Tavern Chat Tonight - 9PM Eastern - I May Miss It

I may miss tonight's Tavern Chat, as Rach is working late and I need to pick her up from work and then grab her dinner.

Ah well.

I'm never really needed anyway ;)

Hopefully I'll catch the tail end...

Swords & Wizardry: Light - Sandbox Setting Map - Tweaked and Finalized

Click on the map to see a larger version

So, the idea is that this map will be a 2 page spread in the middle of a 4 page release. It will be released without a grid (but with a distance indicator) with a gridded version of the map available for download. It looks much cleaner without the grid in my humble opinion and if someone wants to use a grid it's easy enough to print.

I tweaked some stuff with the latest revisions to make the labels easier to read. As the overwhelming response was to go "Print" or "Script" (and I agree, it is much easier to read) I did so.

There are three unnamed hamlets and one unnamed tower on the map. I don't expect to name them or describe them at this point. Yep, leaving more stuff in the hands of the GMs. Heh.

There is a ruined city on the coast, a ruined tower over at Far Point, a haunted battlefield, a mad hermit, a wizard's tower, a diseased forest, two indicated dungeon locations in the mountains, five noted population centers, a keep, ruins of an ancient city beyond the mountains and a huge city to the north. And probably about 2 pages to describe it all. The aim will be "hooks" over "details".

I'm figuring the first adventure will take place in the Town of New Velgare. Centrally located and a good starting location for the PCs.

Alright, I need to get back to the Tavern Cards. Many more to fill out and mail out.

Print or Script? Another Map Question

I know - lots of mapping related posts the past day or so.

This time, I'm looking for opinions on the above.

Print or script font?

I like the way the script looks, but I think the print font is clearer.

(for those wondering who "Reed" is, he's a retired adventurer, of course! heh)

What Mapping Program(s) Do You Use?

As you can see from my earlier posts today, I've been enjoying playing around with Other World Mapper. It simply does what it says it can do and the learning curve is small.

I've tried to use many versions of Campaign Cartographer and it is simply way beyond my ability to understand. It's not that I do poor maps with it, I just can't do ANY maps with it.

Hexographer is great for hex maps. It does what it says it will do. I'm looking for a different look with the map I'm currently toying with, but I'd certainly use Hexographer again.

Those are the ones I have the most experience with.

Of course, this question is asking about outdoor and setting maps, but what do you use for your dungeon maps? I know I can do them with Other World Mapper, but options and ideas are always a great thing.

This MAY Be the Map used for the Swords & Wizardry: Light Sandbox Setting (WIP)

This may wind up being the core map for the Swords & Wizardry: Light Sandbox Setting. If we start the PCs in the town between the lakes and set the hex size to 6 miles across, they have fairly good info on anything in a 25 to 30 mile radius and some general knowledge of locations further out.

It leaves undefined space for each campaign to grow with it's own needs.

Made in about 2 hrs using the Other World Mapper and graphics from the program as well as those purchased from MonkeyBlood Design. Good stuff.

I'll link the map on it's own page at The Tavern when I'm done tweaking ;)

Path of Legends Podcast Episode #5 Has Been Released in the Wild - Your Long Wait is Over ;)

There had been a bit of a hiatus with the Path of Legends podcast, a 5e podcast from the eyes of grognards. We lost one of our hosts due to real life issues and then picked up 2 new hosts for episode #5.

I have to say, I'm pretty surprised and impressed with how well episode #5 went with all of the changes.

Even better? We don't all agree and you can hear it, which I think is great. You don't want a homogenized podcast, you want one with live cultures ;)

We are back with a brand new show! 

Join Vince and Erik as they are joined by two new co-hosts, Steve and Tim! Show topics include: 

Adventure Path – DM ADVICE #1 – Cheating players
Monster Hunters – Goblins
What’s old now is New – Exploring limitations on what races can play a class
Presto’s Hat – Obscure Rules Chart

This is NOT the Swords & Wizardry: Light Setting Map - But it WAS a Great Exercise in What Can Be Done in 90 Minutes with the Right Tool

So, last night I got to thinking that it had been a while since I'd used the Other World Mapper program. Since I plan on making a small sandbox setting for Swords & Wizardry: Light,I opened up OWM and had at it.

The above is after about 90 minutes of tweaking. Far from finished, it did get me thinking about simple "how and whys", such as why the huge canyon, who or what is in the lands that aren't under control of a noble or some such, trade, resources and the like.

Now on to mapping something out in Black & White, as color won't work so well when something is meant to be printed at home.

A WTF Kickstarter - Courts and Castles (Uno meets Risk meets Battleship)

The ranks of The Taverners can be scary, at least when they identify a What The F@CK? Kickstarter, and this one is a class all by itself.

Doesn't the above pic just make you want you to run out and grab a copy of Courts and Castles? No? Why not?

How about 79 pledge levels? No, I didn't count but +Rick Hull did.

79 pledge levels, and not one actually gets you a copy of the game.

So, what is the game about?

I have no idea what was held back. I couldn't justify reading the 19 paragraphs that followed. He says he simplified it from an earlier version, so it's complex but not head scratching. I have my doubts.

Name a serf for a buck or a city-state for $150, you still don't get a copy of the game. Which is probably best.

I'm still stuck on 79 pledge levels. I don't even know if the limited pledges (as each pledge level is limited) would allow the goal of $3,690 to be met. God only knows I'm not doing that math...

Lesser Gnome Death & Taxes Collector's Set Snags Two ENNies Nominations

A HUGE congrats to our very own +Zach Glazar for grabbing 2 ENNies Award Nominations for this year's awards with his / Lesser Gnomes Games Death & Taxes Collector's Set release.

Best Miniature Product and Best Production Values. When Frog God picked up Zach, they leveld up :)

+Timothy Brannan also grabbed a nomination for his The Otherside Blog. Alas, The Tavern is always a bridesmaid, never a bride ;)

Thoughts on a Swords & Wizardry: Light Sandbox Setting and More

I think 4 pages is the key to Swords & Wizardry: Light releases. It's forces one to make sure everything is nice and compact and a single sheet is all you need to print.

Needless to say, I'm now thinking of a sandbox setting for S&W: Light. Perhaps 8 5 miles hexes E/W by 10 5 miles hexes N/S.

A sentence or two highlighting each hex. 3 or 4 paragraphs giving an overview of the area in general.

Now, obviously there would be dangers where 3rd level characters just shouldn't be poking around. Which brings us to the next topic of discussion.

There have been a number of inquiries as to whether or not to allow characters to advance under the light rules instead of moving on to one of the fuller S&W rulesets. I do appreciate that lighter is often better for some, some I'm toying with the idea of an "Extra Light" release, adding advancement and monsters for characters of up to 7th level.

So, we are looking at the following releases:

Swords & Wizardry: Light ruleset

Swords & Wizardry: Light Intro Adventure

Swords & Wizardry: Light - Deadly Machination - tables, charts, additional rules and DM advice

and possibly:

Swords & Wizardry: Light - Adventure Sandbox

Swords & Wizardry: "Extra" Ligt - Advancement to level 7

All 4 page releases.

Give me your thoughts :)

What's Missing? A Goblin Army...

I took this pic about an hour before sunset. Catskill Mountains viewed from the Poconos.

When I look at the resulting pic, all I could think of was a goblin army moving through the field.

I need to start drinking for the night ;)

In any case, this is my best place for thinking...

Work Has Begun on the Intro Adventure for Swords & Wizardry: Light

map by +Dyson Logos 

A foul looking creature bursts forth from the storeroom of the Battered Dwarf Tavern. It holds a gnawed human arm in it's mouth as it surveys the dinner crowd. The arm drops from it's mouth as it softly states "buffet."

The bartender, an old and bearded dwarf, shouts to the assembled patrons.

"The fucker! My wife's nephew was gettin' the next cask of ale to be brought up. I'll pay the tab of any that dispatch this beast and then go down the basement and bring up the ale!  Oy, and him too I reckon, or whatever is left. Heck, I'll go so far as offer room and board for a month - but ya gotta triple up in the room, minda ya. Man's gotta make a profit still"

And so it will go from there.

No need to awkwardly set up the party - they are at the only place in town that serves hot food and beverages.

If the ghoul is too much for the party, the bartender or other patrons can assist. The small basement will lead to further adventure as they seek to discover who opened a new corridor into the basement and where did the ghoul come from.

Pocono Productivity Spell in effect ;)

As an aside, I picture the voice of the bartender to resemble that of Mr. Crabs from Spongebob Squarepants. Heh

And no, the f-bomb won't be in the final version ;)

Frog God Games 33% Off Site Wide Sale (50% off for Armed Forces Service Men and Women)

Yep, the Frogs are having a 4th of July Sale with two awesome discounts. Note, some of the more recent titles are excluded from the sale:

Link to the Frogs' Store.

Swords & Wizardry: Light - Dropping the 3D6 Optional Resolution Method - There's an App for That!

Sometimes you overthink things, especially when you want it to be "right" and cover all bases. Such was the 3d6 hack I was working on for combat and saves for Swords & Wizardry: Light. I wanted to make sure even if the gamers lacked a D20, the material would work for them.

It was going to take up space to explain it and it wasn't going to be a perfect fit, but I was aiming for "close enough"

So, leave it to my sister to come up with the obvious solution.

"There's an app for that, right? I mean, nearly everyone has a smart phone or a tablet and you're expecting folks to have computer access to print copies and distribute. So why not just use an app?"

See, there's a reason she's a published author.

Another example of not seeing the forest for the trees and needing an outsider to point things out.

Yes, there are apps for that. Free apps.

K, time to play on my Android phone ;)

Kickstarter - The Lost Lands: Bard's Gate (Complete with Tenkar's Tavern Easter Egg)

I really wish I had taken a picture of the MASSIVE map Frog God Games had hanging up at their booth of Bard's Gate at NTRPG Con. Alas, I just didn't think of it at the time. Instead, I spent a good deal of time chatting up +Skeeter Green about the various easter eggs, not just in the Bard's Gate book but the map itself.

Yes, there will be a Tenkar's Tavern in Bard's Gate (it will be recognizable and is full endorsed by your's truly). I was approached about the possibility early on in the process and would have had a hand in the relevant text myself if the wind down at work had gone smoother.

The map at NTRPG had the streets labeled and my God, there are a huge number of easter eggs to be found. Some will make you smile, some may make you snicker. Some are obvious, many are less so but from what I can gather, all will have meaning. I'm really looking forward to this release.

How important Bard's Gate to the Lost Lands setting? I'll give you +Bill Webb in his own words:

Ok, so Bard’s Gate and the pitch. Those of you who know the Lost Lands know the name Bard’s Gate. It’s basically the hub centerpiece city of both the wilds of Akados and the Sinnar Coast. This place is integrally linked to Rappan Athuk, The Sword of Air, Stoneheart Valley, The Borderlands, Barakus, The Sundered Kingdoms and about a dozen of the Quests of Doom adventures. Heck, it’s the starting point for Sword of Air. Anyone playing in the Lost Lands will benefit greatly from this book. 

If you don’t play in the Lost Lands, but just need a city, it works for that as well. Ok, time to do a Grognard check—how many over 40’s used the City State booklet for every city in every area of their game world? The best part about a book like Bard’s Gate is that you can grab bits and pieces of it for use as a city adventure or you can use the whole as canon material—your choice. After all, who doesn’t want to visit Tenkar’s Tavern or Thilo’s Scriptorium? There are Easter Eggs galore throughout the city, and dozens of side quests and adventures that can be tailored for low, medium and high level player characters at the GM’s discretion. 

Skeeter and Casey have done a wonderful job of expanding and re-imagining the work that Clark Peterson and I produced back in 2003-2004—this city is much bigger and better than it was before—this is not just a window dressing of the existing material. We have modified most of it and added over 120,000 words of new material. 

We designed this book to be used, not to sit on the shelf (ok, the metal one is designed to sit on the shelf, it weighs too much to use at a table I fear). Care was taken to make it so you as the GM can easily read, find and follow plot lines and connections within the book and thereby maximize its utility. After all, since the player characters need to return to a city after killing the dragon and rescuing the princess, you might as well have something waiting for them that wants to kill them! 

So that’s about it, except for one final note about the giant maps—these are an experiment, and literally can be used as a table cloth or shower curtain. I know they are pricy, but as we are unlikely to make many of them, our costs are fairly high. They are made of cloth and are quite durable. We had one prototype in Dallas last month, and about 20 folks wanted to buy it from us. I can say that one will be going on my wall (and used as a table mat when the party enters the City). Again, we focused this on utility. It makes it very easy to tell where folks are if the party decides to split, where one goes to the armor shop and another goes to the sewers to visit a certain guild. While not quite to miniature scale (it would have been 14 feet long), this still may be the coolest map I have ever seen (ok, geek mode off). 

Thank you all again for your patronage of FGG, and I hope we continue to delight you with our books and other products. 

BW
30 JUN 16

Crap. I really want one of those giant maps. No idea as to where I'd put it. Hmmm, maybe I can get my son to move out sooner than later and turn his room into my man cave. Damn, and Rach's yoga room. Still, she loved the map hanging at NTRPG Con too...

Kickstarter - The Bogey of Brindle - 5E adventure

Just a quick note. +Lloyd Metcalf has a new Kickstarter out there, and not only did it fund in just a few hours, it's nearly doubled it's $1,200 goal in the first 24 hours.

Lloyd does what he does very well.

Does The Bogey of Brindle sound familiar?

This is NOT a simple re-do. The original Bogey of Swindle was a short digest one-sitting adventure. As a first attempt at adventure writing, and a first attempt at condensed adventures you can imagine that it likely had some short-comings. The original was also written for 1E/OSRIC and never contained very many details about the Goblin town of Swindle (Now Brindle) as everything was focused on a Lesser Gnome setting. 

"They say the first time ain't the greatest, but if I had a chance to do all again"... well we DO have a chance to do it all again, and this time there have been many lessons learned since that first effort! 

The ENTIRE town of Brindle has been added with HAND DRAWN over-land, dungeon and town maps and illustrations, with NPCs who have story hooks that could lead to many sessions of gaming within Brindle. 

Personally, I'm in at $50 for the original pen and ink drawing.

Can't have enough original art.

BTW, no stretch goes. Go figure. It can be done successfully...

Thief Class WILL be in Swords & Wizardry: Light - Skill Preview Follows

So, the feedback was overwhelming that a Thief class is needed for the initial 4 pages of Swords & Wizardry: Light. Of course, part of the issue is simplification and part of it is space concerns. That damn skill chart takes up some major page space.

With the input of some of the regulars during last night's Tavern Chat, I think we have a playable and elegant solution.

Climb Walls will convert to a 5 in 6 chance. All other skills will roll into on singular "Thieve's Skills Package". Chance of success is 1 in 6 at 1st level, 2 in 6 at 3rd level, 3 in 6 at 5th level, 4 in 6 at 7th level at 5 in 6 at 9th level. At 12th level, the chance for all thief abilities would be 6 in 6 - if you roll a 6, roll again and if another 6 comes up, you failed.

You could house rule the following:

All thieve's skills take 1 minute to perform. If you devote 10 minutes to the activity, you increase your chance of success by 1 in 6. If you rush and devote only 10 seconds to the task, your chance of success is lowered by 1 in 6.

Tell Me Why You Want a Thief Class in Swords & Wizardry: Light

There's been one oft requested addition to the Swords & Wizardry: Light Rules (which are themselves a distillation of the Swords & Wizardry: White Box Rules - folks simply want a thief class, and not the one presented in Swords & Wizardry: Core.

Now, as I've mentioned before, in an effort to keep things simple and to make the natural progression of the experience to be going from the Light rules to the White Box rules and due to the constraints of only having 4 pages to work with, a thief class will not be in the 4 page S&W: Light rules. However, I plan on releasing a 4 page Deadly Machinations (GM's options and advice) to go right along with it and a thief class could certainly appear there. Obviously, it would only cover the first three levels, but I could expand the class fully here at The Tavern.

All that being said - tell me why you'd like a thief class for Swords & Wizardry: Light. I've got some ideas on how to make it different then the Core version but I'm open to other ideas.

Reminder - Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9PM Eastern

It's Wednesday and that means another Tavern Chat.

Huzzah!

The topics are always random and always interesting.

It kicks off officially at 9PM Eastern, but some folks do arrive early.

Now if I could only move the cat from in front of my keyboard I could get some more Tavern Cards on their way...

Ladies Night at The Tavern - Opening The Tavern to Female Posters as a Regular Feature

Last night I mentioned to Rach: "You know, you really should make a post or two at The Tavern. Not only can you write from the perspective of a female in gaming, but with your career in social work, you'd bring a different perspective to gaming than many would expect."

Rach thought about it and remarked:"Like when Merle's wife laughed out loud when I inquired if the terrorist was armed, and when he said he was, I said 'I blow him away!' I don't think she expected me to be so blood thirsty ;)"

Of course, neither did I. And this is my wife we are talking about. The director of a substance abuse treatment clinic.

And that's the key. Rach see's gaming from a different perspective than I do, and I've said it before and I'll repeat it forever: The Tavern belongs to the community and it needs more than just my voice.

Earlier this afternoon, I mentioned the plan to have Rach post once a week or so come the end of the summer to a mutual friend of ours, and he said: "Why not have a Ladies Night or some such once a week. Open The Tavern up for women in the Old School Gaming Community as a platform for them to post their thoughts, ideas, observations."

And so here we are.

There are no requirements. No "do's & don'ts" aside from "please avoid personal attacks". Write reviews, observations, house rules - whatever. Rach is brainstorming something on substance abuse as an underlining theme in an adventure, so it's really an open platform.

Ladies, if you have thoughts for a post or a series of posts, email me at trublunite AT that gmail thing with your ideas. The goal is to get this up and running by the end of the summer. It won't happen without you.