DTRPG Halloween Sale - OSR Picks - Part the First

It's that time of the year again, where you dig through the bowels of DTRPG looking for jack-o-lanterns in the hopes of finding free shit. It's also the time of the annual DTRPG Halloween Sale, with 25% off a large selection of releases.  This post will be highlighting some of the OSR releases that are on sale right now and will be for the next 2 weeks. More posts will be forthcoming.

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (Compleat Second Edition) -ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS of HYPERBOREA™ is sword-and-sorcery role-playing at its pinnacle. Play an Amazon fighter, Atlantean magician, Esquimaux shaman, Hyperborean warlock, Ixian necromancer, Keltic barbarian, Kimmerian cataphract, Pictish thief, Viking berserker, or one of many other possibilities. Normally 19.00, on sale for 14.25

The Blackest Space - An Interstellar Sci-Fi Survival Roleplaying Game - There are 15 Classes represented:  Bounty Hunter, Captain. Communications Commander, Ebontear Endbringer, Ebontear Necrojudge, Emerald Champion, Medical Officer, Meta-Psych, Pilot, Pirate, Science Officer, Security Director, Shock Marine, Smuggler and Technician. 12 Playable Races: The Apparatus, Arpi, Asaluss, Cymyrs, Gnargfang, Gronslag, Harkfey, Humans, Lanerians. Mirewhips, Qu’fer and Zygaq. Normally 9.99, it's on sale for 7.49

Hubris: A World of Visceral Adventure - Hubris is a weird fantasy setting that uses the awesome Dungeon Crawl Classics rules!  In this book you will find 10 territories filled with tables and charts to generate interesting locations and encounters, new occupations, 4 new classes, 5 new playable races, 3 new spells, 4 new patrons, including 3 patrons spells for each, 11 new and terrible gods, 14 tables and charts for a GM to use to aid them in their game or create interesting/fun situations, two new adventures to kick off a campaign, and 51 new enemies. Normally 9.99, it's on sale for 7.49

Dark Streets & Darker Secrets - Dark Streets & Darker Secrets is a Street & Sorcery Rules Light Role-Playing Game with an Old School spirit, just like its predecessors: Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells and Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells. It’s a game about modern adventures in the world we live today, only with a layer of supernatural weirdness and horror. Characters are people who have found out about the mysteries and horrors that exist in the world and have decided to do something about it, be it battle it, join it, or simply explore its possibilities in any way they see fit. They will battle evil cultists, corrupted ghosts, bloodsucking vampires, and frenzied werewolves, or maybe they will be the horrors of others. This edition of the game assumes the reader knows the principles of what role-playing games are and how they are played. Normally 9.99, it's on sale for 7.49

Dark Fantasy Basic - Player's Guide - Dark Fantasy Basic is an old school roleplaying game (or adventure game) that pays homage to a beloved 80's game - which is stilll, for many fans, one of the most concise, clear and well-written RPGs ever published. This book uses the same system as the world’s most popular RPGs – six abilities, classes, levels, etc. – and it is meant to be compatible with games from that era. Or any OSR game, really. It also has some modern influences, including all of the OSR and the most recent version of this game. This is a complete game (from the player's side), with five classes (fighter, cleric, thief, magic-user and hopeless), skills, feats, weapons, etc. There are no races - all PCs are human or similar - but there are notes on how to create races for your games. There are 20 different spells but each one is flexible, meaning you can choose the spell level and some of the effects as you cast them. Normally 3.99, on sale for 2.99

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Weis & Hickman sue Wizards of the Coast for Breach of Contract re: New DragonLance Series

Margaret Weis LLC & Tracy Hickman and suing Wizards of the Coast for Breach of Contract, Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, and Tortious Interference with Contract. The lawsuit can be read in its entirety here.

Having read the entire filing, I find the following stand out:

It appears that the controversies at Wizards of the Coast run deep and wide. If nothing else, it's a sad day for Dragonlance fans.  

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Armchair Legal Aid

 

A couple of days ago I had the dubious pleasure of watching one of Erik's initial YouTube livestreams and he was mentioning this whole Trademark issue with TSR and the Dungeon Hobby Shop. Since then I've seen some finger-pointing, name calling (well, kind of), and even a little bit of dick measuring.

Now 1st and foremost..... I am NOT a lawyer.

I do however, have degrees in Business, Information Management, and even Library Science. I know....who cares, but if you're reading this you're either looking for flaws to point out (I have many) or you're willing to give me the benefit of the doubt....either way you're still reading, right? In all three of those degrees I've had to take classes in legal issues concerning copyright and trademarks.

Now I'm not going to put myself up as an expert, much less try and train you, dear reader, up on the finer points of these issues, BUT I will take this soapbox opportunity to make a few pertinent points and I'll post appropriate links so you can actually read the important stuff on your freaking own......just think of this blog post as a guided tour.

1st of, what the fuck (we have established I can post swears, right?) is a trademark? If you're up for it, here's a short booklet from the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). Not into reading, well tough shit....this is a blog post. A trademark is "generally a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others."

Ok, I'll throw you a bone...here's a video from the USPTO that covers this info:

2nd...and how does this apply to the BS going on right now?

There are several trademarks at issue in this case and they can be looked up here, yet again at the USPTO. For the sake of this "conversation" I'm only going to reference one of the several in question out of the 76 trademarks for "TSR". This one in question, which I'm using as an example, is serial #90124839. Here's a screenshot (click to embiggen):

Now this particular trademark application was made on August 19, 2020 and covers the use of the trademark "TSR THE GAME WIZARDS" for eight specific uses, all of which are gaming related. If you poke around the database a bit you'll undoubtedly come across the "Dead" trademark of serial #73351412, which was an actual awarded trademark #1241135. The one above is just an application for the trademark, it hasn't been awarded yet.

Obligatory screenshot:

You can clearly see that both of these are essentially the same trademark, although the application in progress is planning on being used for more purposes, but still the same two main classes (IC 016 and IC 028).

Clearly the trademark owned by TSR, "died" on November 20, 1989, so this new trademark application is good-to-go, right? What seems to be the problem?

Oh boy.....this is really the meat of the matter. Did you read the pamphlet? No, no you didn't. Of course you didn't. I don't blame you. Go ahead....download it now and give it a once-over. This post isn't going anywhere......

You didn't once over it, did you? You clicked on it and went "36 pages! I'm not doing any effing homework on a Sunday! Screw that!" It's ok, I forgive you, but since you clearly have the booklet, go over to page 13 and look at the sub-section "Is federal registration of my mark required?":

"No. In the United States, parties are not required to register their marks to obtain protectable rights. You can establish “common law” rights in a mark based solely on use of the mark in commerce, without a registration." 

So basically you don't have to have a (registered) trademark. Having one basically expands upon your rights and makes certain things easier......but you don't have to actually register your trademark. 

Again, I'm not a lawyer, but (and feel free to disagree with me, plenty will) if TSR actually registered a trademark, and then used it.....the use would establish "common law", then that trademark is a real thing. A real thing that followed TSR to WotC and then to Hasbro. Sure, the registration died in 1989, but the "common law" rights to that "thing" did not expire....and is still in use by Hasbro when they sell stuff branded with that "thing". Part of me says this is just common sense, but a) common sense isn't that common, and b) it's easy for me to come to that conclusion with my particular education/background. I can easily see someone else without that "common sense" just see a "dead" trademark registration and think it's fair game.

In ANY case.....what's going on now with serial #90124839 is just a registration application. Think of it like you registering for your license to drive. You've paid your $50 and taken your test, but you don't know if you've passed and the DMV hasn't given you your license yet. It's a little premature to be out on the road driving, much less selling your ride off as an Uber.....

By my quick math just the filing of this particular application was $450. Multiply that by however many applications there were (IIRC it was five, but I'll be honest in that I'm not searching through all 76 "TSR" entries to make a point) and you've easily got a couple grand, not including any attorney costs. That's a lot of dough for essentially adding your trademark to a federal list that you don't actually have to do in the first place! The USPTO basically maintains the list...they don't do much else. If you've still got that booklet open....and I know you don't, here's a list of stuff they don't do (from page 14):

• Decide whether you have the right to use a mark (which differs from the right to register). No law requires that you federally register your mark in order to acquire rights in the mark;
• Enforce your rights in the mark or bring legal action against a potential infringer;
• Conduct trademark searches for the public;
• Comment on the validity of registered marks;
• Assist you with policing your mark against infringers;
• Assist you with recordation of your mark with U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
• Answer questions prior to filing on whether a particular mark or type of mark is eligible for trademark registration; or
• Offer legal advice or opinions about common law trademark rights, state registrations, or trademark infringement claims. 

So the point a few of us have been trying to make is...well, why apply for someone else's trademark? The counter-argument is that these are "dead" trademarks.....but are they really? You don't have to have a trademark application to have a trademark as there are some "common law" protections. Since Hasbro still sells products with these trademarks, are they really dead?

Now I've dumped a lot of words in a blog post that may or may not have helped someone. If you've read the brochure, watched the video, and think you've got a grasp on the issue at hand, here's some advanced topics/information.

1st, a longer video with some good stuff:

2nd, what about the trademark for Gygax magazine? According to the USPTO "The USPTO will also refuse registration of a proposed mark for many other reasons, including if the mark is a surname"

3rd, how much of any of this matters if you get the courts and lawyers involved? If you don't want to watch the whole 41'47" video from above, check out the 16" from this start point....

Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum - Membership Rates and Pay-To-Play Game Table Pricing

So, Justin LaNassa, the main individual apparently behind the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum and the one attempting to license the iconic TSR trademark images to third parties, has had some choice words to say about my prior observations and speculations over on Facebook:

As such, I am leaving the observations, speculation, and comments for the pricing scheme of the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum to my readers. I will, however, share screenshots of said pricing schemes for your convenience.

Admission & Membership:

Pay-to-Play Game Table Pricing:

Remember, I am just delivering pure facts here. Your comments are appreciated as always :) Tenkar

X5 Temple of Death & X6 Quagmire! for B/X D&D each 4.99 for POD & PDF at DTRPG

I'm not sure if these were miskeyed or not, but I've already placed my order for X5 Temple of Death & X6 Quagmire! for 4.99 each for the Print on Demand & PDF. Normally WotC would price these around 4.99 for the PDF, 9.99 for the Print version, and 10.98 for the Print plus PDF package, so this is excellent pricing. As someone who has few of the Expert series of D&D modules in my collection, this is an inexpensive way to plug some holes.

This pricing may be limited, so I wouldn't wait long if this interests you.

If you, the gentle reader, find other unexpected bargains at DTRPG or elsewhere and would like to share it with The Tavern's community, you can drop the mention as a comment below or email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum Claims Ownership of "Classic" TSR Logos, Offers to License them to OSR Publishers

The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum, located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, is offering to license a selection of "Classic" TSR Logos via a claim of state trademark of "TSR".

Note: The Federal trademark for TSR is WAS owned by TSR Games (edit - the TM was CANCELED last year - wow, this is a magilla)  publishers of the Top Secret New World Order RPG. TSR Games registered its federal trademark in 2011. The trademark was formerly owned by WotC, who were determined to have abandoned the trademark in 2004. At this point, TSR Games would be relying upon Common Law, which is shaky ground in trademark law.

Additional note: The iconic images of the various "classic" TSR logos would likely still fall under copyright law. The images created from 1978 onward would then still be owned by WotC. Ownership of images prior to 1977 would need the consultation of an IP lawyer, as the possibility is some may be in the public domain.  

Observation. The Dungeon Hobby Shop has filed for at least three federal trademarks regarding the various TSR Logos:

https://uspto.report/TM/90124287

https://uspto.report/TM/90148524

https://uspto.report/TM/90124839

Note: These are all Live Applications Awaiting Examination. They have NOT been approved. Therefore, the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum lacks the right to license them.

These are the classes the applications are asking to cover:

Here's the canceled "new" TSR trademark:

https://uspto.report/TM/85330204

Expect expensive lawyers to be involved, especially if WotC claims the copyright of the images of the iconic logos.

Also, "New" TSR with their canceled copyright is guaranteed to fight the cancelation. Potentially another expensive legal battle with the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum looms. The TSR brand seems to have expensive legal battles follow it around ;)

If the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum had simply waited for approval of their Trademark filing before announcing their ill-thought-out licensing proposition, we likely never would have known the trademark for TSR had been canceled and it would have been a simple snipe to grab.

More on this on the Tavern Chat Podcast and The Tavern's Youtube Channel from before I had knowledge of the cancelation of the TSR trademark.

Tomorrow we'll likely talk about membership and table fees at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

Ashley, My Feline Daughter

Originally sharted on Facebook:

This evening Rach & I took our feline daughter to the emergency vet. Our cat Ashley had been acting off the last few days. Her stomach was distended, she had some difficulty walking and no longer was able to jump up on my desk. She no longer was getting up to greet me in my middle of the night trips to the bathroom.

Ashly was 14. That's 86 in human years. She was diagnosed with cancer. As a cancer survivor myself, I couldn't see me potentially putting Ash through such a discomforting and painful experience when she'd have no understanding of why it was happening.

I'll miss the comfort she gave me during some really low times in my life, and her efforts to nurse me and mother me when I was suffering from congestive heart failure earlier this year.

She'd only play with a toy once she figured out how it worked, would ask for food NOW so she would have it for later, actually touched my glasses inside and out to understand how they worked and woke me up for snoring too loudly.

I've lost many pets in my 53 years, but only one feline daughter.

Ashly, you will be greatly missed.

Kickstarter - Space Scoundrels - A Not Too Serious Science Fiction RPG

Thom Wilson of Throwi Games has a great track record, both with on-time Kickstarters and quality writing. He is one of those "organized" people. I am not, but I am glad to count Thom among the friends I've made in the old school gaming corner of the hobby.

Thom's latest project is Space Scoundrels - A Not Too Serious Science Fiction RPG, which is being funded on Kickstarter. Light-hearted SciFi is right up my alley, and the pricing is certainly right for my wallet. 4 bucks for the PDf and 8 bucks for the at-cost POD and the PDF (really the sweet point I think). I'm in for 12 bucks, same as the above but I get credited as a backer in the final release.

Designed as a beer-and-pretzels game with minimal rules and fast-paced skill progression, Space Scoundrels takes a lot of the science out of science-fiction for those that love the genre but don't want to get mired in lots of physics and math. 

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Amazon Prime Day RPG Sales

Let's just dive in, shall we?

edit: Sigh - the thumbnails and links all work in the preview, but apparently not in the full post share... nevermind, you need to disable your adblocker - Tenkar

Note: Some prices are time-limited.

The following dice have 80% off coupons, making the sets a buck a set with free shipping:

 

 The bundle of 6 sets of dice is discounted 18.69:  

 This set of metal dice has a 20% coupon, making the price 16 bucks

15 sets of dice for less than 13 bucks

Simply lots of dice on sale

Zweihander is on sale for 27.55 (limited time - Lightning deal)

Boss Monster: The Dungeon Building Card Game on sale for 10 bucks

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Watch the Fireside Chat with Vince Florio, Podfather of the OSR

Yesterday I sat down with Vince Florio, Podfather of the OSR. Yes, "Podfather" is a bit of a joke, but the reality is, Vince was the primary force that brought podcasting to the OSR. Other amazing podcasts have followed, either in his footsteps more or less or finding their own path (huge thanks to Anchor.fm for opening wide the doors of podcasting in general, and the OSR in particular)

For The Tavern, YouTube is the Final Frontier. Much of what will appear on the Tavern Chat Podcast will be recorded on YouTube, in a large part to the ability to Livestream. Feedback, as I record, is literally priceless, and I think will strengthen the Tavern Chat Podcast. There will be other content that will be unique to YouTube and Vince did suggest that the return of the dragon puppet Feltothraxis should happen, so it will ;)

If you want to participate in the Livestreams and give realtime feedback, subscribe to The Tavern's YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/ErikTenkar. I truly appreciate your support, and every subscriber to The Tavern's YouTube Channel is important, as is every member of this community.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Keeping Track of my Gaming Ideas

 

Right now is a weird moment for me.....

I probably should be taking part in Gary Con's Autumn Revel Virtual Gaming Event, which I have already played in once so far (so I'm not ignoring it). Now I normally have the TV on when I'm blogging, and my TV of choice is frequently YouTube....

....and I'm seeing Erik's live YouTube interview with "The Evil DM".

Just weird....

Now I have to admit that I'm one of those guys who always seems to be thinking of gaming in one way, shape, or form. Sure, I shut off/down a bit when I'm geeking out on something else (I just finished Season 2 of The Boys this morning!), but even then I see a lot of things filtered through my gaming lens. I get some (I think) awesome ideas when I'm busy doing other stuff. So much so I have to keep something to write with nearby lest I lose a good idea.

In a pinch I can use my cell phone, usually a quick picture or a note written in Evernote, but nothing beats a mini notebook and pen/pencil. I tend to lose digital notes or just forget they are there.....did I save that in Evernote, or did I use Google Docs? Wait....maybe I have a screenshot....

This morning I saw a cool word, Palimpsest, and thought "I could use this in an adventure seed.....again.*" Evidently some ancient word nerds have discovered some new ancient languages, and expanded on others, by looking at ancient texts from a monastery that had to get creative and recycle old parchments they normally wouldn't have. I took a screenshot and of, course I lost it. If not for having to post today I think I'd have lost the idea.....

Just a few minutes ago, just before starting this post (I was going a totally different direction today) I was checking Facebook and mis-read something that has to go into the notebook. Hopefully you'll see what I saw:

Here's a link to the actual article.

I totally need to play a WWI RPG placed on the Eastern Front where we have to face off against Werewolves, or maybe we get to play the Werewolves. As a vet I'm leaning on the side of the soldiers.....

In case this becomes an itch I really have to scratch, I need to ask what system should I use for this? My Initial thoughts were to take and alter Operation Whitebox, which is basically Swords & Wizardry. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

 

*This came from a news article I was reading over breakfast, and NOT a messed-up segue to my stuff on DTRPG. It's PWYW and if you go there from here.....don't pay anything! 

Deals of the Day - SURVIVE THIS!! Fantasy - Core Rules AND Sandy Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors

Today you get not one but TWO Deals of the Day thanks to our fine friends at DriveThruRPG. Alright, technically second pick is being offered via DriveThruFiction but really, OneBookShelf is the parent of both storefronts and they are BOTH excellent RPG resources for the Old School Gamer.

SURVIVE THIS!! Fantasy - Core Rules brings the Survive This! ruleset back to its inspirational beginnings - fantasy gaming. I own the three prior releases (SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies!, a zombie apocalypse horror RPG, SURVIVE THIS!! was then utilized for a 1980s setting in Dark Places & Demogorgons and a street-level superhero setting in Vigilante City) that use the ruleset and I'm thrilled to be adding fantasy to the genre collection. Besides, it has resources that work well with any OSR ruleset.

Normally 9.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning SURVIVE THIS!! Fantasy is on sale for 4.99

Our second Deal of the Day is Sandy Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors. I own this in hardcover as Rach bought it for me for my birthday in the summer of 2019. My God, this is pure inspiration for an RPG horror game using any ruleset.

Normally 17.96 in PDF, until tomorrow morning Sandy Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors is on sale for a mere 5.39

Additional material beyond what you find here at The Tavern and the Tavern Chat Podcast can be found at YouTube.com/ErikTenkar. Subscribe to the Channel to support The Tavern

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Bundle - Mithgarthr 2e (5e Old School)

There's much to say about the Mithgathr RPG. While built off the 5e rules engine, it makes its statement with old school sensibility. Although I am not comfortable, let alone confident enough, to run a 5e RPG session, give me an hour to prep time and I'm pretty sure I could run Mithgarthr. More importantly, I'd WANT to run Mythgarthr. It's dark in all the right places...

Mithgarthr 2e was recently released in PDF and is being offered with a campaign starter in a bundle for 7.49. The rules by themselves are normally 9.99. Seriously, this is good stuff.

Core Book

Enter a rich, original world inspired by Norse and Germanic culture. Explore the dark places where Gooblitts and Dýrverr roam. Battle against the treacherous forces of Chaos led by Orcus and The Thrir. Die horribly at the hands of Greenskins while trying to get rich quick with your friends!

Mithgarthr takes its mechanics from the fifth edition of the world's most popular role-playing game, but molds them against its grim setting. Characters start at zero level with just the skills they have from their mundane profession (of which there are nine to choose from) and a desire to make a better life for themselves. Players may choose from seven races including the murine Ratten and the winged, hawk-like Fjothr. Life is cheap and death comes often, but those adventurers who survive long enough to attain first level have eight iconic classes to choose from. Magic is cast using a point system, and is less common than usual. Monsters have their own magic system, drawing their power from Orcus.

Included in this core rulebook is everything you need to play a campaign in the land of Mithgarthr. Character creation rules, combat, adventuring, equipment, magic, monsters, world and setting information including a completely detailed large city, and also a fully fleshed out town and surrounding area including an introductory adventure to begin your journey into the realm of Mithgarthr!

 The Northderry Mining Guild

The town of Northderry, nestled in the foothills of the Tralaberg Mountains to the west of Riverton, is a picturesque mining community that proudly exports over half of the copper used throughout the entire kingdom of Karak.

Bandrem Ironfinger, from the Northderry Mining Guild, has recently learned of the existence of map which leads to a rich gold vein, and he must have it. If only there were townsfolk willing to take on the mantle of adventurer to retrieve it...

The Northderry Mining Guild is an introductory campaign for the second edition of the Mithgarthr Role-Playing Game that picks up where the adventure in the back of the Mithgarthr rulebook left off, and takes your characters from level 1 up to level 3. Featuring a large, multi-level dungeon main adventure, multiple side-quests, new magic items, and new monsters, this campaign provides many sessions’ worth of adventure to kick off a new second edition Mithgarthian campaign!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

We'll Be Adding YouTube Videos to The Tavern's Mix Next Week

Yep, The Tavern has a YouTube Channel and it's fairly easy to remember the URL: YouTube.com/ErikTenkar

At the moment its some old videos and a reposting of The Tavern Chat Podcast, but starting next week (or sooner) I'll be adding regular, exclusive material. Games From the Basement, a series of posts here at The Tavern, known for highlighting RPGs and other tabletop games that have been in my collection since the 1980s, will return as a video series. Its a visual thing, so the podcast doesn't work so well, but its also sentimental, which doesn't always convey well with the written word.

Additionally, the initial plan is to record two episodes of the Tavern Chat Podcast each week, live-streamed via YouTube, for real-time feedback and interaction from the viewers. I'll announce days / times shortly. Afterwards, it will then be uploaded to the podcast feed. Additionally, I'd like to move future Fireside Chats / Interviews to a Livestream format. Again, this will allow for more immediate feedback and interaction from the viewers.

So, subscribe to The Tavern's Official YouTube Chanel at YouTube.com/ErikTenkar to never miss an episode.

As we get closer to Christmas, I suspect that OSR Christmas will intersect with The Tavern's YouTube Channel. I heard it from some elf that was talking to this dwarf...

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

More info here at The Tavern Chat Podcast

Deal of the Day - Willow (S&W Micro Setting)

I prefer small settings to kick a campaign off. They are easier to digest and absorb without worrying about regions hundreds if not thousands of miles away. I guess you could say I like my sandboxes small but expandable.

Willow is a micro setting, a town, and an adventure all rolled into one. Normally 6 bucks in PDF, for the next 24 hours (more or less) Willow is on sale for 4.20.

Willow is a grim backwater micro setting made for the Swords and Wizardry rule system, but can easily be used with other old-school systems or even 5E.

Willow is a town that can be dropped into your campaign setting. Focused on game-able content and being easy to use at the table, It is graphic and art heavy. Structured as a mini hexcrawl, players will have to work together to investigate a mystery to move on from a damp backwater town to bigger, brighter places.

The Setting

Deep in a vast wood, a town called Willow sits beside the Lake of Tears. The lake is framed by weeping willow trees, their vines pouring into the lake’s dark green shores. Willow is not what one would call an upbeat town. The rains here are relentless and the grey skies loom low like a giant cage. Travelers do not linger here long; one night in the Blue Brew Inn is enough to make most jump on the ferry and move on. But recently the ferries have stopped running as something terrible has taken up residence on the river. Meanwhile, the town folk will not talk about the noises echoing up from the staircase that descends below the lake, nor the broken stone circle on the hill at the edge of town. The town's leader, a witch named Morose Morgan, is a recluse and refuses to leave her island.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

 

Deal of the Day - Grand History of the Realms (Forgotten Realms - System Neutral)

The Grand History of the Realms is actually a fan-written project that was picked up by WotC because of its high quality.

I've always enjoyed the Forgotten Realms since the early gray boxed set, but the timeline has gotten horribly unwieldy and I'd pretty much given up on following it by the end of the 3.5 era. Grand History of the Realms is something I hadn't seen until now.

Grand History of the Realms is systemless, so no matter which version of the D&D rules you are running with you'll find it to be a handy resource for the Realms. Normally 9.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning Grand History of the Realms is on sale for 5.99.

All of Toril, and especially Faerûn, is rich in history. As the eons have passed, empires have risen and fallen all around the world. This chronology presents the history of the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting in all its glory. We’ve brought together information from dozens of sources to provide the definitive chronicle. 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

Kickstarter - Maximum HP #4 - Undead for 5e

I've been a reader of Maximum HP since the first issue. Initially written for OSRIC and other OSR systems, Issue #4 delves into 5e. Maybe going forward Lloyd can look at the releases from Art of the Genre and do a hybrid OSR/5e format. Literally the best of all worlds.

Maximum HP #4 is an issue centered on the Undead, a timely topic for the month of October. I've got a soft spot for the undead, and I and Glen Halstrom have talked about doing a Swords & Wizardry monster book for over a year. Any lack of progress on the said theoretical project is my responsibility alone.

You can back the Maximum HP #4 Kickstarter for as little as 5 bucks for the PDF. Print copies are 10 bucks plus shipping.

Full disclosure. I've known Lloyd for years. The first time his work came to my attention was with the Whisper & Venom boxed set Kickstarter where he was the lead artist. His work was great then and he's only gotten better with age ;)

Welcome to issue #004 of MaximumHP - Undead! This project is creating the fourth Maximum HP RPG 'zine with the theme of the Undead. Within its pages you will find adventure, magic, monsters, and more for your 5E game! this is our premiere edition with content for the Fifth Edition of the world's favorite roleplaying game!

 Creatures not living, but not aloud to expire. Haunt, torment, laugh, and cry the souls of the night and the stuff of dreams and night mares arise. Not only in the darkness of the night, but the darkness of our mind do the undead reside.

In this issue we journey into the unsettling world of unnatural things. Don't let your player explore just another crypt with tiresome skeletons and zombies. Bring the unexpected, bring MAXIMUM HP!

D&D Care Bear Errata - 5e Removes Racial Stat Penalties

I will confess. I've never played 5e, but as the rising tide that lifts all ships, I've followed 5e. It's close enough to the OSR rulesets that I can convert adventures and settings if needed.

It was also sold as a balanced RPG system.

I'm guessing that balance is no longer important to the powers that be.

ComicBook.com

Dungeons & Dragons players will no longer have a negative ability score modifier when building a character of a certain race. Last week, Dungeons & Dragons officially released updated errata for a number of their sourcebooks and adventures. The Volo's Guide to Monsters errata was particularly important in that it removed the negative ability score modifiers for playable kobolds and orcs. While kobolds originally had a -2 modifier to their Strength score, and orcs had a -2 modifier to their Intelligence, the updated rules remove those modifiers entirely from the game. Additionally, the errata also removes the orc's "Menacing" trait with the "Primal Intuition" trait, which grants players proficiency in two of the following options - Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Survival.

A few things to note:

This isn't errata, its a rules change not to fix and balance, but to make imaginary "races" politically correct.

So, my Kobold can be as strong as any other race. Same for my orc's intelligence. 

Because, you know, orcs are highly intelligent and Kobolds are amazingly strong - not scrawny in the least.

Are we removing bonuses that were balanced by the penalties? Er, no.

At least orcs are still "menacing", right? Nope.

they’re trying to remove “racially insensitive language” this errata also includes an update to Orc’s inborn “Menacing” has been swapped for Primal Intuition which gives a choice of skill proficiencies

Might as well make all the races the same, with just fluff to differentiate. Shit, WotC might be reading this ;)

Further thoughts on The Tavern Chat Podcast.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are the affiliate programs that support The Tavern.   

 

How do you Treasure?

 

Last night my bi-weekly online OSR game started off with all the players looking at a massive treasure loot list assembled from the almost four levels (for my Magic-User at least) worth of adventuring.

It was an odd moment for me because while I was pretty content with my character and what I'd earned/had been given, there was a LOT of treasure and the argument could easily be made that I hadn't gotten "my fair share".

Again, since I know some of my group occasionally reads Tavern posts, I need to be clear I was content well before the start of last night's session......it was just a moment where I was able to mentally "pull back" and compare/contrast this group to others I have played with before. There is also the difference in general between a more free-flowing OSR game and a crunchy rules-heavy game like my beloved HackMaster.

.....and no, this isn't a segue to a HackMaster discussion. You're safe today.

My current group is a LOT like every group I've playing in that as we come across magical items the group is quick to initially hand out stuff to those that can make the best use of it during the current adventure. When my 1st level Magic User joined, they handed me a bunch of scrolls, potions, and a few wands right off the bat to make me as useful as possible. Of course I used the scrolls to pad my spellbook where I could, again.....to be useful. As we adventured and came across magic-user "stuff", there was no discussion......it was handed off to my PC, and those items didn't really get added to the treasure list. Now I didn't necessarily consider everything "mine", but I'm sure I can point out a few items that I definitely do.

In previous groups, those quickly-divvied items are usually added to the total loot list and then at the end of the adventure formally awarded to party members. I've seen magic items priced out and factored in to the shares calculations and I've seen them simply counted as "1 item" and the players pick which items they want in some sort of selection process.

Now I think the idea of permanently dividing up magic items at the end of adventure is a good idea IF your group is fluid or if each PC needs to take care of their own affairs. If my Magic User had a homestead to see to, or floated between groups (like if we had a pool of PCs playing together under multiple GMs) then I'd want my share of coins and treasure after each adventure....and "my" loot would be at risk for loss when I'm off doing murder-hobo stuff.

Adding even more crunch you might have an actual party charter that already establishes how treasure is to be divided and has allocations made for party expenses. Usually those things have treasure priced out and then divided into a specific number of shares. If your PC wants an item you'll have to pay for it with coin, either directly or indirectly by having that amount of gold deducted from your award of shares.

There's no wrong way to divide treasure, unless it drives a wedge between players. I've had that happen, but really there were other problems and the division of treasure was just another opportunity to highlight those problems.

Now along the lines of magic items and loot division, I've seen a LOT of difference between players and GMs when it comes to identifying magic items. Now I'm a big fan of not telling the players that an item is magical without being identified, but as a GM....what a total pain in the ass. Give the players a +1 sword and do you want to keep track of that PC missing by one or adding a hidden +1 to damage with that weapon? If there is a secondary effect, what do you tell the players or just describe what they see? Maybe magic items just don't work unless identified? 

That doesn't make sense to me. If it's something obvious, like a +1 Sword that does an extra 1d4 of fire damage, it seems easy enough to just tell the players, unless the fire effect requires some sort of activation. Then I'd tell the players about the +1 and unless the party has the item formally identified, they'll never find out. Ideally the party has a standard operating procedure (SOP) of getting all the treasure spread out and scanned with a Detect Magic spell. Good way of catching hidden magical jewelry, or determining that there is more to that simple +1 Sword.......

Now what I've done in the past as a GM is use a index card system for treasure, but my party liked to divvy up items immediately after each adventure. Each item got a white card with a code on it and a quick description and rough GP value. If the item is magical I have a red note card on standby with that code and the same item description, but there is an additional note as to rough power level and new rough GP value. Lastly there is a similar blue notecard like the red card, but it has the full effects of the item and the official GP value. It's a little more prep work, but not a whole lot and a simple note card file box keeps shit organized.

Anyway, all these thoughts stemmed from an initial look at how my current party handles their treasure. Of course I only have my own experience to go off of, which leads me to ask, how does your group handle treasure?