Lesser Gnome releases The First Sentinel in Interactive PDF Format

Damn, but I have a bunch of gaming news posts to put up.

If you haven't guessed, I love all of the Lesser Gnome game releases. If they have an unwritten motto, it's probably "Go Big or Go Home!" or some such. I have the print version of The First Sentinel, which is still available for $25 bucks at the Lesser Gnome online store.

Today we get to see the The First Sentinel as an affordable interactive PDF version for less than 7 bucks.

So, what do you get for your 7 bucks?

Within its pages Game Masters have a complete adventure for three to six players using character levels between three and five. Characters are confronted with a small mystery involving a missing resident. Clues could offer muted warnings or, if followed closely, will bring them face to face with a vanguard of the demonic Nexid.

This digital release contains the written content from the 2014 printed edition with a few PDF extras. It has a completely new layout designed to make the PDF more than just a printout on your screen. It is meant for table-top use on a tablet or other device.

The First Sentinel Interactive Features…

No watermarking (woot!)
Separate text, art and vector layers. (yeah, I can never figure this out)
Bookmarks to important tables and maps accessible via the PDF Reader (excellent)
Hyperlinks to appendix entries and tables. (needed IMHO)
Interactive buttons for quick access to relevant pages (I like)
Image buttons that link to illustrations for players. (very cool)

Purchasing the First Sentinel on PDF will make you feel younger and more 'with it'! At least we felt that way making it

PDFs SHOULD be more than just a digital copies these days. I salute Lesser Gnome for making the PDF more than just a digital copy of the print release. 

Frog God Games Goes "Non-Kickstarter" - Preorder with Funding Goal for "Quests of Doom 2"

When is crowdfunding not crowdfunding? When it's a preorder...

You know my argument: No matter how your try and define it, Kickstarter is basically a preorder system where a minimum goal needs to be met before a project is funded.

Now, Kickstarter takes their own cut on top of the cut the credit card companies take (that second cut used to go to Amazon Payments.)

If you had the experience, visibility and presence in the hobby you could pretty much run a Kickstarter WITHOUT using Kickstarter. A preorder with a funding goal to turn on the presses. Oh, and of course, having everything already to go right from the start.

That is what Frog God Games is doing with Quests of Doom 2 for 5e.

Instead of using Kickstarter, we are raising the funds for the printing of this book on our own. 

This product is currently available for pre-order. Once we have raised enough money to print a run of hardcover copies, we will produce and ship the books.  

We have raised $3400 of our $5000 goal so far!  

When pre-ordering in hardcover or PDF format you'll receive the PDF instantly! (there is something to be said about instant gratification)

Here's the actual description:

Six Adventures for First and Second Tier! 

From the weird and terrifying interior of the Spire of Iron and Crystal (cover) to the heat-misted Jungle Ruins of Madaro-Shanti, this sequel to the two-volume Quests of Doom offers a whole new set of adventures for Fifth Edition. These adventures are all for characters level six and below, so the book isn't going to sit on the shelf and gather dust. Are your players up to the challenge of old-school First Edition style play?  Make them earn those experience points.

$25 for the Hardcover is a very fair price. I may just have to bite at this one...

Tavern Chat Tonight - New Time - 10 PM to Midnight (Eastern)

As I've mentioned before, work has thrown me a curveball this summer. New days off, new working hours, new assignment - it's all made a mess of my "other stuff" time-wise.

So starting tonight and for the indeterminate future, Tavern Chat will be kicking off at 10 PM Eastern. It is most likely that I won't get to log in until about 1030 / 1045 tonight, but I know the chat doesn't need me to be lively.

Fair warning - I suspect I'll only be on for an hour tonight, as I have to be out the door by 630 in the AM tomorrow.

Of course, the doors open early, so even if you drop in at the old 830 time I suspect there will be a few people on.

Kickstarter - Support LGBT Rights & Help Create Our PC-RPG Game! (The Issues Have Little to do with the Issue)

Let me get this said right out of the gate - the issues with this Kickstarter have little to do with the issues that the project creator is attempting to address - and yet it has everything to do with how he is trying to address it. Confusing, right?

How many gamers, RPG or otherwise, are looking for a love story in their game? Probably not many. Or to be more precise, a love story based on the title of this kickstarter - "Support LGBT Rights & Help Create Our PC-RPG Game!"

Do you want to know the name of the actual game?

"The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves" Game - A Story of Love & War in Ancient China..."

Now THAT sells. Love AND war? Cool.

Folks that play computer games play them to have fun. I can't think of many that play them to support certain issues (although some may avoid certain titles if they feel they are associated with certain social issues - I've never purchased a GTA game although I've seen the gameplay - blowing away cops is not a storyline I'd personally enjoy)

Now this Kickstarter has 9 days to go and it's raised approximately 1% of it's goal 50K Canadian. Why? Because it put social issues before the game. I strongly suspect if it were a project named "The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves" Game - A Story of Love & War in Ancient China... "it would have significantly more backing. Maybe not enough to fund, but more than 1% of goal.

It almost feels like they want this project to fund based solely on folks backing it for a social issue and not for what the game itself presents, which if you read the Kickstarter page, looks like it could be a fun PC RPG to play. Sadly, as a vehicle to support LBGT rights or as an RPG, this Kickstarter has failed coming out of the gate. It's a shame.

Now, when you get to the risks and challenges you are told you are funding a playable demo, which really isn't what was being sold. Then again, I'm not sure what was actually being sold.

Ah well. I'm sure they will try again. Maybe the next time they will present it as a fun game to play FIRST as well as a game that addresses certain social issues that have become important in our time.

One Day Only - 30% Off Lulu Print Titles

Yep, Lulu is running one of those One Day Only sales, this time for 30% off with coupon. Tip of the hat to +Newt Newport for bringing it to my attention via the D101 Games Community on G+.

The coupon code you need to snag this Print Only sale is WACKY30

Folks, now is the time to suggest to The Tavern's readers not to be missed RPG titles that can be grabbed at cheap prices. Make your suggestions in the comments below. I may make my purchase when I get home from work late in the evening and your suggestions will help in the process ;)

State of The Tavern - August 18th, 2015 - Rejigging & Adjusting

As some of you already know, this summer has been a bit of a curve ball for me. My assignment, work hours and days off have changed, which has had some benefits as well as detriments.

On the negative side, working evenings has really hurt my ability to be productive on my creative side. My creative hours historically are in the evening. This has been painful. I've tried to sneak in some creativity in the in-between moments at work, but this shit is busy ;)

It's also my prime reading time. If you've noticed a lack of reviews recently, I simply find it hard to focus in the morning hours on gaming material and by the time I get home in the evening I'm usually ready for bed. Well, that or a beer ;)

For those wondering where the podcasts are - I work Sundays now and evening hours. All the podcasting was done either in the evening hours early on in the week or Sunday afternoons. Times I'm now at work. We'll see what we can do and I am considering doing some short (5 to 10 minute) solo casts.

There's also the issue that I only have one day of the weekend for now, so all the stuff that needs to get done family wise? It's getting done on Saturdays.

I'm trying to rewire the brain to be more creative in the AM. Hasn't worked much thus far.

There are some positives, both short term and long term. The new work schedule puts $30 a day in night differential into my pocket before taxes and puts half of that into my future pension. Oh, and overtime. The new office is greatly overworked and understaffed. The better the pension, the less of a need of a part time job this time next year and more time to put toward the blog, creating, writing and all the fun stuff one wants to do.

So, what sucks now pays dividends far into the future.

As an aside and reminder, Wednesday Night Tavern Chat is moving to 10pm to Midnight Eastern Time. I won't be on until about 1045 myself but that's not stopped y'all from having a blast in the past. Tomorrow night may be a short visit for me - I have to be out of the house by 630 AM Thursday morning.

Blog Spotlight - Not Another Dime (For Ken Whitman)

I have to say, as a trained investigator myself, that the writers behind the Not Another Dime (For Ken Whitman) blog are doing some amazing digging. The great thing about the internet is that it is much like the proverbial elephant - "it never forgets."

Looking for a timeline of Ken's projects with paydays and updates mapped out? It's all there.

Wants some behind the scenes info of Ken's Rapid POD fiasco? There's some tantalizing nuggets.

How about projects that Ken was the mover and shaker behind the scenes, took his share of the cash and never did the work he was paid for? Yep, it's there.

Ken has set the high water mark for how low one can go in abusing Kickstarter and Not Another Dime is doing an excellent job in highlighting Ken's misdeeds.

I do like the way NAD(FKW) presents facts and postings it's discovered on the net. Although the goal is obvious - to keep Ken from continually screwing others, the excellent support material makes it difficult to dispute the facts that are presented.

So, put aside 30 minutes or so and read a good investigative site on the Ken Whitman drama. It will be time well spent, and knowledge is power.

Humble Bundle - Dungeons & Dragons Comics Bundle

I read some of these titles back in the 90s I think.

$12 bucks is the level I went in on, which adds even more to the bundle. Stuff to load onto my tablet for bedtime reading ;)

Humble Bundle D&D Comics Bundle link is here

Guest Poster - Let in Some Fresh Air

Negative:2.
      (of a person, attitude, or situation) not desirable or optimistic

We've all been the above and some of us are there currently. I spent 25 years in a career where 90% of what you saw and dealt with was negative. It takes a toll on the human spirit eventually. We lose focus of what's important and things that matter the most. Then one day we awaken and those important things are gone, never to return.

Today, I think of James Ward. I don't know James personally, and have never met or talked with him. I only know his name from his contributions to a hobby that I partake in and enjoy. I started in the late 70's with the Holmes Basic Set and that game resonates still to me today.

The past few days several people have combined together to raise funds to assist Mr. Ward in his
burden of medical debt. These people I speak of are all involved in the RPG community either as
players, bloggers, small print publishers, or better yet as humans who muster the spirit of love in this
dark world we share.

I understand a lot of you are battling life events presently. Believe me, I understand. I've had quite a
few tragic life events the past three years. Enough to last the rest of my lifetime. And many years ago, I also battled the “paycheck-to-paycheck” lifestyle. So, I fully understand you don't have an extra dollar to share. I also understand and believe when you put someone else above your current needs, you will be rewarded in some way for that at some point.

My plea today is that we put “negative” in the closet and lock him away. Open that door “positive” and let some fresh air in. I encourage you give what you can to another person whose needs outweigh your own. Instead of that $5.00 specialty coffee or drive-thru meal today, go and give it to James.

Gamers Unite!

Tony T.

http://www.gofundme.com/vqbnpbbt

1 Corinthians 13:13

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

Kickstarter - Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls is a Real Thing - There's Pics Even!

Pic borrowed from the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls blog

Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls is apparently real now. I must say, even after looking at the PDF it just didn't click how thick the book actually was until I saw the actual pics. As an aside, that's +Ken St. Andre without his trademark hat ;)

I'm glad to see the books will be shipping shortly. Three pallets worth of dT&T at that. I have 20 pounds worth of softcovers coming my way it seems.

Interesting how the books got printed shortly after the Nuclear War 50th Anniversary Kickstarter completed (and timed well for the release of those funds to FBI.)

Tenkar's Tavern - The Cosmopolitan Magazine of the OSR

There.

It's said.

Well, not initially by me, actually, but by a poster on Zak S's thread 2 weeks ago. Yep, the same thread where Stacy Dellorfano was nice enough to state that I was having as much fun as a rock at NTRPG Con. Yep, she's apparently biting at the bit to respond to my response, just as Zak S is racing to correct the injustice of blocking me for the last 4 years on G+.

But I digress.

One comment on the G+ thread was that Tenkar's Tavern was the Cosmo of the OSR. I assume they meant Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Now, if they were trying to insult me by comparing me to the most influential and most read women's magazine, they failed at a very high standard.

Millions of copies of Como are published each month. It actually had a monthly circulation of over 3 million in 2011. Assuming it's lost half of that in the last 4 years, it's still an engagement with readers I would kill for. Alright, perhaps merely maim.

Now, I DON'T ask my readers about the sexual positions enjoyed by elves or the best way to manipulate your DM using sexual innuendos or what combination of races have the best "half-races", but maybe I'm missing something. Is this something readers of The Tavern actually want or just those that follow Zak? Or is it, perhaps, something that they wish they had at The Tavern but don't, and wish The Tavern could provide?

Fuck if I know. But the comparison is accurate on one level - The Tavern IS the most read OSR blog. If the rest of you don't mind, I'm going to leave out the sex articles. If you need those, I'm sure you can find them on your own.

After Meeting the Murderhobo, What is Your Favorite Multiclass Combination?

So, we met the Murderhobo yesterday (although written for Labyrinth Lord, he can easily be used with any OSR system to derail most any campaign ;) and it got me thinking about multiclassed characters.

For me, my favorite multiclassed characters have either been the straight up Cleric with a high strength (allowing him to be a very effective fighter up to at least mid levels) or the Magic-User / Thief. There is an awful lot of synergy between magic and thievery. Both classes tend to avoid front line (or any line) of direct combat.

Actually, if were playing with gnomes, Illusionist / Thief might have even better synergy than MU / Thief, especially if one is looking to enhance their thievery side.

Never saw much of a need for a Fighter / MU and Cleric / Anything is pretty useless, as a cleric is pretty much a spell casting fighter in any case.

So, what is your favorite multiclass combination?

Kickstarter - The Grande Temple of Jing - Releasing GenCon 2013? Oh, GenCon 2014 - er, Nope - Ah, Finally GenCon 2015

Way back in 2013 I wrote a post about The Grande Temple of Jing Kickstarter. It was to be the bestest, most amazing megadungeon ever produced - at least best of any based off of a 2001 release of a 40 page adventure for D20.

You too can turn 40 black and white pages into a 300+ page full color hard cover. It might just take 2 years longer than you expected.

In any case the new, improved The Grande Temple of Jing released at GenCon this year. Two years later than estimated (August 2013). I never backed this one so I completely forgot about it until I was poked by a reader.

Why the delay?

The Grande Temple of Jing is the dungeoncrawl that rules them all. It is a megadungeon designed in the spirit of old school games, but with modern rules and sensibilities. It is presented here for the Pathfinder system, but it can be modified to play with your favorite fantasy RPG. It is designed for levels 1-20 but if this Kickstarter reaches its first stretch goal, then we will add content for epic level characters as well. 

A part of the grande temple was originally published in 2000 as a thin, digest sized book, compatible with the d20 system. With your help we will update, upgrade, and MASSIVELY expand that book. In effect, we will make it the adventure it was always meant to be. Our goal is to create a full color hardcover tome that any roleplayer would be proud to have on their shelves. Professional production will ensure that retailers can display the book confidently on store shelves.

So yeah. The first rule of a successful Kickstarter is have 90% written before kicking. 40 pages of a 300+ page book puts it around 13% written when kicked. 12 celebrity creators and fan submissions didn't help.

Strangely enough, the deluxe Tunnels & Trolls kickstarter will also be shipping books soon. It's estimate shipping date? August 2013.

Must be something in the air...

PWYW - The Murderhobo (The name itself should be warning enough - Labyrinth Lord Class)

Ever want to play a class that reflects how many characters are actually played? Are you ready for the fall out of letting a Murderhobo in your group of murderhobos? Then this is the class for you at Pay What You Want pricing...

Now finally you can play an actual Murderhobo in your murderhobo games! This new class for Labyrinth Lord lets you hack and slash with the best of them while being able to be sneaky and sling spells! Ostensibly a multiclassed Fighter/Thief/Magic-User, this class literally gets away with and benefits from murder! 

Multiclass without needing multiclass rules! 

Kill your enemies with brute force, sneakiness, or even full-on magic to the face! 

XP bonus increases with every kill! 

Sacrifice your smarts and social skills to give yourself the edge in combat! 

Use your meatshields effectively! 

Talk your way out of all the death and destruction you leave in your wake! 

Three variants: the Low Templar, the Deathblade, and the Strider! 

WARNING TO GMS/JUDGES/REFEREES: This class isn't recommended for actual use in any game. Unless you let EVERY player use this class. And then there will be shenanigans. You've been warned.

New Time for Tavern Chat - 10PM to Midnite (Eastern) - Still Wednesday Nites

As I adjust to the new work hours I'm realizing that trying to host Tavern Chat from 830 to 10 PM on a Wednesday Night when I get off work at 1005 just isn't going to work. Yeah, it's kinda obvious, but I can be dense.

So, we're moving the hors to 10 PM to Midnite, still Wednesday nights. Now, I won't be home until about 1040 or so, but as folks tend to arrive early it should still work.

I'd also like to add in a Friday morning Tavern Chat once a month or so for those in the more distant time zones - that would be 10 AM to Noon, Eastern. More on this soon. Probably won't kick off until September.

I'm usually available in the mornings from 10 to noon if someone needs to raise me on Google Chat or Facebook Messenger.

Alright, all for now ;)

I Apologize for Missing Last Night's Tavern Chat

These new work hours are wrecking havoc with my non work-life ;)

There are some night's where I actually get to sit down and have a meal (and therefore access my phone and Tavern Chat and the like) and other nights that are just non stop.

Such was last night.

I'd push it to 1030xMidnight if folks were agreeable or y'all can simply chat amongst yourselves. You don't need me to keep the tradition going, though I do miss it when I am absent.

So, do we more the hours later? I'd change the night, but the only free nights are Friday / Saturday and I suspect folks have stuff going on on those nights (besides, Rach might kill me)

Let me know your thoughts.

Kickstarter - Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls - Latest Update - More Gravy, Sill Waiting on Meat

In case you missed it, Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter had an estimated release date of August, 2013. Now, I'm I know I'm going to get flack for this but releasing the rules in PDF earlier this summer does not constitute delivery. Nor does shipping out adventures and pencils and other filler.

The latest update (just a snippet) - "Friends: During our kickstarter, we promised you all a pdf of a GM screen for Deluxe T&T. It is now done, and available from Drivethru using the following link: (link not included obviously)... The hardcopy of the GM screen is now at the printer, and those of you who paid $5 for a hardcopy will be getting it soon."

Here's the deal, at least for me. All these extras are just that - extras. What good is a hardcopy of the GM screen if the 10 copies of the softcover and 1 copy of the hardcover of dT&T I paid for are still not on the horizon? It's hard to run a game with only 1 PDF copy of it in the group (sure, I could pass it around and make copies, but that would be unethical. Maybe one code per physical copy paid for would have helped)

We missed summer of 2013 (not a surprise and wasn't really expected) and summer of 2014 (where I was hopeful) and now summer of 2015 will be passing us by.

Eh, it will still probably ship before Far West even gives a complete PDF...

The Tavern's Patrons Are Amazing - $505 Raised for Jim Ward in 12 Hrs - Plus The Tavern's $250 Match

You folks are frigging awesome!

This is one hell of a community. It always humbles me in a very good way :)

$505 given by Tavern readers thus far.

Keep giving to Jim Ward folks.

There is a GoFundMe to Help with Jim Ward's Medical Bills - The Tavern Will Match the First $250 Donated by Tavern Readers

First things first - here is Jim Ward's GoFundMe Page for help with his medical bills.

This is what The Tavern is going to do.

Any Tavern Reader that donates to Jim's medical bills at the above site needs to post the amount they donated in the comments here. I'll match at least the first $250 donated by The Tavern's readers.

Each night I'll tally up the day's donations and will match that day's total up to $250 for the entire campaign. I may go beyond that, but I'll need to look at Friday's paycheck.

I know y'all are a generous bunch :)

Jim Ward Needs Help with Medical Bills - White Star Printer Proofs Up for Auction

James Spahn originally shared:

Jim Ward has been an icon of gaming for almost 40 years. From Metamorphosis Alpha, to Dieties and Demigods, Greyhawk Adventures and countless other supplements - he's been there practically from the beginning.

Well, Jim's in trouble. He posted this on his Facebook today (Tuesday, August 11th, 2015)

"Got terrible news today. I need lots more hospital time with several more foot operations. How am I ever going to get work done in a situation like this. Bills are mounting and I have to be home to get much work done. I don't remember when I have been this miserable."

I want to help. I'm not a rich man - but I do have something to give. I have two print copies of White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying. They are proofs, with errors. Author's notes are in the softcover. There are literally only two copies of these books in the world and they will never exist again.

I'm auctioning them off, with 100% of the money raised going to help Jim. If you'd like to bid, simply send me an e-mail at JSpahn1978 (AT) gmail (DOT) com. Put "Jim Ward Auction" in your subject line and simply tell me your bid. Each book must be bid on individually.

The bidding will be open until Friday, August 21st, midnight Eastern Standard Time. Payment from the winner will be made via paypal. This auction IS open to international bidders, though all bids must be given in US dollars.

Let's do something great for Jim, guys.

I don't know what the bid is for the soft cover right now, but The Tavern is in at $250 for it - Tenkar

Deal of the Day - Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts (OSR by Dyson)

Now here's a Deal of the Day to take a chunk of:

Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts (just 3 bucks for the next 23 hrs or so) contains everything you need to run a spellcaster in Labyrinth Lord and other basic fantasy OSR games. For completion, this tome includes the three core spellcasting classes, and adds ten more, along with full rules for all their assorted spells.

Chapter 1 – Classes

Cleric (warrior-priests)
Wizard (classic magic-users with 10 levels of spells)
Elven Swordmage (elves from the core rules – arcane warriors)
Elven Warder (wilderness elves, guardians of their kin)
Enchanter (artists, con-men, and masters of… duh… enchantments)
Fleshcrafter (twisted magic-users that work with flesh)
Healer (compassionate and tough hearth-healers)
Inquisitor (ecclesiastic investigators and master intimidators)
Merchant Prince (elite merchants with spellcasting support)
Necromancer (you know exactly what these guys do)
Pact-Bound (magic-users who sell their souls for power)
Theurge (divine casters who learn from liturgical texts)
Unseen (thieves with an innate knack for magic)

Chapter 2 – Spells

All the spells for all these classes are included (including the core spells from Labyrinth Lord).

Chapter 3 – Magic Items

28 pages of new magic items generally aimed towards spellcasters (with a few sneak ones thrown in for the Unseen). From new and unusual potions to exotic rings and a collection of new figurines of wondrous power, this chapter also focuses on making magic items unique in your game - avoiding the pitfalls of every campaign having the same gauntlets of ogre power and rings of protection.

Chapter 4 – Creatures

Just a few monsters in this short chapter – one referenced earlier in the book and  rules for summoning & conjuring alternate types of elementals (wind, crystal, dungeon, wave, moss, thorn, smoke, zephyr and so on).

Finally there’s a short section on using this book with the Advanced Edition Companion. 99% of this book was written using only the core Labyrinth Lord rules without referencing the AEC at all, and therefore there are some suggestions for mixing these rules with the AEC ones – primarily adding AEC spells to the existing spell lists, and the revised hit dice for the various classes if using the optional AEC hit dice.

Kickstarter - Quantum Black (Ubiquity System Modern Horror)

If there is one of those new fangled RPG systems I'd like to play with, it's Ubiquity. To my aging eyes and sensibilities, it seems like a much streamlined and simplified Savage Worlds. Not that I have anything agains Savage Worlds, as it does have some excellent setting books. It just seems to me that the rules are ore complicated than they need to be. Maybe it's more accurate to say they are more complicated than I need them to be.

I've been intrigued by the Ubiquity rules ever since I stumbled across Hollow Earth Expedition. Which of course makes Quantum Black even more intriguing to me.

So, what is Quantum Black?

The Quantum Black setting is a modern day action-horror roleplaying game in a world much like ours. However, hidden supernatural threats are growing. Evil cults, horrors from beyond space and time, and other monsters all rise to terrorize the world. Someone needs to stop them. 

Are you up to the Task?  

In the Quantum Black setting, you play an employee of Quantum Integrated Technologies. You are on a secret black ops team that is out to save the world from a rising tide of unimaginable horrors. Equipped with the best weapons, cutting edge electronics, and various drones you will board the company jet to track monsters down to save the day. You are prepared for anything–or at least you think you are.  

You can have hours of fun stopping monsters and still keep your sanity intact. 

Quantum Black is a story and action driven setting that is powered by the award winning rules of Exile Game Studio’s Ubiquity Roleplaying System. The contents are compatible with other Hollow Earth, Ubiquity-powered games.

Looks damn cool.

Then I look at the support levels, and I'm left scratching my head.

So, if the Quick Play doesn't unlock (and Quick Plays are usually free in PDF but not here) you spend $10 for no reason. I see why the option has no backers.

 $20 for a PDF with no stretch goals. That's steep in my opinion.

$35 for a PDF WITH stretch goals, which may or may not be met. Yeah, er - no.

$40 for the Soft Cover, PDF and stretch goals in PDF. So, print is only 5 bucks more? Oh, and Hard Cover is just 5 bucks more than that? Oops, make that 10 bucks more now, as $45 has sold out.

Then you notice there are 51 backers and just over $6,300 in backing - that's over $120 per backer

My math only accounts for $3,330 in backing - leaving $3,000 in unaccounted for funding. Not a good sign.

Damn me and my vetting!

 

White Star Regains #1 Spot at RPGNow - Talk About Long (Virtual) Shelf Life

+James Spahn 's White Star RPG has crawled back to the #1 Hottest Title over at RPGNow. It's been unseated a handful of times but always seems to reagins the spot. Green Ronin's Fantasy Age (I want to call this a generic fantasy version of Dragon Age, but I suspect that is a simplification) is the most recent title to bump White Star, only to lose the #1 position to the very product it bumped.

Which reminds me. I need to do some more White Star content.

Another product with long life on the hottest sellers list is the Creature Compendium by +Richard LeBlanc , which has been hanging on since early April.

Yeah, I like to point out the OSR picks ;)

Next up - some not to be missed RPG Kickstarters (see, I can do positive Kickstarter posts )

Onebookself Servers Hacked

I just had this forwarded to me:

Subject: Security Notice Affecting DriveThruRPG.com Customers

Dear customer,

I regret to inform you that one of our servers suffered a security breach which may have compromised your credit card information.

You are receiving this email because you made a purchase (or attempted to make a purchase) on our site using a credit card between July 6th, 2015 and the morning of August 6th, 2015. There is a 50% chance that hackers were able to collect your credit card information. We recommend that you contact your credit card issuing bank and ask them to replace any cards that you used for charges on our site, and also look over your most recent statements for any suspicious charges.

Our technical team has identified the issue and has secured our servers. Our websites are once again safe to use.

Information such as your name and email address were potentially compromised as well.

Login passwords are stored encrypted with a one-way hash and cannot be decrypted. You do not need to change your account password, but you are more than welcome to do so on your Account page at any time if you wish.

We are truly sorry this incident occurred and sincerely regret the inconvenience it causes you. Navigating credit card company call center menus is no one\'s idea of a good time.

Security has always been our top concern and up until this incident we were proud of our security record at DriveThruRPG.com. We will continue to do everything we can to keep our marketplace secure going forward.

More information on this is available on this page:
http://support.drivethrurpg.com/entries/69850064-Security-Breach-Q-A

Kickstarter ISN'T as Bad as Some Make it Look - Balancing the Perception

As I sit at my desk brainstorming for the article I owe Old School Quarterly on the subject of RPG Kickstarters, it occurs to me that the perception of Kickstarters in our corner of the gaming universe is defined like much of the public's perception of law enforcement is defined - by a handful of bad apples in a very large bushel.

Failures, fuckovers, pyramid schemes and the like are relatively rare in the world of Kickstarter. The vast majority of successfully funded projects ship quality products. The +Kevin Crawford s (where you get the beta PDF the moment you back), +Joseph Bloch s, Melia Valors (PDF less than 3 weeks after completion), the Reapers, the Frog God Games, the Goodman Games, the Monte Cooks, +Pete Spahn s, +Peter Regan s, the Dwarven Forges, +Lloyd Metcalf s, The Steve Jackson Games, +Newt Newport s, +Lesser Gnome s, +michael mindes, the Troll Lord Games (edit more better damn you!) and many others wouldn't be producing the quality products they are if it weren't for Kickstarter.

The Gareths, Nysuls, Whitmans, Brave Halflings and a few other bad apples each define their failures uniquely. There is no singular path to failed success.

Here at The Tavern, I certainly do hold the bad projects and project creators feet in the fire if you will, as I don't want anyone getting burned by these folks in the future. The thing is, much of the future of our hobby is linked to Kickstarter whether we wish it to be or not. There are good, skilled, honest creators and companies that wouldn't be able to produce what the do - or produce it to the higher standards that they would like - without Kickstarter. Kickstarter shifts some of the risk of a project on the consumer and away from the producer (there's an article right there come to think of it.)

In any case, the articles for OSQ will need to find a balance of exposing the bad while highlighting the good. In retrospect, I think I need to find a bit more of the balance here at The Tavern.

Wayward Kickstarters - Myth & Magic Player's and Gamemaster's Guides - A Pair of Pink Elephants?

It's been a while since I posted about Tom and the Mythical Magical Mystery known as Myth & Magic. It's actually two Kickstarters - one for the Player's Guide (which i backed) and one for the Gamemaster's Guide (which i didn't back - so, no access to updates on that side.)

So, what's new? Here's part of the Feb 4th, 2015 update (hot on the heels of the April 2014 update.)

Now, I know the guys at NTRPG Con got one copy shipped to them just prior to the 2014 Con that June. The problem is they paid for four copies. As of June 2015 the rest of their copies still hadn't shown.

But hey, we know the copies exist, right? We have a picture of the book from March 4th, 2013 and I actually received my copy (after Tom posted my shipping info in the Kickstarter comments section - bad Tom, very bad) and it didn't come with the expected anthrax or cat piss. It's actually a nice looking book that's well laid and would probably be a fun clone to play if it didn't come with all of the attached drama.

Folks are still waiting on their copies over two years later.

Now, there's an interesting tidbit in the comments section of the Player's Guide referencing the latest update for the Gamemaster's Guide (where Tom couldn't find the time to make an update for nearly 15 months, but graced the backers with the latest news on July 16th of this year.)

So, you know those unsent copies of the Player's Guide? Looks like they don't exist. If cost is a factor, why are you rolling it all into one book if you have printed copies of the PG left to send to backers? It doesn't make sense. Well, unless your initial print run was just enough to shut folks up. Makes sense why backers of multiple copies just got one copy delivered - there literally weren't enough copies to go around. I guess my hardcover copy is a collector's item now ;)

BTW, you can grab a copy of the M&M Player's Guide for $9.99 in softcover at Lulu.

Wayward Kickstarter - Champions of Zed - Have you Seen this Creator? Last Seen on Kickstarter October 28, 2014

Yep. This was the last update for Champions of Zed. See that email? It's apparently dead now. One person in the comments section reported getting their copy. Everybody else? "Where's mine?"

Now, as Daniel states above he intended to have "them all sent by the holidays" and it doesn't state which holiday or year, I guess the idea is to keep the backers guessing.

Did I mention it's estimated ship date was August of 2012? Hey, at least we know Gareth, Mike and Ken might possibly come through on some level with physical rewards. Alright, maybe not Mike, but her get's points for admitting he fucked up. Daniel? Who the hell knows.

This could be another Myth & Magic fiasco assuming a percentage of copies start arriving to random mailboxes. Actually, another M&M update post should be around the corner.

Let Ken Whitless Teach YOU How to Bilk Honest Folks out of Cold Hard Cash

I think the picture speaks for itself.

Here's the link.

Huge tip of the hat to Eldric IV for this Whitman Gold!

Ken Whitless Greatest Hits - "You Can't Cancel What You Never Reserved" & "For Just $10 You Can Take On $10000 of Debt and Responsibilities" (More Hits Coming Daily - Act Now, Supplies are Limitless!)

The following is written by guest poster +Christopher Stogdill . Some more stuff happened overnight, which I'll highlight at the end - Tenkar

1st off I know everybody is pretty much full of Ken Whitman talk and while I get it, letting the issue die down for the simple sake of preserving one’s sanity is a tradeoff of silence that enables Ken to possibly swindle someone else. Odds are if you’re reading this you have a passing familiarity with the situation and this is at best a popcorn moment. If so, good for you…..

I’m posting this, through Erik, as part of my “not another dime” campaign, as in I want to make sure Ken Whitman doesn’t ever make another dime in this industry. I’m far from alone in this matter, but Ken still has his supporters. I have no clue why outside maybe Ken has a high CHA score.

The Mrs. and I went to GenCon for a day with only one event in mind….the Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series (KoDT:LAS) “premiere”. We had backed at $450 and the big bump in backer level was for front-row seating and an after-party. The weekend before the big event Ken got pissy and decided to cancel the after party.

Right off……I have to call some major BS here. There were to be three after-parties originally, back-to-back in two hour increments. Hell, for some stupid reason you can STILL buy tickets to these events! (http://d20entertainment.com/d20-entertainment-gen-con-after-party/) Major hint here Ken…..just removing the links to a webpage from your other pages doesn’t make that webpage go away!  The BS part about Ken’s narrative of getting mad at Jolly Blackburn and then canceling the party out of spite is that there were to be two other parties, both of which were unrelated to the KoDT:LAS. Either way you cannot cancel an event that is mythical. Ken Whitman never reserved the party location. I met with the sales manager at the hotel and confirmed that Ken had filled out reservation paperwork, but he put down a credit card that was declined. Since he never returned the hotel’s calls or emails to get updated payment, the room was never reserved.

So the parties didn’t have a venue and they didn’t have the promised attendees either. Ken never bothered to invite or make arrangements for the actors to attend GenCon and the after-party despite that being the whole selling point of that Kickstarter backer level…..and his contract with KenzerCo.

Some fans and the guys over at Zombie Orpheus Entertainment (ZOE) worked with Jolly Blackburn and GenCon to secure a room for an after party and bent over backwards scrambling to bring as many of the KoDT:LAS actors to GenCon that they could. Everyone but Christopher Folan (Dave) was able to get there, at no small expense and effort. Ken didn’t have ANYTHING to do with this after-party or the actors, but he still put out a ham-fisted effort to take credit anyway.

Barely 26 hours before the KoDT:LAS premiere Ken sends an email out to a few select folks (I counted six people) informing them of the “new” after-party at small restaurant starting at 11 PM, and hour after the “unofficial” after-party. It really seemed that maybe Ken thought he could hobble something together and consider that part of the Kickstarter fulfilled. Never mind the fact he didn’t have anything promised and paid for by backers. The actors would be at the other party and who the hell wants to start a party at 11pm? Nope, doesn’t meet the fulfillment in any real (and legal) sense.

A group of the backers arrived early to the event and saw there was a considerable line already. We formed our own group and when the GenCon staff asked us if we were there for the event some of us…..ok me, was less than nice to them in making it clear that we were backers, had no tickets, and sure as hell weren’t getting into the main line. I did apologize……and they lined us upon the opposite side of the doors. Since most of us knew each other we pretty much policed ourselves and lined up according to our backer levels. From my prime vantage spot I could listen in on the staff a bit and see that Ken Whitman was holed up in the room instead of coming out as promised in his video earlier in the week. If you haven’t seen that video, don’t watch the original…this copy is much better (http://dontfundkenwhitman.blogspot.com/2015/07/ken-whitman-faces-lie-detector-in-his.html). While Ken never left the room, he did send his girlfriend out. Easy enough to recognize her from the vacation photos.  I think she is the one that ferried a list of the backers to the staff for admittance. I saw the list and it wasn’t organized by backer level (remember two folks paid a HUGE premium for their seats) and was incomplete. Instead of giving us tickets as promised (and stated as having been sent out at least once) this list was the only information GenCon had….and I wasn’t on it, not even as a “+1”. The staff where pretty cool though and they knew that the list was messed up so for the most part they just took out word for it. Jolly and Barb Blackburn showed up and offered to help the staff, but they pretty much just decided it was a mess and assume folks were being honest.

The only issue at that point was that they didn’t have enough chairs in the room because their seating never accounted for the backers! I believe that the ZOE guys came through again and gave the staff a head’s up because they were moving in chairs BEFORE they got the partial backer list.

The showing went off well enough and everyone was pretty damned civil. I agree that Jolly did a bang-up job with the script and the actors rocked, but the two rough-cut episodes were…well, rough. I highly doubt Ken will be in any position to finish them up, much less send out DVDs to backers. I wasn’t pleased, but I’ll freely admit I went into this viewing anticipating more of Ken’s BS, but we did keep it civil, as requested. I think most of us that would have started a riot knew that Barbara Blackburn was in a bit of an anxious state because of all the drama. It was bad enough that earlier in the day some of us decided every time she said the name “Ken” she got a hug…because she needed it. At the end of the showing we had a brief Q&A, but only because Jolly and the ZOE guys pretty much took control and brought up the actors. Even though two of the ZOE troop were in the KoDT:LAS, it seemed obvious to me they were putting focus on the two newer actors (Jenny Simmons and Josh Logsdon playing Sara and Brian). The session was cut short to prep the room for the next event and everyone had about an hour to kill before the after-party.

The after-party was “meh”, but still worth attending. Geekpreacher bought me and the Mrs. each a “soda” for a total of $10. Our drinks consisted of one can of diet coke split between two glasses, with some left over. That was all hotel there. We did get some more Mike Mason and our very own Cahira doing a belly dance (full costume and everything). It was a good time to mill about and chat with folks, just wasn’t what I consider a “party”, but quite surprising when you consider the unusual constraints involved. There was some free swag donated by several game companies that knew about the fiasco and wanted to pitch in, even if just a little bit. Even though he wasn’t there, I think Ken helped cast a pall over what should have been a much brighter moment of revelry.

Now I knew of some of Ken’s breaches of contract with KenzerCo, hard not to with all the talk going on at the KenzerCo booth earlier in the day. Of course Dave Kenzer is about as cool and collected as can be. Not so much “I’m a lawyer and we have his ass over a barrel” cool, but a “Don’t give the guy any power over you” type of cool. I have always admired folks who can take in the big picture and be cool about shit, but that isn’t me. We knew that Ken Whitman was to have a meeting with Jolly and Dave regarding the contract and at the viewing Ken straight-up said he’d be giving KenzerCo the film, but instead he skipped out of the meeting and also did a no-show at the Friday 10 AM viewing. Later Ken posted on Facebook that there had been a threat on his life and that GenCon cancelled “everything except the premieres”.

Again, I have to call BS. Ken cut and pasted an email form GenCon showing that event FLM1569413 had been cancelled, but the Friday viewing was event FLM1569412. As of yesterday it was still listed as an event on the GenCon website. If they had cancelled that event then it would at least have the right number. No, I think that Ken cancelled a later showing for Thursday night quite some time ago and simply recycled the email as an excuse. This would explain why GenCon doesn’t have anything to say about the alleged cancellation for Friday’s viewing and didn’t notify ticket holders of the cancellation.

Since GenCon Ken has been emailing multiple folks in the industry trying to sell the fulfillment of the Pencil Dice Kickstarter for $10. In the email he admits to squandering the money and he had already admitted in an interview that he spent Pencil Dice money on KoDT:LAS, but what he have recently learned is that was actually Ken paying back an independent investor to the KoDT:LAS that he needed because he squandered that money.

So it appears that Ken is broke and trying to get out from his obligations…period. Ken has admitted, or had exposed, that he has spent Kickstarter money basically on anything but the projects he collected the money for in the first place. At this point people need to get the FCC and their Attorney Generals involved in this. When they do they need to make sure they are complaining about Ken Whitman himself and not d20 entertainment. Why?

Because d20 entertainment DOES NOT EXIST. It is a figment of Ken Whitman’s imagination and d20 Entertainment does not exist as a legal entity in any of the 50 states. I know because I’ve checked with the Secretary of State of all 50 states. If you go ahead and check Kentucky, the state that Ken lives in and presumably the one d20 entertainment should reside in, you will find an entry. By all means, check it out for yourself. I won’t tell you what is special about that entry, but you can figure it out for yourself.

So in the last week I’ve uncovered evidence about Ken lying about his webstore, his after-parties, his GenCon cancellation, and even his company. That is four pretty big things…..but still some people believe his BS - Christopher

Alright, have you seen this letter?

Ken was asked in the Kickstarter comments section if it was real (the phone number is) - he didn't answer that. As an aside, you can't reassign responsibilities in Kickstarter - see Dwimmermount

BTW, that car Ken was driving around to the filming set and elsewhere? According to Ken, that was a 2 week test drive that cost him nothing. Yeah... right.

Go to the KotDT: LAS comments section - but first, grab a beer and some popcorn. More drama, more laughs, more lies - simply more of everything!

Free - Night of the Mad Kobold - (S&W, PF and Savage Worlds)

Night of the Mad Kobold is a free offering from Cut to the Chase Games. CttC is apparently offering this adventure for free in 3 different flavors to bring some attention to their soon to be released Kickstarter.

The price is right. I love free adventures because I always find something to steal even if I don't use the adventure as is.

The town of Cresthill enjoys a favorable location along the winding Graywand River. Trade is good, and the prominent gnomes of House Kelver run most of the businesses to the prosperity of the people. Now, however, a dangerous lunatic—a kobold from the nearby Talon Hills—has decided the gnomes of House Kelver need to be a taught a fiery lesson, and only a band of heroes can stop his plot. 

WK0 Night of the Mad Kobold is a short adventure designed for a group of six 1st-level characters for the Swords & Wizardry RPG, but compatible with most OSR games (Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, etc.). It is set in a generic fantasy setting, easily transportable to most fantasy campaigns. It stands alone but can also serve as an introduction to the WRATH OF THE KOBOLDS module trilogy from Cut to the Chase Games. 

A Fantasy Renaissance Adventure Module brought to you by your friends at Cut to the Chase Games! 

SPECIAL PRICE! FREE until the end of the Fantasy Renaissance Adventure Module Kickstarter* (launching in early August 2015). Get it while it's free!

Wayward Kickstarter - The Life & Times of Ken Whitless, Living "Day by Day" on a Cruise - The Horrors! - Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series

Wow.

Simply wow.

Move over Gareth. There is no room in the inn Wandering Wizard. Even Brave Little Halflings are overshadowed by the man, the myth, the Mr. Whitman himself - otherwise known as simply "Ken".

I'm only going to share one of the damning Facebook conversation images here. Go to the Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series comments section for others.

Yes, Whitless is a piece of shit...

Tavern Chat Tonight 830 Eastern

Almost forgot that tonight is a Tavern Chat night.

I'll try to drop in for a bit via my phone's app. I may have to move the night temporarily with my new work hours.

Lots to talk.about :)

Pocket Weapons - Web-Slinger (White Star)

Art by Jeshields - Used with permission

The Web-Slinger is used by occupying military forces and some planetary police forces to control rioters and large crowds. Each Web-Slinger has a cartridge that holds 3 shots of a specially formulated compressed liquid polyurethane that spreads out in flexible but immensely strong strands from it's targeted location. For all intents and purposes, the Web-Slinger is is essentially a Three Charge Wand of Web in Swords & Wizardry rules (if such existed.) The Web Spell is included here for ease of reference (note, range is increased to 120 ft :

Web

Spell Level: M2

Range: 120 ft.

Duration: 8 hours

Fibrous, sticky webs fill an area up to 10 × 10 × 20 feet. It is extremely difficult to get through the mass of strands—it takes one turn if a torch and sword (or a flaming sword) are used, and creatures larger than a horse can break through in 2 turns. Humans take longer to break through—perhaps 3 to 4 turns or longer at the Referee’s discretion. 

OGL

What were the Big Gen Con Releases this Year?

To be honest, I don't seem to recall any major RPG releases being mentioned leading up to Gen Con 2015 and I don't see anything being talked about post Gen Con.

Well, thats not true. Post Gen Con talk has focused on the embarrassing stunt Cam Banks and friends pulled at the ENnies and then there is the whole Ken Whitman fiasco with his assorted video releases that weren't released (and death threats!)

Was anything of note actually released at Gen Con this year?

Free - The Sandbox #2 - Sine Nomine Publishing

+Kevin Crawford is what ever Kickstarter creator should seek to be - the ultimate professional who delivers his Kickstarters early and at an amazing value. Part of that value is that he consistently gives back to the community with free releases like The Sandbox #2.

What do you get with The Sandbox #2?

Behold the second issue of The Sandbox, a free irregular journal from Kevin Crawford and Sine Nomine Publishing. Sine Nomine fans have noticed the regular flow of freebie material I've produced, such as the Mandate Archive series for Stars Without Number, Black Streams for the Red Tide setting, and other free releases for other systems and particulars. The Sandbox is an umbrella for these free resources, packed with the short articles, quick-roll tables, and GM helps that others have found so useful. 

In this 21-page issue of The Sandbox, you'll find... 

Lifepath Characters for Stars Without Number, a new method of character creation for my free sci-fi game Stars Without Number. Use guided rolls and the Life Event generator to brew up a hero for interstellar adventure. The PCs created with this system are essentially compatible with the results you get from the standard method, so you can freely mix the two together in your campaigns. (this can easily be modified for use with any OSR based sci-fi RPG, or used as inspiration to create your own Life Path. simply filled with inspiration - ET)

The Blademaster, a new character class for Scarlet Heroes and similar old-school-inspired games. Learn the secret arts of the ancient schools of war and wield their ineffable powers in battle. It comes with guidelines and tips for creating your own blademaster schools personalized for your own campaigns. 

Quick Temples and Shrines is a one-roll generator for quickly generating a temple or fane for your freshly-brewed planet or time-lost city. Discover the problems that raddle the priests and the friends and foes that might complicate a PC's pilgrimage. 

Quick Religious Revolts will help a GM discover the details behind a recent uprising of some oppressed faith or the savage revolt of a sect of zealous fanatics. If your PCs are unlucky, they might just be able to get front-row seats to the festivities.

You can't get a better price than free. Even if you don't use Sine Nomine products (and if you don't own them, why? Stars Without Number is free too) there is a ton of inspiration here that can take you down your own paths.

New Dungeons & Dragons Movie set in the Forgotten Realms - Drizzt & Elminister Anyone?

It's official. There's a new Dungeons & Dragons movie and the works, and it might actually NOT SUCK.

Warner Bros. Pictures, Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures and Sweetpea Entertainment are moving forward on a feature film franchise based on Dungeons & Dragons, the world’s most popular role playing game. Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis, Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman of Sweetpea Entertainment, and Roy Lee (“The LEGO Movie,” “How to Train Your Dragon”) are attached as producers. 

Highlighting the priority being given to the project, Warner Bros. Pictures already has a script, written by David Leslie Johnson (“The Conjuring 2,” “Wrath of the Titans”).
“We are so excited about bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life on the big screen,” said Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. “This is far and away the most well-known brand in fantasy, which is the genre that drives the most passionate film followings. D&D has endless creative possibilities, giving our filmmakers immense opportunities to delight and thrill both fans and moviegoers new to the property.” 

“This is such an enormous opportunity to bring the rich fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms to life and, together with the creative powerhouse of Warner Bros., use movies to tell the stories that have enchanted passionate D&D fans for decades,” said Stephen Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Hasbro, Inc. “D&D is the role-playing game that started it all and now we have the opportunity to ignite a franchise for its legions of avid fans in a way never done before.”

Comicbook.com has the rest of the press release.

Notice the Forgotten Realms is the setting?  Can Drizzt and Elminster be far behind?

Kickstarter - Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter (1e)

I've been so distracted by negative events with certain Kickstarter projects (Ken Whitman can take numerous bows and curtain calls for this) that I've managed to miss some recent well respected Kickstarter releases.

So, here's the first post rectifying that :)

Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter is a huge megadungeon and setting. What exactly is it tho? Is it old? New? Does it harken back to the days of the hobby's beginning?

THE HOBBY SHOP DUNGEON is an adventure game setting originally created by Ernest Gary Gygax Jr. in 1978 while working as a clerk for the fondly-remembered Dungeon Hobby Shop of Lake Geneva, WI. Inspired by the many games and campaigns he played with his father and many friends, and aided by incomplete maps initially drawn by Terry Kuntz, Ernest came up with a large sprawling dungeon complex that could be used to run games at the store. Since then, more than a thousand players have explored its depths, as remembered by Ernest, including TSR alumni, family members, customers and gamer friends, up to 22 players per sitting! It has been played in a variety of venues including Margaret Weis’s and Don Perrin’s Game Guild, in California’s Dungeons & Dragons Entertainment division, as a special event for game conventions and many more besides. 

This is the entire dungeon and setting around it that GP Adventures wants to bring to publication via its Hobby Shop Dungeon game line, starting now with the Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter.

It does have history, which is exciting. What's even more exciting to me is that +Benoist Poiré has been drawing the maps. I love Benoist's style of mapping.

The project is already funded ($29k with a goal of $20k) and has nearly a month left to run. I expect a ton of stretch goals will be hit. Thus far, some have been add ons and some have added to the base reward goal.

The most recently achieved stretch goal is the add on Sci Fi Conversion, to be written by none other than +James Spahn of White Star fame:

We just zoomed past our $27,500 stretch goal, and that means James Spahn will help us flesh out the optional Science-fiction/Science-fantasy customization document we have now added to our list of Add-ons to this Kickstarter project.  

If you would like a copy, add $5 to your pledge, and you will get a digital (PDF) document detailing how to use the Marmoreal Tomb and its Expansions in a sci-fi campaign, along with a sample adaptation described using the White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying game.  

Next up are Pathfinder and 5e conversion documents.

I'm in. Probably at some ungodly amount. Need Wilderness and Underworld expansions. Player's Guides would be cool too. Damn it!

Pocket Creatures - Ginat Leaf Bug (Swords & Wizardry / White Star)

Photo by Erik Tenkar - Side Note - This critter hitched a ride from Hawley PA to somewhere on Route 15 in NJ,  holding on at speeds that exceeded 60 MPH at points

The Giant Leaf Bug comes in at a sizable 2'-3' across when it's wings are fully expended. They are hard to find in temperate zones and the like, with their natural camouflage resulting in a 1 in 12 chance of spotting the Giant Leaf Bug when coming within 10' of it.

Giant Leaf Bugs are hunted for their sticky secretions, that can hold up to 2,000 pounds with just a drop. The average giant leaf bug, when harvested by a skilled hunter, can produced 2 to 12 drops of secretions, valued at 100 GP / Credits per drop. An unskilled hunter will be able to harvest 1d6-3 drops of secretion.

Giant Leaf Bugs are solitary creatures that would rather hide or flee than fight. If they win initiative in a round, they will take of in flight, allowing creatures directly engaged with the Giant Leaf Bug a final attack at -2 to attempt to take them down.

Giant Leaf Bug

ARMOR CLASS   2 [17]
HIT DICE   3+2
TOTAL HIT BONUS   + 3
ATTACKS   1 x 1d6 
SAVING THROW 15
SPECIAL - SEE ABOVE
MOVEMENT - 9 Ground - 18 Flight
HDE/XP - 240

OGL