RPG Bloggers » Legacy D&D

D&D Basic Set part 18 from SAVE OR DIE!

Save Or Die! — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:44:00 +0000

Treasure: This section begins with a cursory explanation of the treasure tables, and also provides the exchange rates for the different types of coins. Electrum is given a concrete value for the first time here, being worth half a gold piece. Previou...

Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition Review from Creatively Anomalous

Creatively Anomalous — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:16:58 +0000

The Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition (affiliate link) does a great job of translating Green Ronin’s classic setting into the Pathfinder RPG system. I also have the Savage Worlds version of the book, and somewhat prefer the Pathfinder implementation. The … Continue reading →

Castle of the Mad Archmage Poster Maps from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:52:00 +0000

Good news for fans of the Castle of the Mad Archmage!Our erstwhile cartographer, Joe Bardales, has come up with a comprehensive set of poster maps covering levels 2-13 of the dungeon! Here's just a sample of the wonderfulness that awaits your downloadi...

Sunday Matinee: A Clockwork Orange (1971) from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Hi, hi, hi, my little droogies!This bit of ultra-violence came on my gazzies when it viddied on HBO and Cinemax back when I was just a young veck.Oh, hell, I can't continue this post in nasdat, no matter how much I would like to. A Clockwork Orange was...

redneck damnation van from Jeffs Gameblog

Jeff's Gameblog — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:37:00 +0000

source

My First Hirst Arts Dungeon from Discourse and Dragons

Discourse and Dragons — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:11:00 +0000

[Mental note: I want to kill blogger. Grr! I've had this post freak out on my a couple times - FYI]Hi All,Here are some pictures of my first fieldstone dungeon. My build is based on approaches and ideas gleaned from two sources: Caveman on the HA board...

Some Really Cool Maps from The Geek Gazette

The Geek Gazette — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:17:00 +0000

I am planning on running an Eberron adventure using Pathfinder, naturally, this weekend and needed a couple of maps. So I Googled up some Eberron maps.As I was going through the search result thumbnails I noticed a map that didn't look quite right...

New Spell – Whispers of the City (for Patherfinder and L5R, 4th Ed)

Sea of Stars — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:29:06 +0000

If you listen to the City, it will whisper its secrets in your ear. Whispers of the City for Pathfinder School divination [language-dependent]; Level Brd 1, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2 Components V, S, AF (wine glass), DF Casting Time 1 minute Range Touch Target One being Duration Special (see below) Saving Throw Will (harmless) and [...]

Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition’s greatest innovation from A Hero Twice A Month

A Hero Twice A Month — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:31:00 +0000

Last weekend I found myself playing Dungeons & Dragons 3E for the first time in nearly a year. I was happy to get the opportunity since I consider myself pretty neutral in the edition wars and I was happy to get the chance to flex my D&D ...

Your Whispering Homunculus: At the Horse Fair, Part 2 from Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

Kobold Quarterly — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:12:43 +0000

Master Pett’s Your Whispering Homunculus presents only the finest in British gaming. Indeed, you likely are not to find a more comprehensive assortment of miscellany around. (So much more than just another bloke in a dress.) [At the Horse Fair, Part 1] ___ This sample annual fair takes place on a large meadow and draws folks from miles [...]

Rethinking Elves 2 – Lost Knowledge from Rolang's Creeping Doom

Creeping Doom — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:58:55 +0000

That a race that lives as long as elves is generally not in touch with the concept of their own mortality is a pretty fair assumption, and one I’m using this morning. The idea that knowledge can be lost, that … Continue reading →

On Alignment Changes From OD&D to Holmes Basic from SAVE OR DIE!

Save Or Die! — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:26:00 +0000

Alignment undergoes a big shift from OD&D into the Holmes Basic Set and AD&D. Originally it was a simple three-way system of Law-Neutrality-Chaos, but by Holmes the concepts of Good and Evil have entered into the mix, creating a system with five align...

Compartmentalization of Information from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:34:00 +0000

I was going through the various plots and schemes and widgetry that's going on in my AD&D Greyhawk game, and it occurred to me that one skill vital to all DMs is the ability to compartmentalize information.That is, one must be able to bring oneself...

D&D Basic Set part 17 from SAVE OR DIE!

Save Or Die! — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:05:00 +0000

Troll: In OD&D Trolls had an AC of 4, but now it has dropped to 6. They were Chaotic in OD&D, but now they are Chaotic Evil. As has become expected, the damage for the Troll’s claw/claw/bite attack routine has been changed, from 1-4/1-4/1-8 to all ...

Monster: Jekti from A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons

A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0000

JektiArmour Class: 5Hit Dice: 1-1Move: 6' (2')climb 6' (2')Attacks: 1 spitDamage: 1-4No. Appearing: 4-40Save As: Normal ManMorale: 12Treasure Type: SpecialAlignment: NeutralXP Value: 6Commonly called cave clams and dungeon oysters, jekti have slippery grey-green bodies and a row of beady red eyes encased in thick, ruffly bivalved shells the size of an ogre's head. On rare occasions a

The Gygaxian Building Blocks from Jeffs Gameblog

Jeff's Gameblog — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:53:00 +0000

This post is nothing more than a quote swiped from a longer post over at theRPGsite, written by my favorite Prussian, Settembrini. I just wanted to save a copy and thought I'd share.The REAL and HUGE as well as BASIC innovation in ...

Miniatures: Otherworld Skeletons from Discourse and Dragons

Discourse and Dragons — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:52:00 +0000

As you know, I've been painting Otherworld goblinoids with reference to the AD&D Monster Manual. To take the odd break I've also painted the first set of Otherworld Skeletons and the occasional PC. Here are some pictures of the second set of OW Skellie...

Miniatures: OW and GW Undead II and PCs from Discourse and Dragons

Discourse and Dragons — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:38:00 +0000

Here are some additional undead and PCs.I painted up a set of old GW armoured skeletons. Some weeks ago a commentor asked for a comparative shot with an Otherworld skeleton and here it is (sorry it took so long, life has been kicking us in the butt lat...

From the Attic: An interview with David Wesely from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

If David Arneson was one of the father of the roleplaying game David Wesely is the grand father. His Braunstein games inspired Arneson to create Castle Blackmoor which led to all that followed.Theory in the Closet interviews David Wesely and what a gre...

Ettin Sampler from Rolang's Creeping Doom

Creeping Doom — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:30:24 +0000

This is a continuation of yesterday’s post about the ettins who add humanoid heads to their bodies. I really do intend to get back to the elves, really I do. Hoss has six extra heads arranged about his waist like … Continue reading →

Monster: Lithira from A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons

A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Lithira Armour Class: 8Hit Dice: 3*Move: 180' (60')Attacks: 2 hoovesDamage: 1-4/1-4No. Appearing: 2-20Save As: C3Morale: 7Treasure Type: SpecialAlignment: NeutralXP Value: 50Found in oases and the grasslands that make up the desert's southern reaches, the lithira is a delicate looking creature that travels in small herds and resembles an antelope in basic build. Long of limb and neck,

“Let them eat static” from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Much as I love the final trench run in Star Wars, and the destruction of Caprica from the original Battlestar: Galactica, I present to you the best space battle scene ever filmed. And the reason? Because it concentrates on the characters, not the ships...

Ubercon: Edison, NJ Nov 5-7 from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Is anyone interested in attending some AD&D games at Ubercon this year? I just got a very nice invitation from the good folks who run it. I'm sort of on the fence on this one, as it's the weekend after Halloween, which is usually the Big Season aro...

New Magic Item – Dragonwing Cloak from Sea of Stars RPG Design Journal

Sea of Stars — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:47:11 +0000

The knight leap off the balcony, his black cloak snapping into draconic wings which beat heavily, carrying into the air to give chase to those that had kidnapped his lady. Dragonwing Cloak These cloaks are made of scaled leather, often of odd or metallic coloration with a cloak pin of carved bone and precious metal. [...]

quick artifact book update & query from Jeffs Gameblog

Jeff's Gameblog — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:49:00 +0000

Work continues on the artifact book. Submissions are now officially closed. Sorry if you missed the window of opportunity! It looks like the final work will have 40 artifactish magic items. Two contributors included illos and I've got ...

Rethinking the Ettin from Rolang's Creeping Doom

Creeping Doom — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:35:47 +0000

An ettin has multiple heads, but only one it was born with. Ettins sometimes remove the heads of their defeated enemies and attach them to their torsos. Within four hours, the ettin’s body has integrated the head, allowing it to … Continue reading →

Syrivald seemed better off when I was on vacation. Part I from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

The quote of the evening occurred after a bunch of Claws of Kalis ambushed the party in the keep of the Hill Fort. After letting loose with a web spell that ensnared a Claw, another came out of hiding and shot him with a light crossbow. The Claws get a...

Secretary Day Special from tenletter » rpg

tenletter — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:22:49 +0000

Today, the 1st of September, is Secretary Day. Every year, on this date, South Africans recognise and show their appreciation for our secretaries. Spell Keeper (General) Your organisational skills are well-suited for supporting spell-casters. Prerequisite: Intelligence 13+. Benefit: You can retrieve a stored alchemical item, potion, rod, scroll, spell component or wand as a swift [...]

Encounter Critical webring from Jeffs Gameblog

Jeff's Gameblog — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:49:00 +0000

This is the closest thing you'll ever see to an official webring for the bestest game that was never written in the 70's but should have been.Official EC webpageEncounter Critical message board type thing - chock full of stuff, including free PDF ...

Spells for Lonely Letters from A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons

A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:06:00 +0000

After my dead-tree copy of Jeff Rients' Ye Olde Book of Spells arrived in the mail today, I was struck by a certain notion:To cheer up the poor lonely letters in the book.I'm also half out of my head in a murderous heatwave, so fair warning in regards to what follows *grins*Gate of the MoonLevel: MU3Range: 1 mileDuration: 5 roundsEffect: Opens a temporary spatial gateWhen this spell is cast a

The Hundred Millionth Day, Session 3 from Mob | United | Malcolm | Sheppard

Mob United — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:41:51 +0000

Last session, monk Arisha was severely wounded in a fight with an armoured orc. After killing it, the adventurers dealt with turncoat bandits, cutting two down to the brink of death as they struggled against Quareth’s Entangle spell. The last…

Loot And Encumbrance from The Spirits of Eden » RPG

The Spirits of Eden — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:29:31 +0000

In the process of writing an RPG that at its core wants to support dungeon-looting play more than is usual, the idea of encumbrance plays an important part. In older editions of D&D, the particulars of how you are going … Continue reading →

BEHOLD! (Part 2): My Otherworld Hobgoblins from Discourse and Dragons

Discourse and Dragons — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:16:00 +0000

Here are my Otherworld Hobgoblins.Tomorrow I'll have some Undead and PCs.

Best in town/best around from Jeffs Gameblog

Jeff's Gameblog — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Here's a worldbuilding technique inspired by the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Spongebob Meets the Strangler". SpongeBob and the Strangler are shopping at Barg'n-Mart and the Strangler wants to get SpongeBob someplace quiet to throttle...

Interview With Frog God Games, Part 2 from RPG Blog II

RPG Blog II — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:11:00 +0000

Yesterday was the first part of our interview with Frog God Games, the new publishers of Swords & Wizardry (and Pathfinder products, to boot). Today, in Part 2, we cover a bit about writing for 4th edition D&D, a bit more on Swords & Wizardry, support for Pathfinder, and plans for the future. Thanks again to Bill Webb, Greg Vaughan, and Matt Finch for all participating!

Going back to Necromancer Games for a minute, because I think folks (including myself) are curious: A lot of people were expecting to see some more releases from Necromancer in support of D&D 4th Edition. What happened there, and why the change in supported systems?

(Bill) I could not write 4e. I assume it’s a fine game, but its not the same game that I play. Frankly its rules confused me and made me want to play and MMO or Warhammer Fantasy Battle. The legal issues w/ 4e were uncomfortable; but I don’t really understand any of that stuff; Clark does. Suffice to say I will not produce 4e, and Clark is on an indefinite hiatus from the game.

(Greg) There was originally talk of me converting Tsar to 4e. While I respect 4e as a game, I simply did not believe it was viable to still be able to capture the heart and intent of what I had written in that framework. I know that sounds weird, but I have written 4e and I have written 3.5 and Pathfinder. I wouldn’t have been able to pull off a translation that did it justice. That said, translating backward through editions is certainly a possibility…

Call it the OSR, Old School Renaissance, DIY Grognards, Neoclassical Gaming, etc.—there’s a big community out there, providing a pretty wide range of homegrown support for classic and classically-inspired editions and iterations of the game. Where do you see Frog God fitting into that?

(Bill) Well, I am one of those guys, just not a big poster on the message boards themselves. I play S&W because my old white box set is falling apart and I wanted to teach my kids to play the same game I learned (my 8 year old is a formidable gamer). I have hosted a Wilderlands campaign since 1978 (maybe 1977—brain is failing me. I never really bought into the “upgrades”. I have played 2/2.5/3/3.5/Pathfinder, and they rock; they are still “the game”, but I like a simpler open format that is OD&D, and I have always come back to it. I was actually awarded the “Golden Grognard” award at the ENnies one year, so “these are my people,” as my wife is fond of saying. (Yes, I know that for the S&W players, the ENnies aren’t exactly the hallmark of old school, but hey, it’s a nice award).

Most importantly, let us know what you want us to do and what we are doing that makes you happy, sad or mad. My email is public knowledge, and I am the guy who takes complaints. I can be found at bill@talesofthefroggod.com or at necromancergames@yahoo.com. I NEVER mind folks giving us feedback; good or bad. That is my job (and why I get $5/hour and why everyone else gets $4—not kidding by much either). We are keeping our forums at http://necromancergames.yuku.com/ , but that may change in time. Matt’s S&W forums will stay open too at http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/forum/ .

(Greg) Wait, we get paid hourly?

If it helps people to understand what I’m targeting, I want to be the Judges Guild of 2010. By bringing higher production quality to the market, we hope to attract more people to the game. By letting Matt write, and not produce and edit, we hope to get more of his (brilliant) stuff out there.

We want to widen the audience, bring more folks back to the game, and produce cool stuff to help that happen. Pathfinder is a great game too—and lots of folks play that. We also want to support that audience and keep people rolling dice instead of clicking mouse buttons. We like to produce fan-written material, and most importantly, modules. I think the term module has been lost to the game in many cases. A module is something that is “modular” and fits in where a DM wants it to fit in. we don’t want to “tie you in” to canon like FR did. I want the community to take or leave our stuff in whole or pieces and make it work for the way/setting in which they play.

That’s part of the reason I never “cashed in” on a Necromancer World setting like about 100 other publishers did. You have your setting, I want to make stuff for you to use in YOUR setting. JG was different for me; I wanted to do that so I could use it. That and the fact that Wilderlands is about as cool a product as I have ever seen.

Frog God will make books to support tabletop roleplaying games, period. I sincerely hope that all the DIY guys will keep doing the same. I also hope that I can help some of these guys get to press. I have to say, there are market realities. Artists, cartographers and printers don’t work for free—so some folks will like or hate prices as they see fit.

(Matt) Okay, let’s use loaded terms like “OSR” and see if we can make Tim Kask mad again. I’m sooooooooooo not touching that one with a ten foot pole. Does FGG “fit in” with the current model of the traditional OSR publishers? No. Clearly. FGG uses a “sales model” that’s quite different and based on how to work in a larger market. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think it’s neutral. I don’t think marketing models affect gaming one way or the other – it’s the quality of what’s produced.

Bottom line: This will bring more players to the table, and more modules to the table, whether the company itself fits the normal profile or not.

Your company is supporting two OGL games in Swords & Wizardry and Pathfinder that are quite different. How does your philosophy or strategy change (if at all) when writing for one vs. the other?

(Bill) First off, those modules are going to appear for both systems, but the different games mean that the conversion process, whether it’s from PF to S&W or from an S&W module to a PF one, is not a matter of cutting and pasting – the games are very different in the way they are played, and that means a lot of in-depth conversion to align a converted module to match the rules it’s intended for. Chuck and Greg play Pathfinder, Matt and I play S&W. Robert, Rick etc. play 3.5. None of us plays 4.0. We all support both games as a venue for folks to play the game as it was intended. Pathfinder is very complex and rules heavy—some folks love that. S&W is very freeform, and some folks love that. Personally, I have experimented with higher complexity (I ran a game using Balboa Games systems for 2 years), but I keep returning to simple d20/d6 rules. I like being a player in Pathfinder Games but I don’t know how Greg DMs it—its very confusing to this old frog.

My production philosophy is “high quality rules all.” That means content, art and maps. Some folks may not like that, but I will only produce what I consider to be professional looking, quality content stuff. No filler. That is a personal issue for me.

Obviously, not everyone has the same aesthetics. Some people like non-gridded maps like the one in Supplement 2. Some of us prefer the blue maps from B1. I happen to like darker colors (easier to see while gaming) and a more Judges Guild style. I’m willing to spend money to get that style done well.

Most of our profit goes into the next set of art and maps and printing. I guess we will make a bunch on our final book, when that day comes.

Our game philosophy is “old school,” and when I say that I don’t mean with all the theory and brouhaha that’s become attached to that phrase. At Necro, we called it 1e feel. Matt always says it best—“Imagine the Hell out of it” is the motto.

(Matt) Yep. Imagine the Hell out of everything.

(Greg) As a writer of adventures all the way back to 1e (yeah, I know, not 0e, but that was even before my time), I have found that many of the adventure concepts translate extremely well across the systems. In my opinion, 4e was the first D&D system to break with that in that the adventures by necessity began to take very different forms in format and play style. My first published adventure in Dungeon was a 3.5 update of an Expert rules adventure I had written for the Isle of Dread. I understand that the rules are significantly different and can be invasive, but the story still stands and works, which is what I think and adventure is all about: the shared story of its participants painted on the primer of the writer.

Let’s talk Pathfinder-specific for a minute. What products will you be looking at doing in support of Pathfinder?

(Bill) Everything (probably) except rulebooks will be done in both formats—to be clear, NOT dual statted; but as separate books. Slumbering Tsar may or may not be done for S&W because its huge (500k words) and I am not sure Matt and I will have time to convert it soon.

What else is in the pipeline for Frog God Games?

(Bill) Right now about 40 books, with more on the way. Most books will be short (24-32 pages). Our website details what is for sale now or soon. The most exciting are the Complete Rulebook and the Slumbering Tsar hardcover (really 14 modules in a huge book). We will be producing a few other DM utilities for use in both systems, but our real focus will be on One Night Stands and Saturday Night Specials. This is where I am looking for 12k word submissions for writers. I’ll have a guy handle the Pathfinder stats. It’s a great way to have folks get published and for a broad audience to get their work. Share cool stuff around as much as possible is the goal. Matt and I will also be writing for this line. What these are is (from our site):

“Remember when the world was a sandbox and you just inserted modules into your campaign whenever and wherever you wanted to? Remember when companies like Judges Guild and TSR produced short stand alone modules, not tied to any setting or campaign? Remember when the cost 5 bucks (ok we can’t do print books for 5 bucks anymore, but we can do that for the pdfs)? Remember when you directed the action independent of what the “world” rules said was there? We do, and in response we decided to fill the gap with our One Night Stands and Saturday Night Specials series.

These modules are designed to be played over the course of 1-2 nights. Each is a sandbox style short adventure (One Night Stands) or a short dungeon crawl (Saturday Night Specials). Frog God Games knows that in this day and age, sometimes a DM just needs a short trek to take his players on, or to fill those regular gaps and interludes in his campaign. Sometimes its just fun to enter a dungeon and kill things for a night! Old school feel is the trademark of these product lines. Look for easy deaths and tough puzzles. Frog God Games is not made for rookie players.

These series are designed as stand alone modules and are typically between 24 and 32 pages. We have designed just one piece of cover art for each series in order to keep the price point low (though the cover art is rockin’, and the interiors and maps are all of usual Frog God Games quality!). All of these books will be released in both Pathfinder and Swords and Wizardry format.”

We will also be doing some sandboxy min-campaigns, and a very cool temple based series called Splinters of Faith—10 modules with adventures revolving around different aligned religions and temples. Very deadly and very fun.

This really is what is currently written, and art is in process. Lots more as soon as I figure out what we are doing next.

(Greg) I don’t know; Bill passed Creative Director duties on to me and Matt so he could run the company, and I haven’t been allowed to get up from my keyboard to look around since.

Come to me my jungle friends! from Stargazer's World

Stargazer's World — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:32 +0000

Recent events in my life have me thinking about pets. Be they familiars, animal companions or summoned animals, whatever way your system of choice calls them, why do we feel the urge to have pets in our games? I can see why… The joy and happiness they bring into our real lives is one we [...]

Musings on Dungeons from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

The dungeon I am running at Gold Star Anime involves a new technique for me. In this post I talk about minimal dungeons and with the ruined Elven Temple I am applying the technique. So far it is going good and the players seem to have a lot of fun.One...

Magic Item: Tifani from A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons

A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:39:00 +0000

Tifani: A small defensive construct beloved of the neu, a tifani is an orb of scintillating glass shards in a riot of colours, held in spherical shape by a delicate orichalcum frame.Some tifani are are triggered by touch (such as by being picked up), or are pre-set to trigger when a moving object comes within a certain range, or by the presence of a specific type of being. Other tifani are even

Harrowing Halls: Taking Dungeon Tiles to the 3rd Dimension from Role-Playing Games

Nuketown — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:30:00 +0000

Harrowing Halls by Wizards of the Coast MSRP: $11.95 Buy from Amazon.com Note: This review is based on a review copy of the tile set Harrowing Halls is a Dungeon Tiles set for Dungeons & Dragons that takes the long-running line to new heights. That's because they're not just dungeon tiles ... they're three dimensional dungeon tiles that can be used to build a staircase, raised platforms,...

Trapsmith: Faneway of Air from Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

Kobold Quarterly — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:12:11 +0000

“A man of conviction and piety will walk the fanes at least once in his life. To walk the fanes is to tread in the footsteps of the saints; it is a test of faith. A test where the righteous are rewarded and the false are punished.” The Faneway of Air straddles the highest mountain of [...]

Maybe We Have Come Full Circle Already from GM Oracle

Phil Reed — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:01:03 +0000

There have been complaints about how 4th Edition is written a bit too childishly. That is, the general tone seems to be aimed squarely at twelve-year olds. For example the opening lines of the 4th Edition Player’s Handbook: Imagine a world of bold warriors, mighty wizards, and terrible monsters. Imagine a world of ancient ruins, vast caverns, and great wild wastes where only the bravest heroes dare to tread. Imagine a world of swords and magic, a world of elves and goblines, a world of giants and dwarves . . . With some willing friends and a little imagination, you strike out on daring missions and epic quests, testing yourself against an array of daunting challenges and bloodthirsty monsters. At this point you know exactly what you’re in for and, frankly, it can make it tough in places for an old fart like me to keep reading. But then I thought, was ...

Basic D&D part 16 from SAVE OR DIE!

Save Or Die! — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:27:00 +0000

Owl Bear: Like many other monsters in Holmes, the Owl Bear’s attack routine has been simplified. Instead of two claw attacks that deal 1d6 damage each and a bite that deals 1d12, it now has three attacks that deal 1d8 damage each. I was all set to ...

No More Dragon Warriors? from RPG Blog II

RPG Blog II — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:19:00 +0000

Courtesy of theRPGsite, it sounds like the Dragon Warriors RPG has reached the end of the line. Apparently, the company holding the rights to Dragon Warriors wanted an increase in royalties somewhere in line of 1250%. Needless to say, Magnum Opus Press has announced that In From The Cold will be the last DW supplement from them.

Sad news, but if Dragon Warriors could survive as long of a hiatus as it had before, I'm sure it can survive this one. Sorry to all the Dragon Warriors fans out there, and to the folks and fans of Magnum Opus Press. It's an ugly side of our hobby to see.

[Review] Kobold Quarterly 14 from tenletter » rpg

tenletter — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:43:57 +0000

Kobold Quarterly 14, the extra-large Summer 2010/GenCon issue, weighs in with an impressive 96 pages. The publication is filled with role playing goodness, with articles written by industry giants such as Monte Cook and Rob Heinsoo. Systems covered include 4th Edition, Pathfinder and Dragon Age – but, as with all well written RPG material, all [...]

BEHOLD!: My Otherworld Kobolds! from Discourse and Dragons

Discourse and Dragons — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Here's my Otherworld Kobold Warband. You should be able to click twice for close-ups.Stay tuned in the next couple days for Hobgoblins and Undead!Enjoy.

Of Scrolls and Flaming Oil from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0000

I've got to say, I am one of those DM's who never thinks to include scrolls in treasure hordes. It was an act of conscious will that I remembered to include them in Castle of the Mad Archmage, but they're really an incredible treasure item for a number...

video blog: kiddie books from Jeffs Gameblog

Jeff's Gameblog — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:08:00 +0000

Heh. I said "walk don't run" when I meant the opposite.Last week I wrestled with how to make an interesting video on Dave Hargrave's Arduin Grimoire and I came up blank. So I decided to skip that altogether and move on to another topic. &nb...

Interview With Frog God Games, Part 1 from RPG Blog II

RPG Blog II — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:05:00 +0000

Today and tomorrow, we'll be featuring a Q&A with Frog God Games, the new publishers of Swords & Wizardry (and they of the late most recent online hobby dust-up). I asked them about their associations with Necromancer Games, their plans for Swords & Wizardry, their attitude towards the OSR, and much more.

Editor/Developer Bill Webb, Writer Greg Vaughan, and S&W creator Matt Finch took turns answering my questions. Enjoy, and we'll be back with Part 2 tomorrow.

First off, thank you for agreeing to this Q&A. Frog God is a spinoff of Necromancer Games, right? Why the change in names, and what’s the history there?

(Bill) FGG was created to separate my interests in Necromancer Games (owned jointly with Clark). Greg Vaughan and I started the company in May. Clark and I talked, and since he no longer has the time to devote to this, we agreed that I should start a new corporation to ensure intellectual property and finances were separate. No hostility or anything, it was for purely legal reasons. Since he was Orcus, and I have always been “froggie”, the name made sense.

(Greg) Bill told me I wasn’t cool enough to get into Necromancer. Just kidding. Actually, FGG came as a total surprise to me, one of Bill’s sudden bouts of genius. He and I and Paizo and everyone have been talking for years about how to get the Slumbering Tsar mega-adventure into publication. I wrote it six years ago for Necromancer, but it was slated to release right when the 4e crash occurred. It sat for years waiting a way to reach press, and then Bill had the idea to start FGG and release it as a serial. With the proceeds from it, it enabled us to look at more options for publication of some other unreleased materials and even new materials. And that’s how we got to where we are today with S&W.

What do you think Frog God Games will “bring to the table” in terms of product? Where are your strengths as a publishing concern? What can you “do” for products such as Swords & Wizardry, which is already available in another edition?

(Bill) Old school feel modules. We specialize in adventures. We do them well. I was the creative director at Necro; so if folks liked Necro they should like us. We may do other stuff like DM utilities (see Mother of All Encounter Tables by Necro etc.), but we do modules as a preference; just like Necro did. Our strengths are that we are, and continue to be guys who have always listened to our audience, involved fans in writing projects, and helped people publish their own “magnum opus”.

From the Pathfinder perspective, the objective remains very similar to what we were doing with Necro Games. It’s to provide solid adventures and resources with an old-school feel.

From the Swords & Wizardry perspective, it’s obviously different. Swords & Wizardry is already about as old-school as you can possibly get. It’s a project that has been built up over the last couple of years by a large and creative base of writers and artists at the various messageboards dedicated to preserving the rules, the feel, and the playing-style of out-of-print D&D editions.

What we bring to the table for Swords & Wizardry is a larger slate of products, not a change in the way they are being done. We help pull together the authors, the layout art, the illustrations, and all the various resources Matt needs, and that means he has more time to write and to oversee the titles we’re producing for S&W.

The other big benefit we bring to Swords & Wizardry is a larger market, and the benefit we bring to that larger market is Swords & Wizardry. It’s probably not news to any of the old-schoolers out there that the old school message boards, in particular, can be scary places for newcomers who aren’t completely familiar with the older material. There are a lot of people out there interested in playing 0e who don’t frequent the old school message boards and can’t afford an expensive boxed set that’s now a collector’s item. Swords & Wizardry will get people playing 0e. In fact, it’s a good introduction to 1e as well. There’s going to be a lot of overlap across a lot of games, but S&W is a very strong focal point to get that moving.

In terms of our internal structure, we also have a stable of artists that have stuck by me personally for many years. Rick Sardinha is perhaps the finest cover artist in the industry. His awards (including several GenCon best of Shows) are numerous. His maps rock too. Rowena Aitken is nothing short of spectacular.

(Greg) Adventures, adventures, adventures, and some stuff to help DMs with their adventures. We’re not looking at devising new rules systems here, we just want people to be able to make the most out of the ones they have whether that be S&W or Pathfinder.

(Matt) From my standpoint, Frog God is going to make it a lot easier for me to keep doing what I do, which is to write. Swords & Wizardry has always depended on volunteers to fill in the gaps where I can’t do something at top level; Verhaden and Jim Kramer have stepped in to help with layout, Marv Brieg helped adapt my highly-supplement-based 0e game into a WhiteBox version, many artists have contributed phenomenal art to the rulebooks, the modules, and Knockspell Magazine. But there are difficulties in organizing volunteers – not everyone has free time available right when it’s needed, and also I’m not very good at getting out there and asking for help, to tell the truth – I hate asking for favors, even when there’s a whole messageboard full of people offering to help. It’s just a thing about me. Maybe it’s the anxiety/bipolar disorder, I don’t know. But I find that difficult. The team at Frog God makes it easier for me to hand off the more difficult parts of a project to people who are good at handling those parts. I am definitely not saying anything negative about the volunteers, here – it’s the volunteers who built this game – but in order to pull it forward into a larger size/scale, which is what we’ve always wanted to achieve, it helps to have a team “on tap,” if that makes sense.

Projects from the player base, whether they are one-person productions or a collaborative effort like the monster book, are still, ultimately, the guts of S&W. When people on the boards want me to help organize that sort of collaboration, I am all for it. Working with FGG is more like a new layer that creates an underpinning for the activity – this material is targeted at bringing new players into the fold, and for those players who aren’t into internet messageboards, it gives them support resources that are easier to find. Because Bill has the high profile that will raise the visibility of S&W. Hopefully there’s a feedback loop that benefits the messageboards, the fan community, and even any DIY gamers out there who happen to hate the internet. It’s a broadening of scope on all fronts.

Let’s talk some more about the “Complete Edition” of Swords & Wizardry, which is what you are working on publishing. What’s in it—rather, what makes it a “Complete Edition”?

(Matt) The heart of the Complete Rules is the inclusion of the full set of 0e character classes (with one exception – the illusionist from the Strategic Review isn’t in there). To emphasize the “make the game your own” side of things, we added two more alternative ways to order the melee round; one of these is the Holmes Blue Book system, and the other is based on, but isn’t identical to, the optional system included in Supplement 3 of 0e. There are a few other additions from the later supplements; ability scores have slightly more effect for high scores than they do in the Core Rules – basically as in Supplement 1.

It should be emphasized – this is not intended to supersede the Core Rules. It’s an alternative or a resource, depending on how you want to use it. Swords & Wizardry now has what I think are the three main iterations of 0e. There is the WhiteBox, published by Brave Halfling, which covers the game when it’s played with the extremely low power levels – hit dice are all d6, spells go up to level 6 only, monsters inflict a standard 1d6 damage (except ogres and a couple of other exceptions). The Core Rules are the middle ground, representing the step upward to the Supplement 1 power levels where there are variable hit dice, variable damage, and higher spell levels. The Complete Rules represent the game as played not only with the Supplement 1 power levels, but with several character classes.

Each of these three approaches to 0e has a very distinct and characteristic feel. Of the three of them, the Complete Rules may actually represent the greatest shock to players who are expecting 1e out of this, because so much is familiar on the surface, but there are weird, wonky undercurrents below that surface appearance.

Are you still working with Clark Peterson (from Necromancer Games) in any capacity on your new projects? I know he had earlier raised some concerns about the legality of one of the retro-clones titles (OSRIC). Obviously you wouldn’t be supporting a product (Swords & Wizardry) you felt was illegal; is this just a difference of opinion?

(Bill) Nope—Clark is not involved not on anything FGG. I have no opinion on the legality of any other OSR system, but I had S&W vetted through my lawyer, and he agreed that it was compliant. That is one reason we will not have an illusionist (from Strategic Review) in our rulebook.

(Greg) I still want to meet Clark, but Bill tells me I have to become a fourth order frogzletyte before I can. I’m still just a junior tadpole (sigh).

OK, I have to ask, otherwise someone will bring it up: there was a bit of a flap the other day about the quote on the “About Us” part of the website that seemed to be read, well, dismissive of DIY efforts on lulu.com and places of that sort. Bad copy?

(Bill) I am a “not so careful guy” when it comes to this stuff. I think I write better adventures than I do ad copy, yes. That’s why Clark always did the web postings and I did creative. Oh, and I took the quote off. But anyone who lived through d20 knew what I meant I think. I am a straight talker and not what one could term…well, PC.

The quote (may it rest in peace) was not related in any way to DIY folks—the target was a couple of larger guys who I think make junk and charge a bundle for it. I personally, and FGG and Necro before it, have and always will support DIY publishers.

It’s worth mentioning that I’m one of the fanboy buyers from Brave Halfling, NOD, Fight On! and some others who are well known publishers in the old school.

From the very beginning of this, Matt and I have been kicking around different ways to support the various old school conventions and also the guys who run out-of-print games at the bigger modern conventions. We’re definitely making a commitment to sponsor NTRPGCon already, since it’s in driving distance of Matt’s house, and he can bring stuff there. GaryCon is a bit more difficult to get to, so that’s definitely one of the areas where we’re accepting suggestions.

About the flap over my comment: I am the first to admit I am wrong and make amends. I pissed a few folks off because they did not understand the context of what I was saying, and I apologize. That being said, it’s over now and if they still are mad, so be it. Our products will speak for themselves.

Stay tuned tomorrow as we tackle D&D 4e, support for Pathfinder, future plans for Frog God, and more!

Descent into the Depths of the Gold Star Anime Part II from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Part ICast of CharactersBob – The Wizard, 3rd level Human Thothian MageSeth – Dunnigan, 4th level Dwarven FighterJohn – Hazar, 6th level Human ThugJohn (“the other John”)– Alaghazar, 3rd level Human Thothian MageJerry (“big Jerry”) �...

Review – The Sensitive prestige class (for Pathfinder) from Sea of Stars RPG Design Journal

Sea of Stars — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:45:26 +0000

The Sensitive prestige class is very well-written and it is perfect for a gothic horror campaign but may prove difficult to fit into other sorts of game. The Sensitive: a ghostly prestige class for your gothic horror fantasy game -Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Edition- is a 7-page PDF (four pages if you remove the cover, credits [...]