My First Look at Holmes

I just received a near mint Holmes Basic Rule Book. Never actually read one previously.

Some quick thoughts as I am away from my computer:

Why be a Fighting Man in the Holmes rules? A cleric with 15 con has the same HP, same armor, same thaco.

What ever happened to the promised Witch class for AD&D?




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OD&DITIES Goes Back on Hiatus

As detailed here, OD&DITIES Magazine is ceasing publication.  It was fun while it lasted.

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Long Island City Craft Beer Festival

There is only on thing better then a craft beer festival... A comped ticket to a craft beer festival. Damn skippy!

Alright, four days at GenCon probably beats a four hour beer tasting, but not by much ;)


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Sometimes the Best Review is No Review at All

Over the last 6 days I've been eligible to review one Gmail screen-plus worth of products from RPGNow.  I may have peeked at a dozen or so on the web, and actually grabbed 2 or 3 for later reading / reviewing.  So what about the rest?

They way I see it, if there is no chance that I will EVER use the product in any way, shape or form, I'm probably better off not snagging a copy.  Pathfinder stuff falls into that category, except for the modules, as they are easily converted and I still speak the language, if not the dialect.

4e stuff is out.  A pain to convert to anything that resembles OSR.  Ah well.

Most things that give out the "overpriced vibe" unless they look fricken awesome.  I'd hate to grab a reviewer copy of something that I suspect is over priced and find out that I was right.  Besides, I suspect reviewer copies are counted in the sales levels / awards (this is a guess only), and I don't want to boost the numbers of an item I expect to not justify its price in my eyes.

Most adventures for games I don't own the rules to.  There are exceptions.  Sometimes an adventure / module look so damn intriguing I'll buy the rulebook just to enjoy the adventure.

Foreign language products.  If it isn't in English, I won't touch it.  German language products are tempting, to see how far my college German can take me, but I suspect after the first page I'll give up ;)

Diorama products, as I have no space to display anything that I might actually produce from it.

So yes, I leave about 95% of what I am eligible to grab just where it is... but I'm getting fairly good at ensuring the other 5% is worthwhile, which ain't that bad ;)

Job Title of the Day

At today's promotion ceremony, the title of the day was Assistant Supervising Supervisor, outdoing his boss, the Supervising Supervisor. And I thought some of the AD&D level titles had some lame entries.

I feel bad for the above civilians that were promoted as hardened cops burst out laughing when they were announced.

Worse even then calling our Detectives Defectives ;)


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Bits N' Pieces as the Week Winds Up

Anyone know of any decet blogging software for the Mac?  I'm using Quamana at the moment, and while it isnt bad, it isnt the best I'm sure.  Figure I'd throw that at my fellow bloggers for some input.

I'm going to work on a quick iPad, Kindle, Kindle DX comparison postfrom personal experience.  Depending on what you are looking to get out of your device, each has its own, well served, niche.

Going to a beer tasting on Saturday, and thanks to my brother in law who is in the industry I'm going for free.  Only thing better then microbrew beer?  Free microbrew beer ;)  Maybe I better not post directly after returning from the event... heh

Oh, and my Detective is officially promoted to Sergeant tomorrow.  Congrats Maria!  Now that you are out of my office maybe you can stop dissin' on my blogging ;)

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PDFs on the iPad, Why I Don't Mention the View in My Reviews

I was looking at the tags on my blog posts, and I see the Kindle DX is still pretty high on the tag list... and I haven't used my DX since I got my iPad in late Spring. So, why a lack of iPad mentions? It's simple really... most (99%) PDFs work perfectly well on the iPad. They are certainly easier and more convenient then reading them on the computer screen. And yes, they look much nicer then the Kindle DX.

Which is why I tend to forget to mention how they look on the iPad. So for now on, if I don't mention how they look on the iPad, it is safe to assume they look great ;)


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Confessions of a Completist

I'm a bit of a completist.  I think many gamers are.  Some of us want more stuff for the sake of having more stuff.  Case in point, I ordered (and received) the D&D 4e Rules Compendium and Heroes of the Fallen Lands.  I yet to play a game of 4e, and beyond possibly playing thru the solo in the Starter Set, I probably never will... but the prices were right on Amazon.  I must say, I do like the size of the books.  Nice and thick, but smaller then regular gaming books at about 6 x 9, so reading in bed wouldn't be bad (of course, they would be even better in PDF, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish).

To balance out the 4e-ness of my recent purchaes, I found and bought (Buy it Now) a Holmes and a Metzner Basic Rule Books.  I already had a Metzner, but I figured an extra copy wouldn't be bad to have.  Now I think I'll search for some Tunnels and Trolls goodness and call it a nite ;)

(edit:  Between Ebay and the Flying Buffalo website I have a crapload of T&T solos on their way.  I feel better now, having balanced the 4e karma with some T&T Old School karma ;)

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The End of Summer, the Return of the Game

I was just thinking that in my High School and College years, the summer meant weeks of gaming 4, 5, 6 or sometimes 7 days a week. Front porch, backyard, dining room table or basement - we found ourselves places to play.

Now, at the ripe old age of 43, I'm happy the summer has drawn to a close so I can return to the once a month C&C game I play in via Fantasy Grounds.

Something tells me I need to find more time to play these days ;)




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Shadow, Sword & Spell - If it is Basic Where's the Advanced?

Shadow, Sword & Spell: Basic is an RPG set of rules for Humanistic Fantasy roleplaying.  In simplest terms, it means a game without elves, dwarves, hobbits and gnomes (actually, gnomes are missing from more then this set of rules, but that's an old issue).

I've just started digging thru the rules (as you can see, I'm digging thru a whole slew of rules at the moment... I need to focus).  The 12 degree system seems workable (after reading a handful of pages for opposed rolls, but I'm not sure how useful degrees of succes will be outside of combat, as an "impressionistic" approach is suggested (DM fiat or just wing it).

It looks like it should be a quick and enjoyable read.  Hopefully I can get it done before the end of the month and post a short review on it.  I am curios as to why this is "Basic", as it infers an Expert or Advanced edition.  Eh, just me picking nits again it seems.

In the meantime, here's the blurb from RPGNow.

In Shadow, Sword & Spell: Basic, you create a character embarking on an adventuring career. Some event or desire, drives you to thumb your nose at your lot in life and seek out a destiny of your choosing. Society holds no bounds for you and you choose the life you want to live. Why should the only wealthy be wealthy? Why should only the baron own his own land? You want that — and more — and by Azathoth’s Radiance, you will!

In Basic, your character adventures and grows, becoming not only stronger, but more influential. Over time, a character can acquire not only wealth but power. Your influence and fame enables you to command armies, rule a kingdom, influence society — but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Basic gets you to this point, if you survive it…

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It's Almost Time to Homebrew

Gaming is always a better experience with a nice cold one in hand, at least when I'm gaming from the privacy of my own computer via Fantasy Grounds. There is just something very relaxing as I nurse a single glass ( fairly large tho') throughout the night.

The return of cooler weather means not just the return of the C&C game I play in, but also the return of my opportunity to make some more home-brewed beer. Mmmmmmmm. Beer.

Anyhow, I need to figure out what the first batch of the season will be. I'm leaning towards using my Cooper's kit, although I will need to see what I have waiting.


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Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul - Free Quickstart

Seems like Supers have been all the rage this summer (wait, is summer over yet?). 

Spectrum Games has released Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul - Quickstart Preview at RPGNow.  Lets see, we had the Villains & Vigillantes new edition released (and the original edition re-released), Icons, DC Heroes... I'm missing another, aren't I?  In any case, there's a new Supers game on the block. 

If I only played the genre, my options would be endless ;)  It's free, so why not give it a peek?



From the Blurb:

Imagine, if you will, a superhero role-playing game that emulates how comicbooks actually work. When comic writers sit down to pen a story, they don't have a character sheet in front of them that defines precisely what the characters can do... how strong or agile they are, what skills they demonstrate, what the exact parameters of their powers are.

Instead, they give the characters what the story demands of them. If the story requires the power-armored hero to have stealth armor, he'll most likely have it on hand. Should it be critical that the hero with the magic amulet needs to generate a mystic shield, you can almost bank on her getting it. Does the hero with normal human strength desperately need to lift a gargantuan chunk of concrete off of his ally? Chances are, he'll be able to muster up the power to do so. It all comes down to what makes for a more entertaining story.

Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul, takes this fully into consideration by offering a game system that is open-ended and flexible, treating the players and Game Master like comicbook writers rather than just some people playing a game. The sky really is the limit... so why not soar through it like the hero you've always longed to be?

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A Plethora of PDFs

I think I am currently suffering an RPG PDF overload.  It's not lack of quality, its that there is too much quanitity for me to keep up with. 

Cubicle 7 recently released the Clockwork & Chivalry Core Worldbook for Runequest 2 (I'm tryng to figure out how much work would be needed to make it work with BRP or Openquest).  A nice twist to the historical time of the Musketeers.  Cubicle 7 has been putting out some interesting releases recently.

Troll Lord has released an updated and expanded A1:  Assault on Blacktooth Ridge, for Castles & Crusades.  From what I can tell it now includes some of the web enhancements to the original release.  I've already caught a typo, which may be a hold over from a print release, but I'm not sure (when you rfer to pages 50-51in a PDF that is 43 pages, you might be Troll Lord Games).  Despite the typo(s) I'm a big fan of Assault on Blacktooth Ridge... it has some Keep on the Borderlands-ness to it, and it presents a nice low level sanbox.

The Sanctuary Ruin from Ludibrium Games is a module for the OSR rules of your choice.  It clocks in at 10 pages, so maybe I should hit this first.

That's just what I'm trying to dig thru at the moment... I've got a larger pile waiting to be even looked at. Well, actually, at the moment I've got the Jets game calling my name.  Hey, this is a tavern, you need to watch the game :)

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Picking Nits in the 4e Essentials Starter Box

First, it is what it is. It's not a basic set like old, but a starter set with limited options and theoretically a shorter learning curve. I'll try that learning curve out on my girlfriend at a later point.

Let's see...

Tokens. Not bad, surprisingly enough. Fairly thick, decent art... They will be reusable by the owner as / if they continue gaming.

Cards. Used to describe powers, magic items and such, the paper they are printed on is not going to withstand any amount of actual gaming. Reusability is next to nothing. Still, they are thicker then the covers of the rules booklets.

Dice. Full set of gaming dice, but they could have used an extra d10 for percentiles. They have come a long way since the "rounding with play" set from my First Edition of Gamma World. Nothing special but they are keepers. Black is a dull color for dice in my opinion.

Character sheets. Nothing special. Better then not being included.

Battlemaps. I hate them in general principle. A reusable battle MAT is my preference. I haven't even bothered to u fold it.

Coupon. Free downloadable adventure. I guess I should check it out at some point, not that I'll ever use more then the included solo tutorial, and even that is a big maybe.

Player's and DM's booklets. The covers suck, at they are paper thin and the same quality as the rest of the booklets' pages. I know the starter set isn't meant to get much reuse, but it might have been a nice gesture to quality to give them a little sturdiness.

Might try to give the solo a crack later tonight. I'd run a Tunnels & Trolls solo instead, but I don't have enough D6 in the Poconos.





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Aftermath of the Big KABOOM!

So, the storm that crashed thru the New York City area last night left a decent swath of destruction where the "not a tornado" passed.  I took some pics about a mile from my house, at Juniper Valley Park.

Here we have an Ent, arms outstretched to the vengeful god of nature.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

An uninvited guest.

Off with his head!

Beyond words, I'm still amazed only one person was killed in this storm.

Nature is the opponent you can't ever defeat, only survive.

Back to gaming stuff this weekend...

Update to the Big BABOOM!

Well, I tried to drive in to Manhattan to pick the kid up... wasn't happening.  Roads are effectively shut down in my part of Queens County.  I actually parked my car a half mile from my house and walked the rest of the way, or else I would still be making my way home.

The kid is taking the subway... hopefully that works out okay.  In the meantime I'm being serenaded by numerous car horns.  Joy.  This better clear up by morning or I'll be pissy ;)

A Big KABOOM!

NYC got hit with a nice line of thundershowers, and we even had a Tornado Warning in my neighborhood.  That wasn't the excitement.  Lightning striking the telephone pole at the corner as I stepped out on the front porch to see if I needed to blanket my car from the hail was the excitement.  Sparks and flames and downed electrical wires, oh my!

If I can get around to writing a quick review of the new Cubicle Seven release for Runequest 2 I will, but it might have to wait as my internet is spotty at the moment.  Gotta love Mother Nature.  At least my kitty has come out from under the bed now ;)

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Soon to Roll the (Virtual) Dice Again

It looks like the Castles & Crusades game I play in, that has been on hiatus for the summer months, will be resuming on October 2nd. With the exception of rolling up a few characters with my group of players I can never seem to get together on the same day and time, I haven't done any playing in months. I've done a crap load of reading tho'. That should count for something ;)

Allergies have been knocking me for a loop the past week or so, and I've been more dopey then usual. Not that anyone noticed but myself. At least, I don't think they noticed.

I'd like to try and herd my cats... er, players for some regular gaming, but the moment I herd 3 or more, one squirms away :)


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Gifting the Reimaged Past

Today was my brother in law's birthday.  He was a gamer thru college, and still proudly displays his AD&D 2e (and earlier), Traveller, GURPS and other gaming stuff on his shelves in his home office.  He hasn't played in years, but he still reads the stuff to relax and unwind.

In the past I've given him the 4e set of rules, the Mongoose Traveller Pocket Rules, some Mayfair Games classic items I've found on sale amonst other stuff.  Tonight, in addition to the traditional Amazon Gift Certificate, I game him a copy of the D&D 4e Essentials Starter Boxed Set.  Needless to say he recognized the artwork.

Is this going to get him back to active gaming?  I doubt it.  He barely has free time now, and with a baby on the way in December he'll have even less.  Still, I suspect he'll enjoy running the included solo.

Just think hom much cash WotC could make with Limited Edition Classic Reprints of some of the old boxed sets.  Number them with a certificate of authenticity.  My bro in law would snatch that up in a heartbeat.

Might not grow the hobby much, but I am damn sure the market it there.

Just look at the 4e Essentials box...

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Just How Essential is the New D&D Starter Set?

By now I'm sure you've already read a good half dozen reviews of the new D&D Red Box. If you've read what I've read, much of that is lamenting how much in fails in comparison to the D&D Red Box of old. Some folks are missing the obvious.

The old Red Box was a Basic Set... enough rules to get you going and playing for as long as you want within the range of levels 1-3. When you were ready, an Expert Set was awaiting you.

The new Red Box is a Starter Set. It is there to show you what a roleplaying game is (in this case, D&D 4e). It spoon feeds you the rules and concepts as if you were a neophyte, which is fine. As others have pointed out, it is not there for you to run campaigns out of the box. For that you need to go beyond the Starter Set.

4e is not my bag, but I can see the use of the solo / tutorial included to bring new people into the hobby. The fact that you can run it solo, before you even find a group is great... maybe WotC will see some value in further solo adventures.

Taking the New Red Box for what it is, and not what we as old timers expect it to be, is the key. Well, that and I got it for less then 14 bucks on Amazon. It's not going to turn me into a 4e player, but it might serve as a nice introduction to roleplaying for my girlfriend, and I really can't ask for much more then that.


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Mini Review: Castles & Crusades Adventure - The Rising Knight

First things first.  I'm a big Castles & Crusades fan.  It brought me back to the Old School way of thinking.  Despite the typos and editing problems of the initial releases (okay, and later releases) I've found the system to be alot of fun, with an AD&D 1st edition feel without actually being AD&D.

Castles & Crusades A0: The Rising Knight is an introductory adventure for C&C.  It introduces the local setting that will be used further in the rest of the A series, which can be placed in either the default C&C world (Aihrde) or fairly easily into the setting of your own choosing.

I thought I recognized it, and I do: it is included in the C&C boxed collector's set, and it is also included in the Fantasy Grounds C&C Module, so an aspiring DM can get running pretty much from the start.  That being said, it is not a tutorial for a new DM.  Instead, it is a good starter adventure for a new C&C campaign. 

As with most of the Old School products out there, it is usuable without to much effort with any of the OSR rules out there.

From the publisher's blurb:

This is an introductory adventure for those playing Castles & Crusades. The module has been designed to allow for the players and Castle Keeper alike to begin using the Castle & Crusades rules in a fairly non-demanding game setting. The goal is to familiarize the Castle Keeper and players with the basic rules and their applications while undertaking an exciting adventure.

The adventure is also designed for modularity and expansion. Many of the encounters, monsters, settings and non-player characters can be removed from the context of this adventure and placed within those of your own making. We here at Troll Lord Games encourage all gamers to do so as this is the quickest route to ever more fulfilling game-play. As with the Castles & Crusades rules, this module is a tool to use as you will. Please do so.

Further, should the players or Castle Keeper care to continue with the adventure and follow its thematic development, the follow-on module, Assault on Blacktooth Ridge and The Slag Heap is now available. Several references and avenues for continuing the adventure are mentioned within the text, but the Castle Keeper must devise the most meaningful manner in which to carry this out.
√

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Mini Review - The Lonely Coast

The Lonely Coast is a Campaign setting from Raging Swan.  I first covered it back in July here,  If you want more of a (short) review, hit the previous link. They have recently added it to their offerings at RPGNow.

My opinion on it remains the same.  It's a great value (free) and although written for 3e / Pathfinder it should be an easy conversion to any Old School set of rules.

Lazy Man's Weekend

I've been fairly low key this weekend, at least posting-wise.  Said what I needed to say yesterday, and figured I'd leave it up in it's primary place.

Of course, the kid had a different idea for yesterday.  He wasn't about to leave me stewing in my own thoughts... then again, neither was my girlfriend.  So they dragged me out to see Machete... if being the one who drove to the theatre can actually be counted as being dragged.

Over the top blod and guts... which had me laughing my ass off, which is good, as I suspect that was the intended reaction.  Probably would have mae a decent session of Macho Women with Guns or the like.

Today I bought myself a new digital camera, mostly using a gift certificated from my birthday in July.  If I can find more sights like the one I did last week, I'd like to be using something better then my iPhone.  It's New York City - there has to be TONS of stuff I can find to take pics of that could be game related ;)

Back with more reviews and other assorted thoughts tomorrow...

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Nine Years Ago Today...

Nine years ago today my gaming group lost one of core members.  Not that we actively gamed anymore at that time... that kind of ended when I (as the main DM /GM) graduated the Police Academy in 97 and had to work every weekend for six months.  Even tho we had stopped gaming, the friendships that we made back in 84 were stronger then the games themselves...we were, and still are, very tight.

On 9-11, 4 of the 6 members of that gaming group worked at the World Trade Center (either the towers or Building 7).  I was the one member that didn't, but I was there by the time the first tower was coming down.  We lost one of our brothers that day, the one who was to be the best man in a November wedding - the rest of the group was to be the groom and the ushers.  We were more like extended family then friends.

Our loss was but one of thousands our nation lost that day.  It doesn't make our loss, his family's loss, any more or less.  It is, however, another reason I will never forget, nor forgive, what happened to this nation on that September day nine years ago.  In my profession, I am no stranger to death.  I am no stranger to senseless destruction.  9-11 was the first time it became personal to me, and that was before I knew I had lost a dear friend.

Strange, how for me, 9-11 and gaming will always be intertwined.  If I can ever get my Gamer's ADD mind focused enough to actually write something publishable, Paul Benedetti will be more then deserving of the dedication.

God Bless you lad.  Enjoy your rest.

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Accessorize Your iPad

Recently I posted about some of the iPad apps I get decent use from ( pretty much geared to PDF viewing) Today I'm got give you a short post on accessories you can use for typing on your iPad... The key to blogging from your iPad

Probably the most flexible accessory for the iPad is the Camera Adaptor. With this, you can plug your camera via a USB cable to the iPad or use a SD card to view your pics. All that is nice and dandy. Surprisingly you can also plug a USB keyboard into the adaptor and now you have a full Suzette keyboard for your iPad. I tried it with one of those roll-up rubber keyboards that I found at a flea market for 7 bucks.

For my birthday I received Apple's keyboard and stand / dock for the iPad. Superb quality. Excellent key feel. Regretfully, as the ipad's port is on the bottom, you don't get to set this up horizontally. Also, it won't fit on the base if you have any kind of case on the iPad, even the official one that Apple sells - pretty big oversight if you ask me.

Right now I'm just using the virtual keyboard, as the other stuff is a bit bulky to carry around on a daily basis. Thank god the virtual keyboard on the iPad is pretty good... As long as I resort to the 2 finger typing method ;)




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Traveller - Secrets of the Ancients "The Hunt" and Traveller Compendium 1

It seems like this week is Traveller week, as Mongoose has just released 2 products for the Traveller RPG.

Mongoose has updated the Traveller: Campaign 1, Secret of the Ancients to include the new chapter "The Hunt".  This is the third part in the series, not including Chapter Zero, which is the intro to the series.

I think really appreciate what Mongoose is doing with Secret of the Ancients.  A whole campaign, offered for free, released in chapters is a great way to support the line.  Signs & Portents magazine is also a great free Traveller (and other Mongoose RPG lines) support vehicle.  Great stuff.








Talking about Sign & Portents Magazine, Traveller Compedium 1 is a collection of adventures and articles pertaining to Traveller that previously appeared in various article.  That is both it's strength and its weakness.  It's a strength in that the articles are pretty good, the adventures are nice, and its awesome to have it all in one place.  That being said, you are being asked to pay 21 bucks for stuff that previously appeared for free.  Shame.  Not saying its not worth the cash, but for those willing to spend the time you can pretty much piece this together for free.

Anyhow, here's the blurb:

This first volume of the Traveller Compendiums collates all the most popular articles that have appeared in Signs & Portents over the years, and presents them for the tabletop! Inside you will find new careers, new ships, adventures, patrons, advice on running games, new equipment, newly revealed aspects to Aslan society, and much more!

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Rebooting the Never Fully Booted

Now that summer vacations are behind us I'm going to try and start my Castles & Crusades game via Fantasy Grounds. Summer hours made it impossible to organize anything, I'm hoping September will offer better results.

At the same time, I'm thinking of running a one shot or two using in Basic Roleplaying or CoC. I have both rulesets for Fantasy Grounds, and a skill based game system is more suitable for one shots in my opinion. Maybe a session or two with pregens will get the group in the mindset for regular once a month or so gaming.

Wish me luck ;)


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First Looks - The Laundry and C&C Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde

Two new RPG products have entered into my gaming vision in the last 24 hours or so.

The first, The Laundry, from Cubicle 7, drew my attention as it uses the Basic Roleplaying System and is Licensed by Chaosium.  Intriguing to say the least.  The last two Cubicle 7 games I looked at are driven by the FATE gaming engine (Starblazer Adventures and Legends of Anglerre).  278 pages is going to take me a while to dig thru, and I may need to find some of the (British) fiction this is based upon.  Give me time before I even attempt a review.

From the blurb:

CAPITAL LAUNDRY SERVICES - WHAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP?

There are things out there, in the weirder reaches of space-time where reality is an optional extra. Horrible things, usually with tentacles. Al-Hazred glimpsed them, John Dee summoned them, HP Lovecraft wrote about them, and Alan Turing mapped the paths from our universe to theirs. The right calculation can call up entities from other, older universes, or invoke their powers. Invisibility? Easy! Animating the dead? Trivial! Binding lesser demons to your will? Easily doable!

Opening up the way for the Great Old Ones to come through and eat our brains? Unfortunately, much too easy.

That's where the Laundry comes in - it's a branch of the British secret service, tasked to prevent hideous alien gods from wiping out all life on Earth (and more particularly, the UK). You work for the Laundry. The hours are long, the pay is sub-par, the co-workers are... interesting (in the Chinese curse sense of the word), and the bureaucracy is stifling - but you do get to wave basilisk guns and bullet wards around, and to go on challenging and exciting missions to exotic locations like quaint, legend-haunted Wigan, cursed Slough and Wolverhampton where the walls are thin.

You may even get to save the world.

Just make sure you get a receipt.

***

The Laundry RPG is a standalone game using the Basic Roleplaying System (Call of Cthulhu). Players take the role of Laundry agents, saving the world from extradimensional, Lovecraftian and occult threats.

The other RPG product I've been peeking at is Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde for Castles & Crusades.  So far at first glance this is a very pleasant surprise.  I'm sure there are typos, but they haven't popped out at me.  176 pages of monsters and treasures for use in C&C, but I'm sure they could work in most Old School games. 

Some of this has already made appearances in Crusader magazine and some previous adventures and short PDFs, so perceived value will depend on how much of this one already has in different formats. 

I'll come back to this once I've given it a more thorough read thru.

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I Know This Can be Used in a Game Session

I took this pic yesterday morning in Lower Manhattan as I parked for work. Maybe Christian can work it into his Changling game. WoD Vampire that brings it's own portable shade from the sun.





No political commentary intended, just a New York City sight I'm sharing with my readers. Which reminds me, I need to get working on some more Tales of the Blue Knight shorts.

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Blog Spotlight - Synapse Design Blog

I've discussed different blogs at the Tavern... some overlooked, some pretty popular but all deserving more attention.  This time around, I'm tagging Synapse Design Blog from Greg (who's a fairly frequent commenter on this fine blog - everyone say "Hi Greg").

Synapse Design Blog  is a blog about game design, both in theory and actuality.  I mean it, the lad has actually designed a game.   It's also about RPGs in general. and bits and pieces of the writer's life.  All the good stuff you want in a blog and then some.

Stealing from Synapse Design Blog  to explain a bit of Greg's vision:

What is Synapse? 

Synapse is an RPG that brings character depth to a new level. It allows you to create a sophisticated personality, character background, and virtually any race or species you can imagine. You build a culture from which your character emerged, the life experiences they had within that culture, and a network of NPCs that they know well... If you can imagine it, Synapse can make it real. Leave the limitations of your current RPG system behind and enter a fantastical world of your own creation.  

Synapse will be released as a free PDF once it reaches a Beta state and will remain free forever even as it is perfected.

Greg actively seeks advice from the readers and particpants of his blog.  Want to get in on a new RPG on the ground floor?  Here's your chance.  Want to influence future products?  Follow SNB and let your mind be heard. 

Did I mention the Synapse Beta RPG PDF looks really nice on my iPads virtual bookshelf?

At the moment Greg is looking for some advice on module / adventure formatting / layout.  Give him your thoughts here.

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You Got Your RPG PDFs on My iPad!

Yep, you guess it, this post is about reading PDFs, in our case RPG PDFs, on the iPad.

Now, I've been reading PDFs on electronic reading devices since BEFORE the release of the Kindle DX.  The solutions were far from perfect, as PDF reflow wrecked havok with the formating of most  RPG PDF tables, and those that chose to show their pages in real format were impossible to read on a 5" screen.

Then came the Kindle DX, a 9" electronic book reader from Amazon with a screen large enough to show PDFs in their true format and still be readable.  Still, at times the print was a bit on the small size, and some PDFs choked on the Kindle DX (not many, but enough to be annoying).

Along came the iPad this past spring.  Billed as a "do everything" device, it does an awful lot... some things great, some not so great... but for our purposes, as a PDF reader of RPG materials, I have found it to be second to none.  If it wasn't for the glare in direct sunlight, it would be nearly perfect. 

An iPad is nothing without the proper set of tools and apps.  Below you will find some of the ones I find most helpful.

DropBox - free "cloud computing" storage, you can save a file in your Dropbox folder on your PC, open it on your iPad, then grab it later on your Macbook.  It is the definition of awesomeness.  There is a limit to the amount of online storage you get for free (which can be added to for free when adding free referrals).  I can't see paying for the service at my usage level, but I'm sure some folks obviously do.  Yes, if you sign up via my link, I'll be able to add more RPG materials to my DropBox account.  I'll just thank you in advance ;)

BTW, you can delete files from your DropBox folder without deleting it from your iPad.  I'm just addicted to syncing the damn stuff accross all my devices.

GoodReader - my "go to" PDF reader in the iPad.  It has handled evey PDF I have thrown at it without a problem:  trust me, that's alot of PDFs.  It is 2 bucks in the Apple App store.  DropBox in my method of choice for getting the PDFs into Goodreader.  You just open your DropBox folder within the app and it syncs up to the files you want to the iPad.  No muss, no fuss.

iAnnotate PDF - this is either a gimick or an awesome tool, depending on whether or not you can get use out of it's main features:  the ability to highlight, annotate, add pinned remarks / notes, tabbed PDF reading.  It will not work with well with scanned pages (so some old school scans might be limited in mark-ability).  Update PDFs are save seperate from the original, can be uploaded to your PC and can be read by your PDF reader, higlights, remarks and all.  10 bucks, so make sure you will have a use for it before your spring for it. 

You can DropBox your file into the app, and send the marked up file to DropBox for distribution on your other devices.  You can also use the DropBox app to open the file into iAnnotate PDF (which is confusing, I know.  The first method opens up your DropBox folder in the iAnnotate App to grab the file, and the second opens the folder in your DropBox app and allows you to choose the application to read it with.)

Fast PDF - advertised as the fastest PDF reader for the iPad, I'm not going to dispute that.  I still prefer GoodReader for my PDF reading.  That being said, this app has a really cool feaure that is worth the 3 buck price of admission on its own:  a virtual bookshelf.  Have you seen the bookshelf that Apple displays your books purchased from the app store?  Same concept, except for your PDFs.  What fun is telling someone you have 157 RPG PDFs on your iPad, then showing the LIST on Goodreader.  Instead, show them the BOOK COVERS on your virtual bookshelf.  'Nuff saif, its a damn cool gimmick and it works.

There are many more PDF reader apps, some I own, some I've never touched, but these are the ones I use constantly.  As you can guess from the amount of mini-reviews I do, I have access to alot of PDF content.  I need apps that make them a pleasure to read on my iPad, and these are them.

Thanks to Andugus from White Haired Man for asking the questions that got me thinking that led to me writing stuff that ended up on this page.

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And the Winner of a PDF Copy of Realms of Chtulhu is...

Lets see... Six entries (and a Marvel "No-Prize" is awarded to Greg - Cheers!)... can never find a frickin' D6 when you need one... okie... here we go:

I rolled a 3 "three" - Ara Kooser, come on down... you are the winner of a PDF copy of Realms of Chtulhu (I've typed that so much I think I've learned how to spell it... or I learned a wrong spelling).

Ara, you have 7 days to hit me with your valid email address (and a comment here so I know it is you emailing me).  I can be reached at:  tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom.  Yes, it is a stupid way to type an email address, but it has fooled the spam bots so far ;)

Congrats to Ara, and thanks to all those who entered.

Less Than 2 Hours Left to Enter to Win a PDF Copy of Realms of Chtulhu

Check out last Friday's blog entry for details. Enter by 6pm Eastern Time tonight... thats less then 2 hours from now.  Good luck :)

Last Chance to Win a PDF Copy of Realms Cthulhu

Check out last Friday's blog entry for details. Enter by 6pm Eastern Time tonight, Monday Sept 6 2010.

Good luck to all.

I'm Getting That Itch

You know the itch. It's the one that tells you it's been too damn long since you've rolled the (virtual in my case) dice. I don't think I've played in the monthly C&C game via FG2 since June... It could be longer, as I know I had to miss a session.

I'm going to start looking for a weeknite EST game I think to supplement it. Weekly or twice a month... Weekends are rough to work gaming into these days.

I'm not too concerned with the system or the genre... a good group makes gold from most anything.

I'll post an update if I should find anything. Wish me luck ;)


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It's a Damn Good Thing I Took Off Monday...

As we decided to stay in the Poconos an extra day. I'm really wishing I had bought Jenja so I could give Dread a test drive, but apparently not this weekend.

Next weekend is still up in the air. 9-11 is a major day of remembrance for me and my group, as we lost one of ours when the towers fell. As I was also a first responder that day, 9-11 hits doubly.

But tonight? Tonight i'll be eyeball deep in RPG reading. Sometimes reading is the best way to remember ;)


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Mini Review - The Slumbering Tsar Saga Part 4 The Temple City of Orcus Part 1: The Tower of Weeping Sores

The title of the release is almost longer then the review ;)  The Slumbering Tsar Saga Part 4 The Temple City of Orcus Part 1: The Tower of Weeping Sores is the latest part of the Slumbering Tsar Sage to be released by Necromancer Games / Frog God Games.  It is written for Pathfinder but can be shoehorned  into one of the older rulesets without too much trouble - less is more when trying to convert 3.5e / Pathfinder material to an older ruleset.  Anyhow, back to Part 1, or is it Part 4?  Or part 4 of 14... nevermind.

What we have here is an adventure that will take your part from about level 11to around... well, probably 12, as this adventure is part one of five parts, but its the forth in the series... Frog God needs to figure out a better way to number these, as this is confusing even my sensibilities.

Confusing as the numbering is, the adventure is well presented and beautifully bookmarked, which is to be expected form a publisher like Necromancer / Frog God.  Major points for that.

If you want to check the first part of the series out cheap, Slumbering Tsar: The Desolation Part 1 - The Edge of Oblivion for a balanced party of 7th level characters is available for 2 bucks from RPGNow.

The Slumbering Tsar Saga^TM began its journey years ago as a single mega-adventure for the masters of Third Edition rules and First Edition feel, then became a trilogy of adventures, then a trilogy of mega-adventures, and now finally comes to you as a monthly series culminating in a massive book with over a half million words of pure First Edition-style adventure.  Updated to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game to accommodate today's audience of the classic fantasy roleplaying game, The Slumbering Tsar Saga^TM brings you 14 chapters, released monthly in electronic format, each chapter the size of a full adventure in its own right (30-50 pages) .  Then when the final chapter has been released, the whole will be available in a classic edition, hardcover adventure book.

RPG Game Systems = Languages

As I get older I'm finding it harder and harder to wrap my head around new game systems the further they stray from my D&D roots.  I kinda look at D&D, it's offspring and variants as something akin to German dialects.  It's pretty much the same language, but many things don't translate well betweenthe dialects.  Still, if you know one dialect,  you can probably communicate with  the speaker of another dialect.  So it goes with D&D, 3.5, the retro clones and such.  4e is more like the break between German and English... you can see many German roots in the English language, but they are far apart and totally different.

Anyhow, these days, the retroclones and other variants that are published these days I have no trouble wrapping my head around.  True20 still makes my head hurt, as I know that it is close to what I know, but it's like talking to an Irishman from County Donegal - I know he is speaking English, but I'm still stuck scratching my head half the time ;)  I'd like to understand True20 better, as there are some damn nice settings for that system.

Same goes for Savage Worlds... I've yet to play in a session using the rules, and something tells me until I do, it just won't click.  FATE is another system that I really like, but I don't feel like I really know.  Guess my problem is that I'm a native Dungeons & Dragon's speaker ;)

My weakness in High School and College was Foreign Languages - who would have guessed?  heh

(don't forget, there is a contest going on thru 6pm 9/6//10 - Win a free PDF copy of Realms of Cthulhu for Savage Worlds - check out the contest here)

Weekend Escape - Dodging Earl

NYC has dodged Hurricane Earl, thereby salvaging the holiday weekend here in the States. I'll be heading to the Poconos for an overnighter and then head to Connecticut to visit family.

I'll be reading Dread and running some Tunnels & Trolls solos. Maybe I can grab a level or two ;)

Joethelawyer, if you are reading this, we need to get that LotFP Weird Fantasy game planned...


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Labor Day Weekend Contest - Win a PDF Copy of Realms of Cthulhu

Yep, thanks to the fine folks at RPGNow and Reality Blurs, Tenkar's Tavern is giving away a free PDF copy of Realms of Cthulhu. Bring a nice spark of horror to you next Savage Worlds game.

How do you enter? Very simple. Name the first Player Character you ever created and ran in an RPG. A single sentence will suffice, although you can fell free to talk about his /escapades further if you wish. Enter as a comment to this blog entry.

Contest ends 6 PM on Monday, September 6, 2010 at which point I will randomly pick a winner. Best of luck.


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GOLD Season 1 - Screening at Dragon*Con 9/4

David Nett sent me an email asking me to let my readers know that GOLD Season 1 will be screened at Dragon*Con on September 4th... this coming Saturday.  Nope, I won't be there, but the web series was a fun one to watch and I figure it's worth the plug if anyone that reads this will be in attendance. 

Screening Details:

GOLD is a finalist for the 2010 Parsec Award for Video Storytelling!
To celebrate, we’re screening all of Gold Season 1 after the award
ceremony:

- All seven GOLD Season 1 Episodes!
- Additional screening delights!
- Q&A with David Nett (creator/Jon Drake) and Rick Robinson (Richard
Wright)
- Sneak peek at the upcoming GOLD miniseries, Night of the Zombie King
- Giveaways!
This is the first time GOLD Season 1 will be screened in its entirety.
If you’re at Dragon*Con, don’t miss this great opportunity to see GOLD
on the big screen and meet some of the folks who make the show.

About GOLD:
GOLD is an independent television series about a world where tabletop
role-playing gaming is a professional sport. The American and British
teams, the best in the world, prepare for the World Championships,
deal with their personal and professional demons, and plot to destroy
each other. It takes nerves of steel to compete in the world of
professional role-playing gamers. Can you take the hits? More about
the series at goldtheseries.com.

Sat 11:30PM, Crystal Ballroom (Hilton)

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Dread - Followup Question

Just started looking thru the rules and I noticed it suggests a group of 5 or 6. I'll be lucky to get a 2 plus the GM situation... 1 on 1 will be more likely. Still a good choice choice, or should I run Weird Fantasy's tutorial as a 1 on 1? Or even a one on one module.

Trials and tribulations of a roleplayer ;)


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Dread - Looking for Advice

Tags: Dread, PDFI've only heard good things about Dread, especially as a way to introduce people new to the hobby of roleplaying.  RPGNow is now carrying it in PDF format (so i snagged it) and I'm fairly sure I can get my hands on Jenga without much of a problem.  Any words of advice or wisdom before I drag family and friends into Dread?

I still need to read it, as I literaly just snagged it.  Lunchtime at work on the iPad I suspect to read it, and possibly put it into play over the weekend.

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A New Month - New Giveaways

Yep, September means new prizes for the prize closet... it also means I have a prize from last month that may or may not have expired... ack!

Anyhow, the first contest of the month should be announced this weekend.  That is in addition to the ongoing contest with a prize or two given away when we hit 60 Friends that have added themselves to the "Regular Tavern Patron" list.

All that and the kids go back to school.  Phew! ;)

Mini Review - In Search of the Trollslayer for Fantasy Grounds and BRP

Looks like I’m finally getting around to reviewing the latest Fantasy Grounds releases.  About time I say ;)

 

Anyhow, In Search of the Trollslayer for Fantasy Grounds and BRP is a conversion of the Chaosium produced In Search of the Trollslayer adventure for the Basic Roleplaying System.  It’s a fun and deadly adventure for experienced BRP characters, and if there is an issue with the adventure itself (not the conversion) is that there really isn’t any useful series of introductory adventures set in a fantasy setting for BRP.  I know in many ways BRP is a toolkit, but I would like to get my players’ characters the experience needed to play Trollslayer, as opposed to just creating experienced characters or using pregens, but that is me.

As for the conversion to Fantasy Grounds, it is well done.  Extensively tabbed and laid out.  I didn’t do a side by side comparison to my PDF copy of Trollslayer, but it looks to my memory to be a nicely converted duplication.  I like BRP and I love the fantasy genre.  I will probably run this with the pregens as a one shot - or multiple shots as i suspect this will take a few sessions to get thru.

From Smiteworks' blurb:

In Search of the Trollslayer A Heroic-Level Fantasy Adventure for Basic Roleplaying By Troy Wilhelmson

Deep in the heart of a perilous swamp lie the ruins of a cursed shrine. Within its crumbling walls lies an artifact of ancient power, a spear called "The Trollslayer." Heroes must now retrieve the forgotten weapon, but can they overcome the evil that resides within the rotting temple?

In Search of the Trollslayer is a heroic-level fantasy adventure for Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying RPG. Includes six pre-made characters so players can jump right into the action.

Requirements: Full or Ultimate License of Fantasy Grounds and the Basic Roleplaying (BRP) ruleset.

Random Heat Induced Thoughts

So, here I sit in the designated Cell Phone Parking Lot at the airport, waiting for my son's flight to arrive, and I'm thinking that I have 3 adventures / modules for Fantasy Grounds that I have to review. I need to change the cat's litter. I should have opted for the tank top instead of tank top and button down shirt combo.

Weird what thoughts cross your mind as you sit in your car, shade slowly leaving you behind and the damn heat starts to hit you. Thank god I brought water.

Eh, at least I don't have to go to work today ;)


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3d6 or not 3d6, That is the Question

Grognardia has a post up about generating ability scores in D&D and it's various offspring. It's pretty much about the virtues of the 3d6 in order method, although a roll 18d6 and assign as you want is also mentioned and is interesting (tho I suspect Dump Stat would be in full effect)

My issue is that the method is fine in OD&D and Swords & Wizardry (the current clone) as your abilities don't have much of an effect on gameplay. The largest stat bonus is +1 and the largest stat penalty is -1. It just doesn't have a significant influence on gameplay.

Once stat bonuses and penalties start hitting the +/- 3 or 4 range, as they do with the other D&d variations, they start having a huge impact on play. Who really wants to play the someone that is less then average in a game that is supposed to be fun? Some might like the challenge, but if the player isn't going to have fun because his character is crippled from level 1, why is he going to keep coming back to reach level 2.

I'm not advocating the Unearthed Arcana method of stat rolling, but there is nothing wrong with a best 3 out of 4d6 method (or even 3 out of 5d6 depending on the type of campaign the players and the DM want) in my opinion.

As for point buy, I've always had an aversion to it, but I do see how it can keep a player from rolling something that is totally borked.

Isn't the whole point of our hobby to have fun? Maybe not for some of the old timers (that there is a joke, son) but that's the reason I like to play. It's simply fun. I don't want a character that is the best, but I certainly don't want to play one that is so crippled that it just isn't much fun. Besides, if he was really that much of a loser, who would pick him for an adventuring party anyway?

It is called "Fantasy" Roleplaying for a reason ;)



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Another Month Down

As August draws to a close and summer races to wrap up, I'm amazed at what I never accomplished over the summer.

I never got my Fantasy Grounds Castles & Crusades game of the ground... It's close, but I feel like I'm trying to herd cats getting everyone to agree on a day.

Haven't done a tenth of the reading I had hoped to get around to.

God knows spring cleaning never got done in the spring or summer. Fall maybe?

I need to finish up some more Tales of the Blue Knight entries. Haven't touched it since June if memory serves me well.

I need another month or two of summer, but without the excessive heat. Can it be arranged?


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Dragged Into the Dark Depths

I've done the MMORPG thing and had fun doing it.  Ultima Online was frustrating, Everquest was awesome, Anarchy Online was fun, EQ2 was okay, WoW didn't wow me, Conan left me a victim of PvP, Star Wars Galaxies made me some decent friends tho the game sucked, LotRO left me with a lifetime of NOT playing, DDO I check into on and off, Warhammer was fun until I leveled to the point that PvP was all that was left, The Realm from Sierra Online was a goof, Aion was ehh, Vanguard was a bloated piece of beta software that should never have been released, Star Trek is okay... at least it's a bit different then the rest.  I'm sure I've missed one or two ;)

I hardly check them out these days... I'm still waiting on the RIGHT one... in many ways, The first Everquest captured that the best for me, just like the OSR captures most of what I like in Pen n Paper RPGs.

Of course, all this means is that I'm being dragged to one of the "free" MMORPGs - Runes of Magic - nothing out of pocket and I get to see if it's a worthwhile time waster.  My gaming group seems to like it, but we shall see what we shall see.  At least it's zero cost up front :)

When is Too Much Too Much?

Just a thought after reading and posting about d-infinity.

When is too much too much? I don't mean too much in the way of page count, but too much in the way of diversifying content.

It seems to me that the successful Gaming Magazines these days are pretty focused in content. Dragon, Dungeon and Fight On are 4e focused. Kobold is on 3.5e, Pathfinder and some 4e. The OSR has a strong assortment of publications.

The thing in common? Focus.

D-infinity will be an interesting experiment. Time will tell.


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Mini Review - "d-Infinity" Volume #1

d-Infinity (as I can’t do a silly little infinity sign on my keyboard) Volume #1 is the first full issue of the magazine.  They had an issue 0 sampler out for Gen Con.

 

Lets see, how do i explain this magazine... it’s a little bit of everything, which is both its strength, and it’s weakness.  It’s it well put together, very professional looking... lets just go to the publishers’ blurb.

d∞ ("d-Infinity") is a new multi-platform gaming supplement that covers a wide variety of rules systems and includes content that can be universally applied to many different sorts of table-top, live-action, and role-playing games. It is jointly published by Armorcast, Dark Threads, 5th Epoch, Flying Buffalo Inc., Mindgame Productions, OffWorld Designs Inc., Skirmisher Publishing LLC, Sonic Legends, and the United States Marine Space Corps.

 

Features of each volume include a self-standing game; new rules, stats, and bonus content tying in with several different game systems new rules; free paper miniatures; interviews with the luminaries of the gaming industry; and more! Rules systems supported include but are not limited to 4th Edition D&D, Pathfinder, OGL v.3.5, "Basic" system, Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, and Cthulhu Live.

 

 

Got all that?  It covers a lot of ground, but is that enough to justify the purchase if only one or two article directly address the game(s) you play?  BTW, “Basic” system appears to refer to any D&D clone.  It does not refer to Basic Roleplaying from Chaosium.  Shame, I would have liked a magazine with some articles for BRP.

My personal highlights - Basic System: Spontaneous Generation Monsters (I think this article would work well with Weird Fantasy from LotFP) and the Cardstock Character sheets (begging for me to use TokenTool an drop them in my Fantasy Grounds token folder).  The magazine is also nicely bookmarked.

My personal low points?  Many of the articles are previews of upcoming products.  Sure, they work alone, but you are trying to sell me a future buy on a product I just bought.  If you are going to use the magazine as an advertising vehicle, the price should be lower in my humble opinion.  Signs & Portents from Mongoose is a free, unabashedly House Organ.  d-infinity seems like it isn't sure if it wants to be a house organ or an actual magazine with articles that aren’t mostly samples.

All that being said, the Spontaneous Monsters and the Cardstock Characters are worth about $2.50 on their own.  I’m just not sure a bunch of previews are worth the other $2.50 (there is other stuff besides previews, but LARPing aint my bag, man!).  I’ll check back with issue 2 and see where this winds up going.

edit:  I forgot the 4 1/2 minute or so Forest Skirmish mp3 that was included in the ZIP file.  Not bad, no idea what I would use it for as i game using a VTT, which is why I probably forgot it for the review.  Bad Cop!  No Donut!

Blog Spotlight - Destination Unknown

If you care about Role Playing Games, if you want free resources lovingly prepared, if you want to read a blog from a gamer that writes from the heart, destination unknown by Christian is the destination for you.

 

Christian has been floating around the RPG fanzine sphere for years.  I stumbled across Scrollworks back around 2001 i do believe.  The damn digest sized magazines were addictive reading, and were a bathroom staple for years after Christian stopped publishing them.  I really wish I had kept them all, but most appear to have found their way to the land of stray socks.  The good news is, Christain has posted  these on his blog for easy downloading along with Iron Rations and Iridia.  The man is EXTREMELY productive.  If you have never read his works you are doing yourself and your gaming group a huge disservice.  Do it now.  Read a piece or two.  I can wait...

Back?  Excellent.  These days destination unknown is not just his blog but also his latest zine.  So yes, more reading for you.  See, the man hooks you up.

Did I mention the mini-supplememnts he produced and has available for free download (just like everything else on his site)?  The Free City of Haldane is for use in your Labyrinth Lord Campaign (but usable with any classic OSR ruleset - you know the drill).  I personally love this piece and it will definitely get used in my next campaign.  Faces in the Crowd Vol. 1 is for use in a World of Darkness campaign, but I still found things I could steal for my upcoming C&C game.

Oh, and cats.  The man likes cats.  I can always trust cat people ;)

Christian also has a cooking blog.  One day I will try one of his recipes.  Probably the hot and sour soup one will be the first.

A Fool and His Money...

...are soon parted.  Amazing the ways airlines can squeeze the extra buck or hundred out of you.

Case in point:  My son is currently vacationing with relatives.  All good so far.  Trip down by plane... no problem.  Coming back,  he found out a cousin (or cousin’s cousin) was also coming back to New York, same flight a day earlier.  The kid is younger, and my son decided he’s move up his return trip by a day.  So far, so good.  A hundred bucks to change the flight, all done online.

Of course, the cousin’s cousin’s grandmother gave him the wrong flight number and departure time.  We found this out literally 10 minutes after changing the flight.  Now we can’t change online again.  Have to call Customer Service (I’m sure there is a stat block for that  hideous creature online somewhere).  New flight is more expensive then new old flight (or is that old new flight?) by 80 bucks.  Oh, and another hundred buck flight change fee.  Sigh.

I’m sure I can find a way to use a similar method to screw my party out of funds in the next campaign I run.  Not sure how yet, but anything this simple and evil has to have a game application somewhere...

Mini Review - Old School Magic

A day late and a dollar short it seems.  This was released on RPGNow a week ago.

 

Old-School Magic (for OSRIC, although with most of the Old School stuff, a little tweaking should help it work with LL, S&W and the like) offers alternative magic using classes, new spells, changes in the way magic works - the tools you can use to make your campaign unique.

Even if you don’t allow your players to access there rules, the new classes, specialists and spells for use by the DM are worth the price of admission - the changes can keep your players are their toes and can keep from just assuming they know the capabilities of the spell casters they encounter.

I may yoke some of this for a few NPC encounters in my upcoming C&C campaign.

The blurb itself:

 

     Old School Magic is the definitive resource for adding a personal touch to the magic of your old-school fantasy games!

Old School Magic features alternate rules of magic and advice for adapting your game into a low, medium or high magic setting.

 

It also includes 9 new classes, many of which are specifically tailored for low-magic settings, including the Alchemist, Artificer, Holy Man and Naturalist.

 

Other new classes include new specialist magic-users suitable for traditional old-school games, each with their own spell list, including the Conjurer, Elementalist and Seer.

 

Finally Old School Magic contains over 30 new spells, created for its specialist classes but available to traditional Clerics, Druids and Magic-Users as well.

 

Distracted by a Harp

Yes, 4 pints of Harp and a much too generous serving of Fish and Chips has taken away my Tunnels & Trolling ability.. and certainly impaired my typing ability.

Will kill thing and take their stuff is Troll Land sometime tomorrow.  Sleepy time now.  ZZZZZZZZzzzzzz

Another Week Comes to an End

Damn Blogger software is a bit flakey after the update. Let's try again, shall we?

It looks like we have survived yet another week of OSR drama. Thank god. I'm beginning to feel like I'm in High School again.

Thankfully the work week has come to an end. I shall be playing a Tunnels and Trolls solo adventure until I can reach the end alive. I might be up all nite tonight attempting that. Seems like good stress relief to me? Wish me luck ;)


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Swords & Wizardry - The Frog God Explains

Froggie - AKA The Frog God - AKA Bill Webb (formerly of Necromancer Games) explains why the words that got a vocal part of the OSR’s underwear tied up in a knot WEREN”T aimed at the OSR, Old School Publishers or even (oh my) Hobbyists that publish OSR materials right here (you may need to scroll down a bit).

Or, for the lazy, I’ll grab some of the quotes in question:

Create more--more product is more good is more OSR gamers is more likely to keep the game alive after we die off over the next 25 years...The indie publishers made it possible to raise the dead on OSR. People have returned. Make more books and let me know when you do and I'll tell people about them. This merger was designed to bring people back to the table, not to stop folks from making products.

I want to encourage folks to produce books. My comments sounded bad--but were not aimed at amatuers producing books--they were aimed at professionals producing amatuer work. Oh, and its not a OSR publisher. (shuts up now before I insult anyone specifically--almost certain they don't frequent the boards, but you never know)

Interesting that the original quote got all the attention, but the actual words explaining the context - not much from what I see.  We might as well be in a political election.

I understand why people got upset with the knock on amateur work that got the pissing match started, but I really think there are some folks that WANT a controversy just so they can show how witty they are.  And then they’ll huff and puff and take their ball home so other’s can’t play with it.  Because they were insulted by something that was never aimed at them.  Paranoia can be fun, but generally speaking only with troubleshooters and the Computer’s permission.

It’s like pissing in the wind.  In the end, all that pissing in the wind does is get your shoes wet with piss.  (never claimed to be witty myself, I just like the imagery of certain bloggers pissing on themselves)


A snippet of the original offensive piece:


We are not the guys who are going to offer bargain basement junk for a quick buck. We won't sell you hand drawn maps and clip art laid out by amateurs and posted up on Lulu.com as a cheap book that you look at and discard.

Gloranthan Classics Volumes I - IV Available at RPGNow

As I stated earlier, some of the best RPG products I EVER bought for ANY game were Pavis and Big Rubble.  I ran them using both the Runequest 2e rules from Chaosium and the Runequest 3e rules from Avalon Hill (converting on the fly).  Best sandbox settings I ever ran (not that we called them sandboxes back in the day).

I’ve gotten a chance to look at Gloranthean Classics Volume I - Pavis and Big Rubble, and I have to say the quality of the PDF is excellent.  This isnt an OCR of a copy someone had hanging around from 30 years a ago, but a lovingly produced PDF.  At 20 bucks, it better be.

Issaries has all four volumes  of the series in PDF on RPGNow.  I'm going to have to steal time from my Tunnels & Trolls obsession, because I never was able to get my hands of Griffin Mountain, and all the great things I've heard about it over the years means I NEED this now;)

Anyhow, the releases are as follows (20 bucks each, or all four for 60):

I'll post more as I spend time with these lovelies :)

Swords & Wizardry - Its All the Talk These Days

All publicity is good publicity.  While Matt Finch is getting some angry feedback from Frog God’s “anti-DIY” marketing statement, it’s certainly getting everyone’s attention today.

Lets see who’s talking:

RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

RPG Blog 2

Bite The Bulette

ChicagoWiz

Frog God - The place that started the bruha

Swords & Wizardry Forum - This thread HERE and Mythmere’s thread HERE are where to find the most accurate current info on the dustup - or at least they should be - time will tell

(i’m sure I missed some places - I’ll add when I find them, or folks can add to the comments)

My opinion on the whole thing?  Just like when we had the earlier OSR “Implossion” with ruffled feathers and folks taking their toys and going home, this too will blow over.

There is really no downside to this merger of Mythmere Games and Frog God, unless one fears the commercialization of the OSR.  Then again, for the OSR to be successful and thrive, doesn’t it have to make a profit and act - professional?  At least on some levels?

I’d love to walk into B & N, or Borders Books, and see Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord and LotFP Weird Fantasy on the shelves.  The only way to grow ANY hobby is to let people know about it, get  it seen, get it talked about.

Ah well, enough about The Sky is Falling! and Look! Wolf!

I’m going to read some Tunnels & Trolls, maybe play a solo adventure, then curl up in bed tonight reading some classic Runequest Gloranthean stuff on my iPad.

Well, that and post my opinion on forums and blog comments, cause it’s not even 6 pm and and its too damn early to think about bed ;)

Classic Glorantha in PDF

I was notified last night that some of the classic Runequest Glorantha products were hitting the virtual shelves at RPGNow. Pavis and Big Rubble are one set and I grabbed this right away. I have the old Chaosium boxed sets for these packed away, and they are a big reason that Runequest was my other fantasy RPG when I was in college (AD&D was number 1). These were some of the best sandbox styled products of all time. And now I have them in PDF... From quick look these are either amazing scans or re typeset from the originals.

I never had Griffin Mountain, just Avalon Hill's Griffin Island for RQ3. They have GM and a few others in PDF now too. Sorry, it's like gaming gold to me. I'm very excited. More when I get a closer look.


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Mini Review - Resolute: Knights of the Falling Stars

Resolute:  Knights of the Falling Stars is a short supplement for the Resolute 2e Superheroes game.

Really, what can you say about a gaming supplement that is 9 pages long and cost a buck?

 

Knights of the Falling Stars is an update for Resolute: the Superhero RPG 2E, expanding the rules into the realms of interstellar adventure and space opera. Within, you will find rules for starship design and combat, new abilities called the Source and the Void, a campaign backdrop set in the Five Systems, and a roster of heroes and villains of the Five Systems. You also get an introductory scenario to get you started right away.

Swords & Wizardry Gets a New Publisher

James over at Grognardia caught the scoop early, but to sum it up - Frog God Games (Necromancer Games successor) and Mythmere Publishing (Swords & Wizardry) are joining forces to get S&W into more mainstream markets, and have a crapload of books (including a Complete Edition - see below) and other stuff in the hopper for 2010 & 2011.
Cool beans!  The Old School is hopping this summer!
You can read more from the original thread here, but my personal favorite highlight is:

by Mythmere » Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:44 pm

The Red Priest wrote:Cool beans.

What *exactly* is the "Complete" edition though? Is it a lot of extra material? A marketing differentiation? A really, really cool boxed set of WB & Core rules, dice, pencils, character sheets and promotional flyers? Oh, don't forget the DM Assistant CD!! 

It includes the ranger from SR, the paladin, thief, druid, assassin - character classes from the supplements. Still no illusionist, though, which was disappointing, but the SR illusionist just couldn't legally be duplicated. The game still runs on the 0e rules, not 1e. It includes two optional alternative order of combat systems in addition to the standard one from the WhiteBox era: the one from the Holmes Blue Book and one that's based on the EW system. Those are the main differences, although there are little things like adding strength modifiers to the amount of weight that can be carried, ala Supplement 1, etc. Virtually all of the additions are in the player section, not the referee section. It's compatible with the Core Rules, and the Core Rules will stay in place as the archetypal "three class" system.


There is a huge number of modules being written for this. Huge. 

Tuesday Tavern Tidbits

RetCon was a success, despite my Saturday ranting, which is a good thing, as the NYC area needs gaming cons badly. I see that a lot of Long Islanders read my saturday's rant last nite... I wish you had found a more rewarding reason to visit the Tavern, but I do hope some of you decide to come back and visit.

I have at least 2 adventures for use with Fantasy Grounds 2 that I need to review. One is for Basic Roleplaying and I'm excited to see how it came out -I think it is called Trollslayer, but of course until OS4 hits the iPad switching between apps is nigh impossible, so I can't confirm that.

There are 53 regular patrons of the Tavern (google friends connect on the left side of the page). At 60 I give out a prize or two to a randomly chosen regular patron curtesy of RPGNow. Can't make giving away free stuff easier then that ;)


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Fantasy Grounds 2 Now Has a IRC Channel

Thanks to drahkar over on the Fantasy Grounds Community Forums, Fantasy Grounds now has a IRC Channel.  It just went live today.

Might be a good way to organize pick-up games and possibly reach out for advice and help on using the Fantasy Grounds software.  Or just shoot the shit with other Fantasy Grounds users.

You can check it out here: http://fg2.rpg-vault.net/

Monday Morning Musings

My new found obsession with Tunnels and Trolls is damn fun. I need to dig my old copy of the rulebook out of storage just to see how much the game has changed over 35 years. I suspect it isn't by much. At quick glance it appears the old solo adventures should work fine with the 7.5 edition of the rules.

How far has Mongoose Runequest gone from the old Chaosium RQ? (i'm disregarding the Avalon Hill edition, even tho it was my intro) Curious, as except for one or two PDFs I haven't taken a close look at Mongoose Runequest, and I did enjoy it back in the day.




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Tunnels and Trolls - I Think it Bit Me

Alright, so i highlighted Trollzine 3 a few days back.  Started reading it.  Looked over the solo adventures in the magazine, thought fondly of the days of my Coleco Adam POS... alright, not so fondly of the Coleco Adam.  But back in those days, if I wanted to do some killing of beasties and taking their stuff, and I didn’t have my gaming group with me, I always had Tunnels and Trolls.

Dave (winner via last man standing of the Swords & Wizardry Whitebox Collector’s Edition a few weeks back) had a huge collection on Tunnels & Trolls solo adventures when I was in High School, and was always nice enough to loan them out to me.  God, those books were killers.  Literally, they killed far more of my characters then actually survived.  Some days it was like having a save point in a computer game, i’d pick up from a major junction prior to my characters death, just so I wouldn’t have to start again from the beginning.

I even kept with them in my early Commodore 64 days, but eventually, computers tore me away from solo gaming via T&T.  Until this weekend.  I downloaded the free, shortened rules for T&T, but couldn’t find the 7.5 edition in PDF.  I’ve gotten hooked on instant gratification with my gaming desires with the purchase of my iPad, and this was frustrating the crap outa me.  Until I noticed Fiery Dragon published the Tunnels & Trolls 7.5 edition rules. Snatched that sucker right up, uploaded to my Dropbox account and moved from there to my iPad.   I’m gonna be on a Tunnels & Trolls kick for the next few days I think.

Tunnels & Trolls solos are about as dangerous as anything James Raggi publishes.  I expect a high body count before I’m done ;)