Bundle of Holding - Mystical Throne Guides (Historical Gaming Guides)

Mixing real-world history with RPGs mixes two passions of mine. Mythical Throne Guides do just that.

For 9.95, you get thirteen historical guides aimed at gamers like you and me.

What's included in the Mythical Throne Guides Bundle from Bundle of Holding?

Celts, pirates, Vikings, Knights Templar, Roman legions, feudal Japan, Renaissance France, Mongols, the Three Kingdoms, the Pinkertons, and gangs of New York!

Yep, I'm sold ;)

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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.

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

Dueling Dungeons & Dragons Documentaries Lawsuit "Discontinued with Prejudice"

Definition: In the formal legal world a court case that is dismissed with prejudice means that it is dismissed permanently. A case dismissed with prejudice is over and done with, once and for all, and can't be brought back to court.

Remember the dueling D&D documentaries that turned into an expensive lawsuit? I'm not even referring to the dollars involved - it cost the gaming community a true gem or two. Now, hopefully, these gems will see the light of day.

You can read some articles on the original dispute at The NY Times and The Verge

Kickstarter - Archive: Historical People, Places, and Events for RPGs (System Neutral)

In the way back, before I was a blogger, before I was a cop, before I worked retail - I was a college student. Not thinking so clearly back in the fall of 85 I decided to defer my major and just take the core requirements and classes that interested me. Lo and behold, come my Junior Year (as college credits are tallied, not by years spent) the computer wouldn't let me register without a major. Reflecting on the classes I had taken prior, t appeared to me that I had self selected History - Sociology was nearly tied, but what does one do with Sociology. Come to think of it, what does one do with History? ;)

Where does all of this lead us? Right to the Archive Kickstarter. If you dig history, if you love RPGs, you'll love the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup that's been put together for you.

Archive is a collection of adventure sites, NPCs, and events ripped right out of history and perfect for your campaign. It’s a 265-page book with 80 subjects. All have everything you need to make them come alive at your table: sights, smells, history, local color, and even plot hooks and ideas to help you adapt them to your campaign setting. 

Need a villain? Throw your PCs against Ching Shih, the notorious pirate queen, presented with the tactics and schemes she used to wreak havoc across coastal China! Need a random encounter during travel? Recreate the 1861 encounter of the French corvette Alecton with a dying giant squid, and the social consequences that followed. Need an adventure site? Why not Fort Jefferson, complete with real historical secrets for your PCs to uncover?

I actually have an advance copy of the PDF. 260 some odd pages, suffice to say I have not read it all. But what I HAVE read appeals to me as both a gamer and a history buff. It scratches both itches and it does it well.

10 bucks for the PDF is a steal. Seriously. 30 for the book plus PDF which is also damn good.

I'm going to do something I rarely if ever do, mostly because I don't have a product to review in order to do so - The Tavern is endorsing the Archive Kickstarter. the PDF exists, I have it and backers get their PDF in June - next month.

Additionally, Tristan Zimmerman of Molten Sulfur Press reached out to me in the right way. Seriously. He hit all of the notes - polite, respectful, explained the project, included a sample (well, the whole book) and ended with the following: "There’s an advance reader’s copy of the book attached. If you happen to glance at it and you like what you see, I’d sure be grateful if you’d mention it, but no pressure. Whether you tell anybody or not, we really hope you enjoy the book, and thank you for your time."

Kickstarter creators, take notes. There is a right way and a wrong way to get attention. Maybe reach out to Tristan if you need to refine your skills.