Category: Publishing News (Page 1 of 8)

Check out the latest updates from Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, OSR, Cortex, DeScriptors, and other releases by Tim Bannock.

Behind the Scenes: A New Publisher is Born

08/02/2024 / / 0 Comments

It’s been a long time since I’ve (publicly) put a lot into game development and publishing, but behind the scenes things have been going on. A lot of things.

There will be bigger announcements and more news coming in the future. But for now, I just wanted to take a moment to say these new ventures will be happening under a more formalize organization: Bannock N Barkby, named after myself and the magical pupster who’s been in my logo for some time!

If you’d be so kind as to show some love, here’s where you’ll be able to find stuff in the future:

BannockNBarkby.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bannocknbarkby

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bannocknbarkby/

Twitter (because X is a stupid name): https://x.com/BannockNBarkby

Like, subscribe, share, whatever. I’m not a big fan of social media, but you gotta what you gotta do to get the word out, right? Your support is always much appreciated; there’s no gaming without friends!

Tim Bannock Publishing will slowly but surely morph into Bannock N Barkby, and you may even see some revised releases to celebrate.

More to come!

Cortex Prime Game Handbook cover snip

The Future of Cortex RPG: Marketplaces and Licensing

07/05/2024 / / 0 Comments

Updated 7/30/2024: Dire Wolf has released the Tales of Xadia Premium Dice Sets, announcing them just ahead of GEN CON 2024. I ordered all three sets on that Saturday and received shipping info first thing Monday!

The Cortex system has had a complex journey, passing through several owners. Originally developed by Margaret Weis Publishing, the game mechanics were licensed to lead designer Cam Banks, then sold to Fandom, and finally to Dire Wolf Digital (DWD) after Fandom exited the tabletop roleplaying industry. This tumultuous history has created challenges and opportunities for DWD, particularly in the areas of community marketplaces and licensing for content creators.

The Cortex Prime Game Handbook is renowned for being a versatile “LEGO set” of rules that allows players to design their own game experiences. Award winning, even. This modularity makes it comparable to systems like GURPS and Fate, yet unique in its lack of a singular “core game.” Unlike Fate, which has a permissive license encouraging extensive modifications, Cortex currently lacks such a framework, limiting its appeal primarily to game designers, but not just them, specifically ones who aren’t looking to become content creators themselves—a potentially very small audience in the heavily DIY roleplaying game industry.

Let’s talk about the vision versus the state of the game, and then consider the future of Cortex, all in terms of marketplaces and licenses.

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Cortex Prime Game Handbook cover snip

How to Revive Cortex Prime – An Open Letter to Dire Wolf Digital

06/28/2024 / / 1 Comment

Updated 7/30/2024: Dire Wolf has released the Tales of Xadia Premium Dice Sets, announcing them just ahead of GEN CON 2024. I ordered all three sets on that Saturday and received shipping info first thing Monday!

In August 2022, Dire Wolf Digital (DWD) acquired the Cortex RPG from Fandom, including the Cortex Prime Game Handbook and Tales of Xadia: The Dragon Prince Roleplaying Game. Despite this transition, the game remains alive, but in need of revitalization. A dedicated and vocal fanbase remains active on the Cortex RPG official Discord, and meanwhile, the larger tabletop industry hasn’t moved on either, despite some fans’ fears. In fact, Cortex is still widely discussed and recommended across forums and social media. It has garnered hours of content and hundreds of thousands of views in the past few years, even as DWD has remained silent on its future. New products are still being launched as recently as last week (June 2024).

A deep dive into the current state of Cortex RPG, conducted with the help of dedicated fans, revealed several strategies to change the perception of Cortex as an under-supported game. These ideas can help Cortex achieve the potential Fandom saw when they purchased it in 2019.

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HEROIC The Role-Playing Game by Zenith Entertainment Group
HEROIC The Role-Playing Game by Zenith Entertainment Group

Astonishing Super Heroes Lives On in HEROIC The Role-Playing Game – Now on Backerkit

12/26/2023 / / 0 Comments

It was announced months ago that the FASERIP retroclone remix Astonishing Super Heroes was not going to be receiving the planned second book, Spectacular Origins, but the future was not bleak! We can finally announce the official news explaining what’s up!

HEROIC The Role-Playing Game by Zenith Entertainment Group has just launched on Backerkit!

Andrew Collas of ZEG has assembled a superpowered team of writers and editors to forge a new path forward, completing everything that Astonishing Super Heroes set out to do and so much more! This includes significantly revising an expanded list of powers, among a great many more revisions borne out of prolonged play tests. This will make HEROIC perhaps the single most comprehensive take on revising and streamlining the original FASERIP rules to bring them to a modern audience.

I’m truly excited to see ASH live on in a new and better-supported form. Please show your love by pledging to help out on Backerkit, and follow along with all the news and more gaming goodness at Zenith’s Facebook!

Cortex Con Online - Nov 3-5, 2023
Cortex Con Online - Nov 3-5, 2023

Cortex Con 2023 Nov 3-5 Online – Game Registrations Are Open

10/26/2023 / / 0 Comments

Gamers everywhere are invited to join the world’s first online convention devoted to the Cortex tabletop RPG system, including Cortex Prime as well as other flavors such as Cortex Plus, Cortex Classic, and the recent free intro version, Cortex Lite! This fully virtual, fan-driven event runs November 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2023!

Read on for more details!

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