We’re halfway through Zine Quest 2024 and there are more great project than you can shake a kobold’s spear at. Here are a few more projects:
In HIC:Tapestry, Toilet Roll Paper Game, players will draw, destroy and discover a Tapestry that tells the epic story of a pivotal moment in a lands history. It is inspired by the art and story of the Bayeux Tapestry which depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the Norman conquest of England. Draw crazy Medieval style art – weird creatures and noble rulers – on kitchen Roll using felt tip pens and tell stories of battles and betrayal. A low prep storytelling and drawing TTRPG for 1-4 players.
Mapazine is a collection of 9 colourful fantasy maps for use in tabletop RPG games. From kingdom maps of established provinces to exploratory hex maps of uncharted jungles. Each comes with either flavor information, rollable tables, ideas for adventures or descriptions of curios found within. Just the right amount to inspire game masters of any kind.
Million-Colored Sun is a sword & sorcery RPG that allows you to create characters quickly and leap into adventure. Climb a mile-high tower in the middle of a desert, only to discover its pulsing organs and realize the tower is alive; heft your axe and battle Lord Gorthanagon’s War-Pigs under a blood-red moon; squander your hard-won gold. The system is flexible and cinematic and, in the Old School RPG tradition, emphasizes rulings over rules. There are no complicated builds and no worries about optimization, just streamlined rules your gaming group can adapt to their needs.
Out in the Black Hack is a science fiction sitcom (situation comedy) roleplaying game. It uses a modified, old school, d20 based system with unique mechanics added to boost comedic aspects. It favors short, episodic play with hilarious outcomes. It’s inspired by many sci-fi movies, television shows and comedy classics, including Red Dwarf, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Lost in Space, just to name a few.
Subterranean Fightin’ Freaks is a TTRPG where you play as mutants living it up in the fractured underground of Chicago. Team up with fellow freaks to fight off rival gangs, hunt for lost treasures, and discover weird technology. Be careful though, because if the Normies learn about what’s going on under their feed all hell will break loose. Gawkers may be a piece of cake to sneak by, but watch out for cryptid hunters and the dreaded Men in Black. It’s a gonzo world out there. Let the freak inside you out!
In this edition, you’ll discover 32+ A5-sized, system-neutral, pages brimming with divine wonders. Expect to meet curious gods and goddesses, explore intriguing rituals using the random ritual generator, build cults, and cross paths with odd NPCs that’ll bring a little more weirdness into your adventures.
Through fjords and mountains, through wondrous realms and rainbow bridges, between the mundane, the fantastical and the divine, From Midgard To Eternity is a solo roleplaying game about seeking glorious death after a life full of deeds that defy belief. This apocryphally biographical game will task you with journaling the life of a Norse adventurer throughout their remarkable life, challenged by the gods themselves to fulfill tasks and quests ranging from the intimate to the epic.
Experience a richly detailed narrative woven among unholy monsters, deadly traps, peculiar NPCs, and a haunting villain all boiled into a one-shot session. SPIREWITCH is a digest sized softcover 5E compatible adventure for 3rd to 5th-level adventurers, designed to be run in about one session. This adventure finds the players unraveling a mystery surrounding a broken spire filled with undead, witchcraft, and a whispering demon.
Each year in February, Kickstarter highlights TTRPG zines with an event known as Zine Quest.
What are zines?
“RPG zines emerged in the early 1970s, and were hugely influential in the early days of role-playing game fandom and publishing. These self-published projects included discussions of games, rules variants, reviews, interviews, game supplements, and even new RPGs. Today, RPG zines live on via a thriving community of DIY publishers from around the world.” -Kickstarter.com
What is Zine Quest?
“Zine Quest is our celebration of RPG zines and the community of people who make and love them. To participate, simply launch a project in February for an RPG zine. In the past, creators have used maps, comics, and more to create new or elevate existing RPGs.” -Kickstarter.com
So here are a number of excellent Zine Quest projects from my fellow indie creators:
WHAT IS COCAGNE?
Cocagne is a 28 pages wacky medieval social game, where you and your friends play as Lieges trying to conquer the fabled lands of Cocagne… in a group chat! You will play as the Liege of a kingdom constantly stuck between war, peace, and questionable negotiations with your friend’s lands. The game is played via group chat messages, and all you need to play Cocagne is at least 3 players, a copy of Cocagne, a messaging app where to create a Group Chat, a Kingdom Sheet, and a 20-sided die, often called a d20.
WHAT’S IN COCAGNE?
A rules light system to get in action right away, playable entirely with a d20.
Rules for creating fully customizable Lieges, with traits, quirks and heritages.
Rules for creating your own Kingdom with its resources.
Random background tables to make unique (and annoying) Lieges.
Artworks from Novecento, and super talented artists Emanuele Parascandolo, Martina Chilardi, and V.A. Metheio.
A black tide of Blood & Night crashed down on Faelborg Keep an age ago and wiped away the people there. Now their cursed treasure returns home, and it’s up to you to stop it. Cursed treasure, tribal feuds, plentiful undead abound!
A micro-gazetteer of Sudrland and adventure zine for Old School Essentials. Explore the ruins of Faelborg Keep, the wilderness of Sudrland, and the dread mists of haunted Barrowmounds.
Shadow over Gloomshire is an adventure for Dragonbane that revolves around the remote village of Gloomshire, located in a dark forest valley with a terrible history. It is written by Robin Fjärem who is known for The Frozen Temple of Glacier Peak and Salthaven among other works.
Much is awry in Gloomshire. Find out what the deal is with the mansion on the hill, shop for your very own tombstone at Odd Ends, or go treasure hunting in the graveyard. But no matter what, do not enter the temple!
Seelie Court is a 3 player courtroom RPG about court cases brought against fantasy creatures from Scots folklore. Players build their case as a team, and then take on the roles of the prosecution, defense, and judge when the trial begins!
Fantastical Classes: Blobs vs. Blades is a collection of brand-new character classes for old-style fantasy roleplaying adventure games. Specially designed for use with Old School Essentials, this book contains six exciting character classes that you didn’t even know you needed! Play as a doughty swordmage, an enchanting dancer, a pugnacious blob, and more! All of them are lovingly written and illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett, the guy who brought you Crepuscular, Draugr & Draculas, and Them’s Monsters
Fast Action Hero is an exhilarating, rules-lite, tabletop RPG experience using the Black Hack system that captures the essence of the golden era of action movies. It is designed to deliver fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled gameplay, where players become larger-than-life heroes in a world of explosions, high-speed chases, and epic showdowns that pay homage to the iconic action movies of the era, celebrating their style, tropes, and unforgettable moments. Fast, furious, and full of adrenaline-pumping moments, it delivers high-octane experiences that will have you uttering classic one-liners and taking down bad guys with style.
January 1945 the writing is on the wall, and it is clear that the Nazis are going to surrender. The Thule society, through mysticism and technology, send all members they found relevant, back in time to the year 865 England. Their goal to ally themselves with the Great Heathen Army whom they idolize. Their presence is met with harsh resistance, and a new war breaks out.
H2O-Pocalypse: Surf Piracy in a Drowned World, a DCC–compatible zine where you play surf punk pirates in a post-apocalyptic future where the ice caps melted and drowned the earth; the rich saw it was coming and took advantage of the situation, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. So naturally, you travel around, looking for remnants of the old world, raiding elite supply ships, and having surf-offs.
Did I miss an awesome Zine Quest project? Link it in the comments below! I’ll be posting more projects each week, so be sure to tune back in periodically throughout the month!
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing some new click clack math rocks from the fine folks at the UK-based, Mystery Dice Goblins.
Who are the Mystery Dice Goblins? According to their website:
“Attention, weary travelers and valiant adventurers! Behold, our sacred emporium, where the pursuit of the ultimate D&D Dice reaches its zenith. As guardians of destiny, we cater to a diverse fellowship – human bards, elven rangers, dwarven fighters, half-orc thieves, halfling clerics, and even immortal vampires.”
The Dice MDG offers a number of different dice, to include, but not limited to:
Resin and Acrylic Dice
Filled Dice (liquid core)
Sharp Edged
Metal
Mystery Bags
In addition to dice, MDG offers several gamer-related products like dice bags, dice trays, enamel pins, patches, jewelry, and more. Lastly, the folks MDG include a very helpful resource section filled with printable monster tokens, editable character sheets, and digital battle maps. They even maintain a gaming blog on the site, where you can find tons of interesting articles.
The Interview
The goblins, Lee & Lucy, were kind enough to sit for an interview and tell me more about their business.
1.) Tell me about Mystery Dice Goblins!
We are Lee & Lucy, founders of Mystery Dice Goblin – we are long time Dungeons and Dragons players and DMs. In 2022, we started our journey, with an aim to provide exquisite customer service, featuring a wide range of affordable dice and accessories.
2.) What was one thing that surprised you about the dice business?
We didn’t realize how inclusive and friendly the community really was, you don’t have to look far to find a friend or ally! – But sometimes finding a DM is problematic!
3.) How many possible sets are there?
I reckon about as many as a Sorlock has spellslots…
4.) What sets your dice apart from others on the market?
It has to be our customer-centric approach, we get told consonantly that we have the best customer service out there… and also the best dice sets, along with our carefully put together gift sets
5.) What is a non-dice product that you’re excited about/proud of?
We are about to partner with Mermaids charity who support young trans people and their families, we have a range of products coming out, with 50% of the profits going to the charity. (B3: You can donate to Mermaids HERE)
6.) Where can people buy your products?
We are currently stocked in Board Game Cafés in the UK (see map on our website) or you can get international shipping on our website, if you want to be a bigger Dice Goblin than us 😉
Conclusion The blind bags are a lot of fun. The dice I received looked great, rolled well, and were easy to read. Furthermore, I was happily surprised at the sheer amount of high-quality products I found on the MDG. Check them out, and you won’t be disappointed!
In 2024 Dungeons and Dragons will turn 50 years old, and it’s current incarnation, 5th edition, will turn 10. To celebrate this momentous occasion Wizards of the Coast will release revised core rule books and launch what they’re calling One D&D. The idea is that editions are over, and Chris Perkins put it, there is just D&D.
In the same way that 5th edition D&D was forged, One D&D will draw heavily on customer/player feedback to shape its revisions. The first such playtest materials revolve around Character Origins:
Ready to learn more about One D&D? According to their website, here’s the FAQ:
General
What is One D&D?
One D&D is the code name for the next generation of Dungeons & Dragons, bringing together three initiatives that will shape the future of the game:
D&D Rules. This takes what we love about fifth edition and updates the rules of the game to reflect the feedback we have heard from players and where the game is today.
D&D Beyond. This will be the platform for your digital D&D collection, content, and tools.
D&D Digital Play Experience. In early development, D&D Digital will offer an immersive player experience, rich creation tools for Dungeon Masters, and a connected space for DMs and players to get together and play D&D.
Our goal is to give you more D&D wherever you play, whenever you want.
Is One D&D introducing a new edition of D&D?
It’s bigger than that. One D&D will usher in the next generation of D&D with new and more comprehensive versions of the core rulebooks that millions of players have enjoyed for the past decade. The rules will be backward compatible with fifth edition adventures and supplements and offer players and Dungeon Masters new options and opportunities for adventure. The evolution of fifth edition has shown us it’s less important to create new editions of the game and more important to grow and expand the game you love with each new product.
What does backward compatible mean?
It means that fifth edition adventures and supplements will work in One D&D. For example, if you want to run Curse of Strahd in One D&D, that book will work with the new versions of the core rulebooks. Our goal is for you to keep enjoying the content you already have and make it even better. You’ll see this in action through the playtest materials, which you will be able to provide feedback on.
What is changing with the One D&D rules?
There will be many fundamental updates to D&D that we will collect your feedback on. In the upcoming Unearthed Arcana playtest content, you’ll see proposed updates to character backgrounds, races, classes, feats, information presentation, and more. Ultimately, the answer to what will change depends on what we hear from you throughout One D&D playtests.
When will the One D&D rules be released?
The new core rulebooks are expected to be released in 2024.
Where can I find out more and stay up to date on the latest One D&D news?
To keep up to date on One D&D, sign up for D&D Beyond. Then, hop into your account settings and update your email preferences to receive communications from D&D Beyond. You can expect news on One D&D roughly monthly.
Your Feedback and Playtesting
How do I access One D&D playtest materials?
Log in with your D&D Beyond account and head over to the One D&D claim page to unlock the Unearthed Arcana playtest materials. You will then see the One D&D compendium (found under the “Sources” menu) where you can download the latest playtest and respond to the latest survey.
How do I submit my feedback on One D&D?
You will be able to submit feedback via a survey link in the One D&D compendium. Surveys will be available roughly two weeks after a new playtest packet has been released and remain live for a period of two weeks. This is the same process we’ve previously followed for Unearthed Arcana.
What will I be providing feedback on?
Roughly every month new playtest content will release on D&D Beyond. Each new playtest will cover rules on a different subject, from player classes, to subclasses, to game mechanics.
How long will the One D&D rules be in playtesting?
We expect playtests to continue through at least the end of 2023. How long it ultimately lasts will depend on what we hear from you.
Where can I find people to playtest with?
If you want to playtest but don’t have a group to play with—or your current D&D playgroup isn’t interested—visit the D&D Beyond Discord and D&D Discord and post in the #looking-for-players or #looking-for-group channels.
Digital Play Experience
What is the D&D Digital Play Experience?
D&D Digital is in early development. It will be a virtual play space that allows Dungeon Masters to create truly immersive campaigns and players to enjoy a D&D experience where we offload a lot of the rules referencing. Our goal is to make D&D more immersive, faster, more fun, easier to play, and easier to create in.
What’s the difference between the D&D Digital Play Experience and D&D Beyond?
This is intended to be an immersive digital experience for your D&D sessions. It will be integrated with D&D Beyond, which will continue to offer tools for reference and play.
What about all the other digital tools I use today to play D&D?
Whatever tools you love using, keep using them. Our goal is to make the best digital play experience for D&D. And just like everything else in D&D, everything is optional.
When will the D&D Digital Play Experience begin playtesting?
This experience is still in early development. Everything we’ve shown is pre-alpha. We expect to start showing more to players with a closed beta later in 2023.
I have more questions about the D&D Digital Play Experience!
We know players have a lot of questions after getting an exciting first look at D&D Digital. What you saw is still a prototype and in early development. Expect us to share more details when they’re ready.
Digital & Physical Product Bundles
What are digital and physical product bundles?
We’re excited to offer our first ever selection of specially priced bundles that give you a physical copy and a D&D Beyond digital copy of the upcoming book Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen. Our first offering is now live on dndstore.wizards.com.
Can I expect more D&D products to offer physical and digital bundles?
Yes! We want to deliver on this ask. Right now, we are in the test and learn phase. Join us on this first foray and expect more in the future. For now, we’re not quite ready to commit to every book getting a bundle.
You called this bundle a test. What are you testing?
We are testing everything from distribution method and quantities to bundle contents. We thought it was important to call this out as a test because you should expect things to change over the next two years while we work on bringing more D&D in more ways to more people.
Does the bundle come with preorder perks?
Yes, all preorder perks you would receive on D&D Beyond are included in this bundle. A preorder perk exclusive to this bundle is early access to Shadow of the Dragon Queen on D&D Beyond. Players who preorder the bundle will be able to access the D&D Beyond digital book starting November 22, 2022.
How do I redeem my product on D&D Beyond?
When you purchase a bundle, you will be asked to provide an email address at checkout. You will later receive instructions via that email to access a code that grants you early access to the product on D&D Beyond. Your code can be redeemed at: dndbeyond.com/marketplace/redeem-key.
If I have purchased a bundle on D&D Beyond that discounts products, will that discount apply to this bundle?
No, those discounts only apply to products purchased directly on the D&D Beyond website.
Is there a way to get this bundle and support my local game store?
We love our friendly local game stores and we know you do, too, but at present this test bundle is limited to online purchases directly from dndstore.wizards.com. It is not available through any other store or marketplace.
I already preordered my book physically or digitally on D&D Beyond. Can I swap it for the bundle?
We do not have any upgrade paths to the bundle at this time. You would need to work with that outlet to request a refund.
Mordenkainen astride his kirin Petey. Both are about to be lunch to an Astral Dreadnought.
According to wizards.com/dnd:
A bestiary of wondrous friends and foes for the world’s greatest roleplaying game.
Sparkling with the musings of the wizard Mordenkainen, this tome features a host of creatures for use in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Hailing from every corner of the multiverse, these creatures represent some of the most benevolent and malevolent forces that D&D heroes might face.
The book also gathers together fantastical peoples from many different worlds. Each of these peoples represents a race option when you create your D&D character, expanding on the choices in the Player’s Handbook.
Compiling and updating monsters that originally appeared in Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, this book presents friends and foes for any D&D campaign, many of them accompanied by the comments of Mordenkainen. The wizard has faced many of these monsters and peoples on numerous wondrous adventures. Now it’s time for you to venture forth and face these creatures yourself!
Includes over 250 monsters. Updates to the monsters include making spellcasters easier for Dungeon Masters to run; giving many monsters more damage and resilience; and improving the organization of the stat blocks themselves.
Includes over 30 playable races. Brings all the game’s setting-agnostic races into one book, complementing the races in the Player’s Handbook.
A multiverse of lore. Includes updates to monster lore that refocuses the stories on the D&D multiverse, rather than on any particular world.
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is Available now!
It’s been years since Champions of Kamigawa came out. October 2004 to be exact. That set was special to me because it was the first set to come out after I got out of the navy and returned to the hobby. Now we’re returning to this popular plane, but there is a twist: it is set 1200 years in the future. It will be MtGs first sci-fi set. I’m curious to see how far they will push the sci-fi/cyberpunk envelope.
The greatest minds in the multiverse meet at Strixhaven University. Professors convey fantastic secrets to eager students, and life on campus is frenetic. But danger lurks even here. Campus hijinks mix with mishaps and sinister plots, and it’s up to you to save the day.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos introduces the fantastical setting of Strixhaven University to Dungeons & Dragons, drawn from the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering. It also provides rules for creating characters who are students in one of its five colleges.
Characters can explore the setting over the course of four adventures, which can be played together or on their own. Each describes an academic year filled with scholarly pursuits, campus shenanigans, exciting friendships, hidden dangers, and perhaps even romance.
Contents:
Includes four brand new D&D adventures that can be played as stand-alones or woven together as a campaign from levels 1–10
Adds a new playable race—an owlin, one of the owlfolk who study at the university
Includes a bestiary of over forty magical creatures and NPCs
Experience D&D in new ways through the academic challenges, extracurricular activities and jobs, and relationships explored on campus
Includes a beautifully illustrated double-sided poster map that shows Strixhaven’s campus on one side and important locations on the other
Attend an elite mage university, choose your college, and adventure your way to graduation
Meet Fizban the Fabulous: doddering archmage, unlikely war hero, divine avatar of a dragon-god—and your guide to the mysteries of dragonkind.
What is the difference between a red dragon and a gold dragon? What is dragonsight? How does a dragon’s magic impact the world around them? This comprehensive guide provides Dungeon Masters with a rich hoard of tools and information for designing dragon-themed encounters, adventures, and campaigns. Dragonslayers and dragon scholars alike will also appreciate its insight into harnessing the power of dragon magic and options for players to create unique, memorable draconic characters.
Contents:
Introduces gem dragons to fifth edition!
Provides Dungeon Masters with tools to craft adventures inspired by dragons, including dragon lair maps and detailed information about 20 different types of dragons
Adds player character options, including dragon-themed subclasses for monks and rangers, unique draconic ancestries for dragonborn, additional spell options, and a feat
Presents a complete dragon bestiary and introduces a variety of dragons and dragon-related creatures—including aspects of the dragon gods, dragon minions, and more
Reveals the story of the First World and the role the dragon gods Bahamut and Tiamat played in its creation and destruction
Once every eight years, the fantastic Witchlight Carnival touches down on your world, bringing joy to one settlement after the next. Its owners, Mister Witch and Mister Light, know how to put on a good show. But there’s more to this magical extravaganza than meets the eye!
The carnival is a gateway to a fantastic Feywild domain unlike anything found on the Material Plane. Time has not been kind to this realm, however, and dark days lie ahead unless someone can thwart the dastardly schemes of the Hourglass Coven.
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight takes adventurers from the Witchlight Carnival to Prismeer, a Feywild domain of delight, and is designed for characters of levels 1–8. This book comes with a poster map that shows the carnival on one side and Prismeer on the other.
Contents:
Explore the Plane of Faerie in the first official D&D adventure set primarily in the Feywild
Easily drop The Witchlight Carnival into any campaign—for passage into the Feywild or just a night of carnival games and wild entertainment
Introduces two races—play as a fairy or as a harengon, a race of humanoid rabbits
Adds two backgrounds—the Feylost who grew up in the Feywild, and a Witchlight Hand who works at the carnival
All encounters can be resolved without resorting to combat, rewarding clever ideas and creative roleplay
Classic 1980s Dungeons & Dragons characters return, including Warduke, Strongheart, and Kelek
HeroQuest Reprint Expected Release Date November 2021
HeroQuest Reprint
HeroQuest was designed for Milton Bradley, in conjunction with Games Workshop, by Steven Baker. Baker also created Hero Scape (2004), Battle Masters (1992), and Axis and Allies: Pacific (2001), among many others. HeroQuest was released in 1989 and remained in production until 1997. HQ is now under the control of Avalon Hill, a division of Hasbro, who crowfunded a HeroQuest reprint in September of 2020. The campaign raised $3,722,649 of its $1,000,000 goal.
Furniture
The furniture has been upgraded. The doors, chests, tables, etc., are now plastic instead of cardboard.
Recycling or Laziness?
The main quest book and the two expansions are word for word recreations of the originals
New Heroes
4 New Heroes Added to the HeroQuest Reprint
The four base characters (barbarian, elf, dwarf, wizard) are the same as the original, with the addition of four female models. Backers who opted for the upgraded, mythic tier, will get three new characters: the warlock (designed by Shauna Nakasone), druid (Nikki Dawes), and a bard (no designer noted).
Monsters
Most of the HeroQuest monsters will remain the same. The Chaos Warrior and Chaos Sorcerer have been renamed Dread Warrior and Sorcerer respectively. The most significant change is that the Firmir, a weird cycloptic creature with a mace-like tail, has been replaced by an anthropomorphic fish called an abomination.
New Hero Quest FAQ
The following was taken from the HeroQuest reprint crowdfunding project on HasLab in September 2020:
What’s in the box?
You can expect updated versions of Miniatures, Tiles/Markers, Character Cards, Combat Dice, Movement Dice, Gameboard, Character Sheets, Quest Books, Rules of Play, Sorcerer Screen, Turn Cards, and Game Cards.
What version of the rules are you using?
We have an updated (U.S. version) rule book. You can expect that there will be only minor changes to this resource. New rules will be added to the heroes in our Mythic Tier unlocks.
Are the quest books the same?
We have updated (U.S. version) quest books. You can expect that there will be only minor changes to this resource. New quest books could be added to our Mythic Tier unlocks if we meet those funding goals.
What is the estimated ship date?
If the campaign is successfully backed, we currently estimate shipments of HeroQuest to begin in Fall 2021.
What size are the figures/game pieces included?
Mini figures are planned to be 28mm scale but their actual height will vary by character size.
Will all the models be grey?
Based on community feedback, we have decided to differentiate model colors.
The Hero Quest reboot is scheduled to ship to backers “this fall”. No word when HQ will hit the stores. As of 9/10/21 there is no Amazon listing. Once my mythic tier set arrives, I’ll post a review!
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