New Year New Game Sale: OSR Recommendations!

 The New Year New Game sale is on at DrivethruRPG, and here's the offers I recommend.

Whether you've never played OSR games, or you're a veteran looking for something cool, here we go!

OSR GAMES

Old-School Essentials - Classic Fantasy Rules Tome - The best retroclone around, a faithful reproduction of the B/X D&D rules, with an exceptional work done on the text to make it clear and user-friendly, with an egregious layout. Recommended if you're new to the OSR and want the distilled, simple experience of the original B/X rules. Everything you need to play in one book. Also, my favorite OSR game.

Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Core Book - A glorious OSR game that is not a retroclone but captures the feel of old school games, with unique mechanics that build on a solid d20 system, generally compatible with other OSR stuff. Recommended if you want a more modern cut, while true to the spirit of OSR... and you like crits and fumble tables.

Worlds Without Number - Kevin Crawford's masterpiece, and one of the most successful games on the whole DrivethruRPG platform. A great game in itself, and a book with tons of tools to generate everything, from world building to adventures, whatever game system you prefer.

Sword & Wizardry Complete Rulebook - The 1974 Original D&D rules are the root of this great retroclone, currently priced $0,33! 

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, and Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells - Both of Diogo Nogueira's original games are a blend of OSR and modern sensitivity, with streamlined rules and inspired tables.

AND OSR SUPPLEMENTS

Despite the promotion is supposed to be about new games, a few supplements made it through the mysterious DrivethruRPG automatic selection and are on offer:

The Gardens on Ynn - A point-crawl adventure set in an ever-shifting extradimensional garden, with a system to generate content while you play.

The Stygian Library - Gardens of Ynn's twin, this time a dungeon set in an infinite, extradimensional library.

OSR Solo - One of the many best-selling Parts per Millions supplements to play your favorite game without a GM. And most of them are included in the current sale.

OR REAL OLD SCHOOL?

The New Year New Game sale is on a lot of actually old titles! Here's a few titles I recommend:

Rules Cyclopedia - The BECMI D&D rules combined in one volume (except for the Immortals set).

The whole B1-B12 series of adventures is on sale, with some must-have scenarios for the Basic D&D set. Note that the current sale makes them cheaper than the regular bundle with the all series!

So if you want to only pick up a few, I'd go with those that are the best in my view: B1 In Search of the Unknown, B2 The Keep on the Borderlands,  B3 Palace of the Silver Princess, B4 The Lost City, B7 Rahasia, and B9 Castle Caldwell and Beyond with its five mini adventures.

And then there's a little less known supplement that's worth checking:

AC10 Bestiary of Dragons & Giants - Despite the "Bestiary" in the title, this actually is an adventure anthology, with a dozen or so quick scenarios involving, of course, dragons and giants. A great pick for sandbox campaigns!

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Nothing caught your interest? Well, you can still browse the 4270 titles included in the sale, and the 238 in the OSR category!

Into OSR? Check my other OSR posts!

Kickstarter, Blockchain, ZineQuest 4 and Zine Month - Whaaaa?

UPDATES! See end of post!

February is coming, and February means ZineQuest. Or does it?

It seems there we'll be no ZineQuest this year:

Anya is Anya Combs, director of games at Kickstarter, so we can assume she knows what she's saying. Let's take a closer look:

"Officially", yeah, but all we have for now is Sam saying Anya said... That's not my definition of "official". If anything, this proves that KS doesn't care much about ZQ anyway.

 Note the specifics: it is not happening in February... which leaves the door open for another time frame.

Other sources say ZineQuest 4 might still be a thing, but in August:

And that's Tony Vasinda of Plus One Experience, one of the most important voices in the zine/indie rpg scene. (I interviewed him some time ago). He's been encouraging creators to try different platforms instead of Kickstarter for a while now, such as GameFound, which he's been working with when crowdfunding Down We Go.

So where are all the zines going? Tough question.

The indie/zine rpg community truly is a community: Charlie Fergaves is already setting up Zine Month, a site to showcase all zine projects on any crowdfunding platform. And the RPG Zines Facebook Group is always there. 

And yet, many creators are reluctant to leave Kickstarter. Even now that ZQ4 isn't a thing! 

The acclaimed Old-School Essentials zine Planar Compass is crowdfunding their third issue on KS next month, ZQ or not ZQ. And they are not the only ones. Project pages are being filled and activated as I write.

I have a zine project for next month too. Haven't made up my mind 100%, but I think it will be on KS anyway. If you've enjoyed my electronic/print-at-home OSE zines, and the Lands of Legends series, you might definitely be interested.

I'm the smallest creator. I've only run one crowdfunding last year during ZQ3, and it well very well, because yes, KS and ZQ give you a lot of momentum. Besides that, I only have a bunch of zines on Drivethru. I believe Kickstarter is still my only option for now, ZQ or not.

But all this commotion about Kickstarter is not only because of ZineQuest 4!

At the root of the general disaffection towards KS is their announcement on December the 9th of their intention to move to the blockchain technology, in partnership with Celo.

The news only mentions blockchain, but has been generally received as bad news because 1. blockchain is the technology associated with cryptocurrencies and NFTs, which are generally viewed as scams, and 2. this type of technology seems to have a terrible environmental impact.

It must be noted that the KS announcement doesn't mention cryptos nor NFTs at all, so the association is a bit arbitrary, for now at least. It must also be noted that very little information has come after that, regarding when the new technology will be implemented, and how.

Tech-savvy people have spent hours on social medias to discuss and explain the details of blockchain, and the difference between proof of work and proof of stake blockchains, which have largely different consequences on the environment.

But as of now, there is very little to discuss as facts are scarce.

My friend Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games has just launched their own "GallantFunding", after deciding to stay away from KS. Their original plan was to crowdfund both War of the Magi and the awesome Kosmosaurs (both by Diogo Nogueira) in a "double-feature" Kickstarter, but things have changed. War of the Magi is being crowdfunded now on their own web store, and Kosmosaurs is temporarily on hold.

Even before that, Pinnacle Entertainment (a veteran on Kickstarter) has experimented with other platforms (East Texas University on GameFound), and even on their own platform with the Super Powers Companion for Savage Worlds.

So there is that. Creators are skeptical about the blockchain change, and ZQ4 isn't happening. Is this going to be the end of ZQ as we know it?

One thing I'm sure is the community that has grown around will go on and prosper!

I've made this post to collect the info I've found so far, and to help other creators (small, big, aspiring!) to figure out what's going on. If I've missed some important piece of info, drop it in the comments!

UPDATE!

ZINEQUEST 4 IS COMING AUGUST 2022

UPDATE 2!

A cool article at Cannibal Halfling with solid opinions on the matter. 

UPDATE 3!

ZineMonth site is live!

UPDATE 4!

My zine Kickstarter is coming!

Diablo Magic Items for OSR Games

I've loved the Diablo series since the beginning. I've played endless hours on Diablo 2 and 3. I love the lore, and enjoy the mindless destruction of the endgame game play. I also love OSR games.

Wizards of the Coast released a series of Diablo II licensed supplements for AD&D and D&D 3.X: monstrously faithful conversions, brilliantly showing how the videogame game play is abysmally distant from the type of experience I like in tabletop RPGs.

In diablo video games you pulverize monster after monster, looking for magic items that will make you stronger, gaining xp from kills, which will unlock more skills to pulverize faster.

In OSR rpgs you hunt treasures in dangerous places, and for the most part try to avoid danger...

And yet I think there's room for some kind of Diablo(ish)-OSR(ish) mash-up. It's something I've always dreamed of designing. 

For now, here's some iconic Diablo (2, specifically) items that I've always found interesting, converted for Old-School Essentials and similar OSR retroclones, in a handy d20 table.

These are not "faithful" conversions. Every item has 1 to 3 special properties, not 10+. They are my interpretation of each item, when translated into a simpler game like Old-School Essentials. 

d20 Unique Items

1. Stormshield: Shield +1. All fire, cold and lightning damage is halved.
2. Magefist: Iron gauntlets. Fire spells that inflict damage cause +1d6 damage (can be used by any class).
3. Duriel's Shell: Plate armor +3. +1 to all saves, +1 hit point per level (max +10).
4. Highlord's Wrath : Amulet. The wearer gains one extra melee attack every round.
5. Ormus Robes: Fire, cold, and lightning spells that inflict damage cause +1d6 damage.
6. Ravenfrost: Ring. Cold damage heals the wearer by the same amount, instead of harming them. Cold spells and effects never affect the wearer in any negative way.
7. Skin of the Viper Magi: Leather armor +2. +2 to saves versus spells.
8. Steelrend: Steel gauntlets. Metal weapons inflict +2 damage (may be used by all classes).
9. Mara's Kaleidoscope: Amulet. +2 to all ability scores.
10. Metalgrid: Amulet. +2 to melee attacks, +2 to AC. May summon a Bronze Golem (2d4 charges).
11. The Cat's Eye: Amulet. +3 AC versus ranged attacks.
12. Windforce: longbow +2. May fire 2 arrows per round, range is doubled.
13. Thundergod's Vigor: Belt. Lightning damage heals the wearer by the same amount, instead of harming them. Bare hands melee attacks inflict +1d8 lightning damage.
14. Halaberd's Reign: Helm. When worn by a fighter or barbarian, all their retainers gain +1 to melee attacks and damage and +1 to Loyalty.
15. Sparkling Mail: Chain mail +2. +2 to saves versus lightning-based spells and attacks; lightning damage from spells and attacks is reduced by 1.
16. Iceblink: Chain mail +2. +2 to saves versus cold-based spells and attacks; cold damage from spells and attacks is reduced by 1.
17. Venom Ward: Plate mail +1. +2 to saves versus poison.
18. Leviathan: Plate mail +2. Indestructible. Grants Strength 18.
19. Azurewrath: Crystal longsword +2. Indestructible. Deals +1d4 cold damage. All undead in melee range suffer 1d4 holy damage at the beginning of every round.
20. The Grandfather: Two handed sword +2. +3 hit point per level (max +30).

Into Old School? Check out my other OSR posts!

Who's the New Guy Anyway? d20 Answers for OSR Games

Here's a new table for your OSR game of choice, wether it is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Of course brave DMs can adapt it to other editions and other games.

The table is straight from Notable Novices and Notorious Newcomers, my third electronic/print-at-home zine for Old-School Essentials.

Who Are You?

Roll a d20 to find out the reason why the party immediately welcomes a new member... such as a replacement character that's hastily rolled mid-session.

Some of the results are fairly obvious, some are more exotic or outlandish, and some affect the new character's statistics. Use with caution!

1. The new character is the hitherto unknown stepbrother or stepsister of another party member! Adventure runs in the family blood, it seems. The two of them are so happy of having met, they both receive +5% experience points as long as both are alive. The bonus only applies for sessions both characters participate in.

2. The new character grew up in the same village, city district or community as another party member, and spent their childhood playing together.

3. The new character has a crush on another party member and is eager to show their worth and bravery.

4. Another party member has a crush on the new character, and is eager to show their worth and bravery.

5. The new character cultivates, together with another party member, a not-so-adventurous hobby, such as crochet, soap-making, painting, or poetry.

6. The new character has heard of the group’s legendary exploits, and won’t leave them alone until they are considered part of the company.

7. The parents, spouse, or siblings of another party member have had the new character swear an oath to watch over them and make sure they are safe while adventuring. The new character receives +10% experience points as long as that party member is alive. The bonus only applies for sessions both characters participate in.

8. The parents, spouse, or siblings of the new character have had another party member swear an oath to watch over them and make sure they are safe while adventuring. That party member receives +10% experience points as long as the new character is alive. The bonus only applies for sessions both characters participate in.

9. After one glass too many, the new character bet that they could be as much of an adventurer as anyone else. If they survive their first adventure, another party member owes the new character 1d100 gp.

10. The new character has read some ancient tomes and scrolls, and has identified another party member as “the chosen one” of an obscure prophecy involving a dragon and a great danger to the realm. The new character receives +10% experience points as long as that party member is alive. The bonus only applies for sessions both characters participate in.

11. Another party member has identified the new character as “the chosen one” they’ve been dreaming of, a person destined to great things. That party member receives +10% experience points as long as the new character is alive. The bonus only applies for sessions both characters participate in.

12. Because of a “misunderstanding”, years ago the new character spent some time in jail together with another party member. They both have the same tattoo as a memento of that period!

13. The new character is the hitherto unknown twin sibling of another party member! Adventure runs in the family blood, it seems. The two of them are so happy of having met, they both receive +10% experience points as long as both are alive. The bonus only applies for sessions both characters participate in. The new character’s ability scores are increased or lowered by 1 point in order to become closer to their twin’s scores.

14. The new character comes from the distant future! Time travel has swept most of their memory, but they still remember a 30 feet high, golden statue of the party members.

15. The new character has a clue or map to a treasure that is hidden in the same place the group is currently exploring or is heading to.

16. The new character is the sole survivor of an unlucky group of adventurers, who have been slain by the monsters in a nearby lair or dungeon. Eager for revenge, the new character receives ten times the experience points from those murderous monsters.

17. The new character is simply irresistible and all party members welcome them unconditionally! The new character’s Charisma score changes to 18.

18. Despite being an adventurer, the new character sounds like the most sensible, sound-minded person you could find in a tavern! The new character’s Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores change to 15, if they were lower.

19. The new character is a welcome addition to the party because everyone knows they bring good luck! The new character and all other party members gain +1 to all their saves, as long as the new character is alive. The bonus only applies for sessions the new character participates in.

20. The new character is a welcome addition to the party because they are one of the most promising and gifted members of their class! Their prime requisite changes to 18. If their class has more than one prime requisite, the player chooses which ability changes to 18.

The full version of Notable Novices and Notorious Newcomers includes three tools in total:

The first is the "Who are you?" table as above.

The second is "What's your story?", and provides the previous adventuring career of freshly rolled character that starts the game as level 2 or higher.

The third determines the magic items they've looted during such adventures, and has different columns based on character class.

While the "Who Are You?" table is a simple d20 table, the tables for higher level characters have a specific mechanic: you make a roll for every level, adding each level to the roll. So, for example, for a 6th level character, you roll six times: 1d20, +1, 1d20+2, 1d20+3, 1d20+4, 1d20+5, and 1d20+6.

For this reason, both tables take into account the 14 level limit of Old-School Essentials and thus go up to 34 results.

Notable Novices and Notorious Newcomers is already available and is Pay What You Want, so go and check it!

You can also check out my other Old-School Essentials e-zines, and my Lands of Legends series, which is currently on sale as a nifty bundle!

As I have more and more stuff coming in 2022, including more e-zines, adventures, and a super secret larger project, if you don't miss it out you should check my linktree to stay in touch!

About Ominous Crypt of the Blood Moss

 Ominous Crypt of the Blood Moss is a third party Old-School Essentials dungeon crawl adventure for characters of 2nd to 4th level.

It is written and illustrated by Frederick Foulds and published by Oneiromantic Press and was published in 2020.

In short: a quick adventure (one or two sessions), with a horrific (almost cthuloid) theme, and lots of stuff to interact with.

I've grabbed the hardcover print-on-demand version on DriveThruRPG which is a nice A5 book, counting 60 pages cover-to-cover (the actual adventure, if you don't count the credits and the OGL license, is 43 pages).

The Ominous Crypt itself is a 10 rooms dungeon. Before the dungeon description, you get an introduction, 3 pages of background, 2 pages describing the Blood Moss from the title (which is a creature of sorts), a page with 3 possible hooks to the adventure, and 3 pages describing the village near the crypt, including a map, one NPC and an event which introduces the adventure. 

The (beautiful) dungeon map appears non-linear at first look, but once you notice where the secret doors are, the map actually is a straight line, with just three one-room branches, and the secret room which conveniently reconnects with the entrance room.

At page 21 begins the dungeon proper. As I said, the dungeon is only 10 rooms. Each room is described in 1 to 3 pages, and all of them have a lot going on, with stuff the characters can examine, loot, interact with, and fight.

The room descriptions are structured as bullet points, with colored and bold text where needed. As I said, there's lots of details, but the presentation makes it easy to navigate and find out all the important stuff.

The dungeon has a detailed backstory which involves a (very) holy crypt, now defiled "from the inside" after the corrupted body of a mage was buried in. The defunct mage hosted a fungal being from the void (the titular Blood Moss), which has spread on the floors and reanimated some skeletons. The "alien" moss initially appears as part of the environment, but actually is the "final boss" of the dungeon, with its main node rooted in the mage's corpse.

Some personal considerations.

I like that "solving" the adventure has visible consequences for the village outside the dungeon, and the presentation is top notch, making it very easy to run. I also like that among the treasure is a very good example of a sentient sword, a type of magic item I struggle with. This one, it is well detailed and makes sense within the scenario.

I'm not sure about the treasure. Magic items are more than enough for a 10-room dungeon, but considering the risks, the amount of gold seems a bit low.

Some of the "tricks" (the one that opens a secret door, plus a sort of riddle) aren't perfect (i.e. there aren't many clues for the players to figure them out) but I think it's ok as they are "only" required to get to the big treasure room and to avoid a sort of trap.

So, all in all I like this scenario and actually plan to run it in the next weeks. What I think I'll do is keep the treasure as is, but lower the HD of most creatures by 1, so as to (probably) make it suitable for level 1 characters. Considering the deadliness of the adventure, the degree of player skill it requires, the fact that it's fairly short, it may very well be a valid alternative to the more famous Tomb of the Serpent Kings as an introduction to Old School games!