News Roundup: Indie Mech TTRPG Lancer Gets Two New Books in 2027

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It’s a normal week for me. I’m very excited because (as of my writing this), I finally get to play Daggerheart. I’ve read the book but struggled to get a table going for a while.

But you want actual news, not just my own ramblings. In this week’s issue, we have two expansions for the popular mecha TTRPG Lancer. The OGs behind Dark Sun are making their own game “with blackjack and hooker.” D&D got two spotlights at Gamescom. And we also have an interview with a tour group that will act as both tour guide and DM.

Still a lot to come this week! I’ve got a particularly exciting interview coming out about a highly anticipated release later this week, so stay tuned!

Mech TTRPG Lancer to Get Two Hardcover Releases in 2027

Lancer, a mech-themed TTRPG that gained a notable amount of fans and support after its release by Massif Press in 2019, is expanding beyond its original book.

Two new books were announced this week. The first is Operation Fulcrum Dawn, a pair of “narrative modules” for players. It features mech pilots on a rescue mission into an urban war zone as well as direct combat against military forces. The hardcover version of the book will include battle maps and tips for running tactical combat within the game. It is expected to release on March 16, 2027.

The second release, Lancer: Setting Guide Vol 1, explores new regions within the Lancer universe, including the noble-inspired Karrakin Trade Barronies as well as the lawless Long Rim. It is expected to release on March 30, 2027.

Both books will be released in PDF and hardcover format by Dark Horse Publishing.

Lancer was originally crowdfunded by Massif Press in 2019. A second reprint was published in partnership with Dark Horse after the game gained a significant amount of notoriety among fans. The book has remained among the most popular TTRPG alternatives presented by online communities as alternatives to D&D and has been described as one of the few noteworthy ‘off-ramps’ that players use to encourage playing different TTRPGs.

The “Original Team” Behind Dark Sun Announce Spiritual Successor

The creative team who created the original version of Dark Sun for Dungeons and Dragons is releasing their “spiritual successor” to the game weeks after Wizards of the Coast announced the update to the game.

Dragon Kings was announced on Backerkit as a 5e adaptation for the 2014 systemless text that Timothy Brown published, detailing Khitus, his own take on the sword and sorcery genre without the Dark Sun IP attached.

“Dragon Kings is sword and sandal, blood and sand, dark sorcery and elusive, god-like rulers,” says Brown in a press statement. “Capturing the feel of that kind of pulp environment is tricky. I’ve brought together the original team that invented this RPG genre, the team that held the original vision, and as we’ve seen before, you can’t fake that.”

That team includes Troy Denning, Brom, Bill Slavicsek, Rich Baker and Shane Hensley. Many of these names would be known by older school fans as artists or writers who helped to create the 2e version of Dark Sun in the 1990s.

“I will always love Athas,” said Hensley. “Timothy Brown, Troy Denning, and Brom put together a setting that transcended the typical fantasy settings of the time to forge something new, exciting, and unapologetically savage. Dragon Kings takes those ideas to the next level, breaking the chains that held back the world of Athas for so long. Now we have the world of Khitus, the Age of Despots, incredible monsters, relentless gladiators, and terrifying magic!”

What that “next level” entails remains unclear based on the promotional material. The setting will provide a 5e-compatible version of the original book, ancestries and classes that match the Khitus aesthetic, rules for psionics and sorcery and a lot more.

The book arrives weeks after Dungeons & Dragons announced it was bringing Dark Sun back to life. It also arrives a week after TTRPG Insider’s story examining how D&D’s team was adapting the 2e setting to match modern sensibilities through sensitivity readers and by updating its portrayal of slavery went viral; causing a lot of the community to develop strong opinions about the update prior to release.

Strange Owl Games is best known for Space 1889, a steampunk adaptation of a 5e game inspired by Jules Verne. Dragon Kings could prove to be a notable challenge for its first major project.

Dragon Kings will crowdfund on September 22.

Magus, Warlords and Herbology: DnD Beyond Previews its Q4 2026 Release Plans

Two new classes and a wide spectrum of maps are coming to D&D Beyond in the final quarter of the year as the platform continues to expand its D&D content.

The D&D-focused platform unveiled its plans for Q4 2026.

• The Magus Class, designed by Sterling Vermin, offers a “warrior-mage” class with six subclasses and thirty spells. It releases on September 29, 2026

• Obojima: Tales from Yatamon expands on the Studio Ghibli-inspired setting and adds new character options and features

• The Warlord Player Pack is designed by Kibbles allows players to take on a forward-facing support role with eight subclasses.

• Crow and Crown are releasing Herbarium, a new set of tools to help players incorporate herbalism in a more detailed way into their fantasy games.

• Baldman Games has two Greyhawk releases; Herald of the Old Ones is a set of three adventures for players 5-10 dealing with the Land of Iuz and the Horned society. The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk offer four additional adventures focusing on the iconic location. Both are designed for organized play or simple one-shots.

• West Coast Adventurer’s Guild is adding Beasts of Johrase, a set of four adventures for levels 1-4 and is also for organized play.

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Warlock, Cozy Taverns Central to D&D’s Presence at Gamescom 2026

A pair of new D&D video games made their visual debut at Gamescom, one of the many events where game developers tease and preview their upcoming releases.

The big one was gameplay footage for Warlock, the upcoming D&D third-person adventuring game.

Kaatri, the warlock (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica) has entered a pact with Tasha the Witch (Maggie Robertson, Resident Evil Village) as they enter the realm of Darkon (one of the better-established Domains of Dread from Ravenloft). The footage features adventuring, melee combat, and the works. It looks like it could be a fun D&D adventure exploring some of the less established lore. The game is developed by Invoke Studios, who previously made Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance.

The game is expected to release mid-2027.

The other premiere was Long Rest Tavern, a cozy simulation game that didn’t get much attention at the opening ceremonies. Players take over as a former adventurer-turned innkeeper running their own tavern in the Dalelands. It features iconic D&D characters like Minsc as well as what appears to be a mimic pet.

Long Rest Tavern is expected to release in early 2027 and is now available on Steam for wishlisting.

Ever wanted to travel the United Kingdom and play D&D at the same time? That’s the proposition presented by Natural 20 Tours, a new travel organization that mixes the two practices. Players will get to travel through iconic locations in Ireland, Scotland and other locales, then play D&D adventures built on the history and lore.

You can check our interview with the founder here.

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