This list opens with two RPG
Kickstarters that are education-based.
Critical Core focuses on children along the spectrum, something important to me, and
STEAM Hack hopes to inspire the next generation of scientists. Beyond these two great projects,
The Grande Temple of Jing boasts one of the strongest lineups of creators I’ve seen including Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Ed Greenwood,
Jim Ward, Chris Pramas,
Grimtooth, and more. There are more RPG
Kickstarters ending between April 26
th and May 2
nd listed here, as well as some RPG accessories I could not get to like
DoubleSix Dice: Generation Two, but let’s dive into these eleven.
Critical Core by Games to Grow
- END DATE: Fri, April 26 2019 3:00 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): “Ruleset is adapted and streamlined from D&D's 5th Edition OpenSRD.”
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + $12 US shipping for the PDF and print of the Critical Core Starter Set (books, cards, dice, adventures, maps and more)
“The tabletop game that helps kids on the autism spectrum build confidence and social skills, one dragon at a time. A special kind of magic happens when kids gather around a table to play a fantasy role-playing game. Legends are born, friendships are forged, and they begin to experience real-world personal growth. For the past seven years, we have been using tabletop games as therapy to help kids become more confident, creative and socially empowered. We're ready to help thousands of children around the world, but we need your help! Critical Core is a tabletop role-playing game designed to help kids on the autism spectrum build social skills and confidence. It's a great way for parents to engage with their children at home, and for professionals and experienced gamers to use as a group social skills tool. Suitable for cognitive age 9+, including teens and adults. 2 to 4 players recommended, plus one adult that acts as the facilitator.”
ZINE - STEAM Hack: RPG Zines for STEM Education by STEAM Hack RPGs
- END DATE: Sat, April 27 2019 5:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): d20 Hack and Fate
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rule zine
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $15 + $5 US shipping for the PDF and print of both zines
“A zine with role-playing games (RPGs) to teach engineering and science using actual engineering scenarios...This zine offers two STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) games that have been played at both gaming cons and education conferences. The funding is to make the layout more clean and useful (i.e. easy to use for busy educators) and to pay for art to make it more attractive and appealing. The games have been developed to be playable without any technical content for K-12 educators to introduce their students to science and engineering in action but also for engineering and science educators to use in-class, with course work and assignments affecting the in-game modifiers to dice rolls. This project is to support the layout and production of two STEM RPG zines: Mission to Mars! and Engineering & Automobiles! Mission to Mars! is d20 roll-under mechanic (similar to other d20 Hack games) that replaces the traditional attributes (Strength, Dex, etc.) with engineering attributes (Research, Analysis, Experimentation Ingenuity, Creativity, and Leadership) that the National Academy of Engineering has identified as critical skills for engineers. Each player character (PC) is a member of Mission Control (e.g. "Flight Control", "Guidance Control" etc.) that can be played by individual players or by a team deciding that PC's actions. A launch pad problem motivates a flashback where the Mission Control team has to decide how they would have prepared for possible problems with their part of the launch vehicle (rocket). The public domain NASA flight manual for the Saturn V provides more than enough information to provide information on systems and possible failures. Engineering & Automobiles! uses a modified Fate RPG system to explore the conflicts that arise between the different product needs for a new car design. The PCs roles are based on their affiliation within the company (Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Quality, etc.) and each has their own abilities and goals and can be played by an individual or a team. The players are in a meeting to decide the final design of a new product and resolve engineering concerns found during vehicle testing.”
The Grande Temple of Jing - 5th Edition (and other editions) by Hammerdog Games
- END DATE: Sat, April 27 2019 7:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5e
- PROJECT TYPE: Adventure module
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S&H for the PDF and hardcover of The Grande Temple of Jing plus music and PDF of mini screen inserts
“The DUNGEONCRAWL THAT RULES THEM ALL - Now updated for 5th Edition. And with exclusive miniatures! Danny O'Neill with Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Ed Greenwood, Jim Ward, Chris Pramas, Stan!, Grimtooth, Matt Mayhew, Dave Gross, Kevin Andrew Murphy and more...The Grande Temple of Jing is a megadungeon designed in the spirit of old school RPG adventures - but with modern rules and sensibilities. It is no-holds-barred dungeoncrawl of truly epic proportions, where almost anything can be found. There are *65* themed dungeon levels - ranging from character level 1 to 20 - so there is something for every group and style of play. Some levels are heavy in combat and tactics, while some are filled with riddles, puzzles, or other challenges. Some levels are quick, others are huge sprawls that harken back to the dungeon days of old. Some levels are deadly serious, and some are almost frivolous. Best of all the levels are completely modular, meaning they can be torn apart and arranged any way you see fit. Plus, there are rules for adding your own content easily, and even for connecting the temple to your favorite 3rd party dungeons. The *500* pages that make up the Grande Temple of Jing contain more dungeon goodness than you can shake a +1 stick at. Strange creatures, powerful weapons, and wondrous magic are just the start. Riddles, poems, quests, and campaigns make this more than just a megadungeon - it's also a sourcebook, a toolbox, and one heck of a paperweight. And with levels and fiction from celebrity contributors, there is sure to be something for EVERYONE within its fabled halls.”
Gordon's Bluff - A 5E DND and Pathfinder Adventure Module by Zan’s Adventures
- END DATE: Sun, April 28 2019 3:12 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5e and Pathfinder 1e
- PROJECT TYPE: Adventure module
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $2 for the PDF of the 5e version of Gordon’s Bluff
“A Lighthouse, evil magic, murderous monstrosities, and an innocent hamlet caught in the middle of it all. A 5E and Pathfinder Module. Near the wild sea, looking out over the ocean, stands a large cliff named Gordon's Bluff. In the shadow of Gordon's Bluff was a mostly happy and prosperous fishing hamlet. High above the hamlet, on Gordon's Bluff stood the Great White Lighthouse. The lighthouse stood for generations as a symbol of safety and prosperity, guiding ships from miles away to the hamlet. But then one night, the Great White Lighthouse went dark. Screams and blood filled the night air. Each night since, evil green eyes look out from the top of the dark lighthouse, down onto the hamlet. What had been their greatest blessing, has now become their greatest curse. Evil monsters now run rampant in the Great White Lighthouse. Destroying all who venture near. The poor survivors of Gordon's Bluff are in their darkest hour. They need a hero. Could it be you? Gordon's Bluff is an exciting new nautical adventure module from Zan's Adventures. The module is setting neutral, so that you can work it into any game world that you wish to. This module is designed to work as a side quest, a one shot, or feel free to incorporate it into your own main campaigns.”
Fellowship 2nd Edition by Liberi Gothica Games
- END DATE: Mon, April 29 2019 2:00 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Powered by the Apocalypse
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebooks
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 for the PDFs and PODs of all three books: Fellowship 2e, Inverse Fellowship, and A Fellowship In Rebellion
“Liberi Gothica Games' best-selling game is back, now with two additional books' worth of content! Fellowship is a game about going on an adventure, in the same vein as Lord of the Rings or Wakfu or The Legend of Zelda. The system is loosely based on the Apocalypse Engine, but the game does not feature the typical Game Master that many other tabletop games do. Instead, one player is the Overlord, a maniacal being who has become a Threat to the World, and everyone else forms a fellowship of heroes to stop them. The focus of Fellowship is on the journey you take and the communities you meet, and saving the day is what you're here to do. Fellowship is also famous for its narrative control - each player determines a portion of how the world works, and you work together to create the world you will save. An updated core book, and two new books with 7 new basic playbooks, 2 new Powerful playbooks, the Ship playbook first featured in To Winter's End, and two new alternatives to the Overlord playbook, The Horizon and The Empire? As this Kickstarter is launching, so too is the 2nd edition book on Drivethru RPG and itch.io. Anyone who has bought the first edition PDF now immediately has the second edition PDF!” ZINE - Taller Worlds by Daniel Munday
- END DATE: Mon, April 29 2019 6:31 AM EDT.
- PROJECT TYPE: LEGO-a-Dungeon zine
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £18 + £8 US shipping for PDFs and print of issue 1 to 3
“A zine that includes maps and characters for you to build 3D dungeons with toy bricks and card for use with your favourite rpg. Taller Worlds, a zine dedicated to easily making your own roleplaying dungeons in 3D. With just a pair of scissors and your favourite toy construction bricks you can make fully three-dimensional dungeons for your characters to explore. The zine will consist of 16 sides of 300gsm card with professionally designed printed dungeon tiles, some characters and instructions. You can cut out and lay the dungeon tiles on top of your bricks to create three dimensional areas for your dungeoneers to explore. In a short space of time you can construct dungeons of many levels with many interconnections. You can make low sections that only some monsters and characters can get under or higher sections that only a giant could reach. You could work light and shadow into your system and ranged characters could even have a height advantage!”
Party Backstory Generator for 5e and Other Systems by Severed Books (LLC)
- END DATE: Tue, April 30 2019 1:09 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5e and Pathfinder 1e
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $9 for the PDF of the Party Backstory Generator
“For GMs and players - 5e, Pathfinder, and more. Create limitless backstory, one-shots, side quests, and more that add to your campaign. How did everyone in your party meet? What alliances or tensions exist? Who screwed over who and what will you do about it? For Fifth Edition (all editions really), Pathfinder, and other fantasy RPG systems, the Party Backstory Generator solves this problem quickly and easily. This is a simple, straightforward guide of limitless customization. Build meaningful alliances and tensions between multiple party members with this map making, backstory and one-shot off-night story builder. “Choose two characters…” – it’s the prompt in this unique book that will bond your party in fun and meaningful ways. This book doesn’t create individual characters. It solely focuses on unifying your players with randomized background, conflicts, skills, and tragedies. Over 300 randomized and detailed alliances or conflicts that build on each other - tables, drop-tables, and unique location attributes. Each random event compounds upon the next so each reuse is unique. Fillable pages for Characters, Relationships, Events, and Locations. A tabbing system for easy locating of related characters and events. Event-based dice drop-tables that turn your shared map into a usable game board. Suitable for all ages.”
Augusta Universalis RPG by Acchiappa Sogni
- END DATE: Tue, April 30 2019 4:22 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dark Destiny 2
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €19 (early bird price) for the PDF and POD of Augusta Universalis plus the PDFs, The Gravitational Artifact and The Liber Maximus
“The Uchronic Role-Playing Game of Humanity and Empires beyond the Stars. Rome has not fallen as history taught us. It’s the year 2771 a.U.c. (ab Urbe condita - from the foundation of Rome, our 2018 AD), the Empire controls not only the entire Earth but also numerous other worlds, both inside and outside our solar system...In
Augusta Universalis you play as elite cyborgs called
“Praetorians”, wearing exceptionally upgraded and expensive “Systemata” (biomechanical enhancements), who are able to transform themselves in a stunning power armor! You will face extraordinary
fights and
exploratory “Missiones” on distant and unknown planets. You will
investigate the mysteries of alien civilizations that have disappeared from eons, and
face the threat of the terrifying “Dark Thrones”, nightmarish creatures that bring death and destruction from the outside galaxy. You will defend the Empire, both from the
political threats that tear it apart from the inside and from the enemies, trying to destroy it from the outside. Are you ready to travel beyond the known stars for the greatest glory of Rome? Augusta Universalis uses the
Dark Destiny 2 engine, the same as
The Night’s of Nibiru! It’s a game system designed to help the Narrator (here called
Demiurge) in his task of managing and experiencing wonderful adventures
together with other Players, who can easily identify with their respective characters.”
Creeping Cold by Silver Bulette
- END DATE: Tue, April 30 2019 10:30 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5e
- PROJECT TYPE: Adventure module
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $10 for the PDF of Creeping Cold
“A 5E adventure that promises chills and excitement! Creeping Cold finds the heroes travelling the wilderness as a powerful blizzard strikes. Desperate to find shelter, they find themselves at the only nearby sign of civilization. Together, with the people already sheltering, the heroes must stop something from murdering everyone. Creeping Cold is a 5E module, designed to scale for characters 1st-5th levels. Creeping Cold is 30+ pages with optional cold rules, 4 pages of NPCs, including a quick-reference chart, a timeline of events, maps of the caravansarai (2 interior and 1 exterior) and a dungeon, and more.”
From the Ashes by FGFantasy
- END DATE: Thu, May 2 2019 10:09 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): OSR
- PROJECT TYPE: Adventure module
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £25 for the PDF and POD of From the Ashes and all unlocked stretch goals
“A Dark OSR RPG where the characters begin their adventure dead. As your blood pools around you the light starts to fade, and you can hear the sound of a river flowing and people talking in whispers. An acrid smell fills the air, and everything goes black. You died, you know you died, you can remember. So why is it that you have awoken in the hut of an old crone, in a village at the foot of a mountain, and why does the mountain call you? So, begins From the Ashes and old school RPG set in the dark and sinister limbo of death. You will need to explore the world climb the mountain and face its many perils if you wish to finally die and enter the hall of heroes. The game uses system mechanic based on great OSR titles like Knave by Ben Milton, Lamentations of the Flame Princess by James Raggi IV and Into the Odd by Chris McDowall. If you are familiar with OSR gaming, then this should feel very familiar. The games has the usual classes Cleric, Fighter, Mage and Thief, Dwarf, Elf and Halfling, and the system is a D20 + bonus and beat a target number. But what is different? In From the Ashes that which is dead cannot die again, but instead returns to the hut of the old crone, lacking some soul but able to continue. This lack of soul will eventually damn you to purgatory so try not to die too often.”
Deniable Assets - The CyberCorporate Villain RPG by Rutskarn
- END DATE: Thu, May 2 2019 11:35 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Powered by the Apocalypse
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $5 for the PDF of Denial Assets and all unlocked stretch goals
“A neo-80's tabletop game about dirty deals and human monsters. End up arrested, fired, dead, or the campaign villain. You're corpslime for life. Whatever you tell yourself in the mirror, you're not a decent person. You're not fixing the system from the inside. You're not even saving up to retire. You're going to ride this executive elevator of blood and agony just as far as it goes. This is your story, and it doesn’t have a happy ending. The Bad Guys Won. Welcome to the Firm. Deniable Assets is a tabletop RPG about the unglimpsed mid-tier villains of the cyberpunk genre. As rank-and-file megacorporate rats you'll blow money you don't have, fund technology you can't control, lie to everyone, and dodge spies, grifters, and kill-teams as you strive for power in a rigged and amoral system.”
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