D&D General The 13th Age 2nd Edition Kickstarter Has Launched

13th Age was released 10 years ago as a 'love letter' to D&D. Designed by D&D 3E's Jonathan Tweet and 4E's Rob Heinsoo, it streamlined the game and introduced innovations such as the Escalation Die, and it's One Unique Thing, a trait that every character has which is individual to them.

2nd Edition is now here--streamlined, clarified, backward-compatible, and updated with revised classes, monsters, and more. And, unlike the single book format of the original, this version comes in the form of a 240-page Player's Handbook and a 160-page Gamemaster's Guide.

You can pick up both books for £40 in PDF or £100 in hardcover format, plus dice, a GM screen, and more.

There's a free preview document available (12-page PDF).

Designer Rob Heinsoo spoke to EN Publishing's Jessica Hancock about 13th Age 2E last year on the Not DnD show.

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[ezo]

But hey, if you hate it so much and find this company too "pathetic," feel free to leave this thread.

I've said my piece, consider it done.

 

[MockingBird]

I don't see it any different than looking for investors in your product

 

[Jahydin]

So, the game has been around for 10 years, and they want KickStarter support to develop and launch a 2nd Edition?

I thought the point of KictStarter was to, well, kick start a company or business, not be a money grab for an estabilshed one. That is pathetic IMO.

Here you go:

Why Are Established Brands Using Kickstarter?

Switchbot, Eufy and Aqara are all established brands using Kickstarter to launch new products. This gives them unique access to ideal consumers who are excited to offer feedback. Meanwhile, for backers, a lot of the risks of normal crowdfunding is eliminated.

lifehacker.com

 

[SteveC]

I thought the point of KictStarter was to, well, kick start a company or business, not be a money grab for an estabilshed one. That is pathetic IMO.

It's simple: you thought wrong. Just about every company smaller than WotC uses Kickstarter. Is that "pathetic" ... it's given me a lot of games I wouldn't have even heard of otherwise. I suggest heading to the Kickstarter page (and Backerkit) and searching on "tabletop games". When you see companies like CMON kickstarting for multi-million dollar board games, you'll see what it's for these days.

There's no need to back this Kickstarter if you don't like the game, but if you're going to call a company pathetic for using it, there's about one who hasn't done so.

 

[Shardstone]

So, the game has been around for 10 years, and they want KickStarter support to develop and launch a 2nd Edition?

I thought the point of KictStarter was to, well, kick start a company or business, not be a money grab for an estabilshed one. That is pathetic IMO.

It costs a lot of money to make and print books and I doubt 13th A has made enough profits in the 10 years to just easily drop another bookline by itself. Try to be less judgmental if you don't know anything or have any experience in the publishing world.

 

[SteveC]

Leaving the issue of using Kickstarter to fund the project, I just had an update that they will add Foundry VTT support as part of a stretch goal. I run all of my games via VTT, so that is very exciting for me to hear. I know some of you in this thread are also Foundry people, so thought that might excite some of you.

Edited to add: I just commented how I would like an add-on with VTT maps for 13th Age Adventures. I want to run Eyes of the Stone Thief and I will need maps to do that over the VTT.

And one more edit: Roll20 support is already unlocked.

 

[Blue]

If you are already a company who has published books and is presumably showing a profit? Sounds pathetic and money-grabbing to me...

Lots and lots and lots and LOTS of RPG publishers use Kickstarter (and sites like it) to get the cash flow to pay designers, developers, artists, editors, layout, printing, and the tons of other costs that happen well before the first dime of sales come it. Evil Hat, Magpie, Pelgrane Press, 7th Sea, Kobold Press, MCDM, ...

Wait a second, just take a look at the weekly column for crowdfunding and you will see your beliefs are not in sync with reality. Especially most of the "Million Dollar RPG Kickstarters".

While you're reading this very site about those, maybe take a look at the number of articles about costs for artists and designers, and the economics of small RPG publishers. It's not particularly lucrative, they don't have large reserves to spend making something new for the next year+ that may or may not have the interest to recoup costs (much less make a modest profit). People putting money up to buy the systems for guaranteed sales is a lot more real than what a focus group says.

Companies like Bones do it for their minis, which have high molding and sculpting costs that again come long before sale.

Basically, designing and printing an RPG takes time. Paying the people doing it takes cashflow. RPGs don't make cash until they are sold. Kickstarter is regularly used for companies that could not afford to do all of that up front.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Kickstarter can be used for many purposes. Getting funds to publish a book is actually quite typical. I don't see anything pathetic here and I'm supporting this campaign.

Yeah, its not at all uncommon to raise money that way in advance for art and printing costs. I don't know where Ezo has been.

 

[Blue]

In the 2ed edition one of the changes I'm really looking forward to that they mentioned is revamping the Icon Relationship rolls. Between the GM Screen's advice and people on the internet we had a workable and player-facing solution in 1ed, but I'd like to see this redone so it's easily accessible for all.

I also hope that the core monsters are less "D&D expy" and more like what they did in the Bestiaries, dripping with lore and flavor and hooks and adventure advice and combat advice and just oh so inspiring.

This new edition has got me excited!

 

[ruemere]

Reading beta version. There are many changes, some of them affect class dynamics in a way the class feels quite different from alfa.

I've yet to see new icon rules. I recall recommending using PbtA style moves and resolution for them. Hopefully they are less vague and handwavey now.

Race is a no-no word now, so we have kin. The other significant change is that kin does not affect stats - all characters are built in the same way - but it grants a kin-related power. You are explicitly allowed to negotiate non-default kin power selections.

Overall, I like the changes so far. Still, the current landscape has at least four other new fantasy games of significance so the competition is going to be tough:

- Shadow/Secrets of Weird Wizard by Schwalb Entertainment

- Daggerheart by Darrington Press

- MCDM RPG by Matt Colville

- Soulbound/Ulfenkarn by 7th Cubicle

We'll see.