Stay ConnectedBen Byrne, Dael Kingsmill, Shawn Merwin, and Todd Kenreck bring you the latest tabletop hobby news, discussions on roleplaying game design, ideas for players and GMs, and share their passion for tabletop roleplaying games and the community!
For More info be sure to check out ghostfiregaming.com.
Copyright: © Ghostfire Gaming
10 Tabletop Roleplaying Games DOMINATED 2025 sales from Sept-Nov, Matt Colville shows how MCDM continue to do things differently, and why backseat Dungeon Mastering drives us all nuts!
Follow Neopia Quest for updates: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_GGNQ_2026_1_226
Check out @masteringdungeons MCDM interview: https://youtu.be/6-dUeIQHRYs?si=yNNRb9AtCEumvhTY
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
04:43 - Top selling TTRPGs
22:16 - Matt Colville interview recap
28:40 - Neopets ends Geekify license
32:53 - Neopia Quest
34:51 - Critical Role movie
39:40 - Backseat DMing
47:21 - Best 5e monster rules
WotC reveal D&D Seasons as the roadmap forward in 2026, including new Ravenloft content in the Season of Horror and Arcana Unleashed to empower spellcasters!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
04:05 - D&D Beyond interview recap
08:15 - Chris Cocks on AI (briefly)
09:22 - D&D roadmap
28:48 - Vox Machina S4
33:19 - Kickstarter United
35:15 - 1 setting, multiple tables?
46:13 - Big monsters at low levels
Ben & Todd talk to Brian Perry (Executive Producer) and Zac Cohn (MAPS Product Manager) to explore how D&D Beyond is changing to make playing D&D 5.5e a better game to play! Critical Role makes a new hire, and the Exodus TTRPG not published by WotC?
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Brian Perry and Zac Cohn Interview
37:37 - New DnD books
44:25 - Crit Role hires Alyssa
52:31 - DnD Fan Expo London
56:10 - Exodus RPG
A roadmap for D&D Beyond reveals new upcoming features, the OGL architect claims AI could replace game designers, and is it better to have more classes or subclasses in a TTRPG like D&D or Pathfinder?
Follow Neopia Quest for updates: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_GGNQ_2026_1_226
D&D Beyond roadmap article: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2132-d-d-beyonds-2026-development-roadmap
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
07:29 - D&D Beyond roadmap
23:03 - Neopets TTRPG disaster
28:47 - Can AI replace game designers?
37:41 - Pathfinder playtest
40:53 - Classes vs subclasses
Chris Perkins reveals how Vecna: Eve of Ruin COULD have been a perfect finale for 5e 2014, D&D continues the march towards its digital future, and is the fall of Discord going to harm tabletop roleplaying games?
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
09:20 - Vecna’s missing obelisks
19:57 - Hasbro pushes digital
26:46 - Discord hurting TTRPGs
35:42 - Villain foreshadowing
49:39 - Volcano adventures
D&D gets a television series as a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3 while Apple TV greenlights multiple Cosmere projects. Then remembering we're a TTRPG podcast, we debate whether Wild Shape is magical and why Encumbrance is a GREAT RULE, ACTUALLY TODD!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
01:16 - Is Wild Shape magic?
08:46 - HBO Baldur's Gate 3 series
17:59 - Apple TV Cosmere series
24:39 - Beadle & Grimms D&D leaks
27:41 - GM books vs player books
37:14 - When to help players with rules
51:51 - Enforcing encumbrance
Does Demiplane's NEW Campaign feature give it an edge over D&D Beyond? Meanwhile, WotC continues hiring game designers, and how can YOU design the best dungeons?
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
03:59 - WotC hires MORE designers
05:49 - New Hasbro board members
08:07 - Why AI can't play D&D
15:19 - New Demiplane features
21:16 - Designing GREAT dungeons
35:56 - Setting Ability Check DC's
D&D introduces itself to Fortnite players, WotC hires ANOTHER fantastic game designer, and we decide upon the TOP 3 D&D 5e Adventure Modules!
Follow Neopia Quest here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_GGNQ_2026_1_226
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - TOP 3 D&D Adventure Modules
12:18 - WotC Hires Shawn
13:30 - D&D Fortnite collab
18:01 - D&D Beyond 3rd party updates
25:42 - Neopia Quest
29:45 - DriveThru RPG price rise
30:50 - Farewell Jean Rabe
32:08 - Making solo scenes work
43:45 - Homebrew magic items
Fortnite island codes:
D&D Boxfights – 1190-4691-0255
D&D Treasure RNG – 4958-2624-5634
D&D Dungeon Deathrun – 5806-6430-0158
D&D Bossfight – 2218-1049-5866
D&D Zombie Dragon Adventure (early access) – 2525-9596-3235
Is the D&D Shrinkflation getting more noticeable with Eberron: Forge of the Artificer? Are bigger or smaller TTRPG books better? Does Critical Role or Stranger Things sell more D&D? All that, and more!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @jberrt
Topics:
00:00 - D&D book shrinkflation
08:34 - Ed Greenwood on RPG book quality
18:58 - Non-WotC Forgotten Realms book?
25:45 - WotC staff shuffle
32:42 - The Stranger Things effect
40:31 - Unearthed Arcana: Mystic Subclass
47:49 - Games Workshop says "No AI"
53:11 - Are miniatures needed?
Why ARE D&D, Daggerheart, and Draw Steel the ONLY roleplaying games folks talk about? What is Crows and when can you playtest it? How do you tackle GM mental overload?
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @dailydael
Todd: @ToddKenreck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @DannyCalamari
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
00:29 - Non-D&D games we play
03:55 - Why we DON'T talk non-D&D games
17:05 - What is Crows?
25:47 - Handling GM mental overload
39:11 - Hex grid vs square grid
48:38 - Alternate combat win conditions
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