Routinely Itemised: RPGs #216

It’s Gen Con weekend, which means an even stream of news.

This year it seems to mean lots of VTT bundles, AI news, and, gosh, we have a whole RPG news summary of RPG news summary for this sort of round-up.

Speaking of which, here are the summaries!

• Starfinder 2e is confirmed, while Paizo rules out a VTT
• Reports persist that Hasbro might bring AI to D&D.
• Le Monde concludes D&D faces a double existential threat.
• Hasbro sells the D&D movie studio
• Coyote & Crow win the 2023 Diana Jones Award
• The Marvel RPG is out, and in digital, but never for download

It’s also the start of the month, which means a new beam of RPG Publisher Spotlight focus that patrons get to vote in.

The winner for this month is Gamenomicon, and the candidates for next are;

• Basic Action Games
• Big Empty Blue
• Coyote & Crow LLC
• Drop Dead Studios
• Chaos Gen

It’s also the start of the Festival season here in Edinburgh. Geek Native is reduced during this time as the team turns their attention to sister site and the Edinburgh Festival reviews. Fear not, though; there are overlaps such as this The Magic of Terry Pratchett interview with Marc Burrows.

Let’s see what the news looks like at the first end of Gen Con.

Support: Patron.

RPG news from Geek Native

• Paizo will publish a new edition of Starfinder; playtest sign-ups are open.
• Modiphius expands with Star Trek Adventures RPG with Lower Decks.
• Renegade Game Studios will publish the Welcome to Night Vale RPG.
• We noted how different the Marvel Multiverse RPG release on DTRPG is.
• Evil Genius confirms that Shadows Surrounding won their Urban/Everyday Arcana competition.
• Geek Native talks to Lost Haven Arts about their Abbadon demo at Tabletop Scotland.
• At the Bundle of Holding, there’s a set of deals on the romantic fantasy of Blue Rose. There’s a single tier for many dicegeek tables.
• While on Humble, there are several tiers on Mongoose’s Traveller.

Spotlight: Gamenomicon

RPG news from around the web

• Gizmodo and Justin Carter voice that Hasbro May Be Eyeing AI for Dungeons & Dragons.
• The final of a six part series into D&D at the iconic Le Monde concludes Dungeons & Dragons faces a double existential threat.
• The D&D movie studio has a new owner as Hasbro sells eOne film and TV business to Lionsgate for $500m.
• Chase Carter shares Indigenous RPG Coyote & Crow wins 2023 Diana Jones Award.
• PCGamer and Harvey Randall note D&D rival Paizo has no plans to follow in its virtual tabletop footsteps with Pathfinder and Starfinder, says they’re prioritising ‘the VTTs our fans choose’ .
• GamesRadar writes up Explore the long dark of Moria with new Lord of the Rings RPG expansion.
• Sarah Lumley covers the Celebrity chef creates two fantastical new recipes – inspired by Dungeons & Dragons.
• At RNZ, Felix Walton writes up Psychology’ gaming lab’ explores benefits of Dungeons & Dragons, board games.
• It’s Gen Con week; do you want to see how the local news is covering it? The IndyStar headlines Gen Con is back this week in Indianapolis. Here’s everything you need to know.

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• Isaac Williams and CBR offer Marvel Multiverse Review: A Capable RPG That Loses Its Way.
• Jared Rascher reviews Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, Part One (Diancastra’s Saga), also Part Two and Part Three.
• ScreenRant’s Austin King offers Dragonbane RPG Review: A Classic Roleplaying Game Returns.
• James Maliszewski shares a retrospective on D&D’s Quagmire.
• The Alexandrian reviews Night’s Black Agents – The Zalozhniy Quartet.
• Reviews from R’lyeh reviews the Pendragon Starter Set.
• It’s popular; Jared also looks at Pendragon 6e’s Starter Set.
• At EN World, Dawn Dalton reviews Pathfinder: Rage of Elements.
• Geek Mom pens Books, Games, Rock and Roll: An Interview With James L. Sutter.
• TheRatHole interviews Neil Byrne.
• Marvel looks inwards and notes The ‘Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game’ Developer Update #3: Behind the Scenes with Interview with Matt Forbeck.

RPG new releases

• It’s the end of the world as Schwalb Entertainment and Ian Stuart Sharpe publish When the Wolf Comes.
• Christopher Helton and Outland Entertainment release the cinematic RPG Action-Heroes.
• Mind’s Vision releases the horror of The Legacy of Cthulhu.
• Burning Wheel publish a Torchbearer 2e core set.
• Sebastiaan van Gestelt taps Hero Forge Games’ community content to publish Jungle Jeopardy – A Hero Kids Space Premium Adventure.
• Rutibex expands their OSR RPG with Hexmasters Handbook.
• Darkstars Universe release Night Borough Collectors Edition.
• The Black Orifice grow their Itch library with S.M.A.S.H. Core Rulebook.
• Modiphus hit publish on the Dreams and Machines: Starter Set.
• There are several Roll20 VTT deals on DTRPG as the integration continues. These include;
  • Blade Runner – The Roleplaying Game Core Package
  • Tales from the Loop Starter Set
  • Kids on Bikes: Core Rulebook
  • Scion Second Edition
  • They Came From Beneath the Sea!
  • Alice is Missing
  • Alien – The Roleplaying Game
  • Coyote & Crow Core Rulebook
• In physical releases and pre-orders, and at shops like Forbidden Planet (our benchmark retailer), there are titles like;
  • The Game Master’s Book Of Villains, Minions, & Their Tactics
  • The Game Master’s Handbook Of Proactive Roleplaying
  • Star Wars: Edge Of The Empire: Enter The Unknown
  • Star Wars: Edge Of The Empire: Beyond The Rim
  • Star Wars: Edge Of The Empire: Dangerous Covenant

RPG bundle deals

• Save $14.00 (20%) on Onyx Path Publishing’s Scion Second Edition Bundle | Roll20 VTT + PDF.
• Save $12.00 (20%) on Bully Pulpit Games’ Fiasco Starter Bundle | Roll20 VTT + PDF bundle.
• Save $11.00 (20%) on Free League Publishing’s Blade Runner – The Roleplaying Game | Roll20 VTT + PDF bundle.
• Save $11.00 (20%) on Free League Publishing’s Alien – The Roleplaying Game
• Save $10.00 (20%) on Onyx Path Publishing’s They Came From Beneath the Sea | Roll20 VTT + PDF bundle.
• Save $10.00 (20%) on the Coyote & Crow Core Rulebook | Roll20 VTT + PDF bundle.
• Save $9.59 (20%) on Onyx Path Publishing’s Scion Second Edition – Book Two Hero | Roll20 VTT + PDF bundle.
• Save $8.04 (23%) in the Onyx Path community content Pindorama bundle.
• Save $8.00 (20%) on the Shadowrun, Sixth World City Edition – Seattle – Package | Roll20 VTT + PDF bundle.
• Save $6.99 (20%) in the Onyx Path Publishing’s Scion Second Edition: Book One Origin | Roll20 + PDF bundle.
• Save $5.97 (50%) with Azukail Games’ One Week Bundle: Creepy.
• Save $5.40 (20%) with Hunters Entertainment’s Alice Is Missing: A Silent RPG | Roll20 VTT + PDF.
• Save $4.80 (20%) with Hunters Entertainment’s Kids on Bikes: Core Rulebook | Roll20 VTT + PDF.
• Save $4.60 (33%) in Lucky Dice Games’ Pru’s Bundle.
• Save $3.99 (44%) on the Hero Forge Games’ community content Hero Kids – To Boldly Go Where No Kid Has Gone Before bundle.
• Save $3.80 (26%) on the DMsGuidls Theokyd’s Anime Classes bundle.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• Hey Alma’s Toby Sharpe pens As a Queer Jew, I’m Reclaiming Dungeons & Dragons’ Problematic Tropes.
• Alim Kheraj of Dazed writes ‘It takes a special kind of weirdo’: meet the professional D&D Game Masters.
• Brittany Vick writes up Redesigning the Roll20 Character Builder.
• Mike Bernier at D&D Beyond offer up What Is The Deck of Many Things Set? Cards of Chaos to Expand Your Campaign.
• Jared Rascher opines on Perspective on the gods and religions in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy settings.

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;

• Cloudbreaker Alliance – Counter Apocalyptic TRPG from CJ Leung proposes “Reunite lost civilizations and reclaim a world shattered by monsters in this boundary breaking Tabletop RPG.”
• The Start Here Roleplaying Game from Tim Beach proposes “The fast and easy way to learn to play, or to teach others how to play, RPGs.”
• Dungeon3D: A Complete Virtual Tabletop System from Dungeon3D offers “A universal VTT with a robust 3D map builder, Steam session hosting, customizable avatars, dice rolling, initiative tracker, and more!”
• MONSTERS & MYTHS: A compendium of D&D 5e Fantasy Creatures from Elowen nominates “A Compendium of 50 Unique Fantasy Creatures for DnD 5e.”
• The Chateau of Stolen Memories: Tabletop RPG Adventure from Gaming Honors offers “A 3rd level devil’s bargain adventure for Dungeon Crawl Classics or 5E set in a hotel of the damned.”
• INSTADUNGEON™ Fantasy 3D All-in-OneShot™ Adventure 1 for 5e from Big Dumb Fun Games kickstarts “The first 3D All-in-OneShot for INSTADUNGEON Fantasy—the easy to 3D print tabletop dungeon system (compatible with D&D)”
• Spire of the Sorceress from Ivefjord Studios offers “A One Shot Adventure for DnD 5e.”
• Fantasy Dungeon Tiles For Epic Adventures. from Hermann Hillmann proposes “Printable 3D STL Files, Miniatures for Tabletop Role Playing Games and Wargames.”
• Kavlov’s Sanctuary | Old School Essentials compatible module from The Dungeon’s Key raises funds for “An OSE compatible campaign module. Play as one of 5 new classes and explore the 13 dungeons that make up the Dreaded Hills!”
• Glitchland. Toxic hopelessness zone from Julia Jelínek suggests “If Glitchland stole your Youth, you have the right to take whatever you want. Keep that in mind.”
• TTRPG Silicone Battlemats from AJ Pickett kickstarts “High-quality printed silicone TTRPG battlemats made to last a lifetime.”
• HârnWorld: Kingdom of Azadmere from Columbia Games nominates “Continuing a series of Hardcover editions of the Kingdoms of Hârn.”
• Nirmala Miniature Art – Modular City Builder from Ola Andersson raises funds for “STL files for 3D printing a modular dungeon, houses, streets, cave, temple for 28 mm miniatures, DnD ect. 3D files only.”
• Deck of Destiny – Solo RPG Adventures from The Desperate DMs suggests “A compendium of four solo-campaigns with a simple card-based mechanic. No dice. No DMs.”
• £1 to play (5e) “The Clockwork Mansion” from Andrew Highton submits “Adventure modules to drag and drop into your 5e campaign! Adventures! Battlemaps! Magic Items! And more! All for just £1!”
• Worlds with Friends from Jake Andrews crowdfunds “a tabletop game”
• Neon Blues: The Whole Shebang from Void Gate Games proposes “A Neon-Noir Tabletop RPG from a Chicago-based company.”
• 3D Printable Ruined architecture STL | 28MM from Oksana Klingel is working on “Props and Architecture for 3D printing for board games and RPGs. STL files (28mm).”
• Sorcerous Rites of the Elements: Wizards & Spells for DCC from Nick Baran is working on “The Elementalist class and a collection of spells compatible with Dungeon Crawl Classics”
• The Mycelium Youth Universe Gaming for Justice Compendium from Mycelium Youth Network submits “Dungeons and Dragons 5E Adventures Inspired by Social and Environmental Justice”
• Wasteland A SAVAGE REALMS GAMEBOOK from Savage Realms Gamebooks raises funds for “From H.L. Truslove and Savage Realms Gamebooks comes an epic, post-apocalyptic adventure…”
• The Adventurer’s Compendium Cards from Shy Lev-Ari pitches “Your go-to 5E tool for onboarding new players and a valuable aid for seasoned adventurers.”
• 2 for $1 One Shot 5e Adventures: Bandits of Siege Tower from Tabletop Outfitter kickstarts “AND BONUS ADVENTURE AZKARR’S PRISON”
• Airships and Automatons from Benjamin Sperling proposes “Converting Airships to Automatons in this Steampunk roll and write!”
• Neon Shadows from Lost Guide Games nominates “In this Tabletop RPG, rebuild a city held together by nothing more than quickly fading belief.”
• Mecha Vs Kaiju: A 5E SciFi Roleplaying Game from Johnathan Wright offers “Mecha Vs Kaiju is the anime-inspired 5E roleplaying game of manga and monster movie drama and action.”
• Kings of the Heartland from George Harmon crowdfunds “Core Rulebook and Adventures”
• Beyond the Brook: Over the Garden Wall Inspired Actual Play from Drakoniques crowdfunds “A full season for an Over the Garden Wall inspired actual play series called “Beyond the Brook””
• Tales from the Astral Plane – 5e rules & adventure (2.0) from John Harmston pitches “Adventuring in the Astral Plane with new rules, classes, spells, feats, monsters, locations, and epic encounters for 5e D&D (DnD RPG)”
• One Dollar Adventures – Arctic Expedition: Part III from Cave Gaming kickstarts “A cursed explorer must be taken to a hidden shrine of the reclusive Frost Dwarves. Can the party survive their visit to the Underfrost?”
• Dungeon Domains: Fane of Ash (5e / OSR compatible) from Bart Wynants is working on “An endlessly expandable dungeon for 5e, Pathfinder, Shadowdark, Forbidden Lands, Mörk Borg & other fantasy tabletop role-playing games!”
• GRAB’n’GO – Legendary Hunts from HeroicHouse Creations kickstarts “D&D 5E Creatures, Beings, Gods and More – Beware the TPK”
• Magic Potion Dice from Dark Elf Dice crowdfunds “Shimmering Liquid Core Dice Sets — Bring Amazing Dice to Your Gaming Table”
• The Bard’s D&D: Romeo & Juliet from Baldrick is working on “Bring the drama and romance of the Bard’s greatest tragedy to the table for your players to engage with.”
• The Wicked Forever King Hungers TTRPG from Paul Vincent is working on “A rules light, dark fantasy ttrpg based on the Lasers and Feelings rules”
• Seasonal Nightmare: A Wicked Holidays Adventure (D&D 5E) from CrackPotGames(CPG) raises funds for “( Dungeons and Dragons 5e )Malevolent Merriment: A Wicked Holidays Adventure 5E”

Do you know of an RPG news source that we don’t? Let us know, or leave a comment below.