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. 

Our First Kickstarter!

Support the Kickstarter here!

Octhorrorfest, Ghost Stories: 1D12 Hauntings Tables For OD&D and other RPGs

Octhorror is here again! That means, of course, several supernatural posts and game aids for your help get your game in the spirit of the season! You should be able to tell from the title that, this year, will be focused on dealing with the spirit world!

I typically give stats for a creature, or a specific rule to use in play. The first post of the year is going to be a little more generic. This post is intended to help those Referees that want to add a bit of the supernatural to the game, or run a Halloween session, without having to do a ton of prep. To this end I give you tables to create a sandbox ghost story for your players to deal with. The intent here is that the players will discover the haunting and have to deal with putting the spirit to rest. This post assumes that D&D or another fantasy game is being played. Enjoy!

D12: What Is Being Haunted?

1. A castle/manor
2. The local inn/tavern
3. Someone's home
4. An old abandoned house
5. A cemetery or barrow
6. A magic item the PCs have discovered
7. Mundane treasure (gold, jewelry etc.)
8. A common item (used adventuring gear, a farmer's plow etc.)
9. A holy site (temple, grove, cemetery etc.)
10. An item owned by an NPC
11. An NPC (see rules for possession and obsession)
12. One of the PCs (see rules for possession and obsession)

D12: Why Is the Spirit Earthbound?

1. The spirit does not realize it has died
2. The spirit was murdered and must be avenged/murderer brought to justice
3. They died while on a quest. The quest must be completed for the spirit to move on.
4. An item was stolen from the home or resting place of the spirit and must be returned
5. The spirit was bound to the haunted (see table above) by means of a spell.
6. The deceased deliberately became a ghost, specter etc, hoping to gain power as an undead spirit
7. A curse separates this spirit from the spirit of it's one true love, who has passed on to the other side.
8. A part of the spirits corporeal body is missing/stolen and must be returned to it's place of rest.
9. The spirit broke an oath before dying and is now cursed until it proves it's worth.
10. The body of this spirit is alive, but the current possessor of it's body severed it's ties to get rid of the proper owner.
11. The spirit is a loved one visiting from the otherside. It is not truly earthbound but may not be able to find it's way back.
12. The spirit was a being resurrected, but the attempt failed and now is stuck between two worlds.

Halloween Ghost by Tom Shropshire

Speaking of Ghost Stories, if you haven't done so already, head on over to the Appendix N Entertainment Store at DriveThruRPG to pick up my first adventure, "Hidden Hand of the Horla" PWYW for a limited time!

U-Con Event Submission Is Open! Now With Deadlines

It's event submission time for U-Con!

As the OSR Track and Tekumel Track event coordinator I am looking for Referees, Judges and Dungeon Masters to come run old school games! U-Con will be held November 9-11, 2018 at the Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest.

DEADLINES: IF YOU WANT YOUR EVENT AVAILABLE DURING PRE-REGISTRATION THE DEADLINE IS AUGUST 24th!!
THE FINAL DEADLINE FOR EVENT SUBMISSION IS SEPTEMBER 24th!!

Did you also know that U-Con has a Tekumel Track? If you are a fan of Tekumel and want a platform to run at, U-Con is the place! Our Tekumel Track allows for any game system so long as you are running a Tekumel game! Submit your Tekumel events today!

 

What qualifies as an OSR event this year?

 

Official D&D:

All TSR Era D&D qualifies,

OD&D

AD&D

B/X

BECMI

AD&D 2nd Edition

Rules Cyclopedia

 

Other TSR Era Stuff:

Gamma World (TSR editions)

Boot Hill

Metamorphosis Alpha

Star Frontiers

Gangbusters

Top Secret

Alternity etc.

 

Other Early Era RPGs/Supplements:

Arduin

Early Chaosium products (RuneQuest 2nd Edition, Elfquest, Sandy Petersen era Call of Cthulhu etc)

RuneQuest (yes I know I mentioned it before)

Tunnels & Trolls (all editions)

Dragonquest (all editions)

Traveller (early editions)

Chivalry & Sorcery

Pacesetter System Games (Chill, Time Master, Crypt World etc.)

Middle Earth Role Playing (I.C.E.)

Rolemaster

Spacemaster

The Complete Warlock

Rapier & Dagger

Cyborg Commando (Did he really just say Cyborg Commando AGAIN?)

WEG D6 Star Wars

WEG D6 Ghostbusters

The Fantasy Trip

007

Pre 2000s Palladium Games (TMNT, Palladium RPG, early RIFTS etc)

 

If I missed your favorite, contact me and make sure, but it will likely be fine to run.

 

Retro-Clones:

Swords & Wizardry

OSRIC

Cryptworld

Labyrinth Lord

Mutant Future

Dark Dungeons

Delving Deeper

Blueholme

For Gold & Glory

Spellcraft & Swordplay etc.

 

Near Clones:

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Mutant Crawl Classics

Adventurer Conqueror King

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

Castles & Crusades

White Star

The Hero's Journey

The Black Hack

Adventures Dark & Deep

Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Weird Fantasy Roleplaying Game etc.

 

As always, this list is hardly exhaustive regarding all of the great Old School RPGs in the world. If you have one you want to run and it isn't here, just let me know. Let's make this thing huge. I want to give your favorite Old School game a place to live and breathe.  When you register and OSR game, be sure to note that it is an OSR game in the comment so that we get it registered properly!

 

What Qualifies for the Tekumel Track?

 

The Tekumel Track can accommodate ANY game system you choose to run in the Tekumel setting! If you register a Tekumel game, make sure you state it is a Tekumel game in the comments section, to assure it is tagged properly!

 

HOW TO SUBMIT:

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ON THE U-CON WEBSITE

 

Greetings GameMasters! Event submissions are now being accepted for U-Con 2018, Nov 9-11! As always, in exchange for your commitment, you’ll receive a GM badge that will allow you access to the convention all weekend, while All-Star GMs (who run 16+ event hours) will earn a Play Games All Weekend Ribbon!

Are you planning on running a game at U-Con 2018? Read on! If you’re just coming to play, you can skip this one and just appreciate how far in advance folks prepare to make this a fun event for you.

 

We are working to improve our registration process.  As of this year, you’ll be able to log in to see your submitted events and eventually your schedule.  Just head over to create your login, then submit your events!

You can find more info about being a GM or if you have any questions, please send us a message.

Thanks, and good gaming!
Your U-Con Team

 

SALE - Dolemwood Bundle on OBS - $70 Off the Full Line!

If you have been eyeing the Dolemwood materials from Necrotic Gnome Productions, there is no time better than now to buy in. Put out by the same publisher that brought us B/X Essentials and Theorems  & Thaumaturgy, Dolemwood brings Weird Fantasy to the table. Made for B/X games, the weirdness of the setting makes it perfect for running Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Role Playing campaigns. Currently, Necrotic Gnome is having a huge sale on the entire line! You can currently get over $123 worth of product for under $55! More information on the setting and a link to the sale can be found below.

 

 

 

Dolmenwood is a weird folklore campaign setting — creepy, whimsical, and psychedelic in equal measure — for B/X and other vintage fantasy games. This document, formatted for ease of home-printing, is an introductory guide for players taking their first footsteps under the eaves of this mythic forest and discusses the major locales, the sentient races which inhabit them, and the factions which vie for power.

 

In-depth detail on the setting, suitable for referees, is furnished in the seasonal Wormskin zine. Each issue uncovers various elements of this eldritch realm situated on the leafy verges of Fairy, where austere Drunes rub elbows with weird elf-lords and talking beasts, where witches wander skyclad and armed with sinister magicks to bind the spirits of hapless adventurers.

 

Everything Dolemwood Bundle - $53.91 for all titles! Print and PDF - Savings of $69.51!

 

 

A percentage of all liked sales go to support Gamers & Grognards.

U-Con Event Submission Extension! Submit today! Need more Role Playing, OSR and Tekumel Events!

EXTENSION NOTE GM GAMES REGISTRATION FOR U-CON 2017 TO BE INCLUEDE IN PRE-REG WILL CLOSE IN MID SEPTEMBER!! PLEASE HAVE YOUR GAMES SUBMITTED BY THEN! THE DROP DEAD DATE FOR EVENTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON. INFORMATION ON SUBMISSIONS BELOW.

WE NEED MORE RPG, OSR AND TEKUMEL EVENTS!

As the OSR event coordinator I am looking for Referees, Judges and Dungeon Masters to come run old school games! U-Con will be held November 17-19, 2017 at the Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest.

Did you also know that U-Con has a Tekumel Track? If you are a fan of Tekumel and want a platform to run at, U-Con is the place! Our Tekumel Track allows for any game system so long as you are running a Tekumel game! Submit your Tekumel events today!

 

What qualifies as an OSR event this year?

 

Official D&D:

All TSR Era D&D qualifies,

OD&D

AD&D

B/X

BECMI

AD&D 2nd Edition

Rules Cyclopedia

 

Other TSR Era Stuff:

Gamma World (TSR editions)

Boot Hill

Metamorphosis Alpha

Star Frontiers

Gangbusters

Top Secret

Alternity etc.

 

Other Early Era RPGs/Supplements:

Arduin

Early Chaosium products (RuneQuest 2nd Edition, Elfquest, Sandy Petersen era Call of Cthulhu etc)

RuneQuest (yes I know I mentioned it before)

Tunnels & Trolls (all editions)

Dragonquest (all editions)

Traveller (early editions)

Chivalry & Sorcery

Pacesetter System Games (Chill, Time Master, Crypt World etc.)

Middle Earth Role Playing (I.C.E.)

Rolemaster

Spacemaster

The Complete Warlock

Rapier & Dagger

Cyborg Commando (Did he really just say Cyborg Commando AGAIN?)

WEG D6 Star Wars

WEG D6 Ghostbusters

The Fantasy Trip

007

Pre 2000s Palladium Games (TMNT, Palladium RPG, early RIFTS etc)

 

If I missed your favorite, contact me and make sure, but it will likely be fine to run.

 

Retro-Clones:

Swords & Wizardry

OSRIC

Cryptworld

Labyrinth Lord

Mutant Future

Dark Dungeons

Delving Deeper

Blueholme

For Gold & Glory

Spellcraft & Swordplay etc.

 

Near Clones:

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Mutant Crawl Classics

Adventurer Conqueror King

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

Castles & Crusades

White Star

The Hero's Journey

The Black Hack

Adventures Dark & Deep

Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Weird Fantasy Roleplaying Game etc.

 

As always, this list is hardly exhaustive regarding all of the great Old School RPGs in the world. If you have one you want to run and it isn't here, just let me know. Let's make this thing huge. I want to give your favorite Old School game a place to live and breathe.  When you register and OSR game, be sure to note that it is an OSR game in the comment so that we get it registered properly.

 

Now, here is the official announcement from our website regarding requirements, what you get as a GM, where to submit events etc:

 

Gamemasters

Gamemasters are crucial to the success of U-Con. The games and events you bring are why people show up.  Gamemasters are the creative force behind U-Con. We appreciate your willingness to contribute your time, and we wish to make your convention experience enjoyable!
This page provides information for individual and small-group gamemasters. Other places to look for information include:

• Pathfinder and other organized play gamemasters, please contact us if you need to get in touch with your local organizer for U-Con
• Game manufacturers and other groups please  contact us regarding organized play.
• Event sponsors please contact the event coordinator.
• Please direct all other questions to the event coordinator or other department.
• Important dates and deadlines are found on the Convention Details page.

Event Submission

Online Submission

To join us as a gamemaster, we need to know a few things about you and the games you want to run. We have an online event submission form which takes a few minutes to fill out. If you have multiple events, you may follow the prompts to add them before you complete your submission. Children 12 and under please have a parent or guardian fill out the form.  We ask for:

• Your name and contact information
• Description of the event(s)
• Scheduling preferences, including how much time to reserve for your event(s)

We ask each gamemaster to run at least 6 hours of events in order to receive a gamemaster badge, though we make exceptions for those who organize larger events such as LARPs.
Gamemasters who go above and beyond by running a total of 16 hours of games can earn a Play Games All Weekend Ribbon.  This ribbon grants access to events all weekend long as if you had generics.  Free ribbons will be included in the preregistration materials of those who qualify. Here is the link for registering for a gamemaster badge.
You can use our contact form to request a status update regarding your event(s) or a copy of your schedule at any time. Please also send your event corrections by the contact form. In case of errors or an incomplete submission, we will contact you. If we can’t reach you, we might not be able to accept your event, so it is important you provide us a valid email address. We will do our best to accommodate your requests regarding the schedule. Gamemasters who are running in many slots can provide us a schedule.
We will accept events before the final deadline as long as we have space. Event submission deadlines are listed on the home page of our web site.
Convention related materials can be picked up on site (as described below). We do not mail anything in advance. The gamemaster is responsible for other materials necessary to run the event (e.g. a board game or rpg characters). Any exceptions to this rule of thumb should be mentioned in your event description (e.g. “please bring 4th level characters”).

Simple Cantrip Rules For Classic D&D and OD&D

Cantrip is an archaic word originally meant to define a trick performed by witchery. Later it was used to mean a malicious trick or a sham. In recent years (at least since the publication of the AD&D version of "Unearthed Arcana") it has come into usage in fantasy role playing to mean a bit of minor magic. This is typically in the form of 0 level spells in D&D and it's simulacra. I like the idea of a magic user having access to spells that are useful little utilitarian spells that do not have major effects. That said, I don't believe that these effects should be individual spells themselves. I like the idea that a Vancian mage could memorize a spell and siphon off some of it's power without releasing the spell. This does not work with divinely granted magic like that of a cleric or druid.

 

How are we going to make this work? Well, this takes bargaining between the referee and the player. A mage can attempt to cause a minor magical effect based upon the effect of any spell currently memorized (or known spells not expended in the case of my sorcerer class.) For example, a mage with fireball written may want to light a pipe from his finger. A witch being bothered by a would be suitor may want to make him drowsy, heading off to bed, without expending the full effect of the spell and making him not off there and then. Likewise a sorceress with telekinesis may want to cause a bell that she can see ring, or wind chimes sound, without using the full effect of her spell. Minor effects like this might be allowed without question (possibly allowing a saving throw for the chap that is getting drowsy.)

 

Occasionally a player may want to make a cantrip a little more powerful. If this is allowed it should only be allowed once prior to expending the spell, and be possible to fail at. For an example, let's look at the fellow who lit his pipe with a fireball based cantrip. He may want to use that fireball for other things. He may want it to deal damage with it, to a lesser extent, than normal. Perhaps he is in close quarters and wants to reduce it to a 1d6 "firebolt" cantrip focusing on one enemy? Or maybe he and his companions are in a cold region and cannot light a fire. In this instance, perhaps he wants to use it to generate heat? These things are more game affecting than using the cantrip to light a fire or pipe. The referee can, of course, just rule that these sorts of things are not possible. Alternatively this could be allowed, but making an attribute check based upon the caster's prime requisite. My Power attribute could be substituted, if it were being used. If the check were successful, the effect could go off. Note that as stated before, more powerful cantrips should be of limited use. If the check fails, however, a saving throw should be made at a penalty of the spell's level. If the save passes, the effect does not occur. If the save is failed, the spell is expended for the day as if it were cast normally.

 

Let me know what you think. I've been playing around with this for a while.