Summer is traditionally convention season. Conventions are kind of a big deal nowadays, and they run year ’round. But the oldest and biggest conventions in the U.S. still fall in the summer.
And lots of publishers time their major releases with these big opportunities to show their games off to thousands of eager customers. Here’s just a smattering of what’s coming this con season:
Delta Green is on the Scene
The Borellus Connection is a campaign for the Fall of Delta Green, which is Arc Dream’s Delta Green setting, ported over to Gumshoe rules.
Still following? Then follow along on the heroin trade in 1968 across the globe using the fictional United States Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs as a narrative spine. The campaign runs from Southeast Asia to the Middle East to Europe as the Agents uncover the sinister machinations of a necromantic cult.
If Delta Green or the Gumshoe system is your thing, then this is EXTREMELY your thing.
Price: $59.95 Get more information on the Pelgrane Press website
Kaiju Fights Right on your Tabletop
The new Mechageddon Adventure Path is a 184-page hardcover campaign for Starfinder. A rugged planet is crawling with colossal kaiju that demolish cities. The only possible solution to this problem is for your PCs to strap into giant robots to save the world.
This campaign spans levels 3 to 18 and features new mechs, new rules to play with them, bonus adventures designed to slot into the campaign as interludes, mech-sized maps, and (in case you were wondering) more.
Price: $59.99 See what people are saying about it on the Paizo site
Urban Fantasy for Fantastic Urbanity
We don’t have any Powered by the Apocalypse on this list yet. Let’s fix that.
Urban Shadows 2nd edition from Magpie Games updates the game’s rules, look, and tools to better support moving stories of political urban fantasy. Maneuver among relationships and obligations in a fantasy world of wizards, vampires, and fantastical whatnots, all in a heightened version of the world you already live in.
This update has some new playbooks, new faction mechanics, and revised materials from first edition. There’s a free quickstart guide to stick your head in.
Price: TBA. Get more details on the Kickstarter page
Deathsports for the Home
Xcrawl premiered during the D&D 3rd edition era as a sort of meta-commentary on professional athletics and dungeon crawling and contemporary life. But it was fun and goofy, in a Running Man kind of way.
Goodman Games acquired the game a while back and produced several versions since then. Most recently, they Kickstarted a version compatible with their Dungeoncrawl Classics game.
You play as professional adventurers teaming up to challenge a Dungeon Judge in a manufactured dungeon. The whole event is streamed live on spell phones, empire-wide. Plug your sponsor, pose for the camera, grow your personal brand while you solve puzzles and dodge monsters. Sound fun?
Price: TBA. Get more details on the Kickstarter page
Tales of the Valiant comes to book form!
This year’s con season is especially significant because the Tales of the Valiant hardcover books will be available for purchase. The PDFs are on sale now, but you can get real paper to flip through with your own meat hands!
It’s a two-book set. The Player’s Guide contains the 5E-compatible complete rule set featuring all the streamlining and upgrades we could cram in! Plus downtime rules, weapon options, and more I’m sure I’m forgetting. Start your grand adventure tale with this trove of knowledge!
Meanwhile, the Monster Vault has like a gazillion monsters in it (over 400) with thorough guidance on how to make your own monsters and change them up to match your own game. It is a worldbuilder’s delight.
Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Valiant.
Price: $59.99 Player’s Guide, $59.99 Monster Vault Check out our Tales of the Valiant RPG page for more information!
Hat’s All Folks!
You’re going to need something to keep the sun off your head and long hair out of your face this summer. That means we’re talking either bandanas or hats. Really, just hats. We’re talking hats.
Kobold Press, renowned haberdashers of gaming, has you covered. The head part of you, specifically.
Show your Kobold pride and you can also hide some snacks up there. They come in trucker and “dad” variety in an assortment of colors to match your favorite dice, perhaps? I hear some GMs give extra Luck when you’re all matchy-matchy.
Price: starting at $19 (trucker) TeePublic
This summer, Kobold Press will have booths at Game Con Canada and Gen Con, and we’re sponsoring the tabletop games track at Dragon Con this year! While you’re in the area, stop by to say hi!
