Playing D&D with just B2 Keep on the Borderlands

 Back in 1981 when I first heard of D&D, I got a hold of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. I had no other rulebook, and had only heard from the other kids on the school bus talk about playing the game. So with my copy of B2 and a couple of friends we played D&D.

How is this possible? We had no character creation rules or much info about the classes. What we did have were the charts in Keep on the Borderlands which gave rudimentary info. And somehow we had a blast exploring the caves, meeting the inhabitants of the Keep, and playing a very limited version of the game. This is how powerful D&D is, even at a fraction of its capability it is still an amazing experience.

I don't remember what characters we played, or much else about the adventure. But shortly thereafter I got the Moldvay Basic set and was off to the races. That Christmas I got the core AD&D rulebooks (except the Monster Manual, I got the Fiend Folio instead...weird I know) and have been playing ever since.

Gunslinger Core Rulebooks in the Mail

 Gunslinger Role Playing Game books have shipped.

Each person who purchased one, and provided a shipping address, have their copy on the way. So, what was the last little delay? Funny you should ask.

We had one final hurdle to jump. When the books arrived we processed them. Each copy was personalized with a sketch. They were packed and ready to go when we noticed a little detail. The "M" in the strange science gadget "Microset" was clipped on page 87. On closer examination the art was overlapping the text. We reviewed the proof and it was fine, but it seems the clipping mask broke in the final PDF (image on the right). It was a very small detail, but we just couldn't allow it. We had the entire run reprinted, they were fixed and the corrected copies personalized and we repacked them.

Thank you all so much. We've come so far and have arrived at our destination. All books have been shipped and are on their way.

Now that the backer copies are on the way, print copies are available on DriveThruRPG:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/435804/gunslinger-roleplaying-game

D&D 5.5, Sort Of

Visited my FLGS the other day and saw that they have the new Player's Handbook. I wasn't really planning on getting it, but I do like supporting the store and honestly the book looked pretty good. So I impulse bought it.

I've barely begun reading it, mostly just thumbed through appreciating the art and layout. Here are my initial thoughts:

It is well laid out.

The art looks good.

It's thick, but feels about right.

It is much better organized.

It is more similar to 5th edition than 3.5 was to 3.0, so it is a stretch to call it a new edition. "5th Edition Remastered" might be a better term.

I'll have more thoughts once I finish reading it and play a few sessions. So far so good.

Gunslinger Books Arrived

 The Gunslinger books have arrived to the warehouse (aka my garage). I am signing them and preparing to ship them out. Aiming to have it all done this week!

What a long strange trip it's been. Should be a fun post mortem.

What If Wormy Had Minis?

 For a time Dragon magazine had a fantastic little comic strip called Wormy, illustrated by Dave Trampier. It was creative, funny, and much too short. Unfortunately Trampier left the game industry and we were no longer blessed with his brilliant art and this charming little cartoon. What if he'd been treated better and Wormy was supported and turned into a real product line? Imagine if we could have minis based on Wormy?

Imagine if you could just click on this link and buy some Wormy minis? https://onthetabletop.blog/2024/09/08/daworm-co/

What if this opportunity was very short lived and if you didn't order by Sept. 28 you'd miss out on your chance to get Wormy minis? That would be sad.

Night Owl Workshop Facebook Group

Ever since Google+ was shutdown I haven't really felt at home on any social media for the purposes of finding, playing, and producing gaming material, other than some old school forums like ODD 74 and Dragonsfoot. While I have a Twitter that is barely used, and an Instagram I occasionally post my art on, there really wasn't a social media home for Night Owl Workshop. Yes, there is the forum, but it has become more of a repository for Q&A and for posting FAQ's where it would be easy to find them. We do have some secret boards for playtesting new games (currently playtesting a Guardians update, it is not a 2nd edition).

I have received many requests on Facebook for a Night Owl Workshop page, and after consulting some partners I work with we've made the decision to open an official discussion group there. So, if you like Facebook, this is the social media platform for you to join us on!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1022600746263726/

Gunslinger - Proof Approved

Last month we sent the final file to the printers. After a few typical pre-press issues such as fonts licensing, validation, and correcting printer specifications we were all good to go and ordered proof copies.

When the proofs arrived we poured over them with a fine tooth comb and they looked good, we found some minor issues to polish that required another proof. We'd come this far and didn't want to rush things at this point. Those revised proofs just arrived and the results are great.

The order has been put in to print the full run to fulfill the Kickstarter. If all goes smoothly they should be arriving mid-September. From there they'll get boxed up and shipped out.

This is my first crowdfunding and I learned a lot! I'm considering writing up a post-mortem to help others avoid some of the pitfalls I fell into.

Dwarf Crafter - an Original Edition Class

The Dwarf is severely limited in the original edition. It is restricted to the Fighting-Man class and can only rise to 6th level. They get a small number of interesting abilities that are acutely geared toward the sort of dungeon delving that was most popular in the early days of the game (and is still the best fun, in my opinion). While it does not explicitly associate race-as-class like the later Basic editions did, it was implied because they could only be the one class. Taking that idea and extrapolating it further here is a Dwarf class that is explicitly specialized at being a Dwarf.

The original Dwarf clearly drew inspiration from Tolkien, who in turn took his inspiration from Norse mythology. In that mythos there is little difference made between Elves (or Alfar as they are called) and Dwarves (or Duergar). Perhaps oversimplified, but the elves were light and lived in Alfheim, the dwarfs were darker and lived in Svartalfheim. They were semi-magical beings with the ability to craft wondrous items with powerful magical qualities. It makes sense then, that the original edition dwarf would have some magical crafting abilities.

In this version there is no limit to the level a Dwarf may attain, this is balanced by other factors.

DWARF CRAFTER 

An Alternate Original Edition Class

Prime Attribute: Strength, 13+ (+5% XP), 15+ (+10% XP)

Hit Dice: 1d8

Armor/Shield Permitted: Any.

Weapons Permitted: Any.

Languages: Gnome, Kobold, Goblin, Dwarf, Common

Dwarfs are at once Fighting-Men and Craftsmen of the finest sort. The quality of their metal work is legendary. 

Dwarfs emerged from the decomposing corpse of Ymir, the first frost giant. They were born without any distinguishable form or intelligence. Disgusted by their looks, the gods transformed them into a more human form and bestowed upon them a very high level of intelligence, and tremendous skill in crafting items of beauty and wonder.

Dwarfs are dour and stoic, and have a reputation for greed because gold and finely crafted art are their only true joys in life.

All dwarfs are of stocky build and have very broad shoulders. Their general complexion and size depends on their type; hill, mountain, or burrower:

Hill: these ruddy tan skinned dwarfs are about four feet tall and weigh around 175 pounds. This is the typical and most common dwarf.

Mountain: these brown skinned dwarfs are about four and a half feet tall and weigh around 200 pounds. Largest and most boisterous of the dwarfs, they are also not as common.

Burrowers: these gray skinned dwarfs are just under four feet tall and weigh around 150 pounds. Rarely seen on the surface world these reclusive dwarfs are known to delve in the deepest subterranean depths.

Dwarf Crafter Statistics

Dwarf Crafter Saving Throws

*Dwarfs generally save vs. spells at 4 levels higher.

Dwarfs are agile and rugged for their short stocky size. They have a knack for frustrating very large foes in combat thus they only take ½ damage from Giants.

Dwarfs are generally not adept at learning the complexities of spell casting, but they do have a natural ability to resist the effects of magic. This innate Magic Resistance gives them excellent saves vs spells (+4 levels, as already noted on the Saving Throw chart).

Dwarfs are the finest crafters in the known world and can forge weapons, armor, and other items to the highest levels of craftsmanship. Any item crafted by a dwarf has x4 base value and readily takes enchantment. They are the only beings able to craft and wield +3 Magic WarHammers.

A dwarf notices immediately if a surface they are traversing on is an inclined plane. 

The keen eye of a dwarf for craftsmanship and manufacturing gives them a bonus to detect traps, note shifting walls, and notice any new construction underground. 1-2 on d6.

Their keen eyesight extends into the ability to see in the absence of light, thus they have infravision and can see monsters up to 60’ away in the dark.

Goblins & kobolds are a dwarf’s natural (and most hated) enemies, and Dwarfs will attack them before any other enemies in sight. The dwarf gets a +1 bonus to hit when fighting these creatures.

Dwarfling

Optionally the Referee may permit the Dwarf character to begin as a 0 level Dwarfling. They will have 1d6 hit points, +0 Attack Bonus (or fight as a Man), and have saves as 1st level.

The Weird World of Wormy

 In Dragon Magazine #29 Wormy returned from a hiatus. Dave Trampier drew a recap of the story to date, which was a helpful guide to those who'd missed earlier issues.

What I find most interesting about this is how Dave summarized the story in a very digestible form, and it helps to wrap your head around the Weird World of Wormy. If you try to read Wormy, especially when you were a kid, it often seems a little esoteric, like there is some kind of inside joke you are missing out on. There was indeed some subtle political subtext that can be easily missed. Dave said Walt Kelley's classic strip Pogo was a big inspiration for Wormy, and Pogo was very political. So it makes sense. But that is not all there was to Wormy, it was a strange and imaginative world that Dave had created and which sadly faded into D&D history as Dave left the gaming world after bitter disappointment with TSR, which is a whole story itself.

 

Dragons of Desolation

 In 1984 teenage me walked into Waldenbooks and saw this Keith Parkinson painting in the '85 Dragonlance calendar and decided that is what I wanted to do for a living.

I love this comparison of the sketch to finish.

The Flying Citadel was used for several products back in the day. Originally done for DL4: Dragons of Desolation, Keith described it as "the Death Star of Dragonlance".

I still think it is a masterpiece of fantasy art. I miss seeing new Keith Parkinson art.

Does Fight On Still Have Its Mojo?

Fight On! OSR magazine issue #15 is out. It has been 10 long years since the last issue. 

Ten years later, we are back from the dead to Fight On once more! These revenant runes are just as jam-packed as you remember with classes, monsters, spells, magic items, rules mods, homebrews, and awesome adventures in the spirit of the eldritch era of fantasy roleplaying!  Dedicated to seventies D&D legend J. Eric Holmes, this issue brings together old and new stalwarts alike to celebrate our 15th issue and new beginning! With art and articles by J. Eric and Christopher Holmes, Tom Gordon, Calithena, Gabor Lux, Jeff Rients, James Maliszewski, Kesher, Pete Mullen, Cameron Hawkey, Zach Howard, Alex Schroder, Richard Rittenhouse, Settembrini, Patrick Farley, Jason Sholtis, Robert Conley, Kelvin Green, Philipp H., Attronarch, Mitzi!, and many more, this is the first of our new forays into fanzine fame and glory! Ride that wyvern while the sun is shining, and keep Fighting On!

If you were wondering if Fight On! still had that old-school magic, well check out this table of contents. I'd say yes.

Table of Contents
Ten Ways to Holmesify your Game (Zach Howard) 3
Special Ability Charts (Attronarch) 4
The Orthogonal Dwarf (Olle Skogren) 11
Gremlins! (Calithena) 14
Maze Master’s Miscellany (Alex Schroder & Cal) 15
The Catacombs under Old Samora (Philipp H.) 17
Knights & Knaves: Holmes Town Heroes (Tony A. Rowe) 28
Bringing It All Back Holmes (Clark/Grodog/Cal) 30
Maps from the Maze of Peril (J. Eric Holmes) 34
Distributary of Darkness (Alex Zisch) 36
The Silken See (Motley Dice) 37
Grognard’s Grimoire (Richard Rittenhouse) 41
The Wizard’s Satchel (J. Blasso-Gieseke) 43
Artifacts, Adjuncts, and Oddments (Rittenhouse) 44
Victory or Death! (Gabor Lux) 46
Megadungeon Workshop Extravaganza! (Kesher) 50
Calvero! (István Boldog-Bernád) 53
Creepies & Crawlies (James Maliszewski) 61
Tables for Fables (Al, Greco, Wetzel, and Rients) 63
The Darkness Beneath (Alex Schroder & Lior Wehrli) 68
Henchmen-Я-Us: Pole Arm Caddies! (Calithena) 91
Chainmail: Battle for Bronzolo (Settembrini) 92
Doxy, Urgent Care Cleric (Linneman & Green) 98
Education of a Magic User (Douglas Cox) 99
Wham! (Tom Gordon) 100

Some say the OSR is dead. I say LONG LIVE THE OSR!

Get your copy here:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/ignatius-umlaut/fight-on-15-pdf-edition/ebook/product-84kg7gz.html

Dungeoneer Master Deck Box

Dungeoneer was published 21 years ago. Somehow it has continued to remain in print with a small, but consistent following. In appreciation for your continued support I put together one of the most oft-requested items: a deck box to hold all the components and cards.

After 21 years Dungeoneer finally has everything needed to play the game.

I am impressed with the quality that The Gamecrafter has managed to achieve, and their boxes are sturdy and well designed, with satisfying snug fit lids.

I did everything I could to get the price down to as reasonable as possible. This Master Deck Box will fit all your Dungeoneer decks. The components included are specifically for Tomb of the Lich Lord. If this box does well I'll make the components for all the other Dungeoneer sets available. For now you can print out the Hero cards from these files.

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/dungeoneer-master-deck-box

Game deck not included

The Dark Tower Series

 Like many (most) of the Gen-X generation, I've read almost everything Stephen King wrote up until around the early 2000's. And that includes the Dark Tower series. Which may have killed some of my enthusiasm for his books.

But it isn't all bad. And there are some great ideas in it. A tiny bit of the Gunslinger roleplaying game may have even gotten some inspiration from it.

On the ODD74 forum Finarvyn (of Swords & Wizardry White Box fame) asked what people thought about The Dark Tower series, if it was worth reading. It got me to thinking, and I wrote up my opinion. Which fairly reflects many reader's views of the story with some of my own idiosyncrasies. Here is what I had to say.

The Dark Tower has the best, and worst, of King's writings.

1. The Gunslinger: ok start, but not great. Establishes the bleak world setting which I kind of like.

2. The Drawing of the Three: pretty good, but still kind of meh. The characters assembled here are interesting and make the book worth reading.

3. The Wastelands: Getting better. Overall this book is quite a ride (figuratively, and literally in the story), what a cliffhanger.

4. Wizard and Glass: one of the best books King has ever written, high point of the series.

4s. The Wind Through the Keyhole: optional, he wrote this after completing the series. It is ok. It is sort of 3 short story ideas King had that he wrapped into one novel.

5. Wolves of the Calla: I might have liked this better if he hadn't given the story away in the forward. It is a storyline that has been done to death by others, and better, so I really didn't care for this book at all.

6. Song of Susannah: Holy Guacamole is this book terrible.

7. The Dark Tower: I didn't think he could write a worse book than Song of Susannah, but this just might be. He uses a device no author should ever use (no spoiler). What a disappointing end to the series. A real shame because there are a handful of great ideas amid a lot of drek.

While I can recommend about 3 books in the series, you kinda have to read the whole series if you're going to commit. I suspect you could read Wizard and Glass on its own and just enjoy this weird western.

If I was to read this series again I'd just stop after Wizard and Glass. I mean you'd want to know about the Dark Tower, but that's probably best left as a JJ Abram's mystery box than what King did with it.

If you loved the Dark Tower, and many do, that is great. I wish I could have loved it, I really wanted to. And there was much in it I did really like. And if I was to run a Dark Tower campaign, to plug my own RPG, I do think Gunslinger would be perfect for it.

On a side note, there have been several graphic novel adaptations of The Dark Tower, all of which I think are fantastic. I'd even recommend them over the novels!

What does D&D smell like?

 So I stumbled across this Kickstarter that is selling a "scent machine" that you load with smells to enhance your D&D game, like Ogre, Elf, Red Dragon, and so on.

Part of me says this is a terrible idea, another part of me wants it.

Is this an awful idea or a great one?

Scent Machine Kickstarter

D&D 2024 Stat Block

 This little tidbit has been leaked showing what the stat block will look like in 2024 D&D.

Not a whole lot different from 5th edition, perhaps a little more legible and an easier layout.

via Bob World Builder

Monstrous Gray Giant

 

Gunslinger RPG - Now Available

 It is official. The final full version of Gunslinger RPG core rules are now available on DriveThruRPG.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/435804/Gunslinger-Roleplaying-Game

It was a wild ride, and it is a relief to finally have it out there. I hope you all enjoy it.

Gunslinger Week - Final Preview

 Gunslinger goes to press today.

In this final installment of Gunslinger Preview Week here are a couple of the never before shown full page illustrations for the book. This will give you some kind of idea of the kinds of adventures you will go on in the game. This first one is "Bug Hunt" where a couple of daring gunslingers abscond with some giant wasp eggs to sell to the Smithsonian, hopefully for a good sum.

The second illustration, a native overlooks some gunslingers exploring mysterious ruins found in a hidden canyon. Could this lead to the fabled Arizona Underworld?

And in the last one a gang does a fast getaway after robbing a bank, will you go after them for the reward money? Or is your party of outlaws one of the gang members?!

Gunslinger - Apache Wars

 You need to read about the history of the Apache Wars.

Truly, one of the most fascinating chapters in American history. Like many Americans I was vaguely aware of it. Of course I'd heard of Geronimo, but didn't know much else. Even though I'd grown up in Arizona, I think I slept through much of Arizona History class.

We think the Afghanistan war went on a long time, well the Apache Wars went on longer, and were a much tougher fight. The Chiricahua Apache had mastered guerilla warfare, they'd strike, and melt into the Arizona hills. They gave the US Cavalry hell for decades. And for the Apache this was after years of war with the Mexicans before US purchased the Arizona territory.

One of the most legendary fighters was Lozen. She was part of Geronimo's elite inner circle of warriors, and fought as hard as any man.

Generating NPC's is one of the more time consuming tasks for the game Referee, so pages of NPC's based on historical figures are included.

Gunslinger is an "open world" campaign, in terms of the Arizona Territory being presented as is, but there are many adventuring locations spelled out: abandoned mines, ghost towns, caves, and then some more "pulpy" locations added such as ancient ruins and a vast underworld. With the Apache wars as part of the backdrop.

And I've posted the Brave class before, but this is the final art and text:

Gunslinger - Strange Science

 One of the features of Gunslinger is Strange Science. To those familiar with Gamma World (or the classic Expedition to the Barrier Peaks) you'll recall how exciting it was to find some weird unknown piece of technology and trying to figure out how it works. Sometimes to great effect, and other times to disaster!

And since Gunslinger doesn't have magic* this is the closest thing to it. As Arthur C. Clarke famously said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." That is certainly true in the Arizona Territory in the 1800's where strange science is involved.

For those fans of the genre, there are a lot of Easter Eggs in here I'm sure you'll appreciate.

Closing in on those last little details to send Gunslinger to press this week.

*There is a "Mythic West" appendix in the back for those who want a little supernatural in their campaign.

Gunslinger Week: Critters

 Another preview of the final text and art from the Gunslinger RPG.

I mentioned previously how much art went into the making of this game, well a huge amount of that went into the critters section. During research for the setting of the 1800's Arizona Territory I came across quite a few interesting legends. Many of these made it into the book, with some modification to make them useful for your own wild west (with a bit of strange science!) campaign milieu. 

Gunslinger Week

 This week Gunslinger goes to press!

So, I'll post a little preview of final art and text each day this week. Let's start with our main character, the Gunslinger. I like to think of him as the "Paladin" of the game.

This will be your last chance to get the Gunslinger RPG (PDF) at the "Beta Edition" rate, once the full final version is posted it will go up to regular price. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/435804/gunslinger-roleplaying-game

D&D 2024 Classes

 Information is beginning to trickle out on what is in D&D 2024. Here are the classes and sub-classes that will be in the Player's Handbook.

The posted release dates for the Core Books:

2024 Player's Handbook – 17 September 2024

2024 Dungeon Master's Guide – 12 November 2024

2024 Monster Manual – 18 February 2025

Here are the 48 subclasses to appear in the 2024 Player's Handbook.

Barbarian:

• Path of the Berserker
• Path of the Wild Heart (Previously Path of the Totem Warrior)
• Path of the World Tree (new to Dungeons & Dragons)
• Path of the Zealot

Bard

• College of Dance (new to Dungeons & Dragons)
• College of Glamour
• College of Lore
• College of Valor

Cleric

• Life Domain
• Light Domain
• Trickery Domain
• War Domain

Druid

• Circle of the Land
• Circle of the Moon
• Circle of the Sea (new to Dungeons & Dragons)
• Circle of the Stars

Fighter

• Battle Master
• Champion
• Eldritch Knight
• Psi Warrior

Monk

• Warrior of Mercy
• Warrior of Shadow
• Warrior of the Elements (previously the Way of the Four Elements)
• Warrior of the Open Hand

Paladin 

• Oath of Devotion
• Oath of Glory
• Oath of the Ancients
• Oath of Vengeance

Ranger

• Beast Master
• Fey Wanderer
• Gloom Stalker
• Hunter

Rogue

• Arcane Trickster
• Assassin
• Soulknife
• Thief

Sorcerer

• Aberrant Sorcery
• Clockwork Sorcery
• Draconic Sorcery
• Wild Magic

Warlock

• Archfey Patron
• Celestial Patron
• Fiend Patron
• Great Old One Patron

Wizard

• Abjurer
• Diviner
• Evoker
• Illusionist

Sauce: ComicBook.Com

Update: Just got a preview of the Character Sheets.

Gunslinger - Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots of Art

 June is the month Gunslinger goes to press. Come hell or high water it is getting finished. So I imagine I'll have to do a postmortem at some point to pinpoint why it took so long and how to make future projects more efficient. 

Looking at the art folder there are over 200 art assets.

Over...two...hundred...art...assets.

This is a one man operation, I did have some help editing and playtesting, but the writing, design, graphics, layout, and art are all my responsibility. Just back of the envelope math if each art asset took 4-6 hours to make (some took a lot more, a few took less). That is 1200 hours of work.  I have a full time job, and I'm a dad, so that had to be done between life responsibilities. And that doesn't include the writing, editing, playtesting, research, and design where the bulk of my time was spent. This project got to be a little ridiculous. I thought it was going to be a quick little OSR western. If I had been smart about it that is what Gunslinger would have been, but nope.

The book itself is clocking in at 134 pages. The kickstarter version is a little longer because it includes a prelude chapter to the Princess of the Red Planet adventure. By RPG standards 134 pages isn't huge, but note that it is the cream of the research and playtest efforts. Not a lot of drivel in it, like most RPG's have.

In the end nobody cares how long something took to make. The product stands or falls on its own. All I can say is I did my best on it. This month, June, the book goes to press. Fin.

For some reason I thought illustrating every critter was a good idea.

Geirdriful - Valkyrie of Flinging Spears

 The OSR version of Book of Valkyries is slowly nearing completion. I've enjoyed digging into Norse, and greater germanic mythology for research. The stat blocks I've been using are closest to BECMI (because of the expanded ability score table) with a few modern touches such as ascending AC and including a Base Attack Bonus, and also dual axis alignment.

Geirdriful
Valkyrie of Flinging Spears

Demi-Goddess, Medium Humanoid, Neutral Good

Armor Class: 18
Hit Dice: 10 (45 hp)
Base Hit Bonus: +7
Attacks: 2 spears (1d8+3 dam. each)
Move: 60' (20') / 180' (60') flying
Save: D12 W11 P10 B13 S14 (F10)
Morale: 11
XP: 2,500
TT: D
Str: 18/+3 Dex: 16/+2 Con: 15/+1
Int: 14/+1 Wis: 16/+2 Chr: 18/+3

Spear Mastery: Geirdriful can throw her spears with perfect accuracy up to 120'.

Divine Resilience: Immune to charm and fear effects.

Geirdriful (“Spear Flinger”) has golden hair and gleaming armor as she soars through the skies. Her eyes, sharp and focused, miss nothing in the chaos of battle. Geirdriful wields a half dozen ornate spears, each imbued with the power to strike true from any distance.

Formidable Fighter

Ever wondered what the fighter on the cover of the red box Basic D&D book looked like? Has Wizard's recent shenanigans caused some confusion? No worries, his face was already shown in this toy released last year!

 

Gunslinger Update #18

Incredible progress! We're well on our way to wrapping Gunslinger up.

Here is where everything stands:

Writing and editing are complete. Much thanks to those who participated in the review and gave us feedback and caught some typos. The core rulebook has been complete for sometime now. Though I reread it everyday and always find some little phrasing to tighten up. This is normal and happens all the way up till the moment I hit send to the printers. You can never reread it too many times.

Maps are done (whew)! 

Horse colors! So I added a page in the back that describes colors for your basic mounts with full color illos. This is unique to the Kickstarter edition.

Still working on the art. I peg it at 90% complete. I tried to create a blend of action, adventure, and spontaneity. Those who backed the Artist Edition Tier will be getting a well crafted original pen and ink drawing.

The full  rulebook is up on DriveThru and has been given to all backers, it will be updated with final art when that's done. Physical books will be shipped then. 

What's left? The included adventure: On The Arizona Hills is nearly done, it got a little bigger than expected, it is chock full of locations, NPC's, and opportunities for adventure, enough to keep your player's entertained for quite some time.

The question you all want to know; when will it be shipped? I keep blowing past the dates as the project kept getting more ambitious than intended, and I kept wanting to make it better (a friend once told me "better is the enemy of done!" its true). I've worked on this game virtually everyday but Sundays since the Kickstarter closed, it has been a great lesson in what to do and not do! If I do another KS I'll be sure the project is 100% done first so I can hit send to printers the moment the crowdfunding finishes.

Ok, that date? June. It will be done, shipped, in June this year.

Happy trails pardner.

2nd Edition Monster Super Compendium

2nd edition AD&D has its advocates and critics. As a long time critic I've slowly moved into the advocate  column. In particular the Campaign Settings during that era were fantastic. Something else TSR did well were the many, many, many monster books. 

And someone collected all of them into a searchable database. All. Of. Them. Over 3000 monsters!

Yeah, this website is crazy. Easy to navigate, and it has virtually every monster ever made for 2e AD&D, including from the magazines and various sourcebooks and campaign settings. One of the very good things about 2e was how complete the monster stat format was, almost too much. So it works for any edition of the game you want to play.

Check it out:

https://www.completecompendium.com/

Tower of Xthar'Drim in Isometric

 Here is the Tower of Xthar'Drim drawn in isometric. Looking at the flat top down maps wasn't always clear on how they interconnected, even with the help of the sideview. This should help.