RPG Crowdfunding News – The Darkest House, HC SVNT DRACONES 2.0, Cerebox, and more

This week I look at Kickstarters and quickstarters that end between March 30th and April 18th. These projects range from stock art and sourcebooks to completely original horror RPGs and more.

The Darkest House from Monte Cook Games

• END DATE: Fri, April 2 2021 8:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): The House System
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $85 for the app, a digital art book, and tour of the House with Monte Cook
• NOTE: This product is for MAC OS X and Windows
• ADDITIONAL REPORTING: I have an interview with Charles M. Ryan, COO of Monte Cook Games coming this week
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you’re looking for a new idea in tabletop RPG, Monte Cook has it. The Darkest House is a tabletop RPG that offers several unique elements. First, it’s designed for any type of online play. Second, it allows you to adapt your characters from other campaigns to use this system. Third, it’s Monte Cook Games, one of the industry leaders with the resources to bring this vision to life. Because it’s new, this is something you need to see to truly grasp what Monte Cook has created. Fortunately, there are samples on the campaign page for Windows and MAC to test drive the experience, something I recommend.

HC SVNT DRACONES 2.0: Mastered from Weapons Grade Funk

• END DATE: Sun, April 18 2021 9:24 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): HC SVNT DRACONES Second Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $70 + $10 US S/H for the PDF and print version of the game
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you’re a fan of the sci-fi HC SVNT DRACONES Second Edition then this sourcebook offers stats for NPCs, rules for combat and interactions, ship stats, new species, and more. It’s worth grabbing to augment your campaign.

Solemn Vale™ from Dirty Vortex

• END DATE: Mon, April 12 2021 11:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $80 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book and map plus two additional PDFs
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This 320-page book offers a narrative driven folk horror RPG set in 1970s England. Inspired by Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971), The Wicker Man (1973), The Stone Tape (1972), Children of the Stones (1977), and The Shout (1978), this RPG promises a specific kind of horror that isn’t in every RPG, the feel of a single decade of cinema. If those properties speak to you, check out the campaign page.

Cerebos: The Crystal City from Penguin King Games Inc.

• END DATE: Sat, April 10 2021 9:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$65 + CA$20 US S/H for the digital, POD, and print versions of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? The 80-page book puts you on a train in an endless journey across the desert. A journey that’s so long, you’ve forgotten who you are. The quest is to rediscover who your character is over the course of the journey. If this speaks to you, on the campaign page, there’s a 15-page preview of the project.

Allies & Adversaries: NPCs for D&D 5th Edition from EN Publishing

• END DATE: Tue, March 30 2021 5:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £10 for the PDF
• DISCLAIMER: EN World is owned by EN Publishing
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This time EN Publishing offers a collection of NPCs for 5e. These projects always speak to me as I hate rolling up NPCs. This one offers five NPCs from underground, three fey NPCs, four orcs, a dragonborn mercenary company (plus two new monsters), and four dark NPCs blown in by the storm (and an adventure hook). If you need a collection of specific NPCs, this one has you covered.

Wisp from Adela Grace

• END DATE: Sat, April 10 2021 10:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system inspired by Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands, The Quiet Year, and Fiasco
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG zine
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$50 + CA$15 US S/H for the game box, zine, deck of cards, coin, scale, notepad, tokens, and PDFs
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This two-player RPG has one character play a will o’ the wisp and the other a lost mortal as they grow together and apart. It sounds interesting as you’ll draw prompt cards to set and resolve scenes in this tale of a supernatural being and a human. This game asks how their interactions will change each other?

The Demonology of Lire Goest Vol. 1 from Phil Stone Illustration

• END DATE: Sun, April 11 2021 8:53 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $45 + $5 US S/H for the hardcover (no PDF)
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This over 200-page book features 25 named demons in a grimoire meant to be as much art book as a sourcebook. With each demon getting 3 to 5 pages of text, stats, and illustration, expect summoning sigils, great art, and spells in Latin for you to bring the perfect demon into your character’s lives.

NeverEnding II: Create Your DnD Character How You See Them! from NeverEnding, Inc.

• END DATE: Tue, April 13 2021 1:00 PM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: Web app
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $9 for 18 months of access to the character customization tools and premium options
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project expands on NeverEnding’s existing web app that allows you to create custom looks for your character and share them in scenes. This tool is an online character and scene builder with animation options and this campaign will amp up the offerings with more body styles and features. If this interests you, check out the campaign’s FAQ to sign up for a free account and test this out.

Dungeon Dangers & Devices from Jeshields

• END DATE: Tue, March 30 2021 9:00 PM EDT.
• PROJECT TYPE: Stock art
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 for 25 black and white images and a commercial license
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you’re a publisher in need of fantasy trap artwork, Jeshields has you covered. 25 images with the license to use them in your work, this offering gets into a lesser explored area, devices that protect treasures and inflict pain. If you need some device images to go with your work, these promise to be solid pieces to work with.

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Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Amazon.

 

[embee]

Buckskin scrolls sounds cool until you actually see how low-grade it seems to have been implemented.

Actual parchment can be sourced and would probably have a much better result, albeit at a higher cost.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Outside of the scope of this article, but you've got about a day left to pledge for Goodman Games' Crypt of the Devil Lich, which is being updated and converted to both 5E and DCC. It was their 2004 tournament module for 3E, a killer dungeon homage to Tomb of Horrors.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Curious about The Darkest House? Monte is on Cypher Unlimited talking about the House that Hungers (and probably lots of other stuff) at 10 EDT tonight (7PDT). They take questions, so if you have them, this is a great chance to get answers straight from the creator!

 

[Paragon Lost]

I want to thank you Egg for doing this weekly article. Kickstarter does a terrible job at sending emails about Kickstarter's that interest me. You'd think they'd send better emails since they have an accurate list of every Kickstarter I've backed over the years. Nope, they don't. Lol

Of course maybe I should say, "Bad Egg! Bad!" Cause you cause me to spend more on Kickstarters! 🏍

 

[Paragon]

Agreed, I appreciate these highlights. Kickstarter is terrible at that. I never get gaming related from them.

 

[CharlesRyan]

The Kickstarter for The Darkest House is on fire, but I'm sad for the many thousands of gamers who haven't yet discovered it. If that's you, WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO. And try the demo (http://mymcg.info/thedarkesthouse). If you aren't impressed, I'll eat my hat*.

Hurry--the Kickstarter ends today.

* Hat may or may not be made of chocolate.