Chaosium RuneQuest 2 Coming Back in Print? Time to Break Out Pavis and Big Rubble :)

Although RuneQuest III (Avalon Hill) was my introduction to RuneQuest, it didn't take long for me to find RuneQuest 2 and fall in love. It was my go to system after AD&D and my group spent many a Saturday afternoon exploring the ruins of Big Rubble and the manipulations of Pavis. Good times.

To see it will be coming back in print is awesome (sure, called "Classic RuneQuest, but we know the truth - anything before Avalon Hill is gold.)  I'm very excited. Now the question is - how soon? It's not mentioned yet at the Chaosium site.

Google Hangouts Getting an Upgrade - Looks Like Apps Will Miss the Cut - Roll20 Users Take Note

Engadget has a short article on Google's currently being rolled out update to Google Hangouts. Simpler interface, improved video quality, no apps. Yep, you read that right - those apps you love - and no, not the sound effects and the goofy hats, but apps like Roll20 - do not work with the new update.

Here's the relevant quote from the Engadget article:

Just be aware that you may lose some features you like -- as one early adopter notes, app support within Hangouts is currently missing. That doesn't necessarily mean that the support is gone for good, but you shouldn't count on it coming back.

 And here's Google's official statement:

The comments in the G+ thread are very interesting and there are some names many of The Tavern's readers will recognize.

Another interesting G+ thread:

In the meantime, here's the link to the old Hangouts:

http://g.co/hangouts

Dragon White - The Fantasy-SciFi White Box-Star Mashup - Inner or Inter Stellar Scale?

White Dragon by Storn Cook

Yes, I know this is going to be a project with a long gestation. Doesn't mean I can't map out the basics now so I have a direction to work in.

My quandary is this - do I go with a single solar system with a dozen and a half worlds or so (plus moons) that ships travel between OR do I go with a cluster of star systems that ships travel between.

The first lends itself more towards fantasy with some scifi and / or steampunk elements while the second seems more sci-fantasy. At least, that's how it seems to me.

I was working on the elevator pitch during training today at work (I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep in the middle of it - day two is tomorrow) and both are appealing in their own ways.

Single solar system is probably easier to tap down but the cluster of stars has many more options to play with, not least of which is the solar systems themselves.

All of which would get released in the one-sheet format I discussed months ago, but it would be modular in nature. A one-sheet for the system as an overview, a one sheet for a world overview, a one sheet for a nation / country / empire overview and a one sheet for a city / town / location of interest overview. The one-sheet system should keep things manageable.

Well, in theory in any case ;)

Ken Whitman Deleted from Wikipedia - Does That Mean He No Longer Exists?

Of course not! You can still sue Ken via your State's Attorney General. They'll find him in the Atlanta area, or so he says.

I guess all of Ken's editing of his own Wiki Page caught up with him...

Thoughts on an OSR "Dragonstar" Type Campaign - and Other Random Thoughts of a Dangerous Type

I've got training this week, so instead of being a vampire an working when the sun is down I'll be in training at 7am tomorrow. My mind is bouncing around, and lack of sleep this morning after last night's overnight shift has left me a little punch drunk. But hey, the Jets AND the Giants both won today. Football is alive and well in NYC :)

Anyhow, back in the D20 era, when I didn't game but I did collect gaming books, Dragonstar was a setting that really caught my eye and sparked my imagination. On the surface, it seemed similar to Spelljammer, but it was much darker (Spelljammer always felt "campy" to me.) Hmmm, the other D20 era setting that got my imagination going was Midnight. Must be the idea of dark in my fantasy.


Tonight I stumbled across the Dragonstar SRD, which to be honest is really just the 3.0 SRD with some minor additions. Of course, the fluff is not open, so it's not included, but it did get me thinking - how hard would it to be to take one part S&W White Box, one part White Star, add in some dragons, borrow inspiration from Spelljammer, Calidar and Dragonstar, sprinkle the decay of a multi-world evil empire, distill it down with White Box sensibility and simplicity and cook it on the stove of creativity?

Yeah, not something I should even be thinking off with my current screwed up work hours. But wait! I've decided to run some of the comp time I've accumulated (and vacation time I've banked) to give myself a four day weekend every other week before I hand in my shield in the Spring. If I block out some creative time I may have something usable before I retire. With some work, it may even be usable by others too ;)

I think I'm going to bring a notebook to training tomorrow. 8 hrs of lectures by folks that don't and can't, so therefore they teach. I'll look attentive, taking notes and such while I'm really mapping out universe of White Dragon (or whatever it's going to be called - for now, it's code name "White Dragon".)

The secret to anything White Box is less is more. So I need to think big and execute small.

Alright, time for sleep. I have to be at work an hour before I'd normally be heading for home. Sleep won't come easy...

Free OSR - PX2 Extra: Planar Primer

I've yet to come across a release from New Big Dragon Games ( +Richard LeBlanc ) that I haven't found immensely useful and a bargain for the price paid. The fact that Rich is giving the Planar Primer away for free is awesome. Some may dismiss it as only 7 pages long. Those 7 pages hold more useful Planar information than some 128 page books.

Did I mention the Planar Primer is free? It's also pretty much edition neutral. It might say BX / LL on the tin but the inside is pretty much game mechanic free and what game mechanics are there apply across rulesets (I can't speak for 4e, but then again, I never have ;)

Grab a copy of the Planar Primer. Study the Schematic of the Planes. I'm working on something in my head referencing it and you may be quizzed on a later post ;)

Just imagine if the Barrowmaze was below all this...

Kickstarter - Agent of the Imperium: Marc Miller's Traveller Novel

Maybe with proper funding they can afford proper art for the book cover

Traveller, in the Black Starter Box release, was my first non-TSR RPG. It was also the first RPG I seriously tried to house rule - where the hell were the rules for character advancement? Such an obvious omission ;)

The background of the universe as I dug deeper into the system was damn cool, even if it did get muddled in later editions. Heck, my brother-in-law, who hasn't played an RPG in over 25 years still cherishes his Traveller books.

Marc Miller, now that T5 has been put to rest (preferably buried, but that's just me) is trying his hand at a Traveller Novel, Agent of the Imperium.

Color me intrigued.

I'm happy to back just for the history aspect of the project. Well, not real history, but the Traveller Universe has always been much more than the 2d6 system that powered the Little Black Books. I want to see where this goes.

Maybe, just maybe, there's a bit of morbid curiosity involved too.

In any case, it's smashed it's meager $1k goal and comfortable sits at over $20,000 with 535 backers. It certainly has a following.

Tavern Updates - Talk, Tutorials, Tap and Pre-Podcasting

I've had uncle-duty since noon yesterday - yes, I've been a busy uncle for a nearly 5 year old girl. Needless to say, I've accomplished nearly nothing over the last two days that I had hoped to, but damn I've been a good uncle ;)

Tavern Talk was nice and lively last night even with me arriving late and leaving early due to priority commitments (my anniversary being high on that short list.) I'm really excited with Dyson's latest project (I posted about it here) and it was great to see +Dyson Logos and others in the chat last night.

Of course, Dyson's latest is part of the reason I'm trying to kick of the Tavern Chat Podcast as soon as possible. Isn't going to happen today, but with some day time training and some more time off next week I may actually be able to kick off this timely gaming news podcast.

Which leads back to the tutorial aspect. I have no problem talking, as you can see from the previous podcasts I've shared hosting duties on. Then again, this is the first one where I'm doing more than simply yapping. Time to get the moving parts down. I expect the Tavern Chat Podcast will be more "quick and dirty" than the others. By its very nature, it will have to be. I'm aiming for once a week releases initially before moving to twice a week and finally three times in March, 10 to 20 minutes per episode.

I've got my topics worked out for the first episode, but if I don't get it done this week coming up, I may need to change some of the topics, as they will no longer be timely...

Oh, and this was my latest Kickstarter to deliver. Just need to get it up and running :)

Kickstarter - Starvation Cheap: Planetary Warfare for Stars Without Number - Kevin is Early - Again - and with more Free Art

Want to learn how to run a successful gaming Kickstarter from pitch to funding to completion? Look no further than +Kevin Crawford (Sine Nomine Publishing.) Kevin sets the Gold Standard that all other project creators should be looking to emulate.

Starvation Cheap: Planetary Warfare for Stars Without Number is a month early of estimate. Sure, Kevin bakes some extra time into his estimates but he knows the process better than most.

Best of all, more free art for the community to use in their commercial projects. You can download the Starvation Cheap art pack here. Did I mention it's free to use in all of your commercial work, just like the other art packs Kevin has put together?

Another tip of the hat to Kevin :)

Indiegogo - Scrote'n'Tote: The Satchel of Life - I've got the Biggest Balls of Them All!

I've been bombarded with emails and social media messages about the Scrote'n'Tote: The Satchel of Life project on Indiegogo.

Don't want to bother reading the project website? No worries - watch the video:

How serious is the project?

I give them credit for using the fixed funding option at Indiegogo, so it's not a quick money grab at your crotch.

Bad. I know.

But it does seem legit-ish.

Although the video may suggest otherwise, this is an actual and legitimate project.
The aim of this campaign is to produce sturdy, functional, durable, high quality and of course stylish Scrote'n'Tote backpacks to be made available to aesthetes  all over the world.  

The funding goal of $33,000 will cover the cost of producing the mold for the skin textured part of the bag, which is the biggest pre-production expense.  The money also covers various smaller research costs including testing out different materials, different methods for attaching the skin part to the backpack part, producing various prototypes, quality tests, trying out different production facilities in different locations to see who can make the best product, etc.  

The Scrote'n'Tote prototype you see in the images was produced by hand by special effects prosthetics artist C.J. Goldman and is too heavy and delicate to be used as a proper backpack, on top of costing almost $1000 to produce per bag, which is why we can't use that method or materials. 

Once we've produced something functional and sturdy that looks as close to the original as possible, we'll sell the Scrote'n'Totes online for $120 USD each, plus shipping. 

However, everyone who donated $10 will be entitled to buy one for only $69 plus shipping, as well as getting the satisfaction of knowing that they helped bring the gift of scrotes into the world.   

There's also the option to put the whole $69 down right away which saves you the extra $10.

Not much to say. The whole thing kinda speaks for itself.

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9PM Eastern - Your Host Will NOT be There

Thursday's has been the night for Tavern Chat for a while now and I've been pretty good at making the chat sessions. Tonight will be different though, as tonight is Rachel and I's wedding anniversary.

With her new work hours, I suspect we won't get out to dinner until 8ish and back by 10pm at the earliest. Which means I'll miss the kick off of the chat but might make the last half.

Play nice amongst yourselves ;)

Want something to discuss? Dyson's Monster Manual Madness. There. Drops mic and leaves the stage...

Dyson Does... Holy Sh!t What Dyson Does! Monster Manual Madness

I cut my RPG teeth on AD&D 1e. As +Dyson Logos says on his blog post (where I "borrowed" this pic from) there is just something special about the 1e rules.

Me? I remember reading the Dungeon Master's Guide and Player's Handbook from front to back and back to front. I had to wait a bit for the Monster Manual but when I finally had a copy I wore it out. I'm pretty sure my MM would open to the same page if dropped on a table. The same page it would open for just about every teenage boy that played AD&D in the early 80s.

I loved the art in the Monster Manual. It fit the vision I had of Dungeons & Dragons at the time, or maybe it formed that vision. Damned if I know.

I never thought that it could be improved upon.

Damn you Dyson! I'll never be able to look at my Monster Manual the same again. What you're doing is making the Monster Manual magical again. It's beyond amazing. It's jaw dropping.

I hope you keep us constantly updated as this project progresses.

I'll need to save my pennies for the future when you auction the complete illuminated copy off...

RPGNow Deal of the Day - OpenQuest 2 Deluxe

Ask me my favorite flavor of D&D and without hesitation I'll tell you "Swords & Wizardry." I like them all up to 2e as well as the various clones (and 5e is certainly playable) but S&W is the version that plays the smoothest for me.

Ask me my favorite flavor of Basic Roleplaying, the system that powers everything from CoC, RuneQuest, Legend, Elric and so much more and I'll tell you "OpenQuest." It doesn't overwhelm and works pretty well will adventures and settings from the various other flavors of Basic Roleplaying.

Until 11am tomorrow morning, you can get the OpenQuest 2 Deluxe rules in PDF for $7.50 (normally $15.) Not sure? Grab the OpenQuest 2 Basic Edition in PDF for free.

Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Hardcover in Hand and it's a Beast

Sure, I've had my 10 pack of Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls softcovers for a few weeks now but the hardcover is something special. One thing that is striking right off the bat (and it applies to the soft covers too) is that the font sized used is perfect. Easy to read, no squinting - simply a pleasure. I guess you need old folks to edit books for old folks to get books that are easily readable by us old folks ;)

Look how well the hardcover lies flat. Plop this on your desk or table and you are ready to go, no need to hold the pages down. I really need to budget some time to give this more than a scan - I really need to dig deep into the new edition of T&T.

Strangely enough, it came pack in a 5e T&T box (there are also some character sheets and some poster-y stuff packed inside the box. Except for a razor cut on one of the four sides, this 5e T&T box is in better condition than any in my collection. Go figure.

And now you can consider the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter fulfilled ;)

RPGNow Deal of the Day - Starter Adventures (by GM Games / AKA Tim Shorts)

Back in 2014, +Tim Shorts was nice enough to give me a comped copy of Starter Adventures with the intention of using it to give my wife Rachel a nice introduction to the world of RPGs. I was very impressed with what I saw. I still am.

Starter Adventures is the prefect way to introduce a new player to the world of RPGs, or a more experienced played to the corner of the worlds we call the OSR. There are four adventures, each tailored to one of the four classic classes. They get to learn about their chosen profession as they learn about gaming. Or simply use the enclosed adventures as seeds for further adventures. Hell, it includes a Tavern, but not The Tavern. Damn oversights ;)

Four bucks. Four adventures. Today only.

Do it. They'll thank you in the end.

From the blurb:

Starter Adventures is where you learn to fight, steal, cast spells and heal.  You'll have to use your wits to figure out puzzles.  Use a sword to murderize goblins.  And crumble the undead beneath the power of your god. 

It's time to grab a weapon, memorize a spell and strap on some armor.  This is going to be fun. 

Starter Adventures is targeted toward introducing a new player into RPGs.  Inside are four short adventures for each of the four main classes, a tavern to hangout in, and a full-fledged adventure when they've got enough blood encrusted on their blades. 

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide - Ken Whitless Moves to Atlanta

Kickstarter related lawsuits got you down? State attorney generals on your ass? Ownership of a certain fairy game going to court? Trying to dodge possible pending criminal charges for a domestic incident with your on again, off again, on again, off again girlfriend? (note - due to multiple deleted Facebook posts by the alleged victim, this part is mere conjecture - if you want my professional opinion, you know how to contact me)

No worries!

Move to Atlanta and leave your Kentucky troubles behind you!

Ken Whitless. Support the Kickstarters for the dream. Stick around for the drama.

BTW, did you see Ken's horrible release for the C&C TV Pilot? No, neither did the backers. Nor can I find the link. I saw it, and wasn't impressed.

Oh, and rumor has it Ken is growing a beard. Still can't hide that lovable mug.

Sneak Peek - White Lies (S&W White Box Powered RPG of Espionage and Paramilitary Operations)

+Bill Logan was kind enough to give me an early reviewer's copy of White Lies, his Swords & Wizardry White Box compatible RPG of espionage and paramilitary operations. Holy expletive, but there is so much here that could be dropped whole cloth into a White Star campaign. The two together would be like peanut butter and chocolate - great on their own but something totally different and awesome together.

I haven't read enough for a proper review, but I love what I've read thus far. The class options are top notch and cover many of the roles one thinks of in modern day spy thrillers.

Bill calls White Lies a toolbox. I'd say he's right about that. Much like White Star is a toolbox. If you didn't like White Star, I expect you'll find similar complaints about White Lies. If you liked White Star, I strongly suspect your find much to like (and steal) from White Lies.

White Lies releases on RPGNow on November 5th  6th. I'll try to get a proper review done in time for release. In the meantime, I really like what I see here.

I just realized, the X-Files return in January. White Lies + White Star could make for a nice X-Files campaign...

Frog God Games has a 40% Off Sale on ALMOST Everything on their Site (Ends at the stroke of Midnite 11/1/15)

Frog God has been bringing some early holiday cheer recently with big price drops on a single item each day. This weekend they are offering 40% off of EVERYTHING* (with the exception of The Northlands Saga Complete and Borderland Provinces.)

Somehow I'm tempted to do my own twist on the Dusk to Dawn spiel at the Titty Twister:

"Frog God has all kinds of D&D! 

Old D&D, New D&D, not so old but not new D&D. D&D sandboxes, D&D adventure paths, D&D mega dungeons. If you can find better D&D elsewhere - play it!"

Alright, that was pretty bad.

The sale IS good though.

Frog God link

Here's the code: HALLOWEEN-40%

Yes, I know shipping outside the states is expensive as hell. At 40% off, you might actually cover those shipping costs ;)

What's Your Horror? Games to Run on Halloween

Back in my High School and College days, I made a point of running a proper (more or less) horror session for my players on the weekend closest to Halloween.

Call of Cthulhu, Chill (old Pacesetter boxed set) and even a Ravenloft setting one-shot where the PCs get dragged temporarily into the mists of Ravenloft - the one that was a Pinocchio rip was probably the most disturbing for my players.

I don't do it these days, though I should. Good, or bad horror roleplaying is just perfect for the Halloween season.

So, do you run horror for the Horror-days? What's your go to system, setting, adventure?

Frog God Spooky Sale - Book of Lost Spells (5e) - 50% Off Until Midnight Tonight

Frog God Games has been running Spooky Sales pretty much every night this week. Of course, I get the emails around 6PM - just as I've been heading out the door for work (yay overtime!)

I happen to be off tonight, so I actually get a chance to include the rest of you in the Frog God Goodness.

First, the pitch:

Here's the link: https://www.froggodgames.com/book-lost-spells?utm_source=Book+of+Lost+Spells+Sale+10-30-15&utm_campaign=Book+of+Lost+Spells+Sale+10-30-15&utm_medium=email

and here's the code:

OSRGaming.org Forums have a New Owner (NOT an April Fool's Joke)

+Vincent Florio , the main man behind Wild Games Productions and the OSRGaming.org Forums informed me earlier this afternoon that OSRGaming.org was sold to a regular at the OSRGaming.org forums earlier this afternoon(Vince was not forthcoming with the name of the buyer at this time.)

Not a joke.

The sub-forums for the various WPG Podcasts will remain as is and Vince will be very much involved with the various forums.

When I asked Vince why he was selling the forums, he basically said "now was the right time."

It will be interesting to see what new blood brings to the table.

Next on the Agenda - Tavern Chat Podcast (Real Short / Multiple Per Week Episodes)

Tavern Readers: "Er, don't you have enough shit on your plate right now? Your Beer Blog is on hiatus since you went to overnights at work."

Tavern Barkeep: "Right. But drinking at 7 AM is just not socially normal. I do have an occasional glass of wine when I get home from work though. Seems more... classy"

TR: "Whatever. How on God's green earth are you going to find the time to record a podcast multiple times each week? When you drive home from work?"

TB: "The thought did occur to me, just not sure how feasible it would be. I'm thinking 10-15 minute long podcast episodes up to three times a week."

TR: "Talking about what? Isn't that why you have the blog? To yap away at your readers?"

TB: "True, but podcasts can be listened to while driving, shopping, ignoring your teacher. Don't drive while reading The Tavern or any other blog. Don't operate heavy machinery or garden tools while blog reading. Listening to a podcast? You have our blessings ;)"

I've been toying with the idea of recording my own podcast for a while now. Once you get bit by the podcasting bug, it's hard to let go.

Here's what I'm thinking:

- Tavern Chat Podcast. Just because. Open to suggestions for another title.

- 10-15 minute long episodes. Short and sweet.

- talking about timely events in the OSR hobby - interesting / active blogposts from around the blogosphere of the OSR, active Kickstarters, new releases, Gareth & Whitless updates as applicable and the like

- corresponding post at The Tavern, linking to everything mentioned and pointing to the podcast

- ideally three times a week, but I suspect that won't be hit until March of next year. We'll start at once a week and go from there.

- occasional guests hosts - those would potentially be double length episodes and would be noted as such. no more than once a week on those, probably closer to once or twice a month.

- clear, quick and dirty - goal is to be clean (as in clear audio - I do NOT guarantee clear language), quick (record monday, release tuesday) and dirty (few bells and whistles - just the basics here)

- aiming to kick off Thanksgiving week. No idea if it will happen at that time. Life likes to throw curveballs.

So there you have it. if nothing else it should be an interesting time sink on my end ;)

Just in Time for Halloween - Paradox Buys White Wolf – Vampire The Masquerade finds a New Haunted Home

What happens when an RPG IP goes from one computer game company to another? In this case, it's World of Darkness / White Wolf, and it's going from CPP (best known for Eve Online) to Paradox (best known for Crusader Kings.)

I'm not sure how much this will effect the RPGs themselves (which are currently being published under license by Onyx Path.) It's more immediate effect will be on the computer gaming side of things, at least that's my guess.

Interesting piece from Rock / Paper / Shotgun:

Wester said that Paradox paid cash for the acquisition, and notes that Vampire is particularly exciting as it is “the world’s second best-selling role-playing and is special because half of all players are women.”

I'll give them "half of all players are women" but "the world's second best-selling" RPG? Someone is caught in the 90s.

Anyhow, interesting times in the RPG hobby.

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM

I can't believe we are at the end of October. Halloween is right around the corner. Normally I'd be thinking of running something spooky around the horror-day, but I'm working the night of the 31st.

In any case, tonight is Tavern Chat. I'm sure horror and spookiness will be on the list of topics ;)

See you at 9 Eastern.

Far West Announces November Release Date - Fails to Mention "Year"

Ah, you gotta love the fall. The leaves change colors, the air gets crisp and we are given yet ANOTHER Far West "release date." Trying to predict a Far West release date is like predicting snow fall amounts - no one really know but God, and he ain't talking.

Strangely enough, it wasn't mentioned on the Far West Kickstarter site. Instead, the question was asked by a "pre-order" customer on the Far West forum page. Somehow I never realized Gareth took money for this pink elephant and then took more money for this pink elephant.

I'm guessing November 2017. Gareth still has like 4 chapters to go on the book and his rate seems to average one chapter per season. Yeah, we need a Farmer's Almanac to predict this shit. Would probably be more accurate too.

Tip of the hat to +Eric Franklin

Barrel Rider Games Puts White Star / White Box Releases on Sale for 30% Off in PDF

+James Spahn is celebrating his birthday or some such nonsense.

Who cares!

What we care about is that he's put his best selling White Star RPG on sale for 30% off in PDF (along with his excellent collection of White Box releases for Swords & Wizardry.)

What are you waiting for?

Now is the time to buy! Well, at least before the sale ends on November 8th.

Of course, I own the whole collection already...

A WTF Kickstarter - The Dangerzone RPG (I THINK it's a Computer RPG)

Let me just say this:

Watch the video.

Then look at The Dangerzone RPG Kickstarter page, which purports to be about funding a computer game RPG.

Remember what you saw in the video.

Search the Kickstarter page for any hint of art or graphics from the supposed game.

Pour yourself a shot of Fireball Whiskey. You earned it.

I think the game IS a boob...

Patreon Highlight - Genius Loci Games (Johua De Santo)

I've been remiss in highlighting some of the Patreon Projects I support. (Actually, I'm behind in almost everything these days) +Johua De Santo is one of those that get's my backing.

Why?

Because he's consistently putting out small adventures / encounters that are easy to prep and run with short notice. When you have as little free time as I have these days (I'm in the midst of 7 days of overtime in an 8 working day stretch) it's nice to have short pieces, even if it's just to read in the moments between.

These days he's giving away a one-sheet to show the type of adventures his Patreon backers have access to. Just go to Johua's Patreon, download the free adventure and treat yourself. You won't be sorry.

Nap time for the old man before heading to work this evening ;)

New Big Dragon Games releases Basic Psionics Handbook (Mind Powers that Don't Cloud the Mind)

If there was one part of the AD&D 1e ruleset that never made much sense to me (there was more than one actually, but this was probably the worst) was the Psionics Rules section. It didn't follow the rest of the AD&D rules in flavor or mechanics. They felt shoved in, not even tacked on. We tried to use them and never could really figure out how to make them mesh with the core rules.

+Richard LeBlanc has found a way to bring psionics to the common gamer with the Basic Psionics Handbook. It looks very usable with a quick glance through (and if Rich's previous works are any indication, it should be immensely useful.) This is going to the top of my long neglected review pile and has already been uploaded to my tablet ;)

The normal price is going to be $7.95 but it's currently at $5.95. I'm not sure how long the lower price is in effect, so I wouldn't wait to long to bite at this one.

Here's the blurb:

Unleash the powers of the mind into your BX/LL campaign! 

Finally, after 40 years of waiting, there’s a psionics system for the classic editions of the world’s original fantasy role-playing game. It’s simple, intuitive, andprovides a gameplay experience that feels at home alongside the original rules of the game. Within this jam-packed 56-page book, you’ll find: 

a simple, easy-to-play psionics system, tailor-made for classic versions of the world’s first role-playing game 

2 complete BX/LL character classes—the mystic and the monk—specifically designed to support the system 

support for basic and expert player levels 

an easy-to-use psionic combat system based on the classic attack and defense modes
complete descriptions for 114 psionic abilities... broken into 6 different chakra/discipline groups... adapated from the best existing resources 

tables for generating wild psionic abilities in non-psionic player classes 

full stats and descriptions for 38 psionic monsters 

tables for generating phrenic creatures 

instructions on converting psionic monsters from other classic editions 

conversions and additions for 8 monsters from Old School Adventures™ Accessory CC1: Creature Compendium

background information on psionic items, and descriptions for 13 specific items
support for mixing spellcasting and psionics 

And much more!

A Look at The Tavern's Demographics (According to Google Analytics)

I saw +Russ just did this over at ENWorld, and I was curious as to how The Tavern shook out.

Nothing all that surprising. We are a bunch of middle aged, male gamers ;)

(I rounded off the numbers)

1) 35-44   39%

2) 45-54   33%

3) 25-34   19%

4) 18-24     6%

5) 55-64     2%

6) 65+        1%


Male       95%

Female     5%

Then we have some self identifying categories:
 

RPGNow Deal of the Day - A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore (OSR Rules Supplement)

If I missed telling y'all about A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore being today's Deal of the Day at RPGNow, I'd have no one to blame but +Joseph Bloch himself. Good thing I get email notifications. Now I just need to read the emails ;)

At $4.23, A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore is a steal. I've had my print copy for a while now, and have used bits and pieces in my Swords & Wizardry campaigns without my players' knowledge. Needless to say, it's been fun ;)

So, what is A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore? Here's the blurb:

A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore is a rules supplement that will enhance most old-school role-playing games. The rules are based on Gary Gygax's plans for a 2nd edition of the world's most popular role-playing game (that unfortunately never happened), and are the product of years of meticulous research. The book contains: 

Five new character classes: the bard, jester, mystic, savant, and mountebank 

Hundreds of new spells 

A new alternative combat system that is at once streamlined and more realistic 

Rules for shipborne adventures and combat 

Quick and easy rules for common hazards and weather 

New magic items 

New monsters 

And much more! 

The rules are designed to be completely modular; take what you like, leave what you don't. Want mountebanks and savants but not the new combat system? No problem. Everything will still work fine.

At $4.23 its a bargain and then some.

Kickstarter - DCC RPG 4th Printing (Already Funded and Knocking Down Stretch Goals)

There is just something about the DCC RPG. It's massive yet approachable. If you buy into the fairly random magic system, it's an amazingly solid game. The art is some of the most evocative in the OSR and the adventures work well with other OSR systems (so long as you are comfortable converting on the fly.) It's the first and only game that brought back that magical feel of my first few sessions of D&D as a teenager. It's familiar and yet comfortably different.

If you haven't checked out the DCC RPG system you really should, and Goodman games is giving old fans and new players an excellent opportunity to get the new DCC RPG 4th Printing. $40 for the new edition of the rulebook PLUS an adventure module PLUS free swag? If you want in, know is the time to do so. Backer spots are limited for the extras .

Me, I like the new Mullen cover. Damn it looks sweet.

Sure, it's an extra 20 bucks, but it includes an art folio and for the DCC completist, this is awesome.

Did I mention the stretch goals?

I just put the project over $30k, so you can thank me for the judge's reference panels ;)

Ken Whitless, Come on Down! You are the Next Contestant on "Which State Attorney General is Going to Sue My Ass?"

I apologize, as I've been remiss in following up on the Ken Whitman's various scams and sagas. Normally I'd be checking up on his Kickstarters for his "Whit-icisms" but the new work hours have run roughshod over my free time.

Lo and behold, I awoke from a nap this afternoon (it happens when you work overnites and then try and adjust on your days off) to an interesting piece over at the Kicksnacker Community at G+. This bit was originally posted over in the Pencil Dice Kickstarter comments section, and it is Whitman Gold:

Now, I've read that D20 Entertainment doesn't actually exist as a legal entity, which would leave Ken holding the bag without corporate cover. I wonder if that's why he's bee so quiet on his Kickstarters these days...

As an aside, I see Brave Halfling is in the State AG mix. Not a surprise, as John has handled Appendix N in about as poor a manner as is possible. Of course, John is more "business incompetent" whereas Ken is "scam artistry taken to new highs and lows."

Bundle of Holding with Halloween in Mind - Bundle of Nerves +3 (Savage Worlds Horror, Silent Legions and More)

Silent Legions is +Kevin Crawford 's entry into the horror genre using an OSR styled ruleset. Savage Worlds is, well, Savage Worlds. This offering includes the Horror Companion for Savage Worlds.

Two games, three books, 40 bucks worth of gaming for $10. A pretty good deal.

At approximately double the price you add in the Rippers storyline for Savage Worlds, Shadows of Esteren Book 0 - Prologue and Book 1 - Universe and Accursed. A $60 value for about 20 bucks more.

My only disappointment is that it lacks any Call of Cthulhu in the bundle. That being said, Bundle of Nerves + 3 is a very good bundle for the price.

Best Ruleset to Introduce Noobs to RPGs?

So, last night it happened. Well, actually, it started on Saturday night, but I was off so it really happened last night.

What am I talking about?

One of my Lts. and another Sgt. spent Saturday night tracking down my blog and attempting to track down my podcasts.

I was greeted by my blog shown on phones, +Douglas Cole 's interview of me playing on YouTube and questions about RPGs in general AND a desire to have me run a session. For cops that have never played before. Damn tall order, I know.

I'm so damn deep into RPGs I'm not even sure what would be the best choice to introduce them to the hobby. Free in PDF is obviously good, but I work with folks that want to READ the rules and come away with some knowledge of how it plays out.

So, I'm looking for suggestions from the fine readers of The Tavern.

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9PM Eastern - I'll Have Questions

Tonight is Tavern Chat Night. It's something I look forward to these days after a long week at work (my work week ends at 6AM Thursday morning and kicks off again at 930PM Saturday Night.)

I'll have some questions for those that drop by, mostly related to my cover being blown at work. Yes, the blog and some podcasts have been found and aside from the usual ribbing, it's generated lots of curiosity in my hobby.

I may run a bit late tonight as I'll be taking my wife out to a well deserved dinner after some stressful weeks at her new job.

See y'all tonight :)

D&D 5e Most Played Game on Roll20 for the Last Quarter

I like that Roll20 makes it's stats public on a quarterly basis. There really is a small mountain of date for those that want to drill through such.

I get quarterly updates on those stats from the Orr Group, the parent company of Roll20 (the big daddy of virtual table tops, or VTTs.)

The most interesting thing to note from the latest update, from my perspective at least (and I guess the folks behind Roll20, as they made a specific mention of it in the email) is that Dungeons & Dragons 5e is the most played RPG on Roll20. Doesn't matter whether you use the yardstick of games played or players self identifying- 5e is number 1 in each case.

The percentage of players identifying with a certain system is actually greater than 100%, as they may identify with more than one system in the time the data was captured.

Less shiny snapshot with more detail:

What's Your Standard? Gold, Silver, Gems, Shells?

I know D&D is based on a gold standard, but it's never felt right to me. Somehow bringing hundreds of pounds of gold out of a dungeon just never seemed right to me. It just seemed to devalue gold.

Switching to the silver standard helps, so long as you treat silver in all ways like gold,except that it's silver. Or something like that.

Gems. Gems always felt better, travelled easier but were much harder to actually spend. The average barkeep is not going to cash out gems.

Letters of credit aren't too loot-able.

So, what's the standard in your campaign? Why?

Kickstarter - The Folio #5 & #6, in 1E & 5E Format

I've posted about previous releases in The Folio before. Here's the quick summary:

- On time or early

- Detachable covers

- Quality adventures

If you like Old School feel with modern production values, The Folio is the way to go. You can get The Folio 5 & 6 for a mere 10 bucks in PDF.

I'll be running this series of adventures come March / April when I enjoy some downtime ;)

P.S/ Did I mention I love the cover art to #5?

Frog God Games Free Adventure - Rogues in Remballo (S&W, PF and 5e flavors)

Quick and dirty post as I'm in the middle of an 18 hour work day.

Frog God Games has generously released Rogues in Remballo in PDF format to the gaming public.

How do you get your copy? Just go to the Borderland Provinces Kickstarter page and follow the link for the free adventure.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/the-lost-lands-borderland-provinces/description

posted from Bloggeroid

Had a Small Surprise Waiting for Me at Work Today

I got to work a little early this afternoon for the first of my two back to back tours and noticed a small change to my mailbox:




Kingggg! I will have my revenge!

Good investigative work though...

The Tenkar's Tavern - NTRPG Con Mini-Con G+ Community is Live

Yep, I did it. I sponsored a room for NTRPG Con 2016 for use by OSR Bloggers, Podcasters and Small Publishers (and the rest of the community that is involved in all things OSR.) Bad Mike bills room sponsorship as a sort of mini-con, and he's right. There's a lot we can do to make this ours.

I'll be looking for suggestions for games to be run at our sponsored table, requested GMs to run games at the table run by NTRPG Con in the room (we have 2 gaming tables in the room - one for us and one for the con, but we can request GMs for the NT table), podcasts that are interested in reserving time at one of our 2 vendor tables, blogs that want to be represented (either with banners, flyers, small giveaways, in person or other), small publishers that might want a piece of the 2nd vending table and much more.

The more being simple members of the community that want a voice in a little corner of the OSR universe for 4 days in June of 2016. Hopefully we can also use the room as a meet-up for OSR bloggers, podcasters, small publishers, readers, listeners, consumers and the like.

If you are going to be at NTRPG Con in 2016, I'm hoping you'll participate in the Tenkar's Tavern - NTRPG Con Mini-Con Community on G+. More importantly, I hope to see you there. If you aren't going, you can still participate. There's been talk of arranging some live (or nearly so) podcasting or video-casting from NTRPG Con, and if the logistics work out, the Tenkar's Tavern Mini-Con will be in the thick of it.

You can join the Tenkar's Tavern - NTRPG Con Mini-Con G+ Community by following the link. I'll see you there ;)