LitRPG has spent years borrowing the language of tabletop games, so it was only a matter of time before one of the big series borrowed the games themselves. Catalyst Game Labs is adapting He Who Fights with Monsters into both a tabletop roleplaying game and a competitive board game, working with author Travis "Shirtaloon" Deverell.
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Find events near youThe series follows Jason Asano, an Australian retail middle manager dropped into a fantasy world that runs on ranks and abilities. Twelve books are out and the thirteenth is due on 6 October, which is a substantial readership to hand a character sheet to.
The RPG uses a modified version of Catalyst's Dice Core system, tuned so characters build their powers up from Iron rank through Bronze and beyond, mirroring the progression the books are built on. Three books are planned: a core rulebook, a monster guide, and a guide to the world and its societies. Catalyst is the studio behind BattleTech and Shadowrun, so this is a house that knows how to run a long-lived rules line rather than a one-off tie-in.
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Set up your group for freeThe board game is the more interesting surprise. It is competitive rather than co-operative, set in Greenstone and the surrounding region, with teams of adventurers racing each other to the monsters appearing across the realm while juggling the resources needed to train up and buy better gear. Licensed adaptations usually default to everyone-against-the-box; this one points the knives inward.
Alpha playtest rules for the RPG go out on 30 July, the day Gen Con opens, and you sign up through Catalyst's playtest page. Deverell will be signing at Catalyst's booth 1611 across the show, handing out chocolate spirit coins. If the alpha lands well, it is a ready-made excuse to get a group round a table, so set up a session and see who bites.
Sources: Catalyst Game Labs | Tabletop Sentinel
