This week in tabletop RPG’s biggest headlines: Dungeons & Dragons brings out more villain-themed subclasses, Free League’s Symbaroum celebrates 10 years with a remaster, and Rascal News delves into the rocky history of the Buffy TTRPG.
DnD Gets More Evil Subclasses For Barbarian, Monk, And Warlock
Wizards of the Coast surprised DnD players with a Unearthed Arcana drop of Villainous Options a few weeks ago, and now there’s even more. The newest D&D Beyond playtest, Villainous Options 2, adds new subclasses themed around embracing your dark side.
The Path of Lament Barbarian lets you channel the power of undeath to drain and terrify foes. The Warrior of Venom Monk lets you create toxins from your own body and gets more potent when you’re Bloodied. And the Primordial Patron Warlock has you harness the pure destructive power of the elements. The DnD Team also gave some insights into their design process and asked players for feedback on both the content itself and how it is being delivered.
Symbaroum Marks 10 Years With Revised Core Rules
The dark horror game of Symbaroum is celebrating 10 years with both a rules update and a new campaign setting. Free League announced that the Symbaroum Anniversary Kickstarter will launch on May 19 and allow you to choose the update, the new stuff, or both. The revision sees both player and GM material being rearranged into three core books, favoring clarity updates over a complete rules overhaul. The new book takes players to the City States of Vendilyn, a recovering settlement surrounded by ravaged wilds and dangers unknown.
A Deep Dive On The Buffy TTRPG And How It Could Have Been A WotC Product
While TTRPGs based on popular media are a given nowadays, it once took great effort to get such a collaboration approved by the suits. So says developer Ross A Isaacs, who once took on the challenge of pitching a Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG to 20th Century Fox in the late 90s. Isaacs recalls needing to explain how TTRPGs work to the execs by comparing the experience to playing cops and robbers.
However, Isaacs’ employer was acquired by Wizards of the Coast before the deal could go through. And WotC had other priorities at the time. Rascal News has the full fascinating story on what it eventually took to get the Buffy TTRPG produced.
That’s it for this week’s stories! As always, thanks for reading and may your dice be kind.
Sergio Solórzano is the best Dungeon Master in the USA (according to a Wizards of the Coast competition, anyway). He loves minis and terrain but also goes all-in on improv!
