This Week at the Table #2
Palladium drops the TMNT license, Netflix makes a live-action Ravenloft, D&D World of Warcraft's classes, and Star Wars joins Universes Beyond.
By Blaine ·
Greetings all,
Welcome back to This Week at the Table. This week, Palladium lets go of the Turtles, and D&D keeps crossing over into other worlds.
Palladium drops the TMNT license, and everything's 40% off
Source: Palladium Books
Palladium couldn't reach new licensing terms and isn't renewing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Every TMNT & Other Strangeness book (our review of the Redux Edition), the game screen, and the Mutagen Green dice are 40% off while they last. Next up for Palladium: the Glitter Boy Codex for Rifts, launching on BackerKit October 20.
Honestly? Some joy. Palladium's games were my introduction to RPGs, and most of my memories as a teen revolve around them. But they haven't done anything with this franchise, and that's because they haven't adapted or grown. Most systems change. D&D has been through edition after edition. Pathfinder got a second edition. Palladium still isn't friendly to new gamers, and its rules have needed an update for a long time.
So I'm not sad to see them lose it. It means someone who'll actually do something with it might get it.
I just hope that isn't Renegade.
Netflix is making a live-action Ravenloft series
Source: Variety
Netflix is developing Ravenloft, a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series following Strahd von Zarovich's rise from tragic antihero to vampire Darklord. John August is writing, Alfonso Cuarón is producing, and Netflix scrapped its Forgotten Realms project to make room for it. Between this and Project Lamordia (last week), Ravenloft is having a moment.
A Ravenloft show? I can only hope they do it well. Stay true to the franchise, and don't water it down. Make it for the people who already love Strahd.
D&D goes to Azeroth: the "classes" of D&D World of Warcraft
Source: EN World
D&D Beyond shared the 13 character options in the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons World of Warcraft hardcover. Most aren't new classes. The Death Knight, Demon Hunter and Evoker are "hero classes" you take at level 3 on top of a Paladin, Ranger or Sorcerer, and the rest are D&D classes under their WoW names with recommended builds (a Priest is a Cleric). The book covers Azeroth up through The War Within.
I ordered the books. I wish I'd gotten in earlier for the collector's editions, but I failed my initiative check on that one. I'm excited to see it, and Joe and I plan to review it once we get the early access PDFs.
Star Wars is next in D&D's "Universes Beyond"
Wizards of the Coast announced more of next year's Star Wars line for D&D: an adventure called Tyro Squadron, set during the original trilogy with the players as a secret crew for the Rebel Alliance, plus a Core Rules book. It's the second release in Universes Beyond, Wizards' line of crossovers, right after World of Warcraft next month. Dark Sun is on the way too: Wizards has confirmed two books for 2027, Edge of Oblivion, a campaign setting guide, and Blood & Power, a player's guide with the Psion class (EN World). And this week, Dark Horse announced a trilogy of Dark Sun graphic novels, starting in April 2027.
Same as Warcraft: I'm excited. But this rush into crossovers worries me. I'm afraid that instead of focusing on quality, they're going for quantity, and we'll get a bunch of half-assed books people play once or twice before they disappear. D&D is the staple at most tables. I'd rather they make what the fans want: their old-school settings, like Dark Sun, the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance.
Instead, I fear we'll get a bunch of watered ale. Weak and mild.
That's the week. What did we miss? Tell us on Instagram or Facebook, and we'll keep an eye out for next week.
See you at the table.