Failed Basic Math Kickstarter - Warrior's Crusade (Board Game)

Yeah, I'm a Kickstarter ass. So I've been told. The fact that Kickstarter no longer vets new projects is becoming a huge issue.

Alright, I'm not going to mention the video. Watch it yourself.

Instead, I'm going to ask you to work out the math for Warrior's Crusade on your own. (note - there is only one pledge level)

Again - no projects backed.

Notice under Risks and Challenges it lists "funding for the production."

Since Kickstarter isn't doing due diligence on any level with this projects, I strongly suggest you do your own.

Another Amazing Laminated Micro Adventure by Tim Shorts

Listen, I pity the fool that isn't backing +Tim Shorts 's Micro Adventures Patreon project page, as you are missing out on these cool laminated one-sheet adventures.

Don't be a fool, fool!  :)

OSR Superstar Final Round Entries - Due Date Pushed to July 20th

I literally don't know if I'm coming or going this week. If nothing else, it will be one hell of a ride. That being said, I won't be looking at much email this week (and I'll be blogging in those magical moment "in between") so I'm pushing the due date for the final round of entries to Sunday, July 20th at 12PM NYC time. At this point, I haven't been told I'm working the coming weekend - but this could be subject to change top.

Some recaps:

Your mission (assuming you are one of the 15 qualifiers from the Second Round of the OSR Superstar Competition) is to:

1 - Complete the map below. You may use the hexed version or the "clean" version.

2 - You must "stock" the dungeon level using the OSR ruleset as you see fit. I advise using a "clone", as all entries will be published in a free PDF under the OGL. You can use whatever "D&D Clone ruleset you desire, but you must identify the ruleset you are using.

3 - The magic item that you qualified with in the First Round must make an appearance in your adventure.

4 - The creature you qualified with in the Second Round must make an appearance.

5 - Entries must be submitted to the email OSRdotSUPERSTAR at that gmail thing no later than midnight, July 15th, 2014. If you are unable to scan or digitally prepare your map, contact me at the above email and we will make arrangements. There will be no extensions. You have 30 days from today, at which point the judges will be given the entries to judge.

List of the 15 that made the cut:

1 - Gavin Norman
2 - Shane Knysh
3 - Eric Branstad
4 - Gus L

5 - Diego Nogueria
6 - Jason Reilly
7 - Eric Tresure

8 - Erin Bisson
9 - John McCollun
10 - Tony Mullins
11 - Legion McRae
12 - David Brawley
13 - Jon Hiesfelter
14 - Joel Davis
15 - Nathan Irving

and those awesome +matt jackson maps:

A DCC RPG Kickstarter - Peril on the Purple Planet

Goodman Games appears to have embraced Kickstarter as the way to push new products. Can't say I blame them, as it certainly seems to be working for them and others - for now. At some point, the Kickstarter well will start to dry up due to over-saturation and limited backer funds for what is essentially a preorder. And make no mistake, these are most certainly preorders.

Now, the previous DCC RPG Kickstarter, The Chained Coffin, didn't start out as a boxed set. It morphed into a boxed set when numerous stretch goals were hit. The $30 entry point for the module with the stretch goals became an amazing value. I doubt Goodman Games lost money on these boxed sets, but I suspect they didn't make much off them either.

This time, the retail adventure of Peril on the Purple Planet for a $20 pledge (no box, no stretch goals) while the boxed set with all of the stretch goals is being offered at $50. A bit of a bump from the previous Kickstarter, but this one potentially included an amazing looking Judge's Screen. It's also a price point where Goodman Games should still make a few bucks off the boxes sets ;) The Kickstarter launched this weekend and has already hit it's first stretch goal.

The writer this time around is +Harley Stroh , so I knew I'd be backing this the moment it was announced, price points and details mostly unknown. Need I mention the +Doug Kovacs art? Simply amazing.

At this point I expect I'll be hacking this for Swords & Wizardry.

Summary of Kickstarter:

A Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure module of planetary scope – at level 4. The adventure flings your characters to adventures on a distant world dying slowly under a weirdling sun.

The basic pledge funds print+PDF copy of a boxed set containing Harley Stroh’s 32-page adventure module, plus a second 32-page campaign booklet – and possibly more depending on stretch goals.

The first softcover book is the adventure module Peril on the Purple Planet, which has two built-in special features. First, the cover art is oversized, and spreads across front and back cover in addition to wrapping around to front and back flaps. The flaps also double as player handouts when folded out to face the table. Second, the adventure map is a three-page-wide hex crawl, which folds out of the module center as a three-panel gatefold. Additionally, the adventure includes a number of B/W interior handouts to show the players what they face on the Purple Planet.

The second softcover book is a campaign booklet to expand your journey on the Purple Planet. At the basic pledge level, before any stretch goals, it includes three chapters: Lost Tombs of the Ancients, Bestiary of the Purple Planet, and Lost Tech of the Purple Planet, with contributions from Daniel J. Bishop, Tim Callahan, Edgar Johnson, and Terry Olson.

You can support this Kickstarter by adding on other adventure modules from the Dungeon Crawl Classics line, most of which are on sale for 25% off as part of this Kickstarter. You can also add on Purple Planet Player Guides at $5 each.

Stretch goals for this project will put even more items into the boxed set! These include the possibility of an ecology book, additional encounters, a book of handouts, a book of magic, a custom GM screen, and a guide to the Purple Underplanet!

The basic adventure module is complete and ready to print. All writing, art, and layout is complete. The additional writing for the campaign booklet is also complete. Art and layout for the campaign booklet will begin when this Kickstarter funds.

We expect PDF copy of the module to be available shortly before Gen Con, and print copy to be available at Gen Con or shipped soon after (depending on backer preference). If we have extra copies remaining at Gen Con after all Kickstarter pickups, they will be offered to the general public.

One Guarantee For the Upcoming WOSR Podcast - We Won't be Pleasing Everyone

As +Jason Paul McCartan mentioned on the G+ side earlier today, we have locked down (I supplied the cuffs) 4 of our first 8 guests. Actually, we have a nice amount more that have agreed to come on the podcast, we just need to find times that are mutually acceptable. I must say, I am impressed and humbled. I'll try not to be too star struck.

Now, as I stated in the title of this post, the one thing we can guarantee is that we won't be pleasing everyone. To attempt to do so would be self defeating. And bland. And most probably boring. Wait, we can guarantee TWO things - we won't be boring. You may hate us, but we won't bore you ;)

Oh, I've had numerous requests to NOT belch in the mike like some other podcast is known to do quite often. Shouldn't be a problem, as my wife can attest, belching has never been my issue. Silent but destructive? Yes. If you hear yelling in the background of the podcast you can draw your own conclusions...

2 days to "Zero Episode" recording. 15 days to the recording of the 1st episode with our special guest "To Be Named Shortly". First episode should release to the wilds on August 1st.

Another Dungeons & Dragons Documentary is being Kickstartered - The Great Kingdom - Do We Need Two?

Just to refresh everyone, the original D&D documentary kickstarter was Dungeons & Dragons: A Documentary, which funded back in fall of 2012. It's supposedly due to release sometime this year, which may hit some bumps, as 2/3 of the folks behind the original project left it to produce The Great Kingdom, which is Kickstarting now (and is about 60% short of goal with a week left to fund.)

Yep, there's a lawsuit involved. Can't have a documentary (documentaries?) without a lawsuit. Well, you could, but then there would be no drama.

Anyhow, "personalities" is what led folks from the first project to leave to form a second project. We all know how evil personalities can be.

Do we need two D&D documentaries? Damned if I know. I didn't support the first one and I'm into stuff like this. Would I buy a copy of either upon release? Probably.

Examiner.com has a bit more on the legal issues involved between the two competing documentaries.

Another WTF Kickstarter - FanAdv- A new d20 RPG

Really, shouldn't this map speak volumes for the project?
A picture is worth a thousand words...

Actually, let me present the author of FanAdv in his own words:

So, what makes this different than every other OGL system? Who knows, he doesn't say. He just says he can do better than the core rules that are presented in the 3.5 SRD. Based on his amazing map work, I think it's a safe bet that he can't.

Wayward Kickstarter - Robotech® RPG Tactics™ - Shall we Sell at Gen Con?

There was a whole lotta shit flying around when this project went live last year. I never backed it myself - I just wasn't a big enough Robotech fan to justify it.

So now, it's late. Sure, it took in over $1.4 million - but I'm sure that just fucked up delivery time due to the sheer scale of the project.

Today's update is about how shipping will soon begin. And how Kevin plans to bring copies of the game to Gen Con to sell before backers get their copies. BUT WAIT! You can vote NO in the comments section, and if the majority of the backers vote no, they won't sell copies at Gen Con (note - failure to vote by the 21st will count as a YES vote).

It's a huge update - really. Here's just two pieces:(link for full update text)

Gen Con Indy is on the horizon. It is the largest gaming convention for this hobby in the country. I announced we are planning to bring some Robotech® RPG Tactics™ product to sell. A few hundred of six items: the main box game, four of the expansion packs (Tomahawk/Defender Destroids, Regult Battlepods, Artillery Battlepods, and Glaug Command) and the rule book. That would mean a few hundred people will get these items before most of the 5,200+ Kickstarter backers, and around the same time as the first backers are receiving theirs in the mail.

That was a tough decision for me to make. Here is how and why I made it:

● We will begin shipping Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to Kickstarter backers before we leave for Gen Con Indy.

● We will have people continuing to prep, package and ship Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to Kickstarter backers while the rest of us are at Gen Con.

● Bringing or not bringing Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to sell at Gen Con will NOT make any difference to shipping to Kickstarter backers. If we were to leave that product at our warehouse instead of taking it to Gen Con, not one single Kickstarter backer would get his or her rewards any sooner.

● Shipping to our Kickstarter backers will take what we estimate to be 3-4 weeks, maybe longer. We are NOT Amazon.com. We can’t ship what we estimate will be 7,000-9,000 packages (those add-ons and exclusives add up) in a few days, even with the upgrades we are making to our shipping system.

● Palladium is NOT shipping to distributors or to retail stores until after all the Wave One Kickstarter backer rewards have left our warehouse.

● We are not selling any Kickstarter exclusives, just the basic items listed above. Only a few hundred people will be able to buy them, as quantities will be limited.

● We have been promising for months that we would have Robotech® RPG Tactics™ product to sell at Gen Con. People have made travel plans, hotel reservations, bought tickets to Gen Con, etc., counting on it being available at Gen Con. We thought we’d have plenty of time to ship to backers before Gen Con, but the product is coming months later than we thought it would. If we could push back Gen Con, we would, but obviously we can’t.

● Gen Con Indy is critical to a successful product launch in the Fall. Having a major game like Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to show, demo and sell is HUGE. It creates buzz, attracts media attention, and is vital to the upcoming big, full scale retail push this Fall. We NEED to do this for the good of the product line. And there is so much more we want to release: more mecha, aircraft and combat vehicles, additional eras of Robotech® and their mecha, and so much more. Isn't this what we all want?

Though I feared making product available to even just a few hundred gamers at Gen Con, I believe the vast majority of you, our backers, will understand why this is a necessity and be okay with it.

and then there is "The Vote":

You are important to us.

We do respect and appreciate you.

So we are asking for YOUR permission.

We humbly ask, may we please sell some Robotech® RPG Tactics™ at Gen Con Indy? It’s only a few hundred of six items: the main box game, four of the expansion packs (Tomahawk/Defender Destroids, Regult Battlepods, Artillery Battlepods, and Glaug Command) and the rule book.

Post your “Yes” or “No” in the comments on this Update by Monday, July 21st. Please try to restrict your comments on this Update to “yes” or “no” votes, so that we can count them more accurately. There are plenty of other places to discuss your opinions about this voting process, the lateness of the rewards, or anything else.

If the majority of you say “no,” we will NOT bring Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to Gen Con Indy, except for the purpose of display and demos.

I implore you to say “yes.” Please give us your permission. We believe it would be disastrous not to have the small selection of items I've listed available for sale. Not having them will hurt the launch of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and Palladium Books.

Please make your voices heard. If you are totally opposed to us selling Robotech® RPG Tactics™ at Gen Con, tell us. Do NOT sit back and be silent. Spread the word that we want every backer to make their voices heard.

Anyone who does NOT respond by July 21st, we will consider to be a “yes.”

Some may say that it is not fair to count non-responses as “yes” votes. After all, it may well be that more than half of the 5,000+ Kickstarter backers won’t respond at all. But that would say something, too: That the majority of backers aren't that worried or upset about this. If you are, please let us know. We need to know. All the more reason you need to spread the word and make sure every backer reads this Update and makes their opinion known.

But we sincerely want your clear permission, so if it is okay with you, please vote “yes.”

More Palladium drama.

But, 854 comments on today's post already.

Some of the "No Vote" are quite - vocal.

Yes will will, but No is more entertaining by far...

I'm GURPing Again - It must be gas ;)

I'm trying to reacquaint myself with GURPs to enable myself to properly review a product for said system.

Back in the olden days, when we played just about everything, GURPs was the universal system we always tried to shoehorn right back to a fantasy setting - which to my eyes 20 years later makes it seem like we were doing the system a disservice. GURPS can do fantasy, but I think it does other genres better, especially without the baggage of D&D making for comparisons and expectations that are neither needed nor helpful, but I digress.

I never realized how many editions of GURPs the game has evolved through until now. I came into GURPs with Man to Man and then an early boxed set. Over the years I have accumulated various editions and supplements - next to D&D and it's various clones GURPS and Tunnels & Trolls are neck and neck for 2nd place in the amount of closet and storage space they take up.

The thing is, there are 4 editions of GURPs, and I couldn't tell you the difference between any of them. I suspect it involves point cost changes, but it could be something bigger. No idea.

Shit, I want to play GURPs Discworld now...

Tomb of the Sea Kings - In Print and PDF From Lulu

For those that were asking (after my mini review) "where can I get a copy of Tomb of the Sea Kings?" OSRToday found the answer. It is apparently available on Lulu. I don't believe that was an option when I wrote the review last week, but it certainly is now.

So, why wait to next year's NTRPG Con? Grab your copy of Tomb of the Sea Kings today... or tomorrow.

Just for looking, here's the current Lulu.com coupon code, good for 15% off - FWD15

A Kickstarter That Makes me go "Urh?" RPG LED Dice Keychain

Listen, the RPG LED Dice Keychain Kickstarter has funded and still has over a day left. Sure, it was a low goal of $500, but look at the above pic. Does something seem "not right?"

It looks like the LED light is inserted into the die on an angle. Not much in the way of quality control if you ask me, but at least the "patent pending" is there, so don't steal the idea - but if you do, at least do it right.

He does of 8 prior Kickstarters (one of which funded) and they are mostly reboots of the same thing.

I'm not sure what else to say but "why?" Oh wait, here's why, right from the Kickstarter page:

12 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PLEDGE?

1. You can say you were the first to contribute to the First ever made and mass produced RPG LED Dice Keychains in the history of the world.

2. RPG LED Dice Keychains is the next coolest thing after RPG Dice Knobs.

 3. It will help me on my next projects. I got 2 board games in the making.

 4. RPG LED Dice Keychains make a great surprising gift idea.

 5. Can be used for keychains, backpack zippers, as flashlights, and who knows.

 6. Quality durable material.

 7. Inexpensive.

8. Goes to show that even the smallest things can go a very long way.

9. You'll be the coolest person at a rave, or hardstyle event.

10. Use them for display if you have a hobby store and you sell dice.

11. You can remove the batteries and store something in it, so when its off, it's full. And when it's empty its on.

12. Have you ever dropped your keys in the dark? This will help you find them.

I'd sooner drop my money on a LED keychain flashlight without the sloppy die attached to it...

WOSR Pocast to record "Episode Zero" Next Week

Yep, +Jason Paul McCartan and I are recording our "Episode Zero" of the WOSR "Tenkar & The Badger Show" next Tuesday to work out the kinks and to get comfortable with the format before technically going live.

Now, that being said, I'm hoping we'll be able to release some of the best (and possibly worst) clips here at The Tavern and OSRToday. Then on to Episode 1 for release the first week of August.

OpenQuest 2 Basic available for Free in PDF

I've been a fan of OpenQuest for a while. It's built off of the open MRQ / Legend rules, and it really is a nice version of what is at it's core the Chaosium d100 rules.

OpenQuest 2 Basic is a slightly stripped down version of OpenQuest 2. OQ2 Basic is free in PDF and $10 POD.

If I run a D100 game, it would be OQ2 Basic. Actually, the next system I'd like to run would be OpenQuest 2. God himself only know if and when I'll find the time ;)

PWYW - The Obsidian Sands of Syncrates (Adventure for Levels 7-10)

As OSRToday mentioned, Expeditious Retreat Press has put the Advanced Adventure The Obsidian Sands of Syncrates at Pay What You Want pricing, which means you can effectively download it for free and if you like what you see, you can put a tip in the tip jar.

It's also a good way to peek at a company's line of releases and decide if you want more. Personally, I have the three printed volumes of adventures for Expeditious Retreat Press, covering adventures 1-30 and it's a great "go to" collection for when have limited time to prep. The adventures are universally well done.

Latest Roll For Initiative Podcast with Special Guest Zach Glazer (Whisper & Venom)

+Zach Glazar makes an appearance on the latest Roll for Initiative podcast and talks about his Whisper & Venom setting and his upcoming Kickstarter.

Zach is a gentleman and an excellent podcast guest (I know, as +Jason Paul McCartan and I have already lined him up for our upcoming podcast ;)

Give the latest RFI a listen. Hell, give them all a listen. It's a damn good podcast.

(Get 10% off Whisper & Venom by going to www.lessergnome.com and using the coupon code RFI10. Coupon code good through Friday July 11th, 2014

A Kickstarter that makes me go "WTF!?!" - Soul Sword RPG (Christian Themed Zelda Rip)

Where should I start with Soul Swords RPG, the Christian themed computer RPG?

Maybe from the beginning...

Soul Sword RPG is a Christian based rpg game the games theme is focused around the "Whole body armor of God" Ephesians 6 

18 year old Jack Rionhart a babe in Christ is called by Jehova to be the Spirit Leader unsure and fearful of the task before him he soon learns he must gain all of the lost pieces of the Body Armor of God and restore the fruits of a spiritually dead people of Larule. A growing evil from the land to the East threatens Jacks progress. Lord Cain Wants to destroy king Abel and take over Larule promising a life of pleasures and lust. The life blood of the kingdom a large natural crystal called the SEOUL purifies the fresh water for the people of larule. In Lord Cains lust for power he must kidnap the remaining descendants of the Founders to find out where the SEOUL is hidden so he can rule the entire land. Can Jack and his team of four restore the faith of Larule, find the Whole Body Armor of God and with the Sword of the Spirit destroy the Evil One who posses Lord Cain in time?

Listen, I don't expect this to be a steaming pile of poo because it's a Christian themed computer RPG. Well, that may be part of it, but it isn't the only reason.

First things first - if you can't write coherently when you are trying to sell something, how are you going to write coherently when you actually design something? Run on sentences are The Devil in disguise to all writers. The man needs an editor (or an exorcist).

Then we go on to this part:

The games artwork, Villains, map layout and story will be done mostly by me and some of my friends through the RPG maker program on windows and will only be available for play on windows. Our company I call 4-8 Games, 4-8 from Philippians 4:8. I plan a release date with the help of funds in the Summer of 2016 at the latest, or possibly earlier. My main goal is getting the word out through advertising.

Interestingly enough, the rewards are supposed to ship by October of 2014. Small bit of disconnect going on. At least the RPG Maker program allows one to sell the games created using it.

Now, some folks say "you shouldn't judge a kickstarter project based on the creator not having supported any projects themselves" and maybe that is a valid point. However, sometimes you can quickly tell when someone has no understanding how Kickstarter works:

If the fund raising goal is not met all contributions will be used for advertising, resources for the game and the games website. 

Sorry dude, you are thinking of Indiegogo and it's "Flexible Funding that separates fools from their money" fundraising.

Oh, and a 22 minute video is not cool. Especially when the first 8 minutes or so is you rocking ever so slightly in your recliner - nearly got motion sickness.

Consider this a "how not to do a Kickstarter project" project, Christian themed or otherwise.

New PWYW - The Revised and Expanded Taglar's Tomb - (S&W Adventure)

Shared from the Hereticwerks Blog:

The Revised and Expanded Taglar's Tomb is now available at RPGnow & DriveThruRPG as a Pay What You Want pdf. Taglar's Tomb was originally posted as a free mini-dungeon in support of Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day 2013. We took the bare-bones of the original scenario and pumped it up so that it now has everything we could pack into 18 pages to help you imagine the hell out of it. 

Look at that. The Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day from last year keeps on giving ;)

Oh, and you can get an extra page for the adventure here.

Wherein "The Army Ant" Provides Me with Maps to Stat

Some of you may remember that I agreed to work on a section of +Michael Desing 's Saga of the Splintered Realm megadungeon.

Now, I know the theme in general that I want to use, but now that I have Mike's maps in hand, my thoughts are taking me in a different direction than I had initially expected. I like the new direction that I'm looking in, but I'm going to give it a few days to percolate ;)

Here's the maps Mike posted on his blog, The Splintered Realm, earlier:

Defending the Offensive, One Bleeding Cool Article at a Time

I give some major props to +Christopher Helton for his latest article over at Bleeding Cool. It isn't easy defending people who are, by their online personalities at least, pretty much assholes. That doesn't make it right to spread lies about them, especially viscous allegations that they are homophobic and transphobic. Although neither Zak or The Pundit are my favorite people, offensive slander such as this for no other reason than to push an agenda is bullshit and should be called out. Because if we don't call the bullshit when we see it, the next accused could be you...

As Chris says in his article:

It is hard to defend people who have done wrong. But, despite saying or doing these things, that doesn’t mean that they deserved to have lies made up about them either. Gaming needs new blood, it needs to be more inclusive. However, it doesn’t need gatekeepers. It doesn’t need to be told who are the “right” people to be involved in the hobby and who are the wrong ones. And it certainly doesn’t need liars and bullies.

Well said and well done.

It Was Bound to Happen - Someone Has "Published" their own 5e SRD under the Guise of the OGL - Say Hello (and Goodbye?) to SRD5

There is an excellent thread on this over at ENWorld, including the following post by the poster / publisher / whatever of SRD5 (which is pretty much a cut n paste of the recently released D&D Basic Rules).

So, according to Artificer, he has declared all of Basic 5e to be open and is offering a SRD5 Compatibility License.

Fun times.

I'm going to bookmark the thread, as I expect the roller coaster ride to be entertaining if nothing else ;)

Low Level Monsters for use with 5e Basic from Legacy of the Crystal Shard

Via a Mike Mearls retweet of a Morrus (ENWorld) tweet - we have a document that gives us a selection of low level monsters for use with the 5e Basic Rules.

Very cool.

Legacy of the Crystal Shard - Encounters and Monster Statistics: D&D Next

Necromancer Games 5e Kickstarter Books (except Monster Book) to be Converted to S&W and Pathfinder

There's more info on the Necromancer Games 5e Kickstarter, from none other than +Matt Finch himself over at ENWorld. It's a good an informative thread, but the post that stuck out the most to me was this from Matt:

So the 5e Necro Kickstarter will eventually lead to conversions for Swords & Wizardry and Pathfinder.

Very cool.

Wherein I Play in My First DCC RPG Funnel

I've run DCC RPG funnels. I've even run DCC funnels using the Swords & Wizardry rules. Heck, I ran a short lived DCC RPG campaign and some side arcs.

Graygor, the Slightly Mad

Saturday night was my first chance to play the DCC RPG, funnel or otherwise, from the player's side of the table, and it was good. Damn good

+Craig Brasco served up a home brewed funnel and my gaggle of newbs were accompanied by the gaggles of +David Przybyla and +Keith J Davies . Thank God for Purple Sorcerer's character generation page too, as it certainly expedited the process. 

I still have all 4 of my gaggle left. Come to think of it, we've only lost one so far among us, impaled by some 3 horned pack beast as the pack descended upon us. Still looking for the mayor's missing daughter. Just buried the farmer's dead daughter. Too many daughters, damn it!

Now, there is always (or almost always) a character you want to survive the funnel. For me, that is Graygor (talks with really bad Russian accent and says stupid stuff like "in Russia, our dead buried themselves" and "perhaps if i cut off this dead man's jaw, and replace with dead demon's jaw, something may happen." Actually, something did happen, but to Graygor. I think he has a patron now. I know he can cast Spider Climb and something spoke to him in his head when he grabbed the demon jaw. I'm not sure if Craig plans to publish this adventure, but if the second part is as strong as the first part, I will do my best to strong arm him to do so ;)

Eh, he'll probably die in the thrilling conclusion next Saturday night. Still, 7 hp and zero level. He may just actually make it. 

Necromancer Games Returns with a 5e Kickstarter of mostly New Material

Necromancer Games, which I believe is fully owned by Frog God Games (but I could be wrong, and perhaps I am) just launched a Kickstarter in the early morning hours for new 5e material.

Yeah, there is currently no licensing agreement / OGL specifically for D&D 5e at the moment, but much like The Wizard's Amulet update and release for 5e, I suspect this Kickstarter will be working under / behind the OGL. Time will tell, won't it?

Three books are in the mix (below is from the Kickstarter page)

5th Edition Foes. It’s going to start with 200 monsters in it. 

Quests of Doom, an adventure book we estimate at 180-260 pages, depending on stretch goals achieved. It will contain two updates from third edition books (Demons and Devils, Vampires and Liches) that contained a total of six adventures. PLUS, it will contain 6-12 new adventures under the section titles "Bugs and Blobs", “Giants and Dragons,” “Men and Monstrosities,” and “Elementals and Lycanthropes.” 

Book of Lost Spells. This sourcebook will contain hundreds of spells, and we estimate that it will run 250 pages

So, any possible issues highlighted?

In this Kickstarter, you’re almost certain to get something that’s slightly different from the way we are planning it right at this moment, because we’re raising money and starting work before the whole game is even out on the shelves. Page counts will vary depending on the length and format of the material, licensing requirements might alter the content of updated material, and so on. (emphasis mine)

Oh yeah, it's going to be an interesting ride...

The "Free 5e Resources Link List" is up on the Right Sidebar of The Tavern

Alright, I have put up the Free 5e Resources Link on the top of the right side sidebar. It should be hard to miss.

Compared to the other free resource lists I have side-barred, it's fairly short - but heck, the rules were only officially released 2 days ago ;)

As always, feel free to point me to futher free resources as they get released,so we can keep the list growing.

As a side note, most of the OSR adventures I have listed further down the page should work with 5e with some modifications - if anything, they may be a little weak. I'm sure someone will come out with some easy conversion guidelines ;)

Putting Together a List of Free Resources for the D&D Basic Rules (5e)

You know those sidebars on the right side of this page, linking to free OSR rulesets and adventures? I'm going to do the same for 5e. It's the least I can do when WotC is giving us the core rules for free.

I'm trying to put together the list before I put it up, so if folks can point me to anything I may have missed, I'd appreciate it. Just add a comment below.

Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules (5e)

Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules (5e Printer Friendly)

The Wizards Amulet (1st Level Adventure)

5th Edition Character Sheets (WotC)

ENWorld 5e Adventure Collection

ENWorld 5e Fan Created Character Sheets

Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set Maps (DM & Player)  (apparently not free)

5e Treasure Generator

DCC RPG/Xcrawl Free RPG Day 2014 now available in PDF ($4.99)

You say you missed out on the Goodman Games Free RPG Day release this year? Now you can grab it in PDF. Only catch? It will cost you $4.99.

That's not unusual for Goodman Games - I believe they have been doing the same for the last couple of years with their Free RPG Day PDFs.

Anyhow, if you missed out on the DCC RPG/Xcrawl Free RPG Day 2014 release last month in print, you can grab it at RPGNow in PDF.

Now to track down the PDF releases of the other Free RPG Day releases...

Thinking of making My Next Campaign a S&W / 5e Mongrelization ;)

There's a lot to like in 5e, judging from the Basic Rule Set I downloaded and mostly read yesterday, but I don't think I'd want to run it. Swords & Wizardry is a system I can run virtually without referring to the rulebook. There's enough changes in 5e for me to lose that advantage. Still, there are pieces of 5e to easily steal borrow.

I like the idea of spells prepared being different from the spell slots for casting. It gives wizards some flexibility while still keeping away from spell points and the like.

I like that spell effectiveness is separated from character level and instead attached to spell level slot used. Want to cast a fireball with more d6's? Use a 4th or 5th level spell slot to cast it.

I like making sneak attach more effective than Old School BTB. If your target is engaged by another, you can get a sneak attack. Simple.

The second wind stuff would work well in a Swords &v Sorcery type setting without clerics or other healing magic. In a standard D&D fantasy setting, it seems to me to make the PCs way overpowered, but YMMV.

Just some basic thoughts. Theres other stuff that doesn't fit was well for me (skills and such), but I dont need that when making my S&W D&D Mongrel ;)

Frog God Games rereleases The Wizard's Amulet for 5e

Frog God Games has rereleased The Wizard's Amulet for the newly released D&D 5e using the traditional OGL.

It's a free download and you don't even need to sign up for a Frog God account.

5th Edition Rules, 1st Edition Feel

Thanks to +James Aulds for the hat tip ;)

Initial Impressions of 5e Basic - Cautiously Impressed

I'll admit it - I've found ideas I wouldn't mind borrowing for my S&W Campaigns.

Notice I'm not saying I'm looking to run a 5e game - I think I'd need to see the full set of releases first, but I do find that I'm not finding what I see offensive to my sense of gaming sensibilities, much as I did see in 4e.

I probably need more time to digest it all.

I suspect it should work fairly well with most OSR adventures, especially the lower to mid level ones with minimal fudging.

Of course, this could be the ramblings of someone under severe sunburn (and careless stupidity)

In Case You Missed It - 5e Basic PDF has been Released

5e Basic Credits

5e Basic is here. No, Really.

Clocks in at a mere 2.7 mb but 110 pages, so it should work fine on most tablets (will check later)

Time to read some of this puppy.

(BTW, Monte only gets mentioned under "further development by" for his 3e work apparently, not his aborted 5e work.)

Some Thoughts on a 2d6 Skill System for Thief Abilities

I need to keep out of the sun for a bit.
Damn sunburn

After reading through the Planet Eris house rules supplement, it occurred to me that 2d6 for skill checks for thieving abilities (or even other possible skills to be added later) has the huge advantage of the built in bel curve.

You can give everyone a basic chance to find traps or hide in shadows and the like, and yet give thieves better chances than other initially and allow them to increase with the bell curve.

So, say you give the basic chance to find traps as 11 or better on 2d6. That's about a 8% chance (doing the math in my head, so I could be very wrong). Give a bonus to finding for a high wisdom (+1) and / or being a dwarf (+1) would make that 9 or better - roughly 28% and never going up.

Now, if we start thief skills for thieves at 9 or better (Climb Walls and Read Languages would need to be tweaked) at first level, without adjustments for high ability scores or race, our thief is succeeding 1 in 4 times.

Give the thief 3 plus ones at 1st level and 2 plus ones at every level after that (no more than 1 plus to a particular skill at each level) and the thief can specialize, but as one gets better in a particular skill, the returns for that plus 1 get smaller and smaller. It's more effective to be a generalist, at least at higher levels.

A roll of 2 would always fail, no matter the skill level or the circumstances.

I need to really write this down and tweak it, but there is my thinking out loud, based on the Thief Skills charts presented in Planet Eris (I would move all of the 1d6 skills to the 2d6 resolution method).

Or this could all be the results of a mind suffering from sun poisoning...

I Should Have Stopped Before the Beach

I went to the beach at Lake Wallenpaupack with my niece and my wife yesterday. My niece took to the water like a fish - she is a very fearless 3 1/2 year old. We all had a blast.

Now, to back up just a bit and set things in motion properly, when planning out trip to NTRPG Con, Rachel bought solid sunscreen - it looks like and applies much like a deodorant stick. She figured this way, it wouldn't be an issue when going through airport screening, and she was right.

The problem is, the human body isn't meant to be swathed by a deodorant bar. Apparently, I had no idea where i covered and where I didn't. I look like some kind of Cthulhuian Candy Cane. Shit is painful too.

No more trips to the beach for me this vacation (not that the weather would be cooperating the rest of the week anyway.)

So - more time for reading.

Also, those lists for me Super Secret Project - I never put them in my Dropbox, so I'm having to put them together for a second time. More of an annoyance than anything else.

5e Basic releases later today - sometime during business hours Pacific time.  If nothing else, they should be interesting.

Mini Review - Planet Eris: Booklet 1 - House Rules

Planet Eris: Booklet 1 - House Rules is another purchase from NTRPG Con - and no, I'm not sure where you can find this outside of NTRPG Con (or other Old School gaming cons I'm guessing). So yeah, more cool shit that I have and you don't. Sorry about that.

Anyhow, it's a bunch of house rules that build upon the Original D&D White Box, but the source material is downright extensive. I don't have the patience to copy it all down, so here's a pic:

Yes, that would have been a lot to type.

So, the big thing that sticks out to be is the changes to the Thief class (with all I've been thinking about thieves in OSR gaming, it's not surprising that this stuck out. Anyhow, Jimm Johnson converted all of those damn percentile rolls to d6 rolls, but some are on 2d6 and some are on 1d6. I have no idea why he used both methods when dividing up the skills, but I do like the 2d6 method as it has a nice built in bell curve (I believe this is similar to Stars Without Number). I'm going to yoke this and rework it and post it when I do.

There is a nice section on hirelings, retainers and henchmen.

There are some spell tweaks. Well, lots of spell tweaks. More than I care to read.

Everyone has at least a 1 in 6. Dwarves have a 2 in 6 chance. I'm yoking this.

Jousting, disease, getting lost, starvation, jousting - even a 2 page mass combat system.

Worth the cash on inspiration alone. The fact that I can steal some of these houserules as is? Damn near priceless.

And yes, i noticed the cover...

Mini Review - The Tomb of the Sea Kings (Adventure Levels 5+)

I'm going to say this right from the start - don't expect to use The Tomb of the Sea Kings in an ongoing campaign without major reworking and rewriting. It is NOT campaign friendly and failure to complete the adventure can lead to "death my a 20th level mage." No, not kidding.

That being said, as a one-shot or convention module, I think it could be aces. Sure, it's a funhouse dungeon, but that works well outside of the usual campaign type of setting / structure.

Lots of potential stat loss, stat gain, level loss, infinite pits, doors to "somewhere", naked characters - like I said, funhouse. A funhouse can be lots of fun in the right set up, which is why I see The Tomb of the Sea Kings as a fun choice for convention play with pregens, and much less fun plugged into the average campaign without a shitload of work. YMMV of course.

All that being said, there are bits and pieces I could readily steal for campaign play.

These were printed via Lulu (I grabbed my copy at NTRPG Con), but I don't think you can find it online.

On Vacation STOP Working on Secret Project STOP Going to Swim at Lake First DONT STOP

I'm away from the city for a few days as well as away from work. It's an amazing thing, this thing they call "The Country."

In any case, I need to tie of a few last end of "The Secret Project" which should be officially announced in a week or two.

I also need to read. A lot. As if I were away from cable and the internet, but I'm not. Still, I'll pretend and make it so ;)

A Kickstarter I WANT, But Can't Justify: GameChanger - Virtual Tabletop Gaming Surface

My God but I want this. GameChanger is a virtual table top for your actual table.

I'm in love. Or lust.

My wife would kill me, I have no use for it, but it doesn't stop the want.

From the blurb:

A high-quality, durable, multi-touch LCD Gaming Surface for RPGs, Miniatures and other tabletop gaming. 

The GameChanger is the first affordable, durable and widely available gaming surface.  Using recent price breakthroughs in LED panels, touch technology and mini-computers, gamers can at last take advantage of the latest technology, in an easily upgradeable and affordable way.  

We've made a huge ruggedised iPad to use for gaming —for about the same price or less! 

Now your favourite adventures (readily available on pdf or scanned) can be presented quickly and easily using whichever virtual table top, or any other tools you use for your games. 

A Scratching My Head Kickstarter - fantasy rpg travel starter set tabletop miniatures sci-fi (urh?)

First off, the title is all fucked up. Heck, it isn't even a proper title and it probably isn't an accurate description.

fantasy rpg travel starter set tabletop miniatures sci-fi

right... and the first stretch goal is... poly dice.

a proper RPG "Starter Whatever" is dice, notepaper, graph paper (maybe) and a pencil. All else is frills.

Travelling for gaming events can be tough (especially for dms) when you're lugging around all your gaming gear, me and my wife have had this problem where we never have anyway of carrying our gaming boards so we came up with a fabric scroll board its an a2 size print like the one in the picture it folds or rolls up and fits into my pocket. this very quickly developed into me wanting to make simple affordable starter sets that fit nicely into a travel package so whether you are a new player or you've been playing rpgs from the start you can get everything you need to play in one simple easy to transport package! with this kickstarter i hope to be able to get more designs for my maps with themed collections and get them manufactured on a larger scale + water proofing i would also like to improve the quality a great deal for a long lasting product.

Now, it says UK for the project, but the fucker must be from Germany, as those are some disjointed run on sentences. Oh, and capitalization wouldn't hurt either.

God, my head hurts. Make it stop. Please.

Oh, and what exactly is "map dice"?

Right. I'm am far from the grammar police, but there needs to be a summary arrest and possibly painful sentence handed down. Now. Where's Judge Dredd when you need him?

On Time Kickstarter - The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence

Yes, even Ashely notices the ass on the cover of The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence. Admittedly, it is hard to miss. Not quite what I would choose for the cover of a gaming product, but so long as the stuff between the covers is good.

I got my copy in the mail yesterday and will be part of my vacation reading (amongst many others). Technically, it arrived on the last day of June and it was estimated for July, so yes, Holy Shit, this is actually a Kickstarter that released EARLY!

Huzzah!

The PDF of The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence is available at DriveThru and RPGNow.

Dungeon Dozen on Sale at Lulu - 20% off (and an extra 10% coupon)

I caught wind of this sale over at OSR Today, but wasn't able to add the 20% coupon and combine the two discounts. I WAS able to add DISCOUNT10 for an extra 10% off, so I can't complain.

Needless to say, I ordered the Dungeon Dozen hardback ;)

You can sample the wares at The Dungeon Dozen blog.

Initial Basic D&D PDF to be More than just Character Gen

So, it looks like they changed their mind about it being just character gen initially.

From ENWorld:

I've been a bit remiss in communicating this. Mike Mearls has said multiple times over the last few weeks that Basic D&D will debut on July 3rd (at the same time Wizards Play Network store get the Starter Set). That debut only includes character creation. A whole bunch more will be added to it on August 19th, when the Player's Handbook is released. It will then continue to be updated as the rest of the release schedule rolls out.

Or maybe not. From the 6/30 Legends & Lore post by Mike Mearls

It’s hard to believe that we’re on the eve of the release of the first D&D fifth edition product. The Starter Set will be available at Wizards Play Network stores this week, starting on July 3. That day will also see the release of the basic rules for D&D on the Dungeons & Dragons web site. 

For the D&D basic rules, our initial release will include character creation. It features the human, elf, dwarf, and halfling for races, along with the cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard classes, all from 1st level to 20th level. As the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide near completion, we’ll add to the basic rules with more material to grow it into a complete game. Our goal is to continue to make updates to the basic rules for D&D until the end of the year, at which point it will be feature complete.

After Looking at the Classes, I May Need to Revisit the Bard

A few years back, in what is now the last published issue of Knockspell, I wrote up a bard class. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all of that good either. Three years later I think I have a better concept of how to bring the package together, so it may be time to start doing so.

I've always had an attachment to the bard class. No, not the unworkable one in the back of the Player's Handbook, but what came later, in issue 56 of The Dragon. Now, that class might have been a bit overpowered still, what with a Fighters attack matrix, access to all weapon proficiencies and a powerful spell list, but it was the first time I remember seeing a character class in Dragon and thinking "it would be fun to play that."

So yeah, I want to make a Bard class that is fun, not over powerful and yet useful in the average party. This may be part of my month long "gaming content on the blog" project.

Is the Thief a Needed Member of the Adventuring Party?

This discussion came up with my once a month (more or less) group this past Friday. We had three fighter types and a cleric / m-u exploring the depths of The Castle of the Mad Archmage. Obviously, they lacked a thief in their number, but as was observed, the lack didn't make much of a difference.

Low level thieves essentially suck at thieving. At third level, they have about a 1 in 4 chance of succeeding with any of their basic thieving skills, which really means they fail 3 out of 4 attempts. How long is a thief going to survive failing 3 out of 4 attempts to disarm traps (let alone failing his 3 out of 4 attempts at finding them in the first place)?

At third level, he can open 1 in 5 locks - which means brute force (and wandering monster checks) will be required 80% of the time. Wouldn't another fighter type or caster be more effective with those wandering monsters than a lightly armored and combat ineffective thief?

Come to think of it, Crypts & Things allows all of the classes to attempt thief type abilities - I'm wondering if such wouldn't work well in a standard OSR game.

Just me thinking out load, as the missing thief really wasn't missed...

Sneak Peeking A Piece of the Art for the Super Secret Project

Yeah, I really want to spill the beans on the Super Secret Project.

Instead, I'll sneak a peek at a +Jim Magnusson piece that will be finding it's place between the covers.

Oh, and we have some awesome color cover art by +Craig Brasco , but that will have to wait until later.

I feel like it's Christmas morning, my parents are still sleeping, and I just ripped the tape of a corner of my biggest and bestest present ;)

A Matter of Priorities

I am on vacation. Woot!

Now it is time to prioritize and organize my time for the rest of the week.

The big project I am working on needs to be solidified and put fully into motion. I'm hoping we are getting damn close to officially announcing it. I am as excited as a young child on Christmas morning, and I'm not allowed to open the presents yet. It's killing me!

The podcast with +Jason Paul McCartan and myself is nearing launch. Yes, there is talk of transcripts for those that have difficulty understanding a Scotsman and a New Yorker in the same conversation ;)

Reviews. A Shit ton of reviews.

I'm also thinking of making July a "31 Days of Gaming Content Month" - house rules, plot hooks, monsters, magic items, spells - one a day for 31 days. Yes, +Tim Shorts , I probably am insane, but I do hope to get a head start during the week of vacation ;)

Alright, time to head to the pub for dinner with the family...

Some Further Thoughts on The Lost City of Baracus

 "As is the case with the other mini-campaign settings, this module was designed to give the characters the maximum freedom, so as much as possible, let the players dictate the action. A good way to run The Lost City of Barakus is to drop clues about certain quests and adventures and then see what most interests the characters. And then, perhaps most important of all, don’t be afraid to improvise." Lost City of Baracus, pgs 4-5

The above is part of the advice given to DMs that are about to embark on the adventure of running the adventure The Lost City of Barakus.

"Let the players dictate the action" - this is the key to any sandbox or even railroad with choice. What I like about Barakus is that even though it is a (mega)dungeon, there are hooks and plots that lie without. You don't have to go back week after week into the dungeon - there is a fairly detailed surrounding area, things to do and people to meet (or eventually kill). Actually, what I would like to do is kick off this campaign (when I do) with a DCC RPG styled (or flat out stolen and converted) funnel, tweaked to the setting.

Which leads to: "perhaps most important of all, don’t be afraid to improvise."

This.

There is no such thing as "by the book", at least not when it comes to successful and enjoyable campaigns. No adventure or dungeon writer can think up all of the things your party may attempt. If your party is much like mine are, it's quite likely your party throws curve balls not thought up by the adventure writer every couple of minutes. If so, God bless them, as your players are aces. Enjoy the exercise that comes with making sure your party's attempts to think out of the box are rewarded (although your party might not fully appreciate each such reward ;)