Routinely Itemised: RPG #344

It’s the Winter Jazz and Blues Festival here in Edinburgh’s docklands, but I’ve squeezed out of the crowded pubs to bring you the latest TTRPG news.

Let’s kick off with the summary of TTRPG summaries!

• Theft? Infinite Black doesn’t use the word despite their products being sold without their permission.
• Games Workshop bans staff from AI.
• R. Talsorian Games invests in its e-commerce offering.
• EN World publishes their crowdsourced 2026’s Most Anticipated TTRPGs.
• Meet Geek Native at Compulsion.

There are two stories about AI this week, and I took the chance to update our four-year-old AI policy. Four years old! Wow. The key thing isn’t that we don’t use AI to write this stuff (I slink home from the pub on Friday to do it by hand) but that our Patreon is entirely technology-free. Every cent we earn there goes on human commission.

Did you know you could listen to Geek Native’s weekly news recap on Spotify?

On with the TTRPG news!

Spotlight: d20Play.

RPG news from Geek Native

• Infinite Black’s David LaRocca doesn’t stay “stolen” but does say loads of their products have been sold without permission.
• Tickets are on sale for Scotland’s oldest tabletop games convention – Compulsion. Meanwhile, Doncaster Racecourse will host the return of Tabletop Live.
• Geek Native reviewed the quickstart for Brides of Dracula.
• Games Workshop isn’t impressed with AI and (except for a few) bans it. In response, we round up tabletop games companies’ AI policies/bans.
• Paradox continues to push White Wolf and rolls out a merch store.
• ICE’s Rolemaster Unified heads to Foundry.
• In actual play news, Viva La Dirt League and Critical Role team up for Daggerheart: Azerim.
• In computer game news, we have a look at Paizo’s Starfinder: Afterlight.
• There’s a multiple deal at the Bundle of Holding with Champions 6e and Strike Force

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RPG news from around the web

• R. Talsorian Games confirms that Shadow Scar is soon for the prints and expands their retail arm.
• EN World shares Here Are 2026’s Most Anticipated TTRPGs… As Voted By You!.
• Chaosium pens Chaosium Con US 2026 update – the theme is Campfire Tales, Scouts Against Cthulhu.
• Bell of Lost Souls details RPG: Free League Announces ‘The Flowers Of Algorab’ Expansion For ‘Coriolis: The Great Dark’.
• Bell of Lost Souls also writes RPG: Coyote & Crow Preps For New ‘Legends & Icons’ Project Coming Next Month.
• Rascal runs Bite The Hand, A Cyberpunk TTRPG Built On Mothership’s Engine, Now In Early Access On Itch!.

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• Reviews from R’lyeh reviews Dark Visions and Mark of Amber.
• The Kind DM looks at Dragonbowl.
• Ill Met by Morrslieb pens a review for up Salzenmund City of Salt and Silver (WFRP 4e).

RPG new releases

• Crossed Path Press has released the cinematic fantasy about living with dragons Drakonym.
• Blackoath Entertainment has released the war-torn and second edition of Warlord.
• The Rogue Trader has released their Shadowdark Danse Macabre: Bestiary Gothic Horror Role Play.
• Journeys & Dimensions has published their Core Rules.
• It’s Issue One of Grim Press’ Soulstone.
• Marshal Games has published the Savage Worlds Challengers Complete Core Rulebook.
• Cubicle 7 has released the Warhammer: The Old World RPG Thirst of Three adventure.
• Tales and Tomes suggests you pay what you want for the #0 issue of their zine and the Tooth Fairy.
• Kel Yco has published the English language version of Asymetria.
• In print, Forbidden Planet et al have pre-orders for Stranger Things: Dungeons & Dragons (Library Edition).

RPG bundle deals

• Save $7.00 (16%) in Christian Eichhorn’s Death in Space bundle.
• Save $6.50 (62%) with Exotic World Designs’ Adventure Pack bundle.
• Save $1.50 (30%) with the DMsGuild’s Luskan Full Adventure Bundle + Supplements bundle.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• In a moment of whimsy (it took a week) we pitted Edward I’s Warwolf trebuchet against D&D monsters.
• Sequential Planet’s Marcus Orchard suggests 10 Tabletop RPGs to Play Instead of Dungeons and Dragons in 2026.
• Domain of Many Things writes How to Really Beat GM Burnout.
• Polygon explains that Ed Greenwood says DMs shouldn’t build the next Forgotten Realms.
• Polygon runs Why one-shot tabletop RPGs should start full throttle.
• Sly Flourish runs Location Moves.
• At Roleplaying Tips, there’s the heavy question When They Always Split Up.

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:

• Overzealous: Your cult has no chill! from Ben Meadows from Periapt Games kickstarts “A pen-and-paper solo RPG about some overenthusiastic cultists… and you, the god they’ll summon if they can just stay focused.”
• Ice Rebirth – TTRPG Battlemaps from That Dungeon Guy introduces “Join this #Make100 edition of unwatermarked battle maps themed frozen wastelands and northern territories! For RPGs and wargames.”
• 111 Cthulhu Mythos Monsters from Robert James offers “Zero prep. A fully loaded bestiary with adventure hooks for every creature Built for D&D 5E and Call of Cthulhu 7E.”
• The Blightbearer – A New Class Compatible with DnD 5e/5.5e from ChronicleMaker introduces “Embrace a living plague. Heal, corrupt, and transform as power devours your humanity.”
• Swords Without Master from Unwritten Earths Symposium introduces “A ttrpg of strange sorceries, ferocious deeds, and astounding wonder by Epidiah Ravachol.”
• DICEDANGLE II — Your Dice, Hidden Inside a Legendary Relic from The BoardGame Zone kickstarts “Holds 7 Dice | Solid Brass | Wearable Fantasy Pendant. Three legendary pendants. One epic collection.”
• Formless Dice-Heavy as Metal Bright as Gem from MinZerTRPG pitches “A New Dimension of Dice Craftsmanship Beyond Gems and Resin, Each Dice Face Becomes Your Very Own Miniature Art Canvas.”
• Adaptable Encounters: The Underworld for D&D and Shadowdark from Ready to Play nominates “Urban encounters for underground cities in Dungeons & Dragons, from dark and lawless ports to proud and mighty dwarven realms.”
• Headstone Dice Crypts with Class Coins – Make 100 from Cryptic Creative crowdfunds “Add some Class to your Headstone…”
• Damaged Goods: A Mothership RPG – Salvage Rites Expansion from One-Eyed Werebear Gaming kickstarts “Three new modules to expand on the Salvage Rites Galaxy.”
• 100 Skeletons in the Closet – 5e Side-Quests Collection from Obliscope RPG crowdfunds “A 5e supplement featuring a wide variety of side-quests and mysteries, ready to drop into any campaign!”
• Adventures Dark and Deep Book of Fell Wisdom from BRW Games, LLC raises funds for “A new supplement with optional classes, spells, skills, and more.”
• Avelore’s Tome of Knowledge from Randy Loran crowdfunds “Avelore’s Tome of Knowledge is a comprehensive journal and campaign guide that equips players with the wisdom to excel in 5E campaigns.”
• ✈️RPG Maps – 420 Modern-Day Locations for TTRPGs🗺️ from LFirefly raises funds for “Maps for modern-day TTRPG games. Offices, houses, nightclubs, restaurants, supermarkets…”
• Web of the Usurper: A 5e Campaign For Evil Parties from Dread Lantern Works introduces “Descend into a ruthless drow conspiracy where betrayal, ambition and divine treachery shape a deadly campaign of shadows and power.”
• Champions of the Arena – Gladiator Maps Pack from Fablehart Forge proposes “100+ maps: colosseums, training halls, gladiator barracks, ancient temples and more for TTRPG (D&D 5E – DnD 2E – PoC – Pathfinder – CoC”
• Werewolves of the Bloodwood, a gothic horror 5e adventure from Laurie crowdfunds “A 5e Adventure of Werewolves, Impossible Oaths, and the Human Cruelty That Feeds the Curse”
• The Savage Arctic for the ShadowDark RPG from Jeff Stevens is working on “An Arctic Campaign Setting for ShadowDark RPG. PDF, Foundry VTT, Print-on-Demand options.”
• Lands of Villains: Buccaneers and Wanted V.2 (Make 100 Ed.) from Redal Velis introduces “Lands of Villains returns! Don’t miss out this pack of 100 maps. 1 Backer = +2 maps! Every 1000€ = +100 maps & tokens. TTRPG Battlemaps”
• The OBSCURE Files #2 from Tommy Sunzenauer nominates “The official 3rd Party Zine for the award winning OBSCURE, packed with scenarios created by the community. 90s Found Footage Horror.”
• Tainted Grail TTRPG: Life and Death in Avalon from Jim Searcy is working on “The next chapter of the Tainted Grail saga: 8 adventures (a campaign + 4 standalone stories), a bestiary, new options, and more!”
• Demon Hand Dice Tower from 3DSloop is working on “Welcome to my very first project and dice tower design! I’m excited to share my Demon Hand Dice Tower with you. It’s my first .STL drop”
• Dark Interludes #1 from Horizon Point Studios raises funds for “A Dark Fantasy Magazine of Morgulia and Beyond, Exploring Forbidden Lore, Curious Games, and Questionable Decisions”
• The Magocracy of Rose from Spiral Lane Productions proposes “Power, Magic, and Rule in a Kingdom of Sorcerers. The Magocracy of Rose is a richly detailed lore book for the Meteor Tales RPG.”
• DND CHESS – STL FILES – 3D PRINTABLE from TANIA kickstarts “3D PRINTABLE- DICE TOWERS FOR BOARD GAMES – RPG – WAR GAMES – TABLETOP – DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS – CATHULHU – 3D Printing on FDM – MIMIC”
• 5e Adventure: “Icefall Dominion” from Elven Foundry pitches “An Artic Expedition Into Dragon-Held Lands”
• Α Tome of Wards, Charms, and Seals for D&D from CraftRiot is working on “A tome of small magic items that will bend, break, and betray their own limits to keep you standing. Fully compatible with DnD 5e!”
• Codex of Creature Companions from Evil Pigeon Games crowdfunds “A TTRPG supplement to fill your games full of pets and creature companions!”
• 320+ Viking Battle Maps: Nordic Realms from Agnieszka Polanowska is working on “Bring the Viking world to life – Battle maps for your RPG campaigns”
• ⚜️ RPG Maps – 478 Noble and Royal Encounters 👑 from Benjámin Weisz introduces “478 noble and royal encounters for epic RPG adventures—fits any campaign. Commercial use included.”
• Populated Hexes Monthly Issue 53 from Todd offers “The Moors of Cwenda”
• Skin Painting Masterclass from Blue Brick Art submits “The Language of Skin Tones”
• Tabletop Role-Playing Game: The Musical! – At the Fringe from James Coleman nominates “A new comedy musical about the experience of playing tabletop role-playing games, coming to the Edinburgh Fringe 2026 (with your help!)”

Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so, please let us know or leave a comment below.