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Showing posts with label DnD5e. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DnD5e. Show all posts

Friday, October 8, 2021

WotC Dungeons & Dragons Titles for the Remainder of 2021 Will Be Delayed

Now, I know a certain percentage of The Tavern's regular readers are saying "who gives a fuck that WotC releases are being delayed!" and I certainly understand that sentiment. It's not the fact that the books are delayed, it's WHY they are delayed that is the actual story. It appears the Expansion Rules Gift Set will miss the Holiday sales season (among other titles being delayed)

According to ComicBook.com:

Wizards of the Coast previously announced that its upcoming Expansion Rules Gift Set box would be released in January 2022 instead of its originally intended holiday 2021 release date. 
Many industries have experienced delays and disruptions caused by a global shipping crisis and widespread resources shortages. The book industry has been particularly hard hit in part because of printer capacity issues compounding the supply chain problems caused by the pandemic. Several experts have noted that larger books - such as gift books, box sets, art books, and coffee table books - are being particularly impacted by the current wave of shortages. 

Add in the labor shortage in the US, impacting everything from unloading cargo ships, warehousing, and shipping within the States and you have a perfect storm.

I wonder if this makes using a US printer more viable, at least for some of the smaller publishers, as shipping from China (where WotC, Paizo, and other TTRPG publishers print the bulk of their books) is becoming more of a crapshoot.



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

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on AnchorYouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar


Tuesday, April 13, 2021

A Wayward Kickstarter - Apocalypse 5e



Sometimes you simply have to wonder. Maybe even scratch your head. Everyone and their mother want to have THAT Kickstarter. The one that makes them a household name in the gaming industry and means they will never have to be a cog in someone else's business model ever again. Another rich and famous game creator. Sadly, the reality is that Kickstarters that hit those life-changing amounts of pledge dollars are somewhere on par with the odds of hitting it big with Lotto. It can be done, but it needs more than luck, hard work, and name recognition. It often needs something resembling the planets coming into alignment.

Now, do 13 10 (as three were canceled) successful prior Kickstarter projects mean you can hit a $100k payday with your latest? 

Hmmm- The most backers Daniel had before his current project was 124. The most monies raised on a successful project by Daniel was $2,179. That's okay though because his eyes are big and are focused on the prize:

Now, over two weeks into the funding period of the Apocalypse 5E RPG Kickstarter, he has 72 backers and just shy of $3,700 in funds raised. With two weeks left to fund.

Simply put, this will not fund. Not now at $100k. Not if rebooted at $10k. Certainly not to raise 1 million. Dare I say it, but this is delusional. The leap it takes to go from where he is to where he wants to be is nowhere in the realm of reality, but I've seen this many a time. From names well known and not so well known. 

The question to ask is "who will be to blame" for the project's failure to fund? Certainly not the creator. It never is.

Strangely enough, even the name of this project isn't accurate, as Apocalypse 5E RPG isn't a stand-alone RPG as the title would imply, but as the Kickstarter page itself says, it's a "post-apocalypse RPG setting handbook that allows you to use 5E rules and combine fantasy and sci-fi themes."

Or is it?

I'm sure this would have done well on the DM's Guild, though not in the amount that the author would have hoped for.

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

Friday, August 14, 2020

Deal of the Day - Rocket Age 5e - Core Rulebook

 I'm a huge fan of pulp-era sci-fi serials. Flash Gordon was cheese, but it was good cheese. Putting such into a 5e powered RPG ruleset may actually tempt me into learning the 5e rules well enough to run a few sessions.

The Rocket Age 5e Core Rulebook is normally 19.99 but until tomorrow morning its on sale for 9.99.

Rocket Age won the ENnies Judge's Spotlight Award.

"It's alternate history pulpy retro-sci-fi space opera planetary romance. It's throttled up rocket packs burning radium on the long blast to the farthest reaches of the Solar System. It's hunting thunder lizards in the upland jungles of Venus. It's battling Ancient Martian killing machines piloted by the Deutsche Marskorps across the baking red deserts of Mars. It's exploring the deadly skies of Jupiter under the constant threat of Europan disintegration. It's RAY gun wielding heroes bulls-eyeing mutants in the blasted ruins of Io" - Ken Spencer, Rocket Age Author.

Rocket Age is the core rulebook in our new radium-powered game line of interplanetary adventure! 5e compatible, it's packed to the fins with all the rules, setting information and game ideas to keep you playing throughout your very own rocket age!

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

I Thank you in advance - Tenkar 

Monday, August 10, 2020

Deal of the Day - Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures (5e)

I may have my feet solidly in the OSR, but even I have heard good things about Sly Flourish and their various releases. Today's Deal of the Day is Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures. Inside you get 10 short adventures for D&D 5e, but I suspect, as they are lower-level adventures, you can convert to the OSR system of your choice with little effort.

Normally 14.99, until tomorrow morning Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures is available for 4.50.

Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures is a book of ten short adventures for the fifth edition of the world's most popular roleplaying game.

Each adventure is written for 2nd to 5th level and is designed so GMs can drop them into any fantasy campaign world. Whether you run a homebrew setting or a published game world, these adventures will fit in as either main adventure hooks or side quests to be undertaken by the characters in your game.

The adventures include:

The Night Blade: Ralavaz the Night Blade, a notorious bandit chieftain, has been released from prison. Rumors mark him as having returned to the hideout from which he and his band once operated—a ruined watchtower where a new group of bandits now dwells. The local sheriff believes that Ralavaz’s return means the Night Blades are back—and that the bandit chieftain must be stopped for good.

The Dwarven Vault: Miners digging on Goldpeak Mountain recently broke into an ancient dwarven vault lost for centuries, and from which treasure and madness now flow. Monstrous attacks in the local area see the adventurers asked to investigate, leading them to the mines and the discovery of the ancient magic underlying the threat.

The Well of the Black Sun: The mine known as Deepfathom Well is the only source of the lucrative alchemical substance voidwater. However, a number of recent murders—including the immolation of a head miner—have closed the operation, and the mine’s owner hires the characters to investigate. As they explore the mysteries buried deep beneath the ground, the characters discover the dark power lurking within the mine—and expose the activities of a secret cult that seeks to control that power.

Rosethorn: A particularly intelligent goblin named Rosethorn has brought the local goblin tribes under his control, and is leading them in devastating raids against trade wagons and farm folk. When the local sheriff seeks help to put an end to these dastardly robberies, the characters uncover multiple levels of mystery and subterfuge, and discover the secret behind Rosethorn’s villainous mind.

The Gleam in the King’s Eye: Lord Marlin Whitesparrow hires the characters to join him as he explores the lost chambers beneath his ancient keep. His goal is to claim the Crown of the First Lord—a lost family relic that might help solidify his rule. But within the forgotten spaces beneath the keep, Whitesparrow and the characters will discover family histories that should have been left alone.

The Crashed Palace: When a celestial palace falls to earth, its destruction unleashes corrupting magic and a bearded devil intent on summoning its master—a powerful pit fiend from the hellish plane of Dyn. A mortally wounded archon begs the characters to travel to the palace and prevent the summoning of this fiend, but dark magic and monstrous creatures transformed by the devil’s rituals stand in their way.

The Flesh Eaters: Lizardfolk tribes living near settled lands traditionally keep to themselves. So when a lizardfolk attack leaves local settlers dead, the characters are asked to investigate. After discovering that an ancient lizardfolk cult is responsible, the characters must track the cannibal cultists back to their lair, revealing the dark magic that has corrupted the lizardfolk, and standing against their powerful leader.

The Queen of Red Water: At an old dwarven dam, a bugbear matriarch has found the key to holding an entire valley hostage by stopping the flow of the local river. With farms on the verge of collapse from the sudden drought, the characters are charged with negotiating with the bugbear’s agents on behalf of the local village. They must then infiltrate the dam to identify the full scope of the bugbear chieftain’s threats.

The Cult of Dusk: A deadly attack in the local village leads to the revelation that a dark cult is seeking forbidden magic in the nearby ruins known as the forgotten library. The characters must pursue the cultists and their mysterious leader into the ruins, trying to prevent a ritual that might pull the world into eternal night.

Gloom: Lord Whitesparrow’s spoiled nephew and heir, Pennin, is marked for death, and the characters are tasked with discovering who is behind the threat. Even as they learn that Pennin recently desecrated a local temple, murder and mayhem lead the characters to discover that one of the temple’s priests is a former assassin of great and terrible renown—and that she has kidnapped Pennin to seek bloody revenge.

Each adventure includes a map of the adventure location and a special presentation format designed to make it as easy as possible for game masters to pick up this book, choose an adventure, and get started playing. Whether you're running a single-session adventure for a few friends or want to drop a short adventure into the middle of your longer campaign, Fantastic Adventures has you covered.

The electronic version includes both PDFs and Epub, perfect for running off of your phone or tablet along with pregenerated character sheets for levels 1 to 5 custom built for Fantastic Adventures.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Limited Time Availability (Though May 31st) - Scents & Sensibilities - Frog God Games (S&W, 5e, PF)


Normally you would expect something like Scents & Sensibilities to be offered via Indiegogo, but why not cut out the middle man? :)

8 bucks in PDF, 20 bucks for Print plus PDF
Our exclusive Game Day module, Scents & Sensibilities, is now available for pre-order! To guarantee a physical copy you will need to pre-order by May 31. We expect physical copies of the module to ship by June 30. The PDF will be added to your account shortly after May 31, and we will send an update via the newsletter when they are available for download. 
Shipping Note: We are not able to combine shipping charges for ordinary website sales with this pre-order. 
Scents and Sensibilities is a three-part resource for those who choose to challenge their players with the foul-smelling monsters known as stank hogs. The first section is a short adventure called The Manufactory of Fumario, and the second section is an erudite discussion of the stank hog (Sus noxium). The third section contains statistics for adult and young stank hogs. 
The Manufactory of Fumario is suitable for 4–6 characters of level 1-3. The adventure begins with the characters encountering Fumario, a perfume-dealer who travels among strange worlds and even other planes of existence. His manufactory travels with him, and the characters (as heroes do) stumble into a bizarre encounter with him. Fumario’s methods and motivations are inexplicable, but this is usually the case with supernatural patrons…

Monday, March 30, 2020

Deal of the Day - City of Brass (5e)


City of Brass is one of the best-looking releases from Frog God Games. I think it does an amazing job of showcasing their new stable of artists as well as presenting an entertaining adventures / setting. The City of Brass PDF is normally 50 bucks - yes, not cheap - but as the Deal of the Day, it is on sale for $15.

If you want City of Brass in Print PLUS PDF (or for Swords & Wizardry), it's normally 100, but you can snag it for half off if you go to yesterday's Tavern post ;)
Good folk have vanished. Those who were once disparaged and forgotten now wield power unlike anything seen before. Rulers and sages turn a blind eye to the disturbing events unfolding around them. In every corner of the Lost Lands, the Cult of the Veiled One spreads unchecked. 
Prophesizing a cleansing jihad of flames and the coming of the Burning One, the cult has erected its brazen spires in every land. What follows depends on the wit and courage of mighty heroes who must rise to the occasion and take the fight to the enemy in its very stronghold. Will they succeed, or will they succumb to the temptations of the Veiled One’s court and join in the conquest of their home world? A fabled city of wishes on the edge of an eternal flame. The City of Brass is a rich combination of sand-box style role playing adventure, planar exploration, and twisted dungeons designed to test even the most seasoned adventurers. 
Adventure Begins Across Planes of Fire and Deceit 
Beginning with low-level challenges in the familiar confines of the Lost Lands, the adventure leads characters on a thrilling journey through multiple planes of existence culminating in the exploration of the City of Brass itself. The gleaming towers and floating platforms of the city hold terrors and wonders such as the Great Repository and the Minaret of Screams. Characters may choose to take a turn in the Circus of Pain, raid the floating Pyramid of Set, or join the resistance to the Sultan’s oppressive rule and lead an assault on the palace itself! A phoenix rises fully formed from the ashes of the past. The City of Brass is re-imagined for the new renaissance of fantasy role playing games, brought to you in the epic style of old school fantasy campaigns of yesteryear. 
About City of Brass 
From the design team that brought you Bard's Gate and Sword of Air, the City of Brass is an adventure unlike any other. With full color art and maps, new content and new organization, the City of Brass returns bigger and better than ever! An Adventure Sourcebook for characters level 1-20. New versions for Fifth Edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game. 
So what’s new in this release compared to the original Necromancer Games Boxed Set? 
This new release of The City of Brass includes all new color maps by Alyssa Faden and Robert Altbauer. Plus amazing new color art by Colin Chan, Adrian Landeros, Terry Pavlet, Michael Syrigos, C. J. Allan Marsh, and Artem Shukaev. 
The original City of Brass was divided into 3 sections and has been revised and reorganized throughout with 150,000 new words of adventures and material. 
Section 1: Cult of the Burning One - Now includes the following adventures
  • Lornedain the Secret Flame: An introductory adventure for characters Levels 1-3.
  • Freegate: the Brazen Spire (For Levels 4-6), giving new details to the Lost Lands city of Freegate as the characters investigate the arrival of a new cult and its magical tower.
  • The Sea of Baal: (For levels 5-8). Adventures in the Titian Isles, the Elemental Plane of Air and Beyond as they travel across the Sea of Baal to the continent of Lybinos!
  • Numeda a Caliphate in Flames: (For levels 6-9). Arriving in Lybinos the characters discover that the city of Cirtius in the Caliphate of Numeda is over-run by the forces of the Sultan of Efreet. Help free the survivors or join the Sultan in his conquest of the Lost Lands!
  • The Path of the Prophet: (For Levels 8-10). Rewritten from the original with new content.
Section 2: The City of Brass is now newly organized with details on factions, new locations in the Plane of Molten Skies. 
Section 3: Tales of Brass features new adventure locations including:
  • Ard’s Sanctuary: An adventure location for 11-14th level characters.
  • Freeman’s Tower: An ultra-dimensional apartment complex and home base located in the lower city. Conquer the tower and live rent free under the Sultan’s nose! For 11th-14th level characters.
  • The Apartment of Ra Po Jejh!: An old enemy makes a surprise return. Find his phylactery and finish him off once and for all! For 16th-18th level characters!
  • Cathedral of the Lightbringer: The cathedral of the Lord of Infurnace’s minions serving as his consulate in the City of Brass. Steal the Sword of the Lightbringer if you Dare!
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Sunday, March 29, 2020

Frog God Games - 50% Off Print plus PDF



I think I already own it all ;)
Frog God Games is running a 50% off sale, store-wide, until the end of April. We have a warehouse - feel free to empty it. Use coupon code specialgarycon50
https://froggodgames.com/ 

Huzzah!

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Deal of the Day - GM's Miscellany: Village Backdrops I (5e)


The GM's Miscellany series of releases from Raging Swan Press are simply priceless. Ignore the system indicated - even their 5e books work just as well with the OSR and other rulesets as do their system-neutral titles.

Today's Deal of the Day is GM's Miscellany: Village Backdrops I (5e). Normally 12 bucks, its on sale until tomorrow morning for 4.80.
Village Backdrops are short, richly detailed supplements that each present a single village ready to insert into almost any home campaign. Perfect for use as a waystop on the road to adventure, as an adventure site themselves or as a PC’s home, Village Backdrop present the details so the busy GM can focus on crafting exciting, compelling adventures. 
This GM’s Miscellany collects together twelve Village Backdrops, along with bonus, never seen before material, together in one place. 
GM’s Miscellany: Village Backdrops is the work of many talented designers and features the following villages: 
  • Creighton Broadhurst: Ashford, Coldwater, Kingsfell, Lanthorn, Longbridge, Thornhill, Wellswood
  • Jeff Gomez: Bleakflat, Suurin
  • Richard Green: Black Wyvern
  • Marc Radle: White Moon Cove
  • Mike Welham: Shroudhaven
This product is a Dual Format PDF. The downloadable ZIP file contains two versions, one optimised for printing and use on a normal computer and one optimised for use on a mobile device such as an iPad.
Yes, that is an affiliate link above. Keep your bartender in fresh beer and hot lunches by using The Tavern's affiliate links :) 

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Kickstarter - The Book of Beginnings for 5e


I always enjoy low-level adventures as a GM. It always seems to be more about the play and less about "the power". Low-level adventures are also easier to run in my experience, as most rulesets tend to break down a bit at higher levels. The Book of Beginnings is a series of low-level adventures for 5e (and I suspect easily converted on the fly to one of the older D&D rulesets and the various clones and simularums)
Some of the adventures are (you get at least 10 adventures): 
Tower of Senleros: An abandoned tower seems to be active once more. A young mage apprentice went off to explore the secrets this tower may hold. The town is in need of adventurers to save the young wizard! (1st Level) 
Battle of the Dance: Local nobles are in need of fresh adventurers to be their champions at a charity ball. You must represent your patron, impress other nobles, and possibly perform bardic tale to influence. However, where great wealth gathers, trouble soon follows. (1st Level) 
Tomb of Sir Cadogan Kerrington: Adventure into a disgraced knight's tomb to find what treasures he wrongfully acquired! (3rd Level) 
Guardian of the Grove: An ancient grove dedicated to the nature god Pan is under attack. Find a way to stop the radical cultists before they defile the shrine! (3rd Level) 
Mystery at Mistwood: The town of Mistwood is experiencing unknown horrors. At night the town gets deathly chill. Townsfolk are found in the morning petrified. Investigate the village to put an end to the mysterious terror! (5th Level)
Buy-in is 15 bucks for the PDF and 30 bucks for the Print plus PDF.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Kickstarter - Silver Swords: a role-playing zine issue 2 (OSR & 5e)


I like zines. I really like RPG zines. Silver Swords looks like a really cool RPG zine.

32 pages and digest-sized is right in my wheelhouse.

OSR and 5e content? I'm definitely in :)
The content of the zine will be made up of OSR and 5e related content. 
This edition will include both old and new authors with many fresh ideas for your RPG experiences! We will also be including some comics and maps with this issue, so if that's what you want, then look no further!
The articles will give a good look from many new perspectives at different parts of the role-playing experience you may never have thought about. And who doesn't love the feel of a good zine in their hands? Flipping through the pages and enjoying the comfortable, nostalgic art and the well-written articles that are the hard work of dedicated authors. It doesn't get much better than that.
I'm in for issues #1 & 2 in Print and PDF.




Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty - New Boxed Set releases Nov 19, 2019



Trying to find something for the gamer in your life who has everything and you AREN'T looking to spend 300 bucks on a dice set?

Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty is a new beginner boxed set for the 5th edition D&D rules.
Play D&D through the lenses of the mad narcissistic genius, Rick Sanchez, from the animated Cartoon Network series, Rick and Morty—the Rick Way! 
This tabletop roleplaying game boxed set blends the world of Dungeons & Dragons with mad narcissistic genius, Rick Sanchez’s power gaming sensibilities, nostalgia, sarcastic metacommentary, and the reasons why people play D&D in the first place. 
• Following the hugely popular comic book series Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, this boxed set is co-authored by Jim Zub (co-writer of comic book series) with new art by Troy Little (illustrator of comic book series).

• This complete campaign experience includes the following components: (1) 64-page rulebook annotated by Rick (2) 32-page original adventure for levels 1–3 (3) 4-panel folding Dungeon Master screen featuring new art (4) 5 ready-to-play character sheets (6) 11 dice 
• A great companion to the comic book series, and a perfect gift for the Rick and Morty/D&D fan in your life.
Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty has a suggested retail of 29.99. By using the prior link, you can order from Amazon for the low price of 20.59

Remember, Christmas is a stone's throw away ;)

Yep, that's an affiliate link above. Affiliate links keep the taps flowing and the lights on at The Tavern and is an excellent way to show your support.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Kickstarter - The Folio #24 & #25 Double Edition Adventure Set

"Double Edition, 5E & 1E High Level Adventure Module Set"


I've enjoyed the various Folio releases over the last few years. High production quality, nice art, removable covers, dual system (5e and 1e) and generally well written.

With the latest Kickstarter, The Folio #24 & #25 Double Edition Adventure Set, wraps up the Roslov Keep storyline.

What's the pitch?
My Project: This project consists of two separate Folio adventures, each containing close to 30 pages of adventure content, a new monster, 2D and 3D dungeon, and removable 'DM Screen' type covers.  They are in 1st edition AD&D and 5th edtion D&D rules sets, and are designed for higher level adventures 12+. 
Who’s it for?  ALL gamers, both new gamers and old  gamers as it is easily expandable  or playable as is. These two adventures are based around the endgame of The Curse of Roslof Keep mega-dungeon campaign, but they can be used independently as a standard dungeon level.  The base  mechanic will be for 1st Edition with 5th Edition stat blocks in grey.
Note - this Kickstarter is for 2 releases, Folio #24 and #25.

PDF cost to back is 10 bucks, print plus PDF is 20 bucks. That's a lot of value for 20 bucks.


Saturday, July 6, 2019

30% Off Frog God, Troll Lord, Kobold Press and More - For Just a Buck!



Earlier this evening, a friend reached out to me about how to get a Frog God Games title, in Print at a discount. Because as you all know, that is the kind of "influence" I have ;) Then it hit me, the current Humble RPG Book Bundle: 5TH Edition Beast of a Bundle includes just that - a 30% discount at Frog God Games AND Kobold Press, Troll Lord Games, Nord Games, Nerdarchy, Fail Squad Games and TPK Games for as little as a buck. Oh, and a bunch of cool PDFs too.

Just over 3 1/2 days left in this sale. Get your coupons before the clock runs out on this one! :)

And yes, that is an affiliate link above. A portion of the monies you spend via that link will go to support The Tavern. I thank you in advance.

Friday, June 28, 2019

Kickstarter - Reaping at River's End for 5e and S&W RPG


The town of River's End has lost its mage, Mortimer. Rumor has it he has fallen into the dark arts. Aid the people to save River's End!

I spoke with Ben (Best Hair in the OSR) Barsh of Pacesetter Games yesterday on the Tavern Chat Podcast (Tavern Chat Podcast link). We touched on many things, including the Reaping at River's End for 5e and S&W RPG Kickstarter.

I love the cover :)

So, what is Ben offering us?
Reaping at River’s End (R1) is an 8th – 10th level adventure module optimized for the 5th edition and Swords & Wizardry rules sets.  
This adventure module is meant to be a strong challenge to those who attempt it. I was raised in the old school gaming community, so I do enjoy the challenging aspect that RPGs provide. The player characters (PCs) will be up against a strong enemy and his forces. They will also have to resolve the mission in a timely manner because the harvest of the Dragonberry is soon approaching. If they do not successfully track down Mortimer and either learn his secrets or get him to help, the people of River's End may all die. Since this is being written for two separate game systems, certain encounters, traps, and/or mechanics may be subject to change to fit the system well. However, all content, story, and missions will be the same.
I'm very glad to hear that the 5e version and the S&W version will be tailored to the systems in question and not a sloppy direct port between the two. I support his :)

10 bucks in digital, 20 bucks for softcover print plus PDF (about 5 bucks to ship)





Saturday, June 15, 2019

Kickstarter - Brutal Games - A 5E (1e/2e) Adventure in the World of Darknoth

"A Full Color Fantasy RPG Adventure for characters level 3-5 written for 5E or 1st/2nd edition."



Brutal Games is the latest Kickstarter from New Comet Games, who recently won the Three Castles Award at NTRPG Con 2019 for Devils Swamp (a CoC adventure). Yes, New Comet Games has some very solid releases.
In the fog shrouded islands off the coast of the Reign of the Black Wyrm Kings Province, the inhabitants of the Labyrinth Islands enjoy a sport. A game of deadly consequences to the contestants, for the entertainment of the residents.  When the adventurers are captured their survival depends upon how well they play. Can you survive the Brutal Games.  
Brutal Games is a Full Color Adventure for the most popular fantasy role-playing game in the world available for the latest 5th Edition rule set and the still popular 1st/2nd Edition rules. This adventure takes 3-6 characters of levels 3-5 from the Storm Reef Island in the Wyrm Skull Gulf down to the Labyrinth Isles and into the Black Serpentine Swamps.

This adventure was written as the follow up to WoD-1: Citadel of Terror, and picks up right where that module ends. But Brutal Games can easily be played as a standalone, or slide into your own campaign with ease. The game changes every time you play through the adventure, offering different challenges and different goals with every game. We blended  the Hunger Games, the Maze and the Running Man, into this easy to run, adventure. 

This sounds like fun :)

The PDF is available in either 5e or 1e/2e for 12 bucks, both for versions in PDF for 18.

Print plus PDF for either version is 19 bucks. Not too shabby.

Five days left on this one.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Kickstarter - The Folio: Artifacts of Adventure (1e & 5e Adventures Book)

"AD&D & 5th Edition D&D hardcover compendium of eight low to mid-level adventures in classic 1980s TSR inspired 'orange spine' style."


Given a choice between a book with a really long adventure or one with multiple short adventures, the multiple short adventures will almost always win out. Short adventures are easier to convert to the conceits of my own campaign in my experience.

Eight adventures for 50 bucks (HC & PDF) or 25 for just digital is damn competitive these days. One softcover adventure will usually run you from 12 to 18 bucks these days.
The Artifacts of Adventure hardcover is a  series of 8 dungeons adventures from The Folio: Digital Quarterly #1-#5 as well as The Folio: True Level Adventures #1-#3.  Written in both 1st Edition & 5th  Edition fantasy gaming formats. It encapsulates standard fantasy as well as detailing the adventure possibilities of incorporating fantasy steampunk into your campaigns in a kind of 'time jump' reality.  2D (classic blue) maps help spin a story of  struggle, martial prowess, and ingenuity. 
Content from these adventures has never been in print before, so this is the first time anyone will have a chance to stack these incredible adventures on their shelves!   
Our goal is to replicate the 128 page format of the old TSR ‘orange bound’ AD&D series of hardcovers from the early 1980s (Stranger Things  anyone?), and like those hardcovers, this will be covered with a beautiful  swords & sorcery inspired piece of artwork by artist Jeff Easley,  who did all those classic covers.
You've got just over a day to back this project - so do it now :)

(As an aside, The Folio projects consistently release on time - huzzah!)

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Wayward Kickstarter - Erotic Adventures - Apparently it Has Performance Anxiety


Ah yes, this winner of a Kickstarter, Erotic Adventures. I backed for a buck just for the drama ;P
The Erotic Adventures book, compatible with 5th edition, will feature the sexual attraction system, fetish rules, new spells, new items, new feats, new races, new monsters, new gods, and new specialties. Play a barbarian maenad and use sex to recharge your rage. Play a rogue paramour and manipulate others using seduction. Cast a spell to enlarge your breasts, or gain an additional penis. Fight a gender bending semen ooze. And much, much more...  
The goal is 1000 dollars, but, for each additional 100 dollars I raise, I will add a picture to the book. If we reach 2000 dollars, I will make an android app based on the book and put it for sale on SlideMe.  
So back this project, and be one of the first to bring sex into the world of 5e! 
PDF was due in December of 2017. Print book in December of 2018. (It funded October 5th, 2017)

Here's the update from earlier today. At least it's an honest one.


How many Kickstarter Creators suffer from depression? I ask because it crops up A LOT, certainly more than it appears in the general population.

I guess there's still no sex in 5e...

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Kickstarter - Sea King's Malice: a 5E Adventure in the Deadly Depths (and S&W too)

"A lavishly-illustrated hardcover book, with maps from Beadle & Grimm's, a host of additional resources, and much more!"


For those that don't know, Alex Kammer is the main man behind GameHole Con, held in Madison, Wisconsin each fall. He's also written a number of well-received adventures for 5e. Well, Frog God Games' latest Kickstarter is a hardcover adventure from none other than Alex Kammer himself called Sea King's Malice.
Sea King’s Malice is a full color and lavishly illustrated 5e adventure for the world’s most popular role-playing game that takes characters on a sweeping adventure across the ocean, to previously uncharted lands, and finally down under the waves to the very depths of the sea. It is also available for the 0E Swords & Wizardry system for those preferring old-school rulesets.
Only the most stalwart and bravest of heroes will have any chance of surviving the hazards of the open sea and the perils of other strange and yet unknown lands, both above and below the waves, as they search for clues surrounding the disappearance of the missing ship.  For in the sea-green depths a brooding menace awaits them, filled with  inhuman hatred of all things of the surface world. The adventurers’ journey will end, one way or the other, in the Court of the terrifying Sea King. This edge-of-your seat 5e adventure takes characters to level 10, and is also available for Swords & Wizardry (0e) The Swords & Wizardry version will begin at a higher level and cover fewer level advancements.
And then there are the maps from Beadle & Grimm:
Frog God Games is very proud to announce our partnership with Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse. They are the premier creator of high-end tools for tabletop game masters and players worldwide. The Map Vault: Sea King's Malice is the first of a planned series of limited edition maps for gamers everywhere.
Dear friends, 
As grizzled veterans of the original AD&D, Alex’s tale of the Sea King really spoke to us here at Beadle & Grimm’s. The rules may be 5th Edition, but the vibe is old school in the best possible way – it strikes the perfect balance between heady role-playing, tense dungeon-crawling  and visceral, gory combat. We’ve been looking for an opportunity to try something new, so we’re very grateful to Alex and Frog God for inviting us to create a special enhancement for the Sea King’s Malice adventure – our first-ever selection from the B&G Map Vault.
 
The Sea King’s Edition of the Map Vault focuses on one of the most exciting and unique elements of Alex’s story – the sailing ships. Three different ships are presented here, each on its own two-sided 24x30 map with art created exclusively for Beadle & Grimm’s. One side has the full-color detail of a ship from the adventure, while the other has blank interiors and a dry erase surface so that you, the Dungeon Master, can use it to create future adventures from your own imagination. All six battle maps are scaled and gridded for your minis, and they come rolled in a custom cartographer’s tube to keep them protected for years of future use.
Pretty cool shit!

Already funded and knocking down stretch goals as I write this with 28 days to go...

As most of you know, I am affiliated with Frog God Games. It doesn't make this Kickstarter any less awesome (Alex has that knack). - Erik Tenkar

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Kickstarter - The Folio: Digital Quarterly #5 (1e & 5e)



"An AD&D & 5th Edition module set in two different fantasy time periods, so double up your adventure!"

If you want to check out the quality of the various Folio offerings, the Digital Quarterlies are a good option.

For 10 bucks you can get the latest offering - The Folio: Digital Quarterly #5, or for 35 bucks you can get the full set of 5 (that's 7 bucks each). After the clean up / condensing / throwing out of various sundries to prep for renovations at Casa de Tenkar, I need to really consider going digital for the majority of my future gaming purchases. I am simply running out of room.
My first two Digital Quarterlies revolved around this setting, and I've always been inspired by drawing in bits of old history to sprinkle through those adventures.  Since the next two Digital Quarterlies were both traditional fantasy, I had a choice to make about what kind of Digital Quarterly I wanted to produce for number 5, and then it hit me, why not do both!  So what you will find in this DQ will actually be TWO adventures, one that will revolve around traditional fantasy, and the other in my future 'mage-punk' setting of The Gun Kingdoms.  Each adventure can be stand alone, but they also can tie directly to each other, and you could have ancient documents, descendants, or old legends connect the past to the present as this dungeon adventure takes on new features, monsters, and magic.  R Scott Taylor





Friday, May 3, 2019

Paizo to Make Content for D&D 5e? Say What!?!


Straight from the Paizo blog:
Paizo is partnering with our friends at Game On Tabletop to launch the Kingmaker Adventure Path for Pathfinder Second Edition. We'll start with a hardcover Kingmaker compilation, and you'll tell us how much more you want to see. The companions from the computer game were also a big hit, so we'll be adding a Companion Guide to introduce them to the tabletop campaign, complete with NPC stats, sidequest encounters, and expanded kingdom-management roles. Finally, we'll add a hardcover Kingmaker Bestiary for 5E, developed in conjunction with industry leaders in third-party 5E publishing, allowing players of the current edition of the world's oldest RPG the chance to experience the rich and detailed storylines that have made the Kingmaker Adventure Path a fan favorite for a decade. More add-ons and unlocks will be revealed as the campaign progresses. (emphasis mine)
May you live in interesting times ;)

Oh, and the first time I've heard of this site: https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf194/kingmaker-10th-anniversary.html - interesting that Paizo won't be using Kickstarter to crowdfund.
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