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Soon coming to Kickstarter:

From the Mythmere Games newsletter:

Swords & Wizardry was originally written in 2008 by Matt Finch, author of the Tome of Adventure Design. It’s an ENNIE award-winning retro-clone of the original 1974-1978 rules for Dungeons & Dragons*, an edition usually called Original D&D or OD&D. As with most early role-playing games, it is very rules-light by today’s standards, which makes it easy to learn and fast-moving to play.

All the rules for the game are contained in one book, 144 pages long, which includes everything needed to play. This new version is backward compatible with the earlier versions, containing several small changes, but nothing that changes fundamental rules.

For those who are familiar with the recent developments with the Open Game License, this new version of the rules is non-OGL. It uses the Creative Commons License, and will have an independent license allowing third-party publishers to use the Swords & Wizardry rules for creating adventures and even new games.

There will be both an offset-print version (the blue cover shown, which will have a high-quality sewn binding) and a print-on-demand version (the Erol Otus cover shown). These will have roughly the same final price to the backer before shipping – neither one is a “premium” or “deluxe” cover, although the blue offset print books will be of a higher quality than a print-on-demand press generates.

In addition to having a print-on-demand option, we will again use our fulfillment partners in the UK to lower shipping costs for UK, EU, Norway, and Switzerland customers. We will be using a new warehouse in the USA, because we have found a fulfillment company that’s very close to our house.

#News #OSR #SW

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Columbia Games is running a Kickstarter for HârnWorld hardcover.

The book will contain:

Basically a detailed view of the Hârn island, and a high-level view of the Lythia continent and Kethira planet.

Harn has beautiful, well thought out materials that are usable with many fantasy systems. The maps are gorgeous and personalities are fleshed out just enough to drop them into any world without too much fuss.

From the HârnWorld introduction:

HârnWorld is a detailed, realistic, flexible, and system-neutral setting for fantasy role-playing games. Since 1983, HârnWorld has been used by thousands of people across the world to run a wide array of medieval fantasy adventures. HârnWorld can accommodate whatever style of campaign you are looking for, whether your player characters are knights, mages, barbarians, clerics, noble lords, mercenaries, gladiators, craftsmen, merchants, thieves, or even simple peasants yearning for adventure.

Check out this free introduction document to learn more.

The Kickstarter campaign ends on March 14th.

Bedsides the HârnWorld 40th Anniversary Hardcover, you can also get all four kingdom hardbacks released so far (Kaldor, Melderyn, Rethem, and Orbaal), as well as complete Columbia Games Harn material.

So far I've been very happy with kingdom hardbacks, and am looking forward to this one as well. Although I run the Wilderlands of High Fantasy setting, I find Harn material invaluable to save prep time for settlements.

#News #Harn

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Wizards of the Coast has announced they'll update the Open Gaming Licence. By update, they of course mean they'll reduce what one is able to do, introduce new ridiculous restrictions, and sabotage their existing fan base who are promoting them for free.

Ever since 4E there's been a lot of discussions regarding how irrevocable OGL really is. In the wake of recent developments, Alexander Macris (creator of the excellent Adventurer Conqueror King System) offers an interesting take:

In short: it is unlikely that the current version of OGL can be revoked. It is very likely Wizards of the Coast will try to do whatever they can to get everyone on their new OGL.

But really, OSR creators don't need anything beyond OGL 1.0 and 1.0a. I seriously doubt new WotC edition will bring any significant innovations worth backporting.

All of this might be a good spark for creating a rock-solid D&D retro-clone released under the Creative Commons licence.

In fact, if you have:

  • an intimate understanding of any of the following: B/X, BECMI, Rules Cyclopedia, New Easy-to-Master D&D, and Classic D&D;
  • are interested in collaboratively creating a comprehensive system reference document licensed under the Creative Commons ; and
  • can write

then send me an email. Perhaps there is enough of us to make a difference.

#News #OGL #OSR

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Two months since announcing his return, Dan has shared Labyrinth Lord 2E preview:

Download it for free at DriveThruRPG.

Update: Dan removed the preview due to feedback. In how own words:

Hey everyone, based on feedback I'm going to need to rethink presentation. The release timeframe will probably change. I'm taking some time to mull it over and I'll update when I can.

Discussion at Dragonsfoot forum.

Discussion at OSR reddit.

Some quick thoughts:

  • Visual feel is reminiscent of later Mystara publications. I'm a big fan of black-and-white, and while I can tolerate the ornamental frame, I don't think coloured background is the way to go.
  • I like the addition of green explainer text. In general, I've observed a lack of instructional language in a lot of modern OSR rule-sets, so this makes for a nice addition.
  • The art is sometimes endearing, and sometimes off-putting.

Either way, I'm still looking forward to it.

#News #OSR #LL

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Robert Conley just shared some delightful news about Majestic Fantasy Realms, the spiritual successor to the Wilderlands of High Fantasy:

By next year I will be releasing stuff for the Majestic Fantasy Realms which is formatted similarly to how Blackmarsh is set up. Except it will be four 12” by 18” maps. There will be some city/town maps included but nothing like the original CSIO. For that I have a long term plan for what I call the City State of Eastgate. Basically picking up from where I left off in 2009...

Here is how the maps look at the moment:

It should come to Kickstarter next year, so keep your eyes open.

In the meantime, the following are available from Rob's DriveThruRPG:

And much more from his website.

#News #OSR #SW #MFRPG

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Dr. Daniel Proctor, the creator of Labyrinth Lord, Advanced Edition Companion, Advanced Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, and much more, has shared some exciting news:

When I suspended Goblinoid Games' social media presence two months ago, it was because I gave myself an ultimatum.

I would write a substantial, totally new product by the first of the year and be well on my way to editing a new edition of Labyrinth Lord. If I didn't succeed in these challenges, I had decided I would close up shop for good. I am near completion of a new solo adventure, currently sitting at around 24,000 words.

In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on myself. I've suffered from moderate to severe anxiety for about the last seven years, amplified by a series of large life changes. The kind of life changes you check the boxes for on a form to determine how much stress you have in your life. At any given time during those years I would probably have three or four big ones happening at once. As a result, all of my hobbies essentially came to a halt. It was hard enough to get by day-to-day, much less write creative content and keep up with the demands of my publishing business. Some of you know I'm a professor, and just performing those duties was challenging enough. And of course Covid.

But I'm happy to say that at this point I'm in a much better place than I've been in years. I've come to terms with many things in my life, and I'm finally in a position to pick up where I left off. I know the industry has changed, and I know many of my supporters have been disappointed with my lack of support for my game lines, Labyrinth Lord especially. I've also let down my publishing partners. But I'm here to tell you today that all of that is coming to an end. I'm still a one-person, Indy publisher, but in addition to my own efforts I'll be be reaching out to others for partnerships moving forward. I'm very excited for what the future holds, and I hope some of you will join me on this new journey.

To read a little bit more about what I have in mind, please visit my website. It's still under construction but I have some information there about what's next for Labyrinth Lord.

Here's to the future!

Dan

goblinoidgames.com

Be sure to read the link website because it shares more about upcoming changes. Some of the highlights:

  • Labyrinth Lord (LL) was one of the first retroclones (alongside OSRIC). Nobody back then knew what was and wasn't allowed under Open Gaming Licence. For that reason LL changed a number of small things from B/X (e.g. experience tables, treasure tables, and so on). As Old School Essentials (OSE) has shown, it is possible to entirely copy the system without running into trouble.
  • With new insight, LL 2E will come even closer to B/X, the system it emulates, and will include all the known errata (hopefully they are aware of this one) as well as improved layout and presentation. To be honest, I don't find the current one very lacking. It just oozes character.
  • There will be second edition of the Advanced Edition Companion (AEC) as well. There might be a second edition of Advanced Labyrinth Lord (compilation of LL + AEC).
  • Second edition won't be crowdfunded, and will simply arrive into stores (DTRPG and Lulu I presume). I've noticed a lot of resistance to fundraising from the older guard. Not sure why is that, but I get a feeling they think it would somehow sell them out, or something similar. In reality, it would provide them enough funds to improve the production values of their product.
  • Tentative release date is Q1 2023.

I am very much looking forward to the Second Edition!

#News #LL #OSR

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Wilderlands of High Fantasy is a campaign setting published by Judges Guild in the 70's. It's by far the best fantasy setting ever published (yes, I am biased) for a busy Judge who doesn't have infinite prep time.

The setting is just populated enough that one can drop in whatever they wish, without breaking anything. At the same time, there are plenty of cool things to interact with even without adding anything.

Legendary adventures in the Wilderlands include City State of The Invincible Overlord, Wraith Overlord, Tegel Manor, Caverns of Thracia, The Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor, and many, many other, less known ones.

The setting was originally published in four booklets:

  • Wilderlands of High Fantasy (City State of Invincible Overlord, Barbarian Altantis, Glow Worm Steppes, Tarantis, and Valon)
  • Fantastic Wilderlands Beyonde (Desert Lands, Sea of Five Winds, Elphand Lands, and Lenap)
  • Wilderlands of the Magic Realm (Ghinor, the Isles of the Blest, the Ebony Coast, and Ament Tundra)
  • Wilderlands of the Fantastic Reaches (Isle of Dawn, the Southern Reaches, the Silver Skein Isles, and the Ghinor Highlands)

Besides the setting, they came with a plethora of additional rules and procedures for generating everything from ruins to caves to dungeons.

The setting was compiled and expanded into a box-set by Necromancer Games in 2005. Unfortunately, it's been long sold-out, just like the originals, so it is quite expensive to get it today.

Robert Conley, a long-time Wilderlands contributor and Judge (his Wilderlands campaign has been going on for 40 years!), revised the four original booklets and their maps under the license from Judges Guild:

His own works in the Wilderlands are amazing as well:

  • The Majestic Wilderlands (a 140 page rules supplement compatible with the Swords & Wizardry rules and a guide to the Majestic Wilderlands)
  • Scourge of the Demon Wolf (a 72 page adventure compatible with the Swords & Wizardry rules and a setting supplement to the Majestic Wilderlands detailing a small barony, a complete fantasy village, a conclave of mages, a crossroads hamlet, and a camp of wandering beggars)

Above two are available as print bundle as well.

His licence will lapse (all reasons explained here) and all of the above will be removed from his store page by Monday, August 21st, 2022.

Given that Judges Guild of today is nothing but a mismanaged mess, make sure to get these amazing supplements while you still can.

And even more importantly, to support Robert Conley, a person who has kept the true spirit of Wilderlands alive long after Bob Bledsaw had passed away.

#News #Wilderlands

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