Free OSR Product of the Week - The Basic Illusionist (Swords & Wizardry)

First released around the time of the 2013 Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day, The Basic Illusionist adds the overlooked Illusionist class to S&W. It is a well designed class and an excellent addition to your S&W (or most any OSR) campaign. It was just recently released on RPGNow.

From the blurb:

The Basic Illusionist is a 34-page sourcebook for illusions and illusionists in Swords & Wizardry and other OSR-style games. Everything you need to play or GM an illusionist is included in one book.

The Basic Illusionist includes:

the illusionist class;

the montebank class variant;

types of illusions and their effects;

guidelines for running illusions for both players and GMs;

156 illusion spells of levels 1-9 in Swords & Wizardry format, including nearly every illusion spell from First and Second Edition and a selection of new OSR spells from more recent sources;

conditions, or disadvantages, revised for the Swords & Wizardry ruleset;

two illusion-related monsters, the psyche fungi and the piscidine, and the imago creature template for Swords & Wizardry and other OSR-style games.

From The Basic Illusionist FAQ:

Q - What is the most important thing to know about this book?

A – This book is not what it might seem. First and foremost, this is a book of choices. Great pains have been taken to not create new rules, restrictions, or requirements. Adding this book to your current OSR game should not make it more complex or cause your Referee to develop many more headaches or involuntary tics than usual.

The Basic Illusionist is an OGL product and 100% Open Game Content.

The Tavern's Free Pick of the Week - Blackmarsh (Sandbox OSR Setting)

In case you missed it, the suits over at RPGNow have no idea what a quality free RPG product actually is. Their last weekly pick was the antithesis of what such a highlighted product should be. It might even be consider an insult to anyone of average intelligence or higher.

So, how do we rectify such a miscarriage of gaming justice?

With a Free RPG Pick of the Week here at The Tavern. In this case, I'll be including PWYW in the mix, as they are free with the option to tip.

What's out first Free RPG Pick of the Week?

The OSR classic - Blackmarsh by +Rob Conley 

In the days when man knew only the working of stone and fought for their existence against the orc and the goblin, the sky turned to ash and down fell the fiery mountain onto the land. The world tore open and the grey waters rushed in. 

Those who survived the impact were lost as boiling clouds rushed out in all directions leaving a wasteland in its wake. 

The Mountain That Fell left a gift; magic. Near and far, those of learning and strong of heart discovered new powers to shape the world. In the desolation around the Smoking Bay the adventurous found viz, magic in physical form. And there was more, scattered amid the landscape were strange artifacts and stranger creatures that survived The Mountain That Fell. For a time men, dwarves, orc, goblins, and other races braved the dangers and fought each other in the wastelands. Then the elves came into Blackmarsh expelled the feuding races, drove the monsters out, and healed the land. 

In the present day, many come to Blackmarsh to harvest viz, kill monsters, or seek the strange artifacts left by The Mountain That Fell. The only force that stands against the wilderness is the Blackmarsh Rangers. Anyone who is willing to defend the land and its people are welcomed into their ranks. Powerful kingdoms outside of Blackmarsh are beginning cast a covetous eyes toward the land's riches. Will the adventurers of your campaign become wealthy and powerful? Or will their bones join the many that have sunk into the swamps? 

Blackmarsh is a complete, ready to run setting for your campaign. It can be run as its own setting or an expansion of your existing world. Contained in Blackmarsh are 17 geographical entries, 78 described locales, and one detailed town; Castle Blackmarsh. Each entry provide one or more adventure hooks to use in your campaigns.

Blackmarsh is free in PDF and a mere $4.95 in print. I've run it in the past and will probably do so again in the future.