Deal of the Day - King Arthur Pendragon: Edition 5.2

My memories of the Pendragon RPG go back to the boxed set. Very much built on the chassis of Basic Roleplaying / CoC / RuneQuest, and yet so, so different. I read the book as an authoritative source on the Arthurian legends, and sadly never got to run anything other than some one-shots with the rules.

This makes today's Deal of the Day - King Arthur Pendragon: Edition 5.2 - very satisfying (especially since DTRPG tells me I already own this in PDF - downloaded for some light reading later this week). With the current times, we are in, some Arthurian legend immersion isn't a bad deal.

Normally 19.99 in PDF, King Arthur Pendragon: Edition 5.2 is 9.99 until 11 AM Eastern, tomorrow morning.

Capture the Spirit of Arthurian Legend!

Relive the grandeur, romance and adventure of the greatest of all legends — the story of King Arthur. Assume the role of a knight starting his career in the time of Uther Pendragon, undertaking quests and perilous adventures for your lord, for your lady-love, for the Church, or for your own glory. Win great renown with your laudable deeds and feats of arms, perhaps even winning the right to carve your name into the Round Table itself as the story of Arthur and Camelot unfolds around you.

With its innovative rules, including the distinctive traits and passions system designed to help you in determining your character's behavior under any circumstances, King Arthur Pendragon provides a unique roleplaying experience laid out against the richest tapestry in Western literature.

This Edition 5.2 offers hundreds of corrections to Edition 5.1 which itself updated the redesigned and reorganized 5th Edition. This book also contains new material and rules changes for 5th Edition by Greg Stafford, the creator of the original game.

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Introducing the Random Party Generator Vidcast

The Iron Rations Vidcast is dead.

Long live the Random Party Generator Vidcast!

During tonight's The Iron Rations Vidcast with guests Matt Jackson and Rob Conley, we (the four of us) realized that Iron Rations was far more than just JoetheLawyer and me, and we needed a name for the cast that better reflected what it has evolved into.

Random Party Generator will feature a random assortment of miscreants, such as Matt Jackson, Tim Shorts, Rob Conley, Greg Christopher, JoetheLawyer, Tenkar, and others, talking about gaming and gaming adjacent topics. 

No script. 

No limits.

Endless entertainment :)

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Now in Print - Treasure Hunt (N4)

Aaron Allston. I still remember his Treasure Hunt adventure N4. It wasn't what I expected . I hadn't played zero-level characters in AD&D prior, and in many ways, it was groundbreaking for the time.

Treasure Hunt is 5 bucks in PDF, 14.99 in Print plus PDF.

Marooned on a barren isle?

The Island of Viledel, the mighty Sea King, was sacked by a pirate army 60 years ago. It's destruction was so complete that even the location of the island was lost and forgotten. Despite rumors of immense treasures still hidden in the ruined stronghold, no one ever found the Sea King's island again

Until now. Through a cruel twist of fate, a small band of unwilling adventurers are washed ashore on a small, barren island, and discovers what remains of Viledel's settlement. But they aren't alone; marauding orcs and goblins have found the island too, and are frantically searching for the lost hoard. In this desperate treasure hunt, the real payoff may be survival.

"Treasure Hunt" is different from other AD&D adventures: The player characters begin the game at 0 level, without choosing a class, and must work their way up to 1st level. It is perfect for a group of beginning players or experienced players looking for a new and different challenge.

Product History

N4: "Treasure Hunt" (1987) is the fourth adventure in the novice (N-) series for AD&D. It was published in January 1987.

A 0th-Level Adventure. "Treasure Hunt" was commissioned specifically as a 0-level adventure. It was the first AD&D adventure ever to present general rules for 0-level characters. Uniquely, the GM assignments classes and alignments to characters at the end of the adventure, based on their actions.

Apparently players liked how 0-level characters worked, because in Dragon #129 (January 1988), James M. Ward asked readers what they wanted to see in an upcoming Greyhawk hardcover, and they told him "rules for zero level characters" - even though that had nothing to do with Greyhawk. Ward dutifully included an appendix about 0-level character in Greyhawk Adventures (1988), expanding on some of the ideas found in "Treasure Hunt."

A Truly Introductory Adventure. Though this was the fourth novice adventure for AD&D, none of the others were actually "introductory": That is, they didn't help players and GMs to learn how to play AD&D. Of course, TSR's scant other low-level adventures for AD&D - such as T1: "The Village of Hommlet" (1979) and U1: "The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh" (1981) - weren't really introductory in that sense either. That isn't to say that TSR hadn't written introductory adventures before, but they were all over in the Basic D&D line - particularly B1 through B4 (1978-1982). For "Advanced" D&D, TSR had previously assumed that players knew how to play.

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Kickstarter - Old-School Essentials Fantasy RPG Box Sets

If, perchance, you are one of the few in the OSR that missed out on Old-School Essentials prior, now's your chance to grab the boxed sets. Or if you've already purchased Old-School Essentials, and want a sweet box, now's your chance.

Let's see. The Old-School Essentials Fantasy RPG Box Sets Kickstarter launched less than 12 hours ago, and it's raised over... $415k. Wait? WTF!?!

Anyone that tells you the OSR is a dead genre of roleplaying games must have not yet noticed this Kickstarter ;)

Oh, and there's some bonus stuff for backers in the first 24 hours. Just over 12 hours to go...

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Talking Crit LiveStream - Announcing the Next Five Wednesday's of Guests

Mike and I have set our schedule for the next month and a half of the Talking Crit Livestream.

February 23, 2022 - Greg Gillespie (Barrowmaze)

March 2, 2022 - Emperor's Choice (Arduin)

March 9th, 2022 - Silver Bullette (Rocky Gardener & Ian McGarty)

March 16th, 2022 - Griffith Morgan (The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg / Secrets of Blackmoor Documentary)

March 23, 2022 - Venger Santanis (Alpha Blue)

We are working on securing other guests, but we do have the next 5 weeks covered :)

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Releasing in 2022 - Mazes & Perils 10th Anniversary Edition

Mazes & Perils won a Gold ENnie back in 2012. I find it hard to believe it's been 10 years already. (fixed)

Later this year we will see the 10th Anniversary Edition of Mazes & Perils released by Wizard Tower Games.

I've enjoyed Mazes & Perils in the past (as well as knocking heads with Vince Florio in the beginning of Mazes & Perils gestation period. Such is the way of The Tavern ;). It's been a lighter OSR than some of the other rulesets, and I'm interested in seeing where it lands on the final page count later this year.

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Kickstarter - The Valley Out of Time series for S&W DCC MCC

Okay, let's start with the part most folks don't say out loud. I consider Skeeter a friend. I know, for some that is a scary concept, but I actually like and respect Skeeter. I also consider Skeeter to be a highly skilled adventure designer. He has a skill that many believe they have, but few match.

Now that that part is out of the way, Skeeter's newest Kickstarter is The Valley Out of Time series for S&W DCC MCC. Yep, The Valley out of Time comes in three flavors, and not one is 5e. Good for Skeeter ;)

You can back for the first entry in the series (planned at six) or for the first two entries in the series. I'm in for print copies (plus PDF) of the first two entries in the series for the Swords & Wizardry system.

The Valley Out of Time is a series of 6, 'zine-sized adventures from SGP. This valley can be placed in any ongoing campaign and is set in the "Neanderthal Period" of tech development. Huge monsters – both dinosaurs and otherwise – and devolved humanoids plague the area, and only the hardiest of adventurers will prevail! This series of adventures borrows heavily from classic dinosaur art, books, and movies; if you have ever seen a classic Frank Frazetta or Roy Krenkel painting, or read or watched The Land that Time Forgot, The Lost World, Journey to the Center of the Earth, One Million Years B.C., The Flintstones, any Ray Harryhausen film, etc., you are going to feel right at home.

Get your friends to pack-attack these encounters!

Each book is a 5 1/2" x 8" saddle-stitch (stapled) "zine size" offering, ranging from 2X to 3X (or more!) pages. The price for the books is based off calculations for the 2X page book, so the larger books are just more content! Enjoy!

Welcome to the Valley

Welcome to the Valley is Part 1 of the series, suitable for entry level characters and those beginning their explorations into the Timeless Valley. Four to six characters of level 1–3 should find the encounters presented herein challenging but manageable. This entry to the Timeless Valley series introduces the characters to the valley, some of its peaceful and helpful inhabitants, as well as several of the less hospitable ones. The characters encounter a humanoid camp, and 3 additional animal encounters to give them a taste of what they're in for with further exploration. Welcome to the Valley includes 4 new/modified valley inhabitants, an Appendix showcasing where to find existing adversaries for the valley, and a brief explanation of what the Timeless Valley "is"; it is 20+ pages in length, with a map of the initial humanoid camp, original art, and a convenient, easy-to-follow layout. 

Exploring the Valley

 Exploring the Valley is Part 2 of the series, suitable for more experienced characters in the valley. Four to six characters of level 2–5 should be challenged by the encounters provided, including stumbling upon a humanoid hunting group taking down a giant bison, a massive saber-tooth cat having some lunch, and the Timeless Valley's version of an owlbear (think owlbear, BUT THINK BIGGER!). In addition to these encounters, 6 new valley inhabitants are presented, and Appendix B offers Random Encounter Tables, suitable for fleshing out the valley, or for use in any hex crawl involving the jungle, grasslands, or rolling hills. The encounters presented cover 13 pages of classic "Appendix N" and "Frazetta-esque" adversaries to give the classic stop-motion movie experience! Exploring the Valley is 30+ pages in length, with original art, tables and charts galore, and plenty of information to aid Gamemasters to fill up hours of overland adventuring!

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Deal of the Day - Adventures Great and Glorious (OSR)

Just for a little perspective, I've known Joe Bloch for a number of years - probably a decade or more. The first time I met Joe in person, it was at the Gygax Magazine Launch Party, where we both remarked on the long line and the cold weather, if I recall correctly ;)

Joe is THE most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to the World of Greyhawk setting,  and he's shown his game designer abilities with the release of the AD&D 2e "What If?" game system, Adventures Dark and Deep.

Joe has the current DTRPG Deal of the Day, Adventures Great and Glorious, a sourcebook for higher-level play using the OSR ruleset of your choice. Normally 9.99 in PDF, Adventures Great, and Glorious is on sale for 4.97 until 11 AM Eastern, 2/21/22. I know this is a late notification of the deal, but its the best I could do with the day I had :)

What if there was something for high level characters to doother than kill bigger monsters? Now there is.

A continuation of the possibilities set forth in ADVENTURES DARK AND DEEP™and other fantasy role-playing games, ADVENTURES GREAT ANDGLORIOUS™ lets you take your game to the next level, letting your playersbecome lords of their own territories, courtiers at the royal court, scions oftheir own families, and even creators of their own demiplanes of existence.

Fully compatible with most old-school role-playing games, this book includessections on:

• Clearing territory and attracting followers and settlers in the wilderness

• Becoming functionaries and courtiers and sharing in the intrigues of a

royal court

• Governing territories, collecting taxes, creating mines, and dealing with

the unexpected events of rulership

• The Long Game, with campaign turns, events, and growing families

• Mass combat, with simple rules that let the players take center stage at

the critical moment and help decide the outcome of the battle

• New secondary skills, treasure, magic items, and spells

Please note this is a rules supplement, and is designed to be used with other rule systems. It is not a complete game unto itself. While it is written with the Adventures Dark and Deep game in particular, the references have equivalents in most other popular OSR games, with the exception of the new character classes in Adventures Dark and Deep. Unfortunately, due to limitations of the OGL regarding indications of compatibility, we cannot provide precise cross-references for other games. 

 

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Thinking of Using Minecraft to Run a TTRPG as a Game Aid

I know I've mentioned several times that I'm pretty much using, or at least trying to use, the month of February to move out of my old rental and into a new (to me) house that I bought. I'm not bragging, just that this process is a total PITA and it has been taking me way too much time to get what should be a simple and straight-forward job done. It really didn't help that I lost a good week to my back being screwed up from repetitive motion. My VA doc was less than helpful, at first, with my pain management and I seriously thought I was going to spasm out and require another hospital visit.....

....anyway, I know that really isn't why you're here, but it's a bit of backstory to explain I've had a bit more time laid-up than I'd like and I've been a bit stressed about it. Should I mention my car engine died on me and I had to purchase a new ride on top of everything else? Stressed is an appropriate response I think.

One thing that has really helped me calm down a bit is playing Minecraft. It's definitely not slinging dice at the game table, but it has proven to be a good time-waster that keeps me a bit more engaged than just watching TV.

Minecraft is now owned by Microsoft and it seems to be available on just about anything these days and while I haven't messed with a server or played in any online games, I know that is an option. What I didn't know, until this morning around 5 AM (couldn't sleep thinking of all the crap I have to get done today). I learned that there is an Education Edition and that schools are using Minecraft to be a fun way of teaching "geographical issues like erosion, pollution, urban planning and more".

Of course, as these things tend to do, I got to thinking of how Minecraft could be used at the gaming table, and now I think I'd like to try this: build an adventure in Minecraft, well at least the map. I'm not all that familiar with creative mode, but it has to be easier than survival mode since you have access to everything. Let Minecraft create the general world map then start placing villages and building out your dungeons per your adventure map. Using a projector, give the players a 1st person 3d view of your dungeon. Since Minecraft is already blocky laying things out should be easy. As the GM you'd just have to be careful about where secret doors and traps are, but if you're running the player walking through the world, as a place-holder for the party, that should be easy enough. Allowing the players to connect through on laptops would be possible, but could also be problematic.

I think if you just used Minecraft and a projector to show the map and then switched to a traditional battlemat when combat ensued, you'd be good to go. It could be a LOT more fun if you ran a maze and let the party's mapper just keep track not by what you tell them, but what they have to pick up from the screen. Is this room 40' or 50'....wait, were those double doors back there?

I'm thinking there is a lot of potential here......thoughts?