Kickstarter - Vagabonds of Dyfed RPG: OSR meets PbtA

"An unholy union between OSR principles and PbtA mechanics. A modern take on fantasy rpgs compatible with the classics."

Let me state this up front - I am not a fan of Apocalypse World. That being said, I am intrigued by the potential hybridization of OSR rules with Apoc World or Dungeon World promised by Vagabonds of Dyfed.

Our design goals were simple: make a game that's mechanically compatible with OSR retroclones (and their mountains of content) while leveraging the compact but non-binary PbtA system.

• A single PbtA "move" core: 2d6 + mod, tiered results
• Player-generated character traits instead of predefined playbooks or attributes
• High character lethality
• Strong GM authority

So yeah, intriguing.

How 2d6 as the core resolution check will be "mechanically compatible with OSR retroclones" should be interesting to see.

Heck, you can even download a draft of the rules now.

There is only one backer level:

Goal of $4k. Its at $4,500 with 17 days to go. Not too shabby. For 10 bucks I'll roll 2d6...

As per the Gygax Memorial Fund 2016 Federal Tax Return - Memorial to be Completed by May 25, 2018

Thanks to a Tavern Reader, I was pointed to the Gygax Memorial Fund's 2016 Federal Return, which was filed on May 25th, 2017.

The first thing that stood out to me is that the Fund raised a whole 10 bucks in 2016. That takes some special effort to have that little a return. The Fund spent over $3,300 over the same period.

But what really stood out was the Schedule O page.

Isn't that exciting? The Memorial will be completed by May 25th of this year! Just over 3 months away. I need to get my plane tickets and a hotel.

BTW, the 2015 return promised the memorial in 2 years and the 2014 promised it in 5 years. They should have stuck to the initial time frame.

Oh, notice objective "E" above? The Fund was founded in 2010. They STILL haven't started a scholarship?

Like previous years, the Fund has accomplished nothing and keeps losing money.

Another year without even minimal interest being earned. 1% interest would have covered half the expenses - and would have returned over 200 times what their fundraising did. I can see why they haven't uploaded this return to the GMF website - its embarrassing.

For those playing along at home, the year end balance of the GMF since its inception. (note - most recent tax return back to the Fund's first tax return)

2016    $213, 713

2015    $217, 042

2014    $220, 449

2013    $222,165

2012    $129,162

2011        $9,774

2010       $7,232

Announcing the Tenkar's Tavern Monthly (more or less) Gift Box of What I Hope is Not all Crap Giveaway

So, thanks to various monthly crates, boxes, grab bags, Kickstarters and the like I have a shit ton of duplicates. Without a local gaming group to bleed off the overflow (and with a reorganization of my gaming collection revealing more of an overlap than i expected) I need to give some of this away.

Thus the announcement of the Tenkar's Tavern Monthly Gift Box of What I Hope is Not all Crap Giveaway.

What is that exactly?

Basically I stuff a Priority Mail box full of gaming shit, new and old. Some may be $100 game books, others old Judges Guild stuff, some Frog God adventures, maybe some 4e and Pathfinder, comics, cards, dice and more - listen - I need to clear space and this is what we are doing. 'Nuff said ;)

How do you get in the running for such a gift of goodness? Comment on this post by 8:59 PM Eastern time FEBRUARY 21st, 2018 (i left the date out). I'll announce the recipient on Tavern Chat around 9:30 PM Wednesday Night, February 21st, 2018. Note, I'm only shipping within the United States. Sorry, but I'm covering shipping and the goodies and International shipping is ridiculous.

I'll do this monthly so long as there are gifts to gift...

Gygax Memorial Fund - Alex Gygax Was Added to the Board in August... or Was He? (Oh, and other observations...)

So, back on August 17, 2017, the Gygax Memorial Fund announced that Alex Gygax was joining the Fund's Board of Director. You can see it announced here:

As you can see from the first screenshot, he STILL hasn't been added to the listing of the members of the board. Which says a lot about the lack of professionalism with how the GMF Page is maintained. Great way to encourage people to donate when you show you just don't care enough to update what is effectively (or ineffectively) your sales page.

So, Alex is going to help design the memorial? I guess this designed got shelved?

Are we no longer using the guy who made the Fonz statue for the memorial?

Where's the 2016 tax return? The 2015 return was posted in June of 2016. Shouldn't the Fund be filing its 2017 taxes soon? And about that audit that was promised back in 2016... wasn't that supposed to be publicly shared by now? Is the audit why we have no posting of the 2016 return? (and no, deleting posts from Facebook does NOT mean it wasn't promised - remember, we screenshot EVERYTHING)

At least they don't charge extra for "Gamer Size". I was scratching my head as to why they would include 2 #2 pencils until it was pointed out to be that The Trust probably wanted to get the Gygax Trademark on writing implements. I wonder if the Fund is paying a licensing fee to The Trust? Well, its a good way to preempt #ConManKen ;)

Gary Con is in less that three weeks...

Filing an FTC Complaint Against #ConManKen? I'd like to Keep a Tally

As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers.

Yesterday, we posted how backers of the KotDT:LAS Kickstarter could file FTC complaints against Ken Whitman as he is now legally required to refund backers. I would like to keep a tally of such complaints as they WILL result in a criminal investigation of #ConManKen.

Just to make things simple, here's the link again:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=251&Url=%23%26panel1-6#crnt

If you would be so kind as to email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that Gmail thing with "ConManKen" in the subject of the email we can get the list going.

All I ask is for your first name / pen name and backer level for tracking. I'll post a running tally as to the number of complaints made and total backer dollars of the complaints on one of The Tavern's sidebars.

There are 9 backers of $1k or more on KotDT, including one $5k+ pledge. If you can't get what you backed for in the past you can help Kenny to three hots and a cot in the future...

Edit: Kenny, just so you know. THIS is how you get legitimate federal charges filed. Not threats of imaginary FBI agents waiting at someone's door for Coffee & Donuts to investigate laws that you either made up or fail to understand. You REALLY should never have made those threats Kenny, because the threats themselves are a violation of federal law. Oh, and they pissed me off. Yes they did.

2nd Edit: No, you don't own the copyright to the above image.

#ConManKen in Breach of Contract? Say It Ain't So!

It always a happy time to watch Ken Whitman's worst enemy be none other than... Ken Whitman!

So, let's recap, shall we?

Ken's license with KenzerCo expired at the end of 2017. Ken never met his obligations to KenzerCo over KotDT: LAS before the contract expired. How did this happen? Blame Ken.

Now, since Ken can no longer fulfill his obligations, he is ALSO in violation of Kickstarter's Terms of Service:

Quoting +Bob Brinkman 's comment at:

http://rpg.brainclouds.net/2018/02/14/ken-whitman-responds-to-kodtlas-release/#comment-14650

But, since the license has expired and Ken is no longer capable of achieving the KS, the KS terms of service do kick in at this point. 

“Yes. Kickstarter’s Terms of Use require creators to fulfill all rewards of their project or refund any backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill. (This is what creators see before they launch.) We crafted these terms to create a legal requirement for creators to follow through on their projects, and to give backers a recourse if they don’t. We hope that backers will consider using this provision only in cases where they feel that a creator has not made a good faith effort to complete the project and fulfill.” 

As Ken cannot legally fulfill this particular KS project because of the expiration of the license, he needs to either issue refunds or be prepared to face possible litigation. 

Granted, most of this falls into the “small claims” category (unless there is a class action) and, in most cases, it probably isn’t worth the filing cost. But, if d20 entertainment was a single owner corp, things like corporate veil or even the protections of an LLC would likely not apply so there is a possibility of a judgement going after any and all assets of Ken’s. 

It also opens the door for criminal fraud investigation on this particular issue (which could constitute wire fraud). Where such an investigation would lead is another matter entirely but, now that Ken has no further protections on the matter of this kickstarter I’d say he should get AWFULLY helpful really quickly.

But wait! There's more!

With the expiration of his license, Ken can no longer legally fulfill the Kickstarter. With that in mind, it is time for people to start filing legal complaints if he doesn't start issuing refunds. 

The below link will take people to the FTC site so that they may report Ken to the FTC. Enough people report him and a criminal investigation will get rolling. 

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=251&Url=%23%26panel1-6#crnt

Now, remember, D20 Entertainment never existed. Ken never registered the LLC anywhere. So, who is left holding the bag? Ken.

Yep. Congrats Kenny-boy! You've covered yourself in shit.

Kickstarter - The Princess Bride RPG (Powered by FUDGE)

I really don't know what to make of The Princess Bride RPG. While it was a fun movie (with a cult like following) it was never as big a deal to me (as a movie) that it was, and is, to some in my social circles.

The fact that it is powered by FUDGE (I stumbled across the rules in 96 or 97, they were first released in 93) isn't a selling point to me. Sure, the rules creator is also the one behind the Kickstarter, but that still doesn't do much for me.

Thankfully, there is a 48 page, professionally laid out quickstart of The Princess Bride rules for those that want to try before they buy, which might be wise as the low end buy-in for this 250 plus page KS ain't cheap:

$25 for the PDF is cost prohibitive in my opinion, especially when the Print plus PDF plus physical map is $50.

FAUX Leather book plus digital plus FUDGE dice plus map is $85 and a wooden box that adds Grampa Tokens is $200.

Goal is $45k and its at about half of goal in 2 days, which isn't half bad.

For those that are part of "the following" its the game they've all been waiting for. For me? Eh...

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - I Expect I'll Be Late, Let Yourselves In ;)

Today is St Valentine's Day (as well as Ash Wednesday) and its a Wednesday, so tonight is Tavern Chat.

When? 9 PM Eastern

Where? The Tavern's Discord Server

What? Voice and text chat. Feel free to lurk.

Who? Random (and not so random) members of the OSR.

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Rach is taking me to dinner at our main courting place back in the day. You guessed it, our local pub ;)

I may be a little late. Don't wait for me. The doors are unlocked. Remember, The Tavern is a BYOB establishment...

#ConManKen Responds to the Release of KotDT:LAS - But NOT at The Tavern (Cowards Gotta Hide when they Lie)

Ah, sweet hell. We all knew #ConManKen wouldn't be able to stop himself from trying to spin the release of Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series, which was released no thanks to him, into something he could take credit for in addition to casting blame at others. Classic Kenny.

His response is NOT where one might expect. Its through the A Walk in the Dark blog, which offered Ken a venue when he turned down your local bartender - wait, I mean Poo Poo Face. Ah well.

I'd suggest you leave your thoughts at both A Walk in the Dark and here. 'Cause you wouldn't want Kenny to miss a single word.

Sad thing is, Kenny lies so much he can no longer keep is lies straight. I almost pity the self diagnosed CTE sufferer. Almost.

Frank Mentzer Announces a New Game

Quietly, almost under the radar, Frank Mentzer announced a new game he his working on. I'm not going to copy Frank's posts whole cloth, just the relevant pieces (read the full Facebook posting of Frank's from today at this link and last week's posting)

Human nature produces competition everywhere. (Road rage, Food arguments, Sneaker theft, et alii). But whenever you Win, somebody else Loses. 

Can we transcend that and still find happiness?
In any role game you start with a character. But --
If you have stats, that produces competition for better stats.
If you have equipment, you compete for better stuff.
If you have combat to the death, that's the ultimate competition.
Can you leave all those out and still have fun? 

> Can a successful form of group entertainment focus on group cooperation and actively deemphasize competition?

In FTG*, play the role of a character in a medieval world with magic and monsters. 

Use the unique game mechanics to resolve events.
But spend less time on details and more on people. They're more fun.
Fairy Tale Games* Debut tour, this year at the cons. 

and from last week's posting:

Fairy Tale Games (FTG)* 

I created a new game system.
It's about storytelling, not combat.
It's for cooperation, not competition.
(Apologies to gamers who maximize your PCs and love the long, intricate combats. This isn't for you.) 

Your character is normal, not a superhero or wizard.
But you have special talents.
Your actions will develop new talents.
You can change the adventure to use your new abilities.
Compare and combine all your talents to get the best results for the whole group. 

* More to come this year at FairyTale.games and FairyTaleGames.net (currently under construction)

*Fairy Tale Games and FTG are trade marks of Loxley inc. Copyright 2017 Loxley inc. All Rights Reserved.

Not quite sure what to make of all this myself, but interesting none the less.

KotDT:LAS to Release to Backers - Ken Whitman NOT Involved - Scream Heard Around the World! ;)

Holy shit!

I knew stuff was in the works and I'm thrilled to see its official. Knights of the Dinner Table" Live Action Series will be making it into the hands of backers DESPITE the best efforts of #ConManKen. Gee Kenny, what's that I hear? A loss of a position of posturing power has lead to tears? Awww! I'm so sorry. Here, let Poo Poo Face wipe your eyes with some sandpaper. Oh, don't forget you are still on the hook for all those rewards...

You can read Jolly's Facebook Post and comments at this link.

Jolly Blackburn
1 hr · Waukegan, IL
Hey folks, I've been hinting for several weeks that some good news for KODTLAS backers was coming. Today the good news finally hit.

I'll just run the statement from Ben Dobyns (Zombie Orpheus Entertainment) we are running in Knights of the Dinner Table #252 below - but to quickly summarize, thanks to Ben the three episodes of KODTLAS are finally going to get in the hands of the backers who paid for them. More details coming. If you backed this project, check your email for information from backerkit on how to proceed.

Very stoked about this. To be very clear, Ken Whitman did not participate or help in this development. Ben Dobyns invested his own time and talents in making this happen. I want to personally thank him and Zombie Orpheus Entertainment for doing stepping in and stepping for backers making this happen. More details to follow but here is Ben's statement...

PS: I want to thank David Scott Kenzer for signing off on this.

<<Hello to the backers of Knights of the Dinner Table: The Live Action Series – My name is Ben Dobyns (CEO of Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, producer of The Gamers and JourneyQuest, etc) and with Kenzer and Company's permission and encouragement I've managed to cobble together complete edits of the three original Kickstarter-funded KODT episodes.
I used a combination of the incomplete footage on the original hard drive that Ken Whitman sent, low-resolution rough cuts from Jolly Blackburn's Dropbox, and any other resources that I could find. It's not perfect—and it probably never will be—but it's better than nothing.
With the original Kickstarter creator apparently permanently out of the picture, Kenzer and Company and I discussed whether it would be possible to at least let backers see the film project they paid for.
I reached out to BackerKit and, thanks to major technical support from their team, we were able to build a pledge fulfillment survey for all of the original KODT:LAS backers. Those surveys will soon be going out to backers!
So, if you're a backer, here's what that means: You'll be able to fill out your BackerKit survey. Then you'll receive a download of KODT:LAS -- The Reconstructed Edition
And optionally, you can order a DVD (at cost) from our print-on-demand partner
YES, it's not a complete Kickstarter fulfillment, we all get that. I don't have the funds (or responsibility) to print up all of the rewards that the original creator (Ken) promised. But I can at least give you a version of the movie.
This has been a labor of love. I'm not making any money from it. Kenzer and Company isn't making any money from it. We just want you to have a copy of the series that you paid for.
Thanks for your understanding and patience, thanks to KenzerCo for allowing this, thanks to Zombie Orpheus for hosting the resources for fulfillment, and thanks to all of you for being loyal KODT fans.
Ben Dobyns
CEO & Exec. Producer
Zombie Orpheus Entertainment>>

And here's my statement which runs along side the new issue coming out next week...

<<Four years ago this month, 795 backers raised almost $70,000 to crowd fun a live action, Knights of the Dinner Table movie. Low budget to be sure, but the cast was amazing, a script was delivered and creative control was in the hands of the KODT D-team and for everyone involved it looked to be a fun project.

Then — as most of you know, the troubles began.
I won’t retread the sad details here other to summarize that the project creator (and the man who had sole acess to the funds) failed to uphold his part of the equation and effectively abandoned the project and went silent.

Which is doubly sad since everyone else involved DID do their part. The script was delivered. The actors and crew showed up. And three episodes of KODTLAS were filmed. All that was left to do was for Ken Whtiman to edit the footage and deliver the finished DVD to backers.
Obviously they never happened.
Enter Ben Dobyns.

Ben of ZOE (Zombie Orpheous Entertainment) took it upon himself to try and salvage something from the project for those who put up their hard earned money.

You can read the detail in Ben’s release below, but basically he cobbled together the footage of KODTLAS and manged to pull together, “A best possible cut with what we have” edition.

So the good news is, if you backed the project you can finally see all three episodes. I want to thank, Ben and ZOE for their hardwork and efforts on this front. It wasn’t THEIR problem. It wasn’t their project.
I’m extremely grateful that KODT fans will finally be able to see the hard work the actors, crew and backers put in to this. They deserved better than how they were treated by the project manager. Thanks, Ben.

Jolly R. Blackburn
January 18, 2018>>

Bundle of Holding - Traveller: The New Era

My memories of Traveller: The New Era are mostly of the support material. By the time I was looking at it - late 90s - I was no longer actively gaming, and that meant I got my gaming itch scratched by reading gaming material. TNE was much of that reading.

Of course, in the intervening years, I've put most of that material into storage, so I find the current bundle highly tempting.

15 bucks is the basic buy in for Traveller: The New Era and a hair over 25 gets you the additional material. I've never run the system, so really, I can't speak on that, but the source material was a fun read.

The "Free OSR Rulesets - SciFi" Page is Done - For Now

Alright, The "Free OSR Rulesets - SciFi" Page is ready for prime time. There's only eight rulesets listed (compared to thirty or so for Fantasy) and I'm sure I'm missing some - feel free to link or mention in the comments other candidates to add to the page.

Moving on the the "Other" category next. That will be longer than SciFi I expect.

And yes, still need to add a few to the Fantasy page.

Quick Update - Added Three More Rulesets to the Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy Page

I added three more rulesets to the Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy page today.

They are Iron Falcon (an OD&D clone), OpenQuest Basic (a RuneQuest clone) and d6 Fantasy (fantasy rules using the West End Games Star Wars Engine)

Later today I'll be addressing the SciFi page.

Enjoy.

Deal of the Day - Apes Victorious (Planet of the Apes / Labyrinth Lord)

Today's RPGNow Deal of the Day is Apes Victorious from Goblinoid Games. Normally $4.97 $3.73 (I believe this is stacking with a current site-wide sale) it is currently on sale in PDF for $2.24.

Apes Victorious is a roleplaying game in which you take the role of an astronaut from the 1970’s who finds himself marooned on a future Earth ruled by intelligent apes. Players may also take the role of an ape, a degenerated human, or a psi-active underdweller. Fight to survive in this post-apocalyptic future ruled by four species of apes. Or play apes who hunt humans for sport. For a different kind of campaign, play highly intelligent but insane underdwellers who have advanced technology and powerful psi powers. 

This book contains:

• A complete game
• A post-nuclear apocalyptic setting in which apes have become the dominant species
• Seven player classes
• Animals and creatures of the post-nuclear future
• Campaign advice
• A complete introductory adventure
• Conversion notes for compatible games including: Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Starships & Spacemen

Map - From the Summer of 83?

I remember in my High School years I tried something different with my dungeon maps. I had read some article, likely in Dragon magazine, about the importance of "dungeon dressing." Sounds, trinkets, writings on walls and such.

It looks like I went overboard on this map, but at least I used colored pens to keep it all straight. Actually, judging from the colors I used, it looks like it was one of those 3 in 1 pens ;)

Hey, at least I wasn't filling every square of graph paper with walls and floors... heh.

Damn, I loved my irregularly shaped rooms too, didn't I?

Responding to a Suggestion - Why I Won't be Reviewing or Rating the Free OSR Rulesets - However...

I was sent an email suggesting I add small reviews (as time permits) and ratings of the Free Fantasy OSR Rulesets that I'm linking here at The Tavern.

Ain't going to happen.

First, it is WAY too time consuming for me to even attempt. Believe it or not, there are other constraints on my time beyond maintaining and updating The Tavern. Just sayin'  ;)

Second, I have my own biases. Obviously I'm a huge Swords & Wizardry fan. I don't think we need to see me comparing other rulesets to S&W. Not saying I would intentionally, but I'd fear it might happen.

Third, this is your job, and by you, I mean other Old School Bloggers. Review one of these rulesets and send me the link to your post and I'll link it from the listing page. Sure, I'm getting you to share some of the workload but its what being part of a community is all about. Oh, and if you already have done some applicable reviews, send me the links.

Feel free to link to the lists as they go live. Heck, host them on your own site if you prefer. Even swap out my affiliate links for yours if you want (if you do host on your own site, just credit the "Tenkar's Tavern Community" for compiling the lists if you would be so kind) The more use the lists gets, the more value they have not just to publishers but the community as a whole.

I've already put together a short list of updates I need to make to the Free Fantasy OSR Rulesets list before moving onto SciFi.

Alright, on to household chores for now...

PS - If someone has a better suggestion for "buttons" than what I'm using, feel free to suggest. I'm all ears.

The "Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy" Page is Done - For Now

I believe we have 27 systems listed so far on the Free OSR Ruleset - Fantasy Page. I'm sure I missed some. Hit me with any you think I've missed.

Next up will be the SciFi rulesets, then the "Other" category of rulesets, after that adventures and general resources.

Phew!

Remember, these lists will be constantly growing. I'll try and remember to mention when something is added to them.

Kickstarter - Strongholds & Streaming - 1 day - $730k (5e)

Sometimes success can't fully be planned for. Sometimes success exceeds all expectations.

Then we have Strongholds & Streaming.

$50k goal.

A day into the campaign? $730K to raised. A month left to fund.

This is the success many dream of but few, if any, achieve.

Oh yeah, what's the product?

A hardcover book (or PDF!) for 5th Edition that gives your character something to spend their money on and extend their influence in the local area. Raise armies! Research spells! Spy on your enemies!  

This is a book! 

We’re printing a book and we need money for art and layout and printing costs. The core release is 128 pages, hardcover, but the content and page count increase with each stretch goal!  

That means the book you order just gets more content as more people pledge. It grows!  

A Style Of Play 

More than just a set of rules and charts, this book also describes a style of play that assumes your character becomes more interested in influencing the world around them. You’ll still adventure and fight monsters, but this supplement gives you tons of fun things to do during your downtime. 

It's also:

Because the other goal of this kickstarter is to raise money to cover the lease on studio space for us to stream our next game starting with character creation! I’ve already spent several thousand dollars on gear, we just don’t have any space to stream and we have very specific requirements. No, your garage won’t do. No, your living room isn’t big enough. :D We’re basically building a TV Studio.  

Since finding studio space means signing a multi-year lease and being on the hook for a lot of money, it terrifies me. It’s my hope that enough people want this book, or want to support the stream, to cover some or all of that cost. If not, no big deal. You still get a great book! 

Follow this one, if even only for a buck. It will be glorious as a success or even as a successful failure.

I may even back for the book. I'm sure there's enough to yoke for my S&W  games.

BTW, watch the videos in the updates. If you want to see the nervousness unexpected success can result in, the first is priceless. I like it, because it is real and unvarnished.

Its Time to Kill the Free OSR Lists - and Create Some Free OSR "Pages"

The feedback on yesterday's post seeking help in updating The Tavern's resource lists has shown me that simply revising the lists isn't feasible - there is simply too much stuff to list.

My thought is to use buttons and pages in Blogger. Pages have the advantage that they can be continually updated, descriptions can be added to each item listed and linked folks can comment on them - simply put, its much better ;)

Place holders so far for the pages.

I'll start building the pages this weekend.

Let me know if anything is missing. Oh, and yes, anything that doesn't fall under fantasy falls under scifi :)

Mayfair Games is No More

I have varied memories of Mayfair Games. While their Dark Folk adventure book was a supplement I went to numerous times, their City State of the Invincible Overlord boxed set was... lacking, But their Demons series was top notch and their Underworld RPG wasn't bad. Wasn't Chill under their label for a bit?

In any case, the shop is now closed:

As always, a tip of the hat to The Tavern's community for bringing this to my attention.

Link to the Mayfair Games Facebook Post.

Kickstarter - Off the Beaten Path, Desert Excursions (S&W and System Neutral Adventures)

Thom Wilson is one of the workhorses of the OSR. Constantly producing high quality stuff and on time too. Thom's latest Kickstarter is Off the Beaten Path, desert Excursions.

So, what is Off the Beaten Path, Desert Excursions?

A minimum of twenty single or double page desert excursions to use as side quests or stand-alone adventures for your Fantasy RPG. There are over twenty-six pages of encounters found within dry deserts and desolate locales. As your player's characters travel through the arid wasteland, they will come across burial chambers, deserted villages, sunken towers, troublesome oases, and more! These adventures are a great way to add additional encounters during travel, or to handle an unexpected change in direction!

Its literally is something to pull out when your party goes "off the beaten path". Its a great series of adventures if you sandbox or if your players tend to stray from the expected story line (or simply useful as random encounters and events)

You have a choice of Swords & Wizardry or System Neutral versions.

PDF's are 6 bucks, at cost POD is 9 (you'll still need to pay the POD cost and shipping), 13 for PDF plus POD (where I'm at) and 18 for at cost POD in both S&W and System Neutral versions.

There are daily stretch goals and the funding period is only 10 days so don't wait too long ;)

Its Time to Rebuild the Tavern's Lists of Links - First Up - Free OSR Games

Its been years since these lists of Free OSR Goodness went live, and even though I've added to them on occasion, I've noticed there are omissions (Swords & Wizardry Light anyone?) as well as dead links.

Its time to rebuild them.

First list to get attention will be the Free OSR Games. If you know of Free OSR Rulesets that aren't listed to the left, please link them in the comments below. I know there are some dead ones (some of the Swords & Wizardry links are dead - I need to find updated lists)

I'll work on the Games list through Saturday, then I'll post the updated list. Then we'll move on to Free OSR Adventures. Woot!

Thanks in advance for the assist :)

New Release: & Magazine #14 – Animal Companions (Free OSR PDF)

New issue of & Magazine is out: release the hounds!

This issue’s featured articles are:

• Animal Amalgamations
• Animal Companions …
• Dogs of the Lakelands

Bonus articles:

• Political Treasures in D&D
• Ability Checks: Are You Doing It Wrong?
• Making the ‘God Call’

and Regular Columns:

• Town Maps: Library and Records Hall
• Gilderlo Hippogriffs
• Who Let The Dogs Out?
• A Plethora of Ideas
• New Weapons VIII – Siege Weaponry
• Brewmaster: Extraordinary Holy Symbols
• … plus more!

Download you copy at the and-mag Website 

Northlands Saga Complete (S&W Version) Coming in Tenkar's Tavern Crate #6

I may still be feeling the lingering effects of an upper respiratory infection but I know a good deal when I see it. I have The Northlands Saga Complete sitting right to my left, in the bookshelf on top of my desk. Don't ask - its a big desk ;)

You can read a very thorough review at Nerdtrek.

Get ready for Tenkar's Tavern OSR Crate #6! We have packed a stunning $125 hardback book into every box. This month we welcome the Northlands Saga in Swords & Wizardry rules. We aren't stopping there. This month also features two bonus printed modules that are not available anywhere else. We'll pick two random modules from the six we have in stock to add to your box. That puts your crate value over $150! Add to that the printed and digital campaign map and you've got yourself a Crate #6.

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern Let the Rules Cyclopedia Beware!

Tonight is a Wednesday and that means tonight is Tavern Chat. Tavern Chat is where all of the cool kids hang out, talk shop, compare notes, discuss pop culture and generally have a good time. You literally never know who will drop in.

Where?

The Tavern's Discord Server:  https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

When?

9 PM Eastern

While its mostly in the Voice Channel: Open Bar (upper left in you Tavern Discord screen) you don't need a mike to hang out and listen. We love our lurkers too :)

Default is "Push to Talk" but we do make exceptions.

See you tonight :)

Wherein ENWorld Makes the Same Faux Pas I Was (Rightfully ) Accused of Years Ago

The release of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia in Print is a big deal. I covered it yesterday. ENWorld posted about it over night.

A few years back, when WotC started releasing (or re-releasing) the classic TSR titles in PDF on RPGNow, I was excited and started posting their releases here at The Tavern nearly in realtime. As I do with reviews, I included the publisher's boilerplate. I also was including Shannon Appelcline's historical pieces that were attached after the boilerplate. I truly don't recall if I gave Shannon credit or not - but as his credit line is the last paragraph of each of the entries, I probably did. I'm an asshole if I didn't.

I was, however, accused of "stealing content" from OneBookShelf in a thread at ENWorld at the time and they were right. The boilerplate is legit, its the product description, but the historical summary? That's wasn't mine to copy the whole cloth of. Quote a few sentences perhaps, but refer back to the source for the rest.

I guess such social graces don't apply to ENWorld. Funniest part? They use the whole historical piece EXCEPT for the author's credit:

Here's the bottom part of the same article on RPGNow:

Oh, and I guess they no longer worry about mentioning articles with affiliate links have such links:

Notice the line just over the posts here at The Tavern?

Its not hard to do. And I mention it again on posts that have affiliate links.

I am far from perfect. I do, however, admit my mistakes and try to not repeat them. I find it amusing to see others commit the exact same mistakes they rightfully called me out on prior.

D&D Rules Cyclopedia is now available in Softcover and Hardcover - POD - City of Greyhawk, Others

For many, the D&D Rules Cyclopedia is the definitive version of D&D. As for me, I liberally stole ideas from it to slap into my 1e / 2e campaigns. It really is a damn good version of D&D.

I received numerous emails informing me that the D&D Rules Cyclopedia is now available in Softcover and Hardcover via RPGNow's Print on Demand service. $25 in softcover, $30 in hardcover. I expect to see those aftermarket prices as a collectible start to fall on this one.

Additionally, the City of Greyhawk boxed set is now a POD book for $20 as well as In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil (softcover for $20, hardcover for $25)

Those are affiliate links above. They allow you to support The Tavern doing what you already love to do - buy gaming material. Thank you :)

Grow the Hobby, Regain the Wonder - Guest Poster - Michael "Zudrak" Gross

This morning we have a guest poster, +Michael Gross . If you hang out in The Tavern's Facebook Community or on The Tavern's Discord Server, I'm sure you've seen (or heard) some of Michael's thoughts. Its with great pleasure that we present to you what we hope will be the first in a regular series of postings by the man otherwise known as Zudrak :)

Most Old School Role-Playing Game/Renaissance/Revival players started in the hobby the way most anyone is introduced to something new: by word of mouth. In the early years of the role-playing game hobby (while Dungeons & Dragons was still categorized as a “wargame”), college kids and wargame aficionados tried out the new game created by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax. These plucky guinea pigs took to the game with the same aplomb that they and their forebears did when the game, Chainmail, appeared not long before (in 1970). Chainmail’s fantasy appendix was the first time a game was published in which a player could be in control of troops -- even single characters -- with magical powers. It was mostly through word-of-mouth that other players were taught the game or told about it.

During the current “era” of the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons (again the world’s most popular role-playing game), there have been questions on how to make the OSR portion of the hobby grow. The “OSR portion” is that segment of the hobby that prefers to play their fantasy role-playing games akin to D&D in its 1974-1991 published forms and/or Advanced D&D in its 1977-1985 published forms. I have often wondered why this is such a difficult puzzle to solve, when the hobby has created some of the brightest and most sensible problem-solvers, creative types, and inventors the world has seen.

Like a rock band going back to “its roots” and playing music the way they did years before, perhaps the OSR needs a Rick Rubin-type of producer to tell it to look at its own origins because the human touch of the hobby is the same as ever. People like sharing hobbies with one another. People like engaging in said hobbies with other people. The Internet may have given us all a “player screen” we all like to hide or obfuscate behind, but the desire for some kind of play or collecting hobby exists in many of us. Now that sites and tools like Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds exist -- allowing people from all over the world to come together to play RPGs, many hindrances that keep players apart have been removed since one does not even need to leave the house to join in a virtual tabletop role-playing game. (I do admit, as I sometimes struggle with it, that anxiety is an issue many folks have that can keep them from engaging in the hobby.)

Rewinding my own calendar, I can report that my third-grade classmate, Kellen, came to school with handwritten notes based upon her dad’s original (1974) D&D books at home. She talked classmates into creating player characters, one classmate a day (the original “session zero,” because recess time is limited). Then she began assembling the classmates together for the first game session. For me, I would have been 7 (if it was within the first 3 weeks of September) or 8. I was not invited to play for a couple days, because Kellen was slowly creating characters for other folks so that she could have a party that contained a variety of races and classes. Eventually, we all had characters made up and my fighter, Thor, was born. Well… he was made anyway -- full-grown and with an axe. I don’t remember much of the gameplay other than it was a lot of fun cooperating with classmates as Kellen the Dungeon Master led us through her homemade castle and dungeons.

Soon, I began telling my younger brother about the game and he wanted to play, too. I did not have a way for him to do that since we were two grades apart and did not share recess time. So, we asked our parents for a copy of the game. The game was unknown to them, but our uncle played it with an older cousin of ours. Uncle Mark told my parents -- board game aficionados that they are -- to buy the Dungeon! board game first. If they had no issues with Dungeon!, he said, then they would have no issues with D&D.

Within a week, I think, Dad came home with Dungeon! from either Kiddie City or Woolworth’s. We loved playing it, but knew it wasn’t exactly what we wanted to play. About two weeks after that, Mom and Dad were to be going on a skiing trip with friends. My brother and I were to stay at our grandmother’s house for the duration. Dad took me to Woolworth’s to point out the game to him, since I was older and was to be “The Dungeon Master.” Another friend of ours had the Basic book from the 1981 box set, the edition edited by Tom Moldvay, so I knew to look for the awe-inspiring Erol Otus art. I saw the pinkish box with the great art on its cover and pointed it to dad. Holding that on the way home was a highlight, for sure. I can still remember the sense of wonder as I read the back of the box, waiting to open it at home. That sense is what I (and if I have the correct pulse of the OSR, many of my fellow OSR players) try to recapture when we play. The sense of wonder -- which Luke Gygax succinctly described in an episode of “GM Tips with Satine Phoenix” back in October of 2017 -- is enticing and can keep a mission, an entire session, and even a long-term campaign going indefinitely.

So, how were you introduced to this wonderful hobby of tabletop RPGs? Was it, like me, when a classmate brought her notes to school? How do you think new players can learn about the game? Do you think, as I do, that word-of-mouth has no comparison because advertising and seeing a box online or in a store just cannot compete with a friend, peer, or family member showing off or talking about a game?

My Goodman Games Grab Bag of Holy Sh!t Arrived Today

Holy shit! Really. I can't believe how much Goodman Games put into a $50 Grab Bag (less that 60 bucks with shipping.

20 different releases (one was doubled for a total of 21)

Overall estimated retail value? $297

Pictures speak for themselves ;)

DCC 83 Chained Coffin - Silver Cover with Wheel on back - (unknown value 25?)
DCC - Saga of the Witch Queen (1e / NTRPG 2015) (25)
DCC 83A - Almanac of the Shudder Mountains (unk value 5)
DCC 83B - The Woeful Caves Under Yander Mountain (unk value - 2 copies 2x5?)
DCC 84A - Lost Tombs of the Ancients (unk value 5?)
Goodman Games Free RPG Day 2016 (unk value 5)
DCC 67 - Sailors on the Starless Sea - Variant Cover (15)
DCC 69 - The Emerald Enchanter - Variant Cover (15)
DCC 86 - Hole in the Sky - Variant Cover (15)
DCC 91 - Journey to the Center of Aereth - Variant Cover (20)
The Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor - (20)
Points of Light (13)
Metamorphosis Alpha (10)
Doug Kovaks Sketchbook 2016 - (unk value 10?)
Classic Dungeon Art Folio: Bradley K. McDevitt (unk value 5?)
Level Up #3 - (4)
Age of Cthulhu: The Timeless Sands of India (13)
50 Fantastic Functions for the D50 (20)
Monstercology - Orcs (22)
Xcrawl Swimsuit Edition 2014 (40)

State of the Invincible Tavern (Keeper) - Slowly but Surely, Returning to Normal and Filling the Plate

So, one dose of antibiotics left for tonight and I'll have finished my 10 days of Ceftin. Not sure what was worse, the upper respiratory infection or the lethargy that went along with the meds. I really feel a need to pick myself back up and return to writing.

Successfully completed Jury Duty last week. I'm glad I didn't have to return today.

I highlighted the The Exfiltrators Kickstarter this past Saturday. Its an OSR adventure module by Lance Hawvermale. Well, I was lucky enough to receive in my email the adventure itself for review purposes.  As Lance noted:

As promised, please find a mostly final draft of my First Edition AD&D module, The Exfiltrators.  The only real change to be made to this draft is to replace the header on each page, which bears the adventure's working title instead of The Exfiltrators. 

Only one map is included; the others are being drawn by a professional as part of the Kickstarter funding.

I'll be giving this a read tonight. For future reference I am open to doing this with other Kickstarters - nothing does more to calm cautious minds than actually presenting a reviewable draft. Layout looks clean.

I'm also going to allocate time to properly review +Rob Conley 's excellent City State of the Invincible Overlord color maps. I have them in print from RPGNow and they are amazing. I had no idea their POD service could do quality poster maps.

Recently we added Humble Bundle as a store that we link to for affiliate sales. Its, there, in the upper left corner. I'm only going to highlight bundles that I think will appeal to my readers, but that doesn't mean you can't use the link for other Humble Bundle purchases.

"Judge me not only by the friends I keep but the enemies I make." said by me in The Tavern's Facebook Community over the weekend, but I doubt I'm the first to say such ;)

Thanks to all of you for your support. It means a lot, especially when one spends a month "under the weather."

Warning! Warning! Affiliate links above! Warning! heh

Atomic Highway - Post Apocalyptic Roleplaying goes POD (free in PDF) - Starts at $9.99

I remember reading the Atomic Highway PDF when it released. It dripped of Road Warrior / Mad Max influence, and it was a good thing. Sometime over the past few years, the PDF went free. Now, you can grab the Atomic Highway RPG  via print on demand, for as little as $9.99 in softcover. Not too shabby at all. I think I'll be ordering a copy after I get the additional shelving I ordered - yes, its gotten that tight and more ;)

Civilization came crashing down. Billions died. 

A new Dark Age has begun. The descendants of the apocalypse's survivors scavenge the remnants of the Before Times, struggling to build a new life amidst the ruins of the old. In a savage world where the strong ravage and exploit the weak, the survivors' settlements are oases, connected only by convoys of armed and armored vehicles that run the gauntlet of raiders... and worse. 

Though the threats of chemical and biological agents and radiation have all but faded, their taint lingers on in every mutant born to man and beast. 

This is the world of Atomic Highway. 

Atomic Highway is a complete roleplaying game. All you need to play it is this book, a few friends, paper and pencils, and a few ordinary dice. 

Features: 

• The V6 Engine: a simple, fast-playing game system that emphasizes cinematic, or "movie-style" action, supported with many clear examples.
• Quick and easy character creation rules providing dozens of potential character types. Tear along the shattered highway as a road warrior, track down monstrous threats as a brave tribal warrior, or unearth the wonders of the past as a canny scavenger.
• Rules for mutants and mutations, including optional rules for humanoid animals and psychic powers.
• Straightforward rules for a wide variety of vehicles and modifications.
• A complete bestiary of threats, mundane and mutated.
• Easy-to-use scavenging tables - you never know what you'll unearth.
• A customizable setting with advice and tips on how to create your own post-apocalyptic world.
• Roleplaying and game running advice for Players and Game Masters, new and experienced alike.
• A ready-to-use introductory adventure.

That's an affiliate link above. Keep the beer cold and the lights on here at The Tavern. Thank you :) 

Dungeons, Dragons and the One Day Trial

As I mentioned on Thursday, I had jury duty this week. Thursday I got picked for a Civil Trial Jury, despite being a retired cop and listing under hobbies: write role-playing games. Go figure.

In any case, we were sworn in on Thursday for a trial that was to start (and possibly conclude) on Friday. Friday morning came and we got off to a late start. We reported at 930 and didn't get called into the courtroom until 1030. Then we couldn't start because the lawyers needed water. Then a bigger oops - both the complainant and the defendant were Bangladeshi and the court translator was late. For a summary trial, one that is supposed to be expedited, we were not off to a great start.

Opening statements. Complainant's initial doctor for the injuries from the accident is no longer licensed to practice medicine. The surgeon has his license suspended. And this is from the complainant's lawyer. Defense attorney's first name is Lord Chester. I kid you not. I was already thinking that I need to use that name in an adventure.

Both the complainant and the defendant make for horrible witnesses. Due to the language barrier, it was apparent that neither was prepped by their law firms for trial.

Who referred you to your doctor? A friend. What's your doctor' name? I don't know, its in the paperwork. Didn't you see the same doctor for two prior accidents? I don't know. Isn't your testimony different now than in 2015? My eyes are better now. I see better, clearer. My eyes are in my mind...

The defendant wasn't much better, only coming out of her shell to explain how she inched her car up at the intersection only 5 or 6 inches at a time.

I told my fellow jurors we had two bags of shit.

Before we knew it, it was shortly after 4 pm, we had two huge packets of evidence, and only 20 minutes to reach a verdict before being sent home for the weekend and returning Monday.

We returned to the Jury Room and start discussing. He's full of shit, she's full of shit. We have a packet of questions to answer and no ones taken a look at them. I grab them, as reading and understanding rules is the specialty of gamers.

"There's no way in hell I'm giving this guy a cent, he's full of shit!"

"How about we look at the questions given to us? Depending on how we answer the questions, we may not need to answer later ones."

"What?"

"Questions are answered in order, and then we can see where we are at. Times a ticking, and I'd like to not be here on Monday, agreed?" Heads nod.

"Alright, question one. Do we find the defendant to have been negligent in her actions?"

"He hit her, he's at fault!"

"Not the question. She had the stop sign. The complainant didn't. As the law was explained to us by the judge, she had the responsibility to ensure she entered the intersection safely. We need to answer the questions as we were instructed to." I wanted to add "no houserules, we're going By The Book" but they wouldn't have understood the reference.

"Alright, listen, question 2 is: Was the defendant's negligence a significant contributing factor in the incident? I'd say no."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she was negligent but he was much more so. It means we answer no further questions. Nothing about awarding damages. I feel the plaintiff was lying throughout most of his testimony, so I will take the defendant's word on what happened. Besides, looking at the accident report, he never even attempted to avoid the collision."

"We're done?"

"So long as you all signed off on the 2 questions: Yes to the first one and No to the second one." And then we were.

In the end, game training kicked in. Read the rules. Follow the rules. Given a puzzle, take it step by step. Don't let the rules play you but make the rules work for you. Well, that and we apparently needed a caller, so I stepped in ;)

Six years before I'm called again...

Kickstarter -The Exfiltrators (an RPG adventure module OSR)

I'm a big fan of adventure modules. I rarely run any by the book, but either with tweaks (or as a source to mine for encounters and ideas) they are part of my DM'ing bag of tricks.

I'm not a huge follower of individual authors, not because I'm not a fan of individual authors but because I am, quite simply, horrible with names. So I'm pretty impressed with myself. When I saw Lance Hawvermale's name attached to The Exfiltrators Kickstarter, it took me but a minute to remember where I saw the name prior: Necromancer Games' Bone Garden (among other releases, but that is the one that struck me in the head)

What I like about The Exfiltrators is that it is essentially done:

The writing, interior art, and layout are 100% complete. All that remains is to add the maps to the back of the book, commission the cover art, and package the book as a print-ready PDF.

Want confidence that a project will complete and release? The above is just that.

So, what is the adventure itself about?

The Exfiltrators is a 36-page prison-break scenario in which the player characters enter an infamous tower of incarceration (either as unwilling inmates or as willing spies) and extract an innocent prisoner.  But just who is innocent and who is guilty?  Inside Velgate prison, no one can be sure. 

• The narrative is non-linear; the PCs have complete freedom in the direction of their investigation.
• The plot contains puzzles to solve and NPCs to be persuaded, in addition to the usual challenges of sinew and might.
• At the gamemaster's option, the story can extend into the Outer Planes and transport the PCs to an off-world adventure.

The Exfiltrators is an adventure module for experienced gamemasters.

A thinking player's (and GM's) adventure. I'm looking forward to this.

The PDF is 7 bucks. Print is 19 for the US / UK, 21 elsewhere in the world. That includes shipping.

Very reasonable prices.

Oh, sample of the Stat Block:

New Release - Non-Human Player Codex for Swords & Wizardry Light

I meant to mention this release earlier, but the week has been a busy one. But now that I'm home from Jury Duty (The Six Angels of Justice rendered their verdict at 445 PM ;) its time to play catch up.

The Non-Human Player Codex for Swords & Wizardry Light is quite simply a home run. Priced at PWYW, it gives some additional options and depth to the 3 core non-human classes for Swords & Wizardry Light and Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. Use it to make each character unique OR to make unique sub-races - it works well either way. At PWYW pricing there is no reason not to pick this gem up.

Up your non-human game for Swords & Wizardry Light and Swords & Wizardry Continual Light with this handy reference guide and collection of new house rules!  Enjoy the same popular trait tables found in its predecessor, Non-Human Player Codex for Swords & Wizardry Complete, recalibrated and rewritten for Light and Continual Light.  Includes the following: 

Abilities/Class reference for core SWL and SWCL non-humans (Dwarf, Elf, Halfling).
Trait tables to add nuance and distinctiveness to your non-human characters.
All in a convenient, concise, and easily-printed reference.  

Dare to be different with your demi-human PCs, while keeping the rules light!

Yep, that's an affiliate link above. Shoppin' through The Tavern's affiliate links keeps the taps flowing and the lights on here at The Tavern :) 

Dungeons, Dragons & the Jury Pool

I reported to Jury Duty today. I was on standby all week and Wednesday Night my number came up. It wasn't unexpected, I saw how close we were getting and the odds of escaping my civic duty wasn't good.

I reported to the Civil Court House. Myself and about 100 other mostly disgruntled New Yorkers.

First panel was pulled at nearly 11 AM. I escaped. Second panel about 20 minutes later. Dodged that one too, but now the pool was smaller. We're all gamers, we do odds for stuff like this in our heads. Would we make it to 1 PM lunch?

Just before Noon, another group of Jurors are called. I'm it. Save failed. One of twenty, marched off to our doom.

There are two lawyers in the room waiting for us. We get handed questionnaires to fill out. Occupation? Retired. Know anyone currently or formerly employed in law enforcement, including yourself? Affirmative. Hobbies: Write Role-playing Games. If that ain't a dodge, I don't know what is.

Seven names are called. I'm in seat number four. The first lawyer starts giving some background, the second demands a conference outside. A minute later, they are back.

We are told its a "Summary Trial". Should be over in a day, two at most. Now I want in. THIS is a winner, and much better than sitting around a courthouse for a week or two on some never ending trial when I could be doing something fun - like writing role-playing games.

The first lawyer starts talking. The second gets agitated. They leave the room, this time for ten minutes. I picture in my head the two fighting like gladiators to decide who is the dominant lawyer. Then I remember they are lawyers. Picture gone, filled with lots of "Objection!" and "Overruled!"

After we are sent to lunch, the questions begin. I'm the fourth seat, so I get to see where the questions are going, or so I thought.

"Mr Tenkar, it says here you are retired? What job did you have before retirement?"

"NYPD Sergeant"

"Color me surprised! I never would have guessed." He smiled. I guess we do have a certain look after 20 years.

"So, during those 20 years as a police officer, you must have prepared hundreds if not thousands of reports, is that not true?"

"Perhaps, but I'm a bit distanced from those reports. I spent my last 12 years off patrol."

"What was your last assignment Mr Tenkar?"

"Internal Affairs."

"Hmmm. So, what do you do now that you are retired?"

"I write role-playing games." Quizzical stare. "Er, Dungeons & Dragons."

"There's money in that?"

"Not a lot. But I do get sent to a couple of conventions every year on the company dime and it keeps me busy in beer money." There's some laughter in the Jury Panel. I went too far, damn it!

"When I retire, that's the kind of retirement I want."

He then went on to question the next potential juror.

Ten minutes later, I was on the jury. Wonder if I should break out SWCL in the Jury Room tomorrow ;)

The Return of Minsc and Boo - in comic format at least...

Looks like Minsc and Boo are returning. No, not in computer games but comic book form. Baldur's Gate will feature in the new Dungeons & Dragons comic book series from IDW.

Each issue in the series focuses on an individual hero from Baldur’s Gate, including fan favorites Minsc and his miniature giant space hamster Boo. Krydle and Shandie, Delina, and Nerys Kathon will also see the spotlight.

You can read more about it at ICv2. 

As for me, I head out to Day One of Jury Duty shortly...