The Draconic Archeologist: Catching Up - Strategic Review #4 & #5

I'm a bit behind, so today we will start with a Double Feature – Issues 4 and 5 of Strategic Review are up for viewing with my OSR / D&D Goggles.  Let's see what useful stuff Gary gives us, shall we?

Hmmm... it looks like Greg Costikyan planned to publish a D&D fanzine.  I wonder if that ever got off the ground.  He even asked TSR's approval before starting and got a thumbs up.  Whoda' thunk it?

Gary's Castle & Crusade column features a few more pole arms.  It's a nice history lesson, but how many do you really need for the game?

Hey, look... over there!  See it?  No?  He must be invisible cause he's the first Illusionist.  Yes, the first view of the Illusionist class.  Remember: "Although severely limited in the number of magical items they can employ, Illusionists make up for this restriction by the power of their magic."  That's why it's always been such a popular class... so much more powerful then Magic-users.

For the fans of Empire of the Petal Throne, M.A.R. Barker has a three page article called Tsolyani Names Without Tears.  It so you can create authentic sounding Tsolyani names.  Oh, and a chart for the new alphabet.  If you are an EPT fan, this probably rocks.  If you are not...

The Creature Feature introduces the Clay Golem.

Might Magic Miscelleny (spell check says it should be Miscellany) gives us "Ioun" Stones.  Pretty cool background on these: "Seeing that we offer so many new monsters herein we thought it only fair to occasionally include unusual, extraordinary, and useful new magical goodies also. FLASHING SWORDS! #1 (Dell, 1973) contained four excellent swords & sorceryyarns, including “Morreion” by Jack Vance. In this tale there was a magical item of highly unusual value — IOUN stones. Mr. Vance was kind enough to allow us to enlarge somewhat upon his creations and list them as a D&D “Miscellaneous Magic” item."

Thus ends SR #4 for our purposes.  Let us move on to SR#5.

Ah, yes, Finally an issue with a proper cover.  It might be a wizard in a goofy hat, but its a cool looking wizard in a goofy hat.

We start with some short autobiographies of the major players at TSR: EGG, Brian Blume, Robert Kuntz, Theron Kuntz and Tim Kask.  Interesting stuff.

Sturmgeshutz and Sorcery is a mashup of WW2 wargaming and D&D.  This is set up where neither side initially  knew there was a cross-genre encounter going on.

Just to give a peek, I'm going to give you the background that the SS and D&D sides were given:

SS side: "There has been unusual resistance activity in this area, and in the last few days a squad of Security troops were wiped out in a battle with them. Only one old man, bearded, and with no weapons, was found at the scene of the battle. From his dress and general appearance it would seem that he was a Russian clergyman — probably there to incite the troops to greater bravery as the Communist commissars have failed in this respect."

D&D side: "Your able lieutenants Grustiven the Warlock and the Lama Goocz have failed to return from an exploration of an area of unusual nature — just west of your castle a thick fog sprang up and has been obscuring vision since then. Dispell Magic failed to affect the area, and your henchmen were ordered to investigate, for it is possible that some Lawful enemy is at work, using the mist to screen gathering troops. Unfortunately, your strongest fighters and 200 orcs are elsewhere warring with a Neutral Lord who insulted you, so you will have to make do with the forces on hand. An orc detailed to patrol the edge of the fog area has just reported that unusual sounds have been issuing from the area — he  described them as: “low growls, the clanking of chains, and a deep humming,” but who can trust a stupid orc?"

I could see this scenario as a blast to play out.  D&D didn't go far from it's war-gaming roots.

Mighty Magic Miscellany (they corrected it!) gives us the Robe of Scintillating Color and Prayer Beads.

The Creature Feature gives us first looks and future classics: Rakshasa, The Slithering Tracker and The Trapper.

Things to Do... Later

Let's see:  I wanted to talk about the Synapse and Errant RPGs - they'll have to wait.

Next installment of the Draconic Archeologist?  I'll do a double entry tomorrow.

Peeking at the Woodland Warriors?  They'll have to come out and play tomorrow.

Watch the latest Chicago Code at 9pm?  I'll catch it on Hulu+.

I'm almost done downloading Blood Bowl via Steam on my PC... time to relive the board game moments in computer gorefics...er, graphics!

Your Highness - Reviewing the Movie as a Gamer

I am reviewing it as a gamer because apparently the critics hated it.  Rotten Tomatoes was iffy on it, but Moviephone users gave it a 91% thumbs up.  Who to believe?

In this case, no one.  I do think it one of the better (if not the best) D&Dish movie we've been given in years.  It's just that it seems like it's not sure what it wants to be.  Is it a foul mouthed, sexually perverted comedy aimed at the folks that go see the Scary Movie series, or is it a well thought out fantasy movie with pretty nifty effects and sweet action scenes?  It's both, which makes it weaker then either a pure goofball comedy or a serious fantasy genre movie (after the LotR series, I think we can expect serious fantasy movies on occasion).  It does however, do a decent job of being both... it just would have been stronger picking one and sticking with it.

Is it better  then the 1st D&D movie? Hell yes.  Is it better then the 2nd D&D movie?  Without a doubt.  Better then Army of Darkness?  I think so.

On a scale of 1 to 5 pints, I'll give this a 4.  I'm grading a bit on the curve, because there were some moments where the movie just shines from a gamer's point of view (like the hired barbarian dying a gruesome death in the first and only trap in the maze).

I think I'm in love with Natalie Portman, but don't tell my lady ;)

Monday Morning Musings - April 18th, 2011

When is Tax Day not Tax Day?  When it falls on April 18th (and you've already filed an extension so that the refund arrives around the next stage of renovations).

Ashley, my cat, has two favorite places to be when I'm on my computer - my keyboard or in front of my monitor.  Why have I given her a padded perch when she would rather lay on top of papers?

Will Your Highness meet expectations?  I'll find out at 12:40.  You'll find out later this afternoon.

Where's the REAL Magic in Your Campaign?

As I was driving thru the streets of Manhattan earlier tonight I let myself soak in the wonders of a modern city.  Traffic lights, cars, trucks, public transportation, running water, sewers, phones, electricity, paved  streets - the list goes on.  It struck me.  Where are these conveniences in the fantasy campaigns we run?

I know that, for the most part, I've never had a chamber pot hap-hazardly dumped on a party member that just happened to be walking down a street, but it used to be fairy common before indoor plumbing.  So what takes care of the stuff that we take for granted in the real world in our fantasy worlds?

Magic.  The real stuff.  Not the stuff of adventuring.  The stuff that lets a city thrive.  It helps take care of the sewage and water supply, keeps disease under control, allows for the city's refuse to be dealt with... all the things we take for granted in a modern word we take for granted in our fantasy worlds.

When we game, we look at the world thru the eyes of our adventurers.  We look for adventurer supplies, and adventurer magic.

The magic that keeps the wealthy lord comfortable will not be the same as the magic that keeps him safe.

The question then becomes, are there spells that our PC casters never bother with, because they have little to no application in the adventuring professions, or is the magic that makes the world truly move belong to a whole other class or classes?

Amazing what comes to mind as you sit in traffic on a Sunday evening.

Sunday Afternoon Matinee - Four Lions

I've been waiting to catch this movie since I first heard about it.  It's a dark British comedy about a cell of incompetent home grown British Islamic terrorists.

It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be, but then again, how funny can a movie about terrorist be?  ;)

I enjoyed it tho'.  I cringed and laughed (guilty laugh, but laugh none the less).

Come to think of it, if there was an RPG about playing home grown terrorists, this movie is pretty close to how it would play out.  Not sure if that is funny or scary, but  its accurate.

Four Lions is available on Netflix on Demand

Not the Way to Start One's Vacation

I had a birthday party to go to in Connecticut yesterday and I would have done myself a huge favor by not going.  The party and family were great to be at and see, it's the drive that did me in.

I knew the rain was going to have picked up for the ride home, but I had no idea how much.  Between the rain, low lying fog, wind and the mist kicked up by other drivers I had near zero visibility at some points.  The hour and a half ride became nearly 2 1/2.  The real shame is that drives like this are usually great blog fodder, as part of my minds is freed from the normal distractions of life and works out some nice post seeds.  Didn't happen.

Last night I needed all my brain power just to avoid hydroplaning cars:  note to SUV drivers - yes, you too can hydroplane - size does NOT matter.

Time to prep the front rooms for painting.  Fun fun.

The Draconic Archeologist: Rounding Up the Monsters - Strategic Review #3

Strategic Review Issue 3 clocks in at 8 pages, but it doesn't take us longer then page 2 to find some D&D goodies.  Here we get the first looks at:

   The Yeti - Ehhh
   The Shambling Mound - Iconic D&D baddie
   The Leprechaun - another ehhh
   The Shrieker - the wandering monster magnet
   The Ghost - time to grow old
   Naga - describes Guardian, Water and Spirit Nagas
   The Wind Walker - ethereal, immune to weapon weapon damage
   The Piercer - caverns were never the same again
   The Lurker Above - your living death from above trap

Next up is the Monster Reference Table Addition, Hostile and Benign Creatures - its a joke list including Weregamers (Wererommels, Weregandalfs and the such), Grifferees, Hippygriffs - you get the idea.  Pretty much filler, but was probably entraining to those with wargaming roots.

Bunch of wargaming articles, listing of small press publishers / fanzine (SASE and / or a few cents) and listing of DMs and Gaming Clubs.

James Ward has an article on Deserted Cities of Mars, drawing on the John Carter of Mars series.  It includes some charts for generating Martian architecture, but I  don't think they have much rip-able value for most OSR games.  Still, more value in this article then recent issues of Crusader.

What Happened to the Homebrewing...

In answer to Christian's question about my hobby of Home brewing beer, I haven't done ANYTHING this winter season.  It's a shame too, as I was hoping to try out a raspberry flavor brew this time around.

Short reason:  I've been busy.

Long reason:  I've had added responsibilities at work, changed offices (twice), was taking the kid to Auxiliary Police training in the evening fall to early winter, some positive life experiences (but major time sinks), do it yourself to hold down the cost renovations (talk about time sink) - and general lack of space for my beer to ferment in, as the closet I used last year is being deconstructed (nice word) so it can be replaced by a closet with modern sensibilities and depth.

Phew!

Soon it will be too warm to brew in NYC, unless I can clear out a pat of the basement that may stay fairly cool until late June.  This may be a brewing season that passes me by.

As for the savings vs. buying commercial bottle beer... if you drink Bud or Coors by the case, home brewing will not save you money.  If you drink primarily Microbrews, home brewing will probably cost less.

Still, thinking about the whole process made me think about how similar home brewing beer is to home brewing an rpg setting, but that's for a whole 'nother post.

I'm Allergic to Work

Not really. Seasonal allergies are being one heck of a drag on me. I'm even more dopey then my usual lovable self.

Have no fear, vacation is here. Mostly a stay-cation / renovate-cation I'll still find time to get as few days away in the country with my sidekick - my kitty Ashley.

I have so much stuff I want to get done on my vacation I'd have to give up sleep in the hopes of accomplishing 75%. Still, I'll do what I can. I need to get some gaming in, even if it's just some Tunnels & Trolls solos.

I hope to paint the ceilings and moldings, and start dismantling the old closet. It will make me feel like I've accomplished something ;)

Mini Review: DA1 Dark Journey (Castles & Crusades)

Sometimes going back to the basics is fun.  With Dark Journey, the Troll Lords do what they do best - a classic dungeon crawl.

It is kinda classic:  3 levels, a maze, traps (no save vs die shit that I noticed), classic low level adversaries, level appropriate rewards - the stuff you want in a low level or introductory adventure.  In this case, for levels 1-4.  You'll need to supply your own hook,

I wonder how long before we get a Fantasy Grounds 2 conversion?  hint... nudge... poke!

There is enough adventure here to last 2 or 3 sessions worth of gameplay, which is pretty good value for your money IMO.

From the blurb:

Its a dungeon crawl in every sense of the word. There is little back story, allowing the CK to plunge into the dungeon almost immediately. Its filled with adventure, danger and glory.   

Dark Journey is a dungeon adventure cast in the classic mold. Here the CK is able to present the players a network of inter-connecting halls, rooms, chambers, cellars and more. A wizard's old hold, it offers libraries guarded by strange monsters, laboratories, cellars, trapped chambers and more; here lies the wizard's forgotten wealth, his magic, his money, his artifacts. But the adventurer must be wary for wizard's do not idly set treasures down but that they are trapped or protected by guards and wards and monsters summoned from dark places.

The Draconic Archeologist - Picking Apart Strategic Review #2

Strategic Review #2 clocks in at a whopping 8 pages. Still, there are some interesting things for D&D players (once we hit The Dragon, the amount of relevant gaming material should increase exponentially).

We are given an example of D&D combat, to help explain the system for players that don't have Chainmail in their gaming background. Heck, it confused things for me after reading it. I'm just glad the OSR has represented the rules in a user friendly fashion.

Later, we are presented the Ranger Class. My point of reference is AD&D 1e, the system I cut my gaming teeth on. So, from what I see, much is like the AD&D class: 2HD at 1st level, 10HD max, crap load of random followers at high levels, magic user and cleric (later druid) spells at higher levels... the one thing that stuck out was experience. Rangers don't get extra expo for a high prime stat, but they earn 4 points for every 3 earned thru 8th level. That's a 33% bonus! At level 8 that no longer get that bonus, but the damage is done. They get an extra HD from the start AND extra expo. Oh, and the article refers to them as a week class until level 8. They are a strong class with high survivability right out of the gate.

Can't forget the nicely illustrated article on pole arms, one of gaming's most misunderstood weapons in the early years, at least if you didn't have a wargaming background.

That's all for now. Next, some iconic D&D monsters see first light.

Thursday Morning Musings

If we all moved to e-books, there would be no more paper cuts.

How would you burn an e-book?

Will Goodman's upcoming 3x / OSR hybrid be playable without the odd sided dice? (compared to our hobby's usual odd sided dice)

I still have my original Gamma World 1e dice... the ones made out of a stale waxy substance. They were hardly in good shape when I first got them, and I think they've become rounder and more deformed as years have passed - without me even using them. I'm just amazed I still have them.

I Saw the Button, and It Was Good...

Yep, I've joined the ranks of the OSR Button Brigade, for easy printing or saving to PDF of various and sundry posts.

Now if I only had stuff worth printing or saving ;)

Giving Groo a New Look

My first issue of Groo was the second issue published by Pacific Comics back in the early days of Indie Comics (early 80s). I'm not sure if I made the connection to Mad Magazine, but Sergio's art is fairly distinctive. It was a sword bearing fantasy comic, and I wanted it. Of course, it was also at the same newsstand that would sell a 16 year old porno mags, and I wasn't quite sure I wouldn't flag as under age if I bought a High Society with a Groo. Separate trips on separate days solved that issue ;)

Anyhow, Groo was the one comic I stuck with even when I wasn't collecting comics. It was funny, fantasy, filled with hidden treasures in Sergio's artwork... it was a pleasure to read and collect. Somehow, I packed it all away. Now, I am unpacking it again.

Having reread the first 4 issues, I do have a question. I remember Groo having an INT score somewhere south of being feebleminded. In the early issues, he actually looks like he lacks wisdom more then intelligence. Did he get dumbed down as the series progressed, or has my memory dumbed him down?

In any case, 28 years later, its just as funny as when i first read them. Just like OD&D, AD&D, T&T and the like, it stands the test of time

The Draconic Archeologist: Sifting the Remains of The Strategic Review Issue 1

You have to start somewhere, and what better place then the beginning. The first issue The Strategic Review clocked in at a mere 6 pages. Despite the small size and the large amount of space allocated to war-gaming, there is a nice amount of stuff of high interest to players of Dungeons & Dragons.

Under the Creature Feature tag, we are introduced to the iconic D&D adversary: The Mind Flayer. Pretty cool, huh? Your Saving Throw is based upon distance and the defenders intelligence. Watch yourself, you may just get Mind Blasted ;)

Two and a half pages are devoted to EGG's Solo Dungeon Adventure Charts. These seem to be the same chart (or very similar) to the ones I enjoyed in the 1e DMG. They were a fun way to randomly design a dungeon and a less fun way to try to solo D&D. Of note is these charts are copyright EGG, not Tactical Studies Rules.

One of the items advertised by TSR on the last page is 3 sets of prints (5 prints per set) of art from the original boxed D&D set. I don't think I've heard of these before, let seen any for sale. Anyone have any further info on these?

The Draconic Archeologist: Picking Through the Dragon's Bones - Prelude

Everyone offered some good ideas, and I think what I'm going with steals from your thoughts, which were then put in a blender and this is what I got.

The Draconic Archeologist, because I'll be exploring the old Dragons as they relate to our hobby (and the OSR corner).  I'll be picking through the Dragon's bones because the magazine is dead.  No, WotC's online version does not count.  They are good bones.  Valuable and and full of history.  Hopefully I'll be able to treat them right.

I'll be starting with The Strategic Review,  as it is definitely the prelude to The Dragon and it's a treasure trove of stuff that later made it into the OD&D Supplements.  If I have time after hitting the pub, I'll post tonight.  Otherwise, it will wait till tomorrow.

Tip Toeing Through the Tulips, At Least Until the Neighborhood Kids Pick 'em All

Why should Christian have all the fun? Heh

- Posted from my iPhone

edit: improved picture quality

Looking For Some Reader Input

For the soon to start series of posts about Dragon Magazine (and The Strategic Review) I'm trying to decide on a post title. So far I'm considering:

The Dragon Flagon

Delving With the Dragon

Picking Apart The Dragon's Carcass

If anyone would like to add their own ideas to the mix, or would like to cast their vote for one of the above, drop a note in the comments below.

Thanks

Look at What the Cat Dragon

Yeah, the title is a piss poor play on words, but whatever ;)

In any case, I just realized I have a Dragon Magazine Archive that I recently found the missing CD for.  I was damn close to buying another Archive last summer on Ebay, as I was missing the first disc from my set, but cleaning prior to renovations revealed the missing disc.

I'm going to be dropping the PDFs onto my iPad and reading them in order.  I don't plan on doing a play by play review of the issues, but I will try to highlight the bits and pieces I think are of most value to those of us that enjoy OSR related gaming.

Yes, I'll still be reading stuff to review.  Yes, I still need to complete The Synapse challenge.  Yes, I'm still renovating the house.  No, I haven't logged into a MMORPG (Rift) in about 2 weeks.  No idea when I'll be getting my Fantasy Grounds Tunnels & Trolls game up and running.  Time will tell.

Beginning to Feel Like the Office Menicant

Let's see: I've moved my desk twice since October, and will probably being doing so again in 3 weeks. Oh, and another possible move in the late Spring. Joy of joys. I need to know my long term spot before I hang anything on the walls.

Which brings me to Groo: The Wanderer (it's where I learned of the word "Mendicant"). Somewhere packed away in boxes is a nearly complete collection of Groo. Damn but that was a classic series of goodness. I actually tried to role-play Groo back in the early days of AD&D 2e, but I could never hit the note of idiot and good deeds by luck.

Crap, now I want to dig them out of storage. I'm supposed to be putting stuff INTO storage at the moment.

Just Call Me... The Godfather

Yep, my niece was baptized today, and I officially became a Godfather.  Pretty cool stuff.

My brother in law was also a gamer throughout high school and college, although he stopped gaming with AD&D 1e and the original Traveller.  Still,  he has all of his old gaming books proudly displayed on his bookshelves and frequently rereads his Traveller collection.  Traveller:  The New Era is apparently an evil thing (I did a decent job escaping that myself back in the day).

Hey, maybe when my goddaughter gets a bit older, we can baptize her into the RPG gaming club ;)

Sunday Morning Musings

Why is it then whenever you misplace a D4, you always find it later when you step on it barefoot?

Why does the AD&D 2e series of "Complete Handbooks" seem gratuitous and incomplete at the same time?  Why the heck did Halflings and Gnomes have to share a book?  Short stature discrimination?  Seems like Gnomes have been getting the shaft for over 20 years...

Has anyone seen "Your Highness" yet?  Is it as bad as I fear?  Better then I could hope?  At the very least, better then the Dungeons & Dragons movie?

I have a local bodega that states on it's awning: "Open 25 HRS".  Did they actually find a way to squeeze an extra hour into the day?  Can I buy into that?

Okay, enough musing for this morning :)

Thank God For E-Books, or My Desk Would Runneth Over

If my slush pile of RPG related material waiting to be reviewed was physical and not virtual, I'd have one hell of a storage problem.  Let's peek at what's on the plate:

Synapse
Weird Fantasy: Grindhouse Edition
Vornheim
Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti (S&W)
Splinters of Faith 5: Eclipse of the hearth (S&W)
A Bunch of Stuff for Chronicles of Arax
Sword Noir: A RPG of Hardboiled Sword & Sorcery
Dark Ages Basic Rules (from White Wolf, and it's Free)
Beneath the Despairing Stone (C&C)
Shadow, Sword & Spell: Expert
Rapture: The End of Days (Theological SciFi Horror)

This list is off the top of my head.  I'm sure I missed others.  This weekend is already shot (my niece / god daughter is being christened tomorrow - woot!) but I'll be reading in my spare moments.  It's a good thing I love to read... heh

Damn, that's an exciting list of gaming to have to read :)

Friday Nite Movie - Up!

Cartoons are usually not my bag, but I had heard food things about Up! I was not disappointed.

This was a fun movie, extremely well animated with a decent story and believable characters (taken within the context of the movie.

Not sure how connected it is to roleplaying, but it's a nice on demand Netflix movie for the family.


- Posted from my iPhone

Mini Review - Vengence of the Long Serpent (Swords & Wizardry)

Alright, lets see if I can write this without Blogger crapping out on me ;)

The Northland Saga Part 1, Vengeance Of the Long Serpent, is an adventure that comes in two flavors: Pathfinder and Swords & Wizardry.  Today we are looking at the S&W version.  After removing the cover, credits, contents and OGL pages you are left with 16 pages of fairly dense text, which is a decent size for an adventure meant to be run in a session or two.

My first impression is that this adventure would make a decent mash-up with LotFP's Weird New World Campaign setting.  Yes, this is more Viking in flavor and WNW is more Finnish in flavor, but I think the two would mix well.  The majority of the adversaries / monsters in this adventure aren't over the top fantasy, which should help in fitting this with WNW.

I'm a little surprised that the first adventure in a planned 10 adventure series is written for levels 5-7, but I guess one could always move the party north as they gain some experience and survivability.

I like the fact that it isn't much of a dungeon crawl but is primarily story driven.  This does however, lead us to the one issue I have with this adventure.  To give the party the backstory, we have an NPC regaling everyone with his deeds.  I estimate his tale to be approximately 750 words or so... one side of a two column page... that the DM has to read to the players.  As a player, unless my DM is a thespian, this is gonna put me to sleep.  The rule of "show, don't tell" comes into play I think.  I'm not sure yet how I'd rework this if I were to run the adventure, but it's not the best way to start an otherwise well written adventure in my opinion.   Still, lots of pieces to steal even if not used whole for a Nordic campaign.

From the blurb:


This series of adventures takes place in the frozen north, where men are men, beer is ale and monsters are, well, scary. Who has not loved the setting of the 13^th Warrior or wished to relive the Frost Giant's Daughter by R.E. Howard? Heroes will fight evil in the cold lands, sail the treacherous ice filled seas where sea monsters swallow ships and crews and feast in fire-lit halls with Vikings! Planned as a series of 10 modules, this series will begin in January (appropriately, due to the cold). More information will be added as it becomes available.  Written by Ken Spencer, this series is sure to send shivers up even the bravest adventurer's spine!

Vengeance of the Long Serpent

Pull on your hauberk, ready your shield, and take up your axe, the tide is moving
out and it is time to set sail on a voyage of adventure. In Vengeance of the Long
Serpent the heroes sail north into a land of murder, savagery, and madness to face a reawakened dark god and his deadly cult.

The World is a River - Riverworld

I just finished watching the first part of Riverworld on Netflix on Demand.  I really didn't know what to expect, as I never read the book (or is it books).  Still, I like what I see so far.

Sure, some of the acting is poor, but once I got past the confusing first 30 minutes, I actually started to enjoy the story and like the characters.  Except for the main character.  Matthew is annoying, but hey, can't have everything.

I have a feeling I'm enjoying this more because I never read the story.  I'm sure if I had, I'd be picking nits constantly.

I took today off from work to spackle cracks in the walls before painting and wall papering.  Damn distractions ;)

Mini Review - A Sworded Adventure (Tunnels & Trolls Solo Adventure)

I was wondering when my next Tunnels & Trolls fix would hit.  Look no further, cause it's here with A Sworded Adventure by Ken St. Andre.

It's funny, because when I saw the title I thought it looked familiar, and it is, sorta.  It is a rewrite and expansion of the original A Sworded Adventure that appeared in Sorcerer's Apprentice #6 (back in 1979).  Pretty cool, huh?  (Yes, I have this issue)  This version is written to be compatible with either the 5.5 or 7.5 editions of the rules (and probably works just fine with the 5.0 and 7.0 editions too).

It's for a warrior of 50 combat adds or less, and is integrated to some extent with the Naked Doom and Arena of Khazan solos, as certain events can drop your character into one or the other.  If you don't have them, there are alternatives, but really, you know you want them ;)

It's a short solo, about 23 pages when you remove the covers and credit pages, but it's well written and should be entertaining (at least I think so).  It could easily be run using the free version of the rules I have linked to the left... but as always, one should remember that survivability is greatly enhanced by going as close to the recommended combat adds without going over.  A complete newb without exceptional scores probably won't last long.  Then again, creating a new character is pretty quick in T&T, so death isnt much of an issue

Mini Review - Surge of the Wine-Dark Sea (OSR Themed Artbook)

I've always enjoyed good artwork in my RPG books, but I never saw it as a "make or break" type of issue. Heck, I'd still rather have no art then bad art.  Just so you know right from the start, there is no bad art in Surge of the Wine-Dark Sea.

My first thought when I saw that Mythmere Games (well known for the Swords & Wizardry clone) had published a OSR artbook was "why"?  I didn't think it was needed.  I still don't think it is needed, but it sure is appreciated.

The cover art is probably my favorite piece (I can see why Rowena Aitken's piece was chosen for the cover).   I was less fond of the pages that had multiple pieces of art... I want my art in its full page / screen glory Damn it!  Still, I ooo'd and aweeee'd at the vast majority of the work.  I'm already picking out pieces I want prints of.  There better be prints!  heh

My favorite pieces so far:

The Contentious Tower by Paul Jaquays

Opium Seller by M Kultra Studio

Untitled by Peter Mullen (the one with the open door)

E. Gary Gygax Commemorative by Stefan Poag

Astragard by Dirk Remmecke (this is my Greyhawk Map Flashback pice)

I've Accepted the Synapse Challenge...

Yep, Greg threw down the gauntlet and I've decided to pick it up.

This will, however, take a wee bit more time then I expected.  There is more depth to a Synapse Character then your regular OSR game's PC, and I need to take my time with all this.  I mean, I'll be posting the sucker.

So, I expect to have this done over the next few days (using tonight and tomorrow nite to get myself up to speed on the Synapse RPG).

Now, I suspect if I was conversant with the system and was sitting at the gaming table with a gaming group, it could be done in less then an hour, but I'm needing to steal time from other (household) projects to get this done.

As an aside, I love the artwork in Synapse.  No where near as disturbing as Raggi's Weird Fantasy Grindhouse Edition, but just as evocative.  Being sized for a computer / tablet screen as far as the PDF goes is pretty cool too ;)

Runnin' Raggi

Does Jim Raggi (LotFP) sleep anymore these days? in addition to having to fix the PDF FUBAR, he's adding yet more stuff from other creators.

Before anyone asks: Yes, I bought the two preorders that Raggi put up for sale last friday. I waited for the PDF issues to be corrected (they were) before giving them a closer look.

It's hard to compare the Grind-house Edition to the original Deluxe Edition, especially while typing away on my iPad, so what follows is my first impressions of the LotFP Weird Fantasy Grind-house Edition.

Artwork: Top notch. Very evocative. At times disturbing. Can't wait to see it in print (this coming from someone who fully embraces electronic media).

Presentation: I suspect Jim took the criticism of the Weird Fantasy Deluxe Edition PDF presentation to heart, as the Grind-house release is much more visually pleasing. Nice use of new fonts and much better lay out from what i can see. Haven't done an in-depth look, but virtual flipping of the pages looked pretty good.

Rules: I need to give them a full read thru, then compare them to the Deluxe. Question? If elves are fighter / wizards, does their combat skills increase as a fighter? I would say yes, but Jim may say no.

I really need to sit down for a few hours and give this nice read. Anyone want to cover my desk until 4 pm? ;)

Memories - Hiding in the Corners of Your Mind

Today dragged up some bittersweet memories.  Ah, who am i kidding, they were the kind you leave mostly hidden, but ready to draw upon when you need the associated emotions.

It did get me thinking about my gaming days in High School and College and memories associated with those times.  We had some great games, amazing campaigns, but the most vivid memories are what happened outside the game but at the table.

My favorite is one from senior year of High School.  The school year was winding down and it was warm enough to game at the backyard picnic table.  There we are, six of us, rolling dice, cracking jokes, drinking iced tea... when suddenly Andrew D. sneezed.  Most sneezes are sudden (obviously), and this one was no different.  Everyone got hit from the shotgun spray but me (Go-Go AD&D DM's Screen!).

Everyone (but myself) was hit, but one of us was screaming like they were shot in the gut by a .38.  Which, of course, made it all the funnier to the rest of us.  But Lenny wouldn't stop screaming.  Heck, he started to hyperventilate, all while holding his left arm straight up in the air.

That's when I saw it.  It looked like a large green slug was leaving a slime trail as it traveled down Lenny's arm, but it was the single largest piece of mucous I've seen in my life to date.  After the gag reflex was under control, we grabbed the hose and used the green slime as an excuse to hose Lenny (and the rest of us) down.  Everyone shared a good laugh afterwards.

No idea what game system I was using, what module I was running... but everything else is picture perfect in my head.

Damn, I really need to stat out a Killer Booger one of these days :)

The Games I Own, But Have Never Played - Starsiege

This is another of the Troll Lord products that I wanted to love but really couldn't get into.  In theory, it builds upon the Siege Engine concept as used in Castles & Crusades.  The problem is it strays so far from it's roots, it's really a whole new system.  Alright, that's not the only problem, but it's a start.

Attributes are renamed and redefined from their C&C roots and d20 is rolled to "simplify" character creation instead of 3d6 (3d6 isn't simple enough?).  But hey, they simplify Hit Points to Wound and Stress Tracks.  Each Track is tracked by boxes, and there are also boxes to track critical damage.  You say this isn't simplifying things but making it needlessly more complicated?   You must be wrong:

StarSIEGE: Event Horizon's Wound and Stress tracks are merely simplified Hit Points, with each character getting 4 Hit Points and 3 "negative hit points".

Maybe its just me, but subtracting 5 point of damage from a lazer shot from a HP total of 11 is 6.  Much easier then the "simplified  Hit Points" if you ask me.

Did I mention the font used throughout is ugly as sin?  Well, now I did.

They do provide enough Field Manuals (Players' Booklets) to supply the average gaming group.  Which is nice, but I had to pay for that when I bought the box, even if I don't have a group.

The Trolls need to stick to C&C (Harvesters wasn't bad, I will admit).  Wait, there was that pricing issue with the CKG.  They can't win these days.

What I wanted was a SciFi RPG based upon C&C.  This is not it.

Thank God for Stars Without Number - an Old School rooted SciFi game that doesn't muck things up.  Oh, and it's free.  Woot!

God Damn Frickin Sunofa... !

Blogger blew up my review of Vengeance of the Long Serpent (for Swords & Wizardry) just as I was about to publish it, and of course the draft it saved was the post blow up version.

Sonofa!

Maybe I'll work on it tomorrow nite, tho more likely it will be wednesday.

Sigh.

You're Fired!

Whether is Vince McMahon or Donald Trump saying it, "You're Fired" is a horrible thing to hear. When you are the one that has to "dismiss" people, as we call it on my job, it really sucks. I should be old hat at it, but I never enjoy it. I'm sure those on the receiving end like it even less.

I envy those that can make a living of any sort off of what I see as a hobby. No one is going to fire you (tho business may suck at times) and odds are you'll have little if no staff, so you won't have to sit someone down and tell them the 20+ year career they had planned on isn't going to be.

Maybe that is why i enjoy the optimism of the smaller publishers. It's hard to beat their enthusiasm. And if I fire them by no longer buying their products, they still have everyone else ;)

edited "at" to "hat"

Saturday Nite Netflix at the Tavern - Repo, The Genetic Opera

My God, we lasted less then 10 minutes into this horror before we had to tap out.  It was... not sure how nicely I can say this... a flaming pile of putrid piss.  I don't even think a case of beer would have helped us find a redeeming funny in it.  When I need to do some penance for a really huge sin, I'll sentence myself to viewing this piece of crap.

So, of course I had to follow it up with Krod Mandoom.  The lady chuckled a bit before falling asleep.  I think Archer (from last week) might have been a better choice.

I was thinking LotR:  The Fellowship, but at 3 hrs I think she would have enjoyed one hell of a nap.  I love it, but I don't think she'll make it past the 10 minute set up in the beginning.

What's With All the Negative Energy?

Think about the size of this hobby.  It ain't all that large anymore, and you can easily argue it's getting smaller.

Think about the size of the OSR within this hobby of ours.  While it may be larger then a pimple on the ass of the 40-something Cougar in the latest Non-Pathfinder supplement, it's still small as all shit.

We don't need negativity.  What we need is naivety.  Really.  No sane indie publisher of OSR related gaming material should even make the attempt to publish without a large dose of it.

To quote the great sage Baloo:  "You've got to accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative, And latch on to the affirmative, Don't mess with Mister In-Between!"

Give it you all, lads and ladies.  If you bugger it, pick yourself up and try again.  Whether it's in this hobby, or life in general, the only failure is the lack of making the attempt.

Final word of advice:  Beer, Books and Felines don't mix ;)

The Trollish Taproom - Spillin' Some Beer

I've been working on two rooms at home, trying to turn them into a new master bedroom.  One room has been used mostly for storage, and i placed a bottle of Levitation Ale on top of a box of my Tunnels & Trolls collection as I was removing wallpaper and scraping down the molding.

It was secure, at least until my cat Ashely poked her head out of the closet and knocked it over.  Yep, my Trolls had some beer tonight.

Sigh.  At least beer doesn't make pages sticky like soda, and they smell good now ;)

I Pity the Fool!

Yeah, yesterday I had nothing.  Nothing for April Fool's Day.  Maybe that's good, because I had decent news at work yesterday and no Fool's jokes (I did warn my underlings to avoid doing anything majorly stupid;)

I was busy tho'.  Between work and Home Depot I didn't have much time to do anything else, and I completely forgot about Raggi's Grindhouse preorder.  Damn, and the Vornheim preorder.  So, this morning I did what any gaming fanatic who see's that his available discretionary cash will be dwindling as renovations start increasing in pace - I jumped on the preorders ;)

Yeah, Weird Fantasy has an issue with some of the letters missing in the text.  Damn Weird fonts giving weird font issues.  Art is excellent.  Vornhiem is... different to say the least.  Hopefully I  can read thru it later today a bit if I can squeeze some time in.  Pembrooktonshire Gardening Society member #19 finally got to use his discount. ;)

Congrats to James.  Now fix the frickin' fonts Fool!  heh

April Fool Free Post

I was trying for a good Fool's post, but it's been elusive. Ah well. April Fools!


- Posted from my iPhone

Communication is Key... Just Ask Any Baby

Your players and my niece have something in common.... they all have needs and often have trouble communicating those needs.

Players, and therefore their characters, have different drives.  Some want to level, some want to roleplay, other's want to acquire magic, or fame, or power... or more then one of these, or none of these.  You need to understand your players' needs for them, and you, to get the most out of the game.

Play with the same players long enough, you'll learn what drives them, but a good player will communicate  what drives them to their GM.  A good GM should be able to read those needs and drives without much help.

My 3 1/2 month old niece has been trying to communicate with me tonight, and she's not hungry, doesn't need changing, isn't ready to sleep - I'm going to vote "she's got gas", but it will be a lot easier when she can tell me exactly what she wants.  In the meantime, she's very frustrated and upset.  I'd hate for your players to feel the same way ;)

Time to Upgrade the Box...

It's a small box too.  I've had a Mac Mini ( the mini-mini 2010 version) running alongside my PC since last August, and I figure it's time to give it some love.  So, after getting a nice deal on some Mac Software (including Parallels 6) for $49, I decided to get a family pack of Windows 7 from Amazon for about $120, and to upgrade the 2 gigs of ram to 8 gigs at Crucial.com for $100 or so.  It won't be a huge gaming machine, but my nearly 3 year old Gateway with a swapped out power supply and video card isnt cutting edge these days either.

I won't have to fun Fantasy Grounds via Crossover anymore either, which was far from a perfect solution

In any case, when I move to the new (currently being renovated) rooms, I think I'll run the Alienware Netbook from x-mass alongside my revamped Mac Mini. I only boot up the PC to play Rift or load up Fantasy Grounds these days, and  the long boot time and loud ass fan noise is killing me.  The Alienware handles gaming fairly well, at least as well as my PC it seems, tho' I'll see how well it does with my 28" monitor.

Damn, there's an update for my iPad available too.  Guess that will wait till this weekend too.

Oh, and a link for Your Majesty's new "R" trailer.

The Trollish Taproom - Tripping the Fantastic Trollish Light

... and thus it was that The Tavern of Tenkar did post it's One Hundredth Trollish Post, and there was much rejoicing and beer.

The beginning of renovations, and all the planning leading up to it, has taken much of my time away from Tunnels & Trolls. Boo! Maybe it's good that there hasn't been a Tunnels & Trolls release in a few weeks... I wouldn't have much time to look at it.

All that being said, I'm finding fairly recent purchasesin some of the strange places. I know I'll read just about anywhere, but I don't fit under the sofa or behind my desk. I guess it's good I'm moving stuff around these days.

Heck, I haven't even had a chance to post about my latest Trollgod Auction acquisition... the masters for Supernova 33 (the last issue of Supernova and the predecessor to Sorcerer's Apprentice). A piece of history and a one of a kind item, i really need to find the time to take some pics of this find.

I'll try and limit my time doing renovations tonight ;)

Awaiting on "Your Highness"

Your Highness opens on April 8th, a week from this Friday. On my drive to work yesterday I listened to an interview (using the term loosely) on the Opie & Anthony Show (Sirius/XM Satellite Radio) with Danny McBride. Danny plays one of the leads (the loser princely brother) and also co-wrote the script.

From the trailers I've seen, and the interview from yesterday, this is either going to be a hilarious success, or a depressing failure. I'm hoping for the first, obviously.

There is a new trailer available online, complete with "F-Bombs", so for sure this is a movie that is going to offend some / many. I'm just hoping the humor and storyline carry it thru.

Besides, it apparently has a Minotaur erection on film. Time to be thankful it's not going to be in 3-D ;)

Er, I don't THINK it's going to be in 3-D. It does have Natalie Portman in it, and she swims naked in a pond, so 3-D could be beneficial ;)

Stealing Ideas From Bottle Caps

"The oldest living Nantucket resident is given the Boston Post Cane, an award they hold until passing" - Nantucket Nectars Bottle-cap

This sounds pretty cool. A nice little honor to hold while clawing your way through old age. Why leave it as just an honor? Let's convert this to a fantasy setting. and give it a little power. Oh, and a curse. No point to it if there isn't a curse.

The Gnarly Post Cane is given to the oldest living human resident of Village of Gnarly Post. It is believed that the cane ensures bountiful harvests, and it may be truth, as even during the worst years of drought and famine, the crops in Gnarly Post thrive.

The holder of the Gnarley Post Cane can expect to live a productive life well into his or her early 120's or longer, assuming they don't come to an unnatural end.

The Village of Gnarly Post has more then it's share of heart attacks among its middle aged population. Wether that has something to do with the Gnarly Post Cane, coincidence, or some other factor is anyone's guess.

Necromancer Releases PDFs for Swords & Wizardry at OneBookShelf

Necromancer has released a couple of adventures for Swords & Wizardry at OneBookShelf / RPGNow / DriveThruRPG today.  I'll be reviewing them over the next few days, but here's what we have today:

The Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti

Another of the One Night Stand Series, Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti is an adventure for a party of 4-8 characters of fourth through seventh level. A century ago or more, when the town of Cholagadi was just a frontier fort on the coast, Madaro-Shanti was the most powerful city-state in the entire Ambicuaria Jungle.  Its citizens were highly advanced in the arts of magic, and even retained some vestiges of magical quasi-technologies perhaps more ancient than humankind itself.  Their prosperity made for jealous enemies, none more covetous than the powerful and sorcerous Kiengaa Tribe of the deep jungles.  The Kiengaa plotted against Madaro-Shanti, making dark pacts with the monstrous ape-centaurs known as the Borsin, and with the monkey-faced, snake-like monsters known as the Hanu-Naga.  Once this terrible, unnatural army was gathered, the Kiengaa and their allies laid siege to Madaro-Shanti itself.

As the walls of Madaro-Shanti fell, and the invaders swarmed into the city, the high priest of the city closed himself within the royal shrine, praying to all the gods for intervention. Yet none of the gods answered his prayers until the last - and that was Ojala, whom the people of Madaro-Shanti knew as a god of evil and treachery.  A deadly bargain was struck that night, and true to his promise, Ojala caused a horrible wasting disease to strike the besieging army.  But the full extent of the evil god's treachery became clear when the surviving people of Madaro-Shanti themselves began to succumb to the same disease which had slain their enemies.  Within a fortnight, all the people of Madaro-Shanti had either died of the plague or scattered into the depths of the predator-filled jungle.

In only a few years, the city was overgrown by the jungle and fell into ruin, but the magical disease was to have one final consequence. Not only did the contagion affect the Kiengaa and the Madaro-Shanti - it also infected the mind of a powerful nature-spirit that inhabited the surrounding jungles. The nature-spirit Cho-Odaa, driven mad by the disease and hungry for vengeance against all humankind, has discovered the means to exact a terrible reckoning

Splinters of Faith 5: 

Eclipse of the Hearth

  



Ancient Evil Awakens
In a long-buried tomb, a grave robber restores a death-cult leader to life, and his cloud of evil spreads across the land. Left behind are the broken Scepter of Faiths and a litany of shrines to restore the weapon. But the evil one and his minions wait to destroy any who try...
Temples of faith, bastions of evilSplinters of Faith^TM is a collection of 10 adventures for characters of levels 1 to 15 that can be played individually or as part of an epic campaign to restore the Scepter of Faiths. Adventure in 10 fully detailed temples such as the Shield Basilica of Muir or the dwarven city of Anvil Plunge, and conquer the nightmarish Nether Sepulcher to restore the balance of good.

• Ten complete adventures for low- to high-level characters, usable separately or as a massive linked campaign.
• Eighteen unique temples (10 fully detailed) ready to drop into any campaign world.
• New monsters and magic items to discover, and ideas for further adventures

This is the first in a series of 10. Look for others coming soon!
Splinters of Faith 5: Eclipse of the Hearth (Levels 5 through 7)
The pyramid Seraph, once a holy temple, now lies under the sway of darkness. Breaking into the temple is hard enough, but braving the sinister twists awaiting in the dark catacombs will test the strongest PCs.

The Northland Saga Part 1 - Vengeance of the Long Serpent


This series of adventures takes place in the frozen north, where men are men, beer is ale and monsters are, well, scary. Who has not loved the setting of the 13^th Warrior or wished to relive the Frost Giant's Daughter by R.E. Howard? Heroes will fight evil in the cold lands, sail the treacherous ice filled seas where sea monsters swallow ships and crews and feast in fire-lit halls with Vikings! Planned as a series of 10 modules, this series will begin in January (appropriately, due to the cold). More information will be added as it becomes available.  Written by Ken Spencer, this series is sure to send shivers up even the bravest adventurer's spine!


Vengeance of the Long Serpent  Pull on your hauberk, ready your shield, and take up your axe, the tide is moving
out and it is time to set sail on a voyage of adventure. In Vengeance of the Long Serpent the heroes sail north into a land of murder, savagery, and madness to face a reawakened dark god and his deadly cult.

Scenario or Setting?

With the exception of Splatbooks, which, thankfully, the OSR is pretty light on, most RPG material beyond the actual core rules of a system fall into two categories: Scenario or Setting.

The differentiation is minor in some cases, and there can be some overlap (especially with the more sandboxie settings) but for the most part, these are the two types of products we buy for our games.

I enjoy settings more myself, even if I'll only use one or two in the long run, as they usually make for a better read, and bits and pieces can always be used elsewhere.

Scenarios are pretty much a one shot deal. You run it and you're done. Most aren't as enjoyable a read (for me) as settings are.

Still, I'm not running anything at the moment. If I was, I'm sure settings would take a backseat to scenarios, as you only need one setting for your campaign once its in motion. I'll need a new scenario every session or two, as I suspect my free time for designing my own will be fairly limited.

It's almost like the question: Paper or Plastic - depends on your current needs.

What are your current needs?

Saturday Nite Netflix at the Tavern - Archer: Season 1, Episode 1

Take 007, make him an uncharming, dishonest, deceitful, womanizing little shit who is also a mamma's boy, and you have Archer.  Holy shit but this is a funny show!

I didn't want to like it.  It's from FX, and that channel is hit or miss, and more miss these days then hit.  Still, I found myself laughing out load, or cringing, way more then I had expected to.

If South Park is your cup of tea, Archer should fit your taste.  Maybe.  It's WAY more offensive then South Park and the characters aren't cute.

I laughed a lot.  Must say something about me.

Caution! Men Working

My son (God bless the lad) took it upon himself to fully open up the archway between the two rooms that will soon be the Master Bedroom.  There is an alternative motive - my current bedroom will soon be his.  All that being said, he did some great work earlier today.  I'm proud of the lad.

I think it's time to put the solo comparison into motion.  I'm feeling the itch to run a game of Bean! I'll probably run it later today or tomorrow.  Probably tomorrow.  I still need to clean up the Kid's renovations ;)

Getting Back to GM'ing - Like Riding a Bike?

Maybe its more like driving a car in my case.  I'm fine with driving until I start thinking about it.  At which point, instinct goes out the window.  I start to over think (which may be why I have to look straight ahead when my son drives with a wall close on the left hand side... I start to over think).  When I start to over think, I get nervous.

Anyhow, I haven't run an RPG session since 1996 - I'm 15 years removed from it.  With the start of renovations, I'm also a step closer to running a game of Tunnels & Trolls or Swords & Wizardry via Fantasy Grounds.  I'm excited and scared by the whole concept.

Could be worse.  I could be terrified I guess ;)

Next step is painting the ceilings and the moldings...

Caution! Work in Progress

Today we actually started renovating the two rooms that are going to be the new master bedroom. We opened up the archway between the rooms, saved some antique molding for future use, measured for the wallpaper (old plaster walls that were previously wallpapered), started removing old wallpaper... busy busy.

It is almost addictive, as you can see the progress taking you closer to you goals. My son was hoping for it to be more like demolition work, but in truth it was more like surgery... we needed to save as much of the antique molding as possible.

Now I need to move a lot of my gaming material. Much of it was being stored in these 2 rooms, which were storage and a guest room up to now. I bought some of the large storage bins from Bed, Bath & Beyond in preparation last nite. My coupons expired back in '09... they never batted an eye.

It is very exciting. Of course, I've never wallpapered in my life, so my mother is going to hold my hand initially. That's okay. I'm a grown man with a game collection that can take up a whole room, easily. I'll take my mom's help without flinching. ;)

Manure Spill at the Lord's Gate Backs Up Wagons to the City Square

Pretty much every fantasy city map I've seen shows a city surrounded by walls, water or both, with limited means of egress, generally limited to city gates. What happens to the daily flow of traffic, both personal and commercial, if you close off some of those gates due to an unforeseen accident, such as a cart of dung, piled high, tips over when leaving through the main gate, spreading waste everywhere and requiring men and time to clean up?

Traffic jam for the most part. Which could be a big advantage to those looking to smuggle goods in or out of the city. Overwhelmed city guards may push folks through without the usual search or questioning. Tolls may not be collected. Tempers may flare.

See, I'm watching traffic and tempers build in Lower Manhattan this morning, as the Lincoln Tunnel has been closed due to a tractor trailer accident. Cars, trucks, buses - all are using alternate routes to cross the Hudson River, but there is only so much additional volume the remaining tunnel and bridge can take. Traffic is coming to a stand still.

I suspect it would play out similarly in a fantasy setting. Real life again invades my view of a fantasy urban environment ;)

Mini Review - Bean! The D2 RPG - 2nd Edition (Solo and Group Play)

Bean! The D2 RPG has just released it's 2nd edition.  I happen to like Bean! a lot, and not just because it has a bit of a Tunnels & Trolls feel to it.  I like it because it's a nice, simple system that should be an easy one to introduce new roleplayers.

Some of you (like the recipients of the copies of Bean! I gave out a few months ago) may be wondering if they need to upgrade to the new 2nd edition.  You don't need to, but it is a nicer and fuller presentation.  Some of the stuff added to the 2nd edition was first presented in the free 1st Edition errata, such as skills and custom archetypes.

Now, if you are new to Bean!, this is definitely the version you want. A fuller spell list, more monsters in the bestiary, mounted and ship to ship combat, a cleaner explanation on how to roll... it really is a nice package.  Just like the original Bean!, you get a Solo and a GM adventure included in the rules.

Don't forget to pick up your free Bean! adventures.

From the blurb:


BEAN! is an easy-to-master, rules-lite, d2 RPG system! It's perfect for introducing new players or children to the hobby, and will keep veteran gamers rollin' their beans with a system that's flexible and easily customizable to any setting. Complete in one simple volume, spend less time reading and more time playing!


The d2 game system is unique and quickly memorized, so simple, yet able to handle any situation on the spot, without having to thumb through volumes of obscure rules. The best part? You get to toss your beans! With a d2 dice system, you could use standard dice for "high or low" "odd or even" rolls, you could toss coins or any other objects that have two distinct sides, but we recommend plain ol' beans! They're cheap and plentiful, some people really enjoy customizing their own beans, and a handful of beans keeps the game moving along quick and easy!


This Second Edition features a streamlined rules presentation, rules for Skills, Custom Character Archtypes, Mounted Combat, plus new monsters and spells.

Simple, versatile, and sometimes silly, welcome to BEAN!

There's a Seal! There's a Seal in the Water!

Geraldo is always good for a quote - "There's a man! There's a man in the water!"

This past sunday I took a 3 hour cruise in New York Harbor to go seal spotting Not what you would expect in the waters off of the City That Never Sleeps, but I counted nearly a dozen (the official count was 19 seals spotted). Apparently in the summer months, the same ship also does whale spotting cruises. At $24 bucks a person (at least for the seal spotting) I'm sure to be going again.

All of which got me thinking. In my neighborhood in Queens (one of the boroughs of NYC) i've seen rabbits, wild turkeys, opossums, raccoons... all species that one associates with a less urban environment. All on city streets or yards. Not parks. Not cemeteries.

So why don't we have more kobolds and goblins living in the sewers of major (and not so major) fantasy cities? They'd adapt to the urban environment even better then the wild animals i mention above (although they would also be present). Why search for adventure at low levels, when you can be recruited to keep the goblin population in the sewers in check.

We frequently hear stories of bears causing issues in the suburbs, but what if a young and hungry owlbear was roaming the streets at night going through the refuse? Thats a job for (expendable) adventurers.

edit:  The ArmChair General has a nice post building upon this one.  Check it out here.

Mini Review - Beneath the Ghoul Lair (OSRIC)

March has been a really good month for "Old School" releases.  I think I need to take a day off from work just to get to all of the recent releases I want to look at, let alone earlier releases I haven't gotten to.  Someone want to add more hours to the day?

Beneath the Ghoul Lair, a Westgate Adventures! Dungeon Raiders! module (I hope I got all that right - so many titles - heh) is the latest release from Johnny Rook Games.  Aimed at a party of levels 2-4, I'd advise they have access to silver weapons if they don't yet have a magic weapon or two in the party.  As you can guess from the title, there be undead in them there hills!

BtGL is setting light in nature.  The hook is a decent one that can be placed just about anywhere.  The stronger you make the hook, the more you party will be involved in the story evolving around them.  You can drop it as is, and it should work, but tweaking should make it a better fit.

There are 2 nice dungeon maps that would have fit well into any classic TSR module if they were only done in that horrible classic blue.

Four new magic items, a new spell (which looks familiar) and three new monsters (one of which looks familiar, but i guess its new to OSRIC).

From the blurb:

This adventure is designed for 4-8 characters of levels 2-4.
A pack of vicious ghouls recently attacked a group of adventurers.  The party's ranger tracked the ghouls back to an old cave but dared not go inside as it was too dangerous.  A plea has gone out to any able-bodied adventurers nearby to clear out this undead infestation.  You and your allies have heard the call and set out urgently for the cave to end the threat, find some treasure, and hopefully survive the horrors beneath the ghoul lair!

About Dungeon Raiders! Modules
Dungeon Raiders! games:

• Are "story-light" modules designed for quick adventure, great treasure, and fantastic stories!
• Are designed for any campaign setting while maintaining good content and high quality playability!
• Are great for one- to three-night game sessions when players want to "just go get some XP and gold!"
• Can be easily expanded into much larger games or stories!
• Are sensible, not rediculous, and fun, suited for any new players or old players wishing to revive and keep alive the spirit of classic role-playing!

Black and White interiors, 19 pages.

Damn the Wintry Weather!

Last Friday we hit 75 degrees in NYC. Today I awoke to snow on my car and sleet in the air. I'm done with winter. You can take it back.

Yeah, I know this isn't game related in the least, but I was due for a weather rant in any case ;)

The World is Ruled By Cats (at Least My Corner Is)

I'm a firm believer in this.  If you have a cat, you do for them.  Dogs do for you.  Kinda.

My little girl is a talker, she's extremely vocal.  Her different cries all mean something, and I've learned them over the last few years.  At the moment she is telling me to go to bed.

She understands a number of words... well, more like a handful then a number.  We each speak in our specific language, so we use two languages for one set of communication.

Damn, that seems like a crap load of work.

Still, it makes a lot of sense in a fantasy setting.  The Rock Trolls communicate with grinding noises, yet they understand the Gnolls and their yapping / barking language.  Maybe not word for word, but they get the ideas that are being communicated.

Alright, the lady is getting pissed, and she's just a cat.  Just wait until I actually understand women ;)

When The Wiz Speaks, I Listen

ChicagoWiz left a comment on my blogpost about Fire in the Jungle. As he planned to also post about FitJ, he jokingly wondered if we should have a "Jungle Week" theme. There may be something to that.

We've already touched on that with the Hot Elf series of posts (thanks James and the Underdark Gazette), but that was pretty much tongue in cheek. There really is no reason there couldn't be a theme of the week (or month) where if a blogger were so inspired, they would make a post during the week (month) that hits upon the common theme.

All of us see things from our own perspective, so even 20 blog posts from 20 different bloggers on the same general subject will be very different. The OSR has many nooks and crannies that haven't been explored, or could use more exploration, or are just fun to write and read about.

It could to be very loosely organized or not even organized at all. We all saw how the Hot Elf series went viral. It didn't need much of a push.

All this is me thinking out loud. Just throwing the thought out there. If the wet toilet paper sticks to the ceiling, we may just have something. ;)

Mini Review - Fire in the Jungle (Your Choice of Old School Rules)

Fire in the Jungle is a sandbox setting for the Old School ruleset of your choice.  Dustin Brandt, author of said sandbox and fellow blogger was kind enough to send me a copy to review.  I'm grateful, as it's a great read.

Jungle settings aren't usually the first choice of setting for most of us, I think because it isn't a setting that we can relate to.  North America and Europe are pretty much jungle free.  For gaming purposes, it gives the players a wild, alien world to explore.  It  keeps them on their toes.

Justin gives us a nice assortment of tools to bring the jungle to life.  We get natural medicines, major NPCs and monsters (most of which are native fauna with a twist).  We also get a Jungle Event System.

The Jungle Event System is similar to a Wandering Monster Table, but it isn't just adversaries to be fought. It's locations, events, personas.  The short of it is that is is much more useful then a Wandering Monster Chart.  I need to borrow this concept for the next game I run, Jungle or not.

We get a detailed and keyed hex map, with hexes listed and detailed briefly when there is something important there.

Then we come to the Ant Tunnel Exploration System.  Modeled on those lovely ants that visit in the summer, but much larger, these ants and tunnels are a challenge for any party.  We are also gifted with a Tunnel Event Chart - lets just say ant tunnel exploration should entertain both the party and the GM.

Next, we are given The Tomb of the Monkey God.  If this dungeon doesn't get the party lost, they are better mappers then me.  Oh, and more random tables.

A Player's Handout Sheet rounds out the package.

I'm still amazed at how much "stuff" Dustin squeezed into 16 pages.  It is certainly reads as if it much more.  Fire in the Jungle is almost system neutral, in that the few D&Disms could easily be converted to Tunnels & Trolls without much effort.

I'm not sure if I'd run this as is, but as its a sandbox, who will run it as is?  It's certainly made me think about jungle adventures and how it could be a nice change of pace to take a party out of civilization and drop them in the jungle.  Very well done and worth the price of admission, even if it's just to crib the charts ;)

From the Blurb:

A ready-to-go jungle adventure or a toolkit for creating your own jungle setting. This supplement contains:

• A brief history of the jungle’s troubled past and the natives who have survived there.
• A color judge’s map of the jungle with dozens of described locations to explore.
• A color player map to give the player’s a vague understanding of the shape of the jungle.
• A comprehensive Jungle Event System that reflects the harsh reality and wondrous excitement of journeying through this jungle.
• The Ant Tunnel Exploration System provides a framework for running adventures in these infinite, living tunnels.
• The Tomb of the Monkey God.  A dungeon module with an Escalation mechanic that ratchets up the tension the longer the PCs remain inside the tomb.  Unique, overlapping color map of this four-level tomb.
• Plus a variety of monsters, NPCs, hirelings, magic items, etc.
• And, of course, the cover art by Rommel Joson and the back cover art by Edbon Sevilleno.

Spring Cleaning Turns Up a Surprise From my AD&D Days

For the most part my AD&D stuff is packed away.  I just have way to much stuff to keep rarely needed stuff in prime locations for accessibility.  Still, every once in a while, I stumble across something that's out of place, wonder how it got there, and then the gaming memories flood back.

Case in point, The Book of Lairs for AD&D.  We're given over 60 developed lairs... more then adventure seeds, less then full adventures, this was a go to book (along with the AD&D Encounter Cards) that I went to when prep time was short (or non-existant) and I needed something to run with.  For a DM that was good at improvising, this was an awesome tool.

Now, is anything all that memorable from it?  No, I'd have to start digging thru it again, and I doubt I would find it as useful now as I did 25 years ago, but for the time it was pretty good.  I know it was, cause I've got the pencil marks throughout it to show that I used it on more then one occasion.

Oh, did I mention that Christian is making a return to blogging after a short absence?  Times are good.  He wasn't hidden on my bookshelf tho, I swear!  ;)

Friday Nite Movie at the Tavern - The Hebrew Hammer

Friday's movie is getting mentioned late this weekend, as I was running around Saturday and today we went seal watching in New York harbor (I'll need to go thru the pictures before I can post any).  So, a bit late, we present to you, the Hebrew Hammer.

Sometimes a movie doesn't have to be good to be funny.  I suspect this over the top spoof of the 1970s blacksploitation movies hit closer to home for me then it may others, as I saw so much of NYC in it (and was even able to recognize some obscure locations) from landmarks to culture (alright, stereotyped culture, but still recognizable).

I laughed even tho I didn't want to.  Not sure if that is a ringing endorsement or not.

I could see putting together a one-shot using the Fate rules.  Everyone gets a racial / ethnic stereotype to play and get's to try to save the world from evil Santa - or was there already done in Spirit of the Century?

Awkward End to Campaign Leads to New Beginning - Next on Geraldo!

Last nite was supposed to be the last session in the Fantasy Grounds powered Castles & Crusades game I've been playing in for over 2 years now, at least for a while, as the game is being put on hiatus for the immediate future.  With only 2 players and the GM showing up, it became more of a 2 hr chat session.  That is, however, the nature of the beast, both with a VTT or at the dining room table.  Even with the best laid plans and intentions, real life tends to interfere and take precedence.

The shame of it is that we didn't get to a good point to pause the campaign.  The damn hobbit may have that mask stuck to his face for an extremely long time at this point ;)

All is not lost tho, as the plan is to keep the group together.  Cad, one of my fellow players and an occasional blogger, is considering taking up the GM reins for a bit.  I tossed my vote for a Labyrinth Lord Campaign and so far my vote is winning (as far as I know, it's the only vote cast so far... heh).

We really have been lucky with this group, as it was / is a really great bunch of folk.

Now, as for the Geraldo line in the title - I'm just feeling mischievous, so you'll need to forgive me.  Maybe Jerry Rivers can find some loot in Al Capone's Vault that I can use in a Gangbusters session ;)

Mini Review - Tome of Tomes, Volume One - (Systemless / OGL / OSR)

This is one of those pleasant surprises that makes me say "Why didn't I think of that?"  The answer in this case is that I doubt I would have come anywhere close to putting together the excellent piece of work Joseph Browning did with Tome of Tomes, Volume 1.

Now, technically this is aimed at the Old School, D&D rooted rules and clones, but there really is no reason this couldn't work just as well with 3.5 / Pathfinder or even Tunnels & Trolls.  Any fantasy based RPG that has folks with dangerous weapons and spells looking for loot should find this right up their alley.

Joe does a great job not only detailing the details of the tomes in question (size, weight, author, materials, value, fields of study and the like) but he also gives each tome a paragraph that deals with background and other fiddly bits.  These books live and breath.  I would have loved to have had some of these in my 12th level wizard's study back in the day.

A hundred books for three bucks.  Hard to beat that.

My personal favorite?  Beardless Ladies - Kinda like a Playboy for Dwarves.  I suspect there is a copy hidden in the Tavern's Privy ;)

From the blurb:


Books in fantasy games have always been sources of mystery. We're all familiar with the sight of the magic user's eyes lighting up like a 5-year-old at Christmas when one is found. This work provides 100 tomes for your gaming pleasure, ranging from the magical to the mundane, from the common to the unique. Never again will you be at a loss to describe that recently found libram.


Tome of Tomes is a compilation of books that could be found on a sage's shelf or on the shelves of a city library. Each tome is described and classified according to field of study and special knowledge category (if applicable).

mini Review - Chronicles of Arax (Solo Adventure Game)

As many of my regular readers know, I'm a big fan of Tunnels & Trolls (and other solo systems in general).  Solo gaming fits my schedule, and is a rewarding RPG experience in it's own way/

Chronicles of Arax - Solo Adventure Game is a new entry into the solo RPG nitch.  There aren't many systems for such gaming, so new blood is always welcome.

Tunnels & Trolls solos are story driven, with branches that one takes depending on choice, actions taken, and/or success / failure.  Which can limit the re-playability of the solos, as previous choices can affect future replay (knowledge is power)

In the Chronicles of Arax, upon completion of an encounter, you randomly determine the next encounter, until you reach the last encounter.  This system allows for a certain amount of re-playabiliy due to the randomness of the progression thru the adventure.  It's a nice little twist.

Oh, before I forget.  Character generation is not random.  Customization comes thru leveling your character.  Stats are based on "die size", similar to Savage Worlds.

All in all, a nice change of pace for this enjoyer of solo adventures.  The price can't be beat - Free!

I'll be checking out the premium content in the days and weeks to come (at a buck a piece, even the premium content is damn cheap).

From the Blurb:

An adventure game for just one person - YOU!

The world of Arax is a world filled with blood and battle, magic and monsters, slaughter and sorcery. It is a world where the weak are crushed and the strong survive, where those who are bigger and more powerful bully those who are weaker and more vulnerable. It is a world in need of a Hero, someone who can stand against the darkness and fight on behalf of the downtrodden. A Hero like YOU.

Chronicles of Arax is a game where you, the reader, takes on the role of a Hero in the world of Arax. It is your job to fight against evil and injustice, to undertake various Quests to further the goals of good, and hopefully get some fame and loot in the bargain!

In Chronicles of Arax, you take on the role of a mighty Hero who, in the face of utter darkness, stands up for the light by undertaking missions and adventures (known as Quests) that will hopefully aid the forces of light.

Throughout Arax a Hero can come from any walk of life, be it a noble Knight, an elf Druid or a stalwart dwarf Stone Warrior. This rules manual includes one Hero type for you to play as: the Adventurer.

The Core Rules are free, and premium expansions are available for $1 each

Mini Review - Come Hell or High Water (Labyrinth Lord)

It's that special time, the time for a Mini-Review! (I think I need more sleep).  GT2 - Come Hell or High Water, is the second in a series of modules from Knightvision games.  As such, it works best as a follow up adventure to GT1 - Path of the Delver.

So, what do you get for your hard earned 3 bucks?  56 pages of Labyrinth Lord material. about 3/4's is the adventure, the rest is new monsters, magic items, a new spell, possible PC's to use... material of that sort.  You certainly get value for you money.  Oh, and maps - lots of maps.  Good maps to use, even if you steal for other use (nitpick - change the map colors.  They are too damn bright.   Aargh! ;)

In my opinion, this adventure isn't a cake walk of any sorts.  Many of the creatures will be getting an increased chance to surprise the players.  Which makes me wonder it it is really made for Characters Level 1-2.  Based upon the fact that all the included PCs are levels 2-3, I'd suggest you treat the higher numbers as the suggested level range.  Besides, it is meant as a follow up to Path of the Delver (and if you don't play it as a follow up to Path of the Delver, you'll need to supply your own hook.)

From the blurb:

  "What evil machinations lie hidden in the flooded depths of ancient Kharnos Dzin? Whispers in the dark summon the uninitiated...as evil brews beneath the surface of a dead city. Great rewards lie in store, but will adventurers find more then they had bargained for?" Come Hell or High Water is a Labyrinth Lord and AEC compatible adventure designed for 1st and 2nd level characters. Set in the upcoming Ebonyr campaign setting, it can also fit into any generic RPG world. The adventure combines urban, underwater and classic dungeon crawl material. Inside the PDF you'll find:

• Over  11 new monsters including the Shock Sphere.
• 3 new magic items and spells

It Feels Like Spring

The temperature here in NYC is knocking on 70 degrees. Truly amazing for March 18th. I just walked out for lunch in short sleeves and I was loving it.

Back in High School and College much of my gaming group's RPG sessions were played at the picnic table in my backyard when the temperature and weather allowed. In retrospect, I feel sorry sorry for my neighbors, as we were a nosy bunch. Damn tho, we did have a lot of fun ;)

When I get home from work, I may let my little (feline) girl out on the front porch with me to enjoy one of the last days of winter. Days like today, I almost can't believe we had the snow storms that we had this past winter.

Do I Keep Inviting the Knights to My Dinner Table?

I've been reading Knights of the Dinner Table (KotDT) since Shadis magazine. I actually have the first issue of the magazine tucked away somewhere, and the few issues I've missed along the way I've filled in with the Bundles of Trouble compilations. Still, it just doesn't seem the same anymore.

The current issue is #172 - and I skimmed the strips more then read them. Maybe the jokes have changed, or I don't see the jokes with the same eyes, but even the stories seem less like anything I ever gamed. In the beginning I could relate - now, not so much.

72 bucks for 12 issues(first class shipping). For something I'm no longer getting a heck of a lot of value out of. 13 pages of the current issue deals with the ongoing story line, the rest is more or less filler. The other ongoing storyline (Gary Jackson back from the dead) is absent.

As for the gaming articles - inconsistent quality is the best description I can use. Nothing all that memorable.

I want to still like the Knights. Really. But I get much more enjoyment from OOTS, and it's free.

I might have to tap out at this point.