Heroes Of The Dungeon Crawl

Gotta Love Lulu

2012-02-08T01:04:00.000-08:00

When I was doing the desktop publishing thing, I would have loved having something like Lulu to turn to. It might not have worked as well for my weekly stuff, but it would have been perfect for special editions. They really do nice work. I knew if I could make Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl presentable enough, I would go to Lulu for printing it and for other projects as well. It's like having something you could buy at a store.

Lulu was huge in getting the OSR movement off the ground, and you can still find cool stuff there. I could have ordered Labyrinth Lord there when it was released, but Goblinoid Games did such a fantastic job of promoting it I had another option. I was able to order it at Barnes & Noble and go in there and buy it. My local game store owner didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but he sells it now. There was something so cool about buying it in a store like the old red box. I may have been the first person to buy LL that way.

I decided to support the OSR movement in December by purchasing Stonehell Dungeon and Dragons at Dawn. I became aware of Stonehell Dungeon by accident through Youtube. The publisher was LL'ing people through it and posted videos. A massive dungeon crawl. I've been thinking about making one myself and have had several ideas bouncing around for a while now. Several notes are already written.

Anyway, the Stonehell Dungeon book is a massive resource in itself, and he has supplements available and a second book planned. Lots and lots of maps and ideas. The adventure does count on the DM to be familiar with the rules and monster stats. The descriptions are not laid out like Palace Of The Silver Princess or Horror On The Hill. But, the rules are so easy that shouldn't be a problem. There is so much there it is well worth the price. We basic gamers didn't get too many big dungeon crawls back in the day, so that makes this even cooler.

Dragons at Dawn is sort of a "what if" concept as in what if Dave Arneson had published rules to the game he played prior to contacting Gary Gygax. The author spent months researching Dave's old material and interviews, comments made by players who were at Dave's table back then. The result is an interesting read and a playable game that I would bet captures the spirit of Dave's game. Short of Dave being here doing it himself, we don't know 100%, but I think it's pretty darn close. I bet Dave would approve, and anything that helps remind people of Dave's role in all of this crazy RPG stuff is alright in my book.

I have my eyes on the expansion, Dragons at Twilight, and will probably get that eventually. Another potential purchase will be Swords & Wizardry. I've only skimmed through the original D&D rules. I find the Moldvay Basic to be more to my tastes, but I'm curious enough that I may take the plunge. Besides, the author of S$W is one of the people responsible for helping make what the OSR movement is doing now possible.

Two purchases I just made other day are LL adventures, The Courtyard of Gerald Red and Fabled Curse of the Brigand Crypt. I've read some game session reports on the latter and decided I'd make the purchase. Both are set in the LL default setting, The Known Lands, and that was another plus in my book. I'd like to see more attempts to flesh out The Known Lands. Maybe one of these days I'll make an attempt myself.

I'll update this to mention I received both books, each at 16 pages with simple adventures based in the default LL setting of The Known Lands. I've skimmed through them both, and I'm impressed with Lawrence Blake's work here. He not only wrote these, but did the illustrations as well. It's simple art, but it works. I like it. If I had a game going, I would have no problem running either of these as is.

There are some challenging encounters here, but the rewards are great. As somebody who back in the day may have awarded too much treasure at times, I'm almost tempted to say there's a little bit more treasure than needed. A lot of it is one usage stuff though. The challenges are here though, and TPK can easily happen in either module if the party isn't careful. There is a save or die situation here that had it's "sting" removed. I'd probably let the dice fall and the rules stand as written in the old books, especially given the reward. All in all, though, I like what I see in both of modules.

I am working on HotDC stuff right now, and I'm contemplating an update to the Basic Charts Edition book or a supplement. I may chose an update for the book. At this point, here's what I'm thinking:

Additional Creature Charts. I do charts for 0 through 3rd Degree in the book, but I have lists for 4th through 8th.

Additional Priest and Mage Incantation lists. The lists in the book go 0 through 3, but I have 4-5 mapped out.

The Three Kings Island Map and some basic descriptions of the areas. I have been working on this a little.

That's about it, but as I work I get inspired more. The update is really the easy way because the other option is fully fleshing out and doing the proper rulebook and covering 0-10th degree for character advancement as was planned in the beginning. If nothing else, I want to talk HotDC in future posts. The one thing that is cool is having Lulu available to get things printed if/when they are ready.

A Post For Jean Wells

2012-02-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post about the passing of another of the pioneers of D&D from the TSR era as it was reported earlier this week that Jean Wells passed away at the age of 56. I don't really consider that old in this day and age, but I am aware that Jean was dealing with health issues. In her interview on the Save Or Die Podcast within the last few years, it didn't sound like she was in the best of health

Jean is probably best known as the author of the original B3 Module, Palace of the Silver Princess. She wrote several Sage Advice columns for Dragon Magazine and had her finger prints on several of the best known D&D products, including B1 Keep On The Borderlands, The Monster Manual and (uncredited until an article in Dragon Magazine pointed it out) The Dungeon Master's Guide. Jean was a pioneer for women in the RPG industry.

I never knew Jean's version of Palace existed until years later. The Tom Moldvay/Jean Wells version is the one I was aquainted with. Though the newer version still retained some of Jean's characters and flavors, some stuff was removed. Tom was reportedly instructed to do whatever he needed to do to "fix" it, and Jean recounted later that she was not allowed to participate in any of that.

Now, I'm a fan of Tom's work and what he did with that module. Fact is, it's somewhat more survivable for new characters than the previous two "B" Modules, and it is enjoyable. However, Jean did a variation on Mike Carr's B1 In Search of the Unknown. Some rooms of the palace were left to the DM to stock as was the case with all B1 rooms, and others were fully stocked.

Another thing this module offered was a campaign settting. She wrote this in 1980 as The Known World was being created by David Cook and Tom Moldvay, and the palace was based in Glantri, which appears in The Known World. The area of Glantri in Jean's module has a few places descrbed to allow the DM to continue running adventures there, and there were a few NPC's desribed that the characters could interact with. She also introduced several new monsters.

True, the Moldvay/Wells version was better defined, but Jean's version gave you a foundation and the tools to allow you to build on it. Looking back at the controversy over some of the Erol Otus art and the Ubues, I can't help but feel a bit sad for the ambitous young lady who probably had a few other good ideas up her sleeve. The art was tame compared to some of the art that appeared in earlier D&D books, for one thing, but with the forces of PC and religion coming after the game, she was the one who took the fall.

I wasn't there, and I'm just a fan looking at what others who were there had to say, but I can't help but think some people wanted her to fail. There was art in there that the artist should have known better than to create. The office insider stuff that should never have been created and put into her module. I wonder, if somebody had been there to offer moral support and watch out for stuff like that, what might have been.

The concept behind Jean's Palace was solid. Maybe a rough edge or two, but it could have been smoothed away without much effort. I like much of Erol's art, but perhaps this wasn't the place to make any statements he might have wanted to make against the powers that be? But, it happened, and Jean took the fall.

When I read her comments in her Grognardia blog interview or hear what she said in the Save Or Die Podcast, it makes me sad. I wonder what could have been. She sounds like she had a love for this game back then, but the experiences with B3 soured her. She mentioned in that podcast having another adventure to publish for free if she could get the help. Much like the rumored works of Moldvay after he died, I somewhow doubt anything will come to pass, and that makes me sad.

It wasn't until I read Jean's version of B3 that I realized that she had some good ideas and lots of potential. It makes me wish I could have been there for her to help fight off the negativity coming her way and help her B3 get the fighting chance it deserved. Alas, that was not to be, and this is just me rambling.

So, I'll end this by saying thanks for the menories Jean. You weren't at TSR that long really, but you still managed to make a positve impact while you were there. May you find happiness and peace in this stage of your journey.

My Opinion, Based On Little Information

2012-02-03T00:43:00.000-08:00

So, the D&D Experience has taken place, the seminars happened and some lucky players got an early look at what sounds like could be the "basic" version of what's next (What's wrong with calling it 5e I wonder).

The comment made a week or so ago that got the whole community talking was the idea that this next iteration of the game would allow a 1e or basic player to sit at the table with that character while somebody else plays it 2e style, another 3e and another 4e. The collective "huh" (or something unprintable) heard around the net was from the people wanting to know what they're drinking up there in Washington.

Well, this week sheds some light on that lofty proclaimation from the wizards. They probably should have qualified the 1e player and 3e player with "it feels like a character from that edition". I think it's obvisous there will be no decending AC. That ship has sailed, but does it really matter?

For my part, I don't get the problem with decending AC. I NEVER had a problem understanding it, but whatever. I don't think that is a deal breaker, but they should understand something. Every little tweak they make to those old rules, while claiming it is in the style of the old game, will be a potential "deal breaker" for those players. That goes for any edition, I suppose.

The funny thing is, I think they understand that. They are walking a tightrope, but I think they truly believe they can pull this off. I'd say it won't be easy, but maybe it will be easier than anybody is giving it credit. Maybe? I don't know. I'm not a mind reader. Every overature made to the old gamers is annoying the newer gamers. Yeah, it's a tightrope.

The question still has to be asked and that's how can you have that basic character in the group next to the one with all the newer feats and other "cool" stuff? Well, it hasn't been said, but I think the idea is that the old style player is expected to "gravitate" towards the new style a little at a time if need be, AND the rules are being wrtten in that way.

So, here's the thing I've been thinking and I admit I could be wrong. The first installment of this deal needs to be basic in the "style" of the old game. That's what needs to be in the box or hard books. Whatever. For this point, I'm calling it D&D Basic, but I'm not stuck on that name.

This D&D Basic needs to cover all the basic stuff in that certain "style" where all the future installments can be bolted on by those who want them. It should cover at least 10 levels if not more. You should be able to do a whole campaign with just this set of rules if you want to, AND none of the future installment's rules should be defined at all other than a hint at what's to come.

When people run games at the game store, they will have the option of naming the style based on what installments are used, such as D&D Basic, D&D Expert or D&D Master, meaning all rules covered up to that point. This way those wanting only that style who are DM'ing can cite that they are playng D&D Basic. No guy with feats sitting next to basic guy, unless that is specified. If your own group is playing D&D Basic at home, this isn't an issue, but we're talking game stores and such places.

Problem with not doing this is simple. Somebody buys a rule book that has all the bells and whistles and is told they can't and the response is, "But it's in the rules." There's been a history in recent years of having to allow it if it's in the rules. But, if you have all the basic rules only in the first installent, response can be, "but this is all that's covered in the rules that we are using, and you're welcome to play by them."

It's just a thought, but I actually think it can work if they do it like this. I'm sure there will be huge core books at some point with everything in there, maybe defined within those pages as to what is Basic, Expert and Master to work with those DM's, but having the rules rolled out starting with D&D Basic will send a clear message of support for those who just want to play in the basic style,

At least, thats how I see it. I could be wrong. Who knows? It's all just speculation at this point. A segmenent of the old crowd didn't budge for 3e or 4e. Heck, some of them bristled at the thought of playing 2e as well. What makes anybody think this next deal will be any different? I know one thing, if Mike and Monte can pull this off, they could become real legends in the industry. I'd stop short of Gygax and Arneson level, but what the heck? I hope they can pull it off. Time will tell.

Still Impressed With Labyrinth Lord

2012-01-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

Another visit to my local game store revealed the presence of Labyrinth Lord, and I do have to say Goblinoid Games has done a fine job of representing old school. It's my understanding that there has been a group playing the game at the store in the past, but not recently. I've been out of the game for a while and missed that.

Now, this store has the heavy dose of D&D and Pathfinder you'd expect. What makes it cool is he has a good supply of older versions of D&D and is always adding more. Nothing from the Basic line at the moment other than a Mentzer Expert Box. There are other games there and Knights Of The Dinner Table. Had to get a copy of that. It's been a while, and it helps me feel close to the game reading those strips.

Anyway, I was pleased to see Labyrinth Lord and Realms Of Crawling Chaos on the shelf. It was a year or so ago when I saw the LL book and Advanced LL there as well as a copy of Village Of Larm, which I bought. When I was active on the old LL forum, I had a few discussions with the writer of that excellent module. I went on to help edit his Mountain King module.

Now that was an interesting concept. The mountain king was a kobold with Gauntlets of Ogre Power and a nice sword. In one forum post, he related that a play test resulted in a total party kill in that big encounter. That was one kobold you didn't want to mess with. I understand there was a sequel to that one too.

Now when the LL forum was opened it was pretty busy in the early days. There were lots of ideas flying around and a desire that everybody seemed to share that LL be successful. When Daniel put up the map of The Known Lands, I started a thread about filling the lands with stuff. There were lots of ideas, but Mortiz was the one who started making it happen. The Mountain King, The Road to Dolmvay and Village Of Larm were three of them.

What's cool is Daniel put that map out that is totally inspired by a certain other map from a blue book we all remember and said, "Do what you want with it." And people did. I'm sure some of the ideas came from people's old game sessions from way back when too. What a cool thing. I mean, OSRIC and LL made this happen, and suddenly new adventures were added to the old school canon.

When I ask where that Basic game is, I know where it is. It's been here for about five years now as Labyrinth Lord, just not backed by a big company. It's always been my game style of choice. I'd like to see one of the big companies of choice get behind a basic style game, and that seems to be happening now. But old school basic is alive and well with LL.

When Daniel released LL and hinted at Advanced LL being next, nobody said how about Basic LL. Let me qualify that statement. You see, LL is more based on Moldvay's work than Mentzer's, and it does a great job. This is just a new thought that I had while looking at the Starter Set Box with the Elmore Dragon on the shelf at the game store.

You see, Frank did so much in capturing the imagination when he did that Basic Set in 1983. Moldvay's red book probably had the rules in an easier to access format, but Mentzer made it come to life. You don't hear the phrase "Kill Bargle" for nothing. Poor Aleena, why did she have to die? People talk about that too. I recall that solo adventure, wondering what was in that treasure chest I couldn't get to due to a lack of a thief.

In short, the Mentzer Basic Set told a story, while also explaining the rules to play levels 1-3. Heck, you were playing before you knew the rules. I would guess one reason for the lack of such a book for LL is because the rules are already in that book and this wouldn't be cost effective. But, the idea just hit me and I thought it sounded cool.

Imagine a similar, but different where it legally has to be, Basic LL book with a solo adventure. A few NPC's introduced. Somebody dies. The story can be different, but the goal is the same. Engage the imagination of the new gamer. Of course, Frank did that so well, maybe we don't need that now. I don't know. I just thought it was a cool idea.

Anyway, my main point is I'm happy that Labyrinth Lord is still alive and well entering it's fifth year, and even happier I'm hearing NOTHING about a new edition. The cool thing is, if it ever came down to it, you may see some new art or a change in wording here or there, but I doubt you'll ever see the game change. It really doesn't need to.

A New Edition? I'm Shocked!

2012-01-12T00:49:00.001-08:00

Well, maybe not that shocked. Okay, let's face it, it was inevitable.

In 2007, I finally made the trip to Gencon. I write about that elsewhere on this page, but it was an opportunity for me to meet so many people in the RPG business that I respect. Tom Moldvay had passed away earlier that year, so I knew I had to go when the opportunity presented itself.

Anyway, I was there when something occurred that I wasn't anticipating. The Wizards announced 4e D&D was on the way. I admit I'm not as in the loop about these things. When the Basic line was dropped in the mid 90's, I walked away from the table. What was left of my group was pretty much gone anyway, so I played the D&D computer games and continued to add books to my collection when I could.

Here's the thing, though. They introduced 3e in 2000. Some complained, and some hailed it as the update that was needed. It was a good thing for the game. Plus, The Wizards were the ones who sort of ended the Gygax/Arneson feud (maybe feud is a little strong?). What I mean to say is Gary and Dave were at the table together at Gencon that year talking about D&D, Gary wrote an article for Dragon on the history of the game, which I have. Both of their names were at the front of the new books as founders of the game. Both got a chance to contribute to the game going forward, though Gary opted to do his own thing. Dave returned to Blackmoor with new books. Both were involved in the two movies as well.

I liked that about 3e. People went back to playing when Wizards sold to Hasbro and suddenly in 2004, 3.5 came about. Time for new books. There was complaining. Can't say I blame people. I'm of the opinion the core books should have a run longer than 4 years, like maybe 10? But people still played, and the vibe I got was one where the people who played had fun. That's the point, isn't it? The impression was they would stay with that edition for a while when suddenly, in 2007, the announcement came for 4e.

What is going on here? Do you need me to spell it out for you? It's pretty obvious that Hasbro has higher expectations for this franchise. TSR probably would have stayed with what they had for a while and supported it with the usual supplements. WotC before the sale probably would have done so as well. But the bigger corporation has bigger expectations. This has been mentioned by people who know more about this than I do.

There were plans for a virtual table, new legal documents for third party support in an effort to put the old OGL in the past. Hype for 4e buried versions of the game people like. I recall seeing some of that at Gencon. Of course, isn't that the point when selling the new version, to tell people why they should switch? From what I understand, initial sales were good. At this point, I was focusing on other things.

While I was gone, Paizo had taken the OGL and cleverly put out Pathfinder as an RPG to support their adventure paths. In looking at past threads on forums, there were plenty of predictions of failure. But it was a brilliant move by Paizo. They opened the door for people who preferred that style of play to stick around, and people did. Still, 4e enthusiasts cried foul. How dare Paizo! Ha! How dare Wizards leave the door open for this to happen with the OGL. It was a brilliant move by Paizo. They became the company of the little guy, AND they ate into D&D business.

Wizards answer was Essentials and an attempt to explain the game in simpler terms. My observation. You still don't get it, do you? The 4e core books were fine for that style of game play. People who would play it, knew what to do. No, what you should have done is maybe pick up a phone and call Frank Mentzer. Take a look at BECM. Get a clue. No, that doesn't mean present the old rules, but rather, present a streamed down version of current rules in a way similar to the way those four boxed sets did it. It's NOT rocket science people, really. To hear some people talk, this just gets frustrating to me.

I hear can't a lot, and I say nonsense. I hear you'll split the fan base. Really? #1 It's a little late for that, isn't it? #2 If it's Wizards doing both sets, the money goes to the same place. #3 As per the TSR downfall argument, Basic was gone when the stuff hit the fan there, and in its place were tons of boxes of campaign settings for 2e. There's your overkill, and maybe, just maybe a Basic Set would have been a positive. I know it was for over a decade.

But, that aside, 4e got less than four years, including a reboot before this new announcement. 4 years! The new version will "probably" be out in 2013 if I had to guess, so a five year life span that included the reboot. Guys, this has to stop. The game can't keep taking this nonsense. Already I see comments like 6e in six years. Lets gets some stability back. The Monte Cook rehiring strikes me as an atempt to go in that direction. Still hate to see Winter and Baker gone as they are two people who have been there for some time now. It's good to have some people around with a long time perspective, in my opinion.

So, really, I don't want to complain here. There are enough people out there doing that. I want this edition (They seem to be backing off of the 5th edition term in describing what it is) to succeed, and I want all new edition talk to go away for longer than 5 years after this. They will hopefully have the online stuff working well on launch. They will hopefully have a good computer game on the way when the books launch. The books will make more people happy this time, hopefully. I hope they have a good basic version ready this time for beginners AND those of us who like rules lite games (signs point to that as a possibility, but we'll see). Maybe they will explore avenues for marketing this game, such as movies, t.v., cartoons or whatever.

When Gary and Dave put the first game together, the rewrite for AD&D 1e came about due to a need to clarify rules and have a rule set adequate for tournament play. Gary put his phone number in the original book and got all kinds of calls at ALL hours of the night asking for rules clarification. AD&D 1e went all the way to 1989. 2e bumped things up a bit, but didn't rock the boat too much. It lasted another decade. THIS is the kind of stability that is needed. Let people get back to the game and not worrying about new sets of rules being immanent.

Also, I should add I would love to see them work on getting older editions out there for Print on Demand. For one, it's a real olive branch to players of the older games with worn out books, and secondly, it will bring in some extra revenue. Also, a way of getting official new material for those editions should be explored, and these rule sets should be playable on the virtual table. Why not? It's more money and some people would subscribe if their version of the game were supported in that way.

Some of the things I'm reading make me think they are working on something like that. They appear to want to reach out to the older gamers. Newer gamers sometimes cringe at that thought, but why can't they attempt to reach out to all camps? D&D is a big tent, and it's high time that everybody is acknowledged, while the game moves ahead with whatever new ideas are considered good enough to put the logo on it.

So, I don't know where they are going, but I feel it's important that they get this right. They are reaching out to the fans to play test this different version. That is a good step, but it's just one step. I don't envy them their task, because I know it won't be easy. They know the sentiment out there isn't all positive, and they see the negative reaction to 4e pretty well in what Paizo was able to accomplish with Pathfinder. But, dammit, D&D is my game. I've played others, but I want these guys to be successful. I won't support blindly, but I am hoping they pull this off. I'm hoping this will be their biggest success yet. Only time will tell if that turns out to be the case.

Crawling Around In The Dungeon

2012-01-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

The frustrating thing about wanting to game is not being able to. My group has long since broke up and gone our separate ways. It happens. I'm not a big fan of the rules heavy stuff out there, so not playing Pathfinder or D&D means not getting into games at the local store. I readily admit that's what the gamers playing now want for the most part, but there's always been a segment who wanted lite rules. How else did Basic last for so many years? Somewhere along the way the designers just decided that it all needed to be complex and rules heavy, and THAT was the ONLY choice.

Try and suggest the alternative and you get shouted down in the forums and told how stupid you are for wanting it. It's sad, but true. Now, Paizo seems to have stumbled into this debate, and I say stumble because of what they were aiming for with the Beginner's Box. It was not put there for a rules lite version of the game. It was there as an intro that eases you in. Well, they did it so well that people who loved the old Basic and Expert books started asking for the Expert rules. Problem was, this was not part of the plan, and they don't want to splinter off the game base as they say.

I'll be interested in seeing how they feel after examining the holiday sales numbers. Paizo is s smart company. From the moment they were licensed to make Dragon and Dungeon magazines to all that followed, it's been a series of moves designed to make gamers happy. If they can cover the bottom line, I don't see why they wouldn't at least make Beginner Box 2. To be honest, 10 levels is all that you need for this. I know Mentzer did wonders with BECMI, but many gamers never went past BE. They could say if you want more than 10, get the core books, and I'd say, that's fair. Thank You. It can be done, and I don't buy that this a a case of a hard no from Paizo. More like a, "Maybe, if it's financially feasible, based on numbers from the Beginner's Box."

At the moment, I've been thinking about what I would do with HotDC if I went back to it. I feel very creative at the moment, but that could go a number of ways. I could always use the energy for a module for Labyrinth Lord too. I did just make two purchases over the holidays, one was Stonehell Dungeon and the other a look at what Dave Arneson's original game might have looked like called Dragons at Dawn. I bought the latter for the fantasy glimpse at the past, and it is interesting. I enjoy a good contemplation on the idea of what if. They did this to make a full fledged game, and it seems adequate. Not all RPG's need a mountain of rules.

The Dungeon Crawl has always fascinated me. Stonehell Dungeon is the biggest one I've ever seen for what is essentially the old Basic game. I've only skimmed through it. I like the concept. It's pretty much shorthand in areas I'd like more details, but if you are the one running the game and know the rules, it's a snap. This is a basic game after all. All in all, it looks like an adventure that will take quite some time to complete and would be lots of fun. Isn't that what it's all about?

Now from the time I got the old Modvay Basic book, I devoured it's contents. I knew the rules in and out. I could run the game without the books and people would have fun playing. Towards the end of my gaming, the last few years, I usually just threw a map together, decided what the plot was, what main monsters would be there, what rewards and off they went. It really just took as long as it takes to roll up a character to make an adventure. The characters from that campaign are central people in the Dragon Vale campaign I was designing for HotDC.

Dragon Vale got it's name because the mountains nearby had dragons. This comes from the Three Kings Island campaign from my younger days, but Dragon Vale is a newly founded town by three characters of the last campaign, Vanz, Tyranius and Fitertu. I didn't realize how much I had written down in the HotDC notepad until reviewing that recently. The basic idea was that the three adventures had an ulterior motive for founding Dragon Vale. Yes, the people are happy there, but the trio are in search of something, an ancient, lost and still thriving city.

The founders of the human colonies of the island one by one disappeared. Where? Nobody knew. The king and his son both left, and the grandson does what he can to keep rule, but his power is a fragment of his heroic grandfather King Robert I. There are whispers of a secret society running things on this island and neighboring ones, possibly reaching onto the mainland. But, who are they and what are they up to? Nobody knows, not even the king. Does it tie into the disappearance of all the early human colony founders? The trio of Dragon Vale founders think so, and they believe the secret city is the answer.

I originally called the city Moldayvia, but I'm not crazy about the name. The city is based underground. I had the concept jotted down, but I had written a couple of other adventures before walking away from HotDC. One was Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon, which was a five level dungeon crawl for characters of 0 or 1st Degree. I want a Dungeon Crawl for this game, a good one with storyline material, but plenty of Hack N Slash too.

What's funny is when I started down this road and was looking to name my little enterprise, I settled on Basic Old School Games. My friend, who is good this sort of thing and has never gamed suggested the name, Die in a Dungeon. I think, now, that he meant call the game that. It makes sense, as I always envisioned this game to have lots of action in dungeons. The name popped up when I was looking at the notes, and I realized the module could be called that. I envision a whole dungeon world beneath the land with cities, towns and villages at certain points.

I envision it starting with a character or characters waking up in the room of a dungeon. Where are they? How did they get there? How do they get out? The adventure begins there, but where does it end? It is essentially a campaign setting with everything they need to survive somewhere in this dungeon world. It is an insanely huge idea though and would require several modules to complete. I've actually considered using Neverwinter Nights 1 to help me create that vision. A pity I don't have a group to game with. It would be an excellent way to really put HotDC thought its paces.

Look! A Dungeons & Dragons Ride!

2012-01-11T01:04:00.000-08:00

I noticed in a thread on one of the boards recently that somebody suggested there was value in a D&D cartoon potentially attracting new players to the game. Well, obviously Gary Gygax thought that or we wouldn't have had that old treasure from the 80's. I bought the Special Edition DVD when it was released. For all the bashing of that cartoon, and admittedly it wasn't the best, even for a children's cartoon, I think it was an effective tool for bringing new players to the game.

The Basic Set helped, I'm sure. Kids had an easy way into the game. It would seem the latest Basic attempt, the Starter Set, was their best in years, but that's not saying much. They can, and hopefully will, do better. Now, couple a good basic version of D&D with a cartoon. There's got to be some place for it.

What would it be about? A continuation or sequel to the original? Maybe not. How about a combination where we have kids gaming at the table and their imaginations coming to life via their characters in the campaign they are playing? Perhaps we show touches on the kid's lives, school, doing well, sometimes getting into trouble and restricted by parents from playing, where another kid comes in to play? We'd see the picture of a fun game, while teaching the lesson that other things in life are important too. Well? Maybe not.

Or, a cartoon just based on one of the campaign setting worlds, or even story arches from various rotating campaign settings? Hmmm... Maybe there is something here. Actually it could be a good tool for introducing a new setting when you think about it. Point is, a cartoon could be a good way to market the game to a younger audience, even going so far as having a commercial for the entry into the game.

On a side note, I would love to see a cartoon for Knights Of The Dinner Table. That would be perfect for Adult Swim.

It's The End Of The RPG As We Know It, And I Feel Fine

2012-01-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

With the conclusion of 2011, the experts have all come out and begun the proclamation that Dungeons & Dragons and the RPG are doomed. Why? Well, The Wizards released a couple of their long time employees, while rehiring Monte Cook of 3e fame. That must mean 5e is around the corner, right? Secondly, all indications are that Pathfinder was outselling D&D for most of last year. Surely, this means 5e is on the way, right?

I want to get into two things, the OGL and the idea that people aren't buying 4e. On the second point, You have to factor in the DDI subscription rate. This is several thousand subscribers, or so I've heard. If that's the case, they are making six figures per month, at least 300k. Not chump change, and no need to print anything for that. Just maintain the online system. As for book sales, how much is being sold online at various sites? Now, I'm not disputing the success of Pathfinder. That's pretty self evident. But, just how bad is it for D&D?

Now, to the OGL, let me quote the man who was there and is now currently doing business with the main competition, Ryan Dancey from a recent post at Enworld:

"One of the goals of the OGL and the D20 project was to ensure that no single company would ever have the ability to kill Dungeons & Dragons. TSR almost did so; near the end of its existence it had pledged the copyrights and trademarks of the D&D franchise as security against loans it could not afford to repay. Had TSR gone into bankruptcy it is likely that for at least some time, and possibly an extremely lengthy period, nobody would have had the right to publish using that IP while the bankers fought over the carcass of TSR."

I've seen him say words to this effect elsewhere. Now, I do think the OGL was pretty cool. It gave rise to the old school revival. I wonder how much that may have influenced Paizo's decision to go with Pathfinder when they lost the rights to Dragon and Dungeon magazines as 4e came into being. I know there was more to it than that, of course. OGL inspired OSRIC, and OSRIC gave rise to the old school movement where works compatible with 1e and the old Basic game could legally be published.

Having said that, the OGL was an incredibly bone headed move, as written, for WotC to make. Make it open with an expiration date, but not indefinite. Every time a new version of D&D came out, some people chose to stay with the old one or went elsewhere. But, there wasn't a clone supported by a company that had the funds to make a dent in the D&D empire. Until 4e came out. Was 4e really needed? And if so, was it needed this soon? The usual fury greeted that release, but this time something else followed. An option. Play 3e under the name of Pathfinder. Brilliant move by Paizo, but an option that never should have existed.

I find it hard to believe that death of D&D was really a motivating factor for the OGL, especially coming from the company that brought us the Magic Collectible Card Game . WotC wasn't going out of business, and giving away the rules wasn't a smart BUSINESS move. From a gamer standpoint, sure. Business-wise, no way. This move did make a dent in 4e. It effected their hold as the leader of the market and allowed the competitor to compete using rules that came from D&D originally. Not smart, but what's done is done.

Now, because of corporate demands, there may be higher expectations with Hasbro for D&D. Is 4e a failure? I don't have enough information in front of me to make that call, but something tells me no it isn't. Not as successful as they would like? Probably. The OGL a factor? Yes. There's one way to put an end to that. Release 3.5 again. What would be the point? For one thing, a gesture to that crowd. Release material compatible with 3.5 and 4e. A little more work? Sure. Doable? Yes. Pathfinder may still be a factor after that, but people can go to D&D for 3.5 material now too.

But, let's not stop there. Drop the idea of 5e for now. It's not needed. D&D already has enough competition with itself without adding a new edition. However, if they are as interested in winning over the old schoolers as recent columns from their site would seem to indicate, old editions could be officially released again. This could be done with a limited print edition and Print on Demand or just the latter. D&D Retro, if you will. What this does is show that they really do want everybody back under the D&D umbrella, whatever edition you prefer.

One of the reasons to do this is to attend to the leak of D&D customers buying older versions of the game under different names and bringing some of that money back home. Of more immediate concern is the rift between 3.5 and 4e that led to Pathfinder stepping in. I also favor a new Basic game done with longer playability the way it was done over 20 years ago, but that's a side issue. You handle the loss of old players by giving them what they want, not telling them 4e or nothing. That's what caused this mess.

The problem with the idea of 5e is you continue the cycle, this time pissing off a segment of 4e players and fragmenting the game some more. 5e can wait. If the state of D&D is so bad that a new edition is needed to "save" the brand, than they really are screwed. If they can't then make the greatest RPG ever, the brand is screwed. By restoring 3.5 and supporting both it and 4e, you are mending fences and restoring consumer faith. The Retro D&D idea, even as a POD with occasional new adventure mods, further adds to that effort, though some may say screw those people. With PoD, however, it would be a money maker in the long run.

But, it's all just speculation. I'm just somebody with an opinion like anybody else. Where they go with the game is anybody's guess. I don't see the doom and gloom others may see. The game will go on. Hopefully, if they do go the 5e rout, it will be a uniting factor in the community, and D&D will also make use of technology in a way that ensures a long life for the game. That's what really matters. Plus, we'll always have the older versions no matter what comes in the future, but maybe the future game will offer something everybody can enjoy. Now, there's a nice thought.

It Would Be Mentzer, Of Course

2011-12-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

A question on a forum asks, who would you have design the next edition of D&D. The answers were all over the map. I did see Zeb Cook's name mentioned a few times, which was nice. Can't argue against the man who did the first D&D Expert book and with Tom Moldvay created the beginnings of what became Mystara among his many other offerings. If Dave wanted to be a part of this, I wouldn't object.

A few years ago, when he was still alive, I'd have said Gary Gygax, and I'd want Tom Moldvay to be a part of this project as well. I've heard Tom had notes when he passed away for campaign ideas and stuff. I would love to get my hands on that for this project. Some new modules for this game by Tom Moldvay? Heck yes!

As I see it, this is wishful thinking, even if this is just a hypathetical idea to begin with. For starters, the current game must move ahead, not backwards. The new game will upset some in the 4e crowd who will leave, just as 4e upset the previous crowd. But, the new game will bring new players with it's features that mimic computer games. It's as it must be. Why? Just because. It's progress. Whatever.

But, I'd do something crazy. Remember, if it comes from Wizards, it's money made by them, so I'd break out the D&D Retro line and put Frank Mentzer in charge. D&D Retro would include the Advanced core books and at least B/X Boxed sets. Frank would be charged with any updates (probably not too different from what it was) to rules, art updates in the books that would either be new art from those guys or new artists or both. The old adventures could be touched up and re-released and new ones created.

D&D Retro, Advanced and Basic. Not a bad idea. Guess what though? It's not likely to happen. There's not enough money in it. Now, there are probably thousands of us out there, but that's not enough to do this for. For starters, some people wouldn't spend the money. The Wizard's budget wouldn't be there for this. It's sad, but true. The ship has sailed. Now, if your dealing with a money guy who isn't worried about making money on this as long as too much isn't lost, then sure, but that's not who we're talking about.

Now, suppose all works associated with Basic and 1e were licensed to Frank's new company. It's unlikely that they could use the label D&D Retro that would be important to such a project. You might be thinking, he could rename it and reintroduce it. Maybe even Greyhawk and Mystara would be allowed to be used by name, just not D&D. Problem is, Retro Clones are out there that make this a losing proposition.

So, if the question was if I had millions to invest in such an operation and was able buy the license to that line as D&D Retro, including all Modules from Greyhawk 1e and BECMI, who would I bring in to oversee this? The answer would be Frank. Frank is one guy who was there, had the credibility for the works he did and had the respect of Gary. That would be good enough for me.

He might not accept my offer, but the only condition I'd put on it is to make sure at least Basic and Expert D&D lived. And, if we could get rights to any unpublished works by Moldvay, that would be good too.

Now, I have no idea where they intend to go with 5e, but judging by the way Monte Cook is talking in his blogs, they are looking back at things gone by. It might not be a bad idea to give a guy like Frank or even Zeb Cook a call. It couldn't hurt anyway.

Still Waiting On That Basic RPG

2011-12-10T01:12:00.000-08:00

The year 2007 offered a dream come true opportunity for me. I got to attend Gen Con and experience all of the excitement. I got to meet some of the greats of the RPG industry. I wrote about this extensively elsewhere on this blog and included some pictures. It was the culmination of a dream I had when I was a child playing that Moldvay Basic D&D game. I remember looking at the ad in the book and thinking how fun it would be to attend.

I also wrote about my frustrations in 2007 of not finding that basic game. This led me to begin forming a simple set of rules anybody could use for the six sided dice game I call Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl. As the rules came together, I discovered that Goblinoid Games was retro cloning that old game I played when I was younger. The movement started by OSRIC was growing.

Now, my game may have that familiar feeling, but I used different dice mechanics to make it work. I felt and still feel it is unique, which is why I completed the Basic Charts Edition to allow anybody to play. Dozens have downloaded it. though I doubt anybody has played. Why didn't I finish the fully fleshed out rule book? I opted to end it there as Goblinoid Games had done an excellent job with Labyrinth Lord.

I'm mixed about this. I'm happy that the revival is here, but I can't help but think that we're sort of pilfering the Wizards garbage bin. Then again, it was Wizards who started this in the first place. Even now, they face a challenge from Paizo's Pathfinder essentially using the OGL for D&D's 3.5 rules. It's legal as far as I know, but I can't help thinking The Wizards may be kicking themselves for allowing it to happen. Now, Pathfinder is not a Retro Clone, so let's not lump it in with the others, but they have run with the OGL further than any of the other companies.

If there is a threat to D&D, it's Pathfinder. I said if. The Retro Clones out there, while not in the intended spirit of OGL, are not a threat to the new games. Kids today don't seem to care for the old way of playing. They like the video game feel with all the bells and whistles, and miniatures. This is probably why there have been no lawsuits. But, believe me, with the OGL and OGC, the guys at OSRIC did their homework well. OSRIC was not intended to be a game, so much as a resource to allow people to legally make 1e compatible products and sell them. Labyrinth Lord, on the other hand, is a brand. A game that was billed as a retro clone game from the start. It is also available at some game shops. I've seen it.

I give them credit for putting LL out there and making a go of it. It's pretty amazing when you think of it. Like I said, this old school revival is not being crushed because it's not making a huge amount of money, is not seen as a threat and Wizards would get bad publicity for going after them. Mind you, they could just as easily make the old books available for print on demand or license the old stuff to another company minus the IP or start a Retro D&D division. As far as I can tell, it's not worth the money so they turn a blind eye to the Retro Clone thing.

But they still don't get the idea of a Basic game. Whether TSR did what they did to ace Dave Arneson out of the picture or not (as some have suggested), they were right to make a toned down version of the game that allowed people to play that way for months and years. They made money with Moldvay and Mentzer's versions according to Gary Gygax and it brought new people to the game.

See, it's very simple. Either that red box went off the shelf to somebody who never played it. Still it was a buyer. Or. it went to somebody who played and moved up to the blue box. Or, as many can attest, it led them to the AD&D game. In short, it worked. Yes, it got people into the advanced game, but many people were content with Basic and Expert. All the rules, if it was Moldvay/Cook in two books and some mods. Many of those, such as I, took the BECMI ride with Mentzer and bought the mods. Sure, it wasn't the gazillion hard cover books, but it was still money made by TSR.

Not everybody wants or needs the feats, skills and all the other b.s. associated with the new games of today. I wonder how many people have looked at modern D&D, didn't like the convoluted rules and apparent money grab and headed straight for WoW or some other MMO? I'd bet quite a few. Guess what? Money lost. Bye bye.

I like some of the things I see from Wizards. Even if they are incredibly stupid to have ever started the OGL thing, and they are. You want to make a new game? Make up the rules yourself. When I walk into a game store and see a shelf just as big for Pathfinder as for D&D, knowing where the Pathfinder rules came from, yes, Wizards is stupid. The 3.5 fans, unlike previous editions, are lucky, because their game just shifted from one company to another, but it's still supported by a known company.

But, what Wizards has done right is the DDI. Computers are a part of our lives and coming up with the software to allow people to play table top stye on a computer is clever. Plus, though they are leaving money, and lots of it, on the table via Pathfinder and the OGL they are grabbing it right back via monthly fees for the DDI. So, not as stupid as you might think.

The fact that they brought Monte Cook back into the fold has the 5e people proclaiming the sky is falling on 4e. What do I think? It'll happen sooner than later, but they know they have to handle this idea with care. People are pissed with the 3e, 3.5, 4e, Essentials line taking up the last yen years. That's a lot of books. People will NOT continue to put up with this, and they know it. What I expect is rumors will get loud, Gencon 2012 will yield rumors, perhaps unofficial rumors from Wizards themselves. The real date to watch is 2014, the 40th anniversary.

But where is the basic game? They all know people want this game. No, most of the hard core 4e people don't care one way or the other, but there are people who do. My opinion of the idea of basic is not a game with a session or two and then move up, but one that takes you 10-14 levels up. This probably requires two sets. Stripped down rules without a lot of the features of the core rules and without all but the "traditional" classes and races. This is the game that is needed to bring people in, and Wizards is the company that needs to make it.

Why? People who think about this game see all the books, the miniatures, all the details that go into playing and they get confused. Looks like a money grab. That MMO, that by the way is free to play depending on the game, looks more tempting and they walk away. It's not that hard. Monte Cook, Mike Mearls or whomever needs to look at two sources, Moldvay/Cook or Mentzer Basic/Expert. Make THAT game, but in the modern sense. I prefer the old AC system, but I'm willing to admit that ship has sailed. Fine, do it modern, but keep it simple.

You know what was cool about the old game. All of 5 minutes, if that, and you've got a character. Yes, I know the flaws, Character death was easy back then, but so was character creation. Another cool thing about Basic back then. No miniatures, Graph paper and an imagination. Let's play. This is the game that needs to hit the shelves, not the one with the box that plays a few sessions and says buy the core three books and this book and that book and that book and...

Make the simple game and the expansion (Basic-Expert), let people enjoy that game without feeling the gun to their heads saying now you HAVE to go here. Let them make that choice themselves, and you will see people move up. Others will be content with the simple game you can throw together on the fly quickly and play when you have time. There is money here if you do it right. It's been done before, and it brought people into the hobby by the thousands back then.

Wizards made it's best effort yet with the Starter Set. Levels 1-3 there, two or three, maybe four adventures, now get the core books. Okay, that was better, but using the Mentzer cover was a slap in the face to those who remember THAT game. I don't think it was meant as an insult, so I didn't take offense. So, Wizards, you are getting closer. I believe Monte will be involved in 5e, so hopefully he knows people are interested. Too be clear, I'm not saying go 36 levels with this. 10-14 is plenty. A good DM will make that into a solid campaign.

Not to be outdone, like THAT is gonna happen, Pathfinder upped the ante with the Beginner Box. Stripped down rules for levels 1-5, then go get the core books. Better. Looks impressive, but still not enough. In fact, people are asking for another 5-9 levels from an expansion set. It doesn't sound like that is the plan, but you never know. As Pathfinder now has equal shelf space these days, they could make a huge statement. I'm not encouraged, though, by the CEO's comments about "mistakes from the past". Basic-Expert D&D was not a mistake, and only a fool would think otherwise. Basic was ended before the trouble hit TSR. Now, the bloat of campaign settings back then is another story.

The Computer game RPG Dragon Age seems to be taking the Basic-Expert approach with their stuff, but there is no buzz out there from Green Ronin that I've seen. Goodman Games is about to step into the fray with Dungeon Crawl Classics the RPG, and there is good buzz associated with it. Problem is, can this concept even get attention from a #3 or #4 company when Wizards and Paizo are the ones grabbing the shelf space? I guess we will see.

So, I asked where that Basic game was over four years ago. The answer at this point seems to be it's still not here. Two things I'm encouraged by, however, is that they have taken a few steps closer and the two bigger companies are hearing the requests. Time will tell what is gonna happen but the MMO's will gladly take the money that the lack of a real basic game leaves on the table if this void isn't filled.

Thank You Dave And Gary

2011-12-10T01:10:00.000-08:00

I consider myself lucky that I was able to go to Gencon the last year that both Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson attended. I got to meet them both and shake their hands and thank them for creating the RPG genre. Without both of them, what would there be? Sure, RPG's might exist, but what would they look like?

Gary gets most of the credit, and that's not surprising. After all, he co-founded TSR, he became the voice of D&D and AD&D and through the years, he sort of marginalized Dave's contributions. I debate in my mind whether he created AD&D as an effort to flesh out the game that people were having a hard time understanding or to erase Dave from the record. Yes, the game was hard enough for some new players to understand that something needed to be done, but then Dave felt he needed to resolve matters in court on more than one occasion.

This raises some questions. Dave has always been quick to acknowledge that the roots of his Blackmoor campaign, the idea of role playing, came from a Braunstein campaign his friend Dave Wesley had created and refereed until he joined the military. Dave's group had played Gary's Chainmail game before this Blackmoor campaign abandoned most of those rules and started creating new rules for a player controlling one character and having some adventures in the dungeon under Castle Blackmoor.

So, players are role playing these characters, dungeon crawling, using an armor class system in combat and several other things that Dave created on the fly and scribbled into his notebook. This is where Dave gets the tag "father of role playing games." I think it's fair, but in comments on message boards and interviews, Gary marginalized that, saying role playing began when kids started playing let's pretend. Furthermore, Gary claimed in one posting that as a young boy he and his friends role played outside and kept track of things with index cards.

I won't even touch the second thing. I can't prove it one way or the other, though it seems unlikely to me that they kept track in that way. However, Dave never said he created "let's pretend", but really, how many people gathered around tables playing a game where they adventured into fantasy lands, went through dungeons and gained power and prestige with each adventure? Come on now, that stuff was unheard of in 1970. Fantasy miniatures? Sure. Fantasy role playing? Not so much. It's a fair title for Dave as far as I'm concerned, and I'm happy that Dave's later years saw him get the credit he deserved and that he shared that credit with those who deserved it as well.

This is not a knock against Gary, because D&D would never have existed without him. This man spent over a decade molding and shaping this game and this genre at TSR and he deserves the credit he gets. But, there was no fantasy role playing table top game before Dave and his group started their adventures in the land of Blackmoor. There would be no D&D without Dave either, regardless of how brief his time was in putting the game together.

I often wonder if Dave realized what he had in Blackmoor? Sure, the guys at the table told him he should get this thing published, but did he think it would really sell, even a little bit? Obviously he didn't think it would be that big, or he would have approached things differently. He could have taken this game some place else (unlikely) or he could have found a way to get the money together to invest in TSR as an equal partner. I know he didn't have a lot of money then, but if you believe in your creation, you find the money and you make sure to play a part in the game's evolution going forward.

I think he was just a guy having fun who didn't fully realize what he had there. How could he? Nothing like this had been created before. These guys where literally creating the genre. Can you imagine Dave as an equal partner? It's been said that despite his disagreements with Gary, he frequently voted his token shares of TSR with Gary. It makes you wonder what direction things may have gone in from there.

I may never have been a player as Basic D&D might never have happened or maybe not evolved into the full fledged game it became. Basic was pretty much labeled the Gygax/Arneson line and AD&D was Gary's line. People underestimate the ability the simplified game has to draw people in, and I do think that factored into Gary keeping Basic around. It sold millions and many people went to AD&D from there. Some of us didn't.

As often happens, the founders get tossed aside. Dave first, but then Gary. TSR ended up going to the person Gary brought in to help him gain full control. A lot has been said about this person, and I'll leave that for another day. I will say the fact that this person would pull the company out from under Gary is pretty messed up in my book. But they did keep it alive for a little over a decade before Wizards could buy it from them.

What I did like about Wizards taking over TSR and the D&D line was that they paid tribute to both Gary and Dave. Dave's name started appearing in rulebooks again, and he was allowed to create content for Blackmoor and have his vision of things presented to a new generation of gamers. I know that had to mean a lot to him that it came full circle and he got to see how many fans he had out there.

If it seems like I'm putting Gary down, I'm not. Gary's TSR made me a fan of Basic D&D. He brought in people like Frank Mentzer and Tom Moldvay, whose work I appreciated. He remained active creating content for the game and was active on at least two forums doing Q&A for his many fans, answering the same question sometimes way more than he probably wanted to, yet still doing so with class.

It's been a while since I've posted here, but I felt the first thing I should write was something about the two men who started it all. People love 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 and that's fine. Fans of those games make comments bashing Gary as if he's some kind of jerk and not a creator of what became the game they play now. Just remember you wouldn't be playing D&D at all if not for Gary and Dave trying to publish this crazy game almost 40 years ago. I bet they're now up there at their respective tables gaming and having a ball.

HotDC Status Report

2007-11-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

First, the Basic Charts Edition of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl is still available for free download. Over 170 hits on the Lulu site and 31 downloads as of now.

I'd love to know if anybody has pulled out the six siders and given this game a shot, perhaps using the adventure in the book? The material in that book gives enough information for several adventures. I have considered a reedit of that book to make a few adjustments and make the book appear more "old school" in a two column format. Plus, I has acquired some art for it. For now, it stays as is.

I have been taking some time off over the last month. I needed a break. In the immediate future, I have no plans to resume, at least not in December. This will give me some time to think about things and reevaluate what I want to do. It's not the end of the line for this project by any means. There are things happening in the Basic RPG world that weren't happening when I started this deal.

Since I started this thing:

Labyrinth Lord was announced and ultimately released.

Troll Lord Games announced Basic Castles & Crusades.

Wizards announced a new Basic D&D that may be more like the old red book in that it's not a quick adventure then you have to move on to the three core books.

I like that. This was needed. I never considered myself a game maker, and yet, I have released a book for HotDC (31 downloads so far), done this blog for several months, put my own version of Dungeon Squad together for free download and edited two books for Labyrinth Lord. In many respects this is a childhood dream fulfilled. Plus, I finally made it to Gencon.

What needs to happen now is I need a break for a while. I don't intend for it to be long. If there is any major announcement I need to make, I will make it. If I come up with something cool for HotDC, I will post about it here. I do intend to post before the year is up, so keep checking.

In the meantime, Happy Holidays Everyone and Keep Gaming!!!

Labyrinth Lord And Patience

2007-11-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

I've been watching for a while now as the old school community debates the issues regarding "retro clone" games such as Labyrinth Lord. Never mind the fact that this game was created with old schoolers in mind. If you've still got your red book, then rock on and keep playing, but what if you don't?

People can debate whether it is right or wrong to even do what Goblinoid Games did by making LL, but there are two facts staring the critics in the face. It's here and available, and if the Wizards don't have a problem with it, what's the big damn deal?

Fact is, I have been impressed with the way LL has been handled since day one. Dan Proctor has calculated every move with this game since the announcement that it was being created. He also hasn't been working on a big budget. We're still talking $100's invested on a working man's salary, but we're also talking about thought going into it to get more bang for the buck.

Dan probably didn't consider back lash from the very community he's pitching this to, but maybe he did. There are those who want their old books and have other objections to LL. Fair enough. The problem is that you can't let those critics prevent you from trying to reach those in the old school crowd who would be interested.

Dan has been very level headed and has projected a good image on the net. This is another thing I respect about how he has handled things. It could be very easy to fall into that trap of getting negative, but he's had none of that. One of the important places to reach people about LL on the net is Dragonsfoot. It was a key place in the announcement of LL, Basic Fantasy and other games.

Where do you post about it, though? The General section isn't appropriate. Classic D&D would seem a good place, but some traditionalists don't like LL or OSRIC. That left the Other RPG's section. Dan used that section to announce LL. Problem is not everybody at the forum would know to look there. This was addressed recently when Basic Fantasy creator Chris Gonnerman and Skathros (don't know his name), two mods at Dragonsfoot, helped get a new section established.

The section is called Simulacrum Games. A witty name, I suppose. I'm not thrilled about it, because there are people who may be interested in what is there, but they won't look. They won't "get" what the name means. I would have preferred this to be a sub section of the Classic section with a name more to the point of what it's about. But, at least it has been created.

Baby steps, that's what it takes. Dan knows this, so Goblinoid Games is doing what it has to do. Labyrinth Lord is just one of GG's titles. There are a few others as well. What Dan has done is made announcements every few weeks to get the interest up. LL debuted a new cover for those who didn't like the old one a few weeks ago. Not long ago, Dan debuted a Monster Stat book for LL. Keep the word out and work within the budget.

When the Goblinoid Games forum was created, there was much excitement. Some good books have been created already. The Phoenix Barony campaign setting book, which I assisted in editing, was offered up by David Bezio. There are other books out there and more coming, but the initial excitement has died down. I've even heard some disappointment that more money wasn't generated yet.

Patience. It will take patience. If you are doing this as an independent, you can't expect big money over night. You've got to give it time. For instance, Dan has said he will wait a year or two to judge success or failure. In the meantime, he finds ways to keep putting the word out. This is what it takes. I know some have spent money on art work. If you are not putting this in a store, how important is art work, really? You spend how much to get it? Plus, are the players running through that dungeon even going to see the art in that book? Is the art needed if the cost is high enough?

This is a fair question. Why spend a couple hundred dollars on art if you don't have the outlet to recoup that money in a reasonable time? Are you looking to make enough money to take the wife out to dinner within a few weeks of the release of the book? Well, you need to consider how much money needs to be invested, Also, look around for art. There is public domain art and probably some artists willing to work with a person just trying to get started.

The work will be the thing. How is that dungeon or campaign setting? Have you created some new monsters that can challenge the group? Work on your writing and polish it until it shines. If you have created something that the player wants to play, it will sell. I know the pictures and that stuff look nice, but when you sit down at the table, the players are gonna roll the dice and play the game. If you wrote something fun and challenging, they will come back for more. Use clip art and that sort of stuff to make the book prettier.

But, most importantly and the reason for my post, be patient. It will take time for the word to spread. Go to the forums and spread the word. The more places you can get to, the better. Also, a free pdf sample of what you did can't hurt. If they don't know what you can do, why will they buy the book? I'm a big fan of Labyrinth Lord and what this game offers, but anybody creating mods for it needs to follow Dan's example and be patient.

Getting In The Door With The Game

2007-10-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

First, the Basic Charts Edition of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl is still available for free download. Over 130 hits on the Lulu site and 26 downloads as of now.

There's a local game store that just opened up. Actually, it was at another smaller location for a couple years, and it was time to move up. Business was doing well enough, as I understand it, that he had to make the move to take it to the next level.

Let's face it, in this age of computers, any game store that can make it is doing well. I have a few within transit distance, and I'd rate this one about in the middle of them all in terms of product availability and charm of store. It ain't the best, but it ain't the worst.

One of my frustrations with the place is getting them to recognize other RPG's. This is definitely a D&D is the center of the universe type of store. Now, please don't think I'm trying to slam them for this, because I'm not. It's a business, even if it started out as a hobby. Once you have a store, you are invested in the deal.

The safe bet is D&D. Wizards controls a huge share of the market, after all, and this is the game most people have heard of. Ignore that fact at your own peril. What's interesting is I've heard the guy complain about the big book stores getting better treatment than the game stores by Wizards. That's not a very game store friendly attitude from a company that you would think needed these stores.

In the end, I know the money made off of these products justifies putting up with any crap you might have to put up with.

But, I couldn't help wondering if he could do himself a little bit of a favor by trying to increase awareness of one of the other games. Which one, I don't know. Let's use Castles & Crusades as an example. I know people play this one in the area. Get them to hold weekly games there in the game room and increase the visibility of the game with a better display. No, not a bunch more space, just better visibility.

The problem is I have only seen the Players Book on the shelf there. The other two core books were not on the shelf. Hackmaster was nowhere to be seen (yes I know Kenzer has made plans for a new version, but I'm talking earlier this year). In fact, he didn't have much nice to say about Kenzer. Nope, there are tons of D&D books on the shelf, and THAT is what this guy pushes. With all the space he has now, it's a disappointment.

I need to travel about 30 miles or more to see a Tunnels & Trolls book, Hackmaster, Castles & Crusades, Lejendary Adventures and so many others, and I might add I can see many of those books in more than one store.

Do I blame the store owner? No. It's his store, and he can run it as he wishes. Just because I think the lack of certain books there is not a good thing for the RPG companies doesn't make it so. IT IS A BUSINESS!!! He is there to make money, not to help promote smaller game companies that could use the help.

THIS is the problem that a game like Labyrinth Lord will have in being more than a net fad. With Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl, I'm not worried about getting rich or finding shelf space, because I simply don't have the money to make the push. I have a few ideas up my sleeves, don't get me wrong, but I have no visions of money here. I simply wanted to add s new basic element to the RPG that is very much in need of one.

I don't see this industry growing. The big boon period was probably the early 80's for this. Most people interested in this type of deal will just get the computer game. It's cheaper, easier and it takes less time. Look at the money made off of games like Everquest, Ultima Online and World of Warcraft if you need proof. Heck, Wizards knows this, which is why there are options for playing D&D on computer, and good ones at that.

Daniel and Goblinoid Games had good intentions with Labyrinth Lord, and there has been a nice buzz surrounding it. He spent money to make a nice book that you can even order in a Barnes & Noble for purchase there (no cards needed). I tried to get the attention of the local store to order it there and put him in touch with Goblinoid Games. Nothing happened. I had even offered to purchase a book through him. It didn't say D&D on it, and you only need the one book to play. Where's the money in that?

Daniel has a big challenge ahead to go further with this, but to his credit he has said he has no major goals for this game. At least he tried, and I have nothing but respect for what he did. But even the community he seeks to sell this to is divided. Because this book isn't red with Erol Otus or Larry Elmore art on the cover, some reject it. Why do we need it? Why isn't it just free (the pdf is)? So, he can't really market it in one forum the way other games I won't name are allowed to be pushed.

I never deluded myself into thinking any of this was going to be huge, but I am disappointed in certain reactions. The old school community ought to embrace Labyrinth Lord and OSRIC for what they bring to the table, professional quality new material for an old game, but they don't. Many see it as a money grab, and don't believe it should even be there. So, the cause is hurt at the very start by that, and getting the word out is a challenge that leads to frustration by those who tout it to the masses. Simply put, many will abandon early when results aren't what they hope.

Daniel made this book available through some distributors, including Barnes & Noble. It's a little too early to see how well that will go. I believe some stores, a few at least, might stock it if asked, but will anybody ask? Others, like my local store, will just ignore the request and pretend they never heard it. After all, Wizards has new books coming with the D&D logo, and that's what people want, or are told to want anyway.

What I have noticed during the year that I have returned to gaming is not all that encouraging for anybody looking for a basic game with an old school feel. When D&D finally dropped the Basic from the name in the early 90's, it was assumed everybody could just buy all the hard cover books and jump in. No basic game needed. In my opinion, That was a mistake, but it's not one that the company will lose any sleep over.

The little guy trying to get in the door with a new game has a huge challenge ahead of him. It's not a rich industry, and why does the store need your game when they have the great RPG Monolith that is D&D? It's not an easy road. As I said, it is a business for the store owner and game maker before being a hobby. Store owners have reason to be hesitant to try new or different stuff from outside of their comfort zone.

Why am I getting into this subject? No reason really. Just a few observations I have made. It is what it is until somebody is able to make the move that changes the way things are. It has happened before and will happen again. I just feel that having a basic game you can play in minutes will go a long way towards getting people off of their computers and back to the table for a good old fashioned gaming session.

To those trying to change things and get their feet in the door with that new game, I salute you.

Combat in HotDC

2007-10-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

When I look at combat in Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl, I have had numerous thoughts on the subject. I want to keep it simple and I want to keep it unique. The Attack-Defense System was created with the second point in mind, while still trying not to forget the first point. Having tested the ADS, I can honestly say it works about how I hoped it would. The 0 Degree setup works well with it too. But, is it simple enough?

The new player has to determine an Attack Strength and a Defense Strength. In combat, both sides roll twice and factor in bonuses and negatives. There's more math in the works. Is that a good idea for a basic game? I like the idea of three characteristics instead of six. It speeds up the creation process, and it means three less things to worry about when starting out. Though I don't feel that the ADS is that difficult, would simplification in this area help?

In the article I'm working on for the next Hero's Chronicle, I take a look at combat. I don't want to get into everything here, but the stat I'm looking at is called Hit Factor at the moment. Basically, your hit factor is the number your opponent needs to equal or beat to score a hit. You would roll three six sided dice to determine success. The weapon damage as assigned now won't change, and the armor bonuses won't change much.

Basically, you roll three stats, determine a race and profession, decide if you will start at 0 Degree or 1st Degree, equip your character, set Hit factor and start playing. It's simple this way, and I feel it is still unique enough. I mean, the idea of rolling dice to determine success or failure is not something that can be owned, as I understand it. Now, the charts used back in the day are another thing altogether.

As of now, things are what they are. Nothing has been changed. As I say in the book, changes are possible in every area. I will continue to explore this issue in the weeks ahead.

This, That And The Other

2007-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

First, the Basic Charts Edition of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl is still available for free download. Over 100 hits on the Lulu site and 19 downloads as of now.

The Next Step For HotDC

Though I'm not on schedule with Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon, I have done some work. A few days ago, I did computer versions of the map of the Stoutheart Farm and some of the dungeon below it. I have also begun stocking the rooms in the file I have opened for this project. So, yes, work has begun. I'm still excited about this adventure, and I hope you will be too once it's done. It will be fun and challenging, while offering an interesting plot and plenty of opportunity to role play or hack n slash. And, This will be made for the HotDC system. I have other stuff in the works for Labyrinth Lord.

While splitting my time between HotDC and LL, I have begun to consider what the next step will be for the HotDC rules. I have a few ideas in mind, and I have begun looking at combat. I'm not budging on the six sided dice thing, but combat is on the table. The reason being that I want to keep it as simple as possible. I'll get more into this in future posts, and the second issue of The Hero's Chronicle as well. After looking at some other stuff and getting my hands on some art, I am considering an update to the HotDC Basic Charts Edition. This would take place after the Dwarven Dungeon is completed.

I am still working on things and learning as I go, which is why HotDC is free to download. You can buy a copy at any time of you wish to support the cause. This hasn't happened yet, but I'm not losing any sleep over it either.

Labyrinth Lord

While it wasn't in the plans to get as involved with LL as I have out of the gate, I really felt compelled to do it. I've had my worries over the whole "can they really do this" issue, as you know, but here it is. It's out there, and Goblinoid Games has recaptured something pretty special from my youth. I have been active in the community supporting the cause and will continue to do so, but I do want to get back to HotDC as well

While keeping up with things at LL, I have assisted in editing two projects. The first is an uncredited effort (I didn't ask) called The Pheonix Barony by David Bezio. This is a campaign setting and offers lots of details of people and places. He has some adventures in the works, and I will assist in editing if he asks. I really like what he has done so far and recommend it.

The second is Fortress of the Mountain King by Moritz Mehlem. It has not been released yet, but he discusses it little in his thread on the Labyrinth Lord forum. I'm not sure what he plans to do with it as far as downloads and purchases, but I'm guessing it will be a Lulu offering as well.

I have offered some ideas of my own in a thread I created on the Labyrinth Lord forum. I even put the very first map created in my time of gaming by my brother in that thread. You have heard me discuss it in this blog. The adventure was called When In Doubt, Seek It Out. I have done a computer version of that map that I haven't released yet. Originally, my intent was to use it in the Secret City of Moldayvia project.

The other adventure idea I discuss in that thread is the Wizard's School Adventure. That is actually the first one I intended to do for LL, but it turns out I have done more work on When In Doubt. It may be the first one that sees the light of day. What I'm trying not to do is get sidetracked from HotDC, which needs more attention.

What's interesting to note is that people there are pretty excited about that game, but I hope they will be patient and understand that it won't all happen at once. The worst thing they can do is get impatient and give up. I really believe a more focussed game plan is needed there, but as I don't have a financial stake in tings there, I don't want to come off as somebody who is trying to tell them what to do.

Gimme Basic And Other Stuff

There has been a little news in the Basic RPG movement, which I still think can be a boon to bringing new players into the game if done right.

A thread over at Enworld asks, Why No Beginner Boxed Set For D&D

Well, as we have reported here, there was a Basic D&D announced, and Chris Perkins told me at Gencon that it would cover at least three levels, which is what it covered back in the TSR days. My concern is whether this will be a boxed set like the old ones that allowed you to create adventures and play several sessions with what is included in the box, or will it be like the current Basic Set for D&D 3.5 that has a couple adventures and then tells you to get the three core books?

In that thread, Scott Rouse of Wizards of the Coast said:

Keep on the Shadowfell will be an intro product for existing players to help transition to 4e rules.

In the fall of 2008 we have a product planned that will be a starter for new RPG players that will teach the basics.

__________________

Scott Rouse
SR. Brand Manager - Dungeons & Dragons
Wizards of the Coast

As for what will be included in the Basic Set, we still wait for details. I know it's not the priority over at Wizards, but a few details would be nice. I think they'd be surprised at the reaction they would get if they do it in the style of Moldvay Basic with stripped down 4e rules. Time will tell.

The Basic Set that will likely be in that style is the one being prepared by Troll Lord Games. I'm talking about the C&C Basic Set, which has been discussed in this thread of their forum.

Steve, and I believe that is Steve Chenault, posted this recently in that thread.

The new cover has been sent to the web-master. I'm working on the detailed TOC so we can post that and people can get a better idea of what is coming.

Steve

Could that mean a Christmas release for Basic C&C? Time will tell.

Anyway, to wrap this long winded post up, work will continue on HotDC. I want to get back to focusing more on it in the days ahead. To those who have downloaded the HotDC Basic Charts Edition, thank you very much for looking. You have seen it at an early stage, and the plan is to clean it up, explain things better and improve this game in the months ahead.

Stay Tuned!!!

More Progress Made On TKI-1 And Other Stuff

2007-10-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

First, the Basic Charts Edition of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl is still available for free download. Nearly 100 hits on the Lulu site and 13 downloads as of now.

As you've seen here on the blog, I put out issue 1 of The Hero's Chronicle and released my own version of Dungeon Squad. They will probably be moved to the Lulu site for free download soon.

HotDC has been sort of in the back seat lately as I have assisted in some stuff over at Goblinoid Games with Labyrinth Lord. In fact, I recently went to Barnes & Noble and bought LL there. Daniel has shown a path to getting books into the store that I didn't realize was there, and at some point, I will be doing the same thing.

I have offered some creative ideas at the LL forum and worked a little on my own project. I'm working on monster conversions for LL as well. Also, David Besio recently released a campaign setting for LL called The Phoenix Barony that is pretty nice. He has been spreading the word about that game and is pretty excited about it. After looking at the layout, I volunteered to proof read it, so that has been my main project this week. Actually, this book is on my get list for a hard copy, which I will be buying soon.

As it turned out, it rained today, so I took advantage of the extra computer time to work on maps for TKI-1, Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon. With that done, I will be typing the rest of the hand written notes for it (already typed the back story and that stuff), and that will make more progress. The editing of another book might cut into time a little, but there will be time made for this project.

Also, I have picked out articles for The Hero's Chronicle, Issue 2. However, there will also be original material. For sure, I want to include Stupid Things We Did At The Table (already written) and Another Look At The Combat System For HotDC (mostly written) as new pieces for the magazine. But, an ETA on completion of any of this is not set.

I do know I want to complete TKI-1 and get back to work on First Edition HotDC, but as I am considering rules, I don't want to rush it. TKI-1 will be compatible with the Basic Charts Edition of HotDC. That's the status of things at the moment.

EA Games Buys Bioware

2007-10-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

I was sorry to read the newspaper and find out that Bioware, makers of such Dungeons & Dragons computer games as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, has been bought out by EA. In theory, it could mean more money to develop a better RPG for the computer, but that's just a theory at this point. I wish them luck.

Unfortunately, I don't expect much. Neverwinter Nights is now with Obsidian and Atari in the form of Neverwinter Nights 2. I have it, but I don't have the computer capability to play it. Another thing I hate about these companies. They seem to make games for these super systems that they have, but many people don't.

RPG's will live on in the computer game world. Fact is, they are big business. Do some number crunching, and you realize just how much money they make. What made Bioware special was they put out quality products. BG kicked the door open, but NWN rearranged the place. Suddenly, you had these persistent worlds on the net that you didn't have to pay a monthly fee to be a part of.

There was a lot of creativity out there too. Before I played the game that came with NWN, I actually downloaded somebody's version of Palace of the Silver Princess (The old B3 Mod for Basic D&D). Good stuff there.

They guys at Bioware just had a big payday, I would suppose. Congratulations to them for that. But, EA does not impress me with their tactics. I'll spare you the political rhetoric, but they did make a mess out of the online Sim Racing community by getting exclusive rights to the NASCAR license.

If they had made the game right, I suppose it would not have mattered. As it was, they ran the company that did make it the right way out of business by getting the exclusive rights. Then, they released what many consider a pile of crap called NASCAR Sim Racing. In less than a year, the landscape changed because of that, and not for the better. And, no, the community did NOT embrace that game.

Instead they went in a different direction with a more attractive game that's harder on the computer. Had EA not come in and screwed that up, the company that was doing it the right way could have continued their progression and continued to make the community happy as they had been. EA wasn't content to be one license holder for NASCAR, hey had to monopolize things, and do it half ass to boot.

They basically killed it for me as far as being involved. In a way, they did me a favor, but it a way I'm still pissed off at them.

Nothing EA does would surprise me. Could they suddenly want to tack a crack at the D&D license? I'm not familiar enough with this to know for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me. I know Wizards has D&D 4.0 coming out and has not made any licensing deals for it yet, or so developers have recently said. With that in mind, anything is possible. Considering what EA has done to Sim Racing, I can only imagine the huge dump they would take on role playing games if given that chance.

The Hero's Chronicle Issue 1

2007-10-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

It's on the shelves... er, um, I mean, it's available for free download. Get it HERE.

A few notes on this issue:

1-I have no artist and I am no artist. I am looking for one, but the pay won't be that great. If you are looking for a place to get started, I'd be happy to give your art a try. Until then, I use clip art from my publisher's program.

2-I may move this and my version of Dungeon Squad over to Lulu at some point. I haven't yet as I am monitoring downloads of the Basic Charts Edition of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl and don't want other downloads there. If bandwidth becomes at issue, I may have to.

3-This issue looks at the early history of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl and adjustments I made, why I did some of the things I did, the first test session of the game, some posts from the Dragonsfoot thread that led to Labyrinth Lord being announced and the Gary Gygax-Dave Arneson debate.

4-There is nothing in the book that you can find by weeding through the blog. The reason I am doing this it for an easier reference to the HotDC creative process for those coming late to this project.

I don't claim to be doing anything revolutionary. I'm just a guy trying to put a basic game together and trying to offer something to the hobby for those who feel the way I do. The Hero's Chronicle will feature blog posts in its early run, but original material will appear as well. Eventually, it will contain mainly original material.

5-Anybody wanting to get published is welcome to submit material. I am covering mainly basic type games like HotDC, Labyrinth Lord, Dungeon Squad, Tunnels & Trolls and games of that nature. I believe the big boys of gaming have their stuff covered, but I may include stuff occasionally if I find it relevent.

Anyway, I hope you can gain at least a little insight into HotDC through this issue.

The "To Do" List Keeps Getting Bigger

2007-10-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

First, I'm keeping this bumped for easy access.

The Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl Basic Charts Edition is on Lulu for book or free download HERE

I did my own version of Dungeon Squad that you can get for free HERE

The HotDC Quick Start Charts Lulu Page has been hit 75 times and downloaded for free 11 times. I have begun to put it out there a little bit more, and I'm sure that has helped. I'm just happy it's being noticed. There's still much to do, but the game is playable at this point.

Now, there seems to be a growing list of things to do, but nothing has been finished. I hate when that happens.

1-The Hero's Chronicle
2-Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon
3-A Labyrinth Lord Module tentatively titled Quest For The Ancient Tome
4-A non game related book that I need to finish
5-HotDC First Edition Rule Book
6-A non game related book I plan to start working on in 2008
.

The Hero's Chronicle

I mentioned in a previous post that I had laid this magazine out already. The content is written and consists largely or early blog posts. The pdf will be free. A book may be offered for only a small fee to any who want it.

I have given thought to the second issue, and here are a few thoughts on that one. I may be debuting content in that book not previously posted here. Of course, that's the future of the magazine, but I have some stuff I want to put into the first few issues that document the early days of HotDC creation and my Gencon 2007 experience. Here are three ideas I have for issue two.

1-Stupid Things We Did At The Table - This will debut in the magazine at this point, though it may be posted here after that issue is released. It documents my early days of playing and the things we did that would be frowned upon by the game makers.

2-Another Look At HotDC Combat - This one will look specifically at the Armor Level System, raise some OGL questions that may or may not have been addressed by the OSRIC guys and offer my take. What makes the old red book's combat system unique to it? Well, that's what this column will be about.

3-An Adventure For HotDC - This will be the small Quest For The Emerald Gem dungeon that was used as the first HotDC test. It's already been written, so why the heck not?

The third thought came to me while I was out walking around today. These are things I would like to do in the second issue, but I need to get the first issue done. I plan to work on that a little bit more tonight.

Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon

This one has had work done to it, believe it or not. I have created a back story for the dungeon, Pradius Stoutheart and his comrades and the town of Dragon Vale. A main plot has been outlined, and many of the rooms of the first two levels have been assigned encounters or whatever. Level 3 needs a little work, but maps for all three levels have been drawn up. Some typing has been done, but there's more to be done.

Labyrinth Lord

We've had quite a bit of excitement over on the Labyrinth Lord forum. There have been discussions about the future, ideas have been shared, the first products have been created and people are getting more familiar with each other. What's not to be excited about.? Daniel Proctor has brought the old game of our youth back to light and given us a canvas to paint upon again. Some are already worried it isn't going fast enough, but there's no reason to panic. Things are right on schedule.

I pick up my copy of LL at Barnes & Noble, hopefully, early next week. When I get it, I will be looking at my idea for a first LL Module, set near Dolmvay at an old and abandoned Wizard's School. I call it Quest for the Ancient Tome. I already have many notes and an overall outline of where the buildings are and what creatures are there. If I feel comfortable with it, I will proceed.

Everything Else

The first book is already written. I had a pdf for it, but it needed work. I need to put the Table Of Contents in it, possibly rename it, make sure the cover and layout are set and put it out there. It's not game related, but I doubt it will take long to finish, perhaps a day or two. I worked on this book over the course of a few years and finished it last year. I hesitated to do anything with it, but it will be published.

I'm not trying to overwhelm myself here, and I generally won't allow myself to spend too many hours staring at the computer. The Labyrinth Lord stuff probably shouldn't be in the top three right now, but I'm excited about this game and want to support it as it gets going. Though I played around with Dungeon Squad a little bit, I doubt I will have time for any games other than HotDC and LL for the time being.

There's enough on my plate to keep me busy for a while. Hopefully, The Hero's Chronicle will be released within the week. That's all for now. Stay Tuned for more in the days ahead.

A Few Updates, the D&D Petition & other Stuff

2007-10-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, I did my own version of Dungeon Squad that you can get for free HERE

The Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl Basic Charts Edition is on Lulu for book or free download HERE

Sorry for the gratuitous plugs, but I want to keep this stuff bumped.

I have drawn the maps for the three levels of Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon. Most of the first level encounters are set along with many of the second. The third has a few. I would say I may be 40% done, if that. Just wanted to give the update. I plan to get back to work on making the book version of that map and Three Kings Island soon.

Labyrinth Lord is now available at Barnes & Noble for purchase. You can actually order it through a physical store and buy it there.

I have done just that. I hope to pick it up within the next week. Once I do that, I will begin to sketch ideas for a Module compatible with LL. I have actually started jotting ideas down, but there's NOTHING like having a rulebook to go through without having to stare at a computer. More details will surface in the weeks ahead.

Well, okay, I have a working title for it. I'm tentatively calling it Quest for the Sacred Tome. I'm setting it at an Abandoned Wizard's School near Dolmvay in The Known Lands setting. That's what I have at the moment, but it can all change. I post along with others at the Goblinoid Games Forum if you want to see what's happening in that community.

For the time being, the Three Kings Island stuff for HotDC and my LL stuff will be separate. I feel it's important to do it this way at this time. Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon and The Hero's Chronicle are the main two projects on the drawing board for Basic Old School Games.

Anyway, I wanted to point out two things from the Wizards of the Coast community.

I don't claim to have started this thread, but I joined in on it late. It is the petition to get old D&D books back into print. My post late in the thread talks about Print on Demand as an option. The thread, which has nearly 5500 views as of this writing, has over 100 signatures. I know, because I counted. Will it matter? Who knows, but it couldn't hurt. View the thread HERE.

The second one is about the 4.0 version of Basic D&D. I'm curious what is going on with this deal. Since talking to Chris Perkins at Gencon, I've seem nothing written about it on the web. I want to know what is going on with it, so I started a thread on their forum HERE.

Dungeon Squad Version 1.5

2007-10-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have attempted to play with Dungeon Squad with what I call Version 1.5, which you can get by clicking HERE.

I am considering a few other touches, mainly an Adventure and Character Sheet, inspired by what Shathros did. However, I wanted to put this one out there now.

It is 20 Pages, but this is mainly because I laid it out differently, enlarged the print to 20 font and added the Creative Common License in the back. I also added page numbers if anybody wants to print it.

I considered putting it up on Lulu for free download and print at no profit option, but I didn't think that was within the spirit of the license. The Foreword section of the book explains what else I did. I hope you like it.

Thinking About Rules For The Next Book

2007-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Quick Start Charts Book is still at Lulu and there have been 8 downloads and 50 unique page hits so far. I made a clarification and slight adjustment to Incantations. For one thing, I neglected to assign Incantation Points to the Incantations.

I am rethinking some of the rules, but that book is HotDC as it is now. It is a playable and fun game with enough in it for several Adventures. Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon and Issue 1 of The Hero's Chronicle are next on the agenda.

There could easily be some rule additions through either of the next projects, though I don't know for sure.

I am continuing to rethink Incantations. It started based on magic from the old red book that I used back in the day, but that is changing. I'm not even sure we will have Incantation Degrees for that much longer, but Incantations that require a certain amount of Incantation Points. I'm working to make HotDC rules more unique, while retaining simplicity. I continue to look at this and consider the possibilities.

I have a tentative Character Profession called a Blade Mage. As the name implies, he will be part Warrior and part Mage with some restictions and a tougher challenge in gaining Degrees. This is something that could debut in an issue of The Hero's Chronicle. In the old red book, an Elf fit this bill, but HotDC allows the other races to pursue a Profession.

Half Dragons will get another look, though I'm not sure they will make it into HotDC. I'll just have to see what we come up with.

I am also looking at Dragons and Demi Dragons and their potential ability to use Incantations and Shape Shift. This may come up in an Adventure I'm writing (maybe the next one), so I'm jotting down notes. These abilities aren't intended to be basesd on the color of Dragon or Demi Dragon.

There's a little game called Dungeon Squad that has been all the rage in the other rpg's section of the Dragonsfoot forum. The discussion that has created the buzz in in this section of the forum. The rule book is only six pages long. I'm going to take a closer look at this and perhaps contribute to the community. If I do anything, I'll post it here. I do like this little game, which is why it has been linked in my big links section.

HotDC Update

2007-09-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

The book is on Lulu as of this writing. Of course, you knew that already, but I'm keeping a link bumped at the top. We've had 42 unique page views and 8 downloads of the pdf at the moment, and this is without any hyping on other forums. When Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon is ready, we will hype things a little more. It's low key for now.

Now, DitDD has had much of its intro typed as of now. I think I have mentioned it has become a 3 level dungeon and that more exist, though they are not going to be described in the Adventure. I have opened up a map file for the dungeon. I also updated the icons to be used on the Three Kings Island map to appear less derivative of other products. Better safe than sorry.

The editorial for The Hero's Chronicle Magazine has been written and most of the book is in early stages of layout. It will be 24 pages.

I have backed off a bit in recent days for family reasons, but it is still my intention to have this Adventure ready for release as soon as possible. It's going to be a fun one too. There is a nice story for role pay being developed, but there will be plenty of hacking opportunities as well.

Anyway, that's your latest update. Stay Tuned for more!

4th Edition or Neverwinter Nights?

2007-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal. I was in the name draw pool for 4th Edition play testing of D&D. Didn't get picked, and I didn't expect to. I'm not active on their forum very much. I did post on another thread that I may talk about in another post, but anyway...

I like the cover art of the core 4th Edition books, and the way Chris Perkins spoke at Gencon, it sounds like it could be fun. I like how he spoke of a new Basic D&D, but lack of posts backing up what he said at Gencon make me wonder what will come out next year. Should I get my hopes up? I don't plan to. If they do Basic D&D and do it right, I will buy it.

Now, had I been chosen to play test, I had every intention of setting up a game at my local store with some hard core 3.5'ers and seeing how much fun it is. But, as I said, I wasn't chosen.

So, the question of the post must be asked, NWN or 4e? If I can't find a game, I don't see me spending the money on books. I want to find a game, but it's not always easy. That 3.5 game I was in suffered from a controlling DM and lack of hack. I didn't want to be babied. If my character gets whacked, so be it. I think the new version could be fun if I could find a game that would start from first level.

In the absence of that, I gotta tell you. Neverwinter Nights 1 was fun, and it was on my computer. I have expansions yet to play, plus Neverwinter Nights 2. All the complex rules are played out on the screen, and I don't have need of books or a bunch opf reading. So, if I have to choose, NWN is what I choose. It's cheaper in the long run, but I really would like the table experience.

A Necromancer Speaks

2007-09-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

OSRIC is a topic that that comes up on this blog from time to time, because (A) I like the idea of the First Edition of the game I like being put back into action and (B) I'm concerned that what was done is risky and not particularly legal. It's these concerns that have kept me from commiting to a project compatible with OSRIC's little brother, Labyrinth Lord. Is it legal? That's the question.

To boil it down in a way that OSRIC creators are not allowed to say, the OSRIC document attempts to bring 1st Edition AD&D rules back into play. As long as you follow the OSRIC documents, the makers of said document claim, and print OSRIC Compatible on the cover, you can make and sell legal modules for eager 1st Edition fans looking for them.

I have mentioned in previous posts that some companies, such as Troll Lords, Goodman Games and KenzerCo, have have expressed concerns or have had employees do so. Recently, Necromancer Games has done the same over at Enworld. I'll post his comments here without any responses on my behalf.

His first post of Interest:

Orcus

I guarantee that Necromancer Games will give 4E a huge "first edition injection" David Lee Roth style whether it wants it or not... And we've got a big "first edition". You can see it in our spandex pants.

As for OSRIC, I love the idea but I have huge questions about its legality. Always have. I, for one, would never touch it with a ten foot pole. Or in old school speak, a 10' pole. But I understand the attraction. You're on your own. And that is no criticism of the guys who use it and will probably flame me for saying that. I know they are into it and believe in it and want it to succeed. And I respect that. But I still wouldnt touch it. So anyone who tells you OSRIC is clearly legal is, IMHO, looking at it with biased eyes because they want it to be. If you are going to use it, hire a lawyer.

Frankly, I think there will be a pretty significant niche of publishers who stay 3E and try to keep that segment alive.

We've chosen to embrace 4E, because that is just my philosophy. I started with the boxed set. When Blackmoor and GH came out, I used them. When Eldritch Wizardry came out and DDG, I used them. When the AD&D MM came out, ditto. Same with the PHB and DMG. Same with 2E. Same with 3E. I have always done it and always will. But my heart is firmly in the game experience I had with old school D&D. We want to bring old school goodness to the most current version of the rules. And I have every reason to believe we will be successful.

Clark

Clark PetersonNecromancer
Gameswww.necromancergames.com

In the thread, it isn't the OSRIC people who are asking for clarification, it's a poster going by the handle Valiant. Later, the two main OSRIC authors distance themselves from Valiant. The thread stays civil, and Valiant was friendly about it.

Pressed for reasons why he takes the stance he does, Orcus posted this:

Let me make one thing clear. I have never been asked to, nor have I ever given, legal advice to anyone other than my own company. I have made comments based on decisions I have made that people are free to take how they want. And, for myself, I have concluded the legality of the OSRIC materials is highly questionable. Another attorney could come to a different conclusion. This is a very complex issue.

TLG has NEVER asked me for any opinion on the matter, nor would I counsel them one way or the other. I would say: hire an attorney. I am not licensed in your state and I work for a competing company so there are all sorts of potential legal and ethical confilicts.

If you do want my reasons, I will gladly share them.

1. As stated above, I find the OSRIC to be of dubious legality. It has copyright violation writtten all over it, IMHO.

2. The fact that WotC hasnt acted is proof of absolutely nothing. It may mean that the potatos are too small right now for them to care. If you are hanging your hat on their inaction, that IMHO is a bad bad plan.

3. I dont buy into this "two tiered" approach to try to shield others from potential copyright issues. Granted, I appreciate the creativity of the approach. The OSRIC Compatible thing doesnt fly in my view. See below with my "Napster compatible" analogy.

Those are legal issues I see. Here are some practical/philosophical ones.

1. I dont want to play like that. Necro has had unprecedented access to WotC content. We have always been good caretakers of the content entrusted to us. Clearly, WotC wanted to open up 3E. Also clearly they do not want to open up 1E. So even if it was legal (which I doubt) I wouldnt want to be a part of it. I think the mutual respect that Necro and WotC has would be violated by the "end around" that OSRIC tries to do.

2. You just know it is wrong. Its like Napster. Sure, back in the day before the courts et all said you couldnt just share songs like that, we could at least kid ourselves that it was ok but we all knew we shouldnt be sharing songs for free. Maybe no one has done anything with OSRIC yet, but that doesnt make it any more ok--you are trying to indicate compatibility with a system the publisher has a long history of keeping closed, whether you like it or not. And, by way of analogy, I wouldnt put "Napster compatible" on my products either. You know they dont want 1E open. Heck, that is the whole reason for the d20 logo and OGL and d20 STL and the SRD.

3. Not worth the risk. Hey, maybe I am wrong. Maybe WotC doesnt care. But they arent issuing any advisory opinions on the matter and it isnt worht the risk. I dont care if I win or lose the law suit, I dont even want to be named in one. And let me tell you, neither do you. Oh, and as an aside, I take offense to the suggestion that I am "harming the 1E community" by saying this stuff.

Clark

Note: this is not legal advice, it is me explaining my opinion when asked. Do not rely on this. Hire your own attorney.

I'll let these comments stand on their own merits, but the entire thread can be found at Enworld.

A Bigger Dwarven Dungeon & Other Notes

2007-09-19T16:36:00.001-07:00

It's been kind of hectic here for the last week or so, but I am creating for this project and other stuff. Sometimes it does get a little overwheling and you need to step back and look at things.

The HotDC Quick Start Charts book is up on Lulu and has had seven downloads so far. Not bad considering we haven't really been pusing sales just yet. I have a dungeon map and general ideas for what to do with it in the book, but I want more than that. When the next phase is completed, I will probably push a little harder.

That next phase is Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon. This was meant to be a two level dungeon at the start, but it may end up covering three in the release. Once more, rumors are that there are several levels of dungeon below that Dwarven farm!

I can't get too much into it at this time, but a back ground story for Pradius Stoutheart is being developed at this moment, and it ties him in with the bigger campaign picture that is emerging on Three Kings Island!

I think I have a nice dungeon crawl in development with this one, so I'm not rushing it too hard. I want to do it right. There will be role play opportunities here, and the party can emerge as heroes to the town of Dragon Vale after this one. But, there's much more than just this Adventure brewing!

Now, if you use the dungeon and plot line suggested in the HotDC Quick Start Charts book, it actually ties in with this Adventure and the bigger picture. Things are happening that will keep the party occupied as they rise in Degree and become Heroes by title.

So, I'm pretty happy about what's happening. I have opened up the file and begun typing. There's lots to do. I have a lot written that needs to be typed and a lot more to write. I don't know how many pages it will be or when the release date will be. These and other details will emerge in the weeks ahead.

The first issue of The Hero's Chronicle is being prepared as well. I have hand written the Editor's Notes column for it. Need to type it. The first issue will contain posts from this blog about game development. The next two probably will as well. I may have additional stuff in the second issue not typed here first, such as Stupid Things We Did At The Table and notes on Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon. One step at a time though. I want to get the first issue together first. The pdf will be free on Lulu when ready

I am revisiting an old project for release before the year is over. It's not game related, but I mention it because it may take time from HotDC. Also, I am doing some prep work for another project that will hopefully be done in 2008. Not game related, but there's that time issue.

HotDC is still my main project. Realistically, I may not get the HotDC First Edition Rulebook done before the year's end. I could push it, but I like my time with my family and getting out and excesizing. The computer has to go off sometime.

I plan to hand write outlines for two novel ideas I have. One called "he Do Over and the other Playing The Role. I intend to use the 21 Steps as learned from Michael Stackpole to do this. The first is sort of auto biographical, to a point, but it takes a science fiction turn. What if you could talk to your younger self? What would you say?

The second book will look at the early RPG community as it is created and is pure fiction. Some of it may seem like real life, but it's not. One reason I'm saying this is that I don't want people thinking it's about Gary or Dave or anybody. It won't be. It's just a story idea I have.

If anything comes of this after the 21 Steps, I'll probably post about it here.

Into The Random Dungeon

2007-09-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, another test session was held for Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl. By the way, you can get a copy of the pdf for the Basic Charts Edition or order a copy of the book at Lulu. We've had five downloads so far, which is cool considering this blog is the only place we've hyped it at. For this test, a random dungeon was used. This one doesn't have a plot to it that is being considered as HotDC cannon at this time.

Basically, it was a random encounter, 20 room dungeon that allowed me to check random treasure rolls and other stuff. Most of the charts were tested at one point or another. I had to create a chart on the fly for determining what might be in a room, using the rd1 method as described below:

1 Empty
2-5 Creature
6 1 Treasure Chart roll

As you can see, I wanted combat to happen. I wanted to see how much death the party would have to deal with. Only four rooms were empty, and two had unguarded treasure. No party members died, but we had some close calls. Now, I want there to be a chance at death, but it is not my intention to have a boat load of deaths for beginning characters. How did I attempt to deal with it in the rules?

1-If you look at the Creature Charts for 0 Degree, you'll notice that most won't do more than 1-3 points damage per hit, though on some Creatures I have an option for more damage. This means that it will take at least two hits to kill a character at 0 Degree, even a Mage or Rogue.

2-Bandaging is introduced as an option in the game. This means that if a GC gets down to 0 Life Points, they can be stabilized by bandaging them, though there is still a chance at death according to a roll of the dice.

3-Priests get Incantations at 0 Degree, and Band Aid is an option. I know the red book doesn't have that option, but we part ways on a few things.

4-Potion of Healing Touch is on the chart for purchasing. As it turns out, the party had enough change left over to buy two of these.

We'll get to know the party involved in a moment, but let me just say I like the Attack-Defense System for combat. It worked as hoped for this test. The Hero Guide must keep an eye on game balance at all times with this system, but it works. I have another combat system option that may get introduced in the Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon Adventure book.

Anyway, the party was:

Alcoe (al-co-ay) the Elven Applicant Mage
Harlin the Human Applicant Warrior
Marlin the Human Applicant Warrior
Nimble the Dwarven Applicant Rogue
Talwyn the Halfling Applicant Priest

One of the first tests of the party was putting Nimble on the front line with the Warriors and Priest in combat with more than three Creatures. He got smacked early on and reduced to 2 Life Points. After that, it was decided to let him stand back and fire arrows from a safer distance. The Mage had four daggers for throwing and did the same thing. Both scored hits doing that.

This reminds me of another rule option that may get introduced at the back of the first Adventure book. That is, what happens if an arrow or dagger misses the intended target? Could it hit a party member by mistake? I don't want to get too heavy on rules, but this seems like something to consider. I'm looking at introducing this and a few other options in the Adventure book, and they may make the First Edition HotDC Rulebook from there.

Being on the front line meant Harlin & Marlin got hit. On fact, Harlin got hit a couple times in two battles and still lived. Now, this may seem a little easy on the party, but I don't believe it is. You want people to get a feel for things, and that's rather difficult if they are rolling up a new character every five minutes. Believe me, death will happen in this game. It's not safe out there, and lessons will be learned by the fool hearty.

At the end of the dungeon, in the 20th room, I rolled a Creature from 1st Degree and got two gnomes. This was a bigger challenge, and Harlin got smacked again. However, the party lived. I believe you can have 1st Degree Creatures in a 0 Degree Adventure, but too many can prove lethal if you are using the Attack-Defense System.

The unguarded treasure was another opportunity to check out an aspect of this game, Rogue Abilities. Similar to the red book, doing some tasks is not easy for a Rogue, and failure will occur. I tested the trap detect & removal ability, but the Rogue failed on the first check. This led to him being put to sleep. The party did not encounter any Roaming Creatures while he was taking his nap.

The next trap was a poison needle, but he was successful in his Resistance Roll. Choosing a Dwarf as a Rogue was a good option as they have a slightly better tolerance for poison.

I didn't get to check the Repel Living Dead ability for the Priest (I knew I'd forget something), but having two 0 Degree Incantations available for the Priest was very useful. These aren't super powerful Incantations, but two Band Aid Incantations are important for a 0 Degree party.

The Mage was good at slinging a dagger, but not equipped well enough for the front line. This is as it should be. He had four 0 Degree Incantations to start with and used Short Nap to bail the party out on two occasions. He considered Stinging Mist, but backed off as it could have done 1-3 LP's of damage to each party member in the area as well.

At times, combat was a challenge. I rolled 3 Giant Bees in one encounter, but the party managed to take them out before being stung. I was using Creature Reaction Charts to get reactions. A Hero Guide can and will use his judgement as they get comfortable, but I wanted to see what would happen. It was about 50-50, as it should be. The Bees attacked, but victory gave the party healing honey from the Bees.

5 Grunt Goblins, 6 Grunt Orcs (twice), 5 Grunt Orcs and 5 Ratlings were among the bigger battles encountered. Short Nap was only used once, on the goblins. Everybody who stood on the front line took damage, and Harlin and Marlin were both reduced from 6 to 2 Life Points on more than one occasion.

The Priest Band Aid Incantations, a dose of Bee honey and one of the Healing Touch Potions were used, and the party rested twice with posted guards. Roaming Creatures were rolled for three times both nights, but nothing happened.

Treasure. In HotDC, you don't get Adventure (experience) Points for gold. At least, this is the way I want it to be, because with only 10 Degrees, it could go by rather quickly. When treasure was rolled for, it totaled in at about 3,600 gold pieces. Most of it was in silver, but the party walked out with 730 gold a piece and one standard dagger of +1 enchantment.

It might seem a touch high for a 20 room dungeon with 14 rooms of fights, but the chart did it's job. There is a clause in there about awarding in the 100's instead of the 1000's based on Creature count in an encounter.

Plus, early on, there are things to spend that money on.

Better weapons

Better armor

Healing Touch Potions

0 Degree Incantation scrolls

And so on...

As has been pointed out in the book, you don't have to roll for everything anyway. If you think 3,650 in gold and a dagger of +1 is too much for a party of 5 0 Degree adventurers is too much, you can adjust it yourself. It's all in what you want from he game.

The Creatures overcome (not all were killed, but they were overcome) resulted in 111 AP's for each party member, plus 200 a piece for clearing the dungeon as per the book's rules on Quest Completion. An HG would have had several opportunities during the adventure to make notes of individual bonuses as they see fit. I chose not to, but showing mercy when it was begged for, successfully making that first kill, taking the hit for another party member and other deeds might be considered. It depends on what you want from the game.

What I also learned from this is that it will take three Adventures to advance a party from 0 to 1st Degree this way, which is fine with me. The Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon Adventure is being designed to possibly get the party to 1st Degree in just that Adventure, or at least very close.

All in all, I'm liking what we've got so far with the Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl Basic Charts Edition, and we will continue to add to it with new Adventures and other good stuff. Stay tuned

Another Test Game Completed

2007-09-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

This one was with five Game Characters, two Warriors, a Rogue, a Mage and a Priest. It was a random 20 room dungeon. A few close calls, but all party members lived. I plan to post more details later. One thing I noticed was that the Basic Charts Edition book was missing #30 on the Magic Item Chart. I have updated that and put it up on Lulu. We're still early in the process, so mistakes will be made. Anyway, when I updated, I noticed there have been five downloads so far. That means that somebody has seen the book.

I have opened the file for Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon. I was planning on working on that a little when the test came about. I'm glad that happened as we learned a few things. I'm happy with the way it's going so far. Anyway, more updates to come. Stay tuned.

You Can Now Get HotDC Basic Charts At Lulu

2007-09-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

It's finally available. I believe the continuity and the rules as depicted in the book are now set. There may still be spelling or format errors, and those can be corrected.

Please note that this thread will be a good place to discuss questions or comments that need to be addressed, and it will be linked to the right side of the main page for easy access.

At this time, we are offering free pdf downloads of the book, and we encourage you to do that first before ordering a copy of the book.

If you desire a hard copy of the book, we are selling at at Lulu for less than $7.50. We're not making a big profit off of it, because we don't wish to stick it to you on cost, it's still a work in progress and we want to keep it affordable.

The rules needed to play HotDC are in that book, and we believe you can play and have fun with these rules for hours on end.

Stay tuned for coming HotDC Adventures as well as the debut of The Heroes Chronicle pdf magazine.

Remember to have a good look at the free pdf. If you like it, buy a copy of the book. Feel free to leave comments here, but try to be nice. We're doing our best here.

Now, here's the link for the Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl: Basic Charts Edition at Lulu:

Here is the Lulu Link http://www.lulu.com/content/1190599

A Quick Update

2007-09-09T18:14:00.001-07:00

I have updated the Basic Charts Edition Book. It's still 44 pages, and I think I should be putting it up on Lulu in the next day or two. This book has undergone so many changes, but it's time to release it and get to work on the first Adventure. I wanna take a day or two to go over a few things, but that should be all I need. I will make an announcement when it is finally released.

The Heroes Chronicle Magazine is on the radar now. It won't really take that long to get the first issue out as it will include several posts from this blog about HotDC. It will be a free pdf download when it is released. The first two or three issues will be material that has appeared mainly here and discuss HotDC, old school games, Gencon 2007 and whatever else I can add to it. I'm looking at 20-24 pages per issue at this moment.

Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon is on deck with some more work on First Edition HotDC in the plans. I am considering rule adjustments already, which will make the blog in the days ahead most likely.

Doing Combat Differently, 0 Degree And Other Stuff

2007-09-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

When I started on HotDC, before a Labyrinth Lord was even announced, I made the decision to go another route. The first decision was to lose all but the six sided dice. The second decision was to mimic the old basic game as far as keeping it simple. The combat system has already changed from Armor Level to the Attack Defense System. It has a completely different mechanic from the old basic game. I have decided to look at AL again and possibly propose a rule option in the TKI-1 adventure.

As I said before, I'm just making the two other adjustments with the HotDC Basic Charts Edition, and that's it. The mechanics will be there for people to begin playing. I need to move on to the next phase. I want to get this book out and available to the public.

This is the challenge I've had with HotDC from the first day. There are some good concepts in that old basic game, but I can't just take everything and use it. I need to readjust it. The idea is that it has to be kept simple and easy, or I have defeated the purpose. If you can't jump into HotDC and have a character and a dungeon ready to go within minutes, I haven't done my job right.

The 0 Degree Character and Creature has it's origins from the old Book Of Options my cousin and I did years ago. At the time, I think I was looking for a way a party of 1st level thiefs and magic users could have an adventure without fighters and have a chance at not getting killed every time they entered a dungeon. What I did in the BoO is make a chart of just 1/2 level monsters, creating a few new ones in the process.

In HotDC, there are only going to be 10 Degrees for the Game Characters to advance. That's all I'm planning to cover, because that's all that is needed in this game. Now, somebody may come along with ideas for 10-20 Degrees, but I don't see me creating the Expert or whatever edition of the game. I don't think it's needed. What I did do, back when this was a 7 Degree game, was create a 0 Degree option. Basically, you have to earn 1st Degree. Why should you get it just by starting?

Rules for starting a GC at 0 Degree and Creature Charts for 0 Degree were then created. Part of the fun of the game that my old table forgot about back in the day was earning your first successes. This is why the best armor and weapons aren't going to be affordable at the start. It will be something to earn. Getting that better (but still not magical) sword or armor and earning your 1000th Adventure Point will mean something.

These are things that set the game apart from the old game, while maintaining the spirit of what it was about. I like the old school game feel, and HotDC will retain that as it evolves, or it won't continue. I am looking at EVERY aspect of this game for adjustments that could make it more unique, while keeping it fun and simple. That's the plan, and there is a definite challenge in keeping it different.

I have commented on the Basic Revolution that has begun to stir. What will 4th Edition Basic D&D be? Will there be too many confusing character and combat rules or will they strive for that Moldvay feel? What will Basic C&C be? Basic Hackmaster? I've seen Lejendary Adventures Essentials, and though it comes in a box like the old basic games, it's not that simple. Labyrinth Lord is a faithful interpretation of the old basic game.

While HotDC will be in the spirit of the old game, it will be different. It is my intention to have a post here within the week to announce the release of HotDC Basic Charts Edition. We are starting at Lulu. There will be a free pdf to allow you to check it out. If you like it, a hard copy book will be available for a small fee (less than $10 is the goal). This will be just the first step in Basic Old School Games plan to build Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl.

The Name Of Our Little Gaming Effort

2007-09-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

I had two choices that seemed interesting to me. They were Basic Old School Games and Die In A Dungeon. In Indy, my friend suggested the latter. Actually, I think he said Guy In A Dungeon, but I heard Die. It had a nice ring to it, and I kept it on the maybe pile.

When I got home, I considered other ideas, but Basic Old School Games was my favorite. I am striving for a basic game with an old school feel. I decided to go with Basic Old School Games TM.

I also had considered changing the name of the game, but I will leave it Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl TM (HotDC TM).

Hero Guide TM as the person who runs the game and Three Kings Island TM are a part of the Trademark of the game as well.

Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl TM Basic Charts Edition is copyright 2007.

More Progress On HotDC

2007-09-06T16:51:00.001-07:00

The adjustments I have made on the HotDC Basic Charts Edition have been designed to make it easier to understand. I have redone the intro, defined what is in each section for easier reference and explained the Character Creation process better. It might have been the perfect time to just release things, but I had two more updates I felt needed to be made.

1-The Incantation section was explained a little bit better in terms of what the Resistance Rolls are for and what they do. This should make it easier to understand.

2-I don't have Creature descriptions in this book, just stats and charts. Kinda T&T'ish in that regard, I suppose. But, I felt I needed a page or two to explain terms from the Creature charts.

I want people to be able to play the first 4 Degrees of this game with his book with as few problems as possible. I'm sure there will be questions, and I will have a thread on this blog devoted to answering them.

The main focus of this game is having simple and basic mechanics for easy game play. As the name suggests, it is a game of crawling around in the dungeon, but outdoor encounters can be handled as needed. As the book won't go too far into that area, more experienced Hero Guides will likely be the ones handling those types of adventures.

I do not plan to add any new rules to this book after this update. If spelling or phrasing changes are needed, they will be made. A free pdf will be available anyway. The hard copy is for those who want a copy to use, at a minimal cost.

TKI-1 Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon will offer a few rule options and new Creatures, but that information won't be required to play if you just get the Basic Charts Edition and create your own stuff.

Rules tweaking will probably continue all the way to the release of the First Edition of Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl, as I have already explained in an earlier post.

Just A Few Thoughts On What's Next For HotDC

2007-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

I have a list of things to do:

1-Get the HotDC Basic Charts Edition up on Lulu within the next week or so. I have a few adjustments to make on the rules, and that's it. Any updates on that afterwards will be grammar related.

2-TKI-1 Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon. This is a two level dungeon (at least at the moment) for 0 Degree Game Characters. I will offer a few rule options in the back, a few new Creatures and whatever else I may come up with. Hope to be done by some time in October.

3-The HotDC Rule Book 1st Edition. This will have Creature descriptions, Incantation descriptions and do a more complete job explaining rules. And, yes, rules will probably change between now and then as I make HotDC a more unique experience. I will touch on this in a sequel to my old Challenges Of Doing It Differently post. I'd like to get it done by December, but we'll see.

4-Find an artist or two. I have only clip art at this moment. Flavor text may be used more in the 1st Edition Rule Book and future Adventure Books.

5-Chose a logo and name for this game effort. I actually have, and it will be announced soon.

6-Merka's Maze Of Madness TKI-2 is the working name of the next adventure, I think. It's probably a 1st or 2nd Degree Adventure in which the Game Characters have been teleported into a dungeon and have to fight there way out, or die trying.

7-The Secret City Of Moldayvia is the possible title of TKI-3. This one's a biggie, and that's all I will say at the moment. There may be hints elsewhere on this blog.

8-Get a game started. It's nice to create, but I wanna get a game going. I wanna put HotDC to the test.

9-More interesting posts on the blog. Stupid Things We Did At The Table and other ones. I'd like to do a post about what I'd do if I owned D&D, just for the heck of it.

10-Can't think of anything now, but I know there's something.

At the moment, I'll be going back to the note book and writing down the next ideas for TKI-1 and the Basic Charts Edition. I actually know what I want to to with the rules, but I like to plan things out in the note book ahead of time.

OSRIC Discussions From Other Forums

2007-09-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a post where OSRIC is discussed. It gets heated, but good points are made on both sides. The reason I do this is not to hurt anything, but to get a better understanding of the arguments. I'd like nothing better than for this to succeed, particularly Labyrinth Lord. My big fear is contributing to LL and helping it grow, only to end up being sued by Wizards and losing ownership to works I create using the rule set.

From Troll Lord Games. This one started about Basic Fantasy, but drifted to OSRIC, where it revealed some negative feelings from that community.

http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2929&mforum=trolllordgames

Discussion of OSRIC Legality on the Circvs Maximvs forums. This one was started with a link to Ryan Dancey's thread a Enworld. This one gets rather lively.

http://www.circvsmaximvs.com/showthread.php?s=ad5e85d0644f11e0a9de8e31c4bb475f&t=28156

Dragonsfoot OSRIC Discussion. The question posed is how legal is it. Not a lengthy discussion here, but some good posts.

http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18928

OSRIC announced on Dragonsfoot

http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18307&highlight=osric

Ryan Dancy Answers OSRIC Questions with his opinion. I believe he had something to do with writing the OGL and D20 documents.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=201334

Goodman Games Board. It has an interesting post by the recent First Edition rules compatible Witch Queen Module Designer.

http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2204&highlight=osric

Moving Back To The Book

2007-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Now that the Gencon Series is done, I'm planning to get back to work on the book, renamed the Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl Basic Charts Edition. I've changed the cover and logo, and I will be unveiling the name of my little game making effort soon. It's between two names, and I'll preview them soon.

I also have typed the Stupid Things Done At The Table column. Funny thing is I have already hand written another page that takes me to the wood shed for the stupid things I did. I felt I needed to. So, I'm deciding whether to add that to this column or just create another one for it.

I make no apologies for the way we played back then. We had fun and played for years. HotDC will take things in a different direction, so don't think that this game is going to be like the way the column describes the old days. In fact, in the Basic Charts Book, I address reasons why things should be done a certain way. As it was for me back then, it will be up to the Hero Guide and Gamers to play within the spirit of the rules.

I have two other things I would like to add to the Basic Charts Edition, and then I would very much like to sign off on it and start preparing the main rule book. That means I could have it available on Lulu for free download or printed book (for slight fee) within the week. I already have ideas for rule adjustments, but this has to be the cutoff point. The Basic Charts Book will still give you a good idea of what I'm doing with these rules.

I want to get to work on TKI-1 Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon again and have it ready for an October release, if possible. I've always wanted to do an adventure and see it printed. It's two levels at the moment for Game Characters of 0 Degree.

The HotDC RPOL site is up. I've been considering putting it to use with TKI-1, sort of an informal test session. At any rate, it's time to get back to work on HotDC.

Labyrinth Lord Takes Another Step

2007-09-03T16:47:00.002-07:00

Goblinoid Games has created a forum for Labyrinth Lord over here:

http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/goblinoidgames.html

Haven't seen it get linked up to their main page, but I'm sure it will. This is a step in encouraging more discussion of the game and where it goes next. I also noticed that Barrataria has noticed LL and linked it to his page. This could be significant as he has written several free modules for old D&D Basic & Expert. Could a LL contribution be in the works?

My Take On Where OSRIC Goes Next

2007-09-03T16:47:00.001-07:00

There are two threads over at The K&K Alehouse that are of interest to old school gaming. The first, linked directly underneath this paragraph, discusses the morality of the Retro Clone game and was posed by Daniel Proctor of Goblinoid Games. I will discuss that a bit here and quote a few posts.

http://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3724

The second link, directly below this paragraph, discusses strategy in marketing OSRIC and derivitive products such as Labyrinth Lord. It is relevent to this post because the two tie together.

http://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3693

Daniel Proctor started the morality discussion with this post:

We've all seen a lot of buzz on the internet about retro-clone games. People say OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord, and GORE are (if not illegal) in bad taste, immoral, rude, or other things in this vein. How do you address this? I have come to think that this perception is one that needs to be dealt with in order for these efforts to flourish.

There is a reason I have put these two links in the same thread. What Daniel asks does walk hand in hand with marketing OSRIC and LL in an attempt to make them bigger. I'm only going to quote bits from Daniel's thread here, and I'm not quoting from the other thread. The links will allow you to see the erntire points made. I'm making a point now that the two tie in together.

You wanna sell copies of these retro clones? Go go for it. I wish them luck, and I don't disagree with them doing it. But there is the specter of a lawsuit hanging over their heads. Just because it hasn't happened, doesn't mean it won't happen. Only Wizards of the Coast knows if it will happen. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. The fact that other companies such as Goodman Games, KenzerCo and Troll Lords Games have voiced concerns, doesn't matter one bit.

So the one thread asks what needs to be done to better position OSRIC? You wanna know what I think about that? If you are that confident in the legality, go for it. Make a web page. OSRIC can be the legal document, but you need a better name than that for the game. Daniel has Labyrinth Lord, and the name works, in my opinion. Slap the Advanced Labyrinth Lord name on OSRIC, and go for it.

Make a web page with the game's name. Start a new forum to market LL & ALL. Create a blog. Do a podcast. Start a line of modules for each with the best work submitted. Make it happen. It's the best chance to get noticed and make money. THEN, we'll find out what's legal and what isn't. My guess is that if Wizards is concerned, they aren't saying anything because OSRIC is minor league to them. Proceed at the current level, and there may never be a challenge, step things up if you really wanna know what's legal according to Wizards. But there are concerns, even in the OSRIC community.

PapersAndPaychecks (One of the OSRIC document creators) states:

Controversy is marketing. That's why film producers count reviews in terms of column-inches, not whether they're favourable. I don't care what people say about OSRIC, provided they talk about it as passionately as possible. That's what makes other people curious enough to download it and judge for themselves. Anything worthwhile will have its detractors. We're only in danger when nobody cares any more.Very true there. Controversy does attract interest. They are gonna get good and bad comments, and some people are gonna accuse them of stealing. He knows this, and he's been dealing with it since day one.

Mythmere (One of the OSRIC Crerators) says:

I think there's definitely more to it than just the legal side of these games. I don't believe that just because something's legal it's therefore okay to do. In the case of OSRIC, we've got a system of rules that can't be copyrighted (the legal argument), but those rules were certainly assembled by a person using his own creativity - just like someone produced the rules of checkers and poker (the moral argument).

And further in...

In terms of OSRIC, here are a few points:

1) P&P didn't contact EGG (that's Gary Gygax) during the production of OSRIC because any contact might have caused WotC to think that EGG had been involved in the project - a good attorney could make it look that way. And if EGG had been involved, OSRIC might have caused much more heartburn for WotC. OSRIC would have created a legal risk for EGG if he'd responded with anything other than "no comment." P&P had no desire to cause a legal risk to EGG. Same with Rob Kuntz, Dave Arneson, Frank Mentzer, etc.

2) There's perhaps an outside chance that EGG considers OSRIC to be competition for Lejendary Adventures. While this is a much more valid moral question than an author disliking a retro-clone game in which he no longer has a financial stake, I don't see it. If this were the case, he'd have issues with the fact that he doesn't get paid on sales of the C&C game rules.

3) Troll Lord Games is one of the proponents of the idea that OSRIC is "immoral," and they have clear financial reasons to take that position - OSRIC competes with their C&C game. Whether or not they truly believe the position they've got Peter Bradley stating on their boards - and they might believe it honestly - I tend to ignore "moral" positions coming from people who have a vested interest.

Let's look at the logic of the position that TLG has taken. First, a year ago, they say that OSRIC is illegal because it violates copyright law. Once the pure legal position has been eroded by WotC's silence for a year after the WotC discussions with P&P, suddenly TLG changes course and takes the high road, considering OSRIC to be an "insult" to EGG for using his creativity without paying him.

Um, what is C&C? C&C doesn't use EGG's creativity when the entire introduction to the game says that it does? This particular "moral high ground" they're taking on OSRIC is hypocritical given that TLG uses EGG's original creativity (the d20 SRD is based on D&D - duh) all the way from their d20 products to C&C, and never once considered themselves to be immoral or insulting. They don't see the link between their own activities and the argument they're making.

While that may be true, Troll Lords is using the D20 license as laid out by Wizards, and they are making money. If there were anything illegal behind what they are doing, you can bet a lawsuit would come. Similar arguent for OSRIC you say? Well, that may be true, but it may just be that OSRIC isn't big enough yet. Until Wizards speaks on the subject, we just don't know, and that's part of the problem with getting on board with it. Do you take the risk and put the effort into building it up, only to be sued and have things taken away.

I do have an idea on how to reshape OSRIC and try again, but I'll save that idea for the rainy day if anybody on the project asks me.

You can read this full post in the thread linked above, Mythmere ends with this point:

To be clear on the thread's primary topic, if WotC were paying EGG royalties on 1e module sales from the Paizo pdfs, I would not have been interested in doing OSRIC. It would be a sad situation for us gamers not to have any new modules, but the only solution to my mind would have been the "fan-fiction" approach taken by Dragonsfoot. Also, if TLG pays EGG a royalty on all their d20 sales and C&C sales, then I retract any suggestion of hypocrisy on their part. To the best of my knowledge, they don't pay him a royalty for what others write using the SRD he founded.

It's noble sentiment. If Gary were still getting money for AD&D 1st edition, OSRIC wouldn't exist. Gary may appreciate it, but Wizards? They do own it. Two things to consider.

#1-KenzerCo. had a licensed agreement to create Hackmaster using 1st & 2nd Edition rules, sliced with parody. The agreement ran for seven years and just recently expired. OSRIC's creation overlapped the end of the Hackmaster run under these rules. Did it effect Kenzer's profit margin on the project?

Also, there were OSRIC fans who blasted Hackmaster (and praised OSRIC) for what they did with the rules under agreement with Wizards (with the legally required humor and parody). OSRIC may not have encouraged this talk, but did it's very existance encourage it?

From a moral srandpoint, as Daniel's first post elluded to, was OSRIC taking money from somebody who was using the rules set legally?

2-There are at least two web sites selling old D&D products on pdfs and making money:

RPG Now

http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?cPath=159

Paizo

http://paizo.com/store/downloads/wizardsOfTheCoast

Did OSRIC impede the ability to legally make money on 1st Edition products? Is that moral? They want to allow for new material to be made and sold with OSRIC, that's true. However, there is a plethora of old modules available for sale on those two sites, and if one plays with those long enough, they can learn to design their own mods for their personal campaigns.

Stormcrow says in that thread:

I'm not going to take a position on the morality of these projects. However, I don't think it's quite right to say that because someone isn't making a profit on a product means that you're not competing with them when you make a clone. One reason to own a product is to remove it from the market, so people will buy your other product. (Symantec loves to do this.)

One can easily see how something like OSRIC could draw customers away from Hasbro's d20 offering. Every declaration by a gamer that shows how he used to play d20 before he discovered "old-school" gaming is a potential gamer lost to Hasbro.A very good point here. Most old schoolers who hate the new game will say they never would buy any of that stuff, even if OSRIC weren't there. That may be true, but this is a point Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro would likely make if it ever came down to a lawsuit.

rogatny posts this comment:

In other words: OSRIC and efforts like it are an inevitable product of demand not being met in a market. If WotC has a problem with it, the real solution is for WotC to serve the market in a better way than the "bootleggers" are. If WotC decides that they cannot do so in a cost effective way (and to be truthful, I think it's quite likely that WotC would not be able to meet the demand in a cost effective way), "bootlegging" is simply something they are going to have to live with. Sure, they can take legal action against the "bootleggers," but it won't stop different "bootleggers" from continuing to pop up so long as the demand exists.

A fair argument. There's nothing there in the market, so OSRIC is there to take the business. This is likely the biggest argument OSRIC creators used to get things started. It's a good point, but the lefality of ir may still be in question. Ever see the movie Barton Fink? The publisher took the book that he was so proud of and put it on the shelf, never to be sold or read by anybody? It was he publisher's legal right to do that. Well, Wizards owns ALL editions of D&D, and they are theirs to do with as they want. Fact is, if they think 1st Edition sucks and nobody wants it, so why bother? It's their right to leave it on the shelf.

Actually, until Hackmaster's license with Wizards ran out, there was a way to play the game and get new books. And RPGNow and Paizo offer pdf's for sale. Morally speaking, just because you don't like these two options, does that give you the right to create something from an IP that you don't own as a third alternative? THAT'S the question that is unanswered still. Does OSRIC have a right to even exist under Copywrite law and the OGL?

Just because Kenzer has voiced concerns (He told me at Gencon that he would stay away from OSRIC. One of his concerns is that every time certain concerns are voiced to one of the creatos, they say that they are on an island and the rules don't apply to them there.)

Just because Troll Lords has concerns with it

Just because people at Goodman Games have voiced concerns

Just because an author of the D20 & OGL documents voiced concerns at enworld recently

It doesn't mean a damn thing. Only Wizards of the Coast may have the voice that matters and issues the challenge that puts an end to OSRIC or is unable to.

THIS is what concerns some people with OSRIC and is why moral discussions are being held on forums by people who are involved. Do you feel confident that this document is indeed legal and can hold up in a court of law? Even if it can, do you have enough money to take it there? WotC and Hasbro does. If you are confident, then phase two of the evolution of OSRIC is ready to be discussed, and a plan for the growth for this community is ready to be made. It will take time, money and work, but there is a market for it. You won't get rich, but a few bucks are possible.

Otherwise, we'll just be sitting here five years from now having these same tired arguments and getting nowhere.

The First HotDC Adventure Title Announced

2007-08-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon - TK1-1

A Dungeon Adventure for 4-6 0 Degree Characters

Something funny is going on at the homstead of the Dwarven Hero Pradius Stoutheart. He left months ago to visit friends in the mountains to the North-West. That's when all manner of orcs, kobolds, goblins and other foul creatures moved in and infested the dungeons built below his home. Why are these creatures there? What are they up to? Is the son of a prominant Dragon Vale citizen being held captive there? It will take brave adventures to find the answers and solve these problems. Are you up to the task? Then grab your weapon and come face the Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon!!!

My Gencon Trip Part 8

2007-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Seminars, Games And Other Fun Stuff Part 3

Kenzer Fun

So, I've already discussed the fact that Dave Arneson called in sick for the Blackmoor Memories Seminar. It was disappointing, but not surpring. I know he wasn't feeling well. He didn't look well. I can't help but think that he was a little disappointed by the lack of attendence numbers. I'm sure he knew there were maybe ten out of 100 people here, and if you aren't feeling well to begin with, why bother? I understand this situation a little, at least I think I do anyway. Could be off the mark. Had there been 90-100 people signed up, things would have been different. I believe I would telling you some of what Dave had to say. But, I've already covered that elsewhere, and I don't need to do it again here.

40 Years Of Gencon

I was happy to see Dave was at this seminar. They say he is the unsung hero of gaming, and I agree. A game like D&D may exist if Dave hadn't started Blackmoor, but it wouldn't be D&D and probably would have been created by somebody who didn't live in Wisconson, in my opinion.

Dave On Gencon: Gencon was used for getting the word out on D&D. Then, D&D was Gencon and took it over. In the early days, word of mouth was used to get the word out. D&D made Gencon and vise versa.

Dave and Gary Gygax did Don't Give Up he Ship together. They met at Gencon 2. Initially, it was a con for war games. Gary organized the first few cons in Lake Geneva, Wisconson, which is where Gary lived. Gencon 2 was on Gary's porch.

Dave was with Flying Buffalo (Tunnels & Trolls) for a time. He tells a story about using some four ply rubber bands that Flying Buffalo had and arming them with four sided dice at one convention. The dice would stick to the wall.

Dave on Gencon: Gencon to me is meeting people. It gives me a feel for what people are into. Seeing old friends again. It's the people more than the games.

There were other interesting stories, such as the bagpipe player on the misty hill that TSR hired one year, who played for about 30 minutes and walked off into the mist. The days at the Hoticulture Hall with the Gygax girls selling hot dogs. The main hall doubled as a sleeping quarters. It was just a bunch of gamers getting together to play games.

They Changed Dave's on Me

Earlier that day, Dave Kenzer showed up to run the seminar in place of Arneson. There was just one problem. Dave knows NOTHING about Blackmoor. He's more of a Gygaxian D&D'er I suppose. I was a little disturbed to read his "only 23 people play Blackmoor" comment at the Kenzer forum, but I'll let it go. An Arneson fan who didn't want to take the high road might say something like, "That's 1 more than the people who use the Kalamar setting."

All but the lady sitting next to me stayed for Kenzer, and why not? Hackmaster, Aces & Eights and Knights of the Dinner Table are part of the KenzerCo. catalogue, and there are plenty of fans. He spent his time discussing various Kenzer related topics, but I did get an opportunity to ask the OSRIC question. Basically, since Dave is a lawyer, I wanted to know his take on things.

His comment was that he'd stay away from OSRIC, because he has concerns over it. Every time one of it's key creators is given a tough question, according to Dave, they guy claims that he lives on an island and the laws don't apply to him there. Only thing I'll add is that can't you blame any of these established companies from staying away from it. Why risk a lawsuit? At some point, it will either fade, or Wizards of the Coast will challenge it.

Kenzer Fun

The Kenzer team did a meet and greet on Friday. It was a chance to learn a little bit about the company, the people involved and the products. Dave Kenzer owns the company, and he is a lawyer. Gaming is a hobby of his, and he has done well enough as a lawyer that he decided to form Kenzer. Some of the employees have other jobs and some don't. Most of the time, KenzerCo is making enough to keep things going, but at times Kenzer is using his own funds to keep it going.

The guys love what they do. They love gaming. I already mentioned how they are in western wear at their demo booth during the day to help promote Aces & Eights. They are very excited about this game and it's what they are currently playing. In fact, suppliments for A&E are in the works. Hackmaster was discussed too. There will be a new Hackmaster in the next couple years, and some ideas on what to expect for game mechanics can be gleened from A&E. By the way, A&E is a nice looking book, and if you are interested in Western RPG's, you should check it out.

In recent weeks. Wizards of the Coast has been pulling back it's licences for things such as Dungeon and Dragon Magazines and DragonLance. This raised speculation as to what happened between Kenzer and Wizards with regards to Hackmaster. Hackmaster is basically an attempt to create the game played by the characters in the Knights of the Dinner Table Magazine. They had the license to use 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D rules, sprinkled with Knights humor.

Some loved it. Others hated it, but is was a nice effort. I have managed to pick up three modules that they converted to Hackmaster, and it's still pretty faithful to the old game with humor added. Well, Kenzer had made a decision not to renew some time ago, but he admitted that he didn't expect Wizards was planning to renew either. My opinion is that Dave chose the high road, rather than having it pulled from him and causing a stir of negativity towards Wizards. There are fans of Dungeon, Dragon and DragonLance that aren't happy with Wizards right now.

Well, the way it goes down here is Kenzer chose to walk away from Wizards, and they actually began developing their own rule set for Hackmaster some time ago. It will take another year or two to iron out the wrinkles, and Aces & Eights will take center stage at this point anyway. Kalamar will be the official Hackmaster setting, and a place called Frandor's Keep will be the first adventure released, along with a basic rules set. So basically, Kenzer has a plan, and new stuff will be coming (Book of NPC's for A&E and a couple of town books).

David on the Hackmaster Plan: The plan is to make a game that feels the same and plays like 1st Edition. We'll have to change the rules, but the game should feel the same."

As The Knights Would say, "Hoody Hoo!"

Many of the people at the meet and greet are fans of that little comic strip Jolly Blackburn created called Knights of the Dinner Table. I noticed several HMA card carrying Hackmaster players, and yes, the Hackmaster tournament was part of the Gencon too. Jolly created this comic as filler for a magazine he did back in the early 90's called Shadis. People started commenting on it immediately, and it wasn't too long before Dragon Magazine came calling. Jolly decided to see if he could make a comic book with this strip, and KotD was born.

It was only a few issues in when Jolly realized he needed a partner for this, and he and Kenzer made a deal. Jolly, David, Steve Johansson and Brian Jelke are the D-Team for the magazine, which released issue #130 at Gencon. There was an empty chair at the table for Jelke, who was unable to attend the con, and Mark Plemmons stood at the podium for the meet & greet. Mark set up the magazines and prizes at the live reading the next night. By the way, Mark was planning to get married on the day the Wizards-Kenzer agreement expires.

We had a lot of laughs at the meet & greet, and it was amusing watching Steve write on the board behind him when something funny and noteworthy was said. I don't have the whole story written down, but the Bitter Stevil character in the Black Hands group is named after Steve. It was Evil Steve, and it evolved from there. Jolly's wife is the inspiration for the Sara character of the Knights. She always wanted to feed and talk to the NPC's.

The Knight's magazine has evolved from just the comic to the magazine that features all the strips, letters from readers, game articles and lots of cool stuff. That will continue. At one time, there was talk of making a movie about the Knights, but Hollywood wanted to change the characters into heroes. They didn't think you should have characters who lived in their parent's basement. Actually, I think Adult Swim would be the perfect place for the Knights if KenzerCo ever wanted to explore that option.

On Saturday night, it was time for the popular Live Reading of Knights of the Dinner Table strips. We had a guy (why didn't I get his name?) sing Still D&D To Me (To the music of Still Rock N Roll To Me) and Dice Life (To the tune of All Star). He was pretty good, and the crowd was into it. They had several stips planned from some of the best in Knights history. Readers got to pick up certificates (such as one for a free potion of healing, among others).

With Wizards announcing plans to release 4th Edition D&D next year, they had a reading from Knights past about having to get all the new Hackmaster books from the coming edition. This came out about the time of D&D 3.0, I think. One of my favorites was a strip about The Black Hands getting ready for the big Hackmaster tournament at GaryCon. While the Knights work together a little better, The Black Hands do more harm to each other than their foes at times. So, the DM from their group, Nitro, was grilling all four on how badly they worked as a team. The reading for Gordo was inspired and damn near brought a tear to my eye. All five did a great reading.

The Live Reading is a highlight to any Gencon. A bunch of fans gathering to celebrate a great magazine done by a great company of game lovers. There was even somebody there wearing the dreaded "Hub Cap Of Shame", though I'm not sure why. As I said, I had a lot of fun at this event, but I probably didn't do it justice here.

The Gamers

There are several movies screened during Gencon. I know Army Of Darkness and Conan were screened, but there were also movies with gamer humor. Gamerz, Fellowship of the Dice and The Gamers were three of them. I signed up for what I thought was Gamerz, because it was the only one that fit into my schedule, but I ended up seeing The Gamers, which is what I wanted to see. It's a movie done by a group calling themselves The Dead Gentleman.

That name alone lets you know these guys are fans. Remember The Dead Alewives and the two D&D paradodies they did? Used to play on Dr. Demento's show all the time. Well, The Gamers has five guys at the table in a college dorm playing, (what else?), D&D. You see some from the table, but then the scene switched to their actual characters. One gamer says, "I'm gonna steal from the guy at the bar."

We watch as he makes his roll. The guy at the bar is just standing there as he gets robbed blind. The thief keeps making his rolls. Another time, the guy with the fighter character fails a strength check trying to remove some bars from a passage way and hurts his back. The guy with the weak theif gives it a shot and succeeds. We see the thief daning around in celebration of his success. It was funny stuff, and I'm probably not doing it justice here. After screening this movie, I headed over to the Paizo booth and bought the DVD. I'd love to have screened Fellowship of the Dice, but I couldn't fit it into my schedule. Perhaps next time.

To be continued

DragonLance, Forgotten Reams & Hickman's Killer Breakfast

My Gencon Trip Part 5

2007-08-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Roaming The Exhibition Hall Part 3

The Paizo booth was on my list. Basically, Paizo has made a name for themselves through the D&D product. They published Dragon Magazine and Dungeon Magazine during the past few years. They covered a lot of ground and campaign settings. In fact, they did a few adventures in the old Mystara setting (formerly The Known World from Basic D&D). The last issue was set to have an adventure called Kill Bargle (the villain first introduced in the Mentzer Basic Players Book). Larry Elmore did the cover of it. I held the last copy at Gencon in my hands, but I put it back as I was trying to keep funds open for other things.

Paizo does some amazing work. If you have seen the Game Mastery stuff they do, then you know it's top notch stuff. Quality printing too. They do some nice D&D compatible modules as well. I wasn't really browsing their stuff too much at Gencon, but my local game store owner was showing me their Module D1: Crown of the Kobold King. Very nicely done with color pictures and everything. Paizo also offers most of the old D&D and AD&D modules and rulebooks online as pdf's for a low price.

When I put back that copy of Dragon, I had picked up the DVD of The Gamers. This was the movie I had screened on Friday, and I laughed hard throughout the movie. Funny, funny stuff. Paizo i selling the DVD though their website as well. Don't wanna get into it too much here, but you see the gamers at the table playing, and then we see the scenes as their characters do what The Gamers want then to. As I said, funny stuff, but I hope to get into it in another thread.

Though Paizo is not longer publishing Dragon or Dungeon, they have a new quarterly magazine in the works for gamers who need that fix. Also, they will continue to make D&D compatible modules through the D20 and OGL.

One of the companies that jumped on the D20 bandwagon in a big way was Goodman Games with their Dungeon Crawl Classics. This is basically a nod to the old days "when adventures were undeground and all NPC's were there to be killed." I've purchased a couple of their first level adventures and find them to be very old school in feel, even with the D20 rules. At Gencon, they were on my list for two reasons. First, they were doing a 1st Edition AD&D compatible module called Saga of the Witch Queen. I bought it.

Second, Erol Otus was brought in to sign autographs. Erol has done several covers for the Dungeon Crawl Classics line, but old schoolers will also remember his art graced the covers of Tom Moldvay Basic D&D and David "Zeb" Cook Expert D&D, among other books. As luck would have it, I found a copy of Cook Expert for an autograph on Friday and a Moldvay Basic on Sunday. Otus and Larry Elmore are two of my favorites, and I met them both.

Larry had a booth with all of his art, and there is some amazing work to buy and put on your walls. He did the covers of Frank Mentzer's Basic, Expert, Companion and Master Sets of D&D. I went to Gencon intending to get Larry, Frank and Gary Gygax to autograph my Basic D&D Book, and I did. How cool is that? To me, it's pretty cool. I had a dilemma. I wanted Larry's Basic and Expert pictures, but I didn't feel I had a way to bring them home that wouldn't screw them up. By the time I realized on Sunday that I could have shipped them home (duh!), I had spent too much money, going over my Gencon budget.

This was a shame as I had my eye on Larry's Art Book that covers his history in art. That is on my list for next time, and yes, a next time is being considered seriously. Once doesn't seem to be enough. Larry had various colored post cards and black & white stickers. Yes, it's the cheap way to get something, but I had to get something. Anything. His work is that awesome. If I could afford to have Larry (or Erol for that matter) do art for HotDC, it would happen. He had an amazing selection to choose from, some beautiful ladies too. By the way, there were some lovely ladies at the booth with him too, perhaps inspiration for his art?

Make no mistake, there was plenty of art on display and for sale at Gencon. In reading the 40 Years of Gencon Book I bought, I noticed that Larry was one of the instigators way back then who got a section at the convention for the artists. Medieval, SciFi, Fantasy, you name it, there was art for it. I didn't spend as much time as I'd have liked to looking at it all.

There was also a section for guests from the entertainment industry who were signing autographs, including Ellen Dubin (Lexx, The Collector), Matthew Atherton (Who Wants To Be A Super Hero), Lani Tapu (Frascape), Adrienne Wilkinson (Xena). I did grab a couple snapshots from the autograph booths, but alas, I didn't seek autographs as I'm not that familiar with their work.

There was a booth I happened to pass on Saturday for Dark City Games. That had what looked to be a very basic games called Legends and some affordable modules for it. It looked very basic, which is a plus for me. Too many companies make it all convoluted. In this age of computers and an easy option to just play World of Warcraft, we need basic games to get them back at the table. The more convoluted a game, the less likely to attract a new gamer. But, that's for another post. Fact is, Dark City appears to be a small company trying to get into the game, and I wanted to support the cause on Sunday. Alas, something else grabbed my money along the way.

The guy next to Crazy Egors took about $20 when he plopped down that Moldvay Basic book and the accessories to Basic D&D and Hollow World (many in shrink wrap still) at $2 a pop. Just missed a copy of Castle Amber too. Then, I grabbed the Gencon book, and that was it for me. The fact is, I could have easily sunk $200 or more at these used book booths (Crazy Egors, Troll & Toad and I forget, sorry). I was looking for B & X modules and some were there. I bought a few. One booth had some Companion and Masters Mods unmarked, but when I asked, ouch!!! Pricey.

I just can't convince myself to pay $20 or more for modules, even ones I don't have. I'm sure that's a fair price considering, buy there's this thing called ebay. Also, Half Price Books and other sources. My luck, I spend $20 on Rhasia (B7) and find it at the used book store for $5. I'll take my chances, thank you. As I said, I intend to come back, and maybe there will be a budget for me to spend more. Oh, the used game books and boxed sets these places have, a collector's dream. I did add a few affordable books to the collection at least.

The auction was going on accross the hall from the Exhibit Hall. Frank Mentzer and (Former Editor of Dragon Magazine in the early days) Tim Kask were there. Met Frank, didn't get a chance to meet Tim. The auction seemed to be a huge success. I missed getting a Keep on the Borderlands for $1 when I couldn't get my card out of the bag quick enough, but I got a BSolo Mod, the Ghost of Lion Castle. There were other items I'd have loved to have gotten, but you gotta keep your head at a place like this or money gets spent quickly.

One collector, probably a game store owner, sat with two others. One guy was on a laptop probably checking the going rates on things. These guys must have easily spent $500 to $1000 just during the time I was there. I'm sure there were a few people just wanting that one thing or another that didn't care for being outbidded by hoarders, but that's the way these deals go down. If you really want it, then you have to spend the money.

I'm in my third part of this column about the Exhibition Hall, and I fear I'm not doing it justice. I'm only giving you a small picture of things. I'll add a little more, though it's not gonna be enough. Only thing I can say is if you haven't gone, start making plans now and go.

Did you know there was a little obstacle course in the back behind the computer demo area for Segway Races? That's right, they have Segway Races there.

Mayfair Games had a booth. These guys were a co sponsor of Gencon, along with Wizards of the Coast, Upper Deck, Tenacious Games Inc. and WizKids. Mayfair does a wide variety of card and board games. You know, back in the 80's, Mayfair did Role Aids, which were compatible with AD&D. Tenacious is the company that makes The Spoils card game, and there was a Spoils Tournament. They also sponsored the Rukus On The Roof Party on Thursday. Some of the companies in this paragraph I'm not familiar with, but as sponsors, they helped make Gencon 40 go.

Card Games were represented. I can't really ignore that, but to be honest with you, I'm just not into them. Magic The Gathering allowed Wizards of the Coast the money to buy TSR and the D&D line back in 1997. When I was still occasionally playing Basic D&D with my cousin, I remember looking to see what this Magic stuff was all about. People looked like they had fun, but one look at the prices turned me off quick. $20 for a card in some cases? No thanks. Sure the card might help you win, but sheesh.

At Gencon, there were booths selling some of these cards, and they went higher than $20 for some cards, let me tell you. If people have fun playing Magic, The Spoils, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pirates and the other games, more power to them. That's really the point anyway. But it looks like it would get expensive real quick.

I wanna mention the clothing apparel, shirts, hats and the like. You could get a shirt with fantasy or SciFi art or whatever sayings they had on them. There were medieval outfits for sale. You could get your own shirt designed. Speaking of medieval, there were swords, daggers and that sort of stuff available as well. How will I get that on the plane? You could design your own foam weapon too. Lots and lots of miniatures were available for sale. In one area in the main hallway, there were miniature painting contests.

Need dice and dice bags? Well, there were lots of booths for that. Dice of every color and compound imaginable. Col. Zocchi had the Gamescience booth. He did a seminar that I attended, and I understand he's been to more Gencon's than anybody. I got a coupon for my Zocchi dice, and yes, I went and got it. His had a very informative seminar on game design, by the way.

Chessex was there with their assortment of dice, battle mats and other useful game accessories. I actually picked up one of their battle mats at my local game store a while back. You use their special pens to write on it, and windex will clean it right off at the end of the game session. Good stuff.

I'm going through my cards and stuff to cover a few tings in closing, but again, I'm only scratching the surface of things.

By the way, a starter pack for the World of Warcraft Card Game was included in every swag bag when you signed in. Haven't opened mine. Not surprised to see them doing this, but I would think they are making good money with the online game.

Got a sample card for a game called Scion, a scifi card game.

Got a couple cards for the new card game 24, based on the TV show, of course. They had a demo table at the booth.

Got a card for the Star Wars game. I believe this is a game put out by Wizards of the Coast. That one was demo'ing at the Wizards booth.

Another card for Stargate. As I said, lots of card games.

Got a few collectors cards at Weis & Hickman's DragonLance booth for the upcoming movie. One was signed by the voice actor. The character is Tasslehoff Burrfoot, voiced by Jason Marsden.

Got a card for something called Eve. I think it's a card game as well as an online role playing game.

Got a business card of Larry Elmore, because it looked pretty cool. If I had the money, I'd hire him in a minute to do art for my game.

A card for a game called Kill The Hippies. This one looks like it would be a fun game to play for laughs. The card appears to be the Font Of Revirginization.

Got a business card for something called itabletop.com. Sounds like it could be a useful tool for playing table top RPG's on line.

Dave Arneson signed a card for me that was when he won the Orgin's Hall Of Fame award. Pretty cool actually.

There was a post card sized card for National Security Decision Making Game. Trust No One. What made me grab the card was that it had a little kitten positioned at a window aiming a rifle towards the street. I got a chuckle out of that one.

I got a card for a game callec Skrall that offered 50% off the purchase at Gencon. I believe this is a scifi game.

Michael Stackpole, who did three of the writing seminars I attended, had a card for his podcast Fortress Draconis. this guy is an excellent speaker, and it is probably worth a listen.

I grabbed a couple cards for the card game Full Metal Alchemist.

By the way, it's worth the mention that there was plenty of Anime representation at Gencon.

Lulu.com had a booth. I plan to publish through them. When I got to Gencon, I thought I might be able to order Labyrinth Lord through them and my HotDC Charts Book that I had uploaded to their site, but they weren't set up for that. They do sell quite a bit of stuff that may interest RPG fans. What is really cool is anybody can publish a book through Lulu.

A game called Dragons of Kir was represented with a booth, and they handed out book marks. Looks like a fast paced, two player strategy board game that might be fun to check out. I think they had a demo table at the booth as well. It would probably take two FULL days to really go over everything in the Exhibition Hall and demo what you want to demo, and even that may not be enough time.

Cliche Games had a card for Dragon Hoard that read, "Did you know that 1% of the world's dragons own 90% of the world's wealth. Do you think that's fair?" dragonhoard.com is the site, but I haven't checked it out to see what it's all about.

There was a booth in the back for Fellowship of the Dice. They were screening this movie during the convention, but it didn't fit my schedule. I considered coming back to check out the DVD on Sunday, but alas, money was tight.

Got a card saying, "Join the revolution" It was for the 2nd Annual Indie Game Developers Showcase. It was an electronic gaming exhibit.

A card for something called Campaign Coins. I believe these people do coins you can use if you are a Live Action Role Player.

Got a card advertising a collectible strategy card game called Pox Nora. Looks like you could register online and get in on the game early.

Got a card for Days of Wonder. Looks like you can register to play online versions of Days of Wonder or Ticket to Ride for free for 60 days.

Got a card for a game called Prophesy - Heed The Warning. Looks like a role playing game on a world scale.

Got a Gleemax card. Before D&D 4th Edition was announced, Wizards of the Coast unveiled Gleemax. This will be part of their Digital Initiative and a way for gamers to hook up and get into other games.

It's worth noting that Robert E Howard Days was a part of Gencon. I know there were many fans of Conan. I grabbed a free comic. There were books and other stuff.

In the exhibition Hall, the Age Of Conan game was being unveiled. There was a booth with screens to demo the game, and free swag was given to all who visited the booth. Sounds like a fun game, and there are so many to choose from for those who don't have time or can't find a table to game to play.

Star Wars Galaxies had a 14 day free trial for their game. It says Celebrate 30 years of Star Wars. Has it been that long already? Wow!

Gods & Heroes - Rome's Rising had a card offering people to join their Beta Playtest. It's always nice to Beta Test if you can. I got to do that with Turbine's Asheron's Call. Didn't see Turbine represented, and I thought I would be for Lord of the Rings Online.

A card that had a 14 day free trial of Linneage 2 on one side and Dungeon Runners for 7 days on the other side. Wonder how the dungeons are in Dungeon Runners?

Geek Squad was there.

Atari was there.

Eidos was there.

Didn't see Obsidian there, but there was one screen to demo Neverwinter Nights 2's Expansion Pack (Mask of the Betrayer). With 4.0 rules coming out, wonder how long it will be before Neverwinter Nights 3 comes out?

But, they still play Neverwinter Nights 1. There was a flier advertising a free persistent world with NWN1. nwnaria.com is the place to check out if you want that online multi player experience without the monthly fee.

The ENnie's were held at Gencon for the 7th year, and they handed out fliers to let the people who didn't attend the banquet know who won. enworld.com is the place to go to check out that and other cool stuff. They are covering 4th Edition D&D pretty heavily there.

Got a flier from Immortal Eyes Games, makers of such board games as Pecking Order, Conquest of Pangea and Terra Nova.

Dronolan's Tower had a nice colored flier advertising music by gamers for gamers. hey had several CD's at their booth, and it can be a good mood setter for your games from what I heard.

Dwarven Forge had a flier advertising their Cavernous Lake Expansion Set 25mm gaming terrain for miniatures. If you do the miniatures thing in your D&D or other game, this stuff may be for you.

Gamer Print Shop had a flier. They print RPG Maps for Gamemasters and RPG Publishers.

Origins was there handing out swag bags and advertising their convention, which takes place June 25-29 in Colombus, Ohio next year.

Mark O'Bannon of Shadowstar Games had a little illustrated book called How To Tell A Story.

I also grabbed a poster and a little book for the computer game, The Witcher. The book was a short story called The Lesser Evil by Andrze J. Sapkowski.

They also had places for the kids. As I said, there was quite a bit to cover. I hope this gives you a decent idea of some of what was there. It's time for me to leave the Exhibition Hall.

Next

Seminars, Games And Other Fun Stuff

My Gencon Trip Part 7

2007-08-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Seminars, Games And Other Fun Stuff Part 2

What I Learned At Gencon

I am a writer. I have been for most of my life. For nearly 20 years, I covered auto racing in my area, mostly dirt tracks. I did a magazine of my own for 18 years, worked as a publicity director at two tracks and announced at three tracks. That's just some of the stuff I did. I have attempted on a few occasions to write a novel, only to have it end before completion. I do have one book complete and in the editing stages, but not the type of novel I'd like to write. I'll get into some of my attempts in a later post as they tie in with something else I discuss here on occasion.

I have other story ideas I'd like to pursue, some are of a fantasy or science fiction nature. I have the game as my main project now and another project covering racing that I'd like to get started on in 2008. But, I also have some story ideas I'd like to pursue. When I realized gaming wasn't an option at Gencon, I also noticed some interesting seminars on the schedule concerning writing novels and games. I decided to see what I could learn here. As it turns out, I learned quite a bit from one man alone. Well, the others were useful too.

Michael Stackpole is the man who impressed me the most. Obviously, others were impressed as well, because the three seminars I attended of his were packed. They were $7.50 a piece, and well worth the money. I could give you an in depth look at what he covered, but I'm not going to do that. First, I don't know that he would appreciate it, and second, it would get wordy very quickly here if I did. I do need to go back and retranscribe what he said as I will have a hard time reading some of my notes if I don't.

Before I go any further, Michael has two web sites I wanna plug here:

This is a page with a podcast of his creative work.

http://www.stormwolf.com/

This is a podcast for the serious writer. You wanna learn about technique and the basics, go here. I believe this one is subscription based, but it's worth it if you wanna be a writer.

http://michaelastackpole.com/thesecrets/podcasts/

I had no idea who any of the people running these seminars were, but I left being impressed with some of them. Let me say that Michael is very passionate about what he does. He loves to write, and it shows. He's not up there giving a line of bull. He's up there for the love of writing and the desire to see others be successful. I wouldn't hesitate to go to another one of his seminars next time.

The Writing Career and 21 Days to a Novel were two of Michael's seminars. The latter was maybe the most useful, but all three of them had information. I'll highlight some stuff.

1-21 days covers all the steps you need to take to outline what you want to do with your novel. It covers creating characters, giving them backgrounds, plot development and that sort of thing. Let me just say that I will be using these 21 steps to outline my future writing projects.

2-Michael advocates short chapters, around 2500 words, with endings that get people wanting to start on the next chapter. At 2200, he recommends looking for a way out of that chapter.

3-Michael wasn't the only person I heard say this, but 90,000 to 120,000 words is the recommended length of a book. The publishers generally pay by the word.

That's just a small example of what I learned in a little over 3 hours of Stackpole seminars. He says it's best to write about what interests you. Don't let anybody tell you you can't do it. Never start editing your book before you are finished writing it or you'll never get done. It sounds pretty basic, because it is. But, you'd be surprised at how many people lose their way in writing and never get done.

But, I don't wanna give away all of Michael's secrets. You really should check out his web site if you are interested. You won't be disappointed.

Colonol Louis Zocchi gave a seminar on how to sell your game design. Lots of useful information and lots of territory was covered. Zocchi is a dice manufacturer and an award winning game designer. He covered area such as what you need to put on the box of your game (don't use a bunch of flavor text. Briefly describe what is it, how many players, how long does it take to play and that sort of thing.) Originally, until just before I left for Gencon, the back of the HotDC Quick Charts book had flavor text on it.

He covered Copyright, Trademark, what the law is on copyrighting a game (The Anti Monopoly lawsuit was covered briefly), what to sell your game for and how the money is earned from writer to publisher to distributor, ISBN numbers, the dangers of printing too many copies of your game with your own money. He also explained why it's better to ask your printer how much to print 1000 copies (instead of 100) and places to get cheap boxes for your game.

There is a little bit about Zocchi over at this web page if you are interested:

http://www.advancinghordes.com/about_gamescience.php

Bringing Your Game Design Concept To Life, Game Design Theory & Principles and Getting Into Game Writing were the three other seminars I went to that focused on game writing, and all three were panel discussions. I found the Stackpole and Zocchi seminars to be more useful to me, but there was much information at these three as well. Let me just throw out a few observations as we are running long with this post too.

Bringing Your Game Design To Life

Mike Gray (Hasbro), Matt Forbeck (Author, Game Designer), Richard Garfield (Magic: The Gathering), Reiner Knizia (Game Designer, Board Games) were on the panel.

Gray offered lots of information on getting published by big companies, such as Hasbro. It's not easy, but I didn't think it was. You need a business agent to get your stuff submitted. They don't deal with designers. You have to go to a broker (Costs $100 or so). At this level, you're not just walking in there. Do you want to make a lot of money, or a little. It's about mass appeal, not just what you like. He had other helpful information for dealing with the "big boys" of game making.

Reiner jumped in and said that if your strategy is to get published by Hasbro, listen to Gray. His strategy was to get a few games published, so he went to smaller companies. Smaller companies are more easily approachable. There is better contact with smaller companies, because they live and die by these deals.

Richard pointed out that self publishing is a good way to go, because you will learn how to do it. The tools are so easy now in the age of in demand printing. Then, big publishers can look at a game that is published.

Matt pointed out that you don't have to have art to make the presentation, just use clip art. He adds that your art may be used, depending how good it is, but companies have their own artists.

It wasn't a bad seminar. I'm looking at self publishing at the moment, but it doesn't hurt to know this stuff.

Game Design Theories & Principles

There were four people on the panel here, Luke Johnson (Freelancer), Chris Pearson (DragonLance Writer), Don (RPGA Staff) and a guy whose name I missed (TSR, Wizards of the Coast).

There were fliers on the table when we came into the room, including a contact list of companies, Publishing 101, A Few Basics and Game Design Theory & Principles. This seminar highlighted some of the things you need to know about designing a game. Offer balanced choices for the players. Risk vs. Reward. Player Control vs. Designer Control. Make sure your design plot is forwarded regardless of what the players do. It gets too boring if the players have it too easy. You want them to seek out options for some challenges. Make sure the DM knows what the main plot is supposed to be so he can adapt things to his player's actions. There was more, but you get the general idea. All in all, good information here.

Getting Into Game Writing

Another panel. Part of my challenge getting to these things on time was booking some too close in time, but not close enough from building to building. Getting to the Embassy was a pain, and I was late for one of Stackpole's seminars by about 5-10 minutes. This one I was a few minutes late for as well, so I don't have panel names.

Like writing and playing. You have to be able to look at it analytically. Figure out what you like and go with that. You have to know the product front and back. Five years ago was the D20 boon, but it's not going to be that easy now. You have to be comfortable with writing on demand and deadlines. If you make deadlines, return calls & e-mails on time, you will be more popular with companies. Be professional. Have a friendly attitude, but not too friendly. You are just a cog in the wheel. There are others in the process. Hit your word limit. Don't go over or under it. Sometimes you can get into companies by doing a few things for free. Write reviews for games. Develop a good reputation in the forums. Companies notice that. You get the gist of it. Another good seminar.

When I learned of Dave Arneson's calling in sick for the Blackmoor seminar, I was disappointed. Dave Kenzer showed, which I'll get into in the next post. However, I was hoping to see Arneson in the 40 Years of Gencon seminar later that Friday. I went early. In fact, I was an hour early and ended up in another seminar, From, License To Game with Andrew Parks. I actually had to look for this yesterday, because I had no idea what this seminar was, and it wasn't listed in the book for this room at this time.

I had every intention of just bailing on the Gencon seminar if there was no Dave. I could have left Andrew's seminar, but I didn't want to be rude. There weren't that many people here, so I figured I'd listen. Andrew does card games, which I don't play, but I admit to thinking about the idea. Could I design a card game? Hmmm.... Well, Andrew discussed getting licenses for games. He did a 300 game based on that movie. The Harry Potter Card Game was another he mentioned. He's working on card games for Gremlins and Office Space. He talked about the challenges of getting use of the Intellectual Property for these games. Sometimes certain things are expected by the IP holder, because they don't want their characters acting in a way hat goes against how they are depicted on screen or in books.

It was an interesting seminar, and I'm glad I stayed. I see I have run long again, so we'll have to add another part to this ever growing Gencon Series.

Next

The Entertainment Seminars And Stuff

My Gencon Trip Part 6

2007-08-29T11:10:00.001-07:00

Seminars, Games And Other Fun Stuff Part 1

How It Became A Seminar Convention For Me

I wanted to get into a game or two. I'll be honest. Gencon is gaming. How do you go there and NOT partake in at least one game. Well, let me tell you how. You procrastinate. That's how. Gencon was on my radar for several months before I decided to go. Fear of flying held me back until it very nearly kept me from going. I happen to have a good friend, a best friend, actually. Like a brother to me. We did our share of good in the sport of auto racing once upon a time, and he and his wife offered the plane tickets and a place to stay. And you didn't jump on it immediately? You suck. Like I said, fear of flying.

Had I made the decision to go just two weeks earlier, I could have caught the tail end of prereg and signed up for a game. Had I done it even sooner, I could have had my pick of anything. Up until my arrival at The Convention Center on Wednesday, I had hopes of gaming, most of it old school stuff. Ken St. Andre himself was listed as Game master of some Beginner's Tunnels & Trolls sessions (it's been a while for me). Problem was I could find them on the web on Tuesday night, but not in the book on Wednesday.

I had brought a my copy of the Dungeon Board Game rules as a session was scheduled for what I thought was Thursday. It was Wednesday. Well, I was with my friend, he's not into the whole gaming thing and I didn't think it would be appropriate for me to sign up. He didn't mind, but I had made up my mind to try and make things as convenient for him as possible. After all, I'm here because of him, and I didn't want to be too greedy. Looking at the book on Wednesday, I decided to make this convention about the Exhibit Hall and Seminars. There were some entertainment ones I wanted to see and some writing and publishing ones. Gaming would have to wait til next time.

I believe there was gaming happening in places from 7 AM to 12 AM, so it could have been an option if I had stayed on site or nearby. That is a rather costly proposition for me, but had I made that investment, it would have enhanced the Gencon experience. My friend is graciously driving me back and forth, about a 30-40 minute drive, all four days. And, he's not a gamer, he's doing this for a friend. I'm getting there at about 10 AM and leaving at my self imposed curfew of 9 PM. Again, he wanted me to enjoy whatever I wanted to do there, but I could not see asking for more time considering how much he had already done.

I had considered the Motel 6 option, some 6 or 7 miles down the road, but even at that cheaper cost, it's gonna be another $200 or more easily. I wish I had the money, but I don't, not without spending money I really didn't have to spend. I'm sure there are plenty of Gencon goers who crossed that line. I sort of walked up to it on Sunday, but I didn't get carried away. But, I'm drifting a bit here.

If you are on staying on site or nearby, you have the option of using the early morning hours or the late evening hours to get a game in. There's not much else going on by then as the Exhibit Hall is closed and there are no Seminars happening. When I'm planning the next time and considering what I can and can't do, I will have to consider the place to stay option. This would make it so that my friend wouldn't have to do all of that driving back and forth, and it would also allow maximum Gencon time for gaming.

And believe me, it's never too early to start planning for the next Gencon. Registration will not open until April or May 2008 (I'd have to look), but there is a LOT to consider if you want to take it all in. Really, I'm not unhappy with the way this one went down. I made it an Exhibition Hall & Seminar Convention and learned, laughed and had fun. I bought some of my event tickets on Wednesday, along with a few Generic Gaming Tickets (which didn't get used).

After reading the event book more closely (it was a bit overwhelming on Wednesday), I thought I might have a chance on Thursday to get a game or two. Coupled with the fact that the Exhibition Hall wasn't opening until a 11 AM, I figured I'd take a shot at it. Well, I managed to get into the seminars, but Hackmaster For Beginners and Beginners D&D weren't gonna happen. The guy at the desk told me that before he even saw my slip. So, gaming was just not in the cards.

I did try one more time (as mentioned in another post), but no success. The wish list for next time is some D&D, Hackmaster, old Basic D&D, T&T, HeroQuest, Dungeon and Decent. That's right off the top of my head. I walked past the open gaining area several times during my frustrating attempts to get from the Hyatt to the Embassy, but the seminars were booked too close together to find time to make an attempt at the open gaming.

All through the weekend, I walked past areas that had games happening. The D&D room was busy all the time. There were lots of card games set up. There were many board games. Miniatures set in several different types of games, from fantasy to war to science fiction. But, alas, I never had a chance to do more than walk by the rooms and look inside.

It mirrors my frustration with the way things are here. The people I have gamed with are all gone, moved away. The game has changed, and I'm unable to find something I can fit into. My game local store is moving closer and will have open game rooms available, but alas, I don't think he would want any of the games I'd like to play to happen there. Labyrinth Lord is new and on sale, but the community seems to have a problem with the OSRIC document. I haven't discussed anything to do with HotDC with him as I'm still not where I would like it to be. This is one reason I'm looking at 4th Edition D&D. It will be a new edition, and perhaps a new chance to find a game. I still prefer the old school basic stuff though.

So, for seminars, I lined up several very informative ones about writing, a few on game design, one on card games that I mistakenly walked in on and stayed for, a couple from KenzerCo., one on DragonLance, Forgotten Realms, one on 40 Years of Gencon that had Dave Arneson, a Blackmoor seminar Dave Arneson called in sick for, a screening of The Gamers movie and a bit of Hickman's Killer Breakfast.

As we wrap up this seven part feature, I will cover a little bit of what was discussed at the Seminars I was at.

Seminars, Games And Other Fun Stuff Part 2 - What I Learned At Gencon

My Gencon Trip Part 9

2007-08-28T15:43:00.001-07:00

Seminars, Games And Other Fun Stuff Part 4

DragonLance Movie, Hickman's Killer Breakfast, Forgotten Realms And Costumes

I really thought I could wrap this up in the last post, but I got too wordy with the Kenzer stuff. No problem though. This post should wrap things up, I hope.

Forgotten Realms Lives

Once upon a time, back in the late 80's, a campaign setting was created for AD&D called Forgotten Realms. It was created by Ed Greenwood. Ed had been writing novels and creating stuff for TSR for years before that. I have some of his Dragon Magazine articles, and I had my hands on one of his Companion Edition modules at Gencon (put it back as it was a little pricey). I don't know the exact story, but Forgotten Realms would replace the Gygax created Grayhawk as the #1 campaign setting of AD&D. Even now, just a few years into the existence of Eberron, The Forgotten Realms is #1.

It's easy to understand why. The Forgotten Realms is everywhere. If you are not in the game, you can read books about characters in the land, such as Greenwood's Elminster Aumar and R. A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden. Many of the best D&D computer games are based in the Forgotten Realms, such as Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, three games I have played and enjoyed. I also have the Undermountain 1 & 2 Boxed Sets, and within the last year was actually able to successfully play to completion the bug riddled Descent To Undermountain (I rather liked that game). Let's not forget the Gold Box games SSI made based in the Forgotten Realms.

Yep, FR is everywhere, and the room was packed with players wanting to know that the setting would live in 4th Edition D&D. It will. Are you kidding? The FR is a cash cow. It's not going anywhere. As Greenwood and the panel explained in this 2 hour presentation, the best is yet to come. Greenwood doesn't do the act of putting on the wizard's hat and becoming Elminster anymore. I would have loved to see that actually. You can tell he's still excited about the future of the world he created.

Ed confessed that he misses the days of the boxed set with all the maps, such as Undermountain 1 & 2 had back in the day. The Expedition To Undermountain book that came out a couple months ago was lacking in the map department. Now the map to the old boxed set was something you could get lost in, or spend a whole night gaming with it and still not get very far. Ah, the old days of the serious dungeon crawl...

If you are late to the Elminster party, Ed revealed that the Annotated Elminster hard cover set is coming. It features The Making Of A Mage, Elminster In Myth Drannor and The Temptation Of Elminster, along with behind the scenes stuff from Ed. Oh, and there is lots of Salvator's Drizzt goodies coming in the future, and more Drizzt vs. Elminster comparisons by fans too, I would guess.

Richard Baker has a book coming called Sword Mage. Halberg of Moonsea comes home and finds that all is not as it should be. What's going on? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out. And, there are other novels coming as well.

Now, in 4th Edition D&D, not all of the FR will be covered in the books the way people may like, at least not at first. The reason is the cost of printing. It's not cheap. Some material for 4th Edition FR will have to go into the Digital version of Dragon and Dungeon Magazines, which will require subscriptions. However, it sounds as if the first campaign setting book to come after the core rule books are released next year will be for the Forgotten Realms. There will be a book to help you create Realms characters, and the first (as of yet unnamed) module is also in the works.

Yep, the Forgotten Realms lives, and it figures to continue for the foreseeable future. Now, if we could get a little bit of love for Mystara...

Weis, Hickman And DragonLance

I'm not sure what the future as a campaign setting for DragonLance is, but I'll yell you one thing. It has loads of fans, and they seem to want more. I'm less familiar with DL than FR, but when I heard the next D&D Movie would be in a DL setting, I wanted to know more. Recently, Wizards of the Coast revoked the license from Margret Weis & Tracy Hickman to create more adventures in that campaign setting. As I don't know all the details, I won't say anything else, but they did comment on stage that they weren't happy about the situation.

I would guess not. A movie is coming out with the possibility of more, and suddenly this happens. I hope for the best. Wizards has to realize the possibility to make money here, and the creators of this setting should still be a part of it's future. They certainly seem like they want to be. Then again, if Wizards can have people other than Gygax creating Grayhawk stuff...

At this point, we'll have to wait and see and hope for the best.

Let me just throw a link to what is still the official DragonLance page for now.

http://www.dragonlance.com/

They showed a trailer to the packed room of several hundred people. The movie is called Dragons of Autumn Twilight, by the way. Some of it was in black and white as it was still unfinished. We heard some of the musical score to the movie and a making of the musical score film was shown. Among the cast for this movie:

Tanis Half-Elven: Michael Rosenbaum

Raistlin Majere: Kiefer Sutherland

Verminaard: David Sobolov

Goldmoon: Lucy Lawless

Flint Fireforge/Fewmaster Toede: Fred Tatasciore

Tika Waylan: Michelle Trachtenberg

Caramon Majere: Rino Romano

Tasslehoff Burrfoot: Jason Marsden

They have assembled a good cast of voice actors for this one. It was mentioned that Sutherland insisted on getting all the pronunciation right on the words. They said he was really into doing the job right.

They want to do sequels to this movie. Paramount is putting it out and has the option to do a theater release in November, but they are hoping for direct to DVD. The reason they want to go straight to DVD is there is a better chance to make money, and that gives them a better chance to make more movies. Sound logical to me. People are hoping for a better D&D movie than the first two.

An army of dragons descends upon Krynn after 300 years of peace, and they have to assemble an army to save themselves. The movie will be about an hour long, and Margaret Weis was involved in the making of this movie all the way. They are using some 3D effects in certain key scenes, and some will be regular animation. The reason being they want to tell the story and thought the best way would be with regular animation. The destruction of Istar is in this film. The story is contained within this film. As for when they will know if they will be able to make a second film, they say within 90 days of the release. They wanted to do a making of the movie book, but finally gave up as Wizards bogged things down.

All in all, it sounds like it should be a winner. I'll be checking it out when it comes out.

Now, Tracy and Laura Hickman have a little tradition they do at Gencon called The Killer Breakfast. Stupid me, when i came to the event, I actually thought it was a breakfast. What it is is Tracy up on stage with his wife hosting an informal game where all of the players die and are immediately replaced by another player. There are games and other fun stuff that happen during the 2 hour tradition. The honor is getting up there and having you character killed. Maybe you last a few minutes or a few seconds. The crowd gets a laugh out of it, and this is what it is all about. Members from the crowd get up there and their characters get killed, right along with celebrity's such as Gary Gygax and their characters.

I wasn't there for a long time, but I enjoyed the time I was there.

Costumes & The True Dungeon

I have mentioned this elsewhere, so I won't get into it too much, but there were people in costumes throughout the weekend. Everything from elves to demons to wizards to storm troopers to Darth Vader to Klingons to orcs. Well, there were some pretty neat costumes, let me tell you. They had contests at various times during the weekend, and I'll bet the judges had a hard time picking the winners. This is the fun part of any con, checking out the costumes people go to great lengths to make. I didn't take nearly enough pictures, and the camera I was using made it a challenge. I'd consider taking part in something like this, but I wouldn't even know where to start.

There was also the True Dungeon event. I had read about this when it came out to Gencon LA a few years ago. At a cost of $40, I decided not to partake. It sounds interesting, but I need to do a little more research on it before spending the money. Maybe next time. As I don't know much more than it being the size of an actual dungeon that you explore, I'll include a link to the page here.

http://www.truedungeon.com/true/dungeon.html

In Closing

That about wraps it up. I hope I gave you a decent idea of some of what happened at Gencon 40. I know I didn't see all I could, but who does? This is a huge event, and you have to see it to believe it. I'm glad I made it on the 40th Anniversary of the convention. What a time to pick my first visit. I learned things, met some of my gaming heroes, was there when D&D 4th Edition was unveiled, added to my collection and had fun. I'm not sure if I will get back there next year, but I am already considering it. If you've never been there, you should make the trip and check it out. Heck, come a few days earlier and see the sights, check out a race and have some fun. Indianapolis and Indiana in general is beautiful in the summer. You won't be disappointed.

My Gencon Trip Part 2

2007-08-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Meeting The Fathers Of The RPG As We Know It

The fact is that Gary Gygax AND Dave Arneson are the fathers of the RPG as we know it. Without BOTH of them, the hobby would be very different. Most people are more familiar with Gary. Why shouldn't they be? He is the man who guided TSR and Dungeons & Dragons for over a decade. He wrote the original book, based on Arneson's notes and his own ideas thrown in. He then authored 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and commissioned (is that the right word?) Basic D&D to be written by Dr. Holmes, then Tom Moldvay and finally Frank Mentzer. He authored numerous adventure modules, not to mention creating Grayhawk. He authored many articles for Dragon Magazine. He went to Hollywood and got the D&D Cartoon made. His leadership led to the first computer and video games with the D&D name on it.

And that's just some of what Gary did with D&D. He was the face of the company, and he seemed to love it. The fans have grown to respect him and his opinion. These days, Gary is just as busy as ever, authoring a new set of rules for his Lejendary Adventure game, published by Troll Lord Games. He also has authored several supplements for Castles & Crusades, a game that attempts to come as close as you can to 1st Edition AD&D using a D20 system. He has a new campaign setting for C&C. Oh, and there's that spot he did on Futurama a few years back.

Gary was a Guest of Honor and was available for autographs throughout the weekend. He even did seminars for 40 Years of Gencon and Religion In Gaming. Unfortunately, I missed them both. You better believe the lines outside the Troll Lord Games booth for his autograph were long, and Gary took the time to chat, pose for pictures and autograph whatever book was presented to him. I had my Mentzer Basic D&D book for him, but he also autographed the Lejendary Adventure Essentials boxed set I purchased.

It's great to see that Gary is making the effort to do something more basic for the fans like the LAE Set. He has been commenting on that at Enworld lately about the need for this. The Trolls will also be doing something like the old Basic Boxed Set soon. It seems the gaming companies are finally realizing a need for this, and I'm sure Gary's prodding of The Trolls helped speed them up. By the way, the Troll Lord Games guys were very curious and answeed any questions about C&C. They had a small white box for C&C that was in the style of the original D&D. I'm waiting for Basic C&C.

So, what do you say to Gary? Actually, it was more "fan boy" stuff from me. Thanks for the great work and I really enjoy the posts on the various forums. I'm sure Gary heard that type of stuff all weekend, and it probably gets old. But, this was a man who seemed to really enjoy interacting with the fans who have helped put him there. I'm sure The Trolls realize how lucky they are to have Gary as part of the team, or I hope they do.

Guys like Gary and Dave made it all possible. I know Gary realizes how much he's appreciated. However, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for Dave. This is just my observation, and I realize I could be off the mark with what I'm about to say. But, I'm gonna say it anyway. Dave's always been the guy in the shadows. After the Original D&D came out with his name next to Gary's, he was moved down to the Basic line. I say moved down when Basic is the game I loved, because most people who played AD&D back in the day didn't look at Basic with much respect.

There were lawsuits that Gary and Dave don't discuss to this day, and I wouldn't ever ask. Was Gary creating AD&D to leave Dave out of things, or was he doing it because the game needed defining of rules? That's a debate I'll stay away from, but you can look at AD&D and see it's a different feel from Basic. More complex and in many ways a much different game. But, as AD&D gained popularity, Gary became more popular. Dave? Not so much. Could there be hard feelings? Oh, you hear rumors, but I'm not going there.

Think about it, though. It's 1970. Dave has veered away from the war miniature game to an individual character game that takes place in the dungeons under Castle Blackmoor. Whole new terminologies have been created and new methods to resolve situations. The game is being created on the fly. Dave kept a now legendary note book to keep track of his rulings. This game was very popular in his circles in Minnesota. It wasn't just a campaign setting, it was a game. Where would D&D be if Dave didn't create Blackmoor? How many gamers know this or even care? Yet, the game existed, and people from Dave's table even admit that the main difference between Dave's Blackmoor and Gary & Dave's D&D (1974) is they now had rulebooks they could use.

It struck me as a bit sad that while they are lining up to see Gary, Dave is over at the far end in a wheel chair, talking to a few visitors as they come. If it bothered him, I heard nothing. What did bother him was being in that damn wheel chair, and I can't blame him there. When I was in Indy the week leading up to Gencon, I received word that Dave may not make it to Gencon. I can see where, health wise, he probably didn't feel up to it, but as a game designer who had done so much for the hobby, he wanted to be there and be a part of it.

I was in the hallway waiting to get in to the Exhibit Hall Thursday when Dave was wheeled past me. I was thinking, "Is that Dave?" He looked familiar from pictures, but I had never seen him before. When I got to the far end of the hall, I saw Dave at the Zeitgeist Games booth. He asked that no pictures be taken, which I respected. I thought it was cool that he gave me a card with his picture that he autographed. I'm not a player of 3.5 D&D, but I did pick up Blackmoor and The Dungeons Under Blackmoor books.

For the autograph, I pulled out a copy of Dave's First Fantasy Campaign book from 1977. He was surprised to see it and commented that it was a nicer copy than the one he had. We made idle chit chat. Dave remarked that the chair wasn't very comfortable. I commented how cool it must have been to be at the table for those early sessions when he was creating this stuff. He said that they didn't have a book and jokingly asked what book God used to create the world? I found that amusing. They really were putting something special together back then.

This is one of the things I think the Wizards have done right since unveiling D&D 3.0. They have made an effort to respect both Dave and Gary for what they did. I'm sure both would have an open door to create a module if they wanted. There's no attempt to exalt one above the other. D&D wouldn't be where it is today without both of them. Gary may have the more impressive looking resume, but without Dave, I doubt D&D would even exist.

So, I was looking forward to some old stories of Blackmoor on Friday. There may have been ten people in the room, if we were lucky. I can't believe that's all we could get to hear Dave speak of Blackmoor. Why? Was it lack of advertising? Lack of interest in gaming history? I tend to think it could have been better if it had been properly hyped. It turned out, Dave didn't show. He wasn't feeling well, or so we were told. We got Dave Kenzer instead. Not that I mind Kenzer as I am a fan, but I came for Blackmoor, of which he knew nothing.

A couple hours later, Dave was on hand for the 40 Years of Gencon seminar, so I got to hear a few old stories. It made me wonder about the no show. I don't doubt he wasn't feeling well, but the lack of signups made me wonder if he was a little disappointed in the numbers. I could be way off base here, but I'm just being honest. If you're not feeling well to begin with and maybe ten (of 100) people sign up to hear you tell a story of how it all began, what do you do? Dragon Lance and Forgotten Realms were packed for their seminars. I guess it was a bit disappointing that Dustin or somebody from Zeitgeist Games didn't come in Dave's place, but what the heck. The seminar was free anyway.

With D&D 4.0 on the way, fewer and fewer people may care about events that took place over 35 years ago. Sad, but true. I know Gary feels the love, but I'm not sure about Dave. Of course, Gary has a bigger presence in the community than Dave these days, and I'm sure that's a personal choice. It is a business, and the more you put out, the more you will get back. In the end, it was still nice to meet both of them and to thank them for their work. I doubt I would be working on my own game if not for what they did all those years before.

To be continued...

Next

Roaming The Exhibition Hall

My Gencon Trip Part 3

2007-08-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Roaming The Exhibition Hall Part 1

On Thursday, my primary goal was to roam the Exhibition Hall and pick up a few items that I had planned to buy. With all of the seminars I had booked for the weekend, this was the longest span of open time I had available. Really, you need the better part of a day to take it all in, and more if you want to sample the demo games. There were lots of demos, and some of them looked pretty fun.

I had a few goals in mind for Thursday, pretty simple ones actually. I wanted to get a new boxed set of Tunnels & Trolls. The Flying Buffalo booth was one of the first I saw, so I headed over to it. As luck would have it, T&T's creator Ken St. Andre, happened to be working the booth. There was a copy of 7th Edition T&T, which I've heard has several changes from the rules I remember. The person next to me actually bought that one. Ken was talking to another person who was interested in the game and made another sale.

T&T was the second RPG game to hit the shelves after D&D. I still have my old copy of it. I believe it was my friend Brian who introduced me to this game after he showed me D&D. I liked the fact that you could play it solo and the rules are very simple and easy to learn. Plus, it's a six sided dice system. It's nice to see the game still lives. Actually, Flying Buffalo released a quick start rule book and Goblin Lake adventure on Free RPG Day, and I made sure to get a copy.

I also happened to sign up for three writing seminars done by Michael Stackpole (this will be covered in my next post). I didn't know Michael was doing them or really who he was. His seminars impressed me though. Michael did some solo adventures for T&T, and I got a copy of Sewers Of Oblivion at the booth. Later, Michael would autograph it for me. After purchasing my new T&T boxed set, I had Ken autograph my old book.

Flying Buffalo has an award winning play by mail service, snail and e-mail. One of the neat things about T&T is how easy it is to learn the rules. If you don't happen to have a group to play with, they have you covered. Just create a character and get one of their many solo adventures. I believe they were the inspiration of Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone's very popular Fighting Fantasy books.

The Steve Jackson Games booth was also on my list. They do the popular Gurps RPG and the Munchkin card game, among other things. I've seen the Munchkin card game at my local game store, and it looks like it could be a lot of fun. If I had a group to play with I'd probably have given it a try. I had thought of bringing The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain or one of my other FF books for Steve to sign, but I didn't. I thought I might find a copy there, but no such luck. Not sure if Steve was even there, but the booth had a lot of cool stuff.

I already mentioned elsewhere that Dave Arneson was on my list. I had a First Fantasy Campaign book and map (from 1977) in nice condition that I recently won on ebay. I had to get that signed. Dave is at Zeitgeist Games these days and graciously signed my FFC Book. I already mentioned that elsewhere, so I won't get too much into details here. I'm happy to see Dave is actively involved in the game, even if it is one of the lesser hyped deals. I get the feeling he may not be comfortable promoting himself.

Dave was a name on the Basic D&D book to me for a long time. I could have had him autograph the copy I brought, but it didn't seem right to do that. I'll spare you the reasons why. Recently, I've taken an interest in Blackmoor and learning more about the first Dungeon Crawl in RPG history. It's fascinating stuff. You know, a few years ago, Dave screened his documentary, Dragons In The Basement, at Gencon to nice reviews. I asked him if that would get to DVD soon, and he said not in the near future. I hope it makes it one day as this is a story the 3.5 and soon to be 4.0 crowd needs to hear.

I could have left with my autograph, but I decided to support the cause and get the Blackmoor Campaign book. There was just one problem. There was a Dungeons Under Castle Blackmoor book, and I recognized some of the maps from the First Fantasy Campaign book. I decided to get both. I'm not playing 3.5 these days, but this looks like a nice read. Plus, it could come into play one day at my table.

The KenzerCo booth was a must. I hit that one early on too. Hackmaster and Aces & Eights were both featured prominently along with Knights of the Dinner Table books. I got the latest Bundles Of Trouble book and Knights #95. Nearly have all of the first 100 in the series now, and that will be covered after two more issues of the BOT. I credit discovering this comic, I guess five or six years ago now, for rekindling my interest in RPG's.

The Kenzer Crew was all cautious and dressed in western wear to promote Aces & Eights. I've never really been a western fan, but that's just me. TSR failed to reach me with Boot Hill too. I will say that they really did a nice job with the A&E book, and if Hackmaster's next edition is that nice looking, it could win people over. The old Hackmaster was represented, but I've got to wonder if that many people bought it. You see, it was done with satire and based on AD&D 1st Edition Rules.

People who have bought Hackmaster have enjoyed many sessions. Heck, Kenzer even started the HMA (Hack Master Association). You get a licence to hack and everything. It's like the RPGA, I suppose. I doubt Wizards of the Coast expected much from Hackmaster when they granted the seven year deal on the licence, but people bought it and the mods Kenzer did, like Little Keep On The Boarderlands. Unfortunately, Hackmaster in this edition is done. The licence has expired.

Kenzer said they decided not to renew, and they probably did. They've been working on a new edition of Hackmaster for a while. But, it's very likely that Wizards wasn't going to renew anyway, and this was Kenzer's way of parting on their own terms and avoiding the backlash that would come out against Wizards. Wizards didn't renew with Paizo on Dungeon or Dragon Magazine. The two will be pdf's on the Internet now. They also didn't renew DragonLance with it's creators Hickman and Weis.

The rumors were this was because 4th Edition D&D was coming. Was it? Well, of course you know that now.

Kenzer is not giving up on Hackmaster. Aces & Eights is their main focus now. It's the one on the shelves, and it's good business to get behind it now. They will support old Hackmaster to some extent, while working on the next edition that should come out in 2009. Kingdom of Kalamar, once made for D&D, will become the Hackmaster setting with the next edition. Plus, there will be a Basic Hackmaster. With A&E out now, The Knights going strong and Hackmaster in the development stages, the future looks bright for the guys at KenzerCo.

Basic Editon Games has been something Gary Gygax has preached about for years. If you follow his threads at enworld or Dragonsfoot, you know that Gary has spoken of the need for it. Well, the Lejend Master himself has been busy at Troll Lord Games. I finally got to meet him on Saturday. I purchased his LA Essentials boxed set and had him sign that and my Basic D&D book. But, this has been covered elsewhere.

The Trolls have done well with Castles & Crusades. Using the D20 Licence, they have attempted to emulate 1st Edition as closely as they legally can. There are those (OSRIC) who emulate it even closer, but they aren't in business. Anybody trying to make money at this is a little wary of OSRIC, because that document hasn't been legally tested. I have more on that subject from the convention, but I'll put it in the post where I discussed it. Part 5 or 6 of this series.

Basically, The Trolls have done a nice job using the D20 to do what they've done. All of their core books were on sale. The cover artist had a booth next to them. There was a C&C Boxed Set based on D&D (1974) with the D20, but I'm looking forward to checking out the Basic C&C Boxed Set, which is coming soon from what I hear. C&C is about the closest thing being marketed to what an old school D&D gamer might be looking for. I my neck of the woods, they still have a hard time getting shelf space in the D&D dominated game stores

And D&D was represented in full force. Wizards had a big booth at the back of the Exhibition Hall where D&D, Magic and other games were demo'ed. 4dventure? What the heck is that. On Thursday, we had no clue. The TV screens at the booth just had the 4dventure picture. That evening, it was announced. 4th Edition is coming in 2008.

To Be Continued...

Roaming The Exhibition Hall Part 2

More From Wizards, Paizo, Goodman Games, Larry Elmore, Used Games, Computer Games, Card Games, The Auction and more...

My Gencon Trip Part 1

2007-08-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Road To Gencon

Will I go, or won't I? That was the question. I didn't know for sure, but I had an offer very early on to sponsor my plane ticket and give me a place to stay from an old friend. The trip would be a combo of Gencon, visiting my good friend and checking out some racing in the great state of Indiana. For 25 years or so, I was involved in racing here in California. I published a magazine for 18 years, announced, handled race track publicity and started a division with my friend that is still going strong. But, that's for another blog.

Racing slowly put an end to my gaming hobby. When I focus on something as intently as I did racing, other interests just don't get the time. The books were put up, though I added to my collection occasionally when I found something I liked. Computer RPG's such as Neverwinter Nights (AOL), Neverwinter Nights 1, Asheron's Call and Baldur's Gate had to serve as my RPG experience. Even now I have a hard time getting back to the table as my friends have all moved.

I believe I have already posted about working on a game a few years ago and them coming back to start on HotDC, so I'll spare you that. The Gencon possibility was there, but do I get on a plane? I was freaked at the idea. About a week before I made the decision to go, I learned that Dave Arneson would be there and would be doing a Blackmoor seminar. Then, I heard Frank Mentzer would be there. You know, Tom Moldvay passed away this year, so I finally made the decision to go. I wanted to meet these people while they were still here.

In another post that I will call Stupid Things We Did At The Table, I will recall some of the memories of my early days. Basic D&D was a big part of my life throughout the 80's, particularly from 82-85. I still recall the Gencon ad in the back of Moldvay Basic. I wanted to go then, and as I was on the plane. I still couldn't believe I was going. I was really going. What was it going to be like? I had no idea.

The first mistake I made was not signing up ahead of time. They offer preregistration for a reason. Take advantage of it. My excuse was the plane, but not next time. Flying was actually fun, and it didn't take that long. I figured on beating the lines by registering on Wednesday. I did, but I missed out on getting into the games I wanted to play because of waiting that long. I've been itching to get back at the table again, so this was a bit disappointing.

What I was hoping for was a Beginner's D&D game or two. I'm not too familiar with 3.5 rules and didn't want to slow things down. I was also looking at Tunnels & Trolls for a session or two, but I missed the boat on that. There was a Dungeon Board Game happening on Wednesday, but I opted not to do that as I was with my friend and didn't feel right about doing it then. He's not a gamer, he's racer. So, gaming wasn't looking like a possibility.

I did pop into the RPGA room on Saturday to see about getting in a Beginner game. I had a few Generic Tickets I thought I could use. I thought it would require two of them, but I heard $30 from one of the organizers. Now, I wanna game, but $30 is a bit steep for a 2 hour session. Probably should have checked out the open table area, but Seminars and wandering the Exhibit Hall were my main plans for the event. Next time, it will be Game Time!

Gencon is about gaming, and if you want in the game, register early and reserve your seats at the table online. And, let me tell you, there are a lot of games to choose from. If you want card games, RPG's, war miniatures or whatever, it's happening at Gencon. New games and out of print games are happening. I would love to see about getting into an old Basic D&D game next time or perhaps starting one. I'm learning how this all works, so maybe next time.

So, I didn't get into the game. What was I doing then? Walking through the Exhibition Hall and attending several seminars. Some of the seminars were for fun, like Dragon Lance, Forgotten Realms and Knights of the Dinner Table related events. Others were for learning, such as Michael Stackpole's excellent writing seminars and Col. Zocchi's seminar on getting a game published. I learned quite a bit, and I had a few laughs as well.

Then, there was the Exhibition Hall. I had a plan laid out for buying some of the stuff I was interested in on Thursday and being a "fan boy" for certain autographs. I would do this throughout the weekend. What will follow is more about my experience as well as my observations and opinions on some of the things I saw. I offer only a tiny glimpse of what I saw. There is so much I didn't see that I will be looking for next time. I did take pictures with my cheap digital. Some are posted and some will be.

To be continued...

Next

Meeting The Fathers Of The RPG As We Know It

What's The Holdup With HotDC?

2007-08-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Actually, it was sitting on Lulu at 32 pages and ready to go. I could have put the Quick Start Charts book out there and got to work on the Dwarven Dungeon. I need to get a few more ideas and a second level map drawn up for that, and then it's ready for the typing stage. But, back to the charts...

After Gencon, I got to thinking. Is there something missing that would make it better? Understand, it was never my desire to make this project the full book with all the bells and whistles. It was basically a reference for me to go over my notes easier. However, it took on a life of it's own, got bigger and bigger and became what it is.

But could I add something more to it? The Creature and Incantation lists are very basic. You get what you need to make it work. The Treasure Charts with respect to magic are basic as well. They will be fleshed out further in the main rulebook. Combat went from a basic chart to bigger explanation in this book because it was needed.

As I prepared for Gencon, I felt certain this was ready to go. It was uploaded. The covers were uploaded. The pdf was set for free, while the book has a slight fee. But I wanted to take a final look at things in Indy before going ahead with it. Alas, I never had enough computer time to do much. I could have released it, but I chose not to.

On the plane flight home, I thought about it and decided I could do one more thing. The intro in the book has been expanded, and so has the section for Character Creation. I felt it was needed to make it easier to start playing. I have even redone the covers. Unfortunately, I have no artist, so I'm doing what I can with what I have. Still looks pretty nice. I also have a name for my gaming effort and basic logo, which will be announced soon.

If all goes well, I would like to redo the book and possibly put it on Lulu within a week. It needs to be done right, so I'm not setting a firm date. What I want is for somebody to look at this book and be able to start a game within minutes. Stay tuned for more information.

Batch #6 of Gencon Photos (Kenzer Fun)

2007-08-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

The final batch. This one is from the KenzerCo. Meet & Greet and The Knights Of The Dinner table Live Reading. Lots of fun at both of these events. I think it would be a blast to game with these guys. They love what they are doing, and it shows.

This is Mark Plemmons. In addition to being part of the Kenzer Development Team, he was pretty busy setting things up before both events. Pretty nice guy. I missed getting his autograph on the Bundles Of Trouble copy I brought to the con. It was one of my favorite covers with fictional game designer Gary Jackson and his son walking off into the sunset. This was the issue that dealt with the death of Gary Jackson. Though not necessarily based on a real person, Gary's first name come from Gary Gygax and the last name comes from Steve Jackson.

From left to right, Steve Johansson , David Kenzer and Knights creator Jolly Blackburn. The left an empty chair next to Steve in honor of D Team Member Brian Jelke, who couldn't make it to he convention. You'll notice the white board behind Steve. When something particularly finny was mentioned, Steve would make a note of it on the board, to more laughs. Tried to get a picture of the board, but it wasn't showing up.

David & Jolly are two of the people to watch in the industry. David's Kingdom of Kalamar started KenzerCo. Now, he has a well paying job as a lawyer, which allows him to keep KenzerCo. going during the lean times. His passion for gaming shows in products like Kalamar, Aces & Eights and Hackmaster. Jolly did a magazine called Shadis several years ago, which is where the first strip for Knights of the Dinner Table appeared. Eventually, he left Shadis and started The Knights book. Shirtly after that, he joined Kenzer, and the rest is history. Knights is not only an awesome gamers comic, it has several interesting articles. With Dungeon and Dragon Magazine no longer being printed, KotD is one of the few remaining in print.

Every year at Gencon, fans of KotD fill a big room one night for live readings of some of the best strips of the past. There were some good ones this year. My favorite may have been the inspired reading from the five guys who did a strip from The Black Hands. This is another group that is part of the Knights universe. They spend as much time fighting each other as they do their enemies, and they are getting a pep talk by their DM Nitro prior to entering the Hackmaster Tourney at GaryCon. Funny stuff!!!

Mark Plemmons gets the sound set up before the show and lays out all of the comics that will be read live during the night. Great job Mark!!!

Before the reading, they had a guy (missed the name, but I will post it if I get it) who sang two gamer songs. He did Dice Life to the Smash Mouth song All Star and did Still D&D To Me to Billy Joel's Still Rock N Roll To Me. Good stuff.

Prizes for the Live Readers. There was a certificate for 1 Potion Of Healing and one for 100 Experience Points.

This one was for 214 GP's, 36 SP's and 1087 CP's. Every gamer should have one of these framed on their wall. I like the Potion of Healing on. I wonder if you could get the DM to honor it though?

Packed rooms greeted the D&D Q&A and this Forgotten Realms Seminar. People want to know what's up with he Realms. Well, several books are coming, both paper back and hard cover. Plus, a Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting is coming right after the 4.0 Core Books are released, followed by an adventure which they didn't name.

The bearded gentleman by the screen is Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood. He's been a part of the D&D world for probably 30 years or more. The Realms have become the primary D&D Campaign Setting, or at the very least the top seller of settings. The future still looks bright for this setting, and as I mentioned, more books are coming too. Ed made a comment about wishing there had been more maps for the expedition To Undermountain book that came out this year, but they have to think about cost. They can't afford all the boxed sets like they did back in the 80's. It was mentioned that there will be plenty of Forgotten Realms content as part of the D&D Insider deal that would appear in the digital Dragon and Dungeon Magazines, for a monthly fee of course.

This one should have been in Batch #5 as it is from the D&D Game Room. This is the guy who will set you up with your character for the next game session.

Batch #5 of Gencon Photos

2007-08-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Batch #5 from my Gencon collection. I'm not a photographer, but I did what I could with what I had. One more to go. Wish I had taken more and better pictures, but I did the best I could. This is from the RPGA D&D Room.

I'm sure a non gamer could poke fun at the guy with the Wizard's Hat playing the game of D&D, but those jerks aren't there. It's just gamers having fun with gamers. The D&D Room was pretty full most of the time with new games starting every two hours.

Oh No!!!! It's the dreaded Eye Of The Beholder. Of course, this was a monster from the Advanced book, so we never had to deal with it in our games until the Companion Set came out. I still remember the D&D Movie and the Beholder. These are not creatures to be taken lightly.

Beware Of The Troll. Fought plenty of these in Expert D&D, and they weren't easy. Be sure to burn them afterwards. It took me a few shots to get this picture right. It's a tiny camera on a key chain, and I just wasn't used to it I guess.

I think this was from the Beginner's D&D side of the room. In my day, we used graph paper (Damn, I sound old). The fold up mats and miniatures displayed here actually keep the game moving quickly, but I still like the days when it was revealed a little at at time on graph paper. It added to the imagination. What's behind that door? Be careful. Can't blame Wizards for going with the miniatures. Lots of money to be made there.

A closer shot of the minis to be used in this session. Looks like as many as eight players might have been in this particular gaming session.

Thar Be Dragons!!! This was definitely not a beginner's game. I had to get a shot of this one. The DM actually put it into the display box t allow for a better picture. Whoever was in this particular session was in for a challenge.

Look at everybody getting a little D&D Gaming in. Made me want to play. I did ask about getting into a Beginner;s game with the two generic tickets ($3.00) I had. I understood it to be $3.00 to play, but I heard $30.00 from the guys at the desk. Now, I wanted to play, but that was a bit steep for a two hour session. Either that was an RPGA thing, or it was a tourney fee. Either way, I didn't get to break out my lucky dice and sit at the table. Next time, register early.

They had big dice on display. I wonder how many 8's my fighter could have rolled with this bad boy.

A big 4 Sider. To me, the most useless dice of the game. Back in the day, a Magic User was rolling Hit Points with this and dagger damage. Even if he did get into the fray, he wasn't doing much more than 4 points damage (depending on strength) and he couldn't take a hit.

The 20 sider. Looks like the last roll was a 10. That'd be a big miss. If you're like me, you have a few 20 siders at the table. If one of them gets cold, you try to change your luck with another one. Could have used a lucky 20 sider at the demo D&D game I got into on Sunday, but that's another story.

Batch #4 of Gencon Photos

2007-08-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

Batch #4 from my Gencon collection. I'm not a photographer, but I did what I could with what I had.

The game being demo'ed is Conquest of Pangea. There were several demos going on, and all you had to do was step up to an open table and give it a shot. There were a good variety of card games, miniature games, rpg's and board games. I must confess I was sort of observing it all this time, but I plan to get more involved in checking out demos next time.

Wanna raise some money for charity. An orc locks on the handcuffs on a prisoner, who will go to the jail cell behind the orc until bail is raised. It was a fun way to raise funds. Didn't catch the charity being donated to. It would be a heck of a deal to get locked up and have nobody pay to get you out. Hmmm... Could they do that?

Whatever you do, don't upset the Klingon. They say the orc is a little nicer. I knew I'd see a Klingon at Gencon. I even saw Darth Vader.

This is from Friday, I think, and the people are lining up to get into the Exhibit Hall. It opened at 11 AM, but media and VIG's (Very Important Gamers) got in an hour earlier.

Notice the 4dventure on the banner. That was from Wizards of the Coast. On Thursday, we wondered what that meant, but later that night they announced 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. In 2008, D&D players will need new rule books to stay current.

In some of the rooms, there were miniatures and models set up for the gamers. I happened to grab a few pictures. There was war gaming taking place at Gencon, just as there was some 40 years earlier.

Let the battle begin. You do know where Gencon gets it's name, right? Gary Gygax played war miniatures back in those days. His game Chainmail was a war miniature game set to a medieval theme, and Blackmoor followed that, followed by D&D. Back in those days, they met in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. In war, we have the Geneva Convention. Well, from that we get Gencon. Now you know the rest of the story.

Ready for another D&D movie? NOOO!!!!!! No, wait a minute, this one might be pretty good. I went to the DragonLance Seminar on Friday. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's DragonLance is coming to DVD soon. I thought I heard November or October. Gotta check my notes. It's a cartoon with Lucy Lawless and Keifer Sutherland among the voices. Paramount is releasing it. The movie could hit theaters if Paramount chose to, but Weis & Hickman are hoping for DVD. Why? It's easier to make the money back that way, and they want to make more movies. I took more pictures, but the room was too dark. we saw a making of the movie presentation and trailer.

Batch #3 of Gencon Photos

2007-08-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Batch #3 from my Gencon collection. I'm not a photographer, but I did what I could with what I had.

I didn't get the booth name on this one of the next picture (doesn't seem to be listed in the program), but these two characters posed for pictures throughout the weekend and offered to pose for pictures with people. I did see a little boy about 3 years old pose with these two. He didn't seem to be scared or even the least bit concerned either.

Beware of the demon!!! These two seemed to enjoy doing this. I noticed there were lots of others taking pictures of them. Wish I had a better camera for this.

Lots of computer games were represented at Gencon, including Neverwinter Nights 2's latest expansion pack. Blizzard was there with World of Warcraft. There were a few games there offering free one week trials. A new Pirates games. I'll try to get a offer a few more details in the column about walking the floor of the Exhibit Hall, but let me just say there were lots and lots of cool computer and console games being demo'ed. I'm a bit surprised Turbine wasn't there representing Lord Of The Rings Online though.

This lady was at the entrance of the Age of Conan booth and posed balancing this sword. Age of Conan is one of the newest games on the block and they were well represented with their own booth. Some of the other computer games actually shared areas.

Signing autographs was one of the guys from Who Wants To Be A Super Hero. As I don't get The SciFi Channel, my week in Indy offered me my first viewing of that show.

KenzerCo is one of the RPG companies competing to be #2 behind Wizards of the Coast. They did the Hackmaster game based on AD&D 1st Edition Rules (more on that elsewhere). Their newest offering is a western game called Aces & Eights. They demo'ed this game at their booth, and this is the model setting used with the miniatures.

One of the cool things about the KenzerCo crew is that they really get into the spirit of what they are doing and have fun with it. David Kenzer, Jolly Blackburn and the crew were all dressed in western wear while working the booth and were friendly and quick to answer any questions.
The Knights of the Dinner Table comic is what attracted me to KenzerCo. If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's funny. Here is a display of back issues going back to the 30's and a cardboard cutout of the comic's game store owner Weird Pete. Kenzer's nights of the Dinner Table live reading was a highlight of my weekend. The Knights and the campaign setting Kingdom of Kalamar are what launched KenzerCo. Hoody Hoo!!!
One of the guts from Survivor was on hand to sign autographs. I'd like to say I have watched the show, but I'm not a big fan of reality shows.
Another of the many people who were in costume during the Gencon weekend. I really wish I had a better camera for this and took more pictures. There were lots of good ones that I missed.

Batch #2 of Gencon Photos

2007-08-23T18:51:00.001-07:00

Batch #2 from my Gencon collection. I'm not a photographer, but I did what I could with what I had.

The man in the blue shirt is Gary Gygax. He, of course, is co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons. Dave Arneson being the co-creator, but Dave was in a wheel chair after recent foot surgery and asked that no photos be taken. Kind of a shame to me that Dave didn't have the fan support here that I thought he would, but that's for another post.

Gary was at the Troll Lord Games booth at various times to sign autographs and chat with fans. The line at the booth got long at times. Gary has recently spoken of the need to get new fans into RPG's, and the need for a basic set. He himself had a boxed set for his game (Lejendary Adventure Essentials), and I picked up a copy and had him sign it.

The Trolls were a nice bunch of fellows as well. They had a Castles & Crusades boxed set that I was told was basically what the old white boxed D&D set from 1974 was. I was tempted to get that, but they have a Basic C&C set coming soon. The cover artist for some of the C&C books was in a booth next to the Trolls and was also very nice. Troll Lord Games seems to be one of the companies who cares about the old schoolers, and I like that they have Gary Gygax as part of the team.

More models for miniature play. This one has boats too. It's pretty cool stuff, but it gets expensive real quick. If you are hard core, I suppose you would have fun shopping at Gencon as there was lots to choose from.

More swords. I'd love to mount one of these suckers on my wall. Wanna try to get it on the plane coming home?

This nice lady posed for a picture with her sword. I believe she was there as part of the promotion for the new Pirates Multi Player game. There were several games represented at Gencon.

A lady who was getting into the spirit of the convention. There were lots of people in costume at Gencon, but many of my pictures of them didn't come out.

The Spoils Bus. They had a promotion going on for their card game, and this was a popular place all weekend as people demo'ed the game.

Here are some people playing The Spoils.

A pirate walks the hallway at Gencon. They had a costume contest, and there were definyely some good contenders. We had Elves, Klingons, Darth Vader, Super Man and many others.

One of the most popular fantasy artists out there is Larry Elmore. His art graces the covers of some of my favorite D&D books. He also dis art for Ever Quest and other stuff. Didn't get a copy of his art book, but it's on my get list for next time. I did get him to autograph my D&D Basic Rulebook.

Larry loves to draw the ladies, and his work is pretty amazing. I did get some post cards of his that I will be framing for the wall. Next time I want to get some of these. There is a picture of the cover of the D&D Expert, Basic and Companion books that he did. My big concern was how do I get them home without ruining them.

Batch #1 of Gencon Photos

2007-08-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I brought a camera with three rolls of film to Gencon, but the camera seemed to be broken. Fortunately, I had a backup plan. My small $10 digital camera. Quality isn't great and I am a little bit rusty about pointing and clicking, but these will give you some idea of what I saw. I had to carry my laptop with me at all times as the camera doesn't store photos, only takes 18 pictures at a time and runs low on battery power quickly if you aren't paying attention. So, here some of them are:

The Main Exhibitors area is huge and takes at least 1 full day to take it all in properly. Actually, budgeting your time between seminars, games and everything else means you will use all four days to get a good look at this area. Anything you can imagine associated with gaming is represented, including lots of models suitable for miniature game play, such as the one pictured above.

The Gencon game auction was in full swing from Thursday to Saturday night and lots of rare items were auction off. I picked up an old Basic D&D Module here and got Frank Mentzer, the author of one of the versions of Basic D&D, to autograph that book. Frank was an auctioneer here along with Tim Kask, the original editor of Dragon Magazine. Didn't get to meet him though.

Who ya gonna call? These two Ghostbusters were just a sample of the people who got into the spirit of costumes at Gencon. It added to the enjoyment of the weekend.

There were two exhibitors I noticed who had swords and other weapons for sale. Of course, if I did buy one of these things, it would have been fun getting it on the plane. Didn't even want to risk it in this post 9-11 world.

There were three booths selling all sorts of out of print RPG goodies. This one was Crazy Egors. Though there were some high priced items, I did manage to find a couple of rare goodies at an affordable price for my Basic D&D collection. The booth right next to it dropped a bunch of books on the floor a $2 a piece as I was waiting to get into a D&D Demo Game at the Wizards of the Coast booth. I bought 8 of them before getting onto the game, including some Hollow World game books still in the shrink wrap.

This is one of those D&D games. The Wizards booth had several demos, about ten if I recall correctly. If you did at least two of them (I did three), you could get in line to roll the big 20 sided dice for a prize. Every roll wins. I rolled a 19 with my bonuses and won a goody back with a Forgotten Realms novel and a Star Wars miniatures game book.

Another of those big models for miniatures games. I got several different pictures during the course of the weekend.

In the lobby area coming in were a few different musicians playing Celtic music and music you would associate with a Fantasy Game or movie.

This lady played the harp and was the lead singer.

Another shot of the lead singer.

To wrap this group of pictures up, there is another miniatures setup for a coming game. Man, the games that were played. Not just fantasy either. There were war games, space games and other cool games.

More to come. Stay tuned!

The Hype Of D&D 4th Edition

2007-08-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I wanted to post this in the post yesterday, but I needed to break the pictures down into invidual pictures to make it work.

First, these are the two videos they ran at the Wizards of the Coast Booth at Gencon to hype the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ3J8t2-RVs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWZ2WdeTo1M

If this gets you excited, click here to learn more:

http://www.wizards.com

Here are the covers they were presented at Gencon.

Due May 2008

Due June 2008

Due July 2008

As I posted yesterday, it was also announced that a Forgotten Realms Campaign Set and a Basic D&D set is also due in 2008, probably after the three core books are released.

Why talk about this here? I thought it would be interesting. Plus, I plan to post other Gencon related notes in the days ahead. Also, there's a Basic D&D game coming, which is relevent to my concerns about making basic games to get more people interested in role playing games.

A Slight Delay For Quick Charts

2007-08-22T18:03:00.001-07:00

I am looking at a few slight adjustments for the HotDC Quick Start Charts, and this will delay the Lulu debut for a week or two at least. It all depends on how much time I get to devote to it. I am making adjustments to the Character Generation section and the covers. Plus, we will have a name for the company. As of now, there is none. My friend in Indy had suggested I should get one, and he's right. I should and I am.

I could have released this product at Gencon or a few days leading up to it. I wanted to, but I didn't have the computer time to devote to crossing the final t's and dotting the final i's. As it turned out, I got a bit of advice that led to this decision to make one last adjustment. I hate devoting as much time as I am to it, but it has to be done. The plan is to get back to work on the Basic HotDC Rulebook by the end of September and see how it goes.

After the Quick Start Charts, I'd like to put together the Danger in the Dwarven Dungeon Adventure that will go with the Quick Start Charts. Now, I could sign off of the Charts book right now, but can I do that when I know this adjustment will make it better and easier to understand? No, I can't. So, that's the plan as of now.

I am considering making a previous edition of the Quick Start Charts available online until the official release, but I'm undecided. Stay Tuned!.

More Gencon & D&D 4th Edition

2007-08-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

I took many, many notes and took pictures on my cheap digital camera as well. I need to go through it all and make a coherent post or several. I have a much work to do, which I will explain in another post. This one is about Gencon. I have to absorb it all and start putting my thoughts in order. Here's a big news item that has been all over the net by now.

The above picture is from the Wizards of the Coast booth at Gencon. The screen pictured above that people are looking at is a movie about D&D 4th Edition. Yep, they are revamping the rules, and it has already hit the fan in some circles as you may imagine. The old school community hates everything WotC does, while some in the 3.5 crowd are upset as well. Not getting into that.

In a future post, I will comment on the Basic Revolution and some interesting developments on that front, but I will only comment in this post where it concerns Basic D&D.

You see, Christopher Perkins of WotC made a comment about Basic D&D as me and another person were discussing D&D 4e with him. He mentioned Basic D&D. No, not the game on the market now that is only good for a couple hours before you need to get the core books. I'm talking first three levels like the old Moldvay Basic, only with streamlined 4e rules rather than 1e rules. I made it a point to get clarification on this.

This isn't getting a lot of press right now as it's all about the core books. As I understand it, they will release a book a month next summer, starting with the Players Book, a Monster Book and the DM's Book. A Forgotten Realms Campaign Book is also in the works, and then a Basic D&D Boxed Set.

As we cover Basic Games here and are working on a product now, I don't want to get into the more rules heavy stuff here, but I will say this. I like the art and the logo Wizards has put on the cover of these books. It's very old school to me.

I really can't help but think they are trying to win some people back who left a couple editions ago.

I am hoping to hear more on this Basic D&D and what it shapes up to be. If they do it right, it will sell well.

Gencon Ramblings 3

2007-08-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is another e-mail I sent to my cousin about Gencon:

My digital has been going the whole time, racing, indy motor speedway and Gencon. Some are poor quality, others are pretty good. I'll send some out when I get home. One more day to go at Gencon, and I'm soaking it all in. It's really been fun, and I'm already thinking about next year. Briefly as it's late:

Wizards has announced D&D version 4.0 for 2008, and there will be a basic set later that year that is supposed to cover levels 1-3 like the Moldvay version we played. Talked to one of the main guys and have already signed up for e-mail updates. Yahoo Wizards Of The Coast and you'll get to the page. Sign up for the forum there and you'll make the e-mail list. The cover art is nice and it looks more old school to me. The rules are different, of course.

Met Dave Arneson
Met Gary Gygax
Met Frank Mentzer (Basic D&D)
Met Larry Elmore (Mentzer Basic cover artist)
Met Early Otus (Moldvay Basic cover artist)
Met Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls)
Met the Kenzer crew (Knights Of The Dinner Table)
got autographs on my books from all.

Dave and Gary are getting older, of course. Gary seemed to be doing okay, but Dave doesn't seem to be feeling well. Elmore is a good old boy from the south who apparently loves women as they are featured in a lot of his fantasy art, scantily clad, of course. : ) Nice guy. Kenzer guys are a blast. Been two their meet and greet and the Knights comic reading, and both were fun and full of laughs.

Went to Mark Stackpole's writing and getting published seminars. This guy has a passion for what he does, and it shows. Lots of good advice I can use.

Okay, this is taking longer that I planned. Screw it, I'll sleep when I get home.

I got Mark's autograph on a T&T Mod I purchased a couple days ago after I figured out who he was.

There is so much that goes on at one of these things that you need to see it to believe it. Lots and lots of booths with everything you can imagine, clothes for the fantasy fan, games (RPG, Board, Computer, Card), dice manufacturers. All the big companies, Wizards, Troll Lords, Kenzer, Paizo, Goodman, Zeitegest, Steve Jackson, Flying Buffalo, Blizzard, Atari, and on and on. People in costume, celebrities.

Lots of seminars, some useful for people trying to get into writing and game making, some covering different campaign setting, the history of Gencon and others.

And, they game all day and night, of course. I wish I had been able to partake of that. I may head to the D&D Demo table just to be a part of that tomorrow. Next time, if there is one, I wanna game more.

Arneson wasn't feeling well and backed out of the Blackmoor seminar at the last minute. I can understand that. He didn't look very happy. He's in a wheel chair due to recent foot surgery and can't get around like he wants too. That, and I'm sure the low registration for his seminar had something to do with it (Less than ten). It's gotta grate on him that he did some much to get the RPG deal started leading up to D&D, and Gary gets all the love. And, people love Gary. He is more out going and friendly. I wish Dave would have a bigger presence on the net so people would understand he's not just guy claiming b.s. He made an impact.

Purchases. Yes, I spend more than I should have and I'll feel it when I get home, but heck, it's Gencon.

Blackmoor and Dungeons under Blackmoor books. I'm interested in reading what Dave cooked up.

Lejendary Adventures Essetials Boxed Set. This is Gary's game.

Elmore art on stickers and post cards. Wanted to buy more, but money... I'd love to get a poster sized picture of the Basic D&D Cover or his book covering a lot of the art he's done.
New T&T Boxed Set and the mod I had Stackpole sign.

A Zeb Cook version of Expert. A little beat up, but the cover is still on it and it's now signed by Earl Otus.

Old School Mod B9 Castle Caldwell & Beyond. The Ghost Of Lion Castle (Sold Adventure for Basic) won at auction for $5. Saw Blizzard Pass and may get it tomorrow. Book Of Marvelous Magic for Basic or Advanced by Gary & Frank Monster Assortment for Basic.

These five are important to my Basic collection, and there's a possibility it could grow tomorrow if I don't talk myself out of it. But hey, It's Gencon and the 40th Anniversary at that. Which reminds me, they have a program...

I also picked up a DVD by the Dead Gentlemen called The Gamers. It's the directors cut, according to the movie's producer. I saw a screening of their movie yesterday and laughed my ass off. Picture buddies gathered around a table playing the game and then flashing to scenes where you see their characters do this stuff. Pretty funny.

I did take pictures, lots and lots of them, so you'll see them at some point soon. It's really something you gotta see to believe. Next one is in August 2008. It's a ways away, but if I start saving... We'll see.

All in all, Indy has been a blast. Good friends, racing and Gencon. Got a plane ride home in a couple days, but I'm not as freaked by the idea as I was getting out here. Well, that's the update.

Gencon Ramblings 2

2007-08-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

This is part of an e-mail I sent to my cousin, who is one of the original gamers from my table some 25 years ago:

Day 1 of Gencon is in the books. Four more to go. Signed up too late to get in the games, but I've done some writing and game writing seminars. More to come, plus some fun seminars. Lots of browsing and a few purchases. Got a couple vintage books, some new Blackmoor books and a Tunnels & Trolls box set. Ken St. Andre, the writer of the rules, autographed it for me.

Met Frank Mentzer (Basic D&D) at the aution and he autographed my Basic rulebook. Gonna try and get Gary Gygax and Larry Elmore (the cover artist) to autograph it next. Met Dave Arneson. Talked for a few minutes. Real nice guy. He's in a wheel chair now, but seems in good spirits. Having him sign a D&D book, though he's a creator of it, seemed like an insult. I won his First Fantasy Campaign Setting on e-bay not long ago. Real nice book. Had him sign that.

Looking forward to Dave's Blackmoor seminar tomorrow, along with some KenzerCo. (Knights of the Dinner Table), writing seminars, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms and other events. I'm giving serious consideration to returning next year. What a blast. So much stuff. They have booths for about every table top game, some comp. RPG's, vintage books and other stuff associated with RPG's. You gotta see it to believe it.

I always wanted to know what Gencon was all about when I read the ad in the back of the old Basic D&D book we used to play from. Now I know. It's even cooler than I imagined.

By the way, Wizards has announced a 4th Edition of D&D Rules for next year, which has the community divided as usual. Glad I didn't buy the 3.5 Edition. Would have been a waste.

Gencon Ramblings 1

2007-08-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

Some comments I posted at the Kenzer forum

I was there for my first Gencon ever, but I signed up the day before the con and didn't get into any of the games I wanted. Won't make that mistake next time.

I did get to meet Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Frank Mentzer, the Kenzer Crew, Erol Otus, Larry Elmore, Ken St. Andre and so many other cool people I wanted to meet. Added to my collection, was a fan boy and got autographs.

If you haven't been to one of these deals, you should go. There's so much going on, you don't know where to start.

Among the events I did sign up for were the Kenzer Meet & Greet and the Live Reading. Two of the highlights of my of the event for me. The Kenzer Crew loves what they do and it shows. The Knights are my favorite product, but I can't want til the new Hackmaster comes out in a couple years.

An interesting thing happened when I was waiting for the Blackmoor Seminar to start. They changed Daves on us. Instead of Arneson, we got Kenzer. Arneson did show for the Gen Con History Seminar a few hours later, so that was cool.

The cool thing was that most of the people in the Blackmoor deal stayed to hear Kenzer and were fans. Dave answered questions, and I was definitely interested in his take on a certain game out on the net that I've been looking at.

Saw the Dragonlance movie preview. Looks interesting.

Talked to one of the Wizards about 4e. We'll see, but I do like the covers and the idea of Basic D&D returning.

Michael Stackpole did three writing seminars that I attended. Really good stuff, and you can see that he has a passion for writing.

Spent a lot of money at the booths. Found some stuff for my classic collection.

There were so many booths there that you need the four days to take it all in.

If you haven't been to Gencon and are interested, you should go. Sign up early though and get in on the games you wanna play. And, sign up for the Knights Live Reading and Kenzer Meet & Greet, because you'll have fun and laugh your butt off.

Updates Are Coming

2007-08-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

I am still in Indy right now and will be returning home tomorrow. I might need a day or two to get adjusted, but then I will get back to updating the situation. Gencon was a blast and I learned quite a bit. I also got to meet some people I never thought I'd meet and added to my collection.

As you know, I uploaded the Quick Start Charts book to Lulu, but I didn't release it yet. I felt I needed to work with it a little more, but I never had the time I needed to do it here. Not complaining actually, because I've been having fun. So, to update:

1-I will likely share Gencon experiences here on the blog. If I get around the making issue 1 of The Heroes Chronicle, more might be included there. The pdf of that will be free.

2-The HotDC Quick Start Charts book is not likely to receive any new content. I am considering format adjustments and things of that nature, but this one really needs to be released to allow me to concentrate on other efforts.

3-An adventure will still be in the works. I actually have scribbled a few notes about it here. It is the dungeon under the Dwarven Warrior's home that I have previously posted about. I feel it would be nice to have an Adventure to go with the Quick Charts.

4-I intend to get back to work on the main rulebook. I've neglected it for too long.

5-I am considering naming my company, such as it is. This was suggested by a friend, and it's a good suggestion. I have some ideas, but you'll have to wait and see. I'm also considering all options for how this game proceeds in the future (more on that in the future).

6-The Basic Revolution is happening now. I want HotDC to be a part of it. First Basic Fantasy, then Labyrinth Lord. D&D will have a new Basic and so will Castles & Crusades. Gary Gygax even released a very nice boxed set of his Lejendary Adventures Essentials. Basic Hackmaster is coming in the next year or two.

With all the news of basic games coming, am I worried? No, and I'll tell you why. HotDC is a very basic game and will be different from what the others offer. It will be easier to learn and play and offer hours of play time. If I do my job right, people will enjoy this. I am feeling pretty good about things now.

As I said, updates are coming. Stay tuned!

What Led To A Second Level Of The Dwarven Dungeon?

2007-08-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

I was really thinking that this dungeon could be part of the Basic HotDC Rulebook. I do intend to include one. Then, I was thinking I didn't know how long it was going to take before that book would get done. The Quick Start Charts are ready to go now. Though there is a two level map in that book and ideas for the Hero Guide to stock it, the QSC needs a fully fleshed out Adventure to go with it. That's what I'm thinking at the moment anyway.

I was taking notes for this Adventure with the thought that I would run it on RPOL if I find anybody interested. Still might. It has the map of the home and yard and a 16 room dungeon underneath that is now stocked. I have added two Creatures (0 Degree) that aren't in the QSC and had a third was on my mind while working on stocking this place.

The words Spider Pass came to mind. I don't want to say too much, but as I was stocking the dungeon, I figured out a place for this encounter, and a few other ideas came to mind for what to do with this Adventure. Suddenly, I had ideas for another level to the dungeon. As of now, that level is only a rumor in the plot, but after a certain encounter, it becomes part of a new plot.

The map for level 2 hasn't been drawn yet, but I am planning around 15 rooms. There will be some encounters that are similar to the first level, but a few different ones are being considered as well. This is all in the hand written note pad stage at the moment, hut I'm liking what I see so far. I haven't had time in the last couple days to work on it, and I will be on the plane two days from now.

Don't look for a release date as of yet on this Adventure. I will be a bit busy getting ready for the trip, and I need to pick the day to release the HotDC QSC book anyway. As always, stay tuned.

Still Waiting

2007-08-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

The HotDC Quick Start Charts book has not been released yet. I have it up on Lulu, but not for the public yet, and it is set to be sold in hard copy for a small fee or free pdf download. At the moment, I'm holding off out of respect to Labyrinth Lord. There is some buzz for LL, and deservedly so. You should check it out, if you haven't:

http://goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.htm

In the meantime, I'm gearing up for Gencon and working on notes for the Dwarven Dungeon Adventure. Looks like I'll be adding a second level to that. I am considering whether I should wait and release the QSC and this Adventure together. Not sure yet. I could release the QSC in the next week, but I want to do it when it feels right. Stay tuned.

Oh, I'm considering running a play by post of this new adventure at RPOL, so you can feel free to join the HotDC RPOL site linked to the right if you are interested.

Danger In The Dwarven Dungeon

2007-08-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

That is the working title of the Mini Adventure I am currently making notes on. There is a homestead on the outskirts of Dragon Vale, owned by a Hero Elite (8th Degree) Dwarven Warrior named Pradius Stoutheart. Pradius dug a dung en underneath his home, a place where he could relax when he wasn't adventuring. However, he has not been seen in several months since his trip north-west to the mountains.

In the meantime, there has been suspicious activity in the area lately. Orcs, kobolds and other Creatures have been seen in the area. Making things worse is the recent disappearance of the son of a prominent Dragon Vale citizen. It is believed the kid is being held in the dungeon underneath the dwarven home. Adventurers are needed, and there is a reward for the boy's safe return.

This is what I have so far. I have stocked the dungeon (16 rooms) with some interesting encounters that are geared toward Applicant (0 Degree) Game Characters. While making my notes, I have come up with some possible ideas for a second level of the dungeon (15-20 rooms). Pradius had some unusual friends, some who are still down in that dungeon.

It's a work in progress, but this could be the first official Adventure released for Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl. By the way, the Quick Start Charts book still hasn't officially been released, but I will let you know when it is.

My Gencon Trip Part 4

2007-08-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Roaming The Exhibition Hall Part 2

I didn't realize I would take as long with this particular post, so I decided to make it a two parter. Hopefully I won't need three parts. We last left off at the Wizards of the Coast booth, so let's go back there.

On Friday, the video presentation from the D&D 4th Edition announcement was playing, and many people stood there that day watching it. I must admit, it was interesting. My experience with 3.5 D&D is mainly through Neverwinter Nights. I have to admit I found the 3.5 books too complex for my tastes. Gimme Moldvay or Mentzer Basic D&D please.

The problem is there are just too many character details for me. Yeah, I know other gamers love it. This is why I'm working on HotDC, so I'll spare you. In that Beginners D&D Game I played at my local store (and blogged about) a while back, it just seemed overwhelming to me. It didn't help that I had a DM who seemed too controlling and determined to make us role play his way. I wanted to hack.
.

Having to look at this stat or that for an attack or a save or a skill gets way too confusing for a newbie, but if we had played a little Hack N Slash and I had been allowed to get familiar with things that way, who knows? When my local store moves closer next month, I may try again, provided we have a different DM, no offense to the other guy (at least he tried, and that game is still going). What I like about Basic is it's six stats, plus AC and HP and five Saving Throws. Nothing too confusing, and I always liked the simplicity of THAC0.

But, I'm drifting, and I have much to cover here.

They showed the covers on that screen for 4th Edition (they are posted further down on the blog. Pretty damn cool and old school looking to me. That's a plus. I like the logo too. The video was saying things I liked hearing, but lo and behold, one of the designers was at the booth, Chris Perkins. I didn't even know who he was until going to the Forgotten Realms Seminar later.

But, Chris seemed pretty enthusiastic, and nice. I liked that about him. His job of selling the idea to the gamers at Gencon could not have been easy. Some welcome 4.0, but others are not happy. They did 3.0 about 8 years ago and had to revise to 3.5 a couple years later. If I recall correctly, Wizards offered a deal to those who bought the 3.0 Core Rule Books. Well, these six years down the line, the 3.0 crowd is where the 2.0 crowd and Gary's 1.0 crowd were before them.

They bought the core books. They bought the supplements. They bough the modules. They have invested heavily into the game, and they are comfortable where they are at now. Many 1st and 2nd Edition gamers are still playing the version they like, and I guess the 3rd Edition crowd who doesn't update will be the next group of outcasts. It might seem a bit greedy to those who invested heavily to now have to buy new books, but it is a business. Those who don't make (good) new product and sell it are soon out of business.
.

Chris probably heard it all and is still hearing it all, the good and the bad. He must really be excited about this new version, because I have learned through other endeavors how negativity can wear your enthusiasm down to the nub and make you forget why you were even doing it in the first place. So, I was standing there when this man walked up and started asking Chris about 4.0.

I'm not familiar enough with 3.5 to begin with, so some stuff flew right over my head, but I picked up on a few things. We're talking about a streamlined game here. Some clunky rules that slowed down 3.5 have been eliminated from 4.0. Less book time during the game and more game time is the result, according to Chris. Certain feats will become class specific that weren't in 3.5. Makes sense to me.

Chris also discussed the digital initiative. There will be a digital table that goes with 4.0, and new content available only on line through a subscripion. Yeah, more money in their pocket, but you won't need it to play. The core books will be all you need. The digital will offer more to help your game. The magazines, Dungeon and Dragon, are now exclusively on line and will continue to offer more content for the gamer, and that digital table? Wow. Looks sharp, and it will make it possible for gamers to play with fellow gamers all over the world.

And the graphics for that look nice, very nice. I've even read posts from old schoolers like Frank Mentzer discussing a need for this. Well, Wizards is doing it. There will be that monthly fee to deal with, but if you wanna be cheap about it, give it a while. There will be a free knock off version out there at some point. This is the net we are talking about here. Wizards needed to do something like this with World of Warcraft, EverQuest and other games out there taking the money. Otherwise, somebody else would have. It's good business.

I'm not defending them to those who think they are being greedy, but I understand why they need to do this. Wizards is owned by Hasbro, and Hasbro didn't become the big boys of kids games by accident. Wizards needs to put money in the coffers, or the D&D train can be derailed. What happens if Hasbro pulls the plug on D&D? Would they even be willing to sell it to somebody else, or would that be it? Granted, this is a worst case scenario, and I've heard NOTHING about hard times with D&D.

I did hear a lot of excitement about the future, and Chris is one who feels pretty good about the future. D&D lives with 4th Edition, and I will be willing to take a look at it. Certainly this Basic D&D that Chris spoke of, if nothing else. According to Chris, it won't be like the most recent Basic, as in a couple sessions and that's it. It will be more like Moldvay's version in that it covers the first three levels, allowing for several sessions. If this holds true, I'll get a box and check it out. Perhaps an Expert Edition will follow?

By the way, you can see about getting in on play testing and reading more behind the scenes stuff by going to the Wizards of the Coast site and signing up for the D&D Insider. It's free for now.

With my Gencon coming to a close on Sunday, I was hanging around the booth for a crack at getting into a Demo Game. I managed to get in. It was the Basic D&D game they have now, and I picked out the Fighter. I figured it would be easy enough to swing a sword. Boy was I wrong. At the start, we hit a room with a goblin. We took it out before an ogre appeared, followed by a goblin archer. Well, I kept fumbling on the 20 sider and got taken out by the ogre. After the group won the fight, I was healed by the cleric.

I managed to bash open a treasure chest for some goodies, but we neglected to listen at the door to the only other room we'd get to enter. A harpy was waiting and charmed all but the wizard. I wanted to use the dice I brought, but figured I'd better not. Well, we watched as the wizard nearly killed the harpy in hand to hand by himself. This would never happen with a first level wizard in old Basic. He would have been toast. The rogue was knocked out of his charm by the harpy and won the battle for the party. And, that was that.

I'm still not all that sure about 3.5, to be honest with you, but this was more action in 30 minutes than I had in that Beginners Game I was in that took four hours a while back. I may give it another shot, but what I'd really like is a HotDC session or an old Basic D&D session.

I had one of those demo cards the Wizards handed out on Friday, and with three checks on it, I headed for the line to roll the big 20 sider and win a prize. It was a long wait, about 30 minutes. I noticed some leather bound D&D books and copies of D&D Online. From what I heard, you needed to complete all 10 demos and roll a 20 to win that. I rolled a 16 and with my 3 bonus got a grab bag with a Star Wars Miniatures Game Book and a Forgotten Realms novel. Not too bad for free.

Well, I'm still wandering the Exhibit Hall and I used quite a bit of room here. Guess I'll continue it in the next post.

To be continued...

Roaming The Exhibition Hall Part 3

HotDC Quick Start Charts Status Report

2007-08-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

Out of respect, I chose not to publish the HotDC QSC today. This was a day that I felt didn't belong to this project, so I backed off. I have uploaded the pdf and covers to Lulu, but I'm still deciding when to publish officially. As mentioned previously, the book is 36 pages long and contains information enough for playing from 0 to 4th Degree Game Characters. That's several dungeon crawls. The Basic HotDC Rulebook will cover details more thoroughly.

After careful consideration, I am leaning towards offering the pdf for free and printing for a small fee. I will only be taking a tiny profit from it, and I'm looking at a price of no more than $7.50 for the book and possibly less. As I'm still fine tuning it, I'm not sure when the release date will actually be, but soon, I hope. Maybe tomorrow, maybe later. The announcement will be made here.

I have begun work on another dungeon that would be a quick adventure of less than 20 rooms. This may become a mini book and pdf offering on Lulu to get a dungeon crawl up and available. It's not one of the main projects I had planned, but the ideas I'm developing for it seem interesting so far. More details will come as I flesh it out. It will be a 0 Degree Adventure.

I have other ideas on the drawing board hat I have shared here on the blog, but they are more detailed. I really want to get back to work on the Basic HotDC Rulebook, but this may not happen until after Gencon. I will actually be leaving for Indy next week.

I am also considering making HotDC Adventures compatible with Labyrinth Lord, though this is early in the thought process. I will need to read the LL book more thoroughly to gain a better understanding, particularly with respect to licensing. I'm not really worried about converting from HotDC to LL as it won't be too hard to do. Some Creatures and scenarios may need adjusting if I do this, but it won't be that difficult.

In any event, we are getting close to the HotDC QSC release, and an Adventure Module is in early stages of preparation for release (hand written notes). Stay Tuned!

Labyrinth Lord Released

2007-08-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

Goblinoid Games has finally released Labyrinth Lord. You can download the e-book for free or order a printed copy:

http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.htm

I must say this book looks very impressive. Nicely done. The mchanics are very much what were in the old red and blue books, but Daniel is not claiming he did anything original here.

From the foreword:

Labyrinth Lord is not new or innovative. This game exists solely as an attempt to help breathe back life into old-school fantasy gaming, to do some small part in expanding its fan base. Labyrinth Lord follows in the footsteps of other "retro-clone" game systems. One might think of it as an emulator, meant to employ game rules (algorithms) from early 1980s games by using new presentation in combination with terms that are open game content, provided under the Open Game License Version 1.0a, by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Labyrinth Lord is a restatement of a set of rules that are otherwise out of print and no longer commercially supported. This work follows the idea that game rules themselves are not subject to copyright, only the specific presentation of those rules are. The goal of Labyrinth Lord and other retro-clone systems is to make rules currently available, using a common reference, for third-party publishers to create gaming material that is not only compatible with the particular retro-clone system, but also with the system which it seeks to emulate.

Download the pdf and read for yourself. I'm ordering a copy of this bad boy.

I also appreciated the dedication to Tom Moldvay:

As I was writing Labyrinth Lord, I learned from the Internet gaming community at Dragon's Foot (www.dragonsfoot.org) that Tom Moldvay had died. He was the editor of the first set of game rules that inspires Labyrinth Lord, and his many writings made him one of the pioneers of fantasy role-playing. Those who knew him report that he was a nice, hard-working man. I only met him through his writings, but it is clear that we owe him a great debt. This work is therefore dedicated to his memory.

As I said, I have only skimmed through the book, but it reads very similar to those old books, changing terms and names only where you'd expect them to for legal reasons. I still have some questions about things that I'm unsure on, but the only way those questions will be answered ultimately is when Wizards decides to answer them. I hope that doesn't happen, or if it does, it doesn't happen in a way that will end this project.

In the meantime, Labyrinth Lord is a positive step for old school gaming. There will likely be people creating adventures for these rules in the weeks and months ahead, and it will be interesting to see what's next.