We’re fast approaching the end of the year and the holidays, but it’s an uncertain time, with you-know-what on the rise again. Hopefully, this weekly roundup of RPG news can be a little less dramatic.
Hmm, well, there has been some drama this week with attack lawyers dispatched against Wizards of the Coast, hassles over Kickstarters at Dragonmeet and confusion and concern over the direction Kickstarter itself might be taking.
Can you imagine a world where there were many Kickstarter-esq platforms? That was the goal but is blockchain the way to get there?
There’s also a debate for C&S fans with $88.52 (43%) off in Brittannia Game Designs’ Chivalry & Sorcery Xmas Print Collection but you need enough to stump up and cash out.
If you’ve no cash left at all (I feel your pain!), then there’s always luck! The latest Geek Native competition is for Strixhaven on Roll20. Speaking of Strixhaven, this will be the last Routinely Itemised: RPGs in which that official D&D book gets its own section.
So, with that said, let’s get exploring this week’s RPG news.
Win: Strixhaven on Roll20 | DMsGuild $20
RPG news from Geek Native
- The hot news of the day is TSR (5) (or 4? it’s hard to keep up) attempt to sue Wizards of the Coast, and their ask for your money to pay the lawyers.
- Dragon Turtle Games, the Carbon 2185 publisher, promised action after a trader carrying their games was verbally harassed at Dragonmeet.
- RPG creators and other designers are leaving Kickstarters over concerns that the company might get close to cryptocurrencies.
- DriveThruRPG has been helping Paizo Publishing get some lost and out-of-print books back into print.
- Goodman Games and Shield of Faith signed an Umerican Survival Guide deal.
- Geek Native looked at some D&D 5e holiday themed one-shot adventures.
- The award-winning actual-play GM and host Cat McDonald shared some tips on How to make your RPG feel anime.
- Monte Cook Games is giving people $10 to spend on games or charity.
- You can grab Bandit Camp’s latest RPG for free with a special edition of Fairy Trails.
- You can grab the latest edition of Traveller, one intended for newcomers, for just $1 at DriveThruRPG.
- Shannon Appelcline’s Designers & Dragons series now has two audiobooks.
- The often-pirated Hymgho Christmas tree dice spinners are now officially on Amazon.
- In a bit of silliness, Geek Native whisked up a D&D-themed word search puzzle.
- The Bundle of Holding has an improved version of its previous record-breaking Forged in the Dark deal.
- Humble has a very large double-bundle of Pathfinder and Fantasy Grounds.
Spotlight: Forgotten Adventures
RPG news from around the web
- A chance to support indie RPG publishers and get your hands on new material with the Itch.io Ind of the Year 2021 bundle.
- We’re on Sports Illustrated! The magazine has published Role Players: Myles Garrett and His Teammates Have Embraced Dungeons and Dragons.
- EN World are asking people to share their most anticipated RPG of 2022.
- Chaosium has released a set of free RuneQuest Starter Set handouts.
- New School Revolution shared Cairn Plans For 2022.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
- An apology to begin with! Wizards of the Coast accidentally omitted Tanya DePass from the credits and have apologised for their mistake.
- Not everyone is enjoying the book, and on Reddit, Hexdoctor explains Why Strixhaven feels so disappointing to me.
- Beth Rimmels put together an excellent and in-depth review.
- Power Score RPG weighs in with their Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos Review.
- ComicBook’s Christian Hoffer thought that Strixhaven – A Curriculum of Chaos Struggles to Stand Out.
- While Polygon’s Samantha Nelson opines D&D’s Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos understands what makes college memorable and Charlie Hall said New D&D sourcebook wants you to stop pondering your orb and smooch some other wizards.
- Jared Rascher gave us their first impressions of Stixhaven.
- Bell of Lost Souls wrote a lot about the supplement, including Dragon Founders – An Exciting Sign of the Times, Why Everyone’s Talking About ‘Strixhaven’ New & Confusing Spell – Silvery Barbs and even Weaponized Polyamory at Wizarding School.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- CGM shares Brock McLaughlin’s Dishonored: The Roleplaying Game review.
- Bones of Contention looks at Old-School Essential’s official Holy Mountain Shaker.
- Chez Oxendine writes Coyote & Crow RPG is a joyous, respectful celebration of Native American storytelling in a world without colonialism.
- Seed of Worlds reviews Kevin Crawford’s Worlds Without Number.
- Roleplayers Chronicle reviewed Modiphius Entertainment’s – Gamemaster’s Guide to Achtung! Cthulhu.
- Bleeding Cook’s Gavin Sheehan reviewed Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons.
- Power Score RPG also reviewed Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons Review.
- Reviews from R’lyeh reviewed The Dee Sanction.
- On d20Radio, Egg Embry interviews Pendelhaven’s Andrew Valkauskas.
- MuggleNet has interviewed Hogwarts: A Role-Playing Game scribe David Brunell-Brutman.
RPG new releases
- Petersen Games has released Planet Apocalypse for 5E.
- Xavid’s successful Kickstarter has resulted in the retail release of Dreampunk.
- Sleddog Games has published their RPG-wargame hybrid Decimation – World War II.
- MacGuffin & Co released a set of RPG micro-settings in Odd Jobs.
- Terribly Beautiful has released their new Traveler’s Ironsworn: Mobile Edition.
- James Embry has published core rule set for $3 with Raven of the Scythe.
- Katamoiran released a name your own price RPG about a war over a dead god’s body. It’s Godbod.
- Kelly Black has released the wartorn San Francisco by Night for V5.
- In print and via Forbidden Planet, you can now get UFO Press’ Voidheart Symphony: Core Rulebook.
- There’s also, UFO Press’ new Shattered City: Core Rulebook.
- Ad Infinitum Adventures released seven adventures with ICONS: Evil Rising.
- Troll Lord Games has published a helpful series of guides with Castles & Crusades Player Archive.
- Attack Dice released a Pay What You Want RPG that combines OSR with new school in Fire&Steel.
- Renegade Game Studios gave us the 134-page Sabbat: The Black Hand for Vampire: The Masquerade V5.
- 9th Level Games released The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $88.52 (43%) with Brittannia Game Designs’ Chivarly & Sorcery Xmas Print Collection bundle.
- Save $35.89 (37%) with Inkwell Idea’s Worldographer 2020 Map Icons bundle.
- Save $14.95 (34%) with Gunnar Roxen’s Broken Shield 2.0 Core Books bundle.
- Save $2.90 (23%) in the Chaosium Community Content The Moore Bundle.
- Save $2.05 (25%) with Gregorius21778’s Compatible With SB&CS and $1.44 (25%) with the Lamentations of the Undead bundles.
- Save $1.96 (10%) with Anderian Designs Ltd’s XMAS Fate Adventure bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Geek Native spotted this mechanical dice box, but at least one commentator hates it.
- Akratic Wizardry digs into How B2 became part of Basic Dungeons and Dragons.
- Polygon’s Charlie Hall argues The board game Root would never have worked as a D&D campaign.
- Eberron’s Keith Baker shares some wisdom on Nonbinary Elves and More About Githberron.
- Alphastream shared thoughts on The Real Competition for D&D and Wizards of the Coast.
- Steve Kenson took the time to outline why we’re better off with The Needless Queers.
- Pelgrane Press’ Kevin Kulp helped out with How to Read the Rules: a quick-start guide for Swords of the Serpentine.
- CBR’s Viktor Coble wrote up 10 Ways D&D Keeps Itself Relevant Around Changing Tastes & Trends.
- D&D’s own Yawning Portal dove in with Game On: The Pillars Of Organized Play.
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;
- Secret Garden Games has diverse non-European myth and culture inspired subclasses for 5e in the Heroes of WakeSong.
- It is a first campaign from Xanatos Clark and it is Xanatos’ Guide to Gambling for 5e.
- NeonRot is funding a game of kaiju-sized spiders. Webworld: A TTRPG guide to the spider Apocalypse
- Next Level Board Gaming is funding 3D printable Roman Ruins – Pay What You Want!
- Geoff Sims has a giant dragon lord for RPGs and skirmish games in the shape of The Dreamstone- Zordrak!
- Mick McArt has a quirk project, which has been funded, for a Pet Jelly Cube.
- Professional GM Rob Mulligan has cyberpunk minis with interchangeable parts in a campaign called Magnetic Miniatures, Dice & Tower by CyberNation Uncensored.
- Lynnvander Studios RPG has made more than $10,000 for an old-school inspired Legacy of Mana 5E World Guide, Immersive Map Book & Novel.
- Squid Ink Games has funded a solo print and play with Escape Sequence: XENO.
- Fallen Highway Studio is funding A Lovecraftian Circle Adventure – Generic RPG Ruleset.
- Michael Mars Gaming returns with Slasher Zine: A Two-Volume Zine for MÖRK BORG.
- Thom Wilson has funded an OSR-style sci-fi-ish Batteries Low, Getting Dark – a Post-apocalyptic Adventure
- Fancy d6 up for grabs in 3Dice Series 4 – Elevate Your Gaming Experience
- Gaudreau Steve has NPC and RPG Character Cards for 5th edition and any other system.
- Taylor silk and mermaid’s tail with Roaming dice : The RPG game dice roaming under the sea.
- Derik Duley has funded a small collection of games to celebrate the year with Planes, Trains, and Argyle – Roll and Write Revolution.
- Gio Lasar Design have attracted more than €30,000 in backing with some stunning Constellation Dice: Voyager II Edition.
- Jamie Korte has funded STL files for Mimic Manor! – 3D Printable Miniatures
- Wizard have some differently shaped die in A Wizard’s Dice Crystalized in the Cave.
- Paul Smith is offering white metal minis of the Dungeon Fiends Starter Set 1.
- Rising Miniatures is funding 3d minis and terrain for RPGs and wargames with ASGARD RISING: Tales from Midgard.
- Metro Mage Games has designed some card games and RPGs Limited Edition Token Cards – Themed for Fantasy Games.
- Black Cube Games is offering up 5 classic D&D 5e dungeons in The Dark Pits: the deadly mazes
- Anthony Qualkinbush is working on a scalable collection of one-shot adventures in Riddlehouse Volume 01 (5E).
- Adam Meyers and Drop Dead Studios has Pathfinder 1e rules and revamps in Spheres of Guile and Ultimate Engineering.
If there’s a source or news you think is worth monitoring, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
