Thursday 16 June 2011

Tavern by the Sea -T&T solo - Ken St. Andre/Flying Buffalo

 Tavern by the Sea  by Ken St. Andre, Flying Buffalo $2.95

This is definitely from the light hearted end of the Tunnels & Trolls gaming world.  Frivolity and brutality go hand in hand in what would actually make an ideal introductory solo game for a 1st (to low)  level character.  But don't get too attached to your new hero, there's a few instant death sections lurking.

<12> Big Burp isn’t keen on taking any lip from little guys like you. Make a L1SR on CHR. If you make the roll, go to <46>.
If you fail, he rips your head off, and eats it like a cherry. The last thing you hear is a crunching sound! THE END.

Nice. :)  You can start the adventure without a character, a random roll determines race, a back-story and quick-choice equipment, just add stats.  This is a nice touch, because a new player doesn't have to worry too much about shopping through the equipment lists and worrying about the change. It's a a fairly short adventure so I can't afford to cite any spoilers.

The last few pages are for a GM wishing to run the tavern encounters as part of their own campaign.
Again, this is ideal for starting players.

Adapted from a magazine solo in the early 80s Tavern by the Sea has been rewritten to work with T&T7.5  rules, but Mr KsA assures us that any ruleset will work. (This also means that it works with Flying Buffalo's Free Rules)  A basic understanding of Saving Throws and combat rules is required, all magic is discouraged, adventure points are awarded for successes - not to mention a fair amount of gold to walk away with, that's if you do actually manage to walk away...

Tavern' is ideal if you like a lot of fun and mortal surprises, perhaps not for players who crave epic adventure and immersive fantasy.  Oh, did forget to mention "pirates"?  If you like pirates in your pseudo-medieval games, you'll also love this. :)  Say "Yarr" like a troll ...

(Review Copy)

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