This week’s TTRPG crowdfunding sampler features campaigns that end between April 25 to May 1. This article features a crowdfunding first: Getting D&D Beyond support via a Kickstarter. In addition, I feature several boxed sets, a second edition of The Laundry RPG, some solo options, and a neat idea for an outdoor gaming space.
Monsters of Drakkenheim - 5E Monsters with Lore Lairs & Loot from Ghostfire Gaming and Dungeon Dudes
Cairn 2e Boxed Set from Space Penguin Ink, LLC
The Laundry Roleplaying Game from Cubicle 7
Cloud Empress: Life & Death from worlds by watt
The Substratum Protocol from Pandion Games
Infaernum by Mind's Vision
Grow & Build - Dogpatch Games' Community Campaign
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.
Monsters of Drakkenheim - 5E Monsters with Lore Lairs & Loot from Ghostfire Gaming and Dungeon Dudes
- END DATES: Thu, April 25 2024 7:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
- PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S/H for PDF and print versions of the book, bookmark, ruler, and more
- DISCLAIMER: In the past, I blogged for Ghostfire Gaming. I am not involved in this project
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: I interviewed Nick Ingamells of Ghostfire Gaming about this project
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This campaign will be the highest-grossing TTRPG crowdfunding of 2024-to-date; it may break the one million dollar mark. If it does pass that symbolic total, it’d be the first TTRPG crowdfunding project of 2024 to achieve more than a million dollars. What makes this book compelling enough to stand at that threshold? The Dungeon Dudes plus monster manual plus the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition rules plus Ghostfire Gaming promotion plus D&D Beyond reward tiers equals a project that exceeds gamer expectations. This is the first crowdfunding project to include D&D Beyond options as a backer reward. To be clear, you can get Roll20 and the Foundry VTT options as well, but D&D Beyond is a fresh option on Kickstarter. As to what you’re getting, it’s monsters, over 150 monsters to fight with bosses and lairs to battle them in. The book promises deadly creatures inspired by eldritch ideas, a combination that will speak to some gaming tables. If you’re a fan of bestiaries, or a VTT gamer looking for a treasure trove of monsters for your online game, this book is likely to fit your desires.
Cairn 2e Boxed Set from Space Penguin Ink, LLC
- END DATES: Fri, April 26 2024 10:00 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Cairn 2e
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $55 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the boxed set with the books, GM screen, and character pad
- TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Cairn 1e is free at DriveThruRPG
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is an OSR about exploring and surviving the mystery of The Wood, the collective forests between the “civilized” realms. Cairn is a rules-lite system using 3 stats and a roll under d20 for dramatic resolutions. Written by Yochai Gal, the Cairn ruleset is built in the ground between Knave by Ben Milton and Into The Odd by Chris McDowall. The first edition of Cairn is a Platinum bestseller at DriveThruRPG (and free at this time). Why is Cairn so popular? This game keeps the focus on the mystery of The Wood and not on rules. What comes in the second edition boxed set? The Player’s Guide goes from 24 pages in the first edition to 92 in the second with more classes, tables, and gamer options. The Warden’s Guide gives you 120 pages including a bestiary, character advancement, a setting, advice, and more. There’s a 24-page adventure book, Trouble in Twin Lakes that sets out the feel of a Cairn adventure. With a soon-to-unlock stretch goal, you’ll get three more adventures printed for the boxed set. If you want a boxed set with a heft of popular content from a proven OSR, this project is worth exploring.
The Laundry Roleplaying Game from Cubicle 7
- END DATES: Wed, May 1 2024 10:00 AM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): C7d6 System
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook and sourcebooks
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €145 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of all four books
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This is the second edition of The Laundry Roleplaying Game based on The Laundry Files by Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross. Being level with you, dear reader, I’d never heard of The Laundry. When Cubicle 7 reached out about the campaign and when PJ discussed it on Morrus’ podcast, I was curious, but unaware of what was on offer. There’s even a line in the Kickstarter text: “Just remember that everything here [books, first edition of the TTRPG] has won awards, ok? Lots of them.” There are so many reasons I should be heard of this, but it’s a hole in my knowledge, so let’s do some research. Set in a version of our world where math-based magic leads to spells, effects, other dimensions, and Lovecraftian horrors, you work for an agency trying to prevent the worst of it from overrunning this guileless world. This type of magic was limited until the personal computer put advanced math on your desk. Today, that math is on the phone in your pocket, which can lead to disaster. As part of the secret British agency, The Laundry, you’re tasked with combating these horrors. The first edition of the game was published by Cublicle 7 and used the Basic Role-Playing system. With the new edition, C7 is moving to their C7d6 System. This uses d6 dice pools against varied target numbers. The campaign offers two core rulebooks (Operative’s Handbook and Supervisor’s Guide) as well as an introductory adventure. Based on over 13 novels and a prior TTRPG, this is a well-defined world, one that will be expanded upon with this new edition. If you’re a fan of spies, magic, and horrors, this campaign deserves a review.
Cloud Empress: Life & Death from worlds by watt
- END DATES: Thu, April 25 2024 7:00 PM EDT.
- SYSTEM(S): Mothership
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook and sourcebooks
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $108 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the boxed set with four books and a poster
- TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Cloud Empress: Rulebook, Cloud Empress: Last Voyage of the Bean Barge, and Cloud Empress: Funeral for the Anti-Saint are free at DriveThruRPG
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Cloud Empress is a Nausicaa/Princess Mononoke/Dune/Full Metal Alchemist-inspired ecological science fantasy TTRPG powered by a steamlined Mothership ruleset. Its first crowdfunding reached over 2,000 backers, and this one looks to expand the pool of Cloud Empress gamers. Dangerous and sci-fi, this is a game about the importance of the world and how insignificant we are upon it. Yet your character’s actions decide influence the fate of this setting. This crowdfunding offers a boxed set with better organized hardcovers of the core rule and an adventure plus two new setting books: Land of the Living and Land of the Dead. If you’re a fan of Mothership’s rules and environmental settings, this project may be right for your gaming table.
The Substratum Protocol from Pandion Games
- END DATES: Apr 25, 2024 at 11:00am EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
- SYSTEM(S): “Based on the acclaimed Breathless system by Fari RPGs, Substratum Protocol uses a set of polyhedral dice and a deck of playing cards.”
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S/H for the core rulebook, journal, and two folios
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? A portal appeared at the Earth’s core. Horrors are spewing from it. Get down there and plug the hole before the world ends. This is a survival mystery TTRPG designed for solo play or duet play (GM and player). You’re a deep explorer with a mission and an exosuit. Do what you can to save the planet. If the idea of a solo dive sounds fun, this Backerkit campaign offers a free PDF preview of the first 38 pages of the 90+ page core rulebook.
Infaernum by Mind's Vision
- END DATES: 4/30/2024, 11:59:00 PM
- CROWDFUNDING ON: GameFound
- SYSTEM(S): An original system
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $49 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
- TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Infaernum - Gameplay Preview Bundle is PWYW at DriveThruRPG
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This game is about the final days as an apocalypse looms. What kind of final catastrophe? That’s up to you. Design the end of all things, design your characters, and try to find a way through the final curtain on the world. Infaernum is designed for solo play, GM-round-robin play, or GM-led group gaming. If the idea of your custom end times and getting to the last day excites your imagination, check out this project. If you decide to back, this GameFound campaign offers stretchPAY options (explained here) so you can pay for this project over several months, which is a great backer option available via GameFound.
Grow & Build - Dogpatch Games' Community Campaign
- END DATES: Sun, April 28 2024 3:01 AM EDT.
- PROJECT TYPE: Friendly Local Games Store (FLGS)
- LOCATION: San Francisco, California
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + S/H for a t-shirt
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This crowdfunding will rebuild an outdoor gaming space at Dogpatch Games. The store had a “parklet” where gamers could game outdoors but “due to Department of Public Works construction,” it had to be removed. This is a cool idea that provides the ability to take your tabletop games outside. The campaign has, for a FLGS-related campaign, pulled in large funds and should see a great space to game in. If you’re in the San Francisco area, this project is worth a quick peek. If you’re not, it’s a cool enough idea that you may want to see if something like this would work at your gaming store. At least during the weeks when it’s nice outdoors.
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.
