Tenkar's Tavern: 2023-10-29

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Kickstarter - Goblin Dice: Transforming the Way You Throw!

Alright, you NEED to watch the video for Goblin Dice! If it doesn't bring back memories of the Shake Weight (and various comedy sketch shows that did their own take on it) you are definitely a young one ;)

Notice also that you DON'T see the Goblin Dice device being shaken and the dice result in the same short. I suspect they didn't have a working prototype when they did the promo video.

Interesting idea, I just don't think it's needed. Still, I'd love to see some Goblin Dice in use at a convention :)

Now please allow us to introduce Goblin Dice - Your Ultimate Digital Dice Companion. With its innovative shake & read design and environmentally friendly kinetic energy conversion, paired with a sleek brass metal exterior, Goblin dice will be your instant solution for an enhanced gaming experience and more.
Eco-friendly Kinetic Energy: Our innovative design converts kinetic energy into electricity, requiring only a gentle shake to generate power. No external power source or batteries are needed - it's eco-friendly and hassle-free!

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

Friday, November 3, 2023

Humble Bundle - Everything for Your Adventures - A Roll20 Exclusive

I am a long-time Roll20 user and fan. Heck, I have a Lifetime Pro account, as I was a backer of the Roll20 Kickstarter back in the day. In all that time, I've never bought, let alone installed, a ruleset or rulebook within Roll20. That may change with the current Roll20 Bundle on Humble Bundle.

Gather up your role-playing group (wherever they are!) for some epic online adventures with this treasury of resources for Roll20! This bundle for the world's most popular virtual RPG tabletop features:
Compendiums to play Pathfinder 2E, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, and more containing rules, art, lore, adventures, and more resources for use in Roll20.
Additional Roll20 expansions and resources like Deep Magic, filled with new spells adaptable for multiple systems; maps and tokens; and more.
1-month Roll20 Plus subscription, unlocking additional features such as more upload storage, upgraded Compendium sharing, and an all-access character vault.

Previews Of Hasbro's New D&D 'FAST' Channel - Gods Help Us All!

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Kickstarter - Even More Isometric Mapping Content for MapForge

Developing great new content to better support isometric mapping in MapForge in various genres.

I'm a huge fan of map-making software and apps for my fantasy RPGs, largely due to my love of maps and my lack of artistic ability. Ah well, you can't win them all.

MapForge is one of the more interesting mapping apps I've found that works on both PCs (WinDoze) and Macs. Yes, as a Mac user, that is a huge selling point for me. You can also give the software a spin for free.

MapForge is easy-to-use software for Windows and Mac OS that makes high-quality maps for printing or for use in virtual tabletop software (e.g., Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, Foundry VTT, etc.).
It can be used for free (no license required for low resolution output).
Comes with 52 free content Add-Ons (covering a variety of game genres and mapping styles).
You can download and try the software out for yourself, to evaluate it and see if the program is what you want/expect it to be.

MapForge is from the same folks behind the BattleGrounds VTT, one of the first VTTs that I got my hands on. Heruca is second to none when it comes to supporting his customers (I've reached out in the past and he's been golden). The current Kickstarter is for Isometric Mapping Content, but you can also grab a license for MapForge itself if you are new to the app.

Talking Crit Live! with Alex Macis - ACKS II

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Bundle of Holding - Palladium Apocalypse

I'm always slightly surprised to see Palladium releases in PDF, as Palladium has held on to its IP extremely closely. So, yes, I'm surprised to find the Palladium Apocalypse Bundle on Bundle of Holding.

Three core rulebooks for 9.95 is a bargain and then some.

Adventurer! This new Palladium Apocalypse Bundle presents tabletop roleplaying games of dark ruined futures from Palladium Books. Whether you play genetically engineered rebels hunted by the insane Artificial Intelligence N.E.X.U.S. in Splicers, the human resistance fighting alien Bug invaders in Systems Failure, or the hapless survivors of the zombie apocalypse where the Dead Reign, all the standalone RPGs and supplements in this bargain-priced collection work well with every game based on Palladium's Megaversal rules system.
For just US$9.95 you get all three complete games in our Starter Collection (retail value $47) as DRM-free ebooks, including the Splicers core rulebook, Systems Failure, and the Dead Reign corebook.

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $28.77, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with eight supplements worth an additional $100, including all seven zombie-infested sourcebooks for Dead Reign – 1: Civilization Gone, 2: Dark Places, 3: Endless Dead, 4: Fear the Reaper, 5: Graveyard Earth, 6: Hell Followed, 7: In the Face of Death – plus the Splicers expansion I Am Legion.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Bundle of Holding - DCC Funnels

The title of this post kinda says it all, and it has likely polarized a number of you. You either love "funnels" or you don't, there is little middle ground. I happen to love funnels. I love running them, playing in them (especially at conventions), and find them fun to read. TMMV, of course.

one of the current offerings at Bundle of Holding is DCC Funnels, which includes funnels for DCC AND MCC, some of the funnels were published by Goodman Games, and others were published under third-party licenses. I find I have more than a few, no surprise there ;)

You can grab 6 funnels for 9.95, and add 5 more for another 12 bucks or so as I type this.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Free RPG - Vaesen - Nordic Horror Roleplaying

I'm not sure how long Vaesen - Nordic Horror Roleplaying will be FREE in PDF (it's normally 25 bucks in PDF), so snag it while you can. It's a perfect gift for yourself this Halloween. ;)

Welcome to the Mythic North – northern Europe of the nineteenth century, but not as we know it today. A land where the myths are real. A cold reach covered by vast forests, its few cities lonely beacons of industry and enlightenment – a new civilization dawning. But in the countryside, the old ways still hold sway. There, people know what lurks in the dark. They know to fear it.
Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying is written by Nils Hintze and based on the work of Swedish illustrator and author Johan Egerkrans. Vaesen presents a dark Gothic setting steeped in Nordic folklore and the old myths of Scandinavia. The game mechanics utilize an adapted version of the awardwinning Year Zero Engine.
Key features:
· Ten ready to use archetypes let you create a character in minutes – or use the included life path tables and let the dice decide.
· Quick and flavorful rules for combat, investigations and horror.
· Rules for developing the player characters’ headquarters during campaign play.
· A detailed gazetteer of the Mythic North setting and the town of Upsala.
· A core of bloodcurdling vaesen to encounter, all beautifully illustrated by Johan Egerkrans.
· An introductory Mystery called The Dance of Dreams.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

FLGS: Bosco's (Anchorage, AK)

There have been a handful of times when I've walked in to a game store and felt like, "This place is the hub of gaming in the area." Most stores cater to their customers, as one would expect, but they usually fixate on one thing, maybe two, well and everything else is rather hit or miss.

I'm currently on my way back from a business trip to Anchorage, Alaska and every time I come here I have to stop in at Bosco's, and it's clearly the focal point for gaming in this city. I'd say 1/3 of the space is devoted to comics, another 1/3 to RPGs and board games, and the last 1/3 is sports cards and a large play area. Bosco's has a little bit of everything, and their overall depth of stock is surprising as well.

While a lot of minis were out of stock, they still had more than I see in the average game store. I managed to pick up some barnyard animals for $20. They're 28mm, but close enough and I get some animals I usually don't see minis for. I also found a handful of an old comic I'm always on the lookout for, but rarely see in the wild. I have no clue if I got a good price on them, but didn't care as finding any in the first place is a challenge. This was the place I found Tiny Epic Zombies this spring.

It was also Bosco's where I found the Volume I coffee table book (as in it was the size of a fricken coffee table!) of Judge's Guild material. I never thought I'd see one in the wild, much less be able to snag one.

I'm gonna share this little tip I indulge myself in when travelling: when you find a game store in a remote area, check it out. You'd be surprised the older stock I've found out & about in places that time/people have forgot. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to Bosco's since they clearly have an active support base, which they in turn support with that gaming space and regular events.

I know a lot of places have gaming areas and host gaming events, but Bosco's goes so far as to have a monthly "geek swap meet". Not sure how many places invite others to sell/trade (last time I went it was more "selling") on their property.

If you happen upon Anchorage in the future I suggest making a visit to Bosco's. I doubt you'll be disappointed! It's a nice, clean store with a bit of everything. While it's not the highlight of my trip (It is Alaska, after all), it's way up on the list of must-do's when I'm here.

Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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