Swords & Wizardry Light to Swords & Wizardry Complete Conversion Guide - Ability Score & Classes

Yep, here's the first part of the Swords & Wizardry Light to Swords & Wizardry Complete Conversion Guide. As always, feel free to give feedback. This document will be for you to use and should supply enough information to transition as seamlessly as possible. If there is detail lacking please comment below. The second part will address races, weapons & spells.


Lets address the Ability Scores first.

Strength - Use the chart given on page 7 of the SWC rulebook. Low strength score may now have a penalty. Bonuses for Fighters now kick in a a Str of 13.

Intelligence - Use the chart given on page 8 of the SWC to determine languages, max spell level, percentage chance to know spells and min / max number of spells per spell level known. Keep all spells currently known and use the version in SWC going forward. High Int no longer gives a penalty of -1 to the saves of opponents.

Wisdom - As per page 8 of the SWC rulebook, a Wis of 13+ grants a 5% experience bonus. Clerics with a Wis of 15+ retain their 1st level bonus spell.

Dexterity - As per page 8 of the SWC rulebook, Dexterity Bonus kicks in at Dex 13. Low dexterity score may now have a penalty.

Constitution - As per page 8 of the SWC rulebook, Constitution Bonus kicks in at Con 13. Low constitution score may now have a penalty.

Charisma - If you have a Torchbearer they are now a Hireling. Max hirelings is as per table on page 8 of the SWC rulebook. Note, a Cha score of 13+ grants a 5% experience bonus.


Now we'll peek at Classes. Remember, conversion assumes Swords & Wizardry Light level 3 characters to same level in Swords & Wizardry Complete.

Fighter - Add 2 HP to your 3rd level fighter's HP total. Use the BAB chart on page 38 of the SWC rulebook to calculate new BAB. Remember to adjust for new Str Bonus if applicable. Str score of 13+ offers a 5% experience bonus.

Cleric - HP remain the same. Bonus to Saves is now +2 bonus on saving throw rolls against being paralyzed or poisoned. New Turn Undead Table is on page 43 of the SWC Rulebook. Wis score of 13+ offers a 5% experience bonus.

Magic-user - HP remain the same. Intelligence now determines chance to learn new spells going forward. Darts may now be used as a weapon. Int  score of 13+ offers a 5% experience bonus. High Int no longer gives opponents a penalty to their save against magic.

Thieves - HP remain the same.  Still can use any weapon but note, only magic weapons available are swords and daggers. Convert thief skills to percentage based skills using table on page 24 of the SWC rulebook. Dex score of 13+ offers a 5% experience bonus.

Swords & Wizardry Light / Swords & Wizardry Complete Conversion Document being Prepared

Its been requested for a while and I've addressed it in pieces, but this weekend I'll be working on putting together a conversion document for Characters going from Swords & Wizardry Light to Swords & Wizardry Complete and for monsters and spells going from SWC to SWL.

It may initially release as separate posts here at The Tavern.

Character conversion will be specifically for 3rd level characters as that is where the core Swords & Wizardry Light rules top out at. If you stick with SWL and move on to the soon to be released Swords & Wizardry Continual Light rules, the conversion document for material from Swords & Wizardry Complete will be quite useful.

Alright, back to slaving away at my desk ;)

Frog God Games - 30% off Coupon for PDF Purchases - Benefits Catholic Charities Houston - First in a Series of Superstorm Harvey Posts

This is the first in a series of posts highlighting ways to help folks impacted by the floods in Texas / Louisiana.

Frog God Games has one of our owner/partners in Houston. Although he is safe we wanted to do something, even if it is small. Customer PDF purchases through September 4th will get a 30% discount. ALL proceeds on coupon sales after expenses and royalties will go to (Frog God Games store):  

https://www.catholiccharities.org/catholic-charities-hurricane-harvey-updates/

Coupon Code- HOU-STON-HELP

Last Night's Tavern Chat - Most Attended - Ever - With Voice Option Too

Last night was quite simply the most active and attended Tavern Chat that The Tavern has hosted. Voice chat alone (which kicked off shortly before 10 PM Eastern) had nearly 18 in the channel last night. Text chat had more (there was an overlap)

Wow. Simply wow. Discord is living up to its reputation of being an amazing community builder. In just over a week we already have over 120 members at The Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord server and chat going on nearly 24/7.

I'd like to add chat sessions that are staggered to allow doe easier access to the chat for those across the pond or down under. I'm open to suggestions (remember, I'm NYC / Eastern Time Zone) for times / days for such an endeavor.

As an enticement to join The Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord server I've pinned the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta rules for easy download in the swords-wizardry-light channel.  Work commences on final layout with edits next week.

Need an invite?

https://discord.gg/tdVSQeG

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9PM - We've Moved it to the Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord Server

Yep, Chatwing served its purpose but its time to move on to newer and better things.

Tonight's Tavern Chat will be hosted on the Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord Server from 9PM to 11PM--ish.

First, login into the Tavern Chat Live Discord Server. The link will be below but its also on the right side of this page.

   Invite -  https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

When you log into the server, you start out in the common-room.thats where general chat and daily hanging out takes place. For tonight though, we will be using the tavern-chat-wed-9pm channel.

At 10PM I'll be dropping into the Open Bar voice channel until 11PM or so. Feel free to join me.

Wayward Kickstarter - Dice and Danger Dragon's Lair (It Simply Doesn't Add Up)

There are multiple problems with the Dice & Danger Kickstarter, but I'll stick with the obvious one. Math. Seriously, when your funding is simply based on "hidden monies" I don't care how cool your project looks, your dishonesty leads the way.

So, lets look at the math, shall we?

Average backer is in for $91.67

Total backing according to backer levels is $1,220

Backing according to Kickstarter is $2,750

Goal is $2,500

Miracle and unaccounted for backing is $1,530

So, what percentage of the backing of this project can't be accounted for?

56%

Holy shit! What a fucking facade!

Fuck the rest. This by and of itself is an obvious sign of bullshit backing.

Livestream - Zach Glazer, Bad Mike and Myself - Kinda Like NOW! (FGG Announcements)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCybT0_3FM4iVfqE8b8-eFLg

Above is the link to the soon to be live livestream with Zack, Mike and myself.

Some Frog God Announcements incoming imminently.

Far West - Forlorn & Forgotten - Funded Six Years and Four Days Ago

Thanks to +Eric Franklin for reminding me that Far West, the dead albatross around the neck of Gareth Sharka and everything he touches, funded six years and four days ago. Over six fucking years ago. Shit!

Does Gareth even have the balls to update his Kickstarter backers? No. and since Gareth is "holding off on updating until I have something major & concrete to deliver" you can expect the next update to be... never.

But yeah, keep writing those adventures for Star Trek and let your own IP lie fallow. Because, you know, people that believed in you and put money in your hands should be alternately ignored, lied to and spit upon for six years. Now THAT is some sort of customer service...

Marcus King has a $200k Job just for YOU! (and MAYBE Kenny never actually bought a store...)

I got this forwarded to me last week and it was a fairly busy week of posting, so it kept sliding back. But then the thought occurred to me: "What if one of the Tavern's readers were to miss out on this amazing opportunity because I failed to share it! They could miss out on the job of their lifetime and I'd be at fault." So, here it is - with commentary!

Website Developer Sought: 

Pay is $8 an hour + 2% of revenue for new site (Gross, not net). No maximum commission.  (Now, don't expect to actually receive said commission, as it will be help against potential returns into perpetuity) 

Goal is $10,000,000.00 revenue a year (thus $200,000.00 in commissions, annually).(yeah, and reality MIGHT be 100k a year and thus a commission of 2k - feel free to relocate for this amazing job)

Duties: Develop website to sell comics. Facilitate and assist staff in posting photos, descriptions and other information vital to customers desire to buy. Oversee repricing of product to keep product fresh. Promote site for consumer awareness. Manage other unforeseen aspects we may encounter. (in other words, man the register and sweep the floors)

Vision: Mostly back issues, but also some new comics sales to start, and growing each week through historical sales effecting future orders and needs. We have over 700,000 comics to populate store with - in stock now! We receive hundreds of new comics every week, and thousands of back issues. (please - we are drowning in this shit!)

We have space to put your desk, and will provide work station for you to start immediately. (yes, we actually have a desk and a laptop for you. we were going to ask you to bring your own, but then i realized i could just stock the boxes higher and bamn! - room for your desk. it was salvaged from a school and has they little flip top. you'll love it!)

Website Specifics: Customers can auto check out via paypal. Daily updates by staff for new arrivals and back issues. Subscriber options for people who want to be updated when a particular title is available; new arrivals are input, or specific product type is listed. 

Employee Pay is bi-weekly. Work environment is close knit, and friendly. (we will be sharing your desk) Must fit company dynamic, and be a team oriented individual. 

All top people in the company receive the same hourly wage (and 8 bucks an hour is the top wage - better stock up on Raman Noodles), so your hourly wage can increase, but your real income will come from your commissions. This is an ideal situation for an established website developer who can get us up and running fast, and understand the implications of being the person who gets the commissions in perpetuity (as long as you work for the company) (and if you start earning too much, I'll fire you and hire someone for 8 bucks an hour AND no commissions) for administering the website, and fixing the issues that arise as we grow. 

Additional products we deal in, and can be put on the store’s site once comics are running, include: Action Figures, Sports Cards, Collectible Cards, CCG’s, POP! Figures, Classic Video Games, Graphic Novels, Collectible Coins, Collectors Supplies and much more. How much you make is only determined by your skill and dedication to improving this company. Tired of being under appreciated, under compensated, while others benefit more from your work? (work here and we'll give you more of the same - for less!)

Our website will not be the cheapest price for anything (wait - that seems like an honest statement), but rather a completist site, with a devout-level dedication to customer service and brand loyalty. 

To join our team, apply with resume to: 

TheMadOx@MadOxComics.com 

Or, in person with resume to
Marcus King
Senior Partner
Mad Ox Games & Comics
205 North Hill Street (Corner of N Hill and E 7th Ave)
London, KY 40741
606-877-xxxx

Here's the interesting part. #ConManKen supposedly BOUGHT Mad Ox Games & Comics LAST month. Yet somehow Marcus is a "Senior Partner." Of a business that Marcus was about to close and somehow now expects to make $10m a year in online sales. Anyone else see what I see? A shell game and nothing more.

Bundle of Holding - The 20th Anniversary edition of the WEREWOLF: THE APOCALYPSE

Ah, Werewolf: The Apocalypse. My entry into the World of Darkness. See, I liked Werewolf because it didn't have all the angst and overwhelming politics of Vampire. Eh, maybe it was violent enough it kind of reminded me of D&D.

In any case, I owned a lot of Werewolf back in the day simply to read it. Never ran it. Never played it. Never will. But the reading was damn good. I may need to read some more.

For just US$14.95 you get all three titles in our Garou Collection (retail value $55) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including the complete full-color 555-page Werewolf 20th Anniversary corebook and the W20 update of the essential Changing Breeds player's guide, as well as the beautiful Art of the Changing Breeds illustration book. 

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $25.81, you'll level up and also get our entire Storyteller Collection with five more W20 supplements worth an additional $50, including Rage Across the World (retail price $13), Umbra: The Velvet Shadow (retail $15), the Storytelling Adventure System scenario Skinner (retail $7), Kinfolk: A Breed Apart (retail $13), and the W20 Storyteller Screen (retail $2).

Not the best value I've seen on Bundle of Holding but not too bad.

Inkwell Designs - Creature Decks for 0e / 1e - On Sale

So, I was speaking with +Joe Wetzel over the weekend. Joe is the man behind Inkwell Designs. In addition to some amazing mapping software, Joe does card decks to support RPG Campaigns. Last week he put on sale his SideQuest Decks and the response was damn good.

Now, I have most of Joe's deck releases (which he offers for multiple systems) and they really are sweet. I use them for inspiration in session prep, but I'm sure one could use the various decks in play for seat of the pants inspiration.

Anyhow, I asked him if he had anything on sale that would be right up the alley of The Tavern's readers. He didn't, but then he did ;)

Creature Decks for 0e / 1e. The art is great and its damn convenient having all of a creatures stats, description and pic on a single card.

There are 5 decks in the series. $1.95 (normally $2.95) in PDF or $9.95 (normally $11.95) in Print plus PDF (except the Animals deck which is $8.95)

Remember, all purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links goes to support The Tavern. There might appear to be a number of posts related to gaming products and their releases. The Tavern strives to make clear and unambiguous declarations of affiliate links and associations within the gaming industry. While it is difficult to be bias free, disclosing potential biases in the next best thing. Oh, and join The Tavern's Discord Server and head over to the swords - wizardry - light channel and download the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta release, complete with typos and prior to edits and new layout ;)

Discord Thoughts - An OSR Online Con - Dare I Say? TenKon!

So, this kept me up late on Friday night. At the moment we are nearing 90 members of the Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord Server. That got me thinking. I've toyed with the idea of an Online OSR Convention for the last 2 years. I just never saw all of the pieces in place to allow such to happen without major planning and software and associated costs

Discord plus Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds 2 is a viable solution.

So, here are the questions, not just for the Tenkar's Tavern Community but the OSR at large:

- Would you play a game session in an Online OSR Convention?

- Would you run a game session in an Online OSR Convention?

- Would you attend a panel discussion in an Online OSR Convention?

The cost to attend would be ZERO. The Tavern would offer some random gifts to attendees with perhaps further gifts offered from publishers.

I'm toying with the idea of calling such a potential convention TenKon but as all things that is subject to change ;)

What say you?

Spread the word on this post, because if there is enough interest we'll get the ball running.

Total side note - if you are a member of the Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord Server, drop into the swords - wizardry - light channel. The Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta Rules are linked there for your enjoyment. Not sure how long I'll leave them up there, so grab them soon. Work commences on laying out the SWCL rules via InDesign and with edits, corrections and clarifications this week and continues until completion.

Deal of the Day - Gary Gygax's Necropolis (Necromancer Games)

Gary Gygax's Necropolis is today's Deal of the Day at RPGNow. Amazing a company other than the Gygax Trust can still use the Gygax name on a product ;)

Normal sale price for Gary Gygax's Necropolis is $11.99, but as the Deal of the Day it is on sale for $6.00

Gary Gygax's Necropolis is a vast campaign scenario that sweeps the characters into an epic adventure across the magical desert kingdom of Khemit. From a hidden evil in a desert village, to the secrets of ancient tombs, Necropolis takes the characters on a dangerous mission to thwart the plans of an undying archpriest-wizard who would be a god! 

Necropolis is also a campaign sourcebook, detailing the lands of Khemit, new classes and prestige classes, new spells and more than 60 monsters unique to the desert lands. This book also details over 50 new gods and new cleric domains, allowing DMs to run extended campaigns in the desert kingdom. 

Players beware! Your characters will face certain death herein! 

This product requires use of the Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook. 

Gary Gygax's Necropolis is a full length 288 page epic adventure and campaign sourcebook designed for 4 to 8 characters of 10th to 18th level. The source material and initial adventures can be used with lower level PCs as well, but no one under 10th level should attempt to enter Rahotep's tomb.

Note, this adventure is written for 3x.

Products purchased via The Tavern's affiliate links help to support The Tavern in all that is does. We thank you in advance. Join The Tavern's Discord Server! :) 

Anyone Know Where Charlie Mason Is?

We're almost a week later, so it's about 11 weeks since Charlie Mason was seen on G plus. Members of the community have grown concerned over his absence (and I've fielded a few inquiries over the last week.)

No one is looking to pry into any privacy issues, the concern is simply Charlie's well being. Its what community is all about and Charlie is a stalwart of the OSR community.

If you have info you can post it here or email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at gmail if you consider it sensitive. I won't share details of any sensitive information given.

Thanks in advance.

Deal of the Day - KOBOLD Guide to Plots & Campaigns (Winner 2017 ENnies Silver for Best Aid)

Can you really go wrong with a Kobold release? Nope. +Wolfgang Baur has some of the best system neutral support material in the hobby and the KOBOLD Guide to Plots & Campaigns looks to be more of the same high quality. 128 pages for 3 bucks? Holy crap :)

Whether you’re a new gamemaster or a seasoned vet looking for a new angle to shake up your game, these 19 essays by expert gamemasters help construct your campaign from the ground up—and keep your players engaged until the dramatic conclusion. 

Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns shows how to begin a new campaign, use published adventures or loot them for the best ideas, build toward cliffhangers, and design a game that can enthrall your players for month or even years. Want to run an evil campaign, or hurl the characters into unusual otherworldly settings? Want to ensure that you’re creating memorable and effective NPCs and villains? We’ve got you covered. 

Complete with discussions on plotting, tone, branching storytelling, pacing, and crafting action scenes, you’ll find all the tips and advice you need to take on the best role in roleplaying—and become an expert gamemaster, too! Featuring essays by Wolfgang Baur, Jeff Grubb, David “Zeb” Cook, Margaret Weis, Robert J. Schwalb, Steve Winter, and other game professionals. 

This latest volume in the best-selling and award-winning series of Kobold Guides tackles the storytelling and campaign planning at the heart of any great RPG. Improve your game and expand your plotting and scheming skills with the Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns!

Remember, your purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links helps to support The Tavern in all we do. Join our Discord server and be part of the community 24/7 :)

WotC Survey - Some Questions Apply to Us Grognards (Hint - Pick Greyhawk ;)

Surveys are only as accurate as those that take the time to complete them - or some such.

Anyhow, WotC has a D&D Survey posted which even asks what edition(s) of D&D you are / will be playing. Goes back to White Box, 1E, etc. If you play a clone just pick your closest edition.

It also asks which classic settings you'd like to see have new material. I of course voted Greyhawk, Dark Sun and Spelljammer ;)

Its a fairly short survey so what are you waiting for?

Bundle of Holding - Ars Magica 5

I remember when I first came across Ars Magica. While the system didn't excite me the setting was awesome. A faux Europe where magi held the true power. My players didn't really like the idea of exchanging roles between adventures so we didn't get more than two sessions in before it all fell apart, but its always held a special place for me.

Well, now you can get all you need to kick off an Ars Magica campaign for less than 15 bucks. If you want to go full on, its a hair less than 27 for the larger collection.

So many games, so little time...

State of The Tavern - Discord Meets Hero's Brew Equals Huge Distraction! Heh

Some quick updates:

- The Tavern's Discord server is a success. We've had over 60 Taverners sign in thus far and it only went live Wednesday night. There's even a widget on the right side of this very page to get you started. Join us and start your OSR pub crawl!

- The Discord server is such a success I was up past my bedtime chatting away with folks and it wasn't even a Tavern Chat night. Seriously considering dropping Chatwing and moving the chat to Discord.

- We, as in the Hero's Brew podcast, are seriously considering doing some round table discussions with members of the community via voice on Discord and adding them as episodes of the cast. One of us would host the discussion with 3 or 4 members of the community participating. More on that soon.

- The Hero's Brew podcast has lined up its first guests. You may already know them from another OSR podcast. I'm excited as a pig on poop :)

- As I type this, the first episode of the Hero's Brew podcast has 197 downloads. We're stoked!

Deal of the Day - SideQuest Decks: Wilderness & Frontier Fantasy (1.98 PDF / 9.99 Print plus PDF)

Inkwell Designs has an awesome selection of SideQuest Decks. Today's RPGNow Deal of the Day is SideQuest Decks: Wilderness & Frontier Fantasy. $1.98 in PDF (normally $5.95) and $9.95 for the printed cards plus PDF (normally $21.90)

But wait! There more!

There are a total of SIX SideQuest Decks on sale for an extremely limited time for $1.98 in PDF or $9.95 for printed cards plus PDF.

You can grab them here.

I'm in for the Dungeons, Caves and Ruins and the Wilderness & Frontier Fantasy myself ;)

Remember, purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links go to support everything The Tavern does. Thank you.

Organized Discord at The Tavern - Adding Channels and Members, Oh My!

Last night I announced the creation of the Tenkar's Live Chat Discord Server. Over the last 12 hours we've added nearly 30 members.

We've added Voice Channels for pick up games, so if you normally use Google Hangouts or Skype for you game sessions you might want to try Discord. Sound quality is aces.

Open Bar is the main voice channel. I'll be hosting it on Wednesday nights from 10 PM Eastern until whenever. I'll also pop in and be available for chat random times and days. If you see my icon in the Open Bar, I'm probably available.

As for Text Channels, when you log in you'll land in General. We have a channel for SWL questions, one for Tavern updates and an Ask Your Tavernkeeper channel. Oh, and of course, Requests for those of you that have requests.

As always, this is your community. Let me know what can be done to improve it and most of all, have fun,

Want an invite to The Tavern's Discord Community? The link is below.


https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Experience some Discord at the Tenkar's Tavern Community Discord Channel

Now we've gone and done it! The Tenkar's Tavern Community now has its own Discord Channel.

What is Discord? Its a voice and text chat service that is free. Voice is high quality and its the same service we use to record the Hero's Brew Podcast.

Want an invite to The Tavern's Discord Community? The link is below.

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Chat with other members of The Tavern's Community. Heck, chat with me :)  I'll be in and out throughout the day.

We'll set some "official" times for some voice hangouts. Heck, some of these may even become podcastable ;)

Right now, its a work in progress, but an enjoyable work in progress...

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Lets Talk "Hero's Brew"

Its Wednesday, which means tonight is a Tavern Chat night. There's lots to talk about, not the least of which is the new Hero's Brew podcast with my co-hosts James Spahn and Glen Hallstrom.

All you need do is use the ChatWing widget on the right side of this page.

I've been considering setting up a Discord Channel for The Tavern and doing a "voice hangout" in addition to the usual chat. We'll discuss tonight ;)

Dented & Dinged Sales at Troll Lord Games - C&C Player's Handbook 10 bucks and More

Get all three core Castles & Crusades books for $30 total. Now THAT is a steal. Dinged and dented just means the work has already been done for you ;)

There's more on sale, all dinged and dented, and the prices won't last long because once they are gone, they are gone.

Always a fun system to fall back on, if you have holes in your collection, now is the time to shop.

Why iTunes and Google Play Music labeled The Hero's Brew Podcast "Explicit Content"

Yep, the Hero's Brew is "explicit content." Note, this is AFTER Glen went through and scrubbed every "shit" and "f-bomb" from the recording - yeah, James and I dropped a few.

So, why the "explicit content" label. The following exchange is my guess:

Tenkar - As of today, somebody got silver. 

Glen - Yeah, somebody got silver. 

Tenkar - It wasn't me. 

Glen - Are we talking suppositories here?

There you have it folks. WE are now officially "explicit." ;)

As of this morning, episode #1 has 135 downloads. Not bad for less than three days. No idea what numbers other podcasts do as I was never privy to the inner workings, but a pretty good start I think.

So, what are folks saying about The Hero's Brew podcast?

"I made my wife suffer through the new Hero's Brew podcast. She actually laughed a few times and didn't force me to replace it with her music!" - Ian 

"I really enjoyed. It sounded like y'all have fun" - Buddy 

"Great podcast! I really need to spend more time in the tavern." - Chuck 

"I love your focus on gamers not sleazy publishers!" - Name withheld 

Matt Finch Breaks Down the OGL (YouTube)

Thinking of publishing under the OGL? Well, none other than our very own +Matt Finch has a series of YouTube videos explaining the license for the common man. For example, someone like your bartender ;)

Matt doesn't provide legal advice but her does break down legal definitions and the wording of the OGL.

Two parts are up. Part 1 is the first one, Part 2 is the second one.

GoFundMe - Braille Printer for Visually Impaired Gamers

I don't know why this hasn't been thought up by the RPG community in the past. The GoFundMe is to buy a braille printer to be able to supply converted RPG material AT COST to visually impaired gamers.

In the video, they use The Black Hack as a sample book to convert, so the OSR is certainly part of this.

For those that don't know, Rach is legally blind. For her, large print (or digital with zoom) is the way to go but we are both very passionate about getting books into the hands of the visual impaired and I think this project is awesome

Their goal is $1,800 to purchase the printer and they are about half way there.

It's a good project to back IMHO with goals we all should be supporting.

Thanks you so much for taking a look at our fundraiser. The DOTS Tabletop Roleplaying Gaming Project is devoted to raising awareness in the gaming community for the need for accessible gaming books and gaming aids for the visually impaired community. 

I am attempting to raise $1,800 ($1,500 for the printer $300 to cover funding fees, sales taxes, and shipping) to fund the purchase a braille embossing printer to be able to produce braille materials for visually impaired gamers. Additionally, the printer comes with a full suite of braille translation and tactile graphic design software. 

Currently the printer is on sale with a $2,000 discount, and if we can purchase the printer in the next couple of weeks, the company will add in a second year warranty for free! So I have to raise the money quickly. 

The cost for outsourcing braille books is astronomical. For example, I just finished translating a roleplaying game into braille and tried outsourcing the printing of a few copies for my visually impaired friends to edit. The companies wanted over $200 for four copies of an 80 page book. With the printer I'm hoping to purchase, it would only cost $1.50 per book. 

Here's something esle exciting! This printer will print tactile graphics...imagine how exciting it would be for a visually impaire game master to be able to feel a dungeon map!

Kickstarter - 28mm High Detail Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures (what it says on the tin)

So, why am I highlighting the 28mm High Detail Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures Kickstarter? A few reason and they all come down as lessons for others.

Pre-painted minis is a damn good idea. I love minis and have neither the skill nor the time to paint them. Then why is this campaign so unexciting to me?

First, the Kickstarter title should be something like "Role 4 Initiative Presents Pre-Painted Plastic Minis for RPGs" or such. As it is, the title is so generic as to be forgettable.

Then there are the pics of the samples. Could they have found worse lighting? Seriously, when you are trying to sell a physical product, presentation is everything and this is simply a failure to execute.

For five bucks a painted mini I don't expect much, but I do expect pics that show some sort of details, even if the details are a lack of details. The project is called "28mm High Detail Pre-Painted Plastic Miniatures".

The following has slightly better lighting and shows some detail (and promise)

Still, the colors are muddied from the lack of lighting.

Then there are the stretch goals that have the potential to drive this project into the red - if it had any hope of funding -

Physical stretch goals change the cost to complete the project. While fun to add, they are dangerous.

Oh, and don't sit in shorts in your video. Sometimes less is more. No video would have been more.

There you have it. Good idea poorly presented.

Hero's Brew Podcast - Now Available at Google Play Music! (I think that covers all)

It appears that the Hero's Brew podcast is now available at Google Play Music. Its already up on iTunes.

The feed is:

http://HerosBrew.podbean.com/feed/

Alright, everything going forward should be smooth as silk, right? ;)

Oh, and thanks to all that have already given the first episode a listen!

Hero's Brew Podcast - Now Available at iTunes! (Google Play is pending)

Yep, iTunes just approved the Hero's Brew podcast. Please, download it and give it a rating. It's also been submitted to the Google Play store. We are waiting on approval at Google :)

Thank you all in advance!

Oh, find it on iTunes by searching for Hero's Brew.

Have You Ever used a Solar Eclipse as a Plot Device in an Adventure / Campaign?

So, with today's eclipse over parts of the Continental U.S. today, it got me thinking - "who among us has used a solar eclipse as a plot device in an adventure / campaign?"

ry as hard as I might to remember, I don't ever recall using a solar - or even a lunar - eclipse as a plot device in gaming. That's a damn shame as there are so many superstitions associated with an eclipse.

Shit, simply think how much of the population might go blind by staring at an eclipsed sun and you could have numbing fear for the next time. That isnt even counting the "world is coming to an end" drama it often brought.

Have you used an eclipse as a plot device? Tell us if you have :)

Hero's Brew Podcast - Episode #1 - The Trio Unleashed - IS LIVE!

We did it!

The Hero's Brew Podcast is here!

First episode is live and embedded right above. You can also play it on your IOS or Android device using the Podbean app and in a day or so it should be fully into the wilds of iTunes and other services.

We'll also be putting together a page here at The Tavern that will link to all of the epidodes as they release.

Should there be show notes? Definitely. Are there? Not yet.

What do we talk about? Listen and find out. You never know. Maybe we talked about you ;)

I'm just a screenshot to allow visual imaging on social media ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light is Trending at #3 of the Hottest Small Press Releases

We're #3!

We're also #9 and #14...

I'd LIKE to see Swords & Wizardry Light hit #1 :)

Anyhow, here are the links for SWL and the others:


Swords & Wizardry Light Rules

Swords & Wizardry Light Character Cards

Swords & Wizardry Light Tome of Horrors Light Volume I

Remember, purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links help support The Tavern and its various projects. That being said, grab the above for FREE!

Announcement - Mark Rein-Hagen Joins Vampire 5e Dev Team

This was announced yesterday on the White Wolf Facebook page.

Vampire 1e (and the GURPS Conversion) are the only editions I own.

Lots of strong personalities on the dev team. Should be interesting times.

Swords & Wizardry Light lands at RPGNow - Let's Make it a Best Seller!

Frog God Games has uploaded the Swords & Wizardry Light files for "sale" at RPGNow / DriveThruRPG.

I'd like to see Swords & Wizardry Light trend as a best seller :)

Note, the SWL products available for download are priced at PWYW. This is a necessity for sales ranking purposes. DO NOT pay for them! If you feel you must, drop a penny or a nickel in the tip jar.

If you already have PDF copies of the SWL rules, Tome of Horrors Light Volume 1 and the SWL Character cards, I ask that you download again for FREE. The aim is to get more exposure to the rules and the offerings, and the best way to do that is to see them trending as best sellers.

Lets get this done!

Swords & Wizardry Light Rules

Swords & Wizardry Light Character Cards

Swords & Wizardry Light Tome of Horrors Light Volume I

Remember, purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links help support The Tavern and its various projects. That being said, grab the above for FREE!

Victorious Bundle - Over 60 bucks Worth of Steampunk Adventure in the Age of SuperMankind for 20 Bucks (Troll Lord Games)

This weekend Mike Stewart's "2017 Three Castles Award Winning" RPG Victorious has a bundle on sale at RPGNow / DriveThruRPG. You get over 60 bucks worth of Victorious releases (including the core game) for 20 bucks. You really can't go wrong.

I played in a session of Mike's Victorious at NTRPG 2015 and it was a blast! The rules are built off of Castles & Crusades and should feel familiar to any that play OSR games.

For 20 bucks you get enough material to play a Victorious Campaign for years :)

Hey all--it's Gen Con this weekend! We're not there, and if you're not either (or even if you are, we aren't bitter) then here's a little sale on Victorious product to hopefully help you feel a little better about it. 

Save over 60% on The Victorious Bundle! The core rulebook, introductory adventure A Night For Jackals and four supplements--Rule Britannia, Manifest Destiny, Phantasmagoria, and the Hunter & Hunter Catalogue.

Now through Sunday you can get this bundle, normally over $60 -- yours for $19.99!

Purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links go to support The Tavern and its various projects. That includes the Hero's Brew podcast. We just recorded the first episode last night and hope to release it this weekend.

Another Gygax Memorial Fund Update - Alex Gygax Joins the Board of Directors of the GMF

I'm putting this squarely in the "Holy Shit I did not see this coming!" category. I always saw the Gygax Memorial Fund as Gail's personal albatross. Although her sister and brother in law are also board members, Gail has frequently - well, more than once, pointed out that she is the one doing it all.

Now that Alex Gygax is on the board I expect to see some movement on the project. I know the lad hates my very being (and I truly do understand why) but I sincerely wish him only success in his new position. He is what the GMF needs - young blood that want's to do right by his father's legacy.

I suspect we'll be seeing more updates soon.

Huzzah!

Next #ConManKen will announce the release of the KotDT LAS ;)

Update - Gygax Memorial Find - A Plaque, T-Shirts and Pencils!?!

Its Gen Con time, so news and updates as it trickles in.

Gail Gygax presented Gen Con with a plaque celebrating its 50th show. I know, pics or it never happened ;)

(note - screenshots are from Gail's FB page. I'm blocked so these shots were sent by another. As always, a HUGE thank you to The Tavern's Community for all the help)

See that comment about shirts and pencils? Hold on to your hats, boys and girls, because this shit is going to get real!

Here's the link to the GMF shirts with pencils.

I must admit, Gail has done something that #ConManKen has been unable to do - produce and sell custom pencils.

Now that the Fund appears to have an income stream again, perhaps things will be moving forward.

The shirt looks nice. I should do a GoFundMe to buy one and take a pic in it ;)

The Tavern's Facebook Community has Topped 1,700 Members

1,706 to be exact. Hitting 2k by the end of November is certainly within reach. That would mean 2k in 2 years.

The Tenkar's Tavern Facebook Community is vibrant, fun and best of all - friendly. Some of the nicest people in gaming are there to answer questions, give advice, share thoughts and leave real world drama at the door. We are about games. Old school games. And newer school games that feel like old school games. Oh, and good conversation.

It has in many ways become the neighborhood tavern of the OSR. Note, The Tavern is a BYOB establishment ;)

I've been asked what would happen if we actually do hit 2k members within 2 years. I literally have no idea. Well, not true, I have many ideas, just not sure which are practical ;)

Join us. We don't bite. Well, mostly don't.

Starfinder - Sold Out at Gen Con - In Stock at Amazon

Photo found on the Paizo Facebook page

Apparently Starfinder has sold out at Gen Con on the first day. Not totally a surprise, as Gen Con is very much about the feeding frenzy of the goldfish.

Anyhow, if you are looking to snag a copy and either missed it at Gen Con OR like me, aren't at Gen Con, your FLGS should have it as well as Amazon.

If you buy from your local FLGS, check the spine and binding - there have been reports of something amiss in a few cases:

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uisq?Starfinder-book-spine-already-falling-apart

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uiv6?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook-binding

Might just be outliers but best to check.

If you buy from Amazon you can always return with minimal hassle.

Starfinder on Amazon - $47.51 ($59.99)

Of course, I'll be playing White Star ;)

Yep, there's affiliate links above. Your purchases help support The Tavern. Did I mention White Star is PWYW - even in print (there are at cost prices for print)

Matt Finch is Doing a Series of Youtube Videos About old School Gaming

If you haven't met and spoken with +Matt Finch face to face, his new YouTube series is a decent substitute.

As I post this, Matt has three videos uploaded with more to come.

Do yourself a favor - watch the videos. They are short, informative and its Matt. I could listen to Matt all day ;)

Link to Matt's Youtube Channel