Eldritch Tales: The Long Overdue Update...

Greetings Friends!
I know many of you have been wondering about the status of Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box RPG and, rest assured, I continue to plug away at this. I had almost no time to work on the game over the summer and my progress was at a snail's pace due to real life. Allow me to inform you all on the progress that has been made.

Though summer was rough for me, during that time several groups playtested the game and sent me great feedback, questions, and suggestions. I added bits here and there and clarified other areas and overall the game has come together nicely. I am still working on some writing bits, but nothing too time-consuming.

Tim Snider has completed a first editing pass (back in August) and I have made all the changes he suggested. I have decided not to do the layout myself...I feel like it would take me far too long and would result in an inferior product. That wouldn't be acceptable to me, and I'm not going to let you down that way. So, I have been in talks with Thomas Novosel who has agreed to tackle the project.

Finally, for the most exciting news... since about September I have been focusing hard on art production and I've contracted two artists to help on that front. Many of you will know Del Teigeler's work from various OSR projects including many from North Wind Adventures, including the recent second printing of Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea and my own Beyond the Ice-Fall. Del is a great fellow to work with and has been doing some fantastic work, visit his art blog! Here is a great piece he has finished for Eldritch Tales...

Our second artist is Kurt Komoda, a name new to the OSR, though his work can be seen in Fate Core, The Dresden Files, Torchbearer, Firefly, and other RPGs. I came across Kurt's work on DeviantArt and first contacted him more than a year ago now. I recommend that anyone reading this visit his portfolio and blog - you will see some astonishing work. Kurt approaches each new piece with an unbelievable exactitude, researching Lovecraft's stories for every clue concerning the description of whatever creature he is drawing. Below you can see his take on the Elder Things of Antarctica...

In addition to these true professionals, I am doing quite a bit of art myself - mostly spot art for equipment, vehicles, weapons, and the like, though I've done a few adversaries as well, such as the vampire below. To round out all of this art, I'll grab a few pieces of stock art as filler.

Once art is completed and I have finalized the text, layout will begin and should take up to 3 months. The finished book will have approximately 70 pieces of original art and come in around 200 pages.

That's all for now, best to all in the new year!

Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day 2017!

Swords &Wizardry Appreciation Day has arrived and festivities abound! Visit Gamers and Grognards to see the full list of blog posts, freebies, sales, podcasts and other S&W support!

S&W is a great game, and has had some amazing growth over the past year. Charlie Mason's White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game has taken the WhiteBox torch and run with it. It has quickly become one of my favorite games and is the game that I chose to introduce my stepson and his cohort of friends to the game. Meanwhile, Erik Tenkar has slimmed the game down to its bare bones with Swords & Wizardry Light, which puts the game into your pocket. Probably most notably, Swords & Wizardry Complete has received a fully updated (and gorgeous) third printing. 

I've been focusing my attention on WhiteBox. Its robust but malleable nature has allowed third parties to create some slick compatible works - White Star (now PWYW!), WWII: Operation White Box, and White Lies all spring to mind. My own S&W derivative, Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-playing, was announced last year and has garnered some much-appreciated support. It is currently in playtesting. I want to tweak some of the additional rules, but the majority is written and playable. My next steps will be editing, art and layout. I am still hopeful for a 2017 release!

I missed S&W Appreciation Day last year, but resolved to do something this time around. First, my White Box adventure, Beyond the Ice-Fall, is on sale at 40% off on DriveThruRPG from April 22nd thru the 24th. I've also offered a free pdf copy to be given away on the Drink, Spin, Run live broadcast, airing on April 22nd, at 9:00 PM EST.

Second, a few days ago I released a product called Dungeon Connections but I'm only now officially announcing it. The pack consists of two small dungeon maps with some room descriptions and with at least two exits/entrances. However, they are entirely system-neutral with no stats or plot; nor are they stocked with treasure or monsters. Why? The idea came from my own games in which I sometimes run pre-published adventures and link them together with small dungeon locales. I use the unfinished "expansion tunnels" to lead to other large dungeons, by way of a "dungeon connection." I've created a few maps and think they'll be useful to any referee looking for a quick dungeon to stock with monsters and treasure to suit their party level and campaign. If they prove useful, I'll likely put a few more packs together. Dungeon Connections will also be on sale this weekend at 40% off the list price!

That's all for now, enjoy S&W Appreciation Day!

Beyond the Ice-Fall Released!

Beyond the Ice-Fall  is a low-level adventure written for use with Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox and similar OSR games! Set in a northern land of viking warriors, the adventure is for a party of 4‐8 characters of levels 1‐3. It can be easily adapted to any campaign!

In the village of Askibakken, the winter has been harsh and an unnatural blizzard has gripped the area. The village chieftain has called upon young warriors to search for a missing supply ship, but this endeavor leads the adventurers into a mysterious adventure. Will the party discover what lies Beyond the Ice-Fall?

Beyond the Ice-Fall is inspired by Algernon Blackwood’s The Glamour of the Snow and Robert E. Howard’s The Frost Giant’s Daughter.

Features cover art and an interior piece by Del Teigeler! Writing, cartography and additional art completed by Joseph Salvador. Included in this 28-page product are a mini-setting, a dungeon crawl, two maps, new monsters, new magic items, new spells, and a viking name list!

Get it at DriveThruRPG! It will be on sale 20% off until March 24!

Update and Announcement

After a bit of a holiday hiatus, I'd like to let everyone know what's going on at Raven God Games! First, I'd like to thank everyone who has contacted me or otherwise shown support for Eldritch Tales. You inspire me to "get it right" and make a game that will be appreciated by the community. Many thanks, and if anyone has comments, questions or ideas, feel free to drop me a line!

Work is continuing on Eldritch Tales, never fear. I was able to get a few playtests in over the holiday and also received some great feedback from some from Pete Spahn (Small Niche Games, WWII: Operation WhiteBox) and others. A few of you have mentioned playtesting and I have not forgotten you. Once I have a new draft available I will be looking for a select few to give the game a spin. I'm also slowly grinding away at some adventure modules for use with playtests and further development.

I have had several questions asking about random monster creation charts, and other random charts. I like the idea and have been considering how to approach it. I don't want to force them into the book, so these sorts of things may appear in the appendices or perhaps as separate downloads. How would you guys and gals use them? Would you rather they were loose?

In other news, I have rewritten a short viking-themed adventure scenario for use with Swords and Wizardry: WhiteBox. The adventure, Beyond the Ice-Fall, first appeared in AFS Magazine #6 and was written for the Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea rules. I have expanded and revamped the setting and story, created new maps, and changed the relevant rules to WhiteBox. Regardless, it should work well enough for any OSR game. Beyond the Ice-Fall is a location-based adventure, a fjord with some viking villages, a dangerous wilderness, and primarily a icy dungeon that poses its own hazards. It will feature a cover piece and a full page interior illustration by Del Teigeler, with cartography and additional art by my own hand. My hope is that this module (and perhaps some other small projects) will help foot the bill for Eldritch Tales. I've not quite finished the maps yet, but layout and art are largely complete. So, it should be released within the next month or so. In the meantime, check out Del's fantastic cover art!

Until next time!

Eldritch Tales: Contacts and Characters

Last week, we talked about the four base character classes in Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing, and I mentioned that every class begins the game with Contacts.

Not even beginning characters live in a vacuum and all have some experience with the world and people. University students are exposed to any number of professors, soldiers meet people from all walks of life, lawyers know experts within the justice system, and so on. Each character begins with at least one close friend who is willing to help out when the character is in need - these are the character's Contacts. Characters may call upon their Contacts to assist in any way they can, dependent on the referee's discretion. However, most Contacts will not break the law or put their lives and livelihoods in jeopardy, and players are advised to remember that just as they may call upon Contacts, Contacts may call upon them. Friendship is a two-way street.

Characters are not restricted to only those Contacts that they start with and may acquire additional Contacts  during the course of the game. There is no set mechanic for gaining Contacts, only that it can be accomplished through role-playing and cultivating connections. Again, the referee is free to control this as he or she wishes.

The make things manageable, Contacts are divided into broad categories - Academic, Criminal, Influential, Legal, Martial, Medical and a final catch-all, General. This division is mostly used during character creation to direct what type of Contacts a beginning character starts with. For instance, an Antiquarian begins with two Academic Contacts - perhaps a curator and a librarian; while a Socialite begins with one Influential contact and any two other contacts - maybe a governor, a detective, and a fence. The choices that a player makes here will help to define the character's background and add some color to the campaign.

Finally, Contacts help the referee craft a story with depth. They can be used as plot devices - anchoring a character to a specific area or interest, connecting characters to the game world, providing motives and goals for characters, they might even present plot hooks to the group and "call in favors."

Next week, I'll discuss Occupations, an entirely optional rule that further defines a character's background and offers greater character customization.

Making friends?

Character Classes in Eldritch Tales

In Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing, players take on the roles of average people thrust into maddening and horrifying situations. They investigate Mythos mysteries, learn cosmic secrets and face ancient monstrosities that have plagued the Earth since before mankind.

There are four base classes in Eldritch Tales and these represent a broad spectrum of character types. The Antiquarian is a scholar who gains additional languages as he rises in level and the unique ability to find clues when all other channels fail. Antiquarians might be professors, curators, occultists, antique dealers, amateur scholars, or any other individual interested in seeking knowledge. Antiquarian's skills involve educational studies, such as history, science, and literature. They are largely untrained with weapons but are the only class that gains a bonus against Insanity Saves.

The Combatant is a translation of the Swords & Wizardry fighter class. They have the traditional "combat machine" ability, which might be limited by ammunition at the referee's discretion, and gain an ability to inspire their allies, providing a bonus to saving throws against fear. Their skills include knowledge of tactics and weaponry, fighting styles, and endurance.

Opportunists replace the thief, but fill a similar role - they are adventurers, scoundrels, gentleman rogues, and others who seek fortune and glory. They gain the usual backstab attack and are unusually lucky (may re-roll one failed die roll per session). They skills include perception and stealth, driving and appraisal, and may choose a geographic area in which to specialize. This allows the player to tailor her opportunist however she sees fit - a criminal or detective Opportunist might choose a city, while a globe-trotting archeologist might specialize in Egypt.

Finally, the Socialite rounds out the core classes and allows players the option of a class eminently suited for verbal information gathering and investigation. Socialites are charismatic personas such as actors, politicians, preachers, or con artists, and may hail from any social stratum. They have a special knack for influencing listeners and are skilled at interrogation, impersonation, deception and seduction.

In addition to these attributes, all classes receive a certain number of Contacts to help in their endeavors and may be further customized by inclusion of the optional Occupation rules. Next week, we'll describe Contacts in greater detail.

Which one of this multitude might you be?

Crowd Outside NYSE, Public Domain

Eastern Expeditions Samurai & Ninja Classes for Delving Deeper

I am happy to announce that Raven God Games has released two new character classes for Delving Deeper - the Samurai and the Ninja! These are the first offerings of the Eastern Expeditions line and are free/PWYW. Future Eastern Expeditions releases will include a complete game supplement detailing a number of classes, monsters, treasures and more; adventure modules; and a mini-setting, allowing 0E players to take their games to Mythic Japan!

These classes are written to be immediately compatible with Delving Deeper RPG, or the original game, and with only slight modification, they can be used with most OSR games, including OSRIC and Swords & Wizardry Complete. Each supplement includes a complete character class, weapons and armor suitable for their use, and other information. 

Both classes can be found at DriveThruRPG and are hosted on +Simon Bull's Delving Deeper website.

Delving Deeper is freely available as online hypertext, can be downloaded here, and is also available in print.

I'd like to take this opportunity to, once again, thank +Simon Bull for his assistance on this project. Simon's knowledge and understanding of the earliest fantasy role-playing game is staggering and this project could not have happened without his valuable input! Thanks Simon!

Delving Deeper/ 0e Logo!

For the past year or so I have been in communication with +Simon Bull , whose input has had a huge input on my upcoming releases for Delving Deeper RPG. As Simon continues his work on DD, he hopes that other publishers and writers will expand on the game with adventures, settings, and other supplements. Part of that vision has been to create a "Zero-Edition compatibility logo" for use with Delving Deeper material, and other 0E/OSR creations. I've been able to help Simon fine tune the logos a bit. Simon did a great job with the logo design and offer these images as a preview of greater things to come.

As for my own additions to  Delving Deeper, I have two classes - the samurai and the ninja - ready for imminent release on DTRPG and Tabletop Library. They will also be available directly from the Simon's DD site. These classes will be part of a larger supplement, Eastern Expeditions (c), that will expand DD games into the realm of mythic Japan.

You can get Delving Deeper freely here, browse the hypertext online, or grab a low-cost paperback copy from Lulu!