Och, I'm no good at this. I keep missing sales all over the place.Another super duper sale - 8 days left in the GM's Day Sales on DTRPG
30% off selected publishers and products yadda yadda. You know you love it.
Coping without Original D&D
This might be an Outside-of-US problem or just a Europe distribution problem, but a month or so back I was having a lot of difficulty trying to track down an anniversary edition Original Dungeons & Dragons.
Aside: I'm still fairly bemused that it's not being sold with the Chainmail rules - or at least the basic combat system which is then replaced by the "alternative" d20 system. If you really want to go way back to the roots of the game - why not crack open the d6s and set the weapon type against armour class?
Anyhow, this is academic, because I couldn't find the anniversary reprint box anywhere for a sensible price. I was amazed to see US gamers complaining at low Amazon pre-order prices ($80? $40?!), when I couldn't find it for much less than £200 GBP - and even then it wasn't guaranteed to be stock. I can't find it on Amazon (UK) tonight. Then I'm wondering if I just hold out for a couple of months Wizards will be selling the PDFs for a song anyhow (?)
(By the way, singing is NOT an accepted for of payment on most websites)
In the meantime, I returned to the three humble books of Delving Deeper. Up to now my favorite simulacrum/clone of OD&D was Swords & Wizardry White Box -yummy compact, streamlined goodness. After reading around the subject (thank you, OSR communities!) it appears that DD is written and arranged in such a way that is pretty close to OD&D first three books. DD is the OSR methadone for OD&D junkies, who can't get the real thing, or who want to get friends hooked but daren't lend out their precious original game. ;)
Also, I firmly believe that the simpler system, the more empowering it is for DM wanting the play from scratch - or to run a dungeon of the fly. Naturally, these opportunities are not arising much in my all too no-fun grown-up world at the moment, but simple systems allow for grand thought experiments - which after all is what a campaign world is.
Delving Deeper, published by Immersive Ink, is free to download: http://bit.ly/delvingdeeper
I've been going through a tough time in the icky real world recently (visiting my partner in hospital). In the past I used to carry about Basic D&D or the very portable Tunnels&Trolls 5th edition, but recently I put together this A5 size emergency set:
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| A complete set of rules and some dice. What more can old-schooler need? |
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| Booklets printed double-sided on a home printed then saddle-stitched by yours truly. Next time I'll back sure that the covers are printed on card. |
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| I couldn't resist drawing my cleric. If I run a campaign I think a small party of new characters should all begin at 3rd level. |
Suffice to say this compact portal to infinite realms as very reassuring, just to read, never mind actually play. I'm sure I'll get my chance. :)
Fantasy Maps on Paper Plates
I've been posting these on Instagram and Facebook and I'm genuinely surprised at the interest they create. I recommend this to anyone who wants to fill half an hour. It started as a fantasy imitation of medieval T-O maps. Take a fine-line pen, a paper plate and just draw a world within the confines of the circle. Lots of fun.
(Webstagram link).
Tonight's Random PDF Purchase
Back in the day, I never had the pleasure...God help me. Sci-fi D&D? Never cross the streams.
Keep fantasy gaming in a casket marked "Arthurian Only"...
Spelljammer (2e AD&D) a mere $9.99 as I type.
For that price, definitely worth a look.
Other Randomness
Despairing at the lack of progress finishing several new Inked Adventures projects I soothed myself by making this Flipagram slideshow of a whole bunch of maps and works in progress, and adding some Philip Glass music (who as far as I know, doesn't endorse Inked Adventures products or paper plates)
https://flipagram.com/f/PHjsFgdpyQ
Happy Shopping, Happy Gaming!
-Bb.
