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]Book of Exalted Darkness: Evil Adventures for 5E by Mike Myler[/h](Campaign Ends : Sunday 18th June 2017; 03:59 UTC)
You get double trouble with The Book of Exalted Darkness – a sourcebook for playing evil characters in D&D 5th Edition as well as the campaign setting of Askis.
Askis is described as a ’Holy Decopunk Utopia’. Your first question upon reading this is probably “what the hell is Holy Decopunk?” Well, Decopunk takes the glitz and glamour of the Roaring 20’s in a science fiction direction with its sleek, streamlined and futuristic appearance. Mike Myler cites both The Rocketeer and Sky Captains of the World of Tomorrow as influences on the campaign. The Holy aspect is because in the world of Askis the angels won and good rules the day (and night). And you’re lucky enough to be playing one of the bad guys in all this, trying to restore balance and help evil rise once more by destroying 9 Spheres of the Celestial Heroes and strike at the heart of the world’s immortal rulers to bring all they’ve built tumbling down.
“Inaequa is what really makes the Book of Exalted Darkness work. When we initially started this project (over a year ago) the idea was a standard medieval world. Middle-Earth where the angels have won!
But what's the real appeal of that? Where's the real bite, the hook?
Then came the idea to make the world decopunk. Nothing pairs better with angelic and celestial aesthetic than The Rocketeer and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and it brought a little bit of really appealing pulpy feel. A wonderful combination! But still something was missing—a linchpin that really makes all these concepts fit together. That's inaequa.
Don't get me wrong—playing an evil PC can be entertaining and rewarding in itself—but for a whole campaign? For an entire group to play despicable characters weeks on end? That's not always easy for everyone to be intrigued by and can prove difficult to keep banded together. But what if there was something fundamentally wrong with the supreme goodness that has blessed the world? That's where inaequa comes in.
Inaequa powers the marvels and wonders of technology in the decopunk world of Askis, but it also gives off radiation that lengthens the lifespan of good creatures.
What a quandary!
Inherently inaequa is not evil, nor are its effects—it favors one morality over another but even so there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it and YET, and YET! That's a complex package worth unfolding!
Like my other campaign settings there are new thematic attributes that play very heavily into the central element of inaequa that allow PCs to trick devices powered by the resource or otherwise manipulate them, overcharging an inaequa jetpack for a brief burst of speed before burning out or setting off an inaequa gun to explode like a grenade.
With this final major reagent in the maddened minds of the design team, the utopian world and the paths evil adventurers will pursue to bring balance back to Askis (or an evil imbalance!) poured out in a frenzied torrent of truly wicked game design.”
The 180 page full color hardcover book will dtail the Holy Decopunk Utopia of Askis (including its three continents of Ouranios, Samovi and Zakuthombo), The 9 Spheres of Askis, dozens of NPCs, two new ability scores (Sanctity and Sin) as well as Sin Points, Inherent Heresies that every character will begin having one of, evil character backgrounds, three new classes, new class archetypes, loads of Feats, the Dark Transformation Prestige Class, a brand new evil school of magic, vile afflictions, expanded fear rules, forbidden magic items, new monsters, GM tips and loads more.
[h=3]Wandering Monster Decks for 5E and Pathfinder! Only $12! By Nord Games[/h](Campaign Ends : Tuesday 20th June 2017; 04:00 UTC)
Nord Games follow up their successful Treasure Decks campaign from earlier this year with another series of decks aimed at helping GMs create quick fire encounters with their Wandering Monster Decks.
The decks available are Dungeon, Wilderness, Waterways and Underground. Each deck contains 52-cards and there are four variations of each (core bestiary for 5th Edition, Bestiary 1 for Pathfinder, Fifth Edition Foes by Frog God Games, and Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press) with decks based upon other bestiaries potentially added through stretch goals.
Each card is themed, with flavor text along the top and three to five possible encounters, offering a range of challenge rating options. The flavor text is there to set the scene, and every possible encounter has been carefully crafted to make sense within that scene. If there are multiple creatures, it makes sense that they would be together and in that particular environment.
The cards are designed to be used in two ways. You can take a more old-school approach to wandering monsters and roll for the encounter using a d6, d8, or d10 (depending on the card) and use the numbers on the table to determine what monster or monsters the party encounters. This approach could result in a walk in the park for the party, a fight for their lives, or an encounter that's just right.
The other way to use these cards is to refer to the challenge rating of each encounter and choose the most appropriate for the party. This will assure that players are fairly challenged according to their level, and should save players from boredom, as well as the dreaded TPK(!), but we make no promises.
The decks can be used on the fly to create random encounters during gameplay, or they can be used while you’re building out your own adventures. All of the challenge ratings have been calculated for you, and the cards are specifically designed to inspire your creativity with their themes, flavor text, and interesting encounters. You’ll find yourself using a much more diverse collection of creatures than you normally would, and your players will be more entertained than ever!
[h=3]Red Moon Rising RPG by Alephtar Games[/h](Campaign Ends : Thursday 22nd June 2017; 13:06 UTC)
Alephtar Games have been making games and supplements for a number of years now, including the 2010 Best Setting Silver ENnie Award winning Rome, Life and Death of the Republic. Red Moon Rising is a Victorian Steampunk web comic that’s been running since 2009 by Scottish artist Rose Loughran. Alephtar games have licensed the setting to turn it into a supplement setting for their Revolution D100 system.
The world of Red Moon Rising is like ours, with two important exceptions. The first is that some individuals are born with the innate gift of magic, which allows them to control one or more elements and create spectacular and often deadly effects. The second is that strange substances exist, like the floating ore that allows Ashuli airships to fly; this has led to the development of science at a different rate than our world, with some branches being more advanced and some others far less developed. The result is an environment with a Victorian vibe, but where devastating magical effects are always a possibility.
Ashul, a large city scarred by a deep chasm that produces the mysterious floating ore, is the capital of the nation named after it. It is a land of rain and mist that tempers its inhabitants with its harsh climatic conditions. Ashul is currently experiencing an industrial revolution, which in turn has led the country to becoming an expansionistic military power. Its military includes ranking cadres made entirely of mages and a fleet of airships with a support role.
Rishara Caan is a satellite nation of Ashul, conquered and occupied militarily some years ago. An untamed group of rebellious souls still opposes the Ashuli yoke, but they lack the support of magicians, as their nation had always exhibited a natural distrust for magic. This puts them at a distinct disadvantage against the magically supported Ashuli army, a gap that they hope to fill with the recent invention of a wonderful new technology called “firearms”.
Imara is a land of beauty and benevolent climate, whose inhabitants feel blessed and beloved by their deity, the moon. More interested in developing culture and civil infrastructure than in war, the nobility that rules the country nevertheless breeds mages among its ranks, although few of them become combat magicians like their Ashuli counterparts. Imara is still clinging to its independence despite a state of permanent tension with Ashul, which has resulted in open war in the past.
[h=3]Adeliane: Album & Tour by Agate[/h](Campaign Ends : Monday 29th May 2017; 21:00 UTC)
Shadows Of Esteren has won, a bunch of awards for its moody fantasy setting and stunning artwork. What many people might not know is that there are THREE musical soundtracks available for the setting – composed and performed by different artists – and now they are raising funds for the fourth album, Adeliane, as well as taking the music on tour to perform at three locations in 2017 - UK Games Expo (Birmingham, UK), Spiel (Essen, Germany) plus a date in France and three further unannounced concerts in 2018 including one in the USA!
Adeliane is a music album inspired by the universes of Philip Glass, Agnes Obel, and David Darling. It is one more window to the world of Shadows of Esteren, a medieval world filled with dark romanticism, where ghastly horror and awe-inspiring beauty go hand in hand.
Adeliane is one of the main characters of the Shadows of Esteren saga. A young woman crushed under the weight of a tragic past; a strong, brave young woman on a quest to shed light on the mysteries that haunt her nightmares.
This album tells her story. It is composed by François Rousselot, the composer of the OST of MR HUBLOT, a short film that won the Oscar for best short animation in 2014.
The album was recorded by the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra, under the direction of François Rousselot. It contains 12 tracks, including 4 with sung parts. Clarisse May lends her voice to Adeliane.
Our project is transmedia and this campaign also features Melwan, a sourcebook for Shadows of Esteren and Yldiane, a 16-page graphic novel.
Melwan is a supplement we have been working on for quite some time. This book of about 60 pages is focused on the Vale of Melwan, the very same one from which Adeliane and her sister Yldiane hail. It will be published as a sort of small artbook; a notebook annotated by Neala, a shepherdess who knows the Vale like the back of her hand.
Adeliane has a sister and she is the heroine of a 16-page graphic novel also available through this campaign. Written by Nel, author of the Shadows of Esteren and drawn by french artist Manu Roudier.
[h=3]The Blackwood for the Savage Worlds RPG System by Eli Kurtz[/h](Campaign Ends : Tuesday 30th May 2017; 17:30 UTC)
The Blackwood Errantry Codex is a licensed fantasy campaign setting for Savage Worlds which comprises a complete guide to The Blackwood as well as a full length Plot Point Campaign called The Way of the Elder King.
The setting is inspired by folklore and high-flying martial arts action. It’s Grimm’s Tales meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It’s The Witcher series meets Kung Fu Hustle. It’s Iron Monkey meets Brotherhood of the Wolf. You are errants, a class of wandering adventurers, who search a landscape of deadly beauty for a way to save the settled folks of the Elder Kingdom from ruin.
A shining kingdom in the middle of a huge, forested wilderness. Warriors who flit through the trees like squirrels. Malevolent woodland spirits and fearsome magical beasts. An absent king, and the threat of corruption and collapse. These are the stories that await under the boughs of The Blackwood.
**********
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]Book of Exalted Darkness: Evil Adventures for 5E by Mike Myler[/h](Campaign Ends : Sunday 18th June 2017; 03:59 UTC)
You get double trouble with The Book of Exalted Darkness – a sourcebook for playing evil characters in D&D 5th Edition as well as the campaign setting of Askis.
Askis is described as a ’Holy Decopunk Utopia’. Your first question upon reading this is probably “what the hell is Holy Decopunk?” Well, Decopunk takes the glitz and glamour of the Roaring 20’s in a science fiction direction with its sleek, streamlined and futuristic appearance. Mike Myler cites both The Rocketeer and Sky Captains of the World of Tomorrow as influences on the campaign. The Holy aspect is because in the world of Askis the angels won and good rules the day (and night). And you’re lucky enough to be playing one of the bad guys in all this, trying to restore balance and help evil rise once more by destroying 9 Spheres of the Celestial Heroes and strike at the heart of the world’s immortal rulers to bring all they’ve built tumbling down.
“Inaequa is what really makes the Book of Exalted Darkness work. When we initially started this project (over a year ago) the idea was a standard medieval world. Middle-Earth where the angels have won!
But what's the real appeal of that? Where's the real bite, the hook?
Then came the idea to make the world decopunk. Nothing pairs better with angelic and celestial aesthetic than The Rocketeer and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and it brought a little bit of really appealing pulpy feel. A wonderful combination! But still something was missing—a linchpin that really makes all these concepts fit together. That's inaequa.
Don't get me wrong—playing an evil PC can be entertaining and rewarding in itself—but for a whole campaign? For an entire group to play despicable characters weeks on end? That's not always easy for everyone to be intrigued by and can prove difficult to keep banded together. But what if there was something fundamentally wrong with the supreme goodness that has blessed the world? That's where inaequa comes in.
Inaequa powers the marvels and wonders of technology in the decopunk world of Askis, but it also gives off radiation that lengthens the lifespan of good creatures.
What a quandary!
Inherently inaequa is not evil, nor are its effects—it favors one morality over another but even so there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it and YET, and YET! That's a complex package worth unfolding!
Like my other campaign settings there are new thematic attributes that play very heavily into the central element of inaequa that allow PCs to trick devices powered by the resource or otherwise manipulate them, overcharging an inaequa jetpack for a brief burst of speed before burning out or setting off an inaequa gun to explode like a grenade.
With this final major reagent in the maddened minds of the design team, the utopian world and the paths evil adventurers will pursue to bring balance back to Askis (or an evil imbalance!) poured out in a frenzied torrent of truly wicked game design.”
The 180 page full color hardcover book will dtail the Holy Decopunk Utopia of Askis (including its three continents of Ouranios, Samovi and Zakuthombo), The 9 Spheres of Askis, dozens of NPCs, two new ability scores (Sanctity and Sin) as well as Sin Points, Inherent Heresies that every character will begin having one of, evil character backgrounds, three new classes, new class archetypes, loads of Feats, the Dark Transformation Prestige Class, a brand new evil school of magic, vile afflictions, expanded fear rules, forbidden magic items, new monsters, GM tips and loads more.
[h=3]Wandering Monster Decks for 5E and Pathfinder! Only $12! By Nord Games[/h](Campaign Ends : Tuesday 20th June 2017; 04:00 UTC)
Nord Games follow up their successful Treasure Decks campaign from earlier this year with another series of decks aimed at helping GMs create quick fire encounters with their Wandering Monster Decks.
The decks available are Dungeon, Wilderness, Waterways and Underground. Each deck contains 52-cards and there are four variations of each (core bestiary for 5th Edition, Bestiary 1 for Pathfinder, Fifth Edition Foes by Frog God Games, and Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press) with decks based upon other bestiaries potentially added through stretch goals.
Each card is themed, with flavor text along the top and three to five possible encounters, offering a range of challenge rating options. The flavor text is there to set the scene, and every possible encounter has been carefully crafted to make sense within that scene. If there are multiple creatures, it makes sense that they would be together and in that particular environment.
The cards are designed to be used in two ways. You can take a more old-school approach to wandering monsters and roll for the encounter using a d6, d8, or d10 (depending on the card) and use the numbers on the table to determine what monster or monsters the party encounters. This approach could result in a walk in the park for the party, a fight for their lives, or an encounter that's just right.
The other way to use these cards is to refer to the challenge rating of each encounter and choose the most appropriate for the party. This will assure that players are fairly challenged according to their level, and should save players from boredom, as well as the dreaded TPK(!), but we make no promises.
The decks can be used on the fly to create random encounters during gameplay, or they can be used while you’re building out your own adventures. All of the challenge ratings have been calculated for you, and the cards are specifically designed to inspire your creativity with their themes, flavor text, and interesting encounters. You’ll find yourself using a much more diverse collection of creatures than you normally would, and your players will be more entertained than ever!
[h=3]Red Moon Rising RPG by Alephtar Games[/h](Campaign Ends : Thursday 22nd June 2017; 13:06 UTC)
Alephtar Games have been making games and supplements for a number of years now, including the 2010 Best Setting Silver ENnie Award winning Rome, Life and Death of the Republic. Red Moon Rising is a Victorian Steampunk web comic that’s been running since 2009 by Scottish artist Rose Loughran. Alephtar games have licensed the setting to turn it into a supplement setting for their Revolution D100 system.
The world of Red Moon Rising is like ours, with two important exceptions. The first is that some individuals are born with the innate gift of magic, which allows them to control one or more elements and create spectacular and often deadly effects. The second is that strange substances exist, like the floating ore that allows Ashuli airships to fly; this has led to the development of science at a different rate than our world, with some branches being more advanced and some others far less developed. The result is an environment with a Victorian vibe, but where devastating magical effects are always a possibility.
Ashul, a large city scarred by a deep chasm that produces the mysterious floating ore, is the capital of the nation named after it. It is a land of rain and mist that tempers its inhabitants with its harsh climatic conditions. Ashul is currently experiencing an industrial revolution, which in turn has led the country to becoming an expansionistic military power. Its military includes ranking cadres made entirely of mages and a fleet of airships with a support role.
Rishara Caan is a satellite nation of Ashul, conquered and occupied militarily some years ago. An untamed group of rebellious souls still opposes the Ashuli yoke, but they lack the support of magicians, as their nation had always exhibited a natural distrust for magic. This puts them at a distinct disadvantage against the magically supported Ashuli army, a gap that they hope to fill with the recent invention of a wonderful new technology called “firearms”.
Imara is a land of beauty and benevolent climate, whose inhabitants feel blessed and beloved by their deity, the moon. More interested in developing culture and civil infrastructure than in war, the nobility that rules the country nevertheless breeds mages among its ranks, although few of them become combat magicians like their Ashuli counterparts. Imara is still clinging to its independence despite a state of permanent tension with Ashul, which has resulted in open war in the past.
[h=3]Adeliane: Album & Tour by Agate[/h](Campaign Ends : Monday 29th May 2017; 21:00 UTC)
Shadows Of Esteren has won, a bunch of awards for its moody fantasy setting and stunning artwork. What many people might not know is that there are THREE musical soundtracks available for the setting – composed and performed by different artists – and now they are raising funds for the fourth album, Adeliane, as well as taking the music on tour to perform at three locations in 2017 - UK Games Expo (Birmingham, UK), Spiel (Essen, Germany) plus a date in France and three further unannounced concerts in 2018 including one in the USA!
Adeliane is a music album inspired by the universes of Philip Glass, Agnes Obel, and David Darling. It is one more window to the world of Shadows of Esteren, a medieval world filled with dark romanticism, where ghastly horror and awe-inspiring beauty go hand in hand.
Adeliane is one of the main characters of the Shadows of Esteren saga. A young woman crushed under the weight of a tragic past; a strong, brave young woman on a quest to shed light on the mysteries that haunt her nightmares.
This album tells her story. It is composed by François Rousselot, the composer of the OST of MR HUBLOT, a short film that won the Oscar for best short animation in 2014.
The album was recorded by the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra, under the direction of François Rousselot. It contains 12 tracks, including 4 with sung parts. Clarisse May lends her voice to Adeliane.
Our project is transmedia and this campaign also features Melwan, a sourcebook for Shadows of Esteren and Yldiane, a 16-page graphic novel.
Melwan is a supplement we have been working on for quite some time. This book of about 60 pages is focused on the Vale of Melwan, the very same one from which Adeliane and her sister Yldiane hail. It will be published as a sort of small artbook; a notebook annotated by Neala, a shepherdess who knows the Vale like the back of her hand.
Adeliane has a sister and she is the heroine of a 16-page graphic novel also available through this campaign. Written by Nel, author of the Shadows of Esteren and drawn by french artist Manu Roudier.
[h=3]The Blackwood for the Savage Worlds RPG System by Eli Kurtz[/h](Campaign Ends : Tuesday 30th May 2017; 17:30 UTC)
The Blackwood Errantry Codex is a licensed fantasy campaign setting for Savage Worlds which comprises a complete guide to The Blackwood as well as a full length Plot Point Campaign called The Way of the Elder King.
The setting is inspired by folklore and high-flying martial arts action. It’s Grimm’s Tales meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It’s The Witcher series meets Kung Fu Hustle. It’s Iron Monkey meets Brotherhood of the Wolf. You are errants, a class of wandering adventurers, who search a landscape of deadly beauty for a way to save the settled folks of the Elder Kingdom from ruin.
A shining kingdom in the middle of a huge, forested wilderness. Warriors who flit through the trees like squirrels. Malevolent woodland spirits and fearsome magical beasts. An absent king, and the threat of corruption and collapse. These are the stories that await under the boughs of The Blackwood.
**********
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
) and the backer playtest begins.
