OneBookshelf Shuttering RPGNow

OneBookshelf on Thursday announced that it is retiring the RPGNow brand effective this coming February. RPGNow predates DriveThruRPG and for a time was a favorite of the indie crowd but the former has seen fewer and fewer users (customers or publishers) since the two download portals were integrated.

In practical terms, little will change. Visitors to RPGNow.com will be redirected to DriveThruRPG, where the contents and account information are the same.

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3D Printing Roundup

A number of sources are now offering 3D printing models (STL files) via DriveThruRPG or Wargame Vault.

dragonlock-buildingFat Dragon Games, a company that started with print-and-play paper models, has the Dragonlock line, which includes both monster figures ($5 for five figures) and dungeon terrain ($10-20 per set). The dungeon terrain sets include stone walls, pillars, stairways, natural caverns, and also hazards, traps, and accouterments such as a treasure chest and an altar. Dungeon levels are stackable and sections can be held together with printable clips. Fat Dragon Games, by the way, is also running a Kickstarter for Dragonlock models of above-ground buildings.

Dicey Ventures focuses on Chibi-inspired architectural terrain features in 28 mm scale. Prices range from $8 for the model of a small bubble-like Water Dwelling to $32 for a Fortification Bundle that includes tower, walls, and gate. My favorite is the Arcane Library ($15).

French minis manufacturer Via Ludibunda sells three different building sets: Basic Houses ($28), Specialty Houses ($28), and Drow Architecture ($30). The Basic Houses set includes models for a variety of components (floors, roofs, pillars) that can be mixed and matched to form custom buildings.

dicey-ventures-arcane-library      drow-architecture

Dozens of different monster figure models are available from mz4250 and all for free. Among the more impressive are a Manticore and a Hippogriff. There are also collections for Lycanthropes and Dragons.

Carnivorous Plants ($4) and Leeches ($6) are available from BSG Miniatures.

Rocket Pig Games offers a mix of monster figures, terrain features, and props. Example monsters include a Troglodyte and a Rust Eater ($1.50 for either). In the category of terrain, the company sells models for Marble Columns ($2) and Traps ($3.50). Among the prop models are Cage (50¢), Sundial ($1.50), and Cauldron ($1.50). But the best have to be the ones that combine prop with monster—the Mimics!

Axolite Gaming’s specialty is a system of interlocking tiles, walls, and doors. The company sells science fiction style and fantasy/dungeon style sets ($10 per basic set, $18 per expansion set). Also mini expansions for an inn and bar ($6 each).

rocket-pig-chest-mimic mz4350-dragon-model

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Cortex Plus Community Created ContentMonte Cook Games and Margaret Weis Productions are joining Wizards of the Coast in offering hosted licenses for third-party publishing. Like WOTC with the Dungeon Masters Guild for Dungeons & Dragons, the two companies are working with DriveThruRPG to set up special online storefronts, launching this spring, where anyone will be able to upload and offer for sale digital products that make use of the Cypher and Cortex roleplaying game systems.

A hosted license—where an open game license is tied to the use of a publisher-sponsored marketplace—allows a publisher to collect royalties on related sales and to provide some degree of oversight.

Cypher-System-Logo-BlackIn the case of the Dungeon Masters Guild, the license also provides for broader use of the original publisher’s intellectual property (such as campaign settings). However, whether such expanded access will apply to either the Cypher System Creator Program or the Cortex Plus Creator Studio, remains to be seen.

Margaret Weis Productions’ announcement did state that the new program would replace existing arrangements for Cortex Plus Fan Product and Cortex Plus Official Licensed Products.

Mermaid Adventures Coloring BookDo you play “Infestation: An RPG of Bugs and Heroes” or “Mermaid Adventures?” If so, you’ll be pleased to know that you can color along with your campaign thanks to Third Eye Games and DriveThruRPG.

The two coloring books are both illustrated by the games’ artist, Mellissa Gay and feature dozens of line drawings that come from the original RPG handbook. They are both immediately downloadable as PDFs. The Infestation coloring book includes 20 illustrations and the Mermaid Adventures coloring book comes with 30 illustrations.

The best part is that these coloring books are pay-what-you-want. So, you can show your support to the game’s publisher. Yes, you can download the books for free. But, is that really a good way to show your support? Why not throw down, at least, some couch change on one or both of these titles? If you have money to spare, you could even go overboard to show your love of the games.

Now you just need some 8.5 X 11 inch newsprint grade paper to get that familiar rough coloring feel from when you were a kid.

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