Thomas returns to the podcast to discuss the two chunky investigations he produced since we last had him in front of a microphone. Zatu and Brandfox are not only depressingly common stories within the tabletop industry but also criticially important ones to tell. We talk inside baseball regarding how we structure stories and what it means to center a specific person within a broad narrative.

The pair also discuss Wizards of the Coast's president, John Hight, and his weirdly specific love for AI -- and why doesn't he ever mention D&D? Later, crowdfunding's place in the tabletop industry, two popular games failing to connect on the table, and why a small academic press got involved wit fulfilling a famously late Kickstarter campaign. Later, Thomas and Chase wonder about the place adventures, supplements, and splatbooks fill within the tabletop industry's commercial ecosystem, and then they predict where all of these fantasy heartbreakers will end up in one year's time.

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Games we discuss:

• Daggerheart

• Draw Steel

• Cosmere RPG

• Oh Captain, My Captain!

• The Mountain Witch

• Dog Eat Dog

• Princess with a Cursed Sword

• Planet Shark

• Agon

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Hosted by Chase Taylor- Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social).

Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social).‬

Theme song by People Need Goals.

Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social).