Kickstarter - BURN 2d6 Core Rulebook -- an indie RPG system

With the recent OGL drama, we've seen a bump in new game systems releasing their own SRDs and using Creative Commons licensing. BURN 2d6 is one of those systems, and I know the project's artist, and you might too. Craig Brasco does some amazing work and has donated some to The Tavern.

I tend to like short, concise rulesets (SWL anyone?) and BURN 2D6 comes in at 64 pages and covers four genres: Pulp Era, Space Opera, Myth & Magic, and SUPERS.

I'm in :)

(next week expect me to catch up on some reviews that have been in the hopper but haven't been gotten to because of, well, time issues) - Tenkar

BURN 2d6 is a flexible system with a unique BURN mechanic that keeps the game moving and allows for a complete adventure to be run by the Moderator in a single short session! Ever get a group together with limited time, perhaps late at night at a convention? Or want to introduce folks to roleplaying games? With BURN 2d6 you can get to the fun in moments and play a complete adventure in 90 minutes. The system also promotes and encourages character progression and campaign play.

We will produce an at least 64-page Core Rulebook (6.14" x 9.21") in full color for the BURN 2d6 roleplaying game system. The text is 100% written and being edited as you read this. Your support will help us to complete the art and layout. This project does not use AI art. All the art is being commissioned from two real live artists (see the team described below). We will have the finished product sent to backers in June 2023. 

BURN 2d6 will be distributed under a Creative Commons (CC BY-SA) license. This is an original indie rpg system. We hope that you will support indie creators like us by making a pledge.

 

 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 

Bundle of Holding - Worlds of 2D20

I must admit, I own none of the titles included in the Worlds of 2D20 Bundle of Holding, yet there are a number IPs I'd love to own as RPGs. Dune, Fallout, Star Trek, and John Carter of Mars. I'm in!

Adventurer! This new Worlds of 2d20 Bundle gathers .PDF ebooks of many tabletop roleplaying games that use the 2d20 System rules from Modiphius Entertainment, including Dune, Dishonored, Fallout, Star Trek Adventures, Achtung! Cthulhu, Infinity, and John Carter of Mars, all for an unbeatable bargain price. This offer promotes the new Modiphius 2d20 World Builders Community Content Program through DriveThruRPG. 2d20 World Builders lets you design and sell your own complete 2d20-based games, supplements, characters, and more.

For just US$14.95 you get all three complete rulebooks in our 2d20 Starter Collection (retail value $67) as DRM-free ebooks, including Dishonored: The Roleplaying Game, the Infinity RPG, and John Carter of Mars, as well as the free 2d20 System Reference Document you'll want if you join the World Builders program.

Star Trek Adventures core rulebookAnd if you pay more than the threshold price of $39.97, you'll level up and also get our entire 2d20 Bonus Collection with eight more titles worth an additional $138, including the complete Dune: Adventures in the Imperium core rulebook; the Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20 Player's Guide and Gamemaster's Guide; the Star Trek Adventures corebook; the Fallout Starter Set; the Dishonored Gamemaster Toolkit; the John Carter of Mars Phantoms Campaign Guide; and Infinity: Adventures in the Human Sphere.

Your purchase includes a unique, one-use 30% discount code, good through 30 March 2023, on purchases of any or all of six qualifying print rulebooks at either the Modiphius UK webstore or its US webstore. Your unique discount code and full details will appear near the top of your Worlds of 2d20 Wizard's Cabinet download page on this site.

 

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 

Bundle of Holding - Delver Lost Tomes (OSE)

As a seat-of-the-pants style DM, bundles like Delver Lost Tomes for OSR style are the type of resources I love. For less than 10 bucks, it's a no-brainer for me.

Adventurer! This Delver Lost Tomes Quick Deal gathers a dragon hoard of dungeon maps and random tables from The Tabletop Engineer for the Old-School Essentials tabletop fantasy roleplaying game and other Old School Revival RPGs. Use these play aids before or during your game sessions to generate quick side quests, nonplayer character hirelings, magical treasures, and spur-of-the-moment colorful details about any sword, skeleton, trap, tome, brazier, blessing, scroll, song, map, Wanted poster, or owlbear that suddenly appears on the scene.

Delver Book of Tombs page 28Tabletop Engineer mastermind James Floyd Kelly edits the popular OSR magazine Delver, a rich source of scenarios, tables, maps, and play aids. This new offer, which includes the first two issues of Delver, promotes James's Delver issue 7 Kickstarter campaign in progress. Check it out!

For just US$9.95 you get all seven titles in our Lost Tomes Collection (retail value $54) as DRM-free ebooks, including all four Tomes supplements – Lost Adventures, Lost Artifacts, Lost Hirelings, and Lost Pages; the recent Book of Tombs; and Delver Magazine issue #1 and issue #2, both previously in our April 2022 Old-School Essentials Treasures.

 

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 

E. Gary Gygax Probate Case Update

 No further details:

Here's the text:

01-26-2023

10:01 a.m., Court in session.  Attorney Joseph A Kromholz in court for Lucion Gygax.  Attorney Jennifer M Gorn in court for Lucion Gygax.  Attorney Theodore Nathan Johnson in court for Gail Carpenter Gygax.  Personal Representative Steven A. Koch in court. 

Parties have reached an agreement.  

Attorney Johnson will provide information to Attorney Koch regarding largest item sold.  Other issues will be held in abeyance.  Mediation date has been scheduled.

Future court dates remain as scheduled.

10:03 a.m., Court in recess.

Link: https://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetail.html?caseNo=2020PR000058&countyNo=64&index=0&fbclid=IwAR2wyvHmw3wvviheAQmLU02VGjyhe09GY3oac4s1sLGVRtRgq48TLEHeA2k#records

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  

Kickstarter - Sinless RPG (Shadowrun Anyone? ;)

Sinless is a cyberpunk role-playing game in a world where magic has returned.

Shadowrun is a game I picked up the moment I saw it in 1989/90. Cyberpunk meets Fantasy gaming! What could be better? For me, not much. For my gaming group, pretty much anything. The setting was awesome but the rules were broken, and we'd already played Paranoia 1e, an amazing setting with broken rules. So, Shadowrun was never played.

Apparently, our experience was not unique. I've spoken with Courtney about these very issues, and his vision of Sinless is a game inspired by Shadowrun but expressly playable. Courtney Campbell has an amazing record of extremely useful and USABLE tabletop RPG Kickstarters, and I expect Sinless to continue in that tradition.

Sinless in Print and digital is 30 bucks, and digital-only is 10 bucks. 

Sinless is a playable cyberpunk tabletop role-playing game with magic, integrated domain play, and giant pools of d6s created by Courtney Campbell, author of On Downtime and Demesnes and creator of the Quantum Ogre!

Sinless was designed to be played in sessions lasting four to six hours by 4-6 human beings. Without a system identification number, cybernetic Ronin, Mages, Deckers, and Riggers form groups of Sinless who seek to undermine corporate lords. Not only by attacking them directly by performing extractions of crucial personnel, targeted destruction raids, and infiltration and data theft, but also by developing a brand, hiring assets, and exploring sectors to find new resources and factions. 

Malls are back in a big way in this classic 1980s-styled cyberpunk role-playing game. Using a priority character creation system, you pick your heritage, magical aptitude, attributes, skills, starting resources and buy cybertechtronic and biogenetic enhancement. 

Magic has reentered the world. Some humans have mutated into the Blighted, many growing tusks, horns, or even worse horrors; others have mutated into the Green, growing antlers pointed ears, or resembling the fae of myth. Humans share this world with Synths and Uplifts. Synths are synthetic AI in "living" forms and Uplifts are animals given intelligence, mobility, and opposable thumbs by cybertechtronics and biogenetics. 

Sinless takes place in 2090, a possible dystopian future, but not one without hope! Given enough time, ingenuity, and planning, characters can use their brand to help make a better world. Once they accumulate 1 billion Zuzu's (a secure crypto-currency controlled by the corporate court, based on the popularity of a posh dog) they will be recognized by the international corporate court and can found their own future, free of interference. 

What will your players sacrifice to achieve their goals?

This game rules text is complete—backers will immediately gain access to the first backer post which has a copy of the rules. Much art, fiction, and extra content (bestiary entries, additional assets/resources) is in process. It has not been edited or laid out. The Kickstarter is to raise funds for the cover art and editing. Additional funds will add art and more content. Stretch goals include the possibility of printing it traditionally, gameplay add-ons, as well as special Kickstarter-only content!

 

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  

Deal of the Day - The Incandescent Grottoes (OSE)

As I decide which way to go with the updated version of Continual Light (OGL, CC, or something completely different), I find a new appreciation of my Old School Essentials collection of core books and adventures. It is, quite simply, a beautifully laid out, concisely written, sharp presentation of the classic B/X rules. If you haven't checked out OSE yet, you probably should.

Today's Deal of the Day, The Incandescent Grottoes, is written by OSE creator Gavin Norman. Normally 7.50 for 48 pages in PDF, but until tomorrow morning, The Incandescent Grottoes is on sale for 3 bucks.

A bubbling stream cascades into a hole in the earth, leading to a series of underground watercourses and scintillating grottoes. Adventurers who delve within may discover odd mosses and fungi, a ruined temple complex, and the lair of a crystal-eating dream dragon.

A classic expedition into the Mythic Underworld for characters of 1st to 2nd level.

• 57 keyed areas, rumour table, loot summary, dungeon background info, suggestions for expanding the dungeon.
• Keyed in a quick-reference, bullet point format.
• Statted for Old-School Essentials (B/X), usable with any vintage adventure game.
• Unlabelled map included for VTT use.

The Incandescent Grottoes can be linked with The Hole in the Oak to form a large, 3 level dungeon with over 115 keyed encounter areas!

 

 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  

Kickstarter - Isometric content Add-Ons for MapForge map-making software (Battleground Games)

I've been a fan of Heruca and Battlegrounds Games for years, it may be even a decade or more. When I was researching VTTs back in the day, the Battlegrounds Games forums were my go-to location to get info and ask questions. sadly, the forums appear to be down right now, but I was always impressed that Heruca was quite happy to have conversations about VTTs that were in competition with his own VTT in his own forums. That took both integrity and confidence in his own work, and it was refreshing.

These days, Battlegrounds Games has been working hard in expanding the content available for its well-regarded MapForge mapmaking software. The current Kickstarter- Isometric content Add-Ons for MapForge map-making software, is as it says on the tin, about adding Isometric content to the ever-growing MapForge library.

Isometric maps were made popular by many computer RPGs and strategy games. A lot of people, however, might be familiar with the map style but not necessarily with the technical term "isometric". Maps made with with isometric graphics can create spectacular, richly detailed visuals.

For GMs of pen-and-paper RPGs, such maps are often more useful as visual aids than as tactical battlemaps that you would move tokens around on. However, some virtual tabletop programs (aka VTTs) now support isometric maps, and that number should gradually increase.

While the majority of potential backers of this project will likely be tabletop RPG gamers, isometric mapping is something that non-gamers can really enjoy, too. Creating isometric maps/illustrations is a fun, creative, and rewarding activity that anyone, regardless of drawing skill (or lack thereof) can enjoy.

 If you're not already familiar with MapForge, here's a quick recap:

• MapForge is easy-to-use software for Windows and Mac OS that makes high-quality maps for printing or for use in virtual tabletop software (e.g., Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, etc.).
• It can be used for free (no license required for low resolution output).
• Comes with 52 free content Add-Ons (covering a variety of game genres and mapping styles).
• You can download and try the software out for yourself, to evaluate it and see if the program is what you want/expect it to be.

Assets from this KS start at 4 bucks a pack. The full Mapforge Software is 35 bucks, and well worth the price. 

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  

Good Deal Going on Right Now Over at Kickstarter

Today kind of sucks for me......I finally got my home server setup almost like I want it (will be putting it into a new case next month) and I go to hookup my external drive to transfer about a year's worth of RPG downloads to the server....and I accidentally knock if off the table. Now it just makes a clicking noise and Windows won't see it anymore.

Now I'm a firm believer in the idea that if you don't have your data in three places you don't have your data. I really haven't lost much, well actually I've lost a LOT of data, but some of it is on other devices/drives. Some. My rather large collection of 3d printing files are *poof*. I'm sure some of those files are backed up, but that backup is back home on the family farm and there isn't a local backup because....well because I can just re-download all of those things.

It's a complete and total PITA, but it is doable.

So I've got a long road ahead of me logging into like three or four different websites/databases and clicking through 5,000 files to restore things......which is sad since I was literally setting up top transfer files so I'd have the data in 2 places (I was going to burn everything to a Blu-Ray M-Disc for my off-site tertiary).

Gee whiz Chris, sounds nice by why TF would I give a rat's-ass about your 1st world problem?

Ok, well for one.....wake up call to keep your data organized. Second, I'm ass-deep in .STL files right now and so obviously I'm thinking about 3d printing files.....and this particular morning, Fat Dragon Games current Kickstarter: Realm of the Goblin King. 

My first guest-post here at the Tavern was to totally bitch and moan about Ken Whitman and his highway robbery that was his Kickstarter Scams. Erik is more than up-front when it's come to his Kickscammers, but I'm not sure we get to hear too often about the guys doing these things right....and Tom Tullis/Fat Dragon Games does a helluva job with Kickstarter:

• Has most of the product designed (main pledge level-stuff) and tested before starting the campaign.
• Doesn't have a HUGE campaign goal.
• Lots of stretch-goals/add-ons
• Actually innovates
• Delivers early

Now as far as Tom goes, he likes to project an online persona that he's an asshole, but he's actually one of the nicest guys I've run into in the industry, which is saying a lot because we have a lot of nice guys in the industry. Sure we have actual assholes too, but they're not the norm.....

Now I do have a decent Tom Tullis story that I could share, but he's probably not going to like (well, at least publicly) me going any further along this train of thought. What I can "say" however, and I'm kind of banking on my own reputation here, is that I own almost every product that Fat Dragon Games has ever produced. The only stuff I do not own is either modern or futuristic/Sci-Fi. I can honestly say that I put my money where my mouth is and I can't sign up for Fat Dragon Games' Kickstarters fast enough!

This is what is being offered for $75 (and this isn't counting the stretch goals!):

Currently there are only two stretch goals left...and those will be hit easily, so my promotion here is not to benefit my own pledge. I'm just wanting to help a good guy/company out, and more importantly, turn some Tavern Patrons onto a good thing.

Kickstarter - Nicomeiden's Tower: A Dungeon RPG Adventure (AD&D and other OSR Systems)

I know. My coverage of various Kickstarter projects has slowed down recently. It's just that the number that truly excites or interests me has shrunk even as the number of "RPG" tagged Kickstarters has significantly increased.

Nicomeiden's Tower: A Dungeon RPG Adventure is a strange choice for me to showcase. While I certainly find it interesting, I also find it to be a Kickstarter that I don't see myself backing, which is a shame.

First things first, I had to dig into this Kickstarter's FAQ to find out if this was written for the OSR, 5e, Pathfinder, or even some non-D20 system. That knowledge should be front and center, one shouldn't have to go looking for it. 

My other main issue is the pricing. $15 for an adventure to be played in a single session seems excessive. $25 for the print is on the high end, and IMHO should include the PDF version at that price, but no, it's $35 if you want print plus PDF.

Simply put, there are cheaper choices with more playability from better-known creators and publishers available. It may certainly be a viable choice for a night of gaming, but for me, not at this price point. I certainly wouldn't pay 15 bucks for a single session PDF on DTRPG.

Did I mention the video hints that there will be color (looks to be computer generated IMHO) and B&W art that isn't consistent in tone within the module? I could be wrong with this conclusion, but not likely.

I wish the creator luck and long-term success, but I won't be backing this one.

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  

Bundle of Holding - Purple Sorcerer Quick Deal

I love me some Purple Sorceror. I've been following John Marr/Purple Sorceror since the early days of the DCC RPG. Amazingly enough, I'm only missing one item from the current Purple Sorcerer Bundle of Holding Quick Deal.

Adventurer! This all-new Purple Sorcerer DCC Quick Deal presents tabletop fantasy roleplaying adventures from Purple Sorcerer Games for the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG from Goodman Games. One of the oldest third-party DCC publishers, Purple Sorcerer produces free online DCC generators and that indispensable DCC utility, the Crawler's Companion. Purple Sorcerer's DCC scenarios feature sandbox settings with gaudy vistas, melodramatic characters, and deadly perils. Send your zero-level DCC characters through some of the most popular "funnels" in the game's history – for an unbeatable bargain price.

For just US$9.95 you get all four titles (with ten complete adventures!) in our Purple Collection (retail value $45) as DRM-free ebooks:

• The Sunken City Omnibus collection of introductory adventures (containing Perils of the Sunken City, Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk, A Gathering of the Marked, and Lair of the Mist Men)
• The Sullenlands Adventure Omnibus & Guide (containing Nebin Pendlebrook's Perilous Pantry, Frost Fang Expedition, and Crypt in Cadaver Canyon)
• Carnival of the Damned
• Escape From the Shrouded Fen

 

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  

Humble Bundle - So You Wanna Try Out Pathfinder 2e

I've never been a Pathfinder player, regardless of edition, but my God, the Pathfinder Beginner Boxes - First AND Second Edition are simply amazing! They certainly do tempt me into the Pathfinder realms. As for the adventures, Pathfinder adventures have always been solid.

So, you say you want to check out Pathfinder 2e. Well, the Beginner Box, the Core Rules, the Bestiary, and more for 5 bucks. Talk about an inexpensive way to check out Pathfinder 2e :)

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  

Kickstarter - Cities Without Number (Sine Nomine)

We have a new Kickstarter from Kevin Crawford, Cities Without Number.

A cyberpunk tabletop RPG from the creator of Stars Without Number.

After the sci-fi success of Stars Without Number and the fantastic response to Worlds Without Number, the new cyberpunk age of Cities Without Number is upon us. Within the pages of this tabletop role-playing game, you'll get a full-fledged system-neutral Sine Nomine toolkit for building a cyberpunk world of your own, plus an old-school game system for playing out the reckless adventures of the desperate men and women who live in it. Whether polished metal or flesh and blood, your operators will risk their lives and more to seize those precious things a merciless world would keep from them. In particular, this book contains...

• An old-school inspired game system fully compatible with the sci-fi Stars Without Number game and its fantasy sister-game Worlds Without Number
• Cyberware and sophisticated high-tech gear suitable for chroming the most discriminating cyborg and equipping the most refined of street operators
• Playability-focused hacking rules designed to give hacking-focused PCs useful and important things to do without forcing an entire separate mini-game on the GM
• Gear rules for drones and vehicles, to better equip PCs who want to bring a little extra iron on their next mission
• System-neutral Sine Nomine worldbuilding tools for helping a GM create their own custom cyberpunk world or elaborate the details of existing worlds and settings
• Gang, corp, and city district creation tools for fleshing out your world with people and places that fit
• Fifty Mission Tags for adventure creation, plus guidelines and step-by-step procedures for handling facility infiltrations, managing local heat, fencing loot, and other activities beloved of corp-hating street scum everywhere

And that's just in the free version that will be released on DTRPG for anyone to download. As with SWN and WWN, Cities Without Number will be provided in both a free and a deluxe version, the better to let an interested group jump in and play without having to spend anything. As a backer, you'll be getting the deluxe version, of course, which will also include...

• Variant gengineered human types for PCs who don't fit the baseline mold
• Spellcasting and summoning rules for GMs who want to add a dash of magic into their cyberpunk world
• Additional content creation tools to give an extra boost to a GM's creative efforts
• Several open pages to be filled with the contents that backers seem most interested in having. I've got room to add a little more here, and I'll be listening to backer comments and requests when it comes to filling them.

Here's a link to the Cities Without Number Beta  (shared with permission)

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  

Bundle of Holding - Hero 6e

My introduction to the Hero System was the Champions Boxed set in the mid-80s. I'm not sure we ever got beyond character generation at my friend Lenny's kitchen table and rolling mock battles with buckets of d6s. The Hero System has come far over the last 40 some odd years.

Hero! We've resurrected our February 2021 HERO System 6E Bundle featuring the 2009 Sixth Edition of the HERO System tabletop roleplaying game rules from Hero Games. The matchless flexibility of the HERO System lets you create any character, super power, spell, equipment, vehicle, or headquarters you can imagine, and the 6E version is the most detailed and comprehensive ever. See why, among high-crunch universal systems, HERO still holds pride of place after four decades.

In both page count and discount off retail price, this February 2021 offer once again brings you one of the best values we've ever presented. For just US$9.95 you get all three titles in this revived offer's Core Collection (retail value $55) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete two-volume 6E rulebook (V1 Character Creation and V2 Combat and Adventuring), as well as the HERO System Basic Rulebook that, at 138 pages, provides a concise introduction.

And if you pay more than this revived offer's threshold price of $40.15, you'll level up and also get this revival's entire Bonus Collection with ten more expansions and campaign supplements worth an additional $203, including both the Advanced Player's Guide and Player's Guide II rules expansions; the 6E Equipment Guide and Skills; the Grimoire, Martial Arts, and the 6E Bestiary; the Sixth Edition versions of Star Hero and Fantasy Hero; and your guide to building any headquarters from a walk-in closet to a kingdom, The Ultimate Base.

 

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  

Deal of the Day - The Toxic Wood (OSE Hexcrawl)

I'm very partial to a good hex crawl. As a mostly improv-style DM, or at least, that is where my comfort zone is, hex crawls appeal to my sense of wonder. 

Lazy Lich is well known for their hex crawls, and I'm looking forward to running headfirst into The Toxic Wood ;)

Normally 6 bucks in PDF, The Toxic Wood is on sale until tomorrow morning for a mere 3.40

The toxic wood is home to many strange entities; spiteful mutated horrors, ancient insectoid witch sisters, bloodthirsty redcaps, a mushroom witch and a corrosive dragon cult. Noxious gases produced by alien plants slowly coil through the air creating an endless red haze. Anything that is not part of the woods lethal eco-system is rapidly corroded, with all evidence of its existence erased within days.

Details:

• 32 pages
• Single column text
• 8.5 x 5.5 aspect
• Black & White
• Bookmarks
• Hyperlinks
• Random tables 
• Hooks and rumors for your players
• Rules for surviving in the toxic wood using the orb and other means
• 16 keyed hex locations
• Backgrounds for characters to aid roleplay
• New monsters 
• Key NPCs 
• A timeline of events for the DM to structure their sessions around
• Floraof the wood
• Random treasure tables
• Prompts and resolutions for what happens if players take different actions

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  

So Ha$bro Called for an Armistice...

While I'm glad to see that Ha$bro has called a CHECK FIRE on the OGL 2.0 mission, I'm not convinced (clearly) that this isn't the end of things. I don't think we won anything.....hell, I don't think there were any winner here, everybody lost. I'm a big fan of win-wins, but this was a loss all around.

WotC has traditionally devalued previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, favoring the current/upcoming edition. It's arguably the reason we're on edition...5, 6....is 7 already in the works somewhere? It's the reason my beloved HackMaster exists (WotC traded off the rights to 1st & 2nd Edition because they were producing D&D 3.0). Things changed a little bit when Ha$bro figured out they could make a few bucks "reprinting" older AD&D material, really just printed PDFs. I'm of the belief that Ha$bro realized that they could squeeze a little more profit out of "the old stuff", but their focus was on the upcoming edition and this OGL re-write was really to maximize their margin here.

Ha$bro didn't expect the huge backlash largely because they didn't value those earlier editions. They still should have due to how messed up things would be for creators going forward, but that's what happens when marketers and analysts operate in a vacuum. I'm also of the belief that this withdrawal of the current OGL 2.0 is also monetary based in that Ha$bro doesn't want to spend what cash they have on lawsuits, especially when they already have enough bad press. Sales are down for the company and they're laying off 15% of its workforce.....not a good sign, even if WotC is doing (relatively) well.  

No, it's lose-lose for the most part. The player base knows that Ha$bro can't be trusted and they know that the player base can, and will, be vocal. Yes, they threw in an olive branch by making the 5.1 SRD a Creative Commons license, but they deliberately left the OGL 1.0a "untouched". I think that if WotC/Ha$bro wanted to really make a statement and address the real elephant in the room they would have come out with OGL 1.0b that simply made the OGL "irrevocable". The 5.1 SRD doesn't do a whole lot if you're making OSR material.....

What I think, and I'm clearly a pessimist, is that Ha$bro is biding it's time. There will be a OGL 2.0 and while it might not be as far-reaching as the last attempt, it will be the end of OGL 1.0a. Ha$bro will make sure they have their ducks in a line, plug any and all leaks that they can, and ram it down our collective throats when they think they can get aways with it. We taught them how not to disseminate bad news to the community, and they probably know who will be the most likely to bring expensive lawsuits. The 5.1 SRD changes might very well be to placate some of these other companies......like why would Paizo care about the OGL if they're covered by the 5.1 SRD? Now this is speculation on my part, I haven't done, and for my sanity probably will never, do a deep dive on Pathfinder &/or the 5.1 SRD.

Now is not the time to sit back and think that this is over and "we've won". Sure, the shelling has stopped....for now, but it can pick back up. At best Ha$bro called for an armistice, not a peace treaty.....

Please, continue to support the smaller publishers that would have been affected by the OGL 2.0 disaster, basically anybody wanting to use the Open RPG Creative License, but also those that are still sticking with the OGL 1.0a.

I hope it'll be years before we have to revisit this...maybe in time for D&D Ten....so maybe 2035?

State of The Tavern - Coming Up For Air & Is This Reality?

It's been a long couple of weeks, and I'm not just talking WotC's ability to literally burn off two decades of goodwill it has built with the gaming community in just over two weeks.

Yes, WotC's stupidity has cost me weeks of proper sleep, as I've been covering the fiasco pretty much daily over on The Tavern's Youtube channel, as well as keeping counsel with, and on occasions, providing council for, my publishing friends in the OSR and beyond.

Yesterday's piece of good news almost seems too good - OGL 1.0(a) is not currently being de-authorized (let's see how long that holds for), but the 5.1 SRD has now been released into the Creative Commons licensing scheme, and that's something WotC CAN'T suddenly change its mind about.

I haven't even mentioned events on a more personal level, most recently including daily, afternoon-long visits with a close personal friend of Rach and me who is on home hospice, and will be until... well, you know, the inevitable comes.

So, I've neglected some things, especially emails. Specifically, OSR Christmas gifts and some GCs from last Wednesday's live stream.

Rach and I have a livestream tonight at 8 PM Eastern. After the livestream, I'm poring a glass of red wine and delving into the email abyss. Hopefully, I'll come up for air sometime tomorrow ;)

Thank you for your infinite patience.

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 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 

NEWS! OGL 1.0(a) is NOT being Revoked. 5.1 SRD is Released Under Creative Commons 4.0 International

I had plans for today, and they included catching up on emails, especially from OSR Christmas Day 12 and the Wednesday Night Giveaway. A small emergency last night, a scheduled doc appointment this morning, and obligations today that were related to last night's small emergency in addition to the totally unexpected OGL news today - including an extra video and tonight's scheduled but likely extremely lively livestream - means little will get done until tomorrow. I beg forgiveness. Now, onto the news! - Tenkar

When you give us playtest feedback, we take it seriously.

Already more than 15,000 of you have filled out the survey. Here's what you said:

• 88% do not want to publish TTRPG content under OGL 1.2.
• 90% would have to change some aspect of their business to accommodate OGL 1.2.
• 89% are dissatisfied with deauthorizing OGL 1.0a.
• 86% are dissatisfied with the draft VTT policy.
• 62% are satisfied with including Systems Reference Document (SRD) content in Creative Commons, and the majority of those who were dissatisfied asked for more SRD content in Creative Commons.

These live survey results are clear. You want OGL 1.0a. You want irrevocability. You like Creative Commons.

The feedback is in such high volume and its direction is so plain that we're acting now.

We are leaving OGL 1.0a in place, as is. Untouched.

We are also making the entire SRD 5.1 available under a Creative Commons license.

You choose which you prefer to use.

This Creative Commons license makes the content freely available for any use. We don't control that license and cannot alter or revoke it. It's open and irrevocable in a way that doesn't require you to take our word for it. And its openness means there's no need for a VTT policy. Placing the SRD under a Creative Commons license is a one-way door. There's no going back.

Our goal here is to deliver on what you wanted.

So, what about the goals that drove us when we started this process?

We wanted to protect the D&D play experience into the future. We still want to do that with your help. We're grateful that this community is passionate and active because we'll need your help protecting the game's inclusive and welcoming nature.

We wanted to limit the OGL to TTRPGs. With this new approach, we are setting that aside and counting on your choices to define the future of play.

Here's a PDF of SRD 5.1 with the Creative Commons license. By simply publishing it, we place it under an irrevocable Creative Commons license. We'll get it hosted in a more convenient place next week. It was important that we take this step now, so there's no question.

SRD 5.1-CC

We'll be closing the OGL 1.2 survey now.

We'll keep talking with you about how we can better support our players and creators. Thanks as always for continuing to share your thoughts.

Kyle Brink

Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons

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  

Deal of the Day - Cepheus Deluxe Enhanced Edition (OGL Traveller)

Are you fond of the Traveller RPG? Warm memories of dying during character generation 40+ years ago? Interested in seeing what the core rules can become when given to the gaming community under an SRD and an OGL? Cepheus Deluxe Enhanced Edition is what you are looking for.

Normally 9.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning @ 11 AM Eastern, Cepheus Deluxe Enhanced Edition is on sale in PDF for 4 bucks.

Starships riding fire across the sky. Heroes and villains exchanging laser fire. Desperate spacers struggling against an alien monstrosity. Vast planetary vistas, flying cities, moonscapes, mad robots, and first encounters. In short: high-action science-fiction adventure that stimulates your sense of wonder. Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition puts you in the shoes of an adventurer visiting distant stars and encountering the unknown. Whether you are a seasoned player looking for a rules-light game, or a new gamer wanting to experience what science-fiction role-playing games are all about, Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition opens your way forward.

Cepheus Deluxe is a set of rules for playing classic science fiction games. It includes rules on creating characters, resolving actions, fighting other creatures, and engaging in space battles, generating worlds, handling the risks of interstellar speculative trading, exploring new worlds, and many other activities. While designed for fast, action-packed play rather than an accurate simulation of reality, Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition encompasses a wide variety of rules and materials for building a science-fiction universe and playing in it.

Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition draws its inspiration from old-school science-fiction roleplaying games. It shares many similarities with these games. Material from older rules sets and those created with Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition, the old Cepheus Light, the Cepheus Engine Core, and old-school sci-fi roleplaying games, are easily compatible with only a moderate amount of adjustment.

The future awaits!

What's new in the Enhanced Edition compared to the original Cepheus Deluxe?

• New and better layout.
• Full color book.
• Rules clarifications.
• Correction of all Cepheus Deluxe errata.
• Many more, high-quality, full color illustrations.
• Deck plans for all thirteen included star ships!
• And more!

 

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  

Kickstarter - D&Tea: A Great Infusion of RPGs and Tea

I didn't know what to expect when I saw this Kickstarter while conducting an "RPG" search, but I think Rach and I are going to back. We both love tea, and this could be the rare Kickstarter she doesn't give me a sideways glance for backing.

Alright, Rach is all it :)

Sample tea:

Genasian Seas is a blend of green and black teas: the paradox doesn't end there! This is a tea to warm and comfort your soul as you set out on voyages to unknown lands: be warned, however, though you thought you were sailing North the stars seem misplaced tonight. Are the stars that are wrong... or is it you? This sweet blend will draw you in with a siren's call. You may never see home again but you won't regret going on this journey.

Ingredients: Ceylon black tea, sencha green tea, papaya, strawberry, mango, marigold petals, hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hip, orange peel, cinnamon, rose petals

15 bucks for one 4 oz bag of D&Tea: A Great Infusion of RPGs and Tea, and it gets cheaper as you order larger quantities. I think we'll be in for a half dozen or so...

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