State of The Tavern - Renovations at Casa de Tenkar

Renovations kicked off midweek here at Casa de Tenkar (yes, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo) My son's old room is becoming Rach's "Yoga Room / Guest Bedroom" and our Living Room is going to be, well - a spiffy living room.

This means no internet for about 10 to 12 hours a day, which has interrupted the recording of the Fireside Chats on the Tavern Chat podcast. It also means when I do have internet, I'm playing catch up with posts like this. Sigh.

Still, I'm angling for some shelving units in both rooms - a man needs to store his game books somewhere they can breathe ;)

I've also bee dealing with some personal issues. Nothing bad, but time-consuming none the less. So, if I seem behind - or more so then usual - now you know why.

As an aside, I HATE fucking wallpaper. Glad it's going away in these two rooms...

Paizo to Make Content for D&D 5e? Say What!?!

Straight from the Paizo blog:

Paizo is partnering with our friends at Game On Tabletop to launch the Kingmaker Adventure Path for Pathfinder Second Edition. We'll start with a hardcover Kingmaker compilation, and you'll tell us how much more you want to see. The companions from the computer game were also a big hit, so we'll be adding a Companion Guide to introduce them to the tabletop campaign, complete with NPC stats, sidequest encounters, and expanded kingdom-management roles. Finally, we'll add a hardcover Kingmaker Bestiary for 5E, developed in conjunction with industry leaders in third-party 5E publishing, allowing players of the current edition of the world's oldest RPG the chance to experience the rich and detailed storylines that have made the Kingmaker Adventure Path a fan favorite for a decade. More add-ons and unlocks will be revealed as the campaign progresses. (emphasis mine)

May you live in interesting times ;)

Oh, and the first time I've heard of this site: https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf194/kingmaker-10th-anniversary.html - interesting that Paizo won't be using Kickstarter to crowdfund.

Joint Statement of BJ Hensley and Frog God Games

Offered without comment.

Original post linked here: https://froggodgames.com/frogs/joint-statement-of-bj-hensley-and-frog-god-games/?fbclid=IwAR2l1NzQ077wh6fcyj23uqJFRuHa9QmtaVQx3fYjO2KIevg3qgCSHXOPkvQ

Joint Statement of BJ Hensley and Frog God Games

Nearly two years ago, both BJ Hensley and Bill Webb attended Paizo Con 2017 representing their respective companies. On the first day of the convention, Bill Webb engaged in several inappropriate and unprofessional interactions with BJ Hensley. Since then, many third parties have commented, weighed in, and in some cases, exaggerated what happened. BJ Hensley and Frog God Games now jointly call for a cessation of attacks by all third parties on either/both BJ Hensley and Frog God Games.

In concert with this desire, both parties have agreed not to engage in any litigation against the other. Everyone involved simply wants resolution and peace. Both parties want this to be a teachable moment that does not further divide but encourages everyone to consider how they can improve their own behaviors and the behaviors of those around them.

Finally, both parties believe that all members, companies, and conventions involved in the tabletop gaming industry need to adhere to and actively promote a higher code of conduct that ensures respect, safety, and welcome spaces for each and every participant in the tabletop gaming hobby.

As a gesture of good faith Frog God Games will donate the charitable portion of one of their next charity bundles to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) in addition to an immediate donation to RAINN in the amount of $1,000.00.

Additional Note from Frog God Games

In light of this joint statement, we would like to reiterate our request to our fans that they not make attacks on BJ in any way. As noted above, there are people who have exaggerated her words for their own benefit, but she has repeatedly and publicly attempted to stop that escalation. She is not the wrongdoer, and we ask that everyone please keep this in mind.

Reminder - Tavern Chat - Tonight - 9 PM Eastern

Yep. Another Wednesday. Another Wednesday Night Tavern Chat on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server. I really should start trying to lock down special quests for some of these evening hangouts ;)

I may bow out early. Renovations start at 10 AM tomorrow at La Casa de Tenkar, but I WILL be in at 9 PM.

Use this link to join the festivities:

https://discord.gg/fReGmuD

Kickstarter - Far Away Land Old School Role-Playing Game

"OSR version of the Far Away Land RPG compatible with older versions of the world's most famous game and its clones."

My experience with Far Away Land has been magical, so obviously I am biased. See, Dirk gives FAL adventures away at PWYW pricing, and that is how I sampled FAL for the first time and I was hooked. The art and the implied setting were chum in the water and the next thing I knew I had all of the releases and was running a session of Far Away Land myself. Me, the "I'll never run a non-OSR game" was running a non-OSR game. The thing is, FAL had obvious OSR roots, and now it has come back to its roots.

Did I mention I wrote a forward for the Far Away Land Old School Role-Playing Game? Yep, I did. No, not biased at all ;P

Project Description: The Far Away Land (FAL) OSR is a re-imagining of the Far Away Land RPG – through the lens of OSR-style games and mechanics. This project was inspired by Swords and Wizardry Light, a stripped-down, rules-lite version of Swords and Wizardry that uses only d20s and d6s. FAL was originally inspired by simple, old school gaming mechanics that place emphasis on characters, story, and adventures rather than heavy rules. This version of FAL uses familiar mechanics (6 stats, HP, AC, etc.) mashed into the Far Away Land setting. It maintains the tradition of a rules-lite game while using a more well-known system that is compatible with the world’s most famous rpg and many of its clones. Essentially, FAL OSR is a complete circle, back to what initially inspired the original game, set in the gonzo world of Far Away Land. 

The FAL OSR Physical Book: The physical book is 130 pages, 8.5 x 11, full color. It features rules for character creation, new classes, new playable races, 100 monsters, new spells, tons of rules for various mini games and lots more (detailed chapter by chapter below). The book is written, tested, and finished. It has a ton of artwork in the style of Far Away Land and maintains the quirky nature of that setting while giving players familiar (although modified rules). The pdf is bookmarked with a complete index and table of contents. 

Shit, just read the FAL Kickstarter page. the is much awesomeness there :)

POD Soft Cover at cost with PDF is 15 bucks (final about 29). POD Hard Cover at cost with PDF is 22 (final about 40 bucks)

Amazon Now Has a Dungeons & Dragons Section

Amazon now has a Dungeons & Dragons Section. Sure, its all 5e and 5e related, but the prices are damn good and its all in one place.

Besides, a percentage of all sales made via The Tavern's affiliate links (even if you stray off the Dungeons & Dragons section and sandbox to other RPGs and beyond) help support The Tavern.

Kickstarter - 5e Fantasy RPG Advent Calendar rammed full of custom gifts!

"A gift filled 24 door Advent Calendar for players of the 5th Edition of the World's Greatest Fantasy Role Playing Game."

I was intrigued when I first saw the 5e Fantasy RPG Advent Calendar rammed full of custom gifts! Kickstarter. I thought "what a cool gift for my who will then be 9 years old niece!" Then I saw the buy-in. 71 bucks plus another 28 for shipping. This is no longer an impulse buy. 99 bucks aint cheap.

TL;DR: 24 doors hiding 24 physical gifts alongside an exclusive Module to download that uses many of the calendars' contents! This includes exclusive metal miniatures commissioned for the calendar, game aids and so forth.  

The calendar front features stunning artwork with a developing cartoon style story and internal pictures behind ever door that further expand on the adventurers journey. Every calendar ships with a poster version of the cover art for when you've torn the doors off! 

If you would like to know a little more about the contents, and are prepared to take the "Full Gandalf" pledge of silence, please drop me a message.

Sorry. For 100 bucks I need more than vague details. Especially from a "First Created, Zero Backed account". I certainly shouldn't need to message the creator directly to find them out. Shame, because it really is a cool, if expensive, gift idea.