It’s the last week of August, the festival is nothing but a memory, but next week it’s Tabletop Scotland and the weekend after I’m on a charity hike to rescue puppies.
Now with that pitch out of the way, let’s get on with the summary of summaries!
- J.D. Maxwell, Grimworld RPG designer, is missing.
- Tabletop Scotland, the UK’s largest official D&D convention, is next weekend.
- Blacksad now has an official TTRPG.
- The Bauer brothers are offering nearly $300 worth of 5e one-shots for $25 at The DMsGuild.
- Chris Spivey has joined Arc Dream Publishing.
Geek Native patrons now have their names appearing across the site and can vote for next month’s RPG Publisher Spotlight in this private poll. The candidates are:
And now, the Routinely Itemised TTRPG news.
Spotlight: Infinite Reimagine.
RPG news from Geek Native
- Cautiously, we noted that Grimworld’s J.D. Maxwell is missing.
- Next weekend is Tabletop Scotland, and did you know that the convention now officially shapes a piece of D&D’s Forgotten Realms.
- Cubicle 7 released and I reviewed the D&D 5e-powered latest edition of Victoriana.
- One of the best mystery computer games (once the bugs were fixed) and award-winning comic, Blacksad, now has an official tabletop RPG.
- Sword World, the RPG behind Record of Lodoss War, has a free quickstart out.
- Troll Lord Games has a new starter set for Castles & Crusades.
- The World Anvil Publishing has a free quickstart out and a Kickstarter coming for Dirt City Blues.
- Philip Reed (he of many Kickstarters) has another coming and an accompanying free preview for The Gamemaster’s Tome of Infinite Treasures.
- Son of Oak Game Studios has replaced City of Mist Garage, the community content program, with Cauldron of Mist.
- Free League have also been working on gaming licenses and has one for Corilios: The Great Dark.
- Award-winning Chris Spivey has joined Arc Dream Publishing.
- At the Bundle of Holding, there are deals on Tiny Dungeons and Zine and two deals for Zozer Games’ Alien-influenced Hostile.
Competition: Adventuring Family
RPG news from around the web
- Paizo notes the Upcoming Changes to Pathfinder Adventures.
- Kobold Press boss Wolfgang Baur remarks on all the new competing RPG systems there are with a philosophical Let a Thousand RPGs Bloom.
- R. Talsorian Games shares their Gen Con announcements and shared their August DLC.
- Chris Bissette has announced the sequel to The Wretched with The Haunting of the Wretched.
- EN World writes D&D General Crochet, Coloring, & Journals: Upcoming D&D Books from Ten Speed Press.
- D&D Beyond writes up D&D Beyond.
- Rob Heinsoo marks the Digital Launch for 13th Age 2E!.
- Wargamer’s Timothy Linward details I love that DnD’s returning to Dark Sun, but the backlash will be unbearable.
- Mollie Russell, at Wargamer, opines DnD designers settle War Caster ‘exploit’ debate once and for all.
- Polygon notes Critical Role’s ‘West Marches-style’ Campaign 4 will be the most interesting yet.
- Rascal shares Roll For Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History.
- That bastion of TTRPG coverage, People magazine, gets into the hobby with Man Says Friend’s Wife Canceled Their Dungeons & Dragons Session Because He Wouldn’t Take Off His Shoes.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Reviews from R’lyeh shares reviews on The Phylactery Issue #2, Gridshock 20XX ‘Zine 2, The Beholder issue #5, Pamphlet of Pantheons, and the Travellers’ Digest #7.
- On Tabletop Bookshelf, Mark Wallace has read and reviewed Orbital Blues.
- Also on Tabletop Bookshelf, Christopher John Eggett has written up Project ECCO.
- At MJR RPG, there’s a review of the Japanese Cthulhu scenario Cloud Jaws: Hell’s Fleet.
- Jimmi at Domains of Many Things reviews the Emergent RPG.
- At Forbes, Curtis Silver goes dungeon crawling with a review for The Secret of Weepstone.
- Also at Forbes, Rob Wieland reviews the meaner Shadowrun Anarchy 2.0.
- The Other Side pens a review of Forgotten Realms City of Splendors.
- Throat Punch Games reviews Legend in the Mist – Learn-to-Play Comic Book Adventure.
- Cassie Holguin at Geek Girl Authority reviews Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd.
- Ill Met by Morrslieb reviews Duchy of Black Rock.
- The Kind DM looks at Rising Sands.
- Sami Yuhas at The Gaming Gang asks Should You Storm Off to Buy the Cosmere RPG? The Stormlight Handbook Reviewed.
- Daniella Lucas at the Guardian says Esoteric Ebb: a Dungeons & Dragons-style campaign that lets you be as stupid as you like.
- James Maliszewski interviews Carcosa scribe Geoffrey McKinney.
RPG new releases
- Top Notch International LTD introduces the world of Lumina with Gates of Krystalia TTJRPG.
- Se7en Sagas has cinematic wars in the desert with Medjay.
- Making Crit Up has published the GM Guide Fae Realms: The Courts of Annwyn.
- Mythic Mountain Games has released the OSR Elementalysm Quickstart.
- Sean Benoit has a horror adventure guide out with D6 Forge: Dread Masters.
- Fantasy Quest Publishing has released Dungeon Quest.
- 5 Million Worlds Press has published the Mothership 1e space trucker supplement Not Enough Scoundrels.
- Wendigo Workshop has a low-cost demo for Last Hope: A Dark Magical Girls Game built on Caltrop Core.
- Frontier Gaming has the TTRPG of The Gangs of New York.
- In physical books at retailers like Forbidden Planet, there are pre-orders on The Game Master’s Handbook Of Collaborative Campaign Design.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $270 (92%) in Max and Ben Bauer’s 50 5e one-shots bundle.
- Save $10.00 (33%) with LichLight Imprint’s The Archivium – Complete Collection.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Polygon writes Critical Role choosing D&D over its own game for Campaign 4 makes sense.
- Graeme Davis points out easter eggs in WFRP’s Doomstones.
- Patchwork Paladin offers advice on Prepping the new WoTC adventure format.
- At Sly Flourish, Mike notes Track Turns the Shadowdark Way.
- RolePlayingTips.com goes with Weeds: What My Garden Taught Me About World Building.
- GamesRadar carries Will romantasy be the next great crossover for Dungeons & Dragons? Fourth Wing could be the perfect D&D setting, if you ask me.
- World Anvil’s Kat Bradbury writes up 5 Creative Brainstorming Techniques for Worldbuilders, Authors and RPG gamers.
- Gnome Stew’s Phil Vecchione pens Post Game Debrief.
- At EN World, Lewis Pulsipher carries Worlds of Design: The Great Divide.
- Among Cats and Books writes up Running Mythic Bastionland.
- Chaosium shares Table Tales: You never forget your first time as Keeper.
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:
- Lucky Fortune Dice 2.0 from Scatter Games crowdfunds “A Stunning Upgrade to the Beloved K9 Glass Dice Set with Precision-Cut Facets”
- Dead Piety: a brutal Norse Mork Borg RPG scenario from Ronen Lesser is working on “Dead Piety is a 4-8 hour Mörk Borg adventure, delving into the center of the world tree, where a vile rot has taken root.”
- Manon Quarterly from Courtney offers “A look at the forefront of magic and fashion in 2090, for the Sinless tabletop role-playing game.”
- Monster Condo from Onslaught Six crowdfunds “A 17-area dungeon for old school roleplaying games”
- We Don’t Live on the Surface Anymore – A Solo-Journaling RPG from Shawn offers “A solo-journaling TTRPG for after the end of the world.”
- Zairoo: The Pan-African Fantasy Role Playing Game from Molombo Thillia Thillot III introduces “A Steampunk Fantasy TTRPG set in a world forged by North/South/East/West/Central & New Afrikan Myths, By African & New Afrikan creators”
- Acorith — A Living 5e City Setting with Shops, Quests & More from No Time 4 Prep submits “A 75-page 5e city setting with maps, quests, shops, and NPCs who grow on your players. Zero prep time for your D&D session.”
- Bouncy Dice & Volcano Dice Unique Giant RPG Dice for Gamers from MythRoll Studio suggests “The D20 you know, plus 3 epic sizes, maxing out at 20 cm (7.8 in)”
- Black Crab Miniatures – The Homunculi 2 from Andrew May kickstarts “Three new sets of diminutive miniatures for painters, collectors and tabletop gamers.”
- Windheim Falling from Nordic Skalds offers “Two books! Part 2 of Horn of the Dawn/Gryningshornet for Dragonbane/Drakar och Demoner, & Windheim Adventures (book of oneshots).”
- Chewy Colors – Food-Grade Silicone Dice Series from Legendary Light raises funds for “Durable Texture | Skin-Safe | Vivid Colors | Glow-in-the-Dark | Made for Play and Display”
- Tavern & Townsfolk from Crooked Dice Game Design Studio raises funds for “Fill your inns and villages with these 28mm white metal fantasy miniatures!”
- Horn of Ragnarök: Hand-Carved Viking Horn&Antlers Dice from OU Studio suggests “Crafted from genuine horn&antlers. Durable as armor, imbued with the raw power of nature.”
- Raptor Ruckus RPG from Snapback Game Studios is working on “Claw your way through a park on the edge of extinction. A survival horror tabletop game.”
- Digital Map Bundle Eight from Declan Gray kickstarts “20+ Digital Battle Maps for Fantasy TTRPG (D&D, 5E, Pathfinder, OSR Roll20, and Savage Worlds)”
- Another Adventure Double Feature! from Olivier Revenu offers “Drought Dragon Desolation + They’re making Hostage Sausage At The Dragonmeat Processing Plant! for Old-School Essentials”
- RESTLESS DEAD – A Pirate’s Guide from Michael LoPresti is working on “A fully illustrated, 140+ page pirate’s field guide to the undead horrors that stalk the Seas and Shores.”
- Canine Legends – Lucky Guardian Dice Set from BearDice nominates “12 Popular Dog Breeds | Resin Craftsmanship | Hand Painted & Polished | Unique Pawprint D20 | Functional & Collectible”
- The Fantasy Trip: Path of Mastery Solo RPG Adventure from Steve Jackson Games kickstarts “Graduate from the T’reo School of Martial Magic – if you can avoid failure, expulsion, or death!”
- Skullduggery: The 5E Urban Fantasy Companion from Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse crowdfunds “Power up your urban fantasy campaign with new 5E subclasses, feats, spells, equipment, magic items and a harrowing level 1-9 adventure.”
- Night at the Fair – A D&D 5e Fairground Adventure from Carlos V. introduces “Run a magical fair in your 5e game —packed with games, colorful NPCs, prizes and everything you need for an unforgettable adventure.”
- The Lighthouse at The Edge: An Adventure for AD&D/D&D from Ian Hickey is working on “An underwater adventure for AD&D, 5E, and OSR games, designed for 4–6 players with level 3–6 characters.”
- Meghara’s Trek Through the Wyverse! from Roienna | Wyverse Publishing pitches “Dimension hopping has its perks! Visit Terym in this multiversal Daggerheart™ supplement!”
- Elementalysm from Mythic Mountain Games submits “A Mörk Borg compatible TTRPG of supernatural Asian fantasy”
- Epic Playmat Tubes Vol3: The Sacred Geometries from Mojibake proposes “3D STL printable Modular Playmat tube storages with unique styles and easy to print!”
- Meanders Digital RPG Maps: Prehistoric Scotland from Kris McDermott offers “A New Meanders RPG Battlemaps expansion featuring Prehistoric Scottish Landscapes, w/Neolithic Structure and PNG Tokens.”
- Forging Legends: Your Guide to Creating Deep Characters from Restless Entropy Games raises funds for “No More Boring Backstories! Bring your TTRPG character to life as a dynamic multi-layered individual with unique motivations.”
- Grimm Tales — A Grimm-Dark 5e Adventure from Matthew David submits “Break the coven. Hunt the wolf. Speak the True Name in this dark and Grimm fairy story.”
- EDLERLORE: KHASHOGGI’S BOUNTY from Paradox Entertainment offers “Beware the Pirate Queen Khashoggi in this 5E tabletop adventure!”
- 7-in-1 Metal 3D Relief Dragon Spin-Dial Polyhedral Dice from FANCYARTTOY kickstarts “Mystical Dragon-Embossed Compass Design. Vintage-Style with Spin Dials for D4 to D%. Durable & Pocket-Sized Tabletop Gaming Accessory.”
- The Nexus Within: Chronicles of VIRIN and SOUL from Bryan Croyle suggests “Chronicles of VIRIN & SOUL begins here. Dive into their stories where destiny is forged by those who dare to rewrite history! TymeQuest”
- The Element Game Table by Meepleopolis from Meepleopolis raises funds for “Crafted for connection. Built to last. Designed for life’s best moments.”
- Full Send: A Tarot-Powered Mountaineering RPG from Laurie O’Connel is working on “A tarot-powered, trick-taking tabletop RPG where you’ll ascend some of the world’s legendary peaks, and risk everything in the process.”
- Maps for TTRPGs – Cosmic Expanse from RealmCrafters pitches “300+ Sci-Fi & Alien World Battle Maps for Any TTRPG (such as D&D or Pathfinder) — Planets, Civilizations, and Space (Grid & Gridless)”
- Two Star Borg Booklets! Clearance Bin Foes and Starmory! from Philip Reed introduces “Two eight-page, full-color booklets for use with the Star Borg RPG, both written and illustrated by Philip Reed!”
- Tomb Runners – Narrative D20 Roleplaying from Roll the Dice Games nominates “A radical new way to dungeon crawl for fantasy roleplaying with the Narrative D20 System and build your own class design”
- Stargazer Keep: Part 1 of a Mörk Borg-Compatible Megadungeon from Terry Herc crowdfunds “3 epic MÖRK BORG-compatible zines. 150+ pages of cursed magic & dungeon crawling. Print + PDF. Power metal fantasy.”
- Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0 from Black Book Editions pitches “Shoot straight. Sling spells. Hack the Matrix. Scr*w the corps. Roll Dice. Focus on the Story. Shadowrun’s new alternative ruleset!”
Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so, please let us know or leave a comment below.
