RPG Crowdfunding News – Obojima, Perils & Princesses, Badge Quests, and more

This article covers a sampling of TTRPG crowdfunding projects that end between August 24 to 31. While this article is a shortlist of the many RPG crowdfunding projects available, it uses their end dates as the guidepost. Last week, there were calls for a specific crowdfunding to be covered, but it was not covered then or here because its end date is even further away. It’s not being skipped, it’s just not the right timeframe. Yet. I try to cover as many projects as I can, and I hope you get to see the ones you love most shared here.

Obojima Tales From The Tall Grass: A 5E Campaign Setting from 1985 Games

• END DATE: Thu, August 31 2023 12:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
• ADDITIONAL REPORTING: Check out Charles Dunwoody's interview with the creators
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? At Gen Con 2023, I went past 1985 Games’ booth and it was full of nostalgically oriented products like dice sets that come in VHS boxing and tear open snack bags of dice, all so nicely packaged you really don’t want to ruin their aesthetic. In addition, they had up signs for their million-dollar RPG Kickstarter, Obojima Tales From The Tall Grass. This 5e setting is inspired by Studio Ghibli’s creations and The Legend of Zelda. As soon as you see the Hayao Miyazaki-style cover, you’ll get the feel of this world. With 250 pages of potion crafting mechanics, 130 ingredients, and a boon system as well as 5e appropriate subclasses, species, spells, monsters, and more, this book offers what players that love the adventure and originality of those franchises will enjoy at the gaming table. With original adventures and lore baked in, you’ll be able to bring whimsical and enchantment to your 5e campaign. Interested in seeing more, the campaign offers a link to some amazing previews that are worth your time.

Fledge Witch: The Magical Apprentices of Elemeria from LionWing Publishing

• END DATE: Thu, August 24 2023 9:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $85 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book plus dice, tray, box, and more
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Another anime-inspired, Fledge Witch offers a different setting and system. This RPG has a solid premise, the GM is a teacher, the head witch with the student body, the players, being apprentice witches. The GM has a dedicated NPC to interact with the story. Designed to tell cozy and heartwarming stories, this RPG is designed for players of all ages. If the idea of playing witches learning and growing together in stories that are more mystery and magic than murder and mayhem, this RPG may interest your gaming table. The campaign page includes a preview link to a sample of the RPG.

Perils & Princesses from Outrider Creative

• END DATE: Thu, August 24 2023 9:57 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $25 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you’re a fan of children’s fairy tales, hand animated Disney movies, stories of adventure through the woods, and rules-lite roleplaying, Perils & Princesses might be for you. This project builds on beautiful artwork that hark back to late 1800s/ early 1900s artwork. With a focus on fun and adventure, the rules will be great for your game or can be hacked into another project with their forthcoming license. This RPG looks like a good time. Jessica Hancock, co-host of Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk podcast as well as the Not DnD Podcast, has a quote on the page praising it’s character creation process, artwork, and ruleset, and she’s spot on. Visit the campaign page for a free quickstart to try out this RPG.

Badge Quest RPG Campaign Book from DMDave

• END DATE: Thu, August 24 2023 10:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $200 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the rulebook, GM screen, books, dice, miniatures, patches, and more
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Described as the Girl Scouts meets Scooby-Doo, this is an RPG of girls youth groups solving mysteries. In 192 pages, you get the rules, a full neighborhood of mystery, a complete campaign, dozens of bad guys, and badges for accomplishments. This is a combat as scraps RPG, meaning this is a no-character-deaths system. Considering the setting, I love this decision. If you’re interested in playing as stand-ins for Girl Scouts saving the day, this RPG is worth exploring.

Kavlov's Sanctuary | Old School Essentials compatible module from The Dungeon’s Key

• END DATE: Fri, August 25 2023 12:02 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Old-School Essentials
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$65 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the primary book plus the PDF of the compendium
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Kavlov's Sanctuary | Writing Sample is free at DriveThruRPG
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? An ancient barrier is failing, the demon Balthazar is coming back to the world. Through 13 dungeons, stop the demon before he destroys the village, the hills around it, and you. Kavlov’s Sanctuary saw life already for Mörk Borg. This campaign brings the contents to Old-School Essentials. The OSR version of this module is designed for extended play with details to carry players to new avenues of adventure. As an adventure that has seen playtest under different conditions and systems, this should be a solid run.

Windheim & Horn of the Dawn from Nordic Skalds

• END DATE: Wed, August 30 2023 10:59 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dragonbane
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: SEK 890 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the books and maps
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Free League Publishing’s Dragonbane/Drakar och Demoner is finding its audience. With the original campaign reaching 11,684 backers (check out Charles Dunwoody’s interview with Tomas Härenstam on the subject), their Free RPG Day push, and now this third party offering, this system is coming into its audience. As the first of a multipart adventure, this campaign offers the adventure book plus a second companion book. In this adventure, you’ve arrives on an island to find lost treasures, but that’s only the start and this tale grows from there. If you’re ready to start a Dragonbane campaign, this adventure is worth checking out.

Earthdawn Magic: Deeper Secrets from FASA Corporation

• END DATE: Fri, August 25 2023 11:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Earthdawn Fourth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This book celebrates Earthdawn’s 30th anniversary (which debuted at Gen Con 1993) with a sourcebook that is a must-have for all Earthdawn Fourth Edition players. This tome is filled with spells, so many that it doubles the number of spells available for 4e. In a fantasy RPG with magic, getting 350 spells is a win. The fact that this over doubles what already existed makes this book a core piece of their fourth edition. Add to that, you can get spell cards for these 350 spells plus the existing 270 (620 spells in total) to pass out to players. If you’re an Earthdawn Fourth Edition fan, don’t sleep on this project.

Defiant RPG Reign & Legacy from Game Machinery

• END DATE: Thu, August 24 2023 8:55 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Defiant RPG
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €90 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the books, cards, dice, tray, and more
• GAME MACHINERY’S AI ARTWORK STANCE: Since the corebook was an Origins Game Fair Award Nominee for Graphic Design (for the Defiant RPG) and the artwork is so specific, I asked Marcin Kuczyński about his thoughts on AI. He shared this, “The situation with AI is ever-changing, but for the whole of Defiant project we're sticking with the original approach. I've written a separate text about it last December, and still stand by everything I wrote there. It's kinda hard to go into more detail without lots and lots of explanation, so the shortest answer I can give you is: We do not, and will not use AI-generated artwork in our books. Currently, we're not even using the style GAN programs that we used the last time, as there's no need (though we are not against using them). But as for AI-assisted? We are using Photoshop, and I don't mean the new beta version with the Firefly AI on board, just the currently available, standard release. Though we're not using the Neural Filters functions (as they don't give good consistent results), we're definitely using features that fall under the Adobe Sensei AI (that has been around since 2014, I believe). It's actually gotten better over the years, hence the lack of Style GANs in our current workflow (though again – we're not against using them and might start to, if the need arises). So for me currently, the ‘AI assisted’ term is so broad, that pretty much all digital artwork falls into this category.”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Defiant is an RPG about city-sized oasis among the apocalypse, a safe haven at the end of all things. The world is in its final throes, but fallen angels, risen demons, and other powers hold back the chaos, carving out safety amid the maelstrom. It’s a story akin to the World of Darkness sans the need for the masquerade. You live your truth in a world you rule, but you don’t rule without support. You are among the supernatural elite as you play a game of political intrigue backed by superpowers. These new sourcebooks – Legacy and Reign – give details on supernatural politics and family (blood and found). This builds out the full foundation for this RPG. If you’re ready for a new take on the end of the world, one where those that will not serve the end save those that can’t save themselves, this project is worth your time.

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Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.

 

[andy12345]

Windheim is also written by the composer of Dragonbane's official soundtrack!

 

[Egg Embry]

Windheim is also written by the composer of Dragonbane's official soundtrack!

That is a great connection!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Many crowdfunds I am following, but added Badgequest, a nice twist on the Tales from the Loop/Kids on Bikes/etc genre.

( at some point I remember hearing about DM Dave - but I can't remember if it was in a positive or negative light )

 

[Egg Embry]

Many crowdfunds I am following, but added Badgequest, a nice twist on the Tales from the Loop/Kids on Bikes/etc genre.

( at some point I remember hearing about DM Dave - but I can't remember if it was in a positive or negative light )

I'm a big fan of Tales from the Loop and the kids on bikes subgenre. I got to play its follow up, Things from the Flood at Gen Con. Badge Quest looks awesome!

 

[Thoth11]

Another great article!