Kickstarter - Brutal Games - A 5E (1e/2e) Adventure in the World of Darknoth

"A Full Color Fantasy RPG Adventure for characters level 3-5 written for 5E or 1st/2nd edition."

Brutal Games is the latest Kickstarter from New Comet Games, who recently won the Three Castles Award at NTRPG Con 2019 for Devils Swamp (a CoC adventure). Yes, New Comet Games has some very solid releases.

In the fog shrouded islands off the coast of the Reign of the Black Wyrm Kings Province, the inhabitants of the Labyrinth Islands enjoy a sport. A game of deadly consequences to the contestants, for the entertainment of the residents.  When the adventurers are captured their survival depends upon how well they play. Can you survive the Brutal Games.  

Brutal Games is a Full Color Adventure for the most popular fantasy role-playing game in the world available for the latest 5th Edition rule set and the still popular 1st/2nd Edition rules. This adventure takes 3-6 characters of levels 3-5 from the Storm Reef Island in the Wyrm Skull Gulf down to the Labyrinth Isles and into the Black Serpentine Swamps.

This adventure was written as the follow up to WoD-1: Citadel of Terror, and picks up right where that module ends. But Brutal Games can easily be played as a standalone, or slide into your own campaign with ease. The game changes every time you play through the adventure, offering different challenges and different goals with every game. We blended  the Hunger Games, the Maze and the Running Man, into this easy to run, adventure. 

This sounds like fun :)

The PDF is available in either 5e or 1e/2e for 12 bucks, both for versions in PDF for 18.

Print plus PDF for either version is 19 bucks. Not too shabby.

Five days left on this one.

Zak S Sues Mandy in Canadian Court for Defamation - Probably Because Its Much Easier for the Plaintiff to Get a Favorable Ruling (not enforceable in the US)

Earlier this week Zak S posted on one of his blogs - https://officialzsannouncements.blogspot.com/2019/06/im-suing.html - that he was suing Mandy for defamation in "the Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa for her Facebook post." I don't know how Canada has jurisdiction over Zak's complaint, but it is safe to assume he has filed the suit in Ottowa is due to the fact that Canadian law is much more favorable to defamation claims than most of the Commonwealth as well as the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_defamation_law

Some interesting parts from the Wikipedia article:

In a 2006 commentary comparing Canadian laws with US and Commonwealth laws at that time, the situation was described thus: 

For all the lofty quotes about free speech in Canadian jurisprudence, the reality is that our libel laws are the least protective of free speech in the English-speaking world. 

Libel law developed in an ancient era which we would today consider backward, tyrannical and repressive. It is rooted in 16th and 17th century criminal statutes protecting nobility from criticism. Cases of political libel and eventually damages actions were handled by the infamous Star Chamber until its abolition in 1641. By the end of that century, many elements of the common law of libel we would recognize today had been established. In Law of Defamation in Canada, Professor Brown notes that the common law of defamation has been described by scholars and judges as "artificial and archaic" and characterized by "absurdities", "irrationality", and "minute and barren distinctions" (pp. 1–3). 

While social values and legal concepts have evolved dramatically of the past 200 years, the common law of libel in Canada remains startlingly unchanged.[10]

Even more relevant I think:

In general Canadian defamation judgements against Americans are not collectible in the United States under the SPEECH Act, and have to be re-proven in an American court in the state where the defendant resides. The exception may be Quebec which has broad protections for political comment and respects international laws (such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) similar to the US's own First Amendment.

So, should Zak win, the judgment wouldn't be enforceable in the US.

Interesting...

Tip of the hat to Rob Conley.

I cover some of this in last night's Tavern Chat podcast, including a full reading of Zak's latest statement:

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E392---Zak-S-Sues-Mandy-for-Defamation-in-Ottowa---I-Read-Zaks-Statement-e4b7fo

(edit - apparently this is a "slanted article" according to at least one commenter on social media because I make Zak S "look bad" and reference Wikipedia. While I find Wikipedia somewhat iffy when it comes to personalities that are in the current news cycle, using it to reference something like Canadian Defamation Law I find is fairly solid. YMMV. Oh, and yes, Zak S is an asshole in my opinion. Doesn't change anything written above.)

Free RPG Day is June 15th

Yep, June 15th, 2019 is Free RPG Day. So, what o we have for the OSR Gamer?

Aside from the DCC RPG Quickstart and adventure, not much sadly. I will say the Starfinder RPG dice do look cool, and 15 sets per box should mean you have a chance to get some. The Witcher could be fun.

Hmm, Forts & Frontiers is based on D&D. Doesn't say what version. Historical RPG

Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Post NTRPG Con Wrap-up

I wasn't in Tavern Chat last week as I was at NTRPG Con in Dallas. Amazing time spent with great friends. If you can get there next year, I suggest you do so. It literally IS the convention not to miss!

Anyhow, Tavern Chat is at 9 PM Eastern on Wednesday nights, and tonight is a Wednesday night :)

We hold it on Discord, and here is the link to the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server:

https://discord.gg/ButZz8

Kickstarter - The Folio: Artifacts of Adventure (1e & 5e Adventures Book)

"AD&D & 5th Edition D&D hardcover compendium of eight low to mid-level adventures in classic 1980s TSR inspired 'orange spine' style."

Given a choice between a book with a really long adventure or one with multiple short adventures, the multiple short adventures will almost always win out. Short adventures are easier to convert to the conceits of my own campaign in my experience.

Eight adventures for 50 bucks (HC & PDF) or 25 for just digital is damn competitive these days. One softcover adventure will usually run you from 12 to 18 bucks these days.

The Artifacts of Adventure hardcover is a  series of 8 dungeons adventures from The Folio: Digital Quarterly #1-#5 as well as The Folio: True Level Adventures #1-#3.  Written in both 1st Edition & 5th  Edition fantasy gaming formats. It encapsulates standard fantasy as well as detailing the adventure possibilities of incorporating fantasy steampunk into your campaigns in a kind of 'time jump' reality.  2D (classic blue) maps help spin a story of  struggle, martial prowess, and ingenuity. 

Content from these adventures has never been in print before, so this is the first time anyone will have a chance to stack these incredible adventures on their shelves!   

Our goal is to replicate the 128 page format of the old TSR ‘orange bound’ AD&D series of hardcovers from the early 1980s (Stranger Things  anyone?), and like those hardcovers, this will be covered with a beautiful  swords & sorcery inspired piece of artwork by artist Jeff Easley,  who did all those classic covers.

You've got just over a day to back this project - so do it now :)

(As an aside, The Folio projects consistently release on time - huzzah!)

James Mathe (Founder of RPGNow ) has Passed

James Mathe's passing was brought to my attention earlier today, but with our own, in house mourning (my parents' cat passed at 315 this afternoon at 18 years old) I haven't been able to settle in until now.

James is probably best known as the creator / original owner of RPGNow. I remember when RPGNow and DriveThruRPG were competitors. I always leaned towards RPGNow back in those days and did so even after the merger.

James' self-written bio is linked below:

SUMMARY: I have pioneered 2 new industries, own 5 companies and 3 game stores, completed several dozen successful Kickstarter campaigns, and host regular game designer events/conventions.

http://www.jamesmathe.com/bio/

NTRPG Con Wrap Up and Shout Outs

I’m currently sitting in the DFW airport, awaiting my flight back to NYC. Suffice to say, NTRPG was amazing.  (edit - finishing up post now that I am home)

I’d name the names of all the awesome folks I spent time with at the con, but inevitably I’d leave someone (or someones) out.

That being said, there is still a handful I must especially call out:

• Doug Rhea and Bad Mike - Holy shit gentlemen! NTRPG is cranking it to 11 now. Midnight auction had me dying.
• Pexx - he was already my right hand with nearly all things Tavern related, but he's like my younger brother now. Well done.
• Zach - the gift that keeps on giving. I'm proud to call you my friend.
• The Frugal GM - Chris, Three Olives tastes like Fruit Loops mixed with toxic waste. Damn, but one small nip provided endless entertainment on Friday Night. Partytime, excellent!
• Vince and Glen - felt like old times. Thank you.
• Bill - the older brother I never had. Shit, he IS older, right?
• Ben Burns - congrats on the Three Castles award you crazy rat!
• The Humble folks - always happy to tempt new gamers with Swords & Wizardry Light
• The Beard - words fail me. Very Cool dude
• Chupacabracon Posse - you were fun to game with
• All of the players in my Tegal Manor Games - you made me a better DM. There is no higher compliment.
• All of the Frogs I haven't named - every year it's like a family reunion!
• Everyone else I missed ;P

So, who's starting the clock for next year?

NTRPG Con - Frog God Dinner Con Wrap Up

Oh my!

Pexx cuts out his tongue hopping to save himself from a bodysnatcher egg 

Yes Pexx, that is a body snatcher egg

Live from NTRPG Con, Mike and Erik are Talking Crit

Bad Mike and myself set ourselves up in the main convention room late last night for a live at NTRPG Convention Talking Crit for the Tavern ChatPodcast. We had a nice number of industry guests stop by :)

https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E387---NTRPG-Con-Live-Talking-Crit-With-Bad-Mike--Special-Guests-and-a-Mini-Bar---Oh-My-e49eoi

NTRPG Con - Tegal Manor - Not a Safe Place

And down goes Rocky!

Ah, Tegal Manor. Come for the atmosphere. Stayed for dinner. Or be dinner...

I ran Tegal from 9 AM until 1230 PM or so. Pexx ran it from 1 PM until 430 PM or so.

The map is large a beautiful.

We do it all again tomorrow.

Good Omens - Rainbow Seen from NTRPG Con

I woke up this morning and Rach told me there was a rainbow outside our hotel window at the Westin. Lo and behold, there was. Not as big as I might have expected - I thought all things were bigger in Texas, but still a good omen overall.

Now to head downstairs for some breakfast and booth set up.

Now Appearing at the Dallas Westin and the NTRPG Con - Erik Tenkar!

For a little while, I was unsure I'd ever make it to NTRPG Con. Sre, the flight started fine. Heck, even the TSA was good to us. Then the flight landed at DFW 30 minutes early and it went downhill from there.

You see, it appears that the DFW airport had a brief but intense rainstorm shortly before we landed. Flights were delayed or canceled, which meant there no gates available for us to disembark at. We were a ship without a port for nearly 90 minutes.

But Rach and I are here now, for a 5-night engagement at the beautiful Westing Hotel - ignore the renovations behind the curtain ;)

Time for me to head downstairs and start putting up the Frog God Booth.

See ya at the con ;)

You Can Now Support All Things Tavern with Ko-Fi - Buy Your Bartender a Beer :)

For those that haven't noticed, I don't take direct ads from gaming companies and the like. The monies The Tavern receives are mostly from affiliate sales - DriveThruRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle. Anchor occasionally runs sponsorships (it's active now on the Tavern Chat Podcast) and it helps.

We also have a Patreon and I truly appreciate the backing of members of this community that put forward their hard earned cash on a monthly basis to support The Tavern. For those that don't like Patreon, we also offer a way to directly offer monthly support through Paypal.

One thing I've been asked (often enough that I've looked for a solution) is an easy method to offer this bartender a simple tip. I have found that method and it is Ko-Fi.

Ko-fi is a simple interface that allows you to tip creators you like using their interface and Paypal. They don't keep any part of the tip as a transaction fee (so more of your hard earned cash goes to the person you are looking to support), they make their profits from those that upgrade to Gold. Yes, I upgraded for the simple reason I could change "coffee" to "beer" ;)

How much does a "beer" cost? 3 bucks. Buy as many as you want (David Baity bought me 5 ;)

I appreciate the support this community has given me over the past 10 years. I expect to still be around and doing this and more over the next 10 years and beyond. I thank you in advance.

For those going to NTRPG Con this week, hope to see you there :)

Here's The Tavern's Ko-Fi link:  ko-fi.com/tenkar

FINALLY Back to Gaming - and its Not Even NTRPG Time!

Renovations and the recent holiday weekend killed my opportunity to get into my regular Monday Night Game run by Tim Shorts for over a month. Tonight, I finally get to make a triumphant return. Well, at least "a return."

Woot! Rathgar is now a second level cleric.

Of course, best-laid plans often kick you in the face. After the game, I have to drive my son's fiancee home as she has a killer migraine.

Still, it's amazing how much I missed this. The game, the bullshitting, the escape from the daily grind.

Fuck - we split the party!

Yearly Gathering of Fools in Memory of a Lost Gamer (9-11)

Paul is middle back row

My old gaming group has been gathering yearly in the Spring since 2002 in memory of a dear friend that we lost when the Towers came down on 9-11-01. They don't approve of me referring to us as a Gathering of Fools, but I do think it's appropriate.

We formed our friendships during the early-80s in High School and kept gaming at least once a week until early 1997. A few years later we migrated to MMOs.

Brian hosted as usual, and he inherited Paul's gaming collection when he passed.

Paul, we miss you. Rest well.

More Down to Earth Pricing for the Enemy Within Campaign Pre-orders (less than $30 a book) (WFRP 4e)

Thanks to Thaddeus on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server, we have some easier on the wallet options to preorder the initial books in the Enemy Within Campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e.

Note: Links take you to GameNerdz

WARHAMMER FANTASY RPG 4TH EDITION: ENEMY IN SHADOWS - THE ENEMY WITHIN CAMPAIGN PART 1 (PREORDER) $39.99 $27.97

WARHAMMER FANTASY RPG 4TH EDITION: ENEMY IN SHADOWS COMPANION (PREORDER) $34.99 $24.47

WARHAMMER FANTASY RPG 4TH EDITION: ENEMY IN SHADOWS COLLECTOR'S LIMITED EDITION (PREORDER) $149.99 $104.97

If only you also got the PDFs with preorders from other than Cubicle 7 - I know from the originals there is a huge amount of handouts, and I won't cut up my RPG books ever again ;)

Tenkar's Tavern is 10 Years Old Today - Huge Thanks to All & Some Thoughts on The Tavern's Success

Here's the first true Tavern Post:

Yeah, I didn't quite know what direction The Tavern was going to take 10 years ago. I certainly never dreamed it would still be around 10 years later, and no longer just a blog either.

The Tavern wouldn't be what it is without all of you.

I've been asked over the years to share the secret to The Tavern's success. Sadly, I can't bottle the secret and sell it, but there are some things that I believe are certainly part of that success's foundation.

1 - Just do it. Seriously, if you want a successful blog, podcast, whatever you actually need to start that blog or podcast. Talking about it doesn't do anything. Find the time and do it.

2 - Be yourself. Sure, some popular and/or controversial personalities in our community are acts, but over time folks will appreciate knowing the real you. Besides, it much easier being you than somebody else.

3 - Be passionate. Don't blog or podcast about a subject because you think it with have a built-in audience. It might at first, but without that passion, you won't retain them. As if you couldn't guess, I'm passionate about tabletop gaming ;)

4 - Be persistent. Keep at it. Even if the early parts are rough, practice and persistence will allow you to hone your craft.

5 - Be patient. I've been blogging for over 10 years, involved in podcasting for over 5 years and have had my solo podcast for over a year. Success did not come quick or easy, and in truth, I can't pick out a moment where I realized that The Tavern was "a success", but I think its hit that spot.

6 - Listen. To both praise and criticism. An echo chamber is NOT to your benefit.

7 - You can't please everyone. This is a hard one to come to terms with. Some folks don't like change (the podcast) and others may feel intimidated or worse by any success you may achieve. Don't ignore that they have concerns, but understand that not all of their concerns are your's to correct.

8 - Remember your community. Successful blogs, podcasts, Facebook groups, Discord servers and the like often have communities that form around them. Any influence you might have is because THEY grant it to you. It is a responsibility and an honor to be granted such. Do not abuse it.

9 - Invest. Time is probably the biggest investment, but there is also money, emotion and so much more. Success requires some sacrifice. You must be willing to do so.

10 - Have fun. If at some point it no longer is fun for you, it's probably time to take a break. I'm blessed that I enjoy it all and I have an amazingly supportive community. I'll warn you all if I need a break ;P

Again, 10 years. Holy Shit. No longer just a blog, The Tavern is a thriving Facebook Group (with just under 2400 members), an active Discord Server (with exactly 2000 members), the Tavern Chat Podcast (379 episodes and more each day) and of course, the Tenkar's Tavern Blog.

There are some huge plans for the blog-side and hopefully, I'll be able to get some of it in place this summer. New host, additional bloggers and more. No exact timeframe as I'm juggling multiple balls at the moment but I hope you'll enjoy the ride ;)

WFRP The Enemy Within Collector’s Edition - 10 Books - 750 Bucks

I really shouldn't be tempted by the WFRP The Enemy Within Collector’s Edition. Certainly, the $750 price point should have me turn away quickly and. I mean, who the FUCK puts down 750 bucks for an RPG campaign?

But it IS Warhammer, and not the abomination that was WFRP 3e.

Oh, and it is the Enemy Within Campaign, one of the best - if not the best - fantasy campaign for ANY system.

You can also buy it piecemeal, and each of the five adventure books is matched with a companion book. 10 books. Damn.

Each set of two books is $150, so there is no savings in preordering the set, but then you don't get:

Developer Diaries 

If you buy the complete Enemy Within Collector’s Edition, we will send you regular Developer Diaries. These are emailed updates from WFRP Producer Andy Law detailing the progress of the new version of the campaign, including exclusive art previews, developer and artist interviews, production commentaries, amusing asides, and so much more. The Developer Diaries provide you with a unique insight into exactly what is included in the Director’s Cut of The Enemy Within, and why. 

So, do you want to know how Bögenhafen is being updated? Or what maps will be included? Or what new Chaos cults are included? Or what happens in the two new additions to the campaign, The Horned Rat and Empire in Ruins? If so, then the Developer Diaries are for you.

Sigh...

I need to run a GoFundMe ;)

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight & Renovations are Complete

Today is a Wednesday, which means tonight is Tavern Chat. Hang out with gamers and creators from the OSR and beyond from all around the world at 9 PM Eastern.

Voice chat (but if you don't want to talk, all you need do is listen) Its been likened to a live podcast that isn't recorded, so if you miss it - you really missed it ;)

Use the following link to join:  https://discord.gg/4sHwScH

Kickstarter - Apex Coasters: Fantasy/RPG Series

"Amazing ceramic coasters, cork backing, durable imprinted art. Perfect for the gaming table, computer desk, table art, or as a gift."

I have a sizeable collection of coasters. Sadly, they get little use these days.

Apex Coasters: Fantasy/RPG Series is actually cool. I do love the art.

I summon James Spahn!

Note. J.M. Ward is James Michael Ward and the creator of this project, not Jim Ward. Apparently, Jim is feeling a wee bit defensive and fears there may be some confusion.

4 coasters start at 28 bucks plus 9 for shipping in the US.