RPG news ahoy! Hello, hello, welcome to the end of the week, the end of the month and the first paragraph in this RPG news round-up of routinely itemised headlines.
Based on what people seem to be reading this week, the big news is the confirmation that the official Dark Souls RPG will be 5e-powered.
That’s a biased analysis because, despite the many big D&D releases we’ve had recently, Geek Native didn’t cover them. You’ll find links to sites that did in this article, though.
I figure I can save my coins and spend my time writing up less well-known games and titles from more prominent publishers. I’m not against D&D reviews; I just didn’t rush to pre-order the new titles. Wizards of the Coast have a new marcoms agency here in the UK. I’ve said hello; they said hello back. What does that mean? shrug I guess we’ll find out!
I’ve had a bit of a new and suddenly ongoing problem with winners not stepping forward to claim prizes! Who knew this would be a problem? So, unless I suddenly get input that this is a bad idea, I’ll write up new policies. I’ll give the winner a few nudges on the T&C defined timeline to give me their address, then I’ll contact a backup winner and repeat the process. The third step is to offer prizes to Geek Native Patreons on a first-come-first-get basis, and then I’ll go public with the freebies on Discord.
So, with that said, let’s get exploring this week’s RPG news.
Win: Bloopers of the Borg | RuneScape RPG.
- Steamforged Games have announced a 5e-powered RuneScape RPG.
- Steamforged also confirmed that 5e will be the system for the Dark Souls RPG.
- Cubicle 7 and retailers are taking pre-orders on Doctor Who RPG 2e Starter Set.
- Scans of original D&D campaign notes are now free to view online.
- Free League Publishing has announced a new cinematic adventure and conclusion of the Draconis Strain Saga with Heart of Darkness.
- Rowan, Rook and Decard have announced ORC BORG.
- A new DMsGuild download from Ed Greenwood, Alex Kammer and Alan Patrick has been announced. It’s Thay: Land of the Red Wizards.
- I took a look at a solo RPG that tries to use Wordle as a system. It’s Wordle Wizard.
- I also took a look at the duet RPG Nude on a Yellow Sofa.
- A designer involved tells me there’s not much of a connection between Earthdawn and Demonworld in the first place. Nevertheless, FASA officially separates the two and demotes the chances of a Demonworld RPG.
- Modiphius releases another free Star Trek Adventures Briefs with Trade Ledgers.
- Also in space, Modiphius has released a free quickstart for Homeworld Revelations.
- Monte Cook Games are also doing free previews and have one for Numenera’s Break the Horizon.
- Character sheets as book covers? It’s happening with Rick & Morty Vs Dungeons & Dragons: Meeseeks.
- It’s not a bundle, nor even a sale, but it’s a good idea. DriveThruRPG are testing ways to highlight indie designers and the first spotlight has a cosy theme.
- The Bundle of Holding has some system-neutral downloads on offer with Goodman Gems.
Spotlight As If Productions
RPG news from around the web
- Edge has confirmed (again?) the baddies-have-won Midnight 5e RPG
- Cubicle 7 announce WFRPG Imperial Zoo and Winds of Magic.
- Paizo has appointed HR professional Maggie Gallagher as Director of People and Culture.
- Even more Paizo news as there’s a Pathfinder board game coming and coming via their new Gale Force 9 partnership.
- Exiled News takes a look at Lester Burton’s Kickstarting GORK?!.
- Pinnacle reveal the 2021 SWAG Award Winners.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse gets covered by Bell of Lost Souls, Jared Rascher and so does Beth Rimmels.
- D&D: Rules Expansion Gift Set gets reviews from CGM Magazine
- Angel’s Citadel reviews Priests of the Aeons.
- Tech Raptor writes up Root: The Tabletop RPG review.
- Seed of Worlds reviews A Fabled City of Brass.
- Bones of Contention take a look at Soul Muppet’s Secrets Under Stone.
- Halfway Station 3.0 has reviewed the sometimes solo-rpg Ironsworn.
- Grognardia has given us another retrospective and this time for Kung Fu 2100.
- At “What Do I Know?”, Jared Rascher reviews Shackleton Expanse Campaign Guide.
- Always busy, Jared also looks at Tal’dorei Reborn.
- Nerds on Earth reviewed Paizo’s Starfinder Galactic Magic.
- Dicebreaker’s Matt Jarvis takes a quick look at Babies and Broadswords.
- Reviews from R’lyeh reviews the feline rules in Monarchies of Mau and the micro RPG Lost in the Fantasy World.
- Refereeing and Reflection looks into the Lord of the Rings RPGs.
- Modiphius’ Jon Webb interviews the kitbasher Julian Jeratsch.
- Yawning Portal does another Mist Hunters interview, and this time it’s with Casper Kirketerp-Helenius.
- More? Yawning Portal also talks to Alan Patrick.
- At EN World, Egg Embry interviews Khepera Publishing’s Jerry D> Grayson.
RPG new releases
- Modiphius has picked up and now distributing the RPG of Celtic mythology in Roman Britain Legends of Avallen.
- Want something different? James Pearson has published Killer Fish: The Role-Playing Game.
- Adam Vass and World Champ Game Co publish the 2nd edition of the PbTA Babes in the Wood.
- Dynamic Games has released playtest version of Spell Sorched.
- Pay What You Want for Super Savage System’s Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland core rulez quick start.
- David Flor’s Darklight Interactive has released the 5e-powered Revenge of the Kobolds.
- HexGen have published their Pay What You Want Basic Rules.
- Grinning Rat Publications have a quick-and-dirty RPG called Dungoneering.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $26.93 (41%) on Logan Laidlaw’s Trial of Heroes bundle.
- Save $13.32 (41%) on Parts Per Million’s 2022 Adventure Awaits bundle.
- Save $8.46 (53%) on Bwilder Games’ Making a Hero Campaign bundle.
- Save $7.98 (40%) on CZRPG’s Wilderness & Urban Encounters, $2.99 (30%) Urban Encounters & Quests and $2.99 (30%) on Wilderness Encounters & Quests bundles.
- Save $6.80 (49%) on Spencer Hibnick’s Pesto Publications 2021.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- The Genre Police and Ben give some examples of how to make a shared roleplaying world work.
- There’s a licensed stockpile of D&D postcards with art back to the 70s.
- Can you make a living designing RPGs? Uncanny Spheres writes up A year in RPG self publishing: Year 2.
- Nerdarchy shares the helpful Set Healthy Boundaries in your RPG Experiences.
- Sideshow put together a tour of The Dragons of Dungeons & Dragons.
- Goodman Games shared a list of Podcasts for DCC and MCC fans.
- The Alexandrian shares a random GM Tip about splitting the party.
- Thoughts on time travel from The Indie Game Reading Club in an article called Time and Time Again.
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;
- Andreas Barbesgaard is funding a character sheet for whole towns, and it has a storytelling focus. It’s The Towninator.
- Christian Eichhorn is offering up monsters, diseases, classes and dungeons in Apocrypha | A Mörk Borg Supplement.
- Megaton Games has 1010 detailed and layered maps in the Dungeon of the Day 2022 edition.
- New monsters, locations, encounters and loot in The Oracle Issue 19 RPG Magazine.
- Salati Verba Deorum has a P2 and 5e campaign setting crammed with detail called The World of Andror.
- RC Craigo is offering a book-style dice home. It’s Make 100 Character & Dice Storage Boxes.
- Steve Johnson is funding a QAGS character gallery in Dramatis Personae.
- Jake Milner has a book of monsters for different tabletop games, but one in particular. It’s BESTIARY: A MORK BORG BOOK OF MONSTERS.
- Rising Miniatures has 3d printable terrain and models in ASGARD RISING: NIFLHEIM Bones & Ruins.
- Dog Might Games has smashed targets with their storage solution for legacy board games. It’s The Legacy Tray.
- Dren Productions Games has over 50 new 5e zombies made up for Architects of the Deep: Book of Zombies.
- Tim Krause has a multi-system campaign about helping Unicorns get home. Welcome to the Valley of the Unicorn: A 5E D&D Campaign (AD&D, AS&SH & DCC).
- Quests and Chaos has a system for 5e rewards with The Deck of Inspiration.
- Darryl Jones has a 5e adventure, a project Kickstarter loves, and miniatures on offer with Seeds of Decay.
- Theorycraft has a way to track adventures and plan character development. It’s a successfully funded MAKE 100: Adventure Journal & Character Planner [for 5e D&D].
- MageCraft has 3d magical effects brought to sparkling life through augmented reality. They’ve hit the target for Augmented Arcana: AR Spell Cards for 5e.
- Paul Smith has a collection of Monstrous Canines Set 2.
- Lester Burton has an RPG set in a gonzo world of boundless plausibility and perilous threats. It’s GROK?! An Adventure Role-Playing Game.
- Diamond Recreational Studios has funded a supplement for the Lancer RPG. It’s the Field Guide: Liminal Space.
- Warehouse 23, Steve Jackson Games’ division, has a retro-style collection of articles in Hexagram #9, an Old-School RPG Zine for The Fantasy Trip.
- Kris McDermott has 48 new maps for Meanders 5 RPG Maps: Digital Battlemap Terrain Expansion.
- Frank “Mottokrosh” Reding is funding a self-contained sandbox set in a wizard’s theme park. There are refugee sorcerous couturiers and Capes and Cloaks and Cowls and a Park.
- Fable McDaniel has a rules-light and genre-agnostic RPG. The project is FableDoom, A New Tabletop RPG System!.
- Dark Realm Roleplay has funded The Goblin Tower for DnD 5e RPG – for only £2 GBP.
- Wrongbox Studios has a new tabletop adventure with immortals, demigods and betrayal. Welcome to Immortality’s End: Death Quest.
- Maksim Razboynikov has a soundboard system for Windows with Tabletopy – Soundboard for immersive RPG campaigns.
- Laura Shanae Crenshaw has some great celeb endorsements for Mythulu Cards Pack B – The Periodic Table of Storytelling.
- Chad Hale needs help to publish The revised “Tome of Psionics”.
- Felipe Manivel has 3d printable terrain designed for A Promenade to the Forest.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
