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

Paizo Printables:

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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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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

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The Weekly Podcast no.318 – Only Games Personalizer, D&D Romantasy, Bob’s DCC Bundle and 2025 Postmortem

Posted on January 13, 2026January 13, 2026 by upturnedtable

A new Dungeons & Dragons novel, The Feywild Job, from Penguin Random House, set for release on June 30, 2026. This book is described as a “romantasy” novel and is written by World Fantasy Award and Nebula-winning author C.L. Polk in their first licensed media foray. The plot centers on a rogue named Saeldian, who has a magical pact to never fall in love, as they are forced to team up with their ex-lover, a charming bard named Kell, to steal a gem called “The Kiss of Enduring Love.”

“Bob’s DCC Bundle,” a new Humble Bundle offering over 90 Dungeons Crawl Classics (DCC) RPG-inspired worldbuilding books for $40, a significant discount. The bundle was compiled by popular content creator Bob World Builder and is available until January 22, 2026. Notable inclusions are Bob’s own sourcebook Skrym, Grimtooth’s Old School Traps, and The Book of Fallen Gods. The first 7,500 buyers also receive four physical copies of iconic DCC adventures.

A Postmortem for 2025 including new RPGs like Toon RPG 2nd Edition and Ghost in the Shell RPG, industry news such as the shutdown of Wizards of the Coast’s “Project Sigil” VTT, and controversies like WizKids offering refunds for low-quality Baldur’s Gate 3 miniatures and DriveThruRPG removing the Rebel Scum RPG. It also notes Critical Role’s hiring of former D&D leads.

#onlygames #romantasy #DCC #2025

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The Weekly Podcast No.310 – Funeral for Sigil: the WotC 3D VTT’s Life and Death

Posted on November 2, 2025 by upturnedtable

We tell the spooky story of the failed attempt at a walled garden by WotC called Sigil.

Project Sigil was a 3D Virtual Tabletop (VTT) developed by Wizards of the Coast, announced in August 2022 as part of the “One D&D” initiative and built using the Unreal Engine. It officially launched in late February 2025, aiming to provide an immersive 3D experience with detailed miniatures, customizable terrain, and cinematic spell effects, integrated with D&D Beyond accounts.However, development was permanently ended in October 2025.Users who accessed Sigil with a paid or trial Master Tier subscription between March 1, 2025, and October 23, 2025, received a six-month Master Tier credit. Customers who pre-ordered the 2024 Digital and Physical Core Rulebook Bundle and received a Sigil-exclusive Gold Dragon Digital Miniature will receive a new digital dice set as a replacement. Sigil will remain available until its servers shut down at the end of October 2026.

#sigilvtt #wotc #dndbeyond

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The Weekly Podcast 300th Episode SPECIAL! with Matt, Chris and Jeremy (No, not those guys, the ones we got)

Posted on August 17, 2025 by upturnedtable

We look back out our 300 episodes of the Weekly and what we will do next with Matt, Chris and Jeremy (No! Not them. The ones we got!)

Help us celebrate on Patreon! All free members can click the link below to get 3 free months as a Weekling to celebrate almost 6 years!

#wotc #gygax #tariffs #dnd

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The Weekly Podcast no.297 – Degenesis Cancelled, MAC Attack, McD&D and Dirty Diamond

Posted on July 14, 2025 by upturnedtable

CMON, already struggling financially with a $3 million loss last year, suffered another major setback when its Gamefound campaign for Degenesis: Clan Wars was cancelled due to a legal dispute with IP holder SixMoreVodka. The German design studio terminated its contract with CMON after what began as a collaborative relationship deteriorated into legal battles, with both parties providing conflicting accounts of the breakdown. CMON has promised full refunds to the campaign’s 1,200 backers, though the refund process won’t begin until after legal resolution.

MAC Attack is a sci-fi miniature wargame by by Chris MacDowall where players command Mobile Armour Colossus (MAC) units and auxiliary units (AUs) in tactical combat across diverse terrain types including Open, Rough, Cover, Water, Obstructions, Barriers, and Buildings on a typical 48″x36″ battlefield. The game uses six-sided dice for general actions and specialized dice for Motion, Heat, Jolt, and Rad weapons, with MACs requiring careful Heat management to avoid overheating while maintaining Motion ratings that affect hit probability. Combat unfolds through four phases—Move, Attack, Meltdown, and Cooldown—with a card-based initiative system determining activation order, while players must strategically balance weapon usage (categorized by range, type, and power levels 1-4) against Heat generation. Forces must include at least 3 MACs and up to 1 AU formation per MAC, with AUs serving as supporting infantry or vehicle units that are always Motion 2, class 0, and destroyed by a single hit, while faction selection provides access to special rules and modules for tactical advantage.

Wizards of the Coast has restructured Dungeons & Dragons under a new “franchise model” led by former Halo veteran Dan Ayoub. This organizational change consolidates all D&D-related properties—books, video games, film, and TV—under one roof, promising a more coordinated and well-funded approach to the franchise. The gaming industry continues to navigate these challenges while seeking alternative distribution channels and legal remedies to protect their businesses.

The tabletop gaming industry is facing significant disruption due to Diamond Comic Distributors’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in January 2025. This bankruptcy has severely impacted over 100 independent publishers who relied on Diamond for book trade distribution to major retailers like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other bookstores. Diamond is attempting to claim ownership of millions of dollars worth of consigned inventory from publishers through a legal technicality, despite the publishers retaining ownership of unsold stock. Several publishers are taking different approaches to survive the crisis. Green Ronin Publishing has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $9,000 for legal defense costs, having already raised over $6,600 from 101 donations. The company faces particular challenges with upcoming Gen Con expenses and the loss of book trade distribution for key licensed games like The Fifth Season and The Expanse RPGs. Meanwhile, Paizo has stopped shipping products to Diamond entirely, meaning their August and September releases won’t be available through major bookstores or Amazon.

#degenesis #CMON #MACattack #diamondbankruptcy

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The Weekly Podcast no.294 – Chris and Jeremy HIred, Galactic & Going Rogue, Defying the Gods and White Wolf is Back

Posted on June 22, 2025 by upturnedtable

Critical Role Productions has made a significant power play by hiring Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford, two of the most influential designers behind Dungeons & Dragons’ 5th edition success. Both served as creative director and game director respectively at Wizards of the Coast for decades before departing in April 2025. Their recruitment to Critical Role’s Darrington Press division represents a major shift in the tabletop RPG landscape, coming just weeks after Darrington Press launched Daggerheart, their own alternative to D&D. This move is part of Critical Role’s broader expansion from web series into a full entertainment company spanning cartoons, comics, video games, and now tabletop game publishing. The departure of Perkins and Crawford appears to be part of a larger exodus from Wizards of the Coast’s D&D team. Following their April exit, several other high-profile figures have left the company, including VP of D&D Franchise Jess Lanzillo and content marketing strategist Todd Kenreck, who was laid off. This turnover comes at a critical time as WotC faces criticism over D&D 2024’s revised rulebooks, which many players and critics argue fail to address fundamental issues with the 5th edition system while actually making some problems worse. The timing raises questions about potential internal turmoil at the company that publishes “the world’s greatest role-playing game.”

Galactic & Going Rogue combines two beloved space rebellion RPGs into a single hardcover third edition, drawing inspiration from Star Wars, Rogue One, and Andor. The games focus on rebels fighting against a fascist galactic empire called The Mandate as part of The Liberation. Galactic tells stories of charming but flawed heroes and their relationships, while Going Rogue explores darker themes where characters are fated to make ultimate sacrifices for freedom. Both games use the GM-less Belonging Outside Belonging system with innovative mechanics including “pillars” that represent setting aspects and token-based gameplay.

Defy the Gods is a sword and sorcery RPG set in fantasy ancient Mesopotamia that queers the genre by centering romance and resistance. Players take on roles like Revenants, Sailors, Sorcerers, and other archetypes while building their own world of gods, cities, and wilderness. The game features a unique three-tier success system where rolling too high can be dangerous, and characters risk losing their humanity as they gain power through “Epithets” that can transform into “Dooms.” Romance serves as both protection and vulnerability, with emotional connections being key to survival against hostile world forces including pantheons of gods and oppressive cities. The campaign was successfully funded and includes stretch goals for additional content.

Paradox Interactive announced the revival of the White Wolf brand as the official licensing and publishing entity for World of Darkness properties including Vampire: The Masquerade. This marks a return for the influential brand that was shuttered in 2018 following controversy over insensitive content. Led by veterans including Jason Carl, the revived White Wolf aims to unify its transmedia properties and develop both classic and new IPs with a clearer long-term vision, representing another significant shift in how major gaming properties are managed and developed.

#darringtonpress #wotc #galactic #goingrogue #whitewolf

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