The Original 7 - Dungeons & Dragons "White Box" - And So It Begins

Before I actually started the process of delving neck deep into the Original 7 RPGs, I thought about the scholarly approach I was going to take.  Let me start right now by saying "that shit ain't happening!"  Or, it may, but only as circumstances permit.  I find myself enjoying my trip far too much to make this a purely scholarly project.

In any case, I've been working my way through Dungeons & Dragons Volume 1 - Men and Magic, and finding the nuggets that, to my eyes, are the most insightful.

Number of Players:  At least one referee and from four to fifty players can be handled in any single campaign, but the referee to player ratio should be about 1:20 or thereabouts.  (holy shit!  50 players?!?  1 ref to every 20 players ?!?  I have trouble running a game with more than 5 sitting at my table these days)

Under Recommended Equipment - Imagination and 1 Patient Referee ;)

Elves:  They may use magic armor and still act as Magic-Users.  (as elves swapped out their classes, choosing between being fighters and magic-users in between adventures, the magic armor perk is pretty powerful)

Other Character Types:  There is no reason that players cannot be allowed to play as virtually anything, provided that they begin relatively weak and work up to the top, i.e., a player wishing to be a Dragon would have to begging as let us say, a "young" one and progress upwards in the usual manner, steps being predetermined by the campaign referee.  (hmmm... by the time AD&D was introduced, this little gem was forgotten.)

Strength gives no bonus to hit or damage.

6 levels of Magic-User spells and 5 levels of Cleric spells take up 11 1/2 pages.  About one spell level per page.  Digest sized.  How come we can't write stuff as concisely these days?

Apocalypse World - It DOES Play Better Than It Is Written

Last night I played in a session of Apocalypse World GM'ed by Charles Jaimet (who's working on an excellent gaming interface for G+ Hangout). It was certainly a wee bit intimidating to be in a group containing Greg Christopher(Chubby Funster), Tavis Allison (ACKS) and Peter Adkison (GenCon, former owner of WotC). I just tried to hold my own ;)

It was one of the best roleplaying experiences I can recall being a part of. Obviously the group of players involved was a major part of that, but I must admit, the system was too.

Apocalypse World pretty much forces your to role-play, but in such a natural manner you hardly even realize it.

I stand behind my earlier comments about the presentation and writing of AW - it is so hard to work your way through the rules that I had to put them down multiple through sheer frustration. Someone needs to do a rewrite to make it user friendly. Still, as many told me earlier, it plays so much better than it reads. I stand partially corrected ;)

An Early Spring, Complete With Hiccups

I'm not even sure if winter ever fully settled in this year.  Very little snow, no ice - heck, I never even broke out my winter jacket.  I survived with my fall fleece (although I doubled up on the fleece a handful of days).

Now it's March 11th and my front yard is in full bloom.  This is NYC, mind you, so I'm just happy I have a front yard that can grow flowers ;)

Spring often brings new and / or fresh starts, which I might be looking for.  Looks like the Saturday Night game is wrapping up, not due to any sort of player issues but more to the tune of "system issues".  It's been a great group to play with and the party truly gelled but no one is all that satisfied with the system.  We'll see what happens next.

Hey, I wanted to start up a campaign or two in any case.  I may just have to accelerate the process ;)

Dwimmermount & ACKS - A Perfect Fit

I really have my fingers in too many Kickstarter Projects those days.  Well, at least my monetary fingers, as I have found way too many projects to support these days.  I'm not complaining, mind you. If the projects weren't awesome, I wouldn't be supporting them.

Dwimmermount is James Mal's homebrewed megadungeon that is seeing the publishing light of day with the help of Tavis from Autarch, better known as the company that brought us the Adventurer Conqueror Kings System.  I think Dwimmermount might have set a Kickstarter record for the speed it which it met it's primary funding goal ;)

Dwimmermount will be released via Kickstarter in both Labyrinth Lord and ACKS flavors.

As a backer, I've gotten a peek already at some of the first level of Dwimmermount.  It's damn nice.  Lets see, if I uses ACKS as the system, Dwimmermount and Barrowmaze as the two megadungeons, Christian's Hex 000 hex crawling sandbox setting from Loviatar and The Toys For the Sandbox to fill in when needed - I going to have a pretty rocking campaign.

I may need to start this before the Querp campaign I was thinking of...

Mini Review - Toys For The Sandbox #7: The Coachman's Inn

I'm a big fan of the Toys For the Sandbox series and have been since the first one.  The fine folks at Occult Moon Games also have added a free "# 00" to the series, so you can always check it out for free to see if you may like the series.

Alright, onward to The Coachman's Inn.  As usual, we get a map, 6 possible hooks (each with 3 possible twists), 4 NPCs, a rumor table and random table for special items available on the market.  The usual good stuff from the Toys For the Sandbox series.

What's really nice about The Coachman's Inn is that the plot hooks could work at pretty much any inn or tavern, they aren't limited to the scenario / setting presented.

If I have one complaint, and it's minor, is that the default location calls for The Coachman's Inn to lie at a sort of neutral ground where the borders of four kingdoms meet.  While it sounds kinda neat in theory, it's also damn rare, especially when boundaries would usually follow terrain features.  Easy enough to hand wave away, but when you are trying to make something easy to drop into a campaign, less detailed... details... would have worked better.

Still, love the hooks and the twists.  Overall, another excellent effort (with the one minor quibble).

Feast or Famine - At What Point Do You Have to Say "No" to Gaming?

I went though a number of years where I wasn't able to get any table top RPGing in.  Whether it was face to face or a virtual table top, my gaming was nonexistent.

From there I found myself some fairly regular gaming via Fantasy Grounds, which was cool while it lasted.  I followed that up with a dry spell.

Virtually the same week I started playing in a weekly D&D game via G+ Hangout I also started attending weekly sessions of Games That Can Not Be Named.  I went from no gaming to gaming twice a week, and an opportunity for a third session - my wife, who had encouraged me to get myself back into gaming, would have rightfully killed me if I had opted for the third.

I'm down to just the Saturday night game now, so when I was offered a spot in a Apocalypse World game this sunday night via G+ Hangout with some really great gamers (more on that after the game) I couldn't say no.  I guess I'll see if it really does play better than the mess it is written as ;)

Mere hours afterwards, I got an invite to James Mal's Dwimmermount game for tonight via G+ Hangout.  Hangout is outa control!  heh.  I had to pass until a later time with James, as gaming all three nights on the weekend would have gotten me some wife agro.  I might be knew to this, but I'm a quick learner.

So, what's your weekly limit of gaming goodness?

Mini Review - Loviatar #8

Christian has outdone himself with the latest issue of Loviatar.  Not only is the cover awesome but the contents rise up to the same standard.  Nicely done.

Issue 8 is an "All Hex Crawl" issue (just like Issue 7 was).  It isn't what Christian set out to do, but sometimes these things write themselves, and this one certainly did, to the tune of 24 pages Basic D&D goodness.

Issue 8 wins hands down with the NPC personalities presented.  They are so well rounded, as a GM I could play them without hesitation.  I know what they think and why and how they will react to the PCs with just a few short paragraphs of description.  They feel alive.

Personally, I've always Otyughs as a means of garbage disposal.  This issue shows a town's innovative use of such, and the dung they get in return.  Oh, and "high hobbits" and the return of the gnomes ;)
 
The latest issue details Hex 004 (the previous 3 issues gave us hexes 001-003).  If you haven't yet started reading Loviatar, you are missing out on a very organic sandbox setting that you can witness the birth off.

Besides, it's just 3.50 an issue (much less if you subscribe).  He mails it to you.  It's on actual goddamn paper!  What are you waiting for?

Monster Stock Art & Minis Kickstarter is in It's Final Stretch

As I type this, there are 5 days left in the Monster Stock Art & Minis Kickstarter Campaign.  It's already hit it's second stretch goal, and the third is in sight.

I'm in on the high end, as I do have plans to write and publish gaming stuff at some point, even if it is a bit further down the line than even "remotely soon".  I just like to plan things out well in advance when I can.

I also bit at the 400 laminated miniatures for 25 bucks.  I don't think I could hope to meet that price for the quality art being used.  Besides, I have neither the time, money or space to buy and paint 400 metal miniatures.  For that, I'd have to outsource, like the Chivalry & Sorcery blog discusses here ;)  (more on this later).

Here's some of the latest pieces of art from the Kickstarter Project:

Mini Review - Hammerax: The Ancient World

Hammerax: The Ancient World is a RPG setting that is powered by QUERP.  You don't need to pick up Querp to run it, as everything you need is self contained.  So in a sense, it is both a setting and an RPG.

This is a world where pretty much every fantasy race you can think of has been killed off.  No halflings, dwarves or elves - but their ruins remain, as do their artifacts.  It's an interesting twist on a humo-centric setting while still keeping (distant) roots to the usual fantasy tropes.

For me, I could have done with less space used on world history and more on the current timeframe, but I understand why it was done.  The intention is to allow the GM to tweak the current setting to his needs.  I do, however, have "lazy GM tendencies", and would have preferred a bit more in depth for the current timeframe.

The new classes added to the QUERP lineup are decent, and certainly fit the setting.  I would suggest using the core classes from Querp (if you have it) for the majority of the NPC, as I suspect not every skilled character will be as specialized as the classes in Hammerax.

I do have issues, one minor, the other less so.

The minor issue is the warding of expo in half points and points, but spending it in whole numbers.  This is a carry over from QUERP.  You can easily fix the half point problem by doubling improvement costs, and awarding expo in whole numbers.  The human mind does not like fractions.

The other issue isn't so minor.  For me, it's damn annoying.  I've bitched about this before, but presentation goes a long way, and artsy for the sake of artsy is not a selling point, and it pleases no one but the person who is being artsy.

What am I talking about this time?  Not the style of writing, which is fine.  It's how some of that writing is presented.  The damn Title Font that was used should be taken out and shot.  I shouldn't have to decipher each section title as I come to it simply because someone thought it would look cool.  It might look cool, but it's damn near impossible to read and its everywhere in this book, often multiple times per page.  Enough.  Please.  Reading should not be turned into a chore.  (edit: I'm going from the dead tree version - I see based on a review over at RPGNow that the issue has been corrected in the PDF version.  So, I'm going to suggest you pass on the dead tree version and stick with PDF in this case, even for you print -grognards out there)

So, overall Hammerax is a nice self contained setting for someone that wants to give QUERP a look, as everything you need to run a campaign is here - system, setting, a solo adventure and a group adventure.

Looking Back at Dragon Dice

I remember when Dragon Dice came out.  I must have bought 2 or 3 sets, with the expectation they would be a hit amongst my gaming group.

They weren't.

Actually, I'm pretty sure they weren't a big hit anywhere.  TSR's attempt to cash in on the Magic the Gathering craze wasn't the success they were hoping it would be.  Amazingly enough, there is another company that has picked up the rights to Dragon Dice and are selling (relatively?) new sets for it.

My dice are long gone, except for 1 or 2, so I splurged and grabbed an incomplete set from ebay.  If nothing else, the d8s can still be used in a regular gaming session as they are numbered.  If they had only numbered the other sizes I could be adding some sweet looking dice to my tabletop gaming sessions ;)

Free Toys For the Sandbox: Wizards Tower

Yep, the fine folks over at Occult Moon are giving away their latest Toys For the Sandbox:  Wizard Tower for free.  You heard that right.  Free.

Now, truth be told they cost less than a buck each normally, which is a bargain and a half.  If you read this blog of mine, you know I love the series.  Heck, I even gave away 10 copies in my latest contest - winners got to choose their pick.

Today, Occult Moon gives their latest away for free.  There's a bonus involved too.  If they can get 250 downloads in the first 24 hours, the folks that picked up their free copy in those 24 hours will be receiving a second Toys For the Sandbox for free.  That second one will be an exclusive for those that helps hit the 250 mark.  How's that for an incentive to try something that is free?

Get one free... and get another for free ;)

Hey, I want my exclusive!  So go get some!

Best Laid Plans and All That Crap

I felt like crap when I went to bed last night - the cold from hell had hit on Sunday night and yesterday it was in full swing.

Last night I had some bouts of the sweats, which I usually get when I have a cold that breaks.  When I woke, I figured I'd play it safe and take a personal day, get some stuff done around the house, read some gaming material, possibly start writing the OD&D post for the Original 7 Series.

You know, the good stuff.

Than my wife decided to take the day off too.

I got nothing done and I still have a damn cold.

Sigh.

I'll see if I can get some reading done before I crash early tonight.  Heck, lets see if I even make it to work tomorrow.

As a side note, the wife was happy with the company ;)

The Problem With The Paladin's Detect Evil Power in AD&D

As I flip through my newly acquired second copy of the AD&D Player's Handbook, I find myself stopping on page 23.  You know the page.  I shouldn't have to tell you.  One of the most famous AD&D Core Books pieces of art - A Paladin in Hell.  I just love it.  The only problem with it?  The Paladin.

Why is the Paladin a problem.  You mean, besides the minimum scores of Int 9, Con 9, Str 12, Wis 13 and Cha 17?  Try rolling that with best 3 out of 4d6.  You be there for a nice long time.  So as kids, we cheated.  Still, that's not the big problem.  The big problem?  Detect Evil.

Detect evil at up to 60' distance, as often as desired, but only when the Paladin in concentrating on the presence of evil and seeking to detect it in the right general direction.

What is he, Green Lantern? "No evil shall escape my sight"

Think about it.  You'll (as a DM) never be able to infiltrate the party with an evil NPC.  Every character, every creature he encounters, he can just plop his detection power on and and weed out the evil.  He's more effective than a black light at a crime scene.

At least with Detect Magic, it's a spell that has to be memorized.  It eats up a spell slot.  It has limited uses - it's not at will.

Detect Invisibility, Detect Illusion, even Detect Lie - all take a spell slot, all have fairly limited uses (but work really well when they are on target).

Why the hell did Paladins get this as an at will power?  The issues to game balance are huge.  Not that I thought about that was as a kid, but today I'd be Detecting Evil behind every door, before I make any turn in a corridor, before I gave the stable big my horse.

I'll rant about the continuing emanation of a Protection From Evil in a 1" radius around the Paladin later (is that 1" as in an inch, or 1" as in AD&D 10'?).

All this and a cold from hell.  I could have used that Protection From Evil shit, or the immunity to disease.  Sigh.

Whats the Big Deal About Save or Die Anyway?

Mike Mearl's Column from yesterday (which I commented on - but I'm using an iPad, so no links - just look at yesterday's posts) was about the good old Save or Die! effects.

While Mike seems to like them, as they add spices, stress and drama to The Game, he also stresses that the fighter dropping to a Save or Die effect can open the party to a TPK.

So what?

How is that different than the fighter dropping due to loss of Hit Points? Same TPK risk (unless you are playing 4e, in which case there is little if any risk of the fighter, or anyone else, dropping).

Hmm, actually, when you drop due to HP loss, there is still a chance to save you until -10 hp, or neg con hp, or whatever 4e uses.

Maybe that's the change that could be made. Not so much Save or Die but Save or Drop. The poison doesn't kill outright, but it drops the fighter (or whoever) out of the fight and without prompt attention he will die. The petrification doesn't happen right away, but when the save is failed the body is motionless and in a few rounds will turn to stone. Time for dispel magic, or rock to flesh.

See, I think the issue isn't taking someone out of the encounter prematurely, its the idea of taking a character out of the campaign prematurely.

Obviously, a party will not have a counter effect for all Save or Down effects - which would progress to Die in a few rounds.

Eh, or maybe I'm just talking outta my ass.

I have no real issue with Save or Die! as long as it isn't overused. Once every 2 to 4 sessions, maybe. It is the great equalizer, but all things do not have to be equal.

Announcing the Winners of the 200+ Tavern Followers Contest - Name Your Favorite Non-OSR RPG

My God, but that was a long title :)

Alright, we have a total of 13 prizes to give away.  Between 27 entries on the blog, 12 entries via G+ and one via email.  That gives us an even 40 - d20 and a d6 for the win :)

First up is the $10 Gift Certificate to RPGNow - and the winner is - Drance!

Next is the Dead Tree copy of Castle of the Dead - A Tunnels & Trolls Solo.  As an unannounced bonus, I'm throwing in an original copy of T&T 4e (I have two) - The Tunnels & Trolls Print Combo goes to  - Tim Shorts!  (Tim will need to get me his snail mail address - everyone else will need to get me email addresses)

Next up is Red Tide for Labyrinth Lord - and the winner is - James Kennedy (over at G+)

Congrats folks!

Now for the winners of their pick of Toys For the Sandbox (follow the link and tell me which (1)one you want)

Sylvaeon


Matt


Kelvin Green


Michael Bolam


Red


Bob


Mythusmage


Andrew


Ben McKee (G+)


Christopher Wood (G+)


Congrats to all!

So, what you need to do is email me at erikATtrubluniteDOTnet

I need the email address that is associated with your RPGNow / DriveThruRPG account.  In the case of the gift certificate, you'll get an email from the kind folks at RPGNow with the certificate code you will use to enter the credit on your account.

For the rest, I need it so I can purchase the gift and have it applied to the account that matches your email.

Except for Tim.  He needs to send me his snail mail.

Be kinda and reply promptly, so I can save a little cash buying these at GM Day Sale prices ;)

Picking Nits From Mike Mearls Latest Column - Save or Die!

(Mike Mearls is playing the role of Monte Cook in today's Legends & Lore Column, which you can read in it's unadulterated form here)


It's been awhile since I've written an article like this for the community, so I thought it would be worth mentioning what I've been up to. As senior manager for the D&D R&D team, I'm in charge of overseeing the development of every D&D product. The next iteration of the game is currently the biggest thing on my plate (probably nearly all of the plate). As part of my job, I take a broad view of the project, with an eye toward making sure we're hitting our primary goal of building a game that can encompass a wide array of player and DM styles. As we move into the next stage of development, Monte is going to be even more focused on design, so I'm going to lighten his load and resume writing this column for the time being (is this an acknowledgement that Monte's posts were doing more harm that good with the marketing talk he was spewing?) This also gives me the chance to test out a few ideas I've been mulling over with the team.


Usually, I chime into the design process when the team is at a crossroads, when it faces some particularly vexing issue, or when it just wants additional ideas. That's where this article comes in. We haven't looked at the topic I'm addressing in this article in depth in the design process yet (as the article's title is Save or Die! it seems like a fairly big issue in the blogoshere - I'm surprised it hasn't come up yet in their design process), so I thought I would throw an idea out and see if it sticks.


First, to give you some insight into where I'm coming from, I take the idea of approaching the entirety of D&D's history very seriously. I'm about to start a new D&D campaign at the office, and I'm using the 1981 basic D&D rules as a starting point (now this is a fricking cool idea!). As I plan the campaign and (eventually) run adventures, I plan on making house rules, adopting rules from other editions, and shifting the rules to match how the game moves along (so, it's like a home-brewed 5e then). In some ways, it's a reality check against the ideas I see proposed for the next iteration. Would I want them in my campaign? Do they work for my group (as it's a group of fellow game designers, I'm not sure if it's an accurate reflection of the rpg player pool, but you work with what you got)?


Obviously, this represents only one DM and gaming group. The aim is to give myself a perspective just removed enough from the design work that I can strike a midpoint between the community of D&D fans and the people working on the game (eh, he answered my previous statement). With that in mind, I have a few issues that have come up in my prep work. I'd like to talk about one of them this week.


If you came to D&D with 4th Edition, you might not have heard someone say "save or die." (or "this encounter will take less than 4 hours to complete" or "TPK" or even "Holy Shit dude!  You died!  This is 4e, that ain't supposed to happen!")  It dates back to the earliest days of the game, where some traps, monster attacks, and spells required a successful saving throw or the hapless target was instantly killed, turned to stone, reduced to a pile of dust, and so forth. (yep, good stuff when used in moderation)


The save or die effect represents an interesting point in D&D mechanics. On one hand, fighting a critter with a save or die attack is tense and exciting. Or at least, it can be. A good DM makes a fight like this into something that can grow into a gaming legend over the years. Players will remember how their characters valiantly fended off attacks and either hoped for lucky rolls or came up with a cunning plan to defeat or avoid the critter.  (yeah, 4e isn't much on avoidance, is it?)


On the other hand, the save or die mechanic can be incredibly boring. (how the hell is it boring?  annoying if you die, but not boring) With a few dice rolls, the evening could screech to a halt as the vagaries of luck wipe out the party. A save or die situation can also cause a cascade effect. Once the fighter drops, the rest of the party's inferior AC and saving throws can lead to a TPK (TPKs are not inherently bad.  Constant TPKs are the issue).


I really like the save or die mechanic because, in my experience, most DMs know how to handle it well (DM empowerment?  DM responsibility?  This is the opposite of 4e). They use it as a spice: something that can keep an adventure interesting or that can serve as a pitfall for foolhardy play. The mere appearance of a medusa or a giant spider changes the game, leaving even the most confident player nervous. Great triumphs require great adversity, and the threat of instant death is one of the game's toughest challenges. (Mike is speaking "to me" more than Monte ever did in his posts)


I do have sympathy for players and DMs who don't like it, however. I've played in campaigns where such threats never showed up because the DM edited the mechanic out of the game by trimming the monster list (which is fine and dandy.  I do the same for level draining). Players and DMs who want a directed narrative, where the characters are the clear stars of the story, have little use for giving chance such a big role in the game (in a game with To Hit rolls and Saves, chance is part of the game). At the same time, it's a pity that such dramatic threats don't necessarily play well with campaigns that pull the focus away from the dice.


When I put my designer hat on, I have to admit that the save or die mechanic rubs me the wrong way (don't fall victim to the "designer ways" Mike.  Use the Force). I like that hit points give me an easy gauge to judge a character's or creature's status. Some save or die effects, such as poison, can simply deal damage. But what about something such as a medusa's gaze? Is there some way that we can tie a save or die effect to hit points? Is that even a good idea? (let me see what you got first)


Here's my idea. A save or die effect kicks in only if a character is at or below a certain hit point threshold, and that threshold is determined by the power of the effect and the creature. We can extend the effect to things such as paralysis, which can take you out of the fight. Like this:


If a ghoul's claw damage reduces a creature to 10 or fewer hit points, the creature must make a save or be paralyzed.


The medusa's gaze forces creatures currently at 25 or fewer hit points to make a save or be turned to stone.


A creature hit by Tiamat's tail stinger must make a save or die. (Powerful creatures might lack any hit point limit for their save or die attacks.)


(alright - I must admit to being intrigued by this)


There are a few advantages to this approach:

• It ties the save or die mechanic to hit points, meaning that a monster has to attack you a few times before it can kill you or take you out. (as a balance issue, I'm okay with this)
• The same applies to spells. The fighter hacks away at a troll for a few rounds before the wizard uses flesh to stone on it. (not sure I agree with this. PCs and monsters do not need to follow the same rules)
• It allows monsters to better scale with level. A powerful monster is scary to low-level PCs because it can defeat them with one attack. High-level characters must still approach the monster with caution, but they can stay out of the danger zone through smart play. (keeping with the whole "orcs should be viable threats for multiple levels theme)
• It creates a rising sense of tension at the table. Running low on hit points becomes even more dangerous. (tension is a good thing in gaming)
• We can design monsters to model their power in the world. A medusa turns the town guards to stone, but the hero accompanying them has a fighting chance. (again, no complaint from me)
• It allows us to strip away a lot of the immunities that cluttered monsters, especially in 3rd Edition. Many of those immunities served to deter one-spell victories (eh, I am not a 3e scholar - I'll take Mike's word on this)

The biggest drawback is that spellcasters and monsters have to be aware of a target's hit points to decide if an attack makes sense. For most monsters, you can make a save or die effect sit on top of a damaging attack (a wyvern's tail stinger) or trigger automatically each round (a basilisk's gaze). The same can't be said for expendable spells, and the save or die mechanic is likely too powerful for spells you can reuse. For spells, you could state that a creature above the hit point threshold automatically succeeds at a saving throw or the spell's attack automatically misses. The spell could then have an effect on a miss or successful save, giving the caster something for his or her effort. (Again, PCs and Monsters do not need to follow the same set of rules when it comes to Save or Die.  Monsters do get a Saving Throw I assume)


K, color me surprised.  Very little marketing bullshit.  Let me correct myself.  No detectable marketing bullshit.  This is actually an informative article that doesn't contradict itself or any previous articles or statements.  Even if I never play 5e, I may use some of this in the ext OSR game I run.

Just a Reminder...

The last chance to add a comment on the "The Tavern Has Over 200 Followers and I'm Giving Away Some Free Shit" post from Saturday is today.

I'll be closing the post to new entries around 830 tonight NYC time and then randomly determining who get's some gifting.

If you haven't added your comment yet, what are you waiting for?

Mini Review - The World of Torn: Hand Drawn Maps Volume 1

As I sit at my desk, thinking of the two campaigns (and two different game systems) I am planning for the end of April / early May, I realize my mapping skills suck.  I'm not just talking as a player, I mean as a "Dungeon Designer".  I suck at free hand and I'm not much better with the mapping programs I've bought over the years.  They really need one for the mapping inept.

I have a huge appreciation for those that cam produce amazing looking maps freehand.  What someone like Matt Jackson can do in 20 minutes, I'd never accomplish in 20 years.  Simple truth.  It's not where my talents lie.

So, when I saw a hand drawn map pack on RPGNow, I had to grab it.  I'm glad I did.

The World of Torn: Hand Drawn Maps Volume 1 is actually 5 dungeon / cavern maps in one package.  The are hand drawn by Alyssa Faden.  I never heard of her before, but she draws a quality map.  They are keyed with traps and flooded areas, but the DM has to stock them and figure out the history behind them.

My first issue was a difficulty matching up the connections between the levels (assuming you want to use them as one complex and not individual location).  It took some studying to figure them out, and I'm still not 100% sure.  I probably need to print them out and let them on top of another.  For the next volume, these connections should be cleanly marked to cut down on the minor frustration factor.

The maps come both in a PDF booklet and individual jpegs, which should allow for easy integration into a VTT of your choice.  Well, except for the fact that the traps are marked.  This is my second issue.  Maybe traps should be left out of the next volume, as the GM is more than able to add his own.  Icluding them kinda defeats the whole VTT angle.

Overall its a nice collection of hand drawn maps.

From the blurb:

Description:

The Torn World Presents series features artwork from our creative staff for use in your home-brew games; regardless of your gaming system and era, these will be of use to you. "Hand-Drawn Dungeons: Volume I" features the artwork of Alyssa Faden - the Torn World creator and cartographer.
In her spare time, Alyssa just loves drawing detailed maps; cities, dungeons, wilderness environments ... it really doesn't matter, it just needs to be on a microscopic level and a completely different world. And due to popular demand we are making them available to you in high resolution format.

• For use in your Torn World gaming session, or equally suited for dungeonmasters looking for dungeon maps for any alternate systems. 
• FIVE hand-drawn dungeon maps in PDF & JPEG format. These are all from the "Hellhound caves". Use them independently or together as a multi-tiered ancient dungeon where the top level connects to the bottom only via a deep plunging waterfall ...

Above all - ENJOY and have a fantastic gaming session! If you download these - thank you - please be sure to let Alyssa know on her Facebook page how your session went! 

Tip Toe Around the NDA

Its funny.  You sign an NDA and you can't discuss your game experiences from the POV of the rules, although you can probably post in broad swaths, as long as those broad swaths avoid anything rule like.

Heck, I'm not even sure if you can discuss the name of the game covered by the NDA, but if I say I'm playing in a game covered by an NDA, it should be an easy guess.

Hmmm... I can't even tell you if the game plays well.  Can I even tell you who my GM is?  Probably not.

Alright, how about the Google+ Hangout with battle grid and dice roller?  That works extremely well, independent of system.  Still in beta and not released upon the masses, but no NDA there.  Last night the game broke down into pure silliness.  The same silliness that would occasionally break open in a session of my face to face games.  It means the group has bonded.  We are comfortable enough to let our hair down, so to speak.

So, Dragons For Dinner will be a great tool within Google+ Hangout for RPG sessions once it's fully tweaked.  We can see the potential, and it is real.  As for the thing behind the NDA?  I can't say.   No, really, I can't say.  Says so in the NDA.

Weekend Picks For RPGNow's DM Sale

Well, it's sunday and half the weekend is gone, but it's not too late for weekend picks ;)

Advanced Adventures #1:  The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom - this and pretty much everything else from Expeditious Retreat Press is on sale.  The Pod-Caverns is an excellent Old School Adventure that uses the OSRIC system, but is usable with any of the OSR clones.

Dungeon Crawl Classic #0:  Legends are Made, Not Born - this and the rest of Goodman Games' assorted products are 25% off for the GM Day Sale.  Goodman Games puts out some great Old School adventures.

Fat Dragon Games -  whether you are looking for terrain, fold up dungeon walls or a Dice Tower, Fat Dragon has some pretty cool shit.  I just wish I had the room to display some of the stuff.

Alright, that's the weekend picks.  Back after I nap.  Late game last night ;)