Pumpkin Spice Joins the Million Dollar Crowdfunder Club

There's a couple of current crowdfunders that look like they might join the Million Dollar TTRPG Crowdfunder Club. Free League's Dragonbane: Trudvang looks like a dead cert, and Roll & Play Press (backed by UK Actual Play Mega-Group The High Rollers, who will be appearing at the 02 Arena later this year as part of the D&D Fan Expo) have Altheya: The Dragon Empire, which looks like it is in with a good chance.

One project which has just passed the million dollar mark is Pumpkin Spice, which describes itself as a 'magical cozy RPG'. Ending in just a couple of days, it's a TTRPG where you run a magical cafe. It's a rules-lite, narrative game in which you play a coven of witches who run the aforementioned magical cafe while protecting the 'Fount of Magic' from those who would corrupt it.

You can play a Hereditary, Green, Coven, Solitary, Secular, or Traditional witch, each with 6 traits and different magical powers. The game comes in a full-colour hardback book, accompanied by a book of adventures. The game also uses special dice called Essence Dice, with each face showing a different Essence. There is, of course, the usual dizzying array of add-on merch which accompanies most million dollar crowdfunders--t-shirts, cards, notebooks, bags, even a vinyl record with a soundtrack for the game.

Pumpkin Spice comes from Italian publisher Acheron Games (Brancalonia, Lex Arcana, Inferno), and runs until 8pm GMT on March 5th.

 

[Tigris]

It’s not finished yet. And settings always do less than the core rules. That’s just how it works.

Thats exactly what I mean! It is a core book! It is literally the new 3rd edition numenera core book, but its marketed as a "setting book" looking from the cypher system.

I track them all here :

Thread 'Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarter Club'

Feb 28, 2021

Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG leads the pack in an exclusive club -- crowdfunders for tabletop roleplaying game products which have broken the $1M barrier! It is currently the most successful TTRPG crowdfunder in history with a funding total of over $10M, and over 30,000 backers (and also the third biggest crowdfunded of any kind!)

[Update--Kickstarter integrated 'late pledges' in May 2024. The totals on this table are the totals at the time the campaign officially ended and do not include late pledges or additional pledges from pledge managers.]

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• Morrus
• Replies: 667
• Forum: *TTRPGs General

• 

Yeah thats what I found by googling

 

[Staffan]

I also think people are underestimating the horny quality of this. So, yea, it's 'cozy' but it's got the added hook of scantily clad young women throughout the art. I've seen plenty of people across the internet post things like "I'll never play this but I want to buy it... for reasons.'

Looking at the art, I don't really get horny vibes. I mean, the ladies in question aren't NOT attractive, but the vibe I get is more "comfy (which happens to mean skimpy tops and shorts)". We're not talking chainmail bikinis or Hellfire Club-style costuming, or even (which might otherwise have been more appropriate for a certain type of witch) Elvira-style dresses.

 

[Tigris]

Looking at the art, I don't really get horny vibes. I mean, the ladies in question aren't NOT attractive, but the vibe I get is more "comfy (which happens to mean skimpy tops and shorts)". We're not talking chainmail bikinis or Hellfire Club-style costuming, or even (which might otherwise have been more appropriate for a certain type of witch) Elvira-style dresses.

Different horny target audiences (although I am not sure if chainmail bikini really is used as much as "inspiration"). Also this "comfy" shows a lot of skin in the end and the "at home" vibe is more intimate than "battle bikini everyone can see". Similar to how everyone sees bikinis in the pool, but underwear not, making underwear more intimate.

You get horny target audiences liking:

Yuri (girl love) vibes
Feet (+ legs)
Tatoos
Bandaids
(Almost) upskirt shot

 

[bsss]

It’s not finished yet. And settings always do less than the core rules. That’s just how it works.

MCG also just had a million dollar club entrant with Cypher (the core rules), I am sure there's some fatigue setting in (there sure is for me) plus some "ehn, I can use my old Numenera books (of which there are plenty) in the new Cypher books, if I ever choose to run it" by nature of how Cypher and Numenera relate to each other.

In short I agree with you, it's not a like-for-like comparison.

What I do think is interesting though, on the subject, is Cypher System recently had a modern magic supplement that had a fair amount of cozy magic. I'll admit it's not to my taste as a game flavor, but it does make me wonder just how much the art is the driver for Pumpkin Spice (but again I don't really grok cozy magic as a game in either product, so I may just completely miss what's unique here).

 

[Aldarc]

Thats exactly what I mean! It is a core book! It is literally the new 3rd edition numenera core book, but its marketed as a "setting book" looking from the cypher system.

That's because it IS a setting book, not a core book. As of this "edition," the primary rules are in the new Cypher System rulebook. These are supplementary setting rules for the Ninth World.

 

[Tigris]

That's because it IS a setting book, not a core book. As of this "edition," the primary rules are in the new Cypher System rulebook. These are supplementary setting rules for the Ninth World.

Ok this is even more confusing especially with " A NEW EDITION OF THIS AMAZINGLY EXPANSIVE, IMAGINATIVE SCIENCE-FANTASY RPG WORLD!" Written as the headline. So we can report the project for misleading marketing.


It makes sense than that its called setting book and that less people bake it, but its strange then to have no bundle with the actual core rules (only as addon), and instead with the old numenera core books.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Here's the first ad on Facebook today. I wouldn't call that T&A, myself.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Cypher System recently had a modern magic supplement that had a fair amount of cozy magic. I'll admit it's not to my taste as a game flavor, but it does make me wonder just how much the art is the driver for Pumpkin Spice (but again I don't really grok cozy magic as a game in either product, so I may just completely miss what's unique here).

The Cypher supplement It's Only Magic was very focused on three, I think, specific takes on modern day magic, none of which got a ton of pages.

A whole cozy system and adventure book with brand name cozy art, rather than standard MCG art, appealing more to cozy fantasy fans isn't a big surprise to me.

 

[Reef]

View attachment 431108

Here's the first ad on Facebook today. I wouldn't call that T&A, myself.

But...but...her knees! And she's just a sock away from baring ankle!

 

[Staffan]

View attachment 431108

Here's the first ad on Facebook today. I wouldn't call that T&A, myself.

Right, it's not T&A horny. It's intimate, comfortable, and vulnerable, like you're seeing them in a "shields down" moment. It's clearly something that a lot of people find interesting and gets their motors going, but it's not titillating in the way a lot of classic fantasy art is. And definitely aimed at a different audience than that.