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Saturday, May 27, 2023

Deal of the Day - Carbon 2185 | A Cyberpunk RPG Core Rulebook


Cyberpunk is all the rage. D&D 5e is STILL the system nearly everyone gravitates towards. Put them together in a stand-alone ruleset and it's almost like reinventing peanut butter cups ;)

Today's Deal of the Day is Carbon 2185 | A Cyberpunk RPG Core Rulebook. This D&D 5e-powered cyberpunk game (using the good ole OGL in case anyone is asking) is normally 24.69 in PDF, but until tomorrow morning it is on sale for 5.60.

Play as a Cyberpunk, a rebel refusing to live life by the rules of the oppressive megacorporations that rule San Francisco in this high action tabletop roleplaying game by Robert Marriner-Dodds.

Carbon 2185 gives you the chance to play in the cyberpunk worlds you've seen in movies, television shows, and video games.

The Core Rulebook is the only thing you need to run and play hundreds of hours of games in the world of Carbon 2185.

Carbon 2185 is a brand new tabletop roleplaying game built using the D&D 5e open game license, with all the magic, magical items, and fantasy elements removed, and replaced with cybernetic augmentations, upgradable and customisable weapons, and computer hacking skills. 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Friday, May 26, 2023

Kickstarter - Artifacts of Legend (Dungeon Fantasy RPG)

Two volumes of epic magic items for your Dungeon Fantasy RPG campaigns.

I love me some Douglas Cole, regardless of the system he's writing for. OSE, The Fantasy Trip, Dungeon Fantasy RPG... Doug always seems to be setting new high water marks for quality.

I've known Doug for the better part of a decade. He was part of my infamous B-Team that delved into Castle of the Mad Archmage once a month. Doug has been a fairly frequent (and oft-requested) guest on the Tenkar's Tavern Livestream.

The Artifacts of Legend Kickstarter is 20 bucks for both PDFs or 40 bucks for both books in print plus PDF.

Artifacts of Legend contains 40 pages of weapons and utility items that were gifts from the gods to the heroes of Norðlond. 

  • Wield one of the four mighty Stormhammers, gifts from the God of Thunder to his most worthy servants.
  • Take up the undead-slaying spear named "Journey's End" (Ferðalok) by the Allfather. 
  • Drink of the milk of the very first cow in the universe
  • Partake in the sanguine delight of a very special batch of mead.

Also included in Artifacts of Legend are tables to generate other magic items that grow in power based on the deeds of their users and the blessings of the gods. The book provides charts to randomly generate Legendary and Runecarved items, including pages of worked examples. 

Artifacts of Saga features 36 pages of unusual items, and many are weapons of a darker or less overtly beneficial nature.

  • The Dawn Blade was a weapon forged to be used by the gods - it burns mortals who try and use it without proper protection
  • Team Evil gets to play too, with the Ring of the Fell Dead and the Wight Hand, made for those who are more necromantically inclined.
  • For those who like to try and use evil to do good ... seek out one of the Bloodfangs. Axes with bound demonic spirits in them, who whisper hints of great power if enough blood is spilled.

These items are tied to tragedy and mischance. No stone was left unturned in the search for power, and some of the items have been infused with the essences of powerful entities: demons, elementals, even the souls of the mighty. These spirit-bound items were wrought in the centuries after the leyferðs were destroyed in the Shattering ... proving that some stones should be left unturned!


The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Bundle of Holding - Freeport Pathfinder (Green Ronin)

Yes, this is THAT Freeport. Freeport is a classic, no matter the system you purchase it for I've used bits and pieces from the D20 Freeport original in my OSR games. It is simply that good and that timeless.

If you have ANY edition of Freeport, I doubt you need Freeport Pathfinder. If you've never experienced Freeport by Green Ronin, this is an affordable introduction and in-depth dive into the setting.

Ahoy, adventurer! This Freeport Pathfinder Quick Deal presents the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game First Edition version of the venerable tabletop roleplaying campaign setting Freeport from Green Ronin Publishing. Freeport is a rum-soaked pirate stronghold, a sandbox setting of classic fantasy mixed with Lovecraftian horror – of grubby streets and desperate action, where you live on rum and sea biscuits, not waybread and nectar. The supernatural is real but not easily controlled; crime and greed have more sway than curses and spells; pirates may be more dangerous than monsters. It's high adventure and low comedy, piracy and black magic, sunken cities and mad alchemists and thievery and evil cults and political corruption and gang warfare and suspicious lumps in your fish pie. Freeport is the City of Adventure.

For just US$17.95 you get all nine Pathfinder First Edition titles in our Freeport Collection (retail value $85) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete 544-page Freeport: The City of Adventure for the Pathfinder RPG campaign sourcebook and Freeport Bestiary, the six-scenario adventure path Return to Freeport, and six Short Cuts that enhance any Pathfinder campaign: Cavalier Orders, Inquisitor Spells, Magic Firearms, Thanemages, Witch Patrons, and Fifty Campaign Themes.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Kickstarter - CHAINSAW WIZARDS, HECATOMB CREEPS & OTHER UNGODLY BASTARDS (OSR)


A Rogue's Gallery Compendium of Weird Fantasy RPG Villains for Your OSR Games.

Looking to surprise your players with a unique Big Bad Evil Guy (or Gal)? Well, look no further, as the CHAINSAW WIZARDS, HECATOMB CREEPS & OTHER UNGODLY BASTARDS Kickstarter has you covered. No more cookie-cutter baddies in your campaigns (and yes, Hans, you are "the baddies"). Now your BBEGs (and their henchmen) can stand out on their own. Even better, a good BBEG can practically write their own story arc ;)

Heck, the cover above should inspire an adventure or two based on imagery alone.

The CHAINSAW WIZARDS, HECATOMB CREEPS & OTHER UNGODLY BASTARDS Kickstarter is priced at $20 in PDF, or 35 in HC Print plus PDF. Who are you kidding? Get the hardcover! 

Planet X Games is back and this time we're bringing an all-new, all-different concept to the table. Expect our best... but fear the worst - Chainsaw Wizards, Hecatomb Creeps and Other Ungodly Bastards is here! There are tons of monster books out there, but surprisingly few dedicated solely to memorable villains who bring a new definition of strange to the game table. We aim to fix that... and in a big, big way!

Exciting new encounter opportunities and worldbuilding for the villains at your home table abound! This hardcover book is specifically designed to test and challenge your players with something new... and weird... and deadly! A little bit horror, a little bit fantastic and all in on the weird fantasy, sword and sorcery vibe, this hefty resource pays homage to Gary Gygax's infamous Appendix N while bringing fresh concepts, tactics, forbidden new lore, tips, guidance, examples of play and all new powers and abilities to the table.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Kickstarter - Tales of the Valiant RPG: Launching Black Flag Roleplaying



The heart of 5th Edition: core rules for high fantasy games, including a Monster Vault and a Player's Guide to power your campaign!

I guess Kobold Press heard some of the complaints about leaving "the Blag Flag" behind because the current Kickstarter is fully titled Tales of the Valiant RPG: Launching Black Flag Roleplaying.

Yep, Tales of the Valiant (not a title I personally would have chosen for an RPG that didn't directly involve Print Valiant, but I digress) is currently kicking ass and chewing gum at the same time - in less than a half a day it has raised OVER $435k in funding, with 30 days to go.

What is Tales of the Valiant RPG: Launching Black Flag Roleplaying? It is Kobold Press' version of D&D 5e and the company's way of ensuring they have a system to support far into the future. I expect many of the current/recent producers of third-party content for 5e will shift to support Tales of the Valiant directly.

Tales of the Valiant (ToV) keeps all the best of 5E D&D and adds a Kobold Press spin to the well-loved game. It combines the Creative Commons foundation of 5th Edition with new elements to create a powerful Kobold-style 5E with teeth. 

New 5E Options. Of course, ToV includes the fighter, wizard, and rogue, and dwarves and elves. Much more than that, it provides a wealth of new options and expanded gameplay. Explore the new Mechanist class and try out the kobold, outsider, and beastkin character lineages. Tales of the Valiant provides hundreds of new options for talents, spells, and monsters.

Early Access to Private Playtests. Backers get two exclusive playtest packets containing new classes and new creatures not available to the public until later.

Create Your Own World and Share Your Adventures. Tales of the Valiant is built on the Creative Commons and Open Roleplaying Content licenses, so the core rules are available for everyone to expand on as part of the 5E global community. Keep your investment in 5th Edition going strong!

Retain Compatibility with 5E Tradition. While ToV brings new options, its roots are familiar. Play any 5E adventure with creatures and spells from Tales of the Valiant—and keep the best of both worlds at your table!


 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Monday, May 22, 2023

Kickstarter - The Mosidian Temple: an OSRIC/1E Adventure

Over the year I've shared some of my early "game design" and "campaign design" work here at The Tavern. You know the type - 40 orcs in a 10'x10' room, and nearly every box on the sheet of graph paper mapped out - because graph paper could be hard to come by...

I've even had a few offers to help "professionalize" my attempts from back in the 80s, although I've never taken up any of the offers. Dunno, it just never seemed worthy, but after seeing what David Flor has brought forth from the past, I'm beginning to rethink my reluctance ;)

The Mosidian Temple: an OSRIC/1E Adventure Kickstarter from David Flor is David bringing back a piece of his personal history from when he was 12 and offering both the historical snapshot as well as a reimagined version for "modern sensibilities", or at least current expectations of presentation. You may still find a dragon or two occupying an undersized room, but truly, who in 1983 was taking proper measurements :)

You can snag a PDF of the original The Mosidian Temple for 4 bucks, PDFs of the original and the modern update for 15 bucks (that's where I'm at), or for 60 bucks, get a print copy of the modern update, a set poly dice, a POD code (essentially a second print copy) and a bunch of PDFs. Phew!

        This Kickstarter is meant to create two things:

The original adventure and supplemental materials, published as-is in digital format only. 

A "reimagining" of it, making it a more viable product. Not only does this include editing, art, and proper layout, but adjustment of the mechanics as needed to make it compatible with OSRIC, 1E and other systems (see "Stretch Goals" below).

The Kickstarter funds will be used to pay for editing and at least the front cover art. Depending on how things go, I may do art for the back cover as well.

FULL DISCLOSURE: The original adventure has... issues. It's not great. It has a lot of flaws. As any 12-year-old would probably do, I put things in it because they looked cool without any respect for plot, appropriateness, or even the laws of physics. 

For example, I put a T'ien Lung - yes, a 50-foot-long celestial dragon from my favorite book, the Fiend Folio - crammed into a 20'x20' room in the center of the dungeon. Why? Because celestial dragons looked amazingly cool and why the hell not?

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Travel Pains Got Me Thinking About Travelling, Go Figure.

Travel Pains Got Me Thinking About Travelling, Go Figure.
Unless we're Facebook friends (and no, we really don't need to be...I'm just saying) you probably don't know that I've had a painful return trip from two weeks in Alaska. I had to go last-minute to fill in for a guy and Alaska is great.....outside of the city. I spent two weeks in Anchorage and let's just say I'm glad to be home. My flight back got slipped 17 hours and that meant I had to "sleep" in the terminal last night and just not a good time all around.

Now I generally love travel...going places....I just don't care for the actually travelling portion of a trip. Of course, when things go stupid, and they went quite stupid on this trip, it's hard to NOT think about travelling in general.....

....I've got notes for a way-too-big random (Travel) event generator that I should probably get back to someday, but it had so many sub-tables that it should really be put together for TableSmith or Inspiration Pad. Thinking about the myriad of things that can, and do, happen while travelling.... 'cause murder hobos have to travel.

In most of the games I've played in travel isn't generally hand-waived, or more importantly travel to a new destination isn't hand-waived. Quite often "routine" travel maybe gets some random, not-sure-the-GM-even-looks handful of dice rolls, but the travel to a new place gets the standard wandering monster checks, maybe some planned side encounters, the whole she-bang.

Now I've always thought the biggest problem with "travel" in RPGs is that there is too much freedom, while at the same time the illusion of no freedom at all. I've seen a few different GMs just make some random encounter rolls and if nothing happens, maybe have the group stop each night. Other GMs...no results, just push on through until the destination is reached. That can make things seem a little rail-roady (that's a word......). On the flip side, especially if you have some "special" or just bored, players, the GM can get a bunch of interjections where a player wants a description of the area they're in and anything described for them is an opportunity to go "off the rails".

There's probably a few ways to find a middle ground.....but one of my favorites comes from an old-school (video) game designer whose name escapes me......he took the map and marked out "rational" decision points and got in the habit of describing to the players the surrounding at each of these decision points. The party could be travelling between two cities and the first day is a long boring stretch of road, so that is one generic increment. When the party gets to the swollen river they can choose to cross, or go up or down the bank to find a better crossing. These decision points may be close together in some areas and further away than others, but the idea is that the party has to do some minimal interactions along the route, and there isn't a scramble to describe some random area because these conversations (as it were) were somewhat scripted.


I once wrote an adventure where I initially drew a rough map and had an idea for the (simple) plot. When it came time to actually write the parts between the main planned encounters I made a "simple" decision point map, overlayed it on my actual map, and then wrote up brief descriptions to each decision point. The adventure was a mystery, but the players were trying to figure out and track down a BBG, so most of the decision points guided the players along the way.......most. If the players wanted to go left instead of right when right seemed to make the most sense, I made sure the "wrong" way reinforced the "correct" direction of travel. I think it gave the players a bit more freedom, allowed them to skip over some areas if that's just the way they worked, and gently guided them along the adventure.

The more I think about this methodology the more I realize my random table generator idea would need a lot of work to make it not be a "here's all the crap that happened along the way", but I am tired and in much need of sleep....

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lights on and the taps flowing. Your Humble Bartender, Tenkar

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