This week, I look at some of the RPG Kickstarters and GameOnTabletop campaigns that end by June 18th. The number of campaigns has increased and the results are overwhelmingly positive as the Kicktraq charts graph. While this list is composed heavily of RPGs, I include one stock art project and link a gaming convention planning to launch post-pandemic.
THE BOOK OF FIENDS 5E from Green Ronin Publishing 
Exalted Vales: Region and Campaign Guide for D&D 5th edition from TheInkPlot
The Mineralogy Manual from Deep Dungeon Games
Tiny Thunderscape: A Tiny D6 Role-Playing Game from Kyoudai Games
Lost in the Fantasy World from Old Skull Publishing and Gallant Knight Games
The Epic of Dreams RPG: Basilisk Edition from Drew Cochran
Roll & Play: The Game Master's Tabletop Toolkit from Sam Bartlett
Project Fantasy Portrait Fundraiser from Fat Goblin Games
RPG QUICK HITS
More Perilous Journeys from Gaming Ballistic
- END DATE: 06/09/2020 17:59 (GMT-4)
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $70 for the PDF and print copies of the book plus a PDF of The Book of the Righteous
- NOTE: My interview with Will Sobel of Green Ronin Publishing about this campaign drops next week here at EN World
- NOTE TWO: This crowdfunding campaign is hosted on GameOnTabletop
“Green Ronin's classic The Book of Fiends monster book returns in a new edition with Fifth Edition rules. The Abyss. Hell. Gehenna. These Planes of Perdition are home to the wickedest denizens of the multiverse and The Book of Fiends brings them crashing into your 5E campaign! This 200+ page, beautifully illustrated, full-color hardback includes details on the nine Lords of Hell, the seven Exarchs of Gehenna, and a plethora of Demon Princes. Over 130 daemons, devils, demons, and other creatures of the Lower Planes. Monsters with challenge ratings from 0 to 31; there are foes for characters of all levels. Info on the celestial choirs and the fallen angels. Details on the Abyss, Hell, and Gehenna and their place among the planes. What’s more, all the rules and stats in The Book of Fiends were designed by Robert J. Schwalb (of Shadow of the Demon Lord fame), who was on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition design team. The rest of the original design team is also stellar: Aaron Loeb (Book of the Righteous), Erik Mona (Paizo Publishing), and Chris Pramas (AD&D Guide to Hell).”
- END DATE: Fri, June 12 2020 12:08 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$85 + CA$18 US S/H for the PDF and hardcover of the book plus the digital pack and a card deck
- NOTE: At High Level Games, I have an interview with William Martin of TheInkPlot about this campaign (here)
“A roleplaying supplement for 5E, centered around mystic phenomena. Includes new classes, and a campaign of intrigue and investigation. Exalted Vales is an elaborate campaign setting for D&D 5e. The book is about 250 pages, hardcover in full color, with a lot of illustrations. The book is written by Renaud Bartens, veteran of the video game industry, game design consultant and author, who has been running D&D campaign for more than twenty years. For players, this book offers new races, classes, archetypes, backgrounds and feats to create unique heroes, whether they were born in the strange lands of the Exalted Vales or are simply passing through. For game masters, it is a complete guide to the mystic region of the Exalted Vales: Locations, characters, mysteries and plenty of help to bring the unique themes of the Exalted Vales to life.”
- END DATE: Sun, June 14 2020 8:46 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $20 for 8 PDFs
- NOTE: Try before you buy with the PWYW The Mineralogy Manual - Sample Pages at DriveThruRPG
“Everything one needs to bring the natural earth of their fantasy world to life in one 400+ page groundbreaking tome! The Mineralogy Manual is a world-building guide to provide Dungeon Masters and Players with the tools to craft their worlds from the ground up (quite literally). The focus of this book by Deep Dungeon Games is the ground on which we stand - the earth itself and all the wonders it contains. The Mineralogy Manual also includes a set of five complete adventures (using the 5th Edition ruleset), designed from the ground up to showcase the different aspects of the mineral and elemental resources showcased in the book. This provides an excellent introduction to many different systems and can act as the perfect starting point for a whole earthen or Dwarven campaign. These adventures are ready to run as soon as you get the book, including everything you’ll need to craft your versions of named metal swords, armor, and other earthen devices.”
Tiny Thunderscape: A Tiny D6 Role-Playing Game from Kyoudai Games
- END DATE: Fri, June 12 2020 12:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): TinyD6
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $35 for the PDF and POD (softcover and hardcover) of the book plus PDF starter kit
“The newest version of the Thunderscape role-playing game, set in a fantasy world of horror and industry! Aden is a world of magic and wonder, a world where sorcery and technology developed separately from one another, unable to be merged until the discovery of a miraculous mineral called Manite, which could hold enchantments permanently. [T]he world of Aden struggles to defeat a foe they do not understand. The many factions of the Known Lands work tirelessly to preserve life, defeat the Nocturnals, and stave off the increasing friction between the surviving nations. The divination of the Seers, the manifested legends of the Thaumaturges, the rigid enforcement techniques of the Arbiters, the horrifying insect-magic of the Entomancers, and many others are all brought to bear. And now, in recent years, new secrets about Aden's past have been discovered, secrets that might finally explain the horror of the Darkfall...”
Lost in the Fantasy World from Old Skull Publishing and Gallant Knight Games
- END DATE: END DATE: Fri, June 12 2020 12:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): An original system
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $20 for the PDF and POD of the book
- NOTE: I talk to Diogo Nogueira of Old Skull Publishing about this campaign at d20 Radio tomorrow
“A family and kid-focused roleplaying game about being modern heroes lost in a new world of fantasy and adventure! Lost in the Fantasy World is an adventure game where players assume the roles of kids from the real world who have been magically transported to a Fantasy World of magic and monsters. Gifted with strange and amazing artifacts by the mysterious Mentor, they struggle against all the dangers of the Fantasy World in their seemingly endless and surprisingly episodic quest to find a way home. Armed with these amazing artifacts, they often find themselves caught up in strange adventures where only their courage and these powerful relics offer any hope of protecting a realm riddled with peril and danger!”
- END DATE: Wed, June 17 2020 11:59 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): An original dice-optional system
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $35 + $6 US S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book plus an art print
- NOTE: I talk to Drew Cochran about this campaign at d20 Radio next week
“The Epic of Dreams RPG is a Diceless Role-Playing Game which features easy to learn rules that foster a Pinnacle immersive Role-Play experience. Instead of using dice as a resolution mechanic, we use a number guessing game called "The Circle of The Muse". The GM (called the Singer of Tales) decides a hidden range of numbers in their mind, and asks the Hero Players to guess the numbers they're thinking of (with their own number range). If any numbers match, the Hero succeeds at the task they're struggling to accomplish. This minimizes mental math, and time spent thinking "out of character". We want the mechanical tempo of gameplay to be lightning fast - to keep the drama and fantasy thick, building up that sweet sweet immersive role-play experience. You can always choose to roll a D20 for your Circle Check if you prefer! The Basilisk Edition will be printed in a softcover A5 format, with 200+ pages of resources.”
Roll & Play: The Game Master's Tabletop Toolkit from Sam Bartlett
- END DATE: Thu, June 18 2020 4:20 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): System neutral
- PROJECT TYPE: GM resource
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £14 + £10 US S/H for the print copy of the book
“This generator book will help you to run more varied and exciting games! Compatible with D&D and many other tabletop RPGs. We have all been there. You have introduced a background character, tavern interior, or maybe you briefly mentioned a chair in the corner… then your players ask you every conceivable detail about it. Even the most experienced game masters need a helping hand sometimes, and that is where Roll & Play comes in. This 94-PAGE book is packed with generators, loot producers and setting inspiration which will help you master your game on the fly, and help to add richer detail to the world you create.”
Project Fantasy Portrait Fundraiser from Fat Goblin Games
- END DATE: Thu, June 18 2020 4:20 PM EDT.
- PROJECT TYPE: Stock art
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 for a hi-res B&W (just lineart) fantasy portrait of you
- NOTE: This campaign is run directly by Rick Hershey of Fat Goblin Games. I backed the campaign and he drew the above picture for me the next day. The quality and turnaround were incredible.
“The Fattest Goblin has lost his ride and needs a new vehicle to haul around the little goblins and the Goblin Queen. Our only vehicle (a 2001 Mazda Millennium) had a bad weekend, caught fire on the highway, and blew its engine. Unfortunately, its time was up and we find ourselves in need of a replacement as soon as possible. With all that said, I don't feel comfortable just asking for money, especially with a global pandemic going on and so many people struggling. So, I want to do a project, and hopefully you like the project and want to be a part of it — get cools stuff — and support a hardworking creative. I want to draw your likeness as a B&W (just lineart) fantasy portrait. For those who support this fundraiser, you'll be able to submit a photo of yourself and I will draw a fantasy character with your likeness. I will provide you with a hi-res copy of the image for your personal use and when the fundraiser is done I will collect all the images and create an NPC journal.”
RPG QUICK HITS
More Perilous Journeys from Gaming Ballistic
- END DATE: Sat, June 13 2020 11:00 PM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “Five new adventures for Steve Jackson Games' The Fantasy Trip. Published by Gaming Ballistic, LLC.”
- END DATE: Tue, June 9 2020 12:00 PM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “A remastered version of the ENnie Award winning RPG adventure, The Stygian Library.”
- END DATE: Tue, June 16 2020 4:47 AM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “A sandboxy campaign for Dungeons & Dragons 5th ed. with a unique exponential encounter system suitable for characters of any level.”
- END DATE: Wed, June 17 2020 8:56 AM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “A tabletop RPG supplement inspired by the eldritch, violent world of 90's FPS computer games.”
- END DATE: Mon, June 15 2020 11:00 AM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “A 5e-compatible setting to restor a fallen mythological kingdom.”
- END DATE: Mon, June 15 2020 3:40 PM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “Steampunk Inspired Adventure Campaign Book for the Fifth Edition D&D.”
- END DATE: Thu, June 18 2020 2:06 PM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- “Characters, lore, and short fiction for superhero and pulp adventure RPGs.”
- END DATE: Sun, June 7 2020 2:00 PM EDT.
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- NOTE TWO: As with the Project Fantasy Portrait Fundraiser above, this campaign supports Rick Hershey of Fat Goblin Games: “All of the post-tax funds will be sent directly to Rick Hershey and his family to help them buy their car. Geeks Collaborative Gaming will keep nothing except what is needed to make an estimated tax payment.”
- “A solo to 6+ player RPG adventure that uses a simple D6 system and does not require a Game Master! Complete with core rulebook and more.”
- END DATE: Fri, June 12 2020 2:00 PM EDT.
- EVENT DATES: “The event will start on a Friday and end on the following Sunday. The date is TBD by the progress of the virus.”
- EVENT LOCATION: “The Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin”
- NOTE: Link to this project’s Kicktraq information (here)
- NOTE TWO: During the pandemic, Egg Embry and EN World believe in vigilance and careful consideration when considering attending any social functions during the pandemic.
- “This will be an awesome celebration of life, games, and adventure!”
