Tenkar's Alternate Incantations - 5 More First Level Magic-User Spells for Swords & Wizardry

Talking with Mike Badolato on Tuesday night inspired me to write up the 5 first-level Magic-user spells for Swords & Wizardry. Well, my writing up those 5 spells inspired Mike to write up 5 more spells. We are taking on this project together. This is only the beginning :)

Change Self
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: Caster
Duration: 1 turn + 2 rds lvl

     This spell enables the wizard to alter the appearance of his form (including clothing and equipment) to appear as any human, humanoid, or other generally man-shaped bipedal creature. The form taken must be within 1 foot in height and 50 lbs in weight of the caster. The caster cannot duplicate a specific individual.

Burning Hands
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: 5’
Duration: Instant

     When the wizard casts this spell, a jet of searing flame shoots from his fingertips. The burning hands send out flame jets of five-foot length in a horizontal arc of about 120 degrees in front of the wizard. Any creature in the area of the flames suffers 2 hit points of damage, plus 2 points for each level of experience of the spellcaster, to a maximum of 2+20 points of fire damage. Those with a successful saving throw receive half damage. Flammable materials touched by the fire are set on fire and must be extinguished or they are consumed by the flames.

Erase
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: 30 yds
Duration: Permanent

     The erase spell removes writings of either magical or mundane nature from a scroll or from one page of paper, parchment, or similar surface. It also removes magical runes, glyphs, sigils, and marks.  Nonmagical writings are automatically erased. Magical writings are only 30% likely to be erased, plus 5% per caster level, to a maximum of 90%.

Shocking Grasp
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round a level

     When the wizard casts this spell, he develops a powerful electrical charge that gives a jolt to the creature touched. The spell remains in effect for one round per level of the caster or until it is discharged by the caster intentionally touching another creature (to hit roll required during combat).
The shocking grasp delivers 1d8 points of damage, plus 1 point per level of the wizard. If the opponent is wearing metal armor or using a metal shield, the caster receives a +5 bonus to hit.

Wall of Fog
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: 30 yds
Duration: 1 turn + 1 rd lvl

     By casting this spell, the wizard creates a billowing wall of misty vapors in any area within the spell range, in a rough cube shape covering ’20 x ’10 ft. The wall of fog obscures all sight, normal and infravision, beyond two feet. The wall must be roughly cubic or rectangular and at least 10 ft wide.
The misty vapors persist for the duration of the spell unless blown away by a strong wind (which can remove the wall in a single round).

OGL

Art used with permission. Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games. Publisher's Choice - Black & White: Filler Art

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50% off Barrel Rider Games Through August 28th - PDF Only

I'm going to be right upfront with you, my reader. James Spahn, the man behind Barrel Rider Games, is a damn good friend of mine. Dare I say it, I consider him my brother. In addition, James rights some damn good shit. White Star? That's James. Hero's Journey? Yet again. How about all of the White Box releases for Swords & Wizardry? Yes again. Class Compendium for Labyrinth Lord? Yep, and so much more.

All, and I mean ALL of James' Barrel Rider Games releases are 50% off in PDF through August 28th, 2019. Well, except for the ones that are already Pay What You Want.

What are you waiting for? Go forth and shop! ;)

Yep, that is an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep your bartender in pants. Wait, that doesn't sound right...

Tenkar's Alternate Incantations - 5 First Level Magic-User Spells for Swords & Wizardry

Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

I was reminded of something in last night's Frog Chat - the Swords & Wizardry spell lists are pretty light. I figured I'd start writing some new spells to add as GM's feel fit to do. Note, not all are inspired by earlier editions of "the one true game" but some certainly are. These spells are suitable for all OSR games, usable at the GM's discretion. Tenkar's Alternate Incantations will be an irregular feature here at The Tavern. Here are five First Level Magic-User Spells.

Alarm
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: 10' radius per level
Duration: 2 hours

     This spell protects an area of the size described above. Should anything of note enter the said area during the duration of the spell, the caster is made instantly aware.

Feather Fall
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: 10'
Duration: 1 round
     This spell makes the target as light as a feather. Note, this spell, when memorized, can be cast instantaneously - for example, in response to suddenly falling off a cliff or into a pit. It can be cast on others. Unwilling recipients get a Saving Throw.

Identify
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous

     This spell allows for the identification of the properties of magic items. When the spell is cast, the caster must hold the item to be identified. The spell will then randomly reveal one magic property of the item (some items only have one property). If the caster makes a Saving Throw, the item will reveal a second random property. This process can continue to a Saving Throw is failed or there are no more properties to reveal.

Imbue Weapon
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour

     This spell places a temporary enchantment on a weapon of the casters choosing. Although the weapon gains no bonuses for the purposes of to hit or damage rolls, the weapon is considered magical for the purpose of striking creatures that are immune to non-magical weapons

Zap
Spell Level: M-U 1
Range: 30 feet
Duration: 1 round

     This spell sends a spark of electricity at 1 (2 targets at level 5, 3 targets at level 9) target. The target must make a Saving Throw or take 1 point of damage. If the first save was failed, the target must make a second Saving Throw or be stunned for one round, losing all actions.

OGL

Art used with permission. Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games. Publisher's Choice - Black & White: Filler Art

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Kickstarter - On Downtime and Demesnes (OSR & 5e)

Back this Kickstarter. Now. On Downtime & Demesnes. I'll wait. If you aren't sure, back for a buck and download the art-free pre-stretch-goals book. Read it. I'll still be waiting for you as you up your pledge.

Seriously, Hack & Slash may have outdone himself with Downtime & Demesnes. It is simply that good, and you rarely hear me say that.

Do you sometimes wish you didn't have to put in so much effort into engaging your players? Wouldn't it be nice if they couldn't wait to play around in your world? If they were pushing you to spend more time in the land you create? 

That's why I developed these downtime procedures over decades of play and now I can share it with you! 

What's in it?  

• Systems that motivate players
• Simple usable procedures that work
• Creativity and inspiration for adventure

No longer will your players wonder what their characters should do with all their gold. It includes clear, common-sense rules for everything from starting a cult, making sacrifices to gods, to hiring mercenaries and building vehicles and castles. 

Going to an arena fight? Take seconds to determine the purse, peruse mechanics to handle the arena crowd, pick some ideas for interesting arenas, and select an opponent like the Necrourge: a master of the dark arts of necrourgy, who raises the bodies of traitors or other criminals after they have been forced to fight in the arena and died.
I've got a vision of usable downtime procedures that motivate players and provide inspiration to Dungeon Masters collected in a published volume. I want one for my table. But I don't have the funds to hire a cover artist. So I'm Kickstarting this to pay Skullfungus ("I draw dungeons, their inhabitants and everything in between") to create a beautiful cover. The book is written, layout is effectively complete, and nearly all of the interior art is finished.  

What's it for? 

The downtime goals give agency to players, and let them build a dynasty. Imagine a group eager to explore your world because they have their own plans! These objective procedures give players tools that fire a desire to dive into your creative world, discover its detailed history, and make their mark on it. 

It gives your players the tools to make their wildest ideas come to life, without breaking your campaign or your suspension of disbelief, all the while driving them to adventure in your world. On Downtime and Demesnes is filled with tools that work. Build a flying ship, enchant it; or build a wizards tower and raise fortifications in the surrounding lands. All with simple, scalable, rules.  

This is a book used in every game you run. Your next campaign, the one after that, the one after that. . . Not one wasted word. Every page is crammed with content and creativity. No filler. Tools that let players build castles and control land, without disassociated mechanics. This is the stronghold book you've been looking for. 

15 bucks for the PDF, 20 bucks for the POD (plus cost and shipping) with PDF.

Back this. Back it now. Already funded and well beyond.

Kickstarter - Dungeon Craft: Build your own battle maps!

"A book that has over 1,000 terrain pieces for you to use in Dungeons & Dragons."

Terrain for RPGs is all the rage these days. Whether it's Dwarvern Forge or 3d printed at home, it isn't always the price that is the issue - its storage space. Where do you store all of these pieces when not in use?

This brings us to the Dungeon Craft: Build your own battle maps! Kickstarter. Over 1k terrain pieces delivered in the size of an 8 1/2 x 11 spiral-bound notebook. What's that? You are not impressed? Well, open your eyes because this Kickstarter has already raised over $200k with just over 2 days left to fund.

Actually, that's $208k and over 3200 backers. Not bad for a first time Kickstarter creator.

Why the huge numbers? Because for 30 bucks (plus shipping - 40 bucks shipped) you get all of this potential terrain to use. What do you get for 30 bucks of Dwarvenite? Maybe an unwalled hallway?

But this isn't as simple as it seems. The terrain isn't cut out for you, nor is it punched. Instead, you need to cut it out yourself. Better get some quality scissors or an Exacto knife and a cutting board.

The pieces are double-sided, which maximizes usability but does mean there are potentially pieces that will not be usable together, as they are on opposite sides of the cutout terrain piece.

They use 12 point paper, but it still means the terrain will move easier, and therefore, unintentionally, more so than traditional terrain. Not for outdoor use, I would guess.

I want to see a usable, affordable Colorforms like terrain set. I've seen attempts in the past, but none have impressed me.

Tenkar's Terrible Theurgy - Wrath - for Swords & Wizardry

artwork copyright Daniel F. Walthall, used with permission

Wrath
Hit Dice: 2+2
Armor Class: 2 [17] / 6 [13] *see below
Attacks: Attacks 3 - (2) Claw (1d3) / (1) Bite 1d6
Saving Throw: 14
Special: If both claws hit, bite automatically hits / bite heals Wrath for the same amount as bite damage
Move: 15
Alignment: Chaotic
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120

Wraths are semi-corporal creatures. Not quite dead and not quite living, they are cursed to exist in a world between. Always in pain, always suffering, they attack the living on sight with no quarter given. They have a cunning intelligence but do not appear to be able to communicate. They are usually found alone, occasionally in pairs.

Extremely fast, Wraths appear to float over the ground. While not truly flying, they can cross calm waters (ponds, small lakes and the like) with ease.

The bite of a Wrath drains life essence from the victim. This will heal the Wrath for the same amount as the damage the bite inflicted. Additionally, the damage taken by the victim can only be effectively healed by rest. Magical healing does a mere 1 point of healing per spell or item used. Do not roll.

The life essence of the Wrath, such as it is, is held within a small gemstone hidden within its ribcage. These gemstones are each worth 30 to 180 coins of the realm. 1 in 6 such gemstones are permanently imbued with stolen life essence. These stones heal the bearer 1 hit point per day on top of other factors, such as rest and magical healing.

* use the lower (harder to hit) AC for non-magicsal weapons. use the higher (easier to hit) AC with magical weapons


OGL

Kickstarter - HandyMaps - Town & Village A5 Card Handouts for RPGs (Glynn Seal)

"Double-sided, A5 town & village map card handouts by Gold ENnie award-winning cartographer, Glynn Seal. For all role-playing games."

Glynn Seal AKA Monkeyblood is one of my favorite, if not my actual favorite, independent producers of Old School Gaming content. The Midderlands is my favorite setting and Glynn's maps are simply spot-on perfection.

So, imagine my joy when I saw Glynn was making a Kickstarter simply to showcase his maps. Yep, I fond the Handymaps Kickstarter. Is it wrong to want to frame these?

12 bucks plus shipping for the print plus PDF. Note, the printed maps are double-sided. 22 bucks for 2 copies, so I - er, I mean, you, can display all of them at once.

You get a set of ten, double-sided A5 (5.85" wide x 8.27" high) map cards to be used as player handouts for quick village and town layouts for Game Masters.

Yeah, I'm in for 2 sets.

GoFundMe - Rick Loomis - Lymphatic Cancer (Flying Buffalo) - Gamer in Need

I know I've said this before, but cancer is the great equalizer. It doesn't play favorites, rich or poor, young or old, it doesn't care and you can't predict the outcome. The treatment is almost universally to poison your body and possibly irradiate it. Treatment sucks. Seriously. I know, cause I'm a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of Lymphatic cancer.

To see someone else in our gaming community come down with cancer strikes home for me every time. Recently, it was Tim Kask (in remission). Currently, it is Doug Reah (NTRPG Con) and Ernie Gygax (also Hodgkin's Lymphoma).

Now, Rick Loomis of Flying Buffalo is suffering from Lymphatic Cancer. Truly, it seems like cancer is striking many of those we hold dear in the gaming community.

Rick and his family need our help. If you can donate to the fund, that is awesome. If you can't, simply share this post and hopefully, others will be able to.

The Tavern will match the first $200 raised by The Tavern's Community. Simply note your donation here as a comment or send me an email to tenkarsDOTtavern AT that gmail thing and let me know the amount you donated. When we hit $200 The Tavern will add its donation to the mix. Please DON'T stop donating when we hit $200 - Rick and his family are in great need.

From the GoFundMe page:

Rick Loomis has been an important part of the game industry for almost 50 years, and now he is in the fight of his life with cancer. Even though he is a US army veteran and qualifies for medicare, Rick's share of the medical bills are now in the tens of thousands of dollars. Please help his family through this terrible time and help keep the  legacy of Flying Buffalo going strong. 

Rick was one of the founding members of the Game Manufacturing Association and served as its President several times when they needed him. He started Flying Buffalo Games back in 1970 and was one of the first people to ever run a Play-by Mail game on a dedicated computer. He has traveled the world to promote role-playing and card games and over the years Rick has befriended hundreds (thousands!) of people at conventions from his Flying Buffalo Games booth and company.  He published Tunnels & Trolls, the Nuclear War Card Game, Grimtooth's Traps and so much more. Rick truly is a legend.  But being a legend doesn't mean you are wealthy, it just means that some people have respect for your accomplishments. 

Now Rick is 72, and in February he found out he has lymphatic cancer. Rick's biggest worry is not himself, but for his two sisters that live with him and the legacy of his company, Flying Buffalo. 

Both his sisters (Nancy and Laura) have been trying to help Rick as best they can, but he has needed specialized medical care in a rehabilitation facility.  Rick was recently sent back to the hospital and the bills have been overwhelming. They need some help taking care of the medical bills and catching up with other expenses that Rick usually took care, of but has been unable to, due to his illness.  

Rick has helped his church and the gaming industry for many years, now we are asking you to give a little help to Rick and his family during this very difficult time. Anything you can pledge will be greatly appreciated.
 
Maybe Rick was your camp councilor, or he  got you started in the gaming industry. Maybe he  helped you get a booth for Origins after the deadline or you played in one of his PBM games. Maybe he was just nice to you. If you feel a debt of gratitude for Rick and how he helped you or the game industry - now is the time to show your gratitude.  Help spread the word that a gaming legend and his family need some help.. 

If you can't afford anything - thank you for your time, your prayers and well wishes.  If you can help, we are eternally grateful for your contribution!

Deal of the Day - Advanced Labyrinth Lord

Today's Deal of the Day is Advanced Labyrinth Lord. Normally 14.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning it's on sale for 8.99.

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
• Welcome back to old-school gameplay.

**Note that the PDF includes both the Dragon cover and Orcus Cover images.

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Kickstarter - The Lost City of Gaxmoor 5E

"The Lost City of Gaxmoor 5E beckons brave adventurers to explore its ruins and crypts, to vanquish the chaos and evil that lies within."

The original The Lost City of Gaxmoor was a pretty popular Troll Lord Games release. A 5e conversion is a no brainer, especially with the history the Trolls already have converting some of their prior C&C releases to 5e.

ABOUT THE LOST CITY OF GAXMOOR 5E 

The Lost City of Gaxmoor 5E is a sandbox adventure we are converting to the 5th Edition of the world's most popular role playing game. Designed for characters that range from 1st to 10th level. It is the brain child of and written by Ernie and Luke Gygax, the sons of the legendary co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax. If this campaign is successful, The Lost City of Gaxmoor 5E will be released in a Full Color, 128+ page book that includes a fold out map of the city that retails for $39.99. 

• The Lost City of Gaxmoor includes the following:
• 59 Fully Developed Encounter Areas outside the city walls
• 70 Fully Developed Encounter Areas inside the city walls
• The Labyrinth beneath the city proper
• 70 Magical Statues, Pools and Areas of Interests fully developed for campaign play
• an overarching objective for those who desire campaign style play
• over a dozen maps of all the relevant areas
• NPCs and Areas of Refuge
• New Monsters
• New Magic Items 

Stretch goals are falling, and the latest stretch goal adds an encounter by Jeffrey Talanian (AS&SH).

Humble Bundle - Humble RPG Book Bundle: Warhammer 40,000 Dark Heresy by Cubicle 7

My first time playing on Fantasy Grounds, heck, my first time playing an RPG in nearly 10 years, was the Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy. It felt familiar enough system-wise as a long time WFRPG fan and the setting was to die for - literally ;)

Now you can get your Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy RPG fix for as low as a buck on Humble Bundle ;)

I'm in at 18 bucks myself. Just sayin' :)

There's an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the beers cold and the taps flowing here at The Tavern. I thank you in advance.

"New" TSR Release on DTRPG - S1-4 Realms of Horror (1e)

I never realized that TSR re-released S1-4 as Realms of Horror back in the day. Now it pops up on the DTRPG page. Go figure. 10 bucks for the 4 modules isn't bad at all, but can anyone tell me how the "new editing" treated the adventures?

Tomb of Horrors, White Plume Mountain, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, and The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. . . four modules that are already classics in the AD&D® game system. 

In this module you will find those four adventures in a newly-revised format, re-edited for ease of use in a gung-ho, let's-do-it-all-at-once campaign for your intermediate level characters. This product contains an 80-page adventure booklet, a 48-page illustration booklet, and a 16 page map and inscription booklet. 

If you've played these in the past, and want to do so again, you'll have the pleasure of re-living the first-time thrills. If you're new to the AD&D game, and want an all-in-one campaign, this is the one. 

Open the book, open your minds, and let the adventures  begin!

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A "WTF are they Thinking?!?" Kickstarter - Role Playing Games Television (Funds at $800k)

"A grand showcase of production and performance, with table top miniature photography and role playing dramatized by actors."

You know how I point out some projects on Kickstarter have no clue what Kickstarter is and how it works? Well, the Role Playing Games Television Kickstarter certainly knows what Kickstarter is for - printing money - $8,000 bills at a time. What do I mean? There is only one backer level:

Now, you get a % of the company. How much a percentage, he doesn't say. But to fund, we'll need 100 backers at 8k apiece. And you though Destination Fantastic had lofty goals.

Then there is the video. Beyond listening to just how smart the project creator is, we get horrible jump cuts, uncertainty over the stock offering (with all of the jump cuts why not edit this piece?) and a shirt that is much too tight at the belly button. I was simply fascinated with what appeared to be a belly button outside his shirt. Why the hell did he have to spotlight this?

The Youtube channel mentioned? It has 8 subscribers:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpvFkvx8guUAj7dcVOml2g?app=desktop

Role Playing Games Television Kickstarter is a product of hubris, delusions, psychosis or perhaps all of the above.

While we are aiming to produce Television Shows using former famous Dungeons and Dragons modules produced by TSR (currently owned by Hasbro and managed by Wizards of the Coast), new properties are encouraged and have been developed. More ROI can be garnered by producing newly minted RPG settings, providing a income for new developers and writers. 

Whether it can contract for popular licenses from Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast, is to be determined over 5 months. It is not essential to get other properties but the fastest track to profit is to get licenses to famous Dungeons and Dragons modules from Hasbro/Wizard of the Coast.  

I have never done that, but it is just a matter of the right price?  

The process uses modules to develop storylines and characters, and previously famous modules SHOULD BE produced as movies and TV. They will be! 

The second round of funding will be the affirmation of the proof of concept as a showcase for developing properties, so a second round of investment may come from Wizards of the Coast, and this company would be continuing to develop properties and also developing movies from Wizard of the Coast Dungeons and Dragons modules. 

I thought the D&D movie license was subject to an ongoing lawsuit. I'm glad I was corrected. ;)

Thankfully it's not a product that will see the light of day at this rate...

Wayward Kickstarter - Enchanted Oasis Soap

"Handcrafted soap that is inspired by my favorite fantasy RPG. My soaps are made with plant based oils and goats milk."

I know, I'm apparently in a Wayward Kickstarter frame of mind recently, but I came across the Enchanted Oasis Soap Kickstarter and I simply had to share it.

Rach loves buying handcrafted soap at flea markets and boutique shops. I have to admit, there are some scented bars that I actually like. Well, guess what? This Kickstarter doesn't let you choose your scent. Heck, it doesn't even tell you which scents you might get. You do get to chose your wrapper, which lets you pick your race or race and class, depending on your backer level

I haven't even mentioned its 10 bucks a bar of soap. Well, at least if you back for 4 bars, you get a discount:

Errrr? What?

Another "First Created, 0 Backed" dreamer who is clueless as to how Kickstarter actually works.

A Kickstarter Post Mortem - DESTINATION FANTASTIC

There was a lot of chatter about the Destination Fantastic Kickstarter both while it was funding and immediately after it funded - right up against the clock when it did.

Simply put, this is one of the worst presentations of a Kickstarter I can recall coming across. Its got flash and one of the best video presentations I've ever seen, but the Kickstarter page itself is a horrid mess.

Let me state something right off the bat: although the perception by many was that this was a Kickstarter being run by Stefan Pokorny & Satine Phoenix, this wasn't the case. Sure, they are the stars of the show, but the KS was run by the producer of Dwarvenaut (a documentary about Stefan and available on Netflix - well worth the time to watch if you haven't already, it's entertaining). So, this is really a critique of a Kickstarter run by Ron Harbin.

The first issue, and it's a biggie, is that there is no real sense of what the average backer is getting of value for their cash.

Here's what you get for 10 bucks:

An astounding digital postcard of our Iceland adventures!
Plus a heartfelt thank you + EXCLUSIVE INFO UPDATES, behind-the-scenes access, videos, and more!

Yep, pretty much a whole lotta nothing. 3 bucks gives you the same without the digital postcard.

What does 15 bucks give you?

The HD digital edition of Episode One of Destination Fantastic, the Iceland Excursion! Follow Stefan and Satine as they climb glaciers, explore dormant volcanoes, and turn the pages of the ancient Icelandic tomes that started it all!
INCLUDES:
Destination Fantastic Episode 01
Destination Fantastic Digital Postcard

Notice it apparently lacks exclusive info updates and the rest of the goodies from the lower pledge levels. Well, probably not but shows a sloppy presentation of backer levels.

25 bucks gives you the full season, but the season only funded for 1 episode. Oh, and a Digital Storytellers Thesaurus by Troll Lord Games.

As for the rest of the backer levels, they are a mess. There are a total of 28 backer levels, which is probably 20 too many. Did I mention there was an "angel backer" right before the end of funding? It needed $100k to fund. It hit exactly $109,230. That "angel backer" jumped in for $9k right at the end. Who the fuck with $9k to drop on a KS waits until there is less than half an hour to go in the funding period?

How about that $100k funding goal? With about 48 hours left it needed about $25k. With lofty stretch goals in the millions of dollars, why did it perform so badly?

Well, aside from the poor and confusing presentation, there was the perception that backers were paying for a bunch of rich people to have fun and go on vacation, then film their fun for the non-rich people to watch.

Yep, that's a comment from an earlier post on this blog. While I don't fully agree with the perception, I certainly understand it.

Then there is the issue of funding the stretch goals themselves.

The first episode funded at $100k. So, that would seem to be your baseline breakeven cost. One assumes that also includes initial equipment purchases and the like. Also, its money already spent, as the first episode is already filmed.  Ah-ha! Now you see why the project needed to fund (KS is fund or get nothing, but I digress.)

The never-ending, far too full of explanations that I felt like my pocket was being fleeced section on Risks & Challenges states: between fees, rewards, and shipping, about 35 cents of every dollar is gone before actual projects costs. I'll accept that number.

So, if the first episode funded with $100k, and that includes initial equipment cost, that later episodes would be cheaper to produce, but you would be wrong. As the stretch goals are structured, each stretch goal episode costs between $400k and $450k to produce.

Yes, you read that right.

Here, peek for yourself.

This is where I feel that Destination Fantastic "jumped the shark." Its where many potential backers who slogged through the mess of what was already shown to them started saying "cash grab" by the producer. I know that's what I thought when I sat down and finally gave this project a thorough examination.

This project should never have funded. It should have rebooted with a clearer presentation and more reasonable stretch goals. So, although technically not a "failure to fund" it probably would have been better for all if that had been the case. As it stands now, I fully expect a Destination Fantastic Episode 2 Kickstarter in a few months. Hopefully, Ron Harbin takes the time to try a different approach when he takes his second bite at the apple.

edit: I should also note that I suspect there was a thought process that due to the huge success Stefan has had with his own Dwarven Forge Kickstarters, there would be a significant carry over to Destination Fantastic.  Obviously, that is NOT the case. Somebody failed n their Marketing Skill Roll pretty badly.

Wayward Kickstarter - The Shaven Dwarf

Let's get right to the issues of The Shaven Dwarf. There are some major ones.

1. The Kickstarter page does not disclose where this gaming lounge/store will be located. At first glance, I thought it might be virtual. You are required to watch the video to find out where it is theoretically going to be - Brandon, Florida.
2. $100k goal, with NO prior Kickstarters, backed or created. This is a huge red flag. I suspect he does not understand how Kickstarter works.
3. Is there $100k worth of gamers with disposable money in the Brandon, Florida area?
4. 60-day funding - never a good sign.
5. Rewards that are really more like donations. Dice bags, t-shirts and thank you notes - oh my. The will have the logo on them, but there is no logo yet.
6. From the description, I fail to see how this can make a profit - "The Shaven Dwarf will have a small retail area where we will stock all the necessities for your favorite table top game as well as food and drinks. Half of the main lobby will be a lounge area where people can hang out, play pool, video games, and enjoy the company of other gamers. The remaining space will be divided into four small rooms, two large rooms, and one tournament room." Sounds fine and dandy, but there isn't profit and sustainability written into that.

Then there is this comment: 

Yeah, this train wreck isnt going to fund, but some do. I'll be doing a post mortem on a Kickstarter that, by all rights, shouldn't have funded, in the next post or two.

State of The Tavern Update, August 2019

Just some quick notes and updates.

You probably don't realize it because I never missed a day posting or podcasting, but July was a rough month for me. Not bad, necessarily, but rough. Lots of time sinks, both physical and mental. Much that I wanted to get done, did not get done.

Well, as of this past Tuesday (August 6th) the last of my mental time sinks are completed. One of the more major time sinks was actually preparing for the New York State Notary Public Exam. Long story short, both Rach and I both passed and in about 2 months we should officially be Notaries Public. It should help Rach at her new job, and as for me, it was on my bucket list. No idea why. Seriously. Heh.

I've been neglecting the Tenkar's One Shot Roleplaying Facebook Community (trying to free up time) and I hope to run a playtest of next month's ShireCon adventure in a few weeks via the Facebook community. I'm getting there ;)

Yes, I'm behind on mapping, especially the rest of the adventure in question. Work commences tomorrow.

Gaming content for the blog - I've got a ton of shit sketched out and outlined, and now is the time to start finishing stuff off and posting it up. So, hopefully, I get a piece or two up this week.

New blog host / Tavern 2.0 - can keeps getting kicked down the road. It will happen. No longer predicting when. Soonish.

I will be attempting to put up a blog post in the AM hours. Possibly a second in the PM hours. Podcasts will release in the PM hours. Attempting a schedule. Time is always the enemy ;)

As always, thank you all for your support. It literally means the world to me :)

New PWYW - Boons for Swords & Wizardry Core Rules

Hmmm. This looks interesting. Let's read the pitch for Boons for Swords & Wizardry Core Rules:

This is a D60 table I created for my home game of core S&W but it will work with any OSR style game. The idea was to expand on the class system using a random table. Players roll on the table at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th levels. I found I wanted to jazz up the core rules a little without overcomplicating things and this table did just the trick. It adds depth to characters without the need for more complicated classes. This is exactly what I wanted. I love the simplicity and ease of play S&W offers but missed some of the elements in more complicated games. This table gave me the best of both worlds. Some of the boons can be stacked (GM’s option) if a player finds they have rolled the same boon twice.

Alright, I'm curious. Its PWYW, so you can peek for free. Let's peek (note - screenshot is for review purposes only)

Holy shit. I LIKE this. Even if only used at first level, this is pretty damn cool. It's not overpowering and adds flavor and uniqueness to PCs. I just went back and gave a buck.

Note, although it specifically calls out the S&W Core Rules, it should work fine with any flavor of S&W. Heck, pretty much any OSR ruleset too.

Yep, affiliate links keep The Tavern going strong and that's an affiliate link above. Help a tavern keeper out ;)

Deal of the Day - Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting

I've heard good things about the Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting. As a Deal of the Day special, I may just need to pick this up. Yes, I am a setting junkie.

Normally 19.98 in PDF, until 11 AM tomorrow morning Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting on sale for 7.99 - 60% off.

Welcome to the Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting, a swords-and-sorcery milieu set in a Dark Ages fantasy version of the Mediterranean and the lands surrounding it! It is set a century after a Great Cataclysm destroyed the old world, plunged it into chaos, and reawakened magic and all form of ancient races and monsters. Now, the agents of Gods and Titans struggle against each other on behalf of their masters, nations strive to survive or dominate one another, and adventurers descend into the ruins in search of wealth and lost technology.  

This universal campaign setting, which represents 14 years of development and has roots in the early 1980s, is ideal for adventures of the sorts inspired by the works of Fritz Leiber, Robert E. Howard, and Jack Vance. It has deliberately been designed to be system free and compatible with any set of role-playing game rules suitable for ancient, medieval, or fantasy venues. It is the "Bible" of its world and its contents can be used either as part of a cohesive milieu or individually to enhance other campaign settings or adventures, and both by game designers and writers interested in authoring fantasy fiction. In that this setting was used as the playtest backdrop for games using the OGL/d20, Pathfinder, “Basic” Dungeons & Dragons and Labyrinth Lord retroclone, and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules, it is an especially ideal setting for them.  

This book includes:

• * MAPS of Kos City, Kos Island, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean. 
• * WORLD OF KOS, overview of the world, the impact upon it of the Great Cataclysm, and a timeline; sections on Languages, Clothing, Wealth & Money, Entertainment, Military Organizations, and Adventurer Culture. 
• * KOS CITY, an overview of the community that will be the starting point for many adventures and 50 specific places adventurers might visit in it, to include taverns, training halls, and temples (and which was designed to parallel the general sorts of places described in Skirmisher's Gold-bestselling City Builder). 
• * KOS ISLAND, detailed descriptions of the island of Kos, what lies around it, of its 12 major towns and villages, and of 10 specific places located on the island or smaller islets in the waters surrounding it. 
• * LANDS BEYOND KOS, detailed descriptions of 16 different nations, brief entries on nine regions, and writeups on three specific places. 
• * ENCOUNTERS, 21 encounter tables — 14 nation-based and seven terrain-based — that storytellers can use for inspiration and game masters can use to determine what things characters might encounter in the course of their adventures.  
• * LIVES, 118 system-free biographies of personages who live on the island of Kos or the lands surrounding it and are mentioned or appear as characters in the related sourcebooks or stories about the campaign setting. 
• * RACES, 17 species of people native to the world of Kos, including Antaeans, Arachneans, Bull Centaurs, Cynocephalians, and Myrmidons (along with more familiar Humans, Centaurs, Dwarves, Elves, Gnolls, Gnomes, Goblinoids, Half-Elves, Halflings, Lizardfolk, Merfolk, and Orcs). 
• * MONSTERS, a section on creatures that dwell in the world of Kos and and their roles in it. 
• * DEITIES & RELIGION, a section on gods and godesses, their worship, and the ongoing war between the Olympian Gods and the primordial Titans. 
• * GLOSSARY of terms useful for storytellers and gamemasters using this book. 

Yep, there is an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the beer cold and the taps flowing here at The Tavern. 

Kickstarter - DESTINATION FANTASTIC - A Kickstarter Favorite

"Enjoy travel? Fantasy? Sci-Fi? Watch this preview of the world’s first fantasy-oriented travel show, hosted by top D&D game masters."

I must say in all honesty, Destination Fantastic has missed my radar until now, and that's a shame, as the trailer makes this something I'd certainly enjoy watching.

Stefan Pokorny & Satine Phoenix are entertaining personalities and know how to ham things up. It looks like they had fun filming the pilot episode and it shows. Seriously, watch the video ;)

There are many pledge levels (too many if you ask me) but 15 bucks seems to be the sweet spot to me. It doesn't look like it's going to fund more than the pilot episode right now, but that is certainly n episode I'd like to see.

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern

Ah, sweet Wednesday. Hump Day. Also known as Tavern Chat Day, although we actually have the chat at night, 9 PM Eastern.

One to two dozen of your fellow gamers, bloggers, podcasters and more dropping into our virtual "Speakeasy" to share tales of gaming and geekdom with each other. I look forward to it every week.

Use the following link to join the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server, head into the Speakeasy at 9PM tonight:

https://discord.gg/swrF8Aq

Hobbs & Friends Podcast Rereleases the Alexander Macris Interview Episode

On a personal note, I think this was one of the stronger interviews Jason did on the Hobbs & Friends Podcast. I'm glad to see Jason has released it again. The initial drama passed over a year ago and I think this is a good move and I applaud Jason. I'm quite sure he will get push back too, but such is the way of the world these days.

Here's the Hobb's & Friends Announcement:

Hello. After much soul searching I’ve decided it is time to re-release this episode. I’m certain this will cause some undue stress for some people and bring smiles to the faces of others. If it disappoints you, I’m sorry, but I think this deserves to be out there. I have not changed my stance on playing or purchasing ACKS. If I do, you’ll be the second to know. 

If you enjoy this trip into Mr Hobbs’ Gamerhood give us some feedback on what you think! Since the change to the new RSS we could use some review and subscriptions. Please spread the word again and let other folks know there are new episodes and where they can find them.

Even if you decide not to listen to this episode, you should give Hobbs & Friends a try. Overall, it's one of the best OSR Podcasts on the interwebs.

New Release - Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit (Platinum in 5 days)

Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit is the latest release from R. Talsorian Games Inc. Released on August 1st, it has hit Platinum levels in 5 days. Normally 29.99, it is currently on sale for 15 bucks.

Now, here's the weird part. DTRPG is advertising a Cyberpunk Sale in conjunction with the release of the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit:

Notice how it says "Get 60% off Cyberpunk Classic Titles." Well, the sale page it leads you to has 44 items listed - but only 6 are 60% off. The rest are 25% off. It should read "Get UP TO 60% off Cyberpunk Classic Title." It is misleading at the moment.

The 4th Corporate War’s over and the big dogs have retreated to their corners to lick their wounds. That leaves everyone else to fend for themselves in a shattered world.
And that’s just fine. ‘cause you’ve got interface plugs in your wrists, metal in your limbs, and chips in your skull. You’re wired in, loaded with chrome, and ready to take it to the Edge. 

There’s a world full of opportunities out there. Maybe this time you can do more than save yourself. Maybe. 

The Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit is the perfect introduction to the newest edition of the classic Cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying game and includes:

• Two booklets, one containing world lore and adventures and the other the essential rules needed to play. 
• Six pregenerated characters.
• Maps and standees to help bring the world of Cyberpunk to life!

The above includes affiliate links. Keep the lights on and the beer cold at The Tavern by using affiliate links. 

So, Who Won at the ENnies This Year? (Highlighting the ones I have interest in)

I had a couple of people reach out to me asking if I'd covered the 2019 ENnies winners on the blogside, and I hadn't - although I did give it a quick rundown on the Tavern Chat Podcast.

I snagged the list from the ENnies website, but the comments are mine alone ;)

Best Adventure
GOLD: Masks of Nyarlathotep (Chaosium Inc.) (Call of Cthulhu did very well this year, as did Chaosium overall - did they take a page from the Raggi Rulebook?)
SILVER: Mothership: Dead Planet (Tuesday Knight Games)

Best Aid/Accessory – Digital
GOLD: World Anvil Grandmaster Tier Worldbuilding & Campaign Management Platform (Both World Anvil and DUNGEONFOG are amazing products)
SILVER: DUNGEONFOG—Online Map Maker & Authoring Tool (I'll be back to using this to making more maps for personal and public consumption soon)

Best Aid/Accessory – Non-Digital
GOLD: Masks of Nyarlathotep Gamer Prop Set (H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society) (what I saw looked awesome if pricey)
SILVER: Dwarven Forge’s Dungeon of Doom Modular Terrain (Dwarven Forge) (good but pricey)

Best Art, Cover
GOLD: Call of Cthulhu – Terror Australis 2E (Chaosium Inc.) (there is a trend forming...)
SILVER: KULT: Divinity Lost, 4th Edition (Helmgast AB)

Best Art, Interior
GOLD: RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha Slipcase (Chaosium Inc.) (I'm a longtime RQ lover)
SILVER: Symbaroum Monster Codex (Free League Publishing)

Best Cartography
GOLD: Forbidden Lands (Free League Publishing)
SILVER: A New Map of Hot Springs Island (Swordfish Islands) (OSR representing)

Best Electronic Book
GOLD: Sly Flourish’s Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master (Last Word Audio)
SILVER: Fear’s Sharp Little Needles (Stygian Fox Publishing)

Best Family Game / Product
GOLD: Kids on Bikes (Renegade Game Studios/Hunters Entertainment) (or is that "Kids on Pikes?)
SILVER: Dinosaur Princesses (Ardens Ludere)

Best Free Game / Product
GOLD: Ironsworn (Shawn Tomkin)
SILVER: The Ultraviolet Grasslands (Hydra Cooperative) (and available for download)

Best Game
GOLD: Mothership: Player’s Survival Guide (Tuesday Knight Games)
SILVER: Dialect: A Game about Language and How it Dies (Thorny Games)

Best Layout and Design
GOLD: Symbaroum Monster Codex (Free League Publishing)
SILVER: The Black Hack 2nd Edition (Squarehex) (I've never gotten into the Black Hack, but nice to see the OSR represent)

Best Monster/Adversary
GOLD: Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos for 5E (Petersen Games) (CoC again...)
SILVER: Creature Codex for 5th Edition (Kobold Press)

Best Online Content
GOLD: Seth Skorkowsky
SILVER: The Alexandrian

Best Organized Play
GOLD: Cypher Play Numenera Season 18-2: Building Amber (Monte Cook Games)
SILVER: Minsc and Boo’s Guide to Stuff and Things (Greg Marks)

Best Podcast
GOLD: Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff (ever notice this scripted podcast is always on this list? excellent production values, I think it's less the hosts and more the team behind them that makes the mark)
SILVER: Red Moon Roleplaying

Best Production Values
GOLD: Forbidden Lands (Free League Publishing)
SILVER: Invisible Sun Black Box (Monte Cook Games)

Best RPG Related Product
GOLD: Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: Masks of Nyarlathotep (H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society) (CoC...)
SILVER: Miskatonic University: Restricted Collection (Chaosium Inc.) (CoC and Chaosium)

Best Rules
GOLD: Call of Cthulhu Starter Set (Chaosium Inc.) (CoC and Chaosium. Excellent product too)
SILVER: Forbidden Lands (Free League Publishing)

Best Setting
GOLD: The Fall of DELTA GREEN (Pelgrane Press) (Oh my. Is this still CoC?)
SILVER: Call of Cthulhu – Terror Australis 2e (Chaosium Inc.) (I know this is CoC)

Best Supplement
GOLD: The Glorantha Sourcebook (Chaosium Inc.) (ah, RQ and Chaosium)
SILVER: The 7th Ed. Guide to Cthulhu Invictus (Golden Goblin Press) (ah, yes, CoC)

Best Writing
GOLD: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Core Rulebook (Cubicle Seven) (I still want to play this. I still need to fully read the rules)
SILVER: KULT: Divinity Lost, 4th Edition (Helmgast AB)

Product of the Year
GOLD: Masks of Nyarlathotep Gamer Prop Set (H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society) (CoC? Again?)
SILVER: Forbidden Lands (Free League Publishing)

Fan’s Choice, Best Publisher
Chaosium Inc. (Chaosium - who would have thunk? ;)

Judges’ Spotlight Award
The Stygian Library (Dying Stylishly Games)
Archives of the Sky (Aaron A. Reed)
Sigmata: This Signal Kills Fascists (Land of NOP LLC)
plot ARMOR (Mostly Harmless Games)
The Elephant & Macaw Banner: Player’s Guide (Porcupine Publishing)

Best of Those Left Off This List (as per The Tavern)

The Midderlands Expanded, MonkeyBlood Design & Publishing
  Cartographer: Glynn Seal

Creature Codex for 5th Edition, Kobold Press
  Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Jon Sawatsky, Chris Harris

Questing Beast Podcast, Questing Beast

So, why do you think Chaosium / Call of Cthulhu did so well this year?

Raggi is Such a Shock Jock! I'm so Shocked!

Wait, that's right - all the radio shock jocks are either off the air or no longer shocking. This is simply bad taste, but that IS Raggi's schtick:

Jeans, striped shirts, ballcaps, modern bikes - he doesn't even try to make the effort to have it fit his default setting. Because why make the effort when you can be "shocking".

I long for the days when Raggi was putting out usable stuff, like The Grinding Gear.

Ah well, I'm guessing this was one of his many inspirations:

Tip of the hat to Taverner Thad :)

Magic Item - The Taverner's Ring of Spell Storing

Yesterday I participated in some drama in the community. While I certainly feel my response was justified and needed, it doesnt mean I don't have a price to pay. Damn that Joeski Tax. Wait, where's Joeski? ;)

0. Some artwork © 2018 Joseph Salvador III, used with permission. All rights reserved. 
   

The Taverner's Ring of Spell Storing

This silver ring of a serpent eating its own tail holds a maximum of two spells. One is clerical in nature, randomly determined from the levels 1 to 4 spell lists, the other is magic-user in nature, randomly determined from the level 1 to 6 spell lists. Once the spells are determined, they can not be changed.

The ring can be used by all classes, and the magic-user spell contained in the ring can be cast by a user wearing armor.

The spells cast by the ring are gone until recharged. The ring recharges a spell slot (randomly determined if both slots need to be recharged) when a member of the wearer's party dies. Note, the wearer need not cause the death. Henchmen, hirelings and allies do count for the purposes of recharging the ring.

Note, I'll add the OGL to this when I get back to NYC. In the meantime, enjoy ;)

Dyson Plays with Revisionist History - Can't Leave on your own if You Were Banned Prior

See the number of "bans" on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord server? Nearly 1k are bans of spambots. Just a handful are "for cause". See that Dyson was banned? Why was Dyson Logos banned? For private messaging EVERY Designer & Maker that was on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server at that time. There were 41 or 42. Dyson was upset that Alex Macris was a Designer & Maker and had his own channel on the server.

I was hammered with complaints from those he messaged. They felt they were being harassed, and I agreed. (BTW, PMs are more personal than emails - these weren't emails) So, in response, I banned Dyson Logos from the Discord Server. It should be noted that Dyson had previously blocked me on Facebook after leaving me a really nasty PM (nearly a year prior). He sent his message and then he blocked me, so I couldn't respond. I'm not sure if that's how he handles every disagreement, but what I can tell is that he believes in some revisionist history. Heck, I'm still surprised that he participated in a few weekly chats after flaming out on me on Facebook.

See, here's the latest from Dyson Drama himself (BTW, the harassing and banning are over a year ago now). No idea why this is coming up now, a year later, but I'm guessing he is looking to rile up his circle to light some torches in August.

Let me address a few things I haven't addressed above. As far as I know, I've never referred to Dyson as a "known harasser". I name him when I talk about him and I certainly have referred to him as a harasser. I also haven't talked about Dyson in a long time so this is a bit out of left field. But hey, I've mentioned you now. I know it is what you want, to try and stay relevant you need to be talked about.

Yes, I've mentioned the "cattle drive" of 100 plus prostitutes in the late 90s in Hunts Point on the weekly chat in the past, but that is not why Dyson left the Discord Server. He was banned, by me, for the harassing of server members. He did not leave of his own choice month later, he'd already been banned.

Truth is damning at times.