And Just Like that, I Went with InDesign...

Part of me wanted to strike my own path into the wild world of layout, but in the end you can't beat having friends that can hold your hand, and that's what I have opted for InDesign. Got my cloud account. Its for realz, yo! ;)

Seriously, LucidPress isn't a bad option, and if I was without those willing to teach InDesign, I probably would have stuck with it. That being said...

I know some truly talented layout persons, highly skilled and willing to help me when I ask - and probably even when I'm too stubborn to ask.

Torchlight, either as a zine or a magazine, needs the best support it can get and this is certainly the best route to take for it to succeed.

Upon returning from Gary Con I will be immersing myself in InDesign and InDesign video tutorials, so expect a few more PWYW releases hitting RPGNow in the next month or two as I put my new skills into play. Wait, the first one still hasn't been approved after 72 hours. Hopefully it gets approved before I leave for Gary Con ;)

Current plan is a 16 page Issue Zero of Torchlight to be released as a preview for what we have planned. That will be PDF only and PWYW. Pricing and format(s) for the full Torchlight is being discussed by the Triumvirate.

Kickstarter - Clash of Steel: A Tactical Card Game of Medieval Duels

Before I even talk about the Kickstarter itself, lets look at the graphic above. Nice art, states the buy in, players, game time and of course the name of the game. If you want your project to be effectively shared in social media, the above is a perfect example of what to do. Well done.

Now, on the the Clash of Steel Kickstarter.

12 buck buy in and 15 minute gameplay? I'm nearly sold on it already.

As for gameplay?

Gameplay focuses on managing your limited stamina, predicting your opponent's actions, and whittling their defenses down until you can land a final, crushing blow. 

The game takes about five minutes to learn and 10-15 minutes to play. There are no random elements -- the only unknown is which cards your opponent's playing and how much they're willing to spend to gain the upper hand.

At its heart, Clash of Steel's gameplay is a series of tactical decisions. Do you want to hurt your opponent, stop them from hurting you, or edge for an advantage? 

You won't be drawing random cards from a constructed deck; there aren't any lucky streaks; it's just several careful decisions, round after round, until one duelist is mangled to the point of defeat. 

Every round works the same way, making the game quick to learn and easy to play, but allowing for enormous tactical variety. 

One round you might fight aggressively, selecting cards to inflict maximum damage. But in the next round, you might take your time, reposition to a range more suited to your weapon, or try to mitigate your foe's advantage.

That was easy. I'm in :)

Torchlight - Mock Cover and Further Thoughts

Art by Patrick E. Pullen

So, I decided to mock up a cover for Torchlight. I think it looks damn inspiring myself. As for the featured articles listed, they probably will be regular features by James and I.

Now, the color adds punch, even to what is otherwise B&W art. Needless to say, I like the idea of color and B&W mixed.

I am floored by the interest we have for submissions. I wish I could name drop - heh. We'll definitely have some guidelines ready by the first week of April, if not sooner. Bear with us. Gary Con is next week.

We are also discussing format. 16 to 20 page zine or 32 to 40 page or so magazine. Going the magazine root would mean POD and probably full size pages as opposed to booklet. It also gives the opportunity to use color not just for the PDF but print copies also inside and out.

So much to discuss at Gary Con...

In the end, the community will have a direct voice, because magazine size will need more content than a zine and that content will need to be borne in large part by the community. In the meantime, I'll be working on some more "Pocket" releases to get my layout chops in order ;)

Bundle of Holding - Space:1889

I first came across Space:1889 when it was released by GDW. I liked the setting and the concept, didn't like the rules system so much, so it sat on a shelf (and now sits in a closet)

A few years ago Space:1889 was relaunched using the Umbiquity system, which is something I can mostly wrap my head around ;)

Now it's on Bundle of Holding. $6.95 for the basic buy in. A hair under $19 for the whole deal.

I may just have to buy this...

Torchlight Zine for Swords & Wizardry Light - Submissions

Art by Patrick E. Pullen

I've had a number of inquiries as to submissions for the upcoming Torchlight Zine. While we won't be posting submission guidelines until after Gary Con, I figured I'd address some of the basics.

Torchlight is a zine to support Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light. By extension, that means it is compatible with the various flavors of Swords & Wizardry - White Box, Core and Complete. That being said, articles should be submitted with SWL in mind or system neutral.

We are NOT looking for conversions of standard OGL content to SWL. We ARE looking for new content - new spells, magic items, creatures and the like. Short (2 to 4 pages digest sized) adventures are also needed. Remember, SW Continual Light only goes to seventh level, so keep that in mind.

Compensation. We would like to compensate you. No details yet. First issue will be PWYW and probably written in house for the most part.

Frequency of issues. We were thinking quarterly, but if there is enough material submitted, we may go bi-monthly.

Size. 16 to 24 pages, at least initially.

Art. We have a sizable library of stock art but we will always consider paying for unique art from artists in the OSR.

Alright, that's enough for now. If you have further questions, post them here or email us at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing.

As We Await Approval from RPGNow, Pocket Creatures Volume 1 is being Released for Free in The Tavern's Facebook Community

I don't know how much longer it is going to take to get approval at RPGNow for Pocket Creatures Volume 1. Until its approved, it won't show up for sale. With the weekend knocking on our door quickly followed by Gary Con I'd like to get this in the hands of gamers sooner than later.

So, I'm releasing it to The Tavern's Facebook Group in a few minutes.

On RPGNow it is going to be PWYW, so it isn't going to be a money maker, but if you like it you can always re-download it later at RPGNow. Heck, you could even throw in a few coppers too ;)

Pocket Creatures Volume 2 is laid out and ready to be submitted.

I'm not sure we'll have a print ready copy of the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light rules in time for Gary Con. If that's the case I'll bring a few dozen print copies of the two Pocket Creatures Volumes to hand out.

Kickstarter - Satanic Panic - Buy it - for the Children

What's the pitch for Satanic Panic?

Satanic Panic is a tabletop roleplaying game set in the fictional 1970’s and 1980’s where players take on the role of secret government agents tasked with combating the evils of tabletop. The players work as a team with the common purpose to contain, control, and eliminate the threats to our world. They must do all this while keeping the truth from the public, lest a panic ensue.

Interesting pitch Not sure if it makes a great RPG, sounds more like an awesome novel, but its not my KS.

I say the above in part because the "core mechanic" doesn't excite me:

Still, interesting game concept and setting that has nearly double its $10k goal with 2 weeks left to fund.

As a side note, your KS video is NOT a graphic that is made to be used on blogs or in social media (I had to take a timed screenshot) If you want social media to spread the word on your project, make it easy for them to do so. Okay, rant off.

Am I going to back this? Too early to say. retirement does mean I have to pay attention to where my monies are spent and this is a game I would certainly read but its doubtful I'd ever play.

Pocket Creatures Volume 2 is Almost Ready for Prime Time - More Swords & Wizardry Light Monster Madness

Yep, I'm on a "layout roll" ;)

Seriously, as I await RPGNow to clear Pocket Creatures Volume 1 for the market (at PWYW) Volume 2 is nearly ready to be submitted. The material in Volumes 1 and 2 were already posted at The Tavern over the past few years but have been heavily edited and rewritten for use with Swords & Wizardry Light (although they fit perfectly well with other Swords & Wizardry flavors as well as most other OSR rulesets)

If all goes well, Volume 2 should be ready some time this evening and it will roll out to Patreon backers of $1.50 a month or higher. If you are a Paypal backer, you may need to remind me or simply wait for it to go up at PWYW, probably this weekend.

Neither volume is going to be watermarked and both print out nicely in booklet form form on a single sheet.

New creatures will be a feature of the Torchlight Zine, but I enjoy creating monsters and such for my games, so expect more releases in the Pocket Creature line going forward (but at a reduced productivity rate ;)

Art for the above was by +Jim Magnusson

Pocket Creatures Volume 1 is Laid Out and Done for Swords & Wizardry Light

I started thinking "layout" earlier today as it comes to the Torchlight Zine, so what better way to get myself in the right mindset than to start laying out the Pocket Creature collection.

It will be three creatures per release, priced PWYW at RPGNow (waiting for my first product to be approved) and mailed to my Patreon backers via email (check your notifications - went out about a half hour ago)

No longer sure we will have a print ready copy of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light ready for Gary Con, but if not we'll have a few 4 page volumes of Pocket Creatures. BTW, the PDF is not watermarked at is perfect for printing at home.

I'll post the link when its up at RPGNow :)

Looking for Advice on Adobe Indesign Alternatives...

+Zach Glazar laid out Swords & Wizardry Light.

+James Spahn laid out Swords & Wizardry Continual Light.

I'm looking to take over layout duties with the Torchlight Zine.

I've heard nothing but good about Indesign - except for its pricing. I think I'd be paying for more horsepower than I need and certainly for more than I'll make my money back on. While you don't publish RPG material to become rich, you don't want to become poor ;)

Scribus gets some good talk and it is Mac friendly although I tend to find open source software to lack a certain depth of documentation. The price is certainly right.

LucidPress looks very interesting. Online app accessible from all devices, you OS is irrelevant. Starts at $5.95 a month with a yearly sub.

I'm sure there are many others.

I'm looking for inexpensive publishing software with a small learning curve, preferably for OSX (although I can boot into Windows, I'd rather not). It will mostly be used for laying out zines of about 16 or so digest sized pages and occasional adventures about the same size.

If you have advice, I am all ears. I'm also all noob ;)

White Star and the White Star Companion go Pay What You Want - PDF & Print!

The gaming community just funded +James Spahn 's trip to NTRPG Con this June thanks to a GoFundMe set up by +James Shields . As a thank you to the community that has gifted James with the opportunity to be present when the Three Castles Award is announced (James was nominated this year) James is pricing White Star and the White Star Companion at PWYW pricing. There is no minimum price for the PDF but there is an "at cost" price for the print versions.

Here's what James posted in the NTRPG Con Facebook Community:

Je Shields was kind enough to start a GoFundMe in an effort to get me out to North Texas RPG Con this year. That in and of itself is an act of amazing generosity. What has been even more generous has been the fact that a plethora of folks from the OSR community chipped in and made it happen - and in less than four days! 

I kept silent during the funding, but wanted to now say "Thank You,." This whole experience has been quite humbling and has left me in shock at the kindness shown by everyone. 

So, I'd like to show some kindness in return. From this point forward both *_White Star*_ and the _*White Star Companion*_ will be set at a Pay-What-You-Want price. This includes PDF, Softcover, and Hardcover. For hardcover and softcover, you will still need to meet the cost to cover production - but that's it. I wanted to do this as a way to show a small measure of appreciation for all your kindness. 

So, I guess the only thing left to say is: I'll see you at North Texas RPG Con!

Thanks to +James Shields , +Pete Spahn , +Jacob Ross and everyone else that made this possible for James.

Because of the generosity of this community James is a winner no matter what.

Oh, and BTW. Because of you all, the first issue of the Torchlight Zine will be PWYW too. Well, PDF only. Print will be hand assembled and PWYW isn't feasible ;)

TSR Tuesday - New Print on Demand Title - Villains' Lorebook (2e)

I'll be honest. I don't recall the Villains' Lorebook from my earlier days of gaming. There were so many Forgotten Realms releases covering just about everything you could imagine, this one escaped me back in the day.

I thought I read a lot of Forgotten Realms fiction back in the day, but the the list that Appelcline gives includes a bunch of characters I simply do not recall:

The Moonshae Trilogy. Cyndre, Hobarth
The Druidhome Trilogy. Deirdre Kendrick
The Icewind Dale Trilogy. Artemis Entreri, Dendybar the Mottled
The Legacy of Drizzt. Jarlaxle
The Finder's Stone Trilogy. Cassana, Flattery Wyvernspur, The Mouth of Moander, Zrie Prakis
Masquerades. Victor Dhostar
Prince of Lies. Fzoul Chembryl
The Cleric Quintet. Aballister Bonaduce, Ghost, Kierkan Rufo
The Harpers Novels.
Red Magic (#3). Maligor the Zulkir of Alteration, Szass Tam the Zulkir of Necromancy
The Ring of Winter (#5). Kaverin Ebonhand
The Shadowking Novels (#6, #11). Lord Cutter of Iriaebor
Song & Swords. Elaith "The Serpent" Craulnober, Kymil Nimesin
King Pinch (#1). King Manferic III
War in Tethyr (#2). Baron Faneuil Hardisty
Escape from Undermountain (#3). Halaster Blackcloak

Ah well. I guess I don't know the Forgotten Realms as well as I thought I did.

$18.99 for the POD

Torchlight - How the Genre Themed Issues Will Work (SWL)

Art Copyright Claudio Casini

I've been asked how the "genre themed" issues of Torchlight will work. This is the current game plan which I'm sure will get revised as we get closer to showtime.

• Classes - will be designed as the optional classes in SWCL, meaning that the "crunch" will be defined with one or two tricks or gimmicks added to a core class. Class description will define the classes more than the crunch.
• Settings - thought is a localized sandbox with location highlights and hooks. If we are looking at 8 or 10 pages of the issue for the genre hack, 4 of those pages should be setting and map.
• Magic / Tech - Items unique to the setting
• Monsters / Creatures / NPC - Because settings need their bad guys
• Optional rules - If the setting has no magical healing, some non-magical healing needs to be included. If the setting is in space, space combat rules. All taking into account that the rules need to be "light"

Here's an example for a "Barbarian"class for a Swords & Sorcery type setting.

Barbarians. Natives. Berserkers. They are called many things, but nothing defines them more than their distaste for civilization and magic. Well, perhaps their loyalty to their friends and their enmity towards nearly everyone else. 

Fearless on the field of battle, many have been known to work themselves into a rage in combat, throwing themselves at their enemy with only one thought - death to their enemy. Sometimes, when all the enemies are vanquished, they have been known to turn on their friends. Nothing personal, you know, sometimes battle gets the best of everyone. 

- Barbarians may "enrage" once per day in battle. They will discard any shields and rush their enemy. For the next 5 rounds they are + 3 hit and + 3 damage. If there are no enemies left standing at the beginning of a round (within the 5 rounds) they must roll a Save (bonus of + 1 for Wisdom 15+) or attack a random ally at + 3 hit and + 3 damage until the 5 rounds have passed.

That's a quick peek. I'll be outlining the first few issues as the week goes on. Which theme or genre comes first will depend on what writes itself ;)

Update - Free Operation: White Box PDF With $5+ Pledge - There is a Fund to Send James Spahn to North Texas RPG Con

I know I posted about this on Saturday, but +Pete Spahn (no relation to James) has sweetened the pot. Now, every pledge at $5 or more gets a copy of Operation: White Box - the OSR rpg set in WWII. Normally 8 bucks in PDF (currently on sale for $5.59 for about another 12 hours) this is a great deal for a great game to help send a great guy to an amazing OSR Con that he his is in the running for an award.

Did I mention +James Spahn is a great guy?

Here's the link to the GoFundMe. Go ahead. Make James blush. I DARE you!  :)

OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale, Part IX - Last 24 Hours and Counting! Last post in the Series!

Yep, we are under the 24 hour mark for time remaining i the RPGNow GM's Sale. These will be my last picks. That doesn't mean if something didn't make my pick list that it wasn't good - it probably means I ran out of space.

It also means time is running out at these sale prices. Next major RPGNow sale will probably be Christmas in July.

This post is Part VI. Part I ,  Part II , Part III, Part IV,  Part V,  Part VI,  Part VII and Part VIII are linked. Remember, 5% of your purchase goes to support The Tavern and associated costs for projects like Swords & Wizardry Light and the upcoming Torchlight Zine.

Slumbering Ursine Dunes - I think someone else said it better than I ever could - "Want a healing potion? No generic shit in this, you’ll instead be drinking the pure white soul of someone who has drowned in a pond." - Bryce Lynch, Ten Foot Pole - There ya go ;) - "Run, play or splice up 66 pages of mayhem and weirdness in this Slavic mythic-inspired (with an acid fantasy-twist) mini-sandbox for Labyrinth Lord or the well-aged fantasy rpg of your druthers. What You Will Find Inside: • A 25-site pointcrawl of the otherwordly Slumbering Ursine Dunes region. Beyond the big ticket adventure sites you will find along the way a Polevik-haunted rye field, a Zardoz head-living hermit, bearling pilgrimage site, antediluvian beaver engineers and other assorted madness. • Two separate “dungeons”, the bio-mechanical, lost-in-time Golden Barge and the faction-contested Glittering Tower, with enough detail and portability to be slotted into an existing campaign. • The Chaos Index, a dynamic events system for modeling the mythic weirdness of the Dunes. Actions of the players in the sandbox will escalate or de-escalate the levels of events. • Four competing factions operating inside the Dunes, plus guidelines for their mutual interactions. • Unique player classes, spells and magic items compatible with Labyrinth Lord. • 15 new and unique monsters, many drawn from Slavic mythology (with a twist or three, naturally)." $9.00  $6.30


The Wizardarium of Calabraxis - some of my picks are downright cheap. amazing quality and price. grab this now! - "17 pages of fun, built around a core of an easy to run 2 page overview. The Wizardarium of Calabraxis starts off with strangely behaving apemen, but players who start to explore the cave where they reside will soon discover there is a lot going on: ancient civilizations, the mad experiments of a forgotten wizard, and a couple unique magic items are guaranteed to provide a lot of bang for your buck to your players. This module has stats for the DCCRPG, but if one wants to work around the weird dice, this module is probably at home in just about any OSR rules system. Characters of almost any DCC level will probably have fun in this adventure; just adjust some numbers until the exact right number of PCs are dying ;)" $1.95  $1.50


Ruins & Ronin - Ah, did you think I was done with the awesome and inexpensive selections? Well, you were wrong. Maybe medieval fantasy isn't your style. Maybe you want to adventure in the orient. Maybe you want your non European setting rules to be Swords & - Wizardry derived - "A complete set of rules for playing an old school fantasy game (Swords & Wizardry compatible) in a medieval Japanese-like setting.  What's inside: Unique player classes and races. Japanese-styled weapons, equipment and magic items.  A complete 32-page bestiary of monsters and spirits."
$2.00  $1.40

Labyrinth Lord: Revised Edition - sure, you could grab the free art PDF, but where is fantasy gaming without awesome art? -"Enter a world filled with labyrinths, magic, and monsters! You can take the role of a cleric, dwarf, elf, fighter, halfling, magic-user, or thief on your quest for glory, treasure, and adventure! This is a complete role playing game. All you need are a few sheets of paper and some dice. Welcome back to a simpler old-school gaming experience. The Labyrinth Lord awaits your arrival. Can you survive the dangers of the labyrinth?" $5.95  $4.17

Rats in the Walls - you didn't think we'd get through this without referencing "rats" did you? besides, its an excellent adventure - "An adventure in HYPERBOREA designed for 4–6 characters of 1st through 2nd level. For use with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™ and other traditional fantasy role-playing games. In the City-State of Khromarium, a dockside tavern called the Silvery Eel is plagued by rats of a most unusual breed. These abominable rodents have ruined the tavern keeper’s business and his life. The man is desperate, and he offers a substantial reward for the elimination of his horrific problem." $4.29  $3.00

White Box Gothic [Swords & Wizardry] - this is the type of fantasy / old school horror that I really enjoy - not to hack it for SWL ;) - "White Box Gothic brings gothic horror to your Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox campaign! Inside this terrible tome you'll find a horde of horrors! - Six New Classes: From the deadly Monster Hunter to the damned Dhampir. - Thirty New Spells: Speak with the dead, defile the land, and bind spirits to your service! - Twenty-Five New Magic Items: Draw undead servants from your Bag of Bones, learn the secrets of the Book of the Damned, and draw hope from the Symbol of Piety! - Fifteen New Monsters: The lowly Cultist, the mysterious Breath Stealer, to the powerful Vampire Lord! - Optional Rules: Corruption, Dread, and laying Curses! - Inside these fifty pages you'll find all manner of dark and dire secrets to vex your players and defy the undead! $4.99  $3.49

Feast of the Preserver - A horror adventure for the DCC RPG? Its like chocolate and peanut butter -"Feast of the Preserver is a survival horror adventure designed for a group of 5 to 8 characters of levels 3 to 4. Something is amiss in the isolated village of Barrowton. Only courage, skill and a lot of luck can aid the adventurers in facing the horror that has taken hold of this once idyllic place. Can the adventurers save the village from a terrible fate or will they become the Feast of the Preserver? Features: Mystery and excitement compatible with Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG but easily converted to other systems - Over 40 pages of blood chilling suspence and horror - Beautifully rendered isometric maps by Brian Van Hunsel - New evil magic to destroy or be destroyed by" $4.99  $3.49

Cryptworld - Back in my college days of gaming, I really enjoyed Chill! Then they made a hardcover book for it and I didn't enjoy it anymore. I enjoy Cryptworld, the spiritual successor - "CRYPTWORLD is a horror role-playing game in which you investigate and hunt the forces of the unexplained. The Crypt Master may design any world of horror he desires. Classic horror, slasher horror, alien menaces from the stars and interdimensional monsters. These horrors and more may greet you in CRYPTWORLD! - CRYPTWORLD is a role-playing game complete in one volume. - In this book you will find: - Rules for character generation - Optional paranormal talents - Creatures covering multiple horror genres - Advice for running horror games - An introductory adventure... and more!" $7.95  $5.57

Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light Updates and News - 3/12/17

A few bits of news for those interested in Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light.

Gary Con is going to have some major SWL stuff going on. +Zach Glazar , +Michael Badolato and myself will have some goodies to give out. Folders, folios, character cards and even two dozen or some copies of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light - taking your games to level seven. SWCL will be digest sized, signed and numbered and very limited in number for the Gary Con release. I'm figuring two dozen copies tops for the con. I'll hand out maybe five copies a day Wednesday through Sunday.

The official release date for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light will be Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day (April 15th, 2017 I do believe) It will be free in PDF and low cost in print. I'm totally guessing on the following price points for print which ARE NOT set in stone:

US -             $4 including shipping
APO -          $2 including shipping (yes, deployed military get a discount)
Canada -      $5 including shipping
Elsewhere - $6 including shipping

If you want multiple copies for your gaming group we'll work something out.

Swords & Wizardry Continual Light will be digest sized and printed via a laser printer.

Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Deluxe (working title) will follow later (I'm hoping NTRPG Con but we will see). That will include seven adventures (one for each level covered by the rules) as well as a small sandbox. Pricing to be determined. I'm hoping to use a sepia colored cover for this version.

Torchlight. We are aiming for late spring / early summer release for the first issue of the Torchlight Zine, the "Official" Zine of SWL. Current plans are 16 to 24 pages, quarterly, with half of each issue dedicated to a SWL "hack " - sci-fi, old ones horror, western, dark fantasy, etc - that will give classes, some creatures and probably a small sandbox. The rest of the issue will be assorted SWL miscellany. Yes, I have certain hacks in mind.

The official publisher of SWCL as well as Torchlight is Triumvirate Tavern Publishing. Three emperors. One awesome ruleset :)

Kickstarter - The Umerican Survival Guide (DCC RPG Compatible Post Apocalyptic Setting)

The Umerican Survival Guide is a DCC RPG Compatible Post Apocalyptic setting book. While it can not declare compatibility with the soon to be released Mutant Crawl Classics (MCC) as MCC is compatible with DCC, all three should work fine with each other IMO.

+Reid San Filippo approached me last week and asked me to take a look at the "not yet live" Kickstarter page for USG for any obvious pitfalls or hazards. I didn't find any and looking at the live page which has nearly funded a day after release I don't see any now.

If you've been following the Crawling Under a Broken Moon zine, the material in The Umerican Survival Guide will be familiar, but where before you were getting bits and pieces of the setting, now you get the whole thing, ready for your next DCC RPG campaign.

A few quick notes:

- This is Reid's first KS, but he seems to have done his homework. PDF and Print on Demand means that once the "beta" manuscript is signed off on, backers should soon be getting their product.

- In doubt or on the fence? Back for a Buck and you can get a peek at the current, nearly complete manuscript. Trust me, 30 minutes later you'll be backing for Print on Demand.

- Or go to RPGNow and grab some copies of the Crawling Under a Broken Moon Zines. 30% off through tomorrow. That puts them at $1.39 each - or grab a bundle of #1 to 6 for $4.47

OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale, Part VIII - Last Two Days Countdown

Yep, there's less than three days left to the RPGNow GM's Day Sale. And yes, there's more OSR picks to be had :)

This post is Part VI. Part I ,  Part II , Part III, Part IV,  Part V,  Part VI and Part VII are linked. Remember, 5% of your purchase goes to support The Tavern and associated costs for projects like Swords & Wizardry Light and the upcoming Torchlight Zine.

Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes - Every adventure published by +Jeff Talanian  / North Wind Adventures is excellent or better. Grab one or grab them all, you can't go wrong - "Somewhere in the depths of Diamond Desert lie the skeletal remains of Ymir’s Serpent, a legendary Viking longship. In days of yore, Sigtrygg Forkbeard led his company upriver, piercing the desert’s hostile heart. There the Vikings unearthed a lost mine brimming with green diamonds, but the River Æolus desiccated as the Serpent prepared for launch, and the ship was swallowed by the dunes. Forkbeard and his company were never seen again, but tales of a shimmering Viking ghost ship gliding over the dunes persist to this day. Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes takes players into an action-packed realm of adventure: the mythical world of Hyperborea, a sword-and-sorcery campaign setting inspired by the fantastic fiction of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and others. This adventure is designed for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™ (AS&SH™), a role-playing game descended from the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Therefore, AS&SH is compatible with most traditional fantasy role-playing games (c. 1974 to 1999) and their modern simulacra, such as OSRIC™ and Swords & Wizardry™."  $10.00  $7.00


Fantasy Stock Art: Dungeon Scenes +Denis McCarthy - I'm a huge buyer of stock art. I figure when I need it its best to already have it and I love grabbing it on sale. I have everything Denis has to offer :) - "Fantasy Stock Art: Dungeon Scenes is a collection of stock art images for use in your personal or commercial role-playing game product, subject to the terms of the license agreement included within these materials. This zip file contains seven fantasy illustrations, which you may crop, color or rearrange as you see fit. Also included is a text-free version of the cover image, which may be used as stock art. All images are presented in 300 dpi resolution. All images are presented in .jpeg format as well as .tiff images with a preserved transparency."   $1.99  $1.39

Castle Gargantua - A mega dungeon? A mega dungeon toolkit? Two great tastes in one candy bar? Its a bit random, so it may not fit everyones tastes, but the price is right (and Print plus PDF is only 10 bucks) -  Ride the beanstalk and crawl into the sprawling halls of Castle Gargantua. There awaits the most legendary of giants and the fiercest creatures known to man. Delve further than ever for the great doors of Castle Gargantua have swung open once again, and what lies ahead isn't for the faint-hearted. The biggest dungeon ever published by the OSR. A campaign, a massive generator, and a grotesque setting all-in-one. A bookmarked PDF & print edition compatible with everything Old School Renaissance With DYSON LOGOS & JEREMY HART “It's not about killing monsters, looting treasure, and gaining experience as you delve deeper into some mad archmage's architectural folly. It's about surviving in a loathsome, terrifying environment where nothing is quite as expected. It's about atmosphere, gloom, and despair. It's a thriller.” $6.90  $5.00


DCC Lankhmar: Patrons of Lankhmar - I really enjoy the Lankmar setting and I'm looking forward to what else Goodman Games does with it in the future. Damn, now I want to dig out my old AD&D Lankmar book - "Authorized by the estate of Fritz Leiber! From beneath the Outer Ocean, from out of the depths of the Great Salt Marsh, and from the odd fanes of the Street of the Gods, they come: the Patrons of Lankhmar! With the information contained in this tome, a judge can introduce such formidable beings as the Sea King, Mog the Spider God, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face, and even Death himself into any DCC RPG campaign setting. This early look at the upcoming Dungeon Crawl Classics Lankhmar line introduces a half-dozen supernatural powers and eerie entities for use in your DCC RPG or Lankhmar campaign. Each power’s entry includes details on the entity and their role in Nehwon, tables for invoking that power’s aid, corruption charts for when things go wrong, and new spellburn possibilities. Are you ready to serve the Patrons of Lankhmar? Look for future releases further exploring the tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, the creations of world-renowned author Fritz Leiber, and eventually a complete boxed set." $7.99  $5.59




Nod 29 - This is NOD 29. There is nothing else quite like it but other issues of NOD. Nod is great. Seriously. Grab an issues and you'll be hooked. - "The second issue of NOD in 2016 features the second half of the Trollheim hex crawl, and then delves into modern and sci-fi supplements for Grit & Vigor, including Tony Tucker's Luchador class, the final part of Luke DeGraw's d20 Mecha rules, the fabulous Lovecraftian Hyperspace setting by Aaron Siddall and a quick and easy rpg that pits Luchadores vs. the Aztec Mummy. Plus: A random class generator, coins for more interesting hoards, the Laser Mage and a couple odd bits for Space Princess." - $4.99  $3.49



Weird Adventures - Pulp. Fantasy. OSR. Setting. Mix it all together and what you get is Weird Adventures - Welcome to the City... The streets are mean--and what lurks beneath them is even meaner. Only the most hard-boiled adventurers make it in this town.  You think you got what it takes? Grab your gun or grimoire and find out. Weird Adventures is a setting where traditional rpg fantasy meets the Pulp era.  It's a world where hobogoblins hop trains, gargoyles nest on art deco skyscrapers, and celebrity sorcerers hawk cigarettes on the radio. Weird Adventures includes: A guide to the City, greatest metropolis in the world, including its five baronies, numerous neighborhoods, and points of interest to adventurers. An overview of the Strange New World beyond the City, including the mysterious jungles of Asciana, the zombie-haunted streets of Cujiatepec, and the hidden moonshine stills of the hill-billy giants in the Smaragdines. Thirty new monsters from the Black Blizzard to the Skunk-Ape. $10.00  $7.00