The Weekly Podcast no.349 – $1 Million Crowdfunders, John Blanche Tribute, Malegothica Miniaturesand Crows: Fortune or Death

Posted on August 22, 2026 by upturnedtable

The TTRPG industry has seen a notable shift in how crowdfunding campaigns reach the million-dollar milestone, moving away from simple book sales toward becoming “pop-up merchandising storefronts.” Campaigns like Deathbringer illustrate this strategy, where high-ticket add-ons such as custom dice, playmats, statuettes, and even denim jackets significantly boost the average pledge level. While these massive funding totals capture attention, experts note that profitability often relies on these high-margin items to offset the costs of advertising and production, while raising questions about the logistical challenges of fulfilling such complex pledges.

A tribute to the late legendary artist John Blanche. Organized by Secret Passages, this initiative invites artists and writers to contribute to a standalone 40+ page zine that celebrates Blanche’s five-decade career. This collection of original essays, interviews, and artwork aims to capture the spirit of his influence on the gaming community and will be available alongside the upcoming Secret Passages Issue 4 in Autumn 2026.

Magnagothica: Maleghast, a collaboration between Tom Bloom and Taiga Miniatures. This campaign focuses on bringing the heavy metal-inspired wargame to life with official 30mm miniatures. With a goal of US$6,666, the project has already seen significant success, raising over US$78,000 by late August 2026. The campaign offers a range of options, including physical resin models and STL files for at-home printing, targeting an early 2027 delivery for backers.

MCDM Productions is promoting Crows: Fortune or Death, a new survival horror RPG that emphasizes high-stakes dungeon crawling and resource management. Built for challenging gameplay where players must survive on wits rather than stats, the game features mechanics like “Dungeon Turns” and robust inventory management via cards. The campaign also introduces a town-building aspect, where players invest loot to improve their home base, creating a lasting legacy for future adventurers while offering backers various tiers that include starter sets, rulebooks, and specialized equipment decks.

#johnblanche #malegothicamaleghast #OSE2026 #crowsrpg

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/mugen-gaming/sword-world/pre-launch

Batteltech PRG Bundle Encore:

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/9VBLr4

Secret Passage Zine John Blanche Tribute Page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jdhoare/secret-passages-4-an-old-school-rpg-and-oldhammer-magazine

Magnagothica: Maleghast – STL & physical resin miniatures Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/taigaminiatures/magnagothica-maleghast-miniatures

Crows: Fortune or Death:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/mcdm-productions/crows-fortune-or-death

Playtest here: https://mcdm.gg/crowsplaytest

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The Weekly Podcast no.319 – D&D Workbooks, Arcalink One, Lancer Hits 50k and Games Workshop on AI

Posted on January 18, 2026 by upturnedtable

Penguin Random House is releasing two new interactive D&D Workbooks on May 5th, 2026: the Player’s Workbook of Epic Adventures and the Dungeon Master’s Workbook of Worldbuilding. These companions to the revised core rulebooks offer exercises and prompts for character creation and campaign setting development, respectively.

Arcalink’s new tech from CES 2026, including the Arcalink One, a small, expensive handheld gadget that displays a player’s digital character and spell animations, and Arca Studio, an AI-powered subscription software designed to help Dungeon Masters manage campaigns by recording sessions and generating word clouds of recurring in-game elements.

The Lancer TTRPG, known for its mech combat and deep crunch, has grown into a major force in the community. Its unofficial hub, Pilot.Net, boasts over 58,000 members, making it one of the largest Discord communities for a single TTRPG outside of Dungeons & Dragons. Despite a slow release schedule of official supplements from Massif Press, the game’s audience remains engaged, thanks to the continuous stream of high-quality third-party fan publications, such as the widely accepted Legionnaire supplement.

Games Workshop (GW) has drawn a line in the sand regarding generative AI, with CEO Kevin Rountree announcing a “very cautious” internal policy that bans AI-generated content and its use in the company’s core “design processes,” which includes miniature sculpting, concept art, and rule writing. This restriction also extends to unauthorized use in GW-related competitions. Rountree noted that while a small number of senior managers are permitted to remain “inquisitive” about the tech, the overall intent is to protect GW’s intellectual property and reinforce its commitment to human creators through continued investment in its Warhammer Studio.

#dnd #arcalink #lancerrpg #gamesworkshop

Bob’s Humble Bundle:

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/K0roje

Free Guild Ball Starter Set:

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

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned