The Oracle RPG Magazine - #7 (The Grinning Frog) • Game On Table Top

Running for two weeks this is for a copy of December's issue of The Oracle roleplaying magazine.

The magazine contains a whole host of system-neutral game material and ideas suitable for your fantasy roleplaying game.

Heavy on story and unburdened by stats the content is suitable for all fantasy RPG systems whether that is Dungeons and Dragons 5e, Pathfinder, Runequest or any other system that you play! (We quite like a bit of Tunnels and Trolls in our downtime!)

This issue the theme is tundra - which is a geosphere where the ground is always cold and often snow covered - think Alaska, Antarctic etc. Some famous campaigns and adventures have been set in such lands and we thought this would be the perfect content for the December/Christmas* issue.

*Don't worry - no Santa's in here (the author has a real aversion to Santa - don't ask!)

In the issue you get:

DM Advice - On using such a location in your game and how such locations do have their own ecosystems and cultures
10 Tundra Story Hooks
2 Detailed NPC organisations - The Ice Coven and Hunters Guild...
20 Non Player Characters with motives and descriptions
5 Tundra Creatures
5 Magic items
2 Tundra Events
20 Trinkets and Treasures (small items that can be found in pockets etc)
3 Locations
12 Things to See
6 Random Encounters
1 Picture Prompt

(Content and art subject to change as we are still finishing the writing of this issue and during the teams last brainstorming session we had some new ideas so we might shuffle some bits around and add some new material!)

Our magazines run for a minimum of 45 pages of full (A4) sized content. There is a LOT of content!

Here is a look at some of the art for this issue

These are people you will meet

These are places you will learn about

These images are being used in various places to illustrate different things!

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If you currently subscribe then you will automatically receive this issue and you do not need to back this campaign!

If you are not a current subscriber and you want a ton of great fantasy ideas for your campaigns and adventures then you do need to back it!

Sample page from this issue - WIP and unedited

Are we really offering this issue, plus any stretch goals, for a £1? Well yes.

You see, 2020 hasn't really been what any of us expected. Lost jobs, lost loved ones, it's been pretty grim all considered. Now, some good things have come out of it and perhaps we've all been able to reunite and reconnect a little with what's really important in life - but it's been bloomin' stressful. And I know that some folks who love RPG's have taken a hammering and just don't have much money right now.

So that pledge level is for you. If you need it, take it. It will be great to have you onboard and tell your friends - maybe you can get that extra free copy as well!

Sample page from this issue - WIP and unedited

campaign image 10

This issue of the magazine will automatically become available for download from Game on Tabletop once this campaign ends.

Additionally, we will send you a code to download it from DrivethruRPG as well for those of you who like to have your RPG material filed through that site. Doing that ensures you can have the pdf in all it's fully illustrated glory on the device of your choice, in the manner you like!

Sample page from this issue - WIP and unedited

We've never done this before but we are testing the water and offering a printed version of the magazine for the first time! We are only having 25 copies printed though so if you want one you will have to hurry!

Magazine will be printed on 130gsm paper with a 200gsm cover featuring matt lamination and perfect bound.

Mock up image

NOTE Only posts to Northern, Central America, UK, Mainland Europe

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Launched on Kickstarter in June 2020 we have now published seven regular editions and a special edition in aid of Albacon, a virtual gaming convention held in Scotland in October 2020 and raising money for charity.

All the issues carry an over arching theme and include a heap of content.

We rebranded last issue from the Dungeon Master's Adventure Pack and the magazine was reformatted and generally made to look prettier!

Professionally edited and with pro-fantasy art we aim to provide the type of gaming magazine that we grew up reading - Dragon, Dungeon, Ares, Level Up and others!

We are only running this for two weeks, this is our first time on Game on Tabletop AND it's

happening over Christmas so honestly we don't know how things will go! As such, let's keep things simple and have a simple stretch goal...

If we get to £1000 we will increase everyone's subscription by a further issue for everyone - so even if you backed the challenging times single issue (£1 level) then you will get a free issue! Normally this stretch goal is reserved for £2000 of backing but it's Christmas so what the heck!

Free Issue unlocks at £ 1,000
When the campaign passes £1000 everyone will get a free issue added to their subscription!

Challenging Times For £ 1
If 2020 has given you a good kicking and you are really short of funds then please, take this £1 magazine issue with our blessing. No questions or judgement. You are even eligible for the stretch goals - Merry Christmas and 2021 will be better!
Digital Issue (07) For £ 6
Fully illustrated, digital magazine full of outstanding system-free RPG content! PDF format.

You can also buy this as a gift for another individual and we will email the magazine download links to the address of your choice.
Printed and Digital Issue 07 For £ 12
For the first time ever we are trailing a We thought it would be exciting to offer our first printed copies of the magazine.

You will receive the digital magazine at the end of the campaign and the printed copy will follow in January.
Six month subscription (07) For £ 30
Your subscription will commence with the December issue due to be released on 30 December 2020.

You will then receive a further five issues, once per month.

You save over 15% off the cover price!

You can also buy this as a gift for another individual and we will email the magazine download links to the address of your choice.
12 month subscription (07) For £ 60
Your subscription will commence with the December issue due to be released on 30 December 2020.

You will then receive a further eleven issues, once per month.

You save nearly 20% off the cover price!

You can also buy this as a gift for another individual and we will email the magazine download links to the address of your choice.

The Oracle Issue 6 For £ 6
ADD-ON

This is the previous issue and the first to feature the new name of the magazine and format!

Full of content relating to swamp creatures and magic.

53pages it features
- DM Advice - Thoughts on using Aztex / Mayan / Incan cultures, the difference between a swamp and a Bayou and general tips on using these types of locations
- 12 Swamp Story Hooks
- 1 Detailed NPC organisation - The Silent Fangs... lizardkin assassins!
- 16 Non Player Characters with motives and descriptions
- A detailed look at lizardkin ecology and culture including different types of lizard people including Starborn Lizardkin, Werecrocs and regular lizardkin as well as variations.
- 3 Swamp Creatures
- 4 Magic items
- 2 Swamp Events
- 30 Trinkets and Treasures (small items that can be found in pockets etc)
- 4 Locations within and around the Necropolis
- 12 Things to See
- 6 Random Encounters
- 1 Picture Prompt
The Oracle RPG Magazine Issue 07 Printed For £ 9

You can learn more about the people behind the magazine at www.thegrinningfrog.com but in brief we have been publishing roleplay material on DMsGuild and DrivethruRPG for several years. This year we started crowdfunding more ambitious projects including this magazine, adventures and a printed guide for games masters.

We have run nine crowdfunding campaigns since April 2020 and they have all been successful and they have all been fulfilled.

We have had excellent feedback from our customers and we are delighted that many people who start with a single issue have gone on to become annual subscribers with us and purchased our other content.

Because we personally play multiple games and systems and so do virtually all the DMs and GMs that we know. By making it system free we can focus on strong storytelling without getting hung up on the mechanics and conversions across game systems.

And, let's face it. If we featured even the top three fantasy RPG's that would only leave out a whole bunch of others.

So, we are embracing them all with clever, interesting, story-rich material that people can easily convert to their desired system.

Great RPG's are built on the stories that unfold at the table based on the material the DM/GM brings to it. We aim to provide material that can be used in lots of ways.

We have an inclusivity statement in each publication. We state clearly that we strive to represent the vast richness of humanity in all it's many and varied types. We also love to break down clichés and we will happily present you with a cowardly dragon or art loving minotaur if it fits the story we are writing.

Indeed, a recurring character in our adventures is a minotaur named Rutus - he designs traps and delights in killing the weak and foolish who can't overcome them. He is also an accomplished artist, loves his dog, misses his best mate who's MIA and appreciates a good pint. We strive for real three dimensional characters.

We also offer our material with the honest hope and wish that you can change anything we present to better represent the world you want to game through.

Yes you can, and they will give you a good idea of what we do!

Visit

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thegrinningfrog

And have a browse, they are all open to view.

The site appears to offer a range of features that Kickstarter lacks. Also as we have other products that we are releasing, and Kickstarter only allows a person or company to run a single Kickstarter at a time, we want a home for the magazine where we can run a campaign each month, for that months issue.

When we launched the magazine in June we called it the Dungeon Master's Adventure Pack. We rebranded in November. Currently we are working through the old issues and reformating them. Should you want the earlier issues then you can find them at www.thegrinningfrog.com in the shop. We will release them again in their new format in a crowdfunding campaign in the future.

The Oracle RPG Magazine - #7

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