The Wizards Community - The Jester Blog -The Death of D&D

Ok, I'm not even going to comment on this one but if I could spin like this I could roto-puke all the way to the moon :)

The Wizards Community - The_Jester Blog - The Death of D&D

I will share my favorite quote with you though:

"Still, the trade magazine ICv2 reported Paizo tied WotC in sales in Q3 of 2010. And Paizo also has a strong showing on the Amazon above list. But, really, this is still a sign that D&D is doing fine, as even when WotC slips a little, a game that is really D&D rebranded moves up a spot."

Ok...translation...the competition is outselling D&D and that is ok because they do D&D better than WotC...wtf?

14th Century RPG Campaign | Christian Warrior

A 14th Century campaign set in Europe using the KnightCleric&Rogue rules based on WR&C by Stargazer.

Find the file linkage here:

14th Century RPG Campaign | Christian Warrior

More on MicroGames

Dwarfstar, the makers of my personal favorite - Barbarian Prince, have kindly posted legitimate downloadable and printable versions of :

Barbarian Prince
Demonlord
Goblin
Grav Armor
Outpost Gamma
Star Smuggler
Star Viking

Along with some history and info. I still have my copy of BP and it is sitting three feet from where I'm typing this from. (Get the errata for it if you d / l it. It is very handy.)


Find them at:

http://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/

(BTW: check out the Goblin that someone did...very nice :)

The Classic Microgames Museum

The Classic Microgames Museum

Being a fan of micro games ever since I stumbled upon a little game called Barbarian Prince back in the day I have been interested in all the releases, most of which I have never seen in person, during that time period.

So here's a little treat from simpler times...

Enjoy.

Mythmere's Blog: AD&D vs OD&D in Knockspell

I've noticed something quite interesting with the various submissions to Knockspell Magazine over the course of five issues. This is that despite the massively wider audience of AD&D, despite the fact that Fight On! is focused on OD&D, and despite the fact that there is not a corresponding AD&D magazine, the vast majority of articles I receive have been designed and/or statted for OD&D rather than AD&D.

continue reading at:

Mythmere's Blog: AD&D vs OD&D in Knockspell

Dragon Magazine Greyhawk Article Index

Dragon Magazine Greyhawk Article Index

This is a great index for Greyhawk fans and is maintained at:

http://www.cmc.net/~rtaylor/greyhawk/dragon_index.html

(I have not checked this one for accuracy-YMMV)

Enjoy!

Words To Live By

After a day of ducking bad weather and then being hit by a microburst (80mph winds was the guesstimate) that managed to drive a hole through the roof of the house and laying against the crown trying to do a temporary patch while lightning started in the distance it didn't leave a whole lot of time to work on things fantastic.

So I just started catching up some reading and ran across this in my bookmarks.

From: Old School Heretic

It is important and valuable to go back to the roots of things, if indeed your intention is to acquire some understanding of what was done and how, to learn from the past and devise your own strategies which you then take forwards and outwards and set into motion on your own terms. Going back is only useful if it facilitates our inspiration and spurs us to action. Endlessly revising, re-interpreting and regurgitating what has already been done is not what it is about --and it never was-- going back to the roots cannot be perverted into a retreat into some peculiar hegemonic orthodoxy. That way lies madness, sterility, barrenness and self-deceit. Going back is about learning, understanding and then moving on, going your own way, doing it on your own terms, using what has come before as a creative springboard or launching pad.

That is how we honor creators and innovators: by becoming our own creators and our own innovators.

Self-declared pontiffs and purveyors of empty opinions have no place in any creative undertaking, be it a movement of artists, a school of thought, or a swarm of nerds armed with colorful dice.

We're better than that.

All of us are better than that.

Look deeply into the roots of things, drink deep and then cast your lot.
It is the oldest way to bring something really and truly new into the world.

Read the complete article at:

http://oldschoolheretic.blogspot.com/p/going-back-to-roots-is-not-enough.html

Fame & Fortune: doing it differently and growing pie

I read with interest Mike Mearls' article on the past and the future of Dungeons & Dragons. There have been a variety of responses appearing in the blogosphere. Wizards have a chequered history of fan interaction and organised play including mixed messages about fan sites, tiered organised play bias toward larger FLGS and forcing customers to register with their site to make a simple e-mail query. They have made significant progress with online community and D&D Encounters. Other industry players offer alternative views, involving active engagement with players and adapting existing assets to new formats. Yet Wizards have got a few tricks up their sleeve yet, as we shall see.

continue reading at:

Fame & Fortune: doing it differently and growing pie

Hack & Slash: On the OSR Required Reading List (Have You Read It?)

This is a great reading list and part of my permanent printed binder collection (I should change that to wall :)

Hack & Slash: On the OSR Required Reading List (Have You Read It?)

Enjoy!

Jerry Lawson, Inventor of Modern Game Console, Dies at 70 | GameLife | Wired.com

However you feel about PnP vs CRPG to me they are forever entwined. I got into D&D because it became to expensive to play videogames. A game had to keep having quarters pumped into it or a new cartridge where a PnP could be played over and over for about the cost of an afternoon at the arcade or about 1/3rd the cost of a new game cartridge. I remember buying the core set of AD&D for less than I had paid for Space Invaders for the Atari 2600.

Still, the videogame has been a permanent part of my life and we have lost another creator.

R.I.P. Jerry...

Jerry Lawson, Inventor of Modern Game Console, Dies at 70 | GameLife | Wired.com

Religion in D&D-Dragon #51-100

And finally. Sorry for the delay in the series. Everything has switched into overdrive except me. Trying to complete the Alpha of 'Forsaken Souls' is zapping my typing energy. I will NEVER write another system so I better get this one right :)

Yes, I hate when series take this long and hopefully the next chapter (where I will cover #101-141-the effective end of classic D&D) will go quicker. So without further delay:

Dragon #51
It's not easy being good-General Paladin Guidelines
Thou shalt play this way- Commandments for Paladins

Dragon #52
The Clerical Collection:

The Role of the Cleric
This land is my land
The sense of sacrifice

Dragon #54
Down-to-Earth divinity-Creating a playable pantheon

Dragon #58
Spell minders

Dragon #59
The Gods of the Halflings

Dragon #60
The Gods of the Elves

Dragon #61
The Gods of the Gnomes

Dragon #62
The Gods of the Orcs

Dragon #63-(courtesy of Grendelwulf)
The Humanoids: Goals and gods of the kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, & gnolls
(This entry is not titled on the contents page the same as the actual article-page 26)

Dragon #64
Greyhawk's World- Re-defining Deities of the Flanaess

Dragon #65
Tuatha De Danann- Celtic Mythos revised

Dragon #67
Deities and Demi-Gods of the world of Greyhawk
The Astral Plane- Cleric spells

Dragon #68
Leomund's Tiny Hut-The Cloistered Cleric
Deities and Demi-Gods of Greyhawk

Dragon #69
Deities and Demi-Gods of Greyhawk

Dragon #70
Deities and Demi-Gods of the world of Greyhawk

Dragon #71
Deities and Demi-Gods of the world of Greyhawk
From the Sorcerer's Scroll-Official new Druid spells

Dragon #75
The Nine Hells-Part 1

Dragon #76
The Nine Hells-Part-2

Dragon #77
Elemental Gods-Deities that almost defy description

Dragon #79
Setting Saintly Standards-Characters that Deities hold dear

Dragon #85
The Cleric Collection:
Here's to your health-Healing and curing magic
Special skills, special thrills-Variety for Cleric abilities
Clerics must be Deity bound-Tying actions to outlook

Dragon #86
Presenting the Suel Pantheon-More Gods for Greyhawk campaigns
Dragons and their Deities-Clerics with Breath weapons

Dragon #87
Presenting the Suel Pantheon-Part 2: Kord and Phaulkon

Dragon #88
Presenting the Suel Pantheon-Part 3: Syrul, Fortubo and Wee Jas

Dragon #89
Presenting the Suel Pantheon-Part 4: Pyremius, Baltar and Llerg

Dragon #90
Presenting the Suel Pantheon-Part 5: Phyton, Xerbo and Osprem
Plane facts on Gladsheim-The world according to Asgard

Dragon #91
Nine Hells Revisited
Eight Devilish Questions

Dragon #92
Clerics live by other rules
First, spread the Faith-Role-Playing Clerics
The more the merrier-Converting non-believers and getting credit for doing so
Presenting the Suel Pantheon-Last of the series: Lydia, Bralm and Jascar

Dragon #93
Life beyond 15th level-Keep high level Druids busy

Dragon #97
Deities and their faithful

Dragon #100
All about the Druid/Ranger

Victorian Adventure Enthusiast

For fans of steampunk this is a great stop over:

Victorian Adventure Enthusiast

Mailed Fist: Diary of a Madman

Mailed Fist: Diary of a Madman

The Old School Renaissance Group: The OSRG wins Gen Con Marketing Fellowship & Assigned Booth Number!

It just keeps getting better:

The Old School Renaissance Group: The OSRG wins Gen Con Marketing Fellowship & Assigned Booth Number!

Rule One Issue 7

I believe I missed this one:

Rule One Issue 7

A zine devoted to Glorantha. All the issues are available for free download.

Enjoy!

A Moment of Recognition

It seems that I've been making a lot of comments on respect within the community and I just wanted to take a moment and recognize some of the people who I feel have really helped me in getting up to speed and making my work a reality.

First off, John 'Matt' Stater. His work is excellent and I have met few people who have been as friendly and helpful as Matt (or John...I'm not which you prefer :). Offering to help me with all that he has on his plate is an outstanding act and I have huge respect for him. If you have not visited do so now...you won't be disappointed:

http://matt-landofnod.blogspot.com/

Next, the man who should win the first award for hardest working man in gaming. Considering the trials and tribulations we face in this life Randall Stuckey has shouldered more than his fair share and still keeps creating some of the finest Microlite based work I've encountered. It was his work that helped me decide that Microlite was the engine for me and rarely does a day go by that I'm not reading something he has created. Pure inspiration at its finest.

http://blog.retroroleplaying.com/

And last, but by no means least, Hugh Dingwall. If it were not for this man and his vision of the RPG as being capable of anything I wouldn't be typing these words. Normality is so far out there that many gamers don't even recognize it as being an RPG, let alone a game. But I followed the directions and discovered something completely original. The work I am currently focused on now may seem trivial compared to this break through work, but I still look forward to adding to it as I recover a ton of files from the worst data loss I have ever experienced.

http://www.thegoatplan.blogspot.com/

Oh well, that which does not kill us makes us weirder :)