Question for the Tavern Folk - Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map...

Earlier today I posted a mini-review of the Other World Mapper mapping software. I personally think it rocks. I suspect I'll be playing with it for endless hours, creating decent (and less than decent) maps with it. It's all part of the learning process.

As everything created with the software is licensed for commercial use by default, would there be an interest in me releasing some of these maps into the "free to use commercially" realm of usage? I'm sure the initial ones will be utter crap, but time is on my side and I may get some skill after a few hundred hours of practice ;)

Just an idea. I'd hate to create a few dozen of these that just sit on my hard drive waiting on a project to match up with them...

As an aside, I'm working out some ideas to use one of +Dyson Logos ' free to use commercially maps in a crowdsourced type of project. I'll never match the master, so I need to find my own track :)

What Makes a Blogger / Blog Trusted?

What makes a blog / blogger trusted? It's an interesting question and one that was brought to my attention earlier today.

Is it social media views? Does 2 million views on G+ make you trusted as a blogger? Damned if I know, and I'm at over 20 million.

Does 2m views make "Somebody One Of The Most Trusted RPG Bloggers on Social Media"? That would make me infallible in comparison.

Views on G+ and likes on Facebook mean nothing.

Build a community. Allow yourself to be challenged by that community. Be as honest and true true to yourself as you can be. Earn respect and trust should follow.

Hell, 20 million views on G+ is nothing in the larger scheme of things, and I can easily count off multiple members of my Saturday Night gaming group that have more that 2.5 million views on G+ that also blog and I don't trust them ;)

Well, I trust them depending on the circumstances :)

edit: (the tag line I mention above is actually on a RPG blog - I just find the assumption of what views on G+ coverts to to be - inaccurate at best)

Random Thoughts - Podcasts, Podcasting and Pods

I've been in a bit of a podcasting hiatus of late. The Brainstorm Podcast wrapped up, the Far & Away Podcast went on hiatus with the theft of our producer's (and cohost's) hardware and The Badger is preparing to launch an OSR Magazine, so the relaunch of Tenkar & The Badger is being delayed further.

I have been approached by a good friend about kicking off a new podcast. The logistics may be a bit difficult, as I no longer have evenings free nor do I have Sunday afternoons. The thing is, the podcast should rock. Just need to work out some details. For those that care, the aim will be 30 minutes or so per episode - it really does seem to be the sweet spot.

Now, a thought did occur to me. What if I did some short podcasts for the blog, riffing off or expanding up certain posts? These would be 5 to 10 minutes at most, and would be behind the scenes if you will. Each would be tied to a specific post and would be bonus content. The trick would be to also have the bonus podcast pieces stand on their own. I wouldn't be surprised if these got recorded on my commutes to an from work. Garageband 6 on my Mac should do this well.

Anyhow, the last bit is mostly me thinking out loud. Not sure if it's going to happen but it could be a fun experiment. Whether it would be time well spent, thats another question ;)

Random Thoughts - Seven Beers, Ales and More in a Dwarven Tavern

This was part of last night's random thoughts. Strangely enough, it was the first thought.

Seven Beers, Ales and More in a Dwarven Tavern

(why 7? why not?)

1 - Angston's Angry Ale

2 - Nine Toes Lager

3 - Zezlyn's Green Apple Cider

4 - Dead Orc Port

5 - Tenkar's Ten Ton Stout

6 - Twice Brewed, Once Filtered Dwarven Stout

7 - Dark Meadows Mead

(hey, if I do enough of these, I can be an RPGNow publisher ;)

Random Red Shirt Thoughts Disrupted by "Emergency" Meeting

So, I was reading more Hawk & Moor today (bathroom Kindle reading if I must confess) and I was reading about the use of men at arms - "red shirts" in Star Trek parlance - and it was noted that the use of men at arms had lapsed in later play of D&D.

This lead to some random thoughts about abstracting the use of men at arms as some sort of ablative armor.

I was still technically on lunch, about to type out this amazing post (I suspect it was amazing although I have no proof of such) when I received a call from my boss about an emergency meeting to address complaints that my unit had received from the outside agency we are the liaison for.

Needless to say, my thoughts fled faster than peasants before an ancient red dragon.

One hour and fifty five minutes later of emergency meeting time and we supplied effective and accurate answers to every complaint, but my creative juices were spent.

Dinner and pints at the pub didn't do much to renew them. I just wish I knew the details that I've lost, as it seemed like a really cool idea to abstract men at arms and the like.

Eh, maybe if I sleep on it...

Idle Thoughts and Dulled Senses

Four pints and two shots. For some reason, this day get's harder, not easier, as time goes on. Good food and good company was had at the pub. My wife and son kept me good company, and my bartender John understood the meaning of the day.

I am behind in many things. OSR Superstar is awaiting the responses of the judges for the final round. I have not been hounding them, as work on my end has been hot and heavy. My daily posting has been cut in half from the usual numbers over the summer, and not just for lack of free time. I am mentally exhausted. I should prod them I think. PROD!

Emails have gone unread in some cases for weeks. Again, it's as much lack of time as it is lack of energy with what little time I have free. Retirement can not come soon enough.

As I told my wife over lunch, I don't drink on this day to forget what I saw, heard, and learned on 9-11-01. I drink to take the edge off the pain. To fuzz out some of the details. Forgetting even a moment of the day would be a crime, and I refuse to do so.

+Jason Paul McCartan is running a game tonight. I'm playing in it. Jason, you are so fucked ;)

End of the Week Catch Up - D30s and Guest Posters, Oh My!

If you haven't noticed yet, it's been a busy summer, not just here at The Tavern but at my regular job as well. There have been times I've been lucky to get my daily post in.

So, first things first. Lets give away the D30 prizes that were offered up by +Richard LeBlanc of New Big Dragon Publishing.

The D30 Sandbox Companion goes out to: +John Stephens 

The D30 DM Companion goes out to: +Stu Rat 

The following 5 will each get a sheet of Order of the D30 Stickers:

G-woulf, +Sophia Brandt , Christian Kolbe, +Dennis Higgins and +Austin Schaefer 

Congrats to the winners!

Email me at tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom and I'll make sure your info moves on to Rich.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Now, on to other stuff.

I've opened the doors of The Tavern to guest posters, which has caused some confusion. Totally my fault. It's a new process and I haven't done a good job of labeling the posts as "posts from folks other than your Tavern Keeper."

Moving forward, I'll probably move to a format of "Guest Post: Insert Title Here (Palatial Privy Cleaner)". So - warning - title - name of guest poster.

Now, some of these posts will be from other bloggers in the OSR - I think it's a great way to get some folks with great thoughts and ideas some extra visibility. We are a community that shares but sometimes we miss some of the best stuff out there.

Other posts will be from "anonymous posters". I know their identities, you do not. Some may take a few posts to get their sea legs and others may come right out of the box and make us look at our own sins and crimes. I'm excited, because I rarely know the post details until it's submitted for posting and even I'm impressed by the names behind the names ;)

In the end, i am responsible for all that is posted here at The Tavern, but just because I allow it to be posted does not mean I necessarily agree with it. Just as I am light handed with the moderating of the comments here, I'm fairly light handed with the guest posters. Still, if you think something is out of hand, feel free to contact me. Also, if you have a guest post or series of posts you are interested in sharing, drop me a line.

Reminder - The Tavern's Doors are Open to Guest Posters

It's been a few months since the last one, so I wanted to remind folks that The Tavern is available for those that would be interested in making a guest post or two. All you need to do is contact me (using the blogger contact form in the far right column of this page) with the general idea of what you want to post and we will work out the details.

I do reserve the right to refuse submitted posts based on my own nebulous criteria - which is basically "no character attacks, no straight up pimping of your own stuff, etc" but I also reserve the right to break my own rules.

I am currently, and at least for the immediate future, being slammed hard at work (the damn day job that pays the bills). The Tavern hasn't missed a day of posting in years and I don't plan to miss one now, but I do expect less posts being posted overall (still more than many others, but a serious slowdown for me).

The Slow Return to Normality - Upcoming Events at The Tavern

It looks like work is slowly returning to normal. This is bad for the RPG Collector in me, as overtime is going the way of the Dodo, but good for the actual gamer in me, as I can now start to think about planning things out in advance and have a fair idea I can keep to the schedule.

I was hoping to get a session of Labyrinth Lord in for next week for those that have been waiting, but the family dog had an emergency vet visit over the weekend. Her breathing had become deep and rapid  especially when excited. It appears her heart murmur had become an enlarged heart and some fluid in the lungs. The new meds started working their miracles almost immediately  but I need to bring her back in a week and a half. To the Poconos. So I need to take a day or two off from work next week to get this accomplished. So, pushing off LL for the moment.

It looks like we're putting together an on air viewing of the Wizards & Warriors TV Series in the spirit of MST3k. Should be a blast. We're still working out the logistics. More info when we start locking it down.

I think I have the idea finalized for the next DCC RPG Contest. It will have a holiday theme of sorts. It should be fun and have real, physical prizes thanks to some 3rd party publishers and some awesome blog readers. I need to order a set of Tenkar's Tavern Tankards so I can add one to the prize pool. I plan  on leaving this contest open longer than the usual one week. I suspect prizes won't ship until after Christmas, just so I can avoid the annual post office insanity.

Still working on getting the steins and t-shirts up and ready for sale for any interested. Give it some time tho', as it's not at the front of my list of things to do.

Peeking At My Review Process

I've been posting my (previously posted) reviews to RPGNow, and I've noticed that I review stuff I tend to really like. I shouldn't be all that surprised. Generally speaking, I know what I like, and I tend to review what I like. Why waste time with something I know ahead of time I'm not going to enjoy?

OSR games, adventures and resources are on the top of that list. Right to the top. Don't pass GO! Don't collect $200 ;)

Savage Worlds, d100 (OpenQuest, RQ, Legend and the like) and similar games are also on that list, but I tend to get to them at a slower pace.

Some of the Indie games strike my fancy (Resolute, Bean! and the like fit into the category). If I'm interested and have access to a review copy, I'll snag a copy and post a review when I can.

If you have something you want me to review (and I have access to a copy) I'll take a peek upon request. You can make your suggestions as comments to this post, or drop an email to tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom.

I may be adding some fiction to the pile. Heck, that could be a whole other post

Random Fall Thoughts

I've made it to October 20th with short sleeves and no jacket, but I think I'll have to dig into the closet shortly. While it would be fun to say I made it to November 1st without putting a jacket on, I don't think it is feasible ;)

There is a difference between taking pieces of another's work, adding your own name to it and claiming ownership and making a copy of a PDF or a music track for a friend. The first one, you are actually taking claim to another's creativity - in the second case, while you may be causing a publisher a loss of potential income, in many cases, the friend would never have made the purchase anyway. Torrenting and such is a whole other level - that is organized distribution of works one does not have the right to distribute.

Yes, it's all shades of grey. I think the responsibility of a writer / publisher to produce works that don't infringe on the rights of other writers / producers is huge. Not just from a legal standard, but a moral standard too.

So, if I were asked, I'd have to say a writer / publisher that improperly uses the work of others is more offensive to me then someone who torrents the works of others. Someone that copies a PDF for a friend to peruse? On the same level as the photocopied copy of Deity & Demigods I have with Elric and the Mythos stuff that was later removed

As for using somebody else's copyrighted work in a houserules project that is staying within your group? Have at it. That's what gaming is all about.

Random Morning Thoughts

If 3x is a D20 system, what "die" would represent Savage Worlds? All? The D4-12 System?

If Woody had gone straight to the police, I'd be out of a job sooner then later.

If knowledge is power, and the internet gives nearly infinite access to knowledge, why is the average person so misinformed?

As I am packing up my RPG collection for renovations, I never realized how much of this shit I actually have. Even the fiancee had that "Holy Shit! Maybe we do need to rent a storage unit" moment. And she hasn't even seen half of it yet. ;)

When we got home from her sister's on Sunday evening (from the July 3rd / 4th party), she said: "I'm going to use the bathroom. You go do a blog post". She knows me way too f'n well.

All for now...

Looking For My Stray Thoughts...

As I was lying in bed last nite, in that weird not-quite-asleep state (I was waiting for my son to come home from his 4 hr Auxiliary Police shift) when the thought for a damn good blog post occurred to me. I really liked it. I know I did, because working it out in my head helped keep me awake.

Of course, it has totally escaped me now. I can remember thinking about it, but I can no longer remember what "it" is. Or was. Whatever. Sigh.

Better luck next time I guess...

Dungeon Potty Tricks - Or - Where's All That Crap Go?

Earlier this morning as I answered nature's call, I got to thinking about the disposal of waste in dungeons. It's not like most published dungeons include privies or bathroom stalls.

It's bad enough that most dungeons have no ecology whatsoever. Where's the food source? The water source? The removal of waste material?

It does explain the need for Gelatinous Cubes as your not-so-friendly sanitation department. Get in the way of this refuse processor and you yourself may find yourself being disposed. Imagine the mad mage that created the first Gelatinous Cube - his finest creation's sole purpose is to clean up dungeon refuse. How depressing is that?

Beyond all that, how does an adventurer get to doing "his business" while in a dungeon? Do you spike the door shut to give yourself some uninterrupted time? It's bad enough as a cop when you need to use a public restroom for anything but the basics - that gun belt has to hang somewhere. How does the plate mail clad adventurer with sword, shield and bow accomplish this feat?

Inquiring minds want to know ;)

The Smell of AD&D

You know those certain smells that bring you back to a different time? I just had a whiff of early 80's AD&D after dropping the kid off at his training earlier... ocean air, just a tad ripe with low tide lifted on a cool breeze.

Back when I read the DMG and PH from front to back and side to side every breathing moment, these books were my constant beach companion. I didn't care about the water, the waves, swimming... a blanket and some AD&D was all I need to waste away an afternoon at the beach.

Man... more stuff I need to bring out of storage. Maybe they'll have some of that sea smell still...

Memories - Hiding in the Corners of Your Mind

Today dragged up some bittersweet memories.  Ah, who am i kidding, they were the kind you leave mostly hidden, but ready to draw upon when you need the associated emotions.

It did get me thinking about my gaming days in High School and College and memories associated with those times.  We had some great games, amazing campaigns, but the most vivid memories are what happened outside the game but at the table.

My favorite is one from senior year of High School.  The school year was winding down and it was warm enough to game at the backyard picnic table.  There we are, six of us, rolling dice, cracking jokes, drinking iced tea... when suddenly Andrew D. sneezed.  Most sneezes are sudden (obviously), and this one was no different.  Everyone got hit from the shotgun spray but me (Go-Go AD&D DM's Screen!).

Everyone (but myself) was hit, but one of us was screaming like they were shot in the gut by a .38.  Which, of course, made it all the funnier to the rest of us.  But Lenny wouldn't stop screaming.  Heck, he started to hyperventilate, all while holding his left arm straight up in the air.

That's when I saw it.  It looked like a large green slug was leaving a slime trail as it traveled down Lenny's arm, but it was the single largest piece of mucous I've seen in my life to date.  After the gag reflex was under control, we grabbed the hose and used the green slime as an excuse to hose Lenny (and the rest of us) down.  Everyone shared a good laugh afterwards.

No idea what game system I was using, what module I was running... but everything else is picture perfect in my head.

Damn, I really need to stat out a Killer Booger one of these days :)

My Worthless Thoughts on Running Pre-Written Adventures

There seems to be two main schools of GMs:  Those that use homebrewed adventures, and those that use pre-written adventures.  When I say pre-written, I mean adventures written by others then the GM.

Now, most GMs falls somewhere between these two extremes, they use a combination of homebrewed and pre-written.  If you use the homebrewed method exclusively, this post is not for you.  You're good.  Go forth and prosper.  Nope, this piece of drivel from my typing fingers is a loose list of do's and don'ts for those that don't have the time to homebrew 100% of the time.

DON'T run a prewritten adventure if your thoughts on the whole process is "this is going to suck, but I'll push thru it anyway".  If you know its going to suck for you and your group, WTH are you going to make them suffer thru it?  Wether it's going to suck because you hate pre-written adventures on principle, or the one you just spent your hard earned dollars on is not right for you and your group, just DON'T DO IT!  Trust yourself, your players do.

DO make the prewritten adventure your own.  Your players will know when you drop a random adventure into their campaign, so don't let it be a random plug in.  When you plant in your garden, you don't drop the rose bush on top of the soil.  You dig a whole, add fertilizer and compost, cover it back up, water... you make it a part of the garden.  Its the same with pre-written adventures.  You need to plant them and water them and make them a part of your campaign.

DON'T expect that the adventure writer wrote the adventure with you and your campaign in mind.  He didn't.  You'll need to read it closely and make changes.  Too many traps?  Take some out.  Opponents too weak?  Boost them up.  Magic items that will unbalance your campaign?  Change them.

DO get you players invested in the adventure.  Rumors, hooks and plot threads can and should be placed in advance.  The only one that can do that is you.  (Unless you are running a pre-written campaign arc, in which case you may be supplied with many hooks and rumors).

DON'T treat an adventure like a one-shot with no campaign value as your players will react in kind.

DO ensure that you know the adventure as well as one of our own creation.  There is little worse then watching the GM flip back and forth thru the adventure trying to figure out what happens next.  Use a flow chart if it helps,or notes, or highlighting... whatever method helps you run this as your own.

This is far from a complete list.  I'm sure I'll think of more the moment I post this.  Feel free to add to it in the comments.

When is Too Much Too Much?

Just a thought after reading and posting about d-infinity.

When is too much too much? I don't mean too much in the way of page count, but too much in the way of diversifying content.

It seems to me that the successful Gaming Magazines these days are pretty focused in content. Dragon, Dungeon and Fight On are 4e focused. Kobold is on 3.5e, Pathfinder and some 4e. The OSR has a strong assortment of publications.

The thing in common? Focus.

D-infinity will be an interesting experiment. Time will tell.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Random Thoughts

Al still hasn't stepped up for his prize from last week. If I don't hear from him by 6pm NYC time, Wednesday August 18, i'll reroll and award it to someone else. Can't let this stuff go to waste.

I've noticed a couple of companies are going the "free PDF with dead tree purchase" and I think it's great. It increases the odds of me making the dead tree purchase, as I make most of my gaming buys in PDF these days.

LofFP Weird Fantasy - thinking of the Ranger Class conversion, how do you have a damage or combat bonus against certain creatures when such creatures aren't included in the rules... Aargh!

Weekend get aways are fun, but I really need a nice week or two out sick, so I can be forced to stay home and read. I really need to catch up on my reading time.

I enjoyed doing yesterday's Overlooked Blog. It may become a semi-regular feature.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

PDF Format, Viable or Not?

I got some excellent feedback to the question of pricing PDFs, both from the publisher and consumer sides.

I understand the argument "that all PDFs should be free", even if I don't agree with it.  Consumers have readily accepted digital media, whether music (both DRM and non-DRM), movies and even mainstream book publishing (Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, numerous assorted e-book distributors and e-reader makers).

Yes, our hobby is small.  Yes, it may be nearly impossible to make a living off of it (especially after the D20 Implosion).  That doesn't prevent one from making a profit off of it, large or small, if you are able to produce quality (and probably quantity too) products.

I remember reading somewhere (at some time in the not too distant past) that a Role Playing Game PDF make 90% of its lifetime sales in its first 90 days or so.  That means although it has a unlimited virtual shelf life, its visibility window is fairly small.  How does one lengthen, or refresh, that window?

Is PDF the ideal format for RPGs in electronic format?  Is there a more viable or suitable format?  Are there features that PDF is missing that you wish it had to increase it's viability or usefulness?  Would a drop in e-book reader prices with suitable size screens lead to a higher amount PDF acceptance?

The market does change and adjust.  Before the merger of RPGNow and DriveThruRPG, DTRPG used to lock down it's products with Adobe DRM.  RPGNow watermarks most of its products these days.  Would you do anything different?  As a publisher?  As a consumer?  As a foul beast from the outer reaches? ;)