A Box Inside a Box

I got something very cool in the mail.  I got my storage box from Brave Halfling Publishing.  I got the Mullen version with the purple worm eating someone whole. 

It looks so shiny and cool.  Of course when I got it out of its mailing box I promptly whacked it against the side of my printer.  No dent though.  Whew. 

Can you see the little guy inside the purple worms mouth?  He ain't having a good day.  Bottom right, fighter is high tailing it outta there.  Even lost his sword.  Newb.  Mage is blasting the shit out of it, but they are going right through the worm and look to be getting close to their buddy inside.  Sometimes it doesn't pay to have friends.  Upper left another fighter is strolling behind.  Something tells me he's just going to go through his party's pockets for loose change after this battle.

But what does one do with such a good looking box?  Well you put stuff in it of course.  Let's take a look.

Look at that, it fits two stacks of zines side-by-side perfectly.  Big stack of Loviatar, little stack of Crawl!  Hmm, but I see something else in there.

ZOGORION, Lord of the Hippogriffs!  And what's that.  Oh yeah, my editing copy of the 2nd issue of The Manor.  Hugo looks good in yellow.  Working on the polish tonight.

But all good photographers have assistants.  Tonight Bug volunteered with the lighting and composition of the shots.  Al thought she didn't last very long.

She got sleepy half way through and decided it was time to take a nap.

Good help is hard to find these days.

The OSR Newsletter of Stuff

Wow.  I've been reading blogs a lot lately and was astounded by how much stuff is released or just about to be released.  I hope you have deep pockets OSRers because there is a ton of great stuff.  There are so many that I've broken it up into sections. 

Kickstarter/Indiegogo
I've been plopping money down on these lately.  At first I was a bit resistant.  I don't know why.  I guess it was a new concept for me, pay for something that doesn't exist? not a chance.  But that's all over with now since I have currently backed four projects...maybe its more...just don't tell Ivy.

Joseph Browning offers an OSR calander.  I love the concept of this.  And I really want to get in on this one, but I'll probably wait and hop on at the end.  And Joseph stuff has never disappointed.  Always quality stuff.

Tabletop Forge is churning out a Kickstarter to give players a lot of tools to enhance their game while using Tabletop Forge.  It's already funded and climbing closer to its final goal. 

Jon Marr is giving us The Crawler's Companion.  I recently got in on this one.  Last week I got my big fat DCC rule book and although I think its pretty cool there will be a lot of page flipping during a game.  In come the Crawler Companion which will simplify this and keep the game flow going. There is still time on this one to get in.

Appendix N Adventure Toolkit comes to us from John Adams.  This one is funded.  You really get a bang for your buck in the one.  I got in on this one also.  I'm not even sure how much I'm getting with this one.  It seems like I am going to need to clear a shelf just for it.

Oublieditor has created OSR character sheets for Indiegogo.  Get a couple tablets of character sheets so the next time your at a con or GMing a pick up game it makes it a ton easier to get people ready to go with these.  Very affordable.

Goblinoid Games is getting closer to fully funding Starships & Spacemen.   As it stands now they are $820 from hitting their $5000 set goal with 33 days left.  I love the bonus goal rewards on this one.  The little sickbay cracks me up.  If you need to explore the Final Frontier than get in on this one.

Then there is this beast called Rappan Athuk from Frog God Games.  Was it fully funded?  Yeah, just a little bit.  It has become the highest RPG product ever funded on Kickstarter.  Over a 1000 people got in on this one.  Amazing.

James Mal came out with his own megadungeon Dwimmermount.  No doubt this one was being funded.  I've been reading about it for a while on his blog and this was the first Kickstarter/Indiegogo I participated in.  He's been teasing us with pictures and updates lately so I am hoping to have that badboy in my hands soon.

Another megadungeon that is hugely popular is Greg Gillespie's Barrowmaze II.  This one was easily funded with many of the bonus goals met.  Yep, got in on this one also.  I think it was pretty smart for Greg to follow up so quickly behind the hugely successful original Barrowmaze.  Iv'e used it a couple times in my own campaign already.

Then we have James Raggi who always takes it to 11.  Or in this case he takes it to 19 with his Grand Adventures Campaign.  He's got 19 adventures from a ton of talented people on Indiegogo.  This campaign of adventures has just begun so there is plenty of time to get in on any of them. There are more than a few that interest me.

Zines!

There are zines a plenty in the OSR.  Those little digest sized pieces of mail are the best.  I look forward going to the post office now.  

I have to start out with Loviatar.  Christian is ready to release his 12th issue.  Wow.  I got them all.  I'm glad he decided to keep the subscription and up the price.  Need to make it cost effective and a little money to kick back with a pizza once in while.  

Oubilieditor with his second entry has announced the 8th issue of Oubliette is available for print.  This is a magazine I've grown to appreciate and plan on getting the 4-8 issue compilation in print to add to my other.  He gets over 1500 downloads or more from his free PDF offering.  1500!  It is a great magazine to add to your collection.

Johnathan Bingham has announced he's in the final stage of editing Delve!  This is his first crack at zine writing.  I've had the privileged of to get an early peek at it (without all the fantastic artwork I know that's going to be included) and he better buy a lot of Italian postage and a very good printer.  This zine is going to get popular very quickly.  Its getting a final edit and should be out soon.

Matt Borselli over at Asshat Paladins is offering a free zone called Switching to Guns, Issue 33.  Head on over to his blog for the download.  Just seeing it tonight I haven't had a chance to look it over.  If you like it please give a shout out to Matt and let him know.  

Dak Ultimak the mad mind behind the thunderously popular DCC zine, has real the Issue 2 of Crawl!  I got the first one and now I am a subscriber.  This issue is the loot issue.  I'm hoping my copy is in my mailbox tomorrow. 

Oh yeah, and Manor #2 should be out by the end of this week.  Doing some editing and waiting on one final piece and it should be ready to go.  You'll be able to buy it in print or PDF.  And I have a 6 issue subscription button working if you fancy.  

Just for Fun

Tenkar over at his tavern has decided to run a monthly DCC RPG contest.  He's getting a lot of excellent backers for prizes.   The a fore mentioned Delve! zine is offering free copies and the a fore mentioned Purple Scourer Games is offering adventures.  Check out Tenkar's blog for details.  And who knows, by this time tomorrow night he may have Goodman agreeing to GM a game for the winner.

Rended Press is doing a month of monsters.  Create a critter and submit it and mwschmeer is going to make a cool little PDF for everyone to use.   I'm planning on contributing.  I just have to decide...tentacles or no tentacles.  

Independent Projects

I want to start off with Time Shadows world Urutusk.  I've been following her blog for years and looking forward to the chance of getting a copy of what she's come up with.  This has been a long time project of her's and now its at the editor.  The time for Urutusk is near.  UNtil then she has some downloads at her blog to get a taste of what's to come.

Omlet just released Towers of Krshal in print and pdf.  I have to admit I haven't too many details about it, but I've always been a fan of Underworld Kingdom and I really dig the title.  This one might be the sleeper of the this group.  

Matt Stater announced that Blood & Treasure is nearly done.  Matt is a writing machine.  I think he writes in his sleep.  This offering looks to be a game system.  He provides a list of the contents.  Another RPG for the OSR.  There always seems to be room for another.

JB announced (besides him being a slacker with blogging) that his second book is about to be unleashed.  And he's released the PDF version of his B/X Companion.  If you got the first one then I know you'll get the second.  I know I do and I will.

And last, but not least is my good friend Rob Conley mailed me over a copy of Scourge of the Demon Wolf the other night to edit.  I made him format it so I could do it proper.  It a big son of a bitch.  He's been working away at this one for a long time.  Its an adventure that takes full advantage of his Majestic Wilderlands supplement.  I haven't even looked at it yet, but very excited to start digging through. 

My god that's a ton of stuff the OSR is up to and I know I've missed stuff.  I tried to be as complete as possible.  If I've misspelled or misrepresented something please let me know so I can correct my error.  All the projects I've mentioned are all worthy of notice and success.  Good luck to all of them. 

Killing Off Your Villians

Yesterday, I sat at my computer, turned off all the distractions and worked through the last of second issue of The Manor.  There is one small section that needs completed, but that will take no time. 

This issue is primarily two-parts.  Both are locations that you can plug into your fantasy campaign.  First, is Hugo's Healing Potions, a full realized shop for a GM to plop down and ready to go.  No baking required.  The second part was inspired by maps from Matt Jackson that I shared on my GM Games blog.  Smugglers Inn is a rough high level place where every sort of criminal gathers.  And of course there is a nasty secret behind the place. 

Smugglers Inn was giving me fits.  I had a bunch of ideas swirling in my head I wanted to include, but they were getting in the way of one another.  So I had to whittle it down and capture the essence of what I wanted.  Keeping it simple and fun.  There's an old saying 'You Need to Kill Your Darlings".  In this case "I Needed to Kill My Villians".  Not all of them.  Just the ones that were taking the spot light away from the focus. 

Anyway, I'm thinking after the holiday the second issue will be ready to mail out.  Need to do a read through and a polish edit.  I'm pretty happy with this issue.  I hope you guys enjoy it.

PS I wanted to make this post longer so I can push the picture of Kirk and Spock farther down so i don't have to keep looking at it.  I'm not doing that again.

Delve!

Johnathan Bingham has announced he is in the final edits of his first issue of Delve!  He's a busy guy with all his art projects and his next project looks to include an adventure for Lamentations of the Flame Princess.  Check out his blog, Ostensible Cat, for details.  We all know Johnathan is a grade A artist now we get to check out his writing chops.  What doesn't he do?

Broke Back Trek

I got nothing for Sleestak Sunday.  Besides, I think Lurker is on vacation without my big-eyed friends creeping him out I'll save it for next week.  But I did find this funny and slightly disturbing painting.  It's done very well.  I put it on Ivy's computer so when she woke up this morning for work she would turn on her computer and wala, Kirk and Spock having a moment.  I think in some ways they are the sci-fi version of Bert and Ernie.  Bert being Spock of course. 

I Brought Home a Zombie

I went back to my local gaming store to get a 30-sider and a new comic.  As usual, no 30-sider.  No biggie, someone on-line just got my order...again.  But, comics they aren't lacking.  I have been into comics since they started charging fifty cents.  So that will give you a few decades of years I haven't even cracked open one.  This summer I've been wanted to get back in them.  Just read some good old comics, find some new ones I've never heard of.  At the book store there are sooooo many I had no idea which ones were good, which ones sucked.  I thought about going for my safe bet, with Fantastic Four, but I wanted something different.  I browsed and then I hit the Zs.  There it was.  I knew that was the one I was getting today.

Never heard of the comic before, but I got it now.  Read the first part and felt like I should have made a tent out of blankets in the living room, turned off all the lights and read it by flashlight.

Friday Question

There are a ton of great games being played on Google+ these days.  I keep seeing games I want to play in.  Which game or games offered on Google+ would you most want to play in?

Fantasy Warrior, Real Warrior

I'm a huge fan of Spartacus with Andy Whitfield playing the lead.  Last Spetember he passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  They are producing a documentary on his battle with cancer called Be Here Now and its being funded through Kickstarter.  It's already gone over its $200,000 goal.  I intend to put money towards it. 

I know lately there has been some negative bullshit going on again.  Something I won't indulge in.  I think we forget sometimes that gaming, while a fantastic hobby and makes life more fun, is way down the ladder of importance. 

If you are a fan, you know all about Spartacus and how fantastic that first season was.  If you're so inclined, take a look at the Kickstarter.  While its not a mega dungeon or a adventure toolkit, to me its important to get involved with something like this.  If only to remind me to do as the title of the film demands, Be Here Now.  I forget that way too often.

Fantasy Warrior

Real Warrior

Game Night Resumes

New player tonight.  Elf.

Hi.

Hi.

What kind of equipment can I get.

Don't worry about it.

Session starts.

So you are all dead.

Gray.

Fog.  Always foggy when your dead.

God shows up.  God of Dead.  Shitty gig.

Plug a hole.  Undead are leaking out.

Party is the plug.

Black book is making hole.

Can have one item

Boog...I want my halberd.

Grim...I want my armor...no wait

Tavi...I want my lute

Grim...I want my ring....no wait

Elf...I want my familiar

Grim...Damn.

March down tunnel.

Always tunnels when your dead.

 Into undead land.

Boog charge and kill them all.

Grim...No wait...damn.

Boog wait.  Boog say me your master march.

March.  March.

Fight lightning axes.

Scary.

Kill kill kill.

March. March.

Look.  The book.

Boog...that not right book.  March.

Magic items.

Tavi...Oh no my hands a mace.

Grim...haha

Elf scouts area.

Finds real book.

Familiar dies when it peeks at bodak.

Elf sad.

March.  March.

Boog charge and kill them all.

Grim...No wait...damn.

Kill. Kill.

March.

Meet old PC who stole bad book.

GM ends game.

Grim...no wait...damn.

End Session.

New Reviews

New reviews of The Manor...and they're positive reviews at that.

First, is Socalcanuck from The Dungeon Workshop blog said.  ... I quickly flipped through to see what it was like. I didn't like it at all. I LOVED IT!  When you get done with the review check out the rest of his blog.  Another OSR gamer. 

The latest review comes from Danjou's Hand from his Tabletop Diversions blog.  He takes a very interesting take on The Manor.  He talks about how it is solo friendly.  Never even thought about it.  Give it a read its interesting and has some links to some interesting products if your interested into solo gaming.


Thanks to these two and the other reviews.  They are all linked on The Manor page. 

The second issue of The Manor is slow but sure.  I'm hoping to have it done by the beginning of July.  After the holiday.

Sleestak Sunday

And you thought the pylons were just for glowing crystal tables.  Silly boy.  Grab a tuba and come along.  Just turn the pyramid at the top if you're the last one out.

Developing an Idea

It takes me longer these days to get an idea to come to fruition.  Most of the time the idea comes in as bits and pieces.  I know I have something interesting, but its not all there yet.  I'm not sure if its because I'm older, my energy is divided amongst too many things or I have an intense job that depletes me of my mental strength.  I'm sure its a combo of them all.  Or maybe I just know now that there is more to the idea and I need to wait.  When I was younger I would go ahead with a half baked notion.

I've been writing for the second issue of The Manor and one part has been giving me a problem.  I've written it over eight times.  Still not liking it.

Today, Ivy and I go out to the grocery store she loves.  I like it because it has big ass tables I can spread my crap all over, put on my iPod and go to work.  I kept it simple today, no Nook, no cell phone and no laptop.  I took the maps I was working with and just a tablet with the seed of an idea on it and a pen.  Old school writing time!

After dicking around watching people trying to by beer with no ID card and arguing with the cashier even though there is a big ass sign reading 'No ID, No Alcohol' I got to work.  And as I was writing up a typical monster description a simple sentence I wrote, something unrelated to everything else I had thought of, tied the concept together and gave it a new depth and made it more playable.  Now I have what I want to do with it.  And of course instead of writing it I'm here writing a blog.

I've written for many years with a wide range of success and failures.  I was just reading over at Telecanter's Receding Rules about his discovery of things.  How he likes to single things out and make them work.  I know what he's talking about.  I do it with my writing.  I do it with reading other people's works.  Apparently I do it at the grocery store watching people get mad because they aren't getting their beer. 

Back to work for me.

Friday Question

What gaming product not yet released are you most looking forward to?

AD&D (Ants, Dungeons & Dad)

James over at Dreams of Mythic Fantasy posted about the passing of his father.  It's a great homage to his father.  If you haven't read it yet, please take the time to do so.  It got me to thinking of my father and a post I wrote a few years back.  It still makes me chuckle because I remember it well.

This one goes out to James.

Original Post
 There has been a lot of talk about fathers on the blogosphere and that got me to thinking of my dad (he passed away in November of '97) and my gaming times with him. He was there when I first started gaming and didn't know what to think of it, but never discouraged me. I got him to sit down and play a few times. I was still figuring out the rules and he pointed out some of the inconsistencies and helped me rethink parts of the game. He was a funny guy so we had a lot of fun.

The memory that keeps me laughing is the collision of his purchase of a new home and my desire to build my own dungeon. During a weekend I measured every room and hallway, counter, cabinet and piece of furniture. It was the first map that the squares equal 1' so could get the measurements exact and the first time I took the outside of the dungeon into consideration. I showed him the map and he asked what I was going to do with it and I told him I was going to make a dungeon.

That night I cracked open the monster manual and DMs Guide and started filling his small home with lots of creatures. Did it make sense? Ha. No. Not even a little. His whole house I believe measured 40' long and 20' wide and I had a dozen different monster types living there. The next day we sat down and I ran him through my freshly made dungeon. He encountered giant snakes outside and there was one encounter with giant ants inside. He killed them quickly because he said he didn't want ants in his house.

The next weekend I visited he jokingly said I wasn't allowed to use his house as a dungeon any more. He said after that weekend he had a bunch of snakes in his basement and ants in the kitchen. So he blamed me and my dungeon. He told me to make a dungeon of the lady's house next door. He didn't like her anyhow.

It's a good thing I didn't tell my dad about the basilisk in his bathroom.