The Weekly Podcast no.317 – Warhammer PhD, Toon RPG Returns, Crack the Sun and Temeraire RPG

Posted on December 21, 2025 by upturnedtable

The Finnish Foundation for Economic Education awarded a student, Aase Timonen, roughly $30,000 to fund her doctoral research into “transmedia worldbuilding in massive game franchises,” using the Warhammer franchise as her focus. Her research, conducted at the Game Research Lab at Tampere University, will examine how the broad spread of media (miniatures, novels, rules, etc.) has shaped Warhammer’s development, its shift toward competitive play, and its increasing canonicity.

The classic 1984 Toon TTRPG is returning with a new 2nd Edition from Steve Jackson Games, slated for a Backerkit crowdfunding launch on December 17, 2025. Game designer Steve Jackson explains that the update, conceived at least four years prior, is being done because he likes the game and felt it was due. Key changes in the new edition include the simplification of character creation, the introduction of mnemonics, and a dramatic streamlining of the “Fall Down” mechanic to be based on missing three actions instead of three calendar minutes, eliminating clock-watching. The new edition will feature new art by Kyle Miller, all in color, and will be available in both hard and softcover.

Draw Steel: Crack the Sun is a crowdfunder by MCDM Productions, which has successfully raised over $1.8 million. The campaign aims to determine the future of the Draw Steel product line and includes seven new products for 2026. These include Encounters, a 350-page third core rulebook filled with pre-made scenarios, NPCs, and skill tests; Between Sun and Shadow, a dedicated ancestry book adding eight new playable species like Goblins and Shadow Elves; and The Beastheart, a new class with four subclasses and fourteen animal companions. The main product is Crack the Sun, the first official epic campaign for Draw Steel, which is a mega-adventure in five acts for 3rd through 8th level heroes, along with three other new shorter adventures including the high-octane anti-hero adventure, The Condemned.

The Temeraire RPG from Magpie Games is set to launch its crowdfunding campaign in “early 2026.” The role-playing game is based on Naomi Novik’s Temeraire alternate history fantasy series, which reimagines the Napoleonic Wars with an air force of sentient dragons and their human aviators. The game will focus on the dynamic between the dragon and its rider, incorporating elements of epic military battles, logistics, and supply lines, as well as “Regency era romance,” allowing players to take to the skies as both dragon and aviator while navigating the balance of duty and desire. The book series consists of nine novels, starting with His Majesty’s Dragon.

#warhammer #toonrpg #drawsteel #Temeraire

Toon RPG Second Edition:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/steve-jackson-games/toon-the-cartoon-roleplaying-game

Crack the Sun on Backerit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/mcdm-productions/draw-steel-crack-the-sun

Fallout RPG Sale:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/ja/product/366742/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-core-rulebook-pdf?affiliate_id=2081746

Free Guild Ball Starter Set:

https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned

Mantic Companion App:

https://companion.manticgames.com/

Use our Referral code: MCTXEE

Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link):

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Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link):

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Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson

https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

Chris on social media:

https://hyvemynd.itch.io/

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The Weekly Podcast no.316 – Evil Hat Submissions, Starfinder Galactic Ancestries, Cyberpunk TCG and Fallout RPG Sale

Posted on December 14, 2025 by upturnedtable

Evil Hat Productions has opened submissions for new role-playing games, with a primary focus on titles that utilize the Powered by the Apocalypse, Forged in the Dark, or Powered by Fate systems. They are specifically not publishing 5E material. The company is looking for complete or near-complete game manuscripts between 40,000 and 100,000 words that align with the Evil Hat product lines. They offer full publisher services, including editing, art direction, and public playtesting, and are seeking partners in marketing. Pitches should include a short game description, target audience, setting/tone details, mechanics, and development progress, and should be emailed to submissions@evilhat.com.

Paizo has unveiled *Starfinder Galactic Ancestries*, an upcoming 224-page rulebook for *Starfinder Second Edition*, scheduled for release in April 2026 at an MSRP of $69.95. This expansion will introduce 21 brand new playable alien ancestries, such as the worlanisi, bantrid, and novian, alongside expanded options for existing Starfinder species like Vesk and Shirren. The book also provides Starfinder updates for classic fantasy ancestries including elves, gnomes, and goblins. Additionally, it features the Gap-touched versatile heritage and the xenometric android, allowing players to create robotic versions of any Starfinder alien or human.

A new official Cyberpunk 2077 trading card game, titled *Cyberpunk TCG*, has been announced by CD Projekt Red and Weird Co. A hype trailer was released on December 9th, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of *Cyberpunk 2077*. The game will draw heavily on the aesthetics and characters of both *Cyberpunk 2077* and the *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners* anime, featuring Legends like Jackie Welles and Judy Alvarez, as well as V and Johnny Silverhand. Developed by a team with experience on games like *Marvel Snap* and *Universus*, the TCG is designed to be accessible to new players while offering depth for enthusiasts, with a crowdfunding campaign slated for 2026.

A massive month-long sale is currently running on DriveThruRPG for the *Fallout RPG* line from Modiphius. Customers can save 33% on nearly every title, including the 438-page Core Rulebook, which uses the 2d20 cinematic roleplaying system and draws lore primarily from the Bethesda video games, particularly *Fallout 4*. The sale is an opportunity to acquire core books and expansions, such as the *Gamemaster’s Toolkit*, the *Winter of Atom* campaign, or the *Wanderer’s Guide Book*. Free Quickstart rules are also available for newcomers.

#evilhat #starfinder #cyberpunkTCG #falloutrpg

Evil Hat Game Submissions:

https://evilhat.com/game-submissions/

Fallout RPG Sale:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/ja/product/366742/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-core-rulebook-pdf?affiliate_id=2081746

Free Guild Ball Starter Set:

https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned

Mantic Companion App:

https://companion.manticgames.com/

Use our Referral code: MCTXEE

Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link):

https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n

Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link):

https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746

Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson

https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

Chris on social media:

https://hyvemynd.itch.io/

Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons:

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Support Us on Patreon:

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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe

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The Weekly Podcast no.315 – CoC 50th Anniversary Slipcase, Black Company Playtest, Traveler 5E and Discworld Games

Posted on December 8, 2025 by upturnedtable

Chaosium is releasing a premium collector’s set to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a games company (though one article notes Call of Cthulhu’s 50th is still a few years away). The set includes the Keeper Rulebook, Investigator Rulebook, and Keeper Screen Pack in a slipcase with new art by Ola Larsson. The contents are the same as current editions. It will retail for $139.99

Guild Ball is transitioning to a more digital, print-and-play format, with all existing official Guild Ball teams—including main Guilds like the Fishermen and Butchers, and Minor Guilds such as the Lumberjacks—now available as STL files on MyMiniFactory for 3D printing. These files are provided in both supported and unsupported versions, and players can also download a free Starter Set featuring the Brewers and Masons from the Steamforged Games website, where all the official Guild Ball Cards are also located.

Arc Dream, publishers of Delta Green, has released playtesting rules for an upcoming The Black Company RPG, based on Glen Cook’s dark fantasy series.

The game is a d100 system designed for “fast, suspenseful play” with a focus on soldier life, a streamlined player-facing interface, and “grit-forward” mechanics for Stress and Damage.

Mongoose Publishing and World’s Largest RPGs are partnering to license a version of the venerable Traveller RPG using the D&D 5th Edition ruleset. This 5E version is an expansion, not a replacement for the current Mongoose edition.

The project is massive, planned as 4-5 books collected into a 2,000-page slipcase edition, and aims to go beyond the existing universe to pave the way for new settings. Development will be led by longtime RPG designer Timothy Brown. It is expected to release in 2026.

Modiphius Entertainment is producing a new line of Discworld tabletop games starting in 2026.

Discworld: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork (a TTRPG) will have a retail core rulebook and a starter set in Q2 2026, following a successful crowdfunding campaign. Discworld: Readers Digested (a board game reskin of Blue Moon City) will launch via pre-order on Gamefound in Q1 2026. A card game called Kill Sam Vimes is planned for Q3 2026.

A second RPG campaign, Discworld: Adventures in Lancre and Uberwald, is set for Q4 2026

#coc #guidlball #blackcompany #traveler5e #discworld

Free Guild Ball Starter Set:

https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned

Mantic Companion App:

https://companion.manticgames.com/

Use our Referral code: MCTXEE

Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link):

https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n

Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link):

https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746

Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson

https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

Chris on social media:

https://hyvemynd.itch.io/

Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons:

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https://www.twitch.tv/abusecartoons

Support Us on Patreon:

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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe

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The Weekly Podcast no.314 – Ghost in the Shell RPG, Twilight Sword, Hope & Fear and Black Friday 2025

Posted on December 1, 2025 by upturnedtable

‘Ghost in the Shell Roleplaying Game’, a collaboration between Mana Project Studio and Don’t Panic Games, is based on the Production I.G. anime and Shirow Masamune manga. It is currently in the final days of its Kickstarter campaign, which has raised over $418,000, with a trade release planned for 2027. The game is set at the dawn of Section 9’s birth, specifically the Arise timeline of 2027, and utilizes a heavily modified version of the Forged in the Dark system. Its unique mechanics center around two core skill branches, Ghost (soul and mind/social and hacking) and Shell (physical prowess/gunplay and CQC), which are used for Wired Actions with six-sided dice rolls.

‘Twilight Sword RPG by 2LM’ is an adventure role-playing game being crowdfunded on BackerKit by Two Little Mice and publisher Free League. Heavily inspired by classic video games like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Ni No Kuni, the game is set in the world of Radia where heroes strive to bring back Hope against the scourge Vardas. The system, called Created at Twilight (CAT), is unique and d12-based, requiring players to roll under one of their eight abilities. It also incorporates a JRPG-style elemental system with a network of eight elements that interact, such as Fire beating Ice, and Thunder beating Water. The campaign has already surpassed $450,000 in its first day.

‘Daggerheart: Hope and Fear,’ the first major expansion for Critical Role’s Daggerheart RPG, scheduled for release in Summer 2026. This expansion promises a substantial amount of new content, including four new classes: the Assassin, Brawler, Warlock, and Witch, each coming with two subclass options. It also provides an extensive GM’s Toolkit with four new Campaign Frames, over 130 new Adversaries, and more than 100 new items. New mechanics include “transformations” like being cursed as a werewolf or vampire, and the expansion utilizes a new Dread Domain for Warlocks and Witches, alongside custom Fear tokens and a tracker for the GM.

Also Black friday 2025 deals from Mantic, Exalted Funeral, DrivethruRPG and MyMiniFactory with links.

#ghostintheshell #twilightsword #daggerheart #blackfriday

Ghost in the Shell Quickstart:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/539123/ghost-in-the-shell-ttrpg-quickstart?affiliate_id=2081746

Twilight Sword – BackerKit

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/two-little-mice/twilight-sword

Mantic Black Friday:

https://www.manticgames.com/black-friday-2025/

Noble Knights Black Friday Sale:

https://www.nobleknight.com/affiliate/aw.asp?B=3&A=1312&

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned