There’s a lot of juicy stuff in this week’s tabletop RPG news! In this week’s headlines: D&D Beyond Drops backlash gets an official response, Barnes & Noble leaks a new DnD book, Alchemy RPG gives new GMs a stage with actual play weekend, and Humble Bundle brings lots of goodies.
D&D Beyond Responds To Feedback On Drops, Shows Off Spooky Celestials
D&D Beyond released its second monthly Drop this week, a new series of spells, items, and monsters exclusively for subscribers. This month’s D&D Beyond Drop is meant to compliment Ravenloft: The Horrors Within by providing stat blocks for corrupted angels as a sort of counterpart to all the evil monsters in the new book.
But the continued exclusivity was arguably the bigger talking point, as fan backlash was high due to Drops’ inability to be shared between a DM and players. There was much outcry calling the decision predatory, another example of WotC trying to monetize DnD like a video game. The D&D Beyond team made a separate post in response, admitting it was a mistake to limit the availability of Drops. As such, they are looking into a solution to make Drops sharable. They also committed to adding Drops to the marketplace in some form so nonsubscribers can eventually get the content.
Unannounced DnD Book Seemingly Leaked By Barnes & Noble
A November Dungeons & Dragons release called “GOLLY” is slated for 2026, at least according to Barnes & Noble. EN World picked up on the pre-order page, which has since been taken down. The page for Dungeons & Dragons GOLLY cited it as a 288-page hardcover book. It was priced at $59.99 and had a November 16 release date. It does line up with DnD’s new seasonal model. That time period is supposed to be the Season of Champions which currently does not have any announced products.
Alchemy VTT Hosting GM Fest Series Of Actual Plays
The Alchemy RPG virtual tabletop platform is hosting a series of actual plays to showcase new GM talent. This GM Fest event will air from June 12-14 in collaboration with Amy Vorpahl. Vorpahl selected the Game Masters from her DM School program and wants to give them a stage to show what they learned. Czepeku is also a partner for the event, providing maps and art. The GMs will all be running one-shots on both Vorpahl and Alchemy’s YouTube/Twitch channels in either DnD 5.5e or Daggerheart.
Two Humble Bundle Deals On TTRPGs
Humble Bundle is hitting the summer hard with two huge deals on TTRPGs. The first is the Roll Big Or Go Home 2 bundle. This massive bargain can give you over 50 books for $40. The games range wildly in genre and style, from current hits like Pirate Borg and Fabula Ultima to more out-there picks like Business Wizard 2.0. The bundle is running until June 25.
Also from Humble Bundle is Cyberpunk Red Ready-To-Run Essentials. This bundle is a partnership with StartPlaying, giving you $10 your first game on our platform. If you’re looking to run or play Cyberpunk RED on Roll20 or Demiplane, this is the bundle for you. It’s got maps, soundscapes, and several expansion kits. The Cyberpunk bundle is running until June 30.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading, and may your dice be kind.
Sergio Solórzano is the best Dungeon Master in the USA (according to an official D&D competition, anyway). He loves minis and terrain but also goes all-in on improv!
