Once again, I’ve failed to get this out by midnight here in Scotland, but pretend this is your Friday night RPG news round-up.
Let’s start as usual and with the TTRPG summary of summaries!
- Robert Schwalb reveals the first details to Geek Native about Abaddon: The Angel of the Void.
- Wizards of the Coast is letting you check out Sigil VTT for free.
- Fat Goblin Games has been sold, and Rick Hershey and Lucus Palossari have set up Kids in the Attic.
- There’s a Humble deal claiming the Lost Works of Gygax, but I suggest that’s a bit of a stretch.
- The second edition of the SCP RPG is out and free to download.
The RPG Publisher spotlight is up with Schwalb Entertainment.
It’s nearly the end of the month, and Geek Native patrons can vote in the shortlist for one of the following:
There are a few ways outside traditional social media to follow Geek Native. We have what might be the longest-lasting ‘soft launch’ of a Discord ever. Not much banter but there is a channel that shows what has just happened on the blog and news from other important RPG servers.
There’s also a Telegram broadcast, a secure messaging platform popular in Europe and now with a controversial founder.
On with the news and let us know if you’ll be at Tabletop Scotland as well!
Support: Patreon.
RPG news from Geek Native
- I get to talk to Rick S Hershey about selling Fat Goblin Games and setting up Kids in the Attic.
- Wizards of the Coast has made the demo of Sigil, their VTT, free to try out.
- Covering all the intelligent news, Geek Native noticed the award-winning D&D potato.
- Geek Native has a look at some of the art in the D&D 2024 Player’s Guide.
- We’ve a first look at Crow Land Publishing’s Starpunk.
- The SCP Tabletop RPG has been revised and is free to download.
- In the Bundle of Holding, there’s the DCC Dying Earth offer and the free Phones of Glory.
- In Humble, Frog God and Troll Lord are claiming the Lost Works of Gygax.
Spotlight: Schwalb Entertainment
RPG news from around the web
- Christian Hoffer in EN World notes that Controversial Luke Crane has purchased the RPG Dungeon World from its original creator, Sage LaTorra, and controversial Adam Koebel.
- Traveller also has new owners in Mongoose Publishing, except, well, that’s been the case for a secret while. The plan had been to tell us in 2027!
- Dungeons & Dragons will appear on the front cover of Time Magazine.
- Wizards of the Coast u-turn on removing old 5e rules from D&D Beyond.
- ICv2 covers the new D&D third-party creator partners, which will include The Griffon’s Saddlebag, Hitpoint Press, MCDM, Loot Tavern, Kobold Press, Dungeon Dudes, Ghostfire Gaming and Free League’s Lord of the Rings.
- At Tabletop Gaming News Daniel Kling Lorentsen writes up “Solasta Campaign Rulebook” Now Available from Modiphius which you can get from DTRPG.
- Kickstarter spotlights Creator Spotlights: Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere® RPG Becomes Kickstarter’s Most Funded Game Project.
- EN World notices the New Dungeons & Dragons 50th Anniversary Exhibit at National Museum of Play.
- Also, Dawn Dalton shares a Starfinder Update from Gen Con.
- Ripped Tabard Adventures is a company that turns RPGs and their content into VTT modules and they’ve signed on Troll Lord Games.
- J. R. Zmabrano writes up D&D Direct: WotC Announces New Dragon Anthology Book Featuring Dragons in Dungeons.
- R. Talsorian Games release the free Cyberpunk RED No Place Like Home.
- Roll20 has made the Tabletop Effects Tool free for all users.
- The University of Plymouth, writing for ScienceBlog, covers Dungeons and Dragons Empowers Autistic Players.
- LEGO release their D&D minifigs on September 1st.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Reviews from R’lyeh looks at The Horrendous Hounds of Hendenburgh and explores the Jungles of Dread. Want more? Okay there’s also Tales from the Smoking Wyrm, Chthonic Crawl, The Valley Out of Time: Exploring the Valley, The Spike of Oosku, Legends of Uganda and Ninja City: Drug Demon Disco.
- Refereeing and Reflection publishes reviews on a host of RPG supplements.
- Jared Rascher reviews Throne of Bones Player’s Guide.
- Throat Punch Games reviews Graveclaw.
- On ICv2, William Niebling reviewed the box set of Start Here: The Introductory Roleplaying Game.
- Pulling no punches, Wargamer notes that DnD’s first adventure book for the new rules is painfully uncreative.
- James Maliszewski reviews Knave 2e.
- Redditor FlowOfAir has penned a good review of Fabula Ultima.
RPG new releases
- Sebastian Baar has published a RPG of feudal Japan called Senshi.
- Son of Oak Game Studio publish (to great star ratings) Metro: Otherscape corebook.
- Genlsys Games has released their 2d10-system powered Intergalatic Core Book.
- Modiphius and Tactical Adventures have published the revised edition of the 5e Solasta Campaign Rulebook.
- Through the DMsGuild, Jack Weighill and Joe Wilson publish MORTAL – 5e Humanoids Reimagined.
- FantasyBound has released their dark mediaeval RPG Moss, Stone & Steel.
- Forbidden Planet is taking pre-orders on the hardback of Media Lab Books’ The Game Master’s Book Of Instant Towns & Cities.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $59.75 (50%) in Son of Oak Games Studio’s :Otherscape Cyber Bundle.
- Save $8.19 (25%) in the DMsGuild’s Roll20 Adventure Bundle II.
- Save $3 (30%) in the DMsGuild’s Mountcastle Games Subclass Mega Bundle.
- Reminder! Save $206.72 (89%) in lumpley games’ Meguey Baker vs Cancer bundle. (Note: Geek Native’s tech adds affiliate codes; we will find a way to donate the commission.)
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Mike Bourke discusses The Local Ambrosia: Food in RPGs.
- In videos, Goodman Games remembers Gen Con 2024.
- Mollie Russell opines Dungeons and Dragons has neglected its lore for too long.
- Dice Geeks weighs in on How I made running D&D fun again.
- WorldAnvil has announced they have a Cosmere RPG character sheet.
- The Times-Tribune covers Goblin Alchemy Dungeon at the Ritz offers mead in Dungeons & Dragons-themed atmosphere.
- Noelle Corbett notes How D&D finally made playing past level 20 worth it.
- At NPR, Glen Weldon shares Dungeons, Dragons and shoulder pads: Why I loved D&D as a closeted teen.
- The Alexandrian has a series on Mythos-style horror.
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;
- Krunken Worlds RPG from Krunken Worlds raises funds for “Krunken Worlds is a krunk RPG that combines sci-fi and fantasy elements in a humorous tone. “
- Populated Hexes Monthly Issue 38 from Todd is working on “A hex, guidelines for prophecies, and the eldritch warrior class”
- Battle Box – 3D printable tabletop game organiser & storage from Battle Kiwi is working on “Upgrade your Grimdark tabletop gaming experience. Customizable 3D Printable (Support Free) STL Files hobby storage solution!”
- DICE TOWER MIMIC MUG from LUCERO raises funds for “3D PRINTABLE- DICE TOWERS FOR BOARD GAMES – RPG – WAR GAMES – STL FILES – TABLETOP”
- The End of Kings Core Rule Book from Simon Todd submits “The End of Kings is an alternative history 17th Century roleplaying game set in the British Isles.”
- SHADOWDARK FOELIO vol.1 from Jeremy Hart Illos offers “13 monsters for use with SHADOWDARK. Rules lite but with ample fluff! Tactics! Lore! Adventure Seeds! Paper Minis! VTT tokens!”
- Gates of Krystalia – Book Anime TT JRPG in style Isekai from Top Notch International LTD suggests “Start your new life in a fantasy world. Build your kingdom, create romantic relationships or live the life of a hero.”
- Rapid D6 Dungeon Delve from Adventure Squared kickstarts “Fast dungeon creator and adventure generator for GMs or Solo players”
- DnD 5E Adventures of Tesharya Vol 2 – Life of Adventure from Tales & Taverns submits “Adventures on the continent of Tesharya. Join this amazing and ambitious campaign module concept! Designed for Level 4 characters!!”
- GamiPockie – 3D Printable Dice Popper from GamiPockie offers “Roll the dice easily, quickly, and fairly when you play board games”
- World Building: 200 Fantasy Meals and Drinks from Andrew Dale introduces “Upgrade your TTRPG roleplay with this system agnostic table. 100 Fantasy Meals and 100 Fantasy Drinks with Magical Effects included.”
- Classic Beginnings: 5e compatible One-Shots for new players from Elven Foundry introduces “A new journey awaits you with these 5e One-Shots adventures for new players from 1€!”
- Aggravating Antagonists, Systemless Fantasy RPG Cards from Philip Reed introduces “A deck of fifty NPCs designed to aggravate and annoy the adventurers. Not all conflicts must end in bloodshed.”
Elder Gods Cthulhu d6 dice from LunaDice kickstarts “Exclusive cnc anodized aluminum dice for collectors and tabletop or board game enthusiasts.” - RPG Maps – Inspired by Tatooine and Star Wars from Benjámin Weisz raises funds for “High detailed Tatooine themed maps and some Star Wars inspired Add Ons. Star Wars Outlaws is coming. Get ready for the Hype!”
- Metal Bullet Dice Set with Revolver Cylinder Dice Storage from Astranova offers “Unique bullet dice equipped with a revolver cylinder-style holder for storage// Top break Design// Dual Rotation Modes// Ratchet sound”
- Oversized Genshin Impact D20 Dice Set from 76Ray proposes “35MM D20 dice, each representing a different elemental gem.”
- The Price of Apocrypha from Ian Hickey proposes “An epic adventure for 1E, 2E AD&D, 5E D&D and any OSR System”
- We are Back! #20 For ‘Fuck You’ #1 For ‘Oh Shit’ DnD Dice from Desiree Stovall submits “Makes you to be Unique on game with these weapon! D20”
- Lands of Wizards: Magical Academy V.1 from Redal Velis kickstarts “Discover a world of magic among these 500+ VTT high detailed digital battle maps and 100+ Tokens for TTRPGs. 1 Backer = +1 Map & Token!”
- Treasures From The Astral Forge from T.A. Gray proposes “A 5E D&D tome full of magical items with story hooks, secrets, and lore, forged by an archfey deep in the astral sea.”
- Giant’s Rage – 5e D&D High Fantasy from Anthony David offers “A campaign set within the Realms of Shadowmarch”
- Diceolated from DiceTiki is working on “Embark on a solo roll and write missions on abandoned space station. It’s a quick print and play indie game of strategy and isolation.”
- Divine Might: Cleric Cyclopedias for DnD 5E & Pathfinder RPG from Legendary Games is working on “Get 80 pages of awesome new cleric domains, spells, items, & more for 5E, and a massive compendium of divine classes for Pathfinder RPG”
- LOCKED LAIRS [COLLECTOR’S EDITION] from THEORYCRAFT raises funds for “Puzzles to secure great treasures, deep knowledge & dark secrets for all time! Compatible with all TTRPG’s. [COLLECTOR’S EDITION]”
- Ghosts and thieves: two Troubleshooters adventures from Helmgast nominates “Two exciting adventures for The Troubleshooters”
- The Curse of the Snake Queen – A Solo Fantasy Gamebook from Christopher Bünte suggests “Armed only with a pen and two dice, you will embark on this epic fantasy adventure!”
- Warlock Knight (DFRPG) from Douglas H. Cole submits “A Solo Adventure for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG”
- Armorsmith’s Handbook (5e) from Grim Press is working on “A 5E sourcebook with ready-to-play armor shops; including 20 detailed merchants, 200 new magic items, and maps for each shop!”
- The Witches Grimoire: Unleash the Power of the Coven from Ben Timmonds raises funds for “Looking to add depth to campaigns seeking to embody a witch with a rich backstory and unique abilities this grimoire has everything.”
- Sylvan Warband by Ana Polanšćak from Andrew May crowdfunds “A set of forest monster miniatures.”
- Bull Skull Dice Tower from Victorya proposes “STL files to print a Bull Skull Dice Tower for tabletop gaming!”
- Bestiary of the Forgotten Realms (D&D 5e Bestiary) from EpicRollGames nominates “D&D 5e Bestiary with Captivating and Disturbing Monsters from Your Nightmares! All art done inhouse or by hired artists on Fiverr.”
- Maps for TTRPGs – Ghoulish Grounds from RealmCrafters proposes “250+ Horror Themed Maps for Every Tabletop and VTT System (e.g., DnD, Pathfinder) Plus Commercial Use Included! (Grid & Gridless)”
Do you know of an RPG news source that we don’t? Let us know, or leave a comment below.
