Well, the more I learn aboutStars & Sails, the more I can't wait to give it a play-through at Wizard Con in April.
Now that we have a sneak peek at an S&S character sheet, we can learn more about Stars & Sails. Apparently, resources are essential (rations and water have their own tracking boxes ;)
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Back in my college days, I was a huge fan of the ElfQuest series of comics. Well, for 18 bucks, you can own The Compete ElfQuest Bundle. I'm all in, 'nuff said!
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Here's the point where I talk about "connections." I've known Jeff Jones for several years. He laid out and edited the two issues of our Torchlight zine. He simply does good, professional work in a timely fashion.
Dark Visionsis a current Kickstarter project for the ShadowDark RPG. Starting as low as 12 bucks in PDF (I'm backing at $50, BTW), Dark Visions is:
"An expansion for the Shadowdark RPG focusing on cults, their gods, and their domains. Featuring 3 Player Classes (Cultist, Inquisitor, and Knight of the Covenant), 25 New Spells, and 16 Cultist Domains, each containing their own dedicated creatures, magic items, and tables. Not just a resource guide, DARK VISIONS includes a pair of stand-alone adventures that have the party following an occult trail into dank dungeons. You can string both of the adventures together plus add THE TOWER OF SIX companion zine to form a three adventure campaign!"
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
I must confess, when I look at new rulesets (or at least ones that I've never encountered before), I look for ones that will be convention-play friendly. I have plenty of potential rulesets to use at my home table, but convention play, IMHO, goes best with light rules that play fast.
TheCBR+PNK Bundle looks to be PERFECT for convention gaming. YMMV ;)
Adventurer! This new CBR+PNK Quick Deal presents the complete line of CBR+PNK minimalist Forged in the Dark cyberpunk pamphlets from Cabinet of Curiosities. In low-prep, fast-playing one-shot sessions, your team of Runners, living on the edge in the shadows of a gritty, ultra-violent world, make their last run. Maybe you'll recover a payload from an abandoned AI-run hotel – or buy an encrypted Hosaka key in the corporate megalopolis Mona Rise – or search lunar habitat Biosphere-5 for the escaped APX PRDTR. The CBR+PNK core rules fit in three four-panel pamphlets; you can print each pamphlet on one legal-size sheet of paper, double-sided. Read the entire game on a lunch break, then create characters and start running one of this offer's one-sheet adventures in 15 minutes.
For just US$6.95 you get all eight titles in our CBR+PNK Collection (retail value $36.50) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete CBR+PNK Core rules sheets, along with the Rookie character expansion; the plug-ins (rules options) Cyberpunk Hunters and +Weird; and four runs: The Ghost of Adelaide, Mind the Gap, Mona Rise Megalopolis, and PRDTR.
We presented the original 2021 version of the CBR+PNK core rules in our December 2021 Forged in the Dark Bundle. This is the 1.5 Augmented Edition funded in a March 2022 Kickstarter campaign. If you purchased the Dec 2021 Forged offer, check your Wizard's Cabinet download page for the new edition of the core rules.
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Alright! We are finally here—the wrap-up of OSR Christmas 2024—the final Days—Days 11 and 12!
If you see your name/screenname/handle below, you must email me at tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom with "OSR Chrismas 2024 Days 11&12" in the subject. In the body of the email, we'll need your real name, screenname/handle, and the gift you are claiming.
Good luck to all!
1 - Frog God Games 50% off Coupon
Hyrieus & rockmonolit
2 - $200 Frog God Games Store Credit (Note, Outside US MAY be limited to digital purchases)
GMJasonGURPS
3 - Free Holiday PDFs from Frog God Games: How Orcus Stole Christmas, Orcus on 34th Level, Orcus in a Winter Wonderland, Beware of the Yule Cat, & The 12 Days of Orcus
FallenAngel
4 - The New Adventures Darkand Deep Core Rulebook and Core Bestiary in pdf from BRW Games
Tim Baker
5 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set
Narmer
6 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set
DungeonMapper
7 - PIG Games - Worlds Beyond in PDF
macloud
8 - PIG Games - Swords & Six-Siders Expanded Edition in PDF
Matthew
9 - $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate
Doug
10 - $50 DTRPG Gift Certificate
Jeff Bernstein
11 -Emperors Choice - 1 BIG Bundle - US Only
ch\/\/olfgang
2 x Continent Maps of Khaora (Large and small size)
2 x 2024 Arduin Maps
2 x Original Arduin Maps
2 x Chorynth Country Maps 2024 versions
2 x Arduin Map Index Books
2 x Sets of Arduin Art Prints (Set of 4)
2 x Arduin Map Tubes
2 x Back Scratchers
Merry Christmas to all!
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Quick note! Return here tomorrow as we gift the gifts of the final days of OSR Christmas 2024! - Tenkar
I'm still trying to find the "perfect" sci-fi ruleset that isn't too complicated. Until now, White Star has filled that niche for me, but everything I've read about Faster Than Light – Nomad has made me think it could have competition. Based on the SRD of the Traveller rules, this 2D6 system has been well received by reviewers at DTRPG.
Adventurer! This FTL Nomad Bundle presents Faster Than Light: Nomad, the high-adventure science fiction tabletop roleplaying game from Stellagama Publishing. An evolution and expansion of Stellagama's Quantum Starfarer, Nomad's streamlined and approachable old-school rules support any kind of future space setting from cyberpunk to space marine firefights, free-trader interstellar travelling to mecha melodrama, and the galactic escapades of far-future star heroes.
Nomad roleplaying gameFor just US$12.95 you get all five titles in our Nomad Collection (retail value $56) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete Faster Than Light: Nomad corebook, plus the free Quickstart; three supplements – Mecha, Spacecraft Go!, and Synthoids; and Adventure 1: The Customs Job.
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Wow! We're almost a full month into the New Year, and we've already checked off one con for the year (PAGE 2). Con season is off to a great start.
The Tavern's Substack, regretfully, has not been off to a great start. Lots of distractions and a number of time sinks, but I'm cleaning off the plate and hoping to get back to the weekly posting of the Substack.
This past week, on Thursday to be exact, we DID kick off the Weekly Midday Livestream, or Random Tavern Chat. The plan is to have a livestream, likely around 1PM Eastern time, on a random weekday afternoon. Why random days? Because of family responsibilities, appointments for Rach and myself, various conventions, and travel, pinning down free time on a weekday is NOT easy. It WAS a well-received livestream hosted by Glen and me, and we would like to make the livestreams at times that are more convenient for those across the pond.
We launched The Tavern's Swag Store yesterday. More items will be added weekly. It's a great way to support what we (Tenkar and all of the co-hosts) do on the blog and the video channels.
Tomorrow, Sunday, January 25th, at 7PM ET, I, Ryan David, and Grim Jim D will be hosting Inappropriate Characters: Rerolled. Hope to see you visiting the live!
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Somewhere, I have the physical boxed set of D&D Gamma World (GW7e). I didn't even know what edition it was before seeing it as today's Deal of the Day. Usually 19.99 in PDF, Gamma World 7e can be snagged for 11.99 until tomorrow morning.
A wacky, wily roleplaying game of post-apocalyptic peril.
Earth. After the apocalypse. Never mind the radiation—you’re gonna like it here.
The D&D Gamma World Roleplaying Game offers hours of rollicking entertainment in a savage land of adventure, where the survivors of some mythical future disaster must contend with radioactive wastes, ravaged cities, and rampant lawlessness. Against a nuclear backdrop, heroic scavengers search crumbled ruins for lost artifacts while battling mutants and other perils.
This product is a complete, stand-alone roleplaying game that uses the 4th Edition D&D Roleplaying Game system as its foundation. It appeals to D&D players as well as gamers interested in fantasy science fiction set in a bizarre, post-apocalyptic world.
160-page book with rules for character creation, game rules, and an adventure
Here we are: Days 11 and 12 of OSR Christmas 2024. And my God, do we have some gifts for you to wrap things up!
Comment below by 6 PM ET, Sunday, January 26th, 2025, to be considered for a gift.
In no particular order:
1 - Frog God Games 50% off Coupon
2 - $200 Frog God Games Store Credit (Note, Outside US MAY be limited to digital purchases)
3 - Free Holiday PDFs from Frog God Games: How Orcus Stole Christmas, Orcus on 34th Level, Orcus in a Winter Wonderland, Beware of the Yule Cat, & The 12 Days of Orcus
4 - The New Adventures Darkand Deep Core Rulebook and Core Bestiary in pdf from BRW Games
5 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set
6 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set
7 - PIG Games - Worlds Beyond in PDF
8 - Pig Games - Swords & Six-Siders Expanded Edition in PDF
9 - $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate
10 - $50 DTRPG Gift Certificate
11 -Emperors Choice - 1 BIG Bundle - US Only
2 x Continent Maps of Khaora (Large and small size)
2 x 2024 Arduin Maps
2 x Original Arduin Maps
2 x Chorynth Country Maps 2024 versions
2 x Arduin Map Index Books
2 x Sets of Arduin Art Prints (Set of 4)
2 x Arduin Map Tubes
2 x Back Scratchers
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
“Stars and Sails” is a swashbuckling role-playing game set in a setting that combines planetary romance, pulp science fiction, and old-style adventures on the high seas.
Stars & Sails is $35 in Softcover plus digital and $55 in Hardcover plus digital.
Thank you for helping see this whimsical and magical Role Playing Game by Pauli Kidd come to life. We would like to introduce you to Pauli who is a legendary author and game designer.
Pauli has been in the RPG / Game industry for over 35 years. Pauli was the writer, director and lead designer of Nightshade, an action-adventure title for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and she was the lead designer for the mega hit video game Shadowrun.
Pauli has written novels for Wizards of the Coast such as Descent into he Depths of the Earth, and also White Plume Mountain. Stars & Sails is her full line Role Playing Game, that is a stand alone game. This means, you get everything you need to play the game in ONE book, so there is no other hidden charges or materials you will need.
We got back from PAGE 2 Sunday afternoon, and both Rach and I escaped Con Crud: The Reckoning. Still, we had a bunch of catching up to do, so gifting the gifts from Days 9 and 10 of OSR Christmas 2024 Got delayed, but I'm caught up, so here we go.
If your name/screen name/handle appears below, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern @ that Gmail thing. Please put "OSR Christmas Days 9 & 10" in the Subject Header. In the body of the email, indicate what your name/screen name/handle is, as well as what gift you are claiming.
Without further wait, let's get 'er done!
Gift 1 - Dragonlock Lost Caverns: Master Set FDG0410 ($50.00)
davrion
Gift 2 - Dragonlock Lost City of the Dwarves: Master Set FDG0411 ($25.00)
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
The Designers & Dragons Collection is incredible. I own it in print and PDF, and I really should circle back and reread the history. It really is that good.
For just US$7.95 you get all three titles in this revived offer's Starter Collection (retail value $35) as DRM-free ebooks:
Designers & Dragons: The '70s: The first volume in Shannon Appelcline's history of RPG publishers (now supported by the Designers & Dragons Patreon campaign). This debut installment covers Dungeons & Dragons, the turbulent history of TSR, and the first generation of RPGs. Foreword by Greg Stafford.
Family Games: The 100 Best: A hundred famed designers review and discuss their favorite games: Blokus, Can't Stop, Gloom, Kill Dr. Lucky, Prince Valiant, and dozens more.
40 Years of Gen Con: A photo-filled anecdotal reminiscence, compiled by Robin D. Laws, of the hobby's leading US convention. It's the best four decades in gaming!
And if you pay more than the threshold price of $19.22, you'll level up and also get this revival's entire Bonus Collection with four more titles worth an additional $40:
Hobby Games: The 100 Best: From Amber Diceless Roleplaying to Wiz-War, a hundred leading designers praise their favorites.
Designers & Dragons: The '80s: GURPS, West End, Palladium, Champions, and much more. Foreword by Cyberpunk designer Mike Pondsmith.
Designers & Dragons: The '90s: World of Darkness, Wizards of the Coast, Warhammer 40K, Atlas Games, and more. Foreword by Peter Adkison, founder of Wizards and owner of Gen Con.
Designers & Dragons: The '00s: D20, Pathfinder, the indies, and more. Foreword by Paizo Publishing founder Lisa Stevens.
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Yep, they had me warming the bench this morning for none other than Zeb Cook in the Autograph Booth ;)
Afterwards, I tried to tae a picture of every booth in the Vending Hall, but I know I missed a handful, especially GaxLand - Heidi and Erik's booth was constantly mobbed, and that's a damn good thing! I may swing by the Vendor Hall tomorrow in the AM.
This afternoon's SWL/B&A game was in Conference Room A at the Hilton Garden. One small problem - there was no Conference Room A at the Hilton Garden. There was, however, a board room, and by an 8 to 0 vote, we designated the Board Room "Conference Room A". Problem solved ;)
Sad to see the con is already wrapping up. Ah well, Total Con in a month. One needs to pace one's self ;)
I received the above "Gelatinous Cube" at the Severed Books table (far left vending aisle, next to the Frog God table). The Cube, to me, is a great representation of PAGE 2 - it has some hidden features you didn't quite expect at first, but damn, its special!
For as many tables, and people, that I saw at Day One of PAGE, the noise was surprisingly controlled. And yes, there were tons of people, way more than I could ever hope to name, but it was great to finaly meet friends from The Tavern's Discord, our YouTube Channel, and even ENWorld.
At 3PM. I hosted, along with YouTubers and authors, Jistin Alexander & Mike Shes, a panel on "Starting a YouTube/Teith Channel After Using Other Media." Blogging might not be dead, but much of the blogging world has moved on to other ventures.
I wish the panel had been recorded, as the questions asked were good oned, as were the answers from the hosts in my opinion. If you take home just a single lesson from the panel - if you want to start a YouTube Chnnel, just do it. Unless you stsrt, it will never haaen.
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Alright! I'll be at PAGE 2 tomorrow through Sunday morning. If you will be there, please track me down and shake my hand :)
In the meantime, it's time to put up the gifts for OSR Christmas Days 9 & 10. More gifts are more better! Comment below before 6 PM, Sunday, January 20th, to be considered for a gift!
Gift 1 - Dragonlock Lost Caverns: Master Set FDG0410 ($50.00)
Gift 2 - Dragonlock Lost City of the Dwarves: Master Set FDG0411 ($25.00)
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Adventurer! You can play many of your favorite tabletop roleplaying games by yourself with the solitaire rules expansions in this all-new Parts Per Million Solo Bundle. Solo play can help turn any rulebook into a quickstart. Learn a new game, test your first adventures, and get a feel for play before presenting it to new players – or just enjoy yourself! Indie game developer Peter Rudin-Burgess at Parts Per Million has designed dozens of separate solo rules supplements for many RPGs large and small, as well as play aids and books of helpful solitaire tips. Using techniques such as the flexible "oracle" method (where you roll dice to answer questions) along with "cut-ups" (short texts that inspire creativity), you'll play full-featured, surprising adventures that push your creativity and keep all the action centered on you alone.
(Caution: These Parts Per Million third-party supplements add solitaire options to a wide range of games, but the core rules for those games aren't included in this offer. To use any of the solo supplements in this offer, you must already own the original games they support.)
For just US$7.95 you get all seven titles in our Starter Collection (retail value $44) as DRM-free ebooks, including Players Guide to Solo Role-Playing; three volumes of helpful tips in the Easier Tools series – Easier Solo Play, Easier Solo Game Journals, and Easier Solo Mystery Play; and three sample solitaire rulebooks: Basic Solo Roleplaying System (for Basic Role-Playing, Call of Cthulhu, and other percentile systems), Hunter (for Monster of the Week), and Masked Hero (for Masks: A New Generation).
And if you pay more than the threshold price of $20.68, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with twenty-five more titles worth an additional $108, including 11 more solitaire rules sets – 13th Solo (for 13th Age), Alone in the Loop (Tales From the Loop), Dungeon Crawl Solo (DCC RPG), Lone Star (Mothership), Mastermind (The Between), Old School Solo (Old-School Essentials and other OSR games), Solo Adventures for Stars Without Number, Solo Core (2D20 System games), Solo FASERIP, Solo in a Lost Cause (Silent Legions), and Trophy Solo – and 14 Cut-Up Solo books with thousands of text snippets to help inspire your solitary creativity.
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Yep, this is overdue. The past week has been - challenging. Challenge accepted! In the meantime, let's award the gifts for OSR Christmas 2024 Days 7 & 8. If you see your name/handle down below, please email:tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing, use "OSR Christmas Days 7&8" in the subject, and in the body of the email, include your real name, your "google" name below, and the gift you are claiming.
NOTE: outstanding OSR Christmas emails will be addressed tonight and tomorrow - I appreciate the patience - Tenkar
Days 9 & 10 will go up tomorrow...
FDG0349 DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set ($25.00) Brian S.
FDG0351 DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set ($25.00) Jeff Bernstein,
Frog God Games 50% off Coupon X TWO! RhinoDino1973, FallenAngel
Sir Pellinore's Game PDF Nathand Christenson
Castle Perilous PDF Mike Bauer
$10 DTTRPG Gift Cert X TWO! Rob F. & David T. (via Discord)
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Weapons vs. monster
-
We discussed weapon versus armor in several posts. I think it is an
interesting subject, but I'm still not sure it is worth the effort.
It probably works b...
A Snowy Day in Hell: Diablo
-
Out of nowhere, yesterday, I decided I wanted to play Diablo 1 again. I
fiddled around until I got it to work - and oddly, it didn't seem to love
sitting o...
PHBR10: The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993)
-
From the back of the book:
Look out adventurers, they're here! This handbook describes in detail over
20 humanoid races that can be run as player charact...
Don't Call Him Black Stone
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Y'all know I love the Suicide Squad, so for today's post I wanted to do a
character from that team. Pebbles has one of the most unfortunate
codenames. Inte...
New Release: Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 Monster Manual
-
I went to my FLGS yesterday and picked up the last of the new Dungeons &
Dragons 5.5 core books, the new Monster Manual.
[image: Dungeons & Dragons Monst...
The Haunt
-
By Phil BeckwithP.B. Publishing5eLevels 4-5 In ages past, an ancient town
was lost and destroyed to a seige of orcs. Only one building survived and
to this...
Travel & Trade
-
What's it like trading goods among the living stars?
*MONEY AND POWER*Small currencies aren’t tracked in the game. Major
transactions use stellar fragme...
The Three Prongs of Art's Dilemma...
-
Okay, so the title's a bit misleading. There's lots of great artwork in the
gaming hobby, with something good for everyone, whether old school's amateur
...
Miskatonic Monday #336: Dead Body Shore
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Much like the Jonstown Compendium for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha
and The Companions of Arthur for material set in Greg Stafford’s
masterpiece of...
Mothership: Advent Dawn Session 4
-
This was a doozy of a session, and I ended up with pages of notes!
Ossie, wandering lost in the ship for a bit came around a corner to find
Doc Stir...
Here we are again.
-
I've given up on running TTRPG campaigns for the foreseeable future,
because I've got sick and tired of never knowing from week to week whether
the game...
A Brief History of Ukrasia
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This post provides a rough overview and timeline for the World of *Ukrasia*
(the setting for my “*Against the Court of Urdor*” campaign). The history
is ...
Hobby Bingo 2025: January Progress
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Welcome back to the Vault! I've painted a few bits and pieces in January
and made a dent into my Hobby Bingo card! First up is a Chaplain in
Terminator ...
On Resurrection in D&D: The Pincher Martin Gambit
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Why are D&D PCs resurrectable?
We do not like to think about the metaphysics or theology of D&D settings,
so it is generally a question that is left unr...
NTRPG Gaming Weekend
-
[image: NTRPG Gaming Weekend]
This weekend was a "game day" for North Texas RPG Con, held at the same
hotel the con is held at. I haven't slung dice since...
The Stats of a Dave Arneson Player Character.
-
If you want to find the details for one of the characters that Gary Gygax
made and played as a PC, perhaps to use as an NPC in your own game, it
isn't t...
Creating a Hex Crawl Series
-
I've seen several people doing the 30 days/30 dungeons or variations. I
love the idea, but I know my ability to focus on one series for that long
is abse...
Brink of Calamity proofs ordered
-
Hello, blog family. It’s been a minute. I’m happy to inform you all that
I’ve just ordered a proof copy of *Brink of Calamity* from DriveThruRPG.
When I ...
Check out this fashionable fellow.
-
I was looking at the *Tunnels & Trolls* stuff on the ebays and stumbled
across this guy. I love his visor, though I think it would be better if it
was p...
Articulations
-
Creating house rules, custom rules specific to a local group or campaign,
has been common throughout the history of D&D. What makes an effective
house rule...
Bat in the Attic Games and 2025
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Happy New Year Folks!
This would be a good time to update everyone on what has been happening
with me and my plans for the upcoming year.
Personal
I ...
A Fiftieth Anniversary Year
-
The 50th anniversary year of *Dungeons & Dragons *is drawing to a close. A
number of projects I'd been planning for this year finally came out, and I
...
A Quick Look at The Wizard’s Scroll II
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October of this year saw the release of The Wizard’s Scroll II, the second
issue of a White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game (FMAG) zine whose first ...
[BLOG] Towards Fomalhaut – and What It Is
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The City-State of Pentastadion
(as depicted in a 1932 university yearbook)
“OK, but what actually is Fomalhaut?” is not a question I get asked
specificall...
Writing playlists for all occasions
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Hello again! Going off the idea of inspiration elaborated on by the prior
post, I also have music playing while I write my various games and fiction
pieces...
The Tarot of Pips
-
Somewhere in your dice collection is a die like this one, the humblest of
dice. Although you don't know it, this small white die carries with it a
secr...
Blue Sky Temple, Revised
-
Last week, we made a crowdsourced dungeon on Bluesky.
It was fun and it yielded a cool dungeon with a lot of good ideas mashed
together.
This week, I ...
Pirates and Necromancers, a Play Report
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Over the Thanksgiving weekend we did a lot of gaming ranging from
“off-table” domain level stuff to some solo adventures to spell and magic
item rese...
OSR: Magical Industrial Gunboats
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Here's some useful information for river-based adventures using *Magical
Industrial Revolution*. Skip to Part 3 or click this PDF link if you just
want t...
Welcome new Greyhawk Fans!
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With the publication of the new Dungeon Master’s Guide, there are doubtless
going to be a lot of new D&D players interested in my favorite setting, the
Wor...
Grimdark vs. Eucatastrophe
-
Noisms has some interesting ideas in this post about his desire for some
depth to his grimdark, and turns to Gene Wolfe and Tolkien for relief.
Now, it ...
It's been a bit
-
Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well! I've had a lot going on and
haven't had much time to blog lately. Heres a recap of gaming events and
other st...
The Economy Engine, v0.2
-
I made a thing. For D&D 3rd edition, so it might not be that interesting to
a lot of people. But I made it and I think it’s cool. The 3rd edition
Dungeon M...
*'s in SpaaaaaAaaaace
-
A lot of SF (including a certain 2D6 RPG grandaddy) deal with ancient
aliens taking humans from Earth and dropping them, fleas and all, on one or
more w...
Last move - to self-hosting!
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As my vote regarding Substack in the “marketplace of ideas”, I’m moving to
self-hosting.
I’m now at (and hopefully staying for a long time at)
Blog: ht...
Time Rolls On
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Today is December 31, 2023, in the mid-afternoon. In less than ten hours it
will be 2024. 2023 2023 was a good year. But all years are good years. Both
goo...
This is an Important Game Mechanic
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*"That's the GM's Regional Map from my AOWG. And it's a damned good
regional map. It's not a good map for a Simple Homebrew Campaign. It does
some s$&...
Clean Your Room
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Looking back at my little blog here. That last post… wow, I was having fun
playing WOW Classic! That was August of 1999 and I was having a blast… it
was ...
Steve Jackson Interview
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James Maliszewski recently did an interview with Steve Jackson over on his
Grognardia blog. Steve chats about the beginnings of The Fantasy Trip and
upcomi...
ToAD Monster of the Week: Crocoman
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Now that I'm back doing the blog thing I thought I would use Tome of
Adventure Design to create monsters for The Black Hack.
Using the monster tables in th...
Strange, Dangerous, and Inhuman: The Fey and Fairie
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When I was a boy I loved fairy tales. Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in
Boots, Rumpelstiltskin - I devoured all of it. My fascination that there
was a strang...
New Map of the Elf Empire and Southern Isles
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I’ve been having fun developing a new map-drawing style that I think is
finally reaching a certain level of maturity. And yeah, it owes a lot to Matthew
Ad...
Dungeons & Dragonmead Fall Schedule
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*As you know, I run public classic Dungeons & Dragons games at **The Loaded
Die**/Metro Detroit Game Night's Board Game Nigh at **Dragonmead**, in
Warren...
Fiction in Airhde
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On a whim this weekend, I picked up some fiction off the TLG store. *A
Houseless God & Other Tales* and *The Mirrored Soul & Other Tales*, both by
the T...
Ravensburg Reboot: Streamlined City Map
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I mentioned in my last post how I was tweaking and reworking parts of my
Ravensburg setting. Today I streamlined the city map. The old map had lots
of redu...
And Now the News Draft Download on Patreon
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It's self-styled Throwback Thursday and *having just released the 34-page
draft booklet of Hill Cantons news to my Patreon backers* I am going to
indulge m...
The Withered Crag available now
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I just enabled the sale of the PDF version of The Withered Crag at
DriveThruRPG a few minutes ago, and the custom print version will be
available startin...
Annihilation Rising Goes live
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The latest in Fail Squad Games’ Quick Kick projects has gone live and needs
your support!! This project is only running 11 days and ends on 5/28/2019!
...
James's Celebration of Life
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We could not have asked for a prettier day for James's service. It was a
bit chilly and windy but gorgeous. A heartfelt thank you to all that joined
us tod...
Trap Tuesday: A step back
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I will get back to Tomb of Horrors soon. I found a topic that was
interesting enough to take a break. While interacting in a 5E group on
Facebook I talked ...
Let's Talk About Pacing!
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The idea, I think, is that the RPG is ultimately about the long game. Even
rolling back to the early days of Basic & Expert, the goal of the player
was...
Profane and Profound Prep Part 2
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This is part 2 of my work to edit my magic items for a DMsGuild release,
along with adding cursed items along the way. Here is part 1. Bone of a
Saint 8000...
Please, I don't do paid advertisements - don't ask.
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A little note since people have asked me about this. My video channel's
*not* an advertising platform, so I'm not available for hire if you want to
promote...
New website!
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Slowly but surely, all the content here will make its way — in updated
form! — to my new website: timbannock.com. For fairly obvious reasons, that
site wil...
Please Update Your Link!
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If you're seeing this, it means your link to the Greyhawk Grognard blog is
out of date.
Please update your link to www.greyhawkgrognard.com (RSS feed is
h...
Total Sales for WB:FMAG
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Hi Folks,
It's been a long time since I provided an update for the sales of White
Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game.
*LULU*
Print: 396
PDF: 433
*OBS*...
How can We Destroy this Campaign World?
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d12
1. You must trick a bard into strumming the *Chords of Fate* on the *Lute
of Annihilation*
2. Legends tell of thermonuclear weapons beneath megadunge...
Mord Mar - Session 5
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We had another successful delve into the dungeon yesterday. The delvers:
Moira, the Magic-User
Radovan - Human Cleric (of Odin?)
Khazgar Stonehand - Dwarf ...
A Small, Quiet Plea
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There has been a great deal of discussing political agendas, social
grievances, and personal attacks within the little corner of gaming that is
my hobby....
Bundle of Fantasy Age
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Bundle of Holding: Dragon Age/Fantasy Age: Available until March 12. PA
Presents: Fantasy AGE Freeport live play Green Ronin in 2018 The Fantasy
Age RPG ma...
New Free PDF Module: The Hyqueous Vaults
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A new dungeon module—written in celebration of OSRIC's 10th Birthday—by
Rebecca Dettmann, Allan T. Grohe, Jr., Jimm Johnson, Matthew Riedel, Alex
Zisch, a...
Swords & Wizardry Light: Session # 6
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Two months after our last session (thanks to things like 8th grade finals,
a 4 year-old's birthday and party, Father's Day, etc.), we finally had our
next ...