Talking About Free, Stripped Down but Functional RPGs - Basic Roleplaying Quickstart

Sure, it says it's a "quickstart", but it includes rules for advancing your skill and it doesn't include an adventure, so really, it's a "basic" version of Basic Roleplaying (which is the system that CoC, RuneQuest, Legend, OpenQuest and a few other D100 systems are built from / off of / derivative of. It has it's roots in the original RQ and branched off of CoC if I recall correctly)

The price is right, so why not give the Basic Roleplaying Quickstart (Chaosium Link) Basic Roleplaying Quickstart (RPGNow link)a peek before D&D 5e Basic becomes all of the rage later on this summer ;)

What If the Free Basic Rules WAS the SRD and What If WotC Already has a System in Place to Distribute 3rd Party 5e Products?

Think about it.

Everything beyond what will soon be in the freely distributed Basic Rules for 5e is, essentially, optional. If the core books are optional, they do not constitute the SRD.

Official adventures from WotC will use the Free Basic Rules - anything else required to run the adventure will either be included in the adventure book itself or available as a free download.

The SRD would include character generation rules, making it not just a System Resource Document, but also a full set of playable rules. Being available as a downloadable PDF, I suspect it will be updated and added to over time.

With the relationship WotC has with OneBookShelf via the DnDClassics webstore, I suspect it wouldn't be too hard for them to distribute the rules as a print on demand softcover or hardcover if the demand were there.

It also means WotC could have a system in place to distribute 3rd party 5e products under a controlled license through the DnDClassice webstore, and take a percentage of sales right off the top. Probably better than the GSL, not a loose as the OGL and ensures WotC gets a piece of the pie. Larger publishers could probably purchase a license to publish directly and not go through the WotC webstore.

Food for thought...

Can You do an Effective Fantasy Horror Campaign with OSR Style RPGs?

Ravenloft isn't horror, or at least, not horror like CoC and the like. Ravenloft is more camp than anything else, where any of the "classic horror stereotypes" could be lurking behind the next door. I still remember the one module
where my players were turned into puppets - the only horror was how annoyed and yet disappointing my players were.

The 3e Midnight campaign is probably the closest I've seen it come, but that is just damn depressing as a long term campaign. There is no hope, just survival (if you can call it that), and even that isn't much.

Evernight for Savage Worlds could probably convert OK if one wanted to try it, but it is such a railroad I think we'd be off the rails within a session and a half - and the big hook happens in the second session.

My instinct tells me a horror campaign using OSR rules would have to be short - probably 4-6 sessions, as anything longer would lessen the effects of the horrors the PCs encounter ("not THIS shit again!").

I'm just not so sure how well a level based RPG could do horror...

Talking About Free, Stripped Down But Functional RPGs - GURPS Lite

GURPS, the infinite frontier. Where amazing sourcebooks boldly go.

Sure, D&D 5e is all the rage right now, but GURPS has been giving away its stripped down but functional ruleset for the last 10 years.

Don't believe me?

Yep, free at the SJG's site / Warehouse 23

Did the OSR Convince Mearls to Refer to D&D 5e as "Rules Cyclopedia" and "AD&D"?

Possibly. The OSR does have punch for it's size. I don't think any one voice did the convincing tho'. In truth, I think the economics of the new edition won out.

First, it's always easier to add than it is to subtract, so building your free core rules along a "basic" set of guiding principles makes sense. It also fits into recent trends at WotC - market the RPG as if it were a MMORPG.

"Free to Play!" is what you see with most of the new (and older) MMORPGs today. You can play the free game forever, but sooner or later, you'll either want to buy more content, or subscribe to get subscriber's content.

So, give away a free "Basic D&D" in PDF - limited options but a full game from 1 to 20. Offer additional content (expanded rules, adventures, settings and the like) and offer subscription benefits (I'm going to guess this is where the SRD will be).

Now, the OSR is very vocal and is active in playing pre-3x editions of the Dungeons & Dragons heritage of rulesets. What is the definitive ruleset for many of the OD&D, B/X, BECMI gamers? Rules Cyclopedia. What is the definitive ruleset of the AD&D 1e / 2e segment of gamers? AD&D (1e).

Will the new rules play like either of the above? As much as any OSR game variant I suspect, but it's an emotional statement Mike is making - "We heard, and we hear, and we want you back!"

Why the OSR? Because we create, we play, but most of all - we are the demographic with the cash to dispose of on the hobby we love. Why not aim the new edition at the older players? You've already lost the recent ones to Pathfinder, and I doubt many 4e fans are going to find much love in the 5e world of gaming. Want to bring in new players? Free rules may just do that.

Why release the "Basic Rules" for free? To bring in the nay-sayers and allow them to read or even try the rules without spending cash up front.

The OSR shows that there is a market for the adventures themselves - the rules are now and always have been a secondary thought in the OSR. Just about every group runs with their own mongrelized set of hashed together rules. Most often the rules themselves are free.

WotC is now joining the free market, and they are bringing visions of the glory days of TSR. The vision may not come to pass, but I give them points for trying.

"Basic D&D is a PDF that covers the core of the game. It’s the equivalent of the old D&D Rules Cyclopedia, though it doesn’t have quite the same scope (for example, it won’t go into detail on a setting). It runs from levels 1 to 20 and covers the cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, presenting what we view as the essential subclass for each. It also provides the dwarf, elf, halfling, and human as race options. 

But the best part? Basic D&D is a free PDF. Anyone can download it from our website. We want to put D&D in as many hands as possible, and a free, digital file is the best way to do that. 

If Basic D&D is the equivalent of the classic Rules Cyclopedia, then the three core rulebooks are analogous to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Want more character options? Pick up a Player’s Handbook. Looking for more critters for your campaign? The Monster Manual has you covered. Want to sculpt a unique campaign? Pick up the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Still, Basic D&D is the true heart of the game and could easily provide a lifetime of gaming."

It's Official - Free 15% of Player's Handbook (and MM and DMG) is "Basic D&D"

The clues were there, and I wrote about some of them, such as the Free Player's Handbook covering the core four classes (check) and core four races (check) and levels 1-15 (actually 1-20). I also brought up the idea of free material form the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide rolling out to supplement the free 15% of the Player's Handbook. Link to What If the Freely Available 15% of the 5e Player's Handbook includes Core Advancement Thru 15 Levels? and http://www.tenkarstavern.com/2014/05/peering-into-taverns-scrying-pool-what.html

This morning, Mike rolled out the exciting details: WotC Basic D&D Announcement

"Basic D&D is a PDF that covers the core of the game. It’s the equivalent of the old D&D Rules Cyclopedia, though it doesn’t have quite the same scope (for example, it won’t go into detail on a setting). It runs from levels 1 to 20 and covers the cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, presenting what we view as the essential subclass for each. It also provides the dwarf, elf, halfling, and human as race options.

But the best part? Basic D&D is a free PDF. Anyone can download it from our website. We want to put D&D in as many hands as possible, and a free, digital file is the best way to do that.

If Basic D&D is the equivalent of the classic Rules Cyclopedia, then the three core rulebooks are analogous to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Want more character options? Pick up a Player’s Handbook. Looking for more critters for your campaign? The Monster Manual has you covered. Want to sculpt a unique campaign? Pick up the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Still, Basic D&D is the true heart of the game and could easily provide a lifetime of gaming.

At the launch of the D&D Starter Set, Basic D&D will include the material needed to create characters and advance to 20th level. In August, with the release of the Player’s Handbook, Basic D&D will expand to include the essential monsters, magic items, and DM rules needed to run the game, along with the rules for wilderness, dungeon, and urban adventuring. (The Starter Set already covers the aspects of these rules that you need to run the included campaign.)

As we introduce new storylines like Tyranny of Dragons, we’ll also make available free PDFs that provide all the rules and stats missing from Basic D&D needed to run the adventures tied into the story. The adventures released as part of Tyranny of Dragons are playable without requiring any of the core rulebooks or the Starter Set. With just the Basic Dungeons & Dragons rules, you can play D&D for years.

Basic D&D makes it easier than ever for new players and DMs to jump into tabletop RPG play. We’re involved in the greatest gaming hobby ever invented. It’s time to bring that hobby to everyone who wants to take part."

This could very well be a game changer...

Free "Traveller LIFTOFF Starter Set" - Beta

I stumbled across the 13 Mann Publishing House earlier today, and found that they are currently playtesting rules for a Traveller Starter Set based on the Mongoose Traveller OGL rules.

I am no longer well versed in Traveller, classic, Mongoose or otherwise, but I find the idea of a simplified ruleset interesting.

You can go to the 12 Mann site and check out the rules for yourself.

What If 5e Doesn't Need to be OGL to be Served by the OGL (and the OSR)?

Word on the street, or in certain circles of the RPG Community, is that 5e is fairly close to 2e in nature with some new bells and whistles, and with options that can make it more like 3x and even a little 4e.

Now, 2e and all of the earlier editions have been retrocloned to death, and pretty much anything from 0e to 2e, Labyrinth Lord to Swords & Wizardry to OSRIC and all of the clones between are 95% compatible. I frequently mix editions and clones when it comes to adventures or monster sources when I run my Swords & Wizardry games.

So, if 5e is, in effect, a 2e retroclone (the edition when D&D was on everyone's lips and in all of the stores and boxed sets galore before the implosion of too many damn settings) does it need to be "open" or OGL? If the point of the OGL (or at least, the original intention before the genie in the bottle was fully realized) was to give a legal framework to create adventures, monsters, settings and the like with a communal base set of rules, don't we already have what is needed?

WotC went to 4e in large part to break away from the OGL. The system changed enough that 3x and 4x were different games and just not compatible. The OGL couldn't find space in a 4e world.

If 5e is going back to some sort of 2e / 3e hybrid (at least in it's core, and especially in it's free 15% of the Player's Handbook), you don't need the new rules to be OGL to create products that are compatible with the OGL - you just need to get "close enough" to be "compatible with the latest edition of the world's most famous RPG."

What if 5e was designed to be compatible with 3x and prior, and maybe with some work, even Pathfinder, while still being a "closed" ruleset?

WotC get's to keep control of it's newest child, and at the same time reap the benefits of the editions and clones that have come before.

What If the Freely Available 15% of the 5e Player's Handbook includes Core Advancement Thru 15 Levels?

We know that Hoard of the Dragon Queen (first part of the two part Tyranny of Dragons storyline) is playable without the Player's Handbook itself. +Mike Mearls said so, but he also said that it would require the use of the free 15% of the Player's Handbook. This kinda makes sense, as each part of Tyranny of Dragons is only 96 pages long, and including rules to run as well as the adventure would lead to the use of a really small font ;)

The two parts of Tyranny of Dragons take players from levels 1 to 7ish and 8 to 15ish respectfully.

So, where are those rules for advancement? The expo table? The spells known and spell lists? Not in the Starter Set - that only goes up to 5th level with pre-chosen advancement.

So they HAVE to be in those 48 pages that constitute the 15% of the Players Handbook. I expect it will be core classes (Fighter, Cleric, Wizard and Thief) and core races only (Human, Dwarf, Elf and Halfling). I strongly suspect the 15% will skew heavily towards what we in the OSR would refer to as "Old School Gaming", as more options would, by default, require more space to cover. (the Starter Set includes 5 pregens, which may put a 5th class in play)

48 pages for six ability score tables, four classes, four races, 15 levels of advancement, 7 levels of spells, combat rules, healing, weapons tables, equipment tables and the like. Monsters and treasure to be found in the adventure itself.

It might be the most OSR of recent OSR releases, if economy of page count is added to the equation, as it will cover the same levels as B/X ;)

Mike Mearls Clarifies the Definition of "Stand Alone" for "Tyranny of Dragons"

Mike has been taking some heavy hits in the social media arena. Well deserved hits, but hits none the less. So I give +Mike Mearls credit for tweeting away during the holiday weekend to clarify, clarify and occasionally obscure ;)

So, that 15% of the Player's Handbook that will go up for free online hand in hand with the release of the Starter Set? Looks like you'll need that to run Tyranny of Dragons. Unless Mike says something different tomorrow. Damn it Mike! One answer obscures the other!

So, do we really need the starter set? Would the 15% of the Player's Handbook suffice to run games between now and the end of time? How much of the magical 15% is also covered in the Starter Set?

What if 5e Leads WotC to Change DnDClassics to Print on Demand, Bringing the Old Adventures Back in Print?

This summer, 5e, the latest and greatest version of Dungeons & Dragons will release. Yes, whenever there is a new version of D&D, it is ALWAYS the greatest edition. It's part of the boiler plate, so bear with me.

What do we know so far? WotC has stated there will be options in the Dungeon Master's Guide to allow DMs to emulate earlier editions of D&D. We also know that the first official adventure released for D&D 5e, Tyranny of Dragons, will be self contained. All the rules needed to play the adventure will be included with the adventure. No Starter Set, Player's Handbook, Monster Manual or DMG required to play. In effect, Tyranny of Dragons is emulating a theoretically unique variation of 5e tweaked for that adventure.

This means that there is no true, one way to run D&D 5e. It can, theoretically, be used to emulate any previous edition of D&D, depending on the dials / twists / adjustments / assumptions the DM sets for the campaign.

Lets take this a step further.

WotC has been releasing products from it's out of print collection in PDF for what, about a year now? Redone PDFs. Reprinted and re-typset AD&D rules, OD&D rules, AD&D module collections and later edition reprints of core rules.

We also know that the Caves of Chaos, from the classic B2, Keep on the Borderland, was the default adventure for the early D&D Next playtests. So, the older adventures are already on the radar for possible conversions to D&D 5e. Or non-conversions, depending on the emulation settings used.

Take the original T1-4, Temple of Elemental Evil. Takes PCs from 1st to 7th or 8th level in AD&D 1e. Tweak it and package it with a version of 5e emulating AD&D 1e. Offer it as a PDF and Print on Demand version at OneBookShelf or / and via Amazon's POD service. Minimal effort, and it tests the waters for more print versions of (A)D&D Adventures. Or do it without testing the waters, and rely on DMs using the DMG to make the necessary teaks

Turn on Print on Demand at OneBookShelf for the adventures and rulebooks that have already been converted to PDF and you have instant library of product for D&D 5e. Ravenloft, Birthright, modules, settings and more. Classic authors. Classic credibility. Little expense or risk.

Almost too good to be true.

What if... the OSR were assimilated?

"What If?" - A New Series of Posts Coming Up Here at The Tavern

I remember the "What If?" comic book series from Marvel Comics very well. I wasn't a Marvel fanboy, but I really enjoyed that amazing series. It introduced me to more Marvel characters than I care to count - some obscure, some bizarre, some mainstream but all interesting. Linking it all together was The Watcher.

Now, I've been doing a bunch of What If? posts for years now, but never labeled them as such. They aren't predictions. Never have been, never will be. They are often thought exercises. Sometimes they are wishes. Occasionally they are dreams of the "coulda been but never was".

Now they will be part of their own series of posts. The first one will be a future "What if?"

"What if 5e leads WotC to Change DnDClassics to Print on Demand, Bringing the Old Adventures Back in Print?"

Highly Portable Treasures - Semi Precious Stones

If you are playing with the good old "10 coins equals 1 pound" default in your setting, carrying around treasure, even gold or platinum, is damn near impossible at high amounts (at least w/o bags of holding or portable holes).

I know when I think of gems in D&D settings, diamonds, rubies, sapphires and the like come to mind, although it is more likely the party will come across semi precious stones, such as the tumbled quartz and other stones pictures above.

Even if the gemstone were worth just one gold piece, it's still smaller and weighs significantly less than it's corresponding coinage. Maybe there is a society that avoids metal coins all together, and uses quartz of different sizes and colors for monetary transactions.

Broken semi-precious stones would, however, be next to worthless, whereas melted or bent coins still have the value of the metal that composes it.

Peering Into The Tavern's Scrying Pool - What Could Make 5e a Game Changer?

I think most of us can agree - +Mike Mearls is excited that his baby is about to be released to the wilds and yet he can't give us many details about the baby yet. Social media is not something that WotC seems to have mastered a s company, and I'm thankful that EnWorld has put together a 5e info page to keep track of the bit's and pieces we've gotten so far.

So, what could make D&D 5e (as it is apparently referred to as on the back cover of the core books) a "game changer", at least so far as D&D players and possibly even third party publishers are concerned?

We're talking 5e, so I'll list 5 ideas.

- Return of the OGL, or at least a license more permissible that the GSL - Personally, I don't expect a return of the OGL. Wizards let that genie out of the bottle once already. I doubt they wan't a repeat of that. I could see something similar to how Goodman Games licenses the DCC RPG - products must get submitted to WotC for vetting, and approved products would be licensed for use with 5e. It would have to be a free license and the vetting process would have to be free or at a minimal cost for it to be successful IMHO.

- An online SRD - this I pretty much expect upon release or shortly thereafter. The question becomes, will it be free or will there be a one-time or recurring cost. I expect a recurring cost - think DDI. Alright, less game change and more necessity these days.

- Core Books released in a "Bits and Mortars" fashion - Buy the print copy, get a code to DL a free copy of the PDF. I'd love to see this, and I think it could be a game changer and generate loads of goodwill, but historically, WotC has seen PDFs as something that cuts into it's retail sales of print products (not to mention the threat of piracy). Still, WotC has been embracing PDFs for their out of print lines and editions, so this COULD happen.

- Core parts of the Core Books released for free in PDF - we already know that 48 pages of the Player's Handbook is going to be released as a free download, and it will probably include character creation rules that can be used with the D&D Starter Set. If they follow the same trend with the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master Guide, it would literally mean giving away the "core" of the core books, and one could probably play 5e without ever buying a book, although with limited options. It almost becomes viral marketing for the full core products and other adventures - especially the ones that include a version of the rules and are self contained.

- Making the Starter Set OSR friendly - think. The Starter Set is supposed to introduce new players to RPGs (as well as appeal to lapsed gamers). You are probably not going want to load them up with too many options, feats and the like. I expect it will be a simpler style of ruleset. Which would work well if the "Core of the Core" comes to pass and is culled to support the Starter Set. Will this come to pass? No idea, but it would be nice.

- Conversion Rules for older edition adventures / modules - I fully expect this will be in the DMG. It would be foolish not to include such, especially as WotC is selling the older adventures in PDF. It would open the classic PDF market to a whole new set of players.

- Adventures could be written for a certain "edition style of play" and include all the rules with the adventure - we already know that Tyranny of Dragons is a standalone product. No additional rules needed. Which means, it's written for a default "edition style of play". In effect, it is it's own "sub edition" of 5e. There is no reason different self contained adventures couldn't default to more or less complexities of play - therefore emulating different editions. Star this one, as it really would change the face of D&D as we know it.

Alright, I gave six thoughts (not counting the SRD, which I consider a given). Consider the last one a bonus ;)

Looting the Breakables - How to Give Players Awesome Loot and Not, at the Same Time ;)

Cut glass from the Dorflinger Estates Collection

I was taking my wife and mother to different yard sales today, when we stopped at a sale at the Dorflinger Estates property in White Mills, Pa. We found some amazing samples of cut glass, and the plates were part of the Dorflinger Collection. They weren't cut by Dorflinger but by one of his craftsmen that started their own cut glass line. The blank plates or uncut ones, were made at the Dorflinger factory.

So, where is this taking us?

Sure, I've given my players bulky treasure, but how about giving them highly valuable treasure that is easily damaged and rendered worthless if they aren't careful? Drop a backpack even carefully stuffed with such glassware as you enter battle and you could lose a fortune.

Have a storeroom full of glassware and crystal, and watch the reaction as pieces fall of shelves as the party's fighter bashes the door open. Don't give your players anything to pack the glassware with - make suitable packing material part of the treasure somewhere else in the complex.

Make them earn their money or have them watch is break in front of their eyes ;)

I thought it was a vase. Apparently, it's a water bottle, to be used when drinking whiskey.
What adventurer wouldn't want an item like that in their collection?

So, what kind of breakable loot do you like to torture your players with?

edit: did I mention this shit is really heavy? ;)

Time to Decompress - In the Poconos For the First Time in 2014

2013 Ended with deaths in the family, my mother in law and my cousin's wife.

2014 started with deaths among my coworkers and their families, especially that of one of my detectives. I spoke at her memorial last Friday and went to the wake of the sister of another of my detectives the Monday prior.

Intermingled between was the death of the family dog, who was suffering long term from an enlarged heart and short term from seizures that started right after the initial deaths in 2013 and was finally put to sleep shortly after we placed my detective in her final resting place.

Did I mention the upheaval at work? The Night of the Long Knives where every boss but one at my location of the rank of Inspector or higher was transferred in an effort to bring in new blood? Or the recent fun of running two units, as another sgt was out sick for three weeks? Or the pile of shit that landed friday afternoon and waits for me when I return on tuesday?

In the meantime, I'm away from all of that. It's the first time that my wife has gone to my parents' place in the Poconos without the family dog. She wasn't ready before, and in truth, I don't think we've had a free weekend that wasn't otherwise spoken for in the last six months. We used to make the trip every three or four weekends.

Besides the usual family stuff of driving around and hitting yard sales on a holiday weekend, I plan to run my wife's first RPG session using Scarlet Heroes, do some RPG related reading and upon returning home early monday afternoon, head to the privately run post office affiliate near home and finally ship out the last two things I've had packed and ready to go for a while.

It feels strange to slow down. Must be related to being a New Yorker. Best sleep I've had in six months was last night (shortly after the 3 1/2 hr drive after work to get up here), and my wife is currently napping on the couch in the front room.

Guess I'm not the only one decompressing ;)

Sneak Peek - UNFRAMED: The Art of Improvisation for Game Masters (and players too)

+Martin Ralya was kind enough to put a pre-release copy of the upcoming UNFRAMED: The Art of Improvisation for Games Masters into my hands in PDF. I immediately put a copy on my tablet and my laptop and dove right in.

This is not a review. That will be coming in early June when UNFRAMED releases. This is just a peek, which is pretty much what I've done over the last day or so.

As such, I'll make the following statements: you will find essays that will not resonate with you and you will find essays that will change the way you run games forever. Or the way you approach things as a player.

Who's written essays inside the virtual pages of UNFRAMED?

If you can't find advice that fits your gaming style from the above "A" list, you're not gaming ;)

Bundle of Holding goes Dead - Deadlands Classic That Is!

Damn! I think I own most of this in print, but I'd have to go to storage to be sure of the holes in my collection.

I suspect much of this would translate over to Savage Worlds pretty easily, as much of this is "fluff", but awesome fluff it is ;)

Probably the most enjoyable reads of any RPG books I've never actually played, Deadlands certainly appeals to me as a History major and history buff. Damn tempting Bundle of Holding...

What Do You Consider to be one of the Most Under-Appreciated Magic Items?

Wand of fireballs. Staves of power. Flametongues. Rods of Might. Kick ass magic, to be sure. Powerful, to be sure, but are they "fun"?

Personally, as a player and a DM, I've always felt that Wands of Wonder were under-appreciated. Just by it's very nature you can expect no two wands to be the same, because even if both wands are using the same by the book table, the results will be different.

Me, I always liked making custom tables foe the Wands of Wonder I've introduced into games.

So, what are some of the under-appreciated magic items in your campaigns?

Looking for More Whisper & Venom? Bird of a Feather is up for Preorders (Includes a nifty mini)

If +Zach Glazar understands just one thing, it's what old school gamers want to hold in their hands. Well, I suspect Zach understands a lot more than just one thing, as he consistently hits the post with his releases.

I have no doubt that Bird of a Feather will be up to his usual high quality (and highly useable) standards.

Now, the idea that the limited edition release in the old school style is awesome in my mind. What I want to know is how the fuck Zack is putting a mini of the following between the covers:

Yep, it looks like an upper class axebeak ;)

From what Zack tells me, he's putting in the order for the limited release this Saturday, which will account for what he expects to sell at NTRPG Con and some preorders via his site. So if you are interested, now is probably the time to order. Well, unless you read this post far down the timeline from when it was posted, in which case you may just have to settle on the regular release.

Here's the quick blurb:

Pre-Order your copy of Lesser Gnome’s NTRPG Con Release of Bird of a Feather! 

Comes with Rhacos figurine custom sculpted just for this release! 

Designed for levels 3-4 and suitable for any classic style Fantasy RPG System. 

Available for Pick-Up at the North Texas RPG Convention for hand delivery 

Ships to Pre-Order Customers on June 12h, 2014.  This version, printed in the old-school style, is a very limited printing. A general release is expected to be ready in August 2014.

Not having met Zach, I hope this isnt a portrait ;)

This may very well be my next desktop wallpaper
Wait a sec! Is that a dwarf he's munchin' on!

DMG to Offer Sidebars on Emulating Earlier Editions - 15% of the 5e Player's Handbook to be Available for Free Online

Psst!

Kid!

I'd like to sell you a bridge!

No, not the Brooklyn Bridge. A bridge between the new D&D Starter Set and the Player's Handbook. Here's the Kicker! It's free! Yep, about 15% of the new D&D Player's Handbook will be free for the taking so you can create characters with the Starter Set. How can you beat that? Right, you can't! Now, how about a Rolex? ;)

Interesting that part of the Player's Handbook will be available online for free to create characters. Not a PDF, (according to Mike it IS a PDF) not an SRD but an actual part of the Player's Handbook. Morrus over on EnWorld estimates about 48 pages.

And look, there's more!

Sidebars in the DMG to customize the game to match past editions of D&D. Color me intrigued. I really thought this aspect was too big a project and put to the wayside when Monte left, but if they can pull this off, it could turn 5e into a bridge between the OSR and the present AND open up 5e to a shit ton of OSR (and other earlier edition) adventures and adventuring.

Lot's of potential.

The Player's Handbook is already down to $30 on Amazon and the DMG and MM are hovering around $40.

It seems that I will now be anxiously awaiting the DMG (oh, early release dates for Wizards Play Network stores - so Amazon Discount versus early release at certain brick and mortar. Well played)

D&D Next Starter Set Box Just $12.66 on Amazon

Good, bad or indifferent, at $12.66 you owe it to yourself to check out the latest version of the Dungeons & Dragons game Starter Set when it releases. It includes dice ;)

Free Clone of "The Fantasy Trip" RPG - You Know You are Curious

The Fantasy Trip is one of the few older RPGs that are just cost prohibitive to purchase on eBay (at least for my mind), but it has been cloned. Dark City Games has cloned it three times actually.

Legends for fantasy gaming, Time & Space for sci-fi and Untamed West for a western version. Yes, a western version.

Dark City Games also sells solo adventures for the rules. They also offer four of those adventures for free in PDF - two fantasy and two sci-fi (sorry, no westerns at the moment it seems).

I've downloaded the rules and they seem simple enough. As I don't have the originals, I can say how close they keep to the originals, but the price certainly is right.

I've also purchased a few of the adventures in print. They include a map and character and monster tokens to print out.

You can grab it all at the Dark City Games website.

There is another clone of The Fantasy Trip available at Heroes & Other Worlds

Could WotC Have Found a Way to Do Organized Play Right? "D&D Adventurers League

Starting in August:

One System, Many Ways to Play 

At the core of the new D&D Organized Play experience is the D&D Adventurers League. Essentially, we’ve given the system a name, because we wanted to emphasize the connected nature of our public play programs. For the first time, we’ll have our entire public play taking place in the same ongoing D&D campaign. 

As a player, you’ll create a character for the D&D Adventurers League. You’ll be using the same rules to play at a convention, a store, or any sort of public event. There will be a D&D Adventurers League Player’s Guide available to let you know how it all comes together. Through the different programs, the D&D Adventurers League will be inviting to casual D&D players, experienced D&D players, and players looking for ways in which their characters can impact the campaign world. We want players to find the play that best fits them, and enjoy playing for years to come. 

As a Dungeon Master, the D&D Adventurers League is a great way to run fun adventures that involve a minimum of prep work. We’ll find ways to reward you for your time and effort through the various programs, and there will be additional support and opportunities to showcase your skills. 

As an organizer (either in-store or at conventions), you’ll find that the D&D Adventurers League is a great way to keep your players engaged. There will be fresh content available on a regular basis (mostly monthly), ensuring that there’s always something new around the corner.

Three Flavors:

Epic kicks off a story arc, usually at a con, and can influence how it all progresses.

Encounters is what you have now with 4e, but I suspect the combat goes quicker in 5e

Expeditions is the "Advanced Play". It's an ongoing campaign. I would guess it's similar in ways to the old "Living" campaigns.

I'm actually interested in seeing how this goes. Yes, I understand organized play is by necessity "on rails", but if the plot line is strong enough, that can be forgiven. I suspect organized play will have some say in the success or failure of the new edition. As I hope it finds success, I'm hoping the Adventurers League finds a sizable membership.

Is the Emperor Wearing Pants? What's REALLY Going on with the Release of 5e?

There is more left unsaid than said right now with the impending release of 5e. If WotC were graded on a scale of 1-10 on it's use of social media, it would be risking a negative rating.

"Mystery" Mike Mearls and his tweets are more about what isn't included than what is.

The Pundit's social media posts are all about what he knows and can't talk about, but trust him, it is great. You know what? As a paid consultant of WotC - I don't trust your opinion. I'll trust your facts when you present them, but as you can't, you have nothing.

My biggest question isn't "how can you create PCs to use with the Starter Set when the Starter Set doesn't include PC gen rules, but still, you can do it - Mike says so" but more "If there is a step between the Starter Set and the 3 Core Books AND it's an integral part of the release (enough that The Pundit says it's all rainbows and unicorns and shit) why mention it if it can't be talked about?"

Social media is aimed at current roleplayers, not newbs or boardgamers one is looking to convert. Why fuck with us? It may gain WotC publicity, but the sour taste is going to turn many away.

Really, does anyone at WotC even understand social media, because it's obvious Mike doesn't...

Maybe we'll need to open up the scrying pool in the privy to figure this shit out.

More "Mike Mearls Magic Pearls" - Tweets - Turning Board Game Geeks "Geekier"

Okay, so it's pretty much a "remedial" gaming package. Which is okay. But if this means Next will suffer from "boardgamism" like 4e, I'm not looking forward to the future.

Is this an as yet unnamed release, the new DDI, or something even more sinister?

More Mike Mearls Tweets - Starter Set aimed at DMs - No Char Gen in Box (Think Outside the Box)

So, pregens and perhaps online?

Psychic powers maybe?

Maybe even an SRD?

Break out the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook?

Possibilities are endless...

Which is More of a Carrot For You as a Player - XP or a Cool Magic Item?

D&D has multiple carrots to keep the player's motivated: XP, wealth, magic items, new spells, knowledge, connections, rulership, plot, etc.

The big two seem to be XP and magic items - unique and possibly powerful magic. Usually the end results of killing things and taking their stuff

Which motivates you the most as a player? What fails to motivate you?

Mike Mearls Tweets and Answers Questions - Kinda (D&D Next Release)

SRD upon release perhaps?

Riddles within riddles...

Kickstarter - Flying Buffalo Makes Things Right - and Then Some!

Last week I posted about some of the goodies I received from the deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter. There was a mixup, which I found more amusing than annoying - I received the 2013 Free RPG Day T&T Quickstart and not the Buffalo Castle solo that was indicated on the shipping slip.

The thing is, I have just about every FBI published T&T products - most in 2 or 3 flavors - so the mixup was, as I said, amusing. Nothing more.

I was also covering a second unit at work the last 3 weeks and my free time was greatly limited. Blog posts or read emails - I posted when I could and read next to nothing, so I failed to see Rick's emails apologizing for the mixup until I went looking for them tonight. Why did I look? Look above.

The new Buffalo Castle and 3 The Origins Metagame cards.

Now I just need dT&T so I can use the updated Buffalo Castle...

D&D Release Dates are Now Official! Kobold Press Working as a WotC Design Studio! Pigs Fly!

EnWorld, Dyver's Blog and G+ have been awash with the official announcement by WotC as to the release dates of the various D&D 5e products. Yes, even I will partake of the latest edition.

Here's the items and their dates:

Starter Set 7/15
Players Handbook 8/19
Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure 8/19
Monster Manual 9/30
The Rise of Tiamat Adventure 10/21
Dungeon Master's Guide 11/19
Deluxe DM Screen 1/20/15

All nicely linked by fjw70 from EnWorld. Here's the Amazon links.

A few comments:

- The Starter Set covers levels 1-5. Not a bad range of levels.

- Six weeks between releases of the core books, not three months as inferred earlier from the lack of a leaked release date for the Monster Manual

- How can a DM Screen be "deluxe" if there is no regular version

- Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamet were written by Kobold Press. They are also the first 2 adventures for the new ruleset. Well, the finalized new ruleset:

…Kobold Press, working as a design studio for Wizards of the Coast, has designed two adventures to support the upcoming Tyranny of Dragons storyline—Hoard of the Dragon Queen (out in August) and The Rise of Tiamat (October). These adventures are the first to work with the new rules set.

Interesting how WotC is farming out adventure design, at least in the early releases. I have some hope that the initial adventures may be fairly good now with Wolfgang Baur and Steve Winter doing the writing.

Now, I thought the initial adventures were going to include a self contained version of the rules - that now longer seems to be the case:

The first of two adventures in the Tyranny of Dragons™ story arc, Hoard of the Dragon Queen provides everything a Dungeon Master needs to create an exciting and memorable adventure experience.  

Or I could be reading it wrong. Wouldn't be the first time ;)

Gaming is the Fountain of Youth

When Fools Gather...

During Saturday's Gathering of Fools, Dave (one of our founding members), remarked that leading up to our final session, we were gathering at my house earlier and earlier. As early as 10 am, with sessions lasting to 7PM or later.

We knew the writing was on the wall. After the first weekend of March in '97, it was quite likely that I would no longer have weekends off - I was graduating the NYC Police Academy and would work where and when the job dictated. Weekends off like I had for the 8 months of the academy (and Sundays off for 8 years of retail) were about to be history. We knew we were squeezing in what we could, when we could. Six, seven, eight hours or more on a Sunday - we couldn't get enough as we knew it was coming to an end.

The sad thing is, after six months on the streets I wound up getting steady Sunday / Monday off, but the deed was done. Of the five of us, two were married, two were engaged and all significant others quickly found things to occupy those Sunday afternoons. In the end, we all gave up our childhood when I went to patrol the South Bronx.

Dave, Bri, Tony and  John - if you are reading this, I will strong arm you all back to gaming once a month via Roll20. Bring Kevin along for the ride and we can all be in our mid 20's again. Heck, bring Texas and it will be like the MMO years ;)

The OSR is the Fountain of Youth for gamers in their 40s and beyond...

Kickstarter - Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Chained Coffin (With a nice bunch of stretch goals under it's belt)

It's rare that I give a Kickstarter s second posting here at the blog - at least the good ones. For the most part, the good ones are "one and done". No snark, no gripping, just solid projects.

The Chained Coffin is different. Here's the basic summary:

- Level 5 DCC RPG adventure module to be manufactured with a puzzle on inside front cover that consists of 3 spinning wheels.

- Spinning wheel edition to be produced with limited edition silver foil cover, at $30 price. "Regular" color cover edition is also available (featuring the wheel graphic without the moving parts) at a price of $10.

- Written by Michael Curtis with inspiration from Appendix N author Manley Wade Wellman. Includes additional mini-adventure "The Rat King's River of Death" by Steven Bean.

But with the additional stretch goals, the $30 limited edition foil cover will also include:

"The Almanac of the Shudder Mountains, which is packaged separately with the silver and gold foil editions, will now be expanded to include a Magic section. This is in addition to the Bestiary and other material from prior stretch goals: the gazetteer, patron writeup, random encounters, and 7 additional variations on “the cover art monster.” Plus the extra player handouts in the main book. And all of this is IN ADDITION to the 0-level module that will also be included! Next up is stretch goal #9 to expand the Almanac from digest-size to normal 8.5"x11" size, with even more gazetteer material!"

You Can Go Home Again - Gathering of Fools 2014

Saturday afternoon through evening was the annual sprint Gathering of Fools. It's when my old gaming group from high school, college and beyond (at least until March of 1997). We do aim for more than once a year, but the springtime is sacred - we gather to remember out friend Paul, who we lost when the Towers came down.

I gave away copies of Hackmaster Basic and Scarlet Heroes AND got a commitment from 3 of the 5 in attendance to aim towards a once a month Roll20 Hangout session. Sure, it's the guys without kids that agreed, but hopefully the ones with kids will find a more immediate use for the Scarlet Heroes ruleset.

It was a good time, with good beer and good food and general shenanigans. Isn't shenanigans one of the best reasons to game?

You Too Can be a "Grand Knight Commander" for Just 250 Dollars! (operators are standing by)

+Jason Paul McCartan had a pretty good rant on Knights of the Crusade (the C&C "Fan Club" of sorts) over on G+, but I felt a need to add a few cents of my own.

I remember when the Trolls killed The Doomsday Book, a C&C fanzine, because it was in competition with the official Crusader magazine. How well did that help Crusader? One issue in the last 2 years or so? Oh, and the last half dozen issue or so were filled with so much filler they might as well have given up completely.

Recent C&C Kickstarters have been to make the current core product line of rulebooks "in color". How many different ways do the same rulebooks need to be offered? How many copies of the same rules does one need?

Now, you can pay for the privilege of being a fan of the Castles & Crusades RPG. Oh, and be required to join 2 mailing lists for said privilege. Oh oh, and provide free content for The Trolls while you are at it.

Oh course, The Trolls have many different levels one can be shaken down for...

Really, is it wrong for me to see this as a money grab? And why does one need to subscribe to the Fat Dragon Games Newsletter?

Hey, the free option doesn't require you to submit anything nor subscribe to anything. I don't think you get anything either.

Look, if you do work for free, you get free titles too!

Castles & Crusades was my gateway back to the OSR. It was accessible and evocative of old style gaming. I have a lot of respect for the system, if not the current manner of marketing and separating gamers from their cash repeatedly for the same product packaged slightly differently each time.

There are better ways to building a community for an RPG line and this is too expensive and too damn complcated.  Having players pay for the privilege just makes it seem like a cash grab. Especially when there is a yearly renewal for repeated shake downs.