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.
Flash Gordon RPG for Savage Worlds by Shane Hensley
(Campaign Ends : Tuesday 5th December 2017; 03:00 UTC)
Pinnacle Entertainment announced they had the license for Flash Gordon back at Gen Con 2015 and now we finally get to see the fruits of their, and lead writer Scott Woodard, hard labour. The game is based upon the original comic strips, as well as the classic 1980 movie, so you can be sure that we’ll be hearing “Gordons Alive!” shouted across gaming tables with Queen playing in the background.
At the core of the campaign are two books – The Savage World of Flash Gordon and The Kingdoms of Mongo. Both books are 192 pages, but you will also need a copy of the Savage Worlds Core Rules to play the game.
The Savage World of Flash Gordon includes all new powers, Edges, Hindrances, gear and also some brand new rules – The Cliffhanger and Conviction.
At the beginning of each session, the players are given the Cliffhanger token. When the group decides to use it, they flip it over to the CLIFFHANGER side! Everyone gets a reward of some kind--such as drawing or refilling their Bennies, or gaining Conviction. But then the situation goes from the proverbial frying pan into the fire in some way!
Once the Cliffhanger is in play, the GM either decides what happens based on the circumstances, or better yet, lets the players choose from a number of options...and we even have cards for them!
So what's Conviction? In Flash Gordon, heroes earn special Bennies that add to an existing roll rather than just rerolling it! Conviction is very rare so save it for those special moments when you really need to pull off an amazing feat Mongoians will talk about for generations to come!
The Kingdoms of Mongo examines the planet of Mongo and the kingdoms that exist on, above, and within it. The book focuses on nine kingdoms: Arboria, Coralia, Frigia, Kira, Radiuma, Sky City, Skyland, Tropica, and Valkr. It includes information on the cultures, geography, technology, denizens, and player-friendly and GM-only information including new monsters, adversaries and all-new Savage Tales.
In addition to the PDFs, and print copies, of the two core books Pinnacle are offering a limited edition Box Set which will not only include the Limited Edition hardcover editions of both books but a host of other items. A three-fold GM Screen and 32-page adventure, Journey to the Center of Mongo, two Combat Maps (Arboria & War Rocket; Coralia & Fast Pursuit Rocket), a Double Action Deck, A set of 20 Bennies plus the 5 Conviction chips, Custom Dice and an exclusive limited edition polished brass Cliffhanger token.
Miniatures have also already been unlocked, through stretch goals, which can be brought as add-ons to your pledge.
So, who’s with me to help save the Earth?
Kids on Bikes RPG – Strange Adventures in Small Towns by Infectious Play (Jon Gilmour)
(Campaign Ends : Tuesday 28th November 2017; 14:15 UTC)
Kids on Bikes is a rules-light, fast-paced storytelling RPG in the spirit of such great Indy titles like Dread, Monsterhearts and Perseverant. It’s an easy pick up and play game that needs little – to no – preparation, and has collaborative world building elements. One of the things that caught my attention is that one of the authors, Jon Gilmour, is the designer of Dead of Winter; a semi-co-operative game of survival and one of my favourite boardgames.
The adventures of Kids on Bikes take place in small towns in a time before cameras on mobile phones and Google stealing away all the fun of long, hard, research. The basic book is 60 pages with a deluxe hardcover edition also available which will include all the modules that have been unlocked as stretch goals (of which there are many as the campaign has been hugely successful).
The group creates the town their characters are based in during the process of creating their actual characters. They also create a ‘co-controlled’ character, that all the players may access, who has a mysterious and dangerous power that they will almost certainly need at some stage during the game to help them out… however using the powers will have a cost in the long run.
It’s easy to say that Kids on Bikes is yet another RPG influenced by Stranger Things, and there have certainly been a number of them over the last year and Kids on Bikes certainly seems to fall into the category, but the game brings in some concepts which will be interesting to see in play. Certainly the ‘create your setting’ has been used in a number of Indy games before now, but it’ll be interesting to see how the ‘co-controlled’ character plays out. I’m certainly interested to check it out when my copy arrives!
Xenomorphs: The Fall of Somerset Landing Tabletop RPG by Morrus
(Campaign Ends : Friday 1st December 2017; 20:00 UTC)
Xenomorphs: The Fall of Somerset Landing is a project by EN Publishing, the publishing arm of EN World. It is also something that I co-wrote (alongside Russ ‘Morrus’ Morrissey and Darren Pearce) and developed. It’s also the first product in a new line we’re creating called WOIN Studios Presents; a line of adventure/setting books for the What’s Old Is New (WOIN) system. You can read some more info about the idea behind WOIN Studios Presents in an ENterview I did here on ENWorld a while back.
Xenomorphs is a 60-page, full colour, softcover book which is split into three parts. An overview of the setting (known space, equipment, careers, vehicles, the United Marine Corps, the Xenomorphs, etc), a more detailed overview of Somerset Landing, the terraforming colony where the adventure takes place (that can also be used as a setting for any game), and the adventure itself; complete with multiple pre-generated PCs. Alongside the Xenomorphs book a campaign exclusive ‘Xeno Edition’ of the N.E.W. Science Fiction RPG Rulebook is also on offer. The Xeno Edition rulebook is an updated (version 1.2) edition of the rules and comes with an ‘alternate’ cover only available as part of this campaign.
Xenomorphs is a gritty, dark, survival horror setting. Known space is largely dominated by a self-serving corporation, and the setting primarily features blue-collar workers or marines. The game should feel claustrophobic; colonies are dark, cold, and hammered with rain. Death is around every corner, whether by an engineering accident or by something else...
The Fall of Somerset Landing chronicles the discovery of a new abundant mineral deposit which will make the colony rich and the subsequent discovery of an alien ship that will change everything, becoming a catalyst for the events which plunge the colony into a state of disarray, and lead to an eventual loss of contact.
Both books are fully written, edited, laid out and ready to ship as soon as the campaign closes.
Operators RPG by Samjoko Publishing
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 30th November 2017; 07:00 UTC)
Operators is the new RPG from Samjoko Publishing, the company that brought us The Veil Cyberpunk RPG using the Apocalypse World engine which funded on Kickstarter back in May 2016. With Operators Samjoko have switched from cyberpunk to modern day technothriller (think the Tom Clancy novels and films such as Mission: Impossible) and from the Apocalypse World system to one using Fate dice and a deck of cards which are used in fight and chase scenes. You can download a quickstart that looks at the mechnics in depth, as well as some characters and a quickplay scenario.
The book is a softcover, graphic novel sized, full colour affair of about 200 pages, whilst the cards will be a standard sized 52 card deck. 19 for use with Chase scenes, the other 33 for Fight scenes. The cards could also be used in other games, such as Delta Green or Night’s Black Agents, if you wanted to introduce them.
Children of the Fallen Sun (1st level adventure for MCC RPG) by Stephen Newton
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 29th November 2017; 20:30 UTC)
The star fell from the heavens, its long red tail ripping the sky like a bloody, dripping wound. All eyes of the tribe—mutant, manimal, and plantient alike—were transfixed by the resulting explosion seen far off in the horizon.
Some proclaim this is the Second Death, foretold within the Ancient Prophecy. But one venerable sentient redwood recognizes it as the Sky Ark of the Ancients, whose mysteries must be explored before they can be exploited by the tribe’s enemies. What perils and mysteries will lay within the Sky Ark? Only the heartiest of your species have a chance of surviving the dangers that accompany the arcane ancient technology developed by the Children of the Fallen Sun.
Children of the Fallen Sun is a 1st level adventure for Goodman Games Mutant Crawl Classics RPG. Running to about 10,000 words the print version will be between 36-40 pages in a digest format.
Apart from the adventure itself, which comprises the bulk of the book, an appendix also introduces 9 new artifacts, a new mutation and 3 new monsters to the game. The adventure consists of sixteen locations, being a mix of combat and puzzle encounters.
Epic Legacy Core Rulebook – 5th Edition Beyond 20th Level by 2CGaming
(Campaign Ends : Sunday 3rd December 2017; 05:00 UTC)
The Epic Legacy Core Rulebook is a 5th Edition supplement which allows Characters to advance from levels 21 to 30. Packed with information for both players and DMs.
Prestige class progression from level 21 to 30 for all twelve base classes and archetypes found in the core ruleset (and a few beyond!). Each class feature expands on themes from the base classes, as well as giving new defining abilities that bring an Epic feel to the game. Finally, the classes are meticulously balanced to counteract game-balance issues with high-level play found in the base game (looking at you, ranger).
Epic Legacy characters are able to fluidly transition from non-Epic to Epic levels, allowing you to continue your favorite campaign into a new frontier smoothly and dramatically. Epic Legacy is designed to have that "5th Edition feel" of streamlined play with interesting mechanics, while providing meaningful progression that isn't just piling on numbers (though we suspect some of you will greatly enjoy the huge handfuls of dice you'll get to throw).
Epic Characters are nothing without masterfully designed Epic Challenges to test their mettle. As an Epic Dungeon Master, you will need an arsenal of powerful storytelling tools to help you bring your legendary adventure to life. Here are some of awesome features for Epic Dungeon Masters you can expect to see in the final product!
The Epic Affix System - A system for designing, augmenting, and empowering monsters to face your Epic powered players in battle, the Epic Affix System provides easy guidelines to enhance non-Epic monsters into Epic challenges.
Epic Relics - Every great adventure needs loot. Epic Relics take treasure to the next level by introduce beyond Artifact strength items that can be a key feature of your Epic game. Whether its destroying worlds, saving nations, or unlocking the mysteries of the universe, these items present a fun addition to story and game play.
Some of you may believe than an Epic Character is too powerful. That with their abilities to restore the dead to life, level mountains, and create worlds, they are beyond the power of even the gods. If only that were true. A key component of Epic Legacy are its Mythic Monsters. Epic Foes of staggering power that can lay waste to an overconfident Epic adventuring party with ease. The Epic Legacy Core Rulebook will contain several of these enemies, and design tools to build your own! Like a character for the Dungeon Master to play, Mythic creatures raise the bar on challenging encounters to a whole new level.
Hastur, of Lovecraft fame, is one such Mythic foe we plan to include in the Epic Legacy Core Rulebook. As a Mythic 10 creature, Hastur is designed to be a challenge for the highest level characters, at level 30. Testing their skills, strength, and sanity, Hastur and other foes of his power will be the capstone to an Epic campaign.
**********
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
Flash Gordon RPG for Savage Worlds by Shane Hensley
(Campaign Ends : Tuesday 5th December 2017; 03:00 UTC)
Pinnacle Entertainment announced they had the license for Flash Gordon back at Gen Con 2015 and now we finally get to see the fruits of their, and lead writer Scott Woodard, hard labour. The game is based upon the original comic strips, as well as the classic 1980 movie, so you can be sure that we’ll be hearing “Gordons Alive!” shouted across gaming tables with Queen playing in the background.
At the core of the campaign are two books – The Savage World of Flash Gordon and The Kingdoms of Mongo. Both books are 192 pages, but you will also need a copy of the Savage Worlds Core Rules to play the game.
The Savage World of Flash Gordon includes all new powers, Edges, Hindrances, gear and also some brand new rules – The Cliffhanger and Conviction.
At the beginning of each session, the players are given the Cliffhanger token. When the group decides to use it, they flip it over to the CLIFFHANGER side! Everyone gets a reward of some kind--such as drawing or refilling their Bennies, or gaining Conviction. But then the situation goes from the proverbial frying pan into the fire in some way!
Once the Cliffhanger is in play, the GM either decides what happens based on the circumstances, or better yet, lets the players choose from a number of options...and we even have cards for them!
So what's Conviction? In Flash Gordon, heroes earn special Bennies that add to an existing roll rather than just rerolling it! Conviction is very rare so save it for those special moments when you really need to pull off an amazing feat Mongoians will talk about for generations to come!
The Kingdoms of Mongo examines the planet of Mongo and the kingdoms that exist on, above, and within it. The book focuses on nine kingdoms: Arboria, Coralia, Frigia, Kira, Radiuma, Sky City, Skyland, Tropica, and Valkr. It includes information on the cultures, geography, technology, denizens, and player-friendly and GM-only information including new monsters, adversaries and all-new Savage Tales.
In addition to the PDFs, and print copies, of the two core books Pinnacle are offering a limited edition Box Set which will not only include the Limited Edition hardcover editions of both books but a host of other items. A three-fold GM Screen and 32-page adventure, Journey to the Center of Mongo, two Combat Maps (Arboria & War Rocket; Coralia & Fast Pursuit Rocket), a Double Action Deck, A set of 20 Bennies plus the 5 Conviction chips, Custom Dice and an exclusive limited edition polished brass Cliffhanger token.
Miniatures have also already been unlocked, through stretch goals, which can be brought as add-ons to your pledge.
So, who’s with me to help save the Earth?
Kids on Bikes RPG – Strange Adventures in Small Towns by Infectious Play (Jon Gilmour)
(Campaign Ends : Tuesday 28th November 2017; 14:15 UTC)
Kids on Bikes is a rules-light, fast-paced storytelling RPG in the spirit of such great Indy titles like Dread, Monsterhearts and Perseverant. It’s an easy pick up and play game that needs little – to no – preparation, and has collaborative world building elements. One of the things that caught my attention is that one of the authors, Jon Gilmour, is the designer of Dead of Winter; a semi-co-operative game of survival and one of my favourite boardgames.
The adventures of Kids on Bikes take place in small towns in a time before cameras on mobile phones and Google stealing away all the fun of long, hard, research. The basic book is 60 pages with a deluxe hardcover edition also available which will include all the modules that have been unlocked as stretch goals (of which there are many as the campaign has been hugely successful).
The group creates the town their characters are based in during the process of creating their actual characters. They also create a ‘co-controlled’ character, that all the players may access, who has a mysterious and dangerous power that they will almost certainly need at some stage during the game to help them out… however using the powers will have a cost in the long run.
It’s easy to say that Kids on Bikes is yet another RPG influenced by Stranger Things, and there have certainly been a number of them over the last year and Kids on Bikes certainly seems to fall into the category, but the game brings in some concepts which will be interesting to see in play. Certainly the ‘create your setting’ has been used in a number of Indy games before now, but it’ll be interesting to see how the ‘co-controlled’ character plays out. I’m certainly interested to check it out when my copy arrives!
Xenomorphs: The Fall of Somerset Landing Tabletop RPG by Morrus
(Campaign Ends : Friday 1st December 2017; 20:00 UTC)
Xenomorphs: The Fall of Somerset Landing is a project by EN Publishing, the publishing arm of EN World. It is also something that I co-wrote (alongside Russ ‘Morrus’ Morrissey and Darren Pearce) and developed. It’s also the first product in a new line we’re creating called WOIN Studios Presents; a line of adventure/setting books for the What’s Old Is New (WOIN) system. You can read some more info about the idea behind WOIN Studios Presents in an ENterview I did here on ENWorld a while back.
Xenomorphs is a 60-page, full colour, softcover book which is split into three parts. An overview of the setting (known space, equipment, careers, vehicles, the United Marine Corps, the Xenomorphs, etc), a more detailed overview of Somerset Landing, the terraforming colony where the adventure takes place (that can also be used as a setting for any game), and the adventure itself; complete with multiple pre-generated PCs. Alongside the Xenomorphs book a campaign exclusive ‘Xeno Edition’ of the N.E.W. Science Fiction RPG Rulebook is also on offer. The Xeno Edition rulebook is an updated (version 1.2) edition of the rules and comes with an ‘alternate’ cover only available as part of this campaign.
Xenomorphs is a gritty, dark, survival horror setting. Known space is largely dominated by a self-serving corporation, and the setting primarily features blue-collar workers or marines. The game should feel claustrophobic; colonies are dark, cold, and hammered with rain. Death is around every corner, whether by an engineering accident or by something else...
The Fall of Somerset Landing chronicles the discovery of a new abundant mineral deposit which will make the colony rich and the subsequent discovery of an alien ship that will change everything, becoming a catalyst for the events which plunge the colony into a state of disarray, and lead to an eventual loss of contact.
Both books are fully written, edited, laid out and ready to ship as soon as the campaign closes.
Operators RPG by Samjoko Publishing
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 30th November 2017; 07:00 UTC)
Operators is the new RPG from Samjoko Publishing, the company that brought us The Veil Cyberpunk RPG using the Apocalypse World engine which funded on Kickstarter back in May 2016. With Operators Samjoko have switched from cyberpunk to modern day technothriller (think the Tom Clancy novels and films such as Mission: Impossible) and from the Apocalypse World system to one using Fate dice and a deck of cards which are used in fight and chase scenes. You can download a quickstart that looks at the mechnics in depth, as well as some characters and a quickplay scenario.
The book is a softcover, graphic novel sized, full colour affair of about 200 pages, whilst the cards will be a standard sized 52 card deck. 19 for use with Chase scenes, the other 33 for Fight scenes. The cards could also be used in other games, such as Delta Green or Night’s Black Agents, if you wanted to introduce them.
Children of the Fallen Sun (1st level adventure for MCC RPG) by Stephen Newton
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 29th November 2017; 20:30 UTC)
The star fell from the heavens, its long red tail ripping the sky like a bloody, dripping wound. All eyes of the tribe—mutant, manimal, and plantient alike—were transfixed by the resulting explosion seen far off in the horizon.
Some proclaim this is the Second Death, foretold within the Ancient Prophecy. But one venerable sentient redwood recognizes it as the Sky Ark of the Ancients, whose mysteries must be explored before they can be exploited by the tribe’s enemies. What perils and mysteries will lay within the Sky Ark? Only the heartiest of your species have a chance of surviving the dangers that accompany the arcane ancient technology developed by the Children of the Fallen Sun.
Children of the Fallen Sun is a 1st level adventure for Goodman Games Mutant Crawl Classics RPG. Running to about 10,000 words the print version will be between 36-40 pages in a digest format.
Apart from the adventure itself, which comprises the bulk of the book, an appendix also introduces 9 new artifacts, a new mutation and 3 new monsters to the game. The adventure consists of sixteen locations, being a mix of combat and puzzle encounters.
Epic Legacy Core Rulebook – 5th Edition Beyond 20th Level by 2CGaming
(Campaign Ends : Sunday 3rd December 2017; 05:00 UTC)
The Epic Legacy Core Rulebook is a 5th Edition supplement which allows Characters to advance from levels 21 to 30. Packed with information for both players and DMs.
Prestige class progression from level 21 to 30 for all twelve base classes and archetypes found in the core ruleset (and a few beyond!). Each class feature expands on themes from the base classes, as well as giving new defining abilities that bring an Epic feel to the game. Finally, the classes are meticulously balanced to counteract game-balance issues with high-level play found in the base game (looking at you, ranger).
Epic Legacy characters are able to fluidly transition from non-Epic to Epic levels, allowing you to continue your favorite campaign into a new frontier smoothly and dramatically. Epic Legacy is designed to have that "5th Edition feel" of streamlined play with interesting mechanics, while providing meaningful progression that isn't just piling on numbers (though we suspect some of you will greatly enjoy the huge handfuls of dice you'll get to throw).
Epic Characters are nothing without masterfully designed Epic Challenges to test their mettle. As an Epic Dungeon Master, you will need an arsenal of powerful storytelling tools to help you bring your legendary adventure to life. Here are some of awesome features for Epic Dungeon Masters you can expect to see in the final product!
The Epic Affix System - A system for designing, augmenting, and empowering monsters to face your Epic powered players in battle, the Epic Affix System provides easy guidelines to enhance non-Epic monsters into Epic challenges.
Epic Relics - Every great adventure needs loot. Epic Relics take treasure to the next level by introduce beyond Artifact strength items that can be a key feature of your Epic game. Whether its destroying worlds, saving nations, or unlocking the mysteries of the universe, these items present a fun addition to story and game play.
Some of you may believe than an Epic Character is too powerful. That with their abilities to restore the dead to life, level mountains, and create worlds, they are beyond the power of even the gods. If only that were true. A key component of Epic Legacy are its Mythic Monsters. Epic Foes of staggering power that can lay waste to an overconfident Epic adventuring party with ease. The Epic Legacy Core Rulebook will contain several of these enemies, and design tools to build your own! Like a character for the Dungeon Master to play, Mythic creatures raise the bar on challenging encounters to a whole new level.
Hastur, of Lovecraft fame, is one such Mythic foe we plan to include in the Epic Legacy Core Rulebook. As a Mythic 10 creature, Hastur is designed to be a challenge for the highest level characters, at level 30. Testing their skills, strength, and sanity, Hastur and other foes of his power will be the capstone to an Epic campaign.
**********
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
