The Weekly Podcast no.333 – 13 Omens, Dungeon Crawler Carl, CTHULHU Returns and Symbaroum Turns 10

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The Weekly Podcast no.332 – D&D Outsourcing, Paizo Printables, Dune Sells Out and LowLife RPG

Posted on April 18, 2026 by upturnedtable

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) is signaling a massive strategic shift toward outsourcing the development of official *Dungeons & Dragons* content to third-party publishers, as evidenced by a recent job post for a “TRPG Publishing Lead”. This role is explicitly tasked with overseeing “externally developed D\&D content, including adventures, campaign materials, guides, and artwork”. This change follows internal team restructuring, the adoption of a holistic D&D franchise model, and WotC’s recent decision to actively feature third-party products on D\&D Beyond. Although WotC has previously worked with third-party designers for early D&D 5E supplements like “Hoard of the Dragon Queen” and “Princes of the Apocalypse” The practice was largely abandoned in 2016, making this an important new chapter in the company’s relationship with outside publishers.

Paizo’s Pathfinder launched a new subscription service called Paizo Printables on April 2, offering 3D printable miniature files and accompanying TTRPG content. The service provides two monthly subscription tiers—$4.99 and $9.99—with the higher tier including a welcome pack of 25 minis, a monthly themed pack, and digital rulebooks. Associate publisher Thurston Hillman stated that the primary goal is accessibility, bypassing the delays of physical production, and the new format offers Paizo the freedom to create niche, setting-specific miniatures. Ultimately, Paizo aims to use the platform to introduce exclusive rules content and new ancestries to the game in the future.

A new physical and digital bundle is available for the Dune – Adventures in the Imperium RPG by Modiphius, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The physical bundle includes the *Agents of Dune Deluxe Starter Set*, the Atreides collector’s edition of the *Dune: Core Rulebook*, and an Arrakis-themed dice set. Most of the titles offered in the physical bundle seem to be sold out as of this post.

The Kickstarter campaign for LOWLIFE: A DUNGEON DEGENERATES ROLE PLAYING GAME, by Sean Äaberg and Goblinko, is currently live and heading toward its funding goal. The project is a major expansion of the Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom board game world, creating a full TTRPG described as “Grand Theft Auto meets Game of Thrones” and focused on “low drama” stories of survival in the dark fantasy continent of Bödengärd. The game utilizes a customized Old School Renaissance (OSR) engine with a d20 roll-low mechanic and features simultaneous, deadly combat. Key mechanics include tracking “Meat & Morale” as a combined resource—where the spirit often breaks before the body—and using “Heat” to track the players’ wanted level with local authorities. Core reward tiers include the *LowLife Core RPG Book*, the Doomed Life expansion (to bridge the RPG and board game), and world guides.

#dnd #paizo #dunerpg #lowliferpg

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https://groupfinder.eu/library/is-dnd-still-king-a-deep-dive-into-groupfinders-2026-matchmaking-data

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The Weekly Podcast no.331 – Feywyn RPG, Draw Steel VTT, Groupfinder Data and Breathless: Frightmare Edition

Posted on April 11, 2026 by upturnedtable

Feywyn RPG, a new fantasy setting and game from RiotMinds, is an Arthurian-inspired dark fantasy tabletop RPG that blends Celtic myth with mist-shrouded folklore. Set in a land where the boundary between the mortal and spirit realms is thin, the game challenges players to resist the encroaching Mist and fight supernatural threats. The core mechanic involves rolling a d20 and adding an attribute to meet a Challenge Value, with character consequences accumulating through Wounds (physical danger) and Fear (supernatural terror). A beta version of the Feywyn Digital Companion has also been released, providing a VTT, character creation tools, a dice roller, and a bestiary.

The Draw Steel Codex VTT is a new online tool and virtual tabletop for Draw Steel, the action-oriented fantasy RPG from MCDM, which prioritizes “heroic action over complex mechanics”. Available in Early Access for $19.99, the Codex includes all core rules from Draw Steel: Heroes and Draw Steel: Monsters, as well as “The Delian Tomb – Start Here Adventure” to help parties begin playing quickly. Key features of the VTT include tools for building or importing custom maps with dynamic lighting and multiple levels, along with the ability for each player to create custom characters, profile icons, and battle soundtracks. The VTT is designed to be suitable for both new and seasoned players, optimally supporting a Director with 3–6 players, and requires a 64-bit processor and 8 GB of RAM.

Rascal News looked at Groupfinder Data, which analyzes the current looking-for-group (LFG) landscape in the TTRPG community. The data from April 2026 confirms that Dungeons & Dragons remains the industry behemoth, accounting for approximately 60% of groups and 90% of player posts on the platform. However, when D&D data is excluded, a varied and thriving ecosystem of alternative systems is visible. The most popular non-D&D systems listed are Pathfinder, Daggerheart, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire: The Masquerade, and Cyberpunk RED.

Breathless: Frightmare Edition is a major update and expansion of the original 2022 two-page zombie survival TTRPG written by Rene-Pier Deshaies, now published by Mythworks. The original game gained notoriety for its mechanics that used diminishing dice to reflect tension and scarcity in a zombie-infested world, with over 350 other games or hacks using its core rules. This updated version is being released as part of Mythworks’ new STORYPAK line, which aims to lower the barrier to entry for TTRPGs by creating games that are simple and lightweight. Designed with a 90s slasher-horror/VHS aesthetic, Frightmare Edition is packaged in a cassette container holding 12 pamphlets, which include updated rules, tools for generating zombie dangers, and four adventures, allowing the game to be run as one-shots or longer 6-12 session campaigns

#feywyn #drawsteel #groupfinder #breathlessrpg

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The Weekly Podcast no.329 – Gygax Returns to D&D, New Battletech, Warhammer 40k 11e and Trench Crusade Boxed Set

Posted on March 29, 2026 by upturnedtable

Luke Gygax, the son of D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, is collaborating with Wizards of the Coast (WotC) to return the Gygax name to the game’s original setting, Greyhawk. This move was engineered by Dan Ayoub, Dungeons & Dragons’ Head of Franchise, who publicly stated that the game had “lost its way” and that involving popular figures like Luke Gygax is an effort to set it on the “right path”. The collaboration will produce Melf’s Guide to Greyhawk (Melf was Luke Gygax’s original player character) and new adventures set in the world. WotC also announced a full presence at Gary Con to mend rifts with the Gygax family and reinforce their commitment to the community, with Ayoub affirming that retailers and “face-to-face physical play” will remain central to D&D.

Catalyst announced a new core product line for BattleTech, including a Core Rulebook, Starter Box, and Core Box, all scheduled to launch at Gen Con. These releases move the game’s entry point away from the Succession Wars and firmly into the ilClan era, introducing advanced tech like pulse lasers and Clan tech early on. The Starter Box replaces the older Beginner Box, featuring the Hammerhead and Kontio, while the Core Box replaces A Game of Armored Combat and Clan Invasion with eight mechs from various eras. The new Core Rulebook, built off the Battlemech Manual, incorporates significant changes from recent playtests, such as front-loaded unequal initiative and basing charge damage on the Target Movement Modifier (TMM).

Games Workshop announced Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition, slated for a June release, with a goal to bridge the gap between narrative and matched play. The edition refocuses the lore on the Armageddon conflict, pitting Imperial Forces against Orks. A key rules change eliminates fighting over objective circles, replacing them with combat for pieces of terrain. GW will allow current 10th edition codexes to remain usable at launch, and the new edition will feature over 70 new detachments. Other updates include reducing stratagem stacking (one per unit per phase), allowing players to roll charge dice before determining targets, and bringing back Combat Disembarking from transports engaged in melee.

Hours before Games Workshop’s major announcement, the “biblical horror wargame” Trench Crusade launched its first true starter set, Carcass Front, which is available for pre-order at $129.99 and set for a late July release. The box set contains 16 new plastic miniatures split into two warbands: the mobile, smaller-count Heretic Naval Raiders and the high model count, melee-focused Procession of the Sacred Affliction, a zealous cult who practice religious penance by deliberately inducing leprosy. Carcass Front emphasizes narrative play value, including two full campaigns: The Path to Leviathan, a 2-player narrative, and a map-based campaign designed for 2–8 players to battle over resources.

#dnd #battletech #warhammer40k #trenchcrusade

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The Weekly Podcast no.323 – Blades 68, Pathfinder Beginner Box & STLs, Avatar Card Game and Hasbro Loves AI

Posted on February 15, 2026 by upturnedtable

Blades ’68 is an official 450-page expansion for the TTRPG Blades in the Dark. This supplement advances the timeline 100 years to the “Swinging Sixties” in the city of Doskvol, an age of electroplasmic fusion and “Bluetime” spy games. The expansion introduces new playbooks, crews, and a revamped setting, alongside new rules for Harm, Resistance, Keys, Deadlocks, and an adapted Trouble Engine. The campaign has been overwhelmingly funded, with an expected delivery date of August 2026.

Paizo, the publisher of Pathfinder, announced the new Pathfinder Beginner Box: Secrets of the Unlit Star, an all-inclusive entry point to Pathfinder Second Edition set for release on May 6th, 2026. The box set features a solo adventure, a 72-page Hero’s Handbook, an 88-page Game Master’s Guide, and updated rules for character options and adventure scenarios. Additionally, Paizo confirmed its commitment to the Pathfinder 2E Remaster with the release of Dark Archive Remastered and the announcement of Season of Ghosts Remastered. The company also partnered with One Page Rules to launch Paizo Printables, a new line of 3D printable wargaming miniature STLs compatible with the Age of Fantasy system, starting in Spring 2026.

Maestro Media unveiled Avatar: Pandora’s Power, a two-player asymmetric lane-battling card game based on the Avatar films. The game pits the resource-extractive RDA against the adaptive, land-rooted Na’vi factions, with the goal of reaching 30 points to decide Pandora’s fate. CEO Javon Frazier emphasized that the core experience is the asymmetry, with each faction playing a distinctly different game. Designed for ages 12 and up, the game plays in approximately 20-45 minutes and includes 170 Faction Cards, 18 Location Cards, and various tokens.

Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks touted the company’s AI integration as a “clear success” during a recent earnings call, though he primarily referred to its deployment in non-creative, operational workflows such as financial planning, supply chains, and general productivity. Cocks stated that AI, in partnership with platforms like Google Gemini and OpenAI, is expected to free up over 1 million hours of lower-value work within the year. While he maintains a “human-centric creator-led approach,” Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has an explicit policy prohibiting its artists and writers from using generative AI for final D&D products, a stance that aligns with a user survey indicating over 60% of consumers would not buy D&D products made with AI.

#blades68 #pathfinder #paizo #hasbro

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