Handimonsters – Page 4 – Handiwork Games

23rd April 202118th May 2021

Friday News Update – April 23rd

Calling all Dice Goblins!

They’re already so popular, we’ve put the pre-order up early! Treat your click-clack Goblin self to this set of three, chunky boi d20. Each one is 31mm across (a normal d20 is 19mm), and designed with the legends and lore of our BEOWULF setting in mind.

Every set comes in its own pouch, but the FIRST HUNDRED SETS SOLD will be limited edition – coming with a BEOWULF pin badge and a card signed by the designers, Jon Hodgson and Paul Bourne.

Of course, if you’re not a BEOWULF player, and you just like those lovely maths rocks, then that works too. Giant dice are great for DMs, so the players can see as you make those tense and all-important rolls, and what 5e character doesn’t need their very own d20?

You could even roll them for our HANDIMONSTER encounters! This week’s new 5e beastie is the MOAT TERROR, lurking about the outsides of castles everywhere – and in lakes, ponds, canals and slow-moving rivers. A mass of mouths and tentacles, its unknown creator may even have crafted it to defend some forgotten space.

Or perhaps not so forgotten…

Get a new monster every week when you sign up to our Patreon.

And something we’ve haven’t talked about nearly enough – the second edition of a|state is almost done! Take yourself away from monsters and moats, legends and lore, bards and beasties… and travel instead the crumbling streets of The City. Lose yourself, lose your mind, lose your soul. And make sure you watch the shadows…

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16th April 202118th May 2021

Friday News Update – April 16th

Coming soon – The Witches and the Wyrm!

The Witches and the Wyrm is a brand new, completely extra, BEOWULF scenario – and coming very soon. Written by Jon and illustrated by Jon and Scott, the tides of this adventure carry your Hero away from the Church and The Hermit’s Sanctuary, and back towards the Old Ways and the mysteries of the Goddess.

Heroes are divided by alignment – and in BEOWULF, that’s by the Church and the Old Ways, rather than by the ones you know – and in episode 2, Jacob and Jon talk you through how that works.

This week in the BEOWULF podcast on YouTube, as Jon brings us up to speed on everything going on, and as he and Jacob talk FEATS, character improvements for your Hero.

Speaking of Heroes, you can now download all of our Hero miniatures as single character .stl files, enabling you to print and paint them at home. As well as Blaedswith and Ham Anfaeld, you can also find Bald Eadig, Ibn Uthman, Alys, Cwenhild, Waelwulf and – of course – Muthbona.

All available at DriveThru!

They also available to pre-order in metal, in a lovely boxed set at our store.

And we’ll have more BEOWULF treasures in the next couple of weeks. Brand new accessories, just to please the goblins among you (you so know who you are)…

Plus: more news from Handimonsters!

Jacob’s been busy plotting (we worry when he does that), and his JUMP RAT ENCOUNTER is now available to patrons. These rodents may be little, but they’re fast, they’re fierce, they’re feisty, they’ve got long legs, and they can cause all SORTS of trouble for your 5e party. This encounter comes complete with map, index, and pointers for GMs – and it’s available when you sign up to our Handimonsters Patreon.

And don’t forget – when you sign up, you’ll get the full manual of all our monsters, a new monster every Monday, and a whole heap of extra content to play with – starting at only £2.50 a month.

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9th April 20212nd June 2021

Friday News Update – April 9th

It’s all about free monsters!

Big thank you to DriveThruRPG: our Handimonsters mini-manual is the FREE .pdf of the week – and has already seen almost a thousand downloads. Head on over to the site, and grab half-a-dozen of our fabulous 5e monsters, drawn and designed by our top team of gamers and gaming experts.

Meet the Knacker, and it’s knack (sorry) for digging blind tunnels, ready to upset dungeon-builders and confuse adventurers everywhere. Meet the Spell-Thief, who has a perfect way to upset your mage, and the Holingean, who has one even better. And meet our BEOWULF critter, the Briar Goblingas or Heópapúcan, with all his special rules, allowing you to craft something really clever for your Hero/es to face.

Our Handimonsters Patreon is only £2.50 a month. It gives you a new monster every Monday (best way to kick off your week), plus a load of additional content – scenario suggestions, facts, maps and insights.

It’s less than a high-street coffee, and it’s definitely more fun.

Also now on DriveThru, individual Beowulf minis. If you have a 3D printer, you can download the .stl files for Blaedswith, our Witch of the Old Ways, and for our warrior Ham Anfaeld, who lives for the sea – and for the treasure.

Both these characters can be found in The Hermit’s Sanctuary, our Ennie-Award nominated intro-adventure for our beautiful and legendary BEOWULF game setting. Whether you know your Anglo-Saxon lore or not, BEOWULF something truly special, taking you and your players to another place, to another time, and back to a world of legends.

You can find all of our BEOWULF character .stl files here.

And, as you travel, don’t forget your sampler of our Jon Hodgson ‘Evil Forest’ Map Tiles, all in ‘fuzzy-edged’ .pdf and perfect for your virtual tabletop adventure.

Of course, we all hope that we can escape the virtual and return our own Whale Road very soon – whether it leads to the tavern, to the marketplace, or to meet our mates at the Mead Hall and to roll dem bones. But, wherever we game, it’s always fun to be a Hero!

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6th April 202118th May 2021

Handimonsters – now on DriveThru!

Face your Monday with a roar, your workload with a growl, your meetings with a smile full of teeth!

Not literally, obviously, but with the brand new monsters that come with our Handimonsters Patreon – some of which are now available at DriveThruRPG!

When you play the World’s Favourite Role-Playing game, some things are just familiar. You know the mimic, the owlbear, the gelatinous cube; you know them and love them. You know how to face and beat one, should you meet it down the dungeon.

Heck, you might even have one as a pet.

So, every Monday, we’ll start your week right – with something that your PCs (and you) have never seen. A brand new, completely original monster, every one with a full run of stats, plus artwork, lore and background. Some of them interlink, one creature with another, others have bonus content that you can grab through our Handimonsters tiers. And they all come complete with a tactics section – plot hooks and scenario ideas to have your PCs hopping (possibly literally).

And some of these are FREE.

Let’s start with our patron beastie, the Knacker:

Knackers like mines. Rather like our sturdy and bearded friends, they’re obsessive about their digging, and they tunnel constantly. The problem is: miners don’t like knackers. Left to their own devices, Knackers are haphazard and uncontrolled, creating structural weaknesses, dead ends, and tunnels that go nowhere.

They are quite helpful for non-logical dungeons, however…

The Hölingean:

A remotely-living, magical giant, the Hölingean pursues the learned arts and dallies with its mates in the summertime. Usually peaceful, they can fight if they have to, and they’re rather fond of human magic-users, often seeking them out.

The problems only start when their humans try to leave…

The Quicksilver Troll:

Alchemically changed and lightning-fast, the Quicksilver Troll is suffused with light. Smarter than their regular cousins, though still wary of fire, they’re stealthy, perpetually hungry, and devour anything they can catch.

They can also semi-dissolve themselves to a liquid-like state – so watch where you put your boots…

The Spell Thief:

The Spell Thief is a rumour, a flicker of darkness in a shadowed cloak. Was it created by magic-users, stealing each other’s spells? Or trying too hard to conjure a servant? Are there many – or is there just one? Whatever the answers, the Spell Thief seeks power.

And it may just come looking for you…

And last, but most definitely not least, the Goblingas:

The Briar Goblingas, or Heópapúcan (Old English) is a troublemaking spirit that lives in the forest. And, as this one is a special BEOWULF monster, it also comes with special rules, called ‘burdens’ and ‘gifts’, to fit with our 5e setting. Each of these gifts changes something about the Goblingas, and you can mix and match, creating something special for your Hero/es to face…

Starting at only £2.50 per month, there are many more Monsters where these came from, plus LOADS of additional content – maps, scenarios and suggestions.

Join our Patreon at Handimonsters!

1st April 202118th May 2021

News Update – Thursday 1st April

APRIL’S COOL – and that means Weekend Offers!

It’s Spring, it’s a long weekend, and it’s time to celebrate – with a couple of cheeky discounts!

Grab one of our 36” spring neoprene Battle Mats, now £4 OFF. These come gridded or ungridded, all ready for freeform role-play or the for itty-bitty-scritty-nitty-gritty of those all-important combat rounds. They’re made from neoprene, easy to maintain, and they feature no branding or logo – just Jon’s awesome art.

And please remember, if you’re going anywhere this weekend (or indeed for the next while), wear your MASK. Not only do they add +2 to the Fortitude Saves of all those around you, but you can wear the BEOWULF designs of Paul Bourne.

They’re £2 OFF, made for Heroes (of course), and they come complete with filter fabric.

PLUS: there may EVEN be a cheeky add-on discount waiting for you at the checkout. Y’know, just because we love you.

But be quick – these offers are this weekend only!

Plus: on the subject of BEOWULF, this week sees an extra special freebie Handimonster!

The Briar Goblingas, or Heópapúcan (Old English) is a troublemaking spirit that lives in the forest. And this one is a special BEOWULF monster, meaning it comes with special rules, c‘burdens’ and ‘gifts’, to fit with our 5e setting. Each of these changes something about the Goblingas, and you can mix and match, creating something special for your Hero/es to face…

And more Beowulf from our own Heroes! Jon and Jacob take to the Whale Road once more and this week, they’re talking ships!

Catch them on Spotify and on anchor.fm.

Keep up with all the news, when you join us on our Socials:

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26th March 202118th May 2021

Friday News Update – March 26th

Join us at the Spring Showcase!

This weekend sees Tabletop Gaming Magazine’s epic Spring Showcase, offering the inside scoop to the gaming community’s up-and-coming news. Find announcements, play-throughs and sneak peeks – and find Jon, on the main stage, at 3pm tomorrow (Saturday 27^th March GMT). He’ll be talking everything Handiwork, and what we’ve got coming up.

While you’re waiting, you can follow the Whale Road with our trusty Hero, Bald Eadig, who’s finally reaching the end of his adventure. Jump on over to Campaign Coins on YouTube and watch the epic, double-length finale of The Hermit’s Sanctuary – where the foul beast is finally uncovered!

And, if that leaves you in the mood for slaying nasties, then grab Horror at Herrogate, our full-length BEOWULF adventure, from DriveThru. Confront the dreadful dréag, the nightstalker, the breaker of bones, unkillable by mortal hand…

The .pdf comes complete with three poster-sized battle maps, tokens for VTT, new Follower cards and separate NPC artwork.

And, if you love a good monster, and a good RPG fight, then our Handimonsters Patreon is less than the price of a coffee. Start your week, every Monday, with a brand new 5e beastie – each one carefully designed and drawn, and coming complete with stats, lore, background, and all sorts of scenario ideas.

Plus – there’s loads of bonus content, and there’s loads of FREE stuff too!

And don’t forget – we’ve got some new goodies in our RedBubble store. Two of Jon’s best-loved designs are now available as photographic prints!

Choose from ‘The Sacred Grove’, a haven of light and rest…

…or ‘Monster’, for when you need to kick some butt!

If you have a favourite design, then do tweet us @GamesHandiwork and let us know!

Keep up with all the news, when you join us on our Socials:

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5th March 20212nd June 2021

Friday News Update – March 5th

Grab yourself a cup of tea (or a mug of mead), because it’s been a packed week at Handiwork Games …

First up – join our World Book Day Twitter giveaway. Follow us at @HandiworkGames and RT our tweet to win a print copy of The Hermit’s Sanctuary, our BEOWULF intro-adventure, complete with an original sketch from Jon.

The Hermit’s Sanctuary with Original Sketch

Thanks to our friends at Campaign Coins, you can follow the live play-though of The Hermit’s Sanctuary over on YouTube. This week, Bald Eadig meets… the SEA RAIDERS!

You can also follow Pellam’s Wasteland on YouTube for a solo play campaign.

And, of course, you can join Jon and Jacob over on our own YouTube channel, for our BEOWULF podcast. This week, it’s all about the 5e rules!

Or, if you’d rather just listen, find it on Spotify and on anchor.fm.

Gaming for good, and launching Tuesday 9^th March – a fantastic charity offer, sold in aid of The Trussell Trust. This mini-deck and map pack will fuse Jon’s bestselling Map Tiles with the fantastic RPG encounters of Venger’s Decks, offering you the perfect backstreet package, ideal for any campaign.

And every sale is for a good cause. Find out more, here.

In more news: Handimonsters! Our 5e monster Patreon is now at a new price, with easy-to-understand tiers. And this week’s monster is FREE! Add some giantish romance to your adventure with the Hölingean, tattooed and magical. They like summers of idle dalliance, and keep human mages as pets.

And catch Jacob, talking Handimonsters, over at d20 radio!

And finally – we’re very pleased to be involved with Heinzcon! Offering a wonderful programme of gaming related events and panels, this will take place in Twitch – and you can catch Jon (again – he’s been a busy fella) talking everything from BEOWULF to a|state.

Keep up with all the news, when you join us on our Socials:

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And sign up for our newsletter here!

5th February 202119th May 2021

Friday News Update – February 5th

Happy Friday – and it’s BEOWULF DAY!

The saga is complete – BEOWULF: Age of Heroes went to backers in today!

Jon and the team have been working (almost) round the clock to get this finally done, and we’re over the moon with the result. Thank you to all our lovely backers for waiting, and a special thanks to those of you who said you wanted to wait, because you knew the finished product would be worth it.

We hope it is. Please do share it with us – your reactions, your likes and your games. We’d love to know how you do, as you travel the Whale Road.

The formal launch of BEOWULF: Age of Heroes will take place on Feb 16^th– look out for the full book on DriveThru. We’ll also have pre-order links in the Games Handiwork store, where you can discover our Beowulf merch. Find our Inspiration coins and real metal minis, plus the map tiles and dice trays to really bring your campaign to life!

And we have a FREE Handimonster this week! Head on over to handimonsters.com to meet the spell-thief: a whisper, a rumour, a lingering shadow, a creature incomplete. He comes with full stats, and with all his background, plus gorgeous artwork and suggestions for scenarios. And top tier backers get all the extras.

On the subject of gorgeous artwork, you may have seen Ralph Horsley’s exquisite book, ‘An Art Adventure’, his career retrospective. We’re delighted to say that this backed on Kickstarter in 27 minutes flat. You can still pledge, and it’s well worth it!

You can also follow the further adventures of a|state on Twitch every Monday. Join the intrepid band of characters from ‘Nicely, Done’ as they venture out into more of The City. This isn’t the official second edition – not yet – but it’s a great taster. So thank you to GM Colin for making this happen!

To keep up with, Beowulf, Handimonsters, a|state and everything else, please follow us on our Socials:

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29th January 202119th May 2021

Friday News Update – January 29th

Happy Friday – and happy Wolf Moon!

And before anything else, a thank you to our BEOWULF backers for their patience. We had intended to release the .pdf this week, but decided to err on the side of caution and ensure the work was complete and fully polished rather than rushing it. It will come to you next week, and we really hope you like it!

Those of you who didn’t back the project, you can give our intro-adventure a try, and grab a couple of sneak peeks, all up on DriveThru – plus we have some gorgeous Beowulf Zoom backgrounds, to add some adventure to your online calls and games.

Look out for the full BEOWULF launch in February, complete with download links and details as to how you can pre-order the print copy of the book, as well as our real metal minis, gorgeous Inspiration tokens and all of the supporting merch.

And check out this week’s Handimonster! A personal favourite (Danie), this sly beast is not your average combat-monster. The rumourvine is subtle and filled with questions, an ideal way to weave a theme of espionage and mystery into your 5e campaign. Who planted it? Why? What do they want? What does it carry, what does it see – and what happens if you touch it?

Our Handimonsters are not just stats. Every one comes with scenario and deployment suggestions, and with all the lore you’ll need for your game. Many overlap with other Handimonsters, or with terrain from our Map Tiles, plus there are all sorts of extras for top tier backers, including exclusive content, VTT tokens, full digital art, and discounts at the Handiwork store.

Start your week right – with a new Monster every Monday!

In other news, we’re delighted to be working with Ralph Horsley on his new book, ‘An Art Adventure’, a career retrospective covering thirty years of illustrations. Absolutely beautiful, and launching on Kickstarter!

Plus: watch this space for news on the a|state second edition. Coming soooon…

To keep up with, Beowulf news, Handimonsters, a|state and everything else, please follow us on our Socials:

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25th January 202119th May 2021

Handimonsters: The Rumourvine

The Spymaster’s Friend!

Every great RPG has monsters. Big monsters, toothy monsters, fire-breathing monsters, monsters that chomp you, and that claw you, and that scare you out of your armour.

But a good RPG also has something else – and that’s subterfuge. So today’s Handimonster is the Rumourvine, which manifests that subterfuge in physical form.

Use the Rumourvine to add a creeping growth of both threat and suggestion to your campaign. Who planted it? What did it grow from? Why? Who tends it and helps it grow? What has it collected – and what form does that information take? What happens if you touch it? All these questions and more can weave a great story of espionage and tension.

To find out more about the Rumourvine, jump on over to Handimonsters.com, where Jacob Rodgers talks you through scenario suggestions, themes and imagery, and how to use a Rumourvine to its best effect.

As ever, all of our Handimonsters come with, not only a full stat block, but with professional art (this one by Scott Purdy), and all the details you’ll need to add them to your game. And top-level patrons also get full digital art, paper minis, VTT tokens (portrait and top-down), lots of exclusive content, and more.

And the best thing about Handimonsters? Your PCs will never have seen them before.

And that sounds like an adventure…