RPG & Wargame Newsletter #5
May 8, 2023
Greetings, Gamers!
For my boys, summer break is about 3 weeks away, and I’m already trying to figure out some activities to keep them busy this summer. I work from home (my basement), so I’m always able to set up and play a quick game here and there. My youngest (who turns 13 in 1.5 months) has asked me to run a custom D&D game for him and 6 of his friends, so I’m planning that right now… trying to make it a memorable one.
My oldest (turning 16 in two weeks) hasn’t shown much interest in gaming other than Magic the Gathering. I’ve been trying to get him to play a wargame or two with me, but no luck so far. Maybe this summer, I”ll have better luck.
RPGs
I’m always down to get more training and discussion about adventure writing. If you’re interested in ever writing game adventures, try and carve out the time to participate in Modiphius’ upcoming 2d20 World Builders Seminar LIVE discussion on May 10, 2023 on their Discord channel. More info here.
FREEBIE: If you’re not reading d12 Monthly, check it out. If you REALLY like it (as I do), please do consider becoming a Patron (as I am) and supporting its creator, YUM DM. More info on YUM DM’s Patreon here. Latest issue (#23) just released, too.
Pew Pew: No Disintegrations, an RPG about bounty hunters in a space-western setting, is raising funds on Kickstarter. I have one of the earlier iterations, but this one (called Bounty Hunters in Space) is labeling itself a sequel and one-shotter. I haven’t had a chance to run the original one yet, but I was impressed with the simple rules. Check it out here. What I love about the game is partially due to its Kenner-esque layout and design that follows the old Star Wars figures. KS ends on May 21st.
WARGAMING
Mantic is having a cool sale to celebrate the UK’s coronation of King Charles III. From its announcement: “From right now until the end of Monday 8th May, use the code TRUEKING23 at checkout for a massive 23% OFF all current Kings of War products on the Mantic webstore (excludes pre-orders).” They’re also giving away to the first 300 orders a free softback copy of the 3rd edition Kings of War rulebook!
I just got my PDF backer copy of Sword Weirdos. It’s a fantasy-based version of the rules used by Space Weirdos. Very simple rules, easy and fast to play… and available soon on DrivethruRPG. In the meantime, check out my Space Weirdos play-through videos if you’d like an advanced look at how parts of Sword Weirdos works… there are differences, but as with Space Weirdos, the game is very easy to understand. The PDF should be available in the next few weeks… and I’ll alert you when it is ready.
3D PRINTING
FREEBIE: This is another really cool idea for those empty filament spools. I could see using this for storing tokens for games or maybe crafting supplies. Best part is you can stack them… and maybe even attach to a Lazy Susan to spin them around.
KICKSTARTER
I’m going to go on a bit of a rant here. I love Kickstarter as a platform for finding new games, but there are a few things I absolutely hate about it — (1) KS Exclusives and (2) Day 1 Backer Awards. I have a gaming problem… I’m a completionist. I like to have all the expansions, all the promos, all the cards and minis. I know it’s irrational, but I know this going in when I choose to back a game. That’s why I’m a solid pass on games like Cities of Venus. It looks cool, but if you didn’t back it on Day 1 you have to pay $10 for the extra miniature that all Day 1 Backers get. $10! For a little mini. But here’s the rub… they love asking backers to spread the word about the game. So someone new (like me) finds the game interesting, but an IMMEDIATE and firm NO THANK YOU from me is when I see exclusives that I know are going to end up on eBay for big bucks because a few folks were lucky enough to discover the game and back on Day 1. Same goes for KS exclusives that the company won’t sell at a later time to players who discover the game late. If you are offering something to enhance your game and you can’t make it available to everyone… you don’t get my dollars. Period. End of rant :)
I absolutely LOVE simple and inexpensive games like this one… it’s called One Page Space. A quick and easy solo game that you can back for just $5. You’ll need eleven d6 (six sided dice) and a pencil and you’re good to go. Perfect for taking a few printed copies with you on trips, in the car, etc… portable and easy. Give it a look here.
LOVECRAFT MYTHOS
Raiders of R’lyeh: From the Tideless Seas has just released on DrivethruRPG.com. From the creator of the Raiders of R’lyeh RPG, the new 564-page (!!) campaign is designed for all Cthulhu RPGs.
The newest Arkham Horror novel from Aconyte Books has just been announced — it’s called The Bootlegger’s Dance by Rosemary Jones and releases in November 2023. I’m all caught up on the Aconyte Arkham books at this point and anxiously awaiting The Ravening Deep which comes out in August 2023.
I’ve just started playing through The Path to Carcosa campaign for Arkham Horror The Card Game. I chose Harvey Walters (Seeker) and Roland Banks (Guardian) as my two investigators. Episode 1 will drop on May 15, 2023 over at The Tabletop Engineer Plays YouTube channel. (I just finished up The Dunwich Legacy campaign and the final episode drops on Monday, May 8.
YOUTUBE
I’ve been wanting to create some larger, 3D props for my workshop… and now I’m getting some ideas. This video is an example of what I’m thinking about…
Broken Terrain just put up a really cool video that I enjoyed… he makes terrain from left-over sprues. I’m quite impressed with just how much terrain he made using the waste plastic. Check it out below or here.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
My StageTop Gaming Table is coming together… little by little. I got all the 18 mini-legs printed (in white) and screwed into the bottom and have started on the side and corner rails (in white). They have card holders built into them… not sure if I’ll need them, but nice to know they’ll be there. Almost ready to start printing the actual flat panels that go on the top (in black).
TO MY SUBSCRIBERS
You can find my zines and laser-cut terrain at thetabletopengineer.bigcartel.com - 10% off to newsletter readers with code RPGWGNEWS.
Digital copies of all my zines can be found on DrivethruRPG.
If you know of an interesting game or gaming product that you believe other subscribers might like to know about, email details to jimsworkshop@fastmail.com
My game play-through videos can be found here.
The YouTube Channel name is The Tabletop Engineer Plays.
My Patreon is currently focusing on a year-long project (started in Jan 2023) called Guild Collections. Patrons receive three weekly OSR PDFs (and a higher tier receive a monthly adventure PDF) that will be collected and printed as four OSR-compatible zines at the end of 2023. More info on the Patreon here.