RPG Crowdfunding News - DC20, HOLLOWS, Voidrunner’s Codex, and more

This week’s sample of TTRPGs available via crowdfunding features projects that end between June 27 and July 4. The options include several new TTRPG systems, several third-party TTRPG options, and a few sourcebooks.

DC20 from The Dungeon Coach

• END DATE: Tue, July 2 2024 12:00 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $30 for the PDF of the game
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Another 2024 TTRPG crowdfunding project enters the million dollar club. DC20 redefines fantasy d20 TTRPGs with a revised action economy, focusing on making each turn as dynamic as possible. In a system that J.R. Zambrano at Bell of Lost Souls compared to Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition, each character has 4 actions points which can be used on your turn or another’s to move, cast, and attack. Duplicated actions impose disadvantage. In combat and casting, attacks have base damage which increases for every 5 points you roll over your target’s defense, which reduces the number of rolls and the time it takes to conduct a combat round. The game has social mechanics and exploration options as well as an open license for third-party creators that want to build their own DC20 content. Will this be right for your gaming table? Check out the campaign page to download a free PDF preview of the game to see if it sounds like something you want to run as your next fantasy TTRPG.

HOLLOWS - TTRPG Boss Fights Done Right from Rowan, Rook and Decard

• END DATE: Jun 28, 2024 at 11:00am EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £20 for the PDF of the book
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: At Free RPG Day 2024, a sample of this game is available at participating gaming stores
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? The key selling points of this new TTRPG are its tactical combat and the creators, “the team who brought you Spire, Heart, DIE, and Eat the Reich.” Those are strong arguments for this project. A horrible rot as turned the world into a dark fantasy fright fest. Your character has a bit of the rot about them, which lets them combat the enemy monsters. If the prior products from this company inspire you, visit the Backerkit page to get a free PDF quickstart, HOLLOWS: The Sins of Grisham Priory.

Advanced Player's Guide 2 and Bestiary 2 from Pinnacle Entertainment Group

• END DATE: Thu, June 27 2024 8:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Pathfinder for Savage Worlds Adventure Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebooks
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $125 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the books, cards, and more
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Pathfinder and Savage Worlds, there’s something magical about how well they combine setting and system; it’s a chocolate and peanut butter combination. This campaign continues that combination with the second book of player options which adds more classes, edges, mechanics, and everything you need to recreate the powers of Pathfinder with the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition engine. More importantly, you’re getting another bestiary. Pathfinder has stacks of monster manuals, and this campaign lets you add one more to your Savage Worlds game. As with the prior offerings, these books will look amazing. One of the best features of this partnership is the artwork. Pathfinder features stellar artwork, and you get a ton of great images with these projects. If you’re a fan of Pathfinder and Savage Worlds, check out this campaign to get the latest expansions.

MAZES City of Skull - A Low Prep, Rules Light RPG from 9th Level Games

• END DATE: Jun 27, 2024 at 6:00pm EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): Polymorph System
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook, campaign setting, and more
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $95 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book, hexcrawl adventure path, solo game, zine, and more
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: At Free RPG Day 2024, a sample of this system is available at participating gaming stores
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? MAZES is one of my favorite convention gaming systems, as I’ve discussed here. Why is MAZES a great game? It’s an easy TTRPG to teach and immeasurably fun. Your character has one die, a d4, d6, d8, or a d10. Only that one die. Each type of action the character takes has a static chart that the player rolls against. If you’re the d4 (the wizard or paragon) and you roll for a knowledge check, that’s against the books chart. You succeed on a 2 or 3. You may succeed on a 1 if your character would be able to accomplish the task logically. It seems simple, but there’s some mechanical depth to the system. For first time gamers, it’s easy to communicate and explain how dice work. This crowdfunding provides the 256-page core rules plus the City of Skulls campaign setting, a 120-page hexcrawl map/adventure to give the city some outlying areas, an upgraded GM screen, solo gaming journal, Roll20 assets, and more. For this setting, the world was reduced by terrible magic users, leaving only one city, Skull. Your task is to preserve that city by foraging in the salt wastelands to find treasures and magic enough to keep the last spark of humanity going. If you want to try out the TTRPG, check out the Backerkit campaign page for a free PDF system preview or head to a gaming store that’s participating in Free RPG Day this Saturday, June 22.

Colonial Gothic RPG from Rogue Games

• END DATE: Sun, June 30 2024 11:16 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? From Richard Iorio II, author of FLAMES OF FREEDOM Grim & Perilous RPG: Powered by ZWEIHANDER RPG, Colonial Gothic RPG harkens back to a similar time frame as FLAMES: Colonial America. In a world where the supernatural lurks in the shadows and magic is real, you’ll play as an individual that’s discovering this darker shade of the British Americas. This is a time when the colonies lacked widespread roadways and easy connections, the wilderness of America was still dominant. You’ll have to work to save that world from the dark forces marshaling against it.

ANIMORT | a Mörk Borg compatible TTRPG from shakesomespears games

• END DATE: Mon, July 1 2024 6:50 AM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Mörk Borg
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $18 for the PDF and POD discount coupon
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project offers animated cartoon Mörk Borg violence based on the cartoons of your grandparent’s or great grandparent’s youth, which means your character can’t die but can take a lot of ridiculous damage. This is the cartooned world of characters like Steamborg Willie, a setting where you express your feelings through explosions, dropped pianos and anvils, and tunnels painted on mountainsides that one character can traverse but the other slams into at deadly speeds. Oh, and gravity is only a thing sometimes. When it’s funny. If you’re worried about how such a gonzo world could be held together for a narrative, let’s pull back the curtain a bit. Your characters are on the show Mort & Friends, a black and white cartoon where you have to keep Mort happy even as your characters are trying to escape his world. Think Looney Tunes, but you gotta get outta there before the show ends. With other third-party Mörk Borg RPGs like DUKK BÖRG (a more violent take on Duck Tales) and the currently funding Smörk Borg TTRPG (Smurfs, but yellow goblins), this seems like the era of cartoon Borg.

Voidrunner's Codex Sci-Fi Box Set For D&D 5E & Level Up: A5E from EN Publishing

• END DATE: Thu, July 4 2024 6:00 PM EDT.
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition and Advanced Fifth Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebooks
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £110 + S/H for the PDF, VTT, and print versions of the boxed set
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Do you want a crunchier version of 5e, one with more defined gaming options? Do you want sci-fi rules that take advantage of that increased crunch? Advanced Fifth Edition (A5E) offers a gaming engine for players interested in a better realized range of combat, skill, and power options. Voidrunner's Codex amplifies that A5E power to make your sci-fi games more engaging. Stock standard 5e does not do its best work when it comes to sci-fi. 5e lends itself to fantasy. By augmenting the ruleset, A5E and Voidrunner's Codex give you the customized rules you’ll need to make the game less handwavy so players have options and feel in control. If you want more sci-fi at your gaming table, these books await.

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[Superchunk77]

Savage Pathfinder was easy to back for me.

DC20 looks interesting, but I'm hesitant to go past the PDF level for a couple reasons. First, the art is kinda hit and miss for me. The cover is too cartoony and I've never been a fan of all the purple DC uses. Second is the layout. Again with the purple, and the page layout is quite busy. Too many tip windows, examples, and notes. These are things I hope get ironed out in the Beta and future refinements though.

 

[agrayday]

i'm in on Mazes & Hollows.

 

[Lalato]

Here are the 5e Campaign Setting and Adventure Path crowdfunding campaigns I'm keeping an eye on right now.

Closed and Funded:

• Devabhumi
• Erevan's Guide to Death & Dying ($1M)

Closed:

Open and Funded:

• Luminous Lore (ends in 2 weeks)
• Voidrunner's Codex (ends in 2 weeks)
• Ramble and Rhoam's Realms of Wonder (ends in 3 weeks)
• The Mage's War (ends in 3 weeks)
• Songs of the Spellbound Sea (ends in 3 weeks)
• Kobold Quest (ends in 3 weeks)
• Manifest: Kith and Kin (ends in 4 weeks)

Open:

• Fabled Empire (29%)

 

[thullgrim]

I’m in on the Savage Pathfinder APG2. SWPF has become my go to for non-grim dark fantasy.

 

[Superchunk77]

I’m in on the Savage Pathfinder APG2. SWPF has become my go to for non-grim dark fantasy.

I've found that it handles the lengthy Paizo (and Dungeon magazine) adventure paths extremely well. Better than PF1e or 3.5e did. The power curve is not as significant as you level up, and Savage Worlds handles high level fights just as good as low level ones.

 

[Ghost2020]

I've found that it handles the lengthy Paizo (and Dungeon magazine) adventure paths extremely well. Better than PF1e or 3.5e did. The power curve is not as significant as you level up, and Savage Worlds handles high level fights just as good as low level ones.

Is it worth it just to get the Fantasy Companion or is the SW PF really shooting for that specific pathfinder feel? Is it all internally consistent with the feats as edges? (i think that's it)

The product is great looking and feeling like I could work through an entire AP in a decent amount of time would be nice!

Also, it's self contained or need the new SW core book?

 

[Reynard]

DC20 redefines fantasy d20 TTRPGs with a revised action economy, focusing on making each turn as dynamic as possible.

I feel like you are going to have to do a lot more than that to "redefine fantasy d20 TTRPGs".

 

[stormwriter]

Is it worth it just to get the Fantasy Companion or is the SW PF really shooting for that specific pathfinder feel? Is it all internally consistent with the feats as edges? (i think that's it)

The product is great looking and feeling like I could work through an entire AP in a decent amount of time would be nice!

Also, it's self contained or need the new SW core book?

The Fantasy Companion is more broad, has more optional rules, better if you want to build your fantasy game from scratch, better if you want to have different styles of fantasy games, or have a homebrew world. Now, if you want that Pathfinder/D&D feel with Savage Worlds, I can't recommend Savage Pathfinder enough, it's very very good, has everything ready for you in a neat book, it uses groups of Edges (called Class Edges) that mimic the Pathfinder classes. And you only need the SW Pathfinder book, it contains all the required rules.

 

[Ghost2020]

The Fantasy Companion is more broad, has more optional rules, better if you want to build your fantasy game from scratch, better if you want to have different styles of fantasy games, or have a homebrew world. Now, if you want that Pathfinder/D&D feel with Savage Worlds, I can't recommend Savage Pathfinder enough, it's very very good, has everything ready for you in a neat book, it uses groups of Edges (called Class Edges) that mimic the Pathfinder classes. And you only need the SW Pathfinder book, it contains all the required rules.

Thanks for the info!