RPG Print News – Columbia Games, Goodman Games, Green Ronin, and More

November is ushered in with books of magic and tomes covering new realities and fantastic realms. There is third party support for Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, new core rulebooks, new setting locations for existing campaign settings, and a brand new setting to run mystical modern adventures.

Cortex Prime RPG by Fandom Tabletop (distributed by Atlas Games)

• SYSTEM: Cortex Prime
• PRODUCT TYPE: core rulebook
• RETAIL PRICE: $49.95
• DESCRIPTION: A modular tabletop roleplaying game system, Cortex has won multiple awards. Newly redesigned and refined, it is packed with advice, examples, and options to build your own game. There are hundreds of mods, traits, and mechanics and all use a variety of themes and genres. The core rulebook also contains three Prime settings and a code to unlock digital and PDF editions. Backwards compatible with previous versions of Cortex.

DCC RPG Core Rulebook Softcover Beastman Edition

• SYSTEM: Dungeon Crawl Classics
• PRODUCT TYPE: softcover core rulebook
• RETAIL PRICE: $29.99
• DESCRIPTION: A limited edition softcover printing of the DCC core rulebook withan all-new cover by Doug Kovacs. DCC RPG has a long tradition of new printings having new cover art and this one is no exception. In an homage to the most popular DCC module of all time, Sailors on the Starless Sea, the cover depicts a Chaos Lord shouting orders to his beastman army. In addition, this cover can be placed beside the original cover of Sailors on the Starless Sea to seamlessly form one image in two-panels.

The Web of All Torment

• SYSTEM: Dungeon Crawl Classics
• PRODUCT TYPE: adventure module
• RETAIL PRICE: $9.99
• DESCRIPTION: An adventure for 3rd level characters. The adventurers find a nice inn in a quiet town to retire. But lurking beneath the surface of this idyllic settlement is a secret so evil as to defy mortal comprehension. This is the Web of All-Torment, the center of all the world’s nightmares, and escape will be one of the greatest challenges the adventurers have faced. This domain of horrors is a shadow realm where nothing can never be trusted, and even the imprisoned have become instruments of destruction. Sixth in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Horror series.

Magic of Aventuria by Ulisses Spiele

• SYSTEM: The Dark Eye
• PRODUCT TYPE: hardcover magic supplement
• RETAIL PRICE: $49.99
• DESCRIPTION: If you play The Dark Eye you can certainly use new spells. Fly, peer through walls, and skulk unseen. This supplement has new spells, traditions, archetypes, magical special abilities, casting styles, and artifacts. Wield a spell-sword, gaze into crystal orbs, and confuse your enemies with an illusionists’ wand. Guilds include White, Gray, and Black and the influence membership brings. Determine the curriculum of your guild to suit your character’s needs and goals. Arcane dancers, arcane bards, illusionists, and magical dilettantes are professions now open to you. Read this book and became a more accomplished mage.

Modern Age Threefold by Green Ronin

• SYSTEM: Modern Age
• PRODUCT TYPE: full-color hardcover campaign setting
• RETAIL PRICE: $39.95
• DESCRIPTION: The Modern AGE Basic Rulebook now has a mystical setting. Gates connect alternate Earths, mystic Otherworlds, and Netherworlds run by demons. This threefold Metacosm awaits exploration by PCs who are members of the interplanar Sodality or cyborg agents of Eathon. Enemies range from soul-stealing crooks to plane spanning empires. Here is nifty PDF pack to learn more: Green Ronin Quick Start Bundle and my Modern Age review.

Deep Magic by Kobold Press

• SYSTEM: Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PRODUCT TYPE: hardcover
• RETAIL PRICE: $49.99
• DESCRIPTION: If you want to expand magic in your D&D Fifth Edition game then travel the planes, seek the hidden of magic, unearth ancient tomes of forgotten knowledge, bargain with devils and otherworldly creatures, and pillage the towers of necromancers for eldritch secrets. Or bypass earning that hard-won knowledge with this arcane series for D&D. Unearth arcane new rules including additional schools of magic, arcane traditions, new and variant spells, magical feats, spellworking NPCs, and more.

Kingdom of Azadmere by Columbia Games

• SYSTEM: HarnMaster Third Edition
• PRODUCT TYPE: HarnWorld setting location
• RETAIL PRICE: $29.99
• DESCRIPTION: Located high in the Sorkin Mountains of eastern Harn, Azadmere is the only remaining kingdom of Khuzdul (dwarves) on Harn. This kingdom centers on the city of the same name and its culture is a unique hybrid of dwarven and human customs. Dwarves mainly live in the city and the humans in surrounding manors and the settlement of Habe. Gargun (orcs) infest the surrounding mountains making journeys to Azadmere hazardous.

Book of the Underworld by Pelgrane Press

• SYSTEM: 13th Age
• PRODUCT TYPE: setting location
• RETAIL PRICE: $21.95
• DESCRIPTION: A vast and mysterious realm called he Underworld likes deep beneath 13th Age’s Dragon Empire. Adventure and treasure beckon but madness and death are constant threats. lie adventure and treasure—as well as madness and death. But what is reward without risk? Lands of the Underworld are detailed including the Underland, the kingdoms of the Hollow Realms, the Deeps, the mighty dwarven city of Forge, and the four kingdoms of the Mechanical Sun. Silver Folk elves and an academy of gnomes make homes here. Rules also cover travel in the Underworld.

Palladium Fantasy RPG Land of the Damned 1 Chaos Lands by Palladium Books
Palladium Fantasy RPG Land of the Damned 2 Eternal Torment by Palladium Books

• SYSTEM: Megaversal (Palladium) System
• PRODUCT TYPE: setting location
• RETAIL PRICE: $24.95 each
• DESCRIPTION: The first two books in a planned trilogy cover the Land of the Damned. Book One includes new monsters and races, over a dozen new demons, maps, portals to other worlds tables, and over 200 adventure hooks and ideas drawn from the history of the land, tall tales, and rumors and lies. Also details the Great Rift and Northern Mountains. Book Two describes a realm of undeath and villainy. Within its borders is the enchanted forest known as the Darkest Heart. The book includes new types of undead and werebeasts as well as dark magic. Eternal Torment also provides GMS with maps, adventure ideas, campaign hooks and Hook, Line and Sinker adventures.

BESM Big Eyes Small Mouth Core Rulebook 4th Edition by Dyskami

• SYSTEM: Tri-Stat System
• PRODUCT TYPE: hardcover core rules
• RETAIL PRICE: $59.95
• DESCRIPTION: The BESM Fourth Edition core role-playing game book contains everything needed to create anime and manga characters and start playing. No other rulebooks are required. The BESM Primer provides an overview of the rules as well as character creation.

 

[Jeff Carpenter]

Honestly i didn't know pladium fantasy was still around, but that cover is spot on could be one of there books from 87 (and thats a good thing).

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

Honestly i didn't know pladium fantasy was still around, but that cover is spot on could be one of there books from 87 (and thats a good thing).

As you note, Palladium is still putting out content and more is listed as upcoming.

Unrelated but just popped into my mind, I am honestly stunned at not only the amount of print RPGs releasing all the time but also the quality of so many of the products.

 

[univoxs]

BESM, Teenagers From Outerspace, Bubblegum Crisis. All great games with an aesthetic that turns a number of people off. I wonder if someone supplanted all the art in these books, if GMs could get their players bought in. Not everything is for everyone though and nor should games strive to be. I just think the systems are fun outside of the themes.

I love that the Palladium books use that style of art and presentation still.

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

BESM, Teenagers From Outerspace, Bubblegum Crisis. All great games with an aesthetic that turns a number of people off. I wonder if someone supplanted all the art in these books, if GMs could get their players bought in. Not everything is for everyone though and nor should games strive to be. I just think the systems are fun outside of the themes.

I love that the Palladium books use that style of art and presentation still.

BESM Naked is a stripped (get it?) down version of the rules. I'm not sure it is all about the art. Everyone have options of what RPG works for them, however, which is great. As you note, not everything has to be or should be conventional.

I also like the Palladium art.

 

[Ghost2020]

Honestly i didn't know pladium fantasy was still around, but that cover is spot on could be one of there books from 87 (and thats a good thing).

These books, I believe, are reprints, they've been out for quite some time. Also, that link is to Game Nerdz, a wonderful online game seller.
Highly recommended!

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

These books, I believe, are reprints, they've been out for quite some time. Also, that link is to Game Nerdz, a wonderful online game seller.
Highly recommended!

Not sure if these are reprints also, but Palladium has listed BEYOND THE SUPERNATURAL RPG: SOURCEBOOK - CREATURE FEATURE and RIFTS RPG: TITAN ROBOTICS SOURCEBOOK as coming out by December of this year. So they are still printing books.

 

[MNblockhead]

Well that was the first link I found where I can actually buy the Cortex Prime book. I placed an order, but will not get the book before I have to travel and work abroad for a couple months. Wish I could get the PDF and access code.

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

Well that was the first link I found where I can actually buy the Cortex Prime book. I placed an order, but will not get the book before I have to travel and work abroad for a couple months. Wish I could get the PDF and access code.

You might try to contact them directly. They are on Facebook, Discord, and Twitter: Cortex Tabletop Roleplaying Game | Fandom Tabletop

 

[MidnightBlue]

So happy to have my copy of Cortex Prime in hand! I have all Cortex Plus games and nearly all Cortex Classic games. Marvel Heroic RPG, Smallville RPG, and Leverage RPG are some of my all-time favorite game purchases and have some truly amazing design and play concepts. Smallville, for example, is designed with stat focus in drives and relationships (drama based) which means that characters of any power level are on a pretty even playing field when it comes to game-might. It means you can have a game where Clark Kent and Lois Lane have equal impact on the game and story despite super powers. You could easily use this assortment of Cortex Plus/Prime rules to run games similar to any of the CW superhero shows, Gotham, Heroes, heroes/sidekicks, etc.

Cortex Prime gives you the tools to run games using any of the aspects used in previous Cortex Plus/Classics designs. Intermingle/hack to your heart's desire content to make the game that works best for your imagination.

Re Palladium Books: yep, they continue to make new products, but the Land of the Damned books are reprints. I've had them on my book shelves for years, probably well over a decade...maybe close to two. (After 2020, I no longer have a reliable sense of the time-space continuum.)