Far West - Coming in 2019 - Maybe?

I know. I know. There are a handful of "Leave Garth Alone!" folks out there in the wilds. "Just let the man work in peace!" Sorry, fuck that noise. This shit was due back in December of 2011.

Now, here I sit, seven years later and 150 bucks poorer, and guess what?

Gareth is, if nothing else, consistent in his lateness and excuses.

RPGNow Deal of the Day - The Spire - System Neutral Setting/Dungeon

Today's Deal of the Day at RPGNow is The Spire, a system neutral setting book from Simon Forster. The Spire clocks in at 168 pages and is priced at 6.64 (normally 12.66)

The Spire. A towering edifice a mile high and nearly a third wide at its base. This conical spike pierces the fertile soil of a small valley, standing before a narrow pass that cuts through the Perilous Mountains. From a distance the Spire is as black as night, but upon close inspection it is made of dark volcanic glass, seamless. Openings lead inside, to dark levels that rise high, stretching from its Roots and the obsidian tunnels that criss- cross underground, to an interior garden and woodland. Higher still are levels where water is collected from rainfall, feeding a waterfall that waters the woods inside; excess rainfall cascades down the sides of the Spire, pooling around its base to form a small lake and a river that flows down through a gully below.
The Spire is a system-neutral setting/dungeon and settlement set in and around a cone of obsidian that holds dungeon levels reaching up into the sky. This 168-page PDF/book contains an overview of the setting, details of the town and key buildings, details of the Spire itself and the thirteen levels that make up its structure, and notes on factions within the dungeon and town. 

Most locations are on two-page spreads, one page holding the map, the other the map text. Some go over several pages, usually 'tables' of loot, information, interesting characters. 

Sections

• Contents
• Introduction
• Shadow-Under-Spire
• Church of the Aspirants
• Church of Consumption
• Church of the Bold
• The Black Oak
• Guildhall
• Pilgrim's Rest
• All-Seeing Eye
• The Offal Pit
• Dead Man's Rise
• Gloaming Forest
• Factions
• Index

Spire Levels

• Roots
• Common Crypts
• Aspirants Crypts
• Haunted Dormitories
• Infested Workshops
• The Gardens
• The Iridescent Falls
• The Rain Gods
• Purgatory
• Chambers of the Maestro
• The Wind Watchers
• The God in Amber

Affiliate links keep the taps flowing and the lights on at The Tavern. I thank you in advance :)

State of The Tavern - 2019 is Going to be Amazing :)

There is so much in motion for 2019 for all things Tavern related. I'm going to spill some beans below after I fall on the sword and explain why things have fallen behind here at The Tavern as 2018 winds down - family responsibilities and a fairly full plate otherwise. Interviews, podcasts, doc appointments, physical therapy, some serious uncle duties, family "Uber" - it all means less time for other things on my plate - like keeping OSR Christmas up to date, catching up on emails and all of the other fun stuff. Hopefully starting tomorrow I get to play catch-up and get ahead of the ball going into 2019. And yes, OSR Christmas will extend into 2019.

What's coming up in 2019?

Here, on the blog side of things, we should (hopefully) be transitioning to more of a community driven blog. Yes, I'll still be blogging daily, but the hope is to invite others to post under The Tavern's general banner too, while also giving them full control over their blogs. The Tavern wouldn't only be hosting my thoughts but that of others. More on that as we get closer (and I figure out exactly how to accomplish such).

On the podcast side, we have 45 Designers & Makers that are "on the grid" to be interviewed over at The Tavern Chat Podcast and that number is growing almost on a daily basis. 219 daily episodes and going strong.

How about the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server? 2019 is going to be huge. In addition to the weekly Frog Talk and Tavern Chat hangouts, the Sunday morning Breakfast Club will be recording their episodes and sharing it as a weekly podcast. Can't make Sunday mornings because of sleep / church / family responsibilities? Not a worry - we'll have you covered. The RPG Breakfast Club has been likened to the various panels you might see (or listen to) at conventions - but weekly.

Need more scheduled programming? The Dungeon Show will be kicking off on Monday evenings in January. It will be an interview show featuring live guests. In February we should see the kicking off of RPG Coast to Coast. It will have a similar format to the RPG Breakfast Club but on Thursday evenings. More details as we get closer.

Are you a Designer and/or Maker of RPGs? Our "secret" Networking Club is available for you on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server. Just PM Tenkar or Pexx for more information and to get the proper access.

There's more in the works, but this is what is slated for early 2019...

Link to The Tavern Chat Podcast:  https://anchor.fm/tavernchat

Link to the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server:  https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

OSR Christmas - Day Six - Only Halfway Through? Oh My!

Here we go with Day Six of OSR Christmas. Print books can only be delivered in the US with this gift pool, digital can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1 Dragon Heresy in Print from Gaming Ballistic (US Only)

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of The Hero's  (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games)

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games)

6) 1 PDF Copy of The Sentinel Chapel (DQ / System Neutral) 

7) Undying Orb in Print from Silver Bullett (US Only)

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Saturday, December 22nd, 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern (so comment before), we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December (and definitely into January too)

Note - If you live outside the US and get picked for a Print gift, I will substitute a $5 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate and the print prize will go back in the pool.

Note 2 - Anything shipping from me (Tenar) won't be shipping until after Christmas

Note 3 - I've fallen behind on emails again. Tomorrow, hopefully, will be catch up time.

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
2 copies Undying Orb in Print
PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

For those wondering about the OSR Patches:

Reminder - Tavern Chat Tonight - 9 PM Eastern - Get Your Yap On :)

Tonight is a Wednesday Night, and that means Tavern Chat. Wanna talk with other gamers and members of the gaming industry? You never know who will drop into Tavern Chat.

When? 9 PM Tonight until...

Where? The Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server  https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Day Five of OSR Christmas - Awarding the Gifts

Here we go with awarding the gifts for Day Five of OSR Christmas. Let's see who gets what today:

1) 1 Box of Random Shit from the Tenkar Book Collection (TSR Era Fiction) - US Only - Robert Morris

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood - B|X Rules

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore - jscifert

4) 1 PDF Copy of White Star Galaxy Edition (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games) - Jan Egil Bjune

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games) - Mike Bauer

6) 1 Print Copy of Dragon Heresy (Gaming Ballistic) - US Only - Michael S

7) PDF Copy of The Sentinel Chapel (DQ / System Neutral) - Josh Beckelhimer

If your name is above, email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. Put "OSR Christmas Gift" in the subject.  If you are receiving a physical gift I'll need a physical shipping address I can forward on (or use myself). If the gift is digital, I will need the email you use with DriveThruRPG. Day Six of OSR Christmas should go up tomorrow. It's a busy time of year and I am behind on emails again. Anything coming from me - that I need to ship - won't be shipping until after Christmas. Yes, OSR Christmas will be running past the 25th :)

Huge Amazon Sale on D&D 5e - Get Some Stocking Stuffers (Stone Giant Sized Stockings ;)

Yep, Amazon has a huge sale on D&D 5e books, with coupons and sales that stack. This list was compiled by Sean Fannon over at ComicBooks.com, so if you want to put some coins in Sean's pocket, follow this link:  https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/12/17/dungeons-and-dragons-book-mega-sale/?fbclid=IwAR0a4ty_JSBkhTnxyXp0iBN-8dojlmerFUu9u_1N56dyCJkjtSsBk14tPZI

The following links will put coins in The Tavern's coffers (Sale ends Dec 21st):

1. Player's Handbook: $17.74 with GIFTBOOK18

2. Dungeon Master's Guide: $13.85 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

3. Monster Manual: $14.02 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

4. Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: $11.97 (it is eligible for GIFTBOOK18 if the total book purchase is over $20)

5. Xanathar's Guide to Everything: $13.67 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

6. Waterdeep Dragon Heist: $13.98 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

7. Dungeon of the Mad Mage: $23.28 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

8. Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica: $14.02 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

9. Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes: $14.02 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

10. Volo's Guide to Monsters: $13.85 with GIFTBOOK18 and 10% coupon

11. Art & Arcana Special Edition: $68.23 with GIFTBOOK18 (we've seen better deals on this one - might be best to wait)

12. Art & Arcana Standard Edition: $25.87 with GIFTBOOK18

Shit, at these prices I might NEED a D&D 5e collection...

Remember, purchases made on links via this page go to support The Tavern. Keep the lights on and the taps flowwing with your help :)

Bundle of Holding - Adventures in Middle-Earth (5e)

Bundle of Holding has had some decent bundles recently. Adventures in Middle-Earth is a very decent bundle.

17 bucks get you the Player's Guide and two supplements. 28 bucks add in the Loremaster's Guide and another two supplements.

If you want to play in Middle-Earth using rules that are a bit more familiar to an old-school gamer (they are built off the 5e rules) Adventures in Middle-Earth is a damn good option.

The Tavern Chat Podcast - Weekly Roundup - December 8th thru December 15th, 2018

Last week was a busy week in the Tenkar household. We started with a stomach virus at the beginning of the week and finished it with three birthdays in the end. All that and we kicked off the Designer's and Makers series of interviews on The Tavern Chat Podcast. Woot!

E207 - Podcast Nominations at ENWorld and some Minor Rants
Published on Dec 9, 2018
ENWorld is looking for nominations of the Best Podcasts of 2018. I rant a bit about the LotFP Referee Book and Far West, then look at the POD of the AD&D 2e rulebooks on DriveThruRPG.

E208 - 52.5 Million G+ Accounts Exposed to Private Data Breach Bug, Shutdown Moved Up to April 2019
Published on Dec 10, 2018
Google has proven to be an unreliable custodian of personal data, with 52.5 million accounts' personal data exposed.

E209 - Episode Zero of Designers & Makers - Wherein Your Bartender Interviews Himself ;)
Published on Dec 11, 2018
We'll be kicking off the Designers& Makers series of interviews in the next couple of days, but to prepare folks for what's in store, I asked myself (and answered) the five questions that will be asked of all. These are not the be all and end all of the questions, but simply a common baseline. Enjoy :)

E210 - Designers & Makers #1 - Interview with Michael "BadMike" Badolato (NTRPG Con/Frog God Games)
Published on Dec 12, 2018
Today we kick off the Designers & Makers series of interviews (with about 40 interviews currently on the grid over the next three months). Michael "BadMike" Badolato has the notoriety of being our first guest in the series. BadMike is one of the main guys behind the NTRPG Con, works for Frog God Games and does his own business selling old school games on eBay. Join us as BadMike answers "Ths Five Questions" after which we free range a bit ;)

E211 - Hawk the Slayer - I Finally Watched from Beginning to End
Published on Dec 13, 2018
Yep, apparently I never actually watch Hawk the Slayer in its entirety until this morning. You can find it to stream on Amazon (3 bucks to rent / 10 to buy) Its a fun movie so long as you go into it accepting its limitations - low budget, poor acting, lame special effects, and a horrid script. Pass me the beer and popcorn please!

E121 - Follow up to Hawk! News - New D&D Show Starring Daredevil’s Deborah Ann Woll
Published on Dec 14, 2018
Tim Shorts calls the podcast. Designers & Makers Networking Group kicks off on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server. Daredevil’s Deborah Ann Woll to headline a new D&D show for streaming. New drama, same drumbeat.

E213 - Designers & Makers - I Talk with Tom Knauss (Writer/Freelancer/Frog God Games)
Published on Dec 15, 2018
On today's episode of the Tavern Chat Podcast, I talk sit down across the virtual table with Tom Knauss, best known for his work as a writer for Frog God Games. We talk RPGs, art, Hawk the Slayer and more ;)

OSR Christmas - Day Five - A Box of Random TSR Era Fiction from the Tenkar Fiction Collection - and Much More!

Here we go with Day Five of OSR Christmas. Print books can only be delivered in the US with this gift pool, digital can all be delivered worldwide. Let's see what's in the mix today:

1) 1 Box of Random Shit from the Tenkar Book Collection (TSR Era Fiction) - US Only

2) 1 PDF Copy of The Midderlands from MonkeyBlood

3) 1 Bundle of OSR Patches from Thad Moore

4) 1 PDF Copy of White Star Galaxy Edition (James Spahn / Barrel Rider Games)

5) 1 PDF Copy of the World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" (Stouthearted Games)

6) 1 Print Copy of Dragon Heresy (Gaming Ballistic) - US Only

7) PDF Copy of The Sentinel Chapel (DQ / System Neutral) 

How do you enter for a chance to be gifted? Simply comment on this very post. On Thursday, December 18th, 2018 sometime after 6pm Eastern (so comment before), we will randomly determine those to be gifted from the comments received. It really is that simple. Check back often, because we'll have at least 12 days of OSR Christmas during the month of December (and possibly into January too)

Note - If you live outside the US and get picked for a Print gift, I will substitute a $5 OneBookShelf Gift Certificate and the print prize will go back in the pool.

Note 2 - Anything shipping from me (Tenar) won't be shipping until after Christmas

(edit - all comments at The Tavern have to be moderated - approved by an admin - meaning me. The Tavern has become the target of spambots and others and this is the best, if most tedious, way to handle such. I approve comments as fast as I can. I appreciate your patience - Erik)

Below is a more or less complete list of the upcoming month of gifting.

We have an amazing list of gift givers and gifts. The gifts list is literally growing daily, but here is a quick list as of this moment:

Far Away Lands - PDF Bundles
OSR Patches - Multiple sets - some shipping worldwide
World War II: Operation WhiteBox adventure "The Argentine Connection" - PDF copies
Castle of the Mad Archmage and all the expansions (Level 3 East, Musicland, and Bitterbark's Circus - in Print)
Lord of Suttham Oldfeld bundle for The Midderlands shipped anywhere in the world
Daily PDF giveaway of the Midderlands
Print copy of For Coin & Blood, Eorathril, and Print copy of Fallen Justice anywhere in the world.
ZWEIHÄNDER Complete Digital Bundle (all 13 digital products)
3 PDF’s of the Sunken City Omnibus (DCC RPG)
ALL Frog God Games Swords & Wizardry releases in digital format (that they can account for) in a bundle for 1 person
Some Frog God Games Print products signed by Bill Webb (shipped by me)
Outdoor Encounter Cards and Dungeon Challenge Card - in Print (shipped by me)
4 Class Compendium PDFs, 4 White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs, 4 The Hero's Journey PDFs
Random Gaming Material from a Taverner's Gaming Collection
Random Shit from the Tenkar Game Collection - at least three Priority Mail boxes of stuff
6 copies of Dragon Heresy in Print
2 copies Undying Orb in Print
PDF copies of The Sentinel Chapel for DragonQuest / System Neutral
The Mystery at Port Greely”, an AS&SH adventure module, signed by the author, Jeffrey Talanian

For those wondering about the OSR Patches:

Reminder - RPG Breakfast Club - 10 AM Eastern - Sunday, December 16th - Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server

I know the reminder is a bit late and I apologize. Its been a busy week for the Tavern Master and Uncle Duties are currently in effect - Shannon turned 8 on Friday and is sleeping over tonight ;)

Anyhow, tomorrow morning at 10 AM eastern the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server is hosting the weekly RPG Breakfast Club.

Your hosts will be Archon, Tom Knauss (go figure, I just interviewed him on the Tavern Chat Podcast), Todd, Jerry247 and Niven81. Yeah, I need to get a list of true names behind the Discord Handles so we can bind folks in magic circles...

Here's an invite to The Tavern's Discord Server if you aren't already a member. Hope to see you on the flip side - assuming my niece allows me.

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD