Roll20 Announces License Deal with Wizards of the Coast (NEWS)

Here's the official press release of the announcement:

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS LAUNCHING ON ROLL20
The world’s most popular tabletop RPG comes to the world’s most popular virtual tabletop.

OVERLAND PARK, KS (July 28th, 2016) Roll20 announced today a licensing deal for their online “virtual tabletop” to distribute Dungeons & Dragons content. This marks the first licensed collaboration between these two companies, which has been a major goal for Roll20 since its launch in 2012.

“While Roll20 was designed to play nearly any tabletop game, the spark that pushed us to start the product was Dungeons & Dragons,” said cofounder Riley Dutton, “Our very name, ‘Roll20’ comes from the concept of a ‘critical hit’ as popularized by D&D. For us, D&D represents an evergreen part of our gaming lives, and to be officially working with its creators and caretakers certainly feels like we’ve made a winning roll.”

The launch is beginning with sales of the introductory adventure module Lost Mine of Phandelver, which comes with pregenerated characters, image handouts, maps, and tokens prearranged in Roll20 to help Dungeon Masters avoid lengthy setup times. Other licensed products will follow, including Dungeons & Dragon’s latest upcoming adventure storyline Storm King’s Thunder, which is available in Roll20 for preorder and launches September of 2016.

Roll20 already leads the virtual tabletop category, with an overall online population of over 1.6 million users, more than 46% of which identify themselves as players of the current edition of D&D.

“We’re always looking to broaden access to Dungeons & Dragons, and Roll20 already plays a significant part of that expansion,” said Greg Tito, Communications Manager at Wizards of the Coast. “We are excited to see what the future brings.”

ABOUT ROLL20
Roll20, owned by The Orr Group LLC, began as an effort to keep developers Riley Dutton, Richard Zayas, and Nolan T. Jones in touch via long distance tabletop gaming. Since launching via Kickstarter in 2012, it has attracted over 1.6 million users as a free service, becoming the preeminent way to play tabletop roleplaying games online and developing into a staple of in-person play. The award-winning program continues to be funded by subscribers who receive features that assist advanced gameplay.

ABOUT WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards' players and fans are members of a global community bound together by their love of both digital gaming and in-­person play. The company brings to market a range of gaming experiences under powerful brand names such as MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Wizards is also a publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-­sellers. For more information about our world renowned brands, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.

CONTACT FOR ROLL20
Suzanne Wallace
suzanne@roll20.net

Humble RPG Book Bundle - Vampire

Now, I know this might not be on the radar of most of my readers, but I remember when Vampire, Werewolf and Mage first came out. They were damn interesting even if I could never convince my group to play.

The value of this Humble Bundle is simply amazing, and if that buck gives you some ideas or inspiration for whatever system you are running you've more than made your money back.

The link to the Humble RPG Book Bundle - Vampire

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - It's Gary's B-Day, Time to Speculate

Yep, it's Wednesday, so tonight is another Tavern Chat.

It was revealed today that Gail Gygax has found someone to market Gary's work. It's time to speculate on what that may be. Both the line and the format. This should be interesting.

Oh, and I'm sure there will be comments on the cover for the new printing of S&W Complete.

See y'all around 9ish :)

Gary Gygax Estate Partners With ‘Transformers’ Producer Tom DeSanto (Variety)

Tip of the hat to +Carl Pinder 

Looks like there actually IS something happening with the Gygax Estate, or more accurately the Gail C. Gygax Revocable Trust.

According to Variety:

“Transformers” producer Tom DeSanto has struck a deal with the estate of Gary Gygax — co-creator of “Dungeons & Dragons” — to oversee the Gygax catalog of published and unpublished works. 

The announcement was made on Wednesday, which would have been Gygax’s 78th birthday. His widow Gail Gygax reached a deal for DeSanto to become the “guardian of the library.” 

DeSanto told Variety that he’s already discovered several potential “universe” projects among the unpublished works and expects to find a home for at least one by year’s end.

Interesting times.

I wonder how much unpublished work there actually is, and how much of a market there is for it after all these years.

Why I Sometimes Omit My Own Opinion on Posts Soliciting Yours

Yesterday's post about the cover for the upcoming printing of Swords & Wizardry Complete has garnered over 50 60 comments already (not including threads on G+ and Facebook). It's already one of this year's most commented on posts.

In it, I asked The Tavern's readers which cover they preferred, old or new, and to include why they feels as they do.

Lots of great answers. Lots of good arguments for and against both covers. I really appreciate the feedback. Keep them coming. I read each one as they are posted.

I have been asked directly what my choice would be, and there is a reason I did not include my pick in the original post and will not include it now - quite simply, I don't want to influence the feedback. If I picked one over the other, I'd get a bunch of "I agree with Tenkar" and that kinda skews the discussion in one direction or another.

It's been damn civil with no name calling or objecting to the opinions of others, and I'm grateful for that. I know there is a temptation to tell others how they are wrong but showing us how you are right is always the better choice.

There is no right answer and there is no wrong answer. It's simply your opinion. I MAY give mine when this topic has run its course, but for now, we don't want my opinion, we want yours :)

New Swords & Wizardry Complete cover Revealed!

This is the cover for the upcoming printing of Swords & Wizardry Complete. Note, the transparency might not be the final version.

For comparison, here's the old cover.

I have my preference. What is yours?

(edit: I'm going to add "and why" to the above question, just cause I'd like to know ;)

Ken Whitman Feels the Need to Zing the Blackburns's Deceased Daughter (Edited w/ Update From Ken's Feed for Context)

Ken is, if nothing else, consistent. He's referenced the Blackburn's deceased daughter in the past (never in a nice manner) and has decided to do so yet again in an effort to defend a Facebook account that a third party assumed was yet another Whit / Ken Facebook account (I can easily identify 3 but I haven't dug deep). I do NOT know if the account in question was / is an account created by Ken Whitman. We'll give the benefit of the doubt, as there is a large amount of doubt without evidence proving otherwise.

Why Ken felt the need to bring up the Blackburn's deceased daughter can only be answered by Ken himself.

(Where did someone say someone impregnated Ken's daughter?)

(Is this Ken's daughter?  If so, as a Harvard grad she should spend some time editing Ken's posts)

edit: I thank Jolly for forwarding me the following to put things in context. It's NEVER right to include a man's family in stuff there weren't and aren't a part of.

I cropped out the pic of Ken holding / hugging his daughter. Ken is a lot of things, but his family does not deserve this shit and Ryan Pitts is out of place with this. Not saying Ken's update on Kickstarter was right, nor was he right to accuse Jolly, but as a parent I can see where Ken is coming from.

New Old School Podcast in the Works and I'm Giddy as a Schoolgirl

There's a new ""Old School" podcast in the works.

I can confirm that I am involved in it, both as a host and in working out it's format.

I can not give its title (although it has a website reserved) - yet

I can not say who else might be involved in it - yet

I can say I am excited as all shit, because "Old School" is my wheelhouse and I really like the format we are talking about.

Soon, my precious. Soon.

Justice League Comic-Con Trailer / Footage

Wow.

Simple wow.

Looks good. There is hope for DC yet ;)

As a bonus, here's the Wonder Woman trailer:

Another WTF Kickstarter - RPG Gaming table

If pictures can say a thousand words, this is worth about three. What The Fuck?

Notice it isn't a picture of a prototype table.

Here, let me give you the whole sales pitch for RPG Gaming table (don't worry, he has a modest goal of $8,500):

He's in Indy? Maybe he'll be at Gen Con.

Wait, I forgot to mention the rewards:

Why is the supply list and build instructions shipping 3 months AFTER the tables?

OMFG! The Gygax Memorial Fund page has been Updated!

Yep, that's the update.

No, there's no audit posted yet.

No, there's no news later than December, 2014.

No, there's no "call to arms" to demand the memorial be placed where Mrs. E. Gary Gygax want it placed.

No, there's no details on the bricks that are supposed to help pay for the yearly maintenance.

No, none of the minuscule amount amount of information that was provide via Facebook months ago has made it to the Gygax Memorial Fund's actual web page.

Instead you have a new pic of Mrs. E. Gary Gygax (remember, she NEVER refers to herself in that manner. Maybe the Fund's page was hacked. )

As an aside, my God the TSR office tunnel was gaudy as all hell. Really. It looks like a body scan machine for a Storm Giant.

"Hold your breath. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Breathe"

Star Trek Adventures coming in Summer of 2017 - Star Trek RPG from Modiphius Entertainment

Color me giddy :)

Star Trek WAS my scifi when i was a kid and later as a young adult. Star Wars was something I had to wait years to see, as my parents were on a tight budget, but Star Trek reruns were on the TV all the time.

Modiphius Entertainment has had some very nice releases and I have high hopes for their Conan RPG which I backed on Kickstarter. Strangely enough, Star Trek Adventures WON'T be Kickstarted, but it will be available as a preorder.

What does Star Trek Adventures cover?

Star Trek Adventures will cover Star Trek the Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise as well as all of the Original and Next Generation films. It does not include the new reimagined films by JJ Abrams. 

Hot damn! There is simply so much material to mine for adventures.

Something else that I think is important to note:

Will there be Living Campaigns once the game comes out?  

There will be Star Trek Adventure Living Campaigns running each year with organized play events in stores and special events at major conventions. 

Pretty damn cool even if I currently don't participate in organized play. It should mean a good amount of support. Now, if only they can do better than Margaret Weis Publishing when it comes to retaining licenses...

Lulu Has a 30% off Coupon

Yep. Lulu is at it again. They are running with a 30% off coupon. I wonder if this is their version of Christmas in July ;)

How did I find out? The Pundit mentioned it on his blog, and he also recommends picking up his recent releases ;)

While I haven't checked out Cults of Chaos yet, Dark Albion IS a damn good piece of work.

Crap, almost forgot. The Lulu code is: LULU30

No idea how long it's good for so don't wait too long.

Kickstarter - Battlegrounds virtual tabletop Content Drive #1 (Redux)

A short history of my background with Battlegrounds. There was a time period where I was experimenting with, what were then, the main Virtual Table Tops. Klooge, Maptools, Fantasy Grounds and Battlegrounds. At the time, the developer / publisher that was most responsive to feedback / questions sent directly was +Hernán Ruiz Camauër - the man behind Battlegrounds.

In the end, I got use out of none of the above, as I was putting the tool before the group - I didn't have a gaming group at the time.

Still, Battlegrounds was a tight little VTT, and the fact that you could set it up to run board games / war games and the like was and still is, awesome. I really should spend the time to kick the tires on this one now that I'm retired.

So, what does the Kickstarter for Batlegrounds Content Drive #1 strive to do? In the simplest terms, it wants to bring some of Devin Knight's tokens into Battlegrounds as content. If successful, there would be more such drives for content from other artists.

You can also pick up a license for the Battlegrounds RPG GM client at a discount via the Kickstarter. Unlike Roll20, it does not use your web browser.

Yeah, I may need to use this summer gaming downtime to re-explore Battlegrounds. It may be what my gaming group needs, and i do have a GM license with a number of floating clients in my name.

RPGNow Christmas in July Sale

I must have missed the email.

In any case, RPGNow is running it's annual Christmas in July Sale.

Nearly every release from Barrel Rider Games / +James Spahn / White Star is on sale as are titles from hundreds of publishers.

I'll try to make some OSR picks over the next few days but in the meantime you can't go wrong filling in holes in your Barrel Rider Games collection ;)

Ken Whitman - KotDT: LAS is DONE! But Ken Wants to Get Paid - Again!

Yep, according to Ken, Knights of the Dinner table: Live Action Series is ready to go out to backers and has been for the past month. He's just holding out to shake a third party down for money for distribution rights.

From what I understand, Marc Miller does NOT have a deal with Kenzer to distribute KotDT: LAS nor does Ken have distribution rights that he can sell - those belong to Kenzer.

But hey, all's fair while trying to shake down a mark for a few thousand bucks.

(I was given the following screenshot from a reliable and known source)

Ah Ken. You can't stop scamming, can you? I thought the hard drive crashed and all was lost. Then you needed someone to buy you a hard drive for $500. Now it's all done and has been for a month at least? You can't even keep your lies straight.

I may need to devote some time to do it for you. You know, collate your lies from the last 18 months or so. That way you'll be able to keep them straight. Oh, and of course they'd be posted, will links and citations, just so there would be no misunderstanding or accusations of anyone putting words in your mouth, as you do such a fine job of it on your own.

Tavern Chat Reminder - 9PM Eastern - Your Host is No Longer an Indentured Servant

Yep, tonight at 9 PM is another weekly Tavern Chat. This time your host is no longer an indentured civil servant, but a free man ;)

I know where my mind will be...

As a side note, 25 more Tavern Cards were dropped in the mail today. Tonight, I'll be working on working on the spread sheet while chatting.

Bundle of Holding - Lamentations of the Flame Princess Collection (OSR)

I'm surprised at the amount of goodness there is in the latest Bundle of Holding: Lamentations of the Flame Princess Collection. With the exception of Vornheim (which I am on record for not liking - the print is too small for my aging eyes and it's confusing as shit - YMMV) the titles I have that are in this collection are very good. Not necessarily playable with my gaming group, but good reads and great stuff to steal from piecemeal.

At $11.95 the Starter Collection is an excellent deal and the Historic Collection, currently sitting at around $23.60 is an awesome assortment of material.

I may need to grab at the Bonus Collection level just to fill the holes in my collection.

Cthulhu For President: The Game (Chaosium)

I don't discuss much politics, especially presidential politics, on social media. There isn't really a chance for a good outcome with that. Suffice to say I've yet to see a presidential candidate make it to the national convention that I really liked from either party - it has always been a choice of the lesser evil for me.

Which makes Chaosium's Cthulhu For President: The Game at $4.95 an excellent pick up for this year's presidential election. Shame it's only available in PDF, but they do have a store for prints and t-shirts and such.

Creature Compendium on Sale for a Buck (New Big Dragon Games - OSR)

I am a HUGE fan of everything +Richard LeBlanc has released under his New Big Dragon Games banner, and the Creature Compendium is no exception.

A bargain when it was 2 bucks, on sale for a single buck is insane.

If you don't already have a copy, now is the time to grab one.

Remember those flashes of inspiration  that electrified your brain when  you first picked up that hardback volume  of monsters all those years ago? 

The countless nights you sat up thinking of how to use those monsters,  where to put them, and when your players would meet them? Those unceasing  waves of joy that swam over you and your players as you unleashed  those creatures, critters, beasts and behemoths upon their characters? 

Collected herein are over 200 monsters from Abysmal to Zathoa,  instilled with that same spirit, presented in a “dual-stat” format,  and designed to be used with most early editions of the world’s  original role-playing game and comparable retro-clones.