It’s the end of the week, the start of the month and August, which means festive Chaos consumes Edinburgh.
Today, my first day as a Fringe 2025 reviewer, I’ve been locked in a dark cave with Mothman and watched a Korean sleight-of-hand magician who could hide swords, or so it seemed. It’s also Gen Con, so let’s see how busy a week of RPG news we’ve managed to cover.
Speaking of which, on with the summary of summaries!
- D&D’s new boss promises changes.
- A new edition of Cypher is coming.
- ThunderCats are getting a 5e TTRPG.
- Cyberpunk RED is getting a host of new books.
- White Wolf says they don’t use generative AI.
- There’s a special Librarians and Leviathans Everything Palestine Relief Bundle.
As it’s the start of the month, it also means it’s the week we update the list of candidates for Patrons to vote into the spotlight. Infinite Reimagine won for August.
The September candidates are;
If you’re a patron, you can vote here.
And now, the Routinely Itemised TTRPG news.
Spotlight: Infinite Reimagine.
RPG news from Geek Native
- Monte Cook Games announced a new edition of Cypher.
- Heading back to Kickstarter, working with loads of famous names and offering third-party licensing rules, Darrington Press is busy expanding Daggerheart.
- Two Little Mice and Free League Publishing are teaming up on a new RPG called Twlight Sword.
- Heading to Kickstarter, there’s an 5e version of a ThunderCats TTRPG.
- SoulMuppet got caught up in the mess that’s the UK’s Age-Gate Apocalypse.
- Popular Italian TTRPG Lex Arcana is heading to 5e (and in English).
- Three Sails Studios has given the world a look at the alt-history Gallows Corner.
- Geek Native has a sneak peek at the brutal sci-fi Shadows Over Sol 2e.
- D&D have shown us their Stranger Things collab with Welcome to the Hellfire Club.
- Elven Tower released the free-to-download King Honk.
- The Bundle of Holding has a single-tier offer on Apocalisse-Inferno and another on BattleTech Shrapnel 2.
Competition: Adventuring Family
RPG news from around the web
- Dan Ayoub, D&D’s new boss, penned Welcome Back to the Table: D&D’s New Direction.
- Polygon leads with D&D returns to its one of its earliest settings by kicking off an organized play campaign at Gen Con.
- GameRant’s Katelyn Mitchell Jewett notes that Dungeons And Dragons’ Latest Content is Risky, Even If It Chose The Perfect Topic.
- Wargamer says The TTRPG that crushed DnD in Japan is finally getting translated to English.
- R. Talsorian Games announced Single Player Mode, Night City 20245, Rusted Chrome and a Cyberpunk 2077 Campaign Book.
- Wolfgang Baur shares an update on Kobold Press’ Creative Commons, ORC, and making Black Flag as open as possible.
- As noted by Roleplayers Chronicle, Modiphius Announces New Setting Guide for Dreams and Machines.
- Rascal got reassured that White Wolf does not used generative AI in tabletop RPGs.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- The Tabletop Almanac reviews Perils & Princesses.
- Ill Met by Morrslieb looks at The Old World Gamemaster’s Guide (out now).
- Form of the Dread reviews Cthulhu by Torchlight.
- Dawn Dalton writes up thoughts on Starfinder 2e.
- Dungeons and Dragons Fantastics has a first look at Forgotten Realms “Adventures in Faerûn” DM Expansion.
- On Reddit, user BrobaFett shared their review of The Conan (1982) RPG.
- Grognardia penned a retrospective on Vampire: The Masquerade.
- Halfway Station has reviews of Pinebox Middle School and Tomorrow Legion Player’s Guide.
- Roleplayers Chronicle has a review of the Alien RPG’s Heart of Darkness.
- Tabletop Bookshelf has read and reviewed Tangled Blessings and Echoes of the Lost Electives.
- Throat Punch Games has a ring side report of Treasure off the Coast.
- Angel’s Citadel reviews Midnight Muscadines.
- Seed of Worlds has a review of Hello // Goodbye.
- Reviews from R’lyeh writes up Mutant Zone War’s Robots & Psionics expansion and Get It At Sulter’s.
- Leo Hunt was interviewed by OSR Rocks about Vaults of Vaarn.
- Wargamer’s Mollie Russell has What Dragon Delves tells us about DnD’s future, according to the designers.
RPG new releases
- Marvel, with good timing, has published Marvel Multiverse RPG| Fantastic Four: From the Depths.
- New Way Games (a new publisher) has released the core rules for Trailblazer: A Galactic Roleplaying Game.
- Cubicle have another metal best seller already with Warhammer: the Old World Roleplaying Game, Gamemaster’s Guide.
- Free League Publishing has a digital version of The Lord of the Rings™ Roleplaying 5E Starter Set.
- Wizards of the Coast has Roll20 pre-orders open for:
- Mongoose Publishing also has a Roll20 VTT edition of The Third Imperium.
- Blackfisk Publishing has released the quickstart for Flowers Withered on the Stem.
- Blue Crab Party has a Pathfinder/Starfinder Delta World Second Edition Campaign Setting Core Guidebook.
- Parable Games has published a Kickstarter-supporting quickstart for SHIVER Corporate.
- Traris Games has published the 441-page TRG Prime RPG.
- Stillfleet has released Enter the Nostalgitron ☉ A Stillfleet Learn-by-Play Quickstart.
- You know it’s Gen Con when this many official D&D-branded dice hit the market. Please note they have different release dates and buckle up for…
- Fireball dice.
- Barbarian (Green/Brown) dice.
- Bard (Blue/Green) dice.
- Cleric (White/Blue) dice.
- Druid (Green) dice.
- Fighter (Red) dice.
- Monk (Blue/Gold) dice.
- Ranger (Beast Master) dice.
- Ranger (White/Green) dice.
- Rogue (Purple) dice.
- Sorcerer (Orange) dice.
- Also, in physical, Wizards of the Coast is open to pre-orders on Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Heroes Of The Borderlands.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $81.60 (89%) with the Librarians and Leviathans Everything Palestine Relief Bundle.
- Save $2.39 (20%) with the Wytchin Hour’s Woodland & Magical Creatures bundle.
- Save $2.00 (25%) with Tin Star Games’ The Complete Good, Bad, and Savage bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- The Angry GM explains When to Stop Narrating.
- Deeper in the Game shares a series of The Best GMing Advice was….
- Roleplaying Tips pens Getting Players Attached To Their Home Base (PART I).
- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing writes up Typhon Tactics.
- Bat in the Attic opines Rulings, Not Rules: A Foundation, Not an Oversight.
RPG Crowdfunding
There’s more! You can catch up with the Kickstarter campaign we’ve written up in more detail at Kickstarter watch. Here are some noteworthy industry projects to mention:
- Innsmouth: The Stolen Child – Deluxe Lovecraft Gamebook from Simon Birks offers “Our popular Cthulhu Mythos gamebook set in Lovecraft’s Innsmouth is back with a brand-new beautiful edition!”
- Complete Town 7, A D&D Highly Detailed Metropolis from James Kay is working on “A DnD 5e compatible guidebook to a fantasy metropolis, meticulously detailing every corner of the town for your TTRPG adventures.”
- Metaxis: The Psychoactive Psychedelic Zodiac Tarot RPG TCG from Neil Kelly nominates “METAXIS is a fully psychoactive, tarot-driven tabletop RPG TCG for, um, like-minded players. Wink wink. Nudge nudge.”
- Behind The Door of: Workshop Descriptions – TTRPG Inspired from Pheoxin kickstarts “Need a workshop description? Alchemist? Kitchen? Mapmaker, smith or tailor? 200 ready-to-use prompts on the fly or to inspire you!”
- UV-RPG – A new way to virtually game with friends! from Jonathon Higdon kickstarts “UV-RPG features a video to video connection, dice rolling, and character sheet creation all in one app!”
- Legends of Cyr-Nul: Sands of Chaos – a module for Dragonbane from Sean Fontaine suggests “The third and final installment in the LEGENDS OF CYR-NUL trilogy.”
- The Mourning Queen – Veltheris Shrouded in Miasma from Fireball Studios is working on “A city once known as THE holy city to the world of Gresyth, gone to ruin! Brave it for just $1 (5th edition Dungeons and Dragons/D&D)”
- What Lurks Between The Trees: A Horror RPG from Revenant Cowboy Press proposes “An Occult Horror RPG in the Shadows of America’s Parks”
- Monster Miniatures: Folio of Fiends Vol IX from Rocket Pig Games crowdfunds “The ninth installment of creature collections for tabletop gaming & dungeon crawl adventures! Always .stl format for your 3D printer.”
- Wizard’s Whimsy – 100 System Neutral Encounters from Patrick Kelley Jr nominates “100 Wizard focused, system‑neutral encounters ranging from moderately sane to eccentric.”
- Grimdark West from Dreamscape Gaming crowdfunds “A weird west RPG using the Dreamscape RPG System!”
- Swords and Scribbles: A 5E Campaign Journal from DnD Campaign Planner kickstarts “Track your journey, record every detail, and make it your own with this color-friendly 5E campaign journal.”
- Crucible: A Solo Roguelike World-Building RPG from Chris Longhurst nominates “Crucible is a solo RPG about a character being transformed by their world, and what that tells you about both them and that world.”
- Creature Dice Set Collection – Monster Jumbo Collection from Foulebo submits “Handmade dice filled with creatures and style turning every roll into a magical, monstrously epic moment!”
- SCRAPHEARTS | DnD 5e Boss Battle Mini-Campaign from komeko introduces “A TTRPG mini-campaign packed with boss fights, minions, battle maps, and more!”
- RPG Maps – 449 Mushroom Maps from Fungal Fantasy Worlds from LFirefly raises funds for “Whimsical mushroom maps for fantasy adventurers, druids, and spore-bound heroes exploring lush, fungal-infested realms.”
- Game D-Lights: Beautiful Lamps for gamers from Meeple Keepers introduces “Beautiful meeple lamps, dice lamps and more, in different designs and colours. Both physical and STL options available.”
- Dragon Slayers TTRPG from Spencer Campbell raises funds for “Heroic fantasy roleplaying using the award winning Slayers system. Time to slay a dragon.”
- Crafting Worlds for GMs – Vol 4 for D&D 5E from Adventurica pitches “A supplement with world and battle maps, adventure hooks, new enemies, unique magic items, and more! Fully compatible with DnD 5e.”
- D66 Captivating Magical Cloaks from Azukail Games offers “36 magical cloaks suitable for fantasy TTRPGs, especially OSR.”
- Lands of Tropics: Summer Edition V.1 from Redal Velis suggests “Explore the vibrant wilds of tropics with this collection of high-resolution, ultra-detailed maps/tokens for TTRPGs. No watermark!”
- ShadowCity: Blood and Neon from Chubby Funster suggests “A gothic punk roleplaying game with a ShadowDark-inspired approach that throws players into instant action and drama.”
- DRAAKEN’S HEART – PDF Oneshot for DRAGONBANE, DnD 5E & OSR from Laidback Dungeon Master suggests “Draakenslund Adventures include stats for Dragonbane, DnD 5e & OSR (ADnD, OSE, Shadowdark, etc.) & include VTT tokens & JPEG maps!”
- 12 Parsecs / Songs of the Smokewater from James Eisert crowdfunds “A Kickstarter DOUBLE FEATURE! A space race microgame and an RPG supplement for tavern encounters!”
- Voyage the 7 Seas to Neverland: Tarot & Guidebook from Mystic Madness Tarot crowdfunds “Embark on a mystic journey where light meets shadow, as the adventures of Neverland, Sinbad, and legends of enchanted seas intertwine!”
- Forevermoor: Tarot-derived Role-playing Framework from Sean Carrier nominates “Comprehensive modular system for all genres and settings. Support final editing of the content-complete ttRPG campaign preview!”
- 5e: Red City of Fate, Escape the desert ghost city! from Natasja van Gestel crowdfunds “The fabled desert city of Setareh is caught in a time loop, replaying day by day. Can your party find and fix the cause?”
- The Enchanted Forest: D&D Inspired One-Shots for Kids (5-8) from Cavalier 3d Miniatures submits “2x hilarious one-hour fantasy adventures filled with magical cheese, cheeky goblins…Plus a BONUS quest for younger kids (3-5 y.o.)”
- 3D Printable Tabletop Bases Collection from Atlanticus Arts introduces “600 Bases – 25mm 50mm 75mm 100mm”
- SpeedyRPG: Futures & Friends from Kairi Celeste suggests “The speediest TTRPG you’ve ever played is back again with more dice-rolling action!”
- The Hollow Earth: 100 Explorations Beneath the Crust from Gerry pitches “100 modular adventures into the Hollow Earth, eldritch caverns, ancient horrors, and the secrets of a sentient world below.”
- Fiendgazer from Tremor Mezes offers “Small-town horror RPG about chosen ones, rituals, and the Beyond”
- Critical Hit Soda – Real Artists, Real Ingredients! from Beau Sampson submits “Featuring art from world renowned artists, Critical Hit Soda wants to bring convention favorite sodas to a Local Game Store near you!”
- Dragonbane RPG Miniatures — Northern Beasts from TitanforgeGames suggests “Long-awaited Dragonbane RPG miniatures are finally coming, along with dedicated encounters you can mix into epic adventures!”
- PROCEDURAL! from Occupied Hex Games suggests “A tabletop role-playing game of solving cases just like your favorite crime shows.”
- CHYMOUS Divulgation of a Cerulean Vein from rivethead games suggests “A post-rock vinyl album minecrawl prequel for Farewell to Arms REDUX. Compatible with MÖRK BORG.”
- Inventory of Improving Items: Volume 4 from Evil Pigeon Games is working on “A DnD 5e supplement to fill your games with a variety of magic items that players can level up and improve.”
- Cartharias Unbound from Veilbound Press offers “A collection of powerful NPCs, unique subclasses, and world-shaping factions for 5e”
- Exclusion//Zone from Grimlight District kickstarts “A post-collapse RPG experience where survival changes who you are.”
- Dread Hollow A FOLKLORIAN HORROR GAMEBOOK by Jonathon Kelly from EndGame Gaming is working on “Unwittingly thrust into a world of folkloric and cryptozoological horror, can you solve the mystery hidden within Dread Hollow’s depths”
- The Ice Wastes of Madness A CTHULHU MYTHOS GAMEBOOK from Savage Realms Gamebooks nominates “From Stuart Lloyd and legendary artist, Tony Hough, comes the next volume in the critically-acclaimed SAVAGE REALMS GAMEBOOKS series…”
- DCC RPG: Angels, Daemons and Beings Between Volume 3 from David Fisher is working on “Angels, Daemons & Beings Between Volume 3: Macabre Minds is the next installment of our popular patrons series.”
- Fantasy Encounters for Wandering Adventurers from Ava’s Adventures is working on “A collection of 17 intriguing system-agnostic traveling encounters for fantasy tabletop roleplaying games.”
- The Chronicles of Sorrow – an epic campaign for Dragonbane from Daniel Lehto offers “Sins of the past are catching up with the kin of Nordmark. Will the heroes bring doom or salvation to the people of the realm?”
- From Gongfarming to Grave Digging: Easy Skills for DCC RPG! from Miniature Giant Space Hamster Press submits “From Gongfarming to Grave Digging: a Manual of Skills for DCC RPG expands on the rules in Chapter 2 of the DCC Core rulebook.”
- Bugbears & Borderlands 2e from Rod Waibel proposes “The highly anticipated second edition of Bugbears & Borderlands, bringing ease of play to the modern game!”
- Serving Up Disaster – A TTRPG of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES from Molomoot introduces “Can this famous and fiery TV Chef work with the Staff to save these failing restaurants?”
- The Black Maw Grimoire – D&D 5E from KingOfGames proposes “A D&D 5E Spellbook of Dark Magic, Sacrificial Spells, and Twisted Rituals”
- Gloryanna: The Second Bell from Lewinston Illustration kickstarts “A 5th Edition D&D TTRPG book! Contains all the lore and history about Gloryanna as well as new monsters, NPCs and magic items.”
- Dungeon Domains: Codex Carcerum from Bart Wynants submits “19+ endlessly expandable dungeons for Shadowdark, 5e, Mörk Borg, Pathfinder, Forbidden Lands & other fantasy tabletop RPGs!”
Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so, please let us know or leave a comment below.
