PAGE 2 - It's Almost a Wrap!

 

Yep, they had me warming the bench this morning for none other than Zeb Cook in the Autograph Booth ;)

Afterwards, I tried to tae a picture of every booth in the Vending Hall, but I know I missed a handful, especially GaxLand - Heidi and Erik's booth was constantly mobbed, and that's a damn good thing! I may swing by the Vendor Hall tomorrow in the AM.

This afternoon's SWL/B&A game was in Conference Room A at the Hilton Garden. One small problem - there was no Conference Room A at the Hilton Garden. There was, however, a board room, and by an 8 to 0 vote, we designated the Board Room "Conference Room A". Problem solved ;)

Sad to see the con is already wrapping up. Ah well, Total Con in a month. One needs to pace one's self ;)

PAGE 2025 - This Con Glows!

 

I received the above "Gelatinous Cube" at the Severed Books table (far left vending aisle, next to the Frog God table). The Cube, to me, is a great representation of PAGE 2 - it has some hidden features you didn't quite expect at first, but damn, its special!

For as many tables, and people, that I saw at Day One of PAGE, the noise was surprisingly controlled. And yes, there were tons of people, way more than I could ever hope to name, but it was great to finaly meet friends from The Tavern's Discord, our YouTube Channel, and even ENWorld.

At 3PM. I hosted, along with YouTubers and authors, Jistin Alexander & Mike Shes, a panel on "Starting a YouTube/Teith Channel After Using Other Media." Blogging might not be dead, but much of the blogging world has moved on to other ventures.

I wish the panel had been recorded, as the questions asked were good oned, as were the answers from the hosts in my opinion. If you take home just a single lesson from the panel - if you want to start a YouTube Chnnel, just do it. Unless you stsrt, it will never haaen.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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PAGE - 2025 - Woot!

 

Rach and I made it to PAGE 2, and I'm impressed - and we haven't made it yet to the convention site, just the main hotel.

If nothing else, I've been reminded how awesome the gaming community is in general and the OSR in particular.

I wish I had thought of taking pictures with everyone, but hopefully I'll remember tomorrow ;)

OSR Christmas 2024 - Days 9 & 10 - Gifts and More Gifts!

Alright! I'll be at PAGE 2 tomorrow through Sunday morning. If you will be there, please track me down and shake my hand :)

In the meantime, it's time to put up the gifts for OSR Christmas Days 9 & 10. More gifts are more better! Comment below before 6 PM, Sunday, January 20th, to be considered for a gift!

Gift 1 - Dragonlock Lost Caverns: Master Set FDG0410 ($50.00)

Gift 2 - Dragonlock Lost City of the Dwarves: Master Set FDG0411 ($25.00) 

Gift 3 - Frog God Games 50% off Coupon

Gift 4 - A 2nd Frog God Games 50% off Coupon

Gift 5 - What Price Glory

Gift 6 - Worlds Beyond

Gift 7 - $10 DTRPG Gift Cert

Gift 8 - Another $10 DTRPG Gift Cert

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Bundle of Holding - Solo Rules!

The current Solo Rules! Bundle from Bundle of Holding perfectly fits Matt Jackson and his YouTube channel.

Adventurer! You can play many of your favorite tabletop roleplaying games by yourself with the solitaire rules expansions in this all-new Parts Per Million Solo Bundle. Solo play can help turn any rulebook into a quickstart. Learn a new game, test your first adventures, and get a feel for play before presenting it to new players – or just enjoy yourself! Indie game developer Peter Rudin-Burgess at Parts Per Million has designed dozens of separate solo rules supplements for many RPGs large and small, as well as play aids and books of helpful solitaire tips. Using techniques such as the flexible "oracle" method (where you roll dice to answer questions) along with "cut-ups" (short texts that inspire creativity), you'll play full-featured, surprising adventures that push your creativity and keep all the action centered on you alone.

(Caution: These Parts Per Million third-party supplements add solitaire options to a wide range of games, but the core rules for those games aren't included in this offer. To use any of the solo supplements in this offer, you must already own the original games they support.)

For just US$7.95 you get all seven titles in our Starter Collection (retail value $44) as DRM-free ebooks, including Players Guide to Solo Role-Playing; three volumes of helpful tips in the Easier Tools series – Easier Solo Play, Easier Solo Game Journals, and Easier Solo Mystery Play; and three sample solitaire rulebooks: Basic Solo Roleplaying System (for Basic Role-Playing, Call of Cthulhu, and other percentile systems), Hunter (for Monster of the Week), and Masked Hero (for Masks: A New Generation).

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $20.68, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with twenty-five more titles worth an additional $108, including 11 more solitaire rules sets – 13th Solo (for 13th Age), Alone in the Loop (Tales From the Loop), Dungeon Crawl Solo (DCC RPG), Lone Star (Mothership), Mastermind (The Between), Old School Solo (Old-School Essentials and other OSR games), Solo Adventures for Stars Without Number, Solo Core (2D20 System games), Solo FASERIP, Solo in a Lost Cause (Silent Legions), and Trophy Solo – and 14 Cut-Up Solo books with thousands of text snippets to help inspire your solitary creativity.

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DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

 

OSR Christmas 2024 - Awarding the Gifts for Days 7 & 8

Yep, this is overdue. The past week has been - challenging. Challenge accepted! In the meantime, let's award the gifts for OSR Christmas 2024 Days 7 & 8. If you see your name/handle down below, please email: tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing, use "OSR Christmas Days 7&8" in the subject, and in the body of the email, include your real name, your "google" name below, and the gift you are claiming.

NOTE: outstanding OSR Christmas emails will be addressed tonight and tomorrow - I appreciate the patience - Tenkar

Days 9 & 10 will go up tomorrow...

FDG0349 DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set ($25.00) Brian S.

FDG0351 DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set ($25.00) Jeff Bernstein, 

Frog God Games 50% off Coupon X TWO! RhinoDino1973, FallenAngel

Sir Pellinore's Game PDF Nathand Christenson

Castle Perilous PDF Mike Bauer

$10 DTTRPG Gift Cert X TWO! Rob F. & David T. (via Discord)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Humble Bundle - 5e Adventures, Crafting, Monster, Monsters & VTT Assets Bundle

I'd happily convert the 5e content to OSR on the fly. As for the VTT assets, this would be a goldmine for DM's like JoetheLawyer :)

25 Bucks for 58 books, maps, token packs, and more with the 5e Adventures, Crafting, Monster, Monsters & VTT Assets Bundle

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Humble RPG Bundle: Invisible Sun by Monte Cook

Invisible Sun uses Monte's Cypher System, also used in Numenera. You can snag 10 books in the Invisible Sun collection for 18 bucks.

Gather your friends for endless adventure with this gigantic bundle of tabletop role-playing resources for the uber-popular title Invisible Sun. Our latest mega bundle by Monte Cook Games has everything you need to run the latest and greatest version of Invisible Sun. Get rulebooks, sourcebooks, and expansion campaigns like Secrets of Silent Streets, The Nightside, Book M, and more.

Invisible Sun is a surrealistic modern fantasy tabletop role-playing game written by Monte Cook, published in 2018.

The characters the players take on in the game are various types of magic-users, collectively called Vislae. The setting is called the Actuality, consisting of a series of differing worlds arranged in a pattern called The Path of Suns. Our world is seen as a pale and illusory reflection of these worlds. The center and starting point of the setting is Satyrine, a large city devastated by war. "The setting is surreal, bringing to mind post World War I decadent Berlin, Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics and the films of Guillermo del Toro", leaving our world behind. Characters slipping back into "Shadow", the game's name for our world, is used as an in-universe explanation for player absences. Another major theme is secrets, which the characters can pursue. The game material itself also contains mysteries for the players to figure out.

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DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Bundle of Holding - Chthonstone Enemies - Monsters for Old-School RPGs

I'm always excited about more monsters for my campaign, so the Chthonstone Enemies Bundle should be awesome!

Adventurer! This all-new Chthonstone Essential Enemies Bundle presents dozens of bizarre monsters and artifacts from Chthonstone Games for Old-School Essentials and other old-school tabletop fantasy roleplaying games, all designed by Johnstone Metzger (The Nightmares Underneath) and illustrated in full color by Nathan Jones for the Monthly Monsters Patreon campaign. Threaten, frighten, bedevil, flummox, and weird-out your player characters of any level with 87 twisted creations like Alchemical Greenery, the Crawling Head, the Dark Elf Witch Cult, the Eyeball Syndicate, Ghoul Monastics, the Howling Helm, Kobolds of Saturn, the Light Collector, Living Psychopomp, Malmensvird, Meat Goliaths, the Mung Mung, Rat Golems, Rhinocorns, Satyrical Dramatists, Spawn Summoners, Vat Zombies, and Void Sharks, among many, many others.

For just US$17.95 you get all nine titles in our Enemies Collection (retail value $95) as DRM-free ebooks, including the first eight Essential Enemies monster manuals: Things From Beyond, The Outer Darkness, The Haunted Forest, Between Two Worlds, Creations of Chaos, In Darkening Woods, Far Beyond Death, and From Under Ground. We also include Chthonstone's standalone RPG Dungeon Robbers From Outer Space, about alien astronauts who travel to fantasy worlds to search for magical artifacts.

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Kickstarter - White Box Cyclopedia (Barrel Rider Games)

Here's the part where I reveal any biases or connections I may have to a project creator. I've known James Spahn for over a decade. I consider him a close friend and damn near family. James has produced some fantastic gaming content for the OSR and beyond over the years, and I suspect The White Box Cyclopedia will be a pillar in the OSR and a go-to ruleset for years to come.

So, what exactly do we get with the White Box Cyclopedia Kickstarter?

• Thirty Character Classes: Even the traditional Fighter, Cleric, and Magic-User classes have optional rules to make them more unique. Classic fantasy archetypes ranging like the Acrobat, Barbarian, Cavalier, Ranger, and the Thief are are joined by more exotic options like the mysterious Metaphysician, the Tomb Robber, and the Friar. 
• A Dozen Character Heritages: Alongside Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings, players using the optional rules can select crafty Goblins, powerful Troll-Kin, elusive Shadow Elves, whimsical Gnomes, and other fantastic heritages to give your campaign an exotic flavor that is still rooted in classic fantasy.
• Strongholds and Homesteads: Every character, regardless of class or heritage, can construct and maintain a stronghold that will provide unique benefits during their adventuring career and give them a meaningful way to spend their plundered wealth.
• New Spells: The White Box Cyclopedia includes over 100 spells. This includes all the spells that appeared in Swords & Wizardry White Box, dozens of new Magic-User and Cleric spells, and (by popular demand) a unique spell list for the Druid class.
• Exotic Arcane Abilities: Optional rules allow players to have psychic abilities, latent spellcasting abilities, engage in Arcane Duels, summon wily familiars, and craft magic items.
• Chivalry and Nobility: Optional Honor rules allow any character to earn their knighthood, unlocking unique abilities independent of their class or heritage.
• Genre Customization: Players aren't the only ones with new options! Referees can draw upon optional rules to flavor their campaign. So, whether you're trying to solve the riddle of steel, facing off against a vampire count in a realm of shadow and mist, or an eclectic collection of heroes on an epic quest to destroy an evil artifact, you'll have optional rules to highlight what makes those classic fantasy sub-genres unique and engaging.
• Endless Exploration: Rules for hex crawling, dungeon exploration, seafaring and ship-to-ship combat, are all included, meaning players can seamlessly travel to the ends of the world and back again.
• New Monsters: Almost 200 monsters are detailed here, ranging from classic goblins, to the familiar floating, eye-stalked Orbitus, to exotic new monsters like the Sanguine Fog and Killer Bees ("Not the bees!")
• A Hoard of Treasure: All the classic magic items found in Swords & Wizardry White Box are found here, along with new, unique treasures. Over 200 magic items are provided, including intelligent weapons.

Consider me sold! I'm backing for the limited edition, but you can grab the POD plus PDF for $30 plus shipping.

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OSR Christmas 2024 - Days 7 and 8 - Say What? TWO Days in One?

I'm still playing catch-up for some of the prior days of OSR Christmas 2024 regarding sorting out prior gifts. Today is TWO Days in one!

Comment below before 10 PM ET on January 8th, 2025, to be in the mix. More gifts are better!

FDG0349 DRAGON TILES: Dungeon Core Set ($25.00)

FDG0351 DRAGON TILES: Caverns Core Set ($25.00)

Frog God Games 50% off Coupon X TWO!

Sir Pellinore's Game PDF

Castle Perilous PDF 

$10 DTTRPG Gift Cert X TWO!

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

New Release - ACKS II Revised Rulebook

ACKS II Revised Rulebook recently went on sale and is currently the #1 seller on DTRPG. I have fond memories of ACKS I and even did some playtesting of Domains of War in Manhattan YEARS ago. Damn, good times.

ACKS I felt and read like B/X D&D or Labyrinth Lord, with some fantastic house rules (proficiencies, racial classes, domain play—Adventurer, Conqueror & King) and a new take on an old and proven system.

ACKS II is all this and more, completely rewritten to escape WotC's abusing gip during the OGL drama; at first glance, it feels "tighter," more focused, familiar, yet unique.

Over the next few weeks, I'll dive into ACKS II, and you'll see my responses here and on The Tavern's YouTube Channel. I like what I've seen thus far.

The Adventurer Conqueror King System™ Imperial Imprint (ACKS II) is the new edition of the acclaimed bestselling fantasy role-playing game. It offers everything you need to enjoy epic fantasy campaigns with a sweeping scope. Whether you want to crawl through dungeons, experiment with alchemy, crossbreed monsters, run a merchant emporium, raise an undead legion, or conquer an empire, ACKS II supports your playstyle. The ACKS II Revised Rulebook features:

18 character classes, each with 8 quick-start templates featuring pre-selected proficiencies, spells, equipment, and encumbrance that let you start playing in minutes!

110 proficiencies carefully selected to help you customize your character to your taste without risk of skill traps, min-max chains, or feat taxes.

378 spells carefully calibrated for long campaigns that ascend from dungeon delves to pitched battles with armies. Magic doesn't have to make a game world implausible or unbalanced anymore!

Dungeon delving mechanics that let your adventurers interact with the subterranean environment by spelunking, rappelling, traversing, and more.

Wilderness expedition rules that bring the challenges and dangers of the wild to life, including mechanics for wilderness survival, inclement weather, and more.

Sea voyage and naval warfare system with mechanics for boarding, grappling, ramming, rowing, sailing, and siege weapons.

Combat mechanics that play like a realistic simulation of ancient hand-to-hand battle at low levels and a cinematic emulation of the legendary exploits of demigods and heroes at high levels.

Stronghold and domain rules that allow you to establish domains, rule realms, take vassals, establish a senate, and more.

Hijinks and hideout rules that let high-level thieves run their own criminal guild or spy network, dispatching their ruffians to racketeer, smuggle, surveil, and steal.

Magic research mechanics that go beyond spell design and magic item manufacture. Crossbreed monsters, construct golems, practice necromancy, and engage in magical experiments with unforeseeable consequences.

Mercantile venture system that let you set up a trade routes, build and manage caravans and merchant fleets, start and run businesses, engage in moneylending, and more.

Mass combat mechanics, with scalable rules for raising and organizing armies ranging from dozens to hundreds of thousands of soldiers, maneuvering them on the strategic theater, maintaining lines of supply, and fighting pitched battles and sieges.

And much, much more!

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Kickstarter - Cryptid Stock Art Illustrations by Tara Quinn

It's been a while since I've reviewed a Kickstarter for Stock Art, and Tara Quinn's current campaign stands out as whimsical and different.

I don't know what project I'd use this art style for, but it's definitely a style I'd find good use for.

Cryptid Stock Art is priced at 25 bucks for 100 pieces (or over 400 for 50 if you missed the earlier Kickstarters).

100 original illustrations will be done as black and grey or line art and depict various cryptids from states across the USA as well other places around the world. The style will invoke that of old-school artwork, but with Tara's own comic inspired design. All will be created digitally at high resolution 300 DPI in various shapes and sizes.

 

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

OSR Christmas 2024, Day 6 - Gifts are Being Given!

Day 6 of OSR Christmas - Time for the gifts!

The gifts are below. If you see your screen name below, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Please put "OSR Christmas Day 6" in the subject. In the body of the email, include the gift that you've been gifted as well as your screen name.

Note - emails for outstanding gifts for OSR Christmas through Day 4 have been responded to. If you haven't received an email from me regarding a gift you are claiming, drop me a new email. Remember, you have 7 days to claim your gift. Afterward, it MAY go back into the gift pile. Tenkar

Note, I'm playing Catch Up on Saturday, January 4th.

Gift 1 - Dragonlock Lost City of the Dwarves: Master Set FDG0411 ($25.00)

Brian S.

Gift 2 - Frog God Games 50% Off Coupon

Antiquitas2004

Gift 3 - The Misty Isles  Precis Intermedia

GMJasonGURPS

Gift 4 - 1 Barrowmaze Patch (ships anywhere in the world) and issues 1-4 of Wizard Funk Zine in PDF - Dicebro

Jeff Bernstein

Gift 5 - $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate - From Your Bartender

Tim Baker

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Deal of the Day - Against the Darkmaster (D100)

When you look at the cover of Against the Darkmaster (just look above for your reference), it is reminiscent of classic Rolemaster, which makes sense, as the rules are strongly influenced and inspired by Rolemaster. If you enjoy those classic critical tables, you have some new ones, and the selection is a bit more MERP-like (more by weapon type than each weapon having its own).

Until tomorrow morning, Against the Darkmaster is on sale for 5 bucks (usually 24.99). Over 500 pages of classic roleplaying. If it isn't already in your digital collection, don't hesitate. Grab it! I already have it ;)

Against the Darkmaster is a tabletop Epic Fantasy roleplaying game of high adventure, heroic action, and heavy metal combat.

If you put together works like The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time, sprinkled them with a bit of Labyrinth and Dragonslayer, and put everything in a blender together with a healthy dose of classic Heavy Metal, you’ll get a typical Against the Darkmaster game session.

Travel to distant lands, face terrible dangers, uncover ancient items of power, and gather the armies of the world under your banner to defeat the ultimate Evil.

A complete rule system, including:

• Unified d100-based action resolution mechanic
• Huge variety of character customization options
• Detailed travel mechanics for long overland adventures
• Flexible magic system with over 300 spells
• Tactical combat and brutal Critical Strikes
• Immersive rules for character driven adventures
• A Bestiary with over 60 fearsome creatures
• A full introductory campaign in three parts

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

OSR Christmas 2024 - Day 6 Gifts Are Listed - Thank You Sir! Can I Have Another?

Day 6 of OSR Christmas, here on Day 1 of 2025. We may as well be giving away D&D 2024 - I Kid, I Kid! Heh!

Comment below before Friday, January 3rd at 6 PM Eastern to be considered for one of the following gifts, then return here to see if you are one of the gifted.

Gift 1 - Dragonlock Lost City of the Dwarves: Master Set FDG0411 ($25.00)

Gift 2 - Frog God Games 50% Off Coupon

Gift 3 - The Misty Isles  Precis Intermedia

Gift 4 - 1 Barrowmaze Patch (ships anywhere in the world) and issues 1-4 of Wizard Funk Zine in PDF - Dicebro

Gift 5 - $10 DTRPG Gift Certificate - From Your Bartender

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Deal of the Day - Tales of Argosa (Low Fantasy Gaming 2e)

I played some Low Fantasy Gaming 1e a few years back, and it felt very old-school in nature. Probably the low hit points and the high mortality rate. It was undoubtedly a good time.

Tales of Argosa is essentially LFG 2e, and I'd snag a copy myself, but I'll likely never run it with my current group, and one does have to make a stand at some point before the wife agro kicks in :)

Tales of Argosa is usually 24.95 in PDF, but until tomorrow morning, it is on sale for 12.48.

Tales of Argosa (aka Low Fantasy Gaming 2e) is a Sword & Sorcery inspired Emergent Play Adventure Game, for groups or solo. Adventures are short, sharp, and focused on dangerous wilds, treacherous cities, fierce battles, daring exploits, perilous magic, fabulous treasures, and cosmic weird. 

Core Features

• Familiar d20 based system. 
• 9 Classes Artificer (or Alchemist variant), Barbarian, Bard, Cultist, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue & Magic User; only two of which involve magic.
• 9th Level max caps PC power levels.
• Flatter HP Curve Most PCs will have approx 10-40 hit points over their nine levels. 
• Unique Features Every 3rd level design your own PC ability in conjunction with your GM, or choose from 40+ examples. 
• Roll Under for Attribute checks, making every stat point matter. Degrees of success via Great Successes and Terrible Failures.  
• Roll High for attack & damage rolls.
• Wisdom is split into Perception and Willpower. Perception mod applies to ranged attacks instead of Dex.   
• Simple Skills grant a +1 bonus on relevant Attribute checks, but more importantly allow a PC to access their limited Reroll Pool if they fail. The Variant Rules chapter includes a further simplified "Class, Race & Background" combo to replace the skill list, if desired.    
• Minor, Major & Rescue Exploits on top of damage, not in lieu, promote improvised stunts and moments of greatness.
• Fast Initiative Side based initiative, but a different PC rolls each round. Initiative is a derived stat (average of Dex & Int). If the PC makes their Initiative check the party goes first, otherwise the monsters do. On a Great Success the party also acts before any Heavies or Bosses. 
• Diminishing Luck attribute replaces saving throws, ratcheting up the danger with each save.
• Fierce Battle Martial Exploits, Nat 19s, Crits, Fumble ripostes, Morale checks, Trauma rolls, Heavies, and Bosses make for action packed battles! When reduced to zero hp, healing takes 1d3 minutes (magical or otherwise). Players don't roll to find out if their PC lives until after the combat, when an ally checks the body.
• Unbalanced Encounters ToA is designed for unbalanced combat. Clear escape rules put the fate of the PCs in the players’ hands - do they fight another round, or run?
• Short Rests PCs make two Willpowers checks during a Short Rest to attempt to recover hp and class abilities, encouraging them to press on rather than camp. 
• Dark & Dangerous Magic Roll to Cast and DDM tests threaten to unleash Veil monsters, madness, mutation, or worse! 
• Downtime Rules for Carousing, Pets, Black Market Trade, Masterforged Gear, Gambling, Recovery, Potion Brewing, Magical Research, Scroll Inscribing, Rumours, and more.
• Emergent Play & Solo Support via mechanics, procedures, and massive GM Toolbox to facilitate improv, including: Lone Wolf PC rules, Range Bands (for smoother Theatre of the Mind), Reaction & Activity rolls, Major Exploits & Rescues, Morale checks, Consult the Bones Dice Oracle, Read the Signs Card Oracle, Hexploration Procedures, Dungeon Tally & Events, Travel Events, Random Encounters, XP Awards, NPC Tables, Treasure Tables, Madness Table, Disease & Parasite Table, Trap Tables, Dungeon Generator, and more!
• Easy Compatibility with most OSR and 5e style adventures; just swap out monster stats, treasure, and spells for ToA equivalents, and you're good to go! We've been playtesting with adventures from LFG, Forbidden Lands, Dragonbane, B4 The Lost City, Hot Springs Island, The Toxic Wood, Mines of Perinthos, and very recently Moria (from The One Ring, alpha PDF). Conversion tips are included. 
• Rules as Guidelines The GM is the final authority on all rules, which are expected to be tweaked to fit table preferences. The Variant Rules chapter includes suggestions such as more/less deadly, less dangerous magic, movement in feet rather than range bands, individual Initiative checks, etc.
• Creative Commons Licence ToA has been released under CC BY-SA 4.0. You can create and sell your own supplements, adventures, etc, without needing any authority from us. 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar