Kickstarter - Foot Soldiers P&P RPG

I really like this piece of art. It has a nice feel of action and movement and does a great job of showcasing the chaos of the battlefield. The amount of red used certainly makes one think of blood. Heck, I'd like to use this piece as my screen's wallpaper. They certain picked a nice piece of art to showcase the Foot Soldiers P&P RPG.

It's just that something seems missing. Let me try to put my finger on it...

Ah! Yes, that's what's missing. Foot Soldiers.

If you can't show at least one foot soldier in the art that you're using to showcase a game called Foot Soldiers, you're doing something wrong.

Well, that or you're telling your audience that foot soldiers just aren't all that exciting.

Here's a bit abut the gameplay. Not my cup of tea, as it seems to infer way to much to track in game for my taste, but it may appeal to others:

In Foot Soldiers, you are not what we consider "the hero." Characters in Foot Soldiers have no plot armor. Every violent encounter is a brush with death. A weapon is a weapon, intended to maim and kill, and even the unskilled can deal serious damage to an unlucky foe. 

Foot Soldiers models locational damage, which means that every hit lands on a body part. Its location chart is based on a bell curve, meaning most unaimed hits will land on the torso, followed by the waist and head, with arms and legs being less likely, and a hit to the foot or hand being the least likely of all. However, in real combat, both opponents look for an opening wherever available, and will not hesitate to strike an extremity if it may be done without counter-attack. 

Foot Soldiers also models bleeding, limb crippling, and dismemberment. It is a real possibility that your character may be disfigured or killed every time he or she enters combat. Medieval fighters played with live weapons, and armor was sparse. Not every injury will be a permanent one, and your characters will likely rack up more scars than missing limbs (after all, emotional investment in a character is difficult to justify if they could die at a moment's notice), but Foot Soldiers simulates the real fear of violence and encourages players to avoid combat where possible. 

When played with a grid, proper positioning, tactical planning, and decision-making are vital to survival. The depth of the combat system allows for real teamwork and ensures that no one build is too overpowered. The acquisition of better equipment, skills, and knacks will result in a noticeable improvement in combat prowess. 

Of course, physical violence is not the only threat to your life. The English landscape is harsh, and characters will need to ensure that they have enough to eat and drink, and a warm place to sleep at night, both of which cost money. Traveling too much without equipment is rough, and characters must ensure they dress appropriately, which also costs money.

If nothing else I'll be using the art above on a personal level.

Reminder - Tavern Chat has Moved to Thursday Nights - 9PM to 11PM Eastern

For those that may have missed the announcement over the past weekend, Tavern Chat has been moved to Thursday Nights from 9PM to 11PM. My work shift has moved to the overnites - Thursday and Friday night are the only nights I am home.

Now, this doesn't stop folks from holding their own Tavern Chat tonight, but the official one will be tomorrow night.

Okay - Carry On!

RPGNow Deal of the Day - Creature Decks: Fate Core RPG Aberrations & Magical Beasts (and also On Sale in OSR and System Neutral Versions)

I just woke up 30 minutes ago. I'm surprised the dog was happy to go a second round of sleeping after she slept all night with Rach (and I got home from work at 630 AM - these overnights are a biatch.) What do a find in my email upon getting to my desk? A note from +Joe Wetzel , he of Inkwell Designs.

It appears that Creature Decks: Fate Core RPG Aberrations & Magical Beasts is the Deal of the Day at RPGNow, at least until 11 am tomorrow morning. $2.38 for the PDF and $8.95 for Print & PDF. If only I grocked FATE.

But wait!

All of the Creature Decks are on sale. The rest are priced at $2.95 PDF and $8.95 for Print & PDF. Notice that bit? The printed cards are normally $11.95 a deck and you can get the Print & PDF for $8.95.

In an OSR version at that!

I'm grabbing all 5 decks in the OSR version. They are simply a great resource for use at the table in game - if you like to run a sandbox, the Creature Decks along with the Encounter Decks (priced at 1 buck more and I have sitting at my desk) are priceless resources.

Wayward Kickstarter - Odin's Ravens - Where a Refund Offer is More Like an FU Moment

I never backed this, so it wasn't on my radar until this update. After reading the above, I have a few comments:

- If you backed the Odin's Ravens Kickstarter you aren't getting a free copy if you pay shipping - you are paying shipping to get the copy you previously backed for.

- I'm happy the backers (and the actual game designer) have found an alternate game publisher

- 2 1/2 years of silence since Odin's Ravens funded. That's more than flaking out. That's more than mental problems. That's a fucking scam and a half.

- But he is offering refunds, so I guess all of the money wasn't spent on hookers and blow.

- I stand corrected. Refund offers that by design can't be completed and a project creator that can no longer be contacted, thus, no refunds.

Well played!

Kickstarter - The Lost Lands: The Northlands Saga Complete (Swords & Wizardry / Pathfinder)

Yep, the Frogs are bringing us another installment in The Lost Lands campaign setting, and this is a huge one.

The Northlands Saga Complete has been touched on with the Northlands Saga series of releases back in 2010 and 2011, but now it goes to 11. Or 20 if playing Pathfinder.

The book is estimated to come in at 800 to 900 pages and I'm assuming that is the Pathfinder page count. Swords & Wizardry will probably be about 75 to 80% of that count - still a huge book if you ask me.

Some of the text from the Kickstarter page:

Now The Northlands Saga Complete updates and expands those original adventures with new material, completing the saga with six more adventures by Ken Spencer, Greg Vaughan, and Kevin Wright that follow directly after the originals. If you want, you can resume campaigns that “ended” after the last adventure was released in 2011, or start fresh. In addition, an eleventh new adventure is added as a “prequel” to the original four, so you can play an entire adventure path to take PCs from level 1 to 20 (about level 1 to 9 in the Swords & Wizardry version). You can play any or all of the eleven adventures as standalone sessions, or you can use them as a single continuous campaign to explore the Northlands and beyond. And as a bonus, authors Ed Greenwood, Ken Spencer, Kevin Wright, and Jeff Provine have committed to write four more adventures as stretch goals to take your campaign beyond the adventure path. This book has an estimated page count of 800-900 pages (this will vary depending on the number of stretch goals reached), and will be library bound, for years of use.

As a part of the Lost Lands campaign world, The Northlands Saga Complete includes a full-color poster map as well as a complete campaign guide detailing the cultures, history, races, nations, languages, geography, new monsters, magic, and equipment unique to those lands. In the Pathfinder version there is also a chapter dedicated to new optional rules that you can use in your game to capture the authentic spirit of the Northlands with rules for things like a character’s wyrd, death speeches, becoming a jarl, the examples of early representative politics in the Things and Althing, and trial by combat in the holmgang. In addition there are a multitude of new archetypes, feats, player-character races, and character traits for use in your Pathfinder game! (emphasis mine) When you delve into The Northlands Saga Complete, you step into the living, breathing world of the Northlands. 

Actually, maybe change the page count for the Swords & Wizardry version to 65% or so of the Pathfinder version. I guess the PF page bloat is paid for by the higher print run, as the Pathfinder / Swords & Wizardry pledges are running about 3 to 1 right now.

I'm in for the S&W version. I need lots of reading material when retirement hits in March 2016 ;)

Of One Page Fanzines (Guest Poster Tony T)

Never Too Young

In my younger years, one of the best thrills each month was to open the mailbox to discover the latest
issue of Dragon or Dungeon magazine waiting for me. Back then, there was no worry about bills; only the discovery of the newest spell, magic item, or place to take a side adventure to and conquer the evil.

Recently, I discovered the one page zine called the Tolling of the Great Black Bell by +Christian Walker . I ordered an issue and a few days later open the mailbox and there I am again some thirty plus yearsago with excitement to see what awaits inside.

This zine stoked the muse inside of me and now I have started my own venture into the world of one page zines. I believe there such a great idea to reap some new into a long-running campaign. Take a break and do a one page quest of some sort before you continue on in saving the realm.

So I encourage my fellow RPG friends to support these authors in their contribution to our hobby. They are doing this because they hope you'll open that mailbox and for just a few moments, you'll forget about the bills and the stress of this adult life.

Tony T.

Here is a current list of the authors and their zines:

http://thegreatblackbell.blogspot.com/
+Christian Walker  The Tolling of the Great Black Bell

http://swordplusone.blogspot.com/
+Mike Davison   Boarding Action

http://www.msjx.org/p/the-ten-foot-pole-opz.html
+matt jackson  Ten Foot Pole

http://goblinminimart.com/dark-ruins-adventure-mini-zines/
+Wayne Snyder  Dark Ruins

http://outpostowlbear.blogspot.com
+Tony T  Outpost Owlbear

White Star Now Available in Print - Softcover & Hardcover POD

You've been asking for it and now it's finally here.

White Star. In Print!

I had nothing to do with it getting released in print, but as I have the author's softcover proof of White Star, I know how good the print version is.

If you bought the PDF before, you should have an email from RPGNow with a discount code.

Otherwise, you can grab your copy of White Star through The Tavern's affiliate link and help keep the taps flowing ;)

State of The Tavern - September 2015 - Midnight Tours, Tavern Chat and Other Fine Adjustments

Not me, but probably how I will look tonight

So, starting tonight I'm now working the midnight tour at work. Well, actually,starting at 730 tonight as I have some overtime on the front end - normal work hours will kick off at 930 the night before. Technically I'm going in tonight for Sunday -which doesn't really give me much of a Saturday.

What does this mean for The Tavern, it's readers and my Patreons? Just as I was fully adjusting to working evenings my body's internal clock is in for it's biggest shock yet. I may find some of those creative juices return as I'll be home for the later afternoon and evening hours or I may be a zombie due to lack of sleep. No idea at this point. I guess the next few weeks will tell.

One major change. Tavern Chat is moving to Thursday Nights, 9PM to 11PM Eastern. I get off at 6AM Thursday mornings for what amounts to something that supposedly resembles my weekend but I'm working Wednesday nights, so the old day would never work. Not saying I'll be able to be coherent Thursday night, but it should be entertaining none the less ;)

The next six months should be an interesting ride...

Pathfinder Online Looks to be Over Before it's Done - Goblinworks Lets Go Nearly it's Entire Staff - Ryan Dancy Resigns

Now THAT's a Dead Goblin

Remember the Pathfinder Online Kickstarter? It was basically to raise seed money to get larger investors interested in the property. My God did Paizo push this hard and fight back against the naysayers.

Of course, the game system itself had nothing to do with the actual Pathfinder system - it was using the name and maybe setting material but that was all.

In any case, it's all gone bust now:

Lisa's Community Address

Posted by: Mike Hines Sept. 2, 2015

To the Pathfinder Online Community

From the beginning of the three year journey to create Pathfinder Online, the one constant has been the support of our community and for this I thank you.  We have had ups and downs including heated debates on design, implementation and overall gameplay.  We have literally battled together (or against each other) and I know you enjoy playing the game as much as I do.  I also know that the community comes together during tough times, and it is probably no surprise that we are currently in a tough spot right now.  There are a number of things that have occurred in the past two weeks that you need to be brought up to date on.

As we have been on this journey to create Pathfinder Online with you for over three years now, we have striven to be as transparent as possible with you.  We just shared the following message with the community during our weekly Keepside Chat.  In full transparency, here is a quick run down of the state of our game:

-EE10.2 is on ZOG for final testing and should roll out to live on Thursday or Friday morning.
EE11 is targeted for the end of September

-Ryan Dancey has had to resign from the company for personal reasons (Lisa Stevens will be acting CEO)

-Finances are tight at Goblinworks, which has resulted in the layoff of the majority of Goblinworks staff

-CTO Mark Kalmes, Art Director Mike Hines, and Designer Bob Settles continue to push the game forward (your monthly subscriptions are what keep these three employed and the server up)
Goblinworks is in talks with multiple game publishers to take the game on and bring it to Open Enrollment

I know that is a lot to take in, so I will share what details we can below:

Game status (EE10.2 and EE11)
We are in final testing before pushing EE10.2 to the live server with its fully revamped and improved new player experience, buy orders for the auction house as well as auction sales histories, settlement chat, and the new crystal ogres monthly event, as well as turning the previous event (The Wrath of Nhur Athemon and its Shadow counterpart) into an ongoing escalation, and making a bunch of bug fixes and improvements.  The team has been working hard on this and on EE11 for most of July and August.  EE11 is done in design, almost entirely done in art, and just needs a bit more programming to get it to the point where we can test. It will take settlement activities to the next level by allowing you to customize and build your settlements the way you want to.  Building a settlement will be a large group task, with lots of raw materials to gather and refine before buildings can be erected.  We will also have the dark elves monthly event ready, providing more PVE content for those who are focused on that aspect of the game.  The core team has the goal of shipping  EE11 by the end of September, and we'll keep you updated on our progress.

Ryan Dancey
Ryan Dancey needed to resign from the company for personal reasons.  We were very sad that he needed to leave us, but supported his decision because it is in the best interests of Ryan’s life outside Goblinworks.  In Ryan’s absence, the board of directors has appointed me Acting CEO.

Finances
We have always known that we would need a certain amount of money to make Pathfinder Online a reality.  Some delays in getting the game to market coupled with some anticipated funding falling through have left us about 75% short of the money we need to finish the game (emphasis mine) and bring it to Open Enrollment.  We knew that we could cut our burn rate (the rate at which expenses burn your cash reserves) by having folks participate in Early Enrollment and that was always the plan, though we never thought that the Early Enrollment subscribers could carry the company to Open Enrollment.  We knew we needed that full investment amount to do that.  We had numerous times this year where the full funding was dangling in front of us only to be snatched away at the last moment.  Very frustrating, but we moved forward and kept looking for somebody to come through with the money we needed to see the game through.

Due to the commitment that you have made to the game, your current subscriptions are able to keep the core team employed and the servers live.  We will continue to move the game forward with that team and keep the servers live as long as the continued financial support from the community is there.  But that means we need you, the Pathfinder Online Community, to continue to support us with your monthly subscription fees.  They are very literally what is keeping the servers paid for, and keeping our core team employed, working on EE11, and talking with various potential partners about purchasing the game so they can finish it. If you wish to see the game through to its finish, we need you to support it financially for the next few months, and if you know people that want to support it, encourage them to subscribe now.  (During this period, we will offer only month-to-month subscriptions.)

On August 28, we had to lay off the majority of the Goblinworks staff.  Continuing to push the game forward are CTO Mark Kalmes, Art Director Mike Hines, and Designer Bob Settles.  We have been keeping the staff abreast of our efforts to find funding for Pathfinder Online and that we would likely have to lay them off on the 28th.  We felt it was super important to give our employees warning so they could plan their lives accordingly.  Their efforts to line up new jobs led to some of the rumors about layoffs.  So why didn’t we announce this earlier?  Because there was and still remains a chance for Pathfinder Online to get its funding and continue forward, so it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that we would have to lay the staff off until Friday, the 28th.

Future
For the past few weeks, we have been shopping Pathfinder Online to a number of other game publishers, looking for a good fit to take the game on and fund it over the finish line.  There have been quite a few companies coming out of the woodwork to discuss this with us and we are in ongoing talks with a number of them about the possibilities.  More companies enter the fray every day.  These kinds of things take some time, though we are motivated to see them through as quickly as we can.  At any moment, one of these publishers could agree to buy the game and we could quickly ramp up to full tilt again.  Due to confidentiality, we can’t provide information on these negotiations.  Rest assured that you will be the first people we tell when there is news we can share.
This isn’t a super rosy picture, but we aren’t dead yet!  The Goblinworks team and the Pathfinder Online community have been underdogs for pretty much the entire project’s history.  But we have persevered and survived.  Sometimes it is darkest right before the dawn.  When I was at White Wolf, we were close to having our electricity and phones shut off in the month before Vampire: The Masquerade released and became a huge hit.  At Wizards of the Coast, we had to lay off the entire staff for 9 months before Magic: The Gathering launched and became one of the most successful games in history.  You have my word that I will work relentlessly to find the right partner to take Pathfinder Online through to the finish line.  The team has brought the ball down the field to the red zone, and now we just need somebody to punch it over the goal line.

I will be hosting another Keepside Chat on Wednesday, September 8th at its normal time of 5pm PST.  You can join the chat live by going to:
Golarion.mumble.com
Port 3093

The ability for us to make Pathfinder Online has always been entirely dependent upon you, the Pathfinder Online Community and the support you have given us.  I would like to thank the Pathfinder Online community for your fierce dedication, support, feedback, and drive to see this game made well.  The only reason to make Pathfinder Online is you, our customer.  I hope you will stay with us over the next few months as we search for that proper partner to finish the game.  It is your support, literally, that will allow this to happen.  Without you, there is no Pathfinder Online.

You have my eternal gratitude,

Lisa Stevens
Acting CEO
Goblinworks Inc.

You can go read the original and the FAQ at the Goblinworks blog.

Review of Black Powder Black Magic, a DCC RPG Fanzine (Guest Poster Jim Wampler)

See? I told you there were some guest posts in the hopper ;)

Review of Black Powder Black Magic, a DCC RPG Fanzine
by Jim Wampler

If anything marks the tide change in the growing mainstream popularity of Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, it’s the presence of a plethora of Third Party Publishing support like Black Powder, Black Magic Vols. 1 and 2.

Ostensibly presented as another member of the legion of DCC RPG fanzines (over six separate publications at last count), Black Powder, Black Magic is in fact a new game setting for DCC RPG, one billed as mixing “six guns & sorcery,” which really would have been just as apt choice of a name for the system.

But BPBM’s “six guns & sorcery” approach is also a well chosen call-back to gaming in the halcyon era of the 1970s, a period which DCC RPG itself is designed to emulate in playstyle and feel. Those of us who go back to those days well remember playing our first Boot Hill games. The typical player strategy of the day was to slowly badger the GM by turning Boot Hill into a D&D type game by any means necessary. “No Fireball spell? No problem. We’ve got a case of dynamite and shotguns” was our mantra back then.  Thus, a setting like Black Powder, Black Magic gives old school style players exactly what they want. In a much more straight forward approach than past games and settings (Deadlands, I’m looking at you), BPBM presents the wild, wild west of the mid-to-late 19th century as an alternative history in which a substance called “demon ore” has been discovered and exploited, the U.S. government has all but forbidden travel to the “Dark Territories,” and a boom town like Brimstone is the perfect place for a player character to make a name for himself or die trying.

The first two volumes of BPBM couldn’t be better presented for players and judges to get started. Vol. 1 presents the basic campaign setting, rules for generating level-0 characters including occupations, starting equipment and trade goods, a common names table, and even the clever “Token of the Past” and “Motivations for Heading West” tables to help players easily slide into the setting. Rules for firearm use are of course covered (and could be handily adapted for use in a modern era DCC RPG setting). All of this is followed by the moody and intriguing level-0 character funnel adventure “The Devil’s Cauldron.”

The recently released Vol. 2 only ups the ante, by presenting all the rules necessary to convert the classic DCC RPG classes to the new setting. Want to run a fighter, wizard, cleric, or thief in the Dark Territories? The conversion rules are here. The rules for the cleric class are especially nice, with options for running everything from a Protestant Preacher or Native Shaman to a Chinese Mystic or a Cultist of the Old Gods.  Notably, two new setting-original classes are given: the Gambler and the Prospector (notable for actually being able to sense and find the vital demon ore). More BPBM classes are sure to follow in Vol. 3.  Vol. 2. also contains my single favorite item from the first two volumes — a full Patron writeup for BPBM: John Henry, the Steel Drivin’ Patron. Everything you need is there, from John Henry’s Invoke Patron results to his Patron Taint, Spellburn effects, and new spells. The second book then ends with some new monsters for BPBM with the promise of more to come in subsequent volumes.

So while Carl  Bussler and Eric Hoffman’s Black Powder, Black Magic bills itself as a DCC RPG fanzine, it’s really much more like the Little Brown Books of original D&D, albeit with considerably better organized rules, better typesetting, and excellent art by Todd McGowan. A sure sign of the warm reception these booklets have received is that as of this writing, the first print run of Vol. 2 has sold out. Fortunately, Vol. 1 is currently still available and a new print run of Vol. 2 is in the works. So what are you waiting for? Saddle up and ride hellbent for leather to Stormlords Publishing and go get yourself the DCC RPG setting that will make your players want to always have the sun at their backs, because a PC always needs an advantage.

Amazon Payments vs. OBS: A Cautionary Tale (Guest Poster Pete Spahn)

I have a couple of guest posts in the hopper. This one kinda jumped the line as it it relevant to the current hot topic in our corner of the universe...

Amazon Payments vs. OBS: A Cautionary Tale

OBS and censorship is in the news now. You can look up the details if you need to. Suffice to say, a product was released on OBS, it was deemed offensive and removed, and now there's going to be some type of reporting/flagging system to arbitrarily help decide what's offensive and what's not.

Knowing gamers like I do, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that there's already someone out there purposely creating a product that's guaranteed to be offensive. When that happens, I guess it'll be flagged and reported. And then someone at OBS is going to decide to remove it.

There will be an outcry from the public. The internet will shake. Monitors will crack asunder. Keyboards will ignite with the typing of a thousand keys. And then, based on some of the comments I've seen over the past few days, it'll be time be time to put up or shut up. Publishers will have to decide whether or not they want to continue selling their products through the largest and most visible retail channel in the industry, or turn their backs on OBS and seek greener pastures.

I'm not here to sway anyone on that decision. I have my opinion obviously, but that's not what this article is about. This article is a warning to publishers that not all distributors are alike and some of them are potentially ruinous for a small press publisher.

How so?

Well, the tale begins almost a year ago when I engaged in one of several successful Kickstarters (TROPES: Zombie Edition). At the time, Kickstarter was attached to Amazon through their Amazon Payments program. How it worked was that you registered with Kickstarter, who handled the processing of all pledges, and you registered separately with Amazon Payments, who handled the actual distribution of said pledges to your bank account. Both organizations took their little piece of the pie of course, which ended up being about 10% of the total funding (give or take).

TROPES: Zombie Edition funded and was released on time along with all the perks and Stretch Goals awarded to various Backer levels. Yay!

I moved on. MONTHS passed. I started working on other projects and began preparing the campaign for my next Kickstarter.

Then, out of the blue I receive an email from Amazon Payments. Apparently, one of my mid-level backers had initiated a chargeback dispute with their bank/credit card company saying they had never received their products. What???

OK, these things happen. First thing I did was check to see what the backer was entitled to. Then I checked the backer mailing addresses (snail mail and email). I then checked my RPGNow confirmation emails to make sure PDF links to all products had been sent to the proper email address and print copies had been shipped to the proper mailing address.  Everything checked out on my end.

So, here's where it gets interesting.  Apparently, the way Amazon Payments handles a chargeback dispute is by giving you two options:

1. you can either refund the money to the customer.
2. you can have Amazon Payments act as an intermediary between you and the customer's bank/credit card.

Amazon Payments does not have a third option where you can talk to the bank/credit card and try to resolve the dispute yourself.

So, here's the kicker---Amazon Payments charges you $10 for Option #2, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE DISPUTE IS RULED IN YOUR FAVOR.

Read that last sentence again and then I'll recap here, so we're all on the same page.

You sell a product. You ship a product. Customer contacts Amazon Payments and states they never received said product. You can either refund the customer's money or pay an additional $10 to let Amazon Payments arbitrate.

This means that at minimum, you are out $10, just for collecting emails, shipping confirmations, etc. and sending them to Amazon Payments. And to top it all off, any customer can initiate a chargeback AT NO COST TO THEMSELVES. All they have to do is say they never received your product!

And keep in mind, this is $10 PER CHARGEBACK! So if you have numerous disputed transactions, the cost gets higher and higher.

Don't believe me? Read it here:

https://payments.amazon.com/help/201749650

https://payments.amazon.com/help/201749690

I contacted Amazon Payments customer service several times to verify and we exchanged some lengthy (somewhat irate on my part) emails about the fairness of this policy. I explained that this could easily ruin a small press publisher, or even a seller of low-cost items and here is how:

Let's say you want to sell an OSR sticker for $5 per sticker. Let's say it costs you $1 for the sticker and envelope, so you're selling a hundred stickers or so a month, making a nice profit without overcharging, and feeling pretty good about yourself.

Now let's say I'm a sketchy businessman. I too want to sell OSR stickers, but you've already cornered the market. So what I do is get a hundred of my sketchy online friends to each order a sticker. You ship the stickers in good faith. But then me and my buddies file chargeback disputes, saying we never received the stickers, because remember, there's NO FEE at all for us to do so.

This presents two options for you as a seller. Remember, you are already out $100 worth of product (100 stickers at $1 per sticker).

1. Refund their money. Which puts you out a total of $600 ($100 in materials plus the $500 you refund, which if you're like me you've already spent on new product)
2. Get Amazon Payments to arbitrate. Which puts you out $1,000 ($10 for every transaction).

So how does that apply to us in the RPG industry? Well, say you're a small press publisher who decides to jump ship from OBS and start selling through Amazon. Say you're one of those controversial publishers like RPGPundit or Zak Smith or even James Raggi at times and you've got a ton of people who hate you and what you represent. How hard to you think it would be for some of these dysfunctional keyboard warriors to drum up 100 or 500 or 1,000 other dysfunctional keyboard warriors (many of whom might not even know what an RPG is) to put you in your place? They order your products (books, zines, mins, etc.), and then initiate chargeback disputes saying they never received them. Then you can refund their money and be out product costs or have Amazon Payments dispute and be out thousands of extra dollars.

Oh, and I just checked Amazon Payments to see if they had changed their policy at all and surprise, surprise, they have! THEY NOW CHARGE $20 PER CHARGEBACK DISPUTE!

I honestly don't know what OBS's policy is for resolving similar disputes. I'm going to assume that since they handle all sales and distribution it won't cost you nearly as much (if anything). This post was not meant to be an OBS rallying cry---just a friendly warning to make sure you read all the Terms and Conditions and know what you're getting into before you sign up.


Pete Spahn
Small Niche Games

Tavern Chat Tonight - I likely Won't Be There

Tonight has the potential for overtime. It is likely I'll miss again.

1000 pm Eastern for those that can attend.

Have a beer for me :)

Reposting an Email - DriveThruRPG's New Content Policy (and some comments from myself)

I finally saw this email when I rolled outa bed this morning. What Matt McElroy details is far from a perfect solution to the past weekend's drama. I don't think there IS a perfect solution to address products like Tournament of Rapists (which judging from the title and the description that was included with the product posting, I'm beginning to think the author's intent was very much a "Troll" release - he just got WAY more reaction than expected.) Status quo wasn't going to work for OBS's business model so we knew change was coming. I suspect the content policy and the policing of it will change as OBS get's a handle on things.

Now, for all this talk of censorship I see being thrown around - OneBookShelf has the right to publish or not publish as it see's fit. I really don't see a problem with them refusing to distribute a product that they find to be offensive. Do I think their solution to the issue that is detailed below is going to work? I suspect there will be abuse of the system. I expect the system will change over time in response to such abuse. And I really hope Stewart remembers to stay away from social media in times of crisis.

At DriveThruRPG, we trust publishers to upload and activate their own
new releases without anyone at DriveThru reviewing the product before
it goes public. Because this system worked so well for the past 14
years, we had no need to create an "offensive content guideline.” To
avoid anything approaching censorship, we simply adhered to an
unwritten policy of not banning any RPG product. 

There is, however, a growing problem. Sometimes, RPG creators design
content that goes beyond disturbing. For example, we recently — and
rightly — received criticism for selling an RPG supplement called
"Tournament of Rapists" for four days on our marketplace. 

In hindsight, we realize that we should have suspended that product
from sale immediately, pending further internal review and discussion
with the publisher. For a variety of reasons, we relied on our
standing policy of not banning RPG titles, even in the face of a
product so offensive that the policy was inadequate. We understand
that we were wrong to do so. 

A New Policy 

It is time to change the approach we have used on DriveThru. Our prior
stance, that "censorship is unacceptable," was tantamount to shirking
our responsibility. As market leaders, we are in a position that
requires us to be leaders also in keeping the RPG hobby inclusive and
safe. 

We do not believe there is any set of bright-line rules that
adequately define what content is offensive, so going forward, our
offensive content policy will simply be as follows: We'll know it when
we see it. 

We will tend to err toward including content, even where it challenges
readers and deals with sensitive issues, as long as it does so
maturely and not gratuitously. Any product in which racial violence,
rape, torture, or a similar subject is a treated as a central feature
will be subjected to careful scrutiny. 

We will also code customer-facing options that allow customers to
report potentially offensive content to us. If a reported product
seems questionable, we will suspend it from sale, pending a full
internal review of its content. 

We appreciate all of our customers and publishers, who have been
patient with us while we examined our policies and processes. Thank
you for giving us the benefit of the doubt; like you, we are human
beings trying to do the best thing. Like everyone, we sometimes make
mistakes along the way. We will strive to learn from those mistakes. 

For more information, please see our CEO Steve Wieck's post on our blog here:
http://oneblogshelf.blogspot.com/2015/09/offensive-content-policy.html

Business is Bad Because of "Tournament of Rapists" Backlash

Just some basic observations:

- Tournament of Rapists went up at the end of last week and the social media backlash was mostly over the weekend.

- Yes, some small publishers pulled their products from OBS

- Yes, some customers declared they were no longer going to shop at OBS - I saw one go so far as saying he was deleting his account (backups gone - ah well)

- I suspect the small dip in sales (or the small cliff they went off of) is barely noticeable (if it IS noticeable) and all will be back to normal in a week or two.

- In the case of Gareth, I would expect the backlash would have been over Far West, the never shipped pre Far West Buckaroo Bonzai game and his never ending series of excuses

- Or is this now an excuse as to why printed copies of Far West will be forever delayed - ToR killed the cash flow

Well played Gareth. Well played.

Edit: There isn't enough time to link a drop in sales to Tor at this point. Someone is crying about the wrong wolf.

Battle Tavern - A Work in Progress by Jim Magnusson

Yesterday afternoon +Jim Magnusson and I were bouncing some quick and dirty ideas back and forth. Less than 24 hours later, this is the third version of the work in progress that's resulted in that small exchange of ideas.

Is it a "Battle Tavern" or a old school Mister Softee truck that sells beer? Somehow I visualize the first ;)

Jim is simply amazing. And quick. Holy shit!

I'm looking forward to the finished piece more than you know :)

How Not to Handle an Upset Customer Base via Twitter (and other observations)

Apparently I wasn't the only one offended by the Tournament of Rapists release over the weekend. The author knew what he was doing with both his release time and description of the product - released on a Friday to ensure reactions would be over the weekend when the OBS staff are off and a description that was meant to troll as evidenced by his "just download the free preview to see what it's really about" line.

Now, if OBS couldn't address the issue right away (they first removed the Pathfinder tag and put it behind the Mature virtual wall at OBS) they probably should have avoided social media. Remember, every social media post or comment has been saved by someone, somewhere.

Jessica Price (a project manager at Paizo - her post on this matter is linked and is worthwhile reading) reached out to OBS via, of all things, Twitter. OBS's owner should never have stepped into the conversation which was, up to now, the usual customer service non answer.

Steve, you don't mock your customers. It leave a very bad taste in their mouth. (there's more to this conversation here)

The whole situation was poorly handled by OBS, although the product in question is no longer hosted at OBS.

BTW, none of this is a free speech issue. It's a business / consumer issue. OBS can host / sell whatever they want with whatever publishers they desire. Publishers can deal with them or not (although they are the PDF / POD gorilla, and avoiding OBS is likely avoiding sales.) Consumers can shop there or not.

See, it's a free MARKET. In the end, dollars talk. I suspect it's in the best interest of OBS to get a handle on issues like this to prevent the walking away of dollars, as they gained nothing from this fiasco.

As an aside, I'm not saying Tournament of Rapists should be banned. Self publish and self distribute all you want. I personally don't feel it belongs on the OBS site.

The thing is, instances like this are bad for OBS's reputation. And the social media response? Someone should cancel Steve's Twitter account.

I'm Guest Posting Over at the Frugal GM Blog

+Christopher Stogdill asked me to make a guest post or two over at the Frugal GM blog and I'm happy to oblige him. Chris has guest posted here at The Tavern a number of times and it's about time I return the favor.

Join us at the Frugal GM as we talk about Go To GM Resources.

White Star "Proof" in Hand - Auction Monies Going to Jim Ward's Medical Bills

I won the auction for the marked up soft cover proof copy of +James Spahn 's White Star (it was for a damn good cause, and my $250 bid along with my matching The Tavern's Community Donations at $250 hopefully has helped Jim Ward with his medical bills. You can still donate here )

The above copy was waiting when Rach and I returned from our visit to the Finback Brewery (yumm!)

How do I know it's authentic? The ever faint smell of pipe tobacco ;)

This one is going up on the display shelf shortly. The moment the POD is live I'll be buying a hardcover for use at the game table.

Far Away Land strikes it's Own Claim - New FAL Store With Lower Prices

Most of you know how I feel about Far Away Land. It's the one game I'm able to comfortably run that doesn't have heavy roots in the OSR (it does, however, have deep roots in the OSR which shows itself at different points.)

The one complaint I've heard is the price of the books in PDF, especially the Tome of Awesome, which is really 4 books in one (not the monthly adventure releases, which have been PWYW as well as high quality.

Now Dirk is no longer just using RPGNow to sell his products and the new FAL store comes with lower prices.

At the moment, the new store is just selling digital versions but print is in the works.

Some price comparisons:

Far Away Land Core Rules -              RPGNow PDF $8     FAL Store PDF $5

Far Away Land Tome of Awesome - RPGNow PDF $25   FAL Store PDF $15

If you haven't checked out Far Away Land, now is the time to do so.

Of course, you can always sample the free FAL Quickstart first.

Frog God Does Right by Those Screwed by Center Stage Miniatures

+Matt Finch posted this on his blog Wednesday evening. I saw it yesterday afternoon right before heading to work, so this is my first opportunity to share it. 

As a quick summary, Frog God Games is stepping up to help right the wrong created when Center Stage Miniatures went bankrupt. Yes, this was one of the more stellar Kickstarter fails and it's nice to see an attempt to make things right - or at least not as screwed up - for those that got caught up in this mess. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Frog God is a stand up company.

I'm just adding to the bandwidth and giving credit where credit is due:

Frog God Games re: Center Stage Miniatures

Okay, this is long, but it's the Frog God Games Apology-Giveaway for the fiasco with the Center Stage Minatures Kickstarters that we licensed our monster images to. Bottom line, free pdfs dollar for dollar on your loss to the CSM Kickstarters.

Frog God Games is well aware of the disappointment, frustration, and monetary loss suffered by backers of the two Centre Stage Miniatures Kickstarters, Tome of Horrors Complete and Tome of Horrors Complete II, for which we had licensed monster images to CSM. Lots of our most loyal fans bought miniatures because they have our monster books and wanted miniatures for monsters from those books. When those Kickstarters did not deliver their products we watched in dismay as backers were left with nothing to show for their support of the Kickstarter campaigns. While Frog God Games did not run the Kickstarters, have control of the manufacture or delivery of its products, nor have any affiliation with Centre Stage Miniatures beyond the licensing of our art properties for the purposes of the Kickstarters, they did involve our licensed materials, and we did publicly support the Kickstarter campaigns. Since that time we have been looking for a way to lessen the blow suffered by the backers of the campaigns in a show of good will to our fans and those who might have supported the campaigns because they saw our name associated with it.

In recent dialogue on public forums with some of the backers of these Kickstarters, it was suggested to us that maybe we could offer free pdfs from our own product catalogue to backers of those Kickstarters so they could at least have something to show for their support. This was something we had considered doing at the time when the Kickstarters first seemed to have failed in their promised delivery of miniatures. At the time we thought an offer like that might be seen as adding insult to injury for trying to somehow diminish the severity of the loss suffered by the backers or otherwise wholly inadequate and inappropriate for the occasion. However, from our recent discussions with backers, we have learned that some would be receptive to such an offer as a way to at least ease their frustration.

We’ve spent the last few days talking about the logistics of how to do this because we’re a company of part-time gamers, not very automated, and lots of backers are involved here. Unquestionably there are going to be a lot of glitches and delays as we get a handle on the process. There’s also got to be an absolute time limit on this program to not only limit the consumption of our already-limited technical resources but also to protect us from a potentially years-long process of receiving, processing, verifying, and tracking these orders—a task of no small measure for our technical limitations.

As a result of this process, for the next 6 months Frog God Games is opening the pdf catalogue of our online store at froggodgames.com and will give store credit for pdf purchases to match dollar-for-dollar the amount that a backer paid to the Tome of Horrors Complete and/or Tome of Horrors Complete II Kickstarters from Centre Stage Miniatures. Obviously there are some difficult logistics involved in this both to verify backers for the issuance of the credit and to handle the resulting online transactions. To try and create a smooth process and save the sanity of our web master and keep him from being overrun with countless details to keep track of, we will initiate the following processes:

1. If you were a backer of either the Tome of Horrors Complete or Tome of Horrors Complete II Kickstarters from Centre Stage Miniatures, please send an email to Chris at froggodgamesfreepdf@gmail.com. In the subject line of your email include the name under which you pledged to either or both Kickstarters, indicate whether it was one or both Kickstarters, and include the total amount you pledged to both of them combined (Example subject line: Joe Backer, TOH and TOH2, $375). Include in the body of the email any screenshots, emails, or other documentation you have to show your support as a backer and the amount of the Kickstarter pledges that you made. (We’re not looking for some kind of legal standard of evidence here; we just need to be able to see that you were in fact a supporter of the Kickstarters and for what amount to help us sift out any unscrupulous opportunists who were otherwise unassociated with these Kickstarters and just see this as an opportunity to take advantage of our offer for free products.)

2. Chris has prepared coupons to the froggodgames.com web store in increments of $25, $50, $100, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, $400, $450, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, and $1,000. He will respond to your email with one of these web store coupons in the full amount of your documented pledges, rounded up to the nearest coupon increment. For example, if you pledged $200 between the two Kickstarters, you will receive a froggodgames.com coupon in the amount of $200. However, if your pledges total $201 you will receive coupons totaling $250, so Chris will not have to worry about creating hundreds of different coupons unique to individual backers. As a small game company, that sort of thing is frankly beyond the capacity of our personnel and online resources to handle. (Please note that if your pledge total was in excess of $1,000, Chris will issue multiple coupons in increments to get you closest to your pledge rounded up.)

3. In addition to the above offer, we are aware that due to hard drive crashes, loss of email accounts, and various and sundry other reasons all backers may not have documentation of their backing of the Tome of Horrors Kickstarters or may not be able to show the amount by which they backed one or both of the Kickstarters. To reasonably account for this we make this additional offer. If you cannot show us documentation of your support of one or both of the Kickstarters, send us an email at the above address and in the subject line state your name, the name of the Kickstarter(s) you backed, and write “No Documentation” (Example subject line: Joe Computercrash, TOH and TOH2, No Documentation). There is no need to include any information in the body of the email. In these cases we will take your word for it and will issue a coupon to you in the amount of $25. We apologize for being unable to honor higher dollar values in these instances, as we will already be opening ourselves to considerable exposure to illegitimate claimants, however we will honor emails sent to us in this manner, no questions asked. Please be advised, though, we will not issue more than one of these coupons to a single individual.

4. Please be sure that the email account through which you have sent these emails is one that Chris can reply to with the attached coupons and will not be sent to a spam folder or otherwise lost. This process is already going to be putting a great deal of stress on a part-time employee, and we are not going to be able to spend additional resources in tracking down email errors and hiccups, so please help us to get these right on the first try.

Important Note 1: This offer has an absolute time limit of 6 months. After March 1, 2016, Frog God Games will no longer honor any claims for backers seeking to receive coupons. Emails from backers received on or prior to March 1, 2016 will be honored even if we are not able to issue the coupons until after that date due to any backlog in processing. Coupons issued under this offer do not expire on March 1, 2016 and will be good until their normal expiration date of September 1, 2016.

Important Note 2: Please note that the store credit coupons are for pdf purchases only. They will not work for the purchase of physical product or in combination with purchase of such products. If you wish to purchase physical products, you will need to do so as a separate transaction so that our fulfillment process will not get messed up. Thank you for your cooperation in this.

Important Note 3: This doesn’t affect any of the above but is intended as an FYI to anyone that is intending to buy a physical product as well. All purchases of a Frog God Games physical book include the pdf of that book for free as well, so don’t use your coupons to buy the pdf of a book that you were already going to buy the physical copy of anyway.

Disclaimer (because we legally have make sure this stuff is clearly stated): Frog God Games is not affiliated with Centre Stage Miniatures or any of its principles and is not serving in any agency capacity for these entities. This offer of free pdfs is not considered or intended as a release of any claims or rights enjoyed by the backers in relation to the above-mentioned Kickstarters, and the claim or use of these pdf coupons is not intended to be considered as binding to the recipient for any legal purposes. Furthermore, in creating this pdf-coupon redemption offer Frog God Games is not making any statement or claim in regards to the Kickstarters, their outcomes, their hosts, their backers, or any pending claims or legal matters in regards to the Kickstarters or related entities.

WTF Were They Thinking? Tournament of Rapists (OGL)

I'm assuming Tournament of Rapists is OGL and not Pathfinder because the Pathfinder must have some minimal moral code attached to it. This reminds me of F.A.T.A.L. but with a far more disturbing title.

I know what you're thinking. "Tenkar is taking this all out of context."

Here's the publisher putting it into context:

The Tournament of Rapists details the sadistic Rape Pure Fight circuit, expanding on what you’ve seen already and introducing dangerous new sexual predators. This sadistic bloodsport takes place in abandoned office buildings and atop Tokyo rooftops. An assortment of superhumanly powerful and inhumanly misogynistic men, and even worse women, step into impromptu fighting arenas, killing and raping the weaker in search of a multi-billion yen fight purse provided by a half-oni billionaire in thrall to dark impulses.

I'm not sure what disturbs me more - that someone wrote this or that the someone that wrote this sees a market for this.

We, as a hobby, truly are our worst enemy at times.

Is Safe Water and Sanitation a Concern in Your Campaign?

The default fantasy world is pretty much built off of an idealized middle ages / medieval Europe, but we tend not to see the open sewers and open pits for refuse and other personal waste that was common in those urban environments.

Is it avoided out of convenience? Is it assumed that there are magical ways to remove the refuse and the potential illnesses associated with it? How clean is the water in these urban areas? Are the churches and temples constantly casting purify water and cure disease to keep these environments running?

Beer may (or may not) have been the alternative to clean water back in those days, but it wasn't nearly as strong as the beer we know.

Do we just assume that in our magical worlds, refuse and water don't mix and refuse and open sewers do not lead to illness and disease?

Hand wave or magic or make it real? What's you take on it?

Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Exists - Seven Soft Cover Copies in Hand

Yes, Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls is huge. Those seven copies are quite heavy. My copies took a little wear on the edges as there was no packing on the top inside of the box to keep them from sliding around and the box was made for 11 copies (so the side of the box says). There were some inserts included. Some were folded over but in truth that doesn't matter much. I doubt I'd find myself hanging Fellowship of the Troll posters on my walls at the ripe old age of 48 ;)

I'm still waiting on my hardcover copy (which may not be back from the printers) and three more softcover copies. I'm going to assume they were (will be?) shipped separately, as it was over 16 bucks in postage just to get me these seven copies.

So yes, it looks like we can just about stop the clock on this project. Let me know in the comments of this page if you got your copies...

Far West Funded Four Years Ago Today - Another Month Nears an End and Still No Book - Another Successful Failure

+Eric Franklin over in the G+ Kicksnarker Community was nice enough to point out that Far West, the albatross of RPG Kickstarters, funded today. Add 2 weeks before Gareth got the funds and hopefully he invested the money well. Yeah, probably not. We all know how much postal rates have gone up in the last 4 years. Maybe Gareth can do a Pencil Dice Kickstarter to fund shipping the books - assuming there's funds left to print the books - which assumes the book is ever completed.

Far West was the third successfully funded Kickstarter that I backed. The fifth was Quantum, which was a total crash and burn - the project is abandoned. The tenth was Dwimmermount - oh the drama, but it did complete and ship. In total I've backed 162 successfully funded projects. The failures and partial failures are famous (Nystul, Myth & Magic, Appendix N Adventures, Champions of Zed, Whitman) but less than I would have guessed, and certainly less than my perception of it.

Strange how brightly failure shines in comparison to a sea of success.

Happy anniversary to Far West, the gift that keeps on giving to the Kickstarter community. Another fine example of a successful failure, for even if if finally comes to a successful completion as a product, the ship has long sailed for it to ever be a successful product on the market.

Tenkar's Tap Room - The New Blog about Beer

Don't even say it. I'll say it for you:

"How the fuck are you going to find the time to run another blog!?!"

Better now?

The truth is, even though I'm getting hammered by work in the hear and now, the near future holds a
very pleasant retirement. One of the things I plan to do in retirement is explore my other hobby a bit more fully. The other hobby is "beer."

I've homebrewed in the past (and will again in the future) but Rach and I have decided to start a "brewery crawl" of sorts this coming weekend. There is simply a huge amount of craft beer being brewed in the NYC metropolitan area and we plan to explore what we can. The initial plan is to visit 2 breweries a month as well as exploring craft beers from around the world.

So, if we are going to have all that fun, why not blog about it?

That's where Tenkar's Tap Room comes in. It's an old blog from my early blogging days that hadn't seen a post in 5 years which should now see 4 to 5 posts a week. Posts about beer, breweries and beer related things. Guest posts are welcome, as we can't have a community without you.

I'm also hopeful that one of these small and local breweries would host a small PubCon, thereby mixing my two hobbies in one chocolate and peanut butter mess ;)

Join Rach and I as we go down the craft beer rabbit hole

Kickstarter - Carolina Game Tables

I've seen many game tables come and go, but the Carolina Game Table is the first one that I could see myself actually owning. Why? Because it serves as both a game table and a dining room table and looks classy both ways.

It's not a cheap table at $1500, but quality dining room tables aren't cheap. I've already convinced Rachel that if my son moves out (like every 22 year old threatens to do) we are ordering this table. For now it is too big for the available space we have.

Did I mention Clint Black is behind this? Yep, the same man whose name you see attached to many Save Worlds projects. Apparently his family is in the furniture business.

From the page:

You might know us already—Clint and Jodi Black—from our work with Savage Worlds and Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Clint and his family have made furniture for three generations in Hickory, NC, furniture capital of the world. We think we're uniquely qualified to bring you a classic looking table suitable for everyday dining and Game Night. 

We've designed the Carolina Game Table for roleplaying games, board games, and puzzle enthusiasts.  

There is a wide edge for leaning on (or placing a character sheet, game tokens, or puzzle pieces) with most of the play area in easy reach. The 32" x 50" play area is 3 inches deep and covered in burgundy cloth. 

The overall table is 4 feet wide and 6 feet long, and designed to seat six people comfortably. 

The classically styled table looks and works like any dining room table. The table top fits securely over the play area, covering it and extending to the table's edge.  There are no gaps or spaces, so spills and crumbs don't end up in your play area.  

The finish is called "French Couture" and is a nice medium brown finish falling between light and dark wood stains to be complementary with both. The finish also has red undertones so it pairs well with cherry or mahogany hues as well. We want it to look good with your existing furniture, no matter what shade you have. 

Free - Lesser Gnome's Creature Catalogue (new monsters for your game)

Looking to add some new monsters to your campaign? Have all the Lesser Gnome products and want all the new creatures in one place? Do you like professionally released OSR products that are offered for free?

+Zach Glazar has you covered with the Lesser Gnome's Creature Catalogue.

Here's the details of this FREE (as in air) product:

Free compendium of creature descriptions from products released through 2015. 

The majority have their own original illustrations by Lloyd Metcalf

Includes creature sections from- 

Whisper & Venom
Bird of a Feather
The First Sentinel
Includes bookmarks, layers and interactive navigation buttons.

All creatures are presented in Labyrinth Lord style stats and description.

Kickstarter - RPG Coasters (exactly what it says on the tin)

You know what? With my old desk I didn't really care what spilled or condensed on my desk - it was formica and shed water like a duck. My new desk, while spacious, has a cheap laminate topper that suck up moisture like a dry sponge.

This has gotten me to use my Beer Mats with hex grids for something other than mapping.

So, what do I stumble across on Kickstarter? RPG Coasters. Wooden. Engraved. Custom engraving if you so desire.

Five coasters would cover my old gaming group exactly. This would be awesome for the yearly Gathering of Fools. Actually, we'd need to add one for the group member we lost on 9-11. Easily doable.

Would I use the coaster as a coaster? I don't know, but I think these coasters are cool.

New work hours suck, but the night differential and extra overtime makes decisions like this so much easier ;)

New Major White Star Release - The Graveyard at Lus (More Sandbox for Your Campaign)

This summer has kicked my gaming ability solidly in the ass. I haven't played, let alone read, nearly as much as I would have liked to. So what does +Jason Paul McCartan and his InfiniBadger Press decide to do?  Release a nearly 60 page hexcrawl supplement for White Star - The Graveyard at Lus. It's massive. It has tables. It makes me want to jump in and use it right away. I still don't have the time to do so and this book just doesn't care.

I've barely scratched the surface of The Graveyard at Lus and it has me chomping at the bit.

Here's the description:

Space Graveyards - what's left behind when battles are fought among the points of light that map out the universe. Sometimes there's good salvage to be had there. There's always danger, though. Not everything is dead in a Graveyard, and you're not the only one that come's lookng for the good stuff. And that's not even mentioning the radiation and debris left behind, or the dangerous creatures that end up finding their way there like graveworms and ... the undead. 

A comprehensive toolkit for creating space Graveyards - the result of battles between forces at war in the stars 

Multiple tables for the creation of starship damage, system damage, and crew survivorship 

An event table to ensure that exploration is dynamic during sandbox play
New rules for Cinematic and Realitic space combat 

New starship technology including sensors and targeting/repairing specific systmes
Additional rules for space-based phenomena, space-based explosions, and boarding other starships 

Four new alien races for your White Star RPG campaigns 

Updated starship usage for four of the core alien races in the main game 

Five new creatues, including The Unquiet, a horriffic form of undead 

Use the pregenerated Graveyard At Lus for your own games, or as a guide to create your own Graveyards. 

Designed for use with the White Star RPG, but easy to convert for other OSR sci-fi systems. 

The Graveyard at Lus will be continually supported by the release of FREE expansion material that includes additional rules and other content, including new races, creatures, and tables to help support additional sandbox usage of the product beyond the core book here. The first of these will be the release of all of the silhouetts of the starships in the book (and many more) for use in creation of your own counters for table-based play or use with a VTT. 

The POD version of the product will be available soon in 6x9 format. Those who purchase the PDF version will receive a discount of the full price against the print version. 

There is an update coming that will include bookmarks for tables to make the product easier to use, as well as to correct some layering issues for the sample map, and some small corrections to readibility. 

It's $4.99 in PDF and when it goes to print those that bought the PDF get a $4.99 discount on the dead tree version. Damn close to a no brainer.

Now I just need to add a day or two to the 7 day week so I can do all of the cool stuff I want to do ;)

Kickstarter - The Complete "The Oracle"AD&D fanzine reprint, 1982-1983

I cut my gaming teeth in 6th grade, so that was '78 or '79. I didnt get my first gaming magazine until Dragon issue #66 in late '82 and somehow thought to stick to only "professional" gaming releases in the years later, so I missed out on fanzines and Judges Guild and all the rest in those early years.

The Complete "The Oracle"AD&D fanzine reprint, 1982-1983 is just what is says on the tin, a reprint of a fanzine from the early 80's. With 27 days to go it's already past $3400 (with a goal that was at $1500) and well on it's way to being a successful Kickstarter.

Tim Hutchings, the creator behind this Kickstarter (but not the creator of the original work) was kind enough to share the PDF with me (it also means the project is ready to print once the funding is complete) Hopefully I'll find the time to fully read it and review it before the project reaches the end of it's funding period. From my quick perusal, it is very much a product of the time it was originally published in and that fills me with nostalgia :)

If you don't know Tim, he's also the main man behind The Play Generated Map & Document Archive or plagmada.org. Spend some time exploring your childhood in the archives. It's a good place to be and doesn't get nearly enough of the attention it deserves.

In any case, The Oracle is scratching my nostalgia itch. If I only knew in my youth what I've learned over the past few decades. Alright, time to catch up with my past that could have been,,,

GoG.com releases The Forgotten Realms Archives - Collection Two (Gold Box for Windows, OSX and Linux) for $9.99

Someone put Whitman on the front line with AC8 and 15 HP?

I cut my RPG Computer Game teeth playing the Gold Box AD&D adventures on my old Commodore 64 in the late 80s. I loved them all, although I remember Hillsfar as being sub par.

Now, with The Forgotten Realms Archives, Collection 2 you can get Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds, Hillsfar, Secret of the Silver Blades, Pools of Darkness, Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Treasures of the Savage Frontier and Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures for $9.99. Thats just a bit more than a buck a game.

Retirement can't come soon enough ;)

Heck, you can buy all three Forgotten Realms Archives for $25.97 - this includes Eye of the Beholder 1, 2 and 3 as well as Dungeon Hack and Menzoberranzan.

Now that's Old School :)

AD&D 1e Forgotten Realms PDFs 50% of at DnD Classics

DnD Classics is running a sale on it's AD&D 1e Forgotten Realms adventures in PDF, putting the pricing at $2.50 each, which is one heck of a bargain.

N5 Under Illefarn and N4 Treasure Hunt probably got the most use out of me, as I reused and reskinned each multiple times, sometimes for the same group but with a different campaign. The Savage Frontier was fun as a setting book and I don't recall ever reading Swords of the Iron Legion. I may have to correct that. I3 through I5 contain some fun gaming if you can get the party to a desert area.

Shadowdale, Tantras and Waterdeep are mostly forgettable, as they deal with the Time of Troubles (the switch from 1e to 2e) in a very railroadie way. Players actions and achievements meant little if anything as the worlds events happened no matter what. Still, interesting to read to see the mindset going on with the change to 2e at the time.

Sale lasts until the end of August.