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]Elite: Dangerous Role Playing Game (EDRPG) by Oliver Hulme – Spidermind Games[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 15th February 2017; 11:46 UTC)
Kicking off this weeks column is a game that has its origins 30 years ago. Elite: Dangerous is the modern day incarnation of the seminal space trading game Elite… and this is the role playing game based on it.
This Kickstarter campaign aims to fund the production of a Core Manual and four Supplements to allow any fan of the computer game to continue their adventures with friends in the roleplaying setting. Each of the books will be produced professionally using industry designers, writers, editors, printers and artists, to create a true piece of Elite: Dangerous history.
The game is a skill based system using a d20 and a skill bonus to exceed difficulty numbers. Each character begins with their own spaceship, just like in the computer game. Not only can characters improve these ships with upgrades to the weapons and internal systems but, with the right amount for money, players can trade in their ships for larger and more powerful models. There are three arenas of combat. Each with their own set of rules. As well as spaceship combat players can engage in personal combat and do battle in a myriad of surface vehicles.
A free playtest book, including an adventure called The Worst Intentions, is available to download on the Elite: Dangerous RPG website. Thus allowing players, and GMs, to sample the system if interested before making their pledge.
Apart from the Core Rulebook the campaign will also unlock four supplements for the game as soon as it hits the initial funding goal (which at this point they are well on the way of doing with just under four weeks still to go, so I think it’s a safe bet it’ll be successful and probably hit a few stretch goals on the way). The supplements are:
Military Sourcebook – You’re in the Army now, Soldier! Begin your training in the Armies and Navies of the great galactic powers. Earn ranks to unlock powerful military spaceships. Use devastating new heavy weapons and military vehicles to accomplish your objectives. Generate new missions and enemy bases using the new modules for the Random Generation System. With the Military supplement the entire might of the Empire and Federation are behind you.
Espionage Sourcebook – It’s a dirty galaxy and no one likes to play by the rules. As a spy you will find yourself working for shadowy government organisations, corporate sabotage teams or bloodthirsty freedom fighters. Be prepared to engage in hacking, stealth, thievery, investigation, assassination, uncovering plots, preventing atrocities and spreading scandalous rumours. All for the public good, of course.
Supertraders Sourcebook – They said it was going to be a simple job. Just shift 40 tons of superconductors to Curtis Outpost in Ross 1057. What could go wrong? Except for stopping to rescue orphans from a burning ship, being held up by anti-corporate freedom fighters, discovering a banned alien animal amongst the cargo pods, repairing your sparking Frame Shift Drive, discovering that your cargo is actually a narcotics shipment and fighting off a corrupt police force. Anyway you made it. Is now a good time to tell you that your buyer is dead and that the station has been set to explore? Who’d be a trucker?
Exploration Sourcebook – Find your destiny amongst the stars. In the cold depths of space mysteries are being uncovered. Ancient ruins, undisturbed for thousands of years, lie hidden on distant moons. Strange artefacts transmit signals into deep space, but who is listening across the far reaches of the galaxy? On worlds closer to home human settlers, long isolated from the galactic core, have degenerated into primitives. Unable to access modern medicine weirs mutagens and alien wildlife have wrought terrible changes upon some survivors making them something less than human. If you can brave the infinite dark amazing treasures await, including artefacts that no human hand can make, and secrets corporations would pay a fortune for… or kill to keep secret.
[h=3]Middarmark by The Burning Wheel[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 2nd February 2017; 17:02 UTC)
Middarmark is a 100 page setting supplement for the Torchbearer RPG, inspired by Scandinavian myth and folktales.
…chock full of adventure ideas to give you a jumping off point for your campaigns, along with new settlements, legends of infamous lairs and harrowing places, details on the more popular Hero Cults of the Young Lords, and, of course, new spells, magic items, monsters and more!
Contend with the slave-taking pirates of the Skera Strait and the Kraken that preys upon those waters. Explore the Trollfjells for signs of the chaos cultists of the Jotunn Hrym and the terrifying Temple of Black Skulls dedicated to him. Follow the legends of Sigrun, Lady of Battles, to the fog-shrouded barrow downs in hope of winning her war-magic. Aid the elves who quest ceaselessly for the Tower of Seven Dreams where the Erlking holds the key to ending their long exile. Seek the fate of the fabled dwarven kingdom Nidavellir, near the fates of Hel. Adventure awaits!
The Middarmark opens new vistas of possibility for Torchbearer. Within you’ll find nature descriptors and questions for six human tribes, a new class in the form of the human skald, rules for steadings (a new form of town), rules for how various weather conditions affect your adventurers and much more.
[h=3]Make 100: The Monster by Elizabeth Chaipradikul[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 16th February 2017; 14:54 UTC)
Kickstarter are running a ‘Make 100’ promotion at present. Where creators offer a maximum of 100 copies of an item (and get additional exposure on the site). A few tabletop RPG and accessory developers have gotten on board and Make 100 : The Monster by Elizabeth Chaipradikul (one of the developers and writers of the new edition of 7th Sea as well as designer of the Witch RPG).
Elizabeth is offering 100 copies of The Monster in a larger size A4 print format, with the smaller digest A5 print edition being unlimited to those either wanting a more pocket sized book or who miss out on the initial 100 copies of the larger format.
The Monster is both a novel and a system neutral adventure dungeon.
“When I was eight I wrote a story about monsters, a haunted house… and bikinis falling off. With this project I would like to give this story a new life, new illustrations, new writing, and a giant gameable dungeon for people to use in their tabletop role playing games.
The Monster will be a two sided novel. One side will contain the original story and illustrations I wrote when I was eight. Turn the book over and the other side will be a new adult version of the story fully illustrated by the lovely Gennifer Bone and with revised text by me.
Finally, at the center of the book, between the old and new versions of The Monster, we will include a fully gameable system-neutral haunted house dungeon map. The map will be illustrated by Glynn Seal of Monkeyblood Designs and include a plethora of weird rooms to explore.
We won’t be including any mechanics in this book, but we will include room descriptions and weird traps/occurrences that happen there. If we make any stretch goals, the plan is to offer free PDFs to all backers with mechanics for different systems.”
[h=3]Age of Anarchy by Ryan Danks[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Monday 13th February 2017; 06:59 UTC)
Paul Mitchener has produced some great little games over the years. Age of Arthur & Starfall being two of my personal favourites, as well as having written for games such as Wild Talents, Mindjammer and OpenQuest. Age of Anarchy is his latest game being published by Ryan Danks (of Jadepunk fame, amongst other games).
Age of Anarchy is a role-playing game set in Norman England at a time of civil strife which lasts for two decades. It’s a game grounded in real history, but not constrained by it. It’s a time of knights and castles, war and politics, commoners and priests.
In the game, you play the most trusted vassels of a low-ranking noble who seeks to rise up through the ranks of feudal society. You benefit when they rise and suffer should they fall, You go on missions for your patron such as winning a band of outlaws over to their cause, rescuing prisoners from a castle, sabotaging the plans of their noble rivals, or leading their forces when they go to war.
The Anarchy is a period of English history two generations after the Norman Conquest, when King Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda both claim the throne. It is a period of strife between factions, and a time when powerful feudal lords are created and destroyed.
The Anarchy is full of dramatic events, The King of Scotland launches an invasion to support Matilda’s claim to the throne. King Stephen imprisons bishops who oppose him and confiscates their castles. The Empress Matilda’s forces take King Stephen prisoner, and his wife Maud leads the forces still loyal to the king.
This turbulent period of history is dramatized in Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael novels, and in Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, both turned into successful UK television series.
[h=3]D20 Prize Candles with Metal Dice Sets Inside! By Lunar Wolf Treats[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 8th February 2017; 21:12 UTC)
Our next Kickstarter this week would make a nice present for a gaming friend, or yourself. Lunar Wolf Treats are raising money to fund a range of d20 Candles. Each candle has a two-hour burn time, comes in variety of scents (each tied to a character class), is in the shape of a d20 (duh!) and has a hidden treat in the centre of the candle… a full set of metal dice (wrapped in foil for extra protection). There’s over a dozen sets of dice to choose from as the ‘hidden treasure’ waiting to be revealed which you can select your choice from.
The candle scents, and colours, are tied to specific classes…
The Ranger is a green candle with ‘Heart of the Forest’ (Pine) scent.
The Fighter is a black candle with ‘Blood of my Enemies’ (Dragonsblood) scent.
The Wizard is a blue candle with ‘Arcane Reagent’ (sandalwood) scent.
The Bard is a purple candle with ‘Verse of Victory’ (lavender) scent.
The Rogue is a black candle with ‘Hidden Dagger’ (Egyptian Amber) scent.
The Cleric is a white candle with ‘Healing Touch’ (Vanilla and Floral) scent.
They also offer each d20 candle as unscented if you’d prefer.
[h=3]Make 100 : Chronicles RPG Kit by Rogue Comet[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Friday 3rd February 2017; 03:00 UTC)
The second ‘Make 100’ campaign to make this weeks list is from Rogue Comet. They’re selling pretty fast so if you’re interested I’d suggest getting in quick or you’ll have to wait until the latter part of 2017 for another chance to get these books (although some of the content in the books will be different at that point).
The campaign is for four booklets (Almanac, Imaginarium, Session Planner, and Game Diary) which have a classic ‘Old School’ look but can be used wih any game system.
The books have been created to help “run well organized, dynamic roleplaying games. These booklets are meant to be written in, helping you and your players organize your games for maximum fun!”
Each book is around 56 pages in length and in a digest 5.5” by 8.5” format. The Chronicles RPG Kit consists of the following booklets:
Book 1 : Malloy’s Almanac – Fantasy calendar with 20 sets of encounter tools to help you run ad hoc adventures. Also contains name tables for a variety of races (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings and Orcs) as well as distinctive features, quirks, and some motivations for NPCs.
Book 2 : Imaginarium – Idea log with blank dungeons, encounter worksheets, and adventure design tools.
Book 3 : Session Planner – Gamemaster tools to plan and track game sessions.
Book 4 : Game Diary – Player tools to log adventure notes, experience, and group treasure.
**********
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]Elite: Dangerous Role Playing Game (EDRPG) by Oliver Hulme – Spidermind Games[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 15th February 2017; 11:46 UTC)
Kicking off this weeks column is a game that has its origins 30 years ago. Elite: Dangerous is the modern day incarnation of the seminal space trading game Elite… and this is the role playing game based on it.
This Kickstarter campaign aims to fund the production of a Core Manual and four Supplements to allow any fan of the computer game to continue their adventures with friends in the roleplaying setting. Each of the books will be produced professionally using industry designers, writers, editors, printers and artists, to create a true piece of Elite: Dangerous history.
The game is a skill based system using a d20 and a skill bonus to exceed difficulty numbers. Each character begins with their own spaceship, just like in the computer game. Not only can characters improve these ships with upgrades to the weapons and internal systems but, with the right amount for money, players can trade in their ships for larger and more powerful models. There are three arenas of combat. Each with their own set of rules. As well as spaceship combat players can engage in personal combat and do battle in a myriad of surface vehicles.
A free playtest book, including an adventure called The Worst Intentions, is available to download on the Elite: Dangerous RPG website. Thus allowing players, and GMs, to sample the system if interested before making their pledge.
Apart from the Core Rulebook the campaign will also unlock four supplements for the game as soon as it hits the initial funding goal (which at this point they are well on the way of doing with just under four weeks still to go, so I think it’s a safe bet it’ll be successful and probably hit a few stretch goals on the way). The supplements are:
Military Sourcebook – You’re in the Army now, Soldier! Begin your training in the Armies and Navies of the great galactic powers. Earn ranks to unlock powerful military spaceships. Use devastating new heavy weapons and military vehicles to accomplish your objectives. Generate new missions and enemy bases using the new modules for the Random Generation System. With the Military supplement the entire might of the Empire and Federation are behind you.
Espionage Sourcebook – It’s a dirty galaxy and no one likes to play by the rules. As a spy you will find yourself working for shadowy government organisations, corporate sabotage teams or bloodthirsty freedom fighters. Be prepared to engage in hacking, stealth, thievery, investigation, assassination, uncovering plots, preventing atrocities and spreading scandalous rumours. All for the public good, of course.
Supertraders Sourcebook – They said it was going to be a simple job. Just shift 40 tons of superconductors to Curtis Outpost in Ross 1057. What could go wrong? Except for stopping to rescue orphans from a burning ship, being held up by anti-corporate freedom fighters, discovering a banned alien animal amongst the cargo pods, repairing your sparking Frame Shift Drive, discovering that your cargo is actually a narcotics shipment and fighting off a corrupt police force. Anyway you made it. Is now a good time to tell you that your buyer is dead and that the station has been set to explore? Who’d be a trucker?
Exploration Sourcebook – Find your destiny amongst the stars. In the cold depths of space mysteries are being uncovered. Ancient ruins, undisturbed for thousands of years, lie hidden on distant moons. Strange artefacts transmit signals into deep space, but who is listening across the far reaches of the galaxy? On worlds closer to home human settlers, long isolated from the galactic core, have degenerated into primitives. Unable to access modern medicine weirs mutagens and alien wildlife have wrought terrible changes upon some survivors making them something less than human. If you can brave the infinite dark amazing treasures await, including artefacts that no human hand can make, and secrets corporations would pay a fortune for… or kill to keep secret.
[h=3]Middarmark by The Burning Wheel[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 2nd February 2017; 17:02 UTC)
Middarmark is a 100 page setting supplement for the Torchbearer RPG, inspired by Scandinavian myth and folktales.
…chock full of adventure ideas to give you a jumping off point for your campaigns, along with new settlements, legends of infamous lairs and harrowing places, details on the more popular Hero Cults of the Young Lords, and, of course, new spells, magic items, monsters and more!
Contend with the slave-taking pirates of the Skera Strait and the Kraken that preys upon those waters. Explore the Trollfjells for signs of the chaos cultists of the Jotunn Hrym and the terrifying Temple of Black Skulls dedicated to him. Follow the legends of Sigrun, Lady of Battles, to the fog-shrouded barrow downs in hope of winning her war-magic. Aid the elves who quest ceaselessly for the Tower of Seven Dreams where the Erlking holds the key to ending their long exile. Seek the fate of the fabled dwarven kingdom Nidavellir, near the fates of Hel. Adventure awaits!
The Middarmark opens new vistas of possibility for Torchbearer. Within you’ll find nature descriptors and questions for six human tribes, a new class in the form of the human skald, rules for steadings (a new form of town), rules for how various weather conditions affect your adventurers and much more.
[h=3]Make 100: The Monster by Elizabeth Chaipradikul[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 16th February 2017; 14:54 UTC)
Kickstarter are running a ‘Make 100’ promotion at present. Where creators offer a maximum of 100 copies of an item (and get additional exposure on the site). A few tabletop RPG and accessory developers have gotten on board and Make 100 : The Monster by Elizabeth Chaipradikul (one of the developers and writers of the new edition of 7th Sea as well as designer of the Witch RPG).
Elizabeth is offering 100 copies of The Monster in a larger size A4 print format, with the smaller digest A5 print edition being unlimited to those either wanting a more pocket sized book or who miss out on the initial 100 copies of the larger format.
The Monster is both a novel and a system neutral adventure dungeon.
“When I was eight I wrote a story about monsters, a haunted house… and bikinis falling off. With this project I would like to give this story a new life, new illustrations, new writing, and a giant gameable dungeon for people to use in their tabletop role playing games.
The Monster will be a two sided novel. One side will contain the original story and illustrations I wrote when I was eight. Turn the book over and the other side will be a new adult version of the story fully illustrated by the lovely Gennifer Bone and with revised text by me.
Finally, at the center of the book, between the old and new versions of The Monster, we will include a fully gameable system-neutral haunted house dungeon map. The map will be illustrated by Glynn Seal of Monkeyblood Designs and include a plethora of weird rooms to explore.
We won’t be including any mechanics in this book, but we will include room descriptions and weird traps/occurrences that happen there. If we make any stretch goals, the plan is to offer free PDFs to all backers with mechanics for different systems.”
[h=3]Age of Anarchy by Ryan Danks[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Monday 13th February 2017; 06:59 UTC)
Paul Mitchener has produced some great little games over the years. Age of Arthur & Starfall being two of my personal favourites, as well as having written for games such as Wild Talents, Mindjammer and OpenQuest. Age of Anarchy is his latest game being published by Ryan Danks (of Jadepunk fame, amongst other games).
Age of Anarchy is a role-playing game set in Norman England at a time of civil strife which lasts for two decades. It’s a game grounded in real history, but not constrained by it. It’s a time of knights and castles, war and politics, commoners and priests.
In the game, you play the most trusted vassels of a low-ranking noble who seeks to rise up through the ranks of feudal society. You benefit when they rise and suffer should they fall, You go on missions for your patron such as winning a band of outlaws over to their cause, rescuing prisoners from a castle, sabotaging the plans of their noble rivals, or leading their forces when they go to war.
The Anarchy is a period of English history two generations after the Norman Conquest, when King Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda both claim the throne. It is a period of strife between factions, and a time when powerful feudal lords are created and destroyed.
The Anarchy is full of dramatic events, The King of Scotland launches an invasion to support Matilda’s claim to the throne. King Stephen imprisons bishops who oppose him and confiscates their castles. The Empress Matilda’s forces take King Stephen prisoner, and his wife Maud leads the forces still loyal to the king.
This turbulent period of history is dramatized in Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael novels, and in Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, both turned into successful UK television series.
[h=3]D20 Prize Candles with Metal Dice Sets Inside! By Lunar Wolf Treats[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Wednesday 8th February 2017; 21:12 UTC)
Our next Kickstarter this week would make a nice present for a gaming friend, or yourself. Lunar Wolf Treats are raising money to fund a range of d20 Candles. Each candle has a two-hour burn time, comes in variety of scents (each tied to a character class), is in the shape of a d20 (duh!) and has a hidden treat in the centre of the candle… a full set of metal dice (wrapped in foil for extra protection). There’s over a dozen sets of dice to choose from as the ‘hidden treasure’ waiting to be revealed which you can select your choice from.
The candle scents, and colours, are tied to specific classes…
The Ranger is a green candle with ‘Heart of the Forest’ (Pine) scent.
The Fighter is a black candle with ‘Blood of my Enemies’ (Dragonsblood) scent.
The Wizard is a blue candle with ‘Arcane Reagent’ (sandalwood) scent.
The Bard is a purple candle with ‘Verse of Victory’ (lavender) scent.
The Rogue is a black candle with ‘Hidden Dagger’ (Egyptian Amber) scent.
The Cleric is a white candle with ‘Healing Touch’ (Vanilla and Floral) scent.
They also offer each d20 candle as unscented if you’d prefer.
[h=3]Make 100 : Chronicles RPG Kit by Rogue Comet[/h]
(Campaign Ends : Friday 3rd February 2017; 03:00 UTC)
The second ‘Make 100’ campaign to make this weeks list is from Rogue Comet. They’re selling pretty fast so if you’re interested I’d suggest getting in quick or you’ll have to wait until the latter part of 2017 for another chance to get these books (although some of the content in the books will be different at that point).
The campaign is for four booklets (Almanac, Imaginarium, Session Planner, and Game Diary) which have a classic ‘Old School’ look but can be used wih any game system.
The books have been created to help “run well organized, dynamic roleplaying games. These booklets are meant to be written in, helping you and your players organize your games for maximum fun!”
Each book is around 56 pages in length and in a digest 5.5” by 8.5” format. The Chronicles RPG Kit consists of the following booklets:
Book 1 : Malloy’s Almanac – Fantasy calendar with 20 sets of encounter tools to help you run ad hoc adventures. Also contains name tables for a variety of races (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings and Orcs) as well as distinctive features, quirks, and some motivations for NPCs.
Book 2 : Imaginarium – Idea log with blank dungeons, encounter worksheets, and adventure design tools.
Book 3 : Session Planner – Gamemaster tools to plan and track game sessions.
Book 4 : Game Diary – Player tools to log adventure notes, experience, and group treasure.
**********
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
