This week’s TTRPG crowdfunding sampler looks at projects that end between May 30 to June 2. In it, I look at projects that use 5e, Shadowdark, OSR, Hell Night, Call of Cthulhu, and other TTRPG options.
Delve – a Guide to Dungeons for 5E & Shadowdark RPG from Bob World Builder and Eventyr Games
Scions of the Dark Goddess - A modern era Call of Cthulhu campaign from Shadowlands Games
Worlds at a Glance: 5E tools to describe towns, shops & NPCs from GM-Worlds
Lyre's Guide to Risk & Reward: A 5th Edition Bestiary from Nat19
THE BLACK RAINBOW SOCIETY from Gavriel Quiroga
Demeter 3038 from Cheatin' Fair Games
Ruthless Heavens, Boundless Fate from Black Oath Games
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.
Delve – a Guide to Dungeons for 5E & Shadowdark RPG from Bob World Builder and Eventyr Games
- END DATE: Fri, May 31 2024 5:59 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition and Shadowdark RPG
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $40 + S/H for the 5e versions of the PDF and print plus the Shadowdark RPG version of the PDF
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This book is all about dungeons. You’ll get over 10 dungeons with new monsters, magic items, traps, and player options. There are guides and tools to make encounters deadlier, which will be interesting if the advice for 5e is different than that for Shadowdark, since the systems have a different calculation when it comes to determining what make an encounter “deadly.” If you’re interested in this project, there are two preview PDFs on the campaign page, one for each system so you can experience Delve based on your gaming preferences. Pulling back from the book and talking about the crowdfunding itself, I want to highlight and celebrate this campaign for its price point. $40 gets you the print book for one system and the PDFs for both systems. Many campaigns try to double dip by providing the same system for both print and PDF, requiring you to buy the same book twice to get both systems. After the crowdfunding ends that idea makes sense, but through the crowdfunding campaign, not so much. The Delve campaign offers two paths: $25 gets you the PDFs for both systems while $40 gets you both PDFs and one print book for one system or that other. While each system has its own costs associated with developing, it’s a big gesture to the backers that they can get both systems digitally for one price. I’d love to see more multi-system campaigns support multi-system gamers like this.
Scions of the Dark Goddess - A modern era Call of Cthulhu campaign from Shadowlands Games
- END DATE: May 30, 2024 at 3:00pm EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
- SYSTEM(S): Call of Cthulhu 7E
- PROJECT TYPE: Campaign
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €94 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the campaign book, the handouts, pre-gens, box, dice, and more
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is Call of Cthulhu, but today. What if the Black Goat with a Thousand Young were here in 2024? Would it terrify? Would it trend? In an apathetic world that feels it’s experienced everything, would the Mythos be able to move behind the scenes more easily? Could they bringing about the end of it all while everyone is too distracted with today’s over stimulation? This campaign is presented as a 380-page book with a boxed set of in-game artifacts and more. Because this is set in the now, the designers went beyond just providing in-game handouts. There are also digital options like “social media accounts, websites, interactive maps and even a podcast.” This project embraces the idea of a modern boxed set mystery and expands upon it. If the Scions of the Dark Goddess interests you, you can download the prologue for free via the Backerkit campaign page.
Worlds at a Glance: 5E tools to describe towns, shops & NPCs from GM-Worlds
- END DATE: Thu, May 30 2024 5:59 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €52 + S/H for the PDF and print version of the book
- AI STATEMENT: “We work with REAL artists, NO AI”
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Their tag line is: “Be prepared for anything, without any prep.” The idea behind Worlds at a Glance is a quick reference book that easily allows you to make a town, its shops, the NPCs, related rumors, side quests, and more in a quick read through. For some GMs, this book and accompanying cards will be a help in populating their towns. If you need quick adventure support, this project may interest you.
Lyre's Guide to Risk & Reward: A 5th Edition Bestiary from Nat19
- END DATE: Sat, June 1 2024 11:34 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): A custom Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition rule subset from Nat19 titled 5.19th Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebooks
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: CA$ 30 for the PDF versions of the books plus VTT assets
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Do you like mechs, sci-fi, and 5e rules with slight variations? This Kickstarter is funding Lyre's Guide to Risk & Reward, a sourcebook for Nat19’s campaign world. You’re getting over 200 NPCs, monsters, divine boons, rules for using mechs in 5.19e, and more. Their previous campaign provided 5e content for their setting with Lyre's Guide to Retia, and if this project interests you, check out the campaign page for a sample of that book.
THE BLACK RAINBOW SOCIETY from Gavriel Quiroga
- END DATE: Sun, June 2 2024 7:04 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Hell Night
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $29 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book plus the PDF of Hell Night
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: I interviewed Gavriel Quiroga about this project which you can read here.
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Gavriel Quiroga specializes in grindhouse OSR experiences that lean into the rough edges of gonzo horror, dark encounters, drugs, and expected demons. His games are artbooks that combine metal, punk, ‘70s and ‘80s fantasy sci-fi with slasher horror elements and, in the case of THE BLACK RAINBOW SOCIETY, the works of William Burroughs. What comes out is an adventurous RPG perfect for fans of action, danger, blood, guts, and the strange. This book has a great punk zine vibe as you play radical psychonauts guilty of stealing an experimental military drug. What comes next will change their reality forever. If you’re on the fence about this game, remember that for the “Risks and challenges” section of the Kickstarter campaign page, Gavriel listed: “Not losing my mind.” It’s a legitimate concern because the characters will lose theirs.
Demeter 3038 from Cheatin' Fair Games
- END DATE: Fri, May 31 2024 8:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Diminishing Die Pool (DDP)
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rule zine
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $10 gets you the PDFs to play this TTRPG
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project offers a sci-fi horror one-shot complete with all of the rules you’ll need to play. The title and plot implies that Dracula, or a similar force, awakens aboard a colony ship in deep space. Because it’s in deep space, there are limited resources and opportunities to deal with this challenge. To simulate those limits, this one-shot uses a system that reduces your dice pool size at certain points. As challenges arise and you roll to resolve them, your dice pool may permanently decrease until you run out of dice and options. If you’re looking horror, sci-fi, and an easy-to-use system for a single session, this game may speak to you.
Ruthless Heavens, Boundless Fate from Black Oath Games
- END DATE: Thu, May 30 2024 6:01 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): d20 OSR ruleset
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €45 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book plus a POD print discount coupon
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project is a LitRPG OSR, a subgenre that feels under explored in the light of TTRPG and LitRPG occupying similar geek spaces. That alone makes this game a worthwhile read. You’re the leader of a fantasy nation when powerful otherworldly beings appear. They’re more powerful than you are, which means you must level up to defend your nation. Designed for solo or group play, this TTRPG puts you in control of an avatar that you must build up to ensure the safety of those that depend on you. The concept is sci-fi fantasy, visually like the artwork of Moebius’ comics, mechanically it uses a d20 OSR system. If the idea of LitRPG speaks to you, check out the campaign page for a free download of the quickstart.
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.
