Sunday - 10 AM Eastern - The RPG Breakfast Club - Live on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord

The RPG Breakfast Club is the latest, regularly scheduled live chat event on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.

Tomorrow morning, Sunday, November 5th at 10 AM Eastern join our hosts from some lively gaming chat. It's like being at a live podcast - uncensored, unedited and completely uncut ;)

Who's in the lineup for tomorrow?

Douglas Cole (Gaming Ballistic)
TheGlen (Welcome to Mystra)
Vince TheEvilGM (Wild Game Productions)
Joshua Desa (Genius Loci Games)
Hack & Slash (Hack & Slash)

Yep, we have an all-star line up lined up for Y'all. Set your alarm because you won't want to miss it. If you need to skip church, just mail in your tithe ;P

Here's the link: https://discord.gg/wHCS85

Episode #1 of the TavernSpike Podcast - Join "SpikePit" and Myself on a Podcast Crossover (Tavern Chat Episode #170)

This morning Colin and I recorded the first episode of the TavernSpike Podcast. It's also Episode 170 of Tavern Chat as well as the latest Episode of the SpikePit Podcast.

I think it's an excellent way to get listeners exposed to other podcasts and its something I encourage other podcasts to do. Sometime after I get back from GameHole (leave in 5 days for Madison) I'll be doing something similar with the fine folks over at the Save for Half Podcast (tentatively called "Save The Tavern") I strongly suspect this is going to be an ongoing thing and I am very excited that others are joining in.

Colin and I recorded Episode #1 of TavernSpike in front of a live studio audience. Well, not exactly, but we did have live listeners as we recorded this morning over at the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.

Here's the link and we hope you enjoy the show:

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E170---Episode-1-of-the-TavernSpike-Podcast---Join-SpikePit-and-Myself-on-a-Podcast-Crossover-e2h596

Kickstarter - HYPERBOREA: Players' Manual, Referee's Screen, and more!

My God! The HYPERBOREA: Players' Manual, Referee's Screen, and more! Kickstarter launched yesterday and it has already surpassed $21k in funding. Why do I feel like I am late to the party ;)

So, what is Jeff offering this time around?

From North Wind Adventures, an exciting new Kickstarter campaign for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™, a role-playing game of swords, sorcery, and weird fantasy. This bundle features four new products intended to improve the fun and excitement of your AS&SH™ game day.

The Hyperborea Players’ Manual compiles Volumes I, II, and III of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, as originally presented in the AS&SH 2E hardback. The milieux of AS&SH are inspired by the fantastic literature of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith. AS&SH rules and conventions are informed by the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

The Hyperborea Player Character Folder is a valuable supplement for players of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. This 9 × 12-inch,two-pocket folder will feature wraparound cover art by Del Teigeler, with colours by Glynn Seal. The folder will contain 10 booklet-style AS&SH character sheets, each measuring 8½ × 11 inches (i.e., a single 17 × 11-inch sheet folded in half) on classic goldenrod paper. Additional AS&SH character sheets can be downloaded and printed from our website at www.hyperborea.tv. Keep your character sheets, notes, and maps organized with this great new resource! 

The Hyperborea Referee’s Screen is a useful game day accessory for referees of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. This 44 × 8½ inch, four-panel screen will feature an exterior panoramic scene of Hyperborea, with art by Diogo Nogueira and colours by Daisey Bingham. The interior will display the most relevant AS&SH tables for ready reference.

Rats in the Walls and Other Perils will feature the classic Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea adventure, “Rats in the Walls”, by Jeffrey P. Talanian. This adventure, originally published in 2014 as a special “swag bag” giveaway at Gary Con VI, was inspired by the eponymous story by H.P. Lovecraft. This revised and lightly expanded version will bring that title up to date with our current catalogue of adventure modules.

Rats in the Walls and Other Perils also will include two more short adventures: Chainsaw’s “The Brazen Bull”, and “The Lamia’s Heart”, by Jeffrey P. Talanian. (An early draft of the latter was published in the AFS fanzine.) Edited by David Prata, all three adventures are set in the dismal City-State of Khromarium and designed for from four to six characters of 1st or 2nd level. Like our popular adventure module The Anthropophagi of Xambaala™, we think you will find this to be a great AS&SH campaign starter. It contains just enough mystery and danger to whet the appetites of your players, introducing them to the weird world of sword-and-sorcery role-playing in the City-State of Khromarium. 

There are MANY different backer levels for PDF or Print, with the above on their own or bundled.

If you just want the Player's book, the GM screen and the adventures in PDF its 25 bucks.  If you want it all in Print plus PDF (including "goldenrod character sheets and a folder) its 90 bucks. In my opinion, those are the sweet spots.

With all due respect to Jeff - Fuck You! Just take my money damn it!

Tavern Chat Podcast - Live Episode - 10AM Eastern Friday Nov 2 - Crossover with Colin Green / Spikepit

Tomorrow morning at 10 am Eastern, Colin Green and I are going to be doing a live episode of the Tavern Chat Spikepit Tavern Spike Podcast. Yep, two hosts, one episode, shared on two podcast streams. Should be fun.

Drop in if you can. If not, I'll share the link when it goes live.

Link to The Tavern's Discord Server:  https://discord.gg/JJ2SFZ

Kickstarter - Socks of Speed and Socks of Elvenkind (for realz!)

It's not often that I find myself at a loss for words. When I was sent the link to the Socks of Speed and Socks of Elvenkind Kickstarter.

I don't even know where to start. It is tempting in the same way buying pairs of superhero socks when my son was staling my normal socks - I KNOW no one but me would wear them.

Did I mention the video is 7 seconds long and has nothing to do with the socks? Go ahead, watch it. I dare you ;)

A single pair is 15 bucks plus 4 for shipping. Four pairs are 45 bucks plus 4 for shipping. Want 10 pairs (5 of each)? 75 bucks plus 4 for shipping.

Shit. Sweet point is 10 pairs. Maybe I could give some as gifts...

Kickstarter - The Dreams in Gary’s Basement: A Documentary on Gary Gygax

There are a number of interesting Kickstarters on the gaming radar right now, and I'm going to do my best to get to them in a timely (meaning - still funding) manner.

The Dreams in Gary’s Basement: A Documentary on Gary Gygax is what it says on the tin - this isn't a D&D focused documentary, instead it's focused on one D&D's co-creators (and the wind beneath the sails and sales of D&D - see what I did there?;)

I must say, it does look very interesting. I may be a bit gun shy after dueling D&D documentary Kickstarters spent years duking it out in court - and I still don't know what, if any, is going to see the light of day from either.

Here's the pitch:

Gary Gygax was one of the great minds of the 20th century – his innovations have influenced generations of artists and spawned tens of billions of dollars in global revenue. 

With Dungeons & Dragons, Gary crafted a vehicle for engaging the mind at a creative, analytical, social and even emotional level - all at the same time. There is truly nothing else like it. 

Gary's work has woven itself into the fabric of our culture, yet there is no monument to recognize him, not even in his own hometown. (wonder how that failed to happen?) We intend this project to be a filmic monument of sorts – a high-quality, emotionally engaging record of Gary’s story that can be appreciated by gamers and non-gamers alike for generations to come.

As a lifelong player of D&D, I feel this project has been a dream come true. I've met so many of my idols, made so many friends, and developed a deeper understanding of Gary Gygax and his magical game. 

This movie has been three years in the making and is now just months from being completed. We have dozens of interviews and hours of other great footage, and in a rough cut, it already tells a compelling story. 

With your support, we can bring it across the finish line by giving the movie high-end color grading, sound mixing and additional archival photos and video. We have a talented post-production team in place and ready to work as soon as we fund.
Please help us bring Gary's inspiring story to life and create a lasting addition to his legacy. 

- Pat Kilbane, Director

Watch the video on the Kickstarter page. It's less than 3 minutes long and I find it enticing. 

Still not sure I'm going to pull the trigger on this one, but it has funded and is hitting stretch goals.

Reminder - Tavern Chat - 9 PM Eastern - Where the Cool Geeks Hang ;)

Alright, I'm not so sure how well the words "cool" and "geek" matchup, but there you have it :)

Tonight is a Wednesday Night and that means Tavern Chat, a voice and text hangout on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server starting at 9 PM Eastern.

Here's the invite: https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

We now have multiple voice hangouts throughout the week, with Frog Chat on Tuesday Night's at 9 PM and the RPG Breakfast Club at 10 AM on Sundays (all times Eastern).

Huzzah!

Join us tonight. It's like participating in a live, uncensored (and unrecorded) podcast ;)

Kickstarter - DCC Annual (and other forbidden tomes) - Goodman Games

Goodman Games seriously knows how to make gaming releases for collectors. We are now (as of this Kickstarter) on the 7th Print of the core DCC RPG rules. I think I have three copies myself and I don't even play DCC ;)

So, what does the DCC Annual Kickstarter offer that you, that as a DCC RPG player or judge, need to have?

Yet the urge to create is a hungry god, and gods demand nourishment. It was originally conceived that an annual publication would exist in some form to showcase the brilliance of the DCC RPG community. This would be the DCC RPG Annual, published each year to distribute these gaming creations. 

The best of things happened: the DCC RPG Annual was never needed. The DCC community burst forth a verdant jungle of inspiration, with ripe fruit on every limb. Blogs and personal posts; zines; community publications; the Gongfarmer’s Almanac; officially licensed third-party works: there is a vast supply of inspiration from whence the DCC judge can draw and iterate. 

And thus we come here to Kickstart a volume which has no place. If you are a DCC fan, you absolutely do not need to support this Kickstarter. Should you to desire to do so, however, you will receive a book that has become a legend, despite never before being published.

Interesting that the fan base supplied what the annual was conceived of to do.

But wait, there's more!

There's the new 7th printing of the core rules and a hardcover edition of the Chained Coffin.

But screw all that. What if you've never played the DCC RPG before? It's expensive to make that leap, right?

Not any more:

I have a copy of the DCC RPG Quickstart rules and they are good. Quickstart rules, in print AND three adventures in PDF, print copy shipped anywhere in the word - all for 2 measly bucks? I don't care if you play the game or now, this is simply too good a deal to pass up on. If you do play DCC and have no interest in the rest of this Kickstarter, it is STILL too good a deal to pass up on ;)

DnDSports is Now RPGSports - Why the Name Change?

I missed this change in title (and website) as well as the drama over the invite / revoked invite / never invited Youtube personality (pick and choose what happened, it matters little)

Anyhow, DnDSports is now RPGSports. Now, why would one change their name from "KleenexSports" to "TissuePaperSports?" Here's the official announcement of the name change (with some relevant highlighted comments from myself):

We’ve heard a lot of great feedback, but one thing we weren’t expecting was SO much interest for us to expand outside of just Dungeons & Dragons! (somehow I doubt this) Therefore, we’ve decided to broaden our approach and become RPGSports! 

We have a new Twitch channel here! 

This wider umbrella means that we can position ourselves to easily collaborate with other tabletop games. What other tabletop games would you like to see in a competitive style in the future? 

Of course, in other ways this doesn’t change too much. The first RPGSports tournament this November will still be played using the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition rules. We noticed some confusion online, and so wanted to take this opportunity to clarify that this is an EncounterRoleplay production. While D&DBeyond are sponsoring this tournament, Wizards of the Coast are not affiliated with RPGSports. (emphasis mine - read these two sentences carefully)

We’re excited to start releasing more information on rules, to announce the star-studded teams, and to tell you how you can get involved in RPGSports! 

Thanks for sticking with us while this exciting project continues to expand and grow.

Then there is THIS later down the page:

Who is involved? 

The EncounterRoleplay & D&DBeyond crews have teamed up to bring this production to life! While we’re playing Dungeons & Dragons, we don’t have any affiliation with Wizards of the Coast. (again, emphasis mine)

It suggests to me that the DnDSports title was politely contested by a company distinctly not affiliated with the project

You can read the latest PR share at ENWorld.

Note: D&D Beyond is NOT a WotC or Hasbro company. They have a D&D license.

Do You Run "Horror Themed Adventures" around Halloween?

I was thinking about this last night. I haven't run a "themed adventure" it at least 25 years. There was a stretch where I ran a Call of Chtuhlu session the weekend before or after Halloween. One year I ran The Created, a puppet-themed low-level Ravenloft Adventure for AD&D 2e.

I had fun doing so. Kinda wish I had set something similar up for this year.

Do you run special adventures for the Halloween season? If so, which ones?

Kickstarter - Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair tabletop fantasy RPG game

Sometimes a game looks interesting, then you see the lack of backers and it makes you dig a bit deeper. Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair tabletop fantasy RPG game is just such a game.

Launched on October 19th, its had 8 days to find an audience. In that time, its found 12 backers and about 7% of its funding. No, it's not doing well with 19 days to go.

A unique tabletop fantasy RPG adventure game where YOUR CHOICES and the ROLL OF THE DICE determine the OUTCOME of the story and game.

Wait, isn't that pretty much ALL games that aren't pure skill or pure chance?

LABYRINTH: THE LICH LORD'S LAIR
Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair is a tabletop, fantasy role-playing, multi-path adventure game that is unique in the sense that YOU (and/or your party, if you are playing with multiple players) choose your own destiny(s); that by your own choices YOU determine the OUTCOME of the story. In fact, sometimes, your very fate(s) might even depend on the roll of the dice....

I got drawn in by the art and the title. I must admit the pitch is pretty horrid, claiming uniqueness fr something that is very NOT unique.

But wait, there's more!

SO... WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE? 

You get to decide where the story goes! By no means a new concept, Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair is a multi-path, tabletop game modeled after the Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy style books. Because the outcome of the story is determined by the choices you and/or your party make, this creates a more intimate gaming experience for everyone, and a new adventure every time you and your friends play! It is also the first in a series of Labyrinth adventures to come! 

An engaging storyline, coupled with tons of incredible artwork from high-caliber fantasy artist, Ilya Shkipin. In fact, all of the artwork above that you see in this campaign was created by Ilya specifically for Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair, and are just a taste of what is to come!  

Single Player or Multiplayer! Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair can be played by yourself, or can be modified to create a multiplayer adventure experience for you and your friends!
 Simple game mechanics! We at EndGame wanted to create a game that you, the player, can actually spend playing, not learning, but enjoying, without feeling intimidated by it.  We want our adventurers to get right into it, without wasting precious time doing a bunch of math, and filling out tons of confusing boxes that only further complicate the game play. With our game, character creation is super easy, and our simple turn-based, dice roll combat system delivers a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat combat experience that is both engaging, and maintains the flow of the game.  

Appealing to gamers of all different levels and backgrounds! In fact, a recent beta test of the prototype/draft of this game received rave reviews and positive and enthusiastic responses from both hardcore and casual gamers alike! 

Approximately 2-1/2 to 3 hours tops to complete an adventure! One of the more engaging and attractive aspects of this game is that it was created knowing that people like you lead active and busy lifestyles.

Different strokes for different folks! For the avid reader and casual gamer, Labyrinth: The Lich Lord's Lair will be available as an adventure gamebook in a PDF version, complete with all of the artwork, that you can take anywhere with you on your mobile device, tablet, or laptop or play on your desktop at work when the boss is not around. For the tabletop enthusiast, the game will be available as a tabletop game in a full-color box, complete with a high-quality, fully-illustrated ADVENTURE book, CHARACTER PROFILE sheets, a BATTLE CHEST containing one set of custom HERO dice and one set of custom ENEMY dice, CREATURE CARDS, INVENTORY CARDS, TREASURE TOKENS, and a tabletop SATCHEL for your INVENTORY CARDS. And finally, if we hit Stretch Goal #2, we will be bringing the Lich Lord to PC as an exciting, interactive fantasy RPG video game. Each format of the game will obviously have unique features that the other ones will not.
 

Sorry, this is not unique. Buy in for the game is 80 bucks, which isn't horrid, but I've literally seen a dozen or more of these "fantasy heartbreaker" boardgames. Some even fund. This one won't.

Ah well, maybe I can count those 80 bucks as "money saved" ;) If only Gareth hadn't bilked me for 150 7 years ago...

 

Looking at My Original AD&D 1e Player's Handbook is a Peek Into My Gaming History

I talked a bit about this on The Tavern Chat Podcast yesterday, but I think it's an interesting enough topic to also explore a bit on the blog side looking at my old gaming books is like a peek into my personal gaming history. Thankfully, with the blog, I can use photos ;)

Look at the beat up and worn out cover. This book has been used. And yet the binding is still holding tight - not like my Unearthed Arcana and 2e books. I guess TSR changed to a cheaper printer down the line.

Even back in 1980 (6th print), it was important enough for me to highlight a certain sentence. This is the ONLY highlighting in the entire book and is the one rule that applies to every game I've ever run or played in.

I think I made the pencil change for half-orcs for my sister who wanted to play a half-orc thief, but I'm far from sure 38 years later...

This isn't a bad photo, it's a bad print of A Paladin in Hell. Too much black ink on the page for the printer to handle I guess.

I was house ruling the Ranger class before house ruling was a thing apparently ;)

Looks like I failed a roll to learn Feather Fall. WTF was I marking this in the book of all places?

Yep, 4 pages (2 sheets) are missing. They were perforated and that was an invite to "pull them out" and I did. No idea if I still have them tucked away in a folder or not.

I'd love to hear about (or see) the stories of your gaming history tucked away in the books that brought you into the hobby. 

Is Gareth Michael Skarka Writing for the Star Trek RPG Under a Pen Name? Will the Real Michael Brophy please stand up ;)

There was a huge push back when it was learned that Gareth Michal Skarka was brought on board to write for the new Star Trek RPG from Modiphius Entertainment. In response, Modiphius promised to announce the books that Gareth was contributing to.

So now we have this mess:

 His credit is missing. It's there, under a different name.

But initially, they said he wasn't involved with the core book:

Let's peek closer, shall we?

Original PDF credits.

RPGNow preview.

Current PDF credits.

Sorry for all the screenshots, but it is what it is. Pictures speak in this case.

Now, IF Michal Brophy IS Gareth Michael Skarka, there was a slight of hands being performed on the buying public. Looking at the evidence above, I'd say that is most likely the case.

Kinda glad I never bought the Star Trek game at this point. Shame, I really like Star Trek.

Hey Gareth! When the next "do or die!" day for Far West?

Boardgame Geeks for the win ;)

Humble Mini RPG Book Bundle #1: Horrors Unbound: Stank Hog (5e)

Yep, there's a new Humble Bundle in town, just in time for the Halloween Holiday, and it maxes out at 7 bucks. Oh My!

Welcome to the inaugural Mini RPG Book Bundle! We assembled a party of awesome RPG publishers to create a series of three ebook bundles. Spice up your 5th Edition adventures with this set of sourcebooks and play aids, then come back next month for another! Actual Stank Hog not included.

For 7 bucks - or as little as a buck, 5e adventures are a breeze to convert to the OSR ruleset of your choice.

Here's what you get for a measly buck:

and for 7 bucks, you get to add the following:

Yep, that's an affiliate link above. Keep the taps cold and the lights on by using The Tavern's affiliate links...

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Release the Hounds! Er, Dachshunds that is ;)

Spent today running errands and taking my son to a doc appointment. I think I need a nap if I'm going to make tonight's chat ;)

I've mentioned this before, but we've added a second nite of hosted chats on Tuesday nights with the Frogs. The Sunday Morning RPG Breakfast Club will also be a regular event. Yes, our plans to make a Live Chat Network for Tabletop RPGs is slowly coming to be. Wait, that was supposed to be an internal monologue...

In any case, tonight I'll be high on NyQuil (again), so enjoy :)

Here's the link for everyone:   https://discord.gg/bHTfzM7

Join us for the voice chat at 9 PM tonight. You don't even need a mic, just listen and pretend its a live, uncensored podcast ;)

New Release - Marvin the Mage! - Issue #1 (Jim Wampler)

I'm grabbing the PDF and a Print copy at Gamehole :)

Marvin the Mage is back! This first issue treasury edition will be released at Gamehole Con, but this is your chance to get in on a early-bird special. Just send $3.99 via PayPal to jwampler(at)mac(dot)com, and I will email you a special coupon code and link to go download the PDF version of Marvin the Mage No.1. The PDF version features exclusive content that will not be in the print version, like full-color comics and a never-published story for a fanzine that never was. $3.99 CHEAP gets you the goods TODAY!

Review - Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History

I know I posted about Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History before when I received my review copies, but it releases tomorrow and I wanted to put a short review together to remind folks who haven't yet snagged a copy. Remember, in this case, Amazon is your friend ;)

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History has a suggested retail of $50 - on Amazon, it is available for $31.45

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History - Special Edition, Boxed Book & Ephemera Set has a suggested retail of $125 - on Amazon, it is available for $76.27

Note - these are Amazon affiliate links. A small portion of your purchase price made via these links will go to support The Tavern. I Thank you.

I'm going to do this review picture by selected picture, as it IS an art book, and the art is what really makes this stand out.

Standard cover and special boxed set.

 Box cover of the Special Edition. It really is special and pops in person more than this photo shows.

 Cover of the Special Edition book.

A Paladin in Hell is one of my favorite pieces of art from any 1e book. Emirikol the Chaotic was also damn - and pretty much what my players thought "chaotic" meant ;)

 Dungeons & Dragons Viewmaster and a record release? I literally had no clue.

I love the classic ads.

I realize now that I never had the "orange spine" releases of the core AD&D 1e books. Otherwise, I'd have this complete collection.

I have some of these colored covers, but not many.

The AD&D 2e art was a huge change from 1e. Not going to say which I think was better, just remarking on the huge change in direction.

 Beholder by the Numbers. Edition numbers ;)

 Ah, the Forgotten Realms. The beginning of the end of Greyhawk. Nope, not bitter at all...

 Dragonlance. Fun books. Excellent art. Shitty modules.

 I like this piece but don't recall it.

Collectors edition only.

Inside of above.

Lots of frameable posters in the Special Edition.

So, my final score? To (poorly) quote Nigel from Spinal Tap, "this goes to ELEVEN, and eleven is a larger number than ten."

Get it. Seriously.