Thanksgiving and Black Friday are done in the United States for another year so it’s back to focusing on games, which means checking out RPG crowdfunding campaigns! This week, I look at one RPG Kickstarter from Legendary Games and two separate crowdfunding projects from Frog God Games, one through Kickstarter and one through Indiegogo. Using the OGL gaming engines for Dungeons & Dragons 5e, Pathfinder 1e, and Swords & Wizardry, expect some quality content like:
- Mythic Mania 2: Two New Mythic Rulebooks for Pathfinder RPG by Legendary Games
- How Orcus Stole Christmas! A Holiday RPG Adventure by Frog God Games
- Tegel Manor Returns! by Frog God Games
Mock-up of the softcover Swords & Wizardry release.
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Mythic Mania 2: Two New Mythic Rulebooks for Pathfinder RPG by Legendary Games
Ends on Tuesday, December 18 2018 12:59 AM EST.
“Legendary Games makes massive mythic rules upgrade with the amazing Mythic Character Codex & Mythic Monster Manual 2 for Pathfinder!
When the mythic rules for Pathfinder debuted five years ago, Legendary Games unleashed an incredible project – MYTHIC MANIA – teaming up with Kobold Press, Rogue Genius Games, and Dreamscarred Press to bring you three comprehensive expansion volumes, the Mythic Hero’s Handbook, Mythic Monster Manual, and Mythic Spell Compendium. Altogether, we gave you over 900 pages of incredible material to blow the lid off your Pathfinder campaign with literally thousands of mythic feats, spells, monsters, magic items, psionic powers, class features, path abilities, skills, traps, curses, and more to make your campaign dynamic and cinematic in ways it never was before. It was amazing and we thank everyone who made it possible.
Since then we’ve continued creating even more magnificent mythic material, bringing you even more paths, monsters, magic, and more from around the world, and the time has come at last to close the circle and bring it all home to you. Welcome to MYTHIC MANIA II !!!
Mythic Mania II encompasses two books rather than three, and incorporates mythic material for hardbacks like the Advanced Class Guide, Forest Kingdom Campaign Compendium, Horror Adventures, Occult Adventures, Ultimate Intrigue, and Ultimate Wilderness, as well as potentially adding in more material from the Adventurer’s Guide, Monster Codex, Planar Adventures, Villain Codex, Book of the Damned, Pirate Campaign Compendium, and more!
Mythic Character Codex – Three new mythic paths – the bound, mystic, and reluctant hero – along with over a thousand new mythic path abilities, hybrid class features, feats, spells, magic items, and more!
Mythic Monster Manual II – Over 200 mythic monsters… and maybe a whole lot more! Plus appendices and bonus content!
We’ve had our team working behind the scenes on this project for months now, and we’re pleased to inform you that THE WRITING AND ART ARE DONE. That includes both the primary core of the product and the planned stretch goals. Material for bonus goals is already written – it’s just a matter of seeing how big these books can become and how much stuff we can include! There will be no lag time waiting to catch up on things to get finished with the authors. It’s already in the can. The more pledges we get, the bigger the books will get and the more material will be included, but art and text are already finished for all of the material we plan to include.”
Egg’s Thoughts:
The question, and it’s been asked here* and elsewhere, how much draw does Pathfinder 1e still have versus the draw of Pathfinder 2e? Based on the funds pledged to Legendary Games‘ Kickstarter so far (with over 3 weeks to go as of this writing), there is still a great deal of love for Pathfinder 1e. Obviously, a lot of this Kickstarter’s draw is Legendary Games as they’ve done a number of well-received Pathfinder products – there’s a good sampling on the Open Gaming Store: 40 Books, 30 Bucks Pathfinder MEGA-BUNDLE. But the desire to continue to expand the PF1e ruleset cannot be overlooked. Mythic Mania 2: Two New Mythic Rulebooks for Pathfinder RPG is the sequel to a project created by Legendary Games, Kobold Press, Rogue Genius Games, and Dreamscarred Press. Those original books – Mythic Hero’s Handbook, Mythic Monster Manual, and Mythic Spell Compendium – amped up the possibilities of Pathfinder. With these two new books, Legendary is bringing you Mythic Character Codex and Mythic Monster Manual II that will add even more options to your Pathfinder games.
In a mark of the love for PF1e, this campaign offers to let you select an aspect of Pathfinder that you love and elevate it by sponsoring its inclusion in these books. Several of the sponsorship levels link the d20pfsrd.com site (part of the Open Gaming family of websites and the reason I wanted to highlight this option) as references to pull work from. If you are a fan of a particular aspect of Pathfinder, this is a way to share that love with the world.
- $75 – Archetype Architect: Choose any published Pathfinder Roleplaying Game archetype from d20pfsrd.com (barring those that are legally restricted) for inclusion in the Mythic Character Codex. Your name will be listed as an Archmythic!
- $200 – Spawn a Monster: Choose any published Pathfinder Roleplaying Game monster from d20pfsrd.com (barring those that are legally restricted) for inclusion in the Mythic Monster Manual II, including a beautiful illustration. Your name will be listed as the Spawner of that monster!
- $300 – Classy Creator: Choose any published Pathfinder Roleplaying Game character class from d20pfsrd.com (barring those that are legally restricted) to have its class features made mythic in the Mythic Character Codex, including a beautiful illustration. Your name will be listed as a Classy Creator!
Should you back this Kickstarter? Are you playing Pathfinder 1e? If so, and you’re hunting for more crunch, these are the books for you.
You can find examples of this publisher’s games at the Open Gaming Store. Questions about the system? Check out Pathfinder 1e’s System Reference Documents (SRDs) at: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/
This crowdfunding campaign ends on Tuesday, December 18 2018 12:59 AM EST. You can support this Kickstarter campaign here.
*Whether you filled out the survey here or not, you can enter discount code “PF2SURVEYED” when checking out at the Open Gaming Store and get an extra 10% off your order there. [Note: This is a limited time offer subject to end at any time.] The Open Gaming Network is sponsored by the Open Gaming Store, and your purchases help fund this content.
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How Orcus Stole Christmas! A Holiday RPG Adventure by Frog God Games
Ends on Saturday December 1, 2018.
“A joy-filled holiday adventure for either Fifth Edition, Swords & Wizardry, or Pathfinder campaigns.
Someone is coming to town for the holidays
You better watch out…
Available for Fifth Edition, Swords & Wizardry, and the Pathfinder role-playing system. “How Orcus Stole Christmas!” has the characters begins at a happy village’s beloved holiday feast. The joy-filled townsfolk spotted a scary stranger arrive in his unusual sleigh. With a deep belly laugh, the pillaging began…
Can your party save the children from the mysterious visitor’s clutches by Christmas?
How Orcus Stole Christmas!
Frog God Games wants your support for our first holiday adventure in over a decade -“How Orcus Stole Christmas!”. Written by James M. Spahn, this, our third Indiegogo project, will warm your heart this winter.
A detailed description of our process and goals fulfillment process can be found in the FAQ.
O, Come All Ye Faithful…. to Newville!
This low-level adventure introduces the players to a contained wilderness environment known as Newville. It is designed to fit into most traditional fantasy campaigns, The open nature and local environment can extend the adventure across multiple sessions. So beware the danger behind the joyful cruelty of the enemies and their pathetic holiday slaves!
It’s up to a small band of brave heroes to save Christmas this year, and without their unwavering Christmas spirit and willingness to face the cruelties of both winter and a twisted aspect of the great Demon Prince, they’ll never discover How Orcus Stole Christmas…
Can the player characters discover why Orcus Claws is waylaying the town of Newville? Will they survive the climb up cruel Mount Strumpet with its cannibal reindeer and treacherous avalanches? And for the love of Christmas, why are all these damn News singing all the time?!
A Classic ‘News’ Song
All the News down in Newville were nestled snug in their bed.
But come Christmas Day they might end up dead.
For Orcus Claws is coming, bringing more than jingles and bells
Armed with the wicked contraptions of his Crueltide Elves
No metal in sight, not a pin or a nail
|Now to Mount Strumpet, the heroes asail
With Orcus empowered, he’s laid such a trap
That even mighty warriors might never come back
But without noble aid no one will get away
And it’ll Newville’s last Christmas today
Slaughtered beneath a brutal Crueltide device
Because Orcus Claws knows who’s been naughty or nice
What’s in the book?
How Orcus Stole Christmas! can be used for any holiday-themed adventure in a session that includes low-level characters (though admittedly it is pretty easy to scale up).
Inside the finished release you will find the following-
- An adventure which can be integrated into an existing campaign as a brief (yet twisted) celebration of the season.
- New and festive creatures which have a tendency to kill and/or feast on itinerant characters that are not prepared for danger amidst all the dark humor.
- Joyful magic items with heartwarming powers.
- A description of the village of Newville, the demeanor of the News, plus exciting rumors about the surrounding valley. The valley is thought to be full of adventure.
- The author’s manuscript was bursting with bloody sarcasm and holiday humor.
- A visitor who arrives in the night upon a magical sleigh.
Yes, that is one of the merry Crueltide Elves on his way for another day at the plant. Notice the motivational pointy shoes…a sure sign of management.
What is missing from this holiday extravaganza?
- A miserly old Englishman and his ghosts.
- The Great Pumpkin
- Bruce Willis“
Egg’s Thoughts:
This is the first of two games from FGG I’m reviewing this week. How Orcus Stole Christmas! A Holiday RPG Adventure is, by FGG standards, a small project covering 3 RPG systems. As with Frog God Games‘ prior Indiegogo campaign, In Vino Gigantus: A Fantasy RPG Adventure, this adventure module is for Dungeons & Dragons 5e, Pathfinder 1e, or Sword & Wizardry. Designed by ENnie and Origin Award-winning author James M. Spahn (“White Box Omnibus, the Three Castles Award-nominated The Hero’s Journey Fantasy Role-playing, White Star: White Box Science Fiction Role-playing, and several products in the Star Wars and The One Ring“), this is the meeting of D&D and Dr. Seuss’ How the Crunch Stole Christmas. As a dark parody of the season, this book will be fun to fit into your campaign and the PDF will be sent out before Christmas to make that an option. Should you back it? Here’s Santa’s list of reasons to:
- Frog God Games‘ quality
- James M. Spahn
- D&D 5e
- Christmas delivery (PDF and, maybe, print, too)
- Dr. Seuss parody, but with violence
For examples of this publisher’s games at the Open Gaming Store, and the game’s System Reference Documents (SRDs) at:
- D&D 5e SRD – http://www.5esrd.com/
- Pathfinder 1e SRD – http://www.d20pfsrd.com/
- Sword & Wizardry SRD – http://www.d20swsrd.com/
This crowdfunding campaign ends on Saturday December 1, 2018. You can support this IndieGoGo campaign here.
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Tegel Manor Returns! by Frog God Games
Ends on Sunday, December 23 2018 11:59 AM EST.
“The Haunted House that started it all!
TEGEL MANOR – THE FIRST HAUNTED HOUSE DUNGEON THAT STARTED IT ALL FOR FIFTH EDITION AND SWORDS AND WIZARDRY
Ever wonder how Frog God Games got its name? Of course, we have to credit Clark Ashton Smith… but our roleplaying roots lie in Tegel Manor.
First published in 1977, Tegel Manor is the oldest of “Haunted House” adventures in fantasy roleplaying, and probably the very first megadungeon ever published. The Manor is a sprawling edifice of 250+ rooms filled with tricks, traps, puzzles, monsters, and situations both humorous and horrific. The huge manor house has been the curse of its owners, the Rump family, for generations – no matter how many times they have tried to get rid of it, the ownership manages to come back to them.
This intertwined and sinister relationship between the house and its chosen family is a history of horror, evil, and greed. There is a lot for the characters to learn about the curse, and their knowledge might just keep them alive long enough to tell the tale.
If you’ve already seen the 1977 version of the Manor, there’s a lot more for you to learn in this updated and expanded 5E version of the classic. This printing contains expanded descriptions of the rooms, new areas, new monsters, new magic items, and much more, all with spectacular color illustrations.
In addition to the Manor itself, this book contains:
- A 4-level dungeon under the Manor, fully detailed.
- The Temple of the Frog and the Monastery of Garm, as well as a full length new adventure-The Sanctum of Madness!
- A detailed handling of Tegel Village, the wilderness area, the black dragon lair and even the pirate lair and tower along the seacoast.
- All 100 members of the Rump Family are described and detailed, and many even have portraits done!
- Over a 15 new monsters and dozens of never before seen magic items!
and one more thing…
The Map of Tegel Manor
The map was revolutionary to gaming when it was introduced. Our cartographer is the famous Alyssa Faden — we’ve gone all-out on quality for this project.
With this new release it is getting a bit of an upgrade…
Alyssa Faden, map goddess and Frog God favorite, has been working on making the Sine Qua Non of Fantasy Gaming Maps. Using details from both the original and the newly written material each room now reflects the chaotic, creepy and often violent nature of the Manor. This is done at an incredibly high resolution which will keep the minute details she captures visibly pleasing when zoomed beyond what is normal in online games or projection based set-ups.”
Egg’s Thoughts:
The original Tegel Manor is a piece of RPG history published by the Judges Guild in 1977. The adventure was a haunted house/dungeon and, per FGG’s Bill Webb, an early adventure that inspired him to a lifelong love of gaming. The Kickstarter campaign page includes details of the history of the original version, a brief behind-the-scenes of the early days of RPGing. This project will be for D&D 5e, but, for those players looking for an authentic old-school feel, Frog God Games offers an edition compatible with their “0E rules using Swords & Wizardry.”
In a continuation of the discussion above about Pathfinder 1e and how it will be affected by Pathfinder 2e, Frog God Games shares some of their thinking. For Tegel Manor Returns!, FGG is foregoing a Pathfinder option. In the campaign’s FAQ, they state:
“If we did a print run for PF1 and PF2 is successful we would be left with an overflowing stock of unsalable books. The tentative plan is to wait and see how PF2 goes, and then if it is successful we may do a PF version.”
Keep in mind, for their How Orcus Stole Christmas! A Holiday RPG Adventure, they are offering a Pathfinder 1e version but only for a “tiny print run.” It’s logical that FGG’s concern is less about the strength of PF1e than about having unsold print copies of their version of Tegel Manor, which is likely to be a book in the high hundreds of pages when PF2e rolls out. It would be too expensive to risk having to liquidate it should PF2e become the hit Paizo believes it will.
Regardless of that, this project still offers the dungeon for 5e and S&W, so there are good options to choose from.
For examples of this publisher’s games at the Open Gaming Store, and the game’s System Reference Documents (SRDs) at:
- D&D 5e SRD – http://www.5esrd.com/
- Sword & Wizardry SRD – http://www.d20swsrd.com/
This crowdfunding campaign ends on Sunday, December 23 2018 11:59 AM EST. You can support this Kickstarter campaign here.
