The Osmond Family RPG

No, don't go looking for a link or bother doing a google  search.  There isn't one (my God I HOPE there isn't one).  It's just that as I sit here in the Poconos, watching my hives appear even fuller (but the discomfort is almost all gone, go figure) I have Donnie and Marie Osmond bouncing around the nether region of my mind.  The Dark Side, if you will.

That damn stupid ass song:  I'm a little bit Country... I'm a little bit Rock n Roll!

I'm a little bit OSR, I'm a little bit 3E.  And a smidgen Rolemaster, MERP, BRP, CoC, FATE, Rifts, peanut butter and chocolate...

Just imagine if I HAD been drinking.  This could have been a whole lot worse, but the point is labels dont mean shit except from a marketing perspective.

Talking about marketing, I wonder if one could pull off an Osmond Family RPG.  I mean, TSR did publish a Dallas boardgame.  I actually owned that train wreck in my youth.

Pendragon - The Once and Current King

Pendragon 5.1 was just released in PDF format on RPGNow.  I don't know how it differs from 5.0, as the Wikipedia entry hasn't been updated to include the release of 5.1.

Pendragon is one of the great games that I never played.  I have the 1st edition boxed set and the 3rd edition soft covered book (there was no 2nd, and i missed the 4th and 5.0).  I've read them repeatedly, cover to cover, over the years as they are great King Arthur  resources unto themselves and make for nice reading (my BA is in History, so I may be biased).

The new PDF is 238 pages from end to end, and I'm starting at the begining and moving directly forward.  It's not the only thing on my plate, so its going to take some time before I can give a full (or even partial) review, but if it stays true to form it should be excellent.

Maybe I'll finally get to play with the rules this time.

Room for Another Mag?

D-Infinity is a new gaming magazine in the pipe, with a scheduled release at this summer's Gen Con.  While most gaming mags these days seem to go for a focused approach (OSR, C&C, 4e, 3.5) D-Infinity is painting with a much broader brush.  With nine publishers backing it, the opportunity to cover a large swath of gaming material certainly is there. 

In addition to covering many different RPGs, the plans include coverage of tabletop and live action gaming.  It should be interesting to see how this plays out.

Issue Zero, a 16 page preview, is available for free as a download from RPGNow here.

Life Sucks - Then You Blog

So, my sinus attack became a nice hive (welts / rash) attack!  Joy oh joys!  The fix?  Time and Allegra.  Crap.  The soles of my feet are in pain damn it!  And I still went to work!  I'm an ass!  heh

It's one hell of a distraction.  I'm sure its a D&D spell already, but damn I'm ready to write one from experience.

On a positive note, despite all the noise James managed to raise recently, his Weird Fantasy game is ready for preorders.  I'm in for one.  He may be a loud mouth, but he is an extremely talented loudmouth.  I have high expectations for it.  I'll review it when I receive it.

It aint cheap, but damn thats alot stuff!

Optimal Salacious Review - OSR

I am beginning to get a stiff neck bouncing back and fourth with all the OSR posting going on these days.  Jim probably started the scuffle, the green dragons responding and the hobby goes in a tizzy.

Truth of the matter is it served its purpose.  It drove traffic to Jim's site, just as Weird Fantasy is getting set to release.  Who will be the main buyer's of Jim's game?  People that are interested enough in this corner of the hobby to read blogs about this crap... me, you maybe?

I personally didn't like Jim's telling people what they should be called, making people a part of the OSR based on his word alone.  If I read a book by a Communist, am I now a Commie?  If I read the Bible do I now have to "witness" for everyone, or whatever the heck it is they do when they knock on my door and try to save me?

I'm fine at defining myself.  I might game mostly in what is defined loosely as OSR, but I have no products to push, no game to publish.  As someone else said... this is my hobby, and lets leave it as such.

Greyhawk Grognard: Marketing the OSR

Greyhawk Grognard: Marketing the OSR, Part 2 of 4: Innovation

GG has put forward two really great posts on the OSR. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

I'd Make a Horrible PC

My sinuses and the accompanying post nasal drip are driving me out of my mind. I blame the wonderful NYC weather.

I could never survive as a PC, getting my ass beat on a daily basis, sleeping outdoors or in a dungeon.

Sinuses knock me down ;)

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Another Twofer Tuesday

Today we have two new freebies for your collection.

First up is Oil Pressure, a module for Villains and Vigilantes.  Coming in at 16 pages, it should give you an evening of entertainment and a nice sample module for you V&V game.

Our second freebie is also the second part of a series of adventures.

Campaign 1: Secrets of the Ancients from Mongoose Games for Traveller.  There are three separate download links on the page.  The campaign intro, part 1 and part 2.  Enjoy

Waiting is the Hardest Part

Alright, consider this a parental blog entry.

So, The Kid is at a birthday party tonight.  He's 17, stubborn, likes to show he is independent.  Got a whole lot of: "and you know you don't have to text me every five minutes."  "You DON'T need to know everything."  Normal adolescent spreading of wings.

All I asked was: "When you know what time it is wrapping up, send me a text"."

The independent lad needed 5 bucks for a MetroCard (NYC Subway) and has already texted me that: "It wraps up at 10 and if I feel lazy I may need a ride."  That's my boy... you can spread those wings as far as you want, but your father will always be there for you.

So, what am I doing in my spare time this evening?  Watching the Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Animated Series... cause if the lad were home he'd probably laugh me outa the house ;)

 Alright, its a little dated, and the putz shares my name (Cavalier named Erik... sheesh, what a tool) but its still D&D, its still fun, and it makes me feel years younger.  It can't be all that bad ;)

Looking For a Good First RPG

I started a thread pretty much asking for the same on ENWorld.

I'm looking for a good RPG to introduce a first time player to roleplaying. They want something they can read first, so it shouldn't be too huge and should include an easy to follow sample of play.

The vast majority of my 30 years of game collecting assumes prior knowledge of roleplaying games. I'd like to hear some suggestions if y'all if possible.

Thanks :)

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And the Winner is...

I need to figure out a better way to do this.  It's not that I don't like rolling dice, but when it comes to online media, an online solution would probably fit better.  I guess I could do it via Fantasy Grounds or iTabletop in the future, but I'd have to make sure others log in to witness.  Grrrrrr...

In any case, we have 5 entries.  In order of their posting it is:
    1-2 Greg
    3-4 Mikemonaco
    5-6 James
    7-8 dogrodeo
    9-0 Tim Shorts

Can we have a drum roll please?

Taking a randomly chosen 10-sided die from my desk drawer.  Witnessed by Ashley, the 4 y/o feline... we have rolled a 5.

Woot!  James wins a PDF copy of Dragon Warriors courtesy of RPGNow.

 James, check your email.

Still Six Hours Left...

Six Hours left to tell us about your favorite Big Bad Evil Guy.  Easy chance to win yourself a PDF copy of Dragon Warriors (I remember this being advertised as a paperback series of RPG books in Dragon Magazine back in the 80s).

Your comment must be in by 6 pm today, Eastern time.  Just Do It! :)

Quick Start Rules - The Listing - Part the Fifth

Woot!  Post 300!

There is still time to add your favorite BBEG to the thread here and have a chance to win a PDF copy of Dragon Warriors.  Comments must be added by 6 pm Eastern Time July 11, 2010.  Operators are standing by. 

Anyhow, back to the Quickstarts:

FFGs quick starts for its Warhammer 40k line of RPGs is available at the following links:
     Deathwatch               Rouge Trader               Dark Heresy
Actually, lots of free goodies at those links... enjoy

StarSiege from Troll Lord Games- Cross Castles & Crusades' engine with sci-fi and this is the result.  My son gave me this as a Christmas gift when it came out.  He rocks!

PDQ Sharp! from Atomic Sock Monkey - The game engine behind Jaws of the Six Serpents, Zorceror of Zo, and many others.

 PDQ - For an ever more streamlined version of the above.  In case you don't like Swashbucklers and such ;)

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

( Don't forget to add your post to the Tell us About Your Favorite BBEG thread.  One lucky poster gets a free PDF copy of Dragon Warriors courtesy of RPGNow - post before 6pm Eastern Time July 11, 2010 to be counted)

So far today I have played some Star Trek Online, read the latest Knights of the Dinner Table, surfed the web, played with the iPad... I've really missed the Do Nothing of Importance type of Saturday.  I think I need to schedule these more often ;)

Oh, and we are getting some rain here in NYC.  Woot!  About friggin time.

Anyhow, when I motivate my lazy ass I'll put up the next installment of the Quick Start collection.  I expect that should be sometime this evening.

K, back to blowing shit up in STO.

Tell us About Your Favorite BBEG

Big Bad Evil Guys... or Gals.  We all have our favorites, whether it is Darth Vader, Sauron or Lex Luthor.  The media may change, but we all have our favorite baddies.  Here's your chance to share your favorite with others.  It could be from movies, fiction, comics, a game module or a campaign you played in.  I wanna know.  Tell us why he rocks.

Besides, everyone that posts gets a chance to  a single copy of Dragon Warriors RPG from RPGNow. 

Yep, I have a copy to give away, and one lucky random poster will get it.

Get your posts in by 6pm eastern time Sunday, July 11, 2010.  The winner will be announced by 6pm on July 12th, and probably a lot sooner.

The ongoing contest is still in effect.  When we hit 40 Google Connect Friends, one lucky random friend gets a PDF copy of Fantasy Craft.  Prizes at 50 and 60 friends also.

So, who is your favorite baddie anyhow?

Warhammer 40k Quickstarts gone from RPGNow

Apparently Fantasy Flight Games has removed the assorted quick starts for their Warhammer 40k RPG lines from RPGNow. They are still available if you dig through the FFG website, although you will need to sign up on their site to download anything.

I noticed this as I was preparing the next installment of the Quickstart Collection posts. In any case, any previous links I may have posted for these are dead. I'll try to get the new links up this weekend. (posting links with the iPad is a PITA... Heh)

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July Specials at RPGNow

Here's July's RPGNow participating publishers in the 20% off monthly special.  You will need to use the following coupon code to get your savings:    

                    JulyDriveThruBlogPod2010

 

Simon Burley Productions

Team Frog 

Better Late Than Never

Tonight I should be posting July's RPGNow Discount Code and the participating publishers. I also have a few more prizes for the prize closet. Already have a quick and easy contest in mind for the weekend. Let's see if I can pull it off.

NYC heatwave might have broken, so I'll stop bitchin' about the heat and annoying my Southern readers ;)


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Thoughts and Random Crap

It's still hot.  No, I don't like heat.  That is why I live in the North East.  Hopefully this heatwave ends and I can get back to thoughts of games, books and dice.

Got my hard copies of the Dresden Files RPG 2 Volume set today.  Holy crap but those are big books.  They might go out as gifts as I have the PDFs, but they are certainly a beauty to behold.  I just stumbled across the TV series on Netflix on Demand last night... I'm getting psyched... now to find a game ;)

Probably will have a short review or two up for tomorrow.  Depends on how the day progresses and if I can get any reading done during lunch tomorrow.

Stay cool.

Gathering of Fools

Looks like the Spring / Summer Gathering of Fools - (aka my old gaming group) will fall on the last Saturday of this month. It's also right near my birthday. The lads better take care of the old man ;)

The heat here in NYC in right there in the unbearable range. Not that it would have kept me from gaming at the back yard table in my younger years, but these days give me A/C or don't even think of gaming / gathering or anything.

Heck, even the A/C at work can't keep up with the heat, and they are all new centralized cooling units.  Can you tell I don't much like the heat?

At least it's a short work week. 


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