OSR, Phase II

There is, of course, no singular event that one can point to and say, “The OSR started here.” Certainly it was a product of a particular time within the gaming hobby, wherein a number of circumstances combined to make the OSR possible. D&D 3.5 was petering out and 4th edition was received to blasé reviews or outright hostility. The OGL allowed games such as Castles & Crusades (2004) and OSRIC (2006), and later Labyrinth Lord, Swords &...

Read More

Gygax Magazine Launch Party

I was one of the scores of people who attended today's launch of Gygax Magazine at the Brooklyn Strategist. It was certainly a hoot-- not only was the event itself a lot of fun (there were dignitaries from the elder days via video), but I got to meet a bunch of OSR bloggers face-to-face for the first time. Erik Tenkar, Mike Curtis, and Chris Mennell were there, and apparently Tavis Allison was there but I didn't manage to hook up with him. Alas!I...

Read More

Want to See the TOC for Gygax Magazine #1?

Then BoingBoing has just what you're looking for!Also, for those who are relatively local, a reminder that the unveiling of the magazine will be this Saturday. Assuming nothing Bad Happens, I'll be there to enjoy the festivities. (Free) pre-registration is required, but there will also be a live video feed, so I'm told. Can't wa...

Read More

Wizards of the Coasts PDFs Now Available

Well, the rumors and speculation have turned out to be true; Wizards of the Coast has teamed up with Onebookshelf to make pdf's of a bunch of their older products available.Their items are available both on the main RPGNow.com site as well as the new DNDClassics.com site, which was set up specifically to accommodate the new WotC material.There seems to be a smattering of items from all versions but 0E, and everything's in pdf format right now, but...

Read More

Forgotten Realms 5E Concept Art

Conceptopolis, a professional graphics firm, has posted a number of pieces of concept art for the upcoming 5E Forgotten Realms, which by its nature also includes a number of pictures of more generic monsters and such. You can see the gallery at Deviantart --> HERE <-- Thoughts? Impressions? I've got a few myself, but would like to hear some of yours, fir...

Read More

PG or not PG, That is the Question

So now that the Adventures Dark and Deep Players Manual is humming along so well (more than half the finished art completed, all edits received and more than half reviewed applied to the master document), I have a minute to think about the next book; the Game Masters Toolkit.Now, for this, I'm thinking about having a more "edgy" cover, involving nudity (in-context, of course, not merely gratuitous), but it brings up the question of whether I have two versions of the cover. One would be the full-monty version, and the other would be a PG version...

Read More

Interview With Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen

In a sort-of follow-up to the story about Games Workshop suing someone over 3D printing, here's an interview with 3D printing pioneer Peter Weijmarshausen, CEO of Shapeways. It's not specifically about gaming, but the implications brought up in the interview apply just as well (in some ways, better) to the production of miniatures, which by their nature are only made of one material and thus are perfectly suited to the technolo...

Read More

Table: Undead Origins

From the upcoming Adventures Dark and Deep Game Masters Toolkit (not the Players Manual, which will be coming out first, of course):Why is That Undead Creature Not resting Peacefully?Aborted babyAfter death, body was taken out through the front door of the houseBride or groom who died on their wedding nightBuried next to or with someone they couldn't stand in lifeBuried without the customary coin in the mouth/on the eyesChild who died before being baptized, etc.Died a violent deathDied while under the effect of a curseDied with unfinished business Died...

Read More

Champions Complete Coming Soon!

From ICv2:The Champions role-playing game, one of the longest-running superhero games ever, will soon be released as a new core book.  Champions Complete has finished printing and will soon be available in both print and digital versions....The latest version of the game, Champions Complete, will be a 240-page softcover book with black and white interiors and a full-color cover by Sam R. Kennedy. The book was written by Derek Hiemforth.  This...

Read More

Dwimmermount Thoughts

By now, I'm sure most people reading this are aware of the hullabaloo surrounding the Dwimmermount Kickstarter campaign, occasioned by a comment by Tavis Allison (link will only work for supporters of the original KS), whose Autarch company was deeply involved in managing the Kickstarter campaign itself, although James M. was ultimately responsible for getting the book into the backers' hands.First off, I think it's unfair to say that James has absconded with the money, or that this was a "scam" (which is the exact term some unfortunate over...

Read More

OneBookShelf Discontinues Crowdsourcing Fulfillment Support

Well this is a kick in the head.OneBookShelf, purveyors of RPGNow.com, DriveThruRPG.com, etc. just announced that they are no longer going to support publishers who need to fulfill crowdsourcing rewards:Some of you will recall that we started a new program last August, helping publishers with Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns to fulfill your digital and print product orders. Since then, we have helped a number of our publishers to fulfill their Kickstarter obligations.Unfortunately, after careful examination of the costs and benefits, we have...

Read More

Lulu No Longer Allowing DRM Protection

Lulu.com, one of the leading print-on-demand services around, announced that they will no longer be accepting files that make use of Adobe's DRM protection for EPUB and Pdf files. Further, all files that are currently on Lulu with the protection will be required to have that protection removed from them before they can be sold again. Why? Here's the official explanation:DRM works best when administered by those who control how content is purchased and viewed. Companies like Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble integrate a reader’s experience from...

Read More

Lenovo Introduces 27" Table PC

From the Associated Press:Dismayed that family members are spread out over the house, each with a separate PC or tablet? Lenovo has something it believes will get them back together: a PC the size of a coffee table that works like a gigantic tablet and lets four people use it at once.Lenovo Group Ltd., one of the world's largest PC makers, is calling the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC the first "interpersonal computer" - as opposed to a "personal computer."At...

Read More

Gygax Magazine Live Release Party

Got this in my inbox today. I might just make the journey into Brooklyn for this!It's been quite a wait, but it's finally time! The first issue of Gygax magazine will be unboxed at 2pm EST on Saturday, January 26th at The Brooklyn Strategist. We'll be streaming the unboxing live at GygaxMagazine.com for everyone who can't be in New York City that day.As soon as the first box is opened, you'll be able to order single copies or subscriptions online....

Read More

Upcoming Movies for 2013

2012 was a banner year for genre films, with such films as Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, and The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey hitting theaters. 2013 has a lot of promise as well, and I thought I'd highlight some of the movies that I'm personally looking forward to.March 1 - Jack the Giant Slayer. I saw a trailer for this in front of the Hobbit, and I've gotta say it looks pretty nifty.March 29: G.I. Joe Retaliation. I know, I know, but it's not like...

Read More

Deluxe T&T Kickstarter Now Live

I confess that I only played Tunnels and Trolls a few times back in high school, and that was it. I wouldn't describe myself as a "fan" of the game, but not through any fault of the game itself so much as my own preoccupation with Dungeons and Dragons as our go-to fantasy game at the time. But it is undeniably one of the seminal publications in RPG history, one that has never gone out of print to my knowledge, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention...

Read More

ICv2's Top Ten Hobby Games Business Events of 2012

Over at ICv2, they have a list of the top ten events, trends, etc. that impacted the gaming industry in 2012. Some of it is obvious, some of it is very insightful, and very little do I find myself disagreeing with. Bear in mind it covers all tabletop games, not just RPGs, and some of it is "inside baseball" industry-wise. Definitely do read all of their analysis, but the bullet-point list is:Hobby Games Up a Lot (As Videogames Decline)Kickstarter Becomes a Major Force in Hobby GamesTabletop Becomes Huge Sales DriverLicensing Drives Game SalesMagic:...

Read More

The OSR Officially Wins

Larry Elmore's Snarfquest is coming back (in Knights of the Dinner Table from Kenzer)! Holy moly! What's next, Wormy* and Jasmine??If you don't know what Snarfquest is, you've not been reading Dragon Magazine long enough, whippersnapper!_____* I know, I know. Not gonna happen, ever. sigh(h/t to Windsor Gaming Resour...

Read More