Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news! Witcher RPG release information, new D&D clothing line from Joe Manganiello, new Warhammer 40K skirmish wargame and details on Wrath & Glory, and more!
The Witcher Role-Playing Game from R Talsorian Games will officially debut at Gen Con this year. Originally announced over two years ago, the game is based on both the original novels by author Andrzej Sapowski and on the award-winning video game series from CD Projekt Red (who are currently working on Cyberpunk 2077, based on the Cyberpunk tabletop RPG series from R Talsorian Games). This tabletop version from R Talsorian Games was designed by the mother-son team of Lisa and Cody Pondsmith. From the press release:
While all eyes are on Gen Con for new product announcements in the tabletop gaming space, we’ve already had two from San Diego Comic-Con in advance of next week’s mega-media event convention. First, actor Joe Manganiello announced a new clothing and accessory line based on Dungeons & Dragons. The “Death Saves” line will include shirts, jackets, rings, and more based on designs from monsters and items from D&D with a heavy metal inspired design theme. The products will first be available at the convention, with the online store opening the day after the convention starts on July 20.
Wizards of the Coast didn’t want to be left out, however, as they announced the Transformers Trading Card Game launching later this year. The card game will launch with the Autobots Starter Set (featuring Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Red Alert cards) and booster packs available starting on September 28. Details are slim until the San Diego Comic-Con preview event, but the game itself will focus on character cards that are twice the size of the regular cards of the battle deck, printed as double-sided cards to represent transforming from vehicle to robot forms. Transformers Trading Card Game Brand Manager Drew Nolosco said that the intent with the game will be to draw influence from every era of the franchise in order to explore the different aspects of each character through Generation 1 to the modern era through the game mechanics.
Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory lead designer Ross Watson talked with EN World about the new roleplaying game due for release at Gen Con. The interview digs into how the 8th edition of Warhammer 40,000 is represented in the core book, how streaming and digital sales affect the design process, and dives into the mechanical systems and lore of the new game. Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory will be released at Gen Con with fulfillment to other outlets following shortly after, with all launch products (including the limited editions available for pre-order) expected to release by September. (Disclosure: Ross Watson was the host of the Gamer’s Tavern podcast from 2013 to 2016, which is owned and produced by the author of this column.)
Games Workshop announced details on Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team, a skirmish-scale miniature wargame set in the 40K universe, but designed from the ground-up to focus on the small unit tactics and give-and-take of the different playstyle from the standard large scale Warhammer 40,000 game. Since the new game focuses on smaller-scale conflicts in unit size, the scale of the battlefield is also smaller to emphasize the close-quarters nature of the skirmishes as the gameboard itself will be 22” by 30” so it will “fit perfectly on your coffee table”, per the Warhammer Community post (though images show that the tightened play area has done nothing to limit the game, as multilevel terrain pieces are included in the base starter set). The game will also have three different play modes called Open, Narrative, and Matched Play along with support for up to four players in a game. No information is available at this time on release date or pricing.
More previews from Pathfinder 2nd Edition have come out leading into the Gen Con launch of the official playtest. In fact, they seem to have ramped up the release of previews as we close in on the game’s release. First, we got a look at how magic items and potions will be handled in the game, with two new mechanics around items called Potency and Resonance, which add new options and variations to items. Next, new information on traps and hazards and how gamemasters can use them in their games and how players can detect and remove (or fall victim to) them, including four examples ranging from low to high level. Then we got previews of two classes, the magic-free hunter/survivalist version of the Ranger and a new focus with Sorcerers on bloodlines and how they differentiate characters and their magic. Finally, EN World will be premiering the full character sheets of the pre-generated characters for the Pathfinder 2nd Edition playtest. Kyra (cleric), Valeros (fighter), Merisiel (rogue), Ezren (wizard), and Seelah (paladin) will come over the next week, and you can find out more now by seeing Fumbus, the goblin alchemist. For more news on the Pathfinder 2nd Edition playtest, make sure to follow the EN World category for all news related to the new edition. The playtest will be released on August 2 at Gen Con, through mass market in softcover and hardcover and as a limited edition deluxe hardcover, and as a free PDF release available from the Paizo website.
Voting for the ENnies is open now. You can vote for your favorites until July 21 at 11:59 Eastern, including your choice for the new judges for 2019. Every vote counts, and even ranking a title as the lowest still gives it a better chance to win, so if you love every game in a category and want to help them all, make sure not to leave any section blank! The award winners will be announced at the ENnie Award Ceremony at Gen Con on August 3rd at 8:00 PM Eastern and also live streamed.
Wizards of the Coast and IDW teamed up to create the Dungeons & Dragons Comic Book Bundle on Humble Bundle. These licensed comics are a mix of original stories and adaptations of different adventures and novels throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons and include names like R. A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Jim Zub, Keith Baker, Jeff Grubb, and others with stories from Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dark Suns, and more. If you’ve never had a chance to check out the series from the showrunner of Leverage and the forthcoming Name of the Wind TV series, John Rogers, I highly recommend them. This bundle benefits the Hasbro Children’s Fund and runs until Wednesday, July 25.
I wrote about Killing Lee Garvin last week and you’ll probably hear about it again, but this card game is really cute, unique, and darkly tongue-in-cheek, with the proceeds go to a good cause. In the game designed and published by Greg Porter, you and the other players try to save Lee Garvin from the various hazards in the world, ranging from Con Crud to ravenous rodents by giving him bonuses to common sense, healthcare, and more in order to create the wild stories of what happens to game designer Lee Garvin. Proceeds from this Kickstarter will be split between helping pay medical bills for Garvin (who is best known for his games like Tales of the Floating Vagabond and Badass Zombie Killers) and the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund, a charity that assists other game professionals undergoing financial hardship. The game is available for a $25 pledge or two copies for $45 (doubling the size of the deck of cards). This Kickstarter is still short of its funding goal, but it has until Wednesday, August 1 to finish funding and help make the world a better place.
Two gaming-related short films are currently on Kickstarter. The first, Metroplex by Dresden Pictures, is a cyberpunk urban fantasy drawing heavy influence from Shadowrun (yes, various Shadowrun designers are aware and think it’s pretty cool and no, there aren’t any copyright or trademark issues with this project). The Kickstarter is for a ten minute stand-alone short film in the hopes of attracting interest in creating a full feature film and is described as a mix between Heat and Lord of the Rings by the producers. This Kickstarter is just shy of a third of the way to funding and runs until Tuesday, July 31. Also, there’s Assembly Required, a film “about gaming culture” from a group of creators whose credits include Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. Based on the Kickstarter page, the film is shot and they’re seeking funds to complete the visual effects and for a few reshoots. This project is just shy of its funding goal, but if you’d like to get in (if for nothing else, than for the Gary Hunt sculpted miniatures exclusive to the campaign), you’ve only got until this Sunday, July 15.
Munchkin Unicorns is a mini-expansion for Munchkin from Steve Jackson Games loaded with unicorns, cows, and the undead. This set features cards from illustrators Katie Cook, Iam McGinty, and Len Peralta. This is one of those projects where I don’t really have to tell you anymore because you know immediately if you want it based solely on the description. The expansion is available for a $10 pledge, you can add on a Munchkin Unicorns Box of Holding for $18, or instead you can add the Munchkin Oz set for $36 or the game Moop’s Monster Mashup for $32. This project is fully funded and still has one or two stretch goals left to unlock before Friday, July 20.
That’s all from me for this week! Find more gaming crowdfunding news by following our Kickstarter news tag, and don’t forget to support our Patreon to bring you more gaming news content. If you have any news to submit, email us at news@enworldnews.com. You can follow me on Twitter @Abstruse where all opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer or professionally-related entities, follow me on Twitch where I’ll finish up Dragon Age: Origins hopefully very soon, follow Gamer’s Tavern on YouTube featuring videos on gaming history and gaming Let’s Plays, or you can listen to the archives of the Gamer’s Tavern podcast. Until next time, may all your hits be crits! Note: Links to Amazon, Humble Store, Humble Bundle, and/or DriveThru may contain affiliate links with the proceeds going to the author of this column.
The Witcher Role-Playing Game from R Talsorian Games will officially debut at Gen Con this year. Originally announced over two years ago, the game is based on both the original novels by author Andrzej Sapowski and on the award-winning video game series from CD Projekt Red (who are currently working on Cyberpunk 2077, based on the Cyberpunk tabletop RPG series from R Talsorian Games). This tabletop version from R Talsorian Games was designed by the mother-son team of Lisa and Cody Pondsmith. From the press release:
Set a land threatened by war, fear, and distrust, The Witcher Tabletop Roleplaying Game gives players the tools to play out adventures in a dark fantasy world where moments of hope and joy can be rare but are all the more precious because of it. The Witcher Tabletop Roleplaying Game includes everything players will need to run games set in the world of The Witcher, including information about character creation, combat, magic, monsters, world lore, and a sample adventure.
While all eyes are on Gen Con for new product announcements in the tabletop gaming space, we’ve already had two from San Diego Comic-Con in advance of next week’s mega-media event convention. First, actor Joe Manganiello announced a new clothing and accessory line based on Dungeons & Dragons. The “Death Saves” line will include shirts, jackets, rings, and more based on designs from monsters and items from D&D with a heavy metal inspired design theme. The products will first be available at the convention, with the online store opening the day after the convention starts on July 20.
Wizards of the Coast didn’t want to be left out, however, as they announced the Transformers Trading Card Game launching later this year. The card game will launch with the Autobots Starter Set (featuring Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Red Alert cards) and booster packs available starting on September 28. Details are slim until the San Diego Comic-Con preview event, but the game itself will focus on character cards that are twice the size of the regular cards of the battle deck, printed as double-sided cards to represent transforming from vehicle to robot forms. Transformers Trading Card Game Brand Manager Drew Nolosco said that the intent with the game will be to draw influence from every era of the franchise in order to explore the different aspects of each character through Generation 1 to the modern era through the game mechanics.
Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory lead designer Ross Watson talked with EN World about the new roleplaying game due for release at Gen Con. The interview digs into how the 8th edition of Warhammer 40,000 is represented in the core book, how streaming and digital sales affect the design process, and dives into the mechanical systems and lore of the new game. Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory will be released at Gen Con with fulfillment to other outlets following shortly after, with all launch products (including the limited editions available for pre-order) expected to release by September. (Disclosure: Ross Watson was the host of the Gamer’s Tavern podcast from 2013 to 2016, which is owned and produced by the author of this column.)
Games Workshop announced details on Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team, a skirmish-scale miniature wargame set in the 40K universe, but designed from the ground-up to focus on the small unit tactics and give-and-take of the different playstyle from the standard large scale Warhammer 40,000 game. Since the new game focuses on smaller-scale conflicts in unit size, the scale of the battlefield is also smaller to emphasize the close-quarters nature of the skirmishes as the gameboard itself will be 22” by 30” so it will “fit perfectly on your coffee table”, per the Warhammer Community post (though images show that the tightened play area has done nothing to limit the game, as multilevel terrain pieces are included in the base starter set). The game will also have three different play modes called Open, Narrative, and Matched Play along with support for up to four players in a game. No information is available at this time on release date or pricing.
More previews from Pathfinder 2nd Edition have come out leading into the Gen Con launch of the official playtest. In fact, they seem to have ramped up the release of previews as we close in on the game’s release. First, we got a look at how magic items and potions will be handled in the game, with two new mechanics around items called Potency and Resonance, which add new options and variations to items. Next, new information on traps and hazards and how gamemasters can use them in their games and how players can detect and remove (or fall victim to) them, including four examples ranging from low to high level. Then we got previews of two classes, the magic-free hunter/survivalist version of the Ranger and a new focus with Sorcerers on bloodlines and how they differentiate characters and their magic. Finally, EN World will be premiering the full character sheets of the pre-generated characters for the Pathfinder 2nd Edition playtest. Kyra (cleric), Valeros (fighter), Merisiel (rogue), Ezren (wizard), and Seelah (paladin) will come over the next week, and you can find out more now by seeing Fumbus, the goblin alchemist. For more news on the Pathfinder 2nd Edition playtest, make sure to follow the EN World category for all news related to the new edition. The playtest will be released on August 2 at Gen Con, through mass market in softcover and hardcover and as a limited edition deluxe hardcover, and as a free PDF release available from the Paizo website.
Voting for the ENnies is open now. You can vote for your favorites until July 21 at 11:59 Eastern, including your choice for the new judges for 2019. Every vote counts, and even ranking a title as the lowest still gives it a better chance to win, so if you love every game in a category and want to help them all, make sure not to leave any section blank! The award winners will be announced at the ENnie Award Ceremony at Gen Con on August 3rd at 8:00 PM Eastern and also live streamed.
Wizards of the Coast and IDW teamed up to create the Dungeons & Dragons Comic Book Bundle on Humble Bundle. These licensed comics are a mix of original stories and adaptations of different adventures and novels throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons and include names like R. A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Jim Zub, Keith Baker, Jeff Grubb, and others with stories from Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dark Suns, and more. If you’ve never had a chance to check out the series from the showrunner of Leverage and the forthcoming Name of the Wind TV series, John Rogers, I highly recommend them. This bundle benefits the Hasbro Children’s Fund and runs until Wednesday, July 25.
I wrote about Killing Lee Garvin last week and you’ll probably hear about it again, but this card game is really cute, unique, and darkly tongue-in-cheek, with the proceeds go to a good cause. In the game designed and published by Greg Porter, you and the other players try to save Lee Garvin from the various hazards in the world, ranging from Con Crud to ravenous rodents by giving him bonuses to common sense, healthcare, and more in order to create the wild stories of what happens to game designer Lee Garvin. Proceeds from this Kickstarter will be split between helping pay medical bills for Garvin (who is best known for his games like Tales of the Floating Vagabond and Badass Zombie Killers) and the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund, a charity that assists other game professionals undergoing financial hardship. The game is available for a $25 pledge or two copies for $45 (doubling the size of the deck of cards). This Kickstarter is still short of its funding goal, but it has until Wednesday, August 1 to finish funding and help make the world a better place.
Two gaming-related short films are currently on Kickstarter. The first, Metroplex by Dresden Pictures, is a cyberpunk urban fantasy drawing heavy influence from Shadowrun (yes, various Shadowrun designers are aware and think it’s pretty cool and no, there aren’t any copyright or trademark issues with this project). The Kickstarter is for a ten minute stand-alone short film in the hopes of attracting interest in creating a full feature film and is described as a mix between Heat and Lord of the Rings by the producers. This Kickstarter is just shy of a third of the way to funding and runs until Tuesday, July 31. Also, there’s Assembly Required, a film “about gaming culture” from a group of creators whose credits include Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. Based on the Kickstarter page, the film is shot and they’re seeking funds to complete the visual effects and for a few reshoots. This project is just shy of its funding goal, but if you’d like to get in (if for nothing else, than for the Gary Hunt sculpted miniatures exclusive to the campaign), you’ve only got until this Sunday, July 15.
Munchkin Unicorns is a mini-expansion for Munchkin from Steve Jackson Games loaded with unicorns, cows, and the undead. This set features cards from illustrators Katie Cook, Iam McGinty, and Len Peralta. This is one of those projects where I don’t really have to tell you anymore because you know immediately if you want it based solely on the description. The expansion is available for a $10 pledge, you can add on a Munchkin Unicorns Box of Holding for $18, or instead you can add the Munchkin Oz set for $36 or the game Moop’s Monster Mashup for $32. This project is fully funded and still has one or two stretch goals left to unlock before Friday, July 20.
That’s all from me for this week! Find more gaming crowdfunding news by following our Kickstarter news tag, and don’t forget to support our Patreon to bring you more gaming news content. If you have any news to submit, email us at news@enworldnews.com. You can follow me on Twitter @Abstruse where all opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer or professionally-related entities, follow me on Twitch where I’ll finish up Dragon Age: Origins hopefully very soon, follow Gamer’s Tavern on YouTube featuring videos on gaming history and gaming Let’s Plays, or you can listen to the archives of the Gamer’s Tavern podcast. Until next time, may all your hits be crits! Note: Links to Amazon, Humble Store, Humble Bundle, and/or DriveThru may contain affiliate links with the proceeds going to the author of this column.
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