It’s not just the upcoming weekend. It’s the Black Cyber weekend. This United States tradition has oozed across the globe and is now a big part of UK culture.
Retail pundits are predicting record-breaking sales. I’ve heard retailers saying they prefer having sales in October and Christmas/New Year than just this one, though.
Meanwhile, blogs such as this one are busy spotting deals and sharing the best in the hope that the affiliate revenue sales made by readers might be enough to pay server bills for next month. Doubtful, but there’s no harm in trying! Well, not unless readers are fed up with them – sorry if you are.
Meanwhile, it’s a calm week over at Kickstarter with a significant drop in launches and campaigns goals.
Thanks to a heroic effort, despite the holiday in the States, Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games made time for a Q&A in the RPG Publisher Spotlight.
How will virtual reality affect tabletop RPGs? Alan thinks it might and perhaps around the community. At least, I made the suggestion, and he didn’t disagree.
So, with that said, let’s get exploring this week’s RPG news.
Win: Beyond the Fire, A Manual of Perilous Creatures from Across the Black Diaspora | Goatlands
RPG news from Geek Native
- MCDM will very soon hike the prices of Arcadia magazine and their Patreon, but here’s how you can lock in the lower prices.
- Ed Greenwood recommended the D&D adventure trilogy Kryptgarden.
- Petersen Games released a free download of Yig Snake Granddaddy act 1.
- Black Lantern Productions has a free quickstart for the forthcoming Soulmist RPG.
- Idyll Creations released version 3 of their Adventure System RPG.
- Leyline Press will be at Dragonmeet and shared a free preview of their Salvage Union RPG.
- Shardstone Assembly also made available a free quickstart for Scavenger.
- Mongoose announced a cyberpunk/vikings mashup RPG called Shield Maidens.
- Firelock Games announced a new Year Zero Engine powered RPG called War Stories.
- Ian Livingston teased, strongly, that a new Fighting Fantasy gamebook is being written.
- WizKids are taking pre-orders on this D&D Icon of the Realms adult gold dragon.
- The Bundle of Holding has deals for Liminal the urban supernatural RPG, and a host of small press titles in Indie Cornucopia 9.
- Humble Bundle is offering a 3D printable 5e adventure.
- As it’s Black Friday there’s also this impressive £500 for £20 RPG Bonanza.
- Fanatical has a bundle of music for your TTRPG’s background, and it should be stream legal.
- Point of Insanity Game Studio launched a Waukesha Christmas Parade charity bundle.
- Here’s an early look at DriveThruRPG and the DMs Guild’s Black Friday sales.
Spotlight Gallant Knight Games
RPG news from around the web
- Dicebreaker observes that Sci-fi horror tabletop RPG Mothership surpasses $1m on first-edition, boxed set Kickstarter.
- The Digital Fix notes that the Dungeons and Dragons movie will be connected to a “bigger universe”.
- Wargamer got digital with D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast is developing a new videogame franchise.
- Make what you want of this, but you can decorate your Crocs with Dungeons & Dragons Jibbitz charms.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
We’re entering Strixhaven hype, so let’s give this Wizards of the Coast its own temporary carve-out in the RPG news.
- ScreenRant interviewed Amanda Hamon and James Wyatt about Strixhaven.
- IGN Southeast Asia shared An early look inside the Strixhaven (MTG) Crossover.
- Gizmodo’s James Whitbrook notes D&D’s New Magic University Sourcebook Gives You Many Foes to Take to Clown School.
- Wargamer had D&D: here’s your first look at the Strixhaven adventure.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- My Terrible Sorcery reviewed Trilemma Adventures Compendium.
- Refereeing and Reflection took a look at the new RuneQuest Starter Set.
- Beyond Fomalhaut reviewed the sandbox In the Shadow Tower Silveraxe.
- Jared Rascher look a look at the Artificer Subclasses: A Dark Fantasy Supplement.
- Strange Assembly reviewed the Dungeon Master’s Screen: Dungeon Kit.
- Reviews from R’lyth took a look at Iron Crown Enterprises’ HARP SF. RfR also took a look at Far Future Enterprise’s Traveller supplement The Atlas of the Imperium Second Survey.
- Age of Dusk reviewed The Trail of Stone and Sorrow and The Gem Prison of Zardax.
- Egg Embry interviewed The Merciless Merchants’ Malrex about Voyages on the Zontani Sea.
- Wizards of the Coast’s Yawning Portal interviewed their own Mist Hunters designer Claire Hoffman and admin Travis Woodall.
RPG new releases
- RiotMinds has brought Trudvang to D&D’s 5e with the release of the Setting Companion, Hero Companion plus the adventures TRUDVANG ADVENTURES 5E: Wurmtongue and Wildheart
- Seffner Games has published a $10 Universal Role-Playing System.
- Purple Crayon Games published the biotech monster-filled SANCTIONS RPG.
- Gormengeist released a TTRPG from the future with Bubblegum Wizards.
- Imaginary Empire released an RPG set in a world of myth and magic where you must balance the evil of a sentient object you carry with the powers it grants. It’s Instruments of the Chrysanthemum Throne.
- TWA released a new RPG and solarpunk sci-fantasy with LOST EONS: Core Books.
- Alex Zubarev published a fantasy RPG called War and Aether.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $122.13 (45%) with Tiger Paw Press’ TPP Champions bundle.
- Save $17.39 (90%) with Skirmisher Publishing’s Black Friday bundle.
- Save $14.52 (30%) in the Shadow of the Demon Lord Black Cyber Weeks bundle.
- Save $6.32 (52%) with the DM Guild’s Underdark Delvings bundle.
- Save $4.16 (19%) with the DM Guild’s Lost Secrets of the Great Swamp bundle.
- Save $3.82 (30%) in the DM Guild’s Compendium of Swords Collection, Vols 1-5 bundle.
- Save $2.83 (23%) with Wentworth Games’ 2021 Collection.
- Save $2.01 (25%) with Berkay Sert’s Monster Manual for Turkish Myths bundle.
- Save $1.10 (15%) in CyborgPrime Publishing’s Merchant Pack bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- The Genre Police investigated the evolution of homebrew with Strange Brew.
- Is it possible to use Hero Forge to make a non-fantasy mini? What about a future suitable for RPG in the style of Cowboy Bebop?
- Fun.com has landed some official D&D merch and in time for the sales.
- BookRiot’s K.W. Colyard suggests The TTRPG you should play next, based on your reading habits.
- Polygon’s Keerthi Sridharan opined Powered by the Apocalypse is the best way to get started with tabletop role-playing games.
- Kobold Press shared some free Dungeon Tables: Random Encounters in the Mountains.
- Roleplaying Tips refreshed Hear Ye, Hear Ye! A Simple Way To Improve Gameplay, Engagement & Character Outcomes.
- A Knight at the Opera shared thoughts on The Two Worlds of RPGs.
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;
- Darklight Interactive have funded a remake of the D&D 4e classic adventure Revenge of the Kobolds (5E).
- John Wrot! has some holiday-themed mathrocks that have smashed their Kickstarter target. It’s Christmas, Chanukah, and Secret Santa Dice – 2021 Edition
- Critters Cavern have some interesting additions for your Christmas tree via your 3d printing with Mimic Christmas baubles STL’s.
- RN Estudio are offering pre-supported STL and Lychee model files with an anime vibe with NeokingdomSTL.
- Rebel Minis has a solo, co-op and even head to head game. It’s a tabletop and RPG, they say. It’s All Things Zombie: End of Days Tabletop/ RPG Game.
- Stranger Print Miniatures has monsters, tentacles and all sorts of critters from the Kingdoms of the Deep | Pre-supported STL files.
- Gavriel Quiroga has double-funded a doom biker RPG rule and artbook inspired by metal covers for HELL NIGHT.
- Anthony can craft antique sedimentary rocks that shine into Pan’s Secret: rock tokens for RPG.
- Mitsuo Yamamoto is a ceramic artist and inventor responsible for dice used for roll and move games. They’re Yoncollon Dice
- The Laidback DM has three more one-shot D&D offerings with SHOTGLASS ROUNDS 3 – PDF Adventures for 5e
- Necromancer Games have armour, wands, rings and even monsters in their Tome of Wondrous Items for 5th Edition.
- T.A. Gray has funded a supplement of 60 random Fey Encounters (5E).
- Astland has some gothic style 3D printable stl/miniature statue of Templar.
- Iron Tower Publishing is raising money for a setting inspired by Robert E Howard compatible with 5e and Pathfinder 1e. It’s Thurian Adventures: Cimmeria.
- Arcane Goods have cards for 5e druid wild shapes, ranger pets and familiars. Nearly funded, it’s the Wild Shapes Deck + Expansion
- Cosmondo are offering printable files suitable for the World of Darkness and games like that with The Vampire Madame: A Night with Sereda von Török.
- Hagen-Miniatures want you to paint without shadows with the Arc-Lamp Construction kit /Lichtbogen-Lampe – Bausatz.
- Ken Roland has a beginners workbook on the hobby of map-making. It’s the Fantasy maps cartographers workbook.
- YourNeighborKnight has 32mm NPCs, characters and even terrain for your tabletop’s Not Your Average Trading District.
- The Oracle is offering RPG content from 1st Dec to the 25th with the Fantasy Advent Calendar 2021.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
