Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news. More big changes for the World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade, Starfinder Beginner Box Details and Pre-Order, John Carter of Mars Lands, a new Warhammer 40K animated series announced, and more! Morrus summed it up in one article this week with the simple sentence, “White Wolf has had a terrible year.” This week in particular has been surprisingly eventful. It started with a job posting from Paradox Interactive, owners of the White Wolf trademark and the World of Darkness intellectual property, seeking a new Brand Manager. This wasn’t unexpected as the previous statement from Paradox indicated they intended to move in a new direction with the property. Next came the closure of the WorldOfDarkness.com website. Though the headline seems drastic, the closer is specifically for the site’s subscription service, which allowed customers to pay a monthly or annual fee to access digital copies of a significant library of World of Darkness sourcebooks. Subscribers received the news only a day or so before the ending of the service, though Paradox is refunding all subscribers for the month of December (or for this month plus any months left in the subscription for annual subscribers).
However, the big announcement came this morning when Modiphius announced they were taking over the tabletop roleplaying line of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition. Modiphius already served as distributor for the line and has been heavily involved in the promotion of the new edition. Four new titles were announced, including a new Player’s Guide and Starter Set, an adventure titled The Fall of London, and a sourcebook for The Second Inquisition, focusing on organizations seeking to hunt Kindred. Modiphius also states that the editing of the Camarilla and Anarch sourcebooks have been completed and will be reprinted for March, but do not state how much of the material that caused the controversy was removed (which, aside from the Chechnya chapter, included controversial statements about depression and suicide and featured vampiric parents feeding on their children played as a joke). This licensing deal will only apply to the Fifth Edition and gives Modiphius the power to sublicense, meaning that they will now be supervising the release of the recently-Kickstarted Chicago by Night sourcebook from Onyx Path as well as any future products.
Pre-orders and further details are now available for the Starfinder Beginner Box. As expected from the high-quality of the Pathfinder Beginner Box, this box is similarly packed with everything needed to get started playing immediately. Two books, each 96 pages, detail the rules with the hero’s book detailing character creation and basic rules of the game and the gamemaster’s book having tips for running a game, a bestiary of alien adversaries, and a full adventure. Additionally, the box will contain 80 cardboard stand-up pawns with 24 plastic bases, a full set of dice, six pre-generated character sheets, six blank character sheets, player aid cards with rules references, and a flip-mat. The set will be available this spring with a retail price of $39.99.
Going back to Modiphius, John Carter of Mars, the 2d20 System game based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp hero, is now available in PDF. This new version of the 2d20 System focuses on talent use and with more narrative gameplay as suiting of the genre. The 288-page core rulebook features rules for three different eras based on the John Carter series – the Dotar Sojat era, the Prince of Helium era, and the Jeddak of Jeddaks era. And, as expected, the book will include iconic character from the series like Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, and John Carter himself as well as rules for character creation. The PDF is available on DriveThruRPG for $19.99.
Games Workshop wasn’t kidding earlier this year when they said they were looking to find more media licenses, as this Monday they announced a Warhammer 40,000 animated series, Angels of Death. Not only that, but they’ve tapped noted Warhammer fan filmmaker Richard Boylan to lead the project. The series will follow a band of Blood Angel Space Marines who become infected with the dreaded Black Rage. Not much else is known at this time, but a teaser trailer has already been released. Boylan is best known in the Warhammer community for his fan films, the twelve-part animated adaptation of the Black Library novel Helsreach and the live-action short film Guardsman. While Games Workshop has not yet announced how we’ll be able to see Angels of Death, it is currently scheduled for a 2019 release.
EN World is running yet another end-of-year poll, this one looking back at all the podcasts out there to find the best one for 2018. With ninety-nine entries covering every variation you can think of covering tabletop roleplaying – from actual plays to tips and tricks to discussions to radio plays to discussions of design and publishing to news podcasts – so make sure to vote for all of your favorites. I should note that the logo above is the EN World podcast Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk which is nominated and I am the editor and post-production audio engineer for, but I wouldn’t possibly try to influence your vote like that…
There’s still a few days left in the Vegas Pro Even More Creative Freedom Bundle on Humble Bundle. I talk a lot in this space about bundles useful for streamers and podcasters, but these Vegas bundles are hands down the best value for anyone looking to get into video making. While there are several other tools in the bundle, the most important is Vegas Pro 15 Edit available at the $25 level. At this price, it is hands down the cheapest video editing program you’ll find. It’s perfect whether you’re wanting to start your own vlog, create actual play videos, or clean up livestreams for uploading on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or others. If you or anyone you know is interested in making their own online videos (or even DVDs and Blu-Rays), this bundle is a must-have that you’ll kick yourself if you don’t take advantage of. This bundle benefits Hilarity for Charity and runs until Tuesday, December 25 (and yes, it makes a great last-minute gift).
If you listened to this week’s Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk, you’d know that I was a guest on the show (as well as being the editor). If not, one of the segments is a game where Morrus reads the name of a Kickstarter and Peter (the co-host of the show) and any guests have to guess what it is. I failed miserably at guessing Lost Hall of Tyr and have no one to blame but myself for not paying attention to the name. This is a mini-setting for the Dragon Heresy Roleplaying Game including an adventure that allows the players to explore the Viking-inspired town of Isfjall as they seek to find the lost hall of the Norse god Tyr. The PDF is available for a $13 pledge, adding on the Dragon Heresy core rulebook in PDF for $20, a print hardcover for $26, a print-and-PDF bundle for $33, and a full print-and-PDF set of bot the core rules and expansion for $72. This Kickstarter is fully funded and runs until Sunday, December 23.
Steve Jackson Games has a huge expansion for Ogre, the tactical skirmish game of giant tanks, Ogre Battlefields. The expansion brings different things whether you have Ogre Sixth Edition or the massive Ogre Designer’s Edition. The expansion comes with two new maps, tokens, and an updated full rulebook that will greatly expand the game with new rules and options regardless of which edition you own. And if you don’t have the base game, Ogre Sixth Edition is available as a $20 add-on. The expansion is available for a $60 pledge and several other stretch goals in multiple combinations of the expansion, add-ons, and new maps to make sure you get what you want. This Kickstarter is still going through stretch goals until it funds on Friday, December 28.
That’s all from me for this week! 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, and you can get more discussion of the week’s news on Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk every week. You can follow me on Twitter @Abstruse where I’ll probably be talking about random stuff on Netflix since I just renewed my subscription to catch up on exclusives, follow me on Twitch if I ever get a chance to start on my stack of mystery games, subscribe to 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.
However, the big announcement came this morning when Modiphius announced they were taking over the tabletop roleplaying line of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition. Modiphius already served as distributor for the line and has been heavily involved in the promotion of the new edition. Four new titles were announced, including a new Player’s Guide and Starter Set, an adventure titled The Fall of London, and a sourcebook for The Second Inquisition, focusing on organizations seeking to hunt Kindred. Modiphius also states that the editing of the Camarilla and Anarch sourcebooks have been completed and will be reprinted for March, but do not state how much of the material that caused the controversy was removed (which, aside from the Chechnya chapter, included controversial statements about depression and suicide and featured vampiric parents feeding on their children played as a joke). This licensing deal will only apply to the Fifth Edition and gives Modiphius the power to sublicense, meaning that they will now be supervising the release of the recently-Kickstarted Chicago by Night sourcebook from Onyx Path as well as any future products.
Pre-orders and further details are now available for the Starfinder Beginner Box. As expected from the high-quality of the Pathfinder Beginner Box, this box is similarly packed with everything needed to get started playing immediately. Two books, each 96 pages, detail the rules with the hero’s book detailing character creation and basic rules of the game and the gamemaster’s book having tips for running a game, a bestiary of alien adversaries, and a full adventure. Additionally, the box will contain 80 cardboard stand-up pawns with 24 plastic bases, a full set of dice, six pre-generated character sheets, six blank character sheets, player aid cards with rules references, and a flip-mat. The set will be available this spring with a retail price of $39.99.
Going back to Modiphius, John Carter of Mars, the 2d20 System game based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp hero, is now available in PDF. This new version of the 2d20 System focuses on talent use and with more narrative gameplay as suiting of the genre. The 288-page core rulebook features rules for three different eras based on the John Carter series – the Dotar Sojat era, the Prince of Helium era, and the Jeddak of Jeddaks era. And, as expected, the book will include iconic character from the series like Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, and John Carter himself as well as rules for character creation. The PDF is available on DriveThruRPG for $19.99.
Games Workshop wasn’t kidding earlier this year when they said they were looking to find more media licenses, as this Monday they announced a Warhammer 40,000 animated series, Angels of Death. Not only that, but they’ve tapped noted Warhammer fan filmmaker Richard Boylan to lead the project. The series will follow a band of Blood Angel Space Marines who become infected with the dreaded Black Rage. Not much else is known at this time, but a teaser trailer has already been released. Boylan is best known in the Warhammer community for his fan films, the twelve-part animated adaptation of the Black Library novel Helsreach and the live-action short film Guardsman. While Games Workshop has not yet announced how we’ll be able to see Angels of Death, it is currently scheduled for a 2019 release.
EN World is running yet another end-of-year poll, this one looking back at all the podcasts out there to find the best one for 2018. With ninety-nine entries covering every variation you can think of covering tabletop roleplaying – from actual plays to tips and tricks to discussions to radio plays to discussions of design and publishing to news podcasts – so make sure to vote for all of your favorites. I should note that the logo above is the EN World podcast Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk which is nominated and I am the editor and post-production audio engineer for, but I wouldn’t possibly try to influence your vote like that…
There’s still a few days left in the Vegas Pro Even More Creative Freedom Bundle on Humble Bundle. I talk a lot in this space about bundles useful for streamers and podcasters, but these Vegas bundles are hands down the best value for anyone looking to get into video making. While there are several other tools in the bundle, the most important is Vegas Pro 15 Edit available at the $25 level. At this price, it is hands down the cheapest video editing program you’ll find. It’s perfect whether you’re wanting to start your own vlog, create actual play videos, or clean up livestreams for uploading on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or others. If you or anyone you know is interested in making their own online videos (or even DVDs and Blu-Rays), this bundle is a must-have that you’ll kick yourself if you don’t take advantage of. This bundle benefits Hilarity for Charity and runs until Tuesday, December 25 (and yes, it makes a great last-minute gift).
If you listened to this week’s Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk, you’d know that I was a guest on the show (as well as being the editor). If not, one of the segments is a game where Morrus reads the name of a Kickstarter and Peter (the co-host of the show) and any guests have to guess what it is. I failed miserably at guessing Lost Hall of Tyr and have no one to blame but myself for not paying attention to the name. This is a mini-setting for the Dragon Heresy Roleplaying Game including an adventure that allows the players to explore the Viking-inspired town of Isfjall as they seek to find the lost hall of the Norse god Tyr. The PDF is available for a $13 pledge, adding on the Dragon Heresy core rulebook in PDF for $20, a print hardcover for $26, a print-and-PDF bundle for $33, and a full print-and-PDF set of bot the core rules and expansion for $72. This Kickstarter is fully funded and runs until Sunday, December 23.
Steve Jackson Games has a huge expansion for Ogre, the tactical skirmish game of giant tanks, Ogre Battlefields. The expansion brings different things whether you have Ogre Sixth Edition or the massive Ogre Designer’s Edition. The expansion comes with two new maps, tokens, and an updated full rulebook that will greatly expand the game with new rules and options regardless of which edition you own. And if you don’t have the base game, Ogre Sixth Edition is available as a $20 add-on. The expansion is available for a $60 pledge and several other stretch goals in multiple combinations of the expansion, add-ons, and new maps to make sure you get what you want. This Kickstarter is still going through stretch goals until it funds on Friday, December 28.
That’s all from me for this week! 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, and you can get more discussion of the week’s news on Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk every week. You can follow me on Twitter @Abstruse where I’ll probably be talking about random stuff on Netflix since I just renewed my subscription to catch up on exclusives, follow me on Twitch if I ever get a chance to start on my stack of mystery games, subscribe to 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.
