RPG CROWDFUNDING NEWS – World's Largest Dungeon, Cosmic Dark, Neon City Outlaws, and more

This week’s TTRPG crowdfunding sampler covers campaigns that close funding between June 12 to 18. Get the world’s largest dungeon crawl, an RPG where you create the characters as you play, a cyberpunk world where you create the city through gameplay, and several other systems, settings, and more.

The World's Largest Dungeon.png

The World's Largest Dungeon from World's Largest RPGs
  • END DATE: Jun 13, 2025 at 8:00pm EDT.
  • CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
  • SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2014)
  • PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
  • MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $299 + S/H for the PDF, audiobook, and print versions of the slipcase, books, maps, GM screen, and more. There’s also a pay over time option for this pledge level
  • WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? For character levels 1 to 20, this is a huge dungeon delve. The campaign page shares that this is the 5e version of their “Guinness World Record-winning dungeon crawl.” Coming as 4 books with over 1,600 pages, this is all 5e dungeon to crawl. Originally released 21 years ago by AEG (Alderac Entertainment Group), this campaign updates the contents for 5e (2014 with a “free 2024 Conversion Guide PDF to all backers”). If the idea of a massive dungeon with levels upon levels and rooms upon rooms alongside maps and more appeals to your gaming table, check out this Backerkit campaign page for more details.
Cosmic Dark.png

Cosmic Dark from Graham Walmsley
  • END DATE: Tue, June 17 2025 6:00 PM EDT.
  • SYSTEM(S): An original system
  • PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
  • MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £36 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
  • WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is weird space horror from the creator of Cthulhu Dark. In the 180-page core rulebook, you’ll start playing without the need to create the characters of the world first, those elements will be generated during gameplay. You work for an amoral company that has sent you deep into space. Across six scenarios, you’ll learn about the corporation, the horrors of space, and more. If you want a space horror game where you start playing without the need to invent characters before play begins, check out this Kickstarter page.


Neon City Outlaws.png

Neon City Outlaws from Scratchpad Publishing
  • END DATE: Thu, June 12 2025 12:49 PM EDT.
  • SYSTEM(S): “Neon City Outlaws builds off of the game structure of Dusk City Outlaws”
  • PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
  • MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $90 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the two books, GM screen, slipcase, and more
  • WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Cyberpunk heists in a city that you’ll design as you play through the game, Neon City Outlaws brings a chrome-twinged version of Dusk City Outlaws to your gaming table. The campaign provides the 240-page hardcover Neon City Outlaws: Core Rulebook as well as the 96-page perfect-bound Neon City Outlaws: Setting Book. In this game, each job/adventure is self-contained, but can be strung together to form a campaign. The campaign page points out a few elements that sets this game apart from other cyberpunk offerings: You build the megacity as you play, you change bodies as needed, VR for all, and a mechanic that lets you influence the coming cyberpunk revolution. If you want to try out a cyberpunk RPG made of connected one-shots, this may be for you.


Setting Off! Any Character, Any Setting, Any Way.png

Setting Off! Any Character, Any Setting, Any Way from Tim Leiner
  • END DATE: Jun 13, 2025 at 9:00am EDT.
  • CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
  • SYSTEM(S): An original system
  • PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
  • MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €45 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the core rulebook plus additional PDFs
  • WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Setting Off! offers a setting agnostic, universal RPG system for your game of choice. Claiming the ability to work with fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, this game promises modular character creation, intuitive mechanics, and more to let you conquer all genres. Using skill trees, you’ll be able to accomplish all tasks including spellcasting. For the characters, there are attributes and origins allowing you to create an elf-draconian or the like. If you want a universal system with rules for exploration, conversation, combat, crafting, housing, romance, and naval combat, this game may speak to you. Check out the Backerkit campaign page to learn more.
Songfall Survivors Relaunched.png

Songfall Survivors Relaunched from Genesis of Legend Publishing
  • END DATE: Wed, June 11 2025 10:24 PM EDT.
  • SYSTEM(S): After the War
  • PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
  • MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA $15 for the PDF of the book
  • WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Building on After the War, a sci-fi RPG of “memetic horror and rebuilding in the aftermath of galactic conflict.” Billions died in the war with some of the reminder gathering on a world to create a peaceful, safe future. This sourcebook expands on those ideas. Songfall Survivors brings 240 pages of lore and rules to your game. This book gets deeper into the history of the universe, the war, its aftermath, and the factions that dominate what remains. If you’re a fan of sci-fi in which hope is the only way forward, this campaign may be for you.


Royal Society of Mythology.png

Royal Society of Mythology from Fainting Goat Games
  • END DATE: Fri, June 13 2025 8:42 AM EDT.
  • SYSTEM(S): Savage Worlds Adventure Edition
  • PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
  • MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $7 for the PDF version of the book and the POD discount coupon
  • WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? All of the world’s myths, stories, and nightmares are true, if you know where to look. The Royal Society of Mythology knows the truth about dragons and the fey, and so does that rivals. In this 34-page setting book, you’ll learn how to hunt and study the myths, learn what they mean and how they can serve our world, or destroy it. At the same time, you’re competing with factions to control this information. If you’re a fan of research into mysteries, this Savage Worlds setting may be right up your alley.
​

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.
 
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Egg Embry
Egg Embry

Egg Embry

FLAMES & FLAILS: THE FIERY FORGE, a part of the Powered by Perilous Pamphlets co-promotion, is kickstarting now. Want a one-page Old-School Essentials adventure set in a world on fire? Check out Egg's Kickstarter here. For another OSE pamphlet adventure by Egg, check out Philip Reed Games' Perilous Pamphlet Pack, a Box for RPG Brochure Adventures.

------

Egg Embry is part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program as well as a columnist for Knights of the Dinner Table, d20 Radio, High Level Games, the Open Gaming Network, the Tessera Guild, and GAMA's magazine, Around the Table. His area of focus is tabletop RPG crowdfunding campaigns. In addition, he blogs about Ghostfire Gaming's Grim Hollow setting. His RPGs can be found through Egg Embry Publishing at DriveThruRPG (PDF) and Itch (PDF/Print).
If you enjoy the articles on EN World, please consider backing the EN World Patreon. Every dollar helps to make these articles possible.
Bolongo said:
... and that monsters hit harder to compensate.
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This is inaccurate too. Most monsters are the same challenge between 2014 & 2024 (I know, I have done a lot of checking on this front). Some of the lower CR monsters actually dropped in power. Now, at higher CRs, around CR 17+ there definitely is an increase in power from 2014 to 2024 monsters, but that only affects a minority of players who reach those levels. Also, those higher threat monsters actually work even better for 2014 characters and adventures too as that power boost was needed for 2014 PCs IMO. In fact, I would argue the 2014 updates did not do enough to boost the power of monsters.
 

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talien said:
Where goeth D&D, so goeth the industry. This doesn't mean those games aren't being played. It does mean D&D sucks up most of the oxygen in the room. On here alone, you'll see D&D news gets massively (like a factor of 20) more engagement. It just does.

That doesn't make it any less important to cover non-D&D. Russ and Jess do an enormous job covering non-D&D companies (Not DnD), both Charlie and Egg regularly do interviews and cover non-D&D in their columns. We try really hard, but it's an ongoing challenge to bring eyeballs to anything not D&D, and that's not going to change any time soon.

Appreciate your honesty. It's not a bad thing, but it's absolutely something to be aware of, and spare a though to anyone brave enough to use a different system to crowdfund.
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I also experience this with Blood Bowl, which is a GW miniatures board game.

3rd party companies have made Blood Bowl teams for a decade or more because GW didn’t release any new minis. Then, in 2016, GW decided to have an interest in the game again.

Multiple 3rd parties will release sculpts for a new team and it will get a bit of engagement. GW will release sculpts of that team and it gets engagement several magnitudes bigger, even when the sculpts don’t look as good. I don’t get it personally, but GW gets its fanboys just like D&D does.
 

dave2008 said:
EDIT: I just did a quick look and I don't see anything about it including new classes. I really have no idea what they felt the needed to change to accommodate 5e24. An adventure shouldn't need any changes between 2014 and 2024 IMO.
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Off the top of my head:
  • Monsters now can be proficient in initiative. Matters a lot, for ambush-style monsters, and listing their initiative modifier is significant.
  • Most spellcasting monsters had their spells removed and replaced with attack actions, including one that's just an "energy bolt" that can hit in melee/ranged of a specific damage type, removing a lot of their combat versatility but making it easier for DMs to use them without referencing spells in the PHB.
  • Exhaustion effects have changed a lot. Monsters inflicting exhaustion could cumulatively get very bad for PCs very fast (level 4 and 5 is a death spiral). Now in 2024 level 4 is -8 to rolls and speed reduced by 20 feet. This is significant because a percentage penalty (50% speed at level 3, 50% max HP at level 4) is deadly no matter what level you're at, but higher level characters can overcome penalties (our party's monk with -20 feet would still be walking at 30 feet speed vs. 25 feet with 2014 rules).
  • Some monsters lost "challenge tests" to inflict conditions (so it used to be dog-monsters required a Str save or be knocked prone, same for gore attacks from horned monsters) and now if they hit, insta-prone.
Do all monsters need to be updated? Probably not. Are there significant differences? Depending on the monster, absolutely. Whether or not players and DMs care is a larger question, but I imagine some tactical-minded PCs care a whole lot.
 

humble minion said:
Ooh, looks interesting, are we finally going to get a serious 5e treatment of feudal Japan?

<checks campaign page>

AI writing and art.

Barf.
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Yeah nothing kills my interest in someone’s creative “efforts” faster than AI slop. I didn’t need the author’s ideas to begin with, and apparently the author didn’t even have the ideas themselves anyway. Why would I pay for randomly generated mediocre content that just aggregates stolen content from others into a bland pablum?

Even writing this out, it enrages when I think of someone is trying to sell a creative vision but cares so little that they either won’t or can’t learn the skills to express their vision themselves. They’ll happily bundle up AI garbage and try to get fools to reward them for their laziness. These creators should be embarrassed.
 



talien said:
Off the top of my head:
  • Monsters now can be proficient in initiative. Matters a lot, for ambush-style monsters, and listing their initiative modifier is significant.
  • Most spellcasting monsters had their spells removed and replaced with attack actions, including one that's just an "energy bolt" that can hit in melee/ranged of a specific damage type, removing a lot of their combat versatility but making it easier for DMs to use them without referencing spells in the PHB.
  • Exhaustion effects have changed a lot. Monsters inflicting exhaustion could cumulatively get very bad for PCs very fast (level 4 and 5 is a death spiral). Now in 2024 level 4 is -8 to rolls and speed reduced by 20 feet. This is significant because a percentage penalty (50% speed at level 3, 50% max HP at level 4) is deadly no matter what level you're at, but higher level characters can overcome penalties (our party's monk with -20 feet would still be walking at 30 feet speed vs. 25 feet with 2014 rules).
  • Some monsters lost "challenge tests" to inflict conditions (so it used to be dog-monsters required a Str save or be knocked prone, same for gore attacks from horned monsters) and now if they hit, insta-prone.
Do all monsters need to be updated? Probably not. Are there significant differences? Depending on the monster, absolutely. Whether or not players and DMs care is a larger question, but I imagine some tactical-minded PCs care a whole lot.
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I agree, but those don't require a separate pamphlet IMO. Most of those items are ease of play changes not necessarily power upgrades (though some can give a little bump).

I will note that they said in the Backerkit FAQ that they are making encounters more challenging. That could include updating monsters I guess, but that did not specifically mention that.
 

Rabulias said:
I could not find a delivery date ETA for The World's Largest Dungeon. Anyone know?
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I couldn't find it either. Kickstarter requires an anticipated delivery date (or at least did) when you set up your page. I am not nearly as familiar with Backerkit, but if it also required on that platform it is much harder to find!
 

dave2008 said:
I agree, but those don't require a separate pamphlet IMO. Most of those items are ease of play changes not necessarily power upgrades (though some can give a little bump). I will note that they said in the Backerkit FAQ that they are making encounters more challenging. That could include updating monsters I guess, but that did not specifically mention that.
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Yeah it's an open question as to whether any of those changes make the monster actually HARDER vs. just...different.

I feel like it depends on the DM. A tactically-minded DM with access to more powerful spells in 2014 versions could do serious damage by picking the right ones, vs. 2024 where it's more homogenized and thus probably less variable.

At a guess, most folks aren't super tactically-minded, and thus the changes really don't swing things drastically one way or the other. I do worry about PCs though (2024 monk gets one extra over 2014 monk at 10th, combined with stunning strike...could be very bad for monsters). I'm not sure "upping monster stats" would make a huge difference as that's very situational and depends on the party's class mix though.
 

Rabulias said:
I could not find a delivery date ETA for The World's Largest Dungeon. Anyone know?
Click to expand...
Found this under the Shipping and Timelines section:

"Timelines​

We will charge shipping and relevant taxes after the campaign in the pledge manager. We estimate that fulfillment will begin in February 2026.

The World's Largest Dungeon has been being worked on for over 18 months. The layout will likely be completed before the campaign ends. Currently, the plan is to allow backers beta access to the digital edition immediately following the campaign. The beta and playtesting is planned for 3 months, and digital fulfillment is planned for September 2025. "

After reading this, I still think it is odd to create this for V2014 well after V2024 is out, especially with the comment about still doing layout. If still doing layout, why not swap in the 2024 info and then create a 2014 handbook for those that haven't changed to the newer release?
 

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