Kickstarter - Center Stage Miniatures - Tome of Horrors Complete - 28mm Heroic Scale Miniatures - Looks Like Backers Are Royally F@cked

I've been lucky (or unlucky enough) to have some inside info from multiple sources about the clusterfuck that is Center Stage Miniatures and their various Kickstarters. Regretfully, I can't reveal sources or actual numbers (such is the price one pays to actually know such guarded info) but I can draw conclusions that are based on such info:

First - backers are fucked. I think that part is obvious, but let me tell you, they are royally fucked (and don't expect a courtesy reach around either.) At least the backers of the various Nystul Kickstarters have an outside chance of getting relevant PDFs at some unknown point in the future. If you're a backer and haven't received product yet, accept your losses and move on. I doubt Matt of Center Stage spent the funds on hookers and blow, but at this point he couldn't do so even if he wanted.

Second - much like Nystul (and the less infamous but totally dead Quantum RPG by Joshua Frost) this appears to be the situation where the monies raised by the first Kickstarter were not enough to fulfill the Kickstarter, so a new Kickstarter was needed to provide funds for the first, and then a newer Kickstarter was needed to fill the funding gaps of that one. It's like a Ponzi scheme of sorts. Actually, no, it probably was run much like a Ponzi scheme.

Third - hiding behind Center Stage LLC is not going to shield Matt "CSM" from the outstanding debt if he is the whole of the LLC.

Fourth - the debt may actually exceed the funds raised by all four Center Stage Miniatures Kickstarters. How the fuck it ever came to that is beyond me. And that's without throwing a Dwarf Con instead of actually putting it towards the project in question. Expecting Frog God to return their advance would be pointless. It wouldn't achieve anything in moving the projects forward, as it would barely be a drop in the bucket. As for licensing the project to yet another party, I expect the creditors would want to get paid first.

Fifth - this could be a case of success being the root of all evil. Center Stage's 1st Kickstarter asked for a grand and made over $66k. Did it over promise and under budget for it's rewards? Stretch goal are a dangerous beast when you are offering additional physical product at no increase in price. I've seen other Kickstarters succeed and still need the creator to dig into their pocket to actually fulfill their promises as stretch goal costs ate into all of the profit.

Sixth - save your money on potential lawsuits. It would be throwing good money after bad. There is no money to be had. Hell, it's more likely that Myth & Magic will suddenly start shipping.

It's a sad state overall, and one of the reasons I get very leery when a project creator starts a 2nd Kickstarter before the first is fulfilled. It seems like Center Stage has out Nystuled Nystul himself. At this point, I can't foresee any good outcome.

Share in the Hoard - Mythoard

You know the LootCrate thing? The one that sends you (or at least me) cool stuff I wouldn't normally buy but I'm glad to own because I like opening up surprise presents I bought for myself? Now we have a similar monthly goodie box for RPGs.

Mythoard is running a beta of it's monthly goodie box that will ship in December. Just think, you can buy yourself a present and STILL be surprised.

What's the cost? 20 bucks, and that includes shipping.

Who's supplying the loot - er, stocking the hoard?

Yeah, I signed up last night. I blame +Tim Shorts . I blame him for many things, but this one he deserves ;)

Bundle of Holding - Old School Revival +2

This is, admittedly, a very nice collection of OSR gaming in the latest Bundle of Holding:

Dyson's Delves I contains a campaign worth of adventures and maps. You literally would need nothing else but your choice of rules and some dice.

Labyrinth Lord and the Advanced Edition Companion - these are the versions with art. It's B/X D&D with some AD&D added in with the AEC.

People of the Pit - an adventure published by Brave Halfing. I don't know enough to talk about it really.

Death Frost Doom 2e - I enjoyed reading the first edition, although I never ran it. Haven't really looked at the update.

Lesserton & Mor - I found it very reminiscent to the classics Pavis and Big Rubble for the Chaosium edition of RuneQuest, which is a very good thing, as I played the shit out of that.

River Knife Trilogy - Includes Evil Wizards in a Cave, which I have heard of, but never actually read.

Scarlet Heroes - looking for some one on one or perhaps two on one gaming? can't put together a full group? This s the system for you. +Kevin Crawford did an amazing job with this set of rules.

Kickstarter - DungeonMorphs 2: Cities & Villages: Map Generator Dice/Cards

Inkwell Designs, perhaps best known for their mapping software (Hexographer and the like) is also a fan of geomorphs. One of the earliest Kickstarters I backed was the Dungeonmorph Dice project (which my wife Rachel won a full set of at NTRPG Con this past June.)

Their latest is the DungeonMorphs 2: Cities & Villages: Map Generator Dice/Cards Project. Of course, I like it for the dice, but I am a dice whore to some extent.

The dice are high quality and about an inch per side, so the maps should be easy to read.

From the Kickstarter:

Each side of each die will have a unique design of part of a city or village. The next time the party looks for a town to stop at, roll a few of the dice, push them together, line up the dice, and you've got an instant city or village. If you need the layout later, take a picture of the dice (or cards). Use our PDF, Font or images if you want to keep track of the village/city digitally. (Every reward will include the matching image versions in either JPG or PNG format.)

Centerstage Miniatures "Tome of Horrors" Kickstarter Hits High Horror, Complete with 3rd Party Takeover Attempt and PR Threats

I remember the Tome of Horrors Miniatures Kickstarter - the idea of getting a Flumph tempted me, that was all, but I never expected the entertainment value that this imploding Kickstarter would give the gaming public.

Last night, Centerstage Miniatures announced that their funding was gone. That's a big "oops."

But look, here's the savior! Mortal Arrow will save the project! So long as Frog God Games gives Mortal Arrow the licensing fees they were paid by Centerstage Miniatures to use FGGs IP (trademarked names and the use of FGG's artwork to base the mini's off off.) Mortal Arrow will then change names of any minis that are trademarked by FGG and remove any reference to Tome of Horrors and FGG if and when the minis are released. But yeah, still using FGG's art as the basis for the minis.

Did I mention the backers of the Kickstarter would be expect to pay for their minis - at a reduced price, of course.

Or that if Frog God Games didn't agree to all of this, they were threatened with the possibility of "a PR Black Eye" and even a lawsuit? When I negotiate with a third party, veiled threats are always my preference

With the kind permission of +Matt Finch , I'm reposting Matt's post from the Frog God Games blog.

I'm just quoting my comments to the Center Stage Miniatures Tome of Horrors Kickstarter, so people from ToH2 can see it, and so it's linkable. The comment I refer to, from Mortal Arrow, is: "I'm glad to see that Matt Finch has commented. Maybe he should describe his role at Frog God. And more importantly, he should let us know if Frog God has received funds that were raised through this KickStarter. And if so, how much?"

My posts (2), as an answer, are these:

Post 1:

In response to Mortal Arrow's question, I'm part owner of FGG. I'm going to post the operative terms of out contract with Solarz, and also the full text of a letter we got from Mortal Arrow. However, first I want to reproduce the exact paragraph where we all decided there was no way we would ever do business with Mortal Arrow (other than that he has less track reccord in the business than Matt Solarz):

"Third, I originally asked Bill if he was willing to return some or all the licensing fee already received from the ToH1 project. I believe there is still a potential that this will give Frog God a PR “black eye” and open them up to be drawn into a lawsuit, should it occur. This would be the cleanest way to wash your hands of these projects. These funds would also be applied to fulfilling miniatures and be the best way for Frog God to exit with the maximum amount of goodwill."

Mike is now trying to do exactly what he threatened in his letter, to create the "PR black eye." He's proving out exactly our concerns about his character.

In terms of our deal with Matt Solarz, we got paid our licensing fee on the first Kickstarter, which was 15% of gross receipts. Without checking with Bill for the exact amount that must have been about $14K since I think it was net of the Kickstarter fees. We got stiffed on the second Kickstarter like everyone else, although Matt Solarz did call us, and we did agree that if the project depended on it we would wait. Let me see if I can paste the whole of Mortal Arrow's letter (the "Matt" it's addressed to is me, not Matt Solarz):

"Dear Matt and Bill,

Sorry for the confusion, though Skeeter Green’s comment seem to have announced something similar.

As stated below, for me to sign off on any agreement I require that Frog God confirms that Mortal Arrow LLC can ship miniatures to Backers of these projects without interference from Frog God games. This is first and foremost, as it is a deal killer for my talks with Matt and CSM.

Second, Bill mentioned forgiving the $2K+ owed to Frog God by CSM on the ToH2 project. I’d like to know if this offer still stands. These funds would be applied to fulfilling miniatures, and I would promote the generosity of Frog God to the Backers.

Third, I originally asked Bill if he was willing to return some or all the licensing fee already received from the ToH1 project. I believe there is still a potential that this will give Frog God a PR “black eye” and open them up to be drawn into a lawsuit, should it occur. This would be the cleanest way to wash your hands of these projects. These funds would also be applied to fulfilling miniatures and be the best way for Frog God to exit with the maximum amount of goodwill.

If all three are done, then the plan is to remove all reference to the Tome of Horrors and rename any of the miniatures under its copyright domain (e.g. Tsathar and Inphidian). This will clearly separate Frog God’s business from this debacle.

If there is intent for the Mortal Arrow LLC (the company I’ve created to take on these miniature lines) and Frog God to collaborate in the future, then we can negotiate this separately, once the dust has settled.

Please let me know your thoughts on this proposal. I’d be happy to discuss this an alternate thoughts.

Sincerely,
Mike"

Mortal Arrow seems to think that (a) people believed we weren't charging a license fee and that (b) we'd be ashamed of charging a license fee. Of course we charged a fee, we got paid on the first one, and we didn't get paid on the second. We don't pay hush money on things we're not ashamed of or trying to hide, and we don't do business with people who try to fund their startups with this sort of behavior. We're perfectly willing to license a reputable company with experience. We will not under any circumstances work with Mortal Arrow.

Here is the contract (this is from my MSWord file, but I think it's the signed version):
CENTERSTAGE MINIATURES AND TOME OF HORRORS
Intellectual Property License Agreement
This agreement (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of April 30, 2013 between Frog God Games (“FGG”), with offices at 5045 Minder Rd., Poulsbo, WA 98370 and Matthew Solarz (“CSM”), with offices at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
NOW THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the covenants, agreements and representations set forth below, and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Design License: FGG hereby licenses certain intellectual property to CSM for a period of 1 (one) year. The intellectual property licensed hereunder (the “Design Licensed Material”) comprises the right to design miniature figures based upon but not identical to the visual representations and text descriptions of characters and monsters in the Frog God Games publication Tome of Horrors Complete. This period may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

2. Trademark License: FGG hereby licenses certain intellectual property to CSM for a period of five (5) year (the “Trademark License Period”). The intellectual property licensed hereunder (the “Trademark License”) comprises the non-exclusive right of CSM to advertise the miniatures designed under Section 1 and any pre-existing miniatures designated by CSM at the execution date of this Agreement as “Official Tome of Horrors” miniatures, for the duration of the Trademark License Period. This period may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

3. Payment for Design License: CSM shall pay FGG a license fee of 15% of gross sales of miniatures that are subject to the Trademark License, for the duration of the Trademark License as it may be extended. The fee shall be accounted quarterly, and paid within 45 days of the end of the accounting quarter.

4. FGG Option to Examine: Upon written request, FGG shall have the right to examine or cause to be examined through certified public accountants the books of account of CSM insofar as such books of account shall relate to the receipt of funds by CSM from the sale of miniatures that are subject to this Agreement. If such examination shall reveal errors of accounting (other than those arising from an interpretation of this agreement) amounting to a sum in excess of $250 to FGG's disadvantage, the costs of such examination shall be borne by CSM.

5. Governing Law: This Agreement, including all matters relating to the validity, construction, performance, and enforcement thereof, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Washington.

Post 2:

Okay, the last bit of the contract did get chopped off, but it's the boilerplate. I won't fill up peoples' screens with it.

Suffice to say, you can see from Mortal Arrow's letter why we won't work with him, and you can see from the contract that we don't even have the audit right to see what happened to the money. We can only trace receipts.

Our only role was letting Matt Solarz use the monsters and pay us a percentage of the sales, and we don't have any leverage other than that. Our only ability here is that we don't have to allow assignment of this contract. We have some ability to make sure that if our name is going to be used on an attempt to fix this disaster, that the white knight is actually a white knight. We determined that Mortal Arrow would likely, based on correspondence and lack of track record, not be a good fit. Matt Solarz apparently made the same determination, or something like it, independently. Mortal Arrow has, in his earlier response on this thread, absolutely confirmed our suspicions about what he meant in his "you'll get a PR black eye" paragraph.

Talk about a clusterfuck.

4,500 Posts. Er, Plus 1

I didn't realize that last night's post was number 4,500, all made over the course of 5 1/2 years.

Have I really been doing this for so long. Holy shit!?

Just a quick "Thank You" to all who read this mess, all who used to read this mess and all who will read this mess in the future.

There would be no Tavern without the community that has formed around it and keep me keeping on.

You are all the best. Except for "that one." He knows who he is ;)

Fyxt Role Play Game System - Fyxt It & Forget It

2.0, 0.2 - same difference

The Gods themselves know we have a dearth of universal roleplaying systems.

Really, when you think of it, the big three are GURPS, Savage Worlds and Hero. Heck, you could probably even throw in Basic Roleplaying and Open d6.

What we really need is not another Fantasy Heartbreaker. What we need is a Universal System Heartbreaker that doesn't even acknowledge there are other universal systems before it.

If it wasn't for the Fyxt Role Play Game System, what would we ever do? (let's bring in Grumpy)

The Fyxt Role Play Game System is the solution to the frustrations and limitations of other tabletop role playing games. There are a crazy amount of role play games available, each with its own genre and set of rules.

Yep, no other universal systems exist it seems.

Almost every other role play system available pairs the lore and the mechanics together. The two are developed and intertwined, locking players into one genre in order to play a system they like or into one system to play the genre they choose. The Fyxt RPG allows any genre within the same system, making the Fyxt RPG so different from anything else out there.

Perhaps if we say it enough, folks will believe us?

Here are just a few of the benefits of using the Fyxt RPG system. 

The Fyxt RPG system is free. Just sign up for a free account at fyxtrpg.com for the complete standard system. (but we do accept Paypal if you want more) 

Use Fyxt RPG for all of your games, regardless of genre. (or anyone of a half dozen other systems or even more) 

It’s balanced and fair for all players. The math behind the scenes makes the Fyxt RPG fun and fair for every player no matter what character they choose to play. (didn't 4e do this?)

The Fyxt RPG is focused on character and story development. Players can create what they want  to play. There’s no need to compromise a character concept in order to achieve balance within the group (and why even worry about what fits the campaign?)

Fyxt RPG is a digital data-driven system using modern technology. Fyxt RPG is role play gaming 2.0! (I thought 2e was RPG 2.0)

Imagine the possibilities the Fyxt RPG system can bring to your group’s role play game! Continue on into FyxtRPG.com to get the specifics (I can imagine myself running Open d6 before ever touching this one.)
 

And of course this piece:

Sign up during the Fyxt RPG's beta to receive a huge discount on a premium membership for an entire year! Use the following coupon promo code when signing up:

FyxtRPGBeta (yeah, so it pushes a premium membership - no so "free")

So, why play Fyxt when so many other tried and tested choices are out there? Damn if I know.

There's Gold in Them There Pan! Gold! (Thoughts on the Gold Standard)

My Little Nugget

I'm about 15 months from retirement if I choose to go that route and I'm dabbling with gold panning using concentrates. First 3# bag has done me well so far and more to go. I'll be ready for the spring time in the Poconos and gold the size of a speck of flour ;)

The whole process has gotten me thinking about gold in the default style fantasy setting (and even the non-default.)

I understand why there are 10 gold coins to the pound - as unrealistic as it is, it makes treasure recovery an adventure in itself. The thing is, we never really played it that way, at least not in my gaming groups from the early 80's to the mid 90's. If you weren't handwaving encumbrance, everyone had Bags of Holding and the like.

Myself, I'm leaning towards a silver standard in my next campaign, will 100 coins per pound. Sure, it makes the challenge of removing 10,000 GP from the dungeon a bit easier, but when even 10,000 coppers now has value I think it a change for the better.

Shit, I'm happy to just find color in the pan when I'm bent over the kitchen sink ;)

Magic Shops - Do You Do Them?

Do you use shops that specialize in magic in your campaigns?

For me, I always seem them as one of the things that was wrong with the Forgotten Realms, especially in later editions of "the game." If magic is supposed to be rare and special, magic shops turn that on end and become a sort of magical "Walmart". I dislike such greatly.

I'm not saying magic should never be for sale, or else you'd have no way to remove excess magic (or excess funds) from the hands of your players, but I see it more along the specialist spectrum of buyers and sellers.

- Mages would probably specialize in scrolls with the occasional bauble and ever rarer permanent magic item. Maybe someone offered a Broach of Protection From Magic Missiles for that Fireball spell they had a hankering for.

- Apothecaries would sell potions, especially ones that aren't listed in the rules. These are the guys looking for rare ingredients which in turn sends the PCs all over the world looking to make some scratch.

- Specialized Pawn Brokers. Someone with enough firepower to not only have the money to purchase magic items from the PCs, but the ability to store that cash and magic away from thieves and other's that would do him harm. I see these as more of "the shop comes to you" with no set location, or at least none that is popularly known.

Remember, these folks will buy low and sell high. Probably giving 50% of book value and selling at 150% or more. It really is a sellers market (if doing trade, I'd change those numbers to 75-90% and 110-125%, especially if the NPC is really interested in what the players have to trade.)

So, how do you handle magic buyers and sellers in your campaign?

Lloyd Metcalf is Taking Preorders on His Line of Mini Mod Adventures (OSRIC)

If you missed +Lloyd Metcalf 's Kickstarter for his Mini Mods for OSRIC (as I apparently did) he is now taking preorders for the line that will ship after the Kickstarter orders are fulfilled.

At $6.50 a piece, they are bargains.

Oh, and Roadside Respite (MM4) is also $6.50. The first 50 are signed and numbered - 10 left as I write this.

Lloyd is also selling some original artwork. I picked up my pieces at NTRPGCon in June, but his oils are damn tempting.

Yes, I just grabbed MM1-4.

They'll be put to good use, I am sure ;)

Expanded Petty Gods Now Guided By New Hands

+Richard LeBlanc , he of New Big Dragon Games and winner of the 2014 Three Castles Award at NTRPGCon, has recently taken over the reins of the Expanded Petty Gods project. This project is a beast in terms of size and moving part, and if anyone can get this done and done well, it's Rich.

From Rich's latest post:

Okay. This is me, officially announcing that I have taken over the reins on the
Expanded Petty Gods project.  

Over the last couple of weeks, as I began to reach out to a few folks individually as well as the OSArtists group at Google+, I know there was some speculation. I, however, wanted to get a bit more accomplished before I made the official announcement. (As stated above, this is it.) 

I've been lucky that this time of year there's always a bit of a lull in my workload (I have two big clients whose jobs I get put to bed at the middle-ish of October), which is why I reached out to Greg Gorgonmilk to offer my assistance in taking over the reins (something we had discussed briefly toward the end of this past summer).

You can read the rest at the source, the Save Vs. Dragon blog.

Rich and I spoke about this early last week. He is still in need of some artists to volunteer their time for specific pieces. If you are interested (and really, who the hell wouldn't be) your can reach out to Rich or myself and we'll get you on your path to Petty Stardom ;)

Want a peek at some of the work that's already been done? Ratacus Gant (and two other Petty Gods) can be seen in Underworld Lore #2

 

Remember That "Will DM for Money" Conversation From a While Back - We Have a Willing DM for Five Bucks Now

Let me count the problems with this $5 session just for my own clarity:

1 - It's a 30 minute session.

2 - It's aimed at newbies to RPGs. They'll need more than 30 minutes just to get a grasp of roleplaying.

3 - It's aimed at newbies to VTTs. They'll need more than 30 minutes just to get the basics of the VTT down.

4 - It doesn't say whether or not a voice chat feature would be used. Introducing players new to RPGs and VTTs using text chat is going to take more than 30 minutes.

5 - It's a 30 minute session - it usually takes us that long to get the group all logged in and the usual bullshitting

The $5 is inconsequential to the 30 minute time slot - or does he charge $5 for each additional 30 minutes?

Damn it! I'm missing out on all these ways to monetize my hobby!

tip of the hat to +Richard LeBlanc

It's not a Rant - It's an NPR Pledge Drive

Apparently I've been selling myself short. Over the course of blogging here at The Tavern I've probably averaged 3 posts a day for years (although currently that average is around 2 posts a day.) I guess I should be asking for $750 a month. Besides, my basement flooded with sewage last week, so give me some cash yo!

I have no problem with folks making cash off of this hobby of ours, but I must have it backwards, because I give prizes out to my readers - I don't ask them to give me prizes.

Hey, that's an idea tho. Let's turn this into a Kickstarter.

Obviously we need a goal of $500, because it's already been chosen. At $500, I'll promise 30 posts a week - that's over 4 posts a day.

If we hit $650, I'll make sure to tear apart at least one fucked up Kickstarter each week - that's a bonus post on top of the 30 posts a week.

At $750, I'll tear apart a 2nd Kickstarter. Trust me, there is no dearth of fucked up Kickstarters.

At $1500, I'll host a party at NTRPG Con - first 2 drinks for every attendee at the party will be on me.

At $2,500, I'll open a forum for the patrons of The Tavern to use. Then we can all ask the question: Which came first, the blog or The Tavern?

Yeah, maybe The Pundit has the right idea...

Currently Drinking: Sam Adams Winter Lager

Chris Perkins at GameHole Con - The OGL Will Return - Someday - Maybe

ENWorld highlighted some of the tweets coming out from GameHole Con, more specifically some of the statements coming from Chris Perkins at a 5e panel.

Actually, "intention" is not a guarantee, but there you have it. Hmmm, I wonder who will write the first OSR ruleset based off of the 5e OGL to clone 0e? ;)

And this tidbit on electronics versions of the rules

So, we have intentions but no dates.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the bean counters are the ones holding back on approval...

Swords & Wizardry Complete has Been Free in PDF for Just Over a Year

Swords & Wizardry Complete has been free in PDF since November 5th of last year. I should know as the blessed event happened on my 2nd wedding anniversary. It was probably the best gift  +Matt Finch and +Bill Webb could have given me, as we've played the shit out of S&W Complete.

Oven the last year I've either emailed a copy or folks have downloaded over 3,500 copies of S&W Complete in PDF.

3,500 copies.

The vast majority of those using the link on the right side of this page.

I don't think a day has gone by that a copy or three (or more) hasn't been downloaded.

I'm far from the only source one can grab a copy from, but I am thrilled to have been able to share an excellent rule system with so many gamers over the last year.

Huzzah!

Kickstarter - Morgalad Fantasy RPG (Redux)

Yes, the Morgalad Fantasy RPG Kickstarter is back.

Big changes? Goal moves from $20,000 to $1,500.

Expenses are now given as percentages, and they still don't work.

Amazon and Kickstarter fees aren't accounted for. Neither is shipping.

55% to warehousing and taxes? After the above there will be nothing left to print anything.

How much does it cost to store a few boxes in your living room? Tom from the Myth & Magic Kickstarter has been doing so for about a year...

(the original Tavern posts is here)

If You Go Through Life Trying to Never Offend, You'll Never Please Them Anyway

As gamers I'd like to think we don't look to offend others, especially our fellow gamers. At the same time, if you make your focus to never offend anyone at the gaming table, you are going to have a miserable time. You'll probably also fail miserably.

We all do it. Something said in jest that someone else feels offended by.

The secret as I see it, is not repeating the offense once it's brought to your attention. Which requires a gaming group that is open enough to discuss these issues briefly when they come up, and not let them fester.

I personally guarantee that I will offend folks, now and in the future. It's human nature. Just don't make it personal ;)

Mike Nystul Had a Stroke - So Let's Send Him to an Ultima Con

Sadly, Mike "Wandering Wizard" Nystul, has had a stroke. His second, apparently. He made an appeal for funds that ended last month. He raised $1,000 of a $1,500 goal.

Here's Mike's pitch:

Life is a struggle for everyone. It certainly has been for me. For years now a variety of bad turns resulted in me being penniless and briefly homeless. I hit bottom - hard (complete with a nigh spent sleeping omn a concrete bench).  

Recently I started turning things around. I got a job, a place to live and started working on moving forward.  

Two weeks ago I went to the ER because I was concerned about my high blood pressure. I have had a stroke before and was worried especially in the Austin heat. They admitted me. I spent two weeks learning I had another stroke without realizing it and that it had affected my vision.  

At some point during my hospital stay my vision got really blurry from about a foot to about three feet away. Exactly where I need to see to do my job (I work for a tech support cal center).  

I am in a bad spot. I had not been employed long enough to get far enough ahead of my bills to build a buffer so I was living hand to mouth. I wasn't working for the two weeks I was dealing with hospitals and clinics and I will be off for at least 2 to 4 more weeks hoping my vison clears. I can't cover that and I'm in danger of losing my momentum.  

Because I am a contract worker I don't really qualify for anything like leave so it's just me. I want to stay the course and turn things around. I want my life back. To do that I need a little help. My medical bills from these visits and the ones years ago when I had my first stroke are well into the tens of thousands but all I need now is to have enough to keep going - to keep pushing so that I can come back strong. 

So, he's not asking for money for his medical bills. Rent perhaps? Ah, "momentum."

Now, the Ultima Codex picked up on this appeal:

I had meant to report on his YouCaring fundraiser sooner, and as it is there are just a few days left in it. He has raised just shy of $900, with a goal of $1,500. I’m not sure of how the YouCaring works with respect to completing a fundraising goal; I don’t know if Nystul will receive what has been pledged regardless of whether he reaches his goal. But still…his situation seems pretty dire, so if at all you’re able, you might want to consider chipping in to help him bounce back some. 

Because if he’s able to pull through his present circumstances, I’ve heard tell that he might turn in an appearance at the upcoming Hearth of Britannia Legends of the Hearth event.

Okay. "Let's get him in better financial straights so he can make an appearance at our con."

That became my "WTF Moment."

Now, I've already given to the money pit known as "The Travelling Wizard." I backed two of his Kickstarters that will never be fulfilled.

I would even have been half tempted to throw a few gold his way to help with his hospitalization expenses, but to send him to a con?

Fuck that noise.

I feel for Mike. I wish him happiness and health. That does not include paying his bills so he can go to a convention.

Now, it wasn't Mike asking to go to the con in his appeal, but the folks at the Ultima Codex did a fine time slipping that in.

Hat tip to +Marc Gillham

Another WTF are They Thinking Kickstarter - Drastic Measures

How many points are the Gang-Bangers on Skateboards?

Alright, I need to quote before I can comment:

Drastic Measures is designed to be the middle ground between "hardcore" games like D&D or Warhammer, and board games like Risk.  Each player picks a race (rules exist for mixtures) and assembles an army of units that vary in strength and utility.  Each unit has a specific name that coordinates its abilities, weaknesses, and expense.  A basic unit, having less effect on other pieces, will cost less to add to your army.  A cowboy with a single pistol and 20HP will cost 15 points to add, whereas a bazooka wielding soldier, even with the same 20HP, will cost 75 points.

Uhm... D&D is not a wargame. Is it even "hardcore?"

Alright, I just don't get this whole Drastic Measure point at all?

Is it a skirmish wargame using freely available toy soldiers and the like?

Just think - all they want to raise is $3,000.

Short turn around too.

So not getting my money...

Class Compendium for Labyrinth Lord - Indiegogo Project - Barrel Rider Games

+James Spahn has put together an Indiegogo Project to publish a Class Compendium for Labyrinth Lord. Apparently (or amazingly) James has written 50 classes for LL over the years and this will put them all in one neat - and Print on Demand - package.

This campaign is being launched to raise money to purchase the necessary equipment to publish the first major print product from Barrel Rider Games - the Class Compendium. The Class Compendium will be a compilation of fifty classes for use with Labyrinth Lord and other OSR games that were previously only available as PDFs. It will have a full color hardcover and feature black and white art through out its interior. 

The Class Compendium was already well into production when the computer used to develop products for Barrel Rider Games began a rapid decline. It's only a matter of time before the poor, over-worked machine finally gives up the ghost and brings the future of Barrel Rider Games to a halt. To that end, I'm turning to the OSR community and internet at large to not only help me bring the Class Compendium  to life, but also ensure the future of BRG for years to come through this Indiegogo campaign.

James does good work in a timely fashion. If you play Labyrinth Lord (or other OSR games) this really should be a no brainer.

Wayward Kickstarters - Myth & Magic Player's Guide - Available on Lulu - $9.99

Truth to tell, the whole Myth & Magic Player's Guide Kickstarter experience has soured me on what is otherwise a damn good presentation of 2e. I really expected anthrax or urine to accompany my copy of the Player's Guide, and I know I only got my copy because Tom hoped it would shut me up.

I'll admit I stopped reading the comments at the Kickstarter page with any regularity after July or so, as it was obvious that Tom had withdrawn himself to avoid dealing with his irate supporters.

One of those supporters went so far as to upload the Myth & Magic Player's Guide to Lulu. The Paperback version is  going for $9.95 and not a cent is going to Tom as far as I can tell. Which is music to my ears. I wouldn't piss on him if his apartment full of Myth & Magic Player's Guides spontaneously combusted.

As for the legality of the availability on Lulu, I have no opinion. I do happen to enjoy the finger being waved in Tom's direction 'tho...

Buccaneers and Bilge Rats (Swords & Wizardry)

It's not that I totally forgot that Buccaneers and Bilge Rats released last week. It's just that I was juggling too many cats to properly get the word out.

Barrel Rider Games, aka +James Spahn , has hit the ground running when it comes to his Swords & Wizardry compatible releases. First was the Player's Companion. Now we have the pirate themed Buccaneers and Bilge Rats. Who doesn't like pirates? Besides, Barrel Rider Games has had consistently quality releases for - well, pretty much all of it's LL and S&W releases.

This would actually work well with the Razor Coast setting / adventure.

From the blurb

With Buccaneers & Bilge Rats for Swords & Wizardry (and other old-school fantasy role-playing games), you'll be ready for adventure on the high sea! This 34 page supplement brings piracy and swashbuckling your Swords & Wizardry campaign! 

Two new character classes: The dashing Pirate and mysterious Witch Doctor
The Cleric-Variant Class Priest of the Sea
Two new player character races: The graceful Sea Elf and cursed Dagonite
Complete rules for Firearms, Artillery, and Fencing Styles (note - Firearms are VERY lethal)
New Melee Weapons
New Nautical Spells
New Magic Items
Dead Man's Cove - a complete adventure ready to use in your campaign!

How Many "Free RPG Day 2014" Releases Released for Free in PDF?

I've been trying to put together a list of the 2014 Free RPG Day releases in PDF and it's really short. I think I must have subconsciously already known this, as it's taken me over 4 months to even look.

The Doom Cave of the Crystal-Headed Children is available in PDF as PWYW

A Druid's Lament for C&C is $4.99 in PDF - go figure

Make Your Own Luck for 13th Age apparently doesn't have a PDF version

Same for the Shadowrun / Battletech Quickstart

As for the DCC RPG/Xcrawl Free RPG Day 2014 release? $4.99 (same as every year)

I didn't see this year's Cosmic Patrol Quickstart on RPGNow

There are a crapload of Valiant Universe Quickstarts over at RPGNow - no idea if any are the Free RPG Day release, but they are all free.

Previous years seem to have had more PDF releases if I recall correctly.

Mike Mearls did that "Reddit Ask Me Anything" Thing About 5e - It's the "Non Answers" That Interest me the Most

ENWorld has an excellent summary and highlights from the Mike Mearls AMA on Reddit.

Go to ENWorld and read it. We'll wait for you.

Now, here's the pieces I find most interesting:

On PDFs -- "We're definitely looking at PDFs, ebooks, and other digital platforms, but no news yet. The goal with anything along those lines will be grow D&D, not just sell ebooks to people who already play the game, so we're putting a lot of work into figuring out that side of the equation."

Reading between the lines, don't hold your breath. WotC / Hasbro still sees PDFs / Ebooks as cannibalizing dead tree sales. We have DnDClassics because all of those products are out of print. Are they selling anything in PDF that they recently reprinted?

On the OGL -- "No news yet, but we do plan to announce something within the next couple of months or so." 

To another OGL question [Mike never says "OGL" though] -- "Yes - we're working on plans right now to allow people to use the D&D system to create their own stuff."

I suspect here going to see a licensing scheme for publishers (No OGL) and a fan license, as the second answer refers to people, not publishers.

We can already create our own stuff our own stuff for ANY edition - it's the legal and organized sharing of such works that something like the OGL gives safe harbor to. I strongly suspect that the "fan license" will not allow work to be sold for profit, or, if it can be, WotC owns the final product and gets a cut of the sales.

Without a subscription type service resulting in recurring income, 5e is not going to make the money the suits at Hasbro expect from a Dungeons & Dragons RPG.

I'm surprised no one asked about the Annual WotC Xmas Purge ;)

Bundle of Holding - Worldbuilder's Toolkit +2

Bundle of Holding is currently offering the Worldbuilder's Toolkit + 2. It's a nice little bundle for those that like to create their campaigns from the ground up.

I have The Dungeon Dozen in print, and it's an awesome book book of random tables. In the "beat the threshold" level, Odyssey is excellent (especially for a disorganized ass like me) and I've heard good things abut Hamlet's Hit Points.

Superstitions, What a Show! (Brainstorm Podcast)

The superstition themed episode of The Brainstorm Podcast released last night, and it is a fun one and - dare I say it - contains some useful ideas that are easy to drop into your campaign.

Oh, and there was some audience participation, as described in this post from last month.

Kickstarter - Maelorum, Volume Two

Almost two years to the day - November 4th, 2012 to be exact, is when I wrote about the first volume of The Maelorum Kickstarter.

Here we are, two years later, and Maelorum, Volume Two is about to fund via Kickstarter.

This time +Will Fincher , author, artist and publisher of the project is offering a free excerpt for prospective backers at this link.

Now, I can only talk about volume one, which was a blast to read / play. I'm a big lover of Tunnels & Trolls and it's accompanying solos adventures (which you generally have little chance to succeed with). Maelorum is like an RPG and a solo game book rolled into one.

It really is well done.

That, and Will does a great job keeping his backers in the loop, which is a big thing, at least for me.

Damn, now I feel the itch to break out Volume One again...

Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry $4.99 in Print

I like +James Spahn but he must be off his medication - $4.99 for the Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry for a mere $4.99 is insane. 'nuff said!

From the blurb:

With the Player's Companion for Swords & Wizardry (and other old-school fantasy role-playing games), you're never out of options. This 35 page supplement offers new optional rules to expand your Swords & Wizardry campaign! 

Expanded attribute limits which allow for player characters to go beyond the limits of mere mortals
Two new optional Attributes: Appearance & Luck
New class abilities for every class featured in the Swords & Wizardry Complete rulebook
Two new classes: The dark Anti-Paladin and the learned Bard
Three new non-human player character races: the deadly dark elf, whimsical gnome and brutal half-orc
Optional attribute modifiers for non-human characters
Eleven new weapons
Five new types of armor
Two new shields
Thrity-five new magic items 

Some Idle Curiosity About My G+ Following

Sometime in the last week or so, I surpassed 9,000 people who have me in their circles. The number is mind blowing.

Now, I know a certain percentage of that number see to follow do so for non gaming reasons. I can't explain why they would want to read my posts and I doubt they do read them.

I am curious as to why those that follow me, especially in the last year or so, decided to join "The Lemmings." (for those not in on the joke, I've been told by certain individuals that I need to be more careful in my postings, as I have - potentially at least - too much influence on our little corner of the hobby, but I digress)

So, how did you find myself and by extension, The Tavern?

Thoughts, ideas, observations?

My Thoughts on Kickstarter - In Pictures

I think I'm going to get some mileage out of BitStrips.

As most of the Kickstarters I support consist of reading material, the above is more accurate than expected.

A WTF Kickstarter - RPG Dice Knobs BF Special (Special Grumpy Dwarf Guest Appearance)

They say a picture speaks a thousands words. In that case, the above pictures are more verbose than most.

I'm a gamer and I wouldn't mind swapping out the drawer pull on my desk for the proper "dice knob", but sure as "The Minister" rolls natural 1's in the once a month Friday Night Castle of the Mad Archmage session like it's his purpose in life, the above are butt ugly and they dont all look centered properly.

Oh, and they're cheap looking.

Look, they give you reasons to pledge on the RPG Dice Knobs BF Special Kickstarter site itself! (I'll let Grumpy the Dwarf

WHY YOU SHOULD PLEDGE? 

RPG Dice Knobs is the next coolest thing after RPG Dice Magnets.  (which isn't all that cool if you ask me)

 It will help me on my next projects. I got 3 great ideas, 2 are board games and one has to do with more dice.  (what the fuck does piss ass ugly dice knobs have to do with future projects? we should encourage more of this?)

 RPG Dice Knobs make a great surprising gift idea.  (surprising? yes. useful? no)

 Can be used for decoration and on drawers, boxes, and doors. (oh my!)

 Quality durable material.  (I can't speak for their durability, but the quality does not appear to be all that high - as said above, they look cheap)

 One of a Kind. (and we thank the gods for that)

If you screw it on a table, I bet people will not resist the urge to pick it up.  (yes, put a hole in your dining room table top to screw one of these in. I'll wait for your spouse's reaction. It should be killer)

Use them for display if you have a hobby store and you sell dice. (but first find out where you can get the same supply of "quality durable" dice)

New PWYW Release - The Lair of Largash the Lurid (1st -2nd Level OSR Adventure)

I do like Pay What You Want releases. It's like getting a free product with a handy tip jar if you like the product. Pretty much risk free shopping if you ask me.

The Lair of Largash the Lurid is a PWYW release from Canister & Grape Wargames. Yeah, I don't get the company name either, but whatever ;)

This is a potentially lethal adventure for a smaller party of 1st level characters. I'm thinking you might be better off using this when the majority of player characters in your campaign are 2nd level.

Even if you don't use the adventure as is, you can always repurpose the 2 dungeon level maps.

Largash the Lurid, scourge of the common folk and self-appointed king beneath the rocky hills, lurks deep within his lair. Who dares enter his realm to unthrone this most evil of monarchs? Can your brave party of adventurers defeat Largash the Lurid and his evil minions once and for all?

Durian - Fruit or Sci-Fi Alien Seed?

So, our new neighbors gave us the above fruit. It's about the size on a medium pumpkin or a large squash. Did I mention our neighbor's don't speak much English? Yep, tonight was an adventure.

So, I cut into the fucker and this is what I saw. I think they used this shit in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Apparently what they gave us was "over ripe."

A little Google-Fu revealed the nature of the beast. It's a Thai fruit called Durian. I think I just found the name of my half-elven bard for tonight's AD&D game.

I wish I had had this last night, as it would have made an excellent prop for Halloween.

All this got me thinking - since bizarre looking fruits exist in real life, just how bizarre could we make fruits in our fantasy and sci-fi RPGs? Have you ever added some bizarre yet beneficial fruit in your campaigns. Heck, have you introduced real life fruits like Durian into your games?

Free RPG - OpenQuest 2 Basic Edition

Back in my early days of gaming, aside from AD&D, I had three basic "go to" RPG systems:

MERP

Warhammer Fantasy

Runequest

All had their own things going for them. What I liked about RuneQuest, besides the awesome setting and supplements, was the comforting familiarity it had in many ways to D&D - and then ran off in a totally different direction.

OpenQuest is, in my eyes, a direct descendent of that old Chaosium edition of RuneQuest. Even better, OpenQuest Basic is free. It's derived from the Mongoose RQ OGL.

And yes, Legend (the latest version of the Mongoose RQ OGL) and RuneQuest 6 Essentials are also available, at a buck and PWYW respectively.)

Riddle Me This! Submit a Riddle and You May Walk Away with Some RPGNow Store Credit

As we talked about on the latest episode of the Brainstorm Podcast (Episode 14, wherein we talk about Riddles) I'm throwing a contest out to my readers.

It's real simple:

- submit an original riddle as a comment to this blog post

Easy, right?

One riddle, as judged by the 3 hosts of the Brainstorm Podcast ( +Vincent Florio , +Glen Hallstrom and myself) will win it's submitter a $10 RPGNow Gift Certificate. A second riddle, chosen randomly, will win it's submitter a $5 RPGNow gift certificate.

Enter as many riddles as you want. One riddle per comment please.

Riddles must be submitted by 9 PM eastern time on Sunday, November 2, 2014.

Alright folks, get cracking!

Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper - Free Until Halloween

I would have missed this if not for OSRToday.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper is free until tomorrow, Halloween.

So, grab it!

An Adventure for Character Levels 1-3 . 

The city is gripped in fear! The Ripper has returned after a 125-year absence and is once again carving a trail of blood through the slums of Millers Court. Also returned is the ghost of Mari Kell, his last victim from more than a century ago, and she haunts the streets where she was killed. The city watch is at a loss to solve this supernatural mystery, much less apprehend the Ripper himself. All the clues point back to the hovel where Mari Kell was slain long ago. If the heroes are brave enough to enter, will they find the Ripper himself there?

Fantasy Grounds 2 to Support 5e?

Saw this pointed out in the D&D Next G+ Community:

Are they supporting it in much the same way as 3rd party adventures are supporting 5e, using the OGL as a work around? There currently is no license, not even a GSL, for 5e.

There really is a way for WotC to monetize this...

Deja Vu All Over Again - Just Like 4e, 5e's Digital App is a Bust

Dungeonscape, formerly Codename: Morningstar, is no longer going to be 5e's Virtual Companion. Sound familiar? (read about it at OSRToday and ENWorld for more details)

WotC just can't seem to get this right, can they?

With 4e, they tried twice with Virtual Table Tops, and never were able to integrate it into their DDI. One failed due to personal tragedy, and the second version just failed. Although the first version did steal the graphics from Fantasy Grounds for the 3d dice "visualization" if I recall correctly. The 2nd version never made it out of beta and was killed without much fanfare in July of 2012.

Is there money to be made from a VTT for WotC? Sure. Even with the options already out there, Dungeons & Dragons brings a HUGE player base to whatever VTT they aim for.

I'm going to make a suggestion to WotC - don't reinvent the wheel. Put your marketing might behind a VTT that is already out there.

I'm going to suggest one I no longer use, but could and a few silvers to WotC's coin pouch.

Fantasy Grounds 2

There, I said it.

Give them enough funds to simplify creation of adventures within the software, make a free ruleset for 5e for use with FG2 and get them to integrate an audio Teamspeak / Skype feature into it.

Proven software improved for all with some investment by WotC and they make their money back by selling adventures for use with FG2.

Me?

I'll be sticking with Swords & Wizardry, DCC RPG and AD&D using Hangouts and Roll20 ;)

(and yes, Dungeonscape was going to be a VTT as such, but if WotC is looking to make money digitally from 5e - and they aren't selling the books in PDF at this point either - investing in a VTT is the way to go. In any case, another misstep by the fine folks at WotC. Get ready for the Christmas Purge of 2014...)

Night of the Sprits (Castles & Crusades) - 99 Cent Sale

I love sales, especially when you can get some real bargains. Night of the Spirits for C&C is one of those real bargains.

It's newly released and currently priced at 99 cents. At quick glance it looks great for Halloween play or anytime you want to disturb your players. No, i haven't read enough to give a review of it, but in general C&C adventures are good quality and easy to use with anything from the OSR to 3x and probably even Pathfinder, although admittedly the later the ruleset the more work needed to convert

No idea how long the price is good for.

From the blurb:

At the end of each year comes the month and holiday of Samonios, Samhain or Nos Galan Gaeaf, or Halloween. This is the time when the worlds are drawn together and monsters, gods and the spirits of ancestors wander between them. It is a dangerous and dark time in which the most holy and sacred of ideas mean more than they ever have before in the previous year. It is a time for the Dead and to honor them. 

Events in the last year were steeped in bloody battles, the death of kings and encroaching evil from the Otherworld. The seers and madmen foretell that the omens are in place to bring a wrathful invasion from the Land of Magic. Most nobles and lords scoff at these superstitious words and ridicule them, but the common-folk know that there is truth in those portents and omens. 

Families stay close, hold their festivities in honor of their ancestors and the gods, but stay wary of the dangers that might find their way into their darkened homes and lives. But for the young or unwary . . . . 

Little Addolgar ap Maelon Gof has wandered into the thick foliage of the Coed Celyddon, lured by the many colored playful lights that he saw dancing and laughing. Now the young dark haired child of ten winters is deep in the mist-shrouded forest soaked in Otherworld energies. A storm is brewing in the dark woods, stirring the trees and causing the limbs and boughs to crack and knock against each other. Owls hoot in their haunting voice and somewhere distant, wolves howl. Addolgar climbs over fallen trees and makes his way in bramble patches trying to get closer to the mysterious lights in the boughs of the trees. 


Night of Spirits plunges you into the heart of Nos Galan Gaeaf, bringing your characters face to face with the Otherworld and the true horrors of the holiday!  

Night of Spirits is an adventure for 3-5 characters of around 4th-6th level.

Highlighting Some Old School Picks from the RPGNow Halloween 33% off Sale - Part 3

As I type this there is just over 2 days left in the OBS Halloween Sale.

Today I'm going to try and highlight some "Old School" picks from the current RPGNow Sale (part 1 of this list went up two nights ago, part 2 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.

Taken from Dunwich - An adventure for +Jeff Talanian 's AstonishingSwordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Mid level (4th-7th)

Charnel Crypt of the Sightless Serpent - another adventure for AS&SH, also for levels 4-7.

Rats in the Walls - an adventure for AS&SH, this time for levels 1 and 2.

Pulp Weird Encounters #1: The Tomb of Squonk and the Silent Army - Two DCC RPG encounters for one low price.


The Rising Dark: An Introduction to Agraphar [Swords & Wizardry] - a complete adventure setting for Swords & Wizardry or the OSR rule set of your choice.

The Mines of Valdhum - you say you want an adventure for 5e? Here you
go, for levels 5-7

Arrows Of Indra - say what you want about The RPG Pundit (and many do) but Arrows on Indra is an excellent example of taking the OSR framework and restating it for a very unique setting (Mythical India). At $3.34, it really is a bargain not to miss.



The Undercroft #1 & #2 - a quarterly zine for Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy (and other OSR RPGs)

Bearing a Grudge - VS2 - an adventure for levels 1st thru 3rd by InfiniBadger Press, it comes in three flavors - Swords & Wizardry, OSRIC and Castles & Crusades.

Realms of Crawling Chaos Goes Free (I assume limited time only)!

Realms of Crawling Chaos went from a buck, to 67 cents, and as I type this is is FREE.

NADA

Grab it and be happy... or scared...

Rotworld RPG Goes FREE (I assume limited time only)!

Rotworld went from a buck, to 67 cents, and as I type this is is FREE.

NADA

Grab it and be happy...