State of The Tavern Keeper - Summer 2024

As has now been stated recently by two of my doctors, my cardiologist (heart) and my nephrologist (kidneys) I need to lose weight. While I'd like to think I can do so by simply doing low-impact cardio, the truth is I need to change my eating habits. By intention, so does Rach, as I do all the cooking, and cooking for two is the same as cooking for one.

And we've been doing it, and doing well with it, for the last two weeks. Konjac noodles for Italian dishes, salads with grilled chicken, stir-fries with frozen veggies, low sodium soy sauce, and yet more grilled chicken. Sit down Chinese food with brown rice and light on the sauce. And yes, even some fast food - tonight was Checkers, but no fries (first fast food in 2 weeks) and only because this afternoon was all pear-shaped ;P

Increasing our walks with the dog - number and length, of course, is good for the three of us - Rach, our doggie, and of course, myself. 

So, if I get a bit extra cranky, here at The Tavern, in its various incarnations, or on social media in general, now you know why.

In any case, down about 4 pounds in just over a week and a half. I'll take it :)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Kickstarter - The Shucked Oyster: A Cursed Brothel for Shadowdark RPG

A third-party supplement for Shadowdark RPG to add untold chaos to your local town.

With Venger's abrupt self-removal from the world of OSR publishing, The Shucked Oyster: A Cursed Brothel for Shadowdark RPG Kickstarter suddenly stands out. This is the type of content one would expect from V, based on the title alone. Alas, it ISN'T from Venger, as he doesn't much like Shadowdark, but damn, it would have been one hell of a crossover ;)

The Shucked Oyster Kickstarter is available for 14 in PDF, 24 in PDF plus soft cover POD, and 34 in PDF and hardcover POD.

Designed for use with the 4-time Ennie Award Winning Shadowdark RPG and other fantasy role playing games, this supplement provides an iconic drop-in location for any town or city in your campaign. The Oyster is a cursed brothel that is routinely destroyed and rebuilt after freak accidents set it ablaze! Included, you will find a slew of wild and crazy NPCs, new magic items, expanded social mechanics, unique dungeons, and enough adventure hooks for an entire campaign!

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Humble Bundle - Lost Works of Gygax (D20, 5e, OSE, C&C, CoC, S&W, 1e, SN)

There's a little bit of everything in the Lost Works of Gygax Bundle at Humble Bundle, and I mean everything. 

From Gary Gygax himself, there's Castle Zagyg: Yrggsburgh, Castle Zagyg, East Mark Gazetteer, Necropolis, Hall of Many Planes, Gord, The Canting Crew, World Building, and Living Fantasy.

From Luke and Ernie Gygax, we have The Lost City of Gaxmoor.

From Ernie Gygax, we have The Marmoreal Tomb.

From Luke Gygax, there are Tales from Okkorim (1-8), The Blighted Lands (1-3), The Chentofi Series (1-3), The Dread from Lake Geneva (for CoC 1+2), The Trouble at Loch Jineeva, Undercaverns of Gaxmoor, and Weapons of Gaxmoor.

Oh, and 28 other titles from various creators. Phew!

Gather up your party for an endless adventure with the Lost Works of Gygax Bundle compatible with a myriad of systems! This TTRPG explorer’s kit contains rulebooks, sourcebooks, and campaign resources for Marmoreal Tomb, Gary Gygax's Necropolis, and more. Get everything you need to embark on an epic journey with your friends, and help support the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society with your purchase!

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Indiegogo - Forest of Spores (OSE, C&C, & 5e)

The hamlet of Jensenville woke to a forest of mushrooms that sprang up overnight right outside their village. What's worse, the mushrooms are expanding, absorbing homes and building into their midst. The villagers need help before they are overrun. And that won't be long given how fast new mushrooms keep sprouting up.

What terror awaits in the fungus forest? Heroes are needed to venture inside...but will they return?

Forest of Spores is Rachel Marsh's first work for Frog God Games. It's funded on Indigogo and then some, and Frog God Games has a solid history of publishing its projects on time.

Forest of Spores is 12 bucks in PDF and 25 in POD and PDF.

Here's hoping your heroes are just what the residents of Jensenville need! 

Will they push into the forest's depths where fungi grow wild? Where other creatures wait to stop their mission? And how will they react to the mushroom-people making a new home in the dark nooks of the forest, completely unaware of the villagers' plight?

And worse still, something else waits in the forest, a threat to humans and mushroom-people alike. It's already killed a number of the mushroom-people, and it is more than happy to welcome the adventurers (aka fresh meat) into its killing ground.

Forest of Spores can be played as a standalone adventure, or it can serve as a lead-in to further investigations into the mysterious and dangerous Under Realms.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Deal of the Day - 7th Sea Core Rulebook (Second Edition - 80% Off)

There comes a price point where a product falls under "impulse buy", especially RPGs. For me, that's the "5 Dollars and Under" point. Well, the 7th Sea Core Rulebook (Second Edition) certainly does that for me today. With a list price of 24.99, and a normal price of 14.99, until tomorrow morning the 7th Sea Core Rulebook (Second Edition) is the Deal of the Day at DTRPG (in PDF), and can be had for a mere 3 bucks!

Yep, purchased today's Deal of the Day just before putting up this post, as 7th Sea is a title I've heard much about and have yet to experience. 

7th Sea is a tabletop roleplaying game of swashbuckling and intrigue, exploration and adventure, taking place on the continent of Theah, a land of magic and mystery inspired by our own Europe. Players take the roles of heroes thrown into global conspiracies and sinister plots, exploring ancient ruins of a race long vanished and protecting the rightful kings and queens of Theah from murderous villains.

Save the Queen of Avalon from treacherous blackmail!

Thwart a dastardly assassination attempt on the Cardinal of Castille!

Raid the villainous fleets of Vodacce Merchant Princes!

Free the Prince of the Sarmatian Commonwealth from a mysterious curse!

Make decisions that alter the very course of Thean history!

In 7th Sea, you are a Hero, an icon of Theah ready to live and die for causes that matter. You bravely take on a dozen thugs with swords, knives and guns all on your own. You are the trusted knight, a loyal bodyguard or even an adventuring queen herself.

In other words—you are d’Artagnan, Milady de Winter, the Dread Pirate Roberts, Jack Sparrow, Julie d’Aubigney, and the Scarlet Pimpernel all rolled up in one!

This is a game of high adventure, mystery and action. This is a game of intrigue and romance.

This is 7th Sea. 

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

Kickstarter - Halfjinks Roleplaying Game

 

A Family-Friendly RPG of Innocent Mischief

Let me get this out of the way immediately. I've known James Spahn for well over a decade. I consider him a brother and was his sponsor for Confirmation in the Catholic Church. James is, for better or worse, my family. So take that for what it is worth ;)

Halfjinks is James' current Kickstarter. If ANYONE were a fan of halflings/hobbits, it would be James. Complete stop. It is literally his passion and his expertise. I'm sold ;)

Halfjinks, as the pranks pulled by adolescent halflings are known to flustered locals, is a roleplaying game for the whole family! 

Inspired by and building on the Mausritter rules and using its third party license, Halfjinks is a game where players take up the roll of halfling children eager to pull a few pranks in the local community. 

They'll venture from their home ("But not too far! We need to be back by dinner!") in an effort to cause a little trouble. Whether it's hiding a live chicken in the post office, nabbing a treat from the annual Pie Eating Contest, or exploring Old Man Whipplebottom's Farm where they say a dragonslayer's tomb is hidden, they're hoping to bring a touch of fun to the dulldrum days that fill the lives of their fellow villagers.

But such brave explorers will need proper provisions and without a sturdy walking stick and a ready snack, a halfling's Comfort might drop so low that they become Bored or Hungry and decide its best to go home!

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

Kickstarter - Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A F@cking Boss

Venger Satanis leads you by the tentacle, showing you how to make your gaming more gonzo and accessible for novices and veterans alike.

If you watch my videos and live streams, you know I have no issue with the f-bomb, let alone using it myself. That being said, I think I may need to avoid using it as part of the title of a blog post.

Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A Fucking Boss, is Venger's latest, and possibly last, Kickstarter, as V has announced his retreat from the hobby after this Kickstarter fulfills. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to the latest (last episode?) of Inappropriate Characters, with Venger as one of the hosts. Its the end of an era.

Whether Venger is within your wheelhouse is a personal decision, and Venger doesn't shy away from offending large segments of the gaming community. All of which is a shame, as he is a very skilled creator.

Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A Fucking Boss is 20 bucks in PDF, but I do advise you add a Cha'alt Hardcover book (or the Cha'alt Trilogy) to your backing - it makes the Primordial Chaos PDF essentially free ;)

Unformed, omnipotent, oscillating, undulating, chromatic, prismatic, and ultra-telluric.  Primordial Chaos is the throbbing gristle of our hobby, the pale underbelly of a sandworm coughing up a hairball akin to the dark messiah who shall change the unchangeable.  Neon fuchsia reflected on the chartreuse palm of an all-seeing eye.  It is the prophecy!

Gonzo is awesome in and of itself, but gonzo can also be used to enhance the roleplaying experience in a variety of ways.  The problem is that, for many gamers, gonzo is inaccessible, hard to understand, and difficult to implement successfully.  

There's regular old surface immersion, and then something deeper, darker, stranger... a hyper-immersive PSYCHOCOSMIC experience that you just can't obtain with vanilla fantasy or plain-Jane dungeon delving.  That's right!  This book will go beyond gonzo - exploring outer depths of reality that only a madman or magician in his wildest fever-dream could conceive.  With the forbidden knowledge contained inside Primordial Chaos, your gaming will take on a reality of its own; as real as you need it to be. 

According to the RPG Pundit, I am the master of stupid gonzo fantasy.  I've made gonzo a cornerstone of my writing, designing, and gaming output.  Now is the time, I am the individual, and this is the book that will not only put primordial chaos on the bloodstained map, I'll show you how to gonzo like a fucking boss!

Do you want random tables that would make seasoned Arduin-Rifts-Carcosa gamers cross the street to avoid you?  Because backing this Kickstarter is how you get those kinds of random tables... and ants!

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar