Giving Away Two Keys to the New Computer RPG - Pillars of Eternity - Comment, Friend... and Enter

"Eternity aims to recapture the magic, imagination, depth, and nostalgia of classic RPG's that we enjoyed making - and playing. At Obsidian, we have the people responsible for many of those classic games and we want to bring those games back… and that’s why we’re here - we need your help to make it a reality!

Eternity will take the central hero, memorable companions and the epic exploration of Baldur’s Gate, add in the fun, intense combat and dungeon diving of Icewind Dale, and tie it all together with the emotional writing and mature thematic exploration of Planescape: Torment."

So, I've got 2 Steam keys for Pillars of Eternity to give away thanks to an extremely generous patron of The Tavern. They will work on Windows, OS X and Linux.

How do you get into the mix?

Comment on this blog post. Sometime on Saturday morning I'll be randomly picking two commenters to receive these free keys.

So, what are you waiting for? You know you want this :)

(these are $45 retail)

Tenkar's Tavern Tankard - Currently One of a Kind

I must say that +Eric Quigley 's art looks damn nice on a beer stein!

Would there be an interest in me getting these up for sale via Cafe Press or the like?

I know I'll be ordering a few more for myself ;)

I Suspect a Far Away Land Adventure is Hidden in This Bag

Sometimes inspiration is found in the damnedest things.

There is an adventure in this bag of gummy bears for Far Away Land.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 830 PM Eastern - Right Here at The Tavern

Tonight is another weekly Tavern Chat. We use the chat box on the right hand side of this page.

I am wary of setting topics, as the participants seem to do a fine job of finding their own.

We did launch the Far & Away podcast for the Far Away Land RPG this past Saturday. If you haven't listened yet, there is a player for the episode in the upper right hand corner of this page - or you can find it on iTunes :)

What Would be Your Top 10 List of OSR Games?

Logo Dysonized by Dyson

+The Padre asked me about a Top 10 List of OSR Games / Rulesets earlier this evening, and it got me thinking about how varied the answers would be if thrown out to the OSR Community.

I would consider OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord and Swords & Wizardry as the triumvirate of the OSR, but once you go beyond that I think the list would grow in some awesomely divergent manners.

So, I ask you. What is YOUR Top 10 List of OSR Games?

Doing the Death Spiral - Bringing T&T's Death Spiral to S&W and FAL

If you don't know about Tunnels & Trolls' "Death Spiral", this is it in a nutshell. As a monster takes damage those numbers come off it's Monster Rating or MR. Damage dice and adds are directly determined by MR (MR doubles as HP in D&D terms. MR is recalculated at the start of each round, so as a monster takes damage, it's ability to deal damage also goes down - therefore the "Death Spiral."

As I've said elsewhere, converting to another system is more art and less science - you go for the feel, not the reproduction.

For Swords & Wizardry, you could replicated such an effect by making it "1" harder for the monster to hit for every 5 points of damage taken as well as make it "1" easier to hit them for every 10 points of damage taken. I think something like this would be more appropriate in a Swords & Sorcery styled campaign, where heroes are expected to be heroic and perhaps in sessions with fewer PCs, as it helps change the balance as an encounter goes on.

Far Away Land has a much smaller power curve than S&W or T&T, so I would go with a lighter touch - when a monster has taken half it's hits in damage, remove 1 die from Brute / Str for purposes of attacks. At 1/4 hits, remove a second die. At no point can a monster go below 1 die.

So, Why Does the Same Creature have Such Completely Different Stats in Three Different Systems?

Over the weekend I wrote up the Failed Lich for S&W, T&T and Far Away Land. Three different systems. Three very different write ups, even if the non-stat description is the same.

What's up with that?

Well, I tend to start with Swords & Wizardry as my baseline. I can think in S&W - it is a language I am fairly fluent in.

I'm also fairly fluent in Tunnels & Trolls. As such, I know it's weaknesses (at least in 5x.) One of those weaknesses is ranged attacks. it throws off the math. I either avoid it like a plague or a count it as a long melee attack. That's why the failed Lich's attack become a spite damage fueled extra fire damage.

Far Away Land is a system I'm still feeling out in many ways. I'm not even sure if my FAL Failed Lich "works", but I think it's close enough.

In any case, that's why the three versions of the same thing are so different.

Pile That Plate High - A Look at the Projects And Other Time Sinks I Have In Place

Last week, one of the players that played in my short run Sunday Morning Crypts & Things campaign two years ago wanted to get members of my old (high school, college and beyond) to commit to a Sunday morning ongoing campaign via Roll20. Needless to say, I'd be running it.

I felt a need to point out the following: I'm in a regular Saturday Night Roll20 group and run a more or less monthly Friday Night Roll20 group. I moderate a chat here at The Tavern on Wednesday Nights and record The Brainstorm Podcast on Tuesday Evenings. Every other Sunday afternoon, we record the Far & Away Podcast and I owe the fine patrons of The Tavern a monthly Hangout on G+. I owe two fine folks content for their Kickstarters, I owe my Patrons content on the blogside and I put multiple blog posts up on a daily basis. Not to mention a 43 hr work week when not working overtime as well as finding time with my family (uncle duty is most Wednesday Afternoons and Saturday - All Day - auntie is on duty too.)

Needless to say, I could only commit to every other Sunday Morning ;)

Actually, if I showed this breakdown to Rachel, she'd probably tell me I'm insane... heh

Buy One, Get One 50% Off Sale - Frog God Games - Until Midnite, March 24th

There's still time to get lucky!  For St. Patrick's Day, we are having a  Buy One, Get One 50% Off Sale!  Use the following Coupon Code at Checkout to get 50% off of one item when you buy one of equal or greater value.  LUCKY-50 Shop Now! (offer expires Midnight on March 24th, 2015)

The Failed Lich - Swords & Wizardry, Tunnels & Trolls and Far Away Land (Stat Blocks)

Nichole Cardiff

The Failed Lich

Swords & Wizardry

AC: 2[17]
HD:8
Attacks: Hands 2x(2d4)
Saving Throw: 6
Special: Can throw balls of fire up to 2x per round
              for 2d6 damage each
Move: 12
Challenge Level: 9 / 1,100 xp



Tunnels & Trolls

Reid San Filippo

Monster Rating: 80

Combat Dice: 9D6 +40

Special Damage: 3/ - Flaming Fists do an extra 5d6 damage



Far Away Land

HP: 25, AC: 1, ACT: 10
BRT: 2, DEX: 2, WIT: 4

Magic: Fire Beam 1d6+2


and here's the "fluff from the previous post:

The Failed Lich is pretty much what is says on the tin. When a high level wizard attempts to grab nigh infinite power and undying life, their chance for true success is minimal. Blinded by thoughts of what may happen they fail to take into account what probably will happen.

Burned to a cinder with their soul shredded and shared by devils and demons alike is a far better failure than ending up as a Failed Lich, so close to success that is now forever out of their grasp.

Unable to rest, forever seeking a state of existence denied to them, the Failed Lich is obsessed with extinguishing life. They hope that with every life they take they'll be closer to either Lichdom or oblivion, but their curse is that lives lost at their hands heal them by absorbing some of their victims souls. 

If they are defeated, they will rise again in 1d6 days if their skull is not crushed under the heal of a hero. What defines a "hero" is open to much debate.

There are reasons the Failed Lich has different powers for each of the three systems, but that's the topic for a whole 'nother post ;)

Further Thoughts on Converting Established Settings to the Far Away Land RPG

Now, I say "further thoughts", as this was one of the questions brought up on the first episode of the Far & Away Podcast - do you tweak the rules to fit the setting or do you pick from the setting to bring pieces to Far Away Land?

I said "leave the rules intact and bring in the setting in pieces" but in retrospect, that answer is a little lacking and depending on the setting, it might not be the totally correct choice.

Case in point: I've got this idea burrowing around my head to use the FAL rules to run a Red Dwarf campaign (you know, the classic British SciFi show). This would require a mostly new set of boons, which is easy enough to do but kinda opposite of what I suggested with my original answer.

So, my revised answer would be pretty much as follows: understand the setting you wish to port over and what defines it. Don't worry about rules so much as history, personalities, geography and the like. Port that over. Tweak the FAL rules by adding or removing boons from the list - allowing one to change flavor without effecting the core rules system.

The core rules of Far Away Land are easy to learn and use, but you don't want to tweak them to make them needlessly more complicated. If you find you can't convert the setting with a light touch, it may not be a good fit for FAL.

As a side note, the power curve in FAL is greatly tamped down compared to most OSR games. PCs remain vulnerable to weaker threats throughout their careers. Settings like Forgotten Realms may not fit well without changing some of the base assumptions of the setting.

The Far & Away Podcast Episode #1 is Released!

I've got to hand it to +Vincent Florio . He turned the episode around in record time, as we had just recorded it earlier this afternoon. I must say, I had a blast recording this with Dirk ( +Far Away Land RPG ) and Vince.

Want some highlights?

- Dirk talks about some ideas about a NTRPG Con themed Far Away Land adventure

- We discuss ideas on converting OSR adventures and settings to the FAL ruleset

- Lean the background behind the FAL setting

- FAL Quickstart?

- Dirk discusses licensing plans

- Info on the upcoming seaborne supplement

- Lots more!

It's about 51 minutes from start to finish (well, Youtube video is a tad longer.)



It's not up yet on iTunes (not sure how long that takes) but you can listen to the episode here onYoutube:

Mini Review - White Box Omnibus - The Kitchen Sink for Swords & Wizardry White Box

What can I say about the White Box Omnibus that I haven't previously said about some of it's previously released parts? Quite simply, the sum is far greater than it's parts.

To the new classes previously presented, we now get a monk, the implementation of is simply dead on and a perfect fit for White Box.

To the adventures previously presented, we now get a micro-setting, town and sandbox included ( +James Spahn is the hex map 5 or 6 miles per hex or something else? I can't find the scale - edit - 20 miles per hex - thanks James - no longer a "micro"-setting ;) Oh, and of course some adventure seeds to truly expand your use of the sandbox.

There is enough here between new classes, class tweaks, new magic items, new monsters, adventures and micro-setting to keep a campaign fresh for months of not years. All in one 120+ page offering.

If you haven't picked any of James' White Box offerings yet, THIS is the one to get. If you have picked up some of James' White Box offerings previously, you should have a discount link in your email (I did.)

Edit: James told me I'm allowed to share the discount link with all, so here it is:

White Box Omnibus $7.99 Discounted Price

James, I do have one further question - when is the POD of the Omnibus coming out?

Reminder - Far and Away Podcast Records It's First Episode Tomorrow 1 PM Eastern

Join Vince, Dirk and myself as we kick off the Far and Away podcast Sunday @ 1pm. We're recording using G+ Hangouts, so all are welcome to watch the unedited version get recorded live. The edited version should be available in audio form from the usual sources (iTunes and the like) about a week later, give or take.

You can go to the Hangout link here and get some Far Away Land goodness.

It should be a damn good time.

What is Your "Sweet Spot" of Level Range for Pre-Written Adventures? (Poll)

Initially I was going to phrase the question as "commercial" adventures, but that would imply it would have to have a cost and the OSR is abundant in freely available ODR adventures, many of them of high quality.

I recently rediscovered the abundant collection of freely available adventures at Dragon's Foot. I've also been readily enjoying the recent S&W White Box releases as well as other adventures in my collection.

It occurred to me that the higher the level of the adventure, the less likely I'll be able to use it without making major changes to adventures as written. Higher level play for me, at least, requires customization to the part of characters in question.

In any case, I plopped a survey in the upper right hand corner of the blog.

Vote and drop your comments and thought's here. If your answer wouldn't fit the admitedly simple poll choices, comment away.

The Kickstarter that Cried Wolf - Myth & Magic Player's Guide is Shipping - Again - and Again... (Grumpy is in the House)

Tom is obviously a lawyer, because lying comes so easy to him.

What do I mean? Tom has his own variation of "the check is in the mail."

Here, lets look at some of Tom's recent updates on the Myth & Magic Player's Guide Kickstarter (his first claims to shipping were back in 2013, but those are so obviously full of shit I'm not even going to go there.)

Well, as you can see, Tom claimed shipping was happening back in 2013.

Now, way back in April of 2014, Tom came semi-clean. He never admitted to lying about shipping, but did admit there were... issues:

Things are still moving, but...

This is going out to the backers of both Kickstarters.

I wanted to drop a much-needed update to tell you that I'm still here and still working to complete the GMG and PG shipments. You have asked multiple times for the true reason for the Kickstarter fiasco. I tried, as politically as possible, to dodge the question and to keep you all positive (well, i lied so you kind folks, the ones that gave me money, wouldn't know the kind of shit I actually was. Didn't work, did it?) Well, my attempting to keep you (and me) positive turned into untruthfulness (fucking lawyer speak for LYING) and I can't run away from the issues any longer (perhaps you backers aren't as stupid as most juries.)

The site is no longer active. In fact, NHG is no longer active. For the last few months, I have been trying to form a plan to complete the projects as quickly as possible. Part of that plan includes not funding anything outside the projects.

The first cause of all the problems is that I underestimated the cost of the Player's Guide KS, artwork for the GMG, and international PG shipments. Not having the proper business foresight, I didn't control the early spending and went overboard with quality. So, I've been self-funding the final leg of the PG shipments and everything since the first draft of the GMG; and by extension, everything to be completed moving forward is to be funded with my money. The second cause has been a lack of time outside of my work and family. I wrote this game and began marketing it before I was working. I always naively thought that I would be able to manage it all. Well, I was wrong.

The cold hard truthful reason why things have crawled to a temporary stop is that I don't have enough money stored up to quickly fuel the projects.

Now, having said all of that, I'm NOT GIVING UP. It's hard enough to think that NHG is no more, but even harder to think that I have let down the players that made the game possible. And for that reason, I vow to get this done. I have begun to look into various loan programs and for a few private reasons, I should be able to secure the necessary funds by the end of Summer. Mid-September to be exact.

A few things must happen. It doesn't cost any money to release the full art-free GMG, so I can realistically get that to the GMG backers on or before the first week of May. I will also continue to send out small quantities of books with my private money until I get the loan (I've scoured G+ for any M&M sightings - except for the Lulu versions - none). These shipments will also include the Players Guides ordered by GMG backers. As I said, any loan will most likely come through in mid-September. At that point, whatever orders are not received or needing to be re-shipped will be immediately shipped out. I would love to get all international orders shipped before the loan, but some of them are $80 to $100 a whack! I will still try though. My goal, in terms of the GMG, is to have it printed and shipped before the end of the year.

Trust me, I understand your frustration. You have every right to be frustrated and even angry. We all had an amazing time collaborating and creating this game. The only thing I ask for is more patience and more time. Please. Nothing happened as a result of bad faith or any intentional scheme to defraud you. It was all a matter of my mismanaging the PG Kickstarter. It's a beautiful book, but dammit, it was my undoing!

Another factor of my undoing was not communicating enough. I was embarrassed. Add in the hate mail and hate comments, and running away from the updates and comments was the only way I could avoid having a nervous breakdown (therefore, I will wait 10 months before updating again). You may or may not know this, but I have two small children. I can't let them see me fall apart over this.

My next update will include the GMG pdf and an update on how many additional shipments I was able to send out (obviously, there were 10 months without additional shipments). I will also set up a new dedicated email address to start fresh with everyone. The other email addresses are filled with vileness. I hope we can just start over, with a new email, and have some better dialogue. I probably will not read the comments here so that I can try to focus on what's ahead, but I will update you more frequently (or not.)

Well, that's it - the entire ugly truth. I'm still here and still dedicated. I have the right mindset now to get this done and I will get this done!!

Wow! Excuses and than some. But don't worry, last month, Tom gave us an amazing update:

Update on PG and GMG (February 4th, 2015)

Hi All,

I just wanted to post an update, albeit terribly 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 (so those 10 months of silence? you got that for free. Silence has no cost), 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 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 (NO ONE posted about receiving their USPS shipping notices and tracking numbers until this week - what a load of fucking shit)

If you did not receive your PG order, something happened (apparently I never sent it! ha ha! go fuck yourselves.)  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: nhgaddressupdate@gmail.com.

Please limit the email to the information I need so that I can stay organized.

Once I receive an email from you, I'll check the USPS tracking. If the tracking does not confirm delivery for whatever reason, I'll reship and then respond to your email with a tracking number (ah, see, these mystery shipments weren't given tracking numbers, only if you failed to receive your books - which was everyone still waiting to receive their books.)  Don't worry if you don't receive a response email from me right away. To stay organized, I will respond only once with the tracking information. (Much, much easier to keep track of the emails that way.)

International Backers: The limited funds I had only allowed me to send out a fraction of the international orders. I have earmarked a bit of the shoestring budget to get some more out. Those of you that are also GMG backers will be happy to know that the book is almost done and it is my intention to combine the books into one shipping. That will lessen the sting and get the books out to you as fast as humanly possible.

Please follow the instructions above in the domestic shipping paragraph and email the address with your name, backer level and current address so I have that information.

All Backers: Here is an art-free PDF of the Game Master's Guide for all of you, even if you are not a GMG backer.  The GMG backers will get their own update, attaching a PDF with the monster art included, as well as a schedule. The additional art is 75% done as of this morning. It's shaping up to be an awesome book. I want you to have this so you can see that, although silent, we're working to get this done.

Sorry again for the constant blackout periods, but we're now tackling the obstacles and will complete the campaigns.

-T

You literally can't make this shit up.

Only a lawyer, and a piss poor one at that, would even attempt this type of shit. Obviously, shipping didn't happen until this week (well, might have happened this week - time will tell), as now is when folks are getting emailed their shipping info.

Damn shame, as the ruleset is a good one...

The Failed Lich (Swords & Wizardry, Tunnels & Trolls and Far Away Lands) - Part 1, The "Fluff"

Nichole Cardiff

The Failed Lich is pretty much what is says on the tin. When a high level wizard attempts to grab nigh infinite power and undying life, their chance for true success is minimal. Blinded by thoughts of what may happen they fail to take into account what probably will happen.

Burned to a cinder with their soul shredded and shared by devils and demons alike is a far better failure than ending up as a Failed Lich, so close to success that is now forever out of their grasp.

Unable to rest, forever seeking a state of existence denied to them, the Failed Lich is obsessed with extinguishing life. They hope that with every life they take they'll be closer to either Lichdom or oblivion, but their curse is that lives lost at their hands heal them by absorbing some of their victims souls. 

If they are defeated, they will rise again in 1d6 days if their skull is not crushed under the heal of a hero. What defines a "hero" is open to much debate.

Far Away Land-ified by Reid San Filippo

Why You Should Watch The Brainstorm Podcast when we Record Live Via Google +

Pictures Speak a Thousand Words - Put we give Pics with Words ;)

Tonight I had planned to run some Castle of the Mad Archmage with the "B" Team, but back pain and headache kinda killed that.

So, instead, I'm listening and watching one of The Brainstorm Podcast's Youtube recordings. The stuff that doesn't hit the audio podcast is still damn funny :)

Swords & Wizardry Complete Hard Cover - $20 - One Day Only

Today's Daily Deal: Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook Hardcover Only $20! (Regularly $34.99) Use this coupon code during checkout:   DD-SWCR-4976 Shop Now! Offer expires Midnight Tonight! (PST)

Most Misunderstood Rules of Your Early Gaming Years

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this before, but when my parents got me the AD&D books to fully start me on this hobby of mine, they bought me dice and the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide. I didn't have a Monster Manual, but really, it wasn't even needed, as the DMG had the nice monster reference in the back.

All you needed was on those charts although one thing did confuse me - why did Ogres have an HD of 4+1 - wouldn't it just be easier to show it as 5 hit points?

Yeah, I didn't know your rolled monsters HP - I assumed the number in the Hit Die column was hit points. No wonder my players blew through my adventures in those first few months. I think it was when I purchased my first module - A1 - that I realized HD and HP were different values.

So, what was your most misunderstood rule from your early days of gaming?

Corgi Tunnels & Trolls Solos - Perfect Compact Books for the T&T Player

I wasn't able to get to the post office this past weekend as I had hoped, but that didn't stop Rachel from raiding out storage room for some of my Tunnels & Trolls collection. Thankfully, she stopped at the first box ;)

Personally, I love the Corgi edition of T&T 5e. Not because they renamed a bunch of silly named spells to be less silly (but left Yessa Massa intact - go figure), but because the size of the books makes it so convenient and I'm always surprised at how well paper that is a step above newsprint has survived so well for nearly 30 years. Well, that and how well focused the character generation rules are in the solos as compared to the complete 5e rules.

I'm serious. All you need to create a T&T character is provided in the Corgi Solos books (Rogues and Wizard-Warriors are omitted, but Rogues can be explained easily by the GM if needed and WWs should be omitted in any case.)

You can get the Corgi Solos direct from Flying Buffalo. I suggest you do so, as the pricing is better than anything I've see on Ebay. The Core Rules from Corgi are a bit harder to track down, but worth it.

And the Micro Adventures Go To...

I had Rach roll some dice last night to award the two random Micro-Adventures that I'll be mailing out via snail mail. The results were posted in last night's Tavern Chat, but if you missed the chat, the winners were:

+Jim White and +Dyson Logos

I need the above to email me their snail mail addresses to tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom

Thanks to all that participated.

Tavern Chat - 830 PM Eastern Time - Tonight

Tonight is the weekly Tavern Chat, using the chat box on the right side of this page.

Want to ask questions about the direction of the blog, The Brainstorm podcast or the upcoming Far Away Land focused podcast?

Looking to interact with others on the OSR?

Simply want to shoot the shit with others?

Maybe you want to see which two lucky commenters from last night's post are getting a free micro-adventure?

Tavern Chat is the place to be ;)

What is the Most Underused (A)D&D Class?

There always seems to be a class that a certain group avoids playing.

In my High School and College years, no on EVER wanted to play a cleric. If there was a cleric in the party, it was an NPC or a henchman.

I have no idea why clerics were so despised in my old gaming groups?

Have there been any verbotten classes in your groups?

Micro Quest Cards in Hand - Looking Good (and a small giveaway)

I got my Micro Quest Cards in the mail today. These are the signed and numbered ones for my collection.

+Lloyd Metcalf did some excellent work with these. Damn shame you can't buy them at his webstore.

I got mine and you can't have them!

Well, maybe you can. I also have 5 to mail out for the holidays complete with envelopes. Hmmm, does Easter count?

Three are spoken for, giving me two to giveaway here at The Tavern, so lets do it.

I'll be picking two winners, anywhere in the world, each will receive one in print micro adventure.

I'll randomly pick the names during tomorrow's Tavern Chat, which starts at 830 PM Eastern tomorrow night, so you have about 23 hrs to post a comment to this post.

Do eet!

If we add Jim Magnusson to The Tavern Art Mix, We'll have a Strong Rotation

I've mentioned I love +Jim Magnusson 's work in the past and Jim has been amazing with turning some of my ideas into amazing pieces of art that evoke the OSR (the above piece was done without any input from me - probably for the best ;)

The following was done with some input from your's truly -

So, new banner by +Eric Quigley and Ive already have twisted +Craig Brasco to also do one. I think if I add +Jim Magnusson to the mix we'll have a trifecta, or a hat trick or some such here at The Tavern.

Yes Jim, you have been officially added to the rotation ;)

Watch Tonight's Recording of the Brainstorm Podcast Right Here at 615 PM Eastern

Just think. Easy as pie to watch tonight's Brainstorm Podcast recording live.

AS it is St. Patrick's Day, I'll probably have a few pints in me. Should be entertaining ;)

Brainstorm Podcast Live Recording Tonight - Episode 50 - Where We Talk About Edition Wars

Can you believe we've hit episode 50 of The Brainstorm Podcast? Well, after tonight, it will be 51 episodes recorded, as we do two each week.

In episode 50 we are going to be talking about Edition Wars - why do we fight so strongly about editions (and probably some minor mud slinging among the hosts.)

I'm really looking forward to recording this episode.

You can listen and watch live by going to the Google Plus Hangout Event tonight at 615 PM Eastern time. The link is below:

Watch as we record episodes 50 and 51 of The Brainstorm

Next Artist Expected to Make an Appearance at The Tavern - Craig Brasco

+Craig Brasco probably thought I was joking when I told him on Saturday night that I wanted him to do the next banner for The Tavern.

This is notice Craig, that I wasn't joking ;)

Ideally The Tavern will have 3 to 5 banners in rotation, highlighting some of my favorite artists in the OSR.

I guess I should tell +Jim Magnusson he should start thinking now...

New Blog Header by Eric Quigley!

Short and sweet - if you want excellent art done at reasonable prices with a quick turn around, +Eric Quigley is your man.

Holy shit!

Does the Happy Dance...

Mini Review - The Snake's Heart (S&W White Box Adventure Levels 2-3)

As if to prove you don't have to be +James Spahn to do a S&W White Box release (although as I type this I see James has released another White Box adventure - the man is undead, trust me), Moebius Adventures and Wild Game Productions have released the first in a series of White Box adventures - The Snake's Heart.

From a production standpoint, the adventure is laid out like a mix between a screenplay and a traditional "Old School" adventure. My first instinct was to rebel against such a layout, but after the first encounter I realized it was so much better than the more traditional and oh so annoying "boxed text." So yes, I like the formatting used.

As for the adventure itself, the DM needs to pay special attention to the narrator text that opens each scene. This is where the flavor is, where the spice lies for each encounter. You don't need to use it, but in avoiding it, you lose much of what makes this adventure what it is. The encounters as written can play out much like any other fantasy encounter, but the narrator text is what evokes the swords & sorcery feel. Use it to it's fullest.

Like any White Box adventure, using  this with most any other OSR ruleset is easy as pie. As far as adventures go, S&W White Box is pretty much the Rosetta Stone between the different ruleset.

At $1.99 The Snake's Heart is a fine addition to your OSR adventures collection.

Patreon Highlights - Dyson Logos and his Maps for OSR Games

When you think OSR mapping these days, two names quickly come to mind - +Dyson Logos and +matt jackson . Sure, there are others, but these two stand on top of the pile. Dyson seems to have taken it up to eleven.

+Dyson Logos seems to have been mapping forever (just look at his blog), whether it was doodling out a map or putting together many levels of dungeon mapping stocked with creatures and death for the unwary. Dyson is also the first of the OSR creators to make Patreon an integral part of the process.

Let me break down the success Dyson has had with his maps on Patreon in simple numbers:

- Number of Patrons - 256

Yes, you read that correctly. 256 members of our hobby are putting money in Dyson's virtual tip jar whenever he publishes a new map to his blog (actually, not 100% accurate, as folks can limit their monthly contribution and later maps in a given month will generally fund less that earlier maps in the same month, but you get the idea - there are a ton of folks backing him to produce content for our corner of the universe.)

- Donations per map - $351.84

Dyson says he produces 8-10 maps per month. So, ideally he could potentially make $3,518 or so per month, but remember what I mentioned above - later maps fund at a lower overall donation than earlier maps. Still, Dyson isn't just a skilled mapper, but he's a successful one too.

I look at Dyson's maps and realize I'll never come close to the skill the man has but then again, I've never been much of an artist. So color me excited when Dyson hit his milestone of $300 a map  - maps that fund at $300 or more get released under a free commercial license for anyone to use (you don't even have to be a backer, but really, you should ;) Dyson has promised me a complete and detailed breakdown of this whole "use my shit for free" scheme for his highly funded map releases (which I will share in a follow up post.) As someone that likes to write small projects for his own personal use, free use of Dyson's maps combined with the stock art that +Kevin Crawford has released from his Kickstarters gives one a hell of a head start if you want to share your creation with the public at large.

Now, if you haven't gotten your fill of maps yet, the next post in the series will take a peek at +matt jackson and his excellent maps.

Far Away Land Tome of Awesome Premium Color HC in Hand (and thoughts on a NTRPG Con Giveaway)

Yesterday I received my premium color hard cover version of the Far Away Land Tome of Awesome, and it is awesome! The color pops and the pages look great. I can't thank Dirk ( +Far Away Land RPG ) enough for sending it.

It does leave me with a bit of a situation, as I now have 2 hardcovers of the Tome of Awesome - on standard and one premium - and as my lovely wife is frequently reminding me, space for my game related stuff is at a premium.

+Michael Badolato , AKA Bad Mike of NTRPG Con fame asked me if I was going to run a session of FAL at this June's NTRPG Con. I was toying with the idea, but I am now happy to say - yes I will be running a session of FAL this June. I still need to think whether I'm going to put it on the list of games or just run it off label in the Atrium, but I will be running a session.

Don't look for me to be bringing the premium copy of FAL ToA, as I'll be bringing and giving away my standard copy after the session to one of the participants randomly. Hey, another reason for you to attend ;)

One Does Not Simply Cow Bell into Mordor!

Many levels of awesomeness!

Kickstarter - Beasties & Bygones: Raunchy Comedy RPG - Dungeon World & 3.5

If this graphic isn't busy enough to turn one off...

In a recent episode of The Brainstorm Podcast, we discussed using humor in RPGs.  From my experience, it's fine in small doses or when occurring naturally, but when force upon the players or the campaign it is rarely as funny as the adventure author expects it to be. There are exceptions - Paranoia and Toon come rapidly to mind, but neither system was built with the idea of campaign play.

Beasties & Bygones appears to be an attempt to build upon the natural humor that comes from group play and make it the default style of gameplay.

The Kickstarter may very well be successfully funded down the line, but I doubt the final product will be all that successful. I'm seeing visions of Castle Greyhawk in my head, and that is not a pretty sight for anyone to see.

Many Mythical Creatures call Al'tearth their home but most Beasties were tainted upon arrival: 

Some creatures were once a daydream on Earth but now exist only in Al'tearth, like the Dingle Faeries; tainted faeries that are servants to the Excremental Gods.  

Some creatures were morphed into one like the Chupasasquatch; it was created when the Chupacabra of Mexican lore was merged with a Sasquatch or like Mime-pyres; who were Vampires that merged with Mimes. 

Bi-Nicorns are randy animals that were unicorns that grew another horn when they came over. Some say that Hermaphrodite has a special love for these creatures and watches over them, kind-a like we watch Animal Planet. 

Ancient Gods from all mythologies have been twisted into bizarre bygones of their former selves. They govern each other with a yearly award ceremony where they grant positions in the Zodiac Council. All creatures are born under a zodiac sign. The Gods govern the population based on the sign/seat they rule. For example, Leo is a seat at the council of 12. Here are some Bygones: 

Penetor, the God of Fertility was Priapus in Ancient Greece. 

Hermaphrodite wasn't always the androgynous lord of sexual ambiguity, s/he was once Aphrodite, Greek God of love, beauty, and sexual passion. 

Uranus, The Evil Brown Eye...I think you get the picture.

When I was 12, this might have been funny.

Oh, but wait, if you watch the video, you are treated to:

Which is more Useful to you as a DM - Adventures or Rules Supplements?

I ask this as a DM that loves both adventures and rules supplements (although I am more likely to use an adventure nearly as is than I am a rules supplement.) What is more useful to you a as DM - pre-written adventures or rules supplements?

Back in the days that Dragon and Dungeon produced useful material for AD&D 1e and 2e, I found Dragon to be more inspirational and Dungeon to be more practical - as the primary DM in my group, I needed adventures faster than I could whip them up myself, and Dungeon was one hell of an asset.

Of course, we have neither these days even if we do have fanzines that do their best to fill in the gaps?

So, Dungeon, Dragon, a mongrelization of the two or neither?

Never Drink with Your Wife and Kid - and other Lessons Learned not Fully Game Related

Right.

So, after an eleven hour day at work I went down to our neighborhood pub with my wife for dinner. I was non pulsed to find my son already pulled up to the bar. Ah, to be 21 again.

4 Pints, 3 shots and 2 007s later, I have come to one indisputable conclusion...

I am no longer 21.

At 21 we could drink all night (and when I was 21, the drinking age was still 18, so I had been legally practicing for 3 years.)

At 21 we could game all night. Start gaming at 6pm and game right thru to 6am - the unwritten rule with our parents was no sleeping - when you had to sleep, you went home to your own bed.

At 21 I had no bills. My money went to gaming, booze and snacks - mostly in that order. The world was care free.

At 21 Led Zep and Pink Floyd defined my life. These days, my life is defined by counting the days down to my retirement.

At 21, I gamed nearly every moment I could squeeze in. These days, work interferes more often than it has a right to.

Maybe if I'm lucky, in less than a year I can be 21 again...

Free Call of Chtulhu Solo - Alone Against the Flames

Free Solo adventure for Call of Chtulhu? All you need is the free Quickstart rules? Over 60 pages?

Where do I sign up?

I need to block out some time and enjoy this to the fullest.

Alone Against the Flames? Never alone when I have dice...

Tavern Chat Tonight, 830 PM Eastern - Be There or Be Not

Tonight is Tavern Chat night, where we use the chat widget to talk about all things gaming related.

It is very much a free for all and drop in, drop out and you literally never know who is going to pop in to chew the fat.

Later on this month I'll be hosting a G+ Hangout under pretty much the same rules - for that I expect moderate insanity will take place ;)

Hope to see you tonight, 830 to 1000 ish.

New Header Commissioned for The Tavern - I'm Giddy as a School Girl

Last night I commissioned a new header for The Tavern. Top end fantasy artist, one I'm a HUGE fanboy of. I'm so excited :)

No details yet. No name until it's ready, but I fully expect to commission a second later on this year. I'd like to have 3 or 4 in rotation.

I feel like I'm sprucing up the place.

If folks want to know where their Patreon money is going, this will be as fine an example as I could ask for.

OGL - Boon, Bane or Curse?

There was a bit of a kerfuffle last night on G+ regarding the OGL, as one small publisher has taken to republishing another small publishers work word for word - no addition or subtraction, just a copy paste job. Legal under the OGL, but bad form and in and of itself a reason not to leave one's products totally open under the OGL (my suggestion was to ensure each product contained Product Identity and designate that pieces as such.)

Sine Nomine does fine publishing OSR products under copyright - no OGL. Others do the same even though the vast majority do publish under the OGL.

Now that the cat is out of the bag and the OSR is full of clones and such built upon the OGL, how needed is the OGL going forward?

Kickstarter - From the Folks That Brought You "Pencil Dice" (twice), Deck Dice - Playing Cards with Roll-Ability!

Just how many open Kickstarters does D20 Productions have? (and by open, I mean yet to be fulfilled, not necessarily still taking cash)

Pencil Dice (because an unbalanced, not truly random randomizer of the numbers 1-6 is useful in our jail system)

RPG Pencil Dice  (and still open for another 17 hrs as I type this)

Castles & Crusades: Beyond the River (TV Pilot - shudder - I dare you to watch the sample video)

Spinward Traveller (another TV Pilot, and yet more shuddering)

Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series (I've heard some not so good things about the path this has gone down, but my knowledge is 2nd hand, so maybe I should hold out some hope)

Now we have Deck Dice, for those times real dice or even Pencil Dice just won't suffice.

For Ken's next trick, I fully expect Dice Dice, for those that like dice and like rolling them too...

Torchbearers, Hirelings and Redshirts - Oh My!

When I read about the early days of gaming (Hawk & Moor) hirelings - or maybe more accurately cannon-fodder were commonplace. When I played in the early 80s, almost every character had a henchman or two in the group I played with in the Poconos (summers and occasional weekends) and nearly no henchmen in my New York groups.

The primary difference was number of players in the group.

In the Poconos we had a group of four at best - a DM and three players. We tried using two PCs per player for a bit (and even the evil DM PC on occasion) but quickly decided one PC per player and a rotating stable of henchmen and followers was more satisfying. It gave each player a singular lead character and gave an easy solution to the question "what do I do with this + 1 sword now that I have something better?" You simply passed it down.

In New York, my group consisted of schoolmates. We could easily have six, eight or even twelve or more players at the table. Hirelings and henchmen weren't feasible to add to the number of characters already in play.

When the New York group stabilized at five to six players plus DM, we did see the occasional henchman or torchbearer, but they were the exception to the rule.

These days my players often grab a handful of men at arms at first level, but by the time they've reach second level, those red shirts are either dead or dismissed. Unless they gain a henchman through roleplay and the events in the adventure, henchmen are rare indeed these days.

Where do you stand on henchmen and hirelings these days? Does it depend on the size of your group?

Picking the Patreon Patrons Picks with My Wife

My Patreon page has 2 $50 spots were backers can have my wife pick duplicate or "you're never going to use this" pieces from my collection of gaming goodness. I thought she was going to start picking through my Tunnels & Trolls collection, but she went right for the piles underneath my desk (which is "L" shaped, and therefore has much room for piles;)

"Exactly how much of this Lejendary Adventure stuff do you have? I see boxes and books - the same boxes and books? That's gotta go. Two copies of the same issue of Strategic Review? One goes. Chivalry & Sorcery? You've got two copies, both beat to hell - I'm taking one." There were other casualties, old and new. It was slightly painful, but Rach had fun and they're going to good homes. It was also fun watching her adjust the piles to fit in the shipping boxes I had saved from Goodman Games and the Trolls, but she made it all fit.

Somehow she missed the fact that I have two copies of the Red Dwarf RPG - good thing I have them stored in different rooms.

Kickstarter - Dwarven Forge's City Builder System

I'm a backer of the two previous Dwarven Forge Kickstarters. Still not 100% sure why I backed them, as 99% of my gaming is via Roll20 (and the rest is convention play.) I love both sets and I want to display them, but I don't know how much actual game use they will get.

So when I saw that Dwarven Forge had a Kickstarter for a City Builder System, I was interested, but more as someone that looks from afar. I played the video and was excited by what I saw, but I wasn't going to pull the trigger until my wife piped up from the next room: "That sounds really cool. Can I see the video?"

I have now been told that we NEED it. The painted version too. Lowest buy in that includes stretch goals. I don't recall Rach ever telling me that we needed anything regarding gaming material before, except maybe some Doug Kovak's prints at NTRPG Con last year.

So, in for the painted Hamlet level. Rach is already deciding where we are going to display it.

When things fall in place this well I'm afraid to ask many questions ;)

Mini Review - White Box Adventures: The Wererat's Well (Swords & Wizardry White Box adventure levels 1-3)

+James Spahn is at it again. Does the man not sleep? Is he cloned? I want his secret so I can bottle it ;)

Now James gives us White Box Adventures: The Wererat's Well. This follows on his well selling trilogy of supplements for White Box, which in turn followed upon the Swords & Wizardry Companion. Now you know why I asked if James ever sleeps.

The Wererat's Well is the first of a trilogy of White Box adventures (but is easily used with any OSR ruleset.) It covers about a night's worth of play (or if you are my normal Saturday night group, at least 2 sessions, as we tend to derail with practiced ease.)

It's up to James' usual standards - it's a well written adventure that will challenge the average party. It might be a bit tough to kick off a campaign with, but if your group swings towards the hight side of the pendulum in party numbers (it calls for 6-8 whereas my groups are lucky to have 4-5) my fears may be for naught.

+matt jackson supplies the dungeon map, and it is well done as usual. My only quibble, and it is a usual one for me, is that I would have preferred an unmarked and unlabeled player's map for use with the VTT of your choice. Like I said, it's on my usual wish list.

The Wererat's Well is a solid adventure and is well worth $1.99 ($1.39 for the GM's week sale.)

The only question is can James grab the top four sales slots at RPGNow yet again ;)

PWYW - The Outpost of the Outer Ones (Adventure Levels 6-10)

Right off the start, The Outpost of the Outer Ones give you something not often seen in OSR adventure - Mi-Go. Yep, Jeremy Reaban has put some Cthulhu in my OSR. It works pretty well too.

Sure, it's more dungeon crawl than CoC, but I like the nod. Did I mention it includes stats for Bigfoot? Fun stuff ;)

I also like the unlabeled players map for use with the VTT of your choice - well done.

The price is right at PWYW, so you can read The Outpost of the Outer Ones first and tip Jeremy after.

Have a Coot, Don't Pollute! (The Coot for Swords & Wizardry)

+Jim Magnusson supplied this awesome drawing of a Coot after I suggested he refer to classic RuneQuest Ducks for inspiration. I love what Jim came up with, and I have lots of plans for The Coot, but firsts things first. Jim wants some OSR stats for The Coot as an OSR creature (I'll add T&T, Far Away Land and a PC race write up in the coming week or so.)

So, what's a Coot anyway?

Coots have their roots in a the magical experiments of a long since lost cabal of magic users. As such, they have little history of their own and no great civilizations to speak of.

Most Coots live in small, nomadic tribes. They are hunters and gatherers, and rarely stay at one location for longer than a few weeks. They make enclosed nests of branches and leaves, which are often found abandoned and are occasionally used by other travellers for shelter and night or as protection from storms.

Some Coots do live a more civilized life and settle down in an urban environment. The are regarded as outcasts and quite possibly insane by their more traditional brethren. Perhaps this is why those Coots that are drawn to adventuring invariably come from towns and cities. Adventuring Coots can be fighters, clerics and thieves. Rangers and druids have been identified among the nomadic tribes and often fill leadership roles.


Coot
Hit Dice: 2
AC: 8(13) or by armor worn
Attacks: By weapon plus beak (1d4)
Move: 12" / Can fly (jump) 15' forward or 10' up if lightly encumbered
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge: 2

Kickstarter - The City of Brass (web based tabletop RPG app)

When I see Campaign Managers and the like, they are either system specific or OS specific. As an "Old School" gamer with a Mac as my desktop, I'm usually shit outa luck from one side, the other, or both.

The City of Brass seems to be the exception.

It's web based, so it's not locked to a specific OS.

It is system free, but has stretch goals to include certain open game license rulesets as stretch goals get hit.

Color me very interested, even with a monthly sub. I'm in for $39 - Beta access plus a year sub. Maybe I'll be able to work on some gaming stuff from my phone...

From the Kickstarter page:

The City of Brass is a fully-featured web app designed to manage the mechanics of pen-and-paper roleplaying games, allowing you to focus on what matters: playing that game. 

We bring together your characters, monsters, NPCs, setting, adventure, and campaign, allowing you to easily manage all these elements in a single location, from any device, anytime, and for any game system!

Create characters, creatures, and NPCs with Entity Builder.
Build your setting quickly and easily with World Builder. 
Write your adventures using Story Builder.  
Run your game and talk to your players with Campaign Manager. 
But that's not all you'll find in The City of Brass. We also have: 

A stock art library with over 100 images right now from characters, to locations, to scenes! 
Dozens of stock maps for you to use in adventures and encounters.

NTRPG Con to Supply The Dungeoneers Journal #25 for the March Mythoard

From the NTRPG Con Facebook page (and shared with Bad Mike's permission):

The March Mythoard will have a hello from NTRPGcon inside...in the form of a genuine classic Judges Guild magazine! An unused copy of The Dungeoneer's Journal #25 from spring 1981 will be in every box, courtesy of NTRPG con and Badmike's Books and Games! We hope to be a part of Mythoard for a long time...Doug and I are extremely excited and impressed at what Jerrod is doing and what is coming our way every month in the Hoard (this month includes selections from Throwi Games, Gygax Magazine, and Game Mash as well as others). Reserve your copy today, note that there is a signup cutoff every month, you don't want to be left out! http://www.mythoard.com/

Random Red Shirt Thoughts Disrupted by "Emergency" Meeting

So, I was reading more Hawk & Moor today (bathroom Kindle reading if I must confess) and I was reading about the use of men at arms - "red shirts" in Star Trek parlance - and it was noted that the use of men at arms had lapsed in later play of D&D.

This lead to some random thoughts about abstracting the use of men at arms as some sort of ablative armor.

I was still technically on lunch, about to type out this amazing post (I suspect it was amazing although I have no proof of such) when I received a call from my boss about an emergency meeting to address complaints that my unit had received from the outside agency we are the liaison for.

Needless to say, my thoughts fled faster than peasants before an ancient red dragon.

One hour and fifty five minutes later of emergency meeting time and we supplied effective and accurate answers to every complaint, but my creative juices were spent.

Dinner and pints at the pub didn't do much to renew them. I just wish I knew the details that I've lost, as it seemed like a really cool idea to abstract men at arms and the like.

Eh, maybe if I sleep on it...

And the Winners of the Far Away Land Core Rules in PDF Are...

Holy something or other!

Over 120 entries in 8 hours. That has to be a record or something. Not one of those +James Spahn records, but still impressive.

Alright, let's get right down to it. Lets give away those copies of Far Away Land Core Rules in PDF.

The first winner is: Jason Buchanan - this is the copy I'm providing ;)

The second winner is: Justin Isaac - this is the copy generously donated by +matt jackson

The third and final winner is: +Johua De Santo - this is the copy generously donated by +Tim Huntley

The winners need to email me at tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom with their RPGNow info and I'll make sure it gets into the right hands.

Everyone else needs to get their own copy of Far Away Land - the PDFs are 30% off this week ;)

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight at 830 Eastern

Like just about every Wednesday Night, tonight is another Tavern Chat session here at The Tavern.

I'n sure there will be questions about the new podcast ans such. As for answers...

See you tonight ;)