Tenkar's Tavern is the home for honest, unfiltered OSR and B/X D&D news, reviews, and investigation — no corporate spin.
Hosted by Tenkar, a retired NYPD investigative sergeant and gamer since 1980. Since 2009 we've covered Old School Essentials, B/X mechanics, and the tabletop industry straight — surviving the dungeon, not selling you a 400-page solution to a problem solved in 1981.
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Tenkar's Tavern
Quick Update - Right as I was starting to work on The Tavern's Handbook Second Edition (and preparing to organize the next Open Table session), my mother was hospitalized with an infected colon and a blockage. You can add diverticulitis for bonus points. So, everything aside from my usual channel responsibilities was put on hold. The good news is - she's coming home today, much mended and in good spirits. We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers :)
I'm back at work on The Tavern's Handbook, Second Edition. It should clock in at around 190 pages. Figure minions will get a sneak peek over the next few days; public release this weekend if all goes well.
As with the First Edition, it will be free for everyone and free to distribute. I'll look into options for an at-cost print version, but that may not happen until early 2027 with the next update.
Oh, and don't forget to subscribe to our sibling channel for news, reviews, and opinion pieces: youtube.com/@TenkarsDispatch
1 day ago | [YT] | 150
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Tenkar's Tavern
Chapter 1, revised and updated, for The Tavern's Handbook.
I've got some extra balls in the air this weekend, so things may not be as scheduled as planned, but I promised this, so here it is :)
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m3odhnp9i50blglmlj667/Ch01_…
6 days ago | [YT] | 117
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Tenkar's Tavern
Some Quick Updates!
It's October, which means the first Quarterly Update to The Tavern's Handbook has commenced. We have nearly three months of videos to review and integrate into the Handbook as needed. Initial chapter revisions will likely sneak out to Minions over the weekend - maybe as early as later tonight for Master and Immortal Minions. Hoping to have it finalized for public release by next weekend. As with its initial release, this will be free to all in PDF. I WILL be looking for a way to sell it at cost, or nearly at cost, once the community has had time to give feedback.
Con season is done for a few months, at least for me. Still some loose ends wrapping up on the personal side that are time sinks, but the Open Table should be recruiting from the ranks of the Minions in the next week or so.
The new Tenkar's Tavern Dispatch channel has been hitting its stride. I greatly appreciate all of the support. News, Reviews, & Opinion all live at The Dispatch :)
youtube.com/@TenkarsDispatch
More updates over the weekend :)
Tenkar
6 days ago | [YT] | 21
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Tenkar's Tavern
Also on our sister channel - a livestream! Tonight (Sunday, Sept. 27) @ 8PM ET
Livestream tonight @ 8PM on The Tavern's second channel youtube.com/live/NzGhTV-hXag?feature=share
1 week ago | [YT] | 2
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Tenkar's Tavern
New video on our sister channel - The Tenkar's Tavern Dispatch - It's about Friend of the Channel Jared Nielson and World of Game Design (Jared was a guest on Talking Crit back in Nov 2024) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2cfe...
1 week ago | [YT] | 2
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Tenkar's Tavern
Today is the 25th anniversary of 9-11. For those who don't know, I was a cop then, working out of the 41st Precinct (Fort Apache) in the South Bronx.
I was watching the TV in my C.O.'s office when the second tower was hit. I knew immediately what was happening. I told my Sergeant we needed to suit up, as this wasn't an accident.
We were ready with a squad of cops: 8 POs and 1 Sgt, within 10 minutes. Sgt. handed me the keys and gave me one instruction: get us to the WTC safely and quickly.
Getting into Manhattan was a breeze. Getting through Midtown was not. I drove on sidewalks. I drove on the wrong side of the road. I did what needed to be done.
The full gravity of the situation struck me when we got to Houston Street. First, I spotted the shopping cart with a briefcase in it, just off to the side but very visible. Then I noticed two individuals directing traffic so emergency vehicles could respond to the WTC.
One was a homeless man. One of New York's invisible residents, and likely the owner of the shopping cart. The other? A businessman in his suit. Directing traffic like it was in their blood.
This is what 9-11 means to me. 25 years ago, diametric opposites who wouldn't have noticed the other passing within 5 feet of them on a NYC street, working together because that was what the moment called for. A higher purpose created a bond despite their differences.
We've lost that over the last 25 years. Tribalism and agendas have replaced the love of America, the pride in your city, and faith in your fellow man and woman.
I fear that if there is an event that hits as hard as 9-11 in our future, we, as a nation, will fail to step up to the challenge. United we stand, divided we fall.
We were united on 9-11 and in the days, weeks, and months afterward. I feel we've lost that edge.
We've forgotten how to be one nation.
God bless those we lost on 9-11, those we continued to lose over the last 25 years, and those we will lose in the future.
Never forget.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 487
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