Kickstart Your Weekend: Old School Style Zines!

Got some great Old-school style Zines. So let's go!

The Isle of The Amazons - RPG Zine for #ZineQuest

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericfrombloatgames/the-isle-of-the-amazons-rpg-zine-for-zinequest?ref=theotherside

From friend of the Other Side Eric Bloat:

The Isle of The Amazons (TIOTA) is an optional setting designed specifically for Untold Adventures by Ennie Award winning author and designer, James M. Spahn. However, as such TIOTA, is compatible with Swords & Wizardry and really any White Box based game as well as easily convertible to be used with all OSR RPG games.

TIOTA showcases the island paradise of Elencia, the home of the Amazons. It also features Amazon City, the Amazons ways, their history, other inhabitants of Elencia, dangerous locations and monsters and much more.

TIOTA details the 7 new playable classes: The Aristocrat, Disciple of the High Priestess, Guard, Muse, Psion, Sorceress & Sungia.

It looks great!

Draugr & Draculas

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshburnett/draugr-and-draculas?ref=theotherside

Another Old Scool Zine!

Draugr & Draculas is a one-off zine for old-stye/OSR roleplaying adventure games. Dr&Dr focuses on vampires, undead, and spooky horror magic for use in your own fantasy RPG campaigns. The zine will be entirely written and illustrated by me, Josh Burnett. In accordance with the Zine Quest guidelines, Draugr & Draculas will be a 5.5” x 8.5” zine, staple-bound and printed in black-and-white. I estimate it should clock in at around 24-32 pages.

What's in the zine?

• Count Dracula himself, as well as his origins and current motivations
• Details on Dracula's lesser servants
• Dracula's deadly rival, Elizabeth Bathory
• Draugr—northern undead of varying degrees of power
• The Draugr class
• Rules for magic users striking a deal with the Devil
• New magical items of perilous power
• Pagan's Well, a small dungeon full of traps and treasure
• And whatever else I can fit in this thing.   

Honestly, you had me at Vampires.

And of course a huge friend of the Other Side Justin Ryan Issac's offering.

Cade's Big Book o' Booze

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1988380379/cades-big-book-o-booze?ref=theotherside

Cade's Big Book o' Booze is a humorous zine designed to be used with the 5th edition of the world's most popular fantasy rpg. While the tone is jovial, the book itself will contain content useful for any fantasy game.

• The "Intoxicated" condition and what it entails
• New alcohols for your fantasy game to add some flavor (pun-intended) to your campaigns
• New equipment and weapons, including the formidable dwarven battle mug
• Cade's Bar Guide: a list of materials/ingredients found in the game world and how to use them to make the ultimate cocktails 
• New magic: spells and magic items 
• New monsters to face, including the b'ooze and the dreaded bad beer elemental
• NPC stats for Cade Ashworthy, the titular planehopping halfling 
• And more... 

At these prices, you can grab them all!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Codex Egyptium

The next book in the Castles & Crusades Mythos Series is now being Kickstarted.

Castles & Crusades Codex Egyptium

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/castles-and-crusades-codex-aegyptus?ref=theotherside

If this book is half as researched as the others in the line then it will still be awesome.

Brian Young is a solid scholar in the true sense of the word but also a solid gamer. This will not be a dry treatise on 3,000 years of Egyptian history, but a living breathing game supplement to add the realm that pretty much gave birth to our modern ideas of magic.

Among the other options is a chance to get the book that started it all, Castles & Crusades Codex Celtarum.  I love this book and think it is something every C&C fan should have.

Some much great stuff for this one.

Still heading to the finishing line is Justin's Cade's Big Book o' Booze.

Cade's Big Book o' Booze
An alcohol-related zine for use with 5th edition fantasy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1988380379/cades-big-book-o-booze?ref=theotherside

Kickstart Your Weekend: Gods, Monsters and Superheroes

A couple of good ones today.

First up is a tactical miniatures game with some fantastic looking minis.

Theosis: Godslayer

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dreamcraftgames/theosis-godslayer?ref=theotherside

This one has some really awesome looking minis.  I know nothing about the game itself, but that is fine.  It looks cool.

Yes. That is a 120 mm base.

It looks fantastic and ending soon.

Also ending soon is a new supers game and I do love Supers games.

Sentinel Comics: The Roleplaying Game

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gtgames/sentinel-comics-the-roleplaying-game

This one looks really fun and I like the art. The game play looks pretty easy to pick up as well.

Want to see how it plays?  Grab the Sentinel Comics: The Roleplaying Game Starter Kit on RPGNow/DrivThruRPG.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Cade's Big Book o' Booze

Justin Ryan Isaac is a good friend of The Other Side blog.  His own blog, Halls of the Nephilim has been cranking out good stuff for years.  Now Justin is joining the ranks of Kickstarter Creators and his first go is out now.

Cade's Big Book o' Booze
An alcohol related zine for use with 5th edition fantasy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1988380379/cades-big-book-o-booze?ref=theotherside

It looks like a fun collection of new rules and items for your game.
Featuring:

• The "Intoxicated" condition and what it entails
• New alcohols for your fantasy game to add some flavor (pun-intended) to your campaigns
• New equipment and weapons, including the formidable dwarven battle mug
• Cade's Bar Guide: a list of materials/ingredients found in the game world and how to use them to make the ultimate cocktails 
• New magic: spells and magic items 
• New monsters to face, including the b'ooze and the dreaded bad beer elemental
• NPC stats for Cade Ashworthy, the titular planehopping halfling 
• And more... 

I have to admit a plane-hopping halfling got my attention!

Though if it doesn't have "Beer Goggles" (improved the Charisma of any you view through them) then a golden opportunity has been missed!

Check it out! And lets help make Justin's first Kickstarter a success!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Cult of the Demon Lord

I won't lie. I loves me a good old fashioned demonic cult.

They are great antagonists and great for myth-building in my worlds.  What's not to love?
And now I can get 28mm versions in pewter?  Yeah, sign me up!

Cult of the Demon Lord

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/497254986/cult-of-the-demon-lord-molding-a-28mm-pewter-culti?ref=theotherside

These would just be a lot of fun to have.

They are on stretch goals now and just have a little under 2 weeks to go. Check it out!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Zorro!

I will admit I have a certain fondness for Zorro.  No surprise really, in him we see the beginnings of what would later become both Indiana Jones and Batman.  So it is not a big surprise to see there is a new Zorro RPG coming out.

Zorro: The Roleplaying Game

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallantknightgames/zorrotm-the-roleplaying-game

I mean we have a Flash Gordon RPG, a John Carter of Mars RPG, and a Conan RPG, Zorro seems like a no-brainer.

The game uses the new d6 2E system; the second edition of the West End Games classic d6 system.  Personally, I think that is a GREAT fit for this.

They made their funding in the first day, but I am certain they will meet their stretch goals too.
For me?  I am hopping that the section of Zorro vs. Dracula gets written.  Zorro's battle with the supernatural (which in a way also gave us Santo) were always my favorites.

The first stretch goal has been reached and it will be an adventure from the OSR's own James Spahn.

Anyway. Check it out!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Start of 2019 Edition!

New Year and a whole host of new Kickstarters to talk about so let's do it!

Retro 1E & 5E Fantasy Mini-Adventure Set 2

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/563681582/retro-1e-and-5e-fantasy-mini-adventure-set-2

More adventures from the Folio line.  But in truth, they had me at 1e & 5e.

The Streets of Avalon

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/encoded/the-streets-of-avalon

A Gothic Mega-City for 5e?  Sign me the hell up!  I love urban adventures and never get enough of them to be honest.  This one looks perfect.

Cha'alt

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vengersatanis/chaalt

Venger Satanis is back with another adventure.  This one is also designed to be 1e/OSR and 5e.  A pyramid mega-dungeon.  Venger is always pretty good with his Kickstarters so this one should rock as well.

Kingdoms of Hell

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/292543184/kingdoms-of-hell

Part RPG and part miniatures skirmish game this one looks pretty awesome too.  Frankly, I am in it for the minis.  This only includes the files for 3D Printing, not the minis themselves.  But that is fine I can print as many as I like.

To quote Lzzy Hale, "a little evil goes a long, long way."  And there is plenty of evil fun here.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Final Call!

I have a bunch of Kickstarters making their ways in the RPG/Geeky world and a lot of them are ending soon.  So here's your chance to get a last look in.

HYPERBOREA: Players' Manual, Referee's Screen, and more!

I love AS&SH. It's a great game.  But look at this beast:

That is a lot of book.  And not all of it is good for the players to have (or need).  This Kickstarter gets you a slimmer version of just information for the player.  You can also get a GM's screen and Players folder.

Never Going Home: World War Occult Role Playing

Described as "Eldritch Horror Role Playing in the Trenches of World War One" it looks like a great game.

I also have a couple from the comics world.

Legend of the Shaders - Harp Twins Comic!

Nordic harp-bard twins and their enigmatic cat discover that the Shader creatures of legend might not be myth after all.

Created by local girls Camille and Kennerly Kitt, aka the Harp Twins.  Normally known for their harp versions of Heavy Metal songs the girls are in their own comic adventure.  I have to admit, I am curious to see what this is all about.

And of course my most recent Featured Artist,

WILLOWBROOK #1

I think this one will be great too!

Featured Artist: Emma Kubert

Something a little different today.  I have been talking with Emma Kubert about her Kickstarter for Willowbrook and in the process found some really fun and wonderful art!

So for today's Featured Artist, I will give you some art and an interview with Emma about her Kickstarter and art.

The Other Side: Tell everyone who you are and a bit about your art.

Emma Kubert: I am Emma Kubert, I recently graduated from the Kubert School! I have been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil, but I didn’t seriously get into comic art until I started at the Kubert School. From this educational experience, I found that I don’t just have a love for traditional superhero comics. I can create any kind of story I want with any kind of medium, which is really quite exciting!

TOS: Kubert School of Art.  That can't be a coincidence, right? ;)
EK: It is no coincidence! :) I am the daughter of Andy Kubert, niece of Adam Kubert and granddaughter of Joe Kubert.

TOS: So this gives you a bit of solid art history.  Is everyone in your family artistic?
EK: Not everyone in my family is artistic. I think what sets us Kubert’s apart from other families isn’t being artistic, but having a relentless determination, pursuing what we want to do with our lives and doing it well. Some of us just happened to fall in love with art and others are successful in other ways.

TOS: Now tell us about Willowbrook.  I love the idea and the art grabbed me right away.
EK: Willowbrook is about a small fictional town in upstate New York, where magical creatures run amuck, and the main character is now on a track to go and find them to protect the people of the town. It is a young adult fantasy comic, but fun for all ages!

TOS: Tell me more about Eliza Anderson.  What little I have read and seen of here she sounds like a great character.
EK: Eliza Anderson is a teenager who grew up away from regular social norms and studied magic. She is very positive, goofy, wacky, and incredibly curious about normal teen stuff, but doesn’t quite understand it, so this is where her ignorance for regular human interaction can be humorous!

TOS: And Willbrook, the town itself?  Looks like a fun place if you like weirdness (and I do!)
EK: Willowbrook has that backwoods, small town, you only stumble upon it if you are lost, kind of feel to it. The place is scattered with magical creatures that have escaped from an unfound portal that leads to other worlds. Eliza’s job is to rid this town of said creatures :)

TOS: What is the future for Willowbrook?
EK: Right now, we are about to end our Kickstarter for the first issue. My hope is to send it to publishers and hopefully make it into a long ongoing series, but for now, we focus on the first introduction issue, so people get a good feel for the project.

TOS: Finally, a question I always ask here at the Other Side.  Who is your favorite witch/wizard and why?
EK: Oh wow that is a tough question! There are so many to choose from! I obviously love Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (if you couldn’t tell) but I am a huge fan of Melissa Joan Hart’s Sabrina in Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I also love Ginny Weasley and Lily Potter from the Harry Potter books. Sorry, couldn’t just choose one! :)

You can find Emma's Willowbrook #1 Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emmakubert/willowbrook-1

It looks like a lot of fun and I can't wait to see it out.

And elsewhere on the net:

• https://www.behance.net/emmakubert
• https://www.instagram.com/emmakubert
• https://twitter.com/emmakubert
• https://www.artstation.com/emmakubert

Kickstart Your Weekend: Willowbrook #1

One of my absolute favorite things about today's connected world is the ability to find new and great things and people.  Emma Kubert and Willowbrook are both of those.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emmakubert/willowbrook-1

According to Emma herself:

Willowbrook is a fictional town that is set in the woodsy areas of upstate New York. Eliza Anderson (our protagonist) and her black cat Willow arrive in Willowbrook to find her grandmother, Minerva Proctor. Eliza finds out soon that the entire town is riddled with creatures from different worlds, so she stays to help her grandmother, while unraveling the mystery behind her purpose there.

What grabbed me though was her reasons for creating it.

I watched all my favorite tv shows and movies, including Harry Potter, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gravity Falls, Stranger Things, etc. I love young adult fantasy genres (especially the good ones) because throughout all the adventure and excitement, there are characters that resemble ourselves and the changes that we go through too. So, every time I finished one of these shows or movies, I had that lost feeling of “WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW THAT HARRY HAS FINISHED VOLDEMORT?!?!”

I can totally relate.

What grabbed was the idea of Willowbrook but what kept me reading more was her art. Check out the Kickstarted page to see what I mean.  Emma Kubert has a solid pedigree when it comes to art, but ignoring that for a bit just look at what she can do.  The emotions of her characters can be felt through the screen.   Plus there is something here that reminds me of reading "A Wrinkle In Time" for the first time again.  Magical and weird among the ordinary and mundane.

It's great stuff really.

So check it out and toss her some money. I like to see new up and coming comic artists succeed when they have talent and Emma certainly has that.  Plus the story sounds fantastic and I could easily grow to like these characters.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Pathfinder Seoni Statue

This is a different one, but still pretty cool.  Seoni is the famous (or infamous) cover-girl of the Pathfinder core book.  Well, now you can have your own Seoni, at least a 12-inch version of her.

Pathfinder Limited Edition Statue

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dynamiteent/pathfinder-limited-edition-statue

I have to admit, I like iconic characters and Paizo did it right for their characters.  They made them interesting and while they are not the subject of novels like Eminster or Driz'zt they still were/are characters that people get invested in.

Of course, my particular fascination with Seoni is because this cover:

Is Wayne Reynolds' homage to this cover:

Are they the same people? Are they their descendants? Who knows.

The cover is popular enough to give us a statue and a 3D render.

Now you can get a Seoni of your own.  I have a Merlin, a Morgan LeFey and a Tarot Witch of the Black Rose as statues.  Maybe getting a Seoni would be nice.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Heart & Souls 2nd Ed

So sorry this is late.

Today's Kickstarter is one I just found out about and it looks like it could be a lot of fun.

Hearts & Souls 2e

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1041295240/hearts-and-souls-2nd-edition-tabletop-role-playing?ref=theotherside

I have the first edition of the game and it is fun.  It's a different system from other Supers games, but still one that I enjoy.

According to author Tim Kirk this game will be cleaned up and some example made more clear.  Also new art.

Please give this one a check! It should be a lot of fun.

If I get the chance maybe I'll stat up some characters using the 1st Ed version.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Bunnies & Burrows 3rd Ed.

It's been some time in the making, but Bunnies & Burrows 3rd Edition is coming from Frog God Games.

Bunnies and Burrows 3rd Edition

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/bunnies-and-burrows

I will admit I was and am a fan of the original 1976 Edition.  I never really got to play it, save for one time, but that was it.

I did, however, spend a lot of time back in 2007 rewriting the Bunnies & Burrows article on Wikipedia.  Not only was I and others able to get the article to Good Article status, I had a Furry Advocacy group offer to send me money because of it.   I just asked them to donate the money to the Humane Society.  I didn't want my edits called into question if I Was doing them for pay.  I was doing it to further my own RPG knowledge.

I have not seen this new game yet, but it feels like it stays true to the spirit of the original version.   Though in 2018 it is hard to capture the real feel of 1976.

Of course, I backed this.  I have kids (although a younger set than what I have is better for this game) and I have bunnies.    So this could be fun.  I am already planning a "you have been changed into animals" adventure to use this with.

What do you say, Nigel? Is this a good game?

Nigel says yes. And he is a bunny, so he knows this stuff.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Calidar "On Wings of Darkness"

I have been a fan of Bruce Heard's work for sometime now.  Ever since I picked up a copy of the Glantri Gazzeteer for BECMI D&D I have been following what he does. 
His new project has been his world of Calidar and it has been a lot of fun. 
Now we come full circle to Calidar's magical kingdom.

Calidar "On Wings of Darkness"

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambreville/calidar-on-wings-of-darkness

The book includes:

•  History of Caldwen:  This chapter covers the origins of the magiocracy, from its ancient time on Munaan, a moon of Calidar, to present-day Caldwen. Includes a summary and a huge timeline of events.
•  Lay of the Land: Geography, climate, local culture, main cults and races, economy, regional peculiarities, and local dynamics combine to depict each province separately.
•  Intrigues of the Magi: Internal politics, government by academia, and the military overlaid upon rivalries among the wizardly aristocracy and the sorcerous hoi-polloi give the magiocracy a unique character. 
•  Behind the curtains: Discover the odd brotherhoods and secret sects working from the shadows, scheming to make an already-challenging setting even more perilous.
•  A Cast of Many: A host of political figures, academic personalities, and curious individuals populate these pages. They are presented here, with game stats, motivations, secrets, and connections galore.
•  Master & Servant: A nation where demons serve the spellcasting class, local laws, and tools of lordship are presented alongside a who's who of Caldwen's most notorious demons.
•  Beasties in the Dark: Some of the more curious creatures dwelling in Caldwen populate this section, complete with stats and illustrations, beckoning game referees to summon them during their adventures.
•  At the Heart of Magic:  Discover Caldwen's schools of magic and how their benefits, tuition, philosophies, diplomas, and campus rivalries influence the fabric of the entire magiocracy.
•  Secrets of the Cabals: Private guilds provide alternate career paths in the fields of Alchemy, Demonology, Dracology, Elementalism, Necromancy, and Skymastery, with deadly trials and fabulous powers.
•  Blood of the World Soul: An order of mage-knights concerns itself with a mystical source of raw magical power forbidden to all but Caldwen's aristocracy. Though potent, it is deadly if abused.
•  Sky City of Arcanial: The capital city is a wondrous place flying above a sprawling shanty town on the ground. Packed with encounter ideas, each district requires flying gondolas and teleporters to reach.

So really a must buy for anyone that was a fan of Glantri.

The Calidar books so far have been great and top notch in quality, so I expect nothing less here.

Kickstart Your Weekend: The Runewild - A Dark Fairy-Tale Setting for 5E

I love fey-inspired settings, especially ones that also have a bit of darkness about them.

The Runewild - A Dark Fairy-Tale Setting for 5E looks like my sort of setting!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/matthewjhanson/the-runewild-a-dark-fairy-tale-setting-for-5e

The core book includes:

• A history of the Runewild and its surrounding settlements.
• 100 detailed encounter areas for player characters to explore.
• New optional rules for exploring and resting.
• Advice for running a hex-crawl campaign.
• A new feat: Fey-Touched.
• 8 new Runewild-specific backgrounds (including hag-owned, Runewild folklorist, time-lost knight, and polymorphed animal).
• 13 unique magic items (like witch embers and the staff of clarity and confusion).
• 32 new monsters (including clockwork dwarves, fey lions, giant forest sloths, and the terrifyingly beautiful Golden Bodach).
• Detailed descriptions of the histories, motivations, and weaknesses of the witches of the Runewild, including the Whitebone Sisters; Missus Switch, the swine hag; Korthsuva, the Witch of Hours; and the hag-queen Griselda, Mother of Ogres.
• Dozens of random tables designed to help GMs make the Runewild campaign their own.

They pretty much had me at "witches" and "hags".

There are also a number of free previews you can grab over at RPGNow.

• Runewild Preview 1: Missus Switch, Swine Witch
• Runewild Preview 2: Highvale Blades and Twisted Tome
• Runewild Preview 3: Beasts that Lurk in the Runewild

And a couple of books already for sale.

• Seasons of the Runewild: The Marriage at Midsummer
• The Goblin Market

The setting is evocative and the art looks great.  I see a lot of potential for this!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Castles & Crusades Boxed Sets & Digest Books

My love of Castles & Crusades is deep and well known.  It scratches that 1st Ed AD&D itch AND still has enough modern elements that I like.
It really is what 3rd Edition AD&D could have been.

Regardless of what it is or what it could emulate it is a damn fine game and Troll Lords keeps giving us quality material.

Now they are giving us quality material, digest size!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/classic-castles-and-crusades-boxed-sets-and-digest

This is being hailed as "3 Kickstarters in 1"
Here are the details.

• C&C Classic Basic Boxed Set: This digest-sized boxed set is an "old school" presentation of the game, in a white box just like the original D&D rules, with saddle-stitched booklets containing a complete, but streamlined version of the game, with four character classes, four races, and magic to take your game all the way to level 10. Plus, a complete introductory adventure module! This box will be different than the Advanced and it will not be exclusive to the Kickstarter, it will eventually land in retail shops.


•  C&C Classic Advanced Boxed Set: A True Collector's set, this limited, signed and numbered set will include everything from the Basic set, plus two additional books of character classes, equipment, monsters and gods; a full set of dice; character sheets; a pencil and more. This box will be different than the Basic box, sporting  a wood grain cover similar to the original OD&D box. It will be available in this Kickstarter and any left over from the very limited print run will be put in our store.


•  C&C Complete Digest Rulebooks: These are the complete rulebooks for our seven core books: the Player's Handbook, Monsters & Treasure, Castle Keeper's Guide, Codex of Aihrde, Player's Guide to Aihrde, Adventurer's Backpack, and Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde. Each is the complete rulebook, exactly as you'd see it in full-size hardcover, but shrunk to digest size, softcover and printed in black and white. You can build your own set or buy all 7. 

The digest rules are great on their own, but the Basic and Advanced sets?  Yeah, that sounds great.

Love the idea of Digest sized books. And I love I can add as many, or as few, as I like.

In my current games, I use some digest sized Player's Handbooks at the table for players to use.  So I might not get all seven books, but instead get 5 C&C PHBs!

The Advanced set also sounds great.  A woodgrain box?  Yes, please!

Troll Lords really captured the feel of D&D/AD&D well and I really believe that may be more than anyone they are spiritual inheritors of D&D.   Oh don't get me wrong, D&D 5 is great and a ton of fun.  But ever notice that there is a lot in D&D 5 that C&C did first?

There are some nice early bird specials, jump on this while you can!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Code of The Savage RPG

Spend anytime here and you know I love the 80s.   I am also a fan a video games, even if I don't talk about them much.

This game though looks like a lot of fun and worth mentioning here.

Code of The Savage RPG

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2106227726/code-of-the-savage-rpg

It looks like a lot of fun and I like the NPC option to have yourself as an NPC in the game.

They are in their final hours, so check them out.

Kickstart Your Weekend: 5th Edition Players Guide to Aihrde

I want to feature this one again because it just looks like so much fun.

5th Edition Players Guide to Aihrde

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/5th-edition-players-guide-to-aihrde?ref=otherside

I LOVE Castles & Crusades.  I Love 5th Edition. But right now all I can get people to play is 5e.  So this feels like a good compromise.

Plus there are still plenty of stretch goals to unlock!