Whatever the Definition of the OSR is, It's Not "Scarecrow"

GeekNative is a fairly well trafficked blog of geeky and gamey things. Today, thanks to the eyes of The Badger, the latest GeekNative post was brought to my attention. It's titled:

Was OSR just a scarecrow? A review of D&D 5e Player’s Handbook

Yeah, the title confused me too, but at least you can use the link to read the article in total as opposed to just the snippets I'll be responding to. And why is "OSR" referred to in the past tense? Where is the "the"?

I’m a roleplayer who’s preferred each generation of D&D over the one that came before. I did not like the original D&D sets and only started to play the granddaddy of the hobby until it evolved into 3e.

See, already I'm confused, as this statement initially infers he's played each edition of D&D, and always preferred each subsequent edition, and then states he only started playing with 3e. Yes, there is a reason that I point this inconsistency out.

I didn’t like all the inconsistent, often unnecessary, rules nor did I like the fact you were simply handled a randomly generated algorithm which you had to guide through algorithmically challenging landscapes. That’s to say; I’m not a min-maxer. I appreciate that’s the challenge for many gamers – building a character that survives the horrors the DM throws. It’s not for me; I need a sense of creation and ownership.

 I preferred 4e to 3e. Wow! Makes me a loner, huh?

This can't be a statement about OSR gaming, as it's pretty well accepted that 3e is not part of the OSR.

However, the OSR movement bloomed. I’ve no problem with OSR but I just don’t get it. I’ve asked many OSR fans what it is – and get different answers. OSR stands for (most of the time) Old School Renaissance. The concept is that RPGs have strayed too far from the path that made them great. It is time to go back to how they used to be.

First off, the author admits he doesn't get the OSR. It's not some much going back as it is continuing to play older rules, their clones and derivatives. New rules don't need to mean better, and old rules don't need to mean worse.

Next, we move on to a survey he conducted asking about different aspects of the OSR, and than uses each answer to show how 5e fits the same criteria. Read the original article for these bits, then return here. In any case, it comes back to this:

So, why do I think D&D 5e suggests that OSR is just a construct – a scarecrow of an argument to artificially create good and bad tropes? After all; there is no “New Style”. 

D&D 5e feels entirely modern and yet it appeals widely to many of the OSR stalwarts. It is one of the evolved RPGs in terms of flavour and rules. That said; D&D 5e draws on the previous editions of the game.

Does the author understand that the OSR predates 5e? Does he realize that folks have been playing the original rules since they were first published? The resurgence of old school play with the advent of the OSR clones has roots in 3e and the OGL, not in 5e.

But wait, heres the kicker. The author tells us the OSR doesn't exist:

D&D 5e isn’t OSR. It does not remind me of old RPGs; it feels entirely modern. This isn’t a step back but does carry forward the feeling of old D&D. 

I think D&D 5e rather proves that there is no such thing as OSR. There is nostalgia. There are gaming styles that suit certain game designs but those styles aren’t trapped in one time zone or another.

There you have it folks. 5e proves that the OSR doesn't exist. No more need to try and define it. Time to close the OSR community pages, blogs, publishers, forums and podcasts. Andrew Girdwood has just written the OSR out of existence.

Next post - what to do when your community is written out of existence ;)

Closing the Door on Dragonwars of Trayth Kickstarter - Restoring the Deleted Comments

I do believe I captured everything that was deleted from the conversation with our good friends over at Dragonwars of Trayth, as well as some G+ highlights that will probably be deleted.

At least now, with some effort, one can follow the weekend festivities. Many folks suggested popcorn to enjoy with your reading but I suggest beer. Perhaps both might be in order.

If I missed something, let me know and I'll take a second look to find it.

Alright, that's a wrap!

Kickstarter - MorGalad Fantasy RPG (some sort of d6 pool system)

We all know some of the warning signs of a potentially bad Kickstarter. Hell, regular readers just saw the weekend drama of The Kickstarter that Shall Not be Named.

Here's another potential problem - The MorGalad Fantasy RPG Kickstarter.

What are the issues?

None backed, first created. Not a death knell on it's own, but always a worrisome sign. 

A $20k goal. This is really scary. If the Kickstarter that Shall Not be Named couldn't come anywhere near $8k while using Pathfinder & OSRIC as it's rule systems, how is a "rules light D6-based fantasy RPG inspired by old school RPGs" using a dice pool system going to drawn in those very same gamers? It's not.

The maps or okay, but the art is... well, here's the cover art:

Now, this might be the greatest RPG since Quantum (that's a joke, son), but lets sample more 

potential art:

I don't know were they got their numbers from, but some of these seem excessive. I pay $128 a month for a 5' x 10' storage room in NYC. $5,000 for warehousing costs? $6,000 for taxes? I don't see $3,500 worth of art here.

Is it a definitely a "bad" Kickstarter? No. Does it have a some significant potential problems? Yes

The goal is too high. The listed expenses are too high. There is little said about the actual RPG system being developed (it apparently isn't finalized - another not so good sign). And then there is this:

Funding will also provide a solid foundation for me to hire a team to stand strong and work hard on this project because I intend on releasing one edition and only one edition of this game.

First, I don't see that as part of the estimated budget. Secondly, that is some Nystulian "putting the cart before the horse" shit. Now is not the time to be hiring a team.

Rework the budget with real numbers, lower the goal, buy some stock art, unhire the team and finalize the system. Then we might have something.

Dragonswars of Trayth - Answering the Dragon's Parting Whine

Even while shutting down their Dragonwars of Trayth Kickstarter, the fine folks of Epic Quest Publishing took some parting blows, not just at me but members of this community. I feel it is only right to address their, as of now, final comment on the Dragonwars of Trayth Kickstarter. Below is the comment in question, provided to facilitate my response.

Now, I will address each piece as best I can:

Some people who claim to BACK a project have clearly shown the integrity , or lack thereof, of their character.

This is addressed to two of members of the community who decided to engage Epic Quest Publishing AFTER EQP removed their comments from The Tavern's blog posts.

When social media opinions from people who do not create (or if they do and are criticized they start a smear campaign) rules the day instead of truth then there is no point in offering anything truly creative.

Yes, these seems addressed to me and my little backwater blog.

Let's see, do I create? I mean, besides the blog, two podcasts, a handful of products on RPGNow, organizing the Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Project - nope, I guess I don't meet their high standards.

I'd like to know what smear campaign I started AFTER being criticized. I thought the issue was my opinion of their Kickstarter that was the post that set this off. Or are they referring to my response to their threat of a lawsuit for my use of screenshots of their project that would have been covered under Fair Use. I thought the images I used to replace said pieces of art were appropriate at this point in the ongoing back and forth.

We had a private backer offer over 1 million to buy a museum, we said no, lets first see if anyone is interested else its a empty shell.

Alright. Forgive me for saying this so bluntly, but you are so full of shit I'm surprised you haven't choked to death. 19 backers after 3 weeks of the Kickstarter going live shows a very empty shell. If you turned down a million bucks for a gaming museum and let it walk away... fuck it, I can't find the right term for such stupidity. I'll leave it as bullshit.

Well thanks to those who would rather tear down things with uninformed and inaccurate comments elsewhere there will be no museum.

Stop with the whiny bullshit already. You either have a million dollar backer or you don't. You Kickstarter failure FOR A SECOND TIME has nothing to do with your fictitious museum. Your failure to fund a $8,000 Kickstarter lost you a million bucks? Anyone want to buy a bridge?

It was tried by others before us with the same result.

Huh? Are you funding an RPG product or a museum?

The gaming community has moved on and become something unrecognizable online.

I think this deserves a post of it's own. It has moved on, and grown and embraced the internet.

RPG is about getting together with others to play, have fun, and working together to achieve a common goal.

No argument.

When others are selfish in their own agendas or jealous of new ideas to the point they say they back a project that they dont well then kickstarter has lost its purpose.

Aimed at the two I mentioned above. Can I ask what new ideas are being referred to, as I know non-OGL monsters were used in the offered sample, so they certainly weren't new.

To back a project is to back an idea, NOT a finished polished product.

No, to back a project is in the hope of getting a finished, polished product. And yes, your maps sucked. Really sucked. Are you now saying what you showed was not what the finished product was to look like?

But there are those who would rather make a name for themselves than help bring entertainment to others or who think tearing up someones idea is socially acceptable.

Its called criticism. Come out from your basements and face the world.

Thus they deserve the world they have created by and through their actions.

Again, step out into the sunlight. You may find it a rewarding experience.

Im sure they will count this as some major victory and get all the social feedback they can for their ego's but it is truly a loss to the gaming community and speaks volumes about the society they have created.

The failure of this project, that was destined to fail without the help of any outside sources (Kicktraq estimated it would end with about 5K if I recall correctly, well short of the 8k needed for success), speaks volumes of the quality of said project.

Some advice. If your project fails twice, maybe you need to find a different project, as this one just isn't going to work. 19 backers after 3 weeks showed a particular lack of interest, no matter the monies raised. You had more modules planned (25) than actual backers. That is something you really need to look at once the shock and anger wears off. Because when you think about it, the community delivered the message you didn't want to hear.

Don't be angry at the messengers. Think about the message instead.

Tales from the Backwater Tavern

This weekend has been nothing if not interesting. The full frontal assault and threat of lawsuit over a negative review of the NOW CANCELLED Dragonwars of Trayth Kickstarter was a surprise. What was not a surprise was the support this blog and myself received from the community. I am both humbled and grateful.

I've been asked by multiple members of the community if I had screen captured the now deleted posts made by Dragonwars of Trayth on the weekend posts in question. I believe I have most of them and what I may have missed I still have in email notifications.

I've had disagreements and pissing matches at The Tavern before. I don't retcon or remove comments or posts in such incidents. They are part of my history and the history of The Tavern, whether I was right or wrong (and I've been wrong on multiple occasions.) Some of these pissing matches have led to true friendships. I sincerely doubt this weekend's incident will be one of those times.

Tonight or tomorrow I'll be posting those now missing comments on a new blogpost so one can read the relevant posts in context using the time / date stamp to reference the deleted post in question. This is for the benefit all that commented, as it now seems we are all commenting in response to a silent ghost. It is part of The Tavern's history now.

Again, thanks for all of the support, both here on the blogside and G+, as well as the emails that folks sent. It truly means a lot to me. It's a reminder of how much community this "backwater blog" has built and I am forever in your collective debt.

Wayward Kickstarter - Dragonwars of Trayth - Tabletop RPG (Pathfinder / OSRIC) - Indtroducing The PR Fail

Sometimes folks are their own worst enemies. Take, for example, the person(s) behind Dragonwars of Trayth. There is a saying that all publicity, even bad publicity, is good publicity. In this case, yesterday's post highlighting some of the Dragonwars of Trayth's Kickstarter put some actual eyes on it. At least two dozens sets of eyes.

Does it really matter? No, it's going to be a failed Kickstarter like it's elder doppleganger. Their first attempt to fund Dragonwars of Trayth was canceled when it was obvious it wouldn't fund. So, they responded quickly with a second attempt and a more modest goal. The result?

19 backers. Over what, 3 weeks. Not even a backer a day. So yes, I understand their frustration. They have a vision that's better than chocolate and peanut butter and instead they are to be left holding nothing for a second time.

Why is that?

The art from the project looks fine. The maps, especially the outdoor maps, I compared to MS-DOS are from those old RPGs in the early 90's, but I fear I insulted those classic RPGs.

So, since I dissed their mapping, what response do I get?

Yeah, Dragonwars of Trayth excels in the Public Relations department.

Oh, and of course, nonsense on the blogside too:

Here is my informed suggestion to the fine folks at Dragonwars of Trayth - Wait an extra 24 hours, at least, before responding to criticism. I am obviously NOT the only one that found issues with your project, as 19 supporters over the course of 3 weeks can easily attest to.

Nearly all the money I've raised on this blog has gone back to the blog, either via contests or giveaways. It is not a money maker.

As for evaluating, highlighting and criticizing Kickstarters, it's one of the things I do here at The Tavern.

You'll need to grow a thicker skin for your third attempt, because next time around, you'll have more eyes on you than just mine (and the handful of folks that pointed out your Kickstarter for me.)

Free Land Available at the Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting Community Page on G+

This weekend we opened the door to folks so they could start claiming hexes in the Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting. A dozen and a half hexes have been laid claim to so far and there are many more looking for a good owner ;)

In all seriousness, I'm really stoked by the enthusiastic reaction to this crowdsourced project - by the community, for the community.

Once things really start moving full swing, I expect much of the project will move over to Obsidian Portal, but at this early stage of the game, a G+ community does us fine.

The Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting currently stands at 49 members and growing. Not bad for something that kicked off on October 8th. Join us and you too can have the fate of a 6 mile hex in your hands...

The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer - The Free PDFs - Delving Deeper

I apologize for the gap between entries in the series of posts for the OSR for the Lapsed Gamer. It has been a busy week.

This time around, we are looking at Delving Deeper, which is a reimagining of the Dungeons & Dragons White Box, with the addition of thieves - but not the thieves you have grown to know. Thieves are, however, and optional class, and you can leave them out to go purely White Box if desired.

Delving Deeper makes the claim that "there was no faithful emulation of the original 1974 edition. Until now." I'm not going to dig out my D&D White Box to verify that, but it certainly hews closer than the S&W White Box or LL OEC.

The thief is the big change. Instead of percentage chances to their skills that increase with level, they roll a D6. On a 3 or higher, they succeed. They can attempt to decipher treasure maps at 3rd level with the same chances and magic-user scrolls at 9th level. A roll of 3 the spell goes off but is reversed.

There were comments on an earlier post I made about Delving Deeper that imply that the original, fan created pre-Greyhawk thief class originally used d6s for skill resolution.

Two years after that first post, I'm very tempted to houserule the thieves in my S&W games to use the DD skill roles for their abilities. It simply makes them more relevant.

In any case, Delving Deeper is an excellent choice of rulesets if one wants a more authentic OD&D experience than the other clones offer (and easier to make heads or tails of than the originals it is based upon.) DD does not have the following of the other clones that have been mentioned thus far in this series of posts, but the price is right (free) and it certainly is a nice presentation of the rules.

Kickstarter - Dragonwars of Trayth - Tabletop RPG (Pathfinder / OSRIC) - Revised with new Pics and Awesome Legal Threat!

It is hard to review a Kickstarter based on initial impressions, but we all do it. Kickstarters succeed or fail based upon their hook, and Dragonwars of Trayth - Tabletop RPG is no exception.

The latest hook is available here, at http://www.dragonwarsoftrayth.com/gauntlet%20osric.pdf

It's a single encounter of a larger adventure. There is some kind of
contest where, if you run the encounter with your gaming group and submit a video recording, you would be entered to win the first six adventures in the series in print. That is, assuming the Kickstarter even succeeds, which is far from a given at this point. You have until the 17th of October to submit your entry.

If this encounter is the best example they have to show, it's a very sad thing. Sure, its a death trap, but not a very exciting one. The way it is set up pretty much requires the use of a battle map. Now, not that I have ever played Lazer Tag, but it was pointed out to me that the map is very reminiscent of a Lazer Tag Arena.

The maps, by the way, are reminiscent of old MS-DOS RPG games and the maps and graphics you would encounter. This isnt a good thing. I can't sample how bad the world maps look, as they are only shown in the video, but you can see a sample of a dungeon map below (yes, this is a matter of taste - some may love the retroDOS look of the maps - I see it as an eyesore, especially when compared to the amount and relative quality of the art.)


Oh, before I forget - needless add ons. T-shirts, lanyards, water bottles, mugs - even messenger bags.
These have fucked up far more Kickstarter projects than they have ever helped. Not a good sign that they are so prominent.

I should also point out that, at least as far as I can tell, Dragonwars of Trayth - Tabletop RPG is NOT an actual RPG, but a setting and series of adventures. It is not a self contained ruleset and you'll need either Pathfinder or OSRIC (or some other OSR / D&D clone ruleset) to use it.



edit: I've been blogging for over 5 years and NO ONE even threatened me with a lawsuit (although a few might have offered to meet me in a dark alley.)

here it is folks - the first, the only, threatening to sue you for things I can't but fuck it, let me send it as a private message on G+ anyway:

well, I've saved this little ditty too :)

Jim Gives us the Brain Dead Undead Dwarf

Did I mention that I really love +Jim Magnusson 's work? It was really good when I first found Jim's stuff, but recently he's been hitting the ball out of the park. It looks like there's an undead dwarf in The Tavern's cellar!

You can grab Jim's blog at Aenglum and sample other pieces of his art.

And if you want to go the extra step, you can support his Paetron project!

Looking for the Definitive "OSR" Definition? Old Shit Rules!

It seems like today is the day to define what "OSR" truly means.

Who am I to fail to play the latest round of the game?

OSR - Old Shit Rules!

If it it looks like, feels like, plays like and smells like old shit, it's OSR.

"Shit" in this context is defined as: When something is really cool, awesome, or in someways really interesting.

Sure, you could go here or here for other definitions of the day, but by tomorrow, they'll be obsolete. Old shit will always rule ;)

Do You Use Local Superstitions in Your Campaigns?

For the Halloween episode of The Brainstorm Podcast, the plan is to cover the topic of
"Superstitions" in campaign use. This means we are probably recording this episode next Tuesday night.

Now, I could rack my brain thinking up a handful of superstitions that would be handy to drop in game, but I figure it's more fun to have my readers help. So, hear's what I'm going to do with you:

- Add a superstition or three to the comment section below this blog post before midnight, Saturday, October 11th, 2014

- Listen to the Halloween episode of The Brainstorm Podcast soon after it goes live to the masses. If you hear your submitted superstition mentioned AND are one of the first two to comment that you heard your superstition mentioned (comment on this same here post) on the podcast, I'll send a $10 RPGNow gift certificate your way.

Pretty simple, right?

In any case, I'll put all submitted superstitions into a numbered table for random superstition generation (to be posted both here on the blog and downloadable at the Brainstorm Podcast website) and will also suggest it as a source of inspiration for the Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Project

Those That Came Before - Previous Civilizations on Tenkar's Landing

The island referred to as "Tenkar's Landing", named for it's main commerce and shipping center, was colonized about 200 years ago by the unnamed (and now fallen) empire to the north. There were few indigenous humans, demihumans or humanoids on the island at the time of colonization, and those that were there hadn't established any types of civilization larger than the occasional hamlet or forts built by adventuring types.

There were, however, civilizations that had existed hundreds of years prior.

The first of these was more advanced than the current technology level - think renaissance or possibly even steam punk. They used constructs to dig deep underground and occasionally built above ground, and the remains of the above ground towers and such can be seen in The Ruins of Azagath. What brought an end to them is unknown, but Azagath is a cursed place with craters, leaning towers and mutated creatures roaming the ruins.

The second race would be very similar to Picts, a tribe that came from the far west. They settled the island, mostly avoiding the north, and their burial cairns dot the island. Some conceal the entrance to a single chamber, others are many rooms and many levels deep. Only a handful have been fully explored and many of these cairns are rumored to be trapped or cursed. In some places, the stones no longer mark the entrance to the burial chambers below.

(that should be a decent enough background seed for others to work off of)

"Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Project" G+ Community Goes Live (ish)!

I've had a few requests to open up the G+ Community for the Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Project for those that can't wait for the weekend when I hope to have all my ducks in a row.

So, it's open. Use the link above and ask to join. I'll approve you as quickly as I can.

For now we are going to use Swords & Wizardry as the base ruleset, if for no other reason than it uses both ascending and descending AC in it's stat block which gives us basic compatibility with all of the core clones. Whitebox, Core or Complete - use what you want. That being said, the less crunch used, the better. This is, of course, subject to change at the will of the community.

I'll need to work on the other core deity, quick write up of the native population, 30 second history and a bit more on the Town of Tenkar's Landing itself. Then the true creativity, that of the community, begins.

Oh, and start assigning hexes. That won't happen until this weekend. (those that made requests in mid September will have until the 15th of October to confirm)

Of Gods and Men - Religion in "Tenkar's Landing" - Part 1

I'm thinking of using two established churches in the setting of Tenkar's Landing (and of course there are other religions in Tenkar's Landing, just not established.)

Probably the most influential, especially on the north side of the island, will be the Church of Bazadan, "The Just One". Initially brought to the island when it was a colony of "The Empire", it is now a separate church with it's own hierarchy from that of it's "parent" church. In the remains of the empire, the Church of Bazadan is referred to as "The Hand of Justice."

Clergy are known as "The Just Ones" or "The Hands", mostly by the average peasant and town folk, and nothing is quite as exciting as watching a "Hand" disembark from a merchant ship in Tenkar's Landing coming to blows with the local "Just Ones." "Hands" and "Just Ones" see the other as heretics.

The "Just Ones" are invariably armed with long sword and shield, and their shields are usually painted with a fist holding a sword upright. The "Hands" usually wield maces, but have been known to wield other weapons that have been bloodied in previous battle but now deceased heroes of the faith.

On the island and in the remains of the empire, Bazadan is worshiped, or at least prayed to on occasion, by members of the military, mercenaries, town guard and watch and the nobility. His name is invoked prior to any trial to ensure that justice is the final result.

From a rule perspective, "Just Ones" are required to wield long swords. They also find it difficult to lie, preferring silence to intentional deception.

Next up will be a nature god of sorts...

Tim Shorts Wants You to Show Your Maps - Why Aren't You?

+Tim Shorts , he of Gothridge Manor (All Hail his Lord and Master!) has put out a call to the mappers of our blogosphere:

Hear ye! 

Hear ye! 

Will all the map makers of the realm gather round.  Sheath your quills, we will not have another ink fight like last time. 

+Dyson Logos  please refrain from crosshatching +Simon Forster 's forehead.  And that Jackson fellow, +matt jackson +matt jackson drawing contour lines on the Most Wanted posters while amusing it is illegal.

Where was I?  To all maps makers out there, if you would, please share your most favoritous map.  It may be difficult, but chose only one and show the world.

+MonkeyBlood Design  ,  you can stop drawing fill in dirt in the dirt.  It's dirt.  

Please pass this along and see if we can get back to yapping about the important things in gaming and in life.  Fluffy trees or bare trees.  Contour lines or boobie hills.  Filled in squares or detailed roofs.  

+Michael Prescott  yes, that does look like its a 3D map of a horse and yes it is ironic you drew it on a horse. 

If you think you suck at maps, share one anyway.  The only way you can suck is if you don't share.

Shit. I may have to dig out one of my own. It will suck. Guaranteed ;)

The Brainstorm Podcast Episode 7 - Fleshing Out the "Big Bad"

Yesterday episode #7 of the Brainstorm Podcast hit the interwebs, and there was much rejoicing.

I must say, I think with each episode +Vincent Florio , +Glen Hallstrom and myself are hitting higher and higher notes. Maybe not in quality of content (that's for you to judge) but in the interpersonal chemistry department. Episode #7, Fleshing Out the Big Bad was simply a blast to record. We're having fun recording the podcasts, and I suspect you'll enjoy listening to them.

We recorded two more episodes tonight, one designing deities and one about reskinning monsters. they'll be out in a few weeks. At least one of my blog readers was mentioned and quoted during the recording of the second episode tonight.

I've been talking with the others about some cross promotions between The Tavern and The Brainstorm. The deities episode has an open call / challenge to the listeners, and when it releases, I'll be supporting it with a giveaway here at The Tavern. Expect more cross promotions / giveaways as we get further along.

Good times!

Hawk & Moor - Initial Impressions (D&D History)

I'm not far enough into Hawk & Moor to give a review (10% into the Trilogy according to the Kindle app), but I can give me initial impressions.

- It's approachable and an easy read. In some ways, it reminds me like a Time-Life book, but with abundant footnotes.

- The author admits to connecting the dots and filling in gaps. Not necessarily in a bad way, but with sometimes conflicting source material there are times one needs to make a best guess. There are a number of direct quotes, which is very helpful.

- It succeeds at "paining a picture", as I find myself visualizing certain scenes in my head.

Is it as true to it's source material as Playing at the World? I don't, but Hawk & Moor seems to give more opinions or rather, interpretations, whereas Playing at the World is a drier read with an impartial author's voice.

In any case, I'm thoroughly enjoying Hawk & Moor. At this rate, I'll probably have a review ready (and the trilogy finished) in another week to ten days.

How Do You Know When Your Campaign is Over?

Sometimes as DMs we plot out the direction of our campaigns. Players being players, if you give them any sort of freedom it is doubtful they will follow the path of least resistance.

How do you know when your campaign is over?

Player apathy? DM apathy? Player goals reached? Just feels like it? The itch for something new?

I will freely admit as a DM I probably have about 6 months before the next great campaign idea hits me - usually for my players, the desire for change lags behind my own.

When is the right time to bring your campaign to an end, and is it necessary to have everything tied up neat in a bow, or can it end like the second book in a trilogy, with more stories to be told, but in this case no one to tell them?

Roll20 Usage Report for the 3rd Quarter of 2014 - We're #20!

First, I need to point out that only 15k players of the 600k registered users of Roll20 participated in this survey. I know myself and my group didn't participate, but then again, none of us follow the Roll20 forums with any regularity.

I suspect FATE will see a bump in the next survey due to it's ENnies, as will the OSR (as I'll ensure my groups and readers of The Tavern that use Roll20) have their votes counted.

In any case, even getting 15k responses from players (and 25k for games - meaning GMs I suspect) is still pretty impressive. 4.1% of games run on Roll20 identify as AD&D, OD&D or OSR. Nearly 27% identify as Pathfinder, 3.5 at nearly 18% (so 45% are effectively playing 3x), 4e is around 11% and the new baby in the D&D era of games, D&D 5e comes in at a hair over 12%.

Over 70% (give or take, as more than one choice could have been chosen) of the games being run on Roll20 are D&D in heritage. Interesting numbers.

Do You Re-Skin Monsters in Your Campaigns?

You know the feeling. Orcs, goblins, ghouls and the rest of the Monster Manual - they are all known by the players the moment you start to describe them. Heck, you probably can't finish the ghoul description before the cleric in the party yells out "I turn them!"

In one of the episodes of The Brainstorm Podcast that we are recording tomorrow night, +Vincent Florio , +Glen Hallstrom and myself are going to be discussing "re-skinning" monsters in a campaign - methods to keep your players guessing. Sometimes it's as simple as making the ghouls cursed instead of undead - watch the surprise on your players' faces when the swarm of ghouls ignores that guaranteed "Turned" result ;)

Here's you chance to get your ideas mentioned on the podcast. Do you re-skin monsters in your campaigns and do you have any special methods or techniques for doing so?

How Important are The Gods in your Campaigns?

I remember the games I ran back in the early 80's - low on details, high on dungeons. Cleric's worshiped some unnamed force until I bought the Greyhawk folio, and even then it just was a name filling a caption on the character sheet.

After seeing the detail given in Dragon Magazine to the racial and Greyhawk deities, I tried my hand at designing my own deities (notice I don't mention Deities & Demigods, as it always seemed more like a high level monster book it my eyes.) Although I want to say they were well designed, I can't find the notebook that contained them, and I suspect they were pretty crappy. Still, I used them in my own home grown campaigns, which always seemed to take up more time preparing the background for than was ever used in game.

Now, I've swung back the other way, where deity details are glossed over in my campaigns. One of the nice things about the limited sandbox of Tenkar's Landing is I can probably get away with detailing just 2 or 3 deities to begin with without worrying about whole pantheons.

How important are deities in the campaigns you run and / or play in?

And Now a Different Version of the "Tenkar's Landing" Area Map

I had totally forgotten that +Michael Garcia had this map done for an uncompleted project we had been working on. The artist goes by the name "Diamond". Literally, that is all we know besides his statement "I release it to the public domain."

I guess this was the first donation to the crowdsourced project ;)

So, we have two versions of the map to work from.

I still need to settle on a scale...

Latest on "Tenkar's Landing" Crowdsourced Sandbox Project

My goal is to open up the "Tenkar's Landing" Crowdsourced Sandbox Project next weekend to those that wish to participate. I know some folks have already stated an interest in certain hexes, and my plan is to grant the wishes of those that have shown such an interest in advance.

The idea is that the island that the project takes place on can be dropped into most campaign settings with little issues, so I'm avoiding things like pantheons and I am describing the off map areas as declining empires / smaller kingdoms to explain why the island is "mostly" left along by outside political forces.

No, I haven't named the island, but that's okay, as I suspect it will be known under a few names in any case.

There will be a G+ Community for the project for those that want to participate in it and share ideas. You do not have to participate in the community to participate in the project - it will be there for those that want it, nothing more or less.

At this point I'm trying to decide if we should go systemless or use one of the OSR Rulesets as a base. Heh, maybe that should be a discussion for the G+ Community when it goes live ;)

Checking Out "Hawk & Moor" (D&D History)

I have my BA in History (which I am sure uniquely qualified me for my career in law enforcement) and I love reading up on the history of RPGs in general and Dungeons & Dragons in particular. We are talking the history of my hobby, and finding out new bits and pieces I hadn't know prior is like opening a Christmas present early on Christmas morning when you are 8 years old. Simply magic.

Regretfully, Jon Peterson's Playing at the World is a bit to scholarly for me to read with any consistency. I always return to it, but I've been doing that for 6 months and I'm not even halfway thru it. His appearances on the Save or Die Podcast are some of their best episodes, but I can only digest Jon's writing in small doses.

Designer's & Dragons was a very informative and entertaining read the first time thru, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the expanded, four volume set that is being released on Kickstarter. I'm currently plowing my way through the second volume of that series on my Kindle app.

Last night I found Hawk & Moor on Amazon in the Kindle store. I'm not even sure how I found the series. Probably during my search for RPGs that Amazon sells at a discount with Prime shipping. In any case, I found Hawk & Moor, obviously a play on "Greyhawk" and "Blackmoor".

THE CREATION of the world’s preeminent Fantasy Role-Playing Game (FRPG), Dungeons & Dragons, is one of the most fascinating tales to be told in all the shared histories of entertainment, play and game design. Two very different men, David Lance Arneson and Ernest Gary Gygax, undertook an unprecedented collaboration which gifted us — as their shared legacy — with one of the most intriguing games the world has yet experienced. Their game did not just simulate one isolate corner of reality; it dared to encompass the entirety of all realms of adventure, the consensual playground of the human imagination.  

HAWK & MOOR tells the story of Dave and Gary, and the many other people whose efforts gave first life to the game we know and love today. Arneson had spectacular ideas, but Gygax knew how to refine them. Collaboration soon turned to conflict as Arneson believed his game was being taken from him, and Gygax crystallized systems where incomprehensible riddles had stood before. Both men were creative geniuses, but the game they created from Gygax’s Chainmail (1971) was the end result not only of their teamwork, but also of their clashes and disagreements.  

The HAWK & MOOR series chronicles that first legendary game to arise from the Golden Age of Fantasy Role-Playing. This is a special trilogy edition, featuring the full texts of Books One, Two and Three in a single comprehensive volume.  

The tale begins with HAWK & MOOR Book One, The Dragon Rises. Herein you will find Gary’s life story, the history of Gen Con and the Castle & Crusade Society, and details concerning the conception of Castle Greyhawk. This first book also includes new revelations pertaining to Arneson’s Blackmoor and its influences; tales from the Blackmoor Dungeons and Loch Gloomen; details on Gary’s first dungeon adventure; an exploration of the links between H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and the earliest underworld adventures; the secrets of the asylum which inspired Castle Greyhawk; and much more.  

HAWK & MOOR Book Two: The Dungeons Deep tells the tale of all that came after Blackmoor in the World of Greyhawk. Herein you will find the adventures of Robilar, Tenser, Terik, Murlynd, Lessnard, Quij, Otto, and Zagyg the Mad himself. Mysteries such as the Old Guard Kobolds, the orc hordes, the Thouls, the Black Dragon Labyrinth, the Great Stone Face, the demon lord Fraz-urb’luu, the Jeweled Man, the Nine Demigods, the Isle of the Ape, and the slide to Cathay are all explored as well.  

HAWK & MOOR Book III: Lands and Worlds Afar spans the years 1973 through 1975, when TSR surged forth to conquer the wargaming industry and to spread the hobby of fantasy role-playing far and wide. A tragedy in January 1975 forced the reformation of TSR, planting the seeds which would cause E. Gary Gygax to lose control of the company in the even wilder years to come. This devastating loss was worsened by aggressive legal challenges brought forth by the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Nevertheless and through it all, TSR soldiered on. This book is not just a compendium of business maneuvers, however; it is a chronicle of adventure. The dread domains of the Tomb of Horrors, Castle Greyhawk, the Temple of Elemental Evil, Dungeonland and the Temple of the Frog are all unveiled herein through the eyes of Ayelerach, Bigby, Burne, Erac, Erac’s Cousin, Jaroo, Mordenkainen, Robilar, Rufus, Tenser, Terik, Yrag and many other heroes of the Greyhawk campaign.  

Together, these volumes comprise 202,300 words on over 500 pages, supported by over 1,300 footnotes and annotations. 

From what I can see it is only available in Kindle format. $3.99 a volume or $9.99 for the trilogy. Free if you have the Kindle Unlimited package for $9.99 a month.

I was surprised to see that Hawk & Moor: The Steam Tunnel Incident is free for everyone in the Kindle store. Maybe I should have started with this one, as I could have gotten a feel for the author's writing style without having to lay out cash and find out the history of this infamous incident in the early years of the hobby.

I'll follow up with a review as I get deeper into the series, as I just scratched the surface last night. It does look promising.

Thoughts of an Idle and Intoxicated DM

So, after 9 rounds at our local pub to celebrate my son's first full time job, I got to thinking.

Basic Fantasy RPG is less than $5 in print, and even ships free if you have Amazon Prime. I now have all that BFRPG offers in print for less than than 20 bucks. Rule book and 5 adventure books. All free in PDF.

I have a year plus worth of gaming goodness with my next campaign if I go with BFRPG, and that's not including what is only in PDF at the moment.

Amazing the clarity that lack of sobriety can bring ;)

Have You Ever Played Multiple PCs in a RPG Session?

When I first started playing AD&D back in the early 80s, it wasn't uncommon for players to run two PCs apiece, especially if there were only two or three players (besides the DM.)

Heck, it wasn't uncommon for the DM to throw his own PC into the mix, especially in the "shared world" context of "there was no world besides dungeons anyway." DM PCs were handled by the group at large, and never we allowed to search for traps or find secret doors - just too bloody convenient for the DM if they could bypass the traps and find every secret door.

So, when did we turn away from multiple PCs and henchmen (who were always ready to step up as a new PC if their master took a dirt nap?)

You could argue with the power creep to the classes with each edition, there was less and less need for additional characters in the average party, but that doesn't explain why those playing retroclones tend not to play multiple characters and have few if any henchmen and hirelings in their groups.

Another question bouncing around my head thanks to Save or Die Episode 99.

A WTF are They Thinking!?! Kickstarter - Castles & Crusades: Blacktooth Ridge (T.V. Pilot)

1 - Stinking pile of poo
2 - A future failed TV pilot
3 - An editor's nightmare
4 - A money pit
5 - The third part of the Whitman Trilogy
6 - All of the above

I'm not making this shit up. D20 Productions (Ken Whitman) is looking to Kickstart a C&C TV Pilot with a funding goal of $5k.

The Knights of the Dinner Table web series had a goal of $60k (hit 69k)

Spinward Traveller's TV pilot had a goal of $30k and nearly hit $50k.

Blacktooth Ridge can do it for about a 10th of the other Kickstarter's goals?

Is Ken Whitman banking a film studio these days?

In all seriousness, the idea that the folks behind the one "D&D"-esque ruleset that has more editing issues than the rest of the OSR combined is going to be working on a TV pilot with D20 Productions with as little as a $5k budget should truly be entertainment enough. I can only imagine the confusion as the actors read scripts from the Trolls that are missing blocks of text...

If the sample video on the Kickstarter site is any example of the expected finished product you be throwing good money at a failed pilot.

If this were to have been another web series, it might be passable, but even public access cable would refuse this.

Does "Old School" Mean "Rules Light?"

Obviously, the answer is no. Chivalry & Sorcery, RoleMaster, Bushido and even AD&D are not rules light systems. So, why is it that, in general at least, we think of the OSR as a "rules light movement?

I think the answer to that lies in the ages of those writing the clones and their derivatives. They try to capture (with much success) the feeling and magic of old school gaming while making the rules more digestible and presented in an easier to follow format. The charm of the original rules was not in their presentation, but in the style of play those rules encouraged.

That, and as we get older, KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) makes gaming easier, especially on the aging eyes ;)

AD&D wasn't necessarily as complicated as it now seems in retrospect, but the horrible organization of the rules spread over two books made it difficult to master. Even early editions of Tunnels & Trolls suffer from horrible organization of the rules, making what should be a simple system difficult to learn by the book.

Some thoughts that came to me while listening to the latest Save or Die Podcast (with special guest Jon Peterson)

The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer - Free PDFs - Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Weird Fantasy

So, where does LotFP: Weird Fantasy fall on out list of D&D clones? At it's core, it is a B/X clone, but that falls quickly to the wayside as you read the classes.

It is a race as class type of system, but each class is purposefully given it's own niche. For example:

Only fighters can increase in combat ability. No other class get's more than a +1 to their to hitroll.

Dwarves are the HP powerhouse. They get 1d10 per level for HD and they can carry more than other classes. They also get a + 1 to their Constitution modifier for HP.

Elves can cast spells and get a 1d6 for HD (as opposed to the magic-users 1d4). I don't recall if they can use armor or not, but "Player Character Elves are those gifted individuals that are trained as both Fighters and Magic-Users."

Halfling get by far the best saves in the game, but that's about it.

Clerics are pretty close to the norm. They DO get a spell at first level.

Magic-users are what it says on the tin. You'll need to read the spell descriptions carefully, as there are enough that have been changed from the source material to keep you guessing.

Specialists (Thieves). This is where Weird Fantasy shines. The D6 mechanic that is substituted for the % rolls for thief skills is something I'm tempted to port over no matter which Old School ruleset I'm running with. Worth the price of admission on it's own, and when the price is free, it's hard to pass up.

Weird Fantasy does not have a monster book or section. DMs are expected to make each one unique. Or, just borrow from a different OSR game. Trust me, it will work.

Weird Fantasy is basically a B/X clone with some very unique house rules. It will feel familiar and yet not for those coming from the originals or their more direct clones, but the art free Weird Fantasy PDF is certainly something that every OSR gamer should have on their virtual bookshelf. As for the full version of the PDF or Print - just be aware, the artwork, while very good, may not fit into everyone's social norms for sex and gratuitous violence.

If you can find the older Grindhouse Edition, the Referee Book is priceless with the advice it gives.

LotFP Weird Fantasy (Free No Art PDF, PDF with Art $5, Print 21.18 Euros)

Kickstarter - Time of the Dying Stars: Book One (LL Fiction / Sourcebook)

Yeah, I know I mentioned this already a few weeks ago, but as I'm doing The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer series of posts, I figured I'd point a finger again at +Pete Spahn 's Time of the Dying Stars, which will be both fiction and a sourcebook for his world of Amherth (but could easily be ported elsewhere.)

Now, you don't have to support the project to benefit from it, as Pete's going to release it in a Pay What You Want format at RPGNow. No, you want to support it because your want the cool stuff that comes from supporting the projects, like a printed copy of the book, copies of Small Niche Game's other releases, new Labyrinth Lord classes by Barrel Rider Games and the chance to see a dwarf named Tenkar try to save the world, or something like that.

If you want an idea of the kind of work that Pete puts out under the Small Niche Games imprint, check out The City of Dolmvay. Also PWYW, so please, grab it and find Tenkar's Tavern within it's very pages :)

How Important are Ability Scores in the Games You Run?

White Box D&D had, at most, + / - 1 for high or low ability scores, but later supplements changed that. By the time we got to AD&D, the + / 1 range was 4, and don't even mention Exceptional Strength for fighters and their sub-classes.

I tend to favor a range of + / - 3 for the games I run these days, but taking a step back from DMing (not completely, but in large part) for the summer-plus, has gotten me to look at ability score bonuses again.

When a 13-18 is a "plus one", actual scores become much less important. Depending on how heroic of a game you want to run, that plus one might be all you need. Conversely, it keeps the characters from being hosed by a horribly low score, as really, a minus one isn't that huge of a penalty.

How much of a role does ability score bonuses play in the campaigns you run?

The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer - Free PDFs - Dark Dungeons

Nothing is as motivating as being told "your doing it wrong" when you know you are doing right. On that note, we proceed onto the 5th entry in The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer series of posts.

May we present to you Dark Dungeons.

No, not the Dark Dungeons of Jack Chick fame, which is what you will probably think of if you were gaming in the 80's and 90's, and not the soon to be released movie of the same title based on the original Dark Dungeons comic tract.

I'm talking the Dark Dungeons retroclone, a restatement of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, not that you'll see that mentioned anywhere in the work itself or the website where you can find the download.

The D&D Rules Cyclopedia was itself a rewrite of BECMI, mostly without the I if I recall correctly. The I is mostly here.

Race as Class is one of the defining features. Your classes are Cleric, Dwarf, Elf, Fighter, Halfling, Magic-User, Mystic and Thief. I had a brain fart with the Mystic class until i realized it was the Monk class. No idea how it was named in the Rules Cyclopedia and my copy is hidden on a shelf somewhere.

For sheer size Dark Dungeons gives OSRIC a run for the money, coming in at nearly 350 pages. It includes rules for mass combat, ship to ship combat, foraging, skysailing, advice on encounter balance, questing for immortality - even if you weren't planning on using Dark Dungeons as the ruleset for your next campaign, there is a ton of interesting stuff to steal borrow for use with the OSR ruleset of your choice. It's also a complete ruleset on it's own.

Dark Dungeons (Free PDF in 3 different formats for computer viewing, printing professionally and printing at home - at 345 pages who the fuck is printing this at home? / Print SC $14.67 / Print HC $26.26 / Print Deluxe HC $89.95)

Kickstarter - Drinking Dice - Make any Game a Drinking Game

I like the Drinking Dice project. I'm not sure why, but crossing this with Drinking Quest could just lead to inebriation ;)

So, I'm in for 100 dice, with the plan of giving out a pair to everyone that attends the Tenkar's Tavern NTRPG Con gathering next June at - NTRPG Con. A free drink and some dice, what could be better than that?

The project is funded with 4 days to go, so give it a go :)

(maybe between now and then I'll think up a small game to use the dice with, instead of using them in pre-existing games)

The Partially Impartial Eye

As I do the series of posts on the OSR for the Lapsed Gamer, one thing I try to maintain is impartiality when highlighting the different rulesets.

In doing so, I've reminded myself of just how many of the OSR styled rules I've played, run or both.

Castles & Crusades - 2 short campaigns as a player via Fantasy Grounds 2

ACKS - run via Google Hangouts / VTT

DCC RPG - run and played via Google Hangouts / Roll20 (all that follows used Hangouts / Roll20)

OSRIC / AD&D 1e - run and played, using OSRIC and 1e interchangably

S&W Complete - run and played

LotFP Weird Fantasy - played

Which still means that the vast majority of the rules I'll be mentioning I HAVEN'T experienced in actual play. So many rules, so little time. If I make a statement based on a read through of a rule set that isn't accurate in actual play, call me on it and I'll correct it.

The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer - Free PDFs - Labyrinth Lord

Labyrinth Lord. The first OSR game I found, assuming one doesn't count Castles & Crusades.
Certainly the first one I found freely available in PDF in it's special "no art" version.

Yes, there are non-free versions of the PDFs with art. Content is the same, so consider the art versions as a donation to the publisher.

Labyrinth Lord is a re-presentation or re-working of the B/X rules, and it tries to replicate the look and feel of such.

The core book for Labyrinth Lord is the LL Revised Edition. If you are looking to play something compatible with your old B/X modules, this is all you need.

LL: Advanced Edition Characters allows you to play the classes from AD&D using the LL rules. In some ways it is very much like S&W Complete, but LL:AEC requires the core Labyrinth Lord rules - it is not a stand alone product.

LL: Original Edition Characters brings the OD&D White Box emulation to the Labyrinth Lord Ruleset. Again, you need the core Labyrinth Lord rules to use this supplement.

There is a certifiable shit ton of support material for Labyrinth Lord. Where as Swords & Wizardry has spawned over a dozen derivatives of it's rules, doing a search at RPGNow for "Labyrinth Lord" leads to over 350 related products (S&W comes back with less than 140.)

Labyrinth Lord is probably the best supported of the OSR rulesets, with adventures, settings, classes, monsters and more just waiting to be used. And even though we always say that OSR products are 90-95% compatible across the various rulesets, Labyrinth Lord is 100% compatible to the largest amount of source material right out of the box.

Labyrinth Lord and Swords & Wizardry are probably the "Big Two" of the OSR clones and it's impossible to go wrong with either one.

Labyrinth Lord is published by Goblinoid Games

Labyrinth Lord: Original Edition Characters (Free PDF / Art PDF  3.95/ Print SC $8.95)

Labyrinth Lord: Revised Edition (Free PDF / Art PDF / Print SC $21.95 / Print HC $31.95)

Labyrinth Lord: Advanced Edition Characters (Free PDF / Art PDF  $6.95 / Print SC $22.95 / Print HC $32.95)

BrainStorm Podcast – Think Tank #5 - Talking about Towns

Yep, thirty minutes, more or less, talking about designing towns. We give you both less and more ;)

If you want to upload it to your Podcast catching app, search for "Think Tank"

BrainStorm Podcast – Think Tank #5

It's Not Your Dad's OSR... or Maybe it Is

There have been some truly stupid discussions / disagreements in the OSR over this weekend, with much of it having to do with what constitutes the OSR, when the OSR began, when did the OSR self identify as well as a request to dig up gaming dirt on James Mal because the person in question is too lazy to do so for himself.

Drama. Lot's of it.

It did get me thinking about the definition of the OSR. Well, not the actual definition, as it's a nebulous and personal thing formed by one's own gaming experiences. I'm referring to how I define the OSR, based on my experiences, and I find myself with a ying / yang situation, as it has two faces to me. Two definitions that overlap. Or, more precisely, one definition encompasses the other.

The first definition sees the OSR in terms of older editions of D&D and it's clones and derivatives. If the rules can be traced back to AD&D 2e or an earlier definition, it's OSR.

The second definition sees the OSR as encapsulating all old school gaming and it's clones. There is no defined cut off date for this, but I'd probably use 1997 as my personal marker (unless one finds a better one) as this is the year I stepped away from gaming for 10 years or so. It's an easy mark for me to remember. This definition includes examples like Traveller, Gamma World, Star Frontiers, Tunnels & Trolls, Rolemaster, RuneQuest, Bushido, The Fantasy Trip, WFRP and dozens if not hundreds of others. The games of my youth and early adult hood. The golden and silver years of my gaming.

So, for ease of reference not just for myself, but my readers, I am going to be using the following definitions here at The Tavern.

OSR - D&D and it's clones and derivatives. If the rules can be traced back to AD&D 2e or an earlier definition, it's OSR.

OSR-E (OSR-Expanded) - an RPG released in 1997 or earlier or one of it's clones. Short and simple.

Again, these are my definitions for use here at The Tavern. Just trying to keep things organized both on the blog and in my head ;)

How Much do you Improvise as a DM?

Remember those Decks of Encounters TSR put out back in the day? I used to grab a half dozen cards at random, pick three or fourI thought I could work with, and that would be the outline of my session for later that afternoon.

I'd use one card to set things up and the others depending on the direction the party took things. Figure out the connections between the encounters on the spot and let things fall where they may. The only real drawback I had is I rarely wrote down the details afterwards, so I had a fairly bad sense of where that arty had been without them catching me up. But it was fun.

I haven't run a game like that in nearly 20 years. Not that I don't improvise these days, but I haven't gone back to the "lets figure out this adventure" type of gaming that I experimented with in my college years.

So, how much do you improvise in your average came session? Does improvisation mean you can prep less? Does it lead to more record keeping?