MCDM's New Tactical TTRPG Hits $1M Crowdfunding On First Day!

Matt Colville's MCDM is no stranger to crowdfunding, with three million dollar Kickstarters already under its belt. With the launch of The MCDM RPG, that makes four!

This new game is not a D&D variant or a supplement for D&D, which is what MCDM has focussed on so far. This is an all-new game which concentrates on tactical play, with a fulfilment goal of July 2025. It comes in two books--a 400-page 'Heroes' book and a 'Monsters' book which is an adaption of the existing Flee, Mortals!

The MCDM RPG: Draw Steel

Whether you’re a group of local heroes sent to investigate mysterious goings-on in the nearby haunted wood, or famous mercenaries plotting and scheming in the big city, the MCDM RPG makes building adventures and fighting monsters fun.

www.backerkit.com

The game takes aim at traditional d20 fantasy gaming, referring to the burden of 'sacred cows from the 1970s', but point out that it's not a dungeon crawling or exploration game--its core activity is fighting monsters. The system is geared towards tactical combat--you roll 2d6, add an attribute, and do that damage; there's no separate attack roll.

At $40 for the base Heroes PDF and $70 for the hardcover (though there are discounts for both books if you buy them together), it's not a cheap buy-in, but with over 4,000 backers already that's not deterring anybody!

Even more ambitiously, one of the stretch goals is a Virtual Tabletop (VTT). There's already a working prototype of it.

 

[Waller]

I saw there is a packet that went out to patreon members. It supposedly has pre-gens, and adventure and basic rules. I know we must have someone who backed the patreon, so spill the beans, please!

Oops! Did they accidentally send it to the wrong crowdfunding group? Did they mean to send it to the Backerkit backers?

 

[overgeeked]

Oops! Did they accidentally send it to the wrong crowdfunding group? Did they mean to send it to the Backerkit backers?

Nope. Patrons have had first access from the start. That will continue. The playtest packet will find its way to the backers before long.

 

[Waller]

Nope. Patrons have had first access from the start. That will continue. The playtest packet will find its way to the backers before long.

I find that very confusing. So I should back the patreon instead of the Backerkit if I want to see the playtest packet for the project I backed?

 

[Zaukrie]

I find that very confusing. So I should back the patreon instead of the Backerkit if I want to see the playtest packet for the project I backed?

We'll get it later. The patreons see the much rougher work.

 

[Velderan]

I find that very confusing. So I should back the patreon instead of the Backerkit if I want to see the playtest packet for the project I backed?

Short answer is Matt said through experience, they've found sending rough playtest material to crowdfunding backers creates confusion. So the rough material will be through the patreon, though eventually there will probably be stuff sent to backers. Worth mentioning the campaign hasn't even closed yet, so they wouldn't send anything through the backerkit pledge until that completes in a bit over a week.

 

[overgeeked]

I find that very confusing. So I should back the patreon instead of the Backerkit if I want to see the playtest packet for the project I backed?

No. You should understand that the patrons come first and be patient. You will get access to the playtest packet. The patrons just get it first. And, as mentioned, they get rough drafts, provide feedback, the work is polished, then it will go out to the backers.

 

[Distracted DM]

I find that very confusing. So I should back the patreon instead of the Backerkit if I want to see the playtest packet for the project I backed?

If you want an in-depth process of development, yes join the Patreon. If you're a patron for 5mos previous to the game's release you'll get the PDFs.

I didn't back this campaign, but I've been on the Patreon, originally for their Arcadia magazine.

Backing the crowdfunder is if you want a discount on the physical books, and general updates on the project. iirc MCDM found that giving backers in-depth updates on projects resulted in them getting excited about mechanics that didn't make it into the final product, and this frustration with what they got.

 

[Waller]

No. You should understand that the patrons come first and be patient.

I’ll feel however I want about it, thanks.

And if non-backers of the project “come first” then I don’t feel good about that.

You might be ok with that, but I feel otherwise.

BTW do patreon backers get a copy of the game itself when it’s done? Or just the actual project backers?

 

[Velderan]

And when they say rough, they mean stuff like:

For more information on how XP increases your hero’s power, see Heroic Advancement. (Playtest note: the section detailing heroic advancement doesn’t exist yet.)

I've spent enough time on the internet to know if they sent that to their crowdfunding backers, someone would complain and begin questioning what they're doing with the money they gave them.

 

[Velderan]

I’ll feel however I want about it, thanks.

And if non-backers of the project “come first” then I don’t feel good about that.

You might be ok with that, but I feel otherwise.

BTW do patreon backers get a copy of the game itself when it’s done? Or just the actual project backers?

Patreon supporters who have been with them for the 5 months prior to the PDF release get the PDF for free. So if you're interested in following the rough playtest and only want the PDF, I would just give them $8 a month to see how the sausage is made and don't back the campaign. If you want a book, backing at that tier will probably save you money over whatever a retail release for the book is in 2025.