Month: February 2025

The Weekly LIVE 277 – Fallen London, Old World RPG, Fighting Fantasy and Dungeon Scrawl on Roll20

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Fallen London: The Roleplaying Game is an officially licensed tabletop RPG set in the eerie, gothic world of Fallen London, a subterranean Victorian city filled with intrigue, immortality, and eldritch horrors. Developed by Magpie Games using the Ædana System, the game allows players to create unique characters and form a “concern”—a group bound by a shared grand ambition, such as overthrowing the Masters, uncovering hidden secrets, or reshaping the world itself. The game introduces a dynamic system of opportunities, leads, and ventures, encouraging player-driven narratives filled with uncertainty and tension. With a rich setting inspired by the original browser game and its spin-offs, players will navigate a world where death is often temporary, devils barter for souls, and reality itself is mutable. Using a dice-based challenge system and mechanics like Menaces and Obsessions, the RPG ensures high-stakes storytelling where characters must balance their desires against the dangers of the Neath.

Cubicle 7’s upcoming Warhammer: The Old World RPG, set in the year 2276 IC, explores the Old World continent 250 years before Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP)’s familiar Karl-Franz era. The game will use a d10 dice pool system with no hit points/Wounds and will emphasize “ordinary citizens” as player characters, including Bretonnians and unusual races. The setting focuses on Taalagad near Talabheim, featuring a weaker, more secretive Chaos presence. Designed as a more accessible introduction to Warhammer RPGs, it will launch with a Players Guide, GMs Guide, Starter Set, and expansions. While it won’t replace WFRP, it introduces a sandbox-style enemy organization system to enhance world-building. Fans anticipate further details as the summer release approaches.

The Fighting Fantasy solo adventure gamebooks, originally created by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson in 1982, are returning to print in the U.S. for the first time in over 20 years through a collaboration with Steve Jackson Games. These classic gamebooks blend storytelling with RPG mechanics, allowing readers to make choices that shape their adventure. The initial re-release includes five popular titles—The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Deathtrap Dungeon, City of Thieves, The Citadel of Chaos, and The Forest of Doom—featuring original artwork and improved formatting for readability. A Kickstarter campaign has far surpassed its funding goal, offering pledge options for individual books, full sets, and retailer packages, with shipping planned for June. Fans can also access add-ons like the Choose Cthulhu gamebooks and The Fantasy Trip RPG.

Roll20 has integrated Dungeon Scrawl, a free and easy-to-use mapmaking tool, directly into its virtual tabletop (VTT), making map creation faster and more convenient for Dungeon Masters. With this new feature, users can quickly design dungeons, taverns, or other maps and seamlessly import them into Roll20’s latest Jumpgate version. Dungeon Scrawl offers features like isometric maps, PDF export, and customizable grids, with additional perks for pro-subscribers, such as Dark Mode and Commercial Use Licensing. This integration streamlines mapmaking, allowing DMs to focus more on storytelling and gameplay rather than technical setup.

Fallen Londaon RPG:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magpiegames/fallen-london-the-roleplaying-game

Fallen London Browser Game:

https://www.fallenlondon.com/login

Official FIGHTING FANTASY website:
www.fightingfantasy.com

Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sjgames/fighting-fantasy-solo-adventure-gamebooks-back-in-print

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The Weekly LIVE 276 – Blades ‘68, Osprey New Wargames, Kult: Divinity Lost and Daggerheart Release

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Blades ’68 is an official supplement for Blades in the Dark by Tim Denee and Evil Hat Productions, moving the setting forward 100 years into the turbulent 1960s. Set in Doskvol after the end of Unity War III, the world is now shaped by electroplasmic fusion and the so-called Age of Consensus, marked by science, rationality, and consumerism—but unrest simmers beneath the surface. Players take on the roles of scoundrels, spies, and revolutionaries navigating a world of espionage, crime, and counterculture. With themes inspired by 60s thrillers and a fresh take on Blades in the Dark mechanics, Blades ’68 offers a unique blend of intrigue and danger. The playtest is available now, with a preview on DriveThruRPG.

Osprey Games is set to release three new miniature wargames in 2025, covering historical, sci-fi, and prehistoric themes. Pacific Command, arriving in May, is a World War II naval wargame by Mike Hutchinson, focusing on carrier combat in the Pacific with a fog-of-war mechanic and a dice pool system for resolving battles. Voidfighter, launching in August, is a sci-fi dogfighting game by Casey Garske, allowing players to customize ships with unique traits, weapons, and abilities while engaging in fast-paced space combat. Hide, Stone, And Bone, debuting in November, is a prehistoric survival wargame where players lead tribes through hunting, combat, and resource gathering in a dynamic campaign system. Each game offers distinct gameplay mechanics and thematic depth for tabletop enthusiasts.

Helmgast’s Kickstarter campaign for KULT: Divinity Lost – Dark Realms and Other Horrors expands the award-winning horror RPG with four new books: Metropolis, The Illusion and the Borderlands, Scarlet Bride and Other Tales, and Broken Reflections. These sourcebooks and scenario collections deepen the game’s lore, exploring the hidden supernatural reality behind our world, the terrifying boundaries between dimensions, and new horror-driven narratives. Featuring contributions from veteran writers, haunting artwork, and high-quality hardcover editions, this ambitious project caters to fans of KULT‘s dark storytelling. Additional add-ons include Deep Waters, Voices from Beyond the Veil, Exiled Terrors, and The Seeker’s Testament, offering even more chilling content.

Critical Role’s new fantasy RPG, Daggerheart, developed by Darrington Press, is set for release on May 20, 2025, with pre-orders opening the same day. Featuring a card-based mechanic and unique Hope & Fear dice, Daggerheart blends traditional RPG elements with innovative character creation using domains, ancestry, and community cards. The game will be available physically through Daggerheart.com, Darrington Press Guild, and FLGS, while digital editions will be on Demiplane and DriveThruRPG. A limited-edition Core Set with exclusive content will also be available. Alongside the launch, Critical Role will run a Daggerheart miniseries featuring the dark Age of Umbra campaign setting developed by Matt Mercer, inspired by Dark Souls and Kingdom Death: Monster. While speculation continues about Critical Role shifting to Daggerheart for its main campaign, upcoming announcements later this spring will clarify their future plans.

#blades68 #ospreygames #kult #daggerheart

Blades’68 Playtest:

http://evilh.at/68-playtes

KULT: Divinity Lost Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/helmgast/kult-divinity-lost-dark-realms-and-other-horrors

Daggerheart Pre-oreder:

https://www.daggerheart.com/pre-order/

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https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

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The Weekly LIVE 275 – Green Ronin, Dark Tower Deluxe, Netrunner and Resistance Bundle

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Green Ronin Publishing is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025 with a yearlong series of special events, sales, and reflections on its history. Founder Chris Pramas entered the RPG industry as a freelancer in 1993 and worked on various RPGs before joining Wizards of the Coast in 1998. After spending time writing for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and working on the Chainmail miniatures game, Pramas missed RPG writing and launched Green Ronin in 2000 as a side project. The company’s first release, Ork! The Roleplaying Game, debuted at Origins 2000, inspired by humorous, freeform RPG sessions from the early ’90s. This was followed by Death in Freeport, a fantasy adventure that gained critical acclaim and cemented Green Ronin’s place in the industry. Since then, Green Ronin has become a major RPG publisher, with Ork! still going strong and new projects like Swords of the Shadow Planet on the horizon.

Goodman Games continues its Original Adventures Remastered line with Dark Tower Remastered, a deluxe reimagining of the classic 1979 Dungeons & Dragons module by Jennell Jacquays. The three-book slipcase set includes a faithful reproduction of the original dungeon, a remastered adaptation for Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) and Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, and expanded content featuring new adventures that extend the campaign. Known for its nonlinear dungeon design and emergent storytelling, Dark Tower remains influential in RPG history. This remastered edition not only modernizes the adventure but also deepens the experience with additional lore, commentary, and adventures. For fans of classic dungeon-crawling, Dark Tower Remastered offers a robust and immersive campaign that captures the spirit of old-school RPGs while introducing new elements for contemporary players.

Null Signal Games has announced Elevation, a new expansion for the Netrunner card game, set for release in Q2 2025. Netrunner is a two-player asymmetric card game set in a cyberpunk future where hackers battle megacorporations for control. Elevation expands the game’s card pool with new Runner cards, six run events, region upgrades, and an ice inspired by a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set in the futuristic megacity of Kota Kalimantan, the expansion introduces a rich narrative centered around the construction of the Mahkota Langit space elevator and the struggle between corporate control and the displaced undercity residents. The set will be legal for Organized Play in May 2025 and replaces several older sets in Standard format.

Bundle of Holding has launched a Resistance Bundle featuring ten tabletop RPGs centered around anti-authoritarian themes. The collection includes games like Apocalypse Frame, Grey Ranks, and Misspent Youth, which explore rebellion against oppressive regimes in various settings, from dystopian futures to Nazi-occupied Poland. A bonus tier includes Eat the Reich, a game about vampire commandos hunting Nazis, and other subversive titles like Moonpunk and No God’s Country. The bundle is available for a limited time, with proceeds benefiting the Center for Constitutional Rights.

#greenronin #darktower #dcc #netrunner

DarkTower Remastered:

https://goodman-games.com/store/product/dungeon-crawl-classics-dark-tower-3-volume-slipcased-set/

Resistance Bundle:

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Resistance

Zinequest on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/zinequest

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The Weekly LIVE 274 – Astartes 2, Legacy of Kain TTPRG, ENnies Ban AI and Dirtbags! for Zinequest

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Games Workshop has unveiled a new teaser trailer for Astartes II, the much-anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed Astartes animation. While the teaser doesn’t showcase actual footage from the upcoming project, it hints at the backstories of key characters and sets the tone for a grimdark narrative deeply rooted in Warhammer 40,000 lore. Syama, the creator of the original Astartes, is collaborating closely with the Warhammer Studio to deliver another visually stunning and action-packed story. The animation is set to release in 2026, leaving fans with a long wait, but in the meantime, they can explore other Warhammer+ animations, including Return to Cadia from the Hammer and Bolter series.

Meanwhile, the Legacy of Kain franchise is making a return with a tabletop RPG, Scourge of the Sarafan, developed by Lost in Cult and published under the MÖRK BORG system. Set in Nosgoth, the game allows players to take on the role of vampire-hunting warrior-priests as they battle the growing undead menace. Alongside this, The Book of Nosgoth, an in-depth encyclopedia exploring the franchise’s history, lore, and development, is also in the works. Both projects are being crowdfunded and will be available individually or as part of a deluxe edition. With Legacy of Kain’s dark themes of fate, free will, and morality, this revival aims to immerse fans once again in the gothic world of Nosgoth.

The ENnie Awards, a prestigious tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) awards ceremony, has announced that from the 2025-2026 cycle onward, any product containing generative AI content will be ineligible. This decision follows criticism of their previous 2023 policy, which allowed AI-generated content in certain categories while restricting it in others. After receiving feedback from the TTRPG community, the ENnies determined that AI-generated content undermines creativity and originality, leading to this stricter policy. The new rule applies to AI-assisted writing, visual content, and editing, ensuring that all submitted works are entirely human-made. While the policy does not retroactively affect the 2024-2025 awards, it marks a significant shift in response to industry concerns over AI’s role in creative endeavors. The TTRPG community has largely welcomed this decision, seeing it as a victory for human creators in an industry increasingly wary of AI’s influence. Many companies, including Wizards of the Coast, have taken a stance against AI-generated content on ethical grounds, citing issues of originality and fairness. The ENnie Awards, a volunteer-run organization, emphasized their commitment to fostering human-driven creativity and innovation within the community. As the landscape of game development continues to evolve, this policy ensures that the ENnies remain a platform for celebrating genuine artistic and narrative efforts.

Dirtbags! is a fast-paced, rules-lite sci-fi shooter RPG by The Dungeon’s Key, launching on Kickstarter for #ZineQuest on January 28th. Set in a dystopian, corporate-run future, players take on the role of convicts forced into the Military Foundation’s Rehabilitation Incentive Program (R.I.P.), battling alien infestations, pirates, and undertaking dangerous missions in the hope of freedom. The game features three core ability scores, a unique two D6 dice pool system for actions and ammo, and five character roles, emphasizing tactical and cinematic combat. Inspired by Starship Troopers, Tank Girl, and Aliens, Dirtbags! critiques corporate greed and explores mature themes while maintaining an action-packed experience. A free Quickstart Guide will be available at launch.

#astartes2 #legacyofkain #ennies #dirtbags!

Astartes II Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbgYaeerXhg

Legacy of Kain TTRPG on Backerlit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/lost-in-cult/legacy-of-kain-ttrpg-and-official-encyclopaedia

ENnies Awards Policy:

https://ennie-awards.com/revised-policy-on-generative-ai-usage/

Dirtbags!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedungeonskey/dirtbags-a-sci-fi-shooter-ttrpg

Zinequest on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/zinequest

Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with with my link:

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#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link):

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https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

Chris on social media:

https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​

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