My latest game, Danger Cubed, is currently funding on Kickstarter. You play as a gelatinous cube who has grown tired of guarding and cleaning the dungeon. You have decided to escape, but you’ll need to consume friends and foes alike to escape.
A wrymling, a goblin, and an Owlbare walk into a tavern…
The game uses a simplified d20 system that players will find familiar and intuitive. As you explore the dungeon and defeat foes, you will engulf them and gain powers. Beware though, adventurers can be found skulking about the dungeon too. However, once engulfed, adventurers provide powerful bonuses to help you in your quest for freedom.
A cleric, a fighter, and a wizard
What about the Treasure? After defeating a monster or an adventurer, you can choose to loot the chest, but you’ll need to keep an eye open for mimics. Those shapeshifting troublemakers can ruin your day for sure.
I hope you’ll take a look at my silly little game. If it looks fun, please consider backing (it’s $15), but if it’s not your cup of tea, still consider sharing the campaign, it will help me tremendously. Thank you! -Andy
I had the pleasure of talking with Zac Goins from Snapback Game Studio about his newest project, Raptor Ruckus!
Can you give us a quick overview of the game, and what makes it unique? Sure! Raptor Ruckus is a survival horror RPG set within a collapsing island park filled with dinos, CIA operatives, eco-terrorist organizations, and other pleasantries. You’ve survived the initial chaos, but actually finding a way off the island is another thing altogether. It’s a d20-based game, like D&D, but much simpler, deadlier, and more chaotic. If you’re familiar with the Mork Borg system, we started there and then twisted things till they fit what we envisioned.
What inspired the game? You’ve probably already guessed, but Jurassic Park is at the top of the list. Secondary inspirations are the Alien RPG from Free League, Deathmatch Island RPG from Evil Hat Productions, and the novel Primitive War.
What is your favorite dinosaur? Can I give you three for different categories? The most terrifying is the Quetzalcoatlus. Nothing more awe-inspiring than a flying dino larger than a giraffe with a beak that’s longer than I am. The coolest is the Baryonyx. It has the vibes of piss and vinegar, it could swim with the best of them, and pops up in a bunch of JP releases. And then my favorite dinosaur that’s not a dinosaur is the Dimetrodon. It’s the alligator looking fellow with the big sail on its back and the short legs. It’s not a dino, it’s not even a reptile. What’s crazy is that it’s classified as basically a mammal, which breaks my brain every time I think about it.
Will Raptor Ruckus feature only real dinos, or will there be mutant dinos (mutadons, etc.) too? The core book only features “real” dinos and megaufauna, but there’s a build-your-own dino section for you to go nuts with, and some of the adventure pamphlets get weird real quick.
Were there any specific design challenges you had to overcome? 100%. This game sat on the back-burner for like 6 months because I wanted an elegant, simple system for chase scenes and escaping dinos in general. I absolutely abhor almost all chase mechanics, stealth modes, and things like that in most games, so it was a long process of research, revision, and playtest to find something that I was really happy with.
What part of the game are you most proud of from a design perspective? Definitely the chase mechanics. That’s all bundled up into Maneuvers, which are things characters can do inside combat other than attack the dinos (usually a bad idea). All dinos and NPCs have Hit Points, so you could kill them, but they also have a Tenacity score, which functions like Morale but is burned down by successfully evading, hiding, or otherwise outmaneuvering your opponents.
What can you tell us about the Raptor Ruckus team? It’s definitely a project with heavy collaboration. Once I had the bones of the system together, I brought in 3 of my best friends and dino enthusiasts. Frank Tedeschi is a real-world geneticist and board game / adventure designer that has been invaluable. He’s written a large chunk of the game, including our hacking mini-game. Zack Allen has added a lot to the setting and the overall flavor of the game. He’s the one that pushes us into strange territory and you need someone like that on the team. Eric Lillard is a friend of mine that’s one of the greatest GMs known to man. He’s also a Borg-fanatic, and he wrote our quickstart adventure. We also snagged Derrick Nau as our lead artist. You can see his work on our GM screen currently. Matthew Myslinski is doing more of our art and the books’ layout. He’s also tackling Chainsaw, Rangaborg, and Wasteland Degenerates in the Borg space. John Baltisberger is a horror fiction writer who also works in games. He’s doing a novel for us and a set-piece in the campaign book. We also have Cory Holman and Daniel Fox contributing set pieces, and Daniel is our Dev Editor. Finally, Brian Colin of Vast Grimm fame is our publisher and the last piece of the artist team.
When the creation of this game inevitably becomes a movie, who will play you? I guess in the movie adaptation, the closest the writer gets is a cameo or serving as the narrator. So if it’s a cameo, I’ll play myself. And if it’s “me” as the narrator, maybe Andrew Scott?
What items will be offered in the Kickstarter? The core book (plus a special edition), a campaign book (10-12 sessions of play), GM Screen, 4 pamphlet adventures, a Kickstarter-exclusive adventure zine, T-Rex, Spinosaurus, and Raptor minis, the tie-in prelude novel, a hacking deck, and probably something else I’m forgetting.
What can backers expect as far as stretch goals? Some of this is still getting sorted, but we’re looking at a lot of physical book improvements (multiple robbons, custom endpapers, Spot UV cover, etc.) and then maybe a smattering of extra dinos, minis, and the like.
A hungry raptor has picked up your scent. Will you survive the encounter? Only if I’ve got a beaker full of some larger dino’s urine. I don’t have the charisma to woo a raptor, and I’m about as athletic as Dr. Malcolm with a cane.
About Zac: Zac has written for dozens of publications, including the Marvel Multiverse Starter Set, the Zweihander RPG core book, and dozens of supplements for Mork Borg, Mothership, D&D 5e, OSE, and more. In another realm, he is the Director of Marketing for Limithron and the former god of death.
Each year in February, Kickstarter highlights TTRPG zines with an event known as Zine Quest.
What are zines?
“RPG zines emerged in the early 1970s, and were hugely influential in the early days of role-playing game fandom and publishing. These self-published projects included discussions of games, rules variants, reviews, interviews, game supplements, and even new RPGs. Today, RPG zines live on via a thriving community of DIY publishers from around the world.” -Kickstarter.com
What is Zine Quest?
“Zine Quest is our celebration of RPG zines and the community of people who make and love them. To participate, simply launch a project in February for an RPG zine. In the past, creators have used maps, comics, and more to create new or elevate existing RPGs.” -Kickstarter.com
So here are a number of excellent Zine Quest projects from my fellow indie creators:
WHAT IS COCAGNE?
Cocagne is a 28 pages wacky medieval social game, where you and your friends play as Lieges trying to conquer the fabled lands of Cocagne… in a group chat! You will play as the Liege of a kingdom constantly stuck between war, peace, and questionable negotiations with your friend’s lands. The game is played via group chat messages, and all you need to play Cocagne is at least 3 players, a copy of Cocagne, a messaging app where to create a Group Chat, a Kingdom Sheet, and a 20-sided die, often called a d20.
WHAT’S IN COCAGNE?
A rules light system to get in action right away, playable entirely with a d20.
Rules for creating fully customizable Lieges, with traits, quirks and heritages.
Rules for creating your own Kingdom with its resources.
Random background tables to make unique (and annoying) Lieges.
Artworks from Novecento, and super talented artists Emanuele Parascandolo, Martina Chilardi, and V.A. Metheio.
A black tide of Blood & Night crashed down on Faelborg Keep an age ago and wiped away the people there. Now their cursed treasure returns home, and it’s up to you to stop it. Cursed treasure, tribal feuds, plentiful undead abound!
A micro-gazetteer of Sudrland and adventure zine for Old School Essentials. Explore the ruins of Faelborg Keep, the wilderness of Sudrland, and the dread mists of haunted Barrowmounds.
Shadow over Gloomshire is an adventure for Dragonbane that revolves around the remote village of Gloomshire, located in a dark forest valley with a terrible history. It is written by Robin Fjärem who is known for The Frozen Temple of Glacier Peak and Salthaven among other works.
Much is awry in Gloomshire. Find out what the deal is with the mansion on the hill, shop for your very own tombstone at Odd Ends, or go treasure hunting in the graveyard. But no matter what, do not enter the temple!
Seelie Court is a 3 player courtroom RPG about court cases brought against fantasy creatures from Scots folklore. Players build their case as a team, and then take on the roles of the prosecution, defense, and judge when the trial begins!
Fantastical Classes: Blobs vs. Blades is a collection of brand-new character classes for old-style fantasy roleplaying adventure games. Specially designed for use with Old School Essentials, this book contains six exciting character classes that you didn’t even know you needed! Play as a doughty swordmage, an enchanting dancer, a pugnacious blob, and more! All of them are lovingly written and illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett, the guy who brought you Crepuscular, Draugr & Draculas, and Them’s Monsters
Fast Action Hero is an exhilarating, rules-lite, tabletop RPG experience using the Black Hack system that captures the essence of the golden era of action movies. It is designed to deliver fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled gameplay, where players become larger-than-life heroes in a world of explosions, high-speed chases, and epic showdowns that pay homage to the iconic action movies of the era, celebrating their style, tropes, and unforgettable moments. Fast, furious, and full of adrenaline-pumping moments, it delivers high-octane experiences that will have you uttering classic one-liners and taking down bad guys with style.
January 1945 the writing is on the wall, and it is clear that the Nazis are going to surrender. The Thule society, through mysticism and technology, send all members they found relevant, back in time to the year 865 England. Their goal to ally themselves with the Great Heathen Army whom they idolize. Their presence is met with harsh resistance, and a new war breaks out.
H2O-Pocalypse: Surf Piracy in a Drowned World, a DCC–compatible zine where you play surf punk pirates in a post-apocalyptic future where the ice caps melted and drowned the earth; the rich saw it was coming and took advantage of the situation, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. So naturally, you travel around, looking for remnants of the old world, raiding elite supply ships, and having surf-offs.
Did I miss an awesome Zine Quest project? Link it in the comments below! I’ll be posting more projects each week, so be sure to tune back in periodically throughout the month!
Limitless Adventures has launched a new D&D5E product line: 5th Evolution.
What is 5th Evolution? 5th Evolution (5Evo) takes the wildly popular D&D5e game mechanics and applies them to new genres. 5Evo products are a marriage of comics and roleplaying with each book
divided into three sections:
Part 1: the comic. Each 5Evo book opens with a comic that GMs will share
digitally with their players prior to the gaming session. These comics serve to
introduce the genre and setting, as well as to get players invested in the coming
adventure.
Part 2: the adventure. The second section of the 5Evo book is a one-shot
adventure, complete with pregenerated characters, that picks up where the comic
left off.
Part 3: the source guide. Finally, the third section of each 5Evo book is a source
guide that gives the GM the monsters, equipment, and characters to create their
own adventures in that particular genre.
The best part? All 5Evo products are completely compatible. Want to have space marines
fight a T-Rex, or see how your wizard would fare against a machine gun-toting mech?
Well you can do that and more with 5Evo.
What Genres Will Be Available?
Three different books will be available during the Kickstarter: Super Heroes, 80’s Horror
Movie, and World War 2.
100+ fully detailed Non-Player Characters set in a variety of environments
5e stat blocks
Creative CR appropriate treasure
300+ Further Adventure™ writing prompts.
Skills, role-play, combat challenges
These NPCs are drawn from our current products and expanded and grouped by role. Limitless NPCs vol. 1 is available in a deluxe full-color format, or as a full-color PDF. All printing and order fulfillment will be handled by Ka-Blam, a digital printing house with over a decade of experience and multiple Kickstarter campaigns (including our first) under their belt. Shipping is available to any country in the world (please note that shipping will originate from the United States).
Limitless-Adventures was created as a way for busy DMs to liven up their campaigns, and generally reduce the burden of game prep. We specialize in DM-friendly products that minimize your prep so you can spend more time at the table playing and less time writing. Since the launch of our website, Limitless-Adventures.com has offered high-quality 5e gaming products in a digital medium. Now we’re ready to offer our products in print.
150 fully detailed D&D 5e encounters set in 12 different environments
OGL stat blocks for all monsters
Creative, CR appropriate treasure
451 Further Adventure™ writing prompts
Limitless Encounters vol. 1 is available in an economical black and white format, a deluxe full- color format, or as a full-color PDF. All printing and order fulfillment will be handled by Ka-Blam, a digital printing house with over a decade of experience and multiple Kickstarter campaigns under their belt. Shipping is available to any country in the world.
The Limitless Design Team
Every member of our design team has been gaming for over twenty years and played through every edition of the world’s first fantasy roleplaying game (seriously, we can’t even use the abbreviation? no? OK), and despite hectic lives, manages to game together every Tuesday.
The gang over at Expedition have launched a new Kickstarter and it is doing great! Jump on now to grab a cool, fast-paced game (and hopefully some more stretch goals). There are only five days remaining in the Kickstarter.
What will you pledge get you? According to their Kickstarter page:
The Expedition Adventurer’s Kit includes:
166 cards, enough for up to 6 adventurers and one (optional) Guide, including 10 adventurers, 80 abilities, 40 encounters, 30 loot and 6 helpers
1x d20 die
12x plastic health tracker clips
Box and quick start rules sheet (not pictured)
The Expedition app – available right now at app.expeditiongame.com on all phones and tablets, and for Android (iOS-specific app coming soon)
Potentially even more (at no extra cost to you) if we work together and reach our stretch goals
The Expedition game set up (Image from ExpeditionGame.com)
Recently I had the privilege of playing an advanced copy of Expedition and couldn’t be more impressed. The game’s creator, Todd Medema was kind enough to send a copy to B3 and I’m hooked. The game follows familiar fantasy game tropes that fans of Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder will find familiar.
Image of the actual game demo
The Highlights:
1-8 players (Yes, you can play this game solo)
Combat is fast and easy
Combat is made even easier with the use of a free app
The app works well on smart phones and tablets
While the rules are simplified, the game can still be played tactically
The deck is available for free through the Creative Commons license
The game is customizable and allows you create unique cards
The website has an amazing Demo to give you an idea of game play (the demo is replayable)
The Expedition website is impressive and has been expertly crafted
All in all, Expedition is a solid game. You can play it solo or with a group, as a distraction as you wait for your other players to arrive, or as an RPG system of its own. I will be excited to see what stretch goals are reached, I’d love to see a web-based game (multi-player or solo) created. I hope you’ll check out the demo and view their Kickstarter page (the campaign runs until November 9th). Expedition is, in a word…impressive.
The guys from Attack Dice, the makers of When Zombies Attack, are funding their second game through Kickstarter. The newest game, Dungeon Attack, follows the same AD premise of fast paced, easy to learn, and easy on the wallet, but with a fantasy flavor.
Funding a game on Kickstarter is a great way to get the games for a cheaper price, get them weeks before they hit the store, and a chance to get exclusive content.
Curious about Dungeon Attack? The rules can be downloaded for free from AD’s website.
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