RPG CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Aetherial Expanse, Tribes in the Dark, Crowmere, and more

There are 5e, MÖRK BORG, and Shadowdark RPG options as well as Forged in the Dark and Into the Odd games.

Aetherial Expanse: Dreams of the Drowned God from Ghostfire Gaming

• END DATE: Fri, September 12 2025 8:00 PM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2024)
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book plus the adventure handout pack
• DISCLAIMER: I have freelanced for Ghostfire Gaming. I am not involved in this project
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Do you love Spelljammer complete with the epic storytelling and stakes of a multiverse in peril? Then Aetherial Expanse: Dreams of the Drowned God, awaits. 220 pages of multiple worlds, cosmic conspiracies, and mysteries that you’ll have to unravel as you jaunt from levels 1 to 13. From Ghostfire Gaming, the makers of Grim Hollow for your tabletop and D&D Beyond, you’ll get outstanding concepts, great writing, and beautiful artwork to transport you from your standard campaign to something cosmic. Speaking to the quality of their products, the number of publishers that were invited for official D&D Beyond releases are few, with one of the top criteria for the invite being the publisher’s production values and thorough playtesting. Ghostfire Gaming passes both tests with flying colors. If you’re interested in seeing the results for yourself, check out the Kickstarter page to learn more.

Tribes in the Dark - Roleplaying Game from Dream Pod 9

• END DATE: Sun, September 14 2025 10:00 PM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Forged in the Dark
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$50 for the ebook version of the book as well as a POD discount coupons for either the softcover or hardcover version of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? After the apocalypse, there are 7 tribes. However, you have been exiled from those 7, meaning you must join with others to form Tribe 8. This Kickstarter updates the Electrum best-selling 1st edition and 2nd edition of the game from their original engines to use Forged in the Dark. This is a complete revision of the game, created by fans of the original, this is an official homage published by Dream Pod 9. Think struggle, transformation, dreams, resistance, found family, dream-fueled magic, horror, and hope as you attempt to survive the world and tribes that you once called family. If you’re a fan of the original Tribe 8, check out this Kickstarter to learn more about the latest edition.

Of Coal & Corpses - A Rotpunk Solo RPG from Overland Empire

• END DATE: Thu, September 11 2025 10:00 AM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): MÖRK BORG
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £25 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
• AI STATEMENT: “NO AI-generated content. Hand-drawn embellishments & illustrations”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is a solo RPG, though the campaign page states it is compatible with GM-led MÖRK BORG. That said, let’s focus on the solo element. In a rotting world without law, only industry, you are a traveling miner. The locals distrust you because you are a scab, the industrials want you because you’re labor, and the mines are all you know. Delve deep and dig up minerals, mysteries, and monsters. If the idea of solo mining in a hexcrawl and procedurally generated world sound original enough to tempt you, check out this Kickstarter page.

Secrets of Myst: An Anime Inspired 5e/One D&D Supplement from Warlock Pod

• END DATE: Thu, September 11 2025 10:04 AM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2024)
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $15 for the PDF version of the book
• AI STATEMENT: “We firmly believe in paying human artists to create the visuals for this project, so in addition to not using any generative AI to write the ANY of the content in the supplement, AI will not create any of the artwork!”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Secrets of Myst combines anime storytelling and action with 5e rules. Based on the D&D fantasy audio drama Warlock, this 5e sourcebook gives you all you need to play in that world. You’ll get monsters and settings from their audio storyline as well as plot hooks and, of course, classes so you can immerse your characters in this world. If you love anime and/or Warlock, check out this campaign for more details about the project.

FALLEN BLADES / ENDLESS STARS, a Space Opera rpg zine from Kobayashi

• END DATE: Sat, September 13 2025 8:08 AM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): “Rules based on Chris McDowall's Into the Odd”
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rule zine
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €9 for the PDF of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Do you want to play as Space Knights? There’s an evil empire and only you, Space Knight, wielder of the Mazeblade, can stand in its path. Using a variant of Into the Odd, this 40-page zine gives you the GM-led rules for characters, ships, combat, apprentices, adventure seeds, and even solo options. If you want to fight empires in space, this zine may be for you. This project is available as a PDF-only through Kickstarter. When asked why there’s no POD option, Kobayashi, the creator, suggested that, since it is a zine, it can be printed at home or via a local printer. With the new era of tariffs, I’m curious if RPG zines will push their fans to obtain the PDF and use a local printer for their print edition? When Zine Month rolls around, I’ll be interested to see if there are a greater number of self-zine options.

Crowmere: Folktales for a Sunless Age (made for Shadowdark) from Deimos Infinitum Publishing

• END DATE: Wed, September 17 2025 2:40 AM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Shadowdark RPG
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $99 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book plus adventures, characters, and the comic book
• AI STATEMENT: “Best of all, it is all beautifully decorated with 100% human-made art.”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? In a folklore rich world where the sun never will rise again, the horrors start. The moon shines, harvest rituals require sacrifice, and only the vile can thrive in this world. There’s a feeling that this is ideal for the feel of MÖRK BORG, but uses Shadowdark to adjudicate the rules, especially the famous no infravision/torch mechanic rules. The core setting book/sourcebook is 150 pages of new classes, spells, monsters, and adventure hooks to draw you into a world of darkness and terror. This is as much setting as it is new crunch, a world that embraces the name of Shadowdark in every way. The campaign also offers a comic book, Dreadful Tales of Crowmere. This anthology comic lets you get the feel for the monsters and mythology of this setting. If you want a world of endless night, one without the coming sun, try out this Kickstarter to learn more about Crowmere.

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[Kobayashi]

Thanks a lot for the shout-out!

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I wanted to slide in here and mention RAPTOR RUCKUS ALSO JUST LAUNCHED!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/epicrpgs/raptor-ruckus-rpg-0