2025 UNEARTHED ARCANA - NOVEMBER SUBCLASSES UPDATE - Oathbreaker Summons Skeletons; Randall Summons Zoidberg
Release Date: 12/18/2025
EBERRON - FORGE OF THE ARTIFICER 2: Mobile Bastions and Divorced-Dad Energy
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Welcome back to RPGBOT.Podcast, where Ash is a Top GM™, Tyler is still emotionally processing Bastions, and Randall has discovered that Eberron finally lets you live your best divorced-dad-with-a-houseboat fantasy. In Part 2 of our review of Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, we leave the artificer workshop behind and dive headfirst into dragonmarked intrigue, mobile bastions, noir detectives, political backstabbing, and the deeply dangerous question: “What if my base could walk?” This episode contains airships, crime fiction, economic monopolies, and at least one moment where we...
info_outline
ELEMENTALS (Remastered): Unleash the Untamed Fury of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth!
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Show Notes Elementals are the walking embodiment of the four classic forces—fire, air, water, and earth—and they’re one of the easiest monster families to drop into any campaign while still feeling mythic, dangerous, and thematically sharp. () In this remastered episode, the RPGBOT crew digs into how to make elementals more than “a pile of hit points with a damage type”—including encounter roles, terrain design, and how to telegraph threats so your table feels challenged instead of cheap-shotted. What elementals are (in play): not just monsters, but mobile hazards and “terrain...
info_outline
EBERRON: FORGE OF THE ARTIFICER 1 - Union-Approved War-Forged Opinions
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Welcome back to RPGBOT.Podcast, where optimism is optional, feedback is weaponized, and today we’re firing up the lightning rails straight into Eberron: Forge of the Artificer. This is Part 1 of our review, which means we’re here to ask the most important questions first: Does this book actually understand artificers? Does it respect Eberron’s magic-as-industry vibe? And will Ash rant about corporate design decisions like an angry warforged with a union card? Spoiler: yes. Probably several times. Grab your tool proficiencies and buckle up—this is Eberron, where magic is practical,...
info_outline
2025 YEAR END REVIEW - 104 New Episodes a Year Was a Choice
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Show Notes The RPGBOT crew closes out Season 5 the only way they know how: with heartfelt gratitude, passionate rants, accidental comedy, and at least one derailment into pop culture discourse. In this end-of-year recap, Randall, Tyler, and Ash look back on a year of certified bangers, a few corporate-mandated stinkers, and the surprising joy of discovering that people are, in fact, listening. A lot of people. Like… three-quarters of a million downloads a lot. Along the way, the hosts reflect on: Why giving feedback is harder than it sounds (and why Josh should maybe just be hired already)....
info_outline
ROGUES LEVELS 11-20 Remastered: Skilled Skullduggery for your Devious Deceiver!
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this remastered episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we continue to shine a spotlight on building one of the most intriguing classes in the game: the Rogue. With their sneaky tactics and manipulative ways, Rogues add an essential element of mystery and cunning to any adventuring party. Join us as we break down the key components of building a successful Rogue character, and learn how to level up your game with this second part of our two-part series on Rogues. HANDBOOKS FROM RPGBOT.net RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on , or your...
info_outline
PICKING A TTRPG (That isn’t D&D or Pathfinder Part 3) - A Galaxy of Games, Crunch, and Chaos
The RPGBOT.Podcast
On this remastered episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we complete our 3-part series on Picking a TTRPG that is not DnD or Pathfinder by adventuring deep into the vast and thrilling universe of tabletop RPGs. From the spine-chilling cosmic horror of Alien RPG to the gritty nihilism of Death in Space, we’re exploring the diverse themes of space exploration, teenage superheroes, cyberpunk chaos, and even the villainous fun of Necessary Evil. Join us as we tackle the art of balancing crunch with accessibility, dive into the rise of one-page RPGs for quick and chaotic adventures, and share tips on...
info_outline
PICKING A TTRPG (That isn’t D&D or Pathfinder Part 2) Remastered - Rolling Dice and Brewing Chaos
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Ever wondered what beer chemistry, emo vampires, and broom mechanics have in common? Neither did we—until this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast! We’re diving deep into RPG madness, from the grimy charm of Shadow Dark to the chaos of Warhammer's magic (spoiler: it’s messy). Then, we tackle Symbaroum, where sweeping is serious business, and Vison, the perfect game for overachieving detectives. Horror fans, brace yourselves! It's eldritch chills with Call of Cthulhu, slapstick terror with Pulp Cthulhu, and Appalachian nightmares with Old Gods of...
info_outline
2026! Screaming into the void while RPGBOT.chat torments us - A fitting end to 2025!
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Farewell 2025, Hello 2026 As the dice finish rolling on 2025, we want to take a moment—before the initiative tracker resets—to say thank you. This year was packed with bold experiments, deep dives, hot takes, re-releases, masterclasses, actual plays, rule arguments that absolutely mattered, and more than a few moments where we stopped mid-recording and said, “Wait… does that actually work?” Thanks to you, the listeners, it did. In 2025, RPGBOT.Podcast explored new systems, revisited old favorites, broke down mechanics piece by piece, and kept doing what we love most: helping players,...
info_outline
PICKING A TTRPG (That isn’t D&D or Pathfinder Part 1) Remastered - Crunch, Chaos, and Political Backstabs
The RPGBOT.Podcast
"Crunchy rules or simple vibes? Political intrigue or straight-up dungeon brawls? Survival in a dying world or low-power fantasy feels?" This remastered RPGBOT.Podcast dives into everything you love (and fear) about tabletop RPGs that aren't D&D or Pathfinder. From decision trees to help you find your perfect game match, to the storytelling magic of Powered by the Apocalypse, and the chaotic survival of Mork Borg, there's something for everyone if you're willing to look past what you already know. Tune in if you’ve ever wondered, "Is my game too crunchy, or am I just lazy?" Summary...
info_outline
HOW TO PLAY PATHFINDER 2E (Remastered) - Pt4. Questions and Answer
The RPGBOT.Podcast
You survived the one-shot. No one died permanently. Only some rules were misunderstood. Now comes the most dangerous phase of any tabletop experience: questions. In this episode, the RPGBOT crew sits down after the Pathfinder 2e one-shot to answer the things every new player asks—what worked, what didn’t, what we forgot, and why Pathfinder 2e somehow makes rules discussions feel productive instead of like a rules-lawyer cage match. Pathfinder 2e Re-Releases! Perfect timing for learning, teaching, and holiday one-shots: RPGBOT is re-releasing our Pathfinder 2e Quickstart episodes for...
info_outlineThere’s a mystical moment in every adventurer’s life when you stare deeply into your character sheet, question every subclass you’ve ever loved, and think: “Is this really better… or did they just rename it again?” Welcome to the UA 2025 Subclass Update—where barbarians downgrade, fighters glow-up, monks chug things, and paladins summon skeletons with the enthusiasm of a dad discovering Bluetooth for the first time.
Show Notes
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the team dives into the Unearthed Arcana 2025 Subclasses Update, a grab bag of returning classics and rebalanced favorites from the 2014 rules. Some subclasses got fresh polish; others… got “updates.” Randall, Ash, and Tyler walk through each major subclass, offering analysis, jokes, and a metric ton of sandwich discourse.
Covered Subclasses:
- Path of the Spiritual Guardian Barbarian – Once the iconic barb tank, now notably nerfed. The new “choose-your-effect” system softens its once-reliable battlefield control. Result: “Meh, but fixable.”
- Path of the Storm Herald Barbarian – A clear upgrade with better scaling, damage options, and flexible aura selection. A quiet winner in this UA.
- Cavalier Fighter – Surprisingly buffed. Constant marking, battlefield lockdown, and double reactions at high level. The table unanimously loves the glow-up.
- Warrior of Intoxication Monk – Formerly Drunken Master. New Mystic Brews add fun, flavor, and chaos—but the name flops harder than spilled ale. The team unanimously prefers “Warrior of Libations.”
- Oathbreaker Paladin – Now with better necromancy tools and improvements to Aura of Hate. Gains Conjure Undead to avoid relying on friendly necromancers. Not perfect, but more self-sufficient.
Key Takeaways
- Spiritual Guardian took a noticeable hit, losing its fully reliable taunt-and-protect combo in favor of weaker pick-one options.
- Storm Herald received meaningful boosts, including scalable aura damage and flexible environment selection.
- Cavalier emerges as one of the strongest defenders in the UA thanks to unlimited marking and battlefield control.
- Warrior of Intoxication has fun ideas but clunky execution, suffering from naming issues and overly slow brew mechanics.
- Oathbreaker finally feels like a playable subclass on its own, thanks to Conjure Undead and improved aura integration.
- Overall: a mixed bag, but with more wins than losses—and lots of potential polish before the final books.
Join the RPGBOT Patreon
Love episodes like this? Want to shape them as they happen?
Join the RPGBOT Patreon to:
- Listen LIVE to RPGBOT.Podcast recording sessions every week
- Access the entire RPGBOT.net catalog completely ad-free
- Enjoy ad-free recordings of the RPGBOT.Podcast
- Get early access to special projects, interviews, and deep-dive episodes
Support the show, support the work, and help us keep producing the most detailed and ridiculous tabletop content on the internet.
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
-
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.
-
Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.
-
Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI’s worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.
Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
Ash Ely
Randall James
Producer Dan
Time Stamps
1) 14:46.015
2) 30:59.032
3) 46:08.023