Since the cancellation of the live event in Indianapolis, Gen Con LLC has brought their conference online. Come check out my top 5 moments for Gen Con Online 2020 in this weeks TTRP corner!
TOP 5 HIGHTLIGHTS OF GENCON 2020
Gen Con rolled a Nat 20 on stealth this year as it did sneak up on me this year. I saw the cancellation and it was an “out of sight out of mind” concept. Then suddenly it was around the corner and I was trying to find the events that I wanted to follow! With that caveat, come check out my Top 5 of this year’s panels!
5. CZECH GAMES EDITION 2020 PREVIEW
Czech Games announced two new board games. The Lost Ruins of Arnak is a game that is set in alternative history where explorers find an uncharged island. It is a deck building game with worker placement to explore this lost island. It looks simple and can be played by yourself or with some friends. I’m slightly more interested in their game Under Falling Skies. This is a solo game that has enemy ships falling from the sky. You roll dice and choose where your dice is placed in your base. You then set up your base to protect yourself from the alien invasion. There is also a campaign mode for this game that seems like an intense but incredible project. Both of these games look thematically cool and have immense replay-ability.
Both games are scheduled for release in Fall 2020
4. PAIZO 2020 AND BEYOND
Pathfinder just dropped their Advanced Player’s Guide and their new Adventure Path. Additionally they have been playtesting Mechs and launching their New Starship Operations Manual and Alien Archive 4. However, they announced what they are planning to do next including partnering with Beadle and Grimms who is announcing a Kickstarter of the Complete Wizard’s Chronicle in Fall 2020. They also have announcements for Fist of the Ruby Phoenix adventure path and Bestiary 3 featuring more monsters for Pathfinder 2e. My favorite bit of news is that they are already announcing their next supplement Secrets of Magic that announces two new classes; the Magus and the Summoner!
I’ve been on board with Pathfinder 2e and this is a lot of content that is coming out. I don’t know if it is an attempt to catch up with Pathfinder 1e and D&D 5e but I’m excited to enjoy this game to its fullest.
3. VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE – RIVALS EXPANDABLE CARD GAME PANEL
Vampire: The Masquerade – Rivals is an expandable card game that has you play from one of the clans from the Vampires: The Masquerade universe. Your goal is to take out your rival and you have options to feed on victims to gain more power, social interactions, or to attack your rival. You also have the option to win by completing their own personal agenda. Meaning you can be offensive and reduce a rival clan’s influence to zero or you can play on the defense and gain victory based on your agenda.
I like complicated card games. Munchkin Land was a huge source of fun for me and I think this one is going to fill a similar role to that. I’ve seen it compared to the Game of Thrones card game as well within the panels. Vampire: The Masquerade – Rivals is from Renegade Game Studios and will launch on Kickstarter August 4th, 2020
2. DUNGEONS & DA ASIANS LIVE: DEMONS AT HEAVEN’S GATE
Dungeons & Da Asians have become a pillar in the TTRPG community and recently won an Ernie award for their podcast Asians Represent! They have recently switched from Dungeons and Dragons to Quest RPG and we got a taste of the system and their style at Gen Con 2020. The eastern aesthetic hasn’t been done well in TTRP media and they are leading the change in accurate Asian portrayals.
Quest RPG has gotten a lot of hype recently as an alternative to Dungeons and Dragons and watching how the system plays out in gameplay is unique. It takes a simplistic system and allows the story to truly move to the forefront.
1. FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES IN-FLIGHT REPORT
This panel featured a whole bunch of new content including Marvel Champions: The Card Game, Star Wars: Legion: and Keyforge. But to be honest, most of it was them reading off a script for their new products. In the last 30 seconds, they grabbed a box offscreen and showed off Descent: 3rd Edition! While they didn’t reveal very much about it. I have to admit this is the product I am most excited to see. Descent is an incredible game and perhaps I am most hyped about it because not much was revealed. The unknown interests me more than anything.