Good News Friday: Hello from Gen Con!

Welcome back to Good News Friday, this time from Indiana!

Find Us at Gen Con

The convention is well underway and we’re here at booth 1538! Drop by and say hi! All our products are available, plus some new additions making their Gen Con debut:

• Humblewood Tales
• If I Were a Lich, Man
• Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting
• Heckna!
• Hexbound

We’re also sharing a first look at Fool’s Gold: Into the Bellowing Wilds in the flesh! You won’t be able to take this book home with you, but we’re excited to give you this sneak peek at the jungle shenanigans to come. Stop by our booth for a preview!

Not going to Gen Con? We’ve got you covered. Keep reading for some Fool’s Gold treats! 

Special Events

We’re hosting and participating in a number of exciting events at the con! Here’s a quick reference guide for where to find us all weekend. For a thorough breakdown of the events we’re at, check out this blog post! 

Time	Event	Event Type	Location
Thursday, August 1: HPP Booth 1538 (All Day)
Friday, August 2
10:00–11:30 am	Griffin Macaulay	Creator Signing	HPP Booth 1538
2:30–5:00 pm	Fool’s Gold	Creator Signing	HPP Booth 1538
1:00–2:00 pm	D&D Beyond Partner Spotlight	Panel	ICC Room 232
8:00–11:00 pm	ENNIE Awards 2024	Ceremony	Union Station, Grand Hall
9:00–11:00 pm	SINK! Live	Live Show	ICC Room 500
Saturday, August 3
9:00–10:00 am	Kobold’s Panel for Artistry: Advice for TTRPG Artists	Panel	JW Marriott, Room 203
10:00–11:00 am	Justin Alexander	Creator Signing	HPP Booth 1538
12:00–1:00 pm	Pointy Hat	Creator Signing	HPP Booth 1538
2:00–3:00 pm	Loot Tavern	Creator Signing	HPP Booth 1538
Sunday, August 4: HPP Booth 1538 (All Day)

Be sure not to miss the 2024 ENNIE Awards ceremony; we’ll be there to cheer on our favorites and celebrate the winners! If you’re not there in person, the ceremony will be streamed on the ENNIE Awards’ YouTube channel.

Fool’s Gold Preview

We are showcasing the Fool’s Gold: Into the Bellowing Wilds physical book at Gen Con but we don’t want you to miss out just because you’re not attending. (Don’t feel too bad, I’m not there either.) Regardless of whether or not you can make it to the convention, I’m sharing my personal favorite parts of the book as a teaser for what’s inside (no campaign spoilers)!

Favorite Location: Fool’s Crossing

The Velvet Warren, a popular kobold band, play Fool’s Crossing. Art: Alyse Stewart.

A town formed by a pile of wagons, Fool’s Crossing is more of a stopover than a full settlement, but its residents enthusiastically embrace life in “the Pile” and have founded shops, bakeries, and accommodations for visitors. Fool’s Crossing is quiet during the day, but once night falls, the town explodes into party mode. The locals throw a rager every night because surviving another day in the Bellowing Wilds is an achievement to celebrate. Visitors are enthusiastically encouraged to join the festivities; you’d have a hard time avoiding the loud music, the bonfires, and the free-flowing food and drink.

I love this location because it’s so joyful and fun, and because shenanigans are a guarantee. You can indulge in a bit of downtime here, or you can protect the residents from monsters, track down missing partygoers, and stop a group of acolytes from killing the vibe. There’s a lot to see and do in every location, but I’d make a beeline for Fool’s Crossing if I found myself in the Bellowing Wilds.

Favorite Monster: Dire Tarrasque

Defeating the dire tarrasque means you automatically gain a level or two. Art: Jess Jackdaw.

The most powerful monster in 5e becomes even deadlier with this iconic creature. Not to choose the obvious, but the dire tarrasque really is my favorite. Our version has new features, including more powerful attacks, the ability to regrow severed limbs (its arm has a stat block of its own!), and an aura so terrifying that the air itself is afraid, making it harder to fly in the tarrasque’s vicinity.

A challenge for those who want to stare death in the face, or a threat to be contained, there are multiple ways to encounter the dire tarrasque in your campaign. And, should you be so lucky as to defeat it, you can harvest it for parts and brew them into unique alchemical concoctions with the alchemy rules included in the book.

Favorite Spell: Wizardly’s Arcane Override

Mr. Wizardly casts Wizardly’s arcane override on an unsuspecting fool who dared throw a fireball at him. Art: Avery Howett.

Fool’s Gold: Into the Bellowing Wilds contains several new spells created by Ambria’s resident wizard, Mr. Wizardly. He’s a jerk, but he’s a powerful jerk. A 4th-level spell available to sorcerers and wizards, Wizardly’s arcane override lets you try to hijack another creature’s spell. If you succeed, you get to act as though you’re the caster and can choose who to target with their spell. Essentially, you can steal another mage’s spell and turn it back on them. You don’t necessarily know what the spell is before you try to take control of it, but that’s part of the fun.

I use this spell in my home game and my group has affectionately nicknamed it “Steal Your Fireball.” It’s incredibly strong but it’s fair; after you succeed, you can cast only cantrips for a whole round. If you’re a GM and you like to challenge your players, have them face a spellcaster and give them the opportunity to steal the enemy caster’s spell. But on the enemy caster’s next turn, have them cast a harmless cantrip, such as prestidigitation, and watch as the player character seizes the cantrip and must come up with a use for it in combat. Using Wizardly’s arcane override like this makes for a dynamic, tactical encounter where the enemy observes the party’s abilities and changes their strategy accordingly, keeping the party on their toes.

Favorite Magic Item: Vicious Greeting Card

Send your enemy a clear message with a vicious greeting card! Art: Avery Howett.

This item is cursed, because of course it is. When you open it, the greeting card follows you around and does the utmost to get on your nerves. It even harasses you during combat and casts vicious mockery on you right before you take your turn! As if it couldn’t get any worse, it speaks with the voice of the person who sent it to you.

I love this item because it provides a great reason to hurl a verbal insult or to poke at character flaws, which you can play as seriously or frivolously as you like. If your character receives one, you can show how it bothers them to be reminded of their shortcomings, or you can laugh it off and attempt to get rid of the card. Or, you can send one to an enemy and delight in their frustration as the card heckles them. 

Favorite Chaos Surge Effect: #84

Get a glimpse into Sips’ life whenever you roll for a chaos surge. Art: Jenna “Dingo” Woldenga & Justin Chan.

It wouldn’t be Fool’s Gold without chaos! There are four d100 tables of possible chaos surges, specifying whether they occur within an area, who they target, and what happens when they affect a spell. Some of the surges are harmful, such as one that gives the caster a headache, but they can also be beneficial, such as the one that gives you four wings and a flying speed. Whether they are a help or a hindrance, they are always entertaining.

With 400 surge effects to choose from, picking a favorite is hard. From a mechanical standpoint, I’m an arcane caster main who runs out of spell slots every session, so I’d most like to get the one that permanently lets you cast the same spell once per day without using a spell slot. From a chaos and fun perspective, there are way too many to choose from. Unable to make a decision, I decided to do the most chaotic thing and rolled for it:

84: A random settlement is teleported to the caster’s location in its entirety, including citizens and buildings. The surrounding area reshapes itself to safely accommodate the entire town.

Get the digital version of Fool’s Gold: Into the Bellowing Wilds!

FREE PDFs

We’re excited to share this year’s free adventures for Free RPG Day! Coincidentally, they’re both cave-based. If you didn’t get the chance to pick them up on Free RPG Day last month, you can download them directly from our store!

Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag

A thrilling 5e adventure for four 6th-level characters, Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag takes you to the Flashcrest Caves to discover strange creatures and ancient Fizzar technology. Can you confront trouble stirring in the caverns?

Get Shock in Stormcrag now!

SINK! Treasures of the Deep Grotto

This swashbuckling module for four 3rd level characters offers an adventure filled with ruthless pirates, magic tattoos, and a mysterious dungeon built for characters! Explore the inky trenches under the tide and find your way through the Deep Grotto before you SINK!

Get SINK! now!

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That’s our good news for the week! Check back next time for more updates and good vibes!