"It's Free" Does Not Mean "Free for all!"

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but this crap really annoys me. Probably even more so, as I get alerts from OBS for most of the OSR releases. I like to pass that info on to my readers as soon as I can, and in doing so I got burned by the same person twice.

Just because you are releasing your latest set of houserules for free it doesn't mean you don't have to follow the law.

Let me put it another way. John gives Mike a free joint. Free as in "Yo man! Just take it. I made it special. It's free!" Guess what, in the eyes of the law (at least under the NYS Penal Law)
John just "sold" Mike marijuana. Criminal Sale of Marijuana. No money needs to exchange hands.

Releasing your latest and greatest plagiarized piece of work for free is no different than asking cash for it. Hell, you might as well ask cash for it - it's product lifetime is gonna be short either way, you may as well make a few bucks off of it.

I'm wondering what his third release will be. You know he has something waiting in the wings.

Two For Two - Or is it "Oh!" For Two?

The author of the OSRIC Players Reference (NOT to be confused with the OSRIC Player's Guide) and The Mazes & Perils OSR clone / rip / pilfered from the bones of the Original D&D Boxed set and Holmes Basic, has managed to have both of his projects pulled from OneBookShelf / RPGNow.

Or maybe he had them both pulled on his own.  Somehow I doubt that.  Because if that was the case, he never would have put his second project up on OBS - he would have learned his lesson with his first f' up.

If you want to do a bunch of house rules using copyrighted material, ignoring the OGL, go at it.  DON'T try to distribute it into the RPG wilds, even for free, especially not via a company like OBS and it's like.  Why put a company like OBS in the possible sights of WotC / Hasbro because your ego prevents you from following the rules (OGL / copyright law).  It has to be ego.  Even stupidity has a failsafe mechanism.  Besides, stupid wouldn't have been able to put together the packages he did, which, although far from perfect, were certainly serviceable.

Next time your ego demands that you ignore the law (and the polite niceties of the OSR in general), host it yourself.  That way your ego can get stroked and the lawyers can cut out the middle man when the cease and desist comes your way.

Busy Weekend Here at the Tavern

Yesterday wasn't just who's the latest ass in the OSR.  It was also getting 3 piece suits for my son and I (he's also the best man for the upcoming nuptials).  It was also family coming down from Canada to visit for a few days.

Today was paying off the florist, a meet and great with the organist and getting some face time (and giving a deposit to) the photographer.  He seems to be down to earth with a relaxed personality.  I think it will all fall into place like a well oiled machine.

So, obviously no Feltothraxis video was done over the weekend.  Hopefully tomorrow.  I suspect he'll have a lot to say ;)

Mini Review - Dark Times in Brighton - (Labyrinth Lord Adventure)

I'm very happy I found Dark Times in Brighton.  After yesterday's fiasco I needed something to brighten my mood, and this was it.  Dark Times in Brighton is an adventure / local setting / possible sandbox for 1st and 2nd level characters using the Labyrinth Lord rules (but easily used with most of not all of the various retro clones).  The publisher, DWD Studios, was apparently started by two of the guys involved with the StarFrontiersman magazine.  If you've ever red the mag, you know they do good stuff.  Dark Times in Brighton is no different.

Bookmarked PDF?  Check

Author's notes to give insights to the read inter spread though out the adventure?  Check

Professional looking layout and artwork?  Yep

Interesting adventure and surrounding lands?  Present

Top quality maps?  Score!

This really is a complete package to start a new campaign, either dropped in your own campaign world or building out from the area described within.  I fully expect (or at least hope) that DWD Studios plans to continue building around this particular neck in the woods.  It would make for a nice campaign.

From the blurb:

Dark Times in Brighton is an adventure for four to six characters of 1st - 2nd level.  Although designed as a Labyrinth Lord^TM compatible product, It is easily compatible with most fantasy RPG systems.  In addition to the adventure itself, contained within these pages are details of Brighton and its people, a town that could easily become an important part of your character's careers as adventurers. 

The town of Brighton exists in the north, at the source of the Daakencraags where the Darkenwolde Forest shades the winding Brother’s River. The legendary adventurer, Richan Thatcher (along with his party of adventurers) carved the place away from a once mighty goblin kingdom. It has prospered for many long decades, until now. 

Townsfolk are disappearing from the surrounding countryside. Goblins are on the march once more. If that wasn’t enough, a terrible blighting disease has infected the waters and not even the curative magics of the Temple of the Winds can thwart it. This is indeed a very dark time for Brighton. 

Too old to do anything about it himself, Thatcher has sent out a call to any adventurers who will swear their swords to his mighty town and its innocent people. 

Are your players hero enough to face down a growing goblin horde? Are they brave enough to fell the mighty goblin shaman, Vir-Kayik? Are they clever enough to find the source of the blight and cleanse the town’s water source? Are they the light to end these dark times in Brighton?

Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me Twice,

... and you're an azzhole.  It's really that simple.

Mazes & Perils, the "retro RPG clone" that hit OneBookShelf yesterday is written by the same idjit that put out the short lived OSRIC Player's Reference.  You remember, the one that had stolen artwork on it's cover.

That was a stealth release, without fanfare in the blogoshere as was this.  I linked it because, generally speaking, more is better when it comes to our gaming options.  I did wonder about the use of both "hobbit" and "halfling" on the same pages, as that was a sign of either bad editing or copy / pasting from original sources, but I really don't know the classic D&D books enough to recognize if the tables were being reused from the sources.  Thanks to the research last nite (sorry, I was sleeping.. heh) by ADD Grognard, James from the Underdark Gazette and austrodavicus Mazes & Perils has been revealed as the cut-n-paste job and copyright violation it is.

Vincent Florio - This F-U is for you!  Your first time not understanding the OGL and copyright laws were annoying yet forgivable, but you second time reveals you as the ass you are.  Even if your defense is that you are a clueless ass, you are still an ass.

Mini Review - Mazes & Perils Core Rules (OSR Clone)

From my (admittedly) quick glance of the rules, Mazes & Perils appears to be a retro clone of the Original Collector's Box and the First Basic Set.  Which is all fine and dandy, until I find it referring to "hobbits" on page 3 and referring to them as "halflings" on the same page.  That's keeping to the original just a tad TOO much if you ask me.

No class as race stuff, thieves are included, exceptional strength on a roll of 18,  adjusted d6 for HP, no cleric spells at 1st level, 5 alignments and only fighting men advance in combat ability (damn you Raggi!).

I couldn't find weapon damage.  It's probably 1d6 no matter the weapon, but my quick perusal couldn't find it.  If you find it, please point it out to me ;)

The price is free. 62 pages for a complete game. Which means I'll need to link this on the left AND include it on the difficulty scale I'm working on.

From the blurb:

Welcome to fantasy gaming, welcome to when things were simple, where you had man with a sword and magic user with spells. No powers here, no special abilities, no roll checks to see if you find something. Everything here is just guidelines for playing your favorite fantasy game that everyone talks about. This game is based off of rules created in the late '70s of the very popular fantasy roleplaying game!

Occupy Greyhawk!

I so very much want to post about the Occupy Wall Street protest movement, but as I detest political (all talk about the protest seems to draw political comments from both / all / infinite sides) blog posts on gaming blogs, I'm leaving that my Google+ account (Erik Tenkar).

Still, it makes one (or at least me) think about such a movement in our standard fantasy worlds. I could see such a movement being quickly crushed in The City of Greyhawk if it got too large, but a small protest might be tolerated. It would probably be backed by the Scarlet Brotherhood, as they seemed to have their fingers in about every source of discontent in that area of the world.

In Ank-Morpok, I suspect the Patrician would allow the protest to run it's course, perceiving it as useful manner to let the populace let off some steam. Heck, he might even be the one pulling the strings behind it all, as causing the Guilds trouble would strengthen his already strong hand. You'd never be able to prove it tho'.

In the Forgotten Realms, a city the size of Waterdeep could have a movement like this going on and 90% of the populace would never know. It's just to large a city. Would the Lords try to put a lid on it? Maybe once it started hurting the city coffers.

The PCs could always be recruited to infiltrate such a movement or even used as muscle to shut it down. Perhaps they could be recruited by the movement leaders themselves (such as there are) to provide security against goons hired by various merchant and trading guilds looking to put an end to protests that are hurting their business.

Maybe the PCs get involved when the movement is just starting and they find it's direction is being usurped as it grows in size by unknown interests. Maybe they get recruited by one faction of the movement to spy on another faction.

Even better would be if their own actions inadvertently started the movement. They see the protesters with painted signs depicting members of the party. Maybe their actions were a positive influence, or maybe the protest sprouted in reaction to the party itself.

and Now for Something Completely Different

Hopefully tonight I'll have some free time and me able to get the next Feltothraxis episode filmed and uploaded. If not, I'll make sure I get some more Felty practice in with my 10 month old niece - she'll be visiting tomorrow and she certainly likes the dragon.

I'm still hurting from yesterday - long and stressful. I just need to sleep in tomorrow and all will be right with the world. Lesson learned - do not keep a half filled water glass anywhere near the edge of my desk - the cat will surely knock it down and soak some choice RPG books - sigh.

Just over 3 weeks to the big day. Holy carp! heh

Where Does Your Comfort Zone Fall Regarding the Complexity of the RPGs You Like to Play?

(I'm purposefully avoiding the word "Crunch" regarding rules complexity in RPGs, as some have voiced an opinion in the past that they find it offensive.)

How much complexity, or lack there of, do you (generally) like in the RPGs that you play?

Does your preference change if you are GM'ing instead of playing? If so, why?

Does the genre (fantasy / sci-fi / horror / etc) have an effect on the amount of rules complexity you can tolerate? Again, if so, why?

Just some questions that occurred to me as I've been thinking about the gaming complexity chart I'm working on.

Pinning Down the Middle

If Weird West anchors the "Simple" side of the list and one of the Hackmasters anchor the "Complex" side of the list, I need to pin something for the "Average" middle of the list.

I'm thinking Swords & Wizardry Core to mark the middle, although there is a lot of subjectivity to it all, it seems to fit there fairly well. S&W Whitebox would then sit at "Fairly Simple" and S&W Complete would sit at "Fairly Complex".

And So It Grows...

The List is growing.  I'm actually very excited to see how everything falls into place.  I suspect Weird West will be the marker for the "Simple" side of things and Hackmaster will settle in to mark the "Complex" side of things, but where it all falls in between the extremes should be fun to see.

Feel free to continue to add to the list.  I still have a few suggestions I need to look over before adding.  Once the D&D inspired OSR list is completed (and I'll be adding the original D&D / AD&D editions to the list) I'll add in other classics, like Traveller, Rolemaster, Dragonquest, Tunnels & Trols and a bunch of others.

I just need to start with a controlled list before greatly expanding it ;)

I'm Making a List, I'm Checking It Twice!

So, with the entirely subjective list of D&D influenced OSR games ordered by complexity of rules, I find myself trying define the parameters of the list.

I'm inclined NOT to include sci-fi games, but there are 2 outstanding choices that practically beg to be included: Stars Without Numbers and X-plorers. So maybe they should be included for completeness if nothing else.

I've decided that the rules must be available in English. If I can't read the rules, I'll be unable to evaluate how complex the rules are.

They don't have to be free (although most seem to have a free PDF version available). If something that isn't on my initial list is available at RPGNow, point that out to me. Or point me to where it can be found - my google-fu is decent but by no means perfect.

I'm figuring to use the following "Bands" to indicate complexity:

Simple

Fairly Simple

Average

Fairly Complex

Complex

The labels may change, but those are the groupings I'm looking at.

Help Me Complete My List of OSR Style D&D Derivatives

Well, if I'm going to group the OSR games by complexity, I need to ensure I have a complete list. Here's what I have so far, add away please!

LotFP Weird Fantasy - Deluxe

LotFP Weird Fantasy - Grindhouse

Labyrinth Lord

Labyrinth Lord - AEC

Swords & Wizardry - Whitebox

Swords & Wizardry - Core

Swords & Wizardry - Complete

OSRIC

Basic Fantasy RPG

Dark Dungeons

Microlite 74 Basic

Microlite 74 Standard

Microlite 74 Extended

Adventures Dark & Deep

Castles & Crusades

Hackmaster 4e

Hackmaster 5e

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Adventurer Conqueror King Sytem

The Secret Fire
Spellcraft & Swordplay*
Weird West (not standard fantasy, but still fantastic)*
For Gold and Glory (i missed this from my own list on the left)*
Myth & Magic (you need to register for the forums to DL the rules)
Beacon (nice free suggested RPG)*


I need to hyperlink all this at some point ;)

*edit added based on suggestions

Because This One Goes to Eleven!

Has anyone put together a list of the D&D retroclones / derivatives and the like in order of relative rules complexity? I'm avoiding the "crunch" label so as not to offend sensitive readers.

I'm talking everything from Swords & Wizardry (all 3 flavors) to Hackmaster (2 flavors) and everything in between and beyond. Besides being a useful list of clones in general, a nice chart would help the prospective GM find a game that is right for his gaming style while still being familiar to those that grew up on Gygax D&D up though Pathfinder.

I realize that much of this would be subjective, and the complexity label might work better as a general banding system.

If it hasn't been done yet, would there be an interest in seeing one get completed?

Of Felt and Men

I'm going to be collecting some of the best bits n' pieces of the Name the Nameless Dragon Campaign and putting them in a single blog post. There is some killer stuff that was posted for it and I still laugh thinking about it.

I don't call the Feltothraxis vids "reviews", as he doesn't so much review as remark. Unless, of course, I have a real dog for him to talk about. I'm sure that would count as a review by the time he is finished ;)

Now, on to Hackmaster. I never realized how loyal (if small) a following the game had until I reviewed The Dusk of the Dead. Apparently, I should have used my trained investigator skills to track down the missing rules for characters above fifth level. I stopped after checking the Kenzerco website and finding the Hackmaster Basic Rules as the only rules listed under Hackmaster Core section. Next time I'll make sure to cast ESP on my Crystal Ball and read Kenzerco's collective mindset.

In all seriousness, the least they could do is make a reference as to where you can find and BUY the relevant rules, either on the web page with the Core Rules or in the Dusk of the Dead adventure itself.

Heck, it's not like the rules are needed to run the adventure, but since Mr. Kenzer made reference to them by including them in the suggested PC level range, it would have been a nice gesture (and probably a good business decision) to point the reader in the right direction.

I mean, reading the adventure got me thinking about possibly using the HM Basic rules (which is a damn good job, as they are a bit more convoluted then I normally look to use these days).

Feltothraxis Looks at OD&D (vidblog)

The Newly Named Dragon - Feltothraxis - takes a look at the oldest gem in his horde of RPGs - Original Dungeons & Dragons.

We actually had a camera man for this one - my son was behind the lens.  In the background you can hear the Dachshund walking around on the wood floor - I think we need to trim her nails ;)

Oh, outtakes are on the end :)

Latest Peek at the iTabletop VTT

I have a special place in my gaming heart for the iTabletop/Pandoren Virtual Table Top. It's come far from it's early start as a web-camera / chat interface and is now nearly a full service VTT that has build in video and voice chat.

It is still missing a Whiteboard, which from my point of view is more important then the video or voice features (especially now with G+ available for free and its video / voice feature).

ITT is free these days. It wasn't always, and it may not be for much longer, as the "Free to Play" experiment isn't bringing in the Ad revenue that was expected it seems. The cost for the servers alone is about $600 a month apparently. That's a huge amount for the small company to have to put up front each month.

I'm one of the "lifers", having purchased not one, but two lifetime accounts when they were trying to raise the initial funds for the upgrade. I give the guys credit, they're still plugging away at it, but at some point their dream of making this their full time paying gig is going to give way to the need to support themselves (if it hasn't already).

I've always seen the potential of iTabletop and I check in every few months to see if it's where I need it to be to work for me. It isn't, at least not for my needs.

I suspect when my campaign finally gets of the ground, I'll be using a combination of Fantasy Grounds 2 and Google+. It's not the cleanest solution to meet my needs and desires, but it's the closest I think I can come to my ideal VTT... at least until iTabletop reaches it's true potential.

Defining the Kindreds in Tunnels & Trolls - The Basics - Hobbs

Hobbs, Hobbits, Halflings - if you've read or watched the Lord of the Rings, you know what they entail. Big feet, small height, paunchy, like to smoke pipe-weed... the whole package. Still, what does that mean in Tunnels & Trolls?

Starting attributes are adjusted as follows: Str is halved, Dex and Lk are increased by 50%, Con is doubled height is halved. A weak yet tough race. Well suited for the Roguish life, they can make effective Warriors if they can survive the early adventures in T&T 7.5e.

So, what can we do to add some flavor to Hobbs in our T&T games? All Hobbs get the Thievery Talent for free, above and beyond any others they might choose. Not all use it for thievery, as slight of hand and the like has many uses, but all have knowledge of it. This is known by the other kindreds, and Hobbs are often viewed with some suspicion when they are new to an area and have yet to prove themselves.

I'm a Mac - and - I'm a PC

I finally BootCamped my iMac with Win7 Ultimate.  Which also means I've been installing Fantasy Grounds 2 and all the rulesets I own.  I'd like to get something up and running in December, either thru FG2, G+ or a combination of the 2.  More when I know.  In the meantime, reinstalling many games via Steam.

Never got the chance to do new video with "Felty" today.  Hopefully tomorrow.

Sunday Thoughts

Well, it's a football afternoon here in NYC, as both the Giants and the Jets have games today.  The Giants are playing some horribly sloppy football, so I'm only half watching, and half surfing the web.

I see that Green Ronin has released a Tablet Enhanced Edition of the Song of Fire and ICE rpg PDF.  I'll be peeking at this over the next few days.  I haven't taken a close look at this before, so I'll be checking both the system and the presentation.

Another on my "must review soon" list is Ashen Stars from Pelgrane Press.  It uses the GUMSHOE engine, which I'm not very familiar with, but I love space opera type settings and RPGs, so I need to to give this one a close look.

There's some fiction I want to look at too, but my current ability to stay focused on a single work of fiction has been strained recently - I'll see how well I can do.

If I can get the cat off my desk I'll try and put up another web episode of the Dragon  ;)

Mini Review - Dusk of the Dead (Hackmaster)

I'm a bit undecided about the relatively new Hackmaster Basic.  The system as presented is certainly viable, but with only the first 5 levels of character advancement covered, the scope of the game is fairly limited.  Then there is the problem of limited adventures and such for the system.

The latest adventure for Hackmaster is Dusk of the Dead, for characters of levels 5-7.  As Hackmaster Basic only covers up to level 5, does this mean that Hackmaster Advanced is just around the corner?  I don't know.

Dusk of the Dead is made to work as a followup to Frandor's Keep, so it can easily be dropped into the setting presented there or used on it's own.  Still, it works best with Frandor's Keep.

DotD doesn't have bookmarks, which probably aren't too useful in a short piece like this, but it does have hyperlinks.  Some, admittedly, are links back to the Kenzerco website, but most of them are aids to navigate the adventure.  I love me some hyperlinks, and I think they are well done for the most part.  Heck, even the maps have hyperlinks back to the room descriptions.

The maps are excellent BTW.  Nice use of B&W line drawings.

As for the adventure itself, it looks like a fun adventure for a Halloween themed nite of gaming.  Still, I suspect it might be a tough for a party on the low end of the 5-7 level range.  As Hackmaster Basic only goes to level 5, the whole party will be on the low end at this point.  Any news on when Hackmaster Advanced is coming out?

From the blurb:


"The long hours on the road have left you yearning for a good night’s rest at your favorite way station. Decent food, a clean bed and live entertainment have never sounded so good – especially so with those storm clouds looming on the horizon, mounting winds and periodic raindrops heralding some fouler weather to come. The warm glow of a fire and a hot meal will be welcome, but where is the wait staff?”


Dusk of the Dead is a new HackMaster adventure featuring a variety of challenges designed for four to six 5th to 7th level player characters.

Detailing a haunted location off the beaten path, Dusk of the Dead may be used by itself as a stand-alone one-shot adventure or easily placed anywhere in the wilderness of an ongoing campaign. Located in the wilderness near Frandor’s Keep, just off the Borderland Road, Dusk of the Dead may also be employed as a follow-on for characters completing the Frandor’s Keep mini-campaign and/or as an add-on or segue into the Mines of Chaos series of adventures. The adventure contains a myriad of hooks and ideas for introducing players to the scenario as well as follow-on integration for on-going play with Frandor’s Keep, the local towns of Vew and Sabden, as well as direct connections to the City-State of P’Bapar.

Like all Kenzer and Company products, Dusk of the Dead was designed with you in mind. The PDF is designed both for traditional use on a PC or to print out on your own as well as being optimized for tablet use with internal hyperlinks that allow you to tap on a map and jump right to the description or to follow other internal references direct to the relevant page! We prepare all the details so you can spend less time flipping pages (real or virtually) and more time gaming. Gamemastering has never been so easy or so much fun!

Dusk of the Dead also features maps and illustrations by Knights of the Dinner Table's favorite cartographer Craig Zipse!

Hi, I'm Felt... Feltothraxis

Yep, Feltothraxis is his name...oh!

Alright, maybe you can't squeeze the name into the "Bingo" song, but it is the winner.  The Nameless Dragon is now named "Feltothraxis".  Long live the Dragon!

Sully was a strong second ;)

JDJarvis suggested Feltothraxis.  JD, drop me an email at trubluniteATgmailDOTcom with the email you use at OneBookShelf and I'll forward it on to the lads at OneBookShelf for your $10 gift certificate.  It may take a day or two as this is the weekend.

Matthew W. Schmeer suggested Sully.  Matt, send me your OneBookShelf email and I'll hook you up with a copy of Bean! The D2 RPG in PDF.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.  Thanks to all that voted.  Thanks to everyone that has watch the little fella on video.  More to come from Feltothraxis ;)

In a Few Hours The Dragon's True Name Will Be Known

As I type this, the Name the Nameless Dragon Poll has about 9 hours left.  With Sully conceding, it looks like Feltothraxis will be the dragons "true name", with all rewards and responsibilities regarding such falling on the submitter of the name (damn, that sounds like true "legalese"... heh), assuming no one successfully mounts a challenge over the next few hours.

It ain't over 'till it's over... but it's probably over ;)

Everything I Needed to Know, A Dragon Taught Me

This contest has taken a life of it's own. I may need to quote from some of the best comments to make sure the posters get the attention (and laughs) they deserve once this runs it's course.

I believe the poll ends sometime tomorrow. I should be able to announce the winners sometime tomorrow evening / sunday morning the latest.

It looks to be a two dragon race between Ullduthindor and Sully, but I do expect this to go down to the wire.

Soon the Dragon shall have a name ;)

Mini Review - Crusader # 25 (Castles & Crusades)

Sometimes you need to take a break.  Sometimes you need a reboot.  Crusader #25 seems to be both.  Long time readers of this blog should remember my previous posts of the Crusader Magazine under the auspices of James Ward.  I was far from kind.

Move ahead to now, and I am very suprised.  This is most certainly not the Crusader that I learned to louth and, lets face it, you probably felt the same with those issues too.

This is a new magazine.

Forget the News & Culture section.  Interesting, but all of the articles are dated.

The Gen Con article?  It's alright.

Dropping Into Adventure: An Unorthodox Approach to Beginning a Dungeon Crawl - my God!  A real article in an issue of Crusader!  It's decent too.

Movie, game and book reviews.  Eh, nothing special.

New Class for C&C:  The Pankratiast - A Western Monk.  This isn't the Crusader I knew and hated.  This is a real resource.  This is also a decent class.

A Stairway to the Gods.  An honest to God adventure.  In Crusader.  What is the world coming to?

Historical Footnotes.  Classic armor and weapons for Mesopotamia.  Nice illustrations.  Useful article.  In Crusader.  I'm still stunned.

There's some other stuff: fiction, a deity write up, new magic items, comics...

Useful, interesting, well written, articles that aren't just advertisements for the C&C product line... Crusader 25 is a keeper in my book.

A Tight Race in the Name the Nameless Dragon Poll

Holy Democracy Batman! We've had over 75 voters so far for the Name the Nameless Dragon Poll. Every morning I wake up and I'm very pleasantly surprised at the votes that have been tallied overnite.

The current vote leader is Sully with 20 votes, Feltothraxis in a close second place with 17 and Ullduthindor still in the race with 14 votes.

If you haven't cast your vote(s) yet, do so. The poor dragon needs a name and only YOU can choose it! ;)

Make 'Em Walk the Plank!

I just started reading the latest RPGNow.com newsletter. Sean Fannon (he who writes it) often has some nice thoughts he puts down on paper but this one has some priceless thoughts on e-book publishing. One piece really sticks out to me:

Forget pirates. Seriously. Forget about them entirely. There is NO percentage in wasting any time on the matter. Any stringent efforts you make to combat pirates will only serve to annoy and drive away your legitimate customers. The music industry first proved all of this for us, and our own experiences have born the truth out utterly. Measures that do not impact your customer experience in any way are reasonable; anything else hurts more than helps. The most important truth here is that legitimate customers WANT to be legitimate customers; pirates are NOT lost sales. :: end quote

I wonder if WotC will ever see things in this light?

Color Me Surprised!

The Name the Nameless Dragon Poll seems to have taken on a life of it's own.  At least 3 fellow bloggers are putting on a "get out the vote" movement.  Believe it or not, this is as much fun for me as it is for you.  Heck, I had to stop reading the blog at work for fear of laughing out loud at my desk.

All that and Conan O'Brien stopped by the building I work in trying to do a skit of sorts... he hijacked a Chinese Food delivery guy and was going to deliver the food himself.  Only problem is it was food going to my Lt. and myself.  She was very surprised, very annoyed and long story short we didn't get our order after she turned around and walked away.  Maybe I should have asked Conan for a few naming suggestions ;)

Holy Sheep!

Just curious, but has anyone found they needed a detailed write up of "sheep" in their campaign? I only ask because at the moment "Sheep" is in the top 5 hottest at RPG now. (on the right sidebar of this blog)

Those sheep can be really dangerous!

Sad Dragon Needs a Name

Just a quick update on the Naming the Nameless Dragon Poll. We currently have 43 readers that have cast votes with 3 days to go... nicely done! Keep 'em coming.

Feltothraxis has a bit of a "grass roots" movement behind it and is currently in the lead with 10 votes, followed by Sully, Tenkasarus and Ulduthindor in the top 3 spots.

With 3 days left to vote, it's still anyone's guess ;)

X-plorers Boxed Set X2

I got my 2 boxes of the X-plorers Boxed Set - #52 and #60 of 200.  Pretty damn cool!

One minor quibble - the maps are awesome but they don't want to lay flat - they were shipped rolled and want to stay such.  Folding them would have been painful, I'm sure, but I've already creased them trying to get them to stay flat.  Like I said, very minor complaint.

I noticed one typo - a reference to a "strength bonus" on page 30, which is obviously a hold over from the  OGL rules X-plorers is built upon (it should be referring to Physique, which is combination of Strength and Constitution).  I only noticed this as page 30 is the first page I opened at and started reading right away.

Anyhow, very high quality boxed set, but I expected nothing less from Brave Halfling Publishing.

The Power of Democracy in Naming a Dragon

I'm looking at the numbers for the Name the Nameless Dragon Poll and I'm pretty impressed. We have 27 readers that have voted thus far (if you haven't yet voted, please do!) and we have 4 days left in the voting process. Pretty cool!

As voters can cast more then 1 vote, the total votes cast is more then 27, but we can point out the vote leaders in the currently tight race:

Sully has 6 votes
Feltothraxis has 5 votes
Tenkasarus and Uldurthindor are tied for third with 4 votes each.

Every entry has at least one vote and the race is far from decided.

Vote and vote often (or at least once, but for all the choices that strike your fancy)

Free - OSRIC Player's Guide

Not to be confused the with the OSRIC Player's Reference, which came out a week and a half ago and lasted less then half that time before being pulled (improper use of copyrighted artwork), the OSRIC Player's Guide is the Player's Handbook for OSRIC.

Since OSRIC includes all of the AD&D 1e material that has been seen fit to re-image and print (both virtually and otherwise), the OSRIC Player's Guide strips out all of the stuff you might not want your players getting their grubby little hands on.

Pick a Name, Any Name!

I've been having run with the Unnamed Dragon, but I suspect you could tell that from the videos ;) The poll is up through the end of the week. You can vote for more then one name if you would like. The poster of the poll winning name gets the $10 OneBookShelf gift certificate. The runner up will be gifted a copy of Bean! The D2 RPG. Gotta love your beans.

Greg, he of boundless energy and limitless vision, has granted me a peek of the Alpha of his latest project. I'm going to try and get some reading in tonight after the contractor comes to give us an estimate on the kitchen renovations and some other stuff.

Fall Has Arrived

I don't know what the temperature was when I left for work this morning somewhere around 645, but it's now nearly 930 and it's only 53 degrees outside. Brrrr.

Since I'm still in the summer mindset, I'm wearing a short sleeve shirt. No jacket. Not I. No sir-ee!

I think I need to unpack one for tomorrow morning tho ;)

Sometimes You Have Luck, Sometimes Luck Has You

Sorry, I'm watching the Jets have some get their collective azzes handed to them, and it reminds me of the games where no matter what I did, the dice were against me.  If it was a board game, I knew when to admit defeat.  In an RPG session, those days were painful.  There was no bowing out, you were in it to the bitter end.  Bad rolls often led to bad playing, as the frustration was contagious.

As a Jets fan, I'm taking this for what it is:  an excuse to go to bed early tonight ;)

Unearthed, But Best Forgotten? Castle Perilous from West Wind Simulations (1980)

My God!  I rediscovered this earlier today.  I remember the cover, but the contents I don't recall at all.  Copyright 1980, this is one heck of a Fantasy Heartbreaker.  At this point in my life, I don't think I could get myself to read it even if it was food for the blog.

15 of it's 70 pages are devoted to a short story, which means the rules fit into 55.  But that's okay, as the author mentions they have books II to X awaiting printing and production.  Somehow I don't think I'd be able to track those down even if I wanted to.

It just uses 3D6 for combat resolution.  I can see some D&Disms in it as I flip around, but the system does seem fairly unique.  It's just that I'm much less into charts at this stage in my life then when I came into this hobby 30 odd years ago.

More Treasures Uncovered - Role-Playing Mastery and The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games

I never even realized that I owned Role-Playing Mastery by EGG himself and the Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games by Rick Swan.  TCGTRPGs was apparently bought at Odd-Job for 88 cents.

They were packed away for at least 10 years.  It feels like I've discovered OSR Gold.  I'm actually more excited about finding The Complete Guide to RPGs then RP Mastery.  I need to find which of these out of print games are worth while tracking down ;)

The Unnamed Dragon FINALLY Reviews The Tome of Horrors Complete for Swords & Wizardry

Well, the Unnamed (as of yet) Dragon finally got around to reviewing The Tome of Horrors Complete for Swords & Wizardry.  He didn't have an easy time with it (as you can see in the bloopers at the end of the clip) and I think he refers to it as The Tome of Horrors for Swords & Wizardry Complete, but what do you want, he's just a dumb dragon!  heh

You still have time to enter the Name the Dragon Contest.  Entries close around 6pm NYC time tomorrow, October 2, 2011.  Enter as many names as you would like, but only one will be entered into the poll to decide the winner(s).

Defining the Kindreds in Tunnels & Trolls - The Basics - Fairies

I'm half tempted to try and find my Hackmaster rule book to see how they handle fairies, but that is boxed and stacked in some random storage box and it will be at least a month before I can pick through them.  Still, I'm fairly sure the guys at Kenzer had the Tunnels & Trolls Fairy in mind when they added the class to Hackmaster.

The T&T 7e rules have nothing to say about fairies with the exception of the Attribute Modifiers.  The T&T 5e rules mention that fairies can fly, but become too overburdened to fly if carrying over half heir weight capacity.  Armor shouldn't be an issue in weighing them down, as they are 1/10th the height of humans and 1/1000th.  So if we say that specially crafted fairy armor is about 1/10 the weight of human armor, it shouldn't hold them back much in the armor department.  Still, a fairly forced to walk does so at a speed of 1/4 compared to the standard races... they just can't keep up with their extremely short legs.

Weapons are an issue.  Coming in around 6" in height, a 3" blade would be a challenge to wield effectively.  Again, customized weapons would be needed for the fairly to arm themselves.  The damage from these weapons would be piss poor.  Let's say 1d6-3 for the low end weapons and 1d6 or 1d6+1 for a two handed weapon.

Pricing of the above is the same as standard sized armor and weapons.  Just because it's smaller doesn't make it easier to create, and the demand isn't there for most smiths to keep these items in stock.

There is no restriction on making a Warrior or Rogue fairy, but survival would be an issue in the early levels.  In T&T 7.5e, the low STR and CON have an opportunity to increase fast, so the low initial starting attributes won't be much of a hinderance IF you can survive the first few gaming sessions.  Certainly NOT a viable choice for any of the Tunnels & Trolls solos I can think of.  Squish factor is too damn high ;)

Win a $10 Gift Certificate to OneBookShelf - Just Name My Dragon to Enter

Just a reminder that yesterday's contest is going on through Sunday evening, at which point entries will be closed and then poll will be posted.  The winner of the poll gets the $10 gift certificate, and the name they entered for the dragon in the video attaches to him permanently.  I might add another prize or two for the runner ups.

Isn't he just cute?  :)

Tweaking the Tunnels & Trolls Kindreds - The Elf

What can I say about the elf? If you've seen the LotR movie trilogy, you have an idea what they look like. In Tunnels and Trolls, I'm surprised that they don't get a positive modifier to Dexterity. They are just as agile, and a bit less hardy then humans. They do make up for it with positive modifiers to Int, Luck, Wiz and Cha.

Hmmmm.... I would say they make an excellent choice for a Wizzie or a Rogue. Go figure. A spell casting elf.

What kind of tweaks do the elves get? Well, lets give them cat's eyes. Not only do their eyes resemble those of cats, but they also work like those of cats, enabling elves to see nearly as well by starlight as they do by daylight. Additionally, elves are skilled at moving silently and stealthily through forests and the like. Allow them to get within 20 yards of others who aren't actively looking for them in a forest setting without requiring any SRs. Closer then 20 yards, or against foes that are actively looking for them, require the elf to make a SR against Luck. The standard SR is level 2, but depending on the counter measures and type of forest (lots of dead leaves on the forest floors, few trees to hide behind, etc) the GM should increase the SR to the appropriate level.

Dragons and Cats Oh My!

Alright, technically one dragon hand puppet and one cat.  My intention was to do a short review of The Tome of Horrors Complete for Swords & Wizardry, but my cat was hogging up the stage.  So, I improvised.

In any case, the dragon needs a name (the cat already has one).

Add your thoughts in the comments below.  I'll then take the suggestions and put them in a poll at the end of the weekend.  The name that wins the poll at the end of next week is the dragon's new name AND the original poster gets a $10 gift certificate to OneBookShelf / RPGNow / DriveThruRPG.  How's that for fun?

You can enter more then one suggestion, but only one will make the poll (my choice).

Mini Review - ST1: Temple of the Horned Goddess (Labyrinth Lord)

Sometimes you want to eat gourmet.  Sometimes you want fast food.  Temple of the Horned Goddess is decent fast food at an excellent price.

What does one get for their 2 bucks?  24 pages (plus front and back covers) of adventure for a Labyrinth Lord party around 4th or 5th level.  You get a town map, a surrounding area map and 2 small dungeon locations.  You also get some pre-rolled PCs, making this a decent choice for a Game Day or Con game, or just use them to add to your stable of NPCs.  Oh, and 2 new monsters for your Monster Catalogue, or whatever the youngsters are calling it these days.  Not a bad deal for an evening's entertainment.

From the blurb:


The mining village of Hardin's Point is in desperate need of some help. They have been constantly harassed by strange creatures from the jungle. Several adventure and mercenary parties have journeyed into the jungle to take on the threats but have yet to return. Mining operations and trade have almost come to a standstill. Do you have what it takes to find the source of the attacks and end the threat.?
Temple of the Horned Goddess is a Labyrinth Lord/AEC adventure. Designed for 4-5th level characters, the adventure can be placed in any generic fantasy setting. Created by Knightvision Games
This Module includes:

• Over 25 pages spanning overland and dungeon encounters 
• Map for the Village of Hardin's Point 
• Overland maps of the surrounding jungle and the Skinks lair. 
• Detailed maps of the Temple of the Horned Goddess
• New monsters to challenge the PCs
• New magical items and weapons

It's All in the Way You Say It

As a GM, do you use accents and unique voices for your NPCs?

Back in the days of weekly (or more often) gaming, I would try to instill certain NPCs with unique voices. I felt it made them more memorable, and judging from my player's reactions, it did.

I used it mostly with shopkeepers and such that I knew they would deal with repeatedly. Yeah, the stereotypical Scottish brogue for the Dwarven Armorer, a kid's voice for the Halfling Thieves Guildmaster, a German accent for the Bartender of their favorite tavern... stuff like that.

Needless to say, there were times I got my voices crossed, and they would always call me out on it when it happened ;)

Still, it was fun and effective. Then again, I have a bad habit of talking in accents ;)

Scheduling the Re-scheduled Renovations

Renovations should be back on track shortly. We rescheduled the contractor to come in and give us an estimate for this coming Monday (the future Mrs. Tenkar has increased her mobility, but is far from fully mobile). Which means I need to get back to cleaning and throwing stuff out. Fun ;)

I need to start cleaning out my son's old room (previously mine, and still lots of RPG stuff in the top of the closet). There still might be a few gems to re-find this weekend.

If all goes well, I'll have my X-plorers Boxed Set waiting for me when I get home from work on Tuesday. Fun stuff.

Oh, and Monday MAY be my first day in my new office at work. Or it may not. I find personnel moves take their own sweet time at my job, with little rhyme or reason as to their timeliness. When it happens, it will be a good move. I'll be inheriting a very competent staff, which solves 90% of any possible issues right off the bat. ;)

Gaming With Hand Puppets - Is It a Sign of the Coming Apocalypse?

I had a conversation with a coworker yesterday and the subject of hand puppets came up.  Alright, it came up because we were discussing video blog posts, so it didn't just "pop up".  The thing is, as interesting as I find the use of hand puppets in a video blog post (you have been warned) it got me thinking about the use of them in a standard table top RPG session.  Mostly by the DM for the occasional NPC.

I found knights and dragons, and with an average price less then 20 bucks a pop it's actually affordable.  The question is, has anyone tried this before?  Is anyone willing to admit that they tried this before? ;)

It's may be kinda silly, but I think it could work with the right group (and correct game system)

The Power of Words

Ever since the NYPD's Police Commissioner made his statement on 60 Minutes about the NYPD's ability to take down an aircraft, the news media has been abuzz.

What weapons will they use? Does the NYPD have surface to air missiles? Armed aircraft? Who gave them the authority to shoot down aircraft?

Commissioner Kelly never stated the NYPD could shoot down an airliner, just that the department has the means to take down an aircraft. A lucky shot from a .50 caliber rifle could do it. Maybe you could force down a 2 seater prop plane with a helicopter, but there is no way the NYPD is taking down a highjacked jetliner. That's a simple fact.

Still, the media filled in the blanks, even if they filled them in wrong. I'm sure your gaming group would do the same.

Rarely, if ever, give them a defined threat to work against. Leave it vague enough that they can make their own assumptions. Most of those assumptions will be wrong. Many of them will make the threat seem more fearsome them it really is.

Isn't that the whole point anyway? If the players are to believe the "cardboard tiger" it's always best to let them construct it themselves. They know it is real, as they built it ;)

It Ain't Heavy, It's My Tome of Horrors

I'm still in awe of the hardcover version of the Tome of Horrors. The sucker is huge and heavy. It compares very favorably to a nice sized single volume encyclopedia is size and weight.

According to an email I received last night, my X-plorers boxed set should be shipping shortly. Sweet!

The fiancee was nice enough to ask me where I'll be storing all the new goodies I've ordered. I reminded her I already bought the shelving ;)

Defining the Kindreds in Tunnels and Trolls - The Basics - Dwarves

Our next Kin to take a look at is Dwarves.  When we get to the Dwarves, we get a race that is decent at a combat role, but little else about them is defined at all.  Lets remedy that just a bit.

Our Dwarves our going to conform the the fantasy standard.  Grim and dour, loyal companions and dangerous enemies.  Dwarves have taught them self a sense of sonar detection for traveling in the dark underworld.  By clicking their tongues or tapping their hammers to stone, they can get a fairly accurate 3D image of their surroundings.  Tongue clicks are good for about 20' in distance, hammer tapping is good for about 40 yards, but the noise can attract unwanted attention.

Dwarves have mortal enemies in most, if not all, of the Trollish races.  They often share the same habitat and have little use for the other.  Dwarves are no match for trolls one on one, so the dwarves have taken on the tactic of swarming their foe.  For the stout folk, numbers make all the difference.  When fighting trolls, for every dwarf that outnumbers the trollish enemy, add 1D6 to the dwarf side's combat adds.

For example - 10 dwarves are fighting 2 trolls - the dwarves get to add 8 dice to their combat adds for their side (not each).  Dwarves are not above luring lone trolls to a quick death under the weight of their numbers.

Elves are the next to be tweaked...

I Got My Tome of Horrors Complete Today!

Yep, The Tome of Horrors Complete (Swords & Wizardry) was waiting for me when I arrived home today.  About the only gaming book I can attempt to compare it to is Ptolus.

It is a massive book.  I am eager to start thumbing thru it.  Expect a video blog starring the ToHC in the next day or two.

Tweaking the Tunnels & Trolls Kindreds - The Methods to My Madness

Captain Obvious made a good point in the comments section of the previous post. Why not ditch the multiplier to the Kindred stats and just increase the dice rolled and take the best three?

I did think of doing something similar, but at the core of this exercise is a desire to minimize change. The tweaks I'll be suggesting can be overlaid on the existing rules. If you don't like my suggestions, or just like some and not others, use what you want and ditch the rest. It won't break anything, or at least it shouldn't.

I'm not looking to rewrite the Kindreds. Well, actually, I couldn't, as except for the ability modifiers there is little if anything to rewrite. So I'm keeping the modifiers as is and working from there.

I hope that makes sense.

Defining the Kindreds in Tunnels and Trolls - The Basics - Humans

Why would anyone want to be a human in Tunnels & Trolls?  Every other kindred will average higher attributes due to multipliers.  Now, I know it isn't all about "min-maxing", but the inequality is pretty ridiculous if you ask me.  It's even more noticeable with the 7.5e rules, where level is based on highest attribute divided by 10.

My house rule for Humans?  Roll 2 dice before you start rolling your attributes and put them aside.  These  2 dice can be used to replace any 2 individual dice you may roll generating your stats.  Once they are used they are disposed off.  In the 7.5e rules, they can be used to create a TARO result (Triples Are Rolled Over and added).

The extra dice are due to the inherent adaptability of humans.  Humans can be found in the coldest steppes, the hottest jungles and nearly every climate in-between.  From city dwellers to farmers, soldiers to  wizards, if there is a role to fill, a job to be done, a human has probably done it.

Tomorrow, we tweak the Dwarves...

Victim of Real Life Thieving Skills

I didn't sleep well last nite. The dog was having some bathroom issues, and i had to let her out three times over nite so she could take care of business. And she still had a small problem in the room which I found when I woke up. So, needless to say, I wasn't in an awesome mood when I left the house to go to work.

My mood got worse when I reached my car. Some low life piece of sh!t broke into my car! Now, they didn't break a window or damage a lock. They had skills (or a master key). They apparently didn't let the car alarm phase them (as I had the AC on last nite, I never heard it). Well, "they" is a probably a singular "he" and safe bet they are a habitual drug user. He moved quickly, emptying the glove compartment, center console, passenger side door map storage area and the damn change holder on the driver's side.

Net loss? A three year old GPS and maybe 10 bucks in change.

Still leaves me pissed off.

I will take my blessings as I can. No damage to the car or locks. He was professional, as only a thief can be.

Defining the Kindreds in Tunnels & Trolls - Finding the Start Button

I've been talking a lot of crap this past weekend about the need for a setting for the Tunnels & Trolls RPG.  The thing is, before you can even get to the world at large, you need to know what actually resides there.  In the T&T rules, no matter the edition, the different kindreds (or races) are no more then a list of attribute modifiers.  It is assumed that you know enough about the different kindreds to make the proper choice for your roleplaying and gaming needs.  That doesn't work for me.  

Grabbing from the list in the 7.5e rules the following is the list of "Common" Kindreds:

Human - easy enough to identify with, it could still use a grounding in the fictional setting it will be used in.  Aren't even listed in the chart

Dwarf - again, easy enough to get a handle of, but could use tweaks beyond just attribute adjustments.  We do know he stands about 4' tall

Elf - there are many kinds of elves.  we could assume a "standard" High Elf from D&D type

Fairy - about 7" tall and can fly... or so the drawing shows

Hobb - think Hobbit or Halfling.  3' tall

Leprechauns - uhm, I think we would have to pass on the classic green outfit and hat.  They do get access to a Wink-Wing spell that they can do w/o magical training, but it also says they are all Wizards.  Go figure.

So, of the above, the Leprechauns have 2 sentences devoted to them.  The rest?  Nada.  And those are just the common kindred.

I need to define the kindreds before I can even think of designing any part the world.  I think I just stepped into a project...

The Free OSR List Mini Review - Mazes & Minotaurs

Do you member the classic Marvel Comic's series What If?  What If Spiderman had joined the X-Men type of story.  Well, Mazes & Minotaurs is an RPG What If.

What if the first RPG didn't dray it's mythology from Tolkien, King Arthur and other fantasy sources but instead drew upon Greek mythology.  The result is Mazes & Minotaurs.

It helps if buy into the "alternate timeline" when you go to the website ;)

It is a well done, alternative style RPG.  I can see bits of D&D, Tunnels & Trolls and Runequest in the rules we are given.  (Not to mention the cover to the M&M Companions is ripped from Avalon Hill RQ... but it's a fun rip).

From the blurb:

As most of you probably remember, the year 1972 saw the release of MAZES & MINOTAURS, the first ever-published fantasy roleplaying game, opening a new era of heroic adventure and mythic odysseys…

Fifteen years later, in 1987, Legendary Games Studio published a fully revised, streamlined and expanded version of M&M (which became known as Revised Mazes & Minotaurs or RM&M for short) in the form of three core books (the Players Manual, the Maze Masters Guide and the massive Creature Compendium) and a fourth optional book (the M&M Companion), all with full-color covers and quality B&W interior art.

In 2007, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this mythic event, the resurrected Legendary Games Studio is happy to bring you Revised Mazes & Minotaurs in PDF format (yes, the whole four books !)… FOR FREE. 

Football or Blogging - What is a Man to Do?

The Jets - Raiders game has been pretty exciting so far.  I'm hoping the Jets can pull this one off but time will tell.

I'm having way too many Tunnels & Trolls thoughts at the moment.  Crap is distracting me from football damn it!  Good thoughts tho'.  I'll see if they lead anywhere.

Maybe What Tunnels & Trolls Needs Is a Setting

You need to forgive me, but Tunnels & Trolls is burning it's way through my blood these past few days and I'm still on the T&T kick.

So, here's the latest thought:  Would T&T be best served if there was an actual "setting" for the game?  By this, I'm looking at The World of Greyhawk and The Forgotten Realms over on the D&D side of the equation.  During the course of most of D&D's history, one setting or the other has been the default setting for the vast majority of RPG campaigns that have been in existance.  What does Tunnels & Trolls have to offer?

TrollWorld.

There isn't really much you can do with TrollWorld as written to place a campaign in that setting, as there is very little there.  The Fragmentary History of TrollWorld isn't much of a help either.  So there really isn't a default setting to use with T&T, unless one wishes to port one over from D&D.  Which is fine, except that you would need to cut out a majority of the available races for T&T.  Not much of a loss, as most of them just exist on the Racial Adjustment Chart for Stat Multipliers - there is no write up for most of them.

Which leads to yet another thought.  Do we need all of the racial options for character generation that Tunnels & Trolls gives us or can we pare the list?  Or should we flesh out the list with actual descriptions, habitat and the likes for the creatures listed?

If we design a setting for Tunnels & Trolls, how far should one step away from the old default of the standard D&D type world?  Or should it be like Glorantha, very much it's unique self?

T&T adventures tend to have more "silly" elements then other types of fantasy RPGs do.  Is that because of the setting that is inferred, or the system?  Or "just because"?

A Step Closer to the Rest of My Life

Last night and today was Pre Cana, the ritual Catholic test of stamina / prior to marriage class.  The future Mrs. Tenkar and I survived (which wasn't easy, as Rachel's broken foot and sprained opposite ankle really hampered mobility, but I digress).

Last night's history lesson was fairly convoluted... I'm sure the priest knew where he was going but I didn't (and I was a history major).

Today, the couple that gave the class were very nice, although the wife's accent was heavy enough that I drifted off to gaming thoughts when she read or spoke.  Probably not what the big guy upstairs wanted from me, but the other option was breaking out the iPad, and we were told that was verboten right from the start... sigh.

In any case, I was wondering if an Illusionist class could be built for the Swords and Wizardry rules within the OGL.  I know there were reasons the class was kept out, which boiled down to not being able to stay true to the original D&D class within the bounds of the OGL, but just like the Bard class, there has to be a viable and acceptable variant out there, even if I have to write it myself.

Then I bounced to the question of "what exactly would make Tunnels & Trolls more acceptable as a traditional group RPG?"  Would it be a setting?  Sandbox or detailed local setting?  Maybe an adventure path.

I got my certificate AND I did some gaming brainstorming.  Not too bad a day ;)

Further Thoughts on the Viability of the Tunnels & Trolls System For Group Play

I got some really thoughtful responses to yesterday's post, and now I'm here with a need to elaborate on my previous thoughts (and possibly repeat myself).

Tunnels & Trolls, as written, assumes that the rules will be used in "Group Play".  Most of the rulebook is geared to group play.

The saving roll mechanism introduced in later editions needs a GM's interpretation as to is applicability and use.  It's only useful in group play.

Most of the spells in T&T assume group play.  Heck, the vast majority of solos don't allow for spell casting - generally speaking, they need to have a spell matrix to refer to allow for most spell use.

Solo play is a warrior's game.  Which means you can chuck about half of the rulebook if you're going solo.  Actually, solo play needs nothing more then the T&T Free Quickstart rules.  Ever.  Seriously, who's going to make it past 5th level playing HONESTLY through T&T solos?

It's not that it doesn't work well as a solo game.  T&T EXCELS as a solo game.  It's just as viable as a group play rpg, but that part often gets overlooked by the solo aspect.

Flying Buffalo is the major culprit here, as it took square aim at the solo market years ago and pretty much defined T&T as a solo game to the RPG masses.  It may have good business decision at the time, but the long term repercussion is that a game written for group play was never truly supported for group play.

Players are generally introduced to the RPG hobby by other players.  T&T as a solo game does not lend itself to introducing others to the hobby.  The 5e rules are pretty poorly organized, and probably wouldn't make for a great game to introduce new players without some experienced handholding, but the 7.5e rules are much clearer to understand (even if T&T enthusiasts like to argue the pros and cons between editions, in the end the gameplay is nearly identical) and would make for a nice introduction to the hobby.

Tunnels & Trolls could be a tool to add players to the RPG fold in general.  I'm glad to see that there will be a steady release of GM adventures for T&T in the near future.  Most of the currently available ones are on the "tho shalt not patronize list".  I hope Peryton and some other publishers can bring some fresh life to an enjoyable game system.

Will Solo Play Be the Slow Death of Tunnels & Trolls?

Tunnels & Trolls has always had a pretty secure hold of the "solo play" corner of the RPG hobby.  It really is what T&T is known for.  The thing is, treating it as a solo only system, or a solo first system, really shrinks your pool of potential players (and customers).

It isn't just perception that T&T is aimed at solo play even though the rules are written with group play in mind.  Look at the adventures published by Flying Buffalo.  Dungeon of the Bear and Isle of Darksmoke are the only GM adventures I can think of off the top that FBI put out.  The list of FBI solos is huge.

Mike Hill pretty much wrote about the same in the editorial of The Hobbit Hole issue #12: "... if T&T is to grow, writers should turn their attention from the potentially self-indulgent solo arena and back to the group."  (thanks to the Trollgod for mailing it out so quickly)

Just think... if you want to play solo, computer games and console games are king, even for RPGs.  Group play excels on the table top, whether it is real or virtual.  Solo play with T&T is going to be targeting a smaller and smaller audience.

Fans of Tunnels & Trolls will be best served if writers would move from solos to GM / group play adventures.  With many gamers dissatisfied with D&D 4e, now is a good time to present an alternative that is easier to learn and play.  

The Walking Dead - Season 1 - Revisted

So, last nite I introduced the future Mrs Tenkar to The Walking Dead TV Series. We watched the first episode and holy crap she got into it ;)

It was my second time watching and I found myself catching things this time around that I missed the first time - such as the fact that the bodies piled around the hospital had all been shot in the head.

In the midst of the all the excitement, her dog and my cat were getting to know each other, with the dachshund sniffing my girl from less then a foot away. My cat just laid there. I guess the good thing about Rachel breaking her foot was forcing the pets to spend more time together. The Lord works in mysterious ways sometimes ;)

Free - OSRIC Player's Reference (OSRIC)

You know how OSRIC is basically all 3 of the core 1E rule books packed into one book?  Sometimes you don't want your players having access to more then the rules that apply to them.  No monster lists, no magic item charts.  Just classes, spells and the like.

Well, here you go.  Player's Stuff only!

From the blurb:

People have asked for it, and now its out. The OSRIC Players Reference book! This book has all the player information ONLY in this book. So its safe for players to have at the table to read! Approved by Stuart Marshall!

Bits & Pieces

Tim Shorts - I have a PDF copy of Knockspell #6 waiting for you.

I need to train my fiancee's miniature dachshund to stop pooping in the house. She'll pee on a pad, but poop where ever. As the lady can't walk the dog these days, I need the pooch to poop when I walk her before and after I work.

Tonight is The Walking Dead Season 1 on DVD Nite. Saweet! Rachel has yet to see an episode.

The TrollGod himself sent me some past issues of the Hobbit Hole fanzine / magazine for Tunnels & Trolls. Good stuff in there. Hopefully I can talk about them in the next few days without the negativity attached to the later issues.

Did I mention I am anxiously awaiting my my preorders?

Looking For an RPG That is Fun to Read and Fun to Play

Well, the future Mrs. Tenkar is grounded for at least the next two weeks.  Which means I need to find an RPG that is entertaining to read, easy to comprehend and works well in a small group (or even one on one).

Sure, I put her thru a Tunnels & Trolls solo last year (I ran it like a one on one type adventure) and she had fun, but didn't have a grasp of the rules.  I figure now is a perfect time to find an RPG that she can check out in her abundant free time.  PDF format is a bonus, as she enjoys using her iPad to read.

Open for suggestions.

Heck, I might even own some of the ones you might suggest.

Mix and Match - Building the Perfect System, or Not

As I await the arrival of some of my pre-orders (most notably the X-Plorers Boxed Set on the Tome of Horrors Complete) I'm set to do a more through read of the Adventurer Conqueror King System, specifically the campaign rules.

The way I see most of the Old School / D20ish rules that have been released, they are fairly modular in nature. You can pick and choose subsystems fairly liberally between them, mix and match, and with a little tweaking you can have a mish mash of rules that do your bidding.

I really like S&W Complete. It feels closer to the AD&D rules that we used to play with then even OSRIC does.

I also like LotFP's Weird Fantasy. Not so much the rules (I understand what Raggi was going for, but it does not fit my style of play) but the GM advice and such.

The Secret Fire has a few things I want to lift, 'tho I'm not sure it would be the core I would build off of. TSF is something I'd have to run as is to run it well.

ACKS feels fairly close to S&W Complete to my eyes, and I think I could bounce back and forth between the two fairly seamlessly.

Why the hell can't I think of running a game without mixing or houseruling? Heh

And the Winners Are... (Tell Me About Your Favorite Bard Contest)

I lost track of which day of the week today was.  It's actually Tuesday.  Which means I have to pick the winners of Tell Me About Your Favorite Bard Contest.

Hmmm... I get to pick one and roll for the other.

My pick is... ::drumroll:: Tim Shorts - I loved the write up.  Thomas the Mad Minstrel did the Bard Class proud.

The random pick is  ::Rachel Rolls a d10 (divided by 2):: the result is 3 - kelvingreen is the second winner.

Tim and kelvin - email me at erik AT trublunite DOT net and let me know what email address you use at DriveThruRPG / RPGNow so I can gift you both with Knockspell #6.

Thanks to all who entered.

Brokefoot Pothole

So, my wife to be broke bones in her foot AND sprained her opposite ankle when she stepped into a pothole on Sunday morning.  Not fun.  I actually wish it were me - I get unlimited sick time off from work subject to my job's doctor's approval.  I also wish it were me because I hate seeing the people I love and care for in pain.

It has put renovations on hold, as we were to bring the contractor in tomorrow to explain what we wanted done.  As the kitchen is Rachel's vision, we need her a wee bit more mobile then she currently is.  Hopefully the ankle heals significantly by this weekend and we can get an estimate done next week.

We have Pre-Canaan this weekend, the wonderful Catholic ritual that couples must go thru before marriage.  We get to have a married couple who probably have a f'd up relationship tell us how to succeed in ours.  I could get that advice at work ;)

Good news is I just picked up the DVD of The Walking Dead.  I watched it on iTunes, but this way i can watch it on the big screen TV and have Rachel watch it for the first time.  Thursday nite should be fun :)

Hindsight Is Best With a Time Machine

Its funny. When I first started branching out beyond my core AD&D books, I didn't want to buy anything that looked old and cheap. So, in the early to mid 80's, TSR modules were in, Judges Guild and the like were out.

My God but I want to kick myself these days! I'm not saying most of the old non-TSR stuff was good, but I truly can't say most of the TSR stuff was all that good either.

I missed out on the Judges Guild stuff back then, although I did grab some Mayfair and Chaosium pieces that have stood the test of time.

Ygrs? Yggrsss? Some such nonsense with a yellow cover printed 4x6 laid out by typewriter is what killed me to the smaller publishers back then. I haven't stumbled across it during my renovations yet... I probably dumped it a while back.

If I only had a time machine. I'd be buying a ton of stuff that I passed on the first time around.

Mini Review - RPG Creatures: Bestiary 1 (Generic)

Generic used to mean something resembling "lowest common denominator".  That's certainly not true RPG Creatures - Bestiary 1.  Yeah, the title of the product is fairly lame, but the contents are second to none.  I love good artwork, and this PDF is somewhere between great and amazing in art quality.  This is a PDF full of framable fantasy art pieces - there is a market for these as prints.  Or just do this as a print on demand and I'll cut out my own prints ;)

The stats for the creatures that are illustrated are generic and will need a little conversion to stat it out for your system of choice.  That shouldn't be too hard, as many of "us old schoolers" are used to converting current RPG products for our sensibilities.

Bestiary 1 isn't bookmarked - it's full of hyperlinks instead, which works wonders.  Like the pog sized portrait the Nordjarimm?  Click it and go right to the page.  Greg Christopher himself would be proud ;)

I'm really stuck at what to say.  This should really speak for itself.  The artwork is extremely strong, the writing is good and the generic stats are very useful to tweaking the monsters to your own needs.

If nothing else, check out the free preview on the RPGNow page.  It will show you better then I can what it's all about.

Mini Review - Hex Crawls 3: Beyond the Black Water (Swords & Wizardry)

Hex Crawls can lead to a wonderful campaign, if the GM is up to the task.  They are never as simple as running a prewritten adventure, but in the right hands it can lead to many sessions of gaming.  This is why I find people either loved the old Judges Guild products or they hated them - they were ingredients to create your own masterpiece, with no two campaigns ever looking the same.  Some folks want more of a a detailed list of situations.

I find myself these days really appreciating the "Hex Crawl" type of products.  They are pretty much direct opposites of what WotC puts out for their settings.  Lean, mean and lots of green (outdoors) is what I like these days.

Beyond the Black Water fits the bill of what I look for in a Hex Crawl type products - lots of adventure seeds with hexes that aren't so large as to defeat the purpose of a hex crawl.  6 miles wide is just about perfect in my opinion.  It makes for a nice, localized campaign setting

The PDF is bookmarked (as well it should be) and we get a handful of new creatures at the end, but I do have one complaint.  The map takes up about half a page.  If they had changed it's orientation to sideways, it would have been a full page and much easier to use, never mind the increased usability.  As this is a PDF product I'm looking at, they could always tack on a full page map to an update of the file.  Just an idea.

Otherwise, it's a nice setting.  Dangerous as all hell, but still nice ;)

From the blurb:


When the game was invented and sold in a little woodgrain box, the author told us a required supplement was an Avalon Hill game called Outdoor Survival. This was a wilderness survival game that consisted of a hexagonal map system that players would travel around, trying to find their way back to civilization, all the while trying not to die of thirst or get eaten by bears. This game map was used as the first wilderness "hex-crawl" for what eventually became D&D. Later, Judges Guild took this to a whole new level with the Wilderlands series. For many years, hex crawling was just the way the game was played. This series brings that back, or supplements existing games that use that system of travel.


What a hex crawl is, literally, is a wilderness sandbox of areas, encounters and villages that players travel around in. It provides no story line, just hundreds of story hooks and possibilities. An example of what this looks like that I published a few years ago can be found at:
http://www.necromancergames.com/pdf/lenap/lenap.pdf

3--Beyond Black Water
These books provide a sub-setting in your own campaign world. They populate the world, and allow you to let your players explore that world, rather than just "travel 20 days" to the dungeon. Written by John Stater of NOD fame, each of these supplements details an area with a specific theme. Monster and NPC statistics are provided for each encounter area detailed.

Among the reasons many adventurers choose to end their day in the cannibal-ridden, hurricane-savaged isles of the south is the immense distance it puts between them and the terrible land beyond the Black Water. The Black Water is a great inland sea filled with black, viscous water that sits as still as death. Nobody but a fool would willingly cross the Black Water, save for the strange men who sail the black arks, but many fools have crossed those waters in search of a lost love or a secret taken to the grave, for beyond the Black Water and its grey shores lies the icy Land of the Dead.

Doc In a Box

I took off from work today. My fiancee twisted her ankle and wrenched the opposite foot when she was walking the dog yesterday and she can barely walk. Thankfully a new walk-in emergency care facility opened nearby that takes her health insurance. If we are lucky, nothing is broken.

Still, it's giving me a chance to try out Blogger's new app as I sit and wait. It seems decent so far. For free it seems even better.

I have a feeling Rachel is going to be housebound for the rest of the week. Thank god she'll have Hulu and Netflix, as I haven't set the DishNet up in the new bedroom yet.

Ah well, I'll try squeeze in more RPG reading when I get home from here.

Mini Review - Knockspell Issue #6 (S&W / OSRIC) Part 2

Where were we in the review?  Oh, yeah, The Body in the Street.  It's a piece of fiction by Al Krombach. I was never one for short pieces of fiction, but then I started reading Solomon Kane and found I enjoy the medium.  I haven't read this piece yet, but it's on my list to read.

Ouch, My Brain Hurts! is a psionics article for S&W by Robert Lionheart.  I think Robert's first line sums my thoughts up pretty well: "Are psionics an unholy heresy or a valuable aspect of old School fantasy roleplaying?"  I'm on the fence on it myself, having experimented with it in AD&D 1E and I never found it very satisfying.  Robert's system requires PCs to sacrifice XP earned to acquire psychic powers.  It's a decent trade off for the additional power the PCs may attain.  Being that the powers are limited in the amount of uses per day, they may or not be worth the XP cost, but it may be a viable option depending on the type of campaign you plan on running.  It's a long article, and would have been a viable PDF in it's own right.

John M. Stater (best known for NOD magazine, and the man I borrowed some OGL content for my Bard class design) presents us with Catacombs of Ophir.  It's a nice little dungeon under the city-state of Ophir (itself detailed in part in NOD 2).  I don't recall a level range for it, but I'm going to guess 2-4.  Looks good, and it marks the second adventure for this issue of Knockspell.

Next up is A Duet if Bards.  The first part of this section is by Doyle Taverner.  Here he presents us with an adaptation of the original Bard class presented in The Best of the Dragon, Volume 1.  He cleans up the fuddilly bits, such as using thief abilities with heavier armor (aint happening) and spell casting in armor (also aint happening).  For me, the highlight is the page on magical instruments for bards.  Leaves me wishing I had included some, but I think Doyle gives a nice assortment to choose from.

The next part of A Duet of Bards is Tenkar's Bard.  It's short and sweet.  I like it, but then, I should ;)

Locks and Traps as a "Mini-Game" by Jim Pacek follows.  Not what I expected.  Holy Crap but I really like the system he uses.  Color me surprised, and I generally detest "mini-games in a game", but this isn't so much mini-game as a task resolution system.  It gets my "Kick Ass!" Award.  First time I've ever given one out.

Wow.  I need 3 parts for this review ;)