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Saturday, November 16, 2019

Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter Update - The Reason THIS Kickstarter was "White Knighted" and CSIO Will NOT



I shared this last night on the Tavern Chat Podcast but it deserves to be shared on the blogside too. The reason the Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter was "White Knighted" by Troll Lord Games is that the bulk of the funds raised by the Kickstarter are still in the bank. Otherwise, it would likely have been financially infeasible to save.  As far as the City-State of the Invincible Overlord Kickstarter goes, there ISN'T ANYTHING left in the bank. Troll Lord Games is basically taking on the role of a project manager for the Marmoreal Tomb. CSIO needs someone to donate funds, possibly more than was raised in the first place.

Here's the latest two updates (second correct part of the first update)
Greetings from the Dens (Troll Lord Games)! 
It’s been roughly a week of looking at what goes into the Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter. As noted in the previous update, my primary objective at the moment is to get a good handle on the status of the material offered in pledge levels and stretch rewards and the overall financial health of the Kickstarter. So without further ado…. 
The status of the main book is my primary concern. I’m working toward getting a copy of that to see  exactly what remains to be done.  Benoist and I have set up a drop box and he’ll start moving files over shortly. When I have a better handle on the main book, I’ll let you know. The expansions are in a similar state. I am working toward getting copies of what has been done on those as well. 
Financially the Kickstarter is very healthy. Ernie has kept the money in an account all this time, ready to pay for things as needed. Though I did not request an expense report, I can estimate the cost of much that goes into these books and things look good on that front. I’ll know more as we go forward, but overall this looks good. 
We are going to try to make sure all pledge offerings and stretch rewards are honored. There will be some that have to be changed. In those cases (and we have two already, see below), we will endeavor to replace the stretch reward with something else. We will, of course, keep you in in the loop about any changes. Speaking of changes…. 
The first one up is the cartoon by Tom Wham. Tom’s a good friend of mine, we’ve worked together on multiple projects, but he’s stepped back from active game design and cartooning these days and doesn’t feel up to taking on any more work. We will replace Tom’s cartoon with a cartoonist we work with, Jason Walton. Jason does our Christmas card every year, hosts of covers and interiors. Though he does not have the old school credentials as Tom does, he’s exceptionally good. See the bottom of this update for two samples of what he has done for us in the past. 
The cartographer who was working on the maps has since moved on. Benoist is sending me the level that was completed so that I can get a hold of one of the cartographers we work with, to get these maps wrapped up. We will strive to maintain the style and feel already established. Also, when I get that map, I’ll post it for you all to see. (He sent me some material through facebook but I want to get it in drop box where I can manage it better). 
That’s all I have for now. I will try to do weekly updates, even when there is no change. I can't promise that however, as time seems to fly by here in the Dens, but we will try.
Benoist and Ernie both are very excited to have us helping out and I hope it is affording them enough mental relief to get the finals done and to us. 
As a last note, don't hesitate to reach out with comments or messages. If you see I am missing something or something needs addressed please let us know. 
Thank you all and have a wonderful weekend.
Steve Chenault
and then the follow up:
Greetings from the Dens (Troll Lord Games)! 
Hey all, my update of this morning had some misinformation about the maps. It was pointed out to me in the comments on the update and  thank you all for doing that. Please remember I'm a new comer to this Kickstarter and still have lots of catching up to do. Any information you can provide is appreciated. 
So in the earlier update I told you that the maps were not complete and that we may have to find a new cartographer. That is incorrect. The maps are complete, aside from final adjustments Benoist may have to make as he finishes the text (adding the symbol for a secret door, changing a room number and so on). But that aside, the maps are ready to go. 
What is not ready to go are the duplicate set of miniatures-sized maps with a resolution high enough to be printed at 5 feet per inch. The first level was completed; the others were not. 
Also, we are looking at moving this project to Backerkit sooner rather than later. That will help us get a handle on the numbers, especially for those of you who had add-ons; we need to have a proper count on certain things to know how much to manufacture.   
Thank you all and my apologies for the confusion.
Stephen Chenault

Friday, November 15, 2019

DARK PLACES & DEMOGORGONS - Survive This!! - Core Rule Book OSR RPG - 99 Cents - Hours Left in Sale!



Crap!

I nearly missed this sale. There are only hours left in the DARK PLACES & DEMOGORGONS - Survive This!! - Core Rule Book OSR RPG sale. For a VERY SHORT TIME it is only 99 cents in PDF.

You know you want it!
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! 
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Thursday, November 14, 2019

State of The Tavern - Layout, Torchlight Zine and Swords & Wizardry


As I mentioned last week I'm gearing I'm behind the scenes in preparation for the Kickstarting of the new Swords & Wizardry Boxed Set, due to launch sooner than later (I'm not privy to a more exact time frame).

One of the things I have to do is get my barely serviceable layout skills out of retirement. I haven't laid out a product since Swords & Wizardry Continual Light, and while it did the job, the app I used, Lucid Press, did not embed fonts, so no POD on DTRPG or Lulu, although it is up on Amazon, go figure ;)

Now I am playing with Swift Publisher 5, and it seems to do what I want without the overwhelming complexity and limitless options of InDesign. I am playing with the layout of Torchlight Issue #0, intended to launch in conjunction with the upcoming Kickstarter (with Issue #1 planned for right before the closing of the Kickstarter).

Here are the current plans for my approach to Torchlight:

It is currently planned to be a 4 page, digest-sized, Pay What You Want (PWYW) monthly zine for Swords & Wizardry. Content will begin on the front (cover page) and run through page four. The OGL will be attached as a 5th page. Those printing at home simply won't print that final page.

Issue #0 will likely include a rewrite of the Elementalist Class I wrote for Swords & Wizardry Light a few years back for Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day as well as monsters and magic items released on the blogside for SWL, updated and tweaked for the full Swords & Wizardry rules.

The great thing about Torchlight releasing as a PDF zine meant to be printed at home is that the page-count can accommodate additional submissions. If others submit material, we could include a dungeon level or outdoor encounter in the center spread and simply more content (and more voices). Moving the page-count to 8 pages allows for a true front cover. I see page-count as fluid myself. Besides, 8 pages are still only 2 sheets of paper ;)

The plan is to collect a year's worth of zine material and release it as a POD release yearly.

I may print at home some copies of the zine for distribution at the various conventions I attend with the Frogs.

Alright, that the skinny as of right now. More when I have more :)







Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty - New Boxed Set releases Nov 19, 2019



Trying to find something for the gamer in your life who has everything and you AREN'T looking to spend 300 bucks on a dice set?

Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty is a new beginner boxed set for the 5th edition D&D rules.
Play D&D through the lenses of the mad narcissistic genius, Rick Sanchez, from the animated Cartoon Network series, Rick and Morty—the Rick Way! 
This tabletop roleplaying game boxed set blends the world of Dungeons & Dragons with mad narcissistic genius, Rick Sanchez’s power gaming sensibilities, nostalgia, sarcastic metacommentary, and the reasons why people play D&D in the first place. 
• Following the hugely popular comic book series Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, this boxed set is co-authored by Jim Zub (co-writer of comic book series) with new art by Troy Little (illustrator of comic book series).

• This complete campaign experience includes the following components: (1) 64-page rulebook annotated by Rick (2) 32-page original adventure for levels 1–3 (3) 4-panel folding Dungeon Master screen featuring new art (4) 5 ready-to-play character sheets (6) 11 dice 
• A great companion to the comic book series, and a perfect gift for the Rick and Morty/D&D fan in your life.
Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty has a suggested retail of 29.99. By using the prior link, you can order from Amazon for the low price of 20.59

Remember, Christmas is a stone's throw away ;)

Yep, that's an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the taps flowing and the lights on at The Tavern and is an excellent way to show your support.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Kickstarter - Isometric Map-Making (Battlegrounds Games)

"Developing new features to support isometric mapping in MapForge AND creating a wealth of top-notch isometric mapping content Add-Ons."


I've been following and supporting Heruca / Battlegrounds Games for over a decade at this point. It was one of the first virtual tabletops I encountered, and Heruca was always available to answer questions and had quick responses when I needed support.

I was an early backer of Mapforge and seriously need to set some time aside to get back to playing with maps again. I find such to actually be therapeutic and relaxing. Free time in retirement isn't as free as I thought it would be.

Isometric maps, like the ones found in many DCC RPG adventures, are a beauty to behold and tend to spark my imagination more than standard 2d maps.

The Isometric Map-Making Kickstarter is being run to upgrade the original Mapforge mapper to isometric mapping options. How fucking cool is that?

The 5 buck backer level is for owners of the original Mapforge. It gives all stretch goals and helps fund the upgrade. 33 bucks gives you the original Mapforge program plus and 24 add ons. Not too shabby at all.

Need a mapping program? Mapforge may just be your cup of tea.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Kickstarter - A Time for Sacrifice: A Call of Cthulhu Adventure

"A Time For Sacrifice" is a Call of Cthulhu 7th edition adventure book set in Central/South America in the classic 1920's time era."



Although I own the Call of Cthulhu 7th edition core books, I much prefer the CoC Starter Box - the same rules in a nice, bite-sized offering.

Which makes the A Time for Sacrifice: A Call of Cthulhu Adventure Kickstarter very attractive, because now I feel like I have rules for CoC that I feel comfortable running adventures with, and this looks like a damn nice offering.
A Time for Sacrifice is a Call of Cthulhu 7th edition adventure book set in the classic 1920's era, licensed by Chaosium.  The book contains a series of three (now FIVE with stretch goals being met) adventures set in the Mesoamerican setting, including the Mayan society. The book will feature the beautiful art work of  Edoardo Campagnolo, brought to you by New Comet Games, the same people who brought you the award-winning Call of Cthulhu book Devil's Swamp
15 bucks for the PDF - 36 (plus shipping) for the Hardcover book plus PDF (shipping not included)

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Kickstarter - The Folio #24 & #25 Double Edition Adventure Set

"Double Edition, 5E & 1E High Level Adventure Module Set"


I've enjoyed the various Folio releases over the last few years. High production quality, nice art, removable covers, dual system (5e and 1e) and generally well written.

With the latest Kickstarter, The Folio #24 & #25 Double Edition Adventure Set, wraps up the Roslov Keep storyline.

What's the pitch?
My Project: This project consists of two separate Folio adventures, each containing close to 30 pages of adventure content, a new monster, 2D and 3D dungeon, and removable 'DM Screen' type covers.  They are in 1st edition AD&D and 5th edtion D&D rules sets, and are designed for higher level adventures 12+. 
Who’s it for?  ALL gamers, both new gamers and old  gamers as it is easily expandable  or playable as is. These two adventures are based around the endgame of The Curse of Roslof Keep mega-dungeon campaign, but they can be used independently as a standard dungeon level.  The base  mechanic will be for 1st Edition with 5th Edition stat blocks in grey.
Note - this Kickstarter is for 2 releases, Folio #24 and #25.

PDF cost to back is 10 bucks, print plus PDF is 20 bucks. That's a lot of value for 20 bucks.


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