The Tavern Chat Podcast - Weekly Roundup - December 8th thru December 15th, 2018

Last week was a busy week in the Tenkar household. We started with a stomach virus at the beginning of the week and finished it with three birthdays in the end. All that and we kicked off the Designer's and Makers series of interviews on The Tavern Chat Podcast. Woot!

E207 - Podcast Nominations at ENWorld and some Minor Rants
Published on Dec 9, 2018
ENWorld is looking for nominations of the Best Podcasts of 2018. I rant a bit about the LotFP Referee Book and Far West, then look at the POD of the AD&D 2e rulebooks on DriveThruRPG.

E208 - 52.5 Million G+ Accounts Exposed to Private Data Breach Bug, Shutdown Moved Up to April 2019
Published on Dec 10, 2018
Google has proven to be an unreliable custodian of personal data, with 52.5 million accounts' personal data exposed.

E209 - Episode Zero of Designers & Makers - Wherein Your Bartender Interviews Himself ;)
Published on Dec 11, 2018
We'll be kicking off the Designers& Makers series of interviews in the next couple of days, but to prepare folks for what's in store, I asked myself (and answered) the five questions that will be asked of all. These are not the be all and end all of the questions, but simply a common baseline. Enjoy :)

E210 - Designers & Makers #1 - Interview with Michael "BadMike" Badolato (NTRPG Con/Frog God Games)
Published on Dec 12, 2018
Today we kick off the Designers & Makers series of interviews (with about 40 interviews currently on the grid over the next three months). Michael "BadMike" Badolato has the notoriety of being our first guest in the series. BadMike is one of the main guys behind the NTRPG Con, works for Frog God Games and does his own business selling old school games on eBay. Join us as BadMike answers "Ths Five Questions" after which we free range a bit ;)

E211 - Hawk the Slayer - I Finally Watched from Beginning to End
Published on Dec 13, 2018
Yep, apparently I never actually watch Hawk the Slayer in its entirety until this morning. You can find it to stream on Amazon (3 bucks to rent / 10 to buy) Its a fun movie so long as you go into it accepting its limitations - low budget, poor acting, lame special effects, and a horrid script. Pass me the beer and popcorn please!

E121 - Follow up to Hawk! News - New D&D Show Starring Daredevil’s Deborah Ann Woll
Published on Dec 14, 2018
Tim Shorts calls the podcast. Designers & Makers Networking Group kicks off on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server. Daredevil’s Deborah Ann Woll to headline a new D&D show for streaming. New drama, same drumbeat.

E213 - Designers & Makers - I Talk with Tom Knauss (Writer/Freelancer/Frog God Games)
Published on Dec 15, 2018
On today's episode of the Tavern Chat Podcast, I talk sit down across the virtual table with Tom Knauss, best known for his work as a writer for Frog God Games. We talk RPGs, art, Hawk the Slayer and more ;)

OSR Christmas - Day Five - A Box of Random TSR Era Fiction from the Tenkar Fiction Collection - and Much More!

Here we go with Day Five of OSR Christmas. Print books can only be delivered in the US with this gift pool, digital can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1 Box of Random Shit from the Tenkar Book Collection (TSR Era Fiction) - US Only

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of White Star Galaxy Edition (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games)

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games)

6) 1 Print Copy of Dragon Heresy (Gaming Ballistic) - US Only

7) PDF Copy of The Sentinel Chapel (DQ / System Neutral) 

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Thursday, December 18th, 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern (so comment before), we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December (and possibly into January too)

Note - If you live outside the US and get picked for a Print gift, I will substitute a $5 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate and the print prize will go back in the pool.

Note 2 - Anything shipping from me (Tenar) won't be shipping until after Christmas

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
2 copies Undying Orb in Print
PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

For those wondering about the OSR Patches:

Reminder - RPG Breakfast Club - 10 AM Eastern - Sunday, December 16th - Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server

I know the reminder is a bit late and I apologize. Its been a busy week for the Tavern Master and Uncle Duties are currently in effect - Shannon turned 8 on Friday and is sleeping over tonight ;)

Anyhow, tomorrow morning at 10 AM eastern the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server is hosting the weekly RPG Breakfast Club.

Your hosts will be Archon, Tom Knauss (go figure, I just interviewed him on the Tavern Chat Podcast), Todd, Jerry247 and Niven81. Yeah, I need to get a list of true names behind the Discord Handles so we can bind folks in magic circles...

Here's an invite to The Tavern's Discord Server if you aren't already a member. Hope to see you on the flip side - assuming my niece allows me.

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Day Four of OSR Christmas - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day Four of OSR Christmas. Let's see who gets what today:

1) 1 Box of Random Gaming Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - US Only - Carlson

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - Nathan S

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - Carles Saeger

4) 1 PDF Copy of Class Compendium (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games) - V. A.

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games) - Lincoln Shone

6) 1 PDF Copy of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG / Purple Sorcerer) - Lord Gargoyle

If your name is above, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Put "OSR Christmas Gift" in the subject.  If you are receiving a physical gift I'll need a physical shipping address I can forward on (or use myself). If the gift is digital, I will need the email you use with DriveThruRPG. Day 5 of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow - or later tonight if I can squeeze it in. Its been a busy week, so I apologize for the delays. I expect there will be more ;)

Heh - This might run through Three Kings Day at this rate ;)

Announcing The Networking Group for Designers & Makers on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server

Last night on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server we had a meeting with some of our Designers & Makers - folks involved in the making of gaming content. One requested feature was a section on the server to help find folks with specific skills to work on various projects. Similar to the "Looking for Group" section on other servers and gaming forums, our hope is that the new Networking Section will help match creators with projects that are looking for their talents.

Note, the Networking section is only available to those that request the Designers & Makers tag for their profile on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.

Already on the server and want access? Just PM Pexx or tenkar and we'll make it happen.

Not a member of the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server?

You can join with the following link:  https://discord.gg/ae568vp

Bundle of Holding - Warhammer FRP 1E

I simply love Warhammer Fantasy RolePlay 1e. I have some amazing memories of running this in the late 80s. The material is evocative and the system is solid.

12 bucks for the initial buy-in? Priceless.

25 bucks (currently) for some of the best setting/campaign material for any system - ever.

Really, I wholeheartedly endorse the Warhammer FRP 1e Bundle :)

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Post Pub Party - I May be a Bit Lit :)

Yep, tonight from 5 PM to 8 PM, my local pub is having its Christmas Party. I may be a bit intox for tonight's chat. It's a damn good thing my local pub is within walking distance :)

What is Tavern Chat? It's been compared to a weekly podcast where all can participate. It's literally a live voice chat with members of the OSR community where we get to hang out and BS.

When is it? 9 PM Eastern until whenever. Usually, it lasts for at least two hours, although I have seen it run beyond six hours (Bill, I'm pointing fingers at you!)

Where is it? It's on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.
Here's your link: https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

We hang out in the "Speakeasy" voice chat channel.

Designers & Makers Interview with Michael "BadMike" Badolato on The Tavern Chat Podcast

Today we kick off the Designers & Makers series of interviews (with about 40 interviews currently on the grid over the next three months). Michael "BadMike" Badolato has the notoriety of being our first guest in the series. BadMike is one of the main guys behind the NTRPG Con, works for Frog God Games and does his own business selling old school games on eBay. Join us as BadMike answers "Ths Five Questions" after which we free range a bit ;)

Link to today's episode of The Tavern Chat Podcast:

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E210---Designers--Makers-1---Interview-with-Michael-BadMike-Badolato-NTRPG-ConFrog-God-Games-e2ohls

OSR Christmas - Day Four - Another Box of andom Gaming Shit from the Tenkar's Game Collection - and Much More!

Here we go with Day Four of OSR Christmas. Print books can only be delivered in the US with this gift pool, digital can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1 Box of Random Gaming Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - US Only

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of Class Compendium (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games)

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games)

6) 1 PDF Copy of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG / Purple Sorcerer)

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Thursday, December 13th, 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern (so comment before), we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December (and possibly into January too)

Note - If you live outside the US and get picked for a Print gift, I will substitute a $5 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate and the print prize will go back in the pool.

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
2 copies Undying Orb in Print
PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

For those wondering about the OSR Patches:

Day Three of OSR Christmas - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day Three of OSR Christmas. Let's see who gets what today:

1) 1 Box of Random Gaming Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - US Only - Stu Ordana

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - Rus H

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - Jeff B

4) 1 PDF Copy of The Hero's Journey (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games) - Ngo Vinh-Hoi

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games) - Fr Dave

If your name is above, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Put "OSR Christmas Gift" in the subject.  If you are receiving a physical gift I'll need a physical shipping address I can forward on (or use myself). If the gift is digital, I will need the email you use with DriveThruRPG. Day 4 of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow - or later tonight if I can squeeze it in.

I 've caught up on nearly all emails. There is still a bit of a stomach bug going through the Tenkar household. 

Before I forget, Thad sent a pic of the OSR Patches in the bundle. If you would like to purchase any patches, drop me an email and I'll forward your info on to Thad.

News - Google Plus Shutdown Moved Up to April - 52.5 Million Exposed to NEW Data Leak

Why am I not surprised? (quoted from The Verge) 

Google+ has suffered another data leak, and Google has decided to shut down the consumer version of the social network four months earlier than it originally planned. Google+ will now close to consumers in April, rather than August. Additionally, API access to the network will shut down within the next 90 days. 

According to Google, the new vulnerability impacted 52.5 million users, who could have had profile information like their name, email address, occupation, and age exposed to developers, even if their account was set to private. Apps could also access profile data that had been shared with a specific user, but was not shared publicly.

I'm thinking I may need to delete my account and leave before the final light is turned off at this point.

Free - "Classic" Starter Traveller PDF (GDW)

How cool is this? The "Classic" Starter Traveller rules (there are the ones I started with back in the 80s) is available for a free download at DriveThruRPG.  Be advised, basic computers were the size of a Volkswagon Bug back in their rules ;)

Starter Traveller Free Download

GDW produced Starter Traveller as an introductory version of the game. It included a book of core rules, a separate set of charts, and a book of adventures (there are three separate download files).

That's an affiliate link above, and yes, Starter Traveller is free, but maybe you'll buy something with it. Keep the lights on and the beer cold by using The Tavern's affiliate links. 

Tavern Chat Podcast Weekly Roundup for the week of December 2 through December 8th, 2018

This is the Tavern Chat Weekly Roundup for the week of December 2 through December 8th, 2018.

E206 - Annual Tavern Meeting Roundup and a Look at ENWorld's Most Anticipated Games of 2019

Published on Dec 8, 2018
Last night was the first annual Tavern meeting. We are on pace for an amazing 2019. ENWorld has posted the results of its most anticipated games of 2019 - any wonder the pic on the ENWorld splash page is number 10 on the list - but their own release.

E205 - What's Your Experience with Experience Points?

Published on Dec 7, 2018
Much like Hit Points, Experience Points do not have a direct relationship with the real world. Sometimes a game must be seen from the game's perspective.

E204 - So, What Exactly are Hit Points in AD&D?

Published on Dec 6, 2018
Today we look at page 82 of the AD&D 1e DMG and discuss Hit Points. If the class will open their DMGs and follow along ;)

E203 - Languages in AD&D 1e - Even the Dumbest Thief Starts Out with Three. Why?

Published on Dec 5, 2018
Ever since last night, some of the language rules in AD&D 1e have been irking me. Alignment tongues, Druid and Thief languages, nine starting languages for elves (ten if they are a thief) - this and more make me question how language was used in 1e.

E202 - News - She Bleeds update and an OSR Survey

Published on Dec 4, 2018
James Raggi gives us an update on the She Bleeds controversy and I have some issues with a current OSR survey.

E201 - Zero or More Copies of She Bleeds are Allegedly Destroyed - But No Details as to By Who

Published on Dec 3, 2018
I posted about the alleged destruction of Zero or more copies of the LotFP release of She Bleeds by an unidentified warehouse (Raggi claims he knows the warehouse and the numbers are unknown and could be Zero). With some additional information I dig deeper, and the more we know, the less we know.

E200 - The Not So Wondrous Tavern Chat Episode One, With Special Guest JoeTheLawyer

Published on Dec 2, 2018
Join JoeTheLawyer, Rach, Judd & myself as we record a live episode of The Not So Wondrous Tavern Chat at the Faile Pun on West 33rd Street in NYC.

We had a great time recording this episode and we hope you'll have a great time listening :)

RPG Breakfast Club - Sunday, 12/9/18 10 AM Eastern - Anything and Everything about Artwork in the RPG Industry

Yep, tomorrow morning is a very special RPG Breakfast Club. Douglas Cole (Gaming Ballistic) and TheGlen are each bringing a special guest to talk everything and anything about artwork in the RPG industry.

The RPG Breakfast Club is a weekly event on Sunday mornings. Its a combination panel/chat hosted by creators in the RPG community. The lineup changes on a weekly basis.

You can find the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server and the events we host using the following link:

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Tenkar's Box of Random Gaming Shit for OSR Christmas Day Three

I've been asked, "what's in the box man!" so I figured I'd take a few pics of what is currently in the box. Note: the box is not yet full so other things will surely sneak into the box...

Now how did Gareth ever fit in the box?

I'll be playing email catch up after my niece heads home. So, if you are waiting for me to respond / acknowledge / forward OSR Christmas related emails, tonight is a good bet.

OSR Christmas - Day Three - The Random Hero's Patches were Bundled by the Argentine in the Midderlands

Here we go with Day Three of OSR Christmas. Print books can only be delivered in the US with this gift pool, digital can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1 Box of Random Gaming Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - US Only

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of The Hero's (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games)

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games)


How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Sunday, December 9th, 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern (so comment before), we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December (and possibly into January too)

Note - If you live outside the US and get picked for a Print gift, I will substitute a $5 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate and the print prize will go back in the pool.

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

• Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
• OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
• World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
• Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
• Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
• Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
• Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
• ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
• 3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
• ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
• Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
• Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
• 4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
• Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
• Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
• 6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
• 2 copies Undying Orb in Print
• PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
• The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

New Release: Operation Deep Freeze (and Thunderclap) - Top Secret: New World Order

I've had so thoroughly amazing times playing the NEW Top Secret at NTRPG Con over the recent years. Its one of the few new systems I've encountered over the recent years that I've been able to "grok". Forgive me and my grognard ways ;)

In any case, Operation Deep Freeze is actually two adventures in one package, the second being Operation Thunderclap. I wonder if I could scare up someone to run this online...

From the blurb:

A Top Secret Soviet lab located just outside a small town in Latvia. Secrets put in Deep Freeze. Secrets that leaked out in the dead of winter. Secrets of things that should never have been. 

Operation Deep Freeze is a Top Secret: New World Order mission. 

This 80 page book is a double adventure that includes both Operation: Deep Freeze and Operation: Thunderclap. This adventure takes a set of ICON agents from London to Latvia, to the Baltic, Middle East and Africa. 

Jump into this world-wind is this easy to use mission for the spies in all of us.

Yep, there is an affiliate link above. Keep the lights on and the beer cold at The Tavern by using our affiliate links. 

Day Two of OSR Christmas - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day Two of OSR Christmas. Let's see who gets what today:

1) 1 Print Copy of Dragon Heresy (Gaming Ballistic) - US Only -  IS AWARDED to Paulgo

2) 1 Print Bundle of Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus) (BRW Games) US ONLY -  IS AWARDED to Denis McCarthy

3) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood -  IS AWARDED to Martin Leuschen

4) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore -  IS AWARDED to Rgrimsley

5) 1 PDF Copy of Class Compendium (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games) -   IS AWARDED to Peter V. Dell'orto

6)  1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games) -  IS AWARDED to Bill Shearer


If your name is above, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Put "OSR Christmas Gift" in the subject.  If you are receiving a physical gift I'll need a physical shipping address I can forward on. If the gift is digital, I will need the email you use with DriveThruRPG. Day 3 of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow :)

I haven't touched emails since the beginning of the week. Busy times in the Tenkar household. Tomorrow is a wreck of a day, but emails should be addressed tomorrow night.

State of The Tavern: What Insanity Have We Wrought? 26 Designer's & Makers signed up to be Interviewed on the Tavern Chat Podcast

This morning Pexx and I, Pexx being the right hand at The Tavern's Discord server and many other things Tavern related, had one of our twice-monthly virtual meetings. We brainstorm ideas and come up with a schedule a few months in advance for things we'd like to see happen with The Tavern. Today Pexx pitched "why don't you do a series of interviews on the Tavern Chat podcast with the Designers & Makers - the creators in the OSR community."

Damn, that was a great idea. I told Pexx to make it so. Four hours later, he had 26 interviews lined up and loosely scheduled. I say loosely, as I wasn't involved in the scheduling and some simply won't fit my schedule, as open as it generally is. Still, 26 interviews waiting to be done, kicking off tonight. That was the response in the first 4 hours. I'm honored and terrified at the same time.

I was thinking of sharing the interviews once a week on the Tavern Chat Podcast, but we may have some weeks where we have two. And yes, the crossover episodes are still going on. Phew!

Tenkar's Tavern Patreon

Tavern Chat Podcast

Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server

We're a Couple of Late Kickstarters - with respect to Burl Ives

We're a Couple of Late Kickstarters

by Erik Tenkar

We're a couple of late Kickstarters
We're a couple of late Kickstarters
What's the matter with late Kickstarters?
We don't give a shit!
We're not complete nor on time
Don't go 'round and bitch and whine!
Seems to us we're doing fine
We don't give a shit!

We may be different from the rest
Who decides the kind of test
Of what really is the best?
We're a couple of late Kickstarters
We're a couple of late Kickstarters
What's the matter with late Kickstarters?
We don't give a shit!

Why am I such an asshole?
Please don't tell me!
I already know
I don't respect you
I am such a ho
I am…

Reminder - Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - What Actually Constitutes "Book Burning?"

Ah, what tangled webs we weave. So, what exactly happened with "She Bleeds?" Was it as many suspect, a PR stunt? I'm sure it will be discussed on tonight's Tavern Chat.

When? Tonight - 9PM Eastern

Where? The Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server

https://discord.gg/EsMera

OSR Christmas - Day Two - Heresy in the Castle of the Midderlands and more... (Print US Only - Digital Worldwide)

Here we go with Day Two of OSR Christmas. Print books can only be deliver in the US with this gift pool, digital that can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1 Print Copy of Dragon Heresy (Gaming Ballistic) - US Only

2) 1 Print Bundle of Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus) (BRW Games) US ONLY

3) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of Class Compendium (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games)

5)  1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games)

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Thursday, December 6th , 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern (so comment before), we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December.

Note - If you live outside the US and get picked for a Print gift, I will substitute a $5 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate and the print prize will go back in the pool.

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

• Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
• OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
• World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
• Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
• Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
• Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
• Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
• ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
• 3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
• ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
• Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
• Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
• 4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
• Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
• Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
• 6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
• 2 copies Undying Orb in Print
• PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
• The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

The Tavern Chat Podcast Surpasses 50k Downloads with its 201st Episode - Thank You All!

Holy shit! I'm floored. I am truly at a lack for words, which isn't exactly easy when one posts daily blogs and records a daily podcast.

The Tavern Chat Podcast surpassed 50,000 downloads tonight. I can't thank you all enough for sticking with me. 201 episodes in the mix already. Hopefully, I can keep the pace and the quality for the 201 episodes, and then the next 201 episodes, and then...

Here's the link to the cast: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat

Now, off to bed. Assuming I can fall asleep ;)

Day One of OSR Christmas - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day One of OSR Christmas. I figured we would hit the ground running with an amazing number of gifts, both physical and digital that can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see who gets what today:

1) 1x physical Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world. This includes the following items...  IS AWARDED to John Payne
1x The Midderlands A5 Hardcover Book
1x The Midderlands Expanded A5 Hardcover Book
1x The Midderlands Hex Map
1x The Haven Isles Hex Map
1x Midderlands Gamemaster Screen
1x Midderlands Gloomium Randomiser Die-drop Chart
5x The Midderlands Character Tracker Bookmarks

This is coming from the VERY generous Monkeyblood Design & Publishing

https://www.rpgnow.com/product/221994/The-Midderlands--OSR-Bestiary-and-Setting&affiliate_id=1446

http://www.monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood IS AWARDED to Keith Higdon

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore IS AWARDED to Jason Jensen

4) 1 PDF Copy of White Star Galaxy Edition from James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games IS AWARDED to B|X Rules

5)  1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" from Stouthearted Games IS AWARDED to Jon Eriksson Aspeheim

If your name is above, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Put "OSR Christmas Gift" in the subject.  If you are receiving a physical gift (John and Jason) I'll need a physical shipping address I can forward on. If the gift is digital, I will need the email you use with DriveThruRPG. Day 2 of OSR Christmas will go up tomorrow :)

Yes, there may be affiliate links above. They help keep the lights on here at The Tavern.

LotFP Book "She Bleeds" Allegedly Destroyed by Warehouse over Subject Matter

Destroying books is never a good thing. Destroying books over subject matter? Even less.

She Bleeds was a Gen Con exclusive if I recall correctly. It seems to be even more exclusive now.

Now, my questions are - who owned the books when they were destroyed? Was it Raggi? Was it a distributor? Were they destroyed because they were unsold exclusives?

I suspect there is more to this story then meets the eye.

edit: latest from Elizabeth:

First off, thanks everyone so much for the support. The support and kind words makes me very proud to be part of the rpg community. Lots of people have been asking about the name of the warehouse - at this moment I don't know the name and am speaking to my publisher about this. If I do get a name (and can share it) I will with the people who asked. However, I'm tempering this decision with the fact that I don't want the person who reported this to get in trouble and also want to make sure I know all the facts before acting. Thanks for your understanding

edit: podcast follow up:

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E201---Zero-or-More-Copies-of-She-Bleeds-are-Allegedly-Destroyed---But-No-Details-as-to-By-Who-e2me5f

edit to the edit: Raggi Follow Up:

Unofficial Tavern Face-to-Face Hangout with JoeTheLawyer results in "The Not So Wondrous Tavern Chat Episode One" ;)

We had an unofficial Tavern Face-to-Face Hangout earlier today, which kicked off at the Compleat Strategist in Manhatten and followed up with brunch at the Faile Pub.

JoeTheLawyer, Judd Karlman (podcaster, blogger and RPG writer) Rach (my lovely wife) and I recorded the episode you'll find linked below over some fine pints of cider and beer. The waitstaff was on point (and can be heard on occasions making sure our glasses were properly filled).

Joe and I would like to do a similar type of gathering every few months. Kind of a "face to face" meeting of the local NYC area community.

We had a great time and we hope that shows in the episode.

Link:  https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E200---The-Not-So-Wondrous-Tavern-Chat-Episode-One--With-Special-Guest-JoeTheLawyer-e2m7qf

Late Reminder - RPG Breakfast Club - This Morning - 10 AM Eastern

Yeah, I know the reminder should have gone up yesterday. I'm a bit distracted, what with my kid driving to Salt Lake City this weekend to take a new position with his employer. He arrived in Omaha around 330 in the morning. Did I mention I'm also very tired? Heh.

Here's this morning's RPG Breakfast Club lineup:

Here's the link for this mornings show on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server:

https://discord.gg/9rGGfq

I'm heading into Manhattan this morning to meet up with JoeTheLawyer at the Complete Strategist at noon. Prepared to roll random encounters ;)

OSR Christmas, Day One - Santa Delivers ALL Day One Gifts Worldwide :)

Here we go with Day One of OSR Christmas. I figured we would hit the ground running with an amazing number of gifts, both physical and digital that can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1x physical Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world. This includes the following items...

1x The Midderlands A5 Hardcover Book
1x The Midderlands Expanded A5 Hardcover Book
1x The Midderlands Hex Map
1x The Haven Isles Hex Map
1x Midderlands Gamemaster Screen
1x Midderlands Gloomium Randomiser Die-drop Chart
5x The Midderlands Character Tracker Bookmarks

This is coming from the VERY generous Monkeyblood Design & Publishing
https://www.rpgnow.com/product/221994/The-Midderlands--OSR-Bestiary-and-Setting&affiliate_id=1446
http://www.monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of White Star Galaxy Edition from James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games

5)  1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" from Stouthearted Games

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Monday, December 3rd, 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern, we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December.

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Yes, there may be affiliate links above. They help keep the lights on here at The Tavern.

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

• Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
• OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
• World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
• Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
• Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
• Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
• Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
• ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
• 3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
• ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
• Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
• Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
• 4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
• Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
• Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
• 6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
• 2 copies Undying Orb in Print
• PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
• The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

Note - stuff I'm shipping MAY not ship until after Christmas. I've found a hidden and forgotten post office here in Queens, so I do hope to ship before Christmas, but it may get swamped. Time will tell.

Some Thoughts on the Common Tongue

Its occurred to me that the common tongue, as often used in fantasy RPGs, is one hell of an unrealistic crutch. Just look at Europe. How many languages are spoken there? Well, according to Wikipedia, the European Union has 24 languages designated as "official and working": Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. Trust me, there are others that are spoken.

So, obviously "common" is used so player characters can travel the world without having language difficulties, but is it taken too far?

In my mind, "common" should be to a fantasy setting as English is to much of the real world - a language of international trade and business. Yes, many if not most of Europe  (if not the world) speaks English as a second language, but that's the catch - it is a second language. At home, on the streets, in personal interactions among locals, it is rarely used. Such communications use the native tongue, not the common tongue.

Now, for those that the so-called common tongue is their native tongue, they may not have even bothered to learn another language. Sound familiar to anyone? ;)

Anyhow, just something to chew on when I run my next Swords & Wizardry Campaign...

If you want, I have some further thoughts and observations on tonight's episode of The Tavern Chat Podcast.

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E198---How-Common-is-the-Common-Tongue-e2lvhc

Tavern Chat Podcast Roundup for November, 2018

Yeah, I know there's still a day left in the month, but tomorrow is going to be busy as heck, so I figured I'd do the roundup post now. Well, not a complete roundup, but at least a highlight of the more popular episodes.

E170 - Episode #1 of the TavernSpike Podcast - Join "SpikePit" and Myself on a Podcast Crossover

Published on Nov 2, 2018

It has finally happened. There has been a melding of worlds. A mashing of podcasts. Yep, this is the first in a series of "podcast crossovers". Today, I hang with Colin "SpikePit" Green. We touch on many topics related to gaming, geekdom and beyond. Enjoy the podcast that spans both sides of the "pond" ;)

E173 - But we Decide which is Right and which is an Illusion - I talk briefly about Game Balance

Published on Nov 5, 2018

Love me some Moody Blues. I talk a bit about game balance and why I think the true balance belongs not in the rules but in the adventures.

E177 - GameHole Day Two with Bad Mike, Ben Barsh, Zach Glazer and Rach

Published on Nov 9, 2018

I hang out and discuss Gamehole and related stuff with Bad Mike, Ben Barsh, Zach Glazer and my wife Rach. Ambient noise supplied by Dwarven Forge ;)

E184 - Mundane Magic - Spells and Items - Why is This Overlooked in Most Fantasy RPGs?

Published on Nov 16, 2018

I got it into my head today to think about mundane magic. I understand why RPG rulebooks focus on the magic aimed for adventuring, but in societies where magic replaces technologoy, wouldnt there be more mundane uses?

E185 - Does the Graphic Define the OSR or Does the OSR Define the Graphic? Does the Graphic Matter?

Published on Nov 17, 2018

Voicemails on Mundane Magic kick us off. It really seems to have an audience. Then we address Stuart R's OSR Logo / Graphic and whether it was ever really needed. I think a TARGA follow up episode will be needed.

E186 - TARGA - Its History, Its Death and an Inside View - Are We Doomed to Repeat?

Published on Nov 18, 2018

I apologize in advance for the extra-long episode. As I was putting the pieces of the episode together, I discovered a post on our very own TenkarsTavern.com from 2014 that shed further light on the battle for the soul of TARGA, from the one that fought said battle. Additional material is at the end of the episode. It was too relevant to not include. I touch upon the current OSR logo drama too.

E192 - News - There is Now a Gygax Game site - But They Don't Mention FIG (Alex does have a sidegig)

Published on Nov 24, 2018

Voicemails and then a peek at the brand new Gygax Games website. What it doesn't say speaks volumes...

E196 - Do you Use Spells with No Save Against your Player Characters?

Published on Nov 28, 2018

JoeTheLawyer calls in with an interesting observation regarding spells with no saves (Cloudkill, Powerword Kill, Sleep, etc). I respond with thoughts of my own.

Tegel Manor Full-Size Prototype Map (Kickstarter)

Wow. Simply wow. Just thinking about the idea of running Tegel Manor using the final, full-size map at future conventions makes me smile :)

Zach tells it like it is:

Here's the link to the Tegel Manor Kickstarter for 5e and S&W.

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Three Years Ago Today, The Tavern's Facebook Group was Formed

Three years ago today I created the Tenkar's Tavern Facebook Group. I had just started digging into the Gygax Memorial Fund and was getting heavy pushback from Gail Gygax because of such. I thought it might be nice to have a place to discuss blog posts (from all gaming sources) and events that related to tabletop gaming and geekdom that was directly tied to a blog post. I also wanted to give the community that had formed around the Tenkar's Tavern blog a place to hang out and communicate with others. 

I was gratified to see "Taverners" embrace the new group as quickly as they did. I am floored to see how much it has grown over those three years. Over 2,200 members, with more joining every week.

Over the years, The Tavern has seen a strong, vibrant community grow around it. Our Facebook Group is a huge part of that.

Thank you.

Tenkar's Tavern - a Neutral Ground Closed group · 2,239 members Join Group A place for Old School Gamers to hang out and have a good time

Almost Complete List of OSR Christmas Gifts 2018

Holy shit! We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally going to need a day or more to fully put together, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

• Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
• OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
• World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
• Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
• Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
• Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
• Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
• ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
• 3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
• ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
• Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
• Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Cards- in Print (from Phil Reed, shipped by me)
• 4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
• Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
• Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
• 6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
• 2 copies Undying Orb in Print

Note - stuff I'm shipping MAY not ship until after Christmas. I've found a hidden and forgotten post office here in Queens, so I do hope to ship before Christmas, but it may get swamped. Time will tell.

I may have missed a gift package or two. Not everyone used email to notify me, so if you offered and weren't mentioned above, or if you want to gift, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing with the subject OSR Christmas and the details of what you are gifting, and I'll put you on OSR Santa's Good List ;)

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Who Said "Tenkar is so Neutral its Almost Pathological?"

As November comes to a close and December steps up to the plate, the smell of OSR Christmas is in the air. That as well as the above quote, all things Gygax and whatever else lands on the radar will be up for discussion on tonight's Tavern Chat, the weekly voice chat of Tenkar's Tavern, held on our very own Discord Server.

We use the "Speakeasy" for the Voice Channel and "tavern-chat" for text and pics.

Here's the link:  https://discord.gg/rsN2K9

The Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server with over 1,200 members. A Neutral Ground.

See you, or is that "hear you", tonight :)