Staying in Touch

With G+ on the way out, I've been looking at alternative channels for communication. My findings thus far are... disappointing. I joined MeWe to see what it offered and discovered it's more closely attuned to Facebook than G+. The lack of circles and group organization tools, plus the friend-approval process make it a much less useful platform for passively following people you're interested in. I've thought about digging into some of the RPG-focused Discord servers, but I'm less interested in chat than I am in thoughtful posts. I guess I need to update my RSS feeds.

My ulterior motive for this post is to create a repository for methods people can use to get in touch with me or find out what's up with PBE Games product releases. So, here's my current contact information on many platforms and how I intend to use it:

• This blog is still a good place to keep up with my gaming thoughts (woefully lacking lately) and PBE Games releases. I try to post an update on new products every month or so.
• I'm on MeWe and I'll be posting new PBE Games releases there as they happen. I'll also be posting updates on my YouTube channel (more on that below).
• You can find me on Twitter, which I also use to announce product releases. I sometimes post random humor and IT security news from time to time, and I'll be posting YouTube updates here too.
• I'm still on G+ and will be until the end.
• You can also use the PBE Games contact form to hit me up via email.
• PBE Games on DriveThruRPG is right here.

Finally, I've just started a YouTube channel that's going to feature me playing a variety of video games. I soft-launched this a week or so back, and I'm still working out some of the tech details, but, if you're interested in video games, I hope you'll take a peek. The first series I'm doing is a let's play of Minecraft Stoneblock, but I'm starting a let's play Path of Exile series when the Betrayal league launches.

So, I think that covers the bases. I'll keep this post pinned to my G+ profile and update it when/if things change.

Edit: See my Where to Find Me profile here: https://wheretofind.me/@mthomas768

PBE Games - Product Update

Here's a quick update on PBE Games titles released in September, October, and early November, starting with a new Hexed Places:

Sangha Jungle lies at the heart of an extensive tropical wilderness. The isolated location holds a variety of unusual creatures from an older era, as well as modern interlopers. A swamp, the Sucking Mire, stretches across the northwest portion of the region, making travel a slow and hazardous process. Southeast of the Mire, the ruin of the Shrine of Flowing Flame stands atop a lonely hill and offers visitors a view of the smoking peak of Ratnak, an active volcano. Who or what destroyed the shrine remains a mystery. Beyond Ratnak lies the Burned Land, a scorched waste of lava flows, blackened and dead trees, and soot-stained rock.

Complexes #20 Preview

New Dungeons in Blue products include six new Complexes and their associated Triple Packs:

• Complexes #16 shows a traditional dungeon with many large pillar-lined rooms. An outdoor altar graces the dungeon entrance.
• Complexes #17 is a network of large caverns surrounding an underground lake.
• Complexes #18 shows a traditional dungeon complex with a large throne room and many narrow side corridors.
• Complexes #19 depicts a lava-filled cave with many crystalline growths and steamy geysers.
• Complexes #20 shows an underground arena surrounded by bleachers and a network of cage-filled rooms for beasts or gladiators.
• Complexes #21 depicts a network of oddly regular, circular caves. Some contain pools of water; others hold strange objects.
• Complexes Triple Pack #6 contains Complexes #16, #17 and #18.
• Complexes Triple Pack #7 contains Complexes #19, #20 and #21.

I've also published three new Small Dungeons:

• Dungeons in Blue - Small Dungeons #22 depicts a simple cave complex with a few hidden secrets.
• Dungeons in Blue - Small Dungeons #23 shows an outdoor space that passes between two cliffs. Fortifications guard this choke
  point.
• Dungeons in Blue - Small Dungeons #24 is an underground complex with several large interconnected chambers adorned with statues and strange objects.
• Small Dungeons Map Pack #8 contains Small Dungeons #22, #23 and #24.

Finally, I've published a few one-off add-ons for Dungeons in Blue. Floor Grid is a single image of the floor pattern I use for all geomorphs. Dungeon builders can use it to cover unwanted features or carve out new rooms in existing tiles. Rock Formations contains close to 400 boulders, stones, crystals, and stalagmites plus a number of rock clusters and rough stone walls, all laid out in a single PNG image with a transparent background. Customize your Dungeons in Blue creations by cutting and pasting individual components into your geomorphic maps. Note that a handful of boulders and stalagmites from this set have appeared in previous Dungeons in Blue releases (notably Icon Packs One and Two), but there are still over 350 unique items in this product.

Small Dungeons #23 Preview

Looking ahead, the remainder of November and December should see the release of nine more Complexes, six additional Small Dungeons, and a set of miscellaneous tiles for Dungeons in Blue. I'll also be publishing another Hexed Places, Dead Rock Spires, and Animal Companions, a supplement for OSR games that adds leveling to party pets and beasts of burden, expanding upon ideas I wrote about here. It also includes the Beastmaster, a class inspired by a certain fantasy movie...

That's it for now. As always, thanks for reading and happy gaming!

Tile of the Week #116 + Product Update

Here is today's Tile of the Week entry plus some information on a few new PBE Games releases. This tile is a half-size sewer geomorph with several connected rooms and corridors.

Tile 116 - Player Version

Tile 116 - GM Version

All Tile of the Week images are free for private use. You can download the images above using right-click/save as. Each tile is a 100px per five-foot square image, sized for compatibility with Dungeons in Blue geomorphs. The entire Tile of the Week Collection is also available as a pay what you want bundle if you're feeling lazy, and I'll be updating this soonish to include the last eight or ten tiles posted here.

I've also published a handful (a big handful, actually) of new Mega Tiles and Complexes. For those unfamiliar, Mega Tiles are single quad-size tiles that are compatible with other Dungeons in Blue geomorphs. Complexes are dual-purpose, quad-size tiles. They include both a standalone version you can use as a one-shot dungeon and a geomorph-ready version you can add to a larger creation.

Mega Tile 38 Preview

Here's the brief summary of all the new products, along with a couple of product previews:

• Complexes #13 shows a system of large caves that contain a small lake. The area is only reachable via holes in the ceiling.
• Complexes #14 depicts a traditional dungeon with large, pillar-filled halls and chambers, two shrines, and a room with a huge, empty dais in the center.
• Complexes #15 shows a large chasm or tunnel with two outdoor entrances. Various rooms and tunnels are carved into its sides.
• Complexes Triple Pack #5 is a discount bundle containing all three of these products.
• Mega Tile #36 depicts an enormous underground chamber surrounded by smaller rooms and four shrines.
• Mega Tile #37 is a cave complex with many statues scattered throughout. An underground river, crossed by a bridge, cuts across one corner.
• Mega Tile #38 features a traditional dungeon complex with several prominent features and new construction along one side.
• Mega Tile #39 shows a cavern complex divided by a cliff face. Traditional dungeon corridors and rooms fill one corner of the geomorph.
• Mega Tile #40 shows a single huge chamber containing many smaller rooms. A river featuring docks and bridges divides the space.
• Mega Tile Five Pack #8 bundles all five new Mega Tiles into a single package at a discounted price.
• Mega Tile Big Deal #2 offers a larger discount on Mega Tiles 21 to 40.

Complexes 14 Preview

With that, I believe I'm caught up with new releases. Thanks for reading and happy gaming!

Tile of the Week #115

Here is today's Tile of the Week entry. It's a full-size tile that shows a section of sewer tunnel with several connected rooms and corridor nearby.

Player Version

GM Version

All Tile of the Week images are free for private use. You can download the images above using right-click/save as. Each tile is a 100px per five-foot square image, sized for compatibility with Dungeons in Blue geomorphs. The entire Tile of the Week Collection is also available as a pay what you want bundle if you're feeling lazy.

Tile of the Week #114

I haven't done a Tile of the Week entry in a while, so... here you go. This is a standard-size geomorph that depicts an underground river that feeds a lake. Someone or something has built a bridge over the river and carved out a chamber nearby. Underground rivers and lakes are also the theme of the recently released Dungeons in Blue - Waterways Pack, which contains 27 full-size geomorphs, each with a water feature. You can see a preview of one of the included tile sets at the end of this post.

Tile 114 - Player Version

Tile 114 - GM Version

All Tile of the Week images are free for private use. You can download the images above using right-click/save as. Each tile is a 100px per five-foot square image, sized for compatibility with Dungeons in Blue geomorphs. The entire Tile of the Week Collection is also available as a pay what you want bundle if you're feeling lazy.

Waterways One Preview

PBE Games - New (and Not So New) Releases

It looks like the last PBE Games update I did was sometime in March, so I guess I'd better catch things up. I've released a dozen new products since my last post on the subject, so without further ado...

The High Density Bundle contains three new Dungeons in Blue geomorph sets that feature dense room layouts with lots of twisty corridors and confusing connections. Each of the sets is also available individually.

High Density One Preview

Three new Dungeons in Blue Complexes are standalone maps suitable for a one-shot adventure that also include geomorph-ready versions you can use to create a more elaborate dungeon or cavern complex.

• Complexes #10 is a gauntlet of rooms and corridors filled with tricks and traps. It's the perfect challenge for a group of McGuffin seekers.
• Complexes #11 depicts a maze of sewer tunnels. Place this dungeon beneath a town and populate it with your favorite filthy foes.
• Complexes #12 shows a natural cavern complex with water features. Someone has excavated a tomb complex along the north side of these caves.
• Complexes Triple Pack #4 is a discount bundle containing all three of the listed Complexes.

Complexes Eleven Preview

I've also finished off four new One Page tables. They're listed below, and they, along with the previously released One Page #26: Crafting Components are available in the One Page Pack #6 discount bundle.

• One Page #27 Town Folk lists twenty villagers and city dwellers, each with his or her own problem. Use them to populate any fantasy town or hamlet.
• One Page #28 Dungeon Features provides strange objects and odd terrain for your underground environment, each with its own trick or twist.
• One Page #29 Minor Magic contains twenty magic items you can add to any fantasy role-playing game. Most have a single minor but useful power, but a few also temper benefits with consequences.
• One Page #30 Trail Travails offers twenty minor obstacles and encounters that are ready to add to any cross-country trip.

I think that brings things up to date. Upcoming titles include two new Hexed Places, a dozen or so additional Complexes, new Mega Tiles, and a few random Dungeons in Blue tile sets.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Happy gaming!

The Campaign TiddlyWiki - Now Available

I've put some polish on my blank campaign organizer TiddlyWiki and I think it's now in a state where sharing it isn't totally embarrassing. It's still a bit rough around the edges, and I'll try to keep the file updated as I make changes and enhancements. You can find the TiddlyWiki file here:

• The GM TiddlyWiki

You can check out the content live on the web or right-click/save as to create a local copy you can edit and use for your own game. The TiddlyWiki includes some introductory material on how to use it but assumes some basic knowledge of what TiddlyWiki is. Of course, the file is set up to match my GMing style so it may not meet your needs, but, at the very least, it demonstrates some of the techniques I've talked about here on the blog.

Enjoy!