RPG CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Cairo:Otherscape, Traveller, Svilland, and more

This week’s TTRPG crowdfunding sampler, I’m reviewing campaigns that close between May 15 to 21. There’s cyberpunk, Traveller, 5e sourcebooks, and two original TTRPGs available via Backerkit.

Cairo:Otherscape - The Mythic Cyberpunk RPG from Son of Oak Game Studio

• END DATE: Thu, May 15 2025 8:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Powered by the Apocalypse (City of Mist:Otherscape variant)
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebooks
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $129 + S/H for the PDF and hardcover versions of both books, the GM screen, dice, character cards, and more cards
• AI STATEMENT: “Son of Oak Game Studio products feature only art drawn by human artists and do not include any art created through text prompts by generative AI.”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Son of Oak is back with an expansion to their City of Mist/Powered by the Apocalypse cyberpunk RPG, :Otherscape. The initial offering for the game leaned into anime cyberpunk, this version leans into Egyptian cyberpunk, something broadly akin to George Alec Effinger’s When Gravity Fails. Like all City of Mist games, the character creation is easy and fun, you’re a cyberpunk in the Cairo megapolis. This campaign provides you with two new sourcebooks for :Otherscape, Cairo:Otherscape (a sourcebook for the setting) and Neuro:Otherscape (with rules for hacking, VR events, adventures, and more). There’s also a boxed set with dice, cards, and a great looking design. If you’re a fan of well-executed PbtA games and a fan of cyberpunk, especially :Otherscape, these sourcebooks are for your gaming table. Check out the campaign page for some free previews of the contents.

Traveller RPG: The Singularity Campaign from Mongoose Publishing

• END DATE: Sat, May 17 2025 8:59 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Traveller RPG
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £170 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the four books and the soundtrack
• AI STATEMENT: “The official Mongoose position is that art needs an artist.”
• TARIFF STATEMENT: “There should be no unexpected delays or extra charges to you at all [due to tariffs].”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? 3 hardcovers with over 600 pages forming 1 grand Traveller sci-fi campaign. You’re going to go far, deal with galaxy-wide problems, and decide the fate of cultures. If you’re a fan of Traveller, this sounds epic in all of the best ways. With so many books and options, you may want to a sample before diving in. If so, check out the Kickstarter page for the first 50 pages of this project.

Svilland : Lost Lands of Orfhal and Nordic Adventure | 5E+ from Dream Realm Storytellers

• END DATE: Thu, May 15 2025 1:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2014 and 2024)
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £53 + S/H for the PDFs of all six books
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? One of the coolest options with third-party products from 5e is when the publisher really supports their products. Dream Realm Storytellers is back with an expansion for their 5e setting, Svilland. This dark Norse-inspired setting has a dedicated fanbase that will be excited to see a new sourcebook, Lost Lands of Orfhal, and a new adventure, At the Heart of Frost. These books offer new deities, cults, classes, 115 monsters, 24 NPCs, a novel by Steven Saville, and so much more. I love the fact that Dream Realm didn’t publish and dump this setting, instead they’re growing it. If you’re a fan, of Norse-inspired 5e, this is worth checking out.

Tattoo Arcanima for 5e D&D from Wyatt Trull

• END DATE: Thu, May 15 2025 9:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2014 and 2024)
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $15 for the PDF of the book
• AI STATEMENT: “This work is AI-Free. It does not include content or media that was AI or Machine Generated. Every image and every word was crafted by a human being, not a machine.”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? From time-to-time, a publisher puts together a tattoo-inspired 5e sourcebook. The idea is solid, runes and tats make sense in a variety of magical contexts. Tattoo Arcanima envisions them as charms, not magic items and not competition for feats. The artwork mixes views of the powers and clear visions for the designs. Do you want an preview? Check out the campaign page for a sampler PDF.

Midnight Muscadines - The Cozy-Dark TTRPG of Magical Jams from Pandion Games

• END DATE: May 15, 2025 at 6:00pm EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $40 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? The idea for this cozy-dark RPG is intriguing: Magic is fading, and the last bits must to gathered and preserved in jars as jams. Inspired by Studio Ghibli and Sea of Stars, the world is falling to darkness and only your valley is still illuminated. What can keep the light in the valley is magic, which you must find and keep safe. Combining magic, calamity, a warm home, and jellies, you’ll find a crafting system, a world, and rules in this 180-page core rulebook. If this idea speaks to you, check out the Backerkit campaign page for more details.

I Don't Belong Here - Modern Horror RPG Sparkbook from STATIONS

• END DATE: May 15, 2025 at 5:00am EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book and cards
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This line grabbed me: “A modern horror RPG sparkbook inspired by the lyrics of Radiohead.” Using 3d6, twisted character ideas, horror, and the variety of that band’s music, you’ll find liminal horror and more in this project. If you’re a fan of Radiohead and horror RPGs, if you belong here, the Backerkit campaign page is where you’ll want to go.

Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, Kobold Press Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, Kobold Press, and Amazon.

 

[ruemere]

Backed therscape and I Don't Belong Here.

therscape, being the next in City of Mist lineage, is consistently fabulous in terms of art, writing, concepts and the system.

Again, it boasts and benefits probably the best system for adventure writing and the best system for investigation. Also, the game despite being a child of PbtA, it does not rely on improvisation and GM's fiat to construct its narrative.

If you are not into the genre, just steal both adventure writing and investigation systems. You will thank yourself for that, and your players will appreciate it later. Note that the adventure iceberg will be familiar to the fans of conspyramid from Night's Black Agents.

As for the I Don't Belong Here, this seems to be a fan little accessory, with art to follow. It seems to be mostly complete in terms of content, and it features several notable names among contributors. Trevor Henderson, anyone?

 

[Lalato]

Here are the 5e Campaign Setting and Adventure Path crowdfunding campaigns I'm keeping an eye on right now.

Closed and Funded:

• Nomora

Closed:

• Noctis (10%)

Open and Funded:

• Scepter of the Lightbringer (1 week)
• The Kingdom of Keshanar (1 week)
• Zaman's Guide to the End Times (1 week)
• The Gunslinger's Guide to Rexfald (1 week)
• Broadsword Guide to the Negative Energy Plane (1 week)
• Vydal City (1 week)
• Fen's Guide to Myriad Realms (1 week)
• Treasure in the Badlands (1 week)
• Heroes Assemble (2 weeks)
• Kami Gear: The Iron-tongued Engine (2 weeks)
• Dawn of Heroes (3 weeks)
• Unbound Realms (5 weeks)

Open:

• Ardenfell (8 weeks, 35%)

 

[Galiphile]

Here are the 5e Campaign Setting and Adventure Path crowdfunding campaigns I'm keeping an eye on right now.

Closed and Funded:

• Nomora

Closed:

• Noctis (10%)

Open and Funded:

• Scepter of the Lightbringer (1 week)
• The Kingdom of Keshanar (1 week)
• Zaman's Guide to the End Times (1 week)
• The Gunslinger's Guide to Rexfald (1 week)
• Broadsword Guide to the Negative Energy Plane (1 week)
• Vydal City (1 week)
• Fen's Guide to Myriad Realms (1 week)
• Treasure in the Badlands (1 week)
• Heroes Assemble (2 weeks)
• Kami Gear: The Iron-tongued Engine (2 weeks)
• Dawn of Heroes (3 weeks)
• Unbound Realms (5 weeks)

Open:

• Ardenfell (8 weeks, 35%)

Thanks for following Unbound Realms! Anything specific that makes you interested about the system?

 

[Lalato]

Thanks for following Unbound Realms! Anything specific that makes you interested about the system?

For me specifically, I look forward to seeing how Psionics is handled. I haven't decided to back it yet, but I'll be keeping an eye on future updates over the course of the funding campaign.

 

[Galiphile]

A brief overview:

Unbound Realms introduces five schools each with three classes. Three of those schools function as casters, though they approach casting in slightly different ways:
1. The Arcanists: These are your traditional spellcasters. They choose an origin when they gain the ability to cast from mystical, natural, and spiritual. This choice determines their casting ability, as well as how easy they can learn and prepare spells. All arcanists are prepared casters, and they still use conventional spell slots.
2. The Psionicists: These are your psicasters. They cast using points which refresh on a long rest. The ability they use to cast varies depending on the talent subtype they attempt to cast: Wisdom for empathic talents, Charisma for psychic talents, and their choice of Wisdom or Charisma for agnostic talents.
3. The Technologists: These are your techcasters. They choose two origins when they gain the ability to cast from hardware, software, and wetware. One of the choices becomes easier to cast and the other becomes harder. They cast using points which refresh on a short rest, and they use Intelligence as their casting ability.

Hope that's a sufficient overview. Let me know if you have additional questions.