Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern

This has been a whacky week for me. Monday was the Public Notary exam, nearly 4 hours in the DMV, picking up my eight-year-old niece for a sleepover and nearly missing my Monday Night B/X game because I had literally forgotten about it. Then Tuesday was my birthday and all of the sudden today is Wednesday and I nearly thought it was Thursday. Phew!

Tonight (July 31st) is Tavern Chat on The Tavern's Discord Server. We hang out in voice chat from 9 pm eastern until 11 pm and often beyond. It's always a fun time and you never know what topic(s) might pop up. Old school gaming, nerd and geek stuff, classic movies - its al good :)

Invite to The Tavern's Discord Server - https://discord.gg/swrF8Aq

There's a Giveaway over on The Tavern Chat Podcast - The City of Great Lunden (MonkeyBlood Design)

Yep, in celebration of my birthday (which was yesterday) I'm giving away a print copy of Glynn Seal's (MonkeyBlood Design) The City of Great London. All you need do is call into the Tavern Chat Podcast via the app or the google number and pitch a topic for an episode of the podcast. Entries must be in by noon, EST, August 5th, 2019. No more than one pitch per person per day. A random "pitcher" will be the gift receiver and will be chosen on August 5th. Yes, your pitches may be used in the podcast, that is the whole point ;)

Note, this is US only because shipping outside the states requires me to sacrifice my firstborn son, and as I have only one, it ain't happening ;) Those that drop a pitch and are outside the US are eligible to receive a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate - that ship free :)

Here are some useful links and numbers:

Tavern Chat Podcast: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E439---Tavern-Chat-Birthday-Giveaway-e4pruo/a-ajtqa8 (limited to 1 minute)

Voicemail # ‪(347) 509-5168‬ (limit three minutes)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Deal of the Day - Mazes & Perils Deluxe Edition

Today's DTRPG Deal of the Day is Mazes & Perils Deluxe Edition by Mr OSR Podcssting himself, Vince Florio.

There is some interesting history behind the original Mazes & Perils, Vince & myself. Long story short, I would probably never have started podcasting if it weren't for Vince and his friendship. Yep, I call Vince a friend, but that doesn't mean that Mazes & Perils Deluxe Edition isn't one of the best OSR rulesets on the market. It quite simply is, and if you haven't checked it out yet, now is your opportunity at a very fair price.

The Mazes & Perils Role-playing Game (MnP) takes a page from the first wave of the Old School Renaissance (OSR) when it wasn’t OLD at all… Inspired by the 1977 “Holmes” edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game, it shuns pages and pages of rules for a simpler time when House rules were the order of the day. 

First released in 2012, MnP drew a line on the map of OSR retroclones as something easy to pick up and play where your heroes weren’t superheroes. There are no superpowers here. Fighters have swords and armor. Clerics have their faith. Thieves skulk in the shadows seeking better items to steal. And Magic-Users sling magics at their foes until they run out of spells. This style of gaming is about grit and wit – and if you die, it must be time to roll up a new character. 

The original book was awarded a Gold Ennie Award in 2013 for "Best Free RPG" and now we've updated it with even more great content! 

Now in 2016, a new version of MnP – with some new classes, new spells, new optional rules, and a new look! Mazes & Perils Deluxe offers everything you liked about the original with a new coat of paint and a few new tools in the toolbox! New bits include: 

• New Class – The Enchanter – along with 20+ new spells in his arsenal
• New Class – The Shaman – along with nearly 20 new spells of his own
• Rules for Variable Damage for Weapons and Variable Hit Dice
• New layout, more art, and plenty of editing

Come check out a blast from the past and see why OSR is alive and well!

Originally $7.99 in PDF and recently reduced to 4 bucks, for 24 hours only Mazes & Perils Deluxe Edition is on sale for $2.40. Probably the biggest bargain in OSR gaming this week, if it isn't in your virtual rules collection, it should be.

As I said above, Vince is a friend of mine. That being said, Mazes & Perils stands on it own, it simply is damn good. Yes, that is an affiliate link above. Affiliate sales help keep the beer cold and the lights on at The Tavern. I thank you in advance.

Wayward Kickstarter - The Tower *BreakKickstarter)

"A tabletop roleplaying game for #BreakKickstarter where you don't get to play the game until the creator is dead."

So apparently "Break Kickstarter" is a thing. I don't think this is what was expected, but it certainly breaks Kickstarter expectations.

A password-protected PDF, where the password won't be released until the creator dies. Damn, surprised Gareth didn't think of this scam.

Content Warning: While I cannot tell you what the game is about, it is my responsibility to let you know The Tower deals with mature subject matter involving deadly violence and its consequences both physical and emotional. Anyone who might not find this to their liking might not want to back this campaign.  

Some ideas are a hard sell. They may have an important message you want to share with the world but there's something about the idea that's controversial or risky. Particularly when it comes to making a game about a terrible event that will spiral out of control in ways we never imagined until it becomes a part of modern life. You know you may never be able to share it but it never truly goes away. Until you see a sign and the opportunity suddenly presents itself.  

The Tower is a mature tabletop roleplaying game about a terrifying moment that changes the lives of the people involved. And you won't be able to play it until I'm dead. In the spirit of Break Kickstarter, this campaign will provide you with a password-protected PDF of the finished game by the promised delivery date. The password will only be provided by me in the event of my death by natural or accidental causes. 

Yeah, I think not. It will complete but your reward will not be usable. Sure, it breaks Kickstarter but its also useless.

Leave it to a Canadian ;)

Kickstarter - Bio-Dice: Harnessed Energy RPG Dice sets in Test Tubes

I'm sorry, I read this graphic as BIO=DICK and the test tubes filled with dice as phallic like items. I may need a beer. Or maybe I've had too many.

Test tubes filled with dice that look like the dice I can buy in bulk on Amazon for about 3 bucks a set. But with test tube and sticker, it's 10 bucks plus shipping for a set.

"Our labs have combined the raw energy of nature and the sizzling power of man and installed it into dice. Our dice are named from these harnessed powers, placed in a test tube, and delivered straight to you. Enhance your game play with BIO-Dice, powerful energy in a tube."

Bio-Dice, for the gamer looking to roll with a biohazard.

Roll20 -The Orr Group Industry Report: Q2 2019 - No More "Apple to Apples"

Its been over a year since Roll20 has released an Orr Group Report, or a percentage breakdown of what players are playing on Roll20 for the 2nd quarter of 2019. Now, I knew that Pathfinder numbers were on a downward trend, but the report is striking in how much so. Be aware that they are now crunching numbers with a new method, but let's take a peek, shall we?

Notice how you no longer get pure numbers of campaigns or players. We don't even get a sample size. Wonder why that is?

There's a new category of "Uncharacterized". I'm guessing if you don't flag the system your game uses, you fit here.

D&D 5e, down to nearly 52% from 61%, but Pathfinder is down from nearly 10% to about a 6.5% share. So, if D&D lost 20% of its share, Pathfinder lost about 35%. But these numbers are "shares", and for all we know, there might be 50% more campaigns being run on Roll20 and both numbers in pure percentages rose.

Or to put it another way, if there were 6x the number of 5e games than Pathfinder games in 1st quarter 2018, there are now about 7.5 times the number of 5e games to Pathfinder. That's apples to apples, as best I can.

I'll dig a bit deeper into this over the next day or so.

Kickstarter - Cities of Hârn

"Cities of Hârn is part of the Hârnworld medieval RPG setting. Come to Hârn, where the fantasy is real."

Harn. The final frontier. A low fantasy setting for gamemasters seeking detail, not fluff. This is the 36-year publishing history of The World of Hârn...

Heh. Sorry about that ;) Harn was the second fantasy setting I found in my early gaming days, the first being the Greyhawk Folio. Harn was detailed, but for me, lacked a certain spark. But man, was it detailed.

The City of Hârn Kickstarter is going to bring that level of detail to the masses. Why is that? Back the Kickstarter for a buck and you get a 34-page city supplement in PDF within 48 hours of backing. If you like it, up your pledge to 19 bucks and you a second city and all the stretch goals (HarnWorld is the first stretch goal and is achieved -  This 58-page Hârn article is a general overview of Hârnic cultures, governments, economics, history, and more. It also includes campaign aids for such tasks as generating weather conditions and character backgrounds.) The stretch goals are where the magic is. If you want access to a detailed, low fantasy setting, 19 bucks is a bargain.

All rewards are in PDF.

Christmas in July Sale - WotC / TSR Picks

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of classic TSR Era releases that are now available in PDF and often POD via DTRPG. All of the TSR Era PDFs are on sale for the Christmas in July Sale, and I'm going to pick out a few favs and notable ones.

Gamma World (1e) - My first (and only - in my heart of hearts) version of Gamma World, this holds a very special place in my gaming collection as the first RPG I owned after getting my core AD&D 1e books. Never like Constitution for Hit Dice though - This is the setting for a GAMMA WORLD™ campaign, with players taking on the persona of an individual character somewhere in this forbidding locale. In a quest for survival and in search of a better future, the players adventure across the land, enduring hardships and encountering dangerous obstacles and mysterious foes - never knowing quite what to expect. The result is a game which can go in many directions, but which will be challenging and fascinating no matter what the outcome. 9.99  7.49

Boot Hill Wild West Role-Playing Game (2nd Edition) - Another of my early RPG purchases, I learned about Boot Hill from the AD&D 1e DMG. Sadly, my group didn't express much interest in playing it - You step from the cool shade of the Long Branch Saloon into the midday heat of Promise City. Loosening your Colt in its holster, you look down Main Street and spot the leather and denim-clad stranger who called you out. Citizens of the town scramble for cover as they sense the forthcoming battle. The outlaw doesn't look fast enough to match your draw, but ... wait! Your keen eyes catch the unmistakable glint of the sun against gun metal from the roof of the dance hall—the yellow coward has a buddy who's going to shoot you in the back! What will you do? Think fast. or you'll be the next resident of ... BOOT HILL! 4.99  3.74

The World of Greyhawk (1e) - This was all the setting we needed back in the early 80s. Heck, my original maps still have stains from the grease pencils we used to mark the territory my gaming group was conquering in the Wild Coast ;) - So the players have been complaining that the campaign is too dull, eh? Not enough detail? Why is this country at war with its neighbors? How can trade routes exist with all those wandering monsters? Most importantly, why do all of those unsacked, unlooted dungeons and ruins stand so close to the one big city all of the adventurers in the world hail from? Rejoice, Dungeon Masters, and relax! All of these questions can be answered by following the example of the volume in your hands. The World of Greyhawk is here, and is suitable for use as the backdrop of a new campaign without changes; or, as an alternative, city, country or geographical descriptions can be used to fill in details for existing campaigns. The World of Greyhawk is in the form of a gazetteer written by a historian native to the region, and as such includes the calendar systems used by the peoples of Oerth, a history of the major nations over the last thousand years, a discussion of climate in the different regions of the world, and even an appendix listing many runes and symbols (and their meanings) which are found in ancient and magical writings. 4.99  3.74


Fiend Folio (1e) - Before I owned a copy of the Monster Manual, I snagged a copy of the Fiend Folio. It was here that I learned that HDstood for Hit Dice, and WAS NOT synonymous with HP. Damn, my group was disappointed when the monsters started having more than 1 HP per HD :)  A Guidebook of Creatures Malevolent and Benign. This tome contains alphabetical listings of monsters designed for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game system. Each creature is described and most are illustrated for easy identification. Using the new encounter tables contained herein, this work is sure to add new excitement to any AD&D game. 9.99  7.49

T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil (1e) - I've heard it claimed that ToEE is not a megadungeon, and I would have to disagree. I ran it was a campaign at least three times in my high school and college years, and any dungeon that can keep a group running for months is mega in my eyes - A sinister force, long thought destroyed, stirs from the black hole that spawned it. Like an ebony darkness it prowls the land and safety is but an illusion, for it watches from every shadow and ponders possibilities. What began years ago, with the introduction of the players to the quiet village of Hommlet and the amazing lands of Greyhawk, at last is complete. Here is the long-awaited campaign adventure, featuring the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil, where a great evil broods and grows beneath its blasted stones. This is your chance to drive it back and scatter its force again. This product includes the village of Hommlet, the filthy shire of Nulb, and reveals the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil and the labyrinths that lie beneath, a warren of darkness. And beyond these ruins, even more, is revealed. For the first time, this product provides a complete campaign adventure, which will take beginning characters from 1st all the way to 8th level and possibly beyond! Hours of adventuring await you! 9.99  7.49

D&D Basic Set Rulebook - Moldvay Basic. This was the Basic Set of rules as I knew them and of course, teenage me was not impressed with anything named "Basic" as we played "Advanced". I'll admit it now, I was a fool - This is the 1981 edition of the D&D Basic Rulebook, which was sold as part of the boxed D&D Basic Set and also on its own. It was the first true standalone edition of what became "Basic D&D" as previous editions had instead been based on OD&D play. 4.99  3.74

You can also snag the D&D Expert Set Rulebook for 3.74

B2 The Keep on the Borderlands - Although I refused to play or run Basic D&D "back in the day" I had no problem running The Keep on the Borderlands with the AD&D rules. An adventure as well as a sandbox setting (and home base), it has been a go-to for me for many years -This module includes a cover folder with maps and a complete description booklet to form a ready-made scenario for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Basic Set. It has been specially designed for use by beginning Dungeon Masters so that they may begin play with a minimum of preparations. Within are many features to aid novice players and Dungeon Masters: legends, history and background information, a list of adventuring characters, tips on how to be an effective Dungeon Master, plus an interesting area for characters to base themselves in (the Keep) before setting out to explore the Caves of Chaos. 4.99  3.74

Yep, those are affiliate links above. By shopping via The Tavern's affiliate links, you help support The Tavern by doing what you were already going to do - buy cool shit! 

Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Come Hang Out in the Weekly OSR Voice Chat Hangout

Hey, it's a Wednesday, and that means tonight at 9 PM we'll be hosting the weekly Tavern Chat Hangout on The Tavern's Discord server.

Here's the link if you don't already have it:

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Kickstarter - HYPERBOREA: Otherworldly Tales (AS&SH)

You have to give it to Jeff - he brings some of the best produced, well-written adventures to the market with covers that make me drool. HYPERBOREA: Otherworldly Tales is no exception.

THE LOST TREASURE OF ATLANTIS - The Lost Treasure of Atlantis, by Chainsaw, is an adventure in HYPERBOREA designed for from four to six characters of 6th through 8th level.

In the far reaches of Hyperborea’s Crab Archipelago lies a small, mountainous island known as Crystal Point. Passing sailors recently have witnessed a crimson glow in Crystal Point’s waters and beams of russet light shining up from its steep cliffs. Too, unusually frequent lightning storms in the area have torn the sky in blinding flashes, shattering the air with their awesome sound. The seedy wharf taverns of Khromarium and elsewhere buzz with these strange tales—some even speculate that Crystal Point may hold the lost treasure of Atlantis! 

THE SEA-WOLF'S DAUGHTER - The Sea-Wolf's Daughter, by Jeffrey P. Talanian, is an adventure in HYPERBOREA designed for from four to six characters of 7th through 9th level.

Your party finds itself in the employ of Ragnarr the Sea-Wolf, a jarl of New Vinland and a reaver of old. His daughter, a shield-maiden named Gunnhildr, has been abducted by a brute called Björn Blackbeard. During a desperate search, the Sea-Wolf crossed sails with a former rival, and from the blood-flecked lips of a dying foe, he learnt the location of Blackbeard’s stronghold. Now, deep in the misty fjords of Brigand’s Bay, where cutthroats, pirates, and freebooters thrive, you have been charged with liberating the Sea-Wolf’s daughter.

Funded in 3 hours. 3 hours? Seriously? Damn! heh

As aways, jeff does good stuff.

Both adventures in PDF come to 19 bucks (10 bucks each otherwise). Print plus PDF for both is 50 (26 if you opt for either or)

Take my money Jeff ;)

Christmas in July Sale - OSR Picks - Part the first

Time for some OSR Picks for the DTRPG Christmas in July Sale. In no particular order:

Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe Edition - I played the LFG Original (free) for a number of sessions and it was a blast. Very much and OSR feel while borrowing some mechanics and concepts from Dungeons & Dragons 5e. "Low Fantasy Gaming is a tabletop RPG built for gritty adventures in low
or moderate magic settings. It has simple rules, dangerous combat, flexible PC customization, and mysterious, unpredictable magic. Designed for
short, episodic adventures in sandbox worlds, LFG provides the mechanics and tables needed for easy GM improvisation. It’s a heady mix of the best old school, modern, and new game design, wrapped around a familiar d20 core." 20  15


HighFell: The Drifting Dungeon - the latest release from Greg Gillespie. Remember, he doesn't just design mega-dungeons, he teaches it on the college level. Must be a Canadian thing ;) "The HighFell: The Drifting Dungeon is a 246-page classic old school megadungeon for use with Labyrinth LordTM and other fantasy role-playing games. The pages of HighFell are crammed full with new material, maps, amazing art (including special surprizes by former TSR artists), as well as an amazing colour cover art by Ex-TSR artist Erol Otus that matches Barrowmaze Complete and The Forbidden Caverns of Archaia as a sister-books. HighFell: The Drifting Dungeon will keep your players on their toes and your campaign going strong for years. HighFell is brought to you by the Old School Renaissance (so don’t forget your 10’ pole)." 35  25.45

The Shadow of Golgotha (B/X) - Nice! A Whitcher styled setting for the OSR. "Get ready for OSR gothic fantasy in the style of Castlevania, Vampire Hunter D, and The Witcher! The Machines conquered us. The Vampires saved us. Now all Christendom lies under their rule. In the gothic future of The Shadow of Golgotha, the vampire scions of Christ have carved up the known world amongst themselves. Their nobility and Church rain down prosperity, for the small price of hot red blood. But the forests and moors are still haunted by gruesome creatures, from clockwork mutants to Death Herself. Lady Regina Drake and the Ruby Paladin grapple for power in the heartland, while Mother Medusa and her anchoresses plot their heresies on the frontiers. Now is the time for bastard children, defrocked nuns, and gasoline witches to
make their mark, to solve the murders of monks and sack crimson cathedrals, to explore Earth's longest nights beneath... The Shadow of Golgotha! This book includes: A
complete gothic fantasy setting. 32 monsters with special abilities, crit effects, and rumor tables. Detailed tools to randomly generate settlements, including regions, landmarks, troubles, and quirky inhabitants." 9.99  7.49

The Stygian Library - somehow this Platinum Best Seller has escaped my radar before now. Looks like I'll need to snag a copy. "The Stygian Library is a creepily genteel dungeon set in an infinite extradimensional library. Each expedition generates its route as it explores, resulting in new locations being discovered with every visit. Included within: Systems for generating locations within the library, including Entrance Foyers, Map Galleries, Tea Rooms,  Planetariums, Calculation Engines, Phantom Databanks, Paper Beehives, Phantom Pumps, Jarred Brains and the Sheol Computer. 40 monsters tailored to the Library, including Lantern Bearers, Skeleton Crew, Origami Golems, Guardian Shades, Lost Souls, Ink Elementals, Animate Spells, Archivist-Liches, Infernal Merchants, Escaped Fictions, Educated Rodents, Conceptual Wells and the orders of Librarians themselves. A system for searching for specific knowledge within the library's depths, as well as 30 unusual books and the secret knowledge they contain. Tables for generating treasure, dreams, rumors, and various other useful details. A unique class of Mummified Sages, post-human academics who've dwelled in the Library for decades or more.  It's a big spooky library full of dangerous knowledge, spiritual automata, and ghost-fueled computers." 5  3.75

DARK PLACES & DEMOGORGONS - Survive This!! - Core Rule Book OSR RPG - You got your Stranger Things in my OSR! - "Following in the tradition of SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies! comes SURVIVE THIS!! Dark Places & Demogorgons, a tabletop roleplaying game that uses the Original 1970s Fantasy Roleplaying game rules but mutates it into this retro nightmare. It’s sleek, slender and creepy as Hell. In Dark Places & Demogorgons, you play as high school students during the early 1980s. The town you live in has had a rash of disappearances and strange happenings. The adults seem lost as what to do, the police are as clueless as ever and aren’t helping and Reverend Phillips is on another witch-hunt. It’s up to you and your friends to figure out what’s going on and stop it from happening again!" 7.99  5.99

Yep, those are affiliate links above. By shopping via The Tavern's affiliate links, you help support The Tavern by doing what you were already going to do - buy cool shit! 

Christmas in July - DTRPG Sale - OSR Highlights

Yep, its that time again - Christmas in July - at least at DTRPG.com. Right now I'm going to link the OSR titles that are part of the sale. If you go to the below link, it will take you right to the OSR releases on sale, with "hottest titles" showing first. Later today I'll start making some "Tavern Picks".

OSR Christmas in July Sale 

If you are mostly focused on Swords & Wizardry, there's a link for that too ;)

Swords & Wizardry Christmas in July Sale

Main Christmas in July Sale Link

Even Swords & Wizardry Continual Light is on sale for 1.88 in PDF :)

Those certainly are affiliate links above. Shopping via The Tavern's affiliate links keeps the taps flowing here at The Tavern. I thank you in advance.

Deal of the Day - Sly Flourish's Fantastic Locations (System Neutral)

I've heard only good things about the Sly Flourish line of releases, and the fact that it is system neutral is even more appealing. Sly Flourish's Fantastic Locations is today's Deal of the Day at DTRPG.

We RPG game masters have a lot of tools to help us run our roleplaying games. Our monster books and bestiaries give us piles of foes to throw at our adventurers. The various guides for game masters often give us non-player characters, treasures, and story-building tips. 

One of the hardest parts of game mastering, however, is coming up with interesting adventure locations for our characters to explore. These locations need to be fantastic, detailed places that capture the minds of our players every session we run. Good locations are hard to improvise and often hard to strip out of a fully-fleshed-out adventure. 

Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Locations is a book, available in PDF and print-on-demand, that gives you twenty system-agnostic locations to drop into your favorite fantasy roleplaying game. Each location builds on a fantastic theme, such as a mysterious ancient structure under the ice, a cursed castle of a mad king, a fallen celestial fortress, and a dwarven mine that cracked into the tomb of a dead god. Each location includes artwork by Brian Patterson of D20Monkey. Sometimes this artwork takes the form of maps. Sometimes it's an overlook of a specific location. 

These sites and structures aren’t full adventures. Instead, you and your players build your own stories in these fantastic locations, then you populate them with the monsters that fit your story. 

Thanks to the support of 779 backers on Kickstarter this book was expanded to include a total of twenty locations each with full color artwork. 

This book is system agnostic. You can use it in just about any fantasy roleplaying game.

Normally 15 bucks in PDF, until tomorrow morning Sly Flourish's Fantastic Locations is on sale for 6 bucks.

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

Kickstarter - Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting 2nd ed and Expansion!

"A tactical Battle Game of Dinosaur Pit Fighting in the future. And Triassic Terror, the first expansion for Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting!"

Every year I hear Ben Burns is running a tournament of Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting at NTRPG Con and as of now, I've yet to play a session. I can only blame myself for that omission. I've heard only good things from those that have played and I have spoken with Ben about many a topic, from gaming and beyond - but never Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting. Damn it, he's been dodging me ;)

Now Ben brings us Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting 2nd ed as well as an expansion. Let's take a peek, shall we?

Step into a world where you control these ancient beasts where every stomp of the foot, twitch of the tail or flap of the wings could be their last. The game is easy to learn, fast-paced, quick to set up, has a high replay value, and is just great fun. 

You can play one-off scrimmage battles, a series of battles in a tournament setting or use our campaign rules to run a stable of dinosaurs through an entire league season. You can add in Mutations, Tech Upgrades and Training to ready your prized prehistoric gladiator to take on any beast in the pit.   

Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting is a miniature board game for 2-6 players with a playtime of 30-45 minutes, no downtime and no player elimination.

This is the second edition version of the game, with minor tweaks. We've upgraded the victory point tokens to a victory track and fully overhauled the artwork for the box, board, cards, counters, everything.  

We are also releasing the first Ultimate Dinosaur Fighting expansion: Triassic Terror. Triassic Terror includes two new dinosaurs, the Diplodocus and Pteronodons.  

Oh my. Look at those minis. I may need to get this to play with my niece :)

Kickstarter - Off the Beaten Path, City Excursions - 32 Hours Left

The Off the Beaten Path, City Excursions Kickstarter is wrapping up tomorrow, and I thought a quick update/reminder was appropriate (I seriously love Thom's Off the Beaten Path series of releases)

So, where does it stand right now?

Of note, three adventure added to the book, three additional adventures added in PDF.

And if it raises another 200 bucks (which it will)?

Two more adventures :)

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Hang Out and Yap with Other Gamers

Yep, today is Wednesday and that means tonight is the weekly Tavern Chat hangout. Bring a microphone and talk with other gamers.

You can use the following link:

https://discord.gg/Z7gbzj

We'll see, and possibly hear from you, tonight!

New Release - Far Away Land OSR RPG: Core Rules (Swords & Wizardry)

I must note, I wrote one of the two Forwards in Far Away Land OSR RPG: Core Rules (the other writer was none other than Matt Finch). I've was in the loop fairly early in the project, and was blessed with an early prerelease version of the rules. Suffice to say, they are good.

As a fan of the original Far Away Land RPG from the moment I stumbled across its PWYW adventures, having Dirk give us a version that mines Swords & Wizardry and Swords & Wizardry Light for the system yet keeps all of the flavor and setting of the original is quite simply, awesome :)

Remember what it felt like to open a book when you were a kid and be mesmerized by what was inside? This was our goal in creating the Far Away Land OSR RPG. Far Away Land is weird. Far Away Land is colorful and quirky and super imaginative. Did we mention its really fun too? 

Far Away Land (FAL) OSR is a re-imagining of the Far Away Land RPG – through the lens of OSR-style games and mechanics. This project was inspired by Swords and Wizardry Light, a stripped-down, rules-lite version of Swords and Wizardry that uses only d20s and d6s. FAL was originally inspired by simple, old school gaming mechanics that place emphasis on characters, story, and adventures rather than heavy rules. This version of FAL uses familiar mechanics (6 stats, HP, AC, etc.) mashed into the Far Away Land setting. It maintains the tradition of a rules-lite game while using a more well-known system that is compatible with the world’s most famous rpg and many of its clones. Essentially, FAL OSR is a complete circle, back to what initially inspired the original game, set in the gonzo world of Far Away Land. So, while the rules have changed to be compatible with other systems, the unique world of FAL is the same. 

Far Away Land OSR is a great introduction to rpgs. The book contains simple rules for combat, vehicle combat, naval combat, mass combat, character creation, magic, tons of mini games (like level 0 character grinders and deadly games), like 99 monsters, location descriptions and maps, crazy powers, there is even an adventure included. It’s jam packed with awesomeness. 

The book is full color, about 130 pages, 8.5x11 inches.  

10 bucks for the Far Away Land OSR RPG: Core Rules PDF, 35 for the SC print plus PDF, 45 for the HC print plus PDF. I have the Harc Cover myself :)

Yep, those are affiliate links above. Affiliate links keep the lights on and the beers cold here at The Tavern. I appreciate all of the support.

Amazon - Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set - 14.99

It was pointed out to me that the Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set is on sale for $14.99 (retail $24.99) over on Amazon. Heck, it even ships free with Prime. Not sure if its a Prime Days sale or not.

• The Stranger Things themed Dungeons & Dragons starter set has everything you need to unleash your imagination and live out the dream of exploring the upside down from the Netflix original series, stranger things.
• Embark on an exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure, hunt for the thessalhydra, and have hours of fun with the Adventure book "created" by the character Mike Wheeler.
• Get all the essential rules you need to start playing from the D&D fifth edition starter set rulebook with a new colorful Stranger Things theme.
• Battle your way through the D&D universe & The upside down as one of the characters played by the Stranger Things gang. Five Ready-to-Play character sheets are included.
• The starter set also includes 6 Polyhedral dice and 2 Stranger Things Demogorgon figures, including one to paint and customize.
• Special "Red box" Design: a unique replica of the famous 1983 D&D "red box" As seen being played on screen by the Stranger Things characters.

https://amzn.to/2lvx2wl

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Kickstarter - Delayed Blast Gamemaster #2

Phil Reed is back with Delayed Blast Gamemaster #2, an RPG zine, and I'm truly looking forward to it.

Delayed Blast Gamemaster #1 was produced for the Zine Quest promotion over at Kickstarter   and it was an overwhelming success with exactly 600 backers. I'd like to see even more this time around ;)

At project launch, Delayed Blast Gamemaster #2 is a 24-page, saddle-stitched, 5.5-inch by 8.5-inch B&W printed zine. I plan to use the same printer, paper, and construction for this issue as the first, so you know that if we succeed, the physical presentation of the project will be as attractive and professional as I can manage.

Stretch goals can double the size (and have already added 4 pages of adventure hooks to the zine as I type this)

What you will not find in Delayed Blast Gamemaster: Dedicated game rules and an excessive number of details that obstruct your own needs. Everything packed inside the zine is intended to get your creative juices flowing and give you a starting point when sitting down to plan an RPG session. And if something I've written is in your way . . . trash it! Make it your own! What do I know?  

10 bucks for Delayed Blast Gamemaster #2 in print plus PDF, shipping included in the States. 20 bucks for issues #1 & 2 in print plus PDF. PDF only is 3 bucks for issue #2 and 7 bucks for issues 1 & 2. I'm in for 10 bucks myself.

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When is an Interview Not an Interview? When it's on ENWorld...

"Was hoping for an interview. This reads more like an infomercial. That criticism aside, I do like hearing from the creators of TTRPG products and do want to encourage more of these articles. I would just hope that they are more substantial."

Thus goes the first comment on the ENWorld article titled: Matthew Sprange, Mongoose Publishing, Discusses Traveller and Paranoia. The thing is, he doesn't really. At least, not in the normal sense. There is no interview. There aren't even quotes. It almost feels like a happenstance sit down at a bar, where you try and cobble together some memories of the conversation the next morning while fighting a hangover. Oh, and a quick google search of everything said company published to flesh it out.

"This is really an infomercial piece for Mongoose and not anything else. I am quite disappointed." 

Ah yes, it does read like that. But have no worries, no sir! This article was paid for an supported by the ENWorld Patreon! Your donations at work. You DO donate, right?

"I would love to have seen an actual transcript of the conversation."

As would I. If one existed, I expect we would have been reading that instead.

"While I wouldn't go so far as to call this an infomercial, I agree with the other commenters that this would be a lot more interesting if it was a full transcribed interview (ENWORLD: "Tell me about your games" MATTHEW: "Okay, I will now talk about a game"). Or at least if it had full quotes from Matthew mixed with text, like a newspaper article ("This game is coming out. Matthew says "This game is awesome"). Sorry, it just doesn't read well like this."

Remember when ENWorld WAS publishing paid for advertisements - er, articles? Here's a link from 2016 - How Much Actual "RPG News" is There to Report?

"It reminds me of what you might get in high school when the teacher says "Please submit a 1 to 2 page report on the topic of your choice. Please interview someone as part of your research." Also hard to pin down whether this was a quick review of Mathew or of current and future Mongoose products."

So, the Patreon has been in existence at least since 2016. How successful is it?

Assuming it pays for an article a day, it pays about 4 bucks a published piece. I guess you really do get what you pay for.

I will give credit where credit due. Not only is this article still up (it was published Thursday, July 11th - Today is Sunday, July 14th) but the comments are still up too and no one from ENWorld has tried to defend it. It's almost like they don't care.

Troll Lord Games Sale - 40% Off PDFs - C&C, 5e, Victorious, and More

The Trolls have a sale going on right now at their DTRPG Webstore. 40% off almost all of their PDFs. Yes, that means Castles & Crusades, 5e, Victorious, Amazing Adventures and more.

Heck, Return to Blacktooth Ridge is 46 cents. Go figure. If I didn't already own it, I'd be buying it right now ;)

Here's the link to the Troll Lord Sale

Just over 4 days to go on this one.

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Far West Update - Gareth Will NO Longer be Posting Updates on the Kickstarter Itself

First things first. I had about a half dozen PMs, emails and the like pointing me to the latest update by Gareth Skarka about the Far West Kickstarter - it just wasn't on the Kickstarter page itself. Why would it be? Why would Gareth want to actually be respectful to the backers of his now seven and a half fucking years late Kickstarter?

Here's the latest (my comments are in orange):

I’ve been quiet recently, I know. (but not on Twitter! I kid! No, not really kidding)

First things first:  Far West is NOT dead. I only have one chapter remaining to assemble from the earlier drafts. (the same chapter I've been talking about since - forever) Things are moving slowly, and I figure that I owed you an explanation. (We've had plenty of excuses - I mean - "explanations over the last seven and a half years)

It’s no secret that among the many trials and tribulations that have plagued this project, my depression and anxiety have been at the forefront. I have been my own worst enemy. (there is no arguing with this)

Well, a few months ago, my family convinced me to finally seek treatment. 

So I’ve done that. 

The initial stages of the process, where, among other things, we were trying to zero in on the right combination of prescriptions and correct dosages, made it very difficult to get anything done. I just couldn’t focus on anything other than my mental health. (so, for the last couple of years, where you've produced work for the Star Trek RPG among other RPGs, occasionally under a psuedonym, none the less, your mental health issues only prevented work on Far West?)

Now that we are further along, and I’ve begun to feel the effects, I’m coming back into myself, in a way. And that includes finishing Far West. (I don't want to not believe you, reslly, but the outright lies over the past seven plus years...)

So that’s what I’m going to do. 

I appreciate the patience of so many people who have given far more than I could have ever asked. “Thank you” seems terribly inadequate, given the circumstances. 

As a final administrative note: All official updates will now appear on this website. We have a forum here where I can be reached for questions. The Kickstarter page will be used purely for delivery of texts, PDFs, etc. to backers. (that is NOT the way Kickstarters are updated, but I know, you want to control the narative and censor the dissenting voices)

Now, the home stretch. Talk to you soon.

Here's what Kickstarter says about updates:

Edit - How dead is Garth's website, that has been around for 8 years or so?

Map - Work in Progress - Level One of The Demonic Dungeon of the Bone Dreamer

Yeah, I know I keep swapping out the maps, but when you can do your own it's just a tad better. I'm doing my own now thanks to DungeonFog, an online mapping app.

Its a work in progress, as the rooms arent yet numbered (I'll save it as a second map for that - so, players and GM maps for VTT use)

Stairs down are in the upper left, behind a secret door.