Dark Dungeons. Unbeatable Price!

I just wanted to post a congratulations to Blacky the Blackball for his recent publishing of the RC retro-clone Dark Dungeons. From what I've read about his endeavor, he put a ton of love into this project (as do most hobby publishers), and is passing that love onto us.

The Dark Dungeons pdf is free (get it from the Dark Dungeons site) and the 344 page paperback is a whopping $13.11 over at Lulu! An offer like this doesn't come around very often, so here is a big thank you to Blacky for producing such a killer book at an unbeatable price. Dark Dungeons may be cheap in price, but definitely not in quality.

I'm not the only guy giving away free stuff

People love to get free stuff, especially if the "stuff" is a high quality product.

Case in point: Check out John Stater's NOD magazine. Stater (from The Land of Nod blog) is offering up 92 packed pages of RPG goodies...for free!

The frenzy a sold-out book can cause

Congrats to Michael! :)










Also, I have posted this elsewhere, but some dude is attempting to sell the previous edition of Labyrinth Lord for $999.98!

AEC Echo Chamber Announcement

Just popping in to say that the Advanced Edition Companion for the Labyrinth Lord game is now on sale!

Many LL/1e fans have been waiting eagerly for this puppy to hit the online stands so I'm sure AEC is going to be a big hit.

Hardback and softcover copies available HERE.

PDFs available HERE.

More info HERE.

Happy Gaming!

The Dungeon Alphabet and the OSR make me feel great!

I finally received my pre-ordered copy of The Dungeon Alphabet, and it's beautiful. With its $9.99 price tag, such a book is truly a steal. Looking over the material, I must say that Michael Curtis really knows how to jump-start the imagination. From the wondrous to the disturbing, The Dungeon Alphabet is teaming with ideas that would prove valuable at the fingertips of any dungeon designer.

Yes, I am a fan.

While I may come off as some sort of slobbering fanboy, it's difficult for me to contain my enthusiasm due to all the quality products available from the OSR. I haven't acquired so many gaming materials (both bought and for free) since the TSR days.

For those of you who were gaming in the late 70s to early 80s, I'm sure you remember the bubbling excitement of visiting your local bookstore to thumb through the game books, modules and magazines. To me, it felt like my friends and I were onto something truly unique, and as far as we were concerned, it was all lovingly produced specifically for us alone.

Such is the feeling I get with the new material streaming out of the OSR. In fact, the products getting churned out of people's basements ARE specifically for us: the FANS who love this crazy hobby. When I think of all the great materials published by Goblinoid Games, BHP, Mythmere, LotFP, 3 Headed Monster, Barrataria, Grey Area, ect., etc., and so on, it takes me back to that small local bookstore to find that one strange product to add a bit more fun into my rpgs.

Right now is a wonderful time for our hobby and I hope many within the OSR are taking advantage of the goodies provided and soaking in the old-school rays of resurgence. I know I am (to the best of my ability, both money and time-wise). Right now, I am awaiting the arrival of my copy of Stonehell and the hardback copy of LL Revised. Meanwhile, I have my eye on a print copy of the Companion Expansion and when AEC is released, I'll get that, too.

Now, back to my copies of Green Devil Face and The Dungeon Alphabet to gather up a bit of dungeon creating inspiration. Yep! Again, what a great time for us old-school game-lovers.

Just saw Dorkness Rising

After hearing bits and pieces about The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, I finally saw it streaming on Netflix. Yes it is a shoestring budget affair, but I actually found myself laughing hysterically at most of the adventuring gags. The dead bard gags were priceless as well as the alignment arguments.

As I was watching, I kept thinking of the average non-gamer who might try to watch this and how freaking confused they would be by all the gamer lingo. Dorkness Rising might not be for everyone, it is definitely a love letter to tabletop role-players.

Although this movie has some obvious low budget drawbacks, as a gamer I would still recommend checking it out.

Favorite quote: "There's 37 more of me, asshole!"

Another D&D clone available? Sure, why not?

I just stumbled upon Paige Oliver's Red Box Fantasy rpg (Player's guide here for free), a game that is described as "the new face of Retrogaming." A more in depth description can be found here.

Jim Raggi is kicking around the idea of a LotFP traditional rpg in order to market his games under his own brand.

With S&W, LL, OSRIC, BFRPG, M&M, etc., as well as similar themed companions from Barrataria and Blackrazor, do you think this fragments or waters down the OSR, or do you find more options to be healthy for gaming references/growth.

I mentioned before that I think that most old-school gamers love to draw ideas from various sources. As a young roleplayer, I used to mix B/X with a fat dose of 1e and a dash of the ol' Arduin Grimoire. That being said, I am all for more ideas based on the old game we know and love to be written and available for public consumption. For I shall consume, see?

I would like to believe that someone who mainly plays Labyrinth Lord or BFRPG would have no problem utilizing other retro-sources into their game if they wish. If not, for those who use a set of their choice rules as a strict source for play, why would/should it bother them that other retro rules exist?

To ask if more and more retro-clones are necessary is moot. That opinion is up to the one who might want to use additional rule sets for inspiration. For those playing strict B/X D&D by the book (and with the originals no less), of course new sets of retro rules are unnecessary...for them.

For me, I like a variety of ideas on my favorite game, whether it comes from the 0e or the 1e spectrum of play. So I read through and utilize bits from most of the clones, as well as the supplements and magazines. If Raggi publishes the LotFP rpg, I'll read it and possibly use it for inspiration in my LL campaign. What I won't do is roll my eyes and say, "ANOTHER one?!" The quality and love put into the available clones (as well as the wealth of ideas) are seriously not that off-putting. :)

RPG aimed at kids to help one in need

Hey, folks.

Just read this over the theRPGsite:


Hi,

I'm new to the forums, but I work for Empty Room Studios, I am posting this not to try and plug our new RPG game that's aimed at kids, but to try and get some support from the community. One of the artists of Empty Room Studios is having a tough time right now financially -I know we all are- but his is unique in that he is dealing with a sick wife, and raising two daughters with one on the way.

The point is, we at ERS would like to offer our newest game, Dungeon Dwellers: Junior Edition for *almost* free. All you have to do is visit www.helpthehersheys.blogspot.com and donate as little as $1.00 to help out Rick's family and we will send you a link to download DD:JD.

Also, please post a link in your facebook pages (with the same deal I am offering you here), tweet out a message, blog about it, or e-mail your friends -just help get the word out to everyone you may know who would be interested in a great game aimed at kids and for helping out a worthy cause!

Thanks for your time

-Rocky


Please check it out and pass it along.

Barrataria's Companion Expansion

I'm always up for pimping other OSR products on the ol' PRG blog, soooooo...

Here is a cool new product in which one can mine some great ideas for their LL/old-school game. With Barrataria Games' Companion Expansion, GMs can introduce new spells, magic items, classes (half-ogre!), and rules to slice and dice your characters up to 36th level.

The Companion Expansion is an obvious labor of love and a useful gift to the OSR. You can check out the no-art version here for FREE! Barrataria plans to release a POD version soon, filled with glorious art and old-school happiness.

Give it a test-drive to see if a little (or a lot) of the CE can fit into your current game.

Creative ideas: Thanks, Green Devil Face

I finally purchased LotFP's Green Devil Face (#1-3) based off a harsh review from the Pundit over at The RPG Site. As a fan of Raggi’s writing and a supporter of the OSR, I pimped GDF here on this blog. After all the cool things I’ve heard about these ‘zines, it’s funny that it took a bad review to finally make me take the plunge and buy GDF.

Man, I wish that I had not waited to get these. As a writer of RPG adventures, reading GDF is a true inspiration of what one can produce when you really stop giving a %#@$ about what others think or how adventures are “supposed” to be written.

Sometimes we need to step back and say, “This is fantasy. I can do ANYTHING I want to make this more interesting and fun.”

So far the best thing I can say about reading GDF is that it has sparked in me some fun ideas. I love that. Would I use all the traps found in GDF in my own adventures? Nooooooooooooo freaking way, but that’s not the point. It’s the creativity of what GDF’s contributors put into their ideas that I get off on (whether they work or not).

Personally, I loved the humor and satire found in issue #1 (and, no, I don’t know everyone Raggi is picking on, so although the inside jokes might go over my head, the set ups are still freaking cool, if not unusual and surreal). I would like to see more of that carried into future issues of GDF. I love it when an RPG resource can stimulate ideas while tearing me up in laughter.

Also, I must say that the imagery within Caleb Jensen’s Beware the Red Stream in issue #3 could be used by David Lynch should he decide to direct a “D&D” movie. I love it.

Anyway, as I said, GDF has spawned some fun ideas in me and I am in the process of putting those ideas down in a mini adventure that I plan to submit for a future issue of GDF. Whether it gets published there or not is not up to me, but I’m having fun with the extra burst of creativity.

As for future PRG releases, I think there will be one or two areas within each new adventure where I’ll think to myself: WWGDFD?

A big thanks for representing LL in Knockspell.

I received my pdf copy of Knockspell #3 earlier today and it looks fantastic. I simply have to give a big thanks to Matt Finch at Mythmere Games for not only publishing my adventure, but making it look so darn good in print (a thanks to Mr. Kramer, too)!

The last time I really gave Labyrinth Tomb of the Minotaur Lord a good read was after its first and only editing session. As I re-read the module last night, I forgot how much freaking fun this adventure was to run. The puzzles, traps, new monsters and magical items all come together in a delightfully deadly labyrinth crawl!

Could I say that Minotaur Lord is worth the price of the magazine alone? Sure, but that would be overstepping my bragging rights, and this issue of Knockspell is packed full of so much old-school happiness that nearly every piece would be able to make the same boast.

As an extra incentive to get your own copy from Black Blade Publishing, for the rest of this week, they knocked 10% off the pdf price. 64 pages of Knockspell for $3.60! Check it out here!

Or if you like the deadwood edition: here.

Last thing I want to say here is to give another thanks to Matt for allowing me to represent Labyrinth Lord in his pages. He uses Knockspell as an entertaining and useful forum to prop up the old-school - from 0e to 1e and everything in between - and I'm just happy that he has decided to take on this endeavor to share with the rest of us.

...Minotaur Lord adventure released in Knockspell #3!

The cat is out of the bag!

It looks like Mythmere has a sweet deal with Black Blade Publishing! What's even sweeter is that Knockspell #3 has finally been released. And even sweeter-er is that KS#3 features our new adventure Labyrinth Tomb of the Minotaur Lord!

It has been a long time coming for this adventure, and it's worth the wait! Now, with the modules Treasure Crypt of the Salstine Pirate, The Lost Staves of Maurath, and now Labyrinth Tomb of the Minotaur Lord, that equals three module releases within one month. Good times. :)

I doubt that I'll maintain this type of schedule, but it's nice when everything comes together at once, you know?

You can find Knockspell #3 here in both PDF and print.

EDIT: There will be a big announcement on the Mythmere forums tomorrow (10/27) about the publishing deal. Regarding this, Matt said: "Don't buy anything today, because there may be a sale announced with the launch."

New Goblinoid Games site is up!

For those of us who have been waiting with a drooling mouth for the new Goblinoid Games web site, the wait is finally over.

The new GG site is up and running. It's well-organized and after navigating through, I had the urge to break out the dice and role-play a game (but at 2:45am, it's highly unlikely).

I want to thank Dan at Goblinoid Games for the "shout out" in the site's our partners section. I'm happy to support Labyrinth Lord and I look at this acknowledgment as a thumbs-up directly from the source.

One last thing -- I must say that the copy on the main page is perfect, especially the line, "It's time to wipe the high gloss off your gaming table and take a journey leading to gritty old-school adventure."

Amen!

Grey Area Games releases X-plorers RPG

The X-plorers sci-fi RPG is now in full release. David "grubman" Bezio, famous for his Phoenix Barony fantasy setting, has made both a print and PDF version available at Lulu.

He is also offering a free version at his Grey Area Games web site for you to check it out before purchasing the real deal. According to Bezio, the free version doesn't have the art, sample adventure, and a few other bits which are all included in the full version.

Why have I been hyping up the X-plorers RPG? Well, my regular Labyrinth Lord group will give this game a spin during our next scheduled session. If all goes well, the adventure we test-play might find its way out to the public through Prime Requisite Games! We loves us some space battles! More news on that later.

Idol of the Orcs module from Goblinoid Games

Here's a quick plug for the new Labyrinth Lord module from Goblinoid Games titled "Idol of the Orcs".

Note the all-new cover and logo design!
















Adventure description:

A band of unusually organized orcs has taken to raiding farms and waylaying travelers near the local town. The characters must seek out the orc lair and rid the area of this menace, but things are not entirely as they seem. A sinister voice whispers instructions from the darkness; what demonic force lies at the heart of the labyrinthine orc lair? This adventure is suitable for characters of 1st-3rd level and is intended for use with the LABYRINTH LORD fantasy role-playing game, but is easily used with all editions of the world’s most popular fantasy RPG.

Print copy here.

PDF here.

Randall at RetroRoleplaying: a request and offer

Randall at RetroRoleplaying: The Blog is hitting a rough patch on an already bumpy road dealing with the cost of his wife's cancer treatment. He explains more on his blog.

To help with costs, Randall is offering up PDFs of the two issues of The Grimoire, an RPG fanzine he published in the 70s. These 'zines were lovingly produced with a manual typewriter and, according to Randall, "It contained a wide variety of material for D&D and boardgames."

You'll also get a pdf copy of The Second Grimoire of Pharesm the Bright-Eyed, a set of house rules for BECMI.

This stuff was produced when the old-school was new, so it should be interesting to see the dedication poured out for what was a relatively new hobby. Read about issue #1 and #2 if you're interested and then see if you can donate any amount to receive them in PDF format, or if you're unable to donate, spread the word on a blog or two.

RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

Brave Halfling Publishing is live!

The fine folks at Brave Halfling Publishing finally have their home site up and running. The time and dedication paid off and it looks impressive. As I've mentioned previously, with their foot firmly in the OSR as well as getting their other foot wet in C&C and 4e D&D, I'm ready to see some big things come out of these guys. It's a nice bridge from old to new-school (and vise-versa).

Good luck BHP!

Knockspell, an apology, and good news

I see that Knockspell #2 is out already. I told Mr. Finch a long time ago that I had an adventure that would be a good one for the magazine and I would get it to him ASAP. He thought that was great.

Well, life happens, and as different obstacles stood in the way and as my test-play games could not get on track, I was not able to get the adventure to him. I know Matt has probably met more than his fair share of fellers who are gung-ho about a project only to fall off the face of the earth the next day, but I didn't want to be that guy. The guy who says he'll do something one minute and then forget your name the next. That guy.

Actually, I'm sure most indie publishers have met that guy while waiting for design, artwork, or whatever. *shudder* Not fun. Especially when you're ready to push your product out the door.

Now although it's not the biggest deal in the world, still I would like to apologize to Matt for not keeping in touch with him, at least just to say, "It won't be ready." From now on, if I have something I'd like to submit (whether it's to Knockspell or to my church's bake sale), I better be on top of my project or my communication skills.

That being said, here's to much success to the new issue of Knockspell!

In other news, I am finaly test-playing The Labyrinth Tomb of the Minotaur Lord this weekend. My usual gang of players will be there sans Dynamic Dan who will be venturing to Wonderfest in Kentucky. Although I have always been more into comic books and heavy metal than models, it does look like a good time for all interested.

RPG Blog Carnival for the OSR

Just for fun, I snaked the RPG Blog Carnival questions regarding "The Future of Roleplaying" from Roleplaying Pro and answered them with the OSR in mind.

What games do you see emerging as the big players in the near future?

Mythmere Games. Between S&W and Knockspell Magazine as well as their support for the OSR, I can see their snowball getting bigger as it rolls along.

What companies should we be watching out for to release the next big product?

Brave Halfling Publishing is beginning to do everything from old-school to 4e and are now top sellers on RPGnow (for classic-type RPGs).

However, Chaotic Henchmen Productions made a big splash with Guy Fullerton's Dungeon Module F1 - The Fane of Poisoned Prophesies.

One of these two companies will produce the next adventure everyone will be blogging about.

How will technology become more integrated into roleplaying games?

It already has or else most of these indie publishing companies would not exist (including PRG!).

What industry writer do we need to be on the look out for?

James Edward Raggi. A quality writer and a hell of a chance-taker.

What blogs do you see exploding into becoming the next big thing?

I really don't know. The few I frequent include Grognardia, Greyhawk Grognard (I'm a fan of his Castle of the Mad Archmage), and LotFP, among others.

What do you see for the future of the industry?

I see a paper-thin, superficial coating of "you're not playing it right" with a meaty center of fun-for-all house rules, picked from the various RPG faves. People diving into "old-school" playing will want to get EVERYTHING - Labyrinth Lord, S&W, OSRIC, BFRPG. etc, as well as their supplements - and take what they like from each (while using one set of rules as the system of choice).

I would also like to believe that these house rules will result in more fan-produced material.

The 4C System FASERIP clone

I was a big, big fan of the original Marvel Superheroes RPG from TSR. My friends and I spent hours playing our favorite heroes (and I even attempted a game as Howard the Duck).

Well, there's a free public domain release clone of this "FASERIP" system called the 4C System. You can download it here.

You can also find the forum 4C4Ever! (dedicated to the 4C System) here.

This is great for the indy publishers interested in providing new material for this classic game. In fact, once the Labyrinth Lord adventures I have planned are finally finished, Prime Requisite Games might set its sights on publishing some 4C material. We'll have to see what the future holds.

Here's to much success to 4C.