Let’s keep getting ready for Black Friday by going over some more amazing deals from our friends at Modiphius Entertainment. This will be the perfect time to expand your board game collection, pick up some items you’ve been eyeing, or simply jump into a new system. The sale will go live on Friday the 24th and end on Sunday the 26th. They will also be observing Cyber Monday if you don’t mind digital media. There is too much to cover, so make sure you check the official store for anything I miss.
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For those looking for a new RPG and don’t mind having a library of digital media, Modiphius.net, Modiphius.us, and DriveThruRPG will have RPG bundles for 80%.
I’ve started prepping to run my first campaign of Dragonbane and am very excited to try a new system. My group is scattered across the U.S., so we play online through a virtual tabletop. We’ve done theater of the mind and used Roll20, but nothing has scratched the itch for running a game like FoundryVTT. I am not affiliated with Foundry, but I wanted to share my experience with the product in hopes of helping those of you who are still shopping around for something better.
I started with Roll20, and it’s not a bad option, but it left a lot to be desired. I haven’t used it in a while, but when I did, the setup was slow, the client was clunky, and a lot of the cool features were behind a subscription. I did some digging, and the alternatives at the time were Tabletop Simulator, Owlbear Rodeo, Fantasy Grounds, and FoundryVTT.
Tabletop Simulator
Tabletop Simulator is fantastic if you play board games. While it is a little clunky, you’ll have access to just about any tabletop you can think of. I’ve used it for card games and Warhammer, but it felt a little too clunky for D&D. I didn’t want to make people buy anything a new program, and some people in my group didn’t have the hardware to run it.
Owlbear Rodeo
Owlbear Rodeo is free, and a solid choice. It has everything you’ll need to run a campaign, but you’ll be limited in how much you can upload unless you pay the subscription. When I first looked at Owlbear Rodeo, the client was a lot more basic. It looks like they’ve made improvements and added features since, and it looks good. I recommend you check it out for a free alternative.
Fantasy Grounds
Fantasy Grounds was the VTT I was considering the most at the time. It had official integration of D&D, some cool automation, and a very cool UI. The problem I had with Fantasy Grounds was the price. The license is $149 for the Game Master license, and you have to buy all the books. I already own a few, and I didn’t want to buy them again. You only need the Game Master license to run a game. Players can join for free. You can split the cost with your group, and this option becomes a bit more manageable. This is a solid option if you and your group are playing together for a long time, and want a VTT that isn’t much of a hassle. There is a demo available that you should try before you spend any money. My group was relatively new, and I didn’t want to ask for money.
Foundry VTT
The only option I had left was FoundryVTT, which was new and up-and-coming. FoundryVTT seemed to have everything I needed. I could add walls on my maps for vision, roll in the client, and run it through a browser. With a few modules, I could achieve the automation and customization I wanted for a more manageable cost. FoundryVTT is $50 for a lifetime license. Only one person needs this license to run the game. There is a demo available I recommend you try.
Your game is hosted locally, so the only limitation is your hardware. If you have a slow connection or computer, you can create your own server through something like a Rasberry PI, or throw it up on one of the many paid server options. I’ve been running it off my computer without issue, but it is something to consider.
After a lot of research and demos, I took the plunge and bought my FoundryVTT license. I have no regrets. It has everything I need, and it’s only gotten better since. FoundryVTT continues to receive support from its developers and its amazing community. They work tirelessly to add new features and systems to the client. Although D&D seems to be receiving the most love, support for other systems is getting better by the day. There is even official support from a growing list of publishers. With enough modules, you can customize FoundryVTT to be exactly what you need. We use D&D Beyond, and some modules let me import characters and let my players roll from D&D Beyond into the client.
If you are looking for a new virtual tabletop, I recommend Foundry VTT. The client is easy to use, learn, and teach. Games are easy to set up, and sessions run great. I know there are more options for VTTs now than when I first started. There are some very flashy cool ones out there that deserve some attention, and an official D&D Beyond one that I still need to try, but for my needs, Foundry has been very good to me. I’ll continue to recommend it.
Now that I am getting ready to run my first game of Dragonbane, I turned to FoundryVTT to make the transition as easy as possible for my players. I am very fortunate and was sent the official module for review, so stay tuned for that. You can pick up the official Dragonbane module for $24.41 from the Free League Publishing website. You don’t need the module to play Dragonbane. Importing everything you need is a simple task, but the module makes it much simpler. The module gives you access to all the core rules. These can be shared and referenced easily through the client. You also get access to the prewritten adventure and everything you need to run it, such as the maps, pre-generated characters, monsters, and loot. When you are ready to run your own campaign, you’ll have access to all the classes, spells, traits, etc. so you won’t have to create them yourself. If you know you’re going to play Dragonbane for a while, you’re going to need to pick up this module.
I’ll be running my first game of Dragonbane in a few weeks and will be posting my impressions. Stay tuned for that. I’ll be covering a bunch of systems on my blog, so make sure you show me some love by leaving a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can always buy me coffee.
Paldean Fates releases on January 26. This mini set will introduce a few shiny versions you’re going to want in your collection, but it’s also introducing some brand-new cards you are going to want to look at. I’ve collected what we have so far, and their translations. It’s going to be a long one. As of writing this, you can preorder the Pokémon Center Paldean Fates ETB ($59.99) and the Paldean Fates booster bundle ($26.94) from the Pokémon Center.
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Be sure to check out my other posts if you want to see the shinies and products releasing with Paldean Fates.
Pineco
[G][G] Rollout: 30 damage.
Forretress ex
Ability: Exploding Energy Once during your turn, you may search your deck for up to 5 Basic [G] Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck. If you searched your deck in this way, this Pokémon is Knocked Out.
[G][G] Guard Press: 120 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, this Pokémon takes 30 less damage from attacks (after applying Weakness and Resistance).
Maractus
[C] Double Draw: Draw 2 cards.
[C][C][C] Pin Missile: 30x damage. Flip 4 coins. This attack does 30 damage for each heads.
Toedscool
[G] Furious Kicks: 10x damage. Flip 3 coins. This attack does 10 damage for each heads.
Toedscruel ex
Ability: Protective Mycelium Prevent all effects of attacks used by your opponent’s Pokémon done to all of your Pokémon that have Energy attached. (Existing effects are not removed. Damage is not an effect.)
[G][G] Colony Rush: 80+ damage. This attack does 40 more damage for each of your Benched Pokémon that has any [G] Energy attached.
Espathra ex
Ability: Dazzling Gaze As long as this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, attacks used by your opponent’s Active Pokémon cost [C] more.
[P] Psy Ball: 30+ damage. This attack does 30 more damage for each Energy attached to both Active Pokémon.
Venusaur ex
Ability: Tranquil Flower Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may heal 60 damage from 1 of your Pokémon.
[G][G][C] Dangerous Toxwhip: 150 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Confused and Poisoned.
Charmeleon
Ability: Flare Veil Prevent all effects of attacks used by your opponent’s Pokémon done to this Pokémon. (Damage is not an effect.)
[R][R] Combustion: 50 damage.
Charizard ex
[R] Brave Wing: 60+ damage. If this Pokémon has any damage counters on it, this attack does 100 more damage.
[R][R][R][R] Explosive Vortex: 330 damage. Discard 3 Energy from this Pokémon.
Magmar
[R] Collect: Draw a card.
[R][C] Steady Firebreathing: 40 damage.
Magmortar
[R] Flare: 40 damage.
[R][R][C] Volcanic Heat: 170 damage. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
Numel
[R] Singe: Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Burned.
[R][R][C] Heat Blast: 60 damage.
Camerupt
[R] Super Singe: Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Burned.
[R][R][C] Pyroclastic Cannon: 120+ damage. You may discard a [R] Energy from this Pokémon. If you do, this attack does 120 more damage.
Heat Rotom
[R][R] Heat Tackle: 100 damage. This Pokémon also does 40 damage to itself.
Charcadet
[R][R][C] Heat Blast: 60 damage.
Armarouge
Ability: Fire Off As often as you like during your turn, you may move a [R] Energy from 1 of your Benched Pokémon to your Active Pokémon.
[R][R][C] Flame Cannon: 90 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Burned.
Blastoise ex
Ability: Solid Shell This Pokémon takes 30 less damage from attacks (after applying Weakness and Resistance).
[W][W] Twin Cannons: 140x damage. Discard up to 2 Basic [W] Energy cards from your hand. This attack does 140 damage for each card you discarded in this way.
Lapras
[C] Into the Deep: Put up to 3 Basic Energy cards from your discard pile into your hand.
[W][C] Freeze-Dry: 50 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
Frigibax
[W] Collect: Draw a card.
[W][C] Beat: 20 damage.
Chinchou
[C] Illuminate: Look at the top card of your deck. You may put it back on top of your deck or put it at the bottom of your deck.
[L][C] Tiny Charge: 20 damage.
Lanturn
[C][C] Lightning Ball: 50 damage.
[L][L][C] Aqua Spark: 80+ damage. If this Pokémon has any [W] Energy attached, this attack does 120 more damage.
Kilowattrel
[C] United Thunder: This attack does 10 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon for each Pokémon in your discard pile that has the United Wings attack. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
[L][C][C] Speed Wing: 90 damage.
Exeggcute
[P] Hypnosis: Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
[P][C] Rolling Tackle: 30 damage.
Exeggutor
[P][C] Hypnoblast: 30 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
[P][P][C] Psychic Loop: 160 damage. Put 2 Energy attached to this Pokémon into your hand.
Natu
[P] Triple Strike: 10x damage. Flip 3 coins. This attack does 10 damage for each heads.
Xatu
Ability: Clairvoyant Sense Once during your turn, you may attach a Basic [P] Energy card from your hand to 1 of your Benched Pokémon. If you attached Energy to a Pokémon in this way, draw 2 cards.
[P][C][C] Super Psy Bolt: 80 damage.
Chimecho
[C][C] Sleep Inducer: Switch in 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon to the Active Spot. The new Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
[P][C][C] Psyshot: 70 damage.
Latias
Ability: Mist Float If this Pokémon has any [P] Energy attached, it has no Retreat Cost.
[P][P][C] Psychic Sphere: 100 damage.
Mime Jr.
[.] Make-Believe Copycat: Your opponent chooses 1 of their Pokémon’s attacks. Use that attack as this attack.
Woobat
[P] Reckless Charge: 30 damage. This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
Swoobat
[P] Attract Wave: 30 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Confused. Put 6 damage counters instead of 3 on that Pokémon for this Special Condition.
Cottonee
[P] Fickle Attack: 30 damage. Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.
Whimsicott
[P] Fairy Wind: 50 damage.
Dedenne
[P] Minor Errand-Running: Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Energy cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
[P][C] Spin Turn: 50 damage. Switch this Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
Flittle
[P][C] Psy Bolt: 20 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
Gimmighoul
[C] Coffer Conceal: Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage from and effects of attacks done to this Pokémon.
[C] Ram: 10 damage.
Phanpy
[C][C] Strength: 30 damage.
[F][F][C] Rolling Tackle: 60 damage.
Donphan
[C][C] Cragalanche: 30 damage. Discard the top 2 cards of your opponent’s deck.
[F][F][C] Powerful Spin: 160 damage. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
Clobbopus
[F] Feint: 20 damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by Resistance.
Grapploct
[F] Gradual Descent: 30 damage. At the end of your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon will be Knocked Out.
[F][F][C] Mach Cross: 120 damage.
Great Tusk ex
Ability: Quaking Destruction If this Pokémon is in the Active Spot at the end of your turn, discard the top 5 cards of your deck.
[F][C][C][C] Great Bash: 260 damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by any effects on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Gastly
[C] Allure: Draw a card.
[D][C] Will-O-Wisp: 20 damage
Haunter
[D][C] Dark Slumber: 40 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
Gengar
Ability: Night Gate Once during your turn, you may switch your Active Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
[D][C] Nightmare: 100 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
Scraggy
[C] Low Kick: 10 damage.
[D][D][C] Headstrike: 50 damage.
Scrafty
[C] Hit: 30 damage. If the Defending Pokémon is a Basic Pokémon, it can’t attack during your opponent’s next turn.
[D][D][C] Headbang: 130 damage.
Varoom
[C] Rev Up: Put up to 2 Basic Energy cards from your discard pile into your hand.
[M][C] Headbutt: 20 damage.
Iron Treads ex
[M][M][C] Clad Rolling: 150 damage. You may discard a Future Booster Energy Capsule attached to this Pokémon. If you do, during your opponent’s next turn, this Pokémon takes 150 less damage from attacks (after applying Weakness and Resistance).
Gholdengo
[C] Bountiful Riches: Attach any number of Basic [M] from your hand to your Pokémon in any way you like.
[M][C][C] Gorgeous Surf: 80x damage. Flip a coin for each [M] Energy attached to this Pokémon. This attack does 80 damage for each heads.
Cyclizar
[G][D][C] Rapid Drive: 100 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage from and effects of attacks done to this Pokémon.
Shroodle
[C] Scratch: 10 damage.
[C][C] Poison Fang: 20 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Poisoned.
Grafaiai ex
[C] Numbing Saliva: 30 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
[C][C][C] Poison Toss: 180 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Poisoned. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t use Poison Toss.
Cyclizar
[C] Wham Bam Dash: Flip a coin until you get tails. For each heads, draw a card.
[C][C][C] Power Tackle: 120 damage. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
Clive
Your opponent reveals their hand. Draw 2 cards for each Supporter card you find there.
Nemona
Draw 3 cards.
Moonlit Hill
Once during each player’s turn, that play may discard a Basic [P] Energy from their hand in order to heal 30 damage from each of their Pokémon.
Nemona’s Backpack
Put up to 2 Nemona from your discard pile into your hand.
Students in Paldea
Search your deck for a Pokémon that doesn’t have a Rule Box, reveal it, and put it into your hand. For each other Students in Paldea in your discard pile, you may search your deck for another Pokémon that doesn’t have a Rule Box. Then, shuffle your deck. (Pokémon ex, Pokémon V, etc. have Rule Boxes.)
Students in Paldea
Search your deck for a Pokémon that doesn’t have a Rule Box, reveal it, and put it into your hand. For each other Students in Paldea in your discard pile, you may search your deck for another Pokémon that doesn’t have a Rule Box. Then, shuffle your deck. (Pokémon ex, Pokémon V, etc. have Rule Boxes.)
Technical Machine: Crisis Shot
The Pokémon this card is attached to can use the attack on this card. (You still need the necessary Energy to use this attack.) If this card is attached to 1 of your Pokémon, discard it at the end of your turn.
[C][C][C] Crisis Shot: 280 damage. You can use this attack only if your opponent has exactly 1 Prize card remaining.
Paldean Fates, Pokémon TCG’s newest set, has been announced for January 26, 2024. PTCGL players will get access to the set on the 25th. I know we just got Paradox Rift, and the set is a banger folks, it is never too early to get excited for future sets.
This is going to be a shiny set, so here’s your chance to make your collection shine. With more than 130 including Pikachu, Tinkaton, and Charizard EX. Paldean Fates will also include:
11 Shiny Pokémon ex
Seven Pokémon ex and three Tera Pokémon ex
Three illustration rare cards featuring Shiny Pokémon
Eight special illustration rare cards featuring Shiny Pokémon ex or Supporter cards
Six hyper rare Pokémon ex
Let’s have a look at all the products! Make sure you always support your LGS, but I’ve collected some links if those aren’t an option. You can always use my TCG Player affiliate links to help me out a bit, but only when you’re not paying scalper prices. If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Booster Card Art
Pokemon Center Elite Trainer Box ($59.99) [SOLD OUT]
This elite trainer box is beyond adorable. I love Mimikyu, and purple is my color, so this Box is already among my favorites. The Elite trainer box will include:
11 Pokémon TCG:Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates booster packs
1 full-art foil promo card featuring Shiny Mimikyu with a Pokémon Center logo
A player’s guide to the Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates expansion
6 damage-counter dice
1 competition-legal coin-flip die
2 plastic condition markers
A box to hold everything, with 4 dividers to keep it organized
A code card for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live
Getting an extra Mimikyu is why you want to get it exclusively at the Pokemon Center. You can preorder the Paldean Fates Pokemon Center ETB today for $59.99.
Booster Bundle (26.94)
If you only need cards without all the extras, the booster bundle is also available for preorder on the Pokémon Center. You get 6 packs of Paldean Fates for $26.94 for those of you who enjoy cracking packs.
It wouldn’t be a Pokémon set without tins. The tins come in three flavors: Tera Charizard ex, Great Tusk ex or Iron Treads ex. You’re going to want these for the promos. The tins will be available February 9 and will include:
4 Booster packs
1 Shiny promo of Tera Charizard ex, Great Tusk ex or Iron Treads ex
The Paldean starters are getting their Premium collection bundles, and you are going to want them for the oversized cards. The collection will be available on February 9 and include:
8 Booster packs
1 Oversized shiny promo card featuring Meowscarada ex, Skeledirge ex or Quaquaval ex
1 Shiny promo card featuring Meowscarada ex, Skeledirge ex or Quaquaval ex
The Walking Dead RPG is coming on November 28, just in time for some holiday-themed horror survival. Free League Publishing has teamed up with AMC to create an authentic zombie survival experience. Fans of the show can rejoice to experience an RPG campaign with familiar characters and flavor.
The flavor of this tabletop is fantastic. Unlike your normal RPG, there is no end goal or final boss. Players of this game must work together to survive by any means, and people will die. It has interesting mechanics that will make survival stressful like the limited resources and the will to go on. On top of trying to survive, players will need to worry about the endless supply of zombies and the occasional traitor in the group. It all just sounds like a stressful good time.
There are two ways to play The Walking Dead RPG: Campaign Mode and Survival Mode. Campaign Mode should be self-explanatory. The goal is to come together to create a story. While there may be no winning in this tabletop, the story you tell will be memorable. You can either run the prewritten adventure included in the book where you play as characters from the series or set the stage for your own unique tale of survival. Survival Mode sounds more like small palatable oneshots where the goal is to overcome a singular dangerous situation. There are rules for solo play for those of you who want to experience this world, but don’t have the playgroup to do so.
For those of you who enjoy physical media, you are going to want to pick up the starter set. The starter set has everything you need to get you started. It comes with:
five pre-generated characters based on the TV show
full-color maps
themed base and stress dice tailored for the game mechanics
the core rule book
a prewritten adventure to run
You’ll also have access to the PDF version, so you don’t have to wait for the book to ship to survive. Even if you aren’t a fan of the series, the art in this book is very cool to look at. You are going to want this on your shelf. But if you are a minimalist or don’t have the space, all you need is a PDF of the core rules and a few six-sided dice.
I am very fortunate to be sent a copy of this RPG to review, and can’t wait to dive in. I briefly flipped through the book and liked what I saw. The art is cool, the classes are interesting and flavorful, and the mechanics seem easy to pick up. I am not a fan of the TV series, but I am a fan of the comic, so I am ready for some hot zombie action. Stay tuned for the full review.
The Walking Dead RPG releases on November 28. No price or listings are available at the moment, but I’d keep a close eye on the Free League Publishing website for an update. I’ll either create a new post or update this one when it becomes available.
If you enjoy these updates, please make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Rise of the Floodborn comes out this Friday the 17th, so let’s keep window shopping till the release. You’ll probably have to wait for the big box release anyway. Always check with your LGS for events and products, or wait till the prices on TCG Player come down a bit. We’ll keep things moving with the Amethyst cards. Amethyst is a great color for this set if you are a fan of the Sword in the Stone movie. I personally adore the Yzma cards
If you enjoy these updates, leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Rise of the Floodborn releases this Friday, the 17th, so let’s do some window shopping. Always check with your LGS for Lorcana, but at this stage, you might need to wait till it hits the big box stores. TCG Player is always an option, but I’d hold off til they cool off with their nonsense.
This set is as pretty as ever, and Steel definitely has some of my favorite cards so far. If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Disney’s Lorcana’s second expansion, Rise of the Floodborn, releases this Friday. Unfortunately, the scalpers are in full force, and the game is looking as expensive as ever. Check with your LGS to see if they have something more reasonable, and never pay scalper prices. You can check TCG Player, but it’s a little expensive at the moment. Unfortunately, the investors are making it difficult for people who want to play the game, but cards will be reprinted, and the market will cool.
I am nowhere near financially stable enough to pick up another card game, let alone Lorcana, but I still enjoy looking at the cards and reading what they do. I absolutely adore looking at the artwork for this game. Join me as we do some hopeful window shopping and look through this set’s new releases starting with the Amber cards. Amber certainly has some cute editions, especially if you are a fan of Snow White.
If you enjoy these updates, leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
To promote the TCG and support the LGS, Bandai is encouraging casual play through special promos you can only receive from attending Tamer Party events. This gives players, new and old, a safe and casual space to play Digimon TCG. Ask your LGS to see if they are hosting any of these special events because you aren’t going to want to miss out on some of these promos. You can also use TCG Plus to search for events near you. The month of November will feature some beautiful alt cards from the new movie, Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning. ]
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If buying product from your LGS isn’t possible, you can always pick up Digimon products like the new Blast Aceset from TCG Player using my affiliate links. Either way, make sure you check out these awesome promos!
The Digimon Card Game Tutorial App, available for IOS and Android devices, has been updated to include the new Wolf of Friendship and Dragon of Courage starter decks. The app is a fantastic tool for learning how to play the Digimon TCG because it offers easy to follow instructions of some fundamental mechanics. The inclusion of the newest starter decks mean that beginners can begin by learning the new ACE mechanics. If you are interested in picking up the Digimon TCG, I recommend you check out the app. I can only hope that this update will one day lead to an online client so that I can play this card game from the comfort of my home.
Bandai has also released an ambiguous trailer for a new project. It featured a new Digimon and a series of words that make me think that we may get some sort of anime or short to push the game. I can only hope that we get a web client, but there is too little information to know for sure. Whatever this is, I am excited and can’t wait to learn more!
If you’ve been enjoying these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
