Review - Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - The Rulebook - Part 1

You gotta start somewhere, so it might as well be with the rules themselves.  The first thing you will notice about the book s that its a bit shorter, maybe an inch, then the other two spiral bound books included in the box.  Just figured I'd throw that out there.

The book itself runs 174 pages.  14 pages of which consists of the Armor and Weapons Glossary.  Back in 4e (T&T, not D&D) they basically tell you to look the stuff up that you don't understand on your own (this was prior to the internet).  Now, 14 pages to tell you exactly what it is your character is buying.  I like it myself.

T&T now gives you the following classes to choose from:  Citizen (your average schlep), Rogue (mix a bit of warrior and a bit of wizard - reminds be of the bard class from Dragon 56 / Best of Dragon), Warrior (your meat shield), Wizard (makes things go BOOM and such), Specialist (not really it's own class, but various specialties based on some of the other classes), and Paragon (Warrior / Wizard combo - not watered down like the Rogue - needs exceptional rolls at character generation to be one).

One omission in the rules in my view, is the lack of any real description of the Kindred, or intelligent races.  The main races are Human, Dwarf, Fairy, Hobb and Leprechaun.  There are also 32 rare Kindred races.  Five of them have footnotes on the Kindred Attribute Modifier Charts.  The rest?  Nothing is said about them.  We have the stat modifiers, but I dont even know what a Urook looks like, acts like, anything.  Let alone Urookin.  A sentence or two on each would suffice.

Don't get me wrong, I love choices, and T&T is a game with lots of choices.  I just like to have an idea about my choices aside from a purely muchkin POV.  If they used the same font as the Armor and Weapons Glossary, a Kindred Glossary would take 3 to 4 pages.  Something to think about for the next printing / edition.

I know I'm sounding negative at this point, but don't let it throw you.  I really like this boxed set, and thoroughly enjoy the T&T rules.  More tomorrow about the rules.

Back to Basics

It's funny, but the most annoying part of my current obsession with Tunnels & Trolls is the noticeable lack of GM run adventures.  Ton's of solos, not so many for groups.

Then I realized something.  It's a matter of simplicity to change any Old School D&D module to T&T.  Assign the creature an MR, decide if it has any special abilities that will come into play with the roll of an assigned number of natural "6's" and you are pretty good to go.

I mean, D&D (2e and earlier) is my native born language, but I've become fairly fluent in T&T, and translating between the two doesn't appear to be to difficult (at least from D&D to T&T).

What this means is that with minimal work, I have a nearly limitless source of gaming adventures for use with T&T.  In theory at least.  I need to put the theory to the test.

Anyhow, the 7.5e review will continue, probably later today.  Oh, and some thoughts on D&D B/X (as i have the Expert rules now - never did have it back in the day - AD&D was the big boys' game)

Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - The Photo Collection ;)

As requested, I took a bunch of photos of the T&T Boxed Set and its contents.  Without further ado, here we go:

Here's the box full of it's goodies.  Notice how it doesn't want to stay shut?

Here's the enclosed map of Trollworld

Two of the three counter sheets. (I initially forgot there was a third)

The two enclosed adventures, one solo and one for a GM / group

Here's the rulebook, spiral bound

The extra spells and monster book - spirals again

See, I found the third counter sheet.  Also, the character sheet and the SE Monster and Magic book

Here's the whole set, including the dice.

I'll start the reviewing this weekend ;)

Review - Tunnels & Trolls Boxed Set - Initial Reaction

The first thing you'll notice about the Tunnels & Trolls Boxed Set (aside from the very awesome box cover art) is that the shrink wrap can barely keep the box cover on the rest of the box.  Seriously, it is that packed.  I'm looking at a still shrinked copy as I type this (to be given away at the Gathering of Fools Winter Session).  The box is a hair smaller then LofTP Weird Fantasy Boxed set and not quite as deep. 

What does one get in their snazzy box full of T&T?

174 Page rulebook, spiral bound (selling point or a demerit depending on who you talk to).  Everything you need to run a T&T adventure is in the book.  As an aside, it is similar LotFP Weird Fantasy in that you don't have a monster listing in the main rulebook.  Monsters / adversaries are easy enough to draw up - just assign an MR number and you are good to go.  Still, for some, this omission can seem lacking.  But wait!

There is a 43 page Monstrum Codex to give you some sample monsters and unique powers for them to beat your players senseless.  Also spiral bound.

Then we have a 50 page Codex Incantatem.  More spells for levels 1-5.  Again, spiral bound.

Easy to overlook is the 22 page Monsters & Magic (Special Edition) book, or really, closer to pamphlet.  Some basic monster and magic item info.  Not spiral bound.

The Solo Adventure "Strange Destinies"comes in at 24 pages, not spiral bound.  I wrote about this a few days ago.

The GM Adventure "Hot Pursuit"comes in at 16 pages.  No spirals here.

A fold out map of Trollworld.

Character sheets.

Tokens from Fiery Dragon Press (their art always rocks)

4d6

See why it has trouble fitting in the box?  I'll do a more indepth review of the actually books over the next week or so.

The PDF version of the 7.5e Boxed Set can be found at RPGNow.

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Collecting Trolls and Trying to Avoid the Ebay Crush

Last week I saw this really nice boxed set of the T&T 5.0 rules.  Black box, gold lettering and art, with a buy it now of 80 bucks.  I watched, didnt buy, saw the sale expire and get reposted at the same price.  Damn it was purty tho.

Thing is, how can a boxed set of the 5.0 rules go for 3 times the price of the 4.0 rulebook (which I grabbed for 26)?  It's not like either was in mint condition.  Well, i waited, and found the same boxed set, slightly dinged (still looks awesome) on the outside but damn near mint on the inside, for less then 17 bucks (plus shipping).  It wound up coming from Troll and Toad even tho' I found it on ebay.  These lads know how to pack!

Yes, working at the Tunnels & Trolls collection.  Must secure as much as I can before I lose sole control of the discretionary funds ;)

I'll be posting some thoughts n the T&T 7.5e boxed set later tonight.

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Elf Free Zone - Talisanta

Every once in a while, when I troll the net looking for interesting sites, one thing leads to another and suddenly I find myself at Talisanta.com.

I remember it being advertised as a fantasy world without elves, and my perception was that it was a D&D variant of sorts. I never knew more then what the magazine ads showed me, but no more.

Talisanta.com offers free and legal downloads of nearly all the books in the Talisanta line and there are many. Others are in the process of being converted for download. It costs you nothing but the bandwidth to take a peek.


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Mini Review - Green Devil Face #4 from LotFP

Lamenations of the Flame Princess has put out a new (issue?) of Green Devil Face.  GDF #4 is chuck full of OSR goodness.  70 pages for 5 bucks.

Lets see... mini adventures?  Check.  New magic items?  Check.  New class?  Check.  New spells?  Check.  Random tables?  Check.  All that and more fully infected by the Raggi touch?  Hell yeah!

Yes, some of this has appeared elsewhere.  So what?  James has a unique touch when it comes to RPG products, and it shows here.

Alright, now for the word of James himself:

Green Devil Face is back!

The True Finnwegian Old School Role-Playing kult unearths the legendary zine from its 14-month slumber to deliver more madness to lay your players low! This isn't the solidly-composed, somberly delivered material that LotFP normally trades in, this is MADNESS UNLEASHED! Rapid-fire fuel-air explosive blasts of pure energy and creativity which will ignite your imagination because this one's just too hot! If you run an old-school game and you can't find something in here to put in your campaign RIGHT NOW you're just hopeless. You're not hopeless, are you? Then PROVE IT! Buy this PDF RIGHT NOW!

... it's all contained within SIXTY-NINE HOT PAGES... (plus OGL)... how can you resist?


Contents of This Issue:

Knights of Science - A New Character Class by James Edward Raggi IV
The Tower - Mini-Adventure by James Edward Raggi IV (originally presented in Fight On #4 - contains more backstory than the version in Death Frost Doom!)
The Dread Sorceries of Duvan'Ku - New Spells by James Edward Raggi IV (originally presented in Fight On #4)
Fell Magick Items of Duvan'Ku - New Magic Items by James Edward Raggi IV (originally presented in Fight On #4)
Random Inn Generator - Create an Inn and its Visitors from scratch! By James Edward Raggi IV (originally presented in Fight On #2)
Wand of the Weird - A wand of Bizarre Effect by James Edward Raggi IV
House of Snails - A mini-dungeon by James Edward Raggi IV
The Frog Cult - A mini-dungeon by James Edward Raggi IV
The Tomb to Die For/In by R. Lawrence Blake
Random Treasure Generator - The Old Treasure Tables Presented in a New Way by James Edward Raggi IV
A Spell Point Theory - Another Look Adapting the Vancian Magic System to Spell Points by James Edward Raggi IV

Plus Classic Green Devil Face Tricks/Traps:

The Room of Four Pits by Ramsey Dow
The Sneaky Book Room by James Brian Murphy
The Child by Zak Sabbath
The Chamber and the Glass Box by Zak Sabbath
Shrieker Stew by Jonathan Becker
Pool of Testing by Jonathan Becker
Shaggy Dog by Jonathan Becker

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In The Hopper

Working on a mini review of Elric of Melnibone from Mongoose (uses the RQ2 rules).

Working on a full review of the Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e Boxed Set (so full that I can't even close the damn box after taking off the wrap).  I might do a book by book review of the box, like I did with LotFP's Weird Fantasy. Not sure yet.

Was hoping to game some tonight via Fantasy Grounds 2 and Rolemaster, but technical difficulties may be putting a damper on that.  Ah well, there is always next week.

When Old is New - Or Why I Should Stay Away From Ebay ;)

When I arrived home from my extended weekend earlier today, I found my Near Mint Copy of the D&D Expert rules awaiting me.  It was fairly cheap on Ebay, especially considering that it loosk like no one ever opened its pages.

Ebay, and the Flying Buffalo website, are where I've been plugging the holes in my Tunnels & Trolls collection.  Before the Outlaw Press / James Shipman debacle I'm sure there would have been alot more items on my list to buy, but that's okay.  There's more then enough for me to look for (did I mention I bought a 4th edition copy of the T&T rules?  Talk about nostalgia).

I think I'm down to 2 books for my OD&D collection: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes and Swords & Spells.

I need to work on my man cave, so I can display my Classic Gaming Collectibles ;)

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Review - Strange Destinies Solo Adventure (for Tunnels & Trolls)

I'm on a bit of a Tunnels & Trolls kick, so you'll need to forgive me.  Still, before I dive head first into this review, you do realize you can download a free (abbreviated but complete and usable) version of the rules and can get free solo adventures for Tunnels & Trolls here, here, here and here.  Phew!

As I wrote last night, the fiancee played thru a T&T solo last night.  She had fun and got the taste of what roleplaying is about.  We used the adventure Strange Destinies, which was included in the Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e boxed set (I'll give that a proper review shortly).

First the good.  Atmosphere was great.  She really got into the mood when I read the pieces that set the scene.  When the player actually shivers with a description, you hit the right points.  Nice recap in the beginning of the adventure detailing saving rolls and such.  All in all, it was fun...

There is a "but" that needs to be added there.  This is NOT an adventure for the average beginning player character warrior type.  It is lethal, almost to the point of "why bother to roll the dice".  Case in point.  Rachel rolled triples on the score she assigned to STR.  The total was a 26, doubled as a dwarf to a 52.  She was a formidable warrior, and according to the 7.5e rules a 5th level character.  Her first encounter was with 1 Giant Bloodworm (MR 120).  It rolls 13d6 in combat with +60 adds.  The Dwarven Warrior Sheba was armed with a short sword for 3d6 and +48 adds (she also had 10 pts of armor, doubled to 20 for being a warrior).  Average rolls with adds would have been 105 for the Giant Bloodworm and 60 for Sheba.  45 damage less 20 for armor means 25 points of damage to Sheba in the average combat round not including Spite Damage.  Heck there was a 50% chance of here encountering 2 Giant Bloodworms at a pop, which would have been insta death.

My solution was to halve the MR of all the creatures encountered.  Even with that, Spite damage and combat rolls left her with 8 points left of her initial 28 CON when she found her way out.  As written, not a really good way to introduce a new player to the rules or to RPGs. as dying without a chance in the first encounter isn't much fun.  Which is a shame, because the T&T rules themselves are much fun (as was the adventure after I waved the GM Wand of Monster Nerfing).

So, nerf the monsters and you have a viable solo adventure for a warrior with decent combat adds.  It was fun, don't get me wrong, but you need to adjust it to make it work.  Or maybe run it with more then one PC.

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Old School Gaming Tunnels & Trolls Style

I picked up the 7.5e boxed set of Tunnels & Trolls to complement my PDF set of the same rules and all the solos I recently picked up. I spent some time rolling characters this afternoon, and it was fun rolling triples and adding another roll.

My dice rolling attracted the attention of my fiancée, who immediately declared the whole thing looked too complicated. I declared otherwise, had her roll a character (roll 4 dice, take best three, arrange as you will) and jumped into the included solo adventure, with myself taking the part of the reader / quasi-GM / monster roller. Even with her choosing a Dwarven Warrior, some of the random monsters had to have their Monster Ratings halved to give her a chance.

With the MR adjustment, the fights were challenging, especially with the Spite Damage (natural 6 is 1 point of unstoppable damage), but she prevailed. I think in retrospect the Adventure Point award was excessive and geared toward the 7e award system, but all that matters is in the end the lady had a blast.

Her big questions? Can I buy more equipment? And Can I only use her in solo adventures?

I might have a gamer on my hand ;)


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Barbarian Bazaar

Barbarian Bazaar is the name of a small shop in the Sugarman's Fleamarket in Dickson City, PA. Much to my surprise I found a 1e Player's Handbook (later cover image), 2 copies of the Dungeon board game and an interesting collection of other RPGs and related board games.

My son wound up picking out a Star Trek Next Generation board game and some used DVDs. I would have picked up a copy of Dungeon! But then I would have need to store it, as I doubt it would get use.


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From the Mouth of Lizzies

Last night was the first back to back Saturday Nite gaming I've enjoyed in over year. Heck, since we hadn't games since May, this was as much gaming as the previous 6 months.

Tenkar, my third level Dwarven Cleric in Castles & Crusades ( via Fantasy Grounds 2) was involved in too long of a discussion as to wether one leaves a sleeping giant lizard sleeping. Apparently, they will awake on their own and try to run off with said Dwarven Cleric. Ouch!

In the end the Lizzie was defeated, Tenkar was rescued and much gold and silver was had by all. Not bad for a nite's work.

I think we are about to hit 2 years with this campaign, and although the group has had much turnover, it has remained a very fun group to adventure with.

Now, of course, my yet to be implemented FG2 campaign first was to use LL, then C&C, but now I am thinking Tunnels & Trolls. Simplicity of system may be best for an irregularly playing group.


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Mini Review - Oubliette Issue #4

(Third try... lets see how buggered this attempt is)

It's been over 3 months since the last issue of Oubliette was released on the virtual magazine stand.  In that time, OD&Ditties closed it's doors, leaving one less magazine / fanzine covering the OSR, let alone RPGs in general.  Still, Oubliette 4 was well worth the wait.

30 some odd pages for the magazine with another 50 or so bonus material, the reader is given a lot to look at for the 2 bucks he spent.

We get an adventure (geared to firearms but they can be removed), fiction, new monsters, weapons, a cartoon, reviews... and then we get the bonus material.

From the publisher's spiel:

80 jam-packed pages including: 34 Page Magazine, 13 Pages of Magic-User Spell Cards for Labyrinth Lord, and Character Sheets, Figures and Multi-Part Maps for this Issue's Adventure.

Written for Labyrinth Lord, but also ideal for use with any Basic/Expert/Advanced original or clone, with little or no adjustment required.

Full Contents:

# Weapons Test - A Labyrinth Lord Adventure with Guns

# Monster Club #6 - Zombies

# Firearm Rules for Labyrinth Lord Part 3 - The Monsters Fight Back

# Tales from Hell - Buckets of Legend

# Monster Club #7 - Monster Scaling

# A Hunting We Will Go - An Encounter for Labyrinth Lord

# PC for PCs - Featuring G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

# Purist to Puerile - The Orc

# Seven Magical Mirrors

# Reviews

# Free PDF Round-Up

# Mouse Watch - A Cartoon for Grown-Ups

# The Song of Sithakk - Part 4 of our serialized story

# Plus loads of Bonus Material including: Magic-user Spell Cards for Labyrinth Lord and Large Scale Maps and Character Sheets for the Adventure.

Warning! Oubliette may contain content that is suitable for adult audiences only. Persons 18+ only.

Heading to the Mountains

Back to posting when I get settled tomorrow.


- Posted from my iPhone

New Khazan - Tunnels & Trolls In Spaaaacceeee!

Sorry about that, but somehow the Muppet Show's Pigs in Spaaccceee! popped into mt mind with the title.  In any case, New Khazan is a nifty little sourcebook to bring something akin to DragonStar (a very cool 3e setting for D&D) to your Tunnels & Trolls game.  I'm not saying it is like DragonStar, but it seems a closer fit for this purpose then, say, Spelljammer.

So far I have done little more then check out the first few pages, as somehow it failed to synch with my DropBox folder, which means it wasn't available for bedtime reading last nite, but I plan to correct that in a few minutes.  I'm sure I'll come back to this again in a few days, after I get a chance to read further.

Anywho, here's the blurb (gotta have the blurb):

More than elves and trolls in outer space, more than star warriors casting spells, New Khazan has its own unique flavor of space fantasy.

This supplement begins with the assumed background of Tunnels & Trolls, then extends all those fantastic creatures and spells into a distant future where reptilian astro-gators guide ships through tunnelspace and police subdue criminals with Hold-That-Pose nets and TTYF guns powered by smaller versions of the same Kremm crystals that drive starfaring battleships.

New Khazan gives you descriptions of the worlds, prominent kindreds, civilizations, technology, and common character types of the fantastic future.

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Mini Review - The Inn of Lost Heroes

The Inn of Lost Heroes is a Labyrinth Lord Adventure for 3-6 character of 3rd to 5th level.  As this is October, this is a horror themed adventure, which may or may not suit your group and play style.  The author is very up front with that.  From the blurb:

Everyone loves a good barroom brawl. But what happens when the fight gets out of hand and innocents are harmed? Witness the innkeeper's wife Evelyn Mortigan. When her entire family is killed in a fire caused by drunken adventurers, she utters a curse with her dying breath and returns to torment all those who would practice the adventuring trade. Can the characters escape her wrath, or will they be forever trapped in the Inn of Lost Heroes?

The Inn of Lost Heroes is a Labyrinth LordTM adventure for 4-6 characters of 3rd through 5th level (about 15-20 levels total). This adventure was designed as a one-shot that can be dropped into any existing campaign. The party should ideally contain at least one fighter or dwarf, one magic-user or elf, one cleric, and one thief or halfling character. The adventure centers around an inn that has become trapped in the nightmares of a vengeful spirit. Escaping the inn is the primary goal of this adventure, however, resourceful characters may also find the courage to free the trapped souls of former adventurers and finally lay the spirit to rest.

Author's Note: Know your group! This adventure begins by trapping the characters in an extraplanar dream world where some of the game mechanics they are accustomed to are slightly altered or do not work at all. It contains strong elements of horror as well as thematic material that may be disturbing to some. Common horror tropes of isolation, injury, and "taking the toys away" are also present. This is not an adventure that can be overcome by combat alone. If you suspect your players would not have fun with this type of setup, you may want to pass on this module.

Definitely not your run of the mill advnture, it might prove a nice change of pace for the proper group.

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Midweek Update

I am temporarily covering for another supervisor for the next few months. It's almost like inheriting a well oiled gaming group, except that I inherited the "does not play well with others" gamer as a last minute addition. Ah well, can't always have it easy ;)

This Saturday nite looks to be a go for C&C / FG2. Our DM should be emailing me the file today or tomorrow, so I can get my net book all set up for the weekend. Gaming 2 weeks in a row after not gaming for about 4 months is a beautiful thing.

All that and a 3 day weekend to boot!


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Tunnels& Trolls Tuesday - October 5th

Yep, its Tunnel & Trolls Tuesday here at the Tavern.  To start everyone off on an even foot, I'm going to direct you to a free download of the Tunnels & Trolls Rulebook (abridged 5.5 version)

Got it?  Good.  Give it a quick read.  It's pretty easy to comprehend, yet flexible too.

Now head over to the Free Dungeons Website.  This is a troll's heaven.  Another free version of the rules can be found, character sheets, and adventures (automated even).  Yep, you can play solo on your computer.  You don't even have to break out any dice (tho you will want to when you move on to other dungeons).

Rinse.  Repeat.  Enjoy.

One Down, One to Go

Psikonetic picked up his prize code today.  Still waiting on kalpesh sorthiya. 

I have a Old School style module or two to review.  Hopefully a day or two and I'll have somethng written up.

Tuesdays are going to be Tunnels & Trolls Tuesday at the Tavern, because somebody needs to show the other Old School game some love.  I'm not saying other days won't have something T&T related, but Tuesdays WILL have something T&T related.

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Completing my OD&D Collection, and Other Assorted Thoughts

I need Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes (Sup IV) and Swords & Spells (Sup V) to finish of my OD&D collection.  Ebay can be a wonderous and dangerous place ;)

I'm going to attempt to complete a Tunnels & Trolls Collection of sorts going forward.  I think I've found the system that both interests the future Mrs Tenkar, and is made for solo play.  I see no reason why I cant run some of the solos with myself as the GM. Besides, the more T&T I read, the more I like the system.  Wish I wasn't such a closed minded gamer 25 years ago, or I might have some classic OD&D and T&T stuff without requiring Ebay, but back then it was AD&D, Rolemaster and all the "crunchy"  crap ;)

I need to see if I can track down a T&T Character Sheet for Fantasy Grounds 2, as that is really all you would need to run a game using the system.

Last night was the first session of Castles & Crusades via FG2 that we've has since before the summer.  As we only run once a month for the most part, a session recap before start is damn important, and I missed the major recap as I was 90 minutes late.  Hopefully we can sneak another session in next week (looks good so far)

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It's Time to Give Away Stuff - The Tavern Has Hit 60 Followers!

Thanks to MelondraBee the Tavern has received it's 60th follower.  Which means I get to give away some free swag! 

Lets see, time to break out the dice!

d3 and a d20 = d60  :)

Rolled a 48 and a 18.

Psikonetic gets a PDF copy of Fantasycraft

kalpesh sorthiya gets a PDF copy of SplicerRPG

Games provided by OneBookshelf / RPGNow / DrivethruRPG

The winners can email me at tenkarstavernATgmailDOTcom and I'll send you the code to redeem your prize.  Congrats to both!

(get in touch by next Saturday, October 8th, or the prize will be passed on to someone else)

Tunnels & Trolls - What's in My Bag?

My package arrived from FlyingBuffalo yesterday.  I was a little disappointed at the size, as I had the mental image of 5 books and the 2007 Free RPG Day adventure taking up far more shipping space then they actually did.  I was fine after I popped the sucker open tho: 4 Corgi double adventure books and the City of Terror (and the above mentioned 2007 Free RPG day adventure).

I think I'll be working on getting a complete set of T&T adventures, theres is something fun about rolling dice and progressing your chartacter, even if it is solo.  The included abreviated rules include spell lists thru 9th level, so you really could play these without even referring to the T&T rulebook.  I'll be surfing the net looking for a write-up that details all the changes between editions, although it appears everything is backwards compatible for the most part.

As a side note, the Corgi books were printed back in 1986, so they are classics already ;)

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To Review, or Not Review... That is the Question

I haven't been keeping up with my usual reviews.

Part of the reason has been a shortage of actual releases that I have an interest in. If there is no chance i'd ever use the piece, why waste my time and that of the publisher. I do have one or two reviews that I might get to this weekend. Time will tell.

The rest of the reason? I'm simply having way too much fun going thru my classic ebay purchases. When I get my package from Flying Buffalo full of Tunnels & Trolls goodness, watch out world! Heh

Picking Thru the OCE (D&D 6th Printing) Box

I have been trying to pick a copy of the OCE (Original Collector's Edition) of Dungeons & Dragons for a while, but the prices were out of whack compared to what I could pay at Troll & Toad (or is it Toad & Troll).  In any case, I got my copy today, and I'm very happy with it.  The box is VG/FN but the books are all VF to NM.  What better way to end a month then by starting to read thru the original D&D rules.

I can already see that I'm glad I have a copy of Chainmail on the way, as there are many references to the rules that started it all.  Maybe Chainmail has a reference to the size die one rolls to determine HP.  From the example shown, the range rolled falls from 1 to 6, so a safe assumption could be made that 6 sided dice are rolled, but I have yet to see it spelled out.

Advancing beyond name level is explained, with the painful exception of experience points required beyond name level. 

The AC charts cover from 2 (plate and shield) thru 9 (no armor).  If magic brings the AC below 2 one can extrapolate easy enough, but it is a bit of an omission (at least in retrospect).  Hmm, or magic doesn't change the AC, just the base scores to hit, but that's the same thing but more complicated.

Saving Throws:  Everyone advancedon the same table, just at different rates.  Just like the Combat Charts.  But then shouldn't the charts have been set up in the same fashion?  Levels from top to bottom and save type from left to right would have worked just as well for the Combat Charts as they did for Saving Throws.  I know, Monday Morning Quarterbacking and all that jazz ;)

More reading ahead for me.  Later

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Progress Isnt Always Progress

It's pretty much the crux of the whole OSR argument. Has progress in the "science" of gaming really been progress, or is it just change. If it isn't broke, why fix it?

I'm feeling that way at work today. I'm in training for a computer system /software that will bring my job into the 21st century. As that century started 10 years ago, it's actually fairly quick for my job.

Only problem? The software is an outsourced buggy mess of poo. I can see what they want to do, and it might be great in the end, but the transition will be painful, buggy and flawed. Kinda like changing to a new edition of D&D ;)

Got my White Box today. I'll post a bit about it tonight.

B2 - You Sunk My BorderKeep!

I just received my TSR Silver Anniversary Boxed Collector's set from Ebay - still sealed in the original wrap.  Of course, the first thing I did was rip the sucker open! heh.

B2 is the first reprint I've looked at so far.  (My original copy of B2 is packed away "somewhere").  Damn but they packed a lot into a 28 page module back then.

I like the nice touch of including a 2 sided D&D reference sheet with perforations for "easy removal".  It always good to have a cheat sheet, especially for new gamers.  Lets see, the sheet has:

-Magic-User spell lists thru Third Level spells,
-Cleric spell lists for First and Second Level spells
(These lists are name only - no data, but its a cheat sheet, so that's fine)
-Saving Throw Table
-Equipment and Weapon Listing with prices
-Wandering Monster Tables for dungeon levels 1 to 3
-Cleric Turning Table thru level 3
-Die Roll For Character to Score a Hit, By  Opponent's Armor Class (To Hit Table) for Normal Man and Characters of 1-3
-To Hit Tables for Monsters thru 11 HD+

That's a friggin' nice cheat sheet.  A decent DM could run an adventure with just that sheet for reference.  Very well done.

Okay - Time to read some more.  Can't wait for my White Box to arrive.  Amazing what a little cash overtime can do.  (Besides, I need to "Grandfather" some purchases before the young lady receives full veto power ;)

Going Fourth With Holmes

Let's hit page 22 again.

As a guideline, it should take a group of players 6 to 12 adventures before any of their characters are able to gain sufficient experience to attain second level.  This guideline will hold true for successive levels.  So, 12 to 24 adventures (not sessions) before one will need to move on to AD&D?  Bad marketing move EGG.  Assimilate faster, just like the Borg. 

Bandit entry.  Every 30 bandits means a 4th level fighting man, every 50 a 5th or 6th, and every 200 a chance of a magic-user of 10th or 11th level.  At 300+ definitely a magic-user and a chance for a cleric.  No idea what level the cleric might be, but as the rules only cover up to third level, its kinda moot in all these cases.

Rust monster - destroys all armor and weapons, even magic ones, to rust instantly.  Wether you hit it, or it hits you.  Appears there is no save.  Does your metal armor's AC help protect you from the attack (it shouldn't)?

Damn, 1 in 10 magic swords are +3, just as likely as a +1 sword.  1 in 5 swords are cursed. Ouch!

Page 41 for this quote:

The game is intended to be fun and the rules modified if the players desire.  Time to homebrew and houserule!

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New Header, Same Great Taste

Greg, of the Synapse Design blog, just sent me the file for the great header you see above.  Took me all of 2 seconds to decide to use it after seeing it.

Thanks lad, you can drink for free.  Domestic only tho.  ;)

Sneaking up on 60 Tavern Patrons

Currently the Tavern has 57 Patrons / Customers / Google Connect Followers. When we hit 60 I have 2 PDFs to give away courtesy of RPGNow, so if you are a regular reader and aren't yet a Google Connect Follower, sign up and follow. At 60 2 random followers will get a PDF each.

Not sure which ones they are, so I'll add that info when I get home later. Still, a chance for free swag for reading what you read anyhow can't be bad ;)


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Third Peek at Holmes

I've gotten some excellent feedback and info on my previous two posts. I can't thank everyone enough.

Today I'm going to quote from the Preface.  Yes, I'm going to pick and choose certain pieces. 

This book is based upon the original work published in 1974 and three supplementary booklets published in the two year period after the initial release of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.  It is aimed solely at introducing the reader to the concepts of fantasy roleplaying and the basic play of this game.  To this end it limits itself to basics.  - I still don't see Storm Giants as "basic" but I digress ;)

This (the minimum necessary rules to conduct basic games) is absolutely necessary because the game is completely open ended, is subject to modification, expansion and interpretation according to the desires of the group participating, and is generally not bound by the conventional limitations of other types of games. - True words of wisdom buried in there

Players who desire to go beyond the basic game are directed to the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS books. - Wait, didn't the preface say something that this written to simplify D&D play?

Yes, I know TSR was a bit dysfunctional in it intentions for D&D and AD&D.  I do find it interesting that AD&D was found worthy enough to be BOLDED.

I'm very glad they mention that monsters use 8-sided HD.  When I started playing with just the AD&D PH and DMG, i thought HD was somehow HP.  Monsters were pushovers until we got a copy of the Monster Manual :)

Page 22 talks about scaling down high monsters to give a low level party a chance to defeat it.  Okay, I'll accept the Giants into the rotation now.

I just received the Moldavey Basic Set via Ebay.  I'll give that a few thoughts when I finish with Holmes.  Trust me, I still have some more thoughts on Holmes - I just need to gather them.  Hey, doing pretty well staying on target.  Heh

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Second Look at Holmes

This is going to be a piecemeal series, as I'm just posting crap as it occurs to me. Kinda like GADD blogging ;)

I can almost understand why Dragons are included in the monster section, as everyone loves to beat up on a "young" dragon and taking it's stuff. Besides, the name of the game is Dungeons & Dragons. But why the hell are Giants included? From Hill at 8 HD thru Storm at 15 HD, I can't see how a party could hope to defeat them. Besides, this is "Basic" D&D - killer DMs should be in the Expert Set, or the Advanced rules ;)

If they knew you were to "graduate" to AD&D after third level, might it have been easier to keep the class' HD in line with the new game? Oh, and perhaps stat bonuses too?

There are 4 references to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the first 7 pages... perhaps they could have lined the systems up a bit closer for compatibility? I mean, this was meant to lead one to AD&D.


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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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