Routinely Itemised: RPG #348

Wayhay! Hullo February! It’s the first Perfect Month in years. In other news, we’re not through Friday 13th yet, as there’s one coming in March.

Now, let’s start with the TTRPG summary of summaries.

• Hasbro is making a healthy profit and boss Chris Cocks thanks AI for it.
• TSR employee Rose Estes is on Kickstarter with tabletop minis.
• Zatu, the retailer with a rough PR record, is turning 10 and throwing a sales party.
• Zine Quest is cooling down, but not cold. Lots of horror games this week!
• The official TTRPG for Planet of the Apes is now available on DTRPG.

A few weeks back, I mentioned I was working on a very big list of TTRPG publishers. It’s 29,574 rows long at the time of writing, and I’ve checked 50 a day and now got to the end with my first attempt to assign a country to each.

I’m pushing on with this foolish project. I calculate 18,305 are in the United States, but I’ve just as many “Unknown”. I’m going to take a break and return to the list for a phase 2 update of location. Ultimately, my goal is to assign some sort of “market share” metric to eac,h even if thousands of indie publishers have an effective “market share” of zero. Watch this space, but don’t hold your breath.

On with the TTRPG news!

Spotlight: Surbook Press.

RPG news from Geek Native

• Hasbro is making heaps of money, and Chris Cocks credits Artificial intelligence.
• Egg Embry interviews Mike Myler about the Complete Class Compendium for Level Up A5E and D&D 2024.
• Charles Dunwoody wrote up Tales of Argosa: Islands and Unseasons and Maze of Sunken Ruins. There’s also Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Caverns of Tjoscanth.
• TSR (original) employee Rose Estes returns to the tabletop with Different.
• Sadly, White Dragon is closing.
• Rebellion Unplugged has made the revised rules for Ian Livingstone’s Judge Dredd board game free.
• Controversial retailer Zatu turns 10 and launches a flash sale to celebrate.
• In the Bundle of Holding, there’s a Human Gorilla Heists deal.

Support: Become a Patron.

RPG news from around the web

• The Scientist has an article on how Tabletop Role Playing Games Make Science an Adventure.
• Spot the pattern? ABC news’ Oliver Brown notes that Dungeons and Dragons-inspired game breaks down social barriers for neurodivergent kids.
• ICv2 notes ICv2: ‘Dungeons & Kittens: Core Rulebook’ Heads to Retail.
• Polygon looks at Fast-paced D&D alternative Nimble is adding more classes, monsters, and pets.
• Rowan, Rook & Decard calls for sign-ups for the game jam Havoc Engine.
• Rascal announces Cogs And Cockpits – Solitary Mecha Games Together In ZineTopia.
• Pinnacle Entertainment Group has a new website.

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• Reviews from R’lyeh writes up Friday Fantasy: Fortnightly Adventures #2: On the Frozen Wastelands, Islands of the Lost: Hero Wars in the East Isles – Volume 3, and Ashfall.
• B/X Backrazor reviews Foggy Night to Forget.
• Seed of Worlds reviews Fief.
• The Kind DM looks at Last Hope of Fenhill.
• Ill Met by Morrslieb reviews Review: Symbaroum Core Rulebook.
• GamingTrend’s Joe Morgan looks into Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked.
• At EN World, Beth Rimmels reviews Beadle & Grimm’s Platinum Edition of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight.
• Refereeing and Reflection reflects on The Sutra of Pale Leaves.
• TechRaptor shares thoughts on Pendragon Core Rulebook.
• Jaco Wysocki is scared as he tells Popverse that Critical Role, Dimension 20, and other TTRPG shows are on a meteoric rise.
• Popverse interviews Matt Mercer, who says Daggerheart is great for the “nervous GM”.

RPG new releases

• Magnetic Press Play has released
  • The Official Planet of the Apes RPG (5-star already).
  • The Official Planet of the Apes RPG – Into the Forbidden Zone.
• Hurm… in time for Valentine’s Day? Rutibex is selling Imprisoned on the Isle of the Succubus.
• Legendary Games is offering a retail hardcover release of Faerie Bestiary (5E) Deluxe Edition.
• Pivot Point Games has released its system-agnostic The Tension Engine.
• Wagon Wheel Publishing has published Blade and Fury™: Warden’s Guide A Mercenary Fantasy RPG.
• Dean Bobinger has released the third in the Nomads series with Nomads Magnum Opus.
• Thaloranth Publishing has pushed live Starburn Sector Legends RPG Core Book 1.
• Brian Haazard has uploaded Tales of Clockwork & Chaos: One Night World Edition.
• The Lavender Dragon has finished with Journeys with Dragonlings First Edition.
• Magnum Galaxy Games already has a five-star rating for Awaiting the Burning Gods.
• Parable Games has a PDF edition of the solo RPG Ion Heart.
• Brandon Sanderson fan? The physical copy of Brotherwise Games’ pre-orders are open for
  • Stormlight: Handbook.
  • Stormlight: Starter Set.
  • Stormlight: World Guide.

RPG bundle deals

• Save $9.00 (33%) through RPGGamer’s Balkan Folklore Classes for 5e bundle.
• Save $4.97 (20%) in Karl Otto Kristoffersen’s Roll for Innovation Complete Edition.
• Save $3.90 (28%) with Basunat’s Solo RPG Tools.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• Roll20 shares It Takes Two! Duet Games for Valentine’s Day.
• ComicBook.com opines D&D’s Pugilist Class Reveals An Unspoken Rule About The Game Very Few Notice.
• GamesRadar looks at I’ve been running games like D&D for years, and these are the best tabletop RPGs I’ve ever played.
• The Angry GM writes up Let’s Build a Pretty Good Dungeon: How Players Explore.
• GameRant covers 5 Creatures Dungeon Masters Quietly Fear Running In Dungeons & Dragons Because They Cause Total Chaos.
• The Yawning Portal writes up Creating a Character for Daggerheart.

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:

• Through the Wicked Woods – A 5e Traversal Guide Zine from Alister has introduced “Guide your players through the Wicked Woods, a setting agnostic supplement to make any woodland or jungle suitably unsettling.”
• Heroes & Hearts: A Hit-Point Driven TTRPG by MetaGamesPress is currently raising funds for “Every Hit Point Counts—Forge Bonds, Face Peril, and Shape Your Hero’s Destiny.”
• Centaur Cavalry: Rules for Quadriped PCs in D&D 5E from Single Step Gaming is nominating “Rules for Quadripedal (and more!) Characters, Mounted Characters, and Teams in Dungeons and Dragons 5E and 5.5”
• HarvestRot by True Tenno is a new roleplaying games project for “Folk Horror Adventure for Mork Borg Made for Zinequest”
• Shores Of Night – Redux is a project by Aleks Samoylov that features “The essential core of Shores Of Night, the Surreal / Weird / Cosmic Horror TTRPG without ableist sanity systems.”
• The Curse of Fellbrooke Farm; a DnD one-shot for 5e from Sarsen Games is crowdfunding “A Dungeons and Dragons one-shot steeped in nature, corruption, mystery and magic.”
• DEAD MEN WALKING VOL. 2 by Zach R is a new roleplaying games project for “36 grisly new classes for Stockholm Kartell’s Mörk Borg.”
• Agents of AEGIS from Geoff Bottone brings us “A role-playing game of 1960s superspies!”
• Demonic Bestiary 5E from A4 Play is pitching “Demons from World Religions & Cultures”
• Deep Tide Expeditions is a project by Zach that looks at “No Prep, 100 D&D Missions. Dig, Survive, Explore.”
• MOON BORG | Rules lite TTRPG OSR Zine is a project by Maison Nébuleuse that promises “Travel across the shadow of the falling moon, climb on and slay whatever you find on it! Compatible with MÖRK BORG”
• Brais Mines: a uchronic adventure in Nazi-occupied France. from Dénoël André seeks funding for “Strange activities are stirring Brais mines’ monotony and need investigation. And maybe sabotaging, while you are at it! Powered by BRP”
• Vandal Eyes by Peach Garden Games is currently raising funds for “A singleplayer dungeon crawler where you gain power from the graffiti you find around you in the real world.”
• Rock & Roar! – OSR Monsters Of Riffs & Ruin from Inkwell Ideas has introduced “Bestiary of creatures born from the neon haze and thunderous riffs of classic rock/pop/metal/more. Shadowdark & Old-School Essentials.”
• Savor Spices and Stories: an add-on for any TTRPG is a project by Luca Magorosso that is “A system-agnostic, universal add-on of rules and inspiration to turn rests into culinary storytelling. Digital only.”
• Era: Marscape – A Doom-inspired Tabletop RPG by Shades of Vengeance is currently raising funds for “Demons have emerged from portals on Mars. Only your team can repel them. Experience innovative initiative rules and squad-based Combat!”
• Veritable Tales: An Illuminated Manuscript Party RPG from Pidj Sorensen is developing “Create your own illuminated manuscript and play role-playing minigames set in an interconnected medieval period.”
• Alchemy Lab: Fieldcraft & Formulae from Dorota Bizon is working on “Brew Potions, Poisons, Food & Drinks with a Quick Experiment System—Built for Any TTRPG (D&D 5e • Daggerheart • more)”
• Knightcore the RPG is a project by Frank “Mottokrosh” Reding that features “An aesthetic that combines gleaming armor, soft, flowing fabrics, and ethereal, haunting radiance, now as a tabletop roleplaying game.”
• Enchanted Emporium is a project by Grand Time Games that is “Common Magic Items – 5e + OSR”
• Dieborne is a project by Nerdura Games that invites players to explore “Advanced TRUE-d6 🎲 One-Die Fantasy TTRPG”
• The Storymaster’s Tales: Quests. RPG Folklore Adventures is a project by Oliver McNeil that promises “8 Pick-Up-and-Play Family Fantasy Role-playing Books (Ages 7+) Solo or Group • Quick prep • Narrated soundscapes • Alternative to D&D”
• Vault of Villainy from Leighton Connor proposes “A Menagerie of Malevolent Miscreants for the Million-Colored Sun RPG”
• Runes in Ruin is a project by 1pagedungeons that promises “Delve into the birthplace of Runecrafting, unravel mysteries carved in stone, revive forgotten power to create unforgettable magic.”
• Class Cheat Sheets For D&D 2024 is a project by Icarus Games that is “Digital cheat sheets to make learning & playing the 2024 version of D&D fifth edition (5e) more accessible and fun.”
• KRAVAT – Unsanctioned Expansion Re_Skin Hack of CY_BORG from JoyJoi Games brings us “Narrative-heavy standalone TTRPG. Two weeks of mandatory Civil Service against the faction-riddled analog metropolis of TownCity.”
• Radish Quest: Seed Packs is a project by Right After Then that invites players to explore “TWO mini zine additions to Radish Quest!!!!”
• WAR PIGS: A GMless TTRPG of Chaos and Goblins is a project by Caroline from Side Quest that is “WAR PIGS is a two-stat tabletop RPG for 1-4 players. Escape from behind elvish enemy lines using some d6s, dumb luck, and your WAR PIG.”
• Alchemy Arcanima for 5e D&D by Wyatt Trull is now live, described as “An Alchemical Revolution for 5e: 100 Potions, 2 Classes, & Alchemical Player Options”
• Twilight Riders by Patrick James Cullen is offering “Twilight Riders is a weird west fantasy tabletop roleplaying game where classic fantasy collides with the fantastical wild west.”
• Witch’s Cat: Epic Adventures for ZineQuest by Scott Russell Morris is offering “You can do amazing magical feats to help your witch…but maybe after a cat nap. A solo RPG of magical adventure and cute catastrophes.”
• Under the Shadow of Helfast Spire – Zine for Shadowdark RPG by Bob World Builder is now live, described as “New dungeon & setting with never-before-seen monsters, items, and player character options designed for Shadowdark RPG!”
• The Necromancer of Exetus is a project by David that promises “An undead adventure for 5E and 5E 2024.”
• Nuzzledrift’s Bestiary is a project by SeaBreeze Games that looks at “60+ Unique Monsters, each with a complete page of Lore, Full-Color Art, Stat Block, and Lair where necessary.”
• Make 100 Spaces from Adam STATION is pitching “Creating 100 strange, wondrous and liminal spaces for sci-fi games, based on backer prompts, with illustrations by Josh White.”
• The Kingdom of an Ancient Dawn – for GMs & Solo Players! is a project by Jay Merritt that looks at “System Agnostic, Non-Combat Adventure Notes from a Shadowdark Campaign.”
• Unfolding Quest: Reclaim the Margin from Luovanori brings us “A clinical solo RPG of burnout and the rebellion of NO. Redact the Siege. Reclaim the Margin.”
• Astral Threads: An Esoteric Magic ttRPG by Dark World Studios is a new roleplaying games project for “Astral Threads is a Tarot based magic system that embraces cooperative storytelling for any ttRPG”
• Blood and Howl, a Gothic Horror D&D 5e campaign by Laurie is currently raising funds for “The Final Chapter of The Dark of Winter Trilogy”
• Zombie Reign from Angry Engine Games is pitching “A grim Shadowdark setting in a modern day zombie apocalypse”
• Fae Realms: Ordus Prax for D&D 5e/5.5e by Dan Sprietzer is touted as “A D&D 5e-compatible fantasy sourcebook of law, magitech, and civilization Includes Book of Natural Magic 009: Fae Realms – Spring”
• Party Backstory Generator Second Edition is a project by Severed Books that promises “A new color hardcover deluxe edition with updated illustrations, maps, and a lot more. For ShadowDark, OSE, and all fantasy RPGs”
• GOBZ from Spencer Campbell has introduced “A very silly dice game about even sillier goblins.”
• Hidden Faiths: Hand-Drawn Maps & Adventure Assets by TPK Compass is an upcoming supplement for “Hand-drawn battlemaps, bosses, and treasures for TTRPGs (D&D, Pathfinder & more) — forbidden temples, printable & usable online!”
• Monsters & More! A Nimble TTRPG Reprint & Expansion from Nimble Co. presents “The RPG Monster Manual you’ve been waiting for! 200+ new GM-friendly monsters, loot, subclasses, adventures, and more!”
• Magika Nostalgika: Catalog of Magic Items is a project by Matthew Sargent that features “A catalog of magic items inspired by your favorite toys of the 90s. Designed for D&D 5e.”
• Kalterite : Forgotten Gemstones & Lost Alloys is a project by Altor’s Archives that is described as “New Materials, 50 Magical Gemstones & 5 Legendary Alloys for 5E and D&D 2024.”
• Spirit Swap: A Slice of Life TTRPG is a project by Soft Not Weak LLC that promises “A solo journaling, city witch slice-of-life TTRPG using Tarot and D6.”
• Coyote & Crow: Legends & Icons from Coyote & Crow Games kickstarts “A Tome of Creatures, Spirits, and Characters for your Coyote & Crow Roleplaying Stories!”
• WAy of the ShoTgun – Expanded prologue is a project by Yeast Games that promises “A CYOA-style standalone Gamebook Zine”
• SagaBorn D100 Starter Kit Print Book by Michael Bielaczyc is touted as “A softback printed version of the SagaBorn Starter Kit for distribution.”
• Harbor of Blight Scenario Zero and ITBOADE Dice Tower is a project by Cardboard King Games that features “Solve the mystery of the missing gifts in this solo RPG / choose your own adventure game, and roll in style with our new dice tower!”
• Divine Demons – 100+ celestial & fiend monsters DnD 5e ready by Secrets of Alexandria is offering “Lexicaria Bestia Vol.5 – 150+ pages with 100+ complex & unique celestial & fiend monsters ready for Dungeons and Dragons 5e, VTT tokens”
• Wich Witches is a project by Asa Wheatley that features “An easy to learn improvisational TTRPG where you play witches on a sandwich making adventure.”
• The League of Dark Few: A DCC and Shadowdark Zine Series from Anthony Zinni seeks funding for “Join the League of Dark Few, and rule the city.”
• Punderworld: A Tabletop Wordplaying Game by Twice Rolled Tales is currently raising funds for “In this TTRPG, the pun is far mightier than the sword.”
• Big Robots, Big Feelings RPG from Jeff Martin kickstarts “A mecha anime tabletop roleplaying game about big robots piloted by teens with even bigger feelings.”
• Magic Chronicle Battles is a project by Chamomile Has A Project that is “A solo tabletop roleplaying app with an unnecessarily advanced virtual tabletop, making solo combat encounters fast and fun”
• The Sierra Express is a project by Seedling Games that is “An Adventure for Knights of the Road or other OSR-ish modern-ish game systems”
• Revolution Dice: Customizable 3D Animated Dice is a project by Andrew Maurer that features “Each roll bursts to life with animated 3D displays. Customize every face or explore our designs. Make your dice part of your story.”
• UHF Contact: modern horror TTRPG adventure collection from M. Allen Hall shares “Struggle for survival in this analog horror zine!”
• Hathor/Sekhmet Class-ified – 2 D&D Original Classes! is a project by DiceQuest that is “Two DnD 5e Classes Inspired by the Gods of Egyptian Mythology: Hathor and Sekhmet.”
• One Night Worlds: 4 RPG Zines is a project by Brian Hazzard that invites players to explore “Defy tyranny in a burning kingdom • Expose corruption in a brutal city • Stabilize a collapsing wormhole • Lead a steampunk revolution”
• VOYAGERS: The Ironbreaker from 3D Printable Terrain is crowdfunding “Highly detailed 3D printable ships, airships, and boats for TTRPGs & tabletop games”
• The Cruciform Order of St George: Physical and Digital Minis is a project by Hollow Crown Miniatures that features “32mm scale grim dark miniatures available as both resin cast and digital STL files.”
• Grub Grub Press is a project by The Flagellant & The Fool that invites players to explore “Handmade zines and books from The Flagellant & The Fool, and you!”
• Orcs of the Southern Kingdom 5E by Eric Bleney is a new roleplaying games project for “A peer has convinced an orc warlord to conquer the southern lands to establish a new orcish kingdom. For 4-6 PCs of Levels 5-7.”
• The Abyssal Drill from The Department of Unusual Observations presents “A 12-page Sci-Fi / Fantasy Adventure Module for Shadowdark / OSR”
• GUNS MAGES CORPSES is a project by Kobayashi that is “A roleplaying game where Cyberpunk meets Sword & Sorcery”
• RETURN to Crater Valley: Secrets of the Mask is a project by ZOG that is described as “A VHS-era slasher adventure powered by the Dungeon Crawl Classics role playing game”
• DODGE! The Role-Playing Game of Cinematic Escapes is a project by NamaStacy that is “Dodge, duck, dip, dive… and Dodge!”

[What’s this chart? We use Kickstarter Heat to measure how busy the crowdfunding season is.]

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