Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news! Release details for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory, Gen Con announces their Guests of Honor for this year, and more!
Cubicle 7 released a preview of the rules system for their upcoming Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition on their Facebook page. The rules will be similar to previous editions, with a percentile-dice based system using skill checks to resolve most actions. The biggest change is the new “Advantage” layer to combat. The system relies on both the attacker and defender in combat making weapon skill checks to determine if anyone is damaged and, to prevent “whiff factor”, whoever wins the roll will get Advantage on the next roll. From the post:
Advantage will stack until an attack fails, the character takes damage, or combat ends. The post also hints at potential special abilities and powers that will affect or take advantage of Advantage. Some information was also given about the expanded critical hit and fumble systems.
Speaking of Warhammer related roleplaying products, Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory is now available for pre-order. The initial release slate will feature bundles that will get players everything they need to get started. Wrath & Glory Core Rules will be a 400+ page hardcover with two leatherette special editions, one in red and one in hand-bound black. The Player Bundle is available for $100 will include the Core Rules, a pack of Talents and Psychic Powers cards, a pack of Gear cards, and five dice (four black and one red). The All-In Bundle for $275 includes everything in the Player Bundle plus Dark Tides (the first published adventure for Wrath & Glory), GM screen, multiple card decks for running the game, a digital soundtrack, acrylic character and NPC tokens, three double-sided battle maps, ten dice (nine black, one red), and an exclusive collector’s box. Prices only include the standard hardcover edition of the game and there is an additional cost for upgrading to either of the deluxe editions. The preorders will be live on the Ulisses Spiele website tomorrow (June 1st).
Speaking of licensed properties based on UK-based genre satire, EN Publishing has been letting loose with several previews of the upcoming Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000AD roleplaying game. I must disclose that EN Publishing is the game development and publishing arm of ENWorld, but I have no special knowledge of the development process for this game. So far, we’ve gotten looks at the character sheet for the game, the Street Judge career, the iconic sidearm the Lawgiver, and the Lawmaster motorbike. We’ve even got a comic-style example of play with a statement from Judge Dredd himself describing the game’s mechanics and general flow. We’ve also seen a preview of the introductory adventure included in the core rulebook, “State of the Empire”. No price point or official release date has been announced at this time, but a crowdfunding campaign for the rulebook is on the near horizon based on posts made to the What’s OLD is NEW (WOIN) Facebook group as it’s been announced that the design and layout are complete for the 250 page stand-alone core book.
Catalyst Game Labs announced pre-sale details for the new BattleTech Beginner Box. The set will be more limited but far cheaper than the previous Introductory Box Set, as it will include models for only two mechs (as opposed to the twenty-four in the older set). The game will also include quick-start rules, a map sheet, and quick reference cards for both the included mechs and for the MechWarrior pilots. This smaller boxed set also reduces the retail price down to $19.99, making it much easier to purchase to try out the rules system and can later be expanded by lance packs, which start at $7.99 for the plastic single-mold “army man” style miniatures and go up from there. The new boxed set is available for preorder with a release set for September.
Speaking of September releases, Steve Jackson Games announced their slate of new releases for later this year. Munchkin will get a new thirty card expansion called Side Quests, which will include art from Ian McGinty and feature secret in-game side quests for you to potentially get for bonus levels, loot, or even secret win conditions. Illuminati will get an updated edition with tweaked rules and updated cards to reflect the modern state of conspiracy theories. SPANC (Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirl) is also getting a reprint including the original art from Phil Foglio. Finally, Blob Lobber is a brand new game for two to four players is a dexterity-based card game where you throw blob cards and, if your card lands with a bomb showing, you claim all the blobs under it. All of these products will be out in September (and while it wasn’t announced, I’d be shocked if these weren’t also available at Gen Con).
Speaking of Gen Con (and BattleTech for that matter), Gen Con announced the Guest of Honor line-up for this year’s convention. Jordan Weisman, co-founder of FASA Corporation and creator of BattleTech, Shadowrun, and more, will be featured at the event “An Uncommon Conversation with Jordan Weisman”, moderated by Nicole Lindroos (Green Ronin Publishing). Anita Sarkeesian, media critic and online creator, will speak at “An Uncommon Conversation with Anita Sarkeesian”, moderated by Luke Crane (Head of Games for Kickstarter). Finally, Nolan T. Jones, co-founder and managing partner for Roll20, will be speaking at “An Uncommon Conversation with Nolan T. Jones”, moderated by Tanya DePass (founder of I Need Diverse Games). All badges for the convention (except VIP badges) are still available with four-day passes for $110 and one-day passes for $60 ($70 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday), but the event is expected to sell out long before the August 2-5 convention dates.
Acute Paranoia is a new expansion for Paranoia with an expansion and new options for the classic comedic game of futuristic treason. This expansion includes new rules for playing bot characters, elderly Troubleshooters, new equipment, new drugs, new locations, a guide to the Underplex, three new missions, and even player advice on how to get away with treason. The Paranoia Troubleshooter Survival Handbook (the player-based book from the set) is available in PDF on its own for a pledge of £10 (about US$13), the entire set including the GM material in PDF for £25 (about US$33), and the physical boxed set for £40 (about US$53). This Kickstarter is fully funded and runs until Sunday, June 24.
I know I’ve talked about Monte Cook Press’s Kickstarter for a reprint of No Thank You, Evil! already, but it’s in its final week and still just shy of its funding goal. The game is perfect for introducing children and family members to tabletop roleplaying with simple rules that scale in complexity so that everyone at the table can understand them and have fun together. It’s also a great game to donate to libraries, schools, community centers, and other places to help children learn the fundamentals of gaming. Not only can you get the original No Thank You, Evil! boxed set, but you can also pick up the brand new Bee Mail expansion and three new adventures. The new products are available in PDF for a $15 pledge, the core set of No Thank You, Evil! which includes everything needed to play immediately for $40, and both available for $55. There are also pledge levels specifically for educators, librarians, and retail stores. This Kickstarter runs until Tuesday, June 5.
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 I'll announce my still-sporadic live streams on my Twitch channel, 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.
Cubicle 7 released a preview of the rules system for their upcoming Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition on their Facebook page. The rules will be similar to previous editions, with a percentile-dice based system using skill checks to resolve most actions. The biggest change is the new “Advantage” layer to combat. The system relies on both the attacker and defender in combat making weapon skill checks to determine if anyone is damaged and, to prevent “whiff factor”, whoever wins the roll will get Advantage on the next roll. From the post:
You can gain Advantage from sources including Surprise, Charging and winning an Attack Test. Each point of Advantage gives you +10 to your Attack Tests, and represents you pressing your foe back, gaining control of the space, gaining confidence, leaping onto the table, kicking sand in their face, or whatever you feel is appropriate to the battle at hand.
Advantage will stack until an attack fails, the character takes damage, or combat ends. The post also hints at potential special abilities and powers that will affect or take advantage of Advantage. Some information was also given about the expanded critical hit and fumble systems.
Speaking of Warhammer related roleplaying products, Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory is now available for pre-order. The initial release slate will feature bundles that will get players everything they need to get started. Wrath & Glory Core Rules will be a 400+ page hardcover with two leatherette special editions, one in red and one in hand-bound black. The Player Bundle is available for $100 will include the Core Rules, a pack of Talents and Psychic Powers cards, a pack of Gear cards, and five dice (four black and one red). The All-In Bundle for $275 includes everything in the Player Bundle plus Dark Tides (the first published adventure for Wrath & Glory), GM screen, multiple card decks for running the game, a digital soundtrack, acrylic character and NPC tokens, three double-sided battle maps, ten dice (nine black, one red), and an exclusive collector’s box. Prices only include the standard hardcover edition of the game and there is an additional cost for upgrading to either of the deluxe editions. The preorders will be live on the Ulisses Spiele website tomorrow (June 1st).
Speaking of licensed properties based on UK-based genre satire, EN Publishing has been letting loose with several previews of the upcoming Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000AD roleplaying game. I must disclose that EN Publishing is the game development and publishing arm of ENWorld, but I have no special knowledge of the development process for this game. So far, we’ve gotten looks at the character sheet for the game, the Street Judge career, the iconic sidearm the Lawgiver, and the Lawmaster motorbike. We’ve even got a comic-style example of play with a statement from Judge Dredd himself describing the game’s mechanics and general flow. We’ve also seen a preview of the introductory adventure included in the core rulebook, “State of the Empire”. No price point or official release date has been announced at this time, but a crowdfunding campaign for the rulebook is on the near horizon based on posts made to the What’s OLD is NEW (WOIN) Facebook group as it’s been announced that the design and layout are complete for the 250 page stand-alone core book.
Catalyst Game Labs announced pre-sale details for the new BattleTech Beginner Box. The set will be more limited but far cheaper than the previous Introductory Box Set, as it will include models for only two mechs (as opposed to the twenty-four in the older set). The game will also include quick-start rules, a map sheet, and quick reference cards for both the included mechs and for the MechWarrior pilots. This smaller boxed set also reduces the retail price down to $19.99, making it much easier to purchase to try out the rules system and can later be expanded by lance packs, which start at $7.99 for the plastic single-mold “army man” style miniatures and go up from there. The new boxed set is available for preorder with a release set for September.
Speaking of September releases, Steve Jackson Games announced their slate of new releases for later this year. Munchkin will get a new thirty card expansion called Side Quests, which will include art from Ian McGinty and feature secret in-game side quests for you to potentially get for bonus levels, loot, or even secret win conditions. Illuminati will get an updated edition with tweaked rules and updated cards to reflect the modern state of conspiracy theories. SPANC (Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirl) is also getting a reprint including the original art from Phil Foglio. Finally, Blob Lobber is a brand new game for two to four players is a dexterity-based card game where you throw blob cards and, if your card lands with a bomb showing, you claim all the blobs under it. All of these products will be out in September (and while it wasn’t announced, I’d be shocked if these weren’t also available at Gen Con).
Speaking of Gen Con (and BattleTech for that matter), Gen Con announced the Guest of Honor line-up for this year’s convention. Jordan Weisman, co-founder of FASA Corporation and creator of BattleTech, Shadowrun, and more, will be featured at the event “An Uncommon Conversation with Jordan Weisman”, moderated by Nicole Lindroos (Green Ronin Publishing). Anita Sarkeesian, media critic and online creator, will speak at “An Uncommon Conversation with Anita Sarkeesian”, moderated by Luke Crane (Head of Games for Kickstarter). Finally, Nolan T. Jones, co-founder and managing partner for Roll20, will be speaking at “An Uncommon Conversation with Nolan T. Jones”, moderated by Tanya DePass (founder of I Need Diverse Games). All badges for the convention (except VIP badges) are still available with four-day passes for $110 and one-day passes for $60 ($70 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday), but the event is expected to sell out long before the August 2-5 convention dates.
Acute Paranoia is a new expansion for Paranoia with an expansion and new options for the classic comedic game of futuristic treason. This expansion includes new rules for playing bot characters, elderly Troubleshooters, new equipment, new drugs, new locations, a guide to the Underplex, three new missions, and even player advice on how to get away with treason. The Paranoia Troubleshooter Survival Handbook (the player-based book from the set) is available in PDF on its own for a pledge of £10 (about US$13), the entire set including the GM material in PDF for £25 (about US$33), and the physical boxed set for £40 (about US$53). This Kickstarter is fully funded and runs until Sunday, June 24.
I know I’ve talked about Monte Cook Press’s Kickstarter for a reprint of No Thank You, Evil! already, but it’s in its final week and still just shy of its funding goal. The game is perfect for introducing children and family members to tabletop roleplaying with simple rules that scale in complexity so that everyone at the table can understand them and have fun together. It’s also a great game to donate to libraries, schools, community centers, and other places to help children learn the fundamentals of gaming. Not only can you get the original No Thank You, Evil! boxed set, but you can also pick up the brand new Bee Mail expansion and three new adventures. The new products are available in PDF for a $15 pledge, the core set of No Thank You, Evil! which includes everything needed to play immediately for $40, and both available for $55. There are also pledge levels specifically for educators, librarians, and retail stores. This Kickstarter runs until Tuesday, June 5.
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 I'll announce my still-sporadic live streams on my Twitch channel, 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.
