RPG CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Pendragon, Dark Forest, RAGNABORG, and more

Pendragon: Classic Edition from Chaosium

• END DATE: Tue, November 4 2025 5:00 PM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Pendragon 1st Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rules reprint
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $99 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the boxed set, core rulebook, campaign setting, and more
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Continuing Chaosium’s line of lovingly-produced reprints of the early editions of their storied library (Call of Cthulhu Classic, ElfQuest Classic Deluxe), they’re offering the first edition of Pendragon. Designed by Greg Stafford in 1985, this RPG puts you among King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This recreation offers the GM and player books, map, play aids, characters, anniversary dice, and a deep box to hold them all together. Plus they’re offering the 90-page The Nobles Book, The Grey Knight, The Tournament of Dreams, and the 76-page The Pendragon Campaign, all of which expand the rules and more. If you’re a fan of early RPGs and want to see them in a beautiful format and exceptional print quality, this Kickstarter answers that quest.

Dark Forest: Redwall Meets 1E in a Shadowdark World from Castle Clark

• END DATE: Thu, November 6 2025 9:00 AM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Shadowdark RPG (with some Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition)
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $59 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the campaign setting and adventure module as well as the PDF and POD discount coupon for the player’s journal
• AI STATEMENT: “We do NOT use Ai. We have a team of amazing artists working on Dark Forest. They are some of the best in the Old School Renaissance world.”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Redwall, Mouse Guard, The Secret of NIMH, and more inspired this version of Shadowdark, which could have been titled Critterdark RPG (but isn’t). Using this fun, violent setting, you play as an anthropomorphic version of a D&D character in a fantasy world. Using the Shadowdark ruleset, you’ll step into a dark forest and experience all of the adventures you know and love, but as rabbits, owls, and mice wearing armor and carrying bows. You’ll get new classes, spells, monsters, and adventures in this book. If you love the idea of playing animals in fantasy, this Kickstarter marries the setting with the Shadowdark take on D&D.

RAGNABORG RPG from Broken Brain Games LLC

• END DATE: Thu, November 6 2025 1:00 PM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): MÖRK BORG
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $52 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the core rulebook, pamphlet, and character sheets
• ADDITIONAL REPORTING: Rob Wieland interviews Erica Lowe about RagnaBorg here
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? At Dice + Diversions 2025, I played RagnaBorg with Erica Lowe (here). The idea is a more fun, over-the-top Viking vision of MÖRK BORG. This RPG offers a world where Ragnarok is happening (meeting the end-of-the-world trope common in MÖRK BORG) and you have to use violence to make your way through the gods’ battles. The secret sauce is the YAY VIOLENCE! system that let’s you upgrade crits in a fun way. If you like the simple rules of MÖRK BORG, but want a world that you don’t have to explain, this TTRPG may be for you.

Fizzwip’s Treasury of Absurd Curiosities from Jerry Joe Seltzer

• END DATE: Thu, November 6 2025 8:06 AM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2024), Daggerheart and system neutral
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $9 for the PDF of the book
• AI STATEMENT: “No A.I. Content. One hundred percent of the writing comes from the creative mind of Zachary Adams. All illustrations and design work have been rendered by Jerry Joe Seltzer’s hand.”
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? The idea is to provide unique, uncommon magic items. Not game breakers, but oddities that inspire interesting gameplay. Critter catapult, fork of stabbing, arid stride, frog box, and more products that speak to creativity versus math-attacks. This books is 34 pages featuring 62 fully illustrated magic items. If you’re a fan of weird magic items, this is worth a look.

Cosmic Corsairs RPG from NerdBurger Games

• END DATE: Thu, November 6 2025 2:00 PM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Roll Track System
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $45 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the core rulebook and additional PDFs
• ADDITIONAL REPORTING: I talk to Craig Campbell about this project here
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? The Triarchy rules the 10 worlds. You travel the space between them in your spaceship, labeled a pirate, you are the enemy of these tyrants. With cosmic powers, you fight a government that controls a solar system. Rebel or they will stamp you out. Using NerdBurger Games’ Roll Track System d10 dice pool engine, you’ll create spaceships and wield your powers in the cause of freedom.

Huckleberry: A Wyrd West RPG from Steven Alexander

• END DATE: Nov 5, 2025 at 12:00am EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): An original system
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $70 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of both books
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: Huckleberry: Quickdraw Edition is free at DriveThruRPG
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Want Weird West where only the players make the rolls? One where you’re a bounty hunter at the end of a world of monsters, your only back up is your six-shooter? Huckleberry is calling. Inspired by Tombstone, A Fistful of Dollars, Hellboy, and Lord Baltimore, this projects includes a 160-page core rulebook, Huckleberry: A Wyrd West RPG, as well as the adventure book, Huckleberry: A Season of Avarice, with 7 adventures to get you into this setting. If the idea of playing Weird West with a new engine excites you, check out the Backerkit page for a link to their free PDF quickdraw edition.

Under the Shadow of the Noon-Day Witch from Ham & Egg Publishing

• END DATE: Wed, November 5 2025 11:59 AM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Sickest Witch RPG
• PROJECT TYPE: Adventure
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $15 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the zine plus the soundtrack
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? This adventure is an OSR-style political thriller with a lot of blood and magic. A witch defends the farmers, a new lord demands their crops, there will be a reckoning and your characters are in the middle of the combat. This adventure uses the Sickest Witch RPG’s Severed System engine by Justin Sirois of Severed Books. If magic, OSR, and evil lords interest you, check out this Kickstarter for a seasonal adventure.

WRASTLEVANIA FROM 9th Level Games

• END DATE: Nov 6, 2025 at 5:00pm EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Backerkit
• SYSTEM(S): powered by polymorph
• PROJECT TYPE: Core rulebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $50 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the book and the boxed set
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Let’s start with their quote: “It’s CASTLEVANIA meets WRESTLEMANIA!” Ultra Dracula conquered Greco-Romania, and your professional wrestler characters are the only way he can be stopped. The game is an homage to wrestling and Castlevania that uses the polymorph system (your character uses a die – a d4, d6, d8, or d10 – and that lone die resolves all of your challenges). The storytelling embraces old school luchador ideas and themes. If you’re looking for a crazy fun mix of promos, top rope moves, and stakes through the heart complete with 8-bit artwork, this Backerkit is calling your name.

The Spy Game: Spymaster’s Toolkit Supplement from Black Cats Gaming

• END DATE: Sun, November 9 2025 3:00 PM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2014)
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: £30 + S/H for the PDF and print versions of the toolkit
• TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: The Spy Game Quickstart is free at DriveThruRPG
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? The Spy Game uses 5e to build a modern world of spying and espionage; think Mission: Impossible and 007. This Kickstarter offers a toolkit expansion with new archetypes, feats, hacking, downtime, and more. There are new evil geniuses to combat and secret lairs to explore. If the idea of spying and 5e speaks to you, check out the campaign page for a copy of the quickstart.

Classic NPC Codex from Mike Myler

• END DATE: Fri, October 31 2025 11:59 PM EDT.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2024) and Level Up! Advanced 5th Edition
• PROJECT TYPE: Sourcebook
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: $10 for the PDF of the book
• DISCLAIMER: Mike Myler writes for EN Publishing, the parent company of EN World
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Mike Myler has a book of NPCs for Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (2024) and Level Up! Advanced 5th Edition. You’ll get 62 NPCs and monsters to throw against your players. The book offers a variety of options from criminal NPCs to standard fantasy villains to steampunk additions, and more. If you need a book of baddies, this Kickstarter awaits.

Starfinder: Afterlight from Epictellers and Paizo

• END DATE: Thu, November 6 2025 9:04 AM EST.
• CROWDFUNDING ON: Kickstarter
• SYSTEM(S): Starfinder 2e
• PROJECT TYPE: Video game
• MOST POPULAR PLEDGE: €90 + S/H for the video game and digital perks
• WHY SPOTLIGHT THIS CAMPAIGN? Want to play Starfinder as a video game? This project uses the Starfinder 2e ruleset to build out a turn-based tactical combat video game. If you’re a fan of Starfinder, this Kickstarter is worth checking out to see the game in a new format.

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