With the new year, there are new projects going up on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. New 5e (and 1e) games. In this article, I look at some adventures, a book of traps, and a great deal on critically-acclaimed Pathfinder products at our sponsor, the Open Gaming Network.
- Retro 1E & 5E Fantasy Mini-Adventure Set 2 by Art of the Genre
- Treacherous Traps for 5th Edition! by Nord Games
- Raging Swan’s NEW YEAR’S MEGABUNDLE! by Raging Swan Press
As a bonus, the Raging Swan bundle includes free previews (all listed below).
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Retro 1E & 5E Fantasy Mini-Adventure Set 2 by Art of the Genre
Ends on Wed, January 16 2019 2:30 PM EST.
“With this special bonus content Kickstarter we are trying to finish up these three mini-adventures to expand on the events that will take place in between Folio #21 & Folio #22. We also hope that if you are simply looking for some cool dungeon encounters for characters level 10+, these adventures will fill that void.
What are in the mini-adventures? Each mini-adventure is roughly 10 encounter points in a scenario that blends in with the main Folio adventure it corresponds to (in this case, we are hoping to ‘bridge’ certain scenario points within the Kasbah Dungeon from The Curse of Roslof Keep campaign). This includes maps, and statistics in both classic AD&D and 5th Edition D&D. However, these can also easily work as stand alone encounters for other ongoing campaigns. They are designed for 4-6 characters from levels 10+.
What is Behind the Amber Door? In the first level of the Kasbah Dungeon a single door was held with a magical shield of amber energy, but now the characters have a chance to open it and find out what the final secrets the first floor of the dungeon has to offer…
What is 10 Steps Down? Level 2 of the Kasbah Dungeon also has an amber door, and this one might hold a secret to the undoing of the Infernal Machine itself. This is yet another chance for experience and glory before the characters make their way to the third level of the dungeon.
What is A Secret Respite? Everyone knows that the Kasbah Dungeon is magical and that the Infernal Machine is always creating new and devious things to test players, but is it possible that the dungeon also takes pity on those that delve its depths? In this small encounter section, a new type of dungeon section become available to the characters, assuming they choose to partake.
What are in Folio #20 & Folio #21? These are two full adventures that include a gazetteer section and adventure section. They are based in original AD&D format with 5th Edition D&D stat blocks, so they can be played in both systems. They have both 2D ‘Blue’ hex maps as well as full 3D graphic art dungeons, and they comprise the first 2 levels of the 6 level Kasbah Dungeon campaign. These modules are built for 6 characters, levels 10+.
What were the 1st Bridge trio of mini-adventures? These three mini-adventures bridged the timeline between the original Roslof Keep dungeon and the new Kasbah Dungeon, allowing the DM to transition old characters into the new setting while getting a bit of a preview to what they will be expecting.
What is the Folio? The Folio is a OSR inspired adventure path that incorporates both 1E and5E Dungeons & Dragons mechanics. Currently, three full campaigns exist within its volumes including the six part Roslof Keep Campaign, the twin trilogies of The Complete Cities of Sorcery, and the six-part island adventure campaign of The Complete White Ship. That’s 19 full Folio adventure and dozens of mini-adventures in three huge PDF super adventure volumes. That’s a lot of gaming!”
Egg’s Thoughts:
Art of the Genre, publisher of the Retro 1E & 5E Fantasy Mini-Adventure Set 2 crowdfunding, has done a staggering amount of Kickstarters. How many is that? 47. Of those, 40(ish) of them are from the Folio series, a collection of adventures for AD&D 1e and D&D 5e featuring an old-school layout, removable covers, and a dungeon sized for miniatures in blue hex maps with 3D dungeon maps. That’s so many books in that series that you may ask what 47 Kickstarters looks like? The simple and complex answer is: This Kickstarter for Retro 1E & 5E Fantasy Mini-Adventure Set 2 features adventures that take place between Folio #21 & Folio #22 (though they standalone as well). Is this adventure for you? If you’re a Folio fan, the answer is obvious, but if you have not joined this series, consider this as a jumping on point opening the doors to a world of adventures (there are several in the Folio to choose from) that will carry you through layer upon layer of gameplay.
Questions about the system? Check out D&D 5e’s System Reference Documents (SRDs) at: http://www.5esrd.com/
This crowdfunding campaign ends on Wed, January 16 2019 2:30 PM EST. You can support this Kickstarter campaign here.
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Treacherous Traps for 5th Edition! by Nord Games
Ends on Wed, January 23 2019 12:00 AM EST.
“The ultimate resource for creating and using traps in your 5th Edition games! 250+ pre-built traps plus a random trap generator!
Treacherous Traps is an incredible resource for game masters who are looking to get more out of their dungeon design. The book contains two hundred and fifty pre-built traps ranging in level and severity so that you can always find the perfect trap for your party.
There is also a chapter containing a random trap generator written, in part, by the legendary Steve Winter. This chapter contains fifty trap triggers and fifty trap effects that, when combined, create up to twenty-five hundred different combinations.
Compatibility
Although the content in this book and collection of card decks is written for 5th Edition D&D, the trap concepts and mechanics can be easily adapted for use with other editions of D&D as well as other fantasy-themed tabletop RPGs.
The Book
Treacherous Traps currently consists of 11 chapters:
- 1. The Philosophy of Traps – An introduction to traps and their use in fantasy RPGs: why you should use them, when you should use them, and how to keep them exciting!
- 2. How To Use Traps – A detailed look at how to best use traps in your adventures as well as instructions on how the pre-built traps in chapters 3-7 are structured.
- 3. Level 1-4 Traps – Traps appropriate for parties with characters level 1-4. 50 traps in total, a mixture of mundane, mechanical and magical. These range in 5 levels of severity from simple ‘setbacks’, to ‘moderate’, ‘dangerous’, ‘life-threatening’ and ‘deadly’!
- 4. Level 5-8 Traps – Traps appropriate for parties with characters level 5-8. 50 traps in total, a mixture of mundane, mechanical and magical. These range in 5 levels of severity, as detailed above. Some may be upgraded version of traps found in the previous chapters.
- 5. Level 9-12 Traps – Traps appropriate for parties with characters level 9-12. 50 traps in total, a mixture of mundane, mechanical and magical. These range in 5 levels of severity, as detailed above. Some may be upgraded version of traps found in the previous chapters.
- 6. Level 13-16 Traps – Traps appropriate for parties with characters level 13-16. 50 traps in total, a mixture of mundane, mechanical and magical. These range in 5 levels of severity, as detailed above. Some may be upgraded version of traps found in the previous chapters.
- 7. Level 17-20 Traps – Traps appropriate for parties with characters level 17-20. 50 traps in total, a mixture of mundane, mechanical and magical. These range in 5 levels of severity, as detailed above. Some may be upgraded version of traps found in the previous chapters.
- 8. Complex Traps – This chapter consists of up to 25 complex traps which have multiple triggers, effects, or both. Many complex traps also reset after activation, so unless they are disabled or destroyed, they will continue to be dangerous.
- 9. Random Trap Generator – This chapter consists of 50 triggers and 50 effects. When combined, they create a random trap which is both interesting and challenging. With 2500 different combinations and the partial brain-child of the legendary Steve Winter, this is truly an incredible resource for any Game Master!
- 10. Designing Your Own Traps – This chapter goes into detail on how to create your own traps using our unique methods.
- 11. Trap-centric Dungeons – This chapter is focused on how to place your traps in the best possible locations within your dungeons for maximum results. It includes a random dungeon generator tool, as well as detailed diagrams on where best to place your traps.
The Decks
All of the decks that are associated with Treacherous Traps can be used with or without the book.
- Level 1-4 Traps. This deck of 50 cards includes all of the traps from chapter 3 of Treacherous Traps.
- Level 5-8 Traps. This deck of 50 cards includes all of the traps from chapter 4 of Treacherous Traps.
- Level 9-12 Traps. This deck of 50 cards includes all of the traps from chapter 5 of Treacherous Traps.
- Level 13-16 Traps. This deck of 50 cards includes all of the traps from chapter 6 of Treacherous Traps.
- Level 17-20 Traps. This deck of 50 cards includes all of the traps from chapter 7 of Treacherous Traps.
- Random Trap Generator. This deck of 100 cards is derived from chapter 9 of Treacherous Traps. It contains 50 trigger cards and 50 effect cards. A game master separates the two card types, shuffles them, and then draws 1 card from each stack. The combination of the trigger and the effect creates a random trap each time. This is a great resource for impromptu adventures as well as for game masters who want to be just as surprised as their players by what they find in the dungeon!”
Egg’s Thoughts:
Here on the Open Gaming Network, I interviewed Grimtooth about his most recent book of traps (here). While Nord Games’ Treacherous Traps for 5th Edition! is not related to Grimtooth in any way, they both focus on a DM’s dirtiest bit of fun: Traps. Nord Games is offering a nasty set of traps, not only are you looking at 250 pre-made traps for 5e, but there’s also this piece of player-hatred: Random Trap Generator. “The combination of the trigger and the effect creates a random trap each time.” No player can prepare for a trap if it’s unknown to everyone at the table. This set is a player’s nightmare, and, for that reason, I’m not sharing it with my DM. Honest.
Questions about the system? Check out D&D 5e’s System Reference Documents (SRDs) at: http://www.5esrd.com/
This crowdfunding campaign ends on Wed, January 23 2019 12:00 AM EST. You can support this Kickstarter campaign here.
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Raging Swan’s NEW YEAR’S MEGABUNDLE! by Raging Swan Press
Ends on Thur, January 31 2019.
“You get 41 of our greatest Pathfinder PDFs for only $29.95 which is over a 90% discount on the normal retail price. The deal runs to the end of the month, so save yourself some campaign prep time and some serious cash and grab it while you can!”
Raging Swan Press is offering a load of Pathfinder 1e content at an amazing price. If you’ve been following, one of my regular questions in this column is the RPG publisher debate of 2018 and 2019, has Pathfinder 1e content sung its swan song? I know a number of players for whom PF1e continues to be their game of choice. While this bundle does not definitively answer the question, between it and my anecdotal experiences, it feels like PF1e still enjoys love much like the first edition of D&D does. If you’re interested in some highly reviewed Pathfinder products at an amazing price, check out what’s in the bundle. To sweeten the preview, I’ve added a few links to free samples courtesy of Raging Swan Press and the Open Gaming Store (in the article and at the end).
- Against The Cult of the Bat God – A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for four 5th-level PCs by John Bennett.
- All That Glimmers
- Campaign Backdrop: Caves & Caverns
- Campaign Backdrop: Forests & Woodlands
- Campaign Backdrop: Hills & Mountains
- Campaign Backdrop: Sun & Sand
- Campaign Backdrop: Swamps & Marshes
- Caves & Caverns
- Dark Oak Collector’s Edition – A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible adventure for 5th-level PCs by Creighton Broadhurst and Steve Hood.
- Dark Waters Rising
- Dwellers Amid Bones Collector’s Edition – A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible Adventure for 5th-level characters by Creighton Broadhurst and Fabian Fehrs.
- Fane of the Undying Sleeper CE
- Gibbous Moon Collector’s Edition – A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible Adventure for 3rd-level characters by Creighton Broadhurst and Jacob W. Michaels.
- GM’s Miscellany: Alternate Dungeon
- GM’s Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing
- GM’s Miscellany: I Loot the Body – A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible GM’s Resource by Kat Evans, Eric Hindley, Taylor Hubler, Josh Vogt and Mike Welham.
- GM’s Miscellany: Places of Power
- GM’s Miscellany: Random Wilderness Encounters
- GM’s Miscellany: Tribes Most Foul
- GM’s Miscellany: Urban Dressing
- GM’s Miscellany: Urban Dressing I
- GM’s Miscellany: Village Backdrops
- GM’s Miscellany: Village Backdrops II
- GM’s Miscellany: Village Backdrops III – Check out the Village Backdrop III (Free Version) featuring a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GM’s Resource by John Bennett, Creighton Broadhurst, Richard Green, Mike Kimmel, Jacob W. Michaels, Jacob Trier and Mike Welham.
- GM’s Miscellany: Village Backdrops IV
- GM’s Miscellany: Village Backdrops V
- GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing
- GM’s Miscellany: Places of Power II
- Retribution Collector’s Edition
- Road of the Dead Collector’s Edition – For a free sample edition comprising the first 9 pages of the adventure head over to http://www.ragingswan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RoTD_Collectors_sample.pdf
- Scions of Evil
- Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands – Check out the Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands (Free Preview) featuring this “additional, free resource for the “Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands” adventure and presents the Donjon of Ruin portion of the adventure, along with the full adventure background, introduction, hooks, relevant handouts, and illustrations.”
- The Lonely Coast – Check out The Lonely Coast (Free Version), a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure locale by Creighton Broadhurst suitable for PCs level 1-5.
- Shunned Valley of the Three Tombs
- The Sunken Pyramid – The Sunken Pyramid (Preview Version), a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible aquatic adventure for 7th-level PCs by Creighton Broadhurst and Marc Radle “contains much of the front matter and roughly the first quarter of the full version module.”
- The Village of Swallowfeld – A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game supplement for PCs level 1-5 by Creighton Broadhurst.
- Town Backdrop: Deksport
- Town Backdrop: Wolverton
- TRIBES Anthology I – TRIBES Anthology I presents 32 new feats, 22 new spells, 11 new magic items, 70 stat blocks (CRs 0 -11) and 4 new monsters, and contains full details of the following tribes: Bleached Skull Gnolls, Hobgoblins of the Mailed Fist, Kobolds of the Fallen Halls, Pazuzus Fury, and the Troglodytes of the Tentacled One.
- TRIBES Anthology II
- TRIBES Anthology III
Here are some of the links to the free versions and previews listed above:
- Village Backdrop III (Free Version)
- Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands (Free Preview)
- The Lonely Coast (Free Version)
- The Sunken Pyramid (Preview Version)
Questions about the system? Check out Pathfinder 1e’s System Reference Documents (SRDs) at: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/
This Open Gaming Store bundle ends on Thursday, January 31, 2019. You can purchase these PDFs here: https://www.opengamingstore.com/collections/all-products/products/raging-swans-new-years-megabundle