I am not a massive fan of Supers RPGs—I never have been and never will be. That being said, if I were to play a Supers RPG these days, it would be Mutants & Masterminds—hands down. It's just familiar enough to feel comfortable.
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 Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
I've heard a lot about Nights Black Agents. Surprisingly, I bought this back in 2017 - I need to redownload The Dracula Dossier.
Agent! We've been cleared to resurrect the December 2017 Dracula Dossier Bundle. The Dracula Dossier is an epic improvised horror-espionage campaign for Night's Black Agents, star designer Kenneth Hite's GUMSHOE system tabletop roleplaying game of burned spies vs. vampires from Pelgrane Press.
In 1893 a visionary spymaster in the British Naval Intelligence Department tried to recruit the perfect asset: a vampire. Operation Edom contacted Count Dracula in Transylvania, set up a safe house and headquarters in England, and arranged transit. Then it all went wrong. Dracula betrayed his minder and double-crossed NID. British intelligence hunted him down on his home ground and terminated him with two knives and extreme prejudice – or so they thought. Dracula lives. Now it's up to you to finish the job.
Funded by a November 2014 Kickstarter campaign, the Dracula Dossier series follows in the fully improvisational path of the award-winning The Armitage Files campaign for Trail of Cthulhu. Players follow leads in the margins of Dracula Unredacted, a rare edition of Bram Stoker's masterpiece that reveals the terrifying truth behind the fiction. Players choose which leads to track, which scarlet trail to follow. The Director, using the clear step-by-step techniques in these ebooks, improvises a suitably blood-soaked thriller in response to their choices. Together you create your own unique story for one of the greatest RPG campaigns ever published.
This comprehensive revival once again brings you the entire Dracula Dossier line. For just US$19.95 you get all three titles in this revived offer's Agent Collection (retail value $54) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including the Night's Black Agents core rulebook, Dracula Unredacted, and The Edom Field Manual.
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 Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
What would your players' characters do if aliens crash-landed in your campaign? This adventure just may answer that question!
This is the part where I pull back the curtain. I've known Thom Wilson for years, first meeting Tom at NTRPG Con and later being a Special Guest at the first Shire Con (run by Thom) and yearly since. Thom is a skilled and prolific producer of Old School RPG material.
It Fell From the Sky is Thom Wilson's ShadowDark low-level adventure. It's 4 bucks in PDF, 15 bucks for print plus PDF, and includes shipping.
It Fell From the Sky is a 24- to 28-page adventure designed for the Shadowdark RPG. It contains enough content to last one to three sessions of gameplay for most groups. It can be dropped into any campaign or world of the game master's choosing.
This adventure will be available to backers in two formats: a PDF or a digest-sized print-on-demand book. The cover is full-color with a black & white interior.
The adventure was created and written by Thom Wilson of ThrowiGames. Eric Lofgren created the fantastic cover. Maps were hand-drawn by Glynn Seal of MonkeyBlood Design. And the original interior art was developed by Joey Docil. Of course, Joshua Newey is handling all the editing.
DriveThruRPG will handle PDF delivery, and Lulu.com will fulfill the print-on-demand copies.
This is the part where I talk about who I know, so you can read this post with open eyes. I've known Ben Burns, owner of New Comet Games, for about a decade. We set aside time to talk at every NTRPG Con, and I consider Ben a friend.
I own nearly all New Comet Games Call of Cthulhu print releases, which are well worth the investment. At 7.95, this PDF bundle is practically a steal.
Ahoy! This all-new Corsairs of Cthulhu Bundle presents Corsairs of Cthulhu: Fighting the Mythos in the Golden Age of Piracy and other historical Call of Cthulhu Seventh Edition tabletop roleplaying scenarios from New Comet Games. This piratical guide to the years 1650-1730 gives you new rules for alchemy and voodoo, historical occupations and equipment, and maps of Port Royal and far Tortuga. Your 17th-Century Investigators can crew a pirate or privateer vessel, freelance out of a Caribbean port, or sail their own ship as corsairs. They face curses left by ancient civilizations, and nightmares hidden around the Gulf and the seas beyond (waaay beyond). Join the crew, hoist the Jolly Roger, prime your pistol, and sharpen your cutlass. It'll take more than luck to save you today.
For just US$7.95 you get all four CoC supplements in our New Comet Collection (retail value $44) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete 299-page Corsairs of Cthulhu campaign sourcebook along with three 1920s-era campaigns: A Time for Sacrifice (about Mayan mysteries in the Yucatan), Devil's Swamp (the Hockomock Swamp in southern Massachusetts), and The Star on the Shore (Rockport, Massachusetts). Each campaign consists of shorter scenarios that can be played as standalone sessions, and all are fine for both beginning and experienced Investigators.
Note: These campaigns require Call of Cthulhu Seventh Edition (not included in this offer) or compatible rules such as the free and open Cthulhu Eternal.
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 Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
I first ran a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying with the release of the first edition of the WFRP ruleset, and it was a blast. The system is fun, but the setting is second to none. Rich and dark, the world of WFRP is familiar to us but also significantly divergent.
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 Rumbleor YouTube - Tenkar
The Monstrome
-
So I've been writing like I used to--just sitting down and writing for 5
hours straight.
This shit is exhausting. I don't know how I used to do this ba...
GURPS Basic Set (Third Edition) (1988)
-
From the back of the book:
*Any Time. Any Place. Any Background.*
*GURPS*, the Generic Universal Roleplaying System, is THE most flexible
roleplaying sy...
More DF Felltower Rules Questions - 11+ Move
-
One of the PCs is on the verge of Move 9, which is a *Haste* spellstone
away from Move 11. Per *DFRPG Exploits*, p. 33, this means he can get a
two-hex ste...
Hijinks of Kaiku Proportions
-
Thought I'd share some fun supers vs. kaiju art from Brendan Tobin.If you
want some 5e kaiju content check this out:Generic KaijuGodzilla and
Kong The Meg...
The Great North - Visual Delights
-
In the background, quietly, as my Yoon-Suin 2nd edition projects nears
final fulfilment, work has been going on in relation to The Great North.
Behold, s...
The Unleashed Evil
-
By Simone ZambrunoClassic Dungeon AdventuresOSE? Generic/Universal?Levels
... 0? 2? Here, characters without heroic skills or amazing powers and
weapons (b...
River Travel Tables For Chagrinspire
-
Marsh Folk - green skinned abjuman fisher folk who live in the swamp. Some
have taken up degenerate cults and are inbred...
Bypassing the Fun
-
In MAC Attack each faction is based on a group that splintered from
HumanityFleet upon completing their voyage across the stars. Early on I
knew that I w...
Simplifying THAC0 (and attack matrices)
-
I usually prefer ascending AC to descending AC, but I never thought THAC0
was particularly complicated.
You don't even need subtraction to use THAC0.
Jus...
OSR: Magical Industrial Gunboats
-
Here's some useful information for river-based adventures using *Magical
Industrial Revolution*. Skip to Part 3 or click this PDF link if you just
want t...
Caves of Chaos: Donkeys & Dragons
-
Session 2 was played on 6/12/24
Dramatis Personae:
Glyn the Dwarf
Berm the Fighter
Thorin Oakenshield the Dwarf
Io the Thief
Wannabe Gizzard the Wizard
Li...
Sopwith Triplane (1:200)
-
This was (I think) a CapnAhab design. I added a pilot and some engine
detail, but that's all, and I printed it on my Mars Pro at 1:200 scale.
The model...
Veins of the Earth - Workshop
-
'Queen Mab's Palace' will be moving to layout soon. My gigantic review of
Hugh Cooks 'Chronicles of and Age of Darkness' is done. What will False
Machine b...
Quick Convention Report: LongCon 2024
-
[image: Quick Convention Report: LongCon 2024]
Last weekend I was able to attend LongCon in Longview, TX. I had a work
trip to the Nashville area that en...
Bitterblossom: The Small-Press Supremecy...
-
Our hobby has always been a small-press thing. Even now, with modern,
corporate D&D, the pastime remains in the capable hands of the hobbyist,
empowered ...
Trail of Cthulhu 2e and Broken Empires
-
I try not to back funding projects (on Kickstarter and the like) that often
these days. This is because I backed a few in recent years that I now kind
of r...
Welcome new Greyhawk Fans!
-
With the publication of the new Dungeon Master’s Guide, there are doubtless
going to be a lot of new D&D players interested in my favorite setting, the
Wor...
Warsmith's Words: Traitor Guard
-
Welcome back to the Vault! I've had a miserable snotty cold over the last
few days so I've hunkered down in the Vault and finished off a couple of
proje...
[BLOG] Year Eight: New Foundations
-
The Hall of Mirrors stretches beyond the Two Infinities...This blog started
on 5 August 2016, making this part of the year a good time to take stock
and...
Psychotronic Gaming: The Basics
-
Not too long ago I celebrated the 45th anniversary of me starting an AD&D
1e campaign. I started the campaign before I was a teenager and it is still
...
Knave Jammin’
-
Ben Milton, Mr. Questing Beast, is holding an adventure jam for the release
of the much-celebrated second edition of his game, Knave. Short form,
October...
D&D Player’s Handbook 2024
-
Being an incomplete, visual review of the 2024 Player’s Handbook. I got a
copy of this almost entirely on the strength of the new cover art: (This is
the “...
Concerning the Future of Traveller
-
I have been a fan of Traveller for a long time and have bought various
books over the years from just about every Traveller licensee, as well as
from Ma...
The Mystery of the First Blackmoor Map
-
In this POST from a few years ago, I was concerned with the issue of scale
and distance in Blackmoor in the course of which I attempted to determine
the...
Far Away Land 2nd Edition Kickstarter is Amazing
-
Fay Away Land RPG Ed. 2 is now Kickstarting! It funded quick and has 22
days remaining as of this post. It is a unique setting and RPG that reeks
of fun....
Grimdark vs. Eucatastrophe
-
Noisms has some interesting ideas in this post about his desire for some
depth to his grimdark, and turns to Gene Wolfe and Tolkien for relief.
Now, it ...
Musings on Sleep in OD&D – Is it Over-Powered?
-
Link to discussion
Let’s look at the sleep spell in Men & Magic:
>Sleep: A Sleep spell affects from 2–16 1st-level types (hit dice of up to
1 + 1), from...
It's been a bit
-
Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well! I've had a lot going on and
haven't had much time to blog lately. Heres a recap of gaming events and
other st...
Session #12 & Adventure Sites Compilation
-
Firstly, I wanted to let everybody know that Adventure Sites I by Coldlight
Press is now available as a free download on DriveThruRPG. It includes my
own...
Improvised Awful Lights Missions
-
Asking about The Awful Lights, a commenter asks:
*I'd love to hear about how this is run - with the Handler determining
mission location and objectives ...
Jim Ward's Adventure in Gygax's Wonderland
-
Last weekend at GaryCon, many of us raised a glass to the memory of Jim
Ward, who passed away just days before the convention. Ward was very
helpful to m...
The Economy Engine, v0.2
-
I made a thing. For D&D 3rd edition, so it might not be that interesting to
a lot of people. But I made it and I think it’s cool. The 3rd edition
Dungeon M...
*'s in SpaaaaaAaaaace
-
A lot of SF (including a certain 2D6 RPG grandaddy) deal with ancient
aliens taking humans from Earth and dropping them, fleas and all, on one or
more w...
Last move - to self-hosting!
-
As my vote regarding Substack in the “marketplace of ideas”, I’m moving to
self-hosting.
I’m now at (and hopefully staying for a long time at)
Blog: ht...
Time Rolls On
-
Today is December 31, 2023, in the mid-afternoon. In less than ten hours it
will be 2024. 2023 2023 was a good year. But all years are good years. Both
goo...
-
Heya folks, the 21st Salt Mine book, Import Export, has hit the digital
shelves! In the 21st book we follow Aaron Haddock-codename Stigma-as he
tries to ...
Moving On...
-
So, my D&D 5e experiment has blown up the lab in a puff of green smoke
leaving my face blackened like Wile E. Coyote after a failed roadrunner
Acme trap...
How to Keep Megadungeons Fresh
-
People often consider megadungeons boring. Not because the play style is
boring, but because they are in the same locale for a majority of the
campaign. If...
This is an Important Game Mechanic
-
*"That's the GM's Regional Map from my AOWG. And it's a damned good
regional map. It's not a good map for a Simple Homebrew Campaign. It does
some s$&...
Clean Your Room
-
Looking back at my little blog here. That last post… wow, I was having fun
playing WOW Classic! That was August of 1999 and I was having a blast… it
was ...
My RPG Zine Trilogy is on Kickstarter!
-
I can't believe I didn't post about it here!
The Dead are Coming, Screams Amongst the Stars and Running Out of Time are
on *Kickstarter right now!* Thes...
Maximum HP 004, one week to go
-
Just one week to go for Maximum HP issue #004, the undead. We are pushing
through stretch goals and wracking up contributions for the best issue yet.
We...
Steve Jackson Interview
-
James Maliszewski recently did an interview with Steve Jackson over on his
Grognardia blog. Steve chats about the beginnings of The Fantasy Trip and
upcomi...
Undermountain Map Origins
-
As documented on the Ruins of Undermountain sales page, "TSR didn't
actually use Ed Greenwood's original maps," at least not in their entirety.
This post d...
WB:FMAG Total Print Sales
-
Hello Folks,
The last time I did a quick sales report was in September 2018.
I pulled reports from Amazon, Lulu and DrivethruRPG from October to current
fo...
The Minotaur for Old-School Essentials
-
*Minotaur*
*Requirements:* Minimum STR 9, Minimum CON 9
*Prime Requisite:* STR and CON
*Hit Dice:* 1d10
*Maximum Level:* 8
*Armor:* Leather, including shield...
WIZARDS OF POHJOLA
-
Init +0
Melee Atk
• sword or dagger +1 (1d5 or 1d3)
Ranged Atk
• hot iron sparks +3 (1d4+2 to two targets within 20' but not closer than
5')
AC 14
HD 12d...
Dungeons & Dragonmead Fall Schedule
-
*As you know, I run public classic Dungeons & Dragons games at **The Loaded
Die**/Metro Detroit Game Night's Board Game Nigh at **Dragonmead**, in
Warren...
D&D Sling Damage vs. Large Targets
-
In many early editions of D&D, weapons were assigned two damage values: one
for small/medium targets (i.e. man-sized) and one for large targets (giants
and...
James A. Smith, Jr. Memorial Video
-
A beloved father, devoted friend, and D&D Dungeon Master extraordinaire. We
miss you! To view video, click here Memorial Video
Note - The original video...
Let's Talk About Pacing!
-
The idea, I think, is that the RPG is ultimately about the long game. Even
rolling back to the early days of Basic & Expert, the goal of the player
was...
Profane and Profound Prep Part 2
-
This is part 2 of my work to edit my magic items for a DMsGuild release,
along with adding cursed items along the way. Here is part 1. Bone of a
Saint 8000...
SHORT BREAK.
-
I'm going to take a break for a week or so and will start up again in the
New Year. Thanks for reading and we'll start with Level 6 when I get back.
Iain Lovecraft, 3D Sculptor
-
Nope, it's got nothing to do with Cthulhu. I just did a video conversation
with Iain Lovecraft, who designs 3D miniatures and terrain. If you're not
doi...
New website!
-
Slowly but surely, all the content here will make its way — in updated
form! — to my new website: timbannock.com. For fairly obvious reasons, that
site wil...
Please Update Your Link!
-
If you're seeing this, it means your link to the Greyhawk Grognard blog is
out of date.
Please update your link to www.greyhawkgrognard.com (RSS feed is
h...
Mord Mar - Session 6
-
We weren't able to play Mord Mar last week, due to a family funeral. This
week we played on Monday for the first time, due to kids returning to
school and ...
A Small, Quiet Plea
-
There has been a great deal of discussing political agendas, social
grievances, and personal attacks within the little corner of gaming that is
my hobby....
Don’t Sleep It’s Broken
-
Expanding/editing my comments from What Makes Something Broken G+ thread:
“Broken”, for me, is anything that makes normal character choices, tactics,
or ro...
Swords & Wizardry Light-Themed Birthday Party
-
Last month, my wife and I helped our oldest to celebrate his birthday in
style. Ever since 2013, we have hosted a themed birthday party for our
now-15-ye...