How Do the Characters in Your Campaigns Actually Meet?

We talked a bit about how characters meet at the beginning of a campaign during this afternoon's recording of the Far & Away podcast, although I don't recall if it was during the episode or afterwards - things tend to meld during these recordings ;)

Anyhow, we discussed how the "meet in a bar" cliche is about as over done as all hell but is still used constantly, as it has a certain sense of familiarity to it. In a way, it's part of the common experience of many roleplayers, and even if they groan when hearing it, they still willingly go along with it.

All of which got me thinking - maybe this would make for a useful random table. Then I thought further, and I realized that there is more than just one cliche (geas, political pressure, imminent emergency and and others that have been used repeatedly) when it comes to kicking off a new campaign and introducing the player characters to each other, or at least making an excuse to put them in the same place.

So maybe a table of "how the PCs meet" cliches that then takes the cliches and gives multiple ways to play each of the cliches off - a table leading to more tables.

May be worthwhile, even if not used as a series of random tables but as a list for inspiration.

Yea? Nay? Useful? Pointless? What say you? How do characters in your campaigns meet?

Why Does Easter Always Make Me Think about Raise Dead spells and the Like in D&D?

Actually, the why is kinda obvious. According to the New Testament "On the third day he rose again," referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What's interesting in D&D is that the resurrection of Christ would not be a resurrection under the D&D rules - it would more likely be the result of a Raise Dead spell.

Lets see - must be raised within days of death and body must be whole - I guess we can hand wave the need for one day of bed rest for each day dead. Christ WAS the son of God after all.

Which makes me think about the use of Raise Dead and Resurrection (you died a messy death, or one a long long time ago type of spell - from the players' perspective, more likely messy death.)

In game terms, is a Raise Dead spell written as it is because the assumption is that the soul of the deceased hasn't yet reached it's final destination in the afterlife. The soul's attachment to it's mortal body is still strong, thus requiring less power (2 levels lower spell level) than a resurrection spell?

Is Resurrection (on par with a magic-user's Wish spell in power) recalling the soul from it's eternal resting place? If so, what happens if the soul recalled does not want to return?

This is what Easter does to me. Makes me think on multiple levels ;)

Far & Away Podcast - Episode #2 Records Tomorrow - Post Your Far Away Land Questions

Yes, I know tomorrow is Easter Sunday. That is why we moved the live recording up an hour to 12 noon Eastern. So you can listen live on G+ Hangouts while you get ready for Easter Dinner ;)

Anyhow, as always, the Far & Away podcast is listener driven. Sure, there is plenty of interesting stuff we have planned to talk about, but in all honesty, we'd rather be answering you're inquiries.

So, if you have something you'd like to ask of Dirk, Vince or myself that is Far Away Land related, ask it here and we will try to address it in tomorrow's show.

Why do you Prefer the OSR Clone that you Do?

Simple question on the surface, right?

It's a bit harder when you get down to the brass tacks, as the answer may be elusive, rational, emotional, unknown.

For me, Swords & Wizardry Complete is my OSR clone of choice. As I've said elsewhere, and on this very blog, it plays very close to AD&D 1e as we played it, not how the AD&D 1e rules were written.

Now, with that being said, Labyrinth Lord was the first OSR clone I considered running. It just didn't hit the sweet note for me that S&W does. Maybe it's because it draws inspiration from the B/X releases in visual presentation and my entry drug edition was 1e.

See, even for me the answer isn't fully clear why, as it seems more of an emotional choice than a strictly logical one.

So, why do you prefer the OSR clone that you do?

PWYW - Far Away Land Adventures: Dastardly Dungeon of Doom

Curious about Far Away Land but are more comfortable with dungeon crawls?

Have Far Away Land and want to see how deadly it can be?

Simply want a well written adventure for "no money down?"

The Dastardly Dungeon of Doom is your gaming destination :)

Subterranean horrors wait around every corner as your party attempts to navigate and survive a dungeon crafted by a mad dwarf genius. Traps that maim, maul, and murder fill the halls and rooms of this labyrinthine lair of last breaths. Darkness. Dread. Death...

Pull up a chair and watch your players - er, I mean their characters - fight for their lives.

(and no, i'm not "that" mad dwarf genius ;)

Remember, the Far & Away podcast records live this Sunday

What do You Look for in an RPG Podcast?

What do you look for in an RPG Podcast?

I ask this now, before we finalize the format for the upcoming podcast.

Do you like thematic episodes, recurring features or a combination of the two?

What I'd be interested in seeing would be something along the following lines: OD&D and it's related clones discussed in one episode, campaign building in another, RuneQuest in it's various incarnations in yet another and perhaps review some OSR adventures in another episode still. A broad and deep podcast that isn't attached to a single edition or even game system.

Remember, these would be 30 minute or less episodes, so there is a practical limit to what will fit the format.

Let us know what you think.

Why I'm Leaving The Brainstorm Podcast

It's time.

All good things come to an end. Sadly, we often miss the proper time to pull the plug. After I listened to Episode 51 of The Brainstorm Podcast, I realized my time to leave was now.

I think we did a great job over the past few months. Interesting episodes and engaging topics. I'm proud of what we gave back to the gaming community.

I still want to give back the gaming community, but it's hard to do so when you no longer look forward to what you are doing. I enjoy podcasting, which is why I'm involved in getting a new podcast of the ground. No details yet except for one. I think the 30 minutes or less is spot on, so I expect to continue that with the new cast.

I wish nothing but the best for The Brainstorm Podcast.  For now, you can still catch me with +Vincent Florio and Dirk on the Far & Away podcast.

So, more info on the new podcast as it gets closer to release. And yes, we have our Wordpress guy.

I love this community.

Rock on!

Tenkar's Tavern Zazzle Store is Live - Grab a Tankard :)

The Tenkar's Tavern Zazzle Store is live - sorta. I think we have mugs and tankards and maybe a mousepad thus far. You may need to use the direct link on the right for the first day or so.

I'm looking forward to getting +Jim Magnusson 's art on a few items, but +Eric Quigley 's is amazing. I want the travel mug in stainless steel. I will have to wait it seems :(

Reminder - Tavern Chat 830-10PM Eastern - Tonight

Be there or be not, and be not is not an option - or something ;)

Seriously, stop by if you can. We always have a fun time.

No Joke - Podcast Needs a Wordpress Designer

I know it's April Fool's Day. Heck, I've been pranked already, thank you +Jason Paul McCartan :)

Sometimes things run their course. Sometimes they need a fresh coat of paint. Much like the new blog header (and future headers) here at The Tavern, change keeps things fresh.

So, I need someone that has leet Wordpress design skills for a project that is podcast related.

Hit me up at tenkarsDOTtavern at that Gmail thing and I'll give you the skinny. And no, The Tavern is here to stay. Don't believe the Badger unless I tell you it's okay ;)

Tenkar's Tavern Tankard - Take 2

This is the Zazzle version of the Tenkar's Tavern Tankard. I like the base color and highlights of this tankard better than the previous one. Of course, getting an in focus shot is hard as shit - keyboard reflection doesn't help either I think I needed more light. Ah well.

Kickstarter - Car Wars Classic Arenas (Steve Jackson Games)

Car Wars.

I started with the pocket sizes rules and a few of the supplements before moving onto the boxed set. Fun times and fun stuff, but probably not a good fit for the picnic table in the backyard on a windy day ;)

I still have my boxed set.

I'm getting both the boxed classic Car Wars rules and the Arena Box - $40 plus shipping is a steal for the fun within.

I want to see a proper computer version of this. Turn based, just like the original. A man can hope, can't he?

Suppressed Rant and Some Thoughts on the Lack of Social Skills Among a Segement of Gamers

Last night I thought a good night of sleep would take my desire to rant away, but instead it seems to have festered in my dreams. Ah well, this too shall pass.

In the meantime, I was thinking of social skills among gamers, or the lack there of among a certain segment of it. We addressed this in part when discussing group etiquette on episode 46 of The Brainstorm podcast, but I think we missed part of the point - certain gamers are simply attention whores.

We've all seen it - no matter where the enemy is, they are there. If the dialogue is happening two towns away, they have input that you MUST listen to. If there is a magic sword (and they are playing a magic user) it must be theirs.

I'm not sure if it was a lack of attention in childhood or a lack of self worth in real life, but the game is everything and everything is the game. If the spotlight isn't theirs and theirs alone, they bitch and moan and make everyone else miserable. Sharing and teamwork is a foreign concept to them.

I thank God that in my years returning to gaming, I've only had to deal with one person with the above traits (and they are not in my current gaming groups) but in my high school and college years they seemed more common. Perhaps most do grow out of such habits.

I do not know how to turn them into team players. I don't know if they have a desire to learn.

Look at that. A rant that wasn't the rant I was looking for ;)

Do You Use Rule Sub Races in Your Campaigns?

This is going to be one of the topics for tomorrow night's recording of the Brainstorm Podcast - creating sub races for pre-existing fantasy races.

Do you use sub races (grey / high / wood elves and the like) and if you do, do you create your own?

Do you prefer to stick to just the default version of the race? Why or why not?

Are sub races purely flavor, or should they have a game effect?

Let me know your thoughts - and you can hear mine on the podcast ;)

Next Tavern Header - Work in Progress by Jim Magnusson

As I've mentioned previously, the goal here at The Tavern is to have a series of blog headers / banners from different artists in rotation. It keeps things fresh as well as highlights some of the work of my favorite OSR artists.

Currently, +Jim Magnusson is working on the next Tavern banner. Somehow, I think he's caught the proprietor of Tenkar's Tavern in an awkward moment...

The Winner of a Free Print Copy of Sword for Hire / Blue Frog Tavern is...

Wow. We really have had some cool giveaways in the last week. I tip my hat both to the generous donors and all those that have commented. Well done all :)

The dice have decided, and they have decided it is:

+Johua De Santo

Josh, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing and I'll forward your snail mail address on to Vlark so he can get you your T&T goodness.

The Coot (Far Away Land and Tunnel & Trolls)

When I asked +Jim Magnusson to create a monster inspired by the Classic RuneQuest "Duck", I didn't know what to expect. Amazingly enough, he gave us the Coot.

I've already stated the Coot up for Swords & Wizardry, so here are the Far Away Land and Tunnels & Trolls versions.

Enjoy :)

So, what's a Coot anyway?

Coots have their roots in a the magical experiments of a long since lost cabal of magic users. As such, they have little history of their own and no great civilizations to speak of.

Most Coots live in small, nomadic tribes. They are hunters and gatherers, and rarely stay at one location for longer than a few weeks. They make enclosed nests of branches and leaves, which are often found abandoned and are occasionally used by other travellers for shelter and night or as protection from storms.

Some Coots do live a more civilized life and settle down in an urban environment. The are regarded as outcasts and quite possibly insane by their more traditional brethren. Perhaps this is why those Coots that are drawn to adventuring invariably come from towns and cities.

Tunnels & Trolls

Monster Rating: 15

Combat Dice: 2d6 + 8

Special Damage: None

Note: Can fly short distances (up to 20' forward or 10' up) in lieu of attacking.



Far Away Land

HP: 12, AC: 0, ACT: 6
BRT: 2, DEX: 3, WIT: 1
Boons: Melee and Crafty

I need to right up the Coon as a PC class for all three systems, as I think it fits well in such a roll.

Is this a good time to mention that +Jim Magnusson is working on a banner for The Tavern? Soon we will have a proper rotation in place. I wonder if Jim will let me sneak a peek to the readers of his work in progress...

The Silent Legions Art Pack has been released for Free to the Public for Personal and Commercial Use

+Kevin Crawford , the man behind Sine Nomine Publishing and perhaps best known for Stars Without Number, has released the art pack from his most recent Kickstarter - Silent Legions - into the hands of the public.

The Silent Legions Art Pack is a free collection of 56 black-and-white line images and one color cover first used in the Silent Legions Lovecraftian horror RPG. As part of the successful Kickstarter campaign, I arranged to buy full rights to the art from the original artists, allowing me to release it for free personal and commercial use by other publishers. 

You are welcome to use these images for your own creation, whether for personal use or commercial products. As a matter of courtesy, I ask that you credit the original artists for their fine work.

There you have it. Kevin has put more quality, affordable art in the hands of other publishers than the rest of the OSR combined as far as I can tell. Kev, I tip my hat to you.

A HUGE "Thank You" to the Patrons of The Tavern!

early Quigley sketch

As March draws to a close and I find myself with my nose to the virtual grindstone, working on creature write ups and small pieces for some projects I promised to participate in, I find I need to thank the readers of The Tavern.

As I've stated before, you don't need to be a Patreon Backer to be a supporter of The Tavern. In addition to shopping through our links at RPGNow and clicking on ads that interest you, we've had some generous donors in the past week, giving away keys to Pillars of Eternity and a Corgi edition of the Tunnels & Trolls solo - Sword for Hire / Blue Frog Tavern (of course it had to be a tavern ;)

I've always regarded Tenkar's Tavern as less of a blog and more of a community - and I've seen so much community here in recent months I'm thrilled to have been proven right and then some.

I owe a G+ Hangout to this very community, pretty much on the level of the weekly Tavern Chat. I don't think the hangout will kick off until the weekend after next, although I could be wrong. It is possible that the stars will align for this coming Sat night. When i know, you will know.

Thank you all. Each and every one of you. If you are reading this, yes, I do mean you :)

Brainstorm Podcast - Episode 50 - Edition Wars! - Which Edition did i Call the Crystal Meth of Gaming?

Sometimes you forget what you said in the heat of the moment. Heck, I mostly forget what I said 5 minutes ago, let alone a week and a half ago.

This time, I called an edition of D&D the "crystal meth of gaming" and it would rot your mind and your teeth.

Overall, I think it's an excellent episode, but I probably should have avoided the "crystal meth" reference. Maybe I'll refer to heroin next time ;)

You can listen to +Vincent Florio , +Glen Hallstrom , +Ordo Monstrum (Sal) and myself give our opinions and have to defend them here at The Brainstorm Podcast site.