Deal of the Day - D&D Gamma World RPG (GW7e)

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
• 2 sheets of character and monster tokens
• 2 battle maps
• Character sheets and mutation power cards
• Mutation power card deck
• Loot power card deck

New Release - Batteries Low, Getting Dark (Gamma World 1e)

Continuing with the "mo secrets" aspect of the posts for 2022, I consider Thom Wilson a personal friend. He has participated in OSR Christmas for years and has had me as a Special Guest at Shire Con in September for the past few years (I still can't apologize enough for missing the last Shire Con this past September but my car had a mind of its own).

Thom is an excellent writer of old-school adventures and material, and he has a soft spot for games like Gamma World. Go figure ;)

Batteries Low, Getting Dark for Gamma World 1e was Kickstarted by Thom in 2021 and is now available on DTRPG for 5 bucks in PDf, 15 bucks for print. I've read my copy, and it tempts me to take my Gamma World 1e ruleset out of storage to run it as a one-shot.

While traveling along an old, westbound trail, characters notice a mysterious petrified forest within sight of their latest campsite. Upon investigating, they discover a pre-war manufacturing plant amidst the tall, stone-skinned trees. Lying hidden in the forest, the facility seems to be relatively untouched since the great wars. If the characters can find a way in, they are sure to find vast, untold resources within...

This adventure was designed for use with first edition Gamma World but can be adapted to any post-apocalyptic roleplaying game.

42 B&W interior pages, digest sized booklet.

For 1E Gamma World (sci-fi) adventures

Created for the North Texas RPG Convention, 2019

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Kickstarter - Batteries Low, Getting Dark - a Post-apocalyptic Adventure

A low- to mid-level adventure for your favorite post-apocalyptic setting.

I've always been a fan of Gamma World. It's the first RPG I bought after getting my AD&D 1e Core books back in the day. I was very confused about how Hit Points worked in Gamma World.

Now, I am NOT saying that the Batteries Low, Getting Dark - a Post-apocalyptic Adventure Kickstarter is written for Gamma World. What I AM saying, is that from all appearances, it should work with Gamma World 1e without a hitch. As always, YMMV ;)

This adventure was play-tested at the North Texas RPG Con in 2019 using the first edition of the Gamma World system. The stat blocks of Batteries Low, Getting Dark will be suitable for the play-tested system, or can easily be modified for other systems of similar genres. 

100% of the adventure is written. All maps and art have been completed. At the time of project launch, the work is midway through editing. My hope is that before the project ends, the book will be in or through layout.

The B&W, digest-sized, perfect bound book will be between 32 and 40 pages in length. The adventure features 40 plus encounter areas in total.

Unlike other adventures written by ThrowiGames for this genre, the book's layout will be built around the custom artwork of several artists. Each piece is at least half a page in size, and has been created exclusively for this adventure. 

Count me in. Heck, I backed this yesterday :) 

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Christmas in July Sale - Tavern Picks - Part II - Classic TSR Era Settings and Rules

Today I continue with further Christmas in July Sale Picks. As stated previously, everything that is on my pick list for the current Christmas in July Sale at DTRPG is something I own, either in print, PDF, or both.

My Christmas in July Picks Part I post can be found at this link.

Now, on to today's Classic TSR Era Christmas in July Picks:

Planescape Campaign Setting (2e) - Sigil - The City of Doors. There is so much I liked about this setting. My players, however, preferred Dark Sun. 

Discover the multiverse! Enter infinite universes of infinite variety, worlds beyond the prime-material settings of the AD&D game. Explore Sigil, the City of Doors, filled with portals to every layer of every plane. All you need is the right key, including. . .

• A Player's Guide to the Planes: A 32-page primer that introduces DMs and players alike to the grand design of the multiverse.
• A DM's Guide to the Planes: A 64-page book of valuable information solely for the Dungeon Master.
• Sigil and Beyond: A 96-page gazetteer that introduces Sigil and its surrounding plane as the starting point for planar adventures. From Sigil all the Outer Planes may be sampled by novice and veteran explorers alike.
• Monstrous Supplement: a 32-page, full-color Monstrous Compendium booklet.
• Four poster-size maps depicting the planes.
• A four-panel DM screen designed especially for planar campaigns.

Normally 14.99, on sale in PDF for 11.24

Gamma World (1e) - The first RPG I bought for myself, the whole "Constitution Score equals the number of Hit Dice" caused a lot of head-scratching back in the day.

In a quest for survival and in search of a better future, the players adventure across the land, enduring hardships and encountering dangerous obstacles and mysterious foes - never knowing quite what to expect. The result is a game that can go in many directions, but which will be challenging and fascinating no matter what the outcome.

The GAMMA WORLD™ Set includes all the basics needed to set up your own "world": game booklet (packed with terrible mutants, as well as guidelines for creating additional ones of your own), a large campaign map (designed to be easily modified by individual gamemasters), and a full set of polyhedra dice. The only other things necessary are a good imagination and a spirit of adventure!

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (2e) - Forget the City of Doors. Give me a ship that sails the skies and I'm good as rain!

Multitudes of worlds wheel through Wildspace. The crystal shells that encase them bob and drift in a turbulent, rainbow ocean which fills all the cosmos. Sturdy merchants, bold pirates, and daring explorers venture into the great, unknown vastness of the universe, seeking wealth and adventure.

The SPELLJAMMER Game puts you in command of a fantastic ship capable of spanning the tremendous distances between planets. Graceful elven flitters, stately illithid galleys, deadly beholder tyrants, and the awesome Spelljammer itself carry trade, emissaries, and heroic action throughout all the worlds of the AD&D game.

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

D&D Rules Cyclopedia (Basic) - Often referred to by many as the single, best rulebook of the era, I remember houseruleing my AD&D campaign with rules taken in whole from the Rules Cyclopedia.

Whether you're a player or a Dungeon Master, the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia is now the comprehensive sourcebook you need for the original fantasy roleplaying game! For ages 12 and up, the Cyclopedia contains the compete game system and hundreds of features, including the following:

• All the rules from the D&D boxed set series, including Basic, Expert, Companion, and Masters
• Guidelines to develop and play characters from levels 1-36
• Comprehensive lists of weaponry and equipment
• Expansion rules including optional skills and talents
• An overview of the Known World and the HOLLOW WORLD game setting, the official D&D campaign world; and Rules to convert D&D games and characters into AD&D 2nd edition game statistics and back again

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn - I bought this game for my sister to play, so in the end it became mine ;) 

Alpha Dawn... stage one of the Star FrontiersTM science fiction game system.

A great way to enter the world of science fiction role playing.

These Basic Rules teach you how to create characters, move and fight on the game map, and how to create adventures of your own. The included adventure, Crash on Volturnus, is simple enough for both beginning players and referees.

Stage two... expanded rules and much more!

Picture the world-famous Dungeons & Dragons game. Now imagine this same excitement in a science fiction setting. You'll find our Expanded Rules add that kind of challenge, detail, and opportunity for victory. 

Everything you need: This set includes the Basic Rule Book, the Expanded Rule Book, the Crash on Volturnus Adventure Module, printable full-color map, printable counters.

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

Dark Sun Boxed Set (2e) - A great dark setting for D&D. I don't think WotC could do it justice in today's environment.

Amid the barren wastelands of Athas lie the scattered city-states, each in the grip of its own, tyrannical sorcerer-king. Protecting their own positions with dark magic, they demand absolute obedience. The restless mobs are placated with bread and circuses --the arenas overflow with spectators seeking release from their harsh lives.

The land outside the cities belong to no one. Savage elves race across the deserts while insectoid Thri-Kreen satisfy their taste for blood. Dwarves labor at projects beyond the scope of men, and feral halflings lie in ambush.

Athas is a land of deadly magic and powerful psionics that offers promise of glory or even of survival. Those who do not have the cunning to face life on Athas will surely perish - leaving nothing but bones bleached white under the blistering rays of the DARK SUN

On the sands of Athas you'll face:

• Three new PC races!
• Muls - half-dwarf, half-human; specially bred for combat!
• Thri-Kreen - the savage mantis-warriors of the Barrens!
• Half-giants - bred for tremendous size and strength
• Three new PC classes!
• Gladiators - heroes of the arenas, the ultimate warriors!
• Templars - Wicked priests who serve the sorcerer-kings!
• Defilers - wizards whose powers drain the life around them!
• More powerful PC's
• All Dark Sun game characters begin at 3rd level!
• Ability scores that can go as high as 24!
• All PC's have one or more psionic powers!
• The new character tree allows players to advance many characters at once!

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

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Gamma World 1e Bundle - PDF - $9.99

Well, this caught me by surprise. There is a post-apocalypse sale going on at DTRPG and one of the highlighted bundles is a classic TSR era Gamma World 1e Bundle - core rules, Gamemaster Screen, and three modules for 9.99

As a side note, does anyone know why there are three different Gamma World logos for 1e?

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ZineQuest 3 - Gamma Zine

I'll be sharing various ZineQuest 3 projects over the next days and weeks, and I'll be doing a series of Fireside Chats (12 in the next 11 days) live on our Youtube Channel (which will then be shared on the Tavern Chat podcast)

Today I'm peeking at Gamma Zine #3. This a zine showing love for the classic Gamma World RPG originally published by TSR. Written and published by Thom Wilson of Throwi Games. Thom has a proven track record with both delivering Kickstarter projects and producing zines.

Do you still play Gamma World or another post-apocalyptic, science fiction RPG? Do you wish there was more material for the games you play? Well, your wish has been granted: a B&W fanzine for your post-apocalyptic game campaign or reading pleasure! In the third issue of Gamma Zine, you'll find three short adventures, new mutated monsters, lost and forgotten tech, and more.

The zine will be black & white, perfect bound, and digest-sized. The size of this third issue is fixed because it's already written!

Although the fanzine will focus primarily on the first edition of Gamma World by TSR, we'll try to keep much of the fanzine flexible to allow the reader to adapt its contents to other systems. However, when statistics are displayed for foes and challenges, we'll use the earliest edition of Gamma World for the rules and stats.

Tonight at 8 PM Eastern, Thom will be joining Bad Mike (NTRPG Con) and myself on our weekly Talking Crit Livestream. In addition to pumping Thom for information about Gamma Zine, we'll drag Thom along on our usual hexcrawl through the past week in Gaming News.

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Kickstarter - Gamma Zine, Issue #2 (ZineQuest)

Gamma World was my second RPG and the first I bought with my own money. I remember being confused that the number of Hit Dice was determined by the character's Constitution score. Took me a while to wrap my head around that one ;)

Gamma Zine, Issue #2 is a zine for the fans of old school Gamma World. It's by Thom Wilson / Throwi Games. Thom is a workhorse that simply produces great old school gaming material. I expect no less from this Kickstarter.

Do you still play Gamma World or another post-apocalyptic, science  fiction RPG? Do you wish there was more material for the games you play?  Well, your wish has been granted: a 36-page fanzine for your  post-apocalyptic game campaign or reading pleasure! In the second issue  of Gamma Zine, you'll find three short adventures, new mutated monsters, lost and forgotten tech, and more.

The zine will be black & white, saddle-stitched and digest-sized. Unlike the first project in 2019, the size of this second issue is fixed because it's already written!

Although the fanzine will focus primarily on the first edition of  Gamma World by TSR, we'll try to keep much of the fanzine flexible to  allow the reader to adapt its contents to other systems. However, when  statistics are displayed for foes and challenges, we'll use the earliest edition of Gamma World for the rules and stats.

Christmas in July Sale - WotC / TSR Picks

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of classic TSR Era releases that are now available in PDF and often POD via DTRPG. All of the TSR Era PDFs are on sale for the Christmas in July Sale, and I'm going to pick out a few favs and notable ones.

Gamma World (1e) - My first (and only - in my heart of hearts) version of Gamma World, this holds a very special place in my gaming collection as the first RPG I owned after getting my core AD&D 1e books. Never like Constitution for Hit Dice though - This is the setting for a GAMMA WORLD™ campaign, with players taking on the persona of an individual character somewhere in this forbidding locale. In a quest for survival and in search of a better future, the players adventure across the land, enduring hardships and encountering dangerous obstacles and mysterious foes - never knowing quite what to expect. The result is a game which can go in many directions, but which will be challenging and fascinating no matter what the outcome. 9.99  7.49

Boot Hill Wild West Role-Playing Game (2nd Edition) - Another of my early RPG purchases, I learned about Boot Hill from the AD&D 1e DMG. Sadly, my group didn't express much interest in playing it - You step from the cool shade of the Long Branch Saloon into the midday heat of Promise City. Loosening your Colt in its holster, you look down Main Street and spot the leather and denim-clad stranger who called you out. Citizens of the town scramble for cover as they sense the forthcoming battle. The outlaw doesn't look fast enough to match your draw, but ... wait! Your keen eyes catch the unmistakable glint of the sun against gun metal from the roof of the dance hall—the yellow coward has a buddy who's going to shoot you in the back! What will you do? Think fast. or you'll be the next resident of ... BOOT HILL! 4.99  3.74

The World of Greyhawk (1e) - This was all the setting we needed back in the early 80s. Heck, my original maps still have stains from the grease pencils we used to mark the territory my gaming group was conquering in the Wild Coast ;) - So the players have been complaining that the campaign is too dull, eh? Not enough detail? Why is this country at war with its neighbors? How can trade routes exist with all those wandering monsters? Most importantly, why do all of those unsacked, unlooted dungeons and ruins stand so close to the one big city all of the adventurers in the world hail from? Rejoice, Dungeon Masters, and relax! All of these questions can be answered by following the example of the volume in your hands. The World of Greyhawk is here, and is suitable for use as the backdrop of a new campaign without changes; or, as an alternative, city, country or geographical descriptions can be used to fill in details for existing campaigns. The World of Greyhawk is in the form of a gazetteer written by a historian native to the region, and as such includes the calendar systems used by the peoples of Oerth, a history of the major nations over the last thousand years, a discussion of climate in the different regions of the world, and even an appendix listing many runes and symbols (and their meanings) which are found in ancient and magical writings. 4.99  3.74


Fiend Folio (1e) - Before I owned a copy of the Monster Manual, I snagged a copy of the Fiend Folio. It was here that I learned that HDstood for Hit Dice, and WAS NOT synonymous with HP. Damn, my group was disappointed when the monsters started having more than 1 HP per HD :)  A Guidebook of Creatures Malevolent and Benign. This tome contains alphabetical listings of monsters designed for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game system. Each creature is described and most are illustrated for easy identification. Using the new encounter tables contained herein, this work is sure to add new excitement to any AD&D game. 9.99  7.49

T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil (1e) - I've heard it claimed that ToEE is not a megadungeon, and I would have to disagree. I ran it was a campaign at least three times in my high school and college years, and any dungeon that can keep a group running for months is mega in my eyes - A sinister force, long thought destroyed, stirs from the black hole that spawned it. Like an ebony darkness it prowls the land and safety is but an illusion, for it watches from every shadow and ponders possibilities. What began years ago, with the introduction of the players to the quiet village of Hommlet and the amazing lands of Greyhawk, at last is complete. Here is the long-awaited campaign adventure, featuring the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil, where a great evil broods and grows beneath its blasted stones. This is your chance to drive it back and scatter its force again. This product includes the village of Hommlet, the filthy shire of Nulb, and reveals the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil and the labyrinths that lie beneath, a warren of darkness. And beyond these ruins, even more, is revealed. For the first time, this product provides a complete campaign adventure, which will take beginning characters from 1st all the way to 8th level and possibly beyond! Hours of adventuring await you! 9.99  7.49

D&D Basic Set Rulebook - Moldvay Basic. This was the Basic Set of rules as I knew them and of course, teenage me was not impressed with anything named "Basic" as we played "Advanced". I'll admit it now, I was a fool - This is the 1981 edition of the D&D Basic Rulebook, which was sold as part of the boxed D&D Basic Set and also on its own. It was the first true standalone edition of what became "Basic D&D" as previous editions had instead been based on OD&D play. 4.99  3.74

You can also snag the D&D Expert Set Rulebook for 3.74

B2 The Keep on the Borderlands - Although I refused to play or run Basic D&D "back in the day" I had no problem running The Keep on the Borderlands with the AD&D rules. An adventure as well as a sandbox setting (and home base), it has been a go-to for me for many years -This module includes a cover folder with maps and a complete description booklet to form a ready-made scenario for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Basic Set. It has been specially designed for use by beginning Dungeon Masters so that they may begin play with a minimum of preparations. Within are many features to aid novice players and Dungeon Masters: legends, history and background information, a list of adventuring characters, tips on how to be an effective Dungeon Master, plus an interesting area for characters to base themselves in (the Keep) before setting out to explore the Caves of Chaos. 4.99  3.74

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New In Print - Gamma World First Edition (POD)

Wow. I'm surprised how excited I am to see that Gamma World First Edition has gone Print on Demand. Gamma World was the first gaming product I bought with my own money. I bought it at The Complete Strategist in Manhattan. It was also one of my few times I rode the subway, and certainly the first time I rode without my parents. So, I put my token in the turnstile and pushed the turnstile, yet failed to walk through the turnstile. Yep, I had to yop the turnstile I had already paid for.

In any case, I still remember trying to wrap my head around hit points being rolled based directly on Constitution instead of character level. I mean, it looked just like AD&D, but then it so obviously wasn't. Then there were those flow charts! Perfect for understanding physics in high school ;)

I still have my original boxed set of Gamma World 1e, but the box has taken a beating over the years.

The PDF is 9.99, Print is 19.99 and Print plus PDF is 21.99

Can you survive in a world gone mad? A world where civilization as we know it has been destroyed in a cataclysmic holocaust? What is left in this world? Find out and encounter such bizarre things as mutated plants and animals more terrible than you can imagine, radiation wastelands that stretch as far as the eye can see, and fearless machines gone uncontrollably beserk . . . 

This is the setting for a GAMMA WORLD™ campaign, with players taking on the persona of an individual character somewhere in this forbidding locale. In a quest for survival and in search of a better future, the players adventure across the land, enduring hardships and encountering dangerous obstacles and mysterious foes - never knowing quite what to expect. The result is a game which can go in many directions, but which will be challenging and fascinating no matter what the outcome. 

The GAMMA WORLD™ Set includes all the basics needed to set up your own "world": game booklet (packed with terrible mutants, as well as guidelines for creating additional ones of your own), a large campaign map (designed to be easily modified by individual gamemasters), and a full set of polyhedra dice. The only other things necessary are a good imagination and a spirit of adventure! The GAMMA WORLD™ rules are also suitable for use with the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONSTM rules. 

The GAMMA WORLD challenge awaits you - are you ready? 

This digital edition includes the PDF version of the book, and a ZIP file containing printable JPGs of the campaign map. 

Note on the print edition: The maps and other elements have been added as bonus pages in the print book. If you plan on using the map at your table it is recommended that you purchase the "Multiple File Formats + Softcover Color Book" combo and print the digital version.

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What is the SECOND RPG You Owned?

Most of us started with D&D / AD&D in one of it's various flavors, although I have seen a significant number that started with other RPGs, which is pretty cool.

This is not a question asking about the RPG that was your gateway into the hobby.

Instead, it's a question about the game that you were drawn to AFTER being introduced to the hobby.

For me, that game was Gamma World. It's not the second RPG that I played (that might have been Gangbusters), but it was the second RPG that I owned and the first one that I bought with my own money. It was also my introduction to the World of TSR "Waxy Dice". What memories. ;)

So, what is the second RPG that you owned?

Another Re-Found Treasure - Gamma World

Another game box that gave it's life to save it's contents.

Inside was Gamma World 1st Edition (3rd Printing) and it's accompanying map.

This is the 2nd RPG I ever owned (AD&D's Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide were my first RPG products - and were a birthday gift given to me earlier).

I have Famine at Fargo somewhere... need to continue my searching to find that.

I ran this a handful of times, but it always seemed like a half done set of rules that weren't very balanced.

I must say that I didn't even remember the fold up map of North America before I found it in the box.  I wonder if I ever thought of using it.

The Book of Eli - Fallout 4?

I just got back from watching the Book of Eli.  Without going into to great a detail, it is a post nuclear apocalypse adventure with lots of violence and a story that would make for a very nice arc in RPG setting that would support it.  Probably not any of the many iterations of Gamma World, nor do I think Mutant Future would work (it is free tho', so maybe it could be tweaked to fit).  Atomic Highway might be the proper ruleset and setting. 

Still have the One Page Dungeon Contest whispering in my ears too.  Shhssssss!