Vecna might be trying to end all of existence as we know it, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time for tabletop gaming news! In this week’s stories, a 1983 DnD Red Box character gets a face reveal, Kobold Press shares the free Black Flag SRD, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners crosses over into tabletop, and kids trade bikes for capes. Read on to learn more.
UPDATE - Added two breaking items from today! Critical Role announces its own subscription service and DnD horror game collab!
Critical Role Beacon Is A New Subscription Service And Episode Hub
Critical Role debuted its own "membership service" called Beacon today. While episodes will still release on YouTube and Twitch, Beacon's website serves as a central location for most of all Critical Role's current and future content (Campaign One Vox Machina and part of Campaign Two Mighty Nein still exist only on Geek & Sundry). Members get same-day access to new episodes and podcasts without ads, exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, early access to new series and live event tickets, discounts for online merch, and an invite to a members-only Discord. The membership has a seven-day free trial, a $5.99 monthly fee, or a $59.99 annual fee.
Dungeons & Dragons Red Box Warrior Gets Shocking Face Reveal
It’s the 50th anniversary of DnD, which makes it a great time for official products to celebrate the past. WizKids is doing just that with an official mini figure of the iconic warrior who fights a dragon on the 1983 Red Box. The announcement came with a surprise, however– the warrior is "purposefully and clearly" a woman!
The warrior’s face has never been revealed until now, with the image from behind being the only official art. The reveal took an interesting turn when the original artist, Larry Elmore, objected to the notion. “It's a man!” he wrote in a Facebook post. He goes on to say that the general assumption for years has been that the warrior is male. He later edited to clarify that he loves that DnD doesn’t discriminate and it empowers you to be anything, he just wanted to clarify his intent while making the painting.
DnD And Black Flag Announce SRDs
Wizards of the Coast revealed plans to release a new SRD 5.2 to go along with its big 2024 DnD rulebook update. The SRD is a set of core rules for the game that’s released under Creative Commons, which allows third-party creators to make certain types of content without getting into legal trouble. The SRD 5.2 will release in 2025 after the new Monster Manual hits store shelves. The updated SRD will coexist along with SRD 5.1, meaning creators can continue to make things for the original 5E ruleset, adopt the new rules, or create for both.
Kobold Press also announced its own SRD release. The Black Flag Reference Document (or BFRD) went live this week. This allows free access to the lineages, classes, monsters, and more from Kobold Press’ take on 5E. Alongside it, Kobold Press is unleashing its more unique game Tales of the Valiant as part of this weekend’s KoboldCon event.
Be The First To Play Tales of the Valiant With A Pro DM!
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners TTRPG Pack To Boot Up In June
R. Talsorian Games gave a tentative release window for the Edgerunners-themed expansion to its Cyberpunk Red TTRPG. The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit is set to hit shelves in June, reports Dicebreaker. The set looks to be a starter set complete with rulebook, dice, and a mission based on Edgerunners’ ending. It will also new lore and stats for David, Lucy, and other members of the anime crew. Players can also pick from premade Edgerunners drawn by the anime’s director. The kit is targeting a June release, but might be held back.
Kids In Capes Soars To Kickstarter This Month
Hunters Entertainment sent out the call for superheroes with a Kids in Capes tease. The game will arrive on Kickstarter on May 29. This will be the third game in the Kids series following Kids on Bikes and Kids on Brooms. Aside from the obvious superhero theme and quote tweets revealing some of the development team, nothing else is known at this time.
DnD X Dead By Daylight Collab Revealed
Horror video game Dead by Daylight hinted at its next chapter, and it's DnD themed. A short teaser video on Twitter shows what appears to be a beholder locked behind a cage, roaring to escape. The Dungeons & Dragons logo then appears, telling the curious that they can soon learn more. Details are set to come on May 14 when Dead by Daylight does its anniversary stream.
As always, thanks for joining us for this week’s breakdown of the biggest stories in TTRPGs! Have a great weekend, and if you play, may your dice be kind.
