Highlighting Some Old School Picks from the RPGNow Halloween 33% off Sale - Part 2

Today I'm going to try and highlight some "Old School" picks from the current RPGNow Sale (part 1 of this list went up last night.) With over 500 items on sale, it's a bit of a slog to go through, but I think I've found some things that do stand out from the rest. The following are at 33% off for PDFs.

Rotworld - Currently on sale for a measly buck, you really can't pass up on this bargain. It's a zombie survival game using the rules system from Timemaster and the original Chill. 

Realms of Crawlinbg Chaos - also on sale for a measly buck. If ya already own this, stop what you are doing right now and grab your copy. We'll wait for ya. Realms of Crawling Chaos is a Lovecraftian Dark Fantasy campaign supplement for Labyrinth Lord and the Advanced Edition Companion.

Shotguns & Saddles Old School, Old West RPG - "Shotguns & Saddles (S-n-S) is a cinematic role playing game set in the American wild west.  The player characters take the role of cowboys, drifters, the town sheriff, or other desperados." If you want Old School Old West, here ya go ;)

Weird Adventures - Old school fantasy pulp - "It's a world where hobogoblins hop trains, gargoyles nest on art deco skyscrapers, and celebrity sorcerers hawk cigarettes on the radio."

The Stars are Falling - AL 1-5 (DCC RPG) - "Purple Duck Games' Adventure Locales One through Five for Dungeon Crawl Classics are here packaged with an intriguing framework story to take you on a story arc of wonder and fun for characters levels 1 to 3." I have all of these and they are excellent.

Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG) - "The Sunken City Adventure Omnibus & Guide contains four complete beginning adventures and a host of new material to enhance your DCC campaign."

Grimtooth's Traps (assorted volumes) - practical traps? Not at all. Amusing traps? Without exception.

Liberation of the Demon Slayer -  "Liberation of the Demon Slayer is an old school, multi-level dungeon complimented by optional rules and campaign guide, usable with practically every paper and pencil, tabletop fantasy roleplaying game!" I'm not much on the optional rules, but the adventure is worth the price of admission.

Crap, this isn't going to be done in two posts, is it? More tomorrow...

And "The Sandbox" Wins by a Mile

So, the "What would you like covered on The Brainstorm Podcast" poll closed over the weekend and I personally find the results very interesting.

Nearly 2 out of 3 respondents want to know how to kick of a Sandbox Style campaign, by far the most picked choice of the bunch.

Removing the rails from an adventure path and talking about improvising your game sessions were distant 2nd and 3rd choices.

Alright, you given us (Vince, Glen and myself) much to think about - and hopefully talk about.

Don't forget to listen to the podcast!

Highlighting Some Old School Picks from the RPGNow Halloween 33% off Sale- Part 1

Today and tomorrow I'm going to try and highlight some "Old School" picks from the current RPGNow Sale. With over 500 items on sale, it's a bit of a slog to go through, but I think I've found some things that do stand out from the rest. The following are at 33% off for PDFs

- Call of Cthulhu mixed with ample Nazis and World War II. How can you go wrong with Achtung!Cthulhu?

I really want to run some C0C these days. It's been over 20 years.

- Classified - Expeditious Retreat Press updates the James Bond RPG system, files off the serial numbers and makes all fresh, kinda like the latest Bond movies themselves ;)

Crawl! Fanzine - what can I say about the Crawl! zine that hasn't already been said? If you play the DCC RPG and you aren't reading Crawl!, you are out of your fucking mind. Run, don't crawl!

Crawling Under a Broken Moon fanzine - what do you get when you cross the DCC RPG with Thundar the Barbarian? You get an amazing zine for the DCC RPG that can also be mined for other post apoc OSR games, especially if you enjoy "the gonzo."


Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer and 2: The Witch - looking to add the master of death or the witch of medieval lore to your OSR campaign? Here's your chance to do so.

Dyson's Delves I & 2 - like dungeon crawls? want more maps than you could ever squeeze into your campaign by one of the premiere mappers in the hobby? some detailed dungeons and some left open for you do do so? It's all here.


In the Prison of the Squid Sorcerer - Need a dozen short encounters for your
DCC RPG campaign, or really any OSR game with a little work? It's the prefect resource when you aren't really prepared for the night's game session.

The God-Seed Awakens! - Sure seems like DCC RPG night over here ;) The God-Seed Awakens is a disturbing DCC RPG adventure for 3rd level characters. I shared beers with Paul and his wife at NTRPGCon. I did not expect such disturbance to come from such a likable guy :)

Alright, enough for tonight. More tomorrow...

Night of the Walking Dead - Ravenloft AD&D 2e Adventure - Free in PDF Through October 31st!

Now through October 31st, you can grab a PDF copy of Night of the Walking Dead, an introductory adventure for Ravenloft (AD&D 2e) for free.

In a rain-soaked graveyard, a small group of men stands round a coffin bound with heavy chains. "We are here to mourn the passing of Jean de Cardeau," intones the village priest. " Let us pray that his rest is eternal, and that he never returns."  

As the pallbearers lift the coffin, something scrapes on the wood from inside. Quickly and without emotion, the attendants slide the casket into a crypt. Then they seal the door and flee. Behind them, unheard, a dull thudding begins, growing louder with the onset of twilight. There can be no peace for those who linger in the earthly realm after death. And there can be no sanctuary on the Night of the Walking Dead!  

Set in a zombie-infested swampland, "Night of the Walking Dead" is an ideal first-time Ravenloft adventure. Players must unravel the mystery behind a string of murders and disappearances in a village plagued by ambulant undead—and all is not as simple as it seems!  

The hour of fear is upon us. Are you ready to face the Demiplane of Dread?
For 4 to 6 players, levels 1st-3rd.

Kickstarter - 50 sHAdes of VORpal - It's What You Expect it to Be

I've gotten about a dozen emails, Hangout messages and G+ heads up on the 50 sHAdes of VORpal Kickstarter.

Why so many? Because folks see it as an awesome parody of all the "Heartbreaker RPGs" that without exception claim to be better than D&D.

Heck, 50SoV says so in it's first sentence:

d&D sucks and this is the GREATEst game of ALL TIME. I know, because I made it.

What makes 50SoV amazing isn't that it's an obvious parody. It's the fact that 163 backers have supported it with over $1,300 in pledges. With 2 1/2 weeks to go.

I just hope the project gets cancelled before it finally runs it's course. Because if it truly funds, we very well may be subject to 50 sHAdes of VORpal.

I Must be Paranoid - Paranoia RPG Kickstarter

How many versions of Paranoia are there now? Three West End Games versions and two Mongoose editions? Actually, this would make three Mongoose editions.

So, the latest would be the 6th Edition of Paranoia.

Do we really need 6 editions of Paranoia? Really, do we? I'm asking this question as someone who came on board with the very first edition of the game and quickly realized the rules were worthless - it was all play and players. Seriously. Charts, rolls, weapons, powers - all paled compared to notes being passed back and forth and clones falling by the wayside.

You could just as easily reprint the 1st Edition Paranoia rules as a limited run collectible and probably get the same results on Kickstarter - overwhelming success.

What kind of success?

A goal of 30k pounds, slowly inching up on 56k pounds raised with 38 days to go. Yes, that kind of success.

I just can't get myself worked up for yet ANOTHER version of Paranoia when I have the greatest version of all - 1st ;)

The Braindead Dwarf Arrived From Sweden

+Jim Magnusson THIS is my kind of postcard ;)

I'm Realizing we did Very Little "Sandboxing" Back in The Day

Now, when I say "we did very little sandboxing back in the day" I'm referring to the groups I played with back in junior high school, high school and college. Heck, when we first started playing, we didn't even have a setting - just dungeon crawl to dungeon crawl. I guess we would call his "episodic gaming" these days (thank God for Dungeon magazine.)

Heck, even when we had the World of Greyhawk folio and adventures like Temple of Elemental Evil, it's not like the players roamed around looking for adventure. The DM either had a dungeon he'd mapped out or a module he bought, and that was the adventure for the night. The world map was just to point out where it took place;.

The few times the wilderness became part of the adventure, it was usually because it WAS part of the adventure.

I didn't start to try and sandbox (not that we called it that) until the first Forgotten Realms boxed set, as that was full of hooks and locations. Even at that, it was more like story arcs than a sandbox. Sure, the party could go where they wanted, but they were well trained and pretty much stuck to the beaten path.

It wasn't until my group was down to three players for a while in the early 90's that we fully embraced sandboxing. Spacemaster was the ruleset, and my two players found adventure or adventure found them, with little more than some plot hooks and a desire to get into trouble. We had a blast, and when our full group returned, it was to play Rifts and Battlelords. Now, somebody else was running the sandboxes.

I'm going to guess for my first 10 years of gaming, it was mostly episodic play.

Was sandbox gaming really that big a thing in the early days, or is it something that found it's place in later years, with the advent of numerous published campaign settings?

Just idle curiosity on my part...

Kickstarter - Infrared Tag RPG style - Go Ahead, Ask Why?

Alright, I feel a need to point this part out from the Infrared Tag RPG style opening video. If you are going to opt out on wearing shoes, wear clean socks. Better yet, wear shoes, as no one wants to see your socks. Oh, and nobody really wants to hear you ramble on during the video. When you say at 5 and a half minutes into the video that you were going to make the video longer (and it still clocks in over 9 minutes) it's probably already too long.

If the main video isn't enough for you, there are 11 more linked. Huzzah!

Maybe shoes should be part of the rewards offered

Did I mention:

This Kickstarter has failed once before (it was canceled after 5 days last month)?

That buy in for anything that actually might work starts at $399, and I assume you need at least 2 sets to make this work?

That the project creator "is currently a graduate student and, and such, has much free time on his hands when class isn't in session?" Which makes me worry that monies raised could go toward living expenses (it's happened often enough in the past to raise this flag.)

That after watching the video, I really fail to see the RPG link, except that adding "RPG" to the title appears to be an attempt to bring in rolpeplayers?

11 Days into funding - no backers towards the goal of $12,500.

Maybe the niche of a niche that's being aimed at doesn't have $399 to drop for an electronic game of tag...

Run, Don't Walk to Amazon for Deals on Basic Fantasy RPG!

I have no idea how long these prices will be in effect - could be days, hours, minutes.

The BFRPG Core Book for $3.85

BFRPG Adventures for as low as $2.66

All ship free if you have Prime at Amazon.

If you've been waiting to pick these up, NOW is the time.

Tenkar's Wondrous and Whimsical Trinkets and Trifles - Staff of Sneezing & Wheezing

Alright, time to kick off Tenkar's Wondrous and Whimsical Trinkets and Trifles weekly offering. This week, it's going to be reflective of the cold from hell (and the accompanying sinus infection) that I've been gifted with ;)

Staff of Sneezing & Wheezing - First created by the insane wizard Sinusitus, the Staff of Sneezing & Wheezing can be recognized by the nose like protrusion from the head of the staff that constantly drips a yellow like but harmless sap-like fluid.

When the proper command word is uttered by the magic-user holding the staff (often "Ah-Choo!" or "Prrfffttt!") the following effects will happen:

- Within a range of 60', a 10' radius circle will cause all within to save vs. poison for up to three consecutive rounds. Once a creature makes it's save, no further saves are required.

One the first round, creatures that fail their save notice their noses begin to fill with mucus uncontrollably. -2 to all attack rolls from the distraction for 3d6 rounds.

On the second round, creatures that failed their first save must attempt a second save vs poison at -2. Failure means they will spend the next 1d4 rounds uncontrollably hacking, and coughing. No attacks are possible and their AC becomes 2 points worse, as they are unable to effectively defend themselves.

On the third round, creatures that failed their previous two saves must attempt a third saving throw, now at -4. Failure to save results in death, as the creature drowns in it's own mucus.

Review - Player's Companion (for Swords & Wizardry)

+James Spahn and Barrel Rider Games have released their first Swords & Wizardry product, and they didn't aim small, either. The Player's Companion adds a virtual ton of optional rules for your S&W campaign.

Attributes over 18? Got you covered.

Appearance and Luck as optional stats? There if you want it.

Missing out on racial attribute modifiers? They're here.

Additional class features for the classes in S&W Complete? Yep

New Classes? Damn but yes.

- The Anti-Paladin would make a decent BBG but I don't see it as a player class. YMMV

- Another take on the Bard. I want to play this class so badly. It reminds me of the original class from 1e AD&D days, without needing to be a fighter and a thief first. For me, damn near worth the price of admission.

New races, at least for S&W.

- Dark Elf - If anyone tries to play a dual sword wielding dark elf ranger in my campaign, you wont survive character generation.

- Gnomes - Strangely enough I like gnomes but never play them. Didn't 4e pride itself on removing gnomes from the core races?

- Half-Orc - It isn't D&D without Half-Orcs - 'nuff said.

The new weapons are pretty cool. I like the parrying dagger myself.

The new armors are interesting. Makes me realize my PCs tend to wear lighter armor, as most of these would not be an option for them.

The new magic items is basically a GM's section in the Player's Companion. It's a fun section, especially if your like me, and like to keep your players guessing when they find new magic items.

So, overall, how is the Player's Companion? Chuck full of a variety of useful stuff. At $2.99 I strongly suspect if you only use bits and pieces, you'll still be getting your money's worth.

Indie, Meanie, Minie Moe...

So, I've been sidelined with the virus from hell since Friday. Yep, I'm actually home sick from work. Go figure.

It's also made me a bit dopey. Dopey enough that I'm going throw this question out to my overwhelmingly OSR rooted readers:

What "indie" game would you recommend to an OSR styled gamer?

With my ongoing low grade fever I don't see myself returning to work until next week at the earliest, so I figured I'd throw this question out to the masses.

Yes, I'm in need of reading material ;)

Talking About Magic Items...

Episode 11 of the Brainstorm Podcast released today, and we talk about some unique magic items that we created for our campaigns. Listening to the episode (which I do, because I rarely remember what I said unless I actually listen to it) got me thinking about the fun I've had in the past making up new magic items, both for posting on the blog and in my campaigns.

I've stepped away from it for a bit, but I think I'll get back in the saddle creating new magic weapons, armor and misc items again. Maybe a weekly post.

Tenkar's Wondrous and Whimsical Trinkets and Trifles

Of course, it could be the fever, head congestion and the medication on on giving me these thoughts...

A Kickstarter That Leaves Me Scratching My Head - Digital D20

My first thought was "isn't D20 a trademark of WotC?"

My 2nd thought was "is there a 50,000 British Pound market for a 3x adventure path distributed via tablets?"

My 3rd thought, after playing the video was "aren't these the same guys with the cardboard gaming tables?"

Actually, my wife had the same thought when she heard the voices - the Spanish accents are so strong we thought they were Italian, subtitles would have been helpful.

Then I read this:

and I knew the journey was going to be a good one.

So, Digital D20, or DD20, or D20 tabletop Role Playing Game Campaigns is a method of distributing D20 RPG adventures from DigitalD20 Ltd to your tablet, and perhaps those of your players.

Yes, you can't use the underlying software Gamethrough without using adventures purchased from DigitalD20. No writing your own adventure or going off the adventure path here it seems.

They do offer a sample page from the first adventure:

That is going to be painful to read on an 8" tablet, and not just because of the size of the font and the background graphics - the English is awkward at points too.

So, they give is a short write up of the campaign:

The English is awkward throughout the projects Kickstarter page. I understand the 7 people behind this project are all Spanish in background (and I'm going to guess it is their mother tongue too) but for the sake of any possible backers they are hoping to bring on board, please, I beg, grab a native English speaker to edit and make corrections. And if they are too cheap for that, try spellcheck.

They've set a fairly high goal for a project that is aiming for $80,470 using today's conversion rate. For a rule system that was supplanted by Pathfinder and a project that they can't be bothered to present in proper English.

First impressions mean a lot and Digital D20 isn't leaving a good one.

Uncle Vince has Given me the Keys to the Brainstorm Podcast - Lets Decide on Some Show Topics (Poll)

Yes, there is a poll up on the right side of this page.

Help me put together a list of future show topics for The Brainstorm Podcast.

Now, I know my ideas to the right are not the be all and end all - The Tavern's patrons are some of the most thoughtful, intelligent and opinionated members of the OSR.

Here's you chance to tell us what to do.

So answer the poll to the right - you CAN vote more than once. If you have topics of your own that you think we should cover, add it as a comment below. If we use it I'll send you a $5 RPGNow gift certificate.

So, what are you waiting for? Tell us what you think - you know you want to ;)

Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting has Over 90 Community Members

Yep, Tenkar's Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting has over 90 community members and over 50 hexes claimed.

In a week.

With some hexes already being detailed.

F'n amazing.

I'd like to publicly thank everyone that's participating in the crowdsourcing but especially +Milton Murphy , who quickly stepped up to help keep the herd of cats orderly. Everyone participating in the project, myself included, are in your debt.

I'm now in the second half of a four day weekend and I expect to finally expect to catch up on the hex entries from the last few days, sinus congestion from hell willing. The progress is amazing and I thank you all.

Lesser Gnome Takes on "Death & Taxes" (Kickstarter)

If you are one of those that got in on Whisper & Venom, you know what to expect from +Zach Glazar and Lesser Gnome - nothing less than an amazing Kickstarter filled to the brim with goodies, amazing production values and dare I say it? On time.

Those that missed out on Whisper & Venom, Death & Taxes is the latest boxed set adventure / setting, complete with miniatures and a whole lotta goodies as stretch goals are hit. Yes, in a box.

You want all of the goodies, for Old School, Pathfinder or perhaps even 5e? Stare Death & Taxes in the face and back this Kickstarter!

Death & Taxes is Lesser Gnome's follow-up box set to Whisper & Venom. It was nominated for an ENnie, for those of you who are into that sort of thing. Twice!* 

Death & Taxes is an adventure for 4-7 players using characters level 4-6. Although designed for classic rules, the ultimate goal is to create total conversions of the game for popular modern systems. Once the goals for project funding and the backer surpass the initial stretch goal targets all options are on the table, As backers, you will have a seat at that table to decide which one will happen first! Look for the results to be revealed in our Stretch Goals section as the campaign progresses. The Gnomes are ready start to translating Death & Taxes into Pathfinder/OGL and (we hope) fifth edition compatible versions. 

The Premise 

South of the Whisper Vale lies a land of gentle slopes with forests and greenswards. Small townships have sprouted alongside decayed municipalities. The area’s sparse populations are independent and self-reliant. Sporadic trade and a dim memory of avaricious rulers connect them. 

The Auctor

On a gentle hillside sits an imposing stronghold known as The Auctor. It has remained empty and eerily pristine since the last noble family fled south. Its majestic rooms and corridors are shrouded in fear. Living memory recalls a time when the happy glow in its upper galleries was a thin façade to its real function. 

An haute-coiffed tax collector arrives with his retinue of hairdressers, auditors of unusual size, a mason and a pack of gnolls. The collector carries important documents asserting his authority to tax the region. His orders are simple: Reclaim the Auctor and squeeze.
Mobs will form, tempers will flare, old scores will be settled and pounds of flesh will be exacted. 

Welcome to the season of Death & Taxes.

We Brainstormed Unique Magic Weapons - Psionically (Brainstorm Podcast #10)

I really enjoyed recording episode #10 of the Brainstorm podcast. I was able to revisit some of the magical weapons I created for my campaigns and the conversation also hit on the idea of designing weapons for specific characters. Oh, and we touched upon psionics in the end.

I've been pleased with all of the episodes we've recording thus far, but this episode is just a little more special ;)

It is amusing that Ashely the Cat makes appearances on the blogside and Danke the Dachshund makes audio appearances in the podcasts...

Reminder - The Tavern Accepts Guest Posts

Over the last couple of days The Tavern's posts have received over 180 comments. The community has been engaged, and I want to engage it more.

I offer my soapbox to others to stand upon, and I especially challenge the handful of commenters who disagreed with the week's posts to step up and submit a post or two on a gaming topic they feel passionate about.

There is a contact form on the right side of this page. Use it to contact me and let me know what you want to post. It really is that simple.

So, who's up for the challenge? ;)

This is what the contact form looks like
on the right hand side of this blog

If the OSR WERE a Scarecrow, This is How it Would Look

Big thanks to +Russ Morrissey of ENWorld for sharing this and WOTC's Trevor Kidd for whipping it together.

Now, as it was posted Monday, it had nothing to do with yesterday's (and today's) continuing conversation, but it fits perfectly.

Seems like that poor adventurer is going to get a whooping ;)

(image updated thanks to mwschmeer)

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...