Gygax Memorial Fund - When Does Failure Become the New Reality?

You know, it blows my mind that it is 1 week short of 15 months that I first kicked the tires of the Gygax Memorial Fund. Admittedly, I should have been looking sooner, as someone "in the know" raised some flags with me over beers a few years earlier, but then we had Hurricane Sandy the next day and it got forgotten.

Not that an earlier look would have made a difference. I would have received the same non-answers then as I did in November of 2015.

Looking at 2016, the only Fund News on the website was the Tom deSanto announcement in July. What little info I had of going ons regarding that dried up months ago (I know someone that knows someone that...), and although I am not at liberty to discuss details, I think its safe to say there is little going on on that front right now.

As for Facebook, the Fund had two posts in 2016. The July deSanto Announcement and this:

Break ground in 2017? Sure. And @ConManKen is honest and kind to his backers,

Now, for some reason I can't find this post in the GMF Facebook feed:

Its from the end of April, 2016. That would make three posts. Now, Facebook can be finicky at times, so maybe someone else can find it. I'd hate to think it was deleted.

Nearly 10 months since the audit was announced. Yep. Not holding my breath, either.

Anyhow, about the statue that has no land (because Gail doesn't like the land designated by the City Council) and the bricks that were to have been sold years ago - this really has turned into one of those fucked up Kickstarters.

I'm still amazed that the money in the fund isnt invested in a low interest earning account. I mean, its free money, and as the Fund is no longer in the habit of raising money from donors, you think they would go for the low hanging fruit. If that isn't mismanagement (not criminal, put just piss poor) I don't know what is.

You know what is truly sad? If it weren't for The Tavern's posts, no one would even remember the Fund these days.

Zak S Goes Full Story Gamer - Main Author of Vampire the Masquerade: We Eat Blood (and other related drama)

Yep, Zak S has gone full on story gamer. Good for him. Its all about the Benjamins anyway ;)

Now, if you read the linked post, there is some vagueboooking about allegations dealing with Zak's behavior online. That alleged behavior was apparently directed at David Hill. I could guess as to where such postings were made but really, does it matter? White Wolf has conducted a full investigation and found nothing wrong. Because investigating your own is always on the up and up.

No research assistants were harmed in the composing of this post...

WizKids has a Mind Flayer "Trophy Plaque" for $449 - I Want one of Tsathogga!

Yep, There is a Mind Flayer head looking for a home. I kid (WizKid) you not.

It releases in May, 2017. Preorders are being taken now.

Take on one of the most feared beings in the Forgotten Realms and display your greatest achievement with the Mind Flayer Trophy Plaque. With four tentacles protruding from its octopus-like head, the Mind Flayer Trophy Plaque is sure to grab everyone’s attention (no mind control necessary). 

The Dungeons & Dragons Mind Flayer Trophy Plaque is made of foam rubber and latex that’s carefully hand-painted for realistic detail. The trophy plaque comes with everything you need to mount the plaque to your wall. 

Please Note: This wall hanging unit is a heavy object weighing approx. 14-16 pounds and we recommend professional installation. You must install this unit into structural elements (2”x4” wall studs).

Sadly, I am tempted.

Still, I want a Frog God I can mount on my wall...

edit: As pointed out by +Moe Tousignant , there is a WizKids Red Dragon Head at a slightly cheaper $399 on Amazon.

When Palladium Books Starts Licensing its IP (Along with a 3 years late Kickstarter) You have to Worry About the Cash Flow

First things first - I had no idea that there was a Rifts board game in the works, let along being developed and soon to be kickstarted by a third party until it was brought to my attention earlier today.

First we get Savage Worlds Rifts licensed to Pinnacle and now we are getting a Rifts board game, licensed to a Palladium freelancer (don't call him an employee - I guess that's a black mark or something)

Why would Kevin give up some of his IP control? He's infamous for holding that close to his chest.

Could it be Robotech RPG Tactics, the Kickstarter that over $1.4 million and still isn't fulfilled? Sure, some have their product but many don't and boy, are they angry. Seriously, the comment section is alive and well even of the Kickstarter isn't. 98,000 comments and popping another every few minutes. I guess over 5,300 angry backers can do that to ya.

It is a total fucking train wreck. A few years ago, a trusted business partner embezzled money from Palladium and the company almost went under. This time it may be the influx of $1.4 million that puts the nail in coffin.

Maybe this comment sums it up the best:

Any of my readers have pics of the horrible models from wave one?

Oh, and one update in 5 months:

So, if wave one was such shit, are they going to get new shipments with wave two?

To 3k and Beyond - State of Swords & Wizardry Light and Slinging some other Stuff ;)

We surpassed 3k downloads of the Swords & Wizardry Light rules earlier today. Huzzah! It really is gratifying to see the community embracing this little project.

Work continues on Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. +james spahn took SWL, built it up and now I'm tweaking and refining. I must say, its a blast to do so!

There has been movement on the Starslinger front. No details yet that I can disclose but I'm extremely excited. Wish I could say more. In due time...

I'll be running some SWL at GaryCon, off the grid. I'll be getting to Lake Geneva either Tuesday or Wednesday. Hoping to find a carpool from the airport (Milwaukee or Chicago - I'm flexible) hint / hint ;)

Kickstarter - Yarr! The Pirate ArrPG Hardcover : Make 100 Edition

I hear ye like pirates! Even better, you prefer your pirates "Old School" with old school sensibilities.

Well, Yarr! might be the came for you.

Based on the world's most popular RPG, Yarr! is a class/level d20 game rooted in the OSR. This rules-light game can be learned by kids and enjoyed by seasoned players alike. The core book is a complete RPG in one volume. This hardcover printing of only 100 copies will be an omnibus of the core book, all the supplements (including the Adventure Module "The Baron's Gold" and the expansion "Avast, Thar Be Ninjas!) And some all new material! 

Tempting to put some piracy in my SWL gaming.

Hardcover and PDF of the Ref Screen is $25

Loren Wiseman - Co-Founder Game Designer's Workshop - Passed Earlier Today

You can read Loren Wiseman's Wikipedia entry for a full account of his career. I remember him mostly from the GURPS Traveller line.

Cause of death appears to have been a heart attack.

Rest in peace.

Kickstarter - Dwarves of Iron Peak - Two Player Boardgame

Trolls are so big, all you get are the feet ;)

I've got a confession to make. I've backed a number of fantasy themed board game Kickstarters and have yet to play them. Most require three or more players and I'm just not getting that number of players at my kitchen table.

Dwarves of Iron Peak might actually get played. Why?

Small time commitment and two players? That's a win / win in my book.

Did I mention it has dwarves? Or that the boxed set buy in is 44 bucks?

Yep, the minis look damn good too.

Pin the troll's feet with the spears. That's actually pretty damn cool.

Now to find room on the gaming shelves...

Reminder - Tavern Chat - 9 PM - Time to Yap

Its Wednesday and that means another Tavern Chat.

Tonight I may spill the beans on an upcoming Mapping Kickstarter. Alright, not going to name it but I've seen the KS page and it looks good. If you liked Dunjinni, this will be right up your alley.

Of course we'll have the usual assortment of conversations going on. Always fun :)

9 PM Eastern using the Chat Box on the right side of this page.

2000 AD / Judge Dredd coming to EN Publishing

My first Judge Dredd RPG was published by Games Workshop. Later, I found the Mongoose version. Soon we will have an EN World version. Colour me very surprised (see what I did there?)

Here's some of the official announcement:

EN Publishing, under license with Rebellion, are developing a range of Tabletop Adventure Games and supplements based on the iconic characters and worlds found in the legendary British comic 2000 AD. 

“2000 AD has forty years of rich history and storytelling and this worldwide license allows us to explore those characters and stories and bring them to the tabletop” Angus Abranson, Business Manager of EN Publishing said. 

The first release will be Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000 AD Tabletop Adventure Game, a full colour hardcover book which contains the core ‘Worlds of 2000 AD’ rules as well as setting information enabling the players to not only play Judges, but also civilians and perps, in Mega-City One. 

“The rules system we’re using is our own WOIN (What’s Old Is New) engine that also powers our N.E.W. – The Science Fiction Roleplaying Game which spent some time as the #1 best seller on RPGNow” said system designer and EN Publishing Owner, Russ Morrissey. “The system is incredibly flexible and can cater seamlessly for the Celtic environs of Slaine to spacefaring hijinks of the Ace Trucking Co.” 

Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000 AD will be followed by a series of adventure sourcebooks giving players and Game Masters the opportunity to play through the story arcs that made Judge Dredd such an enduring character. 

“We’ll be publishing a series of books, starting with The Robot Wars, which will not only allow players and GMs to play through the events that took place in the comic arc, but also add to the game setting with additional rules or source material relevant to the period or location. So, for instance, Robot characters will be expanded in The Robot Wars whilst in Luna-1 we’ll be providing detailed information on the moon colony and life there” Nick Robinson, Line Developer for the Worlds of 2000 AD Tabletop Adventure Game said. “The idea is to move chronologically through the classic story arcs in the 2000 AD Progs providing adventures for not only Judges, but for those players who may wish to explore the Dredd universe from a different perspective – that of a Civilian or even a Perp. Each book will contain a core adventure, mini-adventures based upon the other story arcs at the time, as well as expanded settingand rules information.” 

In addition to the support material for the Judge Dredd campaign a series of ‘Campaign Guides’ are planned which will cover other 2000 AD settings.

You can read the rest of the announcement here.

I'm not a huge fan of the WOIN system, but many of us buy this still not for the system but for the setting.

Resources for the Time Crunched DM - City GeneratorBy CrystalBallSoft

So, your players need to know more about the hamlet they stumbled into. All you thought of was the name of the inn and now they want to know about a local thieves guild and can they hire some mercenaries.

City GeneratorBy CrystalBallSoft has you covered, more or less. There is as much information as most DMs could possibly need and its fairly system neutral - just ignore the levels assigned to the common folk and such ;)

One guard, one beer merchant, one thief and one prostitute. Its like "Cheers", just Hamlet sized.

They export doves. Now THAT is interesting!

When is a Coin NOT a Coin? When its a Token ;)

A little bit of family history. My great grandfather on my mother's side own a bar in lower Manhattan in the early 1900s (and later owned a speakeasy just over a block from where I live now in Queens)

How do you get customers coming back to your bar and not going to someone else's?  Give them a token worth a 5 cent drink on their next time to your bar.

The above tokens are from the Manhattan bar.

Anyway, imagine the party thief's surprise when he picks that merchant's pocket and finds a pouch full of bar tokens. Maybe the party finds a sack of such deep in a dungeon. Can they still be cashed in? Hell, maybe there is a bar in some corner of your megadungeon and only those with the right token in their possession can gain admittance.

Not all treasure is coin, gems or magic and not all coins are coins...

Resources for the Time Crunched DM - Roll3d6.com

We've all been there. The Game is in 90 minutes and all your have is a +Dyson Logos map and nothing to go in it. Heck, you don't even have the town or a single person in it. What to do?

In my case, its "start a series of posts highlighting some free DM resources." It may be apps for your phone or tablet, programs for you to use on your PC or Mac or even a website. Today, we start with a website:

Roll3d6.com

What do you get here? You get tables. What kinda tables? Gaming tables sir!

This is quite simply inspiration with the click of the mouse.

Need the name of a village your players just stumbled across in your sandbox?

How about that tavern? They can't all be Tenkar's ;)

You get the idea. No, it can't do your work for you but it certainly can nudge you in a direction or two.

Play with the random charts a bit. I'm sure you'll find some inspiration.

Something to keep in your Gaming Bookmarks folder. Or maybe I should start a series of links on the side for these? Maybe with another 2 or 3 posts behind me.

Have ideas for other posts in the series? Mention them in the comments below.

Bundle of Holding - One to One RPGs - Bundle for Two

Yep, tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so we have a bunch of two player / one to one / one on one RPGs in the Bundle for Two.

Starter Collection is $7.95 and includes... nothing I've heard of before.

The Bonus Collection (a hair over 17 bucks) has Scarlet Heroes ( +Kevin Crawford ) which is simply amazing. I've also heard good things about Don't Rest Your Head. The rest? All new to me.

From the BoH page:

About half these games have appeared in past Bundle offers. Most of the new games are in our low-priced Starter Collection, which gives you five titles (retail value $37) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks for just US$7.95:

Romance Trilogy (Black and Green Games, retail price $10): Newly updated versions of Breaking the Ice, Shooting the Moon, and Under My Skin, the groundbreaking "Three Quick Games About the Human Heart" by Emily Care Boss.

A Single Moment (TAGSessions, retail $8): A life-and-death narrative battle between samurai, and the past events that brought them here. Additional playsets translate the drama to the Wild West, medieval England, and even romantic comedy. Includes Five Single Playsets (Riverhouse Games, retail $1), which adapts the system to new settings.

Stories From the Grave (Spectrum Games, retail $10): Anthology-based horror (think EC Comics, The Twilight Zone, and Creepshow) for a GM and one foredoomed protagonist.

Mars Colony (TCK Roleplaying, retail $8): A political struggle for the salvation of an isolated outpost. (Originally presented in our September 2013 Indie Treasure Trove.)

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $17.22, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with five more games (mostly drawn from past offers) worth an additional $53:

Scarlet Heroes (Sine Nomine Publishing, retail $15): Both a standalone old-school game and an overlay for your favorite retroclone, Scarlet Heroes lets you run any published fantasy adventure, unaltered, with just one player. From Kevin Crawford, designer of Stars Without Number. (From the November 2014 Old School Revival +2.)

Showdown (Dark Omen Games, retail $15): A tense card-based confrontation between longtime enemies where victory always brings great cost. (New in this offer.)

Macabre Tales (Spectrum Games, retail $13): A Cthulhu Mythos experience that uses dominoes to create a tense, fiercely accurate simulation of HP Lovecraft's stories. Dominoes not included. (From the October 2014 Bundle of Tentacles +2.)

Don't Rest Your Head (Evil Hat, retail $5): An insomniac in Mad City struggles against monsters both real and imagined. (From the October 2013 Bundle of Nerves.)

Beast Hunters (Berengad Games, retail $5): Stalk and fight monsters that threaten your people. When you defeat them, use their blood to ink tattoos on your skin and gain their power. (From the March 2014 Fantastic Valor collection.)

Kickstarter - Critical Smells - D&D Inspired Candles with RPG Dice

Note - Die color shown is NOT what
you will receive with your candle

I've mentioned before that "smell-o-vision" and RPGs do not mix well in my opinion. There are few dungeon smells that I would consider tolerable - most would be plain disgusting. So, with that out of the way, lets look at Critical Smells - D&D Inspired Candles with RPG Dice.

Actually, something just got in the way. If, perchance, I did want a candle with scents evocative of, well, leather - which seems to make the list for 3 of the 4 candles, why do I NEED to purchase dice with said candle? Oh, and a dice bag too.

I mean, if I am such an avid gamer and all around geek that I need a "Wizard" scented candle, wouldn't you expect I'd have more than enough dice?

If I want a candle, I want a CANDLE. I don't need non candle related accessories.

Oh, and why no Cleric candle? I mean, holy candles (and unholy ones) are an RPG staple. Ranger instead? Why, so he can burn the forest down?

Seriously - WTF are you forcing dice and dice bags with the candle? Did I mention they choose the dice for you to coordinate with the candle. I get the feeling there was a deal on discontinued Chessex dice.

Its not even noon and I need a drink...

Review - Hubris: a World of Visceral Adventure - Part 1 - Race & Class & Buyin' Ass

I've been sitting on a couple of releases from the end of 2016 / beginning of 2017 that I've intended to review but just haven't had the time to do more that a quick flip through - until this past week. Being sick and spending lots of time in bed is beneficial to those that like reading PDFs on their tablets. That me. I prefer reading on my tablet to the computer screen.

Anyhow, I dove into Hubris: A World of Visceral Adventure for the DCC RPG by +Mike Evans . I really didn't know what to expect. It bills itself as a Swords and Sorcery campaign setting but that is basically DCC RPG in a nutshell. What really could make that seem fresh?

Apparently, the "what" is a "who" and the "who" is Mike Evans.

Before I start. Minor quibble. The table of contents is not hyperlinked. At nearly 350 pages, a hyperlinked TOC would be helpful. Not a biggie

First, we get nine new classes / races for the DCC RPG (races are classes on DCC). They range from good but awkward to run (Mutant comes to mind) to "holy shit I want to play this right now" (Murder Machine) to "I want to convert this to Swords & Wizardry Light" (Avarian) and places in between (Alchemist, Blood Witch, Druid, Shadowdancer, Ekrask and Half Demon round out the list)

Alright, more about the Murder Machine. You know the Warforged for D&D? Now, imagine them done as psychotic killing machines derived from sentient creatures.

Got it? Well, most of them are totally converted and loyal to the Black Queen, but some go awry and have their original consciousness and personality (although severely damaged by the conversion process I expect) Yep, free will. Lollipops and wheellocks.

Oh, and Swiss-Army Hands: Swiss-Army Hand: A murder machine is built to
kill, and as such is outfitted with a hand that can rotate and become one of three weapons. At level one a player chooses three weapons from the following list: hand crossbow*, dagger, flail, hand axe, mace, short sword or wheellock pistol*

Listen, worth the price of admission for this racial class alone. I will do a S&W conversion at some point - as a monster entry, not a PC class. But man, I want to peek into Mike's head some more.

Lets bounce ahead to the optional rules. One in particular stands out to me - Weapon Damage by Class. I remember an article similar to this is a Dragon Magazine in the late 60's or lower 70's (by issue number) Of course, we were all into min-maxing back in my High School days, so we didn't think much of it but now as an adult and someone who has dabbled in system design? I like it.

Light, medium and heavy weapons, with fighter types getting the most of the damage potential and the squishy arcane casters getting the least. I would bump the thief up a notch with heavy weapons myself, but other than that I really like the list.

Oh, favorite table thus far?

That last line? When I worked the South Bronx in the late 90s we had a number that "Walked the Point" that fit into that category.

On that note...

I'll be back in a few days to delve into the Territories of Hubris. Random tables that scream sandbox. And more :)

From the blurb:

Hubris is a weird fantasy setting that  uses the awesome Dungeon Crawl Classics rules! 

In this book you will find 10 territories filled with tables and charts to generate interesting locations and encounters, new occupations, 4 new classes, 5 new playable races, 3 new spells, 4 new patrons, including 3 patrons spells for each, 11 new and terrible gods, 14 tables and charts for a GM to use to aid them in their game or create interesting/fun situations, two new adventures to kick off a campaign, and 51 new enemies (including enemies that are unique thanks to random generation).  Hubris is hackable!  Each territory can be used as the GM wills!  Need a desert, swamp, or frozen tundra for your game?  Use what's in Hubris! 

Campaign Summary 

Legend states that Hubris was created from the fetid corpse of a long-dead god. Hubris is a land of terrible creatures, grand inequality, strange and cruel gods, dangerous magic, opulent nobility, destitute commoners, people that have become corrupted and turned to savage beasts, constant wars, and worse.

The kingdoms are not kind or benevolent: In the Blighted Sands the Klind are slavers and openly practice sorcery, offering sacrifices to their depraved serpentine god, Set. Across the continent the Fairweather kingdom is governed by a corrupt and inbred royal family with the nobility following suit. Esenbar is ruled by a staunch xenophobic theocracy that tolerates little outside of their strict doctrine. The barbaric Ingvar of the Frozen Wastes wage vicious battles against the savage frost giants of The Crag, and care little about the goings on of the world; their life is cut from battle with an axe or sword. The Black Queen rules the citizens of the Floating Island of Terror from her throne of bones and dreams terrible machinations for Hubris. Shadowfall, built in the remains of the burrow of a gigantic worm, is ran by vampires and their thralls, and they welcome all who are devious, vicious and cunning.

There are no easily recognizable heroes in the world. You wander the wilderness or delve into ancient ruins: out of desperation, some crazed need for adventure, or for some bizarre belief that the world can actually be made a better place. Though civilization offers you security and comfort, you shirk those in the hopes of gaining riches and power. But when you die, no one will sing songs of your deeds. You will die a horribly bloody death at the hands of some twisted abomination or by the knife of an assassin sent by some fat, scheming noble.

Your epic tale will be forgotten in days as the dangerous world continues on without you and the apathetic masses stay complacent to dogmatic control of their government.

This is not a fairy tale or an epic ballad. This is a savage world. This is Hubris.

Sale - Far Away Land RPG - Best RPG that isn't SWL ;)

I do love Far Away Land. The art, the writing, the simplicity with unexpected depth. Oh, and the humor. Deadpan and subtle and oh so effective.

Did I mention even I picked up on the rules within minutes? You'll notice its OSR roots even if it isn't an OSR game.

Well, its on sale.

Let me show you (BTW, the Architect series of cards is worth its weight in gold. Get 'em!)

We've lost our hive minds!
​
We are offering a huge discount on all of our Far Away Land RPG books, Dungeon Architect Cards, and World Architect Cards. Our online store is crawling with discounts so make like a cow steed herder and grab some of our books and cards today! We have limited quantities on most of these items. Also, all print books ordered from us will be signed by yours truly.  

Here are our current sale prices... 

FAL Tome of Awesome (Hardback): $35 (was $45 = you save $10!)
FAL Core Rules (Paperback): $10 (was $15 = you save $5!)
FAL Creatures Vol. 1 (Paperback): $10 (was $15 = you save $5!)
FAL Companion Rules  (Paperback): $10 (was $15 = you save $5!)
​FAL Tales of Awesome (Paperback): $10 (was $15 = you save $5!) 

Dungeon Architect Cards (Physical Deck): $10 (was $15 = you save $5!)
World Architect Cards (Physical Deck): $10 (was $15 = you save $5!) 

And, all of our pdfs are now $5 each! 

I'd be all over this if I didn't already own it all :)

Head over to the Far Away Land blog for links to the sale.

Empire of Imagination - 30 Kindle Copies Sold Yesterday!

Yep, 30 copies of Empire of Imagination were sold via The Tavern's Amazon affiliate link yesterday. That is simply amazing. I'm sure more copies were sold today.

At $1.99 for the Kindle version of the book (at least in the US) its a hard price to beat. Screw that, its an impossible price to beat, especially for an inside look at this hobby's early history.

Some quick thinks to point out:

- The Tavern's Referral Rate at Amazon for the month of February went from 4% to 6.5%. So, it wasn't 8 cents a book sold that went into The Tavern's coffers - it was 13 cents ;)

- That 6.5% applies to all future sales for this month too.

- If you want to support The Tavern doing what many of you (including myself) already do, which is shop at Amazon, using The Tavern's Affiliate link helps us and costs you nothing.

Thanks to all. Your support is truly appreciated. Now, back to work on The Hidden Sanctum of the Blood Cult.

Kickstarter - Dice Base: Master - Magnetic Game Screen - RPG and Tabletop

I find the Dice Base: Master - Magnetic Game Screen intriguing. I like the look of the wood. The idea of using magnetic ball bearings to connect the pieces at will is intriguing The flexible uses are awesome.

Then I see the pricing and I return to reality. Realizing the actual size and weight of this literally sinks in, and all my excitement is gone. Watching the mini dice trays shift away from the dice tower with every roll makes me wonder why they are even included as an option.

I really don't need more clutter on my gaming shelf.

Interesting idea an I'm sure very useful for some, but not very portable or practical.

Sale - Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons - $1.99 in Kindle Format on Amazon

Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons by Michael Witwer is currently on sale for $1.99 in Kindle format over on Amazon.

I own the hardcover and read just over the first half of the book. While at times I found it to be slow to progress, as a historical look back on the creation of Dungeons & Dragons (and what led to Gary being the man that he was) its pretty good.

Heck, I should pick up the Kindle version and finish reading this from bed at night...

If you make a purchase from the link, I make like 4%. So yeah, 8 cents or so per Kindle version ;)

Kickstarter - Treasure Decks for 5th Edition (Nord Games)

Yes, its for 5e. I know. A game I'm more than willing to be a player in but have no desire to run.

But...

Looking at the sample cards for levels 1 to 4 (above) and 5 to 8 (below) I think this could work fairly well in the OSR game of your choice with a little handwaving.

Nord Games does good work, regardless of edition. Simply put, the Treasure Decks Kickstarter looks good. I'm in for the first two decks.

Did I mention it nearly tripled its funding goal in the first 24 hours?

And thus begins work on The Hidden Sanctum of the Blood Cult

Map by +Dyson Logos Pateron Supported

I've been under the weather all week, literally since I woke up Monday morning. I am the definition of the tag line for Nyquil (Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aches & Fever) Which means many things, not the least of which is the cancelation of tonight's game with the B-Team, probably the cancellation of tomorrow night's game and generally feeling miserable.

What is a man to do?

Why, create a Swords & Wizardry Light adventure to follow up on Beneath the Drunken Dwarf Tavern, that's what. Actually, I was doing that anyway, but it needs a name, themes and more, and what the heck, I always enjoy using +Matt Finch 's excellent Tome of Adventure Design.

So, lets name it. I already know we are dealing with a demon cult, so it will be some rolling as well as some picking from Locations - Approach #1

The Hidden Sanctum of the Blood Cult. Yep, that works. That passageway south from the last room the party found? It will lead right to it. Yep, I've already chosen a +Dyson Logos map for the occasion.

Villain's Master Plan? Rolled a 26, as this can be totally left for chance. "Destroy Community". Holy crap, talk about fitting the concept. Of course, I guess I need to figure out the community that the Battered Dwarf Tavern is in. I'll work on that later.

"Destroy Community" has its own subtables. Method of Destruction? 37 - Plague. Ouch! Reason? 84 - Wants the bodies of the dead. Oh boy. This may turn from a singe adventure into multiple parts.

So, how does the demon Krimple fall into this scheme? Where is the cult from? How long have they been preparing? Do they need the dead to make undead, or something worse?

Time to revise a bit of what I have, because this is much certainly a better direction :)

Free RPG - Mazes & Minotaurs 2017 Anniversary Edition - Now on RPGNow

You know about Mazes & Minotaurs, right? The game that never was, but in an alternate reality was D&D before D&D?

Yep - that's the game.

Well, its available at RPGNow for the price of FREE.

Even if you would never run the rules as is, the monster book alone is worth the download to add options to the OSR system of your choice

Mazes & Minotaurs is what the first fantasy roleplaying game could have been if its authors had taken their inspiration from Jason & the Argonauts (yes, the 1963 movie with all the cool Ray Harryhausen monsters) and Homer’s Odyssey rather than from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts & Three Lions.
In other words, Mazes & Minotaurs is: 

 - a nostalgic pastiche of early fantasy roleplaying games
 - a tongue-in-cheek tribute to old-school gaming
 - a complete and fully playable roleplaying game ! 

And EVERYTHING IS FREE!  That’s right: every rulebook, every supplement, every Mazes & Minotaurs product is 100% FREE.  

In its own alternate continuum, MAZES & MINOTAURS was the first RPG ever designed and came out in 1972 * to be followed, 15 years later, by its glorious Revised rules (presented, of course, in three corebooks) – which are now available in a special, 30th Anniversary edition, from DrivethruRPG!  

Bearmageddon - From Axe Cop Co-Creator Ethan Nicolle and an assist by Sanctum Media (DCC RPG Podcast)

What do you get when you cross Axe Cop and a DCC RPG podcast?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sanctum Media is pleased to announce that we are working in partnership with Axe Cop co-creator Ethan Nicolle in an effort to bring his latest project to life. Bearmaggedon tells the story of a group of slackers and a mountain man caught up in an ursine war on humans. Bearmageddon News Network covers the world’s news of this war, including bear attack tips.

Through their partnership with Ethan Nicolle, Sanctum Media will be bringing a number of the nightmarish creations of the Bearmageddon to life and materials found in Dickinson Killdeer’s Guide to  Bears of the Apocolypse: Ursine Abominations of the End Times and How to Deafeat Them will also be featured. Sanctum Media, and the Keepers of Mysteries, are proud to be bringing the denizens of this unique setting to life in a fashion that can be used by DCC Judges who are looking for something wholly outside of the mainstream.

Ethan Nicolle (http://www.ethannicolle.com) is an Eisner Award nominated comic book creator, writer, and artist. He has also worked with his younger brother, Malachai, to create Axe Cop – a web comic turned comic, turned animated series.

Sanctum Media (http://sanctum.media) produces the monthly Sanctum Secorum podcast (featuring Jen Brinkman, Marc Bruner, and Bob Brinkman), devoted to Appendix N literature and its inspiration and use in within the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game. Sanctum Media also publishes the Sanctum Secorum Companion, a free e-zine filled with playable content for DCC RPG.

What is Swords & Wizardry Continual Light? Oh, and other SWL updates

Some of you may remember my discussion of a project called Swords & Wizardry Extra Light, where we ( +James Spahn , +Zach Glazar and myself) were going to take Swords & Wizardry Light to Seventh Level in about 16 digest sized pages plus a dozen or so pages for adventures. Well, "Extra" Light got folks thinking it was lighter and even smaller, not literally extra to it. Trust me, we couldn't go any lighter and be true to Swords & Wizardry.

Instead, we are naming the project Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. Because that is, quite simply, what it is. A continuation of Swords & Wizardry Light to Seventh level. That is the cap, BTW. No level Eight. No Fifth level spells (though what you find on a scroll could be beyond what can be in your spell book)

+Michael Badolato continues work on the SWL Monster book (yeah, he could probably use a better title than such - SWL Mini Monstrous Manual perhaps?

The SWL starter / tutorial adventure titled Beneath the Battered Dwarf Tavern is pretty much posted in full here at The Tavern. I need to put a quick and dirty PDF together, as I've had a request for such to be used at a convention. I'll kick off work on the follow up adventure tonight.

Off the Beaten Path - Forest Excursions. Four stretch goals hit. Two adventures added (putting it at 22). Ten days left to fund. For Swords & Wizardry Light. Seriously, check it out. Thom Wilson does good work.

Did I mention we surpassed 3,000 DLs of the SWL rules? Yep, earlier today. They are also available now at the Frog God Games webstore.

Bundle of Holding - Advanced Adventures (Expeditious Retreat Press)

Let me start this by saying I believe I have all of these releases in print (hardcover compilations) and just bought them in PDF for the sheer convenience of reading in bed (and maps for VTT gaming) There price just can't be beat.

The basic buy in is $5.95, and for that you get:

AA28 Redtooth Ridge (levels 1-3, 13 pages, retail $6)

AA30 To End the Rising (levels 1-3, 13 pages, retail $6)

AA13 White Dragon Run (levels 2-4, 17 pages, retail $6)

AA01 The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (levels 2-4, 17 pages, retail $6)

AA23 Down the Shadowvein (levels 3-5, 25 pages, retail $7)

AA24 The Mouth of the Shadowvein (levels 3-5, 25 pages, retail $6)

For the Bonus Collection (approximately $15.50) you add in the following:

AA17 The Frozen Wave Satsuma, AA06 Chasm of the Damned, and AA26 The Witch Mounds (retail $6 apiece)

Tournament module AA21 The Obsidian Sands of Syncrates (levels 4-7, retail $7)

Two Straight-Up Dungeon Crawls for levels 5-10: AA12 The Barrow Mound of Gravemoor and AA03 The Curse of the Witch Head (retail $6 apiece)

And two Serious Challenges for levels 6-10: AA10 The Lost Keys of Solitude and AA20 The Riddle of Anadi (retail $6 apiece)

Kickstarter - Kev Adams / Tim Prow Oldhammer Goblin Miniatures

My love for miniatures knows no bounds. Sadly, my skill at painting such is greatly limited. Still, lack of skill does not preclude me from enjoying said miniatures in their native state.

Which brings me to the latest Kickstarter from Impact Miniatures - Kev Adams & Tim Prow Fantasy Goblin & Artillery Teams.

Actually, the above screenshot doesn't do the detailing justice.

I love the expressions on their face. THAT is detail.

So, what's the background to all of this?

THE STORY 

Kev Adams, Tim Prow, Chaz Elliot and Phil Lewis are names that immediately invoke images of the old school style fantasy miniatures commonly referred to as Oldhammer. Heartbreaker produced many classic fantasy miniatures sculpted by these legends during the 1990s before going out of business. When Heartbreaker closed, Chris Bledsoe was given the masters for the miniatures line so that he could start his own company ZN Games in 2001. Unfortunately Chris passed away from cancer in 2002 and his goal of re-releasing the Heartbreaker line of fantasy was never achieved. 

Impact! Miniatures has been working with the estate of Chris Bledsoe to complete his goal of returning these classic Oldhammer style sculpts to the marketplace. We could not think of a better place to start than with hordes of Goblins. 

WHAT ARE YOU FUNDING 

The project goal when reached will fund all the costs needed to mold the old masters and bring the first 3 Heartbreaker product lines selected (Kev Adams Goblins, Tim Prow Goblins and Fantasy Artillery Team) back to market. 

THE MINIATURES 

All the miniatures available in this KickStarter will be cast in high quality spincast resin. All miniatures are supplied unpainted.  All miniatures will come with a 25mm slotta black plastic base.

The Kickstarter went live yesterday and has already more than doubled its modest funding goal. Stretch goals unlock further sets. Personally, I'd like to see Phil Lewis Knights & Wizards (22 miniatures) unlock, but I'm not trying to skew the voting or anything ;)

Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Hopefully I'll be Awake and Join You...

Today is Wednesday, meaning tonight is a Tavern Chat Night.

Now, I've been fighting off a cold from hell since Monday morning and I have every intention of making tonight's chat, but there is the distinct possibility I won't be making it to the end. You've been warned ;)

What is Tavern Chat? A bunch of folks from the OSR Community hanging out via the chat box on the right side of this post, Wednesday nights from 9 PM to 11ish.

Troll Lord Sales - Bluffside in Print 10 Bucks - PDFs 50% Off or More at RPGNow

The Trolls have two sales going on...

Bluffside in Print is just 10 bucks from the Troll Lord Store (Normally $29.99) - Six copies left as I type this.

PDF copies of Troll Lord releases are discounted by 50% or more through Friday morning.

Look at the discount on A1 ;)

Remember, all purchases using The Tavern's OBS affiliate links puts 5% of your purchase price into The Tavern's coffers. Don't leave that money on the table for the greedy corps! Tip your barman!  ;)