Ostensible Cat

I hope you all had a most excellent Christmas!  I know we did at the Bingham house.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 had a great time playing with all of their new art/craft supplies and Legos.  I am super excited about the pottery class that Daisey signed me up for.  Time to start making some mugs, plates, and some honey pots fpr my homemade wines (and eventually honey and mead).

I hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season and getting to spend time with loved ones.  Here at Ostensible Cat HQ, we have begun placing some of the presents under the tree and Daisey and the kids have been baking cookies.  As for me, I've been slacking off and plinking away at Delve!  as well as working on some art commissions.  Now that I've got my art processes, down, I can do artwork in a fairly quick manner.  I need to develop similar processes for writing.  I suppose that will come with time and practice.  Ah well, I hope all you out there have a safe and joyous Christmas!

If you're reading this, then you've apparently survived the end of the world.  Congratulations!  Yes, I'm still alive to (well at least at the time of this writing).  I've been working away on several art orders for Expeditious Retreat Press and still plucking away at issue two of Delve!  I'm also percolating ideas for a third issue.  At any rate, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Holidays!

Yes, it really is - in a few weeks at any rate.  That is of course we survive the impending end of the world.  Ah well, Team Bingham went out and cut a Christmas Tree and hung the decorations anyway.  Ah, the futility of it all ;).  It was nice to get out and about though.  This has been a brutal Fall with Daisey and Bear having Strep this past week.  Antibiotics were prescribed and everyone is on the mend now, but it was just another illness in a string of them this year.  Add to that the crazy crap of the day job and it has left me with no game time and quite truthfully, little motivation to work on gaming material.  But I did pull out the manuscript for Delve issue 2 this weekend and hack away at it a bit.  I had hoped to make better progress that what I've been able to muster.  Perhaps I should have done this up as a Kickstarter ;)?  Well, the only thing for it is just to do it.  Dustchapel Downs is the main city of my campaign world (when I'm running it anyway).  Well, her

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I hope you have a fantastic day full of family, friends, food, and laughter.  While I haven't been very present in the blogosphere of late, that does not mean I haven't been busy with old school gaming stuff.  I've been doing quite a bit of work for Expeditious Retreat Press and having a blast.  I'm also back in the saddle on Delve! issue 2.  I'm determined to get this one out.  I've been bitten by the comic book bug again so I've been reading tons of digital comics.  Comixology is great for reading back issues.  As much as I love physical comics, I just don't have the space these days and a digital version on a tablet seems to be the best way to go.  It's also been getting me thinking about doing some stuff for 4C.  I loved Marvel FASERIP as a kid and it probably is right up there in terms of hours played with AD&D 1e.  Heck, the amount of time I devoted to just creating super hero characters may even surpass D&

Yes, I'm still around.  Real life has been very stressful of late due to work (Something that I don't see changing for the next year).  So I haven't been inclined to do much other than collapse into a quivering mass when I get home.  Well, that's not entirely true, I have been doing some work for Joe Browning at Expeditious Retreat Press.  Here's a peek at my latest cover for The Witch Mounds , an Advanced Adventures module for OSRIC/1e.  Anyway, gotta run.  Happy gaming everyone!

Wow, my 400th post.  Not saying much since I have not posted in almost a month.  I do hope everyone has a great Halloween.  Life at Ostensible Cat/Team Bingham HQ has been very hectic with a trip back to the States, multiple family members with the flue, out of town guests, and Halloween preparation.  In addition, I'm working some art for Expeditious Retreat Press as well as Delve!  Yes, I haven't forgotten - I've just had to shift to the right.  I tend to have a lot of grandiose ideas so I have to reign it in a bit for Delve! but I think there is definitely some good stuff in there for folks.  More to follow on that.  At any rate, later on today I'll be escorting Fire Squirrel (my daughter Rosa's superheroine costume for Halloween) and the Zombie Hunter (my son's Halloween costume) for trick or treating tonight.  Have fun all!

Man, having the flu just sucks.  SUCKS!  I know some folks can get creative urges when they are feverish, but all I want to do is curl up in a ball and whimper like a baby.  That's pretty much how I spent the last week.  However, I'm feeling much better and finished another piece for Delve! issue 2.  This is Angrim the Grotesque, a professor of life sciences at Foxhall Park.  Angrim devoted his life's work to the study of the secrets of life.  Upon his death, his students used his theories to bring him back to life.  Of course, the reanimation of dead flesh had some unforeseen side effects and has caused Angrim's body to twist and mutate in rather grotesque manner.  He wears a sack cloth mask so as to hide the nature of his disfigurement from the public.  However, he continues to teach and seek out the secrets of life and death at Foxhall Park.

Heh, it seems that there are a lot of OSR projects kinda behind schedule.  An Delve! is no exception.  So I'm still plugging away at describing Dustchapel Downs.  I'm only doing broad strokes though so think of it as something like a fantasy version of a Rick Steves guide.  The major sections of the town are given an overview, a nugget of lore or legend that pertains to that section of town, and any notable personages or items associated with that part of town.  There are 27 major areas of town.  I'm currently working on detailing area 9, Skelling Oldhall - an old manse once belonging to one of the noble families in town but due to the extinction of that family line, it has fallen into disrepair and become the abode of squatters, fanatical mendicant priests, and the trapped undead last Baronet of the former lords of Skelling Oldhall.  Actually, Even though I said I'm only on section 9 of 27, I've at least made entries and sketches of all of the 27 areas so I'm m

One of the new images I've been working on for Ostensible Cat Design.  For old school gamers with a punk sensibility... ;).

Here's a sneak peek at the cover for my Old School gaming zine Delve! the second issue. Old School 1970's style fantasy role playing with a 70's punk attitude. What more can you want? Cthulhu? Yeah, got it... H.P.L. inspired weirdness and Jack Kirby bizzaro cosmic fantasy in a Renaissance European wrapper. Get some! Also, I'd like to put out a call for volunteer proof readers for issue 2.  I still have a little ways to go on the innards of the zine, but it's beginning to shape up nicely.  So if you'd like to help me get this out there, I'd be most appreciative.  Also, you'll receive a free copy of the zine of course.  Oh yeah, if you have something you'd like me to review or do an ad for in the zine, email me at johnathan dot bingham at gmail dot com.  Happy Gaming!  

Thanks to everyone who bought a print copy of Delve! issue 1.  I've taken down the order button.  For the curious, the first print run was 50 copies.  Relatively small print run, but I consider it highly successful and thanks again to those folks that ordered hard copies.  The last of the first print run issues are now making their way to the last few folks and they should receive them soon.  There are a few copies left at Noble Knight Games for those interested in picking up a hard copy.  Of course there is the pdf version at RPGNow which has both a bookmarked version and a print ready version so you can print out your own copy (See the link on the right side of this blog).  I'm currently hard at work on Delve! issue 2 so stay tuned for more!

I pretty much spent all weekend at home.  No trips to castles, mountains, festivals or other such things.  No, this weekend Daisey and I opted to have our anniversary dinner at Zamboni's and then have a quiet weekend.  We both had a lot of projects to work on - I really needed to give some love to Delve!  I've been busy detailing Dustchapel Downs and its inhabitants this weekend.  It's been quite a bit of fun talking about the somewhat warped town. Here's an excerpt from my current manuscript with some art.  Enjoy! 6.   The Grambling – A blustering, rough and tumble area the Grambling is a ramshackle collection of dwellings and shops that are inhabited by the working class of Dustchapel Downs.   There are a few rooming houses as well as modest eateries and taverns in this area for those seeking accommodation.   What the Grambling lacks in affluence and charm, it makes up for in dogged working class attitude.   The folk here are practical and less given to the

 Daisey and I as High School Sweethearts (back in the halcyon 80's *gasp - 25 years ago* and near the end of my gaming boom years - but hey, in this case the geek got the girl so no time for gaming). Daisey and I at our wedding reception ten years ago.  It is interesting to note that in the span of time between these two pictures, 1e AD&D faded from the scene and I left gaming.  When we got married, 3e was in full swing and my gaming renaissance had begun.  Cooincidence?  I think not... Daisey and I have been married for ten years today.  It alternately seems like much shorter and longer than that (both in a good way).  We've known each other for the past 25 years and dated when we were in High School and remained good friends until we eventually decided to get back together.  It has been an incredible decade.  I have to confess that any small measure of success that I've had in that time is directly attributable her encouragement.  And we've become quite a

OK, Reaper Miniatures Kickstarter was an overwhelming success.  So was Frog God Games Rappun Atthuk and it looks like the new Swords and Wizardry Kickstarter is shaping up nicely too.  As awesome as all of those projects are, I think the one that really deserves quite a bit of attention is Dungeons and Dragons:  A Documentary.   We wouldn't have any of the aforementioned projects if it wasn't for Gary, Dave, and all the other founders of our hobby.  Sadly, there's not much in the way of documentation of the early days of gaming.  It is sad that we've lost quite a few of the founders of our hobby before they had a chance to really lay down in documentary format their stories.  So this is probably about the best shot we are going to get.  I'm actually quite saddened that this project hasn't ignited like the Reaper project did.  I highly encourage you to support this project and let the story get out of how our hobby started and where it is going.

Yes, I'm a bandwaggoner.  Yes, I'm late to the party on this one.  Yes, I have no excuses on this post aside from my overinflated sense of self importance.  So, after all of the self flagellation, I do want to chime in on this.  I've more or less been quietly working on OSR projects for the past seven years or so.  Of course, I've been a gamer for longer than that, but 2005-2006 was when I first became aware of what is now considered the OSR.  At the time, we did have games like Castles and Crusades and companies like Necromancer Games and Goodman Games putting out products with an old school sensibility.  As good as that was (and is), it wasn't completely satisfying.  There were a lot of folks that wanted to play with the old rule sets with NEW product designed for use specifically with the old rule sets.  The Old School Reference Index and Compilation (OSRIC) started by Matt Finch and later championed to completion by Stuart Marshall was the first of the Clones

I'm actively working on the second issue of Delve!  Unlike the first issue which was primarily an adventure, the second issue will be more or less segmented into articles more like a traditional zine.  The primary focus of issue two is the Town of Duschapel Downs.  Though there are other other articles and rules supplements for old school games.  Here's a my arquebus rules that I've been tinkering with.  These rules are hereby designated Open Gaming Content so feel free to use them if you want: Black Powder Firearms Rules:   Arquebus Part of the challenge of firearms in fantasy settings is that they could quickly overpower other combat options.   Quite often, many game masters completely forgo such weapons.     And there is the oft used rule that gun powder is inert on most fantasy worlds.   This can prove a bit troublesome for folks that want to emulate games set beyond the early and middle medieval period.   To that end, I’m setting forth the following rules for