Follow Up to Yesterday's Post and a HUGE Thank You.

It appears that the response to Gareth's threat to me via his Facebook comment got him some unwanted attention - the post from the original author and Gareth's comment have been removed.

edit - I've been told the initial post and comment is still up. I guess stupid is what stupid is. Feel free to share the screenshot below wherever you feel is appropriate. Included here for your convenience:

I seriously can't thank you all enough for the outpouring of support. I think a protective squad was lining up behind Old Man Grognard for North Texas ;)

Let's be clear. Gareth Skarka is a blowhard. Just like his promises to complete his unfulfilled obligations, his threats of physical violence are empty. The threats, however, do an amazing job of revealing just the kind of man he is.

I've been told by a few that they have sent the screenshot in question to some of the publishers Gareth has done work for. Although I appreciate the thought, I suspect this will not be any sort of new information for them, as they allowed Gareth to do work under a pseudonym, I would assume to avoid any controversies attached to the Skarka name.

Again, I can't say enough about all of you. I appreciate all that you've said and done more than I can ever hope to express.

Still far from 100% on my end and got to add hives on my palms and soles of my feet to the myriad mix of minor ailments I'm going through. God willing, we'll pick OSR Christmas back up on Monday.

Gareth Skarka of Far West Shame Threatens to Punch Your Bartender in the Throat (& calls me names)

So, it looks like my recent Gareth Skarka post was A Post Too Far: 
https://www.tenkarstavern.com/2019/01/gareth-sharka-rings-in-new-year-pretty.html

As I did in this morning's episode of The Tavern Chat Podcast, let me respond to Gareth:

Yes, you could have walked away, but then you would be on the hook for nearly $50k in refunds. As you spoke earlier this year of a secret benefactor that was going to help fund the printing of books, there is a significant chance the funds are not available to fulfill your print backers. So long as you "are making an effort", even after over 7 years, the Kickstarter bill technically does not come due. Whatever happened to the monies raised for the Buckaroo Banzai RPG from preorders taken PRIOR to the Far West Kickstarter. Or do we not discuss that in "decent circles" anymore? As for still delivering, Far West has set a record for non-delivery and missed dates. Look at this list to jar your memory:  https://www.mutedhorn.net/far-west-delivery-estimates. The list has been updated 73 times as of January 2, 2019.

Now, as for your choice of language, I wouldn't take you for a "C-Word" person. I'm married to an Irish-American woman and I've been exposed to the word over the last seven years (timed well for the Far West Kickstarter lateness) so whatever, but threatening to "punch me in the fucking throat" is a bit much. Threats of violence are a dime a dozen on the internet. You don't scare me Gareth. Sorry if that disappoints you. If you want to talk without throwing fists at a retired law enforcement officer (hint - violence is probably not a wise choice) I'll be at Total Con, Gary Con, NTRPG Con (apparently they are forming a posse so that might be one to avoid), GameHole and Shire Con in 2019. I'm not hiding but I'm certainly not taking a trip out to Iowa or wherever it is you live so you can bellow some more bluster.

Your done apologizing for being late? You mean failing to meet your own publicly stated deadlines and due dates nearly six dozen times you've finally run out of excuses? Glad to hear it.

No, a game is not life or death, but Far West is probably the death knell of your career in RPGs. When you need to write for the new Star Trek line under a pseudonym because the publisher fears bad publicity from you being attached to a project, the signs aren't good.

There you have it Gareth. I use your own words to show the falsehoods you share to your backers and the community at large. That is why you are upset. Your words and your failures.

State of the Tavern Keeper - On Antibiotics We Go!

I've been feeling run down since Saturday night (as I mentioned prior). Since then I've felt lethargic, run down and have had other symptoms crop up (small pimple break out, sinuses, headaches among other things) and I'm now on antibiotics. Two doses in and some symptoms are already fading. Hopefully, I feel more like myself by the weekend.

Aside from physical therapy appointments and doctor visits, I haven't strayed more than a few blocks from home since the weekend.

Emails? Mostly untouched. Packages? Unmailed. Day 10 of OSR Christmas? Can't focus enough to get the damn post straight.

Two pinched nerves aren't helping. When it rains, it pours ;)

As stated above, I hope to start feeling better this weekend. In the meantime, I'm here. Barely. Heh.

Did I mention how thankful I am that two of this week's interviews for the podcast side of things had to reschedule? Small miracles but I am thankful :)

Alright. On to recording a short podcast and then to bed.

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Tenkar's Tavern Discord

Yep. Its Wednesday and that means tonight is Tavern Chat, a general geek / RPG community voice hangout.

It kicks off at 9 PM Eastern and runs until 11ish.

Where? In the Speakeasy Channel on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.

You can use the following link: https://discord.gg/KmnJWEs

Prior to that, we'll have a recorded live interview with Skeeter Green at 8 PM in the Live Shows Channel.

I'll see you all tonight.

Gail Gygax Call to Action - Paul Stormberg is Hosting an AMA from 1 to 3 PM Eastern re: Gary's Unpublished Works and More

Hey, look! Gail Gygax has something she wants us to share!

Gail Carpenter Gygax 

6 hrs ·  

For those interested in hearing about what the future holds for Garys unpublished works and more, Paul Stormberg will be hosting a reddit site in the rpg area under PaulStormberg from 12 -2 cst. 

This is our initial interview and you can feel free to ask Paul questions. 

He has been quite busy cataloging all the IP and is the creative directer and more for Gygax Games. 

Please share

Gail didn't give a link so this might help: https://www.reddit.com/search?q=PaulStormberg

Now, why ANYONE would do an Ask Me Anything (AMA) from 1 PM until 3 PM on a Wednesday afternoon (short window in the middle of a workday afternoon) is beyond me. It seems akin to the government releasing bad news late on a Friday so few actually hear about it.

Still, I AM sharing this out and maybe some Taverners will have some excellent questions :)

Gareth Sharka Rings in the New Year - Pretty Much Like the Last Seven Years - Far West is STILL Not Released

Ah, Gareth. What a man, really. Or is it: "What? A man? Really?" Gareth has a blog post to ring in 2019. Here are the relevant parts:

So now we know exactly which books to NOT purchase. Sorry Gareth, but SEVEN FUCKING YEARS is a bit too long for being late. I'd call it a "failed to complete" at this point. But you won't own your failure, because you are banking on the idea that empty promises will keep legal threats from your door. Gareth, meet Ken.

And look. He promises to get it "out the door this year." What a fucking joke. When you don't respect your customers and backers enough, to be honest with them, why should they accept anything that comes out of you as truth.

But hey, how did you wrap up 2016? (I don't see a 2017 wrap up - I suspect his depression / Twitter obsession distracted him)

And yet, two years - 24 months AFTER this post, we still aint got shit.

Well, what about 2015?

Ah, that looks like a promise to complete the project. 36 months ago...

How about the end of 2014?

49 months ago. Pretty good on talk. Empty on promises though.

OSR Christmas - Day 9 - Awarding the Gifts

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

1) 1 Print Copy of The Mystery at Port Greely, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian (US Only) - Wolfgang Coe

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - Michael Bolam

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - ships worldwide - Nathan Christenson

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

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

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

7) 1 PDF Copy of Heart of Darkness (White Star Adventure/ Middle Kingdoms Adventure & Trading Co.) -  Carl Heyl

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 Ten of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow.

Note - the weekend was literally really shitty. I'm feeling much better but I'm still in recovery mode and my ass is still dragging. Emails have gone unread. Packages still need to be mailed. We'll get there.

(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)

New - The Dungeon Show - Live Interview with Stefan Pokorny (Dwarven Forge) - Tonight - 10 PM Eastern

Tonight launches a new weekly event on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server - The Dungeon Show. Yep, at 10 PM Eastern, Carl Heyl (Save or Die Podcast) with virtually sit down with Stefan Pokorny of Dwarven Forge.

Going forward, Carl will interview other members of the gaming community on Monday nights using the same format. It feels like the beginning of a talk show network ;)

Carl will be recording the episodes and releasing such in podcast format. Link to the podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedungeonshow

Want to listen live? Use this link: https://discord.gg/9GyQ7kb

The go to The Dungeon Show on the left-hand side of the page:

See you tonight!

News - Michael Stackpole Resigns from GAMA Board of Directors

I'm sharing this news with minimal comment. I will say, I am ever grateful for Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes along with Michael's work on Tunnels & Trolls.

Link to the resignation letter on Michael Stackpole's website is here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To the GAMA Board,

It is my great pleasure to have been part of the gaming industry since 1972 when I first discovered it. In 1977 I sold my first article, in 1978 I sold my first game design and in 1979 began working for Flying Buffalo, Inc.. In 1985 I was able to go freelance and since that time I have made my living through creative arts including game design and game based fiction. My work has been honored with Origins awards, and in 1993 I received the GAMA Meritorious Service award, and was a first ballot inductee into the Academy of Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Fame. I have worked long enough in this industry to have survived many of the companies for whom I worked, and have continued to enjoy fruitful associations with what companies remain.

A long time ago, to honor the industry which gave me my start, I made a personal pledge to serve it however I could. I have been a long time volunteer. I have been an advocate for gaming in perilous times. With Loren Wiseman’s help, in the late 1980s and early 1990s I successfully led the fight against the religious right and their attempts to censor and abolish the games we create, enjoy and share. I still take pride in gamers reporting to me that The Pulling Report enabled them to fight back against anti-game bigotry even to this day. Though the work is difficult, I have been pleased to continue the fight as part of the Industry Watch Committee of GAMA.

The greatest privilege I have had is to serve on the Board of Directors, initially for three years as an elected member, and the last eleven as an Emeritus member. I feel the Emeritus role on the board is a crucial one, since board turnover requires a repository of knowledge so we can avoid the pitfalls of past mistakes, and maintain the benefits of what we have learned in past times.

I regret that I must now tender my resignation from that post.

I have not reached this decision based on any political divide within the Board. I have come to it because the Board is broken. Since June, the board has had more meetings than ever before, and has done less than ever before. In one recent meeting, it took the board 45 minutes to word a resolution empowering a committee to hire a lawyer to negotiate with another lawyer. Three-quarters of an hour, in a meeting scheduled for two hours, which stretched to four.

The board is broken when the organization’s membership indicates its will; and then the board commissions a poll to second guess the membership’s will. When that poll comes back confirming what the membership wants, the board hires a lawyer to tell them they can ignore the membership.

The board is broken when it, having previously enjoyed robust and detailed discussions about GAMA harassment policies, down to the minutia of the structuring of an investigative team to be in place at our shows, chooses only to censure an officer who physically assaulted a female security guard.

The board is broken when, in wishing to discuss me in email, without my being aware of the chain, they actually send it to a list which includes me. (Thought I’d let you know about that so you didn’t think your emails were leaked to me.)

This is not a decision reached easily, and one that comes with profound sadness. During my time in the industry, I have seen incredible change for the better, and an incredible resilience to recover from all manner of disasters—economic, social and board-generated. I have great belief that the gaming industry will survive and thrive in the future. It is bigger than any one person, or a board. It can be defined only by the pleasure and joy it brings everyone it touches, and, therefore, will be eternal.

My resignation is effective 3 PM, 5 January 2019

Michael A. Stackpole

State of the Tavern Keeper - Sweats, Fever and Fun Stuff - Not!

Last night Rach and I were finally catching up with The Man in the High Castle. We were midway through Season 3, Episode 9 (or 10) when that little voice inside me said: "time to hit pause and use the bathroom."

I might as well have paused for an hour of my life. Food poisoning or harsh but quick stomach bug, I know not which, but I spent an hour with a pot in front of me, my insides leaving from behind me, and the worse case of sweats since I had cancer back in 2006. I literally don't remember most of the hour I lost, except for Rach sponging me down like some child with a 104 fever. And then it passed. Simple as that. Hell, once I dried off it was like nothing had happened. Except for the lethargy.

Seriously. We watched the end of Episode 9 and then finished with Episode 10, with me snuggling into Rach like a cat. Needless to say, my ass has been dragging since then. I feel like I was run over by a truck. My ass is DRAGGING. My energy is lacking and I've been a cranky fucker most of the day but especially this morning - just ask Pexx - or Rach ;)

Anyhow, with any luck, I'll get a podcast out in a bit. If I don't pass out first.

Recapping the Designers & Makers Series of Interviews Thus Far (and a peek at what's coming up this week)

I can't believe we've done eight interviews in the Designers & Makers series on the Tavern Chat Podcast thus far. Not that I can even call them interviews anymore, because they don't keep to a script. It was suggested I refer to them as "fireside chats" and I guess that's as accurate as anything.

So, here are the ones we've done thus far:

E210 - Designers & Makers #1 - Interview with Michael "BadMike" Badolato (NTRPG Con/Frog God Games)

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 ;)

E213 - Designers & Makers - I Talk with Tom Knauss (Writer/Freelancer/Frog God Games)

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 ;)

E215 - Designers & Makers - I Talk with Carl Heyl (Save or Die Podcast)

In this installment of the Designers & Makers series of interviews, I talk with Carl Heyl of the Save or Die and The Crusader Podcast. Yes, we even talk Hawk the Slayer ;)

E217 - Designers & Makers - I Talk with Zach Glazar (Frog God Games)

Today I interviewed Zach Glazar (Frog God Games). No Hawk the Slayer question, because the man has never seen the movie. Sigh.

E218 - Designers & Makers - I Interview Douglas Cole (Gaming Ballistic)

In this episode of the Designers & Makers series of interviews, I talk with Douglas Cole of Gaming Ballistic. We talk GURPS, OSR, Kickstarter, usable unarmed combat rules for OSR gaming, as well as Doug's current Kickstarter - Lost Hall of Tyr (2nd Edition)

E227 - Designers & Makers - I Hang With Jason Hobbs (Hobbs & Friends, Hex Talk, Random Screed)

This morning we recorded another in a series of interviews with Designers & Makers in tabletop gaming. With this episode I hang with Jason Hobbs, of the Ennie nominated Hobbs & Friends of the OSR, Hex Talk and Random Screed podcasts. Jason and I have been friends for a while and it was great to catch up with him :)

E233 - Designers & Makers - I Sit Down with Ian McGarty of Silver Bulette Publishing

Today we have the next installment in the Designers & Makers series of interviews. I am actually loathe to call them interviews at this point, as they have turned more into friendly chats than scripted interviews. This time I sit down with Ia McGarty of Silver Bulette Publishing. 

E234 - Designers & Makers "Fireside Chat" with Omer Golan (Stellagama Publishing)

In today's episode of The Tavern Chat Podcast I hang out with Omer Golan of Stellagama Publishing. Omer has a number of releases in support Stars Without Number and White Star but is perhaps best known currently for Cepheus Light, a reworked and reedited version of Cepheus, which is itself an OGL clone of Mongoose Traveller 1e. Come for the Traveller talk, stay for the AD&D 2e observations ;)

Later this week we'll be adding interviews with Vince Florio (Wild Games Productions / Podcaster), Sizzoul (Strange Gods Podcast), Skeeter Green (needs no introduction ;) and Josh Beckelheimer (JB Productions) with at least another eight on tap before the end of January.

Strap in because it's going to be a helluva ride!  :)

Reminder - RPG Breakfast Club - 10 AM Eastern - Sunday Morning (Tomorrow)

Tomorrow morning at 10 AM Eastern the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server is hosting its weekly RPG Breakfast Club.

What is The RPG Breakfast Club? It's been likened to a convention panel, except that you can listen from the comfort of your own home. Heck, most sessions even take questions and comments at the end as they open up the voice chat for the listening audience.

Tomorrow the guests are:

@Mottokrosh (Mottokrosh Machinations)
@Rob Conley (Bat in the Attic)
@የሁዕዕረቿነ (Strange Gods)
@Todd (our host / Hexed Press)
@Andrew1879 (FASA Games)

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

News - Darwin Bromley, Co-Founder of Mayfair Games, Dies at 68

You can read the full article at Tabletop Wire.

Mayfair Games was big when I was in my teens and college years. Not only did they publish DC Heroes and Underground, but they also had the RoleAids series of releases. RoleAids were the only non-TSR era releases that I often considered as official and canon as the actual TSR releases.

Heck, they even won the lawsuit that TSR filed for trademark violations, although if memory serves, it almost drained Mayfair Games dry in the process.

Actually, didn't they also published Chill after Pacesetter folded?

Darwin P Bromley, attorney, game designer and co-founder of Mayfair Games, has passed away at 68. He is survived by his wife, Trella and their four children. Bromley was born in West Virginia, but moved to the Chicago area to attend school. He studied mathematics at Marshall University and obtained his law degree in 1975 from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He most recently lived in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Bromley founded Mayfair Game in 1981 with his brother Peter and other, and was company president from until 1997. Peter died in 2016 of a sudden illness. Darwin recently donated the brothers’ game collection to The Strong, National Museum of Play.

During Bromley’s tenure at Mayfair, the company published a range of role playing products including RoleAids, DC Heroes RPG, and Underground RPG. Mayfair won a lawsuit filed by TSR in 1993 for violations of an trademark agreement. 

Rest well. Day of death was the first of the year :(

OSR Christmas - Day 9 - The Gifts that Keep on Giving

I love OSR Christmas. It really is the gift giving celebration that keeps on giving.

As usual, we have some awesome gifts in the OSR Christmas mix.

1) 1 Print Copy of The Mystery at Port Greely, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian (US Only)

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - ships worldwide

4) 1 PDF Copy of The Hero's Journey (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) 1 PDF Copt of Heart of Darkness (White Star Adventure/ Middle Kingdoms Adventure & Trading Co.)

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Saturday, January 5th, 2019 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 3 more days of OSR Christmas running this month.

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. N/A this round of gifting

Note 2 - Anything shipping from me (Tenkar) won't be shipping until at least Monday. I've been running around everywhere it seems BUT the post office. Sigh.

(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 OSR Christmas Grab Bag:

• 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

Deal of the Day - The Sentinel Chapel (DragonQuest / The Fantasy Trip)

Todays Deal of the Day is The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest, with a conversion sheet for The Fantasy Trip and easily converted to most any fantasy RPG. Sure, I'm late with this post but I had a busy day ;)

A DragonQuest adventure for 3-6 adventurer-level characters. 

Late in the year, as the harvest season is closing, and towns and villages are preparing for the coming winter, word has reached the group that someone is looking for a small band of adventurers for a dangerous, but well-paying task. They are to travel into the Fealhoa Valley, a region that has been deadly dangerous for the past 30 years, when it became overrun with monsters and undead creatures. A village called Cambray, several days' travel into the Fealhoa Valley has been cut off, and no one has been in contact with that community for many years. 

The adventurers are to travel to the site of a chapel located about a day's travel from the town of Cambray and recover the silver letters on the family graves of a group of silversmiths who were originally from Cambray, and whose remaining family members now live in exile. 

Although this adventure has been designed and written for the DragonQuest role-playing game, it can be easily translated for use with other game systems. The GM will need to make the necessary interpolations beforehand in order to do this. 

For use with The Fantasy Trip (Melee, Wizard, In the Labyrinth), there is a free PDF conversion sheet that provides stats and descriptions for the adventure for use with that game system.

Regularly 4.95, The Sentinel Chapel is on sale for 2.97 until 11 AM tomorrow morning.

Yep, that's an affiliate link above. Help keep the beer cold and the lights on at The Tavern by using our affiliate links.

Reminder - Tavern Chat - 9 PM Eastern - First of 2019

Can you believe its the first Tavern Chat of 2019. We've been hosting Tavern Chat for a number of years now, but moving to Discord and voice chat has been huge!

Want to ask about what's coming up for all things Tavern? This is your chance.

Want the link? Here you go: https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

See you tonight at 9 PM Eastern :)

OSR Christmas - Day 8 - Awarding the Gifts

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

1) Far Away Lands - PDF Bundle (Simian Circle Games) -  Jeff Bernstein

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - miko

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - ships worldwide - Simon J. Hogwood

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

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

6) Print copies of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Fallen Justice - shipping anywhere in the world. (Gallant Knight Games) - Denis McCarthy


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 Nine of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow. Anything coming from me - that I need to ship - won't be shipping until at least January 2nd. More likely we are looking at Friday the 4th. Yes, OSR Christmas will be running deep into January ;)

(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)

New Release - Advanced Labyrinth Lord (Dragon Cover)

Labyrinth Lord was probably the first OSR ruleset that I stumbled across when I found the OSR. Well, first after Castles & Crusades, and certainly the first ruleset that had a free PDF available for it.

Now, I cut my teeth on AD&D, unlike much of my generation which was introduced to RPGs via the Basic set. Labyrinth Lord is a rewrite of Basic/Expert, so the aping of the original B/X fonts doesn't quite make me nostalgic, but I do appreciate the thought.

Advanced Labyrinth Lord takes the core LL book and seamlessly combines it with the Advanced Edition Companion into one book.

I'm not sure which cover I want for my print copy :)

Finally the basic and advanced game rules are in one volume! 

This book combines the material originally presented in the Labyrinth Lord core rules and in the Advanced Edition Companion. Play advanced and basic characters in the same group, or choose to play one or the other. 

Enter a world filled with labyrinths, magic, and monsters! Choose a basic race-class, advanced class, or even multiclass to combine the two! All of the basic and advanced options are within reach. 

Labyrinth Lord is the Rosetta Stone of old-school fantasy rules. 

It is easy to use basic and advanced game adventures from other publishers with these rules.  

In this book you will find...

• A complete guide to basic and advanced characters
• All core basic and advanced monsters
• Basic and advanced spells
• The full repertoire of basic and advanced magic items
• Optional rules to make your game even more advanced

There is an affiliate link above. Keep The Tavern warm and the beers cold by using our affiliate links. 

Indiegogo - Menace in Ravenreach - Frog God Games (Swords & Wizardry, Pathfinder & 5e)

I've really been enjoying the recent Frog God Games releases on Indiegogo. Sall and relatively inexpensive compared to the larger, hardcover releases. Menace in Ravenreach looks to be another solid release.

When the group of adventurers arrived in the outpost town of Ravenreach they headed directly to the local tavern. As was usual, it took under the hour until fists started flying, glassware shattering and furniture flying. The fighting ended, just as the last of the locals melted away.  

Their incarceration made the wanderers the ideal candidates for an unusual errand. The Master Minder, the court wizard, requires the capture of a local troll  – alive – for his studies.  Without hesitation they accepted the task and into the wilds they went.
Not exactly start to a Saga of old, but the days are young as they slip into the dark woods.

What to Expect:

Menace in Ravenreach by James Thomas- available in Fifth Edition, Pathfinder or Swords & Wizardry versions, is an adventure for mid-level characters. We expect this will be the only only time we offer the premium softcover version for sale.

Within its covers (or the digital PDF file) you will find:

• New creatures and new magic items.
• A swift and dangerous journey requested by a powerful NPC.
• NPCs which are both allies and antagonists.
• An adventure found while visiting a far away outpost, ruled by the illegitimate son of nobility that has its share of intrigue.
• The first portion of a two part adventure release, both this title and the sequel are completed. The second part is scheduled for a second indiegogo project in Q1 of 2019.
• Full-Color Map by Robert Altbauer.

 Menace in Ravenreach is 17 bucks plus shipping for the Print plus PDF and is available in Swords & Wizardry, Pathfinder and 5e flavors. 6 bucks for the PDF. Did I mention it launched a few hours ago and is already hitting stretch goals.

OSR Christmas - Day 8 - Santa is Working Overtime ;) (Includes Physical Copies Shipping Worldwide)

This post should have been up last night, but I was falling asleep in front of the TV by 8 PM and was lights out, in bed, by 930. I must be fighting something, as I didn't get up 'till after 8 am. Talk about sleep (and I even napped for 90 minutes this afternoon - no "old man" jokes please) ;)

As usual, we have some awesome gifts in the OSR Christmas mix. Note, some print gifts WILL NOT ship outside the states, but today that is NOT an issue. :)

1) Far Away Lands - PDF Bundle (Simian Circle Games)

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - ships worldwide

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) Print copies of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Fallen Justice - shipping anywhere in the world. (Gallant Knight Games)

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Tuesday, January 1st, 2019 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 running into January.

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. N/A this round of gifting

Note 2 - Anything shipping from me (Tenkar) won't be shipping until later this week.

(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.

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

RPG Breakfast Club - Live at 10 AM Eastern on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server - In Less than 30 Minutes

Sunday mornings are RPG Breakfast Club mornings on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.

What is the RPG Breakfast Club? It's like a Convention Panel that you can attend in the privacy of your own home. Different topics and rotating speakers each week.

This morning your hosts are:

Badmike (Frog God Games)
Elizabeth Stewart (Save or Die, Save for Half, Victorious)
Greg Gillespie (Barrowmaze, Forbidden Caverns of Archaia)
Jim Wampler (Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, Marvin the Mage)
and maybe a few others.

My God, that's an all-star lineup!

Here's your link for this morning's show:

https://discord.gg/rXeRaV

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

I hate having to write Wayward Kickstarter posts, because it means a Kickstarter I likely backed and shared, has reached a point where it is possible it won't fulfill. Today, that Wayward Kickstarter post is about Yarr! The Pirate ArrPG Hardcover : Make 100 Edition.

I backed for $25

Its 15 months late. The last update, back in September was mostly to pimp a friend's Kickstarter. The relevant part of the update is here:

Here are my concerns:

• It was due in September of 2017 and was merely an update and rewrite of an existing Yarr! RPG. Such shouldn't have a 15-month delay. (Quote from the KS page - I'm feeling inspired by the Make100 initiative to revisit and improve Yarr! THE Rules Light Pirate RPG in a special collector's edition. This hardcover printing will be about 6x9 inches and around 96 pages, collecting and improving all existing Yarr! products to date, possibly with input from me fellow Sea dogs!
• Offers by the community to edit and assist with layout have gone unanswered.)
• Lack of updates is vexing. Truly. Its almost like he is willfully ignoring the community that backed this project.
• Bill is having "legal issues". This leads to me worrying about the funds being available to print. Because "money" is the first victim of "legal issues."
• A year ago - December 28th, 2017, Bill apologized for offering a litany of excuses for why the project was late. It's been a year and the excuses are just getting longer.

Do I expect it to fulfill? God only knows...

How many have asked me to cover Yarr! and it's waywardness? Many.

edit - added link :)

OSR Christmas - Day Seven - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day Seven of OSR Christmas. Let's see who gets what today: 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) ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person - ViP

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - ButtMonkey

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - The Malum

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

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

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 Seven of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow. It's a busy time of year and I am behind on emails again. Anything coming from me - that I need to ship - won't be shipping until at least January 2nd. Yes, OSR Christmas will be running WAY past the 25th :)

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)

State of The Tavern - Massive Email Catch Up - OSR Christmas - Oh My!

I really fell behind on emails before the Christmas weekend. They should all be caught up for OSR Christmas through day Five. Day Six gifts will be awarded tomorrow. Day Seven will go up afterward.

Remember, "OSR Christmas Gift" needs to be in the subject of the email. A few did not do so, and I think I caught them all, but there are no guarantees ;) You can re-email if you think I missed you.

Anything shipping from me should go out January 2nd, 2019.

I appreciate all of the kind words and ask forgiveness for the lag in responding to and forwarding emails.

Alright, I need to get some sleep :)

Kickstarter - Deck of Wonder: After Dark - 100 NSFW Random Spell Effects

Its been a bit since I've simply searched Kickstarter for interesting projects. This afternoon, that's exactly what I did :)

The Deck of Wonder: After Dark - 100 NSFW Random Spell Effects Kickstarter is an interesting beast. You can grab a blank deck of 50 cards to create your own deck - but that could be done just as easily with index cards or simply typing out a table, and that would save you the 10 bucks plus shipping. Then there is the original Deck of Wonder. I didn't catch it when it was a Kickstarter, but you can grab it for 20 bucks.

No, what I think is a more interesting option is the deck of 100 Not Safe for Work cards for 20 bucks. This will be where this project hits or misses. Somehow, with the groups I've played with,  I suspect this would be a hit ;)

For use with Pathfinder and 5e, but I suspect it would work well with any OSR game.

Eight days left to fund and

I'd rule these cards can be the only ones at the table if they were in use, but that's just me.

Eight days left to fund.

They've hit a few stretch goals too. I prefer it when my games don't take themselves too seriously...

Reminder - Tavern Chat - 9 PM Eastern - Live RPG Voice Chat on The Tavern's Discord Server

Yep, today is a Wednesday and that means at 9 PM we're going to be having our weekly Tavern Chat.

What the topics will be is anyone's guess, but there has been some OSR drama over the last week or so that might come up in the discussion.

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

See you all tonight!

Humble RPG Book Bundle: 5th Edition Fantasy – Dragons, Dungeons, Maps & More

The Frogs and their friends are at it again, this time with a 5e bundle (which can easily be converted on the fly to the OSR system of your choice)

Presenting the Humble RPG Book Bundle: 5th Edition Fantasy – Dragons, Dungeons, Maps & More

Let's see what we have, shall we?

One buck gets you the following:

If you spend 8 bucks or more, you get the 1 buck level AND the following:

I think 15 bucks is the sweet spot. Heck, the Rappan Athuk digital maps is literally a new release and is 25 bucks on the Frog God webstore.

All sales of the Humble RPG Book Bundle: 5TH Edition Fantasy – Dragons, Dungeons, Maps & More via The Tavern's affiliate links put a portion of the proceeds into The Tavern's coffers as well as Hospice of the Northwest.

OSR Christmas - Day Seven - Let There Be Frigging Frogs! (HUGE Swords & Wizardry Bundle)

Alright. Today is Christmas and I'm running ragged. Still, OSR Christmas MUST continue!

Today, there are a limited number of gifts in the mix, but what there is, is simply awesome.

1) ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person - this is huge and will make Bad Mike miserable. Merry Froggin Christmas!

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 Sentinel Chapel (DQ / System Neutral)

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Thursday, December 27th, 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 running into January.

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 (Tenkar) won't be shipping until after Christmas

Note 3 - I've fallen behind on emails again. Holidays suck for emails. I'm working on it.

(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:

Christmas Eve at The Tavern - My Niece Admits She's only Read a Half Page of SWL

So, Christmas Eve is spent at my sister's - we do the gift exchange, have dinner and all the regular holiday stuff in preparation for Rach and me hosting Christmas (and driving out to Connecticut Christmas morning for breakfast and gift exchange - its a busy couple of days NOT including picking my son up from the airport at 6 PM)

In any case, I recorded an episode of the Tavern Chat Podcast with my niece after dinner. I asked her about Swords & Wizardry Light - the game she told me at the time of release 2 years ago that I wrote it so I could teach her to read and she could play D&D.

Well, here we are, two years later and the girl is reading like she was born to it. She takes after her uncle in that regard. So, how much of the four pages of SWL has she read?

Half a page.

Sigh. But she's excited to play in 2019. She just has to find her copy of the rules again...

Merry Christmas everyone :)

OSR Christmas - Day Six - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day Six of OSR Christmas. Let's see who gets what today: 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 Dragon Heresy in Print from Gaming Ballistic (US Only) - dogrodeo

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - Avram Shannon

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore -  Michael Gross

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

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

6) 1 PDF Copy of The Sentinel Chapel (DQ / System Neutral) - 賈尼

7) Undying Orb in Print from Silver Bullett (US Only) -  Frank Turfler

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 Six of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow. It's a busy time of year and I am behind on emails again. Anything coming from me - that I need to ship - won't be shipping until after Christmas. Yes, OSR Christmas will be running WAY past the 25th :)

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 - I am behind on emails. There, I've said it. The holiday weekend is busy. I'll see if I can address some before bed...

(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)

Happy Holidays from the Sanctum Secorum - Escape From Yule Mountain! (PWYW - DCC)

I was asked to add my bandwidth and I happily do so:

From the twisted mind of David Baity comes Escape from Yule Mountain! Pay what you want – we will give all the money raised from sales of the adventure to David Baity’s favorite charity, Feline Lifeline.

There's an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the beer cold and the light's on at The Tavern. Affiliate links do not reduce the publisher's share of monies paid per sale. 

Far West - Coming in 2019 - Maybe?

I know. I know. There are a handful of "Leave Garth Alone!" folks out there in the wilds. "Just let the man work in peace!" Sorry, fuck that noise. This shit was due back in December of 2011.

Now, here I sit, seven years later and 150 bucks poorer, and guess what?

Gareth is, if nothing else, consistent in his lateness and excuses.

RPGNow Deal of the Day - The Spire - System Neutral Setting/Dungeon

Today's Deal of the Day at RPGNow is The Spire, a system neutral setting book from Simon Forster. The Spire clocks in at 168 pages and is priced at 6.64 (normally 12.66)

The Spire. A towering edifice a mile high and nearly a third wide at its base. This conical spike pierces the fertile soil of a small valley, standing before a narrow pass that cuts through the Perilous Mountains. From a distance the Spire is as black as night, but upon close inspection it is made of dark volcanic glass, seamless. Openings lead inside, to dark levels that rise high, stretching from its Roots and the obsidian tunnels that criss- cross underground, to an interior garden and woodland. Higher still are levels where water is collected from rainfall, feeding a waterfall that waters the woods inside; excess rainfall cascades down the sides of the Spire, pooling around its base to form a small lake and a river that flows down through a gully below.
The Spire is a system-neutral setting/dungeon and settlement set in and around a cone of obsidian that holds dungeon levels reaching up into the sky. This 168-page PDF/book contains an overview of the setting, details of the town and key buildings, details of the Spire itself and the thirteen levels that make up its structure, and notes on factions within the dungeon and town. 

Most locations are on two-page spreads, one page holding the map, the other the map text. Some go over several pages, usually 'tables' of loot, information, interesting characters. 

Sections

• Contents
• Introduction
• Shadow-Under-Spire
• Church of the Aspirants
• Church of Consumption
• Church of the Bold
• The Black Oak
• Guildhall
• Pilgrim's Rest
• All-Seeing Eye
• The Offal Pit
• Dead Man's Rise
• Gloaming Forest
• Factions
• Index

Spire Levels

• Roots
• Common Crypts
• Aspirants Crypts
• Haunted Dormitories
• Infested Workshops
• The Gardens
• The Iridescent Falls
• The Rain Gods
• Purgatory
• Chambers of the Maestro
• The Wind Watchers
• The God in Amber

Affiliate links keep the taps flowing and the lights on at The Tavern. I thank you in advance :)