The Weekly Podcast no.358 – Sword World 2.5, WotC Declines Union, 3 New for OSR and Goodman Games 25th

Posted on October 24, 2026 by upturnedtable

Group SNE and Mugen Gaming are running a major crowdfunding campaign to fund the official full-English localization and release of Japan’s iconic 2d6 tabletop RPG, Sword World 2.5. The campaign covers the localization and printing of core rulebooks, accessory card packs, starter sets, dice, and digital compendiums across multiple platforms including Roll20, Foundry, and the new Sword World Nexus digital portal.

United Wizards of the Coast–CWA announced that Wizards of the Coast has declined to voluntarily recognize union units representing D&D and Studio X staff ahead of a formal vote. While WotC management stated they prefer direct collaboration and plan to vote against unionization, they committed to respecting the election outcomes administered by the National Labor Relations Board. Union organizers are seeking protections regarding generative AI, fair wages, layoff security, and personal IP rights.

Three major OSR projects have surfaced, highlighted by David “Zeb” Cook’s mythical adventure The Afterlife of King Neiren under Necromancer Games. Additionally, Luke Gygax and Gooey Cube launched The Temple of Inquinatious Evil, a 500-page homage to The Temple of Elemental Evil supporting multiple systems, while Advanced Fantasy Games successfully funded The Cradle of Skulls, a classic dungeon crawl designed for OSRIC and 1E AD&D.

More than two decades ago, Goodman Games launched Dungeon Crawl Classics #1: Idylls of the Rat King. Today, Goodman Games celebrates 25 years in business.This crowdfunding offers the fantastic dice, dungeon crawls, and deals you expect from Goodman Games: “Old School from the Start”, the definitive history of Goodman Games, written by Stu Horvath. A new art book showcasing over two decades worth of fantastic images! No pesky rules in this one, just gorgeous art to marvel at! A NEW soul-searing adventure from Harley Stroh. This one’s so wild it could only be called Taste the Blood of Sezrekan! A new printing of the core rulebook with never-before-seen cover art. A new glittering die, the d25, in a custom wooden display case! And much, much more!

#swordworld #wotc #osr #goodmangames

Sword World on Backerkit:

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

Zeb Cook’s The Afterlife of King Neiren:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/necromancergames/zeb-cooks-the-afterlife-of-king-neiren

The Temple of Inquinatious Evil — A TTRPG Adventure on Backerkit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/gooey-cube/the-temple-of-inquinatious-evil-a-ttrpg-adventure

The Cradle of Skulls in OSRIC for OSR on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/advancedfantasygames/the-cradle-of-skulls-for-osric-1e-classic-fantasy-rpgs

Goodman Games 25th on Backerkit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/goodman-games/goodman-games-25th-anniversary-celebration

Castles and Crusades Humble Bundle:

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/m43mE7

13 Omens Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/officialpaizo/13-omens-a-horror-rpg

Mantic Companion App:

https://companion.manticgames.com/

Use our Referral code: MCTXEE

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/

Jeremy’s Links:

http://www.abusecartoons.com/
http://www.rcharvey.com\

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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe

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The Weekly Podcast no.339 – Paizo Layoffs, UK Game Expo Protests, WotC Senior AI Engineer and Infinity Suite for Traveller

Posted on June 14, 2026 by upturnedtable

Paizo is undergoing significant restructuring following a nearly $2 million financial loss in 2025, largely attributed to the bankruptcy of its former distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors. To manage the fallout, the company is laying off 12 employees, scaling back its organized play initiatives, and pausing Foundry VTT support for Pathfinder Society modules. While Paizo transitions its distribution to the Independent Publishers Group and works to recover book channel sales, it continues to focus on direct-to-consumer sales via its updated webstore.

The tabletop industry is grappling with the proliferation of generative AI, with tensions surfacing at the UK Games Expo 2026. Critics and attendees expressed deep disappointment over the convention’s lack of an official policy prohibiting AI-generated content, contrasting it with other conventions that have taken firm stances. In response, creators and vendors utilized “Human Made” signage on the convention floor as a grassroots effort to push back against the use of AI tools, which they argue diminish human creativity and threaten the livelihoods of freelancers and artists.

Meanwhile, Wizards of the Coast is signaling a shift in its technological approach, posting a vacancy for a senior AI engineer to develop customer-facing features, including systems for tutorials and NPC behaviors. This move coincides with Hasbro’s launch of “Sixth Wall,” a new AI studio focused on licensing company IP characters like Optimus Prime and Mr. Potato Head for interactive experiences. By utilizing its “CharacterOS” platform and real voice actors, Hasbro aims to provide authorized, guardrail-protected versions of its characters to mitigate the spread of unauthorized AI-generated content using its intellectual property.

In happier news for tabletop enthusiasts, Mongoose Publishing has released *The Infinity Suite*, a new 168-page campaign sourcebook for the *Traveller* RPG. The narrative centers on a band of interstellar rockstars who are heavily in debt and on the run from repo crews, forcing them to seek fame and inspiration across the Islands subsectors. The supplement introduces inventive mechanics to fit the rock ‘n’ roll theme, such as a Masterpiece System for song creation, a review system for music critics, Bass Battles, and Megastar Points to track the characters’ rise to fame.

#paizo #ukgamesexpo #wotc #travellerrpg

Roll Big or Go Home Bundle:

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/k49Mnd

Doctor Who and Warhammer to Cthulhu, Transformers, and even My Little Pony! Return to Dark Tower Household and Visigoths vs. Mall Goths! over 50 TTRPG books! $5.50 – $44

Dungeon Crawl Classics Essentials Bundle:

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/4aym3o

over 106 ebooks and PDFs $2 – $44

Cyberpunk RED: Ready-to-Run Essentials Bundle:

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/rEOrdG

Free League BundleRPG Collection:q

https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/zzrGdm

The Book of Unnumbered Worlds: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sinenomineinc/the-book-of-unnumbered-worlds

Demonic Grimoire on Backkit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/exalted-funeral/old-school-essentials-demonic-grimoire

Hellblaster: Against the Cyberfiend:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/bloodstar-productions/hellblaster-against-the-cyberfiends

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned

Mantic Companion App:

https://companion.manticgames.com/

Use our Referral code: MCTXEE

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/

Jeremy’s Links:

http://www.abusecartoons.com/
http://www.rcharvey.com

Support Us on Patreon:

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Give us a tip on our livestream:

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Donate or give us a tip on Paypal:

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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe

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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

Paizo Printables:

https://store.paizo.com/paizoprintables/

Paizo Humble Bundle:

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/pathfinder-second-edition-bundle-at-center-world-paizo-inc-books

LowLife RPG:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seanaaberg/lowlife-a-dungeon-degenerates-role-playing-game

Dune Bundles:

Physical – https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/1G1KE9

Digital – https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/WO4PBA

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned