Tenkar's Tavern: Introducing Gaffer Games (James Spahn's Other Small Publishing Company)

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Introducing Gaffer Games (James Spahn's Other Small Publishing Company)

I've known James Spahn for the better part of a decade, ever since he made a splash on DTRPG publishing classes for Labyrinth Lord. I sent James my spare copy of Swords & Wizardry Complete and would like to think that I was instrumental in James' switch to supporting Swords & Wizardry :) James has worked on more IPs and game systems than I am able to count. James is literally like a brother to me at this point, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

James has formed a new publishing label for small, PWYW projects that don't quite fit under the Barrel Rider Games umbrella, Gaffer Games.

From James: Gaffer Games is a small one-man publishing company run by me. I write, edit, layout (such as it is) and publish free or pay what you want games here on itch.to. The games you'll find here are raw, creative expressions that aren't as polished as my works published as a freelancer or under my other publishing company Barrel Rider Games.

At the moment there are three titles available at the Gaffer Games web store:

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1 comment:

Cyrix DXJuly 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM
Fantastic that he is publishing for Shadowdark. More people that put out content for that wonderful gaming system the better.
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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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Thursday, July 6, 2023

Introducing Gaffer Games (James Spahn's Other Small Publishing Company)

1 comment:

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