RPG Crowdfunding News – Forbidden Lands: Bitter Reach, Sins of the Father, and more

At least 20 RPG Kickstarters end between September 27th to October 3rd. This article covers these as well as a few quickstarters. As well, I give a brief update about the Kickstarter union situation and its RPG impacts.

Glitter Hearts by Very Random Encounters

• END DATE: Thu, October 3 2019 9:17 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Powered by the Apocalypse
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $20 + $7 US shipping for the PDF and print version of this book

“Welcome to Glitter Hearts, a magical transforming heroes RPG about working together as a team to protect the world from those who would harm it. Glitter Hearts takes inspiration from the magical heroes genre, i.e. Sailor Moon and Power Rangers, and focuses on the teamwork and friendships at the heart of that genre. I decided to make a game for friends who really wanted to play a Magical Girls RPG, and have the game really capture the feel of the anime genre and a team working together. The game uses the Powered by the Apocalypse RPG engine that uses 2d6 plus the relevant stat to determine the outcome of your chosen actions. PbtA games are more narrative focused and give the free-narrative feel of making an anime or TV episode. Unlike most PbtA games, Glitter Hearts doesn't use set playbooks; instead you build your character and choose your moves from the options built into the game. One of the main moves in Glitter Hearts is "We can do this together" which focuses on working as a team. Whenever you help another character, you give them power. This power can be used to give that character advantage when making a check, and is also used by the whole team when facing a larger threat. If everyone has been working together, you'll have enough power as a team to call for a massive attack that just might be enough to defeat your foe!”

Forbidden Lands - The Bitter Reach Campaign and Reprint by Free League Publishing

• END DATE: Wed, October 2 2019 3:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Mutant: Year Zero
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: SEK 300 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book

“Hunt for treasure in the icy vistas of The Bitter Reach - the first major expansion to the multiple award-winning Forbidden Lands RPG. Forbidden Lands, released last December, won four ENnie Awards this year, among them Gold ENnies for Best Production Values and Best Cartography, and Silver ENnies for Best Rules and Product of the Year, and was voted Best RPG at the UK Game Expo. The Bitter Reach is a huge expansion to our multiple award-winning sandbox survival retro fantasy roleplaying game Forbidden Lands. The book is written by Magnus Seter and illustrated by Alvaro Tapia, with maps by Tobias Tranell and Niklas Brandt. In its 200+ pages, the book will expand the game world and includes new rules, monsters and encounters, as well as the complete Wake of the Winter King campaign. Beneath the ice and snow in the cursed lands north of Ravenland, an ancient power is stirring. The Bitter Reach expands the game world with a complete new area, directly north of Ravenland depicted in the core set. The new map, designed by Tobias Tranell just like the first one, can be placed directly north of the map in core set, extending the game world northward. Just like the map in the core set, the map of The Bitter Reach is divided into different terrain types, and uses an hexagonal grid to regulate movement. Just like in the core game, players can go anywhere they like on the map and explore the world the way they want. Due to the modular way the campaign is built using adventure sites, the GM can make sure the players don't miss the story without any need for leading them by the nose.”

Far Away Land RPG: Nuzoz by Simian Circle Games

• END DATE: Wed, October 2 2019 10:14 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $9 for the PDF and POD of the book

“Nuzoz is an expansion book for the Far Away Land Role Playing Game. Far Away Land (FAL) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game with elements of sci-fi, horror, humor, and pop-culture. FAL is focused on storytelling, dice rolling, and having a good time. It’s easy to learn and kid friendly. The rules are streamlined and simple so that brand new gamers and veteran gamers alike can pick it up and play. Optional rules allow for more choices without rewriting the core of the game. Character creation is fast and fun. Math is minimal. Fun is maximum. The world of FAL is quirky and colorful, but don’t let the artwork fool you. Behind the whimsical façade of brightness and cartoony action is a universe of great depth, history, and lore. You will be pleasantly surprised by all you find within the pages of Nuzoz and all of the Far Away Land books. The physical Nuzoz book is 5.5 x 8.5 inches and is available in both paperback and hardback (the hardback has thicker paper and more vibrant colors). The book is 92 pages and full color.”

Barbarians of the Ruined Earth by DIY RPG Productions

• END DATE: Wed, October 2 2019 8:41 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): The Black Hack
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $30 for the PDF and POD of the book

“A fantasy post-apocalyptic RPG inspired by Thundarr the Barbarian. Written by Mike Evans and using David Black's The Black Hack! Barbarians of the Ruined Earth is a weird post-apocalyptic fantasy setting inspired by Thundarr the Barbarian. Throw in a healthy heap of Mad Max: Fury Road and a little Pirates of Dark Water and you’ve got yourself a Saturday Morning Cartoon Stew fueled by heavy metal! The players take on the role of heroes (or maybe some feisty brigands or profiteers), wandering the Ruined Earth defeating evil Sorcerers, beating the crap out of mutated frog-men, bashing some raider skulls, or wandering through the stinking ruins of an Ancient Earth space shuttle hanger looking for bits of Stupendous Science! Barbarians of the Ruined Earth utilizes the awesome rules-lite The Black Hack system with several house-rules. You do not need to purchase The Black Hack rules to play this game (although I encourage supporting David Black as he is a delightful chap and created these fun rules). The book will be released on DriveThruRPG digitally and print-on-demand. The measurements will be 6.625" x 10.25" graphic novel-sized softcover, coming in around 165 pages.”

D20NN: A News Network for Tabletop Game Enthusiasts by Chase

• END DATE: Sat, September 28 2019 1:39 PM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: An RPG News Site
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $25 + $5 US shipping for a t-shirt and article previews

“A news program about events going on in YOUR tabletop game world, plus real-world interviews with TTRPG creators big and small. D20NN wants to help share your stories, direct from your gaming tables. You're in essence the reporter. We're the channel others tune to so they can learn more about what's going on. We're all the news that's fit to crit -- we're D20NN: Where the Rolls Come First. Presenting the D20 News Network -- D20NN -- and our flagship program, Multiverse This Week. Structured like a newsmagazine, I will report on the battles, exploits and drama going on within your party - if you're a Twitch streamer, YouTube series or an audio podcast, you'll be able to provide clips to help illustrate your story! There's even the chance for you (or your character!) to be interviewed as part of the segment. After the top stories, there may be a feature or two - the weather outlook for Barovia (spoiler alert: bleak), or an investigative report, or more. I'd also like to just straight-up promote people's wares they may have for sale: dice bags, wands, housewares - anything TTRPG related is fair game. I have retained the services of FX Design, a company specializing in building sets for television stations around the world.”

NIOBE RETURNS IN SHE IS DEATH AND THE UNTAMED by Stranger Comics

• NOTE: Because this is a comic book-related Kickstarter with an RPG element, it’s being handled a little differently than others. I did a review/interview with Sebastian A. Jones of Stranger Comics at d20 Radio about Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Niobe. The quotes below are taken from that review as well as the Kickstarter
• END DATE: Sat, September 28 2019 2:59 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Pathfinder 1e
• PROJECT TYPE: Graphic novel with an RPG sourcebook

“Niobe Ayutami. Half human, half elf. Half Ujoan, half Isintarrian. Half goddess, half devil. Niobe is a child of prophecy. Destined to be a queen and on the run since birth. Now a teenager and out on her own for the first time, Niobe must find her way in a world that wants her dead. After fleeing the vampire lord, Essessa, Niobe arrives at the sacred elven grounds of her ancestors, but she finds no welcome from her kind. She does, however, meet a fellow outcast in a half orc boy who is accused of murder. But Niobe’s quest to prove his innocence may expose her own past sins. [Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Niobe clocks] in at thirty-six pages long, this is a sourcebook to roleplay in the setting for Niobe, Asunda. In the book, pages three through five of the sourcebook presents an overview of the setting including a timeline of its history. Pages six through nine add races to the game including Esufey (elf-like elemental fey), Galemren (a variation of magical nomadic elves), Sin-Galemren (akin to half-elves), and Grachukk (something like orcs). There’s a new class, the Omdura, a shaman-like variant. There are two archetypes for the Omdura, and one for the Ranger, seventeen feats, six magic items, and four new monsters. Pages twenty-six through twenty-eight is the encounter, “Battle for the Chosen.” The book wraps with the NPC stat block for the central character, Niobe.”

QUICKSTARTERS

Sins of the Father Companion by Third Eye Games

• END DATE: Thu, September 26 2019 8:50 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 for the PDFs and PODs of the core rulebook and sourcebook as well as a deck of cards

“Sins of the Father is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) where you play someone paying for a dark deal made by your family long before you were born. Throughout their lives, the hellborn will be asked to perform tasks for their Dark Lord as a team. Failure to complete the task may end up with the family destroyed, but often the Dark Lord simply adds on to the existing contract. Once you owed five favors, but now you owe ten. The Debt continues to stack up at every turn, especially if the hellborn continues to ask for Gifts along the way, like more power, or resurrection after falling to enemies. When you owe too much to the Dark Lord, they can simply take possession of your body or your soul whenever they want. Each player utilizes a deck of standard playing cards to represent the power their character holds over their own destiny. This adds an interesting mechanical output for the RPG, as any draw of the card could spell a fortunate outcome or a terrible fate. Sins of the Father, true to its name, also supports generational play. Once you decide the story is done with one set of characters, a new game can begin as the children of the previous characters who then have to put up with the same thing (as well as having to deal with how their parents did in their own service). The Sins of the Father Companion is designed to offer you a gluttonous amount of new content to use in your game. From brand new Sinful Gifts to alternate settings for your game, you and the other damned at your table are sure to find something you’d take on Debt for.”

Crown and Dragon RPG for Savage Worlds by Arion Games

• END DATE: Tue, September 24 2019 10:18 AM EDT.
• NOTE: On d20 Radio, I interviewed Graham Bottley of Arion Games about the first attempt to kickstart this game. All of it (save for the links) still applies.
• “A Savage Worlds Roleplaying Game set in the Triple Realm and based upon the novel For the Crown and the Dragon by Stephen Hunt.”

Retired by TaleSpinner Holdings

• END DATE: Mon, September 23 2019 10:00 PM EDT.
• “A Storygame About the Ordinary Life of a Former Supervillain”

RPG QUICK HITS

Shibuyan Knights, a Tabletop RPG by Moe Poplar

• END DATE: Fri, September 27 2019 11:15 PM EDT.
• “Shibuyan Knights is an anime role-playing game inspired by the culture and awesomeness of modern-day Tokyo.”

Science-Fiction RPG: Neotoma by Frank Soul

• END DATE: Sat, September 28 2019 1:14 PM EDT.
• “A Science-Fiction tabletop role-playing game. Neotoma blends original and familiar game mechanics for a unique gaming experience.”

The Mescalaro Prophecy: Dungeons and Dragons Adventure (5E) by Tomorrow River Games

• END DATE: Sun, September 29 2019 1:36 PM EDT.
• “A Fifth Edition (5E) Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Unlock the mystery of the White Mountains and restore the Prophecy of Mescalaro.”

The North Road - A Fantasy RPG Campaign BOOK and PDF by Quest Givers

• END DATE: Tue, October 1 2019 8:44 AM EDT.
• “An RPG system neutral fantasy role-playing adventure campaign BOOK and PDF of 12 modules and 4 additional quests.”

The Realm of the Gateway by John Griffin

• END DATE: Wed, October 2 2019 12:47 AM EDT.
• “The Realm of the Gateway, a multi-genre tabletop RPG. Second try.”

Hunters of the Chalice Lands by FGFantasy

• END DATE: Thu, October 3 2019 12:28 PM EDT.
• “A Dark Fantasy RPG OSR/ 5th Edition Lite Ruleset.”

RPG ACCESSORIES

GeekDonuts embroidered bag and dice for RPG players by Ashli Bugby

• END DATE: Fri, September 27 2019 6:07 AM EDT.
• “An embroidered dice bag with a set of 7 dice: a D20, D12, two D10's, D8, D6, D4.”

The Dungeon Master Alignment Coin by Laura Hammonds

• END DATE: Sat, September 28 2019 8:00 PM EDT.
• “A coin for Dungeon Masters to determine their alignment for the day's campaign.”

Warcraft Games Cafe: Unplug, sit down and reconnect. by Matthew Walsh

• END DATE: Mon, September 30 2019 3:00 PM EDT.
• “We are a friendly local game store looking to bring excellent coffee, cakes and the love of boardgames to everyone!”

ANDICE 2 – The Greek, The Hebrew, The Armenian ancient dice by Moonmares Games

• END DATE: Mon, September 30 2019 6:21 PM EDT.
• “Discover the Origins of Numbers and Games. 2nd Series of Ancient Numerical Dice.”

Ambient Music for Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus by Marco Mazzei

• END DATE: Tue, October 1 2019 6:33 PM EDT.
• “Bring sound to your adventures.”

Gemhammer Grimoire by Gemhammer Games

• END DATE: Thu, October 3 2019 11:55 AM EDT.
• “Spells and Spell Cards for 5th Edition. Over 100 new spells and more, better stuff for divine and arcane spellcasters.”

The Wyrmwood Hero Vault 2.0 by Wyrmwood Gaming

• END DATE: Thu, October 3 2019 1:11 PM EDT.
• “The only way to carry your Tabletop Roleplaying necessities.”

eDice : An universal electronic dice for your tabletop games by aniPlay

• END DATE: Thu, October 3 2019 4:00 PM EDT.
• “Rechargeable electronic dice able to select 2~100 face die or formula, featured with user-definable game presets, roll history, etc.”

---

Beyond these projects, there is news from Kickstarter that may impact the future of that crowdfunding site. Members of Kickstarter’s staff took steps toward unionizing. Two of those employees have been terminated and the move drew international attention. While, as of this writing, the union is not calling for a boycott, one RPG publisher, Evil Hat Productions, is taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether they should use Kickstarter for their next crowdfunding. An RPG creator with experience in union initiation, Lucian Kahn, offered thoughts on how this may impact the upcoming Kickstarter for Visigoths vs Mall Goths. As has been noted elsewhere, these creators, and more, may opt out of using Kickstarter for IndieGoGo or GameOnTabletop to crowdfund their works.

 

[doctheweasel]

Don't forget the Root RPG (based on the board game).

Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game

A tabletop roleplaying game based on the award-winning Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right board game.

www.kickstarter.com

 

[Superchunk77]

I backed Forbidden Lands! That thing looks fantastic.

 

[Retreater]

I'm curious what shipping rates for the Forbidden Lands Kickstarter would look like? I've got all the other material for the game, just curious before backing it.

 

[Superchunk77]

I'm curious what shipping rates for the Forbidden Lands Kickstarter would look like? I've got all the other material for the game, just curious before backing it.

From the KS.

Here is a list of rough shipping estimates:

• United Kingdom: $8–10
• Sweden: $8–10
• EU: $12–16
• USA: $12–16
• Canada: $16–20
• Australia: $16–20
• Rest of World: $20–30

 

[Retreater]

Thanks @Superchunk77, I didn't see that on my (admittedly) quick scan of the KS.

 

[aramis erak]

Note that several countries will have import duties as well... from what I've heard several south american countries add upwards of US$20 in duties.