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.

 

[Ravenbrook]

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.

 

[overgeeked]

A rogue moon moving through the cosmos? Reminds me of Junji Ito’s Remina. The moon might have to slow down and stop for a snack.

Spoiler: Cosmic Horror Picture

 

[Morrus]

Yeah . . . . but there's the OGL too, so why do we even need the DM's Guild? Because that semi-official stamp of approval from WotC is attractive to some folks. Plus the combo of rules and setting is attractive, which retroclones and the OGL can't offer.

This kind of project from MCG would never end up on the DM's Guild, for any edition. But if the DM's Guild was opened up for earlier editions of D&D, a community would develop. Perhaps not a huge one . . . .

The far bigger issue would be that you can’t crowdfund s project on Kickstarter if you want to sell it on DMs Guild. I can’t see a company like MCG turning down half a million in Kickstarter pledges.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I'll freely admit that I have not. That's why I'm uncertain as to the expected quality of their new work. Last I'd heard they were off doing Numenera and such. If you (or others) want to weigh in, I'm all ears.

Numenera, Cypher System, Invisible Sun, No Thank You, Evil!, The Darkest House, Stealing Stories for the Devil--I'm not sure I'd describe any of them mired in the past or outdated in their design principles. If anything, I'd say we're one of the most forward-thinking RPG publishers, outside of the Indie space, out there.

I'm not trying to tell you you'll love Planebreaker, or anything else we make--not everything is for everyone, of course. But if you're worried that our design work is somehow stuck in the 90s or whatever, I can confidently assure you that's not a concern.

 

[Dire Bare]

It's the "I Can't Believe It's Not Planescape!" by a bunch of familiar old hands. Will it be a fun new take on the concept by creators with a proven track record, or a release hopelessly mired in the past and using outdated design principles? I put the odds at 50/50. Which is honestly my same take on the Tracy & Laura Hickman Kickstarter that's up too.

In other words, I'm willing to pay the markup to buy after they're released if they should prove to be worth having, rather than backing the Kickstarter to get extra bennies.

I'll freely admit that I have not. That's why I'm uncertain as to the expected quality of their new work. Last I'd heard they were off doing Numenera and such. If you (or others) want to weigh in, I'm all ears.

So . . . then why throw shade?

 

[Willie the Duck]

Numenera, Cypher System, Invisible Sun, No Thank You, Evil!, The Darkest House, Stealing Stories for the Devil--I'm not sure I'd describe any of them mired in the past or outdated in their design principles. If anything, I'd say we're one of the most forward-thinking RPG publishers, outside of the Indie space, out there.

I'm not trying to tell you you'll love Planebreaker, or anything else we make--not everything is for everyone, of course. But if you're worried that our design work is somehow stuck in the 90s or whatever, I can confidently assure you that's not a concern.

I haven't played The Darkest House, but the rest I would say fall neither into the category of outdated or particularly forward-thinking. Numenera, Cypher, IS, and NTYE! use a variation of a categorical Energy/Endurance/Fatigue pools mechanic, which is interesting and not a relic of the past, but also not overly groundbreaking. Stealing Stories for the Devil is very similar to Blades in the Dark, which is not a bad thing, but also a pretty common thing among indie games at the moment.
What's really exciting about MCG games is the inventive worlds, societies, or sometimes core ideas. Looking at Planebreaker, it too looks exciting and engaging.

 

[Scribe]

What's really exciting about MCG games is the inventive worlds, societies, or sometimes core ideas. Looking at Planebreaker, it too looks exciting and engaging.

Yeah this is what I'm about. Interesting settings, ideas, worlds, systems.

 

[Aldarc]

WebDM interview of Bruce Cordell about Planebreaker:

 

[CharlesRyan]

And while we're at it, this also happened yesterday!

 

[Kurotowa]

So . . . then why throw shade?

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.