D&D 5E Monte Cook's Ptolus Kickstarter Has Launched

This is one of MCG's luxury products - at nearly 700 pages depicting a massive, detailed fantasy city, we're looking at $150 for the book, or $40 for the PDF, either for D&D 5E or Cypher System.

Ptolus: Monte Cook's City by the Spire

Monte Cook's legendary campaign setting, updated for Fifth Edition and the Cypher System.

www.kickstarter.com

"Monte Cook’s legendary campaign setting, Ptolus, is being updated for both Fifth Edition and the Cypher System.

At 672 beautiful pages, Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire isn’t just huge. Top-notch art and abundant cartography grace virtually every page. Innovative features make the premium-quality book uniquely easy to navigate and use. Physical and digital extras include handouts, player maps, and posters, totaling hundreds of pages. Nearly 1,000 pages in all!

And that’s not all: Most backer levels include a massive library of every single existing Ptolus product. Get the original version of Ptolus plus 26 additional PDF titles—2100 pages of content worth over $250—so you can explore the city and plan for your adventures right away."

You can also download a free 32-page introductory Player's Guide.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would definitely buy a new version of the huge city map. I expect they'll reprint that as it requires no conversion.

The big vinyl map is part of the higher tiers and people are lobbying for it to be made an add on.

 

[R_J_K75]

The big vinyl map is part of the higher tiers and people are lobbying for it to be made an add on.

Thatd be nice. I had the original and it was really well made. IIRC it was probably about $100 USD new when it came out and goes for god knows how much now if you can even find it.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Yikes.

Even if you back at $400 the GM screen stretch goal is still a paid add on? That tier is also the only way to get the vinyl map?

I'm not so sure about this one.

 

[Kcinlive]

I would love to back this, but it's just way too expensive...

 

[MNblockhead]

I've been cutting back on Kickstarter and RPG materials in general, but I've long been interested in this book. For someone who has already sunk a lot of money into FGG's various Lost Lands materials, I'm not sure I have a need or use for another massive city setting. For fans of Ptolus, what do you think sets it apart? Even if I don't rune games in it, is it a fun read?

 

[Todd Roybark]

$40 for the PDF is reasonable given the page count of the book. The 4th edition Warhammer FRPG is $49.

Taking a digital file and having it printed on vinyl is something any print shop can do now. I printed the map of Ptolus from the Banewarrens adventure over a decade ago, before the Ptolus book even came out.

Backing the higher levels of Kickstarter seldom seems cost effective...see the $10k level pledge for Hero Forge 2.0. Backing at those levels is more a labor of love.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've been cutting back on Kickstarter and RPG materials in general, but I've long been interested in this book. For someone who has already sunk a lot of money into FGG's various Lost Lands materials, I'm not sure I have a need or use for another massive city setting. For fans of Ptolus, what do you think sets it apart? Even if I don't rune games in it, is it a fun read?

It is, but it's a very different flavor from what Frog God/Necromancer does. They're most interested in 1E flavor, whereas Ptolus is literally one of the testbeds for the 3rd Edition. It's gritty, but it's a higher powered gritty than the Lost Lands.

If you like Third Edition, you're likely to find the flavor to your liking. If, on the other hand, you gave 3E a pass or are glad to see it and its dungeonpunk "back to the dungeon" aesthetic dead and buried, Ptolus may not be for you.

 

[messy]

I would love to back this, but it's just way too expensive...

same here. no doubt it would be worth it, but $150? too much.

 

[R_J_K75]

same here. no doubt it would be worth it, but $150? too much.

Honestly having seen the quality of the original I can say that $150 although expensive is worth it. The pdf probably wont do it justice, but I'll settle for that if I cant afford the hard copy.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

I'm intrigued to see how Ptolus is rendered using the 5E rules. I bet we'll see some very creative uses of the rules.

My Ptolus hardback could use a friend on the bookshelf to hang out with, too.