Kickstarter - Brave New World (Pay to Play an NPC on Someone's VTT)

Yes, you read the blog post title correctly. You can pay to play an NPC in someone else's campaign world... virtually.

Here's the elevator pitch of Brave New World:

Then here's the reality:

So no, you aren't going to be "an adventurer." Instead, you're the blacksmith or the town guard. You get your 5 minutes before they move on - and you get to pay for the privilege.

Eh, here's the rest in a copy and paste, because fuck me if this doesn't deserve some snark-like commenting.

Have you ever read a book and wanted to be part of that world? (sure!) Maybe watched a movie that made you want to join the adventure? (hell yeah!) Do you enjoy tabletop gaming but can't find the time or a group to play with? (I've had that problem) Then I have a great suggestion for you! (you do? awesome!) We are building a game world from the ground up and you can be there for the first adventures. (er, huh? I'm not going to be one of the adventurers?) This will be your chance to shape a city. Exploration, politics, managing resources. It's all there. There are several slots for almost every conceivable position. Want to shape the government? You can! Want to protect the citizens? Be a city guard. Want to shape the agricultural aspects of an entire country? Be a land owning farmer. (WTF? I'm a fuckin' extra in the movie? I'm the faceless guard that get's killed and never named?) The majority of available spots are for npc type players but you will help to give the city a real life with personality. (but I want to be a Player Character, not the background noise. I want to be part of it, not a piece of shit. Wait? And I'm expected to pay for the privilege?) Once we are up and running there will be games run for actual player characters with which the real life human run npc's can interact. (so I get to pay so that the PCs can play for free and have more fun...)

This is a player and npc driven style campaign. We as game masters will be ensuring rules are obeyed and refereeing the interactions of all the characters. We are the gods and goddesses (this says it all right here - someone hasn't broken from their teenage fantasies), the environment the monsters, and in the beginning the king. Want to go exploring? Tell us where and why. What to start a business? Tell us what and we will tell you what needs to be accomplished. Want to create an organization? Tell us what kind and why and we will incorporate it into the game. 

The campaign starts with Bolkas Icebolt (that is so not an exciting name) finding 100 people plus a small band of adventurers to go start a colony on a habitable world with no current civilization that he discovered. The planet, Falgyth, is earth sized with a slightly cooler atmosphere. Each pledge award above $10 secures a backer a slot in the settlement where they can help create this new rpg world. The higher the pledge the more influence the NPC has in the creation of this new settlement (pay to play, but only as a secondary character). Everyone has a chance at interacting with the adventurers (well ain't that just exciting). The main story being streamed on Twitch is about the adventurers. We hope the campaign will grow beyond the initial 100 inhabitants. These additional settlers will have to subscribe to participate in the world we are creating (wait? folks after the KS will have to pay a monthly fee to play an NPC? my God, WoW and the rest missed out on a huge money making opportunity). All the backers of the initial 100 settlers get to participate subscription free for the life of the character. 

We are raising money for equipment and software to aid in producing the stream and managing the scale of the campaign (mind telling us the equipment and software you'll be buying with the money your backers are theoretically kicking in?). The software we are investing in will allow us to manage a large scale of people and share information and maps with ease. We hope we find plenty of backers with a pioneer spirit. If there is enough interest we may open up future settler slots for additional backers as stretch goals. (yeah - er, no)

Risks and challenges 

The greatest risk is not getting all the programs we intend to use (name them already!). They are going to make managing so many players and npc's all together much easier. Having managed campaigns with 13 to 20 people at a time, we understand many of the complications a project like this could have. We have spent a great amount of time developing rules and planned structures to make the experience better than past experiences (wait, you've done this before?). The software we are looking at purchasing will make this experience fuller and richer than most get to experience at home with friends. (I was so going to make a sexual joke - but I'm sure there will be better ones left in the comments :)

Mythoard is Offering 30% Off to Tavern Readers for a One Month Trial

You heard it right. Due to the huge response to the Fifth Day of OSR Christmas (where there is a gift of a 3 Month Mythoard subscription up for grabs until sometime tomorrow), +Jarrod Shaw (he of Mythoard fame) is offering The Tavern's readers a 30% discount code just for you! This is an awesome deal for Mythoard and truly an amazing amount of gaming product.

Use the code TAVERNTRYOUT at sign up at Mythoard.com and get 30% off your first box. Its good until the 10th of January 2016, and applies to US month to month subscriptions only.

I'm serious - If you haven't checked out Mythoard yet, now is the time to do so. What are you waiting for?

What a second. I'll do this one better. I'm sure +Jarrod Shaw can tell when folks sign up with this code. I'll send the first five sign-ups at Mythoard using the code TAVERNTRYOUT a $5 RPGNow GC. I'll figure out the logistics with Jarrod later. This is a surprise even for him ;)

You're still here? Go get your Mythoard!

Kickstarter - Bōken: A Tale of Ninjas (It's About Ninjas - Need We Say More? Apparently Not)

Sometimes certain Kickstarter projects leave me scratching my head. Bōken: A Tale of Ninjas almost made me pull out my hair.

The video starts with some animated ninja shit before moving on to some boring ass talking heads. The the thing is, if you don't listen to the talking heads, you wouldn't even know what broad type of RPG system it is (dice pools apparently.) Color me not impressed.

How much are they asking for? $32,000

Any sample art on the Kickstarter page?

Nope.

How about the approximate length of the book (which they are claiming a March 2016 delivery date)?

Why would they.

You don't even need to go to the Bōken: A Tale of Ninjas Kickstarter page to read the whole pitch as it fit into a single screenshot:

Too much coffee? How about not enough of anything else to justify even a buck to get backer only updates. Hell, they've all been public thus far so why bother.

For all of the good projects out there it's the quick attempts at a cash grab that really annoy the shit out of me.

If You Had Stuck Around to the End of Last Night's Tavern Chat...

You might have caught the conversation talking about a possible podcast in last night's Tavern Chat. It was out there for all to see.

+Michael Badolato (Bad Mike)

+Zach Glazar (the Lesser Gnome)

+Erik Tenkar (myself)

Off the cuff, no scripts, no mailbags, immature (adult language) and sure to offend most people. Old school gaming as raw as it can be.

Is it a done deal? Of course not. Are we excited? Hell yeah.

Enter to win a Death & Taxes Boxed Set and tell +Zach Glazar you want to hear him on a podcast. Cause you know you do :)

Day Five of OSR Christmas - Look! Over Yonder! A Mythical Hoard!

Before we get to today's main event, there is a prize I must award here at The Tavern:

Joel Priddy - email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing and I'll get that $10 RPGNow GC to you.

So, what's in Santa's Bag today?

Something totally unexpected, as it wasn't on the initial gift list, but when offered, there was no way OSR Santa could say no:

a Three Month Subscription to Mythoard

What is Mythoard? You don't know? It's like Loot Crate on OSR steroids! Not that it's all OSR, but the OSR is a damn strong presence in every monthly release, which means it's easy enough to convert to the edition (or ruleset) of your choice.

I've been a subscriber since the beginning. It's like a gamer's Christmas once a month! (or Hanukkah or the religious gift giving holiday of your choice / your diety's choice / the choice of "He That Shall Not Be Named" / the day your dog chose to chew on your shoe and you just needed to be cheered up / etc)

Three months of Mythoard for free. How cool is that?

Just a heads up - this gift is for US Only. It is for three monthly shipments. Imagine the joy the US Post Office would have had charging international postal rates to +Jarrod Shaw for three months in a row. You want a real Scrooge? The US Postal Service...

So, how do you get yourself this most awesome of gaming gifts? Simply make a comment here, on this very post, about why you deserve such an epic gift. The gift receiver of the Mythoard subscription will be chosen randomly, but the answer that stands out to me, your bartender, will earn themselves a $10 RPGNow Giift Certificate. Gift receivers will be chosen sometime on Sunday, December 21st, 2015.

Remember, there are other events still going on for OSR Christmas. You can't be gifted if you aren't in the mix.

Kickstarter - Lairs & Encounters (Autarch - OSR Sandbox Supplement)

I like Autarch. I like the company a lot. They managed to salvage Dwimmermount and the Adventurer Conquerer King System (ACKS) is a solid system that my group will be returning to in the new year. It annoys me to no end that their Lairs & Encounters Kickstarter has escaped my notice until now. It's funded with 11 10 days to go.

Needless to say I backed this the moment I saw it, but for the curious, this looks to be an amazing sandbox tool. Here's the skinny right from the kickstarter:

Lairs & Encounters is the ultimate supplement for fantasy RPG sandbox campaigns. Designed for use with the Adventurer Conqueror King System™ (ACKS™), it is readily compatible with other fantasy role-playing games built on the same core rules. In Lairs & Encounters you will find: 

- More than 135 ready-to-play monstrous lairs - that's at least one lair listing for every possible monster lair mentioned in the Adventurer Conqueror King System. The lair listings are designed to be used both as dynamic points of interest that can be discovered while wandering through the wilderness and as obstacles to a would-be ruler’s attempt to secure land for a domain. 

-New subsystems for sandbox play, including rules for populating 6-mile hexes with lairs based on the terrain and extent of settlements in the region, and rules for searching for lairs in the wilderness factoring in terrain density, aerial reconnaissance, splitting up to cover more ground (never split the party!), and more. 

-Additional mechanics for monsters, including ability scores for monsters, proficiencies for monsters, and young monsters. 

-A complete system for taming and training monsters, with details on the lifespan, roles, tricks, trained and untrained value, supply cost, training period, and the trainability modifier of every monster in the game.   

-A complete system for creating your own unique monsters. In the ACKS Player's Companion we gave you mechanics to create balanced new character classes and new spells; now we bring our same rigorous attention to balance and customization to monsters.

Even better is that you get a draft copy in PDF when the Kickstarter funding completes. Damn skippy! I won't have to wait to start putting it to it's paces ;)

Tavern Chat Tonight - 930 Eastern - Wherein We Talk About OSR Christmas and Stuff

Tavern Chat is Tonight at 930 PM. Right here on this very page. It's that chat box on the right. All are welcome to chat, lurk or do a bit of both.

OSR Christmas should be picking up some speed now that I am off through the night of the 26th. Going to ATTEMPT a Gift post once a day (sometime two) with one or two gift providers per post. Might not hit the stride I'm aiming for but it should be quicker than it had been. We also have some gifters that have snuck in after the wire. Some amazing stuff coming up, some of which I'll preview in the chat tonight.

As for other stuff, I'm making Fridays "days of productivity." Which means The Tavern should be back to posting gaming content. Monsters, locations, NPCs, encounters, White Box, White Star, White Lies and mish-mashes of the above. Tonight is where you can make your requests if you have any.

Note: There will be no Tavern Chat next Thursday, it being Christmas Eve and such. We MIGHT do one Tuesday or Wednesday instead, it all depends on "stuff" ;)

Day Four of OSR Christmas - Jolly Tenk and the Lesser Gnome Want Your Death... and Taxes

Day Four - Holy Christmas!

Before we get to today's main event, there is a prize I must award here at The Tavern:

Steven Wells - email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing and I'll get that $10 RPGNow GC to you.

So, what does Jolly Tenkar and the Lesser Gnome have for you today?

Death & Taxes

Not just any Death & Taxes mind you, but THEE Collector's Version of Death & Taxes

Just like the one pictured below:

Let me attest to a simple fact. Once you open the box you'll never get all the shit back in. It's packed tighter then... something. It's like a Box of Holding or a Portable Hole, but the charge wears off after you open it ;)

Edit - the Lesser Gnome will ship to Canada and Europe

You need to follow the link to the Lesser Gnome webpage and follow the instructions. Already have a copy? The Lesser Gnome has you covered. Want to buy a copy? The Lesser Gnome has some bonuses in store for you.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Oh, and if comment on this very post here at The Tavern and answer the following question - What... does Gygaxian mean to you? (the answer matters less than your creativity, but the gift receiver will still be chosen randomly ;) you'll have a chance to snag another $10 RPGNow GC. Entries close for the GC when the next OSR Christmas Post goes live - probably on Wednesday, as I'm working a double Monday into Tuesday.

Don't forget to click on the OSR Christmas pic in the upper right corner to bring you to all of the OSR Christmas posts. There are other offerings from earlier that are still collecting entries, so you may have a Very Merry OSR Christmas!

Troll Lord Games Does Good - Ken Whitman's Ass is being Salvaged for the Good of the Kickstarter Supporters

I received the following from one of The Tavern's frequent readers. It's a message from Troll Lord Games to the backers of Ken Whitman's / Whit Whitman's / Ken Whitless's / He Who Scams People Out of Money and Then Leaves State's Castles & Crusades: Beyond the River (T.V. Pilot) Kickstarter.

Greetings from Troll Lord Games! 

We are not certain of the status of this Kickstarter, but we’d like to give you a very brief idea of what is going on as we know it. 

Steve Chenault wrote the script for the pilot and submitted it to Ken Whitman last year. 

Initially the script was approved by d20 Entertainment, but for a variety of reasons they could not go with that script and a second, abbreviated script was submitted. This script was also approved. However, soon thereafter this script was set aside for one written by Ken Whitman. A short pilot was shot and sent to Steve. He did not approve the pilot in its form and requested the abbreviated script be shot. 

The unapproved pilot was released, but without the C&C banner attached. 

That’s where things stand. 

We do not know what d20 Entertainment’s intentions are but we do know that you guys have backed a project that involves the flagship IP for Troll Lord Games and you did so in good faith that d20 Entertainment would deliver on said promises. You also did so, because Troll Lord Games authorized the project. 

For that we apologize. And we want to make it as right as we can under the circumstances. 

Here is what we have already done: 

1) All backers should have received the script as promised by the Kickstarter 

2) All those who were promised a Leather Copy of the Players Handbook have been contacted and a personalized leather book has been sent from TLG’s own stock. Those shipped yesterday, so please keep a look out. We know it wasn’t what d20 Entertainment promised, but we hope it will serve. 

Here is what we are going to do: 

1) Everyone is receiving a coupon for $10.00 toward any purchase at TLG’s online store. This does not serve to refund your hard earned money, it is simply a gesture from us to you. Use this code at checkout for the discount: xxxxx It does stack with the ongoing Christmas Sale. 

2) This spring we intend to shoot the second part to our short movie piece To The End. We will list the names of all backers of this Kickstarter in the credits section of Part 2, with a kindly Thank You. Also, Steve will write up a script diary for the shoot and we’ll send you all a copy of his adventures on set, observations and general ramblings. 

3) Anyone who backed at 60.00 or more was supposed to receive a free movie poster. Clearly we don’t have that, but we would like to send you a free poster from our existing stock. You can see them on our store under Merchandise. 

We want to apologize to all of you. We allowed the game we all play and you so generously support, Castles & Crusades, to become enmeshed in someone else’s problems. This should not have happened. We hope that it doesn’t sour you on future possibilities. For those who have seen To The End, you can clearly see what we had hoped would occur with this project and what could very well happen in the future. However, if such a future presents itself we promise an even tighter reign. 

We are not sure how long we will have access to this, so please send any inquiries to xxxx@trolllord.com. 

Thank you.
The Troll Lords

Wherein I Retract a Statement That I Never Made and Rabbit Holes

Yes, Retraction Number 2

This one is different.

I never said what I'm being asked to retract. It may have been said in the comments by a commenter on one of the posts, but to the best of my knowledge it wasn't made by me.

Make of that what you will.

I never meant to say (and by never meant to say, I also mean "as far as I can tell I never actually said it") that Gail Gygax, also known as Mrs E. Gary Gygax, is now or has in prior days, improperly removed monies from the entity known as the Gygax Memorial FUND (edit - I had "Trust" before). I have no knowledge of such activities, either directly or indirectly - Erik Tenkar

Onward to "Rabbit Holes"

I recently came into possession of a HUGE info dump of potential leads and information relevant to topics of conversation that have been taking place in the gaming community, particularly the Old School gaming community. I'd be remiss if I didn't follow the leads, although I suspect it will be time consuming and results will be far from immediate. Even relatively easy investigations at my day, rather NIGHT job these days, can take weeks or months. I'm not at liberty to discuss the contents, but I am quite tempted to put together a paper case folder like in the old days (my job is slow to take on technology - paper case folders only ended in 2012 ;)

Wherein I Retract Something...

So, there was a HUGE amount of material waiting to be read after I did my 17 hour shift over the last evening / night.

Some of that reading has lead to the following statement. I'm still reading ;)

I never meant to say or imply that Gail Gygax, the Gygax Memorial Fund or the Gygax Revocable Trust has now, or has prior, actively sued anyone or filed suit against anyone to the best of my knowledge, and any statements to the contrary made by me are due to the unintentional misuse of legal terms by a layman. It would have been more proper to use the words "action" or "actions" regarding any trademark issues that any of the above mentioned parties may have been a part of - Erik Tenkar

A "Holy Sh!t WTF!" Kickstarter - Nazi history monopoly (I Sh!t You Not)

Uhm, right.

Nazi history monopoly. But according to update #1, the game has nothing to do with Hasbro, Monopoly, cute and disturbing as hell Hitler heads nor history as we know it. Alright, I'm assuming the last part. Maybe it will be a riff of Man in the High Castle. Or not.

But what is this game actually about then?

Yep, because the Hitler Channel has cut back on Hitler History and replaced it with Pawn Stars. Neo-Nazi board game anyone? I can only imagine what replaces utilities.

How much for the game? 55 bucks. How much does she want to raise? $50,000.

Yes Kickstarter, there does need to be a vetting process...

Tip of the hat to Marci Deleon over in the Kicksnarker G+ Community.

The Gygax Memorial Fund Lost Over $1,000 in 2014

So, I've basically been told that only positive interviews are going to happen with Gail. She will participate "only in interviews focusing on the positive aspects of gaming and positive news of Garys legacy."

This post is about a negative aspect of the Gygax Memorial Fund which I guess makes in a negative aspect of Gary's legacy. More accurately, a negative cash flow issue for the Fund in 2014. Yes, the Fund lost money in 2014 and compared to 2015 the website was a font of activity. Just imagine how 2015 will shake out.

Look down below. The fund took in a mere $421 in 2014. It's obvious that 2012 and 2013 numbers were from the sales of the AD&D 1e reprints (Thanks WotC) and 2010 and 2011 were probably mostly corporate sponsors.

Again. $421 in 2014. Someone has dropped the ball on their fund raising efforts it seems.

Actually, it's worse than that. See the page below. That a "Schedule O". It's missing from the first few years of tax returns posted, but it's important, as it gives a breakdown of expenses.

Office Expenses:             $1,129

Filing Fees:                     $     10

Conferences / Meetings: $   653

Total: $1,792

Less   $   421

The Gygax Memorial Fund LOST $1,371 in 2014. How do you spend more in a year than your raise?

Now I know why the Fund is a sensitive topic. It's actually moving backwards now. There is apparently little support from the gaming community as a whole, and that's a damn shame.

Day Three of OSR Christmas - "You MUST Delve In!" (Print Copies of Dyson's Delves I & II)

Is it really Day Three of OSR Christmas? Yep, it is! heh

Before we get to today's main event, there is a prize I must award here at The Tavern:

 +Forrest Aguirre  email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing and I'll get that $10 RPGNow GC to you.

So, what is today's OSR Christmas Offering?

+Dyson Logos is gifting his stellar Dyson's Delves. Amazing maps, excellent adventures, all for you. How do you get your chance at such goodness?

Here's Dyson in his own words:

I'm giving away print copies of Dyson's Delves I & II as part of +Erik Tenkar's 12 Days of OSR Christmas. 

But I'm also using this as a chance to collect new uses for old maps - to produce an additional resource for people who are using the blog and who want an idea or seed to go with the maps.  

So to enter, you need to find a map on the blog and propose another use for it. A quick adventure seed or idea of how it could be used. At the end of the day (or tomorrow morning depending on how sleepy we are) one entry (possibly 2) will be chosen randomly to receive print copies of Dyson's Delves I & II. 

This contest is open to entries from anywhere in the world, so get on it!

Oh, and if comment on this very post here at The Tavern and answer the following question - What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? (the answer matters less than your creativity, but thw gift receiver will still be chosen randomly ;) you'll have a chance to snag another $10 RPGNow GC. Entries close for the GC when the next OSR Christmas Post goes live - probably on Wednesday, as I'm working a double Monday into Tuesday.

Don't forget to click on the OSR Christmas pic in the upper right corner to bring you to all of the OSR Christmas posts. There are other offerings from earlier that are still collecting entries, so you may have a Very Merry OSR Christmas!

An Open Letter to Mrs. E. Gary Gygax (cc: the Gaming Community at Large)

Mrs. E. Gary Gygax

The questions posed regarding the Gygax Memorial Fund were submitted by the gaming community at large, which is why I'm posting this letter here and not sending it direct, as it is their questions that need to be answered, not mine. Nearly half of the questions submitted to me in relation to the Fund were actually about the Trust and were therefore not submitted for your attention.

I understand your frustration when members of the gaming community are unable or unwilling to distinguish between the Gygax Memorial Fund and the GAIL C. GYGAX REVOCABLE TRUST. Perhaps you need to understand WHY people in the gaming community have that issue.

Emotions.

When emotions are brought into an issue, simple facts become not so simple. When the only mention of the name "Gygax" in the gaming community these days is legal actions taken against those using the name "Gygax" - yes, I'm referring to the recent trademark dispute - the Trust muddies the waters of the Fund.

Is that fair?

Fair has little to do with the real world. Most of us know that. The Trust using all of its legal rights to enforce its trademark against a company using said trademark is certainly legal. Was it fair? Not for me to judge. The community at large will do so.

You say you did not force Ernie and Luke Gygax to leave the new TSR, which is technically true. I do have it on good account from a trusted third party that any that signed on to the trademark agreement had to also agree to refrain from saying, writing, etc disparaging remarks about yourself. Strange that would be a requirement to settle a trademark dispute.

You've communicated that you want the Gygax Memorial Fund to be supported by the gaming community, but the site itself is virtually dead. No updates in nearly a year, no stock in the store, no activity. The Fund's board itself is composed of non-gamers with little to no connection to the gaming community.

You are frustrated. The gaming community is frustrated. Gary was loved by many. His work influenced millions of gamers. We all want the man to be honored. Many of us do that in the games we still play. Sadly, time makes people forgetful, and the longer this goes on without being fulfilled will leave us with fewer people that will care in the end, assuming we get there. An ending like that would diminish us all.

Sincerely,
Erik Tenkar

WotC Posts Another Cartoon Map Walk-Through - Out of the Abyss (5e)

I almost missed this one. The Out of the Abyss walk-through been up for a bit (and the link has been open in my browser for over a week, but free time hasn't been too free for me recently) and I figured it's about time to share it out.

Sure, it's for a 5e adventure but it's still fun to look at / read.

Grab it in low, medium or hi resolution directly from the WotC site here. (edit: link fixed to offer all resolutions)

And no, I haven't read the adventure it's based upon...

Another WTF Kickstarter - With Dice! - Custom RPG Dice

A tip of the hat to +Jennifer Fuss over at the Kicksnarker Community, because this is pure gold.

Yes, a Custom RPG Dice Kickstarter, but the twist is - you don't get to customize them! Nope. It's been done for you to save the stress.

Ah shit, let me just post the project text and make my comments. Do you really want to waste your time going to the actual Kickstarter page?

So I discuss a lot of this in the video (there is no video - oopsie!), but I wanted to talk about this more in depth here. These dice were originally an idea to help get my name out there in the dice/pen&paper rpg community (uhm, you do that by being part of that community) so that when I launched a game I intend to release, people are more willing to pledge to such a big project. (because they'll surely see my design skills with these dice) See my logic was people are more likely to pledge a large project(not saying this one is exactly small but the game will be about 5 to 7x this cost) if they can see you have successfully created a project before. Thus this idea was born. (right. so, the Algerian Flag was the inspiration for the 12 sided die? )

Now the project has undergone several attempts (two canceled and one fail to fund - say what?) and revisions due to customer base trying to help get this project where it needs to be in terms of cost and currently...this is about the best I can do on pricing. Why is this the best? Well here is my expense break down: The dice themselves require 100 sets at $22.00 to purchase from Q-Workshop (so I could buy from them direct and actually get what I want?) who i have supplied the designs to. Shipping them TO ME is about $81.00 shipping the 100 sets out is around $250.00. So we have $2200.00+$81.00+$250=around $2531.00 if my math is correct which is not factoring in International shipping which is around...oh $6.00 and some change.So let's look at a 50/50 split in shipping. $125 would be my local cost and intenrational (irrational shipping costs perhaps, because the numbers seem awfully low) comes to about $300 which changes it to $425 or double almost double the original shipping plan. SO let's add this extra $175 in 2531+175=$2706. So 10% of this would be $270.60 resulting in a total cost of $2976 in the event of a 50/50 split, which isn't very likely. Since last attempts had a high number of international pledgers we shall simply say around $600 for shipping as a ballpark estimate bringing us to a little over $3000 roughly after all is said and done, but that is just for the dice. My pledge levels also include special art work from the currently tabled Fated Worlds tabletop I conceived so then we have artist fees to consider and such so when all is said and done I am not really making a profit as all my funding goes to cover my expenses (I couldn't follow the math but I suspect the creator couldn't either...)

So what exactly does polyhedral dice mean? The type of dice being funded called polyhedral dice are commonly dice used in Tabletop gaming also known as pen and paper rpg. This set consists of a 20 sided die, 4 sided die, 8 sided die, 2 ten sided dice(one is a percentile die), 12 sided die, 6 sided die. (if your audience needs to ask this question, they aren't the customer you are looking for. please more along. we know someone that is going to try - again - to sell pop-o-matic dice on Kickstarter. give your money away to him)

What makes these special? These dice have numbers on them replaced with symbols, most of which were chosen at random except the d20 which replaced the 1 with a skull to represent a critical fail. The six if i can manage it will replace all numbers with symbols or if the render is chosen with numerals. (which means they will be total useless in game. Woot!) 

Now for the fun part: The render I have was for my original design and several people liked it, but last try only hit about 50% of goal, so i decided to change it up a bit this time. I have a color table from Q-Workshop showing several body and numbers colors. So you will have a choice this time. I have a secondary set of symbols picked but since I cannot afford a second render($150) I am using the original render to give you an idea of what kind of quality and all we are looking at. So in this project at the end I will send out a survey asking whether the render should be made, or if a different color set and symbols should be used! If you like parts of both symbol sets, tell me which ones you like and then I will tally the results and the dice with the highest votes get made. But what if there is a tie on certain aspects? Well I shall then work to reach a middle ground and send the survey with that to see if it is yay or nay. (oh my fucking God - even f this funds it will never be completed)  

I laid the foundation, but you guys get final say in this creation! Also please remember this is an all or nothing site so there is no need to cancel pledges unless you cannot afford your pledge. Below are the alternate symbols and color chart. I will also do these in updates to tidy it up a bit. (guess what. no chart either. maybe the chart and the video were too smart to stick around) 

Also one final note: There will be a project for individual dice starting with the d6. After this renders set I will simply have someone draw the rough idea. These will be small projects usually around $500 maybe a bit more or less. (because more projects will give me street cred in the RPG community) They will be 50 units of the dice. However Another branch of Soulcraft Games is talking about doing this. (there's more than one branch? WTF? )  More information on this to come.

And the last reminder I wish to offer: to people thinking these dice are too expensive. This set for 1 set from Q-Workshop without a 100 set minimum is $40 a die....or $280 dollars. Just thought i should address that issue here. (okay - but it's custom FOR YOU. It's not custom made for the rest of us) 

Oh One final thing, I will try to have the color chart Q-Workshop gave me up soon, I just either have to find it or request a new one (uhr?) 

Risks and challenges 

I am simply making dice. (actually, no you aren't. Q-Workshop is) The biggest risk here is delays with getting the dice made and art made. (which is the whole project if I'm not mistaken. Where's that street cred going to be?) After all the company making them for me are overseas. If this does occur I will try to do something to make it up to my backers and will keep you posted every step of the way. (I may back for a buck, just for the updates)

Day Two of OSR Christmas - "And Five will INHERIT Bundles (Print & PDF)"

Is it really Day Two of OSR Christmas? Yep, it is! heh

Day One kicked off two days ago and there is a prize I must award here at The Tavern:

GM Tim - email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing and I'll get that $10 RPGNow GC to you.

So, what is today's OSR Christmas Offering?

Mischief Inc is offering FIVE Print and Play bundles of The Inheritance, an introductory / 1st level adventure for the OSR ruleset of your choice. It comes in at 40 pages.

How do you get your chance for one of these bundles?

Simple. Go to the Mischief Inc forums. Register an account so you can post in this thread. Say something to the effect that "I'd surely love a copy for OSR Christmas." You have a week to enter, so don't wait too long.

Oh, and if comment on this very post here at The Tavern, you'll have a chance to snag another $10 RPGNow GC. Entries close for the GC when the next OSR Christmas Post goes live on Sunday.

Tavern Chat Tonight - 930 PM Eastern - Don't Say You Weren't Notified ;)

Yep. It's Thursday, which means tonight is another Tavern Chat.

Tonight's topics will be - whatever we wan't them to be. I'm sure OSR Christmas will be on the list. OSR Santa has been good so far this year - have you?

What is Tavern Chat? It's that chat box to the right we hang out it once a week :)

12 Days of OSR Christmas is LIVE! - Big Dragons and Not So Small Hobbits - Oh My!

Yes, what you've all been waiting for is here! The 12 Days (or more) of OSR Christmas has started!

If you wish to participate and possibly receive a gift, you must closely follow the instructions on each OSR Christmas post as they occur (roughly every two days.)

Here's the instructions for Day One:

1 - Make a comment on THIS BLOG POST for your chance to win a $10 RPGNow Gift Certificate. Comments open until sometime Friday.

2 - Make a comment over at the SAVE VS DRAGON BLOG (New Big Dragon Games / +Richard LeBlanc ) Actually, make several comments over the next 2 weeks. This is what Rich is doing:

"First, I'll be giving away 12 print copies of the Creature Compendium. I'll be giving away 1 copy away each day; 10 of the 12 will be open to US recipients only, 1 of the 12 will be open to Canadian residents only, and the final copy will be open to any location in the world except the US or Canada. Each print recipient will get a PDF copy as well. 

Second, I'll be giving away 12 PDFs of the Basic Psionics Handbook; again, I'll be giving away 1 copy each day. "

3 - Make a comment (and follow the instructions carefully) over at the HALFLING'S LUCK BLOG ( Barrel Rider Games / +James Spahn ) This is what James is doing:

"Here's what's up for grabs: 

Class Compendium (for use with Labyrinth Lord) (hardcover)
White Box Omnibus (for use with Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox) (hardcover)
White Box Omnibus (two of them!, for use with Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox) (softcover)
White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying (hardcover)
White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying (two of them!) (softcover) 

But if you want to win, you're going to have to earn it this year! You can only win once and you can only win one product! Here's how ya win: Comment on this blog post with why hobbits or ewoks are the best races to ever grace the pages of fantasy literature and sci-fi film. It's not a contest, but I want to know that folks read the post and didn't just blindly comment. Those who follow these simple rules will be eligible to win.

 4 - Good luck to all!

"OZ to US" Aussie Gamer Photoblog looking to Raise Money for GaryCon Visit

Heath Farden is an Aussie. He's looking to go to GaryCon and basically bring it to life for those of us that won't be able to make it (which includes Rach and me - one trip a year, and for us that NTRPG Con.)

I'd love to go to GaryCon but it just doesn't fit our schedule, so if there was a skilled photographer that was also a huge old school gamer that could attend, that might just be what we need. It won't stop +Doug Kovacs from mercilessly reminding us at NTRPG Con every year about how much we need to get to GaryCon but from what I can tell, not much stops Doug at all ;)

Need more background on Heath before considering backing his GoFundMe? Here's Heath in his own words:

If I am able to raise enough to make it to Gary Con, anyone (and I do mean anyone) who contributes will receive a nice little folder full of high res photos of my trip over there.  I intend to capture the spirit of gaming via photography.  Anyone who wants to contribute a substantial amount can AMTDA (Ask Me To Do Anything) (within reason of course).  You could ask me to take a photo of a game at the highest point here in Adelaide!  You could ask me to send you a postcard via snail mail!  You could ask me to find someone from your State / Territory / Provence / Country here in Adelaide!  You could ask me to share some Christmas cheer with a complete stranger!  You could have me play in one of your games at Gary Con!  You could…. Well you get the idea! 

Ok, so now you are probably wondering a little bit more about me.  Who I am and why I want to do this.  Well let me tell you! 

My name is Heath Farnden, and I am, amongst other things, a gamer and a photographer.  I’m an Aussie and I have travelled some of the world, but have not been to the US… yet.

BTW, that $5k is actually about $3,600 American. Honest numbers. Come next paycheck I'll toss in a few coppers myself. Of course, I may ask for a photo of the site for the yet to be built Gygax Memorial...

So, Anyone Find Updates on the Gygax Memorial Fund Site That I Missed?

We were promised that, at the very least, the Tax Returns for 2013 and 2014 would be posted at the Gygax Memorial Fund before the end of last week - assuming the web master had time. Guess there wasn't any time.

Folks are still listed as affiliated with the fund that don't recall being affiliated with the fund. I would have assumed that to be an easy fix.

So, did I miss something? Has it been updated? The responses weren't much in the form of answers but that's what happens when lawyers apparently prepare them.

Do we need a new definition of transparency?

OSR Christmas to Kick Off This Wednesday - Need a Volunteer or Two from the Gifters

Yeah, in less than 48 hours we are going to kick off OSR Christmas. Which means December 9th. Wow.

Current game plan is for a new gift / set of gifts to go up every 2 days or so, with some exceptions (yes, +Richard LeBlanc , this means you and the plethora of gifts you have for the community.)

Remember, if those gifting have a website, they are going to host their own giveaway - The Tavern is just going to give directions. Allow folks 1 day or 1 week to make a comment and enter, the choice is that of the gifter.

For those hoping to get lucky and snag a gift - you need to comment on the relevant post at the site giving away the gifts to have a chance. On each of those 12 days The Tavern will be giving away a $10 RPGNow gift certificate and maybe more - that you'll be entered for by commenting on the relevant Tavern post.

For those that are gifting - I know a 2 day warning is short, but I do need a volunteer for Dec 9th and one for Dec 11th. Email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing if either day is good for you. First to volunteer for either date gets it - I'll work on the schedule for the rest of the month on Friday in all likelihood. I'll send you an email confirmation before i head to work tonight if you are confirmed for the 9th or the 11th.

The Tavern's linking post to the individual gifting sites will go up in the afternoon of the day(s) in question. I ask the gifters to send me a link to their post so I can send the Christmas Carolers your way.

Alright, nap time before work tonight...

State of the Tavern - Long Hours, Shorter Work Weeks and Non-Work Productivity

Adding some inspiration ;)

I see I just had 10 posts last week. For some, they would be a huge number. For me, that's tied for my lowest weekly post total in the past year plus. The other weeks are 10/19 - 10/26/14 (10) and 08/23 - 08/30/15 (10). I'm sure +Charles Akins has the stats for my posting decrease for the last half of 2015 compared to the last half of 2014.

The new work hours (overnights) are a huge cause of that decrease. It's just hard to be productive when you work from 930pm to 6am (not counting overtime) and sleep from 7am until whenever (plus naps - I LOVE naps these days.)

So, I'm going to attempt to be more productive during my non-working days off. How am I going to do that? Instead of holding off and running all my time come mid March, I am going to do a four day weekend every other week until the end of March or early April - and then run the remaining time off to carry me over to retirement. It delays when I actually stop working but allows me to regain some sanity in the meantime.

I'm designating Fridays for productive time, as I owe my blog readers and my Patreon backers gaming content. Friday is the only day in the week that is completely my own. Well, except for Christmas and New Years coming up, which the family are going to grab, but I'm off Christmas week so I'll designate an earlier day in the week for creative time.

Besides, I grabbed a new collection of stock art (fatgoblingames.com). Uploading it to my phone for inspiration during the down time at work. 1 am until 5 am gets pretty quiet ;)

50% off Lesser Gnome PDFs - 40% off Lesser Gnome Minis

A portion of the proceeds are 'donated' to Tenkar's Unregulated Slush Fund Celebrating Gaming ;)

Minis come unpainted. Results not typical. Gnomes may smell. PDFs will not smell. +Zach Glazar smells less than he used to.

Kickstarter - Calidar "Beyond the Skies"

Back in the heyday of Dragon Magazine, one of my favorite reoccurring features was The Princess Ark series by +Bruce Heard . It was fiction, but such game-able fiction, that along with the actual game rule bits, inspired my imagination as a DM for years to come. Heck, it's one of the main reasons I want to work on a White Star / White Box mashup. Yes, the airships :)

+Bruce Heard has been working hard on the World of Calidar, a fantasy world of his own design with - airships. I'm ready to swoon like a school girl in a bad 50's movie. Anyhow, Beyond the Skies is the 2nd in the Calidar series (In Stranger Skies was the first and presented the world) and presents the gods, their cults and the special powers their followers can earn. Temple maps. Other goodies as described here. Bruce has done a pretty good job in the past keeping the crunchy parts minimal (thereby making conversion to the system of your choice fairly simple) and I expect much of the same from Beyond the Skies.

Of course, you can always add the first book, In Stranger Skies, to your pledge. $6 in PDF ($10 if you just want to snag a copy on RPGNow)

Alright, all this makes me want to reread the fiction from In Stranger Skies. Maybe tonight at work. In between phone calls. Shhhs! Don't blow up my spot!

Current List of OSR Christmas Gifters and Gifts - Updated with Huge Amounts of New Swag!

Every year the community here at The Tavern never ceases to amaze me.

Below is the current listing of gifters and the gifts they are offering:

(assume US only for Print items unless otherwise noted when the post for said items goes up)


Lesser Gnome / +Zach Glazar              - Death & Taxes Boxed Set (Kickstarter Edition)

                                                              - Death & Taxes Minis

                                                              - Whisper & Venom Hardcover

                                                              - Possibly some assorted TSR era signed stuff

Barrel Rider Games / +James Spahn    -Class Compendium (hardcover)

                                                              -White Star core book (hardcover)

                                                              -White Star core book (x2, softcover)

                                                              -White Box Omnibus (hardcover)

                                                              -White Box Omnibus (x2, softcover) 

New Big Dragon / +Richard LeBlanc  -Creature Compendium (x12, softcover)
                                                              -Basic Psionics Handbook (x12, PDF)

+Reid San Filippo                                 -Under a Broken Moon 1-10, UX01 (PDF)

BRW Games / +Joseph Bloch              - Adventures Dark & Deep core rulebooks - set (softcover)

Precis Intermedia / Brett B                   -PDF of receiver's choice from the Precis Intermedia catalog                                                                    (Lords of Olympus, Shatterzone, Two-Fisted Tales,                                                                                Hardnova, Coyote Trail, Story Engine Plus, Treasure Awaits!,                                                                etc.)      

+Dyson Logos                                       -Dyson's Delves Vol 1 + 2 (print - ships anywhere)

Mark Craddock                                     -Cypher System Rulebook

thunderbunnypress.com / stieha           RND (zine) - (3 print + PDF)

+Dak Ultimak / Stray Couches Press   -1 complete set of Crawl!, printed+PDF.
                                                              -2 complete sets of Crawl!, PDF editions.
                                                              -3 single copies of anything in print.
                                                              -4 copies of no.11.
                                                              -5+ copies of Dungeon Crawl Basics (proof of                                                                                          concept/beta/not final print copies, and free copies of the final                                                                edition when finished.)      

+Matt Snodgrass                                   -6th Printing of C&C PHB
                                                              -$15 RPGNow GC

eric samuels                                          -5e Monster Manual

+Art Braune Skullduggery Press          -1x Art's Polyhedral Dice Super Font Bundle
                                                              -1x Set of all 5 of my Classic Dungeon Tiles PDFs

+Sophia Brandt                                     -2 sets of Swords & Sixsiders, international giveaway
                                                              (1 set consists of: a 24 page Player's Book, a 36 page                                                                               Gamemaster's Book, a few character sheets and 1 adhesive                                                                     label for making a box set (no box).)

+Pete Spahn / Small Niche Games       -Gray Nebula, Star Gods Help Us and Stuck on Etholk (PDF)

Jimm Johnson / The Scribes of Sparn  - HG1 The Kringle Castle Invaders (PDF)

Joe Johnson / Taskboy                          -Manse on Murder Hill and Tranzar's Redoub (Print and PDF)

Forrest Aguirre                                      -Heraclix and Pomp (Novel / Print x 3 US / Canada only)

(big edit / update)

+Tim Shorts / Gothridge Manor            -Starter Adventures
                                                               -a print bundle of Manor Zines

+matt jackson                                         -two large manila envelopes with the original, hand drawn                                                                        maps. Mailed anywhere on the planet

keith nelson                                            -Transylvania Adventures - softcover.
                                                                -Castles and crusades 5th printing set of 3 core books, new.
                                                                -Dyson's Delves I and II - softcover
                                                                -Razor Coast for S&W
                                                                -DCC adventures - In the prison of the squid sorcerer; Cast                                                                      Tower of the Blood Moon Rises!

+James Carpio / TSR                              -Tales From the Fallen Empire Hard Cover
                                                                -Tales From the Fallen Empire Soft Cover
                                                                -2 Copies of Gygax magazine issue 6




I'm sure I missed something from someone ;)

Some gifter's I have neither email nor G+ for contact. Please, if you only added a comment and didn't email me nor do you see a valid G+ link for you, I need your contact info to make this work. tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Put OSR Christmas in the email subject line.

OSR Christmas will kick off in a few days...

A Wayward Kickstarter - After the Apocalypse - Bad Math and No Details Make it a Failure Out of the Gate

A tip of the hat to +Andy Kitkowski over at the Kicksnarker Community.

So, just how bad is the After the Apocalypse Kickstarter? They can't even center their art correctly:

But wait! There's more!

Actually, no there isn't. Well, not much more:

That's it. That's the whole description of the game. Mechanics? Who gives a fuck! Setting? Fogetaboutit! Because as we all know, games that can cover all possible end of the world situations just aint out there. If you want a Mad Max meets Gamma World meets Walking Dead meets Mars Attacks, this is you game. No other game can do the same.

Or not.

But hey! Look at the amazingly affordable support levels and low goal:

But math! Only $5k can be raised by print backers, so I hope the other 1,500 backers like their 50 dollar PDFs. Or 7,500 backers like their $10 PDFs. How many backers did Numenera have? 3,317...

Sometimes the Brain Box Rattles

Something has been on my mind for the last few days. Nothing major. Nothing urgent.

Just a definition of a simple word. One I've seen thrown around in politics, on Kickstarters and even other crowdfunding endeavors.

Transparency.

Does it mean what we think it means? Does it mean the same to you as it does to that Kickstarter creator? At what point does transparency become opaque?

Here ares some definitions of Transparency:

The first doesn't apply to much of what we come across in gaming, unless it's at the gaming table. The fourth doesn't really apply at all.

The second and third seem really important when trying to vet any project that is seeking crowdsourced funding.

How important is transparency to you and the crowdfunding you back?

Tavern Chat Tonight - 930 PM Eastern Till Whenever

Topics?

Gygax Memorial Fund and the responses received? Check!

New Tenkar's Tavern Facebook Group? Check!

Piss poor amount of gaming content posts? Check!

Latest Whit Whitman witticisms? Checkity check check!

Remember, it's the chat box on the right side of this very page...

Update: Tenkar's Tavern Opens on Facebook - Ask and Ye Shall Enter - And Stuff

What a day.

The Tenkar's Tavern Community over on Facebook is currently at 140 members. Pretty much all in the last day and a half. Simply amazing. You all rock. I expect it will be a fairly active community and it will be a vetting place for some post topics and themes.

I've been laid up on the couch most of the day will a rebellious stomach, so no work for me tonight. If I had been at work, I'm sure today's events in California would have been on everyone's lips.

+Dyson Logos drew this with The Tavern in mind earlier (no ill intent - I'm sure it relates to some pushback I've received for my more active use of Facebook) but it has a further meaning for me today. I'd like to send this out to ISIS and their sympathizers:

I'm getting really close to swapping out my off duty 5 shot 38 for my duty 9mm 15 + 1 with some extra mags. That's a whole 'nother non gaming discussion.

Tenkar's Tavern Opens on Facebook - Ask and Ye Shall Enter ;)

Yep, I finally did it. I formed a Tenkar's Tavern group on Facebook.

Why?

Because it has been requested numerous times.

What goes on there?

That's for you all to decide ;)

Seriously, it's a semi private place for discussions and lord knows at times we all need that.

Alright, time to shake the cobwebs and work on the updated OSR Christmas post...