The Weekly Podcast no.326 – D&D Website & 5.5E, Orken, Pumpkin Spice and Exodus by Renegade

  Wizards of the Coast (WotC) and Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), highlighting a perceived decade of “executive fumbling.” This includes an inconsistent rebranding of the current ruleset, which the community has largely settled on calling 5.5e (the D&D 2024 ruleset), moving away from the “OneD&D” working title. WotC also announced a “live service” style content roadmap for D&D in 2026, divided into three “Seasons”: Horror (starting June, anchored by Ravenloft: The Horrors Within), Magic (starting July, featuring Arcana Unleashed), and the mysterious Season of Champions (starting October). Orken is a new transmedia universe from the IP design studio SIXMOREVODKA, creators of Degenesis. Unlike their previous work, Orken is not a tabletop game but a lore-driven fantasy suite expressed through art books and serialized fiction. The project explores the central conflict of the native, totemic Orken people of Edom fighting for survival against the technologically advanced invaders known as the Elemon (or “People of Metal”). The Kickstarter campaign for this project successfully funded its initial goal very quickly, focusing on providing immediate, finished, premium products to supporters. Pumpkin Spice is a “magical cozy RPG” The game centers on a young coven of witches who run a magical cafe and protect a “Fount of Magic,” drawing inspiration from works like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Legends & Lattes. It utilizes a simple, narrative-first system with standard six-sided dice and “Essence Dice,” with mechanics revolving around brewing magical drinks and interacting with patrons, rather than combat. The campaign’s immense success led to the unlocking of several stretch goals, including a fully dedicated solo-play mode and expansions to the spellcasting system. Renegade Game Studios will publish the Exodus Roleplaying Game in 2026. This sci-fi TTRPG is based on the upcoming Exodus video game developed by Wizards of the Coast’s Archetype Entertainment. The RPG was developed by James Ohlen (former lead designer for Baldur’s Gate) and notably uses 5E as its underlying engine. The initial releases from Renegade are scheduled for August and will include the Exodus Traveler’s Handbook and the Creature Catalog. This move is considered notable as WotC is collaborating with an outside company for the game’s wider release, suggesting a broader distribution strategy. #dnd5.5E #OrkenRpg #PumpkinSpiceRpg #ExodusRPG  #RenegadeStudios Orken RPG on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sixmorevodka/orken Pumpkin Spice RPG: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/acheron-games/pumpkin-spice-a-magically-cozy-rpg Dragonbane Trudvang: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192053011/dragonbane-trudvang-the-legend-returns Fallout MEGA Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/L0aArV Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Jeremy’s Links:  http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ http://www.rcharvey.com ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us  a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/