The Weekly Podcast no.313 – Rebecca Heineman, Old School Essentials 2026, Fantasy Grounds & Alchemy Free and Lankhmar Bundle

Posted on November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 by upturnedtable

Rebecca Heineman, a pioneering programmer and game designer, has passed away at age 62 from adenocarcinoma. Heralded as the ‘first-ever video game champion,’ she co-founded Interplay Productions (creators of Fallout and Wasteland) and later founded two more studios, Contraband Entertainment and Logicware. Heineman was also a trailblazer for transgender game developers, transitioning mid-career in 2003, and was honored with the Gayming Icon Award for her work and advocacy.

Old School Essentials (OSE) will have a 2026 Update, which aims to streamline the core product line of the beloved old-school RPG. Necrotic Gnome is consolidating its five existing core products into two definitive, 256-page hardcovers: the OSE Player’s Book and Referee’s Book, based on the popular Advanced Fantasy ruleset. The new books will feature a new cover design, approximately 200 new illustrations, enhanced introductory material, a glossary and index, and minor rule tweaks and optional rules (like training and XP for magic items). Crucially, the update ensures 100% compatibility with older OSE books and makes the entire core game 100% OGL-Free for long-term legal safety.

Both Fantasy Grounds and Alchemy VTT announced that their core platforms are now completely free to play. Fantasy Grounds removed its previous one-time license or recurring subscription barrier, allowing Game Masters and players to host and join unlimited games immediately. Its developer, SmiteWorks, also launched a beta for a web-based Fantasy Grounds Online Reader. Similarly, Alchemy VTT is now free with unlimited access to games, characters, game systems (“Universes”), and asset uploads, replacing its subscription with an optional “Alchemist” supporter model.

The Last Call for Lankhmar Humble Bundle from Goodman Games. This bundle focuses on the Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) Lankhmar setting and includes the DCC Core Rulebook, the Lankhmar Campaign Setting, and a collection of 15 distinct adventures, such as “The Greatest Thieves in Lankhmar.” Available across several pricing tiers, including a physical tier, the bundle offers a massive amount of content for the sword-and-sorcery setting, with all purchases supporting the No Kid Hungry campaign.

#konflikt47 #pirateborg #dtrpg #oneringrpg

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The Weekly LIVE 245 – Roll20 Buys Demiplane, Steamforged Buys Warmachine, Instagram Training AI and Adam Bradford Hired by Fantasy Grounds

Posted on June 9, 2024June 9, 2024 by upturnedtable

Roll20 has acquired Demiplane, a character management and creation toolset, to enhance its virtual tabletop (VTT) platform. This acquisition aims to create a seamless user experience for tabletop RPG players, allowing them to buy RPG content, manage characters, and play games in one place. Roll20 CEO Ankit Lal emphasized the goal of connecting gamers and providing a comprehensive digital toolkit for various game systems. Demiplane’s integration will support new game systems and Kickstarter campaigns with digital options. Demiplane CEO Peter Romenesko mentioned efforts to merge the two platforms’ features. The acquisition won’t immediately impact users, but Demiplane’s development team, minus executive Adam Bradford, will stay intact. Bradford has joined SmiteWorks, the owner of Fantasy Grounds, as Chief Development Officer.

Steamforged Games has acquired the Iron Kingdoms universe, including the Warmachine wargame, Formula P3 paints, and the Iron Kingdoms RPG series, from Privateer Press. This acquisition aims to enhance the gaming experience for players through a collaboration between Steamforged and Privateer Press on design and development. Steamforged, known for its successful game development, plans to transition the range to its website, ensuring a smooth changeover while honoring existing orders. The acquisition is expected to strengthen the miniature gaming community, with continued support for related events and upcoming releases, including a Kickstarter for the Iron Kingdoms RPG.

Meta has confirmed that it uses public Instagram images to train its AI image generator, sparking outrage among users, especially artists. Many are considering leaving Instagram due to this and the platform’s declining reach. Despite the backlash, opting out is complicated and mainly available to EU users. Superstar artist J. Scott Campbell advised artists to remain on major platforms like Instagram for business growth, though he has joined the artist-friendly platform Cara. Cara promises to filter out AI-generated content and offers an alternative for those concerned about AI’s ethical issues. Campbell also suggests artists build direct connections with their audience through mailing lists.

SmiteWorks, the developer behind the virtual tabletop software Fantasy Grounds, has hired Adam Bradford as its Chief Development Officer. Bradford, known for founding D&D Beyond and leading Demiplane, brings significant experience to his new role. At SmiteWorks, he will focus on expanding Fantasy Grounds’ market presence, enhancing user engagement, and improving user experience. Doug Davison, President of SmiteWorks, expressed confidence in Bradford’s ability to drive growth and innovation. Bradford is enthusiastic about contributing to the success of Fantasy Grounds and aims to modernize its visual identity.

#warmachine #fantasygrounds #meta #demiplane #roll20

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