Wizkids recently released pre-painted miniatures of the Baldur’s Gate 3 characters in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, and the results were catastrophically poor. The miniatures featured severely distorted faces, misplaced features, and in some cases missing parts entirely (one customer reportedly received a headless Shadowheart). The quality was so abysmal that Wizkids issued a public apology and offered full refunds to all customers, acknowledging that the final product “did not meet our expectations or that of our Wizards of the Coast partner.” The controversy highlights broader issues with pre-painted miniatures in the tabletop gaming industry. At $50 for seven figures (roughly $7.10 each), these miniatures were priced at the low end for pre-painted products, making high quality unlikely from the start. Pre-painted miniatures face an inherent trade-off between cost and quality, as skilled painting requires significant time and labor. However, Wizkids particularly drew criticism for misleading promotional materials that showed much higher quality products than what customers actually received.The miniatures disaster represents a broader pattern of Hasbro’s mishandling of Dungeons & Dragons over the past decade. Despite D&D’s massive success, including the acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3 and growth in popularity, Hasbro has consistently fumbled opportunities. The article points to several failures: the OGL controversy that alienated creators, losing Larian Studios after Baldur’s Gate 3’s success, the underperforming D&D movie despite its quality, the cancellation of Project Sigil, and the minimal innovation in the 2024 rules update. The author argues that Hasbro fundamentally misunderstands its own product and lacks the vision to capitalize on D&D’s unprecedented cultural moment.

Celebrate “Modern AGE May” as part of Green Ronin’s 25th anniversary, highlighting the seven-year journey of the Modern AGE roleplaying game. Developer Malcolm Sheppard reflects on the game’s development since 2017, praising its flexibility and the collaborative efforts with various writers and designers. The company has released a free PDF with core rules updates based on improvements learned over the years, and the game line has influenced other successful titles like The Expanse and Cthulhu Awakens.

The return of 90s nostalgia with “Slam Throne,” a new game that resurrects the concept of Pogs for modern audiences. Players use Hero Slammers to flip health caps in their opponent’s stack, with each slammer having unique passive and catch abilities. The game emphasizes simple, fun mechanics over deep strategy, appealing to gamers who remember the original Pogs phenomenon from the 1990s.

Daggerheart, a Dungeons & Dragons rival from Darrington Press that launched on May 20, 2025. Remarkably, just one day after release, the company introduced playtest material for two new classes: Warlock and Fighter. The Warlock uses a Favor system tied to patron relationships, while the Fighter specializes in melee combat with subclasses like Juggernaut and Martial Artist. This rapid release of additional content demonstrates the company’s commitment to expanding the game system quickly after launch.

#whizkids #modernAGE #SlamThrone #Daggertheart

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Daggerheart “The Void”:

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Audio from all sessions of our Outgunned: Indy Heat 1985 actual play

Matt is the Director and Jeremy, Will and Terry are the players.

The setting is an 80s buddy cop movie set in Indianapolis circa 1985.

#outgunnedrpg #actualplay #80smovies #buddycop

From the website:

Outgunned is a cinematic action rpg inspired by the classics of the genre, from Die Hard to True Lies, passing through James Bond, Atomic Blonde, Kingsman, Ocean’s Eleven, Hot Fuzz, and John Wick. In Outgunned, Players take on the role of action Heroes facing terrible odds. They will be constantly surrounded by enemies while trying to carry out their mission, be it robbing a casino or saving the day. Outgunned features a game system called Director’s Cut, a set of mechanics using small pools of six-sided dice to determine the outcome of the Heroes’ actions. When rolling dice, your goal is not to score the highest or lowest possible number, but to roll two-, three-, and four-of-a-kind.

Outgunned RPG – Action Hero Pledge UNBOXING:

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The United States and China have reached an agreement to reduce their additional tariffs on each other’s imports. China will cut its extra levies on American goods from 125% to 10%, while the US will reduce its additional tariffs on Chinese products from 145% to 30%. Some of these reduced tariffs will be suspended for 90 days while the two countries continue negotiations, with import duties set at 30% during this period. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed a desire for more balanced trade and increased Chinese openness to American goods. The agreement aims to end the escalating trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies.In a separate development, President Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, shortly after her office released a report suggesting that Big Tech companies’ use of copyrighted materials to train AI systems constitutes copyright infringement. The report acknowledged that some AI training uses might be “transformative” but stated that commercial use of copyrighted works that competes with original content “goes beyond established fair use boundaries.” Critics have called the firing an “unprecedented power grab,” while noting that tech companies are seeking copyright exceptions they’re unlikely to get through Congress. Some suggest Elon Musk’s influence in the White House may have contributed to the swift dismissal.

Games Workshop has initiated a massive legal action against approximately 280 online sellers worldwide, freezing their assets and accounts in a sweeping crackdown on alleged counterfeits and trademark infringements. While many targeted sellers were producing knockoffs, some legitimate businesses were caught in the crossfire for minor infractions like mentioning “Warhammer” in product descriptions or using the word “Citadel” for brush holders. The company posted a $10,000 bond per seller (potentially $2.8 million total) to cover damages for wrongful actions, with a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for May 27, 2025.

Kobold Press is launching a new cozy roleplaying game called RiverBank, which offers a stark contrast to traditional combat-focused games like Dungeons & Dragons. Written by award-winning author Kij Johnson, this “tea, poetry and total disaster” game features anthropomorphic animals in a peaceful riverside setting and will begin crowdfunding in April 2025, catering to a growing trend of cottagecore tabletop experiences.

Mantic Games has announced an exclusive partnership with Kickstarter through 2026, making the platform their sole crowdfunding venue for upcoming projects. The UK-based studio, known for games like Worms: The Board Game and Hellboy: The Board Game, has already revealed plans for Assassin’s Creed: Animus – The Board Game and DreadBall All Stars, a reboot of their sci-fi sports miniatures game. This partnership allows Mantic to focus on game development while leveraging Kickstarter’s established community.

#tariffs #warhammer #koboldpress #riverbankRPG #mantic 

Riverbank RPG:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/kobold-press/riverbank-a-cozy-rpg-of-elegant-animals-chaos-whimsy

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Denver-based game creator Luke Stratton, a former concert lighting designer, developed a pirate-themed tabletop RPG called “Pirate Borg” during the pandemic. However, his business is now facing significant challenges due to new import tariffs that have more than doubled the cost of manufacturing game components in China from $50,000 to $125,000. With limited alternatives, Stratton may need to seek additional investment or increase the game’s price.

The TTRPG industry is experiencing shifts in convention attendance, as UK publisher Rowan, Rook, and Decard announced they won’t attend Gen Con this year due to safety concerns related to the U.S. political climate. While their booth will be operated by U.S. representatives, there will be no UK staff presence for events or meetings, following a trend of international creators canceling U.S. appearances.

New game releases continue to generate excitement, including “Citizen Sleeper: Spindlejack,” a free solo tabletop RPG adaptation of the popular indie video game where players use dice to survive as an airbike courier on a space station. 

The crowdfunding platform GameFound has partnered with DriveThruRPG and publishers like Magpie Games and Chaosium to launch “RPG Party,” an initiative supporting independent TTRPG creators with resources, mentorship, and marketing assistance.

The Melsonian Arts Council is crowdfunding “Liquid Steel,” a project that translates Eduardo Mazzitelli and Enrique Alcatena’s classic Argentinian science-fantasy comic series into English for the first time, alongside a tabletop RPG adaptation compatible with the TROIKA! gaming system. The campaign offers both books separately or together, with manufacturing planned in Europe to avoid U.S. tariff complications for American customers, and estimated delivery by October 2025.

#pirateborg #citizensleeper #gamefound #liquidsteel

Citizen Sleeper: Spinlejack

https://jump-over-the-age.itch.io/citizen-sleeper-spindlejack

Gamefound RPG Party Application:

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Liquid Steel on Backerkit:

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The Pacific Legal Foundation has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Stonemaier Games and other small business plaintiffs challenging the legality of recently applied tariffs on Chinese imports. The lawsuit, detailed in an April 30, 2025 article, argues that President Biden’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose these tariffs exceeds presidential authority, as the 1977 law makes no mention of tariffs and has historically been used only for economic sanctions. The plaintiffs, including tabletop game publisher Stonemaier Games, children’s clothing company Princess Awesome & Boy Wonder, art gallery Quent Cordair Fine Art, and metal treatment company 300 Below, seek refunds for tariffs already paid and aim to “restore the proper limits of presidential authority” by reasserting that tariff authority is constitutionally granted exclusively to Congress, not the executive branch.

Steamforged Games is rejuvenating the Warmachine franchise, which previously competed closely with Warhammer 40K in the miniature wargaming sector. Following a challenging period, Warmachine is set to make a strong comeback in 2025, and to generate excitement, the senior team at Steamforged will host a live Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Discord. Scheduled for May 8, 2025, this event will feature key figures from the company who will address questions about the game’s revival, new model releases, and future plans, creating direct engagement opportunities for fans. The AMA will not only provide insights into the development of the Warmachine universe but also includes promotions such as giveaways of starter sets for beginners, designed to help newcomers engage with the game. Attendees will have the chance to interact via video and chat, making this a dynamic platform for community building. Additionally, ongoing support for the game will be featured, including updates on expansions and exclusive content available through the Warmachine app.

Roll20, which acquired the Demiplane rules compendium platform in June 2024, has launched a public beta integrating the two systems. This integration allows users to seamlessly link their Demiplane characters to Roll20 campaigns without exporting or rebuilding, with both platforms now offering cross-platform sync and shared subscription benefits active since February. The public beta currently supports character sheets for six game systems (Alien: RPG, Candela Obscura, Cyberpunk RED, Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game, Pathfinder 2e, and Vampire the Masquerade 5e), with over 2,000 data fields available for use in Modscripts and Macros. This integration represents another step in Roll20’s strategy to become a comprehensive tabletop gaming platform, following previous acquisitions of DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Scrawl.

Mantic Games has launched the Halo: Flashpoint app to facilitate gameplay and event management for players. This app will provide users with access to full rules, gameplay content, and a free list-building feature, enabling players to create their army lists conveniently. The app supports both free and subscription-based functionalities, allowing for organized play and the ability to run tournaments. Covering a range of features, the app aims to enhance the gaming experience for Halo: Flashpoint fans, making it a comprehensive tool for both casual and competitive play.

Andrew Clayton, creator of Foundry Virtual Tabletop (VTT), has taken a strong stance against the use of generative AI in the tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) industry, calling it a “betrayal” of the artists, writers, and designers who built the space. In a recent interview, Clayton described AI-generated content as “soulless and derivative,” arguing that it exploits creative work without consent. This view sharply contrasts with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks, who has openly embraced AI for Dungeons & Dragons development. While Foundry as a company opposes AI integration, some user-created modules do include AI tools, but Clayton emphasizes that Foundry itself will not support AI, now or in the future. This puts Foundry at odds with Hasbro’s vision, despite its official partnership with D&D.

#warmachine #roll20 #demiplane #halo #foundryvtt

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned

Wargamer.com Discord:

https://discord.gg/yhMQJwWfCt

Halo Flashpoint App:

https://haloflashpoint.manticgames.com/the-app/

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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe

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