UK Games Expo edges closer, but first I have to make it through my birthday weekend without exploding on food treats!
Now, let’s get into the RPG news summaries of summaries.
- Terrible news as RPG artist Rick Hershey’s four children have all been badly injured in a car crash. There’s a Recovery Bundle to raise funds.
- Goodman Games is having to explain why they seem to be partnered with the vile Judges Guild again.
- Wizards of the Coast released horror subclasses for D&D.
- Rowan, Rook and Decard, a British RPG publisher, won’t attend GenCon due to safety fears.
- Silver Fox and RAFM Miniatures are closing down.
On Geek Native’s social media page, where you can find links to our socials and Discord, we still link to Google News. Sadly, though, several weeks ago, Google moved to a new algorithm, and it hasn’t picked up any of our articles. We might be too small. I suspect we’ll have to bite the bullet and remove the link.
It’s not easy being a digital publisher. The Wrap covers the story about layoffs at Polygon, quoting the National Writers Union condemning Vox Media. They said;
Every website sold to Valnet is a tragedy for entertainment journalism and Internet culture, but losing the workers who make Polygon a great publication both to freelance for and to read is a particular gut punch.
Thank you to Geek Native’s patrons and people who buy products through our links. Sometimes those are affiliate links (which change in real time), and we get a slice of the money (except for charity bundles, where we pay it back). Thank you to Geek Native’s ad partners and sponsors. You are all heroes.
Spotlight: FGG Games.
RPG news from Geek Native
- We’ve images, insights and an interview with Nick Lowe on The Return of the Living Dead TTRPG.
- Sadly, Rowan, Rook and Decard won’t attend GenCon.
- Canada’s biggest miniatures maker is closing down but perhaps some of Silver Fox and RAFM will live on.
- DriveThuRPG, Magpie Games, Chaosium and Loot Tavern are all pitching in on a GameFound RPG Party support program.
- A better deal than on D&D Beyond? At DMsGuild, Wizards of the Coast are offering $120 in Eberron Forge of the Artificer pre-order bonuses.
- New Italian publisher Nevola Lab has a free quickstart for Holmes & Co.
- The Bundle of Holding has offers on Free Trader Beowulf and Against the Darkmaster.
- On Humble, Paizo has a 43-item Asian-fantasy themed Pathfinder bundle.
Support: Patreon
RPG news from around the web
- Goodman Games has released a statement about City State of the Invincible Overlord and the publisher’s “relationship” with anti-semitic Judges Guild.
- Watch Well Games has a great write-up of DriveThruRPG’s 4th annual PocketQuest on Dreams and Nightmares.
- Kobold Press announces the Kobold Creates Projects for 2025.
- Nerdist has an exclusive excerpt from Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd. (pre-order)
- Wizards of the Coast has released new horror subclasses via (free account required) Unearthed Arcana.
- Due to the horror classes, some like D&D Fantatics, are asking Is the D&D team secretly releasing a new Ravenloft sourcebook?.
- Wargamer notes that DnD rival Pathfinder’s newest book lets you play as pigeon-sized dragons and Half-Elves are coming back to DnD thanks to a new Eberron species.
- Sharing the announcement at Rascal, Jayme Boucher reveals that Roll20 and StartPlaying Team Up for Daggerheart Launch.
- Chaosium announce that Luke Gygax and Alyssa Faden’s Madness at Geneva Lake will be released worldwide at Chaosium UK on May 23rd and the next Pendragon Fiction title, plus rebadged Red Cow Saga for QuestWorlds.
- ICv2 reports that New ‘D&D Xanthar’s Treasure’ packs head to retail.. (pre-order)
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Explorers Design takes a great look at Rumored Lands.
- The Alexandrian reviews Blue Planet: Player’s Guide.
- Ill Met by Morrslieb reviews Wrath & Glory’s Redacted Records.
- Throat Punch Games has a ring side report of Dungeon Crawl Classics #107: Forgotten Dangers.
- Reviews from R’lyeh writes up Black Stories: Alone Under the Ice, The Traveller’s Digest #5, The Valley Out of Time: Tribes and Factions, Beyond the Borderlands Issue #3, Scout Magazine #II and Legends of Uganda Issue #2.
- ComingSoon.net has an Exclusive Look at Funko’s Dungeons & Dragons Series 2 Digital Pop Release. (check Funko.com)
- CBR hosts ‘My Lifelong Obsession’: Scream Star Matthew Lillard Discusses Infusing Fantasy & Horror Into His D&D-Inspired Whiskey Brand.
RPG new releases
- Three Sails Studios has released their monster-heavy combat-light game of exploration and ecology Mappa Mundi.
- Broken Door Entertainment has released the d6 Paragons: The Roleplaying Game.
- Severed Books has released the Sickest Witch RPG – Player’s Guide.
- Ghostfire Gaming has published the Aetherial Expanse: Setting Guide.
- mxplusb has published an RPG rooted in OSR, Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master and house rules called Into the Wild and Dangerous.
- Sean Benoit asks whether you can resist the beast within with D6 Forge: Night’s Edge – Vampire Chronicles.
- Modiphius, Cryogenic and Wave suggest you pay what you want for the introduction to the RPG Layover.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $82.83 (62%) and do good with the Kids in the Attic Hershey Family Recovery Bundle.
- Save $31.97 (40%) in the DMsGuild’s Dragonlance: Vault of the Undying bundle.
- Save $14.99 (30%) in Iron Crown Enterprises’ RMU Creature1+Roll20VTT bundle.
- Save $8.94 (11%) with Wizards of the Coast’s Eberron Ultimate Roll20 bundle.
- Save $6.85 (41%) in Basunat’s Solo RPG Toolkit Collection.
- Save $4.96 (20%) with Baldman Games’ Rising Shadows Introduction bundle.
- Save $3.59 (20%) with the Wytchin Hour’s Terrain Generator Collection and $1.79 in part two.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Ben and the Genre Police discuss ending campaigns.
- It’s a silly game to challenge and enrage you friends – spot the mimic.
- Following the news of layoffs at Polygon, Chase Carter writes A Stool With Two Legs.
- On EN World, Snarf Zagyg put together the excellent The First Demise of TSR: Gygax’s Folly.
- At TrustedReviews, Thomas Deehan pens From Dungeons and Dragons to Baldur’s Gate 3: The shared history of TTRPGs and video games.
- Not afraid to be unpopular, TechRadar’s Matt Evans said I played Dungeons & Dragons with ChatGPT, and it was far better than I expected.
- Sly Flourish shares insight with Break and Prevent the Boredom Spiral.
- James Maliszewski opines Letting Someone Else Do Our Imagining.
- The RPG Gazette writes up The GM’s Empty Tank: Recognizing and Combating Campaign Burnout.
- The Grinning Rat gets into equipment.
RPG Crowdfunding
There’s more! You can catch up with Kickstarter campaigns we’ve written up in more detail at Kickstarter watch. Here are some noteworthy industry projects to mention:
- Drinks of Fantasy: A Magical TTRPG Beverage Compendium from Sacredfire Games proposes “Enchanted Brews, Cursed Spirits, and Legendary Libations for Your Tabletop Adventures”
- Vox Dei – A Pilgrim’s Nightmare from Rinaldo Agostini raises funds for “A TRPG Powered by and Fully Compatible with Mörk Borg.”
- Paragon Curse from Necrik suggests “A high fantasy tabletop pen and paper tabletop roleplaying system (TTRPG)”
- Square RPG Puzzle Tiles – SEASON 3 from Hermann Hillmann offers “Complete sets of RPG tiles, optimized for quick and hassle-free printing on FDM 3D printers.”
- 🜃 Pyramid of the Forgotten God from Kickgames nominates “101 Chambers of Ruin, Wonder, and Dread”
- Tavern Tales: Legendary Drinks & Magical Mishaps from Greg raises funds for “A Fantasy Tavern Compendium: 50 magical drinks. Enchanted inns. Bizarre barkeeps. Add unforgettable flavor to your next session.”
- Morkin: The Lords of Midnight Solo Adventure Game from Juan Díaz-Bustamante nominates “Morkin is a table-top solo-player game inspired by The Lords of Midnight, the strategy and adventure epic fantasy computer game.”
- Mutants From the Archives: Pet Shop Blues from Julian Kay submits “Expanding the retro-modern, mutant-animal, role-playing game Mutants in the Now with new pet species, fascist villains, and much more!”
- 100 Factions & Guilds for D&D 5e! from Paws for Effect crowdfunds “A 5e supplement featuring a wide variety of factions and guilds, ready to drop into any campaign!”
- GOLEM PARADE from Kobayashi submits “Go on impossible missions for the Mage that created you!”
- QuestKeepers: The Simpler, Faster Way to Take TTRPG Notes. from Mettleurgy pitches “QuestKeepers is a spellbinding web app to create, search and share your TTRPG notes with your whole table–GMs can share too!”
- Tome Of Maps: Dungeon Battlemap Book for your TTRPG Games! from Snowy’s Maps submits “An EPIC book containing 82+ AI-free unique dungeon battlemaps for TTRPGs. For FoundryVTT, Roll20 and as physical books! (DnD5e/PF2e)”
- The Hunter’s Guide: A Folk Horror Bestiary for DnD 5e from DumbProductions proposes “A folk horror bestiary for D&D 5e with hierarchical monster families, group mechanics, and naturalist-style illustrations.”
- 100 Magical Cocktails – Digital Item Cards for D&D from One Dragon Coin_Companion is working on “Unique collection of 100 magical cocktails, real-life recipe, a gold value, and a balanced in-game effect compatible, D&d 5ed”
- The Summer of Lovecraft TTRPG from Pancóga Games raises funds for “Combat cosmic horrors in the 1960s in this roleplaying game built on Mothership 1E.”
- Goalforger from Goalforger raises funds for “Transform your D&D campaigns with AI-powered storytelling tools that turn player goals into epic adventures. Level up your DM game!”
- Tacklebox & Better Strangers: Two Card-Based TTRPGs from Tyler Crumrine proposes “J. Walton’s surreal fishing RPG Tacklebox & Tyler Crumrine’s people-watching RPG Better Strangers return in new editions!”
- Gamekeeper- A 3d portable storage solution for your games from Meeple Keepers nominates “3D print a solution for a portable games library. Store your games in style, ready to be grabbed for game night!”
- Return of the Blood Prince from SeaBreeze Games proposes “An immersive dungeon delve filled with blood, sweat, and traps!”
- Encounters at a Glance: Into the Wild from Nathan Horn is working on “101 scratch and tear travel encounters for any D&D campaign. A tactile experience for you and your players!”
- CURSED: Animated Scenes & Companion Book from JamesRPGArt kickstarts “Exquisite assets for Castle Ravenloft, Barovia, or any other gothic setting you choose to sink your fangs into. #Roll20 #Foundry”
- Wandering Blades from Tony Vasinda +1 kickstarts “Lethal melodrama in an old school tabletop RPG package!”
- Wizard dice set 2 from LunaDice nominates “Unique set of dice for collectors, geeks, dnd, tabletop games and for all who love dice.”
- The Island Closest to Hell, a Swashbuckling DnD 5e Adventure from LunaBear Games introduces “A dark fantasy DnD 5th edition adventure for 4-6 players. Set sail to find a legendary pirate treasure hidden by a fiendish secret.”
- Beyond the Bestiary – A Monster Manual of the Unknown from Jordan DeYoung suggests “Expand your world with never-before-seen monsters and enemies for Dungeons & Dragons!”
- ScrollCraft: Create your own spells for DnD 5E from Legendary Scribes suggests “Craft unique scrolls for D&D | Including homebrew spell creation guide, unique-use scroll concept for all, and magic system toolkit.”
- Ruins of the Lost Elf Kingdom: Five Dungeons for 5e from Professor Bleen proposes “Delve into the long-lost ruins of the elves in this collection of 5 uniquely themed dungeons.”
- MAPS FOR FANTASY RPGs Workbook 8 from Laidback Dungeon Master suggests “Workbooks with hand-drawn, full color maps! Write notes & stock YOUR dungeons, on YOUR shelf! DnD 5e OSR D&D Pathfinder Dragonbane OSE”
- Root of Fate – Dice Tower of the Ancient One from Bartosz Wozny is working on “Highly detailed Fantasy Dice Tower STL, engineered for clean and reliable FDM 3D printing – ideal for tabletop and RPG gaming sessions.”
- The Balsam Lake Unmurders from Paul Czege introduces “Play Your Cards Right, Catch the Necromancer. A Journaling Game of Method, Motive, and Opportunity In a Forested Minnesota Town.”
- Randice Map Generator – Build Living RPG Worlds from Eternalverse kickstarts “Create living fantasy maps in seconds dice that spawn locations, events, armies, and more. Made for DMs, writers & worldbuilders.”
- Dungeon Poker from Mario Barbati proposes “Your GM’s poker face just got a deck to match!”
- Grimdark Terrain from Warscream Forge offers “3d printable terrain for Tabletop Wargames, RPG: Warhammer 40K and Trench Crusade and any of your favorite grimdark games”
- The Witchwood Bestiary 5E from A4 Play offers “Spirits, Demons, and Monsters Inspired by Eastern European Folklore.”
- Shadows Return: House of the Wraith Queen. from Ian Hickey is working on “A Megadungeon Adventure for AD&D 2E, 5E & OSR games. Designed for 4–6 players, levels 5–7.”
- Shadowfinder Complete Bestiary for Shadowdark RPG from William Murakami-Brundage suggests “Presenting Shadowfinder’s complete conversion of all six PF 1E Bestiaries. Every PF 1E bestiary, #1-6, converted for Shadowdark RPG.”
- Populated Hexes Monthly Issue 46 — The Bugbear Issue from Todd pitches “Issue 46 of PHM returns with a look at bugbears in old-school gaming.”
- The Atlas Handle – Miniature Painting Reimagined from Ross Hilary proposes “Innovative Attachment Mechanism, Ergonomic Design, and Complete Customization. Unlock Next Level Miniature Painting.”
- Legend of the 10 Stones from Noahs Ark crowdfunds “Legend of the 10 Stones is a massive open world RPG exploration with dozens of side quests for Pathfinder First and Second Edition!”
- UNDERHAVEN from Shadow Drifter Games raises funds for “Embark on an underground journey through a chilling fantasy apocalypse with the TN13 Gaming System.”
- SHADOWDARK FOELIO vol.3 from Jeremy Hart Illos nominates “16 monsters for SHADOWDARK. More minimalist this time. Backers get instant access to draft version. Paper Mini Designs. VTT tokens.”
- 3D Printable Miniature Display Dioramas from Unchained Games offers “3D printable scenic displays for your miniatures – steampunk, eldritch, nature & more. Support-free & FDM-ready.”
- Lady Verena’s: Bestiary of the Damned from Dungeon Scroll Games offers “A gothic horror bestiary for D&D 5e, featuring 50+ haunting monsters, epic bosses and familiars.”
- WARD: The Customizable Dice Vault for Tabletop Gamers! from Ward Dice kickstarts “Combining the custom dice experience to match your dice vaults!”
- Kolinsky Sable Paintbrushes by Carlo’s Miniatures from Carlo Borella is working on “Set of affordable high-quality Kolinsky sable brushes (& STLs). Designed by a miniature painter with fellow miniature painters in mind!”
- Talisman Sabre Terrain – Frost and Steampunk Expansion from Talisman Sabre Terrain crowdfunds “A frost and steampunk themed expansion to our hex-based, OpenLOCK, magnet compatible 3D Printable terrain system!”
Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so,” please let us know or leave a comment below.
