Article @ Reason.com - The Radical Freedom of Dungeons & Dragons

I always enjoy articles that look at the history of Dungeons & Dragons, as they come from differing perspectives. Even the same historical events are seen in a different light. Reason.com's The Radical Freedom of Dungeons & Dragons article is no different.

You might not recognize the name Gary Gygax. But even if you've never rolled a critical fail on a d20, you have almost certainly consumed some movie, TV show, book, comic, computer game, or music influenced by Gygax's most famous creation: Dungeons & Dragons, the world's first and most popular role-playing game. 

The FBI certainly knew who he was. Between 1980 and 1995, agents compiled a dossier on the gaming company TSR Inc. and Gygax, its founder. In 1980, a note on TSR stationary about an assassination plot drew the FBI's attention, leading to a search of the company's offices in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The note turned out to be materials for an upcoming espionage game. 

In 1983, an FBI field report about an investigation into a cocaine trafficking ring in Lake Geneva cryptically references Gygax—but whatever his alleged role was, it has since been heavily redacted by the Bureau. 

The company appears again in FBI reports from 1995, as part of the agency's sprawling investigation into the Unabomber. The FBI was apparently looking into a possible tie between the string of then-unsolved bombings and a bitter legal dispute between TSR and a rival gaming company in Fresno, California. 

In an FBI field report describing the convoluted history of TSR, one source at the company describes the father of role-playing games as "eccentric and frightening," a "drug abuser" who is "known to carry a weapon and was proud of his record of personally answering any letter coming from a prisoner." He would be extremely uncooperative if the FBI tried to interview him, the source warned. 

The report also claims Gygax set up a Liberian holding company to avoid paying taxes and "is known to be a member of the Libertarian Party."

The above is only a small sample of the article linked above.

As for the unnamed source in the FBI field report, I think most anyone with a basic history of Gary's departure from TSR could make an educated guess ;)

The One Page Dungeon Contest has its 10th Anniversary This Year - Are You Entering?

I can't believe the One Page Dungeon Contest has been going for as long as it has. Heck, its been around longer than The Tavern. Go figure ;)

I love going through the previous years winners for those "oh shit!" moments when you need an adventure and have nothing in hand. With One Page Dungeon in your bookmarks, you're never caught unprepared.

Here's the official announcement:

I am thrilled to announce that the creators of the original 2009 One Page Dungeon Contest ChattyDM  and Chgowiz  are returning as judges for the 10th Anniversary of the contest!
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I am equally thrilled to announce that Martin Thomas has also agreed to serve as a judge again, making this his fifth consecutive year supporting the contest!
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Steve Winter has just confirmed he is returning for the ten year anniversary, and this will also be his fifth year serving as a judge!
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Jason Sholtis joins the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest as a judge! -Been trying to get him as a judge for over a year and a half, but schedules never lined up, so super happy to share this news!

The Tavern has offered to contribute to the "Prize Closet" as a sponsor. We are adding one $25 and one $10 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate to the prize pool.

Now accepting submissions/ entries for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

The Deadline for entry submission is May 1st, 2018 by midnight UMT.
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2018 entries must be sent to 1pdcontest@gmail.com

Go to the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest for contest rules.

Thoughts on Kickstarter Roundup / Freebie Friday Regular Weekly Posts

For a while, I was doing weekly postings titled "Kickstarter Roundup". They were usually midweek and had a quick blurb on a half dozen or so gaming related Kickstarters that were actively funding at the time. Some of the projects were also covered by me with individual posts but most were not. It was a good way to peek at projects I otherwise didn't have time to peek at. I'm thinking of bringing that back as a Monday Morning post each week.

I'm also thinking of starting a Freebie Fridays weekly posting, where I link to and include a blurb for each of three to four free / PWYW OSR related releases. Some releases might be old. some might be very recent - all will be free / PWYW.

Oh, and I still need to finish the OSR freebie lists. Work is progressing slowly but surely.

Any other regular weekly features we're missing at The Tavern? Leave your thoughts below. Can't say I can implement all suggestions but I'll see what can be accomplished.

What's More Important: Setting or System?

As I start digging through the current document for Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells (currently funding on Indiegogo) I find myself loving the setting but translating in my head how I would run it with Swords & Wizardry. It's a good system but I find myself wanting to run the supplied setting with a different ruleset.

Heck, I've run DCC RPG adventures with Swords & Wizardry, converting on the fly.

I doubt I'm the only one that does this. Let us know your thoughts on it.

Kickstarter - There and Back Again: An Anthology of Travel and Gaming

You ever come across a Kickstarter and think "Wow, I never would have thought of this. It's amazing!" Yeah, There and Back Again isn't one of those for me. Instead, it's more of an "I don't know what to think of this..."

What we have here is a book aimed at gamers but not about gaming. Instead, its "An anthology of how travel impacts tabletop role-playing games, featuring stars in the RPG industry."

Now, who are those stars, exactly? Eddy Webb, Mikey Mason, Lynn Hardy, Dan Repperger, Jack Norris, John Houlihan, Linda Mercury and Jason Durall. I recognize one name off the bat, a second when you point out there is a podcast host in the mix. I wouldn't exactly call the list stars, but they are certainly involved in the hobby.

What kind of essays are included?

• Adventures, campaign frameworks, and locations inspired by real-world sites people have visited.
• Rules and design notions based on the realities, wonders, trials, and tribulations of travel.
• Personal travel essays relating to gaming and gaming culture. 
• Thoughts and experiences about gaming in different cultures.
• A couple of wild cards that don't fit into any particular category. 

I see a very niche project here. One that probably won't fund. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. It simply is.

As an aside, offering a Facebook mention as a reward isn't much of a reward unless you have thousands of Facebook friends. Even then, not much of a reward.

The creator has five prior Kickstarters, three failed to fund. All book / fiction related. So, does that mean he's willing to take chances or that he doesn't know (or hasn't found) his audience?

Less Than Two Months till Nine Years of The Tavern - What's in the Works for the Future

The end of May - May 31st to be exact, will be the Ninth Anniversary of Tenkar's Tavern. We've come a long way as a community in those years, with a highly successful Facebook Community (nearly 2100 members) and a Discord Community of over 400 very active members. Join us for a Wednesday Night Tavern Chat and see for yourself just how active we are ;)

Not to rest on one's laurels, I have some ideas in the works to show the community how much they are appreciated.

As I've mentioned before, I'd like to start running monthly Roll20 sessions of Swords & Wizardry Light aimed at players both new to the OSR and new to gaming on a whole. The sessions won't be limited to just new players though, but they will be given priority seating. I'd like to kick that off in early May, give or take a week or two.

On the Tavern Chat side of things, I'd like to add a monthly session that is scheduled to accommodate those "across the pond" - the UK and the rest of Europe as well as one for our Aussie and Kiwi friends. So, one month UK friendly, next month "down under" and so forth.

I would also like to set up a once a month "Chew the Shit" session on Discord that would be recorded and released as an audio podcast. This would NOT replace the regular weekly Tavern Chat.

Another new feature I'd like to add is short (5 to 7 minute long) videos released Monday / Wednesday / Friday about various OSR topics that are on my mind that I feel work better spoken as opposed to written. I expect some will very much be "string of consciousness" in nature. This could be very hit or miss but the potential entertainment value could be priceless ;)

So, those are the current plans for the next few months.

Again, thank you all for the support over the years. I appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Deal of the Day - Fever-Dreaming Marlinko (OSR Setting / Adventure)

Today's RPGNow Deal of the Day is Fever-Dreaming Marlinko from the Hydra Collective.

Visit Marlinko, a borderlands city where life takes a strange fever-dream cast, in this 72-page urban adventure fantasy supplement. Part city-setting, part full-blown adventure, Fever-Dreaming Marlinko is a stand-alone companion to the Slavic acid fantasy weirdness of the Slumbering Ursine Dunes. 

What you will find inside: 

• Background and hooks for the city's “four contradas,” city quarters with their own peculiar traditions, sites and even gods.
• Gorgeous isometric city maps by Luka Rejec. Download them for free at full-sized, high resolution here. 
• Two complete dungeon adventure sites.
• Two new players classes (the Mountebank and Robodwarf).
• Chaos Index with escalating events/triggers scattered throughout the city.
• News generator with full news briefs and hooks.
• Tiger-wrestling mini-game.
• Weird nickname generator.
• Section on running scams, hoaxes and grifting activity in a fantasy campaign.
• Carousing system tied into the contrada system.
• A“fair play/pay” guild system for hirelings.

Normally $6.75 in PDF, you can grab a copy of Fever Dreaming Marlinko until tomorrow morning for $2.70.

That's an affiliate link above. Its one of the ways you can "tip your bartender" doing what you were going to do anyway ;)

James Spahn Prices WHITE BOX OMNIBUS at PWYW - PDF, Softcover and Hardcover

"I am once again left flabbergasted by the generosity of the OSR. As a humble thank you to the community which has been so kind to me and in response to the kindness shown to me regarding North Texas RPG Con 2018, I am now pricing the White Box Omnibus at Pay-What-You-Want across all formats; this includes PDF, softcover, and hardcover. Thank you once again to my beloved OSR tribe and their boundlessness of spirit." - James Spahn

Now you can get it all in one place! White Box Omnibus is a compilation of all the material found in White Box Companion, White Box Treasures, White Box Bestiary, White Box Adventures: The Wererat's Well, White Box Adventures: The Wizard's Tower, and White Box Adventures: The Dragon's Hoard. 

But wait, there's more! 

It includes twenty-five pages of new material never before published! Add a two-fisted monk to your adventuring party, experience the power of artifacts from ages past and encounter a plethora of new monsters! 

Bring your Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox campaign together with the Willow Valley Gazetteer! Over twenty pages of brand new material detailing the region where all these adventures are set. Easy to drop into any campaign, it'll add depth to the featured adventures and provide hooks for even more sword & sorcery thrills! Brave the Swamps of Sithiss or explore the Stoneaxe Citadel! Visit the halflings of Burrowmoor and help the citizens of Willowford find peace!
Over 130 pages of Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox fun! 

Softcover comes to $3.57 minimum and hardcover is $9.18 minimum. That is cost.

That's an affiliate link above. Keep the taps flowing at The Tavern by purchasing through our affiliate links. We thank you. 

Revisiting the Halfling Brewmaster for Swords & Wizardry Complete

About 5 1/2 years ago I wrote four halfling centric classes for Swords & Wizardry Complete. The plan was to do the same for the other core races - dwarves and elves, but the publisher at the time never went forward with the plans.

In any case, I'm looking at the classes I wrote and figure they need some updating, so update I shall.

Halfling Brewmaster

For many halflings, seeking spiritual guidance goes hand in hand with a trip to the local brewery. Beer is considered not just a drink to quench one’s thirst, but a true gift from the gods. As such, Halfling brewmaster’s aren’t just brewers of beers and ale, but men and women of a higher calling and faith. As halflings are fond of saying "if you can’t put your faith in a good beer, what can you trust?"

Brewmasters can be found serving the faithful in small villages and even halfling communities in larger cities. Non-halflings appreciate the tasty brews, often failing to note that the brewer of such beer and ale serves a higher purpose.

Always on the search for new recipes and strains of hops, young brewmasters can sometimes be found in parties of adventurers of various races, as the desire for a fresh brew while away from civilization is something they can often satiate.

Prime Attribute: Wisdom 13+ (+5% experience bonus)
Hit Dice: 1d6/level (gains 1hp/level after 9th)
Fights as a Cleric of the same level
Armor: Any, can use a shield
Weapons Permitted: Mace, Hammer, Staff, Club, Sling, and Short Bow

Level XP Required for Level Hit Dice (d6) Saving Throw
1          0 1         15
2 1750 2         14
3 3500 3         13
4 7000 4         12
5   14000 5         11
6   28000 6         10
7   56000 7           9
8 110000 8           8
9 190000 9           7
10 270000                                             9+1 hp   6
11 340000                                           +1 hp/level  5
12+ +70000 per level                                          4

Brewmaster Class Abilities:

Master Brewer - The Halfling Brewmaster is a master brewer of beers and ales.  When not adventuring he can supervise the brewing of 5 gallons of ale/beer per level per month. Such supervised ale/beer will not spoil or go sour during the brewing process.

Blessed Brew- the Halfling Brewmaster can bless one pint of brew (ale or beer) per level per day. Such Blessed Brew must be consumed within one day per level of the Brewmaster that blessed for it to be effective. Blessed Brew adds +1 to all saves for 24 hours to any that drink at least one pint of Blessed Brew. Drinking more than one pint of Blessed Brew within 24 hours does not have an additional effect.

Turn Undead - Starting at 2nd level, Halfling Brewmasters turn undead as a Cleric one level lower.

Cast Spells - Starting at 2nd level, Halfling Brewmasters cast spells as a Cleric of the same level. (use cleric number of spells table page 11 S&W Complete)

New Spells:

Homestead Blessing

Spell Level - Cleric 2 / Druid 1 / Brewmaster 1

Range - 100' radius per level of the caster

Duration - 1 Year

This spell is used to bless a home or farm. Blessed homes gain a +2 save vs fire and severe weather (winds, floods, etc). Occupants of the blessed homes receive a +1 to all saves while in the blessed home.

Lands surrounding the home and within the radius of the spell are more fertile and are able to withstand drought and pests a bit better than unblessed lands. Blessed farmland will yield 10% greater crops than unblessed farmland.

The material component is a pinch of dirt from consecrated ground, usually from a local church affiliated with the caster.

Brewer's Best

Spell Level - Cleric 2 / Druid 2 / Magic-User 2 / Brewmaster 1

Range - Touch

Duration - Immediate

This spell turns 2 pints (1 quart) of water per caster level, drinkable or not, into a decent beer or ale of the caster's choice. A pinch of hops and a pinch of yeast for a pale ale or lager type, and optional pinches for other types of brew (casters may experiment or research other types). This is an effective way to turn stale water into sanitary beer.

OGL

Uncle Matt's D&D Studio and Jordoba Livestream Patreons are Looking for Backers - Join the Cool Kids

+Matt Finch has two Patreons - one for Uncle Matt's D&D Studio and another for his Jordoba livestreams. If you like interviews with creatives in the Old School Gaming community and beyond in addition to game theory, Uncle Matt's D&D Studio is an easy choice to back. Interested in livestreamed RPG sessions with a unique camera perspective? You probably want to back Jordoba. I've got them both covered with a $35 monthly pledge ;)

Below is an explanation by Matt as to the current plans for both Patreons:

I'm trying to round up a few more patrons for the patreons at patreon.com/Jordoba (the games) and patreon.com/unclematt (the channel and website) because I'm going to do another patrons-only livestream on Friday. As an example of communication with the patrons, here is the most recent post made to the channel's patreon forum: 

For the first post on the Uncle Matt's D&D Studio patreon, first of all, thank you for your help in keeping the channel on the air! 

This is my to-do list for this week on the channel's behalf, and it's kind of an aspirational set of goals, but probably workable. 

Today (Wed): I am editing three of the game videos for sound quality and to remove long pauses from the livestream versions. Then uploading them, which is a long process. One of the things all of you have helped to fund is a faster bandwidth for the studio's modem, which is pretty important not only for uploading these videos (an hours-long process) but also for reducing sound and video glitches when recording interviews in a Google hangout. This is a monthly cost that I couldn't have incurred without your help. 

I also plan on running a Patron-only livestream on Friday for all of you to advise me and give me feedback on the channel's quality, which means that I'm going to start a bit of a drive for new patrons today so I can have as many people as possible joined up by the time of the livestream. 

Thursday: I'm recording an interview with Bill Silvey for the next Thursday conversation on Uncle Matt's D&D Neighborhood, I'm releasing the conversation with Skeeter, and I'll be organizing the publication side of the project so I can begin to put pdfs in your hands and also to start up the project's publishing page. I'll also be updating the Episode Guides on the website, which I can't finish until I've uploaded the edited videos (Wednesday's job). 

Friday: I'll run the patron-only livestream and hopefully I'll be able to post up some pdf resources if I'm caught up with Thursday's goal.
Saturday is usually terrain day, since I try to have at least one "signal" piece of terrain made for each game, whether that's a statue or a distinct wall, or a scary door. These are great because they GET Skeeter every single time, and I love the reactions.  

Sunday: Same as Saturday because usually I spend time with Ian Finch on one day or the other. 

Monday and Tuesday: final prep for the games and run the games. 

So that's the plan! In order to get as many people onto the Friday patron-only livestream, it would be great if all of you could share around your opinions about the Patreon so far. People may not realize how much I depend on patrons for advice, and how much it costs - in addition to the monthly bandwidth increase I've just bought a 3D printer to make more stable snap-together terrain for the games, I bought a piece of art to use in videos, and we've always got the cost of the server for the website.

Reminder - Tavern Chat - 9 PM Eastern - Where the Deals are Done

You literally never know who is going to be logged into Tavern Chat or what topics are going to come up or what deals are going to be made. Last week was really special on all fronts - who knows what this week holds?

What is Tavern Chat?

Tavern Chat is a weekly hangout of Old School Gaming folks - some well known. We chat in The Tavern's Discord Server as well as a text chat channel. You don't need to participate in the voice chat if you don't want to, but if you can, I strongly encourage you to at least listen to the voice chat. It's been likened to an unscripted live podcast with audience participation. Seriously, its a lot of fun.

The link:

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Indiegogo - Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells (SciFi / Fantasy / Space Opera / Swords & Sorcery)

Swords & Sorcery & Space Opera? Oh my!

It’s science fiction, it’s fantasy, it’s space opera, it’s sword and sorcery, it’s post-apocalyptic. It’s all that and more, mixed up and packed together. In this game the party can be composed of knights of a mystical tradition, space pilots, cyber hackers, smugglers running from space authorities, barbarians from a primitive world, engineers and inventors, students of the lost and dangerous art of cosmic spells, or anything in between all this. In this universe, technology is advanced but the great accomplishments of it were lost in a glorious past. Sorcery is real and is wielded by terrible despots. It is also feared by most of the species, being the main reason why the old glorious days are over. Planets and sectors have many different cultures, most of them are now divisive and belligerent, led by these Sorcerer-Emperors. It’s sword and sorcery in space and with some cosmic horror thrown in.

The above pretty much sold me. Don't get me wrong, Diogo Nogueira does good work. Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells, upon which Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells builds upon, is an excellent ruleset. I just expect SB&CS to bring it all up to Eleven.

The gonzo artwork fits the premise perfectly. And of course, it has that Old School spirit:

Although not directly related to an old game, Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells was designed to be played with the same spirit and style. All the principles of the classic A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming by Matt Finch apply to this game (and if you don't know about A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming, you should google it), although this is not a proper Retroclone. It does take inspirations and is based on many games that are (and some that are not), and other actual Old School games. However, to avoid the controversy of calling itself an Old School Game, Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells calls itself a game with Old School Spirit.

PDF buy-in is $10. Soft Cover at cost coupon code and PDF is $15 (fulfilled by DriveThruRPG) Hardcover at cost coupon code and PDF is $20. There are levels for limited covers and multiple at cost coupons, but these are your sweet spots I think. Did I mention its already funded? Stretch goals include paying those doing the work more for the work they are doing, an admirable stretch goal. I'd like to see an artless free version myself ;)

Far West - Releasing 2018 - Is Gareth a Day Late with his April Fools Joke?

Timeliness has never been one of Gareth's strengths. For a game, Far West, that was due in backers hands in December of 2011, a date set by a supposedly professional writer and publisher (an "Icon in the industry"), promising 2018 via Twitter on the day after April Fools is not all that promising.

Note, he hasn't posted an update on the Kickstarter in 11 months.

I call shenanigans!

Thanks to +Eric Franklin for the heads up.

TSR Alumnus Laura Roslof Passed Away this Afternoon After a Battle with Cancer

As reported over at Sanctum Secorum, Laura Roslof, widow of Jim Roslof, passed away this afternoon after a battle with cancer. It was her second battle with cancer. Laura was 70 years old.

Laura's Facebook page is linked below if you wish to add condolences:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010574327151&lst=1181830933%3A100010574327151%3A1522718431

The above art by Laura was in the recalled version of B3, Palace of the Silver Princess.

Kickstarter - The Dragon Heresy Introductory Set Fantasy RPG (built off of the 5.1 SRD)

"Explore and conquer in a Norse-inspired land with Dragon Heresy, an SRD5.1 Fantasy RPG. Secure your place in the sagas, or die trying!"

I've been following +Douglas Cole 's Dragon Heresy project for a while now and it's exciting to see it come to life.

In the Dragon Heresy Introductory set, you will find everything required to create your hero, play the game, and challenge fearsome foes.   

Venture forth under the eyes of the Aesir. Put your skill, strength, and sacred honor to the test. Find horror and death, or rise to take your place among the jarls of Torengar.   

Go forth and stake your claim. Your saga starts here.

Doug does Kickstarter right. You can tell he is a project manager by trade as everything is done like clockwork. What do I mean? Writing and layout are already done :)

So, what makes Dragon Heresy different?

Dragon Heresy builds off of the excellent SRD5.1 game engine, but with adjustments and additions made to match the feel of the setting and provide more nuance to combat and struggle. 

• Division of HP into wounds and vigor for a more coherent treatment of rest and injury
• Shields are way, way cooler, providing active defense using your reaction, and protection against missile weapons and other swift attacks not available to melee-only fighters
• Enhanced use of existing mechanics to add nuance and risk to combat, especially exhaustion and reactions
• The ability to aim and evaluate, make a called shot, and rules to ensure long-reach spear-fighters are a force to be reckoned with
• Grappling rules that don’t suck! Dragon Heresy originated the rules that became Dungeon Grappling
• The changes in the rules have been painstakingly rippled through the rules for monsters and spells, updating each where appropriate

I'm looking forward to giving these rules a proper workout.

As for where your money goes when you back:

The Dragon Heresy project has been underway for the better part of two years, and substantial pre-investment has been made to bring the book to its current state. So what's left?

• Final Editing - getting an SRD5.1-aware editor on board for a final check of wording, grammar, and rules consistency
• Indexing - A great book deserves a great index.
• Remaining Art Spaces - there are a few art holes that need to be filled
• Printing (covered by your pledge) and Shipping (which will be done in Backerkit)

That's really it. Backers at the Berserker and higher levels ($5 and more) will receive preliminary, playable copies of their electronic files the day the Kickstarter funds settle. 

$20 for the PDF level, $50 for the B&W print plus PDF and $100 for the glorious color plus PDF.

I'm in at $50.

Oh, almost forgot. There is a $500 backers level. If I thought Rach wouldn't kill me it's DAMN tempting:

Skjald-hirð 

A shield-bearer of the elite guard! Join the huscarls of Torengar, and get a shield to go with it! 

At this pledge level, in addition to a color copy of the game, I will also build for you a custom-constructed viking shield. It will be made of aspen planks, butted together with hide glue, to historical dimensions. 

Custom-spec the size (half your height recommended) to an upper limit of about 35.5". Hand-carved oak handle, goatskin edging, and linen stitching. Painted with colors and symbology from the game. 

I make these myself and have made a dozen in a week's time before; I am not worried about getting them made. These shields are suitable for historical re-creation martial arts training but not for re-enactment. Contact me for details if you're curious. 

The shield will be very expensive to ship and will only ship inside the USA. Cost is listed as zero, but will be charged in Backerkit.

 

RPG Industry News - Easter Sunday, 2018

Wow! It's a busy time here in the RPG Industry. Spring is here and oh boy, do we have news to share.

ENWorld announced its latest release in its series of W.O.I.N line of RPG releases. L.O.I.N. will be releasing just in time for Gen Con. When asked by this intrepid reporter for more information on his L.O.I.N. release, Morrus simply smirked and pointed towards his pants.

Gareth Sharka made news with the announcement of his Further West RPG via a series of Twitter postings. Further West will replace the still unreleased Far West for Kickstarter backers. It will be written via a series of 280 character tweets. As Gareth stated via Twitter: "I know I can maintain my Twittering many times a day and I think it will work well for RPG writing." Gareth will commence writing the new RPG after recovering from his latest relapse of Con Crud.

#ConManKen embraced the Easter Holiday at his Little Monsters Games & Comics Shop in Sumerset KY this weekend. Offering to teach kids how to paint Easter Eggs for the small fee of $15 for the 30-minute class (children must supply their own eggs and coloring material) and $20 for a signed photo with the Easter Bunny ($15 unsigned). Walking Dead memorabilia was on sale for 25% off this weekend. In Ken's own words: "That Christ guy, he rose from the dead. He musta walked from his tomb. So, we kinda see him as a kindred spirit to the Walking Dead."

Gail Gygax announced last week that would be a significant delay in the unveiling of the Gygax statue. Apparently, someone mistook "inches" to mean "10' squares". The unveiling of the now Giant Sized Gary Gygax statue will be moved to Arizona dependant upon the GMF getting a suitable acreage donation. Bricks will go on sale soon.

Paizo revealed last week that it felt underserved by the ENWorld Community's lackluster support of Pathfinder 2.0. As such, they've decided to go forward with their own GleeMax 2.0 community, powered by Web 2.0. A source at Paizo stated "If we can borrow from the success of D&D 5e for our Pathfinder reboot, why not snag WotC's failure of a community and see what we can make of that. Besides, we know online. Just look at Pathfinder Online and the smashing success it's been".

That's all of the news for this week folks. We'll be listening for more news to keep you "in the loop on all the poop".

Yes, it's an April Fools posting for those that didn't already guess ;)

No More Critiquing, Sarcasm or Negative Posting at The Tavern

Due to the (minor) blowback from last night's Kickstarter post, we will no longer be allowing the following to appear in ANY posts here at The Tavern:

Critique - while critiquing may have beneficial results for the community as a whole, someone may get their underwear in a knot. Even worse, someone may get hurt feelings. So, no more. Everything is awesome. As an aside, the half dozen or so Kickstarter creators that reach out to me each month for critique and feedback - sorry to be a buzzkill, but I can't help anymore. That's okay though, I'm sure everything is awesome.

Sarcasm - yep, no more sarcasm. I'll just flat out tell you exactly how I feel about something unless its...

Negative - again, no more negativity. Everything is awesome. That which isn't awesome will not be shared, but since everything is awesome that won't be an issue.

As for last night's post - its a Kickstarter about Zombies, so it must be AWESOME!