What’s Cool on Kickstarter

There’s many interesting items to be found on Kickstarter, and here are the coolest ones this week.

Numenera: Into the Ninth World
I already discussed this a bit when the kickstarter started, but I wanted to reiterate that you guys should check out these supplements for Numenera. It’s an amzing game, and these are only going to expand the opportunities within it. There will be three books, and stretch goals include a novel written by Shanna Germain, poster maps, glimmers, and more.

“Over a billion years of Earth’s future, great civilizations have risen and fallen, each attaining wonders beyond our wildest dreams and furthest imaginings. The remnants of these civilizations shaped the Ninth World into a place of incredible beauty, wonder, and danger. And weirdness. Oh, so much weirdness. Explorers who undertake the challenges presented by the Ninth World look not only to the wilderness, but also to the night sky, the ocean depths, and even into the worlds beyond that they cannot easily perceive.

This Kickstarter campaign takes us into these realms through several new titles that expand the Ninth World beyond Earth’s shores. We’re launching this campaign to fund Into the Night, Into the Deep, and Into the Outside, each an all-new 160-page hardcover supplement, along with the 100-card Numenera Artifact Deck. But with your help, we’ll take these books even further, and maybe add some new titles as well!”

 

AcadeCon 2015
AcadeCon is a small gaming convention put on by the RPG Academy. What makes this really special is that is limited to 150 tickets, only available through the kickstarter, and has some big guests like James D’Amato, Kat Murphy, DM Mitch, John Wick, and more! We talked to Mike and Caleb about AcadeCon here, but you should check it out!

“AcadeCon 2015 is our third annual gaming convention. We’ve hosted two successful cons, but they have been invite-only due to space limitations. This year, we are taking AcadeCon out into the wild and opening the doors to the public this November 13th, 14th, and 15th.

AcadeCon is specifically designed to be a small, non-traditional convention. We are not trying (nor do we want to) compete with or replace the huge conventions that attract a national audience. At our convention, you’re going to get access to 24-hour gaming, a better chance to play in games and spend time with special guests, and time to hang out with some of the best gamers in the world – the fans of our show!

Whether you are one of our listeners, are interested in meeting and playing with some of our special guests, or just found us by accident, we hope you’ll consider attending our convention or simply donating to the cause.”

 

The Things We Leave Behind
We’re always on the lookout for cool new scenarios, and this collection of modern day 7e Call of Cthulhu scenarios quickly caught our attention. It includes five scenarios set in the modern day that involve psychological horror.

“Taking its inspirational cues from Delta Green, Fargo, Blood Simple, and True Detective, the book takes a mature look at the horror of human nature and its ability to be just as disturbing as anything from the Mythos.

The scenarios deal with unavoidable fates, dark secrets, and seriously bad choices made by the antagonists. As so often is the case, there are no winners when fate has trapped you in a dice game for doom or destiny. As such, please be aware that some of themes are quite mature and are suitable for adult gamers only.”

 

Zodiac Empires
This looks like a pretty interesting new setting for Pathfinder and RPG. I like the combination of magic and technology, and that seems to play heavily into the bones of this setting.

“The realm of Vathis is a world in an age of early industrialization where the line between magic and technology is obscure at best, and oftentimes indistinguishable. Rich in history and lore, adventurers roam lands dotted with sprawling empires, devious hidden cults, and ruins shrouded in darkness. While revered heroes march headlong into battle, recently reawakened dragons take flight, transforming both land and sky into battlegrounds. Gritty realism and high fantasy come together in Zodiac Empires, a world built on the memory of great wars, political intrigue, and imperialism.

Notable moments in real-world history, such as the Age of Sail, Prohibition Era Organized Crime, and both World Wars, as well as media sources such as the novels in the ASoIaF series and video games such as Dishonored, have all left their mark on the setting. Expect to experience fierce nationalism, streets filled with pulp action, scenes of noir intrigue, evils lurking in the dark, and corruption both political and physical as you travel between nations.”

 

Meta Dice
They aren’t really the prettiest dice, but they work very easily for several tasks.

“Meta Dice are 16mm PolyEurea plastic etched dice designed to be compatible with a variety of pen & paper RPGs. These dice can, for instance, double as Fudge/Fate dice and regular d6. They can also be used with games such as Burning Wheel, Mouse Guard, Torchbearer, the FU RPG, Dying Earth, Ubiquity, Prince Valiant, Story Engine, Foreign Element, and countless others that use a success/failure dynamic.

The hit locations correspond with those used in the Warhammer 40k RPGs, the older Warhammer Fantasy RPG, Reign, the OD&D supplement ‘Blackmoor,’ and many, many others. Heck, more limber people could use these for a really complex game of Twister!”

 

Still active!

Starvation Cheap: Planetary Warfare for Stars Without Number
Downfall
Dungeons on Demand 2
Marked for Death: A Comedic Fate module about assassins
Cultists of Cthulhu
RPG Coasters
Pennypult
Fablestone Dice
Wheel of Flame Candle

#RPGaDay2015 10: Favorite RPG Publisher

Last year we celebrated Autocratik’s #RPGaDay, where we spend a month celebrating RPGs, discussing what we love and what we love about them. Here are the responses of the TRF crew. Be sure to tweet, blog, or post your own with the #RPGaDay!

For August 10, Who is your favorite RPG publisher?
Aser: Pagan Publishing: The little CoC publisher that could, they’ve been around since the 90s or something like that and gave us Delta Green, then and now. Need I say more?
Chuck: Monte Cook Games
John: Fantasy Flight Games.
Jonn: This is a hard one for me. I have bought more Wizard of the Coast and Fantasy Flight products than anything else. However that is more because it was always easier to find groups playing those systems. I’ll have to go with Margaret Weis Production because I have gotten the most enjoyment out of those systems.
Landan: I think it would have to be Paizo since I own most of their stuff with Monte Cook Games being next in line.
Matt: Lumpley Games (Apocalypse World, Dogs in the Vineyard, etc.). Monte Cook games is a close second, though.
Megan: I refuse to choose between Monte Cook Games and Pelgrane Press. The things that I love playing and running the most come from these groups and I’m willing to try anything they offer sight unseen.
Patrick: White Wolf, they may run things weirdly but Mage was solid.
Rob: Steve Jackson Games

Previous #RPGaDay Posts

#RPGaDay2015 9: Favorite Media you wish was an RPG

Last year we celebrated Autocratik’s #RPGaDay, where we spend a month celebrating RPGs, discussing what we love and what we love about them. Here are the responses of the TRF crew. Be sure to tweet, blog, or post your own with the #RPGaDay!

For August 9, What is your favorite media you wish was an RPG?

Aser: I’d like to see another Star Trek RPG, old continuity of course.
Chuck: What hasn’t been made into a RPG yet?
John: The Dark Crystal and Trans-Formers.
Jonn: I can’t think of one that isn’t a RPG already. I would be surprised if even MSNBC, Fox News or CNN lacked a TTRPG. -_-
Landan: Well I think with the Cypher System Rulebook being as open ended as it seems so far most things you can make into one if you either can’t find a system or don’t like the one that was created.
Matt: I’m sure it exists and I just haven’t seen it, but I would enjoy a Star Trek RPG. I’ve only given the Firefly RPG a cursory glance, but I’ve toyed with the idea of trying to reskin it to fit more of a Star Trek aesthetic
Megan: I would love to play a game in Rapture or Columbia. I love the Bioshock worlds and it would be a lot of fun.
Patrick: The Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Rob: Gravity Falls

Previous #RPGaDay Posts

#RPGaDay2015 8: Favorite appearance of RPGs in the Media

Last year we celebrated Autocratik’s #RPGaDay, where we spend a month celebrating RPGs, discussing what we love and what we love about them. Here are the responses of the TRF crew. Be sure to tweet, blog, or post your own with the #RPGaDay!

For August 8, What is your favorite appearance of RPGs in the media?

Aser: There’s a Dresden Files story that actually starts with a narration of one of the Alpha’s RPG adventures, interrupted by Harry’s griping about how that’s not how magic really works: perfect.
Chuck: Knights of Badassdom
John: Maybe Vin Diesel’s D&D birthday cake.
Jonn: Order of the Stick is probably one of my favorite RPG web comics.
Landan: A lot of the Podcasts, Twitch streams, and even YouTube series that are out now.
Matt: This may date me a bit, but I enjoyed The Lone Gunmen playing D&D on a few episodes of The X-Files back in the day.
Megan: That would be the Community episde “Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.” Annie’s scene of seduction is one of the funniest things I’ve ever watched. And Abed is way better at voices then me.
Patrick: Knights of Badassdom – Peter Dinklage as a stoner LARPer that kicks a demons ass. Yeah, it’s LARPing but its damn cool.
Rob: Knights of Badassdom (available on Netflix)

Previous #RPGaDay Posts

News and Advice Round-up

News and Advice

Chaosium is Under New Management (Again):
Moon Design is now part of Chaosium’s ownership group. Moon Design acquired the rights to Glorantha and the game systems RuneQuest and HeroQuest in 2013. This also prompted a change in leadership within Chaosium, “The four principals of Moon Design are the new management team of Chaosium. The new officers of the company are Rick Meints, President and Secretary; Jeff Richard, Vice President and Creative Director; Michael O’Brien, Vice President – Product Development & Community Outreach; and Neil Robinson, Chief Financial Officer.” This announcement also brought new hope in terms of receiving Call of Cthulhu 7e, it is on it’s way to the printers and should be available for Halloween 2015. Moon Design has had previous experience with Kickstarters and should be able to help get CoC 7e back on track.

Strange Aeons: A Lovecraftian Pathfinder AP: 
Pathfinder has finally joined in on adding the Mythos to their game. This adventure path will be released next August, and feature Mythos monsters. Unlike most Lovecraftian RPGs, like Call of Cthulhu, this will not be investigation based, focused more on killing the horrors. There will be insanity rules and a Corruption system. Wes Schneider is writing the first module, so it should be pretty interesting. I’m curious to pick this up, a huge part of Lovecraftian horror is that it’s inexplicable, so turning it into a monster hunt seems to miss the point. However, I trust Paizo enough to give it a chance!

Another Dungeons and Dragons Movie:
Warner Bros. and Hasbro have announced they will be making a Dungeons and Dragons movie. They already have a script by David Leslie Johnson, who wrote “The Conjuring 2” and “Wrath of the Titans.” Stephen Davis said, “This is such an enormous opportunity to bring the rich fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms to life and, together with the creative powerhouse of Warner Bros., use movies to tell the stories that have enchanted passionate D&D fans for decades. D&D is the role-playing game that started it all and now we have the opportunity to ignite a franchise for its legions of avid fans in a way never done before.” I’m not holding my breath, every D&D movie I’ve seen has been not good, and what is great about RPGs is telling your own story.

Gen Con has record Attendance:
Gen Con attendance went up another 9%, making this the 6th year of growth for the convention. 61,423 people attended and there were over 400 vendors. I imagine it will only continue to climb, and I can’t wait to go next year.

Congratulations to Ennie Winners!:
Several TRF favorites won Ennies this year, including Horror on the Orient Express, The Strange, Numenera, Miskatonic University, and Roll20! Congratulations to everyone and thank you for putting out so much wonderful material for us to enjoy!

#RPGaDay2015 7: Favorite Free RPG?

Last year we celebrated Autocratik’s #RPGaDay, where we spend a month celebrating RPGs, discussing what we love and what we love about them. Here are the responses of the TRF crew. Be sure to tweet, blog, or post your own with the #RPGaDay2015!

For August 7, What is your favorite free RPG?
Aser: Eclipse Phase: This game is just so deep. The company seems really cool too.
Chuck: FATE (pay what you want, I think)
John: Eclipse Phase- pdfs available here! Also Cthulhu Dark
Jonn: Hands down Fate Core. I found I like core more than the products that have been sold using the Fudge or Fate ruleset.
Landan: Well Numenera was free to me when I learned then I bought the book and the Reliquary boxed set when it came up on Kickstarter. So not sure if that qualifies anymore
Matt: Pathfinder is technically free via the PRD, and it’s pretty fun if we can avoid getting bogged down in 2 hour combats.
Megan: Eclipse Phase is the only one I can think of that I’ve played. And it was a ton of fun.
Patrick: Americhaos 1994 – Picture a mad Max setting but due to a drug in the 70s that altered the DNA of the children of users to be Slamkids (Think super mutant).

Previous #RPGaDay Posts

#RPGaDay2015 6: Most recent RPG played

Last year we celebrated Autocratik’s #RPGaDay, where we spend a month celebrating RPGs, discussing what we love and what we love about them. Here are the responses of the TRF crew. Be sure to tweet, blog, or post your own with the #RPGaDay2015!

For August 6, What is the most recent RPG you’ve played?
Aser: Pathfinder: It’ll be our twentieth session. Seeing as we’ve only released the first four actual plays, saying more would be a spoiler.
Chuck: The Strange
John: Fear Itself (GUMSHOE)
Jonn: I’ve play Fate Core, D&D 3.5, D&D 4, D&D/PF, Earthawn and Forthright Beta in the last two weeks. I just finished a character sheet for Serenity and D&D/PF last night, so I guess PF?
Landan: Pathfinder
Matt: The Strange, during our last podcast recording session. Now that Gen Con is over, I’m looking forward to getting back to playing some games.
Megan: Pathfinder 🙂
Patrick: Pathfinder.
Rob: Final Girl

Previous #RPGaDay Posts

Numenera: Into the Ninth World Kickstarter

Monte Cook Games launched another Kickstarter today at 9 AM PST and managed to get full funding in one hour. This kickstarter is for supplements tone of our favorite games – Numenera. There are three planned books so far: Into the Night, which introduces space exploration; Into the Deep, which takes your group deep into the ocean; and Into the Outside, which allows you to explore other dimensions. You can get each book as PDFs or as hard copies, and higher pledges offer opportunities to playtest, meet the MCG team, and even participate in a game run by Monte Cook! Other book maybe added as stretch goals, and the campaign is already close to passing the third stretch goal announced. Besides the books, several pledge levels include a deck of artifact cards that a GM can use to let their game run smoother.

If you love Numenera, you should definitely be looking at what this kickstarter has to offer. If you’re curious to try, now is a great time to jump in! One pledge will offers a copy and PDF of the core book as well as an expansion of your choice. Be sure to visit the Kickstarter and see what you can get!

#RPGaDay2015 5: Most Recent RPG purchase

Last year we celebrated Autocratik’s #RPGaDay, where we spend a month celebrating RPGs, discussing what we love and what we love about them. Here are the responses of the TRF crew. Be sure to tweet, blog, or post your own with the #RPGaDay2015!

For August 5, What is your most recent RPG purchase?
Aser: The Big Crime: It’s a game that sets out to recreate a story straight out of a film noir movie night, to a fault some will probably say, me among them. The game sounds like a lot of fun though, and I can’t wait until I have more exposure to the genre and can run it for Megan.
Chuck: Worlds Numberless and Strange: Monte Cook Games
John: Prob Onyx Path Dark Eras Kickstarter for the Hunter chapters on pdf.
Jonn: Firefly Roleplaying
Landan: I pre-ordered the Monte Cook Games Cypher System Rulebook and I am going to purchase the Occult Adventures for Pathfinder soon.
Matt: Shadows of Esteren and Feng Shui 2. Looking forward to trying both soon!
Megan: I just participated in DriveThruRPG’s Christmas in July so Stars of Empire, Monsterhearts, Horror Rules: The Simply Horrible Role-Playing Game, It’s Coming…, The Black Spot, Lost Days of Memories and Madness, and Control: The Game of Absolute Corruption.
Patrick: Iron Kingdoms
Rob: Firefly RPG

Previous #RPGaDay Posts

What’s Cool on Kickstarter

There’s many interesting items to be found on Kickstarter, and here are the coolest ones this week.

Cultists of Cthulhu
I love cooperative games, so this semi-cooperative Cthulhu game seems like a real winner. Plus if it gets funded in the first 48 hours, they’re going to include the special two player mode in all copies of the game for free.

“It is a dark and stormy night. A lightning bolt has shattered the Elder Sign over the entrance to Miskatonic University’s library, leaving open the path for unspeakable eldritch horrors to encroach upon our world. Are you an Academic, investigating these strange happenings and trying to preserve your school, yourself, and your sanity? Or are you the Cultist, secretly plotting the downfall of your so-called “friends”?

After the success of our first game, Professor Pugnacious, I wanted to try something more ambitious, and thus, Cultists of Cthulhu was born. Cultists of Cthulhu is a semi-cooperative game for 3-6 players. All but one of the players are Academics, working together to accomplish the scenario-specific goals, while the final player is the Cultist, who pretends to be an academic while secretly working to kill the other players.”

 

RPG Coasters
These coasters are gorgeous, and you can can even get them personalized for your group. More classes are going to be available as stretch goals. I think these would be awesome for a long running campaign.

“RPG coasters have classic fantasy class icons and names carved into hardwood. These coasters, or drink enhancers, are made for you and your whole rag-tag party of do-gooders and ne’er-do-wells. They complete any gaming space by making sure that surfaces stay in tip-top shape and our significant others remain free from drink-ring induced stress. ”

 

Pennypult
Yay trebuchets! They really want you to buy them for office warfare – you can get them branded with your company logo. They’re easy to build and fun to play with.

“The Pennypult is miniature siege weapon. By definition, it is a trebuchet or a gravity-powered catapult. The kit comes with everything you need to build your very own desk sized trebuchet. All you need is a flat surface and 16 pennies. We believe the Pennypult is a step above the other trebuchet kits on the market. It’s smaller, easier to build, and more fun. Additionally, it has a unique design that you won’t find anywhere else.”

 

Fablestone Dice
I love the idea of these dice – they work very neatly as d3 and d2 as well. There are some great color options and they look really unique.

“The problem is the dice we typically use just don’t have an appearance that is consistent with something that could be found in a fantasy setting. Even those with additional artwork still rely on either the standard dice pip layout or the same Hindu-Arabic characters (0, 1, 2 … 9) that we encounter everywhere in our daily life.

I like to think that just as the worlds we explore often have their own languages, they would also have their own systems for representing numbers that are different from our own. The idea behind Fablestone Dice is to have dice that don’t use regular pips and numbers, but instead use a completely new kind of way to communicate; one that could have been conceived by inhabitants of any one of our favourite fantasy settings.”

 

Wheel of Flame Candle
These candles could be a really awesome addition of your campaign, with scents inspired campaigns. Plus, hidden inside, is a nice metal die from Norse Foundry!

“Each candle includes a metal die from Norse Foundry embedded in the wax. As your candle burns down, a beautifully crafted and satisfyingly heavy D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, or D20 will emerge from the molten goop. The different dice are randomly placed in the candles, so you won’t know which die you’re getting until your candle starts to burn down. Who needs diamond rings in candles when you can have dice?!”

 

Still active!

The Pale Blue Die
Microscope Explorer
The 20th HP Lovecraft Film Fest and Cthulhu Con
Starvation Cheap: Planetary Warfare for Stars Without Number
Downfall
Dungeons on Demand 2
Marked for Death: A Comedic Fate module about assassins