We’re halfway through the year, and here in Scotland, the geomagnetic activity has been weirdly vigorous all day, with AWN SUM data showing strong chances of Aurora.
Now, even with the sun messing with us, we can still push on those RPG news summaries;
- Is it bundle season? There are some biggies, including Everything from Bloat Games and the Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition bundle.
- TSR is no more as it files for bankruptcy, protecting itself from legal action.
- Actual play series Dimension 20’s new D&D show has RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Alaska, Bob the Drag Queen, Jujubee, and Monet X Change.
- Be Like A Crow and Critical Foundation picked up the Best Roleplaying Game slots in the two UK Games Expo Awards.
- Role signs Exalted Funeral.
Geek Native Patreons are wonderful, and getting the first dibs on this $0.20 for Biohazard offer. If that sounds like a way to get zombies, yes, it’ll get you zombies!
Tabletop Scotland is the next convention Geek Native will be at, and this blogger has left it too late to book any RPG sessions. They all look filled up! Oh no! More, I hope, will be listed. I can also confirm that Geek Native will be going to UK Games Expo 2024.
Right, let’s see what the news looks like in a little more detail.
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RPG news from Geek Native
- Legal holdings against NuTSR have had to be put on pause as the company files for bankruptcy.
- Modiphius brings more official Lower Decks RPG goodness to Star Trek with Mission Briefs.
- Geek Native got a look inside Atlas Games’ latest 5e The Star-Shaman’s Song of Planegea.
- We also got a generous look inside the forthcoming supernatural Italian Renaissance coming from Vortex Verlag with The Straight Way Lost.
- Geek Native spoke to Dias Ex Machina, publishers of Ultramodern5, about the role of AI in tabletop RPGs.
- Fainting Goat Games published a Honey Heist homage with the quirky Cocaine Owlbear.
- D&D has revealed an official Pride 2023 merch.
- Over at the Bundle of Holding, there’s a deal of Steamforged 5e Epic Encounters and a flash sale of castlepunk vampire rebellion with Brinkwood.
Spotlight: Lone Colossus Games
RPG news from around the web
- Chase at Dicebreaker brings the news that Anti-Imperialist RPG Bundle funds solidarity kitchens by selling LATAM tabletop RPGs.
- CBR’s Julia Anderson has an exclusive with D&D’s Forgotten Realms Creator Ed Greenwood’s Advice On Making Your Own TTRPG World.
- Increasingly into tabletop RPGs, PC Gamer and Jonathan Bolding broke down Here’s what to expect from the updated D&D rulebooks coming next year.
- Linda Codega covers Dimension 20’s news and that Dungeons and Drag Queens Debuts a Fabulous, Fearsome Foursome.
- Indie darling Exalted Funeral join VTT challenger Role.
- Jack at The Mary Sue gave us Pathfinder 2e vs DnD 5e: All Differences, Pros, and Cons Explained.
- ComicBook (video autoplayer) has an exclusive look at D&D’s Heroes’ Feast Flavors of the Multiverse Cover.
- Free League has announced Forbidden Land Expansions.
- Ahead of a Kickstarter launch, EN Publishing and Morrus shared the pregens in the WOIN Starter Set.
- Jon Bitner notes This Fan-Made ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Compendium Helps Bring ‘Zelda’ Characters to Your Next Campaign.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Charles Dunwoody has written up an actual play review of Basic Roleplaying.
- Also on EN World, Rob Wieland penned Lassos & Leaderboards: A Fight With Spirit RPG Review.
- Reviews from R’lyeh took a look at Cypher System rulebook, the DCC Acting up in Lankmar and the core rules preview of Further Beyond.
- At Gnome Stew, Jared Rascher had first impressions of Raiders of the Serpent Sea Player’s Guide.
- GameRant’s Christopher Teuton wrote The Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables Review.
- Akratic Wizardry recommends Swords and Wizardry Complete – Revised Edition.
- Games Radar’s Matt Thrower says D&D’s Keys from the Golden Vault is Both daring and problematic.
- Matt Jarvis strongly argues that Fabula Ultima is the Final Fantasy tabletop RPG I’ve always dreamed of.
- IGN’s Samantha Nelson reviews Free League’s The Lord of the Rings RPG.
- Popgeeks’ Simon Neve pens a Dragonbane TTRPG Adventure Book Review.
- Wargamer’s Gab Hernandez talked to the creative team and notes How Southeast Asian RPG Gubat Banwa ditches DnD tropes.
- Egg Embry talks to Chris Dias about Ultramodern5.
- In Tavern Talk Thursday, Julia Roth chats with Tara Ochs.
RPG new releases
- Philip Miranda has published a free-to-download Fallout-inspired Lasers & Feelings hack called Atompunk.
- The official and Modiphius-published Fallout: The Roleplaying Game – Gamemaster’s Toolkit is out.
- A copper best-seller already, Monte Cook Games publishes Who the Devil Are You?
- An electrum best-seller, Onyx Path has released Exalted: Essence.
- Porcupine Publishing and Mikka Capella have released the West African adventure Sisters of the Night Bird.
- Just Crunch Games has spawned the Cthulhu Hack Second Edition.
- In physical books, retailers like Forbidden Planet are taking orders for;
- Ares Games’ Fantasy World core rules.
- Ares Games’ Fantasy World: Kosmohedron.
- Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder RPG: Rage Of Elements Rulebook (Deluxe Special Edition Hardcover).
- Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder: Lost Omens Rulebook: Absalom City Of Lost Omens (Special Edition Hardcover).
- Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder: Lost Omens Rulebook: Knights Of Lastwall (Special Edition Hardcover).
- Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder RPG: Rage Of Elements: Pocket Edition Rulebook.
- Renegade Game Studios’ Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition: Core Rulebook (Hardcover).
- Ten Speed Press’ Jim Zub and Stacy King’s Dungeons & Dragons: Young Adventurer’s Guides: The Monsters & Creatures Compendium (Hardcover).
- Free League’s Dragonbane: RPG core set.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $241.22 (71%) with an offer from Bloat Games that includes Everything.
- Save $141.87 (76%) with the Onyx Path Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition bundle.
- Save $26.94 (73%) on the Onyx Path The Contagion Chronicle bundle.
- Save $14.38 (62%) with Thunderegg Productions’ Kitchen Sink bundle.
- Save $7.51 (27%) with Joshua Ohmer’s 5e Smoke & Thunder: The Whole Shebang.
- Save $8.00 (50%) on the Chaosium community content bundle Pacific Horror bundle.
- Save $3.50 (26%) with Luna Publishing’s Antediluvian Adventures bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Bronwen spotted this d20 wax candle with hidden dice.
- Charles gets into world building again with a look at Coriolis – Wake of the Icons.
- Wargamer’s Amber Willmott notes Tabletop RPGs like DnD will always be a haven for LGBTQ+ people.
- Mixed Signals helps with a What is Tales of the Valiant piece.
- Bell of Lost Souls looks into D&D: The Real Life Origins Of Famous NPCs.
- Katie Wickens surfaces Building D&D settings is so much less stressful with these brilliantly clever tabletop games.
- Paizo introduces the marketing team of Jon Morgantini, Rue Dickey and other stars.
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;
- Glowing Dice Trays – Rolling in the dark! from Playmats.EU proposes “They’re unique, double-sided and glow in the dark – our Dice Trays are all you need to create a mysterious atmosphere for your games.”
- The Haunting of Frostbite Hollow 5E from Eric Bleney proposes “Dive into an eerie one-shot adventure for 3-5 characters of levels 1-3, and uncover the chilling secrets of Frostbite Hollow.”
- Digital NPC & Deities TTRPG Tokens from Jonathon Myhre offers “Digital NPC & Deities TTRPG Tokens that you can use for your Call of Cthulhu, Alien, D&D, Starfinder, Stargate, Homeworld, etc. games.”
- Fabled Battles and Warfare for D&D 5E and PF2E from Fabled Adventurers Extraordinaire Games offers “Complicated warfare made easy. Elegant rules for pitched battles, sieges, and capturing strongholds.”
- Station Xeno – a Solo Mothership 1E Module from Squid Ink Games is working on “A suspenseful SOLO/CO-OP adventure in a dangerous research station for the MOTHERSHIP 1E Sci-Fi Horror RPG.”
- The Tales of Easpar vol.1 from Atomic Issue is working on “An Adventure and 2 Short Stories (3 in total!) compatible with 5e”
- IDEAS! Hooks & Plots for RPG Adventures vol.4 HQ PAPER from Good Ideas… pitches “A useful tool for lazy Dungeon Masters! Hooks, Plots, NPC, maps, villains, magic weapons and items and other stuff ready-to-use!”
- Severed Heads and Broken Blades (for 5E and Pathfinder) from Douglas Sun crowdfunds “A Critical Hits and Fumbles System Compatible With D&D 5E, Pathfinder and (Probably) Other d20 RPG Systems”
- Zombiescape – A Print and Play Legacy Solo TTRPG from Tales Of The Unsolved pitches “Survive a Zombie Apocalypse in this Print n’ Play, Story Driven Solo TTRPG. Inspired by Betrayal at House on the Hill.”
- Alchemist’s observatory-Pay what you want from Solaris Game Studio crowdfunds “Dnd games, observatory, stl files, diorama, alchemist house, stl files”
- Ford’s Familiar Folio from Trent Ford raises funds for “Expand your game options. Find your new favorite familiar.”
- Compendium of Friendly Creatures and Tiny Dragons for 5e from Ty Hulse proposes “Cute critters, big adventures! Discover the pint sized wonders of your 5e world, with friendly creatures ready to lend a helping paw.”
- Mini Monstrosities : TTRPG Miniatures from FaeFireMiniatures submits “A set of ttrpg miniatures bringing to life the fearsome monsters you know and love as equally fearsome babies.”
- Beholder Dice Tower – D&D inspired – 3D printable STL from Azhora proposes “This project turns an iconic Dungeons & Dragons monster into a fully-fledged dice tower! It is a great eye catcher at your next TTRPG!”
- Hapless Peasants and Stalwart Adventurers from Halcyon Miniatures pitches “28mm miniatures for wargaming and roleplaying”
- PMG’s 2023 Fantasy Audio Collection from Wes Otis is working on “61 brand new audio tracks for any fantasy TTRPG, Funded!”
- Meeplify – 3D Printable Meeples for Board Games and TTRPGs from Unchained Games proposes “Over 160 unique 3D Printable Meeples: Elevate Your TTRPGs and Board Games with 3D Printed Awesomeness!”
- INSTADUNGEON™ Great Outdoors Expansion – 3D printed tiles from Big Dumb Fun Games kickstarts “3D printable exterior tiles for your tabletop—both gridded and non-gridded for compatibility with tabletop games from D&D to WH40K!”
- Deck of Mighty Peasant Deeds + Blood & Thunder Deeds Book from Marzio Muscedere submits “You’re no serf. You’re a slayer! Deck of 96 tarot cards featuring occupation specific Mighty Peasant Deeds + Blood & Thunder DCC Book”
- Animal Print Dice by Tux & Roll from Tux & Roll crowdfunds “Adding new meaning to “Natural” 20 – Take a roll on the wild side with these hand-crafted animal print dice by maker/designer Tux&Roll”
- Loot The Body! 1000 Intriguing Items for D&D or any TTRPG from The Midnight Quill crowdfunds “Unique & Evolving Project: Expand your loot collection with intriguing items for DnD or any TTRPG. Join the fun from just £2!”
- Book of the Barrows from Labreth LLC offers “A hot new compendium from Labreth Gaming!”
- Pay What You Want, Medieval RPG Town Set 5 from 3DP4U is working on “3D Printable STL Files, Terrain for Tabletop, Role Playing Games, Wargames and RPG. Medieval RPG Town Houses – Set 05”
Do you know of an RPG news source that we don’t? Let us know, or leave a comment below.
