RPGNow

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Free Beta - Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere® RPG

Currently on Kickstarter and setting funding records.

The Cosmere RPG is a tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) in which you and a group of friends collaboratively tell a story of heroes in a fantasy universe called the cosmere. The first campaign setting for this system is the world of Roshar, based on the acclaimed novels of Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive. In this game, you take on the roles of characters from around the world, working together to determine how their stories unfold as they face a cataclysmic era of global conflict.

The Cosmere RPG Beta Rules Preview

This guide is an early preview of the Cosmere RPG, designed to give you a clear understanding of this system and enough rules to run a playtest adventure, Bridge Nine.

As a Beta test, these rules have not undergone final editing, and elements of gameplay may change between now and the finished product. However, these rules have been shaped by hundreds of playtesters since our Alpha testing began in 2023, and should reflect an accurate preview of the final system. If you would like to provide input about your experience, you can find a feedback form linked in the PDF. As a rules preview, this is a condensed set of rules that reflects only a portion of the content we’ll include in our first three hardcover releases.

What's Inside

Part 1: Overview walks you through the basics of playing a tabletop RPG, introducing the Cosmere RPG’s dice and core mechanics.

Part 2: Your Character explains your character’s attributes, defenses, resources, skills, senses, and expertises. It also touches on backstory details like your purpose, obstacle, and goals.

Part 3: Items provides a list of basic gear for your character, including weapons, armor, and equipment.

Part 4: Adventuring describes the flow of play, and when to use different scene types. This chapter also presents rules for the conditions, damage, and injuries you’ll face while adventuring, plus rules for resting and recovery.

Part 5: Combat provides more detail on combat scenes, including the general actions every character can take and the rules for targeting abilities, making attacks, and moving through the battlefield.

Part 6: Gamemastering is an abridged guide on when to call for skill tests and use the plot die, tools for creating a comfortable space, and how to use adversary profiles.

Part 7: Adversaries shows how to read adversary profiles and includes a few sample adversaries.


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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Kickstarter - Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere® RPG (Setting Funding Records)


Beginning with The Stormlight Archive and expanding to Mistborn, this original tabletop RPG will grow to support the entire Cosmere!

I have no dog in this race. I never heard of Brandon Sanderson as an author, nor am I familiar with his fiction. So, for Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere® RPG Kickstarter to pass the $7.3 Million mark with over two weeks left to fund is simply stunning. 25,000+ backers is amazing.

This is what WotC feared when they were playing with their new OGL. This is WotC's money, at least in their eyes, even if it doesn't use the 5e SRD. I am sure this is the water cooler talk in the halls in Renton.

In 2023, Dragonsteel Entertainment and Brotherwise Games announced the Stormlight™ tabletop roleplaying game, set in the acclaimed epic fantasy world of the Stormlight Archive. But there's always another secret, and Stormlight was just the beginning...

The Cosmere® Roleplaying Game is a new system that encompasses the entire universe of Brandon Sanderson's best-selling novels. This original RPG launches in 2025 with the Stormlight World Guide, Stormlight Handbook, and Stormlight Stonewalkers™ Adventure. It expands to include Mistborn® in 2026, with a steady rollout of new worlds and adventures for years to come!

This is a living RPG that will grow as Brandon Sanderson expands the universe of Cosmere novels, designed to tell standalone stories in each setting or sweeping Worldhopper™ campaigns that move between different planets.

 

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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Monday, August 12, 2024

Bundle of Holding - Mongoose 2300AD 2E

I played some of the original Traveller 2300AD RPG back in the early 90s from Game Designers Workshop, and it was a fun game and an interesting setting. I'll admit I haven't thought much of it since then. So many games, and so many choices.

Bundle of Holding is currently offering a Mongoose 2300AD 2e  Bundle. The Starter Collection is 14.95 and includes the Traveller Core Rules 2022, 2300AD Mongoose 2E, and 2300AD Tools for Frontier Living. For approximately 30 bucks, you add 2300AD Project Bayern, Ships of the Frontier, Vehicles of the Frontier, and Aerospace Engineers' Handbook.

Traveller! This Mongoose 2300AD 2E Bundle presents the 2021 Mongoose Publishing Second Edition of 2300AD, the tabletop science fiction roleplaying game about humanity discovering the stars. Three hundred years from now, humanity is claiming worlds far from Earth. Despite nearly destroying itself in the Twilight War, despite all the wars since, humanity has held on and kept its dream alive. Campaigns in 2300AD are about interstellar exploration – war on the far frontier – new colonies on hostile worlds – discovering and understanding alien species – even espionage in the gritty megacities of the Core worlds. Using the Mongoose Traveller 2E core rules, expect a grittier experience – less Space Viking, more Aliens.

This new offer presents the entire 2300AD 2E line, plus the current Traveller Core Rulebook, for an unbeatable bargain price. For just US$14.95 you get all five Mongoose Publishing titles in our Starter Collection (retail value $122) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete Mongoose Traveller 2E Core Rulebook Update 2022 and the Mongoose 2300AD 2E core rules set (2021), the equipment catalog Tools for Frontier Living, and the 2300AD 2E Referee's Screen.

Second EditionAnd if you pay more than the threshold price of $29.66, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with four more titles worth an additional $135.50, including the massive Project Bayern campaign set, Ships of the Frontier, Vehicles of the Frontier, and the Aerospace Engineers' Handbook.

 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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Pub Crawls! Adventures of All Sizes, Coming Soon from The Tavern & Wizard Tower Games



Pub Crawls! Damn, this was on the back burner for a while, but now it will start turning into reality thanks to The Tavern and Wizard Tower Games.

Pub Crawls will come in three sizes:

Flights - short, 1-sheet (2-page) adventures

Pints - generally 8 to 16-page adventures, likely requiring more than a single session to complete

Kegs - an anthology or compendium of adventures, linked by level, theme, or whatnot.

I'm really excited to see the various balls get in motion ;)



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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar



Saturday, August 10, 2024

Humble Comics - Zdarsky and Fraction

Wow. A "mature audiences" bundle at Humble Bundle. Not something that I expected. That being said, I am a HUGE fan of the various Humble Bundle Comics Bundles. Comic books are priced out of the realm of the average consumer, and Humble Bundle comes to the rescue. I have no idea if any of the content in the Zdarsky and Fraction Bundle is going to be in my wheelhouse, but for 18 bucks, I can roll the dice ;)


Treat yourself to some of the boldest stories in the comics medium with this bundle, including work by renowned creators Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky, and many others! Big Hard Sex Criminals tells the story of two individuals who embark on a crime spree thanks to their unique ability to stop time. Public Domain is a stark, emotionally evocative examination of the tangled world of comic book rights, delivered with wit and humanity. Get all these and more—over 20 volumes of amazing comics in all—and help support charity with your purchase.







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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Friday, August 9, 2024

Kickstarter - The Shucked Oyster: A Cursed Brothel for Shadowdark RPG


A third-party supplement for Shadowdark RPG to add untold chaos to your local town.

I find setting material to essentially be system neutral - as combat is stressed less.

The Shucked Oyster: A Cursed Brothel for Shadowdark RPG Kickstarter looks to be what I want in a setting supplement - plug and play ability filled with lots of story hooks.

At last, you've made it back to town from your latest delve. The coin purse at your hip bulges with your hard earned loot. Sure, you could spend this on upgrading your equipment, but you can't keep your eyes off the the women leaning off the porch of the wildest bawdy house in town. But before you can even loosen your purse strings, smoke begins to billow from the second floor window. Within seconds, jets of flame spew out to consume the whole building. A stream of men and women pour out of the exits, and the brothel burns to the ground.

Welcome to The Shucked Oyster, the best brothel in town!

Designed for use with the 4-time Ennie Award Winning Shadowdark RPG and other fantasy role playing games, this supplement provides an iconic drop-in location for any town or city in your campaign. The Oyster is a cursed brothel that is routinely destroyed and rebuilt after freak accidents set it ablaze! Included, you will find a slew of wild and crazy NPCs, new magic items, expanded social mechanics, unique dungeons, and enough adventure hooks for an entire campaign!

The Shucked Oyster is a wild place. It serves as a nexus connecting an enormous number of people to one another. Each of the 34 fully fleshed out NPCs has their own motivations, connections, and agendas in town. Helping or hindering any one of them will light a fuse that will add all manner of fun and unexpected excitement to 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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Humble Comic Bundle - Adventure Time

I never expected to say this, but I've become a huge fan of the Adventure Time cartoon. I really enjoy the quirky stories. To snag 75 issues of the Adventure Time Comic Book series for 18 bucks is simply a bargain I can't pass up.

Join Finn, Jake, and the rest of your faves from the Land of Ooo on a series of new adventures in this bundle of Adventure Time comics from Oni Press. You’ll get 75 issues of wild quests, magical mishaps, and hilarious hijinks, featuring a rogues gallery of beloved baddies familiar to longtime fans as well as unexpected alliances and plenty of whimsical chaos, as only Adventure Time can provide. Plus, your purchase helps the Hero Initiative and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.


 

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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Deal of the Day - The Waking of Willowby Hall (OSR)



Today's Deal of the Day is The Waking of Willowby Hall from Questing Beast Games. Normally 7.50 in PDF, but until tomorrow morning The Waking of Willowby Hall is on sale for a mere 3 bucks.

The Waking of Willowby Hall is a dense, highly interactive RPG adventure set in a ruined manor beset by a rampaging giant, roving bands of restless dead, and a very angry goose.

Suitable for PCs of approximately 3rd level.

Features a highly interactive environment that rewards clever play.

Perfect for one-shots or for dropping into an existing campaign.

Contains "One Page Dungeon" maps that allow the DM to run much of the adventure at a glance.

Uses bullet points and control-panel layout for maximum ease of use.

Statted for Knave, but easily usable with any old-school fantasy RPG.

Writing, layout, and cartography by two-time ENnie Award winner Ben Milton, author of Maze Rats, Knave, and Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Adventure Game.

Lavishly illustrated by Sam Mameli

Download includes:

Two versions of the adventure, one with two-page spreads and one without.

The full wraparound cover image

Blank, unkeyed maps for use with virtual tabletops

The manor of Willowby Hall is under siege by a giant, enraged at the theft of his magical goose. The band of thieves has taken shelter within the manor's crumbling walls, cowering with their ill-gotten poultry as the building shakes itself apart. But something else is stirring. The giant's rampage is slowly awakening a Death Knight from its black slumber, and once it rises it will call on the bones of the manor's old residents to drive out the intruders.

Will the party loot the manor of its ancient relics, or succumb to the blades of its skeletal guardians? Who will make off with the goose and its golden eggs? Will anyone survive the giant's onslaught? The only way to find out...is to play.


 

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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Kickstarter - Far Away Land 2nd Edition

A 2nd edition of the Far Away Land Role-Playing Game to celebrate the 10th anniversary and expand the universe of Far Away Land.

I've been a huge fan of Far Away Land since its initial release in 2014. I even participated in a short-lived Far Away Land podcast with Dirk back in the day.

I'm excited to see the return of Far Away Land with a 2nd Edition, and we will have Dirk on the Talking Crit Livestream later this month to discuss the Kickstarter and answer any questions.

As an aside, I LOVE the Far Away Land art. Love it, love it, love it :)

While the FAL system isn't an OSR system, it feels and plays out in an old-school manner.

Core Rules (274 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches)

The Core Rules Second Edition contains all of the rules needed to play Far Away Land including: Basic Rules, Character Creation, Combat, Magic, Abilities, Gear and Crafting, Magic Items, Vehicles and Travel, Treasure, Mass Combat, Sea Battles, Generators, NPCs, Plants and Animals, a Level 0 Grinder, and a Level 1 Adventure.

Bestiary I (246 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches)

Bestiary I contains a catalog of 350 creatures, an extensive Creature Forge for making custom monsters, an Index of Encounters based on level and environment, and the Constructoniomicon for building constructs and golems.

Book of Lore (280 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches)

The Book of Lore contains Maps and Location Descriptions for the world of Far Away Land, Maps and Location Descriptions of the various spheres, Stories from the various spheres detailing those strange worlds, Stories and Histories from the universe and Far Away Land depicting various events and individuals (some on a grand scale and others more intimate), Epic Poems, Short Stories, Timelines, and Lineages. The descriptions and stories are written using nearly 100 in-world reference sources with a variety of styles and voices to further deepen the lore.


 

 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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar


Monday, August 5, 2024

State of The Tavern - August, 2024

It's been a good long while since I've done a "State of The Tavern" update, and not only is one overdue, but I have things to actually give updates on, such as Blades & Arcana, Rumble, X, and more.

I've had numerous questions and inquiries about Blades & Arcana (built off of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light chassis and known for a while as Blades & Sorcery). So, let me answer a few of the more common questions:

1 - Why did the name change from Swords & Wizardry Continual Light to Blades & Sorcery to Blades & Arcana?

    A1- The name was changed from Swords & Wizardry Continual Light because Frog God Games was no longer the publisher of Swords & Wizardry and I didn't want to cause confusion with the Swords & Wizardry Line under Mythmere Games.

    A2 - The name was changed from Bades & Sorcery to Blades & Arcana after editor Tim Kask pointed out that it abbreviated to "BS". When "The" Tim Kask suggests a name change, you go with the name change :)

2 - When does Blades & Arcana Light release?

    A - I should have my author's copy late this week, or early next week, and it should go on sale shortly thereafter at the Wizard Tower Games website.

3 - What is Blades & Arcana Core?

   A - B&A is built off of the SWCL chassis, without the limits that we went into SWCL with. We have plans to make it a multi-genre OSR ruleset, with support for fantasy, sci-fi, modern, and possibly other genres, either upon release or shortly thereafter.

We've begun to live-stream on Rumble and X, in addition to YouTube. Rumble is also getting the daily content that is already shared on YouTube.

You can follow Tenkar's Tavern on Rumble here: https://rumble.com/user/tenkar

You can follow @Tenkar on Twitter/X here: https://x.com/tenkar

You can subscribe to The Tavern's YT here: www.youtube.com/@TenkarsTavern

Looking to support The Tavern? 

Use our affiliate links and help yourself to some good stuff while helping The Tavern!

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Sunday, August 4, 2024

Backerkit - Our Golden Age (OGA): An Ultraviolet Grasslands RPG Sequel

I was stunned when I found Our Golden Age on Backerkit. With a funding goal of 50k, it is currently nearly $350k in funding. Part of the well-spoken Ultraviolet Grasslands series, OGA still has 26 days left in its funding. Holy shit!

BTW, I'm in for the Gold Box at 95 bucks, which includes all of the below.

The Gold Box includes:

Our Golden Age and the Mother Machine — the main book. The heartwood of this campaign. Sized to match the UVG (2nd Edition) on your bookshelf. Illustrated by the author. A4 hardcover, 250 pages.  Also available separately. Includes the Circle Sea Travel Map (UNLOCKED) - a folded road atlas map of the Circle Sea region inserted into the book. Perfect for the leisure tripper! 

The Vastlands Guidebook — the rule book, campaign exclusive A4 hardcover, 144 page version laid out by Guilherme Gontijo. Free digital A5 version also available.

Circle Sea Grand Map — a two-sided map. Classical postmodern map on one side, fantascience illustrated map on the other. 22” x 22”, six panel fold. Compatible with the Grand Long Map in the UVG. Sized to fit with the main book.  Also available separately.

Yellow Nemesis Dice Set — an heirloom polyhedral set from Long Ago, before the fall of the Cathedral Order. Including an extra d6 for morale. Also available separately.

Tour Guide's Screen — a referee screen for the GM. Lovingly illustrated by the author with help from tiny space rats with human hands. Designed to help you improvise, pirouette, strategize, and amaze your players. Or just to hide your dice. Also available separately.

Vastlands Reference Cards (UNLOCKED) — Handy dandy cards to keep track of the loose, crumbly rules and locations. 

 Circle Sea Post Cards (UNLOCKED) - Show your homebody friends how cool you are because of the places you visited! Warning: may include adventure hooks. 

 Nemesis and Ministry Cards (UNLOCKED) - Know your enemies! Generate your friends. Bonus game included? 



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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Saturday, August 3, 2024

Humble Bundle - Free League Immersive RPG Bundle for Alchemy VTT

I'm a fan of VTTs. I've yet to find one that I'm completely happy with, although I tend to default to Roll20 as I have a lifetime subscription to the service, and the rest of my gaming group is comfortable with it.

The Free League Immersive RPG Bundle for Alchemy VTT at Humble Bundle is an amazing deal if you enjoy the selection of Free League RPGs. Core rules, supplements, and adventures for Dragonsbane, Twilight 2000, Mork Borg, Symbaroum, Tales from the Loop, Vaesen, Coriolis, Forbidden Lands, Mutant Year Zero, and Pirate Borg.











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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Friday, August 2, 2024

Humble Bundle - StarFinder Second Edition Playtest Primer

I have no experience with StarFinder and have played little in the area of science fiction or science fantasy RPGs. That being said, I know many players enjoy such genres and I suspect the StarFinder Second Edition Playtest Primer Bundle will be of interest to said players.

Get on the ground floor of the next great science-fantasy TTRPG (and get a bunch of cool options for your Pathfinder campaign) with Paizo’s Starfinder Second Edition! This bundle includes the Starfinder Second Edition Playtest Rulebook, a massive 264-pages compendium covering everything you need to be a part of the game in its current form and help shape its future. In addition, you’ll get a colossal first-edition Starfinder library, complete rulebooks, supplements, adventure paths, and much, much more. Plus, your purchase helps support Girls Who Code.










 

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.


DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar
Tenkar's Tavern is supported by various affiliate programs, including Amazon, RPGNow,
and Humble Bundle as well as Patreon. Your patronage is appreciated and helps keep the
lights on and the taps flowing. Your Humble Bartender, Tenkar

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