RPG Print News – Chaosium, Arc Dream Publishing, Modiphius, and More

This week has so many winners. Chaosium, Arc Dream Publishing, Modiphius, Goodman Games, Legendary Game, and Troll Lord Games all have new releases for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Dune is back, this time by Modiphius. Modern spies and monsters and treasures are out for D&D. Pathfinder 2E gets an adventure and Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG gets a complete dice set that glows in the dark along with a new spell. Call of Cthulhu gets a solo adventure and Delta Green gets a hardcore R-rated adventure. Finally, Rangers of Shadow Deep monster cards are available.

Note: RPG Print News covers new RPG releases and some classics and sales available from online retailers. It does not cover products that are only available to customers through kickstarter, directly from a publisher website, or as print on demand.

Dune - Adventures in the Imperium | Dune - Adventures in the Imperium (Corrino Collector’s Edition) | Arrakis Dice Set (5) - Dune RPG by Modiphius EntertainmentDune - Adventures in the Imperium Core Rulebook (Corrino Collectors Edition) - Dune RPG from Modiphius Entertainment

• SYSTEM: 2d20 System
• PRODUCT TYPE: hardcover core rules/collector’s edition core rules/dice set
• RETAIL PRICE: $59.99/$109.99/$19.99
• DESCRIPTION: In the Dune RPG, PCs embark on a journey through the storied worlds of Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece, Dune, and inhabit elite agents working for noble Houses. Mentats, Swordmasters, Spies, Bene Gesserit Sisters, Devious Advisors, and desert Fremen join together to follow the PCs’ banner. Those that control the spice control the universe. The Imperium is a place of deadly duels, feudal politics, and mysterious abilities. Noble Houses constantly vie for power, influence, and vengeance in a universe where a blade can change the fortunes of millions. PCs build their House and carve their place in the universe or rebuild an ancient lineage and fight for the Imperial throne. The Arrakis Dice Set contains five twenty-sided sand-colored dice with wormsign. Colored in sand yellow with brown rock marbling and cinnamon numbering with a symbol of Shai-Hulud on one face.

Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde for D&D by Troll Lord Games

• SYSTEM: Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PRODUCT TYPE: hardcover sourcebook
• RETAIL PRICE: $49.99
• DESCRIPTION: Over 170 monsters including the lesser dragons, demons, devils, and special magic items. Each entry comes fully detailed with descriptions, habits, treasure, combat, special abilities, details on culture where needed, as well as a special section on each monster’s place in Aihrde.

The Spy Game | The Spy Game - GM Screen & Booklet by Modiphuis EntertainmentSpy Game, The - GM Screen & Booklet - RPG from Modiphius Entertainment

• SYSTEM: Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PRODUCT TYPE: hardcover supplement/GM screen and booklet
• RETAIL PRICE: $42/$34
• DESCRIPTION: The Spy Game is an action and espionage roleplaying game built on the D&D rules set in a world of international espionage and action in a modern setting. The PCs are a crew of con-artists, specialists, infiltrators and hackers that influence, subvert, and overcome any challenge. The Spy Game GM Screen provides front facing covert-world artwork and GM facing pages of useful tables and quick notes. Also includes a booklet containing spy tropes and motifs rules for customizing a game to make them more like either action movies or closer to nail-biting thrillers.

Cold Mountain - Pathfinder 2E by Legendary Games

• SYSTEM: Pathfinder 2E
• PRODUCT TYPE: module
• RETAIL PRICE: $15.99
• DESCRIPTION: An adventure for 4th-level characters that takes the heroes past the reach of civilization, coming face to face with strange and primitive folk and faerie powers. A goddess is angry, and her wrath heralds doom in the unforgiving lands of a savage frontier. The PCs must ascend Cold Mountain find a way to make peace with the warlike clans of the lonely hills and quell the frightening powers of nature. They will need cunning, guile, and a silver tongue to succeed where their magic and their sword arms may not prevail. Also complements the upcoming official "maker of kings" anniversary adventure path.

Glow Dice - Chaotic Wizard (14) by Goodman Games

• SYSTEM: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
• PRODUCT TYPE: 14 glows in the dark dice set
• RETAIL PRICE: $34.99
• DESCRIPTION: The dice are light green in daylight and glow with a bright green light in the dark. Includes all the dice required for DCC RPG: d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8, d10, percentile die, d12, d14, d16, d20, d24, and d30. On the back of the printed dice tube is a new DCC RPG spell by Harley Stroh. Features a cover illustration by Doug Kovacs.

Alone Against the Tide by Chaosium

• SYSTEM: Call of Cthulhu
• PRODUCT TYPE: softcover solo adventure
• RETAIL PRICE: $14.99
• DESCRIPTION: You are an investigator traveling to the affluent, scenic, and remote lakeside town of Esbury, Massachusetts. You either create your own investigator or use the ready-to-play investigator, Dr. E Woods, a professor of archaeology from Miskatonic University. There are a variety of reasons for visiting Esbury, but almost all are tied in some way to Esbury resident, professor William Harris. His research may be connected to the green fog enveloping the town. When you got off the ferry so did dangerous looking dark-suited men. And a Buddhist monk is visiting Esbury, a town more used to entertaining New England’s wealthy elite. Secrets need to be uncovered in Esbury.

Lover in the Ice by Arc Dream Publishing

• SYSTEM: Delta Green
• PRODUCT TYPE: softcover adventure
• RETAIL PRICE: $14.99
• REVIEW: The Horror! Delta Green Double-Tap
• DESCRIPTION: An apocalyptic ice storm cripples Lafontaine, Missouri. The Agents brave the elements to locate a missing friendly asset and secure a forgotten storage facility packed with terrible artifacts of past operations. They confront an appalling monster that invades and mutilates its victims in hideous and intimate ways. This adventure contains hard core body horror with a monster that attacks both body and mind in gruesome fashion and, like in the Alien movie, has disturbing sexual undercurrents but much closer to the surface. Amazing and horrible all at once. I’ve run it twice now and both times were icky, awful, and great fun. Not something I would run for gamers I just met but perfect for a group I’ve known for years and know (sort of) what they are getting into.

Rangers of Shadow Deep - Creature Card Deck by Modiphuis Entertainment

• SYSTEM: Rangers of Shadow Deep
• PRODUCT TYPE: deck of cards
• RETAIL PRICE: $21
• DESCRIPTION: 76 poker size playing cards with 59 creature reference cards, featuring all of the creatures from the Rulebook, Temple of Madness, Blood Moon, Incinerator, Ghost Stone, Across the Waste and Menagerie releases. Each card includes details of the creature's Move, Fight, Shoot, Armour, Will, Health, XP and notes. Also included are 17 blank cards to add homebrewed enemies or to fill in monsters from future releases.

 

[Dire Bare]

I didn't know DCC used all those dice! Never have I ever thought, "I know what D&D needs, more dice types!"

I imagine Goodman makes it work though.

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

I didn't know DCC used all those dice! Never have I ever thought, "I know what D&D needs, more dice types!"

I imagine Goodman makes it work though.

The cool thing about the dice is it cuts down on modifiers. If you fight with two weapons for example you might roll a d20 primary and a d16 secondary. No need to roll a d20 and subtract a penalty for the second attack. And if you have say a longsword and shortsword you know which die goes with each.

Other things that increase incrementally can do the same thing, avoiding the normal big jump from d12 to d20.

 

[Haffrung]

The cool thing about the dice is it cuts down on modifiers. If you fight with two weapons for example you might roll a d20 primary and a d16 secondary. No need to roll a d20 and subtract a penalty for the second attack. And if you have say a longsword and shortsword you know which die goes with each.

Other things that increase incrementally can do the same thing, avoiding the normal big jump from d12 to d20.

The other thing it does is increase the cost to play the game by $35 CDN, or $70 CDN if you want two sets at the table.

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

The other thing it does is increase the cost to play the game by $35 CDN, or $70 CDN if you want two sets at the table.

I honestly don't get the obsession with cost with RPGs and the desire to complain about it. Some hobbies, like golf, cost hundreds of dollars, and just to play you spend another hundred every time you want to play. And half the time golfers looked pissed off after they paid all that money to play.

I know someone who likes to make quilts. And making a quilt costs like 200 bucks. Not to buy it. To make it! With their own labor and time.

With the dice and no discounts DCC RPG costs 60 bucks. 60 bucks will also buy a gaming mouse, a router, PlayStation Plus: 12 Month Membership [Digital Code], or a CPU cooler fan (I checked Amazon). How many of those things will still be usable in 10 years? 20?

Yeah, I just don't get the complaining.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Interesting. I had no idea Modiphius was publishing anything that uses the 5E OGL. I wonder how well it would handle Mission Impossible-style games. Not the old series, but the movies and all their craziness.

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

Interesting. I had no idea Modiphius was publishing anything that uses the 5E OGL. I wonder how well it would handle Mission Impossible-style games. Not the old series, but the movies and all their craziness.

Looking around online, I found one post about that might answer that: Classes: Face/Hacker/Infiltrator/Martial Artist/Medic/Ranger/Soldier/Technician. Looking over the classes, it DEFINITELY feels more "Action Spy Movie" then "gritty spy".

 

[Ghost2020]

Interesting. I had no idea Modiphius was publishing anything that uses the 5E OGL. I wonder how well it would handle Mission Impossible-style games. Not the old series, but the movies and all their craziness.

It's Black Cats Gaming that made the book, and I believe Modiphius just does the distribution of it. Get the quickstart, it's a pretty neat game.

 

[MidnightBlue]

I've already got a few of these:

Dune...okay, I went a little nuts...I bought into the big preorder that got me the Core book, the LTD Atreides Core Book, LTD Harkonnen Core Book, LTD Corinno Core Book, GM Screen, dice set, and LTD dice set (melange). Why on Arrakis did I need FOUR core books? I blame the Spice!

Rangers of Shadow Deep Creature Deck - a nice play aid as you'd imagine.

CoC Alone Against the Tide: I absolutely love these "Alone Against" solo scenarios. What fun and horror to be had when I can't get together with the group (like for a year+ now). Haven't played this one yet, but it is in queue on my shelf.

I looked hard at The Spy Game, and I'm sure it is just fine. But between Cold Shadows, Leverage (and Cortex in general), Ninjas & Superspies, Spycraft, Corporation, Trinity, Wraith Recon, and dare I say Dune (and many others I'm blanking on right now), I think my Spy/Agent/Heist section of my RPG collection is pretty well stocked...and sadly already under used.