Today, we sit down with Matthew Sargent to talk about his new DnD supplement that brings ska to your 5e game.
How did the College of the Third Wave come about?
This project was the perfect storm of inspiration and timing. I’d been looking to start a new personal project for a while, but most of my ideas were a bit too ambitious for the time I had between freelance illustration gigs. Being a busy freelancer is great for paying rent, but it sure makes pursuing your own work tricky! I needed something that was small enough to finish on a tight timeline and personal enough to be creatively fulfilling.
It was at Gary Con that the seed was planted. Walking around the dealer hall, I was noticing how many products displayed a clear heavy metal influence. Nothing wrong with that, of course – metal is great! It just has a bit of a musical monopoly in TTRPGs (and fantasy in general). That got me pondering how I could combine my favorite music genre – ska – with my favorite games. The wheels were turning!
The work of artist and game designer Steve Conley helped give those wheels a direction. He’s Kickstarted several humorous, yet playable 5e subclasses as zines. That was exactly the kind of project I was looking for! It was small enough to do between freelance jobs and rooted in things I love – plus, it would be a great way to try my hand at crowdfunding.
In short, I needed a project, stumbled into some thematic inspiration, then found/stole a mold to put it in just as I was finishing up some major client work. College of the Third Wave was born! It was like finding out I’d been training for something for decades without even knowing it. Is that what destiny is?
You once mentioned that you play bass guitar. Does your experience as a musician shape this supplement? And if so, how?
My first instrument as a child was actually the trumpet, which I’m sure gave me a built-in bias towards ska when I was introduced to it a few years later. I picked up bass in high school, but never managed to get a ska band going with either instrument. Playing any kind of music is fun, though, and I’ve kept up with the bass, playing mostly in church and occasionally with the acoustic rock band Hugs & Proxy. I don’t know if any of that directly shaped this supplement, but being a musician has absolutely enhanced my appreciation and understanding of music as a whole. Without that, who knows if this project would have ever even occurred to me?
Who are your favorite ska bands?
That’s a hard one! There are so many great ones out there. If we take a look at my phone, Rancid, Reel Big Fish, and Streetlight Manifesto are the most heavily-represented bands out of all the music on there. All three were instrumental in developing my musical tastes. Keep an eye out for references to them (and a ton of other bands) in the zine.
Is there any aspect of life that wouldn’t be enhanced by adding a horn section?
Absolutely not! A good horn section can pump you up, lull you to sleep, and even guarantee your band is big enough for a good D&D game!
What is it about ska that excites you as a designer?
Mostly that it’s such an untapped source of inspiration and something I feel uniquely qualified to add to the TTRPG world. Ska has an upbeat, joyful sound and an often critical, irreverent outlook, and I think that contrast has great potential in terms of gameplay mechanics and storytelling. Plus, there are so many opportunities for great puns in naming all the abilities, spells, and monsters!
You’ve shared the Really Big Fish; can you share another cool element from the product?
As the old saying goes, “ska is what plays in a 13-year-old’s head when he gets extra mozzarella sticks.” So, naturally, I had to include the magic item Fingers of Gold, which are basically potions in the form of mozzarella sticks. The name is, of course, a pun on the ska-punk band Goldfinger.
Have you created a playlist for your DMs and bards to use in-game?
I made a Youtube playlist for the Kickstarter page to help explain ska to anyone who wandered in and wasn’t familiar with it. That playlist could absolutely be used as an in-game resource for Bard players. I imagine DMs would prefer something more instrumental, which is definitely doable. (I might have to include that if we unlock the final Stretch Goal: a ska-themed one-shot adventure!)
This is your first Kickstarter; what is something you’ve learned during the process that could aid other new creators?
I started knowing almost nothing, so this whole process has been a big learning experience. The most helpful thing I did was to ask advice from friends who’d had successful TTRPG Kickstarters in the past (huge thanks to you, Steve Conley, Darryl from Splattered Ink, John from 321 Action RPG, Levi from Planet X Games, and Mosey, who I worked with on Quest for Owlbear Milk). The second-most helpful thing was being married to a marketer (thanks, Raquel!), so shoot for that if you can!
Over the past couple months, I’ve gleaned a lot of little tidbits on running a crowdfunding campaign. I think one of the most important things for a Kickstarter (and one of the things many of them do poorly) is clear communication. You need to be able to explain your project simply and briefly – no one wants to read giant walls of text to figure out what you’re selling. Having a bunch of art to accompany the text helps with that and also proves that you’re actually working on the project.
Perhaps the most important lesson is to create something YOU want to see in the world. People can see the passion, and you’ll be surprised how many of them will show up to support something super niche. I had no idea so many folks were in the middle of the Ska/TTRPG Venn diagram with me!
Now that you’ve got a taste for TTRPG design, what’s next for you?
If this project goes well enough, I might have to follow it up with the Colleges of Traditional Ska and Two Tone! I also have an idea for a comic/game guide combo based on a home-brewed Fantasy-Western campaign I ran a few years ago. It would be a pretty ambitious project, but I think it’s got potential. Aside from those, I’m always collaborating with other TTRPG creators and publishers, so you’re sure to see more of my work soon!
You can learn more about the College of the Third Wave here.







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