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This week’s crowdfunding sampler looks at campaigns that close between September 25 to October 1.
You’ll find options for the Cypher system, rule-lite Shadowrun, MÖRK BORG dinosaurs, a new Storypath Ultra game, a fantasy Africa TTRPG, and a new take on the original version of D&D.
Cypher: Faster. Easier. And Even Better! from Monte Cook Games
- END DATE: Sep 26, 2025 at 8:00pm EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
- SYSTEM(S): Cypher System
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $279 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the Cypher Bestiary, 5 copies each of the 3 zines, 3 decks of cards, an autographed slipcase, and many additional PDFs
- AI STATEMENT: “Cypher is 100% AI-free”
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Monte Cook Games brings a revised version of the Cypher System to your gaming table. This is the engine used for well-known TTRPGs such as Old Gods of Appalachia, Numenera, The Magnus Archives, and more. Gameplay supports action, fantasy, horror, mystery, and everything between. There are changes to damage, armor, and Cyphers that smooth the ideas over. The revisions are there but the older books are still backwards compatible. If you’re a fan of the Cypher system or just want to check it out, this Backerkit is worth exploring.
Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0 from Black Book Editions
- END DATE: Thu, September 25 2025 10:00 AM EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
- SYSTEM(S): Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €30 for the PDF of the core rulebook
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Do you like the idea of Shadowrun, but want a rules-lite engine for it? This version gets away from rules-on-rules-on-rules to determine your d6 dice pools, instead focusing on the narrative and simpler options. All versions of Shadowrun combine cyberpunk and fantasy with orcs in nightclubs stealing data and fey magic-users fighting corpo security. The franchise has a large enough fanbase that there are video games and homages like the Electrum best seller Sinless from Hack & Slash Publishing. Anarchy 2.0 offers a revised system that simplifies the rules in order to get more fans to the gaming table. If you’re a fan, this Kickstarter page offers previews of Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0, the second edition of the low-crunch iteration of the game.
Raptor Ruckus RPG from Snapback Game Studios and Creature Curation
- END DATE: Thu, September 25 2025 10:00 AM EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
- SYSTEM(S): MÖRK BORG
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $40 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the core rulebook as well as the PDF of the quickstart and a PDF of a prelude novel
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: I talked to Zac Goins (and Brian Colin) about this dinosaur RPG here
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? If you love dinosaurs, the adventures from a Jurassic Park style world, and MÖRK BORG rules, this project awaits. Zac Goins, Director of Marketing for Limithron, which makes Pirate Borg, is offering a game we’ve all played in our minds: What would you do to survive an island of escaped dinosaurs? Set in the modern world, you have cars, bullets, instructions on what you need to recover from the island, and a d20. Good luck. In these 144 pages, you’ll find 40 dinosaurs plus a build-your-own-dinosaur generator, vehicles, guns, rules to defeat dinosaurs, adventures, and a solo gaming option. There’s a second 64-page hardcover with adventures, NPCs, and more dinosaurs. If you want to survive an island of dinosaurs, this Kickstarter is your ticket to paradise with a pair of dice. Check out the Kickstarter page to get a free copy of the Quickstart, character sheet, and prelude story.
Zairoo: The Pan-African Fantasy Role Playing Game from Molombo Thillia Thillot III
- END DATE: Sun, September 28 2025 12:35 PM EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
- SYSTEM(S): An original system
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $30 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This book offers a steampunk fantasy TTRPG inspired by Africa’s rich history and culture. The steampunk setting envisions rifles, magic, submersible canoes, Eldritch leviathans, and a world in need of healing from the scars of war. This game utilizes a d6 system with grit, soul, and more to achieve your character’s goals. This project is “crafted by Africans and New Afrikans worldwide,” which provides it with an authentic voice. If this idea and its 300-page core rulebook interest you, check out the Kickstarter page to learn more.
Monster Kingdoms from Onyx Path Publishing
- END DATE: Sep 25, 2025 at 2:00pm EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
- SYSTEM(S): Storypath Ultra
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $30 for the PDF version of the book and the POD discount coupon
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? As Renegade Game Studios to grown Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Hunter: The Reckoning, there does not seem to be as much space for Onyx Path Publishing’s Chronicles of Darkness offerings. This reality brings a new focus to OPP as they create new TTRPGs with their d10 dice pool system, the Storypath Ultra engine. Monster Kingdoms makes you a vampire or a fey or an orc in a fantasy setting. Because you are a monster, you are royalty. You may read this as: Only the horrible have power. You have that power, and you have responsibilities to your subjects, who are also your source of income and, possibly. food. If you want to play the night elite, check out this Backerkit campaign for details about the book.
Wight-Box from The Basic Expert
- END DATE: Wed, October 1 2025 11:00 AM EDT.
- CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
- SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons 0th Edition variant
- PROJECT TYPE: Core rule boxed set
- MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $60 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the boxed set
- WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This project combines the original three Dungeons & Dragons booklets with Chainmail’s ruleset. Original D&D was best understood by players familiar with Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren’s Chainmail, a medieval miniature wargame. Combined, the two offered a wide range of gaming options. The Basic Expert’s Wight-Box brings the two systems together in a streamlined, easier-to-play boxed set that only uses the early 1970s ideas of these systems. This type of game has been seen in Swords & Wizardry, without harking back to the non-OGL Chainmail, and using more Basic/Expert ideas to plug in gaps in the original edition. If you want something old school with a boxed set, check out this Kickstarter to learn more.
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