London has stripped itself of leaves and put on its (grey, wet) winter clothes. The air is filled with the smell of gingerbread and the mournful cries of the WHAMMed. Most of this week’s update was written with the Muppet Christmas Carol playing in the background (oh boy, the ghost of Christmas past was way creepier than I remembered).
In other words, the holidays approach, and the RPG world is quieting itself down for the break.
The bulk of the news this week is in new & upcoming releases: Paradox Interactive finally reveals the publisher of Werewolf 5th edition; Evil Hat announces some delightful-looking new games (Thirsty. Sword. Lesbians.); Onyx Path releases core rules for Trinity Continuum.
Other than that there are a quiet handful of stories: an AI Dungeon Master; a new Pathfinder computer game; a post-colonial analysis; and did we mention Thirsty. Sword. Lesbians?
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New & Upcoming Releases
Hunters Entertainment to produce Werewolf 5e
Hunters Entertainment (Kids on Bikes, Outbreak: Undead) announces its partnership with Paradox Interactive to produce Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition.
Well, it wasn’t who we expected (our money was on Modiphius or Onyx Path), but we aren’t terribly surprised that Paradox has farmed out the World of Darkness license to yet another company. It will be interesting to see the team that Hunters put together for this product.
Also interesting is how heavily the early marketing leans into our present age of climate despair. It’s the right move, but boy-oh, I am not ready to play games about that. — Amy
New Pathfinder CRPG coming
Owlcat Games, makers of the Pathfinder: Kingmaker computer game, announce the development of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, a CRPG adaptation of the thirteenth adventure path for Pathfinder.
Evil Hat announces new games
Evil Hat announces Thirsty Sword Lesbians, a game for dramatic, angsty, queer stories.
Yeeeeessssssss — Amy
Evil Hat also announces Girl by Moonlight, a Magical Girls RPG.
New & upcoming from Onyx Path
Onyx Path releases the Trinity Continuum core rules, and sci-fi supplement, Trinity Continuum: Aeon.
And announces Exalted Essence, a new core rulebook designed to “distill” the third edition rules into a streamlined ruleset.
New D&D 5e Material
Wizards of the Coast releases Mordenkainen’s Fiendish Folio, Volume 1, a collection of monsters from the AD&D Fiend Folio, updated to 5th Edition.
Goodman Games releases its 5e reincarnation of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.
RPG Entertainment
Wizards of the Coast announces a new actual play livestream, D&D Presents, focusing on content being released by WotC. The show seems to be replacing Dice, Camera, Action, which ended earlier this year amid allegations that cast member, Jared Knabenbauer, was soliciting nude photographs from underage fans.
A text adventure game, AI Dungeon 2, uses machine learning to generate the story. One magazine calls it an AI Dungeon Master, but points out that it contains some flaws, for instance, on one playthrough, calling every single character “Dan”.
Human DMs, of course, never struggle with naming NPCs.
RPG History
We Are the Mutants describes anti-colonial and egalitarian choices in early Warhammer books.
I’m not completely convinced by this piece: although it is nuanced in its praise, it feels like it sets the bar too low, especially with regards to anti-colonialism. Nevertheless, I’m on board for post-colonial and feminist analyses of RPGs, and it’s interesting to see the ways in which Warhammer outstripped its peers. — Amy
Age of Ravens begins a history of Superhero RPGs.
Careers
Paradox Interactive seeks a Brand Community Developer for the World of Darkness line.
Bundles & Deals
Bundle of Holding releases two bundles of 13th Age books.
Crowdfunding News
Closing Soon
Electric Bastionland has currently raised nearly £47,000 ($61,000) from more than 1,200 backers. A streamlined reboot (or sequel?) to Chris McDowall’s Into the Odd, the book focuses on the failed careers that each player character will pick, which function for both character creation and plot hooks for ongoing play. The campaign has been boosted by support from Spire’s Chris Taylor and Grant Howitt.
5e & Pathfinder
Kisarta, a 5e rpg setting of damned souls and dark horrors: A dark fantasy setting for 5e, focused on souls in a kind of purgatory, by Isola Illyon Edizioni — December 21st
Note that this is a relaunch of a project that was cancelled in August.
General Fantasy
SUPER BLOOD HARVEST: A set of three fantasy zines, compatible with Into the Odd, by Dirk Leichty — December 15th
Accessories
Better Backstories for RPGs: A systemless, card-based character background generator, by Jay Stilipec — December 30th
This update was made possible by Keenan Collett and the rest of our Patreon supporters.