RPGNow

Friday, January 19, 2018

Troll Lords Sale at RPGNow - 30% off (Stacks with Current RPGNow Sale where Applicable)


Troll Lords is having a 3 days sale on their PDFs at RPGNow - 30% off everything, and if its already on sale with the current New Year, New Game promotion at RPGNow it comes out to be just over a 50% discount.


Even better for the bargain hunters, Troll Lords has a series of titles that are normally marked down to $1.99 - it includes some classic C&C adventures. They come out to be $1.39 on sale.

Those are affiliate links above. Keep the lights on and the beers cold at The Tavern ;)


Thursday, January 18, 2018

Kickstarter - Dice Roll Dungeons — Instant Encounters for DND & Pathfinder


I'm on the fence about the Dice Roll Dungeons — Instant Encounters for DND & Pathfinder.

From what I gather, its fairly systemless, which makes it useful for OST systems too.

I'm just not quite sure what it is. A sample page would go far, but there isnt one.

Here's what it says it is:
Dice Roll Dungeons is a collection of 20 different encounter scenarios, designed to work with D&D, Pathfinder, or any other fantasy-based RPG! Dice Roll Dungeons turns the act of detailing your encounters into a game of dice; it provides a fun and easy framework for your encounters, so you can generate ideas instantly and pick and choose from all of your favourite results!

You start by gathering your favourite set of dice and rolling your trusty d20! The result of your twenty-sided dice roll will give you your DUNGEON SETTING, corresponding to what you rolled. From there, you flip to the chapter of the book that coincides with your result, and you will be given an overview of the location, lore about the dungeon itself, and other interesting sidenotes about potential hazards and inhabitants. After that, you can further customize the dungeon by rolling other dice on ADVENTURE HOOKS, the BOSS FIGHT of the dungeon, a variety of ENEMIES and DANGERS, and, of course, totally customized TREASURE! 
So, I know what it says but it doesn't really says what it is. Eh, maybe I'm overthinking it.

Buy in is 8 bucks American. I'll see where it goes. Print options are forthcoming. Its funded with nearly 500 backers. 

Kickstarter - Dungeon Delve #1: Tower of the Black Sorcerers (OSR Adventure)


I'm pretty big on backing OSR themed Kickstarters. I like to back the community I'm a part of and want to see creators, new and old succeed. The Dungeon Delve #1: Tower of the Black Sorcerers looks to be an excellent OSR Kickstarter, with a bunch of pluses and a huge potential warning sign.

Let me explain.

Plusses:

  • The art team is amazing: Bradley K. McDevitt, Ryan Jack Allred, Matthew Ray, and Russ Nicholson
  • Removable cardstock cover printed in color.
  • A cut-away map of the tower, a map of the tower levels, and a dungeon map printed in classic dungeon blue in the inside cover.
  • Its written for 1e
  • Its written, edited, laid out and all art is accounted for.
Minus:
  • Shipping for the physical copy is apparently included in the $20 price. Looks to ship anywhere. Enough international backers can make this a monetary loss. 
Its funded and I'm currently in for 20 bucks.

Edit: "Tower of the Black Sorcerers" is an adventure for 5 to 7 characters of intermediate levels 5 to 8. "

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - How Should we Celebrate Swords & Wizardry Continual Light going Silver? :)

Today is Wednesday and that means Tonight is Tavern Chat at 9 PM Eastern. Voice Chat. Text Chat. Chat chat :)

As a side note, I noticed earlier today that Swords & Wizardry Continual Light (currently on sale for $1.88 in PDF) hit Silver status on RPGNow. My God, but this is both amazing and humbling. Hopefully we can continue the success with later releases. What shall we do to celebrate?

Here's the link for tonight's Tavern Chat:

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD



New Year, New Game Sale at RPGNow



I've been remiss in mentioning there is a New Year, New Game Sale running at RPGNow. Its 25 % off thousands of titles in PDF, including Swords & Wizardry Continual Light ($1.88 for the next 4 days)

There is a surprising amount of OSR related releases on sale and I'll try and cover a few in the next day or so.

Personally, I find the NYNG Call of Cthulhu 7E Bundle a very tempting pick, and I already have the core books in print. Quite simply a shit-ton of horror gaming for your 40 bucks (not cheap at all, but still tempting). The Conan bundle is tempting, but I backed the Kickstarter, so I think I have (or should have) all included.

Yep, those are affiliate links. Keep the lights on and the beers cold at The Tavern with your Patronage.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

10 Copies of the 2018 Baby Bestiary up for Grabs

Enter to win a copy of the 2018 Baby Bestiary Calendar with artwork by Travis Hanson. 10 copies in the mix.

edit

use the following links


Twitter announcement link
https://twitter.com/MetalWeaveGames/status/951078013495644160

Link to Giveaway
https://gleam.io/competitions/4dZHL-baby-bestiary-calendar-giveaway

Facebook Link
https://www.facebook.com/BabyBestiary/posts/2027032270874






0Your Entries
220Total Entries
31Hours Left

Prize

10 people will win a Baby Bestiary Calendar,
2 of which will also win the Baby Bestiary Collectors Edition (containing Volumes 1 & 2 of the Baby Bestiary)

#ConManKen - Kenny Takes the Show to Facebook Live - Hilarity Ensues followed by Threats of Indictment

Because I didn't have an easy way to replace him with a pile of shit
Ah, sweet #ConManKen. Never at a loss to make folks laugh. See, Kenny took to Facebook Live for a live sale yesterday and my, the laughs were flying. And yes Kenny, folks were laughing AT you.

Now, it WAS authentic Kenny as you will see from the following shots taken by one of The Taverners" of the scroll at the bottom of the feed:




Some folks went s far as commenting about Ken's Kickstarters that he's failed to deliver, failed to update - fuck it, he's basically a failure.

Then Kenny complained about the Trolls - he started deleting posts and blocking people:

This is the post that got James banned: "Will unsold product be available as a Stretch Goal reward in future Kickstarter projects?"

He also made the statement that those trolling were in violation of Kentucky Law for causing a loss of business and it was a Class D Felony. I couldnt find the relevant law.

The following does, however, seem potentially relevant:

KRS 517.120 Operating a sham or front company

Kenny, can you quote us the law you are threatening folks with in the above format? It may help.

Because folks want to know which law you are threatening them with via PMs:


Turn you over and pour you out...

Kenny, where's my FBI Agents? I've had tea and coffee cake ready for them for 15 months and they never came. What was the federal law that I was violating again?

#ConManKen , if he wasn't so full of shit, he wouldnt be Ken...






Monday, January 15, 2018

Kickstarter - For Coin & Blood: Grimdark Old-School Fantasy Roleplaying


There's just about 12 hours left in the funding period of For Coin & Blood: Grimdark Old-School Fantasy Roleplaying. It bills itself as a "grimdark" OSR styled game. While I suspect the game itself will not be something I'd want to play or run as is, I'm sure for 5 bucks for the PDF I'll find enough to rip for Swords & Wizardry that I'll get my 5 bucks back in gameable value.
For Coin & Blood is an old-school inspired roleplaying fantasy roleplaying game, which takes the direction of playing the scum and villains in most fantasy campaigns! 
Playing assassins, cult leaders, blackguards and more, For Coin & Blood is a different look at the otherside of the coin of fantasy roleplaying games. Inspired by the writings of authors such as Kate Elliot, Joe Abercrombie, Sarah Monette, Glen Cook, Anna Smith Spark, Scott Lynch, and more, For Coin & Blood is fantasy roleplaying about antiheroes, thieves and assassins, rooted in the darkest recess of mankind’s depredations. 

While most roleplaying games hide their murderers under the mantle of “hero” (I mean, what “hero” invades underground complexes in search of treasure and murders the denizens because their whole species is “evil?”), For Coin & Blood makes no pretenses about what it asks you to be. You’re the villains that other campaigns fight. You’re the cult leaders, assassins, fallen nobles, murderers, mercenaries, necromancers and thugs.

Wayward Kickstarter - Artisan Dice Does Handcrafted Polyhedrals - an Artful Fiasco?


I get it. Kickstarters run late. Kickstarters blow up (9k goal and raised over 291k) Equipment breaks down. Shit happens.

I do get that.

Over 4 years late, no update since July on the Artisan Dice Does Handcrafted Polyhedrals Kickstarter and its selling product to retailers when some Kickstarter backers are still waiting over 4 years?

That shit is like Gareth Junior type of Kickstarter running.

It sees like someone has a bad business plan.

Now, I know Artisan Dice takes a long time to fulfill their KS orders. I backed their earlier wooden dice set and that too forever. I don't remember accusations that they were filling retail orders at the time. They just seemed to be overwhelmed.

Here's the online store for Artisan Dice

The thing is, their BBB ranking is in the tank:


Apparently they are deleting negative comments from their Facebook page too (see comments on the KS page)

Are you still waiting on your dice?

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Free Download - Engineering Castles (Troll Lord Games)



The Trolls have priced Engineering Castles down to the price of FREE.

32 pages of mostly charts to stock out those castles your party of adventurers may stumble into. The price is certainly right ;)
Bastions of Timber & Stone  
Adventure does not limit itself to dungeons of earth and stone, but calls the seeker to plunder the halls of war and worship; from the spires of looming towers, to castles set in forbidden glades deep in ancient heartwood and to the sunken and abandoned places lost in time. Not all are hidden – some are welcoming bastions for the wayward traveler, and others are the holdings of creatures most foul; still more bear foreboding edifices, casting a mocking shadow – be they castle, ruin or manor, each beckons a promise of loot, a glimpse of chance, and portends fate.  
Castles  
An aspiring Castle Keeper will often have many floor-plans of places through which unsuspecting player characters dare to venture, generally taking the forms of underground complexes or even wilderness or urban areas, but many likely do not have much stock for the "other" locales such as bastions, keeps, temples, and castles. This tome will remedy that situation and provide the Castle Keeper the tools and templates to design such from nothing or, if desired, to modify an existing structure with new and unknown which may be otherwise familiar traits. 

Giveaway - Dust 1947 Miniature - Gamers on Games Channel



The Gamers on Games Youtube Channel is giving away a Dust 1947 miniature. I'm not much of a war-gamer these days but I do know a significant portion of The Tavern's readership is, so here's you chance to win a free mini. Heck, even if you don't play Dust 1947, its a free mini and that's damn cool.

Watch the video, pick a winning side for the upcoming battle (and add it as a comment to the Youtube video linked above) and if you pick right, you'll be in the pool from which the winner is picked. Pretty cool.

You can enter until Feb 15, 2018.


Saturday, January 13, 2018

OldSchool Counterpoint - Benoist and I are Looking for Topics



Yesterday's OldSchool Counterpoint LiveStream went very well. Benoist and I are going to make it a fairly regular "thing" - we had a fun time and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

So, we need topics.

Some suggestions that have been made thus far are:

Min/Maxing
Gnomes - yeay or nay
Variable weapon damage or not
Level Drain

Add your ideas to the mix. Comment below. If we use yours, we'll give you credit on the Livestream ;)


Friday, January 12, 2018

Wizards Updates Terms and Conditions for WPN Store Owners - Background Checks of Store Staff now Included


So, that post from the weekend here at The Tavern talking about how stores can protect your children while they participate in the hobby, a post that I made due to a story circulating in social media. Well, it looks like the story that was circulating got Wizards to do something. WPN is Wizards Play Network.

Here's a quote from Vice President of Global Brand Strategy Elaine Chase:
Recently, a few former judges and players had their sex offender registries posted to social media. In accordance with our policy, the majority had already had their access to Magic organized play suspended indefinitely, and are not active in the Magic community. 
We learned, however, that an individual reported to the Judge Conduct Committee was inadvertently not decertified by Magic Judges nor reported to Wizards. You can read more about that here. However, once this was brought to our attention, Wizards immediately coordinated with Magic Judges—an independent community-run organization that operates and manages the judge community and its Judge Conduct Committee—to address the situation. That individual has now been indefinitely suspended as a player and the Magic Judges decertified the individual’s status as a Magic judge. When Wizards learns that a DCI member or a Wizards Play Network (WPN) retailer is on a sex offender registry, we take immediate action to remove them from organized play and our promotional programs. We have a zero-tolerance policy. Sex offenders have no place in the Magic community. 
As part of our commitment to safe and inclusive spaces, tournament organizers and retailers will be explicitly required to conduct background checks for all staff (as permitted by applicable law). This includes CFB Events' Grand Prix, local store events like Friday Night Magic, and professional events like the Pro Tour and World Magic Cup as well as convention play run by Wizards. 
We remain committed to working with tournament organizers, local game stores, and the Magic community to foster safe and inclusive environments. The proper channels for reporting misconduct are as follows: report judge misconduct to the Judge Conduct Committee at magicjudgefeedback@gmail.com, and retailer or player misconduct to investigations@wizards.com.
I give Wizards credit for getting ahead of the narrative in this situation. Ir can only make gaming a safer environment for all.

Old School Counterpoint - Livestream - NOW - Secret Doors - Loath them or Love Them



Here's the link for the first Old School Counterpoint Livestream - Secret Doors, Loth them or Love them.

Yep, we started a thing ;)
"Conversation between Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern and Benoist Poire of GP Adventures regarding Secret Doors in Old School Gaming and D&D variants. Pros and cons, their usage, purpose, and how they affect game play in various ways. "

Old School Counterpoint - Secret Doors - Livestream - 5PM Eastern - Benoist Poire and Tenkar



+Benoist Poiré and myself are trying out something which may very well become a regular feature - Old School Counterpoint - where we discuss a topic within the Old School realm with differing views.

Today at 5 PM Eastern the topic will be Secret Doors - overused or the perfect obstacle? We know where I stand (overused) and we know where Benoist stands, but do we know where we'll be at the end of the discussion?

I'll put up a new post with the link to the livestream when we are closer to 5 pm so you can join us. This very well be the start of a "new thing" ;)

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Frog God Clearance Sale - Cyclopean Deeps - Vol I & II - $14.99 each or $24.99 set (S&W and PF)


The Frog God Clearance Sale keeps rolling along. Added to the mix earlier today, Cyclopean Deeps Volumes I & II in Hardcover (with free PDFs) for $14.99 each or $24.99 for the pair. Choose between Swords & Wizardry and Pathfinder (like there's any sort of choice if you are a Tavern Regular ;)

Here's the link for the Frog God Hardcover Clearance Sale. You'll find a few other goodies there that might tempt you.

No affiliate links. Just damn good shit at awesome pricing.

State of The Tavern (Keeper) - Its (s)not Nice...



I'm under the weather. If you heard me in Tavern Chat last night my voice was a bit hoarse. Well, maybe a lot hoarse. Now I've got that dopey congestion fog. Started on Saturday. Yeah for me!

I'm still playing catch up with reviews and such here at The Tavern.

I know, vitamins and bed rest. Working on it. Uncle duties have been heavy this week and I have them again today. I'll try and mold Pinky into the gamer she wants to be anyway.

Alright, back tonight. I'm trying to put together a list of all of the Community Content Storefronts at OBS. Just noticed there is one now for Call of Cthulhu 7e. Holy shit but that's cool :)


Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - It's NOT Hidden Behind a Secret Door ;)



Tavern Chat is tonight, 9 PM Eastern. Fair warning, your bartender is suffering from a cold from hell. I might sound like shit but thankfully germs aren't spread through Discord ;)

Where? Simply follow the invite. Open Bar is where the voice chat is. You can lurk - we don't mind...

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Tavern Chat has been likened to a live podcast, unscripted with random guests and unrecorded - if you aren't listening you've lost your chance ;)


Kickstarter - Folio #1 1E & 5E Adventure Reprint


The Folio is one of the most successful, serialized gaming supplements available today and probably the only one that dual stats for both OSR systems and 5e.

If you missed out on the start of the series, the Folio #1 1E & 5E Adventure Reprint is your chance to grab a reprint of the first issue, which is also the first part of the Roslof Campaign.

Hurry though - just over two days left in the funding period.
Three years ago I started the Folio series with a dream of creating OSR inspired adventures that also fit into today's gaming styles.  My first adventure was entitled 'Beneath Roslof Keep'.  At the time, I had no idea that The Folio would become a 'thing', or that so many fans the world over would enjoy the exploits of this particular dungeon delve. So, as I ring in 2018, I wanted to once again touch base with Roslof Keep, and try to allow new players who might have missed this long out of print module the opportunity to lay hands on it.  As it was the first module ever produced by Art of the Genre, I also wanted to have a chance to go back in, modify the content and presentation to match what later became out standard Folio process, and also add-in content not included on first publication.  
So, if you've ever wanted to own a Folio, start a new campaign, or just want to see what we do here are Art of the Genre, this is a perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor, or should I say, Beneath Roslof Keep.  
My Project: The Folio is a 1st Edition & 5th Edition gaming module. It will be produced as an 8x11”, removable cover [11x17" once removed], adventure with mostly b/w interior artwork. The final size is roughly 32 pages of content. 
Who’s it for? ALL gamers, both new gamers and old gamers as it is easily expandable or playable as is.The concept is to allow gamers a starting point for adventure that can be modified to their liking while providing excellent reference content and framework.The base mechanic will be for 1st Edition AD&D, while having 'grey block' stat blocks for 5th Edition D&D, but I’ve designed it to be readily modified to any fantasy game. 
What’s in it? It has been written by myself and my OSR compatriot Mark Timm, with incredible cover art from old school masters and interior artwork by skilled black and white illustrators Travis Hanson and Michael Wilson, and even a bit of Jim Holloway because I can never get enough Holloway. We are intent on providing a polished and modern design with creatively nostalgic content that transcends a particular age. The Folio will contain a 3-D map, a Gazetteer, a monster section, a new monster unique to the setting, DM’s notes and guides, and a full adventure.

Kickstarter - Castle of the Mad Archmage: Musicland (OSR)



Its time to catch up on some Kickstarters, both old and new (or a bit of both)

Castle of the Mad Archmage: Musicland is the latest Kickstarter by +Joseph Bloch . Technically an add on or expansion to CotMA it should be playable as a stand alone adventure, simply because its a parallel dimension. Makes me think of some classic Gygax adventures. Imagine that...

Already at 4 times its funding goal in just over a week, all physical copies are accounted for. Yep, you read that right. There were 99 limited print copies and they've all been pledged for.

5 bucks gets you Musicland in PDF. 30 bucks gets you the PDF bundle that includes all of the Castle of the Mad Archmage releases - including this one.

I had a blast running the original CotMA megadungeon with my "B-Team". We never finished it but that seems par for the course with my gaming groups, but thats okay. Its the journey, not the destination that matters most.
This is the third expansion to the Castle of the Mad Archmage megadungeon adventure. In this adventure, the characters are catapulted to a parallel dimension called Musicland where musical instruments are alive, people speak in musical notes, and the King of Instruments produces melodies that embody the Platonic ideal of music itself.  
Not only will the adventurers need to navigate this strange and deadly place, but they will need to figure out a way home, as well. But where there is great peril, there is always promise of great reward, and treasures both mundane and magical await those who enter Musicland. 
Written for Adventures Dark & Deep, Musicland should play well with most any OSR ruleset. We used Swords & Wizardry Complete with CotMA and it was seamless.

Alright, expect some Folio when I awake in the morning...
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