Big news in the tabletop RPG hobby this week! So StartPlaying is here to tell it to you snappily so you can get back to dying in Death House!
This week: Fantasy Grounds and Alchemy offer free options for users, Dungeon Dudes and Ghost in the Shell hit Kickstarter, and we get a tiny update on Netflix’s in-development DnD show.
Fantasy Grounds Goes Free-To-Play, Alchemy Expands Its Free Version
Two of the bigger names in the Virtual Tabletop space are opening their doors to non-paying users. First is Fantasy Grounds, an older name on the scene. It launched as a robust VTT full of features like dynamic lighting, automation for NPC stat blocks, peer-to-peer game hosting, and more for a flat fee of $50. Now, according to Wargamer, Fantasy Grounds is free to play. Users get all the tools aside from licensed module access and cosmetics like digital dice. The change was made in the name of accessibility as more people are trying TTRPGs than ever.
In the same week, Alchemy RPG updated its site to version 1 and celebrated by launching a Free Unlimited membership. While Alchemy has offered free accounts in the past, they typically limited how many characters and campaigns you could have. The Free Unlimited tier removes all of these limits and gives you access to Quickplays of all game systems available on the platform.
Kickstarter: Dungeons of Drakkenheim Daggerheart And Ghost In The Shell
Two IPs hit Kickstarter this week with TTRPGs products. First are the Dungeon Dudes, who aim to convert their Drakkenheim setting from DnD to Daggerheart. The project is fully funded and offers new Domain cards, new adversaries, and a level 1-10 campaign. Higher tiers also come with STLs for miniatures and a Fear tracker for the GM.
The other major Kickstarter this week is for a Ghost in the Shell TTRPG. This one is also fully funded and comes from Don't Panic Games with Mana Project Studio. It is set to release in 2027. The developers claim to be fans of the source material and as such will work to adapt every era in the series in chronological order. A demo is available on the Kickstarter page.
DnD Netflix Producer Comment Suggests Original Story For Live-Action
Shawn Levy is wrapping up Stranger Things, and was asked about the DnD Netflix show during the press tour. Levy said in an interview with Collider that the story is proving to be a challenge. While the live-action show is in “very active every day chipping-away-at-it development at Netflix,” the obstacle is that there’s not one major DnD story to tell. "You're adapting a world and a lexicon and a spirit, but story needs to be invented largely from scratch,” Levy says. This implies that the Netflix DnD show will not be an adaptation of any existing novels, modules, or video games.
That brings us to the end of this week! 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!
