Welcome back to our weekly look at tabletop roleplaying game, and accessories, crowdfunding roundup! Each week we’ll be looking at a few campaigns currently running that have caught our eye as well as occasionally speaking to some of the creators about their campaigns, or looking at some of the ‘behind the scenes’ business aspects of putting together, launching, operating and then delivering a crowdfunded project. If you have anything you’d like us to cover, or questions about anything we talk about, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact me directly.
[h=3]Esper Genesis: Heroic Sci-Fi Role-Playing for 5E by Brian Dalrymple[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Monday 10th April 2017; 02:14 UTC)
Esper Genesis is a new setting from Alligator Alley Entertainment, the publishing company founded by Lescouflair, Eric Wiener (With Hunter: The Invisible World, Arcanis Role-playing Game, formerly of Paradigm Concepts), and long-time retailer, graphic designer and industry veteran Brain Dalrymple.
The playtest materials and a 64-page start adventure, The Fall of the Eos Keldor, are available for free download on the Esper Genesis website.
Esper Genesis is a science-fiction tabletop roleplaying game powered by the 5th Edition rules engine and inspired by sci-fi greats such as Star Wars, Mass Effect, Phantasy Star and Ghost in the Shell. Taking on the roles of a galactic hero, you can forge your destiny within a universe of advanced technologies and hidden mysteries. Beyond just a bunch of mechanics, Esper Genesis is a powerhouse of awesome sci-fi that’s fully compatible and interchangeable with any official 5E product.
“Heroic Sci-fi Roleplaying” is the heart of the game. Like the core of 5E, Esper Genesis is just as focused on amazing adventures as it is with fast and easy mechanics. Exotic personalities, alien cultures, and galactic lore are woven together into the setting’s rich history. With a universe that’s immersive from beginning to end, every one of your characters is already part of a fantastic setting you can use to build your own cool sci-fi legend.
Galaxies at war, high-tech gadgets and weapons, robots, aliens, Starfighters, space cruisers, and ancient machines with the power to shape reality – All of these and more make up the core of Esper Genesis. Brace yourself for high adventure in hyperspace as you strive to make your mark within the great expanse!
The purpose of this project is simple: to provide a fun, engaging, and fluid sci-fi setting without removing the spirit of what makes 5th Edition amazing. Instead of the usual approach of how to “turn 5th Edition into sci-fi”, we decided to ask: “How do we put a world of sci-fi awesomeness into 5th Edition?” Instead of deconstructing the 5E rules to build around our system, Esper Genesis adapts directly into the simplicity of the 5E ruleset.
So, if you’ve played 5E, you’ve already learned most of what you need to play Esper Genesis. The system is designed to grow beyong itself and can effortlessly evolve and integrate along with all of 5th Edition as it expands.
All of this will also lead into our upcoming sandbox conversion system to adapt Esper Genesis into any modern/sci-fi genre. Expanding into Cyberpunk, Mechya Combat, Steampunk, and Sci-Horror are just a few examples of our expanded universe of endless possibilities.
Three initial game books are planned:
Esper Genesis Core Manual – all of the mian rules for play, including character generation, races, robots, classes, gear, combat, a small bestiary, and Esper powers.
Silrayne Threats Database – additional beasts, adversaries, and aliens.
Master Technician’s Handbook – additional gear, weapons, tech, and spacecraft.
[h=3]The Umerican Survival Guide by Reid San Filippo[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 13th April 2017; 01:40 UTC)
Originating in the Crawling Under a Broken Moon fanzine, The Umerica Survival Guide is a “super science & sorcery post apocalyptic setting for the Dungeon Crawl Classics role playing game.” The book, which has a choice of two different covers, has massively grown from the original article and now has a dozen new or revised character class options, nine which are unique to the Umerica setting. It also includes Mutations, a system for piecing together armor (something fairly crucial in a post-apocalyptic setting), vehicle rules, a range of gods for the settings (including Kizz, the might intergalactic god of rock and roll, Elmos – the puppet host of eternal pain and suffering and Santa, the giving god), a comprehensive guide to the Citadel of Scrap, various Interesting Places to Die and a load of random tables covering a variety of subjects.
[h=3]Halfsies Dice – The World Tour by John Wrot![/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 22nd March 2017; 03:59 UTC)
I love dice, you probably love dice, let’s face is Everyone loves dice. Like me you’ve probably got way too many dice (if that’s possible!) but that won’t stop you lusting after even MORE DICE!
Well, you’re in luck. The Halfsies Dice campaign is producing some lovely looking dice. Just have a look at these…
I probably don’t need to say any more about this one do I?
[h=3]Cthulhu Mythos Book Badges by Triple Ace Games Ltd[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 29th March 2017; 21:00 UTC)
It’s not always as obvious to spot a fellow cultists as just keeping an eye out to see the deformities hidden away under woollen cloaks, or the dribbling, or listening to the mad spontaneous ramblings and shrieks of Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn! Some cultists, and indeed investigators of such affairs, can almost pass as undetected and as normal as anyone else. That’s where these badges come in handy…
Triple Ace Games, once again identifying the need for such relics due to Wiggy mistakeningly introducing himself to what he though was a fellow cultists that ended up just being a Shetland fisherman, and Robin having more than once mistakenly identified just a normal West Country resident, have designed the Cthulhu Mythos Book Badges.
This set of five soft enamel badges will help identify you to other scholars of elder lore, or fellow gibbering cultists, by discreetly pinning them to your lapel, jacket, hate or dice bag. Each badge features one of the most infamous Cthulhu Mythos books ever read (not written mind you, as several texts were deemed just too great for the human mind and drove the authors insane after their unintelligible ramblings and drawings of what look like ducks…lots of ducks) apart from the Cthulhu Cultist Badge which shows the Great Old One’s likeness.
The five badges on offer are:
Necromonicon Book Badge
Unausspechilichen Kulten Book Badge
King in Yellow Book Badge
Cultes des Goules Book Badge
Cthulhu Cultist Badge
[h=3]Pedion URBAN handpainted Terrain Tiles for Wargmes & RPGs by Pedion Modular Battlefields[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Sunday 2nd April 2017; 19:07 UTC)
Back in 2015 Pedion Modular Battlefields ran a very successful Kickstarter and created their Modular Battlefields line. Now the company returns to Kickstarter to help bring us three distinct new themes – Rustic, Medieval and Modern. These themes will be suitable for a wide range of urban environments and gaming genres. Each board is 1’ x 1’ and connect magnetically to each other, allowing you to form large gaming surface areas.
Each theme comes available in four basic tile designs: Open Space, T Junction, X Intersection and Straight Road. You can also buy right/left hand turns, transition tiles, Outskirts sets, Slopes, raised areas, dead-ends and more through add-ons. All the tiles are hand-painted.
[h=3]MapForge – battlemap creation software for tabletop RPGs by Battlegrounds Games, LLC[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd March 2017; 12:41 UTC)
MapForge is an easy to use map making software program that focuses on creating gorgeous hi-resolution tile-based tactical-scale battlemaps that has done really well on Kickstarter. It’s already passed the $55k mark (of a $9k goal) and has a few days left to run.
So, what makes MapForge special? Here are a few things Battlegrounds say…
Easy to use – The goal is to make MapForge really easy to use, and for a user to be able to start making maps on Day 1 without even bothering to read the User Manual. And by extension, to never feel like you need to re-learn the software even if it’s been many months since you last ysed it.
Support for Add-Ons (both free and commercial) – Make your maps using top-notch professional Add-On content, or using your own content, or a mix of both.
Low cost/inexpensive – I’m making the software itself very affordable, so that you’ll have plenty of money left over to purchase a bunch of Add-Ons.
Versatile – Although it’s primarily intended for creating battlemaps (in ny genre), the program will provide enough flexibility that, given the right content, you’ll also be able to create other types of maps, ranging from area maps to deep space. You can use the program to make high-resolution maps for printing, or lower-resolution maps for use in your favourite virtual tabletop software.
Gorgeous and user-friendly interface – The user interface for MapForge is thematically generic, but very attractive and modern. And it should appeal to you whether you’re the type who prefers to click on buttons and choose menu commands to get things done, or if you’re the power-user type who likes to use hotkeys to get things done that much quicker.
Cross-platform – Whether you’re a Windows user or a Mac user. MapForge has you covered. And if you have a MapForge license and someday decide to switch platforms, you can just request a new license code for the new operating system, free of charge.
High-quality results – The output is crisp, detailed, and (optionally) high resolution.
Empowering, but with a shallow learning curve – MapForge will help you unleash your creativity. It’s not intended just for the artistically or technically gifted. It will allow anyone, regardless of their art skills or technical skills (or lack thereof), to create gorgeous, detailed bttlemaps. With MapForge, you’ll be able to produce Photoshop-like effects such as bevels, drop-shadows, strokes, glows, blurs, and color adjustments without the steep learning curve that producing such effects normally requires.
Offers a free level of use - You’ll be able to use MapForge to make nice maps even if you haven’t purchased a license. Even use free and commercial Add-Ons without a license (though commercial Add-Ons will require registration). I’m confident that MapForge will earn a place in your mapping toolbox, and I’m optimistic that you’ll find it so useful that you will get a license eventually, in order to unlock the software’s full potential.
Quicker Map Creation - With I, I want to help GMs reduce their session prep time, not increase it. You shouldn’t have to spend several hours or even days creating a decent map for your game session. Using keyword searches and tags, you’ll find that elusive content you’re searching for in no time. My goal with MapForge is to enable you to whip up a great map in under an hour. Sometimes even two maps.
And the most important element of all...FUN! - Other map-making programs on the market can be a chore to use. It just feels too much like work. MapForge intends to make map-making FUN! Because if you aren’t having fun, you’re doing it wrong.
**********
If you like what we do here at EN World (the Forums, Columns, News, ENnies, etc) and would like to help support us to bring you MORE please consider supporting our Patreon. Even a single dollar helps Thanks!
**********
If you have a forthcoming Kickstarter, or see one that excites you, please feel free to drop me an email on angus.abranson@gmail.com You can follow me on Twitter @ Angus_A or on Facebook where I often post about gaming.
Until next week, have fun and happy gaming!
Angus Abranson
[h=3]Esper Genesis: Heroic Sci-Fi Role-Playing for 5E by Brian Dalrymple[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Monday 10th April 2017; 02:14 UTC)
Esper Genesis is a new setting from Alligator Alley Entertainment, the publishing company founded by Lescouflair, Eric Wiener (With Hunter: The Invisible World, Arcanis Role-playing Game, formerly of Paradigm Concepts), and long-time retailer, graphic designer and industry veteran Brain Dalrymple.
The playtest materials and a 64-page start adventure, The Fall of the Eos Keldor, are available for free download on the Esper Genesis website.
Esper Genesis is a science-fiction tabletop roleplaying game powered by the 5th Edition rules engine and inspired by sci-fi greats such as Star Wars, Mass Effect, Phantasy Star and Ghost in the Shell. Taking on the roles of a galactic hero, you can forge your destiny within a universe of advanced technologies and hidden mysteries. Beyond just a bunch of mechanics, Esper Genesis is a powerhouse of awesome sci-fi that’s fully compatible and interchangeable with any official 5E product.
“Heroic Sci-fi Roleplaying” is the heart of the game. Like the core of 5E, Esper Genesis is just as focused on amazing adventures as it is with fast and easy mechanics. Exotic personalities, alien cultures, and galactic lore are woven together into the setting’s rich history. With a universe that’s immersive from beginning to end, every one of your characters is already part of a fantastic setting you can use to build your own cool sci-fi legend.
Galaxies at war, high-tech gadgets and weapons, robots, aliens, Starfighters, space cruisers, and ancient machines with the power to shape reality – All of these and more make up the core of Esper Genesis. Brace yourself for high adventure in hyperspace as you strive to make your mark within the great expanse!
The purpose of this project is simple: to provide a fun, engaging, and fluid sci-fi setting without removing the spirit of what makes 5th Edition amazing. Instead of the usual approach of how to “turn 5th Edition into sci-fi”, we decided to ask: “How do we put a world of sci-fi awesomeness into 5th Edition?” Instead of deconstructing the 5E rules to build around our system, Esper Genesis adapts directly into the simplicity of the 5E ruleset.
So, if you’ve played 5E, you’ve already learned most of what you need to play Esper Genesis. The system is designed to grow beyong itself and can effortlessly evolve and integrate along with all of 5th Edition as it expands.
All of this will also lead into our upcoming sandbox conversion system to adapt Esper Genesis into any modern/sci-fi genre. Expanding into Cyberpunk, Mechya Combat, Steampunk, and Sci-Horror are just a few examples of our expanded universe of endless possibilities.
Three initial game books are planned:
Esper Genesis Core Manual – all of the mian rules for play, including character generation, races, robots, classes, gear, combat, a small bestiary, and Esper powers.
Silrayne Threats Database – additional beasts, adversaries, and aliens.
Master Technician’s Handbook – additional gear, weapons, tech, and spacecraft.
[h=3]The Umerican Survival Guide by Reid San Filippo[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 13th April 2017; 01:40 UTC)
Originating in the Crawling Under a Broken Moon fanzine, The Umerica Survival Guide is a “super science & sorcery post apocalyptic setting for the Dungeon Crawl Classics role playing game.” The book, which has a choice of two different covers, has massively grown from the original article and now has a dozen new or revised character class options, nine which are unique to the Umerica setting. It also includes Mutations, a system for piecing together armor (something fairly crucial in a post-apocalyptic setting), vehicle rules, a range of gods for the settings (including Kizz, the might intergalactic god of rock and roll, Elmos – the puppet host of eternal pain and suffering and Santa, the giving god), a comprehensive guide to the Citadel of Scrap, various Interesting Places to Die and a load of random tables covering a variety of subjects.
[h=3]Halfsies Dice – The World Tour by John Wrot![/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 22nd March 2017; 03:59 UTC)
I love dice, you probably love dice, let’s face is Everyone loves dice. Like me you’ve probably got way too many dice (if that’s possible!) but that won’t stop you lusting after even MORE DICE!
Well, you’re in luck. The Halfsies Dice campaign is producing some lovely looking dice. Just have a look at these…
I probably don’t need to say any more about this one do I?
[h=3]Cthulhu Mythos Book Badges by Triple Ace Games Ltd[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 29th March 2017; 21:00 UTC)
It’s not always as obvious to spot a fellow cultists as just keeping an eye out to see the deformities hidden away under woollen cloaks, or the dribbling, or listening to the mad spontaneous ramblings and shrieks of Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn! Some cultists, and indeed investigators of such affairs, can almost pass as undetected and as normal as anyone else. That’s where these badges come in handy…
Triple Ace Games, once again identifying the need for such relics due to Wiggy mistakeningly introducing himself to what he though was a fellow cultists that ended up just being a Shetland fisherman, and Robin having more than once mistakenly identified just a normal West Country resident, have designed the Cthulhu Mythos Book Badges.
This set of five soft enamel badges will help identify you to other scholars of elder lore, or fellow gibbering cultists, by discreetly pinning them to your lapel, jacket, hate or dice bag. Each badge features one of the most infamous Cthulhu Mythos books ever read (not written mind you, as several texts were deemed just too great for the human mind and drove the authors insane after their unintelligible ramblings and drawings of what look like ducks…lots of ducks) apart from the Cthulhu Cultist Badge which shows the Great Old One’s likeness.
The five badges on offer are:
Necromonicon Book Badge
Unausspechilichen Kulten Book Badge
King in Yellow Book Badge
Cultes des Goules Book Badge
Cthulhu Cultist Badge
[h=3]Pedion URBAN handpainted Terrain Tiles for Wargmes & RPGs by Pedion Modular Battlefields[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Sunday 2nd April 2017; 19:07 UTC)
Back in 2015 Pedion Modular Battlefields ran a very successful Kickstarter and created their Modular Battlefields line. Now the company returns to Kickstarter to help bring us three distinct new themes – Rustic, Medieval and Modern. These themes will be suitable for a wide range of urban environments and gaming genres. Each board is 1’ x 1’ and connect magnetically to each other, allowing you to form large gaming surface areas.
Each theme comes available in four basic tile designs: Open Space, T Junction, X Intersection and Straight Road. You can also buy right/left hand turns, transition tiles, Outskirts sets, Slopes, raised areas, dead-ends and more through add-ons. All the tiles are hand-painted.
[h=3]MapForge – battlemap creation software for tabletop RPGs by Battlegrounds Games, LLC[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd March 2017; 12:41 UTC)
MapForge is an easy to use map making software program that focuses on creating gorgeous hi-resolution tile-based tactical-scale battlemaps that has done really well on Kickstarter. It’s already passed the $55k mark (of a $9k goal) and has a few days left to run.
So, what makes MapForge special? Here are a few things Battlegrounds say…
Easy to use – The goal is to make MapForge really easy to use, and for a user to be able to start making maps on Day 1 without even bothering to read the User Manual. And by extension, to never feel like you need to re-learn the software even if it’s been many months since you last ysed it.
Support for Add-Ons (both free and commercial) – Make your maps using top-notch professional Add-On content, or using your own content, or a mix of both.
Low cost/inexpensive – I’m making the software itself very affordable, so that you’ll have plenty of money left over to purchase a bunch of Add-Ons.
Versatile – Although it’s primarily intended for creating battlemaps (in ny genre), the program will provide enough flexibility that, given the right content, you’ll also be able to create other types of maps, ranging from area maps to deep space. You can use the program to make high-resolution maps for printing, or lower-resolution maps for use in your favourite virtual tabletop software.
Gorgeous and user-friendly interface – The user interface for MapForge is thematically generic, but very attractive and modern. And it should appeal to you whether you’re the type who prefers to click on buttons and choose menu commands to get things done, or if you’re the power-user type who likes to use hotkeys to get things done that much quicker.
Cross-platform – Whether you’re a Windows user or a Mac user. MapForge has you covered. And if you have a MapForge license and someday decide to switch platforms, you can just request a new license code for the new operating system, free of charge.
High-quality results – The output is crisp, detailed, and (optionally) high resolution.
Empowering, but with a shallow learning curve – MapForge will help you unleash your creativity. It’s not intended just for the artistically or technically gifted. It will allow anyone, regardless of their art skills or technical skills (or lack thereof), to create gorgeous, detailed bttlemaps. With MapForge, you’ll be able to produce Photoshop-like effects such as bevels, drop-shadows, strokes, glows, blurs, and color adjustments without the steep learning curve that producing such effects normally requires.
Offers a free level of use - You’ll be able to use MapForge to make nice maps even if you haven’t purchased a license. Even use free and commercial Add-Ons without a license (though commercial Add-Ons will require registration). I’m confident that MapForge will earn a place in your mapping toolbox, and I’m optimistic that you’ll find it so useful that you will get a license eventually, in order to unlock the software’s full potential.
Quicker Map Creation - With I, I want to help GMs reduce their session prep time, not increase it. You shouldn’t have to spend several hours or even days creating a decent map for your game session. Using keyword searches and tags, you’ll find that elusive content you’re searching for in no time. My goal with MapForge is to enable you to whip up a great map in under an hour. Sometimes even two maps.
And the most important element of all...FUN! - Other map-making programs on the market can be a chore to use. It just feels too much like work. MapForge intends to make map-making FUN! Because if you aren’t having fun, you’re doing it wrong.
**********
If you like what we do here at EN World (the Forums, Columns, News, ENnies, etc) and would like to help support us to bring you MORE please consider supporting our Patreon. Even a single dollar helps Thanks!
**********
If you have a forthcoming Kickstarter, or see one that excites you, please feel free to drop me an email on angus.abranson@gmail.com You can follow me on Twitter @ Angus_A or on Facebook where I often post about gaming.
Until next week, have fun and happy gaming!
Angus Abranson
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