Kickstarter - The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg

The secret arts of the Dungeon Master, the 2nd oldest RPG dungeon ever created, and an essential sourcebook for any fantasy campaign.

Let me start by saying I was gifted a copy of The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg earlier this year from a prior print run, and The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg is an amazing piece of history. I'm happy that I have it on my gaming shelves.

So, what is The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg?

• It's a guide to the secret art of the Dungeon Master - philosophy, techniques, and tricks - with gems of wisdom from the people who invented Dungeons & Dragons. And...
• A rediscovered ten-level mega-dungeon filled with mystery, suspense, monsters, and hidden treasures (including a complete 5e adaptation PDF). And...  
• A history of RPG dungeons. And...
• An official Blackmoor™ setting - the longest-running fantasy RPG campaign. 
• Full-color reproductions of all ten levels of the original 1973 Tonisborg Dungeon maps, complete with dungeon keys.
• Updated dungeon maps and keys for ease of play.
• Greg Svenson explains how the dungeon came about and why it's a bridge between past and present.
• Extensive play guidelines teach you how to make Tonisborg rise again as a real-life experience for you & your players, improve your DM skills, and have more fun.
• A set of historically accurate rules ideal for developing an original-style dungeon adventure campaign - or use your own preferred rules.
• Additional sections cover spells, exotic creature types, treasures, and other material - an essential source for any campaign.

You can snag The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg for 60 bucks in softcover and 100 bucks in hardcover. Both include the Secrets of Blackmoor video on demand (an excellent documentary). I'd honestly be in for the Tonisborg hardcover if I didn't already own it.

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Bad Mike & I had Griff Morgan from the Secrets of Blackmoor Documentary as a Special Guest on the Talking Crit LiveStream

I don't normally post links to The Tavern's Youtube Channel as the very subject of a post, but I'm making an exception tonight.

I'm going to highly recommend watching tonight's Talking Crit LiveStream with special guest Griffith Morgan. The "behind the scenes" and "behind the camera" stories relating to the Secrets of Blackmoor Documentary were fun to hear for the first time, and I learned new pieces of the convoluted history of D&D and RPGs in general. 

Griff is an amazingly entertaining and knowledgeable guest to have on the livestream, and certainly someone Mike & I will have on again.

Here's the link to the Secrets of Blackmoor website, where you can find the documentary, Tonisborg, and more.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Rewatching The Secrets of Blackmoor - The True History of Dungeons & Dragons

Griffith Morgan was kind enough to gift me with a copy of The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg. (a more detailed review of Tonisborg is in the works) It's a book that simply reeks with gaming history, and I've been enjoying my time traveling experience. It has, however, put the documentary - The Secrets of Blackmoor, back into the forefront of my thoughts. I decided today, it was time to rewatch it.

I am literally watching as I type this post.

To put it simply, I had forgotten how good The Secrets of Blackmoor was, not just as a gamer and a History Major, but simply for the pure enjoyment of an amazingly well done documentary. I may need to watch this again with Rach. I think she'll enjoy it.

You can rent The Secrets of Blackmoor on Amazon for less than 4 bucks, or own it in digital for less than 11 bucks.

What if everything you knew about the history of Dungeons & Dragons was wrong?

6 Years, 12 Cities, 200 Hours of Interviews, 20,000 Documents and Photos: An unprecedented investigation into the history of D&D - the game that spurred a multi-billion dollar industry.

Be among the first to know the Secrets of Blackmoor.

Blackmoor is the name of a fictional world created by David Arneson. It is also the prototype of Dungeons & Dragons, the first published role playing game. Unlike other fantasy worlds, such as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, Blackmoor is a living world that is being explored to this day. Secrets of Blackmoor investigates the origins of the role playing game, through candid interviews, archival footage, and newly discovered artifacts.

In 1963, David Wesely becomes a founding member of a club that includes history buffs, model makers, and miniature collectors. Hiding within the group, however, are a bunch of college students who are interested in war gaming. Within a year, the gamers meet a high school kid named Dave Arneson who is playing war games with his friends in his parents' basement.

These gamers have no idea that they will change the face of this hobby forever. Their only concern for now, is how to simulate the reality of war, and above all, they just want to have fun. Their voracious hunt for new rules and knowledge leads them to the University of Minnesota Library where they discover an old manuscript, Strategos; the American Game of War. Within the dense pages are a few sentences that inspire them.

The influence of Strategos changes how they play their war games. But are they really following these old rules, or have they stumbled onto something truly unique by misinterpreting what it says? Should a game be constrained by rules, like Monopoly, or should there be no boundaries at all, like a game of make believe?

One thing is very clear--something magical was going on in the Twin Cities.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

TSR3 Abandons "Blackmoor" Trademark After Publication

About once a week or so, I check on the status of the various trademarks TSR3 has filed for. The abandonment of the Blackmoor trademark caught me by surprise, and I can't for the life of me, think of a single reason why it would be abandoned after publication unless there was pressure from WotC/Hasbro. Filing for a trademark has an associated cost, and once you've hit the publication step, you've sunk your cost and approval is all you are waiting for.

It's kinda like making your way through a dungeon, defeating the BBEG, then walking away from the treasure.

Anyone else interested in filing for a trademark they can later abandon? Blackmoor is up for grabs...

https://www.trademarkelite.com/trademark/trademark-detail/90276510/BLACKMOOR

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar   

Deal of the Day - Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Core Campaign Book (3X)

Sometimes there are RPG releases that are timeless, and that the system or edition that are written for or presented with is irrelevant. Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Core Campaign Book is one of those releases.

Released back in 2005, and uploaded to DTRPG back in 2007, Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Core Campaign Book is a snapshot look at the earliest (as far as I know) D&D setting but presented in a more modern format with a decent layout and art and a sweet looking full-color map,

I actually own this in print, somewhere in my collection, and already had purchased the PDF, and now I want to snuggle down with Blackmoor on my iPad and relive some of the magic.

Until tomorrow morning, Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Core Campaign Book is on sale for 3 bucks (down from its usual 7.50, which is still a steal if you ask me).

Over 30 years ago, Dave Arneson created the world that spawned a generation of role playing fans! This core campaign setting is 240 pages and features a full color pull out map of Blackmoor! Features Newly Revised and additional materials from the previous hardback edition!', ' The First Fantasy Campaign. Thirty years ago, the world''s first fantasy campaign began. Now it''s back! Enter Dave Arneson''s Blackmoor, a brooding world of dragons, dungeons, and danger. After thirty years of development, Blackmoor is ready for your adventures.

Note, the Original D&D version of Blackmoor is 4.99 in PDF. 

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

OD&D Supplement II: Blackmoor (0e) in PDF for 5 Bucks on RPGNow

OD&D Supplement II: Blackmoor (0e) is a mere 5 bucks in PDF on RPGNow. If you've ever wanted to see where the hobby had it's beginnings, you've never had a better chance than now.

I may pick this up just to save wear and tear on my dead tree copy...