Humble Bundle - Cyberpunk RED and Classic Mega Bundle

I first came across Cyberpunk 2020 shortly after it came out in the late 80s. Although I didn't read much science fiction at the time, I had seen the covers of various cyberpunk novels at B. Dalton's, and the concept intrigued me. I don't believe I ever had a chance to run Cyberpunk 2020, but that was more due to the plethora of games my gaming group already owned that lack of interest.

The current Cyberpunk RED and Classic Mega Bundle over at the Humble Bundle Store should scratch all of your Cyberpunk needs. With the core books for Cyberpunk RED, Cyberpunk 2020, as well as the Cyberpunk Red Jump Kit and a total of 20 more supplements for both systems (price at 18 bucks), the cyberpunk in all of us should be satiated ;)

Calling all solos, netrunners, and rockerboys—it’s time to bring the edgy allure and explosive excitement of the legendary Cyberpunk pen and paper RPG to your table! This bundle is bursting at the seams with all the rulebooks, sourcebooks, and more that you’ll need to play both Cyberpunk RED —the latest edition of the seminal RPG—as well as Cyberpunk 2020, the classic that started it all. You’ll get over 20 books and game aids for both editions, including the Interface RED Volume 3 sourcebook, packed with new weapons, gear, rules, and more, and available for the first time anywhere as part of this bundle! Pay what you want for all the tools you need to take Night City by storm, and help support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals with your purchase.

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Kickstarter - Deck of Old-School Encounters Set Two, OSR Fantasy RPG Cards (Phil Reed)

72 more encounter cards for use with almost any fantasy RPG! May be used alone or combined with Set 1. Written by Philip Reed.

I'm a huge fan, and a friend, of Phil Reed. I've been following Phil for decades, back when he had an email list with gaming ideas. These days, he's the master of the small and quick RPG Kickstarter. Phil's current Kickstarter, Deck of Old-School Encounters Set Two, OSR Fantasy RPG Cards is only live for a short time, and as I type this has less than 3 days left in its funding period.

The Deck of Old-School Encounters Set Two includes 72 more random encounter cards, each one illustrated. This deck – for use by gamemasters and solo players – gives you a quick way to generate the next random encounter in your game. 

Fully compatible with the first set (or use this second set of cards on their own)! You can select the first deck in the $8, $12, and $30 rewards. Or, if you wish, buy it today at DriveThruRPG!

These systemless cards work with any classic fantasy RPG. They are also a good fit for modern campaigns looking to add a touch of old-school flavor.

Each card also features the baseline reaction of the encountered character or creature. The reactions are divided into three categories.

• Friendly. The encountered character(s) are open to assisting the party of adventurers . . . so long as the heroes are also friendly.
• Indifferent. The encountered character(s) or creature(s) are likely to ignore the party if the adventurers don't do something stupid. Events during gameplay may turn some indifferent situations into hostile (or maybe even friendly) reactions . . . depending on the players' actions.
• Hostile. The encountered character(s) or creature(s) are prone to violence and very likely to attack the party. Of course, the heroes may be able to sway the opposition, possibly turning an armed conflict into a tense – yet peaceful – meeting of two groups. (Who are we kidding? The adventurers are more likely to engage in fisticuffs than they are in conversation.)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Free OSR - Downsized Dungeons - Issue 1 (OSE Mini-Dungeon)

I enjoy what I call "drop-in dungeons" that you can plop down in a hex crawl with minimal fuss. Your part cleared out their current adventure early, and you still have 90 minutes left in the game session? Something like Downsized Dungeons is a perfect fit. The fact that it is PWYW means you can pay for it if you like when you actually use it.

Issue 1 - The Crypt of the Barbarian King

This classic five-room dungeons holds all the trappings of a good crawl. There are monsters. There are ghosts. And of course, there's a ton of treasure at the end. 

About Downsized Dungeons

Fully statted for Old-School Essentials, these mini dungeons are the perfect thing to grab and go when you're low on preptime. They are intended to be played in a single session either as a one shot, or dropped into your current campaign.

Each issue contains an all new dungeon with original art and hand-drawn maps for that old school feeling. 

Pick up a copy and see how it fits into your game!

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Kickstarter - Fiend Folio Vol.1 for use with OSR

I'm a sucker for new monsters in my OSR games. I like to create them, and I love it when I find new monsters that others have created. I've been a fan of Jeremy Hart's artwork for a while now, and the Fiend Folio Vol.1 Kickstarter looks very appealing. I'm a backer :)

For this zine I'll be aiming for the center of the OSR. Stat-blocks are modeled after various great games such as Cha'alt, Swords & Wizardry, Lion & Dragon, etc. Basically just a single Saving Throw and only Ascending Armor Class. All the usual funky dice are necessary. 

Each monster gets two pages. One has stats and the facing page is an artsy size comparison piece you can flash to your players. These have been generated over on my Patreon as cards. I've also been uploading them to DriveThruRPG as time allows. I try to create at least 8 different color/texture variations per creature. Of course, only one version of each can make it into the zine.

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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 

News Regarding Castle Zagyg and More (Troll Lord Games)

From the Troll Lord Games Website:

WORLDS OF GARY GYGAX

We are beyond pleased and honored to announce that the powers that be have released multiple works of the late Gary Gygax to Troll Lord Games for mass-market publication. These include the complete Gygaxian Fantasy World series, Castle Zagyg: Yggsburg, Castle Zagyg: East Mark, Castle Zagyg: The Manse, Castle Zagyg: Mouths of Madness, Castle Zagyg: The Dungeons (including all 17 handcrafted levels and any sublevels), and all related Castle Zagyg adventures such as the Teeth of Barkash Nour, The Halls of Many Panes, The Hermit, and the Kings of England Kings of France boardgame. See below for details.

THE FATHER OF A HOBBY & INDUSTRY

Though Gary Gygax was not alone in creating role playing games, others like Dave Arneson certainly played a part, it is to Gary’s drive, creativity, expertise, and sheer love of gaming that launched it from a basement hobby for a passionate few, into an industry that spans multiple media platforms.

What You Need to Know Right Now

Currently we are set to launch the Gygaxian Fantasy World Kickstarter campaign this March. Be sure to sign up and be there for any early bird specials!

The Kickstarter campaign for Gary Gygax’s The Hermit ended in December of 2023, support for which broke six digits! Fear not if you missed the Kickstarter, for you can pre-order The Hermit on our website and receive yours when it becomes available this spring.

Furthermore, we still have copies of the classic printing of Gary Gygax’s Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh. This classic reprint relaunched the Gygax Estates properties, and a host of folks came out to order it, support TLG and the Estate, and help launch this whole endeavor. A hearty thanks to all those people, but if you missed it, you can buy yours now in our store. It ships immediately!

TROLL LORD GAMES

Troll Lord Games served as Gary’s primary publisher from 2000-2008. After he crossed over much of Gary’s material vanished from the gaming table. Now we hope to launch a new era of publishing, bringing back the many rich worlds of Gary Gygax.

Gygaxian Fantasy World Series

The Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds (be sure to SIGN UP NOW for notifications) is an Encyclopedic series envisioned by the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax. He conceived the series as an open-ended collection of role-playing gaming aids for the Game Master and the Player, the specific focus of which was World Building. Written, co-written, or edited by Gygax himself, its intent was to cover all the bases of our gaming world.

The first of these books, The Canting Crew, was published in 2001. Six more volumes followed, and more were planned prior to his passing in 2008.

Now, for the first time since they were pulled from the market in 2008, this collection of Gygaxian knowledge returns to the gaming world. Through this Kickstarter we hope to bring back all seven volumes and possibly more. Join us in recreating part of our gaming heritage and flood your own table with mountains of gaming content.

For a complete list of the Castle Zagyg material see below.

WHY CASTLES & CRUSADES

In 2003 Gary opened a discussion with Steve Chenault about Castle Zagyg. He did not want it to appear under the Dungeons & Dragons name or game system. When the Troll Lords proposed that we make Castles & Crusades compatible with his vision for a game for Castle Zagyg he heartly agreed. Both he and Steve wanted C&C to be near to AD&D, so it worked well. Gary was given the right of approval of the rules, and did so with few corrections, so that when Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh and Upper were finally published, they launched with the Castles & Crusades SIEGE Engine system. We will pick up with his wishes where we left off in 2008.

Castle Zagyg

We are going to revisit Gary Gygax’s Castle Zagyg like never before, but much like we intended in years past. This project is massive!

Mike Stewart, known for his Victorious RPG and many adventures like Shadows of the Halfling Hall, has come on board as the head writer. But he won’t be alone, Luke Gygax joins him as does James M. Ward, Jason Vey, Jeremy Farkas and Davis Chenault. Peter Bradley and Bill Edmunds on cartography.

This project will include several major areas:

• Castle Zagyg The City of Yggsburg
• Castle Zagyg Yggsburg Environs (24 neighborhoods of the city)
• The East Mark Setting
• Castle Zagyg: The Manse & Mouths of Madness
• Castle Zagyg: The Dungeons, 17 levels

We’ve not yet settled on an organizational format but have settled on hardcover books with pockets in the back to hold the many maps that will come with this set.

MISSION STATEMENT

We are going to try to stay as true to Gary Gygax’s vision of his work as we possibly can. Steve and Davis Chenault and Peter Bradley all worked closely with Gary for almost 8 years and have a pretty good handle on what he wanted. On top of this, we will be consulting with family members such as Ernie and Luke Gygax, and long time friends like James M. Ward and Jeffrery Talanian to make these works as close to Gary’s vision as we can. New art! New maps! Layout and all, but Gary through and through.

Hall of Many Panes and Other Games

There is so much more to work on. Gary’s creative output was unmatched and even in the wanning years it continued to grow.

We were very happy to have launched The Hermit kickstarter (preorder here), and move toward bring that fabled adventure to your table.

But there is more. The Hall of Many Panes is on the deck. This massive planar adventure, written by Gary and originally published in 2005, is a monument to the bizarre and genius that was Gary’s gift to us all. We’ll bring this on up to date and republish in full color!

One of the projects near and dear to his heart was the Kings of England, Kings of France board game. We are going to dust off the old maps and playing pieces and bring this one back to the fold.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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 

D&D's Golden Anniversary

As this is the "last Sunday of January" in 2024, that means realistically today(ish) is the 50th Anniversary of D&D.

50 Effing years.....holy crap. I think I started playing in the winter of '78, but I could be off a year either way. I should be celebrating like any faithful dork by playing this weekend and I had full intentions of attending NTRPG's gaming day/weekend at the hotel, but I'm not fully recovered from the flu from last week and traveling to the event, I'm certain, would've been "terminally stupid".

Anyway, 50 years is a lot of time, but that number is really misleading. The real number is the hours spent around the table, days playing between school sessions, weeks at conventions, and (if you were lucky) years in campaigns. Those numbers, well they're the real numbers we celebrate.

If you haven't been able to in a while, please pick up some appropriate dice and roll one out in commemoration.

Looking Back to 2014 - Scarlet Heroes (Sine Nomine)

I can't believe Scarlet Heroes was first released in 2014. Now I find myself desperately looking for my physical copy on my unsorded bookshelves. I backed the Scarlet Heroes Kickstarter back in the day and I so wanted to run this, but I never had a small enough group. Now I'm tempted to try this as a solo RPG. Kevin Crawford simply does great stuff.

Scarlet Heroes is an old-school tabletop role-playing game designed to provide classic sword and sorcery gaming for one player and one gamemaster. Unlike most other RPGs, Scarlet Heroes is built to support one-on-one play, with no need for a full-fledged party of adventurers to provide an evening's entertainment. Whether for a spouse, kid, curious friend, or just as an alternative to boardgames for those nights when only one or two friends can make it to the gaming session, Scarlet Heroes gives you the tools for good old-fashioned skull-cracking adventure.

Scarlet Heroes can be used both as a stand-alone RPG and as an overlay over your favorite old-school game to make its adventures playable for single PCs or very small groups. It shares the same classic statistics and basic game mechanisms as these old-school favorites, but by changing the interpretation of these numbers it makes it possible for a single courageous adventurer to dare perils that would otherwise threaten a half-dozen freebooters. With Scarlet Heroes, a GM can pull out a favorite module, grab a convenient friend, and have a full night's adventure with no tweaking, alteration, or adjustment of the material needed.

Inside the pages of this book, you'll find...

• A full stand-alone RPG system that can also be used as an overlay atop most popular old-school games.
• The Red Tide campaign setting as a default for the game, with a full bestiary of Southeast Asian-inspired monsters, suitable new magic items, and a full list of new cleric and magic-user spells for that setting.
• Sixty new adventure tags of the sort beloved in Stars Without Number and the Red Tide Campaign Setting sourcebook. Mix and match to fashion your own perilous circumstance.
• Solo adventure tools for genuine single-player RPG gaming. Mix your own creativity with table results to create a narrative for your own hero's adventure... or use them as inspiration in crafting something for a group.

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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 - 5E (SRD) RPG Stock Art Illustrations in OSR Style / Make 100

Original fantasy artwork. For use in books, tabletop game material, or elsewhere. Permissively licensed for personal and commercial use.

I'm a huge fan of stock art. I've used it in prior releases, and even the cover of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light is technically stock art. It's an affordable way for small publishers to get quality art made by actual human beings.

The 5E (SRD) RPG Stock Art Illustrations in OSR Style / Make 100 Kickstarter (a long and unwieldy title) showcases stock art by Tara Quinn. I haven't seen Tara's work before, at least not that I know of, and her work is a bit more cartoonish than I'm used to, but I find it surprisingly pleasing. I'll be backing this. It's 25 bucks for 100 pieces of art, quality art, and that's hard to beat.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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 

Bundle of Holding - Axes and Anvils

This was one hell of a surprise when I saw it pop up earlier today on Bundle of Holding. Axes and Anvils has one heck of a history, and the fact that it exists at all is a testament to the tenacity of Andrew Shields. Andrew took a steaming pile of poo and turned it into RPG gold, and I salute him for it.

Adventurer! This all-new Axes and Anvils Bundle presents Axes and Anvils: A Game of Dwarves, the dwarf-clan tabletop fantasy roleplaying game from Andrew Shields at Shields Up! Publishing. In the Kingdom of Stoneshadow, your Fellowship of experienced warriors undertakes missions to help your clan. Axes and Anvils character creation is fast and easy, the setting is strong in flavor and atmosphere, and the clan framework easily supports both one-evening adventures and years-long sandbox campaigns in the open-table "West Marches" style. If you like kickass warriors, player-driven action, and battles against undead warbands in the Shadowmines, Axes and Anvils is your Dynastic Prestige toolkit for crafting mithril-grade adventures.

For just US$9.95 you get all six titles (plus one pay-what-you-want)in our Anvil Collection (retail value $43) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete Axes and Anvils core rulebook (plus the Clan Record Book, Character Pack, and the pay-what-you-want Quickstart Rules); the Gamemaster rulebook Under the Mountain; and the Starter Deck and Lore Deck that make character generation easy.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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 - The Slumbering City - A Shadowdark RPG Adventure

I'm a huge fan of Thom Wilson (and consider Thom a good friend). Thom understands Old School Gaming. I'm also a huge fan of Shadowdark. It's the only game my game group has played in an actual livestream - actually, we've done so THREE times now :)

The Slumbering City is Thom's latest Kickstarter. PDF is 7 bucks, print plus PDF is 17. 

A tribute to the creator and adventures of the mightiest barbarian in fantasy literature. For the Shadowdark RPG system, 4 to 6 characters of 2nd to 4th level.

A black & white, digest-sized, saddle-stitched (soft-cover) adventure of 38 to 40 pages. Features all-new artwork and maps by renowned creators including Luiz Prado, Jeff Madding, Joey Docil, Jared Binder, Mark Lyons, MonkeyBlood Design, and more.

It is an adventure filled with strange people and supernatural horrors. Players may find some encounters easy, but others so deadly they end up running for the fabled city’s exit.

This is the third Kickstarter for which we are using Lulu to print our saddle-stitched books. The two other Kickstarter books came out great. We prefer saddle-stitched books to perfect-bound in this smaller format, and Lulu does a great job in the print-on-demand market with this binding type.

Lulu charges the publisher an additional $1.50 per drop-ship order (I create the KS reward order on the Lulu site, then have them produce and mail the book to backers). I have to add this cost to the PoD reward (already added to the $17 tier cost). To be clear, this is not charged to the backer after the project, but as part of the initial tier cost.

 

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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 - Play Pink (Gloomhaven Small World, Arkham Horror, & More)

The Play Pink Bundle (supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, thus "Pink") includes digital versions of MANY top games, including Gloomhaven, Small World, Arkham Horror, Game of Thrones, Carcassonne, and others. The core Gloomhaven game is nearly 35 bucks by itself on Steam, yet the full Play Pink Bundle is only 20 bucks (10 bucks if you DON'T want Gloomhaven).

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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 

Computer RPGs Just Aren't a Suitable Sub for TTRPGs.

If you're like me at all, and I'm willing to bet in this regard you probably are, when you explain to "outsiders" that you're a gamer, they immediately think you like to sit around and play video games all day. In my case, I do sometimes, but I don't define myself by console or PC (like "those" gamers usually do.) Still it's far too hard to explain (many times again...) that I mean table-top RPGS. 

Of course it doesn't help that I have the opportunity to fiddle with the Xbox controller far, far more than I get to sling dice. A lot of times it's just a substitute, but it's far from a suitable-sub. First off, I'm usually a completionist. If I can 100% a game, or think I can, I'm going for it. My gamerscore is currently standing at 99,300....but that's probably more a factor of having an Xbox for so many years than my awesomeness of playing. I do have 38 games 100%'d and some of those were a PITA. IIRC one I had to set my calendar and play on a certain anniversary day (couldn't cheese it by changing my system clock), and some have recockulus requirements (one step beyond ridiculous).

Even though there are computer RPGS, they are just so not the same and I FINALLY got to the point with my current game (Starfield) where I 100%'d it and can walk away. I am so effing glad to be done and I'll admit the game stopped being fun maybe last week when I realized I could crank up the difficulty to the maximum and still play easily. 

There is such a wide divide between TTRPGs and Computer RPGs, and I think I was experiencing all of the issues that highlighted this difference:

• Save Scumming: TTRPGs don't allow you to screw up and "go back" to an earlier point and try again. Even worse, you can't save at an opportune time to "rinse & repeat" actions to try and try again for a better loot outcome. The RNG (random number generator) gods aren't always so kind, so at one point I tried for a couple hours to get a better pistol, which I never got (but I did get a kick-ass sniper rifle).
• Cheesing the AI: probably has an actual name, but it's too easy to watch the AI routine do it's thing, establish patterns, or just ...well wait. If I shoot a guy in the head and his buddies see him die, they will only spend a small amount of time looking for you, before just giving up and going back to their routine. I don't think a GM would let the players get away with hiding for a minute......
• Grinding: This is almost the worst thing with computer games, having to just re-do things over and over because you need to get a certain amount of experience to get that skill you need, or a specific number of widgets to be allowed to progress. While TTRPGs have you doing stuff to get XP to level, I cannot think of a single time a GM has let you re-run an encounter or scenario/adventure over and over. With Starfield a lot of "unique" missions (bounties for the most part) were set in different locations that were exactly like others. It got to the point in Starfield where I knew that on the 6th landing of this one facility there would be a dead scientist, and on a certain table would be a hookah (noticeable because the "tobacco" vials looked like something out of Resident Evil).
• Achievements: This probably doesn't sound like a problem, and you'd think after this post I wouldn't see it as a problem, but in-game I did some things that I wouldn't have done otherwise....just so I can get that achievement. I think I would have stopped playing last week if not for "needing" to get to level 100, and the cheesy stuff I needed to do to get from where I would've quit at level 65 to that level 100.
• Bugs: There is a bit of a tie for the actual worst part of a computer RPG, with one part being bugs/glitches in general. Bethesda is kind of known for being buggy as hell, and fixing bugs is something they eventually get around to. On my game there was a power I couldn't use without basically crashing the game, another I just couldn't earn, and so....so much more. In my game there were portions of a city that just....disappeared. I eventually found it. It wasn't so much that it didn't render, just it rendered at an altitude that put in in space. On the plus side one bug kept me from being able to steal spaceships I should be allowed to, but let me get access to a line of starships I was not supposed to be allowed to.
• Solo play: The other tie for worst part is having to play by yourself. A HUGE part of TTRPGs is the social aspect of playing with others. Sure, there are MMORPGS, but they take these computer problems and ramp them up to the Nth degree.

Let's just say I'm looking forward to getting some face-to-face gaming in next weekend with the NTRPG folks. 

Time to Pick the Map for My First Pocket Setting

I've been toying with the idea of Pocket Settings for years. I see a Pocket Setting as something that can be detailed in 16 pages or less - preferably, much less. A setting that will handle adventuring from 1st level, through about 5th or 6th, after which the world the PCs will likely be exploring the world at large (or the outer and inner planes).

These generated maps are from https://watabou.itch.io/perilous-shores , and are free for anyone to use. Heck, if you do decide to turn one of these maps into a setting of your own, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm partial to the first map, as it has a natural barrier to the southwest, that could be inhabited by humanoids and serve as a borderland, while there is also a water route to the mainland.

Three Lakes is definitely cool. Surrounded by mountains, it serves as a natural barrier to keep the PC's in the local area, at least for their initial levels.

Nice sized area with plenty of locations to explore and a large, centralized lake.

Another isolated setting, with water to the south, mountains to the west, east, and north, with a marsh as a possibly method to access the large world.

Tell me what your thoughts are...

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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  

Free OSR - Blackmarsh (Setting)

When I found my way back to active gaming, it was initially as a player. It wasn't long before our then-current DM for the 5e Early Beta playtest felt he was burning out, and asked me to take over the DMing reigns. I was nervous, as it was well over a decade (at the time) that I had run a game session, let alone a campaign, but I dove into it eagerly. My ruleset of choice was AD&D 1e / OSRIC and my setting was the excellent sandbox, Blackmarsh. The rest, as they say, is history.

In the days when man knew only the working of stone and fought for their existence against the orc and the goblin, the sky turned to ash and down fell the fiery mountain onto the land. The world tore open and the grey waters rushed in. Those who survived the impact were lost as boiling clouds rushed out in all directions leaving a wasteland in its wake.

The Mountain That Fell left a gift; magic. Near and far, those of learning and strong of heart discovered new powers to shape the world. In the desolation around the Smoking Bay the adventurous found viz, magic in physical form. And there was more, scattered amid the landscape were strange artifacts and stranger creatures that survived The Mountain That Fell. For a time men, dwarves, orc, goblins, and other races braved the dangers and fought each other in the wastelands. Then the elves came into Blackmarsh expelled the feuding races, drove the monsters out, and healed the land.

In the present day, many come to Blackmarsh to harvest viz, kill monsters, or seek the strange artifacts left by The Mountain That Fell. The only force that stands against the wilderness is the Blackmarsh Rangers. Anyone who is willing to defend the land and its people are welcomed into their ranks. Powerful kingdoms outside of Blackmarsh are beginning cast a covetous eyes toward the land's riches. Will the adventurers of your campaign become wealthy and powerful? Or will their bones join the many that have sunk into the swamps?

Blackmarsh is a complete, ready to run setting for your campaign. It can be run as its own setting or an expansion of your existing world. Contained in Blackmarsh are 17 geographical entries, 78 described locales, and one detailed town; Castle Blackmarsh. Each entry provide one or more adventure hooks to use in your campaigns.

Rob's Note: If you can afford it the hardcover print option comes with two blank pages in the front and three blank pages in the back that you can use for handwritten notes. The inside covers are also blank. The printing process for hardcovers wraps a heavy paper protector between the covers and the first and last pages of the book.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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  

Toying With the Idea of Detailing a Small Setting Via The Tavern

Map 1

I'm always stunned by the amazing apps available at watabou for GMs. I'm even a Patreon backer.

Now, I'm considering designing a small "pocket" setting here at The Tavern, shared via the CC and likely "generic" OSR.

The first thing I need to decide on is the style of Map to use at Perilous Shores.

Note that this is probably not the map I'll be using, but I'm looking for some input on style to go with. Let me know in the comments which color/presentation you prefer and why.

Map 2

Map 3

Map 4

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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  

Deal of the Day - Against the Darkmaster Core Rules

Remember Rolemaster? Consider Against the Darkmaster to be Rolemaster Remastered ;)

Today's Deal of the Day is Against the Darkmaster Core Rules. Normally 25 bucks in PDF, until tomorrow morning it is on sale for 5 bucks.

Against the Darkmaster is a tabletop Epic Fantasy roleplaying game of high adventure, heroic action, and heavy metal combat.

If you put together works like The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time, sprinkled them with a bit of Labyrinth and Dragonslayer, and put everything in a blender together with a healthy dose of classic Heavy Metal, you’ll get a typical Against the Darkmaster game session.

Travel to distant lands, face terrible dangers, uncover ancient items of power, and gather the armies of the world under your banner to defeat the ultimate Evil.

A complete rule system, including:

• Unified d100-based action resolution mechanic
• Huge variety of character customization options
• Detailed travel mechanics for long overland adventures
• Flexible magic system with over 300 spells
• Tactical combat and brutal Critical Strikes
• Immersive rules for character driven adventures
• A Bestiary with over 60 fearsome creatures
• A full introductory campaign in three parts

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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