Saturday, February 28, 2015

Crypts & Things Remastered Kickstarter now live

 Crypts & Things is one of my favorite OSR games, doing a really good job of capturing the sword & sorcery feel and fixing many of the things I dislike about its base game, Swords & Wizardry. A kickstarter for a new version has just gone live. Since he's British, it's in pounds, but it basically costs $15 or so to get the PDF and a coupon for an at cost print copy from DTRPG, which is a really good deal.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Exemplars & Eidolons released by Sine Nomine (Free OSR Game)

While it seems to be fully playable game, it seems to also be an example of how to make an OSR game

Exemplars & Eidolons is a fully-playable OSR mini-game of high-powered legendary adventurers. But what I really wrote it to be is a simple layout template for other people who'd like to echo the old "Little Brown Books" style of old-school game pamphlets. As the principles of page design are a lot easier to explain with actual game text, I wrote the game so I could have something to lay out for you.
In this download, you'll get the game itself in two versions- one with no Commentary layer for the convenience of people using certain tablet readers, and one with a layer you can turn on via Adobe Reader to see the page design tricks and principles I used to put the pamphlet together. I've also included InDesign source files for the game, and an .IDML InDesign markup language file that should be readable by Scribus. You are encouraged to loot the styles and page objects for your own creations, whether free or commercial.
The art used in the game is also included, and was drawn from the Spears of the Dawn Art Pack and the Scarlet Heroes Art Pack, both of which are free for commercial use and available here on DTRPG.


Thursday, February 26, 2015

New OSR Products at RPGNow—February 26th, 2015

I keep saying that spring should be here soon, but I keep looking at the outside thermometer and seeing single digit temperatures. Sigh.

The good news is though, it's been a busy week. Especially if you like new character classes!


Adventures


FQ3 - Outpost of the Humanoids. This weeks Adventures in Filbar adventure for low level parties. 23 pages, $3

Stone Fields of Azoroth - Sandbox adventure. Looks like it's for 2nd-4th level or so characters.  36 pages (single column) $4.99

The Pale Lady -   An adventure for Lamentations of the Flame Princess. 13 pages, $5


Rules


Androids, Aliens, and Aberrations - Probably the bargain of the week, and well as the coolest. Ten new races for Mutant Future, and 8 new classes for Labyrinth Lord. 19 pages, 98 cents! (Regular price $1.50)

Classes of Fantasy - Goblin, DryadThief, Fighter, Magic-User, Dwarf, Gnome & Halfing, Neanderthal. These range from PWYW to 50 cents to $1. All for Labyrinth Lord. Also saving throw and attack tables for all these classes

PC1 - The OSR Warlock - Not like the current edition warlock.  Charts for 1e, B/X, BECMI, and OD&D. Pay What You Want.

White Box Bestiary -  Some classics and some new monsters. 16 pages, $1.99

White Box Treasures - 100 magic items for Sword & Wizardry White Box. 16 pages, $1.99

Misc


Dungeons in Blue - Big Time Pack - Lots (36) of unkeyed maps, $8.79

DungeonMorphs - Dungeon and Cavern Geomorphs. 90 geomorphs, $4.95


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Random background events for OSR characters PDF released

Not nearly as deep as the lifepath generation of Beyond the Wall, or the extensive tables in the Central Casting supplements, but this is pretty neat still.

Monday, February 23, 2015

New issue of Footprints (#22) out


Footprints being the fanzine of Dragonsfoot, featuring articles and material for 1e and OSRIC. Download it here.

Contents
Charge It!(article)
Feelin' Trapped? (article)
Pulling Strings (adventure)
Treasure & Tables (article)
Systems & Swordplay (article)
Many a Quaint and Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore (article)
Prelude to an Adventure (fiction)
Blacktop Vale (adventure)

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Delver's Dungeons

In case you missed them (I know I have), the author of Delver's Dungeons just posted a roundup of all his past AD&D modules, and is teasing a new release

Friday, February 20, 2015

New online random tavern generator

I like InnMage myself, but this one is pretty neat and it generates floor plans. Placement of the tables is a little weird though.

The Stygian Garden of Abelia Prem Kickstarter


Chalk this up in the better late than never department. The Stygian Garden of Abelia Prem is an OSR adventure from someone I'm not familiar with (otherwise I would have heard of this sooner) and is meant for Lamentations of the Flame Princess, though not an official product.

Seems pretty neat, something of an abandoned manor crawl which is probably my favorite sort of adventure. Remarkably cheap, too, $5 for PDF, $10+ shipping for PDF and print. Not quite funded, but needs only a little bit more.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

New OSR Products at RPGNow—February 19th, 2015

This is a really busy week, at least if you like new character classes. Or rather, old classes revised for game systems that don't have those classes. Or at least that flavor of that game system.

Oh well, at least it's more inventive than lists of random ethnic names (which you could grab from Behind the Name for free) or this week's new innovation, pre-rolled numbers. Because rolling dice is just so hard. (There is probably a youtube channel of people doing nothing but roll dice) 

Adventures

 

If Fishes Were Fishes - the Gagmen are back with another silly adventure for Basic Fantasy Role Playing. 17 pages, Pay What You Want

Rules 

 

Class of Fantasy - Lizardfolk -  For Labyrinth Lord is a class where you play a lizardman, just like in Quag Keep. 50 cents

Classes of Fantasy - Druid - A new variant of the Druid class for Labyrinth Lord. Pay What You Want.

Classes of Fantasy - Monk -  For Labyrinth Lord, comes a new variant of the monk. Pay What You Want

Classes of Fantasy - Paladin - For LL, here comes a variant of the Paladin. Pay What you Want

Classes of Fantasy - Ranger - Stop me if you've heard this one, it's a variant of the Ranger class for Labyrinth Lord. Pay What you Want

Classes of Fantasy - Treant - Okay, this one is a bit different. Still for LL though. 50 cents

Classes of Fantasy - Ogre - More of the same, only an Ogre. 50 cents.

White Box Companion - Bard, Druid, Ranger, Paladin, and Thief for Swords & Wizardry White Box.  I guess for the people who think D&D lost its way with the Greyhawk supplement and refuse to play Sword & Wizardry Complete, but still want the new classes. $1.99

Misc


Yoon-Suin - This is apparently a toolbox setting for a weird and/or Chinese themed setting. Hard to tell from the preview, which is just a few pages of background. The city is ruled by slug people.  It's huge, 300 pages and 44 megabytes. $9.23

Empire of Ys from D101 Games announced

Not too many details yet, just a blurb

Empire of Ys is a roleplaying game of worlds-spanning fantasy. The rules are built up from an Old School core based on loosely on the world’s first fantasy roleplaying game, but heavily tailored to fit the setting.
At the centre is the city of Ys, a corrupt and baroque fantasy city occupying a folded dimension of its own. Magical gateways created by the Guild of the Arcane link Ys to other worlds. On some these worlds the city has set up permanent colonies. Ysian raiders, traders and explorers reach further afield. The heart of Ys is rotten. Its overlord, the Autarch, is literally a monster. His immediate underlings, his Agents, sow discord in the city, and can hunt and feed on the city’s less prominent citizens with no fear of punishment. He leaves the apparatus of government and the rule of law to crumble and divides the power structures in the city among conflicted guilds, ensuring that no-one can depose him.

Doesn't sound too much like the actual legendary city of Ys, but something more out of Michael Moorcock.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

PSE6 Hellspike Review

PSE6: Hellspike is the sixth product in the Pocket Sized Encounters line, a series of small modules for Swords & Wizardry (and in one case, Labyrinth Lord) from Iron Tavern Press. When I looked at the description and saw it had 19 pages, I thought "19 pages is a lot more than pocket sized." Well I was being optimistic, the adventure locale itself is only 6 rooms. So it is as pocket sized as advertised.

The background is quite lengthy, but basically boils down to a wizard thinking he would be clever by making a tower go underground (using reverse gravity), not upward into the sky. Then of course he had an accident which left his tower abandoned, and its magic decaying, including the reverse gravity spell fading and gravity going back to normal. Generally PCs don't need any reason to loot a dead wizard's tower, but there are three fairly lengthy plot hooks given if you need a better reason.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

More of Castle Triskelion published

This is a few days late, but & Magazine recently published the second floor of the ongoing megadungeon, Castle Triskelion. It's free, so check it out!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

New retroclone—Iron Falcon

From the creator of the Basic Fantasy RPG comes Iron Falcon, I guess meant to emulate OD&D with Greyhawk

Friday, February 13, 2015

Wizardawn is back at a new home

Thanks to the good people at & Magazine, the very popular Wizardawn suite of random generators is back on-line

Thursday, February 12, 2015

New OSR Products at RPGNow—February 12th, 2014

A decent number of items this week, but all them are rather short.


Adventures


FC6 - Cairn of King Eddles - This week's Adventures in Filbar product. 22 pages, $3

Hexed Places - Two Fang Gap -  Hex crawl type deal from PBE Games. $2.69 (I really need to buy one of these and see what they are like, exactly)

Rules


Strange Magic Old School Roleplaying - The preview didn't look all that old school, but it claims compatibility, so I dunno. 8 pages, $1

Steppe Warrior Class - Want to play a mongol like warrior? Here you go. Pay What You Want

Misc


Five Swords - Descriptions of 5 unique magic items. Most of them seem to have only a to hit bonus, not damage for some reason. I'd rather have a plain +2 sword that does both than a fancy sword with just a +2 to hit. Pay What You Want.

Menu Generator and Drop Table - From the Frugal GM comes some tables to use to make menus for the local tavern. Comes in a pay ($1) and free version.

D&D Classics having an anniversary sale

Not exactly a huge one in terms of discount, 15%, but better than full price.

The one real bargain is the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, perhaps the greatest single rulebook ever created for only $4.95

New OSRIC module from James Boney

The Secret of Sundance Caverns, meant for 6th-10th level characters  I've really liked his work with Advanced Adventures.

He's selling it direct via his website, $4.99 paid by PayPal will get you the PDF mailed to you when it releases, which is apparently the next couple of days.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Thorkhammer's Against the Giants sequels for free

Don't know the circumstances of why they are free (other than it's okay with him), but you can download Thorkhammer's unofficial sequels to the Against the Giants series of old TSR modules for free.

And remember, keep looking up.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Gutenberg—The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie (illustrations by Rackham)

If you need illustrations of valkyries, here's a book for you. Also what looks like Thor, a picture of a sleeping dragon, and some other stuff.

New Pay What You Want Class—The Steppe Warrior

Doesn't say which system it's for, but looks like it's 1e.  Seems to be something of a mash up of the Barbarian and Cavalier (the horse related stuff).

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Basic Fantasy RPG 3rd Edition now in print at Lulu

The Basic Fantasy RPG recently got upgraded to 3rd Edition, and now it's available in print at Lulu for $9.35, which I think it at cost.

Not sure what is new. I got my copy from Amazon last year when my power company gave me a gift card for answering a survey, and I think that version was solid.

Friday, February 6, 2015

More info on Crypts & Things Remastered

Crypts & Things is among my favorite OSR games and it's getting a revised edition this year, heading to Kickstarter in March. The author has a long blog post explaining how the new version will be different — basically new art, editing, and streamlining some of the new rules (like sanity).

Great & Small—Animal themed OSR-ish Game

While I've never had the urge to play a game as a horse or a cow or a bunny, apparently some people have (there was that Burrows & Bunnies game), and if you want to do it in a vaguely OSR style, there is the recently released Great & Small.

It's sort of similar to B/X, only it uses 2d10 instead of d20. And Zocchi dice. But B/X monster stats should be compatible, even if all the game mechanics aren't.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

New OSR Products at RPGNow—February 5th, 2015

Things have picked up a little, though still rather slim.


Adventures


FA0 - The Festival Experience - While I like their version of Don't Cry For Me Argentina, I guess this doesn't refer to the disco group. It's a free mini adventure setting from Adventures in Filbar.

PSE6: Hellspike - The sixth Pocket Sized Adventure from Iron Tavern Press is about a wizard's tower, and is for 3rd to 5th level Swords & Wizardry characters. 19 pages (not so pocket sized, actually) and $2 (probably later $2.50).

Wrath of the Frost Queen -  A third party DCC adventure for 5th level characters, $10, 48 pages.


Misc


Gygax Magazine Issue #5 - While mostly seems Pathfinder orientated, there are some OSR tidbits in it. $4.99, 68 pages. Amazingly, 44 of those pages are available in the full preview, so check that out.

The Sandbox #1 - A small freebie from Kevin Crawford of Sine Nomine.  Mostly has some advice on Kickstarter, but also couple useful random tables

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

New Expert/Companion D&D module at Dragonsfoot


From author RC Pinnell comes The Catacombs of Death:

An old friend requires your help to rid themselves of a curse, but can you survive the Catacombs of Death. An Expert-Companion adventure for character levels 12-15.

More info on upcoming Beyond the Wall supplement

Beyond the Wall is one of my favorite OSR games, and the author just posted some more info over on RPG.net
We have been slower with Further Afield than I had intended, but it is quite close now and I promised teasers back in December. The layout is finished on the document and it is going into final copy editing now, so I feel comfortable letting you guys know what to expect.

-This is our first full-length supplement and will be right around 100 pages.
-We have another cover from Jon Hodgson and interior pieces from the same four artists as last time.
-Further Afield gives guidelines for what we call the "Shared Sandbox" campaign. Using these guidelines, the group gets together and the players take turns telling the myths and rumors of their own game world, which the gamemaster then turns into a sandbox map for the characters to adventure around in.
-We provide Threat Packs which allow you to plop enemies and villains into your campaign. Using the campaign map and the rules provided, these Threats have continuous effect on the sandbox campaign as the characters adventure.
-New character Traits give your heroes just a bit more crunch to play around with and a reason for their true names to compel them to greatness.
-We give three ways for heroes to make their own magical items during the campaign. Only one of these methods requires that the character be a spellcaster.

Can't wait!

Monday, February 2, 2015

City of the Lich—Kickstarter for Ryubix Manor follow up

I've been meaning to buy Ryubix Manor (almost bought it last month but went with Cromdar's Zoo), but the author has been busy with a follow-up module of sorts, which is now on Kickstarter

In May 2014, I released Ryubix Manor, a haunted house adventure successfully funded right here on Kickstarter. As part of that Kickstarter, backers at higher pledge levels were offered an expansion module to more fully detail one of the room encounters in the Manor--literally a small enclosed city within the Manor itself!
As writing progressed on the expansion module, it became apparent by its very design as a self-contained, self-sustaining environment that City of the Lich could be run as a stand-alone experience.