An Update From Alex - Dwimmermount Update # 69

I really like the rough layout version - it looks like something drawn at the gaming table

The following is Alex Macris's update for Dwimmermout from earlier tonight. If you don't know who Alex is and what kind of cred he has, it will be explained below. I've run ACKS, and even though I'm not running it now, there is a bunch of stuff from it that I've stolen borrowed for my S&W Campaign. Give the man a chance to get his sea legs before y'all try to throw him overboard ;)

Hello, everyone! This is Alex Macris writing today's update. If you read Tavis's last update, you know I'm now actively working on Dwimmermount.

Who Am I?
I had a somewhat painful realization (by way of Tenkar's Tavern) that many of you don't know who I am, having never backed any other Autarch products or visited our forums. A short introduction seems in order.

I'm the co-founder of Autarch and lead designer of its all internal products - Adventurer Conqueror King System, Player's Companion, and Domains at War, as well as the upcoming Lairs & Encounters and Auran Empire Campaign Setting. Over the past 2.5 years I've written over 500,000 words of old-school D&D-style content for Autarch. I've also been intimately involved in Dwimmermount since the beginning, having been the one who first wrote James about publishing his dungeon, before handing it over to Tavis. Since the design portion of my last project, Domains at War, is complete, it has freed up time for me to work on Dwimmermount and I will be carrying the development and editing through to completion.

What Work Am I Doing?
I am going through each chapter and appendix of the book and finishing what is called in industry parlance "development" (as compared to "design"). This is the process of fleshing out ideas that the original designer left incomplete, reviewing the material for inconsistencies or imbalances (and correcting them where they occur), and polishing the draft.

Whereas Tavis and the team had previously focused on developing the material surrounding the dungeon, I have begun with a focus on the dungeon itself. At present I am completing development of one dungeon level every two days, to date including The Path of Mavors, The Laboratory, The Reliquary, The Hall of Portals, and The Reservoir. I see no reason that this pace will not be sustainable, so I anticipate having all the dungeon levels developed on February 24th.

As each level is completed, it will be handed-off for proof-reading, then made available to you as word documents so that you can offer feedback in real-time to me about the decisions I've made. If for whatever reason I make a development decision that displeases the majority of the backers, please be assured I'll address it. Those of you who have worked with me on the other Autarch products know that I am willing to work very interactively with backers to make sure that expectations are met. (See the changes to the city mechanics in the original ACKS as an example).

What Comes After the Development of the Dungeon Levels?
Once all of the development work on the dungeon levels is complete, I will do final development on Dwimmermount's introductory chapters and appendices, to make sure that the material in the dungeon levels matches what's in those chapters. The chapters that I'll work on, and the duration I expect each to take, is noted below:

Chapter 1: Introduction (1/2 day)
Chapter 2: Setting of Dwimmermount (5 days)
Chapter 3: Adventuring in Dwimmermount (2 days)
Chapter 4: Vicinity of Dwimmermount (1/2 day)
Chapter 5: Muntburg (1/2 day)
Chapter 6: Overview of the Dungeon (2 days)
Chapter 7: Factions Within the Dungeon (2 days)
Chapters 8-20: Levels 0 - 9 (covered above)
Appendix A: New Magic Items (1/2 day)
Appendix B: New Spells (1/2 day)
Appendix C: New Monsters (1/2 day)
Appendix D: Rival Parties (1/2 day)
Appendix E: The Four Worlds (1/2 day)
Appendix F: Azoth (2 days)
Appendix G: Secrets of Turms Termax (5 days)
Appendix H: Tables (1/2 day)
Therefore it will take another 22 days. That would put completion at around March 18th. I know that I have personal and business travel coming up that will prevent me from working on this each day, so realistically I will push this back to March 30th. Each step of the way I'll be releasing the word documents so that you can see what's being done.

Once all of the development work is done, it will pass to the rest of the development team to lay it out and bring it to print. On every other product I've worked on, the writing got done before the art and maps were finished, but in this case the reverse is true and I expect a very quick turnaround. I will, however, leave it to those more expert in that side of the business to speak to the specific timeline when it gets closer.

That's all for now. Back to work for me.

More Prizes and Possible Endgame Tweak for the OSR Superstar Competition

I have received offers to add more prizes to the competition, so it will require some tweaking of the later rounds. The tweaks will only add, not subtract from the prize list (I'm working on finalizing the prizes offered and the tweaks and I suspect I'll be adding some more cash to the pool - this is what your purchases through the links here at The Tavern for RPGNow help fund)

I will allow those donating prizes to enter the competition, as their entries will be scrubbed of identifiers when they are passed on the the judges. Some of those donating for the latest round of prizes are small publishers, and I would hate to exclude them just because they are looking to add to the prize pool.

(if for some reason I'm needed to break a tie, and one of the entries is from a donating individual, I'll strong arm a temporary 4th judge as the tie breaker)

So, if you contacted me about adding to the prize pool, yes you can enter and yes you can gift. Win / Win ;)

The competition should open tomorrow :)

Session Recap for the Swords & Wizardry "B" Team as They Romped Thru "The Manor Issue #3")

Last night was another more or less monthly session for the Swords & Wizardry "B" Team. I had planned to do a session recap myself, but one of my players did a much better job than I could ever hope to do.

The session really was a blast :)

You can catch the session recap over at the Gaming Ballistic Blog.

(note, I did make some modifications to +Tim Shorts excellent adventure)

Announcing the Panel of Judges for the OSR Superstar Competition

You can't have a competition without an excellent Panel of Judges. I'd like to present the panel for the OSR Superstar Competition:

+Rob Conley - Rob has had his finger in many an OSR project. He's also the man behind the Points of Light setting books and Blackmarsh (free in PDF). You can find his blog at Bat in the Attic

+Tim Shorts - Tim has been a sounding board of sorts for different events I've run at The Tavern. He's probably best known for his excellent zine, The Manor and his blog Gothridge Manor

+Mark Gedak - Mark is the man behind Purple Duck Games, a prolific publisher of Pathfinder and DCC RPG adventures and supplements. He has also been a generous contributor of prizes, both print and PDF, here at The Tavern.

When the judges get their entries to judge, there will be no names of the entrants attached, just corresponding numbers to my list (sorry Tim ;)

Just to make a quick note, +matt jackson will be contributing the unfinished map for the final round of the competition. You can find Matt's blog here at Lapsus Calumni

OSR Superstar Graphic is by +Richard LeBlanc . He blogs at Save Vs. Dragon

Yep, kicks off this weekend :)

Announcing The "So You Want to be an OSR Superstar" Competition

I like a good contest. My readers like a good contest. Some of my readers like good contests enough that they even donate prizes and awards and such. So it is with the "So You Want to be an OSR Superstar" Competition.

What the heck is this about?

Real simple - some one suggested we put together a competition allowing fans of the OSR to strut their stuff. They even ponied up cash monies. R H should take the blame and the credit for the underling idea, as well as the seed for the prizes.

The competition will kick off this weekend. It will consist of three rounds.

The first round will seek new and unique magic items for the Swords & Wizardry game. We are using the S&W rules because they are free and can easily be converted to other OSR games or the originals they are based on (and they are my current "go to" ruleset). A panel of judges will pick 8 entries to move forward to the next round. I will not be part of the panel of judges and I will only vote if there is a tie that needs to be broken.

The second round will seek new and unique monster designs. The 8 entries that qualified from the original round will participate in this round. In addition to the panel of judges, there will be community voting. The community voting ranking will be the equivalent of a judge's vote in the tally of votes.

The final round will consist of an incomplete dungeon level drawn by one of our premier OSR dungeon artists. The finalists will need to complete the map in their own fashion. Their magic item and monster design will need to be included somewhere in their dungeon level. Again, the community will help vote on the entries.

Prizes for the first round will consist of $10 RPGNow Gift Certificates donated by The Tavern. 8 in all.

Prizes for the second round will consist of $25 via paypal donated by our own +Rob Conley . 4 prizes in all.

The grand prize will consist of $250 via paypal donated by RH as well as the OD&D Reprint Box that was recently released (I'll be donating the reprint. International shipping will be deducted from the $250 - so yes, the competition is open to all).

All entries will be posted here at Tenkar's Tavern. All entries will be considered as entered under the OGL. Any and all entries may be compiled by Tenkar's Tavern or one of our friendly helpers into free PDF(s) available to the community. Entrants retain all rights and authorship to their work, except as modified by the OGL and stated here.

So, this shit kicks off this weekend.

The first round will be open for entries for a week. The judging will take approximately a week, maybe more depending on the number of entries. The first round of entries will be posted to the blog in the they come in, in groups of 5 or 10 (depending on the number of entries) after the entry period has closed.

How Important is the Plot to a (Mega)Dungeon?

How important is the plot to a (mega)dungeon? 

It's a simple question with some not so simple answers, so I figured I'd throw it up as its own post.

Is consistency important?

Is it more important to line up the staircases between levels on the map or to ensure the various plot elements don't contradict each other?

Are contradictions in the plot good or bad?

Does it make a difference if the dungeon is "old school" or "new school"?

LBBs - Original & Reprint - Men & Magic - Side by side

The reprint is slightly wider than the original (I'm guessing 3/4 of an inch), but the height is the same. The white color of the reprint is going to get dirty fast if it's put into regular play. And I still don't like the new covers.

Oh, and nothing beats the feel of the old covers.

The reprint is however, easier on the eyes. Where there were editing changes in the original and therefore bold print, the reprint fixes that. Oh, and Minotaurs are now underlined as they should be.

The reprint is more readable and easier on the eyes than the original, as it is all laid out new. Even a grumpy old grognard like me can admit to that.

Maybe with the upcoming snowy weekend, I'll get some time to dig deeper into the reprint box.

And I Say Unto Thee - Dwimmermount, What Have We Wrought? (Spare 2k Coppers Gov-nuh?)

Sometimes, you just don't find what you are looking for where you expect to find it. I certainly didn't expect to find the latest Dwimmermount updates over at the RPGSite, so color me surprised when I was told to look there for the latest. I did, and it seems Alexander Macris, who has taken the reins from Tavis, who in turn took them from James Mal, posted to the Dwimmermount thread on the RPGSite recently.

The underlying problems of Dwimmermount all arise from the fact that it is the product of an improvisational Judge with a knack for using random tables and in-game imagination. This shows up in (a) how blandly certain rooms are described, (b) how treasure and monsters appear, and (c) most of all in how the weave of the dungeon ties together (or rather doesn't). 

There is plenty of fun, playable, interesting material for a game table. I agree that a team of independent editors could surely have filled in the gaps in the individual levels (problems A and B) and made each one a more fun experience. But I don't think anyone but an "auteur" (I use that word for lack of a better one) can tie it all together (problem c). 

Anyway, I'm actually drafting at about 3 times the pace I expected - I finished 3 chapters in a week - and am optimistic in what I'll deliver.

A and B and yes, even C were problems in our aborted playtest way back when. Heck, that was 2,000 coppers ago and a few dead rats t00.

It's not that I'm trying to impose my philosophy (that's a forlorn hope) I'm trying to impose coherency. So, for instance:
-- Chapter 7, Factions, clearly states that the Spawn of Arach-Nacha has given the Mad Dwarf the power to create kobolds.
-- Level 1 says that the Mad Dwarf is just mad, and the Spawn of Arach-Nacha is lying. 

Or, for instance, James will say that the Elemental Planes are actually alien worlds lush with a particular element (so like Fire is actually a volcanic world, Water is an ocean world) and then in another place he'll say the opposite.
Etc., etc., etc. 

People who don't care about such things already have a playable draft of the dungeon; many people have already run entire campaigns in Dwimmermount. So the real hold-up is what goes into the pretty book for time immemorial.  

I guess I'd rather be Blizzard, and ship in when it's good, even if it's late, then EA and ship it still borked.

The thing is, even Blizzard ships at some point.

and from the Dwimmermount Kickstarter page's comments from a few days ago (also from Alex)

Some of you might wonder "what problems and plot holes is Alex referencing and why would they require consideration before getting to the real work of writing?" To that, I suppose I have be honest and admit that I am constitutionally opposite J.Mal. in that I'm a preparer and systemizer rather than an improviser. So I'm speaking of issues such as:  

- Why would the Terrim keep the Sleeping God on hand as a deterrent weapon of mass destruction if its activation is controlled by the Great Machine, which is in the hands of their enemies?  

- Why would the Lawful-aligned Prison which has ensnared Turms Termax be under the control of the Chaotic Sleeping God?  

- If Gods such as Typhon are Lawful, why would they create the Eld if doing so would represent a turning away from Law? If they aren't Lawful, what is their relationship to Law and why do they grant Lawful spells?  

- If the Secrets of the City of the Ancients are so amazing, why would a 9HD Dwimmerdragon have stopped the Eld, Thulians, and Termaxians from invading?
And on and on. In the process of answering these sorts of questions, I believe that I will deliver a dungeon to you that will ultimately be a much more satisfying product to read and run. We of course expect Judges to make up their own answers, but at least you can improvise from a coherent framework that fits together.

I never realized how screwed up this mess actually was.

I've ceased to look forward to this except for idle curiosity.

One Man's Opinion - It is what it is

So, I've been told I need to be more careful in expressing my opinions, because my opinions have weight and unintended consequences.

It's not the first time I've been "instructed" on my opinions and the occasional destructive tendencies associated with them, but previously it's been linked to various Kickstarter critiques.

My answer hasn't changed - it is what it is.

My opinions on "whatever" are mine and mine alone. I don't moderate comments here or on G+ based on whether or not I agree with the comments. It's called "discussion", which generally requires different opinions if it it going to be lively. If everyone shared my opinions, there would be no point in discussing anything.

So yeah, there's a fire (or multiple fires) burning on G+ based on last night's ConTesa post (and no, no one involved in the con messaged me, so put the pitch forks away). I think the fire is less from my initial post, but more the comments that followed. My reach is fairly large for the size of our community, so the flames may have spread.

I'll be voicing my opinions as I always have. I apologize in advance for any sparks. You'll need to supply the kindling...

If You Have a Con and No One Shows, Did it Happen?

In case you haven't heard, Contessa is an online gaming con. It's run by women, with only female GMs, although men can play. It seems to be having recruitment issues this year.

Part of it may be the idea that is is aimed (mostly) at female gamers. Maybe it's just me, but not allowing men to run games seems just a tad discriminatory. But then you can't discriminate against the majority (i think that's in the definition of discrimination somewhere) and men are definitely in the majority when it comes to playing RPGs.

I think the bigger thing that is holding it back is that all of the sessions are Hangouts "On Air". Sorry, I'm not going to play in a session with a bunch of strangers and have it up on Youtube until the end of time. Apparently the reason for the "On Air" part is so disruptive male gamers can be booted (which they can't be in a regular hangout apparently). It looks like male gamers have a bad reputation. I can see why one would want to restrict our access to running the sessions, as who would be there to boot us then?

Before it's even said, I have no problem with female gamers. I like to see them as an active part of the hobby, as it needs all sources for it to thrive and grow. Heck, one of the best DMs I ever played under was a woman back at GenCon in the mid 90s. She was certainly the best I played with at the con, and I was in way too many gaming sessions that year ;)

I just don't think excluding either gender from the organizing of a con and running the game sessions is the best way to encourage gaming with either sex. Segregation was a failure when it came to race and I don't think it fares any better when it comes to gender.

I'd actually like to see Contessa succeed despite the self imposed handicaps. We do need more organized play online and it is a well organized convention from what I can tell. I won't be participating though. The assumption that male players are bound to include their share of "creepy guys" and "that's why we have to record everything" creeps me out...

For those interested, here's the link to the games being run on Contessa. Looks like the OSR has made a showing :)

New Bundle of Holding - RuneQuest 6

RuneQuest 6 is a good game - I just don't have the time to absorb the rules. OpenQuest 2 is more my speed for d100 style gaming. That being said, the accessory products being offered are enough for me to jump on this latest Bundle of Holding.

Maybe I'll convert some of this for personal OSR use...

Scarlet Heroes Kickstarter will add 5 Dyson Logos Maps into the Public Domain for All to Use

Did I mention how awesome +Kevin Crawford and +Dyson Logos are?

From the Scarlet Heroes Kickstarter comments section:

Creator Kevin Crawford about 18 hours ago
We do hove nigh to $8K. I've just emailed with Dyson Logos and arranged to pony up enough cash to buy full rights to the five maps he's drawing, so those will be public domain as well. Otherwise, I've mostly been cutting and editing and tweaking to get the layout for the 32-page quickstart in order. The first cut at it has seven pages set, but I'm being obliged to think about exactly how I want it illustrated.

This is a benefit for anyone and everyone that plays RPGs.

You are backing Scarlet Heroes, right?

And Then there Were Two - Two Copies of the OD&D Wooden Box Reprint Arrived Today

I had ordered the OD&D wooden box reprint from Amazon last year, and it looked like it was never going to ship. When I found a Barnes & Noble gift card I had forgotten about, I figured I'd place and order there too. Whichever arrived first I would cancel the other.

Of course, both arrived tonight. Go figure.

I'll be announcing an "OSR Competition" later on this week with donated cash awards. Yes, cash awards. The 1st place finisher, in addition to any cash award will also get my 2nd copy of the OD&D wooden box reprint. I figure it was meant to be as such. Why tempt fate?

Want to get a head start? Download the Swords & Wizardry Complete rules from the link to the left right if you don't already have it and think about a unique magic item you would design for the system. More details to follow, but that's the head start. There will be multiple rounds to the competition and multiple awards.

Start your brainstorming now...

Bring Out Your Dead - Some Ideas for Effecting PCs When Returning From Beyond

This table is far from complete, but it came to me as I spent the commute from hell driving in to work this morning. Have New Yorkers completely forgotten how to drive in snow?

Anyhow, I'll add to this as it comes to me ;)

I Once Was Dead and Now I'm Not Table

1 - Raised character must tithe 90% of all earnings for the next 5 years to the church that raised him

2 - Character no longer requires sleep, but healing magic is only 1/2 effective for them as they have "one foot in the grave"

3 - Character has a 20% penalty on future expo earned, as part of his mind is always elsewhere. This also bestows a +4 bonus to mind effecting spells

4 - Character takes on a grey hue to his skin tone. Clerics can turn him as an undead creature equal to his level. A result of "D" causes 1d6 damage per level of the turner. Undead, intelligent or otherwise, will not attack the PC unless attacked first, as they see him as "one of their own"

5 - If the raised is an arcane spell caster, he permanently loses the ability to cast 1d6 random spells that he already knows. All characters suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, as the body is stiff and does not move as well as it used to. The first point of damage incurred by the PC from each successful attack is ignored. This can result in damage of "0".

6 - PC is "Touched by the Gods" - He is now a 1st level cleric of the god that raised him. Previous class abilities and HP are retained. New HP are not gained until the cleric level exceeds the previous class level. Clerics that are raised become 1st level fighters - holy warriors in the service of their god.
Previous cleric abilities and HP are retained. New HP are not gained until the fighter level exceeds the previous cleric level.

How Dead is Dead? The use of Raise Dead Spells and the like in your Campaigns and Mine

I don't use them. In my games, dead is dead. Maybe it's because we rarely get beyond the sweet spot of levels 5 to 7, but in my mind, the logistics of Raise Dead spells when taken beyond the player party is just unwieldily.

The king died? Raise him. They burned the body? Find a bone splinter and Resurrect him. Whatever you do, don't Reincarnate him. Fucker might come back as a badger or worse.

I'd rather bring a new character into the party with half the previous PC's expo than prop up the dead for another go. It just seems to lessen the threat all around.

Sure, you killed the BBEG, but did you incinerate the body? No? Shit, he's back and even more pissed. You better pay for some Raise Dead spells in advance because he's looking for payback!

I do remember using such remedies like they were a dime a zone back in High School, but there was no larger world in our games back then. Module to hand scratched dungeon and back again. There was no thought of the places between unless they directly impacted the adventure.

Today, I do think of the larger picture, and Raise Dead and the like make that picture really messy in the overall scheme of things, at least that's how I see it.

Do folks come back from the dead in your games (not talking returning as undead either)? Why or why not?

A Sine Nomine Kickstarter - Scarlet Heroes (If you support just one Kickstarter in 2014...)

Fact - +Kevin Crawford 's first Kickstarter, Spears of the Dawn, was distributed in PDF to backers BEFORE funding closed.

Fact - Stars Without Number is the most successful OSR Sci-Fi RPG on the market - and the base PDF is free.

Fact - +Kevin Crawford 's latest Kickstarter, Scarlet Heroes, funded in less than 18 hrs and has hit it's first stretch goal on only it's second day of funding.

Fact - I am a +Kevin Crawford fanboy ;)

Scarlet Heroes is a set of OSR rules that both stand on their own and easily integrate with other OSR rules that have been released over the years. The rules are intended to enable one on one or two on one gameplay without needing to rework the source material. Want to run Keep on the Borderlands with your non-gamer wife to introduce her to the hobby? These are the rules. Gaming group going to be short the next few weeks but you want to keep gaming? These are the rules. Want to kill some time running through a classic adventure and have no one to play with? These rules enable solo play.

Supporting the Kickstarter gives you immediate access to the current beta of the Scarlet Heroes rules in PDF. Kevin has hinted to me that the PDF may be completed in total before the Kickstarter funding even ends (he is still waiting on some 20 pieces of art).

One of the stretch goals will release the majority of the art into the public domain, just like he did with Spears of the Dawn.

+Kevin Crawford and the few project creators like him are the ones that renew my faith in Kickstarter. If you only back one Kickstarter in 2014, and you are an RPG fan of any kind, Scarlet Heroes should be that one.

An OSR Kickstarter - Ryubix Manor--Madness, Betrayal, Murder, Vengeance... Family

I'll be the first to say it. "Ryubix Manor--Madness, Betrayal, Murder, Vengeance... Family" has anawkward title. It does not flow off the tongue like Rappan Athuk and the like.  That being said, it IS different than the rest.

It's a manor - an above ground dungeon, if you will, which means it has different assumptions than the usual dungeon. It is certainly atmospheric and well done in that respect (I was allowed a peek at an early edit version).

This is not Stonehell, which you can pretty much grab and run without much preparation. With Ryubix Manor, being well prepared will be necessary to effectively run the adventure. All the tools, plots and personalities are given to you, but you will need to spend some time to be conversant with all of them. Your players will thank you (and you will find that things go much more smoothly that way).

Ryubix Manor is OSR generic, not really keyed to a specific "old school" ruleset but useable with any you choose with little work.

If there is one thing that might hold folks back is that it is written for high level play - 16-20 is the default level range for the adventure. Could you tone it down for lower level parties? Definitely, and there are some thoughts on how to do so in the FAQ section on the Kickstarter. Would it be helpful to have more substantial advice for those DMs that might need a little hand holding in the conversion? Probably. High level adventures are often aiming at a smaller market, as the number or parties that reach such levels are much fewer than the parties that are constantly starting out. It's not just the PCs that have to reach the higher levels - the campaign has to survive to those levels too.

It is a nice "haunted house" styled adventure, with lots of keyed rooms (over 300) to explore. It's also less "hack and slash" than many of the current larger dungeons I've looked at. Both are huge selling points to me.

It really does make for a nice change of pace, it's just a shame it defaults to levels my PCs have reached only once since the early 80s ;)

A Look at the Hack & Slash Patreon Project

In case you've missed the trend, Patreon is now the way to support the creators you know and like. It's really simple in concept - you pretty much set up an automatic tip amount based on criteria set by the project creator, and each time they "create" according to the criteria, your tip gets added to the pool.

+Dyson Logos was the first I saw using the Patreon system to support his mapping, and in the weeks that have passed, I've also seen +matt jackson (maps) and +Mark Gedak (PFRPG Monsters, but I'm sure I can convert to S&W without much effort). Well, not just have seen the above, I'm a supporter of all of the above, even if I have had to tweak tip amounts to cover the spread ;)

I've now added Hack & Slash as the 4th Patreon Project that I'm supporting.

+Courtney Campbell is a prolific blogger. Well, maybe not as prolific as I normally am, but his is pretty much all "game ready" content. Just like the folks above, he gives it away for free on his blog. The point of the Patreon funding is to work as a virtual tip jar. It rewards him for the work he does, and if the funding is highly successful he'll be able to devote even more time to it.

The same goes to all of the folks I've mentioned above. They provide their creations for free to all. It's the select few that tip them for their hard work that may get some additional perks, or just a feeling of goodwill for supporting some really cool people.

In Courtney's case, I'm in for 50 cents a post. He averages 15 posts of content a month. So, we are looking at about $7.50 a month and I capped my contribution at $10 a month. You can set the amount wherever you want, and even a nickel a post would add up with enough supporters.

Unlike Kickstarter, you can change or withdraw your support at any time, and you are only paying as content is created, not in advance.

I need to sit down and figure out a Patreon budget that I can comfortably use to support the creators that create content that I can use and whose work keeps me entertained.

Things Have Slowed Down, But The Tavern is Still Open for Business

This will be the 9th blog post for the week at The Tavern - 8 from me and 1 from a guest poster. That put this week's current post total below any week in 2014, 2013 or 2012.

Yeah, it's been that kind of a month and that kind of a week.

It does mean I've fallen vastly behind on the things I've intended to get to, both in real life and here on the blog.

On the blog side, I've got 2 new Kickstarters to shine a light on. Both OSR. See, that's the exception to my cutting back on Kickstarters ;)

Then there's the recent megadungeon release to take a look at.

Not to mention the shitload of random thoughts kicking around in my head for the last week or so, just lacking the time and focus to putting them down as a blog post.

I am working on finding the time and focus now ;)

A Look at LotFP Free RPG Day 2014 Indiegogo Campaign

I was all set NOT to back the LotFP Free RPG 2014 campaign, as I'm still waiting on LotFP's Summer Folly of 2012 to ship. +James Raggi 's stuff is always high quality in production values, even if some of his recent releases are so far from the beaten path as to be unusable for all but one-shots in my opinion. I'm sure James would argue otherwise (and has argued otherwise in the past).

James is also slow as shit rolling uphill in getting his projects out the door. This I know he won't argue (as he pretty much stated it himself on the Indiegogo page):

LotFP is kinda slow on these crowdfunding things, and that's a fair cop, so here's the skinny: 

The Doom-Cave adventure is already completely written and has been played once. Needs editing and layout, and will get another play and might need some minor text revisions before final editing. The cover art shown above is obviously done. Interior art and the alternate cover are still to be done. The dungeon map for publication is already done and delivered. Worst-case scenario is a cut-rate layout going to press, but last year's 3-times-as-big adventure didn't have writing done until mid-March and still got to press on time with the quality art and layout for Free RPG Day. 

Shirts and tote bags, as mentioned, will go to press just after the campaign finishes and I learn what sizes we need for everything and ship separate from any books. The design is, as you can see, already done. Previous crowdfunding knickknacks like shirts have shipped ahead of other perks on those campaigns. Track record here is good I think. 

Chandler's stuff is more of a crapshoot because I don't have the direct control over his life and pen. But Chandler has been a MACHINE - his 2013 RPG output (nevermind his day job and fiction writing) was 1017 pages and 291,000 words, with Pandemonio, Viewscream, The Starship from Hell, Teratic Tome, Slaughtergrid, Roll XX, and Bad Myrmidon to his credit. He'll get his stuff done in a timelier manner than anything LotFP does on its own. Dude's workrate puts LotFP to shame. Bastard. But we're glad he's helping us out for our fundraiser here! I mention his track record because he is reliable and works fast. Lacerations' status is "90% of the art is done, and most of the text is written by hand, or in my playtest-notebook." If the Lacerations game is late, it'll be late. Not much I can say to that, that's a Chandler self-produced thing. If the Lost World sandbox he's doing for this campaign is late (and it is in the outline stage, it is not yet written), I will ship the Doom-Cave backer copies on July 1 anyway and ship the Lost World adventures separately when they're done. If Chandler drops dead or gets hired by someone that wants FULLTIMEALLTHETIME for too-big money to say no, I'll get someone else on it, another established writer with a rep for getting things out in a timely manner.

Here's why I am going to back this, and it has little to do with The Doom-Cave of the Crystal Headed Children (which very well may be useable - at least the premise sounds useable) and little to nothing to do with totes and shirts and everything to do with +Rafael Chandler 's contributions to this project.

Rafael has a taste for the strange and bizarre yet his stuff is still pretty much plug and play when it comes to integrating it to the average fantasy campaign. Rafael "gets it". He also "gets" the OSR community.

So yeah, I'm in. Just need to figure out that euro conversion shit ;)

Counting Goblins Over the Editions - A Look at James Wyatt's Latest D&D Article

Let me start out by saying that James missed a HUGE part of AD&D expo in his article - loot. Expo for loot recovered is more than what players can expect in by the book AD&D, which kind of throws off his numbers - and hit point.

Read the article without my insightful observations at the WotC website.

Level Advancement

By James Wyatt

I talked last week about the rate at which characters acquire magic items as they gain levels. So let's back up and talk about the rate at which characters gain levels! (lets back up even more - in AD&D 1e, characters gained expo from gaining magic items)

How Many Goblins . . .

I'm curious: How many goblins does a 1st-level fighter have to defeat to reach 2nd level?

In 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D, a goblin was worth around 15 XP. A fighter needed 2,000 XP to reach 2nd level. That's a lot of goblins—134 goblins would make the fighter 2nd level if you assume the fighter killed them all alone. (and completely discounting any loot that might have been recovered from said Goblins - the math is wrong right out of the gate)

In 3rd Edition D&D, a goblin was a CR ⅓ monster, so 3 of them were an appropriate challenge for four 1st-level characters. That means a 1st-level fighter would get 100 XP for defeating 1 goblin. All characters needed 1,000 XP to reach 2nd level, so 10 goblins would bring the fighter up a level. (alright, even taking into account loot in 1e, this really does show a change in the dynamics of leveling)

In 4th Edition, that goblin might be a level 1 minion or a level 1 lurker or skirmisher. If they're minions, each is worth 25 XP, so the fighter (who needed 1,000 XP to reach 2nd level) would need to defeat 40 goblins. If they're not minions, each is worth 100 XP, so the answer is the same as in 3rd Edition: 10 goblins to reach 2nd level. (is there really that much of a difference between 1st level minions and non-minions in 4e? they all die with one hit more or less)

That's a pretty random measure, but it certainly speaks to different expectations of level advancement in the different editions of the game, as well as some variable understandings of the threat presented by a single goblin.

How Many Encounters . . .

It's hard to judge what the pace of level advancement actually looked like in AD&D, for a couple of reasons. First, different characters advanced at different rates—the fighter needed 2,000 XP to reach 2nd level, but the thief needed only 1,250 XP and the magic-user needed 2,500. (it all balanced out as time went on) Second, there weren't any clear guidelines for what an appropriate encounter was. But a roll on the random monster tables for a 1st-level dungeon would yield an encounter worth, on average, about 90 XP. For a party of four characters, that's 23 XP each. So 87 of those encounters would bring the fighter to 2nd level! Any treasure found in those encounters would also contribute XP to that total, so the actual number of encounters could have been much less—possibly more like 40. (and don't forget treasure found outside of those encounters - and who rolled random encounters for ALL of the rooms in a 1e dungeon?)

Oy. I've said it before: I think one of the great advances brought to the game by 3rd Edition was a clear guideline for how to build an encounter to challenge a party. (I'm going to say it and I'm SURE there will be a large number that disagree, but that led to 3e's cookie cutter encounters for those that bothered with CL) And that guideline undergirded the math of character advancement. The charts were built so that a character would advance a level after 13⅓encounters of the same level. 4th Edition stayed on the same trajectory, but adjusted the expectation to about ten encounters—or eight encounters, one major quest, and one minor quest per character in the party. (I'm not much on formalistic adventure design - YMMV) 

How Many Sessions . . .

There's psychology behind the question of level advancement. Games reward you for playing: An opponent lands Park Place where you have a hotel, and you collect a fat wad of cash. You play a 7-letter word on a triple word score and write down 180 points on the score sheet while gloating over your opponents. You beat your previous high score, end up on a leaderboard, or earn an achievement. You get a power-up, finish a level, or send your opponent flying off the screen. (these are games where you are playing against others, not with others. No so sure how the examples hold up)

The rewards in D&D include experience points (earned after every encounter), treasure (earned after some encounters), new class features (earned each level), and new feats, spell levels, ability score increases, and the like (earned at some new levels). You might earn treasure or XP as a reward for completing an adventure. Many DMs award XP after every game session rather than every encounter. 4th Edition gave action points at every milestone (every two encounters). (too many carrots - holy shit)

But you see what I'm getting at: rewards of different magnitude come at different intervals. That's good—our brains respond well to both small, frequent rewards and large, infrequent rewards, and a good game design offers both. Without frequent small rewards, players begin to feel like their efforts aren't paying off. They're doing a lot of work with nothing to show for it. Without occasional large rewards, encounters feel like pushing a button to get a morsel of food—a repetitive grind with no meaningful variation. (gotta love the imagery - if pushing a button to get a morsels of food is what game design comes down to these days, I'm glad I play games built on older rules systems)

So the trick to figuring out level advancement is figuring out how often players need that very significant reward. (here's the real trick - in a good campaign with a skilled DM and players looking to have fun, the fun is the carrot more than any other trick) A number of factors go into answering that question: How long does it take to get used to playing your character at a new level? How long do you want to play the character at that level once you're used to it? How big is the reward of going up a level? How do you ensure that players have a feeling of progress without feeling like they're getting rewarded for nothing? (overthinking... or maybe not. sometimes we don't want to know how the wizard behind the curtain does what he does, we just want the end results. when magic can be broken down by science, it is no longer magic. A good campaign is magical)

In 3rd Edition, 14 encounters would get you up a level, but how long did it take to complete those encounters? Of course, that depends: How long are your sessions and how often do you play? If you play four-hour sessions, how much do you get done in one session?

The 4th Edition DMG reveals some of the expectations that went into building the XP math for that game (an edition over done with the math behind the game to the point the magic was lost):

If you were to start a campaign with 1st-level characters on January 1st, play faithfully for four or five hours every week, and finish four encounters every session, your characters would enter the paragon tier during or after your session on June 24th, reach epic levels in December, and hit 30th level the next summer. Most campaigns don't move at this pace, however; you'll probably find that the natural rhythms of your campaign produce a slower rate of advancement that's easier to sustain.

At four encounters every weekly session, characters would reach a new level every other week, and we thought that felt about right. We also adjusted the scale so that you'd hit 2nd level pretty quickly—the first hit is free, so to speak. (nice! just like the crack dealers in the mid to late 90's in the South Bronx that I used to collar up. As if I didn't have enough reasons to dislike 4e already)

Where We're Heading

Our current design is going in a similar direction: advancing pretty quickly at low levels. It's a little tricky to nail it down, because our expectation of what an appropriate encounter is has changed somewhat. We expect every adventure to include a mix of easy, moderate, challenging, and really hard encounters (I so detest formulas). That said, a 1st-level character should hit 2nd level after about 6 moderately difficult encounters. (I'm not sure yet, but that might be 15 goblins' worth of XP.)

Compared to the previous two editions, an encounter can go much more quickly, so (again, depending on the length of your sessions) it's not unreasonable to think that you'll hit 2nd level after a single session. Another session might bring you to 3rd level, two more to 4th, and three more to 5th level. You might hit 20th level within a year of play, assuming a relatively steady rate of play. (i'm not going to say this is excessive or now, as I tend to enhance the expo the longer the time is between sessions - the more infrequent the sessions, the large the invisible expo bonus. Again, I don't like the formula, but that is my opinion. I have a successful blog, so my opinion must count more ;)

Cutting Back on Backing Kickstarters

I knew it was going to come to this at some point. As much as I'm a Kickstarter addict, something had to give, and it just did. I was already easing up on the pedal what with the new car purchase in December, but with recent emergency vet bills, helping our son buy his first (used) car and restarting of renovations at the house, cash is going to be tight. Besides, I have enough pending Kickstarters to fuel my gaming habits for a lifetime - at least, that's what my wife recently told me, and she certainly isnt wrong.

So, I'm limiting myself to Old School / OSR styled projects. So, Barrowmaze Complete is in - Ares Magazine is out. I'm looking over a draft copy of a forthcoming OSR Kickstarter, so that will probably be in, while Storyscape will probably be out (actually, probably won't fund).

Ah well, less new projects to piss me off ;)

As an aside, if any know of reputable breeders of Miniature Dachshunds in the NYC Metro Area, let me know. My wife has a broken heart with the passing of our dauchshund Chloe, and I'm looking to help mend it :)

Thoughts on Why Old School Is So Good

I've mentioned in the past that I'm open to posting articles from guest authors. The following article was written by +David Przybyla , one of the regular players in my Saturday Night Swords & Wizardry game.

Thoughts on Why Old School Is So Good

By Dave Przybyla

For many years I have been part of a regular Thursday evening roleplaying game. The group’s current
incarnation has been together about 3 years and has mostly played Savage Worlds. Then last summer I convinced them to try DCC. We played almost twenty sessions of DCC over the next five months. While I enjoyed DCC, I wanted something with less volatility of results. I decided to really go Old School and suggested we try an old TSR adventure with the Swords and Wizardry rules. Most of the group had never played RPGs during the 80's heyday of TSR; some weren't even alive in the 80’s.

I chose Swords and Wizardry for a number of reasons. First, I am familiar with it. Second, it is a well done set of rules that I can distribute in PDF for free. Third, the rulebook is not long, and prospective players can quickly learn what they need to know.

I pored over my collection of old TSR modules and picked N1: Against the Cult of the Reptile God. The premise is simple. A naga is expanding her cult by charming the people of an isolated farming village and the characters arrive to defeat her.

The module describes a number of adventure areas, including the Village of Orlane, a temple, and the swamp lair of the naga. There is some information on how the villagers, cultists and innocent alike, might react to the characters, but little guidance on how the characters should proceed. That was the first thing that struck me about the module and set it apart from most adventures I have purchased over the past 20 years. Even though there was a goal, the situation was set up more like a sandbox where the characters were expected to find their own way.

The players bought into this and enjoyed meeting the villagers and trying to figure out what was going on. But then they ran into the second Old School feature: there are no Challenge Ratings! Even though the adventure is designed for Levels 2-4, that does not mean the characters can go head-to-head with everything and expect to win. This was driven home in the first session, when they picked a fight with the constable and his deputies, and then promptly had their asses kicked. A dead PC is a tonic that cures so many ills.

This led us to a third Old School feature: characters can’t fall back on skills or other rules that will hand them information via game mechanics. They had to plan, conserve their resources, and carefully seek allies. Half of the second game session was spent planning how to get one of the constable’s men alone and ambush him. And the plan worked! It was like watching a light turn on as I saw the players find an amazing new way to enjoy the game. At that moment, I knew they were sold. They saw their efforts bear spectacular fruit and were excited as Hell.

Here is a corollary of planning: the players stretched their minds and what they conceived as possible within the game. They did not look for rules to bail them out. Sometimes, defining more possibilities through more rules actually creates a noose that strangles creativity.

As of this writing, we've played 5 sessions and I expect 2 more before we're through. TSR packed a lot of adventure into those 32 pages. The players love it and expect to take these characters through other adventures. These don’t have to be old adventures. But they will be Old School.

So Much Time, So Little Time

I'm sitting here at my computer, anxiously waiting for and dreading the phone call from the vet. I'm pretty sure what the call is going to suggest. 12 years is a lifetime for many dogs, and it will probably be a lifetime for our Chloe.

And then my mind wanders. It's starts comparing the lifetime of a D&D Elf to that of a Human or any of the shorter lived fantasy races and it occurs to me that the elves long lifespan is both a gift and a curse. Live the lifespan that is many times that of your fiends - and watch them grow old, sick and die - many times, many generations.

Then I ask myself - "why would elves EVER adventure with and form bonds with the shorter lived races, knowing that even in the best of circumstances their friends and comrades, if they were to reach old age and not perish while adventuring, would die while the elf were still young. As would the heirs of those adventurers, and their heirs' heirs."

I'm reminded that the heart chooses as it will, and it chooses our short lived companions because of the bonds we share. The value is not in the length of the life, but how it is ultimately lived.

Our Chloe has lived well, loved well and been loved.

Time waits for no man. Nor dog nor cat. It catches our furry friends more often than it catches us, but in the end, it catches us all.

And still we wait for the call. Anxious and dreading, both in turn.

Lifetime Ban on ENWorld for Blogging? Say it ain't so, Joe!

I am in a mood most foul right now, and the bullshit I've just seen regarding ENWorld and it's defensive pettiness is just fuel to the fire.

+Joe D goes on a rant about ENWorld on his blog and he gets banned from ENWorld. He didn't post it on ENWorld. Heck, it was on his own blog.

So, lets talk about my history with ENWorld. I used to be a paid supporter, even though I never actually played 3e and certainly never played 4e. I thought the community was decent.

Things changed.

I got into a pissing match with Morrus over Twitter when ENWorld got hacked. It was over the relevance of G+ over Facebook in regards to RPG Communities. In the end, we agreed to ignore each other.

I was amazed when Kickstarter violated it's own rules and allowed ENWord to fund it's revamping. I guess the Kickstarter folks were fans, and we all know rules don't apply to those that write them.

I was surprised when I saw a corner of ENWorld being put aside for the OSR.

I was confused when Morrus referred to ENWorld as "his blog". It is not a blog. It is a ad funded site run for profit. I've already pointed out some of the ads in the rotation over there are selling anything but gaming. Not that I mind tits and ass, but not when I'm reading a gaming site.

Now, I'm just pissed.

I'm pissed because there is nothing that +Joe D said that wasn't true. ENWorld's relevancy in the OSR is about on par with the influence +James Raggi is going to have with the art direction in D&D Next.

I do know ENWorld has to toe the WotC company line. It's how they get press releases early and the like. You don't bite the hand that feeds you. It also means that you are less likely to let bad publicity hurt the hand that feeds you. So I suspect +Joe D 's ban was to prevent some anti-WotC / D&D Next post popping up on ENWorld before one of the moderators could shut it down.

Preemptive Strike if you will.

So, here's my deal. Anyone that gets a lifetime ban from ENWorld for "off site posting" can submit guest posts over here at The Tavern. I will vet the posts - I'm not going to allow personal attacks. That being said, I don't need to agree with the poster. As folks that read this blog regularly know, my moderation of the comments section is about as light as it can be.

I might not have the traffic of ENWorld, but your post won't be lost in ENWorld's endless forums either.

Nothing personal. I just don't like bullshit.

40 Years of D&D - What Rules Did You Misinterpret?

My first (A)D&D session was run by my friend Kenny. He ran my fighter through a dungeon with skeletons and other stuff (which I don't recall, but the skeletons made me think of Jason and the Argonauts famous Skeleton Fight). At the end of the session, he had to call a friend to see if I leveled. You see, Kenny only owned the DMG ;)

This was back in late 1980. That summer, I received the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide (as well as a nice set of dice, perhaps Koplow). I dived right into my job as a DM and declared I didn't need a Monster Manual, as all the monster stats were in the back of the DMG anyhow.

I didn't quite understand the notation of 4+1 for HPs (such as an Ogre). Why write it as 4+1 when 5 would be so much simpler. I didn't realize my mistake (Hit Dice vs Hit Points)until I found other kids that were playing AD&D. It suddenly made sense why all my dragons were pushovers. I still picked up the Fiend Folio before I had a copy of the Monster Manual.

Never really understood weapon speed in AD&D, nor did anyone in any of the groups I played in - it was one of the first rules we ignore, but there were others. Adjustments vs armor by weapon type? Too much to look up. Casting of spells and counting segments lasted maybe the better part of a year, but when the group size went from 3-4 players to 8-12, it was just one less thing to track if it was ignored.

Then came Unearthed Arcana, and I was forced to house rule on the spot when new rules conflicted with old. The good old days ;)

So, what rules (if any) did you misinterpret when you started playing D&D?

Where Are the Sales Hyping the 40th Anniversary of D&D?

Where are the sales hyping the 40th anniversary of D&D?

I don't see anything over at RPGNow.

Paizo seems to be silent.

Heck, even the WotC site seems to be quiet about it.

Is it just the OSR, thanks to +Jon Peterson 's research, that recognizes this weekend, more or less, as the birthdate of D&D?

The only sale I have seen linking itself this event is Pelgrane Press' sale on the 13th Age PDF:

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The RPG That Started It All, we’re offering 40% off 13th Age—a love letter to the classic game from two of its lead designers. 

13th Age is the game Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet run at their own tables: a fast, fun, accessible fantasy RPG that combines the best of the d20-rolling legacy with new indie-game inspired story mechanics. From its flexible skill system to the greatest combat dice mechanic since critical hits, this PDF contains everything you need to play one of 2014’s must-have titles. 

Save 40% on the 13th Age core rules PDF! But this special price is for one day only!

That "one day" is today.

Any other sales folks can point at?

Damn You Tim Shorts!!!

If you've been following along this week, you know it's been a week of hellish proportions. With today's funeral behind us (and a long nap afterwards - well, after lunch at the local pub) I figured I'd be ready for some gaming posts.

Then i read +Tim Shorts post over at Gothridge Manor and his box of loot from Troll and Toad.

I'm neck deep in buying more shit that I don't need thanks to you Tim! I had to make a conscious effort to not pick up the Challenge Magazine issues. I'm still going thru the list of clearance - I'm only up to "E" so far.

I need to order this stuff before my wife looks over my shoulder and asks me "WTF are you doing!?!"

Good thing I get home from work before she does - I'll just unpack the box when it arrives before she comes home - and hide the loot!

(edit: some Dragons starting at issue 79 for 49 cents! I have them already, but for others, damn but it's a good price!)

Saying Goodbye to a Fine Detective

Not a gaming post. Life (and death) is what happens in the time between the gaming. Today I said some farewells to a fine detective that I had the pleasure to supervise for too short a time. Rest well Ozzie, you fought the good fight and now is the time to be at peace.

Tomorrow morning we bury her. In service death, so missing man flyover, bagpipes and full honor guard. I've been to way to many of these funerals in my 17+ years, but it's the first time where it's someone that has worked for me.

My first was my training sergeant when i was just six months out of the academy.

Ah well, back to normal posting tomorrow afternoon.

"New Game Day" on 2/2 - Or Should it be a Full Week of New Gaming?

The guys over at Gnome Stew have decided to make a go at creating a new "gaming holiday" of sorts - New Game Day, which is to be on 2/2 this year and every year hence.

What is New Game Day? 

New Game Day is a free annual event for tabletop gamers worldwide — a day to celebrate tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs) and board games by playing something you’ve never played before. It’s easy to remember, too: “New on 2/2.” 

We hope that on 2/2 every year you’ll take some time to play one or more new games, support the folks who design and sell those games, and share your love of games with others.

Now, I can pretty much guarantee I won't be running a new game, or any other game, on 2/2 this year, as I'll be watching "The Big Game" that shall not be named. I will, however, have a weekend full of gaming between 1/31 and 2/1.

That being said, I'm going to make an addendum and declare the week of 2/2 through 2/8 "New Game Week" and will try to get something hooked up later in the week. I'd love to run a session of Hollow Earth Expedition - just need to dig out the rules from wherever I packed them away and reread them. If I'm able to get this going, I'll announce it in the usual places before hand.

I just need to get out of this week first ;)

I Finally Own a Copy of the "Ready Ref Sheets"

Until my eBay copy arrived today, I never owned a copy of the Ready Ref Sheets from Judges Guild. An amazing confession, I know ;)

Not the easiest to read for my aging eyes, but it's a damn near mint condition copy and I'm very happy with it. Along with the D30 books, I should have the tools to fill some amazing sandboxes.

I'll need to do a post or two mixing the tables from the three books, but probably not until I put this week from hell behind me.

Oh, that's Chloe, our dachshund. Last night at 11 PM we thought she was on her way out, but she instead was having a slight OD from the fenal barbital she was just started on for Monday Night's severe seizures. Vet visit earlier this evening as a follow up to the emergency vet hospital stay has her a-okay, all things considered. She's now on lifetime meds for her heart and the seizures. Our little trooper. And yes, she shares the bed at night with our cat Ashley. :)

Tyranny of Dragons - The NEXT D&D Storyline (multiple platforms)

From USA Today (today;)

For the first time in six years, gaming fans will roll the dice with a new set of rules for the iconic role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. 

Publisher Wizards of the Coast will launch this with the fresh story Tyranny of Dragons this summer, the latest chapter of the role-playing game first launched 40 years ago. 

The next chapter for Dungeons & Dragons will spread across multiple modern platforms, including a new tabletop adventure, and similar experiences for console video game systems and mobile devices. 

"This is a huge year for us," says Nathan Stewart, brand director for D&D at games publisher Wizards of the Coast. "At the heart of Dungeons and Dragons, it's adventure." 

Tyranny of Dragons pits players against throngs of dragons, led by their five-headed queen Tiamat. Players will get to battle Tiamat -- who has appeared in D&D lore as a key villain since the mid-'70s -- for the first time in an official D&D adventure...

You can read the rest of the article here and you can read more at the WotC site here.

I'll leave my thoughts on this for a later post ;)

Hey! There's an Ad Banner at The Tavern! The F'er Has Gone Commercial! (Nope)

Here's the deal.

Commercializing The Tavern is a bad idea. Lack of control over ads is my main hang up. Well, that and my own integrity.

However, The Tavern does decent traffic and could help projects that I believe in and want to support.

So, how about free banner ads for the projects I want to support? Win / Win / Win if you ask me.

I get to show some love for projects / products / whatever I like.

Creators get some extra eyes on their stuff.

The readers get to look at something new and hopefully exciting.

The first such banner is for the Barrowmaze Complete project over on Indiegogo. +Greg Gillespie has been kind enough to keep me in the Barrowmaze loop right from the beginning (or damn near so) and I offered him the first banner when he mentioned his latest project to me. Greg will have his banner up until the end of February. It's good to be the first ;)

After that, I'll be opening it up to all on a weekly basis. Accepted banners will be displayed in weekly intervals. Whether or not I accept your banner is totally subjective on my part, although if we have communicated in the past, you are an active commenter on the blog or you are part of the "inner circle" (trust me when I say folks in the "inner circle" should know they are in the circle) you have a better than average chance to get on the list. If your product is available in PDF and you want to donate a copy to be given away to a random Tavern Patron, so much the better.

I'll keep this experiment running at least until July.

Use the contact form on the right side if you are interested. I'll post this again as February comes to a close.

Whisper & Venom - Dungeon Module WV1 - (OSR Adventure)

When +Zach Glazar announce to those of us he was doing a limited release of an adventure for his Whisper & Venom Boxed Set, I jumped at the chance to snag a copy. Just like a classic TSR adventure, the map is printed on the inside of the cover (which is NOT stapled / attached to the module proper).

Looks very cool at quick glance. I'll try to give it a closer look when things calm down on this end. Our doggie just came home from a stay at the emergency vet (seizures are now mixed in with her congestive heart failure). She's an angel and has been through the ringer, so I forgive the bed wetting shortly after she got home ;)

Mix the pet adventures in with all the other events going on, and 2014 HAS to get better...

Final "Fight On!" # 14 for Sale on Lulu

Fight On! is a snapshot of the OSR. Grab any issue and is just bleeds Old School and passions about gaming.

Issue #14 will be the last one unless things have changed (Edit: an Issue # 15 is apparently planned)

I look forward to reading the latest and the greatest of the Fight On! releases.

Print - $9.99    PDF - $4.99

Followup Thoughts on Last Week's Interview - My Thoughts on Blogging

There are people that consider Tenkar's Tavern a popular blog - and for the corner of the RPG hobby that is the OSR, it is. I'm pretty happy with how things have worked out and I'm happy to share the secrets of its success.

The first secret is - there are no secrets.

Really.

If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know it is probably popular because of the passion I have for the subject matter. I love RPGs and I fucking love the OSR. If you enjoy writing your blog's content, there is a good chance your readers will enjoy it too. If posting is "work", that will be obvious to your readers too. Blog about something you have passion for and you've already passed the first and largest hurdle.

Engage your readers. Engage other bloggers on their blogs. If you enjoy reading forums, engage the readers there. Engage, engage, engage.

Establish a posting frequency. I'd suggest at least once a week, but whatever it is, try to stick to it. Multiple times a week is even better. I'm not suggesting multiple times a day like I tend to do, because the trick to that isn't just "blogging in the moments between", it also requires a certain type of controlled ADD and perpetual multitasking. I blame it on the chemo from a few years back - I used to read a book a week on average, now I'm maybe a book a year. I am still a voracious reader, but now I look for it in smaller pieces.

Be yourself. That may not be the person you are in everyday life or it may be, but it needs to be a true aspect of you. Nothing is worse than a blogger putting on a false show. It's hard to maintain and sooner or later, the facade will fail.

Do NOT expect to get rich off of blogging, especially in a niche the size of the OSR, or RPGs in general. Heck, don't expect to make any money doing it - this way, if you do make some nickels and dimes, you'll be thrilled as opposed to disappointed.

My personal observations have shown me that Adsense and Amazon are just not worth the hassle for the minimal income they will generate. I have found that referral sales from OBS / RPGNow have raised sufficient funds to allow me to run contests and give away gift credit and the like to my readers. A win / win if you ask me.

Most of all?

Do.

Do it. Start blogging. The only failed blog is the one that never was. Even a blog like Grognardia, long since silent, has a voice that still resonates across the internet.

Why I had to pass the DM Torch on Saturday Night

I was supposed to run the second part of a two part adventure this past Saturday Night, but as has been the usual ritual lately, weekends seem best if they could be avoided. I woke to my cell phone ringing twice with a "private number", which 4 out of 5 times means work is calling, and as I was off, I was not picking up. Thirty minutes later I received a text message - one of my detectives, out sick with stage 4 cancer since July of 2012, passed in the early hours of Saturday morning. It was a shock to the family, as she had been hopeful that the third treatment would be the one to finally work.

I was supposed to have been away for the three day weekend, but the threat of snow in the Poconos kept us home. We spent part of Saturday afternoon with the family. I've been through this before, and it's always a shame that the only reason I get to meet such amazing people is because they lost a loved one that happened to be a member of the department.

My wife and I just lost her mother to a long fight with cancer back in the fall, so we know very well what the family is going through now and what they will go through later. Damn shame but at least the suffering is over. Shit like this makes me even feel even more guilty for surviving my bout with cancer. No, doesn't have to make sense, it is what it is.

Anyhow, I asked if the other DM in the group could handle Saturday night's session, as I still wanted to play, but my head wasn't in it to DM and God himself knew I needed a few beers. Thanks Joe for stepping up - I needed it.

The wake is Friday Night (need to cancel the monthly S&W session) and the funeral is Saturday.

Ozzie, you fought the good fight. Rest now, you earned it.

Grid or Theatre of the Mind - Does it Effect Spell Interpretation?

After reading the responses to yesterday's post, How Strict are you with "Fireball Volume?" it got me thinking - are these responses based in part on two extremes of style? We have those that run their games with a grid, with minis or not, where facing, distance and counting out squares is part of the gaming experience and we have those that run their games as Theatre of the Mind, where little is mapped out to exacting specifications and much is left to DM interpretation and fiat. Needless to say, most gamers fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.

Myself, i fall on the far end of Theater of the Mind. I use maps that are revealed on screen using Fog of War (Roll20 is our VTT of choice these days) but we don't use tokens, we don't stress exact placement and my players put a lot of faith in me to run things fair and square (I do believe that successful Theatre of the Mind style play requires player trust). If one of my players were to put himself and their party in the way of a "fireball blowback" I'd be sure to give them a hint of such a possibility as they announced their intentions.

I'd expect that "use of a grid" leads to a more precise spell interpretations than the "Theatre of the Mind" style of gaming, but I could be wrong.

I'm not saying one style is more correct than the other, as the rules support both extremes out of the box, at least until late in 3x.

So, thoughts, comments, questions?

Follow Up Thoughts on Last Week's Interview - Crowdfunding and RPGs

You can read, watch and / or listen to me being interviewed over at the Gaming Ballistic Blog. We touched on a lot of topics, but the first one I feel a need to expand upon is "Crowdsourcing of RPG Products".

I don't think anyone starts a Kickstarter with the idea of screwing folks over. Really, I don't. Not even the worse of the lot, the Mike Nystuls, James Mals, Toms, Gareths, Joshuas and the rest of them went into the process thinking that a successful Kickstarter could lead to their greatest failure. They had some amazing idea that they wanted to see in print and the Kickstarter money machine was there to help them.

Which brings up a point I'm pretty sure I missed during the interview - the greater the success (especially for those that aren't coming from some sort of business background) can lead to the biggest failures. If your Kickstarter "fails to fund" - no harm, no foul. Your backers aren't out a cent (unless it's one of those "Variable Funding" deals at Indiegogo). If you fund with a bunch of stretch goals that sounded great on paper, but the reality is that they are less then feasible, both in cost and time, your extra success just screwed you over. More importantly, you screwed your backers over.

Does that mean that stretch goals should be avoided? Not at all, but the physical product should be what the base goal funds. Any extras probably should be PDF only (much like the FATE Kickstarter) unless you really know your break even numbers, and as postage increases are a variable, the less physical product you add, the less that variable will hurt you. Because it will hurt you. Especially as the project runs long - the longer you take to ship, the greater the chance a postage increase will bite you in the ass.

There ARE project creators that KNOW how to do this. They can handle stretch goals, exceptional funding success and get their projects out on time or even early. I'd never hesitate to back a project by +Greg Gillespie , +Joseph Bloch , +Zach Glazar , +Kevin Crawford or +Fred Hicks . These guys can DO. There are others that can also do, but they do so significantly late, so no shout outs to them ;)

I am wary of project creators that offer a project right after another project, before the first one is even written they are looking to fund another. I find this to be one of the biggest warning signs of someone that has been bitten by the "Kickstarter is a Gold Mine bug", and it is seen in the Nystul trifecta of failures, The Quantum RPG and Myth & Magic. I'm sure there are others, but these come to mind unbidden. Look for the signs and maybe you won't throw more money after bad.

I still feel that Kickstarter and other crowdsourced funding is an overall positive for the RPG hobby, but I fear it may have a similar result of the D20 Implosion had on 3x except this time it won't be the retailers stuck with a bunch of unsellable shit, but instead it will consumers with money tied up in RPG projects that don't deliver. Heck, already retailers complain that Kickstarter projects hurt their revenue. Money lost to Kickstarter failures wont even put playable projects into gamers hands let alone retail stores. (retail is a whole 'nother topic, what with Amazon undercutting most brick and mortar retailers on a piece by piece comparison).

Alright, enough for tonight. I'll flesh out some other stuff (blogging and such) in further posts.

Barrowmaze Complete goes live on Indiegogo (OSR Megadungeon and Miniatures)

Barrowmaze Complete went live on Indiegogo earlier today. Barrowmaze is +Greg Gillespie 's megadungeon and originally appeared separately as Barrowmaze and Barrowmaze II (if you look in Barrowmaze II, "Teknar's Pole" is a bit of a shout out to the Tavern).

This time, Greg is making the two parts a coherent whole with some additional content AND the option to support at a level that includes miniatures.

Personally, if I had to choose between Rappan Athuk and Barrowmaze, I'd probably go with Barrowmaze. It's the more accessible of the two, as it's parts stand much easier on their own - you can isolate section and remove them from the megadungeon structure and they'll play out just as well on their own as they do as part of the greater whole.

I'll be in for this project, as +Greg Gillespie 's projects are always on time or damn near so and communication has always been excellent. The question is just: "do I go for the minis or not?"

From the Barrowmaze Complete Indiegogo site:

The Plan: Barrowmaze Complete

Barrowmaze I and II need to be combined into one definitive volume: Barrowmaze Complete. In addition to combining the two books, this campaign will facilitate the introduction of 1) New Content, 2) New Art, 3) New Professional Layout and Cover Design.

1. New Content:

The village of Helix, the starting point for the campaign, will be detailed in full to provide a threshold to the adventure. The focus will be on NPCs to create role-playing opportunities to balance the emphasis on dungeon crawling. Locations like The Brazen Strumpet Tavern (with a random patron generator), as well as the Shrine of St. Ygg (and many others), will be laid out. Numerous sub-plots will be added for the PCs to pursue both in town and to piece together information gleaned from Barrowmaze. The town will include a map of the various locations. My goal is to bring Helix to life through interesting NPCs (all with illustrations) and create a vibrant and intriguing gaming environment.

Additional Barrow Mounds (especially mid-level) will be added, as well as dungeon rooms, map additions, rumours, rival adventuring parties, monsters, magic items, and spells. There will also be further revisions to the plot line surrounding the Pit of Chaos and role-playing opportunities in the dungeon.

Although I can encapsulate everything into a concise paragraph or two, the above constitutes a substantive amount of work.

2. New Art:

I am thrilled to announce that Erol Otus will illustrate the colour cover and the frontispiece of Barrowmaze Complete. I must admit, I am very excited about Erol's involvement. He is my favourite TSR artist and think his otherworldly oeuvre fits Barrowmaze perfectly. I had the opportunity to meet Erol at the NTRPGcon last June and he was keen to take part in this project.

I am also very excited to announce that Timothy Truman, another Ex-TSR artist from the early days of the hobby, will provide new interior illustrations including a full page illustration of Barrowmaze II baddie Lord Varghoulis! This is an exciting development for the OSR, as I have yet to see Tim's work return in the context of the old school movement.

In addition, Cory Hamel, Stefan Poag, Zhu Bajie, and others will all return to provide new illustrations.

As you may already know, I am absolutely committed to providing the best classic fantasy art possible for this project. Barrowmaze will celebrate the art of classic fantasy role-playing games.

3. New Professional Layout and Cover Design:

Cory Hamel, the Barrowmaze II cartographer and artist, is a professional graphic designer for a firm in Vancouver. Cory will facilitate the layout and create the new cover design. The new layout will include header illustrations and commentary by me in the outside margins to help facilitate play for referees.

What are the Official Barrowmaze Miniatures by Otherworld?

Alongside the Barrowmaze Complete book, this project includes the creation of a new Boxed Set of Barrowmaze monsters developed in concert with Richard Scott of Otherworld Miniatures (Richard has also run a successful campaign on Indiegogo).The Barrowmaze boxed set will be modeled after the sets of Dungeon Adventurers currently available on the Otherworld Website and include art by Victor Corbella.

How Strict Are You With "Fireball Volume"?

A "fireball blast" not only has a burst radius of 20', but also fills 33k cubic feet (33 10' x 10' x10' cubes - paraphrasing S&W Complete, but it follows AD&D if I recall correctly)

Outside, a fireball is fairly easy to account for, but in a dungeon, the opportunity for substantial blowback is considerable.

I remember an article in the Dragon (issue in the late 60's or early 70's of numbering I think) that dealt with the issue, but damned if I can find it.

How do you handle the area of effect of a fireball? BTB, handwave, guestimate or something else entirely?

(The magic-user in the party is now 4th level - I expect fireball will be one of the spells he will be looking to learn ASAP after hitting 5th ;)

New OSR Ruleset - Seven Voyages of Zylarthen (OD&D W/O Clerics + FREE)

Alright, in truth, Seven Voyages of Zylarthen is a lot more than OD&D without clerics, but at the same time it's a lot like OD&D without the supplements.

It comes in 4 booklets that are obvious homages to the 3LBBs:

Volume 1 is Characters & Combat

Volume 2 is The Book of Monsters

Volume 3 is The Book of Magic

Volume 4 is The Campaign

A review will be forthcoming. I literally just got notice of this when I awoke this morning and digesting will take a bit. If nothing else, I'm sure there is much I can yoke for my Swords & Wizardry games and the price (FREE on PDF) is certainly right.

From the blurb on Lulu:

SEVEN VOYAGES of ZYLARTHEN is a re-imagining of the original edition of the world’s most popular paper and pencil fantasy adventure game, first published in 1974. The brilliance and charm of the earliest version was its simplicity and elegance, combined with a certain asymmetrical quirkiness. It invoked many sources—King Arthur, the Crusades, Middle-earth, the Arabian Nights, pulp fantasy, fairy tales, even science fiction. Its breadth of tone was a virtue, offering to the players a multiplicity of delights. SEVEN VOYAGES of ZYLARTHEN is a different game, published under the Open Game License. We are not affiliated with TSR (old or new) or the current Wizards of the Coast. But our intention was to follow the spirit of the original as closely as possible. Happy dungeoneering! Guard the innocent! Avenge the wronged! May you find heaps of gold at the end of your path, or at the least a memorable and heroic demise! But above all, God grant that you find wonder everywhere!