You can find info on the Whisper & Venom Boxed Set at the Lesser Gnome website. If you missed the Kickstarter, I'm sure Zach will have copies available for sale after the Kickstarter ships
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Thanks to Lesser Gnome, I Have New Wallpaper on my Desktop
+Zach Glazar this will have to hold me over until can get the monster framed :)
You can find info on the Whisper & Venom Boxed Set at the Lesser Gnome website. If you missed the Kickstarter, I'm sure Zach will have copies available for sale after the Kickstarter ships
You can find info on the Whisper & Venom Boxed Set at the Lesser Gnome website. If you missed the Kickstarter, I'm sure Zach will have copies available for sale after the Kickstarter ships
Maps and More Arrived Today For the 12 Days of OSR Christmas Giveaway
This sucker is 2 1/2' x 3 1/2'. It is huge. It is gorgeous. We have one to give away. Zach, I want this for my computer screen's wallpaper damn it!
Not as huge but still beautiful. I believe there are 2 copies for the giveaway:
How about some full color Jeff Dee art? Two unsigned copies and one signed copy.
+Zach Glazar you're my hero!
Seriously, about that wallpaper file...
 |
| It looks amazing in real life. |
 |
+Zach Glazar you're my hero!
Seriously, about that wallpaper file...
My Chainmail Dicebag - From the Tavern Cards Kickstarter
While I'm still waiting on my Tavern Cards, I received my add on chainmail dice bag today. At the moment it is holding 2 sets of the S&W dice from the S&W Complete Kickstarter, some dice with Orcus instead of the ones and a set of red dice from the LorFP Referee book Indiegogo - or some other LotFP project.
It needs more dice and could easily hold twice the amount of not more.
I love it. My wife loves it too and she's not even a gamer. She wants one with a heavier draw string so she could use it as a small purse. I'll need to keep this away from her.
Now to wait for the cards...
Some of the Better Picks in My "Frog God Games Grab Bag"
Caverns of Thracia looks damn cool. May have to slip this into the Wilderlands Campaign when the party hits third level or so.
Orcus - just weird after last nights post.
The blue dice are from the Swords & Wizardry Complete Kickstarter - my second set and I do love them.
The red dice have Orcus where the 1 goes/
Other stuff includes:
FGG2 - Strange Bedfellows for S&W
Encounter Deck 2 for S&W
The Slumbering Tsar Saga Coloring Book
Module MCMLXXV for S&W with the cover for Grimmsgate (I have this already - it may become a OSR Christmas Prize)
Tome of Horrors III for 3.5 - As I have ToH Complete for S&W, this may appear in the Christmas Giveaway)
One Night Stands 3 and 5 for Pathfinder
F1, G2, G3, G6, G7, K5 and K9 from Necromancer Games for D20
Friday, December 6, 2013
Necromancer Games' Clark Peterson Accused of Mixing Judgeship With Orcus
Found this on ENWorld and it's a hell of a story:
Necromancer Games Under Fire?
One of the first companies to take advantage of the Open Gaming License and the d20 System Trademark License was Necromancer Games, under the leadership of Clark Peterson - a popular and generous man, and a good friend to EN World and to the gaming community as a whole. It seems now that Clark has come under a bit of fire because of his gaming connections and how this allegedly conflicts with his job as a judge in Idaho.
The Spokesman Review's Scott Maben has posted an article entitled Kootenai County judge’s job, fantasy game hobby blur together which contains remarks like "Many know him as the demon prince Orcus, Lord of the Undead" and accuses him of, amongst other things, immaturity. It even mentions at one point that "he posts well past midnight" and that on his birthday he posted a message on Paizo's messageboards during his lunchbreak. At one point, a complainant claims that "We don’t know if he’s demon lord in the courtroom or if he’s Judge Peterson in the courtroom".
You can read the rest of the ENWorld article here.
Now for a snippet of the original article:
Judge Clark PetersonOrcusrole-playing games
Clark Allen Peterson is more than just a devoted fan of tabletop role-playing fantasy games.
He has been an entrepreneur and publisher who mentors game designers, heralds product releases from a company he founded, judges design competitions and posts online comments about the intricacies of this make-believe world of monsters, mythical creatures, magic and good vs. evil.
Many know him as the demon prince Orcus, Lord of the Undead.
Others know him as the Honorable Clark A. Peterson, a state magistrate judge in Coeur d’Alene.
The 46-year-old Peterson has posted hundreds of online comments about the fantasy games while at work at the county justice building in his four years as a member of the state’s judiciary.
He is paid $109,300 a year to hear probate matters, divorce proceedings, misdemeanor offenses and other cases in Idaho’s First Judicial District, where magistrates juggle heavy caseloads.
While the past two years have been tumultuous in his personal life – a divorce, bankruptcy filings and thousands of dollars in overdue income taxes – Peterson has remained caught up in the world of role-playing games.
Peterson has been a prolific contributor on the message boards at Paizo.com, a Redmond, Wash.-based publisher of game aids and adventures for Dungeons & Dragons and the spinoff game Pathfinder.
“ I’ve been practicing my goblin voice in anticipation of tonight’s game and I have to admit I suck. It’s like a bad combo of Dr. Doofenschmirtz from Phineas and Ferb meets Yoda.” – Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, 3:08 p.m.
Parties in two civil cases that went before Peterson believe that his hobby, coupled with his financial and marital problems, distracted the judge from his duties, drew out their cases and cost them far more in legal bills than necessary. They also contend that the amount of time the judge spends on message boards and the content of some of his posts – from playful digressions to sexually suggestive banter – fall short of the high standards of conduct expected of judges.
“This activity shows a level of immaturity,” said Michael Tyner, a Loon Lake resident who saw his mother’s probate case stretch out over 13 months in Peterson’s courtroom.
You can read more of the original newspaper story from The Spokesman-Review here.
I don't know Clark personally, but Necromancer Games products were among the things that brought me back to the hobby. Sucks that he's going through this - never knew he was a judge tho'.
Necromancer Games Under Fire?
One of the first companies to take advantage of the Open Gaming License and the d20 System Trademark License was Necromancer Games, under the leadership of Clark Peterson - a popular and generous man, and a good friend to EN World and to the gaming community as a whole. It seems now that Clark has come under a bit of fire because of his gaming connections and how this allegedly conflicts with his job as a judge in Idaho.
The Spokesman Review's Scott Maben has posted an article entitled Kootenai County judge’s job, fantasy game hobby blur together which contains remarks like "Many know him as the demon prince Orcus, Lord of the Undead" and accuses him of, amongst other things, immaturity. It even mentions at one point that "he posts well past midnight" and that on his birthday he posted a message on Paizo's messageboards during his lunchbreak. At one point, a complainant claims that "We don’t know if he’s demon lord in the courtroom or if he’s Judge Peterson in the courtroom".
You can read the rest of the ENWorld article here.
Now for a snippet of the original article:
Judge Clark PetersonOrcusrole-playing games
Clark Allen Peterson is more than just a devoted fan of tabletop role-playing fantasy games.
He has been an entrepreneur and publisher who mentors game designers, heralds product releases from a company he founded, judges design competitions and posts online comments about the intricacies of this make-believe world of monsters, mythical creatures, magic and good vs. evil.
Many know him as the demon prince Orcus, Lord of the Undead.
Others know him as the Honorable Clark A. Peterson, a state magistrate judge in Coeur d’Alene.
The 46-year-old Peterson has posted hundreds of online comments about the fantasy games while at work at the county justice building in his four years as a member of the state’s judiciary.
He is paid $109,300 a year to hear probate matters, divorce proceedings, misdemeanor offenses and other cases in Idaho’s First Judicial District, where magistrates juggle heavy caseloads.
While the past two years have been tumultuous in his personal life – a divorce, bankruptcy filings and thousands of dollars in overdue income taxes – Peterson has remained caught up in the world of role-playing games.
Peterson has been a prolific contributor on the message boards at Paizo.com, a Redmond, Wash.-based publisher of game aids and adventures for Dungeons & Dragons and the spinoff game Pathfinder.
“ I’ve been practicing my goblin voice in anticipation of tonight’s game and I have to admit I suck. It’s like a bad combo of Dr. Doofenschmirtz from Phineas and Ferb meets Yoda.” – Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, 3:08 p.m.
Parties in two civil cases that went before Peterson believe that his hobby, coupled with his financial and marital problems, distracted the judge from his duties, drew out their cases and cost them far more in legal bills than necessary. They also contend that the amount of time the judge spends on message boards and the content of some of his posts – from playful digressions to sexually suggestive banter – fall short of the high standards of conduct expected of judges.
“This activity shows a level of immaturity,” said Michael Tyner, a Loon Lake resident who saw his mother’s probate case stretch out over 13 months in Peterson’s courtroom.
You can read more of the original newspaper story from The Spokesman-Review here.
I don't know Clark personally, but Necromancer Games products were among the things that brought me back to the hobby. Sucks that he's going through this - never knew he was a judge tho'.
HeroQuest 25th Anniversary Kickstarter is No More - Say Hello to "The Doom That Came to the HeroQuest 25th Anniversary Kickstarter"
Big thanks to +Jason Paul McCartan and the rest of the Kicksnarker Community on G+ for sharing this. You really can't make this shit up.
Now I will attempt to interpret the above for my fine readers:
"On 12/7 we will be using a Spanish crowdfunding platform named Verkami. We are doing so because we only have the HeroQuest trademark in Spain (but see below) and or use of it has been challenged by a holder of the trademark in the US. They wanted us to a) license the use of the trademark for our sales in the US and b) give them a written assurance that Hasbro has no issues with us marketing a 25th Anniversary edition of their game. We ignored both requests and they shut down our Kickstarter funding. Boo!"
No fucking idea what this sentence means. It's english, but not...
"Verkami requires us to complete the project or refund the money of supporters. We preferred Kickstarter, where many project creators spend their newly found riches on hookers and blow, but it's no longer an option."
"All those stretch goals we opened up on the Kickstarter side? We'll include them in the base project.'
But wait! There's more!
See, they have a "license" for HeroQuest in Spain, not the trademark. The trademark in Spain belongs to Hasbro's Spanish subsidiary.
Now someone DID apply from the HeroQuest trademark under BOARD GAMES in the US last week - link here
Applying for the trademark does not mean one actually HAS the trademark. I am damn well sure Venable, William Herny Cabell applied for the trademark at the request of Gamezone. edit: Apparently, he is a disbarred attorney. WTG Gamezone! edit edit: The application was filed the same day Kickstarter took down the project - 11/29.
Now, I know there are a refugee sized boatload of fans that want this game and fuck how it gets done, but does anyone reasonably suspect it will get done at this point? I see pure cash grab going on. Full speed ahead and damn the consequences.
I'd sooner give Nystul another bite at the apple then put my money on this.
"On 12/7 we will be using a Spanish crowdfunding platform named Verkami. We are doing so because we only have the HeroQuest trademark in Spain (but see below) and or use of it has been challenged by a holder of the trademark in the US. They wanted us to a) license the use of the trademark for our sales in the US and b) give them a written assurance that Hasbro has no issues with us marketing a 25th Anniversary edition of their game. We ignored both requests and they shut down our Kickstarter funding. Boo!"
No fucking idea what this sentence means. It's english, but not...
"Verkami requires us to complete the project or refund the money of supporters. We preferred Kickstarter, where many project creators spend their newly found riches on hookers and blow, but it's no longer an option."
"All those stretch goals we opened up on the Kickstarter side? We'll include them in the base project.'
But wait! There's more!
See, they have a "license" for HeroQuest in Spain, not the trademark. The trademark in Spain belongs to Hasbro's Spanish subsidiary.
Now someone DID apply from the HeroQuest trademark under BOARD GAMES in the US last week - link here
Applying for the trademark does not mean one actually HAS the trademark. I am damn well sure Venable, William Herny Cabell applied for the trademark at the request of Gamezone. edit: Apparently, he is a disbarred attorney. WTG Gamezone! edit edit: The application was filed the same day Kickstarter took down the project - 11/29.
Now, I know there are a refugee sized boatload of fans that want this game and fuck how it gets done, but does anyone reasonably suspect it will get done at this point? I see pure cash grab going on. Full speed ahead and damn the consequences.
I'd sooner give Nystul another bite at the apple then put my money on this.
How I Go About Blogging - The Secret of the "In Between Times"
We all have it. The moments in time where one has 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 15 minutes away from distractions. On the crapper, in the shower, commuting to work, standing in line, ordering lunch and all the other time killers - this is what I refer to as the "In Between Times". This is when I write nearly all of my blogs posts.
Alright, I don't literally write them then, but I brain storm them, set them up, lay them out and pretty much know where I'm going with it. This way, when I sit down at the computer, the hard work is already done. Five to ten minutes later, it's typed up and hopefully proof-read and I'm posting it up.
Does it always work that way? Hell no. There are times I just sit, looking at the computer screen and go "Fuck me!" Then I walk away.
That being said, my mind is usually mulling something ;)
Alright, I don't literally write them then, but I brain storm them, set them up, lay them out and pretty much know where I'm going with it. This way, when I sit down at the computer, the hard work is already done. Five to ten minutes later, it's typed up and hopefully proof-read and I'm posting it up.
Does it always work that way? Hell no. There are times I just sit, looking at the computer screen and go "Fuck me!" Then I walk away.
That being said, my mind is usually mulling something ;)
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Kickstarter Updates - Quantum Myth & Not So Magical Appendix N Take a Far West Turn
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
I have received shipments from 2 of the 4 Kickstarters in this post. All of the Kickstarters in this post are way past due date.
Oldest of the old - Far West - 11/21 "Completing the layout is taking me longer than I'd hoped for, due to some sort of virulent plague hitting the Skarka household." As of 4 days ago, Gareth is now healthy and back to work. This isn't going to hit a December 2013, which will push it over 2 years past it December 2011 announced release date. How much of that delay is the result of Con Crud and random plagues we may never now, but apparently one needs to account for it while planning a Kickstarter.
Next up is the Quantum RPG - last update was 9/29 - " The past nearly two months have been awful. I've struggled mightily to get the final art pieces in, even going so far as to seek additional art help for Hugo with no positive results. I've hesitated to discuss art struggles as my own writing and design struggles have been significant, but I feel all struggling aspects of this game now need to be discussed, not just my own. At this point, I may have to release the book missing some of the monster art and without a poster map. I seriously hope this doesn't happen, but I can't wait for the art any longer.
Financially, I reached the wall where continuing to work on this game without a paycheck is not possible. I then had to spend time looking for, finding, and then accepting a new part-time job. It's not exactly the sort of job I want to shout to the roof tops, but it pays the bills. It also takes a great deal of time away from what I want to be working on (the game), but after the "busy period" I'm in right now at work ends in a few weeks, things to will settle back down to where I can crush the remaining chapters." Quick summary - I've spent the money and now need to work a real job. I can't pay for the art and I've run out of ideas and excuses to stall. I asked Nystul for more advice and he had none to give except "avoid all social media". Maybe I'll just try to fade away and not log into Kickstarter ever again.
Myth & Magic Player's Guide - where the fuck should I start? The 9/26 update claiming that 99% of the backers had shipments coming within 14 days. the 10/23 update where he failed to acknowledge that 99% of backers had not received their packages 28 days later? My hounding of him until he posted my name and shipping info in the comments section f the Kickstarter and then promptly sent my book. Or perhaps today's update, where it seems he claims that not everyone got their stuff because of a postal screw up?
"My apologies, but the holiday and end-of-year season takes everything out of me. Sort of the name of the game in tax and trust/estate law -- not to mention the home-front craziness.
I have a lot of returned mailings to send out, mostly wrong addresses, some mailings that slipped through the cracks, and a lot of international mailings. Everything will get done by or right after the holidays. The list grows and of course so too does everything else in my life at this time of year. I generally take a week right after the holidays to decompress so that will provide me the time necessary to punch it out."
Read the comments section of this Kickstarter - it's an eye opener. A few angry assholes is just that, but many angry assholes means someone is a major screwup
Appendix N - I'm still getting emails from folks asking how I got my stuff in June and now it's december and they don't have theirs. I don't have an answer (but will include some copies of the first 2 Appendix N adventures in the 12 Days of OSR Christmas Giveaway that kicks off a week from today).
From today's update - "Sorry for the lateness in updating. I will start doing short, weekly updates on Mondays.
My main guy I hired to help me get these modules shipped out found a better second job (more money, but worse hours) a couple of weeks ago, so I am trying to find more help. My day job has kept me working 12-16 hour days recently (with emergencies) and this is why shipping the first batch of modules has slowed down recently.
However, I have much of December off (catching up on unused vacation days), so I have already started picking up the slack. Plus, my three boys have been helping me out too. I have also started packaging the products in a new way that is MUCH faster and it will allow me to ship more each week.
We should be a bit over 50% shipped by the end of next week. I am working at trying to ship around 100 orders a week and I will start posting the weekly numbers in my Monday updates.
Beginning next week, all shipments will now include:
The Ruins of Ramat (Levels 0 & 3 versions), The Vile Worm (Level 1), Three Add-On Adventures (The Golden Orb, Gifts of the Only & The Perplexing Disappearances in Brambury), two detached covers with maps-on-the-back and eight player's handouts on card stock. This will officially give you twice as much as is available in the retail versions. We are keeping track of who has been shipped what (and NOT on index cards), so if you have already received your first shipment, we will include these others in your next shipment.
I am currently working on updating the Dagger Kids RPG screen and text along with my own "DCC-ish" add-on charts and hope to have the pdfs of those to you in early January."
At least John seems to be trying and adding in extras. Not so sure how it makes financial sense for him, but I appreciate the gesture. Please let me know when these enhanced packages start arriving in the wild.
 |
| Where's my book at yo! |
I have received shipments from 2 of the 4 Kickstarters in this post. All of the Kickstarters in this post are way past due date.
Oldest of the old - Far West - 11/21 "Completing the layout is taking me longer than I'd hoped for, due to some sort of virulent plague hitting the Skarka household." As of 4 days ago, Gareth is now healthy and back to work. This isn't going to hit a December 2013, which will push it over 2 years past it December 2011 announced release date. How much of that delay is the result of Con Crud and random plagues we may never now, but apparently one needs to account for it while planning a Kickstarter.
Next up is the Quantum RPG - last update was 9/29 - " The past nearly two months have been awful. I've struggled mightily to get the final art pieces in, even going so far as to seek additional art help for Hugo with no positive results. I've hesitated to discuss art struggles as my own writing and design struggles have been significant, but I feel all struggling aspects of this game now need to be discussed, not just my own. At this point, I may have to release the book missing some of the monster art and without a poster map. I seriously hope this doesn't happen, but I can't wait for the art any longer.
Financially, I reached the wall where continuing to work on this game without a paycheck is not possible. I then had to spend time looking for, finding, and then accepting a new part-time job. It's not exactly the sort of job I want to shout to the roof tops, but it pays the bills. It also takes a great deal of time away from what I want to be working on (the game), but after the "busy period" I'm in right now at work ends in a few weeks, things to will settle back down to where I can crush the remaining chapters." Quick summary - I've spent the money and now need to work a real job. I can't pay for the art and I've run out of ideas and excuses to stall. I asked Nystul for more advice and he had none to give except "avoid all social media". Maybe I'll just try to fade away and not log into Kickstarter ever again.
Myth & Magic Player's Guide - where the fuck should I start? The 9/26 update claiming that 99% of the backers had shipments coming within 14 days. the 10/23 update where he failed to acknowledge that 99% of backers had not received their packages 28 days later? My hounding of him until he posted my name and shipping info in the comments section f the Kickstarter and then promptly sent my book. Or perhaps today's update, where it seems he claims that not everyone got their stuff because of a postal screw up?
"My apologies, but the holiday and end-of-year season takes everything out of me. Sort of the name of the game in tax and trust/estate law -- not to mention the home-front craziness.
I have a lot of returned mailings to send out, mostly wrong addresses, some mailings that slipped through the cracks, and a lot of international mailings. Everything will get done by or right after the holidays. The list grows and of course so too does everything else in my life at this time of year. I generally take a week right after the holidays to decompress so that will provide me the time necessary to punch it out."
Read the comments section of this Kickstarter - it's an eye opener. A few angry assholes is just that, but many angry assholes means someone is a major screwup
Appendix N - I'm still getting emails from folks asking how I got my stuff in June and now it's december and they don't have theirs. I don't have an answer (but will include some copies of the first 2 Appendix N adventures in the 12 Days of OSR Christmas Giveaway that kicks off a week from today).
From today's update - "Sorry for the lateness in updating. I will start doing short, weekly updates on Mondays.
My main guy I hired to help me get these modules shipped out found a better second job (more money, but worse hours) a couple of weeks ago, so I am trying to find more help. My day job has kept me working 12-16 hour days recently (with emergencies) and this is why shipping the first batch of modules has slowed down recently.
However, I have much of December off (catching up on unused vacation days), so I have already started picking up the slack. Plus, my three boys have been helping me out too. I have also started packaging the products in a new way that is MUCH faster and it will allow me to ship more each week.
We should be a bit over 50% shipped by the end of next week. I am working at trying to ship around 100 orders a week and I will start posting the weekly numbers in my Monday updates.
Beginning next week, all shipments will now include:
The Ruins of Ramat (Levels 0 & 3 versions), The Vile Worm (Level 1), Three Add-On Adventures (The Golden Orb, Gifts of the Only & The Perplexing Disappearances in Brambury), two detached covers with maps-on-the-back and eight player's handouts on card stock. This will officially give you twice as much as is available in the retail versions. We are keeping track of who has been shipped what (and NOT on index cards), so if you have already received your first shipment, we will include these others in your next shipment.
I am currently working on updating the Dagger Kids RPG screen and text along with my own "DCC-ish" add-on charts and hope to have the pdfs of those to you in early January."
At least John seems to be trying and adding in extras. Not so sure how it makes financial sense for him, but I appreciate the gesture. Please let me know when these enhanced packages start arriving in the wild.
The Most Complete RPG / OSR Blog List I Have Ever Encountered
+Charles Akins has just completed the most comprehensive list / review of RPG / OSR related blogs that I have ever seen. I will spend the upcoming weekend reading each and every link he has posted on his blog to see what I may have missed previously.
Charles put a lot of work into it, and it shows. Do yourself a favor, your hobby a favor, and go to Charles's blog Dyvers and check the list out.
Do it now.
Really.
I mean it.
Go!
Charles put a lot of work into it, and it shows. Do yourself a favor, your hobby a favor, and go to Charles's blog Dyvers and check the list out.
Do it now.
Really.
I mean it.
Go!
WotC Shows Some AD&D Love in the Next (Online) Issue of Dungeon
Much thanks to Jeff C. for giving me the heads up on this, or I never would have caught it.
Lowdown in Highport is for AD&D. I may have to re-up just for this issue. Didn't WotC publish an AD&D adventure in another recent issue of Dungeon? If I do put my $9.99 down for a month, I plan to grab all of the useful stuff I can...
There Was a Time I Dreamed of Doing a Comic Strip on the Blog...
Yep.
Fairly early on in my "blogging career" I thought of doing a weekly comic strip here on Tenkar's Tavern. Wanted to make it a regular feature. My inspiration? The LotR rekinning that someone had done, because it proved to me you could do it with little or no artistic talent, which was good, as I was in the "no artistic talent" category.
The thing is, grabbing all of those stills from a movie is tedious work, and working them into a coherent retelling of a story even more so. I would have had an easier time doing stick figures, but I doubt I could have done them well (and OoTS takes stick figures to a whole new level).
Now, I know they have that "talking heads" software, where a mechanical voice speaks and the animation is minimal, but is there a program where talentless artistic hacks like me can put together a comic strip?
Not that I would make my blog readers suffer such an indignity - at least not on a regular basis. Irregular on the other hand...
Figured I'd ask. Would have to be simple enough that a 3 year old could do it. Alright, maybe not THAT simple, but you know what I mean ;)
Fairly early on in my "blogging career" I thought of doing a weekly comic strip here on Tenkar's Tavern. Wanted to make it a regular feature. My inspiration? The LotR rekinning that someone had done, because it proved to me you could do it with little or no artistic talent, which was good, as I was in the "no artistic talent" category.
The thing is, grabbing all of those stills from a movie is tedious work, and working them into a coherent retelling of a story even more so. I would have had an easier time doing stick figures, but I doubt I could have done them well (and OoTS takes stick figures to a whole new level).
Now, I know they have that "talking heads" software, where a mechanical voice speaks and the animation is minimal, but is there a program where talentless artistic hacks like me can put together a comic strip?
Not that I would make my blog readers suffer such an indignity - at least not on a regular basis. Irregular on the other hand...
Figured I'd ask. Would have to be simple enough that a 3 year old could do it. Alright, maybe not THAT simple, but you know what I mean ;)
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
What's Your Favorite RPG Cartoon / Comic Strip - Past or Present
Looking over the SnarfQuest Kickstarter got me thinking about all of the cartoon / comic strips that have appeared in various RPG magazines - a type of magazine that is obviously a dying breed these days.
While I really enjoyed SnarfQuest, I think What's New With Phil and Dixie was more memorable with me. Sure, I like the art in Wormy, but the strip made little sense to me.
Now, for a more current comic strip, I'd go with Nodwick, hands down. I'm not sure if anything even comes close - but I'm open to suggestions ;)
Oh, honorable mention to Murphy's Law from the old Space Gamer mag - that shit was spot on most of the times ;)
Kickstarter - Larry Elmore's SnarfQuest: Snarf's New Adventure
I wasn't a big SnarfQuest fan the first few times I read it back in the day, but it quickly grew on me. Elmore's art is the art of D&D for me in so many ways as it graced so many covers of Dragon Magazine and SnarfQuest was a really fun strip.
I should have the Elmore art book from the earlier Kickstarter some time this month and it looks like I'll be adding the new SnarfQuest Kickstarter come payday.
Heck, it's already funded and it's only been up for a day. Looking forward to seeing some of the stretch goals ;)
BTW, Larry was man enough to do a video apology for the fact that his earlier Kickstarter is shipping 4 months late - which is damn near on time in the world of RPG Kickstarters.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Bad Myrmidon - PWYW OSR Sandbox to Benefit Mandy Morbid
Here's the skinny:
Bad Myrmidon is an old-school adventure to benefit Mandy Morbid. All proceeds will go directly to her so that she can continue her battle against Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. A bad Myrmidon, for a good cause!
Cowardly Achilles has hidden his treasures in a temple on the island of Leuke. The undead Sisters of Penthesilea want vengeance, the Myrmidons want to protect the temple, and the Amazons want to kill the Myrmidons.
Outside the temples, forest fires rage in slow-motion; feathered viragos stalk hapless men; madfolk torture and burn each other; and nude cultists preach love, tolerance, and self-mutilation. This island is damned, and those who voyage here are damned as well. But treasure awaits!
+Gennifer Bone and +Wayne Snyder contributed the kickass artwork, +James Raggi wrote an unforgettable hex-crawl encounter, and +Dyson Logos created the glorious new map.
So purchase this kickass module now!
(Info about Mandy and EDS: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/get-mandy-physical-therapy-hip-braces/110938 )
Now, I'm going to include 2 sets of links to DriveThruRPG - one with my affiliate link and one without. It is my understanding that my OBS referral commissions come out of the percentage that OBS takes from sales. I will forward all commissions earned through this fundraiser to +Rafael Chandler
I'll post a review once I've finished reading it. Having skimmed through it quickly, I'm looking forward to giving this a thorough read as it looks damn good.
DRIVETHRURPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/123324/Bad-Myrmidon
AFFILIATE Linky: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/123324/Bad-Myrmidon&affiliate_id=1446
LULU: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/bad-myrmidon/14286243
GenCon Exclusive No Longer Exclusive - Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle Now Available in PDF
Remember back in May when I complained that WotC was releasing the first true print version of D&D Next as a GenCon only release? Well, now Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle is available in PDF for a mere $18.
What do you get for those 18 bucks? A version of the Next rules that was already obsolete when it was sold at GenCon this past summer,
BTW, the print version was $30.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Kickstarter - Amazing or WTF!?! - "Mobile RPG module. Travel-sized Magnetic Role Playing Mod"
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| Why does the box cover on the right look familiar to me, damn it! |
I'd like to send out a big F-U! to +Tim Shorts of the Gothridge Manor blog for pointing me in the direction of the "Mobile RPG module. Travel-sized Magnetic Role Playing Mod." Kickstarter. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, as it has bits of awesome wrapped in WTF-ness.
"Now you can have your Role-Playing Module and travel too! Magnetic game board & walls with maps to offer endless variables for setup.
We believe this Project is unlike anything ever seen in the gaming realm in the past - or present. This project allows the gamer to take his gaming experience with them while mobile. We have never seen anything that crosses all games and even scales as this in the past and believe it would be a great addition to any gamers arsenal."
So, let me get this straight? No one ever brought their books and paper to a friend's house to run a game?
Now, from what I can see, this is a magnetic game board, much like the travel games of chess or checkers one would be given on a long trip to keep you occupied in the back seat.
Heck, the included tokens look like Parcheesi pieces. They are also utterly useless, as they lack any sort of facing. The miniatures being used are too big for the hexes (and are not included). Oh, and wall pieces are not included either - they're extra.
It's got a level of cool though with the box covers. Hell, magnets in general are just cool shit. Then it hits you - where the fuck would you ever use this? Battlemats are more portable if you are into that kind of a game and more practical in the amount of game space they cover. This you'd have to reset for each room or encounter.
"Mobile RPG module. Travel-sized Magnetic Role Playing Mod." fills a niche that few if any need filled. Better you spend your money on a Frog God Grab Bag - at least you'll get some play value out of your spent cash and probably a few "modules" too.
Looking For Signs of Life in Some Overdue Crowdfunded Projects
Has everyone received their Myth & Magic Player's Book? I have mine (and a seriously bad taste in my mouth) but I've gotten emails from folks that are still waiting on theirs.
Has anyone received a hard copy of Champions of Zed?
Appendix N is shipping again but I have only seen one sighting over on The Iron Tavern (I got mineback in June I think, but the copies shipping now have bonus goodies).
Angels, Daemons, and Beings Between: A Patron Sourcebook for DCC RPG is also apparently shipping, but I've yet to find signs of it in the wild.
Quantum RPG - 2 1/2 months, no updates - dead? Hmm, this may be worth a post of it's own.
So, any sightings of the nearly off the radar projects?
Has anyone received a hard copy of Champions of Zed?
Appendix N is shipping again but I have only seen one sighting over on The Iron Tavern (I got mineback in June I think, but the copies shipping now have bonus goodies).
Angels, Daemons, and Beings Between: A Patron Sourcebook for DCC RPG is also apparently shipping, but I've yet to find signs of it in the wild.
Quantum RPG - 2 1/2 months, no updates - dead? Hmm, this may be worth a post of it's own.
So, any sightings of the nearly off the radar projects?
Sunday, December 1, 2013
More on the HeroQuest 25th Anniversary Fiasco, Now From GameZone
Did they really expect to NOT have these issues?
GAMEZONE Communiqué, Saturday 30
We would like to inform you all about the present situation, after the pause of our Kickstarter project by Moon Design P. during the thanksgiving holiday, which is an administrative petition within Kickstarter.
Yesterday, Friday, at the start of the day, U.S. east coast time, we sent a letter to Kickstarter, LINK invoking our legitimate trademark rights so they would deactivate the pause and let us progress in the fund raising campaign. We are waiting for Kickstarter’s reply on this matter.
Simultaneously we, Gamezone and Moon Design P., had a reunion to discuss this issue face to face as and not email exchange as was what was happening up till now.
Moon Design P. solicited the pause in Kickstarter because of fear that Hasbro could act against Gamezone in our crowed funding because we are using an American company on American soil. Their argument was that Hasbro could act against them as well for not impeding us in this project. Even thought they are not in any way included in this project or affiliated with it.
If Kickstarter does not reactivate the pause taking into account our letter ( indicated above in the link), then it can only be reactivated if Moon Design P. asks them to. For Moon Design P. to do so they are asking for two things: An official letter from Hasbro in which it states that they, Hasbro, will neither act against our HQ25th nor Moon Design P. They, Moon Design P., have also demanded a considerable sum and percentages from the Kickstarter project.
If we wait for Hasbro to make a declaration, which we can solicit, weeks or even months could pass. With that our production and creation calendar would be severely affected, as not having the funding to continue the campaign.
If the Campaign does not restart soon, the HQ25th will not be ready for Christmas 2014. It will not be ready to celebrate its anniversary.
There exist 3 possible solutions to this conundrum.
1. Kickstarter reactivates the project attending to our petition
2. Wait for Hasbro to declare that they are not against this crowed funding campaign of HQ25th en Kickstarter (an American Company).
3. Immediately move the crowed funning to a platform within Europe, where no risks of legal repercussions exist.
Option one; we can only wait, we cannot be sure that Kickstarter will lift the pause. We cannot influence their decision any more than we have already.
Option two; Hasbro is not obligated to do anything at all.
Option three; here there is no risk, except of course we will raise less funds, no other platform out there at this moment has the same public pull as Kickstarter.
Why are we telling you this? As our backers, what would you like us to do?
GAMEZONE Communiqué, Saturday 30
We would like to inform you all about the present situation, after the pause of our Kickstarter project by Moon Design P. during the thanksgiving holiday, which is an administrative petition within Kickstarter.
Yesterday, Friday, at the start of the day, U.S. east coast time, we sent a letter to Kickstarter, LINK invoking our legitimate trademark rights so they would deactivate the pause and let us progress in the fund raising campaign. We are waiting for Kickstarter’s reply on this matter.
Simultaneously we, Gamezone and Moon Design P., had a reunion to discuss this issue face to face as and not email exchange as was what was happening up till now.
Moon Design P. solicited the pause in Kickstarter because of fear that Hasbro could act against Gamezone in our crowed funding because we are using an American company on American soil. Their argument was that Hasbro could act against them as well for not impeding us in this project. Even thought they are not in any way included in this project or affiliated with it.
If Kickstarter does not reactivate the pause taking into account our letter ( indicated above in the link), then it can only be reactivated if Moon Design P. asks them to. For Moon Design P. to do so they are asking for two things: An official letter from Hasbro in which it states that they, Hasbro, will neither act against our HQ25th nor Moon Design P. They, Moon Design P., have also demanded a considerable sum and percentages from the Kickstarter project.
If we wait for Hasbro to make a declaration, which we can solicit, weeks or even months could pass. With that our production and creation calendar would be severely affected, as not having the funding to continue the campaign.
If the Campaign does not restart soon, the HQ25th will not be ready for Christmas 2014. It will not be ready to celebrate its anniversary.
There exist 3 possible solutions to this conundrum.
1. Kickstarter reactivates the project attending to our petition
2. Wait for Hasbro to declare that they are not against this crowed funding campaign of HQ25th en Kickstarter (an American Company).
3. Immediately move the crowed funning to a platform within Europe, where no risks of legal repercussions exist.
Option one; we can only wait, we cannot be sure that Kickstarter will lift the pause. We cannot influence their decision any more than we have already.
Option two; Hasbro is not obligated to do anything at all.
Option three; here there is no risk, except of course we will raise less funds, no other platform out there at this moment has the same public pull as Kickstarter.
Why are we telling you this? As our backers, what would you like us to do?
Kickstarter Update - HeroQuest 25th Anniversary Edition - Moon Design's Reasoning on the Suspension of the Project
Huge thanks to Psychman, who just left this as a comment on the blogpost here. I think it needs to be shared to a larger audience, and thus this update:
"This is Moon Design's take on the situation:
Background concerning suspension of Gamezone’s Kickstarter campaign
We want to give some background on the dispute surrounding Gamezone’s Kickstarter campaign to launch a remake of the hybrid board game/roleplaying game originally published by Milton Bradley called “Heroquest”.
Last week, Moon Design petitioned Kickstarter to remove the crowdfunding campaign for Gamezone’s “Heroquest” game. “Heroquest” is the registered US trademark of Moon Design and is the name of our “Heroquest” roleplaying game and assorted products. To allow a game using the same name to be promoted in the United States through Kickstarter without a license would be an unacceptable dilution of our brand and create market confusion to our detriment.
The trademark “Heroquest” is registered by Francis Greg Stafford with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Registration Number 4082281) for use in game book manuals. Moon Design Publications LLC has the exclusive license for use of that trademark. For some time now we have been working on creating a board game called “Heroquest” pertaining to the mythology of Glorantha and an updated version of our Heroquest roleplaying game.
The project by Gamezone, a Spanish game company, proposes to remake a role-playing/board game originally produced by Milton Bradley and Games Workshop in 1989. The project calls their game “Heroquest” which is identical to our registered mark and easily confused with it.
Gamezone initially asked us for use of the Heroquest trademark on July 31, 2013. The next day we asked them if they could provide us with a copy of any written agreement with Hasbro to produce a 25th Anniversary Edition of Hasbro’s board game. Gamezone did not provide us with any written confirmation (and as of this date still has not done so). On August 26, 2013, we informed Gamezone by email that we must decline their request.
Despite being explicitly refused permission to use our trademark, Gamezone went ahead and launched this Kickstarter. As a New York State corporation, Kickstarter is subject to US trademark laws and the use of our trademark in the campaign was a violation of those laws.We told Gamezone that they needed to immediately get a licensing agreement from us (which, among other things, would require that they pay us for the rights to the name since it would mean foregoing our opportunity to release our game using our trademark and to compensate us for that lost revenue).
Gamezone did not get back to us within the period we set, and rather than have this end up in litigation (which could also bring in other parties with IP at stake), we asked Kickstarter to suspend the campaign. We then spoke to Gamezone informing them that we had certain non-negotiable demands for any license agreement, among them a statement that Gamezone has explicit permission from Hasbro to make this game based on their IP. Gamezone has assured us that they can get such permission, but until we see confirmation, we cannot responsibly license our trademark to be used in this Kickstarter campaign.
We sympathize with the fans of the Milton Bradley game who enthusiastically supported this project. We strongly support Kickstarter and the revitalization of old games with a loyal following. However, such activities must be done with the consent of the trademark holder and of any other legal owners of the property."
Big sticking point seems to be the lack of a "statement that Gamezone has explicit permission from Hasbro to make this game based on their IP. Gamezone has assured us that they can get such permission, but until we see confirmation, we cannot responsibly license our trademark to be used in this Kickstarter campaign."
I suspect this is damn near close to dead.
"This is Moon Design's take on the situation:
Background concerning suspension of Gamezone’s Kickstarter campaign
We want to give some background on the dispute surrounding Gamezone’s Kickstarter campaign to launch a remake of the hybrid board game/roleplaying game originally published by Milton Bradley called “Heroquest”.
Last week, Moon Design petitioned Kickstarter to remove the crowdfunding campaign for Gamezone’s “Heroquest” game. “Heroquest” is the registered US trademark of Moon Design and is the name of our “Heroquest” roleplaying game and assorted products. To allow a game using the same name to be promoted in the United States through Kickstarter without a license would be an unacceptable dilution of our brand and create market confusion to our detriment.
The trademark “Heroquest” is registered by Francis Greg Stafford with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Registration Number 4082281) for use in game book manuals. Moon Design Publications LLC has the exclusive license for use of that trademark. For some time now we have been working on creating a board game called “Heroquest” pertaining to the mythology of Glorantha and an updated version of our Heroquest roleplaying game.
The project by Gamezone, a Spanish game company, proposes to remake a role-playing/board game originally produced by Milton Bradley and Games Workshop in 1989. The project calls their game “Heroquest” which is identical to our registered mark and easily confused with it.
Gamezone initially asked us for use of the Heroquest trademark on July 31, 2013. The next day we asked them if they could provide us with a copy of any written agreement with Hasbro to produce a 25th Anniversary Edition of Hasbro’s board game. Gamezone did not provide us with any written confirmation (and as of this date still has not done so). On August 26, 2013, we informed Gamezone by email that we must decline their request.
Despite being explicitly refused permission to use our trademark, Gamezone went ahead and launched this Kickstarter. As a New York State corporation, Kickstarter is subject to US trademark laws and the use of our trademark in the campaign was a violation of those laws.We told Gamezone that they needed to immediately get a licensing agreement from us (which, among other things, would require that they pay us for the rights to the name since it would mean foregoing our opportunity to release our game using our trademark and to compensate us for that lost revenue).
Gamezone did not get back to us within the period we set, and rather than have this end up in litigation (which could also bring in other parties with IP at stake), we asked Kickstarter to suspend the campaign. We then spoke to Gamezone informing them that we had certain non-negotiable demands for any license agreement, among them a statement that Gamezone has explicit permission from Hasbro to make this game based on their IP. Gamezone has assured us that they can get such permission, but until we see confirmation, we cannot responsibly license our trademark to be used in this Kickstarter campaign.
We sympathize with the fans of the Milton Bradley game who enthusiastically supported this project. We strongly support Kickstarter and the revitalization of old games with a loyal following. However, such activities must be done with the consent of the trademark holder and of any other legal owners of the property."
Big sticking point seems to be the lack of a "statement that Gamezone has explicit permission from Hasbro to make this game based on their IP. Gamezone has assured us that they can get such permission, but until we see confirmation, we cannot responsibly license our trademark to be used in this Kickstarter campaign."
I suspect this is damn near close to dead.
Into The Glory Hole Dwarven Mine - It's Not What You Think - Maybe ;)
+Joe D and I alternate campaigns on Saturday nights. Joe will take the reigns with his heavily houseruled LotFP Weird Fantasy Blood Island setting for a few sessions, and then I'll come in with my houseruled Swords & Wizardry Complete in the Wilderlands for a few sessions. It's been working well.
Last night Joe introduced us to the classic Judges Guild module - Glory Hole Dwarven Mine. I think I actually own this and have it packed away. I know this and Srcapfaggot Green were popular choices on the worst named RPG products post I did a while back.
How did we do? Barely a scratch on the party, thanks to a well timed charm spell by one of the casters. It was either that or a potential TPK, as the party is all 1st levels and even a small fire elemental would have turned us to toast.
All hail the hobgoblin that held the controlling stone - charmed, then slept and finally beheaded by my glass-steel axe. Huzzah!