Tenkar's Tavern: Of One Page Fanzines (Guest Poster Tony T)

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Of One Page Fanzines (Guest Poster Tony T)

Never Too Young

In my younger years, one of the best thrills each month was to open the mailbox to discover the latest
issue of Dragon or Dungeon magazine waiting for me. Back then, there was no worry about bills; only the discovery of the newest spell, magic item, or place to take a side adventure to and conquer the evil.

Recently, I discovered the one page zine called the Tolling of the Great Black Bell by +Christian Walker . I ordered an issue and a few days later open the mailbox and there I am again some thirty plus yearsago with excitement to see what awaits inside.

This zine stoked the muse inside of me and now I have started my own venture into the world of one page zines. I believe there such a great idea to reap some new into a long-running campaign. Take a break and do a one page quest of some sort before you continue on in saving the realm.

So I encourage my fellow RPG friends to support these authors in their contribution to our hobby. They are doing this because they hope you'll open that mailbox and for just a few moments, you'll forget about the bills and the stress of this adult life.

Tony T.

Here is a current list of the authors and their zines:

http://thegreatblackbell.blogspot.com/
+Christian Walker  The Tolling of the Great Black Bell

http://swordplusone.blogspot.com/
+Mike Davison   Boarding Action

http://www.msjx.org/p/the-ten-foot-pole-opz.html
+matt jackson  Ten Foot Pole

http://goblinminimart.com/dark-ruins-adventure-mini-zines/
+Wayne Snyder  Dark Ruins

http://outpostowlbear.blogspot.com
+Tony T  Outpost Owlbear

1 comment:

Venger SatanisSeptember 6, 2015 at 11:34 PM
Such a cool idea! The format allows creators to really go all out. Good luck on your one-page zines, everyone. My orders will be coming soon. ;)

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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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Sunday, September 6, 2015

Of One Page Fanzines (Guest Poster Tony T)

1 comment:

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