It’s a moving target this week as D&D Live is happening, and the RPG news is spilling out even as I type this up.
Sensing this is a long one, let me start with some highlights;
- D&D’s new book is Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons.
- Magpie’s (until now) untitled Avatar game is Avatar Legends, a free quickstart is out and reviewed.
- $40 will buy $244.94 worth of RPG downloads in Infinium Game Studio’s IGS F&%$ Cancer 2021 Charity bundle.
- The RPG Publisher Spotlight with Grognarida Games.
Well, how did that work as a summary of the summary? I guess we’ll find out, and please do leave your thoughts in the comments below.
There are other summaries on Geek Native; it should be noted. There’s the podcast Audio EXP. That’s which is a 10 to 15-minute session of me digging into maybe as many stories. You’re reading RI: RPG News now, but there’s also IR: Anime Reviews as a sister column.
Other ways to keep up include Geek Native’s social media, including Google News and Discord plus the hardcore daily digest emails.
Right, now on to the RPG news!
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RPG news from Geek Native
- Somewhere between a leak and a hack, savvy geeks found out that the next D&D sourcebook is (probably) Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons. It’s official now and we have breaking news.
- As planned, Wizards of the Coast released a free to download Ravenloft character sheet and a free adventure called A Verdant Tomb.
- Magpie released a quickstart for, confirmed the name of, and a Kickstarter plan for Avatar Legends.
- Gary Gygax’s son, Luke Gygax and Matt Everhart released a D&D adventure called The Eye of Chentoufi.
- The (now barely believable) saga of TSR Games continues as TSR Games (3.5) reboots TSR Games (3) and then co-founder Stephen Dinehart quits.
- Cubicle 7 confirmed the second edition and revealed the covers for the Doctor Who RPG.
- Also from Cubicle 7 is a new D&D 5e-powered version of the steampunk RPG Victoriana.
- Geek Native reviewed Osprey Games’ Jackals – The Fall of the Children of Bronze.
- Also on the blog this week, a review of the occult horror Sigil & Shadow.
- UK Games Expo wisely U-turned on mask rules.
- Meanwhile, there are persistent reports that the UK Government might also U-turn and let lorry drivers into the country.
- Character generators from Savaged.US and Palladium Books.
- The vampire compendium for 5e called Once Bitten hit the DMs Guild.
- The Viking 5e setting Svilland expanded with Freya’s Tears.
- Gildor Games and Greg Stolze released an Elemental version and free to download Jailbreak scenario.
- Wade Dyer has two Fragged RPG deals in the Bundle of Holding.
Spotlight Grognardia Games
RPG news from around the web
- The 2021 finalists for the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming.
- The UK Games Expo Awards Shortlist is open for voting.
- ICv2 noted that the Hobby Game Sales Over $2 billion in 2020 with EN World and others highlighing the 31% rise in RPG sales.
- Gizmodo has a great write up of D&D Live and Fizban (so far) with James Wyatt comments and illustrations.
- ComicBook wrote up the new details about The Wild Beyond the Witchlight shared by Wizards of the Coast. However, WotC took to social media to say the book has been delayed in some regions.
- Matt Jarvis covered that RPG What Waits Beneath, which is inspired by 20,000 Leagues, is getting a redux edition.
- Free League released a Foundry VTT module for Tales from the Loop.
- FASA announced the ninth Legend of Barasiave adventure Once Bitten, Twiceborn.
- OneBookShelf (DriveThruRPG, etc) expanded their supported charities.
- JP Chapleau revealed the cover of Olympia Twilight of the Gods.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- At Bleeding Cool, Joshua Nelson reviewed Steamforged Games’ Chambers of the Serpent Folk boxed set.
- Ben Reece wrote up a review of the Starfinder Galaxy Exploration Manual.
- Ten Foot Pole reviews Torchlight Press’ Medusa and the Cursed Forest.
- Gundobad Games has reviewed the core rules for Savage Pathfinder.
- Bones of Contention covered the Arnold K’s Lair of the Lamb.
- Christian Hoffer on ComicBook.com calls Flames of Freedom a Delightfully Grim and Historically Thoughtful.
- Strange Assembly has reviewed the Pathfinder adventure Malevolence and Adventure Path Despair on Danger Island.
- Jared Rascher, at Gnome Stew, reviewed Ghostfire Gaming’s Grim Hollow Players Guide.
- Hero Press Two reviewed DuckQuest.
- Michael Tresca reviewed the latest beta of the character generator NeverEnding.
- With a|state 2e on the way, Handiwork Games called to Malcolm Craig, the game’s creator, about the Joy and Pain of a|state.
- Reviews from R’lyeh took a look at the magazine Tabletops & Tentacles volume 1, the Symbaroum Starter and Steamforged Games’ Animal Adventures RPG starter set.
- Beyond Fomalhaut reviewed Fire Ruby Designs’ Bridgetown.
- Burn After Running talked about Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master.
- Antonios S reviewed the Jackals campaign Fall of the Children of Bronze and at Free League Publishing’s Symbaroum Adventure Pack 4.
- Signals from Delta Pavonis shared first impressions of Helvéczia.
- Angel’s Citadel reviewed LowLife 2090.
- Dicebreaker’s Chase Carter dug into Wizardman: Queer and Chaos is a free tabletop RPG processing trauma through magic.
- On d20radio, Egg Embry interviews Miguel Colon about the Cloudsea RPG and did the same at EN World.
- Ben Erickson interviewed Ink & Lyre about their forthcoming Kickstarter Stargazer’s Guide to Aroria.
- The Other Side talks to Roderic Waibel about Chromatic Dungeons.
RPG new releases
- Chubby Funster has published the 2nd edition of the action-adventure with an OSR chassis Ambition & Avarice.
- The 5th issue of Accessible Gaming Quarterly is out.
- Paizo has announced the Starfinder Adventure Path Planetfall, the first of six in the Horizons of the Vast series.
- Basilisk Online’s submission to the Solarpunk Jam is the $10 Arcology World.
- Applied Vectors has released the Larry Elmore illustrated Sovereign Stone Players Guide.
- M.T. Black Games released and already has a silver best-seller Iskandar City Sourcebook 5E.
- Over at the DMs Guild, a team of creators has published Not Another Monster Quest Volume 1: Kobolds, Goblins & Bugbears.
- EN Publishing has made Rogue Trooper: Tour of Nu-Earth 1 available.
- Just Crunch Games published a supplement for the Tudor occult game The Dee Sanction called The Sight.
- Eberron creator Keith Baker et al published the Eberron / Ravenloft crossover called Dread Metrol: Into the Mists.
- Technical Grimoire Games’ RPG about drifters. A game inspired by Firefly, Supernatural, and spaghetti westerns is out and half price. It’s Clink
- The first issue of the OSR ezine Lost Fantasy is out.
- Modiphius published Conan The King.
- Iron Crown Enterprises gave us ERA for Rolemaster RMFRP Arms Law (2003)
- D101 Games released the 3rd edition of OpenQuest.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $227.48 (96%) with Frontier Gaming’s All Products bundle.
- Save $204.94 (84%) with Infinium Game Studios’ IGS F&%$ Cancer 2021 Charity bundle.
- Save $99.20 (44%) with Ken Wickham’s Summer 2021 bundle.
- Save $24.85 (71%) with this DMs Guild Druid Adventure Kit bundle.
- Save $8.59 (89%) with this bundle from R. Talsorian Games approved Loke Cyberpunk Red battle maps.
- Save $8 (50%) with this DMs Guild D&D 5e Pregen Character Portfolio – Barbarians bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Ben and the genre police have tips on how to run a West March style set of RPG campaigns.
- New to me, and perhaps to you; fans finished animating season 3 of the 1980s D&D cartoon.
- Wargamer published D&D homebrew guide: tips and resources for creating original material.
- At Gnome Stew, Troy E. Taylor wrote up A Sampling of Quest Givers.
- Bell of Souls dug into D&D history with a look back at An Adventurer’s Guide to Pelinore.
- Richard Compton shared the second part of Slaadi in Dungeons and Dragons.
- CBR’s Jennifer Melzer offered 5 Ways DMs Can Deal WIth a Dysfunctional Party.
- Coleman Gailloerto at ScreenRant discussed GM Tips For Picking Tabletop RPGs to Suit The Story They Want to Tell.
- Vox told the world How a professional dungeon master keeps his games fun.
- Business Insider spotlighted I’m a Dungeons & Dragons ‘dungeon master’ who makes up to $125 an hour running virtual and in-person games.
- Cultured Vultures offered thoughts on Where To Start With Vampire: The Masquerade – A Beginner’s Guide To V:TM
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;
- A handcrafted dice holder made from copper. Meet the Canister of Holding.
- Arcknight are offering up mini tokens and terrain accessories for all sorts of tabletop gaming with Roleplaying Objects 2.0 – Doodad or Die-Cut Trying.
- Reese R Surles has funded an OSR ruleset zine with depth and a unique combat engine called Crowns, Fantasy Adventure TTRPG.
- Fabled Adventures Extraordinaire Games have a wondrous Feywild setting and adventure in the shape of
A Nightmare in Sutradain – Feywild for D&D 5E. - Sam Sorensen is creating an old-school tookbox setting guide for the last Seas of Sand.
- Paddy Finn has easily met the funding goal for the rum-chugging Mag of Holding – Pirates and Seafaring Book for 5e YAAARGH!.
- Anders “The Night Owl” Jordahl has thrashed the target for The Angels & Devils Trilogy (5e).
- Daratum is thinking ahead to 2021 Christmas and how to make it special. ‘Twas the Night Before Critmas – D20 Ornaments.
- Paolo Greco has raised a healthy amount of support for a horror RPG and microfiction called The Book of Gaub.
- Stein Hansen has a short adventure about saving lost dogs with KENNELS OF KARNAGE, a Third-Party Mörk Borg Adventure.
- Jeremy Hart Illos has funded a new set of monsters for old school gamers in Creature Feature Quarterly Vol. 7 -for use with- OSE.
- Daniel Lindsay wants to bring the metal to your D&D campaign with The Gunslinger D6 a solid brass d6 dice.
- Jeran Jenks promises breathtaking artwork and a unique setting with The Toxic Seas: a 5e Campaign Setting.
- Christopher Grey has funded a narrative-driven fantasy RPG about creating legends called Highcaster.
- Midlam Miniatures are offering a set of 28mm scale collection of minis with Gnomes – A Class of Their Own.
- Applewhite Games want you to welcome the annual Guild Faire Tournament and the Guilds of Eraegarth: A D&D5e Expansion & Campaign.
- Legendary Light have metal die for your tabletop. The project name? Pretty damn cool alien cube dice
- Clockwork Arcana are funding a deck of wonderous (and maybe dangerous) objects suitable for tabletop RPGs with The Mysterious Curios of Zavinious Akkol.
- Hosein has D&D 5e adventure for 4 to 6 players and characters at about levels 4 and 5. It’s a one-shot called Lawless Night of Katmas: a dnd adventure for a curious party.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
