This week sees us look at three of the year's big campaigns - The Expanse, Fantasy Trip and Your Best Game Ever! - each already with over $200k of funding (with The Expans!e on over $300k), plus something for fans of 5th Edition, Ubiquity System, Swords & Wizardry, PbtA and some not so subtle pins for the Cultists amongst you. Welcome back to our weekly RPG Crowdfunding column!
The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Chris Pramas: Green Ronin Publishing
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd August 2018; 01:00 UTC)
The Expanse series started life as a roleplaying adventure that authors Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham (under the name James S.A. Corey) then brought to print in what has become one of the best-selling sci-fi novels series of all time, and has spawned The Expanse TV series. Now, thanks to Green Ronin Publishing, we get the opportunity to create our own characters and go exploring in the universe that The Expanse has opened up for us.
Using Green Ronin’s signature AGE system (Fantasy AGE; Blue Rose; Modern AGE) The Expanse takes players to a far-future solar system where humanity is divided: Martians, Belters, and the people of old Earth struggle for political power and resources, but even older alien, forces are stirring in the universe, and human history is about to take an unexpected new turn. The Expanse applies the fast-playing and action-based AGE rules to spaceships, solar colonies, and adventure and intrigue in the far-future, where the actions of the characters may change the course of history!
The Expanse is based on the exciting new Modern AGE rules-set, and includes many of its features, such as customized character building using Backgrounds and Professions, Drives for character engagement, and an abstract resources system. It also makes use of the Modern AGE approach to action, exploration, and social encounters, complete with stunts and systems for all of them.
Two editions of the rulebook are available to choose from. The 224-page full-color, hardback Standard Edition, which comes with a poster map of the solar system or the Special Edition Deluxe version which is a Kickstarter Exclusive.
The Kickstarter is also offering a three-panel GM Screen, complete with reference cards, pre-generated characters and an adventure. A campaign of six linked scenarios , Abzu’s Bounty, is also available and will be included as a PDF free to all backers of $30 or more.
The Fantasy Trip – Old-School Roleplaying! By Steve Jackson Games
(Campaign Ends : Friday 24th August 2018; 22:05 UTC)
The Fantasy Trip was designer Steve Jackson’s first roleplaying game, published by Metagmaing back in 1977. The game was published until 1982 and has been out of print ever since. Steve went on and formed Steve Jackson Games and now, decades later, has acquired the rights back for his original creation… and thus The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition kickstarter was born.
The Fantasy Trip is an “old-school” RPG, with easy character design, realistic tactical combat, and an emphasis on story. It is unabashedly focused on dungeon crawls and arena battles. It’s a great introduction for your friends who are new to roleplaying, because it’s so easy to get started.
The Legacy Edition is a boxed set that includes:
Your Best Game Ever! By Monte Cook Games
(Campaign Ends : Friday 24th August 2018; 23:59 UTC)
Your Best Game Ever is not your typical RPG sourcebook. It’s not a book with adventures, spells, creatures, or magic items. It’s not a book for characters at all, but a book for players! If you play or run roleplaying games, this book is for you. Inside this gorgeous hardcover book, suitable for your coffee table or your gaming table, you will find advice and suggestions for enhancing your RPG experience at the table and away from it. This is an insider’s look at everything that goes into the hobby—finding a group, making a character, running a game, creating adventures, finding all the right ideas, hosting a game…and that’s just for starters.
If You’re an Experienced Gamer
You’ve been gaming for a while now. Maybe even years. You get the concepts, and you understand the rules. No one needs to explain the dice to you. Your Best Game Ever embraces the hobby you love, and provides real tips, immediately usable advice, and hands-on pointers you can use at your game table. You’ll find everything here from enhancing immersion, tips for running games online, creating characters with depth, worldbuilding, designing rules, dealing with personality conflicts that arise at the table, and more!
If You’re Fairly New to Gaming
Your friends play RPGs. You’ve maybe watched some streaming games, or given it a try a few times. You get the general idea, but where do you go from there? How do you really get into this hobby the way so many others have? This book will give you everything you need to learn how to choose the right game, how to fit into your game group or start your own group, and get you going on the fast track to being a great gamer.
Not a Rule Book, But a Tool Book
Your Best Game Ever is divided into three major sections: general game topics, being a player, and being a game master. There’s even a section on designing your own game, and getting it published. And this isn’t just a stuffy book on theory, either. You’ll find actual suggestions you can use to create better characters with character arcs, real recipes you can make for game night (and even spruce them up for your genre of choice), specific suggestions for music and ambiance depending on genre, plot ideas, character ideas, and other ready-to-use material.
This 224-page book will enable you to become a better gamer. You’ll find ways to create and manage a great game group, tricks for game prep (and what to do if you haven’t prepared!), understanding and managing game balance, and taking everything around you and incorporating it as inspiration for your game.
The book is primarily written by Monte Cook but also features articles from a host of contributors including Matt Colville, Luke Crane, Stacy Dellorfano, Eloy Lasanta, Matt Mercer and Monica Valentinelli as well as comics and cartoons from the likes of John Kovalic (Dork Tower), Aviv Or (Up to Four Players) and Stan! (10x10Toon).
In addition to Your Best Game Ever the campaign is also offering a revised version of the Cypher System Rulebook. The revised rulebook includes some of the changes and new material that was developed whilst playtesting the new Numenera Discovery & Destiny books.
The City that Dripped Blood: A Fantasy Adventure by Frog God Games
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd August 2018)
The City that Dripped Blood is an adventure available for either 5th Edition or Swords & Wizardry, for mid-level characters, and the first in a new four part series that is set in, and around, the city of Temelpa.
Temelpa, an ancient walled city on a forgotten trade route, thought to be abandoned ages ago, and now, the adventurers find themselves besieged within.
Unable to leave their refuge, the adventurers will quickly discover the city is inhabited, not deserted as initially believed, by an ancient society. They will soon be embroiled in the affairs of a twisted caste system built on servitude and cannibalism and headed by an inter-dimensional vampiric overlord.
This open-ended adventure allows the GM to unleash an array of unique monsters, factional power struggles, and intriguing plots upon the characters as they fight and scheme to stay alive, entrapped in a hostile city where they are viewed as useful pawns or a tasty exotic meal.
Can the characters hold out until the siege is broken and escape with their lives? Will they champion the cause of the downtrodden and upend the social order? Or will they be the main course for the next cannibalistic feast?
Welcome to the City!
5th Edition Players Guide to Aihrde by Stephen Chenault
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd August 2018; 04:59 UTC)
Aihrde is a living world of gods, peoples, of countries and realms, of wild and forgotten places. There are over 50 gods outlined for play, from the Val Eahrakun to the Austrien. A dozen peoples including dwarves, elves, men, halflings, gnomes, orcs, goblins, giants, trolls, dragons and more. Each of 30 plus realms are intimately detailed with history, government, economy, military, present rulers and other specific information.
Its vibrant mythology and unfolding history makes the World of Aihrde an unparalleled fantasy setting with a wealth of playable material! Rich in adventure hooks, Aihrde is like no other on the market today. It infuses character generation with an energy unique for its genre, and arms the game master with material that is both fixed and malleable.
The Players Guide gives a complete write-up of the history and background of each of the races within the context of the world. No longer is your dwarf, elf, halfling, gnome or other character a generic fantasy stereotype; they are given a broad treatment that ties them directly to the weave of the world and the Arc of Time within. Each of these demi-humans offers new sub-races for your Fifth Edition game, as well as new class archetypes based on the cultures of these races. In addition, we present a brand new race: the goblin as a PC, with a special Eldritch Goblin (reborn) sub-race!
Not only will you get new sub-races in the Player’s Guide to Aihrde, but new archetypes, paths, oaths, colleges, domains, arcane traditions and more. All of these have a deep connection to the campaign setting, some to individual PC races and others to the guilds and orders of Aihrde, but can easily be translated to your 5e game of choice.
The campaign is not only offering the Players Guide to Aihrde though, check out the full list of what’s on offer below:
Danger Magnet Presents: Legacy of Darkness by Danger Magnet
(Campaign Ends : Saturday 25th August 2018; 04:06 UTC)
Using Exile Game’s Ubiquity system (Hollow Earth Expedition) Legacy of Darkness is the first adventure from Danger Magnet. Legacy of Darkness will take between 3-6 sessions to complete, with various options left to allow Gamemasters to spin off further adventures, and takes the players to a world of action, mystery and horror from the golden age of cinema. A pulp action adventure mixed with a twist of gothic horror!
Legacy of Darkness is a complete adventure that can be utilized by an already existing group of characters, or played using the iconic playable characters such as Dirk Savage, Lillian Vaile, John Choi, and the mysterious Zamira Escarra, or the game master and players can create all new characters making use of the character creation guide that will help any party ensure they are ready to take on the Legacy of Darkness.
It is planned to be a 60-page adventure that may grow as the Kickstarter grows.
Legacy of Darkness will contain all the stats for all the enemies faced (no need to go looking through all your core rulebooks), sinister traps, perplexing puzzles, tactics for encounters that contain combat, as well as a few new and original adversaries that the characters will have to overcome if they wish to learn the secret of the Legacy of Darkness.
The adventure will contain tips from the creators on how to bring each scene to life, how to complicate it to challenge the characters further, as well as suggestions on how to describe scenes for all the senses.
Oddity High! By Derek Ehlmann
(Campaign Ends : Saturday 25th August 2018; 14:56 UTC)
Oddity High is a Powered by the Apocalypse game about the life of a Japanese high school student. Of course, not a run of the mill student, but one who is out of the ordinary. Maybe you’ve been dealing with aliens, psychics, ghosts, demons, eldritch gods or sentient cats is up to you – but whatever it is, you are in the thick of it. Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with all of this by yourself, as your friends are equally odd.
While Oddity High uses the PbtA system it does differ I a few ways. For starters each player chooses two Playbooks when deciding their character, as opposed to the usual one Playbook in most PbtA games. One of the Playbooks is for what you are (The Displaced, The Mascot, The Warper, The Vanilla, etc), the other for your personality archetype (The Brash, The Fanservice, The Model Student, The Otaku, etc).
Before play starts the players will also play a part in building the school, designing its faculty and crafting its rumors. Of course there are aliens and other threats, but the biggest concern is still having to take part in school clubs and get through school without the universe collapsing proving too much distraction!
Cthulhu Mythos Cultist Badges by Triple Ace Games Ltd
(Campaign Ends : Friday 24th August 2018; 20:00 UTC)
Triple Ace Games return with their second set of Cthulhu inspired pin badges. Their first set explored Mythos Occult Tomes but this time round we’re being exposed to some of the Cults themselves. There are five different hard enamel badges available in this set – Servants of the Heretic Pharoah, Cult of the Black Hand, Illuminated Fraternity of the All Seeing Eye, Black Scorpion Brotherhood and the Elder Sign. A sixth badge, the Esoteric Order of Dagon, could be unlooked through a stretch goal and will be added free of charge to every pledge level buying a complete set.
**********
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
The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Chris Pramas: Green Ronin Publishing
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd August 2018; 01:00 UTC)
The Expanse series started life as a roleplaying adventure that authors Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham (under the name James S.A. Corey) then brought to print in what has become one of the best-selling sci-fi novels series of all time, and has spawned The Expanse TV series. Now, thanks to Green Ronin Publishing, we get the opportunity to create our own characters and go exploring in the universe that The Expanse has opened up for us.
Using Green Ronin’s signature AGE system (Fantasy AGE; Blue Rose; Modern AGE) The Expanse takes players to a far-future solar system where humanity is divided: Martians, Belters, and the people of old Earth struggle for political power and resources, but even older alien, forces are stirring in the universe, and human history is about to take an unexpected new turn. The Expanse applies the fast-playing and action-based AGE rules to spaceships, solar colonies, and adventure and intrigue in the far-future, where the actions of the characters may change the course of history!
The Expanse is based on the exciting new Modern AGE rules-set, and includes many of its features, such as customized character building using Backgrounds and Professions, Drives for character engagement, and an abstract resources system. It also makes use of the Modern AGE approach to action, exploration, and social encounters, complete with stunts and systems for all of them.
Two editions of the rulebook are available to choose from. The 224-page full-color, hardback Standard Edition, which comes with a poster map of the solar system or the Special Edition Deluxe version which is a Kickstarter Exclusive.
The Kickstarter is also offering a three-panel GM Screen, complete with reference cards, pre-generated characters and an adventure. A campaign of six linked scenarios , Abzu’s Bounty, is also available and will be included as a PDF free to all backers of $30 or more.
The Fantasy Trip – Old-School Roleplaying! By Steve Jackson Games
(Campaign Ends : Friday 24th August 2018; 22:05 UTC)
The Fantasy Trip was designer Steve Jackson’s first roleplaying game, published by Metagmaing back in 1977. The game was published until 1982 and has been out of print ever since. Steve went on and formed Steve Jackson Games and now, decades later, has acquired the rights back for his original creation… and thus The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition kickstarter was born.
The Fantasy Trip is an “old-school” RPG, with easy character design, realistic tactical combat, and an emphasis on story. It is unabashedly focused on dungeon crawls and arena battles. It’s a great introduction for your friends who are new to roleplaying, because it’s so easy to get started.
The Legacy Edition is a boxed set that includes:
- The two original mini-games, Melee and Wizard, each in its own mini-box.
- The three roleplaying books (In The Labyrinth, Advanced Melee, and Advanced Wizard), combined and updated into a single volume of 160 pages, with the index that the original release lacked.
- The classic dungeon-crawl adventure, Tollenkar’s Lair, with a full-color labyrinth map and color cover.
- Death Test, the solo adventure, with color cover. Stretch goals unlocked!
- Death Test 2, a second solo adventure, with color cover. Stretch goals unlocked!
- Six sheets of die-cut megahexes. Stretch goals unlocked!
- A pad of 2.5" x 3.5" character sheets for use with Melee.
- A pad of 5" x 3.5" character sheets for use with Wizard. Stretch goal unlocked!
- A three-panel, sturdy GM screen. Stretch goal unlocked!
- Maybe more, depending on what stretch goals are reached. Read on!
Your Best Game Ever! By Monte Cook Games
(Campaign Ends : Friday 24th August 2018; 23:59 UTC)
Your Best Game Ever is not your typical RPG sourcebook. It’s not a book with adventures, spells, creatures, or magic items. It’s not a book for characters at all, but a book for players! If you play or run roleplaying games, this book is for you. Inside this gorgeous hardcover book, suitable for your coffee table or your gaming table, you will find advice and suggestions for enhancing your RPG experience at the table and away from it. This is an insider’s look at everything that goes into the hobby—finding a group, making a character, running a game, creating adventures, finding all the right ideas, hosting a game…and that’s just for starters.
If You’re an Experienced Gamer
You’ve been gaming for a while now. Maybe even years. You get the concepts, and you understand the rules. No one needs to explain the dice to you. Your Best Game Ever embraces the hobby you love, and provides real tips, immediately usable advice, and hands-on pointers you can use at your game table. You’ll find everything here from enhancing immersion, tips for running games online, creating characters with depth, worldbuilding, designing rules, dealing with personality conflicts that arise at the table, and more!
If You’re Fairly New to Gaming
Your friends play RPGs. You’ve maybe watched some streaming games, or given it a try a few times. You get the general idea, but where do you go from there? How do you really get into this hobby the way so many others have? This book will give you everything you need to learn how to choose the right game, how to fit into your game group or start your own group, and get you going on the fast track to being a great gamer.
Not a Rule Book, But a Tool Book
Your Best Game Ever is divided into three major sections: general game topics, being a player, and being a game master. There’s even a section on designing your own game, and getting it published. And this isn’t just a stuffy book on theory, either. You’ll find actual suggestions you can use to create better characters with character arcs, real recipes you can make for game night (and even spruce them up for your genre of choice), specific suggestions for music and ambiance depending on genre, plot ideas, character ideas, and other ready-to-use material.
This 224-page book will enable you to become a better gamer. You’ll find ways to create and manage a great game group, tricks for game prep (and what to do if you haven’t prepared!), understanding and managing game balance, and taking everything around you and incorporating it as inspiration for your game.
The book is primarily written by Monte Cook but also features articles from a host of contributors including Matt Colville, Luke Crane, Stacy Dellorfano, Eloy Lasanta, Matt Mercer and Monica Valentinelli as well as comics and cartoons from the likes of John Kovalic (Dork Tower), Aviv Or (Up to Four Players) and Stan! (10x10Toon).
In addition to Your Best Game Ever the campaign is also offering a revised version of the Cypher System Rulebook. The revised rulebook includes some of the changes and new material that was developed whilst playtesting the new Numenera Discovery & Destiny books.
The City that Dripped Blood: A Fantasy Adventure by Frog God Games
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd August 2018)
The City that Dripped Blood is an adventure available for either 5th Edition or Swords & Wizardry, for mid-level characters, and the first in a new four part series that is set in, and around, the city of Temelpa.
Temelpa, an ancient walled city on a forgotten trade route, thought to be abandoned ages ago, and now, the adventurers find themselves besieged within.
Unable to leave their refuge, the adventurers will quickly discover the city is inhabited, not deserted as initially believed, by an ancient society. They will soon be embroiled in the affairs of a twisted caste system built on servitude and cannibalism and headed by an inter-dimensional vampiric overlord.
This open-ended adventure allows the GM to unleash an array of unique monsters, factional power struggles, and intriguing plots upon the characters as they fight and scheme to stay alive, entrapped in a hostile city where they are viewed as useful pawns or a tasty exotic meal.
Can the characters hold out until the siege is broken and escape with their lives? Will they champion the cause of the downtrodden and upend the social order? Or will they be the main course for the next cannibalistic feast?
Welcome to the City!
5th Edition Players Guide to Aihrde by Stephen Chenault
(Campaign Ends : Thursday 23rd August 2018; 04:59 UTC)
Aihrde is a living world of gods, peoples, of countries and realms, of wild and forgotten places. There are over 50 gods outlined for play, from the Val Eahrakun to the Austrien. A dozen peoples including dwarves, elves, men, halflings, gnomes, orcs, goblins, giants, trolls, dragons and more. Each of 30 plus realms are intimately detailed with history, government, economy, military, present rulers and other specific information.
Its vibrant mythology and unfolding history makes the World of Aihrde an unparalleled fantasy setting with a wealth of playable material! Rich in adventure hooks, Aihrde is like no other on the market today. It infuses character generation with an energy unique for its genre, and arms the game master with material that is both fixed and malleable.
The Players Guide gives a complete write-up of the history and background of each of the races within the context of the world. No longer is your dwarf, elf, halfling, gnome or other character a generic fantasy stereotype; they are given a broad treatment that ties them directly to the weave of the world and the Arc of Time within. Each of these demi-humans offers new sub-races for your Fifth Edition game, as well as new class archetypes based on the cultures of these races. In addition, we present a brand new race: the goblin as a PC, with a special Eldritch Goblin (reborn) sub-race!
Not only will you get new sub-races in the Player’s Guide to Aihrde, but new archetypes, paths, oaths, colleges, domains, arcane traditions and more. All of these have a deep connection to the campaign setting, some to individual PC races and others to the guilds and orders of Aihrde, but can easily be translated to your 5e game of choice.
The campaign is not only offering the Players Guide to Aihrde though, check out the full list of what’s on offer below:
- Players Guide to Aihrde: 128+ page, full color hardcover
- Codex of Aihrde, 288 page full color hardcover Aihrde setting book
- Lion in the Ropes, 20 page adventure module
- 5th Edition Archives Vol. 1: Codex of Aihrde/six adventures
- 5th Edition Archives Vol. 2: Players Guide to Aihrde/six Adventures
- A Houseless God & Other Tales: 80 page collection of stories
- Guilds & Orders: 24 page supplement
Danger Magnet Presents: Legacy of Darkness by Danger Magnet
(Campaign Ends : Saturday 25th August 2018; 04:06 UTC)
Using Exile Game’s Ubiquity system (Hollow Earth Expedition) Legacy of Darkness is the first adventure from Danger Magnet. Legacy of Darkness will take between 3-6 sessions to complete, with various options left to allow Gamemasters to spin off further adventures, and takes the players to a world of action, mystery and horror from the golden age of cinema. A pulp action adventure mixed with a twist of gothic horror!
Legacy of Darkness is a complete adventure that can be utilized by an already existing group of characters, or played using the iconic playable characters such as Dirk Savage, Lillian Vaile, John Choi, and the mysterious Zamira Escarra, or the game master and players can create all new characters making use of the character creation guide that will help any party ensure they are ready to take on the Legacy of Darkness.
It is planned to be a 60-page adventure that may grow as the Kickstarter grows.
Legacy of Darkness will contain all the stats for all the enemies faced (no need to go looking through all your core rulebooks), sinister traps, perplexing puzzles, tactics for encounters that contain combat, as well as a few new and original adversaries that the characters will have to overcome if they wish to learn the secret of the Legacy of Darkness.
The adventure will contain tips from the creators on how to bring each scene to life, how to complicate it to challenge the characters further, as well as suggestions on how to describe scenes for all the senses.
Oddity High! By Derek Ehlmann
(Campaign Ends : Saturday 25th August 2018; 14:56 UTC)
Oddity High is a Powered by the Apocalypse game about the life of a Japanese high school student. Of course, not a run of the mill student, but one who is out of the ordinary. Maybe you’ve been dealing with aliens, psychics, ghosts, demons, eldritch gods or sentient cats is up to you – but whatever it is, you are in the thick of it. Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with all of this by yourself, as your friends are equally odd.
While Oddity High uses the PbtA system it does differ I a few ways. For starters each player chooses two Playbooks when deciding their character, as opposed to the usual one Playbook in most PbtA games. One of the Playbooks is for what you are (The Displaced, The Mascot, The Warper, The Vanilla, etc), the other for your personality archetype (The Brash, The Fanservice, The Model Student, The Otaku, etc).
Before play starts the players will also play a part in building the school, designing its faculty and crafting its rumors. Of course there are aliens and other threats, but the biggest concern is still having to take part in school clubs and get through school without the universe collapsing proving too much distraction!
Cthulhu Mythos Cultist Badges by Triple Ace Games Ltd
(Campaign Ends : Friday 24th August 2018; 20:00 UTC)
Triple Ace Games return with their second set of Cthulhu inspired pin badges. Their first set explored Mythos Occult Tomes but this time round we’re being exposed to some of the Cults themselves. There are five different hard enamel badges available in this set – Servants of the Heretic Pharoah, Cult of the Black Hand, Illuminated Fraternity of the All Seeing Eye, Black Scorpion Brotherhood and the Elder Sign. A sixth badge, the Esoteric Order of Dagon, could be unlooked through a stretch goal and will be added free of charge to every pledge level buying a complete set.
**********
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
