GMs Day Sale 2014 ODnD Methadone and Maps on Paper Plates

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:

A complete set of rules and some dice.
What more can old-schooler need?

Black and white, printer friendly, a decent size of lettering -it converts well to whatever small booklet format your printer can create. Not having a long stapler I took the liberty of stitching the spines. This was rather rewarding and seemed apt that I was reminded of home-made reprographics from the 70s and 80s.

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.

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.  

My Instagram Gallery - this sort of thing plus a cat (cos the internet needs more cats)
(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.