Kickstarter - The Lost Triptych: A 5e and B/X RPG Campaign!

Pacesetter Games has a very nice Kickstarter record. Thom Wilson has a deep & full library of quality OSR releases behind him. Put them together and you get The Lost Triptych for B/X and 5e.

Bad Mike and I sat down with Thom last night on the Talking Crit podcast and it was a blast, and we got some insights into how The Lost Triptych came to be as a collaboration between the two companies.

Minions of a rival deity have stolen a sacred artifact of your order with the intent to transform it to suit their own nefarious machinations. They have brought the holy device to the Mountain of Whispers, the stomping grounds of evil sycophants and zealot soldiers who serve the goddess Egramish without question. Your precious artifact has been broken into separate pieces and hidden in secret locations to make it harder for your order to recover. No doubt, the high priest Miltotok is preparing the rituals and spells to make the device a vessel for evil at this very moment.

Is your faith strong enough to endure the evil horrors of the mountain, where your gods can barely be felt? Can you persevere through overwhelming odds to defeat Egramish and recover the Lost Triptych?

The Lost Triptych is a campaign for characters level 8-12 for the 5th Edition or B/X game systems!

The Lost Triptych is a high-level adventure that pits seasoned adventurers against the dark forces of an evil god whose servants are willing to sacrifice themselves and others to bring about the end of peace and prosperity. The foes that the characters will face are quite deadly – powerful spellcasters, ancient undead, and ruthless spies will challenge the group at every turn. This is no simple adventure, by any means!

This adventure can be dropped into any world of the game master’s choosing. The only location-specific element of the story is the Mountain of Whispers, which can be placed in any mountain range within the game master’s campaign world. Characters will start their journey at the bottom of the mountain, crawl through its dark depths, and finally arrive at the fortress peak to confront the minions of the evil god and her thieving sycophants.

If none of the characters is Lawful or (especially) a Cleric, the story can be adjusted to fit the group’s deities or alignments. The story plays out best if a conflict between good (the characters) and evil (followers of the rival goddess) exists. Also, the opposing deity can be adjusted to fit the game master’s world as needed. The story suggests using the evil goddess Egramish if the game master has no other viable antagonist in mind. If Egramish is used in this adventure, it will be assumed that the central character or characters (those affiliated with the Lawful deity) will know of the goddess as a long-standing rival deity and her constant attempts to overthrow their own god.

This book will include:

• 150+ Pages of Adventure
• Full-Color Interior Art and Maps
• New Magic Items
• New Monsters
• And More Pending Stretch Goals!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 133 subscribers. When we hit 200 subscribers, I'll award 2 random subscribers a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate.  So on at 300 subs and beyond.

Deal of the Day - Creature Description Generator Volume 10 - Mutations (System Neutral)

As I work on my upcoming campaign, one thing that sticks out to me is that there needs to be a uniqueness to some of the creatures. Sure, orcs and goblins and ogres can me your mainstays, but it's the unique adversaries that your party will remember.

I don't have much of an issue coming up with new and unique creatures, but any resource that can assist in such is priceless.

Creature Description Generator Volume 10 - Mutations is just such a resource. I've added it to my Virtual GM's Resource Guide :)

Mutants – The word can conjure fear and sometimes revulsion. They are the same as you, yet different. Some perceive them as a threat, as a hidden danger walking amongst all good and right-minded folk, whilst some see them as the next stage in evolution for many species.

They are pitied, they are feared, they treated as outcasts. Yet a few rises above the hatred, ignoring the braying mob and doing the right thing no matter what.

They can become heroes, villains or horrible creatures with abilities not seen anywhere else. They are here to stay and you could be sitting right next to one right now.

CDG – 10 Mutations is, unlike others in the Creature Description Generator series designed to take an already existing being and give them a twist or two, turning that mundane creature into something special.

Designers Note

Whilst this publication is designed to be useful in as many genres as possible, some of the mutations may require a bit of tweaking to fit in with your chosen genre, such as psionics replacing magic in a sci-fi or near modern setting and so on.

Featuring...

• 500 possible mutations - Some good, some bad others downright dangerous
• Many of the mutations have sub-versions or variations
• A system for categorizing how strong the mutations are
• Some suggested side-effects to go along with them

As an aside, the cover is atrocious. Don't judge this book by its cover...

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 133 subscribers. When we hit 200 subscribers, I'll award 2 random subscribers a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate.  So on at 300 subs and beyond.

In-Person Gary Con for March 25-28, 2021 is Canceled - Virtual Only

The following is from the Gary Con website: 

Material Gary Con 2021 Cancelled

November 10, 2020 0  By MELF

Greetings Fellow Gamers,

After thorough consideration of the circumstances throughout the nation and the world, I regret to announce that Material Gary Con is cancelled for 2021 due to the risks posed by coronavirus. The steep increase in new cases across the country and the lack of an approved vaccine made it clear to the entire staff that to go forward with a physical gathering of 1,500 people would be irresponsible and potentially put tens of thousands of people across the nation at an increased risk. This was a difficult decision because we all really wanted to bring everyone together and create the unique spirit of camaraderie that has been the hallmark of Gary Con since 2009, but we unanimously agreed the right decision was to go virtual only in 2021.

So what does this mean for our Gary Con Family? Although Material Gary Con is cancelled, we will still celebrate Ethereal Gary Con March 25-28, 2021. If you purchased an Ethereal Badge you are all set and do not need to take any action. If you have a Physical Badge Package, there are two options. You can convert to an Ethereal Badge and join us as we celebrate Gary Con XIII by filling out this form [https://forms.gle/Pdrm23968yLySzbw6]. We will convert your badge to one of 6 possible options Ethereal, Astral, or Elemental- and we added a “PLUS†option to include a special GC merchandise bundle with each. The other option, if you decide you do not want to attend Ethereal Gary Con, is to request a refund through TTE. The refund process is administered completely through their system and not the Gary Con Staff. We encourage you to show your support for Gary Con by converting to an Ethereal Badge and adding the Merchandise Bundle so we can come back strong and celebrate together in Lake Geneva for Gary Con XIV in March 2022.

The deadline for converting or requesting a refund is still December 31st 2020. Please make sure to take action as soon as you can and help us spread the word to your fellow Gary Con Goers in case they missed this in their email and social media feeds. These are challenging times for all of us, but we are strong when we stick together as a community. I look forward to seeing you and gaming alongside you in ethereal form in March. Stay tuned for more information on the great line-up of Guests and special events we have planned for Virtual Gary Con XIII. And thank you for your understanding and support as we all navigate through the effects of the pandemic.

Cheers,

Luke Gygax

PS- If you already have a virtual badge and want to get a PLUS badge with the Merchandise Bundle fill out the request form and we will get that added for you. Game on!

On Magic Weapons by Racial Background (more campaign design thoughts)

So, I've been working on tables to randomly generate magic weapons, because cookie-cutter magic is boring and not magical ;)

While working on the tables, it occurred to me that weapons created by dwarves would be enchanted via a different method than those of men, or elves.

• Dwarven magic weapons would be made of mithral or adamantine, perhaps with precious metals added to the mix. Magic would be centered more on bonuses to damage, with other powers (rock breaking, goblin slaying, or the like) centered on what would be most useful in dwarven culture.
• Elven magic weapons would be lighter and intricately embellished. Made of steel or specially enchanted ironwood, bonuses to hit would be the focus. Elven weapons often come enchanted with spell-like powers, such as flight, charm, or alter self.
• Human magic weapons are almost crude compared to those of dwarves and elves. Focused. As the human life span is short compared to their longer-lived brethren, less time is spent in the creation and their abilities are often crude but effective (drain health from the target and give it to the wielder, but wielder no longer heals naturally). Powers usually come with an offsetting curse. Such is the way with those so shortsighted.

These basic assumptions are helping to flesh out the item generation lists, the first of which I hope to share with you tomorrow.

Note: artwork copyright John Buckley, used with permission.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 133 subscribers. When we hit 200 subscribers, I'll award 2 random subscribers a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate.  So on at 300 subs and beyond.

PC Deaths can be a Good Thing....no, Really!

Special Note: For the record....I'm typing this up on a Saturday morning, hours before my bi-weekly game. Just have to mention this in case there happens to be a coincidence between the game and today's subject matter.

I'd like to think that I've had less than my fair share of PC deaths, which is interesting since I like to play HackMaster, which is known to be crunchy and deadly. Of course I might actually have more than my fair share of PC deaths and I just don't remember them because they aren't remarkable or because they were low-level PCs. Who really regrets the loss of a 1st level nobody?

As a GM I have kind of relished killing off the PCs, and have exercised some bragging rights when doing so. In truth though I try to be a bit of a tactician and I'm trying to have and share in the fun at the table. I get a metric shit-ton more mileage out of almost killing a PC. Now I'm not the type to fudge the dice rolls, but bringing a mighty PC down to low single-digits or castrating their abilities in some way......good times. The players fear for the safety of their PCs and the party has to tie up resources covering for the new weakness in their ranks. This can lead to a snowball effect that either makes the party escape by the skin of their teeth or suffer a crushing defeat. I'll risk one for the other any day, but I'll not let you know which one I'm rooting for in the moment...... 

"Fear for the safety".....do players really have feelings about their PCs? I sure hope they do! I want my players to be proud when their PC pulls off something mighty & heroic, and get a bit miffed when things don't go their way. Downright sad, for a while, when their PC actually dies....this is a good thing. No, I'm not a sicko GM.....well maybe I am, but not for this reason. The way I see it, players should be emotionally invested in their PCs. It's what makes the game fun and I think it's what can help make a game, for the lack of a better term, "real". Sure, players can have fun simply because they are hanging out with their friends and generally having a good time, but they can also just do that over pizza a beer.....don't need to be adding dice to the mix then.

What makes role-playing games an actual hobby is this emotional investment and the bond a good game group establishes with each other. I personally look forward to my next game, my next get-together, and I think this is because of this emotional investment in my PCs. Hell, I would also argue this is one of the reasons so many players don't do regular game conventions, unless they end up going with some of their home group members.

<insert Wayne's World doodly-doo noises here> Deep in my old records I have a write-up from my very first official HackMaster tournament as a GM. It's a rather in-depth (and lengthy) account because my table didn't fair so well and there were quite a few PC deaths. At one point there was some yelling/swearing and a chair was kicked a fair bit. I had heard, and disagreed with, how another table breezed through a couple encounters and assumed that the players from the one home-group that sat at my table would file a compliant (I didn't blame them), so immediately after the game I took my notes and wrote up the game. Wow, did I make a bunch of mistakes. With one exception they were all in the players favor, both the player and I had simply forgotten about one of their PC's magic items, but the players really didn't play well. You'd never guess this was an established home group used to playing together. I think the fact it was a late night game hindered their collective cognitive abilities because one PC could have avoided death simply by side-stepping 5' in almost any direction....and this was pretty obvious. <insert Wayne's World doodly-doo noises here>

Back to the intended train of thought.....this group lost several mid-high level PCs and were super pissed in the moment, and not that happy for the rest of the convention. They had been playing these characters for years and had a lot of investment, clearly not just time, in them. I'm sure they were able to resurrect the PCs, albeit with some new quirks and flaws (par for the HackMaster 4th Edition course) and carry on. I'm certain the extremity of their initial reactions were a bit much, but that's the chance you take.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained......had the players made a couple different decisions, like the aforementioned player stepping left two paces or the one player reminding me her PC could run like the dickens due to her magic item, then the party would have gotten their asses handed to them, but the would have survived. The players would have been high-fiving each other and they probably would have won the tournament.

Just remember this the next time you lose a PC and you're pissed off.......this is actually a good thing. Surely more a silver lining, but still.....a good thing. Stop short of kicking that chair, thank you GM, and figure out how you could have avoided that death. Worst case, pick up your 3d6 and hope you can get pissed when you lose this one as well....hopefully a long, long time (and many more levels) than last time.  

Like a Hydra, You Just Can't Kill the Beast - Ken Whitman "Claims" to have Found the "Lost to a Fire" KotDT Live Action Footage

I kid you the fuck not!

Ken "I only lie when I talk" Whitman now claims to have found the Knights of the Dinner Table: Live Action Series footage that he claimed in court was lost in a barn fire. Kenny, we all know this is yet another attempt to milk money from those you have already scammed.

Kenny had been silent for over four years on the KotDT: LAS Kickstarter, but look what Mr. "The FBI is waiting for you at your doorstep" Whitman has updated with today:

Hey Everyone,   

This morning I recovered the original files for KODT Live Action series.   I am copying the files and shipping them to Jolly on Monday.   

I have reached out to Jolly and Dave and have asked for permission to remaster the product, however, my contract ran out years ago.   If I can get their permission to work on the footage I would love to finish and distribute the project.  

I do ask for your forgiveness, and hope I am allowed a way to make amends for my shotty business performance.   

I will keep you updated, and hope all of you are still enjoying one of the best damn comics ever made!

-Ken Whitman 

Ken does nothing out of the kindness of his heart. It has always been about separating many fools (and some not so foolish) from their money. Highlander Collectible Card Game and printing off rares to sell? Allegedly. Rapid POD Printing Company and books that fell apart the moment you cracked them open? Allegedly. Using Kickstarter as a pyramid scheme to bilk honest folks out of their hard-earned cash? Most definitely!

So Kenny, where did these files come from that allegedly went up in smoke when your friend's barn burned down? That was your testimony in NYS Court. 

I can guarantee that ANYTHING of potential value that Ken is willing to give to the backers of the KotDT: LAS will come with a new price tag. That simply is Kenny's way.

My advice? Don't give him a cent. He preys on the gaming community, then hopes the community will forget the transgressions and theft that he committed in the past. Kenny will never be reformed. 

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Certificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out Sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar

Free High Quality Fantasy Map Generation Tools for Personal and Commercial Use

Oleg Dolya has some amazing map tools that you can use for personal use and in your commercial projects. He gives them away for free, but he does have a Patreon that you can support for 5 bucks a month. I'll be using them as I create my new campaign that will be detailed here, at The Tavern, over the next few months (as well as some other mapping programs, but truly, Oleg is the master of random AND quality)

Link to all of Oleg's Tools: https://watabou.itch.io/

The above map, along with a numbered hex version for me as the DM, maybe all my sandbox needs to start. https://watabou.itch.io/perilous-shores

Then there is the Village Generator:

Let us not forget the City Generator:

Then there is the One Page Dungeon Generator:

Simply amazing quality and inspiration. The tools are there for you. Use them. If you wind up supporting Oleg's Patreon, tell him Tenkar sent you ;)

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Certificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out Sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar

Free OSR - Wrath of the Immortals (TSR BECMI)

Color me hugely surprised to find out that Wrath of the Immortals is being given away for FREE by WotC. Yep, as in "just add to your cart and download". I never owned Wrath of the Immortals, but I do now :)

As an aside, The Book of Regency for the Birthright setting is also free at the moment.

Immortals. Warriors of the outer planes…

Wrath of the Immortals unveils untold secrets of how to create and role-play Immortals in the World of Mystara and other dimensions. The frightening power of the Immortals, their strange worlds, and their secret alliances are revealed at last, but is it in time?

And then, the final confrontation! In the name of the Immortals, the two greatest empires of the Known World clash in a brutal war. The world has gone mad… will both disappear from the face of the earth? Wrath of the Immortals' amazing saga takes heroes on a six-year quest, with adventures from the apprentice to the highest level of the game.

• Create new worlds, wondrous artifacts, and entire new races!
• Complete rules to create and role-play PC and NPC immortals.
• Details a host of awe-inspiring Immortals in the Known World, the HOLLOW WORLD, and the outer planes.
• Reveals all on the mysterious Pandius, City of the Immortals.
• Contains a 128-page referee's guide with Immortal-level spells, abilities, character classes, and monsters.
• a 96-page campaign saga covering the entire war.
• two new, updated poster-sized maps of the Known World and the empires.

The supra-natural beings march, and the world trembles before their colossal power. The world will never be the same!

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Certificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out Sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar 

Kicking off Tales From Tenkar's Tavern - Potential Map in Progress

At the moment I'm playing with Inkarnate. Next, I'll play with Wonderdraft. I have both apps with licenses that allow for commercial maps.

I'll probably go through a few false starts before I settle on something that really talks to me.

The above is about an hour worth of doodling :)

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Certificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out Sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar

Now is the Perfect Time to Kick off that New Campaign - Tales from Tenkar's Tavern

What with the election over and the drama just beginning, now is the perfect time to start a new campaign. A fresh start, fresh players, and a new world. We could all use a little distraction right now.

I think what I'm going to do is map out a small sandbox, develop a few plot hooks, and adventure seeds, and get something ready by the New Year. I'll share it here as it develops and include some of the finished work in future issues of Torchlight - yep, the next issue is slowly being worked on by me before going to our layout artist. Soonish, maybe.

So, I'm thinking something not quite as dark as the classic Midnight Setting for 3e but certainly not Forgotten Realms in nature. There are forces out there man and demi-human should fear. 

I'm also thinking episodic in nature, as that seems to work better with the needs of "adulting" and allows for a change of players/characters if needed every session or two without disrupting the campaign.

I'm thinking I'll use Swords & Wizardry Complete for development, as it offers a more robust system than my Swords & Wizardry Continual Light for those following along at home - but I expect I'll run it using SWCL ;)

Time to get my reference material together. Tome of Adventure Design, The d30 Sandbox Companion, and Red Tide thus far. I'm more than open to further recommendations :)

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Certificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out Sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar

Kickstarter - Rathskellers Modular Table: For Dining, Gaming & RPGs

There is simply something undeniably attractive to gaming tables. When Rach and I were looking at property in the Pocono Mountains of NE Pennsylvania earlier this year (before Covid and Congestive Heart Failure changed those plans, at least for the immediate future) I already had a gaming table pucked out.

Of course, it would have doubled as a dining room table. There simply isn't enough room in a small house for a gaming room to be stand-alone. Ah, alas, it wasn't to be.

Now I'm looking at the Rathskellers Modular Table: For Dining, Gaming & RPGs and I'm thinking "where can I sacrifice space to make this work?" Heh. It really is purty and the price is wallet-friendly, but I'm sure the shipping will be a killer as it's coming from Greece.

Where they DO get you is with the addons, but even then, the prices are more than competitive with other gaming tables I've seen, let alone a certain company that took orders that it never filled before going out of business, but we won't talk about that...

Damn, I need to see if I could fit the medium table in my kitchen. Le sigh.

So, who among my readers has a gaming table? Pros? Cons? I'd love to get some feedback.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Certificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out Sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar

DTRPG - Deal of the Day - The Umerican Road Atlas (DCC)

Want some weird, gonzo post-apocalypse sci-fi fantasy in your DCC RPG game? Look no further than The Umerican Road Atlas (DCC), written by Reid San Flippo and Bob Brinkman. Heck, it works with your MCC rules too without much tweaking. Normally 7.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning The Umerican Road Atlas is on sale for 3.20.

A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic Campaign Sourcebook

Join us as we explore the glowing highways and byways of Umerica and those that ride upon them. Within these irradiated pages you will find:

• Over a baker’s dozen of new Interesting Places to Die for you to inflict upon your players.
• The amusing Roadside Attraction Generator, useful for creating truly terrifying tourist traps.
• The helpful Random Roadtrip Encounters table, just in case you’re not sure exactly what is over the next hill.
• Wild weather rules for brewing up an Umerican style storm to make your PC’s lives interesting.
• A treatise on the most infamous gangs of the wastelands.
• The Random Gang Generator, for all of your on-the-fly raider ambush needs.
• Three new character classes: Holy Roller, Hunter, and Road Hawg.
• A slew of new Mighty Deeds dedicated to modern weapons and vehicular mayhem.
• A whole section dedicated to new vehicle types and traits.
• And last but not least, Race for Death — a road rally adventure to die for. 

This product is compatible with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! We currently have 92 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, I'll award a random subscriber a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. We'll do the same at 200 subscribers, but then it will be TWO Gift Cerificates given away. So on at 300 subs and beyond.

 Note: This week's newsletter went out sunday night. If you are a subscriber, check your spam folder - Tenkar

Kickstarter - Strange Citizens of the City, a Third-Party Mörk Borg Book (by Phil Reed)

Phil Reed is one of my favorite Kickstarter creators. His work is always top-notch and one time (or early) and you can usually buy-in for the PDF version of his latest project for real cheap - in this case Strange Citizens of the City, a Third-Party Mörk Borg Book (by Phil Reed) can be snagged - with stretch goals - for a single buck!

I own the Mörk Borg RPG in print, and while I'm not sure I'd run it, it oozes with inspiration that I could (and will) use in my net OSR campaign.

(you can listen to some further thoughts on Phil's pricing scheme at the Tavern Chat Podcast)

From the Kickstarter page:

NOTE: The $1 PDF reward includes Strange Citizens of the City in PDF and, if the stretch goals are unlocked, the two other 32-page zines.

When the third-party Mörk Borg license was released (find the license here), I knew I would have to craft something for use under the game's delightfully light and streamlined engine. Personally, I prefer roleplaying game systems that do not block the gamemaster's creativity . . . and getting out of the way of creativity is exactly what Mörk Borg does. 

The game's openness to imaginative play suits me perfectly. Add to that the game's visual design and there was no way my mind was going to let me ignore the existence of that third-party license.

Strange Citizens of the City is a 32-page 5.5" x 8.5" zine that will be printed at Mixam. This is a digital mockup and is not 100% accurate. The finished booklet will vary slightly in appearance. Color and graphic details may change in small ways.

Strange Citizens of the City is a collection of characters, possibly monsters, and was written to assist the gamemaster in populating the game world. The characters described within the pages of this slim booklet are divided into three categories:

 Strange Citizens of the City, a 2d6 table to characters and the bulk of the book. Each of these eleven different characters fills a two-page spread and offers background info on the character that the GM may run with or ignore. (twenty-two pages)

 Hired Goons, a 1d8 table of minor characters who are far less detailed than those characters described in the previous section of the book. At times, the 2d6 characters within the Strange Citizens of the City chapter will list "hired goons" as a special ability of sorts. When that happens, feel free to select a few of those goons from this section. (four pages)

 (Possibly) Harmless Wanderers, 2d6 characters that are mostly intended as bizarre encounters the player characters may stumble into when walking the city streets. These characters include no game statistics and are purely descriptive. (four pages) 

Strange Citizens of the City is a 32-page 5.5" x 8.5" zine that will be printed at Mixam. This is a digital mockup and is not 100% accurate. The finished booklet will vary slightly in appearance. Color and graphic details may change in small ways.

And that is it! When we add the front and back covers, we reach the book's total of thirty-two pages and have no more space left to discuss. Strange Citizens of the City could technically be used with almost any fantasy roleplaying game -- so long as the gamemaster isn't afraid of adapting concepts and inventing the stats necessary to use the characters with other games -- but it works best with Mörk Borg. 

Simply good stuff :)

Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter! 

Halloween is Over! (Too early to prep for next year?)

 

For some reason two things I like to do here at the Tavern is confess shit and tell stories, which seems appropriate since that's something I'd normally do at a tavern, but then I'd be dressed in more than my underwear and probably have less sugar and more alcohol in me.....

For those of you who don't know me personally, I worked a fair number of years in retail and Halloween marked the official beginning of what I could only call "the suck". When I worked at Fred Meyer I didn't get to "do" Halloween, instead I got to come in late and when the store closed at 11 PM we got cracking and swapped out the Seasonal Department from Halloween to Christmas. In later, and arguably better, retail (State-Run Liquor Store) Halloween is a big party holiday and the start of the busier selling-season. Halloween on a Saturday.....you know that was a busy day at the liquor store!

One thing I've never done, and I've heard it's something folks visiting this page would be wont to do, is run a special Halloween game. I've played in zombie-heavy campaigns, and I have only a couple sessions of Call of Cthulhu under my belt, but no special themed game just for Halloween.

Of course it being November 1st, I'm shit out of luck doing it this year......

Honestly though, I'm on the fence about a themed game to begin with. Probably because I'm a bit of a wuss and haven't been into scary movies since I was in High School. Sure, I have no problem watching an old Friday the 13th flick, but Cabin in the Woods? Actually I might like that one, but I cannot name any of the current crop of horror movies out there. What I do like is the comedy/horror blend. Figure out a way to run Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and I'll go grab my dice. Just don't expect me to write the damned thing.

I'm used to a small amount of comedy in my RPGs, but mostly because the players are gathered to have a good time and like to screw with each other.....ok it's me.....I enjoy screwing with the other players, or my players if I'm the GM. Nothing serious & lasting in-game mind you, but just as friends around the table.

I've written one adventure that was comedic in nature, for a GM-only game at Origins, but I have never written an actual "scary" adventure. The closest I've come is an adventure seed, something I call a Tweak & Toss....because I assume no matter how well-written I think I can make something (and I've seen adventures far too over-written!) any GM worth their salt is going to heavily tweak what I've done and toss it into their home game. Instead of a lot of pages of highly-focused content, I've been going with a few pages of more generic information that the GM could use as the base for them to spice it up to their specifications......

.....anyway, that's a long segue to my Tweak & Toss that had to be inspired on some level by Motel Hell. If you aren't familiar with this B Movie horror gem.......believe me you're better off. The Horrors of Halfling Hollow was something I had put up on my blog as a freebie download on DriveThruRPG. I think I'll keep it free for another week and let anyone here grab a copy so you can have a entire year to tweak it for a right proper scary Halloween game next year (the implication is you'd have to tweak it in order for it to be scary).

I'd love to hear from GMs/players who took part in an actual Halloween-themed game that was fun and NOT Call of Cthulhu. Don't get me wrong, I like CoC, but I'd rather hear about the normal game/table having an in-game one-off and not a "let's play this other system tonight" type of thing.  

RPGNow Deal of the Day - Warlock! (Old School British RPG)

Today's Deal of the Day at DTRPG is Warlock!

If you are like me, you might react WTF is Warlock!? Well, it appears to have its roots in the Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, which I always thought of as solo adventures (and greatly enjoyed) but apparently make a decent tabletop RPG too. The system is light, which I like, and revolves around D6s, which always aids in bringing in new players. I'm looking forward to digging through my copy and using the rules with my 10-year-old niece :)

Normally selling for 6.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning Warlock! is on sale for 3.49. Hell, it's practically worth it for the cover art alone :)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Tavern's weekly Newsletter!

Tenkar's Tavern Community Newsletter - Mail Call for News!

The second issue of the Tenkar's Tavern Newsletter is coming in two days. If you have gaming news to add to it, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that Gmail thing. It aims to be your one-stop shopping for weekly OSR news and beyond, but it needs YOUR help to achieve such.

Not subscribed yet? Why not? It's free! 

https://tenkarstavern.m-pages.com/F12oyy/signup-form

We currently have 73 subscribers. When we hit 100 subscribers, one random subscriber will receive a $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate. Woot!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Open Call for Topics for Bad Mike & Tenkar to Talk Crit about

Mike & I are digging in and getting ready to do our Talking Crit Live on Wednesday Nights @ 8 PM Eastern, afterwards the audio will get uploaded to the Tavern Chat Podcast.

Our usual "go-to", WotC doing something stupid, was fine when we were doing Talking Crit once or twice a month, but we can't rely on WotC fucking up often enough for us to Talk Crit on a weekly basis - so we are putting our crit talking into your hands.

While we plan on doing an episode on some of the bigger Funded & Failed Kickstarter Creators (a list that is sadly, far too long) we need more and varied topics, and that where you come in.

What do you want us to talk about? Some sample ideas are:

• The best, and worst, of each of the D&D / AD&D editions
• The best, and worst, of the early RPGs (pre-1980)
• The Gygax Memorial Fund - an overview

Comment below, because we want to hear from you!

You can watch Talking Crit live via Facebook or YouTube each Wednesday Night @ 8PM Eastern, but if you want to comment during the podcast and be sure we get a chance to read it, we recommend you watch via YouTube, as the Facebook commenting is iffy.

The link to The Tavern's YouTube Channel is YouTube.com/ErikTenkar

You can watch the last two episodes of Talking Crit at the above link.

OSR Christmas 2020 - Time to Start Making the Lists (Blog, Mailing, Podcast & YouTube)

It's that time of year again. Days are getting shorter. Leaves are falling along with the temperatures. OSR Christmas is in the air :)

This year, we are going to do things a bit differently. As always, we are looking for publishers to offer gifts, both in print and PDF (electronic). Those gifts will be gifted through this website, TenkarTavern.com unless you ask otherwise.

 If you can donate gifts this year, please email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that Gmail thing with "OSR Christmas" in the subject line. and let me know what you plan to gift, how many copies, physical and/or PDF, and if physical, where it does, and does not ship to.

In addition to the gifts you all know and love that are gifted via The Tavern Website, I will be gifting AT LEAST $500 worth of DTRPG Gift Certificates, but it WON'T be via the blog. Instead, it will be gifted to readers of The Tavern's Mailing List, callers to the Tavern Chat Podcast, and subscribers and commenters of The Tavern's Youtube Channel. Yes, we have a presence in more media than just the website and all members of The Tavern Community should have the opportunity to be gifted.

Subscribe to The Tavern's Mailing List and to our YouTube Channel, and listen to the Tavern Chat Podcast starting in late November to increase your opportunities to be gifted. I will remind folks when the season officially kicks off ;)

Note: Bad Mike and & are recording an episode of Talking Crit live tonight at 8 PM Eastern @ YouTube.com/ErikTenkar

Another note: I've been told for some The Tavern's Newsletter is landing in your Spam Folder. It was emailed on Sunday. If it hasn't shown up in you IN Box, check your Spam Folder - Tenkar

Deal of the Day - Trilemma Adventures Compendium Volume I (System Neutral)

If you are looking for "oomph" for your gaming buck, look o further than today's DTRPG Deal of the Day - Trilemma Adventures Compendium Volume I. It's a system-neutral compendium of 55 adventure sites, regions, and settlements. Literally a campaign or more of material for your gaming sandbox laid out for perfect use on your computer screen or tablet - with hyperlinks. Trilemma Adventures Compendium Volume I was worth some of my admittedly limited gaming dollars and should be in every DM's toolbox for inspiration.

Note, there is a systemless bestiary PDF included. The bestiary is also available in B/X and 5e flavors at additional cost.

(For more "oomph" for your gaming buck, see last night's DCC RPG Humble Bundle post - less than a buck an adventure)

Each location is written to be usable separately, perfect for one-shot sessions, side quests, or to help populate your home grown campaign setting.

All have been lavishly illustrated and laid out to make them easy to run, straight from the book.

This book is packed with caverns, castles, underworld cities, labyrinths, mansions, flying tombs, hidden temples, and fallen shrines.

Also inside is more than 60 pages of new material:

an illustrated bestiary

an appendix of magical items

ten solid pages of hooks, rumors and secret lore

six regional gazetteers tying the adventure locations into a ready-to-use campaign setting

a full-color regional map, in GM and player versions

a complete index

a bonus location, set in the aftermath of the Kickstarter invasion scenario

This compendium is an essential part of your GM kit!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Humble Bundle - Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) RPG (Goodman Games)

Certainly NOT expected but very exciting to see, the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Humble Bundle is live! Holy shit, I'm about to have a crapton of DCC adventures to read and inspire me.

I LOVE DCC RPG adventures. They ooze with style and are perfect for one-shots and episodic play. A few years ago, I ran a bunch of DCC RPG adventures using the Swords & Wizardry rules, converting on the fly. We had a blast. 

Although I have more than a few in this collection, it's still an unbelievable bargain to get the DCC Rules, 21 adventures, the GM screen, and tokens for as little as 8 bucks. 17 more adventures for a total of 15 bucks. Plus 2 annuals.

God damn!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Gareth Sharka tells Dying Man that Far West is Expected to Deliver by the End of This Year

 

I have no idea how I missed this back in September. 

Oh wait, that's right. All Far West updates are via a forum for which new sign-ups are broken and Gareth never posts on.

Until now.

Here's the direct link to the thread in the Far West Forums

Darq has been asking about progress on Far West since 2014. I hope and pray Darq doesn't truly have a terminal illness, but if he does and Gareth has made yet another promise he can't keep it will be a new low, even for him.

I'm at a loss for words.

Deal of the Day - Mythic World of Oldskull - Oldskull Warriors (OSR)

I've enjoyed the various Oldskull releases I've snagged over the years. High quality and useful in your old school gaming, the prices aren't those that will break the bank. At a buck, Mythic World of Oldskull - Oldskull Warriors is less than a cup of coffee at the corner bodega. That's my kind of pricing. Note, you have until 11 AM Eastern, October 26th, 2020 to grab this special pricing.

This detailed volume features the fully refined and corrected classes of the warrior archetype: the doughty Fighter (with clarified rules for weapon specialization), the revised Oldskull Barbarian, the intrepid Hunter, and the deadly Ranger of Queen’s Cambria. All classes have been fully integrated with world mythology, folklore, weird fiction, and detailed campaign notes from the author’s campaign that will bring your warrior characters alive in the World of Oldskull. All of the classes and rules have been reimagined and updated throughout with extensive sagely advice along with out-of-print magazine and newszine errata, supplemented by notes and musings derived from E. Gary Gygax in accordance with his vision for his never-attained Advanced Second Edition.

Twenty of the new elements and systems you will find herein include: extensive themes and evocative level titles for all classes, social standing guidelines by level, freehold guidelines for fighter lords, fighter command ranks, fighter morale and loyalty effects on soldiers, corrected and more intuitive weapon specialization, jumping rules, non-thief climbing rules, rebalanced barbarian role-playing guidelines, 11 iconic Oldskull barbarian tribes (the Amazons, Cimmerians, Stygians, etc.), full barbarian skills based on Gygax’s hunter notes, snare setting rules, wound binding rules, full hunter skills, beast mastery rules, spirit hounds for high-level hunters, free-from-problematic-IP background lore for the ranger class, fully corrected and justified ranger spell casting rules for druidic and magical powers, corrected tracking rules (following from the Unearthed paradigm), and rebalanced and fairer thematic disadvantages for the ranger class.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.