If you’re lucky enough to have a tabletop gamer to buy for this holiday season, we’ve found the perfect presents for them—including the most popular new games, incredible gifts for Dungeon Masters and Dungeon & Dragons players, and even a game designed to get you outside to literally touch grass.

And if you’re the tabletop gamer? Give someone one of these picks from our Holiday Gift Guide and you’ll immediately have someone to play with! Win-win.

The Deck of Many Things

The Deck of Many Things is a D&D magic item so legendary that most Dungeon Masters shudder when they hear its name. (Or they cackle, which is much worse.) Just in time for the holiday season, The Deck of Many Things is now available as a gorgeous gift set with updated rules, a 66-card deck (which includes the 22 classic cards), its own supplement guide for incorporating the reimagined deck into your game, and more.

Dungeon Masters will love its ability to create adventures on the fly complete with traps and puzzles; D&D players will find new character backgrounds, spells, and star-signs inside. ($99.99, available digitally on November 14 with the physical copy release date TBD)

Disney Lorcana

Lorcana is a Disney-themed trading card game that’s taking the tabletop by storm! While the first starter sets quickly sold out, more are on the way to stores everywhere. Rise of the Floodborn, the second chapter of the game, is due out in December.

In Lorcana, players take the role of Illumineers and use character and item cards to collect 20 lore and win the game. This trading card game is easier to learn than most, but still encourages thought-out strategy and card collecting. And have you seen some of the art? Pick this up for the Disney or TCG fan in your life, and be sure to grab a starter pack for yourself while you’re at it. (2 players, Ages 8+, $5.99-$49.99)

Linkee

Part trivia, part lateral thinking, and part party game, Linkee is the perfect gift for the social butterfly in your life. (It also has two-player rules if your gift recipient prefers to cocoon at home.) Each Linkee card features four short trivia questions. Players remember the trivia answers as they’re revealed, and once they see the connection between them, they shout, “Linkee!” The first team to successfully find the common link for the answers wins the card.

Work together as a team to find the connection and earn bragging rights for eternity. Well, maybe until the next game night. (2+ players, Ages 12+, $8.45)

Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who

All we really have to say is “Doctor Who Magic cards” and you’ll know immediately who to give this to for the holidays. But, if you need a little more info, we have you covered. The new official “Universes Beyond” set features gorgeous art of 13 Doctors and their companions. These cards with Doctor Who-themed mechanics are now available to join the Magic lineup.

Choose your gift recipient’s favorite Doctor to find the perfect 100 card Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who Commander Deck, and allons-y! (2 players, Ages 13+, $59.99)

Nine Arches

Nine Arches might be designed like a tabletop card game, but it’s intended to take you and your friends and family away from the table. The game includes a 54-card deck similar to tarot cards that are used to choose your next adventure. Cards feature activities like “dance party,” “caravan,” and “ghost.” With the drawn cards and input from each player, the group adventure’s is talked out. Will you do the activities all at once? One at a time? It’s up to you and the group. Then you’re all off on a real-life journey based on the prompts on the cards!

If your recipient is the type who appreciates experiences instead of plain gifts, you’ll wow them with this one. (1-5 players, Ages 13+, $34.99)

Potion Pack – Cantrip Candles

Whether your lucky gift recipient is a fan of tabletop role-playing games or video game RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, this three-candle set from Cantrip Candles will be met with delight when it’s unwrapped. The Potion Pack comes as a lovely gift set of 10 ounce soy wax candles in decorated glass containers.

The Health Potion, Stamina Potion, and Magicka Potion candles are sure to heal and reenergize any weary adventurers (or office workers) who lights them. And how can you pass up the opportunity to give someone a container labeled “Dragon’s Blood”? ($80.00)

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons

Do you remember being a kid and re-reading your favorite book so many times you had every page memorized? This is your chance to give the youngest Dungeons & Dragons or fantasy fan in your life that same experience!

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons is exactly what it says on the cover: an imaginative, in-depth look at the dragons that populate the D&D setting of Dragonlance. Written in-character by the kender Sindri Suncatcher, this guide to dragons is packed with personality—along with, you guessed it, lots of dragons. Dragon facts, dragon stories, dragon lair maps, it’s all here. Your lucky gift recipient will spend hours staring at the gorgeous art alone. ($39.95)

Sea Salt & Paper

The stocking stuffer-sized card game Sea Salt & Paper is a delightful set collecting game with a dash of luck to keep things exciting. Collect and play pairs of cards to score points and use their effects to earn even more points. If the player thinks they have enough points in hand, they can call for the end of the round or give everyone one last chance to try to beat them for bonus points. Reach the necessary number of victory points to win the game!

Not only does each card feature charming and original origami art, Sea Salt & Paper includes bold icons so that colorblind players aren’t excluded from the fun. (2-4 players, Ages 8+, $14.95)

Pop Culture Monopoly

Looking to ease someone on your shopping list into tabletop games with a tried-and-true title? Monopoly has been a favorite for ages, and these days you have a plethora of Monopoly versions to choose from. It seems like every pop culture franchise you can imagine has its own edition. Maybe Ted Lasso Monopoly (2-6 players, Ages 8+, $49.95) or Curbed Your Enthusiasm Monopoly (2-6 players, $49.95) is right for someone in your life.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture writer and the author of Star Wars Conversation Cards, Be More Obi-Wan, and the upcoming Star Wars Dad Jokes. You can still find her on Twitter at @kelly_knox.

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As Wizards of the Coast works toward updating the Fifth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons in 2024, public playtesting plays its own critical role. For years Wizards has used feedback from “Unearthed Arcana,” the moniker given to the playtesting materials offered to D&D players, as a metric for future development of the TTRPG. The D&D design team shared insights at a recent press event about how influential survey results from Unearthed Arcana can be, and how that feedback has already affected the 2024 updates for the core books.

Wizards regularly offers playtest materials for specific areas of the game they wish to focus on. Player’s Handbook is the current focus for Unearthed Arcana, a.k.a. “UA,” as of the writing of this article. (Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual will have their turns in the near future.) Wizards of the Coast is offering a free download of rules for testing weapons and spells, along with a new glossary and more. After a pre-announced amount of time, Wizards invites players to submit a survey about their experiences using the rules in playtesting. It’s much more important than you might expect.

“The ​​Unearthed Arcana survey is the primary way we can dig into what people have written in a very systematic way,” said D&D Game Design Architect Jeremy Crawford. 

The D&D design team looks for a 70% satisfaction rating by UA players for officially adding playtested changes to the game. That means no matter how much Crawford and fellow Game Design Architect Christopher Perkins might personally like a rule or mechanic update, they said, if it doesn’t reach that 70% it won’t make it into the 2024 update of core books.

The Ardling as a new playable species, for example, didn’t pass muster during the Unearthed Arcana phase. It only garnered the satisfaction of “little more than half” of players surveyed, Crawford said. A change that made rolling a 1 or a natural 20 guarantee automatic failure or success respectively also didn’t make it past UA playtesting. Neither change received enough approval in the survey to make the official leap into the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

Once a design feature or mechanic does reach that crucial 70%, it doesn’t mean the work on it is complete. The Dungeons & Dragons team keeps iterating on and improving the design until it’s ready to officially become part of the game.

With measurable data and feedback, Crawford said, he and his team can see not only the results as a snapshot of recent playtesting, but also track longtime trends as players change the way they play the game. “The survey is like a collage collected over years to see cycles of popularity,” he said.

Digital toolset D&D Beyond, which joined Wizards of the Coast in 2022, gives the design team even more data about characters and beyond. Rangers have a reputation for being unpopular, Crawford recalled as one example. However, class ranking data on D&D Beyond says otherwise. Druid and monk are actually the least created classes, he revealed.

“Fighter, cleric, rogue, and wizard are almost always in the top four classes,” Crawford said. (Warlock once enjoyed a nice stint in the top four.)

While quantitative data in the Unearthed Arcana surveys are one of the primary sources Wizards looks at while developing the biggest update to D&D in 10 years, the designers also consider comments in the UA feedback, along with social media reactions and more. “Sales are another factor,” added executive producer Kyle Brinks. 

If you’re ready to get in on the playtesting action to make your voice heard, it’s happening now on D&D Beyond. Wizard plans staggered release updates to the core rulebooks in 2024.

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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The familiar black and red Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition books are going to look very different in 2024! Wizards of the Coast is currently working on updating the core books of the roleplaying game: the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. These wide-ranging changes are not part of a new “sixth” edition of the game. This means the rule updates will be 100% compatible with all the 5e content you already own.

Popularly called “One D&D,” although that’s not the official name, the 2024 rules update has an easy-to-remember guiding principle: your table, your way. One of the initiative’s overall goals is updating the quality of play for both players and Dungeons Masters so that Dungeons & Dragons is more accessible than ever. 

At a recent press event, the D&D team talked about what’s in the works for the 2024 update, their goals for the most significant changes since 2014, and what you can expect when you have the new books in your hands. 

Player’s Handbook

D&D Game Design Architects Jeremy Crawford and Christopher Perkins were on hand to give Nerdist a sneak peek at the current state of the rules. They revealed that the 2024 Player’s Handbook (PHB) features 12 classes, 48 subclasses, and over 144 origin options, as well as new feat, spell, and weapon options. 

Class will be the first decision a player makes during character creation in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Next is origin, the heart of character creation. “Race,” like human, half-orc, or elf, is now known as “species” and players will pick this after the character class. Then players choose a background with ability score bonuses and a first level feat, their alignment, and their languages. All together these characteristics craft a character’s origin. 

“We’re giving people more tools than they ever had before to flesh out who their character was before becoming an adventurer, and who they will be going forward,” said Crawford.

The handbook redistributes subclasses so that each main class has four subclasses. The wizard and cleric will have fewer subclasses to make room for those of other classes, noted Crawford, but anything removed from the 2014 PHB is still officially playable in Fifth Edition. 

Not only is the team going over the text on every page of the original core books with a fine-toothed comb, but the art inside the books has also been a big focus.

“We want it to be a dazzling visual experience,” Crawford said. The updated artwork will include some aspects of the game that haven’t been illustrated in the PHB before, like certain locations, named characters, all classes and subclasses, and the equipment characters can buy.

The D&D team is working to ensure the PHB and the other core books feel like they’re inviting everyone to the table. “[We want to] represent as broad a range of humanity as possible,” said Crawford, “[and] go even further than we did the 2014 rule book in showing the glorious richness of humanity.”

Dungeon Master’s Guide

As for the 2024 Dungeons Master’s Guide, Perkins said, “[The goal is to be] a useful, practical guide for all Dungeon Masters and an indispensable part of their game.” They reorganized the entire book with a different layout from the 2014 Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), with an emphasis on making it as easy as possible to find what you’re looking for.

The 2024 DMG will address common questions that Dungeon Masters previously had to scour the internet to find answers for. Some of them include, “How do I start finding players? How do I compete with Dungeon Masters I’ve seen online? How do I avoid discomfort at the table? How do I deal with a TPK or character death? How do I build a campaign or adventure? How much of the rules do I actually need to know?”

More magic items than the 2014 DMG, a glossary, an expanded appendix of maps, player handouts, and more will make the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide an invaluable source of guidelines and inspiration for any D&D game.

Monster Manual

The 2024 Monster Manual will be a treasure trove of baddies, about 500 in total, estimated Crawford and Perkins. All 2014 monsters are back along with new foes, including monsters with high Challenge Ratings like a CR 20 ooze and an Arch-Hag. (Not even dragons want to mess with an Arch-Hag!) 

The 2024 Manual won’t have any CR changes to existing monsters. Any adventures using them are unaffected, added the D&D team. However, some may receive mechanical adjustments to make sure their CR is correct. All stat blocks will be updated to make them easier to use and to add some “spice.”

The core Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition rulebooks will have a staggered release in 2024. Want to make sure your voice is heard about the upcoming D&D rules update? Find out more about Unearthed Arcana and the power of playtesting.

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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The LEGO Ideas website has been giving beloved stories and characters a new life in LEGO for years. From a Dungeons & Dragons set, to Willow, and beyond, fan-created LEGO sets are pure delight and passion in brick form. Now’s your chance to turn one of your own fond memories into a LEGO set you can hold in your hands: it’s The Muppet Show from veteran LEGO Ideas builder Bulldoozer!

“LEGO Ideas has finally allowed me to submit my design for a Muppet Show set,” said Ivan Guerrero, AKA Bulldoozer, on Twitter. “I’ve been trying to get this set made [for six] years now.”

The Muppet Show LEGO set, which Guerrero first attempted submitting in 2017, features the front and back stages of the show in an ingenious wraparound design.

“The mainstage includes three mini diorama sets and a detachable balcony,” reads the design description. “With ‘you’ as the guest star, start off the show beneath The Muppet Show’s iconic opening theme arches… Statler and Waldorf will throw in a quick heckle or two from their balcony seats.”

The set would also feature minifigs of Kermit the Frog, “Swine Trek” Firstmate Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Statler, Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and Gonzo. (How can you possibly resist minifig Beaker?)

It’s obvious that Guerrero, who previously created the successful 123 Sesame Street LEGO Ideas set in 2019, is a huge fan of the Muppets. Every detail in his set design is a little LEGO love letter to the classic television series. Kermit’s mug. The penguin in the orchestra pit. Chickens. The “Turn the World Around” poster as an homage to Harry Belafonte’s unforgettable sketch in 1978. The set is simply Muppetational.

LEGO Ideas sets need 10,000 votes to go from the pitch phase to development review by the LEGO Group. All it takes is logging into your LEGO.com account and adding your vote to make Guerrero’s dream a reality!

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is an enthusiastic romp through the Forgotten Realms that anyone can enjoy. But let’s be honest. If you’re a D&D player, you’re going to enjoy it a little bit more than everyone else! With amazing details from playable species to iconic locations like the Underdark, this movie is absolutely a love letter to anyone who’s given the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game a try. That includes the monsters our hapless heroes fight. The original Monster Manual introduced now classic creatures like owlbears and mimics. Honor Among Thieves playfully pays homage to those monsters and many others from the first edition of D&D. We’ve got a list of some of the monsters in the blockbuster film that you wouldn’t want to face in a dark dungeon (or anywhere else). 

Axe Beak

The ostrich-like Axe Beak, which Doric tries to use to her advantage as she’s chased through the streets of Neverwinter, first appeared in the original Monster Manual. The seven-foot-tall flightless birds are easily recognizable by their hatchet-shaped beaks. They’re also rather grumpy.

Black Dragon

It wouldn’t be a D&D movie without dragons! Honor Among Thieves has a few, including a black dragon dispersing its devastating acid breath as it swoops across the battlefield. Just the mere presence of a black dragon can overwhelm even the most stalwart of warriors.

Displacer Beast

Also one of the first monsters to appear in the role-playing game, the puma-like displacer beast chases our heroes during the Highsun Games. These monsters are capable of displacing light to create a duplicate image of themselves a short distance away. The two toothy tentacles protruding from its back attack the distracted prey with ferocity.

Ettin

This two-headed giant monster makes a quick cameo in Honor Among Thieves‘ closing credits, but veteran Dungeons & Dragons players will spot it immediately.

Gelatinous Cube

Almost as iconic as dragons, the gelatinous cube is a Dungeons & Dragons mainstay. Anyone who’s run into one of these dungeon dwellers during a game knows exactly how dangerous the ooze cubes are. The cube can engulf an unlucky adventurer – as it does the thieves during the Highsun Games – and while inside they suffer acid damage and are unable to breathe.

Intellect Devourers

Resembling a brain walking with little legs and feet, the intellect devourer’s funny appearance belies their threat. Edgin might have been slightly insulted that the intellect devourers didn’t engage the group, but he should count himself lucky. These aberrations can magically consume a humanoid brain and take over its body. Yikes.

Mimic

Treasure chest or monster? You might want to approach slowly before trying to open it! These predators are hard to detect even for the most seasoned adventurer. The mimic, which Holga discovers by accident during the Highsun Games, can use polymorph to transform into any inanimate object. Doors are another of their favorite shapes.

Rust Monster

Small creatures the color of rust fight over scraps in the alleyways of Neverwinter. They’re known as rust monsters. They’re typically docile so you might not consider them a thread until you learn what they can do. Rust monsters, a bane of adventurers who wield blades and shields, use their feathery antenna to seek out metal to corrode and ingest the rust.

Snowy Owlbear

This distant cousin of the owlbear roams the tundra in the frozen north of Faerün. The large creature has characteristics of both the snowy owl and polar bear and is typically considered a monstrosity. The druid Doric, however, candidly views the snowy owlbear as just another natural creature. This grants her the rare ability to Wild Shape into the terrifying—but cute—predator.

Yuan-ti

Blink and you might misssss the snake-like creature known as a yuan-ti. These creatures, who are also a playable species in Dungeons & Dragons, have both serpentine and humanoid features. (Basically, snake people.) Yuan-ti were originally humans who used dark magic to transform themselves into these striking creatures.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves hides even more winks and nods for veteran players to discover outside of its monster lineup. My personal favorite? The ground in the arena in which the heroes face these creatures has the appearance of being covered in squares, just like the grid of a battle map!

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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As part of Tuesday’s D&D Direct, Wizards of the Coast and Mojang Studios announced a collaboration on a Minecraft DLC coming soon to all platforms! The story-driven Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons brings legendary player classes, Forgotten Realms locations, and of course, monsters to block-shaped life. Nerdist saw an extended preview of the upcoming downloadable content. It’s a game inside the game that promises to be a completely unique Minecraft experience.

Riccardo Lenzi, Senior Producer at Mojang Studios, and Tom Sargent of Wizards of the Coast described Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons as an action RPG inside Minecraft. Estimating the total play time at around 10 hours, Lenzi said that the content kicks off as almost all great D&D adventures do: by rolling dice in a basement. Then the magic happens, and the game transports your character from the Minecraft world to the Forgotten Realms.

Players can take on the role of a barbarian, paladin, rogue, or wizard as they embark on their journey.  The DLC story is optimized for a single player, said Lenzi, but friends can enjoy the world alongside each other. In the Forgotten Realms they’ll face beholders, mimics, mindflayers, and so much more. Each will be depicted for the first time in the iconic Minecraft block style. The action makes use of a 20-sided die, including conversation options based on ability checks D&D players will be very familiar with.

In the preview we saw, for example, the player had an interesting choice to make during conversation: they could roll an insight, intimidation, or persuasion check with a click of a button. New user interface elements like those buttons along with a full, custom in-game menu demonstrate how the development team wanted to make Minecraft D&D feel like a true D&D experience.

And, yes, there will be dungeons and dragons.

While the Dungeons & Dragons items and mobs won’t be available outside the DLC, a set of skins celebrating all 12 D&D player classes will be part of the pack. Players can show those off anywhere in the Minecraft world.

Minecraft D&D is a far-ranging adventure across five Forgotten Realms locations. The original, fully-voiced story brings the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game to life inside one of the world’s greatest online games. But what about the other way around?

Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3: Minecraft Creatures, available today on D&D Beyond for no additional cost, gives Dungeon Masters new but very familiar creatures at their disposal. You can now seamlessly add five classic Minecraft mobs, each with their own stat blocks, descriptions, and brand-new art, to any D&D campaign. Among them are the Ender Dragon, Enderman, and Creeper (aww, man).

Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC will be available on the Minecraft Marketplace later this spring.

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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Player resurrection in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition typically comes in the form of a few spells. Revivify, Resurrection, and Raise Dead are just some of the options for bringing a fallen player character back to life. These spells, however, cost money and components to cast. As players advance, many adventurers find death doesn’t hold the same fear or meaning when there are quick spells to bring them back to life. Critical Role does something different with resurrection.

Critical Role Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer modified 5th Edition’s basic spells with optional and adjustable rules to give death more meaning in the narrative. With these modified rules, a player’s allies play a much more important role in bringing them back from the afterlife. There’s even a chance their efforts may be unsuccessful. And for each successful return to life, the DC (difficulty class) for subsequent resurrections increases by 1.

You can increase the DC in the rules below by 2 instead of just 1 for every successful attempt if you want to add even more challenge to your campaign. But, Mercer warned on Reddit, an increase of 2 may punish low level players. “With many games involving death often at lower levels, it could easily become too daunting,” says Mercer.

Here are the additional Critical Role resurrection rules, written in full by Matthew Mercer, for use in your own Dungeons & Dragons or other roleplaying campaign.

The Fading Spirit – Alternative Resurrection Rules

Character death can often prove to become a minor inconvenience in some campaigns once the adventuring party reaches a certain level, with spells being available to return fallen comrades from the afterlife with temporary setbacks, robbing a small element of danger, and threat to future conflicts and challenges within the story. If you wish to elevate the gravity of character death, you can introduce this optional rule.

If a character is dead, and a resurrection is attempted by a spell or spell effect with longer than a 1 action casting time, a Resurrection Challenge is initiated. Up to three members of the adventuring party can offer to contribute to the ritual via a Contribution Skill Check. The DM asks them each to make a skill check based on their form of contribution, with the DC of the check adjusting to how helpful/impactful the DM feels the contribution would be.

For example, praying to the god of the devout, fallen character may require an Intelligence (Religion) check at an easy to medium difficulty, where loudly demanding the soul of the fallen to return from the aether may require a Charisma (Intimidation) check at a very hard or nearly impossible difficulty. Advantage and disadvantage can apply here based on how perfect, or off base, the contribution offered is.

After all contributions are completed, the DM then rolls a single, final Resurrection success check with no modifier. The base DC for the final resurrection check is 10, increasing by 1 for each previous successful resurrection the character has undergone (signifying the slow erosion of the soul’s connection to this world). For each successful contribution skill check, this DC is decreased by 3, whereas each failed contribution skill check increases the DC by 1.

Upon a successful resurrection check, the player’s soul (should it be willing) will be returned to the body, and the ritual succeeded. On a failed check, the soul does not return and the character is lost.

Only the strongest of magical incantations can bypass this resurrection challenge, in the form of the True Resurrection or Wish spells. These spells can also restore a character to life who was lost due to a failed resurrection ritual.

If a spell with a casting time of 1 action is used to attempt to restore life (via the Revivify spell or similar effects), no contribution skill checks are allowed. The character casting the spell makes a Rapid Resurrection check, rolling a d20 and adding their spellcasting ability modifier. The DC is 10, increasing by 1 for each previous successful resurrection the character has undergone. On a failure, the character’s soul is not lost, but the resurrection fails and increases any future Resurrection checks’ DC by 1. No further attempts can be made to restore this character to life until a resurrection spell with a casting time higher than 1 action is attempted.

Originally published on February 1, 2017.

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Original reporting by Kelly Knox.

The life-sized Gundam replica can move now, and it’s here to stay, at least for a while longer! We, for one, welcome our new mecha overlord. In the past, we told you about the 60-foot-tall Gundam robot in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, Japan. While the pandemic disrupted the original plans for this incredible attraction to the public, development continued on the mind-blowing mecha. The RX-78-2 Gundam mecha can stand, kneel, turn its head, and point to the sky, and lucky fan Nan-chan caught it on video.

While the massive mecha moves slowly and deliberately, it’s an impressive feat of engineering. When the footage is sped up to four times speed, the robot is nothing short of unbelievable. Not only can it take steps and move its massive body, the fine control of its hands and fingers is astounding.

And if you’re still not impressed, Nan-chan’s other video of the mecha turning its head includes part of the engineering team to give you a sense of scale. As it turns toward them and opens its eyes, mecha fanatics might understandably get goosebumps. It’s mind-blowing.

SoraNews24 reports that while there have been life-sized Gundam models built in Japan before, Gundam Factory Yokohama features the first model that can actually move. The park originally scheduled an October 2020 opening but eventually opened in December 2020. It was slated to close in March 2022. But interest extended its life by a year. And now it will keep it open a while longer. This live-size moving Gundam will remain on display until March 31, 2024.

While this mecha might not be able to take on any kaiju erupting from the Earth’s core quite yet, we’re certainly on our way to making technology that once seemed like only a fantasy into a reality. Let’s just hope the kaiju also move very, very slowly, and we’ll be just fine.

Originally published on September 21, 2020

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Board games and tabletop games continue to rise to new heights of popularity, so there’s no better time to get that special someone on your holiday gift list a new game for their collection! Below you’ll find the world’s greatest role-playing game, small indie TTRPGs, easy-to-learn board games inspired by beloved franchises, and much more. And best of all, any gift on this list will make your next game night with friends even better.

Animal Adventures

A Persian cat warlock? A Labrador fighter? What else do we have to say? Animal Adventures from Steamforged Games is a 5e supplement that’s ideal for kids or casual players new to Dungeons & Dragons. The box set comes complete with a full adventure and filled-out character sheets, and affordable miniature box sets can even get your recipient on the road to painting their first minis.

Arcadia

MCDM Productions knocks it out of the park every month with the digital magazine Arcadia. MCDM invites some of the TTRPG community’s best and brightest talent to contribute. The cover art alone is worth every penny. Inside you’ll find D&D 5e adventures, subclasses, NPCs, and more incredible campaign content that you won’t find anywhere else. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for your Dungeon Master, send them a digital gift card and they can pick up the issues that will fit right into your campaign.

Campaign Case: Terrain

Another great gift to get you on your Dungeon Master’s good side is the Campaign Case: Terrain from Wizards of the Coast. If your DM isn’t the crafty type, or they can’t carry around large pieces of map terrain, these official terrain tokens will do the job on the go. (The Campaign Case: Creatures is just as handy.) It includes a double-sided adventure grid, 30 interlocking terrain tiles, and reusable stickers for the tiles to make dungeons, campsites, tombs, and more.

Crescendo of Violence

Swords and magic? Sure. But if your friend’s favorite movies include Blade Runner and John Wick, the indie TTRPG Crescendo of Violence from Osprey Games can make a seriously cool stocking stuffer. The setting is neon-noir, which is different from cyberpunk but set in the same futuristic neon-lit cities. (Think gun fu, femme fatales, and rainy nights.) The system uses 10-sided dice, so throw some of those in the stocking as well to complete the experience.

Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

The newest Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set has everything the lucky recipient needs to get the adventuring party started. The one-stop box contains all the rules, character sheets, and even dice they’ll need to begin their very first campaign. All they need to find is more players. If you have a friend who is intrigued by the game but isn’t ready to pick up the rulebooks quite yet, this is the perfect gift.

Dungeons & Dragons: How to Be More D&D

Perform an insight check on yourself? It’s possible with How to Be More D&D by Kat Kruger! Whether you’re buying this handy tome for yourself, your friend, or your Secret Santa, every kind of reader can benefit from adding more adventure to their lives. Personality quizzes based on character classes, advice for navigating the difficult terrain of real life, gorgeous art, and more make this book one to pick up again and again.

Eye and Hand of Vecna

Whether that friend on your gift list is a D&D aficionado or a Stranger Things fan—or better yet, both—they’ll be delighted when they unwrap this eye-catching collectible from WizKids. The Eye and Hand of Vecna are famous artifacts that go all the way back to the early days of Dungeons & Dragons. The ghoulish hand and eye are encased in glass and rest upon a wooden platform. Will the lucky recipient laugh or shriek when they open this present? Part of the fun is finding out.

Marvel Dice Throne

Superhero fans will love to take on the mantle of their favorite Marvel characters in one of this year’s biggest tabletop games. Marvel Dice Throne pits hero against hero. Players use their hero’s special abilities and dice to whittle down their opponent’s hit points. Components are colorful and chock full of useful info; the game even provides a helpful FAQ for those times when a question about the rules arises. Marvel fans and board game enthusiasts will both find a lot to love in this ultimate “who would win in a fight.”

Phantom Ink

Phantom Ink is a party game perfect for that one friend who always keeps a Ouija board in the closet. (You know the one.) The beautifully thematic deduction game is for four to eight players divided into two teams. One player is the spirit, and the others are mediums; the spirit shares clues about a secret object to the mediums in the hopes that one will guess it. Use as few letters as possible to discover the secret object, and your team wins!

RockLove x Dungeons & Dragons Jewelry

Ready to splurge on the D&D player in your life? RockLove Jewelry’s D&D collaboration is guaranteed to elicit a gasp when the recipient opens the box. The intricately detailed silver rings and pendants range from monstrous beholders to delicate daggers. There’s even a bejeweled spellbook necklace that opens to reveal mystical text inside. You’ll be tempted to get a piece for yourself when browsing this one-of-a-kind jewelry collection.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – A Pandemic System Game

Veteran board gamers on your gift list have likely played Pandemic, so they’ll be thrilled to see the iconic co-op strategy game combined with Star Wars. The sprawling tabletop game takes Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and more to key locations in the Clone Wars conflict. They’ll face your favorite prequel villains in battles to reclaim the planet from their control. Missions are named after iconic episodes of The Clone Wars, a delightful detail for longtime fans of the animated series.

ZWEIHÄNDER Fantasy Horror RPG: Starter Kit

Indie horror role-playing game Zweihänder may not scream “joyful holiday season” to you, but this new kit makes it easier than ever to get a new player started in the medieval fantasy world. That sword-and-sorcery buff you know will be delighted to open this one. The RPG is darker and more ruthless than most high fantasy TTRPGs, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to play. Rulebooks, dice, a game master screen, pre-gen characters, and a detailed map are all included to get a new player going on their first supernatural adventure.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. She’s the author of Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan and co-author of Star Wars Everyday. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post Holiday Gift Guide 2022 – For the Tabletop Gamer appeared first on Nerdist.

You’ve heard bold claims like “you’ll never watch ___ the same way again!” accompanying most in-depth looks at your favorite movies. Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Dreams of Wakanda is one of the rare books that absolutely delivers on that promise. It’s not an exaggeration to say Dreams of Wakanda will forever change what it means to you the next time you hear, “Wakanda forever!”

The compelling collection of essays on Black Panther comes from the voices of Black journalists, authors, poets, writers, and artists from around the world. None of these remarkable pieces pull their punches. Each one unflinchingly examines the impact the film has had both personally and globally.

Among the book’s contributors is Ruth E. Carter, the costume designer who won an Academy Award in 2019 for her work on the landmark Marvel Studios film. You can read an excerpt of her incredible essay below.

Excerpt from essay titled “Afrofuturistic Beauty” by Ruth E. Carter

We made over a thousand costumes with five concept artists, three assistant costume designers, specialty costume companies, agers/dyers, mold makers, set costumers, and jewelry craftspeople to honor the beauty and history of Africa and the Dinka, Dogon, Himba, Lesotho, Maasai, Ndebele, Suri, Surma, Tuareg, Turkana, Wagenya, and Zulu peoples. The final product is Wakandan Afrofuturistic looks that have expanded our vision of beauty.

My life’s passion and work is about telling diverse stories through costume design. Before a word of dialogue is uttered, costumes begin to tell the story of a character—who they are and where they have been. It is a visual narrative using fabrics, colors, and patterns that bring to life characters, whether they are real, historical, or imaginative.

My journey into this profession began when I was a girl growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts. The youngest of eight siblings, I relied on everyone in our home to entertain me. My brother was the artist, and I was incredibly inspired to be like him. I spent hours in my room at my desk being creative, whether it was drawing, coloring, or reading poetry and literature. One afternoon, I serendipitously discovered a sewing machine tucked inside the desk. My creative playground expanded. With the most modest of beginnings, this girl who knew how to dream, and pursue that dream by any means necessary, began building her love for creating art.

I nurtured my artistic curiosity over the years, and it led me to follow my family legacy at Hampton University, a historically Black college on the shores of Virginia.

Hampton is where the first freed enslaved persons and indigenous people were educated under the giant tree on campus, known as the Emancipation Oak. It is also where the Emancipation Proclamation was read aloud. It was here that the stories I read and learned connected me to who I was and where I came from. It lit up in me a passion to share these and other stories yet to be discovered and because of it, I enjoyed being in the theater department. I was drawn to it like a calling. This is where I discovered all my talents as an artist merged, and I found myself the costume designer on campus.

Coming up with the costumes for Black Panther was a full-circle life moment for me, personally. I think back to the moment I discovered the sewing machine. It was not unique to just our household; this was a common appliance in Black family homes. It was a staple, just like an iron. It connects me to my ancestors, who arrived in shiploads on these shores from Africa, vulnerable and naked, and had to learn to make clothes. From picking cotton all day in the heat to sewing, cutting, and dyeing, they were making clothes for themselves to maintain their dignity. Some became artisans behind closed doors, never earning the credit for creating such couture fashions for their owner, owner’s wife, or employer.

That sewing machine I discovered was a direct connection to this legacy. To be able to use the same skills that my ancestors perfected to survive in order to tell the stories that give names to the nameless, elevate us, and allow us to understand ourselves better, has given me more understanding of a purpose I achieve every day.

To be recognized for designing costumes for Black characters living in all their glory without knowing colonization is a full-circle moment for me as an artist. I cherish knowing that my ancestors led me here. Seeing Ryan Coogler’s vision through and adding my own signature to designing Afrofuturistic looks where people can find their own beauty represented is the greatest gift of my art. Giving new generations the confidence these characters carry by seeing a part of themselves on-screen. With that power, I hope they have the ability to live their purpose and manifest their own freedom in the vision of their futures.

Other standout essays include a stunning metaphorical analysis of vibranium from writer Tre Johnson and a deep-dive into the film’s soundtrack from journalist Hannah Giorgis. Don’t miss your chance to read these thoughtful analyses and more when Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Dreams of Wakanda comes to bookstores on September 6, 2022.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. She’s the author of Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan and a co-author on the upcoming book Star Wars Everyday. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post Read an Exclusive Excerpt from BLACK PANTHER: DREAMS OF WAKANDA appeared first on Nerdist.

Your adventuring party has faced dungeons, dragons, and maybe even this gross-looking dude named Vecna. What’s left for your Dungeons & Dragons group to conquer? Space! Wizards of the Coast releases Spelljammer: Adventures in Space on August 16. The book promises to take D&D players where no adventuring party has gone before. Well, unless, you played the original AD&D Spelljammer in the late ’80s. Whether you’ve ventured into Wildspace years ago, or this is your first time traversing the astral plane, Spelljammer: Adventures in Space will seamlessly integrate into any story for the campaign of a lifetime.

Unlike most D&D campaign books, this guide contains three different volumes. The Astral Adventurer’s Guide, the setting, is a separate book that players can safely flip through without spoiling a monster stat block or the next plot point in the included adventure. Monsters hide inside Boo’s Astral Menagerie, and an adventure for levels 5-8 awaits in Light of Xaryxis. The three books are packed along with a map and Dungeon Master’s Screen in one astronomically cool package.

Chris Perkins, Lead Designer for Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, revealed a few tantalizing details at a recent press preview. “The vast ocean that is Wildspace is an exciting place for adventure,” he said. “If nothing else, it’s a way to get from one world to another.” 

Players who make their way through Wildspace can travel between settings; for example, the party can leave the Forgotten Realms and arrive in Greyhawk. Spelljammer is all about the journey. Along the way the adventurers experience “fast and fluid” encounters with everything from space eels, to space whales, to space clowns.

Yeah. Space clowns.

Spelljammer embraces the core concepts of Dungeons & Dragons, Perkins said, which include fantasy, horror, and whimsy—emphasis on the whimsy. You might not expect a setting in space to mesh well with your established sword-wielding characters and fantasy setting, but making Spelljammer inclusive for any and all campaigns was a goal of the creative team. The Rock of Bral, for example, is a city on an asteroid that can serve as the backdrop of a fantasy, sci-fi, or any other kind of story.

Still thinking about those space clowns? So are we. They’re an homage to Killer Klowns from Outer Space. In fact, you’ll find homages to other classic sci-fi stories and franchises in this setting. There are also new playable races, spells and items, monsters, and so much more waiting to be discovered.

If you’re ready to jump into Wildspace, you and your party can get ready for your journey to the Astral Sea right now! Take a look at Spelljammer Academy now on D&D Beyond for four free adventures; Roll20 has some of the nitty-gritty details for Dungeon Masters preparing for space combat.

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space will be available digitally and at your favorite local game store on August 16, 2022 (and September 13, 2022 in Europe).

Featured Image: Shawn Wood/Wizards of the Coast

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. She’s the author of Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan and a co-author on the upcoming book Star Wars Everyday. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post Sail the Astral Sea in D&D’s New Setting SPELLJAMMER: ADVENTURES IN SPACE appeared first on Nerdist.

Do you remember the first time you set foot in the world of Krynn? Maybe you binge-read the classic Dragonlance novels when you were a kid. Or maybe you explored the harrowing modules in your D&D game during the ’80s. Basically, if you’re a Dungeons & Dragons fan, chances are good that you’re also a Dragonlance fan. Authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman began the story in 1984 with Dragons of Autumn Twilight. And, almost 40 years later, they have returned to those beloved characters in Dragons of Deceit.

Weis and Hickman sat down with Nerdist to chat about the new Dragonlance trilogy, what their journey has been like, and navigating their own River of Time.

The Dawn of Time

Dragons of Deceit is the first book in some time to bring Weis and Hickman back to the world they created. (Over the years, 190 books have taken place in the world of Dragonlance, written by a variety of authors.) The new novel follows the adventures of Destina Rosethorn. She’s the daughter of a Knight of Solamnia and on an ill-advised quest to save her father from an untimely death during the War of the Lance. Along the way she crosses paths with wizards and gods, a dragon, and a certain irrepressible kender.

“This series that we’re doing is very much a love letter from us to our fans,” Tracy Hickman tells Nerdist. “When we first wrote Dragonlance, when we first wrote Dragons of Autumn Twilight, I don’t know, back in the dawn of time, we honestly had no idea that there would be anybody out there. The company didn’t have any expectations about a novel going out there.”

Hickman recalls the Gen Con of 1984 where they staged a dramatic reading to promote the very first Dragonlance novel. Weis sent her 8-year-old daughter around the convention floor with a sign to encourage curious attendees to make their way to that evening’s performance. “We didn’t know if anyone would come!” says Hickman. “Although we did have a huge crowd that showed up that night. It was a lot of fun.”

Welcome Back to Krynn

Dragonlance fans have followed the adventures of the Heroes of the Lance and the setting of Krynn ever since. It’s been years since Hickman and Weis revisited the world they created; however, they were determined to make the trip again for Dragons of Deceit. 

“A lot of the locations we visit in these [new] books are based on the modules,” says Weis, “so we went back to those to look at maps and diagrams, and Karen Wynn Fonstad’s Atlas of the Dragonlance World. We used that extensively.”

They also have a real-life Dragonlance wizard to call on. “It was a challenge [to write Dragons of Deceit] because it’s been a long time, and many worlds in between,” Weis says with a laugh. “We enlisted the help of Shivam Bhatt, who is a Dragonlance expert. Whenever we had questions about any of the background or any of the things we had written previously in the core books, we asked Shivam. He was a big help.”

“He’s helped add a unique voice to what we’ve written here, and I very much appreciate that,” agrees Hickman. Weis didn’t need help recalling one of her favorite characters to write, the delightful kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot, who returns in Dragons of Deceit. “I really, really have fun with Tasslehoff!” she says.

“People always asked me who I identified with as a character,” Hickman says, “and I would tell them that Sturm was very much who I wanted to be. And that Tanis is probably closer to who I actually am, but I come across as Fizban.”

Hello Destina Rosethorn, a Formidable New Heroine

The protagonist, Destina Rosethorn, is a new character. And she’s next in a long lineage of Dragonlance women who are more than capable of holding their own, Hickman says.

“We’ve always written strong women in our works,” Hickman affirms. “In Dragonlance, we have portrayed women in very positive and very proactive roles. That’s been a conscious decision on our part to do so. In some ways, I think Destina is a descendent of that ancestral line of strong and interesting women.”

“I think Destina is almost too strong for her own good,” adds Weis. “When we first meet her in the book, she’s a teenager. And like any teenager, she knows all the answers, she’s much smarter than her parents, if they’d just listen to her! Then, as life carries her along, she finds out she doesn’t have all the answers, that she has a lot of life lessons to learn along the way. That to me is what makes her very interesting. And a lot of fun.”

A Tremendous Life

Destina sets off to find the magical Device of Time Journeying to change her father’s fate. In Dragonlance, humans traveling through the River of Time can only make small ripples in the past. If Weis had the chance to navigate through our world’s history, she says, she’d enjoy a nice cup of tea with Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. Hickman remembers being invited to visit the Johnson Space Center in Houston after a convention years ago. He toured the facility, and when he stepped into the Apollo Mission Control Center, it actually felt like traveling through time. He counts it as one of many opportunities he and Weis owe to their loyal readers.  

“One of the wonderful things about this tremendous life that our fans have granted us is that we’ve been able to go places, meet people, and see things that otherwise we may not have ever done,” Hickman says.

“We landed on an aircraft carrier!” adds Weis.

“We did,” Hickman replies with a grin. “There are many people and places in history I’d love to visit, and all kinds of places we could go, but we have done so many amazing things in this life that it’s hard to wish for something more.”

Dragons of Deceit hits bookstore shelves on August 2, 2022. And Wizards of the Coast is currently playtesting new Dragonlance-based character options if you’re ready to dive back into Krynn yourself!

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. She’s the author of Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan and a co-author on the upcoming book Star Wars Everyday. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post DRAGONLANCE Authors’ New Book DRAGONS OF DECEIT Is a Love Letter to Fans appeared first on Nerdist.

We’re getting closer to the premiere of Stranger Things season 4! We know that the new season, debuting May 27, brings a new Big Bad from the Upside Down to Hawkins. And, following the footsteps of the Demogorgon who stalked our young heroes in the first season, this creature shares a name with a classic villain from Dungeons & Dragons: Vecna.

The Whispered One. The Undying King. The Lord of the Rotted Tower. (That last one really brings to mind the Upside Down, doesn’t it?) Vecna goes by many names. The archmage turned lich turned lesser god is not someone you want to face, even with an adventuring party at your side. What’s the history of the Vecna, the lich lord in D&D, and what might it mean for the heroes of Stranger Things?

The History of Vecna in Dungeons & Dragons Lore

Vecna has been terrorizing D&D parties since the first edition of the game and has appeared in every edition since. Well, more accurately, his body parts have. The Eye of Vecna and the Hand of Vecna are the only artifacts—unique magic items—that have been in each edition’s Dungeon Master’s Guide. To wield these cursed but powerful objects, the character must sacrifice their own hand or eye and replace it with Vecna’s withered body part. Respect.

After his appearance in the early editions of Dungeons & Dragons, the lich lord went on to star in his very own AD&D modules in the 1990s in the Greyhawk campaign setting: Vecna Lives!, Vecna Reborn, and Die Vecna Die! (You can still buy, read, and play these second edition adventures thanks to the Dungeon Masters Guild.)

In the current fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the Hand and Eye of Vecna again appear in the Dungeon Masters’ Guide as wondrous items, along with a few details about their erstwhile owner:

Orcus, the demon prince of undeath, taught Vecna a ritual that would allow him to live on as a lich. Beyond death, he became the greatest of all liches. Even though his body gradually withered and decayed, Vecna continued to expand his evil dominion. So formidable and hideous was his temper that his subjects feared to speak his name…

Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount expands more on the lich lord’s dominion as a lesser god. He’s the god of necromancy and undeath in the official Critical Role adventure setting. At the end of Critical Role’s first campaign, the renowned Vox Machina defeated the Whispered One, although his hand and eye ere taken in a twist of betrayal.

The Vecna of Stranger Things 4

So, what could this all foreshadow for the creature named Vecna in Stranger Things? While Vecna of the Upside Down might not necessarily a god, he definitely has the air of undeath around him. Stranger Things’ Vecna, like the rest of the Upside Down, is shadowy and… gooey. Rather than a skeletal, ethereal lich like his namesake, this Vecna appears solid and subterranean, covered in soggy plant and organic matter. He’s also unquestionably human-shaped, unlike the monstrous creatures that have attacked the heroes of Hawkins thus far. (Vecna was almost completely created using practical effects rather than CGI.)

Vecna is related to the new Stranger Things 4 character played by Robert Englund, Victor Creel, although details are scarce. Creel’s story is “pivotal” to Hawkins and its inhabitants, co-creator Ross Duffer said in an Entertainment Weekly interview. And when Will and friends finally encounter this big bad, chances are it will be on his home turf. “[We] spend more time in the Upside Down than any other season. It’s not even close,” Duffer told IGN.

Additionally, IGN notes that Vecna is “a sentient villain that they [the Duffer Brothers] call their version of a Pennywise, Pinhead, or Freddy Krueger.” Of course, the aforementioned Victor Creel is played by Robert Englund who also played Freddy Krueger, making the comparison especially interesting.

Executive producer Shawn Levy also shares with the publication, “Season 4 required a villain unlike any before. And it needed to be more than a creature, more than an evil cloud of particulate. It needed to be a humanoid villain with more depth, more dimension, and far more evil. That’s what Vecna is.”

So, is the Stranger Things version of Vecna undead? Was he once human, like Vecna of D&D, until he was twisted into a monster? Stranger Things season 4 asks these questions and more and seems poised to deliver some big answers. Find out May 27 when the new season premieres on Netflix.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, says “hello there” in July 2022. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post Who Is Vecna, STRANGER THINGS 4’s Monstrous New DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS Villain? appeared first on Nerdist.

We’re already fans of upping your Dungeons & Dragons game with complementary candles. The next natural step is PC and console gaming! Wick & Skull is a candlemaker and official partner with Call of Duty, Dead By Daylight, and more. You’ll be in it to win it when the heady smell of smoke and leather fill the room from these conversation-slash-fire-starters. 

If you’ve ever wondered what survival horror smells like, Wick & Skull has got you covered. Darkness, despair, and horror is what the Dead By Daylight “Hex Totem” tin says; in reality it’s an aromatic mixture of smoke, leather, and amber. These are not candles that you have to put up to your nose and take deep breaths for a waft of scent. In fact, this one will stay in your nostrils (and brain) long after you light it.

Call of Duty: Warzone “Pacific” is more fruity and tropical. “Like a vacation with 150 friends,” describes the clever tin. This scent is both strong and surprisingly serene. The official candle inspired by Tiny Tina’s Wonderland is similarly sweet with notes of “dark plum, sugar crystals, [and] magical musk.”

And then there’s another Call of Duty: Warzone candle named “Gulag.” That doesn’t immediately sound like something you want your house to smell like. But the spicy fragrance of musk, amber, and coriander is an energizing scent that will kick you into another gear as you game.

Wick & Skull’s candles use a parasoy wax blend, cotton wicks, and essential oils for a burn time of about 35 hours. “We’re told the sense of smell is closely intertwined with memory,” says the company, “so together we can create even deeper gaming memories for all. We hope you’ll join us on our quest to enhance the gaming experience, and enjoy it as much as we do.”

Find these official gaming collaborations and more online now.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, says “hello there” in July 2022. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post These Candles Fill Your Home with That CALL OF DUTY Smell appeared first on Nerdist.

The scene opens on a quaint New England town. It’s home to the Murder Mavens Mystery Book Club, a group of elderly women who help out the local authorities with crime-solving and bake sales. You’re one of the mystery-solving Mavens. As the murders keep stacking up, you can’t help but notice their creepy connections to the supernatural…

Character creation is relatively simple. Choose your Maven’s name, fashion style, and cozy hobby. The game master, called a Keeper, works with you and the other players to finish making your Maven with stat and ability bonuses. The game is then played like an episode of your favorite television mystery series. Gameplay features vignettes of life in the sleepy town, backstory flashbacks, and scenes following the Mavens on their hunt for the culprit. Snooping, interviewing suspects, and outsmarting the murderer are all part of a regular day for the Murder Mavens.

Brindlewood Bay uses character attributes like vitality, composure, and reason. These are paired with rolls of two six-sided dice to execute successful actions. Gathering clues, confronting suspects, and the resolution of the mystery at hand—unknown even to the Keeper—are all determined by dice rolls.

Hyped up and ready to get cozy? We absolutely are! Put some cookies in the oven and sign up for a notification for when the Brindlewood Bay Kickstarter campaign goes live at the end of April.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, says “hello there” in July 2022. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post BRINDLEWOOD BAY Is a Mix of Monsters and Miss Marple in TTRPG Form appeared first on Nerdist.

Resurrect the dodo, Carolina parakeet, Yangtze river dolphin, and more—no diamonds needed. (Yes, that’s a very nerdy spell component joke. No regrets.) The Book of Extinction, an unofficial fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons supplement from Mage Hand Press, will hold more than 70 creatures inspired by extinct animals from our material plane within its pages. The book gives these fascinating creatures comprehensive game statistics and lore for use in your D&D game. Real-world facts and history about the animals that inspired the creatures accompany the gameplay information.

The first three creatures are available in a pay-what-you-want preview now. (The rest will follow after a crowdfunding campaign later this year.) The preview includes:

The thylacine, Tasmania’s marsupial wolf, becomes an incorporeal ghost tiger. The great auk, a giant penguin from the most inaccessible reaches of Iceland, becomes a magic-casting celestial beast. And the passenger pigeon, once North America’s most numerous bird, becomes a gargantuan swarm reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

All proceeds go toward conservation organizations working to preserve endangered species. Mage Hand Press is also producing a companion podcast called Making a Monster: Extinction to expand on the  animals’ real-world stories.

The creatures in The Book of Extinction are inspired by animals that went extinct specifically by human interaction. But why use Dungeons & Dragons to bring awareness? “Natural history is already present in heroic fantasy games like D&D,” says Mage Hand Press, “from the histories and myths that inspired famous monsters to illustrated field guides from John James Audubon that inspired the game’s Monster Manual.”

Follow Mage Hand Press on social media for more information about The Book of Extinction Kickstarter campaign for a full compendium of creatures.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, says “hello there” in July 2022. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

The post Extinct Animals Come Back to Life in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS appeared first on Nerdist.

Ah, the heady days of the 1980s before there was on-demand and DVR, when you recorded (and re-recorded) your favorite TV shows as they aired. Flash back to those days with every roll of the dice with 1985 Games’ gorgeous new sets inspired by classic VHS cassette tapes! The crowdfunding campaign is now underway and you don’t want to miss your chance to add these throwback beauties to your dice collection.

Not an ’80s kid, you say? That’s okay. These dice sets are simply just gorgeous. The nostalgia is a bonus for us old people.

The sharp-edged resin dice feature color schemes inspired by VHS cassette tape packaging. Choose from five dice sets with seven polyhedral dice each, available in a rainbow of hues. 1985 Games hand-pours, polishes, and paints each die, they write in the campaign description.

What do VHS cassettes and Dungeons & Dragons have to do with each other, you might ask? It could be that wobbly episodes of the D&D cartoon are often saved with handwritten labels slapped on dusty tapes. 1985 Games reveals the real reason why these glittery sets are 1980s-themed: “It’s just the box they come in.”

We’re cool with that, too. You’ll be the envy of the adventuring party when you slap this box down on the gaming table.

The Sharp Edge VHS Dice can be yours with a minimum pledge of $70 plus shipping. 1985 Games have already reached their initial fundraising goal in the campaign, these sparkly dice will be ready to roll in the near future. Take a look through the campaign to choose the set that catches you right in the nostalgia. (And definitely check out the ’80s-tastic, synthwave-fueled campaign video.)

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, is out this summer from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post Toss Nostalgia Around with Rad ‘80s-Inspired Dice Sets appeared first on Nerdist.

The next big anime movie is here! If you’ve been paying any attention to anime over the past couple of years, you’ve heard of Jujutsu Kaisen. The horror-action-comedy series took hold of anime fans in 2020 and shows no signs of letting go. Its first theatrical release, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, hits movie theaters in the United States and Canada on March 18. Whether you’ve never heard of the series before, or you’ve been practicing cursed techniques in the mirror for months, you’ll be drawn into Jujutsu Kaisen 0. A compelling introduction to the sorcerers’ world and stunning action sequences round out this must-see movie for anime fans. Here’s our review of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

Jujutsu Kaisen, literally “sorcery fight,” is based on a Japanese manga series by Gege Akutami. After a highly successful first season as an anime series, the prequel manga Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was adapted for film and released in Japan at the end of 2021. Unlike almost all other movies spun off from anime series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a vital part of the overall story.

In the prequel film, set the year before the main series’ protagonist arrives on the scene, the audience meets young Yuta Okkotsu. Yuta is haunted by a childhood friend who was transformed into a monstrous cursed spirit upon her tragic death. Yuta meets Satoru Gojo, an unconventional teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High School, who introduces the troubled teenager to the hidden world of curses and curse users. Exposition is expertly woven into the story as new fans learn alongside Yuta.

While the world is explained well, the quickly shifting moods of Jujutsu Kaisen can be jarring for new viewers. Like the series, horror and gore are often juxtaposed against cute facial expressions and over-the-top jokes. The changing tone instantly makes an impression that’s both endearing and stomach-turning at the same time, which is no easy feat for any media.

The biggest delights of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 are for the series’ longtime fans. Yuta’s name is uttered more than once in the TV series; he even makes a blink-and-miss-it appearance in the opening sequence in later episodes. So if you feel like you’ve been waiting forever to meet him, your patience absolutely pays off with this film. Even manga readers who think they know exactly what to expect should be pleasantly surprised at least once or twice. And there’s more Panda. (We all need more Panda.)

As you might imagine, punching pandas and curse techniques can result in some explosive action and gorgeously choreographed fight scenes. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 has an abundance of both. The other jujutsu students, including series regulars Maki Zenin and Inumaki Toge, each get their own time to shine as they face off against an unpredictable enemy. The visuals are simply dazzling without being flashy or overblown.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 holds the second-highest opening for a film in Japan’s box office history. Its release is highly anticipated in the United States as well. Both English dub and subtitled versions arrive in more than 1500 theaters later this month. To summarize this review, if you’re already a fan of the show, go see Jujutsu Kaisen 0 ASAP. And don’t be shocked if you come home and immediately start a rewatch of the series! In fact, I recommend it. Now that you’re acquainted with him, you’ll notice how often Yuta is present in the anime without being there at all.

5 out of 5

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, is out this summer from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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513 carats of fine white diamonds, South Sea pearls, and sapphires. 18-carat solid white gold. We’re not talking about a glittering crown belonging to fictional royalty, or the contents of a ridiculously secure bank safe in a heist movie. These riches are part of a very real, playable chess set crafted by a world-class artist. With a value of $4 million, this is the world most expensive chess set. And we can’t stop staring at it.

Australian artist Colin Burn created the Pearl Royale Chess Set. Only three of this unbelievable set will ever see production. We could try to describe how much each piece, from the king and queen to the lowly pawns, glitter like stars in the night sky, but it’s hard to do the set justice with mere words. Luckily, we can show you the entire chessboard in motion, thanks to this quick video from the artist himself.

Stop by Burn’s website for a breakdown of the specifications for the chess pieces, including the dimensions and number of gemstones on each. The pieces rest on a crystal glass board also embellished with white gold and opulent gemstones.

Burn took inspiration from the classic 1849 Staunton chess set, which is the design most often used in competition. “I wanted to create the most beautiful chess set within this royal standard,” he says on his website, “and it had to be dressed in all its regalia with the world’s most beautiful diamonds and rich blue sapphires fit for a king and queen. My dream was to create the world’s finest chess set for the world’s greatest players to do battle.”

It’s only fitting that the Pearl Royale makes its debut on the biggest stage of them all, the 2021 FIDE World Chess Championship in Dubai. Visit Chess.com on December 3, 2021, to see the world’s #2 top player and commentator Fabiano Caruna with this, the most expensive, and impressive, chess set.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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Who doesn’t love a good mystery? From the childhood days of admiring Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew to the current true crime craze, mysteries can scratch our itch for adventure. If the wannabe detective on your holiday list loves reading, solving, or even creating their own mysteries, they’ll love these hot whodunits.

Shopping for a different kind of nerd? Try our other gift guides.

Hunt A Killer

Hunt A Killer: The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge

Hunt A Killer has firmly established themselves as the makers of incredibly immersive murder-in-a-box experiences. So what happens when they team up with Agatha Christie? Magic, mystery, and of course, murder. This collaboration is packed with high-quality clues and components that make each character feel like a real person. Treat a friend and invite yourself along for the journey.

Berkley

Arsenic and Adobo

If your favorite mystery fan loves a dash of cozy in their mystery—and maybe a generous helping of spice—the first book in this new series could be the perfect present. Arsenic and Adobo is a whodunit for anyone looking for a delicious escape into a new mystery.

HMH Books

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021

Twenty stories. Over 300 pages. This curated collection of the year’s best mystery and suspense short stories gives the gift of new authors to discover.

Berkley

Dial A for Aunties

One part mystery, one part romantic comedy, and all parts fun, Dial A for Aunties is a high-energy mystery. The mystery reader in your life will immediately fall in love with Meddy Chan and her four well-meaning aunties in this hilarious adventure.

The Deadbolt Mystery Society

The Deadbolt Mystery Society

Each murder-in-a-box is a standalone story that you can gift once or year-round. Unlike most mystery boxes, the Deadbolt Mystery Society’s clues are solved in order, making a more linear experience for true crime buffs who might want a little more guidance in their mystery solving.

Ravensburger

echoes

Is your gift recipient a seasoned pro at solving a murder-in-a-box? They’ll appreciate the entirely new experience of echoes. The auditory adventure uses an app to play the sounds of a mystery unfolding. Piece together the clues in the right order and the truth is revealed. echoes is a cost-effective choice if you’re looking for a small gift or stocking stuffer this year.

HarperCollins

Eight Perfect Murders

A bookstore, an amateur sleuth, and murder—it might sound like a cozy mystery, but this suspenseful story is anything but. Eight Perfect Murders pays homage to the mystery writers that came before. For a darker, more thrilling read, you can’t go wrong with this celebration of the genre.

Chronicle Books

Murder Most Puzzling

This gift takes “putting the pieces together” to a whole new level. The clues to solving these murders are hidden in the puzzle pieces! There’s no better way to escape to a cozy corner and while away the hours than building this mystery.

My Favorite Murder

My Favorite Murder Map Jigsaw Puzzle

Is there a Murderino on your gift list? Pick up this puzzle for the perfect pastime while a podcast plays. My Favorite Murder, to be exact. This gorgeous map details notable crimes in areas across the country that you might have heard about on the popular true crime podcast.

Uncommon Goods

Secret Decoder Ring

Forget just mystery fans—almost anyone would want their very own secret decoder ring. Stuff this in a mystery fan’s stocking to help them crack a case, or so they can create their own secret messages just for you! Just remember to get a ring for yourself first.

History Channel

Unexplained Mysteries Calendar

Every day could use a little mystery, don’t you think? The History Channel has your gift-giving covered with a daily Unexplained Mysteries calendar. From crimes to things no one can explain, your gift recipient will find out something incredible every single day. Just be prepared to hear about it later.

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While tabletop games are obviously enjoyed year-round, there’s no better time to treat yourself or the lucky Game Master in your life than the holidays! We’re living in a heyday for tabletop gamers. From award-winning indie TTRPGs to the latest and gorgeous dice and accessories for their Dungeons & Dragons campaign, there’s a multitude of great gifts out there for RPG and board gaming enthusiasts. We had a tough time narrowing down our tabletop gaming gift guide to just 10 items. Take a look at these picks–and make a roll to resist buying a second one for yourself.

Shopping for a different kind of nerd? Try our other gift guides.

Wizards of the Coast

Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons

If you know a Dungeon Master or player who considers dragons the best part of Dungeons & Dragons, this is 100% the book for them. Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons—the title of which is a shoutout to the beloved Dragonlance character—introduces intriguing new character options, adds stunning gem dragons to Fifth Edition, and provides an all-around comprehensive guide to dragons.

Insight Editions

Dungeons & Dragons 100 Postcards: Archival Art from Every Edition

Gifting a mini art gallery or setting up a future pen pal? The choice is yours with this glorious postcard set from Wizards of the Coast and Insight Editions. With 100 postcards featuring art from every edition of D&D, this set is actually a gift that keeps giving.

Beadle & Grimm’s

Barovian Coins from Curse of Strahd

There are stocking stuffers, and then there are actual coins from a Domain of Dread. We know which one sounds cooler. Toss these coins into the hands of someone who loves the classic D&D campaign Curse of Strahd.

Level Up Dice

Duel Case from Level Up Dice

Bored with the standard dice carrying case? Level Up Dice has just what you’re looking for! This redesigned dice “Duel Case” was designed with convenience in mind—as in, no flying dice when you pry open a magnetized case.

Simon & Schuster

The Ultimate RPG Quest Keeper

Every table has one: the detail-oriented notetaker. An invaluable member of the party and the one you turn to when you’re trying to remember who you talked to that one time. This campaign journal keeps all that information in one place, while also offering prompts to explore (and remember) your characters’ backstories.

Renegade Game Studios

Alice Is Missing

A single-session game played entirely through text, Alice Is Missing is a role-playing experience unlike any other. It’s also the 2021 ENnie Awards winner for Best Game. If your game group plays remotely, this is a must for your next game night together. (Last minute shopping? Send it digitally thanks to Roll20.)

Funko Games

The Rocketeer: Fate of the Future

Whether the recipient is a board game fan or an enthusiast of great 1990s films—or both!—pick up The Rocketeer: Fate of the Future for the perfect gift. This two-player, action-strategy game is an art deco delight that lets you play as the heroes or the villains.

Funko Games

The Goonies Never Say Die

What’s that? You want more nostalgia? It doesn’t get more “80s adventure” than The Goonies. A strategy game for two to five players, The Goonies Never Say Die puts one person into the role of Goondocks Master. They take the other players on an exciting adventure through locations familiar to fans of the cult classic.

Ravensburger

Alien: Fate of the Nostromo

Perhaps the board game enthusiast you’re shopping for is looking for something a little more spine-tingling. They’ll love Alien: Fate of the Nostromo. Players work together to survive and repair the ship while the Alien is on the hunt. Will anyone make it out alive?

Theory11

Box One

If the gamer on your shopping list prefers to have a game night for one, Box One promises to be a one-of-a-kind game experience. Neil Patrick Harris designed the puzzles, codes, and trivia inside to create a unique challenge for mystery and puzzle enthusiasts. How long will it take to crack the code?

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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No matter if 1988’s Akira was your first anime or sandwiched somewhere in the hundreds you’ve watched, the film probably has a place in your memory. And no scene feels more iconic in the post-apocalyptic cyberpunk drama than Kaneda’s motorcycle sideways slide. With tires smoking and Kaneda’s left leg stylishly dragging on the pavement, it’s one of the coolest moves ever animated.

Toho

In the 30 plus years since Akira‘s release, animation from around the world has paid homage to the now-classic motorcycle skid. You’ve probably caught several ten second clip compilations on your daily scroll through social media in years past. But YouTuber Badspler just left all of those in the dust.

They gathered a full two minutes of Akira-inspired motorcycle slides into one jaw-dropping video. Let’s take a look. And then another and another. Watch Badspler’s compilation over and over again and catch a new detail every time.

Badspler chose professional animation studios to compile this homage. You’ll immediately recognize Batman: The Animated Series, often credited as the first to include the iconic move. In the video description you can find timestamps of every series, including lesser-known anime like Lupin III vs. Detective Conan to mainstream American animation like Adventure Time and Paw Patrol: The Movie.

Over the years, more than motorcycles went all in on the Akira slide action. Bicycles, people, cars, and more have kicked up dust across the screen. Did you ever think you’d see a horse do it? (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated that one.)

Could the next homage to the motorcycle slide we see be in a live-action adaptation of Akira? Only time will tell.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post Watch Two Full Minutes of the AKIRA Motorcycle Slide Across the Years appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s almost spooky season—unless you’re you’re like us, then it’s always spooky season—and you’re probably on the hunt for a good way to scare yourself. The master of thrills and chills himself, Stephen King, has a brand-new tale of terror out today in collaboration with Humble Bundle. And you can get it for just $5. Best of all, all proceeds go to supporting the ACLU. Now that’s a scary good deal.

Humble Bundle

“Red Screen” by Stephen King is a never-before-published crime fiction short story that you can find right now on Humble Bundle. Humble Bundle’s very first collaboration. So it’s quite a feat they’re launching with the horror master himself. The brief description for the short story reads:

In this unsettling short story, a cop interrogates a deranged plumber who just murdered his wife, only to discover something far more insidious.

If you know Stephen King at all, you know there’s far more to the story beneath the surface. We can’t wait to find out what true horrors are lurking beyond the short summary.

Humble Bundle

Humble Bundle offers pay-what-you-want prices for their offerings, and this short story is no exception. It can be yours for a donation starting at just $5. 100% of all proceeds benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU fights to protect Constitutional freedoms in courts and communities.

At a moment when civil rights and liberties are facing threats across the country, we are heartened that Stephen King and Humble Bundle are joining together to support the ACLU to champion liberty, justice, and democracy,” stated Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU, in a press release.

The short story is DRM free and can be used on any device. “Red Screen” will only be available until September 16, 2021, so don’t miss your chance to add it to your Stephen King collection.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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If you’ve ever wanted to rain a hail of bullets on a dragon–and who hasn’t–there’s about to be a video game just for you. The high-octane Borderlands franchise meets high fantasy in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, announced today at the Summer Game Fest! The unpredictable and bombastic Tiny Tina stars in her own genre-bending adventure coming from 2K and Gearbox Entertainment in 2022.

Get your first look at the trailer below.

If your favorite kind of loot is found in a dungeon, you’re going to love this twist on the looter shooter. The upcoming game sounds like a mayhem-filled mashup of fantasy and action. And it boasts an incredible cast. Andy Samberg, Wanda Sykes, and more lend their voices to a world where bullets and broadswords collide.

“Joining players for the experience are headstrong captain Valentine (Andy Samberg), rule-obsessed
robot Frette (Wanda Sykes), and the beloved, bomb-chucking Tiny Tina (Ashly Burch), who serves as
players’ guide through this extraordinary tabletop realm where rules rarely apply,” says the game announcement.  “During their quest to defeat the Dragon Lord (Will Arnett), players will meet a cast of lovable misfits like a lute-wielding Bardbarian and their very own Fairy Punchfather.”

They had us at Bardbarian.

2K and Gearbox Entertainment

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a standalone, story-driven game with a co-op campaign for up to four players. Players can create and customize multiclass characters to unleash on monsters lurking inside treasure-filled dungeons. The game also promises repeatable end-game content so that the action never stops.

As part of PlayStation Showcase 2021, the studio revealed a brand new gameplay trailer for the game and it looks so awesome. Plus it uses the song “Gimme Chocolate!!” from the Japanese bubblegum pop/death metal band BABYMETAL. It’s pretty great.

The chaos begins March 25, 2022. You’ll find it on the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

Originally published June 10, 2021. Updated September 9, 2021.

The post TINY TINA’S WONDERLANDS Gameplay Trailer Is Delightfully Wacky appeared first on Nerdist.

You might remember the sci-fi cat game Stray from its announcement last year as a next-generation title. Game publisher Annapurna Interactive recently featured the third-person adventure game to release a narrated look at the title character and the compelling world around it. Stray sets up purr-fect world-building in its first gameplay trailer, and we can’t wait to get our paws on it.

Annapurna Interactive

In Stray, you play as an injured cat who has been separated from his family. He’s searching for a way back to them through the winding alleys of a decaying “cybercity.” Humanoid robots that lend an air of melancholy to the neon-lit streets are the only residents of this strange city. On his journey, the cat will find and befriend a small drone named B-12. They’ll work together to survive and get back home.

The puzzle and platforming elements of gameplay look like fun, but it’s the world-building and environment that are the most intriguing. Buildings with dirty, graffiti-filled walls line the forgotten city’s streets. The pleasant din of voices and laughter is conspicuously absent. Instead, the only sounds of the city are the gentle buzz of electricity and the drips of leaking pipes. (And a little meow or two from our furry friend.)

But inside those buildings, the warmly lit rooms hold well-used furniture and knickknacks. The personality-packed inhabitants are mechanical, but they’re also playful and charming. Who created them? Why are they here?

Annapurna Interactive

We can’t wait to find out the answers to those questions and more. But we’re going to have to wait a little longer to start the adventure. Stray, developed by BlueTwelve Studio, is currently scheduled for an early 2022 release on PlayStation 4/5 and PC.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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Now that D&D Live on G4 has wrapped up, we have the Dungeons & Dragons news you might have missed in all the excitement! The rest of 2021 will see three new books from Wizards of the Coast set in worlds that might sound familiar to TTRPG veterans. Whether you want to head to the Feywild, get a taste of Dragonlance, or enter the world of Magic: The Gathering—or all three!—you’ll find a book you’ll want to explore in your next D&D campaign. Let’s roll.

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight (September 2021)

Wizards of the Coast/Katerina Ladon

A trip to the Feywild! What could possibly go wrong? Rife with Something Wicked This Way Comes vibes, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight takes adventurers to a colorful carnival unlike any other:

Once every eight years, the fantastic Witchlight Carnival touches down on your world, bringing joy to one settlement after the next. Its owners, Mister Witch and Mister Light, know how to put on a good show. But there’s more to this magical extravaganza than meets the eye!

Renowned Wizard of the Coast Chris Perkins took the lead on the first official adventure set primarily in the Feywild. Two new player races, faeries and rabbit folk, and new character backgrounds just might entice you to enter the carnival. Longtime fans of D&D will also be delighted by the return of Warduke, Strongheart, Kelek, and other classic D&D characters from the 1980s. Look for the Witchlight Carnival to magically appear on September 21, 2021.

Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (October 2021)

Wizards of the Coast/David Auden Nash

Yes, that Fizban! While Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons isn’t a Dragonlance setting or campaign book, there are some hints of Krynn to be found in this monster manual:

What is the difference between a red dragon and a gold dragon? What is dragonsight? How does the magic that suffuses dragons impact the world around them? Here is your comprehensive guide to dragons, filled with the tips and tools Dungeon Masters and players need for their encounters with these dangerous magical creatures.

New dragons. Dragon character options. Dragon lairs. Dragon bestiary. If it’s got dragons, it’s in this book. This dragon hoard can be opened at your friendly local game store on October 19, 2021.

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos (November 2021)

Wizards of the Coast/Zoltan Boros

Enroll now in the Strixhaven school of magic! Described as “YA meets D&D” and drawn from the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, adventurers are all chosen ones in this adventure book:

The greatest minds in the multiverse meet at Strixhaven University. Professors convey fantastic secrets to eager students, and life on campus is frenetic. But danger lurks even here. Campus hijinks mix with mishaps and sinister plots, and it’s up to you to save the day.

Four adventures, even more player options including a new race of owlfolk, and so much more are waiting for new students to discover. Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos begins the school year on November 16, 2021.

For these exciting announcements and so much more, re-visit D&D Live now on the G4 YouTube channel for deep dives, actual plays, and much more.

Wizards of the Coast/Crystal Sully

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 2021 Book Releases Bring MAGIC and More Dragons appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s such a natural collaboration, you almost have to wonder why it hasn’t happened until now! Dungeons & Dragons and Nerds candy have formed an adventuring party that we can’t wait to join.

Coming in September, you’ll be able to find the D&D-themed candy in a grocery store near you. And, there’s more to discover when you collect and download special Nerds adventures and character sheets—for free. Sweet!

Wizards of the Coast

Revealed today at D&D Live, the official partnership between Nerds and Wizards of the Coast isn’t noteworthy just because the two make a perfect pair. Your purchase will unlock special adventures made for one player and one Dungeon Master that you can download from the D&D website.

Each adventure comes with a pre-generated character sheet. Every Nerd starts at their own level 1 character and class, for a total of six whimsical characters and six family-friendly adventures. If you collect all six, you’ll unlock the seventh adventure for a full party of level 3 characters!

The seven adventures are written by game designer Kat Kruger. The story begins in the city of Harmony, which has been experiencing a strange case of “color outages.” What could be causing this strange phenomenon? And will the party be able to solve the mystery in time? These one-on-one adventures are ideal for a grown-up and child to play through their first D&D story together. All puns aside, it really is a sweet idea that we can’t wait to check out ourselves.

Nerds x Dungeons & Dragons candy will be available this fall wherever Nerds are sold.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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We all have moments when we’ve simply had enough of people. Maybe you had a long day at work or just got back from a particularly loud outing with the family. No matter the reason, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little time to yourself. But five minutes into your quiet retreat, you’ll probably find yourself wondering, “Now what?” That’s the best time to break out a solo tabletop game that you can escape into—alone.

Forget Solitaire. We’re talking mystery, murder, monsters, and minotaurs to take on all by yourself. We have five picks to get you started on your adventures while you recharge during “me” time.

Field Guide to Memory

Jeeyon Shim and Shing Yin Khor

Many solo tabletop games employ quiet journaling and creative bouts of imagination as gameplay mechanics. Field Guide to Memory easily stands out as one of the best in this category as a keepsake game. The brilliant connected path game from Jeeyon Shim and Shing Yin Khor explores the life of the fictional Dr. Elizabeth Lee. You’ll stretch your imagination to create dreams, draw cryptids, collect real artifacts, and more. When you’re done, you’ll have a unique book chronicling your journey through the story.

Field Guide to Memory comes with writing prompts and accompanying short fiction in one digital download.

Hunt a Killer: Murder at the Motel

Kelly Knox

You probably already know all about Hunt A Killer and their incredibly immersive mystery subscription boxes. But did you know they also offer detective experiences packed into a single box? Murder At The Motel is their most recent murder-in-a-box that you’ll find only at Target and Target.com.

The non-linear experience begins however you want it to. Simply open the box and dive into letters, evidence, and a tantalizing locked box to start unraveling the mystery. Murder At The Motel is the story of the fictional Sunset Motel and the grisly fate of its handyman. As you go deeper, the details begin to form the big picture, and you’ll find yourself completely engrossed in an investigation that feels very real. If you’ve never tried to solve a mystery on your own before, Murder At The Motel is a fantastic way to start your detective career. (Sorry, Mr. Handyman.)

Into the Dungeon

Simon and Schuster

Remember Choose Your Own Adventure? Into the Dungeon blends the branching path concept beautifully with a good ol’ fashioned dungeon crawl. All you need is a pencil to begin your adventure.

Creator Hari Conner crafted a story in the crumbling ruins of a gorgeously illustrated castle that feels like all of your favorite sessions of D&D. Choose your character or roll your own. Then embark on your fraught-filled journey into the dungeon where you’ll find treasure—or your doom!

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

Space Cowboys

Ready to take your detective career to the next level? Step into the world of Sherlock Holmes! Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a classic tabletop game that will put your deduction skills to the test. There are several installments in the iconic mystery series. Pore through notebooks and maps of the London streets to chase down leads and crack a case worthy of Holmes.

While designed to be cooperative for a team of detectives, a solo player will find a worthy challenge in every case. The most recent entry in the series, Irregulars of Baker Street, is a standalone game with a playable demo to test your sleuthing skills before you buy.

Solve Our Shirts

CU Adventures

This isn’t a t-shirt from an escape room; the t-shirt is an escape room! Read that sentence more than once? We don’t blame you. An entire escape room and puzzle experience on just a t-shirt sounds unbelievable, but CU Adventures has done it with Solve Our Shirts.

While this isn’t your typical tabletop game, we think you’ll love the experience just as much. Suss out the hidden clues in the details of the two-sided shirt as you escape from the minotaur’s maze. The deluxe edition comes with additional puzzles and clues to complete the experience.

Starting to feel lonely? Almost all of these solo tabletop games can also be played cooperatively for extra brainpower. No matter how you play, adventure is waiting for you!

Featured Photo: Kelly Knox

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters comes out in July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post Solo Tabletop Games to Play When You’re Tired of People appeared first on Nerdist.

Wizards of the Coast

Anyone who has read a Forgotten Realms book by R.A. Salvatore will feel right at home in Dark Alliance. You take on the role of ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, fighter Cattie-Brie, barbarian Wulfgar, or fighter Bruenor. Your goal? Save Icewind Dale before the Crystal Shard falls into the wrong hands.

Each character is a formidable fighter with their own set of skills. Cattie-Brie specializes in ranged attacks and support; Drizzt is stealthy and can call his companion Guenwyvar to his aid. Let Jemaine Clement tell you all about fighting your way through the hordes of monsters standing in your way!

Can he narrate every game play trailer from now on?

Each character collects loot as you progress through each act of Dark Alliance. Increase the rarity of loot by skipping short rests, but then you’ll lose a potential checkpoint at the camp. This choice adds a little bit of strategy and unpredictability to each level, even ones you’ve played through before. Equipment and weapons can be re-skinned to make your character just how you like them.

While every character is a strong fighter on their own, the game is certainly challenging–and frustrating–if you go through every act on your own. It’s joining up with friends where the game really gets fun. Hacking and slashing with party members at your side is exponentially more enjoyable.

Wizards of the Coast

Unfortunately, at the time of launch, those friends have to be online. Local co-op isn’t a game feature—yet. Developer Tuque Games may add it later, but for now, your party members will have to be long-distance and on your same type of console. But joining with others in Icewind Dale is a painless process. Invite friends or join a public game with strangers, and loot and gold is distributed automatically. After each dungeon crawl, check out your loot, equip your gear, manage your character sheet and abilities, and get ready to fight again.

Dark Alliance is the closest experience you can get to a tabletop session of Dungeon & Dragons as a video game. It’s replayable, customizable, and unmistakably D&D. Play it on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on June 22.

Featured Image: Wizards of the Coast

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post Teamwork Is Key in New D&D Video Game DARK ALLIANCE appeared first on Nerdist.

You know what to expect from E3 by now. Explosive new game trailers! Sneak peeks of upcoming games you want right now! Avatar news! Someone somewhere is very excited about that. With all the announcements and livestreams from gaming’s biggest developers and publishers, it’s easy for smaller titles to get lost in the crowd. That’s why we’re here with five picks for indie games that we want to make sure you add to your wishlist. (Seriously. It really helps these developers.)

Do you want even more indie game goodness? Be sure to check out the presentations from the 2021 Wholesome Direct and E3 Indie Showcase.

Bear and Breakfast

Armor Games Studios

Welcome to Pinefall Resort! We first heard about Bear & Breakfast last year, and this E3 brought us the first story trailer for this delightful management game. You’re a bear named Hank and you run a bed and breakfast. Do we really need to say much more?

The woodland resort management game looks to combine decorating and running the inn with adorable (if grumpy) critters. And there’s a slightly spooky story that will unfold? We’re ready to get lost in these woods.

Bear & Breakfast is coming to the Nintendo Switch and Steam in 2021.

Inscryption

Let’s go from slightly spooky to very scary with Inscryption from Devolver Digital.

Devolver Digital

Inscryption is a card game with escape room and psychological horror narrative elements added to the dark mix. Described as a “self-destructive love letter to video games,” this standout title includes deckbuilding and a disturbing story that hooks you from the get-to. Just watch the announcement trailer and try not to get goosebumps. We dare you.

Inscryption will be available on Steam in 2021.

Lake

Whitehorn Digital

If you’ve ever dreamed of running away to a quiet town, Lake is the game you’ve been waiting for. There are no monsters to fight or murder mysteries to solve in this small town–but there is a lot of mail to deliver. It’s 1986. A young woman is taking a break from her big city job by returning to her hometown for two weeks. She gets a temporary job as a mail carrier, and her path intersects with the residents of her childhood home.

A slice of life story with a branching narrative, this promises to be the kind of game you can escape to time and time again.

Lake comes to Xbox and Steam on September 1, 2021.

Replaced

Nestled in the middle of the Xbox presentation, Replaced took almost everyone by surprise. This pixelated dystopian action thriller immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. The game is a retro-futuristic treat for the eyes. The “2.5D” platformer puts you in control of R.E.A.C.H., an AI trapped in a human body, as it struggles to unravel the mysteries of Phoenix-City.

Replaced is planned for a 2021 release on Xbox, Steam, and the Epic Games store.

We Are OFK

Team OFK

We Are OFK might stretch the definition of a video game. This interactive series is a “making the band” style look at a group of friends who are trying to make it in the music business. With stunning character designs and an art style that practically glows, this interactive animated series is an entirely different kind of adventure. And what’s a band without music? You can listen to OFK’s first song, “Follow/Unfollow,” right now.

We Are OFK takes to the stage this year on Steam.

Featured Image: Team OFK

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns and pop culture coverage.

The post 5 Indie Games From E3 2021 That Knocked Us Out appeared first on Nerdist.

You might not think of horror when you think of Dungeons & Dragons, but Wizards of the Coast’s newest campaign integrates the two seamlessly. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft takes Dungeon Masters and their wary players back into Ravenloft to explore new Domains of Dread. Each has its own brand of horror waiting to be unleashed. All your favorite ways to be scared are in this book; it’s got body horror, cosmic horror, zombies, ghosts, and more. You name it, you can play it.

But what if horror isn’t your thing? Does that mean Ravenloft remains forever off-limits? Not at all! Thanks to Van Richten’s project lead and Senior Game Designer Wes Schneider, we’ve got a few tips for how to enter the Domains of Dread so that even the weenies in the adventuring party can have fun.

Wizards of the Coast

Help the DM Scare Your Character

You might think the answer is simple: If you’re scared, don’t play the campaign. But that’s not the case at all, says Wes. His team designed the horror campaign to give Dungeon Masters the freedom to explore scary stories that anyone can enjoy. “[The book] focuses on creating fright-filled adventures that work for your group,” he tells Nerdist. “No matter your group, play styles, or appetite for horror, Van Richten’s Guide sets you up to make D&D frightening however is fun for your group.”

For Dungeons & Dragons players who are, frankly, scared of being scared, Wes recommends working with the Dungeon Master to tell the story together. “Something I love doing in horror games is helping the DM terrify my own character,” he says. “DMs have a lot to keep track of, and so they might not remember that my character has a paralyzing fear of marmots. When the DM announces that the adventure’s mystery heads into menacing caves, I’m sure to ask, ‘Do the caves look marmot-infested?’ Then the DM can decide whether or not to play into my character’s fear. This also provides the DM with a suggestion. If they don’t take it, fine—maybe they’ve got other plans. If they do, though, that’s also fun, and I’ve added a little to the storytelling experience.”

Wizards of the Coast

Talk It Out

While characters should have their own specific fears, Van Richten’s Guide emphasizes that they don’t have match the player’s very real phobias. The book also recommends open communication so that all players feel comfortable at the table.

“A big part of why these discussions are included in the book [is] to support groups in thinking about and discussing what they do and don’t want to see in their adventures,” Wes says. “Nobody gets to tell any group member what they are or aren’t afraid of and what they do or don’t enjoy—not other players, not the DM, not a game designer, not anybody. It’s an entirely personal call and any answer is completely valid. Once all that’s on the table, then prospective players and DMs can decide how to progress.”

Wizards of the Coast

Start with Gothic Horror

Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft gives the Dungeon Master the setting and props for the horror story, but it’s up to them for how to tell it. Looking for a Domain of Dread that might be best suited for players not sure they want to be scared? This is a good opportunity to lean into gothic horror.

“If you’d like to get a little distance between your characters and their threats,” Wes suggests, “the book leans into Ravenloft’s gothic horror roots and takes a page from Bram Stoker’s notebook by encouraging groups to engage in correspondence—-maybe between one another or even with sinister forces.”

He adds, “The spiritualists known as the Keepers of the Feather facilitate inter-domain letter delivery, while Darklords like Ivan Dilisnya and Flimira Vhage encourage the creation of letters—potentially even as in-game handouts. I don’t know if that actually makes the experience more or less scary, though: having a Darklord menace characters from afar, or having their threats sitting at your game table. You’ll have to decide what your group enjoys the most!”

Pick Up Van Richten’s Guide Now

Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is packed with so many ideas for exploring the horrors of Ravenloft that it can easily inspire a campaign that lasts for years. Deep dives into new Domains of Dread, new character options including monstrous lineages, new subclasses, an adventure, and more make this book a must-buy for D&D players.

If you’re a weenie who isn’t sure horror is for you (like myself), but you can’t help being drawn to the Mists, this new campaign is the perfect opportunity to safely explore horror with your friends at your side. Find the book now at your favorite local game store.

Featured Image: Wizards of the Coast

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for really bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post How to Play D&D’s New Horror Campaign If You’re a Weenie appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s going to be a Dark Elf Summer! Wizards of the Coast has announced a summer-long celebration of all things Drizzt Do’Urden. He’s one of the most iconic Dungeons & Dragons characters to ever grace the pages of countless books and D&D campaigns. The dour drow made his first appearance in R.A. Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms novels and he’s been stealing the hearts of D&D fans ever since.

Wizards of the Coast

This summer’s Legend of Drizzt party begins with an incredible animated short that illustrates the story of Drizzt’s dark early days. You’re not hearing things. That is the mellifluous, unmistakable voice of Benedict Cumberbatch brilliantly telling the tale. Take a listen.

Salvatore himself penned “Sleep Sound.” We meet Drizzt Do’Urden when he is young, before he eventually escapes Lolth’s dreadful domain to find his fate on the surface world. There he meets Bruenor Battlehammer, Wulfgar, and the arrow-slinging Catti-brie. His life will never be the same again.

You’ll also find Drizzt and his companions on consoles and PC on June 22 in the sword-swinging action RPG Dark Alliance. Drizzt then takes center stage in a brand new R.A. Salvatore Legend of Drizzt novel, Starlight Enclave, this August. For news on these releases and so much more, watch All Things Drizzt hosted by friend of Nerdist B. Dave Walters.

Dungeons & Dragons is fresh off its biggest year ever. Over 50 million players have taken a seat at the table! With D&D Live planned for July in conjunction with G4, a television series, and a star-studded blockbuster movie in the works, there’s no better time to be a D&D fan.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for really bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post Benedict Cumberbatch Narrates a Creepy DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Short appeared first on Nerdist.

We don’t want to admit how many times we’ve watched this video. David the Arrow Bard has taken to TikTok to show us what beloved Dungeons & Dragons character classes would look like slinging arrows in real life. And wow, his video has us dying of laughter. Anyone who’s ever forgotten to cast Hunter’s Mark before shooting, this one’s for you.

Wizards of the Coast/David the Arrow Bard

David the Arrow Bard, who goes by blumineck on TikTok, put together a compilation of how D&D classes like the ranger, fighter, cleric, and more wield a bow. He absolutely nails it. Watch until the end for a spicy surprise!

Did you watch it a few times in a row? It’s okay. So did we. We can’t decide if our favorite part is the saucy bard or the barbarian simply chucking the arrows at the target.

David is obviously a veteran D&D player who knows the pain joy of rolling to attack with a bow. He’s also a skilled archer in real life and incredibly graceful on the pole. All together that makes him super entertaining to watch and an instant follow on TikTok.

You’ll find other nerdy-themed archery videos from David the Arrow Bard, like this ode to Hawkeye with a few subtle references to Matt Fraction and David Aja’s now classic run. If you know, you know.

Warning: The song is NSFW.

Additional Dungeons & Dragons, training montages, and so much more can be found on David the Arrow Bard’s phenomenal TikTok account. He always hits the mark. (We couldn’t resist.)

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for really bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

The post This Is How Different DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Classes Would Fire Arrows appeared first on Nerdist.

Step into the glittering city of Salvata in Sirens: Battle of the Bards, a 5e campaign and setting now on Kickstarter! The city is a diamond in the desert where bards inspire a revolution. It’s also home to unique adventures waiting for you and your Dungeons & Dragons group to discover them. This fundraising campaign smashed its initial goal in just 40 minutes. Don’t miss your chance to enter the unforgettable City of Bards.

Apotheosis Studios

Sirens: Battle of the Bards comes from Apotheosis Studios and friend of Nerdist Satine Phoenix. Characters from the live stream series Sirens also make appearances in this 300-page tome. With a name like Battle of the Bards, you know there’s going to be some bard-tastic content behind the colorful cover, and this supplement absolutely delivers.

Over 10 new bard subclasses, over 20 adventures, new magical items, and a huge city to explore? You’re going to need a Mage Hand to help you carry this massive book of adventure around. (Just a little bard joke for you.) There’s also a complete soundtrack from Jason Charles Miller (Starter Kit) and a Syrinscape soundset to fill out the setting.

Apotheosis Studios

The story comes from Satine Phoenix, Jamison Stone, Rick Heinz, and David Granjo. An impressive team of contributing writers round out the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting and adventures. You can get the digital PDF version for just $29. A gorgeous hardcover edition will be yours for $59, and the rewards continue to increase from there. There are also add-ons from tabletop company mainstays like Level Up Dice, Wyrmwood Gaming, Roll20, and Campaign Coins available.

Sirens: Battle of the Bards is a story of revolution, music, and adventure you won’t find anywhere else. Want to see the setting in action? Stay tuned to Satine’s Twitch channel for actual game play sessions with some familiar faces. And don’t forget to pledge your support before time runs out!

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad jokes, pop culture thoughts, and more.

The post SIRENS: BATTLE OF THE BARDS Is Bardcore Role-Playing appeared first on Nerdist.

Japanese baker WHIP SUGAR is baking cookies so detailed and three-dimensional that you might not even realize you’re looking at a sweet treat. Pokémon, Sanrio, and some of your favorite anime characters have all transformed into dazzling baked treats that are definitely too gorgeous to eat. Let’s take a close-up look at this evolution of sweet, geeky goodies. We apologize for any drooling you may experience as a result.

WHIP SUGAR

WHIP SUGAR specializes in vibrant 3-D iced sugar cookies and fluffy macarons that look like they might float away. They’re obviously a fan of the cute Pokémon like Eevee and their distinct, colorful evolutions. Under the baker’s steady hand these pocket monsters look like they’ve jumped off the screen and on to the table.

Lucky for us, not only does WHIP SUGAR show off gorgeous beauty shots of their baking and decorating on YouTube, the videos include relaxing music and delightful shots of each step of the process. Give them a watch, but we definitely warn you, you’ll be hungry.

And just… look at these Psyduck sweets. We’re too stunned to say anything else about these adorable creations.

If your tastes in anime and gaming lean away from cute and more into cool, WHIP SUGAR has just the treat for you, too. Your favorite Jujutsu Kaisen characters Sukuna and Gojo are also immortalized in confection perfection.

You’ll find WHIP SUGAR’s delightful photos and videos on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. We absolutely recommend following this creative channel to add some sweetness to your day.

Featured Image: WHIP SUGAR

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out this July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad jokes, pop culture thoughts, and more.

The post These Amazing Cookies Are the Next Evolution of Geeky Sweets appeared first on Nerdist.

Everyone needs a sword because we’re adults and we do what we want. You can’t have a sword without armor, however, and that’s where DraconicWares on Etsy comes in. Their lightweight “dragonscale” gauntlets are flexible, shiny, made to fit, and just plain cool. But you probably don’t want to actually throw any punches with them on—they’re made out of aluminum.

DraconicWares

We first heard about this amazing armor thanks to Technabob. The fiery red-scaled gauntlets are surprisingly thin. Each scale moves with ease, made from anodized aluminum and linked with chainmail mesh. DraconicWares designed the pieces to provide enough range of movement to  even get a “good grip for holding your goblet.” (Again, the store notes that the armor is not combat-ready, so do not duel your friends when the gauntlets come in the mail. We know you’ll want to.)

When you place your order, you’ll provide the clever crafters exact hand and wrist measurements to ensure the gloves fit like, well, gloves. DraconicWares strives to make each pair as form-fitting as possible. You can also select the color of scales to properly represent the last dragon you slew.

Because each pair of gauntlets are made to order, they are understandably pricey. One pair of red gauntlets will cost you $600; for more colors and customization, the price can go even higher. That attention to detail and craftsmanship makes it all worth it.

If your budget isn’t the size of a dragon’s treasure hoard, take a look at DraconicWares’ other items. You’ll find mail necklaces, keychains, bracelets, and… is that the Infinity Gauntlet?!

DraconicWares

Support a small business and arrive at your next Dungeons & Dragons game in style with any of their offerings. And please share photos of your party members’ jealous faces.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July from DK Books.

The post Get Your Hands On (and In) Dragonscale Gauntlets appeared first on Nerdist.

There’s a Dungeons & Dragons adventuring party… and then there’s a Dungeons & Dragons party. Pixels Dice are an incredibly innovative twist on dice that will literally bring new energy to your tabletop. The light-up flashing LED dice are programmable by an accompanying smartphone app and charge wirelessly.

Do we even need to keep telling you about these electronic dice before you bolt to back them? We will, but don’t take too long reading. Pixels Dice are only on Kickstarter for a limited time.

Systemic Games

Pixels Dice are the result of years of iteration. Developed by Systemic Games, a six-sided die developed in 2017 was just the first prototype. Since then, the team has refined and designed an entire seven dice set for tabletop role-playing games, including the d20.

Worried about balance? The team has paid attention to every detail to ensure a fair roll. Charging coils and LED lights are housed seamlessly inside each resin die. And even better, it all fits inside a standard size die. (However, the light-up dice are a little heavier than standard acrylic die.)

Take a look at the flashy dice in action.

Pixels developed an app to take the dice to the next level with programmable LEDs. Whether you want a flashy roll that’s bright enough to light up the entire table or a gentle glow that’s always on, the app connects to the dice through Bluetooth to make magic happen. This connectivity gives the app the option to communicate to other platforms, says Systemic Games, who is already in talks with D&D Beyond and Roll20 for additional integration.

Visit the Pixels Dice Kickstarter page now to find out more about the light-up dice development, balance, recharging, bonuses for backing, and so much more. We can’t wait to get our hands on these cutting-edge electronic dice.

Featured Image: Systemic Games

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA. She writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July from DK Books.

The post These Light-Up Dice Bring the Party to Your D&D Party appeared first on Nerdist.

That’s just the start of the story. Coyote & Crow has a lot more of interest to offer, unpacked below. If you enjoy TTRPGs, don’t miss your chance to enter this captivating new world.

Coyote & Crow

A team of Native American designers and artists developed the innovative role-playing game. “The game is created and led by a team of Native Americans representing more than a dozen tribes,” the campaign says. “This is a game that both Natives and non-Natives will thrill to explore and build upon. Besides an in-depth and fresh world that’s been created, Coyote & Crow also features a proprietary system built exclusively for this game.”

Twelve-sided dice and the game rulebook are all you need to get started. Players use dice pools of d12s and roll to determine success, failure, and degree of success. While combat is a feature, it’s not the focus. “The game encourages dialogue, building bridges, and finding unique solutions to problems that are not always clearly defined by good and evil,” the campaign states.

Take a look at the campaign description for details. Explore character creation and advancement, the background and history of this world, and much more.

Coyote & Crow

“For a long time I’ve wanted to create a game that speaks to my Native heritage in a way that’s hopeful and positive,” says creator Connor Alexander. The game promises to breathe new life into the TTRPG space. It won’t feature a dystopian setting or a realm of high fantasy; instead, we’ll find a strange yet familiar world just waiting for us to explore it. We can’t wait to hear the stories that will be told there.

Featured Image: Coyote & Crow

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA. She writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July from DK Books.

The post Past and Future Collide in COYOTE & CROW, a New TTRPG appeared first on Nerdist.

This is one of the best things on the internet. Radio Garden puts the radio stations from all over the world at your fingertips. Explore the area where you grew up and find your hometown station or click a single broadcast in the desert of Saudi Arabia, and your ears will be instantly transported there. Hear local music and news from a place that you never expected to tune into thanks to this brilliant website. Talk radio from Mongolia. Oldies from Japan. Pop music from Norway. What will you listen to today?

Radio Garden

Radio Garden is based in Amsterdam. The website started as a project for the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision developed by Studio Puckey & Moniker in 2016. Eventually, the project was expanded into a small company and even an app, and development and improvements continue to this day.

“By bringing distant voices close, radio connects people and places,” says the Radio Garden website. “From its very beginning, radio signals have crossed borders. Radio makers and listeners have imagined both connecting with distant cultures, as well as re-connecting with people from ‘home’ from thousands of miles away.”

Simply navigate the global map by clicking and dragging the mouse. Each green dot is a radio station currently broadcasting live. You might spend hours clicking every dot you find around the area you grew up or search in international areas for music and culture in places you’ve never visited.

Among the hundreds of stations, you can listen to music and chatting with broadcasts from:

• Khartoum, Sudan
• Ayabe, Japan
• Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Novy-Urengoy, Russia
• Darwin, Australia

After just a little bit of browsing, we’re delighted to find gems like Sleep Radio for insomniacs in New Zealand and a dance station in India. What will you find?

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July from DK Books.

The post Virtual Map Tunes You into Radio Stations All Over the World appeared first on Nerdist.

As social distancing continues to keep friends apart, your goal of finally learning to play Dungeons & Dragons might start to feel like it will never happen. Although the majority of TTRPG gaming has shifted online thanks to Discord and Zoom, the challenge of finding someone willing to show you the ropes, much less getting together an entire group, is enough to make anyone crumple up their character sheet. That’s where First Time at the Table comes in.

This newbie-friendly game, which we first learned about thanks to Boing Boing, puts you and your new (or old) friends in the patient hands of a Dungeon Master. First Time at the Table boasts no books, no gatekeeping, and no pressure. All you have to do is roll for initiative (and pay an affordable fee).

Bianca Bickford

First Time at the Table was founded by professional playwright Walt McGough. A longtime proponent of the creative benefits of Dungeons & Dragons and its effectiveness as a storytelling tool, McGough is also a firm believer that there’s no wrong way to play D&D. He offers a safe and inclusive atmosphere for learning the game, from helping you get ready to play over Zoom to running a stress-free adventure for four to eight players.

The professional Dungeon Master offers a way to get started before you invest in the Player’s Handbook or even dice. For an additional fee, McGough even sets up a character for members of the party. A spot at the virtual table costs $45 per player for a three-hour session.

First Time at the Table also splits profits with a selected charity. Have a good time for a good cause!

The company intends to soon branch out into workshops for new Dungeon Masters, games for corporate team-building, and more. Get in touch to sign up for an unforgettable adventure.

Featured Photo: Bianca Bickford

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July from DK Books.

The post Learn to Play DUNGEONS & DRAGON with FIRST TIME AT THE TABLE appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s time to play the music and light the lights! Disney recently announced that The Muppet Show is finally coming to Disney+ on February 19, 2021. The hilarious variety show originally aired from 1976 to 1981; a wide range of guest stars took a turn in the spotlight alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the gang, fearlessly jumping into comedy, song, and dance. We couldn’t be happier to see the return of this silly and weird wonder.

If you weren’t an ’80s kid, five seasons and over 100 episodes might sound daunting. (Not to mention a long list of unfamiliar guest stars!) We’re here for you. Here are 10 fantastic episodes of the show that you shouldn’t miss when you fire up Disney+ in February.

“Vincent Price” (Season one)

Disney

One of the earliest episodes of the series features Vincent Price, master of horror. As Price was famous for portraying vampires and other creatures of the night, The Muppet Show leans into the spookiness in these sketches. Uncle Deadly and Price make a perfect pair. You’ll also see a quick exchange between Kermit the Frog and Price that you might have seen floating around the internet during Halloween. Price even bursts into song himself at the end of the episode. If you love Muppets at their weirdest, this episode is a must-see.

“Julie Andrews” (Season two)

Disney

Is this episode only on this list because of the Muppet version of “The Lonely Goatherd”? …Maybe. (There’s also a live cow.)

Andrews joyfully belts out the Sound of Music classic along with another Broadway mainstay, “I Whistle a Happy Tune” from The King and I. You’ll also find the Swedish Chef, Beaker and Professor Honeydew, and a Muppet News Flash in this jam-packed episode. Granted, Gonzo plays the bagpipes while sitting on a flagpole. Sorry about that one.

“George Burns” (Season two)

Disney

The cigar-chomping comedian George Burns was a familiar face on televisions in the 1970s. In 1977, Burns appeared as a guest on The Muppet Show, singing and cracking jokes with his irresistible old-school charm. This episode is worth watching just to get to know the comedy legend as he and Rowlf join in a quick duet. You’ll also get a rare song and dance featuring just Kermit and Piggy; “I Won’t Dance” is a delight.

“Harry Belafonte” (Season three)

Disney

A strong argument could be made that this episode is the series’ single best. We’ve told you before about how much we love “Turn the World Around” from Harry Belafonte and the cast; but this season three episode also marks the very first time the classic “Day-O” was performed on television. We guarantee you will laugh during this rendition of the banana boat song. Belafonte’s voice is dazzling and Fozzie Bear is at his very funniest during the performance. (Not even Belafonte can resist a giggle.)

“John Denver” (Season four)

Disney

If John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together is in your holiday music rotation every year, just stop reading here and queue this one up. That same joyful energy can be found in this episode when John Denver stops by to sing about gardening and grandmas. Yes, it’s as pure as it sounds. There’s also a camping trip in the works; plus, the Swedish Chef, and a version of “The Happy Wanderer” that will make you cackle. This one is one of the best.

“Star Wars” (Season four)

Disney

You already know Jim Henson and Star Wars were well-acquainted. But did you know several of your favorite rebels stopped by The Muppet Show? This episode originally aired in January 1980. That’s right, before The Empire Strikes Back came out! Lucky viewers got a sneak peek of Luke Skywalker’s never-before-seen Bespin outfit. They also met his “cousin,” Mark Hamill. C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca come along for the fun (and dance!) on this odd comedy variety show planet they’ve landed on.

“Christopher Reeve” (Season four)

Disney

Talk about a super special guest star! Christopher Reeve, best known for playing Superman, stops by The Muppet Show in the fourth season. Quoting Shakespeare? Check. Singing? Check. Playing the piano? Check. Donning a certain blue and red suit? Well… “I didn’t bring it,” Reeve says with a smile when Miss Piggy looks in the closet. Reeve just about does it all in this endearing episode. Miss Piggy can’t help swooning over the super man. We can’t either.

“Lynda Carter” (Season four)

Disney

You might think The Muppet Show couldn’t get any more wonderful after having Christopher Reeve on, but the very next episode featured none other than Lynda Carter. Carter is best known for her turn as Wonder Woman on the popular television series. Like Reeve, she doesn’t put on her alter ego’s spangly suit, but Miss Piggy is more than happy to try it on. Carter also sweetly sings and dances her way through the upbeat episode.

“Diana Ross” (Season four)

Disney

When Diana Ross stops by The Muppet Show, you know the episode is going to be packed with terrific musical numbers. The performances are weird and wonderful as always, but Ross elevates them to pure magic. She joins some of the largest Muppets out there for “Love Hangover.” “Last Time I Saw Him” with Doctor Teeth and Electric Mayhem is a toe-tapping treat. Don’t miss this one.

“Linda Ronstadt” (Season five)

Disney

Speaking of magical musical guests, Linda Ronstadt is one of the most talented. Her version of “Blue Bayou,” complete with chirping frogs and The Electric Mayhem, sticks with you long after you hear it. The accomplished singer was known for not being tied down to any one genre. She demonstrates that versatility on the show. Kermit admires her, and the feeling is mutual, making this one of the sweetest episodes of The Muppet Show. (Which means Piggy is off-the-charts jealous.)

Those are just ten episodes to start with! Enjoy your journey through the zany world of The Muppets. We can’t wait to visit them time and time again now that they’re on Disney+.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July 2021 from DK Books.

The post 10 Must-See Episodes of THE MUPPET SHOW appeared first on Nerdist.

If you’re ready to take your next role-playing adventure on to a darker path, the recently announced Blackbirds is the dark fantasy you’ve been waiting for. This imaginative tabletop RPG, created by Ryan Verniere, promises a world of chaos, horrific creatures, death, and rebirth.

We have an exclusive preview of the tabletop game, which uses the Zweihänder role-playing game system. Read on to learn about its magic system and demons that characters will form dark pacts with. Will you change the world of Blackbirds, or will it change you?

Black Triangle (Dave Rapoza)

Blackbirds takes place in a fantasy world inspired by Europe during the Hundred Years’ War. When the corrupt rulers of the land tear apart reality with black magic, it’s up to brave heroes to stand up and resist. Take a step into the dark world of Blackbirds with us for  just a moment.

Twelve years of war has ravaged the kingdoms of Erebos, where the great battle that would decide the fate of all has been waged… and lost. Now, the lights of civilization are going out. Swells of refugees have taken to the roads, desperate to find homes far from all the suffering. New constellations twinkle in the vault of the night, only to disappear if scrutinized for too long. Creatures of long-forgotten folklore once again stalk the countryside. It is a time of ill omens and unlikely heroes.

Black Triangle (Francesca Baerald)

Dark magic. Twisted creatures as friends and foes. A brutal land created from the bones of a fallen empire. Blackbirds is metal. Are you a fan of dark fantasy worlds like the ones you find in Conan, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Witcher? This is the dark, bloody, and gritty fantasy world you’ve been looking for. It will add lurking horror to your tabletop gaming experience.

The Game System

The immersive role-playing game employs the “grim and perilous” Zweihänder system created by Daniel Fox. The roll of a percentile dice determines your character’s fate.

Combat has consequences in this game world. Characters can only take a few hits before their wounds become grievous. Healing isn’t easy. (“Naps don’t heal stab wounds,” Fox jokes.) Every choice matters in this game system, a perfect match for the turbulent world of Blackbirds.

Dark Magic

Players will use a unique magic system called “theurgy” to fight the twisted creatures that plague the lands. The system was designed by Joseph Limbaugh. Spells are called “vitiations” in the world of Blackbirds. The demons who offer them to practicing theurges are known as Outsiders.

“Theurges start the game with a relationship to an Imp, the lowest level of whatever otherworldly hierarchy these things have,” Limbaugh tells Nerdist. “The level of relationship is in the form of a structured contract which determines what they can ask for and what they will pay for it. It’s definitely an in-game goal for theurges to seek out and form contracts with other Outsiders that are higher in the hierarchy or have abilities they would like to gain access to.”

Get your first look at two Outsiders below.

Black Triangle (Hannah Hahn)

“The names of these other entities and how to summon them have been long lost since Outsiders were mostly sealed away from the world by an ancient restriction that has recently been lifted. So now everyone in the world who has the ability to interact with these things is desperately looking through old books of lore and hidden sources of knowledge to contact more Outsiders to access more power,” Limbaugh reveals.

The entities offer two kinds of magic, Limbaugh says. “You need to have a relationship to that specific being to get those specific abilities, and the better your level of relationship to that Outsider, the more options you have for available techniques. The second thing that all Outsiders offer are the Vitiations, and in order to access those you’ll need to negotiate with the Outsider in question and pay a reckoning or price.”

Intrigued? Blackbirds will be published by Andrews McMeel in 2021. Follow along on social media for more previews and updates about the highly anticipated dark fantasy RPG.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter.

The post Upcoming Tabletop RPG BLACKBIRDS Is Metal AF appeared first on Nerdist.

Craving a little more adventure in your Dungeons & Dragons campaign? The next official release from Wizards of the Coast brings even more mystery and excitement for players of almost all levels. Candlekeep Mysteries, a book of 17 short adventures for characters level 1 through 16, hits game store shelves March 16, 2021. Each adventure is written by a different voice in the D&D community and crafted under the guidance of Chris Perkins.

We recently got a quick sneak peek at the book, and we can’t wait to dive into the mysteries of Candlekeep.

Wizards of the Coast (Clint Cearley)

Principal Story Designer Christopher Perkins is a veteran of designing D&D adventures, with thousands under his belt. He tells Nerdist that he sought out the diverse writing team, many of whom he wanted to work with for a long time. The team includes experienced game designers who work with Wizards of the Coast, as well as community members who had never written an adventure before. All bought their passions and unique voices to the project.

Nerdist‘s own Amy Vorpahl, Jennifer Kretchmer, Taymoor Rehman, Mark Hulmes, Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, and more penned a compelling mystery for the one-shot collection.

Wizards of the Coast (Vincent Proce)

Every tale in Candlekeep Mysteries centers around the enigmatic library of the Forgotten Realms, Candlekeep. The imposing fortress overlooks the churning Sea of Swords. It’s always open to visitors—with a caveat. Anyone wishing to enter must bring a book that’s not already in the monks’ collection.

“It’s a huge fortress [that] holds the greatest trove of lore,” Perkins tells Nerdist. “Mystery is built into its stones.” It’s made an appearance in every edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and this book will add to its grand legacy.

Insert each standalone adventure into any campaign at any time. You’ll talk to a ghostly dragon inside the library’s fortified walls, meet a djinni in Taymoor Rehman‘s “Zikran’s Zephyrean Tome,” and get lost in a dungeon of Jennifer Kretchmer‘s detailed design. You might even find yourself inside a strange tower that’s more than it seems in Amy Vorpahl‘s “Kandlekeep Dekonstrukted.”

Wizards of the Coast

No matter a Dungeon Master’s experience level, Candlekeep Mysteries makes them feel right at home among its dusty shelves. Kretchmer invites new Dungeon Masters to start with just one tale in the adventure-packed tome. “Once you try one, you’ll want to try another,” she teases. Perkins agrees, adding that the team made the low-level adventures structurally simpler for new Dungeon Masters.

“You can never have too many good, short adventures,” says Perkins with a smile.

Candlekeep Mysteries will be available at your favorite local game store and bookstores this spring. What mysteries will unfold in its pages?

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books.

The post New Official D&D Book Is Stacked with Mystery and Adventure appeared first on Nerdist.

Lucasfilm has a long history in video games stretching all the way back to the heady days of LucasArts. When LucasArts unfortunately folded, Star Wars games moved into development and publishing under gaming giant Electronic Arts and their studios. But today the company unveiled a brand new identity for all Star Wars games moving forward: Lucasfilm Games. From Minecraft and Fortnite to Jedi: Fallen Order, Lucasfilm Games promises to keep bringing your favorite galaxy far, far away to consoles and PC under this exciting new name.

Lucasfilm

Thanks to the company’s continued partnership with EA and Motive Studios, there’s never been a better time for Star Wars gamers. Stunning console games along with evergreen mobile games have cemented Star Wars in the gaming space. Star Wars: Squadrons and the introduction of The Mandalorian characters in Fortnite are just the most recent successes for the franchise. Today’s announcement indicates that the company is taking these successes to heart and continuing to dedicate resources in gaming. Could a new Lucasfilm video games heyday be on the way?

The announcement of the initiative brought no new titles. However, the accompanying sizzle reel is a handy reminder of all the good gaming Star Wars fans have gotten recently. (It also reminded us how much we hope for a sequel to Fallen Order. We need to know what happens to Cal Kestis and best droid BD-1.) Take a look.

Follow Lucasfilm Games on social media for updates about current and upcoming games from Lucasfilm and their partnered studios. With so many new Star Wars stories in the works for Disney+ over the next few years, we wouldn’t be surprised to see new game titles announced in the future.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter.

The post Lucasfilm Games Is the New Home for STAR WARS Games appeared first on Nerdist.

We were excited to see Super Nintendo World take shape as the theme park prepares for a February opening, but now we’re ready to take a warp pipe there immediately. Universal Studios Japan recently released their onsite menus with special Mario-themed meals and snacks as SoraNews24 first reported. The mouth-watering options are adorable, of course. These food items also boast unusual combinations of flavors and cultures that promise to power up your taste buds.

We’ll put it another way. Have you ever wondered what a koopa shell would taste like? Now’s your chance to find out.

Super Nintendo World

The Mario Cafe & Store on Hollywood Boulevard in Universal Studios Japan has just the thing for visitors with a sweet tooth. Pancake sandwiches inspired by Mario and Luigi have sweet fruit flavors and cream nestled inside. Fruit sodas inspired by Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach will cool visitors on a hot day.

Super Nintendo World

Inside the park itself, Toad’s Cafe (Kinopio’s Cafe) and Yoshi Snack Island offer even more Mario-themed munchies! With mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms. At the cafe guests will find burgers with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese, a Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl, and a Piranha Plant caprese salad. Still have that sweet tooth? The Question Block Tiramisu is sure to satisfy.

Super Nintendo World

At Yoshi’s Snack Island you can get the Koopa Calzone packed with yakisoba and cheese. This intriguing flavor combination of Italian and Japanese comfort food sounds worth the price of admission alone. Wash it down with a melon or mango lassi, a cool yogurt-based drink.

Visit the Universal Studios Japan website now for a virtual tour of Super Nintendo World and ticketing information.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books.

The post Super Nintendo World’s Food Is Next Level appeared first on Nerdist.

JINS Eyewear and The Pokémon Company have teamed up for a new glasses line for Pokémon fans of all ages! JINS Pokémon is a fun collection of bold eyeglass frames with subtle nods to all your favorite pocket monsters. You won’t be able to resist smiling when you slide these frames on to study your Pokédex.

JINS

The four frames of the Flagship Models, available now, feature designs inspired by Pikachu, Eevee, Snorlax, and Mew. Each frame comes in four different colors. From the zigzag tail shape of the Pikachu-inspired temples to the silhouettes in the temple ends, each frame captures the unique characteristics of the fan-favorite Pokémon that inspired it. Catch the Flagship frames now for $140.

Other frames in the eye-catching collection are part of the Kanto Region Model and the Johto Region Model lineups. On the Kanto glasses you’ll find Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle embossed inside the temples. For the Johto Region, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and the Legendary Pokémon Lugia and Ho-Oh served as inspiration for the frame and color design. All of the frames in these stylish collections will be available at a retail price of $120.

JINS

Smaller options sized for kids faces will make even the youngest fans happy. These JINS frames, affordably priced at $100, are inspired by the animated series in particular. Pikachu, Eevee, and Mew hide inside the temples. Your kids will never forget to grab their glasses before school when sporting the perfect Pokémon pair.

Frames come complete with a Pokémon-themed cleaning cloth and case. Each frame in this new JINS collection is a delight. Don’t be surprised if you gotta catch ’em all!

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books. 

The post JINS and Pokémon Make a Perfect Pair (of Glasses) appeared first on Nerdist.

Take a seat at the virtual table with David Harbour, some of the young stars of Stranger Things, and Dungeon Master Chris Perkins. They’re gathering on the Stranger Things YouTube channel for a high-energy game of Dungeons & Dragons you won’t see anywhere else. Get ready for Lost Odyssey: Toy Time for Ten-Towns.

Netflix

David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), and Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) join Wizard of the Coast’s Principal Story Designer Chris Perkins to roll some dice. The adventure takes our heroes to the frozen north of Icewind Dale, setting of the recently released Rime of the Frostmaiden. There will, of course, be role-playing, shenanigans, and maybe a monster or two. The Stranger Things cast members take their original characters on an adventure to Ten-Towns. It’s time to save Christmas.

The next season of Stranger Things, which recently added Robert Englund to the cast, will reveal the fate of Jim Hopper and our D&D-playing heroes. (They’ve joined the Hawkins High School Dungeons & Dragons Club, Netflix teased on Twitter recently.) We might not get any hints about their characters’ fates during this D&D game, but we can’t wait to see the foes they’ll be facing in this holiday-themed adventure.

Featured Image: Netflix

Originally published on December 15, 2020.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books. 

The post Watch the Cast of STRANGER THINGS Play DUNGEONS & DRAGONS appeared first on Nerdist.

There are some tabletop role-playing game sessions that are absolutely legendary. Dungeons & Dragons campaigns that are played for months, or even years, aren’t unusual. But what if you only have one night to fit in character creation and an epic adventure? That’s where one-page role-playing games come in! Designed to tell a complete and satisfying narrative in just a matter of hours, these micro-RPGs are often light on the rules and big on the fun.

We picked three one-page RPGs with simple rules to introduce you to the amazing universe of one-shot adventures. Play online or in person (one day) for a game night to remember.

Art by Kenny Webb and Maldo Illustration

Mundane Magic

Mundane Magic is a creative indie RPG by Lysa Penrose. A Game Master guides the three players, who take on the roles of the Fates, on a journey through space and time to interfere with the lives of mortals. No dice are needed unless you’re the Game Master. The GM will roll a single d6 to set up the game. Then it’s time to team up with your fellow Fates in some magical mayhem.

The three included scenarios for the Game Master are both mystical and ridiculous, as well as open-ended with a just few rules for managing all that mischief. Hone your inner crone and put on your best hag voice as you dive in to these hilarious adventures.

Super Overtime (The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book)

Adams Media

Have you ever wanted to be a super student in My Hero Academia? This is the one-page RPG for you! Super Overtime, one of the amazing role-playing games in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, comes from the brilliant mind of Omari Akil. The unique adventure puts you in the Hero Basketball League as a super-powered sports superstar. Choose your hero name, roll the dice to determine your powers, limitation, and motivation, and get ready for the Game Master to start the game clock.

The GM calls the action as you and your teammates roll to shoot their baskets in the final overtime of the championship game. Use your powers and your wits to describe the epic shots you’re taking. It’s hero vs. hero as you play to win it all!

Tales From the Corner Coven (The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book)

Adams Media

You and your fellow players are bodega cats in Tales from the Corner Coven. You’ll also find this bewitching adventure for four players in the pages of The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book. Jonaya Kemper crafted a compelling role-playing game of bodega cats in Brooklyn and the beasts that plague them. You’re tasked with performing a ritual to vanquish those creatures of the night before they succeed in their nefarious plans. The GM-less adventure begins with giving your kitty a pet name, their real name, an arcane power, and a corner store of their very own.

You’ll all take turns role-playing as the courageous kitties and the supernatural threats until one side emerges victorious. We want to play right meow.

The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato, has 40 innovative games to choose from. You’re certain to find the right role-playing adventures for you and your friends for unforgettable game nights together.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books. 

The post Outstanding One-Page RPGs You Can Play in a Single Night appeared first on Nerdist.

Ah, Christmas lights, the time-honored tradition of one-upping your neighbors during the holidays. You might prefer Santa-filled displays that dazzle the senses with holiday cheer, or the simplicity of a quiet house with those lit-up reindeer that look like they’re snacking on the lawn. Or you want to jam to a neon-bright “Take On Me” by A-Ha or rock out to your favorite Metallica song in a floodlight-filled blast. You do you.

But if there’s one Christmas light show we can all agree on, it’s that this subtle display inspired by The Mandalorian is one we want to watch over and over again. This is the way to do Christmas decorations.

This isn’t an in-your-face dubstep “Imperial March” light show—although we are still thinking about that one years later. This impeccably timed display, paired with everyone’s new favorite theme music, is an elegant light show for a more civilized age. The dancing lights move with the smooth beat for a mesmerizing display. Much like The Mandalorian itself, these decorations are a slow burn that culminate in an explosion of light and sound that feels absolutely Star Wars.

Disney+

Film composer Ludwig Göransson released a music video for The Mandalorian‘s opening theme earlier this year, giving you a firsthand look at the unusual instruments that create the unforgettable sound. Watch it again if you need even more of the haunting melody in your life.

YouTuber Steve Beers, the creator of this Mandalorian display, also uploaded other perfectly programmed light shows for “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II, and, oddly enough, “A Good Ol’ Fashioned Christmas” from 1987’s A Garfield Christmas. Respect.

Steve Beers

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books. 

The post THE MANDALORIAN-Inspired Light Show Is a Space Western Delight appeared first on Nerdist.

You might remember earlier this year when we first showed you Baby Jabba from the mind of artist Leonardo Viti. (Or you might not—a lot has happened since then.) Not only did this adorable reimagining of the gangster Hutt capture our attention, it caught the eye of another artist. Sculptor Nicholas Brown, also known as LoreCraft, crafted his very own bouncing baby Hutt. And you can order one right now—but it’s going to cost you a lot of credits.

LoreCraft

LoreCraft offers the mini Hutts, which we first learned about from Geeks Are Sexy, in a variety of colors. Each one is molded from FX grade platinum silicone, airbrushed, and hand-painted. No two Baby Jabbas are alike. The shading and small details, like the wrinkle patterns on the baby’s arms, show LoreCraft’s astounding attention to getting the baby just right. Baby Jabba comes with a detachable tongue and optional basket for display.

The artist captured the entire project, beginning with the clay sculpture for the silicone mold all the way to airbrushing, in this incredible time-lapse video.

There are only a limited quantity for sale in LoreCraft’s shop, so don’t delay in ordering one–especially if you want to give one to the lucky Jabba the Hutt fan or Star Wars collector in your life. (Or big fans of the baby in Dinosaurs.) And, of course, artistry of this caliber isn’t cheap! Each adorable sculpture costs £495.00.

LoreCraft

As much as you might want to hold the baby, these little stinkers aren’t made for handling. Baby Jabba is more of a showpiece. Much like Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall, it’s meant to be looked at and admired, and it will quickly become your favorite decoration. You’ll like Baby Jabba where he is.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books. 

The post Silicone Baby Jabba Sculpture Is Alarmingly Adorable appeared first on Nerdist.