There’s many interesting items to be found on Kickstarter, but these are the coolest ones this week.
Dice: Rendezvous with Randomness
I really love dice. I love the cool dice that show up on Kickstarter and Shapeways and other online stores. So I really love the idea of a photobook showing off some of the beautiful dice that have been made. I really love the pictures they show on the kickstarter, and you should at least peruse those. You can also get just a print of one of the pictures.
“This book is an homage to the ultimate symbol of table-top and role-playing-game culture. Starting with the color, form and function, I let the dice inspire me. Random chance, luck and probability have even permeated my approach to photography. The work has aroused thoughts on matters of order and chaos, determinism and free will. These subjects too will be a common thread throughout the book. What, of our reality, is just a consequence of a billiard game of atoms and planets following the Big Bang, and what can we actually influence and control? Dice are so much more than just small pieces of plastic. Each set is a work of art and this book will attempt to show that to the world.”
Storypath Cards
These cards seem like a great way to encourage improv roleplaying in your game. You can use them to set the tone of your game, and give your players a little more control. They’re also offering a free version of their Whimsy cards, which are an early version of these cards to let you see if you like them.
“Storypath Cards are a fun and easy-to-use accessory for virtually any tabletop roleplaying game. The cards encourage and empower players to momentarily take charge of the story by adding new elements, introducing new motivations, or providing narrative or descriptive embellishments. As a result, the entire story becomes more collaborative.
In addition to new editions of the original two Storypath decks of Horror and Intrigue, this project will fund two new decks, Path of Adventure and Path of Hope. The decks are created with the intent that they can be combined to whatever purpose is desired.”
Gods and Icons
I was asked to review a release from Dread Unicorn Games last year, and I thought it was a great addition to the world of Numenera. I have no doubt that this project will be the same for 13th Age and d20 games. If you ever want some new deities for your game or character, this is a great chance to get some new inspiration.
“An exciting 13th Age Roleplaying Game and d20 supplement giving you 28 new gods, 13 new icons, 31 new True Magic Items and, 6 new Potions. Use them all or steal what you want for your own. Never again find yourself stuck for a good Icon Relationship result, we’ve got hundreds! Pick from the tables or let the dice decide. Or better yet, let the dice inspire!”
Singularity
Singularity seems like a really interesting concept, a futuristic dating show where the contestants don’t even need bodies. Our podcasting buddies at Riverhouse Games (formerly The Leviathan Files) did a play through of the system if you want to see how it works!
“Singularity is an acting and roleplaying game by Caitlynn Belle and Josh Jordan that takes place on a far-future transhuman dating show. Each time you play, the players act out an episode of a dating show set in a time when the human body has become optional. Transhumanism is the idea that humans can evolve beyond their current mental and physical forms and limitations. You don’t need to know more than that about transhumanism to play this game.”
Prism Dice
From reading online, I think I can conclude that these dice are not in fact made from bulletproof glass. But they are pretty, and they do have some incredibly sharp and precise edges. Just be sure not to drop the d4 on the floor. Ouch.
“It started off simple enough, but turned into quite a undertaking! We rethought every aspect of a Polyhedral set from the ground up. We changed the weight, balance, feel, font, everything about a standard die. Anything less than that would have been insufficient.Many dice makers before us have done the same thing, we want to leave our own mark on the industry just as they did.
Prism Dice have many features that makes them unique.
They are Sharp Edged with solid points. This was done to help make the dice more random. Dice that are mass produced overseas are tossed into rock tumblers and it grinds down the corners. The problem is this affects the dice during roll and tends to favor one part of the die more than others. Ever have that unlucky die that never seemed to roll well for you? It’s not just in your head! Randomness in our dice was incredibly important to us, so we figured out how to keep those edges as sharp as we could so the dice was truly random.
Our dice were designed to be a functioning tool first. Plastic dice are too soft, and with rounded corners may not be quite as random. Metal dice have sharp corners but Some people feel they are way to heavy, and awkward for normal use. We have found the perfect balance for these dice for maximum randomness, while still keeping the die lightweight. Prism die both look amazing and feel great in the hand.
We wanted our dice to be made out of a fantastic material. The problem with that is it needed to be very light weight and strong at the same time. Another issue that was very important to us was clarity. We wanted our Dice to be Crystal Clear. We found a special Poly material to fill all the these criteria, and more! Plus, they use it in Bullet-Resistant glass, and that is just awesome!”
Judges Guild
If you love the old-school original scenarios and modules for RPGs, this is your chance to get your hands on classic Judges Guild material. They will be scanning and restoring most of their original supplements, as well as releasing print versions.
“Judges Guild was the first major third-party publisher for Dungeons & Dragons. It published D&D game aids under official license from TSR beginning in 1976. Its first year in business approached nearly $1 million in sales (in modern dollars), and at its height, Judges Guild employed more than 40 people. Judges Guild would go on to publish more than 200 RPG products. The Guild had thousands of subscribers and shipped mail orders to every country in the world (literally).
Judges Guild is the reason adventure modules exist. At the time Judges Guild began, TSR was not publishing adventure modules, and the company’s sentiment was that gamers would not be interested in buying supplemental materials or ready-made adventures. With its incredible playing aids and imaginative adventuring worlds, Judges Guild changed all that.
Judges Guild has authorized Goodman Games to publish archival collections of classic Judges Guild material. This Kickstarter funds the collection and scanning of original 1970’s-era RPG Judges Guild publications. The original primary sources are to be scanned, digitally restored as necessary, and collected together in two kinds of volumes: the deluxe oversize hardcover, and the tabletop play editions.”
Still active!
OTS Sabers
Worlds of the Cypher System
Dice Citadels
AMP: Year 3
Cthulhu Mythos for Pathfinder
Drinking Dice d20
Lil’ Cthulhu
Kult: Divinity Lost
Littlest Lovecraft
Godbound
Bullseye Damage Dice
The Claws of Cthulhu
Hollow Earth: Perils of Mars
