Holy Crap! The Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter is DAYS Away!

I literally had no idea Ken, Liz and the rest were going to kick off the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter so soon after the new year. I guess getting the old team back together helps focus things.

You KNOW I will be supporting this. No need for the Wayward Kickstarters Fund to get involved - I'll be carrying the weight ;)

Here's a bit from Liz Danforth about the imminent Kickstarter:

I’ve been working like mad, up to 17 hours at a stretch. I never thought doing a Kickstarter — doing it right — was going to be quite this much work. Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls is going to be freakin’ awesome if this is any evidence of the drive, determination, and vision of this team, united once more to update this classic. 

We’ll be launching the Kickstarter momentarily — in a day or three, I believe — and I need to get off this blog and back to the final polish. Meanwhile, check in for news on the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls blog or our dedicated Twitter feed. Steve promises daily updates on the blog; Ken plans to write weekly. The Twitter feed is pretty much from me, so it’s erratic but something I can do in little bits and pieces of time… which it about what I have available.

You'll have to forgive the fanboy in me, but I'm really excited to see T&T done up in a sparkin' new edition :)

Liz, did I mention I love your art? It really captures the essence of classic RPGs for me.

The Perrenial Question - PDF, Paper or Both?

I've asked this question in the past, but as the RPG market is constantly adjusting (and tablets as electronic book readers are really finding their own these days) and my readership is significantly higher than it was a year ago (both on the blog side and the G+ side) I figured this was as good a time as any to ask that perennial question:

PDF, Paper or Both?

Me, I'm firmly in the "both" category. If I had it my way, every paper product produced for RPGs would come with a "no cost" "vanilla" PDF. Why? I do one hell of a lot of my RPG reading on a tablet and it irks me to no end to have to buy the same thing in two different formats twice.

Why do I want my PDFs to be "vanilla" or plain? It's easier on the eyes when I read it on the screen. It's also way more economical if I want to print out a few pages for use at the table if they aren't saturated with color ink. Besides, saturated pages bleed and wrinkle and often don't read as well as a "vanilla" page.

Yes, I want my dead tree book AND I want my convenient electronic copy. You got a problem with that?  Heh.

So, where do you fall?

PDF?

Paper?

Both?

Other?

Closing the Tavern Doors - So We Can Open Them in the New Year!

No, we don't really close The Tavern. Why would we? It's like "Cheers!" but with swearing and "Bring Your Own Bottle" constantly in effect.

I figured I should close the year out with a State of The Tavern Update, so here it is, in no particular order or importance:

1 - The Santa Claws as a DCC Patron Contest Prizes will be awarded tomorrow and the ones that need mailing will get send probably over the coming weekend. I love giving away "print prizes", but the logistics is a PITA ;)

We didn't have a huge number of entries, but the quality was uniformly high. After I give out the announced prizes, I'll award the others that entered a pick from The Toys For the Sandbox Series. It's uniformly good stuff.

2 - I still owe a bunch of folks a Labyrinth Lord session and a Blood & Treasure session. I'll work that out over the next few weeks, when I actually have a staff at work (vacations and long term sick has taken the toll on my staff). DM'ing during the week over the next two weeks will result in "Zombie DM". Have no fear, because I plan on running the original Grande Temple of Jing.  It's gotta be good, because Monte Cook says so. John, Monte and Skip wouldn't just be in it for the money, right?

3 - Over the next month, but hopefully sooner, I plan on putting the 2000 Coppers Blog live. Post anonymously if you will. Snark is allowed. Personal attack won't be.

4 - I've got some really damn cool shit brewing with some fairly big "creative types" in our hobby. I'm flattered they even thought of me. I'll announce "substantial shit" when we hit the "substantial shit" phase. Right now I'm in the "giddy school girl" phase. If I hit the "pinch me I'm dreaming" phase, I'll make sure the wife brings me back to reality ;)

5 - As for the 2,000 Coppers Community Room on G+, I have some cash prizes to give out tomorrow. You got to be in the community to win it. We have a $5 and a $10 credit to RPGNow that will be awarded, in addition to the bonus prize for those that entered the DCC Contest.

6 - The Tip Jar Support for Wayward Kickstarters is YOUR tool to support projects YOU deem worthy / insane / bizarre / Synnibarr Crazy. We already have $10 in the Jar. Lets see what we have to play with come Saturday. Remember, I match the money put in the jar - so those 10 bucks gives us $20 to play with.

7 - As always, I'll be keeping the heat on the Overdue Kickstarters, pointing out the good Kickstarters and taking a few whacks at the doozies

8 - I wonder if +Jason Paul McCartan would actually do the podcast we riff about? We might even be able to get some OSR names to appear - as themselves!

If you think I overlooked anything, let me know ;)

First Kickstarter to Try to Rip Off The Hobbit? Halfling Wars

It's 2,000 Coppers! Quick, hide it in your ass with the rest of this turd!

You know what? There may be others trying to pull off the direct / indirect tie in to The Hobbt, but this one blatantly takes the cake. Oh, and it's the first I've found.

What am I talking about? Halfling Wars, of course. Where you can you can start a farm and raise some fighting cocks or some other such monsters for pit fights using iOS / iPhone or maybe even Android!. Yep, these are the halflings I know. Sure...

It's almost like they were building some other crap game, like perhaps some type of "Monster Wrangler" game, saw The Hobbit in the theatre and said - "Shit, we need to re-skin this to look like The Hobbi and make it into a Kickstarter! Don't forget to use the "social" term a few times in the video! We need our piece of the pie too!"

I hope this rotting pile of blatant ripoff type turd withers on the vine - and then the vine comes back from the dead and chokes the living shit out of them.

Other then that, looks like a fun game...

(No, we will not waste money from The Wayward Kickstarters Fund on this unholy hobbit aberration ;) 

The Hobbit, Rolemaster, Angmar and Aging Eyes

I saw The Hobbit last week. I thought it was really good, but not awe inspiring. Not sure why. Maybe my expectations were too high. In any case, it inspired me to dig out my old Rolemaster Boxed Set (I'm guessing 2nd edition, as it is copyright 80/84).

Anyhow, I wanted to break it out, because I was pretty sure I had Angmar, Land of the Witch King, which was referenced in the Hobbit, inside the box. Sure enough, it was there.

I peeked inside to look at the maps. I always loved the maps in the old ICE modules. Excellent maps, a nice drawing of the Witch King's "castle".

Then I looked at some of the typeface, and I had to put the bad boy back. My eyes aren't what they used to be.

Damn 40s! Next thing you know I'll be wearing bifocals!

Typesetting has certainly improved over the tears.

Which Comes First in the RPG Books You Buy - The "Words" or "The Art"?

I hope I'm not ruffling any feathers with this post, as I personally know some amazingly skilled and underpaid artists in this hobby of ours, but I have a "chicken or the egg" type of question coming up.

We all know the saying: "you can't judge a book by it's cover" which is totally true. However, we often do "buy a book by it's cover".

When it comes to RPG products, you can't have a rule book or an adventure without the words but you can do one without art. Art is nice, but the meat and potatoes of the product is the actual words that make it up.

When did artwork start to jockey for place the actual writing? 

Marketing often seems to push the art these days and not the actual writing and rules that will be sued in play.

Most adventures are sold with the GM in mind (I know there is a huge segment of collectors, but that's a whole 'nother topic). Which means much of that art only gets seen by the GM, not the players.

Is artwork therefore more important for a rulebook that will be used by all and seen by all?

The last question is just a matter of taste an opinion:

Do you prefer full color pages in your RPG purchases, black and white are instead or black and while with color plates inserted?

The Tenkar's Tavern Ongoing Fundraiser For Wayward Kickstarters (only half in jest)

+Gerardo Tasistro suggested last night that I open up a tip jar to support my "rais(ing) funds to buy into other kickstarters and chew them up."

I figured it sounded like fun, but I also figured it was said half in jest (or totally in the bag). Still, I put up a tip jar on the side of this page to support "Wayward Kickstarters" and lo and behold, I got me first $5 tip - thanks +Gerardo Tasistro  ;)

Here's how it will work - you tip, you choose. Or, at the very least, you get a weighted vote to choosing what Kickstarters The Tavern will support using this program. All blog readers get input, tip or not

When the Tip Jat hits 10 bucks, I'll put out a call for suggested Kickstarters to harass   support.

I'll match the tips dollar for dollar.

If you want something like Synnibarr supported and have my cynical wit released upon The Raven - this is the way to get it done.

Or not.

Like I said, this is a gag that has taken a life of it's own ;)

I'll still be supporting the Kickstarters I'm interested in using my own funds - this is a way for you to vote with your nickels and dimes.

Taking One For the Team - I Ordered The Original Grande Temple of Jing from Noble Knight (Review Forthcoming)

I figured "enough about talking about how ridiculous the Grande Temple of Jing Kickstarter is, how bad (or possibly good) is the original?"

For $18 plus shipping, I should know by the end of the week.

At least they are consistent - it's the same art from the video.

No, I do not plan on doing a session play test, unless it's run mid week.

Hey, this may be that Labyrinth Lord session I owe some folks.

(Oh, the DCC prizes should be announced tomorrow - also overdue)

Ancient Map Found - Circa 1987 ;)

The above map was probably drawn by me back in 1987 / 88. That's before I gave up on the idea of drawing and designing my own world.

I would bounce back and forth between World of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms after the above attempt.

Wish I could find the looseleaf pages that went with it, as I recall nothing of the this map besides the idea that I drew it.

At least it ages somewhat authentically ;)

A Kickstarter That Makes Me Want to Weep Out of Frustration For the Hobby - The Grande Temple of Jing

+Jason Paul McCartan brought the following to my attention, and expressed his own thoughts on it over on G+ - I highly recommend you peek at what he wrote, as it is spot on.

Jason pointed out his deal breakers. Me, I see them as insults and hucksterism at it's worst. Kickstarter has always had a bit of of the "but wait, there's More!" to it that reminds me in no small part to whatever the latest infomercial making the rounds is trying to sell.

The Grande Temple of Jing is all that and more. Here, let me start to count the ways:

1 - "You've seen other megadungeons, but this is the dungeon crawl that rules them ALL." Really? Not only do I doubt that, but this statement sets up the rest of the hyperbole that will follow later.

2 - "We are proud to announce that the Grande Temple of Jing will feature several celebrity contributors starting with: Jonathan Tweet,  Monte Cook, Skip Williams - More celebrity contributors will be announced if certain stretch goals are reached." Are we that starved for celebrities in this hobby of ours? Are any of these truly "dungeon creators"?

3 - "Some backer rewards allow people to contribute a monster, treasure, or level to the Grande Temple of Jing. If you choose these rewards, we will work with you to create something unique. Your work will appear in the book, right along with the celebrity contributors we mentioned above!" Awesome, I can pay extra to have my crap published with the crap of others and put next to hopefully not so crappy stuff my "celebrities". Is Vin Diesel going to write a level?

4 - Players will be enthralled (really?) by the many wonders of the grande temple and challenged by its many clever tricks. Magical puzzles, devious riddles, and wondrous magical effects will keep them entertained for hours (can we find a heavier sales pitch?) and allow them to experience the height of dungeoncrawling fun.

Perhaps the best example of Jing's trickery is the resurrection mechanic. You see, Jing draws great amusement from the trials of his guests. So much so that if they entertain him…but die in the process…he will often resurrect them so that they can continue (awesome! they should make a 4e version and then there will be truly Zero Risk of character death) What does this mean to the average player? It means they can seek and find incredible treasures and artifacts - things that they normally only see in their dreams. And if they die in the search - but amuse Jing in the process - he just might grant them a do-over. (yes! a funhouse dungeon without risk! sounds really "old school" to me!)

5 - We LOVE trick filled dungeons, and so do our celebrity contributors. We've armed them with the tools they need to create some FANTASTIC dungeon levels, and we've set them loose in the grande temple. We've asked them to really push the limits and design something that they could never include in a "normal" megadungeon. We can't wait to see what they come up with and we're ready for anything! Are YOU? Are you ready for Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams - UNLEASHED??? (Because you CAN'T CAPITALIZE ENOUGH!!! more celebrity bullshit).

6 - And what notes we've got. Sidebars, icons, minimaps, pullouts, box text - (Pussy, pussy, pussy!
Come on in Pussy lovers! Here at the Titty Twister we’re slashing pussy in half! Give us an offer on our vast selection of pussy! This is a pussy blow out! Alright, we got white pussy, black pussy, spanish pussy, yellow pussy. We got hot pussy, cold pussy. We got wet pussy. We got smelly pussy. We got hairy pussy, bloody pussy. We got snapping pussy. We got silk pussy, velvet pussy, naugahyde pussy. We even got horse pussy, dog pussy, chicken pussy. C'mon, you want pussy, come on in Pussy Lovers! If we don’t got it, you don't want it! Come on in Pussy lovers!)

7 - The $20 reward includes "a PDF map of a random level of the adventure (don't tell you GM)". What The Fuck is this bullshit? Why the fuck would I want me players having a map of a level of the dungeon that is NOT gained through play? This is where I get REALLY fucking pissed. Is this what the hobby has come to? Is this bullshit our future?

8 - A part of the grande temple was originally published in 2000 as a thin, digest sized book, compatible with the d20 system. With your help we will update, upgrade, and MASSIVELY expand that book. (Which leads me to believe this is the current state of the project - a thin, digest sized book - soon to be a HUGE mega whimsical whatchamcallit dungeon - not!)

You want a mega dungeon? Try Rappan Athuk, Try Stonehell, Try Barrowmaze, Try Dwimmermount. You want something that seem to recall the goofy and insulting Castle Greyhawk (maybe Jin can bring some animated Gummi Bears to the dungeon) this might be it.

Shit, I feel like a spent time with a used car dealer reading this Kickstarter...

Whereupon My Party Asked Me to Run "Rappan Athuk" RAW, and I Hedged My Bets

Yes, the party fought off a random encounter of 7 Giant Rats.
Now they want to find the Pot of Copper at the Rat Nest ;)

RAW - "Run As Written". It's also turned into "Really? Oh Well :( " for my group in the past.

Last night we kicked off the Rappan Athuk part of our AD&D 1e campaign, and my players, initially half in jest but then suddenly serious, suggested I ran Rappan Athuk RAW. The last gaming material I had run RAW was the uncompleted Dwimmermount, and that left a sour taste in our mouths (and a new meme running around the wilds). Admittedly  the material we had for Dwimmermount was incomplete and Rappan Athuk is complete and published, but I don't wish to risk a repeat.

Besides, that, my party is 3rd and 4th level, and they are going into Rappan Athuk through a side entrance dozens of miles away from the main entrance. They are, as written, a bit overpowered for the dungeon section they are in.

So, I compromised.

I would leave the flavor text and treasures as they were, but I would be allowed to adjust the monsters' numbers and HP to maintain a challenge.

It went remarkably well. Truth to tell, it went beyond my expectations. Heck, my herd of cats went from old town to new outpost, gathered info on dungeon location, hired a handful of men at arms, were ambushed by a pack of gnolls (and interrogated a survivor), entered the dungeon, explored approximately 40% of the level and found stairs down - all in less that 2 1/2 hours of actual play.

Amazingly productive. Fucking remarkable.

The comments at the end of the session? They actually enjoyed the traps and tricks, as they were conquerable with some trial and error and thinking. Even the ones that nabbed them. Or dropped them. Or got them stuck.

They were, to a man, excited to play the next session and learn more of Rappan Athuk. Or maybe they were just looking forward to killing more things and taking their stuff.

In either case, we seem to have found their Megadungeon niche.

When Did We Stop "Playing Our RPG Books" and Start "Collecting" Them?

When I was a kid / teenager / young adult game books were meant to be used, meant to be marked up - heck, even torn apart sometimes. My copy of the DMG had perforated pages in the back for easy removal and reference.

How many today would rip hose pages out of their brand new, $40+ rulebook?

Back in the day I would actually write in the modules as I ran them, or even made notes prior to running right in the book itself.

Marking off hit points, scratching off spells as the NPC cast them, making adjustment to the adventure prior to running it... this was common practice.

Now, we have adventures that are presented as "over 250 pages, delivered in 100% full color, tightly bound with our infamous stitched-bound hardcovers -- or secured by genuine leather covers for our serious collector." Who is going to actually write in the above $110 hardback? (I'm not even considering the leather edition)

Is a book of the above quality even meant to be truly read, let alone used? Is that why we have PDF copies of such, so we can put out collectible on the shelf with the hope that it will appreciate in value and impress our friends and escape the touch of human hands?

I'm not knocking the high quality work that many companies produce, but when did we change as a hobby?

I find myself loath to write in the POD copy of paperback copy of Dyson's Delves, a book specifically made for one to write in.

I may just need to stat out a dungeon in that book, in ink, just as a form of therapy ;)

A Word From "Blonde Frog" re: The Razor Coast Kickstarter

Blonde Frog (of Frog God Games) posted the piece below on the G+ thread I had mirroring this post from the Tavern about The Razor Coast Kickstarter.

It is an excellent eye opener for the behind the scenes stuff that goes into a project of this type and the costs involved.

I present it here with Blond Frog's express permission.


"We priced the book accordingly to the price tag we are being charged. The ridiculously priced art that Nick bought back in 2008 had to be paid plus replacement art added for contracts that had come due. The original pre-orders all have to be paid. The printing costs are high because we can't and won't print 10,000 books like Paizo. The more you print, the cheaper a book becomes. Our textbook binding is the highest in the industry and thus costs more than a stapled or glued backing but we feel it is worth it as we want our games to last.

The book will retail (if funded) at $100. The extra $10 on KS is to cover the shipping. We don't make very large profits at all on these books. Artists and writers make the most. My pay from frog god games last quarter broke down to $3 a hr. So you, the customer, aren't getting ripped off here - I PROMISE THAT.

As for Nick, the book itself is very good. The writing is superb and the adventure is exciting. The sandbox feel gives you unlimited play which you just don't get from an AP (and yes $120 for Skulls and Shackles vs $100 for RC but once you are done with Skulls & Shackles you aren't going to play it again. RC you can play until you just plain get worn out). There is value here, and lots of it. Some amazing people have come on board to support this project because it is worth supporting.

As for using Kickstarter, we don't see it as a pre-order platform, we see it as it is meant to be. A way to raise funds for projects we wouldn't otherwise be able to do. There is no way we could afford to do this without the support of Kickstarter. Our previous KS "profits" ALL WENT INTO the projects they supported. Those funds are the reason we could offer the bonus goals and additional books. So trust me when I say we aren't pocketing thousands of dollars and laughing all the way home from the bank. Quite the opposite. We pour long hours into these projects and as a company barely break even.

Negative feeds like this make us question why we do it at all when we don't even get paid minimum wage for it. So I just ask that everyone keep that in mind when judging whether they feel this book is worth the price tag. We do feel it is worth it, otherwise we wouldn't have picked it up. But we can't do it alone.

We don't plan to run every project as a kickstarter, only those where we need it. This is the perfect example of a project needing the help to see the light of day. I hope for those who enjoy a GREAT adventure will take another look at the kickstarter. We will be posting more sneak peeks too which might help change your mind about the writing and value.  Plus if we fund and go over we can and will add more value to the pledges so EVERYONE gets more for their money. That's called sharing the wealth, not pocketing it for ourselves. ~Blonde Frog"

Tonight - Rappan Athuk! Tomorrow? The World!

Tonight the party will move on to Rappan Athuk, after spending two sessions dealing with the Rat King. Sure, they defeated the bugger - but what's with all that icky fluid and glass coffin like chambers?  How were party members tortured, perhaps killed and healed? Yeah, moving on might be the wisest choice.

This will be the third time delving into a megadungeon for my group. The first trip, where they dipped their toes into The Barrowmaze for a few sessions, went remarkably well. The second trip to a megadungeon was a foray into Dwimmermount. That went... less remarkably well. Tonight will be Rappan Athuk.

I'm not sure which entrance the party will choose, let alone learn about. We'll play that out tonight, when they get to their new "Base of Operations".

The players are psyched, and that's always a good thing ;)

Kickstarter For the RPG Hobby - Are Your Preordering, or Donating With a Prayer?

I see the following come up a lot, especially when someone complains about a Kickstarter that is rotting on the "overdue pile of poop":

"Remember, Kickstarter isn't a preorder system. You are supporting the project. If it doesn't actually give you anything after taking your money, well, that's Kickstarter for you. You gave your money to help with the idea".

The above is a flaming crock of bullshit, and the assholes that spew it, especially when the larger projects, the ones put forth by The Big Names in the hobby run late - they may as well be sucking ass.

Think for a moment. If someone was doing a preorder for The Best OSR Game EVAH! and they approached you and said "Dude! I have this awesome game I want to publish! Give me $100, and if I actually get around to finishing it I'll send you a copy" you would tell him to "Fuck off!"

Thats what the RPG Kickstarter Apologists are trying to sell you. "Dude, you gave money for the idea, not for the product. If you get product, that's just a bonus!"

Frog God treats Kickstarter like a preorder system. Autarch treats it like a preorder system. Evil Hat treats it like a preorder system. Steve Jackson treats it like a preorder system. The list goes on. Sure, they add chatzkies to the goodies list as they funding get higher, but it's still a preorder.

Do smaller companies use it to actually raise funds to get a project up and running and out the door. Sure. But even they don't say "give us your money and we'll send you a DVD and an Umbrella" as if you were donating to PBS. The all basically tell you some variation of "short of my death, dismemberment or world ending cataclysm, you WILL get this product". Preorders, each and every one of them. No matter the words of the RPG Kickstarter Apologists.

Think for a moment. How many of us would put good money in the hands of someone if we thought there was a good chance they would not complete their project and we would be left with nothing for our money spent? Very few.

We back Kickstarters because we believe. We believe in the hype of the project creator. We believe in the project creator. We believe that we are making a preorder for a product that will see the light of day. We believe because somehow, against all odds, against the reality of the chronically late RPG Kickstarter, projects that we like will see the light of day.

The fall from these beliefs will be painful as all hell, but it still won't make RPG Kickstarter Apologists right - preorders have failed (Razor Coast anyone?) and funded Kickstarters will fail, even ones that are run "as a preorder". It won't stop companies from marketing their Kickstarter as a "preorder", and if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and shits like a fucking duck - it's a fucking duck.

Review - Drinking Quest - After Drinking...er, Play Report

Truth is posting - we just finished a 3 hr session of Drinking Quest with +DrinkingQuest DrinkingRPG  (jason anarchy) , +Mark Hassman and +Michael Garcia . I only had to chug twice, but was also liberally partaking in some Newcastle Ale from the tap. This review is true, only my sobriety is in doubt.

Drinking Quest is a card based game which uses d6s to resolve challenges. As your character can be improved by buying or finding new loot, it is also a roleplaying game of sorts. I found that the longer we drank played, the more we actually roleplayed out characters.

Now, I'd love to talk about CENSORED and CENSORED, but I was sworn to secrecy. Suffice to say, if there are any new announcements forthcoming I've asked to be kept in the loop.

Shit, it's not easy staying focused after working your way through nearly 5 liters of beer.

Uhm... fun. The game is a fucking blast to play. I suspect it would be fun to play chugging Gatorade or the like, but the idea of playing a drinking game with fantasy roleplaying elements to it is just awesome. I would have played some of the second game, Drinking Quest 2, but my poor wife would have had to roll my desk chair to the bed if that were the case.

The art is perfect for the game, with just enough humor in it to remind you not to take anything too seriously. Not that the cards take anything too seriously, one is even written as a haiku (I'll leave it for you to figure out which one, but the first to answer correctly on this post will get a $5 RPGNow account credit from me - players in tonight's session are NOT allowed to enter ;)

Drinking Quest has true redrinkability replayability.

We are already working on scheduling a Hangout session for DQ2. Heck, after I get the games I still need to run completed (LL and B&T) I could probably run a session or two of Drinking Quest online. It works better if everyone has access to a deck when played remotely, just so everyone can see the card in question (you have one person pull from the "official" deck) but it is far from necessary. Not sure how well I could run a session if I were partaking.

If I rated games on a scale of 1 to 5 Tankards, this would be a 4.5 (I want more cards before I give it a full 5 ;)

Oh shit! Did I mention I earned the most expo and won the game? Heck, my wife want to play a sesson with me. Maybe Sunday - I can't afford to be intox tomorrow night - I have to DM ;)

I Went to Drinking Quest and All I Got Were Wasted Fun!

Holy Crap!

Drinking Quest is drinking fun!

Yes, I'm most of the way through a 5 liter mini-keg of Newcastle at the moment - and I've yet to have a stein of beer go warm yet.

So far Malty has fallen twice and was brought back to life by sizable chugging. He's the "skillmonkey" of the game. I think I've found my favorite character.

Did I mention I was playing with the creator of the game?

Did I mention I've been drinking when the game hadn't called for it?

Review will follow when I've sobered up.

Shit, Quest 4 is about to start - gotta run!

"By The Power of Paizo!" - The Struggle to Get the Pathfinder MMO Kickstarter Funded

Look at all the crap I didn't want before, but I can get now, for free with a $100 purchase!
Order NOW! Hucksters... er, Operators are Standing By!

I like Paizo. I like the company. I like that they give PDFs with every Paizo product you buy through their webstore. They've done a lot to keep D&D going strong, without many of the missteps suffered by WotC.

I don't play Pathfinder. Way too crunchy for me. The Beginner Box I could handle, that's about it. But I do like much of what they put out.

All of which is why the Pathfinder MMO Kickstarter bugs the shit outa me.

Let the damn thing live or die on it's own merits. It's a huge money sink, and will only be more so once the project goes ahead (if it goes ahead).  This one project could break the company. I'm damn well sure it's not going to make the company.

MMOs are a dime a dozen these days. They come and go faster then the usual WotC Christmas Purge (I think we escaped that this year). The odds of a Pathfinder MMO resulting in anything but a lot of red ink for Paizo is damn small. The odds of this project funding without some amazing help aren't good, which is probably good for Paizo.

So, what do they do, besides sending me spam from other companies in the industry encouraging me to support this Kickstarter (this pisses me off to no end).

First, they added the the "fake carrot" to the deal - The Emerald Spire Superdungeon, which gets bigger with every $100k pledged as it climbs to the $1Million goal. It's bullshit because it's either funded or it's not, so those steps in between don't mean shit. I'm actually embarrassed for Paizo for going this route.

Now the latest - a bunch of PDFs from (mostly) 3rd party publishers that you either already have (the Pathfinder Rules for example) or a bunch of shit you don't need and probably don't want (you can make your own list). It's like your mom filling your stocking with junk from the dollar store when you're 45. I don't need it, I don't want it and it's going right to the garbage. Save your money and your effort.

I'm surprised they aren't adding stuff to the pot to get some non-Pathfinder gamers to support this. That would actually make sense. Note, I'm not saying the Pathfinder MMO makes much sense either.

I sense desperation on the part of the fine folks at Paizo. Yes, I know Goblin Works is the company behind the Kickstarter, but that's pretty much just Paizo with a trench around it for when this project goes south - jettison Goblin Works and hope that Paizo didn't dump too much money in it keeping it afloat up until that point.

The best result for Paizo is the failure of this Kickstarter. I know that kills a few dreams, but it probably saves the company's longterm health.

More Thoughts on Game Balance - Sessions Vs. Campaign

It seems we have the idea of "game balance" on our minds recently (see also Dreams in the Lich House and Gothridge Manor). It's nice when great minds think alike ;)

Beedo over at DinLH takes a wider view of things - is the world balanced unto itself? Why aren't ogres and dragons running roughshod over everything? I think this is a question DMs need to aks themselves, but more so when it comes to the campaign itself.

In other words, while each encounter does not, and more likely should not be "balanced", overall the campaign itself probably should be relatively balanced. Maybe balanced is too strong a word in this case. The players' goals should be attainable with good playing and a bit of luck.

The reason campaigns setting such as Midnight (which i think is an awesome but flawed setting) have trouble finding an audience is that the players are pretty much set up to fail from the start. Failure is fine. Failure gives value to success. When failure is pretty much preordained for the end of the campaign, there isn't much value even to small successes along the way.

I am not saying that the PCs' success should in any way be preordained. Doing so removes true choice and the ability to truly success from the players hands. No, what I mean is that there should be a legitimate way for the players to "succeed" in a campaign's over arcing goal. Actually, there should be multiple ways - not all of which can be thought up by the DM in advance, as players, good players, think out of the box.

If we as DMs challenge the players, we will be rewarded by stronger game play from our players and more fun for everyone in the game.

Remember, success only has value when it is truly earned.

Soon to Enter The Fabled Lands - Cities of Gold and Glory

So, after checking out the Fabled Lands RPG (I still have much to read but like what I see so far) I quickly picked up the six reissued solos from the late 90's on Amazon. Endless quest books these are not.

Regretfully, of the six books, the first in the series is of course the one delayed, but Cities of Gold and Glory seems to be a decent one to start with (and is the one that was used for the Fabled Lands iPad app). You start at Rank 2, which is fairly low level. I just hope the rest of the adventure remains mostly low and survivable ;)

So far I've just briefly checked out a keep and found some armor - not dead and I've got some loot!

Tomorrow morning I head out to see The Hobbit part 1 and I've got work around the house and game prep for Saturday (I'll be leading the party through Rappan Athuk - they are pretty much all psyched so I expect a fun time - I just need to be ready)

All of which means I may not get a chance to run with this or Legend until Sunday at the earliest (tomorrow night is out as we have some Drinking Quest lined up). Still, I'm excited to play a solo RPG that allows play between books. I'd also like to see the Fables Lands system in action. Hopefully Sunday.