Routinely Itemised: RPGs #192

In recent weeks this RPG news summary has been fighting deadlines. I’m starting earlier this week… but, oh look, it’s been busy!

• Kobold Press’ D&D-not-D&D Black Flag part one is Lineage & Heritage.
• Wizards of the Coast have laid off their entire Latin America team.
• Free League have released details on their new licenses
• Hasbro and WotC exec continue to fight OGL fires and have their first earning call since the fire.
• Necrotic Gnomes’ Dolmenwood will go solo due to the OGL too.

Gosh. It’s tight again, and we’re up against the midnight clock.

What an exceptional week, though, and for the first time in Routinely Itemised’s history there’s two extra sections. One is for Free League’s new license proposal and the other for Kobold Press’ Black Flag project.

There could even have been a third still on the OGL aftermath which continues to send ripples and resulted in a bank backing Hasbro raising the issue on the official earnings call.

All that as reviewers got their first write-ups of the latest D&D book ready.

Now, the RPG news!

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RPG news from Geek Native

• Former Wizard of the Coast allies Demiplane go indie with the launch of 5e Nexus.
• Egg Embry writes for Geek Native and highlights Hasbro’s Q4 2022 earnings call.
• Geek Native’s been given stats showing a downloads trend in D&D app downloads.
• Supporting the Kickstarter and free to download, Space Otter Publishing has published a DecKarnage quickstart.
• Gildor Games expand Legends of Gildor with the Children of the Black Monolith.
• Geek Native’s Graham Gibson wrote up Resolution Games’ VTTRPG offering Demeo.
• The Bundle of Holding and Free League offer a The One Ring RPG deal.
• AAW coordinates a huge RPG bundle to raise Aid for Turkey.

Spotlight: Random Rambling Press

RPG news from around the web

• Green Ronin share another preview of Fantasy AGE 2e with Advancements and Damage.
• Sadly, ex-WotC staffer Carolina Moraes confirms Wizards of the Coast laid off the whole Latin America team.
• Necrotic Gnome has announced that Dolmenwood will be delayed slightly as, due to the OGL drama, it will become standalone RPG. The following day there was a core rules preview.
• Andrews McMeel has cancelled their Afrofuturist RPG Into the Motherlands but will continue to publish OZ and Neverland.
• The Fandomentals cover Beadle & Grimm’s Reveals New Treasures With The ‘Keys From The Golden Vault’ DM Vault.
• Linda Codega at Gizmodo writes up Bring Tabletop Games to Your Phone With Role’s New Mobile Features.
• Julia Anderson at CBR notes Critical Role May Develop Its Own RPG System, Matt Mercer Says.
• At Polygon, Charlie Hall shares Acquisitions Incorporated, the OG D&D actual play series, returns for its 15th anniversary.
• D&D Beyond has a free Keys from the Golden Vault adventure called Prisoner 13.
• Education site We Are Teachers offers Teachers Are Using Dungeons & Dragons To Teach SEL Skills.
• ICv2 run Chaosium will release Pendragon 6e RPG Starter Set.
• Clave Jones from Nerds of Earth write up Hoping For A Natural 20: The Early Optimism Of Dungeons And Dragons.
• The Conversation, a news site with academic rigour to stories, digs in with Content creators and corporations clash in Dungeons & Dragons licensing fiasco and Dungeons & Dragons licence changes threaten the fan community the game relies upon – legal expert explains.
• Bell of Lost Souls writes up Hasbro Addresses D&D’s OGL ‘Misfire’ With Investors.
• Grace Benfell also has Hasbro Execs Talk Dungeons And Dragons And Open Game License Controversy.
• xFire’s Geoff Borgonia pens OGL controversy pushed massive sales surge of Pathfinder and other non-D&D games.
• Chase at Dicebreaker adds Senior D&D producer says RPG’s execs “lost sight of the impact” OGL debacle would have on community.
• At EN World, Morrus references the same interview in Kyle Brink Interviewed by Teos Abadia (Alphastream) on OGL, WotC, & D&D.
• Milton Griepp at ICv2 does the stats in Wizards of the Coast tabletop sales up 40% for Q4, 12% for the year.
• R. Talsorian Games has VTT news and a Black Chrome sneak peek.
• Digital toolkit Role rolls out Colored Dice, Pro GMs, Zines, & More!.
• We Got This Covered covers Chris Pine praises Wizards of the Coast’s involvement in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’.

Free League Publishing’s new licenses

• It’s a PDF, looks like (and is) T&Cs and marked draft but it’s the proposed Year Zero Engine Free Tabletop License.
• Chase Carter at Dicebreaker covers the story with Mutant: Year Zero, Blade Runner RPG maker asks for feedback on two royalty-free tabletop licences.
• PopGeeks writes up Peter Paltridge’s take

Kobold Press’ Black Flag

• Free to download, Kobold Press’ first Black Flag chapter is out: Lineage & Heritage.
• At Kobold, Celeste Conowitch shares the first Design Diary.
• Dicebreaker opines Project Black Flag’s first crack at a D&D replacement is more retread than reinvention.
• Wargamer’s Mollie Russel concludes Kobold Press’ new RPG system sticks closely to DnD 5e.
• Jared Rascher shares first impressions on Black Flag’s Heritage and Talents.
• At Bell of Lost Souls, J.R. Zambrano joins in with A Look At Kobold Press’ Project Black Flag First Playtest Reveals 5E Roots.

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• Dicebreaker’s Tim Ford concludes Iron Kingdoms mixes Warhammer’s battles with D&D’s roleplaying in an RPG fans of both hobbies shouldn’t miss
• Aaron T Huss reviews Free League Publishing’s Ruins of the Lost Realm for The One Ring.
• Dave Pierson does the same for Dragonlance: Shdaow of the Dragon Queen.
• Rob Wieland has a review of Star Treks’ Utopia Planitia.
• The Furtive Golbin’s Burrow gets alliterative in a review of Heartseeker.
• MJR RPG reviews Call of Cthulhu’s Unseanonable Blooming and Minuet and Crushed.
• EN World’s nijneko has kindly reviewed FASERIPopedia Rules Cyclopedia​.
• Halfway Station 3.0 takes a look at Pathfinder Beginner Box.
• Jared’s Keys From The Golden Vault series continues with part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven and part eight.
• Also, Jared’s Agents of the Empire series covers with part two and part three.
• Grognardia pens a retrospective on Traveller’s Library Data.
• ScreenRant and Austin King have a Limitless Heroics review with A Great D&D Supplement For Inclusive Campaigns.
• Reviews from R’lyeh looks at Bite-Sized Gaming’s OSR 7 Abord the Schackel, D&D Greyhawk’s Slavers and the new quickstart from Green Ronin for Fifth Season.
• GameTyrant’s Dean Clark shares first impressions with Dragonbane: A solid TTRPG return that need’s a little more time.
• Egg Embry talks to Robert Marriner-Dodds from Dragon Turtle Games about Legacy Rising.
• Geek Girl Authority talks to Stephanie Elizondo.

RPG new releases

• 23rd Century Productions has released Savage Battlelords core rules, the Carnage Companion and Alliance Setting Guide.
• Play the monster in Eden Park Tales’ BRP-powered Fae RPG.
• Modiphius continue the Liminal RPG with authors such as Paul Baldowski, Neil Gow and Guy Milner in the Casebook.
• Unlimited Realms picked up more than 2,000 backers on Kickstarter and now has published Cyran’s Magnificent Walking Marketplace.
• Knight Owl Publishing has published Aquatic Adventures.
• Sundered Skies Press has released their 5e The Lost Codex of Mirkryn: Grimhaven Standard Edition.
• The DMsGuild has a Roll20 conversion for Home-Field Advantage.
• Eternity Publishing released their Pathfinder and 5e Immortals Handbook: Ascension 2023.
• Stephen DiFranco published a 5e adventure The Day Without An End.
• Aetherflyer has picked up early positive review coverage for RPGXpress’ Pine Beach.
• Kenneth Proven’s d100-powered Vindicta.
• Bookshops have the Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game starter set and core rulebook.
• It’s a pre-order, but it’s a hardcover limited edition from Kobold Press; Campaign Builder: Cities & Towns.

RPG bundle deals

• Save $23.13 (50%) in Black Guard Press’ 1/2 Off Everything bundle.
• Save $29.17 (36%) and $19.68 (35%) with Earl of Fife Games’ Cepheus 2023 Publishers bundle 1 and bundle 2.
• Save $13.50 (51%) with Zed Nope’s A Memorable Garden Party bundle.
• Save $7.85 (40%) with a DMsGuild’s Wild Beyond the Witchlight Adventure Roll20 bundle.
• Save $4.60 (20%) with Kobold Press’ Book of Blades bundle.
• Save %40 (17%) with D&D Solo Adventure: The Death Knight’s Square a Roll20 bundle.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• N00b Mama reshares some LARP Valentine’s Day cards.
• Grognardia shares their Top 10 Non-D&D RPGs part one and part two.
• BookRiot’s Ann-Marie Cahill opines The Best Dungeons & Dragons character sheets to start your game in style.
• ScreenRant’s Sarah-Jane Simpson shares Best Heists In D&D’s Keys From The Golden Vault To Try First.
• Sly Flourish pondered The Near Perfect RPG Session.
• Take on Rules kindly shares how they are Trying to Find My Way Back into Tabletop Role-Playing Gaming.

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;

• O, Death! from Jeffrey A. Regner submits “A new Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) adventure for 2nd level characters about music, moonshine, and Death!”
• Sanctum: Age of Aftermath from Marcel Wolf nominates “A sci-fi post-apocalyptic Arcano-Cyberpunk-Fantasy setting for Pathfinder 2e”
• Aryel’s Final Curse: A Horror Adventure for 5E #zinequest from Marco Antonio Piana is working on “Free Old Angler’s Den from its living nightmare, or give in to the siren’s eldritch dream. Plus new NPCs, spells, items, and monsters.”
• Alteria RPG from G. M. Bardi nominates “A Tabletop Role Playing Game for 2-6 players set in the dark/high-fantasy Multiverse of Alteria.”
• The Realm from Luke Murphy offers “Domain Play for Romances, Sagas, and Chronicles”
• Daggers and Ditches and Dangerous Things from Sealed Library nominates “A super tiny RPG about going on wild adventures you probably won’t come back from.”
• Myth of Cthulhu Extension & Primordial Zeal Metal Coins from Vermilion Craft kickstarts “inspired by Lovecraftian characters and mythical faiths of global origins”
• Killing in the Name: A Mothership RPG Murder Mystery from Owen O’Donnell pitches “There has been a murder, but this is about more than solving it. Will disaster bring a new order, or is this the beginning of the end?”
• THE VULTURE from Jake Milner nominates “A Derelict Shipcrawl for the Mothership sci-fi horror RPG.”
• D10 Universal First Realm from Cyric657 raises funds for “A fun and easy to learn d10 Universal setting system. It will go along with a Sci-fi-High Fantasy Magi-tech setting.”
• Beautifully Designed D&D Rooms, Corridors, and Furniture! from James crowdfunds “Transform Your Tabletop Adventure with Intricate Cardboard Sets for Any Quest and Edition”
• Spiritcaller RPG from Braden Swanson pitches “I’m working on a new TTRPG system designed to be fully modular, so both game masters and players can adjust whatever they need”
• Cities Untold: Lowtown – TTRPG Terrain By Dwarven Forge from Dwarven Forge introduces “Amazingly modular, hand-painted gaming terrain to make your tabletop adventures come alive.”
• Titans’ Story – Embers in the Wind. from suggests “Roleplaying game based on a fantastic dystopian with a dynamic combat system, endless compositions, styles and strategies!”
• NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD for 5E! A Zine Quest Quickstarter! from Cirque du Nocturne crowdfunds “A 5E One-Shot inspired by George A. Romero’s cult horror movie! When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk your tabletop!”
• The Legacy of Arrius Lurco: Updated for 7th Edition from Golden Goblin Press crowdfunds “A new, expanded version of the Cthulhu Invictus campaign, updated and reedited for 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu”
• Harlot’s Den from Chris Abbey @ Sally 4th submits “Physical(Injection Molded) and Digital(STL) Gaming Miniatures for TTRPG games and Figurines/Display Painting”
• Ghost Club RPG – The New Kids (expansion) from Andrew Dowell pitches “An ancient evil has returned to your town. Get a new team together and banish more malevolent ghosts back to the spectral dimension!”
• Talamander Fantasy gamebook magazine issue 1 from Tim Brown pitches “You are the hero in this ongoing adventure series (cover by ‘Joe Dever Lone Wolf’ artist Nerdgore) with pull-out poster!”
• Tales from the Dungeon – Weird Magic from Skylar Simmons offers “The seventh issue of Tales from the Dungeon, a RPG zine compatible with 5th edition. #ZineQuest 5”
• Where Legends Fall: Dungeon Slimes – STL Files from Sync Ratio Systems kickstarts “This pay what you want appreciation campaign is providing STL files of fantasy miniatures to be 3D printed.”
• On the Way to Chrysopoeia from Oscar Biffi crowdfunds “An epistolary RPG for 2 alchemists, written by Morgane Reynier. A travel journal of the World All Around, illustrated by Marion Bulot.”
• The Last Hand: A Horror Role Playing Game from Eric Faber proposes “A GM-less storytelling RPG about escaping an unknown creature and prioritizing your survival in the final scene. -ZineQuest5”
• Script Wizards: RPG Zine for Hackers from Script Wizards nominates “An old-school fantasy RPG zine for hackers filled with scripts, tools, articles and ASCII art.”
• HOME – A Pen & Paper RPG Sandbox Toolkit from Scott Wegener crowdfunds “HOME is a 5e compatible toolkit for creating a sandbox centered on a small community that grows & develops with your Players”
• Gaming Table Designs from Philip Pitts introduces “Bringing the beauty of wood into your home with a functional and practical Gaming Table.”
• Arcane Crimes Division RPG from Imaginary Empire Games pitches “Investigate magical and supernatural crime in the sprawling fantasy city of Polarity.”
• Elemental Dragon Glitter Dice & Zodiac Dragon Tapestries! from Anthony Christou proposes “Resin Dragon Dice inspired by the four elements with Zodiac inspired Dragon tapestries.”
• The Blasphemous Temple of Yargolith (Zine Quest) from Steve Johnson raises funds for “Travel to a remote ancient temple and battle a treacherous cult in this adventure zine designed for use with Old-School Essentials.”
• Remnants – A Record of the Broken World from Matt Beames crowdfunds “A solo journal RPG by Matt Beames”
• Book Style Dice Boxes and Matching Player Accessories from Robert Melrose is working on “Hand finished dice boxes and accessories with style. Co-ordinate your game today. Every order gets a FREE set of dice!”
• Haphazard: Azulea Awakens from Blue Fox Games introduces “A story campaign, dungeon crawler, and RPG twisted into a memorable print and play adventure for 1-3 reckless souls.”
• Grand Banquet | Fantasy Miniature Food Tokens For RPG Games from Mojibake proposes “3D Printable STL Food Tokens & Props…Level Up Your Tabletop Games!”
• FANTASTIC GEOGRAPHIC ISSUE 3 from Ian McG introduces “A RPG zine for all systems and none”
• Penetrating the Veil from Octopus Apocalypse nominates “A solo journaling game about f&%king ghosts”
• Psychic Kids from Wet Ink Games is working on “The RPG of Psychic Kids on the run from danger!”
• Hoss: Compatible with the Mothership Sci-Fi Horror RPG from Tim Obermueller raises funds for “Hoss liberated his planet from it corporate overlord years ago, but at what cost? What will he do to keep the power he’s gained?”
• Desperation of the Hungry: An Encounter for DCC RPG from Nick Baran nominates “Desperation of the Hungry is a frantic, 1.5-2 hour, stand-alone DCC RPG encounter packed into a tiny zine.”
• BURGERPunk – The RPG from Jeff Martin suggests “In the distant future of 1997, the Cola Wars have destroyed America and turned it into a wasteland of fast food feuds and Living Meat.”
• Alice is Missing: Silent Falls from Hunters Books suggests “The highly-anticipated expansion to the award-winning silent roleplaying game, Alice is Missing”
• Solo Panda Fu from Peter Rudin-Burgess suggests “A Solo Roleplaying Zine for Yin Yang Panda”
• Summer of Color: Metal Dice by Misty Mountain Gaming from Misty Mountain Gaming proposes “A wide variety of new colorful metal dice sets for tabletop gaming.”
• [ROOT.system] in print from Soncka offers “A retro-cyberpunk / green post-apocalypse roleplaying game. In physical form.”
• Dogs and Dice: Part 2 from Laura Hammonds nominates “A tabletop gaming session isn’t complete without a couple of dogs and a whole lot of dice! These goodies reflect our love for both.”
• Rumored Blades from Arlin is working on “A fully illustrated Risograph zine of bladed weapons for a fantasy setting. Each with a collection of strange rumors.”
• Micro Dungeons: Against the Titans Edition from Guillermo Buenfil raises funds for “Micro Dungeon crawling Adventures where the Monsters are the Dungeons for 5e D&D and OSR (5th edition Dungeons and Dragons TTRPG)”
• Seven Willows from James Streissand suggests “A ranger’s zine about mastering seven magical forests.”
• DecKarnage! Randomness, silliness and FLUFFY VIOLENCE! from Space Otter Publishing introduces “An original Old School flavoured RPG which uses DecKreative cards to RANDOMIZE EVERYTHING! Will you challenge the CHAOS itself?!”
• The Fall of Retbury – 5E Supplement – Zine Quest Edition from Galandir’s Pit raises funds for “A TTRPG 5E DnD complement campaign to start a new adventure and prevent the fall of mysterious city. Original gameplay & new mechanics.”
• Hiria: The Eternal City from Jimmy Shelter suggests “A solo journaling rpg in which you travel through different manifestations of the same city tracking down your quarry. #zinequest #zimo”
• Pirates, Ships, and Artifacts from Diego Pisa Artworks suggests “New pirate artifacts and ships for your games. For use with fantasy tabletop RPGs.”
• Shoppers: An RPG Zine of Mini Games and Shopping Malls from Alex Rinehart proposes “Shoppers is a ZineQuest slice of life game about spending your time in a shopping malls. Catch the sales and have a good time!”
• Betrayal and Revenge plus Rogues and Spies from The Oracle submits “Two magazines = over 100 pages of system-neutral fantasy RPG content suitable for all game systems”
• The Mountain City of Gundbar | 3D Printable Terrain from Unchained Games proposes “TTRPG multi-floor terrain with a playable interior, Hi-res miniatures, adventure PDF & much more!”
• Chiron’s Doom from Nick Bate suggests “A mysterious monument. An ill-fated expedition. A ZineQuest tabletop RPG for 1-3 players.”
• Hexaburough Adventure Society Enchiridion from Indigo R McD kickstarts “A rip apart and play TTRPG Zine (Zinequest 2023)”
• WYRD Dungeon from Happy Jak Games suggests “A TTRPG Random Dungeon Generator”
• Dice Tomes Vol 2 from Artefact Games crowdfunds “Dice Tomes return with more exquisite custom RPG dice sets, each themed on an iconic character class.”
• Pigeon’s Eleven from 9thLevel kickstarts “A bird heist roleplaying game powered by polymorph. #Zinequest”
• Sci-Fi pulp miniatures from Cedric Snowmodel introduces “3D printable STL Miniatures sci-fi retro pulp for Role Playing Games, Tabletop and Wargames.”
• Path to Orek: Tomb-raiding adventure for Pathfinder 1E/2E from Douglas Sun is working on “Our Found by the Way location module series with a linked pair describing a village and nearby tombs full of riches and necromancy,”
• Marauding Horde 30mm Card Stock Fantasy Gaming Miniatures from Joe Nittoly proposes “Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins and Wargs card stock minis for fantasy tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) that use miniatures”
• KAIJUS VS JAEGERS: Miniatures for Tabletop RPG – STL files from Stray Paws Society introduces “KAIJUS VS JAEGERS: Miniatures for Tabletop RPG – STL files for 3D printing”
• Dark Delves: Adventures for OSR & 5E from Kabouter Games is working on “Vampires, bandits, mimics, and fungus foes – help Little Witham avoid a sinister fate in this adventure compendium!”
• The Tearable Tome of Weaponry from Garrett Lewis crowdfunds “A tearable zine of various weapons to use in your tabletop campaigns. #ZineQuest”
• Apocalisse – John’s Guide to the Armageddon for 5E from Acheron Books raises funds for “Fight for humanity, conquer the Seven Seals and defeat otherworldly forces who want to destroy the world!”
• Trick Tower from Fabiunes submits “A 1vs1 TV Show Challenge RPG-Zine.”
• Art of Kilforth Artbook & Gloom of Kilforth reprints from Tristan Hall proposes “A journey through the beautiful world of Kilforth, from Hall or Nothing”
• The Ink That Bleeds: How To Play Immersive Journaling Games from Paul Czege raises funds for “A zine about bleed, immersion, writing to find out, self care, and the landscape of your unconscious, with insights from my own play.”
• Foundations from Leyline Press submits “Foundations is a solo worldbuilding and map making game in which players create a fantasy world for use in tabletop roleplaying games.”
• Grim Hollow: Valikan Clans from Ghostfire Gaming pitches “A TTRPG supplement and adventure that takes you through the land and clans of Etharis’ Valika!”
• Book of Portals – #ZineQuest repertoire of fantasy doorways from Done’s Workshop raises funds for “A collection of mysterious portals leading to all sort of strange places, in digital Zine format”
• The Cool Cryptid Double Feature from Lara Turner offers “Two solo games about mysterious beings, from the creators of the Mended by Mages games.”
• Death Dealing: A card-throwing rogue subclass for 5E! from Steve Conley offers “Plus new spells, magic items, and creatures! #ZineQuest”
• The Modular Gaming Table by Wyrmwood from Wyrmwood Gaming crowdfunds “The premier table is back and better than ever with more sizes, accessories, woods and features to fit your family, home and lifestyle.”

Do you know of an RPG news source that I don’t? Let me know, or leave a comment below.