INDEPENDENT TTRPG CREATOR REVIEW: 3D Miniatures - Raging Heroes

MINIATURE DESIGN:  Beautifully designed, an asset for any scenario

MINIATURE PRINTING (3rd Party of Company):  Company

MINIATURE QUALITY:  Lots of Flash, fair amount of mold lines

EASE OF ASSEMBLY:  No instructions, relys on purchaser looking at the picture and putting the pieces together utilising the image.

CUSTOMER SERVICES (If dealt with):  Friendly, however took a while to resolve.

WOULD I BUY FROM AGAIN:    I would more likely buy the STL's if I find someone to print them for me or if I purchase a 3d Printer.  If relying on Raging Heroes pre-printed, probably not.

MARKS OUT OF TEN:  4

REVIEW:

OK, recently I ordered myself some fabulous looking mini's from Raging Heroes, a company based in southern France, whose wide range, gives you some creative and beautifully designed miniatures for a fair few armies or to utilise for many a TTRPG game.

The following is a review based on my order, what I received and of communications with the company in regard to my dealings with them.

Right now that, we've covered that, lets start with what I ordered:

Captain Elantra, Chief of the Militia (Imperial - F)

City Militia Command Group (Imperial - F)

City Militia Troops (Imperial - F)

The von Königsmark Limited Edition Box

Of the miniatures I ordered, they were good with communications about when they would be sent, they kept me informed every step of the way with postal updates that I could look up, and so I was really impressed with how smooth it all went.  That was until I opened the box.  What should have been a limited edition of the Konigsmark sisters, was in fact the basic figures, no additional weapon and of course, no dog.  Whilst I can understand that companies can run out of stock, I would have preferred it had they contacted me to let me know that the item was no longer available and then asked if I still wanted it with the standard figures.   When I contacted them to inform them of the order error, the communication was good, and whilst it took a few mails to get the problems explained, I was offered the chance to either return the figures or receive a 10 euro credit for future orders.  

So having dealt with that issue, (I kept the mini's as they are beautifully sculpted) I did feel that overall, one of the major problems that you have with the ones I ordered (I can't comment on other items that they sell) is that there are no instructions for easy assembly so you have to sit down and figure it all out.  The weapons were a tight fit for the Konigsmark sisters and after gluing, has left me feeling that there's a lot of detail that may not be able to be painted unless I take them apart.  This has left me feeling a little bit out of sorts as it took me a while to get them together.  

Secondly the other figures (which were plastic) had an overly excessive amount of flash and some of the molds aren't as crisp as they could be, which left me having to carefully snip and file to get the shapes right before I even sat down to go through the mold lines and assembly.  OK, yes, you do expect a certain amount of assembly and clean up but it just felt that for five models in each pack it took me a couple of hours for each five (and I still haven't stuck them to their bases.)

Overall I do love the mini's and there are so many that I would love to own, however currently, I feel like I'd only buy from them in the future to utilise my credit, and then I'd want someone to print the STL files for me or I'd have to purchase a printer personally.   

INDEPENDENT TTRPG SYSTEM CREATOR: Mark Beren - Armoured games

There are times when we've all dreamed of being armoured knights, riding into battle, charging against the foe, righting wrongs, rescuing people in distress and of course being the one on the battle charger looked upon with envy by everyone else.  So when I heard that Mark Beren had been working on a game around chivalry I had to have a chat with him.  Having previously written some supplements, Knight is his first full system title and will shortly be going to kickstarter which we will let people know about when we can.

Here Mark answers our questions from his home in Brisbane, giving us change to get to know him a little better...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of modules for TTRPG's, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of?

Mark Beren:  I think KNIGHT is the one I'm most proud of. I'm proud of it because I've taken great things done by other systems and worked them together to make a game that is fast, fun, and achieves my purpose of creating a legend.

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPG's?

MB:  The strong theme combined with campaign play. KNIGHT is designed primarily as a long term, if limited game - it's campaign is designed to create drama, conflict, and then end strongly.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

MB:  TTRPGs are my passion. I'm not much of a gamer in other fields, and novels are something different. I like to think of the games I write as being guidelines for making shared stories - shared art, even.

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why?

 MB:  I only have a handful of things on DM's Guild, so Knight will be my first 'big' product. So at the moment, Knight. 

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?

MB:  Currently working on the last touches of layout and art with Knight, getting proofs, making sure the project is going well. I also have another thing I'm doing to assuage my creative spirit called STAR FIGHTER, which is a rules light game where brave pilots fight inevitable burnout while  trying to save humanity against an apparently unstoppable enemy.

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?

MB:  I think the people that will love KNIGHT the most are those who love creating little character dramas, or making stories for those characters. My system is designed for there to be space and even to focus on those stories.

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?

MB:  In all honesty, I'd like to be putting out a book or so to a small to medium audience of interested fans. My dreams of wild success and live the life of a game designer are rather tempered by reality of needing to pay my mortgage.

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?

MB:  Well, my game is (I believe!) pretty unique. But if I could, I'd like to keep doing my STAR FIGHTER game and get it looking really nice.

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?

MB:  John Harper from Blades in the Dark fame and Chris McDonnell of Into the Odd are my heroes. Chris for his mastery of the technical writing of RPG design, and John for his mechanical understanding of how theme, setting and pace are linked.

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?

MB:  The Adventure Begins Here, a third edition supplement! Ahh, that unicorn that was immune to sleep being put to sleep by goblin arrows...

TTRPG INTERVIEW: dScryb - David Shulman

A while ago,  I learned of dScryb through its sponsorship of some other TTRPGer's and whilst I've always loved writing my own descriptives I do know that a lot of people have a really hard time writing something that really draws their players into the scenes.  Recently I learned of a new addition to the site from themselves, that of sound effects and whilst I don't own a stream deck or mixing studio currently, I instantly saw the benefit of being able to add these to help make it more immersive.

I've been lucky enough to grab a word with dScryb and get to find out a little bit more about them as well as the passion that they have for the TTRPG community.  Here David Shulman answers our questions...

TP:  dScryb recently added sound effects to their website, why did you go that way after having created descriptive pieces? 

D:  We call them “tabletop roleplaying games” because the game is played at the table. But the experience of adventuring with companions and exploring interesting worlds happens in the mind. It is a shared cognitive event. Language is a mainline to cognition, and it can be used to create rich, immersive gaming experiences (dScryb’s core mission). But humans were thinking, imagining, and reacting to our environments long before the advent of language. So, sound was the natural progression for dScryb to enhance the experience for GMs and their players. It compliments language naturally, without taking anything away. 

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of dScryb? 

D:  All of the different types of content dScryb offers are designed to be story-agnostic building blocks to supplement whatever homebrew campaign or adventure module you’re running. And it’s become a massive resource, covering the fantasy and sci-fi genres. So, it can help GMs reduce their prep and enhance their games in nearly all scenarios. 

TP:  Why the TTRPG space? 

D:  My co-founder and I come from different professional backgrounds. I was a criminal lawyer. He’s a serial entrepreneur. But we both love games, love fantasy and sci-fi, and love a good adventure—and that’s what dScryb has been. 

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why? 

D:  Tough but I’ll say it’s the monster descriptions. I use them A LOT and they never fail to impress (and alarm) my players. 

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it? 

D:  There are two: One is a massive Combat Collection for players. It describes attacks for all weapons and for STR- and DEX-based characters. It will come with a simple UI so that you only see descriptions that apply to your character and their equipment. The other work in progress is a world, and that’s all I can say for now… 

TP:  Who do you think would love to utilise dScrybe why? 

D:  Our amazing subscribers vary in their experience with TTRPGs and running games. There are many veterans, and many new GMs (and curious players). For veterans, it can cut down on a lot of prep. But I think new GMs love to utilize dScryb most of all because it can provide a bit of a safety blanket during what can be an intimidating process (at least, it was for me). 

TP:  Where do you see dScryb taking you in 5 years? 

D:  It’s hard to imagine. I’m already right where I want to be. I have an amazing family, job, and friends and colleagues in the TTRPG community. In some respects, I hope nothing changes. But I have a habit of keeping busy, testing out my shower thoughts, and following up on the amazing suggestions we receive regularly from our users. 

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why? 

D:  Fortunately, this isn’t a hypothetical. I have the privilege of time and opportunity to work on some amazing projects that we’re not ready to announce. 

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why? 

D:  First and foremost, I’m a big fan of dScryb’s writers. I also admire Shawn Merwin, Mike Shea, Sadie Lowry, and Justin Alexander. 

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place? 

D:  Not what, but who: Dylan Cook, a dear, dear friend who produces and directs in film and television. I’ve known him for over 20 years, and he’s had an incredible impact on my life. I’m very grateful that he thought of me when putting together his first group of players. 

TTRPG INDEPENDENT SYSTEM CREATOR: Debra Hoenig Parizek - ParDen Us Gaming

TTRPG Creators love to bring new games and ideas to the fore. Sadly however, no matter how much passion and effort we put in, we don't always get to see it through to the end. When I heard about this project from Debra Hoenig Parizek, I had to get behind it, especially when I saw that over the next few years, grand plans are being hatched to fully develop many additional ideas left behind by Dennis.

Having lost her husband, Dennis Parizek, she decided to bring his dream to fruition, working hard to get Everyverse RPG, a 4d10 generic system with attribute/skill scores based on the Bell Curve and one method to resolve all actions to the table. Completing the 3rd supplement, High Tech Equipment, is a work in progress. Paranormality and Future History supplements have already been published by ParDen Us Gaming.

When asked what makes Everyverse better than others, Debra had this to say:

"Anyone who has a scenario that needs some rules that are simpler than DnD or that has a scenario that doesn't fit the rules in any other existing system would love ours. The latter is why my husband designed the system."

We wish Debra every success and look forward to seeing what comes to the fore.

INDEPENDENT TTRPG SYSTEM CREATOR: Greg Leatherman

Member of the Very Random Encounter Group Podcast, Greg has created a fab TTRPG called Glitter Hearts.  Now available on Ich.io and Drivethru.RPG we were lucky enough to grab a chat with Greg to talk about his TTRPG  and discover a little more about him...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of modules for TTRPG's, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of? 

Greg Leatherman:  I've actually never made a module. I've always hacked games to make the stories that I want to tell better. It was in the process of hacking a game to play a Sailor Moon game, that I hit upon Glitter Hearts. I then made it into a full blown game on its own.

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPG's? 

GL:  I focus as best I can on teamwork and working together to tell a story. Many games really focus on the cool things individuals can do, and I wanted to blend them more so everyone felt like a team.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space? 

GL:  Stories are important and being able to tell your own story in the way that you want is something very unique to the TTRPG space. You can be your own hero or villain, tests the waters to see how you feel, and explore places that you find interesting.

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why? 

GL:  Glitter Hearts is my first ever full blown RPG where I did all the writing. It's the first game that I've released commercially that has had a wonderful life so far.

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it? 

GL:  It's called The Mystery Business and it is a mystery solving game that mirrors cartoons like Scooby Doo. There's no combat.

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why? 

GL:  Anyone who grew up watching cartoons, who loves problem solving, who doesn't want everything to be solved by combat.

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years? 

GL:  To write more RPGS. This is my hobby profession and one that I do because I love it and I love making things. I don't intend to make it a full career.

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why? 

GL:  Right now, I'm also trying to write out my full Pokemon like TTRPG. If I had the money to not work, I would spend much more time writing that.

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why? 

GL:  Because everyone has a stake in making TTRPGs successful and unique. There are so many interesting viewpoints that don't often get heard in the mainstream corporate world.  Indies can be much more daring and much more free.

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place? 

GL:  I've loved playing them since I was a kid and was shown Gamma World at age 10. It was incredible to visit these other worlds and play stories how I wanted to play them, not how they were just being told to me.

KICKSTARTER: Knight - Mark Beren

 

Hail Mighty Readers and Rollers of the Math's Dice

Our friend Mark Beren (interview appearing on site on the 13th June), is fundraising for his TTRPG Knight, now a good way through the campaign, we wanted to give it another mention in case you missed the earlier article.  Its a fab project with the chance to don your armour and to venture forth and is ideal for fans of Excalibur and other Arthurian adventures.  Go here to see what the kickstarter goals are and the additional Unlocks.

Thundermouser.

INDEPENDENT TTRPG GAME CREATOR: Chris Bahnweg - No Name Games

People in the TTRPG scene always love to dream big and come up with idea's that with a lot of time and passion, we're able to create.  I was lucky enough to chat with Chris Bahnweg of No Name Games, an indie studio, who shortly will be launching their kickstarter Demigod, which is an epic adventure in Greek Mythos.

Here's what he had to say to our starter questions:  

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of wargames, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of?

Chris Bahnweg:  What inspired me to write Demigod was the fact that no one had made one like it – there were other skirmish games, of course, stuff like Frostgrave and Mordheim and Necromunda, but nothing set in Greek mythology. So I sat down and decided to write one. 

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your wargames?

CB:  Probably the best selling point of my games is that they’re designed to be single-book, miniature-agnostic games. Each game is designed to be played entirely with a single core rulebook, and all of modules and expansions introduce rules that are constrained solely to that module or expansion. Miniature-agnosticism just means that my games can be played with any miniatures you have, as long as they fit the general theme of the game.

TP:  Why the wargaming space?

CB:  Because it’s what I grew up with. My uncle took me to the Palisades Mall in New York and bought me my first box of Space Marines over a decade ago now, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve played everything from big-battle games like Warhammer 40,000 to smaller, skirmish stuff like Frostgrave, and loved every second of it. 

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why?

CB:  Definitely Demigod. It’s just such a cool concept. I wanted to give players the ability to duke it out with creatures from mythology, to put themselves in the shoes of all of the famous heroes you read about in Greek or Roman myths. 

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?

CB:  My current work-in-progress is Fury of the North, which is an expansion for Demigod that brings in Vikings. It’s meant to be a self-contained expansion that you’re free to integrate or ignore. It brings in some pretty cool mechanics, like Runes vs the Divine Favor in the core book, new units, and new missions. 

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your games and why? 

CB:  History or mythology nerds. That’s who I wrote it for, really – people like me who want to re-enact stuff like that. People whose thought process goes “Could I have done better than Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings?” Because that’s kind of what Demigod is: an invitation for players to see if they’re capable of doing better than the heroes in the myths.

TP:  Where do you see your game design career taking you in 5 years?

CB:  Ideally, I’d like to have some kind of storefront – either physical or virtual. I’d like to start going to cons more – become something a regular on that circuit, and just get Demigod to the point where it can sit among stuff like Frostgrave and Necromunda and Mordheim. 

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?

CB:  In the back of my head, I’ve had an idea for a combo wargame/solo-rpg/detective-thing where you’re a knight and a squire going on adventures and solving mysteries and righting wrongs. I used to love Tamora Pierce’s Protector of the Small quartet of books as a kid, and this would be my homage to that plus my own HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) background. 

TP:  Who do you admire in the wargaming space and why?

CB:  Probably Ash Barker from Guerrilla Miniature Games. He’s pretty much where I want to be in terms of my impact/visibility in the wargaming space. His Last Days tabletop game was one of my big reminders that I could sit down and write my own game and actually have people play it.

TP:  What got you into wargames in the first place?

CB:  Warhammer 40,000 and Games Workshop in general. I remember reading my cousin’s codexes/army books as a kid, and that inspired me to get into Warhammer 40k. From there, I got into smaller skirmish games as GW priced me out of the hobby, which culminated in me writing and publishing Demigod in November of 2022. If you’d like to support it, there’s a Kickstarter that will launch near the end of July.