Routinely Itemised: RPG #350

It’s nearly March. What a year it’s been. Are you holding up? Can you see what’s different about this week’s Routinely Itemised?

Let’s get going with the summary of the summaries!

• D&D’s new job openings lean heavily into digital.
• Kickstarter has been letting go of Kickstarter United (the Union) employees.
• Paizo leaked their own Feybound book
• Titmouse and Critical Role are working together again

Several weeks ago, I revealed that since the start of the year, I had been working through a long list of publishers. My goal is to try to determine where in the world they are and whether they’re still active. I’m still going, but tonight I’m at row 24, 347, and I’m still not sure what to do with the data. Thoughts welcome.

The latest Spotlight interview is up, and you can catch up with the interview with Michael Surbrook.

There’s still time for Patreons to vote in the RPG Publisher Spotlight. The candidates are:

• Thaloranth Publishing
• Wagon Wheel Publishing
• Eren Chronicles
• Open Sesame Games
• WBD Gaming

We’ve not had much love from the algorithm recently, but you can nudge Google into supporting indie TTRPG news by giving us a follow.

On with the TTRPG news!

Spotlight: Surbook Press.

RPG news from Geek Native

• We wonder whether the New Dungeons & Dragons job openings signal a major digital shift.
• Ahead of Tabletop Scotland, Venger’s Decks launches free playtest for The Chaos card-based roleplaying game.
• Geek Native shared a review of The Creative Game Master’s Guide to Extraordinary Locations: & How to Design Them.
• At the Bundle of Holding, there’s a deal on the Wolves Upon the Coast.

Support: Become a Patron.

RPG news from around the web

• Rascal details that several Kickstarter United Members Have Been Laid Off Three Months After Labor Strike.
• EN World’s Christian Hoffer scribes Paizo Accidentally Reveals Pathfinder: Feybound Book.
• Gavin Sheehan, at Bleeding Cool, covers Titmouse & Critical Role Come Together For Draw Your Weapons.
• D&D Beyond looks at Roll 5 Sets of Digital Dice Today to Celebrate the Release of Shared Dice.
• R. Talsorian Games releases Myriads of Magatama – Shadow Scar’s February 2026 DLC releases! and Seeing Double for Cyberpunk RED.
• Bell of Lost Souls opines Beadle & Grimm’s ‘Faster, Purple Worm! Everybody Dies’ Lands On D&D Beyond.
• Polygon shares Critical Role Campaign 4 moves onto its next table, the Schemers.
• TTRPG Insider pens IDW Aims to Make Kaiju-Sized Impression With Godzilla The Roleplaying Game.
• ICv2 pens New ‘Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay’ Campaign Book Heads to Retail.
• Dungeons and Dragons Fanatics explains D&D Fan Expo 2026 To Take Place This Summer in London.
• Chaosium Con US has announced their special guests.

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• At the Yawning Portal, Thorsteinn Mar reviews The Sutra of Pale Leaves: Carcosa Manifest.
• The Alexandrian reviews Robin D. Laws’ Pantheon.
• Reviews from R’lyeh reviews Stealing the Eye.
• Refereeing and Reflection reviews Pirate Borg.
• The Kind DM looks at The Goblin Bathwater Incident.
• Ill Met by Morrslieb reviews It’s Your Funeral (WFRP 4e).
• Timothy Linward, at Wargamer, notes How can Sword World, the game that beat D&D in Japan, stand out in the West?.
• Whose Measure God Could Not Take interviews Hilander about the Cairn adventure The Valley of Lune and G.R. Michael on Best Case Scenario.
• R. Talsorian Games interviews their own J Gray on Night City.

RPG new releases

• Liminal Artifact has released Inquisitor Kada’s Exquisite Corpse.
• Short Rest Society has prepared the handout TTRPG Crystals.
• SigTrent Games has released the D&D Shotgun Fantasy.
• GloWing Design has published the AI-free Monster Dads.
• Tim Höregott invites you pay what you want to investigate gruesome cases with the Demise Core Book.
• Marshal Games’ Savage Worlds Mireth Worldbook is out.
• Zotiquest Games warns us that the city we know is a lie. Out now is the Loner: Urban Fantasy.
• Sarah Solo has a new and complete edition of Colossus.
• Frontier Gaming has released the core rulebook for Urban Chaos.
• Codable Kid publishes the Empyre TTRPG.
• Wizards of the Coast has a DMsGuild entry for “Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep | Roll20“.

RPG bundle deals

• Save $11.00 (69%) with Marshal Games’ Starfall Spectacular bundle.
• Save $10.00 (29%) in the Spotless Dice Games PDF+Roll20 bundle of Fate of Cthulhu • End of Days Timelines.
• Save $9.49 (53%) with Calenmir’s RPGs PDF+Roll20 bundle for Noctopolis: An Apocalypse Keys Mystery.
• Save $3.98 (17%) with Dragon Peak Publishing’s Weird Frontiers Physical bundle.
• Save $2.70 (30%) with Eduardo Camps’ Complete Corvidian Setting bundle.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• Ben and the Genre Police talked about Lost in Static and how to Uninvent Yourself.
• The RPG Gazette carries A Case for the Return of the Dungeon turn.
• Clayton Notestine gets into Designing Lore Blocks.
• The Angry GM writes up Oh No, More XP System Nonsense.
• Flirting with controversy, Moonglum Media claims Why I Don’t Trust People Who Won’t Roleplay Sex Scenes: On Attitudes Toward Safety Tools, Consent, and Predation in the RPG Hobby.

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:

• Hard Wired Island: Second Gig is a project by Paul “Ettin” Matijevic that promises “A full-length sourcebook for the Hard Wired Island tabletop RPG.”
• The Raw Oloid D4: Solid Brass Kinetic Sculpture & Dice from ARTHUN kickstarts “Cast from solid brass. A 1929 geometric discovery that calms your mind, elevates your desk, and redefines the D4”
• Fairy Quest RPG is a project by Lucio Bria that features “The definitive illustrated fantasy RPG manual for kids and families, easy to learn and full of adventure to guide heroes on their quest”
• The Oracle Fantasy RPG Supplement: Hooves and Spurs from The Oracle presents “80 pages full of ready to use content focusing on wild steeds, fast riders and dangerous bets.”
• Chimera Strain: Anime Superpower Setting Zine Shadowdark RPG by Zeb Walker is now live, described as “Power grows. Humanity fades. Survive the Chimera Strain in this brutal, dark anime-inspired Shadowdark RPG.”
• Shadowtale: a Bunny Borg adventure book from Deep Spawn Games is developing “A new adventure for your rabbits in the Bunny Borg world to trick, evade and confront new threats in the pursuit of springtime blessing”
• The shattered spire: 100 floor mega dungeon ZINE QUEST from strange arcade is developing “a zine quest mega dungeon suppliment compatible with 5e Mork Borg and shadowdark”
• Astronomical Clock D20 Dice is a project by Astranova that looks at “A Fully Functional D20 Dice Designed for the Tabletop. Inspired by the Great Astronomical Clocks of Europe”
• D&D 5e adventure: The Miller’s House from Hugo is pitching “A horror Dungeons and Dragons campaign, where surviving the night depends on following the rules of the cursed house.”
• Trouble at heights – Problemas en las alturas by Arbustosaurio is offering “Short D&D adventure in which you will fight on the sea and in the sky – Aventura corta de D&D en la que lucharás en el mar y el cielo”
• Monastery of Misanthropy – A Shadowdark RPG Adventure by Thom Wilson is a new roleplaying games project for “For 4-6 Characters of 1st to 2nd level.”
• G.R.O.K.: The Role-Playing Game from J. Donavan Edmond kickstarts “A fast, gonzo, chaotic RPG where the competent survive an incompetent world — and failure is the point!”
• Cyberdark RPG – Cursed Code #4: Tides of Neo Tokyo by Lichdom College is currently raising funds for “A cyberpunk zine for Cyberdark RPG, designed in the same fast, lethal, OSR spirit that defines the core game inspired by Shadowdark!”
• Quest for the Unknown, an OSR Adventure Path by Todd is offering “Part One: The Caverns of Anamosa”
• Formoria: Adventure Anthology is a project by Bryan O’Doherty that is described as “A collection of excellent adventures by talented writers for the Formoria; The Dark Ages Campaign Setting.”
• Photon System Overdrive TTRPG from Tim Gonzalez is working on “An action oriented, sci-fi, roguelite TTRPG designed for 1 – 2 players. Inspired by Phantasy Star Online, Inkbound, and Slay the Spire.”
• DND 5e Dungeon Master Screen & Reusable Notebook by Elena is now live, described as “Wooden Dungeon Master screen with magnetic combat tracker, reusable DND 5e character sheets & tabletop RPG accessories”
• BIG BADS: Most Wanted by Hit Point Press is an upcoming supplement for “Crime is Legal! Become a Big Bad with this bestiary of unimaginable boss monsters for D&D 5e! Zinequest 2026”
• Satanic Panic Zine – Issues #1-3 is a project by Eric Bloat that is “Why parents lost their fuckin’ minds over D&D in the 1980s”
• The Princess & The Dragon from Outrider Creative presents “An official fantasy adventure for the Perils & Princesses TTRPG”
• Sickle & Torch from loreplaypress seeks funding for “A zero level hero roleplaying supplement for 5e, Dungeon Crawl Classics and Shadowdark”
• DUNGEON CRASHERS: Modular Resin Minifigs for Tabletop RPGs is a project by Twisted Bricks that is described as “Designed to be painted. Built to be played.”
• Teenage Ninja Fighting School – A Shonen Anime RPG Zine from Pete Petrusha (Imagining Games) shares “Teen ninjas, big feelings, and bigger fights—a narrative-first anime TTRPG of friendship, wild named attacks, and saving the world!”
• BEASTS by Adrián Mejía is touted as “An Animorphs-Inspired Powered by the Apocalypse TTRPG about animal-morphing teen soldiers”
• CRUX Universal Roleplaying from Ill Gotten Games is crowdfunding “A zine-style print run of our long-running CRUX Universal Roleplaying rules”
• Mini-Dungeon Magazine #1 — Art-Forward Tabletop RPG Magazine by AAW Games is now live, described as “Mini-Dungeon Magazine is a tabletop RPG magazine of one-shot adventures, creative tools, and experimental content.”
• Legitimate Salvage a Forbidden Psalm Sci-Fi Game by Will RD is now live, described as “Legitimate Salvage a Forbidden Psalm Game about corporate space horror.”
• Arcana’s Forbidden Reagents by Dark Eagle Games is an upcoming supplement for “Make your Wizards More Powerful with a Curious Collection of Magical Spell Components for 5e”
• The Deck of Fey Things – D&D 5e Supplement by Paper Quest is a new roleplaying games project for “Enter the Feywild with these 22 Tarot cards, in a stained-glass window style. The perfect handout for D&D 5e.”
• Drintera Worldbuilding 2026: Native American Fantasy is a project by Andrew Gronosky: Shewstone Publishing that looks at “Help our Indigenous-led team build a fantasy version of North America in zine form!”
• Evermorph Dungeon from Evermorph Studios shares “A physical puzzle cube that generates fully playable dungeon maps in seconds.”
• The Baying of the Houndrels is a project by Halberdeer that is “Fight against the knavish Houndrels in this short system-agnostic adventure zine inspired by absurd medieval art!”
• THOT Crimes by Octopus Apocalypse is an upcoming supplement for “An agressivly-sex-positive TTRPG of slutty criminals committing crimes against people who deserve it.”
• Rising Realms: Depths Below by Blunder Games is offering “High-quality 3D printable Modular Dungeon, Supportless 32mm STL files for collectors, tabletop games, painting, RPG, D&D, War games”
• Elements dice 2 is a project by LunaDice that is “Exclusive cnc anodized aluminum and brass dice for collectors and tabletop or board game enthusiasts.”
• Winning Secrets from retrovirusrecords has introduced “Jeffro Johnson presents his Winning Secrets on how the Trollopulous Campaign revolutionized the contemporary discussion of D&D.”
• Martial Magic: Fighter Vs Sorcerer for DnD by DumbProductions is touted as “A D&D 5E/One spellbook with martial spells, sorcerer dueling magic, and new subclasses—built to blend weaponplay and spellcraft.”
• Mythic Legions: The Roleplaying Game is a project by FOUR HORSEMEN STUDIOS that is described as “Adventure in the Realm of Mythoss with this new TTRPG based on Four Horsemen Studios’ customizable, fantasy toy line – Mythic Legions.”
• Stitchery Faire: A Cozy Solo Journaling & Sketching Game by Amanda Kastner is now live, described as “Tell your story one stitch at a time as you meet patrons, create garments, and find your place in the community of Threadwyke.”
• D100 Lists – Events Across the Astral Sea by Laura MCL is offering “D100 Events Lists”
• Residue®: a Solo Survival TTRPG from Weird Place seeks funding for “A sci-fi horror game where you use dice to traverse shifting landscapes, manage resources, and scavenge grotesque ruins.”
• The Crypt of Contempt from Michael Augusteijn is crowdfunding “A Daggerheart RPG adventure for first or second level characters set in the Witherwild campaign frame.”
• Moon-Blood Rite. Dnd Adventure is a project by Gummy Goblin that is described as “A Dark Urban Adventure of Scapegoats, Secrets, and Public Violence . Adventure for 5E (Levels 3–6)”
• The Serpent, Sci-Fi RPG Campaign and Setting is a project by Kevin Hassall that features “A campaign of political intrigue and ancient secrets, inspired by classic Persian literature.”
• Horrific Hordes – D&D Monster Collection is a project by Dren Productions Games that features “A collection of over 80 new monsters to challenge your adventurers.”
• VOYAGERS: BoomShip is a project by 3D Printable Terrain that looks at “Highly detailed 3D printable ships, airships, and boats for TTRPGs & tabletop games”
• SEPULCRA is a project by Follow the fool that invites players to explore “A system neutral TTRPG one-shot set in a dark/horror fantasy world.”
• Dice Pantheon | Precision-Milled DnD Metal Dice Collection is a project by KNOTT-X that is described as “Cast in Magic, Forged with Might. The definitive collection uniting 5 industrial metals to match the mettle of your class.”
• 101 Random Encounters by Evil Pigeon Games is an upcoming supplement for “101 random encounters for any fantasy TTRPG!”
• The Windy Realm Gazette Issue 1 is a project by Chicago Tabletop Gaming Association that promises “A Quarterly TTRPG Zine focused on the Chicagoland TTRPG scene and it’s amazing creators”
• Quill & Codex • Monsters, Menaces, & Malcontents RPG Zine by Outland Games is touted as “The next official Quill & Codex release from Cullen Bunn and Outland Entertainment!”
• Once More Into the Ziggurat by Croak & Dagger is touted as “A solo/cooperative (rogue-like) card-crawl through a shifting ziggurat played with a deck of cards.”
• MYTHOGENESIS: Age of Invocation is a project by Tautvydas Kaltenis that looks at “A ritual RPG zine about belief, balance, and forgetting. For Zine Quest 2026.”
• Ster (Star:Cornish) Solo RPG by James is now live, described as “A rules light journaling RPG about exploration, map-making and bringing light to a darkened cosmos.”
• Of Folk and Fey from Dice Goblin Press has introduced “A Fairytale-Themed TTRPG that combines the dark and weird feel of the original Grimm’s with a whimsical dice-pool mechanic.”
• Notre-Dame de Paris: Adventures at the Court of Miracles from Éditions Spectrum brings us “From freaks to crimbosses, conquer the streets of medieval Paris in this TTRPG inspired by Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• The Monster Gallery: A Collection of Dark Fantasy Wall Busts is a project by Stiwdio 37 that invites players to explore “High-Relief Monster Wall Busts — STL Files & Physical Sets”
• Diabolic Dialect from Storygames Chicago proposes “Grab your Spellbook, don your robes! Dive into a magical game of weird wizards and insane, linguistic spellcasting!”
• NO QUARTER from Daniel offers “No Quarter is an adventure location for the Mausritter tabletop roleplaying game.”
• GG#2: The Colour Out of Space – Zine for Shadowdark RPG is a project by Grim Games that features “A zero-level gauntlet adventure! Featuring new Alchemist and Barbarian classes, plus new even-level abilities for Fighter and Thief!”

[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.