RPG Crowdfunding News – Starship Warden, Children of Eriu, TABLETOPS & TENTACLES, and more

On Christmas day, I’m looking at a sizable (for a holiday) collection of RPG crowdfunding projects that end between January 3rd and the 9th, including one co-written by James M. Ward, one that uses runes instead of dice, a new RPG magazine, and more unique projects!

The Starship Warden by Troll Lord Games

END DATE: Thu, January 9 2020 11:00 PM EST.
SYSTEM(S): ~~Metamorphosis Alpha~~ UPDATED: StarSiege RPG (which you can sample here)
PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $20 for the PDF
NOTE: James M. Ward freelances for EN World

“An unraveled dream of new worlds turned nightmare; lost in the deep beyonds, the Warden is your home, your world, your end. The Starship Warden is a sandbox adventure setting written by James M. Ward and Christopher Clark. The Starship Warden is a project long in the works. Originally the Starship appeared in James M. Ward's Metamorphis Alpha RPG, published in the bygone days of the 1970s. It has seen many iterations since then. Appearing in countless books and pubs, however, it has never been presented fully fleshed out and as its creator, James Ward, envisioned it. Now, for the first time, decades after its creation, The Starship Warden comes to life in all its 17 levels and as its master architect designed it. It is intended for use with the StarSiege RPG, a Siege Engine game, free with this Kickstarter. But, if you are loyal to the old MA, don't despair, the Starship Warden is written to allow you to use your original Metamorphis Alpha rules and begin a lifetime worth of play. The Starship Warden is a 650+ page black and white, hard cover book that will retail for $74.99, the digital version of the book will retail at $20.00. An interstellar starship, set adrift, with 17 monstrous decks to explore, hordes of creatures and mutants, treasures both fantastic and scientific, it is a world within a ship.”

The Children of Eriu by Andrew Valkauskas

END DATE: Fri, January 3 2020 9:00 AM EST.
SYSTEM(S): Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok
PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$140 + S/H for the print book and a set of wooden runes

“The Children of Eriu is a Celtic role-playing-game (RPG) set in the Fate of the Norns universe. The Children of Eriu (probably 450 pages) book includes everything in the Celtic Cyclopedia (estimated 150-200 pages). The encyclopedia includes the lore, history, and myth, but omits all game materials. Both books are filled with glorious maps and beautiful artwork. The players take up the mantle of heroes in a land struggling to find its identity. The 6 kingdoms, while all considered Celtic, have very distinct cultures. Mixed into the pagan beliefs are the revolutionary teachings of the White God, whose abbeys and monasteries have sprung up throughout the land. To this is added the daily threat of Viking invaders who seek to plunder and subjugate the Children of Eriu. The RPG uses the runic game system and will be the first book with the brand new 3.0 rules. RGS 3 streamlines play with unified mechanics, speeding up combat and providing players with meaningful choices. By replacing dice with runes, your game is less about "did the dice let me do it?" and becomes "what do I want to do? and how do I want to do it". The game system also has 3 levels of crunch, where each player can play at the complexity level they enjoy, sharing in the same experience. To play the game, you can download the Fate of the Norns app (iOS and Android) or play with physical Futhark runes. The Children of Eriu is a standalone RPG, having its own rules, and doesn't require the Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok core rulebook to play. After this project is delivered, we will be providing a free PDF of how to merge these two games together, since they are designed to be compatible with one another.”

The StoryMaster's Tales __Deeper into the Woods__Hybrid RPG.png

The StoryMaster's Tales "Deeper into the Woods" Hybrid RPG by Oliver McNeil

END DATE: Fri, January 3 2020 6:55 PM EST.
SYSTEM(S): An original system
PROJECT TYPE: RPG boardgame expansion
MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £15 + £7 US S/H for multiple cards, pads, a bag, and more

“Explore more of the Weirding Woods. Fantasy Roleplaying, Boardgame, Gamebook Hybrid gateway game for all ages 7-Adult 1-5 players. Enter a world of folklore fantasy, epic storytelling, and mighty magic! Set in the Grimm world of 18th Century dark fairytales. You will make your own treacherous pathway through the wild woodlands, encounter strange mystical creatures and find lost arcane artefacts. Deeper into the Woods Expansion, will bring you four new quests [and] four extra Classes to play: Bard, Wise Woman, Lost Children, and the Gentleman, [and] 15 new Story Card locations, 10 new Reward Cards, Extra rules, an extra Quest Log pad, cut out standees and a Green Bag! It will also have (Free to those that already own the first 50) 15 new narrated soundscapes as an option.”

City of Solstice: Low-Magic Urban Fantasy RPG by Apocalyptic Games

END DATE: Sun, January 5 2020 4:56 AM EST.
SYSTEM(S): OSR
PROJECT TYPE: Campaign setting
MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 for multiple PDFs and PODs

“The City of Solstice is a low-magic fantasy campaign for Old School RPGs, set in an ancient city, now ruled by the forces of evil. You are not adventurers. They’re dead. Just like His Royal Majesty, Prince Roth, Earl of the City of Solstice and his wife, the Princess Sirena. Their killers were the Star Society, five rival criminal organizations who joined together as one. They are: the Church of Mother Moon, led by the Shadow Shroud, a mysterious prophetess, the Nizari, most ruthless mercenary company in the known world, the shadow archers of the Sagittarius Sect, the mysterious elven executioners of the Order of Antares, and the martial arts masters known as the Five Forms. The city is now theirs in all but name. The Royal Chancellor, Lord Toren, Her Majesty’s Lord Protector, is officially in charge of the city. But everyone knows he’s a tired old man who looks the other way while terror rules the streets. You are members of the Vigilant, a thoroughly corrupted effigy of a once proud guild, charged with keeping order in a chaotic city of 100,000 souls. You are not adventurers. But you have a duty.”

Tome of Mercenaries by Terran Empire Publishing

END DATE: Wed, January 8 2020 1:13 PM EST.
SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 5e
PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $9 for the PDF

“A repository of mercenary companies you can add to your D&D 5e campaigns. The world of Shin'ar includes regions that are always in dispute between one race or faction against another. Most of the time, battles over these areas are handled by internal forces. Sometimes, however, a conflict calls for professional help in the form of a mercenary company. Included within the pages of the Tome of Mercenaries are 28 mercenary companies that one can find, and hire, on Shin'ar. Descriptions include their battle formations, number of soldiers, leadership, cost, and expertise. Specialized soldiers, such as a Centaur Lancer or a Wereboar Berserker, are detailed as well. Everything is included within the Tome of Mercenaries to join, hire, or start a mercenary company of your own. The Tome of Mercenaries is a 5th edition sourcebook that includes detailed descriptions of 28 mercenary companies, 60 new NPC stat-blocks, 4 adventuring parties, and tables for outfitting your own mercenary company. Also included are three new items (mercenary pack, wand of gooey restraint, and staff of rotting). The Tome is 79 full-color pages, delivered as a bookmarked PDF via Drivethrurpg.”

Tabletops and Tentacles by Deeply Dapper

END DATE: Thu, January 9 2020 9:15 PM EST.
SYSTEM(S): System neutral
PROJECT TYPE: RPG magazine
MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $18 (US and UK shipping included) for the PDF and print of the magazine

“The Tabletop Game, RPG, Art, Short Fiction and Comic Book magazine from Deeply Dapper. TABLETOPS AND TENTACLES is a monthly magazine that is designed to harken back to the classic magazines I loved growing up - Dragon, Dungeon, Wizard, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, SFX and Entertainment Weekly with a retro-modern twist. Each issue will be PACKED with content. TABLETOPS & TENTACLES will also feature original artwork, maps, photography and exclusive content. Each issue will be 6x9" and full color and will range between 40 and 100 pages. The first issue is currently landing at 70-80 pages with up to another 100 sketched out in Stretch Goals.”

RPG QUICK HITS AND ACCESSORIES

Memento Mori / Memento Vivere, a 5E/OSR Module & Setting by Judas Lynch

END DATE: Fri, January 3 2020 8:45 AM EST.
“If Lovecraft & Kafka shook hands, the place where their clammy flesh touched would be this book. A game of madness, magic, and meaning.”

Meeple Coasters by 3Mates Games

END DATE: Sat, January 4 2020 3:00 AM EST.
“The ideal accessory for those that like to have a drink while playing games.”

Dice, Potions, and Spells: Casting Dice for Tabletop RPG's by David Savedge

END DATE: Sat, January 4 2020 7:00 PM EST.
“Handmade Brass Dice and Copper Bottles for Casting Magic in Role Playing Games.”

Zucati Dice Perfect Plastic™: Celestials by Zucati LLC

END DATE: Sat, January 4 2020 11:30 PM EST.
“Injection molded acrylic dice in six colors with options for polished with ink or raw finish styles.”

Baron of Blackwatch by Bard College Games

END DATE: Sun, January 5 2020 10:01 AM EST.
“An Adventure module for the fifth edition of the world's best-selling roleplaying game.”

Monster & Content Conversion Guide for Pathfinder to 5E/P2E by Infinium Game Studio

END DATE: Sun, January 5 2020 12:29 PM EST.
“A step-by-step guide to converting monsters, NPCs, and adventure content from P1E to Fifth Edition/5E and Pathfinder Second Edition P2E.”

Medieval, Tales from Europe - a 5e RPG setting by Tales For Gamers Publishing

END DATE: Mon, January 6 2020 5:42 PM EST.
“A realistic medieval 5e RPG setting to take you into an historical and dangerous journey.”

Deal with the Dead; The Zombie RPG by Emil Thorngren Ibsen

END DATE: Thu, January 9 2020 2:58 PM EST.
“I'm making an Awesome Post-apocalyptic Zombie Survival Tabletop RPG for you and your friends to play.”

If you celebrate it, Merry Christmas!

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Last edited: Dec 26, 2019