There’s many interesting items to be found on Kickstarter, but these are the coolest ones this week.
Apocalypse World powers a lot of the great new games out on the market like Monsterhearts, Urban Shadows, and tremulus. The second edition promises to build upon the existing system, while improving mechanics from the first edition.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/226674021/apocalypse-world-2nd-edition?ref=users
“Apocalypse World is a critically acclaimed and award-winning tabletop roleplaying game. It’s a sexy, cinematic post-apocalypse, full of action, danger, mystery, romance, and horror. We first published it in 2010, and after five years of intensive play we’ve decided it’s time for a second edition.
We’re running a stripped-down and straightforward campaign just to get the second edition book out. The game design is done, the writing is done; we’re down to rewrites, editing, and book design. We want to finish the book, print it, and get it into your hands, no delays, no distractions.
If you’re already familiar with Apocalypse World and you’re interested in the changes we’re making, stay tuned for our updates. You’ll see a couple of obvious, big changes—streamlined Hx, a whole new set of battle moves, a threat map instead of fronts—and if you know your stuff, you’ll be able to spot a bunch of smaller changes too.”
This Cthulhu-y games looks like it would be a lot of fun for groups of varying sizes. I really like that it’s one that can be played competitively or cooperatively, making it very adaptable based on who you are playing with. Backing the kickstarter will exclusively get you a hardback, color version of the casebook, as well as additional cases if the stretch goals are met.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/8thsummit/mythos-tales?ref=users
“Mythos Tales is a game of macabre detection and Lovecraftian horror for 1 – 8 players by Hal Eccles and Will Kenyon. In Mythos Tales, players take on the role of private investigators in Lovecraft’s Arkham, tasked with solving a series horrifying mysteries. As detectives, players may either play competitively, or players may play cooperatively against Miskatonic’s erudite librarian, Dr. Henry Armitage, pitting wits against a master detective! Each investigation takes between 60-120 minutes to complete, and the game will include 8 investigations.”
People of Colour Destroy Science Fiction
I backed a previous campaign by Lightspeed Magazine for Women destroying SciFi, and was happy to end up with the additional collections of fantasy and horror. I’m really excited to see another collection, this time for people of color. It can be harder to find, but there’s a lot of great sci-fi and fantasy out there written by people without the European historical notion of fantasy, or traditional (white) American notion of the future. I’m excited to have the chance to read these stories, all in one place, told by some amazing authors.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lightspeedmagazine/people-of-colour-destroy-science-fiction
“What does it mean, for you, yes, you—the reader, the avid science fiction fan, purveyor of the imaginative even when faced by the banality of a day-to-day life—to support a publication that is colored, and we mean, like really, really colored, by the nuances of culture, race, and history? For one, you get to read something that would dispel the notion of POC-penned science fiction as somewhat inferior science fiction. We will work very hard to come up with a lineup that will counter this assumption, and we will succeed in doing so.
We believe in science fiction’s transformative powers, its ability to remedy the dreariness of our lives. People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction! will exist, with your kind help, of course, to relieve a brokenness we’ve enabled time and time again by favoring certain voices and portrayals of particular characters. We won’t harangue you with guilt trips involving the importance of openly listening to the assimilated, the colonized, the misappropriated. That’s just not how we roll. What we aim to do, instead, is to challenge you: Join us because it is fun to do so. We don’t mean fun as a vehicle for trivializing centuries of injustice that resulted in the lack of representation for certain groups of people because power structures were skewed heavily in favor of a chosen few. We mean fun as the satisfaction we get in those light-bulb-in-the-head moments of our lives, the satisfaction we get from meaningful conversations that lend clarity, the satisfaction we get when we move past those feel-good-driven acts of tokenism, the satisfaction we get when we read stories that have palpable artistic and intellectual values that speak of our present time and most of all, our future.
As we said in our submission call, we will not be asking writers who submit stories to tell us what makes them “people of colo(u)r.” We leave that up to your world experience, your conscience, your sense of community, and your sense of fair play. And like the other hugely successful initiatives of Lightspeed’s Destroy series, People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction! is saying, “We’re here. We have always been here. And we are very, very excited to show it.””
Olympus Inc: An Urban Fantasy Setting for Savage Worlds
I love me some Urban Fantasy, and this setting is pretty cool. Usually when people are bringing Greek Mythology into a game, they stick with the traditional pantheon. Having the Titans in charge changes things up and makes the whole universe more flexible for your players to do what they want.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359478628/olympus-inc-a-savage-worlds-setting-book?ref=users
“Welcome to Olympus, Inc! At this point you’re probably saying to yourself, “well the artwork is cool and I like Savage Worlds, but what’s the setting all about?”
I’m glad you asked! Unlike most settings that have tackled the concept of demigods in the modern world, we are a bit different. Olympus, Inc answers the question of what would happen if the Olympians were kicked out of the heavens by Gaia and the Titans ruled instead.
In this book, we present the history of how things came to pass and where we are now. We detail character creation for decedents of 6 gods from the Olympian Pantheon: Zeus, Hermes, Ares, Aphrodite, Apollo and Dionysus. We also provide a list of powers for each line as well as details surrounding the corporation that each god created. In addition, we have also provided two demihuman options: Satyr and Minospawn. A Minospawn is basically a 6 foot tall Minotaur with the same bad attitude as the full size version.
If that isn’t enough, we have created a ton of new edges, hindrances and weapons that are all designed to create the feel that is unique to Olympus, Inc. We have also included a plot point campaign as well as a random adventure generator that is sure to give you tons of ideas for your own game.”
5e Familiars, Companions, Steeds and More
If you have players looking for an expanded list of options for the companions or mounts, this book is a great option. The PHB only really gives you suggestions, but this book fleshes out those suggestions and gives you even more options.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/5th-edition-familiars-monstrous-companions-steeds?ref=users
“5th Edition Familiars & Companions is the ultimate resource for all your familiars and companions. In a well balanced approach we bring the classic animal companion back to life. We restore the wizard’s familiar to its prominent place. But there is so much more….
In 5th Edition Familiars & Companions we detail the paladin’s holy weapons and steed. A rogue need not stalk the deserted allies alone, for her living shadow can follow her. But more than that we explore each character class, pairing it with companions, magical and mundane, animate and inanimate, familiars and more.
The book also allows familiars to be improved and customized with special abilities that aid both the animal and the PC. New archetypes and backgrounds for each class allow for the selection of a familiar as a character advancement option. A whole new set of abilities–Advantages–can be used in conjunction with or as a replacement for Feats and are taken at the same points in a character’s development. All brought to your 5th Edition game by the author of Amazing Adventures, Jason Vey.”
Still active!
Swirled Chocolate and Gummy Dice
Fate More: From Bits to Books
Handcrafted Dice Trays
Dungeons on Demand Vol. 3
Heroine’s in Sensible Shoes
Control: A Strategic Card Game
Distant Realms
