Spontaneous Gaming - Is it Just for the Youth?

Matt Jackson had an interesting post on Googe Plus about "spontaneous gaming". No, it has nothing to do with spontaneous combustion ;) Instead, he's hit upon something that was lost when we left our youth behind.

In my high school and college years, we gamed every moment we could squeeze in. Three-day weekend off from school? Why, three days of gaming of course. Summers? Not gaming on a certain day was the exception, not the rule. Screw the beach! I want to swelter at the picnic table in the backyard with some Juicy Juice that fermented (true story too).

As adults, we've left much if not all of that freedom behind. Work, Families of our own, general adult responsibilities make spontaneity a luxury most of us can barely ration out as individuals, let alone as a group.

Heck, I haven't "gotten my game on" in months. Hell, I went to NTRPG and didn't even game. Still had a blast though.

What's the solution?

Damned if I know. My old gaming group gets together once a year and that requires weeks of planning, as we actually gather in meatspace, not online. They wanted to do a "D&D on Demand" sort of thing with Roll20, but even in virtual space, the feasibility wasn't there for us. Spontaneity is pretty much dead on my end too.

Do you share the same frustrations?

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #45 - Answering Comments and ShireCon in the Fall

The past few days I've had a number of listeners reach out to me with comments about recent episodes. I always appreciate the feedback and interaction and spend the first part of today's episode answering some of there.

ShireCon is in NW Connecticut on September 22, 2018. Its a one-day gaming con with emphasis on old-school gaming. I'll be there and so should you. :

Link to Episode #45: 
https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-45---Answering-Comments-and-ShireCon-in-the-Fall-e1nune

Kickstarter - Dark Naga - Carcosa for 5th Edition (Less than 2 days left to fund)

Just a quick reminder before I settle in for a sweltering weekend of blogging / podcasting / publishing / project managing / catching up - phew! There is just under 2 days left in the funding period of the Dark Naga - Carcosa for 5th Edition Kickstarter. Yes, there are other Carcosas. No, this isn't them. This is this ;)

Oh, and Kevin updated the KS page to state there will be an OSR version of the adventure coming later.

All backers at $20 not only get Print plus PDf of the adventure but also two custom d6s. That's pretty nifty :)

Yeah, the sweet point is 20 bucks in my opinion.

The project is funded and hitting stretch goals. No brainer if you play 5e. East to convert if you play OSR.

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #44 - Unearthing the AD&D 1e Unearthed Arcana - P1

Ah, the Unearthed Arcana. The official book to destroy all AD&D 1e campaigns. Oh, how I loved you so. Broken in so many ways but also so magical.

This is Part 1 of a series episodes digging into the AD&D 1e Unearthed Arcana. Today, we look at Method V of generating character stats.

Link to Episode #44:  https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-44---Unearthing-the-ADD-1e-Unearthed-Arcana---P1-e1nr80

Kickstarter - Hall of Judgment - a Dungeon Fantasy RPG Supplement (GURPS)

I've liked GURPS ever since I found the Man to Man rules and the Orcslayer supplement back in my early days of gaming. The support material is top notch and I've used it with other RPGs. That says a lot about the system.

Dungeon Fantasy is the Boxed Set RPG about dungeon crawling powered by GURPS. I really need to find a group that plays it at some point as I'd love to get my dungeon crawl on with the GURPS engine.

Which brings up to the Hall of Judgment - a Dungeon Fantasy RPG Supplement Kickstarter. Its a conversion of an adventure originally published for 5e and now available in a GURPS Dungeon Fantasy version.

• Hall of Judgment is a micro-setting and scenario for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game (Powered by GURPS)
• It features non-linear adventuring for 4-6 250-point characters
• Explore a Viking-flavored world trekking through cold, harsh mountains, facing dangerous fae, and searching for a lost holy place, and the priceless relics within
• Easily portable and usable with any GURPS Fantasy campaign

I'm pretty stoked.

It's also a licensed third party publisher release for GURPS, licensed by Steve Jackson Games. That's a big deal, as usually, its SJG snagging a license (Discworld anyone?) This could be big going forward.

Hall of Judgment is published by Gaming Ballistic. The man behind GB is Douglas Cole. I've known Doug for a number of years and he used to play in my B-Team Roll20 sessions. Doug is an excellent project manager and I'm looking forward to seeing the end result of his current project. This is not Doug's first Kickstarter (but even his first went extremely smooth) Chat Doug up in a Wednesday Night chat session on The Tavern's Discord Server and use him as a resource if you are thinking of Kickstarting a project. Don't worry - Doug won't mind ;)

PDF only is 10 bucks, Print plus PDF is 30 bucks (shipping will be added later). I'm in for 30 myself.

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #43 - Playing Mind Games with the AD&D 1e PH

Ah, sweet psionics. Psionic Blast vs my Mind Blank. Cell Adjustment for the win. Interesting option but not well balanced IMHO. YMMV.

If you know of any programs for OS/X that might be able to transcribe episodes, please leave a note. Or one that could turn the written word into an audio / podcast format. Inquiring minds want to know ;)

Link to Episode #43:  https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-43---Playing-Mind-Games-with-the-ADD-1e-PH-e1nl7k

Reminder - Tavern Chat 9 PM Eastern - Someone Mention Kickstarter?

Today is a Wednesday Night, so that means Tavern Chat at 9 PM on The Tavern's Discord Server. Somehow I suspect Kickstarter will be one of the topics ;)

Link to Tavern Chat: https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

What do we do during Tavern Chat? We talk gaming, gaming news, events in gaming and some random topics. Come and join us - we don't nite - much ;)

Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #42 - Be Careful What You Ask 4 & Happy Anniversary

A big KABOOM!

I've made this warning in the past, but not all attention one gets from The Tavern in its various forms is beneficial ;)

Well, one of the Kickstarters I talked about yesterday got suspended an hour or so after the podcast went live. I did mention that the same creator had two projects funding at the same time. Oh, and the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook is 40 years old this month.

Link to Episode #42: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-42---Be-Careful-What-You-Ask-4--Happy-Anniversary-e1ngk8

Kickstarter - The Forgotten Dungeon Mega Adventure - AD&D, D&D5e, DS, 77W - SUSPENDED

About an hour after this morning's Tavern Chat Podcast went live, The Forgotten Dungeon Mega Adventure - AD&D, D&D5e, DS, 77W Kickstarter was suspended after being live for a week.

Now, there are issues with this Kickstarter, not the least of which is referring to AD&D and D&D5e right in the project title (a no-no) but I didn't catch that both this AND the Dragonscales Fantasy RPG by James M Ward and Stephen A Lee where being run by Stephen Kee concurrently until I recorded the podcast. It was literally something I noticed live. This is verboten according to Kickstarter and I did make mention of this in this morning's podcast.

https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005133933-Can-I-run-more-than-one-project-at-once-

I did NOT notify Kickstarter (or WotC for that matter) of the issues with this particular KS. I hadn't planned to - although I did intend to bring my concerns to the creator later this week for consideration going forward.

Either a listener contacted Kickstarter or someone at Kickstarter reads The Tavern / listens to The Tavern Chat Podcast.

Hopefully, there is a cleaned up relaunch down the line.

Now, the questions become - how was this even allowed in the first place? Shouldn't there be a system in place to catch this? How hard could it be to program the Kickstarter software to do so? Is the restriction on that Kickstarter tells and remind all creators when they start a new project? If not, why not?

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #41 - Kickstarter Roundup for June 26, 2018

I'm going to try to do a once a week Kickstarter Roundup. Whatever strikes my fancy. This week ranged from awesomesauce to What the F'?

Some Kickstarters are amazing, some are "eh" and some hit the WTF level. We got you covered. City of Brass, The Forgotten Dungeon Mega adventure, Dragon scales Fantasy RPG and F@ck! Yeah! 20 Sided Dice.

Link to Episode #41: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-41---Kickstarter-Roundup-for-June-26--2018-e1nb1i

Kickstarter Links:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/city-of-brass-epic-adventure-for-5e-and-swords-and/description

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1644549315/the-forgotten-dungeon-mega-adventure-adandd-dandd5?ref=3baefi

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1644549315/dragonscales-fantasy-rpg-by-james-m-ward-and-steph/description

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justinsirois/fuck-yeah-20-sided-dice-d20

Mini Review - Temple of the Hamster (DCC RPG)

I don't do nearly as many reviews as I used to. The main reason is that I never seem to have the time needed to sit down and read the product in question. Heck, I have that issue with the gaming books I buy. I never would have guessed that retirement would lead to LESS free time ;)

This is my long-winded way of explaining that I've had a review copy of Temple of the Hamster in PDF for a week and a half and only now have gotten a chance to peruse it (there are other titles in the review pile, both older and more recent - I'm working on it)

Alright, so what exactly IS Temple of the Hamster? Its a DCC RPG adventure about giant hamsters. Sounds simple, but it isn't. There's a bit more here then is obvious with the first glance.

The town of Kamis lies in a panic. Townsfolk are missing and city watchmen lie dead; their sides split open from being over stuffed with grain. A stalwart cadre of adventurers must explore the town of Kamis and uncover the terrible mysteries of the Temple of the Hamster. These adventurers must brave terrible traps and minions before facing the dread peril at the heart of the temple. The Temple of the Hamster is packed with hamster style adventure and has been redesigned to have 100% more hamster wheels and mayhem. This level 3 adventure is compatable with the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG and guaranteed to entertain even the stoutest hamster hating heart. Also be sure to look for more forthcoming adventures from Vance Games. Mother’s Maze is coming soon!

The hook is the PCs are incarcerated and this is their chance to redeem themselves (and get a pardon to boot) While this hook is perfect for a convention session (which is where I really think Temple of the Hamster will truly shine) if you want your regular party to get involved just remind them the town watch is dead, townfolks have gone missing and they are heroes. Or at least they are a close facsimile :)

Yes, there are giant hamsters. Regular hamsters too. Hamster balls. Yep, it's a quirky adventure, but once your players get pulled along they'll soon find themselves immersed in hamster balls and giant ninja hamsters. Wait, maybe I said too much...

Beware, your player's characters can learn Hamster Style Fighting and may never be the same.

Now, it may be a bit too gonzo for some DCC RPG campaigns, but as DCC is pretty gonzo in the first place, this may not be an issue at all. As I stated above, for convention play, Temple of the Hamster is a perfect fit as is.

Yes, that's an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the taps flowing here at The Tavern :)

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #40 - Looking at the AD&D 1e PH, Back to Front

Yep, looking at the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook with some fresh eyes.

I've been enjoying looking at the old D&D / AD&D rulebooks with fresh eyes. Today I look at the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook, starting with the back cover and then moving to the front. My God, Rangers are powerful at low levels (and powerful again at name level)

Link to Episode #40: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-40---Looking-at-the-ADD-1e-PH--Back-to-Front-e1n5r1

Kickstarter - City of Brass: Epic Adventure for 5e and Swords and Wizardry

Words fail me. The City of Brass: Epic Adventure for 5e and Swords and Wizardry Kickstarter has some of the best art I've seen in ANY RPG project. No joke, It really sets a new high bar for Frog God Games, one they'll need to meet or exceed going forward, not an easy feat.

Now, how about the product itself?

Beginning with low-level challenges in the familiar confines of the Lost Lands, the adventure leads characters on a thrilling journey through multiple planes of existence culminating in the exploration of the City of Brass itself. The gleaming towers and floating platforms of the city hold terrors and wonders such as the Great Repository and the Minaret of Screams. Characters may choose to take a turn in the Circus of Pain, raid the floating Pyramid of Set, or join the resistance to the Sultan’s oppressive rule and lead an assault on the palace itself! A phoenix rises fully formed from the ashes of the past. The City of Brass is re-imagined for the new renaissance of fantasy role playing games, brought to you in the epic style of old school fantasy campaigns of yesteryear.

and:

This new release of The City of Brass includes all new color maps by Alyssa Faden and Robert Altbauer. Plus amazing new color art by Colin Chan, Adrian Landeros, Terry Pavlet, Michael Syrigos, C. J. Allan Marsh, and Artem Shukaev. 

The original City of Brass was divided into 3 books and has been revised and reorganized throughout with 150,000 new words of adventures and material.

For a novel that's about 300 pages of new material. For an RPG book, no idea how that converts, but its a lot.

Note, there's no Pathfinder version for this. Paizo effectively killed the PF 1e market when they announced Pathfinder 2.0.

What's the sweet point to back at? Frog God releases are never cheap, but I'm in at 95 bucks. The book in Print plus PDF, a digital map and all stretch goals in digital format. Oh, and Swords & Wizardry of course ;)

I think the Frogs need to put out a series of prints of select art from the new City of Brass. I'm totally serious. I'd buy in in a heartbeat.

FYI, I am a Frog God Associate. I swim in their pond and often work the Frog God Booth at select cons. I'm also a customer and this KS truly excites me. Not enough for a leather cover though. My wallet is a bit light right now...

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #39 - OD&D: Stop! Don't Let the Players Roll D' Dice

I've owned my copy of the OD&D White Box (OCE) for at least 15 years. I probably pull it off the shelf to read it at least once a year. Somehow I missed the follow following each time:

Go figure.

Tip of the hat to The Tavern's Discord Community for inadvertently giving me today's topic of discussion. Player's don't even roll their characters in OD&D - the DM does.

Thank you Elfstar.

Link to Episode #39: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-39---ODD-Stop--Dont-Let-the-Players-Roll-D-Dice-e1n202

Link to The Tavern's Discord Community: https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Kickstarter - SideQuests: Tip-Top Taverns for DND, Pathfinder, and RPGs

A Kickstarter about fantasy taverns? Systemless? Take my money! Heh

SideQuests: Tip-Top Taverns for DND, Pathfinder, and RPGs is simply my kind of RPG sourcebook. Who would of thunk?

SideQuests: Tip-Top Taverns is a supplement filled with twenty different Taverns for your adventure, all featuring unique barkeeps and patrons, waitresses and staff, menus, drunkards, entertainment, barfights, adventure hooks, and more! Each Tavern is fully fleshed-out, offering multiple pre-generated options, so when your party is in need of a bar, you will always be prepared. The twenty diverse taverns will feature trendy locales based on different races, intriguing locations, and — of course — the potential for interesting storylines and adventures. The taverns themselves don't adhere to a specific game system, so you can use them with D&D, Pathfinder, 13th Age, or any other tabletop RPG. You can treat the twenty taverns as their own separate chapters, or even simply roll a d20 to decide which Tavern your players have ended up in… The choice is yours!

28 hours left to get in on this for $4 USC in PDF. After that, the PDF goes up to 6 bucks.

14 days to go. It's already funded. For 4 bucks you really need to jump on this quickly.

For Those Wondering, The Tavern, as a Blog and as a Podcast, is Here to Stay

I'm not giving up the written word (the blog) or the spoken word (the podcast) anytime soon. Both serve me well and hopefully serve their readers and listeners well.

If the podcast seems to have moved to the forefront recently, that is due more to spending nearly a week at NTRPG Con and a failing computer both pre and post-con. As I stated last night, I am in catch up mode ;)

Ideally, I'd be averaging three posts a day, one of which shares out the daily podcast episode. We're working on hitting that mark. That should cover both those that desire the written word or the spoken word (and those that enjoy both get a bonus ;)

I try to keep the podcast episodes short - generally 12 to 15 minutes or so (although interviews run longer). Short episodes seem the most flexible for the listener, as it can be squeezed in most anytime or multiple episodes can be listened to at once while on a commute or such.

Daily blogging (haven't missed a day in over 5 years) and daily podcasting (38 straight episodes) is what I do.

So don't worry, Venger. If anything there will simply be more Tavern, not less ;)

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #38 - Interview with Ben Barsh of Pacesetter Games

In the latest episode of The Tavern Chat podcast, I chat with Ben Barsh of Pacesetter Games about the Rise of the Nefarious Kickstarter, the synergy between 5e and the OSR, bringing new and younger blood into old school gaming, Disney, and other goodness.

Link to Episode #38:
https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-38---An-Interview-w-Ben-Barsh-of-Pacesetter-Games-e1mtbi

Link to the Rise of the Nefarious Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/640360422/rise-of-the-nefarious-a-5th-edition-campaign

State of The Tavern - Still Further Behind Then I Planned to Be Post Con

Before I left for NTRPG Con I knew my desktop was dying. Macs tend not to make weird spinning and beeping sounds and mine was. Then came the inability to save to the hard drive, usually after being on for 30 minutes or so. It got worse in the days before the con. Post-con? Only worse.

Did I mention my main login was corrupted, so even though the files transferred to my new Mac I can't access them. I'm going to try rebooting the old and moving my download folder to my Dropbox folder before the drive decides it will save no more.

Oh, and then my Android phone started acting funny post-con, with the screen reading input wrong with random characters. So we had to replace that.

Yeah, last week was pretty much a wash. At best I was treading water, but there certainly was no catch up going on.

This week I've slowly started catching up but I'm still behind - everything from emails and interviews and blog posts and... you get the idea.

I haven't forgotten you. I just haven't gotten to you.

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Episode #37 - How I See the OSR

Yeah, I go out and define the OSR. Thankfully, it is only my personal definition, so no need for the tar and feathers ;)

Yep, I screwed up some of the early episodes. Argh! I talk about the OSR and The Tavern as a Neutral Ground. Oh, and a free game for 24 hours only.

Link to Episode #37: https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/Episode-37---How-I-See-the-OSR-e1mp2a

Link to HUMBLE RPG BUNDLE: 5E DUNGEONS, HORDES & HORRORS BY FROG GOD & FRIENDS:   https://www.humblebundle.com/books/5e-dungeons-hordes-horrors?partner=tenkar

Link to FREE Shadowrun Returns Deluxe (limited time offer):  https://www.humblebundle.com/store/shadowrun-returns-deluxe?partner=tenkar

Those are affiliate links above. A small portion of your monies spent go to support The Tavern.

Free - Shadowrun Returns Deluxe - Limited Time (Humble Bundle)

Fee, as in Air ;)

Shadowrun Returns Deluxe

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/shadowrun-returns-deluxe?partner=tenkar

MAN MEETS MAGIC & MACHINE. The year is 2054. Magic has returned to the world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Technology merges with flesh and consciousness. Elves, trolls, orks and dwarves walk among us, while ruthless corporations bleed the world dry. You are a shadowrunner - a mercenary living on the fringes of society, in the shadows of massive corporate arcologies, surviving day-by-day on skill and instinct alone. When the powerful or the desperate need a job done, you get it done... by any means necessary.

In the urban sprawl of the Seattle metroplex, the search for a mysterious killer sets you on a trail that leads from the darkest slums to the city’s most powerful megacorps. You will need to tread carefully, enlist the aid of other runners, and master powerful forces of technology and magic in order to emerge from the shadows of Seattle unscathed.

The unique cyberpunk-meets-fantasy world of Shadowrun has gained a huge cult following since its creation nearly 25 years ago. Now, creator Jordan Weisman returns to the world of Shadowrun, modernizing this classic game setting as a single player, turn-based tactical RPG.

Key Features

• Gripping Tactical Combat: When you’re running the shadows, every turn matters. Choose your actions wisely - move to better cover, charge into melee, or lob a fireball into a crowd of enemies. With the variety of weapons and spells at your disposal, every turn is filled with meaningful choices. A successful run requires commanding a team of runners with the right balance of combat, tech, and magical abilities.
• Skill-Based Character Progression: Choose a starting character archetype and build from there! Street Samurai and Physical Adepts use advanced combat skills to dominate the battlefield, Shamans and Mages summon powerful allies and cast deadly spells, while Riggers and Deckers provide critical technological support, projecting their consciousness directly into drones and computer systems. Shadowrun Returns’ classless skill system allows you to grow your character in any direction you choose. Want to start summoning spirits as an ork Shaman and evolve into a cybered-up weapon specialist? Do it!
• Engaging 2D/3D Art Style: Shadowrun Returns mixes dynamic 3D characters and lighting with a vibrant, hand-painted environment. Illustrated character portraits bring every conversation to life. Explore a world filled with detail, from the slums of the Redmond Barrens to the extravagant offices of powerful corporations.

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/shadowrun-returns-deluxe?partner=tenkar

That's an affiliate link. If you purchase something in addition to getting your free game, a small portion goes to support The Tavern.