Tavern Updates - Blog, YouTube, Substack - Oh My!

No time like the present :)

I was initially going to kick off the Revised Tavern in January of 2026, but then I figured November 1st, 2025. Well, it's the last week of October, and I'm kicking some of it off now.

Below is the new Tenkar's Tavern Weekly Content Calendar, for both long-form content and livestreams.

Free OSR content, for subscribers and members, will be released on Saturdays going forward. See The Tavern's YouTube postings for the links.

Going forward, I hope to have a daily calendar shared here that is updated with the coming week's video topics and the special guests for livestreams. I'm also looking into sharing some transcripts of recent videos here on the blog. 

I expect there will be surveys asking viewers about future topics ;)

Oh, and the Substack should relaunch shortly...

🍺 Tenkar’s Tavern YouTube Daily Content Calendar 

Note: All videos drop at 6PM ET unless otherwise listed

Day             Series / Focus

Sunday             OSR Chronicles (History & Legacy)

Monday             Rules That Matter (Mechanics Deep Dives)

Tuesday             The Modern OSR (Spotlights & Reviews)

Wednesday        Tavern Talk (Opinion & Industry Commentary)

Thursday            DM’s Toolbox (Practical GM Tips)

Friday 2PM       Collab Video (with Joe the Lawyer & Greyhawk Grognard)

Friday 6PM        B/X Deep Dive (Members First)

Sat 2PM       Public Premiere of B/X Deep Dive

Tavern Livestreams

Sunday (1st & 3rd)      9PM ET Sunday Knight Special with Joe Bloch and JoetheLawyer

Wednesday                   8PM ET Talking Crit with Bad Mike & Jim Kitchen

Thursday                      8PM ET Vlog of Many Things w/ Don Semora +

Friday (1st & 3rd)        8PM ET Dungeons, Dragons, & Discourse w/ Glen Halstrom

Friday (2nd & 4th)       8PM ET The Random Party Generator w/ Random

Saturday                       8PM ET Gamers' Health with Rach

Deal of the Day - Ravensrook: A Grimdark Urban Fantasy Setting (OSR & 5e)

 

It was pointed out to me earlier today that "grimdark" is currently "hot", and here we find a self-described "grimdark setting" as the Deal of the Day at DTRPG.

Ravensrook: A Grimdark Urban Fantasy Setting is today's Deal of the Day. Usable with 5e and the OSR, Ravensrook is on sale for $5 in PDF until tomorrow morning (usual price $10).

The Lands of the Free Lords is a patchwork of petty kingdoms, bandit lords, and misfit war camps sandwiched between evil empires, do-gooder nations, and religious zealots. While regional warlords rose and fell over the ages, there was one constant within this chaotic land - the famed city of Ravensrook. The Black-Winged City of Bandits and Brigands. The only proper city within the Lands of the Free Lords.

This supplement is fully compatible with 5th edition as well as the OSR.

Includes:

• A history of Ravensrook and its region, the Lands of the Free Lords.
• A full overview of the city’s government; Guilded-law, the Members of the Council of Lords, and the new Governor.
• A full breakdown of the four tiers of the city, along with the prominent businesses and Guilds to be found in each one.
• A full city map showing the locations of all the important businesses, Guild Halls, and governmental buildings.
• Information on 14 different factions within the city that are vying for power and control.
• Entries on the top 16 Guilds of the city.
• 23 entries for the most important NPCs to be found within the city along with role-playing notes.
• A listing of all the Gods worshiped within Ravensrook along with monsters specific to the city and their statblocks.

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We Launched a New Livestream This Past Weekend - Sunday Knight Special!

Yep, Joe Bloch (the Greyhawk Grognard), JoetheLawyer, and I kicked off a new twice-a-month livestream this past Sunday night - Sunday Night Special will be the first and third Sundays of the month @ 9 PM ET.

We had a VERY active live audience, and we want to reward our viewers by asking for their input on the topic for the next episode, on Nov 2nd. So, we put up a survey:

Vote and control our destiny...

Kickstarter - Torch Fail RPG and Miniatures

OSR-compatible tabletop role-playing game and iconic 3D miniatures!

I am a huge fan of Dirk Stanley/Simean Circle Games. Their Far Away Land RPG is one of my all-time favorite RPGs - light, atmospheric, and tons of content for it.

Torch Fail RPG and Miniatures is Dirk's latest Kickstarter, and while it may be his latest Kickstarter, his art style remains consistent, and I love it. I may need to finally set up my 3D printer.

In any case, I backed for the rules and STL files. 

What is this Project All About?

This project has two parts: the Torch Fail RPG and the Miniatures. All rewards will be delivered as digital rewards: the Torch Fail books in PDF format and the Miniatures in STL format. Backers have a choice to get the game, the minis, or the game and the minis. The Torch Fail RPG is OSR-compatible. The minis in this project feature your stock fantasy heritages (dwarves, elves, etc.) along with commonly found OSR monsters (like rust monsters, spiders, zombies, etc.).

Why do we need another OSR game?

Torch Fail creates a space between barebones/rules-lite and complex rule systems. The systems in Torch Fail are condensed to keep play fast and lite and allow space for narrative gaming while also sticking to an OSR framework. Torch Fail also takes steps to make elements of more traditional play a bit unique while still remaining compatible with existing OSR systems. The 64-page black and white book comes in digital format (PDF) and features...

 

 

 

Kickstarter - Gygax Memorial Fund - Put a Fork in IT!

Nope - It won't even be a picnic table

Short of some MAJOR Angel Backers stepping up - and they would have done already if they planned to at all, you can call this done.

The Gygax Memorial Fund Kickstarter is NOT going to fund. It's currently sitting at $47,333 with two weeks to fund - less than a third of its goal. Paul hasn't posted an update in over a week.

Personally, I feel this was a foolish way to try to put money into the GMF, but what do I know? I've only followed this trainwreck for over a decade...

Baggage is just that - baggage - it weighs you down. This Kickstarter had enough baggage to choke a whale.

DCC RPG Bundle - Over a Dozen Goodman Games DCC RPG Titles for less than 10 Bucks

I find it interesting to observe where different publishers are sharing their bundles. Fanatical has become an interesting third-party bundler.

There are three buy-ins for the Goodman Games Tabletop Horror Collection. Aside from the Dungeon, Monster, and Cthulhu Alphabet books (worth the price of admission itself), the value here is the DCC RPG Modules (and maybe the DCC D20 adventures). As always, expect a few filler titles, as shown in the following screenshots. My advice? Grab three titles for a buck (two are keepers) or go all in for 9.99

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Humble Bundle - WAAAGHTOBER Warhammer Computer Game Bundle

If you are a fan of Warhammer Computer Games, the WAAAGHTOBER Warhammer Computer Game Bundle for $12 might just be for you. That's $1 per game!

WAAAGH! War on an apocalyptic scale has arrived—how will you defend the Imperium? Gather your arms for the exciting Warhammer adventures within this action-packed bundle running throughout October! Sink your teeth into the very best from the Warhammer universe with brutal gunplay, blood-soaked narratives, and so much more. Bring glory to mankind as Captain Titus, a hardened hero tasked with retaking the Imperial Forge World from Orks in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Anniversary Edition. Or test your tactical mettle in Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector, the turn-based strategy experience steeped in grimdark warfare.

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Humble Bundle - Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company & More

Glen Cook's Black Company series is a classic series often discussed by RPG players. Well, it's now a bundle on Humble Bundle. Fill the holes in your connection.

Get 16 books from Glen Cook's Black Company series and more for $18 in ePub format.

From the Godfather of Grimdark, read the series that started it all!

Welcome the most legendary Book Bundle across the Sixteen Worlds—Glen Cook's bestselling Chronicles of The Black Company & More! The Black Company is Cook's acclaimed epic fantasy series following a group of hard-bitten mercenaries waging war on behalf of The Lady, who may be the very manifestation of evil itself.

"With the Black Company series Glen Cook single-handedly changed the face of fantasy."— Steven Erikson, New York Times bestselling author

Get Glen Cook's finest works, headlined by the complete Black Company collection—and gear up for the next installment arriving in late 2025! Pay what you want and help support the Call of Duty Endowment with your purchase!

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Deal of The Day - Belowdown for Shadowdark RPG

ShadowDark is one of the hot properties today in the RPG world, OSR, and beyond. It's not surprising, then, that several third-party publishers take advantage of the ShadowDark third-party license.

Today's Deal of the Day is Belowdown for Shadowdark RPG. Usually $15.99 on PDF, Belowdown is on sale until tomorrow morning for $8.00.

It is said a hole runs straight to blackest Hell. The Belowdown, a 19-level catacomb-skein of old ruins, misbegotten terrors, dark dwarf reliquaries, shuddering magic. Sharpen your blade to find riches or death for Shadowdark RPG.

Dyson Logos released a series of 23 relatively compact maps with a theme: all these maps are connected via a central shaft. Logos calls this “Iseldec’s Drop” and made these maps available to all creators. We’ve used the first 19 maps, placing an entrance to the Utter Below at the bottom. I imagine this as the home of the Shadowdark, as much as any world-wide malaise can have one.

We’ve decided to put our spin on this concept, calling it Belowdown. You’ll find forgotten civilizations, eldritch runes, bestial mutants serving brassine masters, serpent-people waiting for the End Times, necro-wizards preparing to create an army of slimy undead, and far more within.

A massive megadungeon of 19 interconnected levels, each with B&W maps, described in terse, evocative prose with crucial features outlined.

Factions such as brass automatons, the devil-lich, snake-people awaiting the end of the world, ooze worshipping toad-men, drow exterminators, mutant servitors, daemons seeking penultimate Chaos, and more.

Written with a focus on getting into play, designed so you can place the Belowdown in almost any campaign with little fuss. Menagerie Press makes Shadowdark-friendly modular adventures that are plug-and-play with your existing worlds.

 

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Deal of the Day - Adventure Anthology for Shadowdark

I truly enjoy ShadowDark. It's a great crossover game for those who wish to go beyond the 5e environment and dip their toes into the OSR.

Today's Deal of the Day is the Adventure Anthology for Shadowdark. Usually $19.95 in PDF, it is on sale for $7.98 in PDF until tomorrow morning.

Adventure Anthology is our Adventure Framework Collection #1 converted to Shadowdark, with some updates to formatting, editing, and art, compiled by myself and Shadowdark veteran William Murakami-Brundage of Menagerie Press (or Facebook page here). I supplied the adventures, Will did the layout and conversion work :) 

22 adventures

220 pages

PDF and Full size B&W hardcover (8.5″ x 11″)  

The book consists of twenty two short, sharp, independent adventures, designed for low prep, improvised play. Each adventure has a hook/rumours, core scenario, random encounters, NPC details, and B&W illustrations. Nineteen have hand drawn maps. The settings are common locations such as cities, forests, mountains, underground, etc, for easy insertion into your sandbox campaign. They're suitable for PC Levels 1-7 and generally run around six to ten hours of session time.

Originally written for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG, the adventures tend to be lower magic, with a sword & sorcery bent. There are some references to the people and places of the Midlands of Argosa, but these are easily swapped out for your favourite setting.

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I'll Be at Central New York Con June 12-14, 2026

 

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Kickstarter - Arduin's Portal to Adventure

A few quick things. I'm a huge fan of Arduin - not to run as is, but to use it for inspiration in my creations. It's simply fun and gonzo. I'm a huge fan and friend of the Emperor's Choice Games guys. Such solidly good gamers and people. My name is Tenkar, and I'm a Kickstarter addict ;)

Arduin's Portal to Adventure Kickstarter is more than just Arduin. It's also Barrows & Borderlands, gonzo science fantasy. And it's Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg, one of the oldest dungeons in gaming.

It's going to take me a while to figure out the level I am backing, as there are literally a plethora of choices. It's all good stuff though ;)

A Treasure Hoard of Old School Gaming! Starting with a awesome custom box to fit all the cool items you get in this bundle! You start off with getting the other two Rewards in the Kickstarter; Digital - PDFs of the Core Volumes! and The Legendary Arduin Trilogy Box Set Limited Edition! This gives you 7 PDFS, 5 Arduin Volumes, 4 Arduin Character Sheets, 1 Monster & 1 Magik Item Card and a set of Dice! In addition, because one box set is not enough...we give you the amazing Barrows & Borderlands Box Set Limited Edition, which contains 6 B&B Volumes, 4 B&B Character Sheets and a set of Dice!, The historic Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg (RPG history/philosophy, tips and tricks on how to be a better DM from the people who invented the game, a complete 10 level mega-dungeon module with OSR rules!), 5 Portal to Adventure Combined Character Sheets, 4 Arduin Art Prints, 2 Continent Maps of Khaora (Large and small size) and 2 Decks of Cards (Swords & Dragons Card Game) Playable with any old school roleplaying gaming system! A retail value of $304!!!

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Deal of the Day - FlexTale Campaign Generator

Want some of the best campaign tables short of using AI - correction, probably better than AI at this time? Today's Deal of the Day is FlexTale Campaign Generator. Usually $19.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning, Flextale Campaign Generator is on sale for $11.99

Summary

• Run an entire campaign from one book with zero prep! 
• Use this book to generate entire fantasy tabletop roleplaying campaigns.  With no advance planning.  With any rules system.  For solo or traditional gaming tables.
• Simply put: If you are playing, or plan to play, any sort of fantasy tabletop roleplaying game, this book will help you.  

Version 2.1 August 2025

I've added a TON of new content to the book, by popular demand:

• Another 35 NEW generator tables and tools, focusing on campaign management, worldbuilding, and dungeon generation.
• 96 high-resolution dungeon map images for creating your own dynamic dungeons.
• An Excel file containing EVERY one of the 226 generators in this book, and each of the 2,500+ results the book describes.

What is This Thing?

• It's over 200 generators, each one linking to others in an accessible, easy-to-use manner.  Roll a d12, or a few d12s, and you have your content.
• Use on its own.  Use it with other FlexTale books.  Use it with your homebrew tools.  Use it with other third-party books or lists.  Use it with officially-published content.  
• However you want to use it, the FlexTale Campaign Generator will help you.  Period.

A True Campaign Generator

• Not just 200+ lists of things.  “100 examples of X” tools aren’t unique. 
• Some are ultra specific, meaning it’s unlikely you’d ever use the same result more than once. 
• Others are far too vague, giving time pressed DMs little to latch onto creatively.
• The lists in this book aren’t 100 long, but the dozen results for each table are carefully curated to be engaging and easy to use balance in complexity, specificity, and context.
• Every result should be usable in every campaign, and adaptable to every context.
• Quality over quantity in results is the focus here.

Major Topics

• Each of these concepts gets its own section, with a dozen or more generators.
• Campaigns & Worldbuilding: 32 generators (new!)
• Quests: 57 generators
• NPCs: 23 generators
• Overland: 36 generators
• Encounters: 27 generators
• Factions: 5 generators
• Magic: 24 generators
• Rewards: 16 generators
• Penalties: 10 generators
• Utility: 8 generators
• Dungeon Generation: 3 generators (new!)
• Designed with Solo in Mind

The FlexTale Campaign Generator has been designed at every level to fuel exciting, engaging, and surprising solo adventuring.  Arguably the biggest challenge for any solo player is how to maintain the element of surprise--how can you be shocked, inspired, or excited about twists and turns that you yourself created?

Onward!

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