Righty-ho TTRPG fans, we’re back with another week of news. This week I’ve been eating protein bars made from ground-up crickets, and now there’s a food source we don’t see in campaign settings very often.
Today’s summary of RPG news summaries are:
- Wizards of the Coast’s employees are forming a union.
- Adrian Tchaikovsky is writing a 5e setting.
- The One Ring has smashed Free League’s crowdfunding record.
- Steve Jackson himself will bat at Gamehole Con.
- Reports say Italian TTRPG Lex Arcana will go on sale in Russia.
Here’s a reminder that we now have an RPG Publisher Spotlight nomination form. You can also email or holla suggestions over social media and Discord.
Behind the scenes this week, I’ve changed how Geek Native -> Telegram shares worked because the WordPress plugin was missing about 80% of articles. The new method, via Fedica, does not support silent updates, but you can mute the channel.
I also blocked around 50 of the worst advertisers from the site, but managing remnant inventory feels like a losing battle. That’s why we much prefer running ads for your games.
On with the TTRPG news!
Spotlight: Slithy Tove Games.
RPG news from Geek Native
- It’s tough out there as Manchester tabletop organiser Dungeons & Flagons faces financial uncertainty ahead of 10th anniversary.
- We had a preview of Kalusa: The Enchanted City – System-neutral arcanepunk.
- Jason Ox and Julian Frid talked to us about the crowdfunding Sine TTRPG.
- Malborn is a new 5e setting from James Ohlen and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
- Okay, we had a rocky start with this one but course-corrected and published D&D 2024 update fixes loopholes and dragons as Wizards of the Coast releases Sage Advice errata.
- After Adam Thompson’s hospital stay, Battlefield Press launched an emergency sale.
- Acheron Games as previewed Helluva System 2 with the quickstart release of Helluva Kingdom.
- Two Little Mice launched the printed version of Outgunned Superheroes.
- With offices in the UK and the USA, the marketing agency Tabletop Growth Partners launches.
- PEG is taking sign-ups for Hollerween 5.
- I wrote up a quick review for Sarah Thomas’ Meaningful Connections.
- Dragonmeet said a polite “Thanks, but no thanks” to Skynet.
- Our crowdfunding lens paused over Good Society 2e, Dragon Mountain Dice, Goodman Games’ Old-School From the Start and The Hazelands.
- It’s a popular bundle! Three times Merry Mushmen and KNOCK!.
Support: Patreon.
RPG news from around the web
- Ash Parrish delivers a breakdown of The Dungeons & Dragons And Magic: The Gathering Teams Are Forming A Union over at Kotaku.
- Checking in with Polygon, there’s news about The One Ring smashes crowdfunding record with new rules and bestiary.
- Christian Hoffer investigates Wizards of the Coast announces more D&D/Star Wars crossover plans over at EN World.
- At Monte Cook Games, Olivia Ryan reports on Call for Indigenous Artists for Between Earth & Sky: the Roleplaying Game!.
- Checking in with Steve Jackson Games, there’s news about Meet Steve At Gamehole Con And Visit Our Booth!.
- Dungeons and Dragons Fanatics helps out with D&D Beyond’s October Drop Embraces Shadowfell Secrets and Sorrow.
- Over at Critical Role, Nicole digs into Our “welcome to Marquet” Album Is Out Now!.
- STL Patreon DKYN goes free.
- Over at ICv2, the team shares thoughts on Sirius Dice Will Release ‘Dungeons & Dragons Metal Miniatures’ for the ‘Animated Series.
- ICv2 gives us Troll Lord Games Announces ‘Codex Draconis.
- For a helpful guide, Jason Volk at TTRPG Fanatics looks at Star Trek Adventures Warps Into the 24th Century With New Campaign Guide.
- Roll20 takes a look at Manage Your Characters Without Opening the VTT.
- IXBT Games features Denis Morporkov, who investigates The second edition of the tabletop role-playing game “Lex Arcana. Endless Empire” is preparing for pre-order in Russia.
- Gab Hernandez investigates Play as a DnD skeleton in this hilarious dungeon-henching TTRPG over at Wargamer.
- Writing for World Anvil, Roc Humet covers October Feature Drop: New Manuscripts & Styling Updates!.
- Garycon has published a piece on Founders and Legends Announces Lake Geneva Experiences.
- If you are looking for something different, The Beacon has a guide on Death and Dungeons & Dragons.
Support: Fight the Algorithm
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- The Kind DM reviews Blood Vaults of Sister Alkava.
- At TTRPG Fanatics, Jason Volk delivers a review of Pathfinder: The Dead God’s Hand.
- Arthur, writing for Refereeing and Reflection, highlights Supplement Supplemental! (Ravens, Foxes, and Fish – Chaosium Animal People Special) and Secret Passages.
- Reviews from R’lyeh pens reviews of Outcast Unseelie and the Ooze Between, Pretenders to the Rat King’s Throne, The Man Who Sold the World, and Invincible.
RPG new releases
- Handbasket Games brings us Bloodstarved.
- Goodman Games has hit publish on The Monster Alphabet Oversized Edition.
- Goodman Games also did the same with MCC RPG Fluorescent Skull Limited Edition Rulebook.
- Limithron has published Parrot Borg | Roll20 VTT.
- New from Pelgrane Press is Fear Itself Shattered Veil Edition.
- Chaosium expands their catalogue with Cthulhu by Gaslight: Keeper Screen Pack.
- Ham and Egg Publishing released 321RPG Fast Play & Fantasy Rules.
- OSINT-6 expands their catalogue with FORTEAN: A Roleplaying Game of Anomalous Phenomena.
- Whitney Marie Delaglio has unveiled The Old The Cold The Bold: 2nd Edition.
- Available now is Dungeon Age Adventures’ A Feast for the Eye for Shadowdark RPG.
- JaysRPCorner has released Nothing Dies in Darkness: TTRPG Dark Fantasy Primer Bundle (5e).
- John Alan Martinson has published Kingsmark: Players Handbook First Edition.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $72.00 (55%) on Deeply Dapper Stockroom’s Lost Caverns of the Dwarven Lords Stock Art Collection collection.
- Save $4.00 (33%) with the Weird Wizard: Arched Brow Collection bundle from Schwalb Entertainment.
- Save $0.31 (4%) with B.J. Keeton’s Dragonbane Halloween bundle.
- Save with Demons & Dungeoneers Gamebooks’ Demons & Dungeoneers! 1st Edition Gamebook bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Scared of cats? A D&D game cured t-shirt artist < a href=”https://www.geeknative.com/243142/how-two-decades-of-weekly-gaming-turned-a-cat-phobia-into-dungeon-meowster/”>Warwick Levy.
- There is an excellent piece at Polygon regarding I had a D&D designer make the perfect monster to torment my group.
- CrafterDM has published a piece on Has D&D Beyond Maps ruined D&D maps? (Deadfall update!).
- Patchwork Paladin gives us Good Adventures and Great Adventures.
- Dot, at Kobold Press, unpacks Get Spooky with Kobold Press: Night Hunters and Stan! Coloring Sheet.
- Over at The RPG Gazette, the team covers A History of D&D: What Happened Between 1e and 5e? (part one).
- There is an exceptional provocateur at Mixed Signals regarding Fudging dice rolls is cheating.
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:
- Loot the Monster: A Hunter’s Guide to the Monster Manual from Immersive Adventures is developing “The monster is dead. Now harvest it. Transform every creature in the Monster Manual into crafting recipes and meaningful loot.”
- Everything Haunted: 150+ Haunted & Cursed Assets for DnD from Black Cube Games is launching “150+ Cursed and Haunted Items, Creatures & Locations for D&D 5E & 5.5E”
- The Hallowed Forests Blight is a project by Sages Table that invites players to explore “The Hallowed Forests Blight is a Dungeons and Dragons One shot setting that can be integrated into any campaign. Based on 5E/5.5E”
- Broken Shores Second Edition by Alex T. is offering “Survive a Drowned World. Build a Floating Fortress. Defy the Gods.”
- Dungeons & Dragons Aberrations P01 by Got Bored LLC is a new roleplaying games project for “First group of Dungeons & Dragons Aberrations for tabletop gaming and the ability to scale for other uses.”
- Coven of the Hollow Moon: D&D Witches, Spells & Haunted Huts by Ravenora is offering “Hand-illustrated witches, spells, secrets, haunted huts and dark encounters for D&D 5E and TTRPG campaigns this Halloween. For all GMs.”
- Winter and the Wolf Princess from Olivier Revenu brings us “An adventure playable with Old School Essentials and any other derivative of the classic Dragon game”
- Eldritch Pirate | Dice Sets from Only Crits is nominating “Hear the call of the Black Tide.”
- Dungeon and Drawers by REME Creations is now live, described as “A 3d printed, modular building system for terrain, organizers, and more”
- Grim Fronteira – no dice in this RPG, you play your hand by UDS Studios is a new roleplaying games project for “Europe died of thirst in 1607. Three centuries later, the civilized from the West sail back, not for glory, but for loot and greed.”
- Hob’s Clockwork Dungeon is a project by Status Effect Games LLC that is described as “A puzzle filled dungeon setting for 5e or any TTRPG. Includes over twenty fantasy maps and a variety of challenges.”
- Witch – Wrath & Wickedness – TTRPG zine for 5e by Bloat Zines is now live, described as “A monster manual TTRPG zine packed full of unique witch enemies, magic items, and more for 5e, plus 5 more zines!”
- DOOMSDAY: Innsmouth from Infinite Black brings us “An Eldritch Horror TTRPG Scenario + Handmade Cthulhu Mythos-Themed Artifacts + Exclusive “Doom Edition” Elder Dice.”
- DigiDice by Scrapiron is offering “DigiDice is a touchscreen companion for Magic: The Gathering players. Track tokens, power, toughness, life, counters and more!”
- Halloween Compendium Vol. 1 – D&D 5e & 5.5e. from ChronicleMaker is nominating “2 subclasses, 3 feats, 10 spells and 1 legendary boss inspired by Halloween compatible with D&D 5e & 5.5e.”
- FORGE Your BKGD: One role away from adventure! 5E24 from Tree Bee Games is pitching “Generate your unique background/origin story. Parents occupations, teenage years, school, jobs, other family/creatures that shaped you.”
- Adventure Location Cards: The RPG Decks Return from Dicehaven is developing “Draw a ready-to-run Fantasy, Modern, or Sci-Fi location—with a player map, GM details, hooks, and physical decks ordered at print cost.”
- Barkane II: A Game of Bones is a project by Seppy Yoon that invites players to explore “The RPG You Play With Your Dog returns: Beginner friendly stroll-playing with your wizard pup! Journal through 10 walking quests.”
- Project Balor: The Tactical Skirmish TTRPG is a project by Regal Realms Productions that features “Fast-paced tactical skirmish TTRPG set in a near future ravaged by a dying climate and malicious AI.”
- Rollary: Your all-in-one TTRPG platform from Rollary has introduced “Build your rules, your world, and your maps in one place… and beyond.”
- Crucible of Chains: A Roguelike Campaign Mode for 5e by Belazan Games is an upcoming supplement for “Turn 5e into a roguelike game with branching runs, boss battles, death resets, permanent progress and a complete campaign included.”
- Infested Buildings Series for Foundry VTT – D&D 5e is a project by Hod Publishing that looks at “Four ready-to-run adventures in Rellecta for levels 1–6, with actors, items, hand-drawn maps, lighting and high-fidelity journals.”
- Uncle Boggle’s Bestiary: The Monster Library for 5E is a project by Uncle Boggle Bestiaries that is “A complete 20-volume D&D 5E horror bestiary collection featuring 1,438 original creatures across twenty distinct themes.”
- The Treat Collector- DnD 5e Dark Fantasy adventure + STLs by Secrets of Alexandria Retrogrind is offering “A Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) 5e compatible Halloween RPG adventure inc. VTT tokens, maps and 3d printable OpenLOCK terrain & miniatures”
- Umi’s Infinite Tales: A D&D 5E Card-Driven Adventure System by Constantine “Kelfecil” Christakis is a new roleplaying games project for “Go solo, run zero-prep sessions, or dive into roguelike campaigns with a modular card system for D&D 5E and any TTRPG!”
- Forgotten Vault – Guardians & Gold – STL for tabletop TTRPG by Props & Treasure is currently raising funds for “31 print-ready 3D STL files to build a fantasy dungeon vault and props for D&D, Pathfinder, 28-32mm. Pay What You Want from $1”
- The Hexagonal Gaming System (HEXY TIME PART TWO) by Wyrmwood Gaming is now live, described as “The Hexagonal Gaming System is back with brand new designs and more wood options than ever before
” - Compendium of Spells & Sorceries: 220 5E Spells is a project by Trinkwick that features “A 101-page fifth edition spellbook with 220 original spells for the 2024 rules, eight schools, class lists, rituals, and index. PWYW”
- The Deeper Arts: A New Collection of 8 Classes for D&D 5E is a project by Classhollow that is “Eight complete D&D 5E classes, levels 1-20: Pulsewright, Impellent, Ossein, Temperant, Obligant, Siderurge, Speculant, and Nominant.”
- Microscope (2nd Edition) from Ben Robbins proposes “The award-winning game of epic fractal histories”
- The Evil Guide is a project by BirdieMaps that features “Tools for dark fantasy campaigns: Guide – Compendium – Campaign”
- MageSpire: Dual-Result Metal RPG Dice Fortress by SmokyCreation is an upcoming supplement for “A complete D4–D20 RPG dice set in a fantasy metal tower. One spin, two results – pointer + rolling metal ball, with dice storage.”
- AELDRIA – Life and Dice from Pietro Maggiolino is pitching “A new world to experience. Explore, fight and craft! Compatible with 5 and 5.5 version in D&D”
- Ravensclaw: The Crimson Lie, 5e by Anthony David is an upcoming supplement for “Beyond the Realms of Shadowmarch lies a darker kingdom…”
- NPC Vault 3, The Undead: 42 DnD 2024 Undead NPCs from Bradley Horton proposes “14 Undead Types, 42 NPCs; Three faces of every death for every Undead Type in D&D 5E and 5.5E”
- Sine: A Story-Driven RPG by Ox Games is offering “The new science-fantasy TTRPG set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an alien invasion. Quick action with a cinematic focus.”
- Terminus – Print edition by Michael Sensea Beachy is touted as “Science-fiction TTRPG about hardscrabble starship crews in an alien frontier.”
- Nothing Is What It Seems Volume 1: 5 Layered 5.5E Adventures from The Flying Goblin is developing “5 layered D&D adventures for levels 3–6 with 13 battlemaps, monsters, handouts, magic items and Foundry VTT. DnD 5E 2024”
- Night of the Pumpkin Queen: A 5e Halloween Adventure from SeaBreeze Games is crowdfunding “Trick or Treat! Except it’s Ghosts, Zombies, Vampires, Witches, and more! Can you beat the Pumpkin Queen’s Challenge?”
- Dragonbane: Accidental Heroes – A Shipwreck Of Fools! by Revel Tales is currently raising funds for “A Dragonbane setting expansion: 4 regions to explore deeply, new Kins, Professions, Heroic Abilities, Magic Schools, Monsters & more!”
- CONington 2027: Indie Tabletop Gaming Convention by Shaun Smith is touted as “An unconventional gaming convention, fiercely indie and straight out of Covington.”
- Ink Tales by Mist Games is now live, described as “Ink Tales by Mist Games is a TTRPG: play as a painter bringing whatever you paint to life! No painting skills required!”
- Populated Hexes Monthly Issue 61 from Todd introduces “Beginning the sixth year of the ‘zine, focusing on Old School Essentials.”
- HEXGRID – Chapter 03 is a project by Hermann Hillmann that features “3D Printable Swamp, Graveyard and Crypt Terrain for RPGs and Tabletop Games”
- Numeraeon: Tales of the Old East for 5E by Twilight Hantu LLC is now live, described as “Numeraeon is a 250 page horror supplement featuring a new class, twelve subclasses, new compatible systems, a setting, and more for 5E.”
- Amberley Cross: The Town That Isn’t There is a project by Owlette Publications that features “Everyone in this lovely village is happy. Too happy. You have three days to find out why. A Daggerheart-compatible horror adventure.”
- Lithomachy: The 12 Divine Trials from Pantheon Games introduces “A solo mythological Roll & Write game. Defeat monsters and endure 48 chapters of ancient trials in a complete digital Print & Play epic”
- God-Killer Prophecy: Oracle Edition from Joshua John Kitz seeks funding for “A GMless one-shot RPG with teeth about a chosen one, the companions and a quest to slay the Dark God. Illustrate your journey together”
- PUNK BORG – A TTRPG About Overthrowing Corporate Overlords by Sedgewick GC is currently raising funds for “Destroy a ruthless corporate regime or die trying in this standalone TTRPG, compatible with MÖRK BORG and CY_BORG.”
[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.
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