Deal of the Day - Adventure Most Fowl (S&W / OSR Adventure)

I almost missed this one. It's nice to see +Michael Garcia back on the saddle, so to speak ;)

“Curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost”, and if these chickens aren’t found soon, the Village of Kith will be doomed! 

On the edge of the Four Counties, in a backwater village of lost souls, there is a string of robberies that cannot be explained…Farmer Phileas Filson has lost his chickens, or rather he swears that they’ve been pilfered, along with his prize-winning hen Mabel, and no one in town will lift a finger to help. 

You and your adventuring comrades, freshly minted from the forges of fame and fortune, may be his only hope… 

Adventure Most Fowl is a great way to start that new party of low-level adventurers on the path to riches and rewards! With a broad cast of interesting, unusual and perhaps dangerous rural folk, a countryside filled with sheep, squash, and hallucinogenic flora and of course the mystery of missing poultry, your players and their new characters will have a fun-filled romp through this off-color backwater village. 

There’s a terrible force trying to impose itself on the Village of Kith…and it’s up to you to discover its source and put an end to the poultry-pinching party, and the havoc that is destined to follow if your players don’t solve this ADVENTURE MOST FOWL! 

• An OSR Module For 4–6 players level 0–1
• Hand-Drawn maps by DYSON LOGOS!
• 2 All-New Monsters including the Cockalorum!
• Original Artwork by Randy Davis
• For use with Swords & Wizardry, but easily converted and compatible with most OSR systems

edit - this ALMOST got posted to Saturday Knight Special by mistake... heh

Kickstarter - Worldographer: Hexographer 2 - Easy Map/World Creator (Happy Mapping)

I'm way behind on showcasing some of the Kickstarters that really excite me, so bear with mw over the next few posts as I attempt to catch up. Things can move fast when you don't pay attention, and I've been doing my darnedest NOT to find really cool Kickstarters. I need to budget a bit over the next few months.

Then I see that stuff like +Joe Wetzel 's Worldographer Kickstarter, where he takes Hexographer and basically turns it up to 11 (Spinal Tap anyone?)

I've had a lot of success with Hexographer. The learning curve is very small, and for someone like me that has ideas but lacks many of the technical skills to implement them, Hexographer is awesome. I'd like to call it idiot proof, but I'm sure if we look hard enough...

Anyhow, here's some the the new, key features for Worldographer:

• A new architecture allows us to have undo/redo functionality.
• Better "child maps." Create a world map and from that same map create a continent level map as well as a kingdom level map. It will remain one file so most changes to one level map will be reflected in the others.
• Hexographer's rather simple "note" functionality can expand to allow you to detail each location as well as things about your world not tied to a location: religions, cultures, important NPCs, etc. It becomes an interactive Gazetteer!
• We're adding an entirely new, more realistic icon set to the software.
• Polygons, Lines, Ovals, etc. have more options for shadows and textures.
• Easy drag and drop of labels and features: Most apps make this tricky, but we're improving it.
• Icosohedral Maps have been planned into Worldographer from the beginning.
• Configuration of new terrain, features, and textures is much easier. (Just drop files to a specific folder.)
• The new user interface framework gives the software a cleaner look.
• Mini-generators create details for notes about cities, castles, ruins, etc.

What's a "child map" you may ask?

I backed at $50 without giving it a thought. It really was that simple a decision.

Do you need to generate geographical maps for your campaign? Look no further.

Did I mention Joe even hangs out on the Wednesday Night Tavern Chats on occasion? Yep, he's that kinda down to earth guy. Oh, and it launched just over 2 days ago and it's nearly funded. Damn.

Now I need to get back to work ;)

Far West - Far From Done, I'm Ready to Let Go of Any Last Hope

I'm ready to let go of my last hope of Far West coming to a successful conclusion, and you should too.

The last update was May 26th, moving completion from the end of May to early June. We are now at the end of July and this project isn't doing Gareth or any of us any good, because the sad truth is it will never be complete.

The above tweet was from last night (thanks to another awesome reader for brining it to my attention.)

I'm out $150. I NEVER expect to see either a finished product nor my money. Gareth should just admit the same, not just to us but to himself.

Far West is beyond late and, even if it reaches some sort of completion, the money for the print books is long gone. Hell, the cost to ship alone has gone up enough to bankrupt Gareth should he even try.

If Gareth DOES burn out so close to the finish line, so close yet so far away, he'll just punt 6 months down the road and this drama is just put on time delay.

From my POV I'm done. I'll post updates when we get them, because it's still news until Gareth throws in the towel or completes it, and neither of those is a likely conclusion to this drama. It's likely I'll be posting something similar in a year, on my 50th birthday. We're already 5 years in and 4 1/2 years late.

Time to let go...

For Those Wondering, the Deal with the Gygax Trust Was for Movies / TV Series (Don't hold your breath for the release of gaming material)

There was some wondering if the deal announced Wednesday in regards to the rights to the works held by the estate of Gary Gygax would lead to the release of his work that has not seen print since his untimely death.

After reading the quote from Newsarama, I'd say this is purely for movies / TV, which most suspected when the person names is linked to projects like the Transformers movie franchise.

"Studio or network partners that understand the global power of Gary Gygax." Just don't ask the Lake Geneva City Council for a prime park location for his memorial. They are immune to such influence and power... for now.

So, put the movie or TV series before any kind of gaming releases, if there are to be any gaming releases at all.

Again, it's all about the benjemins. There is little if any money to be made from Gary's work from the gaming market, especially at this point in the game.

I'm sure DeSanto already has something lined up.

It will be interesting to see where this all goes.

And yes, all that Gygax Castles & Crusades stuff you've been holding on to - it may just go up in value. Just imagine of some of it is used to source a setting for a movie of series...

Creativity Coupled with Fear of Critique is Doomed to Failure - Creative Writing Professor, Queens College, Spring 88

At the end of my third year of undergrad I took a Creative Writing Class at Queens College. I had always dabbled in writing stories. What gamer hasn't? My professor had a ponytail, was in his late 30s or early 40s and had a couple of works of fiction behind him. He fit the look of "a creative".

The first day of class he mentioned that the course was a "peer review" type course. We were going to read each other's works and critique them. Afterwards, he would critique both the work submitted and the critiques.

One student balked at the "peer review". He didn't like the idea that other students would be reading his work, let alone offering critique publicly in class. He signed up to have his work reviewed and edited by the professor, not other students.

The professor's response still resonates with me today:

Creativity coupled with the fear of critique is doomed to failure. If you create just for yourself and not for your audience, you may as well stay in bed each morning and masturbate. You'll find it both more satisfying and more pleasurable. Creativity finds it's spark when enjoyed by another, and it's flame when those touched by it share with others. 

Creativity often goes hand in hand with playing RPG. You create adventures, map out worlds, some even create their own rules. Then you share it with your gaming group. If you did well, they not only enjoyed it but maybe offered suggestions to make it better. Maybe not better in your eyes, but in their eyes.

The eyes of your audience.

These days I blog and write gaming material. This summer I've been working on the whole idea of a 4 page OSR system, stripping down Swords & Wizardry: White Box to what I'm currently calling Swords & Wizardry: Light. Rules, adventure, setting, my plate is full.

I'm not writing this for myself, although I have written gaming material in the past more as an exercise and less for an audience.

This project, however, has a targeted audience - The Lapsed Gamer. So, it must appeal to that audience as well as the current OSR gamer who may be looking for a ruleset that will slip into a back pocket and that can be printed on a single sheet, ready to go when needed. Tall order, as small as it is.

I've been silent on it recently, mainly because I haven't gotten as far with it as I would like - or had hoped. Summers are busy times and even the recently retired can find themselves stretched beyond their normal time constraints. But it is progressing. Material will be making it's way here to The Tavern over the next few weeks. At which point, you, my loyal reader, will have a responsibility.

You'll need to critique my work. In public. For all to see. And yes, even your critique may be - critiqued.

All feedback is valuable, perhaps even more so if I disagree with it. The tendency to get too attached to your creation is always a fear one rarely wishes to acknowledge, especially to oneself.

Thank you in advance and I'll thank you again when the finished product is better for the eyes put upon it.

Roll20 Announces License Deal with Wizards of the Coast (NEWS)

Here's the official press release of the announcement:

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS LAUNCHING ON ROLL20
The world’s most popular tabletop RPG comes to the world’s most popular virtual tabletop.

OVERLAND PARK, KS (July 28th, 2016) Roll20 announced today a licensing deal for their online “virtual tabletop” to distribute Dungeons & Dragons content. This marks the first licensed collaboration between these two companies, which has been a major goal for Roll20 since its launch in 2012.

“While Roll20 was designed to play nearly any tabletop game, the spark that pushed us to start the product was Dungeons & Dragons,” said cofounder Riley Dutton, “Our very name, ‘Roll20’ comes from the concept of a ‘critical hit’ as popularized by D&D. For us, D&D represents an evergreen part of our gaming lives, and to be officially working with its creators and caretakers certainly feels like we’ve made a winning roll.”

The launch is beginning with sales of the introductory adventure module Lost Mine of Phandelver, which comes with pregenerated characters, image handouts, maps, and tokens prearranged in Roll20 to help Dungeon Masters avoid lengthy setup times. Other licensed products will follow, including Dungeons & Dragon’s latest upcoming adventure storyline Storm King’s Thunder, which is available in Roll20 for preorder and launches September of 2016.

Roll20 already leads the virtual tabletop category, with an overall online population of over 1.6 million users, more than 46% of which identify themselves as players of the current edition of D&D.

“We’re always looking to broaden access to Dungeons & Dragons, and Roll20 already plays a significant part of that expansion,” said Greg Tito, Communications Manager at Wizards of the Coast. “We are excited to see what the future brings.”

ABOUT ROLL20
Roll20, owned by The Orr Group LLC, began as an effort to keep developers Riley Dutton, Richard Zayas, and Nolan T. Jones in touch via long distance tabletop gaming. Since launching via Kickstarter in 2012, it has attracted over 1.6 million users as a free service, becoming the preeminent way to play tabletop roleplaying games online and developing into a staple of in-person play. The award-winning program continues to be funded by subscribers who receive features that assist advanced gameplay.

ABOUT WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards' players and fans are members of a global community bound together by their love of both digital gaming and in-­person play. The company brings to market a range of gaming experiences under powerful brand names such as MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Wizards is also a publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-­sellers. For more information about our world renowned brands, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.

CONTACT FOR ROLL20
Suzanne Wallace
suzanne@roll20.net

Humble RPG Book Bundle - Vampire

Now, I know this might not be on the radar of most of my readers, but I remember when Vampire, Werewolf and Mage first came out. They were damn interesting even if I could never convince my group to play.

The value of this Humble Bundle is simply amazing, and if that buck gives you some ideas or inspiration for whatever system you are running you've more than made your money back.

The link to the Humble RPG Book Bundle - Vampire

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - It's Gary's B-Day, Time to Speculate

Yep, it's Wednesday, so tonight is another Tavern Chat.

It was revealed today that Gail Gygax has found someone to market Gary's work. It's time to speculate on what that may be. Both the line and the format. This should be interesting.

Oh, and I'm sure there will be comments on the cover for the new printing of S&W Complete.

See y'all around 9ish :)

Gary Gygax Estate Partners With ‘Transformers’ Producer Tom DeSanto (Variety)

Tip of the hat to +Carl Pinder 

Looks like there actually IS something happening with the Gygax Estate, or more accurately the Gail C. Gygax Revocable Trust.

According to Variety:

“Transformers” producer Tom DeSanto has struck a deal with the estate of Gary Gygax — co-creator of “Dungeons & Dragons” — to oversee the Gygax catalog of published and unpublished works. 

The announcement was made on Wednesday, which would have been Gygax’s 78th birthday. His widow Gail Gygax reached a deal for DeSanto to become the “guardian of the library.” 

DeSanto told Variety that he’s already discovered several potential “universe” projects among the unpublished works and expects to find a home for at least one by year’s end.

Interesting times.

I wonder how much unpublished work there actually is, and how much of a market there is for it after all these years.

Why I Sometimes Omit My Own Opinion on Posts Soliciting Yours

Yesterday's post about the cover for the upcoming printing of Swords & Wizardry Complete has garnered over 50 60 comments already (not including threads on G+ and Facebook). It's already one of this year's most commented on posts.

In it, I asked The Tavern's readers which cover they preferred, old or new, and to include why they feels as they do.

Lots of great answers. Lots of good arguments for and against both covers. I really appreciate the feedback. Keep them coming. I read each one as they are posted.

I have been asked directly what my choice would be, and there is a reason I did not include my pick in the original post and will not include it now - quite simply, I don't want to influence the feedback. If I picked one over the other, I'd get a bunch of "I agree with Tenkar" and that kinda skews the discussion in one direction or another.

It's been damn civil with no name calling or objecting to the opinions of others, and I'm grateful for that. I know there is a temptation to tell others how they are wrong but showing us how you are right is always the better choice.

There is no right answer and there is no wrong answer. It's simply your opinion. I MAY give mine when this topic has run its course, but for now, we don't want my opinion, we want yours :)

New Swords & Wizardry Complete cover Revealed!

This is the cover for the upcoming printing of Swords & Wizardry Complete. Note, the transparency might not be the final version.

For comparison, here's the old cover.

I have my preference. What is yours?

(edit: I'm going to add "and why" to the above question, just cause I'd like to know ;)

Ken Whitman Feels the Need to Zing the Blackburns's Deceased Daughter (Edited w/ Update From Ken's Feed for Context)

Ken is, if nothing else, consistent. He's referenced the Blackburn's deceased daughter in the past (never in a nice manner) and has decided to do so yet again in an effort to defend a Facebook account that a third party assumed was yet another Whit / Ken Facebook account (I can easily identify 3 but I haven't dug deep). I do NOT know if the account in question was / is an account created by Ken Whitman. We'll give the benefit of the doubt, as there is a large amount of doubt without evidence proving otherwise.

Why Ken felt the need to bring up the Blackburn's deceased daughter can only be answered by Ken himself.

(Where did someone say someone impregnated Ken's daughter?)

(Is this Ken's daughter?  If so, as a Harvard grad she should spend some time editing Ken's posts)

edit: I thank Jolly for forwarding me the following to put things in context. It's NEVER right to include a man's family in stuff there weren't and aren't a part of.

I cropped out the pic of Ken holding / hugging his daughter. Ken is a lot of things, but his family does not deserve this shit and Ryan Pitts is out of place with this. Not saying Ken's update on Kickstarter was right, nor was he right to accuse Jolly, but as a parent I can see where Ken is coming from.

New Old School Podcast in the Works and I'm Giddy as a Schoolgirl

There's a new ""Old School" podcast in the works.

I can confirm that I am involved in it, both as a host and in working out it's format.

I can not give its title (although it has a website reserved) - yet

I can not say who else might be involved in it - yet

I can say I am excited as all shit, because "Old School" is my wheelhouse and I really like the format we are talking about.

Soon, my precious. Soon.

Justice League Comic-Con Trailer / Footage

Wow.

Simple wow.

Looks good. There is hope for DC yet ;)

As a bonus, here's the Wonder Woman trailer:

Another WTF Kickstarter - RPG Gaming table

If pictures can say a thousand words, this is worth about three. What The Fuck?

Notice it isn't a picture of a prototype table.

Here, let me give you the whole sales pitch for RPG Gaming table (don't worry, he has a modest goal of $8,500):

He's in Indy? Maybe he'll be at Gen Con.

Wait, I forgot to mention the rewards:

Why is the supply list and build instructions shipping 3 months AFTER the tables?

OMFG! The Gygax Memorial Fund page has been Updated!

Yep, that's the update.

No, there's no audit posted yet.

No, there's no news later than December, 2014.

No, there's no "call to arms" to demand the memorial be placed where Mrs. E. Gary Gygax want it placed.

No, there's no details on the bricks that are supposed to help pay for the yearly maintenance.

No, none of the minuscule amount amount of information that was provide via Facebook months ago has made it to the Gygax Memorial Fund's actual web page.

Instead you have a new pic of Mrs. E. Gary Gygax (remember, she NEVER refers to herself in that manner. Maybe the Fund's page was hacked. )

As an aside, my God the TSR office tunnel was gaudy as all hell. Really. It looks like a body scan machine for a Storm Giant.

"Hold your breath. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Breathe"

Star Trek Adventures coming in Summer of 2017 - Star Trek RPG from Modiphius Entertainment

Color me giddy :)

Star Trek WAS my scifi when i was a kid and later as a young adult. Star Wars was something I had to wait years to see, as my parents were on a tight budget, but Star Trek reruns were on the TV all the time.

Modiphius Entertainment has had some very nice releases and I have high hopes for their Conan RPG which I backed on Kickstarter. Strangely enough, Star Trek Adventures WON'T be Kickstarted, but it will be available as a preorder.

What does Star Trek Adventures cover?

Star Trek Adventures will cover Star Trek the Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise as well as all of the Original and Next Generation films. It does not include the new reimagined films by JJ Abrams. 

Hot damn! There is simply so much material to mine for adventures.

Something else that I think is important to note:

Will there be Living Campaigns once the game comes out?  

There will be Star Trek Adventure Living Campaigns running each year with organized play events in stores and special events at major conventions. 

Pretty damn cool even if I currently don't participate in organized play. It should mean a good amount of support. Now, if only they can do better than Margaret Weis Publishing when it comes to retaining licenses...

Lulu Has a 30% off Coupon

Yep. Lulu is at it again. They are running with a 30% off coupon. I wonder if this is their version of Christmas in July ;)

How did I find out? The Pundit mentioned it on his blog, and he also recommends picking up his recent releases ;)

While I haven't checked out Cults of Chaos yet, Dark Albion IS a damn good piece of work.

Crap, almost forgot. The Lulu code is: LULU30

No idea how long it's good for so don't wait too long.

Kickstarter - Battlegrounds virtual tabletop Content Drive #1 (Redux)

A short history of my background with Battlegrounds. There was a time period where I was experimenting with, what were then, the main Virtual Table Tops. Klooge, Maptools, Fantasy Grounds and Battlegrounds. At the time, the developer / publisher that was most responsive to feedback / questions sent directly was +Hernán Ruiz Camauër - the man behind Battlegrounds.

In the end, I got use out of none of the above, as I was putting the tool before the group - I didn't have a gaming group at the time.

Still, Battlegrounds was a tight little VTT, and the fact that you could set it up to run board games / war games and the like was and still is, awesome. I really should spend the time to kick the tires on this one now that I'm retired.

So, what does the Kickstarter for Batlegrounds Content Drive #1 strive to do? In the simplest terms, it wants to bring some of Devin Knight's tokens into Battlegrounds as content. If successful, there would be more such drives for content from other artists.

You can also pick up a license for the Battlegrounds RPG GM client at a discount via the Kickstarter. Unlike Roll20, it does not use your web browser.

Yeah, I may need to use this summer gaming downtime to re-explore Battlegrounds. It may be what my gaming group needs, and i do have a GM license with a number of floating clients in my name.

RPGNow Christmas in July Sale

I must have missed the email.

In any case, RPGNow is running it's annual Christmas in July Sale.

Nearly every release from Barrel Rider Games / +James Spahn / White Star is on sale as are titles from hundreds of publishers.

I'll try to make some OSR picks over the next few days but in the meantime you can't go wrong filling in holes in your Barrel Rider Games collection ;)

Ken Whitman - KotDT: LAS is DONE! But Ken Wants to Get Paid - Again!

Yep, according to Ken, Knights of the Dinner table: Live Action Series is ready to go out to backers and has been for the past month. He's just holding out to shake a third party down for money for distribution rights.

From what I understand, Marc Miller does NOT have a deal with Kenzer to distribute KotDT: LAS nor does Ken have distribution rights that he can sell - those belong to Kenzer.

But hey, all's fair while trying to shake down a mark for a few thousand bucks.

(I was given the following screenshot from a reliable and known source)

Ah Ken. You can't stop scamming, can you? I thought the hard drive crashed and all was lost. Then you needed someone to buy you a hard drive for $500. Now it's all done and has been for a month at least? You can't even keep your lies straight.

I may need to devote some time to do it for you. You know, collate your lies from the last 18 months or so. That way you'll be able to keep them straight. Oh, and of course they'd be posted, will links and citations, just so there would be no misunderstanding or accusations of anyone putting words in your mouth, as you do such a fine job of it on your own.

Tavern Chat Reminder - 9PM Eastern - Your Host is No Longer an Indentured Servant

Yep, tonight at 9 PM is another weekly Tavern Chat. This time your host is no longer an indentured civil servant, but a free man ;)

I know where my mind will be...

As a side note, 25 more Tavern Cards were dropped in the mail today. Tonight, I'll be working on working on the spread sheet while chatting.

Bundle of Holding - Lamentations of the Flame Princess Collection (OSR)

I'm surprised at the amount of goodness there is in the latest Bundle of Holding: Lamentations of the Flame Princess Collection. With the exception of Vornheim (which I am on record for not liking - the print is too small for my aging eyes and it's confusing as shit - YMMV) the titles I have that are in this collection are very good. Not necessarily playable with my gaming group, but good reads and great stuff to steal from piecemeal.

At $11.95 the Starter Collection is an excellent deal and the Historic Collection, currently sitting at around $23.60 is an awesome assortment of material.

I may need to grab at the Bonus Collection level just to fill the holes in my collection.

Cthulhu For President: The Game (Chaosium)

I don't discuss much politics, especially presidential politics, on social media. There isn't really a chance for a good outcome with that. Suffice to say I've yet to see a presidential candidate make it to the national convention that I really liked from either party - it has always been a choice of the lesser evil for me.

Which makes Chaosium's Cthulhu For President: The Game at $4.95 an excellent pick up for this year's presidential election. Shame it's only available in PDF, but they do have a store for prints and t-shirts and such.

Creature Compendium on Sale for a Buck (New Big Dragon Games - OSR)

I am a HUGE fan of everything +Richard LeBlanc has released under his New Big Dragon Games banner, and the Creature Compendium is no exception.

A bargain when it was 2 bucks, on sale for a single buck is insane.

If you don't already have a copy, now is the time to grab one.

Remember those flashes of inspiration  that electrified your brain when  you first picked up that hardback volume  of monsters all those years ago? 

The countless nights you sat up thinking of how to use those monsters,  where to put them, and when your players would meet them? Those unceasing  waves of joy that swam over you and your players as you unleashed  those creatures, critters, beasts and behemoths upon their characters? 

Collected herein are over 200 monsters from Abysmal to Zathoa,  instilled with that same spirit, presented in a “dual-stat” format,  and designed to be used with most early editions of the world’s  original role-playing game and comparable retro-clones.

Kickstarter - The Folio #10 - The Cursed Temple of Tefnut

I really am enjoying the Folio series of releases. With Folio #10, I think I'd grab it based on the cover alone - I am a huge fan of dwarves if you didn't know. Of course, the whole series has been well worth the investment so far in my opinion. I really need to block out some time each day just to catch up on reading my Kickstarter acquisitions, although I've done a fairly good job with the Folio series - nearly halfway through it :)

This is the third of three parts of the Hidden Valoria Campaign, which draws upon Dwarven Forge's default campaign. Did I mention it's in 1e / 5e formats? Old school meets new school.

I suggest going for the print version of you can spring for it, as the quality is high and the cover is old school in nature - it is detachable with the main map spanning both inside panels. Think the old TSR modules, but in full color.

Ken Whitman - Further Whiticisms and Excuses - To the Summer of 2017 and Beyond!

Earlier today I posted Ken Whitman's amazing update for Spinward Traveller, where he punts the ball 12 months down the line on EVERY overdue project.

Folks have been kind enough to share updates on Ken's other examples of thievery Kickstarting, and I figured I'd put them in order here on this post. Because if there's one thing folks love, is more of Ken's drunken allegedly possibly intoxicated postings:

KOTDT Update:

Dear Backers.

We have set a new release date for August 1, 2017. Of course we hope to get your project to you way before that date, but would rater surprise you then disappoint you again.

Sorry it has taken so long, there have been many sit backs in my life, and there are a few backers that actually follow and harass me online, effecting my ability to make a living and produce this product. Although their actions are highly illegal it it very difficult to enforce laws across state lines without spending money, AND I would prefer to spend said money on this project instead. Some of these harassment include copywrite infringement, libel, slander, contacting employers, contacting loved ones, and even contact my children.

So please, if you have a problem with me, contact me at kenwhitman@kenwhitman.com, OR at least be civilized and use our current court system if you believe I have wronged you in anyway. There are much better ways of handing a situation then cyberstalking, and harassing my loved ones.

I have updated the IMDB page tonight, however it will take a few days to fix itself.
I will update you when I have downloads for you guys.

My sincerest apology for letting you down on the timeline, BUT I am going to finish this project. I have NOT given up and you will see this wonderful project.

If you would like to ask questions about the project below, please feel free to post them. I will most likely only answer questions I feel help clarify information about this project.

Here are some basic ones that will clear up some...

Q. Did you buy a car with KODT money.
A. No. (Leased? Maybe. Or maybe just test drove it for a few weeks)

Q. Did all the actors and crew get paid.
A. It took a bit of time, but yes.

Q. Did you shoot all 3 episodes.
A. Yes.

Q. Why has it taken so long.
A. I tried to produce the product without the knowledge of the true cost of production. Many companies producing 60 mins, of content kickstarter for $300k+. I have been spending my own time and money making-up for the under capitalization.

Q. Did you pay yourself out of Kickstarter Money.
A. Just like any actor or crew, I paid myself for my time producing, directing & editing. Currently to date my average hourly rate come to a little over $3.17 an hour.

Q. Have you been involved an any other Fundraiser sense your trouble her on Kickstarter.
A. No, I decided to work on these projects and will never create another fundraise for any project until my current ones are completed.

Q. Do you currently produce, direct or act in movies.
A. Yes. That is how I make my living.

Q. Have you contemplated suicide because of your finacial situation and personal problems.
A. Yes. If you have ever been cyberstalked, or have dozens of web sites dedicated to your failure, it does get a bit depressing and over whelming. If it we not for the support of a few friends, and the fact I have two wonderful children, I probably would have taken the cowards way out. But they believe in me, so I guess i have no choice but to get this project finished and done with.

Q. How is your relationship with Jolly Blackburn.
A. Bad. Jolly has spent many hours cyberstalking me on line, he continuously post on several of my hate sites (you know you've hit the big time as a con artist when your have SEVERAL hate sites) & IMDB. Behind close doors he send email telling me I am a piece of $&*^, and yet, I dredge on. Don't get me wrong, I can be a hot head, I'm not saying I did not have a few choice words for Jolly. Buts because I am passionate about creating a good piece of art.  (So, Jolly curses out Ken - Jolly is evil. Ken curses out Jolly - Ken is passionate. Makes perfect sense...) edit - read this paragraph carefully. If this is how Ken edits video, I can't fucking wait to see what he turns in. Wait, that means he'd actually have to complete one of these projects)

Q. Will we actually see a finished project.
A. Yes. (NO)

Castles & Crusades TV Pilot:

Dear Backers.
We have set a new release date for August 1, 2017. Of course we hope to get your project to you way before that date, but would rater surprise you then disappoint you again.

Sorry it has taken so long, there have been many sit backs in my life, and there are a few backers that actually follow and harass me online, effecting my ability to make a living and produce this product. Although their actions are highly illegal it it very difficult to enforce laws across state lines without spending money, AND I would prefer to spend said money on this project instead. Some of these harassment include copywrite infringement, libel, slander, contacting employers, contacting loved ones, and even contact my children.

So please, if you have a problem with me, contact me at kenwhitman@kenwhitman.com, OR at least be civilized and use our current court system if you believe I have wronged you in anyway. There are much better ways of handing a situation then cyberstalking, and harassing my loved ones.

We are creating an IMDB pages soon.

My sincerest apology for letting you down on the timeline, BUT I am going to finish this project. I have NOT given up and you will see this wonderful project.

If you would like to ask questions about the project below, please feel free to post them. I will most likely only answer questions I feel help clarify information about this project.

Here are some basic ones that will clear up some...

Q. Did you misappropriate the money.
A. No. We shot a short that was not up to snuff for the guys at TrollLord Games, and we went back to the drawing Board. Now with an script provide by TrollLord Games, and advice from their creative team, we should be able to produce a wonder product this Fall. (my God man. Is English even your first language?)

Q. Did you shoot the full episode.
A. We shot and 8 minute film that TrollLord Games will not see. (WTF does this mean? I think I know what it means, but it's Kenny)

Q. Why has it taken so long.
A. I tried to produce the product without the knowledge of the true cost of production. Many companies producing 10 mins, of content kickstarter for $30k+. I have been spending my own time and money making-up for the under capitalization.

Q. Did you pay yourself out of Kickstarter Money.
A. No, the budget of this show was spent only on production. (not even $3.17 an hour? damn)

Q. Have you been involved an any other Fundraiser sense your trouble her on Kickstarter.
A. No, I decided to work on these projects and will never create another fundraise for any project until my current ones are completed.

Q. Do you currently produce, direct or act in movies.
A. Yes. That is how I make my living.

Q. Have you contemplated suicide because of your finacial situation and personal problems.
A. Yes. If you have ever been cyberstalked, or have dozens of web sites dedicated to your failure, it does get a bit depressing and over whelming. If it we not for the support of a few friends, and the fact I have two wonderful children, I probably would have taken the cowards way out. But they believe in me, so I guess i have no choice but to get this project finished and done with.

Q. How is your relationship with TrollLoad Games.
A. Strained but okay. They believe in this project and have agreed to give us one more shot at this.

Q. Will we actually see a finished project.
A. Yes. NO

Pencil Dice

Dear Backers.

We have set a new release date for Summer, 2017. Of course we hope to get your project to you way before that date, but would rater surprise you then disappoint you again.

Sorry it has taken so long, there have been many sit backs in my life, and there are a few backers that actually follow and harass me online, effecting my ability to make a living and produce this product. Although their actions are highly illegal it it very difficult to enforce laws across state lines without spending money, AND I would prefer to spend said money on this project instead. Some of these harassment include copywrite infringement, libel, slander, contacting employers, contacting loved ones, and even contact my children.

So please, if you have a problem with me, contact me at kenwhitman@kenwhitman.com, OR at least be civilized and use our current court system if you believe I have wronged you in anyway. There are much better ways of handing a situation then cyberstalking, and harassing my loved ones.

My sincerest apology for letting you down on the timeline, BUT I am going to finish this project. I have NOT given up and you will see this wonderful project.

If you would like to ask questions about the project below, please feel free to post them. I will most likely only answer questions I feel help clarify information about this project.

Here are some basic ones that will clear up some...

Q. Did you misappropriate the money.
A. No. We had several hick-up and cost skyrocketed. We currently have the Pencil Dice Bags, and are waiting on production in China. We were told that all 6 sides could be printed in one go, apparently that is not true, and quality is a bit shotty. Because most of these will now have to be mad made and not machine made, the cost are much higher. We are looking at producing a smaller quantity for the majority of the backers, and then producing the RETAIL versions at a later time. (well, I love "mad made" pencils. That little bit of anger can come out in my writing. Really? You CAN'T print 6 sides in one go? http://www.sebastianbergne.com/portfolio/pencil-dice/ proves you wrong. Fuck, I can't take it. Ken, you admitted to misappropriating monies:

https://runkleplaysgames.com/2015/06/04/interview-with-ken-whitman-of-d20-entertainment/

Learn to keep track of your lies...

Q. Have you been involved an any other Fundraiser sense your trouble her on Kickstarter.
A. No, I decided to work on these projects and will never create another fundraise for any project until my current ones are completed.

Q. Have you contemplated suicide because of your finacial situation and personal problems.
A. Yes. If you have ever been cyberstalked, or have dozens of web sites dedicated to your failure, it does get a bit depressing and over whelming. If it we not for the support of a few friends, and the fact I have two wonderful children, I probably would have taken the cowards way out. But they believe in me, so I guess i have no choice but to get this project finished and done with.

Q. Will we actually see a finished project.
A. Yes. NO

Ken Whitman - A New Spin on Spinward Traveller - Hyperdriving to Summer of 17

You need to love Ken Whitman and his never ending list of excuses. "Maybe if I change the Kickstarter release dates to NEXT summer, backers will stop trying to send Attorney Generals after me."

Sorry Kenny, it ain't that easy.

BTW, although this the following is from the Spinward Traveller TV Pilot KS, a similar if shorter update was made to the Deck Dice KS. Complete with the same damn typos. Public school education was bad back in those days too, Ken?

Spinward Traveller New Release Date

Posted by d20 Entertainment (Creator) For backers only

Dear Backers. We have set a new release date for August 1, 2017. Of course we hope to get your project to you way before that date, but would rater (sp) surprise you then disappoint you again. Sorry it has taken so long, there have been many sit (sp) backs in my life, and there are a few backers that actually follow and harass me online, effecting my ability to make a living and produce this product. Although their actions are highly illegal it it (so nice I said it twice)  very difficult to enforce laws across state lines without spending money (and hard for State Attorney Generals to find you when you keep moving apparently), AND I would prefer to spend said money on this project instead. Some of these harassment include copywrite (sp)   infringement, libel, slander, contacting employers, contacting loved ones, and even contact (sp) my children. So please, if you have a problem with me, contact me at kenwhitman@kenwhitman.com, OR at least be civilized and use our current court system if you believe I have wronged you in anyway. There are much better ways of handing a situation then cyberstalking, (comma not needed) and harassing my loved ones. I have updated the IMDB page tonight, however it will take a few days to fix itself. I will update you when I have downloads for you guys. My sincerest apology for letting you down on the timeline, BUT I am going to finish this project. I have NOT given up and you will see this wonderful project. If you would like to ask questions about the project below, please feel free to post them. I will most likely only answer questions I feel help clarify information about this project. Here are some basic ones that will clear up some... Q. Did you misappropriate the money. A. No. (Yes! From other Kickstarters to pay for your dreams. You even admitted it in an interview. My Kenny, your memory is short and self serving) Q. Did all the actors and crew get paid. A. It took a bit of time, but yes. (and the special effects guy - did he get paid?) Q. Did you shoot the full episode.  A. Yes. Q. Why has it taken so long. A. I tried to produce the product without the knowledge of the true cost of production.  (Now THIS is truth. And pure stupidity)Many companies producing 44 mins, of content kickstarter for $250k+. I have been spending my own time and money making-up for the under capitalization. Q. Did you pay yourself out of Kickstarter Money. A. Just like any actor or crew, I paid myself for my time producing, directing & editing. Currently to date my average hourly rate come to a little over $3.17 an hour. (still vastly overpaid and I doubt the actual number) Q. Have you been involved an any other Fundraiser sense (WTF) your trouble her (sigh) on Kickstarter. A. No, I decided to work on these projects and will never create another fundraise (r)for any project until my current ones are completed. Q. Do you currently produce, direct or act in movies. A. Yes. That is how I make my living. Q. Have you contemplated suicide because of your financial (sp)  situation and personal problems.  A. Yes. If you have ever been cyberstalked, or have dozens of web sites dedicated to your failure, it does get a bit depressing and over whelming. If it we (sp) not for the support of a few friends, and the fact I have two wonderful children, I probably would have taken the cowards (sp) way out. But they believe in me, so I guess i have no choice but to get this project finished and done with. Q. How is your relationship with Marc Miller. A. Strained but okay.   He believes in this project and gives me word of encouragement to finish it up. Q. Will we actually see a finished project. A. Yes. There you have it folks. Ken Whitman, uncut. The unvarnished truth, or at least as Kenny sees it. Remember, there are lies and then there's Ken. The truth is out there, but it's certainly not here...

GameHole Con - 926 Events and Growing - 11/4 - 11/6 - Madison WI

I really wish I was going to GameHole Con this year. I've heard nothing but amazing things about it, even from one of the guys who runs NTRPG Con ( +Michael Badolato ) I just need to see how the finances stack up transitioning from paycheck to pension and this is solidly during that "transition". Next year for me.

Now, if YOU can make it, please do. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of events (maybe a thousand before you know it) and the OSR makes a very strong showing. As does 5e. As does just about everything.

I mentioned that Alex Kammer, the main man behind GameHole, is an awesome guy, right? If you are a member of The Tavern's Community and request a card, you even get a $5 discount on registration. You don't need to have the card in hand, I'm way behind on that. Just requests a card and use the link I send you to join  the community (I'm a bit behind on requests, but that should be caught up on Monday.

There MIGHT be something ready in print in time for GameHole. Not saying what. Not saying will. Might.

Kickstarter - Dungeonesque Red & White Box Sets (5e RPG)

I'm working off my new Surface Pro 4 (thanks Rach for the early bday present) and with piss poor internet, so bear with me.

There was a previous crowdfunding project for Dungeonesque, which is basically 5e returned to it's Old School roots. Well, the Dungeonesque Red & White Box Sets (5e RPG) Kickstarter takes it to a new level. Or is that old level.

In any case, I even talked about limiting class and race options in the last Path of Legends podcast, and here we have a reworking of 5e rules that do just that. You don't need these rules to experience old school play with 5e, but if you've never experienced old school play these may very well be a good option if you are coming from 5e.

Oh, and boxes. Real boxes. Never an easy thing to produce and it's being offered in 2 flavors, White Box and Red Box.

I'd back this but I need to see how far my pension stretches before backing new Kickstarters. Besides, I backed the Red Box Book earlier ;)