Goodman Games Kickstarts Two New 5E Adventures

Goodman Games is Kickstarting "New adventures for the 5th edition of the world’s first fantasy RPG". The Kickstarter is for two adventures The Pillars of Pelagia (by Chris Doyle) and War-lock (by Michael Curtis) under its Fifth Edition Fantasy banner, of which two adventures have already been released.

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As a side-note, although Goodman Games isn't quite, as it says, "the only third party publisher to continuously support Dungeons & Dragons in every edition since 3E" , it's certainly one of the only ones. I have Goodman adventures from 3.x, 4E, and 5E.

You're looking at $20 for two softcover adventures (plus shipping), which seems a good deal to me.

Find the Kickstarter right here (or click on one of the pretty pictures).

Each adventure is between 16-42 pages, and is a standalone story designed to fit into any existing campaign or setting. Goodman Games has a repuation these days for old-school roleplaying (especially with its Dungeon Crawl Classics line), and these products often have an old-school aesthetic which can be very appealing.

Stretch goals for this particular campaign include expansions for both adventures, and a third adventure called The Dragon's Maw for Free RPG Day.

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[pemerton]

The question of whether or not one can publish fifth-edition compatible content isn't really an issue; this has been going on since the dawn of the hobby and the only real question is that you avoid specific branding/names/IP that could confuse your product with something from WotC

<snip>

What is at issue is the fact that if you can publish content under a proper OGL you gain some special benefits that might include being able to state your product is compatible with D&D or D20 games, and also allow you to use specific compatible language and formatting that matches the D&D style in a manner familiar to fans.

This is not really accurate.

Avoiding specific branding/names/IP that could cause confusion is not the only real question; there is also the issue of avoiding breach of copyright.

And as far as the OGL is concerned, the release by WotC of the 3E and 3.5E SRDs under the OGL does not entitle anyone to make any statements of compatibility - in fact, by becoming a party to the OGL a publisher forgoes certain rights to state compatibility that might otherwise be enjoyed (see clause 7 of the OGL). The GSL is quite different in this respect: it permits and indeed mandates the use of certain compatibility language.

Using "compatible language and formatting" may or may not require licensing, depending on what you are wanting to do. The OGL permits verbatim reproduction of the text of the SRDs; it forbids replication of the visual style of the WotC D&D books, however. The GSL permits use of certain WotC visual templates, but forbids reproduction of the text of the WotC 4e books. If the "compatible language and formatting" involves nothing but common nouns and reproducing some numerical stats, it may be that no license is required.

Can a third party module duplicate monster stat blocks that are in the MM but not in the basic rules?

Whether in the basic rules or otherwise, reproducing verbatim a stat-block in a WotC copyrighted publication would probably be a breach of WotC's copyright. I would assume that these new GG modules will not do that.

 

[Dartavian]

11 days to go! Blowing through the stretch goals, with an additional adventure and drop-in encounters. Looking good!

 

[darjr]

Woot! FreeRPG Day adventure!

 

[Mad Zagyg]

The only thing more lame than a Kickstarter from an already established company is the art direction for these Goodman Games covers. If you really want me to support your next Kickstarter, have it fund a new art director. Preferably one that isn't totally blind.

If I could go back in time, I would try to hook you up with the kid I sat next to in my 5th grade art class. His work was superior to these.

I'm also fond of the way that these covers evoke no sense of what the adventure is about at all. A true accomplishment. It also takes a special kind of bravery to place your badly drawn dark elf so she is tilting off-center to have at least 50% of your cover reveal plain, blue sky. It's also cool how she is coyly looking at me as if to say, "I stayed up all night trying to think of ways to make this cover looks as bad as possible."

All I'm trying to say is, this cover couldn't be any worse unless we somehow introduced poo as a new artistic medium.

In other words, the covers could use some improvement.

 

[Dartavian]

The only thing more lame is... "YOUR RANT"

The covers could use some improvement. Agreed, but there is much more between the covers. You must have nothing better to do than grind an axe!


Why do people have to be so negative! 400+ people can't be wrong!

 

[Mistwell]

This one has gone from "Hmm...maybe" to "Leaning yes" if they manage to come up with a print edition of the drop-in encounters book!

 

[JeffB]

The covers suck, IMO. Had that convo on the OD&D proboards last year. But I guess Joe doesnt want to cofuse anyone with his cash cow DCCRPG modules, so he went for something very different.

But I think there is a bunch of sucky art in Paizo and WOTC books too. I still buy them

 

[redrick]

The covers could use some improvement. Agreed, but there is much more between the covers. You must have nothing better to do than grind an axe!


Why do people have to be so negative! 400+ people can't be wrong!

I'm not gonna lie... the covers played a big part in me passing these by when the first two were released. I know it's not the only thing, and not the most important thing, but art is an important part of the product, especially when it has yet to be released and reviewed!

So yeah, Goodman Games, get some better cover art on your next batch of 5th Edition Fantasy!

 

[JeffB]

The covers could use some improvement. Agreed, but there is much more between the covers. You must have nothing better to do than grind an axe!


Why do people have to be so negative! 400+ people can't be wrong!

He IS Mad afterall.

 

[Mad Zagyg]

The covers could use some improvement. Agreed, but there is much more between the covers. You must have nothing better to do than grind an axe!


Why do people have to be so negative! 400+ people can't be wrong!

I was in the mood to exaggerate. I felt like my suggestion of using poo as an art medium should have tipped you off there.

I feel exceptionally justified in my review of the covers because I own both of their first two adventures (terrible cover art and all). The material between the covers is okay. Usable, but not great. Certainly not Goodman Games' best work. I am happy, at least, that there is one company out there producing short, non-epic adventures for 5th edition.

But in case I hadn't made it clear with my previous post, they desperately need some new art direction. I'm not saying it's the worst thing I've ever seen in my entire life, but it has definitely made planet Earth a slightly less habitable place.

That was just a joke.

The Earth bit, I mean. The art really is terrible.