RPG Crowdfunding News – Encyclopedia, The Terminator RPG, Barrowmaze, and more

This week I talk about RPG crowdfunding projects at Kickstarter and GameOnTabletop that end between March 25th and April 8th. I look at a heavy hitter in terms of funding, an amazing licensed RPG, and new content for many beloved systems.

Encyclopedia: Lore Book & Toolbox for your 5E Campaign from Studio Agate

• END DATE: Fri, April 2 2021 5:59 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $40 + S/H for the PDF and hardcover
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? 360 pages of lore for your D&D 5th Edition. Do you need cites, locations, NPCs, plot hooks, and magic items from the studio behind Fateforge, Creatures, and Shadows of Esteren? For me, what sets this apart is the fact that there are 15 cities in this book to choose from; getting that many locations is a win. Add to that, Studio Agate provides great art and writing, and this is no exception. Not sure if you need this for your game? There’s a 40-page preview on the campaign page.

The Terminator RPG from Nightfall Games

• END DATE: Mon, April 5 2021 6:59 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): S5S system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £55 + S/H for the PDFs and print versions of core rulebook, GM guide, and GM screen
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: The Terminator RPG: Quick Start
• ADDITIONAL REPORTING: I have an interview with Nightfall Games about this project coming up
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Tabletop RPGs continue the road to mainstream acceptance and this is a notable example. The Terminator franchise has never been a tabletop RPG before. Now, Nightfall Games is bringing this internationally known franchise to your gaming table. This is another move in the right direction for RPGs as Hollywood begins to view them as another option worth exploring. This version is based on the original movie and Dark Horse Comics offering players the chance to craft stories set in the movie continuity. Using the same system as Nightfall’s SLA Industries 2nd Edition, you can give this project a test drive here.

Barrowmaze: Dwarrowdeep (OSR and 5E) from Greg Gillespie

• END DATE: Thu, April 1 2021 7:30 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition and Labyrinth Lord
• PROJECT TYPE: Megadungeon
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$80 for the PDF and POD of the book and the PDFs of two maps
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Centuries ago a great dwarven underground stronghold was lost to their enemies, the duergar. Never recovered, it’s bound to have some worthwhile items waiting for you to discover. Expected to be 260 to 290 pages with 500 to 600 encounter areas, this project offers a lot of megadungeon to explore.

Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid - A DnD 5e Adventure from Alchemy RPG

• END DATE: Thu, April 1 2021 1:04 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure module
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + S/H for the PDF and hardcover of the book plus playtester materials, digital assets, and a module
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? There was a great, magical city on a lake that’s given way to a slum upon the water. However, there’s a druid that could restore the city to its glory, if only they might be found. This project promises a cinematic story and impressive art. If you want to sample more, on the campaign page they’re offering a 40-page adventure preview for you to check out.

East Texas University: Study Abroad, a Savage Worlds Booster from Pinnacle Entertainment Group

• END DATE: 03/25/2021 18:01 (GMT-4)
• SYSTEM(S): Savage Worlds Adventure Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $25 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book, cards, post cards, pawns, and more
• NOTE: This campaign is available through GameOnTabletop
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you’re a fan of Savage Worlds and the East Texas University setting, this project offers something new, studying abroad. Written by natives of each of the locations – Costa Rica, Italy, Poland, and Great Britain – this book offers your characters the chance to travel and deal with supernatural elements outside of Texas.

Dungeon Notes from 1985 Games

• END DATE: Thu, April 8 2021 10:04 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG journal
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 for three journals and four packs of sticky notes
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is a collection of books. Starting with the Hero’s Notes: A 5e Player’s Journal, a 64-page book offering an enhanced character sheet and room for notes. In addition, the Campaign Notes: A 5e DM’s Journal offers space to detail the wider campaign while the Session Notes: A 5e DM’s Journal provides room to detail individual sessions. But the standout piece are the Dungeon Sticky Notes. These pre-printed Post-It Notes offer simple options to track HP, initiative, spell slots, NPCs, factions, locations, inventory, and quests. These labeled notes help you to track important parts of the game over the short and long haul.

HEOROT - Role-Playing in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer from ACE Gamebooks Roleplay

• END DATE: Mon, March 29 2021 7:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Expanded ACE Ruleset
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £40 for the PDF and POD of the core book and every unlocked stretch goal
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Jonathan Green, gamebook and fiction author, brings an expanded version of his ACE Ruleset to tell tales within the world of Beowulf. While you’ll work to slay the monsters, another aspect of this RPG is the storytelling contests, a mechanic in which you increase one of your stats by telling your stories. It’s an interesting option in a combat centric style of adventure. If you want a rules-lite RPG from one of the more popular gamebook authors, this may speak to you.

SCIENTIFIC BARBARIAN No.3 from Mudpuppy Games

• END DATE: Wed, March 31 2021 8:59 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): OSR
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG megazine
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $15 + $5 US S/H for the PDF and print versions of the megazine
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Need d20 post-apocalyptic material for your game from the creator of Mutant Crawl Classics? This megazine series offers a variety of content for your game such as cybernetics, post-apocalyptic familiars, artifacts, and more. Plus, there’s a comic section with Knights of the Dinner Table by Jolly Blackburn, Onto the Wasteland by Travis Hanson, and John Darkeye: The Last Good Thief by Dan Smith. If you missed issues 1 or 2, you can grab them through this campaign.

The Deck of Many Quests from Lunch Break Heroes

• END DATE: Fri, April 2 2021 1:08 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): System neutral
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG cards
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $22 + $7 US S/H for the PDF and print versions of the deck
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you’re looking for a deck that lets you draw and quest, this may be the one. You have 50 quests to select from and two additional decks of 75 cards (creatures and items). You draw a quest which tells you how many creatures and items to draw. This system lays out the bones of this world quickly and leaving time for you to connect the dots.

The GM's Toolkit for Random Encounters from Dead Channel Studios

• END DATE: Thu, April 1 2021 1:59 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £25 + £10 US S/H for the PDF and softcover
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you need a fast set of encounters and scenarios for 5e parties ranging from levels 1 through 9, this may be the right book for you. Across 40 pages, you’ll find 20 maps and over 250 encounter. Locations are built around specific terrains making encounters feel tailored to your world.

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[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This is another move in the right direction for RPGs as Hollywood begins to view them as another option worth exploring.

Carolco, which owns these rights, hasn't made a movie since the 1990s, when Cutthroat Island bankrupted the studio. So I wouldn't take this as necessarily "Hollywood" seeing this as a revenue opportunity, so much as the Carolco rights-holders.

It's hard to tell who owns these rights of Carolco's holdings. It's probably not Canal+, since they own the rights to Terminator 2, which isn't included in this game.

It's entirely possible some small company, or even an individual, controls these specific rights and licensed them to Nightfall Games.

Still, if this is a success, like Alien has been, I would expect someone in Hollywood to notice.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I love seeing Russ Nicholson's name attached to any project. I really would love to see a high quality art book from him. (And one from Erol Otus, while I'm dreaming.)

 

[Paragon Lost]

Carolco, which owns these rights, hasn't made a movie since the 1990s, when Cutthroat Island bankrupted the studio. So I wouldn't take this as necessarily "Hollywood" seeing this as a revenue opportunity, so much as the Carolco rights-holders.

It's hard to tell who owns these rights of Carolco's holdings. It's probably not Canal+, since they own the rights to Terminator 2, which isn't included in this game.

It's entirely possible some small company, or even an individual, controls these specific rights and licensed them to Nightfall Games.

Still, if this is a success, like Alien has been, I would expect someone in Hollywood to notice.

The whole copyright and who owns what is such a PITA these days. Look at how all over the place the Marvel or DC stuff is as another example. Though the evil Mouse now owning all of the Marvel stuff does at least put all of that under one roof. Regardless, what mess these IPs have become, from Tolkien (Thanks to Saul Zaentz mostly) to Marvel. Ugh.

As an aside I did decide to back The Terminator Rpg, couldn't resist tossing $125.00 down to snag the stuff. I'm so weak. lol

 

[embee]

Carolco, which owns these rights, hasn't made a movie since the 1990s, when Cutthroat Island bankrupted the studio. So I wouldn't take this as necessarily "Hollywood" seeing this as a revenue opportunity, so much as the Carolco rights-holders.

It's hard to tell who owns these rights of Carolco's holdings. It's probably not Canal+, since they own the rights to Terminator 2, which isn't included in this game.

It's entirely possible some small company, or even an individual, controls these specific rights and licensed them to Nightfall Games.

Still, if this is a success, like Alien has been, I would expect someone in Hollywood to notice.

Not exactly.

Almost all of its assets were sold off after the bankruptcy proceedings. That said, I have neither the time, inclination, nor authority to use my PACER account to wade through the bankruptcy case, which would probably include a 100+ page accounting by the receiver saying what rights got sold to whom which would make one's eyes glaze over.

Which is one of many reasons why I don't do entertainment law. Because reading through licensing contracts is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not exactly.

Almost all of its assets were sold off after the bankruptcy proceedings. That said, I have neither the time, inclination, nor authority to use my PACER account to wade through the bankruptcy case, which would probably include a 100+ page accounting by the receiver saying what rights got sold to whom which would make one's eyes glaze over.

I think we're actually agreeing. This isn't Carolco licensing these rights out, they're someone else (who might be another studio for all we know). This is just the first movie and the derived comics and we don't even know if this rights holder owns the film distribution rights.

But hey, maybe this means there's a chance at a Cutthroat Island RPG!

 

[Toriel]

Those booklets look really cool. They will make a nice gift to my players once confinement is over.

 

[embee]

I think we're actually agreeing. This isn't Carolco licensing these rights out, they're someone else (who might be another studio for all we know). This is just the first movie and the derived comics and we don't even know if this rights holder owns the film distribution rights.

But hey, maybe this means there's a chance at a Cutthroat Island RPG!

If it's designed by Renny Harlan, HARD PASS!

 

[imagineGod]

Fateforge is a beautiful French rendition of 5th Edition. Sadly, this Encyclopedia is not the final fourth core book, since a recent update just announced many more to come. Hence, I pity those pledging for the expensive Boxset. Maybe, there are so many rich people in our hobby these days or just many gamers willing to throw their stimulus checks on vanity premium books.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If it's designed by Renny Harlan, HARD PASS!

The next two Pirates of the Caribbean movies (apparently there's going to be two separate ones, interestingly) will star women. I fantasize about one of them having a Geena Davis cameo, just for the sake of the three or four of us who saw Cutthroat Island in the theater.

(Every time I take my dad to the movies for his birthday, it ends up being a bomb -- we also were front and center for the wince-inducing Batman & Robin.)