...and then the forest turned into wolves.

We'd decided to join the notorious Geribald the Kinslayer, leader of a group called the Brotherhood of Outlaws, to kill the Werewolf of Mirkwood. A creature who wiped out an entire community a fortnight ago. With us, we brought our own band of outlaws, men we salvaged from their own reckless natures. Out band of 15 men strong was made up of mercenary soldiers who followed the angry brother of a king, bandits who ambushed farmers on the road and a murderer. Farin, a dwarven warrior with a fatalistic view that he would die by a great wolf, and myself, Enoch, a scholar, healer from Laketown with no fighting skill.

We entered Mirkwood. We'd been here before, Mirkwood proved to be less than hospitable. It proved itself again to be a manifestation of death. As we reached the top of a rolling hill, below a group of wolves waited. They took up position of ambush. After conferring with Ferin, we devised a plan to shape the battlefield in our favor. We harvested logs from the forest, surrounded our position with flaming logs to funnel the wolves into us and set other flaming logs down the hill towards the wolves position.

The battle was a flurry of smoke and fur. Out spear and shield men formed two lines, if one was wounded they would step back and the one in the second row stepped up. Those that were wounded I did my best to heal. Our archers harassed the wolves with flaming arrows and Ferin was the wild card and fought were the need was most.

While the details are blurry in my mind, the wolves proved to be an overpowering opponent. Our blows missed their mark as their claws and teeth found flesh. And then the pack leader attacked. It leapt over the front line and sunk its teeth deep into me. I felt the pressure on the bone of my arm and was surprised it didn't snap. This seemed to rally the men. They forgot about their individual assignments and concentrated their attacks on the pack leader. The blows the missed or glanced away were now finding the soft underbelly. Arrow and spear sipped away at the leader's life. And now the hunters were being hunted and the pack leader ran.

Farin rushed through the battle, avoiding the snapping jaws of the other wolves, to engage the leader. Farin's axe named Wolf Biter, cleaved into spine and the leader released a loud cry and fell lifeless to the ground. The other wolves scrambled, but it was too late. My men were on them, striking with more confidence and the rest easily slain.

We harvest the pelts. We rested and tended to wounds. We nearly lost two of our men, but both survived. 

Farther into the forest we traveled until we found two men, lookouts of Geribald. We parlayed and were escorted into camp where we made our intentions known. He accept our company, but asked for help for one of his men who'd been bitten by a wolf and the wound was infected by Shadow.

I'd seen Seragon or Blood on the Stone, a bright red flower the grew on rocky outcroppings, coming into camp. It would help with the tending to wounds infected with Shadow. In our search to find the plant I met a curious creature. A woman in the forest. She called herself Duskwater, but said she had no need for names. She told me where to find the flower I sought and just as quickly she disappeared back into the forest near Black Tarn, a large pond. And I swear, she may have turned into a silver trout and swam away. I don't find this odd, I've assisted Beorn who can turn himself into a bear. These things no longer surprise me.

I tended to Geribald's man. He will recover in time. After some rest, some planning, we intend to hunt this werewolf and put an end to its savagery. 

Don't Go Past the Skulls or Hillfolk of Spoke Top Hill

"Hidden on Spoke Top Hill is a tribe of hillfolk. Corrons, is what they call themselves. They pay no fealty to a lord, never have. Some say they were born of the hills themselves. Lords and ladies leave them be. Probably best. They've got bad magic." Janon looked to over his young drinking companion, a fairly intelligent boy, maybe man, but that has yet to be determined, shiny armor, shiny shield, with the inevitable old sword that probably his father or uncle gave him.

"I hope you have more information for me." The would-be adventure said. Impatient and quick to anger.

Janon shook his finger at the boy. "This won't do. You lead with your stupid and your arrogance. If you go up on that hill demanding answers you won't come back. No matter how strong you are, that bad magic puts even a wise old man, like myself, to my knees. Why would you want to leave a warm tavern and frothy ale to disturb hillfolk that would rather put you in a stew than talk to you?"

"They eat people?" His horrified expression escaped before he had a chance to cover it.

Janon waved his cup around. "That's one of the things they say. Eat the meat, use the skins." He leaned in to whisper and for effect. "They skin ya while you're still breathing, easier to do I hear." Leaning back, "I didn't catch your name the first time, once you said ale I didn't hear word after."

"Gavin. Gavin of Pelumbra. Son of..."

"Gavin is good enough. The rest don't mean much here. So Gavin, what brings you and your shiny armor and shiny shield to our quiet town. You seriously thinking of climbing Spoke Top and stirring up the Corrons?"

Gavin's large adam's apple slid down and he nervously swallowed. "I've need of their augur."

"Do you now? I don't need an augur to tell me if you go past the skulls you'll make a fine meal."

"What skulls?"

"They nest skulls of their victims in the trees that border what is considered their land. It's easy. If the skull's eyes watch you, you're safe. See the back of the skull and you'll be dead before sunrise." Janon finished the last sip of ale. He looked tired and still coated from the day's work on the fields.

Gavin stood. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I did everything but stick a knife in your back." Janon put his hand in his satchel and pulled out a dead bird and offered it to Gavin. "Find a basket. I can't tell you where it'll  be, but find it. Put the bird in it and wait. Don't go past the skulls." He looked at Gavin the boy and shook his head. "I'm not fooling when I say they have bad magic. Offer the bird and wait. One of them may come talk to you. One may not."

A searing pain struck Gavin in his right arm. He grabbed his muscle with his left hand and checked if he was bleeding. He found nothing and as quickly as the pain struck, it vanished.

Janon shook his head as he stood to leave. He point a dirt covered finger at Gavin's arm. "That's a warning. They know you're coming."

Developing NPCs

The picture is of my latest release. the 5th in my NPC Card series on my Patreon. Traksha is a troglodyte with psychopathic tendencies who survives in the Komor Forest by trading with a human he hasn't killed and a lot of goblins he has killed. 

Why create a psychopathic troglodyte NPC? Not sure why you wouldn't want one. Traksha is one type of NPC I like to create. A creature or person who is an oddity within their own culture. While I love a horde of nameless orcs washing over the landscape, burning and killing, leaving a swath of perfect destruction behind, I also enjoy adding a personal touch. An enemy you can put a name to isan enemy worth killing. Hell, the party may find he or she worth an exchange of words. *GASP* Probably not, but should increase the chances.

Let's talk about developing an antagonist NPC. In Traksha sace most of what the party experiences at first is the result of his actions. A group of dead goblins. A family of homesteaders killed as they slept. Both are bad, but let's take it a step farther. Let's make Traksha a bit more malevolent. After killing the homesteaders he brought with him a pair of goblin feet he sliced off earlier in the week and fashioned gruesome footwear. To put the blame on the goblins. And, it amused Traksha.

If the party investigates, they find the dead goblins. It appears the killers have been killed. This could be the end of it until more killings happen, but one of the more inquisitive of the party investigates a bit more and notices the goblins have been dead longer than the homesteaders. The game is afoot.

Traksha isn't the kind of NPC that you want to throw into a head on fight with the party. He knows he won't survive. He's the kind of NPC that works behind the scenes for as long as the GM deems him valuable as an unknown. Also, it allows the party to use investigation tactics. I'm not talking about a simple roll, I'm talking about gathering information to discover habits, track and find him.

When I use an NPC like Traksha, I'm using Swords & Wizardry Continual Light as the system, hit points are low, combat is fast and deadly. When in combat he chooses the environment to give him the best chance. So play him smart, but allow the players the chance to figure him out. To understand Traksha's tells and habits.

One of the suggestions I would have when running Traksha and NPCs like him, run situations backwards from when the party encounters a situation the NPC influenced or encounters the NPC. Let's take the goblin patrol scene first. I would create a minimum of three connective dots (I sometimes use four to five) that lead to the current scene.

Here's an example. We are running the scene backwards.

• Goblins are all dead, Traksha strips them of the supplies and decides to slice the feet off of one of the larger goblins. He has an idea he thinks is funny.
• Goblins are hunting when the lead goblin is flung into the air by a snare trap. The fat goblin in the rear makes an odd squeaking sound.  He stands there, blood flowing out of a large slit across his throat. Traksha uses his camouflage ability to get into position. Three goblins left, he is patient. He takes out each goblin from behind (wounds will show this). 
• Traksha knows the goblins use this hunting path. He placed foot snares to distract and surprise the goblins. He is using a rocky terrain spot to blend into and give him the freedom to escape without a trace if need be. For now, he takes up a position he can spot the goblins approach. 

Your details don't have to be extensive. But, some small details can make the party encountering the goblins more interesting. And most important, it provides information about Traksha, how he thinks and behaves.

With each NPC Card I create at my Patreon I offer up suggestions and situations. You can click over to my Micro-Adventures Patreon to grab a free version of the PDF and consider joining if you would like to get a physical copy of Traksha. 

Enjoy! 

Patreon Backs Off Fee Changes

On December 7th, I wrote a post about how Patreon planned to change their fee structure. I was not happy. Many patrons were not happy. The basic premise, Patreon was shifting the cost of the fees to the patrons instead of the creators. That was bad enough, but then they tried to make it seem like a good thing. Glossing it over with a couple graph bars to demonstrate how much more creators were going to make. Smarter folks than me figured out this was far from the case especially in the lower pledge amounts.

The result of this announcement, unsurprisingly, had effect on my Patreon. I had 82 patrons at the end of November. I lost 11 patrons, 9 of them specifically mentioned they did not like the fee change. There is always an ebb and flow in patronage, but this was my largest exodus in a week's time. 

I also to back off some of my pledges to creators. On average I pledge between $32 to $40 a month spread out between 12 creators. I cut my pledges in half when they announced the fee change. I've always been one to believe, you can protest all you want, shout it to the hills, but it isn't until they get hit in the wallet will they listen. This was my small gesture to do that. While my reduction was insignificant in the larger scale, so many patrons left that it had a seismic reaction in the Patreon offices.

On December 13th, Patreon sends an email that states that they made a bad decision and will not roll out the new fee changes. Great. Now what?

I was glad to see Patreon backed off the fees and admitted to making a mistake. How often does that happen? I am going to take Patreon at their word. I can't imagine they benefited from this decision. Some folks are painting Patreon as an evil, money grubbing entity. I'm not drinking the hatorade. They screwed up, admitted they made a mistake. And yeah, they are a money making machine, they are a business that revolutionized a modern take of patron of the arts. 

However, it has opened my eyes, that their are options to Patreon. Kickstarter has Drip, which is not open to the public at this time, but plans to open to the public early next year. The one that I found interesting was MakerSupport. I'm sure there are others, but those two stood out.

Now I am going to end this by looping around and talk about my patrons, the people who voluntarily pledge a few bucks so I can make my micro-adventures. As I stated above, I lost 11 patrons this month with no new pladges. Hell of a hit. But, the amazing thing...my revenue increased. Why? Because a bunch of patrons who were at a lower level upped their pledges. They wanted to show their support and if someone pledges at a higher level it off set the cost of the new fee structure. That kind of generosity catches me by surprise, and it shouldn't. As a whole, the gaming community is made up of an altruistic crew. Think of all the charity auctions earn thousands of dollars. People posting personal GoFundMe pages and earning more than the set goal. It's good to see. 

Now go make something. 

Manor #9 Get a New Printer

With the release of Manor #9 last week, my printer decided to stop working. I knew it was going to happen soon, but I was hoping it might last another month or so. Nope. So, I went out yesterday and got a great deal on a new printer. Basically the really big brother I had before. I made a short video about it and a quick shot the Manor #9 progress.

Thanks.

Manor #9 Available on RPGNow

Issue #9 of The Manor is available of RPGNow...now. I've been doing this for a while now and no matter how many times I put a product on RPGNow I get nervous, like I'm screwing it up. Which I do, but I go back and fix it. Weird.

Back to my point. If you prefer PDFs over print, click Manor #9 and grab a copy!

If you prefer a print copy, just push the Paypal button below and I'll fire one off to you. I'll also send you the PDF free, by a providing a coupon to RPGNow.

Manor #9: Where Shall I Send It?

USA $7.00 USD Everywhere Else $8.00 USD

Manor #9 Available in Print

Manor #9: Where Shall I Send It?

USA $7.00 USD Everywhere Else $8.00 USD

This afternoon I put the final touches on the 9th issue of The Manor. It's been a long time coming. I went through a handful of starts and stops, but as I worked on my Komor Forest sandbox campaign, developed extra content and ran games to test out the material, I had more than enough to fill a zine.

Issue #9 is the first issue of The Manor dedicated to a ruleset, Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. I've had the chance to hand out a few copies of the ruleset at the latest con I attended and ran a game. It was a blast. I had the players make up a character, took all of ten minutes. Then we got into the adventure.

Some of what you'll find in Issue #9 is a collection of four cleric variations. In my campaigns I like to have clerics reflect the principles of the god they serve. I enjoy players who get into the nuisances of their god or gods they serve. This is reflected in these variations I've included.

Random encounter table I use for those traipsing through the dark wood. I much prefer the bell curve style of encounter table. It provides a place for common, rare and unique encounters. This is an example of my random tables.

I've included The Crooked Man Tavern, located in a dungeon near you. My setting is not for just meatheads with the biggest weapon. There is a lot of meat on the bone for players who enjoy intrigue, skulduggery, and exploiting the that knowledge acquired through nefarious means.

The fantastic cover is by +Denis McCarthy, his art is also featured inside the zine. Thanks to +Erik Tenkar for creating such a cool system.

For those who prefer PDFs I'm hoping to post it on RPGNow tomorrow. Those who want the print copy please push that little Paypal button above and I'll ship them out early next week.

Enjoy!

Ranting About Patreon Fees

I may say some bad words.

I'm not sure why Patreon decided to change their pledge payment structure. I have to believe they thought this would be a good thing, but it isn't. It qualifies as stupid. If Patreon cared so much about their creators they should have presented this proposal to us so we could have stopped it before they rolled it out.

I am talking about Patreon charging patrons instead of creators, the fees. Michael Prescott sent out an email that drove it home for me. So if one of my patrons pledges $1 they will get charged $1.35. 

I hate that. No wait, I fucking hate that.

Patreon's basic philosophy is to have creators do their thing and then have people tip them for what they are doing. "Hey dude, I like what you're doing, here's a few dollars, keep doing what you do."

Now it's like, "...keep doing what you do." Patreon man steps in and says "Wait Patron, now you have to pay the tax for being generous and supportive. You must put more money into the tip jar so I can get my cut."

Bullshit.

As a creator, having to pay the fees was fine. A necessary evil of business. Everyone needs their cut so I didn't mind. It was a place to share my work, get feedback and make some money on the side. But to put it back on the patrons is just bad. There is nothing more aggravating when someone is being generous, and then that person who is on the receiving end of that generosity, demands more. 

I've already lost a group of excellent patrons. I don't blame them one bit. All of them have said they were not happy because of the new payment system. And I think they have the right idea.

So patrons, if you want to leave, go with my blessing. I don't like what Patreon has done. I am writing an email to them after I finish this post. 

If you have the time, please drop Patreon a line to tell them you aren't happy with what they have done. 

It's time to stir the shit pot and let them know that this new payment fee arrangement is clumsy, arrogant and wrong. 

Adventuring in Different Planes of Existence: Undolee Cave

The Komor Forest is filled with strange and dangerous locations. The Cave of Undolee is one of those places. It is located close to Hounds Head, the locals know of it, interact with it, but when the cave 'gets to acting up' they run like hell.

The Cave of Undolee is a powerfully charged location through natural magics. Heavily borrowing from Celtic mythology where gates between worlds open during certain times of the year, phases of the moon, or whatever schedule the GM needs to drive an adventure forward. The map itself was created when I was mapping for game night. I screwed up the map so bad, I just kept it and thought I'd create my own version of it.

The image from the 1st edition Player's Handbook (pg. 121) sticks in my mind.

For me, the Planes of Existence are layered upon one another. Sometimes sharing the same space as other planes. Places where planes overlap and conditions are right, natural gates occur. The Cave of Undolee is a gateway to the Plane of Water.

These gateways provide opportunities for gameplay beyond the normal realm of existence. With preparation, probably a few trial runs, a party could adventure in the Plane of Water. This provides complications the party has rarely come across.
In this adventure, The Cave of Undolee is a glimpse of that possibility. And if the GM chooses, could be a focal point for an 'outsider' enemy group. The sahuaghin are a fantastic enemy race that provides a new threat beyond the traditional orcs and goblins. Plus, they have that otherworldly feel, especially if a GM plays up the sahuaghin's potential for mutations. And with the threat of possible invasion, it is not like the party can track the enemy to a cavern stronghold. No. The party would need to travel to a place where the environment itself could kill them at any moment.

I have a map drawn already for an adventure in the Plane of Water. I hope to have it out next month. It'll be the first adventure that will include sharks. So I'm excited about that. It'll take place as soon as the party moves through the gate.
As always, my thanks to my patrons. Their continued support is incredible. I love creating these adventures, printing them and having them in hand. Here's to a productive December.

Anyone interested in grabbing a PDF copy of The Cave of Undolee only need to follow the link to my Patreon. If you would like a physical copy, please consider pledging and get used to getting cool stuff in the mail.

Iron Crawlers Ready to Mail and Yep, I'm Giving Away a Few Copies

Iron Crawlers is a Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Adventure. You can click the link and grab the PDF for free. Or...if you want a print copy comment below and then send me your address through email (elder(underscore)sensa(at)yahoo(dot)com) or Google+ (Gothridge Manor) cause without your addy I can't send you a damn thing.

It's a starting adventure that puts the party against a not so clever, not so tough gang. If the Iron Crawlers can take advantage of the party. they will. But if the party plays out the situation in the right way, they could gain themselves a group ally. Possibly. I wrote a long post about this last month, if your interested in reading about me stealing office supplies from my mother's work place you can read it here.

Last month Tenkar and crew released a print version of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. If you click the image it will magically whisk you away to Amazon where you can purchase a copy for only $7. I bought 4 copies, went to Con on the Cob, gave them away and now I have 0. So I gotta reorder! This link is an affiliate link, so I may get a giant kickback if you order from my page.

Seriously, the book is great. Simple, quick, learn the system within 30 minutes depending on how fast you read.

Hey! Have a good gaming week. Roll some dice for me. Don't forget to make an offering of Unosum, the God of 1's, A slice a pizza or beer usually does it,  or you'll become a 'cursed 1' like myself. It is no way to live.

A Peek at the New GM Games HQ

First off, my wife kicks ass. A lot of it. Mine sometimes. +The Happy Whisk did all the mudding and painting on her own. Last week during my vacation we put the floor in. She sewed some cool drapes to help keep out the cold and eyes for creepy neighbors. The shelves are a mishmash for now, but I have ideas on building my own shelving system. Build it right to the wall, but overall I am thrill with the outcome.

New computer, I've recovered most of my files and my printer has agreed to work again after threatening to execute it on the spot 'Office Space' style.

What I hope that happens...

• more productive, write more adventures and get back on track for my Patreon
• more gaming! with my office I can run more games without disrupting the entire house. And I may not be attacked by Bug during the game
• More efficient processing of printing and mailing out stuff
• and the possibility that Issue #9 of The Manor will be out in the near future

That said, thanks to my wonderful wife who wanted me out of the rest of the house so bad she made me this space!

Cons & Renovations

Tomorrow I leave for Con on the Cob. I'm meeting +Chris C. and +Rob Conley there to get some face-to-face gaming going. I've been to this con twice before. The last time was three years ago. That was a blast because the whole group was able to meet there then.

I am sitting in a swirling batch of chaos. About three months ago my computer's hard drive and motherboard died together. All the while Whisk and I were renovating one of room to make me an office.

I have since bought a new computer. It kicks ass, but trying to recover what I lost has been a process. Backing up your stuff is a good thing. I failed to do that. But, it looks like I am on track again.

Like any renovation it sends the rest of the house into chaos. Last night we finished the flooring. Finishing touches still need to be done, but I can start moving in table and equipment in today.

Gotta pack for the con today. I have to decide what I'm taking with me without forgetting what I need to take with me.

I've signed up for a few games. Kept the schedule light, with time between I can recharge and hang out with Chris and Rob. +Chris C. shared our schedule on his blog. This gives us time to get some food, do some shopping and talk to other gamers. I'm excited to get going.

I don't have a game scheduled to run, but I hope to run an adventure at an open time. A few years back I ran an Exoterrorists game that was a blast. This year I plan on running a more traditional fantasy adventure using Swords & Wizardry Light.

If you are going to the convention look me up and maybe we can throw some dice.

...the fool is obvious as a coal pile in a ballroom.

I like to drag my 1st edition, Dungeon Masters Guide (1979) off the shelf and randomly open it (it always opens to the pages 74-75 because those who know, know) and read.

This time I found myself on page 19. I was reading the THIEF ABILITIES. Hide in Shadows has a paragraph double the length of the others. I thought this was weird. I read it and started laughing. Gary G. cracks me up. Here is what I found.

Hide in Shadows: As is stated in PLAYERS HANDBOOK, this is NEVER possible under direct (or even indirect) observation. If the thief insists on trying, allow the attempt and throw the dice, don't bother to read them, as the fool is as obvious as a coal pile in a ballroom.

BAM! You go Gary. The paragraph goes on, but nothing else compares to the above tidbit. I love that he wants the DM to throw the dice, but don't read them. And basically he's calling the player/character a fool. Seems like Gary must have gotten into an argument about this subject right before he wrote it. I don't know about you guys, but I can lose my keys I was carrying and the aren't hiding in the shadows.

Other interesting takes I discovered when reading the descriptions. And I ALWAYS find new stuff in this book even after having it since '79.

Pick Pockets: Failure allows additional attempts. Up to two attempts at picking a pocket can be made during a round.

Picking pockets was one of those skills that rarely was used. It seemed like you always got caught and then there was the inevitable Benny Hill chase scene.

Climbing Walls: Gary goes into some detail about movement rates. He states it is probably the most abused thief function. He doesn't go into detail other than it requires training and practice. I've never been in a game where climbing movement rate has been calculated...well, in a GURPS game a few times.

Amazon is in Talks to Create a Lords of the Rings Series: Whadda Ya Think?

This sounds interesting. Jeff Bezos is apparently leading the charge to bring this home to Amazon. No deal has been done yet.

What brought this about? I'd read early that Amazon pretty much showed their producers and writers of original content, the door. Thanks, but no thanks. Amazon suggested it wants to get away from niche storytelling and find itself a Game of Thrones. Which is great, love me some GoT. But I love series that focus on the minutiae of a sub-culture. I hope they continue with those stories also.

But sometimes when you chase the dragon you get burned.

I say this in part because I think Peter Jackson's movie trilogy did an excellent job. He cut out most of the singing and the poetry, so for that he has my highest respect and thanks. The story has been told at a high quality. I know its been 16 years since the Fellowship of the Ring movie, but it is still fresh in my mind. Does this need to be told again? My opinion is no. Not right now. With the retelling there will be the inevitable comparison not only to the original books, but to Jackon's movies. And some may compare them to the cartoon series.

I like the idea that Amazon is hoping to fill the massive hole that GoT will leave behind when it concludes. Amazon wants to have one of those shows where people have parties when it airs. The show is an event.

Just because I don't think the story needs to be told again, doesn't mean I wouldn't watch it when it came on. Hell yeah I would. But I would prefer a new story. A new series, preferable not Shanara. Oh wait, that was also done. Please never do that one again. There are soooo many good books out there, I would think they could land one of those and create their own next event show.

I would LOVE to see a series done for the Thieves World books. That series would have everything they are looking for. A cast of fantastic characters a mile long. Interesting story plots. And it would be new ground. I think that's what most people want. I know there a ton of fans of LotR that would gobble up another version, but as much as I like a cover band, 99 times out of 100 the original is better.

If you have an opinion of Amazon producing a LotR series please comment. Or if you have a series you'd rather see them produce please add it below. It might be something I haven't heard of and would love to read.