Free GM Resource: The Randomizer

This week's Free GM Resource is a random table generator made for the Windows platform (sorry iOS and Linux folks). I haven't spent much time "under the hood", so I'm not familiar with the nuances of creating new tables, but The Randomizer comes with about a bazillion tables already established.

The download links are for the current version (as of September 5th, 2016), but news about updates, along with a link to the download site, can be located in this Reddit thread.

From that thread: "The Randomizer is an always free and open source Windows application designed with role-playing games and story tellers in mind. It is a customizable random thing generator able to generate nearly limitless things including and certainly not limited to names, plot hooks, and maps."

The download is small and installation was extremely quick.

Frugal GM Review: Strange Trails

Originally I was going to review this one PWYW item, but after looking at the preview I decided to not only get the PDF, but a soft-cover printing as well. It'll probably be a couple weeks before I can review that item.

Lately I've been on a bit of a kick in actively looking for "stuff" to review that I probably wouldn't use myself. This week it was Strange Trails, a freebie preview of previously "published" blog articles for a new pulp fantasy RPG called Weird Adventures. I've just about given up on reviewing complete RPGs because I'm not getting the extra table-time I think needed to do a RPG review justice. An article sampling for a new RPG, different thing altogether.

Had Some Unexpected Website Admin to Take Care of....

This morning I had to do some unexpected maintenance on this blog so that the Table of Contents page would work properly. This was instead of finishing up my Frugal GM Review this week.

After a couple of hours looking, and testing, new code I ended up simply finding out that google had moved the javascript required to make the TOC page work. It took about five minutes to find the new location and update the appropriate URL.

Reminder to self: examine your code before looking for alternatives...

I'll have to finish up the review sometime tomorrow (late afternoon) once I get off work.

September's d30 Table is up!

I've largely taken the month of August off to attend to some rather pressing personal issues, but I think I've gotten to the point where I can resume some more writing & creating. I've managed to keep up with the Free GM Resources on Mondays and a Frugal GM Review on Saturdays, but everything else was put on hold.

Lucky for me I was able to work a bit ahead on some things like the d30 tables. This month's d30 Table is posted on DriveThruRPG for GMs to use and abuse. Technically the table is PWYW, but for the majority of folks it is free, so I don't think I need to change the graphic any...

This month's table is a quick tavern generator that quickly establishes the size of a tavern, how busy it is at the moment, and the tavern's name. Coupled with a food & drink generator (not a d30 table, but still.....) and you should be relatively good-to-go.

Like always, click on either graphic in this post, or use this link.

Free GM Resource: Additional Resources for Medieval England

This week's Free GM Resource is a small treasure trove of information regarding Medieval England simply called "Additional Resources for Medieval England". The website proper is about English literature and I stumbled upon the website looking for real-world historical information regarding prices for goods & services.

There are about a bazillion links on this giant link page, and some of them are dead links...BUT...there is usually enough info that a quick web search will get you where you need to go. For example, there is a link to an article on The Black Death which goes to my Alma Mater (Boise State University). The link is dead, but a quick search led me to this page still being hosted on a BSU sub-domain.

Frugal GM Review: Waybury U

This week's Frugal GM Review is on an interesting, almost system-less "adventure" called Waybury U.

Now I'll admit I was a sucker for the cover.....I had to check this out. That it is a free download was just a nice little bonus. A buddy of mine ran an entire campaign where the players were young students at mage school, somewhat in the vein of Harry Potter.

Free GM Resource: Dave Rumsey Map Collection

This week's Free GM Resource is more map porn in the form of one of the best online old map depositories. The Dave Rumsey Map Collection.

There are over 71,000 maps online going back as far as the 1600's. Now that might seem a lot, but the physical collection is easily twice the size.

Have fun checking out these maps!

Frugal GM Review: The Golden D6 #6 Preview

I do like to change things up a bit now and then, but I often just pick up something that catches my eye. This week's Frugal GM Review is something different that piqued my interest: a preview of a Zine called The Golden D6 #6 from Sprue Grey Toy Soldiers.

The preview is 9 pages and free, but the Zine itself is 55 pages and $4.54. I'm wondering if the odd price is due to some conversions from US Dollars to Australian Dollars. I'm not quite sure where I picked up the idea that this was an Aussie product*, but since this review is on the freebie that aside really isn't that important.

This preview is basically one article taken straight out of the Zine and that article is "How to Clean and Maintain an Airbrush". I do have an airbrush that I've never used, largely because I'm a bit intimidated by it. I have no clue how to use it, much less take care of it, so this article is quite appealing to me. One thing I really liked is that there is a little bit more to the article than I expected in that the author goes into cleaning between colors as well as post-painting cleanup. There is also a little bit of troubleshooting as well. Overall this article is much better than the instructions I received with my airbrush and now it doesn't seem so intimidating.