Crowdfunding News – Galaxies in Peril, Fantasy City Sites and Scenes, and More

This week I look at RPG crowdfunding projects that end by April 30th. As I’ve been doing, I review campaigns as well as Kicktraq’s charts of how they’re performing. These projects began after March 11th (when American sporting events suspended their games signaling the scope of the pandemic), and present an informative view of launching new games amid this global crisis. With many brick-and-mortar FLGS closed, and RPG distribution disrupted by the Alliance Game Distributors shutdown (check out my interviews with some of the impacted publishers here and here), RPG crowdfunding gives a window into fan interest in new projects. While not as strong as prior weeks, there are still many projects that are exceeding their goals.

Galaxies in Peril: Superhero Roleplaying Forged in the Dark by Samjoko Publishing

• END DATE: Wed, April 29 2020 12:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Forged in the Dark
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$79 + S/H for the PDF and hardcover of the book

“Superheroic roleplaying Forged in The Dark; Wrest back control of a galaxy in peril! Galaxies in Peril is a tabletop roleplaying game about a team of superheroes trying to get by and change the city they live in. Uncover lost civilizations, invent ways to cross into other dimensions, act as ambassadors to alien races on new world, and push back galactic, tyrannical powers! Forged in the Dark games are based on the system presented in Blades in the Dark, by John Harper. Galaxies in Peril is a kind of spiritual successor to Worlds in Peril, also made possible by awesome backers like you on kickstarter, but it used the Apocalypse World system. We're looking to make a standalone, premium, lush hardcover that will be graphic novel size (6.625 x 10.25"), have approximately 330 pages, and a full-colour interior.”

Tails of the City by Silver Games LLC

• END DATE: Tue, April 28 2020 3:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Pathfinder 1e and 2e, and Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure module
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $25 for the PDF and POD of the book

“Over the top anthro pulpy adventure with support for Pathfinder 1, 2 and D&D 5th edition. Tell your cotton tales and pony tales here! Welcome to Tails of the City, where we want to bring anthro pulp adventure to your Pathfinder 1st, 2nd, or 5E table. We've already started work on the book and love where it's going. It deserves to be filled with proper art and given love and attention, which is what this Kickstarter is about. Most of the money earned here will go directly to art that goes into the book to help draw you into our world of Bestial Earth and its curious occupants. The book will have guides on how to run a pulpy game, and how to adjust the traditionally fantasy classes to fit in the modern world and new skills and backgrounds to fit the setting. Do you want to be a librarian who's a sorcerer in their off time? A police officer with the power to lapse into fits of rage when your people need you? You're not just an adventurer, you have a job and a place in society, and also adventure. From thrill-seeking CEOs to students with more than meets the eye, we cover it all.”

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The Devil's City: Horror Fiction & 5e Gaming Conjoined by Saturday Morning Scenarios

• END DATE: Thu, April 30 2020 12:59 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook and novella
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $65 + S/H for the PDF, POD, and print versions of the books
• NOTE: On d20 Radio, I reviewed the Whispers in the Dark: Quickstart Rules for 5e (here). I interviewed Matt Corley of Saturday Morning Scenarios about the original Whispers in the Dark last year (here) and Lamp's Light Sanitarium (here)
• NOTE 2: The core rules for this project were co-authored by EN World columnist, M.T. Black

“An illustrated, collectible novella & companion 5e RPG setting exploring the growing darkness in Chicago of late 1800s. Within this Kickstarter you’ll find two books: The Devil’s City, a novella, and Horror in the Windy City, a full-length RPG campaign sourcebook expanding the Whispers in the Dark RPG universe. Whispers in the Dark is compatible with the 5th edition of the world's oldest rpg and set in a world adjacent to our own. The books can be enjoyed independently, but when conjoined they offer the players, readers, and game masters a truly immersive experience. The Devil's City is an illustrated, hardcover, limited edition novella by Sara Tantlinger and Matt Corley. Within its 90 pages the book follows H.H. Holmes as he stalks and captures five victims through chaos and confusion of the 1893 World's Exposition. Each chapter begins with a diary entry from the devil himself, and contains evocative illustrations to bring the chapter to life. Horror in the Windy City brings the excitement, intrigue, and beautiful chaos of the time period to your table using the 5e rules you already know as adapted by the acclaimed Whispers in the Dark RPG written and developed by Matt Corley and M.T. Black. The beautifully illustrated 180+ page book is a fully realized campaign sourcebook covering Chicago in the latter half of the 19th century. There are new rules, backgrounds, a new alignment system, NPCs, scenarios, and more. In short, it’s everything you’ll need to take your party of investigators to Chicago. It will be up to them to find their way out.”

Fantasy City Sites and Scenes, for use with Fantasy RPGs by Phil Reed

• END DATE: Fri, April 24 2020 5:02 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): System neutral
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $1 for the PDF

“A guide for gamemasters. Includes sixteen different fantasy city locations, each ready to drop into your campaign. City sites. Each of the sixteen locations detailed in the book is presented on a two-page spread (for a total of 32 pages worth of locations) and includes a few assorted details the gamemaster can use to add flavor to the site, as well as assorted other bits of info that vary from location to location to give the site a little personality. Hooks that may lead to adventure are sprinkled throughout this section of the book. City scenes. In addition to the city sites, the book also includes twelve pages of encounter ideas. Divided into two sections -- daytime scenes and nighttime scenes -- this section of the book is for those gamemasters who are looking to throw challenges at the party as they walk the city streets.”

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Stranded by FeralgamersInc

• END DATE: Mon, April 27 2020 6:08 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Delve – Second Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £20 for the PDF of the book

“What do you do when your ship malfunctions and you crash land on a planet? With Stranded, I take the Delve rule system (with some tweaks) and create a whole planet of adventure for you to experience (think Outer Worlds or Borderlands). Aliens, Mutants, killer robots and all those other things that make Sci-Fi exciting and weird. Stranded will be using the same system as Delve which is a D100 mechanic, roll under your percentage on two D10s etc. This makes the game quick and versatile and even allows Delve to be incorporated as maybe a strange island on the planet, now there's a thought...”

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2oz5E ("Two-Ounce 5E") by Brian Humphreys

• END DATE: Thu, April 30 2020 12:36 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $15 (including free US S/H) for the PDF and print versions

“An ultralight booklet of fifth edition role playing game rules for backpackers, thru-hikers, and other minimalists. 2oz5E ("Two-ounce 5E") is a slimmed-down revision of the 5th edition SRD designed for ultralight backpackers. Two ounces is an ambitious goal! The three core 5th edition rule books contain seven pounds and eight ounces of classes, races, spells, monsters, magic items, and more... this is 1.7% of that. I'll be dropping 118 ounces by (1) trimming content down to the fundamentals needed for a great game, (2) condensing the text used to describe spells, items, etc. My first change to adapt the SRD for backpacking is to trim the classes and archetypes down to four timeless classics: the life domain cleric, the champion fighter, the thief rogue, and the school of evocation wizard. The races get the same treatment: I'll be including hill dwarves, high elves, lightfoot halflings, and humans. Did you know that 90% of campaigns never progress to level 11? Since we're focusing on the core tabletop experience we can trim down to levels 1 through 10 and save a ton of weight from content that is rarely used. Level 10 wizards and clerics have cantrips and spells from level 1 through 5, so we can drop anything higher. Monsters of challenge rating 0 to 15 will be plenty to build our adventures with. This should put us at about 52 cleric spells, 84 wizard spells, 107 monsters, and 87 magical items. The final round of trimming is where you come in! All the backers of the project will have the chance to vote for their favorite spells, monsters, and magic items. Between your input and some editorial control on my part, we should arrive at a high-octane distillation of the most essential parts of the game.”

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MAGONOMIA CORE RULES by Shewstone Publishing LLC

• END DATE: Tuesday, 04/28/2020 14:59 (GMT-4)
• SYSTEM(S): FATE
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $25 for the PDF and POD versions of the book
• NOTE: This crowdfunding campaign is running on GameOnTabletop. Unfortunately, Kicktraq does not track crowdfunding projects on GameOnTabletop as of this writing

“Magonomia® is a roleplaying game of wizards, intrigue, adventure, and mystery, set in a fantasy version of Renaissance England. Everyone plays a wizard, wielding magic based on authentic sixteenth-century lore. Your wizard will wield one of the five noble Sciences of magic: alchemy, astrology, sorcery, theurgy, or witchcraft. You may wield your magic in the service of Queen Elizabeth or you may pursue a personal quest for magical secrets that takes you into ancient ruins or distant lands. The world around you is infused with legend. Faeries beguile unwary travelers, ghosts haunt the alleys of London, even giants and dragons lurk in remote parts of Yorkshire and Wales. Enchanted England is a place of wonders and perils, a world ripe for adventure! What destiny do your stars foretell?”

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Con of Champions by Tabletop dot Events

• END DATE: Possibly Thu, April 30 2020 or later
• PROJECT TYPE: Online convention
• DATES: Saturday, May 23 2020 through Monday, May 25 2020
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $25 for an online badge and a perk (options listed under “Sponsor a Perk”)
• NOTE: This crowdfunding campaign is running on Tabletop.Events. Unfortunately, Kicktraq does not track crowdfunding projects on Tabletop.Events as of this writing
• NOTE 2: Darryl Mott/Abstruse has excellent coverage of this, and other RPG news, here

“Fundraiser and virtual convention to keep Tabletop.Events (TTE) going during the pandemic. Tabletop.Events is the software that runs hundreds of your favorite tabletop game conventions, and it is in trouble, and we need you to be our champions. The pandemic has shut down all conventions for the past month, and the near future, so that means all of our revenue has dried up. But what's worse is that all the canceled conventions meant that as we refunded our fees, our bank account was drained of all past profits as well. Running with just a skeleton crew (a part-time support person to answer questions and a part-time programmer to fix bugs), plus keep all the servers alive costs about $7,000 per month. So for each $225 raised, that keeps TTE alive for 1 more day. You can help in these ways: Buy a badge to this virtual convention, volunteer to run an event at this virtual convention, sponsor a perk for this virtual convention, [and] promote this virtual convention to your followers.”

RPG QUICK HITS

Ancora: The Continent of Epore by Christopher M. Davidson

• END DATE: Thu, April 30 2020 10:59 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “A Setting for Role Playing Games (RPG) including 5th Edition.”

Endworld - Wanderer's Guide by Rebecca Abrams-Flohr

• END DATE: Tue, April 21, 2020
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
• NOTE: This crowdfunding campaign is running on IndieGoGo. Unfortunately, Kicktraq does not track crowdfunding projects on IndieGoGo as of this writing
• NOTE 2: This project is not published by, or related to, EN World or EN Publishing
• “A fan-made post-apocalyptic overhaul for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.”

Savage Kingdoms 3e Core Rulebook by Mike Yow

• END DATE: Fri, April 24 2020 12:00 PM EDT.
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “The core rulebook for the 3rd edition of the Savage Kingdoms immersive sword-and-sorcery RPG!”

MILLION DOLLAR PODMATE by Greg Stolze

• END DATE: Tue, April 21 2020 6:22 PM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: Podcast
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “A series of recordings of me playing my game MILLION DOLLAR SOULMATE with a string of game and podcast luminaries.”

The Tabletop Games Kickstarter Report 2020 £1/£3/£10/£15 by Steve Hampson

• END DATE: Sat, April 18 2020 1:00 AM EDT.
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “Board Games Cards Dice Zines Miniatures 3D Printing Terrain RPG Pathfinder 5E Shirts Pins Maps Podcasts Soundscapes DCC OSR New School!”

RPG ACCESSORIES

Legendary Dragons 3D printable files for Miniatures by Lair

• END DATE: Thu, April 23 2020 3:00 PM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG accessory
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “3D printable files for Legendary Dragons by Jetpack7 in collaboration with Lair.”

Black Cat RPG - Hard Enamel Pins by Frost Dragon Designs, LLC

• END DATE: Tue, April 28 2020 9:00 AM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG accessory
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “Black Kitty Hard Enamel Pins for Tabletop Role Playing Game fans! Based on the 13 classes of 5e and a game master! Now with Rats!”

RPEX Dragon Pins by Larry Elmore (Kickstarter run by Andy "Cosmo-Joe" Watkins)

• END DATE: Fri, April 17 2020 1:42 PM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG accessory
• NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
• “RPEX Dragon Pins by Larry Elmore A limited edition series of collectible soft enamel pins that have magical powers!”

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[philreed]

Thank you for sharing my project!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Tails of the City by Silver Games, the creators of Ponyfinder? My best wishes for its new project...and I hope to see the SRD of the... furry PC races. I wonder about antropomorphic version of the pony races.

 

[Paragon Lost]

Often find myself bemused that Phil Reed, SJG's CEO does quite a few gaming Kickstarter's that aren't SJG. You'd think that might be a conflict of interests. He's a nice guy, communicates well and is creative, I really like him, so I'm not trying to be critical of him. I just find it confusing/amusing that he does these.

As an aside SJG is one of those companies that I find myself torn about. I tend to back most of their Kickstarters though I often feel that they're their own worst enemy when it comes to making the best use of GURPs my main passion when I think of SJGs. I feel that GURPS could be so much more than it is market wise. Ah well, I'm on my tablet and hate finger typing without a keyboard, just felt like musing out loud. Always appreciate the crowd funding news articles, end up usually finding something I want to back.

 

[philreed]

Often find myself bemused that Phil Reed, SJG's CEO does quite a few gaming Kickstarter's that aren't SJG. You'd think that might be a conflict of interests. He's a nice guy, communicates well and is creative, I really like him, so I'm not trying to be critical of him. I just find it confusing/amusing that he does these.

The creative outlet helps me a lot with office projects. I can use my own projects as an outlet/stress relief, and then dedicate the rest of my brain to managing office projects and plans. If I didn't spend part of my time on projects where I am 100% in control, I would likely go insane.

As to conflict of interest, I often use what I learn in personal projects for office works. And I take what I learn from the office and use in my personal works!

And thank you. Very kind words!

 

[Paragon Lost]

The creative outlet helps me a lot with office projects. I can use my own projects as an outlet/stress relief, and then dedicate the rest of my brain to managing office projects and plans. If I didn't spend part of my time on projects where I am 100% in control, I would likely go insane.

As to conflict of interest, I often use what I learn in personal projects for office works. And I take what I learn from the office and use in my personal works!

And thank you. Very kind words!

Good deal, I'm so glad that you didn't take my musings wrong. Also it's nice that you have that, a lot of industries wouldn't allow this at all. Any how I'm off for a ride, need to run the motorcycle and make sure it's running well. Pondering trading it in on a BMW touring bike I've been eyeballing lately. I've grown tired of the heat from Harley air cooled big touring bikes, time for a change. Hehe. Good luck on the Kickstarter Phil!

 

[philreed]

Good deal, I'm so glad that you didn't take my musings wrong. Also it's nice that you have that, a lot of industries wouldn't allow this at all. Any how I'm off for a ride, need to run the motorcycle and make sure it's running well. Pondering trading it in on a BMW touring bike I've been eyeballing lately. I've grown tired of the heat from Harley air cooled big touring bikes, time for a change. Hehe. Good luck on the Kickstarter Phil!

Enjoy the ride. I'm working on Car Wars today.

 

[Dire Bare]

Tails of the City . . . furry robots? Nope.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

This is a board game company normally but they are doing a Kickstarter for just minis for RPG style use.

Blacklist Miniatures: Fantasy Series 1

A new line of detailed plastic miniatures for use in any fantasy game.

www.kickstarter.com

 

[Paragon Lost]

Enjoy the ride. I'm working on Car Wars today.

Was an excellent eighty mile ride. BTW, would love to see Autoduel for GURPs 4e as an aside.