OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale, Part V - White Star Edition

Yep, its time to make some OSR Picks for the current GM's Sale at RPGNow. This post is Part V. Part I ,  Part II , Part III and Part IV are linked. Remember, 5% of your purchase goes to support The Tavern and associated costs for projects like Swords & Wizardry Light and the upcoming Torchlight Zine.

White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying - What can I say about White Star that I haven't already said? Probably the easiest to pick up SciFi RPG for the OSR grognard there is. If you don't already have a copy, grab a copy - "Whether a noble Star Knight protecting the universe from galactic tyranny, a hot shot pilot in the cockpit of the fastest stunt fighter in space, or an enigmatic Alien Mystic, classic science fiction adventure awaits you with White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying. Based on Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox, White Star brings all the simple elegance  of WhiteBox out of the dungeon and into the stars! This complete roleplaying game includes seven new classes as well as rules for advanced technology, laser weaponry, space combat, and so much more! So ready your star sword and fire up your faster-than-light drive! A galaxy full of thrilling heroics is at your fingertips with White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying."   $9.99  $6.99

The Graveyard at Lus - sandbox White Star? - "Space Graveyards - what's left behind when battles are fought among the points of light that map out the universe. Sometimes there's good salvage to be had there. There's always danger, though. Not everything is dead in a Graveyard, and you're not the only one that's come looking for the good stuff. And that's not even mentioning the radiation and debris left behind, or the dangerous creatures that end up finding their way there like graveworms and ... the undead. - A comprehensive toolkit for creating space Graveyards - the result of battles between forces at war in the stars - Multiple tables for the creation of starship damage, system damage, and crew survivorship - An event table to ensure that exploration is dynamic during sandbox play - New rules for Cinematic and Realistic space combat - New starship technology including sensors and rules for targeting/repairing specific systems - Additional rules for space-based phenomena, space-based explosions, and boarding other starships - Four new alien races for your White Star RPG campaigns - Updated starship usage for four of the core alien races in the main game - Five new creatures, including The Unquiet, a horriffic form of undead - Use the pregenerated Graveyard At Lus for your own games, or as a guide to create your own Graveyards - Worksheets and sample hexmaps at the rear of the book to help with generation of Graveyards - Designed for use with the White Star RPG, but easy to convert for other OSR sci-fi systems." $4.99  $3.49

White Star Companion - You already have White Star and you simply want more? The White star Companion is for you - "Daring Men of Tomorrow and intrepid Deep Space Explorers face off against a horde of savage White Simians in the floating jungle of a lost world. Plucky Sidekicks escape relentless Bounty Hunters aboard their modified skyboards. Somewhere on the edge of the galaxy, an Orbital Battle Station is about to obliterate an entire planet with the push of a button. The White Star Companion brings nearly one hundred pages of new options to your White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying experience. New classes, new aliens, new creatures, new weapons, and new starships are all revealed. Complete rules for planetary vehicle combat are provided along with ways to generate complete star systems simply by rolling a few dice. The brand new skill and Serial systems can instantly flesh out a character's history and talents. With the White Star Companion, you'll expand your game to the edge of the galaxy and beyond!" $6.99  $4.89



Star Sailors: The Magical Girl Supplement for White Star RPG - Watch Japanese Anime? - "This supplement is designed to introduce a new player character class into your White Star campaigns. A Star Sailor is a “magical girl” trope often found in classic Japanese anime and manga, but with a science fiction twist. Star Sailors guard the universe from the evil Gloom: extra-dimensional invaders with a talent for destruction. There are new rules for character creation, mascot sidekicks, special powers and abilities as well as write-ups for several adversaries and monsters." $2.45  $1.72

FIVE YEAR MISSION - Like Star Trek? Like White Star? Two great tastes - This is a supplement for White Star with a sort of Star Trek theme. If you're a fan of Star Trek, Andromeda, or Farscape, and even if you're not, there's a lot for you to like here! What do you get? FIVE (5) new classes: Engineer, Expendable, Guerilla, Sawbones, and Scientist, as well as additional notes on the core classes from White Star! FOUR (4) new racial classes: Disgraced, Living Starship, Quixoitic Alien, and Simulacrum! NEW EQUIPMENT that you can requisition, including weapons with a "stun" setting and badge communicators! FOUR (4) new starships and THREE (3) new starship modifications, including the Quantum Teleporter! NINETEEN (19) new NPC alien races, including a table to randomly determine the appearance of your own aliens! SIX (6) random tables for space exploration! HEXCRAWLS... IN... SPAAAAACE! A complete setting in TWO (2) different eras, THE CONTESTED ZONE! What are you waiting for? You can afford it. Treat yourself before the utopian post-scarcity economy kicks in!  $2.95  $2.06


Have Death Ray, Will Travel - Like cheese in your scifi? Flash Gordon flies again :) - The year is 1999 and a new millennium is on the horizon. Mankind has colonized outer space. Lunar City is a bustling metropolis. Earth has found new allies with the Martians and Venusians.  The Solar System is filled with mysteries, danger, and adventure! Have Death Ray, Will Travel is a retro-future setting inspired by  old pulpy serials, Sword & Planet adventures, the Wild West, and film noir.   Want exploration? Want political intrigue?  Like the Wild West with ray guns?  Want a little gritty film noir?  Bounty hunters? Space pirates? Gangsters? Alien emperors out to conquer the universe? It's all there. Includes two new classes (Scientist and Gunfighter), ten new ships and over 30 monsters and foes, and an introductory adventure: Lost Mines of the Brain Masters.  $2.49  $1.74

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Where the Cool Grogs of the OSR Hang!

Just two weeks to Gary Con. Which means in two weeks, I won't be hosting Tavern Chat - as I'll be at my first Gary Con.

Still, plenty of stuff to talk about tonight.

Such as the ongoing GM's sale at RPGNow and some picks The Tavern has made (and more picks to come)

Or perhaps further details on the upcoming Swords & Wizardry Continual Light / Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Deluxe releases (yep, we've got you covered)

Maybe even some rare old school collectibles that will be auctioned of in The Tavern's Facebook Community starting tonight / tomorrow morning. Doing so for a friend who's family is set to incur some medical costs. I'll try and sneak some pics into the chat tonight - of the pics are working. You ARE a member of The Tavern's Facebook Community I hope.

Remember, 9 PM Eastern time - tonight - in that little chat box on the right hand side of this page. Log in with the Social Media membership that you favor - it takes most of them.

If chatting via phone or tablet, download the Chatwing app at the Playstore or iTunes.

If chatting via browser, i usually pop the app out of The Tavern's homepage, shrink my browser a bit and place the app on the right side of my screen.

See y'all in about two hours.

OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale, Part IV

Yep, its time to make some OSR Picks for the current GM's Sale at RPGNow. This post is Part IV. Part I ,  Part II and Part III are linked. Remember, 5% of your purchase goes to support The Tavern and associated costs for projects like Swords & Wizardry Light and the upcoming Torchlight Zine.

WWII: Operation WhiteBox - You want a WW2 RPG as well as one that stays true to the roots of RPG gaming? Look no further - this is built of S&W WhiteBox with a Sherman Tank as its shell - "Tabletop roleplaying games have always been about epic quests, heroic deeds, and great crusades. These games feature mercurial wizards, diabolical dragons, and cunning adventurers. Such fantastical tropes are not so different from what has come to pass in our own history. In fact, it is that commonality which gives such stories their power. But what gives World War II its true power is that it was all real. It happened. Real men and women fought and died—including many of our own living ancestors. They laid down their lives when faced with unfathomable evil. And that is legendary. WWII: Operation WhiteBox is an homage to these heroes, both living and fallen." $7.99  $5.59

Crawling Under A Broken Moon fanzine (DCC) - Eighteen issues and going strong. This isn't just gonzo sci-fi - its Saturday morning cartoon gonzo sci-fi ;) - "a fanzine dedicated to bringing gonzo post apocalyptic content for the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG from Goodman Games." $1.99  $1.39

Castle of the Mad Archmage Adventure Book - Ever wonder what gonzo Castle Greyhawk may have looked like? (and I'm not talking about the TSR version with Gummy Bears). We'', here's one take on it - "More than thirteen levels and over 1,500 keyed encounters of perils, monsters, traps, and treasure to bedevil your players. Find levels of warring humanoids, the deadly Arena, ancient artifacts, lost temples, portals to other worlds, and the ultimate secret of the dungeons... the Mad Archmage himself. Originally released as a free electronic book in serial format, the Castle of the Mad Archmage has been completely revised, expanded, and updated. It is a complete adventuring environment, from the surface ruins to the deepest caves and caverns. You and your players could literally spend years exploring the dungeons beneath the Castle and still not discover everything. It can accommodate characters from first to fifteenth experience level and beyond."$9.95  $6.97

Blood & Treasure 2nd Edition Rulebook - Blood & Treasure is the OSR RPG offering by the man behind NOD and the series of Hex Crawls offered by Frog God Games. John knows his stuff -"Blood & Treasure is the fantasy role-playing game for people who want to spend less time arguing over rules and more time playing, and the new 2nd Edition continues this tradition. Compatible with old school games, it strives to be rules lite and options heavy. Thirteen character classes, as well as suggested variations on the existing classes - The classic fantasy races - A streamlined and easy optional feats system - Hundreds of spells and magic items - you can run games for years without running out of new things to try - Optional scientific treasures for those who like science-fantasy - Quick and easy rules for exploration, combat, mass combat, naval combat, strongholds and domains and a simple task resolution system - Guidance on designing dungeons, wilderness, settlements and even the cosmos - Suggestions on converting to other old school systems and changes between the first and second edition." $9.99  $6.99

Lairs & Encounters - Nominally written for ACKS, L&E is chuck full of adventure seeds, seedlings and full grown (if small) adventures - well worth the 7 bucks - "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 - More than 165 ready-to-play monstrous lairs— one for every major monster 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 - A cartographic compendium of 36 lair maps for the Judge’s use and 6 treasure maps to hand out to your players - A catalog of 30 new monsters, including the chaos hulk, child of Nasga, dire beastman, draugr, desert ghoul, hag, khepri, and mummy lord - 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." $10.00  $7.00

Dungeon Grappling - if you are anything like me, the first thing to get jettisoned from the AD&D 1e rules was unarmed combat and grappling. No one could get it done right it seemed - until now -"From the first story ever told, to tales on the silver screen. They all have at least one thing in common: Grappling. Grappling is thrilling, dangerous, and drives thousands of years of epic storytelling. Dungeon Grappling brings those thrills to the oldest fantasy RPG with rules and examples for Swords and Wizardry (and other OSR-style games), the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and 5e. Dungeon Grappling provides: Simple, unified mechanics, using the same concepts as weapon strikes - Variable outcomes – grapples can be good or bad - Dynamic, tense stories - Weapons, talons, magic . . . they’re all in here. - Grappling just got scary again! -  this book contains rules based on Open Gaming License content from several editions of the industry’s most popular RPG – explicit examples for Swords and Wizardry, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Fifth Edition." $9.49  $6.64

OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale, Part III

Yep, its time to make some OSR Picks for the current GM's Sale at RPGNow. This post is Part III. Part I and Part II are linked. Remember, 5% of your purchase goes to support The Tavern and associated costs for projects like Swords & Wizardry Light and the upcoming Torchlight Zine.

Hubris: A World of Visceral Adventure - I've reviewed part of this book and it is simply amazing. Solid 5 star reviews on RPGNow - "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.  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!"  $14.99  $10.49


Starships & Spacemen 2e - What to play an OSR styled Star Trek TOS with the serial numbers scratched off? If so, this is for you - "Boldly explore the galaxy in search of alien civilizations! You take the role of a Military Officer, Technical Officer, Science Officer, or Enlisted Man in the Galactic Confederation. Travel in a starship under your command, on missions of first contact, rescue, exploration, and more in a galaxy full of hostile aliens. Try to maintain the tenuous truce with the militaristic Zangid, and fight the Videni who may look like your Tauran allies, but do not adhere to a philosophy of peace and logic. Design alien humanoids with either "original series" or "next generation" sensibilites, or blend the two approaches! There are 100 forehead shapes that may be randomly rolled when a new alien race is encountered." $6.45  $4.52


Fat Goblin Games - Stock Art - Whether its individual pieces, collections or subscriptions, Fat Goblin Games has an excellent assortment of high quality stock art, much of which is on sale. Perfect for little guys like me or bigger fish in our hobby ;)  30% off

Fat Goblin Games - GM Journal Series - If you are a mess like me, these form fillable PDFs are a Godsend. I just need to use them more. 30% off




Raging Swan Press - GM's Miscellany Series - System Neutral - If you haven't tried any of the releases in this series, may I humble suggest GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing "Are you tired of dungeons lacking in verisimilitude? Want to add cool little features of interest to your creations but don't have the time to come up with nonessential details? Want to make your dungeons feel more realistic? Then GM’s Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing (System Neutral Edition) is for you! This gigantic compilations comprises all 34 instalments in the line as well as scores of riddles, new material and design essays by Creighton.  GM’s Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing (System Neutral Edition) presents loads of great features to add to your dungeon. Designed to be used both during preparation or actual play, GM’s Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing (System Neutral Edition)  is an invaluable addition to any GM's armoury!" 30% off

Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG) - What can I say? I've enjoyed all of the Purple Sorcerer releases - "The Sunken City Adventure Omnibus & Guide contains four complete beginning adventures and a host of new material to enhance your Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign. Features include - Every best-selling Sunken City Adventure (Perils of the Sunken City, The Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk, A Gathering of the Marked, Lair of the Mist Men) combined and refined into a single full-color volume. Both a 96-page desktop/print version and a 200-page mobile version built from scratch for viewing on your tablet! A massive 84-page master appendix containing extra content, pre-gen characters, player maps, 1-inch scale battle maps, and over 150 paper miniatures.  A patron write-up of Malloc, the devious master of secrets. At long last... Opossuman player characters! Adventure seeds, new monsters, 24 new magic items, judging tips, and more!"  $12.99  $9.09

Dwimmermount (Labyrinth Lord version) - Yes, I know I have a history with Dwimmermount, but the final product far exceeds what was playtested by my group. So, kill some rats and grab your coppers, you have a dungeon to conquer! -  "The gates of Dwimmermount have opened. After years of rumors, it is time to discover the secrets of this vast mountain fortress for yourself... Dwimmermount™ is a classic megadungeon and old-school campaign setting presented use with Labyrinth Lord™ and other d20-based fantasy role-playing games." $10.00  $7.00

Savage Rifts - Sure, while not strictly an OSR pick, it does do something that the original Rifts rules could never do - actually make the game playable without ignoring or making up rules. Go figure - "In the battle for survival the Tomorrow Legion brings together the greatest, the bravest, and the craziest to stand against an infinity of threats. They stand for a better future than the past they've known. The Rifts® Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide contains everything you need to make and equip mega-powered characters for the Rifts® Earth setting. Iconic Frameworks load you up with options for well-known concepts (Glitter Boys, Juicers, Ley Line Walkers, Mind Melters), as well as the capacity to craft your own custom ideas. New Setting Rules bring home the gonzo, cranked-to-eleven nature of Rifts®, and the gear lists include everything from incredibly powerful weapons and armor to cybernetics to arcana-fueled Techno-Wizard items. New rules for Mega Powers bring magic and psionics to super-powered levels, and Hero's Journey tables flesh out your characters in exciting and fun ways."  Savage Rifts: The Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide: $14.99  $10.49

OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale - Part II

Yep, its time to make some OSR Picks for the current GM's Sale at RPGNow.

Lost City of the Dwarves Part 1:Discovery - an OSRIC solo adventure, it is really well done - "The refined OSRIC-compatible adventure system (old school d20 RPG) has a minimal learning time but covers the most used aspects of old school gaming. In no time you’ll be hunting for enchanted items, battling goblins, rat-men and other creatures, enhancing your combat with a variety of potions and solving puzzles with deadly traps. Best of all, the character that you create, level up and spend time building in this adventure can be used continually in all of the Path of Legends books as you travel the path to becoming a living legend." $5.99  $4.19

Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG - it simply makes the list whenever it is one sale. Grap the adventures even if you don't run the system. They are simply "that good."  $24.99 $17.49

Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures - one day I shall run this - own the complete system in print - "Lots of times, we want to play a roleplaying game but just don’t have the time for all the prep work involved. No more. Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures is a kit to make a gang of childhood friends and send them off on their first big adventure, just like in the novels we loved growing up. Now we have this simple fantasy roleplaying game that gives a group of players all the tools they need to play an exciting adventure in a single evening, no homework, no fuss." $7.99  $5.59

Dyson's Delves - if you don't already own this I feel sorry for you - "Dyson's Delves contains over 140 pages of maps and adventures featuring the unique mapping style of Dyson Logos. Seven full adventures fill out the beginning of the book, followed by 44 additional dungeon maps each with a page for the GM to key and make notes about each dungeon."  $9.99  $6.99

The Manor - a Zine by +Tim Shorts - it is the good stuff - heck, all of Tim's releases are on sale for GM's day   $2.50  $1.75

Adventures in the East Mark - Basic Rule Set (Red Box) - An excellent choice for an OSR ruelset - "Adventures in the East Mark Basic Rule Set (aka the Red Box) is a gloriously illustrated retro fantasy roleplaying game. It is the ultimate expression of the OSR movement that’s inspired by early roleplaying games. This is an English translation of a popular Spanish game designed by Pedro Gil and his own gaming group. All of the original Spanish artist works are included, presented for the first time in full color."  $9.99  $6.99

The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence - love him or hate him, when +Venger Satanis puts his target on producing OSR content, he generally does quite well -"This is a weird, science fantasy, gonzo
campaign setting and wilderness hex-crawl for old school fantasy roleplaying games.  The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence is a guide for helping you run crazy sandbox scenarios in a lost world of Snake-Men, dinosaurs, and mutant sorcerers... an exotic and deadly region possessed by a demonic, purple-hued god of ruin and consumption. If you're into the OSR or just want some strange 5e flavoring, give this a try.  It's not your usual adventuring environment, but it will be memorable!" $10.00 $7.00

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!  ;)

OSR Picks for the GM's Day Sale - Part I

Yep, its time to make some OSR Picks for the current GM's Sale at RPGNow.

Divinities and Cults - "The powers of the Gods are mighty and mysterious, and so should the powers of their clerics be! Want to bring back some of that old-time religion to your Old School Roleplaying game? You will find 15 Divinities and 4 Demon Lords for Players, Referees, & Fans of Mythology" I love stuff like this in my games, even if just for inspiration. $4.99  $3.49 DCC RPG version here.

Bearing A Grudge - Released in various OSR editions, the link goes to the Swords & Wizardry version. "The Two Sisters Trading Post needs some genuine help. Deep in the forest, it is running out of supplies as kobolds, bandits, and even wild animals attack the travelers and traders on their way to and from it. If something isn't done about this soon, then the trading post is going to have to change its name or get into another line of business. Of course, that's assuming that the trading post itself doesn't become a target of some of the attacks..." There are other OSR adventures in the line.  $4.99  $3.49

The Lost Temple of Forgotten Evil - written with both OSR and 5e stats, for characters level 4 to 6. "The small town of Boldon, and its surrounding villages are afraid. Dozens of people are missing, some speculate lost to some nefarious purpose. A broken drunkard tells fantastic tales of an evil temple and the horrible things within. The rare few who know the legends and history of the region are beginning to think the dark times have returned; not seen since the fall of the first age of man. People are beginning to feel the icy fingers of fear closing in. The party becomes aware of these events and is inspired to investigate. This leads them to a broken man who tells them a story of a lost temple. Has it been rediscovered by men seduced by its forgotten evil? The drunkard’s tale leads to others who might help the party discover more before they face The Lost Temple of Forgotten Evil." $6.95  $4.86

Larius Firetongue's School of Sorcery - A Swords & Wizardry Hack - "Corridors filled with robed apprentices. Their companions creatures both natural and conjured from worlds beyond worlds. Classrooms of bubbling cauldrons and summoning circles holding things and fiends most foul. Fantasy academia where tomes penned by inhuman scribes grant unending power. Where duels between mages are fought with spell, wand, and spectral blades."  $9.99  $6.99

Skyscrapers & Sorcery White Box Rules Players Guide - A Swords & Wizardry White Box hack - "Strange things live in the shadows of the world. Other worlds seem to have intruded upon ours and you are one of the few who decided to take notice and take action. Folks have names for people like you, the most polite of which is Adventurer. There is something that makes you want to notice the world and what goes on outside the daily humdrum lives of everyone else, and you have an itch to explore the dark corners and possibly even right some wrongs." $3.49  $2.44


Gramma World - A Swords & Wizardry White Box hack - "As a parody inspired by a gonzo post apocalyptic adventure I couldn’t resist creating a setting of elderly people trapped in a world they never made. The dungeon crawl explorations and strange familiarity of the mutants of Gamma World fit nicely with this conceit. When asked to describe the influences and flavour of this game I would consider it an amalgam of Scooby Doo Mysteries meeting the Golden Girls." Note - I need to do a review of this release. I have read a bit of it and it is awesome. $5.99  $4.19

Advanced Adventures - Expeditious Retreat Press' series of OSR releases. Its really had to go wrong with anything offered by +joseph browning .

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!  ;)

Wherein I Answer Various Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light Questions

I've been asked a ton of questions regarding Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light, whether on the blog, via direct message, email or the like. I figured I'd take some time to address what I can -in no particular order...

Q) I like the sepia color cover. Will that be an option upon release of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light?

A) In truth? No idea. In PDF I'm sure we can do it. For the print release, it depends on the route taken to print. More on that with a later Q / A.


Q) Is Swords & Wizardry Light a "cash grab"?

A) Neither Zach, James nor myself got paid for the work on SWL (although I am getting comped in part or in whole on two conventions). Frog God Games printed thousands of copies of SWL in print to give away for free, along with other freebies that should be debuting at Gary Con. If you define a "cash grab" as "giving stuff away for free", then yes ;)


Q) Isn't the point of Swords & Wizardry Light to get gamers to play Swords & Wizardry Complete? What is with this Continual Light crap?

A) The point of SWL is getting gamers to play an OSR game with little buy in. Swords & Wizardry in its various flavors is my go to game. I LOVE Swords & Wizardry Complete. Still, some gamers are drawn to the "rules light" gaming of SWL, so why not expand their options with Swords & Wizardry Continual Light?


Q) How do you make money on Swords & Wizardry Light?

A) Referring to the Magic 8 Ball - Answer is fuzzy. Ask again later ;)


Q) When will Swords & Wizardry Continual Light release?

A) We are aiming for Gary Con. What we are referring to as the SWCL Beta is really the rules alone without the support material. That should be ready for Gary Con, at about 16 to 20 pages, in a limited edition Gary Con release, signed and numbered, printed at my house. We are guessing 30 or so printed copies followed by a release of the PDF for free and possibly POD (or Print from my Home - not sure yet) The print version will be relatively close to cost - This will be followed later in the Spring / Early Summer by what we are tentatively calling the SWCL Deluxe Edition. 32 to 40 pages, seven adventures (one for each level) and a sandbox setting. Truly a complete game, just add dice. This PDF will have a nominal price. The print version will be either POD or "other". Still in discussions.


Q) What got you started on a minimalist OSR ruleset?

A) Ask Zach Glazer. I blame him. Seriously, I wanted a ruleset that could be left at game stores, libraries and cons that would invoke memories of gaming in the 70 and 80s without being being heavy. From such ideas grew Swords & Wizardry Light.


Q) What can you tell me about the Torchlight Zine?

A) The current idea (which is subject to change) is to have a theme with every issue. Want a SWL Western hack or Sci-Fi Hack or something else? Half the issue will be devoted to a genre hack and the rest to general SWL adventures, classes, magic, NPCs and such. Looking at 12 to 20 pages, digest sized per issue.


Q) Why is Swords & Wizardry Light Three Levels?

A) Party because the D&D Basic set covered the first three levels but mostly because that was a comfortable range that allowed level advancement while also allowing use to keep to four pages. As a follow up, SWCL covers seven levels for much the same reason. Its a also a good place to stop before spell powers throw things outa whack.


Q) What are your plans to support Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light?

A) I think much of this has already been covered. Aside from the Torchlight Zine we may throw the occasional SWL / SWCL stand alone adventure into the mix (we, meaning +Zach Glazar , +James Spahn and myself.) In truth tho, the success of SWL / SWCL will reside in the hands of the community. Folks like +Tim Shorts and +Thom Wilson are already producing SWL content via their Patreons. +Timothy Brannan has written a Witch Class for SWL.  +Michael Badolato is working on an expanded monster book for SWL / SWCL. We are building a vibrant community and amazing content. Join us :)


Q) Someone posted online that games such as Swords & Wizardry Light are too small to be useful for long term play. What do you say to them?

A) Everyone has their own opinion. I respectfully disagree. I think SWCL is an excellent ruleset for campaign play and I think SWL is perfect for Convention Play or a short campaign. In the end, to each their own. No one is forced to play SWL just like I'm not forced to play Pathfinder.

Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall Special Edition has Released in PDF

Many of you have probably downloaded and read the Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall. If you haven't, you should. Its an excellent setting book and its free.

So, what makes the Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall Special Edition so special that you should spend money on it? Quite simply, its doubled in size, and that doubling is due to adventures written by the likes of:

James M. Spahn, Jason Paul McCartan, Tim Shorts, Eric Hoffman, Timothy Brannan, Paul (greyarea) Go, Matt Jackson, Jeff Sparks, Erik Tenkar, and Dyson Logos!

Yep - 10 mini adventures. Holy carp!

Its well worth you 7 bucks. That's 70 cents an adventure with a free setting!

Far West - Yet ANOTHER Broken Promise - But Par for the Course - Another Self Imposed Deadline Missed

Now, usually "this week" means the week you are actually in. Which ended yesterday. But its been said that Gareth does not count time like the rest of use, so maybe a week for him is 29 days, a month is 120 days and a year is 15 of those months. If so, he might be on time ;)

Seriously, if you know you can't hit a date - at all - ever - build in some buffer time.

Now, it could be that there is a Twitter update, 'cause Gareth loves his Twitter, but Kickstarter rules state that communication should take place on their platform.

Doesn't chance the fact that Gareth is late - again. At least he is very consistent with his inconsistency ;)

Torchlight Zine Logo is Done - Rick Hershey for the Win!

For those that don't know, Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games is running a sale on commissioned logos / cover art for the next day or so. Contact Rick at fatgoblingamesATgmailDOTcom if you have inquiries, but do it fast ;)

Rick completed the above logos for the upcoming Torchlight zine for Swords & Wizardry Light / Continual Light in record time. He gave me a huge number of options to pick from or tweak, but when I saw the above, I knew we had our winners. The team (Zach, James and yes, even Rach) agreed, so here we go.

We'd like to get the first issue of the Torchlight out by late Spring or early Summer, but right now the priority is to get the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta Rules ready for Gary Con release and then the full package ready shortly thereafter.

All that being said, having the above Torchlight logos ready to go is inspirational to say the least! Huzzah!

Save or Die Makes the Geek & Sundry Top Five Expert Level RPG Podcasts

Geek and Sundry (link) put together a Top Five Expert Level RPG Podcast List and Save or Die made the list.

If you have a profound passion to learn and know all the tabletop RPG things, allow me to share with you some of the best audio podcasts I’ve found that I think would be a perfect fit for an official RPG101 course.

Now, mind you, I only heard of one of the four others on the list prior, and although I do listen to podcasts, there is only so much time during the day to listen (and less so since I no longer have a daily commute)

So, what do they say about Save or Die?

The Save or Die! Podcast (SoDcast) launched in 2010, with a focus on classic D&D games “from the first box set of 1974 to the last of the 1990s box sets.” SoDcast has also covered info on other RPGs, such as Swords & Wizardry, The Hero’s Journey, and Labyrinth Lord, to name a few. SoDcast is the podcast you’ll want to listen to if you’re interested in learning everything you can about the history of the Dungeons & Dragons RPG. 

Critical Episode: Save or Die Podcast: Interview With Tracy Hickman 

Some things to note:

- The Critical Episode was hosted by Vince and Crispy

- Classic D&D and the Hero's Journey was the Liz, Mike & Jim era

- Swords & Wizardry can only be my recent ramblings

Which means they took a long and complete look at the Save or Die Podcast, which makes making the Top 5 even that much more striking.

Congrats to all, but especially to Liz, Mike and Jim for holding the torch high for as long as they did.

A Peek at Some Optional Rules Included in the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta

What follows are some optional rules that will be included with the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta Release.

These are OPTIONAL - use or not as you see fit as a GM. Add your own or none at all.

We'll see if we can get a public release of the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta PDF in the next few weeks. There are various iterations of the SWCL rules currently in playtest as well as being used as reference by creators of SWL content. We want to lock down the rules before moving on to the rest of the release.

As I've stated before, the full release will add 16 to 20 pages of adventures and setting to the 16 pages of actual rules. So, complete game and campaign material in 32 to 36 pages.

On a side note - we just commissioned a logo for the Torchlight zine. Things are progressing well ;)



Optional Rules for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light

-Start all characters with maximum Hit Points for their class at 1st Level. Helps with low level survivability.

-Allow humans to swap their lowest ability score with a 15. Answers the “Why play a human? “ question.

-Treat 1st Level Clerics as having “Zero” 1st level spells and allow them their bonus spell for high wisdom if they have one.

Perks:

Here's how Perks work. After attaining 7th level, PCs can still accumulate game session  / adventure "credit" for playing and they can spend this "credit" as follows:

• 1 Credit - Add 1 HP to their HP total.  This perk can be bought a maximum of 10 times. Note, these are not HD and a Constitution Bonus does not apply. Also, see below.

• 2 Credits - Lower Saving Throw by 1 point. This perk can be bought a maximum of 5 times.

• 2 Credits - Cleric and Magic-user only - Add 1 First Level spell slot – This perk can be bought a maximum of 3 times.

• 3 Credits - Fighter only - + 1 to BAB - This perk can be bought a maximum of 5 times.

• 4 Credits - Cleric and Thief Only - + 1 BAB. This perk may only be bought a maximum of 2 times.

• 4 Credits – Cleric and Magic-user only - Add 1 Second Level spell slot. This perk can be bought a maximum of 2 times.

• 5 Credits - Thief Only - Add a 1 in 6 chance to Thief Skills. This Perk may only be bought once.

• 5 Credits – Add 1 HP to their HP total. There is no maximum number of times this perk can be bought. Note, these are not HD and a Constitution Bonus does not apply.

• 6 Credits – Cleric and Magic-user only. Add 1 Third Level spell slot. This perk can only be bought once.

• 8 Credits – Magic-user only. Add 1 Fourth Level spell slot. This perk can only be bought once.

Knights of the Dinner Table Live action Series Facebook Page is Live!

So, how can we tell #ConManKen put the page together?

Shouldn't that be @KOTDTLAS?

"Action" should also be capitalized
"Knight" should be Knights

"t" should be "T"

"the" should be "they"

Everything was posts February 26th, 2017. Nothing since.

Ah well, at least Ken is true to form. Link for the curious: https://www.facebook.com/LODTLAS/

Test Covers for the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta - and more SWL News

Ignore the waviness - the are laying on a pillow (damn cat wouldn't give me desk space ;)

Anyhow, the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light (SWCL) Beta is going to come in at 20 digest sized pages, with even the inside covers printed on.

We have a choice of white or blue for the covers. I'm partial to the blue but let me know what you think.

Now, the full release (planned for the Spring of '17) will also include seven adventures (one for each character level in the rules) as well as a sandbox setting. Pricing to be determined.

There will be 30 signed and numbered copies (and a handful of unsigned and unnumbered copies). I'll be bringing about a dozen signed and numbered copies to Gary Con at the end of the month as well as mailing some to the higher level Patreon Backers. Gary Con copies will be handed out free (first 8 are reserved and not counted towards the dozen we will be handing out.) There will be other Swords & Wizardry Light loot at Gary Con too, so look for +Zach Glazar , +Michael Badolato and myself for SWL goodness.

I've also released a handful of SWCL PDF copies into the hands of playtesters. They are free to print out copies for their own use and that of their groups.

Get Your Genuine Faux Unofficial but we will Milk it for all it is Worth, "Negan" Bat from the Walking Dead

So, you thought Marcus had milked the Walking Dead connection to death when he was billing #ConManKen as a Walking Dead star for his walk on part. You had the privilege of paying for a "Photo with Ken" as well as the signature of a virtual illiterate - allegedly.

Well, now you can own your very own Faux "Negan" Bat - absolutely not licensed by anyone with any authority involved with the Walking Dead itself. Because when you align yourself with Ken, why follow the rules? Why get a license? Why not just scam? Oh wait, they are.

Wait - let's infringe on yet another intellectual property.

Its all okay though. I'm sure Ken is telling Marcus exactly how to do things right...

Kickstarter - The Tavern Companion (system neutral)

A sourcebook for taverns. What could be more appropriate for The Tavern to peek at than a book about taverns in RPGs? That's right - The Tavern Companion.

A few things stand out right away:

- The funding only runs for a week. There are five days left as I type this

- The reward is in PDF only and there is only one pledge level (although you can back for more for some extras)

- The pledge level is a single British Pound - about $1.24 USC. Want to name a bar patron? Toss in another pound.

- Looking to raise a modest goal of 500 pounds, they've raise 307 pounds. Not bad at all.

- Its a book about taverns. I mean, common! heh

The Tavern Companion includes: 

A list of 25 Tavern names with heaps of flavour text; designed to be dropped into any game, anywhere. Ensuring that no Dm/Gm can get caught off guard by players deciding to swing by a tavern in an uncharted part of the world.  

A series of 100 quest hooks and rumours that can be heard within any Tavern. Perfect for sidequesting or distracting unsuspecting PC's away from their main objectives. This can be used as a D100 table of Tavern noise and hubbub or use it to drum up some minor story arcs and side quests.  

Ten fully fleshed out rough and ready NPC's complete with flaws and quirky personalities itching to meet your players! This comprises a list of bar staff, bards and patrons to fill your taverns with character! 

What's a Tavern without a fully stocked bar? We've thrown in a list of fine beverages from hearty dwarves ale to delicate elven wines complete with price lists. The highly trained, self taught innkeepers and bar staff will recommend your players the finest tipple to accompany their next quest. 

Its a buck twenty four. Really - and damn bargain.

S&W Light Micro-Adventure - Born as Two, Die as One - Tim Shorts - Patreon

I've been supporting +Tim Shorts Patreon since... forever. Tim does excellent adventures with full color maps (often laminated) that are prefect for dropping into your campaign.

Since December of last year, Tim has been writing his adventures using Swords & Wizardry Light as the ruleset of choice (Tim - I have an update to SWCL - drop me a message and I'll send to you)

Its really exciting watching the ruleset you authored get used in someone else's projects.

Above is a pic of Tim's latest. Just got it in the mail a few minutes ago. It feels like Christmas :)

Check out Tim's Patreon - you won't be disappointed.

edit - damn keyboard always wants to spell out "Time Shorts"

GM's Day Sale is Live at RPGNow - Here is Your OSR Link of Goodness

Yep, the annual GM's Sale is here. RPGNow has thousands of products on sale at 30% (or more) off.

Those tagged with the OSR label number over 900 (and I'm sure hundreds are missing and need a little digging to find.

Heck, even WotC has a PDF bundle - The Yawning Portal - that includes four AD&D 1e classic adventures - C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (1e) - G1-3 Against the Giants (1e) - S1 Tomb of Horrors (1e) - S2 White Plume Mountain (1e) (as well as two 3e and one 5e release) at a nearly 60% discount - 20 bucks.

The sale lasts for 12 more days, so I'll be going through it will a fine comb and highlighting some OSR releases that shouldn't be missed.

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!  ;)

The Return of Alternity - at Least in Name

Alternity holds a strange place in my gaming history. Released in 1998, it came about a year or so after my high school / college group disbanded due to my new work hours. Of course, that didn't stop me from buying RPGs, especially TSR releases.

I had the Alternity boxed set, Star*Drive and Dark*Matter. Here's the kicker though - I recall nothing about the system itself although I enjoyed the shit out of reading Dark*Matter.

You see, I knew I wasn't going to be actively gaming at the time, so I was more focused on setting and less about the rules.

Now, Alternity is returning. Kinda. Sorta.

It appears to be returning in much the way TSR returned - even if it is mostly "name only", with some of the originals attached to the name.

Here's the press release from Sasquatch Game Studio:

Sasquatch Game Studio is pleased to announce the return of Alternity (TM), a modular science fiction roleplaying game where you create your own future! The game system will launch in 2017 with a 256+ page hardbound book. 

The game, which shares a name and heritage with a popular RPG from the 1990s, covers such action-packed scenes as starfighter dogfights, zero-G combat, and powered-armor troopers blasting aliens into their constituent atoms. The Alternity rules set is modular, so gamemasters can support the story arcs they create with the specific rules they need. A story of far-future space exploration, for example, will use a capital starship rules module, while a dystopian cyberpunk setting will use a virtual reality/hacking module instead. 

Developed with guidance from Alternity’s original designers. Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsek, Alternity will feature a publicly available playtest packet in early 2017. Based on feedback from those external playtesters, Sasquatch plans to release the game in the second half of the year.

Am I interested? Sure. But I'm more interested in any attached settings than the new crunch.

Sneak Peek at an Upcoming Swords & Wizardry Light Release

Perhaps a release at Gary Con...

Did someone say "let there be Light?"

It's Wednesday - Tonight is a Tavern Chat Night! 930 Eastern - Be There or Be Not

Yep, today is a Tavern Chat Night - 930 Eastern - in that little chat box on the right side of this page.

As a side note, I will not be hosting Tavern Chat in three weeks time. I will be at Gary Con. or maybe I will be hosting - who knows? ;)

This weeks topic of discussion - Swords & Wizardry Continual Light - The Beta is done, just a few tweaks left - the complete release will have seven adventures and a setting, but should we release the Beta into the wilds?

Also - sex in D&D - do we need rules to tell us how to get it done?

Bonus topic - @ConManKen - when will the indictments be coming?

Kickstarter - The Book of Passion (OGL 3.75; Mature Audiences)

I know many of you expect snark from me. Not this time.

Just a simple observation.

OGL 3.75 is a code word for "Pathfinder", correct?

I'm guessing the subject matter in The Book of Passion is not in line with the Pathfinder Compatibility License.

There we go.

Anyhow, +Timothy Brannan is involved with the project, so you know it involves Witches ;)

Obviously not my cup of tea. Of course, an OSR book on the same topic would be half the size and leave much of it in the GM's hands... uhm, never mind...