RPG & WARGAME NEWSLETTER #76
September 16, 2024
Greetings, Gamers!
I’ve got a lot of stuff to share this week. Some weeks are thin… some aren’t. This week, some of my subscribers helped point me at items that are definitely of interest to me but that I might have missed. Please keep them coming!
Between my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/tteworkshop) and YouTube, the extra bit of income I’m receiving is allowing me to spend more time recording game playthroughs, digging into new products, and even reaching out to companies to inquire about giveaways, discounts, and contests. Thank you SO MUCH for being a reader of this newsletter - we’re fast approaching 800 subscribers, and I’m still hopeful to hit 1000 by end of 2024. Case in point — when I told Titan Books that I had a newsletter of 750+ subscribers, they offered a second copy of a new release as a giveaway… see BOOKS category below.
Okay, let’s get to the fun stuff!
RPGs
One of the BEST resources ever put out (IMO, but others agree) for the Mothership RPG is a little book called This Ship is a Tomb. It has been hard to find copies (limited first print), but no more. They finally reprinted it. If you play Mothership or Alien RPG or any sci-fi horror game, grab a copy. You won’t regret it. Find it here.
I’m a HUGE fan of Monster of the Week (and my plan is to run a game at MythicCon). It’s the perfect game for one-shots, IMO, as it’s easy to learn, every players gets a custom character sheet that explains how the character plays (called a Playbook), and there are too many television shows available as inspiration - Scooby-Doo, X-Files, Buffy, etc. Well, Evil Hat Productions has just announced they’ll be releasing two new books for the game that total up to 600 pages. One is the Slayer’s Survival Kit and the other is the Hunter’s Journal. More info here, but here’s a summary from the announcement:
The Slayer's Survival Kit introduces nine new Hunter playbooks and an additional nine Team playbooks! Get ready to dive into adventure as The Action Scientist, The Celebrity, The Changeling, The Covenant, The Envoy, The Forged, The Host, The Interface, and The Visitor!
On the Team side of things, unite your group around a common theme with The Artifact Collectors, The Coven, The Escaped Experiments, The Good Monsters, The Medical Team, The Mundane Monstrosities, the Radio Station, The Research Lab, and Swipe to Slay!
But that's not all! The Slayer's Survival Kit also covers new flavors of Weird moves, new assets and allies, guidelines for using Big Magic and more!
I read the first book in the Discworld series (by Terry Pratchett) in high school and really enjoyed it. I don’t recall reading any of its follow-ups as the comedic nature of the fiction didn’t appeal to me, but the idea of this massive flat disc on the back of elephants who ride on the back of a giant turtle was… interesting. I do remember hearing rumors that some DMs were running D&D games based on the setting, but I cannot confirm. Well, 40+ years later, the series is finally getting its RPG, so gaming fans of the series should be quite happy to be able to play in that setting. It’s going to crowdfunding (which seems to be the pattern these days even for large game publishers), so you’ll have to wait a bit for the final product. But, if you’re interested, here’s a link for more info.
WARGAMING
No cover image yet, but Joseph McCullough isn’t slowing down with Stargrave. Death Vector’s publication date says May 27, 2025… a long way away, but something to look forward to! From the description: Death Vector is a supplement for the Stargrave: Science-fiction Wargames in the Ravaged Galaxy, containing 8 new scenarios set inside the Outlaw Technology Sector. Instead of the pirate fleets, the players contend with the legions of cyborg automatons that still prowl the region, hunting organic life. Paired with these scenarios is a new campaign element, 'The Network', which brings cyberpunk hacking into the game. This book also includes a new space encounters table to be used for adventures in the OTS, a new advanced technology table, and a bestiary filled with cybernetic horrors.
I’m starting to see hints of the use of AR (Augmented Reality using phones) in the area of gaming. You’ve probably seen it, too — you hold your phone up to a gameplay area or a miniature and you get some sort of animation or stats displayed. I think we’re going to start seeing much more of this, and an example is this new product that will be seeking fundraising soon — Rift Zone: Contact. The ad calls it “The EVOLUTION of Miniature Wargaming.” Maybe. We shall see. They’re only sharing a picture, no video, so hard to know for sure. You can sign up for notice when it goes live here.
MINIATURES
Diehard Miniatures (one of my absolute FAVORITES for metal sci-fi minis) has announced a new Kickstarter coming in October. The only hint they provided was a single photo, and I’m jumping up and down because I have the ONLY ONE they currently offer… now I can make a whole warband if I want! SPACE SHARKS!
I just read a press release that Wargame Atlantic is going to be releasing boxes of miniatures based on The Expanse novels/show. From the announcement: The crowdfunder will offer two boxed sets of hard plastic miniatures, Spaceship Crew and Ships of the Expanse. The crew miniatures are 28mm and the box comes with many parts so you can customize the characters as you like. The spaceship miniatures are 1/1000 scale, and this set concentrates on ships most useful for RPG campaigns.
I’m not sure if this means ships that are suitable size for wargaming, but the minis? Absolutely… I love mix and match sets like Wargame Atlantic offers, so I have no doubt I’ll be grabbing a box. More info here.
A big thank you to subscriber, Ryan G., for putting me onto another metal miniature provider called Warblade Miniatures (out of the UK). DWARVES, GOBLINS, and ORCS! Yes! There are 28mm fantasy and sci-fi variants. I have no doubts I’ll be placing an order soon for some goblins. Visit the storefront here.
TERRAIN
Slowly but surely, I’m getting my sci-fi tiles printed up. I’m about 75% done with just the basics - floor, walls, corners and doors. Once those are printed in sufficient quantity that I can make any size or shape rooms, I’ll start printing the odd parts like tables, chairs, beds, consoles, robots, crates, etc… Those I won’t have to do in large quantity. I’m also planning on printing some exterior tiles for various ground types so I can use this to simulate planetary terrain as well with structures scattered across it. Keep in mind, this is a 2’ x 2’ board, so when it’s done, I’m going to work on an L-shaped piece that will slide next to the 2’x2’ and make it a larger 3’x3’. My 3D printer will not get a rest for months! If you’re interested in these terrain pieces, they’re called Dungeon Blocks and you can get more in on the fantasy version here and the sci-fi version here.
BOOKS
Titan Books has graciously offered up a giveaway copy of its upcoming Godzilla: The Encyclopedia (releases on Sept 23), and I’m doing a giveaway. I’m a huge Godzilla nerd, and this is THE book to have in your hands. The artwork inside is incredible. Period. From the website: This illustrated book features the many versions of Godzilla and its monstrous foes, from the original 1954 movie to SHIN GODZILLA in 2016, and even the 2021 animation. With in-depth explanations accompanied by illustrations from renowned manga artist and monster designer Shinji Nishikawa, this 216-page book explores the powers and anatomy of over 100 kaiju, including Mechagodzilla, SHIN GODZILLA and Mothra!
I love this book. There is so much lore with Godzilla, and I’ve been reading a few pages each day (and watching some of the older films) and filling in many of the holes in my knowledge base.
Want to win a copy? If you’re in the continental USA, add a comment to this newsletter with your name and your favorite Godzilla villain and I’ll pick one random winner from all the proper submissions to get a copy of the book. I’ll set the deadline for September 22 at 3pm EST and announce the winner in the next newsletter. I’ll reach out to the winner to get a mailing address, too.
LOVECRAFT MYTHOS
FINALLY - some details on the newest Arkham Horror Card Game expansion called The Drowned City. Yes, Cthulhu has finally arrived for Arkham Horror CG. With six new investigators (!!) and a new mechanic - side tasks!
Now, I’d like to add my bit of predictions for the game — given that everything feels like it’s led up to this expansion with Cthulhu constantly being ignored… I think this may very well be the end of 2nd Edition Arkham Horror. A 3rd edition feels right. I could be 100% wrong, AND I hope I am… but with this expansion, I feel like Arkham Horror 2nd edition has reached its pinnacle. We shall see…
More info on The Drowned City here.
GASLANDS VEHICLE OF THE WEEK
This week’s amazing toy car conversion for Gaslands is from Sean Figgins. There’s something about cars done up with the Mad Max: Fury Road style. I really want to play a game of Gaslands soon.
YOUTUBE
Anyone know someone of importance at Cartoon Network? My good friend, Dafydd Roche (terraintronics.com) just shared this video with me and I’m wanting to be a kid in the 80s in the UK so bad. This is just screaming to be redone with new tech and new sets.
LIFE GAMIFICATION
Just a quick update — I’m about 63% done with the fourth part (of 5) of The Lord of the Rings Challenge. Time is running out (10 days) so I’ve either got to ramp up my daily walk (currently 1 hour) or extend my deadline. My laser biz is already getting a bit crazy with the holidays approaching and time is limited every day, so I may extend the deadline by 10 days. We shall see. I’m going to do as much as possible and see where I finish up. More info on the challenge and the medals you get when you complete a challenge here.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I like to give out Tabletop Engineer dice at conventions and with some gaming items I sell, but I ran out of dice a while back and wasn’t willing to pay $1 per die when Chessex increased its prices (almost 100%). Well, if you’re a convention runner or just a content provider and would like to provide custom dice with your logo or some symbol, be sure to check out Bryce’s Dice. This is NOT an advertisement… I stumbled upon Bryce’s Dice by accident, got a quote (and was blown away) and ordered them. They arrive and they are OUTSTANDING. The green color is perfect, the logo turned out great (not blurred or reducing the details), and they roll fair! Tell Bryce I sent you… his store front is here.
TO MY SUBSCRIBERS
If you know of a local and/or independent gaming convention, email me at jimsworkshop@fastmail.com to get it listed.
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.
My game play-through videos can be found here.
The YouTube Channel name is The Tabletop Engineer Plays
I am going with Controller of Planet X, the leader of the Xiliens from Invasion of Astro-Monster aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero. Gotta love those sunglasses!
My favorite enemy of Godzilla is King Ghidora!