Back in the days of Borderlands 2, there was a DLC where one of the characters ran a fictional tabletop RPG called "Bunkers & Badasses" for the other characters. What started as a joke became an actual tabletop RPG that could be purchased and played. Here's the official description: based on the in-game game from Gearbox Entertainment's "Borderlands" series, "Bunkers & Badasses" is tabletop role-playing like no one has ever done before.

Bunkers & Badasses allows you to create your own Vault Hunter from 10 different classes, go on quests, run the game as a "Bunker Master," and do everything else you might expect. The 200-page gamebook also includes a description of the "Borderlands" character Tiny Tina. The gamebook also includes three adventures: a starter adventure about a magic wand, "Tiny Tina's Assault on the Dragon Keep," which recreates the DLC for "Borderlands 2," and a follow-up to "The Dragon Keep," "Bat Stallion's Honey The Robbery". (I believe this is a reference to the famous free viral one-page RPG "Honey Heist," but in the context of a $100 premium licensed tabletop RPG, it feels like a straight appropriation.)

There is also a trailer posted on Gearbox's YouTube channel:

Speaking of $100 games, "Bunkers & Badasses" appears to be a fairly high-level offering. The standard edition ($60) sourcebook appears to be a full-color, full-bleed print, but the actual product appears to be a deluxe edition, with a game master screen, gun cards, game grid, vault hunter miniatures, Borderlands monster standees, and "one-of-a-kind weighted It comes with a dice set that includes a "Badass Dice with Weights. So far, the "weighted badass dice" and the presence of loot cards are the only evidence of how B&B plays, but it appears to be a very traditional tabletop RPG, using d20 (20-sided die) mechanics.

Bunkers & Badasses is made by Nerdvana Games, a company somehow related to Gearbox that released a Tiny Tina-themed card game last year. Nerdvana is run by a trio: Christy Junio Pitchford, Nolan Lee, and Kathy Brown. "Bunkers & Badasses" is being produced in collaboration with popular board game company Leder Games, who are involved in the "development and production. [Bunkers & Badasses] can be pre-ordered on the Nerdvana Games website. The game is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2021. [Tabletop role-playing is growing in popularity. Tabletop role-playing is growing in popularity. Such as those made by Wendy's. Most of them exist only to cross-promote with other brands or to squeeze as much money as possible out of the IP. Will this game be no different?