Free RPG Day is almost here, and it remains one of my favourite events of the year. I always look forward to picking up Quickstart rules that introduce players to new TTRPG worlds, and as always, I always pay attention to the hardware offered. Whether that is with dice, custom notebooks or miniatujres, they turn the day into an adventure itself!
Not every item is simply available to grab. Participating stores set their own limits, and some may require a small purchase or participation in an in-store event. That is only fair, especially when it helps discourage unswarthy individuals from scooping up everything. For die-hards, though, spending the day at the store is part of the ritual. Many retailers host one-shots, giving curious newcomers a chance to try a game before committing to a full rulebook.
As for what’s noteworthy is what Marvel Comics is offering:a Secret Wars Expansion Preview for the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game. It includes a Battleworld adventure, an original map, and a glimpse at what the full expansion will offer. I played TSR’s take on Secret Wars years ago, and a lot has changed in the lore since the Jim Shooter era. It is a fun bonus, but these are the Free RPG Day releases I am most eager to find.
First up is Three Days to the Big Easy, an Arkham Horror RPG quickstart adventure from Edge Studio. Players board the Gulf Queen, a glamorous paddleboat steaming towards New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Jazz fills the salon, illegal liquor flows freely, and there are people coveting a Memento Mori that’s said to be on board. The details are sparse as to what that is. Even the group that owns the boat seem to know something others don’t. The Outfit is as mysterious as the name implies.
As for who’ll claim ownership of this item, that’s up to players to decide…. This is a scenario that’ll show the strengths on what this system offers. It’s different from Call of Cthulhu, and hopefully nobody loses their mind over it. The quickstart includes nearly everything needed to play the game: from pre-generated investigators to maps, there should be enough to show why this system is different from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu.
As I’ve been on the fence about investing into another system, this offering is on top of my list! Next up is a must have for dice goblins!
That’s because Dispel Dice never fails to make a keepsake worth talking about. The galaxy theme in the colours offered and a gold sparkle is enough to go ooh and aah at. When coupled with what Free RPG Day sometimes offers, which included bags and trays, this is the only dice offering for this year.
On the softer side of the spectrum, Dungeons & Kittens from Studio Deadcrows and Edge Studio offers An Afternoon Outing. A group of kittens plans a peaceful day by the lake, which naturally becomes less peaceful once kittens are involved. The booklet includes the rules, characters, and guidance needed for a fast introductory session, while encouraging players to share storytelling duties.
There is no official connection to The Cat and the Dragon, but the timing makes the quickstart an intriguing idea factory for enterprising game masters. With the anime arriving soon, there is plenty of room to adapt its feline-and-serpent energy into a homebrew scenario where diplomacy matters as much as clawing one’s way out of danger.
WizKids is bringing a small trio of Dungeons & Dragons miniatures to the event: pre-primed Nolzur’s Marvelous Miniatures versions of the Kuo-toa Monitor and Scarecrow, along with an Icons of the Realms Nothic with a DungeonGlo eye. The first two are ready for paint, though longtime hobbyists know plastic miniatures can still need cleanup before they look as sharp as their promotional images. Still, free monsters are free monsters, and a Nothic is always welcome in a suitably unsettling dungeon.
For paranormal horror enthusiasts, Avantris Entertainment’s The Crooked House Quickstart introduces the their in-house world of The Crooked Moon to the masses. The 5e-compatible setting sends players into Druskenvald, a place built from folklore and the witching-hour, where every wayward path probably ends at a curse.
This is the release most likely to tempt me into adding a few homebrewed paranormal-investigation touches. Between ghosts, folklore, and the promise of a haunted house, it already has a strong foundation for a properly unnerving session.
Chaosium has not contributed to Free RPG Day for a while, but this should scratch that supernatural itch nicely.
Free RPG Day Promo Reel
