Nintendo Co-Creates Zelda TTRPG, Pathfinder Removes Drow, and Aether Nexus Brings The Mechs - TTRPG News 6/1/2023

Things in the tabletop RPG world are heating up as May ends and June begins. This week sees an unexpected company enter the TTRPG space, although it might not be interested in sticking around. Meanwhile, Pathfinder is making big moves to distance itself from the D&D OGL. And a new Kickstarter is landing for mecha fans. Join us as we dive into the first story, which involves the adventures of a certain green-clad elf…

Nintendo Co-Created Legend Of Zelda TTRPG With Critical Role 

Critical Role revealed the existence of a Zelda TTRPG to the world, but we might never get to play it. Amidst the massive success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo sponsored a special one-shot where Dungeon Master Mattew Mercer (who also voiced Ganondorf in Tears) guided players through an adventure set in the Zelda world. The system appeared to be a Powered by the Apocalypse variant that uses three player stats based on the aspects of the Triforce. Of note is that Nintendo seems to have had some input on the game’s development. There are no reported plans to release the system for widespread purchase or play, but fans have certainly been asking for it after seeing it in action. 

Pathfinder Removing Drow In Darklands Retcon

Paizo announced that it will be removing drow from Pathfinder due to their deep ties to the Dungeons & Dragons OGL. The change was announced during PaizoCon, reports Comicbook.com, along with a series of other retcons to the Darklands setting. The in-world explanation is that a Pathfinder agent made up reports about the dark elves, which will be henceforth replaced by serpentfolk. Paizo’s actual reasoning is that drow and their lore are too intertwined with the OGL. It probably doesn’t help that one of D&D’s most famous characters is a drow. Considering that, and WotC’s recent attempt to restrict OGL use, the upcoming Pathfinder Remaster is focused on cutting ties with the OGL. 

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Aether Nexus Puts You In The Magic Mecha Pilot Seat

Another week, another big Kickstarter. This week’s hot ticket item is Aether Nexus, a fantasy TTRPG where players don magic mecha armor. Inspired by the likes of Escaflowne and Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, Aether Nexus presents a broken world comprised of floating fragments protected by knights who bond with their giant magic armor. Players will be able to augment their machines and transform some of them. The game uses the fast-paced Mecha Hack ruleset, which can be included in your Kickstarter pledge or introduced via Aether Nexus.

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That brings this week’s news to a close! There’s a lot of great Kickstarters out there right now, may you find your dream game. And if you’re still looking for that dream game, come check out our professional GMs on StartPlaying!