Stormlight RPG Preview, Level Up VTT, New WotC President From Blizzard - TTRPG News 7/18/2024

Welcome once again to StartPlaying’s tabletop RPG news! Every week we find the biggest stories in the TTRPG space. From big business moments to new games to weird product reveals, we deliver it to you all in a few short paragraphs so you can get back to rolling dice. This week, WotC hires a former World of Warcraft lead, Stormlight RPG previews some gameplay, Level Up A5E is working on its own VTT, Gen Con will sell limited 2024 DnD books, and Manual of the Planes 5e runs into publishing issues. 

Stormlight RPG Combat And Actions Previewed

The highly-anticipated Stormlight Archive RPG got a preview this week courtesy of Brotherwise Games Co-Founder Johnny O’Neal. In a Twitter post, O’Neal shared an info card explaining several available actions, reactions, and plot die uses. 

One notable mechanic is the use of Fast Turns and Slow Turns. Players have a guarantee of beating NPCs to the punch with a fast turn, but can presumably do more with a slow turn. O’Neal emphasizes meaningful choices for players similar to Pathfinder 2E, but explains that Stormlight RPG’s goal is to do it more with narrative options. 

Wizards Of The Coast Gets New President From Blizzard

John Hight, formerly of Blizzard Entertainment, has been brought on as the new president of WotC. He replaces Cynthia Williams, although he shares the same history in video games rather than tabletop gaming. That said, he reportedly enjoys both DnD and Magic: The Gathering according to WotC’s press release. Hight also has more actual game development experience, having led World of Warcraft expansions. His hiring does indicate Hasbro’s continued focus on digital for DnD, but perhaps with a bit more player-friendly attitudes in mind. 

EN World To Make Its Own VTT With Level Up Gateway

EN Publishing announced a suite of digital tools for its Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition system. The A5E rules act as a sort of upgrade to the DnD 5E experience by addressing certain player complaints. The A5E monsters are tougher, exploration is more interactive, and players get more options each time they, y’know, Level Up. 

Now, with Level Up Gateway, players have a way to make official digital character sheets with step-by-step guidance. The system will also provide a dice roller with accurate math and an inventory tracker. A Level Up Gateway beta will be available later this year to those who backed the initial Level Up A5E Kickstarter. An integrated virtual tabletop is also planned for sometime in the future. 

Try A Level Up A5E Game Today!

Limited Edition DnD 2024 Player's Handbook On Sale Early At GenCon

3,000 copies of a special edition DnD 2024 Player’s Handbook will be sold at Gen Con, reports EN World. This is not only an early sale of the September book, but also a special run with a gold foil DnD logo and a commemorative “Gen Con 2024” bookplate. Those wanting to buy will have to acquire a GenCon digital event ticket, which will be made available at 7AM each day from August 1-4. The ticket is essentially a reservation, and buyers will then be able to purchase their book during certain hours of their reserved day. 

Manual Of The Planes 5E Physical Release Hindered By Creator Disagreements

A successful DM’s Guild digital supplement called Manual of the Planes 5e was supposed to have a print-on-demand run, but one of the creators is allegedly holding the process back. Andrew Welker, also known as QL Games, has been accused by several other members of the team of withholding printing to punish them over disputes about the book’s content. 

According to Matthew Daley in an EN World thread, Welker tried to claim the position of Project Lead despite there being no agreement from the others. Welker was also accused of deleting content from a shared Google Drive that didn’t personally appeal to him. The team ultimately wanted to release the print-on-demand books with additional content on top of what is seen in the already-released digital edition, but issues with Welker prevented this from happening. 

As Welker runs the DM’s Guild page for Manual of the Planes 5e, print options cannot happen without his permission. He is allegedly refusing to work with the other creators without lawyers involved. In the meantime, the other creators are working to make their own page where they can offer printed books of their version of the work they’ve done. On social media, the incident is being taken as a lesson in the importance of contracts for even the smallest TTRPG projects. 

‍

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading, and may your dice be kind.