New Big Dragon Wins the Three Castles Award for Valley of the Five Fires (NTRPG Con)

Quick post before heading down to our evening game.

+Richard LeBlanc AKA New Big Dragon Games Unlimited won the Three Castles Award for Valley of the Five Fires.

Congrats to Rich and his editor David Welborn.

I'll have an interview with Rich sometime next week to discuss Valley of the Fire Fires, other products he currently has out and find out what in the hopper over at New Big Dragon.

3d6 in Order - Natural 18 Right Out of the Box - Matt Finch's Mythus Tower (NTRPG Con)

I rolled an 18 for my strength in +Matt Finch 's Mythus Tower (Swords & Wizardry) this morning using "3d6 in order"- and actually had witnesses. Now, I'm pretty sure I haven't done that in 20 years or more. It really was a "holy shit!" moment ;)

Matt runs a really fun game and manages an insanely large group of players with a skill I have never seen before. We actually hit 16 players at one point and Matt handled it as if it were six - or even less. Simply amazing to see in action. Strangely enough, the only things I killed in this morning's session was giant rats. Weird how that worked out ;)

Rach and I bowed out when we hit town for xp and a long break - we closed the bar out the night before and I really was feeling it. Food and caffeine helped the cause.

Rachel got to play in her 2nd ever OSR game and decided to spread her wings a bit - she chose a human cleric. She didn't get a chance to cast any spells, but she did okay bashing with her mace.

After lunch I sat down with +Vincent Florio and DM Glenn for a short interview, some post interview bullshitting and beer.

Good times.

From the Con - Lloyd Metcalf - Original Ink and Print - Whisper & Venom

I'm just scoffing up art here at the NTRPG Con, aren't I? First it was a +Doug Kovacs original pencils and some prints, and now it's a Lloyd Metcalf original ink (with watercolors) and a print from Whisper & Venom.

This truly is an amazing convention for fantasy art.

Whisper & Venom and some Red Dragon Inn with Doug Kovacs Himself

Tonight was a damn good night of gaming... and beers afterwards with +James Aulds ;)

+Zach Glazar ran a Labyrinth Lord adventure in his Whisper & Venom campaign setting. Strangely enough, I have a real distaste for gnomes now ;)

In all seriousness, Zach ran an excellent session, and Rachel now how her first D&D clone under her belt.

+Doug Kovacs then invited Rachel and myself for a game of Red Dragon Inn. It was a blast, and in the end I was victorious. This is a game Rach and I may need to pick up for play with the family.

Oh, before I forget, some more of +Doug Kovacs's work that we picked up, although this time it's only prints. Still some amazing work. The last two pieces my wife picked out.

From the Con - The One Who Watches - Original Pencils and Color Print - (Doug Kovacs)

Art.

Good art.

There is little like it.

+Doug Kovacs does some damn good art.

Above are the the original pencils and the print of the final color version of Doug Kovac's cover to The One Who Watches.

I'm simply in awe of the work this man does. I'm proud and thrilled to have picked this set up.

Rachel and I bought some other prints as well as placed a down payment on an unfinished piece that Rachel simply fell for. More pics later.

See, I can buy 99% of my gaming goodies online, but art I need to see in person.

NTRPG Con is full of damn good art.

If Something is "Intentionally Leaked" by a Company, is it Really a "Leak"?

Despite what I've seen on various blogs, the above is not a "leak". It's a good, old fashioned,  publicity shot, with a cute note to make it even more... something or other... cuter perhaps.

Mearls did not "leak" the above without knowing full well what he was doing and did so with the blessings of the powers that be at WotC / Hasbro. Therefore, it is not a leak.

From Wikipedia: A news leak is a disclosure of embargoed information in advance of its official release, or the unsanctioned release of confidential information.

In any case, at least they seem to be avoiding having art behind the text (for the most part it seems).

The Point at Which You Know a New RPG Player "Get's It"

As I mentioned last night, +Tim Snider 's Timemaster game was my wife Rachel's first RPG session in a group setting (back when we were dating I ran a Tunnels & Trolls session for her one on one, but that was more mechanics of an RPG than actually understanding how an RPG works).

The magical moment when I knew it had all clicked for my wife was when she said: "We need to interrogate the last one. We need to know what he knows. I want to know how many are waiting for us on Skylab". This after she had wrestled the four armed alien into a Half Nelson.

She just remarked to me as I type this "It's a good thing I didn't use a Pile Driver, or else we wouldn't have learned anything."

Yep, she get's it ;)

Wherein We Fixed Time and then Found Time for Awesome Kovacs' Art Pics

Tonight Rachel and I played in +Tim Snider 's excellent Timemaster game session. I chose this as the first slot for Rach and I to play in at NTRPG Con for two reasons: I strongly suspected Tim would run an excellent game (he surpassed that expectation by far) and Timemaster was obscure enough a system that Rachel's lack of experience with RPGs wouldn't really be much of a hinderance. Rach had a blast.

You can catch Tim's write up of the sessions highlights over at his Savage Afterworld blog. Check it out. We'll wait for you here ;)

Did I mention that +Paul Wolfe 's wife Brenda was in the Timemaster game with us and that she crochets dice bags?  Well, she does, and Rachel now has one of her own to prove it.

And now for some +Doug Kovacs art porn. I won't be able to leave without a purchase or three...

New Big Dragon Is at the NTRPG Con

I never realized how much quality stuff +Richard LeBlanc had put out for old School Gaming under his New Big Dragon label until I actually looked at it all at his table. The fact that I had a majority of it in print already struck me, as I tend to go heavy on the PDFs these days.

Rich had a prototype of a B/X DM's screen that literally rocks. If and when he puts it up for sale I'm buying. I'll try to get a pic of it for a later blog post.

Posting this under the influence of Commotion American Pale Ale, courtesy of +James Aulds . Might need to pop open another, as I need more beer influence.

Dinner in a few, and the a game of Timemaster run by +Tim Snider .

Fun times, and it's been great meeting folks face to face that I've known online for years.

I'll try to have a review of The Dragon Horde #2 up on Monday, when it releases on RPGNow

Alright, It's Official Now - We Have our Goodie Bag

Yep, decent loot.

Large dice bag, large drawstring bag (or huger dice bag ;), NTRPG Con guide and ID Card with holder.

Art is by Jennell Jacquays

After we digest some of our breakfast we'll walk around the con a bit. First game is +Tim Snider 's at 6pm tonight.

Bird(s) of a Feather Flocked Together Last Night

Got to do a little meeting and greeting at the hotel bar last night. I met +Richard LeBlanc (Mister d30 himself) and mistook him for +Zach Glazar who I was expecting to meet. Both awesome folks to finally meet in person. Thanks to Zach, I also got to shake hands with +Michael Curtis , +Jeff Dee , Mad Mike (Mister NTRPG Con) and others whose names escape me after multiple pints of Texas Red and way too much sleep.

Zach also handed me a copy of Bird of a Feather for Whisper & Venom, at it really looks awesome. It also comes with a miniature of said bird, and I still can't fathom how the mini will fit between the pages of the adventure itself for mailing. Maybe more beers are needed to figure out that equation.

I was also surprised to see it basically comes with two cardboard covers. The inner on is double sided, with local and regional maps by +Alyssa Faden . Good stuff. Blue and white maps on the inner side of the outer cover and the illustrations are by Lloyd Metcalf.

Too early to review Bird of a Feather, as I haven't done more than thumb through it, but two thumbs up for increasing the font of the text just a tad for the eyes of us older gamers ;)

When You go to a Gaming Con, Do You Register for Games, Enjoy Pick Up Games, or Both?

When I registered Rachel and myself for the North Texas RPG Con, it took some real effort NOT to register ourselves for every open gaming slot.

In the end, we have a game on Thursday and Friday nights, two on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. It was a fine balance between leaving time open and registering for sessions we really wanted to participate in.

When you got to a gaming convention, do you leave time for open gaming or do you fill your time with registered game slots?

The Grumpy Dwarf Has Landed - Now Where the F' Am I?

So, the flight from JFK was delayed by 30 minutes, but we still got to Dallas / Ft Worth on time.

Apparently, i was channeling The Grumpy Dwarf, as when we got to The Marriott, they didn't have our reservations. I actually had that dream last night, so that feeling in the pit of my stomach from my dream became real.

It was only when I double checked my reservation email, and saw that the courtesy van took us to the Marriott North and the con (and ourreservation) were at the Marriott South did the feeling start to abate. 20 minute cab ride to the right hotel and we were good as gold ;)

Actually, I knew we were in the right place when I heard Mad Mike checking in to my right.

Sigh.

Time to rest and eat. Then get ready for the North Texas RPG Con!

Dear John, When You Read this I'll be on a Plane to NTRPG Con

Yep, I'm con-ifying or some such.

Expect "posts from the con", including such priceless gems as:

- pictures of folks you won't recognize, but probably should

- Feltothraxis the Dragon Puppet makes people feel really awkward to be talking to a dragon puppet

- short interviews with people whose voices you won't recognize, but with names you probably will

- holy shit, but that's "how much"? Hun, how about as a birthday gift?

- listen, we didn't come all the way to Texas to shop at some mall - we have that shit in NY

- sleep on the couch? the only couch is in the hotel lobby. oh...

Remembering Pieces of Gen Con '93 - My Last Con before this Year's NTRPG Con

Ashley has no clue we are leaving in an hour or so and will be gone for day

Just some bits and pieces memories of Gen Con '93

- one meal a day, eaten at 1215 or so each night - beer and burgers, in that order

- folks waiting for a green light to cross downtown Milwaukee streets at 730 am when there was no traffic on the roads. Needless to say, New Yorkers didn't wait.

- sleep deprivation is a wonderful thing

- my introduction to Rifts and Dangerous Journeys

- leaving clothes behind to accommodate my purchases

- running the Spelljammer miniature game (complete with to scale Spellammer) for 30 minutes or so as Dale "Slade" Henson ran off to use the bathroom

- winning a $5 Mail Order Hobby Shop coupon for placing in an AD&D Tournament. I played a fallen Paladin

- sat in on but did not bid in the auction

- sat in on some gaming seminars - wish I could remember much about them

- overall an amazingly good time

looking forward to this weeks memories ;)

Kickstarter - Drinking Quest: Trilogy Edition

I've posted about Drinking Quest in the past and I'm bringing all three decks with me to NTRPG Con - they are ready to fly tomorrow. If I think of it, I may even bring a deck or two down to the bar at the Marriott tomorrow night after the wife and I get settled in.

Anyhow, +DrinkingQuest DrinkingRPG 's Jason Anarchy is running a Kickstarter to put all three decks of Drinking Quest back into print with some improvements like:

- Full Colour Cards
- An Improved D4, D6, D8 System (Instead of 3D6) This adds complexity to the game without adding     a single new rule.
- Bigger Cards while still staying a good size to bring to the pub
- A Bigger, More Attractive Box
- Up to 3 new Quests (Consisting of 12 cards each)
- Other smaller improvements (Think remastered Star Trek not remastered Star Wars)

Now, I already have a set of the 3 Drinking Quest decks and I'm excited to get a chance to play with bigger, better cards. Ah hell, who am I kidding? I just want to fin more people to drink with while playing a fun, light RPG / Card game.

I really should try this at our neighborhood pub with my wife and some friends at some point this summer.

Kickstarter - Dwimmermount PDF Proof in Hand!

Yep, it looks like Autarch is just about ready to finally bring Dwimmermount to the finishing line. The PDF clocks in at just under 400 pages (398 to be exact).

I'm surprised to find myself actually excited by the prospect of actually holding a hard copy of Dwimmermount, and I can tell from the size that this was a project that could easily overcome the folks behind it. Will I run it? You know I have to run the first level again :)

The layout is pleasing to the eyes with none of that annoying "watermarking" and such and it was nice to find some "easter eggs":

If any bring a printed page from the proof with The Grumpy Dwarf quote, I'll be habby to give it a scratch at NTRPG Con ;)

Just How Compatible Will 5e be With the OSR? "Raging Owlbear" Had Done the Math

Who, or what, is Raging Owlbear? It's a fairly new gaming blog that has done the math to compare the numbers across the editions. Don't believe me? The chart above goes to level 20 on his site - I'm just offering a sample to wet the appetite.

It's all about "bounded accuracy", which the Owlbear in question talks about too.

He also stats out a handful of creatures to show how they compare between 2e and 5e. below is a sample.

If this is the kind of stiff one will find at the Raging Owlbear, I strongly suggest folks add it to their list of blogs to read. Drop by and tell him Tenkar sent ya.

What is Your OSR Ruleset of Choice (if any?)

As it is apparent we can't decide on a definition on what is or even isn't OSR, at least beyond the same general definition of "pornography" - I know it when I see it, I've decided to go on a different track. (as an aside, the results of the previous post don't surprise me. Part of the strength of the OSR is it's diversity and the passion of the members of the gaming community that associate themselves as being part of the OSR. In this case, it isn't so much the path taken as it is the final destination)

Since the definition of the OSR is nebulous at best, and subjective in it's most simple terms, I've decided to take a different approach and ask the readers of The Tavern: "What is the OSR Ruleset of your choice or preference?" In other words, when you are looking to play some "old school gaming", what rulesets do you gravitate to?

There are no right or wrong answers, although I expect certain answers may lead to further questioning by other readers / commenters.

For me, the ruleset of choice would be Swords & Wizardry Complete, with bits borrowed from ACKS and the DCC RPG. I'd also so run AD&D1e, so long as the group in question were willing to play it as my groups played it in the 80s, not how it is actually written ;)

Can We All Agree on What the OSR Is NOT?

Defining the OSR is nigh impossible task, as many (if not most of us) that consider themselves part of the OSR have our own definition of what the OSR "IS". We've gone down that path before, and in that direction lies madness.

It is easier, I think, to define what is NOT OSR:

- Dungeon World is NOT OSR. Anything built off of the Apoc World engine is not OSR.

- Torchbearer isn't OSR either, but it is purty.

- D&D 3x and 4e are not OSR. 5e might be OSR friendly, but will not be OSR

- Any of them new fangled games that define themselves as"storytelling" aren't OSR. Doesn't matter if     you put a sword in their hand and drop their ass in a dungeon - they are not OSR.

- If the game uses "aspects" and uses words, not numbers, to define the strength or weakness of your       abilities, it is not OSR.

- If it doesn't have "Hit Points", it's not OSR

- If it emulates a game from the 3x era on (2000), it's most certainly not OSR. Emulating a game from     the era prior to 3e doesn't guarantee that a game is an OSR game either.

- If PCs can't die, it's not OSR

Alright, that's my eight thus far. Feel free to add more to the comments.


TheShadowKnows won the internet:

Personally I would omit all references to specific mechanics and systems and just say the following: "If ANYTHING ELSE is more important than THE GAME, it's not OSR". So if "plot" - or "story", or "narrative", or "character arcs", or the "adventure path", or whatever - takes precedence over the game mechanics, it's not OSR.

I would add - there is not a rule for everything. Trust in the DM / GM is paramount, and the group must be comfortable with DM Fiat. Less predestination of the adventure / campaign / character (although that would kick the Dragonlance campaign out of the OSR - I never found it all that good anyway)