Epic Adventure

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Welcome to You Heard it Here Last where we talk about news you’ve already heard.
We are starting this episode off with one of Mike’s favorite settings; Fallout. (You thought I was going to say Star Wars)
https://ttrpgfans.com/fallout-rpg-new-vegas-setting-guide/
Fallout is getting a new setting guide. 
Modiphius is launching the “New Vegas Setting Guide” and is hoping to cash in on the Amazon TV series. What’s interesting about it is that it looks like we are getting more than just descriptions. The book looks to be chock full of NPCs, Locations, Character Options, and even Equipment.
This could be a solid addition to the Fallout game and looks to drop in August…I bet you they will have copies at GenCon.
Mike, we start with you, thoughts?
Kick to Mike
Christina, what about you, are you tempted by this setting guide?
Kick to Christina
Next up we’ve got a fun one…well at least I think it’s fun.
https://www.rascal.news/magic-the-gathering-arena-developers-unionize-alleging-forced-ai-use-and-return-to-office-mandates/
Workers developing Magic: The Gathering Arena are forming a union called United Wizards of the Coast. They announced their formation under Communications Workers of America on Monday, April 27 and notified Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro of their intent in a public letter.
The new union asks to be recognized in their letter, which is strange because WOTC is based out of Renton Washington and the State of Washington requires them to recognize the new union. It also requires them to engage in collective bargaining. Finally, it allows the union to automatically draw funds from employees of the company even if the employees don’t want to be a member of the union…
The public letter demands protections from layoffs, the ability to keep working from home and not having to come into the office, protections from generative AI use, just to name a few.
I’m pretty sure Norma Rae would be rolling over in her fictional grave right now, but I thought this would be a very interesting topic for our segment, mostly because I am betting we have some disagreement on this one.
Mike, let’s start with you. Thoughts?
Kick to Mike
Christina, I am expecting fire and brimstone…am I getting flamed here.
Kick to Christina
And there you have it, all the news that you’ve already heard.

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I thought it was pretty simple. A distracted force with a brutal and possibly insane leader is holding an old mill. They have a machinegun nest and the guards frequently wander around the site.
Our players have a wooded and elevated overwatch position only a few hundred yards away. They also clearly have surprise on their side. The Sniper can get into position and wait until sunrise. As soon as he can see the enemy machine-gunner he can take him out. Then then the players can use their machinegun and half of the soldiers to lay down a base fire. Meanwhile a small group can hit the back door to the Mill when they hear the shots and toss in a few grenades. Game over.
Simple tactics.
I forgot two things though.
My players don’t really know small unit tactics.
And roleplaying games aren’t real life.
Today we are going to talk tactics. Why they can be so difficult in gaming and how to help your players out when they have no idea what they should be doing.
Christina, what kind of personal background do you have with tactics?
Kick to Christina
Mike, what about you?
Kick to Mike.

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Welcome to You heard it hear last where we talk about news, you’ve already heard.
https://www.enworld.org/threads/dice-pioneer-louis-zocchi-passes-away.718828/
Lou ZahKey, the father of dice passed away at 91 recently. If you’ve ever played a table top roleplaying game then odds are you’ve rolled some of Lou’s dice. He and his company Gamescience were the first in the United States to manufacture polyhedral dice. He is also the inventor of the 100-sided "Zocchihedron."
In addition to dice, Zocchi worked on many games and magazines, including a number of wargames including Star Fleet Battles and The Battle of Britain. He was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming's Hall of Fame in 1987 and was presented with the E. Gary Gygax Lifetime Achievement Award at Gary Con in 2022.
I am not only a fan of dice, but I loved The Battle of Britain game and likely still have the original box floating around the house somewhere.
Thanks for all the dice and the hours of great gaming Lou.
Christina, I know you are a massive dice nerd. This news had to strike a chord.
Kick to Christina
What about you Mike. I have a feeling you were into the Battle of Britain as well.
Kick to Mike
Next up we have another Backerkit release that is tapping into the zeitgeist and personally I find it very Meta.
https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-crowdfunding-news-%E2%80%93-dungeon-crawler-carl-rpg-historica-arcanum-lairs-legends-3-and-more.718847/
Renegade Game Studios is crowdfunding a Dungeon Crawler Carl TTRPG and Card Game. Dungeon Crawler Carl is a LitRPG book series by author Matt Dinniman that has become very popular. It involves Carl a regular guy and his ex-girlfriends cat that get sucked into a world spanning dungeon created by aliens. It’s a book that uses gaming tropes and plays out like a roleplaying game. So we have a company making a roleplaying game about a book that is based on a world that is a roleplaying game…Yep, that tracks.
I have read the first book and it’s fun. Nothing earth-shattering or amazing, but it does what it set out to do. I have even used the idea from the book in my first Shadowdark adventure, because I couldn’t figure out how to make Shadowdark work for roleplaying.
Christina, Any experience with Dungeon Crawler Carl or thoughts on the Meta of the moment?
Kick to Christina
Mike, what about you?
Kick to Mike
And there you have it, all the news you’ve already heard.

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On this episode Rob from Sidequests and Malcolm from Finding Atoria join us to create some villains on the fly. the process is fascinating.

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Welcome to you heard it here last where we talk about news, you’ve already heard. 
https://www.enworld.org/threads/neopets-terminates-geekifys-license-ttrpg-in-jeopardy.718325/
Let’s start with some interesting and maybe concerning news that can Kickstart a deeper discussion. You’ll get that pun in a minute. Neopets, the free virtual-pet website launched in 1999 where users can adopt, customize, and care for virtual creatures has terminated it’s IP license agreement with Geekify for a tabletop roleplaying game. Geekify is a custom marketing, creative design, and manufacturing company out of Colorado that has worked with Neopets in the past bringing out a number of products. In 2024 a Kickstarter was launched for Geekify to bring out a Neopets tabletop roleplaying game and it raised over 427,000 dollars.
Recently a playtest was released that showed the game was a combat focus 5e variant and to say Neopets wasn’t happy was an understatement. The immediately withdrew the licensing from Geekify for the product.
And the big question is, now what.
Let’s start Mike. What does this mean for the people who funded the Kickstarter? Do they get their money back?
[Kick to Mike]
Christina. What ethical responsibility does Neopets have to the people who kickstarted the roleplaying game?
[Kick to Christina]
Mike, where do you think the communication broke down and who’s responsibility is it, Neopets or Geekify?
[Kick to Mike]
Christina, why did Neopets let a company that doesn’t design games, design a game?
[Kick to Christina]
To anyone, what does this mean going forward with game designers wanting to work with IPs. As far as I can tell this might be the first time the IP has been withdrawn after a game was basically “sold” Is this just another hit to the model of big companies using crowdfunding instead of traditional publishing methods?
To anyone, is this going to hurt Kickstarter and Backerkit in the future.
And there you have it, all the news, you’ve already heard.