The Twisting Stair #1

The debut issue of The Twisting Stair, an old-school dungeon design newsletter from Tony Rosten and myself, is now available!

The first issue's features include:

• From Kuroth's Quill is Allan's regular design column:  "Combined Hoards as Adventure Hooks: Treasure Maps in the Mega-Dungeon (Part 1 of 2)":
• Intro
• Treasure Maps as In-Game Rewards
• Now What?
• The Engagement Feedback Loop
• The Mechanics of Treasure Maps
• How I Handle Treasure Maps in My Campaigns
•  with the following new/modified tables (baselining from the DMG page 120):
• I. MAP OR MAGIC DETERMINATION REVISED
• II. MAP TABLE – REVISED
• II. MAP DISTANCE TABLE – REVISED
• II.A. MONETARY TREASURE - REVISED
• Critters & Glitters is our regular column featuring new monsters, magic items, spells, traps, tricks, and other content you can use in your mega-dungeons and campaigns:
• New monster - the Sasquatch
• New magic item - the Ring of Reflection
• An 11"x17" centerfold dungeon level map, with nine pre-generated geomorphs and three blank geomorphs
• Twelve geomorphs will appear in each issue, nine pre-designed, and three blanks
• The geomorphs can be mixed and matched (within an issue and across issues) to fill the three blank geomorph locations placed into each dungeon level map
• Each geomorph is 11 squares by 11 squares; if you prefer to do so, use the three blank ones to build your own
• Down the Twisting Stair features an article on the unique design requirements for first levels of dungeons, focused on the need for replayable encounters, and details three such centerpiece encounters as examples; Down the Twisting Stair is Tony's regular design column
• The introductory essay, Wandering Monsters table, and illustrations by Tony Rosten round out issue #1

Issue #1 is professionally printed in the USA, 16 pages in length, and costs $4 per copy. 

Postage Costs

Postage rates for The Twisting Stair #1 as follows:

All prices are in United States Dollars (USD), and we may need to change them with issue #2 (which may be larger than the 16 pages in issue #1), or if I go to the post office and find that our due diligence didn't quite pan out for some reason.

USA DOMESTIC Shipping & Handling

• Envelope Only
• 1 copy @ 2.2 oz.:  1st class large envelope @ $2.50, Priority Flat Rate Envelope @ $7.00
• 2 copies @ 3.8 oz.:  1st class large envelope @ $2.50, Priority Flat Rate Envelope @ $7.00
• Envelope + Cardboard Backing
• 1 copy w/cardboard @ 4.3 oz:  1st class parcel @ $3.50, Priority Flat Rate Envelope @ $7.00
• 2 copies w/cardboard @ 5.9 oz.:  1st class parcel @ $4.00, Priority Flat Rate Envelope @ $7.00

 

INTERNATIONAL Shipping & Handling

• Envelope Only
• 1 copy @ 2.2 oz.:  1st class international large envelope @ $3.75 to CANADA, @ $5.25 to AUSTRALIA, @ $5.25 to HUNGARY
• 2 copies @ 3.8 oz.:  1st class international large envelope @ $4.25 to CANADA, @ $6.25 to AUSTRALIA, @ $6.25 to HUNGARY
• Envelope + Cardboard Backing
• 1 copy w/cardboard @ 4.3 oz:  1st class international large envelope @ $10.50 to CANADA, @ $15.00 to AUSTRALIA, @ $15.00 to HUNGARY
• 2 copies w/cardboard @ 5.9 oz.:  1st class international large envelope @ $10.50 to CANADA, @ $15.00 to AUSTRALIA, @ $15.00 to HUNGARY

New orders can be placed by sending $4 per issue and using the above postage guidelines to calculate postage due.  You can submit payment via Black Blade Publishing's Paypal account (we'll eventually set up TTS with its own Paypal account) and send payment to tacojohndm@yahoo.com.   If you would like to buy more than 2 copies of The Twisting Stair #1, you'll have to request a postage quote by emailing thetwistingstair@gmail.com, then Tony or Allan will get back to you.

FYI, if you're ordering just copies of TTS, Allan will ship those orders; if you're ordering copies of TTS as well as other Black Blade Publishing books, then Jon is happy to combine shipping for those orders.

 

Subscriptions, Submissions, and Other Questions

At this time, we are neither offering subscriptions to The Twisting Stair, nor are we accepting submissions.  We're also only offering TTS in print.  Those statuses may-well change in the future, but since The Twisting Stair is a new venture for both Tony and Allan, we're trying to keep things manageable while we get our sea legs. 

If you have any questions, please post them here, or via the Google+ community at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/106374654367308480302 or the Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/The-Twisting-Stair-188990931592220/ or email us at thetwistingstair@gmail.com.

Issue #2 will release at the North Texas RPG Con in June 2017, and be available at the Black Blade Publishing booth.

Thanks!

Allan.