And we're into the work week proper by having come all the way to Tuesday. I hope your Monday started off alright. It's looking like it might actually start significantly cooling off here in Atlanta. That's not a complaint. I've wanted it to be autumn since about July 5th. Anyway, seeing as it is Tuesday, that means we have some podcasts for you to check out. This week on the dial we have:

The D6 Generation Pip Episode 85: GenCon 2021 thoughts & Dungeon Drop Detailed Review

Recorded 'live' from a hotel room at GenCon 2021, Russ shares his thoughts on the con this year, the hotness, and what was acquired!

Also, a detailed review of Dungeon Drop from Phase Shift games included the new expansion: Drop Deeper.

Polyhedron Collider Episode 103: Ankh, Tinner's Trail, and Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps

Fuelled by some budget doughnuts, Andy, Steve and Rory get together for another episode of custard filled gaming chat. Steve is in denial at his lack of strategy in Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Andy grabs a Cornish pasty and heads to the mines in Tinner's Trail, and Rory pleads Game over Man! as we get eaten in Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps.

The Secret Cabal Episode 239: Through The Ages and a Short Topic Extravaganza

Awww yeah, the gang is back in action for another bananas episode of The Secret Cabal! Don and Jamie dive into a feature review of the classic Vlaada Chvátil game, Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization and the gang hosts another Short Topic Extravaganza with topics including is it okay to turn down designers when they ask you to playtest? Do you like long turns with few rounds or fast turns with tons of rounds? And do we believe in bigfoot and UFOs?

Anonymous Tabletop Episode 48: Fake It Til We Make It

Welcome to Anonymous Tabletop Episode 48.

In this episode we try to be welcoming to any new listeners but fail miserably, Lathan runs late and Dave “accidently” forgets to turn on his mic, and Dev Skypes in only to run into more technical difficulties.

Then, we try our hand at another game show when we play Fake News or Not, discuss the concept of “partial” listeners, and Dave quickly realizes his mistake when the game show devolves into who can irritate him the most.

And finally, Shut Up and Take My Money gets alienated, Geeky Jean gets curious, and Celebrity Deathmatch proves itself to be downright artificial.

Oh, and don’t forget about Tim’s Sack. It’s nothing to get too excited about. No matter how much we try to fake it…

With the ongoing issues from the global pandemic, it's tough for gaming companies to really be sure when their products will be hitting shelves. In this instance, though, WizKids is pretty sure that October 13th, you'll be able to head to your LGS and pick up the new Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition.

From the announcement:

We are thrilled to be finally be able to announce that Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition will be available in stores on October 13, 2021! Below, take a look at some stunning new photos of the game and be sure to pre-order at your Friendly Local Game Store or Online today!

...

Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition brings back the classic game of exploration, expansion, and development with all new updates! Grow your civilization, advance your culture and tech, and leave your mark by building Wonders.

Source

I dunno. As a bear, I'm like, "but they probably just want a hug," but I also know that bear hugs out in the wild aren't probably what most people hope they are. Anyway, so yeah, you should Beware of Bears, and by that, I mean you should head over to their Kickstarter campaign and check it out.

From the campaign:

Beware of Bears is an exciting fast-paced card game where players fight to sabotage and eliminate each other while watching out for... bears! Defeat your friends and make your path to victory before you end up in a bear's stomach! 🐻😲

The more you progress through the game, the crazier it gets with lava, evil squirrels, yummy donuts, and best of all, scary bears! Beware of Bears is a super strategic, family friendly, fast paced, 20-30 minute game that will keep you laughing... and running for your life!

The campaign's around 25x funded with 30 days left to go.

Source

So, Deadzone is a miniatures skirmish game. You're gonna have your little mans trying to beat up your enemy's little mans. That will involve dealing damage. The damage system in the game is getting an overhaul as it moves to its 3rd edition, and we get a look at just how that'll work in this article.

From the article:

Today, then it’s time for a bonus blog on calculating damage. To be honest, this will be a relatively dry one, but we thought it was a good way to demonstrate how we’ve streamlined Third Edition to make it even faster to play. Seriously, this is wargaming at the speed of light.

In Second Edition, you had Shoot and Fight tests, along with Survive tests. All of these would start at three dice and you would increase the amount of dice depending upon certain modifiers. That’s something that definitely hasn’t changed in Third Edition. You never have to worry about modifying your stats, instead you just have to modify the amount of dice you roll, e.g. +1 dice when shooting from high ground.

Source

The gaming world should be as inclusive and comfortable as possible. Originally the realm of the "nerdy outcasts," it should always strive to be welcoming to those that feel they have been looked over by others. In creating such an environment, Paizo is looking to implement things that make working there more inclusive, safe, and comfortable for its employees.

From the announcement:

My public statement on Wednesday was a fundamental expression of Paizo’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, values that I share both personally and professionally. It was an opening statement—not the final word on the topic by any means.

Words are important.

But I also know that actions are even more important.

As a result, I want to share with you a number of actions that address some of the concerns that have been brought to our attention over the last week.

The welfare and safety of our employees is paramount. No employee will ever be fired for whistleblowing or advocating for employee safety and wellbeing, and we have never fired an employee for doing so.

Following our return from Gen Con, the Executive Team will schedule individual meetings with our managers to give them a chance to share concerns directly. In the coming weeks, Paizo will issue an independently managed employee engagement survey to provide all employees with an anonymous means to provide candid feedback. The information provided through this process is aimed at addressing employee concerns and driving change to create a more positive workplace.

Source

A new book will be making its way to your Necromunda tables soon. It's The Book of the Outcast, and it will bring quite a few new options to your gangs as they seek to control the Underhive. In this preview, we get a bit of an overview of the book and a little bit of those goodies it will be bringing you.

From the article:

We revealed loads of incredible stuff at Gen Con over the weekend, including a new Kill Team boxed set and a Khorne team for Blood Bowl. We also saw some upcoming Necromunda releases, and now it’s time for a closer look at The Book of the Outcast.

This new supplement includes masses of background for the forgotten of Necromunda – the disenfranchised who’ve fallen between the cracks of the rival Houses – explaining who these outcasts are and how they’ve ended up in this hopeless situation.

The best thing about the Book of the Outcast is how flexible it is – it comes with loads of different ways to represent the dregs of Necromundan society or the fallen elements of its upper crust. 

You can build outlaw gangs with all sorts of cool origin stories, formed around a charismatic leader you can build in a ton of different ways. Perhaps you want to make a gang solely of no-name, no-hope outcasts. For those of you who possess a more defiant nature, rebel cadres led by rebel luminaries like the mysterious Lady Credo or the legendary Kal Jericho might be your thing. 

That scope stretches to weirder set-ups, too. From gangs formed around the psychic emanations of a charismatic Wyrd leader, through ex-Guilders* and those forced into hiding by their former Clan House, to outcast scions of Noble or even Fallen Houses, you can get seriously narrative with this new book. What’s more, it opens access up to all the brilliant dramatis personae released by Forge World over the years. This means that you can take a bunch of outcasts, add a character of your choice, and you’ve got a gang ready to create its own underhive legend.

Source

A new campaign guide is coming soon to print for Star Trek Adventures. The Shackleton Expanse takes players into the Beta quadrant with new planets to visit, new foes to fight, new wrongs to right, new aliens for the captain to... "get to know." You know how it goes. Head over and put your name on the list for this book now. Shipping will commence in December.

From the website:

The Shackleton Expanse Campaign Guide for the Star Trek Adventures Roleplaying Game presents a thrilling, all-new area of the Beta Quadrant to explore: the Shackleton Expanse. Countless wonders and mysteries await within, including strange spatial phenomena that confuse sentient life-forms as well as starship sensors, ancient alien technologies powerful enough to move or obliterate entire star systems, dangerous new species to encounter, and so much more!

EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS! A detailed sandbox setting centered on the Shackleton Expanse and Starbase 364, the only jointly-run Federation-Klingon starbase.

SEEK OUT NEW LIFE AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS! Five new playable alien species, including the Orions and four species unique to the Shackleton Expanse.

BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE! An epic 10-part campaign spanning the original series and The Next Generation eras, featuring the mysterious Tilikaal.

• Guidance on how to create your own stories set in the Shackleton Expanse and beyond, across a century or more of the Star Trek timeline.
• A large selection of NPCs found in and near the Expanse, including the command staff of Starbase 364 and many new life-forms.
• Starship statistics for “hero” vessels as well as NPC spacecraft from a variety of alien species, both new and familiar.
• Historical excerpts, personal logs, and intercepted communications, providing fresh perspectives on events related to the Shackleton Expanse.
• All contents are adaptable for use with groups of pioneering Starfleet officers or fearless Klingon warriors.

Source

Gotta go fast! Grab your best set of shoes and down a couple chilidogs, it's time to catch up with your favorite, hypersonic, blue hedgehog, Sonic! You can join him and all his friends in Sonic: The Card Game, now available from Steamforged Games.

About the game:

Can you blast through with Sonic speed to snag the most gold rings, or will your friends leave you in the dust?

It’s simple. Sonic’s the name, and speed is the game!

Choose your character from Sonic and his friends, then race through levels built by laying out random cards. Collect rings that are worth points, and power-ups you can either save for points or play for bonus effects. Whoever gets the most points, wins!

Source

The Orks are getting some new pre-releases this weekend. Games Workshop has been swinging back and forth between Orks and Orruks. This time around, it's the sci-fi boys with some reinforcements. Have yourselves a look. WAAAGH!!!

From the preview:

Orruks beget Orks, as the saying goes,* and yesterday’s Kruleboyz release is followed next week by a battalion of greenskins from the 41st Millennium. Hot on their heels are some very special Space Marine action figures and yet more excellent content on Warhammer+. Here’s a quick rundown of everything that’s coming.

Source

Privateer Press is continuing their series of Author interviews as they get closer to the release of the new Iron Kingdoms RPG. This time around, they talk with Steen Comer. Check out what special skills he brings to the team in this article.

From the interview:

In our buildup to the launch of our next Iron Kingdoms RPG launch, we continue our interviews with the writers behind the magic. Up next: Steen Comer, mediapathic extraordinaire…

Hello! Pleased to meet you. Won’t you come in? I’m Steen Comer, and when I’m not creating worlds for the Iron Kingdoms, I’m creating worlds for my own weird fiction or working as a copyeditor introducing otherwise brilliant academics to Our Friend, The Comma. If you want to find me on the Internet, I’m “mediapathic” essentially everywhere.

Tell us a bit about how you first experienced the Iron Kingdoms setting…

My first experience with the Iron Kingdoms was probably when a coworker at a bar where I worked at the time brought in some minis he was painting, and showed them around. He pulled out what I think was a Cryx Wraith Engine and I immediately thought, “I have no idea what’s going on here and I want in on it.”

Source