This week’s RPG news comes fractionally early as the solo-fool behind this site is away at an anime film festival. There will be more significant disruptions over the weekend.
Let’s get the unpleasant news up first. Brian Goldner passed away. He was the top dog at Hasbro, the company behind Wizards of the Coast and others.
It’s a shock as only a few days ago, it was announced he was stepping aside temporarily for medical reasons. Implied there was the belief he’d be coming back.
Geek Native no longer writes stories about people dying, let’s not make money off that, but the site covered the medical angle.
In better news, a Cowboy Bebop RPG is coming. It’s a coalition of Italian publishers, and, honestly, it feels like a game in safe hands to me. There have been so many great games out of Italy in the last 24 months, and everyone involved in this project has a good record.
Oh, and more D&D too.
Now, let’s get cracking with all this RPG news.
RPG news from Geek Native
- Geek Native covered the news of Hasbro CEO taking medical leave and sorry to say, he passed away a few days later.
- Fumble GDR designers, Mana Project and Don’t Panic Games will bring us an official Cowboy Bebop RPG.
- Wizards of the Coast reserved Amazon space for a previously unannounced hardback which turns out to be the Critical Role D&D book Call of the Netherdeep.
- WotC also published the next in the Ravenloft Mist Hunter series The Amber Dirge.
- Werewolf v5 is coming, just delayed, and Paradox/Renegade has confirmed that we’ll get Hunters: The Reckoning first.
- Don’t touch it. Northumbrian Tim Soldier has official Time Bandits minis.
- There’s a newly updated, generous and free to download Defenders of the New Century RPG quickstart.
- Geek Native reviewed Safety Tools of the OSR Table.
- I also took a quick tour of the Name Your Own Price MINIMAL BORG.
- There are 900+ pages of horror-themed cartography at the Bundle of Holding with 0one Games.
- DriveThruRPG, the DMs Guild and many sister sites have a Halloween sale.
- Lastly, it’s Free RPG Day on the 16th.
Spotlight Grim & Perilous Studios
RPG news from around the web
- After concerns of “managerial impropriety”, Workers at Paizo unionize, a first for the tabletop role-playing game industry.
- Sadly, Brian Golder, the CEO of Hasbro, the company that own Wizards of the Coast, passed away days after stepping out on medical leave.
- The Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons exclusives have landed. Wizards’ PR team and platforms gave us:
- My Five Favorite Things From Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons from EN World and Rob Wieland.
- Dungeons & Dragons Previews New Magic Spell in Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (Exclusive) from ComicBook and Christian Hoffer.
- Discover What Really Lies Within a Dragon’s Dungeon in This Dungeons & Dragons Preview from James Whitbrook and Gizmodo.
- Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons is a Player’s Handbook made just for Dungeon Masters from Charlie Hall and Polygon.
- ‘Fizban’s Treasury Of Dragons’ Changes The History Of D&D from J.R. Zambrano at Bell of Lost Souls.
- OBS and Paizo launched Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite for community/third party content.
- OBS and Paradox now accept community/third party content for Vampire: The Masquerade 5th edition (not D&D’s 5e) for the Storytellers Vault. Supporting this, you can now download official V5 art packs.
- Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood is contrubuting to a new sourcebook on Thay.
- Green Ronin have revealed the cover of the forthcoming Fantasy AGE core rulebook.
- G4 announced, tucked under a list of eSports, and in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, D&D actual play show.
- Wired revisited The Missing Teen Who Fueled ‘Cult Panic’ Over Dungeons & Dragons.
- Wizards of the Coast launched their first eCommerce site for Southeast Asia.
- Complex UK dug into How ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Became The Fantasy Game For A New Generation.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Dicebreaker looked at Metis Media’s Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent.
- At The Gaming Gang, Sami reviews Pathfinder: Hurricane’s Howl Reviewed while Kevin Smith the Achtung! Cthulhu: Gamemaster’s Guide and Player’s Guide.
- Reviews from R’lyeh covered Rise: A Game of Spreading Evil, Mutant City Blues, and Warlock! Kingdom.
- Jared Rascher looked at the IDW Year Five Tie-in for Star Trek Adventures and Travelers of the Multiverse.
- Thilo Graf reviewed Files for Everybody: Arcana Feats (PF2) and Files for Everybody: Mephians (PF2)
- The Albigensian reviewed The Beast of Ledsham for Maelstrom.
- TechnicalRPG reviewed Big Pockets Battlemaps.
- Liber Ludorum took a look at ARC with To Slay the Apocalypse.
- Bones of Contention reviewed The Valley of Karaccia.
- The Tabletop Almanac stepped into the world of Sigil & Shadow.
- Angel’s Citadel reviewed The Gaia Complex.
- Paste gave us From Stand-up to Tabletops: Comedian Andrew Orvedahl Discusses His New Role-Playing Game Duster.
RPG new releases
- Alison Cybe has given us the CoC special The Call of Cthulhu Christmas Special.
- On a similar note, Gallant Knight Games gave us the Night of the Living Bread.
- Modiphius’ 2d20 Fallout RPG is out, but the limited editions are selling out.
- Ironspine Press has published a core rulebook for the steam fantasy Astraterra The Explorer’s Guide
- Dirty Vortex have released the ashcan version of their 1980s-set Summer of Strange.
- Andrews McMeel Publishing has published the Powered by Zweihander Flames of Freedom.
- Mithrilpunk Press boosted 5e with 126-pages of Bespoke Bestiary.
- EN Publishing has launched Judge Dredd: The Apocalypse War.
- Lazy Wolf Studios has undead horrors, trolls and mercurial spirits with Thrones & Bones: Sagas of Norrøngard.
- Ema Acosta has published rules for crafting whimsical tales with Crescent Moon ☾.
- Micro RPG has released the ultra-simple Micro Horror.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $406.91 (90%) with Heroic Maps’ Halloween Mega Bundle.
- Save $28 (65%) with the Storytellers Vault October Special Promo.
- Save $7.91 (44%) with the DMs Guild Bundle of Subclasses
- Save $4.20 (25%) with Workhorse RPG Studio’s Advanced Olde Swords Reign bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Charles Dunwoody wrote up the latest Warhammer World Building.
- Supporting the Kickstarter, Privateer Press released an Iron Kingdoms preview of the Warlock class.
- Cubicle 7 published an updated AoS Soulbound FAQ.
- Talented author Sharang Biswas guest-posted for Dicebreaker with Indie RPGs are telling some of the greatest mystery stories on – and off – the tabletop.
- Make Use Of shared DIY Dice: 7 3D Printed Die Projects to Enhance Your Games.
- Christian Hoffer looks at the idea that Wizards of the Coast are working on a Star Frontiers Reboot.
- Cat Elm is joined by other creators of an Itch.io bundle in TTRPG Halloween Spooktacular.
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;
- Koliba Games, based in Poland, has a dark setting inspired by Slavic fantasy with Zerywia RPG – 5e.
- Cierra Swanson is a digital sculptor who wants to make your RPGs spookier with Halloween Miniatures
- Gamtee, an artist-owned business, is offering over 100 different Magnificent Maps, Models & Modules.
- Adam Devitt has miniatures for tabletop encounters. It’s Space Apes III: Harambo’s Revenge
- Infec3d1 has funded three sets of 8×8 digital Dungeon Tiles for RPGs- 5E compatible.
- Samuel is funding a spooky supplement for D&D 5e called Edmont’s Harrowing Horrors.
- Jeremy Hart Illos has 16 monsters, adventure seeds, paper minis, tokens and more packed into Creature Feature Quarterly Vol. 9 -for use with- OSE.
- Absolute Tabletop is on Kickstarter with modular characters, locations and encounters in the Adventure Kit: The Battle for Arctor’s Vault (TTRPG Module).
- An improv-heavy and card using game around the EverCursed.
- Laserox has this elegant and unique wooden organisation tray on offer. It’s the eco-friendly Personal OX Station – Organized Gaming.
- Deviprasad Jaysankar has funded STLs for book books, props, displays and figure crossovers with Pocket Worlds (Digital files for 3D printing).
- Severed Books tells us how it is with FUCK D6 – Six-sided pip (dot) dice with FUCK instead of 1.
- DR Games has funded this alternative 1980s Cold War game in which the PCs control a country. It’s the War Within RPG – Set in a Tense Cold War Arena.
- OXY calls to the fire we have burning inside. The desire for dice. Up for funding is the Fire Within Dice Collection.
- Eternalverse have a set of dice that might well remind you of the fantasy adventure. Lord of D20 – A Dice Collection to Rule Them All
- Anthony Christou has Luminous Age 5e compatible adventures for the comic-book styled game. It’s The Bai Ze & the Book of Monsters
- Louis Hoefer returns to Kickstarter with a sci-fi adventure compatible with Mutant Crawl Classics. It’s the Seekers of the Un-K’Nown: A Classics Mutated Adventure.
- WorldCraft Club, a podcast, have taken their of The Worldbuilder’s Journal to Kickstarter.
- Dungeon Bones have hit the target for luxury spell slot counters housed in the Tome of Spell Holding.
- Gina is working on 8 sets of dice which integrate natural elements. It’s the Flowing Vibrant Gradient Color RPG Game Dice.
- Planet X has smashed the funding goal for the weird west zine King Tut’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Weird West Extravabonanza
- Orzol Studio have easily funded 32mm scale Post-apocalyptic miniatures (resin, metal and STL files)
- Markus Geirgr has funded the clever Triple Hex Dice – a Dice Tower in Pocket Size.
- Lloyd Brown has sculpted a dozen minis for A Box of Harlots: Inspired by the Encounter Subtable
- Sigil Stone Publishing has a mountainous setting supplement for classic fantasy games with Five Torches Deep: Highfane Peaks.
- Nicholas Robinson is working on a 100+page campaign setting and adventure inspired by pulp magazines. Welcome to the Galactic Anarchy: A 5e Setting.
- Dice Dungeons has legendary creatures and upgrades for D&D with Mutated Monsters: Evolve your 5th edition campaign.
- Studio Woe have struck on the original idea of Scented Dice by Baron Smellybones
- Christopher Heath is writing a D&D 1e based RPG. It’s Age of Iniquity: Players’ Enchiridion.
- Happy Owl Games have funded a miniature line of boss monsters. Mortimizer’s Magnificent Monsters of the Multiverse relaunch
- Justin Handlin is collecting backers for modular adventures for 5e. It’s Extraordinary Expeditions.
- Neil Billings has funded a set of 3d-printable models in Champions of Virtue.
- Tim W has nearly funded the first print run of a compendium of short adventures suitable for any system. It’s Bite Sized Stories and Quick Encounters: The Physical Print
- Blind Visionary Publications has a zine that explores worlds of the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG called Tales from the Smoking Wyrm Issue #4.
- Derry Luttrell is working on a low-magic / high-weird adventure for gunslingers between levels 5 and 8. Safe Haven: A Weird West Tale for Pathfinder 2e + D&D 5e
- Terratop Workshop takes the concept of a ship in a bottle and turns it into Age of Sails and Dice. Handcrafted ships in dice
- Lech Witold Nowak has card satchels, dice boxes and other accessories made from vegetable-tanned leather. It’s Card’n’Dice – Leather Gaming Accessories
- Diving Hippo Studio is offering polyhedral gemstone dice with engraved character class symbols. Handcrafted RPG Character Cat’s Eye Gemstone Dice
- Ryan Wolfe and 0-hr have funded a pair of 24×36 inch poster maps for Starfinder and other futuristic games. It’s Anderson Place: sci-fi miniature-scale maps.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
