Tomas Härenstam of Free League Publishing (Gen Con 2024 Interview)

I was able to snag half an hour of Tomas Härenstam's time at Gen Con this year to talk about Dragonbane and other cool games.

I was able to snag half an hour of Tomas Härenstam's time at Gen Con this year to talk about Dragonbane and some of the other cool games that he helps create as the CEO of Free League Publishing.

It was a delightful conversation, even if I was a couple minutes late and flustered because of trying to navigate the sea of thousands of people flooding into the exhibit hall at the same time I was. (I originally went to the Free League conference room instead of the booth in the exhibit hall, so I had to literally run and shove my way through the throng to not miss my scheduled slot.)

Thing worked out, Tomas was a real delight to talk to and nerd out about Dragonbane with.

Some of the highlights include:

1. They haven't ruled out English translations for the Dragonbane novels, but it's not their call because they're published by someone else.

2. Regarding the potential of their being Swedish-only Dragonbane content, he said, "We really, really want to do everything in both languages." Which was a treat to hear since some third-party Kickstarters aren't able to do translations (yet).

3. The TTRPG Vaesen was actually based on Johan Egerkrans's art, not the other way around. The game was made to go along with his wonderful images, and I had no idea. No wonder they go together so well!

4. Free League does have a full world for Dragonbane created, but they're trickling it out slowly instead of creating a worldbook. But he did say that it's a possibility in the future, so I'm crossing my fingers because I just adore worldbooks.

5. And maybe my favorite thing: there are going to be ready-made Dragonbane miniatures probably coming out soon(ish) instead of just the STLs we can download from MyMiniFactory. He says that not everyone has a 3D printer, and those people need access to the amazing designs of Titan Forge, too. (If you don't already know, I'm a crazy minis person. Just love love love 'em.)

There is SO MUCH more in the interview, talking about Free League's creation, the long-time discussions about acquiring the Dragonbane/Drakar och Demoner rights from Riot Minds since 2012, and that Mallards are contentious to some because some people don't want talking ducks in their grimdark fantasy. (To those people, I say pffffffffffffft.)

Anyway, give it a listen, and go pick up your copy of Dragonbane if you haven't. It's my favorite RPG and my primary focus of content creation for a reason.

If you aren't familiar with Dragonbane, be sure to read my glowing review of the core set.

Featured image courtesy of Free League Publishing.