RPG Crowdfunding News – Vast Grimm, Squeaks in the Deep, Dreampunk, and more

This week, I look at another field of RPG crowdfunding campaigns, these ending between July 27th and August 14th. I want to call attention to Vast Grimm because it’s crowdfunding on Gamefound, a tabletop gaming focused crowdfunding platform that has launched several boardgames to fantastic numbers. Vast Grimm brings TTRPGs to that platform and, as of this writing, the numbers are impressive considering there’s likely some social resistance to using a new crowdfunding platform. As a cataloger of RPG crowdfunding sites, I’m curious to see how the site will preform over time compared to Kickstarter, GameOnTabletop, and IndieGoGo.

Vast Grimm from Infinite Black

• END DATE: 8/2/2021, 9:30:00 PM
• SYSTEM(S): Mörk Borg variant
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $149 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book, GM screen, slipcase, playmat, multiple dice sets, pins, coins, and more
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Vast Grimm – Just a Taste is available for free via DriveThruRPG
• NOTE: This project is campaigning on Gamefound, a gaming-specific crowdfunding platform. Since new crowdfunding platforms can be a concern for those that prefer a solid track record to review, here’s the publisher Infinite Black’s track record on Kickstarter and the creator Brian Colin’s Kickstarter record
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? In the future, science has delved too deep and unleashed an alien worm infection upon humanity. As the horrors of this parasite overrun planets of humans, your goal is to survive and avoid infection in a universe rife with it. Using the Mörk Borg chassis, this game takes you to a dark place in space as you await the downfall of humanity. I did a playtest for this project and it does as advertised, taking the sick awesomeness of Mörk Borg to space. If you’re a fan of grim sci-fi OSRs in general or Mörk Borg in particular, this game will speak to you.

Squeaks in the Deep Tabletop Roleplaying Game from Onyx Path Publishing

• END DATE: Thu, August 12 2021 2:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Pugmire
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + S/H for the PDF, POD, and print versions of the book
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Not sure if Pugmire is the right system/setting for you? This OGL variant combines familiar rules with anthropomorphic dogs, cats, and, with this campaign, rodents. You can test out the full Pugmire ruleset on your phone free from DriveThruRPG
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? In a world of elevated dogs and cats, what about the rodents? This sourcebook adds two species to the realm of Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau, rats and mice. These species live in the Underneath and, despite their size, interact with the animals that live in the world above. Estimated at 150 to 200 pages, this book offers psionic rules as well as cultural notes about these socieites. If you’re a fan of Pugmine, Monarchies of Mau, The Secrets of Nimh, Mouse Guard*, or Redwell, this book is waiting to expand your tabletop fun.
• TRIVIA: Did you know that, after several years without new material, David Petersen’s Mouse Guard dropped a new comic last week? While this trivia isn’t related to this project, or strictly RPG-related (though the comic has an RPG), it’s a cool coincidence that a new issue of this fantasy mouse property is out at the same time as Eddy Webb’s mouse-centric Pugmire expansion is crowdfunding.

Dreampunk: a surreal TTRPG from Xavid

• END DATE: Sat, August 14 2021 10:59 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system inspired by Dream Askew and Dream Apart by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + $12 US S/H for the digital and print versions of the book and the cards
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? For those of you that don’t know, I created a dream-based RPG, POWERED by the DREAMR, and, as a creator, I’m always curious about other like RPGs, which compels me to cover as many as I can. This project takes dreamers, those with powers within dreams, and runs them through an evolving dream environment using a system of token economy art cards to prompt and inspire players. The concepts strike me as well considered and I think this has real potential in terms of telling an amazing, lucid dream story. If this 70-page project interests you, you can find samples and example playbooks on the campaign page.

The Lost Lights Campaign Setting for 5E & PF2E from Side Quest Press

• END DATE: Fri, August 13 2021 11:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition and Pathfinder 2e
• PROJECT TYPE: Campaign setting sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $37 + S/H for the PDF and softcover of the book
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Both the 5e and PF2e free previews are available through DriveThruRPG
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project offers a campaign setting for both 5e and PF2e rooted in Latin American and Middle Eastern mythologies. With two continents, one the victim of a millennia-long god war and the other a techno-theocracy that lacks its gods, this world may be interesting to your gaming table just for its differences from some settings. At 300 pages, this project promises ambitious options including new lineages, technologies, monsters, spells, and more.

Mag of Holding - Pirates and Seafaring Book for 5e YAAARGH! from Paddy Finn

• END DATE: Tue, July 27 2021 1:41 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG magazine
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £20 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the magazine plus additional items and events
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is the latest issue of Mag of Holding, a 5e RPG magazine featuring themed issues of content. For their latest issue, the topic is 100 pages of pirate themes including adventures, monsters, NPCs, and more. Crowdfunding has resurrected the idea of RPG magazines and getting to see another project that’s going for multiple issues is a win.

The Angels & Devils Trilogy (5e) from The Night Owl

• END DATE: Thu, August 12 2021 5:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure modules
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £19 for the PDF and POD versions of the books
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This campaign presents three adventure modules for levels 6 to 8 built around angels and demons. At 110 pages or more, these adventure include angelic boons, diabolical feats, monsters, lore about the angels and devils, cults, and more. If the idea of an adventure that leads to facing off against Pit Fiends and their horrors would excite your players, this adventure may be for you.

Celawyn's Guide to Wilderness and Fey from Chamomile Has A Project

• END DATE: Sat, July 31 2021 8:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: RPG zine
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $5 for the PDF of the zine
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This 5e zine focuses its pages on wilderness survival including rules for encumbrance, rest, hunting food and monsters, playing as a pixie, a new class, the Shapeshifter, and additional options. If your 5e game could use a quick boost of wilderness information, this project may offer just what you’re looking for.

​

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

 

[Sacrosanct]

If I may add, Chromatic Dungeons ends Aug 2 and is also funded.

• END DATE: Mon, Aug 2, 2021 8:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): OSR
• PROJECT TYPE: Rulebook and Zines
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $10 pledge for the digital package, which includes PDFs of the core rules, the Basic set, and all four Zines.
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Over the past several years toxic elements of the OSR have been taking over OSR communities, and has given the OSR a reputation of housing bigots. The events of the nu-TSR over the past month is coincidence, but just reaffirms this issue. This game brings the classic experience of old school gaming while implementing modern design sensibilities, and stresses inclusion and diversity for the representation within the game itself.
• NOTE This game is already finished, so there is no risk of failing to deliver. In fact, backer updates have included links to the full pdf rules for the Basic Set, Issue #1 of The Gnoll Sage, and over a dozen previews.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

WotC shouldn't lose sight of Pugmire franchise because this be a future adquisition, or a potential rival. It is designed to can be enough family friendly, where adults and children can play together. Antropomorphic animals are perfect to sell action figures and other toys. If I was Hasbro I would be very furious if Disney, Netflix, Paramount or Warner got the licence for a cartoon serie in the streaming plataform. Let's imagine an app in tablets working like the old gamebooks "Endless Quest" or "Choose your own adventure". Amused children enjoing that "almost videogame" or interactive tale later could wish some merchandising product.

Sorry, maybe I am not explaining with the right words. I say if some media company gets the licence of Pugmire to produce some cartoon serie, this could become a serious rival for "my little pony" and other Hasbro's franchises. Paradox Interactive could be adquired by a fatter fish because the entertaiment industry may be noticing the potential value of the brands from speculative fiction.

 

[Von Ether]

Psionic rodents? How NIMHmble of the Pugmire system.

 

[Egg Embry]

Psionic rodents? How NIMHmble of the Pugmire system.

Ha! I trust Eddy Webb to make this the perfect homage to the inspiration.

 

[Dire Bare]

I downloaded the free preview for the Lost Lights setting, and their take on race/lineage confused me. They seem to break traditional D&D races down into species and cultural components . . . but you inherit your species (ancestry) from your dad and your culture (lineage) from your mom. At least, that's what I took away from it.

I appreciate the idea of creating new settings based on non-European inspiration, but Lost Lights just didn't grab me, especially with the confusing race system.

Production values look high, however, with lots of great art!

 

[Von Ether]

WotC shouldn't lose sight of Pugmire franchise because this be a future adquisition, or a potential rival. It is designed to can be enough family friendly, where adults and children can play together. Antropomorphic animals are perfect to sell action figures and other toys.

My personal bugaboo about Pugmire (which is not a deal breaker) is while I know the only reason the post-apocalyptical backstory exists is to let you play D&D with anthropomorphic critters -- I wish it was more evident in the art.

There's some mention of how most magic items are lost human tech and how rediscovering plastic allows sailing across an acid sea, but the visuals look much more like an alternate reality than a recovering earth.

On the other hand, demon dogs are the bomb!

 

[Dire Bare]

My personal bugaboo about Pugmire (which is not a deal breaker) is while I know the only reason the post-apocalyptical backstory exists is to let you play D&D with anthropomorphic critters I wish it was more evident in the art. There's some mention of how most magic items are lost human tech and how rediscovering plastic allows sailing across an acid sea, but the visuals look much more like an alternate reality than a recovering earth.

On the other hand, demon dogs are the bomb!

Huh. I didn't know Pugmire was a post-apocalyptic setting. I just assumed it was a more fairy-tale animals-as-people kind of thing. Good to know.

 

[Von Ether]

Huh. I didn't know Pugmire was a post-apocalyptic setting. I just assumed it was a more fairy-tale animals-as-people kind of thing. Good to know.

The setting's big mystery is that humanity just vanished and none of the uplifted races know why. The canines strive to be Good Dogs to please man while the felines believe humanity was a race of djinn who served them.

On the other hand, there are invisible demons called the unseen that can possess intelligent critters and are perhaps more than they seem.

 

[MidnightBlue]

Okay, the picture of "Squirrel Robinhood" ALMOST got me into Pugmire...but I think my resolve still holds. Nothing against it, just not an immediate grab for me. I've already got TMNT/After the Bomb/Heroes Unlimited/Rifts and Mutant Genlab Alpha. I think I'm good on that front for now.

But I am a backer of Vast Grimm. Infinite Black already has a treasury of my money from all of their Elder Dice offerings, and my Mork Borg collection has been growing over the last year. Might as well add this to it too.