Just released today, Explorers of Ixalan is a multiplayer Magic: The Gathering game with a board component. Players take on the roles of vampires, merfolk, pirates, and dinosaurs, with a custom card deck included for each. The cards are standard Magic cards. However, as players explore the board representing Ixalan, individual tiles grant unique bonuses.

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Wizards of the Coast today announced Betrayal Legacy, an upcoming game based on its Betrayal at House on the Hill title. The new game will maintain the spooky haunted house theme but will feature customization over multiple plays, as previously seen in Risk Legacy, Pandemic Legacy, and Seafall.

Betrayal Legacy is being designed by Rob Daviau and should hit retail in fall 2018.

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WizKids has announced an expansion of its licensing agreement with Wizards of the Coast to include Magic: The Gathering. As a result, the company is planning a Magic board game, as well as a series of MtG pre-painted plastic miniatures representing token creatures. In the board game, players will take on the role of Planeswalkers exploring Dominaria for mana sources.

Both the board game and minis are scheduled for release in the fall of 2018.

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Xanathar’s Guide to Everything from Wizards of the Coast is the first dedicated book of expansion rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. As a rule book it presents many game-enhancing options for players—character subclasses, spells, magic items—and tools for dungeon masters—trap design, encounter building, area-of-affect adjudication. Among the new subclasses (those path-of-specialization choices made by everyone somewhere between 1st and 3rd level) it’s the Bard College of Whispers, Samurai (Fighter), and Scout (Rogue) that most attract me. However, every one provides a unique path for players to explore, some magical, some martial, some mystical.

The rules section, though, that I see most enhancing my game has to be the one on tool proficiencies. It provides some great ideas on how to use a piece of the game that in my experience is not well understood, and therefore mostly ignored. For example, it describes what use to make of a disguise kit, gaming set, and thieves’ tools. It also explains how to view a task that might benefit from both a skill proficiency and a tool proficiency, and what specific additional insights a character with both might realize.

But with all that, what really distinguishes Xanathar’s Guide is its focus on providing options to enhance the game’s story. That is, it’s more than just a book of mechanical rule options. Yes, you’ll find in it cool powers for your characters but more importantly, you’ll find in it ideas for cool backstories. The book has tables of suggestions for family history, rivals, mentors, personal keepsakes, life tragedies, and even a “weird stuff” list. Xanathar’s Guide also provides new feats specific to the various races and tables of character names by race and human-historical culture. As well, there’s a whole section on things that characters might do during their between-dungeon downtime, such as gambling, training, carousing, research, crafting, and more—and how a dungeon master might evaluate their success.

Now, I’m not going to say it does these things perfectly. The little sidebar notes from Xanathar, a well-known beholder out of the Forgotten Realms, I found just silly, though they’re small and easy to ignore. And the tables of random encounters, I thought were a wasted opportunity, pretty much listing groups of monsters, where there could have been more ideas for interesting locations, traveling groups, or even monsters with specific goals.

Nevertheless, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything is definitely one of the better and more inspiring RPG books I’ve encountered.

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything hit the shelves of local game stores today and can be found in general retail November 21st. The suggested retail price in $49.95.

A complimentary copy of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything was provided by Wizards of the Coast for review. Actually two, but we gave one away earlier this week.

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Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, the first major expansion to Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition, releases in game stores next Friday, November 10th, and to general retail November 21st. The book contains a variety of resources for both players and Dungeon Masters—among them new character class options, spells, and racial feats for players; magic items, encounter guidelines, and downtime activities for the DM.

Though I haven’t had an opportunity to study it in detail yet, Wizards of the Coast was kind enough to send me an advance copy. In fact, they sent me two! One is the standard edition, the other a beautiful alternative art cover (the one on the right) that will only be available through local game stores. But what do I need with two?

So while I’m reading through the book this weekend, leave a comment below with the name, race, and class of your favorite D&D character for a chance to win my extra book.

Leave your comment by Monday (November 6th) at noon Eastern Time. Sometime that afternoon, I’ll choose someone at random and contact them by email for a shipping address (U.S. only). Keep a watch out for the email. You’ll have 24 hours to respond before I choose someone else.

Good luck! You could have a copy of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything before it’s available in stores.

Update: The deadline has passed. Comments are closed. No more entries. I will select on contact the winner shortly.

Update: The winner was Grant and I’ve shipped out his book already. Thank you everyone for participating. I loved reading those character stories!

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To support its fast-growing catalog, Renegade Game Studios seeks a Localization Coordinator (in Europe, to support European partners), a Marketing Coordinator (in North America, to support brand-building and social media), and a Game Producer (in San Diego, to push the development of new products).

In addition to a number of jobs related to its digital products and a few art-related positions (contract and in-house), Wizards of the Coast is recruiting for a Principal Product Designer. This job involves overseeing R&D design for Magic: The Gathering. Responsibilities include managing all aspect of a MtG block, contributing to strategic development and decision-making, and otherwise supporting the MtG brand.

Two positions are open at Paizo. One is for a Game Developer “to take responsibility for the creation, revision, and editing of content for… the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder, and associated product lines.” The other is for a Customer Service Representative to answer inquiries and troubleshoot problems.

Pelgrane Press has an opening for an Administrative Assistant but it’s no mere secretarial position. The job involves working with directly with customers, online and in-person, as well as managing supply-chain issues such as print buying and tracking warehouse inventories. Pelgrane is headquartered in the U.K. but remote work is OK. The work is estimated at 25 hours per week for a salary of US$1,500 per month (about $14/hr, no benefits).

Games for Change (G4C), the organization that promotes driving real-world change using games, has three openings: Senior Director (an executive leadership position), Community Manager (a part-time but front-line, point-of-contact between G4C and the whole range of its stakeholders), and Operations Manager (also part-time, and responsible for office and financial management, and maintaining institutional knowledge). All three are based out of New York City.

Ceaco (Gamewright) is looking for a Stock Room Assistant, part-time in Newton, Massachusetts.

At Lost Battalion Publishing in Upperco, Maryland there are openings for a full-time Graphic Designer and a part-time Game Manufacturing Technician.

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In early July, Evil Hat Productions filed to register a trademark for Star Frontiers, an abandoned trademark previously held by Wizards of the Coast as part of their purchase of TSR.

TSR’s Star Frontiers published between 1982 and 1985. A remake of the setting with a different name was published in 2004 as part of Wizards of the Coasts’ d20 Modern sourcebook, d20 Future. The United States Patent and Trademark Office lists Wizard of the Coasts’ claim on the trademark as “dead” as of April 17, 2004.

The TSR version of Star Frontiers was the company’s space-faring science-fiction roleplaying game, set in a relatively unknown region of space where humans and a group of other alien species had formed a “United Planetary Federation”. Evil Hat’s filing for the trademark lists a roleplaying game and a series of fiction works including novels.

This article has been edited as mentioned in the comments below.

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Mattel in Frankfurt, Germany has an opportunity for a Marketing Intern – Brand Activation Games to support the company at Essen Internationale Spieltage, test and proofread prototypes, plan advertising, manage social media, and conduct market research.

Wizards of the Coast is recruiting for a Senior Game Designer to join Magic: The Gathering’s R&D team. Requires 3+ years design experience, passion for MtG, ability to lead teams, and familiarity with other CCGs.

Spin Master is looking for someone crafty, outgoing, and comfortable with social media to fill the role of Sand Castle Maker. The position is a 1 year, $50,000 contract to build “imaginative creations” with Kinetic Compounds. Must make at least one video a week, with children.

CENTRA Technology, a consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia (just outside D.C.), has an opening for a Wargame Analyst. The job of the analyst is to organize and implement simulations and exercises involving such topics as space policy, military technology, cybersecurity, and regional affairs.

Goliath Games in Plano, Texas needs a Graphic Designer to design game packaging and layout instruction manuals and game boards. Five or more years of experience is required.

Andromeda Simulations International, which runs board game based training programs on business, finance, and strategy, needs a Marketing Director. The goal is to “focus on solution design and content development,” such as blogging, social media campaigns, email campaigns, and trade shows and conferences.

Cartamundi has a number of openings at its board game manufacturing plant in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Some are shift-based production positions. Others are for IT and logistics.

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Catalyst Game Labs announced today Dragonfire, a deck-building adventure game based on Dungeons & Dragons and set in the Forgotten Realms. The initial release, “coming soon”, will have players choosing from classic D&D races and classes and beginning their adventure along the Sword Coast. The company also plans future expansions with players leveling up their characters while visiting Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep.

Catalyst is building Dragonfire from the same system the company used for its Shadowrun: Crossfire game (though the two will definitely not be compatible).

Adapting that engine to Dungeons & Dragons is an exciting opportunity to build new ways for players to experience both quick adventures and long-term campaigns in this legendary high-fantasy setting. And at every step, Catalyst has worked hard to remain true to D&D lore. When players open a copy at the table, regardless of what they enjoy playing—RPGs, deckbuilder games, or both—they’ll find a complete box of fun.

Dragonfire will be priced at $60 retail and come with five decks of encounter cards, plus a market deck, magic item deck, character cards, adventure cards, an adventure book, sticker sheets, tokens, plastic clips, and a rule book.

Among the expansions planned are Wondrous Cache (more magic items), Heroes of the Sword Coast (more character cards with new classes and races), and Encounters: Dragonspear Castle (a new adventure with more encounter, magic item, and market cards). Several of the expansions are going to print at the same time as the base game.

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Game stores around the globe are hosting tomorrow a Magic Open House sponsored by Wizards of the Coast. The event is specifically meant for beginners and lapsed players of Magic: The Gathering. There’ll be casual games, teaching sessions, foil promo cards, and even free decks of cards for all attendees.

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