Wait! Star Frontiers: New Genesis is for Realz?!? And Who is Mario Real?

Yep, Star Frontiers: New Genesis is "for realz". I have a PDF copy and my God, it is a steaming mess. It's written as if its sole purpose is to troll WotC and embarrass them to the point they pay nuTSR  to simply make SFNG and nuTSR go away. Far away.

I strongly suspect that is NOT going to happen.

That being said, it appears either Dave J or Justin L wishes to threaten yours truly with "slander" and I ("Tenkarp") run the risk of being "sude". Someone is calling "lawers". I hope they are Bar certified "lawers".

Did you notice the comment above by "Mario Real"? It just validated the content of the PDF I was given. Talk about sinking your own ship.

In any case, the comment was deleted shortly after I posted my comment. I wonder why that would be?

You can view the first installment of what will surely be a many-part series below.

As an aside, if I do get "sude", I may seek funding to hire an attorney. Hopefully, it will have more success funding than nuTSR had in funding their lawsuit against WotC ;) In any case, I suspect the WotC suit will settle first, and any "discovery" would be totally to my advantage, and not just for the reasons stated above. Any such filing would likely fall under NYS's Frivolous Conduct Sanctions. I could always use a tattoo parlor or two, but I'll pass on the grits ;)

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Dave Johnson Games KNOWS Alarms & Journeys is the Successor to Gygax Magazine

There's something about Dave Johnson that implies douchebaggery (in my humble opinion - your opinion may vary). Maybe it's the game Dave has turned the release of Star Frontiers: New Genesis into. Note, I'm not talking about the actual ruleset, which likely only exists in a tangible format in the rocky crags of Dave's mind. I'm talking about the "release game" - free copies of SFNG at TSR Con! No Dave Johnson at TSR Con and no copies of SFNG at TSR Con (apparently due to Dave getting hit with Covid, and then recording the announcement of the delayed release of SFNG at a restaurant while still suffering from the effects of Covid), announcing the shipping of SFNG the end of last week, followed by the announcement of limited playtesting and a very limited number of playtest copies available. (so, copies apparently AREN"T shipping). Good luck getting into the playtest, Dave's blocked about half the community in the official Star Frontiers: New Genesis Facebook Group ;)

If you think that timeline is a bit bizarre, read the above pic at the top of this post. Notice the reference to Gygax Magazine, including using the magazine's logo. Did you happen to see Dave couldn't be bothered to do a simple google search to determine if it had been "5 or 6 issues"? What kind of lazy fuckery is that? You claim to have "taken the mantle" of Gygax Magazine, and you have no clue how many issues of Gygax Magazine was published. Dave, as a simple FYI, it lasted six issues. Always looking to have others do your work for you I see ;)

Below is the official response of Solarian Games (formerly known as TSR before the latest fiasco)

So, of course, Dave does what Dave does best - a very sloppy correction.

Did I mention that Alarms & Journeys is an obvious attempt to invoke the thought that it is a spiritual successor to Lee Gold's Alarums and Excursions, or even be mistaken for such?

I'd like to quote Time Kask, from David Flor's share of Solarian Games post over on Facebook:

Damn it Dave, I also failed to have an original thought ;)

Edit:

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New Release - Tsar Frontiers: Not Genuine (Parody of the yet to be published Star Frontiers: New Genesis)

If you've been following The Tavern's YouTube Channel (and you HAVE been watching, right? ;) you'd know that an unknown source has put together a parody of the as-yet-unreleased TSR3 title, Star Frontiers: New Genesis. The parody is called Star Frontiers: Not Genuine.

The Star Frontiers: Not Genuine PDF first went up on itch.io. A Print on Demand was available for a short time on Lulu (I received a shipping notification earlier this morning in regards). Well, The Tsar Frontiers: Not Genuine (notice the title change) PDF is now available at DTRPG for free.

Grab a copy. It's good for a laugh and actually looks playable ;)

Note - Tsar Frontiers is "published" by OSR Games. OSR Games is a registered LLC by Justin LaNasa. I don't expect this to stay up long. Grab your copy now!

The primordial Role playing game of science fiction is back thats right and its, really real ! 

You can do Space battles and, play like Old School that means. No easy mode or balanced Encounter’s or coffee shop’s and pronouns this is for the hardcore Hardwire players that want to shoot some Bad guys and be a Hero. 

Or a heroine, girls are welcome to. If they wan’t to play. Maybe if they have a brother or Dad to teach them

 This is a whole new experience theres Technomancy and exciting Space politics and dont forget? lots of Battles!

No X cards or session zero’s just start playing and a galaxy of Adventure awaits you with thrilling Aliens fair space maidens evil villans Lasers and monsters and robot’s!

 

 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. 

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Christmas in July Sale - Tavern Picks - Part II - Classic TSR Era Settings and Rules

Today I continue with further Christmas in July Sale Picks. As stated previously, everything that is on my pick list for the current Christmas in July Sale at DTRPG is something I own, either in print, PDF, or both.

My Christmas in July Picks Part I post can be found at this link.

Now, on to today's Classic TSR Era Christmas in July Picks:

Planescape Campaign Setting (2e) - Sigil - The City of Doors. There is so much I liked about this setting. My players, however, preferred Dark Sun. 

Discover the multiverse! Enter infinite universes of infinite variety, worlds beyond the prime-material settings of the AD&D game. Explore Sigil, the City of Doors, filled with portals to every layer of every plane. All you need is the right key, including. . .

• A Player's Guide to the Planes: A 32-page primer that introduces DMs and players alike to the grand design of the multiverse.
• A DM's Guide to the Planes: A 64-page book of valuable information solely for the Dungeon Master.
• Sigil and Beyond: A 96-page gazetteer that introduces Sigil and its surrounding plane as the starting point for planar adventures. From Sigil all the Outer Planes may be sampled by novice and veteran explorers alike.
• Monstrous Supplement: a 32-page, full-color Monstrous Compendium booklet.
• Four poster-size maps depicting the planes.
• A four-panel DM screen designed especially for planar campaigns.

Normally 14.99, on sale in PDF for 11.24

Gamma World (1e) - The first RPG I bought for myself, the whole "Constitution Score equals the number of Hit Dice" caused a lot of head-scratching back in the day.

In a quest for survival and in search of a better future, the players adventure across the land, enduring hardships and encountering dangerous obstacles and mysterious foes - never knowing quite what to expect. The result is a game that can go in many directions, but which will be challenging and fascinating no matter what the outcome.

The GAMMA WORLD™ Set includes all the basics needed to set up your own "world": game booklet (packed with terrible mutants, as well as guidelines for creating additional ones of your own), a large campaign map (designed to be easily modified by individual gamemasters), and a full set of polyhedra dice. The only other things necessary are a good imagination and a spirit of adventure!

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (2e) - Forget the City of Doors. Give me a ship that sails the skies and I'm good as rain!

Multitudes of worlds wheel through Wildspace. The crystal shells that encase them bob and drift in a turbulent, rainbow ocean which fills all the cosmos. Sturdy merchants, bold pirates, and daring explorers venture into the great, unknown vastness of the universe, seeking wealth and adventure.

The SPELLJAMMER Game puts you in command of a fantastic ship capable of spanning the tremendous distances between planets. Graceful elven flitters, stately illithid galleys, deadly beholder tyrants, and the awesome Spelljammer itself carry trade, emissaries, and heroic action throughout all the worlds of the AD&D game.

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

D&D Rules Cyclopedia (Basic) - Often referred to by many as the single, best rulebook of the era, I remember houseruleing my AD&D campaign with rules taken in whole from the Rules Cyclopedia.

Whether you're a player or a Dungeon Master, the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia is now the comprehensive sourcebook you need for the original fantasy roleplaying game! For ages 12 and up, the Cyclopedia contains the compete game system and hundreds of features, including the following:

• All the rules from the D&D boxed set series, including Basic, Expert, Companion, and Masters
• Guidelines to develop and play characters from levels 1-36
• Comprehensive lists of weaponry and equipment
• Expansion rules including optional skills and talents
• An overview of the Known World and the HOLLOW WORLD game setting, the official D&D campaign world; and Rules to convert D&D games and characters into AD&D 2nd edition game statistics and back again

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn - I bought this game for my sister to play, so in the end it became mine ;) 

Alpha Dawn... stage one of the Star FrontiersTM science fiction game system.

A great way to enter the world of science fiction role playing.

These Basic Rules teach you how to create characters, move and fight on the game map, and how to create adventures of your own. The included adventure, Crash on Volturnus, is simple enough for both beginning players and referees.

Stage two... expanded rules and much more!

Picture the world-famous Dungeons & Dragons game. Now imagine this same excitement in a science fiction setting. You'll find our Expanded Rules add that kind of challenge, detail, and opportunity for victory. 

Everything you need: This set includes the Basic Rule Book, the Expanded Rule Book, the Crash on Volturnus Adventure Module, printable full-color map, printable counters.

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

Dark Sun Boxed Set (2e) - A great dark setting for D&D. I don't think WotC could do it justice in today's environment.

Amid the barren wastelands of Athas lie the scattered city-states, each in the grip of its own, tyrannical sorcerer-king. Protecting their own positions with dark magic, they demand absolute obedience. The restless mobs are placated with bread and circuses --the arenas overflow with spectators seeking release from their harsh lives.

The land outside the cities belong to no one. Savage elves race across the deserts while insectoid Thri-Kreen satisfy their taste for blood. Dwarves labor at projects beyond the scope of men, and feral halflings lie in ambush.

Athas is a land of deadly magic and powerful psionics that offers promise of glory or even of survival. Those who do not have the cunning to face life on Athas will surely perish - leaving nothing but bones bleached white under the blistering rays of the DARK SUN

On the sands of Athas you'll face:

• Three new PC races!
• Muls - half-dwarf, half-human; specially bred for combat!
• Thri-Kreen - the savage mantis-warriors of the Barrens!
• Half-giants - bred for tremendous size and strength
• Three new PC classes!
• Gladiators - heroes of the arenas, the ultimate warriors!
• Templars - Wicked priests who serve the sorcerer-kings!
• Defilers - wizards whose powers drain the life around them!
• More powerful PC's
• All Dark Sun game characters begin at 3rd level!
• Ability scores that can go as high as 24!
• All PC's have one or more psionic powers!
• The new character tree allows players to advance many characters at once!

Normally 9.99, on sale in PDF for 7.49

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 

Remastered Star Frontiers Rules and Support Material Taken Down by Request of WotC

It was shared in The Tavern's Facebook Community that WotC has requested that the Star Frontiers rules and support material that contained articles original published by TSR be removed from starfrontiers.com and http://www.starfrontiersman.com/magazines.php

http://www.starfrontiers.com/Rules/

The Remastered Star Frontiers rules are gone along with 14 of the 25 issues of Star Frontiersman Magazine, as the issues in question contained remastered articles from TSR's Dragon Magazine and such.

Note: WotC had given permission for the sites to host the original TSR published material, but as WotC is now releasing Star Frontiers material from the TSR days as PDFs on RPGNow, having such material available for free elsewhere doesn't make good business sense.

There ARE, however, some download links that still work as of this morning:

Star Frontiers Expanded Rules  
http://www.starfrontiers.com/Rules/7007%20-%20Alpha%20Dawn%20-%20Expanded.pdf

Star Frontiers Campaign Book Expanded Rules
http://www.starfrontiers.com/Rules/7011%20-%20Knight%20Hawks%20-%20Expansion.pdf

Grab them before they are gone...

TSR Tuesday - Star Frontiers: (SF1) Volturnus, Planet of Mystery (and SF2 and Character Sheets)

So, WotC has now released some classic adventures for the Star Frontiers RPG in PDF format (I had overlooked this as it actually released last week - thankfully I got pinged by a Taverner via email)

What just released?

Star Frontiers: (SF1) Volturnus, Planet of Mystery (I had no idea Tom Moldvay was involved with SF until now) - 4.99

Star Frontiers: (SF2) Starspawn of Volturnus - 4.99

Star Frontiers: (SF AC-1) Official Character Record Sheets - Free

You can snag the remastered rules for free at http://www.starfrontiersman.com/remastered.php

Sorry for the late and lonely post today - it was a busy day ;)

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New Release - FrontierSpace Referee's Handbook

The FrontierSpace Referee's Handbook just released (its the companion book to the FrontierSpace Player's Handbook). If FrontierSpace brings you the warm fuzzy feelings of classic Star Frontiers, its meant to. Its not so much a clone as a homage, presented with the care of folks that truly do love and respect the source material.

So, what do you get in the FrontierSapce Referee's Handbook that you don't get in the Player's Handbook? Well, if the player's book gives you the nuts and bolts of the system, the ref's book shows you how to put it all together for campaign play.

A Referee is many things: host, writer, actor, and judge. While players play, you have to do everything else. It’s almost like work, and isn’t for everyone. But you’re different; you LIKE the job. It’s a big job to do, and your toolkit should stack up to the size of your job.

The Referee’s Handbook is the essential toolkit for the FrontierSpace roleplaying game. While it does contain rules for action, adventure, and combat – it is full of so much more. A wealth of game preparation tools accompany this rulebook.

Inspiration is contained herein. Add psionics to your games. Design security systems and corporate installations to infiltrate. Customize characters, weapons, robots, vehicles, and starships. Design your own species and creatures. Build a campaign setting of your own, or flesh out the one provided. Generate star systems and planets to explore. You just add imagination!

The Referee's Handbook is the essential toolkit for every FrontierSpace Referee. Contained in this book you'll find all the rules you need for running the game. This is a companion volume to the Player's Handbook, available here.

FrontierSpace is built upon the foundation of the d00lite system, the same game engine used to power BareBones Fantasy and Covert Ops roleplaying games. Years of feedback and continued game system development has evolved this product into something that flows at the game table while getting out of the way of a good story.

The FrontierSpace Referee's Handbook is 9.99 in PDF. The FrontierSpace Player's Handbook is also 9.99 in PDF, but 17.99 gets you the rules in softcover and PDF.

I've been impressed with the FSPH. I'll need to catch up on the FSRH after I return from GameHole next week.

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New Release - FrontierSpace Player's Handbook

If you are like me you have fond memories of the Star Frontiers game from the 1980s. There was something very special about it (even if the original boxed set lacked rules for star ships as I recall)

Well, DWD Studios has released the FrontierSpace Player's Handbook. For all intents and purposes its a clone of Star Frontiers, at least in feel, and it is good.

Did I mention that is is licensed under a CC License? http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Very cool.

I'm about halfway though the 250 pages of this PDF and I'm liking what I see thus far.

Someone needs to write up some of the original races for it. Not it! Too much on my plate for October ;)

The FrontierSpace Player's Handbook is priced at $9.99 in PDF.

Among the stars in a distant galaxy there exists a region of densely populated habitable worlds. It is here your story begins, a place commonly called "the frontier" where people dwell and tales unfold. 

The Galactic Federation's power now wanes as corporations rise to fill the void left behind by the loss of their protection and authority. Citizens push on against adversity and defy the obviousness of their limitations. They live their lives doing work for the large interstellar corporations and governments. They huddle around spaceports and seek passage to the next system. They fight and they love and they die... but above all else, despite the vastness, despite the isolation, despite the dirt and the dust and the danger... the frontier is alive. And that's what makes it worth fighting for. 

The Player's Handbook is the essential sourcebook for every FrontierSpace role player. Contained in this book you'll find all the rules you need for creating, training, equipping, playing, and developing your character. This is a companion volume to the Referee's Handbook, available soon.

FrontierSpace is built upon the foundation of the d00lite system, the same game engine used to power BareBones Fantasy and Covert Ops roleplaying games. Years of feedback and continued game system development has evolved this product into something that flows at the game table while getting out of the way of a good story.

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Evil Hat has Applied for the Star Frontiers Trademark

Evil Hat's application for the now abandoned Star Frontiers trademark was all over the net last week (not that I noticed). It reminds me when I found out that the TSR trademark had been snagged - it was an obvious attempt at nostalgia. Is it the same with Evil Hat?

Although the Star Frontiers rules are freely available online - and I'm not linking as I am unsure of the legalities - I'm surprised its a game that has never been cloned (to the best of my knowledge)

Could you clone a game and then use the revived trademark to reissue it?

No idea what plans Fred "Blue Haired" Hicks has planned for Star Frontiers, but it certainly makes for a fun thought experiment ;)