State of The Tavern Keeper - Turning 55 and All That Jazz

Yes, it's that time, when your OSR Tavern Keeper celebrates yet another year. I turned 55 today, and I'm truly at a loss for words. Just over 2 years ago, I wasn't sure if 53 was going to make the cut, and here I am, 60 pounds lighter and likely healthier than I have been in years.

I plan on sticking around for a few more decades, and I know there are some groans when I say that, but tough! They know who they are ;)

Birthday wishes have been coming in via FB, email, discord, and text. I can't thank you all enough.

Now, on to bookkeeping. I've unlaunched my Patreon. It never served the purpose I had imagined it would and I never really had a handle on it as a creator. It's time to reevaluate and potentially reimagine. For those that simply want to support what I do, there is a Paypal subscription button on the top of this page. Even better, shop using The Tavern's affiliate links listed at the bottom of every post. 

We've surpassed 1,500 Subscribers on The Tavern's Youtube Channel. That means that next Wednesday on the Talking Crit Livestream (which airs every Wednesday Night at 8 PM Eastern) we are giving away at least $250 in DTRPG Gift Certificates.

I've been asked why I don't watch many gaming-oriented Youtube channels, and the simple answer is, that I like my content much like I make my content - unscripted, not pushing products, not a game session recording, and simply not fake. Often the fewer bells and whistles, the more I like a channel, as it simply feels less rehearsed and planned. There are exceptions to these rules, of course, but I tend to prefer the feel of the "cable public access" vibe ;)

Alright, getting close to dinner with the family, so I should wrap this up. Tonight at 8 PM Eastern Rach and I will be doing our weekly Gamers' Health Livestream. I can think of no better way to spend my birthday ;)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Humble Bundle - Two, yes TWO, Image Comics Bundles (90s & 2000s)

I was an avid comic book collector from the 80s through the late 90s. As much as the "then new" Image Comics interested me and their lineup of creators, I just couldn't justify the additional hit to my wallet.

Now I can justify the one-time hit to my wallet ;)

The Image Comics 30th Anniversary The 90s Bundle includes over 200 issues (possibly 400 or so if you count the collected Spawn Volumes as individual comics) for 25 bucks.

The Image Comics 30th Anniversary The 2000s Bundle is a more eclectic collection of 400? 500? issues of various comic series from the 2000s, including the first Walking Dead collection.

Thank god these are digital or I'd have no room to store them ;)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

I Almost Forgot There Was a Christmas in July Sale at DTRPG!

I've been otherwise occupied recently, and I totally failed to notice that DTRPG was running its annual Christmas in July Sale.

There are discounts running from 15-25% off for the titles in the sale. There are also a handful of titles that are 50% off, but they are not OSR and aren't much of an interest to me ;)

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The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

Bundle of Holding - Halls of Arden Vul (OSR Mega Dungeon)

When it comes to published megadungeons, nothing comes close in size or scope to Halls of Ardun Vul. I actually own Arden Vul in print, which is a many-volume hardcover set. I have yet to give it the complete reading it deserves.

Halls of Ardun Vul is a current offering on Bundle of Holding. Normally $109, and currently on sale for $81.75 in PDF, you can get Halls of Ardun Vul for $24.95 via Bundle of Holding. At that price, every old-school gamer should own a copy.

Arden Vul is the most ambitious megadungeon ever created, with over 1,100 Pages of Incredible Adventure. This First Edition compatible fully-bookmarked PDF product features:

• 2,162 Encounter Descriptions
• 14 NPC Factions
• 10 Massive Levels
• 15 Extensive Sub-levels
• 7 Dangerous Exterior locations
• 149 New Monsters
• 332 New Magic Items
• 69 New Technological Items
• 44 New Spells
• 189 New Books through which PCs can gain a deep understanding of the dungeon
• A full NPC appendix with 10 competing parties at 3 levels of power 
• Over 140 original pieces of art, including 28 full-page illustrations!

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

Humble Bundle - Judge Dredd: Perps, Punks, and Partners (Comics)

I used to be a huge collector of comic books in my teens and 20s. There was just something about reading books with art that was special. My local comic book store didn't carry Judge Dredd or the 2000 AD titles, because those weren't "American", but I would make occasional trips to Forbidden Planet on 13th Street in Manhattan and I'd always leave with some Judge Dredd and the like to fill the holes in my collection.

Most of those comics are gone now, either by choice (and downsizing purge) or by fate (a flood in the basement). I'm building my new comic book collection digitally. It stores much easier ;)

The Humble Bundle - Judge Dredd: Perps, Punks, and Partners is 25 bucks for 54 items. Its the pricepoint I'm jumping in at, but you can grab a smaller selection for as little as a buck.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

GoFundMe - Save Queen Anne! - Darlene Needs Our Help!

I shared this on The Tavern's Youtube Channel this morning and offered to match the first $250 raised by Tavern Members. That was hit with the first donation of $250!

So now here's the new goal. If members of The Tavern can get us to $1000 or more raised for Darlene by this community, The Tavern will donate $500 total in the name of the members of The Tavern.

Skip your next cup of Starbucks coffee and give it to Darlene and save her home.

https://gofund.me/9e7c994b (I wish I had figured out how to do a team link earlier)

Queen Anne is dying. She was born in 1901 in a small town in North Carolina. I’m doing all I can to save her, but I need your help.

I am a retired artist whose claim to fame is being the first woman artist for Dungeons and Dragons. Choosing a life devoted to art cost me financial security. I’ve always lived close to the bone and have no means to help her.

Queen Anne is my house, a Victorian lady in serious trouble. Your contribution will help to repair her windows (so she can see); remove the overgrown vines, bushes and branches (they scratch her); a new roof (her hair is falling out); along with mold remediation from a leak (the result of her tears); and a new coat of paint (to protect her skin and restore her beautiful face).

Although her foundation is sound, and she’s paid for, Queen Anne sadly faces a point of no return. Repairs need to be done ASAP while they can still be easily managed. Also, the town is after her, insisting she be brought up to what they call “minimum standards.” They mostly don’t like to see windows without sills… Thus, my immediate need.

The amount I’m asking will take care of the minimum requirements so I’m not in trouble with the town. Anything over this amount will help defray the costs of a new roof and, hopefully, a paint job.

I hold out the hope someday soon she will again be the beautiful southern belle she once was. Won’t you help me refurbish this grand dame?

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat vidcast on YouTube - Tenkar 

New D&D Movie: Honor Among Thieves

I really haven't been a fan of the "Dungeons & Dragons" movies out there. The first one was, maybe OK, but the second one......yes, there was a second pretty-much-straight-to-DVD second film, well let's just say I know I watched it, but I remember jack squat about it.

I do watch a lot of movies, but to basically purge it from memory except for my recollection of the perception (I don't remember anything about Eragon, except for the abrupt ending and me thinking, "Where the F*%k is the rest of this shitty movie?!"

No, the best D&D movies, to me, were so NOT D&D movies....well at least not outright:

• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
• The Gamers
• That other Gamers movie (The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
• Willow
• The Last Witch Hunter
• Conan the Barbarian
• Dragonslayer
• Ladyhawke
• Time Bandits

OK, I added Time Bandits to see if you were still with me here, BUT it did have a bunch of time & space jumping Dwarves stealing everything in sight. It fits with the Fantasy and SciFi mashup that a lot of those early guys seemed to enjoy.....

So I'm not super excited about the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie that was just announced as the track record isn't that great. I mean the first one had some big names and fancy (for the time) special effects too. It's not like Jeremy Irons phoned it in or anything, but the movie was...again, just OK. I think the problem was that instead of telling a good story with some D&D elements they went with D&D-ish elements that were more important than the story.

Remember the Beholder?

Yep, a Beholder running around acting as an overgrown guard dog. New one for me.

Still, I'm holding out a little hope for this movie, even if my expectations are low. There really isn't much to go on right now but the trailer. I'm guessing the lead character is a Bard, but the others....no clue. Just seems like generic fighter-type, maybe thief-type, maybe a paladin-ish-type, a magic-user-type, and....druid-type? Actual classes, who knows. Is that one PC, er character, actually a high-level druid that can shape-shift into an Owlbear, or is there a weird new lycanthropy in the newest edition? Hell if I know.....just hits me a bit like the D&D-ish elements of the previous attempts. 

The basic plot seems like some type of redemption story, with the idea that the main character recovered a super-powerful magic relic and handed it over to the bad guy who does bad things and now he's forming a group to get the macguffin back? Interesting putting the lewt acquisition way up-front like that, but if it works....

...if.

I want to be optimistic because if they do a good job and the movie makes money outside of the nerdcore audience, maybe we can get more? I'm thinking if it does good, maybe not great, we can at least get a few more definitely-not-D&D-type movies out of the deal, and some of those might make it to the short list right above Time Bandits....

Here is a little info from a SDCC Panel.

Special Note: I started this post on Friday before Erik posted this same movie clip...and I finished it before he finished his post, but it was scheduled for "my day". I already gave him crap, so no need to bug him (or me) about that fact......instead bug him about other stupid shit. He just loves that!