OSR News From The Underdark Gazette – Saturday, May 22, 2010

We’re making up for last Saturday, it seems. It’s been a busy week in the OSR!

New Releases

Brave Halfling Publishing has released Vile Worm of the Eldritch Oak by Jimm Johnson, with art by Andy Taylor! Available for $6.50 to the US & Canada and $8.00 Worldwide. The price includes shipping and comes with a complimentary PDF. The PDF alone may be purchased from RPGNOW for $3.95. (I’ve been seeing some wierdness with RPGNOW’s price listing on this item. Per John @ Brave Halfling, $3.95 is indeed the correct price.)

“Deep within the forest, an ancient oak has grown huge, twisted, and evil. Ages ago, a savage cult haunted these woods and this tree became the catalyst of their unspeakable rites. Below it they carved out a chamber of sacrificial horror where innocent victims were offered to a hideous worm-like god. As the centuries passed, the cult faded into the mists of time, but the twisted old oak stood fast, awaiting the day when the creeping evil in the dark below would be summoned once more.

A WhiteBox Adventure for 6-8 Characters of Levels 1 – 2

(This is the module that was added to many of the WhiteBox Boxed Sets)

This digest module includes:
-old-school card stock cover
- a removable map
- five new illustrations
- two new monsters
- two new magic items”

Faster Monkey Games has released Re-Energizers, a Mutant Future compatible adventure module! Available from RPGNOW, the PDF runs to 16 pages.

“LIFE IN THE WASTELAND...

In the mutated post-apocalypse, a man with a laser gun can win an argument. A man with two killer attack robots, though, can rule a whole town––and that’s just what Boss Jarvis does, dominating the little fortified settlement called Xitnine. When Jarvis needs someone to fetch new batteries for his mechanical henchmen, his jaded eye falls on the strangers in town... and that’s you. It sounds like a decent job, so long as you ignore the rumors of swarming mutant beasts, robots gone berserk, and deadly fields of radiation.

RE-ENERGIZERS is a fast-moving adventure for beginning characters in a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, such as Mutant Future™ from Goblinoid Games. It's also the first full-length Mutant Future™-compatible module ever published!”

Faster Monkey Games has been producing some quality stuff and I’m definitely aiming to pick this item up! They are currently having a Mutational Day Sale and all their products are 1/3 off! That makes Re-Energizers $3.62.

Christopher Cale has released Broadswords & Bucklers, a Swords & Wizardry Whitebox based game. Available from Lulu as a 56 page paperback for $5.49, or in PDF for free.

“Backswords & Bucklers is a new, completely self-contained Swords & Wizardry: Whitebox variant, designed to run games of Elizabethan Fantasy. Inspired by works such as Michael Moorcock’s Gloriana and Sir Walter Scott’s Kennilworth, Backswords & Bucklers is a game of adventure set in Gloriana’s Britain. The basic game contains complete rules for the game with Fighting Man, Scoundrel and Wise Woman classes, and focuses on running games set in the Underworld of London, based out of a tavern. It contains a modified combat system, appropriate weaponry (including matchlocks) and money, sample magic items and tables to inspire the Referee with ideas for jobs; as well as a sample tavern complete with rumours and a short adventure. Stock monsters and magic item tables are abandoned in this game, as not being particularly relevant to the subject matter.”

Peryton Publishing has released Qalidar Old School, a Swords & Wizardry Core Rules setting supplement by Christina Lea. Available from RPGNOW for $2.99. The PDF runs to 37 pages.

Congratulations to everyone! Your work is most definitely appreciated!

Free Downloads

Shane Mangus of the blog Swords Against the Outer Dark has posted a couple of Character Sheet PDF’s, for your gaming enjoyment. There’s an Advanced Labyrinth Lord Sheet and a Dungeons & Dagons tm sheet, designed for his Sword & Sanity take on the game.

Randall of RetroRoleplaying has Version 0.9 of his Wary’s Grimoire, a supplement for Microlite 74, available for download.

Terminal Space, a free OD&D Supplement, featuring Science Fiction/Science Fantasy options for your game, has  been released by Albert Rakowski. Version 1.1 is the latest version, with updates coming. Composed of four sections, Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, Underworld & Wilderness Adventures and Shipyards, this 41 page PDF supplies quite a bit of material for your gaming pleasure and has some cool artwork, to boot!

Oubliette Magazine has some updated LL/AEC Character Sheets available for download.

Prime Requisite Games is Back! Mr. Blake has just  released A Promise of Vengeance Fulfilled, a module for Labyrinth Lord! Available as a PDF download running 18 pages, Mr. Blake continues his wonderful habit of producing quality, free gaming materials for our enjoyment!

There’s a PDF of some of David B.’s Labyrinth Lord Lovecraft Creatures, with a few from MutieMoe, available for Download. Here’s the link from The Library blog.

At Matt’s Mutant Future Page, you’ll find a PDF adventure available for download: Wile E. Coyote.

Sniderman from The Savage Afterworld has released the latest version of his World of Thundarr supplement for Mutant Future! In his own words:

“That brings the contents of the supplement up to:

• 57 pages of Thundarr/Mutant Future goodness
• 3 Character Races
• 5 NPCs
• 9 Dangerous Devices
• 25 Creatures
• And 4 full adventures in the Thundarr world!

As always, my plans are to update the sourcebook once a month with any new material added so this will always be up-to-date. Announcements (like this one) will be made whenever an updated file is posted. The full sourcebook will always remain free and available for download over there in the right-hand column.”

John Stater of The Land of Nod blog has released Nod #1 a 92 page PDF magazine, filled with all sorts of gaming goodness! The Feature Article is The Wyvern Coast: A Sandbox Hexcrawl. I haven’t had a chance to read this yet, but from a quick look-see, it’s Swords & Wizardry compatible, with stats including descending and ascending AC and single Saves. 

Thanks bunches guys, for creating all this gaming goodness and giving it away!!!

Events & Happenings

Cyclopeatron has reported that he will be running a session of 1st edition Gamma World at Gamex 2010 in L.A. The Con runs May 28 to May 31 and you can get in on the Gamma World action on Sunday, May 30, from 2 to 6 PM.

In Other News

Julian of the Grimmhaus blog, has two reviews up. One for Supplemental Lore by Salvatore Macri and another for The Majestic Wilderlands by Robert Conley.

Goblinoid Games has posted a First Quarter Report on the Uhluht’c Awakens blog.

Dark Fate is a setting supplement for Swords & Wizardry and the Author, Marcelo Paschoalin, has graciously offered to donate a months worth of the sale proceeds, from May 15 to June 15, 2010 to the Retro-Roleplaying Cancer Fund. Retro-Roleplaying is run by Randall Stukey, author of the Microlite series of RPG’s and the site also includes his blog.  Click the links, to find out more about the Fund and all the related sites. My own review of Dark Fate may be found here.

Greyhawk fans will be pleased to note, that Scottsz posted Part 8 of his WG4 Cold Text File at Lord of the Green Dragons. If you haven’t been following the author’s exploration of these dark mysteries, you’ve been missing a hell of a ride! Head on over and help complete the work of these dedicated cultists learn what you need to know, to insure that Tharizdun never again threatens the multi-verse!

I Hit It With My Axe: Episode 10 - Trying To Kill The King Has Consequences.

If you’ve been following Planet Algol, then you know that Blair is getting ready to release a supplement, based upon his kick-ass campaign setting. For a preview of some of the artwork for this upcoming release, head over to the Fantasy Obscure and Fat Cotten blogs. The latter blog also mentions another supplement Blair is working on, a Wilderlands Temple of Set release and the artist has a really cool piece for that work as well!

I just stumbled across a Dragons At Dawn Blog: Attack Plan R.

What I’m Pimping This Week

Advanced Edition Companion by Daniel Proctor – Goblinoid Games. Available in Hardcover for $32.95, Perfect Bound for $22.95, Illustrated PDF for $7.18 and in a free, no-art version.

“Advance the Game to the next level of play! The advanced first edition game as you remember it. Labyrinth Lord gives you the play experience of the old editions of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game! The Advanced Edition Companion is a handbook of advanced player and referee options. Play the race and class possibilities from the “advanced” first edition 1978 rules. Introduce the essential first edition monsters, spells, and magic items to your Labyrinth Lord game. All of these options are fully compatible with the core Labyrinth Lord rules, so that you can continue to play race-classes right along with all of the advanced classes and races. In this book you will find... A player’s guide to advanced play Additional core first edition monsters The full range of first edition spells and spellcasters The essential first edition magic items Advanced rules for greater depth of play.”

What can I say, that hasn’t already been said, about this marvelous book! Mr. Proctor had done an absolutely fabulous job, with the whole line of Labyrinth Lord products and I’m not only thrilled with the games’ success, but grateful for all the hard work, which Dan has put into it. The AEC is a triumph and What I’m Pimping This Week!

About the News

Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files, unless that is the only link available. The OSR News is produced as a service to the community and is entirely a non-commercial endeavor on my part. I have received no remuneration for advertising or reporting on any of the items appearing herein. Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest, which you would like to see mentioned.

As always, the What I’m Pimping This Week section of the OSR News and its accompanying blog widget, feature products which I have purchased and feel merit further support and attention. No one has asked me to spotlight their material in this section and I have received no payment of any kind for doing so.