My Next New Product is Now Available!

I'm happy to report (slightly ahead of schedule, even) that my next Labyrinth Lord product is now available!  You can buy the PDF on RPGNow.com for $3.99 or the limited run print version for $4.99 (this price includes shipping).  You can see a video flip-through below to make sure it's the type of product in which you'd be interested.

I'd appreciate any help in getting the word out, too.  Feel free to grab the advertisement image above and embed it in your own blog if you'd like to.  The OSR is a great group and I've been a proud member for several years.  Thanks!

Click here to buy Verloren PDF at RPGNow.com

Click "Buy Now" below to buy Verloren print edition.

Verloren is a city hanging in the balance. Either it will fall to an ancient evil or triumph based on your actions. Enclosed are city details, maps, nine original monsters, and interesting non-player characters for encounters in and out of Verloren. In this fantasy supplement, players will face powerful monsters and explore a decaying city to discover the secret of The Change and save the thousands of inhabitants.

• 9 Original Monsters
• Over 20 Original Illustrations
• 3 New Spells
• Lots of NPCs and Story Hooks
• 2 Maps

We Went to Origins

My daughter and wife meet their first Adeptus Mechanicus.

I drove down to Columbus Saturday and attended the Origins gamefair.  Origins was the first game convention I attended back in '97.  Since then, I've been back many times and also started going to other convetions.  For the first time, however, I took my four-year old daughter.  Perhaps I was premature in such a decision.

Being four, she was too young to play games or wait patiently while I perused the dealers room.  Add in the frequent potty breaks and need for drink or food every hour or so and you can imagine why it wasn't an entirely pleasant experience.

Oh well.

I did manage to score a paperback copy of Savage Worlds Deluxe and Innsmouth Escape each for only ten bucks.  I also found copies of The Secret Fire and Carcosa, but the high costs from the consignment shop scared me off.  I also found a print copy of the One Page Dungeon Contest 2012.  The thirty dollar price tag and less-than-helpful booth attendees led me to meander on faster than I normally would have.

I, myself, contributed a dungeon to the 2012 competition and experienced a thrill seeing my name in a physical book sold at a legitimate convention.  That I don't get any remuneration doesn't bother me that much.  In order to participate, you have to release your dungeon under the creative common license, so I didn't expect any.

Oh well.

There was a little bit of swag (a CCG), a couple hot booth babes, and quite a few interesting cosplay participants.  I couldn't find any Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, or any other retro-clone games either sold or run.  (Though I did see a lot of Goodman Games products.)  Heck, there was only one non 4e or 5e D&D game I could find.  Based on my Gencon analysis, though, I wasn't surprised, but still a little bummed.

Oh well.

Problem #15:

In order to be accepted as a student into Verloren's Symposium applicants must pass a series of tests.  Some are physical, some are magical, and some are logical.  Below is a typical logic test that applicants must pass before advancing to greater challenges.

All of the words below have an unusual trait in common.  What is that trait?

first
belt
glow
almost
city
dirty
begin
ghost
abhor

Problem #14 Solution:

none
mind
flop
head
floor
hearty
rest
smile
dress
toil or moil

New Product Update: Verloren

My editor returned the draft of my next Labyrinth Lord publication a few days ago. It's called Verloren The Rufescent and the Atramentous and I've already finished secondary edits and layout.  I have only two illustrations remaining to finish.  After that, I'll print a proof and do final edits.  After that, bam!  It's off to the printers then off (digitally) to RPGNow.  Once there, my legion of Constant Readers will, no doubt, once again be captivated by my original concepts, deft writing, and engrossing illustrations and I will swim, much like Scrooge McDuck, through the hundreds, nay, thousands of pennies that will invariably roll my way as a result of my (and my editor's) months of labor. Indeed, if this product sells as well as I dare hope, I may even be able to treat my daughter to a Happy Meal in celebration (I'm fine with water, thank you).

In all seriousness, I hope to have both print editions (limited run of 30) and PDFs ready in a couple of weeks.  Below are a few illustrations to pique your curiosity.  Expect a price point of $3.99 for PDF and $4.99 for print (I will take care of shipping and yes, that includes Europe and Australia).  Expect a final update in a week or so.

Feeling hungry, little fella?

This is the cover (unfinished)

Mutations in D&D?  Heck yes!

This encounter will NOT go as planned.  I assure you.

All illustrations copyright Dylan Hartwell 2013.  Contact him at hartwell602 at gmail dot com if you're interested in soliciting art for your gaming publications.

Problem #14: Rhyming Reasons

Gan is a handsome bard hoping to gain renown through his music.  After several days of perilous journey through the fluted canyons to the west of Verloren he comes upon the isolated monastery dedicated to the goddess of song, Zenedal.

A warbling flute-like fugue fills the air as wind flows through the vertical canyons.  Gan enters the main gate and is lead to a central room by a silent monk.  Just as quickly as the monk enters, he leaves, pulling the door shut softly behind him.  A beautiful woman sits on the floor surrounded by concave walls that amplify the eerie music of the canyon.

Gan looks around before lowering his backpack and settling into a cross-legged seat.  Several candles illuminate the windowless room.  The flames shift slightly as the canyon music fades into silence.  After several heartbeats Zenedal opens her eyes and speaks.

"You seek prestige, but are not willing to devote the time necessary to hone your performance level to one that will supply the fame you desire," she says.

After a thoughtful pause Gan clears his throat and responds, "You see me truly."

"I do," is her only response.

"Then you also see that I will spread the glory of your name beyond your sphere of influence.  I will compose and perform songs of such beauty that even Queen Cydella will listen to your growing followers.  She will have no choice but to elevate you to rightful status as soveriegn goddess of Verloren," said Gan.

"Perhaps," Zenedal allows.  "Even if I choose to bless you, that is not enough.  The leading bard of Zenedal must have a lyrical heart," she paused and closed her eyes.  Long lashes lowering over brown orbs.  "Do you, my son, have such an essence within your breast?"

"Yes," answers Gan.

"We shall see," responds Zenedal.

The canyon music gradually resumes and a monk opens the door.  Gan knits his brows and gathers the leather backpack at his feet before leaving.

The monk quickly pulls the door shut and leads Gan to an even smaller room.  Inside is a single parchment and quill.  Gan looks at the monk standing by his side and raises his shoulders.

"You have a chance to receive the blessing you desire, bard," says the monk.  "Pass the test and you are welcome back in to the grand aria chamber.  There, you will experience the transformative powers of Zenedal."

Gan smiles, "That good, huh?"

"You lack the imagination to even begin.  You have this much time," says the monk as he turns an ornate hourglass on to the desk and turns to the open door.

"Wait," says Gan.

The monk stops and turns, looking not at Gan, but the softly hissing hourglass.  "Yes," he asks?

"What if I don't get it the first time?  How many times can I try?"

The monk's eyes narrow before he responds, "You didn't do your homework did you?"

Gan's ruddy complexion pales and he licks his lips, "Uh, what, am I cast out or something?"

The monk lifts his stare from the falling sand and answers, "She will take your voice."

Gan's short laugh is gutteral, "What, do I go hoarse or something?"

"No," responds the leaving monk, "you go dead."

Only the sound of the wailing wind through the canyons, the hiss of sand against glass, and the bard's heartbeat occupy his auditory range as he turns his eyes to the paper and lifts the quill.  Printed in flowing script is the following problem:

Find the word that rhymes with the first word in the pair and is opposite in meaning to the second word in the pair.

1.  one, all

2.  find, disobey

3.  cop, success

4.  said, tail

5.  more, ceiling

6.  party, frail

7.  test, exercise

8.  dial, frown

9.  mess, strip

10.  boil, play

Problem #13 Solution:  The magical dagger has a green hilt and silver blade.  The magical short sword has a golden hilt and green blade.  The large sword has a red hilt and blade.

Digital Orc Leaderboard Updated: Where Are You?

Thirteen-some weeks ago I started publishing role-playing trivia posts every Friday at 10AM Eastern.  Since the start more than ten unique readers have posted nearly fifty responses.  I consider this a success and plan to continue this series through the summer at the very least.  I'm also toying with the idea of polishing some of the best and publishing them in a limited run print edition complete with the recurring Labyrinth Lord characters.  Those of you who answer regularly will see a recurrence of certain unlucky adventurers such as Bimpo and Cydella, both set in my fantasy world of Verloren.  You can track the progress of this project along the right-hand side of my blog under the "Project & Status" list.  It's tentatively titled "What's Your Problem?"  You can also easily find all of the published problems by clicking on the tag "problem".  Easy, right?

I've also updated the leaderboard.  You can see a small picture on the right-hand side of the blog and the full spreadsheet by clicking on the "Leaderboard & License" tab at the top of the blog.  If you answer a problem correctly, you earn 200 Digital Orc points  If you answer first and it's correct you earn 400 Digital Orc.  The person at the top of the leaderboard and the person who earned the most Digital Orc points through their answers will both (if they are not the same person, and it is likely to be so) receive a gratis PDF and print copy.  You need to complete this form providing your email/address and be a follower of this blog to receive said gifts.  If the point leader has not submitted their email/address, then I will continue to the next highest points until I find someone who has.

Finally, thank you, Constant Reader, for your attention and participation.

Today is My Birthday

The author at Gencon.

I turned 37 a few minutes ago.  That means 28 years of regular role-playing gaming.  That's 1,460 weekends of Mentzer's Red Box, Palladium, Cyberpunk 2020, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire:  The Dark Ages, Labyrinth Lord, and now Dark Heresy.  That's eleven Origin conventions and four Gencons.  That's a study full of books that frightens most of my non-gamer friends ("Wait.  There's math, demons, and the need for intense imagination?  Forget that!  Just gimme a beer and turn on the game.")  That's thousands of sheets of graph paper and sharpies.  That's 34.5 pounds of eraser dust.  That's millions of XP and electrum.  That's losing my sanity and falling down hundreds of pits.  That's saying, "I kill it" over a gazillion times.  That's priceless fun.

That's 467 failed Charisma checks and 58 satisfied barmaids.  That's 42 forehead slaps for forgetting to buy a ten-foot pole.  That's hiding 8 1980s Dragon magazines under my mattress along with 3 cherished issues of Playboy.  That's 27.8 years of tracking Bargle without success.  That's 76 TPK (from both sides of the screen).  That's 300 ounces of paint and 4 blisters from casting my own minis.  That's 140 evil DM chuckles (98 given, 42 received).  That's 6 hours of reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight twice, then rushing through Chronicles and Legends.  That's 1.5 years of Kender jokes and 1.6 years of Raistlin and Bupu dirty jokes.

That's 34 hours of feeling guilty about secretly re-rolling a stat.  That's four years of nightly reading to my daughter hoping some of Tolkien's words spark her imagination.  That's losing 1/2 of my Pathfinder boxed set punch outs to teething... and not minding.  That's 0 minutes of edition-warfare.

That's hundreds of rainy evenings reading Grognardia and Jeff's and Dragonfoot forums.  That's 22 months of mispronouncing "Raggi".  That's saying, "I attack the darkness" three times a year.  That's hundreds of OSR blogs in my Reader account with billions of cursed objects, random maps, original monsters, and interesting NPCs.  The fact that I don't have time to read them is strangely exhilarating.  That's funding 2 kickstarters and getting one refunded and never receiving the other.  That's right-clicking Zak's blog pictures like crazy.

That's 500 gaming posts of my own.  That's 5,000 comments meandering the OSR blogosphere of my own (most of them written while sober, too).  That's 4 issues of my old 90s gaming 'zine resurrected from the grave digitally.  That's 5 self-published games.  That's over 100 PDFs sold and 90 print editions folded, long-arm stapled, and mailed.  That's making less than 300 dollars profit for something I love and not minding a bit.  That's 137 Constant Readers.  That's six continents and millions of miles.

You're one Constant Reader who finished this egotistic post.  Happy birthday to me.