Tabletop Weekly
The latest news in tabletop gaming every week, hosted by the partners of Solarian Games, Jayson Elliot and Peter Bryant
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111 - Designers & Dragons: Origins
08/31/2026
111 - Designers & Dragons: Origins
Why did TSR bury a D&D product line that was already completed? Designers & Dragons Origins is the latest D&D history book series from Shannon Appelcline Also: two new TTRPG tools for sound & journaling, and we discuss Rob Kuntz's opinions about the origins of D&D
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110. Dark Wizard Games' Mark Taormino
08/31/2026
110. Dark Wizard Games' Mark Taormino
This week we welcome Mark Taormino of Dark Wizard Games. The actor and game designers tells us how he makes game design his full time job with up to fourteen releases a year
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109. 3D printing in COLOR resin
08/31/2026
109. 3D printing in COLOR resin
Board Game veterans launch Best in Play Arcane Animator brings your maps to life 3D color resin printing is here SCA announces anti-AI policy
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108 - Henry Cavill confirmed, Warhammer is coming
08/31/2026
108 - Henry Cavill confirmed, Warhammer is coming
Henry Cavill confirmed as the lead on Warhammer series Rob Kuntz on Greyhawk It's over: Diamond Estate and Consignment Group reach settlement Sirius Dice recreates D&D's 1983 Red Box cover art as miniatures
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107. Wizards of the Coast president steps down
08/31/2026
107. Wizards of the Coast president steps down
New D&D Star Wars announcement John Hight steps down as president of WotC Modiphius delays Wolfenstein RPG amid layoffs Frink - a zine where you play a monster made of pieces that don't go together 2026 ENNIES award winners
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106. How to schedule your game night
08/31/2026
106. How to schedule your game night
Dovecote helps you schedule game nights Total Party Killers is the new D&D comic miniseries Games Workshop nukes another 3D printer and his entire community Struggling board game company CMON cancels $2.1M investment in NFTs Paizo announces plan to keep Archives of Nethys alive
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105. Pathfinder may be in trouble
08/31/2026
105. Pathfinder may be in trouble
A Monopoly importer learns a hard lesson D&D players raise millions for charity Pathfinder may be in trouble Rob Kuntz announces the publication of Kalibruhn BackerKit inks deal with DriveThruRPG
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104. Making Games!
08/31/2026
104. Making Games!
Improving board games with custom components Good resources for game designers Finland adds tabletop gaming culture to its National Inventory of Living Heritage Count Binface in 28mm metal ColorSym, a free tool for colorblind-friendly game design
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103. Eamon: Playing Text Adventures in 2026
08/31/2026
103. Eamon: Playing Text Adventures in 2026
A PDF reader made just for TTRPGS The Magical Code of Regulations Eamon: Playing Text Adventures in 2026 2026 ENNIE Award winners announced RPG Trader shakes up the digital tabletop gaming market
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The Wire Meets The Shire
06/29/2026
The Wire Meets The Shire
This week's stories: HBG Con is coming on July 11th Tabletop creators push back against AI at UK Games Expo 2026 Wizards of the Coast is hiring more AI roles Weave together a DnD character with tarot cards using this homebrew tool The Wire meets the Shire in the Merryshire Detective Club
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Collab Funding, is it better than Crowdfunding?
06/21/2026
Collab Funding, is it better than Crowdfunding?
This week's stories: D&D's new villainous subclasses show Wizards is listening to fans Designers support BackerKit's collab funding, say there's no crowdfunding fatigue Vampire the Masquerade gets its own crossover D&D book Paizo union loses 20% of its members to layoffs, while CEO shares his concerns for the future of the company
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Punks and Toons
12/23/2025
Punks and Toons
This week on TableTop Weekly… Jason and Peter ease into a quieter, holiday-season episode with a mix of indie highlights, industry shifts, and thoughtful commentary on where tabletop gaming culture is heading as the year winds down. The show opens with a spotlight on Hey Ho, Let’s Go Home, a new punk-infused holiday zine from Ham and Egg Publishing. Written by John Maguire and Gio Colazzo, the short story reimagines A Christmas Carol through the lens of DIY punk, following a teenage runaway visited by the ghosts of the Ramones. The hosts praise its warmth, sincerity, and strong connection to tabletop-adjacent storytelling culture. Next, the conversation turns to New Game Master Month, an annual January initiative designed to help first-time GMs overcome anxiety and run their first sessions. With support across multiple systems, the hosts highlight its hands-on structure and argue that mentorship and encouragement matter more than endless GM advice videos. Creators take note as Meta quietly tests limits on link posting for Facebook professional accounts. Jason and Peter unpack what this means for small publishers, the creeping pay-to-be-seen model of social media, and why modern promotion feels more complex and less effective than traditional magazine advertising ever was. On a lighter note, the long-awaited second edition of Toon finally arrives. With original artist Kyle Miller returning, full-color interiors, and a renewed focus on fast, slapstick play, the hosts celebrate Toon as a perfect convention and one-shot game that understands comedy is hard and supports it with strong design tools. The episode wraps with industry news as GMT Games welcomes Candace Harris to its team. Known for her years at BoardGameGeek, Candace’s move signals a push to make deep, logistics-driven wargames more accessible. The hosts close by musing about the untapped potential of wargaming as spectator media and why someone really should turn it into a sports-style broadcast. https://www.solariangames.com https://www.youtube.com/@solariangames
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Just the news!
12/23/2025
Just the news!
This week on TableTop Weekly… Jason and Peter open the show with a heartfelt thank-you to the community as the Top Secret: Tradecraft Manual Kickstarter continues to outperform expectations. With five days to go, strong backer numbers, and solid momentum in what is traditionally a difficult launch window, the hosts reflect on what this says about the Top Secret community and why expansions only matter if people are actually playing the game. The first news story covers Evil Hat Productions opening its annual game submission window. The discussion breaks down what Evil Hat is looking for, why 5e is explicitly excluded, and what creators should realistically expect from a traditional publisher relationship, including ownership, royalties, crowdfunding partnerships, and legal protections around unsolicited submissions. Next, the hosts tackle controversy in Magic: The Gathering, where players destroyed cards over allegations of AI-generated art. While no proof has emerged, the conversation widens into a thoughtful examination of broken trust, corporate pressure, artist reputation, and the uncomfortable reality that human-made art is now sometimes required to prove itself as human. The tone shifts with a look at the newly launched Black Company RPG playtest from Arkdream Publishing. The hosts praise the open playtest model, old-school percentile mechanics, and the grounded, military-forward tone inspired by Glen Cook’s novels, calling it a promising system worth attention. Personnel news follows as Wizards of the Coast promotes Justice Ramen Armen to Game Design Director for Dungeons & Dragons. While congratulatory, the discussion also raises questions about experience, institutional knowledge, and the weight of stewarding the world’s most influential RPG. The episode closes on sobering industry news as Mythic Games officially enters liquidation, leaving millions in unfulfilled Kickstarter pledges. The hosts analyze what went wrong, why scale increases responsibility, and how failures at this level damage trust in crowdfunding as a whole. To end on a positive note, they spotlight community projects, including Tomb of the Ancient Mor King from Orange Cat Games, and circle back to the ongoing success of Tradecraft Manual as an example of doing it right. https://www.solariangames.com https://www.youtube.com/@solariangames
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A better way to run gaming conventions?
12/23/2025
A better way to run gaming conventions?
This week on TableTop Weekly… Special guest Kai Schaefer, creator of Gamers Online, joins Jayson and Peter to talk about a better way to organize tabletop conventions and events. Before the main segment, the crew rolls out a TableTop Weekly holiday gift guide, blending practical gaming tools, clever accessories, and a healthy dose of humor. Gift highlights include DIY gaming tokens, D&D-themed ornaments, 3D-printed dice trees and towers, compact GM screens, fidget-friendly dice spinners, gamer backpacks designed for books and minis, novelty ice molds shaped like polyhedral dice, and offbeat party favorites like Butts on Things. The discussion focuses on gifts that enhance play at the table without feeling disposable or overly gimmicky. The main interview dives into Gamers Online, a platform designed to improve how gamers find groups and how conventions manage schedules, sessions, badges, and communication. Kai walks through the system’s attendee-facing and organizer-facing tools, including visual schedules, mobile-friendly badge management, session submissions, real-time updates, and messaging that instantly notifies players about changes. The emphasis is on reducing friction for players, volunteers, and organizers alike. The hosts discuss how Gamers Online compares to existing tools like Tabletop Events and Warhorn, why usability matters as much as features, and how conventions can transition without disrupting existing plans. The episode wraps with a broader conversation about community-building, accessibility, and giving gamers more control over their convention experience. https://www.solariangames.com https://www.youtube.com/@solariangames
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A New Top Secret Book!
12/23/2025
A New Top Secret Book!
This week on TableTop Weekly… The headline story is the Top Secret: Tradecraft Manual, the first major expansion for Top Secret. Written by Scott Kongable, the book deeply expands every Tradecraft skill with narrative examples, clearer mechanics, difficulty guidance, and tables, all drawn from hundreds of campaign sessions. It also introduces new Tradecraft, streamlined chase rules, and early steps toward what will eventually become Top Secret’s next edition, while remaining fully backward compatible. The discussion continues with Operation Backfill, Kongable’s massive 283-page third-party mission for Top Secret, and a broader look at the growing ecosystem of licensed and community content supporting the game. Next, the hosts cover major VTT news, including Fantasy Grounds and Alchemy RPG shifting to free-to-play models, lowering barriers for online play and prompting debate over usability, cost, and the future of virtual tabletops. The episode then revisits Twilight Sword, an anime-inspired RPG drawing from JRPG traditions like Zelda and Final Fantasy, now exceeding $550,000 in funding. Its d12-based CAT system, elemental interactions, and strong visual identity spark a lively breakdown. In a surprising detour, the show highlights two major nerd collectibles heading to Christie’s: J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing desk and John Blanche’s original Warhammer cover art, prompting discussion about nostalgia, art valuation, and generational fandom. The episode closes with a look at How to Dungeon Master Parenting, a well-reviewed book that applies tabletop RPG principles to raising kids, blending humor with practical insight. https://www.solariangames.com https://www.youtube.com/@solariangames
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Selkie Shenanigans
12/23/2025
Selkie Shenanigans
This week on TableTop Weekly… We open with a quick Solarian update as Scott Kongable’s Top Secret: Tradecraft Manual gets a sneak peek ahead of its upcoming Kickstarter. The book expands every core Tradecraft skill with real-world research, new options, and clarifications designed to deepen espionage play without changing the heart of Top Secret. Next up is Brute Fort, a micro solo dungeon crawler packed into a double cassette case, complete with an actual cassette soundtrack. Designed by Alfred Valley with music by Gus BC, the game leans hard into analog nostalgia, punk aesthetics, and clever minimalism. With only 18 cards, a fold-out board, and grimy ‘80s synth, it’s a standout example of form and function merging beautifully. We then highlight an award-winning video essay on Kurt Vonnegut’s lost board game GHQ, created by designer and historian Amabel Holland. The discussion digs into game preservation, Vonnegut’s brief flirtation with game design, and why GHQ deserves to be played rather than treated as a novelty curiosity. The crew also celebrates the announcement of two new Discworld board games, including a classic remake and the intriguingly titled Kill Sam Vimes, sparking a lively discussion on Terry Pratchett’s legacy, social commentary, and which actor should play Vimes in an imaginary adaptation. Our feature segment welcomes guests from Seal Rescue Ireland, spotlighting Angler Antics & Selkie Shenanigans, a tabletop RPG created to support real-world seal rehabilitation. Built around Irish selkie folklore, the game turns actual rescued seals into playable characters, blending mythology, conservation, and collaborative storytelling into a genuinely heartfelt fundraiser. https://www.solariangames.com https://www.youtube.com/@solariangames
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The maps of Jog Brogzin
12/23/2025
The maps of Jog Brogzin
This week on TableTop Weekly… We kick things off with a deep dive into Pioneer, a new near-future RPG built on the Traveller system. Designed by a former NASA engineer, Pioneer pushes hard sci-fi realism even further, focusing on plausible space exploration 10–20 years from now. The crew discusses what meaningful adventures look like without faster-than-light travel, touching on inspiration from The Expanse and Daniel Suarez’s Delta-V novels. Next, we break down comments from Shawn Levy regarding a potential live-action Dungeons & Dragons series for Netflix. The conversation centers on why D&D works better as an ensemble TV series than a single hero narrative, and why Honor Among Thieves succeeded where earlier adaptations failed. We then unpack a troubling case of harassment on Kickstarter, where an unrelated creator’s project was flooded with abusive comments by a disgruntled backer. The discussion highlights the risks of entitlement culture in crowdfunding and the need for stronger moderation tools to protect creators. On the labor front, Kickstarter United ends its six-week strike with major wins, including a permanent four-day work week, cost-of-living salary protections, and safeguards against AI-driven job displacement. The hosts frame this as a rare but encouraging example of ethical tech-industry labor practices. Finally, the main segment spotlights acclaimed mapmaker Jog Brogson, exploring his hand-inked isometric maps, convention layouts, and world-building collaborations. Jog walks through his creative process, from layered sketches to finished pieces, and discusses how maps shape player imagination and navigation at the table. solariangames.com https://www.youtube.com/@solariangames
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Tales from Gáelcon
11/10/2025
Tales from Gáelcon
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter are joined by Rory O’Donoghue from Gáelcon to talk about Irish gaming, micro-RPGs, and the upcoming Golden Fez Awards at TotalCon 2026. The show opens with a toast to their late friend James Carpio, whose memory inspired the Fez. Nominations are now open at goldenfez.com, with returning categories like Velvet Smooth and Hack the Planet and a brand-new one: Honey, I Shrunk the Dice—celebrating one-page RPGs. From there, the crew dives into Captain Midnight and the Satellite Dead, the newest Weird Heroes of Public Access adventure, blending ‘80s paranoia, TV static, and undead mind-control conspiracies. They discuss Dark Space, an upcoming Shadowdark sci-fi variant that supports solo and GM-less play, and a wave of creative micro RPGs such as Lich’s Plot, Cage Mage, and Silly Goose Magic Academy. Rory shares favorites like Lichcraft, Nemesis Retribution, and his own Green Horns, explaining why short-form games are perfect design exercises. Later, they debate whether Wizards of the Coast is reviving Dark Sun after a new trademark filing, exploring the history of splintered D&D settings and the business logic behind their disappearance. Finally, Rory recounts his time running Gáelcon, Ireland’s largest tabletop convention, and how its walk-up sign-ups and community-first energy create one of the most welcoming gaming events anywhere. The crew swaps stories about charity auctions, convention food, and the shared joy of keeping the hobby vibrant on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Museum of Games Ireland
11/10/2025
Museum of Games Ireland
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason returns from across the Atlantic, joined by Peter and their special guest Colum Lundberg, founder of the Museum of Games Ireland. It’s 1 a.m. in Killarney, but Colum is wide awake and ready to talk about preserving the history of tabletop gaming, How a small display of vintage games accidentally grew into a full museum, and how Steve Jackson’s personal archives (complete with hand-drawn maps and game notes from the 1970s) landed in his care. The conversation dives into conservation work, water-damaged documents from the early Ogre drafts, and the museum’s mission to protect gaming’s past before it’s lost forever. Before that, the guys celebrate the Gygax Memorial Fund’s Kickstarter hitting its funding goal and the long road that led there. They also spotlight Sirius Metal Miniatures’ stunning recreation of the Holmes Basic D&D box art in solid metal, groan about tariffs canceling another Magpie Games Kickstarter, cheer DriveThruRPG’s bold move into true offset printing, and give a shout-out to Beacon Island, a new Savage Worlds adventure that channels classic “kids on bikes” nostalgia—with a 1990s twist. The show then dives into Colum’s work at MOGI, where he shares stories about donations from across the globe, preserving early Magic: The Gathering cards, and even steam-separating fragile papers from Steve Jackson’s archive. The trio swaps tales about convention culture in Ireland, how gaming connects generations, and the deep cultural roots of tabletop games from Little Wars in 1913 to Dungeons & Dragons today. It’s part history lesson, part late-night pub talk, and a perfect look at how the stories we tell through games become artifacts worth saving.
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The New Editions Episode
11/10/2025
The New Editions Episode
This week on TableTop Weekly... Peter hosts solo while Jason is overseas. He is joined by guest Ian McGarty from Silver Boulet Press for a quick tour through four major tabletop headlines: GURPS 4th Edition Revised, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 5th Edition, Alien RPG: Evolved Edition, and Free League’s Invincible RPG. They start with GURPS, where Steve Jackson Games announced there won’t be a 5th Edition—just a full modernization of 4th. Everything will stay compatible, right down to the original page numbers, a promise Peter and Ian find both hilarious and impossible. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay celebrates its 40th anniversary with 5E in 2026, keeping the same world and percentile system, while Cubicle 7 launches The Old World RPG using a D10 dice pool. The hosts debate whether two systems in one universe is clever strategy or creative chaos. Next is Alien RPG: Evolved Edition, which raised $2.5 million on Kickstarter. Ian previews its new campaign rules, stress mechanics, and cinematic space combat before the talk drifts into Alien: Romulus and the upcoming series. They wrap with Free League’s Invincible RPG, a brutal superhero game built on the Year Zero Engine, mixing comic-book carnage with tense dice pools where “anyone can die.” Ian closes with updates from Silver Boule Press and a few tales from the convention trenches.
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Gygax Memorial Fund
11/10/2025
Gygax Memorial Fund
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter sit down with Paul Stormberg, president of the Gygax Memorial Fund, to talk about the long journey toward creating a permanent Gary Gygax Memorial in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin—the birthplace of Dungeons & Dragons. Paul shares the challenges the Fund faced over the years, including the uphill battle of convincing city leaders in a town known for its “rich and famous” residents that Dungeons & Dragons was more than just a quirky pastime. Through patient outreach and a series of local initiatives, Paul helped Lake Geneva’s leadership understand the true cultural and creative impact of Gygax’s work. One of Paul’s most compelling arguments came down to history itself: D&D, he explained, represents the seventh major type of tabletop game ever created in human history—following dice, cards, board games, miniatures, tiles, and pen-and-paper games. It’s one of the few gaming forms where we actually know the names of its creators, making Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson cultural figures on par with the inventors of chess or playing cards. To build awareness in Lake Geneva, Paul spearheaded several legacy projects. The “Wizard of Lake Geneva” exhibit now occupies nearly 900 square feet in the local museum, celebrating Gary’s life and contributions. He also helped revive Dragon Days, the festival Gary himself began decades ago, reintroducing the town to its role in gaming history. Now, after years of negotiations, Paul says the project finally has the city’s full support—and a location he calls “the absolute jewel of the city.” The design, featuring Gary seated at a table as if ready to DM one last session, is nearly ready to move forward. All that remains is raising the funds for the stone and bronze work. Paul’s message to the community is simple: the memorial is within reach, and it’s time for gamers everywhere to help bring it to life.
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House of Books Gaming Convention
11/10/2025
House of Books Gaming Convention
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter are joined by Amy and Bert from House of Books and Games to talk about their upcoming mini-convention HBGCon, taking place October 18–19 at Lupalto Brewing in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. They discuss how the shop began as a weekend passion project and grew into a thriving community hub for roleplaying games—especially small-press and indie titles from publishers like Free League, Modiphius, Goodman Games, and Solarian Games. The news this week starts with New Holland Brewing’s “Dragon’s Milk D20 Dice Tower” set, a bourbon-barrel stout packaged with a dice tower and custom D20s. Then it’s on to Modiphius’ Star Trek Adventures: 23rd Century Guide, a supplement that captures the classic Kirk-era feel with new rules for free traders, redshirt survival, and the formative years of the Federation. The hosts also cover Robert Wardhaugh’s 43-year Dungeons & Dragons campaign, officially recognized by Guinness as the longest-running game in the world, featuring more than 500 characters and 30,000 painted minis. They talk about the new Stranger Things: The Hellfire Club Starter Box, a beginner-friendly adventure inspired by Eddie Munson’s final campaign, and end with a heartfelt mention of Rebecca Heineman, the legendary programmer and Bard’s Tale designer, who’s fighting cancer and has raised over $100,000 through GoFundMe. The show wraps with Amy and Bert unveiling the full HBGCon lineup, featuring Top Secret: New World Order, Weird Heroes of Public Access, Star Trek Adventures, and Call of Cthulhu, all beginner-friendly and ready to play.
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The Analog Union
11/10/2025
The Analog Union
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter kick things off with a look at Analog Union, the new cross-publisher indie RPG newsletter featuring updates from Arcane Sword Press, Get Haunted Industries, Carian Games, and others. Then, it’s on to ModCon, the first convention dedicated to modern-era RPGs, coming to Northampton, Massachusetts in May 2026, plus a preview of Jason’s upcoming Top Secret sessions at HBGCon in Connecticut and GailCon in Ireland. News stories this week include the Strong Museum’s virtual D&D history exhibit (developed with Google Arts & Culture), Starbreeze canceling its D&D co-op video game, and the Kickstarter workers’ strike over a proposed 32-hour work week and livable wage demands. The hosts unpack what it means for creators and why supporters shouldn’t boycott the platform. They close with a discussion of the Gary Gygax Memorial Kickstarter, a proposed bronze sculpture of Gygax running a game by the lake in Lake Geneva. The duo cover its design, funding challenges, and why it deserves to exist—no matter the past controversy.
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In Search of Castle Greyhawk
11/10/2025
In Search of Castle Greyhawk
This week on TableTop Weekly… Jason, Peter, and special guest Tim Brannan from The Other Side blog take a trip through gaming history, convention chaos, and the strange economy of vintage D&D. They kick off with a wrap-up of ShireCon, the cozy New England convention “in the land of no cell service and no hotels,” before announcing ModCon, the first convention dedicated entirely to modern-era tabletop gaming. Set for May 30 in Northampton, Massachusetts, ModCon will focus on games set in the 20th and 21st centuries—spy thrillers, cyberpunk, and post-apocalyptic adventures included. Next, they dive into the Heritage Auctions Dungeons & Dragons sale, where shrink-wrapped red boxes are hitting $900 bids and Descent Into the Depths of the Earth is somehow fetching nearly $200. The hosts debate grading, “slabbing,” and how collector speculation could distort the hobby’s history. Finally, Tim joins them to discuss his article In Search of Castle Greyhawk, exploring how Gary Gygax’s original dungeon evolved from a shared play space into a mythic symbol of old-school gaming. The crew swaps stories about Gygax, the Troll Lords, and what a true “Castle Greyhawk of today” might look like—complete with a fantasy designer draft list from Kelsey Dionne to Ed Greenwood.
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D&D by the Numbers
11/10/2025
D&D by the Numbers
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter dive into D&D “by the numbers,” damn good minivans, and a new indie publishing alliance. They start with EN World’s massive breakdown of every official Dungeons & Dragons product from OD&D to 5E: 1,253 releases, roughly 124,000 pages, and about $23,000 if you’d bought everything at cover price. That leads into a history lesson on how 2E’s product glut, setting overload, and the infamous Random House deal helped sink TSR and set the stage for Wizards of the Coast to step in. Next up is “Damn Good Minivan,” a new Top Secret adventure Jason is running at Gailcon in Dublin. Agents pose as PTA parents in Des Moines, Iowa, juggling undercover suburban life, weaponized gene drives, and a line-up of fully statted, mission-ready minivans. Then the hosts spotlight designer and educator Anna Anthropy’s one-hour-at-a-time RPG history course, touching on Vampire LARP, diplomacy roots, and why RPGs are cultural artifacts worth preserving. They wrap with Analog Union, a new shared newsletter for indie RPG publishers like Solarian Games, Arcane Sword Press, Get Haunted Industries, Saltar RPG, Severed Books, and more. The first issue highlights old-school box set Barrows & Borderlands, the bizarre baking grimoire How to Bake a Breadling, Saltar’s Book of Z quickstart, Severed Books’ Sickest Witch coven box, and updates on Top Secret and upcoming missions.
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Wizards of the Coast’s New President
11/10/2025
Wizards of the Coast’s New President
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter unpack a handful of big tabletop stories, starting with Chaosium’s gorgeous new Call of Cthulhu collector’s editions. These leatherette seventh-edition reprints aren’t cheap, but they’re built for fans who want their mythos with a side of luxury. From Masks of Nyarlathotep to Pulp Cthulhu and the Grand Grimoire of Mythos Magic, the guys debate whether these belong at the table or on the art shelf. Then it’s Wizards of the Coast’s new president, John Hight, who’s cleaning up the post-OGL mess, rebuilding trust, and hinting he’d love to see a modern D&D MMO. With his World of Warcraft background, he might be the first exec who actually understands digital integration—and his promise to keep AI out of D&D’s creative work gets a nod of approval. Kobold Press drops Monster Vault 2, packed with hundreds of new creatures for both 5E and Tales of the Valiant. Doom Points, streamlined stat blocks, and GM tools for tougher, smarter encounters make this one worth watching. Next, Black Armada’s Extenebris brings gothic sci-fi horror to the stars—a Powered by the Apocalypse game of cosmic dread and creeping corruption that’s already killing it on Kickstarter. And finally, the guys unveil Analog Union, a new joint newsletter from indie publishers including Arcane Sword Press, Get Haunted Industries, Severed Books, Salt Heart RPG, and Solarian Games. It’s free, weekly, and packed with news, downloads, and community highlights at analogunion.com.
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The Dreams in Gary’s Basement
11/10/2025
The Dreams in Gary’s Basement
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter are joined by actor, author, and filmmaker Pat Kilbane to talk about his new documentary The Dreams in Gary’s Basement—a stunning look at the birth of Dungeons & Dragons and the life of Gary Gygax. They dive deep into the early days of TSR, the origins of roleplaying from Dave Wesley’s Braunstein to Gary’s creative explosion, and the challenges of telling a true story when everyone remembers history a little differently. Pat shares stories from the decade-long journey to make the film, revealing how he balanced fact, myth, and human drama to capture the heart of Gygax’s “hero’s journey.” The crew swaps thoughts on dice lore, archival treasures, lost TSR locations, and the enduring soul of classic D&D art. Whether you’re a lifelong gamer or just curious how a basement in Wisconsin changed the world, this episode celebrates the legacy, the arguments, and the imagination that made tabletop history.
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Chaosium's Massive Monster Compendium
11/10/2025
Chaosium's Massive Monster Compendium
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter dig into a mix of oddities, business shifts, and a touch of chaos in the world of tabletop gaming. Chaosium is preparing a massive monster compendium uniting decades of beasts from RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu, and beyond—finally giving BRP fans a unified “Monster Manual” under the ORC license. They discuss how percentile systems remain elegant, how Chaosium pioneered open engines before GURPS, and why this release may inspire a new wave of homebrew creators. Then it’s time for some D&D craftiness with Dungeons & Dragons: A Book of Many Patterns, a crochet pattern guide featuring beholders, mimics, and the Hand and Eye of Vecna. Jason and Peter joke about “D&D croquet” and imagine crocheted owlbears as perfect handmade gifts for gamers. Next up, Fallout: New Vegas expands Modiphius’ post-apocalyptic RPG line just as the TV series prepares to revisit the irradiated city. They chat about ghouls, caps, Pip-Boys, and how Fallout carries the spirit of Gamma World better than Wizards ever did. Paizo announces the end of its monthly Pathfinder Adventure Path softcovers after 222 months, moving to quarterly hardcovers—cheaper for fans, easier for the company, and probably better shelf material. Then things get thorny with tariffs back in the headlines. The sudden rollback of the de minimis exemption is hammering small publishers abroad, blocking shipments from dozens of countries, and cutting off indie creators. It’s “another hole in the boat,” as Peter puts it, and they wonder if this industry can keep weathering policy waves. To end on a lighter note, they explore Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest, a Canadian-made live adventure coming to Dallas that mixes escape room puzzles with theme park theatrics. It’s True Dungeon’s “Disney cousin,” offering a fast, flashy, IP-filled experience for fans and newcomers alike.
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The Book of Dragons
11/10/2025
The Book of Dragons
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason and Peter welcome writer and historian Michael Witwer to talk about his newest Dungeons & Dragons release from DK Books—Dungeons and Dragons, The Book of Dragons —a lavish, full-color deep dive into dragons, monsters, and lore across editions. The conversation winds through Easter eggs in Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, the origins of in-jokes like “EGG” and the legacy of TSR artists who shaped the early look of D&D. Mike shares what it was like seeing the finished book for the first time, praising DK’s stunning production values and new artwork by concept artist R. J. Palmer. They discuss how gem dragons were reimagined, the soul and imagination behind early art from David Sutherland and Dave Trampier, and why sometimes imperfect art captures magic in ways hyper-polished pieces never can. They close with a few stories about growing up on classic monster manuals, Mike’s son asking for a 1st Edition copy for his birthday, and a quick tease of his next (still secret) fantasy projects. It’s an episode for anyone who’s ever stared too long at a monster illustration and wondered what music the artist was hearing in their head.
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The Story of Magic The Gathering
11/10/2025
The Story of Magic The Gathering
This week on TableTop Weekly... Jason checks in from a New Jersey Turnpike rest stop and Peter is dodging a thunderstorm, but the show must go on. First up, they talk about Igniting the Spark: The Story of Magic: The Gathering, a new feature-length documentary that tracks how Peter Adkison’s basement operation, Richard Garfield’s “cheap little card game” idea, and a very risky launch turned into a global hobby and the first real “intellectual sport.” From the early cash-flow panic to the rise of the Pro Tour, they dig into why it is lighter on drama than D&D docs, but still a must-watch for Magic fans, and where you can stream it. From cards to airwaves, the guys move on to Welcome to Night Vale: The Roleplaying Game, a boxed RPG based on the beloved surreal community-radio podcast. Built on Renegade’s Essence20 take on d20, the set includes a Visitor’s Guide, Host’s Guide, a five-part mystery, pregens, dice, and everything you need to get weird in the desert town when it lands September 9, 2025. They then cheer the reprint of Shadowrun 1st Edition from Catalyst, complete with its gloriously 1980s vision of the far-future year 2050, and talk about how much this cyberpunk-meets-urban-fantasy classic shaped the genre. Greenhorns gets the “weird space” spotlight next, a trippy, rules-light d20 game with auto-hit combat, OSR-style lethality, uncanny classes, a pile of missions, random tables, and a free quickstart to test drive. Finally, they recap a weekend at Catfest in Baltimore, a small brewery con run by Justin Sirois of Severed Books, packed with indie comics, RPGs, great beer, a dangerous food truck, and friends like Terrible Games, Levi Combs, Rising Phoenix, Feral Press’s gorgeous mega-dungeon Anox, and top-tier art from Chad Mitton.
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