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

Vurt: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game
I’ve never read the novels this game is based on, but it’s using the Cypher System to create a new world to play in. Plus the sci-fi weirdness of this world seems very interesting, and a pretty great fit for the Cypher System

“Vurt: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is an RPG based on the visionary and hallucinatory science fiction of author Jeff Noon (who won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Vurt in 1994). Amid the glass-strewn streets of the lethal and anarchic Manchester England of the near future, players ingest slender Vurt feathers to travel to parallel worlds as vivid, unique, and unpredictable as our wildest dreams. But they’re no mere fantasies. These worlds – and all the wonders and horrors they contain – are as a real, and every bit as dangerous, as the one you were born in.

The ability to seamlessly transition to the shared dreamscapes of the Vurt and then back to Manchester’s gritty cyberpunk scene without missing a beat – without having to change the game in any way or fumble with changing game mechanics – is what makes Vurt: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game so perfectly suited to the incredible versatility of the Cypher System by Monte Cook Games. (If you’ve already played Numenera or The Strange, then you’re already familiar with the flexibility and ease of the Cypher System rulebook and it’s capacity for facilitating great adventures.) The perfect alignment of Jeff Noon’s prismatic source material with the flexible, low-maintenance framework of the Cypher System rulebook is why Vurt: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is the first officially licensed Cypher System game based on an existing fictional universe—and it’s why Jeff Noon allowed us to bring his work to tabletop gamers around the world in the form of a luxurious, 300 page full color hardcover rulebook filled with vivid art.”

 

At the Mountains of Madness: Interactive Book
This looks like a great way to experience one of Lovecraft’s most famous stories.

“At the Mountains of Madness is a report on the events of a disastrous expedition to Antarctica. The story is told by Geologist William Dyer who is the leader of the expedition. Dyer is lonely and desperate, and he also wants to deter a much publicized planned expedition to Antarctica based on his own experience on the continent. The report is his attempt to save mankind from the Antarctic horror.

At the Mountains of Madness Interactive eBook is a media project in the form of an app for iOS and Android.

Imagine that you’re opening the notes of Dr. William Dyer, the geology professor and leader of the disastrous Miskatonic University Expedition to Antarctica in 1930-1931.

You will find photos of landscapes, drawings and sketches of his colleagues and students who disappeared in the ice.”

 

Mint Tin Mini Apocalypse
If you like gaming on the go, then this is definitely a project you’ll be interested in. It comes with the dice, pieces, and instructions you’lll need. And the instructions are even waterproof! I think it looks like a lot of fun, and would be a great game to carry around.

“A little worker placement, a lot of resource management, and some area control all in a real-time game.

It’s a nice day in Meepleton. You and your friends are enjoying the day without a care in the world when suddenly . . .BOOM! Transformers blow, cars crash, people fall to the ground. Phew, you’re wobbly but okay. RAWR! Nearby a giant, nefarious monster wreaks havoc! Be forewarned: this is no B-movie monster. It has its own intelligence, specifically level 2 AI (artificial intelligence) as defined by Tom Jolly. Hurry! Get your team to the school’s forgotten fallout shelter.

Once two or more of your team members make it inside the shelter, send out a reconnaissance pair to grab a box of supplies. One box is plenty and it doesn’t matter if you or your opponent gets it. But the monster spots you once you grab a box – so you gotta be fast! The shelter holds a max of 7 meeples and it takes 4 from the same team to pull the door closed. Do what you must to survive – If you’re standing outside, knock down an opponent and make them scramble to their feet again. If you’re in the shelter, shove an opponent out and make room for your team. Once the fallout shelter is closed, it sucks to be outside!

But wait! It might not be over if you spot a manhole cover. Grab it and knock the monster down or use it to pry open the fallout shelter. If you grab the cover before you secure the box of supplies, the nefarious monster will surely notice you. So don’t waste time but be careful! This is a simultaneous, competitive, and frantic 2 player game all packed into a tiny tin. So ridiculously small that it makes other microgames look monstrously huge!”

 

Chaos of Cthulhu
Have you ever wanted to build a being of unmentionable horror while beating your friends at a game? Now’s your chance! This is a relaunch of a previous Kickstarter, but it looks like a great game, especially if you have a great group of friends to play with.

“A pantheon of Elder Beings from the mind of H. P. Lovecraft has been unwittingly set loose in the basement of the teenager next door. The catch? The Necronomicon, or Book of the Dead, used to summon the creatures was torn asunder in an argument between the teen and her friends. The stars are definitely not aligned, the essential grimoire has been mended with tape, and the monsters appear as hybrid abominations, eager for the chaos of battle. The tournament to find the strongest amongst them begins…

Take hold of the damaged tome and summon forth a unique Lovecraftian nightmare, mix-and-matched from 6 different Old Ones and Dark Minions. Then clash in strategic dice battle to be the first to assemble a fully matched monster. Part strategy, part luck…all madness!”

 

All Fathomed Out
This game is about ocean exploration to be the first to find a new species and presumably be able to be the first person to name them. It rubs me a little the wrong way that this game only accounts for mustachioed men being at the forefront of scientific exploration, but I can let it slide. The art and set up for this box are gorgeous, and its worth checking out!

“It’s 1878, and All Fathomed Out pits 3-6 players against each other in a family friendly race to discover and catalog the most noteworthy new species brought up from the uncharted waters of the South Pacific. These mustachioed men of science face not only stiff competition from their fellow explorers as they dive (only one man can take credit for discovering each species, after all, and science waits for no one) but also the multitudinous natural dangers and perilous creatures that lurk in the briny deeps.

As you explore the beautiful hex-based ocean you’ll uncover aquatic species ripe for the cataloging, environmental events both fair and foul, and underhanded shenanigans the unscrupulous can use to tip the balance in their favor (the scallywags!).”

 

Still active!

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
Numenera: Into the Ninth World
AcadeCon 2015
The Things We Leave Behind
Zodiac Empires
Meta Dice

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