Free OSR - Tomb of the Serpent Kings - Deluxe Print Edition

I was surprised that Tomb of the Serpent Kings had escaped my prior possession in PDF. I'd heard of it, read discussions and posts mentioning it, and knew that it looked familiar when I saw the title, but until tonight, I'd never owned a copy - and damn it! It's free!

You CAN snag a print-on-demand copy of Tomb of the Serpent Kings for 3.99, and I'll be snagging a copy for myself once I have other things in my cart to ship with it.

People keep asking for "beginner" dungeons. Everyone can name "classic" dungeons - Tomb of Horrors, Barrier Peaks, The Temple of Elemental Evil, etc. - but in order for those adventures to make sense, there needs to be some sort of introduction.

It's like all the adventures we have are Bach concertos. People keep writing amazing works of staggering genius, but someone needs to write a book on how to play the piano.

I had the same questions, and since I couldn't find anything satisfactory, I decided to write the kind of dungeon I would have loved to find. I wanted to write the best basic old-school dungeon for new players that I could, and I also wanted to show the design process. And since people keep refereng to it, I figured I'd put up a fancy print version.

Tomb of the Serpent Kings is designed to be easy to adapt to your system of choice to create an old-school dungeon-crawling tomb-robbing experience.

The PDF is free and licensed under Creative Commons NC-BY-SA. Hack it, share it, translate it (there are French, German and Spanish translations available on my blog). 

 

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Humble Bundle - More Tabletop RPG Resources

Is there ever a point where a GM can have too many random tables? Probably not. Since that's the case, everybody should be jumping on the latest Humble Bundle - More Tabletop RPG Resources. There are simply more tables than you could shake a stick at. 46 collections of tables for 18 bucks - or 4 for a buck if you just want to kick the tires.

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Kickstarter - The Oracle RPG App - Less Prep. More Play

Content Generators, RPG Tools, and a Campaign Builder. D&D, Pathfinder, and System Neutral. Available on iOS, Android, Steam, and Web.

There was a period when I was genuinely focused on finding the perfect "campaign app." Never saw one that really "clicked" for me, and I looked.

The Oracle RPG App looks REALLY good, not just because of its cross-platform compatibility.

Pricing is either a discounted subscription or a $300 all-in for a lifetime subscription.  Decisions, decisions...

What Makes Oracle RPG Special?

• Content Generators: Billions of possible combinations in an instant when you use any of the Nord Games content generators.
• RPG Tools: Need a small component for your adventure? A trap, some loot, or something to fill out the dungeon? We have an RPG Tool for just about anything.
• Campaign Builder: Organize all of the components of your campaign in a clean and organized interface.
• Quick Prep: Generate interesting stories, exciting settings, memorable characters, interesting monsters, and thrilling adventures in seconds, cutting your prep time dramatically.
• On-The-Fly Editing: Add to, remove from, or change your campaign during your game session with the easy to use interface.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Seamlessly accessible on any device, Oracle RPG ensures your toolkit is always at your fingertips.
• Time-Saving Efficiency: Oracle RPG eliminates the hassle of session preparation so you can focus on the fun of storytelling and gameplay.
• Built-In Inspiration: Discover new ideas and endless possibilities with our intuitive content generators designed to inspire.

Kickstarter - Arden's Adventures/Arden's Notebook: An OSE 'Zine Series (Necromancer Games)

Quick note! Skeeter Green and Zach Glazar are the Special Guests on Talking Crit Live! Wednesday, June 5th @ 8PM ET - Skeeter worked on the Arden's series of zines for Necromancer Games, and Zach is an executive of Necromancer Games / Frog God Games. Link to the stream here.

Another note! I know Skeeter and Zach not just on a professional level but also on a personal level. Both are close friends and skilled and talented creators of old-school gaming material. 'Nuff Said! Tenkar

I'm a big fan of RPG zines. They are the perfect size for my consumption of gaming goodness and are convenient for both on-the-go reading AND when one HAS to go. Heh :)

Four zines in one Kickstarter for Old School Essentials from Frog God Games / Necromancer Games. Could I ask for more? Probably not.

I'm backing Arden's Adventures/Arden's Notebook Kickstarter at the $40 backer level - all 4 zines in print and PDF. International backers CAN opt for POD, which would make for cheaper shipping.

Arden's Adventures is a full-color zine that brings back the feel of classic adventures, where the characters are as likely to die in the second room as they are to find vast and unimaginable treasures and high adventure!

Arden's Notebook is a serialized supplement inspired by Arden's Adventures. The Notebook delivers useful information for the adventure, ideas to make your own, and regular columns such as Helman’s Haberdashery, Role Call!, Igbat's Incantarium, Zoo-Illogical, and more. And Tropes, our original comic strip, illustrated by the wonderful Chet Minton, is pretty darn cool!

All four zines are 28 to 32 pages, A5-sized, and saddle-stitched. To be precise, the page counts are as follows:

• Arden's Adventures Volume 1 is 32 pages.
• Arden's Notebook Volume 1 is 28 pages.
• Arden's Adventures Volume 2 is 32 pages.
• Arden's Notebook Volume 2 is 32 pages.

 

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Kickstarter - 13 Screams Beneath The Withering Sky

A Dystopian Fantasy Roleplaying Game Of Vengeance & Survival With OSR-Inspired Design, But Based On Simple d6-Mechanics.

Rick Hershey and Lucus Palosaari make one heck of an interesting collaborative team, and they're the creative minds behind 13 Screams Beneath the Withering Sky.

Promising a streamlined OSR-inspired system using d6 mechanics, it apparently has a grim-dark aesthetic, which I am drawn to. Damn, my experience with WFRP 1e has forever corrupted me ;)

I'm in for the POD hardcover and PDF.

13 Screams Beneath The Withering Sky is a dark fantasy tabletop RPG designed for players who crave tension, exploration, and the thrill of facing insurmountable odds. The core rulebook includes everything you need to create characters, navigate a cursed world, and challenge the 13 Warlords that dominate the land.

 

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 

It's Official! I'll Be Returning to PAGE in 2026 as a Special Guest!

PAGE 2025,  held in January of this year, was a blast, plain and simple. For a con only in its second year, things ran very smoothly. Everyone appeared to be having a great time, and the weekend went by in the blink of an eye.

I am pleased and flattered to have been invited to return to the Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo (PAGE) as a Special Guest in 2026. Get your tickets NOW, as the Special Guest list will simply grow to a ridiculous size, and you'll kick yourself for missing out on the festivities. You can get more info about PAGE here.

Apparently, for the candid shout used above, I was inspired by THIS man below ;)

I hope to see many of you later this month at TotalCon (Feb 20-23).

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.

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Kickstarter - Quest for Zines: a Zine Quest Zine About Zines

"A zine about zines." It's almost Seinfeld-esque in nature. Of course, you are going to see me backing or buying pretty much anything that Phil Reed puts his name to - it's simply a no-brainer for me.

Quest for Zines is a Kickstarter to support a month's worth of interviews for Phil Reed, and Lex Morgan are doing the interview. At the end of the month, they will put the interviews in zine format, in PDF and print. You can back Quest for Zines: a Zine Quest Zine About Zines for the PDF for 3 bucks, and POD (at cost plus shipping) plus PDF for 5 bucks.

This zine is a celebration of indie RPGs, indie RPG supplements, and their creators. Within this work, 28 engaging interviews will be featured with creators of all experience levels. We'll connect with designers, artists, and publishers. We also include conversations with those involved in crowdfunding, promotion, and beyond.

Join us each day in February! We'll be posting an interview every single day, each as individual updates! At the end of the month, we'll take all the updates, give them a polish, add some nifty art, and make them into a zine. And that zine can be shipped directly to your door.

Not a fan of physical zines? You can just get the PDF, too. 

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