Luke Gygax, the son of D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, is collaborating with Wizards of the Coast (WotC) to return the Gygax name to the game’s original setting, Greyhawk. This move was engineered by Dan Ayoub, Dungeons & Dragons’ Head of Franchise, who publicly stated that the game had “lost its way” and that involving popular figures like Luke Gygax is an effort to set it on the “right path”. The collaboration will produce Melf’s Guide to Greyhawk (Melf was Luke Gygax’s original player character) and new adventures set in the world. WotC also announced a full presence at Gary Con to mend rifts with the Gygax family and reinforce their commitment to the community, with Ayoub affirming that retailers and “face-to-face physical play” will remain central to D&D.

Catalyst announced a new core product line for BattleTech, including a Core Rulebook, Starter Box, and Core Box, all scheduled to launch at Gen Con. These releases move the game’s entry point away from the Succession Wars and firmly into the ilClan era, introducing advanced tech like pulse lasers and Clan tech early on. The Starter Box replaces the older Beginner Box, featuring the Hammerhead and Kontio, while the Core Box replaces A Game of Armored Combat and Clan Invasion with eight mechs from various eras. The new Core Rulebook, built off the Battlemech Manual, incorporates significant changes from recent playtests, such as front-loaded unequal initiative and basing charge damage on the Target Movement Modifier (TMM).

Games Workshop announced Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition, slated for a June release, with a goal to bridge the gap between narrative and matched play. The edition refocuses the lore on the Armageddon conflict, pitting Imperial Forces against Orks. A key rules change eliminates fighting over objective circles, replacing them with combat for pieces of terrain. GW will allow current 10th edition codexes to remain usable at launch, and the new edition will feature over 70 new detachments. Other updates include reducing stratagem stacking (one per unit per phase), allowing players to roll charge dice before determining targets, and bringing back Combat Disembarking from transports engaged in melee.

Hours before Games Workshop’s major announcement, the “biblical horror wargame” Trench Crusade launched its first true starter set, Carcass Front, which is available for pre-order at $129.99 and set for a late July release. The box set contains 16 new plastic miniatures split into two warbands: the mobile, smaller-count Heretic Naval Raiders and the high model count, melee-focused Procession of the Sacred Affliction, a zealous cult who practice religious penance by deliberately inducing leprosy. Carcass Front emphasizes narrative play value, including two full campaigns: The Path to Leviathan, a 2-player narrative, and a map-based campaign designed for 2–8 players to battle over resources.

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Steamforged Games and Kobold Press have teamed up to develop a new Starter Set for the Tales of the Valiant 5E Fantasy RPG, a project building upon the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition rules. While details about the contents of the set are currently scarce, the collaboration aims to enhance the introductory experience for new players. Both companies are renowned in the tabletop gaming industry, and their joint effort seeks to make tabletop roleplaying more accessible.

Ninja Division, a miniatures game publisher, has filed for bankruptcy, leaving thousands of Kickstarter backers without their pledged rewards.

Daggerheart, a beginner-friendly fantasy RPG from Critical Role’s Darrington Press, has launched its public playtest, offering players a chance to experience its original gameplay mechanics before its full release in 2025.

Awaken Realms withdrew AI-generated promotional images for its Puerto Rico 1897 Special Edition crowdfunding campaign after Ravensburger, the game’s licensor, intervened. The campaign faced criticism for its use of AI-generated artwork. Despite this setback, the campaign replaced the images with a blurred version of the box cover from a previous release of Puerto Rico 1897 and a plastic sculpt of a ship. The remaining campaign imagery featured photography from Awaken Realms’ previous project with Ravensburger, Castles of Burgundy.

Renegade Game Studio revived Heroscape with a new master set and starter kit, addressing past failures in the game’s relaunch by offering lower-priced options and emphasizing organized play. The new releases for Heroscape include both painted and unpainted miniatures, providing options for players and collectors alike.

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The upcoming Revised Player’s Handbook for Dungeons & Dragons is set to be released in 2024. The new handbook will be the largest ever, featuring more pages and 48 subclasses (four for each of the 12 classes), along with new spells, feats, and weapon rules. Notably, the backgrounds will now impact a character’s starting ability scores and provide a special feat at first level. The Revised edition is designed to be compatible with the current fifth edition material, allowing players to use it alongside existing products. There will also be an upcoming Revised editions of the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual in 2024, providing a campaign setting, adventures, and over 500 monsters, including new creatures and tweaked versions of familiar ones. Additionally, it highlights other D&D books expected in 2024, such as updated classic dungeon crawls, an anthology called “Quests from the Infinite Staircase,” and an all-new adventure called “Vecna: Eve of Ruin,” featuring the return of the iconic villain. These releases coincide with the 50th anniversary of D&D’s publication and the Year of the Dragon in 2024.

Hasbro, the parent company of Wizards of the Coast (WotC), has announced layoffs of 1,100 employees, in addition to the previously downsized 800, just before the holidays. This decision is part of Hasbro’s strategic transformation to modernize and streamline its organization, citing challenging market conditions in the toy industry. Despite record years for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, the restructuring aims to refocus Hasbro on “fewer, bigger, better brands.” The layoffs include various roles, such as game designers and art directors, sparking criticism for the disparity between the company’s success and the job cuts. Wizards of the Coast’s upcoming releases for 2024, including Dungeons & Dragons’ 50th-anniversary celebration, remain unaffected. The move is part of Hasbro’s broader effort to optimize costs and reshape its organization. Critics question the company’s priorities, emphasizing CEO Chris Cocks’ substantial compensation and raising concerns about the impact on game development and support.

Talsorian Games has revealed the upcoming release of “Shadow Scar,” an anime-inspired RPG scheduled for 2024. Created by Cody Pondsmith, lead designer of The Witcher RPG and co-designer of Cyberpunk RED, the game revolves around the Shadow Scar Agency, a covert group of ninja defending multiple dimensions from interdimensional monsters. Drawing inspiration from anime series like Naruto and Demon Slayer, the game features a diverse range of dimensions, each influenced by Japanese folklore, pulp noir, steampunk, and alternate history. The unique character creation draws from six shinobi clans, resembling the monster-hunting schools in The Witcher. The game introduces a new d6-based system called Mosaic, designed for a quicker and lighter gaming experience compared to the Interlock system. Cultural consultants are being consulted for the Japanese setting to ensure an authentic portrayal. The release is anticipated in 2024, starting with a Starter Set and followed by a full launch line, including the core rulebook, miniatures, and accessories.

Free League Publishing has announced a new campaign book for Alien: The Roleplaying Game called “Building Better Worlds.” Set in the Alien universe, the campaign involves exploring a moon turned into a colony, facing calamities and mysteries. The $47 book is available for pre-order and is set to be released digitally and physically on January 16, 2024. The campaign includes new characters, gear, ships, and alien species, offering an expanded experience for players. The campaign book aims to provide tools for running a full open-world campaign within the Alien RPG universe, featuring exploration, colonization, and encounters with extraterrestrial creatures.

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We are playing the adventure in the Quickstart from the Dragonbane Kickstarter: Rittermound. This is the latest edition of Drakar och Demoner which is being published for the first time in English. 

The players are Matt, Will and Andre playing their choice of pre-gens from the adventure:

ARCHMASTER AODHAN – Human Wizard – Elementalist (Will)

MAKANDER OF HALFBAY – Malard Knight (Matt)

ORLA MOONSILVER – Elf Hunter (Andre)

RIDDERMOUND

“Deep in the vast forests of the Misty Vale lies a burial mound called the Riddermound. It is a feared place, haunted by the undead form of a powerful knight in the dragon emperor’s service – but the death knight is also said to be watching over hidden treasures.”

This adventurer is designed to be a quick introduction to Dragonbane and its rules. At the end of this PDF there are five pre-generated player characters for the players to choose from.

The adventure is intended for three to five players, plus the Gamemaster.
#dragonbane #drakarochdemoner #freeleague #actualplay

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Free League is releasing a starter set for their 2015 RPG Symbaroum. Will this bring new players to this dark nature fantasy setting beautifully illustrated by Martin Grip? The official conversion for Pathfinder to the Savage Worlds system is now available on Kickstarter. We also discuss what D&D 6th edition may look like and the Dungeons and Dragons Singularity prophecized in Tasha’s Cauldron.

#symbaroum #trophyrpg #pathfinder #savageworlds

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We take a look at the Star Trek Adventures Starter Set by Modiphius. It includes pre-generated character sheets, a ship sheet, dice, tokens, maps, and a starting adventure campaign. It uses the 2d20 system with threat and momentum as currency mechanics for both players and the gamemaster. This is a much more accessible option for trying the game and will get you playing right out of the box.