Hi geeks. We made it!
The RPG news summary of summaries, first. This week;
- The forthcoming D&D new Starter Kit leaks;
- Paizo changes the leadership team
- Hasbro sees off their investor war/skirmish
- Monte Cook Games turn 10 and announce an Open License
Also, let me admit it; the Geek Conventions calendar is miles behind. I must crack on and give it a refresh. I’m still open to suggestions and ideas for geeky events to record in it.
Social media is an excellent place to find out about upcoming online events or things near you with geek cred. Geek Native is there, maybe, and this page has all the places you can stalk the blog. You know, in a healthy way.
With that preamble suitably ambled, let’s get cracking with the TTRPG news.
RPG news from Geek Native
- The new D&D Starter Kit suffered a contents page leak, and we got advanced sight of Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.
- Paizo announces changes and appointments to their leadership team.
- Jim Zub et al have released the official Skullkickers RPGs with Caster Bastards and the Great Grotesque.
- Araukana Media, the publisher behind Nibiru, has been sharing teasers of Zephyr RPG.
- For the Kickstarter, 9th Level Games released a free sample of Return to Dark Tower.
- Gildor Games released the free Lovecraftian horror for Elemental with Crawling Chaos.
- Fire Lizard Games has a free preview of Savage Urth.
- The Fateful Force updates its RPG freebies and publishes its first fantasy novel.
- In a busy week, Monte Cook Games released the CSOL – the Cypher System Open License.
- It’s NOT small! WizKids have all their Spelljammer Adventures in Space in one Collector’s Edition Box.
- Geek Native has a little exclusive peek at SoulMuppet’s Gangs of Titan City.
- Opus Comics mash-up D&D and Bill & Ted with the official comic series Roll the Dice.
- Lynne M Meyer has arranged the RPG Bundle for Buffalo.
- Free League have a Bundle of Holding deal for Mutant Year Zero.
- There are a few days left in the flash sale for Third Eye Games’ Pip System bundle.
- It’s personal as a gamer couple turn to IVF and an 18 RPG bundle to fund it.
Spotlight: BRW Games
RPG news from around the web
- Kindly, Loke Battle Mats have released a free Maps for Writers program. It’s free cartography for your published adventures and you can get them at DriveThruRPG.
- Monte Cook Games have announced Ten Years of Adventure.
- Wargamer brings the news that DnD owner Hasbro ends Wizards spin-off battle with investor.
- Edge Studios (Star Wars RPG, L5R), Fantasy Flight Games, Dark Horse, and Asmodee parent Embracer is raising $1.05 billion.
- Daniel Alvarez covered Hope For the Warriors uses Dungeons & Dragons as a therapeutic tool.
- GenCon stick true to announcements, bringing the news that Masks and Proof of Vaccination are still required.
- William Niebling covers WizKids to offer ‘D&D Classic Collection’.
- The busy Matt Forbeck is taking pre-orders on 5e Shotguns & Sorcery.
- Missed from last week, but important enough to share, RPG Research has shared an insurance update.
- Pinnacle Entertainment Group have a new Line Developer in Darrell Hayhurst.
- Christian Hoffer speculates Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves May Have Unusual Character Race.
- CBR’s Jennifer Melzer helps out with What Free RPG Day Is & What To Expect From This Year’s Event.
- No, reminds Chaosium, you may not legally use the Star Elder Sign nor the Yellow Sign.
- Yes, you may have an update and see some art from Chaosium’s Lords of the Middle Sea.
- D&D Beyond, now part of WotC, offered a free level 20 D&D “Don’t Say Vecna!” adventure.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- The TTRPG Factory writes up Staged Heroism.
- Methods & Madness shares a Shadow of the Demon Lord – actual play review.
- James at Grognardia publishes an introspective on Tarsus.
Aaron T. Huss shared a review of Wizards of the Coast – Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep (Dungeons & Dragons). - Bell of Lost Souls publish a review of An Adventurer’s Guide to Icewind Dale.
- Jared Rascher reviews the 5e Citadel of the Unseen Sun.
- Sheena and The Lesbian Review looks into the award-winning Thirsty Sword Lesbians.
- Phil Viverito writes up Old School Essentials Characters Review.
- TechRaptor gets in with an early The Ruins of Symbaroum 5e review.
- Ynas Midgard reviews Maelstrom.
- Dicebreaker’s Chase Carter opines Ruins of Symbaroum is one of the best D&D 5E adaptations yet, but it comes at a cost.
RPG new releases
- Ruins of Symbaroum launched straight into the arms of positive reviews so Free League Publishing must be pleased with;
- Runehammer Games has a bestseller with the EZD6 Core Rulebook.
- Twitchy Butcher Studios and JC Thompson blend high fantasy with entomology in the Savage Worlds’ RPG Stingers & Spores.
- Hit Point Press have a new offering on their Itch store. It’s Humblewood.
- Renegade Game Studios, Cat Evans, Kenneth Hite and Khaldoun Khelil have released the dangerous Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Second Inquisition.
- EverLore Games publish their 80s flavoured RPG with EverLore Core Rules.
- Name Your Own Price for Chubby Crow Games’ violent The Raptors Come at Night.
- Daylight Publications have released the 5e microsetting of ancient spirits, bloodlines and new empires with Ramia: Rain and Faith
RPG bundle deals
- Save $18.39 (34%) with Earl of Fife Games’ 5e 3rd-Party Publishers bundle.
- Save $14 (58%) with Rarr! I’m A Monster Publishing’s A bundle of the unknown.
- Save $7.85 (14%) with the Edge Studio CC All of Infinities Rising bundle.
- Save $6.99 (16%) with GG Games’ 1D10 System RPG – The Complete Collection bundle.
- Save $2.45 (25%) with Inhuman Tongues’ The Edisonade Pack bundle.
- Save $1.50 (16%) in The Red Room’s Bastard Adventures bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Charles Dunwoody continued his worldbuilding with Ruins of Symbaroum.
- Ulisses Spiele’s The Dark Eye Product Champion wrote up different player styles.
- Sarah-Jane Simpson at ScreenRant noted D&D Duets: Best Dungeons & Dragons Adventures For Two Players.
- If only real life was so straightforward; Coleman Gailloreto shares How to do D&D Romance Right (& Wrong).
- Looper’s Alexander Billet wrote up How Stranger Things 4’s Vecna Set A Huge Change In Motion For Dungeons & Dragons.
- There’s no shortage of interest in Vecna this week, and Grunge’s Debra Kelly gives us The History of Vecna from Dungeons & Dragons.
- Also riffing off Stranger Things, Olivia Kennedy explained How Dungeons & Dragons became a part of the 1980s Satanic Panic.
- Tim Kearny writes up 5th Edition Character Races: Evolution of Warforged.
RPG Crowdfunding
You can see those Kickstarters and other crowdfunding campaigns that caught GeekNative’ss attention over at Kickstarter watch. Here are some industry projects worth a mention;
- Tomb Guardians have 28mm Dwellers of the Darkest Depths.
- Christopher Taylor’s latest Monthly Monster – Flail Snail.
- Andris Krisjans has smashed target on the clever DIVERSA DICE: Four Metals in One Die.
- Zarock is funding a looking for group app called the Traveling Tabletop Tavern.
- Lau3DeLucas is a 3rd artist funding 3d printed and printable models in the Heroes of Antaphia.
- Products of the Multiverse promise not just another dragon book. It’s DRAGONS Throughout the Multiverse (40th Anniversary Edition).
- Cursed Forge Miniatures have scaled, supported and ready to print Kednar tribes: Fantasy rpg miniature set.
- Gaming Ballistic has a solo adventure for The Fantasy Trip ROG. It’s Till Death Do Us Part.
- Iko is funding a system-neutral fantasy sourcebook and colouring book with Skyrealms.
- Dragon Scale Games have 8 one-shot adventures in Terramyr Compendium: A 5e Creature / World sourcebook.
- Vivid Wizard is creating a streamlined RPG game for socio-emotional skills in Beasts and Basements: Easy Tabletop Gaming for Kids!.
- Laurel Felt is a fantasy illustrator funding a high quality Deck of Many Things, Art Pack.
- Picchiofanatico from Italy has Pirates of the South – 28 mm scale Fantasy miniatures.
- Marcello Ganzerli has funded printable and magnetic system of STL files with Dungeon Lab.
- Gilbert Andersen has colour but locked to the USA Tabletop Hawaiian Shirts.
- Morgue Miniatures live up to their name with a range of 28mm skeleton miniatures in Battlefield Bones.
- Corey Davies has funded ready-made adventures for 5th to 10th-level characters. It’s Pieces of Eight – Five Piratical Mini-Adventures for D&D 5e.
- Monsterite returns to Kickstarter with competition-style Heroic Bases – Premium Display Bases for your Favorite Minis.
- Fantasy minis for RPGs with Armies and Heroes by Yedharo Models – 30mm Miniatures – RPG.
- 3D printable STLs for Modular cyberpunk street building – by Cyberdistrict
- Ever After Print wants to help diversify your RPG with loveable 25 Queer NPCs for 5e.
- Fantasy Designs has STL terrain files for Fantasy Forest – A 3D Printable Fantasy City
- Gametee has funded unique minis, a zine and physical rewards in Play it PROUD! LGBTQ+ Themed Miniatures for RPGs and 5e.
- Legendary Games have smashed it with Mythos Monsters: 80+ eldritch evils for Pathfinder 1E & 2E.
- Hexed Cube Studio steps into the competitive VTT world with Eternal Tabletop.
- Tim Devine has a colour and cut fantasy RPG for people of all ages with Color My Quest.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
