It’s the first RPG news summary of 2023! Can you believe it?
Let’s hope the year doesn’t continue like this. Why? Here’s the summary-summary.
- The incredible Darren Watts has passed away.
- The storm around One D&D’s OGL worsens.
- Paizo offers swifter errata
- Geek Native shares the best selling Roll20 and Pathfinder Infinite titles
- Publishers have to pass on price increases
The first RPG Publisher Spotlight of the year goes to Catilus. Thanks to Patreons for the votes.
If you qualify, you can vote for the next round at this private link, and the candidates are;
Now, the RPG news!
Competition: Roll vs Evil | Roll20Con tee
RPG news from Geek Native
- The OGL row for One D&D is getting worse, and former OGL boss Ryan Dancey has weighed in.
- Perhaps it’s time? DriveThruRPG and sister sites have New Year, New Game.
- Paizo is also busy this year with less biological essentialism in Pathfinder and swifter updates.
- New and pre-Kickstarter RPG magazine Polyhedral calls for submissions.
- EN World released their survey results for the RPGs people are most looking forward to.
- Geek Native toured the vibrant art of the dark and political sci-fi Stillfleet.
- Xero Sum offers a free Distemper intro with Empty.
- Gildor Games released the first in their Legends of Gildor line; it’s free to download and is the Tower of the Vampire.
- In the Bundle of Holding, there’s the Wicked Ones and the original (with a twist) 2300 AD.
- Fancy a rummage of Free League Publishing RPGs with discounts? There’s a Humble bundle offer.
Spotlight: Catilus
2022’s best selling OneBookShelf/Roll20 products
The last time we’ll feature the round-up of best sellers until the end of 2023. We’ve the movers and shakers in the world of RPGs from Roll20 and OBS here.
- Fantasy RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Horror RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Modern RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Sci-Fi RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Family RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Miscellaneous RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- New publishers on DriveThruRPG.
- Titles on the DMsGuild.
- Titles in the Storytellers Vault.
- Titles from Pathfinder Infinite in 2022.
- Titles on Roll20.
RPG news from around the web
- In terrible news, game designer and president of Hero Games Darren Watts has passed away.
- There’s been a lot written about the Open Gaming License (OGL) this week, and Routinely Itemised won’t itemise them all! Here’s a summary;
- From Noah Downs (MyLawyerFriend), a licensed attorney who knows about IP in tabletop and digital games, we’ve Let’s Take A Minute To Talk About D&D’s Open Gaming License (OGL).
- Alphastream pens a Vision for the D&D OGL with part one, part two and part three.
- The OGL isn’t the only drama Wizards of the Coast have faced this week, as it looks like they cancelled five unannounced computer games.
- Linda Codega at Gizmodo shares The Year Ahead in Tabletop Roleplaying Games.
- Meanwhile, GameInformer tells us about The Best Tabletop RPGs of 2022.
- ComicBook (autoplay video warning) also does a Most Anticipated Tabletop Roleplaying Games of 2023.
- Wargamer writes up Sean McCoy’s Dungeon23 challenge.
- Evil Hat, like many others, has announced they need to raise prices.
- Joining the publishers looking back, Handiwork shares a review of 2022.
- Focusing on releases, so does Onyx Path Publishing.
- OnlySky’s Captain Cassidy digs into LitRPG: When roleplaying games collide with fiction and anime.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- The Alexandrian reviews Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel in parts one, two and three.
- The ever busy Reviews from R’lyeh give up a look at RuneQuest’s SoloQuest, the RPG Gangbusters, and Regency Cthulhu.
- Grognardia writes up a retrospective on Root Hill’s Mad Mesa.
- EN Worlder and grognard Retreater finally reads and reviews Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft.
- While the familiar Rob Wieland writes up The One Ring’s Ruins of the Lost Realm.
- Refereeing and Reflection looks at the Blade Runner RPG with Like Dice in Rain.
- ScreenRant talk about the search and find adventure D&D Behold! with illustrator Ulises Farinas.
- Bleeding Cool does D&D with Regé-Jean Page On Fighting Dragons.
RPG new releases
- PossumPunks hits publish on a 5e action-horror. It’s Pink Moon.
- Rent-A-Thug has released Hell, Inc’s Employee Handbook.
- Rat Wave Game House has released a systems-agnostic setting inspired by Jack Kirby’s New Gods with Old Gods and Young Guns.
- Iron Crown Enterprises offers an add-on for ERA with ERA for Rolemaster Core Law (RMU).
- Homebrewed Games has published the 326-page 5e Druids: Secrets of the Primal Circle.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $37.20 (60%) with Rising Phoenix Games’ The Flaming Birthday bundle.
- Save $18.66 (26%) in the DMsGuild’s The Aesthetics Guide to Ansalon – Locations Guide bundle.
- Save $13 (62%) in Skirmisher Publishing’s H.G. Wells, Grandfather of Gaming bundle.
- Save $3.25 (47%) with the DMsGuild’s LPOC Gaming 2022 Collection bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- I chat to Donathin Fyre and Kienna Shaw about the solo RPG for 5e’s new Dragonlance The Test of High Sorcery.
- A nifty chart from Aatriuz trying to chart the evolutionary tree of playable races in D&D.
- Charles Dunwoody offers some Year Zero world-building with Blade Runner.
- The Alexandrian also chips in with Ptolus: Running the Campaign – When Players Reincorporate.
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;
- RPG Classical Creatures for 3d Printing from John Mazuroski suggests “Iconic beasts from DnD – STL files for 3D Printing”
- Digital TTRPG Tokens from Jonathon Myhre nominates “Digital TTRPG Tokens that you can use for D&D, Pathfinder, Alien, Stargate, etc.”
- Omission of Terror from Tabac Iberez introduces “A short story and mission pack for Lancer”
- Dungeon Delve from Dungeon Delve Creator is working on “In Dungeon Delve, players take on the role of brave adventurers exploring a treacherous dungeon in search of treasure and glory.”
- Limitless Non-Player Characters vol. 2 from Limitless Adventures pitches “100 detailed NPCs for your #dnd5e game, includes stats, treasure, and 300 adventure ideas!”
- Preposterous Potions from Daniel James introduces “Make100: A cavalcade of 100 new Preposterous Potions for your favorite TTRPGs, from 5e to OSR.”
- Savage Shapeshifters: Quick-adventures for D&D 5e – $1 from Luna Publishing crowdfunds “5 shapeshifter themed mini-adventures and other related content for D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) 5th edition.”
- The Wylds of Enoch Role-Playing Game from Grant Cooley pitches “Come explore this lush sci-fi role-playing setting with a fresh deck-crafting and dice mechanic!”
- Kunos: Savage Worlds High Fantasy Horror RPG – $1 from William Murakami-Brundage nominates “Publish the initial Kunos high fantasy horror RPG booklet for Savage Worlds, including a setting summary and intro adventure.”
- Haxen from Michael Elliott introduces “A single-player TTRPG about fate, survival, and a mysterious post-apocalypse.”
- Lost Roads of Lociam – Age of the Black Chaimara from Rasmus Strand suggests “A fantasy roleplaying game set in a dark age of strife and heroes.”
Do you know of an RPG news source that I don’t? Let me know, or leave a comment below.
