Green Ronin Publishing Fantasy Age RPG: Game Master's Kit Mutants & Masterminds: Hero High Sourcebook SC (Revised Edition) Mutants & Masterminds: The Time Traveller's Codex HC
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Alchemy Deck Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Enormous Forest Starfinder RPG: Galactic Magic HC Starfinder Flip-Mat: Casino Starfinder Alien Archive 1 & 2 Battle Cards Pathfinder Adventure Path: Quest for the Frozen Flame Part 1 - Broken Tusk Moon Pathfinder Lost Omens: City of Lost Omens Poster Map Folio Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Enormous Basic
I wouldn't be surprised if there are price hikes across the industry. I back a lot of RPG Kickstarters and I've been getting bombarded with messages about how fulfilment and pricing are being affected by a global paper and cardboard shortage, such that there might be rationing.
Odd to imagine a cardboard shortage given how much of the stuff Amazon sends me.
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Flip-Tiles: Fortress Chambers Expansion Pathfinder Adventure Path: Quest for the Frozen Flame Part 2 - Lost Mammoth Valley Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Keep
Renegade Game Studios Power Rangers RPG: Core Rulebook HC Power Rangers RPG: Glutton for Punishment Book & Gamemaster Screen Power Rangers RPG: Dice Sets Power Rangers RPG: Dice Bag
Mongoose Publishing Secrets of the Ancients Core Adventure 1: Invasive Species Core Adventure 2: Last Call at Eneri's Cantina
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Shattered Dungeon Starfinder Adventure Path: Horizons of the Vast Part 5 - Allies Against the Eye Starfinder Flip-Mat: Water World Pathfinder Adventure Path: Quest for the Frozen Flame Part 3 - Burning Tundra Warlock Lairs: Into the Wilds
Renegade Game Studios G.I. Joe RPG: Core Rulebook HC G.I. Joe RPG: The Emerald Oubliette Adventure & Game Master Screen G.I. Joe RPG: Dice Set
Wizards of the Coast are owned by Hasbro. Hasbro also owns GI Joe. But they licence out the GI Joe RPG to Renegade Studios, instead of getting Wizards to make it. Bit weird.
I hope the GI Joe RPG doesn't use the same system as Renegade's Power Rangers. That was remarkably generic, no unique flavour, which makes me suspect they'll use it for all their RPGs.
A good theory, MikeD, so I looked into it. Turns out Wizards was bought by Hasbro in 1999, whereas Renegade was founded in 2014. So Wizards came first, as it were.
Maybe Hasbro just wanted Wizards to focus on its core properties, D&D and Magic the Gathering?
Man, I saw the thing that said Deluxe Dice Bag: Skeletal Warrior from Steve Jackson Games and I thought for a moment that it was akin to the old Lost Worlds Fantasy Combat books.
Good times... loved that Skeleton with Scimitar and Shield.
It's actually... just a dice bag with a picture on it.
Years ago I bought a chain mail dice bag with my initial on it in copper links. While it was very cool it was a bit of weight to lug around and didn't hold a ton of dice. So says the reformed dice hoarder.
I get the 'dice hording'. I bet I still have 100+ sets that 'looked good' in the dealers area <weg> But when I went 'to play' I seldom had more than 2 sets. Didn't want them thinking I didn't trust 'em <chuckle>
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Book of the Dead Pathfinder Book of the Dead Special Edition Hardcover Pathfinder Guns Deck Pathfinder Gears Deck Pathfinder Adventure Path: Outlaws of Alkenstar Part 1 - Punks in a Powderkeg Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding Volume 2 SC Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Pathfinder Lodge
Whenever I see a new fantasy campaign setting I ask myself what its USP is, what sets it apart from the competition. So seeing Blue Rose, Green Ronin's campaign setting for D&D 5e, I delved deeper for all our sakes!
And after reading it I can say I still don't know what Blue Rose's USP is. The primer makes it out to be an utterly generic, D&D fantasy world. Weird. Nice artwork though!
I don't know, Nem. The races sound like a departure of more traditional D&D worlds and a bit more leading towards self-actualization kind of storytelling. A bit less tethered to Earth/human assumptions of reality. More like an Ursula K. Le Guin campaign vs a Glen Cook campaign.
I have a hard time picturing a group "all meeting in a tavern" and "going off to fight goblins."
I have a hard time picturing a group "all meeting in a tavern" and "going off to fight goblins."
That is =EXACTLY= why I like FRP (and DL <g>). Anything I can imagine!! I get enough of 'real life' in 'real life'. I don't need that in my 'fun time' as well!!!
But it =does= 'take all kinds' <vbg> I mean ... look at how many categories we have for games here!
Fair point, Vryx. Though tbh they're just some standard races rebadged imo. The Vata are elves, the Sea-folk are aquatic elves and the Night People are half-orcs.
Being able to play a human-intelligence animal is pretty cool, though standard D&D druid class kind of allows that too.
Nem, now that I've seen the art, I am more in agreement with your first assessment. Except for the animals, the imagery makes them seem even less varied.
MikeD, right. No problem with regular sword and sorcery from me. I was just imagining that this system is less straightforward conflict/resolution arc.
Cubicle 7 Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound Bestiary Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound - Shadows in the Mist Warhammer Fantasy: Ubersreik Adventures II
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder: Dark Archive HC Starfinder Flip-Mat: Star Knight Starships Pathfinder Adventure Path: Blood Lords Part 1 - Zombie Feast Pathfinder: Age of Lost Omens World Guide Special Edition HC Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Theater Starfinder RPG: The Pact Worlds Pocket Edition Starfinder Adventure: Redshift Rally Starfinder Adventure: Skitter Warp Pathfinder Adventure: A Fistful of Flowers
Renegade Game Studios Hunter the Reckoning RPG: Core Rulebook HC Vampire the Masquerade RPG: Cults of the Blood Gods Sourcebook
Wizards of the Coast Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel Campaign Case: Creatures Campaign Case: Terrain
My son and I had a couple nice trips to stores on Free RPG day. Some fun-looking ideas for one-offs. The Pathfinder was playing a group of leshys: a gourd-headed druid, a dandelion-headed duelist, a snapdragon barbarian, and a mushroom rogue. Also among a bunch of short indie rules, a guide to playing an adventure with familiars. I'd done a one-off adventure once in a long campaign where all the animal companions had to work together to save the regular party. He got a anthropomorphic rabbit warrior (not Usagi Yojimbo) mini with a paint kit. I also got some more Warhammer 4E stuff on sale. They really make some quality stuff at Cubicle 7.
There are very few tabletop gaming shops left on UK high streets tbh, so I think Free RPG Day was more of an online event.
The nominees for 2022 ENNIE Awards can't be too far off. That usually gets me shopping around for new products.
Talking of new products, I am very surprised to see a new edition of Hunter the Reckoning. I'd have thought there was no market for that game any more, given how many great monster hunting games there are now. Monster of the Week and Gila's Slayers are two that I've looked at recently, and MotW especially does everything Hunter does but better imo.
Interesting that Renegade Studios didn't follow up Vampire the Masquerade with a new ed of Werewolf the Apocalypse, opting instead for Hunter.
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Book of the Dead Battle Cards Pathfinder Flip-Tiles: Villain Lairs Set Starfinder Adventure Path: Drift Crashers Part 2 - Nightmare Scenario Pathfinder Adventure Path: Blood Lords Part 2 - Graveclaw Pathfinder Lost Omens: Character Guide Special Edition Pathfinder Lost Omens: Travel Guide Book of Ebon Tides (5e) Book of Ebon Tides 7-dice set Tales from the Shadows (5e) Starfinder RPG: Armory Pocket Edition
Wizards of the Coast Spelljammer: Adventures in Space Dragons of Stormwreck Isle Starter Set
Gawd, Anime RPG, that's an awfully wide scope for a game! That's like saying TV Programme RPG: an RPG about TV programmes.
But on closer inspection Anime RPG is a conventional fantasy RPG with manga-style artwork, so I guess it's just a bad title.
Me and pchan were talking about this recently, a Spanish RPG that the publisher named Faith. Try using that as a search word! You won't find a far future, space opera RPG about galactic societies influenced by living gods. Alas, the publisher has folded. (Maybe use a better title next time, guys.)
Hmm. I have play experience of three few zombie apocalypse RPGs. I can rank them actually.
Shotgun Diaries (John Wick Presents). Better suited a more seriously themed zombie apocalypse, this is my favourite. A rules ultra-lite game that makes keeping a diary a key mechanic; it's clever and gives the group a way of enjoying their campaign out of session too. PDF available to buy. ^
Dread (The Impossible Dream). Horror, not specifically zombies and also designed for one-offs where most of the group will die but there will be survivors (so not as depressing as Ten Candles, say). I used this game for the initial stages of the zombie outbreak itself, then switched to the next entry below for the rest of the apocalypse. The jenga tower mechanic is such genius with combined with the threat of being bitten and infected. PDF available to buy. ^
End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse (FFG). This is probably the best blend of powerful, lite rules and diverse range of zombie scenarios. By default you play yourself, starting around the game table, which is fun. Out of print though. ^
All Flesh Must be Eaten (Eden Studios). Lovingly written but bogged down by the Unisystem, which is a fine system for more complex supernatural scenarios with magic and a menagerie of monsters but feels massive overkill for zombies. I mean, it most scenarios you don't have "combat encounters" with a horde of zombies because it'd be suicide. PDF available to buy.
And having written all that I realise that they're all defunct games.
What current, good zombie apocalypse games are still in print idk but I can tell you that Infected RPG is more of a post-post-zombie apocalypse game. The outbreak is over and the country is trying to rebuild from its feudal state. You can still find zombies locked in rooms/trapped in places but the infection can't reach a critical mass.
Czepeku Maps gets a gold for best maps... well, they're floorplans really, but if you play with a virtual tabletop you should check them out. Quite lovely.
I was disappointed in the best game winner. Thirsty Sword Lesbians. According to its web page "Thirsty Sword Lesbians is a roleplaying game for telling queer stories with friends. If you love angsty disaster lesbians with swords, you have come to the right place."
Honestly reads like puerile nonsense to me. Since when do you need a game designed around lesbians to play lesbians?? And how do you even design a game around lesbianism!? Have the writers forgotten what lesbianism is? It's purely a sexual preference. So are there rules for scissoring? What about cunnilingus? And if so, how is female-female cunnilingus any different from male-female cunnilingus? What if one of the player characters gets into this situation with a male NPC, do the rules break down?
It's great that a sex-orientated game exists, plenty of people want to play through sex scenes, especially online, but winning the ENNIE for Best Game? Who knows, maybe the competition really was that uninspiring or maybe Thirsty Sword Lesbians really is that ingenius. I'd have to read it to sure.
Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Crown of the Kobold King Starfinder Adventure Path: Drift Crashers Part 3 - Masters of Time and Space Pathfinder Adventure Path: Blood Lords Part 4 - The Ghouls Hunger Pathfinder Lost Omens: Legends Special Edition Pathfinder Adventure: Crown of the Kobold King Tome of Heroes Pocket Edition (5E) Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Pirate Island Starfinder Adventure Path: Dead Suns Starfinder Adventure Path: Dead Suns Special Edition Pathfinder Adventure: Crown of the Kobold King Special Edition
Oooh, a new D&D 5e Starter Set, featuring a new adventure called Dragons of Stormwreck Isle. I wonder how this one is different from Lost Mines of Phandelver?
Well, if I listed Phandelver's flaws as an adventure they'd probably be:
Dense, too verbose layout. Adventures need to have their crucial info accessible to the DM at a glance.
A hub with side quests. Although providing ample opportunity for adventure, this format gives no compelling in-world reason for the PCs to undertake side quests. Levelling up and gaining loot makes sense in a CRPG, but TTRPGs are more immersive and need more plot.
A bit humdrum. So you bravely decide to try D&D, a fantasy role-playing game of high adventure, but the first adventure only has one memorable set-piece (vs the green dragon) and it's not critical to the plot so the PCs could miss it entirely.
Pregens. Did Phandelver have any? I used to own the set but can't remember any pregens. I created my own for the group I DM'ed.
If anyone's read a decent review of this new starter set, do share.
According to this video review, most of my above criticisms are addressed in the new starter set so well done WotC, from me. Apparently the original starter set did have pregens btw, but the character sheets were terrible for newbies, which is probably why I created my own when I ran Phandelver.
Phandelver was an excellent adventure, I definitely agree, Nep. (I think it'll go down as one of the all-time classics along with The Keep on the Borderlands and Night's Dark Terror.) Wasn't without its flaws though. I think they could've just revised Phandelver, tightened it up in some areas and it would've been sufficient, but it looks like starting anew also worked out.
The group I ran Phandelver for said they'd like to try this new set too, and maybe that's what WotC were aiming for. The same group probably wouldn't play Phandelver twice, even if it was revised, simply because it'd be the same adventure.
Phandelver was simple and could have been richer and tighter, but the purpose was simplicity for the DM. It's not surprising that they released Storm Wreck Island as they began the D&D One playtest.
Green Ronin Publishing Danger Zones: A Mutants & Masterminds Sourcebook SC Six of Cups: A Blue Rose RPG Adventure Anthology SC The Expanse: Beyond the Ring
Japanime Games Demonicity Roleplaying Adventure Game Pixies Roleplaying Adventure Game Wyrms Roleplaying Adventure Game
Cubicle 7 Doctor Who: The Roleplaying Game Second Edition Doctor Who: The Roleplaying Game Second Edition Starter Set Wrath & Glory: Church of Steel Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound Artefacts of Power Enemy Within Campaign – Volume 5: The Empire in Ruins Enemy Within Campaign – Volume 5: The Empire in Ruins Companion
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Renegade Game Studios G.I. Joe RPG: Operation Cold Iron Adventure Book HC G.I. Joe RPG: Character Journal HC Hunter the Reckoning RPG: Character Journal HC Hunter the Reckoning RPG: Dice Set Power Rangers RPG: Adventures in Angel Grove HC Power Rangers RPG: Character Journal HC Vampire the Masquerade RPG: Character Journal HC G.I. Joe RPG: Hero Miniatures Set 1 Power Rangers RPG: A Glutton for Punishment Accessory Pack Power Rangers RPG: Hero Miniatures Set 1
Thanks Argus. I can't believe Big Eyes Small Mouth is still going! (I don't actually recall it being a very good system, but then same could be said of a lot of systems from the Nineties. Tended towards clunkiness.)
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turns out it's a surprisingly generic system for a licenced Power Rangers RPG. You'd think it'd be more gimmicky, I guess.
(Like me!)
Though tbh they're just some standard races rebadged imo. The Vata are elves, the Sea-folk are aquatic elves and the Night People are half-orcs.![[Linked Image from 1.bp.blogspot.com]](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQoSYqioMfU/WH4qNyilrMI/AAAAAAAAZUA/Ho6GcamMDbgrALvyz4iFrl9M9_bpJYaNgCLcB/s640/bluerose.jpg)
Not sure where they're heading with that.
PDF available to buy.
Who knows, maybe the competition really was that uninspiring or maybe Thirsty Sword Lesbians really is that ingenius. I'd have to read it to sure.