So, There is "Apparently" a Swords & Wizardry White Box Light on the Market - How Could This Go Wrong?

There are right ways to do things and there are wrong ways to do things. White Box Light does it the wrong way. And than does it wrong again. And again.

First, its the logo. The Swords & Wizardry graphic is obviously a screenshot.

Notice the fuzziness to the lettering? I don't think you can title your product as shown. But they didn't, kinda. Its listed as White Box Light on RPGNow.

But wait, here's the copyright claim in the OGL:

I'm pretty sure you can't claim trademark to Swords & Wizardry White Box Light. Not only is Swords & Wizardry trademarked by Frog God Games / Matt Finch, but so is Swords & Wizardry White Box and Swords & Wizardry Light. Also, they are laying claim to the logo for such. Which logo is that? The Swords & Wizardry logo? Or the cover page itself? Is THAT the logo?

Actually, I enjoy this from the RPGNow product listing. Its quotes praising the product. Guess what? No one is credited...

This was brought to my attention as it was questioned if myself or FGG was involved in said product. Obviously, the answer is no, we are not.

But hey, at least they fixed fighters:

Spells are listed for clerics and magic-users but are not explained or described.

Now, either this is an AC chart where classes improve in AC per level, or its a to hit chart where its harder to hit as you gain level:

Fuck it. My head hurts. If imitation is the better part of flattery, this is simply painful.

Press Release - Marauder Task Force RPG (Action Figure Powered RPG)

Heh! I'm becoming a "press release" site it seems - not! But it does just so happen that there is a lot of cool stuff being announced jut before Gen Con and folks are nice enough to send me the announcements. I may need to steal back my NYPD Police Officer action figure from Pinkie with this one ;)

PRESS RELEASE: AUGUST 11th, 2017 -- 12:00 PM EDT

Marauder Gun-Runners is pleased to announce a new way to enjoy our figures:

Introducing the Marauder Task Force RPG!

Using any action figures you have, or better yet, by building your own characters with Marauder Gun-Runners extensive line of customizable action figures, you can play both a rules-lite head-to-head skirmish game and a full cooperative roleplaying game. As you build your own figure using Marauder Gun-Runners' wide assortment of modular accessories, your build choices determine your character's options for attack and defense. In between missions, you can reconfigure your character's build based on the type of operation with many different accessory options available on the Marauder Gun-Runners site.

The Marauder Task Force RPG Rulebook will include all the rules you need to play both modes of the game. With an optional add-on of weapons and armor cards, you can easily keep track of what dice to roll for both the RPG style play and, on the reverse side, the lighter skirmish rules. What's more is the creators of the game will release stats for all future Marauder Gun-Runners releases.
The game is run using the new Tactical RPG game system that is flexible, fast, and fun to play. In RPG mode, the game is built around a CO who leads play in a typical RPG fashion and each of the players builds their character based on class templates. They can use their existing figure or custom build their character on the Marauder Gun-Runner site. The players' characters are a squad of highly trained operatives—the Marauder Task Force!

The Marauder Gun-Runners team will be producing the game, reflecting the same high quality and attention to detail you've come to expect from our figures and accessories. Each item sold from our site will have the required stats to use in the game.

The game's design team will be led by David Wilson Brown (publisher of CypherCaster Magazine, former publisher of Adventures in the East Mark) and will include contributions from Justin Bell (Kindle Worlds G.I. Joe stories & other works, Eagle Force Returns). Lead editor on the rulebook will be Jeremy Land (The Eschatology Code, Baby Bestiary)

The art team will be led by Marauder Gun-Runners' long time artist Ryan Lord (MTF artwork, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, Eagle Force Returns) and will include Ian Fell (G.I. Joe Poster) and Jason Mark Sobol (Sketch artist for Marvel and Star Wars).

Look for the game to be launched this September on Kickstarter and check out the Marauder Task Force figure exclusives tied to the game. After funding by the Kickstarter is complete, the book will be available direct from Marauder Gun-Runners as well as in distribution for wholesale through Studio2 Publishing with a target release of Spring 2018.

Please send any inquiries to RPG@marauderinc.com

Facebook thread is here.

Having dealt directly with Davis Wilson Brown I can say this project is certainly in the right hands. Damn but it looks good. I may need to cut down on trips to the pub for lunch to save up for this ;)

Some Relevant Facebook Quotes from Frank Mentzer re: Empyrea Campaign Setting Kickstarter

There are bits and pieces of Frank's Facebook comments quoted on ENWorld (without sourcing it as FB comments / quotes, but I'm sure that is an oversight due to excitement) regarding the announcement of his forthcoming Kickstarter. Below I've gathered the relevant comments (edited slightly where needed for clarity)

Frank's Facebook posts and comments can be found at this link.

-Gonna be quite an Art project, as well as a full campaign set.

-We're talking to everybody listed, all old friends of mine... Caldwell, Dee, Diesel, Easley, Elmore, Holloway, Jaquays, and Otus

-Most artists are responding favorably. All are VERY busy, so we're gonna build around their schedules; a win/win.

-I plan to double-stat throughout (won't take much room) and issue free Stat Supplements for other systems, including DCC, S&W, C&C, and even Runequest.

-Shouldn't have omitted THAT one (Pathfinder), sheesh. ;> I have close friends at Paizo.

-We'll mention Greyhawk in the historical section (just the facts ma'am) but it will not be used in promotion or actual play. Gary wanted it that way.

-Deities are just masks. ;> See my Immortal set for details (and also for hints on the multiverse that applies to my campaign).

-Aquaria is a continent, Oerid is a continent. Greyhawk is a city in the latter, Empyrea in the former. WotC will receive advance copy of the historical section long before publication, and we anticipate no serious issues. We give them all due credit of ownership, we will not promote use or infract upon Gary's original. This was created before and after my TSR employment, and all I wrote 1980-86 belongs to them. So we'll work around that. But I do have Gary's original handwritten note of approval, and that's a zinger.

-Very fair questions, and I'm a cards-face-up kind of guy. We don't bend rules.

-We plan zero Stretch Goals. There may be a Deluxe version with special maps & overlays.

-Straightforward production project, no stretch. Possibly another 10-50 supplemental products if it's successful, tho (adjacent territories, Colonial play, Post-War play, and a pile of my adventures & others)

-Upcoming: I also want non-English editions; want to work with gamer/fan translators and place it with Euro publishers (avoids all kinds of taxes and stuff). I'll be in touch. :)

-it's (the project) taken 3 years to set up (along with the other stuff I'm up to)

-PR is our worst skill rating; we put all the points into Creativity. :/

-JG is not involved with production, in part because of the delays in existing projects. (All that is working out nicely, btw, just late.) This is a Loxley product. And I can't risk screwing up my very first ever Kickstarter, y'know? So I'm getting good advice on all that.

-Allan T. Grohe Jr. Frank: how will the initial release compare to what you published in a limited edition nine years ago at NTX#1?
-Frank Mentzer That was a mere hint, but it contains the core. I've retooled a few bits of campaign history to avoid legal issues, but that's the premise.

-Jennell Jaquays TBH that part of Oerth is really all Frank. I won't be hurt if any my modifications or changes to his RPGA adventures don't make it into canon.
-I want Jennell's art in the work. Alas, the Jaquays elements in ur Egg of the Phoenix compilation must be left alone, for copyright reasons.

-I'm going to describe a campaign world, in extreme detail. It doesn't hinge on any special monsters, combats, or other one-shot tricks. It's been in constant use for 40 years exactly, on a weekly basis. I'm gonna try to bottle that lightning.

-In fairness, the epic whole may suit oldschoolers more than the new, in the long run. But some folks play 5e oldschool style.

 Frank's G+ thread and comments can be found here

-I started my campaign in 1977 using a far corner of the Wilderlands set, and developed extensively from there. Many of the original names appear in both R-4 and I-12 from TSR, proving the JG connection.

-A lot of outstanding artists (but now independent, no longer TSR Staff) have a lot of work to do, and that'll take a while to schedule in. Rough guess, ship Spring 2018. With this many people on the job I can't dally. This isn't a part-time or basement job, it just got very Real

Comments from me:

-Glad Judges Guild is not involved. Frank doesn't need the attached drama.
-No stretch goals - wise.
-Not going to link to Greyhawk in promotion, but was referenced in the press release
-Frank mentioned to me at NTRPG that where Greyhawk was created for wargaming and then used for D&D, Emprea was built for for D&D right from the start.

Press Release - Historic Dungeons & Dragons® Campaign Returns - Frank Mentzer

I've been waiting for the announcement for a while. I spoke with Frank about this in June at NTRPG and I'm avidly looking forward to launch.

Historic Dungeons & Dragons® Campaign Returns 

Loxley, Madison WI, August 11 2017 

Legendary game designer Frank Mentzer, famed for his worldwide version of the Dungeons & Dragons® game, has teamed with fiction author Ted Fauster to revisit one of the earliest known D&D® fantasy worlds. The game continues to be one of the most popular of all time, and Mentzer’s version is still available in fourteen languages, on every continent. 

In 1981, Mentzer was given written permission from E. Gary Gygax (co-author of the original game in 1974) to establish and develop this little-known portion of Oerth, one of the game’s original settings. This new realm of Empyrea has a 40-year history (starting with simple materials from Judges Guild) and is still actively used. The artist Darlene, who painted Gary’s maps in his 1980 product, will create similar maps for this one. Other famous artists of that era -- including Caldwell, Dee, Diesel, Easley, Elmore, Holloway, Jaquays, and Otus -- are being invited to join the project. 

Empyrea is on the mysterious and isolated continent of Aquaria, east of Gygax’s World of Greyhawk™ setting. Until now, knowledge of this portion of the world has remained largely a mystery, as the broad and dangerous Solnor ocean separates the two. The continent is briefly described in the Advanced D&D® adventure “Egg of the Phoenix” (Mentzer & Jaquays, TSR Inc., 1987). 

“It’s time to share this Dungeons & Dragons® world with hobby gamers,” Mentzer says. “Unlike others, Gary approved this personally. Empyrea combines both traditional fantasy and science fiction elements. Magic is dominant, but technology lurks. And it’s one Realm… this isn’t a cluster of medieval city-states like Greyhawk.” 

Author Ted Fauster has accepted the role of Creative Aide, which was Mentzer’s original title when he worked with Gygax at TSR in the 1980s.Mentzer and Darlene will finance the set through crowdfunding, with support from Judges Guild. It will be compatible with the most recent Fifth Edition D&D® game (D&D 5E) as well as Mentzer’s own world-famous "Red Box" edition of the game. 

An official start date for the Kickstarter will be announced shortly after the GenCon® 50 Game Convention in August.  

For More Information, contact:
Loxley LLC
Mentzer: LoxleyKey@gmail.com
Fauster : ted@tedfauster.com
(Ownership of trademarks indicated is not disputed)

There are some more tidbits over at ENWorld.

Press release tread from Frank on G Plus.

DriveThruRPG Launches “Storytellers Vault”, a Creators Content Program for Vampire: The Masquerade

It isn't often that I pass along actual press releases, but I do know a significant number of "old school gamers" that have a special place in their gaming hear for the "Old" World of Darkness.

White Wolf Entertainment and DriveThruRPG Launch “Storytellers Vault”, a Creators Content Program for Vampire: The Masquerade

Stockholm, Sweden – August 11, 2017 White Wolf Entertainment, creator of the World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade are partnering with DriveThruRPG to allow independent content creators to publish material set in the World of Darkness using the Storytellers Vault.

For over a quarter century, fans of the World of Darkness have aspired to bring their own unique World of Darkness creations to the masses, and now they can as part of the Storytellers Vault, White Wolf’s new creator content program.  Beginning with Vampire: The Masquerade, aspiring writers, artists, and game designers can publish their non-canonical table top RPG supplements and fiction stories worldwide in the language of their choosing, and making half of the revenue as their royalty. To assist content creators making the best possible products, Storytellers Vault offers a considerable variety of graphical layout tools including pre-made design templates, and art-packs to choose from.

“World of Darkness fans have always shared their stories with the world, and now is the time we help them to do that in an even greater scale” says CEO Tobias Sjögren.  “The magic of the Storytellers Vault is supporting fans that love and want to create content from all eras of our games, we can’t wait to see what they produce and how everyone enjoys it!”

The Storytellers Vault features:

- Self-publish service for table top RPG material set using any of the four previously published editions of Vampire: The Masquerade
 - Content creators themselves set the price for the material they publish and receive 50% of the revenue
 - Access to over 15 templates and art packs produced helps content creators make their work look as professional as the official products from any set era
 - Publishing in any language supporting the vast global World of Darkness community
 - Additional content supporting other game lines and historical settings in the White Wolf catalogue will be progressively unlocked beginning in October 2017

 The Storytellers Vault is now available at www.storytellersvault.com.


About White Wolf
White Wolf is a licensing company focused on creating the best participatory brands in the world. Since its original entry into the roleplaying game market in 1991, White Wolf’s World of Darkness has grown to be one of the most recognized and successful brands in the hobby game space with collective book sales in excess of 10 million copies during this time. White Wolf's World of Darkness brands, which include Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Wraith: The Oblivion, and Orpheus, has been licensed for television series, console and computer video games, interactive media events, and a myriad of merchandise and other entertainment products.
www.white-wolf.com
Contact: press@white-wolf.com

About DriveThruRPG
DriveThruRPG.com is part of a family of premiere online marketplaces including RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, DriveThruCards, DMsGuild, DriveThruComics, DriveThruFiction, and Wargame Vault. Together, we have been selling digital and print-on-demand comic books, roleplaying games, and fiction since 2001. As of 2016, we have launched multiple community content programs as well as our Community Card Creator for fans to create content for some of their favorite roleplaying and card games.
www.onebookshelf.com
Contact: matt@onebookshelf.com

The Frog God finds a Little Discord ;)

Yep, any minute now there will be a live chat with none other than +Matt Finch of Frog God Games.

Where? Well, Discord of course.

The Frog have set up a permanent server. Join us. The more, the merrier!

Howdy, Frog God Games the makers of Swords and Wizardry, Rappan Athuk, Tomb of Abysthor, and Slumbering Tsar (and much more) just launched their official discord server. I would like to invite you to come join us to talk about Swords and Wizardry, 5th Edition, Pathfinder, Starfinder and other Frog God Game products. 

We have voice channels for pickup games as well. Lots of free content and resources. 

Step 1.) Go here https://discordapp.com/download
Step 2.) Click which is best for you Windows, Mac, Android, IOS, or Linux and download it.
Step 3.) Once it has finished downloading click the + button surrounded by a dotted circle on the left hand side
Step 4.) Click the Join a Server button and copy and paste this into it https://discord.gg/HKUZfUv

Kickstarter - Quests of Doom 4 (Frog God Games - PF / 5e / S&W)

Early this morning, Frog God Games launched their latest Kickstarter - Quests of Doom 4. Instead of packing 16 adventures into a single (or double) hardcover volume, these adventures are being individually published in softcover. So, that's 16 adventures in 3 rules systems, so 48 individual possible adventures.

It funded in 8 hours - possibly less.

Now, my comments and observations.

• Personally, I like the idea of individual adventures. Call me old school, but that's how we had them in the early days.
• Individual adventures lets one pick and choose by author, level spread, whatever. I LOVE this.
• Bonus rewards AND stretch goals - PDFs and VTT maps. Very nice.
• 14 bucks for a single adventure plus PDF - 168 bucks for all 16 adventures plus PDF, about 10.50 an adventure.
• I'd like to know the page count for each adventure, even if its just a ballpark figure before layout. 
• Some folks are bent that its not being offered as a single hardcover release. I understand their desire for a collectible book on their gaming shelf, but I find the module format much easier to run at the game table than using a hardcover crammed with adventures. YMMV.
• Authors include Alex Kammer, Michael Curtis, Keven Wright, Ton Knauss, Steve Winter, Ed Greenwood, Dr. Dennis Sustare and Lance Hawvermale.
• Levels range from 1 to 8. Its almost as if they were written with SWCL in mind ;)
• Pathfinder, 5e and Swords & Wizardry flavors. You know what I'm backing for ;)

Now, its fairly well know that I swim in the Frog God pond these days thanks to SWL. I've backed every Frog God KS prior to my relationship with the Frogs and have been pleased (or better) with each one. I'll be backing this one with fervor. The range of levels literally is perfect for my use.

For those hoping there will be a hardcover option, I'm not sure that's feasible. I doubt the number of potential hardcover buyers is enough to print at the usual Frog God quality and still find an affordable price point. Then there is the need to layout everything for the HC. I could be wrong. I have no inside info on this. Just my own observation.

Kickstarter - RPG Alignment Pins

RPG Alignment Pins. Never knew you needed such, did you?

Yeah, I have issues with these.

Chaotic Neutral - I mean...

Chaotic Evil - Pink?

Seriously, the colors irk me.

9 bucks for a single pin and 3 bucks shipping. 12 bucks for novelty pins that really aren't hitting the mark IMHO. 9 pins are 73 bucks and 5 bucks shipping.

19 days left to fund. Not quite at the halfway mark.

I'm sure there is a market for novelty alignment pins. I'm not sure there is a market for these novelty alignment pins.

Work Continues on Getting the Hero's Brew Podcast to Your Ears

As I mentioned in last night's Tavern Chat, I had to drop out 30 minutes early to join a Skype conversation with my fellow Hero's Brew conspirators, +James Spahn and +Glen Hallstrom . What were we discussing? All things Hero's Brew.

Now, if you don't know who James and Glenn are, let me give you their bonafides:

James is perhaps best know as the writer of White Star, an OSR scifi RPG based off of Swords & Wizardry White Box. He has self published over 100 releases for Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry and his own White Star RPG. He's also written for The One Ring RPG with over a half dozen writing credits for that system and of course, The Star Wars RPG for FFG.

Glen has been podcasting for ages. THAC0's Hammer, Save or Die, The Brainstorm and others I'm sure I have forgotten. Glen's done radio work and stage acting. He does voiceovers for numerous podcasts. He has his own YouTube channel - Old Man Grognard where he discusses topics relevant to the OSR.

The three of use were the hosts of Save or Die: Expert Edition. I consider them both close friends with whom the three of us share gaming chemistry.

As for me, I write a blog, have dabbled in podcasting and create some gaming content on an irregular basis.

Anyhow, these are your hosts for Hero's Brew.

Right now, we have the embedded player up on the right side of this page. All we have up is the intro, but soon - soon there will be more ;)

We will be posing questions to the community as this literally is a podcast for the OSR community. We want to be responsive and work hand in hand with our listeners. More on that soon.

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight 9 PM Eastern and HUGE Thank You to the Tavern's Community

Tavern Chat is tonight, 9 PM Eastern, using the chat widget on the right side of this very page. Yes, I'm sure the Hero's Brew Podcast will come up.

Note - although the chat lasts until 11 pm, I might be bowing out a few minutes early for podcast related planning,

Now, a HUGE thank you to Tavern's Community. We just went through a health scare with Rach. This morning, we got the news that the referral to the oncologist was refused and she was being referred to a surgeon for consultation in mid September. So a potential crisis turned into "not an immediate concern" and a huge weight was lifted.

As a cancer survivor myself, I don't wish the Big C on my worst enemy. Thinking my far better half could have it did not put me in a good place. I apologize if I've been off the last week and a half or so.

We'd like to thank all of you for your prayers and well wishes. You have no idea how much the support of this community has meant to my family. We are forever in your debt.

I haven't touched email or most direct communication since the weekend. I might not get to it until tomorrow. Right now I'm realizing how much sleep I haven't been getting. Nap-time calls...

Deal of the Day - Feast of the Preserver (DCC RPG)

Looking for a bargain priced quality adventure for your DCC RPG campaign (or other OSR ruleset)? Look no further. Feast of the Preserver is today's RPGNow Deal of the Day. Normally $4.99 in PDF, on sale until tomorrow morning for $2.49. Softcover Print plus PDF is only $9.50

Feast of the Preserver is a survival horror adventure designed for a group of 5 to 8 characters of levels 3 to 4. 

“Welcome traveller to the quaint village of Barrowton. You’ve arrived just in time for the annual Endfast Feast!” 

Something is amiss in the isolated village of Barrowton. Only courage, skill and a lot of luck can aid the adventurers in facing the horror that has taken hold of this once idyllic place. Can the adventurers save the village from a terrible fate or will they become the Feast of the Preserver? 

Features: 

-Mystery and excitement compatible with Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG but easily converted to other systems
-Over 40 pages of blood chilling suspence and horror
-Beautifully rendered isometric maps by Brian Van Hunsel
-New evil magic to destroy or be destroyed by

Remember, by using The Tavern's affiliate links you support The Tavern. I really do appreciate it.

Plate Mail Games Hacked - 3200 Tracks Downloaded for Free before Corrected

Someone hacked Plate Mail Games OneBookShelf account and set the prices to all of the audio tracks to ZERO. While the price was so set, there were 3,200 downloads. In theory, thats about a $4,000 hit.

The reality is something different, as many of those sales were probably from folks that were curious about using music in their RPG sessions and might not have purchased a copy otherwise. So, is it a loss of 3,200 potential sales? Perhaps.

It is certainly the loss of some sales and one heck of a hardship on a small small publisher.

Plate Mail Games' tracks sell for $1.25 a pop.

Wes does good work and can use some community support.

Hello All,  

This morning I found out that my products had been switched to $0 and 3200 tracks where downloaded. The theory is that someone got hold of my publisher account password. Luckily, I had recently transferred my balance to Paypal, so no money was stolen. Your information is secure; it's handled on the DrivethruRPG side. So, for 24 hours, people were able to download tracks for free. I think 99% of the people that did figured I had put the prices at $0 and thought nothing more about it. I'm not rich. My family uses the money we make from sales to pay bills. I don't charge a lot for my products. There is no real recourse at this point because multiple people downloaded products, and as I said, I think they didn't understand something was wrong. If I had sold that many products, my cut would have paid my rent and a good chunk of bills. Anyway, here is what I'm asking: if you can afford to get one track today, consider doing so. If everyone was to buy one track, I would recoup the money lost over the last 24 hours.
Also, I want to thank the customer who recognized something seemed amiss and alerted me right away. That was very thoughtful and I greatly appreciate it. 

Plate Mail Games 

Thanks,
Wes Otis

Sales made via The Tavern's RPGNow links go to support The Tavern. Believe it or not, pennies and nickels do add up ;)

Dragon Warriors - Free in PDF

I remember the ads for Dragon Warriors in the old Dragon Magazine issues. I always wanted to own a copy but never found it here in the states.

Then later in my life it came back in print, and it was available in PDF and POD. I snagged the POD the moment it was up. Its on my short list of games I've always wanted to play and never have.

Right now the Dragon Warriors PDF is free. I've heard its free through the end of August but don't wait, grab it now.

Enter a world of magic, folklore and danger. Here, superstition covers peoples' lives like autumn mists cover the moors, and terrifying monsters with bizarre powers lurk in the shadows. The king is a weakling, barons scheme against each other, and lordless knights, back from the Crusades without the honour or riches they were promised, roam the countryside in search of adventure - or prey. 

Ruined castles and barrows are the lairs of the supernatural, or newer, more sinister masters. Labyrinthine underworlds lie forgotten below ancient temples and city cellars. The dark places of the world hold riches for those who would search for them, and the keys to great power, and death. 

These are the Lands of Legend, and they need heroes. Brave knights, courageous barbarians, cunning sorcerers, mystics trained in the powers of mind and body, sword-wielding warlocks, elementalists who command the fabric of reality itself, and assassins trained to bring death to the deserving. All these will be your comrades on the path to glory - and perhaps your enemies too. 

Will you accept the challenge of Dragon Warriors?

Dragon Warriors is a classic fantasy roleplaying game, originally released in 1985-6 by Corgi Books, relaunched in 2008 by Magnum Opus Press, and now published by Serpent King. This rulebook contains full details for creating characters and all that players need to adventure in the Lands of Legend. It also holds information on over 110 different monstrous species, 192 spells from four different schools of magic, and more than 80 unique magic items, artifacts and relics, as well as sections on jousts, crime and punishment, disease and madness. There's advice for novice Games Masters and players, suggestions for building your own game-world tailored to your tastes, an introductory scenario to begin your adventures in Dragon Warriors, and much more.

Remember, purchases made via The Tavern's RPGNow affiliate links kick back a percentage of the sales to support The Tavern. Yes, Dragon Warriors is free but you might buy something with it. Hint, hint ;)

State of the Tavern Keeper - a Kick in the Can

I've been told I've been extra cranky the last week or so. Its quite possible. There are some behind the scene stuff in the Tenkar Family that's been adding some extra stressors over the last week or so. Health issues. We had hoped for a positive resolution yesterday but the can just got kicked down the road a bit and the potential outcome just got a bit more variable. So yeah, I've been stressing (as have others)

If I step out of line, correct me. I expect nothing less.

Expect a few announcements related to projects to lag a bit. Answers to emails and Blogger Contact messages may be delayed.

I MAY get more focused on some content creation. We'll see.

You shouldn't see a change in posting frequency.

Throw some prayers our way if you can. We never say no :)

Announcing the Hero's Brew - The Official Podcast of The Tenkar's Tavern Community

art by +Craig Brasco 

Yep. We done did it. We spread our wings and flew right here. The Tavern. What am I talking about?

Hero's Brew, The Official Podcast of the Tenkar's Tavern Community.

Here's the link to our opening. If this doesn't tell you the kind of podcast we plan to give to the community, I don't know what does.

It really is a podcast for the community. We plan to get y'all involved with the podcast. How? Heh. Trust us on this one.

We still have some stuff to hash out but this will be coming to your digital doorstep fairly soon.

So, join us for a Hero's Brew, relax and enjoy your time in The Digital Tavern ;)

edit - forgot the damn link and my partners in crime - +James Spahn and +Glen Hallstrom :)

Games Workshop is Being Sued For $62.5M - By a Retailer / Lawyer

Looks like there's some money to be squeezed out of Games Workshop - or a the very least, a valiant attempt to do so.

SpikeyBits has the details of a $62.5M lawsuit filed "in the US Federal Court of Southern Florida alleging six criminal violations of US law and is seeking $62.5 million in equitable relief from Games Workshop.

Moore alleges violations of the U.S. Law and RICO under 18 & 15 U.S. CODE, including but not limited to Fraud, Price Fixing, Tortious Interference, Breach of Contract, Unjust Enrichment, Restraint of Trade, Conspiracy and Antitrust Violations."

That's one hell of a shot across the bow.

There's a lot to the article and I'm not going to attempt to break it down, but these two paragraphs stood out to me:

For near-30-years GW has always maintained that we sellers can “Set any price we want for the items we wholesale from them (GW)”. Yet, more recently GW ‘asked’ its retailers “not to have a ‘shopping cart’ on our websites – since they were adding one to theirs”!? Soon after, without agreement from Stores – GW ‘asked’ that “advertised prices (on the internet) not be more than 20%-Off MSRP – directly contradicting their previous assurances and our extant long-held Verbal Good-Faith Contract. Later, (unknown to Plaintiff) GW said 15%-off. 

Eventually (and unknown to your Plaintiff Stores) GW ‘claimed’ to have quietly instituted a ‘policy’ to outright ‘prohibit’ any/all sales which used internet.

Go to SpikeyBits and read it for yourself. IANAL and I have no clue how this will play out. Still, interesting to see the company quick to threaten to sue over its IP being sued over its IP ;)

Last Call for Merchants & Markets in Print Preorders (Throwi Games)

Thom Wilson just informed me that TODAY is the last chance to preorder Merchants & Markets (mini review) in print.

Its 20 bucks including US shipping (and more elsewhere in the world) which is a steal if you ask me. I love the PDF and just ordered the print copy myself, so you are speaking to the converted here ;)

Link to the physical product order is here.

Link to the PDF at RPGNow is here (7.50 in PDF)

Here's the Table of Contents:

Remember, purchases made via The Tavern's RPGNow Affiliate Links (like the M&M PDF) put a few cents in The Tavern's coffers per sale. Keep your bartender in craft beer, not the macro brews!

Free - GM's Monthly Miscellany: August 2017 (Raging Swan Press)

GM's Monthly Miscellany: August 2017 - Nominally for Pathfinder, most of this release fits perfectly in any OSR campaign as much is system neutral.

Featuring material from some of Raging Swan Press’s newest products as well as classic releases of yesteryear, advice articles and material from Creighton’s on-going design of the megadungeon Gloamhold, the GM’s Monthly Miscellany series is a terrific free resource for the busy, time-crunched GM. 

This month’s issue features: 

10 Ogres with Personality (System Neutral)
Needlebriar At A Glance (from Village Backdrop: Needlebriar) (Mostly System Neutral)
Oleander’s Sanctuary at a Glance (from Places of Power: Oleander’s Sanctuary) (Mostly System Neutral)
Goblin Crunch (from 100% Crunch: Goblins) (Skip)
3 Things Not to Include in Your Dungeon Design (System Neutral)

The price is right - FREE!

Remember, purchases made via The Tavern's RPGNow Affiliate links help support The Tavern. Sure, this is free, but maybe you'l buy something with it. Just keeping you informed :)

There is a Disturbance in the Force - ENWorld Homepage is Down, but Direct Links Work

Yep, www.enworld.org is down but www.enworld.org/forum/content.php works fine. Weird.

I hope if The Tavern goes down someone would tell me. I'd tell Morrus via social media, but I'm blocked on Twitter, FB and various social media.

Kickstarter - The Blue Vale: A Tabletop RPG in Augmented Reality (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain)

I've been told I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Its possible. Of course, when I did a search on Kickstarter for "rpgs" this is the one that stuck out to me: The Blue Vale: A Tabletop RPG in Augmented Reality.

Now, forgive me if I am wrong (it happens) but isn't D20 just a type of tabletop gaming? Its not that they intersect, tabletop gaming overlaps D20.

Besides the D20-inspired roleplaying, I really wanted to incorporate combat card elements. We're using cards - recognized by the user's device - to provide certain advantages during the game, temporarily improving a character or group's stats. We'll be doing extensive testing after the Kickstarter to fine-tune the rules to support the best balance, but this keeps a powerful tactile component that's such an essential part of tabletop gaming.

See, that's not necessarily tabletop gaming. That's card based gaming, but that's just one part of tabletop gaming. Warhammer, Euro-style games, board games, non D20 based RPGs - they don't use cards like Magic and others games do.

Now, there is a team of 8 involved in this project, which explains the $350k goal - everyone wants to eat. Spend a minute watching the choppy video and you realize what you are being shown is no where near being ready.

Here's the pitch for the game / setting:

The Blue Vale allows for solo, or, importantly, group play - from 2-5 players, typically, both locally (in the same room), or remotely (across the world). 

The journey begins in a quaint woodland village, like many fantasy stories. It could be Tolkien's Middle Earth - but if it is, it's nearly a thousand years later. 

Magic has become a commodity - like electricity - and though it is commonly in the world, few know how it works beyond vague generalities, much the same way as we "understand" how our cellphones and TVs operate. 

But something's wrong. 

A corporeal manifestation of dark fae magic has grown out of control, a sinister power slaking its thirst on the living and the dead. Like a haunting of a place after a traumatic mortal event, this psychic stain grew ever more powerful as it drew upon light and dark alike. It began reaching out to claim the lands in its deadly tendrils. 

As the power grows, it cripples the natural world - overtaking forest, village and stream with dark tendrils of choking undergrowth. It is a visage of sickness and despair, made sentient floral flesh. Poisonous root, noxious flower, and strangling vine grown from an undead tree. 

And so in our village, things aren't quite right. 

Life in The Village is good, if a bit monotonous and rough. The old folk say that the plants used to grow for longer, used to produce more fruit, tools used to last longer, roads used to be better maintained - but old folks everywhere like to complain. So who can know if it's true? Maybe things have always kinda sucked. 

Life in The VIllage is good. It’s not just true - it’s a saying. “Blauvel guut!” Shopkeepers say it to visitors, friends utter it to one another. Life in the Blue Vale is good! As signs of The Threat begin to appear in the forests surrounding The Village, our protagonist awakens to a strange, distant noise. She goes out to investigate and finds the People of the Wood beginning to stop their tasks and wander toward the edge of town, together staring into the woods, toward the mountains beyond. They are murmuring, seemingly to themselves - and appear nervous and afraid. A few return to their daily tasks, while the majority remain swaying and staring into the forest much of which seems to be shrouded in a curious black mist. 

After speaking to some of the People, our protagonist(s) then gather supplies and head out to destroy The Threat. As they travel across the hills, they notice that dark vines are choking the plants and the blue flowers that are synonymous with the Blue Vale are dying.

I'm not sold. I think software where you could run a "virtual reality" RPG game would be awesome. I don't think this is it.

Did I mention the cards involved in this game are "random boosters?"

There's a lot to read but not much to excite.

$350K is a HUGE number to hit, especially for an unproven software content provider. $415 with 2 weeks to go isnt going to hit the mark. Heck, it isnt going to be in the same room.

Interesting concept, failure to execute...

Whay is This even a Thing? #RPGaDay 2017

31 days of not all that insightful commenting on RPGs - is that really a thing these days?

I understand blog carnivals - everyone blogs about the same topic and it all gets linked. That's one post over the course of the month for each blogger - not one a day for questions that become pointless.

I'm going to answer all 31 questions today...

1 - Right now I need to shit

2 - The one that makes me lots of money

3 - Uhm, I read a lot

4 - Swords & Wizardry Light. Is that a trick question?

5 - What game?

6 - I'd be divorced. Rach has a shitload of patience, but not that much

7 - Huh? The ones with metal dice I guess

8 - The one you like to play

9 - The one you like to play

10 - The Tavern, of course!

11 - Bunnies & Burrows. Wait, its already happening...

12 - Are we talking rulebook or just parts of the line?

13 - My dice kept rolling off the table so I bought a dice tray

14 - SWL - again, is this a trick question?

15 - adapting? is this like houseruling?

16 - SWL - some of these are easy

17 - lots

18 - lots

19 - SWL ;)

20 - My friends

21 - SWL

22 - SWL

23 - SWL

24 - This question makes no sense. Charging more than PWYW is simply charging. PWYW is a tip jar. Some publishers have PWYW and priced items. I'm confused

25 - Depends - do I need to answer this "family friendly"?

26 - Life

27 - Dice, pencil and paper

28 - All - None

29 - anything by Kevin Crawford or Zach Glazer

30 - there are ones that haven't been done?

31 - I'm not even sure I understand the question? My gaming? The hobby? What

Yep, 31 questions, barely one blog post.

Sorry if I sound snarky, but what real purpose does this shopping list of questions serve? Most of these questions are answered by a sentence or less.

Anyhow, for those asking me if I'm going to participate - here ya go. I'm good 'till August 2018 ;)

State of The Tavern - The Taps, They are a Changin'

There are some changes in the works here at The Tavern. Layout may change a bit and we may add some "special guest" access.

+James Spahn , +Glen Hallstrom and myself are working on a post Save or Die project (note - Save or Die has made its save - new hosts(s) are already signed or signing up). The new project will be asking for input from The Tavern's Community shortly. This won't be one time input, either - The Tavern's Community will be an integral part of the larger whole. More very soon.

Clan & Hammer should be sneaking some peeks here at The Tavern in the next few days. Probably a class or two. I could be wrong though. It may be a Tavern ;)

I have a few Blogger Contact Form emails I need to respond to.

In the meantime I'm listening to Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash...

Podcast - Hobbs & Friends of the OSR #12 - Hex Talk

As I've said many a time in the past year or so, my podcast listening has suffered with my lack of daily commuting. I'm not saying I wish I were commuting again, but I do need to set aside more time to listen to podcasts.

One of the better podcasts out there, especially if you dig the OSR is Hobbs & Friends of the OSR. Relatively knew to the podcast scene, +Jason Hobbs has hit the ground running. I've really enjoyed the conversations he's had with various guests (most of them return on a semi rotational basis)

Now, Hobbs & Friends #12 is not the latest episode (that would be episode #15 - Gaming with Kids) I was listening to the last when Jason mentioned a rant about the Three Castles Award (NTRPG), so I backtracked to episode #12. Its at the end of the episode (31 minute mark or so) and everything Jason said was spot on about this year's award ceremony (such as it was). The chariot racing trophies got more play and care than what is supposed to be THE industry award for the OSR. It made many of us cringe. It was the low water mark of a convention that set many high water marks this year - awesome new venue, new attendance high, an amazing selection of special guests.

There's much I could say, but Jason says it better than I ever could. Heck, one of his guests in episode #12 had a Three Castles Award nomination this year - not that you would have known. Sigh.

In any case, Jason has an eye on the OSR, warts and all as well as amazing discussions of game theory and gaming ideas. Give Hobbs & Friends of the OSR a solid listening to, you won't be sorry.

If Andy Rooney Posed Questions to the OSR, These Might be Them...

Somehow, someway, Andy Rooney got stuck in my head today. You remember Andy, the guy on 60 Minutes with the most inane observations and questions. At least they were inane until you gave it some thought, then the observations occasionally shined through.

Here are some possible questions and observations Andy Rooney might have asked members for the OSR:

• Did you ever wonder how Gareth has so much time to tweet, but no time to write. Maybe Far West should be released in tweets of 140 characters of less. 
• #ConManKen - So much energy used to avoid earning an honest buck. Dishonest bucks are apparently good for weight loss though. Not good for hair growth.
• Did you ever wonder if the lead in old minis is why some of the old timers are as they are?
• Why is is everyone loves their local gamestore but no one shops there. Except for Cheetos and Gatorade. Amazon should host a VTT that you can shop from at this rate.
• What ever happened to topless art in rulebooks? Did the art just get too good to display nipples without drawing attention or was it the penises and vaginas that caused the Lamentations?
• What DOES PDF stand for? I've heard some call it the Pirate Document Format but I never heard of pirates using it for their treasure maps.
• Why do 1st level Clerics get no spells at 1st level in White Box / S&W? You may as well play a fighting man with a mace that can turn undead. Wait! You are...
• What's this whole thing with Spell Slots anyway? Why are they different for clerics and magic-users? Where are the weapon slots?
• Is 8 hours of rest actual sleep? Because who the heck gets 8 hours of sleep? What if you oversleep? Is that credit for later?
• What's with all of the celebrities playing D&D these days anyway? When I was younger, you couldn't even prop up a dead celebrity at your gaming table.
• At my age, there is no such thing as a Short Rest.
• I finally understand the rate of movement in dungeons. The party is all seniors with walkers.
• Save or Die is something I do every morning. Thank the gods my dice are loaded.
• What's the deal with Read Aloud Text in an module? Is it story time?
• If it weren't for the Long Sword vs Large Creatures, would you even bother to keep your d12s? Think of the space saving.
• DM nPCs. There. I said it. Now, go kill them.

How to Piss Off Your Bartender in One Easy Step - Post Comments that have Nothing to do with the Blog Post in Question

I get it. Really I do. There's a late Kickstarter project (or pre-order) and the project creator doesn't seem any closer to getting the goods in your hands.

The Tavern is well known to look into such stuff and you want to grab my attention, so you make a comment on a random post with the following:

Will you ask XX XX where our product is at or what they did with our XX XX dollars? And put it on your site, I think it's newsworthy... 

First off, I have NO FUCKING CLUE what this is in reference to. None what so ever. The secret is in the details and there are none. If you want me to look into something I need details - date the project went live, date due, what the project was for, a link - anything and everything that can help me figure out what is going on. Tell me your story.

Second and possibly even more importantly, you don't just drop your comment on the latest post that has little if any relevance to your request. It will (and has been) deleted. There is a contact form on the right side of this page. Its pictured above. It gets used every day. I read each message and I try to respond to every single one in a timely manner. Use it.

Sorry if I'm grumpy but I just woke up to this situation. Its not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last but I felt a need to address this right away. Well, that and we have some morning thunderstorms rolling through, my knee aches and my sinuses are killing me. So yeah, not good timing ;)

Save or Die - New Episode is Live - NTRPG Recap and Moving On

The latest and greatest episode of Save or Die is up for you to listen to. +James Spahn , +Glen Hallstrom and myself talk about NTRPG Con 2017 from back in June. Yeah, it was a while between episodes. Life doesn't always cooperate as one might like.

I did make things a challenge for Glen as he had to clean up some of my F-Bombs in production. Sorry, Glenn, I'll try harder next time. I will say this. It was probably the most fun I've had recording a podcast. I kid you not. I think we were all hitting out marks and I hope it shows.

Its also the last episode of Save or Die with the three of us as hosts. He are moving on to other projects. If you want to keep in the know, keep an eye out here, at The Tavern and we'll keep you updated. Nothing is until it is and never say never.

I'd like to thank +Vincent Florio and Wild Games Productions for giving us the opportunity to keep y'all entertained and informed. Some of the greatest podcast fans in the world are loyal listeners to Save or Die, Roll for Initiative and THAC0's Hammer. Old School Gaming is where it is at.

Thanks to all of the listeners. You made every minute we spent recording worth it many times over. Hopefully we'll be able to pay you back in the future ;)

Bundle of Holding - Palladium Fantasy - The "Other" D&D ;)

Palladium Fantasy is very much AD&D with the serial numbers obscured by mud and dirt and a whole lot of house rules tacked on. I never very much liked the system itself - playable but extremely quirky - but the setting material? Spot on. The adventurers? Well done. The alignment system? Better than anything TSR ever offered us back in the day.

Now, notice how I said I didn't like the Palladium Rules system? I don't, but I do love the Palladium Fantasy Rulebook. Packed with inspiration to freshen up your Old School / OSR campaign, this is where it shines.

Wolfen. I need wolfen in SWL...

I'm glad to see Palladium releasing Rifts and Palladium Fantasy in PDF. Looks like I'm buying yet another Bundle of Holding.

The Starter Collection is $14.95, the Bonus Collection is just under $26.00.

The core rulebook itself is $27 in print.

Far West Non Announcement from Gareth on Twitter Video

Yep, Gareth spoke about Far West yesterday on Twitter for RPGaDay 2017. I had to downsize the video quality to post this, but you can capture it (and Gareth) in all of its glory on Gareth's Twitter feed.

https://twitter.com/gmskarka/status/892773954603147264

Reminds me I need a haircut and a shave...

Reminder - Tavern Chat - Tonight at 9 PM Eastern - The Stars are Alighned

Tonight is a Wednesday Night and your bartender will be hosting the weekly Tavern Chat at 9 PM Eastern. If I run late, please feel free to let yourselves in.

Possible topics include - growing old ;) , the The Tenkar's Tavern Crate (I've heard reports its been spotted in the wild), #ConManKen's latest failure's and more.

Use the Tavern Chat / Chatwing Widget on the right side of this page.

See you then...

Kickstarter - Stars Without Number: Revised Edition (Free Beta PDF Available - Link Included with Permission)

Stars Without Number: Revised Edition. You KNOW you want to back this Kickstarter.

Seriously. +Kevin Crawford knows how to run a Kickstarter Project.

Want to look at the rules before pledging? Here's the link the the SWN: Revised Edition Beta Rules

Want to read the stretch goals? Guess what? They've all been hit already.

- At $20,000 I will release all commissioned art for the game as royalty-free, zero-cost art available for other gamers and publishers to use for their own personal and commercial products. I've made arrangements with the artists for this game, including Tan Ho Sim, Christof Grobelski, Joyce Maureira, and Aaron Lee, to buy full rights for all the pieces I commission, and so I will be able to let others freely use these assets for their own purposes. 

 - At $30,000 I will rework both the free and deluxe versions of the core book as additional EPUB and MOBI file formats. This will involve considerable extra effort in redoing the text for these decidedly non-spread-oriented formats, but if the campaign gets this far, clearly you want these formats provided. 

 - At $40,000 I will forge the culmination of madness and bibliomanic obsession- the mighty UNIVERSAL OMNIBUS, a vast hardback tome containing every single Stars Without Number first edition product, both free and for-pay. This massive, black-and-white interior tome will consist of the Stars Without Number first edition core book, Skyward Steel, Suns of Gold, Darkness Visible, Starvation Cheap, Polychrome, Dead Names, Relics of the Lost, Engines of Babylon, Sixteen Stars, Hard Light, all of the Mandate Archive free supplements, and both editions of The Sandbox, the whole summing over a thousand pages. Everything that ever has or will be written for first-edition Stars Without Number will be contained within this book. 

Every backer at $20 or more will be given a code that will permit them to order this voluminous codex from DriveThruRPG for $100, if they so wish. This code will not have an expiration date, so they may defer the purchase until later if they wish to reflect on it. Backers at the munificent Galactic Overmind level of $175 will get one of these superdense grimoires shipped to them at no further shipping cost, provided the address is in Canada, the United States, the UK, or the European Union. 

No other persons will be permitted to acquire the UNIVERSAL OMNIBUS. Only those loyal and fearless backers who join me in my plunge into madness by contributing to this campaign will be allowed to buy the book from DriveThruRPG. It will not be made available for general public purchase. 

 - At $50,000, I will be extremely grateful to you all and have the wisdom to refrain from offering further stretch goals. I am but one man. I've completed every Kickstarter I've ever launched on-time or early, chiefly because I've known when to stop promising and when to start working.

The amount pledged as I write this is just under $65k.

It launched yesterday.

You know you want it :)

Turning 50 isn't Old and Playing Games Makes You Young - Pinkie, My Six Year Old Niece

My niece "Pinkie" is very intuitive at times.

Today, we went to see Wonder Woman. The theatre was loud (not the people, the sound system) There were times Pinkie had to cover her ears but she was a trooper, and stuck with it until about an hour in. That's the point the movie hits "the front" in WW I.

"Uncle, I don't think this movie is appropriate for a child my age."

With a statement like that, what can one do but agree? We grabbed our drinks and left the theatre.

On the drive back to her house we talked. My birthday this past Saturday came up and I told her I had turned 50.

"50 uncle? That can't be right."

"Right as rain young lady. Uncle turned 50 and can now join the AARP"

"What's AARP?"

"American Association for Retired People or something. You turn 50 and you are old enough to join."

"You're not old uncle."

"Thanks Pinkie. It makes me feel good to hear you say that."

"I didn't say it to make you feel good! You play games and write games and that makes you young. You are young uncle, not old!"

Fifty and young. Wisdom from the mouth of a soon to be first grader. Not said for my benefit but because for her, it is the simple truth. Which makes it my truth.

Thank you Pinkie.

August 1st, 2017 - Just Another Day for "Mr. Failure" #ConManKen

Yep, today is the day #ConManKen was supposed to have all of his Kickstarter ducks in a line. You know, delivered by August 1st, 2017.

I'm going to call it right now - Ken is the fucking failure he's always been and always will be. That is my opinion. Your's might differ.

Now, here's some facts - Ken has failed to deliver on his empty promises YET again.

But that's okay. Because he's on "set":

Ken - here's a message directly for you:

You sir, are a thief, a conman, a liar, a fraud and most importantly - a failure. You are lucky if you successfully complete a bowel movement. If you want to be rid of me - complete your outstanding Kickstarter obligations. It really is that simple.

This is Poo Poo Face reporting on #ConManKen's latest failure.

Spahn!!! New Project - Clan & Hammer - Dwarven RPG / Setting Powered by Swords & Wizardry Continual Light

another great piece by +Craig Brasco 

Yep, I squarely placed the blame on +James Spahn . He challenged me yesterday, on my 50th birthday, to attempt a project that I'd have difficulty saying no to. A Dwarven RPG using the Swords & Wizardry White Box rules. I scoffed at the idea. Obviously I'd have to use the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light rules as my base rule set as SWL is my precious. By then, I realized I'd already said yes.

Damn you Spaaahhhnnnn!!!

Shortly thereafter we were brainstorming Clan & Hammer.

James threw Rune-Caster, Brewmeister, Troubleshooter and Axe-Thain into the pool of classes.

I responded with Teutatle (a paladin sort) and Skald.

Then it hit me - the dwarves we see in our weekly games, they are the outcasts that have left the rock behind.

Dwarves, the ones deep in the mountains, mining for gold, gems and other items of wealth as is their nature, those of long lived lineages and ancient underground cities, are an insular race and do nearly all of their trade with dwarven outcasts. They have little understanding of surface dwellers and surface dweller know even lass about them.

It suddenly became a setting that could be dropped into, or rather - under - pretty much any fantasy campaign world. The idea is that the classes should be able to plug into any SWL / SWCL campaign (and will probably also get S&W Complete write ups here at The Tavern)

I've broadly sketched out two 16 page books for this project already. The first, a reworking of SWCL for Clan & Hammer, this will be the "crunch" side of the project.

The second will the background, setting, monsters, artifacts, gods and adventure hooks. Please don't call it "fluff." I prefer "flavor."

If you are a regular reader of The Tavern, expect pieces to appear here in their primordial form as they are written.

Dare I say it? I already have a tavern half written up for this. The Axe & Anvil, owned by The Wandering Gray Wizard, Sage of Unearthed Arcana and on the run from debt collectors from the surface. No, really. I think this tavern practically writes itself ;)

Where was I?

Oh, yeah. Damn you Spaaahhhnnnnnn!

We Have the Cover for the First Issue of Torchlight Magazine (Craig Brasco)

When I asked +Craig Brasco if he would be interested in doing the cover for the first issue of Torchlight, I really hoped he would say yes. Craig is an amazing artist and a friend and I've followed his work for years (its even used on my profile pic on G plus)

Obviously, Craig said yes. When he asked me what I wanted on the cover, I said there needs to be a torch. The rest is up to you.

I think I can say this for all my readers: "Holy Shit!" My God man, but this is beyond amazing.

More examples of Craig's art can be found here.

There will be an announcement about Torchlight submissions in the next day or so.

State of the Tavern Keeper - Fifty Years Old - What a Glorious, Horrible Milestone (and a challenge)

Yep, I turn 50 years old today. Which is glorious, as I thought for sure at least twice prior (9-11 and latter with Hodgkin's Lymphoma) there was a good chance I wouldn't see 40, let alone 50. Ah glorious 50!

Then it hits me. I'm fucking 50. Time to sign up for AARP and senior discounts. Except that shit, I've already been offered senior discounts! Damn it. I don't want to get old.

Well, except that the alternative to not getting old is simply dying and that's an option I'd like to defer as long as possible. I've got stuff to accomplish.

Now, in the midst of all this, +James Spahn decides to offer me a challenge. Something that will require focus and regular writing (that isnt blog writing - or it may be that too) and in the end should result in something unique for the community.

And so it came to pass that Spahn offered a distraction to the old beard and it was good. With said distraction came responsibility and an end goal, one that, should it be achieved, would be very satisfying. Such it came to be on the thirtieth day of our Fathers in the month of Heyannir thirty-seven years after the old beard's eyes were opened.