Tabletop RPGs continue to become a bigger, more mainstream business, and with that come interesting opportunities and challenges. We see both in this week’s headlines: Wizards of the Coast does not recognize employee union, Dungeons & Dragons releases a module set in modern times, Paizo releases its own horror RPG on Kickstarter, and Critical Role announces a VTuber collab.
WotC Refuses To Recognize Union, But Will Heed Vote
Wizards of the Coast is refusing to voluntarily recognize a union that’s forming from its designers and artists. Last week, a group of DnD and MtG employees announced they were unionizing under the name of United Wizards of the Coast. The group cited concerns over AI and lack of ownership over creative works as two of the primary reasons for uniting with the Communication Workers of America. They called upon WotC to recognize their union, but the company responded publicly this week with a refusal to do so. WotC argues that its best results are achieved by “working directly with employees” but will still respect the union if it is voted for.
DnD Goes Modern With Technohorror Module
D&D Beyond launched PROJECT_LAMORDIA this week, an online-exclusive bundle that takes a Ravenloft setting into the modern day. In particular, it reimagines the Frankenstein-influenced Lamordia by shifting the mad science and body horror into a study on replacing humanity with robotics. The one-shot adventures take players through an abandoned lab populated by failed experiments, represented by new monsters that blend gothic horror with futuristic technology. Players can even be a human consciousness uploaded into a machine body, using the Reborn species from Horrors Within albeit with new origin prompts. The bundle costs $14.99.
13 Omens RPG Now Live On Kickstarter
Paizo’s foray into horror RPGs is now available to back on Kickstarter. It’s called 13 Omens, and its design is far from that of Pathfinder or Starfinder. Players make use of a shared dice bag that gains more Omen Dice as the session goes on. The Omen Dice naturally carry bad consequences, and so the tension ramps up organically alongside the story. 13 Omens also promises to be more narrative, with each session being a self-contained one-shot story. The project is already fully funded with a month to go before it concludes.
Critical Role Collabs With VTubers For Daggerheart Series
Critical Role is joining forces with hololive for a six-episode actual play miniseries using Daggerheart. Even more surprising is that the series is set in Exandria and is canon to the CR lore. Matthew Mercer will take the GM seat and the cast consists of Marisha Ray with VTubers Nerissa Ravencroft, Mori Calliope, Shiori Novella, and Gigi Murin. The series is titled Shattered Legends and is set to premiere in November.
Wild news on the last one, but it shows the reach of Critical Role and how popular VTubers are becoming outside their usual fandom! Thanks for reading, see you next week, and may your dice be kind.
Sergio Solórzano is the best Dungeon Master in the USA (according to an official D&D competition, anyway). He loves minis and terrain but also goes all-in on improv!
