Rob Conley / Bat in the Attic Games Announces Impending End of Their Judges Guild License

You can read Rob's full articles at his Bat in the Attic Blog, where he breaks everything down. https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2022/08/concerning-judges-guild-to-all-things.html

Long story short, if you have an interest in Rob's amazing Wilderlands maps and remakes or his Majestic Wilderlands setting, you have about 2 weeks to pick them up. I strongly recommend you do so.

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Kickstarter - Old-School Solo Adventures by Gaming Ballistic (OSE)

First things first. I've known Douglas Cole for at least 9 years now. He was one of my regular players in The Tavern's "B-Team" about 7 years back, and we've remained good friends ever since. Doug is one of the most organized Kickstarter project managers I know, and I know a ton of folks that run Kickstarters. Aside from that, each Kickstarter Doug has run has been excellent to amazing in turnaround and quality of the product. The "due diligence" has been done with Doug, and he passes with flying colors.

Old-School Solo Adventures for OSE are four solo adventures for level 2nd through level 9 using the OSE rules. Yes, you can likely use the OSR ruleset of your choice without breaking anything. Additionally, if you want more OSE goodness, you can check out the Essential Classic Fantasy RPG Collection Humble Bundle for much more OSE-related titles, including the core boos in PDF.

I know the quality of Doug's work, and I don't think there is a Gaming Ballistic Kickstarter I haven't backed, regardless of the RPG system. Quality is consistent across systems. I'm in for Print plus PDF myself, and the Old-School Solo Adventures for OSE Kickstarter funded in an hour. I couldn't be more pleased.

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Humble Bundle - Essential Classic Fantasy RPG Collection

Wow.

Quite simply Wow.

I own probably half the titles in this collection in print or PDF, but for 25 bucks I'm in for those that I DON'T already own.

Highlights for me are the Lost Lands Setting from Frog God Games(awesome AND open for other publishers), Highfell (Greg Gillespie at his finest), the OSE Core Books, StoneHeart Valley (also offered in print for a grand total of $45), and a crapton of other adventures.

The Essential Classic Fantasy RPG Collection from Humble Bundle is likely a lifetime of OSR gaming for you and your group for a mere 25 bucks. Sure, you can snag it for less (or more) but 25 bucks is a sweetspot you WILL NOT BEAT. Seriously.

]

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Far West Kickstarter - Is This an Actual Update from Gareth?

On Twitter, of course. The real question is, will it release under 11 years late? 

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on YouTube.

Humble Bundle - Sounds of Adventure - Doctor Who Audio Dramas

I need to confess that my Doctor Who knowledge is from the earlier series of Doctor Who when they were on PBS in my teen years and early 20s. I seem to remember lots of funny-looking (and even funnier sounding) enemy robots, but the Doctor always found a way to succeed in the end.

I've become addicted to audiobooks and radio dramas in my later years, as I find them more engaging than the written word, while still giving my imagination full range to fill in the blanks with traditional books.

So, it looks like the current Humble Bundle for Doctor Who Audio Dramas is going to be my next pick-up.

18 bucks get you 17 titles. That's nearly a buck per drama. I can dig that :)

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Kickstarter - Unleashed Arcana RPG Dice & DCC Sets along with D18s & D22s (Impact! Miniatures)

Dice. Fucking dice! They are my kryptonite. I can go weeks, even months, without looking for new ones, and then BAMN! I find cool dice that I want.

Note, I don't NEED any more dice. Shit, if I had any sort of self-control I wouldn't WANT any more dice. But I want them. They are my... precious.

Tonight I searched Kickstarter for ZineQuest. I quickly realized there were many more zines waiting to launch. So then I did a search for dice, and the first to catch my eyes was the Unleashed Arcana RPG Dice & DCC Sets along with D18s & D22s Kickstarter by Impact! Miniatures.

Again, I don't need more dice but I will be getting more dice.

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Not Really a Missed Opportunity to Grab a Book I Wanted....

I know this is late in the day and truth be told it's a bit later than I would like it to be, but I had to do a bit of travelling and some of the logistics took longer than expected.

Today started out with a bunch of promise and I was really hoping to be able to post pics of one of a new acquisition for my RPG collection: a 1st Printing of Deities & Demigods. Someone in my gaming group gave me a head's up that there was a decent copy in Denton, TX and although I had to wait a painful week before I'd be driving by Denton, today was the day.

The good news is that they had three copies of the Deities & Demigods book, but they were from the 2nd/3rd printing. Now I am not 100% sure if this checks out (I'm sure someone here will set me straight if I'm wrong), but it has been explained to me that the 1st printing had the Cthulhu mythos in it, with no "Thanks Chaosium" statement in it. The 2nd printing did have a thanks statement and the 3rd just removed the Cthulhu mythos altogether. 

I think that's well documented enough, but what I heard, and could be 110% bullshit, is that the 2nd and 3rd printings are really the same print run. Somewhere along the line of the second printing they basically stopped the presses and inserted (however that happens) the new whatever-it-was-they used (plates?) and started the presses up again. It was all one print run, just broken up what was actually printed and shipped.

Anyway, this store had two of the 2nd edition(?) and one 3rd. One looked pretty good, but they actually penciled in the price on the front leaf page. WTF, who does that? I get it in some rinky-dink mom & pop booth at an antique mall, but a bookstore with a no-shit "rare book" section that's not only locked but you need a fricken escort? The other one had a huge ugly ownership label badly glued to the inside cover. The real problem was that they wanted $170 each for what was at best a Very Fine (and I doubt they'd actually make that grade) copy.

That was way overpriced for what they had, enough that I wasn't even willing to bother to see if they'd come down. IIRC that value was more than a Near Mint copy.

I did end up finding a Endless Quest D&D book I didn't have and a couple Blu-Ray/4K movies, but the hunt for a 1st printing Deities & Demigods continues on for another day.....

State of The Tavern Keeper - Turning 55 and All That Jazz

Yes, it's that time, when your OSR Tavern Keeper celebrates yet another year. I turned 55 today, and I'm truly at a loss for words. Just over 2 years ago, I wasn't sure if 53 was going to make the cut, and here I am, 60 pounds lighter and likely healthier than I have been in years.

I plan on sticking around for a few more decades, and I know there are some groans when I say that, but tough! They know who they are ;)

Birthday wishes have been coming in via FB, email, discord, and text. I can't thank you all enough.

Now, on to bookkeeping. I've unlaunched my Patreon. It never served the purpose I had imagined it would and I never really had a handle on it as a creator. It's time to reevaluate and potentially reimagine. For those that simply want to support what I do, there is a Paypal subscription button on the top of this page. Even better, shop using The Tavern's affiliate links listed at the bottom of every post. 

We've surpassed 1,500 Subscribers on The Tavern's Youtube Channel. That means that next Wednesday on the Talking Crit Livestream (which airs every Wednesday Night at 8 PM Eastern) we are giving away at least $250 in DTRPG Gift Certificates.

I've been asked why I don't watch many gaming-oriented Youtube channels, and the simple answer is, that I like my content much like I make my content - unscripted, not pushing products, not a game session recording, and simply not fake. Often the fewer bells and whistles, the more I like a channel, as it simply feels less rehearsed and planned. There are exceptions to these rules, of course, but I tend to prefer the feel of the "cable public access" vibe ;)

Alright, getting close to dinner with the family, so I should wrap this up. Tonight at 8 PM Eastern Rach and I will be doing our weekly Gamers' Health Livestream. I can think of no better way to spend my birthday ;)

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Humble Bundle - Two, yes TWO, Image Comics Bundles (90s & 2000s)

I was an avid comic book collector from the 80s through the late 90s. As much as the "then new" Image Comics interested me and their lineup of creators, I just couldn't justify the additional hit to my wallet.

Now I can justify the one-time hit to my wallet ;)

The Image Comics 30th Anniversary The 90s Bundle includes over 200 issues (possibly 400 or so if you count the collected Spawn Volumes as individual comics) for 25 bucks.

The Image Comics 30th Anniversary The 2000s Bundle is a more eclectic collection of 400? 500? issues of various comic series from the 2000s, including the first Walking Dead collection.

Thank god these are digital or I'd have no room to store them ;)

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

I Almost Forgot There Was a Christmas in July Sale at DTRPG!

I've been otherwise occupied recently, and I totally failed to notice that DTRPG was running its annual Christmas in July Sale.

There are discounts running from 15-25% off for the titles in the sale. There are also a handful of titles that are 50% off, but they are not OSR and aren't much of an interest to me ;)

\

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

Bundle of Holding - Halls of Arden Vul (OSR Mega Dungeon)

When it comes to published megadungeons, nothing comes close in size or scope to Halls of Ardun Vul. I actually own Arden Vul in print, which is a many-volume hardcover set. I have yet to give it the complete reading it deserves.

Halls of Ardun Vul is a current offering on Bundle of Holding. Normally $109, and currently on sale for $81.75 in PDF, you can get Halls of Ardun Vul for $24.95 via Bundle of Holding. At that price, every old-school gamer should own a copy.

Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This First Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features:

• 2,162 Encounter Descriptions
• 14 NPC Factions
• 10 Massive Levels
• 15 Extensive Sub-levels
• 7 Dangerous Exterior locations
• 149 New Monsters
• 332 New Magic Items
• 69 New Technological Items
• 44 New Spells
• 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon
• A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power 
• Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations!

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Humble Bundle - Judge Dredd: Perps, Punks, and Partners (Comics)

I used to be a huge collector of comic books in my teens and 20s. There was just something about reading books with art that was special. My local comic book store didn't carry Judge Dredd or the 2000 AD titles, because those weren't "American", but I would make occasional trips to Forbidden Planet on 13th Street in Manhattan and I'd always leave with some Judge Dredd and the like to fill the holes in my collection.

Most of those comics are gone now, either by choice (and downsizing purge) or by fate (a flood in the basement). I'm building my new comic book collection digitally. It stores much easier ;)

The Humble Bundle - Judge Dredd: Perps, Punks, and Partners is 25 bucks for 54 items. Its the pricepoint I'm jumping in at, but you can grab a smaller selection for as little as a buck.

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

GoFundMe - Save Queen Anne! - Darlene Needs Our Help!

I shared this on The Tavern's Youtube Channel this morning and offered to match the first $250 raised by Tavern Members. That was hit with the first donation of $250!

So now here's the new goal. If members of The Tavern can get us to $1000 or more raised for Darlene by this community, The Tavern will donate $500 total in the name of the members of The Tavern.

Skip your next cup of Starbucks coffee and give it to Darlene and save her home.

https://gofund.me/9e7c994b (I wish I had figured out how to do a team link earlier)

Queen Anne is dying. She was born in 1901 in a small town in North Carolina. I’m doing all I can to save her, but I need your help.

I am a retired artist whose claim to fame is being the first woman artist for Dungeons and Dragons. Choosing a life devoted to art cost me financial security. I’ve always lived close to the bone and have no means to help her.

Queen Anne is my house, a Victorian lady in serious trouble. Your contribution will help to repair her windows (so she can see); remove the overgrown vines, bushes and branches (they scratch her); a new roof (her hair is falling out); along with mold remediation from a leak (the result of her tears); and a new coat of paint (to protect her skin and restore her beautiful face).

Although her foundation is sound, and she’s paid for, Queen Anne sadly faces a point of no return. Repairs need to be done ASAP while they can still be easily managed. Also, the town is after her, insisting she be brought up to what they call “minimum standards.” They mostly don’t like to see windows without sills… Thus, my immediate need.

The amount I’m asking will take care of the minimum requirements so I’m not in trouble with the town. Anything over this amount will help defray the costs of a new roof and, hopefully, a paint job.

I hold out the hope someday soon she will again be the beautiful southern belle she once was. Won’t you help me refurbish this grand dame?

 

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

New D&D Movie: Honor Among Thieves

I really haven't been a fan of the "Dungeons & Dragons" movies out there. The first one was, maybe OK, but the second one......yes, there was a second pretty-much-straight-to-DVD second film, well let's just say I know I watched it, but I remember jack squat about it.

I do watch a lot of movies, but to basically purge it from memory except for my recollection of the perception (I don't remember anything about Eragon, except for the abrupt ending and me thinking, "Where the F*%k is the rest of this shitty movie?!"

No, the best D&D movies, to me, were so NOT D&D movies....well at least not outright:

• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
• The Gamers
• That other Gamers movie (The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
• Willow
• The Last Witch Hunter
• Conan the Barbarian
• Dragonslayer
• Ladyhawke
• Time Bandits

OK, I added Time Bandits to see if you were still with me here, BUT it did have a bunch of time & space jumping Dwarves stealing everything in sight. It fits with the Fantasy and SciFi mashup that a lot of those early guys seemed to enjoy.....

So I'm not super excited about the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie that was just announced as the track record isn't that great. I mean the first one had some big names and fancy (for the time) special effects too. It's not like Jeremy Irons phoned it in or anything, but the movie was...again, just OK. I think the problem was that instead of telling a good story with some D&D elements they went with D&D-ish elements that were more important than the story.

Remember the Beholder?

Yep, a Beholder running around acting as an overgrown guard dog. New one for me.

Still, I'm holding out a little hope for this movie, even if my expectations are low. There really isn't much to go on right now but the trailer. I'm guessing the lead character is a Bard, but the others....no clue. Just seems like generic fighter-type, maybe thief-type, maybe a paladin-ish-type, a magic-user-type, and....druid-type? Actual classes, who knows. Is that one PC, er character, actually a high-level druid that can shape-shift into an Owlbear, or is there a weird new lycanthropy in the newest edition? Hell if I know.....just hits me a bit like the D&D-ish elements of the previous attempts. 

The basic plot seems like some type of redemption story, with the idea that the main character recovered a super-powerful magic relic and handed it over to the bad guy who does bad things and now he's forming a group to get the macguffin back? Interesting putting the lewt acquisition way up-front like that, but if it works....

...if.

I want to be optimistic because if they do a good job and the movie makes money outside of the nerdcore audience, maybe we can get more? I'm thinking if it does good, maybe not great, we can at least get a few more definitely-not-D&D-type movies out of the deal, and some of those might make it to the short list right above Time Bandits....

Here is a little info from a SDCC Panel.

Special Note: I started this post on Friday before Erik posted this same movie clip...and I finished it before he finished his post, but it was scheduled for "my day". I already gave him crap, so no need to bug him (or me) about that fact......instead bug him about other stupid shit. He just loves that!

Update - Tenkar's Minions Shirt has Arrived - Should be Available for the Masses Before the End of Summer

I very much like the quality of the Tenkar's Minions shirt I received, but the vendor I used does not have its own marketplace. Still, it showed me that the art will reproduce well. The next step is to try RedBubble or the like.

I will likely take orders for pick-up at Shire Con in September from the original vendor, but they only offered up to 2x, and as gamers that is similar to a Gamers' Large ;) Another reason to use RedBubble is they offer up to 5x.

As the art was donated to the community, all shirts will be sold AT COST when they are available. There are other ways to support The Tavern and they are linked below.

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

New Dungeons & Dragons Movie Trailer is Live

 

A fine-looking Mimic

The new trailer has been released for the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie starring Chris Pine. I am pleasantly surprised to say "it looks fun" and possibly even good. I know, go figure.

Here's the link to the video. Enjoy:

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 affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar