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Saturday, October 19, 2024

Halloween Sale - Horror on the Orient Express (CoC)

A Halloween Sale is going on at DTRPG. One of my favorite picks is the Horror on the Orient Express for Call of Cthulhu. I own this in print, as I backed the Kickstarter, and Oh My God, I want to run this as a GM! Sadly, I don't have a gaming group that would do an extended Call of Cthulhu campaign, let alone a single session or two. Horror on the Orient Express is literally "that good."

Horror on the Orient Express is normally 39.99 in PDF (already a bargain), but for the rest of October, Horrow on the Orient Express is on sale for 23.99 - 40% off!

A puzzling headline begins a front-page article found in the Times of London. Three men, all identical in identification, were found dead in the same room of the Chelsea Arms Hotel. All were dispatched in a similar manner stabbed through the heart.

Then the home of a valued friend burns to the ground, severely injuring him in the process. An odd summons, a surreptitious meeting, and a thousand-mile journey begins on the legendary rail service carrying the investigators to Constantinople, the Gateway of the Orient.

HORROR ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS contains a massive and legendary campaign, of up to nineteen adventures and more than 1100 pages, for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. Beginning in 1920s London, the investigators journey to Paris and thence to the ancient city of Constantinople. With luck, they also return home.

Optional episodes are set in ancient times or special places (Roman-era, Dark Ages, Gaslight-era, the Dreamlands), so that the players can experience the founding, creation, and discovery of crucial elements of this campaign. Also included is a modern-day coda to the storyline, an alternate ending for those wishing a shorter campaign, and a built-in survival guide to aid beleaguered investigators.

There are seven books and more: the Campaign Book, Through the Alps, Italy & Beyond, Constantinople & Consequences, Strangers on the Train, and The Traveler's Companion. In addition, there is a book of handouts for the investigators, a European Route Map, three era-inspired luggage stickers, two era-inspired postcards, a matchbox, the Scroll of the Head, four U.S. passports, a bumper sticker, six pages of train plans that can be laid end-to-end, the Mims Sahis ceremonial knife, and fragments of the Sedefkar Simulacrum collected along the journey.

What the Critics Say

"Truly fantastic"—Diehard Gamefan

"The biggest and most grandiose campaign ever composed for any game… a must-own campaign. It is not just the grandeur, the scope, the high-quality writing or the fact that it epitomizes many of the values of Call of Cthulhu and the horror genre overall. It is the sheer immersion, the entertainment value it provides when played to the level it deserves…"—Antonios S. review, RPGNet.

"The most ambitious Call of Cthulhu adventure ever created… a high water mark for CoC."—Blackgate.

2015 ENnie Awards - Best Adventure (Gold)

2015 ENnie Awards - Best Production Values (Silver)

1992 Origins Awards - Best Roleplaying Adventure (1st ed)

1992 Origins Awards - Best Graphic Presentation of an RPG (1st ed)

With this purchase you receive these downloads (in these formats):

  • Campaign Book, 72 pages (pdf, epub, mobi, prc)
  • Through the Alps, 264 pages (pdf, epub, mobi, prc)
  • Italy & Beyond, 272 pages (pdf, epub, mobi, prc)
  • Constantinople & Consequences, 192 pages (pdf, epub, mobi, prc)
  • Strangers on the Train, 96 pages (pdf)
  • The Traveler’s Companion, 48 pages (pdf)
  • 1923 Calendar (pdf)
  • Handouts for the Investigators, 192 pages (pdf)
  • European Route Map, color (pdf)
  • Air Routes in 1923, color map (pdf)
  • Player Maps in color, 13 pages (pdf)
  • Keeper Maps in color, 18 pages (pdf)
  • Three era-inspired luggage stickers (pdf)
  • Two era-inspired postcards (pdf)
  • Matchbox (pdf)
  • Scroll of the Head (pdf)
  • U.S. passports (pdf)
  • Bumper Sticker (pdf)
  • Six pages of Train Plans (pdf)
  • Mims Sahis ceremonial knife (pdf)
  • Sedefkar Simulacrum (pdf)

 

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Friday, October 18, 2024

Kickstarter - The Broken Empires RPG™: Sim-Lite d100 Skills-Based TTRPG


Dramatic fantasy setting and Success Level System built for speed, detail, and immersion! Live (or die) with your choices.

The Broken Empires RPG Kickstarter will likely surpass half a million dollars in funding (it is currently around $370k with 12 days to go). It's an intriguing Kickstarter, but I will likely back only at the digital level (39 bucks, which is a bargain) instead of physical books. I figure if I go beyond simply reading the rules to actually running the game, I can snag a physical copy later.

It ships with solo rules, mass combat rules, and an intriguing d100 system that avoids levels and classes. Yeah, it sounds a bit like Chaosium's Basic Fantasy system.

The Roleplaying Game Where Decisions Are Forged in the Crucible of Conflict!

Designed by Trevor Devall, professional GM and creator of the popular YouTube TTRPG channel “Me, Myself & Die!”, The Broken Empires RPG™ frees you to pursue any character goal you can imagine using an innovative, Sim-Lite, d100 core system inspired by over 125 classic and modern roleplaying games. 

A Vast Open World Brimming With Possibility

Developed over 4 seasons on “Me, Myself and Die!”, The Broken Empires is an expansive mid-fantasy world, alive with adventure. From the high mountains and dark forests of the Westlands, to the disappearing banished lands north of the Iron Veil, to the emerging imperial sea-faring empire of Tical Dondala — the setting of The Broken Empires is now yours to explore and expand.

The character sheet of an RPG tells you much about the flavor and depth of the game, and characters in The Broken Empires RPG™ are as rich in detail and nuance as they come! Everything on the character sheet has been thoughtfully designed and arranged to deeply connect you to your character and to facilitate in-game decision-making. 

  • No stats, classes, or levels. Everything is skills-based.
  • Develop your character with Personality Traits, Expertise, Talents and Life Events.
  • Easily track Resolve and Fatigue.
  • Assess Wounds by checking specific Hit Locations.
  • Detailed blocks for Armor, Weapons, Combat Maneuvers and Shield stats.
  • At-a-glance tracking of all Skills: Combat, Adventuring, Social, Lore and Magic.
  • Improve your character by pursuing meaningful goals.

 

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Thursday, October 17, 2024

Bundle of Holding - Fate of Cthulhu


I'm not a massive fan of the Fate System (I had high hopes when I backed the Kickstarter for the core rules many years ago). Still, there are some significant fans of the Fate System, and the Fate of Cthulhu Bundle is probably a perfect fit for them during the month of October.

Hero! This Fate of Cthulhu Bundle presents Fate of Cthulhu, the tabletop action-horror roleplaying game from Evil Hat Productions. In this standalone "Cthulhu Mythos meets The Terminator" RPG based on the flexible and fast-playing Fate Core system, you're a soldier from the future who travels to our time to stop the arrival of the Great Old Ones. Horrible things will still happen, and you may give in to corruption (to gain powerful "corruption stunts"), but you'll use your foreknowledge to punch the apocalypse in the face – or die trying.

For just US$14.95 you get all ten titles in our Fateful Collection (retail value $62) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete standalone 256-page Fate of Cthulhu corebook (previously in our July 2021 Fate Worlds and Toolkits offer) and nine terrifying Timelines: The Ascellan Conspiracy, Rise of Azathoth, Rise of the Basilisk, Rise of Hastur, Rise of the Quiet, Rise of Tsathoggua, Rise of Yig, Rise of Yog-Sothoth, and Zombie Apocalypse.


 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Bundle of Holding - Weird Frontiers



Weird Frontiers is, by far, my favorite iteration of the DCC RPG rules. I've played Weird Frontiers at gaming conventions, and it is a blast!

For as low as 5.95, you can grab the Weird Frontiers core book, the Trail Map, and the Judge's Screen in digital format.

Trailhand! We've resurrected our October 2022 Weird Frontiers Bundle featuring Weird Frontiers from Stiff Whiskers Press, a standalone Lovecraftian horror-Western tabletop roleplaying game based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG from Goodman Games. In an alternate 1865, cultists of Nyarlathotep brought on the Seven Days of Night to awaken long-dormant Elder Gods. Now, heroes with extraordinary abilities stand against an ever-growing evil in a wounded country still recovering from the bloodiest war in American history. You can turn tail or take the fight to the night, and you ain't about to be called yeller! Saddle your horses and clean those irons, 'cause there's something slithering across the dark frontier, and it's dead set on making vittles out of you and your ragtag posse.

For just US$5.95 you get all three titles in this revived offer's Starter Collection (retail value $23) as DRM-free ebooks, including the massive 908-page Weird Frontiers RPG corebook, the Trail Map, and the Weird Frontiers Judge's Screen.

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $17.99, you'll level up and also get this revival's entire Bonus Collection with five full-length Weird Frontiers modules worth an additional $50, including Dig Three Graves, The Malevolent Seven, Nest of Snakes, Never Swallow the Worm!, and Not So Fast, Billy Ray!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

News - Greyhawk Now an Approved Official Setting at DMs Guild

As per the DM's Guild Content Guidelines, Greyhawk is now an Approved Official Setting:

Approved Official Settings for Dungeon Masters Guild Products

DMsGuild creators are allowed to use the following official Dungeons & Dragons settings:

  • Forgotten Realms
  • Ravenloft
  • Eberron
  • Spelljammer
  • Planescape
  • Dragonlance
  • Radiant Citadel
  • The Magic: The Gathering settings of:
    • Ravnica, Theros, Arcavios/Strixhaven

  • Greyhawk

Other official settings cannot be used in DMsGuild products at this time. This list includes but is not limited to Dark Sun, Mystara, etc.

If an NPC, location, monster, or item from an unapproved setting appears in an approved setting it may be used in your DMsGuild product as long as it is set in an approved setting.

Click here for the Greyhawk Section at the DM's Guild.



The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Monday, October 14, 2024

Humble Bundle - Call of Cthulhu

It's October, so it's the perfect month for a Call of Cthulhu Bundle at Humble Bundle. I bought this exact bundle earlier in the year (check to see if you already have it). Note that there are several Solo Adventures, and at the $25 Level Bundle, there are three solo adventures.  

Bring a taste of terror to your game nights with this bundle from Chaosium, complete with everything you need to run the dreaded (yet beloved) Call of Cthulhu RPG system! On top of the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, you’ll get the Investigator Handbook, replete with expanded rules for creating player characters, as well as the Keeper Rulebook, brimming with all the information you need to keep things orderly as your table descends into madness. You’ll also get tons of adventures, including some aimed at first-time game masters, as well as entire campaigns! Pay what you want for over 25 books and game aids for this seminal RPG and help support the World Wildlife Fund with your purchase!



The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Free OSR - Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules 4th Ed



Basic Fantasy RPG is an oft-forgotten pillar of the OSR. An excellent presentation of the "classic D&D ruleset," BFRPG is now available in a 4th edition under the Creative Commons CC BY-SA licensing.

You can grab the Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules 4th Ed at DTRPG for free along with a fantastic collection of source material (suitable for use with the OSR ruleset of your choice).

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar   

Kickstarter - Bloody and Alone in Appalachia - Solo Rural Horror RPG

It IS October, after all ;)

The Bloody and Alone in Appalachia - Solo Rural Horror RPG Kickstarter is 19 bucks in PDF (and 39 for the HC Print plus PDF. ) 

Bloody and Alone in Appalachia is a solo tabletop RPG about rural horror, set in the Appalachian Hills of Eastern Kentucky.

In Bloody and Alone in Appalachia, you will play a lost city dweller who has foolishly ventured off the highway into a backwoods, small Appalachian town, holler, and county where nothing is as it seems. Like flies into the mouth of a Venus flytrap, this town and its inhabitants are ready to gobble you up.

This game is an adaptation of Bloody Appalachia, a multi-person horror game also available from Bloat Games. That game is excellent, but it suffers from one key problem: the players have each other to rely on.  Bloody Appalachia is available as an add-on with this campaign.

We all know the best moments in any horror movie: it's the moment where everyone else is gone. There's just one remaining hero, and they know their goose is hopelessly cooked. Your heart pounds as you watch them, flailing around desperately; you hold your breath as you wait for them to stumble, wide-eyed, towards their inexorable, horrific demise. Any. Second. Now...

In Bloody and Alone in Appalachia, that's the entire game. You are alone, help isn't coming, and death is waiting around the next corner. Listen... ! Is that a chainsaw, out there in the woods?

Friday, October 11, 2024

Bundle of Holding - Wulfwald (OSR)

I have a good grasp of the OSR games on the market but have missed Wulfwald. I am correcting that right now!

Outcasts all! For a limited time, this all-new Wulfwald Quick Deal presents Wulfwald, Lee Reynoldson's old-school tabletop roleplaying game from Glasgow-based publisher Lost Pages set in a low-fantasy world inspired by mythic Anglo-Saxon tales. Lost Pages is offering the complete five-book set of Wulfwald core rulebooks, funded in a March 2022 Kickstarter campaign, for a special promotional price.

Your characters are Wolfsheads, rejects from your medieval society of humans, Ælfcynn (elves), Dweorgas (dwarves), or the despised Réþealingas (Outlanders). Seeking redemption, you undertake covert missions and skulduggery for a Thegn, a noble warlord. Together you form your Thegn's Wolfpack, a dire weapon he wields ruthlessly. A Wolfpack is a cross among a special-ops team, mob crew, terrorist cell, and gang. Missions for your Thegn might include threatening, leaning on, beating up, or killing rival Thegns – spying, stealing, cons, capers, stings, and double-crosses – kidnapping, ransoming, bribing, and blackmailing – all the things nobles want done without staining their reputation.

This all-new Wulfwald Quick Deal gives you non-watermarked, DRM-free .PDFs of all five Wulfwald core rulebooks – Wolfsheads, Magic, Campaign, Monsters, and People – a US$13 retail value for just $5.95. Your purchase includes a high-res .PDF of the beautiful black-and-white Wulfwald regional map, one of the last works by legendary British illustrator Russ Nicholson (Fiend Folio, Warhammer, Fighting Fantasy).

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar   

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Deal of the Day - Book of Lost Lore (OSR Sourcebook)



Alright, here's the part where I reveal my connections. I first met Joe Bloch in person at the premiere of Gygax Magazine at the Brooklyn Strat back in January 2013. Of course, we'd known each other online before that. Joe has been a guest on The Tavern's live streams, and we often hang out at conventions together. I consider Joe a friend.

Joe wrote and published Adventures Dark & Deep, essentially a "What If EGG Actually Wrote AD&D 2e". The Book of Lost Lore was written for ADD, AD&D 1e, and other OSR games.

New options to expand your old-school roleplaying game!

This book contains new playable races, new character classes, new magic, alternate combat and treasure systems, and much more for GMs and players alike. You'll find classes including the musical bard, merry jester, studious savant, and the villainous blackguard. Scores of new spells and magic items, and much more.

Written for the First Edition of the world's most popular RPG, this book will also be useful to anyone running a game using old-school rules. 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Note - NEW Humble Bundle Affiliate Link.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Mazes & Perils IS NOT The First Holmes Retroclone, Even if It Claims It Is!

Holy shit, I don't believe that here we are, over 12 years later, and Vince Florio (The Evil DM/GM) is back to pretending that Mazes & Perils is something that it isn't. Also, see here

The above screenshot is from Vince's Solo.to website

First, Mazes & Perils (2012) is a solid OSR game; there's no taking away from that. I'd expect nothing less, as it is based on the work of R.C. Pinnell and their  Holmes77 retroclone from 2011. That's the link for the freely available source material right there.

Heck, Vince even credits R.C. Pinnell as "Additional Contributor" because of Pinnell's work on Holmes77 in the credits, but somehow Mazes & Perils came first?

Dude, you won an ENnie with Mazes & Perils (2012). Isn't that enough? Why pretend Mazes & Perils is something it isn't?




Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Free RPG Resources - FlexTale Infinite Adventures Volume 1: Western Realm of Aquilae



As I said with yesterday's Deal of the Day, I appreciate the various FlexTale releases series for ease of use and inspiration for running sessions. At the fantastic FREE price, FlexTale Infinite Adventures Volume 1: Western Realm of Aquilae is an excellent resource for the harried GM. 

Contains 25 significant points of interest (POI).  Each one is designed to be interesting enough for at least an entire gaming session, if not an entire multi-session arc, or even an entire campaign.  Each POI could be its own book :)

Each POI is designed to be immediately usable in any fantasy TTRPG, in any campaign setting, with zero to little preparation.

The entire book has been designed from the ground up to support and enable solo adventuring.

Also contains universally-usable mechanics, guidelines, tables, and general resources for all points of interest in a fantasy TTRPG campaign.

Zero Prep, System-Agnostic

Designed to be immediately usable in any fantasy TTRPG, all Infinite Adventures books require zero prep time.

What is This Thing?

FlexTale Infinite Adventures is a concept that applies the Infinium Game Studio approach to points of interest on a fantasy TTRPG map.  Detailed descriptions, endless permutations of things to keep things fresh, easy-to-use tables and resources, and plenty of ideas and inspiration.

This book is the first in a series describing the various Points of Interest (POI) in the Western Realm of Aquilae.  Though it was created with this setting in mind, everything in this book was designed to be system- and setting-agnostic.

Inside, you'll find:

  • Discovery, including read-aloud text, "Why You Might Come Here", "So You Find Yourself Here", Hooks, and more.
  • Activities, including Adventure Snippets, Quests, Secrets, Threats, and more.
  • Location information, including a heatmap / location guide for the POI's presence in the Realm of Aquilae.
  • Rumors & Lore table with true, partially true, and false stories about the POI.
  • Events and Quirks, describing unique phenomena that might occur as you explore.
  • More interesting for players.  Easier to run for D/GMs.  Full, out of the box support for solo players.

And above all: NOT BORING!

Contents

Inside, you'll find:

  • 149 tables
  • 35 FlexTables (each one 4 tables in one)
  • 37 pages of Utility Tables: quickly and dynamically generate entire dungeon maps, traps, poisons, diseases, curses, treasure, and spells.
  • "Jump Right In" introduciton describing exactly how to use this book based on your needs as a G/DM
  • Dedicated discussion on how to use this book as a solo adventurer
  • Creature Modifiers to quickly make even the most ho-hum, boring common monster more interesting and unique
  • Much, much more!

Points of Interest

Each of the following gets 4 full dedicated pages of description, tools, variability, and resources.  With the tables provided, any one of these POI represents tens of thousands of possible combinations of use in your game!

  • Abbey
  • Ancient Halls
  • Aquifers of Charnel Heights
  • Armory of Armies
  • Army of the Damned
  • Astuterie Galleries
  • Asylums
  • Barbarian Wastes
  • Barrowlands
  • Basin of Welcome
  • Bazaar of the Righteous
  • Behemoth Falls
  • Blackiron Cathedral
  • Blackstack Village
  • Blades of Thyraxis
  • Bleaktract
  • Bloodwater Dam
  • Bone Orchard
  • Bravislatovok
  • Breweries of the Ivory Flight
  • Cagicull Keep
  • Cairn of the Forsaken
  • Cakemount
  • Camels Threat
  • Canyon of the Godswound

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DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar   

Monday, October 7, 2024

Deal of the Day - FlexTale Adventure Generator: Dungeons (System Neutral)



I just saw this pop up in my feed and snagged it immediately. I've been impressed with other releases in the FlexTale series and expect more of the same high quality.

Normally,10 bucks in PDF, until tomorrow morning FlexTale Adventure Generator: Dungeons is on sale for 5 bucks.

This book aims to be the most complete, most comprehensive, most innovative authority on designing, creating, and running Dungeon-based adventures ever produced.

Simply put: If you are playing, or plan to play, any sort of fantasy tabletop roleplaying game, this book will help you.  

Bringing together 35 years of gaming, both old-school through to today's most popular systems, the FlexTale Adventure Generator (FTAG) culminates a lifetime's passion for the hobby into a massively useful volume that can be instantly invaluable to any gaming group, in any context, using any rules system.

Whether you enjoy complex design and superbly intricate options, or if you prefer the calm simplicity of a straightforward six-sided die roll, the FTAG has been designed with you, and the time you have available, in mind.

All FlexTale books are designed with the many demands upon the G/DM in mind--they can be used immediately, with zero preparation, with any TTRPG rules system, in any campaign setting, at any gaming table.  This book was created to be supremely useful to inspire grognards who have been gaming since the hobby's inception, yet accessible enough for complete novice and first-time G/DMs to find immediate excitement.

Who is This For?

If you're any of the following and you're reading this, then I'd recommend you click on the preview to get a sense of what's involved here.  :)

A time-pressed G/DM, who doesn't have time to prepare for tonight's session but still wants to present a ton of exciting options for the PCs.

Planners, who want to devote a great deal of time, care, and attention to each and every aspect of their dungeon adventures, and who want to make sure that they have provided against every possible contingency that their players might pursue.

A G/DM who is planning an adventure with intention, but wants creative inspiration and to be prompted with ideas, starting points, and to provide structure to their own notions.

Writers who are authoring their own adventures, either to accelerate the process or to aid with areas in which they welcome assistance.

World-builders who hope to drive the generation of their world in adaptation to the discoveries of the PCs at the more personal level, evolving the nature of their campaign world and its contents in a way that echoes the players' experience.

G/DMs who want to run a one-shot adventure designed on the fly dynamically, with the option to turn it into an arbitarily-longer campaign.

Anyone with plenty of great ideas and creativity, who is looking for structure and a way to organize all of their inspiration into something that can be put in front of players.

A solo adventurer, who is looking for a system that generates entire, endless, interesting, unpredictable, and engaging campaigns.

Designed with Solo in Mind

The FlexTale Adventure Generator has been designed at every level to fuel exciting, engaging, and surprising solo adventuring.  Arguably the biggest challenge for any solo player is how to maintain the element of surprise--how can you be shocked, inspired, or excited about twists and turns that you yourself created?

Every single concept and tool in this book was designed with easy-to-use randomization, and explicit descriptions of how and when to keep revelations about the adventure's design a secret, or undetermined, until it's necessary.

What is This Thing?

The FlexTale Adventure Generator (FTAG) is over 400 pages, and contains over 380 tables, dozens of optional rules, tons of tools and templates and other powerful resources that can be used immediately, by any D/GM, in any gaming context.  

Whether you're playing a published adventure, creating your own, or want to generate an entirely dynamic adventure on the fly during a game session with no prep beforehand, this book provides simple instructions, easy-to-use tables, and straightforward dice rolls to spawn a truly infinite variety of engaging, interesting adventure content, no matter what your experience level.

How Do I Use This?

There are two types of things you can do with this book.

1: Make dungeon maps.

2: Create dungeon adventure content.

You can use this book for one or the other of these.  If you do both of them together, you're literally generating an entire adventure, from start to finish--or, more likely, not to a finish, so much as to an infinitely-unfolding narrative and exploraton of an entire gaming world.  All with some simple dice rolls!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPGAmazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar   

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Free OSR - Cha'alt



Love him or hate him, it's hard to argue with Venger's talent as an old-school creator. If you like gonzo, Cha'alt will likely be a subtle choice for your palette. If you aren't a fan of gonzo, at the price of FREE Cha'alt is an excellent source of inspiration for its less gonzo pieces.

Cha'alt is the beast of a book (218 pages) I've been working on for the past year.  It's a ruined world focusing on a couple of introductory dungeons before getting to the main event - the megadungeon known as The Black Pyramid.  

The Black Pyramid is like nothing you've ever seen before.  Unique design, purpose, feel, magic items, NPCs, monsters, factions, motives, agendas, strangeness, the works!

There's a decent amount of setting detail besides dungeoncrawling - space opera bar, domed city, mutants, weird ass elves, desert pirates, a city ruled by a gargantuan purple demon-worm, and much more!

Cha'alt is compatible with both old school and 5e D&D purposefully blended for maximum usability.  Full disclosure: aside from advantage/disadvantage and bounded accuracy, there isn't much in the way of 5th edition mechanics. It's predominantly OSR.

I've included my own Crimson Dragon Slayer D20 as an appendix, but you can use any of the hundred RPG systems available to run Cha'alt as your own.  The rules-language is fairly neutral, and my priority was helping the Game Master at the table.

The world is gonzo, eldritch, science-fantasy, and post-apocalyptic.  It's a wild ride, perfect for those players seeking something a little bit different, but also recognizable. 

The interior is gorgeous full-color art, layout, cartography and Lovecraftian aesthetics.  Gold ENnie winner Glynn Seal of MonkeyBlood Design went above and beyond his usual fantastic job.  Give the new 32 page preview a look.  I spared no expense making Cha'alt fantastic - this world is alive and spilling over with possibilities.

Cha'alt should give you years of solid, non-standardized gaming. 


 

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Saturday, October 5, 2024

Free RPG - Classic Traveller Facsimile Edition



I was searching around DTRPG when I stumbled across the Classic Traveller Facsimile Edition, priced for Free (and only 9 bucks in Print). Everyone should have a PDF of Classic Traveller, especially at this pricing! ;)

This is the original text of the 1981 edition of Classic Traveller based on page image Scans.

It includes Books 1-2-3, with errata and corrections inserted (where possible; and additional material in an errata appendix). This text is essentially an errata corrected edition faithful to the original Classic Traveller of the early 1980's.

The PDF has been OCR'ed. Margins are upgraded to 6x9 (from 5-1/2 x 8-1/2) for better margins.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Friday, October 4, 2024

Deal of the Day - Cepheus Universal


The various Cepheus releases have always been top-notch. Built off of the Mongoose Traveller SRD and the OGL, Cepheus has a very active community of creators.

Today's Deal of the Day is Cepheus Univeral. Typically, it is 19.99 in PDF, but until tomorrow morning, it is on sale for 6 bucks.

This universal science fiction RPG allows players and Game Master to emulate most kinds of sci-fi gaming, from time travel or near future cyberpunk, to space opera; from modern-day Solar System exploration to a far future that enjoys antimatter power, matter transportation and food replicators. As much attention is given to low-tech societies as mid-tech and far future, high-tech societies. You'll find options for gunpowder weapons, disintegrators, fusion power, portable shield generators, flint tool production and using beasts of burden. The scope of Cepheus Universal is huge.

The 2D6-based Cepheus rules are adaptable but not complex, and easy enough for players new to sci-fi gaming (or to roleplaying in general). Character creation is purely by design, and features a life path system that adds depth and which connects them to the setting. Create a character in 5 minutes or less.  

Packed with material that you can use to build your setting, or adapt your favourite setting from a novel or movie, it includes systems for building not just characters, but starships, animals, robots, vehicles, AI machines, star systems, spacesuits … you name it. Pick the parts you need to build the type of setting you desire. No setting is included, but three examples are provided to give you an idea of the scope of these rules.

Note that the core part of these rules previously featured in Zozer Game’s Hostile and Modern War RPGs. The book contains no AI art. Also available for Cepheus Universal:

Fast Magic - An improvised magic sysyem for use in your setting. 

Godstar - A feudal sci-fi setting on a desert planet, full of intrigue and danger. 

Player's Book - All the essential sections from the rulebook, for players use. 

Street Knight - 80s crime fighting with cyberagents and supercars. 

Sundivers - Far-future space pilots compete in the most dangeous interstellar sport.

War of the Worlds - A Victorian campaign pack for adventuring within HG Well's novel.

Academic Specialities - Leveraging Education to create science and academic specialities as skills.


 

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Bundle of Holding - Dread Thingonomicon



I own the Dread Thingnomicon in Print & PDF, one of my collection's most useful and referenced books.

Adventurer! For one week only, this Dread Thingonomicon Quick Deal presents, for a special promotional price, the complete 476-page The Dread Thingonomicon compendium from Raging Swan Press with system-neutral lists for every overworked gamemaster of tabletop fantasy roleplaying games. These 76 chapters, compiling hundreds of tables Raging Swan has published over the past seven years in its 20 Things line of mini-supplements, give you the tools to add flavor and detail to any fantasy RPG session. (Check out Raging Swan's free 54-page Thingonomicon sample.)

Pay just US$7.95 for the fully bookmarked 476-page Dread Thingonomicon (retail value $28). You get the .PDF in two versions, one optimized for printing and the second for screen reading. You also get all 73 chapters as separate text files.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Bundle of Holding - Kenneth Hite's Cthulhu

Kenneth Hite's Cthulhu Bundle is an awesome self-gift for a Spooky October :)

Investigator! Kenneth Hite's Cthulhu Bundle is a new collection of diverse Cthulhu Mythos ebooks from Atomic Overmind Press by star tabletop roleplaying game designer Kenneth Hite.

Writer and game designer Kenneth HiteDesigner of Trail of Cthulhu, Night's Black Agents, Suppressed Transmission, and more than 70 other RPGs and supplements, Kenneth HIte has analyzed works of HP Lovecraft in treatises such as the two Tour de Lovecraft volumes, and has reimagined the Mythos in gaming sourcebooks like Dubious Shards, The Tarot of Cthulhu, and Adventures into Darkness. This new offer brings you all this Hite-ean erudition for an unbeatable bargain price.

For just US$14.95 you get all six titles in our Hite Collection (retail value $65) as DRM-free ebooks, including Tour de Lovecraft: The Tales, Expanded Edition and Tour de Lovecraft: The Destinations; three Mythos treatises drawn from our October 2013 Bundle of Tentacles – Cthulhu 101, Tarot of Cthulhu: Major Arcana, and Dubious Shards; and an alternate-history sourcebook describing Lovecraft's comic-book work, Adventures Into Darkness.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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lights on and the taps flowing. Your Humble Bartender, Tenkar

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