Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Why Appendix N Entertainment?

Some out there might be wondering about the name of our company, even if you are aware of the origin of Appendix N. First I'll give a little insight into what "Appendix N" is for those reading that may not know. "Appendix N" was a literal (Ha!) appendix in the AD&D 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, in which E. Gary Gygax posted most of the things that influenced him in the creation and early stages of his contribution to D&D.  It was placed in the DMG to help to educate players as to what it was the D&D was meant to emulate and represent, as well as give inspiration. This is the original Appendix N: 

"Appendix N:

Inspirational and Educational Reading

Inspiration for all of the fantasy work I have done stems directly from the love my father showed when I was a tad, for he spent many hours telling me stories he made up as he went along, tales of cloaked old men who could grant wishes, of magic rings and enchanted swords, or wicked sorcerers and dauntless swordsmen. Then too, countless hundreds of comic books went down, and the long-gone EC ones certainly had their effect. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies were a big influence. In fact, all of us tend to get ample helpings of fantasy when we are very young, from fairy tales such as those written by the Brothers Grimm and Andrew Lang. This often leads to reading books of mythology, paging through bestiaries, and consultation of compilations of the myths of various lands and peoples. Upon such a base I built my interest in fantasy, being an avid reader of all science fiction and fantasy literature since 1950. The following authors were of particular inspiration to me. In some cases I cite specific works, in others, I simply recommend all their fantasy writing to you. From such sources, as well as just about any other imaginative writing or screenplay you will be able to pluck kernels from which grow the fruits of exciting campaigns. Good reading!
Inspirational Reading:
  • Anderson, Poul. Three Hearts and Three Lions; The High Crusade; The Broken Sword
  • Bellairs, John. The Face in the Frost
  • Brackett, Leigh.
  • Brown, Fredric.
  • Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Pellucidar series; Mars series; Venus series
  • Carter, Lin. "World's End" series
  • de Camp, L. Sprague. Lest Darkness Fall; Fallible Fiend; et al.
  • de Camp & Pratt. "Harold Shea" series; Carnelian Cube
  • Derleth, August.
  • Dunsany, Lord.
  • Farmer, P. J. "The World of the Tiers" series; et al.
  • Fox, Gardner. "Kothar" series; "Kyrik" series; et al.
  • Howard, R. E. "Conan" series
  • Lanier, Sterling. Hiero’s Journey
  • Leiber, Fritz. "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" series; et al.
  • Lovecraft, H. P.
  • Merritt, A. Creep, Shadow, Creep; Moon Pool; Dwellers in the Mirage; et al.
  • Moorcock, Michael. Stormbringer; Stealer of Souls; "Hawkmoon" series (esp. the first three books)
  • Norton, Andre.
  • Offutt, Andrew J., editor. Swords Against Darkness III.
  • Pratt, Fletcher. Blue Star; et al.
  • St. Clair, Margaret. The Shadow People; Sign of the Labrys
  • Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit; "Ring Trilogy"
  • Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld; The Dying Earth; et al.
  • Weinbaum, Stanley.
  • Wellman, Manly Wade.
  • Williamson, Jack.
  • Zelazny, Roger. Jack of Shadows; "Amber" series; et al.
The most immediate influences upon AD&D were probably de Camp & Pratt, REH, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, HPL, and A. Merritt; but all of the above authors, as well as many not listed, certainly helped to shape the form of the game. For this reason, and for the hours of reading enjoyment, I heartily recommend the works of these fine authors to you." - Gary Gygax

Since learning about Appendix N and reading it's offerings, I have loved the idea of presenting an inspirational appendix in every work that I publish. I believe that it may help referees and players to better understand the work they are reading/playing and what the intent was. Additionally, fiction and works of art tend to be welcome where most gamers are concerned. I had often wondered at what films influenced the game as I am certain that choice science fiction, horror and fantasy pieces influenced the creation of D&D. In fact there are a few choice films that we KNOW influenced the creation of the rules. So it was that I decided to include a full "Appendix N" in every offering that my publishing house would produce. Not only would I include literature but films and television as well. I decided not to stop there, but to also include albums that were listened to during the period of the creation of any given work. In this way, the reader/player can better get into the head of the creator and create an ambiance in the game that fits the mood of the work. With an Appendix N, full of inspiration, in every work I was to produce/publish the name of the company came fairly readily.

- Ryan J. Thompson



Thursday, October 1, 2020

Octhorrorfest 2020! Preorder Is Open!

 That's right! This year Octhorrorfest is coming in ZINE format! If you missed out on the Kickstarter we are giving you the chance to get a hold of this now! Preorders will ship once all Kickstarters have been fulfilled. We have 2 levels open for preorders. The first is strictly for the Octhorrorfest zine itself. The second matches the "All of the Horla: For Real!" pledge that he had on the Kickstarter. For this preorder, you get Octhorrorfest, plus our three previously published Old-School Essentials compatible products, in a limited edition orange cover printing! PREORDERS WILL BE CLOSED ON OCTOBER 22ND! 

What you get:

Octhorrorfest Preorder - 1 copy of Octhorrorfes

Octorrorfest Plus Back Catalog Preorder - Octhorrorfest, Lost Classes: The Arnesonian Classes, Solar Sanctuary of the Cannibal Corpse, Hidden Hand of the Horla all in orange print covers, only to be printed during the presale! Note: Lost Classes will not be printed again! These titles will only be printed in this format for those preordering. These special orange covers will not be printed again! 

Follow the links to preorder yours: 

Octhorrorfest Preorder

Octorrorfest Plus Back Catalog Preorder







Thursday, September 3, 2020

Public Release Of Hidden Hand of the Horla, NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

 Hey folks!

I just wanted to get it out there that Hidden Hand of the Horla for Old-School Essentials is now available for purchase as a physical module! The physical copies have a detachable cover with the maps on the inside, just like the old days. The bad news is that it is currently only available for sale in the U.S. I've had some issues with getting international packages returned by the USPS recently, so until that is resolved, I won't be shipping outside of the U.S. 

The good new if you are outside of the U.S. is that we are still selling PDFs on Drivthrurpg.com. 

Additionally, if you missed either of our other OSE releases, Lost Classes: The Arnesonian Classes or Solar Sanctuary of the Cannibal Corpse we still have a small number of first prints available for each. 

You can find links to purchase them all here in the: 

Appendix N Entertainment Catalog


If you want more information, this is what Hidden Hand of the Horla is all about:


A 1st-3rd level adventure for use with Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy Adventure Game 

Legends tell of the Hand Mage's Tower that once stood at the edge of the realm. Within the Hand Mage experimented and hoarded his magical treasures. The tower stood for many years until one day it mysteriously vanished. Rumors spread that the mage had offended the gods and had been eradicated from existence, or else had made a pact with a demon prince and was now paying his due. Whatever the case, the tales became legend and all but the oldest elves were unsure if the tower had ever existed at all. Now the tower has reappeared where it once stood. Will you dare to enter the ancient tower in search of riches and magical secrets?

So, if your OSE or B/X game needs a fresh adventure, go ahead and pick it up!



Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Event Submissions Are Open For Virtual U-Con, A PWYW Convention This Year!

 It's event submission time for Virtual U-Con! 

UPDATED DEADLINES

  • October 2: Events Due for Pre-Reg
  • October 10: Events Preview opens
  • October 17: Pre-Reg opens at 11 am ET.
  • October 30: GMs need to have their virtual meeting info in the registration system
  • Nov 13-15: U-Con Gaming Convention 2020!

U-Con 2020 
November 13-15
Online Everywhere



Back in July U-Con made the announcement that we would be going virtual this year. You can read it right here.

You can check out exactly how Virtual U-Con will work in this post. Note that Virtual U-Con is a PAY WHAT YOU WANT event! This year our GMs will have to pick and post their platform of choice for hosting their games.


Please read over all of the articles linked here if you intend to run games or attend the convention. Please also read over our Conduct Policy.

Now, on to my bit of business.

As the OSR Track and Tekumel Track event coordinator I am looking for Referees, Judges and Dungeon Masters to come run old school games and Tekumel games! If your game is going to be on either of these tracks, please say so in the  notes or comments section of your submission. What constitutes "old school" for purposes of convention, you say? Well, let me tell you.

Old School Games are:

Actual Old School Games With OSR sensibility:

B/X D&D
AD&D 1E and 2E
Runequest 2nd Edition
Boot Hill
Gamma World 1st - 3rd
Pacesetter Games (Chill, Timemaster Etc.)
MARVEL Phaserip
Gangbusters
Star Wars D6
Chivalry & Sorcery
Fantasy Wargaming
007
Top Secret
Tunnels & Trolls
Arduin
Spacemaster
Rolemaster
MERP
Alternity
Etc.

Retro Clones:

Old-School Essentials
OSRIC
Cryptworld
Zweihander 
Labyrinth Lord
Dark Dungeons
Delving Deeper
Blueholme
OpenQuest
Against the Dark Master
Etc.

Near Clones

Dungeon Crawl Classics
Mutant Crawl Classics
Dark Trails
Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea
Castles & Crusades
Mutant Future
Crypts & Things
The Blackest of Deaths
Dark Places & Demogorgons
Etc.

Post OSR Games:

Mothership
Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells
Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells
Dark Streets & Darker Secrets
The Hero's Journey
Lost in the Fantasy World
Torchbearer
Into the Odd
Neoclassical Geek Revival
SEACAT
Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars
Macchiato Monsters
For Coin & Blood
Knave
The Black Hack (and all of the hacks spawned by it)
Blood & Treasure
Etc.

We’re ready to accept your event submissions. Event submissions must include some information about the software platforms to be used in each game, e.g. Roll20, Zoom, Tabletopia, etc.  If you want to host a game or play in events, please mark your calendars with our key dates and deadlines:

  • October 2: Events Due for Pre-Reg
  • October 10: Events Preview opens
  • October 17: Pre-Reg opens at 11 am ET.
  • October 30: GMs need to have their virtual meeting info in the registration system
  • Nov 13-15: U-Con Gaming Convention 2020!

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Irons In the Fire At Appendix N Entertainment

Alright folks. This post is for my own organizational needs, as much as it is an announcement as to what is going on with upcoming and future releases. So, here is an update regarding our releases.

Gateway To Adventure: Old-School Essentials Compatible


T1 -Hidden Hand of the Horla - Old-School Essentials version. All backers have PDFs. Most backers in the states should now have, or soon have their physical copies. International shipping will begin next week. After everything is out, to backers, the physical copies will go up for sale to the general public. PDFs are currently for sale to the public (see the Appendix N Entertainment Store.)

Octhorrorfest zine- Old-School Essentials - Writing is nearing completion, voted upon and backer submitted monsters need to be stated.  Most art is in. Editing to begin early August. We are on track to deliver late August. Late September this will be available to non-backers.

PY1 - Solar Sanctuary of the Cannibal Corpse - This title is getting a revision to make it cleaner and fit the new Gateway To Adventure format, similar to the appearance of Hidden Hand of the Horla. Some errata will be added as well. Those who have purchased the PDF on Drivethrurpg will get the update automatically. Those who purchased through Kickstarter will be contacted to received a free copy of the new format through Drviethrurpg. No date set currently. Likely late August - early September.

Untitled Sorcerer Booklet - This will be a booklet featuring a sorcerer class for OSE. New spells and magic rules will also be featured. - Early in development.

Lost Classes: The Alchemist and Healer - A book featuring an OSE update for two classes inspired by two early classes in Dragon Magazine these will be different than the originals in several ways, streamlined for OSE. This booklet will also feature new spells and alchemy rules. - Early in development.

SW1 - Rats! - A sewer crawl adventure for OSE with a basis in the Pied Piper of Hamlin, and influenced by mid-1980s Warhammer. - Early stage development.

Gateway to Adventure Guide To Skills & Combat - Intended to be our first hardcover book, this will feature modular options for combat, a full system for running tournaments with a revised jousting system based on the one presented in Chainmail, a non-weapon profieciency system, alternate thief skill system and alternate Secondary Skills lists for Sword & Sorcery and Weird Fantasy settings. - mid stage developement. - Estimated to go to Kickstarter Winter/Spring 2021.

PY2 - Quarantine, PY3 - Cemetery Gates, PY4 - Blood & Fire - These are the sequels in the plague year series. I had been working on Quarantine this past winter. When the pandemic hit full force I put these on hold. Some things are just to close to reality. PY2 is explicitly about the epidemic in the first module sweeping through a major city, the government quarantining it's people and shifty town guards abusing some of the folks in quarantine, causing much of the populace to riot. It is intended as a city based sandbox, in which the PCs can involved themselves in the strange currently events in any way they choose to deal with the plague and the injustice being done by the government of Ludolph's Pointe. As what I was writing and trying to put into game terms became mirrored in reality, I put the project aside. I felt that the game books would be in bad taste, and detract form the similar real world issues happening at this time. Someday I will get back to these. -On hiatus

Mothership Compatible Products:

Jungle Moon Death Ziggurat - Sandbox Hex crawl dealing with Corporate colonization, morality in a bleak future and mad science cults worshiping eldritch horrors. - Early stage development

Espers - Splat book dealing with an Esper class, psychic powers and Corporate experimentation. Early stage development

Six-Cess System:

The Six-cess system will be Appendix N Entertainment's own in house system for cinematic roleplaying. This uses a Player/Director shared character and setting creation system and a D6 dice pool success based conflict resolution system. Very light modules, called "Trailers" provide the base plots for adventures in this system.

198X - Kids and teens on adventures and fighting the supernatural is the name of the game. Many systems have tackled the genre, but none in quite the same shared cinematic storytelling way that we are coming at it. Playtests have provided a more "cinematic feel" to the game than any game we have encountered to date. - Early stage development. Intended as a boxed set containing Six-Cess System core rules, 198X genre rules and several Trailers. - Early stage developement

198X: Teenage Wasteland: 198X rules explicitly meant to create grittier teen and early twenties characters and stories. Provided are rules for government/cold war experimentation resulting in psychic characters. Basic campaign Trailers will be included which created a gritty game in which teens escape government test facilities and combat the corrupt government with their new psychic abilities. - Very early stage development.



Appendix N Entertainment, Gateway To Adventure, Six-Cess System, 198X and 198X: Teenage Wasteland © Appendix N Entertainment.


Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Announcement: The Future of Gamers & Grognards and Appendix N Entertainment

Gamers & Grogards & Appendix N Entertainment

Over the past year, you may have noticed a drop in the posts on the Gamers & Grognards blog, was we move farther into work as Appendix N Entertainment. Over the past week, some have noticed that "Gamers & Grognards has ceased to exist. As we have moved on to publishing through Appendix N Entertainment, I have had to make the hard choice to "get rid of" Gamers & Grognards. The blog is now used infrequently, and when it has been it has been used to promote projects at Appendix N Entertainment. The site will stay up as appendixnentertainment.com. All previous blog posts from Gamers & Grognards will stay up so that our readers use the former posts as reference. Additionally, the Gamers & Grognards page on Facebook will be taken down on 7/10/2020. To keep up to date please follow https://www.facebook.com/appendixnentertainment 

Going Forward: Appendix N Entertainment 

The Gamers & Grognards blog will not become the Appendix N Entertainment website. A blog will still be present, as well as a catalog of Appendix N Entertainment's products containing links to purchase them. The big differences that might be seen will be that new posts, if they speak to non Appendix N products, will only feature products used in lines that are supported by or compatible with our product and the lines we choose to support (Necrotic Gnome with their Old-School Essentials game being the number 1 system supported by Appendix N Entertainment at the time of this announcement.) At present, we will support Old-School Essentials, our own forth-coming Six-cess System, Mothership, and potentially Dark Streets & Darker Secrets and Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells. You will also see information regarding conventions that we work with (or work for, in the case of U-Con.) 

We will be trying to post news about upcoming products, Kickstarters and sales here as well. 

Original Edition Appreciation Day

We haven't had an appreciation day in a couple of years. Frankly, it is dead, as we are not producing product for any version of OD&D or it's clones at this time. There is some talk of doing a BX/OSE appreciation day, but that has yet to be decided.