems like few Kickstarters escape intact when meeting their enemy - reality.

Here's the latest update from the City State of the Invincible Overlord Kickstarter. I'll comment at the end.

Update #49CSIO Maps, Minis, and some Bad NewsPosted by Judges Guild 

Hello Backers,
There going to be a lot to this update, so I apologize for that. This is going to be visible to anyone (the last few have been for Backers only) so I want to bring everyone up to speed. 

Campaign Map Progress: For those that don't know, the first 10 maps have been released electronically. We have the first 5 or so in print. We've had to halt progress on the maps until February because not enough people bought into the Miniatures (we lost about $16k on those) (emphasis mine). We didn't realize this until it was too late due to waiting for all enough of the survey responses to come in. We're still waiting on some final number crunching to give the go-ahead to continue the Campaign Maps.

***Please let me know if you still have yet to receive PDF versions of the Maps*** 

Miniatures Progress:
The Miniatures are brilliant. We had a sample to bring to Gen Con last year. Everybody loved them. The quality is really superb. Despite the hit we took on them, we are still happy that they were made. Mick Leach with Eastern Front Studios has confirmed that a number of them have been received already from the casters mid-December. I'm awaiting word from Mick as to when the rest of the models will come in so we can start shipping those with the maps, etc. 

CSIO Book Progress:
Murphy's Law: "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong." In July, we basically needed to do the finished layout with all the art. We still had a good 3 months to get this to the printers, and 4-5 months to fulfill, so we thought it would be great to bring in James Mishler, a walking encyclopedia of Wilderlands knowledge (seriously, his knowledge (Wilderlands) skill is +18), to collaborate with Bob III on expanding even more of all four parts to this book: the City State, Wraith Overlord, Thunderhold, and Modron. 

We knew we were taking a gamble. Everyone was willing to support this if it meant getting a nice, polished, expanded expansion of Wilderlands goodness. We jumped in with both feet and were off to a great start. In September, James' wife had to have surgery. It took her a good 6 weeks to recover and for James' to be back in a position to press on. We've since had to push back the deliver date twice. Which brings us up to today. 

A Word from James:  

Folks,

It’s never easy to admit to defeat; it is more than doubly-so when one has failed twice at the same endeavor, as I have with working with the City State of the Invincible Overlord and the Wilderlands of High Fantasy. 

But at this point I have to admit to defeat, in the case of re-writing the City State of the Invincible Overlord for the Judges Guild CSIO 2014 Kickstarter. I have tendered my regrets and apologies to the Bledsaws at Judges Guild, and wish to do so now to you, the fans and supporters of the Kickstarter. 

There are all sorts of reasons I could mention here; all explanations rather than excuses. Suffice to say that my days of working with Judges Guild, the Wilderlands, and the City State in my past should have remained there, in the past. 

Unfortunately, I thought I could return to those glorious days when I published under Adventure Games Publishing; sadly, the truth was I needed an exorcist to rid me of the haunting ghosts of failures past, rather than a resurrectionist to dredge up the bodies of the unquiet dead. Every attempt to go further with the manuscript resulted in an avalanche of dreadful memories and unpleasant thoughts, and brought all advancement to a screeching halt. My joyful expectations were overwhelmed by the potent recollections of previous failures. 

And so, after a brief if glorious surge of creativity, my ability to work on the manuscript died a hideous, ignominious death. In fact, my desire to do much of anything with gaming sunk to lows I’d not experienced since the end of AGP. 

Once my wife recovered from her operation, and I’d gotten new, regular hours at work, I’d hoped things would change… and though I was able to write once again, every time I turned back to the CSIO manuscript, the whole world crashed in again, and turned hope to ashes. 

I have delayed the inevitable long enough. 

I wish Judges Guild nothing but the best of luck, in this and all future endeavors.
To the fans and supporters of the Kickstarter I say, nil desperandum! Do not despair! One small man’s failures do not bring down the whole, not when there are heroes ready to leap into the breach. Though there will be further delays, I am sure that the City State of the Invincible Overlord Kickstarter will complete, and Judges Guild will go on to even greater things. And as the maps that have already shipped have proven, their new works will awe and amaze you. 

As the works of Bob Bledsaw and Bill Owen once did for a previous generation… 

James Mishler
02/10/2015 

So, yeah. That happened.
This has completely taken us by complete surprise. In fact, we are still at a loss for words. We are going to have a meeting this weekend to revise our action plan and divvy up some additional responsibilities among Bob II, Bob III, and some of the other family members here. We are too far into this to let yet another stumbling block cause us to fail. As requested by backers, we are definitely going to be making the PDF version of the CSIO book available ASAP. We will add a spreadsheet on Google Docs to allow you all to add any corrections you find on each page (brilliant idea Bevan Anderson!). Tentatively, we have not decided to push back the deadline further. Once we convene on an action plan this weekend, we will update all to that effect.

There's a whole shitload to digest in that, but the one thing that really stands out to me is that they lost $16k on the miniatures. Holy shit! That is a huge loss that should have been run as their own Kickstarter. I'm not sure if that's $16k worth of lead that can possibly sell down the line or if it's $16k pissed away in the wind and all over one's pants leg.

As for James leaving the project, his wife's health issues were / are significant. Her recovery is ongoing. It's a hell of a load to bear, and the Mishler's are in my prayers.

Looking at the lateness of the Kickstarter itself, it's barely a month and a half late, which in Kickstarter terms means it isn't even expected yet, especially with all of the stretch goals hit.

I'm stuck wondering why they even offered miniatures in the first place? Didn't Reaper Bones I & II produce enough inexpensive plastic to saturate the market?

D&D Rules Cyclopedia is now 5 Bucks in PDF at RPGNow (other D&D titles 15% off)

Has it really been 2 years since WotC returned to the PDF fold, reissuing many of their classic titles in PDF?

I remember the uproar when they initially pulled their stuff down and the near tears of joy when they started to return them.

Now, of course, 3e and 4e are also considered classics I guess. Go figure. The "new" old ;)

From now through February 22, WotC is running a sale at RPGNow, discounting all of their PDF releases by 15% off their usual PDF price and discounting the D&D Rules Cyclopedia to $4.95 (and also have sales on the 3.5 and 4e Compendiums)

Heck, they even have some 5e PDFs on sale.

I'll try and make a few Tavern Picks over the weekend ;)

We Now Have a Far Away Land Community on G+

I figured it's about time that Far Away Land had it's own community for sharing thoughts, ideas, hacks and houserules.

It's kinda bare at the moment, but I suspect it will fill in over time.

So, come join us if you will ("us" being "me" at the moment) for some Far Away Land discussion. Maybe we can talk about the sci-fi hack for FAL I have bouncing around my head in my spare moments ;)

This link should take you to the Far Away Land G+ Community page.

Patreon - Boon or Bane to the RPG Hobby?

For every +Dyson Logos and their amazing Patreon Project, we get someone like Elizabeth Sampas, who is putting her hand out for money while still not fulfilling her previous obligations from her Kickstarter project. All of which got me thinking about Patreon and Kickstarter.

At it's core, Patreon has more accountability than Kickstarter.

As a supporter, you get charged monthly. If you don't like what you are getting in return for your support, you can lower your pledge or cancel it totally. If you really like the results, keep your pledge or boost it.

You are supporting per something (map, post, song, etc) or per month.

Oh, and of course, your basic support is there to keep things moving in a positive direction for the creators.

I prefer it to Kickstarter for supporting content creators whose work I enjoy. In general, it seems less like a possible cash grab that Kickstarter, as poor work habits get, one would expect, poor backing.

Patreon is more about genrosity, from those that support projects and the project creators, and with the right projects everyone wins, even those that aren't supporters.

Maybe Elizabeth will surprise me and other and make her Kickstarter backers whole. Of course, there is that whole thing about flying pigs and such, but one never knows.

Overall, I think Patreon has more potential to boost the homegrown RPG hobby than any other funding source. I'd like to se it thrive and see out hobby thrive, even if there are a few rotten apples to sort through.

I've got lots to think of, as there is much I'd like to do with The Tavern that currently isn't fundable (more giveways for example) but I'd like to sit back and observe a bit more before I put my hand out to support the excessive posting I already do for free ;)

S&W Sale at Frog God - Monstrosities, GM Screen and MCMLXXV oh My

Monstrosities is an excellent resource no matter the clone or original rule set you use.

Go to the Frog God website and take a peek at the above. If you've been holding off on purchasing the Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook, now might be the time to pull the trigger.

Coupons are good until February 19th.

Wayward Kickstarter Now Patreon Project? They Became Flesh Creator Elizabeth Sampat wants More of Your Money

Lets see, Elizabeth links to some of the games she's written. Strangely enough, They Became Flesh is not mentioned. Heck, her last update on the They Became Flesh Kickstarter was in October of 2013. Latest comments on the Kickstarter? From folks still waiting for their shit.

Oh sure, her husband has steadfastly taken blame for her failures, but the Kickstarter project, just like this Patreon project, are her's and her's alone.

Maybe she should set a milestone to make good on the promises she made to her Kickstarter backers. Or would that not be personal enough?

I make games: I started in 2007 with my self-published indie roleplaying games and eventually transitioned into digital four years ago. My games are digital and tabletop, personal and searching, and occasionally win awards. A good example would be Deadbolt, an art game about personal truth that you can read about in the LA Times. I have a bunch of stuff in the works I'd like to give you a sneak peek at. 

I make waves: I'm well-known for my advocacy for women in the game industry— I was on the inaugural #1reasontobe panel at GDC, I've appeared on podcasts and traveled the country talking about how to create and support diverse companies and inclusive games. I was the one who wrote that article you read about why you shouldn't support PAX, and the one who wrote the article about Zoe Quinn, and a bunch of other articles that went viral. (I've got the hate mail to prove it.)

Again, maybe she should be advocating for the backers of her still unfulfilled Kickstarter.

Shit. I'm obviously missing the boat on this Patreon thing. $95 a month and still not making her backers complete.

DM Support Group - WotC Ad for the New DMG - Just How Shitty a DM Are You?

Yes, I understand the video is meant to be funny, so maybe I'm over reacting just a wee bit when I find it to be insulting that "one book" can cure a bad DM or a bad campaign. Not to mention that I find the caricature of the bad DM here truly insulting.

Yes, it's over the top, but so were the 4e videos trashing gnomes. Insulting your user base for a few laughs seems counterproductive to my way of thinking.

Eh, maybe I am over thinking.

Maybe it's just a funny video and not meant to sell anything.

Right.

(hat tip to +Benoist Poiré )

Finally Have the Games Workshop release of RuneQuest 3e

I was introduced to RuneQuest with the Avalon Hill release of RuneQuest 3rd edition. I liked what I saw enough to track down a copy of RuneQuest 2nd edition. The Avalon Hill release was made to fall apart under heavy use.

The ads for the Games Workshop release of RQ3 that I recall from White Dwarf were amazing. The art spoke to me.

Now, years later I've finally tracked down the GW releases at a fair price on eBay.

So many good systems, so little time.

The Far Away Land "Play Document" is a GO!

Dirk Stanley, otherwise known as the man behind the +Far Away Land RPG , has kindly given me not just permission but any support I might need in putting together a Play Document or Quick Reference for my upcoming Far Away Land campaign. Talk about win / win :)

From the feedback I've seen not just here at The Tavern but also on G+, I suspect that the initial players in the "drop in, drop out" Far Away Land campaign will mostly have access to the rules, but I want it to be equally accessible to the FAL curious too.

I don't see this kicking off until sometime in March and I suspect sessions will be once a month or so thereafter. G+ Hangouts and Roll20 will be the platform used. I'll tap down details as it get's closer.

This does mean I have to get back to work on that FAL play document...

(as an aside, I think the Far Away Land art works as well as it does due to the excellent use of colors)