The Crusty Grog -- I'm Baaaaack! Professional GamesMaster Society? WTF?

I've be real quiet listening from the basement, eating scraps of information from between the floor boards. 

Nothing was worth talking about, or freaking out about...

UNTIL NOW.

Before I more further on this, I'd like to say...

There is nothing wrong with wanting to make a career out of your hobby, lots of people attempt to do it. Especially in our little hobby of gaming, people attempt to write modules and try to sell them, which is perfectly fine.

Some folks go a step further and create podcasts for their favorite game, Like:

• d20 Radio and its assortment of Podcasts. They've gone as far as creating their own games, and asking people to donate to the show, as a reward gave out custom dice.
• Mad Adventures Society who it seems branched off of d20 Radio, has their own set of podcasts, actual play podcasts and even have their own Patreon project, offering EXTRA content on top of the free stuff they do.
• Wild Games Productions has fallen in suit with MAS and has done something similar, offer early show access, preshow stuff and whatever else they promised.
• The Nerdy show does the same stuff.. 

I can go on and on, but what really burns my ass is something that was tried by Wizards of the Coast way back in the D&D 3.X era days, just slightly different.

Professional GamesMaster Society

What's so bad you say?

Well let me tell you.

Who the hell do they think they are, saying they are the leading authority on being a GM? Who they hell are they to have the nerve to CHARGE people to play a game that we've all been playing for years, taking advantage of the fact that certain people crave this type of shit.

They want to encourage a GM to charge per person, per game for them to run a game online or in person?

Why?

Because they are a professional Certified GM, and this is their living?

Well FUCK YOU for trying to make a buck because you can't figure out how to do anything else in our hobby, but PRAY ON new folks trying to get into the hobby and folks that don't have confidence in running games.

Oh yeah, did I forget? They are going to hold classes to teach you HOW TO BE A BETTER GM AND LIST THIS IN YOUR GAME POSTING SO PEOPLE WILL SAY, "Hey I'm a stupid fucking idiot, I should sign up because this douche is charging $10 a game, and he is certified!"

Stand with me and keep the hobby how it should be, FREE and passed down between friends, family and even strangers.

Patreon Funding is Live at The Tavern - Buy Your Bartender a Cup of Coffee

This morning the Patreon Page for Tenkar's Tavern went live. If you have a moment, swing by and tell me what you think.

Milestones include Kicking it Froward (taking a percentage of the pledges and using them to pledge to other RPG projects that the supporters decide upon), gaming content, bringing back Feltothraxis, organizing an online Old School Gaming convention and other fun stuff.

No one has to back anything. If we don't raise a cent, nothing will change at The Tavern. Posts will still come and go, Kickstarters will get highlighted and / or trashed and the blog will go on.

With enough support though, we can make things better for everyone in out little community.

Pledges start at $1.50 a month, which works out to be about 2 cents a post (or a large cup of coffee here in NYC.) Those that pledge a little higher have other perks, the top one being my wife Rachel picking through my game collection and mailing you some of my stuff (US Only.)

Thanks to all of you that read The Tavern on a regular basis. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be doing what I love.

Patreon - Thoughts on The Tavern and Where We Can Take It

So, as I sit here at my desk, avoiding solid food as my stomach is gurgling and my heartburn is burning (my wife Rachel is running a fever after doing her exorcist impression last night), I've given more thought to providing The Tavern's community the opportunity to support it via Patreon. I don't really see a downside (except for the fact that above exorcist impressionist wants to give away a chunk of my gaming collection.)

There is no way I could ask for folks to support The Tavern on a per post basis - it would be insane for everyone. Simply put, I post too much for that to work.

Looking at the posting numbers for 2014 we were at 920 posts in 12 months. That comes out to nearly 77 posts a month. For ease of math we'll say 75.

Maybe we'll set the ground level of support at $1.50 a month - 2 cents a post. Another level for other bloggers that want to be on a "Backer Blog List" and get highlighted with a blog post. Perhaps a level for a backer only G+ hangout to discuss possible blog topics (which all backers would then get to vote on.) Hmm, maybe a backer only email addy to reach me at, as my others get inundated with so much that isnt gaming related. Oh, and a level where Rach gives away some of my shit. She'll need to do the post office trip herself, but she really is excited by the whole idea.

I like the idea of kicking it forward. So one of the milestones would be Kicking Forward 5% to other Patreon projects (and later milestones would raise that - 7.5% and later 10%.) All the backers would get to vote on which projects to back.

I'd love to bring back Feltothraxis for more Dragon Puppet Game Reviews. They're fun to do but time consuming. So, another milestone.

Weekly gaming content posts - monsters, magic items, spells, classes - Old School D&D, Tunnels & Trolls and Far Away Land would be safe bets for systems. Those would be the low hanging fruits on the milesone tree.

Organizing an OSR Online Con via Roll20 would be up there and further away would be a online seasonal gameday.

Needless to say, monies raised would go towards prizes, giving a face lift to The Tavern and giving me a small flow of outside income when I retire from full-time employment next year. The more viable the blog is, the more time I can spend on both The Tavern and The Tavern's Community.

More time to do what I love to do in the first place. Should be a win-win.

I'm open to ideas and thoughts on the whole thingamawhop.

edit - should there be a milestone to back "Wayward Kickstarters?"

edit edit - The Tavern will always be a free to read blog. Patreon is a tip jar that (hopefully) will allow The Tavern to be an even better experience for all.

Live! - Brainstorm Podcast Live On Air - Right Now

Want to check out +Glen Hallstrom , +Vincent Florio and myself as we record The Brainstorm Podcast? Here's your chance!

Here's the link: https://plus.google.com/events/chl2ing0i5ff9ov27l3rnk93e38

Enjoy!

Minis - Do You Use Them?

I've probably asked this before, but I was listening to the latest Save or Die Podcast on my commute to work this morning and the use of miniatures came up.

Back in my early days of gaming, we used minis and dice interchangeably to determine marching order and occasionally the initial set up of an important battle. We never moved them around or plotted points and the like.

When I returned to gaming it was via Fantasy Grounds - a virtual Tabletop. I played in game that used virtual minis or pogs and those without. Those without always seem to be faster paced and there was more Theater of the  Mind going on.

These days, I DM via Roll20, another VTT, and while I use maps and fog of war to show the players where they are, I don't use minis. Slows the game up too much for my taste.

All that being said, I'm waiting on my Reaper's Bones II box of minis to show up at my door. I love minis. I just don't use them with my RPG gaming.

What about you? Do you use them? Why or why not?

Ursined, Sealed and Delivered - Swords and Wizardry Edition - $4.99 for POD w/PDF

sure, the cover says "Pathfinder" in the pic, but it's S&W

I was very surprised to see Ursined, Sealed and Delivered - Swords and Wizardry Edition available in Print on Demand at RPGNow for $4.99 (PDF included for instant gratification.)

Looking a bit deeper, I see some of the Hex Crawl Chronicles, One Night Stands and Splinters of Faith are also $4.99 for POD with PDF. It's kinda hit or miss at the moment, so maybe the Frogs are uploading print files as I type this.

The print copies no longer look to be available at Frog God.

In any case, a good deal on an interesting adventure written by none other than Dr. Dennis Sustare.

From the blurb:

One of the One Night Stands series, Ursined, Sealed and Delivered is a newly written adventure module, but it's a truly unique window into the early days of the game. The module is written by Dennis Sustare, the designer and author of the original Druid class that has become a key character class in virtually every fantasy game ever written since 1978. I've done almost no editing of Dennis's text, although the tournament format has been shifted around to be more easily used during play. The result is that you are about to read an adventure that's a direct window into the imagination of one of the great figures of fantasy gaming. Any typographical errors or glitches in the "flow" of the adventure are the responsibility of the editor, and all the high-adventurous moments of this fast-moving, gripping adventure are to the credit of the author. 

In addition to being written by Dennis Sustare, the module has cover artwork contributed by Paul Jaquays, who is also one of the great figures of fantasy gaming art. This new artwork sees the return of Paul's unique style, which will be instantly recognizable by those who gamed during the seventies and early eighties; it is an iconic, original vision of swords & sorcery that has not been seen on the cover of a module for decades. We're proud to be able to bring a new piece of Jaquays art to younger gamers who may never have seen examples of it before. He portrays a world that is stark and fierce, more visceral than art based on high fantasy, with the sort of rough-edged heroes who inhabit the fiction of sword & sorcery's earlier days, before the world-shaking influence of JRR Tolkien rearranged the foundations of the genre at every conceivable level.

Patreon - Now My Wife Understands Too Well

So, I read last night's Patreon post to my wife prior to actually posting it as I wanted to get the feedback of someone not all that familiar with crowdfunding. She understands Kickstarter well enough as see sees the occasional package arrive at our door, but Patreon was something totally new to her.

My wife: So, it's basically a tip jar that the community, whatever community, puts into. If you tip more, you might get some extra perks but in the end, everyone, even those that don't tip, get the same basic experience.

Me: Exactly!

My Wife: And if that experience sucks, I can withhold my tip in the future. So, you better keep up the quality or you won't get tipped.

Me: Yep. You have the concept down pretty well.

My Wife: So, if The Tavern had a tip jar, and there was some crazy perk level of $50 or so where your wife got to pick something from your game collection and ship it to a backer, that could work. Actually, it sounds like fun!

Me: Errrrrrrr

My Wife: Like your Tunnels and Trolls stuff. You have two of those falling apart orange boxes. Why two? Just think of what we could clear out of storage!

Yeah, she understands almost too well. Hell, she's almost sold me on not funding The Tavern with Patreon. Heh.

Patreon - Patronship Empowering Creators to Do What They Do, But Better

I really struggled with the title of this blog post because it falls far short of what Patreon and the concept of patronship really means.

Here, let's start with a simple comparison to Kickstarter and where the two are diametrically opposed (which might be a stronger term than needed, but whatever.)

Kickstarter allows folks to fund a promise. Remember Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons? "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." It's a bit like that, except you are paying for the hamburger today with a promise that you'll get the hamburger on Tuesday. Perhaps with a side of fries if certain stretch goals are met, but maybe you won't get that burger for 2 more weeks - or ever. That promise you are funding is only as good as the one giving it and even then, the best of intentions often become crowdfunded nightmares. Feel free to read some of the Kickstarter posts here at The Tavern. I've covered all types - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Patreon allows you to support something that was already being done and offered to the masses for free. It's a crowdfunded "tip jar" if you will, and the power of crowdfunding can be pretty amazing. It can allow bands and music producers to up the quality of their videos (Scott Bradley and his Post Modern Jukebox Band has pledges of over $3,400 per video) and podcasters to cover hosting and production costs (Wild Games Productions is getting a hair over $50 a month to cover costs of hosting a whole bunch of podcasts, The Brainstorm included.) +Dyson Logos (here) and +matt jackson (here) were posting maps and adventures to their blogs before Patreon was "a thing."

Few if any of us can be a "patron of the arts" like in the Renaissance Period. We can, however, put aside a buck or two a month to support those that bring some joy to our lives (and if you have more than a buck or two to tip with, many creators offering little extras. WGP offers a monthly hangout with an assortment of podcasts hosts for those that put a bit more in the tip jar.)

I personally support 11 different creators on Patreon, three of which are music creators. The other eight are in the RPG hobby.

As I cut back on backing Kickstarter material, I see myself putting a few more pieces of gold into various projects on the Patreon side of things. I see the results. I can get feedback from project creators when I want and give them feedback when they want it. It is much more of a community than Kickstarter could ever be.

Do I see The Tavern putting a Patreon tip jar on the bar in the near future? Probably. More contests. More prizes. More fun ;)

Blogging has always been something I've enjoyed and my family has been very accommodating and understanding of the time and funds I put into it. It will need to pay for itself when I retire shortly.

So, this was going to be a post about which Patreon projects were worth backing and has become more of a post about what Patreon actually is.

I'll link to some worthy Patreon projects during the  forthcoming week.

Sword Coast: Legends - Solo / Co-op Play D&D PC Game (DM Optional)

Sword Coast: Legends is the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset based PC game. Yep, no Playstation or Xbox versions - pure PC. 1-4 players and the possibility of using a DM for the 5th player.

Release date? Nebulously set sometime in 2015.

A few things to note:

- Although a licensed Dungeons & Dragons title, the D&D logo is noticeable small on the cover of the mock-up, almost an afterthought.

- Neverwinter Nights had promised an effective use of a DM - I don't recall it ever working all that well. It would be interesting if they can pull this off.

- it looks like there may be an adventure builder in the software. Again, if they can pull this off, it may be really cool. It needs to be simple enough for the average tabletop player to use effectively.

- system requirements aren't all that high, which should lower the entry bar.

- I didn't see mention of built in VOIP, but I'm going to assume for now that it is a given.

From the site:

About the Game 

Set in the lush and vibrant world of the Forgotten Realms, Sword Coast Legends offers an all-new way to enjoy the time-tested magic of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a shared storytelling experience. With a deep narrative developed by a team of long-time industry veterans and a partnership with Wizards of the Coast, the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends brings the world of Faerûn home like never before. 

Sword Coast Legends also brings the roleplaying dynamic between players and Dungeon Masters to life with DM Mode, a first-of-its-kind real-time experience in which Dungeon Masters guide players through unique customizable adventures. In DM Mode, the Dungeon Master engages players and empowers them to have fun in a way that suits the party best while creating a tailored, non-adversarial 4 with 1 experience that any RPG or pen-and-paper fan will enjoy. 

Game Features: 

Single player campaign created by members of the leadership team that brought you Dragon Age™: Origins 

Choose from five playable races and six unique character classes to build your own stalwart adventurer 

A return to form, Sword Coast Legends is the compelling and complex RPG you've been waiting for and features pause time, party-based tactical combat and involving storylines
Dungeon Master Mode: Create your own epic adventure to share with your friends, or enhance their experience in real time as they traverse your dungeon 

Set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe based on the fifth edition ruleset and populated with Dungeons & Dragons lore and legend

Lulu is Running a 28% off Coupon Through Sunday

Here I am, a day late and nearly 28% short. Yep, Lulu is running a coupon sale for 28% off print products. Damn temping.

+Tim Shorts has a fine list of recommendations over at Gothridge Manor. Regretfully, I have all but one of the picks on his list. I guess that means he's got a bunch of good picks :)

BTW, tell Ivy I said "Hi!" when you visit The Manor and make sure you comment on her decorating.

The coupon code is:

BELULUS

Mini Review - Crazy maze Daze (Far Away Land / PWYW)

Crazy Maze Daze is the third in the ongoing series of Far Away Land adventures. Like the ones that precede it, it's short and PWYW.

Unlike the adventures that precede it, Crazy Maze Daze is a dungeon, if not totally in the classic sense, than certainly skewed a bit in the "fun house" sense. Still, for those not fully comfortable with sandbox styled adventuring, the dungeon environment might be a good introduction for the traditional dungeon delvers and their adjustment to Far Away Land.

Crazy Maze Daze gives one traps, locked doors, magic keys, magical constructs, magical homunculus and more. If the previous two adventures were too light on combat for your players, this will give you a chance to make it up to them.

The map is done in that faux 3d style, with everything turned 90 degrees, which may may things like "we head north" or "we go west" a bit difficult for some. It is attractive and well done, so it's worth the mental adjustment if one needs to do so.

This should be a fun little dungeon romp.

Heroic and disturbing at the same time

Far Away Land - What Kind of Support are You Looking For?

Anyhow, I quickly threw together a Far Away Land Community on G+ last night, figuring I'd find myself with a dozen or so like minded individuals that would be interested in brainstorming some fun stuff to use in our (mostly forthcoming) Far Away Land game sessions.

As I type this approximately 24 hrs later, we stand at 53 members.

Talk about underestimating interest. Wow.

We already have members talking maps and adventures.

So, I figured I'd throw this to The Tavern Community at large (and cross post to the G+ community) - if you were to run a session or three (or a campaign) of Far Away Land, what kind of support would you be looking for?

Maps? Adventures? New creatures? Unique items (magical or otherwise?) New spells? Short plots? Short rules reference? A herd of cats? Two herds of cats? A robot with a blue nose?

Kickstarter Update - City State of the Invincible Overlord - Mini Overdose and More

It seems like few Kickstarters escape intact when meeting their enemy - reality.

Here's the latest update from the City State of the Invincible Overlord Kickstarter. I'll comment at the end.

Update #49CSIO Maps, Minis, and some Bad NewsPosted by Judges Guild 

Hello Backers,
There going to be a lot to this update, so I apologize for that. This is going to be visible to anyone (the last few have been for Backers only) so I want to bring everyone up to speed. 

Campaign Map Progress: For those that don't know, the first 10 maps have been released electronically. We have the first 5 or so in print. We've had to halt progress on the maps until February because not enough people bought into the Miniatures (we lost about $16k on those) (emphasis mine). We didn't realize this until it was too late due to waiting for all enough of the survey responses to come in. We're still waiting on some final number crunching to give the go-ahead to continue the Campaign Maps.

***Please let me know if you still have yet to receive PDF versions of the Maps*** 

Miniatures Progress:
The Miniatures are brilliant. We had a sample to bring to Gen Con last year. Everybody loved them. The quality is really superb. Despite the hit we took on them, we are still happy that they were made. Mick Leach with Eastern Front Studios has confirmed that a number of them have been received already from the casters mid-December. I'm awaiting word from Mick as to when the rest of the models will come in so we can start shipping those with the maps, etc. 

CSIO Book Progress:
Murphy's Law: "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong." In July, we basically needed to do the finished layout with all the art. We still had a good 3 months to get this to the printers, and 4-5 months to fulfill, so we thought it would be great to bring in James Mishler, a walking encyclopedia of Wilderlands knowledge (seriously, his knowledge (Wilderlands) skill is +18), to collaborate with Bob III on expanding even more of all four parts to this book: the City State, Wraith Overlord, Thunderhold, and Modron. 

We knew we were taking a gamble. Everyone was willing to support this if it meant getting a nice, polished, expanded expansion of Wilderlands goodness. We jumped in with both feet and were off to a great start. In September, James' wife had to have surgery. It took her a good 6 weeks to recover and for James' to be back in a position to press on. We've since had to push back the deliver date twice. Which brings us up to today. 

A Word from James:  

Folks,

It’s never easy to admit to defeat; it is more than doubly-so when one has failed twice at the same endeavor, as I have with working with the City State of the Invincible Overlord and the Wilderlands of High Fantasy. 

But at this point I have to admit to defeat, in the case of re-writing the City State of the Invincible Overlord for the Judges Guild CSIO 2014 Kickstarter. I have tendered my regrets and apologies to the Bledsaws at Judges Guild, and wish to do so now to you, the fans and supporters of the Kickstarter. 

There are all sorts of reasons I could mention here; all explanations rather than excuses. Suffice to say that my days of working with Judges Guild, the Wilderlands, and the City State in my past should have remained there, in the past. 

Unfortunately, I thought I could return to those glorious days when I published under Adventure Games Publishing; sadly, the truth was I needed an exorcist to rid me of the haunting ghosts of failures past, rather than a resurrectionist to dredge up the bodies of the unquiet dead. Every attempt to go further with the manuscript resulted in an avalanche of dreadful memories and unpleasant thoughts, and brought all advancement to a screeching halt. My joyful expectations were overwhelmed by the potent recollections of previous failures. 

And so, after a brief if glorious surge of creativity, my ability to work on the manuscript died a hideous, ignominious death. In fact, my desire to do much of anything with gaming sunk to lows I’d not experienced since the end of AGP. 

Once my wife recovered from her operation, and I’d gotten new, regular hours at work, I’d hoped things would change… and though I was able to write once again, every time I turned back to the CSIO manuscript, the whole world crashed in again, and turned hope to ashes. 

I have delayed the inevitable long enough. 

I wish Judges Guild nothing but the best of luck, in this and all future endeavors.
To the fans and supporters of the Kickstarter I say, nil desperandum! Do not despair! One small man’s failures do not bring down the whole, not when there are heroes ready to leap into the breach. Though there will be further delays, I am sure that the City State of the Invincible Overlord Kickstarter will complete, and Judges Guild will go on to even greater things. And as the maps that have already shipped have proven, their new works will awe and amaze you. 

As the works of Bob Bledsaw and Bill Owen once did for a previous generation… 

James Mishler
02/10/2015 

So, yeah. That happened.
This has completely taken us by complete surprise. In fact, we are still at a loss for words. We are going to have a meeting this weekend to revise our action plan and divvy up some additional responsibilities among Bob II, Bob III, and some of the other family members here. We are too far into this to let yet another stumbling block cause us to fail. As requested by backers, we are definitely going to be making the PDF version of the CSIO book available ASAP. We will add a spreadsheet on Google Docs to allow you all to add any corrections you find on each page (brilliant idea Bevan Anderson!). Tentatively, we have not decided to push back the deadline further. Once we convene on an action plan this weekend, we will update all to that effect.

There's a whole shitload to digest in that, but the one thing that really stands out to me is that they lost $16k on the miniatures. Holy shit! That is a huge loss that should have been run as their own Kickstarter. I'm not sure if that's $16k worth of lead that can possibly sell down the line or if it's $16k pissed away in the wind and all over one's pants leg.

As for James leaving the project, his wife's health issues were / are significant. Her recovery is ongoing. It's a hell of a load to bear, and the Mishler's are in my prayers.

Looking at the lateness of the Kickstarter itself, it's barely a month and a half late, which in Kickstarter terms means it isn't even expected yet, especially with all of the stretch goals hit.

I'm stuck wondering why they even offered miniatures in the first place? Didn't Reaper Bones I & II produce enough inexpensive plastic to saturate the market?

D&D Rules Cyclopedia is now 5 Bucks in PDF at RPGNow (other D&D titles 15% off)

Has it really been 2 years since WotC returned to the PDF fold, reissuing many of their classic titles in PDF?

I remember the uproar when they initially pulled their stuff down and the near tears of joy when they started to return them.

Now, of course, 3e and 4e are also considered classics I guess. Go figure. The "new" old ;)

From now through February 22, WotC is running a sale at RPGNow, discounting all of their PDF releases by 15% off their usual PDF price and discounting the D&D Rules Cyclopedia to $4.95 (and also have sales on the 3.5 and 4e Compendiums)

Heck, they even have some 5e PDFs on sale.

I'll try and make a few Tavern Picks over the weekend ;)

We Now Have a Far Away Land Community on G+

I figured it's about time that Far Away Land had it's own community for sharing thoughts, ideas, hacks and houserules.

It's kinda bare at the moment, but I suspect it will fill in over time.

So, come join us if you will ("us" being "me" at the moment) for some Far Away Land discussion. Maybe we can talk about the sci-fi hack for FAL I have bouncing around my head in my spare moments ;)

This link should take you to the Far Away Land G+ Community page.

Patreon - Boon or Bane to the RPG Hobby?

For every +Dyson Logos and their amazing Patreon Project, we get someone like Elizabeth Sampas, who is putting her hand out for money while still not fulfilling her previous obligations from her Kickstarter project. All of which got me thinking about Patreon and Kickstarter.

At it's core, Patreon has more accountability than Kickstarter.

As a supporter, you get charged monthly. If you don't like what you are getting in return for your support, you can lower your pledge or cancel it totally. If you really like the results, keep your pledge or boost it.

You are supporting per something (map, post, song, etc) or per month.

Oh, and of course, your basic support is there to keep things moving in a positive direction for the creators.

I prefer it to Kickstarter for supporting content creators whose work I enjoy. In general, it seems less like a possible cash grab that Kickstarter, as poor work habits get, one would expect, poor backing.

Patreon is more about genrosity, from those that support projects and the project creators, and with the right projects everyone wins, even those that aren't supporters.

Maybe Elizabeth will surprise me and other and make her Kickstarter backers whole. Of course, there is that whole thing about flying pigs and such, but one never knows.

Overall, I think Patreon has more potential to boost the homegrown RPG hobby than any other funding source. I'd like to se it thrive and see out hobby thrive, even if there are a few rotten apples to sort through.

I've got lots to think of, as there is much I'd like to do with The Tavern that currently isn't fundable (more giveways for example) but I'd like to sit back and observe a bit more before I put my hand out to support the excessive posting I already do for free ;)

S&W Sale at Frog God - Monstrosities, GM Screen and MCMLXXV oh My

Monstrosities is an excellent resource no matter the clone or original rule set you use.

Go to the Frog God website and take a peek at the above. If you've been holding off on purchasing the Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook, now might be the time to pull the trigger.

Coupons are good until February 19th.

Wayward Kickstarter Now Patreon Project? They Became Flesh Creator Elizabeth Sampat wants More of Your Money

Lets see, Elizabeth links to some of the games she's written. Strangely enough, They Became Flesh is not mentioned. Heck, her last update on the They Became Flesh Kickstarter was in October of 2013. Latest comments on the Kickstarter? From folks still waiting for their shit.

Oh sure, her husband has steadfastly taken blame for her failures, but the Kickstarter project, just like this Patreon project, are her's and her's alone.

Maybe she should set a milestone to make good on the promises she made to her Kickstarter backers. Or would that not be personal enough?

I make games: I started in 2007 with my self-published indie roleplaying games and eventually transitioned into digital four years ago. My games are digital and tabletop, personal and searching, and occasionally win awards. A good example would be Deadbolt, an art game about personal truth that you can read about in the LA Times. I have a bunch of stuff in the works I'd like to give you a sneak peek at. 

I make waves: I'm well-known for my advocacy for women in the game industry— I was on the inaugural #1reasontobe panel at GDC, I've appeared on podcasts and traveled the country talking about how to create and support diverse companies and inclusive games. I was the one who wrote that article you read about why you shouldn't support PAX, and the one who wrote the article about Zoe Quinn, and a bunch of other articles that went viral. (I've got the hate mail to prove it.)

Again, maybe she should be advocating for the backers of her still unfulfilled Kickstarter.

Shit. I'm obviously missing the boat on this Patreon thing. $95 a month and still not making her backers complete.

DM Support Group - WotC Ad for the New DMG - Just How Shitty a DM Are You?

Yes, I understand the video is meant to be funny, so maybe I'm over reacting just a wee bit when I find it to be insulting that "one book" can cure a bad DM or a bad campaign. Not to mention that I find the caricature of the bad DM here truly insulting.

Yes, it's over the top, but so were the 4e videos trashing gnomes. Insulting your user base for a few laughs seems counterproductive to my way of thinking.

Eh, maybe I am over thinking.

Maybe it's just a funny video and not meant to sell anything.

Right.

(hat tip to +Benoist Poiré )

Finally Have the Games Workshop release of RuneQuest 3e

I was introduced to RuneQuest with the Avalon Hill release of RuneQuest 3rd edition. I liked what I saw enough to track down a copy of RuneQuest 2nd edition. The Avalon Hill release was made to fall apart under heavy use.

The ads for the Games Workshop release of RQ3 that I recall from White Dwarf were amazing. The art spoke to me.

Now, years later I've finally tracked down the GW releases at a fair price on eBay.

So many good systems, so little time.

The Far Away Land "Play Document" is a GO!

Dirk Stanley, otherwise known as the man behind the +Far Away Land RPG , has kindly given me not just permission but any support I might need in putting together a Play Document or Quick Reference for my upcoming Far Away Land campaign. Talk about win / win :)

From the feedback I've seen not just here at The Tavern but also on G+, I suspect that the initial players in the "drop in, drop out" Far Away Land campaign will mostly have access to the rules, but I want it to be equally accessible to the FAL curious too.

I don't see this kicking off until sometime in March and I suspect sessions will be once a month or so thereafter. G+ Hangouts and Roll20 will be the platform used. I'll tap down details as it get's closer.

This does mean I have to get back to work on that FAL play document...

(as an aside, I think the Far Away Land art works as well as it does due to the excellent use of colors)

Some Near Thoughts on Far Away Land

I've been home from work these past two days, sick with an upper respiratory infection. I'll be returning to work on Friday. Needless to say, there's been lots of sleep and watching of Blake's 7 on my agenda.

There's also been some reading done. Far Away Land has been high on that list.

I'm thinking of running a once a month, drop in drop out, Far Away Land Campaign. No details yet, I need to see where I can steal the time from my already booked life. Consider this an inquiry as to the interest of others in such a campaign. Let me know in the comments.

I'll need to finish the FAL Reference Sheet before than. Not enough to run the game but enough to keep the player's questions of mechanics down to a minimum.

I've also notice there is no Far Away Land community on G+. Perhaps we should start one. That, and / or us the forums here at The Tavern to drive some discussion.

Can you tell I'm sick? heh

G4-9 by RC Pinnell Released for Free in PDF by the Roll For Initiative Podcast (1e)

Just in case folks don't remember, G4 thru G9 is a series of six adventures that pick up in spirit where the AD&D classic, G3 leaves off.

G4-9 haven't been available for a while, but thanks to +Thork Hammer and +Vincent Florio and the Roll For Initiative Podcast, these recent classics are again available for the one time only price of FREE ;)

Relive the early days of the OSR with the G4-9 Super Module and get your giant killing on!

Mini Review - Whoa! Here Come the Dead - (Far Away Land - PWYW)

I was home sick from work today (doc diagnosed me with an upper respiratory infection) so I've spent much of that time watching more episodes of Blakes7 on Youtube and reading gaming material in the moments I wan't sleeping.

One thing I read today was Whoa! Here Come the Dead, the 2nd mini adventure for Far Away Land.

There are six pages between the covers of this mini-adventure-sandbox.

Something I've really enjoyed with the FAL mini-adventures is that they steer away from the railroad. Here's the hook, here's the BBEG or dramatic ending and here's a couple of ideas and adventure opportunities for the DM to use or not as the party finds their way.

As usual, a random weather chart and random encounter tables.

The village on the edge of a swamp needs the players to deal with some undead and a skelet mage. Fun times for relatively new PCs.

From the blurb:

Your party finds that they are in a swamp, and on the edge of that swamp is the village of Grove. The village has recently been plagued by a skelet mage and his undead minions who have taken up residency in the old graveyard outside of town. Several residents have already fallen victim to the skelet mage. Grove needs heroes - that means you!

Whoa! Here Come the Dead is the second in a series of Far Away Land pay what you want (or nothing at all :) series of adventures. Pick up your sword, grab a set of armor, con a wizard, and help the swampmerls get their village back.

Deal of the Day - The Lost City of Barakus PDF (D20 Version) - $2.00

The Lost City of Barakus was the first D20 era adventure that made me want to run a 3x game, even though I didn't really feel comfortable with 3x. Barakus read much like a classic adventure and it hooked me.

Frog God is offering the D20 version of The Lost City of Barakus in PDF for $2.00 for today only.

Use the link to Frog God's webstore here and use the following coupon: DD-BARAKUS-2947

Deal ends at midnite tonight.

P.S. - I really can't recommend this enough, especially at this price.

How Lethal do you Like your RPG Campaigns?

In the last two session of +Joe D 's Blood Island (heavily houseruled LotFP Weird Fantasy) the party suffered a casualty in each. To tell the truth, I thought a TPK was certainly possible at one point.

You know the surprising part? It was exciting to think that we might suffer a TPK. Strange, I think, but there was some true fear.

Without the risk of character death, there is nothing to compare success to. There is no triumph. There is no reward.

I'm not advocating a DM should look for a TPK or to kill a character every session, but character risk must be real for the game to feel real. Joe is doing a fine job keeping the balance ;)

So, how lethal do you like your campaigns?

Haven't Watched Blake's 7 in Ages - Found it on Youtube - Thinking Thoughts Involving Far Away Land

Sure, Blake's 7 is cheese, but it is awesome cheese as only the British can do.

So, as I watch this, I'm thinking of how well Far Away Land's core system would be the perfect vehicle to play scenarios in the Blake's 7 universe. FAL's core system is simple and flexible and works just as well in a fantasy setting as a space opera sci-fi setting.

Notice I didn't say all types of sci-fi. While Fire Away Land can be lethal, it isn't a good fit in my eyes for hard sci-fi. Blake's 7 seems to be a decent fit. Heck, I suspect Red Dwarf would make an even better fit. I have the Red Dwarf RPG somewhere, so I may have to put that theory to the test.

Any Blake's 7 fans out there? Any thoughts on the idea of crossing the two?

Necromancer Games PDFs 50% Off - One Day Only

It looks like Frog God Games started their One Day Sales Promotion one day earlier than I expected. Today's sale covers all of the Necromancer Games releases in PDF, putting them at 50% off with coupon.

What's the coupon you may ask?

G-HOG-50


Do I have any picks?

City of Brass ($7.50 after coupon)

The Book of Taverns ($1.50 after coupon)

The Mother of All Treasure Tables ($10.00 after coupon)

Tomb of Abysthor ($5.00 after coupon)

Sure, they are made for 3e, but they are easy enough to convert.

For those that don't want to join the Frog God mailing list, I'll do my best to put these up each day.

I Can Write That Quick Start in 2 (or 4 half) Pages - Thoughts on a Home Game Quickstart Doc for Far Away Land

As most of you know, my weekly Saturday Night group plays via Roll20 / Google+ Hangouts. It has most of the benefits of playing at the dining room table without the drawback of driving and cleaning up after a half dozen people afterwards.

It does have a noticeable drawback - you can't pass the rulebook around the table as you would in a face to face game.

This hasn't been an issue with most of the games we play as most of the OSR rulesets are available for free in PDF (often in "art free versions") or they hue close enough to the rules they are modeled on that one can always pull out the original edition rules for the session.

The same is not the case with Far Away Land and I can't expect to strong-arm my group into ponying up for a game system sight unseen, even if a few have already expressed interest in playing, as in "When are you going to run FAL!?!"

I figure I can explain character creation, boons, flaws, gear and task resolution in about 2 pages with maybe a paragraph explaining the default setting. Or maybe 4 pages, so it could be printed out on a single sheet of 8 1/2 x 11, folded in half like a pamphlet and insertable in the printed book as a handy reference sheet.

I really want to run a session in 2 or 3 weeks, and I think something like this is really necessary for my group's situation.

Assuming I can put this together with all of the curve balls real life has been throwing lately, I'll reach out to Simian Circle Games and see is this is something they would allow me to distribute on a larger level (or if they would want to do so.)

Speaking of that weekly game, the time is near as I write this!

Android Users - Games Workshop's Talisman is the Free App of the Day at Amazon

Talisman was the go to board game for my gaming group throughout high school and college. It was a blast and a half.

Today only (and there are only 6 hours left in "today" as I post this) it is the free app of the day in the Amazon Android App Store.

The price is right and I've just installed it on my phone (I'll put it on my tablet later.)

Frog God Games is Kicking of a "Daily Deals" Promotion on Monday

The link to sign up is here.

I don't have any further information on this promotion (that's a hint to the powers that be that they may want to spill some more beans ;)

Deals start Monday and you can be sure I'll be highlighting some of the more exceptional ones (at least in my opinion) here at The Tavern but remember, these deals only last for 24 hrs each, so you need to strike fast for the ones you want.

Mini Review - Isle of the Rat Wizard (Far Away Land - PWYW)

If there is a single sentence that defines how Isle of the Rat Wizard is written and meant to be used, it is this:

Maybe the bridge is worn and once the PCs and ratlings are fighting, it begins to collapse or break apart?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

The DM decides.

Isle of the Rat Wizard is about options. It is effectively a mini sandbox. The players have a goal (get off the isle) and an offer for help if they help the small settlement in return, but that's it.

There is no script. There is no hidden flow chart.

NPC, monsters, locations, items, random encounter charts (and a random weather chart) and "go!"

From what I've read so far, the mini adventures in the Far Away Land series of adventures are episodic, with each adventure it's own little sandbox.

Isle of the Rat Wizard is 7 pages long, 5 pages when you remove the front and back covers. Priced at Pay What You Want.

From the blurb:

A mysterious island with a big skull shaped mountain. A jungle full of ratlings. A crazed ratling wizard with a magical amulet. A town who needs heroes. Are you up to the challenge? Isle of the Rat Wizard is the first module in a series of Far Away Land RPG mini-adventures.

This mini-adventure module is designed to be a primer for GMs. Each of our mini-adventure modules provide a history and context for the adventure as well as location descriptions, maps, weather guide, wandering monsters, NPCs, items/treasure, and a list of adventure ideas and scenarios that can be played out during the adventure. Isle of the Rat Wizard is 5 pages and full color.

Roll20 is Hiring - Part Time Online DM - If Only This Was February 2016 ;)

Roll20 is looking to hire a part time DM / GM for live game broadcasts and Q&A sessions. If only this were 12 months from now and I was a newly retired civil servant. Much like my bartender said on Wednesday, after I had 5 rounds bought for me by a guy that won $20 grand in one of the Superbowl pools - "Timing is everything."

So, it's not a good for for me, but it might be a good fit for you:

Note - US only apparently

Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome - Hardcover in Hand

I ordered Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome on Sunday. Five days later I have it in hand. That is probably the quickest turn around I've seen from Lightning Source / OneBookShelf.

The pages look nice and crisp. I don't see any bleed through, and this book is chuck full of full color art.

Tomorrow the plan is to look at the setting material. I must say the maps look very nice. I wonder if they used Hexographer.

I've got some ideas for adventure seeds or encounters using Far Away Land. I'm sure they'll be post here on the blogside, but I'll probably also cross post to The Tavern's underused forums. I'm surprised at the lack of activity on the official FAL's forums, so I'll see if we can have some success over here.

I apologize for the slow pace of posting, especially this week and probably into next. Wearing two hats at work, writing a "Dummies Guide" for every procedure and responsibility my unit has AND writing an updated section for the bureau's guide regarding my unit's responsibilities.

Far Away Land has been the perfect distraction ;)

If Only All Publishers Were This Responsive to Criticism (Far Away Land)

A few days ago, in my initial post about Far Away Lands (which for some damn reason I always want to pluralize. Much like my constant substituting of "Time Shorts" for +Tim Shorts ;) I mentioned I had two minor criticisms.

1 - copy / paste was disabled in the Far Way Lands: Tome of Awesome

2 - the PDF lacked bookmarks.

Lo and behold, what do I see in my email this morning?

Now that is a boatload of Simian awesome :)

Frog God is Offering 15% Off at Their Site Through Feb 15th

You can go to the Frog God website here> Frog God

The Myth & Magic Player's Guide Kickstarter - Still Shoveling Sh!t After Nine Months of Silence

Are you still waiting on delivery of your Myth & Magic Player's Guide? If so, you may be the victim of nefarious forces located within the US Postal Service. Seriously:

I just wanted to post an update, albeit terribly overdue (Hey folks. Grumpy here. Let me just state for the record, 9 months isn't "terribly overdue", it's "stick you head in a hole like an ostrich overdue"), to let you know things are back on track as of January 19th, the day I was able to secure some loan money and earmark personal funds to complete the GMG project and to ensure that all orders are fulfilled. It was senseless to update you during the process of securing the funds (because an update instead of 9 months of silence would be... senseless), since it was a total roller coaster and I had no idea what to expect. 

Player's Guide Domestic Shipping: I shipped all domestic orders via priority mail (emphasis mine) and although only a few came back to me, most show a confirmed delivery and some do not. I want to make sure that everyone receives their books. (not one comment to this update indicates a book received.)

If you did not receive your PG order, something happened (or didn't happen - most likely, Tom didn't mail shit). Either I did not have your correct address or something else got screwed up. I just set up a new email address to ensure I have your most up-to-date information. If you did not get your book(s), please send me your name, backer level and updated address. Use the following email: imfullofshit@wasteddreams.doh

Here's a telling comment to this update:

I'll be blunt - I do not believe you when you say you have shipped the domestic orders, because SURELY someone would have made mention of this fact (given that it would have been quite from the blue). 

I personally have received nothing, and I'm pretty sure that the same address information that worked for a KS that funded and delivered within the last year was what you got, given that I haven't moved in a decade. 

I'd love to be proved wrong on this, but I believe that this update is more owing to my repeatedly contacting KS Support about the GMG project not delivering ANYTHING and them then contacting you as opposed to any progress being actually made.

Because we all know Tom is a font of honesty (Update from December 5th, 2013)

I have a lot of returned mailings to send out (or un-mailed mailings - returned from "storage" perhaps), mostly wrong addresses, some mailings that slipped through the cracks, and a lot of international mailings. Everything will get done by or right after the holidays. The list grows and of course so too does everything else in my life at this time of year. I generally take a week right after the holidays to decompress so that will provide me the time necessary to punch it out.

Do I believe in Tom's honesty and integrity? Not after he posted my shipping info in the comments of the project for all to see. I had to complain to Kickstarter, and they promptly removed it. Why did he do such? Because Tom didn't appreciate me calling him on his shit.

BTW, I do have my copy. I may sign it and donate it to the NTRPGCon Midnite Auction. I know they got stiffed on the books themselves.

Want more perspective on this? +Jason Paul McCartan over at OSRToday makes some excellent observations.

 

What Do You Look for in an RPG That You REALLY Want to Run?

I have my go to rulesets, with Swords & Wizardry leading the charge. I feel comfortable with S&W, much like a favorite pair of shoes.

As you can see from my recent postings, Far Away Land has me really excited. I want to run some story arcs - 2-4 sessions, then take a break for a 6-8 weeks, and then bring the players back for another arc. It really seems to be a system built for such, and I think the breaks are good for keeping the system, setting, and quirkiness fresh.

What excited you with newly found RPGs? What newly found RPGs really excite you and why?

Peering Deeper into Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome ("Adventure Time" Styled Fantasy Heartbreaker with Heart) - The Sandbox and Beyond

You know what part of adventures I always just skim and never read through thoroughly before running them?

The backstory.

Most of the time it seems to me that the backstory is the adventure writer's excuse to show their chops at writing fiction. It's usually a less than successful attempt and rarely, if ever, has direct effect on what the players will learn and encounter in the adventure.

How does Far Away Land handle backstory in the Companion Rules?

Less is more. Fast and loose. Start small and build out. Perfect.

The whole section on adventure building is actually pretty good and easily carries over to just about any RPG you'd like to cobble together an adventure for.

There is a table with 26 adventure ideas, each define by one or two words, such as "Get In, Get Out" (exception that proves the rule) or "Justice". Each of those one or two words is then given three or four example Adventure Ideas of two sentences each. Seeds to plant ideas in the GMs mind.

For "Get In, Get Out", one of the seeds are as follows:

The Settlement Builder looks like a quick and dirty way to get an idea about various villages and towns (and smaller and larger communities) and gives you enough to present to your players without bogging down in the details.

Heck, it even includes a table of 125 rumors. Nearly any one of these could be the seed to an adventure, especially if you are playing fast and loose with your sandbox.

Did I mention that the Companion Rules also cover such diverse aspects such as setting up kingdoms and mass combat? How about it's own take on Microscope, allowing the players and the GM to build their own world and it's history together.

Or just use the world provided in the next part - Tales of Awesome - which I will look at next.

Peering Deeper into Far Away Land - Tome of Awesome ("Adventure Time" Styled Fantasy Heartbreaker with Heart) - Concise & Complete Descriptions

Longtime readers of The Tavern may recall my pondering of a universal and easy to read stat block for OSR games, much like Classic Traveller's stat block. It never went anywhere, but I really appreciate it when a monster description or a spell description can cover the necessary bases without rambling on. My attention span post chemo (years post chemo) is not what it once was when presented with walls of text.

You can imagine my pleasant surprise when I started reading the spell descriptions in Far Away Land. No blocks of text but still able to present everything the caster needs.



First line - name of spell and level of spell
Second line - damage if any and range (a # in parentheses indicates a radius effect)
Third line - duration - rounds, minutes hours, whatever - the amount is determined directly by level of the caster
Fourth line - quick and easy description

This I can read. This I can retain. Something like this can become my new AD&D 1e or Swords & Wizardry, as I'll need to reference the rules in a minimal fashion at most while running a session of Far Away Land.

Now, if you step up to the Far Away Land monsters (which aren't included in the core book, but are included in the Tome of Awesome or stand alone in Creatures Volume 1) you see a very simple but easy to remember entry for each one. Each entry is set up the same way for ease of reference.

One thing to realize about Far Away Lands is that combat can be lethal. For PCs, Hit Points only increase by 1 point per level gained, and the average first level character will have 13 HP. Strangely enough, that is the same amount this 1st level Blonin has.

I like the description. Three simple sentences that give the GM enough to work with and retain. The accompanying art reinforces what we are given in the description.


I've found a lot to like in Far Away Land and little to dislike. Well, two things to dislike. The Far Away Land Tome of Awesome PDF does not have bookmarks. Coming in at 307 pages there really is no reason why it shouldn't. A minor quibble, but an annoying one. The second? Copy and paste is disabled in the PDF. No idea why but it is a bit frustrating. Ah well, small things in the grand scheme.

More to come the deeper I peer into the Far Away Land ;)

Issue #5 of Gygax Magazine to Ship Soon - Is Anyone Still Reading It?

I'm not sure if the above is just a "placer" cover or the real cover. If it's the real cover, it's accurate as hell, because I've been having a question mark hanging over my decision to subscribe to Gygax in the first place.

Let's be honest, it goes for the look and feel of classic Dragon Magazine but has little if any relevant content. The first four issues felt more filler and "ad driven articles" than the Dragon of old. Heck, I can't even call it a house organ as it has no true house to call it's own.

Gygax #1 released nearly 2 years ago. The quarterly mag has barely managed a twice a year pace. I'm not even sure if my subscription ended with Issue #4 or ends with ends with the upcoming Issue #5. New subscriptions start with Issue #6, not soon to be shipped Issue #5. Yeah, color me confused.

The folks behind Gygax are good folks and people that love the hobby, I just wonder if Gygax Magaine is ever going to find an audience. It tries to be everything for everyone while pulling the nostalgia strings of old school gamers. This has left many of us (myself included) wondering what this doppleganger of Dragon Magazine really is. At $8.95 an issue, I don't think I can afford the price of wondering any longer.