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RPG Tonight Your gateway to roleplaying adventure |
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These are links to some resources that we think are particularly useful for online tabletop games. | |||||
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Voice chat programs suitable for use with online games Blabbelon Free browser based voicechat for online games. Windows, Apple, Linux. Nothing to download. Uses a licensed version of Skype's code (see below). We are currently trying to integrate this with our site, but in the meantime, you can sign up for free at try it at their's. Skype Free internet phone service. Conference call with up to four others; ten if you have an Intel dual core processor, more with a quad? Linux and Mac versions. Roger Wilco Peer to Peer program designed for use with online multiplayer games. Windows only. Shareware/subscription. Ventrillo Peer to Peer program designed for use with online multiplayer games. Windows and Mac, Linux in development. Basic public server and user clients are free. Teamspeak Peer to Peer program popular with online game players. Gizmo Internet telephone, free download. Lets you make free person to person and conference calls to other Gizmo users, also charged calls to landline and cell phones. Ineen Internet per to peer voice communication with video phone feature, free download. Up to 10 person conference calls and 4 person video conference calls to other Ineen users. Sounds, sound effects, background music Matti Paalanen's free background music for RPGs The first project listed - Celectial Aeon Project - has several pieces composed specifically for use with tabletop RPGs. The second one - Project Divinity - has ambient compositions that are also suitable. Sonic Legends Original background music and sound effects for tabletop RPGs. A downloadable music store that is scheduled to open on October 24th, 2009. Gaming World's free music collection Free downloadable music designed for use in computer games. Many tracks would make good background music for PnP sessions. SoundDogs Searchable sounds. Wildlife sounds - US Fish & Wildlife Service Small collection of sounds made by wildlife found in the US (birds, bears, wolves, alligators, etc.). Sound Hunter Submit a request for a sound - they might be able to hunt it down! Simply the Best Sounds Large selection of alphabetically listed WAV sound files in eight catabories. The Recordist Many sounds, sound effects in MP3 format, in twelve catagories. Absolute Sound Effects Archive They bill themselves as the largest collection of free sound effects on the internet, almost 2000 sound files. Tony Polermo's Ruyasonic Site Section on how to make sound effects, build sound effects equipment. Click on Radio Drama Resources - HOW TO link. Crazy Dog Audio Theater Has an article describing how to make your own sound effects. Click on the sound effects link. Also have downloadable radio play type dramas Links to several sound sites: We found some of those listed above at this site. Mostly Free miniatures and tokens suitable for online tabletop games Fantasy Miniatures Minis, also ships and war equipment. Destiny Miniatures Large collection. humanoids, monsters, and items (equipment, treasure, etc). Mini Mayhem Large collection with many different catagories. The Tangled Web From the looks of it, they have 300+ free minis in various catagories, mostly circular token style. As of September 2008 they had a large (complete?) collection of 4e monster tokens. Four Ugly Monsters They don't seem to have any free stuff, but they do have a unique service - for $4US they'll draw a custom token of your own character. They also sell several collections of token packs of NPCs, monsters, etc. drawn in "top view" orientation. Heroes and Zeroes Cartoonish Electronic paper doll characters, sort of like Zwinkys, except that you have to download the body templates, clothes, weapons, etc. then paste them together using Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, etc. Mostly superhero and modern era themed, but also has western, medieval and sci fi stuff. Free maps suitable for online tabletop games ProFantasy Software Ltd. Has some free maps onsite, also sells excellent Mapmaking software for gamers, for 2D and Isometric maps. Dundjinni Another fine example of Mapmaking software for gamers, for sale, does 2D and Isometric maps. They also have a gallery of sample maps and free Art Packs of objects that you can use in your own maps. RPGhoard Part of RPGHost - Large collection of free maps - be sure to use the list of drop down sub catagories to bring up descriptions of all the maps. Also has NPCs, adventures, monsters, etc. etc. Alea Publishing Small collection of free maps, other free downloads, info, plus D20 related publications for sale - including the Poor Gamer's Almanac. Instant Inns, villiages, cities, maps This place has a large collection of simple maps in various catagories (villiages, taverns, dungeons, terrains) that you can call up by typing in a seed number. Some are randomly generated on the fly, others might be pre-generated. Legolas Fantasy and Medieval Maps Historical and fantasy city, castle, geographic, temple, and monument maps and pictures; glossary of castle terms and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) nobility titles. The Tangled Web Diverse collection of maps intended for use in online games. Fractal World Map Generator Generates maps of planets on the fly, you input basic properties like % covered with water. It's open source, you can download the code if you like. RPGMapshare Large repository of maps and mapping objects contributed by users. You have to sign up (free) as a member. Jamis Buck's Generators Very good online dungeon generator, also has an offline Windows version with code, plus other online generators for treasure, NPCs, etc. Also listed below under misc, Gozzy's Cartographic Emporium Has a few dozen maps plus three very nice generators: a fractal random cave map generator, a random wilderness map generator (especially impressive), and a random dungeon map generator. Stone Sword Make dungeons and land maps online by hand using a point and click system, then download. Open source Javascript. Dragonsfoot Large number of maps that can be downloaded in zip file collections. Fantasy Mapmaker A small but growing collection of .jpg maps. Most are stored in the Archives section. Dreamweaved Worlds Fairly large and steadily growing collection of maps and tiles in various catagories. Home of the Endless Dungeon (new sections added periodically) and some name, item and encounter generators. Cartographers Guild A forum for people who like to create maps; especially, but not only, of fictional places for use in games. Members showcase and critique each others maps, discuss how to make maps, how to use mapmaking software tools, etc. There are a large number of maps posted at any time that you may find suitable for personal use in your game. Downloadable freeware city map generatorGenerate villiages to large cities. Only shows buildings and trees as solid color shapes at this point. Site also has several map samples. DungeonForge free downladable dungeon mapper.Works via a point and click system. Add floor/wall tiles to a grid, then add objects. Site also has a large gallery of maps sent in by users. Lots of Villiage and City maps Several hundred city and villiage maps, but not all can be displayed. The scale is more appropriate for refernce handouts than for moving miniatures around on. These are part of the World of Meln, designed as a setting for Fantasy RPGs (click on the "home" link). Some 19th Century Navigational ChartsHalf this site is dedicated to archives related to the HMS Challenger, a 19th century scientific vessel. Included are a large number of old charts of islands and other locales. Scroll down, click on "HMS Challenger Library," Then "HMS Challenger Expedition," then "Challenger Reports Online," then scroll down and look for "Charts showing the Dredging and Sounding Stations." There are also deck plans, which are linked directly here: HMS Challenger Deck PlansLarge deck plans for the HMS Challenger, a 19th century sailing vessel used for scientific research. Holland America Lines cruise ship deck plans and These can be displayed as pdfs and enlarged by several hundred percent while remaining sharp, making them big enough to move minis around on. May be with a little work they could be turned into cruise starship deck plans. Plans for all their ships are available. Click on "fleet" at the top of the page, then the name of a ship, then on "deck plans" over on the right side. Oceana Cruises cruise ship deck plans Similar to above. Click on "Explore the Ships" the "deck plans" in the center, then "print deck plans" to bring up a pdf. Pictures of staterooms are also available. Traveland Cruises cruise ship deck plans These aren't large enough to move minis around on, but are good for realistic references modern era games. They have deck plans for all the ships of all the major lines. Google for modern apartment and house maps Use Google advanced search and the exact phrase box to search for "apartment layout" "apartment floor plan" "house floor plan" "home floor plan" and the plurals of those and you'll find tons of listings. Most are simple blueprint style plans, but some show furniture and some are in color. Most are big enough to use with electronic miniatures. Online or downloadable NPC and character generators Yog-Sothoth.com Three or four downloadable NPC and chara generators for - you guessed it - your Cthulhu game. Windows. In "Utilities" catagory. Also lots of other donwloadable stuff like chara sheets and GM screens. Wizards of the Coast Type "generator" into the search bar at the upper right of the main page, you'll get a list of several generators - NPCs, NPC backgrounds, dragons, also Inns and dungeon rooms, but no maps thereof. hailscape.com D&D 3.0 NPC Generator Nadaka's D20 modern character generator D20 Modern Character Generator GURPs NPC generator Downloadable shareware GURPS NPC generator. Several genres and classes. The page says that there are a lot of GURPs character generators out there. When we find them, we'll link them here. Another GURPs NPC generator Freeware online or downloadable (Windows) GURPS NPC generator. Prints out a ruled XML table or text with stats and a basic character drawing that you can add to with a little artistic talent. Several genres and classes. Mathemagician town, treasure, and weather generators Create a whole townful of NPCs with names, levels, and major personality quirks in one click - guards, nobles, mages, commoners, etc. etc. plus named business establishments and their proprietors. We're talkin' hundreds here folks! Marnok's 101 quick NPC personalities Generates two personality traits, quirks, or outstanding physical characteristics plus a personal motto for 101 NPCs every time you refresh the browser window. Can also be used to help flesh out your characters. Misc. and cross catagory game resources Time in major world cities For figuring out when you and other people in a different countries might all be available for an online game. Also has a section with many more smaller cities listed too. The Tangled Web Site dedicated to the promotion and support of online pen and paper style RPGs. Lots of free stuff, links, message board, etc. RPGhoard Large collection of free stuff including maps, NPCs, adventures, monsters, etc. etc. Gaming World Main focus is on computer games, but it has a very extensive selection of free music, historical articles, game development info, etc. that is useful to PnP style players. Individual sections are linked above and below in the Sounds and Background sections. Dragonsfoot Site devoted to D&D 1st edition gaming. Free adventure modules, character sheets, e-zine, maps, spell and magic item libraries, more. Also linked in the "maps" section. AC Skirmish A free online miniatures game under development. It can be played on virtual tabletops like RPGtonight. Rules, descriptions etc. are all different sections of the forum. They are looking for feedback, playtesters, and input. (Down as of August 2008, probably due to other commitments, but we're just leaving the link here for now in case they get it going again before their domain expires - it looked like a nice game). Jamis Buck's generators Very good Online NPC, treasure, town, and dungeon generators. The dungeon generator is also listed in the maps section. Myth-Weavers Very good random generators for dungeons, 3.5 NPCs, adventure generator (have to be a member for that), towns, and treasure. These may be the same programs as those in Jamis Buck's site, above. Myth-Weavers is primarily a play by post site. Wizards of the Coast Type things like "map" and "NPC generator" into the search bar at the upper right of the main page, you'll get a lists of free - stuff like downloadable maps, NPC backgrounds, etc. etc. Hypertext D20 SRD Compendium of D20 monsters, magic items, class descriptions, rules, etc. etc. Published udner the WOC open license. Links and sublinks allow fast lookup. Fantastic Zoology Based on J. L. Borges "Book of Imaginary Beings." Over 100 critters from mythology, folklore, and literature worldwide, most of which you've probably never heard of. Not a roleplaying site - you'll have to make up your own statistics. The Big List of RPG Plots About three dozen generic adventure plots plus numerous variations on each that the author has distilled from hundreds of published adventures. Might jog your brain cells the next time you need to think up something. Dice probability calculator What's the probability that you'll make that save? Probability for Game Designers Written for digital game designers, but it also looks like it would be useful to GMs and players. Layman's Guide to Probability Theory A more in depth look at this subject, linked from the "Probability for Game Designers" site. Game companies Wizards of the Coast Publishers of all the D&D core books, keepers of the holy D20 license, etc. etc. Kenzer & Company Publishers of the Knights of the Dinner Table comics, Hackmaster, and more. Steve Jackson Games Publishers of the Illuminati cardgame, GURPS system, Traveller RPG, more. Chaosium Publishers of the Call of Cthulhu and Stormbringer RPGs and other Lovercraft & Moorcock related resources. Iron Crown Enterprises Publishers of the Rolemaster RPG system, HARP RPG system, others. Indie & small press role playing systems, some open, some free Grey Ghost Press Publishers of the Fudge RPG system and also the Dernyi RPG, based on the novels by Katherine Kurtz. Warriors and Wisemen The website devoted to the Christian fantasy RPG called Warriors and Wisemen. OpenRoleplaying.org Supporters and proponents of free, open games and game systems, independent publishing, etc. Wingnut Games "Creators of hilarious hobby game products" - Tom Jolly's Cargo, Soap, RPG Blues Comics, others. Background & historical references Fief (order page) Fief is a sourcebook that examines the Middle Ages in Europe from the viewpoint of the ordinary farmer, priest, and landholder. A wealth of detail for gamers and recreationists. Medieval England (short topics) Various short descriptions of facets of Medieval English life including towns, farming, peasants, food, etc. Medieval Demographics Made Easy Ever wonder how many villiages should dot your contryside, or how many inns your town should have? Go here and find out. Feudal Japan First of five articles by KaosTenshi about life in feudal Japan. The others are linked near the top of the page. For other topics in their rather extensive collection (over 600, apparently) Go to their homepage, click the "Articles" subcatagory under "Developers." The historical articles are found under the "Game design" link on that page. Parts of a castle Illustrations and explanation of major parts of a European style castle. Click forward to next two pages also. Motte and Bailey Castles Illustrations and explanation of a more primitive type of castle. Parts of a Japanese Castle Illustrations and explanation of the major parts of a Japanese Castle. Peerage (nobility) Ranks Articles and links to info about peerage systems in various countries, a quickie history of the Roman Empire, and other stuff. British Peerage Ranks List and explanation of British peerage ranks - dukes, counts, etc. Part of the site linked above. Army and Navy Military Ranks Explanation of Army and Navy ranks, mostly US and UK, some info on others, plus a general explanation of European peerage ranks. Historical Maps of England Historical maps of England that can give you an idea of how counties, shires, etc. were laid out. Butlers and Servants Mostly historical information about bulters and servants, including houshold servant organization, ranks, and duties. US library of Congress online map collection Check out the Discovery and Exploration section for old fashioned maps from the age of sail. Also various old battlefield maps, railroad maps, etc. Pirate's Life Biographies of famous pirates, also information about ships and flags. Pirate Links Link list of sites about pirates, thier culture, history, lore, etc. JPL's list of extrasolar planets Click on the "new Worlds Atlas" for info on planets discovered orbiting other stars. For those who want realism in their space games. Starship Dimensions Ever wondered if a Star Wars Imperial Dreadnaught is bigger than a Borg cube? Now you'll know! Scale drawings of science fiction vehicles and constructions (plus a few real ones) floating next to each other on the same page. Frontier times A small site, not much to it - but it does have biographies of several Wild West outlaws that you can flesh out a western game with. In the course of reading those you'll also get an idea of things like how much money a bank robbery brought in, and how long a typical outlaw's career lasted. American West Links to info on many topics including wildlife, outlaws, cowboys, history, archeology, mining, etc. etc. See the next listing also (part of this site). American West - Indians Several links to histories, biographies, resources related to Native Americans, plus links to the homepages of several Nations. Journal of the Old West We included this because of info on several topics we hadn't seen elsewhere - Chuckwagons, food, and recipes, cowboy gear, the fur trade, Cowboy songs (no files to listen to, unfortunately). Old West Dozens of links to sources of information on dozens topics. Google's United States>West link list Some of the pages we linked to came from there. Media Video Dead Gentlemen Productions Producers and online source for "The Gamers" a satirical Indie film about a group of role playing gamers. Geekin - a movie about love, jealousy, and twenty-sided dice. Another indie film about gamers. Dork Tower Online home of the comic strip. Paper Magazines (for those of you who miss Dragon and Dungeon ) Knights of the Dinner Table Monthly from Kenzer and Company. In addition to the KODT comic strips it has a wealth of content covering all aspects of tabletop roleplaying, with an emphasis on Hackmaster, plus game, comic, movie, and book reviews. Kobold Quarterly Quarterly magazine dedicated to tabletop RPGs, non system specific, emphasis is on fantasy. Dragon Roots Quarterly magazine, according to their advertising emphasises D&D 3.5 and 4.0 content. Level Up Quarterly magazine from Goodman Games. 4th Edition content. One reviewer said they capture the feel of 80s roleplaying magazines. |