Welcome home.
This is Audio EXP for the 9th of December, and the episode title is “D&D murder, stamps and giant dice”
[The following is a transcript of Audio EXP: #221]
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DR Games is in the Spotlight thanks to votes from Geek Native’s fantastic patrons.
The timing worked out as DR Games has a smash hit Kickstarter on their hands with 2D6 Realm, the overland supplement for 2D6 Dungeon. The latter is a solo roll and write.
We talk solo games in the interview, which is live, by the way, and Toby Lancaster said something which made my heart pitterpatter. Toby said;
A lot of influential reviewers will include these in their solo player games lists and neglect a lot of indie publishers who actually design solo player games.
Eeek. I’m sure Geek Native isn’t an influential review site, and I’m sure we could do more reviews. Nevertheless, I do worry about supporting the indies.
The trouble is that people only want to read reviews of expensive things or games with hype. If a game costs $1, do you need to thoroughly research it as much before investing in a $60 rulebook? At least, that’s my experience. Despite wanting people to read and share Geek Native content, we also try to cover indies.
In this case, it’s pleasing to see the RPG Publisher Spotlight working as intended and making sure an indie like DR Games gets some limelight. Remember, it’s Geek Native’s great patrons who get to nominate and vote in the poll.
A solo entertainment activity that won’t invite heated discussion is watching TV, and I see that in time for the holidays Just Watch has launched a schedule builder and sharer.
You can now import your IMDb stalking list, that’s TV and movies, not the stars, into Just Watch. I didn’t know you could do that on IMDb, but now I do. Once in Just Watch, you can share those with friends, and I think that’s a fantastic way to pre-arrange the family TV Christmas schedule.
If you fancy, because you like ticking things off on a list like me, you can also mark your progress through a series and get alerts when there are new episodes.
Our creative supremo and LA interview circuit vet, Bronwen, has her eyes on the entertainment news. First, though, there’s this One Piece sweater from TruffleShuffle that she wrote up.
One Piece was a great Netflix show this year, and I hope there’s a lot more of it. You know, like 40 years or so to keep up with the manga.
And who could say no to a pink and green jumper with a skull on it?
Secondly, Bronwen noticed that Edgar Wright has been talking about his Running Man project.
The old ’80s movie was cheesy and fun, therefore not for everyone, and my young self liked it but was very surprised to hear it was apparently based on a Stephen King story.
It’s actually one of The Bachman Books, and Wright says he will be as true to the book as possible. Ergo, it’s going to be very different from the previous movie.
Another incoming show is The Electric State. It’s going to have Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, with the Russo brothers at the helm.
It’s based on the graphic novel by Simon Stalenhag, and, yes, Free League are currently Kickstarting the RPG.
Geek Native got to speak to Free League co-founder Tomas Härenstam about it.
They will use the ‘original’ D6 version of the Year Zero Engine for the game and introduce Hope and neurocasting rules. I sense the touches of The One Ring, with Hope being reduced through players deciding to push rolls or characters witnessing traumatic events.
Since we’re deep into RPGs, let’s talk about Chaosium, who this week released a limited edition but digital 40th Anniversary Keeper Rulebook.
There’s new essay content, and the now-iconic adventure The Haunting has been added back in, having previously appeared in the first six editions but not the current seventh edition.
Okay, that’s a 40th anniversary, what about a RPG that’s not been printed in 35 years?
That RPG would be the groundbreaking, messy and nostalgic Shadowrun 1st edition. We’re now up to the Sixth edition.
Catalyst Game Labs have announced that they’ll print the book again. Hopefully, this means they can tidy up the scans that currently make the PDFs on DriveThruRPG.
Since we’re talking about first editions, what about The Making of the Original Dungeons & Dragons.
There’s a new book coming, as announced at PAX Unplugged, and it will have never-seen-before letters between Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
The book isn’t a set of rules. It’s a collection of letters. It’s a collector’s piece. It’s creds and kudos and, I predict, will be bought as a gift for DMs for years to come.
Hasn’t D&D changed in public perception over the years? It’s cool now, right, and we’re through the Satanic panic.
Right?
Perhaps not, or perhaps lawyers will try anything, as a court in New Zealand has just found two people guilty of murder. A third person involved admitted his role in the crime and since he played D&D the knives were out as the legal teams tried to use that to… well, I’m not sure. Once someone’s admitted murder, I’m not sure you can tarnish their reputation much more.
Geek Native has an account of the sorry and decades-long drama, and the jury had their say.
A more positive example of how D&D’s reputation has changed comes from the US Postal Service, who have issued 50th anniversary D&D stamps.
I have to admit, they look pretty cool, but I’m not sure what I’d think if a purple wyrm delivered my Christmas card.
One small thing before we get onto the bundle outros… okay, one giant thing. Fever Dreams, a shop on Etsy, are selling 10x10x10 inch d20. They’re so large you can get them hollow and use them as storage if you want.
I was tempted, except for the cost of importing a small forest from Canada to Scotland.
Now, those outro deals!
On DriveThruRPG, Rising Phoenix Games has 24 RPG books for $24 in the RPG Advent Calendar.
There’s a new Blades in the Dark offer at the Bundle of Holding, including the core rules.
Lastly, and on Fanatical, there’s an amazingly low-cost Manga Masters bundle of digital content.
On that note, solo your heart out, keep safe and see you next week.
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