Kickstarter - Old-School Essentials (B/X)

"A modular adventure game in the tradition of the beloved 1980s role-playing rules. 100% old-school rules, 100% modern design."

If you read The Tavern, I'm sure you've come into contact with the B/X Essentials ruleset. At the very least, you've heard of it. It has been called the best presentation of the Basic / Expert rules, and that says a lot. Well, Old-School Essentials is a rebranding of B/X Essentials and then some. Let's see what you get with the Old-School Essentials Kickstarter:

Old-School Essentials is an adventure role-playing game of exploration, danger, monsters, and magic. The game is intentionally rules-light, putting the focus of play on imagination, improvisation, and fun. The rules are optimised for ease of use at the table, with meticulous attention to wording and layout clarity. What's more, Old-School Essentials is 100% compatible with the classic Basic/Expert game from 1981, meaning that decades of adventure are at your fingertips!

Old-School Essentials comes in two forms: a chunky tome and a modular boxed set. The content is identical. Choose one or both, depending on your preferred format! 

The Old-School Essentials Black Box: A game box containing five deluxe, sewn-binding, A5 (Digest sized), hardcover rule books presenting the complete rules of the game and everything you need to run games in the classic fantasy genre. 

The Old-School Essentials Rules Tome: A deluxe all-in-one, sewn-binding, A5 (Digest sized), hardcover tome containing the complete rules of the game and everything you need to run games in the classic fantasy genre.

Free Basic Rules PDF: To whet your appetite for this game, you can download a free PDF, featuring the basic rules for creating characters, adventuring in dungeons, combat, magic, and spells. Includes the complete rules for four classic fantasy character classes: the cleric, fighter, magic-user, and thief.

Compatibility: Old-School Essentials is a 100% accurate restatement of the original Basic/Expert rules (B/X), with nothing added, changed, or removed. All material written for the B/X rules over the last 38 years can be used with Old-School Essentials, without any conversion effort whatsoever! 

Refinement: The original Basic/Expert rules form a wondrously solid rules set, but they are not without areas of confusion and contradiction. All known omissions, contradictions, and areas of confusion have been carefully ironed out in Old-School Essentials.

There's a lot more info on the Kickstarter page. I suggest you read it. If you are an old school gamer or are at all interested in old school gaming, this is pretty much a no brainer ;)

Old-School Essentials had a goal of just under $17k USD (it's listed in Euros). With 27 days to go as I write this, it sits at a hair under $58k USD and is knocking down stretch goals like a 10th level fighter swatting down goblins - at least under AD&D 1e rules ;)

11 bucks for the PDFs (17 if you want bother versions). Rules Tome in print is 28 bucks. Black Box with 5 individual books (this is The Tome broken down to shorter books) is 57 bucks. 79 for both versions of physical and PDF books. Damn it! I think I'm in for 79...

Donation Link for James Smith Funeral Expenses

https://www.paypal.me/jamessmithmemory

https://dreamsofmythicfantasy.blogspot.com/2019/04/from-james-family-funeral-expenses.html

Kickstarter - The Folio #22 (1E/5E D&D Adventure)

I've been following The Folio releases since the first issue and have been pleased with the consistent quality of the releases. I expect the same high quality with The Folio #22.

What is included in Folio #22?  This module will provide the adventurers with access to Level 3 of the Kasbah Dungeon as well as a new monster that even threatens the existence of the Infernal Machine.  Dungeon details include 2D standard 'blue' hex maps as well as fully 3D renderings of  Level 3.  It also features a fully removable stand-alone cover that can act as a DM screen.      

Who is this adventure for? It will be based around classic AD&D gaming mechanics, while also have 'grey' stat and treasure blocks for 5th Edition D&D,  so it is easily playable in BOTH formats.  It has been designed for  6-8 characters, roughly levels 11 thru 13, and will include a Virtual Table Top map without secret doors, traps, and numbers. (this is spot on!)

The Folio has released consistently on time and I see no reason why that trend should end.

10 bucks for the PDF, 18 for the Print plus PDF.

GoFundMe - Gary Con Attendee in Need of New Kidney

As gamers, we are part of a larger community. A community that supports and encourages its members. Today, one of our members needs our support.

Dakota was brought to my attention by a gamer / police officer that I know from attending Gary Con: 

This young lady has been attending GaryCon since she was a kid, but hadn’t shared much of her medical problems with gamers until this year. She unloaded on me and my crew and we were afflicted with the Do Something disease that can still seize even the most bitter paladins… Having 3 coppers there, we were determined to blast this out to cops and gamers.

The Tavern will match the first $250 raised by members of The Tavern's Community. Just make a comment below and let me know how much you gave. Please don't stop giving when the $250 is matched. Please DO share this far and wide. Thank you - Tenkar

From Dakota's GoFundMe Page:

Dakota Alvarado-Ortiz teaches before- and after-school programs for K-5 students in Green Bay, WI. She is a sharp, energetic, outgoing young woman who enjoys dancing, modeling, and fantasy gaming. Most importantly, Dakota is the devoted mother of a 2-year old daughter, Scarlett.

Since the age of 6, Dakota has suffered from chronic hydronephrosis: her kidneys fill with fluid, become infected, and ultimately lose function. Hydronephrosis is usually a symptom of another problem, typically a blockage – but in Dakota's case, her doctors have yet to determine the cause. She has endured dozens of surgeries and learned to live with near-constant pain.

Dakota's right kidney had to be removed two years ago; her left one was recently assessed at 20% function and diminishing gradually. When it falls below 15%, she will need to be on continual dialysis. To have a good chance at a healthy, normal life, Dakota is badly in need of a kidney transplant – and there have been obstacles to this.

Because Dakota has a rare blood type, there are no eligible donors among her family and friends. The hospitals that could perform the transplant have not placed her on their kidney lists because the cause of her hydronephrosis is not known, and patients with more certain odds of success are given priority. She has been told that when the function of her remaining kidney drops below 15%, becoming imminently life-threatening, she will have a greater chance of being placed on the list – but has not been guaranteed a spot. IF placed on the list, she would wait on permanent dialysis, with an undetermined number of patients ahead of her. She would not be able to work and would have difficulty supporting her daughter.

There is a much more promising option for Dakota, however: two hospitals would place her at #3 on their kidney list at a cost of $100,000. This figure is not merely a donation to their institutions; it also covers, in advance, all medical costs of the transplant for both Dakota and the kidney donor. A properly functioning kidney would set up Dakota (and Scarlett) for an immeasurably brighter future.

Dakota's family does not possess the financial means to meet this daunting amount, and we are hoping to do so with this fundraiser. Even if we fall short, the funds raised will be an enormous help; Dakota's medical insurance is less than optimal, and she is slowly paying off substantial out-of-pocket costs from prior procedures and emergency medical services. An amount less than needed for placement on the kidney list could alternately enable Dakota to wipe out her existing medical debt, with the remainder placed in her kidney savings account toward her future transplant.

Thank you for your consideration.

James Smith (Dreams of Mythic Fantasy) has Passed

I just read about the passing of James Smith on Facebook and confirmed it by going to his blog -https://dreamsofmythicfantasy.blogspot.com/

I don't know what to say. James ran one of, if not THE best, news sites in our corner of gaming. His return to Dreams of Mythic Fantasy was exciting for me and I backed his Patreon the moment I heard about it.

His was a calm, encouraging voice amidst the usual noise and it will be sorely missed.

You can leave condolences at: https://www.forevermissed.com/james-albert-smith-jr/#about

I'm not too proud to admit to my tears at the moment. Rest well, my friend.

New Irregular Feature at The Tavern - Tenkar's Terrible Theurgy

This weekend I plan to kick off a series of Tenkar's Terrible Theurgy posts. New spells, magic items, weapons, armor, constructs, creatures, classes - if it is magical in nature, it fits the bill.

The posts will be written for use in Swords & Wizardry Complete, so compatibility with other OSR rulesets should be spot on. They will be released under the OGL.

For example, here is the Elementalist Class I wrote for SWCL back in 2017:

The Elementalist Class for Swords & Wizardry Light

Art by Brett Neufeld

"Some secrets aren't learned in books but are passed down by oral tradition. Such is the path you have chosen. The mysteries of the elements will be yours to control if you complete your trials. If you fail, mother earth will take you into her embrace. And so it begins..."

Elementalist Class for Swords & Wizardry Light

Elementalists get both spell like abilities and an elemental that can do their bidding.

Level   HD   Save   BhB  Adventures needed for Next Level
1           1        15       0       3
2           2        14       0       +4
3           2+1    13       0       +5
4           3        12      +1     +6
5           3+1    11      +1      +7
6           4        10      +2     +8
7           5          9      +2     xx

Elementalists have + 2 to Saves against fire and air bourn poisons. They can use daggers and staves, much like a magic-user.

They get the following abilities at each level:

Level 1: Summon Elemental (described below) Once per Day
Level 2: Gust of Wind - Can summon wind that can disperse papers, fan flames and knock over small (1/2 pound or less) objects Once per Day
Level 3: Breath Water as Air - Once per Day for 1 hr per level
Level 4: Dagger of Fire: Once per Day can summon a Magical Flaming Dagger. Only the Elementalist can wield it. It lasts for 1 round per level (throwing the dagger dispels it early). The Dagger is +1 to hit per level of the Elementalist and does 1d6+3 damage.
Level 5: Ball of Mud - Once per Day as the 2nd level Magic-User Web Spell, but this is made of mud.
Level 6: Fly - Once per Day as Magic-User Spell
Level 7: Fireball - Once per Day as Magic-User Spell

Summon Elemental

The greatest gift (and most dangerous, to the Elementalist as well as his adversaries) is the elemental they can summon.

The AC for a 1 HD elemental is 9[10] and improves by 1 point per HD to 3[16] at 7 HD.

Damage is 1d6, improving to 1d6+2 at level 4 and 2d6 at level 7.

The HD of the summoned elemental can be as many as the Elementalist has levels, but less HD then the max may be chosen. Only one elemental can be summoned each day and the death of an elemental causes damage to the Elementalist equal in HP to the HD of the elemental. Example: The destruction of a 4 HD Elemental causes 4 HP of damage to the Elementalist. Elementalists often dismiss injured elementals early to avoid this danger.

Elemental

AC 9 to 3

HD 1 to 7

Damage 1d6 to 2d6

OGL

Kickstarter - Ultimate Bestiary: The Dreaded Accursed for 5th Edition!

"Over 130 new horrific monsters to add to your 5th Edition game! More details, more options, more variations, more fun!"

I love me some monster books and undead monster books generally "take it to eleven" for me. (forgive the Spinal Tap reference)

Ultimate Bestiary: The Dreaded Accursed for 5th Edition! looks to be my cup of tea, even if it is for 5e ;) Seriously, great art and concept from a publisher that has delivered solid 5e releases in the past.

Ultimate Bestiary: The Dreaded Accursed is not another A-Z of monsters. Instead, following on from its predecessor Ultimate Bestiary: Revenge of the Horde, we have focused on some of the commonly encountered undead and accursed monsters like ghosts, ghouls, liches, lycanthropes, and vampires, detailing their origins, environments, and attitudes, as well as introducing a wide variety of stat blocks to suit a range of challenge levels, with a huge variety of unique artwork.

Then its little pieces like the following that truly stand out to me:

Please make sure tankards are washed PROMPTLY and THOROUGHLY. Arteus is clearly upset by mess and clutter and I don’t want to spend another day cleaning up the common-room and scrubbing blood out of the walls. YES, it is hypocritical that he wrecks the place when he’s upset. NO, there is no value in trying to point that out to him.  

-Note posted behind the bar in The Famous Spirit taproom

20 bucks for the PDF. 40 bucks for the hardcover. If I only ran 5e...  ;P

Introducing the Tenkar's Tavern One Shot Roleplaying Group on Facebook

So, James Spahn approached me and said something to the effect of: "You know what we are missing as a community? A place to organize and find "One Shot" RPG sessions." And James was right.

One-shots are great when you simply want to grab a group of players and game. Or if you are looking for players to playtest an adventure. Or you want run G1 and your home group is nowhere near the levels needed. Or simply just because.

Jame suggested a Facebook Group. I told him he should do it, and he has. Right now we are simply growing the group's numbers. In a couple of weeks, I'll be recruiting for a one shot RPG session from the group. I expect others will too.

Want to get in now? Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2317672128253902/

Join us. It should be a blast :)

Reddit - TheOSR - New Reddit Page / Community / Thread?

I'm not a huge user of Reddit. That being said, with the death of G-Plus, the refugees of the various OSR communities have been exploring Reddit as a replacement option.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheOSR/ is a recent addition to the OSR scene on Reddit. Surprisingly, it is very heavy on sharing various posts from The Tavern (not shared by me). It needs more sharing from the OSR at large to be viable, so if you have links to share or conversations you might want to have, give it a peek.

FYI - the original OSR Reddit community has over 5k subscribers: https://www.reddit.com/r/osr/

Kickstarter - Maximum HP - RPG Zine Issue 001 (OSR / 1e)

I do love zines. They bring me back to my college days, when one could go to game stores like The Complete Strategist and find a score or more different RPG magazine, professional and self-published, on the magazine rack. Of course, I never had enough cash to buy . all the ones that I wanted, but they gave an amazing bang for the buck in any case.

Maximum HP is a zine I would have purchased back in the day and I am backing it today.

Seriously. A 1e zine and the first issue is dwarven themed? How can I not? heh

In our inaugural issue, we explore the dwarven community of Dwarfhome mountain in Artera. We chose to focus on dwarves this issue because there are so many possible directions to go with them rather than presenting them as just dour short people with Scottish accents. Though we focus on Dwarfhome, the information and quest provided can be inserted into any dwarven society to bring life to your old school campaigns.
From here we catalyze your creativity with our world of imagination, ideas, and quests. 

So, grab your dice good adventurer, grab your books good GMs, and get ready for Maximum HP!! 

Welcome to Artera, welcome to Fail Squad Games! 

Each issue is 5.5″ x 8.5″ (Booklet size) paperback with a card stock gloss color cover and Black & White interior. We are at 31-32 pages of content before ads this issue. Expect the contents to be gritty for your Advanced RPG game but the zine to be polished for smooth play. 

This first introductory issue will be perfect bound and printed on high quality paper with a full color card stock cover. It hardly qualifies as a 'zine, but we want our milestone issues to be special. 

PDF is 3 bucks. Print is 6 bucks. Print plus PDF is 9 bucks. 4 bucks for shipping in the US.

I'm in for 30 myself - taking out a quarter page ad ;)

Kickstarter - Creeping Cold - a 5E adventure that promises chills and excitement!

I know I've mentioned Silver Bulette before. Ian and Rocky are two old school gamers that have dipped their toes into Kickstarter with a 5e release called Creeping Cold. What's that you say? No OSR version of the adventure? Well, if it hits the $3500 stretch goal (its currently sitting at over $2500) there will be a free Swords & Wizardry version of the PDF included for every backer at the $10 level or higher. Good stuff!

What makes this extra special is it's written and ready to go to the printer once they receive the funds from Kickstarter:

Creeping Cold is 30+ pages:

• An overview and introduction
• Optional cold rules
• 4 pages of NPCs, including a quick-reference chart
• Timeline of events
• Maps of the caravansarai (2 interior and 1 exterior) and a dungeon
• Pages of adventure and intrigue
• Pages of new monsters and spells
• 4 player handouts

We are ready to print and prepared to ship. The module has color as well as black and white player handouts (and maps) for ease of the DM's printer. Once Silver Bulette has the funding in hand, we intend to be at the printer within 10 days.

Yep, that's still a Kickstarter rarity these days.

10 bucks for the PDF, 25 for the Print plus PDF. I think I'm jumping in for the print version myself.

Quick note - I know Ian and Rocky. We've gamed together at cons and they participate in the weekly Wednesday Night Tavern Chats on the Tavern's Discord Server. Heck, we've shared meals together. I've watched them set their bar higher and higher with each release and I'm looking forward to holding Creeping Cold in my own hands. 

Bundle of Holding - Stars Without Number x 2

Stars Without Number is probably the best-known D20 based sci-fi ruleset published, even more so than White Star. While WS builds off of the "Original White Box" / S&W White Box for its engine, SWN is something a bit different.

I've run SWN and it plays very smoothly. It is built for sandbox style play with rules and tables that solidly support such.

If you want, you can check out the Stars Without Number Revised rules for free. (link)

There are two Stars Without Number offerings currently on Bundle of Holding:

For just US$8.95 you get all three titles in this offer's Stars Without Number Revised Starter Collection (retail value $45) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks:

• Stars Without Number Revised Deluxe Edition: The premium full-color 324-page rulebook with 80 pages of bonus content covering transhuman tech, true AIs, mechs, society creation, and even Space Magic.
• Other Dust: Kevin Crawford's 208-page post-apocalypse sandbox RPG completely compatible with Stars Without Number. Includes the freebies Grandfather's Rain, Cult of the Wraith, and Cult of the Still Lady. (Previously offered in the original October 2013 SWN Classic collection.)
• SWN Revised GM Screen: A portrait screen with eight pages of useful reference charts.

And if you pay more than this offer's threshold price of $17.12, you'll level up and also get this offer's entire Bonus Collection with four more sourcebooks worth an additional $35, including Starvation Cheap (wars and mercenaries), Dead Names (ancient civilizations), Sixteen Stars (popular sf settings), and Polychrome (cyberpunk).

There is also:

For just US$7.95 you get all three titles in this offer's Stars Without Number Classic Starter Collection (retail value $35) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks:

• Stars Without Number Classic: The complete original 253-page First Edition rulebook (2011).
• Skyward Steel: Join the Thousand Lights of the Stellar Navy and embrace both the duties and the terrible freedom of a naval campaign.
• Hard Light: The first SWN adventure setting. In the radioactive glare of a red giant star, explore the hard-bitten mining outpost of Brightside and ancient asteroid Sky Tombs.

And if you pay more than this offer's threshold price of $17.15, you'll level up and also get this offer's entire Bonus Collection with four more titles worth an additional $34:

• Suns of Gold: Merchant campaigns and far-flung trade, including trade world tags and guidelines for building your own colony worlds and merchant empires.
• Engines of Babylon: Create vehicles and low-tech system spaceships for your SWN campaign. This equipment book debuted in this offer's July 2014 revival.
• Relics of the Lost: A sourcebook of long-dead technology from the Second Wave of human colonization. This supplement debuted in this offer's original October 2013 run.
• Darkness Visible: Spacefaring espionage campaigns of classified perils, nameless heroes, and secret glory. 

Burning Down the House - of Gygax (Gail is on a Facebook Meltdown / Sympathy Tour)

There has been a trickle of Facebook postings by Gail Gygax recently (my God but they have accelerated today) that are verging on libel regarding Tom DeSanto and Luke Gygax (as well as some inaccuracies with me). Nearly every post is Gail railing on the two above, accusing them of suing her in an attempt to take Gary's IP and her house. If you are on Facebook and haven't seen this mess yet, send Gail a friend request - she's been adding Facebook friends like they are going out of style the last few weeks.

I'm not going to post any her postings here - all I have is screenshots and they don't read well in a blog post, but I AM going to share a piece from Gail's Kotaku article which I fund VERY relevant:

Two years after Gygax and DeSanto struck a deal, DeSanto was suing for breach of contract. DeSanto says he spent “thousands of hours” and “substantial sums of money” trying to develop the Gygax IP. Speaking through his lawyer, DeSanto did not elaborate on what exactly he was working on outside of sorting through what Gail does and does not own of Gary’s estate, although the complaint mentions a biopic. Over email, DeSanto’s lawyer sent the following statement to Kotaku. 

“My client was left no choice but to file a lawsuit seeking to enforce the rights promised him in the Gygax IP. Tom has developed and produced some of the biggest franchises in movie history, and he is clearly in the best position of anyone to develop and exploit the very rich library of material left behind by Gary Gygax. That is very reason why Ms. Gygax entrusted it to Tom. We are more than certain in our legal position and, in the end, everyone stands to benefit from enforcement of the agreement, including and especially Gail Gygax and her family.” 

What triggered the lawsuit appears relatively benign at first, just another balloon in the parade of lawsuits that Gary’s legacy has drawn. It was a deal that Gail had made, along with her son Alex and archivist Paul Stormberg, to produce a video game based on Gary’s Castle Greyhawk, later named Zagyg, with a company called Fig, which runs a crowdfunding platform for indie games. DeSanto, who was not involved, said this was part of an effort to “freeze” him out. In a response to DeSanto’s lawsuit, Gail contested that she and DeSanto had ever entered into a partnership and, on top of that, contests that their contract gave DeSanto rights to Gary’s “entire library.” Further, she says, DeSanto made up her entire Variety quote. 

It’s unclear whether Gail meant to give DeSanto the full rights to control what happens to her late husband’s creations and name. Should DeSanto prevail in court, it would add to the heaviness of the legend story Gail carries on her shoulders—one more stone of animosity and betrayal to weigh her down, one more piece of evidence that “they” are out for Castle Greyhawk, the Gygax name, and the great Gary Gygax mythos. This is the tidy tale, the one that makes sense in the the linear storyline of victimhood.
DeSanto’s lawsuit could have even larger implications for Gail, ones that don’t fit in that linear storyline. Beneath its allegations of breach of contract and fiduciary duty, DeSanto’s suit claims that Gail does not, in fact, own the rights to Gary’s legacy as freely and clearly as she claims. 

In May 2017, DeSanto’s suit reads, he learned that Gary Gygax had a second will. He wrote it shortly before his death. That will, according to the complaint, merely gives Gail a life estate to some of Gary’s IP—the parts his children couldn’t claim. That would mean that, when Gail dies, DeSanto would no longer have the rights to develop Gygax properties, making their contract worthless. 

Gail agrees that this will exists, but denies that it is valid. She says it was not signed correctly, adding nobody had ever contacted her about the will’s validity before DeSanto.

Read those last two paragraphs again. It means that Gary changed his will - changed his mind about the long term inheritance of his legacy.  Gail knows that. She admits the will exists that would supersede the one she claims all rights via. She knows her late husband's intents towards his children - to, in the end, let them inherit his IP. Yet Gail claims a technicality in her attempt for full rights, beyond death, that wasn't Gary's intent.

I wonder if DeSanto's lawsuit has brought up feelings of guilt for Gail.

In any case, she needs help. More significant help than the community can provide. One that only family can provide. I hope she takes the help I am sure is being offered, sooner than later.

 

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 pm Easter - Suspect Some Gygaxian Tale Tales will be on the Agenda

I am being bombarded with screenshots of recent postings by Gail Gygax's Facebook account, which appears to be a bit in the realm of revisionist history. I expect that will one of many topics tonight during the live Tavern Chat hangout at 9 pm Eastern.

Tavern Chat is held weekly on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server, each Wednesday night.

Talk, listen, ask questions, chew the fat. It's all good. You never know who may turn up :)

https://discord.gg/PqSkRc3

News - John Wick Joins Chaosium - Chaosium to fulfill 7th Sea Second Edition and 7th Sea Khitai Kickstarters

Received this in today's email and felt it was newsworthy. A company almost killed off by successful Kickstarters acquires one of the most successful RPG Kickstarters. Interesting times.


Chaosium, publishers of the award-winning tabletop roleplaying games Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and King Arthur Pendragon, has acquired John Wick’s acclaimed 7th Sea RPG, it was announced today.

7th Sea is John’s Wick’s swashbuckling and sorcery roleplaying game set in the fictional world of Théah. The second edition of 7th Sea was crowdfunded by John Wick’s own company, John Wick Presents in 2016, setting a then-record on Kickstarter for a tabletop RPG, raising over $1.3 million dollars.

John Wick himself will be joining Chaosium as creative director for 7th Sea. He will continue to have creative oversight of his game, and will remain a principal author of 7th Sea material going forward. Beyond that, John Wick will also write for other Chaosium game lines, for which he has great affection.

“John is an extraordinarily talented designer and highly regarded figure in the world of tabletop rpgs. We are delighted to have him join our team”, said Chaosium President Rick Meints.

Following the death of Chaosium founder Greg Stafford in November last year, John’s memorial piece about Greg's titanic influence on the landscape of tabletop games was shared and quoted widely (The Gray Crane).

John Wick said,"My first RPG was a Chaosium game. My second RPG was a Chaosium game. My third RPG was a Chaosium game. Saying 'I'm excited to be joining the Chaosium team' just doesn't do it. I've respected and admired the company for over thirty years. I'm joining the same company who started me on this journey and I couldn't be prouder."

Upon acquiring this new game line, Chaosium’s paramount objective for 7th Sea is the fulfillment of the outstanding rewards from the 7th Sea Second Edition and 7th Sea Khitai Kickstarters. Coinciding with this announcement, John Wick has updated all Kickstarter backers with the new arrangements, which will see Chaosium overseeing the remaining fulfillment of the campaigns.

Overcoming weeks, 7th Sea products and content will begin to be migrated to Chaosium.com and Chaosium’s page at DriveThruRPG. A 7th Sea discussion board will also be set up at BRP Central, Chaosium’s forums.

You Got Your Fantasy Trip in My Lost Lands - Announcement From Steve Jackson Games and Frog God Games

No foolin' either! When I had lunch with Phil Reed from SJG a month or so ago, I mentioned that there were many backers of The World of the Lost Lands Kickstarter that were posting in the comments that they planned to use the Lost Lands with The Fantasy Trip rules (The Fantasy Trip was a large part of the lunch conversation and I left with a review copy - thanks Phil!) Hopefully I had some small influence in putting this event into motion ;)

Note - there are two days left to support The World of the Lost Lands Kickstarter from FGG.

Frog God Games

Apr 1, 2019

STEVE JACKSON GAMES and FROG GOD GAMES are excited to announce a new horizon for The Fantasy Trip! The Frog God Games LOST LANDS setting will now contain adventures and resources for those who want to use The Fantasy Trip in the framework of this ancient and storied world, filled with places to find vast caches of treasures or die trying! The first adventure in this series will be the Crucible of Freya, with many more to follow by popular demand. We are always listening to our fans, and there has been tremendous demand for a joint venture between The Fantasy Trip and the Lost Lands. Fear not, because it’s in the works right now!

Details will come later on products that will be converted and included in this. This is not an April Fools joke.

BW

040119

PS--I could not be more geeked...my inner 12 year-old just about fainted!

Obligatory April Fools Posting with Video

Almost could be me as lead singer except for the limited vulgarity vocabulary ;)

Warning - NSFW!

Thanks, Keith ;)

No April Foolin' - April 1st (Tomorrow) is the Last Day for Google+

Farewell Google+. You had your share of the limelight, but you grew much dimmer in recent years. In the end, you were but a shade of your former self. I wish I could say you will be missed, but in there recent months you seemed like you weren't really there.

Let's all do a Google Wave. Wait, they killed that too. Years ago.

Ah well, we had some good times, but now I hang my hat elsewhere:

https://www.tenkarstavern.com/ The Blog

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat The Podcast

https://www.facebook.com/tenkarstaverncommunity The Facebook Page

https://mewe.com/group/5bbbeb719b97560bb884a669 The MeWe Group

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD The Discord Server

Frog God Games April Fools Sale - 5e

This popped up in my Facebook feed this morning. I wonder how easy to would be to convert The Book of Lost Spells to Swords & Wizardry...

April Foes Day Sale 

Frog God Games is offering both Fifth Edition Foes and Book of Lost Spells (Fifth Edition) at 50% off, exclusively to our social media followers, now through April Fool's Day! 

Fifth Edition Foes features 260 pages of monstrous mayhem drawn from our classic Tome of Horror I - IV series, plus a plethora of perlious predators inspired by classic monsters harkening back to First Edition! 

Fear not, brave and foolish players! You'll have the Book of Lost Spells to defend yourself! With over 137 pages of new spells for the discerning and desperate spellcaster, you're sure to survive the new and dangerous adversaries coming your way... hopefully. 

Fifth Edition Foes for $9.99 (normally 19.99): https://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=97dc569007&affiliate_id=1446

Book of Lost Spells for $12.49 (normally 25.00): https://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=97df1aed1a&affiliate_id=1446

Yeah, it says its for Frog God Games social media followers, but I'm their "Convention Coordinator" and you are following me, so the degrees of separation are small ;)

Those are affiliate links above. Help yourself and The Tavern too by shopping with our affiliate links.

Kickstarter - The City of Great Lunden (Midderlands)

I'm a sucker for settings. Even more so, I'm a huge sucker for city settings, because I can never wrap my head around it enough to properly write one up on my own.

Monkeyblood does amazing maps. His Midderlands setting is probably one of the best EVER in the hobby. With The City of Great Lunden, Glynn gives us a city set in the Midderlands. Awesome!

The City of Great Lunden is a city setting for use with old school roleplaying games. It is designed to be used alongside The Midderlands setting and hence is 'The Midderlands Compatible'. Game stats are presented for use with Swords & Wizardry Complete, which means they are easily adopted for old school games/retroclones. Much of the content is designed to be as system-neutral as possible, so feel free to use it with any fantasy game system you like. 

This book DOES NOT require The Midderlands setting, but it is greatly enhanced with it. There might be references to things found in the other books.

The book itself will be 224 pages of great, city-based, game-juice, all in glorious, high specification, hardback and/or digital format. Here's how the current content is looking: 

• Introduction - includes a short story focused on the pre-generated characters.
• The City of Great Lunden - A touch of history, details of the inner wards, outer wards, and beyond the outer wards.
• The streets, law and order, defences, waste, etc.
• 22 detailed structures comprising a full page elevation view art piece, a page of floorplans/maps, and a page of information about the structure.
• The Great Thameswater river
• Beneath the city (sewers)
• Above the streets (rooftops) - Includes rules for rooftop adventures
• Oddities - more magic items, spells, flora, and fauna.
• Bestiary
• Some factions, guilds and institutions and notable NPCs
• Adventure hooks and a short heist adventure
• Appendices

16 bucks for the PDFs of the following:

Print plus PDF is 59 bucks

 I'm in as a Guild Member :)

A Critical Look at the Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter Kickstarter

Kickstarter has changed over the years. What was considered acceptable project preparation at the time Far West kickstarted in 2011 (ideas and dreams over a written project before launch) is no longer acceptable by the Kickstarter Community. Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter Kickstarter (hereafter referred to as the Marmoreal Tomb) fell into the "ideas and dreams" when it launched and by many measurements, hasn't progressed much over the few years.

The Marmoreal Tomb funded on September 2, 2015. It was expected to ship in March of 2016. It basically had 7 months after funding to complete, print and ship. Not by any stretch of the imagination was it a realistic turnaround for a project that was not written when the project launched.

As a side note, right after this funded, in November of 2015, Gail Gygax offered me dirt on The Marmoreal Tomb and I declined to receive it, suspecting it was offered to encourage me to cease digging into the GMF. Heh. I probably should have listened ;)

Let's look at stretch goals. 31 stretch goals were hit. Additional content was offered, as was an in print GM screen. Not just time sinks here, but money sinks too.

How about the funding? 1284 backers for a total of $126,109 USC. The average backer is in for $98.22. Of that total, approximately 15% goes to payment processing and Kickstarter itself. So, about $107k was left before taxes. My understanding is taxes are paid the year money comes in and there were little of any expenses up front to offset the income. We'll lowball and say 15% for taxes leaving the LLC with approximately $91k, which is roughly the amount I saw on the bank statement that Ernie showed me at Gary Con in 2017. According to Ernie's latest update "the funds... sit at about 78K now (lots of art and other original business expenses, as well as an expensive worthless accountant to start with)."

Remember, the number you see on Kickstarter after funding completes is not what the creator walks away with.

Now let's look at how the Marmoreal Tomb updates. Simply put, it's poorly updated. But why, you might say, as Benoist is often posting about it on Facebook? Simply because the method of updating backers is expected to be on Kickstarter, according to Kickstarter's own terms.

https://www.kickstarter.com/help/handbook/updates

Throughout your project, you’ll be communicating with backers and keeping them informed of your progress. Project updates, your spotlight page, Kickstarter Live, and our messaging system will help you keep backers in the loop.

Facebook is not the proper venue to post project updates at the exclusion of Kickstarter itself. Not all of your backers will be on Facebook and many of those that are will not know to look there. If I can point out one of the larger failures of this project, its lack of proper communication with backers, who on average, invested 100 bucks each to see this project come to life.

Then there was the latest update made via Kickstarter. I've read comments that it is tone deaf. I simply find it disrespectful to the backers on a whole.

I'll repost it below:

No Amount of Outside Energy Will Speed This Up 

Posted by Ernest Gary Gygax Jr (Creator)   

As of this time the whole project status is waiting for Benoist to complete the writing of the creations we generated together. Then he will pass them on to me and days later we will on video chat finish cleaning the material up. He has no desire to hear or see any comments on the KS page since it fires him up to defend the LATE status instead of working on it at all. He is a finicky artist and will not release parts of anything until it is completed. 

He does not have access to the funds and they sit at about 78K now (lots of art and other original business expenses, as well as an expensive worthless accountant to start with). As soon as the project fulfills I will be closing down the LLC and Ben somehow wishes to keep a company somehow, I do not.  

I playtested the Marmoreal Tomb on three of the four games I ran at Gary Con XI and I will be running some more games at NTRPG con in June. I don't have the finished level 2 or the level 3 Caves of Chaos although some of the monsters and ideas I generated for them are lots of fun and Mark Allen has a fantastic bit of art on my favorite creature of Chaos. 

I don't respond to these statements for the same reason I don't get into blogs and all that. If you want to talk to me about something send me a facebook message: Ernest Gary Gygax Jr

In summary - we won't communicate via Kickstarter because we don't like negative feedback on our lateness. On Facebook we can control negative feedback. Ben has to finish writing (and mapping) the ideas we brainstormed together. Levels 2 and 3 aren't complete yet.

Yeah, the attitude is piss poor in that update. But hey, first update since July of 2018.

I think what we have is two individuals that went into this project we excitement and ideas and very little practical knowledge of the amount of work that would go into a project of this size (because stretch goals did not help). Did I mention the increased cost to ship the completed project to backers which is now three years late? Yeah, that will be another bite in the ass.

Little if anything was written at launch. Unrealistic estimated shipping date. A rabbit hole full of stretch goals. This should have had warning signs on it from the start.

I suspect it will fulfill to some extent at some point. We are not dealing with Ken or Gareth. We have two individuals that had good intentions, unrealistic expectations, and a very poor ability to contain an ever-expanding project. We don't need perfection as consumers, we need a completed project that comes close in value to what we backed for. Hopefully, we get there, sooner than later.

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern

Yes, I am still playing catch up. Heh

In any case, tonight is Tavern Chat at 9 PM Eastern

Possible topics? Book burnings in China and the Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter Kickstarter.

Where?

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

Jump into the Speakeasy voice chat room at 9 PM Eastern tonight. You never know who may pop in.

Kickstarter - Secrets of the World Harvesters (DCC RPG Adventure)

"A 1st Level DCC-compatible Adventure and Setting Guide"

Let me get this out of the way - I consider Scott Swift, the creator of this particular project, a friend. Scott also edited Swords & Wizardry Light.

Doesn't make Secrets of the World Harvesters any less awesome :)

So, what does Scott offer us?

The Secrets of the World Harvesters is a standalone, level 1 DCC-compatible adventure and setting guide that blends fantasy and science fiction as the players unravel the mysteries of their planet’s past.  

We are ready for print. The writing, editing, layout, and art are all complete (except for the senior crewmembers page). 

The adventure leads the players to an ancient ruin unearthed by receding glaciers as the planet thaws from a millennia-long ice age. Beneath the ruins, an even older piece to the puzzle of their forgotten past awaits discovery. 

The adventure section details the history of the players’ homeworld, including regional, village, and dungeon maps, and hooks for further adventures, if desired. 

The World Harvesters setting presents a storyline that, at the conclusion of the adventure, allows the Judge to seamlessly transition players to new worlds and genres. Create your own world, choose from the many beloved existing DCC settings, or watch for Purple Pirates Games’ next offering in the series.  

Every page has a beautiful border, hand drawn by our professional artists. There are no "white spaces" in the book; original art fills those spaces thanks to the lead artist doing the layout. Part adventure, part campaign setting, part artist sketch book, I think you will love this book. 

The book: 

• 60 saddle-stitch pages on 8 ½ x 11 premium silk paper.
• Glossy coated color cover.
• 45 pieces of original art, including 6 full-page pieces plus numerous nearly-full page pieces, and 9 hand-drawn maps.
• A 10-page patron write up of Takisaka, the Mother of Serpents, by Daniel J. Bishop (prolific RPG author for DCC) including a full page illustration, 3 new spells, Invoke Patron table, Patron Taint table, and a Shedding Your Skin random table (a situation that happens to followers of the deity).

Wow. Ready to go to print BEFORE funding. When does that happen on Kickstarter? Not fucking often is the answer.

8 bucks for the PDF, 20 for the Print and 25 for the Print plus PDF. Ships US only - PDF anywhere.

Kickstarter - Books Burned in China - China Censors Burn an Entire Kickstarter Print Run of Call of Chtulhu Sourcebooks

As reported on BoingBoing, Chinese censors have destroyed an entire print run of The Sassoon Files, a sourcebook for Call of Chtulhu that was funded via Kickstarter.

Update from the project page:

We have suffered an unfortunate and unexpected setback with the off-set print run. On March 20th, the Chinese government ordered the destruction of our books. Although the printer returned our deposit, we need to find another printer and this will result in a delay in fulfillment. We are committed to completing the print run and fulfillment. 

There is a Youtube video explaining more in depth below.

A Chinese government inspector must review and approve all print runs, even exported books according to the video.

The Tavern Chat Podcast - 100k Total Plays - Thank You!!!

We did it. Thanks to listeners like you, The Tavern Chat Podcast has 100k Total Plays. If you aren't a listener, why not? ;)

The Tavern Chat Podcast has a series of Fireside Chats (35 so far) with Designers & Makers from the OSR and beyond, a weekly Talking Crit with Erik & Mike (Bad Mike) and shorter pieces with gaming news and thoughts. There is a new episode every day.

You can use any of the following links to listen, or even better yet, subscribe!

Anchor
https://anchor.fm/tavernchat

Apple Podcasts
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tavern-chat/id1386740882?mt=2

Google Podcasts
https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80MjA2MWZjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/5PrKxXwIrfRm6SXPrEiqBq

Breaker
https://www.breaker.audio/tavern-chat

Castbox
https://castbox.fm/channel/id1290778

Google Play Music
https://play.google.com/music/listen?t%3DTavern_Chat%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16&u=0#/ps/Iduziflps4q5tz5inee5ghtfw3e

Overcast
https://overcast.fm/itunes1386740882

Pocket Casts
https://pca.st/zYQe

PodBean
https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/7jmfh-6e8bb/Tavern-Chat-Podcast

RadioPublic
https://play.radiopublic.com/tavern-chat-WezkVJ

Stitcher
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/tavern-chat

TuneIn
https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/Tavern-Chat-p1145738/

Kickstarter - Wraith Recon - A Fantasy RPG of Covert Operations and War

You are a member of Wraith Recon - trained in covert operations to protect the people of Dardarrick against threats.

I'm partial to settings that are available in a "system neutral" format. Believe it or not, the less system crunch in my commercial settings, the better, as I own a plethora of RPG systems but pretty much only run OSR games. I don't need crunch to use a setting. What I need is engaging fluff.

Wraith Recon comes in a system neutral option. It also comes in Savage Worlds, 5e and FeralEngine flavors, but system neutral is where I hang my hat.

So what is the premise of Wraith Recon?

You play as legendary Wraith Recon teams, dedicated special forces trained and equipped to operate deep within hostile territory. Entrusted with the direst of missions, the Wraiths are capable of overcoming almost any obstacle. Armed with the latest in Dardarrick Magick, and kept informed by the mysterious SpellCom system, Wraith Recon units are tasked with assassinations, raids, reconnaissance, and hostage rescue missions, in the name of truth, liberty, and justice. 

As a member of Wraith Recon Four - a team of special covert operatives in a world beset by magic, wars, and mystery - you will soon be called to serve king and country. You will be sent to the four corners of Nuera to make Dandarrick safe for its people; risking your life under a blanket of secrecy to keep a population free and blissful in a world that does its damnedest to rob them of it at every turn.

Hmmm, seems like your party certainly has a reason to adventure, with set goals and such. Shouldn't be much trouble generating adventure seeds. Might even be a restraint on the usual "murder hoboing" ;)

33 bucks seem to be the sweet spot with PDF and at cost Print on Demand.

Now, if only I could find players that could actually play a campaign under such conditions...

Neither The Tavern nor myself receive compensation for Kickstarter coverage or Kickstarter posts. Some Kickstarters are brought to the attention of The Tavern by their creators. Such communication does not guarantee coverage here at The Tavern. I do not back every Kickstarter I highlight as my wallet's contents are not limitless but I do find all highlighted Kickstarters interesting for one or more reasons - Erik Tenkar

We Went Down in a Blaze of Glory in the First Session (self inflicted), and it Was Awesome!

First time as a player in over a year and a half, and we had a TPK 90 minutes into it.

Let me back up for a sec. James Spahn is out DM for a Swords and Wizardry Complete campaign that kicked off in Bard's Gate. The other players are Skeeter Green, Jim Wampler and Rocky & Ian from Silver Bulette Publishing. The presence of the Frog God was strong.

In any case, we were exploring Matt Finch's Tomb of the Iron God and we came across a black ooze. Closed the door and decided to come back later. Found embalming fluid and decided to return.

We had a good plan. We had devastating results.

We doused the ooze in elbalming fluid. It retreated. Woot. We lit the embalming fluid. Actually, embalming fluid isn't flammable, the gases it gives off IS, however.

Boom!

And you thought first level characters couldn't cast a fireball.

Black ooze - dead.

Party - Dead.

We have two weeks before the next session. Time to reroll.

This was the best TPK ever! I love the OSR :)

That is an affiliate link above - affiliate links keep the lights on and the taps flowing at The Tavern.

Kickstarter - Wizard Burial Ground: A Dungeon-Punk RPG Book (Zine Quest)

"5e compatible Prog Rock inspired Dungeon-Punk resource book full of plot hooks, monsters, NPCs, and magic items (Zine Quest)"

It might not be OSR, but it sure feels OSR ;)

So, what's in the Wizard Burial Ground: A Dungeon-Punk RPG Book?

It's a resource book full of cool stuff to add some Dungeon-Punk spice to your tabletop games. What kind of cool stuff? Glad you asked! We have a whole bunch of weird crap to add some grimy and gritty nonsense to your world. 

NPC's for your players to interact with: 

• A Hedge Witch with a "thing" for Lycanthropes
• The  butcher's son who is... not a werewolf. Why? Who told you that, what do you know?!
• Hillbilly Hobgoblins who've been cooking up some Crystal Magic-amphetamine
• A one-eyed gnomish Alchemist who's been brewing potions in his bathtub
• A mysterious drifter who just rolled into town

Plot Hooks to awaken your players' sense of adventure: 

• What happens when a rival gang tries to muscle in on the Hobgoblins and unseat them from their place as kingpins of the local Crystal Mage trade?
• Is the bartender at the local tavern undead or just suuuuper goth?
• They say the dreams of a Beholder can shape reality. What happens when a Beholder gets sick and starts having fever dreams? What if the Beholder starts to dissociate?!
• If you think the Hedge Witch and the butcher's son don't have something going on, you must be high on Crystal Mage
• Kinda burying the lede with this one, but a cult of evil necromancers have defiled a local temple (the titular Wizard Burial Ground) and your party needs to cleanse the place.

Monsters & Mooks (complete with art & stat blocks) 

• Necromancers and Liches and Undead, oh my!
• Can you make a zombie out of a mechanical construct? Well when a mommy Necromancer and a daddy Artificer love each other very much...
• A swarm of giant vampire bats that also teleport. 
• Inside-Out Kobolds. Oh no, why? Why are they like that?!
• Is that a Bearsharktopus? Are you kidding me?
• You know what a "rat king" is? Okay. So that, but made of Dire Rats. A Dire Rat King.  Is that freaky enough for ya?
• Just wait til you meet the Rag and Bone Man.

Maps (with at least one dank ass dungeon)
How dank? I mean, it's subterranean. It's super dank.  

Magic Items (all homebrew, probably weird) For example: 

• Hot Peppers of Fire Breathing
• Psychotropic Potions 
• Magic Wand that is also a Spork
• Boom-sticks (it's probably what you think it is)
• Cursed Weapons. All the cursed weapons.

I'm in for 10 bucks - Print plus PDF (including shipping in the US)

Neither The Tavern nor myself receive compensation for Kickstarter coverage or Kickstarter posts. Some Kickstarters are brought to the attention of The Tavern by their creators. Such communication does not guarantee coverage here at The Tavern. I do not back every Kickstarter I highlight as my wallet's contents are not limitless but I do find all highlighted Kickstarters interesting for one or more reasons - Erik Tenkar

I'm Back! Back in the Player's Saddle Again! X 2

I've had a bit of a dry spell in my non-convention gaming. Saturday nights used to be my gaming night but my niece has been staying weekends an awful lot (no complaints - heh) and my weekends have gotten hectic with interviews and such.

So what happened recently? Tim Shorts invited me to a Monday Night B/X Essentials game. Players include Jason Hobbs, JoeTheLawyer, Matt Jackson and others. My cleric is ready to roll in two days.

You can guess what happened next. James Spahn asked if I was interested in playing in a biweekly Sunday Night Swords & Wizardry Complete game with Jim Wampler, Skeeter Green and Rocky & Ian from Silver Bulette Publishing. Damn! I think I've maxed out my gaming opportunities over the better course of a week and a half :)

No, we don't plan to record the sessions. Most of these fine folks are still gainfully employed ;)

Expect session recaps Monday / Tuesday.

I'm a bit giddy...

Kickstarter - Draugr & Draculas: An old-school RPG zine about undead vikings and vampires

Sometimes you just have to look at something that might seem crazy and realize it's so crazy it might just work. Draugr & Draculas is that for me. This is so crazy it might just work ;)

So, what is Draugr & Draculas?

Draugr & Draculas is a one-off zine for old-stye/OSR roleplaying adventure games. Dr&Dr focuses on vampires, undead, and spooky horror magic for use in your own fantasy RPG campaigns. The zine will be entirely written and illustrated by me, Josh Burnett. In accordance with the Zine Quest guidelines, Draugr & Draculas will be a 5.5” x 8.5” zine, staple-bound and printed in black-and-white. I estimate it should clock in at around 24-32 pages.  

What's in the zine? 

• Count Dracula himself, as well as his origins and current motivations
• Details on Dracula's lesser servants
• Dracula's deadly rival, Elizabeth Bathory
• Draugr—northern undead of varying degrees of power
• The Draugr class
• Rules for magic users striking a deal with the Devil
• New magical items of perilous power
• Pagan's Well, a small dungeon full of traps and treasure
• And whatever else I can fit in this thing.   

5 bucks for the PDF, 10 bucks (plus a buck shipping in the US) for the print plus PDF. I'm in at 11 ;)

Neither The Tavern nor myself receive compensation for Kickstarter coverage or Kickstarter posts. Some Kickstarters are brought to the attention of The Tavern by their creators. Such communication does not guarantee coverage here at The Tavern. I do not back every Kickstarter I highlight as my wallet's contents are not limitless but I do find all highlighted Kickstarters interesting for one or more reasons - Erik Tenkar

Kickstarter - The Folio: Black Label #1 - (AD&D & 5e)

The Folio goes adult. maybe that isn't quite right. Instead, maybe I should say, it now aims for a more "mature" audience ;)

The quality on the various Folio releases has always been top notch with excellent art at presentation. So, why "Black Label?"

A fantasy adventure for a more refined RPG gamer in both classic AD&D and 5th Edition D&D formats.

The Folio: Black Label #1 is a digital-only release at 10 bucks, so let's get some details:

The Folio: Black Label is going to have a more adult edge than is found in the standard Folio, and yes, there might be some nudity, and maybe some horror, and maybe a twisted quality here or there, but at the base its really just about the unfettered fun of hacking and slashing your way through a pulp style adventure with blatant evil doers, magical treasures, and exposed flesh.   

What does the adventure for The Sins of the Three Sisters revolve around? Well, this will be a standard swords & sorcery based adventure that is based around a corrupted swamp with three old temples that are plaguing the lands with undead, monsters, and dark magic.  The initial adventure will include 1 temple for exploration, but additional stretch goals (which have been reached!) can also provide temple #2 and temple #3, thus make the 'three sisters'.  

Kickstarter Update - Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter

The latest update for Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter. Offered without comment.

No Amount of Outside Energy Will Speed This Up

Ernest Gary Gygax Jr

Mar 21, 2019

As of this time the whole project status is waiting for Benoist to complete the writing of the creations we generated together. Then he will pass them on to me and days later we will on video chat finish cleaning the material up. He has no desire to hear or see any comments on the KS page since it fires him up to defend the LATE status instead of working on it at all. He is a finicky artist and will not release parts of anything until it is completed.

He does not have access to the funds and they sit at about 78K now (lots of art and other original business expenses, as well as an expensive worthless accountant to start with). As soon as the project fulfills I will be closing down the LLC and Ben somehow wishes to keep a company somehow, I do not.

I playtested the Marmoreal Tomb on three of the four games I ran at Gary Con XI and I will be running some more games at NTRPG con in June. I don't have the finished level 2 or the level 3 Caves of Chaos although some of the monsters and ideas I generated for them are lots of fun and Mark Allen has a fantastic bit of art on my favorite creature of Chaos.

I don't respond to these statements for the same reason I don't get into blogs and all that. If you want to talk to me about something send me a facebook message: Ernest Gary Gygax Jr

  ffered without comment:

Patreon - Alyssa Faden is creating Hand-Drawn City & Town Fantasy Maps

I back a large number of creators on Patreon. I back people that create content for our gaming community and beyond (I also support some musicians) I believe it is important to support those whose work you enjoy and creators that you respect.

I'm proud to call Alyssa Faden a friend, and not just because of her amazing cartography, but fuck me if her maps aren't some of the best available in our hobby, or is "hobby" the wrong word to use with her talent. Probably the wrong word. Heh

For as little as a buck a month you can support Alyssa via her Patreon and you could get access to the following (and the perks only get better with the higher support levels):

Follow my (Alyssa's) work and become part of the conversation and creation process.  At this level you won't receive the final hires digital maps I create, but you will be part of their creation, get to see how I do it,  and will have access to my hints, tips, and training guides. 

- Access to the mapping discussions: see the drawing in progress, get hints and tips, and influence the design through Patreon-only discussion and polls! 

- Access to the patreon-only video streams; watch me work, talk to me as I do it.

At the highest support level, you even get commercial access to certain maps. 

Current map project: