BEOWULF Podcast – Handiwork Games

21st May 202121st May 2021

Friday News Update – May 21st

The first copies of BEOWULF!

Yes, they’re real – we finally got out mitts on the very first copies! And just have a LOOK at this artwork:

With huge thanks to our friends, supporters and heroes…

‘An epic tale deserves an epic game system. This is that system’ – John Kovalic

Breathtaking… staggering… atmospheric in the extreme. It’s as if you were stepping into 6th Century Scandinavia and boarding a longship’ – John Gwynne

‘Really magical’ – Will Hindmarch

‘A vast treasure hoard’ – Francesco Nepitello

‘A magnificent accomplishment’ – Lou Anders

‘Brimming with brutal authenticity’ – Snorri Kristjans

‘Ingenious, beautiful, epic, enormous’ – Angus Watson

And to Maria Dahvana Headley for our foreword.

In more BEOWULF news, catch our latest podcast!

While BEOWULF was crafted for duet play (one Hero and one GM), in this episode, Jon and Jacob talk about how it can be played by a full adventuring party.

And you’ll need full adventuring party for this week’s Handimonster! Additional content for the Clatterbones is now available to our patrons – a desert-based scenario for a party of 4^th– 5^th level. We’ve all seen skeletons before, but not like these…

And in a|state news…

We’ve updated our pages with some info on the game’s history. From its earliest notebook appearances, to its first hardback manifestation at Conpulsion in 2004, it’s been an amazing project. And it returns very soon with a retooled system and all of the original creators still on board!

“Bringing the wine-dark visual vibes of Dark City and the socially-aware dystopia of Metropolis, a|state delivers Dickensian anti-Thatcher sparks and knives sci fi.”

For more, please do follow us on our Socials!

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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.

And please do follow us on our Socials:

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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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And sign up for our newsletter here!

12th March 20212nd June 2021

Friday News Update – March 12th

And first up – our MAP TILES are back in stock!

Find these in the Handiwork Games store and on DriveThru, and this includes all of our big Tiles Bundles, to bring every kind of adventure to your tabletop. And don’t forget, our Digital Map Packs – ideal for your VTT games – are still on SALE.

Next up – congratulations!

This goes to Simon H J Williams, who’s won himself a print copy of The Hermit’s Sanctuary, complete with original sketch by Jon. Which is winging its way, even as we speak.

If you didn’t win this one, worry not – there will be more competitions soon…

To follow The Hermit’s Sanctuary adventure, join the Campaign Coins team, over on Twitch. This week, the fifth instalment sees our Hero, Bald Eadig, get to grips with ‘Baleful Grief’ – and we hear rumours that the Eadig/Thormund/Saewine love triangle may be heating up…

Stat a Hero of your own, with this week’s podcast! Those all-round-renowned RPG geniuses (genii?) Jon and Jacob talk you through the first part of creating your Beowulf Hero character, so they’re armed and ready to… erm… break benches.

If you’d rather listen, you can also find it on Spotify and on anchor.fm.

A Hero, of course, needs an adventure. Make your awareness checks for Horror at Herrogate, a new full-length BEOWULF scenario coming up at DriveThru – very soon!

If you backed the original Kickstarter, your Hero gets their Horrors for free – we will send you the .pdf next week.

In the meantime – all you painters! We’re delighted to share the skills of the wonderful Sonic Sledgehammer Studio, making a gorgeous job of our white metal minis. Chosen by Sonic’s fans, the Hero Ibn Uthman is first for the brush. Once a trader and writer, he was exiled for using his prodigious ability with words – and returning to Baghdad was no longer an option.

Check out Sonic’s awesome painting…

Pop over to our friends at GeekNative for a chance to win our Bang & Twang card game. It’s fast and fun and easy to learn, great for kids and an ideal family game – but look out for the Forest Dragon!

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 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:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

Insta @HandiworkGames

Pinterest @HandiworkGames

And sign up for our newsletter here!

26th February 20212nd June 2021

Friday News Update – February 26th

And it’s time for a SPRING SALE!

Jump on over to DriveThruRPG, where our JON HODGSON MAP TILES are 20% OFF. These include our best-selling Dungeon Tiles, plus SF Tiles (Uptoian and Dystopian), and Tiles offering Forests, Caverns, Desert, Hillforts, and everywhere else you can escape to roll dice. And all of these come with free digital files.

You can also find all of our digital scenery packs, featuring everything from walls and posts and logs and sticks, all the way up to fireplaces and furniture.

Perfect backgrounds for all your lockdown gaming adventures!

And, taking you down the Whale Road this week, we have two brand new BEOWULF videos. Join Bald Eadig in the third instalment of The Hermit’s Sanctuary adventure, presented by our friends at Campaign Coins. This week, The Search…

Join Jon and Jacob, discussing the first chapter of our BEOWULF setting in this week’s podcast, over at our YouTube channel.

If you’d rather just listen, you can find it on Spotify and on anchor.fm

If you’re on Pinterest, we have a brand new profile showcasing our artwork, minis, monsters, forthcoming titles and more. Please go give us a follow!

And if you’re waiting for a|state, then watch this space – we will have news of the playtest version, coming soon!

Get the news about a|state and everything else, when you join us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

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And you can keep up with all of our Portents and Inspirations, when you sign up for our newsletter here!

Beowulf Character Sheet – grab your dice and start rolling!

25th February 202118th May 2021

BEOWULF Podcast Episode 2

Join Jacob and Jon in episode two of BEOWULF: Age of Heroes Podcast. This week they’re digging into Chapter One, and will not in any way ramble or go off topic!

Or listen with no pictures at Anchor FM
Or at Google Podcasts
Or Spotify

BEOWULF: Age of Heroes Miniatures Set

£34.99

Add to basket
BEOWULF: Age of Heroes Inspiration Tokens

£12.99

Add to basket
BEOWULF: Age of Heroes Rulebook with .PDF

£39.99

Add to basket

19th February 202118th May 2021

Friday News Update – February 19th

TOP TEN BESTSELLER!

YOU DID IT! The day after its release, BEOWULF: Age of Heroes was an instant Top Ten bestselling title on DriveThruRPG. Give yourselves a good round of table-thumping and a big ol’ flagon of mead!

Needless to say, we’re over the MOON – really, really pleased to see our Hero doing so well.

But the tale doesn’t end there!

In the Handiwork Games store, we have all our beautiful BEOWULF accessories for pre-order – so if you missed these on Kickstarter, you can place your orders now. Find our Compass and Inspiration Tokens, both from Campaign Coins, plus the real oak box.

And find our specially-made, white-metal minis, along with wolves (who doesn’t need wolves), and the full digital minis pack that allows you to print your own.

And don’t forget to place your pre-order for the print book version, coming very soon – because books are always the best. (You’ll get your .pdf download free as well).

And still, the tale continues…

Jump on over to our YouTube Channel to find our newest RPG panel. In this one, Danie talks to Jon about BEOWULF, and to author Lou Anders about his Viking Age 5e Kickstarter Norrongard, Thrones and Bones. Jon and Lou shed their insights on the recent rise of role-playing, on adapting the 5e system, and on who they’d like to game with, if they could.

You can also catch Jon and Jacob Rodgers in the first of our BEOWULF podcasts!

Which is also available as audio from anchor.fm and Spotify.

And still, the tale continues…

Thank you, too, to the lovely guys at Pellam’s Wasteland for an amazing overview of the BEOWULF setting (genuinely worth watching all of this)…

And don’t forget to follow the adventures of Bald Eadig, as he finds out the truth of The Hermit’s Sanctuary…

Beowulf Twitch Playthrough – The Hermit’s Sanctuary

Follow the Whale Road, and join us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

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And you can keep up with all the Portents and Inspirations, when you sign up for our newsletter here!

13th November 202019th May 2021

Friday News Update – November 13th

Happy Friday 13^th– and lucky for some!

The competition to win one of our nine Woden Coins has closed, and we have contacted the winners. But don’t worry if you didn’t win this time – there will be more competitions in the future.

Instagram @handiworkgames

Facebook @handiworkgames

Twitter @gameshandiwork

In more of this week’s news, Jon was a guest over at The Smart Party’s RPG Podcast, talking about The One Ring, BEOWULF, The Forest Dragon, a|state and much more. Thanks to Gaz and the team for a great interview!

Back at Handiwork, we had a chat of our own – with top game designer Jacob Rodgers. Co-creator of our BEOWULF intro-adventure The Hermit’s Sanctuary, Jacob told us how he made the adventure work for one player and one GM, how to GM a really good campaign, and he answered that ever-pertient question: how do you make your players follow the adventure, and not go off on a tangent?

Find Jacob’s interview, here.

Don’t forget: our BEOWULF Late Pledges are ending very soon. Please get those pledges in, anywhere from a single shiny pound, and help us bring the legend to life.

And remember, this Christmas, support your local and indie businesses! Game designers, crafters, bookstores – we can’t give you shiny ads full of tinsel and snowfall, but we can offer you the best in tabletop role-playing goodies, in supplements and adventures and glimpses into other worlds, and in every kind of pretty gaming merch.

Grab your treasures at Handiwork Games.

Find us on Redbubble and DriveThruRPG.