I left Queens for a few hours this evening to head to an Oktoberfest out on The Island (just for quick reference: NYC is The City, unless you are already in one of NYC's outer boroughs, in which case Manhattan is The City; any part of Long Island east of Queens is The Island).
The food was good, the beer was cold (and as we were guests of the beer distributer that was supplying the beer, it was all free... WOOT!). My girl and I did notice an interesting crossover tho... the German band was mixing Irish drinking songs into their selections, and singing them in German! It was a frikkin' hoot. Of course, my German is piss poor, so I was singing the songs I recognized in English ;)
Imagine when the Dwarf in the party catches the local Elfin Bard singing his land's drinking ballad in Elvish... or worse, the goblins they come across in the dungeon are singing it in their tongue... fun for all if you ask me :)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Review - Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - Monstrum Codex
Continuing my way thru the T&T 7.5e Boxed set, we come to the Monstrum Codex. Its a 45 pages of monster goodness.
How much do you really need a monster book (let alone 2) for a system that allows one to design creatures with a simple Monster Rating. Quick refresh: MR is a creature's CON / HP. It determines the combat dice, and half the MR is the creature's Combat Adds. Pretty simple and flexible system.
So, why the Monstrum Codex? Because simplicity can be bland. The monster descriptions add flavor, which is always helpful. Special Damage and Special Abilities add depth and surprises that will keep the party off their toes. The Special Damage is dependent on the numbers of "6's" rolled... roll enough "6's" and the Special Damage "procs" (yep, that's an MMORPG term).
Personally, I like the idea of "procing" damage in a RPG... it keeps the Special Damage special, and out of direct control of the GM.
The book is spiral bound, just like the rulebook and the monster book... which is either a selling point, or not, depending on your point of view.
How much do you really need a monster book (let alone 2) for a system that allows one to design creatures with a simple Monster Rating. Quick refresh: MR is a creature's CON / HP. It determines the combat dice, and half the MR is the creature's Combat Adds. Pretty simple and flexible system.
So, why the Monstrum Codex? Because simplicity can be bland. The monster descriptions add flavor, which is always helpful. Special Damage and Special Abilities add depth and surprises that will keep the party off their toes. The Special Damage is dependent on the numbers of "6's" rolled... roll enough "6's" and the Special Damage "procs" (yep, that's an MMORPG term).
Personally, I like the idea of "procing" damage in a RPG... it keeps the Special Damage special, and out of direct control of the GM.
The book is spiral bound, just like the rulebook and the monster book... which is either a selling point, or not, depending on your point of view.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Postman Delivers!
I always find it interesting that packages from a few states away can take 3 weeks to arrive, and other packages from across the country show up in a few days. Gotta love the US Postal Service! Huzzah!
Anyhow, the 2 packages that were in my mailbox today were both Tunnels & Trolls related. The first was the T&T 30th Anniversary 7e Tin. I like the tin even if it is smaller then the 7.5e Boxed Set.
Items of note: a 32 page Alternative Rules booklet in addition to the 7e rules. I need to give this a closer look. Oh, and of course the CD, which includes (amongst other things) a greatly expanded equipment list and a copy of the T&T Computer game from 1990. I'll need to boot my PC to give it a try later.
The other package had a signed copy of Monsters! Monsters! and two signed copies of A Fragmented History of Trollworld. Very nice. A weekend of reading awaits.
Anyhow, the 2 packages that were in my mailbox today were both Tunnels & Trolls related. The first was the T&T 30th Anniversary 7e Tin. I like the tin even if it is smaller then the 7.5e Boxed Set.
Items of note: a 32 page Alternative Rules booklet in addition to the 7e rules. I need to give this a closer look. Oh, and of course the CD, which includes (amongst other things) a greatly expanded equipment list and a copy of the T&T Computer game from 1990. I'll need to boot my PC to give it a try later.
The other package had a signed copy of Monsters! Monsters! and two signed copies of A Fragmented History of Trollworld. Very nice. A weekend of reading awaits.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
More Links Means More Gooder!
Yep, the New and Improved Tenkar's Tavern has added two links to the top of the page, making the Tavern "More Gooder!"
Alright, how about a little bit better? Slightly more useful? Skewed more in the direction of Tunnels & Trolls? (probably - its my current bag, baby!)
Trollhalla, where you get to hang with the Troll God himself, and Trollbridge, where folks post about Troll and Tunnels and other such oddities.
Now, if you wanna do me a personal solid, and expand the amount of free online storage I can squeeze outa the fine folks of Dropbox (where a large portion of my RPG PDFs currently reside), you can sign up using my referral link up on top of this page. You get free online storage that you can access anywhere you have an internet connection, and I a bit more space to store the huge amount of PDFs I got with my donation at RPGNow for the Pakistan Flood Relief. (Over $41,000 donated by gamers as of this posting)
Alright, how about a little bit better? Slightly more useful? Skewed more in the direction of Tunnels & Trolls? (probably - its my current bag, baby!)
Trollhalla, where you get to hang with the Troll God himself, and Trollbridge, where folks post about Troll and Tunnels and other such oddities.
Now, if you wanna do me a personal solid, and expand the amount of free online storage I can squeeze outa the fine folks of Dropbox (where a large portion of my RPG PDFs currently reside), you can sign up using my referral link up on top of this page. You get free online storage that you can access anywhere you have an internet connection, and I a bit more space to store the huge amount of PDFs I got with my donation at RPGNow for the Pakistan Flood Relief. (Over $41,000 donated by gamers as of this posting)
Review - Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - Codex Incantatem
The Codex Incantatem is, for all intents and purposes, a book of bonus spells for T&T. The spells in the T&T rulebook have been part of the game for years, whereas the spells here, in many cases, have been published previously in T&T fanzines.

There are 39 1st Level Spells, 47 2nd Level Spells, 42 3rd Level Spells, 30 4th Level Spells and 30 5th Level Spells, for a grand total of... 188 additional spells for your T&T Campaign. The reason I say campaign and not game, is because the T&T Solos, if they allow magic wielding characters, have a Spell Matrix or Chart that help you work out a spells effect for that adventure - these spells do not appear on such a matrix, at least not with the current collection of solos I've come across.
Now, to put things in perspective... the core rules have 9 5th level spells, this book adds 30... and 6th level has 4 spells to choose from. I guess when I get the Delver's Pack in the mail I can let you know about the additional higher level spells.
Are they balanced for play? I don't know, but I don't think there is anything game breaking included.
Do they add options to your game? Yep. Just make sure your players earn what they get, and don't let them find anyone willing to sell any spells that you feel might upset the balance, but that's true with anny game system.
Overall, a nice addition to the core rules.
There are 39 1st Level Spells, 47 2nd Level Spells, 42 3rd Level Spells, 30 4th Level Spells and 30 5th Level Spells, for a grand total of... 188 additional spells for your T&T Campaign. The reason I say campaign and not game, is because the T&T Solos, if they allow magic wielding characters, have a Spell Matrix or Chart that help you work out a spells effect for that adventure - these spells do not appear on such a matrix, at least not with the current collection of solos I've come across.
Now, to put things in perspective... the core rules have 9 5th level spells, this book adds 30... and 6th level has 4 spells to choose from. I guess when I get the Delver's Pack in the mail I can let you know about the additional higher level spells.
Are they balanced for play? I don't know, but I don't think there is anything game breaking included.
Do they add options to your game? Yep. Just make sure your players earn what they get, and don't let them find anyone willing to sell any spells that you feel might upset the balance, but that's true with anny game system.
Overall, a nice addition to the core rules.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Adding My 15 Bits
Okie, so it looks looks like everyone is doing their list of 15 games. Can't blame them, as pretty much every list I've looked at has had a few games that made me go "Damn! I wish I had a chance to play that!"
Anyhow, here's my list, in no particular order:
1 - Risk - classic set with the caltrop pieces
2 - Castles & Crusades - it made old school new
3 - AD&D - my intro to RPGs and my mainstay for years
4 - Chaos Marauders - one of our mainstays when we didn't have a full group for the gaming session
5 - Rifts - insane game, maybe that's why my first character was a "Crazy" ;)
6 - MERP - a fun alternative to AD&D. Bolas were a dangerous weapon against the PCs
7 - Baldur's Gate Series - When all you had were yourself... and an insane Ranger
8 - Spacemaster - I ran this more often then Traveller
9 - Everquest - Because Ultima Online taught me the true meaning of the word "grief"
10 - Tunnels & Trolls - playing with yourself can be fun. Git your mind outa the gutter! Besides, its fun for group play too ;)
11 - Battlelords of the 23rd Century - I never understood the rules, but the guns were big and we had fun playing
12 - Nuclear War - sometime you just need to nuke someone
13 - Warhammer FRP - it was a blast the first time around, and Dark Hearsay was the first Fantasy Grounds campaign I played in
14 - Ultima Series - Sometimes a good story beats lame graphics
15 - Anarchy Online - a MMORPG that also supported solo play? go figure
Anyhow, here's my list, in no particular order:
1 - Risk - classic set with the caltrop pieces
2 - Castles & Crusades - it made old school new
3 - AD&D - my intro to RPGs and my mainstay for years
4 - Chaos Marauders - one of our mainstays when we didn't have a full group for the gaming session
5 - Rifts - insane game, maybe that's why my first character was a "Crazy" ;)
6 - MERP - a fun alternative to AD&D. Bolas were a dangerous weapon against the PCs
7 - Baldur's Gate Series - When all you had were yourself... and an insane Ranger
8 - Spacemaster - I ran this more often then Traveller
9 - Everquest - Because Ultima Online taught me the true meaning of the word "grief"
10 - Tunnels & Trolls - playing with yourself can be fun. Git your mind outa the gutter! Besides, its fun for group play too ;)
11 - Battlelords of the 23rd Century - I never understood the rules, but the guns were big and we had fun playing
12 - Nuclear War - sometime you just need to nuke someone
13 - Warhammer FRP - it was a blast the first time around, and Dark Hearsay was the first Fantasy Grounds campaign I played in
14 - Ultima Series - Sometimes a good story beats lame graphics
15 - Anarchy Online - a MMORPG that also supported solo play? go figure
And Now For Something Completely Different
I was watching the commercial for the new D&D Red Box (not watching it on TV, as I haven't seen it on TV anywhere) and while browsing a thread on EnWorld I found the extended (original 4 minute long) video that was later edited down for the commercial.
Fun stuff, if you are into poorly animated Fiend Folio creatures and Heavy Metal... apparently, I am into it ;)
Fun stuff, if you are into poorly animated Fiend Folio creatures and Heavy Metal... apparently, I am into it ;)
Spring Cleaning in the Fall
I did some long overdue cleaning over the weekend with surprising results. You see, I have this one shelf that has turned into a cubby hole of sorts - odds and ends get placed there temporarily, some for longer temporary times then intended.
Case in point - my Dragon Magazine Archive has been missing the first disc since, well, forever it seems. I even went so far as to bid on another set on Ebay to replace it (didn't win). What do I find in a stack of CDs that were on that shelf? The missing first disc. Nice.
I also stumbled across Scrollworks Issue #1 by Christian over at Destination Unknown. A little piece of history was buried on that shelf it seems.
I still have to clean out the top shelf in the closet in my son's room. There is gaming material I haven't touched in years up there. It may be another archeological dig ;)
Case in point - my Dragon Magazine Archive has been missing the first disc since, well, forever it seems. I even went so far as to bid on another set on Ebay to replace it (didn't win). What do I find in a stack of CDs that were on that shelf? The missing first disc. Nice.
I also stumbled across Scrollworks Issue #1 by Christian over at Destination Unknown. A little piece of history was buried on that shelf it seems.
I still have to clean out the top shelf in the closet in my son's room. There is gaming material I haven't touched in years up there. It may be another archeological dig ;)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Review - Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - The Rulebook - Part 4
This should wind down the main rulebook overview / review.
Spells in T&T. You either love them, or you hate them. Not for game reason tho'. Game-wise its a pretty tight system. Each spell has a Level, WIZ Cost (which lowers as the character advances in level), Duration, Range, whether or not it can be powered up and then, of course, the spell description. It's actually very well done without being overly complicated.
Nope, the love or hate is due to the Spell Names: Upsidaisy (levitate), Healing Feeling (cure disease), Dum-Dum (lowers target's INT), Slush-Yuck (rock to mud) and of course, the (in)infamous Take That You Fiend! (TTYF - a basic attack spell).
Tunnels & Trolls doesn't take itself too seriously, although it's easy to play it as a serious game. T&T is a flexible, lite hearted system. If the action isn't covered in the rules, it can probably be covered with a Saving Roll (think ability or skill check, depending on where you are coming from). Which is great, as good players think out of the box, and a good RPG system will encourage that.
For those asking, the more I read the T&T rules, the more I like them. Fun is more important then game balance, which I think has been forgotten in D&D's later incarnations.
Working a late one tomorrow. Think I'll roll thru a T&T solo in the morning. Wish me luck. Some are more killer then the worst Killer DMs ;)
Spells in T&T. You either love them, or you hate them. Not for game reason tho'. Game-wise its a pretty tight system. Each spell has a Level, WIZ Cost (which lowers as the character advances in level), Duration, Range, whether or not it can be powered up and then, of course, the spell description. It's actually very well done without being overly complicated.
Nope, the love or hate is due to the Spell Names: Upsidaisy (levitate), Healing Feeling (cure disease), Dum-Dum (lowers target's INT), Slush-Yuck (rock to mud) and of course, the (in)infamous Take That You Fiend! (TTYF - a basic attack spell).
Tunnels & Trolls doesn't take itself too seriously, although it's easy to play it as a serious game. T&T is a flexible, lite hearted system. If the action isn't covered in the rules, it can probably be covered with a Saving Roll (think ability or skill check, depending on where you are coming from). Which is great, as good players think out of the box, and a good RPG system will encourage that.
For those asking, the more I read the T&T rules, the more I like them. Fun is more important then game balance, which I think has been forgotten in D&D's later incarnations.
Working a late one tomorrow. Think I'll roll thru a T&T solo in the morning. Wish me luck. Some are more killer then the worst Killer DMs ;)
Monday, October 18, 2010
Doctors Without Borders - Pakistan Flood Relief Bundle at RPGNow
Onebookshelf / RPGNow / DrivethruRPG has, with the generosity of a number of its publishers, put together a bundle of RPG products for a price of $25, with the proceeds going to DWB. Heres the quick blurb:
Record monsoon rains caused flooding that left almost 2,000 people dead and 20 million homeless. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani estimates crop losses at $3.3 billion, total damage of about $7 billion. People displaced by the flooding that began at the end of July are still living in temporary shelters, such as schools, or in tents. Doctors Without Borders continues to provide medical care, clean water, and relief materials.
Following the success of our previous fundraisers for DWB during the Haiti Earthquake Reponse we have decided to put together a new charity effort to raise funds for relief efforts in Pakistan. Several publishers have donated some very cool items to help us raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. The bundle will be available until 10:00 AM EST, Monday, October 25th.
So, there you have it. It's an extensive list of products. I won't be listing them all, but you can look at them here. Still, I do have my favorites:
Adventures in Oz - An RPG set in the land of Oz
Don't Rest Your Head - Fairly popular Indi-RPG
Dragon Warriors RPG - the updated version of the game previously available back in the day in mass paperback format
Exalted Second Edition - never owned it, now I will
Harnmaster Third Edition - Harn was a great source of setting material, now I can check out the rules
House in the Hills - Solo Adventure for Tunnels & Trolls
Icons - A Supers game that hit many of the sweet spots
Open Game Table - Volume 2 - if you read RPG blogs, you should be reading this
Spycraft 2.0 - I still have 1.0 packed away somewhere
Starblazer Adventures - The FATE System meets outer space - a fine piece of work
The Cursed Chateau - By the man who brings us Grognardia, a nice Old School Adventure
The Sanctuary Ruin - Another Old School Adventure
Wild Talents 2nd Edition - More Supers to shake your stick at
Wrack & Rune - A LL Adventure - See, more Old School
These are all games I either own, or have wanted to own. There are many more products in the bundle that I haven't mentioned
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Review - Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - The Rulebook - Part 3
Alright, where was I?
Uhm, combat. Your weapon will decide the number of dice (d6) in combat, and you get Personal Adds, which are added to the total die roll. That is compared to your adversaries dice and adds (usually in direct correlation to its MR, or Monster Rating). The difference is the amount of damage done to the loser. If there are multiple characters / adversaries on each side, the dice totals on each side is added, and the losing side takes the damage (distributed amongst its members).
Armor blocks a certain amount of damage points - Warriors get to double the points that their armor blocks. Damage is taken from CON. Time or a Poor Baby spell heals damage.
Spite Damage is derived from each "6" rolled... even the winning side can suffer from Spite Damage.
Personal Adds are derived from 4 of your attributes... each point over 12 is +1 Personal Add.
That's the basics of combat. The side that can maximize it's numbers in combat while minimizing it adversaries numbers in active combat will have the advantage (with the enclosed encounters from Fiery Dragon, T&T can almost become tactical RPG).
Now spells, Saving rolls and other variables obviously will change things, but that is why you are playing a roleplaying game and not a wargame. The combat system is pretty flexible, and the MR system allows for quick changing of monsters combat ability if you goofed in your adventure design (when the TPK is the GM's fault, not a result of poor play on the side of the players - or if the players are steamrolling everything). Heck, the MR system allows for the quick design of monsters and adversaries, thereby allowing the GM to keep things fresh. If only Raggi had a similar system for LotFP Weird Fantasy ;)
Spells are a whole other kettle of fish. I'll get to them next...
Uhm, combat. Your weapon will decide the number of dice (d6) in combat, and you get Personal Adds, which are added to the total die roll. That is compared to your adversaries dice and adds (usually in direct correlation to its MR, or Monster Rating). The difference is the amount of damage done to the loser. If there are multiple characters / adversaries on each side, the dice totals on each side is added, and the losing side takes the damage (distributed amongst its members).
Armor blocks a certain amount of damage points - Warriors get to double the points that their armor blocks. Damage is taken from CON. Time or a Poor Baby spell heals damage.
Spite Damage is derived from each "6" rolled... even the winning side can suffer from Spite Damage.
Personal Adds are derived from 4 of your attributes... each point over 12 is +1 Personal Add.
That's the basics of combat. The side that can maximize it's numbers in combat while minimizing it adversaries numbers in active combat will have the advantage (with the enclosed encounters from Fiery Dragon, T&T can almost become tactical RPG).
Now spells, Saving rolls and other variables obviously will change things, but that is why you are playing a roleplaying game and not a wargame. The combat system is pretty flexible, and the MR system allows for quick changing of monsters combat ability if you goofed in your adventure design (when the TPK is the GM's fault, not a result of poor play on the side of the players - or if the players are steamrolling everything). Heck, the MR system allows for the quick design of monsters and adversaries, thereby allowing the GM to keep things fresh. If only Raggi had a similar system for LotFP Weird Fantasy ;)
Spells are a whole other kettle of fish. I'll get to them next...
Distracted by the Cowhide
I'm making today a Lazy Football Sunday. NY Giants game started at 1 pm, the NY Jets play at 4 pm. Happy Happy Football Day.
Did I mention i has the winning bid on the T&T 7.0 Collector's Edition Tin? More Happy Happy ;)
Did I mention i has the winning bid on the T&T 7.0 Collector's Edition Tin? More Happy Happy ;)
Review - Tunnels & Trolls 7.5e - The Rulebook - Part 2
I can already see this is going to span many parts. That's ok tho', I have a decent amount to say on the topic ;)
Character generation, at it's core, is pretty much as you know it from any of the OSR games at: roll 3d6 per attribute, either in order or assign as you will. In Tunnels & Trolls, your race (Kindred) will determine modifiers to those rolls. Not + / - 1 as in the games you might know, but as a multiplier: in the case of a Dwarf, x2 to STR and CON, 2/3 to CHA (Strength, Constitution and Charisma - see, you know the game already ;)
There is also a point system for character generation, sort of as a nod to modern sensibilities. When using the point system, Kindred modifiers are not applied.
Wait, I almost forgot the rule of TARO - Triples are rolled over AND added to the previous roll. Ex: You roll 4, 4, and a 4, which equals 12. Keep the 12, roll 3d6 again... they total 10, your total score is a 22 for that attribute.
Me, I was always the roll 4d6 and drop the lowest type of GM in D&D and such. Using that in T&T will greatly increase the odds of rolling a triple (if the player can choose which die to drop). It will also improve the chances of rolling scores high enough for a Paragon (Warrior / Wizard dual class). I don't think it would be all that balance breaking, especially as Attribute Scores will be increasing as one spends earned Adventure (experience) Points.
Adventure Points allow one to increase Ability Scores. They are earned by killing stuff, role playing, saving rolls and other methods. Increasing you Ability Scores can increase your Personal Adds (more on this later), make you better at relevant Saving Rolls, make you better at surviving combat (CON = HP), etc. They also determine your character level in 7.5e (back in 5e, your Adventure Point total determined your level). In 7e, it cost 100 AP x current stat to increase by 1 (from 10 to 11 costs 1,000 AP). In 7.5e, that cost has been lowered to 10 AP x current stat to increase by 1 (from 10 to 11 costs 100 AP). The lowered cost is definitely more reasonable, but I suspect the AP award for completing the included solo adventure (reviewed here) was written for the 7e rules. Or Ken is just a very generous GM ;)
K, that's it for now. Back later
Character generation, at it's core, is pretty much as you know it from any of the OSR games at: roll 3d6 per attribute, either in order or assign as you will. In Tunnels & Trolls, your race (Kindred) will determine modifiers to those rolls. Not + / - 1 as in the games you might know, but as a multiplier: in the case of a Dwarf, x2 to STR and CON, 2/3 to CHA (Strength, Constitution and Charisma - see, you know the game already ;)
There is also a point system for character generation, sort of as a nod to modern sensibilities. When using the point system, Kindred modifiers are not applied.
Wait, I almost forgot the rule of TARO - Triples are rolled over AND added to the previous roll. Ex: You roll 4, 4, and a 4, which equals 12. Keep the 12, roll 3d6 again... they total 10, your total score is a 22 for that attribute.
Me, I was always the roll 4d6 and drop the lowest type of GM in D&D and such. Using that in T&T will greatly increase the odds of rolling a triple (if the player can choose which die to drop). It will also improve the chances of rolling scores high enough for a Paragon (Warrior / Wizard dual class). I don't think it would be all that balance breaking, especially as Attribute Scores will be increasing as one spends earned Adventure (experience) Points.
Adventure Points allow one to increase Ability Scores. They are earned by killing stuff, role playing, saving rolls and other methods. Increasing you Ability Scores can increase your Personal Adds (more on this later), make you better at relevant Saving Rolls, make you better at surviving combat (CON = HP), etc. They also determine your character level in 7.5e (back in 5e, your Adventure Point total determined your level). In 7e, it cost 100 AP x current stat to increase by 1 (from 10 to 11 costs 1,000 AP). In 7.5e, that cost has been lowered to 10 AP x current stat to increase by 1 (from 10 to 11 costs 100 AP). The lowered cost is definitely more reasonable, but I suspect the AP award for completing the included solo adventure (reviewed here) was written for the 7e rules. Or Ken is just a very generous GM ;)
K, that's it for now. Back later
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Best OSR Cartographers - A video about some my favorite cartographers in the game. This is not an exhaustive list, but the ones I go to the most and ones that have influenced my st...3 weeks ago
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Gary Con XVII - I attended Gary Con this year. Last year, I was supposed to go, but something came up and I had to cancel. This year, I ran a scenario I created called The...3 weeks ago
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[BLOG] News on the March! Episode VI. - This post continues the series of brief play reports I have been posting on Discord. This does not cover every single session (sometimes, recon and setup...4 weeks ago
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On the Success of the VOTE - You voted for it, and it's here! All the prices on the books I sell on DTRPG will be rising in price, 40-50% so I can maintain the same margin as now! ...4 weeks ago
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Lexicon of Klarkash-Ton, Hierophant of Atlantis: Lupanar - This time, we follow the good High Priest to the far future, to the final continent of Earth, Zothique, for a a tale of ennui and love: Morthylla. Witho...5 weeks ago
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Fight On! number 16 is out. - The new issue of *Fight On!* has been out for a bit. You can get copies via drivethru or lulu. I haven't finished reading my copy, but I'd like to reco...1 month ago
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Wandering through the Majestic Fantasy Realms - It's time for another Bat in the Attic update! I am halfway through the first draft of my upcoming project, Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms, the Northe...1 month ago
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The Hungering Dark - Go into the earth, and reality will walk alongside you. Walk further, and you will eventually be walking alone. The world is plastic down there. Tar Lat...1 month ago
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Hobby Bingo 2025: January Progress - Welcome back to the Vault! I've painted a few bits and pieces in January and made a dent into my Hobby Bingo card! First up is a Chaplain in Terminator ...2 months ago
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NTRPG Gaming Weekend - [image: NTRPG Gaming Weekend] This weekend was a "game day" for North Texas RPG Con, held at the same hotel the con is held at. I haven't slung dice since...2 months ago
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The Stats of a Dave Arneson Player Character. - If you want to find the details for one of the characters that Gary Gygax made and played as a PC, perhaps to use as an NPC in your own game, it isn't t...2 months ago
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Into the Wild Blue Yonder: A Journey Through Blackmoor's Dark Realm - *We have been thinking about you.* *We know what you want from Rob Kuntz.* You want more than another brand-new RPG module. It has to be a *First Edition ...3 months ago
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Articulations - Creating house rules, custom rules specific to a local group or campaign, has been common throughout the history of D&D. What makes an effective house rule...3 months ago
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A Fiftieth Anniversary Year - The 50th anniversary year of *Dungeons & Dragons *is drawing to a close. A number of projects I'd been planning for this year finally came out, and I ...3 months ago
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A Quick Look at The Wizard’s Scroll II - October of this year saw the release of The Wizard’s Scroll II, the second issue of a White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game (FMAG) zine whose first ...3 months ago
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Writing playlists for all occasions - Hello again! Going off the idea of inspiration elaborated on by the prior post, I also have music playing while I write my various games and fiction pieces...4 months ago
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The Tarot of Pips - Somewhere in your dice collection is a die like this one, the humblest of dice. Although you don't know it, this small white die carries with it a secr...4 months ago
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Pirates and Necromancers, a Play Report - Over the Thanksgiving weekend we did a lot of gaming ranging from “off-table” domain level stuff to some solo adventures to spell and magic item rese...4 months ago
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Welcome new Greyhawk Fans! - With the publication of the new Dungeon Master’s Guide, there are doubtless going to be a lot of new D&D players interested in my favorite setting, the Wor...5 months ago
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It's been a bit - Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well! I've had a lot going on and haven't had much time to blog lately. Heres a recap of gaming events and other st...11 months ago
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*'s in SpaaaaaAaaaace - A lot of SF (including a certain 2D6 RPG grandaddy) deal with ancient aliens taking humans from Earth and dropping them, fleas and all, on one or more w...1 year ago
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Housekeeping 2024 - Coactus Illustration © Heather Gwinn. A gift she gave me in 2013 for an edition of Miscreated Creatures which I hope exists someday. Coloring by me. I am a...1 year ago
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Last move - to self-hosting! - As my vote regarding Substack in the “marketplace of ideas”, I’m moving to self-hosting. I’m now at (and hopefully staying for a long time at) Blog: ht...1 year ago
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Osamu Tezuka (1928 - 1989) - [image: Osamu Tezuka - Shonen Magazine Cover, 1970]Shonen Magazine Cover, 1970 [image: Osamu Tezuka - Shonen Magazine Cover Illustration 1970]Shonen Maga...2 years ago
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This is an Important Game Mechanic - *"That's the GM's Regional Map from my AOWG. And it's a damned good regional map. It's not a good map for a Simple Homebrew Campaign. It does some s$&...2 years ago
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Clean Your Room - Looking back at my little blog here. That last post… wow, I was having fun playing WOW Classic! That was August of 1999 and I was having a blast… it was ...3 years ago
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Steve Jackson Interview - James Maliszewski recently did an interview with Steve Jackson over on his Grognardia blog. Steve chats about the beginnings of The Fantasy Trip and upcomi...4 years ago
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The Hero’s Journey 2nd Edition, Campbellian roleplaying at its best! - (this review done using the reviewers own purchased copy) I have been a James Michael Spahn fan since he wrote his Swords & Wizardry Companion. His writing...4 years ago
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ToAD Monster of the Week: Crocoman - Now that I'm back doing the blog thing I thought I would use Tome of Adventure Design to create monsters for The Black Hack. Using the monster tables in th...5 years ago
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More Arden Vul Art - Another great piece from Del, this one's the Forum of Set: a place that the PCs may spend quite a bit of time within.5 years ago
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OCHRE SAND - Init +0 Ranged Atk • fire burst +3 (1d14+1, 20') AC 17 HD 3d6 MV 60 Act 1d24 SP 'breath' weapon, sideslip, perfect silence, morphing Fort +5 Ref +8 Will...5 years ago
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Strange, Dangerous, and Inhuman: The Fey and Fairie - When I was a boy I loved fairy tales. Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in Boots, Rumpelstiltskin - I devoured all of it. My fascination that there was a strang...5 years ago
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New Map of the Elf Empire and Southern Isles - I’ve been having fun developing a new map-drawing style that I think is finally reaching a certain level of maturity. And yeah, it owes a lot to Matthew Ad...5 years ago
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The Faithful - An Optional Archetype for Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells Revised Edition - Work on the revised edition of Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells is moving along. This will be a hefty tome, with a LOT of tools and new options to customiz...5 years ago
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Dungeons & Dragonmead Fall Schedule - *As you know, I run public classic Dungeons & Dragons games at **The Loaded Die**/Metro Detroit Game Night's Board Game Nigh at **Dragonmead**, in Warren...5 years ago
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Fiction in Airhde - On a whim this weekend, I picked up some fiction off the TLG store. *A Houseless God & Other Tales* and *The Mirrored Soul & Other Tales*, both by the T...5 years ago
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Ravensburg Reboot: Streamlined City Map - I mentioned in my last post how I was tweaking and reworking parts of my Ravensburg setting. Today I streamlined the city map. The old map had lots of redu...5 years ago
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And Now the News Draft Download on Patreon - It's self-styled Throwback Thursday and *having just released the 34-page draft booklet of Hill Cantons news to my Patreon backers* I am going to indulge m...5 years ago
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The Withered Crag available now - I just enabled the sale of the PDF version of The Withered Crag at DriveThruRPG a few minutes ago, and the custom print version will be available startin...5 years ago
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Annihilation Rising Goes live - The latest in Fail Squad Games’ Quick Kick projects has gone live and needs your support!! This project is only running 11 days and ends on 5/28/2019! ...5 years ago
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James's Celebration of Life - We could not have asked for a prettier day for James's service. It was a bit chilly and windy but gorgeous. A heartfelt thank you to all that joined us tod...6 years ago
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Trap Tuesday: A step back - I will get back to Tomb of Horrors soon. I found a topic that was interesting enough to take a break. While interacting in a 5E group on Facebook I talked ...6 years ago
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Let's Talk About Pacing! - The idea, I think, is that the RPG is ultimately about the long game. Even rolling back to the early days of Basic & Expert, the goal of the player was...6 years ago
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Profane and Profound Prep Part 2 - This is part 2 of my work to edit my magic items for a DMsGuild release, along with adding cursed items along the way. Here is part 1. Bone of a Saint 8000...6 years ago
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MIDDLE DUNGEONS LEVEL FIVE 158 STAIRS. - 158 STAIRS. These stairs descend thirty feet to Area 79 on Level 6.6 years ago
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Please, I don't do paid advertisements - don't ask. - A little note since people have asked me about this. My video channel's *not* an advertising platform, so I'm not available for hire if you want to promote...6 years ago
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New website! - Slowly but surely, all the content here will make its way — in updated form! — to my new website: timbannock.com. For fairly obvious reasons, that site wil...6 years ago
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Please Update Your Link! - If you're seeing this, it means your link to the Greyhawk Grognard blog is out of date. Please update your link to www.greyhawkgrognard.com (RSS feed is h...6 years ago
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Total Sales for WB:FMAG - Hi Folks, It's been a long time since I provided an update for the sales of White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game. *LULU* Print: 396 PDF: 433 *OBS*...6 years ago
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How can We Destroy this Campaign World? - d12 1. You must trick a bard into strumming the *Chords of Fate* on the *Lute of Annihilation* 2. Legends tell of thermonuclear weapons beneath megadunge...6 years ago
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Mord Mar - Session 5 - We had another successful delve into the dungeon yesterday. The delvers: Moira, the Magic-User Radovan - Human Cleric (of Odin?) Khazgar Stonehand - Dwarf ...6 years ago
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Yodeling For Yokels or The Further Misa(d&)dventures - This is the one of those posts that points out the lack of current posts. Over the last week or three, there has been postponed Labyrinth Lord (twice, one...6 years ago
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Bundle of Fantasy Age - Bundle of Holding: Dragon Age/Fantasy Age: Available until March 12. PA Presents: Fantasy AGE Freeport live play Green Ronin in 2018 The Fantasy Age RPG ma...7 years ago
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New Free PDF Module: The Hyqueous Vaults - A new dungeon module—written in celebration of OSRIC's 10th Birthday—by Rebecca Dettmann, Allan T. Grohe, Jr., Jimm Johnson, Matthew Riedel, Alex Zisch, a...7 years ago
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Session XCIII: One Pissed Off Dragon! - Our ongoing Swords and Wizardry sandbox campaign... *Current Player Characters:* *Thenus* (Ranger) *Wang Du* (Monk) *Wolfheir* (Viking) *Arg* (Half-orc) ...7 years ago
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Swords & Wizardry Light: Session # 6 - Two months after our last session (thanks to things like 8th grade finals, a 4 year-old's birthday and party, Father's Day, etc.), we finally had our next ...7 years ago