State of The Tavern Keeper - Summer 2024

As has now been stated recently by two of my doctors, my cardiologist (heart) and my nephrologist (kidneys) I need to lose weight. While I'd like to think I can do so by simply doing low-impact cardio, the truth is I need to change my eating habits. By intention, so does Rach, as I do all the cooking, and cooking for two is the same as cooking for one.

And we've been doing it, and doing well with it, for the last two weeks. Konjac noodles for Italian dishes, salads with grilled chicken, stir-fries with frozen veggies, low sodium soy sauce, and yet more grilled chicken. Sit down Chinese food with brown rice and light on the sauce. And yes, even some fast food - tonight was Checkers, but no fries (first fast food in 2 weeks) and only because this afternoon was all pear-shaped ;P

Increasing our walks with the dog - number and length, of course, is good for the three of us - Rach, our doggie, and of course, myself. 

So, if I get a bit extra cranky, here at The Tavern, in its various incarnations, or on social media in general, now you know why.

In any case, down about 4 pounds in just over a week and a half. I'll take it :)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Sorry for the Interruption...

but today went a little pear-shaped at the end. Fires are put out, and everything is fixed (for now - heh), but I am emotionally drained and physically worn out..

OSR Christmas emails? The first thing to address after Rach's appointment in the morning.

OSR Christmas in general? More tomorrow.

Now, some well-deserved rest :)

A Successful Venture to The Compleat Strategist

Rach and I did something we rarely do these days - we ventured into Manhattan (often referred to as "The City" by New Yorkers). I had forgotten that hell's Furnaces are directly linked to the Subway system in The City, and I couldn't wait to venture out of the warrens known as the NYC Subway System and into the surface reaches of Manhattan.

Heh!

In any case, we were meeting up with Professor DM, JoetheLawyer, and a few others for what is now a yearly tradition of gamer shopping, followed quickly by gamer eating and gamer drinking.

A fun time was had, stories were told, and the attendees left (hopefully) satiated.

As usual, we forgot to take a photo to commemorate the event, but I'm toying with the idea of adding a January meet-up to the schedule. I mean, gaming purchases, Irish food, and good beer are timeless, correct? ;)

The picture above shows my acquisitions for this trip :)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar    

State of The Tavern Keeper - Covid Round 2 - the Colding

Rach & I had Round 1 of our Covid experience ringing in the new year in 2021. It was a mostly miserable experience, and largely resembled a nasty flu that lingered for over a week, and lethargy and sleeping 10-12 hours a night for the better part of a month. For me, brain fog lingered for a few months before slowly lifting. Not fun, but could have been far worse. 

Last Saturday, Rach got hit with a bad cold. I had some severe stomach issues on Monday, but nothing that would raise Covid flags. Rach still had cold symptoms on Tuesday, and with my mother's nagging (which is a prerequisite of motherhood) we tested Rach on Tuesday for Covid. She was positive. I was negative but started to have cold symptoms. By Thursday, I was testing positive.

No meds - we were both too far along for plaxlovid to be effective according to our docs, with Covid expected to last 5 to 7 days (Rach called her doc Wednesday morning). We were both up for a 40-minute dog walk this afternoon, although we have spent all of our energies now.

My spirits are high, my sinuses are slowly drying up, and I look forward to getting back into the swing of things next week. Maybe I'll go to sleep reading my ShadowDark PDFs on my iPad...

State of The Tavern Keeper - Turning 55 and All That Jazz

Yes, it's that time, when your OSR Tavern Keeper celebrates yet another year. I turned 55 today, and I'm truly at a loss for words. Just over 2 years ago, I wasn't sure if 53 was going to make the cut, and here I am, 60 pounds lighter and likely healthier than I have been in years.

I plan on sticking around for a few more decades, and I know there are some groans when I say that, but tough! They know who they are ;)

Birthday wishes have been coming in via FB, email, discord, and text. I can't thank you all enough.

Now, on to bookkeeping. I've unlaunched my Patreon. It never served the purpose I had imagined it would and I never really had a handle on it as a creator. It's time to reevaluate and potentially reimagine. For those that simply want to support what I do, there is a Paypal subscription button on the top of this page. Even better, shop using The Tavern's affiliate links listed at the bottom of every post. 

We've surpassed 1,500 Subscribers on The Tavern's Youtube Channel. That means that next Wednesday on the Talking Crit Livestream (which airs every Wednesday Night at 8 PM Eastern) we are giving away at least $250 in DTRPG Gift Certificates.

I've been asked why I don't watch many gaming-oriented Youtube channels, and the simple answer is, that I like my content much like I make my content - unscripted, not pushing products, not a game session recording, and simply not fake. Often the fewer bells and whistles, the more I like a channel, as it simply feels less rehearsed and planned. There are exceptions to these rules, of course, but I tend to prefer the feel of the "cable public access" vibe ;)

Alright, getting close to dinner with the family, so I should wrap this up. Tonight at 8 PM Eastern Rach and I will be doing our weekly Gamers' Health Livestream. I can think of no better way to spend my birthday ;)

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 cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Further Details on My Upcoming Heretical Game Collection Downsizing - The Looting Will Likely Commence in July

I've mentioned my intention of downsizing my game collection on The Tavern's YouTube Channel, and I figured I should do a follow-up here at The Tavern. Over the past dozen years or so, I've accumulated a proverbial shit ton of gaming material, boxed games, and RPGs, much of which I will never play. That realization was not an easy one to come to, but now that I have, I need to embrace it fully.

As you can see from the picture above, which is just an example, I have boxed games still in the original wrap. I have RPG books where the spine has never experienced pages being looked at, let alone sat down and read. If I haven't enjoyed these games in the past dozen years, I doubt I will in the future. Simply put, it's time to downsize.

I DO NOT expect to see many OSR releases in the initial round(s) of the purge, but that may change. I've already fielded a number of inquiries, and in the next month or so I plan on putting the first round of the purge on a list along with pics. I'll likely put the items up for sale here on the blog side. Some of the more collectible pieces may be auctioned off.

edit: (Pathfinder 1e and some 5e releases will likely be in the initial mix)

The larger boxed sets are likely expensive to ship (and it should be noted, I won't be shipping out of the States), so I expect those will be delivered to interested buyers at Shire Con and/or Total Con, conventions I can drive to.

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 YouTube - Tenkar

State of the Tavern Keeper - Have Some Heart ;)

First things first. I'm holding off on choosing the winners (yes - winners) of the Lanasian Craptor Creation Contest until Monday, March 28th. You can still enter until noon on Monday. (edit: Christopher Stogdill has the blog through Monday, so the contest will close on Tuesday, March 29th. I'm supposed to treat the right wrist "as if it were broken" for the next few days, and one-handed typing ain't working 😉

The reasons are as follows.

I was scheduled for a 9 AM angiogram yesterday after my cardiologist saw an irregularity on my recent Cardiac PET exam under stress. He thought one of my four stents might be having an issue, and rightly wanted it checked out and corrected if necessary.

Well, 9 AM dragged out until 2 PM, when I finally saw my surgeon. The patient before me had a much more complicated issue than had been expected, but thankfully all worked out well for them. Still, I wasn't wheeled into the room until nearly 3 PM (and hadn't eaten or drank anything since prior to midnite Thursday evening.

The surgeon had told Rach and I prior to the procedure that he thought it was most likely going to be short, and that the PET scan could have shown a false result.

Instead, one stent WAS blocked and the obstruction was cleared. More importantly, and potentially more of an issue, my main left artery was 70% blocked. It did not show on the scan. Now, my magic number is FIVE stents ;)

I got home just before 8 pm. I'm not supposed to type with my right hand (as one of the two entry points was my right wrist) for a day or three, and I didn't post last night but thought I owed y'all an update.

Tomorrow, Chris has the con. I should be back on Monday.

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 

State of the Tavern Keeper - OSR Christmas Catch-Up Possibly Completed - Check Your Emails

Last night I enjoyed the Bills/Chiefs game from the privacy of my own home with a large amount of caffeine ingested. Apparently, caffeine in large doses does a fine job of combating long-term Covid's brain fog. Seeing my chance, I dove into emails last night.

Quick notes:

• I BELIEVE I have responded to every OSR Christmas Gift Claim submitted to tenkarsDOTtavern at that Gmail thing. If you emailed me at the above and I haven't contacted you, email me anew with OSR Christmas Day X (X=the day # in question) in the subject, and your handle you commented under, and the gift you are claiming in the body of the email and I'll try to make it right.
• There are unclaimed gifts. No, I don't have a list of what hasn't been claimed yet. Gifts that are still unclaimed by the end of the day, January 31, 2022, will be forfeit. Gifters (donors) will have the option of adding those gifts to a supplemental gift-giving day later in February 2022.
• Gifts being mailed by me (Torchlight and FloofQuest) should ship before the end of the week. Arduin should be shipping this week, as well as the gifts being shipped by Bad Mike.

I expect to start doing reviews before this week is out. Probably under high doses of caffeine to clear the fog.

I truly appreciate the patience from everyone involved in OSR Christmas, from the gifters, the giftees, and especially the commenters. Covid sucks ;)

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 

OSR Christmas is Temporarily Suspended - FU Omicron!

As I mentioned yesterday, Rach and I have been hit by COVD, likely Omicron. Aside from the fact that it manifests as a severe cold, one of the symptoms both of us are suffering from is brain fog.

Suffice to say, brain fog sucks shit.

I'm avoiding going through emails related to OSR Christmas, because they require me to be, at a minimum, cognizant enough to record and forward information to a third party, or in certain cases, forward DTRPG credit to those that have earned such. 

As an aside, thank GOD for Grammarly, as the above paragraph had a half dozen spelling and/or spelling issues. That's about 6x my normal ratio ;)

I'm strongly hopeful that I'll be back to my usual mental state by Monday (not that that is saying much ;)

Expect OSR Chrismas to return with 24-hour turnarounds early next week.

Thank you for your understanding and patience. As always, The Tavern is here because of you.

State of the Tavern Keeper - It Appears My Better Half are Heralding the New Year with Omicron

Yep, according to the home kit we used Thursday evening, after the both of us came down with fresh cold-like symptoms on Wednesday, Rach is COVID positive and the assumption is I am too.

My ass certainly dragging. 10 hours of sleep last night and a three-hour nap this afternoon.

Not the way I'd have chosen to end the year, but so far the symptoms are mild and my complaints are minimal.

All that being said, I'm (potentially) going to be far slower than usual to get to emails and PMs for the next few days. Packages coming from The Tavern directly from OSR Christmas will be delayed, as trips to the post office are not in the immediate future.

I'll keep you updated, but this appears to be more inconvenience than a threat.

BTW, Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve Thoughts - Gaming and Beyond

Earlier today we had a really amazing dinner and gift exchange at my sister's house. My niece, Shannon, gave me some amazing gifts and reminded me of the simple blessing of being an uncle.

Parking was horrible upon returning home, so I dropped off my parents and Rach, before spending nearly 30 minutes looking for parking, finally finding a spot a 10-minute walk from home. 

Fate was in my favor, because our local church was but a block away from where I parked, and I was able to say a few prayers before walking to the house.

Which almost didn't happen, as a block later, crossing in the crosswalk, I was nearly run into by a careless driver making a turn and likely thinking they had found a parking spot - it was a hydrant instead.

The driver "didn't see me" (their words), which is quite likely, as they turned the corner so sharply I expect they thought they were sliding into a hard sought-after parking spot.

My heart rate spiked about 25 beats according to my watch, and it took me another 2 blocks to appreciate what had actually happened.

Not the near accident. That wasn't an important event. It's what didn't happen, or the end result of what didn't happen.

A healthy and living me.

I'm alive, after a 2020 that could easily have flipped that script. Tonight could have flipped that script. On Christmas Eve.

Instead, I'm here, typing away, marveling at my blessings and appreciating what I have.

Today and tomorrow, heck, the whole entire year, are not times to mourn what you've lost, but to appreciate what you have.

I am truly blessed, by family, friends and community.

I'll try to improve on myself a little more in the coming months. I'll continue attempting to give back, both to my local community and our gaming community.

I have some thoughts on such, probably more on that as we get closer to the new year.

In the meantime, may God bless you all, and may your holy season be blessed - Tenkar

A Heartfelt Thanks from Your OSR Bartender on this Thanksgiving Day

(art by Craig Brasco)

It's Thanksgiving here in the United States, and there is much that I am thankful for.

Let me get this out of the way, right out of the box - I am happy for my health. After the trifecta of hospitalizations in 2020, I have taken steps to turn my poor health-related habits into better ones. I've lowered my A1C by three points, my weight by about 50 pounds, and have changed my diet to a much healthier one. All it took was pneumonia, sepsis, and congestive heart failure (followed by four stents). Take my advice, correct your course earlier than I did :)

I am thankful for knowing the friends that I have lost, and those I will likely lose in the coming weeks and months. As painful as the losses are, there would be an emptiness in my soul were I to have never known them. 

This is especially true for Doug Rhea, who touched more lives than anyone I know. I have cemented more friendships because of Doug and the convention he founded, NTRPG Con, than can be counted on my fingers and toes. Rest well Doug, you more than earned it.

I am thankful for the opportunity to give back to my community, not just where I live physically, but where my heart is, the gaming community. In a few days we'll be kicking off another OSR Christmas celebration, and it wouldn't be happening without all of you.

Most of all, I am thankful that you, my readers, my viewers, and my listeners, allow me into your lives for a few minutes each day. There can be nothing more gratifying, nor more humbling, than that simple amount of trust in me that you have shown over the past decade and more.

I thank you all :)

Tenkar

May your Thanksgiving be blessed with the comfort of family and friends, near and far. 

State of The Tavern Keeper - Why You Never Threaten The Bartender With "Legal Action"

Alright, I figure it's time to address "the elephant in the room." I've heard differing theories as to why I seem to "have a hard-on" for Justin LaNasa, ranging from jealousy over his success, to his abrasive and insulting personality, to disagreements over social and political viewpoints and beyond.

Here's a simple fact: I don't respond well to threats of legal action for asking questions and investigating events that are newsworthy in the gaming community. My first threat of legal action was from Gail Gygax, when I started digging into the fiasco known as the Gygax Memorial Fund. The threat was certainly backed by a willingness to follow through if she had indeed thought she had a case, as she had already spent over six figures litigating the Gygax TM dispute with TSR 2.0. I didn't back off and no such action was ever filed. Instead, it was a simple attempt to intimidate me.

This is why the VAST majority of threats of legal action are made. The one with potentially deeper pockets threatens the one with perceived smaller pockets for making public questions or inferences or opinions with the hopes of shutting down such actions.

These individuals also prefer to insinuate such actions, using phrases such as "you may be liable in court for your words" or "such actions may be costly in a court of law", although some have come right out and threatened to "sue your ass and take your house!" In Justin's case, it was: "Another thing their armchair lawyer you might want to be very careful you might get pulled into this very easily you know what character deformation, slander and even in some case fraud is? I suggest you stop picking sides and steering things could get costly to you to!!"

Although I take such threats seriously, especially as they have the potential to put myself and my family in financial difficulties, or worse, I do happen to understand the laws regarding slander, libel, and the like. As Frank Mentzer once told me, and I am paraphrasing: "My wife and I follow your Ken Whitman coverage closely, and she is often fearful that you'll get sued. I told her 'Tenkar knows where the line is and will gladly walk right up to it, but never cross it. I am never concerned for you'".

If you want me to draw a laser focus on you and your activities, if you want me to be the dog that bites down on your leg and won't let go, threaten me with legal action. Especially a threat that does not spell out my actual violations of the law. General, baseless threats are the most surefire way to get my unwavering attention. I've been threatened with legal action over a half dozen times and I'm still here and I've never backed down.

Justin apparently has a habit of throwing around baseless legal threats, like the ones he's been threatening the various Facebook Groups that have TSR in their name. What makes the group I highlight below extra interesting (aside from the fact they told Justin to effectively pound sand), is that Justin is claiming copyright for logos that are using the original classic era TSR logos that are still copyright by WotC. Justin had all of the logos redrawn and the new ones differ slightly from the originals. Apparently, either Justin can't tell the difference himself OR he's making yet another baseless legal claim in the hopes of gaining compliance via intimidation.

So now you know. 

State of the Tavern Keeper - Post Con Update and "Stuff"

I had an amazing time at NTRPG Con, as you can probably tell from the posts and Youtube videos I've shared the last few days. Well, I'm home now and it feels good. Almost as good as the weekend was ;)

The true joy in getting out and travelling halfway across the country after the health horrs I had last year can't be understated.

It was amazing seeing the friends and extended family that I hadn't seen for an extended period of time, and it was great putting faces to folk that read the blog, listen to the podcast, and watch the YouTube Channel.

I discussed a potential RPG project with another creator. Far too early to announce, and we aren't even sure it is viable, but damn, it would be a fun project to work on. More if and when we decide to move forward.

The next day or two will see me uploading a shit-ton of podcast episodes, as I was falling behind even before NTRPG Con.

Back behind the grindstone ;)

Time for Tea at The Tavern!

Thanks to my Ring Doorbell, I knew there was motion at my front door around 7 AM, so upon waking I walked downstairs to see what the mailman had left for us. 

Lo and behold, it was a box without a return address or sender markings. Now, although I know my good friend Ken Whitless would love to send me gifts in unmarked boxes, he thinks my name is Ernie and that I live in Lake Geneva, so I was fairly sure the box was safe to open.

To my great surprise, what is pictured above was in the box. One of the regular Taverners, Jeremy F, sent it to me completely out of the blue. Handmade and custom job. Perfect for my morning tea.

One hell of a way to recharge my batteries :)

Thank you Jeremy!

State of the Tavern Keeper - Doc, Doc, Goose!

I could really use a do-over for 2020. Three hospitalizations, and yet still no Covid - knock-on-wood. 

The latest hospitalization found that my left carotid is fully occluded - blocked. Needless to say, the result of this was more doc appointments and tests. Here's the summary:

The right carotid has fully compensated for the blocked left carotid. The left carotid's blockage is almost certainly due to radiation treatment for Hodgkin's 14 years ago. Low blood pressure and dehydration (I fainted) was the reason for the hospitalization. Days of testing revealed I was overmedicated for a healthier heart than expected. The carotid blockage was bonus knowledge.

The blockages in my heart that were revealed with my hospitalization in May for Congestive Heart Failure were likely a consequence of chemo and radiation treatment for Hodgkin's. The damage was not new. The first hospitalization, back in March, for pneumonia and sepsis, apparently put the heart muscle in a weakened state of shock. The 4 stents I received for my CHF seem to have woken the heart muscle up, and the heart is now working strongly enough that it would not now be considered CHF - although I believe once diagnosed it is always a threat.

I've lost about 25 to 30 pounds from my "convention" weight with a goal to lose at least another 20. Anything I can do to help the heart I am willing to do.

In the last two and a half weeks since my latest hospitalization, I've had 9 days of doc visits and medical testing. Things are finally slowing down.

I am behind on everything. Torchlight. The Watchman Project. Fireside Chats on the podcast. Chores and projects around the house. You name it, I'm behind on it.

I'm hoping this weekend to start climbing out of that hole, but it will take time. At least, things are looking up, healthwise. All that and I knocked my A1C down by 3.2 points - which tells you how out of control it was.

I thank you all for the support. It really has given me strength.

Onward and upward - Tenkar

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 the affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

52 Copies of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Sold as DTRPG Deal of the Day - Thank You!

 Just want to give a quick but huge "Thank You!" to the community for the support given to our very own Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. There were 52 copies sold and I am truly humbled.

I've spent the past two weeks knee-deep in doctor appointments and medical testing, this after nearly a week in the hospital. To say I'm far being where I wanted to be creatively nearly halfway into September would be an understatement. Work will recommence on Torchlight #1 next week, with the aim to release by the end of September.

Alright, I need to get ready for Tavern Chat on the Discord server at 9 pm. 

Again, thanks :)

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 the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.

A HugeThank You to All for the Support During this Latest Hospitalization

 2020 has been one hell of a year. Screw Covid, I’ve been hospitalized three times without its help ;)

This latest hospitalization has been the least stressful, even though I’ve been here since passing out after lunch on Sunday.

Here are the takeaways:

- ECG of my heart reveals the four stents I received for congestive heart failure in May are working perfectly. Actually, the cardiologist told me my heart was working perfectly. My current issue is low blood pressure when I stand, likely due to dehydration. No more diuretics! Currently on a saline drip. This appears to be the cause of Sunday’s passing out.

- there are partial blockages of my coronary and one further artery leading to my brain. CT was late yesterday afternoon. Waiting on vascular surgeon to review The CT, but was told most likely course of action will be to treat with medications.

- I’d rather be bored and monitored than worried :)

I’d like to thank all of my friends in this community of ours for the kind words and thoughts. It really means the world to me. Of course, a huge thank you to Chris, who’s been posting the past few days. The Tavern truly is a team effort.

Oh, and to the magnificent bastard that paid 10 bucks each for the two volumes of Pocket Monsters as well as snagging a copy of SWCL - I don’t know what to say other than “thank you”. 

Thank you all.

State of the Tavern Keeper - New Lease on Life

This past Monday I went to St Francis Hospital to have a stent inserted in the left anterior descending part of my heart to clear a blockage. This followed three prior stents for three other blockages two weeks prior. No more procedures in my immediate future - just healthy eating, exercise and a lifetime  of meds.

I’m sad to not be at NTRPG Con this year, but I’m happy. I’ll be around for many more :)

Again,I’d like to thank Chris for stepping up the past few days. He’ll be a regular feature on Sunday’s going forward.

We’ve got plans for The Tavern, some I’ve touched on prior, some we’ve yet to announce.

June should be a good month :)

State of the Tavern Keeper - One More Time

In the morning, at 11 AM, I report to St Francis Heart Hospital for, what should be, the last procedure I need. If it all goes well, I'll be home in the evening.

Chris will be handling the posting for the next day or two, before coming on board to regularly post on Sundays. Woot! Oh, and there should be another announcement later in the week :)

Thanks to all for the kind thoughts, wishes, and prayers. It truly is appreciated.