Death Notice - James Carpio Has Passed

With great sadness, I must report that James Carpio has passed. I have no details yet of the cause of his passing, but James was a kind soul and well-loved in the gaming community and beyond. I have the honor that the only Swords & Wizardry game I ever played as a player was run by James himself. James recently offered to tutor me on the ins and outs of Streamlabs for recordings and live streams, and I regret not having had the time to take him up on his kind offer.

Rest well, James.

I will post an update when more info is available.

Shire Con 2024 Photo Recap

 Alas, there were no bids for the unopened copy of Dungeon Crawl I donated to Shire Con.  Art & Arcana and the Ogre Kickstarter box DID sell.

The shirts were from Bob G's Paranoia session. 

What an amazing time! My hat's off to Thom, the volunteers, the attendees, and the venue for the best Shire Con to date. As they've all been awesome, that says a lot ;)

ShireCon 2024 - Random Picture Dump - Friday September 27th

 

Kickstarter - Tome of Worldbuilding (Mythmere Games)

Matt Finch, the main man behind Mythmere Games, is best known for the Swords & Wizardry retro-clone, but Matt is virtually the Godfather of the OSR. What is often overlooked is he was one of the guiding hands behind OSRIC which helped kick off the old school renaissance as we know it.

Matt's current Kickstarter is the Tome of Worldbuilding, a system-neutral sourcebook to fuel your desire to create new worlds. As it's from Matt Finch, you know it going to be damn good.

30 bucks get you the Tome of Worldbuilding and the Nomicon (a book of names) in PDF. 55 bucks get you the Tome of Worldbuilding in Print plus PDF.

These sourcebooks for world creation are system-neutral, and can be used with any fantasy roleplaying game, of any edition.

The Tome of World Building is written by ENNIE-award winning author Matt Finch, author of the critically-acclaimed Tome of Adventure Design. Using the Tome of World Building, you can create fantasy worlds quickly and fill them out with a wealth of detail from the random-generation tables in this book.

This Kickstarter offers two high quality hardcover books to create a trilogy of creative power with the Tome of Adventure Design. The first is the Tome of World Building, allowing you to create maps, cultures, countries, wilderness regions, and all the history and backstabbing politics of a fantasy world. The second is the Nomicon, with tables to invent fantasy names for everything you'll generate using the Tome of World Building.

This book contains advice, real-world facts, systems, and LOTS of random generation tables to help you create a fantasy world for tabletop adventuring.

Want to know more? Join the live stream, Wednesday Night, September 25th, at 8PM ET 

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Bundle of Holding - Hackmaster

HackMaster is a solid OSR-style system, whether we are talking about the (parody) 4th edition or the now more than a decade-old 5th edition (which is what this current Hackmaster Bundle is all about).

Adventurer! We've resurrected (for a second time!) our March 2016 HackMaster Bundle featuring HackMaster, the tabletop fantasy roleplaying game from Kenzer and Company. Originally a parody introduced in Jolly Blackburn's long-running gaming comic Knights of the Dinner Table, HackMaster has evolved into a full-fledged, serious (well, semi-serious) FRPG. Once again this HackMaster offer – revived alongside our all-new companion offer from Kenzer, KoDT Trouble 7 – gives you everything you need for your own HM campaign, including all the core rulebooks, for an unbeatable bargain price.

For just US$12.95 you get all five titles in our Player Collection (retail value $57) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete 405-page HackMaster Player's Handbook; two volumes of priest spells, Zealot's Guide: Book 1 and Book 2; and the adventures In the Realm of the Elm King and its sequel Legacy of the Elm King.

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $28.45, you'll level up and also get our entire Gamemaster Collection with three more supplements worth an additional $95, including the 370-page HackMaster GameMaster's Guide, the 387-page Hacklopedia of Beasts monster manual, and the campaign setting Frandor's Keep.

 

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Bundle of Holding - Knights of the Dinner Table, Bundle of Trouble 7

I've been reading Knight's of the Dinner Table off and on since the days of Shadis Magazine. I always snag the KotDT bundles when they appear on Bundle of Holding - they are simply amazing value for your dollar.

Hoody-hoo! This all-new KoDT Trouble 7 Bundle presents Jolly Blackburn's long-running comic about tabletop roleplaying games, Knights of the Dinner Table from Kenzer and Company. This "bundle of Bundles" gathers Knights of the Dinner Table Bundle of Trouble compilation volumes #61-70, collecting KoDT issues #219-258 (2015-2018), plus the Midnight Special. All these Trouble-some collections make it easy to pull up a chair, get to know HackMaster gamemaster BA Felton and his Knights, and enjoy the longest-running and most successful comic strip in RPG history.

For just US$24.95 you get all eleven DRM-free comics in our Troublesome Collection (retail value $151), including KoDT Bundle of Trouble 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, and 70, along with a compilation of long-lost strips, the KoDT Midnight Special.

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Bundle of Holding - Baker Street RPG

Ever want to solve mysteries like Sherlock Holmes? Well, here's the opportunity for your gaming group to do exactly that.

Detective! We've resurrected our January 2022 Baker Street Bundle featuring the entire line of the Victorian investigative tabletop roleplaying game Baker Street: Roleplaying in the World of Sherlock Holmes from Fearlight Games. Sherlock Holmes is missing and presumed dead. In the Great Detective's absence, the stoic Dr. Watson asks you and your fellow intrepid investigators to solve the most baffling crimes in history. The wide-ranging investigations in these casebooks send you to rescue the Queen, face the Hound of the Baskervilles, solve the Jack the Ripper murders, and foil many other nefarious plans of crafty villains. Victorian streets, foggy nights, and crime most foul await.

For just US$19.95 you get all five titles in this revived offer's Detection Collection (retail value $80) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete Baker Street: Roleplaying in the World of Sherlock Holmes core rulebook; Sherlock by Gaslight, a complete campaign about the Whitechapel murders; and three casebooks that together present 19 complete investigations: Baker Street Casebook #1, #2: Missions from Mycroft, and #3: Strange Cases & Distant Places.

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Humble Bundle - DeathWatch & Rogue Trader RPG Bundle

As mentioned earlier in the week, I'm a fan of Warhammer 40k fiction. Sometimes, you want to experience the universe of that fiction. You can do just that with the current DeathWatch & Rogue Trader RPG Bundle.

I suggest the $25 Bundle level, as you get everything, including the core books for both games.

From our friends at Cubicle 7, play your own role in the Warhammer 40,000 universe with two unique approaches to tabletop RPGs! In the Deathwatch line, you’ll be placed on the frontlines of the Imperium’s battle to spread humanity’s influence across the galaxy. In Rogue Trader, you’ll be thrust into the unknown regions of space searching for profit and plunder. Get core rulebooks for both experiences along with dozens of expansions, campaigns, and resource kits, and help support Children’s Health Ireland!

 

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Kickstarter- Dice Coins Reborn

An evolution of dice and coins that offers a more immersive gaming experience! Original Dice Coins reborn with a base unit & new size.

I like coins, especially fantasy coins, and like most gamers, I love dice. It's in my blood.

These Dice Coins are literally the dangerous combination of two of my loves.

You can snag one Dice Coin and a base from the Kickstarter for 24 bucks plus shipping, but if you are like me, you probably want the full set (with a base) for 99 bucks plus shipping. 

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Deal of the Day - Heckin' Good Doggos

Alright, an RPG about roleplaying dogs? I'm in, if only because I know my wife will be in 110%.

Today's Deal of the Day, Heckin' Good Doggos, usually is 10 bucks, but until tomorrow morning, it is $4.

Heckin’ Good Doggos is a family friendly, all ages role-playing game where the players take on the roles of humankind’s best friends: The dog! It is a game of "Dogs doin' Dog Stuff" that focuses on the kinds of stories and adventures dogs can get into such as:

Finding their favorite treats.

• Barking at that squirrel up in the tree.
• Finding their human Best Friend who has gone missing.
• Banishing an ancient spirit that threatens the neighborhood.
• Scavenging for supplies in a futuristic wasteland.
• And so much more!

Heckin’ Good Doggos is a game of make believe where players can experience the world from an animal’s point of view. Some things will seem familiar, like protecting their backyard from potential threats and protecting their owners, while others are purely fantastic and whimsical situations they find themselves in like helping a ghost resolve its business so it can leave this world. It is simultaneously serious and silly, with an emphasis on crafting scenarios that make players have a blast while also having to solve the many challenges they will experience in ways that only doggos can.

 

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Humble Bundle - Tales of the Space Marine Chapters 2024 Black Library

I've been a Black Library Warhammer fiction fan for years, but I prefer audiobooks over electronic copies. Humble Bundle bundles are a fantastic way to catch up for those who prefer digital copies.

Tales of the Space Marines Chapters 2024 is the latest Black Library Bundle. You get 24 digital books for 18 bucks - or six books for a buck.

Discover the fearless exploits of the Adeptus Astartes—the elite Space Marines of the Warhammer 40,000 universe—in this collection of novels & fiction from Black Library! This galaxy-spanning bundle gathers war stories of Chapters and squads from across the Imperium, charged with defending humanity against the relentless forces of Chaos. Explore the grim darkness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and support EveryLibrary with your purchase!

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THANK YOU! For Supporting a Gaming Family!

This community repeatedly shows what it means to be a Gamer with a capital "G." I thank you all for giving and sharing in this time of need.

Quick update - Christopher Travis has hit his GoFundMe Goal of $2k (with The Tavern's match of $250 putting Chris over the line)

You can still give; I am sure any additional help will be appreciated.

Reminder: When you support The Tavern by using our affiliate links, you enable us to offer funding matches like we did with Christopher. Your money at work :)

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Backerkit - Gaslight Victorian Fantasy Revised and Expanded for 5E

Imagine a Victorian world, but not as history tells us it was, but as the literature implies that it was. Believe that the literature from the period was more than just stories; instead, it was first-hand accounts of the events that happened in the world.

At NTRPG Con this past June, I talked about the forthcoming Gaslight Victorian Fantasy Backerkit with Jonathan Thompson. I told Jonathan I was very much NOT a 5e player, but the more he pitched the setting, the more I was tempted. I am still very much NOT a fan of 5e D&D, but I do expect I'll be adding Gaslight Victorian Fantasy to my gaming shelves, digital and/or physical (but damn, I'm running low on space for new physical purchases)

Sixteen years ago, Jonathan M. Thompson and Stephen Miller introduced the world to Gaslight Victorian Fantasy. Battlefield Press is proud to bring you the revision that Jonathan was working on when we lost him. A fully updated and revised version for 5E Fantasy. This edition features an all-new cover brought to us by William W. Connors! 

Imagine a Victorian world, not as history tells us it was, but as the literature implies that it was. Believe that the literature from the period was more than just stories, but instead first-hand accounts of the events that happened in the world. Imagine a world populated by the lost boys of J.M. Barrie, the Beast Men of Dr. Moreau, and even tales of an immortal vampire named Dracula. Included in these are organizations bent on determining what is best for humanity, and they have launched a secret war against others so that only one will prevail. 

In Gaslight, you will find:

• A History of Gaslight Earth
• Races detailed for Gaslight Earth
• New interpretations of Victorian Economics, including both a cash and target-based wealth system 
• Rules for Social Standing
• Weapons and equipment from the Victorian era
• A Reliquary containing a few artifacts from the history of the Earth of Gaslight.
• A detailed Gazetteer and Timeline, including *NEW* information on other parts of the world, both the British Empire and its adversaries.  
• *NEW* Secret Organizations 

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Support a Gaming Family Facing Eviction

The below GoFundMe was brought to my attention by James Spahn (White Star and far more). The subject of the GoFundMe, as James told me, is:

Chris Travis has run the RPG Gamers Secret Santa tirelessly and thanklessly for years. He's having a shitshow of a situation and could use a hand.

There comes a time when help is needed, not just for yourself but for your family. Chris is having that time.

Support a Family Facing Eviction

It is Saturday night, September 14th, at approximately 10 PM ET. 

The Tavern will match the first $250 raised by members of The Tavern's Community by Monday night, September 16th, at 10 PM ET. The window is short because Chris has a brief time window to correct his violations.

Comment below if you donate or, if you wish to remain anonymous, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing with your donation amount. Please feel free to spread the word. 

 

Deal of the Day - Monstrosities (OSR Creature Book)

My favorite book from the Swords & Wizardry Days at Frog God Games is Monstrosities. I have two copies of it in print. Excessive, I know, but it IS that good!

Today's Deal of the Day at DTRPG is Monstrosities. Usually $24.99 in PDF, it is on sale for $10 until tomorrow morning.

Monstrosities thundered onto the OSR landscape when it debuted in 2013. Ten years after its first appearance, Monstrosities is back and better than ever with over 500(!) monsters.

Are you tired of seeing the same old boring monsters in your campaigns? Fear not, for the ultimate monster compendium is here again! And it's a monster of a book, pun intended.

You can never have too many monsters! No matter what kind of campaign, there are foes galore to stock its wildernesses and dungeons, even the unknown depths of its mysterious oceans. This is a compendium that contains the monsters from the rulebook and many monsters from the First Edition of the original roleplaying game, but there are hundreds and hundreds of completely new beasts. This book has everything you could possibly need to spice up your game.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your hands on this book and start unleashing an army of monsters on your unsuspecting players. Who knows, they might just thank you for giving them a challenge they'll never forget. Or they might curse your name as they run for their lives. Either way, it's sure to be a wild ride.

Note: This is a 2023 revised printing of the original Swords & Wizardry monster book, updated with errata, hundreds of illustrations, and twenty more monsters for your OSR game.

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Kickstarter - JOHN CARTER OF MARS® THE AUDIO SERIES w/5e RPG & Woola Plush

An audio drama starring SEAN PATRICK FLANERY, TIM RUSS, BRUCE BOXLEITNER, and TOM BAKER with RPG, CDs, books, prints, and Woola plush!

Imagine my surprise when one of the creators behind the John Carter of Mars The Audio Series reached out to me to set up a potential appearance as a guest on one of the Wednesday night live streams. Then, imagine my further surprise when I found out there was a week left in the Kickstarter, and I had failed to schedule said appearance. Yep, the last few weeks have been… hectic in the Tenkar household.

Well, I’ll be backing the John Carter of Mars The Audio Series. Over the last few years, I’ve become hooked on audiobooks and audio dramas. It's my preferred method of consuming fiction these days.

Backer levels start at $25 for the audio series and go up from there.

John Carter, science fiction’s original and greatest hero, returns in a multi-cast audio drama starring Sean Patrick Flanery of Young Indiana Jones and The Boondock Saints in the title role, and co-starring Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager), Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5, TRON), and Tom Baker (Doctor Who).

We're also offering a role-playing game supplement compatible with both the Fifth Edition of the world's most popular RPG, OSR ("Old School Revival"), and Pathfinder Second Edition rules, a digital download of the audio drama, a double CD set with Frank Frazetta art, a foldable map of Barsoom, limited-edition novels published in English and native Barsoomian (Martian), and the first-ever plush of John Carter’s loyal companion, Woola™!

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BackerKit - Worldographer 2025 (World Mapping Software Plus)

I've been using versions of Hexographer / Worldographer for the better part of a decade, and I'm excited to see what the latest version of the Worldographer software offers.

You can back Worldographer 2025 for 60 bucks, and it should release before the end of 2024.

If you haven't heard of Worldographer and its predecessor Hexographer, Worldographer is a map-making program that lets you create and edit world and region maps; city and village maps; as well as dungeon, building interior, and other battlemats, plus cosmic sector maps.

What makes Worldographer different from other map-making software?

• It installs to your computer: Unlike a web app, if the company goes out of business or if you're just on a bad connection, you can keep using it. Use it on Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, or anything that supports Java (it is written in Java, but has native installers for the most common platforms).
• Worldographer has many built-in generators. Want to create a world? Just choose a few settings and it creates one in seconds! Or generate a region, city, village, tower, shop, dungeon, and more! The results are fully customizable.
• Have a specific world or region in mind? Start a blank map, then rough in a fraction of the terrain. Next use our "Terrain Wizard" tool to fill in the rest of the map and edit the result.
• It doesn't just help you create and edit the map.  It also creates data about the world or city. For a world, it will generate a few bullets for each of several cultures, nations, and religions as well as details of cities, villages, forts, and other points of interest.  For a city or village, it generates a list of residents or staff/patrons/prices for a tavern or store.  All the data is fully editable.
• It can also generate locations of interest for a sandbox or hex crawl style campaign.

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Deal of the Day - Knights of Underbed

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Ever want to play Toy Story the RPG? When my kid was younger, this could have been his gateway to RPGs. I'm a fan of the Tinyd6 system, which does so much with such a simple ruleset.

Knights of Underbed is usually 15 bucks in PDF, but until tomorrow morning, it is DTRPG's Deal of the Day and is on sale for 3 bucks. At that price, it is a steal!

Explore the dark and dangerous basement, creep into the creepy attic, visit the glorious metropolis of Underbed, or adventure in the Dreamlands all while making sure your child is safe from evil monsters and nightmares that want to suck the happiness out of their lives.

Using this game you play stuffed animals, dolls, and action figures defending your sleeping human children from monsters and nightmares. Play grumpy stuffed dogs, mysterious black cats, energetic tigers, proud space rangers, determined penguins, good monsters, or any type of plush toy you can imagine.

Knights of Underbed uses the TinyD6 game with a setting and theme focused towards family play. It presents accessible, easy to teach, learn and understand rules, as well as carefully crafted content, just for kids and younger audiences!

This is a standalone book. 

 

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