Routinely Itemised: RPGs #105

Hey gang, thanks for reading. It’s been a week of RPG news and lots of heat and attention around Wizards of the Coast. Did they tease us too much?

We’ve learned of bold digital plans and lots of new books, but then the D&D publisher seemed to use heavy-handed language to intimidate fans into keeping secret questions about a subscription model and digital toolset (you know, like a virtual tabletop).

You can guess what happened next. If not; you’ll find out below!

If you missed that survey, then why not try Geek Native’s unofficial poll which, at the time of writing, suggests a new VTT from WotC would not be welcome.

Now, it’s halfway through the month and about when the RPG Publisher Spotlight write-ups might start to appear. True enough! Well spotted.

It’s time to meet Samurai Sheepdog though you may have already met them with a different name if you remember the d20 system days.

Worth noting what’s going on at Kickstarter with RPG and related launches this week. There are even fewer new campaigns than last week but they generate twice the heat.

Right now, here’s the rest of the RPG news!

Win Paranormal Affairs Canada | Off Duty Gamemaster

RPG news from Geek Native

• This week’s drama around D&D starts with Ray Winninger promising all-new physical formats for D&D and then leads to people wondering when (if?) WotC will launch its own virtual tabletop.
• As a result, Geek Native is running an unofficial survey Would you buy your D&D books all over again for an official virtual tabletop?
• In more straightforward news, Wizards of the Coast will supply gaming stores in the Wizards Play Network with free Forgotten Realm adventures.
• Paradox and Renegade Game Studios announced four new Vampire: The Masquerade products.
• Now available as a high-quality scan at DriveThruRPG are downloads of Twilight: 2000 version 1.
• Meanwhile, the latest version of Twilight: 200 goes on pre-order.
• A thumbs-up review for the masterpiece Marvelous Mutations & Merry Musicians.
• An RPG without dice? Guy Sclanders made it happen with Bounty Hunter.
• What if The Witcher met Honey Heist? It happens On The Path.
• Trollish Delver cuts ties with Ken St Andre over a weird tweet.
• 12 Kickstarters in 12 months? Chamomile Has Adventures is doing it.
• TPK Roleplay and DND Elise team up for #WomenInGaming.
• It’s popular! A fan-made and unofficial 5e conversion Spelljammer: Adventures in Space.
• It’s free forever! An impressive (nearly) virtual tabletop called Dungeoneer.
• Bloat Games is in the Bundle of Holding with Dark Places & Demogorgons.
• BoH also has a digital ton of VTT assets for Black Scrolls Map-Tiles.

Spotlight Samurai Sheepdog

RPG news from around the web

• Tribality got the press release about all the celebs at D&D Live 2021.
• Due to the license deal cut with Hasbro, Chaosium’s old HeroQuest RPG titles be removed for sale forever next month. They’ll be rebranded.
• D&D’s Yawning Portal introduced the Adventurers League campaign Mist Hunters.
• WizKids will release four sets of Realms Miniatures: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight miniatures products.
• There was lots of buzz around what WotC is doing with computer games as well; EN World with WotC Teases Possible Dragonlance Video Game, ComicBook with Dungeons & Dragons Has Four Unannounced Video Games on the Way, Dragonlance Teased as Possible Game Setting, with GamesIndustry.biz leading the story with Video games are “core to the future of Dungeons & Dragons”.
• World Anvil now integrates with a New Fallout RPG character sheet.
• Jim Ward is ebaying more D&D and TSR history.

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• The Other Side has taken a look at The Runewild Campaign Setting.
• New review site Bones of Contention dove into OSE Isle of the Plangent Mage.
• Sami Yuhas at The Gaming Gan wrote up her thoughts on Kevin Crawford’s Worlds Without Number.
• They are promoting a paid-ticket seminar with designer Chris McDowall so perhaps no surprise to see Tabletop Gaming magazine review Electric Bationland (they liked it).
• Dicebreaker’s Matt Jarvis took a look at SCP: The RPG.
• Jared Racher reviewed Rules for Collaborative Campaign Creation.
• The Tabletop Lair wrote up Warhammer Roleplay: Grapes of Wrath.
• Thilo Graf reviewed Files for Everybody: Stealth Feats.
• Age of Dusk took a look at the OSE setting Scourge of the Scorn Lords.
• Rolling Boxcars reviewed the Kids on Bikes adventure The House on Poplar Court.
• Scott Malthouse told us 10 things I love about Against the Darkmaster.
• Tomas Gimenez Rioja reviewed the DMs Guild Van Richten’s Libram of Lineages.
• At the Roleplayers Chronicle wrote up Achtung! Cthulhu’s Operation Vanguard.
• Timothy S. Brannan reviewed Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft.
• Strange Assembly got into Legend of the Five Rings’ Blood of the Lioness.
• The Tabletop Almanac reviewed Corvus Belli’s Infinity Faction Books: PanOcenia and Yu Jing.
• Angel’s Citadel reviewed Coriolis.
• d20radio reviewed Sentinel Comics – The Roleplaying Game.
• TTRPG Kids interviewed Rich of Hatchling Games about the ASL/BSL teaching Inspirisles.
• Egg Embry interviewed momatoes about ARC.

RPG new releases

• Pinnacle Entertainment has released Pathfinder for Savage Worlds.
• Selling like hotcakes! Idle Cartular’s pamphlet explains how to play 5e when you can’t kill people. It’s The Infinite Hack.
• Hatchling Games released their kid-appropriate and wise Inspirisles RPG.
• The Gauntlet published their latest RPG, a game about mysterious monster hunters in Victorian-era London, called The Between.
• Will Uhl published a roleplaying about vengeful witches called Mystic Lilies.
• Ross Eaglesham published the rules-light RPG about becoming the dominant species or die trying with Primordial.
• The Other Tracy hit go on solo journaling game and RPG add-on about Power Armor.
• SJ Games now sells Munchkin Kittens Dice Bags.
• Cezer Capacle published the solo RPG about reputation and redemption The Outcast.
• Evey “Filth Gnome” Lockhart asked Will You Protect the Strawberry Goblins?
• Cayce Corday released Ravenloft: Realm of the Blood Queen.
• Matara published the RPG about a world on the brink of devastation with Superfantasy.
• Brittannia Game Designs published the Land of the Rising Sun Adventure Book.
• Joseph A. McCullough published Blood Moon, Temple of Madness, Ghost Stone and Incinerator together in Rangers of Shadow Deep: Adventure Compendium I.

RPG bundle deals

• Save $46.50 (50%) in the Arion Games Core Bundle.
• Save $27.99 (38%) in Ken Wickham’s Essential and Basic Solo RPG Tools: 100+ Tools bundle.
• Save $11.96 (50%) on Rosethrone Publishing’s Ten Foot Pole Recommended Bundle!!
• Save $8.98 (37%) on Lion Banner Games’ Showdown in China Trilogy – Cyberpunk Campaign bundle.
• Save $8.55 (46%) on the DMs Guild Elven Tower Adventure Collection 1.
• Save $4.94 (29%) on the DMs Guild Grimnir’s Lore: Norse Adventures bundle.
• Save $2.99(30%) on Nectar of the Gods Adventures on the Continent of Aduial.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• All these class shinies with SkullSplitter Dices’ inspired 7-piece sets.
• I spotted this Random DOOM generator.
• Also these lovely hit point counters.
• Planning a Kickstarter? Shipping expert Jonathan Hightower shared some insight as he launches a campaign for Battle Box.
• Inkwell Ideas blogged this handy breakdown of the different D&D Undead.
• Looking for loot? Paper and Pencils wrote up d100 Wondrous Items.
• Derek Garcia helped out with Dungeons & Dragons’ Newest Rule Changes, Explained.
• A site called “NewsNation USA” published How to hire a Dungeon Master.
• On GameRant, Kristy Ambrose opined Dungeons & Dragons: 5 Tips To Create Great Homebrew Campaigns.
• The Alexandrian took us through Every Edition of D&D: A Quick History of the World’s First Roleplaying Game.

RPG Crowdfunding

You can see those Kickstarters and other crowdfunding campaigns that caught Geek Native’s attention over at Kickstarter watch. Here are some industry projects worth a mention;

• Vincent Baker has done it this time with the launch of Otherworlds, taking the project across the finishing line and giving us a whole game with the Otherworlds Core Rulebook.
• Dominic M has done collections like this before and has another success with SideQuests 5: More Easy Adventures for 5E Dungeons & Dragons
• Christian Eichhorn is leading a doomed expedition to a newly risen land and The Temple of the Kraken God | A Mörk Borg Adventure.
• Jamie Reyes Mondragon has funded a compendium of dangerous creatures, magic and Masks of Power for 5e.
• Christopher Baker is putting dice in what might look like fortune cookie packets. They’re Fortune Dice: An RPG Session Accessory.
• Jean Francois Senay is a professional illustrator who has a set of hand-drawn tokens and titles you can put together with their RPG World Map Creation Kit | Modular Fantasy Map.
• Joe Martin wrote and illustrated a sci-fi/western mashup with Lawman: A RPG of Bounty Hunters & Shooting People for Money.
• Orcansee Game Works has eight new dice sets and 11 RPG configurations with Retro Dice – Gen. 2.
• Mythroll Armory has raised thousands for dice that come in flat metal sheets. They’re DnD Dice Puzzles for TTRPGs: TinHedrals.
• Alea Jacta Est will handcraft high-quality dice from noble French wood in a campaign for Fully Customizable Roleplay Dice.
• Modular Realms are offering magnetic, double-sided and flatpack terrain with a watery theme in Modular Realms; Masters of the Waterways.
• Dungeon Forge has hundreds of backers and thousands of dollars pledged for this vast set of scenery. Dusting Dreams | 3D Printable scenery
• Chris Martens returns with a throwback to their first Kickstarter with OpenLOCK Modular Sci-Fi Tiles.
• Wyvern Trinkets may tempt you with Glow in the Dark Cute Ghost Metal Dice.
• Richard Helliwell, who worked at Games Workshop for ten years, offers up the Ducks of Glorantha.
• Laura MCL has a collection of 10 instant Assassin Adventures: Quests for D&D 5E.
• Dustan James Ross is Kickstarting 28mm scale and pre-supported Skrap Runtz: 3D Printable Miniatures.
• Griffon Lore Games are funding an adventure in which you start stranded in the outer planes. It’s chapter three of the Circle of the Blood Moon campaign. It’s Trials of Arcadia – for 5E and Pathfinder 1E + a miniature.

If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.