What’s Cool on Kickstarter

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

Thank You for Screaming
We’re really big fans of Greg Stolze, and can’t wait to get this collection of short stories. A few of these stories are available on Stolze’s personal site, but additional stories are going to be available all in one place, for your reading pleasure (or horror).

“Over the last several years, I’ve written a lot of short fiction for a lot of different venues. I’d like to fund a bound, printed volume of those separate works and make it available for sale.

Backing Thank You For Screaming at a low level gets you eBooks of twenty-five short stories (and one nonfiction essay), released in PDF, ePub and a Kindle friendly .mobi variant.”

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Scary on the Choo-Choo 9: Murder on the Dreamlands Express

A twisted black cat in profile, with spooky trees and a strange figure behind it.

As the group choo-choos towards Venice, they take the chance to get some much needed rest. Unfortunately, their sleep is troubled when they board the Dreamlands Express.

GM: Megan
Players: Aser, Eli, Phil, and Zack
System: Call of Cthulhu 7e

Music by Kevin MacLeod, “Alchemist’s Tower”(incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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What’s Cool on Kickstarter

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

World of Aetaltis
Aser and I had the opportunity to sit down and chat about Aetaltis with Marc Tassin, and we’re really in love with the new ideas and rich world he and his team have put together. Aetaltis is a 5e setting with new monsters, expanded PC races, and some really intriguing new rules for magic. I think the extra content would be great for any GM, even if you don’t want to move your campaign to this intriguing new setting. If you like heroic fantasy gaming, definitely check out World of Aetaltis.

“Discover the fate of the last dwarves of the Donarzheis Mountains, reveal the strange and terrible wonders of the Elliyan Wilds, pull back the ancient shroud that conceals the truth about the first children of the gods. The veil of mystery that hides the truths of Aetaltis is heavy, but with your help we will reveal its story in this new 5E compatible RPG campaign setting.

We’re producing a complete 5E compatible RPG campaign setting called The World of Aetaltis. Your support will let us deliver all the books and accessories you need to run or play in an Aetaltis campaign. And by helping us to unlock our stretch goals, we’ll extend the Kickstarter campaign to include an entire line of Aetaltis products.”

Continue reading What’s Cool on Kickstarter

The World of Aetaltis Kickstarter Interview with Marc Tassin

World of Aetaltis kickstarter image

We sat down with Marc Tassin of Mechanical Muse to learn more about his new Kickstarter for The World of Aetaltis, a 5e setting. We learned a lot about the new world and denizens of Thornwall, as well as the really great ideas Marc and his team have put together for magic and downtime. I’m really excited for when we can get our hands on these books because I think the ideas will really help to make 5e even better.

Interested in Aetaltis? You can find them online here, or check our their Twitter Feed. The Kickstarter has launched and will be running until October 11.
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A Rune Awakening 10: Murder Most Foul

A hideous humanoid creature bends over a slain man in a barn, newly discovered by a screaming woman with a lantern. He is cutting a seven pointed star in the mans chest with a large razor

Flush with their victory over the goblins, the party settled into a comfortable rhythm in Sandpoint. But now one of their own is suspected of murder, and they need to find out who is hunting residents of their newly adopted hometown.

Featuring Aser, Jonn, Landan, Megan, and Patrick. Music by Kevin Macleod, “Five Armies.” (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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#RPGaDay 31: Best advice you were ever given for your game of choice

RPG a Day 2016 image

Each year we celebrate 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 31, what is the best advice you were ever given for your game of choice?
Aser – I was told a long time ago that if you’re a GM and the roll goes against plot direction, just lie…
John D. – ‘Don’t worry about the rules; it’s more important for everyone to have fun. You can retcon or fix the plot later if needed but try to just roll with what the players give you.’
Jonn P. – Making sure everyone is having fun isn’t the responsibility of the GM, it’s the responsibility of everyone at the table.
Landan – I forget who said it but I really liked hearing someone say “Don’t let the dice get in the way of the Story” and in that vein people need to remember the books are guidelines to play. If something is not written in them and a player wants to do figure out a way for it to happen if possible.
Megan – I think the best advice I’ve gotten is to relax and let the plot go where it goes instead of rigidly depending on an outline.
Mike G. – I have a great, very experienced group that introduced me to games like FATE, Apocalypse World, and other systems that drive story instead of muddying things up with rules. Their advice was always to concentrate on the story and the rules will flow from that.
Patrick – Don’t be a dick.
Phil – Don’t get too attached to your character, it’s going to go mad or die.

#RPGaDay 30: Describe the ideal game room if the budget were unlimited

RPG a Day 2016 image

Each year we celebrate 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 30, describe the ideal game room if the budget were unlimited?
Aser – I would like a large table lined with comfortable chairs. I would want access to a digital projector and adjustable lighting to help with mood.
John D. – A room with hi-fi surround sound with speakers and rumble sensors built into the chairs and table, motion-controlled lights and dimmers, smell-o-vision and monitors displaying all the charts from a GM screen. The room would be fully accessible for players with Braille pads, TDD and so on. An opaque electronic privacy shield would disable cell calls and texts inside while preventing outside noise. A robot butler for snacks and drinks would be nifty.
Jonn P.  – A room with plenty of standing room and shelf space around the game table.  The table would be slightly larger than two folding tables. In the center of the table would be a lazy susan large enough for a Chessex 34½” x 48” Battlemap that I could use for battlemap, game art or food.
Landan – It would take me a long time to describe it I think, but it would likely end up being as big as a house alone. I would also want billiard tables, bowling lanes, some pinball machines, shelves devoted for board games, shelves devoted to RPG books, etc.
Megan – A big room with plenty of tablespace and comfy chairs, with food and drink and good lighting. I always thought those projector setups for making a grid were awesome too.
Mike G. – Shelves of books, dedicated wifi, embedded laptop/tablets around a large gaming table with a wet/dry erase board in the center. Does anyone have $25k I can drop on this? Please?
Patrick – Dragonsreach from Skyrim, but with better heating. And you know, game tables.
Phil – Comfy chairs and table. Good acoustics. Donuts.

#RPGaDay 29: You can game anywhere on Earth, where would you choose?

RPG a Day 2016 image

Each year we celebrate 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 29, you can game anywhere on Earth, where would you choose?
Aser – I would game wherever Megan was: no really, we had to play apart so long that I couldn’t wait to literally share these moments together.
John D. – I have no idea; ideally a setting similar to the game at hand (a cloud, underwater, the desert, etc)
Jonn P. – I would like to say someplace like Mesa Verde, Chichen Itza, or some other ancient place, but, in reality, traveling cause me anxiety. I am perfectly happy gaming at one of the local game shops.
Landan – Guinness Brewery in Ireland.
Megan – I think somewhere appropriate to the game we were playing. So an old library for a 1920’s Call of Cthulhu game, etc. But I think anymore I would just pick anywhere with a group in person!
Mike G. – A national park with lots of space (indoor and outdoor) where you can get the mood of the game without being disturbed by others. Did it twice, it was great.
Patrick – I would give my big toe to play a game of Better Angels inside the Westboro Baptist Church whilst broadcasting it live over the loud speakers. And just watch with glee all the vitriol they could spew out. Well, either Better Angels or any of the White Wolf games when it was still World of Darkness.
Phil – Wherever my groups are.

#RPGaDay 28: Thing you’d be most surprised a friend had not seen or read?

RPG a Day 2016 image

Each year we celebrate 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 28, what is the thing you’d be most surprised a friend had not seen or read?
Aser – I would be surprised if anyone I knew had not seen Star Wars.
John D. – Read: Lovecraft or Conan, seen probably the Aliens, Predator or Terminator series.
Jonn P. – To this day, I am surprised by how many people I have met that DM without ever having read the Dungeon Masters Guide.
Megan – Lord of the Rings
Mike G. – Lord of the Rings. I would be very surprised.
Patrick – Labyrinth.
Phil – Firefly. Belgariad.

Scary on the Choo-Choo 8: Deranged Degenerates

A field of white grass with vines growing through it

Finally turning their attention to the business of acquiring the simulacrum, the party meets some new adversaries.

Featuring Aser, Eli, Megan, Phil, and Zack. Music by Kevin MacLeod, “Alchemist’s Tower”(incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Direct Download!
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