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.
Cavaliers of Mars by Richard Thomas
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 19th October 2017; 16:59 UTC)
Live, fight, and love on Mars, a world of red death and strange mystery, a word of savagery and romance.
I first heard about Cavaliers of Mars through Rose Bailey, the games designer, a few years ago and have been waiting eagerly for it ever since. I’m a big fan of games involving Mars – be they sci-fi or more in the planetary romance/swords and sorcery genre which Cavaliers falls in to.
Return now to dying Mars in its last age of glory. A planet of flashing swords and choking sands, of winking courtesans and lantern-lit canal cities.
Mars, where fortune and heartbreak are two sides of the same obsidian chit, where lost cities and dry oceans stretch between the last bastions of civilization. Where the First Martians, the monument-builders, are but a haunted memory. Where the Red Martians become decadent and reckless in their last days. Where the Pale Martians rule the wastes, remembering a history whose weight would crush a lesser people.
Cavaliers of Mars is powered by the DEIMOS system, in which a hero’s motivations and approach to problems strongly influence her chance of success. In combat, heroes face off with their enemies in contests of tactics and chance.
What is the DEIMOS System?
In the DEIMOS system, heroes are built from their Motivations (For Self, For Honor, and For Love), their Methods (With Cunning, With Force, and With Grace), and their Careers (such as Cavalier, Thief, or Courtesan). These traits are rated in die sizes, which are rolled as a pool against difficulty dice chosen by the GM. In Cavaliers of Mars, a hero's reasons and approach just as important as their background in solving a problem... or getting into yet more trouble!
When our heroes must draw steel, players choose three dice to represent their character's actions, combining Strikes, Parries, and Stunts. All players roll their dice, then resolve actions in order from highest die to lowest. Players can also use their dice for special maneuvers like Ripostes or Disarms. Combining tactics, chance, and creative flair, Cavaliers of Mars evokes classic fight scenes such as those in The Adventures of Robin Hood, Scaramouche, and The Princess Bride.
Super Powered Legends Sourcebook for M&M by Owen Stephens
(Campaign Ends : Tuesday 17th October 2017; 06:59 UTC)
The Super Powered Legends Sourcebook is a collection of over 180 heroes and villains that were created and released in over 100 PDFs by writer and artist Jacob E. Blackmon for the Third Edition of Green Ronin’s Mutants & Masterminds RPG. Compiled into one massive tome the sourcebook not only features all the heroes and villains from the Super Powered Legends products – including those found in the Disaster Day! Adventure – but also features information on how to use each character as a hero or a villain.
Stretch goals are adding ‘world setting’ content. Information on countries such as China, Romania and the United Kingdom as well as places such as Atlantis, Agartha (City of Monsters) and also places beyond Earth.
Battlelords, Science Fiction RPG Revised Edition by 23rd Century Productions
(Campaign Ends : Friday 20th October 2017; 03:04 UTC)
This campaign is for the Seventh Edition of the Battlelords of the 23rd Century RPG, originally published back in 1990 by Optimus Design Systems. The game changed hands a few years later and SSDC Inc published a 6th Edition of the rules in 2000. Now, in partnership with SSDC, new company 23rd Century Productions is using Kickstarter to fund a new and streamlined 7th edition.
Battlelords is a game set in a dangerous future. An Alliance of Humans and aliens is fighting for survival. The Ak-Nar-Ryn (aka “Arachnids”) have destroyed worlds and decimated populations as they advance into Alliance territory. Against the backdrop of war, players can take the fight to the Ak-Nar-Ryn, become explorers seeking new aliens species for allies and technology or participate in espionage to further the goals of their corporate backers.
There are many core species and each has their specialty and their own story. You can play as a Chatilian so you can read minds and use mental powers. Be the ultimate infiltration specialist as a Mazian transforming to look like a Human, or a tree, or a desk, or pretty much anything else you can think of. If you'd like to go with brute strength, pick a Pythonian and throw someone for distance. Play a cunning and ruthless Phentari and make your enemies suffer. There are 15 different species to choose from!
Give your character depth through the “growing up tables”. Roll well and you could find yourself the owner of a starship or and incredible fortune. Roll poorly and you might be labeled an informant with a contract to end your character’s existence. Expand the story with skill choices to fit your goals and equip your character with arms and armor to keep them safe.
Battlelords 7th Edition will be a full colour, hardcover, book running to around 360 pages.
DCC RPG: Angels, Daemons & Beings Between Volume 2 by David Fisher
(Campaign Ends : Friday 27th October 2017; 00:01 UTC)
Angels, Daemons & Beings Between Volume II: Elfland Edition is a follow up to Shinobi 27 Games first book in the series. Produced for Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG the final hardcover book will be around 150 pages.
Like Volume 1, Elfland Edition will provide Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG gamers another great selection of patrons to use at their gaming table but with a distinct fae flavor and like its predecessor, Volume 2 requires the DCC RPG Core Rulebook for use. DCC elves are, after all, compelled to have a patron from the beginning and we felt the selection of patrons could be richer for the Elf class. We strove to reflect the varied depictions of elves in mythology and folklore from which Appendix N authors drew upon for their fantasies.
Angels, Daemons and Beings Between Volume 2: Elfland Edition unleashes the hidden patrons of Elfland. From fey barbarians and vagabond thieves to vile demons and alien vegetation, this tome shines light on 13 new patrons of distinct fae character. With accompanying art, spells, spellburns, patron taints and the rituals required to commune with these patrons, this volume is a must for your campaign’s elves… and wizards, of course!
D20 / D30 RPG & DCC Dice Chain Sets – New D17, D19, D26 & D28 by Impact! Miniatures
(Campaign Ends : Friday 27th October 2017; 03:59 UTC)
This is, incredibly, Impact! Miniatures 34th Kickstarter campaign!!! They have mainly created miniatures and dice… and do enjoy bringing us a variety of unusual dice as this campaign continues to show.
The campaign is to fund mass production of four new dice (D17, D19, D26 & D28) in nine opaque and two speciality colours. These four dice will then contribute to the Dice Chain Sets Impact! Miniatures produce… which are also available to buy through this campaign.
The campaign funded easily and is already into stretch goal territory – for instance a new D3 design has been unlocked.
**********
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
Cavaliers of Mars by Richard Thomas
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 19th October 2017; 16:59 UTC)
Live, fight, and love on Mars, a world of red death and strange mystery, a word of savagery and romance.
I first heard about Cavaliers of Mars through Rose Bailey, the games designer, a few years ago and have been waiting eagerly for it ever since. I’m a big fan of games involving Mars – be they sci-fi or more in the planetary romance/swords and sorcery genre which Cavaliers falls in to.
Return now to dying Mars in its last age of glory. A planet of flashing swords and choking sands, of winking courtesans and lantern-lit canal cities.
Mars, where fortune and heartbreak are two sides of the same obsidian chit, where lost cities and dry oceans stretch between the last bastions of civilization. Where the First Martians, the monument-builders, are but a haunted memory. Where the Red Martians become decadent and reckless in their last days. Where the Pale Martians rule the wastes, remembering a history whose weight would crush a lesser people.
Cavaliers of Mars is powered by the DEIMOS system, in which a hero’s motivations and approach to problems strongly influence her chance of success. In combat, heroes face off with their enemies in contests of tactics and chance.
What is the DEIMOS System?
In the DEIMOS system, heroes are built from their Motivations (For Self, For Honor, and For Love), their Methods (With Cunning, With Force, and With Grace), and their Careers (such as Cavalier, Thief, or Courtesan). These traits are rated in die sizes, which are rolled as a pool against difficulty dice chosen by the GM. In Cavaliers of Mars, a hero's reasons and approach just as important as their background in solving a problem... or getting into yet more trouble!
When our heroes must draw steel, players choose three dice to represent their character's actions, combining Strikes, Parries, and Stunts. All players roll their dice, then resolve actions in order from highest die to lowest. Players can also use their dice for special maneuvers like Ripostes or Disarms. Combining tactics, chance, and creative flair, Cavaliers of Mars evokes classic fight scenes such as those in The Adventures of Robin Hood, Scaramouche, and The Princess Bride.
Super Powered Legends Sourcebook for M&M by Owen Stephens
(Campaign Ends : Tuesday 17th October 2017; 06:59 UTC)
The Super Powered Legends Sourcebook is a collection of over 180 heroes and villains that were created and released in over 100 PDFs by writer and artist Jacob E. Blackmon for the Third Edition of Green Ronin’s Mutants & Masterminds RPG. Compiled into one massive tome the sourcebook not only features all the heroes and villains from the Super Powered Legends products – including those found in the Disaster Day! Adventure – but also features information on how to use each character as a hero or a villain.
Stretch goals are adding ‘world setting’ content. Information on countries such as China, Romania and the United Kingdom as well as places such as Atlantis, Agartha (City of Monsters) and also places beyond Earth.
Battlelords, Science Fiction RPG Revised Edition by 23rd Century Productions
(Campaign Ends : Friday 20th October 2017; 03:04 UTC)
This campaign is for the Seventh Edition of the Battlelords of the 23rd Century RPG, originally published back in 1990 by Optimus Design Systems. The game changed hands a few years later and SSDC Inc published a 6th Edition of the rules in 2000. Now, in partnership with SSDC, new company 23rd Century Productions is using Kickstarter to fund a new and streamlined 7th edition.
Battlelords is a game set in a dangerous future. An Alliance of Humans and aliens is fighting for survival. The Ak-Nar-Ryn (aka “Arachnids”) have destroyed worlds and decimated populations as they advance into Alliance territory. Against the backdrop of war, players can take the fight to the Ak-Nar-Ryn, become explorers seeking new aliens species for allies and technology or participate in espionage to further the goals of their corporate backers.
There are many core species and each has their specialty and their own story. You can play as a Chatilian so you can read minds and use mental powers. Be the ultimate infiltration specialist as a Mazian transforming to look like a Human, or a tree, or a desk, or pretty much anything else you can think of. If you'd like to go with brute strength, pick a Pythonian and throw someone for distance. Play a cunning and ruthless Phentari and make your enemies suffer. There are 15 different species to choose from!
Give your character depth through the “growing up tables”. Roll well and you could find yourself the owner of a starship or and incredible fortune. Roll poorly and you might be labeled an informant with a contract to end your character’s existence. Expand the story with skill choices to fit your goals and equip your character with arms and armor to keep them safe.
Battlelords 7th Edition will be a full colour, hardcover, book running to around 360 pages.
DCC RPG: Angels, Daemons & Beings Between Volume 2 by David Fisher
(Campaign Ends : Friday 27th October 2017; 00:01 UTC)
Angels, Daemons & Beings Between Volume II: Elfland Edition is a follow up to Shinobi 27 Games first book in the series. Produced for Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG the final hardcover book will be around 150 pages.
Like Volume 1, Elfland Edition will provide Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG gamers another great selection of patrons to use at their gaming table but with a distinct fae flavor and like its predecessor, Volume 2 requires the DCC RPG Core Rulebook for use. DCC elves are, after all, compelled to have a patron from the beginning and we felt the selection of patrons could be richer for the Elf class. We strove to reflect the varied depictions of elves in mythology and folklore from which Appendix N authors drew upon for their fantasies.
Angels, Daemons and Beings Between Volume 2: Elfland Edition unleashes the hidden patrons of Elfland. From fey barbarians and vagabond thieves to vile demons and alien vegetation, this tome shines light on 13 new patrons of distinct fae character. With accompanying art, spells, spellburns, patron taints and the rituals required to commune with these patrons, this volume is a must for your campaign’s elves… and wizards, of course!
D20 / D30 RPG & DCC Dice Chain Sets – New D17, D19, D26 & D28 by Impact! Miniatures
(Campaign Ends : Friday 27th October 2017; 03:59 UTC)
This is, incredibly, Impact! Miniatures 34th Kickstarter campaign!!! They have mainly created miniatures and dice… and do enjoy bringing us a variety of unusual dice as this campaign continues to show.
The campaign is to fund mass production of four new dice (D17, D19, D26 & D28) in nine opaque and two speciality colours. These four dice will then contribute to the Dice Chain Sets Impact! Miniatures produce… which are also available to buy through this campaign.
The campaign funded easily and is already into stretch goal territory – for instance a new D3 design has been unlocked.
**********
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
