This week’s list of RPG crowdfunding projects end between August 11th to 26th. As with all of these articles, this list is not exhaustive collection of all RPG crowdfunding projects currently available, just a sampling of what speaks to me as a fan. This week, I look at projects on Kickstarter and GameOnTabletop with engines ranging from 5e to Fading Suns to Forged in the Dark and more.
a|state RPG second edition from Handiwork Games
FADING SUNS: NEW FRONTIERS from Ulisses Spiele
The Book of Gaub from Lost Pages
SCIENTIFIC BARBARIAN No.4 and 2021 Annual from Mudpuppy Games
KENNELS OF KARNAGE, a Third-Party Mörk Borg Adventure from Stein Hansen
Wickerpunk RPG from Crow Land Publishing
A Nightmare in Sutradain - Feywild for D&D 5E from Fabled Adventurers Extraordinaire Games
ReRoll: North Kansas City's Board Game Tavern from Edward Schmalz
Paw-lymorph Pet Toys from Jason Gomez
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Amazon.
a|state RPG second edition from Handiwork Games
- END DATE: Thu, August 19 2021 12:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Forged in the Dark
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £36 + £8 S/H to the US for the PDF and print versions of the book plus discord access and additional digital content
- TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: a|state Nicely,Done is available for free on DriveThruRPG
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Return to The City in the second edition of this cult RPG, this time using the Forged in the Dark ruleset. Sci-fi, dystopian grit awaits you as your table designs the setting as well as how they’ll work to save and improve it. Crafted by a mix of the original creators and other industry veterans, this edition promises to keep its core setting while providing well considered mechanical choices and artwork. If you’re looking for an RPG that puts you in a world that is hurting while giving you the chance to help out, this is an atmospheric RPG that lets you game through saving society.
FADING SUNS: NEW FRONTIERS from Ulisses Spiele
- END DATE: 08/18/2021 14:00 (GMT-4)
- SYSTEM(S): Fading Suns
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebooks
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $220 + $20 S/H to the US for 5 books in PDF and print plus 12 ship maps and more
- NOTE: This campaign is available on GameOnTabletop
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Ulisses Spiele is the latest home for the long running RPG, Fading Suns. They’ve already crowdfunded the core rulebook, now they’re back to create several sourcebooks including a book detailing Vuldrok Space, a collection of deck plans and details for 12 ships, a GM book of adventures and mechanics, a faction book, and more. If you’re a fan of Fading Suns, these books expand on the universe. If you’re looking for the core rulebooks, this campaign offers them as add-ons to their other options.
The Book of Gaub from Lost Pages
- END DATE: Wed, August 11 2021 12:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): OSR with system neutral aspects
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £20 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is an OSR sourcebook that is meant to inspire a campaign and adventures through clever fiction. This 100-page book offers 49 micro-fictions as well as 49 spells, 49 strange magic items, 7 specific catastrophes and 51 generic ones, 20 monsters, and more. Created by a team including one of my favorite artists, Charlie Ferguson-Avery, this project is right for old school players looking for monsters and magic as well as lore meant to cast a particulate feel on the creatures and spells.
SCIENTIFIC BARBARIAN No.4 and 2021 Annual from Mudpuppy Games
- END DATE: Wed, August 18 2021 9:00 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Compatible with any d20-based game system
- PROJECT TYPE: RPG magazine
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $55 + $5 S/H to the US for the PDF and print versions of both the magazine and the hardback
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? It’s been a year and, with this campaign, four issues of SCIENTIFIC BARBARIAN with issues 1 to 3 reaching 500ish backers. At the time of this writing, the newest issue looks to bypass their high water mark with plenty of room to spare. Mudpuppy Games continues to prove there’s an audience interested in magazines full of content designed for any d20-based games. So, what is this campaign producing? A fourth issue of over 120 pages of retro future post-apocalyptic content for d20-based RPGs as well as a hardcover that collects the first four issues in one handy book (with new content to boot). If you’re a fan of new, old school content meant to bring the unexpected to the gaming table, these magazines are worth a look.
KENNELS OF KARNAGE, a Third-Party Mörk Borg Adventure from Stein Hansen
- END DATE: Wed, August 11 2021 11:59 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Mörk Borg
- PROJECT TYPE: RPG zine
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: NOK 125 + NOK 40 S/H to the US for the PDF and print versions of the zine
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Need a Mörk Borg adventure in which you’re fetching a lord’s hound named Murder back? This zine gives that adventure, 7 new monsters, a new class, a map, and more. In addition to the core zine, this campaign includes several Mörk Borg PDFs from other creators. If you’re looking for more grim adventures, this might speak to your table.
Wickerpunk RPG from Crow Land Publishing
- END DATE: Thu, August 19 2021 3:40 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: AU$46 + S/H for the PDF and softcover of the book
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Because this book offers 275 pages of folk horror and heroic fantasy for 5e. If you’re looking to play heroes of light going into the deep, dark horror woods to deal with an endless parade of supernatural beings, Wickerpunk offers that feel for 5e. Recommended for fans of Dragonslayer, The VVitch, Princess Mononoke, The Witcher, The Mists of Avalon, The Dark Is Rising, and The Broken Sword, among others, this project may speak to you.
- END DATE: Wed, August 18 2021 11:00 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €20 for the PDF of the book
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This book offers Feywild content including a setting and an adventure. If you want more seelie, an unusual collection of fey representing plants, trees, insects, and more, all with a unique society, in your 5e campaign, this book explores that realm with items, monsters, and more. To see if this is right for you, check out the campaign page to get the first chapter for free.
ReRoll: North Kansas City's Board Game Tavern from Edward Schmalz
- END DATE: Mon, August 23 2021 2:00 PM EDT.
- PROJECT TYPE: Friendly Local Game Store in North Kansas City, Missouri
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $100 + $10 S/H to the US for a certificate, acknowledgment, your name displayed at the store, a sticker, a d6, a pint glass, and a t-shirt
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? In North Kansas City Missouri, there’s a nicely successful crowdfunding campaign to create a boardgame and RPG bar for friends and family to hang out at. It offers two spaces, a gaming bar and an event space, side-by-side so patreons can have a casual experience or a hosted one. They’ll have an RPG library with D&D, FATE, GURPS, CoC, and more. I’ve covered these types of campaigns and they tend to do alright which I attribute to locals wanting new gaming options, but this one is doing a bet better than most and I expect this campaign will reduce the sting of opening a new business.
Paw-lymorph Pet Toys from Jason Gomez
- END DATE: Thu, August 26 2021 3:38 PM EDT.
- PROJECT TYPE: Pet toy
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $14 + S/H for a single d20 pet toy
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you want your dog to have a d20 chew toy, this is your chance! Each die is 4 inches and made of food-grade rubber. I thought of other ways to position this campaign, but I don’t know if you need a hard sell; if it speaks to you and your pet, check out the campaign page.
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Amazon.
