Deal of the Day - Barbarians of Lemuria: Mythic Edition (solid Swords & Sorcery RPG)

I own the original, non mystical, edition of Barbarians of Lemuria. Its one of those games I've always wanted to run but never have. Time is never on the gamer's side, it seems. 

With the Barbarians of Lemuria: Mythic Edition being today's Deal of the Day at RPGNow, I may just snag the new edition and run this at tome point. More probably, I'll borrow and steal from it liberally for whatever OSR campaign I'm running.

The PDF is normally $15.16, now on sale for $6.14

The Second Age of Man is a savage time of sorcery and bloodshed, where strong men and beautiful women battle with warlords, priests, magicians and gladiators to carve a bloody path to the Throne of Lemuria... 

Barbarians of Lemuria is a heroic role-playing game set firmly in the sword-and-sorcery genre. Lemuria is a post-apocalyptic world thousands of years in the future and unrecognisable to anyone from today. The continent has returned to an almost prehistoric state – a land of steaming jungles, vast untamed wildernesses, horror-filled swamplands, and sunbaked deserts. Massive man-eating beasts roam the unexplored regions of Lemuria and beyond, from island-sized sea serpents capable of sinking wargalleys, to the huge jungle-dwelling dinosaurs that can swallow a man whole.  

Print on Demand versions of Barabarians of Lemuria: Mythic Edition are now available. 

Included with the pdf purchase are:
- the main pdf in full colour
- the main pdf, print-friendly version
- a high resolution pdf map of Lemuria
- cover with artwork
- plain cover.

Remember, a portion of all RPGNow purchases made using The Tavern's affiliate links goes to support The Tavern. Tip your bartender! ;)

Follow Up #3 - Kickstarter - Rifts® Board Game - In Carmen's Own Words

Today's update at the Rifts® Board Game Kickstarter features Carmen answering questions and addressing issues in his own words. In the interest of keeping something that resembles a balance on the coverage of this wild ride, I'm going to quote some parts of the update. Note, not all of the update, as it is long. You can read today's update in full here.

Also, I'm going to address parts of the update where I have relevant info to expand or refine what Carmen posted.

As a side note, the next post will certainly NOT be about the Rifts® Board Game Kickstarter - I promise gaming content! ;)

Not quite. From the Palladium website, March 2012.

The gestation period of this Kickstarter was 5 years. Or, at least, the idea is 5 years old. And it doesn't seem to be solely Carmen's idea, as Kevin was involved in the "feasibility" discussion. Now, 2 years may be the time period that Carmen said "Let's get 'er done!" but its not the time frame of the idea.

Makes perfect sense. To not use a license you paid for would be foolish.

I agree. Harassing backers of the project is simply wrong.

The LLC being in Michigan while Carmen is in Canada raised some flags. I'm glad this was addressed and answered.

Nothing earth shattering. It attempts to put some distance between Carmen and Palladium. Can't say I blame him.

I know there are folks that are backing the Rifts Board Game KS specifically to support Carmen and that is great. He's getting professional help and that is good. He's also in for 2 plus years of stress, frustration, angry backers, frustrated backers and worse. I don't envy the position Carmen has put himself in.

Alright, back to fun stuff with the next post.

Follow Up #2 - Kickstarter - Rifts® Board Game - They Snuck in Their Own "Terms and Conditions" - You Can Forfeit Your Reward For Not Answering the Survey in a Timely Fashion

Holy shit! I've never seen a Kickstarter with its own "Terms and Conditions", especially one that basically says "If you don't confirm your pledge within 8 weeks of us emailing you, you have effectively forfeited your reward. We MAY ship to you if you miss the date or we MAY refund you, but it is just as likely we'll tell you to go screw."

They KNOW your basic order. They KNOW what you pledged for. They most certainly can fulfill that, but they have just stated they may choose not to. Because.

Customer service seems to be a foreign concept with these people. If this was a brick and mortar store would you buy anything from them with this warm and engaging attitude that they have towards their customers?

Yep, the Rifts® Board Game Kickstarter. The gift that keeps on giving...

Thanks to Impact Miniatures for pointing this out with a comment to the prior post.

PS - I still need to look at todays comments on the KS...

Followup - Kickstarter - Rifts® Board Game - How NOT to Respond to Your Backers' Questions

Yep, from about 2 hours ago as I type this. I'm literally STUNNED that anyone associated with a Kickstarter project would post this, but as I said with the previous post on the Rifts® Board Game Kickstarter, this one is going to have drama and more.

Guess what Andrew, those $1 backers are the ones that are interested but aren't sold yet. Those are leads you should be working to convert, not dismiss.

Now, is the $1 backer in question trolling? I'd say so, but Andrew's comment dismisses ALL $1 backers out of hand.

Someone really should take over their customer interaction on this project. I'm sure Kevin S is waiting in the wings ;)

Don't worry, I'm sure this is more drama forthcoming. Now, about those Glitterboys...

Reminder - Tavern Chat - Tonight 9 PM Eastern

Is it really Wednesday already? That went awfully fast. Heh. It was a very busy week in Tenkar Land and I'm still behind on stuff that needs to get done.

Nothing stops Tavern Chat! (except conventions, but that's a whole nother story)

Where is Tavern Chat? The Chatwing app on the right side of this page.

What is Tavern Chat? An opportunity for The Tavern's community to share thoughts, ideas, experiences and to simply "chat" - it is a Tavern after all ;)

Guest Poster James Shields discusses Artist Transparency

Tonight we have a guest post by +James Shields where he breaks down the factors that go into the rates for his art. I think it is eye opening and factors in aspects that are often missed by many. A version of this post was shared on G+ by James but we are hoping it will get a wider audience with this post. Without further ado...

ARTIST TRANSPARENCY
It's the thing people want to know but nobody wants to talk about it. Sometimes rates seem to be pulled out of the air or determined mostly by what an artist thinks a client will be willing to pay.

I don't want this to be me.

I want to have integrity in what I do. I hope you do to. So, let me talk about my process and my rates openly. Maybe this will help you.

HOURLY RATE
First, determine what hourly rate you need where you are.
As a husband and father of four, I need around $20 an hour to adequately provide for my family.

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
As a freelancer, you need to know how much of your work week is spent on administrative (non-paying) duties. These may be things like client conferences, advertising your services, updating products, additional training, etc.

I spend at least 25% of my work week on these activities.

PAID LEAVE
Would you like to take an occasional vacation? Want to be able to afford some sickness? If you do, these need to be factored into your rates.

I personally take the standard 14 days of vacation and 7 sick days.
That means out of 260 working days (52 weeks x 5 days), I work about 92% of them.

DO YOUR MATH
If we take the above information and factor it into an equation, it would look something like:

[$20 an hour] divided by [75% of actual paid work activities] divided by [92% of actual days of work] = An adjust hourly rate of $29

This is my personal adjusted hourly rate. Yours may look differently.
But the math doesn't end there.

KNOW YOUR WORK PROCESS
I have a project tracker to record how much time I spend individually on:
References, Sketches, Inks, Colors, Etc

This gives me a much better idea of how much time your project will take me to complete.

I then multiply my adjusted hourly rate by the average time spent on a given project, factor in supply fees (variable), tax (8%), copyright license fees (variable), and transaction fees (3% + $0.30) for a final total which is then adjusted (usually down a few dollars) to a more palatable cost for sales. (Example: $63.21 would become $59)

[Side Note about License Fees: I charge no additional fee for Non-Exclusive contracts. The client gets the ability to use the artwork for their one specific purpose indefinitely. I charge an additional 25% for All Rights for a Limited Purpose. My current Work for Hire contracts are set at an additional 50%. Copyrights have value. Don't give them away. Client aren't letting you 'keep' copyrights. They are already YOURS. Therefore, value your work and charge for your copyright licenses.]

Lastly, we are in a commercial industry that includes supply and demand. The above does not include determining your personal value from the base rate where you start with this system. So, let's assume you begin using this approach and consistently have enough clients and work for months at a time. At some point, you may begin turning work away. At that point, there is more demand than there is supply. Therefore, increase your hourly rate some, which of course, will affect the flat rate you charge per piece.

(In the reverse and I hope it's not the case, but if you aren't getting enough work, evaluate your promotional time and efforts, and if need be, lower your hourly rate until you grow and improve more and demand catches up with your supply.)

So... that is my entire rate calculation process. Take it, use it, and adjust it for your needs. Finally, be proud of your rates and stand by them.

If you have any questions/comments, don't hesitate.
If you are a freelancer and feel like all of the above makes sense but have a hard time applying it, I urge you to use my Client Queue and Rate Calculator - https://gumroad.com/l/KfthF. It's the document I use to track time on various types of projects. Put in $0 and download it for free.

I'm attaching my Rate Matrix for you to see the results of my personal calculations. Hopefully, its complexity makes it clear why I use a Client Rate Calculator on my site - http://jeshields.com/wp/rates/

ENnies Submissions are In - Guess What Will Soon Need Your Votes? ;)

Yep, a couple of firsts here with the 2017 ENnies:

• First submissions to the ENnies by Frog God Games
• One of the (if not the) first Free Print Product submitted that was not released for Free RPG Day
• First time my name was on a submission (not counting the submission of Tenkar's Tavern a few years ago as a blog entry before realizing I wasn't edgy enough ;)

It should be an interesting summer ;)

Kickstarter - Rifts® Board Game (100 buck buy in, but the drama is free)

Wow. Simply wow. The Kickstarter is live for less than 12 hours and already there are over 350 comments. Its also 46% to its $100k funding goal.

What am I talking about? Quite simply the Rifts® Board Game (don't forget to use the ®)

Now, you might be saying "didn't this happen already?" and the answer is "no". What DID happen is a whole lot of drama, a suicide attempt and lots mudslinging by Kevin and those frustrated with the the Robotech Tactics KS. You can read THAT post here. Too much to repost but very useful for those looking to do some "due diligence" on the Rifts® Board Game Kickstarter.

Let's cover the basics (its your cheat sheet):

• Palladium does not have a good record with its prior Kickstarter.
• Technically, this Kickstarter is not being run by Palladium.
• There are those questioning who really is calling the shots on the Rifts® Board Game Kickstarter.
• Carmen, the one who is producing this Kickstarter, attempted suicide less than 3 months ago.
• We know this because Kevin told us so.
• The suicide attempt was blamed on angry backers of the Robotech Tactics KS. We know this because Kevin told us so. Backers who refused to back the board game because they are stil waiting for full fulfillment of Robotech Tactics.
• The Rifts® Board Game has train wreck capacity right from launch.

Personally, I would be wary of backing a project being run by someone that attempted suicide because of this very Kickstarter less then 3 months prior to launching this Kickstarter with this much drama and baggage attached to it. I am sympathetic of all that the creator has gone through, but that doesn't mean I'd back this.

That being said, I'm backing for a buck to get the backers only updates, as I expect this will be an interesting ride. Its just not a ride I'm willing to gamble 100 bucks on. It has a two year stretch before fulfillment and there is just too much potential for something to go wrong.

Kickstarter - d20 Dice Ties

d20 Dice Ties. I'm surprised no one thought of it before. Or maybe they had and it totally went past me.

I like the concept. Heck, if I was still working I'd buy one just to wear it at official training classes just to mess with the minds of my fellow officers. Sadly, the only time I'm going "shirt and tie" these days is weddings and funerals and I don't think it fits either.

The ties are 15 bucks for one (plus 3 bucks for US shipping - other shipping rates are higher) Not sure what they are mad of but for 15 bucks, I'll assume they aren't silk.

I'm kinda partial to the blue ;)

Anyhow, funded with six days left in the funding period. Expected to ship in July of this year.

Excellent Article at Glixel - How a Pen and Paper RPG Brought 'Star Wars' Back From the Dead

I don't often link to articles from fairly obscure places on the net and in truth I never heard of Glixel before this article was forwarded to me, but damn - its a good article. (and looking deeper, Glixel seems like a decent site to read other articles too)

D6 Star Wars IS Star Wars for me. The first three films that were released where the be all end end all - I know I'm a heretic to most when I can say I didn't care for the second trilogy and haven't watched any of the later releases, film or cartoon. My Star Wars ended when West End Games lost the license.

Greg Costikyan, a co-creator of Paranoia, was one of the people tasked with securing the Star Wars license. “We flew out to California to meet with Lucasfilm,” he says. “We made a bid of $100k. We later learned that TSR had tried to get the license too, but they only bid $70k.”

Just imagine - we were close to getting Star Wars done in the same manner as Indiana Jones and Conan - the sad TSR treatment. Shudder.

Read the article (linked here). Its well worth the minutes of your time.

When The PC's Inner Monologue Clashes with The Parleying Encounter, Anything Can Happen

Last night's session of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light was a blast. The group is exploring the cave system above The Lost City of Barakus and last night the party was focused AND lucky.

They blew through encounters that could have easily been TPKs if they had followed the +Tim Shorts method of rolling ;)

Then came the final encounter of the night. Its a minor spoiler for any that may play The Lost City of Barakus in the future, so I'm going to add a page break.

Troll Lords sends a Fishing Email - I'm Not the Only One That DIDN'T Back This Kickstarter That's Asking for a Response and Offering a Supposed Reward

This email feels really slimy. Really. Slimy.

And look, when I click the link it shows my pledge level at $0.00

Yep. Nothing waiting for me, but I can add stuff to my order. Which I never made.

Fishing?

Bait and switch?

Another example of a Troll Lords fuck up?

I've received numerous reports of others getting the same email.

Rise of the Dungeon Master - Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D - Graphic Novel releases May 9th, 2017

Rise of the Dungeon Master is a new graphic novel about Gary Gygax and the creation of Dungeons & Dragons.

Release date is May 9th and it can be snagged on Amazon and other sellers. Amazon is offering release dare delivery (purchases using the below Amazon link will help fund The Tavern)

Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D

Rise of the Dungeon Master tells, in graphic form, the story of Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, one of the most influential games ever made. Like the game itself, the narrative casts the reader into the adventure from a first person point of view, taking on the roles of the different characters in the story. 

Gygax was the son of immigrants who grew up in Lake Geneva, WI, in the 1950s. An imaginative misfit, he escaped into a virtual world based on science fiction novels, military history and strategic games like chess. In the mid-1970s, he co-created the wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons game. Starting out in the basement of his home, he was soon struggling to keep up with the demand. Gygax was a purist, in the sense that he was adamant that players use their imaginations and that the rules of the game remain flexible. A creative mind with no real knowledge of business, he made some strategic errors and had a falling out with the game's co-creator, his close friend and partner, David Arneson.  

By the late 1970s the game had become so popular among kids that parents started to worry -- so much so that a mom's group was formed to alert parents to the dangers of role play and fantasy. The backlash only fueled the fires of the young fans who continued to play the game, escaping into imaginary worlds. Before long, D&D conventions were set up around the country and the game inspired everything from movies to the first video games. With D&D, Gygax created the kind of role playing fantasy that would fuel the multibillion dollar video game industry, and become a foundation of contemporary geek culture.

State of The Tavern - Uncle Duties and Falling Behind and Planning Catch Up

So, "Pinky", my six year old niece that thinks Uncle wrote Swords & Wizardry Light "just for me so Uncle can teach me to read and play Dungeons & Dragons!" was sick this week. I got the call Tuesday Night and the young lass missed some school this week. Official diagnosis was "tail end of a virus and full on allergies" Retirement means I am the emergency babysitter and sit I did. And drive to pick her up and drop her off. Which means I got podcast listening in but fell behind on content creation and blogging.

So, here's the updates:

Torchlight - As Swords & Wizardry Continual Light is going through heavy edits and layout by the Frogs (meaning the Alpha that a few people got their hands on at Gary Con truly is limited) work on Torchlight has slowed. I want folks to have access to SWCL when the first issue of Torchlight releases. Pencil it in for a July release.

Revisiting Demi-Options - work commences this weekend rewriting the Halfling classes for SWCL and Swords & Wizardry Complete. I'll follow that up with Dwarven Classes, then Elven and last but not least, Gnomish classes. Wait, there isn't a Gnomish S&W race option? We'll fix that ;)

The Crowdsourced Wand of Wonder - I'm going to put the entries into a table and award the prizes tomorrow or Monday. I'd work on it today, but my niece is over. Heh. Where's all that free time retirement is supposed to entail?

Pocket Creatures - Have a few more creatures outlined. Time to work on it.

Learning InDesign - I need to go back to the book and tutorial videos. Time to dig outa the hole...

Secret Project - still secret. Announcement towards the end of the month.

BRW Games (Adventures Dark & Deep / Castle of the Mad Archmage) 20% PDF Sale and Random Drawing

+Joseph Bloch 's BRW Games is running a 20% off PDF sale as well as a drawing for print prizes for those who purchase PDFs (from Joe's blog)

As we head slowly into the summer months, I thought I'd do an impromptu sale, with a contest to boot! 

From Saturday May 6, 2017 through Sunday May 14, 2017, all print-possible pdf titles will be 20% off. 

In addition, anyone purchasing a pdf version of a title (that has a print version) will be included in a special drawing. Two lucky winners will win a free upgrade to a softcover version of the title, and one lucky winner will get a free upgrade to hardcover (if available)! 

Shipping to the United States is included. Outside of the U.S. you will be asked to make up the difference in shipping costs. But the books themselves are still free! 

Purchases of titles that do not have a print version will not be included in the drawing. But if you get a print title, and want to try for a second copy, more power to you! The following titles have print options available:

A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore Adventures Dark and Deep Bestiary 

Adventures Dark and Deep Game Masters ToolkitAdventures Dark and Deep Players Manual 

Castle of the Mad Archmage Adventure Book Castle of the Mad Archmage Adventure Book (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Edition)Castle of the Mad Archmage Illustration Book 

Castle of the Mad Archmage Map Book Castle of the Mad Archmage Expansion - Level Three East 

The Golden Scroll of Justice

This offer does not apply to the Adventures Dark and Deep bundle, but does apply to both the Castle of the Mad Archmage bundles (OSR and Pathfinder). 

Remember, purchases made using The Tavern's Affiliate links goes to support The Tavern. Tip your barman! ;)

How NOT to use the OneBookSelf Mail to Sell Your Goods - Columbia Games Loves to Send its Customers Spam

Columbia Games, when is enough fucking enough? Three emails for three different products in 40 minutes? Are you fucking for real?

This isn't a knock of OneBookShelf. They know how to run an online digital and print storefront with minimal hiccups. I'm just pointing out a publisher that abuses the tools given to all publishers and is potentially putting that tool at risk.

Ever hear of "less is more?" Try it sometime...

Somehow I missed April 21st - Four fucking emails!

Gaming Raffle to Benefit Kits N Kats Rescue of SC

We gamers tend to love our furry friends. Whether they are pets, mounts, familiars, or members of the family, cats, dogs, ferrets, etc. we have a tendency to take care of them. Dark Trails creator David Baity has taken his support to a whole new level by running a pretty amazing, winner take all, raffle to raise funds for Kits N Kats Rescue that uses items from his own collection as the grand prize. 

Why Kits N Kats Rescue?
"I had habitually avoided them for years because I’m a total sap for homeless cats, and I think it’s just easier to ignore them than to stop and get sucked into their cause.

That all changed in October. That day, a tiny kitten was set off to the side in a carrier, and as I was checking aquariums my curiosity got the best of me. This little kitten was named Tilly and she was obviously very ill. It broke my heart, and for once I decided to not be one of those folks that just walks by. I found out that Kits N Kats takes the kitties that nobody else wants. It doesn’t matter what is wrong with them, they take them in and get them the medical attention they need, saving many of them from being euthanized. I filled up a cart with food that day and dropped it off on the way out. The thanks I got was unexpected and it saddened me to discover they don’t get much in the way of help.

How many of you would spend every Saturday of your life setting up cages and sitting in a pet food store all day, just in hopes someone will take a cat home that you’re fostering? I know I’m a stingy bastard with my Saturdays, so the fact that sweet folks do this is something I genuinely admire. Firemen are called heroes all the time, but to me, these guys are real heroes. I squirt water on burning things on occasion. These ladies take unwanted animals and refuse to give up on them. They medicate, feed and shelter them until someone gives them a forever home.

Tilly lost her battle to her ailments, sadly, but she went out being loved and cherished every day she was here. She also pulled me into the ring, which is why I’m officially announcing a month-long raffle for a treasure trove of amazing RPG goodness."

For each dollar you donate, David will throw your name into the “fish-bowl-of awesome”.  The charity raffle will last until Midnight, June 5th. In November, David Baity's first raffle raised $900.00 for Kits N Kats Rescue and went to the purchase of food and litter as well as vet costs. This time he is hoping to raise more and he has announced a prize-package that is too good to pass up. To donate simply log in to PayPal and send whatever you can spare to mysticmousers@gmail.com David will update the total every week.
 
 Now then, what does the grand prize winner actually get? The prize package includes a massive amount of content easily worth $300+!!
For DCC RPG 

• A hardback custom DCC engraved wooden blank book. 
• Adventures (19 of them): Boston Crawl for DCC, Faerie Tales From Unlit Shores (The Portsmouth Mermaid), Fates Fell Hand, The 13th Skull, Colossus Arise!, Chaos Rising, The Emerald Enchanter, Frozen in Time, Sky Ov Crimson Flame, Stronghold of the Wood Giant Shaman, Carnival of the Damned (signed by yours truly if you want!), The Vault of Ash, Escape from the Shrouded Fen (signed by Terry), Cast Tower of the Blood Moon Rises, The Vertical Halls, Null Singularity, Attack of the Frawgs, Beyond the Silver Scream. Sunken City Omnibus (hardback).
• Dice: One 12 piece set of Game Science dice, 3 sets of Dark Trails dice from various runs.
• Rulebooks: DCC, 4th printing (signed by a whole gaggle of cool people like Kovacs, Stroh, Goodman, Curtis and more). 
  
• Sourcebooks: Nowhere City Nights, Mind Games,Hubris.
• Lunchbox: The DCC lunchbox sold at Gencon 2016 (small dent in corner). 
  
• Swag: DCC Belt buckle, satin dice bag, spiral notebook, unused “Original Posse” Dark Trails cup. 
• Zines: D.A.M.N Magazine #1(revised), Black Powder Black Magic Volume I & II.

For Lamentations of the Flame Princess 

• Lamentations of the Flame Princess (signed by James Raggi).
• Death Frost Doom (signed by Zak Sabbath).
  

System Neutral 

• Vornheim (signed by Zak Sabbath)

Plus

• Artbook: Doug Kovac’s sketchbook, the Drain Chamber deluxe edition (signed and uber cool!)
• Cough Drops: 1 Ricola cough drop (signed by Brendan LaSalle)
• Print: MCC Cover painting signed by Doug Kovacs
• T-shirts: MCC: XL (never worn), Super cool cat shirt! Chinese XXXXL (would fit a small to medium person)

The "Fine Print": David will personally pay up to $50.00 USD out of pocket for shipping. Beyond that and the winner may need to kick in.

Ever Want to Live in Greyhawk? Well, now you Can! :)

The Taverner's are an awesome bunch, because 24 hours a day, 7 days a week they have their eyes open for interesting tidbits.

So, who wants to live in Greyhawk? Housing prices start at just under $400k. There's an onsite golf course. I can't speak about the thieves' guild, but I'm sure you can inquire ;)

Here's your map ;)

New Release - 50 ShaDes Of vOrpal (ALPHa) (most certainly NOT a review)

First is was a ridiculed Kickstarter. Now its a release at RPGNow.

This is MOST certainly NOT a review of 50 Shades of Vorpal.

As far as I can tell, the author, such as he is, forgot to include an actual set of rules with this "set of rules" but that's ok, as the rues aren't the point. This is the fantasy rpg heartbreaker that was hidden from most of the 13 year old boys in the late 70s and early 80s, but obviously not all.

You don't read 50 Shades of Vorpal as if it were a game, but as a window into the soul of the fictitious author. Well, that and to laugh. Or cry. Cringing works too.

Amazingly enough, this is one product that @ConManKen could probably spell better than. Not by much. Just a little ;)

50 Shades of Vorpal is 5 bucks at RPGNow. I am not suggesting you buy it. I'm just making the proper notifications. Read at your own risk and remember, a portion of sales through The Tavern's OBS affiliate link goes to support The Tavern...

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Let's Get 'Er On!

Yep, its a Wednesday and that means tonight is Tavern Chat. Woot!

What ever shall we talk about?

#ConManKen?  Venger?  SWL?  The upcoming announcement on May 30th?  Scratch the last one - can't talk about that yet ;)

Join me and the rest of the gang using the Chatwing app on the right side of this page.