This is the first year I haven't seen talk of Free RPG Day PDFs, but it's always possible I'm looking in the wrong places.
Some publishers don't do PDF versions, and some that wait a week or two to release them, but usually there's some info on them.
Ah well.
Missed out on the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls adventure and the Goodman Games DCC / XCrawl combo at Noble Knight - guess I should have stayed up last night ;)
edit: +Erik Jensen is working on a list of Free RPG Day PDFs
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Tell Us About Your Favorite Monster and You May Win a PDF Copy of "Monsters & Magic"
Thanks to the generosity of Mindjammer Press I have a PDF copy of Monsters & Magic to give away.
All you need to do it comment below about your favorite monster and why it rates that way. See, pretty simple.
For me, its the Flumpf, because it's the first thing I think of when I think of D&D monsters. The Fiend Folio was my first monster book, even before the Monster Manual, and the flumph sticks out as the most useless creature one could ever dream up. For some stupid reason, I still love it ;)
So, comment below before 10 PM NYC time on June 16, 2013 (that's this coming Sunday) for your chance to win a PDF copy of Monsters & Magic. One random commenter will get the loot.
Appendix N Adventure Toolkits Have Arrived! (DCC RPG Kickstarter Adventure Series)
Lo and behold! I have in my possession five (yes five) copies of The Ruins of Ramat and five (yes five) copies of The Vile Worm!
Brave Halfling is in the house and he's made an excellent showing.
Seriously, as much as i enjoyed reading the PDF copies of both of these, the dead tree versions are simply amazing. Professional covers, striking maps, player handouts, nice art. It's almost like Christmas in July - but it's still June ;)
Sure, they would have been nice at Christmas, but I'm happy to have them now.
So, why all of the copies of Appendix N? For the summer of DCC RPG Contests silly! I still have some dead tree copies of DCC Adventures donated by Thick Skull and Purple Duck - so yes, I will be frequenting the post office this summer.
What will be the contest themes? Damn to all heck if I know, but we'll figure that out in time :)
Thursday, June 13, 2013
If There's One Thing I Can't Stand It's Blatant IP Theft...
There is an author blatantly ripping off the Mystara setting for her line of fiction. Amazingly enough, she has been getting away with it for years (oh, and stealing art and maps too while she's at it.
+Timothy Brannan has the details here and here at the Other Side Blog and more at the Mystara Facebook Page.
I'm surprised Wizards dropped the ball on this one for as long as they have.
Just adding my voice to increase the volume...
A Kickstarter Whose Call I Need to Resist - Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
Call of Cthulhu is one of those great games that I never play and pretty much know I never will. I have an earlier boxed set and the 6th edition softcover (and the D20 C0C book and campaign book).
I love to read the associated adventures and even kicked in for the Horror on the Orient Express for $70.
Do I really need yet another edition of the rules that I'll probably never get to play?
Maybe, but I am sure as hell trying to resist the luring call of the CoC 7th Edition Kickstarter. The sweet point on this one is 100 bucks, and I've got enough already tied up in not yet due / due / overdue / way fucking over due Kickstarters that my wife could probably use it in divorce proceedings if she ever found out ;)
15 days left in this one.
So far I'm doing okay.
Just broke out the 6th edition rules to feed my fix ;)
Review - Monsters & Magic - Part 1 - Familiar Yet Strange (OSR "New Wave" Ruleset)
Alright, I know there really isn't any OSR "New Wave" category or label. Maybe I should have used "OSR / Fate hybrid". Monsters & Magic feels very familiar to the OSR that I know until it doesn't. Maybe I need to explain that a bit.
The intent of the author when writing M&M was to combine the classic feel, gameplay and most importantly (at least from my POV) compatibility to the OSR / Classic / pre 3e adventures and sourcebooks while also including more modern gaming concepts from the "narrative" side of the gaming fence.
I guess Dungeon World does this to some sense, but it really isn't "plug and play" with OSR and classic D&D adventures.
Anyway, back to M&M. It's built on the same classic ability score you know and love. You can even roll 3d6 in order if that's the way you make your players roll. Score range from 3-18.
M&M includes all of the classic AD&D classes (including all of the usual sub-classes), the usual races (even Gnomes and Half-orcs) and the races have the abilities you expect, even if they are redefined as traits. Heck, it even includes racial restrictions to classes (although if every other race can have clerics, I dont see why halflings can't)
Weapon damage pretty much uses the dice you'd expect. It all feels very familiar, until you realize the system has done away with the d20.
I'll let that sink in for a few seconds, as it's near sacrilege amongst much of the old school.
Monsters & Magic does not use a d20.
Instead, M&M uses 3d6 with modifiers added to the total for task resolution / checks / combat / etc. Which actually makes prefect sense, as the bell curve makes a really high roll (or low one) less likely and makes modifiers more important. Look at that. I'm okay with losing the d20 ;)
Did I mention you have two types of hit points, physical and mental? You even get different sized hit dice to roll.
Interestingly enough, most monsters from classic sources are easy enough to convert to M&M. The more comfortable you are with the idea that "close enough" is good enough, the easier the conversion process. That goes with converting characters and NPCs over too. The play is different but the "data" need to run things is pretty much the same, its just the interpretation that differs.
Time to break for the moment. In part II I'll start by talking about "Advancements", which are sorta like powers, feats, skills - and then some. They are integral in personalizing your PC. Oh, and I'll "scales of play", which includes domain level play and more. And of course the more "narrative" aspects of play such as effect points.
Monsters & Magic is a very similar and very different take on the D&D I know.
(Hey, I have a free PDF copy of Monsters & Magic to give away! - expect a post later tonight on the give-away)
When Did You Play Your First RPG Session?
I remember my first RPG session very clearly. It was a one on one session with my friend Kenny as the DM and me with my fighter Cyrus. AD&D DMG, dice and graph paper. Not even a Player's Handbook.
I THINK is was during the 7th grade, after school one winter day, but I'm not 100% sure it was the 7th grade. There is a small chance it could have been 8th grade. Still, most likely my first RPG session was in early 1980.
I would have been 12.
Over 33 years ago.
I did have a huge gap from March of 1997 to late 2007 where I didn't game. I bought, I collected and I read, but I didn't game. I had no group until I took the plunge into Fantasy Grounds 2.
Hmm, so about 23 years of gaming in that stretch. About half a lifetime, as I turn 46 this summer.
I guess I need to make up for that 10 year gap ;)
So, what year did the world of RPGs open up for you?
I THINK is was during the 7th grade, after school one winter day, but I'm not 100% sure it was the 7th grade. There is a small chance it could have been 8th grade. Still, most likely my first RPG session was in early 1980.
I would have been 12.
Over 33 years ago.
I did have a huge gap from March of 1997 to late 2007 where I didn't game. I bought, I collected and I read, but I didn't game. I had no group until I took the plunge into Fantasy Grounds 2.
Hmm, so about 23 years of gaming in that stretch. About half a lifetime, as I turn 46 this summer.
I guess I need to make up for that 10 year gap ;)
So, what year did the world of RPGs open up for you?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Mini Review: d20pfsrd.com Presents Open Gaming Monthly #3 (OGL Magazine)
Let me preface this with the following observation: I did not expect this Pathfinder centric magazine to fit my gaming needs and for the most part it met those exceptions.
Moving on to the review:
d20pfsrd.com presents Open Gaming Monthly #3 is an OGL magazine, but the truth is it's pretty much Pathfinder (there is an M&M article). It's well put together, attractive to look at and the articles that are generic / statblock-less are pretty. It's a nautical / pirate themed issue, so it has a lot that would fit into a Razor Coast / Pathfinder game (Swords & Wizardry GMs have their work cut out for them converting).
My highlight was Port Parley, a shared world article. I'd need to go back and grab issues 1 and 2 to see if it's a regular feature, but I assume it is. I like world building. I like new worlds. This was cool.
I'd guess most of this issue would be awesome for Pathfinder players, but in truth, all OGM #3 did for me is remind me why I don't play Pathfinder - a creature's stat block can take up an entire page, endless feats, magic items that can use their own chapter (alright, I'm exaggerating, but not by much).
Actually, before I got back into actually gaming, 3.5 and Pathfinder seemed like cool systems. Once I returned to the fold, I found the complications to be an albatross around my ability to actual play the game.
Yeah, I know, old age and all that shit.
If you are skilled at Pathfinder, this actually looks like an awesome magazine for you. If you don't mind converting Pathfinder to a more OSR suitable format, this isn't a bad investment. For folks like me, there's too much work needed to put this in a format that fits my needs.
My "Free RPG Day" Targeted Acquisition List ;)

This year I have the following items on my list of targets:
Hall of Bones from Frog God Games
Better Than Any Man from LotFP
The DCC RPG / XCrawl combo from Goodman Games
Fire Dwarves of Zorr” for dT&T from Flying Buffalo
and maybe Shadows of the Black Sun from FFG
Of course, the family responsibilities will have me at my in-laws in Connecticut for most of the day, so I expect I'll be hitting Noble Knight Games' online store as I did the last two years.
With Noble Knight, you can pick one free item for every $15 (if i recall correctly - I could be wrong) in purchases you make.
So, I have two questions to throw out there to y'all:
1 - What are you looking to pick up on Free RPG Day?
2 - Any suggestions for RPGs I should be looking to buy to qualify for the free rpgs? I know the Warhammer 40k stuff is fun to read, even if I'll never get a chance to run it ;)
"Monsters By Email" Coming to an End? (Stock Art)
Nicholas Cloister does some amazing artwork. Recently, he experimented with the idea of a subscription for fantasy stock art. The art is amazing. Regretfully, the experiment is not as successful as Nicholas had hoped.
As it looks right now, Monsters By Email hangs by a thread. Before I actually started the subscription, I was able to gather enough interest every day, to make it look very hopeful, but since I started the actual work on the product, that has not been the case. It seems I need to promote MonstersByEmail full time to attract enough attention, but when I do, there is no time to create the content. : )I love the art, but the restrictions on use are severe:
The funds will last me two more months, but a subscription period is four months, so I’m very uncertain at this point, whether or not I should initiate another round, or go back to full-time freelancing, keeping MonstersByEmail in hibernation. The number of subscribers is about 1/4 of what it needs to be, and 1/8 of what I prefer it to be.
A subscription to 'Monsters by eMail' includes non-exclusive rights to 50% of the creatures received. Creature number 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15... and so on (every odd number) - yes, you can only use half of the art you receive
You cannot publish the creatures visibly on the Internet, without my permission (just write and ask). This restriction includes displaying previews of printed t-shirts, book-covers, and other printed products online. Can't use the art on blogs or to advertise without asking for permission
You must wait at least one month from the point when you receive the creatures before you publish any of them. why does one need to wait to use it?
There are other restrictions, but these are the most onerous.
Great art, good idea but a failure to execute is due to the restrictions place on the use of the art, not the art itself.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Is There a Current List of all the OSR Zines?
I ask, because I'd like to list them and their associated websites when I get Unofficial OSR out at the end of the summer.
Our corner of the hobby is small but tight, and additional exposure does the OSR as a whole a good thing.
I may also include a listing of all of the OSR games, but I think I'm more likely to finish that list on my own than the zine list. Zines are more like to fall through the cracks and can be harder to track down.
Print, PDF or both. I know of a bunch that are defunct these days, but I'd like to support the ones I haven't found yet ;)
Our corner of the hobby is small but tight, and additional exposure does the OSR as a whole a good thing.
I may also include a listing of all of the OSR games, but I think I'm more likely to finish that list on my own than the zine list. Zines are more like to fall through the cracks and can be harder to track down.
Print, PDF or both. I know of a bunch that are defunct these days, but I'd like to support the ones I haven't found yet ;)
More "Pay What You Want" Products, Now From UnderCity Games - Lairs and Nightmares

The first is Nightmare of Tarring Hollow, a low level OSR adventure. It's short at about a dozen pages.
The second is Classic Lairs, which is an assortment of small dungeons and lairs.
Do i think either one is worth the suggested $9.99 price?
Lets see, I could get Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea for just a penny more.
I put these two in the "try before you buy category", although Classic Lairs certainly has more potential for use.
"Unofficial OSR" Envelopes the "Copper Droppings" Zine
Here's today's second announcement:
I'm going with the title "Unofficial OSR" for the fanzine under The Grumpy Dwarf as the publisher, as feedback that I've gotten indicates that many folks would prefer a zine that covers the whole of the OSR.
So, with a spread starting with ACKS and Ambition & Avarice and running through Raggi's Weird Fantasy and everything in between, there is a lot of ground to cover.
That doesn't mean the end of Copper Droppings before it even starts. Copper Droppings will be it's own section, edited by +Michael Garcia and will be exclusively Swords & Wizardry - so yes, a zine within a zine. Think of the old Dragon issues with the Ares section.
I'll be aiming for Sept 1, 2013 for release - if we can hit earlier, great, but this timeline gives me 2 weeks of vacation a and 2 1/2 months to get things up and running.
Same payment plan for submissions - beer money and you keep the rights to your work ;)
submissions for Unofficial OSR should be sent to tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom
submissions for Copper Droppings should be sent to socialATdeadratpublishingDOTcom
Cut off for Issue 1 submissions is August 3, 2013
(if time and ability permits, there may be a "Zero Issue" release -
I'm going with the title "Unofficial OSR" for the fanzine under The Grumpy Dwarf as the publisher, as feedback that I've gotten indicates that many folks would prefer a zine that covers the whole of the OSR.
So, with a spread starting with ACKS and Ambition & Avarice and running through Raggi's Weird Fantasy and everything in between, there is a lot of ground to cover.
That doesn't mean the end of Copper Droppings before it even starts. Copper Droppings will be it's own section, edited by +Michael Garcia and will be exclusively Swords & Wizardry - so yes, a zine within a zine. Think of the old Dragon issues with the Ares section.
I'll be aiming for Sept 1, 2013 for release - if we can hit earlier, great, but this timeline gives me 2 weeks of vacation a and 2 1/2 months to get things up and running.
Same payment plan for submissions - beer money and you keep the rights to your work ;)
submissions for Unofficial OSR should be sent to tenkarsDOTtavernATgmailDOTcom
submissions for Copper Droppings should be sent to socialATdeadratpublishingDOTcom
Cut off for Issue 1 submissions is August 3, 2013
(if time and ability permits, there may be a "Zero Issue" release -
"The Grumpy Dwarf" Tries His Hand at Publishing
Yep, I'll be putting some gaming stuff out under my own "label" if you will. I'm still involved with Dead Rat Publishing, but certain projects work better under different set ups. The Grump Dwarf will allow for those projects.
Huge thanks to +Greg Christopher who put the above together without being asked. It is inspirational :)
I'll have another announcement later today with a bit more substance ;)
Monday, June 10, 2013
Not so "Grim" Reaper - Shipping to Start... Soon?
First, a quick note about Origins. We had been looking forward to seeing you there, but unfortunately we won't be there this year in a booth. Our brother Tim Peaslee will be running demos, so be sure to say hi to him when you're there. We can't do a proper booth this time around because we simply can't spare the labor right now.
Why can't we spare the labor?
Friday, June 7th, we received two 40ft containers full of Bones! For those of you keeping track at home, those containers were filled with over 470,000 models. We're still looking for the last container to be delivered next week, but we have enough to start shipping now.
What's next?
We've unloaded the containers (we have the bruises to prove it). We're getting those models organized into our system and firing up our fulfillment line this week.Dare I hope for delivery before the first week of july?
We know we're behind our estimated ship date of March, so we've added a second shift for fulfillment so we can process the packages very nearly 'round the clock. We're doing everything we can to blast through these pledges so you can receive your Bones as quickly as we can manage it.
What's on Your Desktop?
No, not your computer desktop. I'm talking your desk's desktop.
Heck, I'm not even talking about the computer that is most probably on your desktop - instead I'm talking about gaming books and the like. Or in my case, a cat and a food dish ;)
Gaming-wise it's Rappan Athuk for S&W, Monstrosities (again S&W), Swords & Wizardry Complete, Crypts & Things, LL and the LL AEC, Tunnels & Trolls 5.5, Evolved Grottoes & Griffins, S&W Core and Maelorum (a solo game book)
So, what's on your desktop?
Pick a Die, Any Sized Die!
With the DCC RPG release last year, the number of weird sided dice has exploded (exploding dice is a sort of game pun, son). It got me thinking about my favorite sided die and the one I like the least.
This is pure random thought processing, either at it's worst or it's best. Time itself will tell, but dice are by their very nature random generators, so at least there is some kind of link ;)
Favorite die? The d8. I suspect you expected I would say a d20, but the d8 holds a special place for me. It's the damage a longsword does against small and medium creatures. I also came in some board game (I no longer remember which) back in the mid 80's, and the extra dice were raided for inclusion in my then small RPG dice collection.
Least favorite die? The d7. Holy shit but this is one ugly fucker. Really, I can't think of an uglier die - size, shape, available colors - all scream "I am an awkwardly ugly piece of shit".
I'd like to know your favorite sized die, but even more importantly, the die you like the least ;)
This is pure random thought processing, either at it's worst or it's best. Time itself will tell, but dice are by their very nature random generators, so at least there is some kind of link ;)
Favorite die? The d8. I suspect you expected I would say a d20, but the d8 holds a special place for me. It's the damage a longsword does against small and medium creatures. I also came in some board game (I no longer remember which) back in the mid 80's, and the extra dice were raided for inclusion in my then small RPG dice collection.
Least favorite die? The d7. Holy shit but this is one ugly fucker. Really, I can't think of an uglier die - size, shape, available colors - all scream "I am an awkwardly ugly piece of shit".
I'd like to know your favorite sized die, but even more importantly, the die you like the least ;)
Sunday, June 9, 2013
If You Were to Run an "Epic Level" One Shot, What System and / or Adventure Would You Use?
One of the things that came up during Saturday's "Gathering of Fools" was the idea of an "Epic Level" One-Shot to be run this summer for my old gaming group. Face to face, six hours or so.
When I asked what levels were considered "Epic" (as the group stopped playing during the 2e age, ignore the 3e and later labels) I was told "a high enough level where the Paladin has a +5 Holy Avenger and others have some sort of minor artifacts".
So I'm guessing a swath from 13-16 or so, depending on class. It was suggested I create pre-gens, which I will, but I expect to base them off of the last characters the group members played.
I also pointed out to them that the AD&D we played was no where near "by the book", and the rules we used were pretty much pared down on an unspoken group consensus. What we played comes very close to Swords & Wizardry Complete, although I'd have to tweak the classes a bit to make them closer to their AD&D counterparts. (as an aside, I may just work that into a post at some point - bridging the gap between S&W Complete and AD&D 1e).
So, I'm leaning towards using S&W Complete for the session - no idea what to run. Anything in the S series is probably ok, as it will only be a 4 member party and they tended to run without a cleric back in the days ;)
Any other suggestions for system or adventure or both?
When I asked what levels were considered "Epic" (as the group stopped playing during the 2e age, ignore the 3e and later labels) I was told "a high enough level where the Paladin has a +5 Holy Avenger and others have some sort of minor artifacts".
So I'm guessing a swath from 13-16 or so, depending on class. It was suggested I create pre-gens, which I will, but I expect to base them off of the last characters the group members played.
I also pointed out to them that the AD&D we played was no where near "by the book", and the rules we used were pretty much pared down on an unspoken group consensus. What we played comes very close to Swords & Wizardry Complete, although I'd have to tweak the classes a bit to make them closer to their AD&D counterparts. (as an aside, I may just work that into a post at some point - bridging the gap between S&W Complete and AD&D 1e).
So, I'm leaning towards using S&W Complete for the session - no idea what to run. Anything in the S series is probably ok, as it will only be a 4 member party and they tended to run without a cleric back in the days ;)
Any other suggestions for system or adventure or both?
Where o' Where is My Reaper Bones Kickstarter? Did an Ogre Get in it's Way?
Where o' where can it be?
When it comes to tracking my Kickstarters, I pretty much focus on the RPGs, so I really haven't touched on two of the other long overdue Kickstarters that I supported. I'm in a pissed off mood for other reasons today, so I figured this would be a good outlet ;)
Reaper Bones Kickstarter
Goal: $30,000 Total: $3,429,235 Funded: August 25, 2012
Estimated Ship Date: March, 2013 Actual Ship Date: Not Yet Shipped / Shipped / Go Figure
If all you asked for was the basic "Vampire" level, you probably already have your stuff. If you did any sort of add-ons, the "slow boat from China" literally left 2 weeks ago, 3 more weeks before it arrives, and then thousands and thousands of orders to sort and ship. I guess shipping will resume sometime in July. At this rate, I suspect both of my scheduled vacations will have passed before I see my order.
There have also been complaints on the retail level that the Kickstarter tied up production and shipping of other minis from Reaper. I'm not sure if this will be a be a boon or a hinderance for Reaper in the long run and frankly I just don't care - I want my shit!
Ogre Designer's Edition
Goal: $20,000 Total: $923,680 Funded: May 11, 2012
Estimated Ship Date: November 2012 Actual Ship Date: Aiming for October 2013
Apparently box design could be it's own college major, as the box and box tays seem to have been the biggest delay in the oversized and delayed project.
Sure, Steve Jackson Games has kept us updated with photos and photos of all of the shit they are cramming into the already oversized Ogre box, so none of this is a huge surprise, but the nearly 5 months from last update (June 3) to projected shipping (October 21) is more than a minoir annoyance.
I need to dig out my Pocket Ogre and GEV games and relive old times. Just need to keep away from any breezes and fans and not bump the table, as the original game was easy to upset.
I will not be supporting the upcoming Car Wars Kickstarter - I'll buy that when it hits retail.
Wow, much less obnoxious then I expected when starting this post. I must be calming down or something ;)
When it comes to tracking my Kickstarters, I pretty much focus on the RPGs, so I really haven't touched on two of the other long overdue Kickstarters that I supported. I'm in a pissed off mood for other reasons today, so I figured this would be a good outlet ;)
Reaper Bones Kickstarter
Goal: $30,000 Total: $3,429,235 Funded: August 25, 2012
Estimated Ship Date: March, 2013 Actual Ship Date: Not Yet Shipped / Shipped / Go Figure
If all you asked for was the basic "Vampire" level, you probably already have your stuff. If you did any sort of add-ons, the "slow boat from China" literally left 2 weeks ago, 3 more weeks before it arrives, and then thousands and thousands of orders to sort and ship. I guess shipping will resume sometime in July. At this rate, I suspect both of my scheduled vacations will have passed before I see my order.
There have also been complaints on the retail level that the Kickstarter tied up production and shipping of other minis from Reaper. I'm not sure if this will be a be a boon or a hinderance for Reaper in the long run and frankly I just don't care - I want my shit!
Ogre Designer's Edition
Goal: $20,000 Total: $923,680 Funded: May 11, 2012
Estimated Ship Date: November 2012 Actual Ship Date: Aiming for October 2013
Apparently box design could be it's own college major, as the box and box tays seem to have been the biggest delay in the oversized and delayed project.
Sure, Steve Jackson Games has kept us updated with photos and photos of all of the shit they are cramming into the already oversized Ogre box, so none of this is a huge surprise, but the nearly 5 months from last update (June 3) to projected shipping (October 21) is more than a minoir annoyance.
I need to dig out my Pocket Ogre and GEV games and relive old times. Just need to keep away from any breezes and fans and not bump the table, as the original game was easy to upset.
I will not be supporting the upcoming Car Wars Kickstarter - I'll buy that when it hits retail.
Wow, much less obnoxious then I expected when starting this post. I must be calming down or something ;)
Results of the Online Swords & Wizardry Convention Poll
I'd say there is enough interest in this to start thinking about how to make this work. I think the most important thing is To Keep it Simple. At it's root it should be no more complicated than arranging some game and interviews via Google Hangouts. No virtual publisher tables, no virtual retailer booths, no bullshit.
Now, maybe if you show up for a game the GM might have a discount link to share with you for some S&W products - that would be cool and a nice reward for playing (as online "pick up" games can get a little flakey). I'm not saying this would be the set up - I'm just throwing thoughts out there that I think are cool.
Anyway, looking at a weekend after Labor Day here in the states. Which gives me three months to screw this up ;)
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dErO - VotE: Re Development - the mysterious Stephan Poag did a comic about them! The dErO Do Not Exist You do not believe in dErO. The Player Characters *cannot* believe in dErO. ...3 days ago
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More Beautiful Development Sketches for The Great North - Tom Kilian continues to excel himself with the artwork for *The Great North*, now heading towards completion. As an Easter present, here is a work-in-pro...4 days ago
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The grodog Thither and Hither and Points Between - While the blog and I have languished together in torpid stupor for quite some time now, the blog's silence did not originate in or from *wordslessness*, ...4 days ago
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Tariffs, CanCon, and You - In 1972 the CBC asked listeners to complete the saying "As Canadian as...", to match "As American as apple pie." The winner was "As Canadian as possible ...5 days ago
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Landmark Sites - Hazard - The next two landmarks will be the overtly bad ones. No positive spin on this, a Hazard is just a place you want to avoid. Unless... Well, let’s make th...6 days ago
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Should you PAY your GM? - Let's start with the conclusion: GM-for-pay is okay. In other words: there is nothing wrong with paying someone to run a game for you, or charging people f...1 week ago
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Noodle Bar & Industrial Scatter Terrain - This past weekend I got a couple of solid hours to paint when I wasn’t dead tired, and decided to spend it on the 3D printed Flatline City Noodle Bar tha...1 week ago
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A Surprising Look at Murderhobos... - So I asked a question on Facebook this week. What did people do with the humanoid women and children in the Caves of Chaos, among similar adventures, persu...2 weeks ago
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36 units sold on day one - Not big Kickstarter-type numbers or anything but still pretty personally gratifying to me, because 1) it'a more copies than the first book sold on its fi...3 weeks ago
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Praise for Songs of the Dying Earth - Among my favourite works of fantasy fiction are the *Dying Earth* stories and the *Lyonesse *trilogy by Jack Vance. I’ve read the *Lyonesse *trilogy three ...3 weeks ago
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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...4 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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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