Is there ever a point where a GM can have too many random tables? Probably not. Since that's the case, everybody should be jumping on the latest Humble Bundle -More Tabletop RPG Resources. There are simply more tables than you could shake a stick at. 46 collections of tables for 18 bucks - or 4 for a buck if you just want to kick the tires.
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Content Generators, RPG Tools, and a Campaign Builder. D&D, Pathfinder, and System Neutral. Available on iOS, Android, Steam, and Web.
There was a period when I was genuinely focused on finding the perfect "campaign app." Never saw one that really "clicked" for me, and I looked.
The Oracle RPG App looks REALLY good, not just because of its cross-platform compatibility.
Pricing is either a discounted subscription or a $300 all-in for a lifetime subscription. Decisions, decisions...
What Makes Oracle RPG Special?
Content Generators: Billions of possible combinations in an instant when you use any of the Nord Games content generators.
RPG Tools: Need a small component for your adventure? A trap, some loot, or something to fill out the dungeon? We have an RPG Tool for just about anything.
Campaign Builder: Organize all of the components of your campaign in a clean and organized interface.
Quick Prep: Generate interesting stories, exciting settings, memorable characters, interesting monsters, and thrilling adventures in seconds, cutting your prep time dramatically.
On-The-Fly Editing: Add to, remove from, or change your campaign during your game session with the easy to use interface.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Seamlessly accessible on any device, Oracle RPG ensures your toolkit is always at your fingertips.
Time-Saving Efficiency: Oracle RPG eliminates the hassle of session preparation so you can focus on the fun of storytelling and gameplay.
Built-In Inspiration: Discover new ideas and endless possibilities with our intuitive content generators designed to inspire.
Quick note! Skeeter Green and Zach Glazar are the Special Guests on Talking Crit Live! Wednesday, June 5th @ 8PM ET - Skeeter worked on the Arden's series of zines for Necromancer Games, and Zach is an executive of Necromancer Games / Frog God Games. Link to the stream here.
Another note! I know Skeeter and Zach not just on a professional level but also on a personal level. Both are close friends and skilled and talented creators of old-school gaming material. 'Nuff Said! Tenkar
I'm a big fan of RPG zines. They are the perfect size for my consumption of gaming goodness and are convenient for both on-the-go reading AND when one HAS to go. Heh :)
Four zines in one Kickstarter for Old School Essentials from Frog God Games / Necromancer Games. Could I ask for more? Probably not.
I'm backing Arden's Adventures/Arden's Notebook Kickstarter at the $40 backer level - all 4 zines in print and PDF. International backers CAN opt for POD, which would make for cheaper shipping.
Arden's Adventures is a full-color zine that brings back the feel of classic adventures, where the characters are as likely to die in the second room as they are to find vast and unimaginable treasures and high adventure!
Arden's Notebook is a serialized supplement inspired by Arden's Adventures. The Notebook delivers useful information for the adventure, ideas to make your own, and regular columns such as Helman’s Haberdashery, Role Call!, Igbat's Incantarium, Zoo-Illogical, and more. And Tropes, our original comic strip, illustrated by the wonderful Chet Minton, is pretty darn cool!
All four zines are 28 to 32 pages, A5-sized, and saddle-stitched. To be precise, the page counts are as follows:
Arden's Adventures Volume 1 is 32 pages.
Arden's Notebook Volume 1 is 28 pages.
Arden's Adventures Volume 2 is 32 pages.
Arden's Notebook Volume 2 is 32 pages.
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A Dystopian Fantasy Roleplaying Game Of Vengeance & Survival With OSR-Inspired Design, But Based On Simple d6-Mechanics.
Rick Hershey and Lucus Palosaari make one heck of an interesting collaborative team, and they're the creative minds behind 13 Screams Beneath the Withering Sky.
Promising a streamlined OSR-inspired system using d6 mechanics, it apparently has a grim-dark aesthetic, which I am drawn to. Damn, my experience with WFRP 1e has forever corrupted me ;)
I'm in for the POD hardcover and PDF.
13 Screams Beneath The Withering Sky is a dark fantasy tabletop RPG designed for players who crave tension, exploration, and the thrill of facing insurmountable odds. The core rulebook includes everything you need to create characters, navigate a cursed world, and challenge the 13 Warlords that dominate the land.
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PAGE 2025, held in January of this year, was a blast, plain and simple. For a con only in its second year, things ran very smoothly. Everyone appeared to be having a great time, and the weekend went by in the blink of an eye.
I am pleased and flattered to have been invited to return to the Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo (PAGE) as a Special Guest in 2026. Get your tickets NOW, as the Special Guest list will simply grow to a ridiculous size, and you'll kick yourself for missing out on the festivities. You can get more info about PAGE here.
Apparently, for the candid shout used above, I was inspired by THIS man below ;)
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"A zine about zines." It's almost Seinfeld-esque in nature. Of course, you are going to see me backing or buying pretty much anything that Phil Reed puts his name to - it's simply a no-brainer for me.
Quest for Zines is a Kickstarter to support a month's worth of interviews for Phil Reed, and Lex Morgan are doing the interview. At the end of the month, they will put the interviews in zine format, in PDF and print. You can back Quest for Zines: a Zine Quest Zine About Zinesfor the PDF for 3 bucks, and POD (at cost plus shipping) plus PDF for 5 bucks.
This zine is a celebration of indie RPGs, indie RPG supplements, and their creators. Within this work, 28 engaging interviews will be featured with creators of all experience levels. We'll connect with designers, artists, and publishers. We also include conversations with those involved in crowdfunding, promotion, and beyond.
Join us each day in February! We'll be posting an interview every single day, each as individual updates! At the end of the month, we'll take all the updates, give them a polish, add some nifty art, and make them into a zine. And that zine can be shipped directly to your door.
Not a fan of physical zines? You can just get the PDF, too.
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I really enjoy finding OSR rulesets that push the game into less-used genres. Arcana Rising imagines a "modern-day urban fantasy" setting "that posits a world where magic and the supernatural have awakened once more after millennia of slumber beneath the frozen ice of the Antarctic."
Generations ago, the source of all raw magic was sealed away beneath the frozen ice of the southernmost continent, but now, with the breaching of the ancient seal by Russian scientists, magic once again flows throughout the world as it once did. Wizardry is once more a genuine calling, the divine influence is making itself known in greater strength than has been seen on the Earth in human memory, and with the return of magic, supernatural creatures that had long fled to the outer planes where magic still held sway are once again encroaching into the material realm and threatening mankind.
Players will take on classic fantasy roles thrust into our world, modern day wizards, adventurers, and holy champions, who seek out the knowledge of the lost era of magic and attempt to protect mankind from the supernatural beings that now threaten it, while juggling their mundane lives around the demands of a life of danger confronting unholy threats from beyond the veil.
Arcana Rising is powered by the same core system as the critically-acclaimed Hulks and Horrors science-fiction role-playing game. The H&H Engine brings a simple to learn set of rules inspired by the classic fantasy role-playing games of Gygax, Mentzer, and Ward.
7 core classes with rules up to level 12 and beyond, each a new spin on the classics: Gunfighter, Gladiator, Rogue, Wizard, Cleric, Champion, and Forestwalker
A Day Job system, representing the characters' day to day careers
A new skill system that aims to provide the skilled with better talent and success without blocking off options
Arcane magic and Divine prayer, with spell lists for each up to level 6
Rules for generating magical treasures and artifacts from the ancient era
Over 100 classic fantasy and folkloric monsters
GM advice and tools for modern and urban fantasy adventuring
Alternate 'genre packages' and rules for other game concepts from traditional medieval fantasy to post-apocalyptic horror
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Well, the more I learn aboutStars & Sails, the more I can't wait to give it a play-through at Wizard Con in April.
Now that we have a sneak peek at an S&S character sheet, we can learn more about Stars & Sails. Apparently, resources are essential (rations and water have their own tracking boxes ;)
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Back in my college days, I was a huge fan of the ElfQuest series of comics. Well, for 18 bucks, you can own The Compete ElfQuest Bundle. I'm all in, 'nuff said!
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Here's the point where I talk about "connections." I've known Jeff Jones for several years. He laid out and edited the two issues of our Torchlight zine. He simply does good, professional work in a timely fashion.
Dark Visionsis a current Kickstarter project for the ShadowDark RPG. Starting as low as 12 bucks in PDF (I'm backing at $50, BTW), Dark Visions is:
"An expansion for the Shadowdark RPG focusing on cults, their gods, and their domains. Featuring 3 Player Classes (Cultist, Inquisitor, and Knight of the Covenant), 25 New Spells, and 16 Cultist Domains, each containing their own dedicated creatures, magic items, and tables. Not just a resource guide, DARK VISIONS includes a pair of stand-alone adventures that have the party following an occult trail into dank dungeons. You can string both of the adventures together plus add THE TOWER OF SIX companion zine to form a three adventure campaign!"
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I must confess, when I look at new rulesets (or at least ones that I've never encountered before), I look for ones that will be convention-play friendly. I have plenty of potential rulesets to use at my home table, but convention play, IMHO, goes best with light rules that play fast.
TheCBR+PNK Bundle looks to be PERFECT for convention gaming. YMMV ;)
Adventurer! This new CBR+PNK Quick Deal presents the complete line of CBR+PNK minimalist Forged in the Dark cyberpunk pamphlets from Cabinet of Curiosities. In low-prep, fast-playing one-shot sessions, your team of Runners, living on the edge in the shadows of a gritty, ultra-violent world, make their last run. Maybe you'll recover a payload from an abandoned AI-run hotel – or buy an encrypted Hosaka key in the corporate megalopolis Mona Rise – or search lunar habitat Biosphere-5 for the escaped APX PRDTR. The CBR+PNK core rules fit in three four-panel pamphlets; you can print each pamphlet on one legal-size sheet of paper, double-sided. Read the entire game on a lunch break, then create characters and start running one of this offer's one-sheet adventures in 15 minutes.
For just US$6.95 you get all eight titles in our CBR+PNK Collection (retail value $36.50) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete CBR+PNK Core rules sheets, along with the Rookie character expansion; the plug-ins (rules options) Cyberpunk Hunters and +Weird; and four runs: The Ghost of Adelaide, Mind the Gap, Mona Rise Megalopolis, and PRDTR.
We presented the original 2021 version of the CBR+PNK core rules in our December 2021 Forged in the Dark Bundle. This is the 1.5 Augmented Edition funded in a March 2022 Kickstarter campaign. If you purchased the Dec 2021 Forged offer, check your Wizard's Cabinet download page for the new edition of the core rules.
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Alright! We are finally here—the wrap-up of OSR Christmas 2024—the final Days—Days 11 and 12!
If you see your name/screenname/handle below, you must email me at tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom with "OSR Chrismas 2024 Days 11&12" in the subject. In the body of the email, we'll need your real name, screenname/handle, and the gift you are claiming.
Good luck to all!
1 - Frog God Games 50% off Coupon
Hyrieus & rockmonolit
2 - $200 Frog God Games Store Credit (Note, Outside US MAY be limited to digital purchases)
GMJasonGURPS
3 - Free Holiday PDFs from Frog God Games: How Orcus Stole Christmas, Orcus on 34th Level, Orcus in a Winter Wonderland, Beware of the Yule Cat, & The 12 Days of Orcus
FallenAngel
4 - The New Adventures Darkand Deep Core Rulebook and Core Bestiary in pdf from BRW Games
Tim Baker
5 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set
Narmer
6 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set
DungeonMapper
7 - PIG Games - Worlds Beyond in PDF
macloud
8 - PIG Games - Swords & Six-Siders Expanded Edition in PDF
Matthew
9 - $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate
Doug
10 - $50 DTRPG Gift Certificate
Jeff Bernstein
11 -Emperors Choice - 1 BIG Bundle - US Only
ch\/\/olfgang
2 x Continent Maps of Khaora (Large and small size)
2 x 2024 Arduin Maps
2 x Original Arduin Maps
2 x Chorynth Country Maps 2024 versions
2 x Arduin Map Index Books
2 x Sets of Arduin Art Prints (Set of 4)
2 x Arduin Map Tubes
2 x Back Scratchers
Merry Christmas to all!
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.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Quick note! Return here tomorrow as we gift the gifts of the final days of OSR Christmas 2024! - Tenkar
I'm still trying to find the "perfect" sci-fi ruleset that isn't too complicated. Until now, White Star has filled that niche for me, but everything I've read about Faster Than Light – Nomad has made me think it could have competition. Based on the SRD of the Traveller rules, this 2D6 system has been well received by reviewers at DTRPG.
Adventurer! This FTL Nomad Bundle presents Faster Than Light: Nomad, the high-adventure science fiction tabletop roleplaying game from Stellagama Publishing. An evolution and expansion of Stellagama's Quantum Starfarer, Nomad's streamlined and approachable old-school rules support any kind of future space setting from cyberpunk to space marine firefights, free-trader interstellar travelling to mecha melodrama, and the galactic escapades of far-future star heroes.
Nomad roleplaying gameFor just US$12.95 you get all five titles in our Nomad Collection (retail value $56) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete Faster Than Light: Nomad corebook, plus the free Quickstart; three supplements – Mecha, Spacecraft Go!, and Synthoids; and Adventure 1: The Customs Job.
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DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Wow! We're almost a full month into the New Year, and we've already checked off one con for the year (PAGE 2). Con season is off to a great start.
The Tavern's Substack, regretfully, has not been off to a great start. Lots of distractions and a number of time sinks, but I'm cleaning off the plate and hoping to get back to the weekly posting of the Substack.
This past week, on Thursday to be exact, we DID kick off the Weekly Midday Livestream, or Random Tavern Chat. The plan is to have a livestream, likely around 1PM Eastern time, on a random weekday afternoon. Why random days? Because of family responsibilities, appointments for Rach and myself, various conventions, and travel, pinning down free time on a weekday is NOT easy. It WAS a well-received livestream hosted by Glen and me, and we would like to make the livestreams at times that are more convenient for those across the pond.
We launched The Tavern's Swag Store yesterday. More items will be added weekly. It's a great way to support what we (Tenkar and all of the co-hosts) do on the blog and the video channels.
Tomorrow, Sunday, January 25th, at 7PM ET, I, Ryan David, and Grim Jim D will be hosting Inappropriate Characters: Rerolled. Hope to see you visiting the live!
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.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
Somewhere, I have the physical boxed set of D&D Gamma World (GW7e). I didn't even know what edition it was before seeing it as today's Deal of the Day. Usually 19.99 in PDF, Gamma World 7e can be snagged for 11.99 until tomorrow morning.
A wacky, wily roleplaying game of post-apocalyptic peril.
Earth. After the apocalypse. Never mind the radiation—you’re gonna like it here.
The D&D Gamma World Roleplaying Game offers hours of rollicking entertainment in a savage land of adventure, where the survivors of some mythical future disaster must contend with radioactive wastes, ravaged cities, and rampant lawlessness. Against a nuclear backdrop, heroic scavengers search crumbled ruins for lost artifacts while battling mutants and other perils.
This product is a complete, stand-alone roleplaying game that uses the 4th Edition D&D Roleplaying Game system as its foundation. It appeals to D&D players as well as gamers interested in fantasy science fiction set in a bizarre, post-apocalyptic world.
160-page book with rules for character creation, game rules, and an adventure
Here we are: Days 11 and 12 of OSR Christmas 2024. And my God, do we have some gifts for you to wrap things up!
Comment below by 6 PM ET, Sunday, January 26th, 2025, to be considered for a gift.
In no particular order:
1 - Frog God Games 50% off Coupon
2 - $200 Frog God Games Store Credit (Note, Outside US MAY be limited to digital purchases)
3 - Free Holiday PDFs from Frog God Games: How Orcus Stole Christmas, Orcus on 34th Level, Orcus in a Winter Wonderland, Beware of the Yule Cat, & The 12 Days of Orcus
4 - The New Adventures Darkand Deep Core Rulebook and Core Bestiary in pdf from BRW Games
5 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set
6 - Fat Dragon Games - DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set
7 - PIG Games - Worlds Beyond in PDF
8 - Pig Games - Swords & Six-Siders Expanded Edition in PDF
9 - $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate
10 - $50 DTRPG Gift Certificate
11 -Emperors Choice - 1 BIG Bundle - US Only
2 x Continent Maps of Khaora (Large and small size)
2 x 2024 Arduin Maps
2 x Original Arduin Maps
2 x Chorynth Country Maps 2024 versions
2 x Arduin Map Index Books
2 x Sets of Arduin Art Prints (Set of 4)
2 x Arduin Map Tubes
2 x Back Scratchers
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.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
“Stars and Sails” is a swashbuckling role-playing game set in a setting that combines planetary romance, pulp science fiction, and old-style adventures on the high seas.
Stars & Sails is $35 in Softcover plus digital and $55 in Hardcover plus digital.
Thank you for helping see this whimsical and magical Role Playing Game by Pauli Kidd come to life. We would like to introduce you to Pauli who is a legendary author and game designer.
Pauli has been in the RPG / Game industry for over 35 years. Pauli was the writer, director and lead designer of Nightshade, an action-adventure title for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and she was the lead designer for the mega hit video game Shadowrun.
Pauli has written novels for Wizards of the Coast such as Descent into he Depths of the Earth, and also White Plume Mountain. Stars & Sails is her full line Role Playing Game, that is a stand alone game. This means, you get everything you need to play the game in ONE book, so there is no other hidden charges or materials you will need.
We got back from PAGE 2 Sunday afternoon, and both Rach and I escaped Con Crud: The Reckoning. Still, we had a bunch of catching up to do, so gifting the gifts from Days 9 and 10 of OSR Christmas 2024 Got delayed, but I'm caught up, so here we go.
If your name/screen name/handle appears below, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern @ that Gmail thing. Please put "OSR Christmas Days 9 & 10" in the Subject Header. In the body of the email, indicate what your name/screen name/handle is, as well as what gift you are claiming.
Without further wait, let's get 'er done!
Gift 1 - Dragonlock Lost Caverns: Master Set FDG0410 ($50.00)
davrion
Gift 2 - Dragonlock Lost City of the Dwarves: Master Set FDG0411 ($25.00)
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.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
The Designers & Dragons Collection is incredible. I own it in print and PDF, and I really should circle back and reread the history. It really is that good.
For just US$7.95 you get all three titles in this revived offer's Starter Collection (retail value $35) as DRM-free ebooks:
Designers & Dragons: The '70s: The first volume in Shannon Appelcline's history of RPG publishers (now supported by the Designers & Dragons Patreon campaign). This debut installment covers Dungeons & Dragons, the turbulent history of TSR, and the first generation of RPGs. Foreword by Greg Stafford.
Family Games: The 100 Best: A hundred famed designers review and discuss their favorite games: Blokus, Can't Stop, Gloom, Kill Dr. Lucky, Prince Valiant, and dozens more.
40 Years of Gen Con: A photo-filled anecdotal reminiscence, compiled by Robin D. Laws, of the hobby's leading US convention. It's the best four decades in gaming!
And if you pay more than the threshold price of $19.22, you'll level up and also get this revival's entire Bonus Collection with four more titles worth an additional $40:
Hobby Games: The 100 Best: From Amber Diceless Roleplaying to Wiz-War, a hundred leading designers praise their favorites.
Designers & Dragons: The '80s: GURPS, West End, Palladium, Champions, and much more. Foreword by Cyberpunk designer Mike Pondsmith.
Designers & Dragons: The '90s: World of Darkness, Wizards of the Coast, Warhammer 40K, Atlas Games, and more. Foreword by Peter Adkison, founder of Wizards and owner of Gen Con.
Designers & Dragons: The '00s: D20, Pathfinder, the indies, and more. Foreword by Paizo Publishing founder Lisa Stevens.
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.
DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
#RPGaDAY2026: Day 27 Hunger
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* Hunger* is not always about food.
In the realms of horror and fantasy, it is usually the subtext, the want
that remains once the polite explanations ha...
Fokker D-VII
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The next addition to my 1/144 scale air force is this Fokker D-VII, which
I've been putting off because I wasn't looking forward to painting the
lozeng...
Spooky Season Approaches
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I know I haven't post much recently. I'm still running my weekly game, but
just not enjoying summing up the sessions so I haven't really posted about
it. I...
Queens Gambit
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By Eric JonesLudibrium GamesOSRLevel 1 Tragedy has befallen the Kingdom of
Ambarge—the king is dead; long live the king! Yet strife in the realm has
only j...
Justice Union - Collective Vigilance
-
It’s a tricky thing, justice. Best method I’ve found is making sure
everyone feels both ends of the stick at some point in their life, just to
give them ...
Island at the Top of the World
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Achtung! Cthulhu is the roleplaying game of fast-paced pulp action and
Mythos magic published by Modiphius Entertainment. It is pitches the Allied
Agents...
Revised GURPS Basic Set & DF Felltower
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What newly featured rules in GURPS Basic Set will make it to Felltower?
Note this isn't automatic. We, by default, play with the DFRPG rules,
adding in ass...
Cardboard Starship #4: Transport part 2
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Detailing a build can take what is essentially a cardboard box, and turn it
into something else, something special. My strategy for this, for the
interio...
Development of the Majestic Fantasy RPG, Part 1
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I just shipped off the draft for my Scourge of the Demon Wolf, 2nd edition,
to my editor, and I am resuming work on my next major project, the full
versi...
Why Psionics Fails
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It is often said that the world is divided into two classes of people:
those who like Van Morrison, and those who have met him.
Another such division th...
Vanishing Blogs From The Old Days
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There are so many RPG related blogs on every genre and category of RPG.
Periodically I discover that another blog is no more when an app on my blog
reports...
Subscribe to Dragonne
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Dragonne is the free journal of BRW Games, featuring referee resources,
random tables, design articles, previews, and news for fans of old-school
fantasy r...
Single saving throws
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It's been a while now that my D&D-style games have used a single saving
throw.
Original D&D's saving throws, with their more concrete categories like
spel...
Beating the Planetary Blues...
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World building is a central tenet of tabletop gaming, and it certainly
illuminates the sheer immensity involved in a living planet. Vast
continents spann...
Murder mystery
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The local adventurers guild named "fernleaf and associates" is basically a
sleuthing agency. The patron is an older elf named Flynn fernleaf. He
pays wel...
The Common Store of Monsters
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I am slowly grinding my way through the re-writes for Veins of the Earth.
As part of the re-write I have re-organised the ‘Pariahs of the Earth’
monsters ...
Young Washington and 1753
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I saw Young Washington last weekend and absolutely loved it. If you know
me, you know the Revolutionary War era is my favorite time period. I have
always f...
The Old School (Hyperborean) Renaissance
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Are these poorly-masked adventure hooks? Yes, yes they are.
For the last century a peculiar fever has gripped the learned societies of
Marlinko, Kezmaro...
Micro-Adventure - #114 RATS!
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Dungeon tropes are a thing to embrace, not to dismiss. It's simple to
handwave the storm the orc infested tower to save the princess, evil wizard
in a t...
Moldvay Basic D&D now Available in Print
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Just a quick note that (finally) Moldvay Basic D&D is available in POD from
DTRPG – previously, only the Cook/Marsh …
Continue reading →
Abstraction in My Liege,
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I think the aspect of *My Liege,* that could potentially put off the most
people is its lack of accounting granularity. It does not track Court
wealth in...
Consolidated AD&D Weapon Characteristics List
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Having spent the last few days down a research rabbit hole, I ended up
compiling a chart of AD&D weapon characteristics, adding some "missing"
entries an...
Referee Sabotage
-
It is an old saw that players are bad at executing their plans. Imagine
this common scene: the party have some big job that requires planning;
perhaps robb...
The March 1636 Lantern is Published
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Okay, The March Lantern is available. Those fast on the draw may have
noticed that I mistakenly published it as free access for 56 minutes. I
was just so ...
On a Happy New Year
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We are about to experience the most social upheaval since industrialization.
What will that look like in sixty years?
Sinless is starting it's third yea...
Mutants and Wizards
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Heya folks, long time no see.
I've just started working on something new called Mutants and Wizards. It's
going to be an OSE/OSR post-apocalyptic game t...
Rob Kuntz at Lucca Comics & Games 2025
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If you are planning a trip to Europe (like right now) and wish to catch up
with me in person, make sure to book a detour via *Lucca Comics & Games*,
...
How do you do piracy… in SPACE!?
-
Interstellar space travel in Iridium Moons was always going to be a form of
hyperspace jump like in Star Wars or Traveller. Simply because it’s the one
for...
A long overdue hobby update!
-
Welcome back to the Vault everyone! 2025 is going by in a blur; I last
posted in February, almost started a post in March and now it's the end of
May. W...
Playing at the World 2E V2 Arrives
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With the release of its second volume, the second edition of *Playing at
the World *is finally complete. The two books combined total well over
1,000 ...
Writing playlists for all occasions
-
Hello again! Going off the idea of inspiration elaborated on by the prior
post, I also have music playing while I write my various games and fiction
pieces...
The Tarot of Pips
-
Somewhere in your dice collection is a die like this one, the humblest of
dice. Although you don't know it, this small white die carries with it a
secr...
Pirates and Necromancers, a Play Report
-
Over the Thanksgiving weekend we did a lot of gaming ranging from
“off-table” domain level stuff to some solo adventures to spell and magic
item rese...
*'s in SpaaaaaAaaaace
-
A lot of SF (including a certain 2D6 RPG grandaddy) deal with ancient
aliens taking humans from Earth and dropping them, fleas and all, on one or
more w...
Last move - to self-hosting!
-
As my vote regarding Substack in the “marketplace of ideas”, I’m moving to
self-hosting.
I’m now at (and hopefully staying for a long time at)
Blog: ht...
Clean Your Room
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Looking back at my little blog here. That last post… wow, I was having fun
playing WOW Classic! That was August of 1999 and I was having a blast… it
was ...
The Worm Ouroboros
-
The Worm Ouroboros is a proto-fantasy (the in the genre sense) novel by E.
R. Eddison, originally published in 1922. It is an amalgam of mythological
tradi...
Steve Jackson Interview
-
James Maliszewski recently did an interview with Steve Jackson over on his
Grognardia blog. Steve chats about the beginnings of The Fantasy Trip and
upcomi...
ToAD Monster of the Week: Crocoman
-
Now that I'm back doing the blog thing I thought I would use Tome of
Adventure Design to create monsters for The Black Hack.
Using the monster tables in th...
Strange, Dangerous, and Inhuman: The Fey and Fairie
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When I was a boy I loved fairy tales. Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in
Boots, Rumpelstiltskin - I devoured all of it. My fascination that there
was a strang...
Dungeons & Dragonmead Fall Schedule
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*As you know, I run public classic Dungeons & Dragons games at **The Loaded
Die**/Metro Detroit Game Night's Board Game Nigh at **Dragonmead**, in
Warren...
Fiction in Airhde
-
On a whim this weekend, I picked up some fiction off the TLG store. *A
Houseless God & Other Tales* and *The Mirrored Soul & Other Tales*, both by
the T...
Ravensburg Reboot: Streamlined City Map
-
I mentioned in my last post how I was tweaking and reworking parts of my
Ravensburg setting. Today I streamlined the city map. The old map had lots
of redu...
The Withered Crag available now
-
I just enabled the sale of the PDF version of The Withered Crag at
DriveThruRPG a few minutes ago, and the custom print version will be
available startin...
Annihilation Rising Goes live
-
The latest in Fail Squad Games’ Quick Kick projects has gone live and needs
your support!! This project is only running 11 days and ends on 5/28/2019!
...
James's Celebration of Life
-
We could not have asked for a prettier day for James's service. It was a
bit chilly and windy but gorgeous. A heartfelt thank you to all that joined
us tod...
Trap Tuesday: A step back
-
I will get back to Tomb of Horrors soon. I found a topic that was
interesting enough to take a break. While interacting in a 5E group on
Facebook I talked ...
Let's Talk About Pacing!
-
The idea, I think, is that the RPG is ultimately about the long game. Even
rolling back to the early days of Basic & Expert, the goal of the player
was...
Profane and Profound Prep Part 2
-
This is part 2 of my work to edit my magic items for a DMsGuild release,
along with adding cursed items along the way. Here is part 1. Bone of a
Saint 8000...
Please, I don't do paid advertisements - don't ask.
-
A little note since people have asked me about this. My video channel's
*not* an advertising platform, so I'm not available for hire if you want to
promote...
New website!
-
Slowly but surely, all the content here will make its way — in updated
form! — to my new website: timbannock.com. For fairly obvious reasons, that
site wil...
Please Update Your Link!
-
If you're seeing this, it means your link to the Greyhawk Grognard blog is
out of date.
Please update your link to www.greyhawkgrognard.com (RSS feed is
h...
Total Sales for WB:FMAG
-
Hi Folks,
It's been a long time since I provided an update for the sales of White
Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game.
*LULU*
Print: 396
PDF: 433
*OBS*...
How can We Destroy this Campaign World?
-
d12
1. You must trick a bard into strumming the *Chords of Fate* on the *Lute
of Annihilation*
2. Legends tell of thermonuclear weapons beneath megadunge...
Mord Mar - Session 5
-
We had another successful delve into the dungeon yesterday. The delvers:
Moira, the Magic-User
Radovan - Human Cleric (of Odin?)
Khazgar Stonehand - Dwarf ...
Bundle of Fantasy Age
-
Bundle of Holding: Dragon Age/Fantasy Age: Available until March 12. PA
Presents: Fantasy AGE Freeport live play Green Ronin in 2018 The Fantasy
Age RPG ma...
New Free PDF Module: The Hyqueous Vaults
-
A new dungeon module—written in celebration of OSRIC's 10th Birthday—by
Rebecca Dettmann, Allan T. Grohe, Jr., Jimm Johnson, Matthew Riedel, Alex
Zisch, a...
Swords & Wizardry Light: Session # 6
-
Two months after our last session (thanks to things like 8th grade finals,
a 4 year-old's birthday and party, Father's Day, etc.), we finally had our
next ...