I Can Write That Quick Start in 2 (or 4 half) Pages - Thoughts on a Home Game Quickstart Doc for Far Away Land

As most of you know, my weekly Saturday Night group plays via Roll20 / Google+ Hangouts. It has most of the benefits of playing at the dining room table without the drawback of driving and cleaning up after a half dozen people afterwards.

It does have a noticeable drawback - you can't pass the rulebook around the table as you would in a face to face game.

This hasn't been an issue with most of the games we play as most of the OSR rulesets are available for free in PDF (often in "art free versions") or they hue close enough to the rules they are modeled on that one can always pull out the original edition rules for the session.

The same is not the case with Far Away Land and I can't expect to strong-arm my group into ponying up for a game system sight unseen, even if a few have already expressed interest in playing, as in "When are you going to run FAL!?!"

I figure I can explain character creation, boons, flaws, gear and task resolution in about 2 pages with maybe a paragraph explaining the default setting. Or maybe 4 pages, so it could be printed out on a single sheet of 8 1/2 x 11, folded in half like a pamphlet and insertable in the printed book as a handy reference sheet.

I really want to run a session in 2 or 3 weeks, and I think something like this is really necessary for my group's situation.

Assuming I can put this together with all of the curve balls real life has been throwing lately, I'll reach out to Simian Circle Games and see is this is something they would allow me to distribute on a larger level (or if they would want to do so.)

Speaking of that weekly game, the time is near as I write this!

Android Users - Games Workshop's Talisman is the Free App of the Day at Amazon

Talisman was the go to board game for my gaming group throughout high school and college. It was a blast and a half.

Today only (and there are only 6 hours left in "today" as I post this) it is the free app of the day in the Amazon Android App Store.

The price is right and I've just installed it on my phone (I'll put it on my tablet later.)

Frog God Games is Kicking of a "Daily Deals" Promotion on Monday

The link to sign up is here.

I don't have any further information on this promotion (that's a hint to the powers that be that they may want to spill some more beans ;)

Deals start Monday and you can be sure I'll be highlighting some of the more exceptional ones (at least in my opinion) here at The Tavern but remember, these deals only last for 24 hrs each, so you need to strike fast for the ones you want.

Mini Review - Isle of the Rat Wizard (Far Away Land - PWYW)

If there is a single sentence that defines how Isle of the Rat Wizard is written and meant to be used, it is this:

Maybe the bridge is worn and once the PCs and ratlings are fighting, it begins to collapse or break apart?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

The DM decides.

Isle of the Rat Wizard is about options. It is effectively a mini sandbox. The players have a goal (get off the isle) and an offer for help if they help the small settlement in return, but that's it.

There is no script. There is no hidden flow chart.

NPC, monsters, locations, items, random encounter charts (and a random weather chart) and "go!"

From what I've read so far, the mini adventures in the Far Away Land series of adventures are episodic, with each adventure it's own little sandbox.

Isle of the Rat Wizard is 7 pages long, 5 pages when you remove the front and back covers. Priced at Pay What You Want.

From the blurb:

A mysterious island with a big skull shaped mountain. A jungle full of ratlings. A crazed ratling wizard with a magical amulet. A town who needs heroes. Are you up to the challenge? Isle of the Rat Wizard is the first module in a series of Far Away Land RPG mini-adventures.

This mini-adventure module is designed to be a primer for GMs. Each of our mini-adventure modules provide a history and context for the adventure as well as location descriptions, maps, weather guide, wandering monsters, NPCs, items/treasure, and a list of adventure ideas and scenarios that can be played out during the adventure. Isle of the Rat Wizard is 5 pages and full color.

Roll20 is Hiring - Part Time Online DM - If Only This Was February 2016 ;)

Roll20 is looking to hire a part time DM / GM for live game broadcasts and Q&A sessions. If only this were 12 months from now and I was a newly retired civil servant. Much like my bartender said on Wednesday, after I had 5 rounds bought for me by a guy that won $20 grand in one of the Superbowl pools - "Timing is everything."

So, it's not a good for for me, but it might be a good fit for you:

Note - US only apparently

Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome - Hardcover in Hand

I ordered Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome on Sunday. Five days later I have it in hand. That is probably the quickest turn around I've seen from Lightning Source / OneBookShelf.

The pages look nice and crisp. I don't see any bleed through, and this book is chuck full of full color art.

Tomorrow the plan is to look at the setting material. I must say the maps look very nice. I wonder if they used Hexographer.

I've got some ideas for adventure seeds or encounters using Far Away Land. I'm sure they'll be post here on the blogside, but I'll probably also cross post to The Tavern's underused forums. I'm surprised at the lack of activity on the official FAL's forums, so I'll see if we can have some success over here.

I apologize for the slow pace of posting, especially this week and probably into next. Wearing two hats at work, writing a "Dummies Guide" for every procedure and responsibility my unit has AND writing an updated section for the bureau's guide regarding my unit's responsibilities.

Far Away Land has been the perfect distraction ;)

If Only All Publishers Were This Responsive to Criticism (Far Away Land)

A few days ago, in my initial post about Far Away Lands (which for some damn reason I always want to pluralize. Much like my constant substituting of "Time Shorts" for +Tim Shorts ;) I mentioned I had two minor criticisms.

1 - copy / paste was disabled in the Far Way Lands: Tome of Awesome

2 - the PDF lacked bookmarks.

Lo and behold, what do I see in my email this morning?

Now that is a boatload of Simian awesome :)

Frog God is Offering 15% Off at Their Site Through Feb 15th

You can go to the Frog God website here> Frog God

The Myth & Magic Player's Guide Kickstarter - Still Shoveling Sh!t After Nine Months of Silence

Are you still waiting on delivery of your Myth & Magic Player's Guide? If so, you may be the victim of nefarious forces located within the US Postal Service. Seriously:

I just wanted to post an update, albeit terribly overdue (Hey folks. Grumpy here. Let me just state for the record, 9 months isn't "terribly overdue", it's "stick you head in a hole like an ostrich overdue"), to let you know things are back on track as of January 19th, the day I was able to secure some loan money and earmark personal funds to complete the GMG project and to ensure that all orders are fulfilled. It was senseless to update you during the process of securing the funds (because an update instead of 9 months of silence would be... senseless), since it was a total roller coaster and I had no idea what to expect. 

Player's Guide Domestic Shipping: I shipped all domestic orders via priority mail (emphasis mine) and although only a few came back to me, most show a confirmed delivery and some do not. I want to make sure that everyone receives their books. (not one comment to this update indicates a book received.)

If you did not receive your PG order, something happened (or didn't happen - most likely, Tom didn't mail shit). Either I did not have your correct address or something else got screwed up. I just set up a new email address to ensure I have your most up-to-date information. If you did not get your book(s), please send me your name, backer level and updated address. Use the following email: imfullofshit@wasteddreams.doh

Here's a telling comment to this update:

I'll be blunt - I do not believe you when you say you have shipped the domestic orders, because SURELY someone would have made mention of this fact (given that it would have been quite from the blue). 

I personally have received nothing, and I'm pretty sure that the same address information that worked for a KS that funded and delivered within the last year was what you got, given that I haven't moved in a decade. 

I'd love to be proved wrong on this, but I believe that this update is more owing to my repeatedly contacting KS Support about the GMG project not delivering ANYTHING and them then contacting you as opposed to any progress being actually made.

Because we all know Tom is a font of honesty (Update from December 5th, 2013)

I have a lot of returned mailings to send out (or un-mailed mailings - returned from "storage" perhaps), mostly wrong addresses, some mailings that slipped through the cracks, and a lot of international mailings. Everything will get done by or right after the holidays. The list grows and of course so too does everything else in my life at this time of year. I generally take a week right after the holidays to decompress so that will provide me the time necessary to punch it out.

Do I believe in Tom's honesty and integrity? Not after he posted my shipping info in the comments of the project for all to see. I had to complain to Kickstarter, and they promptly removed it. Why did he do such? Because Tom didn't appreciate me calling him on his shit.

BTW, I do have my copy. I may sign it and donate it to the NTRPGCon Midnite Auction. I know they got stiffed on the books themselves.

Want more perspective on this? +Jason Paul McCartan over at OSRToday makes some excellent observations.

 

What Do You Look for in an RPG That You REALLY Want to Run?

I have my go to rulesets, with Swords & Wizardry leading the charge. I feel comfortable with S&W, much like a favorite pair of shoes.

As you can see from my recent postings, Far Away Land has me really excited. I want to run some story arcs - 2-4 sessions, then take a break for a 6-8 weeks, and then bring the players back for another arc. It really seems to be a system built for such, and I think the breaks are good for keeping the system, setting, and quirkiness fresh.

What excited you with newly found RPGs? What newly found RPGs really excite you and why?

Peering Deeper into Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome ("Adventure Time" Styled Fantasy Heartbreaker with Heart) - The Sandbox and Beyond

You know what part of adventures I always just skim and never read through thoroughly before running them?

The backstory.

Most of the time it seems to me that the backstory is the adventure writer's excuse to show their chops at writing fiction. It's usually a less than successful attempt and rarely, if ever, has direct effect on what the players will learn and encounter in the adventure.

How does Far Away Land handle backstory in the Companion Rules?

Less is more. Fast and loose. Start small and build out. Perfect.

The whole section on adventure building is actually pretty good and easily carries over to just about any RPG you'd like to cobble together an adventure for.

There is a table with 26 adventure ideas, each define by one or two words, such as "Get In, Get Out" (exception that proves the rule) or "Justice". Each of those one or two words is then given three or four example Adventure Ideas of two sentences each. Seeds to plant ideas in the GMs mind.

For "Get In, Get Out", one of the seeds are as follows:

The Settlement Builder looks like a quick and dirty way to get an idea about various villages and towns (and smaller and larger communities) and gives you enough to present to your players without bogging down in the details.

Heck, it even includes a table of 125 rumors. Nearly any one of these could be the seed to an adventure, especially if you are playing fast and loose with your sandbox.

Did I mention that the Companion Rules also cover such diverse aspects such as setting up kingdoms and mass combat? How about it's own take on Microscope, allowing the players and the GM to build their own world and it's history together.

Or just use the world provided in the next part - Tales of Awesome - which I will look at next.

Peering Deeper into Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome ("Adventure Time" Styled Fantasy Heartbreaker with Heart) - Concise & Complete Descriptions

Longtime readers of The Tavern may recall my pondering of a universal and easy to read stat block for OSR games, much like Classic Traveller's stat block. It never went anywhere, but I really appreciate it when a monster description or a spell description can cover the necessary bases without rambling on. My attention span post chemo (years post chemo) is not what it once was when presented with walls of text.

You can imagine my pleasant surprise when I started reading the spell descriptions in Far Away Land. No blocks of text but still able to present everything the caster needs.



First line - name of spell and level of spell
Second line - damage if any and range (a # in parentheses indicates a radius effect)
Third line - duration - rounds, minutes hours, whatever - the amount is determined directly by level of the caster
Fourth line - quick and easy description

This I can read. This I can retain. Something like this can become my new AD&D 1e or Swords & Wizardry, as I'll need to reference the rules in a minimal fashion at most while running a session of Far Away Land.

Now, if you step up to the Far Away Land monsters (which aren't included in the core book, but are included in the Tome of Awesome or stand alone in Creatures Volume 1) you see a very simple but easy to remember entry for each one. Each entry is set up the same way for ease of reference.

One thing to realize about Far Away Lands is that combat can be lethal. For PCs, Hit Points only increase by 1 point per level gained, and the average first level character will have 13 HP. Strangely enough, that is the same amount this 1st level Blonin has.

I like the description. Three simple sentences that give the GM enough to work with and retain. The accompanying art reinforces what we are given in the description.


I've found a lot to like in Far Away Land and little to dislike. Well, two things to dislike. The Far Away Land Tome of Awesome PDF does not have bookmarks. Coming in at 307 pages there really is no reason why it shouldn't. A minor quibble, but an annoying one. The second? Copy and paste is disabled in the PDF. No idea why but it is a bit frustrating. Ah well, small things in the grand scheme.

More to come the deeper I peer into the Far Away Land ;)

Issue #5 of Gygax Magazine to Ship Soon - Is Anyone Still Reading It?

I'm not sure if the above is just a "placer" cover or the real cover. If it's the real cover, it's accurate as hell, because I've been having a question mark hanging over my decision to subscribe to Gygax in the first place.

Let's be honest, it goes for the look and feel of classic Dragon Magazine but has little if any relevant content. The first four issues felt more filler and "ad driven articles" than the Dragon of old. Heck, I can't even call it a house organ as it has no true house to call it's own.

Gygax #1 released nearly 2 years ago. The quarterly mag has barely managed a twice a year pace. I'm not even sure if my subscription ended with Issue #4 or ends with ends with the upcoming Issue #5. New subscriptions start with Issue #6, not soon to be shipped Issue #5. Yeah, color me confused.

The folks behind Gygax are good folks and people that love the hobby, I just wonder if Gygax Magaine is ever going to find an audience. It tries to be everything for everyone while pulling the nostalgia strings of old school gamers. This has left many of us (myself included) wondering what this doppleganger of Dragon Magazine really is. At $8.95 an issue, I don't think I can afford the price of wondering any longer.

Mini Review - Far Away Land ("Adventure Time" Styled Fantasy heartbreaker)

Sometimes when you check out the most recent free releases on RPGNow, you start a journey that leads you to an awesome not free release. Such is my story when it comes to Far Away Land.

You see, when I stubbled across Far Away Land RPG Adventures: Journey Into the White I was intrigued by the cover
art. It seemed old school D&Dish with quirky as hell art. As it was PWYW, I was able to peek for free. And peek i did. And it was good. Short, but good. It also seemed to be sandboxie, which I like.

In for a penny, in for a pound. I almost bought the core book in print with PDF for $25, but then I saw the Tome of Awesome, which is core plus 3 expansions, was $35. Damn it! Yes, I'm in.

So, what is the system like? It reminds me a bit of a hybrid of Old School D&D, Tunnels & Trolls, Adventure Time and a bit of crazy. It is a D6 system where you roll a pool of dice and just keep the highest roll. Fairly simple. Pools are based on one of three Stats - BRT (Strength / Con), DEX (er, dex) and WIT (Int / Wis / Cha rolled into one) and Boons (think skills like melee for combat, arcane for spell casting, subterfuge for picking locks and dealing with traps - you get the idea) and Flaws (narrowly defined disadvantages.) Armor absorbed damage (much like T&T), there are hit points, levels and spell levels (the spell list certainly hues close to D&D.)


The art is simply amazing to my eyes. You'll either love it or hate it. I love it. It captures the quirkiness of the system and the setting (from the little I've read of the setting.) I've only read the actual core rules thus far - there is so much more to dig through.

The PDF looks nice on my tablet, but I'l be waiting for my print copy before digging to0 deep. Still, really enjoying whatI've read so far.

There are 4 mini adventures available for Far Away Land priced at PWYW as well as a print and play Pawn Pack. This may be one of the rare times I'll use minis while running a game via Roll20.

I'll do a follow up review once I read thru the setting material.

Free OSR - The Sandbox #1 - (Sine Nomine)

Do you enjoy the various Sine Nomine / +Kevin Crawford games, such as Stars Without Number, Scarlet Heroes and all the rest?

Do you like sandboxes?

Do you like free RPG supplements?

The Sandbox #1 is for you.

From the blurb:

Welcome to The Sandbox, a free irregular journal from Kevin Crawford and Sine Nomine Publishing. Sine Nomine fans have noticed the regular flow of freebie material I've produced, such as the Mandate Archive series for Stars Without Number, Black Streams for the Red Tide setting, and other free releases for other systems and particulars. The Sandbox is meant to be an umbrella for these free resources, packed with the short articles, quick-roll tables, and GM helps that others have found so useful. 

In this thirteen-page issue of The Sandbox, you'll find... 

The Last Prince, a new class for Scarlet Heroes. The final scion of a doomed people? Use this class to bear the grim scars of your past and avenge the memory of your vanished kind. 

Kickstarter Production Guidelines, where I lay out the exact production sequence I use for Sine Nomine Kickstarters, providing step-by-step instructions on how to manage the workflow and execution of a successful RPG Kickstarter. Learn how to manage project scope, plan layout, handle art completion with art control sheets, and sidestep Fulfillment Hell with at-cost codes and shipping specifics. Find the gritty details of execution here that are all too often neglected by creators. 

A Quick Backwater Starport is a one-roll generator for swiftly brewing up a backwater world's main starport. Roll one of each die and find out just what the problems are to be found in this scraggly outpost of starfaring civilization. 

What's That Abandoned Structure? will help a GM quickly determine the details of an abandoned building. Whether a long-lost relic consumed by an unfriendly wilderness or a gutted husk in a forgotten alien city, this quick-rol 

l table gives the GM the answers they need to provide playable content at the table.
So go ahead and grab this inaugural issue of The Sandbox. Keep an eye peeled for additional issues as the year progresses, each one packed with short material to help other indie publishers, support other Sine Nomine games, or just help you make good sandbox fun for your own favorite system.

The price is so right :)

Heck, worth the read for the Kickstarter info alone.

Mini Review - Brave the Labyrinth - Issue #5 (OSR / PWYW)

The latest Brave the Labyrinth released this weekend and as always it's filled to the brim with OSR goodness (Labyrinth Lord is the particular flavor.)

I'm a big fan of +Pete Spahn and if somehow you haven't grabbed a copy of the Guidebook to the City of Dolmvay, click the preceding link and do so. It is "Pay What You Want" and it's a great example of a crowdfunded project giving back to the community. Heck, the Tavern even makes an appearance.

Back on target. Brave the Labyrinth Issue #5. See the cover art above? That's part of a multilevel castle for you to use and drop into your campaign, including a dungeon level. Nothing is state out. All the rooms are yours to fill as you see fit. Fun :)

This issue also has an article about a demon lord, which is like serendipity, as we just talked about demons on The Brainstorm podcast. Seriously, the episode dropped yesterday.

We are introduced to two new elf subraces - the Phase Elf and the Void Elf. The first has it's roots in inter-dimensional space while the second subrace was formerly star-faring. Both make elves something "not of this world" and make for interesting twists and assumptions.

+James Spahn (no relation to Pete, James is known for Barrel Rider Games) has an article on the patron saints for the church of law and order.. If you are using Small Niche Games Amerth setting they would drop right in.

Next up is an article for mundane and magical items to assist those with dishonest (or thieving) tendencies. I like it. I'm going to steal much of this for my Swords & Wizardry campaign.

Werewulfs and Familiars is more of a niche article - well written but only applicable to certain campaigns, but definitely mineable for ideas.

Ampulex the Emerald Jeweler is full of ideas and plot hooks.

Beetlemirth (cartoons), a review of The Caves of Ortok and an excerpt from Time of the Dying Stars rounds out the issue.

At 39 pages, Pete is not fooling around. Well done and packed to the gills.

Wayward Kickstarter - Pencil Dice (So long as all you need is a D6)

What can I say about Pencil Dice?

- Need weighted dice? Shave one side down just a wee bit more.

- Need dice AND a stabbing instrument? We've got you covered!

- Like to constantly sharpen your pencil? This is the pencil for you. Broken points guaranteed!

- Grab 3 dozen Pencil Dice and you too can play Tunnels & Trolls, Hero, Open D6 or GURPS. Please make sure your eyesight is up for the chore (note - other systems not supported - D20 Entertainment is hard at work designing a D20 Eraser.)

- You can threaten to break your Pencil Dice if they under perform. Can you make the same claim with regular dice?

- These Pencils come with an ERASER! My God man, what will they think of next?

- 10 bucks get's you 12 pencils. Why pay bulk prices for pencils when you can overpay for pencils whose points will constantly break when you throw them on the table.

- The next Movie / TV Series / Web Series produced by D20 Entertainment will star Pencil Dice. For the right pledge, your pencil die can have a starring role.

- Watch where you roll that. You'll poke an eye out!

- Pencil. Dice. It's like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup from some Chthonian alternate universe. Just wait until it gets stuck in the back of your throat.

- There a sucker born every minute. You can quote me and write it down with your pencil dice.

- At the $16k mark we get RAINBOW PENCILS! Yeah, somehow I find it less than exciting and what a PITA to try and read the pips.

Kickstarter - TROPES: Zombie Edition (Small Niche Games)

I am not "All OSR, All the Time" even if I am heavily weighted towards the OSR. Then again, even some of the more prolific small press OSR publishers aren't "All OSR, All the Time." Variety is good.

edit - it would help if i refreshed the page over the last day or so - it is now funded and closed ;)

TROPES: Zombie Edition is a light RPG about the Zombie Apocalypse by +Pete Spahn under his Small Niche Games label (which is fairly well know for publisher OSR / LL compatible adventures and setting material.) So yeah, it's an OSR guy doing a non-OSR game that is made to play quickly and pull out for a change of pace or when some members of the group can't show but y'all still wish to play.

It's funding goal is low ($500 and it's already met) and there are about 3 days left in it's funding period. Pete is know for putting out his Kickstarters on time and I expect nothing different this time around.

Here's some more info from the Kickstarter page:

Ever wanted to play a game that explores the deep personal horror of the zombie apocalypse? Where the choices you make in times of crisis define who you are? Where zombies are only a backdrop and humans are responsible for the true evils in the world? 

Well, go find another game! This game is about killing zombies, so you can forget all that touchy feely crap! 

TROPES: Zombie Edition (TZE) is a game of post-apocalyptic zombie survival horror. TZE is about surviving the zombie apocalypse for one more night. It is designed for one-shot play and should be cinematic and action packed! 

Picture this: You're minding your own business on your way to work or school. You've had your nose buried in Facebook all morning, so you don't really know what's going on in the real world outside of who woke up on the wrong side of the bed, what type of coffee your friends are drinking, and who got the highest score on Candy Crush last night. The light turns green, but traffic is gridlocked and no one is moving. Suddenly, there's a commotion up ahead and a bunch of people start screaming and running towards you. Close behind them, you see a mob of freshly risen zombies shambling in your direction. What do you do? 

That's the start of a typical zombie Outbreak in TROPES: Zombie Edition (TZE). TZE is the culmination of many years of gameplay and "rules light" game design. The system is easy to learn and fast in play. Task Resolution uses a d6 dice pool which counts successes, making it a breeze to teach newcomers. Veteran gamers will appreciate not having to learn a whole new set of complex rules just for a one-off game. TZE is especially great for when players cancel at the last minute, you've been too busy with "real world" stuff to prepare for your next adventure, or you just need a change of pace from your weekly campaign. 

And Then There Were Eight - The D&D 5e Team Loses Two Editors

The Dragon giveth, The Dragon taketh away

I saw the news yesterday via Twitter and ENWorld, but now even ICv2 has an article about WotC letting go two editors for the Dungeons & Dragon line - Chris Sims and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes.

WotC used to do a Christmas purge on a yearly basis, although I think they mostly skipped 2013 and it looked like 2014 was another pass. Guess they were just a month late this time.

The ICv2 article goes on to mention there are just 8 members left of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop team. How large a staff does Paizo have working on Pathfinder?

I guess WotC could always freelance their future releases, but I'm beginning to suspect those releases will be few and far between

Free OSR - Enhanced Petty Gods Preview: Tsathoggua

I'm really looking forward to the full Enhanced Petty Gods release.

In the meaning, New Big Dragon Games presents Tsathoggua as a free preview. Grab it and grab it now. The only disappointment is that there isn't more available yet :(

Thanks to +James Mishler for reminding me this was out.