Kickstarter Interests: 4/9/2017

This is a follow up to some Kickstarters that I am currently watching. If only I could buy them all! Alas, time and money is always the issue.


Clash of Steel: A Tactical Card Game of Medieval Duels

You stand across the bloodied mud of the battlefield. Your mortal enemy is just out of range, seething with lethal intent. Only one of you will walk away; only one will be victorious. Choose your weapons, test your mettle, and cross steel with your foe in a duel to the death.

Clash of Steel is a tactical two-player card game of medieval duels. Every element of play is designed to explore the nuanced and complex decision-making of crossing blades, from choosing your stance to selecting your target.

A two player card game that can be played in 15 min. There appears to be a lot of strategy and reading your opponent involved. The size of the game is designed to be able to be thrown into your bag and go. Only $12 plus $4-6 shipping. I just had to back this.

The Goon for Savage Worlds

The Goon™ Roleplaying Game is based on the multiple Eisner Award-winning comic, The Goon™, by Eric Powell.

Feast them peepers on a samplin' of what we got lined up for ya in this 192-page extravaganza:
A guide to the Town's mean streets and deadly secrets
New Edges and Hindrances so your character can toughen up and be like Goon
Setting Rules to help you bring the comedy and tragedy of Goon and Franky's pulp-noir world to life
An adventure generator full of ideas to help build your own Goon™ stories
An unholy pack of shock-inducing Grievous Yarns (Savage Tales)
All the most infamous tough guys, lugs, dames, and evil, icky things from the comic's entire run—with Savage Worlds game statistics
And an original Plot Point Campaign...one that sees the return of a few of Goon and Franky's oldest and hillbilly-est enemies!

It's printed in a whopping 192 pages of graphic novel format and available in Limited Edition hardcover, so lemme tell ya, bub—this is one game you won't wanna miss!

This game ain't about heroes, per se. More like antiheroes. Join the Goon's crime syndicate—or play as Goon, Franky, and the rest of their crew—and fight off the rival gangs what's encroachin' on your turf, while you collect on Goon's debts and whatnot. You might also succeed at fighting off the tide of bleak suffering that's set to consume yer soul. Then again you might not!

But while you're contemplatin' the psychology and so forth, make sure to watch out for Zombie Priest and his legions of groanin', brain-chomping zombies; they're a constant hassle. If that ain't bad enough, there's crazed-yet-brilliant Dr. Hieronymus Alloy and his robots goin' on a rampage every other week. You also want to keep a lookout for swarms of chug-heads...what they call "changelings." Yeah. They're nasty little buggers.

Believe me, pal, we ain't even got to the worst of it yet. You sure you wanna join up with Goon's crew?

One of the big things right now is that backing either this or their Fear Agents campaign grants you pdfs of the Deadlands Player's Guide and Marshal's Handbook, East Texas University, Rippers Resurrected Player's Guide and Game Master's Handbook, and The Last Parsec Core rulebook. That is an insane bonus with tremendous value. If you have been at all interested in Savage Worlds settings, jump on this! I'm backing, just debating on if I am getting the softcover, or splurging for the hardcover...

The Iron Crows of Kazhuk Izril and other dwarf miniatures

In 1973, a study carried out by researchers from the University of Borghetto San Nicolò elaborated the "Scale of happiness" (or De Carli's Scale, by its creator's name), an order of magnitude which measures the happiness of a person on the basis of certain factors. Without going into details, the various studies correlated the proportion between the income of an individual and the extent of his collection of Dwarfs: in 94% of cases, it has been demonstrated that those who spend at least 42% of their income in Dwarf miniatures are on average happier than others.This discovery shocked the scientific community at that time, generating fierce debates and disputes, but everything was soon hushed up by the lobbies of fashion which saw in Elves a model of beauty more functional to their business. In defiance of the system and the standards imposed from above, we of the Durgin Paint Forge have worked hard for more than two years to realize a collection of Dwarfs that can allow you take a leap forward in your personal De Carli's Scale. This project is an act of love: we know how important it is for you to have awesome miniatures with which to widen your collection of dwarfs, and precisely for this reason we have endeavored to give you only our best. A spontaneous, visceral, loud and often inappropriate love: typically Italian, indeed. You will soon find that only a temporary restraining order may prevent us from loving you. In the meantime, sit down comfortably and enjoy excellence.

These may be some of the best looking dwarfs that I have seen, and the prices are really reasonable. Sadly I don't think that I can back this project right now as I just can't justify spending the money after backing some other projects. If I had a need for dwarfs I would as the models are simply awesome.

There are a few others that I am looking at but there are still plenty of days left on those. Anything here spark your interest?

On My Radar: Five RPGs campaigns I want to run.

Hello all!

I snagged my first player for my next online group, though I may be kind of cheating as also plays in my first group. I figured he would be interested in joining another game that promises more consistency. I am going to ask a few other friends and then open invites up to readers of the site if I still need more. Till then, I need to decide what we are going to play!

I have narrowed down the list of potential campaigns to five. They are:

Zeitgeist: The Gears of Revolution (EN Publishing) -

Steam and soot darken the skies above the city of Flint, and the choking products of its industrial forges sweep from the majestic harbor to the few rain-forests that dot its knife-toothed mountains. The Unseen Court, the Great Hunt, and the many spirits of the land no longer receive tribute, but they cannot enter these new domains of steam and steel to demand their tithe. The impoverished workers who huddle in factory slums fear monsters of a different breed, shadowy children of this bleak urban labyrinth.

Times are turning. The Skyseers - Risurs folk prophets since their homeland's birth - witness omens in the starry wheels of heaven, and they warn that a new era is nigh. But what they cannot foresee, hidden beyound the smog of the night sky, is the face of this coming era, the spirit of the age. The Zeitgeist.

This is a massive steam & spell campaign that will take players from level 1 to 20. Everything I read suggests this is one hell of a setting which challenges both the GM and players. This one requires commitment but the pay off seems to be an endings that players will discuss for years. My concern is that it may be to much for me to pull off at my experience level. It is also only available in Pathfinder or 4E D&D, neither of which I have any experience in. But it sounds so cool!

The Lost Lands: Stoneheart Valley (Frog God Games) -

Finally, welcome to the World of Necromancer Games! From Bill Webb and Clark Peterson's home campaign comes the old-school setting of The Lost Lands: Stoneheart Valley. For over a decade, fans of Necromancer Games and Frog God Games have been asking to see the world behind the adventures. And at long last, here is where it all began, in the Stoneheart Valley near the town of Fairhill. This mini-campaign was originally presented to the fans of Necromancer Games in three separate modules: "The Wizard's Amulet", "The Crucible of Freya", and "The Tomb of Abysthor". Frog God Games has taken the full series from the 3E version plus supplemental material previously available only online, and converted it all to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game system and the Swords & Wizardry Complete ruleset.

This satisfies my desire to try something old school. I researched the Lost Lands for some time and am desperate to jump in. From what I gather, this collection of three adventures offers a way to introduce players to the world that Frog God Games has created. The only downside,  is that it can be brutal on players that want to go full ham, regardless of using the S&W or Pathfinder rules. My preference would be S&W and as long as I warn my players not to get attached to their characters it should work.

The Road to Revolution: The Campaign (0one Games) -

One of the most critically acclaimed campaign out there now completely converted to Pathfinder!

The Road to Revolution is a complete 320 pages campaign designed for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Set in the Great City, this epic campaign takes characters from their humble beginnings, all the way to powerful adventurers upon whose actions the City will come to depend. The Campaign Arc contains six adventures in all, each written by the original authors of the Great City Campaign Setting. Arc adventures can be played individually or linked with others in the series to create a complete campaign.

I added the flyer due to the lack of excitement in their back cover description. While they should work on their pitch, this campaign does seems interesting. So much so that I already purchased it last month. It is based in 0one's Great City which has its own massive setting book. Both the city and the adventure arc is full of grit. I wouldn't go so far as to call it dark fantasy. It is just that to survive the Great City, one needs to tread carefully and refrain from insulting potential enemies. The Path to Revolution contains six adventures which focuses heavily on political intrigue and investigations. Add some unique encounters and this campaign could be the perfect step in learning to GM.

Necessary Evil Explore's Edition (Pinnacle Entertainment) -

This is no simple reprint! Pinnacle Entertainment's classic Savage Worlds setting with super-villains saving the earth has returned better than ever. It's reformatted to the wildly popular Savage Worlds: Explorers Edition-size paperback with updated rules. The plot has been expanded to include a new ending, giving you 110% of the story of the first edition. The new edition also has new art, with two dozen pieces added. The Fate Of The World Lies With The Scum Of The Earth! When the super heroes of the world are blown to kingdom come by an unstoppable army of invading aliens, who will save the day? Evil... The only forces left to take on the alien menace are the crafty and self-serving super-villains! Necessary Evil is a supers game done Savage Worlds style. Inside the twisted Plot Point setting are complete rules on making four-color super-powered characters, over seventy super powers, a whole pile of adventures weaving in and out of a resistance story, new Edges and Hindrances, a bestiary of out-of-this-world critters, and more! Necessary Evil requires the Savage Worlds Roleplaying Game to play.

While deciding games for this list, I had to include a Savage Worlds campaign. The problem in picking one is that most settings lack a full length campaign and the few that do tend to be all highly regarded. While these are not bad traits, it does hurt in trying to choose something that meets the criteria of a pick up and play group. I finally picked Necessary Evil due to the reviews and the angle it employs. The Players are super villains who fight alien overlords... ummm, yes please. While this plot point campaign uses the explorer edition of the SW rules, I don't foresee a problem running quick updates to the latest deluxe rules.  

Red Eye of Azathoth (Kobolb Press) - 

Kings die, nations crumble, and madness trails in the fiery wake of a comet called The Red Eye of Azathoth. Do you have what it takes to battle across history against the Mythos horrors that surface under its lurid glow?

• 887 AD, Holy Island, English Northumbria – As blood rain falls and the dead rise, Viking invaders and English monks must join forces or perish in a Lovecraftian nightmare.

• 1287 AD, Iwaizumi, Japan – Snowbound Samurai must unearth what lies behind the village where babies cannot cry and an abomination hangs lanterns that shriek with a thousand voices.

• 1487 AD, Valencia, Spain – Heretics must escape torture, prison, and the clutches of angels to expose the Spanish Inquisition’s true purpose.

• 1587 AD, Roanoke Colony, The New World – Colonists face flayed horrors that hammer on stretched-skin drums to reveal whose knife dug CROATOAN into the Lost Colony’s tree.

• 1887 AD, Desperation, Arizona Territory – In the series’ explosive magic-and-gunpowder climax, condemned gunfighters unravel the last skeins of the millennium-spanning mystery and stand alone against the full Mythos horror of The Red Eye of Azathoth!

Ia! Ia! Take your players to the mad reaches of our past with 108 pages of epic horror, complete with player handouts, new adversaries, and pregenerated Investigators for each time period.

So yeah, this is a bit different. REoA is a Call of Cthulhu campaign which I so want to run, despite three glaring issues. First I need to go get a rule book of 7ed CoC. By that statement you are correct in guessing that I never ran a Cthulhu game before, which I image would make jumping into this campaign a bit rough. And the premise itself sounds like it would test my GMing chops. But it would be a hell of a feat.

So, there are the games I'm considering. I'm going to have the one committed player to check this out so he can offer his input. Have you tried any of these campaigns? Any really sound interesting? Let me know so I can make up my mind!

PS, all purchases using OBS affiliate links drops a few cents in my account to help with purchasing items that I plan on running and writing about. If you wish to avoid this but plan on purchasing the above products, simply visit drivethrurpgDOTcom and type the game in the search menu. Cheers!

Season 1 AAR#2: Ultima Forsan

Welcome to an extremely late after action report. I wished to post this much earlier but it between a long work week and a cold that simply will not go away, I have been drained after work. I was a bit nervous with this session as it was involved the plagued and I wasn't sure how combat will be with the party. But lets dive right in.

++++spoilers++++

We are playing the Secrets of Marco Polo adventure which comes in the GM section of Ultima Forsan which uses the Savage Worlds rulebook. I recommend players whose GM is playing to use the adventure wait a couple of AARs till that start reading as my group should have moved on.

With that out of the way lets roll.

CAST:

Malakai: A plague doctor whom is determined to find a cure to the plague. Native of New Venice.

Chuvalski: A well dressed Russian whom seems capable of holding himself in a fight.

Dalmasca: An Egyptian Deadhunter.

AAR 2:

We left the party after finding themselves on the tartan ship Pandora, owned by a jovial Captain Largo Secillano. They traveled towards Old Venice, a city of sorrow, to meet Captain Aschenbach and her ship the Bucintoro. The party tried lending a hand though what they had in effort, they lacked in skill and luck. After Chuvalski ended up over the railing with a rope holding him up by the ankle, Captain Secillano assured the party that as long as they ignored what was below deck, their friendly banter was all that he asked for. Doing so, each offered tidbits of their past and traded tales of adventure. Even Dalmasca, who retreated up the mast, joined the conversation. Captain Secillano offered the most juiciest topic when he discussed the lands of Matrega.

As the Pandora approached the Bucintoro, a burly but kind second in command named Othello greeted the party, whose lack of sea skills showed yet again during transit between ships to the amusement of the crew. Joining her crew in light jibbing, Captain Hilaire Aschenbach greeted the party on her ship’s deck. Despite her appearance of being tainted, a trait shared by her entire crew, Aschenbach’s beauty charmed the party. Malakai in particular became smitten and made introductions with particular gusto. Aschenbach played along and offered the party dinner invitations and a nights rest before showing them the way to Marco Polo’s palace. As she excused herself to read the letter from Melqisedeq, Secillano parted ways promising to return within a day or two.

Dinner consisted of fair but delicious food and the party learned how the crew supported itself. The Bucintoro often lent crew members as guides into Old Venice. Due to years of living along a city of sorrow’s outskirts, they had intimate knowledge of its passageways. Being tainted, the crew had no fear of effects brought by prolonged exposure to the miasma, (a toxic mist associated with the plague). Aschenbach explained what information she knew of the Book of Sun that the party was after. During dinner, Aschenbach and Malakai traded not so subtle flirtations despite eye rolling from the rest of the party and Othello. Aschenbach offered crewman Ceccin as guide to the city and retires with the plague doctor to her chambers to “discuss books.”

The next day, Ceccin brought the party into Old Venice and to Marco Polo’s palace. There, the party hoped to find clues to where Polo hid his treasure including the Book of the Sun. As the party approached the doors, Ceccin shouted a warning that they were not alone. A number of drowned ones (water traveling plagued) began working their way up the courtyard and towards the party. Deciding not to risk a fight with the plagued, the party ran into the palace and barred the doors while Ceccin distracted the drowned and attempt to draw them away. 

Feeling relatively safe, the party began searching the first floor of the palace and found a hidden trap door and stairs leading up. After successfully navigating the rotted staircase with only a minor setback, the party continued their search of the second floor. While much of the floor contained opened rooms, one door was firmly locked. Kicking the door open, Malakai narrowly avoided a spear shooting up from the floor. After looking for any further signs of traps, the party entered what appeared to be a library. After searching the room the party found the Journal of Marco Polo that contained additional clues as to the Polo’s treasure. Malakai also found a journal discussing Russia during the early plague years. He pocketed the book for study in the future.

The party then made their way to the basement where they encountered a plague that was transfused to the wall and covered in mollusks. Malakai could not help but take a sample to study and the rest of the party found a few items of value. Finding nothing else and wishing to not miss Ceccin, the party made their escape.

As Ceccin brought the party close to the Bucintoro, they saw the deck near empty but for a few crew members and Othello. Suspicious, the party prepared themselves as they climbed aboard. To their horror they found Othello and two crew mates had turned. Sounds coming from the crew quarters suggested the rest of the crew had escaped and barricaded themselves. The party found themselves on the defense as the three possessed attacked. Malakai took injuries but managed to avoid any of the attacks actually breaking his skin. Diving to side he managed to fire a shot to aid the rest of the party. Firing their own weapons, the rest of the party managed to take down the two crewman. After trading attacks, Chuvalski managed to down the massive Othello.

++++++++

If that seems like an abrupt end, it is because we had to call it a night. Due to some scheduling problems we had to start the game later than normal and by the time the fight ended I had to call it quits. Stay tuned for the next AAR to find out what happened to the crew of the Bucintoro.

If you have any suggestions or questions don't hesitate to chirp up!

  

Season 1 AAR#1: Ultima Forsan

What follows is an after action report for my inaugural session of my first campaign! The main purpose is to present my players with a recap of events that is useful before play the next session. I also thought others may enjoy reading it over.

++++spoilers++++
We are playing the Secrets of Marco Polo adventure which comes in the GM section of Ultima Forsan which uses the Savage Worlds rulebook. I recommend players whose GM is playing to use the adventure wait a couple of AARs till that start reading as my group should have moved on.

With that out of the way lets roll.


CAST:
Malakai: A plague doctor whom is determined to find a cure to the plague. Native of New Venice.
Chuvalski: A well dressed Russian whom seems capable of holding himself in a fight.
Dalmasca: An Egyptian Deadhunter.

AAR 1:

Each PC began by shopping the market individually. During this time, each is approached by an individual who slips them a message and runs off before questions can be asked. Each message contains a mysterious summons to the Sorcerers Court, a unofficial central location of alchemists and Kabbalists. Seeing that they were not alone in receiving an invite, the three decide to accompany each other to the tainted district to find the hidden court.

At the Black Gate, a few guards stopped the PCs with a warning that entering the plaque district late in the afternoon was unadvised. With only an hour before curfew untainted were encouraged to leave the district. Malakia assured the guards that his services were needed and should be completed quickly. The guards reluctantly allowed them to pass with a final warning to be out before nightfall.

Malakia, a native of New Venice, quickly determined the location he believed the mysterious message was referring to. With time to kill, the three introduced themselves. Dalmasca told a tale of one of his adventures further to the north. Chuvalski hinted that his past included someone with a grudge. Malakai proclaimed his purpose to find a cure, which generated laughter at such an impossible task but also earned respect for his determination.

Noticing that it was getting dark out, the PCs decided to find a suitable location to hide from patrols until the time mentioned on the paper. Dalmasca offered to shoot an arrow and rope up a building so that they could hide on the roof. He failed miserably. Not to be outdone, Chuvalski proclaimed that he would do it, and missed as well. Malakai, who never shot a bow before, managed to lodge an arrow over the roof. His victory was short lived as they found that during this shooting match, they attracted a number of guards. Desiring not to hurt guardsmen who where only doing their jobs, Chuvalski offered bribes if they would give the PCs an extra hour. The guards happily took the bribe under the promises that the PCs would not cause any trouble.

At the appointed time, a hidden passage to the Sorcerers Court was revealed and the PCs entered a tavern once at the courtyard. There they met the sender of the messages, Kabbalist Melqisedeq. Melqisedeq asked the PCs to find an ancient text that may reveal clues to curing the plague. The PCs, each with their own reason and the promise of all other treasure as reward, agreed to help. Their first step was to meet a Captain Largo Sevilliano who would take them to Old Venice where they were to search Marco Polo's old home for a clue to the location of his treasure vault. While ironing out details, the inn was attacked by a Leaden Knight, an mechanical man.

After laying waste to the Leaden Knight, the inn burning down in flames, and with guards in pursuit, the PCs decide to start their adventure a bit premature. While escaping to the docks, Melqisedeq warns that the PCs will not be alone in trying to find the old text. The Leaden Knight must have been sent by Melqisedeq's peer and nemesis, Sabellicus. Melqisedeq offers the PCs thanks and good luck as they set sail for Old Venice, a city of sorrow.

Hope you enjoyed the read, I'm open for suggestions on format. I will be following this up with some of my thoughts regarding this session.