News - Saddle-stitch to be Discontinued at OneBookShelf / DriveThruRPG

I got this email yesterday and talked about it on last night's podcast, but it's important enough to both publishers and their customers that I felt I needed to share it here too.

From DriveThruRPG:

Dear publishers, 

Our printer, Lightning Source, has informed us that they will be discontinuing saddle-stitch printing very soon. The format will no longer be available as of March 1, 2021. We apologize for this change; we realize it is happening without much notice and have voiced our concern with Lightning Source. They have determined the format is not profitable, however, and they cannot continue to support it.

For those publishers who currently have saddle-stitch titles, you will need to convert your title to perfect-bound and, where necessary, add blank pages to reach the minimum allowable size of 18 pages. 

However, currently our site automatically treats premium color books under 49 pages in length as saddle-stitch. We are in the process of updating to handle any premium color book of 18 pages or more as perfect bound. Once we have made that change in our site code, we will let you know so that you can begin uploading your conversions of previously saddle-stitch titles to perfect-bound.

In the meantime, you might also decide to update your premium color saddle-stitch titles to perfect-bound standard color, which can be uploaded now to our site.

If your saddle-stitch title has pages the customer would remove from the book, or has so few pages that adding blank pages to get to the 18-page minimum size for perfect-bound does not seem an ideal option, you might also consider converting your title to use card tiles, card sheets, or even a mini-poster instead of a book. See our Publisher Knowledgebase (https://onebookshelfpublisherservice.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/227867627-Printed-Card-Formats-Costs) for more information on those formats.

Yours, 

OneBookShelf Publisher Relations

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Tome of Adventure Design now available from Amazon (Matt Finch)

There's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design. I have it in the multi-volume set hat Matt self-published in addition to two printings in hardcover from Frog God Games. I've used it to design adventures multiple times as well as posted the process here at The Tavern.

Now you can grab the out of print Tome of Adventure Design via from Amazon, in either softcover or hardcover. The Softcover is 34.99 and the Hardcover is 49.99.

Issuing ToAD and other out of print Frog God releases on Amazon is huge, especially for fans across the pond or across the world, as it avoids the outrageous American postal rates.

A fantasy adventure game, at its very heart, is about developing an open-ended "story" of the characters. The referee is in charge of the fantasy world, and the players direct the actions of their characters in that fantasy world. Neither the referee nor the group of players has complete control over what's going to happen, and the result is an evolving set of surprises for both the referee and the players. Unlike the players, as the referee and creator of the game world, most of your "work" is done ahead of time. To some degree or other, you have to create the groundwork for the adventure before the game starts. Even though no battle plan survives contact with the enemy - and if you're an experienced referee you know exactly what I mean - the game has to start ... with a starting point. This might just be a vague set of ideas, or it might be as complex as a set of maps with a detailed key and well thought-out encounters for the players to run into.

The Tome of Adventure Design is organized as a series of "books," each one providing resources at every step of the way. The vast majority of the content of each book is made up of random generation tables that we created over a quarter of a century (sigh) for our own use. It shoud be said up front that these are tables for deep design - in other words, most of them are too long, and contain too many unusual or contradictory entries, for use on the spot at the gaming table. There are already many excellent books of tables for use on the fly; the tables in these books are different. They work best as a tool for preparation beforehand, providing relatively vast creative resources for browsing and gathering, rather than quick-use tables designed to provide broad, fast brushstrokes. Our shorter tables tend to deliver cryptic results designed to shock the reader's creativity into filling in the gaps, whereas the longer tables are unusably vast for easy random generation, being designed to shock the reader's creativity into operation by presenting a sea of possibilities.

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New POD - B1-9 In Search of Adventure (Basic D&D)

I have had B1-9: In Search of Adventure in PDF since the first era of TSR PDFs on OneBookShelf. It's good to see it is now available in PDF. If I don't snag an original copy of it at NTRPG Con next week I may have to grab a copy of the POD.

Threshold. The northernmost town in the Duchy?and your last stop before your adventures begin. Threshold, the gateway to mysterious castles, lost temples, deadly caves and caverns. You have heard the stories and legends now you wish to see for yourself.  

This product provides a complete campaign adventure that will take beginning characters from 1st all the way to 3rd level and possibly beyond, drawn from the first nine modules of the B-series adventures.

$9.99 in PDF, $19.99 in POD and $21.99 for the combo. 162 pages all told.

Aye, lads n' lassies. That be an affiliate link above ye. It allows The Tavern to keep its doors open, dontcha' know. 

Boot Hill 3rd Edition Goes Print on Demand

I never owned Boot Hill 3rd Edition, just the 1st Edition. No clue what the changes are. That being said, it's nice to see these classic rules available in print again.

9.99 for the PDF, 21.99 for the Print plus PDF for Boot Hill 3rd Edition.

Two rows of unpainted wooden buildings face each other across the wide, dirt street. A signboard creaks mournfully in the hot wind. Down this track rides a lone figures, tired but alert. His boots, hat, and buckskin jacket are alayered with dust. But the ivory-handled revolver on his hip is spotless and cool. Neither a beacon nor a threat, it's simply there, a part of the man.

Drift back to the days of cattle drives, dance halls, range wars, and gunslingers. The BOOT HILL Wild west role-Playing Game lets you relive the grand adventure of the American Frontier. It's a wide open land where a man with strength, determination, and courage can carve a place for himself.
This 3rd edition of the classic BOOT HILL game is thoroughly revised and updated.

• It includes:
• Fully rounded characters with over 60 skills to choose from;
• Revised rules for shootouts and fistfights emphasizing quick thinking and quick action;
• Extensive campaign guidelines plus historical background and a timeline of the Old West;
• Two historical gunfight scenarios plus numerous short adventures;
• Fold-out maps of Promise City and the surrounding territory.

Note on the Softcover print-on-demand book: The maps are included as separate pages in the back of this version of the book. If you intend to use the maps at your table it is recommended that you purchase the PDF + Softcover combo and print the maps from the PDF.

Yep, that's an affiliate link above there partner. Now, why don't you buy your bartender a sasparilla? 

TSR in Print - Swords & Spells (Supplement V) - OD&D

The latest of the TSR Era Print on Demand releases is Swords & Spells for White Box Dungeons & Dragons. Bringing miniatures warfare back to D&D ;)

Sure, maybe it doesn't say Supplement V on the cover, but we've all referred to it as that.

$4.99 in PDF, $9.99 on POD and $11.99 for PDF + POD.

TSR Era POD - B1 - In Search of the Unknown

I've been lax at keeping up with the lasted Print on Demand (POD) releases from the TSR era. Well, today I'm trying to do some catching up.

The latest POD release of TSR goodness is B1 - In Search of the Unknown. After the Dungeon Geomorphs and before B2, B1 was the adventure you found in your D&D Basic Set.

Pricing is $4.99 for the PDF, $7.99 for the Print and $9.99 for the PDF plus Print.

"In Search of the Unknown," forms a complete adventure for use with Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set. It is especially designed as an instructional aid for beginning Dungeon Masters and players, specifically created to enable new Dungeon Masters to initiate play with a minimum of preparation.  

In addition to descriptive and situational material, this module also includes special informational sections giving background history and legends; listings of possible monsters and treasures, and how to place them; a list of adventuring characters; tips on various aspects of play for the Dungeon Master; and helpful advice for starting players.

Remember, all purchases made with The Tavern's affiliate links helps fund The Tavern. Its also good for karma and cures warts and arthritis. These statements have NOT been approved by the FDA.

Kickstarter - Tabletop Gaming Maps Print On Demand! Starting at just $10!

To tell the truth, if you had asked me a year ago if I thought there was a market for print on demand gaming maps, I would have laughed at the idea. The problem is, my vision would have been obscured by years of ONLY gaming via VTTs (excluding con play). I would have missed the forest for the trees, as most VTT gaming uses tabletop maps, but on the screen.

Now, after a solid six months of gaming at Legendary Realms out on Long Island I truly appreciate what a good gaming map can add to your RPG sessions.

Tabletop Gaming Maps Print On Demand! fills a niche at an affordable price point.

I'm really interested in seeing how well this funds. I think the market for this is potentially huge.

TSR Tuesday - New Print on Demand Title - Villains' Lorebook (2e)

I'll be honest. I don't recall the Villains' Lorebook from my earlier days of gaming. There were so many Forgotten Realms releases covering just about everything you could imagine, this one escaped me back in the day.

I thought I read a lot of Forgotten Realms fiction back in the day, but the the list that Appelcline gives includes a bunch of characters I simply do not recall:

The Moonshae Trilogy. Cyndre, Hobarth
The Druidhome Trilogy. Deirdre Kendrick
The Icewind Dale Trilogy. Artemis Entreri, Dendybar the Mottled
The Legacy of Drizzt. Jarlaxle
The Finder's Stone Trilogy. Cassana, Flattery Wyvernspur, The Mouth of Moander, Zrie Prakis
Masquerades. Victor Dhostar
Prince of Lies. Fzoul Chembryl
The Cleric Quintet. Aballister Bonaduce, Ghost, Kierkan Rufo
The Harpers Novels.
Red Magic (#3). Maligor the Zulkir of Alteration, Szass Tam the Zulkir of Necromancy
The Ring of Winter (#5). Kaverin Ebonhand
The Shadowking Novels (#6, #11). Lord Cutter of Iriaebor
Song & Swords. Elaith "The Serpent" Craulnober, Kymil Nimesin
King Pinch (#1). King Manferic III
War in Tethyr (#2). Baron Faneuil Hardisty
Escape from Undermountain (#3). Halaster Blackcloak

Ah well. I guess I don't know the Forgotten Realms as well as I thought I did.

$18.99 for the POD

TSR PDF Release -FRQ1 Haunted Halls of Eveningstar (2e)

I've mentioned before that I cut my gaming teeth on AD&D 1e. I stuck with that to the day AD&D 2e released - because newer is better, right? That all being said, I mostly stuck to 1e adventures when I ran something that was prepackaged. Nothing came close to moving me to 2e adventures until I found Haunted Halls of Eveningstar (2e).

It was a campaign starter, a small setting, a town, a dungeon and hooks for other stuff, assuming the DM was willing to flesh it out. I reused the Haunted Halls many a time. So much to use in a 32 page adventure.

From the blurb:

Welcome to the picturesque village of Eveningstar, nestled at the foot of the Stonelands where the River Starwater winds down a gorge and snakes into the King's Forest. Here, the Knights of Myth Drannor began their famous adventures. Here, the Ladies of the Brazen Blade, The Company of the Singing Sword, The Steel Shield Band, and many other came, clutching royal charters from King Azoun with the ink scarcely dry on the parchment. Some fell, some went on to greatness-but they all came here first; to the Haunted Halls.  

Despite numerous infiltrations, the Halls have not yet yielded all their secrets or treasures. Many dangers lurk as deadly as ever in dark chambers herein, awaiting new companies of eager-eyed adventurers.  

Is it your turn to dare The Haunted Halls? Many come, but few survive to again see Eveningstar's beauty.  

Welcome, then. Enter in, and find in these pages: 

A challenging introductory level dungeon.
A detailed countryside setting, including important local personages, local color, and guidelines for play. Suggested campaign plots and adventures.
New spells.
New magical items.
New monsters. 

A splendid campaign can begin here. Adventurers in an ongoing campaign can stop by for a memorable visit. Those looking for an underground stronghold may even find a home in the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar.

Haunted Halls just released on RPGNow for $4.99 in PDF. Well worth the money if you are looking for a campaign starter.

I'm less impressed with the recent POD releases from the TSR era.

The Ravenloft release is from 3e (and post TSR), and I'm sure the original isnt had to find. Never even heard of The Tree of Life before.

TSR Tuesday - Chainmail $5 in PDF - Mic Drop...

Chainmail is $5 in PDF.

Shall we do a mic drop?

Sure, there were other releases for TSR Tuesday - Print and PDF - but does anything come close to Chainmail?

TSR Tuesday,er, Wednesday - New PoD Releases

I missed this post last week and I'm late with it this week. as I've said elsewhere, life has been busy (and today has real doozy potential ;)

This week we have two TSR Era POD releases:

GAZ6 The Dwarves of Rockhome - it's a Gazetteer about Dwarves. Really, do I need to say more?  I'm tempted, because I never owned this back in the day and well... dwarves!

CM3 Sabre River (Basic) - I never owned the Companion rules, so I never owned this adventure / setting back when, but my God, it includes wresting rules for BECMI. +Douglas Cole you might find this interesting. $9.99 in Print

OSR Christmas - Day Nine - X2 - Castle Amber - POD + PDF (B/X)

Its Day Nine of OSR Christmas. Before we get to today's festivities, let's find out who is the recipient of yesterday's awesome gift.

I would do a drum roll but that doesn't work so well on a blog post. Oh well.
Jan Egil Bjune - congrats. Email me at tenkarsDOTtavern and we'll get you hooked up.

Now for today's gift. We are giving away X2 - Castle Amber is Print on Demand and PDF. Quite possibly the most popular of all the "X" modules.

Trapped in the mysterious Castle Amber, you find yourselves cut off form the world you know. The castle is fraught with peril. Members of the strange Amber family, some insane, some merely deadly, lurk around every corner. Somewhere in the castle is the key to your escape, but can you survive long enough to find it?  

This module contains referee notes, background information, maps, and exploration keys intended for use with the D&D Expert rules.  

For characters level 3-6.

Comment on this post before 8 AM Eastern Time, December 22nd, 2016 to be in the running for $11.99 in an RPGNow Gift Card. Castle Amber in Print + PDF is exactly $11.99 or use it for other purchases at RPGNow. The choice will be yours - if Santa picks you :)

This prize is available because of readers like you. Your use of The Tavern's affiliate links allows for giveaways like this.


More OSR Christmas

+James Spahn is giving away 12 prizes over 12 days and all you need to do is comment on one blog post. You will need to follow the instructions carefully if you want a chance to be gifted.

Note: You MUST comment on the Halfling's Luck blog. This post it just to let you know where to go.

OSR Christmas - Day Four - L1 The Secret of Bone Hill (1e) - Print + PDF

Its Day Four of OSR Christmas. Before we get to today's festivities, let's find out who is the recipient of yesterday's awesome gift.

I would do a drum roll but that doesn't work so well on a blog post. Oh well.

DungeonMapper - congrats. Email me at tenkarsDOTtavern and we'll get you hooked up.

Now for today's gift. We are giving away the L1 The Secret of Bone Hill (1e) in Print & PDF. This is a classic adventure and one of the very first sandboxes to be published.

Danger lurks in the Lendore Isles. Bands of evil creatures prowl the hills overlooking the town of Restenford, seeking unwary victims. Now you have come to this sleepy little village looking for adventure and excitement. You seek to fathom the unexplored reaches of Bone Hill and unlock the mysteries of Restenford. 

This module contains complete information on the town of Restenford and the lands surrounding it. Included herein are encounter tables, background information, and numerous maps of the town, the surrounding areas, a dungeon, and various points of interest. This module may be incorporated into an exisitng campaign or used in conjunction with THE WORLD OF GREYHAWK Fantasy World Setting.

Comment on this post before 8 AM Eastern Time, December 17th, 2016 to be in the running for $11.99 in an RPGNow Gift Card. OSRIC Pocket SRD, Print plus PDF is exactly $11.99 (plus shipping which is on the winner) or use it for other purchases at RPGNow. The choice will be yours - if Santa picks you :)

This prize is available because of readers like you. Your use of The Tavern's affiliate links allows for giveaways like this.


More OSR Christmas

+James Spahn is giving away 12 prizes over 12 days and all you need to do is comment on one blog post. You will need to follow the instructions carefully if you want a chance to be gifted.

Note: You MUST comment on the Halfling's Luck blog. This post it just to let you know where to go.

OSR Christmas - Day Two - WG5: Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure (1e)

Its Day Two of OSR Christmas. Before we get to today's festivities, let's find out who is the recipient of yesterday's awesome gift.

I would do a drum roll but that doesn't work so well on a blog post. Oh well.

+Wayne Humfleet - congrats. Email me at tenkarsDOTtavern and we'll get you hooked up.

Now for today's gift. WG5: Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure (1e), written by Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz, its part of OBS recent TSR Era POD offerings.

Four great and powerful heroes travel in search of adventure. Led by Mordenkainen, wizard without peer, they have come to mysterious Maure Castle, a forlorn and foreboding place, source of wonderment and awesome adventure, following a strange and terrible story. 

For, somewhere deep beneath Maure Castle, from whence no person has returned alive, there stand two massive iron doors -- doors without latch, lock, or handle -- the Unopenable Doors. 

And if the doors are opened, what then? Such potent evil, such terror lies beyond, that even the bravest adventurers may quail before the ultimate test! 

Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventureis a challenging adventure for high-level play. Four original characters from Gary Gygax's famous Greyhawk campaign are included for your use. 

Can you meet the challenge? Can you survive what lies beyond ... the Unopenable Doors? 

An adventure for characters level 9-12.

Comment on this post before 8 AM Eastern Time, December 15th, 2016 to be in the running for $11.99 in an RPGNow Gift Card. Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, Print plus PDF is exactly $11.99 (plus shipping which is on the winner) or use it for other purchases at RPGNow. The choice will be yours - if Santa picks you :)

This prize is available because of readers like you. Your use of The Tavern's affiliate links allows for giveaways like this.

TSR Tuesday - New PoD Releases - Heroes, Locations and Clans Undermountain

So, what do we have this week?

FR7 - Hall of Heroes: Hall of Heroes provides complete histories and AD&D game statistics for such beloved characters as Elminster, the greatest sage and magic user of the Realms, Tristan Kendrick and Robyn of the Moonshae isles, Wulfgar the Barbarian, Drizzt the dark elf, and Bruenor the dwarf, all from the northern reaches, plus Alias and Dragonbait, Shandril and Narm Tamaraith, and many more.

But the Hall of Heroes is more that a listing of game statistics: It's also a sourcebook describing (among other things) artificial and magical lifeforms of the Realms, as well as the lives of the world's elves, dwarves, lizardmen, and exotic creatures.

Fantastic Locations - Hellspike Prison - its for 3.5, so...

GAZ14 - The Atruaghin Clans: The Atruaghin Clans is the fourteenth book in the best-selling Gazetteer series. It provides a complete description of the culture, history, and goals of the noble Children of Atruaghin. Included in this product are:

- A 64-page Player's Book that provides rules for Atruaghin character creation and introduces the Shamani, a new character class.
- A 32-page DM's Guide that details the history of the Atruaghin Clans, the unique Immortals that they worship, and several sample characters.
- A large, full-color map that details the geography of the Atruaghin Plateau and the lands around it.

Note on the Print version: The Player's Book, DM's Guide and Map have been combined into a single Softcover volume.

Undermountain - Stardock: This DUNGEON CRAWL adventure returns once more the the hallowed halls of Undermountain, but it's a different day. At dawn of Highharvestide 1369, every practitioner of magic on the Sword Coast knew there was a problem. By midmorning, the Lords of Waterdeep confirmed the ill omens: Some brave souls worthy of the title "Hero" must enter Undermountain on a mission to save Halaster Blackcloak! Could these heroes be your group of player characters?

This is a stand-alone module and does not require extra support materials. It can be placed into a campaign on any AD&D world, but best fits and impacts a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign set in Undermountain or Waterdeep.

Remember, all purchases using The Tavern's OBS affiliate links puts 5% of your purchase price into The Tavern's coffers. Don't leave that money on the table for the greedy corps! Tip your barman!  ;)

Classic TSR Tuesday - New Print on Demand and New PDF Releases

The above are the latest TSR Era POD releases. Mines of Bloodstone Pass (9.99 Print) and D2 Shire of the Kuo-Toa (7.99 print)are the ones that bring back memories for me.

These are the latest PDF releases- Personally, I'm all over Guide to the Savage Frontier. The Monstrous Compendiums aren't bad though.

Remember, all purchases using The Tavern's OBS affiliate links puts 5% of your purchase price into The Tavern's coffers. Don't leave that money on the table for the greedy corps! Tip your barman!  ;)

Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry $4.99 in Print

I like +James Spahn but he must be off his medication - $4.99 for the Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry for a mere $4.99 is insane. 'nuff said!

From the blurb:

With the Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry (and other old-school fantasy role-playing games), you're never out of options. This 35 page supplement offers new optional rules to expand your Swords & Wizardry campaign! 

Expanded attribute limits which allow for player characters to go beyond the limits of mere mortals
Two new optional Attributes: Appearance & Luck
New class abilities for every class featured in the Swords & Wizardry Complete rulebook
Two new classes: The dark Anti-Paladin and the learned Bard
Three new non-human player character races: the deadly dark elf, whimsical gnome and brutal half-orc
Optional attribute modifiers for non-human characters
Eleven new weapons
Five new types of armor
Two new shields
Thrity-five new magic items 

Pricing the PDF Product Properly and Profitably (Say it 5 Times Fast)

Anyhow, the topic comes up on the blogosphere fairly frequently... what is the proper pricing of a PDF?

To my mind, there are many questions that need to be answered before the first question can be addressed...

Is there a ratio between PDF and Paper pricing of the same item?

What price point is too high, no matter the number of the pages (size)?

Is there a page to price ratio that you, as a consumer, use to evaluate PDF value?

Do certain publishers deserve a premium price for their PDFs? If so, why?

Is FREE a selling point for you, or something the consumer should avoid? Does a $1 price point imply more value then FREE? Why?

Does top shelf art add value to a PDF the same way it adds value to a paper product?

Are lower production values accepted for a PDF product then the same in paper?

Does finding a PDF product is also available as a Print on Demand product add value to the PDF? How about a PDF / POD Bundle?