D&D 5E Monte Cook Games' PLANEBREAKER Kickstarter Launches

Monte Cook Games' latest Kickstarter features a cursed moon which crashes through the planes. A 5th Edition campaign, this includes a bestiary and planar character options, as well as a bunch of alternate planes in a 192-page hardcover. Additionally, the Kickstarter features miniatures and accessories.

 

[Scribe]

I'm still mid-process of detaching myself from Blizzard Entertainment

I still play WoW, I raid with Blizzard employees currently. I'd detach from modern day Blizzard too, but corporate entities are not often reaching any kind of moral threshold that I would consider 'noble' or 'good'.

Anyway, really enjoyed the video with Jim and Bruce. Looking forward to this already.

 

[Kurotowa]

I still play WoW, I raid with Blizzard employees currently. I'd detach from modern day Blizzard too, but corporate entities are not often reaching any kind of moral threshold that I would consider 'noble' or 'good'.

The moral dimension wasn't even the final straw for me (though it was for some of my guild mates). It's more that the game just wasn't any fun anymore. So it's an example on both fronts, of not turning creators into idols and of judging new releases based on their own quality and not the happy memories of the past.

 

[EthanSental]

I’m willing to bet this will be a great project with my only drawback being the Aug 2022 delivery date for even the pdf version….Enworlds delivery right after the Kickstarter ends has me spoiled!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I will be backing. My Ptolus stuff was amazing.

 

[CharlesRyan]

The Kickstarter ends this week!

 

[teitan]

5e is by its very nature so overpowered that settings such as this (as well as Spelljammer and Planescape) should be the default, not the Forgotten Realms.

I'm sorry... what? It's not even close to the power levels of 3.5 after level 7 or so.

 

[teitan]

Was I throwing shade? I don't think I was. My view is that I was taking a reasonably cautious stance that while these are familiar and respected names, not all creators keep up with the changing times and it's been a while since their last big hit. If someone wants to step up and say their last release was amazing, as opposed to "pretty good if that's what you're into", then I'll certain factor that in. But with Kickstarter you're being asked to commit money to a product that's unseen and unknown, purely on the basis on name power and a short blurb, and I hold that as a high bar.

Now, maybe someone with more disposable income than me will be a bit freer with taking a risk on an unfinished product. That's fair and reasonable. Also, it might be that I'm a bit overly cautious about old geek fandom luminaries after the last couple years of #MeToo era revelations and related industry shakeups. Some of those really hurt, and I'm still mid-process of detaching myself from Blizzard Entertainment, so I'm less quick to trust just because a name is familiar.

So while I know this forum generally loves its nostalgia focused releases, I'm saying that the Kickstarter is in no danger of going unfunded if anyone is feeling on the fence and wants to wait and read some hands-on reviews of the finished product before buying. That's also a fair and reasonable choice to make.

every Monte project that comes on Kickstarter people say things like this and every time... Monte delivers. There is a reason why the man is almost an industry unto himself and has so many successful kickstarters delivered on time and it is 25 years of high quality products with TSR, WOTC, White Wolf and his own publishing efforts. They arrive on time and are beautiful to look at. He offers innovation and new ideas. He has ideas that would come from the mind of Jack Kirby, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman but for the RPG audience with the same sort of emphasis on storytelling and myth making that these creators emphasize. He delivers... every time. You like Tharizdun? Tharizdun is much more Monte Cook than Gygax these days. Orcus? More Monte than Gygax. He's a huge influence in the lore of D&D and the stories we take for granted today.

 

[Scribe]

every Monte project that comes on Kickstarter people say things like this and every time... Monte delivers. There is a reason why the man is almost an industry unto himself and has so many successful kickstarters delivered on time and it is 25 years of high quality products with TSR, WOTC, White Wolf and his own publishing efforts. They arrive on time and are beautiful to look at. He offers innovation and new ideas. He has ideas that would come from the mind of Jack Kirby, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman but for the RPG audience with the same sort of emphasis on storytelling and myth making that these creators emphasize. He delivers... every time. You like Tharizdun? Tharizdun is much more Monte Cook than Gygax these days. Orcus? More Monte than Gygax. He's a huge influence in the lore of D&D and the stories we take for granted today.

Well I'm sold.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Wow, thanks, teitan!

I work with Monte every day, and we've been friends for a couple of decades. I'm not the most unbiased observer, so I'll let others make their own decisions about whether his design and writing is their cup of tea.

But I will say this: We've done, um, 20? 22? maybe more? Kickstarters, and yeah, we deliver. Several million rewards, almost all on time or early, and all of top-notch production value.

 

[teitan]

Wow, thanks, teitan!

I work with Monte every day, and we've been friends for a couple of decades. I'm not the most unbiased observer, so I'll let others make their own decisions about whether his design and writing is their cup of tea.

But I will say this: We've done, um, 20? 22? maybe more? Kickstarters, and yeah, we deliver. Several million rewards, almost all on time or early, and all of top-notch production value.

Call it like I see it. Most designers are very focused on mechanics in game design or producing nostalgia products to make the latest edition play like an older one. We are looking at the money to fund Planebreaker (we just funded a bunch of others so it's tiiiiiiiiiiiight after buying a house too) because it looks really really good. The kind of thing I would throw down on my table anyway. ;-)