RPG Crowdfunding News – Space 1889, TableTone, Grim Hollow, and more

This week’s article covers crowdfunding projects that end between December 15th through the 20th. Some are the return of popular franchises like Space 1889 and Grim Hollow while others are one-shots and original concepts. This is a sampling of what RPG projects available via Kickstarter, Backerkit, GameFound, GameOnTabletop, IndieGoGo, and more during the holiday season.

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Space 1889: After - 5e / Empyrean Steampunk RPG from Strange Owl Games

• END DATE: Thu, December 15 2022 9:59 AM EST.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition and Empyrean System
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $40 for PDFs of the book in both game systems
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Space 1889 is back with a new iteration, this one for either 5e or the Empyrean System. Invoking Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and A. Conan Doyle as touchstones, this RPG is set in an alternative Victorian era with steampunk elements used to explore the Earth, Moon, Mars, and Venus. This RPG has the task of bringing all of the lore and ideas of the prior versions of Space 1889 together in one package. With the new version, there’s a need to unite the lore from the older versions which, in this case, the creators opted to move the timeline up to 1899. With that move, they should be able to address the prior editions and make sure everyone’s idea of the setting is respected. If you’re a fan of steampunk, this campaign brings an RPG that is one of the most storied visions of steampunk back to tabletop.

Grim Hollow: Citadel of the Unseen Sun by Ghostfire Gaming

• END DATE: Dec 15, 2022 at 4:00am PST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure path
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $120 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the six books, slipcase, maps, and tokens
• DISCLAIMER: I blog for Ghostfire Gaming. I did not work on this project
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Ghostfire Gaming and Grim Hollow are part of the million dollar RPG Kickstarter club. Ghostfire is breaking new crowdfunding ground by campaigning on Backerkit instead of Kickstarter with a six-book adventure covering levels 1 to 13. This campaign offers over 500 pages of dark fantasy 5e content with dozens of monsters and spells already available as a PDF, but not offered as a collection of hardcovers for the first time. Set in Etharis’ Ostoyan Empire, you’ll discover an artifact and battle your way through Necropolis. If you’re looking for a 5e adventure path of grimdark fantasy in an extensive world, this is worth exploring.

Lightspeed RPG from LightspeedRPG

• END DATE: Thu, December 15 2022 9:27 AM EST.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$10 for the PDF of the RPG
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This original sci-fi RPG offers an experience akin to Firefly, the Millennium Falcon, or any crewed starship looking for profit through adventure. Expect classes, spaceships, combat, aliens, and, above all, outerspace adventures. In a different galaxy, you have spaceports, dark alleys, and megatowers, a setting designed for light space-based stories. If you’re looking for ships to pilot and an original system, this RPG may be the right fit for you and your crew.

TableTone, an Interactive Audio App for TTRPG Game Masters from Richard Tretzel

• END DATE: Thu, December 15 2022 10:02 AM EST.
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG accessory
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €219 (early bird pricing) for a lifetime subscription to this app and its soundscapes
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Need background music for your tabletop experience? This app lets you select music based on your character’s location, the intensity, and the scene’s mood. Using a few buttons, you can select the soundtrack in seconds. The app looks very intuitive so you’re able to dive in with only minimal instruction and use it on the fly. If you want music that fits the scenes you’re narrating, this app may be of interest to you.

Midwinter Ghost Stories: Spine-Chilling TTRPG Scenarios from Ex Stasis Games

• END DATE: Thu, December 15 2022 11:03 AM EST.
• SYSTEM(S): System neutral
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £10 for the PDF of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This collection of five adventures prides itself on being system neutral. I write “prides” because there’s a section that extols the reason system neutral makes sense for this project and they’re all valid reasons. For many adventures, the GM has to rewrite the content to fit their system, house rules, and the setting that they’re using, this eliminates the stat blocks and other clutter so you can get at into the re-write as easily as possible. For the adventures themselves, these stories are loosely linked by a wedding dress which ends up at a ball, a theater, made into pillowcases, torn into shreds in a ritual, and an attempt to animate itself. If a series of adventures that have a connecting thread (oy!) sounds good to you, then this might be the right set of ghost stories for you.

A 5E GM-Friendly Adventure - The Divine Forge from Quest Nest

• END DATE: Thu, December 15 2022 5:59 PM EST.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €55 gives you a lot including books, tokens, and more
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This adventure has a great deal of content per level with over 300 pages of 5e content dedicated to an adventure for levels 6 to 9. Averaging 75 pages per level, you’re getting a lot of detail. Your characters are learning about the Divine Forge, locations, deities, and factions as you deal with puzzles, riddles, new monsters, and more. If you’re looking for an adventure that is content heavy (again, roughly 75 pages per level), then this may be the one. Check out the campaign page for a free PDF preview of the book.

Vol 1. The Crimson Willow, Lovecraftian One-shot for 5E! 1$! from Steadfast Studio

• END DATE: Fri, December 16 2022 2:06 PM EST.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $1 gets you the PDF of the adventure, cards, and map
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Inspired by Lovecraftian and SCP stories, this one-shot pits you against The Crimson Willow. You’ll investigate a town, search its tunnels, and encounter human-animal hybrids as you look for an enemy that may be a lesser evil. This project features an original creature, cards, a map, and a low price point. If you’re interested in gambling a dollar, this might be a safe bet.

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The Edinburgh Horrors, Long Dead Ink from Peter Hollinghurst

• END DATE: Tue, December 20 2022 2:17 PM EST.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$60 for the PDF and POD discount for the books and Tarot cards
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project offers a new RPG system utilizing Tarot cards and an adventure to introduce you to a new ruleset. Set in a 1920s full of mystery, this RPG comes with a rulebook, a setting book, an introductory adventure, and Tarot cards to power your adventures. In 1925, you’re approached about recovering a book that may have the lost secrets of magic. Are you in?

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[LuisCarlos17f]

I guess Space1889 will enjoy more sucess thanks the adaptation to 5e. Lots of players don't want to learn new game systems beyond their comfort-zone. And to find other players are easier if everybody would rather to use the same system.

 

[ART!]

Space: 1889 After is very intriguing, but I don't see any mention of what the 5E content is other than new kinds of ships and - I assume - a few new races. Am I missing something?

 

[Egg Embry]

Space: 1889 After is very intriguing, but I don't see any mention of what the 5E content is other than new kinds of ships and - I assume - a few new races. Am I missing something?

I don't believe you are missing anything on the main page. There are a few details in the comments, but not an overwhelming amount.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Extremely weird and not great (imo) that they went with "Space 1889: After" instead of "Space: 1899." After has to be the most awkward tag/signal they could have used,

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Extremely weird and not great (imo) that they went with "Space 1889: After" instead of "Space: 1899." After has to be the most awkward tag/signal they could have used,

The brand is "1889," so they want that search engine discoverability. But yes, having a brand tied to a year is awkward with an advancing timeline.

 

[agrayday]

i am curious on the impact of oneD&D to all the 5E compatible projects coming out. Anyone know if Wizards is supplying them any info so there are no major changes, or are the statements by wizards saying all of the past products will be compatible enough to keep 3rd parties pumping out releases? I wonder what the impact is to sales if people are thinking hard about buying any 5E 3rd party products right now.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

i am curious on the impact of oneD&D to all the 5E compatible projects coming out. Anyone know if Wizards is supplying them any info so there are no major changes, or are the statements by wizards saying all of the past products will be compatible enough to keep 3rd parties pumping out releases? I wonder what the impact is to sales if people are thinking hard about buying any 5E 3rd party products right now.

Historically, edition changeovers have been brutal for products that come out around the time of the transition (RIP, Redhurst: Academy of Magic, you deserved better).

But as Mike Shea/Sly Flourish/Lazy Dungeon Master pointed out in a recent video, the most recent playtest packet suggests that this time, it looks like things will be compatible enough for 5E/1D&D products to be used together, if people want to. (1D&D stuff will likely be more powerful overall, but still usable.) The most recent packet even explains how to use old subclasses with the new cleric, for instance.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

The brand is "1889," so they want that search engine discoverability. But yes, having a brand tied to a year is awkward with an advancing timeline.

They also could have just called it Space 1889 3rd Edition (or whatever it is), and included updated timeline stuff.

Though really, if they think there's real appeal in making it feel substantially later and different from the original, why just do 10 years? Make Space: 1919, and have WWI be an interplanetary conflict that either started later or is still raging.

The whole thing just seems like sort of a bungled opportunity to me.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

A War War I take is a very good idea.