As foreshadowed it’s a weird time! Bronwen and I are pulling early (6am) to late (2am) shifts to cover the Edinburgh Festivals. Does that mean we’ve abandoned TTRPG news? Heck naw!
Let’s start with the TTRPG summary of summaries!
- Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere RPG is going amazingly well.
- D&D 2024 is out (via Gen Con) and feels like a new edition.
- The Fallen London TTRPG is coming.
- The Smurfs TTRPG is coming.
- Shadowdark and Outgunned did well at the ENnies.
Have you ever been to Edinburgh in August? Let us know – especially if you’re here now.
Alternatively, did you go to Gen Con? How did it go?
I went to a D&D (so-called) actual play which was streamed, and I’m feeling a bit guilty because I’ve given in middle marks and grumbled about sexualising young teens. They did what? It was a Harry Potter-themed adventure. Was I wrong? Am I mean? The jokes leant more into innuendo but, still.
I also feel cheated! In the interview section, Business Insider seems to tease a TTRPG business article on streaming with Brennan Lee Mulligan and Mathew Mercer, but it’s not very business at all. It’s a wee chat. Drats.
On with the news and we’re looking forward to sleep.
Support: Patreon.
RPG news from Geek Native
- Shadowdark and Outgunned are among the ENnies 2024 winners.
- Failbetter Games and Magpie have teamed up for a Fallen London TTRPG.
- There’s a Smurfs TTRPG coming, and it has a free-to-download sample.
- A fiercely limited D&D deal (only 1974 – get it) gold collectable badges from Forbidden Planet.
- It’s huge, it’s Brandon Sanderson, it’s multi-million, but there are also Cosmere freebies.
- In the Bundle of Holding, there’s an Ultraviolet deal and one for Mazes.
Spotlight: Schwalb Entertainment
RPG news from around the web
- Christian Hoffer covers that The Stormlight Archives RPG Is Actually the Cosmere RPG, Will Adapt All of Brandon Sanderson’s Worlds.
- Admitting to struggling and to using AI-generated content, Daniel Kling Lorensten shares the sad news that The Internet Is Dying and So Is TabletopGamingNews.com.
- Worringly, EN World and others report that there’s been D&D Player’s Handbook Video Redactions & Takedowns.
- Morrus notes that Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive TTRPG Makes $1M In Under An Hour.
- EN World also shares Project Sigil Updates: D&D’s 3d Virtual Tabletop.
- Chaosium have said September 2024 for the Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Decks 2nd Edition.
- Schwalb Entertainment shares the new Demon Lord hotness.
- Polygon highlights Old school role-play system Shadowdark wins top honors at Gen Con’s Ennie awards.
- Carrying the press release, the Roleplayers Chronicle run Paizo Announces New Partnership with The Game Theatre to Host Pathfinder and Starfinder Weekend Vacations.
- Pinnacle Entertainment Group shared a picture-first digest of Gen Con 2024 with Savage Worlds in mind. DiceGeeks share a broader bullet-point Gen Con 2024 Report.
- In RPG-related news; New Dragonlance Trilogy, ‘Dragonlance Legacies’ Announced for 2026.
- Also in RPG-related news, ICv2 report that Pathfinder Dice Conquest has been unveiled.
- Brick Fanatics help out with How to use Brick Search to find every LEGO Dungeons & Dragons minifigure.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- It’s a new edition insists Rob Wieland in his D&D Player’s Handbook 2024: The Official Advance Review.
- Refereeing and Reflection reviews the old, out-of-print but still insightful Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games.
- Reviews from R’lyeh looks into the Achtung! Cthulhu Resurrection Men and the 1984 Adventures of Indiana Jones RPG.
- Always busy, Jared Rascher gives Gnome Stew a Pendragon Core Rulebook 6th edition review.
- Throat Punch Games as a ring side report of the ALIEN RPG Colonial Marines Operations Manual.
- CBR’s Jenny Melzer pens The Dungeonmeister Random Monster Generator Review.
- Bell of Lost Souls’s Meaghan Colleran writes up ‘Daggerheart’ is a Game Designed For Your Longest-Running Campaign.
- Flames Rising has a Review of The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977.
- Beth Rimmels has an In-Depth Review of Quests from the Infinite Staircase.
- TheRatHole reviews Wyrms.
- In Geek Native’s sister site, Edinburgh Reviews, Girdy went to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe performance of Tartan Tabletop and gave middleish marks.
- Behind a pay/sub-wall, The Washington Post pen Dungeons & Dragons is 50. These books show how it really got started.
- At Screen Rant, Caitlin Tyrrell has How Dungeons & Dragons Inspired Jon Collins-Black’s Real Life Treasure Hunt.
- Business Insider chats to Brennan Lee Mulligan of Dimension 20 and Matthew Mercer in an interview-article called “What goes on behind the scenes in the most formidable alliance in the nerdworld business“.
RPG new releases
- Afterthrought Committee has released a game that sits between reality and fantasy with Forsaken.
- Lords of Gallipae Games has published Trail of Heroes Standard Edition.
- Mixu Games has published Futhark – A Runic Roleplaying Game.
- Rune & Relic Press has released the Shadowdark setting Formoria: The Dark Age.
- Fort and Feather have released a free-to-download Origins Quickstart: Intruder up the hill.
- Rarr! I’m a Monster Publishing also as a free-to-download game with The Open Source Fantasy Roleplaying Game (OSFRPG).
- Copperback Jack has published Neonbright – A Shadowdark Cyberfantasy Hack.
- Successor Games has created Die-Strength System Conspectus for Planetbound®.
- Complete with a content warning, MediaStream Press has released Eldritch Escapes – A roleplaying guide to illicit substances in fantasy RPGs.
- Cubicle 7 has published the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound supplement Ruins of the Past.
- Paizo has issued the Pathfinder Player Core 2 for Roll20.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $69.98 (41%) in Columbia Games Inc’s HarnWorld: HarnMaster bundle.
- Save $18.83 (39%) with the DMsGuild’s All Inclusive Stormcrow Collection bundle.
- Save $13.08 (51%) with the DMsGuild’s Ultimate 5e bundle.
- Save $6 (30%) in the DMsGuild’s Of Warlocks & Patrons PDF + Roll20 bundle.
- Fantasy Grounds has the $9.99 Alone in the Dark Shadowdark RPG Bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Ben and the Genre Police share RPG tips about working better with different types of players.
- Even more importantly, Ben, a professional GM, discusses how to handle hard-hitting content with players.
- Charles Dunwoody writes up some worldbuilding for The Electric State Journey.
- The Baster’s Encyclopedia is transforming the world into fantasy maps.
- Roll20’s Brittany Vick gives us a look into redesigning the D&D 2024 Compendium.
- Tales of Grotesque and Dungeonesque shares thoughts on The Cool Friend NPC.
- The Angry DM opines that You Don’t Need to Run an Open-World Game.
- At Gnome Stew, Tomas Gimenez Rioja reminds us that failures are more interesting than successes.
- RoleplayingTips has thoughts on Defeating Shiny Object Syndrome.
- Do you have loads of PDF zines? Revivy Games writes up the process for binding them.
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 mentioning;
- NECROVENGE – A solo TTRPG from Philip Jensen is working on “NECROVENGE is a solo TTRPG about rebuilding your dungeon and getting your revenge on those pesky adventurers!”
- House of Steel, A Metahumans Rising Role-Playing Worldbook from HouseDok raises funds for “Explore super powered role-play with new powers, boons, & tools plus deep setting for the Metahumans Rising Role-Playing Game (RPG)”
- The Perilous Void from penny lantern crowdfunds “Content generation tools for any sci-fi RPG.”
- Gone Fishin’: A Cozy Solo-Adventure For D&D/DnD5e from Betta Games kickstarts “Drop your shields & grab your reels in this solo D&D5e adventure where player characters enjoy the bliss of fish!”
- Digital TTRPG Maps from Matthew Leadbetter pitches “A selection of 25 digital only maps suitable for fantasy RPGS”
- The Amethyst Dragon’s Hoard of Everything – a 5e Supplement from The Amethyst Dragon pitches “A 575-page Dungeons and Dragons (or D&D / DnD) 5E supplement filled with more than 1,700 original & useful options for TTRPG players.”
- 20+ Hand-Drawn Dungeon Maps for any TTRPG from TPK Compass suggests “A collection beginning with 20 hand-drawn dungeon battlemaps, expanding with support! Suitable for any TTRPG (D&D, Pathfinder, etc.)”
- D100+ Inn & Tavern Rumours for D&D and Any TTRPG from CraftRiot proposes “An expanding collection of rumors in diverse tavern settings—from deserts to icy lands, and even the depths of the Underdark.”
- Plug and Play Dungeons Vol. 2 for 5e from Goblin’s Hoard pitches “An essential addition to any GM’s collection, suitable for D&D 5E, Pathfinder, OSR, and various other TTRPG systems!”
- Mirth & Magic: A Cartoony Collection from Dilek Erişenbaş nominates “A cartoon themed 5e supplement to remember that fun!”
- GRAB’n’GO – Demons Abound from HeroicHouse Creations crowdfunds “30 Unique demonic beings to bring untold horror to your campaign. 5E Compatible.”
- The Cave Giant & Sporefolk Guide for 5e from Mériate Games submits “A guide all about Cave Giants & Sporefolks for DnD 5e, with lore, stat blocks, magic items and high quality STL files!”
- Warriors & Writings: Sword, Spell & Squid from Nice @ Dice suggests “Two new expansions arrive for the roll & write, fantasy dungeon crawler.”
- Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A Fucking Boss from Venger Satanis proposes “Venger Satanis leads you by the tentacle, showing you how to make your gaming more gonzo and accessible for novices and veterans alike.”
- Fantasy Food from Diego Pisa Artworks introduces “Add new flavor to your adventures! Fantastic dishes for use with any fantasy RPG (DnD 5E, GURPS, OSR…)”
- Torn from Steven Drouin kickstarts “Mystery/Horror Roleplaying”
- The Shucked Oyster: A Cursed Brothel for Shadowdark RPG from Black Lodge Games is working on “A third party supplement for Shadowdark RPG to add untold chaos to your local town.”
- Warren Magazine #3: Nocturne from WereRabbit Press suggests “Embrace the Night: A Gothic Setting for your 5th Edition Campaign”
- The City of Arches – A High-Fantasy 5e RPG City Sourcebook from Mike Shea proposes “A high-fantasy city sourcebook for Lazy GMs, usable with D&D, 5e, and other fantasy RPGs.”
- Amazing Encounters & Dungeons from CZRPG raises funds for “A 5e supplement with over 100 independent scalable dungeon rooms, encapsulated in 10 ready-to-play dungeons”
- Echoing Abyss – A Mörk Borg Adventure from Terry Herc pitches “Explore a haunted chasm inhabited by an otherworldly force, where tortured spirits protect treasure-laden crypts.”
- CookingCraft: Create your own food recipes for DnD 5E from Legendary Scribes offers “The art of crafting food in Dungeons & Dragons: rare ingredients, enchanting effects, and new mechanics for D&D, your favourite TTRPG!”
- Enemies Unleashed from Star Anvil Studios is working on “A Savage Worlds Supers Supplement”
- AtR: Survivor Starter, 5E D&D + Roll20 from Rusted Portal Games introduces “AtR: No Apocalypse like this, No Survivor like you. Build your colony from the ruins of humanity, Slay Damned & Dead, and Survive.”
- Fishblade! The One Page RPG from Modern Artifice offers “A School of Fish, a Crate of Weapons, an Ocean of Adventure”
- Age of Chivalry: Men at Arms, A Medieval TTRPG from Thorn & Petal Games submits “Dive into 14th century Europe in ‘Age of Chivalry: Men at Arms’—a TTRPG of honor, strategy, and destiny.”
- Dungeon Master’s Market from Tyler Church introduces “I am a D&D nerd. I create custom maps on Inkarnate, write campaigns, and take orders for custom designed maps that DMs need!”
- Scoundrels of Brixton: Phantoms of Unov from Jeffrey Jones raises funds for “A sci-fi setting of crime and conflict. Compatible with Traveller, the Cepheus Engine, and other popular game systems.”
- Phoenix Fire – TTRPG | Games | Spicy Romantic Fantasy Novels from Leo & Fox offers “Beauty and the Beast meets Mission Impossible”
- Fantasy Arcane Wizard Library Clock Dice Towers – 3D STL from Slope3D introduces “Unveil the Arcane Secrets with our dice towers made in Fantasy Wizard style available as 3D printable STL Files.”
- DicePen Collection from DicePen submits “Portable set of Roll & Write strategy games by indie board game designers. Play anywhere, anytime, enjoy the fun in home and on the go!”
- Entromancy: Definitive Edition from M. S. Farzan proposes “Entromancy is a cyberpunk fantasy tabletop roleplaying game set in San Francisco in the late 21st century.”
- The Dungeon Builder’s Guide: Dungeon Design Made Simple from MiracleDungeons nominates “A Comprehensive Handbook for Creating Cohesive and Exciting Dungeons”
- Nightmare & Mythology collection DND 5E from KingOfGames suggests “30 DND 5E Monsters”
- Daerdan’s Evolving Wands for D&D 5e from Wyatt Trull suggests “A collection of magic wands of growing power for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons”
- DnD 5e Tome of Terrors Vol 6: Monsters from the Deep! from The Eldorium Archives submits “A D&D 5e supplement containing new creatures from the Deep Sea, each accompanied by a Mini and a One-Shot adventure featuring them!”
- The Forgotten Burial Caverns: A Drop & Play Adventure from Iron Hills Studios introduces “A dynamic & tactical adventure module for TTRPG’s, designed for compatibility with ShadowDark & 5e!”
- Ordinem: A Fantasy Role-Playing Campaign World of Adventure from John Thompson submits “A World of Legend, full of Adventures, Heroes, Monsters and Treasures, for 5e Compatible role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons.”
Do you know of an RPG news source that we don’t? Let us know, or leave a comment below.
