Sadly, it’s impossible to omit the ongoing drama around TSR Games (3) this week.
I’m sure everyone is wishing we’d been able to move on. However, the company that bought the rights to the name is still making waves.
There’s a summary below.
In better news, it’s a new month which means a new chance for Geek Native’s patrons to vote in the RPG Publisher Spotlight. Grognardia Games won for this month and August’s candidates are;
There’s also a chance to win the new RPG from NerdBurger Games and play in a dark fairytale inspired by the likes of The Neverending Story. There’s a physical copy of Good Strong Hands up for grabs, and Craig is willing to ship it to many countries.
Also, do check out the RPG bundles section. Last week I asked whether this summary column was getting too long, and then this week, two deals save around $100, which seem to show the value of this new section!
Just because everything happens at once; it’s also Superhero Week here on the blog.
Right, now on to the RPG news!
Win Good Strong Hands RPG | Big Dig
RPG news from Geek Native
- Okay, here’s the TSR Games latest summaries: Gygax family members battle against TSR Games, then TSR Games (3) threatened OSR communities, and then say they have a totally new guy running their comms now.
- Geek Native enjoyed an exclusive reveal of the next Defiant RPG books.
- In an interview with Eugene Marshall, the writer who brought Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e, we talk ethics and biological essentialism for superheroes. Why? Eugene is the lead writer on S5E, a Superheroic RPG for 5e.
- OSR-feel and all-gamers welcome are the two vibes that Izegrim Creations are blending with Chromatic Dungeons.
- The Kickstarter is very nearly finished, but here’s a gallery of art from Blood Sword 5e.
- WizKids is taking pre-orders on this impressive D&D Adult Green Dragon.
- It’s a bit of a dragon fight, as Iron Studios also revealed this incredible D&D classic cartoon Tiamat diorama.
- Dice with destiny, Geek Native reviewed the solo RPG Ronin.
- Steve Jackson Games picked up the USA license for Choose Cthulhu.
- R. Talsorian Games announced the Interface RED cyberpunk magazine.
- Then, Loke and R. Talsorian Games announced a battle mat partnership.
- German Federal government funded the tabletop RPG management system YARPS.
- DCC Day has been and gone. Here’s the aftermath.
- Arc Dream’s Shane Ivey announced The Gunslinger RPG.
- Wizards of the Coast have a free download of D&D’s Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
- Chaosium has free digital copies of Rune Spell Reference Tables for RuneQuest’s The Red Book of Magic.
- Monte Cook Games are offering free download copies of the Vertices preview.
- Modpihius are taking pre-orders on the Conan RPG campaign Waves Stained Crimson.
- In an RPG and Superhero Week overlap, EN Publishing helpfully shared a preview of Tour of Nu-Earth 1.
- The Bundle of Holding has all four tomes of The Yellow King from Pelgrane Press.
Spotlight Grognardia Games
RPG news from around the web
- Chaosium gave us an advanced look at the RuneQuest Starter Set.
- GAMA also banned TSR Games (3).
- Steve Jackson Games are giving free PDF copies of How to Be A GURPS GM: Combat Encounters during their Warehouse 23 sale. Ends soon!
- The Indie Game Developer Network announced the judges for the 2021 Indie Groundbreaker Awards.
- Paizo updated us on Organized Play.
- Dicebreaker’s Alex Meehan looked at Batts’ My Body is a Cage ahead of a Kickstarter.
- Wargamer noted that Age of Sigmar: Soulbound now lets you roleplay as the Seraphon.
- Just how significant is the D&D and Magic: The Gathering crossover? Christian Hoffer notes that the Magic: The Gathering’s D&D Expansion Has Card That Makes Players Roll a D20.
- Modiphius launched a new Achtung! Cthulhu blog.
- GMS Magazine launched the 1,000 words cosmic horror adventure writing competition The Forbidden Library.
- Roll20 added safety tools as discussed on Dicebreaker by Matt Jarvis and a guest post by Bee Zelda.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Antonios S has reviewed Brabblemark Press’ Zyborg Commando Resurrection Overdrive and Cubicle 7’s Soulbound Starter Set.
- Strange Assembly reviewed Paizo’s Starfinder: Galaxy Exploration Manual, as did Roleplayers Chronicle.
- Prince of Darkness reviewed the OSR artpunk Feast on Titanhead.
- Sea of Stars reviewed Shadowrun: Power Plays.
- Endzeitgiest reviewed Pop Culture Catalog: Music.
- Jared Rascher reviews, on Gnome Stew, Hard Wired Island.
- The Viridian Scroll reviewed the Troika! mini-setting Agramabug.
- GameSpot notes New DnD Kobold Miniatures Are Great, Even For The Laziest DMs.
- Nerdarchy reviewed Tartarus | Journey into the Underworld.
- On Tribality, Tomas Gimenez Rioja wrote up an Arcadia Issue 5 breakdown.
- Warhammer looked into Wrath & Glory’s new adventure On the Wings of Valkyries.
- Reviews from R’lyeth risked a look at The Dee Sanction and the “Other Fantasy RPG” in The Fantasy Trip.
- Tabletop Gaming Magazine reviewed Wanderhome.
- OSR Dread took a look at the AD&D reprint of the Dark Sun boxed set.
- Egg Embry interviewed Dustin DePenning of Will Power Games about Synthicide: Sharpers in the Dark.
- Dicebreaker interviews the creator of Wyrd Science.
RPG new releases
- Skirmisher Publishing released the $2 OGL/d20 system setting Ray Guns & Ruins
- Modiphius released the Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20 adventure Seventh-Inning Slaughter!
- Modiphius also released Crystal Mazur and Christoffer Sevaldsen’s Black Void adventure Into The Oblivious Depths.
- Frenzy Kitty Games released the apocalyptic survival horror of Eventide.
- Manic Productions released free to download versions of Shadow of Mogg, the post-Brexit RPG.
- Already a silver best-seller, Cubicle 7 released the Warhammer FRPG sourcebook The Cluster-Eye Tribe.
- Again, two in one week, another silver best-seller as Cubicle 7 also released the Soulbound sourcebook Steam and Steel.
- The Gift of Gabes published the Name Your Own Price hack of Lasers & Feelings, the solarpunk RPG called Roots & Flowers.
- Ela Morana released the 5e adventure that celebrates diversity and inclusivity Ill Met By Moonlight.
- Paizo opened the doors on the Starfinder adventure The Gilded Cage.
- Parable Games released a set of horror stories for the Shiver RPG with The Cursed Library.
- Last Redoubt Games published the RPG set in a world of endless water called Wyld Sea, as a lower price Ashcan Edition.
- Want to play Free League Publishing’s Vaesen by yourself? Peter Rudin-Burgess published The Solo Society so you can.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $141.59 (90%) with Fantasy Grounds Endless Adventure Bundle.
- Save $93.39 (74%) with Stormforge Summer Sale.
- Save $33.90 (50%) with the Legion Games Mega Bundle.
- Save $17.72 (36%) on Usagi Yojimbo 2e and other games with the Sanguine Digital Apocalypse bundle.
- Save $12.91 (56%) with The Book of Night – Bundle of Darkness from the DMs Guild.
- Save $5.19 (30%) on assorted D&D goodies in The Complete Bundle from the DMs Guild.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Wizards of the Coast and Design by Humans have a whole Dark Alliance range.
- It’s just a chance to look smug with this steel peel spindown d20.
- Angela Murray wrote for Gnome Stew Be a Better Player: Know Yourself.
- Been following the TSR Games trademark drama? Thoughts on by an RPG-playing lawyer, but no advice, on Frylock’s Geekery.
- On Master the Dungeon, Jae offers How to Craft Healing Potions in DnD 5e.
- Campaign Mastery’s Mike Bourke discussed A Wealth of Stylistic Factors.
- Meg Leach wrote for Polygon How autism powers my D&D.
RPG Crowdfunding
You can see those Kickstarters and other crowdfunding campaigns that caught Geek Native’s attention over at Kickstarter watch. Here are some industry projects worth a mention;
- Jay Merritt has a system to help design dungeons, tools, tables and then transfer them to Realm Fables: Diaries of Dungeon Design
- Twisting Host are offering up a new kind of science-fantasy with the MEGALOS: Aetherological Crystalpunk TTRPG.
- The RPG Academy is to help new players and GMs learn, and they are funding a 3-day convention for November in Dayton. It’s the AcadeCon 2021: Fellowship of the Con
- Blackpine Adventure Co is offering up a 5e-powered RPG based on Moorehouse with Lament of The Widow: An adventure in the Infinite Manor
- Anthony DeMinico has funded a d12-powered game of paranormal investigation and hunting. The name? GhastBashers: A Ghost Hunting RPG
- Heresy Lab smashed their goals for resin minis and STL files of Heresylab – Black Mountain Clan – 28mm Dwarf miniatures.
- August McDaniel is crowdfunding an in-person and online Winter Mountain-Themed Map Set.
- Hannah Tsiopanos is luring in happy backers with a fantasy about food, community and spaghetti wizards. It’s Fat Magic RPG – 5e Campaign Setting
- Nicholas Caldwell is funding a full squad of 10 traditionally sculpted 32mm Resin Sci-Fi Dinosaurs: Introducing the Ganorn
- A clever set of display bases for your tabletop minis. They’re Planeshift: Change Your Mini’s World.
- The Dungeon Coach has hundreds of backers for a campaign to add modular combat, exploration and social encounters to 5e. It’s Alkander’s Almanac of All Things.
- Thom Wilson has dusted off old zines and has hundreds of backers for a project to put them into a hardcover compilation. Back to BasiX Fanzine Hardcover Compilation – Issues 1-10
- MiniForge have 100+ 3D designs for resin and FDM printing with 3D Printable Spell Effects: Level 1 & Cantrips.
- Netherborn Games are funding a quick and flexible engine with the Anyworld Tabletop Roleplaying System.
- Dark Realm Roleplay has 10 highly detailed and hand-drawn maps for printing in RPG Maps Zine – Issue 1 – with Descriptions and Plot Hooks
- Robert Johnson is funding a 400-page fantasy called Peace the RPG.
- Quarter Elf Publishing has designed a campaign of exploration and lore in 5e. It’s Gwirsong: The Written History of Foryll.
- Metal Weave Games has shattered their goals for a book of narrative and worldy spells for 5e with Incantations.
- Scott Knowles has funded a solo game of map-making and journal writing with Adventure Squared.
- LandS is offering print-your-own designs on Table Top Game Mat -Double sided Materials & Printings.
- Print and Fun have 3 Roll & Write games based on 80 video games as part of 12 Months – 12 Games Summer Season.
- BRW Games have two tomes of old school suitable character classes, monsters, races and magic with Book of Lost Lore & Book of Lost Beasts
- Creation Bodega offer you class and monster-themed RPG Tardigrades – Hard Enamel Pins
- Sean Chappell has 13 designs of RPG and fantasy inspired pins with Scrolls & Daggers.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
