Bundle of Holding - Fate of Cthulhu

I'm not a massive fan of the Fate System (I had high hopes when I backed the Kickstarter for the core rules many years ago). Still, there are some significant fans of the Fate System, and the Fate of Cthulhu Bundle is probably a perfect fit for them during the month of October.

Hero! This Fate of Cthulhu Bundle presents Fate of Cthulhu, the tabletop action-horror roleplaying game from Evil Hat Productions. In this standalone "Cthulhu Mythos meets The Terminator" RPG based on the flexible and fast-playing Fate Core system, you're a soldier from the future who travels to our time to stop the arrival of the Great Old Ones. Horrible things will still happen, and you may give in to corruption (to gain powerful "corruption stunts"), but you'll use your foreknowledge to punch the apocalypse in the face – or die trying.

For just US$14.95 you get all ten titles in our Fateful Collection (retail value $62) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete standalone 256-page Fate of Cthulhu corebook (previously in our July 2021 Fate Worlds and Toolkits offer) and nine terrifying Timelines: The Ascellan Conspiracy, Rise of Azathoth, Rise of the Basilisk, Rise of Hastur, Rise of the Quiet, Rise of Tsathoggua, Rise of Yig, Rise of Yog-Sothoth, and Zombie Apocalypse.

 

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Bundle of Holding - Atomic Robo

It is no secret that I'm not a huge fan of the FATE system. Sure, I backed the Kickstarter and received oodles of support material, but the system itself just didn't do it for me.

The thing is, I AM a fan of graphic novels, and Atomic Robo looks like a fun one. I guess I can just ignore the included Atomic Robo RPG, or simply use it as a reference source.

Remain calm and trust in Science! We've resurrected our February 2021 Atomic Robo Bundle with nine complete .PDF graphic albums of the Eisner Award-nominated Atomic Robo comic series from Tesladyne LLC, plus the 2014 Atomic Robo RPG tabletop roleplaying game from Evil Hat Productions. In 1923 Nikola Tesla unveils a robot with automatic intelligence: Atomic Robo! Granted full American citizenship in 1938 after a secret military operation, Robo founds Tesladyne, a two-fisted think tank that explores the fringes of scientific inquiry. After decades of high-octane, full-contact hypothesis testing at the edge of human knowledge, Robo and the Action Scientists of Tesladyne are the go-to defense force against the unexplained.

Created in 2007 by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener, Atomic Robo has been online since 2015 at atomic-robo.com. There's giant monsters, rogue agencies, underground cities, trans-dimensional vampires, one particularly annoying dinosaur, and explosions – lots of explosions. Atomic Robo reads like the Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Buckaroo Banzai, and Rocketeer movies crammed into a robot who wears pants. Jump in anywhere – each graphic album in this offer is a self-contained story, so you can read them in any order.

 

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 Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Quickstart: Mindjammer – Dominion (Free)

What better way to start your week off with something that's free ;)

Mindjammer – Dominion has a Quickstart from +Sarah Newton and Modiphius Press.

Sure, it's built off of FATE (free download) which might as well be ancient Greek to me, but there's plenty of inspiration for me to borrow from this free Quickstart. Besides, some of my readers actually use the FATE system, so here you go, FATE in outer space.

From the blurb:

An Ancient War-Ravaged World and a Deadly Foe!

Quickstart primer and introductory adventure for Mindjammer — The Roleplaying Game.

Beyond the borders of the New Commonality of Humankind lies the Sentient Alliance, turbulent worlds where the embers of the Venu War still glow. And yet, stretched thin, the Commonality still tries to keep the light of civilisation alive. Join a team of recruits to SCI Force—the Security and Cultural Integrity Instrumentality—on a mission gone horribly wrong on the cold war frontier with the Venu Successor States. Can you rise to the occasion and save the day before yet another world falls before the encroaching night?

Dominion includes:

-Quickstart rules to enable you to play a Mindjammer game with just this book!
-Four pregenerated characters to get started right away;
-Descriptions, maps, and plans of a strange alien world with an exotic lost colony civilization;
-A complete action-packed adventure showcasing the Mindjammer setting and rules, playable in one or more sessions.

Experience the Mindjammer universe up close and personal as you join in the battle for… Dominion!

Mindjammer — The Roleplaying Game can be used to play in the New Commonality of Humankind, or as a complete and detailed transhuman space opera rules set for any science-fiction setting.

Looking for an OSR Chassis With some Fate-Like Trappings...

From what I've read (both in response to yesterday's blogpost and the corresponding thread on G+), Fate is too far from my comfort zone to ever run for more than a one shot. Without character development like a more traditional RPG, I don't see how you could hope to run an extended campaign of any sorts. Without the real risk of death of your character, there really isn't any risk at all.

This does not preclude me from playing in a game of Fate, I just don't see myself ever running it. As I GM 95+% of the time, I doubt I'll get much Fate in.

Now, I remember FUDGE, which Fate is built upon, but that's like saying Monsters & Magic was built upon OD&D - it's not, even if some of the superficial trappings are there. It is very much it's own game.

Is there a game / hack that combines "Old School" sensibilities (levels, expo, live or die combat) with some of the elements of Fate? Dungeon World doesn't seem to be it and I haven't read Torchbearer enough to see if it fits the mold. Monsters & Magic is a great game to convert old school to new school, but the play is most certainly new school.

Fate intrigues me and I love the settings - but the mechanics or lack there of leave me cold.

Sell Me on the FATE System (Which I Already Own, But Don't Grok)

I supported the FATE Kickstarter, and I know there is lots of good stuff in the system - I just can't seem to grok it.

It not like my problem with Savage Worlds - I think I have that covered for the most part, less magic and powers and the like. That shit is confusing as all hell.

No, with FATE my problem is more - central. Maybe that's not the correct term. My problem is the Core, and I mean that whether we are talking FATE Core or FAE. I almost feel it's within my grasp, and then it all goes all to shit.

I'm at the point that I'm thinking of getting one of those new fangled Kindle Paperwhites, so I can read FATE Core every night before bed and then sleep with it under my pillow, in the hopes that I will absorb this shit through osmosis.

Not that I think my gaming group is all that geared towards FATE, but one never knows I'll never know until I have a firm grasp of the system myself, and right now I'm grasping at straws.

Are you a FATEr? Pros? Cons?

Better then sliced bread or worse than a loaf hugged by a 3 year old for 35 minutes while sitting in a shopping cart and you still feel obliged to buy it?

New Bundle of Holding - Pay What You Want for a Bundle of FATE

Lets see, for as little as $4, you get FATE Core, FATE Accelerated, Spirit of the Century (my personal introduction to FATE), Full Moon and Ehdrigohr.

Beat the average price folks are paying (as I type this, its a hair over 12 bucks) you also get Starblazer Adventures, Legends of Anglerre, the Kerebos Club and any future additions to the bundle.

If you are "FATE Curious", this is you opportunity to get a ton of FATE for a really cheap price.

Did I mention it's all DRM free?

It's one hell of a Bundle of Holding

I'm in at $14 myself ;)

A Metric Ton of FATE (This is a Heavy Book)

So, I got my signed copy of FATE Core along with a set of FATE dice this weekend (I never paid extra for the FATE Accelerated book in print it seems).

What surprises me most? This book is heavy, which is surprising for it's size (trade paper back-ish) and page count (about 300 pages). I could hit somebody in the head with this and do some serious damage.

No idea if I'll ever play a session of FATE, let alone run one, but the book is a beauty physically and the font looks relatively easy on the eye to read. Maybe when I get through my OSR backload of reading I'll get to this.

Eh, who am I kidding? I'll never get through that backload ;)

Fate Core and Accelerated Go "Pay What You Want" at RPGNow. Will Others Follow?

Fate Core and the Fate Accelerated Edition have gone "Pay What You Want" on RPGNow. You can grab them for free or pay what you think they are worth.

Theoretically, you could probably grab them for free, read them, then decide to pay what you think they are worth.

So, is this the start of a new trend for RPG PDF pricing?

It's a good idea for products that have been historically free, as you can now "tip the creator".

I personally don't see a downside to it. Any other thoughts on it?

Is FATE a Game You Need to Play / Observe to Grok It?

I am beginning to think that FATE is a bit like Apocalypse World. No, the writing isn't so obscure and irritating that I want to throw the book across the floor (which is good, as I'm reading it on a tablet). What I mean is that FATE introduces some concepts that those familiar with more traditional RPGs (such as D&D and it's various offspring and clones) won't be comfortable with. Maybe comfort is too strong a concept here. Still, there's a disconnect for me when it comes to FATE, and that irritates me and I want to overcome it.

In this case, I'm talking Aspects and the like. I strongly suspect I need to see this in action before fully appreciating how this stuff plays out in game, not just in my head. Besides, my head can be a bit muddled at times.

Is there a podcast / youtube video that covers an actual play session of FATE?

I want to to grok it. Really I do...

Thoughts on Using Fate Core For One on One Play With a Novice Gamer

My wife has shown some interest in my RPG hobby, but I'm damn well sure she's not interested in dungeon raiding and the like that the OSR entails (I know there is much, much more to the OSR, but I'm using my wife's perspective, so bare with me)

She's enjoyed watching both The Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, so I have at least two genres I could use.

Here's the question - I have little experience with Fate other than reading Spirit of the Century and my current perusal of Fate Core. Does the system hold up for one on one play? Are there any house rules / tweaks you would suggest for one on one play? I think Fate is light enough for my wife to enjoy while not being so light that it will frustrate me ;)

I figure the setting itself can be painted with broad strokes and detailed as needed. I'm hoping to kick this off sometime after the New Year. We'll see how well I hit that target ;)

I Have Three Non-OSR Games Dueling For My Attention - There Can Be Only One!

I am solidly an OSR sort of guy. It's in my blood. It's what I caught my teeth on. Learning new game systems is sort of like learning a new language - I've found over the years I have my limits.

Savage Worlds is NOT one of the three games I'm currently looking at. It's a fine system and the Soloman Kane book could possibly tempt me at some point, but not now.

No, the three games in no particular order are Dungeon World, The World Between for Fictive Hack and the new/old Fate Core.

Dungeon World appelas to me because I know how well AW plays despite the poor presentation of the rules. Dungeon World overcomes that particular handicap. I do have an issue with the whole "training wheels, flag football, no one really gets hurt" aspect of the AW system. I need to look closer to see how DW adresses that aspect of the engine. (or just wait for a reader to point me in the right direction)

The World Between for Fictive Hack is just a fucking cool setting. Death and even crippling effects are in game system. I need to stop bouncing back and forth through the document so I can perhaps grasp the rules fully.

Then there is the granddaddy / baby of the group - Fate Core. I'm slowly making my way through the current iteration of the rules available via the Kickstarter and I like what I see. I "think" I'll be able to grasp the rules now. The Dresden Files were a beautiful yet painful read, and I feel the actual rules got lost in the presentation.

So yes, I'm looking for a system to run "in addition to" by usual OSR style of game.

I'm open to your thoughts / ideas / favs / hates / etc ;)

An Amazing Kickstarter - It Must Be Fate - FATE Core That Is!

I've liked the Fate System ever since I stumbled across it in Spirit of the Century a few years back. I've always thought it had the potential for some really fun campaigns  but there's been one thing holding me back over the years - I've never quite understood the rules.

Sounds silly, don't it? Liking a system you don't grok. Maybe it's more of a "potential like".

I also own The Dresden Files, which in many ways is a precursor to Apocalypse World - lets see how confusing we can make the system as we present it in this uber hip way. Yeah, Dresden didn't help me much.

So, now Evil Hat has released their Fate Core System Kickstarter. Funding has been open for 2 days thus far, and the goal of $3,000 has been surpassed and had hit $64,950  $65,070  $65,304 as I write this.

Holy shit! FASA, see what can happend when you put together a Kickstarter in the "right way"?

Evil Hat claims the new Fate Core will be easy to understand. I'm going to have to see if they are right.

$10 gets you access to the Fate Core Draft, and all expansions that get funded via the Kickstater.

$30 gets you the above and a hard cover book.

I'll be in for $30...

(edit - a pledge of $1 or more gets you immediate access to the current Fate Core draft - it's 304 pages)

On the 18th Day of free Holiday Gaming Swag, My Bartender Gave to Meeeee..... FATE SRD

When Spirit of the Century came out, I knew I liked the FATE system.  When I heard the Dresden Files RPG  was going to be built upon the FATE SRD, I was in hands down.  Both are excellent games.  I've yet to play either.  Damn it1  I wanna play!

So, without further ado, here is the link for the FATE SRD.  Enjoy.

The Games I Own, But Have Never Played - FATE

I really dig FATE. I liked it in SotC, I was excited with what I saw with Starblazer's Adventures, Strands of FATE kicked my imagination into high gear - and I'll probably never play it.

Believe it or not, I'm okay with that. I'm actually afraid that FATE might not play as well as it reads, because it reads very well. Okay, maybe that doesn't make the most sense. The thing is, SotC reads better then any game I could run, and I'm not sure my old gaming group would be able to sink their teeth into the FATE system, as they are big on crunch, which FATE seems to grind under its capital letters.

I won't pack SotC away, as it is a good read unto itself. The rest of my FATE is in PDF, so I have access to it wherever my iPad is. I may not get a chance to play with FATE, but I'll read it. That can't be too bad.

It Was FATE

FATE, the best system I have never played.  Heck, I'm not sure if I can get my group (reformed from my college years) to play it... or anything at this point.  It would have to be via Fantasy Grounds 2 or iTabletop v.2.  Kinda hard to sit face to face when your group sits on opposite coast of the U.S. and in between.

In any case, FATE has a couple of incarnations.  Which is great, because not everyone wants to play Pulp Era games (this is where FATE came into its own).

Lets see what FATE shall bring us...

Legends of Anglerre  from Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. - Complete Fantasy game using the FATE system (20% of using the June Promo Code "JunePodBlogDriveThru2010" at RPGNow)

Starblazer Adventures also from From Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. - Complete Sc-Fi game using the FATE system (20% of using the June Promo Code "JunePodBlogDriveThru2010" at RPGNow) - Based on the British comic book, NOT the Japanese animated series many American may remeber.  Still way cool. 

Diaspora from VSCA Publishing.  Another Sci-Fi game, this one is geared more towards hard sciencish-ness and includes tools to create your own setting.  abit "sandboxish" if you like.  My latest FATE related purchase BTW.

Spirit of the Century from Evil Hat Productions. Stand-alone pulp role-playing game.  For many (like me), this was the first time they had heard of FATE.  Excellent production values and a great read.

The Dresden Files RPG also from Evil Hat Productions.  This was the one I had been waiting for.  The opportunity to run a game in Harry's world.  I'm still trying to digest the books. ;)

Hmmm, that's all the FATE I own (plus the free SRD, which I linked above and will again here).  I need to do a fuller search i think.  If any know of settings / games I missed drop me a note please.

I'm Crazy - Really Loopy

Yep, on my weekend getaway I made a purchase at RPGNOW / DriveThruRPPG. Nothing new there, I tend to pick up PDFs there on a nearly weekly basis. I need to find time to read them... heh.

It wasn't the purchase of OUBLIETTE Issue 2 that makes me label myself as crazy. The first issue was a good one and I have no reason to expect anything less from the second issue. This purchase probably marks me as somewhat sane. Haven't done more then glance at it yet.

No, the purchase that marks be as loopy, crazy, jumped into the deep end of the pool is Legends of Anglerre. I'm a big fan of the FATE system even tho I've yet to use it in game. Spirit of the Century, Starblazer Adventures (nice, loose sci-fi rules), Dresden Files... its a great system for storytelling. Legends of Anglerre makes the FATE system accessible to us Fantasy roleplayers. And it looks good so far. I say so far because its a huge friggin book. The damn iPad is getting a workout.

Now all I want to do is read ALL of my FATE powered RPGs and see what I can steal from each. There is not enough free time for me to do so. And it is really driving me loopy. It's not like I can read the stuff at my desk at work... or I could, but the results won't be pretty, work-wise.

I need another vacation. ;)