Scaling Your Sandbox

When I was running "The Caves of Ortok" last night, my players did what good players should do - they went off the script. They were so damn sure there was something beneath the tentacle headed statue there was no way in hell they were going to leave it standing.

As written, it was just a statue. Nothing special except the design of its head. When my players saw it, the "knew" it was special. In truth, if +Jason Paul McCartan wasn't lurking and watching the players progress (or whatever it is my group does that resembles progress) I probably would have put something under the statues. Minor treasure, a map, stairs - something. As it were, I wanted to keep true, as much as was possible, to the adventure design. To some extent, it was a playtest of sorts.

Still, my instinct is to reward my players when they think out of the box, as such rewards not only them, but myself and the campaign as a whole.

As +Jason Paul McCartan pointed out afterwards in regards to Sandboxes, and I agree, it is as much about freedom of choice for the players as it is them putting their own spin on the direction of the campaign. In truth, why shouldn't there have stairs beneath the statue they tumbles, long hidden and leading into dark depths, perhaps flooded and requiring the party to return at a later time, properly prepared for such an expedition?

Because it was written as such?

Sandboxes aren't so much written as created by the players and the events they put into motion. Sandboxes form in reaction to the actions of the players, not in spite of them.

A thriving sandbox is the result of ones players.

I've had some difficulty in seeing a sandbox as anything but a hex crawl, and now I see the sand is perpetually around the players so long as you allow it to be. And they allow it to be. A proper sandbox requires the DM to trust the players' ingenuity and also requires the players to trust the DM's judgement and off the cuff rulings.

It isn't so much the scale as the amount of trust.

Wherein the Party Bungie Jumps Off of a Statue's Head

So, last night the party entered +Jason Paul McCartan 's The Caves of Ortuk. Actually, it took them a most of the session to actually enter the caves, as they were distracted by a statue (humanoid with a tentacled head) on a small rocky island off shore.

Who did they send out to the island to investigate? The monk, followed by the magic-user and the thief. The ranger and the paladin found themselves a location by the caves (at the shore) to cover them with missiles.

Which was kinda good, as the giant crab attacked the two in armor, nearly taking out the paladin. There is something said about "splitting up the party"...

Anyhow, after the giant crab was dispatched by an amazing critical backstab by the halfling thief leaping out of the water (and there was some lamenting about the lack of butter) the two reaming on the island with the stone statue decided they needed to remove it from it's perch.

Being too large and heavy to push over, it was decided to tie a rope to the statue's neck and send the monk leaping from it's head and over the side of the island (10 feet for the statues, about 30 feet for the rocky outcropping off the island.

The first try yanked the head of the statues right off as the monk nimbly grabbed on the rocky of the cliff as he watched the head sail past him by mere feet.

Notice, I did say first try.

This was followed up by tying the rope around the shoulders and making the same attempt yet again. Surprising enough, it succeeded in knocking down the statues (nearly taking out the mage) and the monk again was successful in preventing himself from taking a tumble into the waters below.

The mage was disappointed to find out that the weathered statue was carved from the island's stone. There was no hidden passageway or long lost cache of loot to be found, but there was fun for all.

It was only afterwards that they found the concealed underwater entrance to the caves in question.

See, I knew my group would stretch this out to at least two sessions ;)

Tonight the Party Heads into "The Caves of Ortok"

This a a huge shout out to +Jason Paul McCartan for allowing me (and by extension, my gaming group) access to one of his forthcoming releases under the Infinibadger label: The Caves of Ortok.

Just some observations:

- It's the perfect size for a single session adventure - unless you have my group - they'll probably find a way to stretch it to two ;)

- Jason sent me the S&W version. I believe it will also be coming in LL and C&C flavors.

- Player maps for the win!

- Player handouts for the bonus win :)

- It includes monsters from Monstrosities - I love that damn book

Alright, need to finish setting this up on Roll20...

What Do You Do on Game Night When You Don't Have Enough Players for the Regular Campaign?

It's Saturday night. Of your group of 6 + 1, you have only 2 players and the DM. Or maybe 4 and no DM. What do you do?

Call the session off? Push on?

Back in the wayback times, when work and family didn't prevent us from wasting a Sunday afternoon at the dining room table playing Chaos Marauders, Talisman, Nuclear War, Sega Genesis and the like, the session went one, but not the campaign.

That is a major advantage for face to face gaming, as the session (if not the campaign) can easily continue with a core chunk of players missing.

These days I play pretty much exclusively online via G+ Hangouts and Roll20. We did try, briefly, having an alternate system (T&T) when we had less than the optimal number of players, but that didn't work so well (might be that I'm probably the only member of the group well versed in T&T).

Board games are out. Drinking Quest would probably work, but each person on would probably need their own set of the rules.

For the most part, these undermanned sessions turn into amazing chat sessions, but then again, I do game with some very creative people.

So, what do you do on the game nights where you don't have enough peeps to play in the regular RPG campaign?

Time is the One Thing Man Can Never Conquer

Time - there is never enough of it. Unless you are dreading some upcoming event, in which case it passes by way too fast. Or are a child awaiting Christmas, when it goes too slowly before skipping by on the 25th in a heartbeat.

I've learned some important things about time with the OSR Superstar Competition - there is never enough time to leave the entry period open and there certainly wasn't enough time to get 330+ entries judged in a timely fashion.

The top 16 entrants will be announced this weekend.

The top 16 entrants will be posted to The Tavern this weekend.

All entries will be posted in the coming days (and weeks)

Round 2 of the OSR Superstar Contest will kick off sometime next week.

We now return you to normal posting at The Tavern...

Kickstarter Project "Ships" 17 Days After Funding Completes? Must be Kevin Crawford's Scarlet Heroes

+Kevin Crawford just announced that the Scarlet Heroes Kickstarter is officially complete. Supporters of the Kickstarter can now order their "at cost" copies of the book, the final PDF is out and the game is complete. Stretch goals may take a little longer to release, but as his target was June, I suspect he has more than enough time to get them in order.

Oh, and it's on sale for the general public too.

The man is a Kickstarter Gawd! ;)

Did I mention I'll be using Scarlet Heroes to bring my wife up to speed for NTRPG Con?

From the blurb at RPGNow:

Scarlet Heroes is an old-school tabletop role-playing game designed to provide classic sword and sorcery gaming for one player and one gamemaster. Unlike most other RPGs, Scarlet Heroes is built to support one-on-one play, with no need for a full-fledged party of adventurers to provide an evening's entertainment. Whether for a spouse, kid, curious friend, or just as an alternative to boardgames for those nights when only one or two friends can make it to the gaming session, Scarlet Heroes gives you the tools for good old-fashioned skull-cracking adventure.

Scarlet Heroes can be used both as a stand-alone RPG and as an overlay over your favorite old-school game to make its adventures playable for single PCs or very small groups. It shares the same classic statistics and basic game mechanisms as these old-school favorites, but by changing the interpretation of these numbers it makes it possible for a single courageous adventurer to dare perils that would otherwise threaten a half-dozen freebooters. With Scarlet Heroes, a GM can pull out a favorite module, grab a convenient friend, and a have a full night's adventure with no tweaking, alteration, or adjustment of the material needed.

Inside the pages of this book, you'll find...

A full stand-alone RPG system that can also be used as an overlay atop most popular old-school games.

The Red Tide campaign setting as a default for the game, with a full bestiary of Southeast Asian-inspired monsters, suitable new magic items, and a full list of new cleric and magic-user spells for that setting.

Sixty new adventure tags of the sort beloved in Stars Without Number and the Red Tide Campaign Setting sourcebook. Mix and match to fashion your own perilous circumstance.

Solo adventure tools for genuine single-player RPG gaming. Mix your own creativity with table results to create a narrative for your own hero's adventure... or use them as inspiration in crafting something for a group.

Five crisp new maps by +Dyson Logos , unkeyed and ready to be filled by your own creativity.

More than a thousand backers supported the Kickstart that funded the creation of Scarlet Heroes and now the book is available to the wider world. Seize this world of red adventure and be armed against the coming night!

The "B-Team" Will be Taking on The Castle of the Mad Arch Mage

Trying the get the "one Friday a month B-Team" to finish adventures in a single session is far from the easiest thing to do. Not because they aren't willing and able, but most adventures just seem to take more than a single session to complete, which really isn't conductive to "drop in / drop out" play.

So, I gave it some thought after today's morning post and decided a megadungeon would be the way to go. I also left the choice to the regular "B-Team" members. I gave them a list to vote on that included the following options:

Temple of Elemental Evil

Stonehell

Castle of the Mad Archmage

(Barrowmaze was not on the list, as there are already groups on G+ playing such, and if my group is going to do session write ups, we may as well use a different megadungeon)

Castle of the Mad Archmage won hands down in some of the quickest voting I can ever recall seeing. It doesn't hurt that it's a relatively new product that hasn't been read, run and played to death ;)

We'll be using this in conjunction with the classic Thieves' World Boxed Set - so, urban sandbox when the players desire and megadungeon to kill shit when killing is their business ;)

Tim Shorts (Gothridge Manor) Interviewed at the Gaming Ballistic Blog (Video, MP3 and Transcript)

+Douglas Cole (Gaming Ballistic Blog) interviewed +Tim Shorts (Gothridge Manor Blog) about all things gaming. GURPS, the OSR, Zines and even me amongst other things.

It's a very entertaining interview, and I'm not just saying that because of Tim's "almost Canadian" accent. Doug is certainly hitting his stride with the latest interview, which reminds me that I've missed a few and need to catch up.

So, listen to one of my current players (Doug) interview one of my future players (Tim). Be amazed that Tim was able to not drop four letter words ;)

Seriously, this is some damn good stuff and pretty much a must listen if you are into the OSR at all (but watch if you can - it ups the entertainment value ;)

If you are feeling truly adventurous and missed Doug interviewing me earlier this year, you can catch me making a fool of myself here.

My Sandbox Failure - Not a Good Fit For a "Once a Month Drop in / Drop Out" Campaign

I've learned a few things about "sandbox" campaigns, at least from my side of the table.

First, they work better when players have a few levels (and history of the campaign) behind them. That isn't much of a surprise, as sandboxes are largely player / character driven, and there has to be some history and investment before the desire to spread one's wings with an actual direction takes place. The Saturday night group is about to hit this.

It also requires frequent play and a steady roster. My Friday night group is, by it's intentional design, the exact opposite of this. Once a month more or less, with a changing roster (but pretty much a set core), it is not made for a sandbox. Maybe layer it will evolve into one, but with the slower leveling and the "drop in / drop out" nature of the campaign, I suspect not.

I'm beginning to see how something like Barrowmaze is an ideal adventure location for the "drop in / drop out" style of gaming.

Idle post breakfast thoughts on a rainy Thursday morning...

Dark Dungeons - The Trailer (from the makers of The Gamers and other fine geek online movies)

Found this on ENWorld and I remember the Kickstarter - still can't believe Chick endorsed it ;)

The above is the trailer for the Summer 2014 release.

One-Page Dungeon Patreon Project - or - What Could You Support for a Dollar a Month?

For those that don't know what Patreon is, it's a service that lets you support creators of different media via a virtual automated tip jar.

I like it, and I use it to support creators that I like and respect, such as +matt jackson , +Dyson Logos, +Courtney Campbell and +Mark Gedak for putting out RPG material for the community for free. See that part? It's a tool to reward creators that share their work for free with their fans. Sure, supporting them may give you some additional perks and possible input, but the idea is you support those that give back to the community.

Two out of the four above that I mentioned do maps. Now that I've added the One-Page Dungeon Project, mappers represent three out of five of the RPG projects I support (the other project I support is a musical band that covers modern songs in the style of the 40's and 50's).

What makes this project special? Look and judge for yourself:

Basic support is a buck an adventure, and if they do more than adventure a month, they just hit you for a single buck anyway.

One

Damn

Buck

Mini Review - Fighting Fire - Ernie Gygax Benefit Adventure (System Agnostic)

In case you missed it, +Mark CMG (Creative Mountain Games) has written and released Fighting Fire, a system neutral fantasy RPG adventure as a benefit for +Ernie Gygax , who suffered significant losses last February due to a fire at his home. 33% of the proceeds are going to a fund (the Ernie Gygax Fire Relief trust Fund) to help Ernie get back on his feet financial, which in an of itself is a good cause. Of course, as a community, we do pretty well coming together for good causes, so on that level, Fighting Fire should be a no brainer ;)

Still, you probably want to know how the adventure itself is. Actually, it's pretty good. For me, they highlight is reading all of the in jokes and references to folks from the hobby. There are more than a few I don't know, which is a challenge I need to meet. Almost like a game within a game.

Fighting Fire is a bit of setting and a lot of adventure. Mark wisely leaves room for you, the DM, to pencil in the needed stats for the creatures your party is to encounter. As the monsters include will-o-the-wisps, ettins, fire giants, hell hounds and the like I could nearly stats this out from the AD&D 1e DNA burned into my brain 30+ years ago. Heck, your players don't even need to kill everything! Yep, negotiation is actually an option :)

The map of Gamington is awesome (as is the overwhelming majority of the art pieces). Even if i don't use the adventure anytime soon, as it's certainly too high for my party of 3rd to 5th level S&W PCs, I can see myself using Gamington now.

Would I have preferred seeing stats, even if they were "generic OSR" in nature? Probably, but as I stated above, I know most of the stats by heart anyway. God, I'm such a classic gaming nerd ;)

(don't forget to read the sample PCs in the back - I can only identify about a 3rd - need to use google-fu!)

From the blurb:

Our friend, Ernie Gygax had a tough 2013. Early in the year a fire destroyed his apartment including many irreplaceable belongings. Later in the year he was laid low with a bout of congestive heart failure. This system-neutral adventure was inspired by some of those events and the storied history of gaming. 33% of the price is set up to go to the Ernie Gygax Relief Fund set up by his brother Luke Gygax. The adventure takes place in and around the town of Gamington on the shores of Gentle Lake. An arsonist's fire destroys the Tower of Ernesto, a famous wizard, but a band of heroes rallies to right the wrong, rooting out the evil in the nearby Fire Peak. A GM can set this up as a campaign addition or one-shot, in any Medieval Fantasy RPG system. There are plenty of tips to help do either. Included are some character backgrounds for the heroes noted within as well as an epic poem extolling their exploits. I hope it is as much fun to read as it was to write.

What Sources do You use for Inspiration When Writing Adventures?

Over the next few days I hope to dig into the research material my sister loaned me about Pennsylvania coal mines and their dangers (and still burning fires). I find the whole thing very intriguing and inspirational, and I expect it to translate well to a gaming scenario.

In the past I've drawn inspiration from books, movies, nature walks and occasionally, the dark corners of my mind ;)

Where do you draw your inspiration when writing adventures?

As the Vision Clears, I See Undead Dwarves & Goblins and a Trickster in Between - Yep, Three Levels of Dungeon Goodness

I'm beginning to get a feel for how the Dwarven mines are going to lay out for my slowly getting larger yet still small piece of the Saga of the Splintered Realms Megadungeon.

I'm seeing three levels - undead Dwarves above, undead goblins below and mines being fought over in between.

The undead will not be traditional undead. Intelligent, conniving and still concerned with some of the comforts of the living. Being intelligent, they can be bargained with. For once, the players will be the ones potentially bribed for their services.

I need to see where +Michael Desing is going with gods and other creatures of power and influence. I have an idea that needs to fit within the mythos of The Splinter Realms without upsetting the apple cart.

I know why the dwarves are there and why the goblins are there and what both sides are searching for. I know why they are undead (but I need to turn their undeaded-ness into stat blocks, as neither is traditional in their deadness).

My plan is to make this not just a very close fit with the megadungeon proper but also usable as a stand alone adventure (with hooks).

Undead Dwarven Miners in Perpetual Battle Against Undead Goblin Raiders - Yep, I Know What I'm Writing...

not "the map", but "a map" from the megadungeon

I'm beginning to think my "mini" level may be more of a full level in the mega-dungeon level I'll be writing for the Saga of Splintered Realms Kickstarter.

On the one side, we have Undead Dwarven Miners - not mindless undead, but undead driven to madness to complete their task.

On the other side, we have the Undead Goblin Raiders - again, not mindless but cunning.

The players will be enough to tip the balance of power to one side or the other, but why are these undead in battle? Heck, why are they even undead? What is the task the dwarves are driven to complete and why are the goblins so intent on stopping it?

And just who the fuck is bringing the undead back to undead-ness at the stroke of midnight each and every night, keeping this macabre dance going on to perpetuity?

Don't forget all the fun and danger that mining entails...

Wish I had the damn answers. Heck, I probably do, just haven't thought of them yet ;)

See what happens when I have a few beers, +Michael Desing ?

My Craigslist Old School Score - Part 4 of the Unboxing - Odds & Ends

Ashley don't need no modules with stinkin' covers!

Good to know I wasn't the only teen inflating scores ;)

Two sets of near pristine Greyhawk maps
I assume one set is from the folio and one from the boxed set

With the winter we've been having, it had to be open to
Snow and Ice Barbarians

Unused

Behold!
Inside are true Goldenrods!
Never used even...

I Think I Know What I'm Going to do With My Mini Level of the Splintered Realms Megadungeon...

My Craigslist Old School Score - Part 3 of the Unboxing - The Arcanum of the Invincible Overlord

Part the Third, not to be confused with Part the Second or Part the First. Will probably be followed with Part the Odds and Ends...

I'm not even sure what this is, but it looks damn cool!

Can you really ever have too much Tunnels & Trolls?

I never owned the Companion rules - now i do!

Never really got into star Frontiers

Can't go wrong with an extra DMG

Time for some DM Screens

This is blurry because they are still in shrink wrap
Two copies of "The Haunt", a boxed supplement for
the Invincible Overlord

and more boxed sets in the Invincible Overlord series
Not wrapped but all NM condition

My Craigslist Old School Score - Part 2 of the Unboxing - Rogues, DMs and More

Continuing the unboxing, part 1 of which is here. This may take four posts - definitely three.

Worn to shit - this was loved and read to pieces - literally.
This, A1 and S3 were pointed out by the seller to me because of the memories attached.
They have found a good home.

I never knew this even existed.
Pristine and never used.

Much better condition than my original copy, which I used multiple times

I've heard a lot about Marvelous Magic but never owned it.
G1-3 is a gawd damn classic!

and the maps are in pristine condition.
sadly, just one set ;)

of the "A" series, i only owned A1 (first module bought evar!)

Two copies of the Moldvay  rulebook- can't go wrong with that

both totally new to me

somewhere I have a previous copy of Fate of Istus
The Falcon stuff? nope

I'm not sure if I had this previously

Dragonlance - at least the seller knew where to stop while younger ;)

My Craigslist Old School Score - Part 1 of the Unboxing

Pictures, as we know, speak louder than words. +Joe D pointed out there was an Old School box of goodies posted on Craig's List that was in my neck of the woods. Color me surprised when I reached out and found out that is was still available. There is too much for a single post - possibly too much for two posts, but we'll see.

Total cost for the box was $250

Complete with player handouts / visuals. Inside is mint

N1 is in much better shape than my original copy

Just a fun set of adventures

Never owned T1, and my T1-4 map has been marked up multiple times

Dont believe I have either

Only had C1 previously

This stuff is classic

Whisper & Venom Free Preview Available as Full Digital Version Goes on Sale

I love my boxed set of Whisper & Venom. It perpetually stays next to my side of the sofa in the TV room, for constant reading during commercials and shows that the wife loves and my desire is a few notches less. It is, quite simply, enjoyable.

+Zach Glazar has now released Whisper & Venom in digital format, hyperlinked for your enjoyment and without those ugly watermarks one finds in most other digital releases of RPG products. Zach has also put together a free PDF preview of Whisper & Venom, to give prospective buyers a free usable peek. Yep, there is enough included to run a short game session with your OSR gaming group - or longer if your party tends to go off on tangents like mine does ;)

So, grab the free preview. It is, after all, free. If you like it, the full digital package is $12.99, and it includes a form fillable character sheet (made for LL, but usable for any OSR game system with little work).

When a Gaming Group Hits Critical Mass

When our G+ gaming group formed, it was started with the intention of playtesting D&D 5e / Next. That part lasted a few months before leading to DM burnout, which was due in part to both the changing nature of the rules (it was a playtest) and the various expectations of the players in the group that was formed. We were Old School, Pathfinder, 3x and 4e all thrown together. Our expectations were as varied as out gaming backgrounds. There were growing pains.

When our DM asked to take a break from behind the screen, we played a session of 3.5. It ended in a TPK and nearly the end of the group, which is when I offered to run ACKS and DM for the first time in 15 years.

The core of that ACKS group moved on to OSRIC / 1E, and some playtesting of Ambition & Avarice, with the creator ( +Greg Christopher ) playing as a player in his own system. Then some DCC RPG and now Swords & Wizardry - but I'm no longer the sole DM. +Keith J Davies ran some one offs earlier and +Joe D runs his houseruled version of LotFP Weird Fantasy and +David Przybyla just finished putting us through a few sessions of S&W to playtest an adventure he has written.

Yep, we've hit critical mass as a gaming group, where no one person keeps it moving forward, but we all do. It truly is a thing of wonder and I'm so glad to be a part of it. The fact that EVERYONE I game with either is an artist or a writer is amazing, as it simply pushes me to be the best DM or player I can be.

I am finding I really do enjoy being a player, almost as much as being a DM - and I get to drink as a player too! No drinking and DMing for me - my players would run circles around me ;)

New Bundle of Holding - "Fantastic Valor"

Let's see. I have Jaws of the Six Serpents and would love to run it some day. Very evocative and some excellent Swords & Sorcery.

Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies and Hellas are two games I've been looking to snag for a while. Beast Hunters looks good. The rest will get looked at at some point.

$6.95 for Jaws of the Six Serpents and two other games? Currently about $15 to throw in Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies, Hellas and something called Honor + Intrigue? Count me in on yet another Bundle of Holding (still waiting on OSR Bundle #2 - hint!)

AD&D and Gender Based Stat Limits - What's Up With That?

I cut my RPG teeth on AD&D 1e, so for my first years of gaming I knew nothing but gender based stat limits, especially for strength. Human females couldn't exceed 18/50 in their exceptional strength score (so why even bother rolling the percentiles) and for non-human females, the numbers were worse - they couldn't even hit an 18 (or for halflings, even hit a 15). It's not like the penalty was balanced by an equivalent benefit.

It's too early on a Saturday morning for me to actually break out the books and research it all, but I'm going to guess this first cropped up in the OD&D Greyhawk supplement.

I understand "why" it's there in the AD&D rules - women are the "fairer" sex, but in a fantasy game, does one really need to include such limits?

Were such limits a reaction to the blooming "Women's Liberation Movement" at the time (my mother was an active member until her local chapter started spouting communist ideals)? Was it an reflection that the wargaming and budding RPG hobbies were male domains?

Do any of the OSR clones include gender limits on stats? I don't recall off hand, and again, before breakfast my ability (and drive) to research is minimal ;)

Blame these thoughts on 11 hours of sleep last night - a well rested mind goes off on all sorts of tangents.

Breachworld (most certainly NOT a Rifts Clone) Kickstarter Preview (Free)

I've talked about Breachworld previously. It's based off of MiniSix, which in and of itself is based on OpenD6 which is an open version of the core system behind old West End Games Star Wars RPG. So, in a way, it's coming full circle.

I'm really excited with the Breachworld Kickstarter, as it should be easy to import many of the trappings of Rifts into the Breachworld setting and system. That being said, Breachworld is it's own creature, and now you can peek at that yourself.

The Breachworld RPG Kickstarter Preview doesn't just show there is an actual product that has been written up for the Kickstarter, but it actually gives you enough to start playing. It includes a lot in it's 75 pages along with some decent art.

Grab the free Breachworld preview if you liked Rifts, hate Rifts, like OpenD6, are interested in a D6 powered setting - hell, grab it because it's free. The cost is nothing, and you might find enough there to decide to support the Kickstarter ;)

Gonzo, Themed or Organic - How Do You Like Your Dungeons?

The Saga of the Splintered Realms Kickstarter funded in less than a day, so I am on the hook for a mini-level of the associated mega-dungeon.

As it is a mini-level / side bar, I expect I'll have some free rein in how to design my little corner, so I'm looking for some early input.

How do you like your dungeons and / or dungeon levels?

Are you into Gonzo styles dungeons, where anything goes?

Do you prefer it to stick to a specific theme or style of trappings?

Do you like dungeons that seem to have grown organically and have a history?

There choices are not exclusive of each other, nor are they inclusive of all the options out there.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter, as your thoughts will make me think...

I Have Some Minor Involvement in This Kickstarter - Saga of the Splintered Realms

If you follow this blog, you know the relationship I have with Kickstarters - it's a real love / hate type of relationship. So, for me to actually allow myself to get involved with one (Saga of the Splintered Realms) on the creative side, you know I've either just gone crazy or truly believe in the creator. 

Shit, it's probably a lot of both.

Seriously, for me to associate my name with a Kickstarter of any type has only potential downside for me. If it winds up being awesome and on time (as I expect it will) no one is going to be saying "Erik Tenkar did some amazing work!". If it goes to shit, I'm sure all folks will remember is "isn't that the Kickstarter Erik Tenkar worked on?"

That all being said, I believe in +Michael Desing . Enough to add my name to the project and carve out a small piece for myself. There are a handful of folks in our community that I would gladly help under similar circumstances. They probably know who they are, or should ;)

In any case, my piece of the puzzle is a small level of the megadungeon part of this project. If I fuck that up, it's mine and mine alone. If it comes out great, I'll owe it to +Michael Desing ;)

In any case, this isn't about me. It's about The Saga of the Splintered Realms:

It started with a simple enough proposition. Imagine for a moment that you were tasked with acting as lead designer for the NEXT edition of the world’s greatest RPG system. What would you do? Where would you start? 

For me ( +Michael Desing ) it’s the 1981 BX rules. For me, it’s by beginning with what the game’s grandfathers started with – a simple set of rules, a world to explore, and a mighty dungeon to delve. The game grew out of those three things, and if I was to develop the next edition, that’s where we’d have to go back to.  

However, this game would also need stellar art – not only on the cover, but throughout the book – by some fantastic artists. It would need to be carefully tested and edited. It would need to be clear, easy to learn, and intuitive. It would need to be polished. And, finally, it would need to belong to the community from which it came.  

The result of that is the project I present to you: Saga of the Splintered Realm. This funded project would create three books:  

Book 1: Core Rules. All of the fundamental rules needed to play the game. This is not a retro-clone. It is a modern re-imagining of classic rules. The goal is to retain the spirit of the original rules and key ‘classic’ game concepts, simplifying and re-organizing these for quicker play and unified mechanics.  

 Book 2: Campaign Setting. An overview of the Splintered Realm, the default game setting. This includes the campaign world, its major locales, unique creatures and spells, and unique game rules, including a fate game mechanic, and subclass options for each class.  

Book 3: Vault of the Goblin. The megadungeon that acts as the hub of much activity in the Splintered Realm. This is composed of three primary levels with dozens of sub-levels that interconnect. This book would also include an overview of the keep and surrounding countryside near the Vault. 

Rafael Chandler has a Kickstarter - Lusus Naturae: A Gruesome Old-School Bestiary

There aren't many Kickstarters I'd be willing to go into just based on the name of the creator alone, especially when it is their first Kickstarter. +Rafael Chandler is a proven OSR commodity. Well, if not commodity, then a proven OSR creator of some amazingly kick-ass shit. It's not that I think the man is sane, I happen to think he's insane in an awesomely creative manner.

I happen to love the Teratic Tome (available as Pay What You Want, if you desire a peek at +Rafael Chandler 's work). It is, quite simply, the best old school bestiary I've seen come out of the OSR, and we've had some good ones. I'm willing to bet that Lusus Naturae will blow the Terratic Tome away.

In a mere 7 hrs Lucus Naturae has nearly reached half of it's funding goal of $6,660. Yes, +Rafael Chandler has some fucked up sense of humor. Who cares, as he does some amazing work ;)

From the Kickstarter page:

Lusus Naturae ("Freaks of Nature") is a collection of grotesqueries that will break the bodies and hearts of your player characters. If you like horror in your old-school gaming, then you'll enjoy this bestiary. 

It uses the Lamentations of the Flame Princess system. LotFP is a dark and violent tabletop role-playing game of horror/fantasy, and it's part of the "Old School Renaissance" family of games; download the free PDF here: http://goo.gl/bXn7vW 

Each entry In Lusus Naturae is accompanied by a black-and-white illustration by Gennifer Bone. She's executing all the artwork, because I love her style, and because she gets where I'm coming from. I enjoy things that are broken, hideous, and upsetting; she's good at illustrating these notions. We're a great team. 

The 100 viscera-chewing monsters in this book include:  

Pain-fueled Algionauts, bestowing power upon those who mutilate themselves  

The pitiless and insectile Blight, which hungers for the agony of tormented newlyweds  

The self-birthing Porphyrogene, eternally seeking the origin of feminine power  

Vitiators, which methodically disembowel those who ignore entreaties to abandon sobriety, virginity, and abstention of all kinds  

The thin and lonesome Wending Skirl, howling its soul-deadening grief in frozen woods
Methodical and elegant Monstructs, which build their Citadel of Perpetuated Joys from the bodies of children

A Wine Made with Murder Hobos in Mind - The Grimy Wyvern Wine-Hall

Alright, between the wife and I we just finished one of the four bottles from our order. Let me start right out and say this is better then that D&D soda that came out a year or two ago ;)

If you follow me, I'm a beer person. Love my micro brews. That being said, I also like red wines and they do seem to help me sleep. I expect to sleep well tonight...

If you can find it:

Toothsteinn the Red: The Grimy Wyvern Wine-Hall - Woot Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc

It's a damn good wine.

I do detect the black pepper, cherry and cedar. Not so sure about the vanilla. It might be there, but so subtle it's hard to tell. It is good though, and I find myself wishing I had ordered more...

Just How Did That Dungeon get Built?

As I write this I have a nail gun, an electric saw, hammering and banging going on in the room next to me as my contractor is working fairly late tonight. And it got me thinking - all this work to close up a doorway and build some shelves - how much work is there to building a dungeon (let alone a mega-dungeon).

Sure, magic helps - I'm sure rock to mud is awesome at clearing out hallways and rooms, but all that mud had to go somewhere. Not to mention the doors.

Actually, I was listening to +Vincent Florio on his Roll for Initiative podcast the other night talking about doors, and that had also got me thinking - dungeon doors are not like the doors we have in our homes or apartments. Dungeon doors keep shit in or keep shit out - it truly is an amazing thing that is often overlooked when we describe or think of dungeon trappings.

Ack, I'm all over the pace with this post. I'm going to blame the allergies and the amazing wine I have sitting next to me that I have yet to drink. Well, I hope it's amazing.

I'll try and be a bit more coherent later on tonight, but for now, I'm thinking of doors, or in this case, the removal of a door and the conversion of the space.

OSR Superstar Round 1 Results This Weekend (Fingers Crossed)

I've communicated with the judges, and the expectation is that I should have each judge's list this weekend. I'll collate and score the entries and then release the list of the top 16 (and I'll post the winners to the blogside as well).

So, if all goes well, round 2 of the OSR Superstar Competition should kick off next week ;)

Picking Up Where We Left Off - Returning to a Campaign Left 8 Weeks Ago Mid Adventure

Yeah, mid January was a bit hellish on my end, and I gladly passed the DM reins over for a few weeks, followed by a few weeks playtesting as a player (and some non-gaming G+ Hangouts thrown in for good measure.) Needless to say, I'm am pretty much off kilter as far as the campaign I was running

Do I?

- try and pick up the adventure where we left off, knowing that the momentum is gone along with player memory.

- forget the last adventure and hand-wave the party to a new situation / adventure / etc.

- move to the S&W Thieve's World as a sandbox for a session or two, either with new characters or moving the current ones over (with minor adjustments)

- something completely different?

Looking for some inspiration :)

Playing with the Blogger App - How Light can I Travel to a Con?

It's a no brainer that I plan to post from NO RPG Con, the only question is how feasible is it to use my phone to do so.

So, out at Friday's with the wife and kid giving the Blogger App a try - and trying hard not to smack the ass in the next booth that is vapping or whatever they call those electronic cigarettes.

Yeah, that would be a real life adventure ;)

When at a Con - Scheduled Games or Open Gaming?

I expect I'll do a bit of both at NTRPG Con, but I'm wondering if folks organize last minute games via social media.

My last con was GenCon in 93, and I don't recall any open gaming. Then again, that might be because I had stuff scheduled from 8 am to 12 am the first 3 days ;)

In any case, when you go to a con, how much gaming do you plan for in advance?

Testing Tables - Embedding Tables in a Blogpost and Playing With Coppers

Rats & Coppers Table

Last Gasp Grimoire has a way to imbed tables into a blog post. Mo idea if the link above is going to work, but I'd love to see the tables others come up with.

Of course, I may have buggered the above to shit for all I know. The test is in the posting.

Whether I can make it work or not, thanks go out to +Logan Knight and +Paolo Greco .

Any failures to execute are mine alone ;)

Mini Review - The Sunken City Adventure Omnibus & Guide (DCC RPG)

I wanted to get a review of The Sunken City Adventure Omnibus & Guide posted while it was still one sale for GMs Day at 30% off, but why repeat some of my earlier posts ;)

I've reviewed some of the individual titles of the Sunken City series previously:

A Gathering of the Marked

The Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk

Perils of the Sunken City

The adventures read well and play well and now come wrapped in a fine bow. The complete package also includes Lair of the Mist Men, adventure hooks, new magic items, new creatures, a new patron and more.

I really had blast running The Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk - can't believe that was nearly two years ago.

Listen, it's well done and fun to play and really does DCC well and would probably convert well to other OSR games too.

But hey, let me quote from the books RPGNow page so you know what you are getting, which is a lot if you ask me:

The Sunken City Adventure Omnibus & Guide contains four complete beginning adventures and a host of new material to enhance your Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign. Features include:

Every best-selling Sunken City Adventure (Perils of the Sunken City, The Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk, A Gathering of the Marked, Lair of the Mist Men) combined and refined into a single full-color volume.

Both a 96-page desktop/print version and a 200-page mobile version built from scratch for viewing on your tablet!

A massive 84-page master appendix containing extra content, pre-gen characters, player maps, 1-inch scale battle maps, and over 150 paper miniatures. 

A patron write-up of Malloc, the devious master of secrets.

At long last... Opossuman player characters! 

Adventure seeds, new monsters, 24 new magic items, judging tips, and more!

Print Version: Special Offer
Both hardcover and softcover version of the Sunken City Adventure Omnibus & Guide are coming! Everyone who purchases the PDF version in the interim will receive a special offer to purchase the print version at the lowest price when available!

If you've previously purchased one or more of the Sunken City Adventures from RPGNow, you should have received an email with a code to purchase it at a reduced price. If you haven't, or have purchased the adventures from both RPGNow and other locations, contact us at info@purplesorcerer.com with a list of the adventures you own, and we'll get you set up!

That's a crap load for your $12.59 (at least through March 15th.)

Wherein My Wife Decides to Join Me at NTRPG Con - Need to Get Her Up to Speed

In truth, my wife Rachel has been very supportive of my RPG hobby. She was actually instrumental in getting me back into active gaming, which I can't thank her enough.

She asked to join me at NTRPG Con, with the initial idea of me gaming while she went shopping and exploring. It has now evolved into "this sounds like fun! I want to get involved too!"

Time to get ready to run some one on one sessions with Scarlet Heroes and some OSR adventures.

Any suggestions on adventures that would work well for a first time player?

It's Official - Registered for NTRPG Con and Have My Room - When Do We Sign up for Games?

Tonight, after making sure the wife (she that rules with a velvet open palm ;) could take off from work for the days in question, I officially registered for NTRPG Con.

Holy shit - my first con in 21 years.

We will arrive Wednesday and leave on Monday. I see +Zach Glazar is running a LL session and +Matt Finch is running some S&W and there's just a crap load of other stuff I want to do. I really need to plan my battle plan out before registration opens for the individual games.

My wife is interested in hitting the Con for at least one day, so I might register her for all 4 days too. She's enjoy the board games and maybe even the Tunnels & Trolls slot I saw on the board, as her one and only RPG session was T&T 7e.

Yep, the shit just became real. I just need to find Rach some Karaoke and all will be sweet as pie ;)

In any case, I look forward to hooking up in June with the friends I've made online that I've yet to meet face to face.

Review - Adventure Fantasy Game - Part the Second - Tasks and The Old One

I should be tackling Task Rankings and such and breaking it down into my own words for the 2nd part of the Adventure Fantasy Game review, but I really can't explain it better than the rules themselves do:

Practice makes perfect. A character can become an EXPERT in a Task by spelling out the word EXPERT next to it. This means that the character gains a permanent +1 on all 5MORE checks for that particular Task. 

Practice must be meaningful: doing the same action over and over again, like picking the same lock, does not provide additional letters unless in novel and stressful circumstances. For example, picking a lock while being shot at by the city night watch. The Referee is encouraged to put a limit on how often EXPERT letters are gained; a letter per encounter or scene is a safe limit. Beyond EXPERT, further bonuses may not be gained in this manner for a particular Task, except by achieving the proficiency of a MASTER. 

Once a character has become EXPERT in six Tasks, he or she can claim the title of MASTER and add "Master" before their name. At that time, the player shall select one, and only one Task the character is already EXPERT in and shall receive a further bonus of +1 on all 5MORE rolls in that Task. The word "EXPERT" next to the Task will be erased, to be substituted by the word "MASTER". 

For example, it is possible for an EXPERT Climber (who is also an EXPERT in five other Tasks) to choose to become a MASTER in Climbing for a +2 bonus. If the MASTER Climber has a high PHY, the total bonus of Climbing rolls will be +3.

Basically, you get better by doing, in much the same was RuneQuest (at least in 2nd and 3rd editions handled it). Want to get better at picking locks? Pick some locks WHEN IT MATTERS. Working on a practice lock in your room doesn't have the same potential.

Now, on to Divinity. In the Adventure Fantasy Game, worship makes a difference. The powers that be, whether that is a god, demon, spirit or the like are powerful and spiteful. You want them on your side. There is a lot of open ground here, as AFG "does not provide hard and fast rules to simulate this interaction" between the divine and the mortals looking for their help, blessing, intersession and the like. It does, however, provide the GM and his players with an ample sample of divine beings and the type of people that worship them - their cults, if you will (again making me think a bit of RuneQuest)

Here's a piece from the section on Cthulhu (any fantasy game that includes Cthulhu in it's mythos is starting off strong in my book ;)

Cthulhu worshippers are of two kinds: those venerating the endless cycle of life and death and those trying to awaken their master, so that everything will be eaten and born again. This last bunch is seen as problematic by a lot of people, so both kinds of worshippers organise as mystery cults. The fi rst one hides behind a layer of pagan, nature-worshipping practices, while the latter is simply reclusive. 

It's unclear whether Cthulhu rewards worship: occasionally some cult of the second kind starts kidnapping and sacri ficing a lot of people. While this is known to have a benefi cial eff ect, it's unclear whether the benefits come from Cthulhu or another Venerable. 

What's certain is that this kind of behavior is frowned upon by authorities and common people alike, and many cults have met their end at the hands of guards and angry mobs. It's not necessarily true that these cults engaged in this kind of behavior (or worshipped Cthulhu), but a few disappearances can easily be blamed on any suspect cult.

There is a lot going on in those three paragraphs, and there is more going on than the sample I grabbed. Good stuff, and easily used with the system of your choice, as the divine section is systemless. Actually, the whole of the divine section / sample cults is inspirational (figure that) and could easily be transferred to a different ruleset.

Next part I expect to touch upon magic and spells.

The Fear of Death - or - Why I Like "Old School Gaming"

I already wrote a bit about last night's play session, so I won't harp on it too much more, but there is something I want to address.

My character, Calishun the Dwarven Cleric, was ready to run when our bruisers were webbed by our misfiring flying magic-user. The thing is, he isn't a long term character of mine (the magic-user and ranger are characters from my campaign, running under the "if it happens here, it happened there" rule). Calishun was created as a 4th level cleric specifically to playtest the adventure in question. Last night was his third session in play and yet the thought of running at that moment came quickly to me mind.

In truth, I'm not even sure if my decision not to run was influenced by the fact that Calishun will probably never see use again or out of loyalty to my fellow party members. Perhaps a bit of both. Still, the fear and the initial thought were real and that was damn cool.

There can be no gain of worth if there is no risk of loss. Which is why 3rd Edition and beyond of D&D ceased to appeal to me - if you can plot out your character's advancement with a computer app from levels 1 to 20, what is the point to playing levels 1 to 20? Actually, in old school gaming, who plays to level 20? (sure, some do, but I'm making a general statement)

If I'm going to play an RPG, I need there to be some real risk, some real threat to my character, or there is little if any true potential for growth. Sure, the numbers increase, but the numbers don't truly define the character - game play history does.

Wherein the Party Nearly Suffers a Self Inflicted TPK

Last night was the 3rd and final session of the playtest of +David Przybyla upcoming Swords & Wizardry adventure, and the group had a blast with the playtest. An action and thinking styled adventure for the win.

The funny thing is, we almost killed ourselves right at the end.

We were engaged with adversaries to out north. The ranger and monk were doing a decent job taking them down, and my cleric was doing the "accent" work. The magic-user had previously quaffed a flying potion and was hovering near the ceiling.

Suddenly, we had adversaries coming from the south. Creatures that had previously set our monk's clothing on fire (he was thankful that he was under the protection of fire resistance midway through.

Not wanting the party to be trapped between two forces, the magic-user cast a Web spell. Regretfully, it was slightly misplaced - it caught the incoming from the south, but it also caught the party on the ground. Only the cleric saved. Our bruisers were webbed and the two (soon to be one) adversary to the north were not.

I spent much of the remaining combat bleeding out my Cure Light Wounds wand to keep from dropping as the ranger fought to free himself from the webs. I think if I had dropped, the magic-user would have been forced to flee, and the remainder of the party would have been lost.

Actually, in truth, my first instinct was to run when the web was down and I was the last man standing on the ground. Thankfully, we pulled our collective asses out of the fire and achieved our mission's goal.

Fun times. I really enjoyed getting some time in as a player in some S&W session :)