What Constitutes "Small Press" on DTRPG?

Until OBS killed the RPGNow webstore / portal, I rarely paid attention to the DTRPG side of things. There was no need to, as RPGNow did a much better job of reflecting products I would be interested on their home page.

Now I'm paying more attention to DTRPG and it has my head spinning a bit.

Case in point. Cubicle 7 is on the Hottest Small Press released with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition Buildings of the Reikland currently at #3 and Wrath & Glory: Core Rules at #7, and then we have Savage Worlds Adventure Edition from Pinnacle at #4.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition Buildings of the Reikland is #43 on the Bestselling Titles but is beat by other Cubicle 7 books on that list, with Rough Nights and Hard Days and the WFRP book at #13 & #15 respectively.  I always thought Cubicle 7 and Pinnacle were many steps beyond "Small Press".

Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. The Second Edition, Version 2.01 from R. Talsorian Games Inc. is #6 on the Bestselling Titles list but appears nowhere on the Hottest Small Press list. Is R.Tlasorian Games NOT "Small Press"?

I'd be very interested in knowing under what conditions a company is categorized as "small press" by OBS.

I'll probably dig into this a bit further. For know, just interesting observations.

edit - Cubicle 7 has 7 titles in the BestSelling Titles Top 100, coming in at 13, 15, 30, 43, 67 and 78 - yet somehow is "Small press"

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There is a D&D 5e Humble Bundle on sale right now. Every Humble Bundle purchase made via The Tavern's Affiliate Link raises monies that help support The Tavern. 
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Wayward Kickstarter - Far West - Still MIA & Radio Silence

As I type this, Gareth has tweeted six times in the last 23 hours.

As I type this, Gareth has posted ZERO Kickstarter updates for Far West in the last SIX plus months.

Maybe he's been trying to track me down so he can punch me in the throat and hasn't had any free, non-tweetable time ;)

I'm so glad Gareth thinks "it's just a game!" and cares not about the nearly $50k he took from backers and is coming up on 7 1/2 years late. Damn, that's practically a record for incompetence.

Now, if you follow Gareth on Twitter, you'd see he is now promising a release "sometime this year".

Why not share that on the Kickstarter page itself? Kinda disrespectful of the backers if you ask me.

Kickstarter - Reaping at River's End for 5e and S&W RPG

The town of River's End has lost its mage, Mortimer. Rumor has it he has fallen into the dark arts. Aid the people to save River's End!

I spoke with Ben (Best Hair in the OSR) Barsh of Pacesetter Games yesterday on the Tavern Chat Podcast (Tavern Chat Podcast link). We touched on many things, including the Reaping at River's End for 5e and S&W RPG Kickstarter.

I love the cover :)

So, what is Ben offering us?

Reaping at River’s End (R1) is an 8th – 10th level adventure module optimized for the 5th edition and Swords & Wizardry rules sets.  

This adventure module is meant to be a strong challenge to those who attempt it. I was raised in the old school gaming community, so I do enjoy the challenging aspect that RPGs provide. The player characters (PCs) will be up against a strong enemy and his forces. They will also have to resolve the mission in a timely manner because the harvest of the Dragonberry is soon approaching. If they do not successfully track down Mortimer and either learn his secrets or get him to help, the people of River's End may all die. Since this is being written for two separate game systems, certain encounters, traps, and/or mechanics may be subject to change to fit the system well. However, all content, story, and missions will be the same.

I'm very glad to hear that the 5e version and the S&W version will be tailored to the systems in question and not a sloppy direct port between the two. I support his :)

10 bucks in digital, 20 bucks for softcover print plus PDF (about 5 bucks to ship)

New Release - Gunderholfen (OSR Megadungeon)

I've had a couple of Taverners point me at Gunderholfen over the last few days. This looks like a VERY interesting megadungeon. Maybe I can put this on my birthday list...

Gunderholfen… Ancient, abandoned dwarf hold, battleground of arch-liches, cultist base, wizards’ playground, heroes’ bane and treasure-seekers’ tomb. Gunderholfen is a classic, old school exploratory sandbox-style mega-dungeon consisting of ten levels, a mini-campaign setting and one demi-plane. 

This mega-dungeon and mini-campaign setting is designed for character levels 1-10+. It is compatible with any OSR system. Play it as an integrated, complete mega-dungeon campaign or just pick out individual levels to run as separate dungeons. Gunderholfen includes the following:

• 10 main dungeon levels consisting of 22 sub-levels and numerous sub-areas, with approximately 930 keyed locations, all detailed in 40 maps.
• 1 demi-plane level.
• A mini-campaign setting insertable into any existing campaign that includes a detailed overview of Longfelt, a nearby city complete with NPCs, including possible patrons for PCs, places of interest, encounter tables and rival factions.
• 32 encounter tables with full monster stats for each level of the dungeon and the surrounding lands.
• Extensive ready to play lists of NPCs including 10 pre-generated NPC parties that can be used as foes or allies.
• 1 fully detailed mini-side adventure.
• A brief overview of the history and background to Gunderholfen.
• Rules for a new class of priest including 18 new spells.
• Many new monsters and magic items.

10 bucks in PDF. 47 in hardcover plus PDF.

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There is a D&D 5e Humble Bundle on sale right now. Every Humble Bundle purchase made via The Tavern's Affiliate Link raises monies that help support The Tavern. 
Please don't forget our Amazon affiliate store :)   Amazon.com/shop/eriktenkar. 

Humble RPG Book Bundle: 5th Edition Beast of a Bundle

Yep, Frog God and Friends are back with another Humble Bundle of Gaming Goodness. Actually, they are calling it the Humble RPG Book Bundle: 5th Edition Beast of a Bundle. Yes, it is mostly 5e in flavor, but you will also fund some system neutral and even a Castles & Crusades compatible PDF. Let's look, shall we?

At the One Dollar Tier (yep, just a buck)

Note that Hazardous Habitats is system neutral (and also has a free preview you can download)

Yes, a buck gets you a discount at Frog God, Kobold Press, Nerdarchy, Nord Games and Troll Lord

Next Tier is Eight Dollars, and it includes everything from the One Dollar Tier.

The Waypoint releases are new and not available elsewhere

Codex of Aihrde is compatible with Castles & Crusades

Now the Big Get. The Fifteen Dollar Tier. It includes everything you already saw in the One Dollar and Eight Dollar Tiers.

Hazardous Habitats are new. 275 VTT tokens from the Tome of Horrors

This is a HUGE amount of material not just for your 5e game, but even for your OSR game - as it is easy as pie to go from 5e to OSR (the other way around is the path to madness ;)

Every Humble Bundle purchase made via The Tavern's Affiliate Link raises monies that help support The Tavern. Don't forget our Amazon affiliate store :)  Amazon.com/shop/eriktenkar

Tavern Chat - Tonight 9 PM Eastern - We Have Much to Talk About!

I've touched on a few topics that have been well received on the Tavern Chat Podcast, and I suspect much of tonight's conversation will evolve around much of what I said in those episodes.

Here are the Tavern Chat Podcast episodes in question:

E401 - The OSR, Inclusivity, Gatekeeping, Walled Gardens, Safe Spaces & a Sweet Gaming Table - pretty much what it says on the tin. It not about politics or justice, its all about control and power. Those that don't have control over their own personal lives wish to exert power over others via social media shaming and fragmenting of communities.

E402 - A Rant about Vagebooking by a Worthless Piece of Excrement - heh - pretty much what it says on the tin too - Here is the screenshot in question:

E403 - Such Positive Feedback - But None Made Publicly for Fear of The Outrage Brigade - although accurate at the time, I have since received many voicemails in support.

If you aren't already a member of the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server, here's the link to join:

https://discord.gg/Eegc9z

You may be asked to prove you are a live person and not a bot. Shouldn't be hard to accomplish, assuming you are not a bot ;)

Remember, 9 PM Eastern. The voice chat room is on the left side of the page, in the LIVE CHATS section.  We'll be using the Speakeasy channel for voice and #tavern-chat for text and links.

Folks, probably the easiest way to support The Tavern is to use our Amazon link. It costs you nothing more than you were already going to spend on Amazon, and a portion of sales monies goes to support The Tavern. www.amazon.com/shop/eriktenkar "Shop Smart - Shop TenkarSmart" - Ash Williams

I Guess I AM an "Influence" - Amazon has Given Me an "Influencer Page"

I've been using Amazon Affiliate Links to supplement The Tavern's modest income for a number of years. As such, Amazon recently invited me to apply for their "Influencer" Program. Although I have a decent Facebook following, it pales in comparison to the number of viewers the YouTubers and such bring in. Still. the promised a "manual review" and it appears that' what I got. And then I got approved.

Yep. I guess I have "influence." ;)

In any case, the official Amazon storefront to support all of the things the Tavern does - as well as wants to do in the future - can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/eriktenkar

Use it like you would your regular Amazon link, but this way a portion of the monies you spend will go to support The Tavern. It costs you nothing. It is literally the easiest way to show your support.

I thank everyone in advance.

DriveThruRPG - Goodman Games 3e Sale - $1 / $3 / $5 Sale

Any good GM can convert between D20 rulesets, and stripping D&D 3e stats out of adventures and settings to use with the OSR ruleset of your choice should be trivial.

Here's the link to the Goodman page at DriveThruRPG

Of course, I offer some Tavern Picks:

Dungeon Crawl Classics #51: Castle Whiterock - Castle Whiterock is a complete campaign. This box holds more than 700 pages of material, enough to take new characters to 15th level and fuel a campaign for years. It contains:

Four books detailing the dungeon’s 15 levels and 14 sub-levels, colored according to level: red book, blue book, green book, and black book. Every map location is fully described with stats included.
A 56-page gazetteer of the Kingdom of Morrain, including the town of Cillamar. A 48-page book of maps. A 32-page book of player handouts. A poster map showing Cillamar on one side and the final two levels of the dungeon on the reverse. Six loose-leaf character sheets of the pre-generated heroes, ready to play out of the box, plus one blank character sheet to copy for later use. A 16-page index and glossary. $60  $5

Dungeon Crawl Classics #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms - Certain adventures only come around once. Like when the grizzled old warrior decides to go after the dragon, and asks who’s coming with him. Or when the dark-eyed sorceress slowly surveys the crowd of peasants, waiting for one to step forward and pull the sword from the stone. This boxed set contains those adventures. Dungeon Crawl Classics #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms brings together the Dungeon Crawl Classics modules into one comprehensive world. This magnificent set includes: Gazetteer of the Known Realms, a 120-page book describing the archetypal fantasy world of Áereth. Three 24"x36" poster-sized full-color maps of Áereth ready to host your adventures. GM’s Guide to the Known Realms, a 136-page sourcebook describing deities, equipment, creatures, and NPCs, plus rules for starting campaigns with 0-level characters and adventure paths that you can build from existing DCC modules. A 24"x36" poster-sized players’ map of Áereth. Halls of the Minotaur, a 32-page adventure module for 0-level characters perfectly suited to starting off your campaign in Áereth. The Thief Lord’s Vault, a 32-page adventure module for levels 4-6 that sends the heroes into the legendary treasure vault of Cazül the Chaotic. $29  $3

Dungeon Crawl Classics #48: The Adventure Continues - Remember the good old days, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics adventures don’t waste your time with long-winded speeches, weird campaign settings, or NPCs who aren’t meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know, the traps you remember, and the secret doors you know are there somewhere. The adventure continues! This compilation of all-new 4th-level adventures is especially designed to continue new campaigns. They’re perfect sequels to DCC #29: The Adventure Begins, or any other level 1-3 adventures. Written by experienced adventure authors, these stand-alone modules will challenge your heroes with feral elves, undead fiddlers, evil fey, dreamscape nightmares, ghostly Neanderthals -- and more!  $19.99  $3

Dungeon Crawl Classics #29: The Adventure Begins - Remember the good old days, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics don't waste your time with long-winded speeches, weird campaign settings, or NPCs who aren't meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know, the traps you fear, and the secret doors you know are there somewhere. Let the adventure begin! This compilation of twenty all-new 1st-level adventures is especially designed to kick-start new campaigns. Written by experienced adventure authors, these stand-alone modules will challenge your heroes with war-worms, hang-gliding kobolds, a hundred-foot-tall colossus, giant bees, an ancient wizard's tower, trained monkeys, dangerous mushrooms, a gigantic white salamander -- and more! Features:
All-new cover art by legendary TSR artist Jim Roslof! TWENTY adventures for 1st-level characters, every one of them suitable for kick-starting an entire campaign. A wide variety of plot hooks and unique encounters to spice up your game. $19.99  $3

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Kickstarter - Dungeons & Delvers: Red Book

So, what would a modern rngin build of an OSR themed game look like? From the sounds of it, the Dungeons & Delvers Kickstarter might be that game...

What is Dungeons & Delvers 

In a nutshell: the World’s First Roleplaying Game how I’d do it. A hack that does what I always wished the game would do, that changes or discards the bits and pieces that always rubbed me the wrong way, while not overly complicating things and still delivering the same classic dungeon-crawler experience I’ve loved since I was a kid. 

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve enjoyed the game for over twenty years. I wouldn’t have kept playing it and writing about it if I didn’t. But everyone has their issues with it, everyone cooks up their own homebrew rules whether or not they end up using them at the table, or even bothering to fully flesh them out. I just ended up with enough that I felt collectively it justified a new game. 

People have described it as a more customizable-yet-simpler take on 5th Edition, something between 3rd and 5th Edition, and even a kind of modernized B/X or Rules Cyclopedia. Pretty much everyone agrees it fits the old-school aesthetic, which is good because it was intended to be a kind of homage to the "easy to master black box" that I grew up on. 

You can also check out a quick-start version of the rules and content by clicking here (this incorporates some of the changes that will be going into Red Book). It's a direct Google Drive link, so you'll just need to click and download, no other steps necessary!

Color me interested. 15 for the PDF. 20 for the POD plus PDF (estimated cost of the POD itself is about 10 bucks.

About 2 weeks left to fund.

Deal of the Day - Dark Streets & Darker Secrets

This is a strong week for solid Deals of the Day that are of interest to the OSR - Tenkar

Dark Streets & Darker Secrets is a Street & Sorcery Rules Light Role-Playing Game with an Old School spirit, just like its predecessors: Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells and Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells.

It’s a game about modern adventures in the world we live today, only with a layer of supernatural weirdness and horror. Characters are people who have found out about the mysteries and horrors that exist in the world and have decided to do something about it, be it battle it, join it, or simply explore its possibilities in any way they see fit. They will battle evil cultists, corrupted ghosts, bloodsucking vampires, and frenzied werewolves, or maybe they will be the horrors of others. This edition of the game assumes the reader knows the principles of what role-playing games are and how they are played.

What will you get with this book? Not only you will get a complete game system for urban fantasy, action horror and street and sorcery stories, you will also find tools and generators to create cities, neighborhoods, organizations, factions, NPS, monsters, ancient and sinister artifacts, complete adventures, which can all be of great help to inspire Referees of all modern games!

So grab your leather jacket, a baseball bat and whatever you can get your hands on to put the bad monsters to rest and come explore these dark streets and unveil these darker secrets.

Dark Streets & Darker Secrets is normally 9.99, but for the next 24 hours, it's on sale in PDF for
4 bucks.

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Announcement: Osprey Games to Launch Osprey Roleplaying Series

I'm very interested in seeing the final products - Tenkar

ANNOUNCEMENT: OSPREY GAMES TO LAUNCH OSPREY ROLEPLAYING SERIES
Posted by Pete Ward on 19 June 2019 12:23:54 BST

Osprey Games is delighted to announce the November 2019 launch of Osprey Roleplaying, a new series of beautifully illustrated, hardback RPG rulebooks that transport players to incredible worlds and extraordinary adventures. The series debuts with two titles: Romance of the Perilous Land: A Roleplaying Game of British Folklore, created by award-winning designer Scott Malthouse, and Graham Rose’s Paleomythic: A Roleplaying Game of Stone and Sorcery.

In Romance of the Perilous Land, players take on the role of brave knights, fierce warriors, and other heroes as they fight evil, right wrongs, and create their own legends in Arthurian Britain.

Paleomythic sees players attempt to navigate their way through the harsh prehistoric land of Ancient Mu – a world where hostile tribes, otherworldly spirits, ferocious beasts, and other monstrous creatures threaten their survival at every turn.

Speaking about the new series, Philip Smith, Head of Osprey Games, said “I’m thrilled that we are finally able to announce the first titles in our new line of RPGs. We’ve been working with some great designers and artists on games from a range of genres, and there’s more to come – watch this space!”

Designer: Scott Malthouse
Illustrators: John McCambridge, David Needham & Alan Lathwell
ISBN: 9781472834775
Format: Hardback
Price: £20 / US $30 / CAN $40

Created by award-winning designer Scott Malthouse, Romance of the Perilous Land is a roleplaying game of magic and adventure set in the world of British folklore, from the stories of King Arthur to the wonderful regional tales told throughout this green and pleasant land. It is a world of romantic chivalry, but also of great danger, with ambitious kings, evil knights, and thieving brigands terrorising the land, while greedy giants, malevolent sorcerers, and water-dwelling knuckers lurk in the shadows. As valiant knights, mighty barbarians, subtle cunning folk, and more, the players are heroes, roaming the land to fight evil, right wrongs, and create their own legends.

About the Author

Scott Malthouse is a roleplaying game designer and folklore enthusiast who was born and bred in Yorkshire, where he currently lives. His work includes the award-winning Quill (Best Free Game 2016, Indie RPG Awards), In Darkest Warrens, and Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying.

Designer: Graham Rose
Illustrators: John McCambridge & Mars Oosterveld
ISBN: 9781472834812
Format: Hardback
Price: £20 / US $30 / CAN $40

Paleomythic: A Roleplaying Game of Stone and Sorcery, written by Graham Rose, sees players face all manner of challenges as they try to survive in the prehistoric land of Ancient Mu. Taking on the roles of hunters, healers, warriors, soothsayers, and more, they will navigate a world of hostile tribes, otherworldly spirits, prehistoric beasts, and monstrous creatures lurking in the dark places of the world. Players have a huge scope in sculpting the game experience that best suits them, whether it’s a gritty survival story without a trace of the mystical or a tale of grand adventure and exploration in a mythic setting.

About the Author

When Graham Rose discovered roleplaying games, he was hooked. He designed his first home-brew RPG in the 1980s and has continued tinkering with games ever since. It was whilst roleplaying that Graham decided to acquire as many of the abilities listed on his character sheet as possible. This quest has led to a wide range of interests, from archaeology to competition fencing, a career in the fields of intelligence and law enforcement, and has also resulted in him crashing a snowmobile in the Arctic Circle, enduring serious illness in Kathmandu, coming face to face with a silverback gorilla in Rwanda, and walking Hadrian’s Wall during a storm. Graham lives in the UK with his wife, Nicola, and currently works as a cold case homicide investigator.

About Osprey Games

Osprey Games is the dedicated games division of Osprey Publishing (part of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) and publishes a wide range of wargames, card games, and board games. Launched in 2014, the company has produced an array of critically acclaimed titles, including Frostgrave: Fantasy Wargames in the Frozen City, Bolt Action, Odin’s Ravens, Wildlands and The Lost Expedition.

Deal of the Day - S. Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors (CoC)

There have been some interesting Deals of the Day at DTRPG this week. Today we get
S. Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors. This a system neutral, beautiful book detailing various Mythos entities. I own the hardcover and it is amazing (and disturbing ;)

A Field Observer’s Handbook of Preternatural Entities and Beings from Beyond The Wall of Sleep 

"With its clear visuals and hard-won information, this guide has saved my bacon on more thanvone occasion!" —Ernest P. Wilderbeast, Visiting Professor of Preternatural StudiesMiskatonic University

Weird shapes in the park? Odd rumbling noises in the basement? A lurking dread in the kitchen? 

Bad dreams involving strange adventures and bizarre creatures? 

Identifying the lurking horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos is never an easy task, so researchers need all the help they can get—don’t leave home without the Field Guide! 

An essential spotter’s guide for the budding and experienced preternaturalist.
• Accurate and complete
• 53 Lovecraftian creatures categorized and detailed
• Full color illustrations
• Size comparison charts
• Habitat, distribution, and life cycle notes
• How to distinguish similar-seeming entities
• Observer warnings
• Bibliography and recommended reading list

Illustrations and descriptions from the Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle based upon
the creations of H.P. Lovecraft.

Normally $17.95, S. Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors is on sale for 24 hours for $7.18 in PDF (60% off) 

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Deal of the Day - Lordling: Fantasy Role-Playing Game for Kids

This is one of those times where I say to myself: How did I miss this release?

Lordling: Fantasy Role-Playing Game for Kids is today's DTRPG Deal of the Day. I'm more surprised that I never heard of this and it released back in April!

Normally 5.99, recently on sale for 4.25, Lordling: Fantasy Role-Playing Game for Kids is now on sale for 3.59.

Lordling is the baton to hand off fantasy role-playing to the next generation! 

It is an introductory role-playing game for kids. Play all of the classic race classes from Labyrinth Lord, but with a new streamlined system perfect for young new players. 

Lordling is meant to be used by a mentor to teach young kids how to play role-playing games. It is a self-contained game, but as the players become more experienced it will benefit from using Labyrinth Lord for additional material. 

Finally! Your kids are ready to play. But can you handle their imaginations? 

Lordling presents rules very similar to B/X, but uses 2d6 or 1d6 for resolution. The overall system is streamlined for kids, but with enough detail that it can also be used as a "beer & pretzels" RPG for adults or older kids.

Above lurks an affiliate link. Affiliate links keep the doors to The Tavern open. and the beer cold.

Tavern Chat - Tonight 9 PM Eastern - Your Escape to the Neighborhood Tavern (BYOB)

Yep, today is a Wednesday, which means tonight at 9 PM Eastern is Tavern Chat. Hang with other old school gamers, chew the fat and share some virtual beers.

It's always a good ole time :)

Here's the link to The Tavern's Discord Server - https://discord.gg/7shnS6

Deal of the Day - Mithgarthr RPG Core Rulebook just 4 bucks (5e in an OSR friendly package)

I first looked at the Mithgarthr RPG nearly two years ago, and just like back then I like what I see. It's a streamlined 5e chassis which includes a setting in under 200 pages. Now THAT is more my speed ;)

Well, the Mithgarthr Core Rulebook is today's DriveThruRPG Deal of the Day and if you haven't looked at it yet, for 4 bucks (normally 20 - so that's 80% off) here's your opportunity. Its 5e in an OSR friendly package. Now, it might be the dark setting that makes Mithgarthr feel more OSR, but I Iike it :)

Introducing Mithgarthr: The Roleplaying Game! Enter a rich, original world inspired by Norse and Germanic culture. Explore the dark places where Gooblitts and Dýrverr roam. Battle against the treacherous forces of Chaos led by Orcus and The Thrir. Die horribly at the hands of greenskins while trying to get rich quick with your friends! 

Mithgarthr takes its mechanics from the fifth edition of the world's most popular role playing game, but molds them against its grim setting. Characters start at zero level with just the skills they have from their mundane profession (of which there are nine to choose from) and a desire to make a better life for themselves. Players may choose from seven races including the murine Ratten and the winged, hawk-like Fjothr. Life is cheap and death comes often, but those adventurers who survive long enough to attain first level have eight iconic classes to choose from. Magic is cast using a point system, and is less common than usual. Monsters have their own magic system, drawing their power from Orcus. 

Included in the core rulebook are everything you need to play the game! Character creation rules, combat, adventuring, equipment, magic, monsters, world setting information, and even a fully fleshed out town and surrounding wilderness to start.

Yep, that's an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the lights on and the beer cold at The Tavern.

Kickstarter - Stormforged: Fantasy Tabletop RPG

"Stormforged is a new tabletop role playing game set int he world of Etherion. Forge your own Stormforged Artifact and play your way."

See the typo above, in the Kickstarter pitch. I didn't add it. That's how it is on the page.

What else will you notice about the Stormforged Kickstarter page? There is no art on the page. As in nothing. Art sells. Lack of art lacks... sales.

Here's the About the Creator page:

Hmmm... first created, 0 backed. New a good sign. Hasn't logged in in a few days. Most known for a game I never heard of.

Intuitive and Easy Play 

Stormforged uses a revolutionary new dice pool system. Your character will have a 'pool' of dice to draw from of different sizes. As you grow more powerful more dice are added to the pool for you to draw on. 

Throughout the game you will be told to 'make a roll', to do this you simply choose a dice from your dice pool and roll it. The higher the value the better. You can always roll a d6 for free, but you can choose a larger sized dice from your dice pool to increase your chances of success. 

Need to make a jump over a chasm to escape a pack of hungry wolves? Roll your d20. Trying to convince a merchant to sell you an item on the cheap? Perhaps it is only worth using a d10. 

Stormforged makes you think strategically about your resources and rewards planning ahead.

Yeah, I know some modern English standards use "dice" for the singular too, but it still seems awkward to me.

In any case, the Kickstarter page lacks any excitement to draw one in. This is certainly a borderline Wayward Kickstarter at best. A page of text without art is certainly not how you want to make your pitch.

What am I Funding? 

At the moment, Stormforged is almost completely finished, however, it lacks the artwork and design to make it really come to life. £600 will allow the commission of the first pieces of art for the project. Anything more than £600 will go into more artwork and better design. The more money there is, the better we can make the project. Whatever we achieve, however, the rules and setting are written and ready to be distributed. 

We also want maps. Lots of maps. We like maps. However, we are writers, not cartographers. So your money would also go into hiring some of them.

Take a few bucks and invest in some stock art. It really isn't that hard.

The Demonic Dungeon of the Bone Dreamer - We Have The Pitch!

I've been bouncing around some ideas for The Demonic Dungeon of the Bone Dreamer. I hope to have something playable within a week or so, then playtest it via the Tenkar's Tavern One-Shot Roleplaying Group on Facebook and later run it at Shire Con in September and Gamehole Con in November.

Here's the pitch:

Town folk in Talin have been having dreams of a white skull. It demands they sacrifice their first born on the night of the full moon one week hence, or their ancestors will rise from the earth and raze the town and kill all within. The town folk have raised 153 Gold Pieces and a suit of Plate Mail (human sized, of course) to hire an adventuring party to enter the nearby ruins rumored to house a demonic entity - the skull known only as the Bone Dreamer - and destroy it. Will you heed the call?

Alright, back to work...

Kickstarter - Brutal Games - A 5E (1e/2e) Adventure in the World of Darknoth

"A Full Color Fantasy RPG Adventure for characters level 3-5 written for 5E or 1st/2nd edition."

Brutal Games is the latest Kickstarter from New Comet Games, who recently won the Three Castles Award at NTRPG Con 2019 for Devils Swamp (a CoC adventure). Yes, New Comet Games has some very solid releases.

In the fog shrouded islands off the coast of the Reign of the Black Wyrm Kings Province, the inhabitants of the Labyrinth Islands enjoy a sport. A game of deadly consequences to the contestants, for the entertainment of the residents.  When the adventurers are captured their survival depends upon how well they play. Can you survive the Brutal Games.  

Brutal Games is a Full Color Adventure for the most popular fantasy role-playing game in the world available for the latest 5th Edition rule set and the still popular 1st/2nd Edition rules. This adventure takes 3-6 characters of levels 3-5 from the Storm Reef Island in the Wyrm Skull Gulf down to the Labyrinth Isles and into the Black Serpentine Swamps.

This adventure was written as the follow up to WoD-1: Citadel of Terror, and picks up right where that module ends. But Brutal Games can easily be played as a standalone, or slide into your own campaign with ease. The game changes every time you play through the adventure, offering different challenges and different goals with every game. We blended  the Hunger Games, the Maze and the Running Man, into this easy to run, adventure. 

This sounds like fun :)

The PDF is available in either 5e or 1e/2e for 12 bucks, both for versions in PDF for 18.

Print plus PDF for either version is 19 bucks. Not too shabby.

Five days left on this one.

Zak S Sues Mandy in Canadian Court for Defamation - Probably Because Its Much Easier for the Plaintiff to Get a Favorable Ruling (not enforceable in the US)

Earlier this week Zak S posted on one of his blogs - https://officialzsannouncements.blogspot.com/2019/06/im-suing.html - that he was suing Mandy for defamation in "the Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa for her Facebook post." I don't know how Canada has jurisdiction over Zak's complaint, but it is safe to assume he has filed the suit in Ottowa is due to the fact that Canadian law is much more favorable to defamation claims than most of the Commonwealth as well as the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_defamation_law

Some interesting parts from the Wikipedia article:

In a 2006 commentary comparing Canadian laws with US and Commonwealth laws at that time, the situation was described thus: 

For all the lofty quotes about free speech in Canadian jurisprudence, the reality is that our libel laws are the least protective of free speech in the English-speaking world. 

Libel law developed in an ancient era which we would today consider backward, tyrannical and repressive. It is rooted in 16th and 17th century criminal statutes protecting nobility from criticism. Cases of political libel and eventually damages actions were handled by the infamous Star Chamber until its abolition in 1641. By the end of that century, many elements of the common law of libel we would recognize today had been established. In Law of Defamation in Canada, Professor Brown notes that the common law of defamation has been described by scholars and judges as "artificial and archaic" and characterized by "absurdities", "irrationality", and "minute and barren distinctions" (pp. 1–3). 

While social values and legal concepts have evolved dramatically of the past 200 years, the common law of libel in Canada remains startlingly unchanged.[10]

Even more relevant I think:

In general Canadian defamation judgements against Americans are not collectible in the United States under the SPEECH Act, and have to be re-proven in an American court in the state where the defendant resides. The exception may be Quebec which has broad protections for political comment and respects international laws (such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) similar to the US's own First Amendment.

So, should Zak win, the judgment wouldn't be enforceable in the US.

Interesting...

Tip of the hat to Rob Conley.

I cover some of this in last night's Tavern Chat podcast, including a full reading of Zak's latest statement:

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E392---Zak-S-Sues-Mandy-for-Defamation-in-Ottowa---I-Read-Zaks-Statement-e4b7fo

(edit - apparently this is a "slanted article" according to at least one commenter on social media because I make Zak S "look bad" and reference Wikipedia. While I find Wikipedia somewhat iffy when it comes to personalities that are in the current news cycle, using it to reference something like Canadian Defamation Law I find is fairly solid. YMMV. Oh, and yes, Zak S is an asshole in my opinion. Doesn't change anything written above.)

Free RPG Day is June 15th

Yep, June 15th, 2019 is Free RPG Day. So, what o we have for the OSR Gamer?

Aside from the DCC RPG Quickstart and adventure, not much sadly. I will say the Starfinder RPG dice do look cool, and 15 sets per box should mean you have a chance to get some. The Witcher could be fun.

Hmm, Forts & Frontiers is based on D&D. Doesn't say what version. Historical RPG

Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Post NTRPG Con Wrap-up

I wasn't in Tavern Chat last week as I was at NTRPG Con in Dallas. Amazing time spent with great friends. If you can get there next year, I suggest you do so. It literally IS the convention not to miss!

Anyhow, Tavern Chat is at 9 PM Eastern on Wednesday nights, and tonight is a Wednesday night :)

We hold it on Discord, and here is the link to the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server:

https://discord.gg/ButZz8

Kickstarter - The Folio: Artifacts of Adventure (1e & 5e Adventures Book)

"AD&D & 5th Edition D&D hardcover compendium of eight low to mid-level adventures in classic 1980s TSR inspired 'orange spine' style."

Given a choice between a book with a really long adventure or one with multiple short adventures, the multiple short adventures will almost always win out. Short adventures are easier to convert to the conceits of my own campaign in my experience.

Eight adventures for 50 bucks (HC & PDF) or 25 for just digital is damn competitive these days. One softcover adventure will usually run you from 12 to 18 bucks these days.

The Artifacts of Adventure hardcover is a  series of 8 dungeons adventures from The Folio: Digital Quarterly #1-#5 as well as The Folio: True Level Adventures #1-#3.  Written in both 1st Edition & 5th  Edition fantasy gaming formats. It encapsulates standard fantasy as well as detailing the adventure possibilities of incorporating fantasy steampunk into your campaigns in a kind of 'time jump' reality.  2D (classic blue) maps help spin a story of  struggle, martial prowess, and ingenuity. 

Content from these adventures has never been in print before, so this is the first time anyone will have a chance to stack these incredible adventures on their shelves!   

Our goal is to replicate the 128 page format of the old TSR ‘orange bound’ AD&D series of hardcovers from the early 1980s (Stranger Things  anyone?), and like those hardcovers, this will be covered with a beautiful  swords & sorcery inspired piece of artwork by artist Jeff Easley,  who did all those classic covers.

You've got just over a day to back this project - so do it now :)

(As an aside, The Folio projects consistently release on time - huzzah!)

James Mathe (Founder of RPGNow ) has Passed

James Mathe's passing was brought to my attention earlier today, but with our own, in house mourning (my parents' cat passed at 315 this afternoon at 18 years old) I haven't been able to settle in until now.

James is probably best known as the creator / original owner of RPGNow. I remember when RPGNow and DriveThruRPG were competitors. I always leaned towards RPGNow back in those days and did so even after the merger.

James' self-written bio is linked below:

SUMMARY: I have pioneered 2 new industries, own 5 companies and 3 game stores, completed several dozen successful Kickstarter campaigns, and host regular game designer events/conventions.

http://www.jamesmathe.com/bio/

NTRPG Con Wrap Up and Shout Outs

I’m currently sitting in the DFW airport, awaiting my flight back to NYC. Suffice to say, NTRPG was amazing.  (edit - finishing up post now that I am home)

I’d name the names of all the awesome folks I spent time with at the con, but inevitably I’d leave someone (or someones) out.

That being said, there is still a handful I must especially call out:

• Doug Rhea and Bad Mike - Holy shit gentlemen! NTRPG is cranking it to 11 now. Midnight auction had me dying.
• Pexx - he was already my right hand with nearly all things Tavern related, but he's like my younger brother now. Well done.
• Zach - the gift that keeps on giving. I'm proud to call you my friend.
• The Frugal GM - Chris, Three Olives tastes like Fruit Loops mixed with toxic waste. Damn, but one small nip provided endless entertainment on Friday Night. Partytime, excellent!
• Vince and Glen - felt like old times. Thank you.
• Bill - the older brother I never had. Shit, he IS older, right?
• Ben Burns - congrats on the Three Castles award you crazy rat!
• The Humble folks - always happy to tempt new gamers with Swords & Wizardry Light
• The Beard - words fail me. Very Cool dude
• Chupacabracon Posse - you were fun to game with
• All of the players in my Tegal Manor Games - you made me a better DM. There is no higher compliment.
• All of the Frogs I haven't named - every year it's like a family reunion!
• Everyone else I missed ;P

So, who's starting the clock for next year?

NTRPG Con - Frog God Dinner Con Wrap Up

Oh my!

Pexx cuts out his tongue hopping to save himself from a bodysnatcher egg 

Yes Pexx, that is a body snatcher egg

Live from NTRPG Con, Mike and Erik are Talking Crit

Bad Mike and myself set ourselves up in the main convention room late last night for a live at NTRPG Convention Talking Crit for the Tavern ChatPodcast. We had a nice number of industry guests stop by :)

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E387---NTRPG-Con-Live-Talking-Crit-With-Bad-Mike--Special-Guests-and-a-Mini-Bar---Oh-My-e49eoi

NTRPG Con - Tegal Manor - Not a Safe Place

And down goes Rocky!

Ah, Tegal Manor. Come for the atmosphere. Stayed for dinner. Or be dinner...

I ran Tegal from 9 AM until 1230 PM or so. Pexx ran it from 1 PM until 430 PM or so.

The map is large a beautiful.

We do it all again tomorrow.

Good Omens - Rainbow Seen from NTRPG Con

I woke up this morning and Rach told me there was a rainbow outside our hotel window at the Westin. Lo and behold, there was. Not as big as I might have expected - I thought all things were bigger in Texas, but still a good omen overall.

Now to head downstairs for some breakfast and booth set up.

Now Appearing at the Dallas Westin and the NTRPG Con - Erik Tenkar!

For a little while, I was unsure I'd ever make it to NTRPG Con. Sre, the flight started fine. Heck, even the TSA was good to us. Then the flight landed at DFW 30 minutes early and it went downhill from there.

You see, it appears that the DFW airport had a brief but intense rainstorm shortly before we landed. Flights were delayed or canceled, which meant there no gates available for us to disembark at. We were a ship without a port for nearly 90 minutes.

But Rach and I are here now, for a 5-night engagement at the beautiful Westing Hotel - ignore the renovations behind the curtain ;)

Time for me to head downstairs and start putting up the Frog God Booth.

See ya at the con ;)

You Can Now Support All Things Tavern with Ko-Fi - Buy Your Bartender a Beer :)

For those that haven't noticed, I don't take direct ads from gaming companies and the like. The monies The Tavern receives are mostly from affiliate sales - DriveThruRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle. Anchor occasionally runs sponsorships (it's active now on the Tavern Chat Podcast) and it helps.

We also have a Patreon and I truly appreciate the backing of members of this community that put forward their hard earned cash on a monthly basis to support The Tavern. For those that don't like Patreon, we also offer a way to directly offer monthly support through Paypal.

One thing I've been asked (often enough that I've looked for a solution) is an easy method to offer this bartender a simple tip. I have found that method and it is Ko-Fi.

Ko-fi is a simple interface that allows you to tip creators you like using their interface and Paypal. They don't keep any part of the tip as a transaction fee (so more of your hard earned cash goes to the person you are looking to support), they make their profits from those that upgrade to Gold. Yes, I upgraded for the simple reason I could change "coffee" to "beer" ;)

How much does a "beer" cost? 3 bucks. Buy as many as you want (David Baity bought me 5 ;)

I appreciate the support this community has given me over the past 10 years. I expect to still be around and doing this and more over the next 10 years and beyond. I thank you in advance.

For those going to NTRPG Con this week, hope to see you there :)

Here's The Tavern's Ko-Fi link:  ko-fi.com/tenkar

FINALLY Back to Gaming - and its Not Even NTRPG Time!

Renovations and the recent holiday weekend killed my opportunity to get into my regular Monday Night Game run by Tim Shorts for over a month. Tonight, I finally get to make a triumphant return. Well, at least "a return."

Woot! Rathgar is now a second level cleric.

Of course, best-laid plans often kick you in the face. After the game, I have to drive my son's fiancee home as she has a killer migraine.

Still, it's amazing how much I missed this. The game, the bullshitting, the escape from the daily grind.

Fuck - we split the party!

Yearly Gathering of Fools in Memory of a Lost Gamer (9-11)

Paul is middle back row

My old gaming group has been gathering yearly in the Spring since 2002 in memory of a dear friend that we lost when the Towers came down on 9-11-01. They don't approve of me referring to us as a Gathering of Fools, but I do think it's appropriate.

We formed our friendships during the early-80s in High School and kept gaming at least once a week until early 1997. A few years later we migrated to MMOs.

Brian hosted as usual, and he inherited Paul's gaming collection when he passed.

Paul, we miss you. Rest well.