Tabletop Journeys

🎲 Inside Gen Con 2026: Michael’s Games, Surprises & First LARP | Tabletop Café
The dice have stopped rolling, but the stories are just beginning. Michael Ross returns from Gen Con 2026 with tales from North America’s largest tabletop convention—from the packed exhibit hall and major D&D announcements to memorable RPG sessions, his first LARP, and the community that makes it unforgettable.
Pull up a chair at the Tabletop Café for the highlights, challenges, and surprises of Gen Con.
What convention keeps calling you back—or remains on your bucket list?#ttrpg #LiveShow #JoinTheConversation #GMTips #PlayerTips #TTRPGConvention #AcadeCon #GenCon #TabletopJourneys #CallYourBoysTTJ-------------------------------------------------☕ Tabletop Café was recorded live. Watch every other Wednesday at 8:00 PM EST on YouTube and join the conversation:
https://www.youtube.com/@ttjourneys
Tabletop Journeys is hosted by Josh Newton and Lewanika Miller, with Michael Ross
🎧 Listen & Watch:
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/tabletopjourneys

You can support the channel by sharing the episode with your friends and leaving a comment.
If you would like to explore the galaxy alongside the Dilamus Christian and those serving aboard Asselin Station. or check out our Patreon page
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Tabletop Journeys Links:
🧡 Patreon: patreon.com/ttjourneys
🦋 Bluesky: @ttjourneys.bsky.social
📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/ttjourneys
▶️ YouTube: / @ttjourneys
🌐 Website: https://ttjourneys.com/
📧 Email: podcast@ttjourneys.com
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📚 Check Our Library of Content:
🌐 On DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/28665/tabletop-journeys-llc
🌐 On DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?keyword=tabletop%20journeys%20llcc
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🎲 TABLETOP JOURNEYS NETWORK
🎲 On the Right Path – Bite-sized GM advice & TTRPG discussion
🧪 Dr. Homebrew – Custom content, mechanics, & design breakdowns
🖖 Star Trek: Preservations – STA Actual Play
☕ Tabletop Café – TTRPG conversations & community---
And remember:
✅ Like
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✅ Ring the Bell and never miss an episode

What if your cleric, paladin, or warlock finally had a deity worth believing in? One rooted in real-world religious history, myth, and complexity. This week, the crew sits down with The Game Master's Handbook of Patrons, Pacts, and Pantheons author Colby Whittaker (@dm_hagiologist) for a conversation that just might change how you worldbuild forever.

Colby returns to Tabletop Journeys for his second visit, and this time, he's bringing his solo debut book to the table. With two degrees in religious studies, nearly a thousand rollable table entries across his published works, and a passion for making DMs' lives easier, Colby breaks down why most fantasy TTRPG settings get religion wrong and exactly how to fix that at your table.

We dig into:
🕌 Why D&D settings tend to default to either "Disney's Hercules" polytheism or fire-and-brimstone Christianity and what's missing from both
📜 How real-world religious history (schisms, sects, regional variations, folk belief) is weirder and richer than most fantasy worldbuilding
🧙 Why DMs panic the moment a cleric walks in and how this book rescues them
🌿 The Feywild, Eldritch Patrons, and how to make pacts with cosmic powers feel meaningful
🎲 Behind the scenes on nearly 1,000 rollable table entries drawn from actual history and myth
💀 Why your non-religious rogue might still pray before battle and why that's great storytelling
🌍 How the same deity can be worshipped in radically different ways across your world (and why that's historically accurate!)
📖 The famous "Idiot Ball" theory of tabletop storytelling and why sometimes you have to charge into the room full of liches

Plus: Gen Con debrief with Michael Ross, a new Patreon card deck for the Kudje species, and plenty of the TTJ chaos you've come to love. 🎉

Game Master's Handbook of Patrons, Packs, and Pantheons releases August 18th. Pre-order now and don't miss the 40-page bonus chapter packed with magic items for every single patron in the book!

✅ Like ✅ Subscribe ✅ Ring the Bell to never miss an Episode

🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned in the Episode

📘 Game Master's Handbook of Patrons, Packs, and Pantheons by Colby Whittaker — Available August 18th via Media Lab Books
🔗 Colby on Bluesky: @dm_hagiologist
🔗 Colby on Instagram: @dm_hagiologist
🔗 Colby's website: hagiologist.com

Tabletop Journeys Links:

🧡 Patreon: patreon.com/ttjourneys
🦋 Bluesky: @ttjourneys.bsky.social
📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/ttjourneys
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ttjourneys
🌐 Website: https://ttjourneys.com/
📧 Email: podcast@ttjourneys.com

#TabletopJourneys #TTRPG #DungeonsAndDragons #DnD #DnD5e #TabletopRPG #GameMaster #DMTips #ColbyWhittaker #Patrons #Pantheons #WorldBuilding #TabletopGaming #RPGPodcast #DrHomebrew #TabletopCafe #FantasyRPG #ReligionInGames #CriticalRole #Pathfinder #TTRPGCommunity #DnDCommunity #GameMastersHandbook

The mission is over, but Starfleet’s judgment is just beginning. In this Preservations bonus episode, the crew faces Reputation Rolls after the events of S4 Ep. 2. Success, risk, restraint, and questionable choices all come under review as Acclaim, commendations, favors, and consequences are decided. See how Star Trek Adventures 2E turns a mission’s aftermath into character development and how Reputation can help GMs make TTRPG mission and adventure design matter long after the final scene at the table.🌌 #ttrpg #roleplayerswanted #seekingGM #lookingforgame #SciFi #StarTrekAdventuresRPG2E #2D20 #TTRPG #StarTrek #ActualPlay #IDICYall #TabletopJourneys #CallYourBoysTTJ==================================Star Trek Adventures RPG is published by Modiphius Entertainment🛸 Star Trek and all related marks, logos, and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc.🎲 Star Trek Adventures is published by Modiphius Entertainment.🎲 2d20 System Designer: Nathan Dowdell📊 Project Manager: Jim JohnsonCharacter Sheet images courtesy of the🌐STA Character Builder (BC Holmes): https://sta.bcholmes.org👏 Special Shout Out: BC Holmes (https://www.patreon.com/c/bcholmes/posts)===================================Tabletop Journeys is hosted by Josh Newton and Lewanika Miller, with Michael Ross🎧 Listen & Watch:You can support the channel by sharing the episode with your friends and leaving a comment.If you would like to explore the galaxy alongside the Dilamus Christian and those serving aboard Asselin Station. or check out our Patreon page🌐 Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabletopjourneys🌐 Website: https://tabletopjourneys.com🌐 Discord: https://discord.gg/tabletopjourneysAnd remember:✅ Like✅ Subscribe✅ Ring the Bell to never miss an episode.

❄️ OtRP (S2 Ep. 30) – Forged by the Cold: Building Better Campaigns with NorthlandsA frozen frontier is more than snow and longships—it's a culture that should shape every encounter. In this episode of On the Right Path, we explore how Kobold Press's Northlands gives GMs practical tools to build richer campaigns through honor, reputation, prophecy, and unforgettable traditions. Whether you run Tales of the Valiant, D&D 5E, or another fantasy TTRPG, discover how borrowing the right ideas can make your world feel alive long before initiative is rolled.❄️ #ttrpg #GMToolkit #GMtips #KoboldPress #TOV #talesofthevaliant #northlands #TTRPgamereview #Campaignbuilding #TabletopJourneys #CallYourBoysTTJ===================================Tabletop Journeys is hosted by Josh Newton and Lewanika Miller, with Michael Ross🎧 Listen & Watch:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/tabletopjourneysYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ttjourneys🎲 TABLETOP JOURNEYS NETWORK 🎲 On the Right Path – Bite-sized GM advice & TTRPG discussion 🧪 Dr. Homebrew – Custom content, mechanics, & design breakdowns 🖖 Star Trek: Preservations – STA Actual Play ☕ Tabletop Café – TTRPG conversations & communityYou can support the channel by sharing the episode with your friends and leaving a comment.If you would like to explore the galaxy alongside the Dilamus Christian and those serving aboard Asselin Station. or check out our Patreon page🌐 Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabletopjourneys🌐 Website: https://tabletopjourneys.com🌐 Discord: https://discord.gg/tabletopjourneys📚 Check Our Library of Content:🌐 On DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/28665/tabletop-journeys-llc🌐 On DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?keyword=tabletop%20journeys%20llccAnd remember:✅ Like✅ Subscribe✅ Ring the Bell to never miss an episode.

The Names We Preserve (Act 3.3)The mission is almost over… until everything begins to fall apart. In The Names We Preserve (Act 3.3), the crew faces impossible odds as lives hang in the balance, split-second decisions reshape the mission, and teamwork becomes the only path to survival. This Star Trek Adventures RPG 2E Actual Play showcases cinematic TTRPG mission design, tactical combat, dramatic rescues, and the unforgettable moments that define a Starfleet crew.🌌 #ttrpg #roleplayerswanted #seekingGM #lookingforgame #SciFi #StarTrekAdventuresRPG2E #2D20 #TTRPG #StarTrek #ActualPlay #IDICYall #TabletopJourneys #CallYourBoysTTJ--------------------------------------------------🎲 Star Trek Adventures RPG CreditsStar Trek Adventures RPG is published by Modiphius Entertainment🛸 Star Trek and all related marks, logos, and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc.🎲 Star Trek Adventures is published by Modiphius Entertainment. 🎲 2d20 System Designer: Nathan Dowdell 📊 Project Manager: Jim Johnson Character Sheet images courtesy of the    🌐STA Character Builder (BC Holmes): https://sta.bcholmes.org 👏 Special Shout Out: BC Holmes (https://www.patreon.com/c/bcholmes/posts)--------------------------------------------------------------------Tabletop Journeys is hosted by Josh Newton and Lewanika Miller, with Michael Ross🎧 Listen & Watch: - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/tabletopjourneys- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ttjourneys🎲 TABLETOP JOURNEYS NETWORK 🎲 On the Right Path – Bite-sized GM advice & TTRPG discussion 🧪 Dr. Homebrew – Custom content, mechanics, & design breakdowns 🖖 Star Trek: Preservations – STA Actual Play ☕ Tabletop Café – TTRPG conversations & community---------------------------------------------------------------You can support the channel by sharing the episode with your friends and leaving a comment.If you would like to explore the galaxy alongside the Dilamus Christian and those serving aboard Asselin Station, or check out our Patreon page: 🌐 Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabletopjourneys 🌐 Website: https://tabletopjourneys.com 🌐 Discord: https://discord.gg/tabletopjourneys----------------------------------------------------📚 Check Our Library of Content:🌐 On DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/28665/tabletop-journeys-llc🌐 On DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?keyword=tabletop%20journeys%20llcc-------------------And remember:✅ Like✅ Subscribe✅ Ring the Bell to never miss an episode.