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...