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#RPGaDay2017 Day 29: Let’s kick(starter) things off!

Day 29 of #RPGaDay2017. T-Minus 3 days until another one of these is over…

Despite it being a hectic month workwise, I’ve managed to post every day (so far, hoping not to jinx it so close to the finish line!) and collaborate with the team at Desde la Fosa to post videos in Spanish every day. So happy about this. I hope I can keep collaborating here, as well as there, plus add some more videos in English to my YouTube channel.  Thank you all for visiting the blog and reading what we share with you.

Now, on to the topic for today:

August 29: What was the best-run RPG crowdfunding campaign you have backed?

Hello, my name is Roberto and I have a problem. A serious one, and it’s called Kickstarter. I am serious. Are there any twelve step programs for a bad case of Kickstarter habit?

Don’t ask me how much I’ve spent! I don’t want to know. But, is we talk about other numbers, I have 2 currently backed Kickstarters, Stars Without Number: Revised Edition and Bones 4. I’ve backed a total of 108 successful projects. Out of those there are several who still are working on their goals well within their estimated times, a couple that are running late, one I received all the electronic content for and one that has partially delivered the project. But I consider myself lucky, I’ve not really been burned by any Kickstarter. The few that have had complications along the way are from creator I’ve gotten to know, through the projects or other means, and I know and understand the hurdles they face.

All kidding aside, consider me a satisfied Kickstarter client! There is only one project that I truly believe will never see the light of day, Dungeons & Dragons: A Documentary. Supposedly there is a legal battle, but I’ve given up on seeing that documentary. Nor do I think I’ll ever see the $15 I pledged. But I was lucky that I only pledged that.

But today’s topic is NOT about the bad, it is all about the good. In fact, about the BEST-RUN crowdfunding campaign I’ve backed. Mind you, the fact that I’m a Kickstarterholic does not mean there are no other crowdfunding platforms, I’ve backed projects via Indiegogo, most recently Beasts & Barbarians Steel Edition, and in the Spanish crowdfunding project Verkami the Gazetteer for La Marca del Este, the Spanish OSR retroclone.

So, out of the (literally) hundreds of Kickstarters I’ve backed, which has been the best run?

There are some standouts. Kobold Press and Pinnacle Entertainment Group run excellent Kickstarters, I back them with no hesitation. But the best Kickstarter campaigns (yes with an S, plural!) have been those by Kevin Crawford. Besides his current one, Stars Without Number: Revised Edition (seriously go back it, it is that good! Don’t believe me? Check out the Revised Edition Free Beta.) I’ve backed 4 of his other 4 projects.

Kevin is obviously well prepared. He sets up realistic goals, avoids the temptation of endless stretch-goals that eat up a crowdfunding campaign, keeps backers informed, delivers on time, even early! He gives back to the community, releasing the art from some of his projects for community use, and he publishes some terrific books. Even if you are not an OSR fan (and I consider myself someone who appreciates the movement but not a convert to it) the advice on sandbox GMing and his ideas on adventures, organizations, tags, are a great resource for any GM. Make sure you check out products by Sine Nomine Publishing, and know that you can back his crowdfunding projects in confidence.

Some bonus information about my Kickstarter habit. There are 11 other projects I’ve backed, of those 2 where unsuccessful, 1 was cancelled and I had to back out of the other 8 because at the time I could not spend the money on them. Of the two I’m currently backing, one is in danger of me bowing out.  Bones 4 is tempting and the deal on the minis is great, I’ve also been a backer of the previous 3. But I have so many miniatures! I don’t paint them, and space is a premium. I may end up canceling my pledge. That’s hard but I must make the decision soon there are mere days left.

Mind you, Bones 4 is a great deal! If you want great minis at price you can’t beat, go for it. The thing is, I don’t know if I need more minis. Though choice… I’ll let you know what I do.

The companion to this series of posts are our vide responses to the questions of #RPGaDay2017 over at the Desde la Fosa YouTube channel. Me and the team at Desde la Fosa are recording our answers in Spanish. If you speak the language we appreciate the views, if you don’t, we are thankful for any shares.

See you all tomorrow!

What has been the best run Kickstarter project for you? Let us know in the comments.

One last thing, whenever I hear someone say, “Kick it!” My mind goes to this video…
Sunglar

Welcome, reader; thanks for taking the time to discover who I am! My name is Roberto, although I usually go by Sunglar online. I am a longtime tabletop RPG player, primarily a GM for the better part of that time; some will say that’s because of my love of telling a good story, others because I’m a control freak, but that’s debatable. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, an island in the Caribbean with a small but active gaming community. I’ve played RPGs for almost 40 years, and for most of that time, I played D&D in all its permutations, including Pathfinder and D&D 5th edition. Other games our regular gaming group plays include Mutants & Masterminds, Castles & Crusades, Savage Worlds, Stars Without Number, Alien, and more. I have played many games through the years and plan to play many more. I am a compulsive homebrewer and rarely play a campaign I have not created myself. You can follow me on social media as Sunglar, and I’m regularly active on Facebook where you can find me posting regularly in the Puerto Rico Role Players group. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

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johnkzin

I definitely have a kickstarter problem… I pledged over $1000 (each) to two of the Mutant Chronicles revivals (the RPG and Siege of the Citadel). And several hundred (each) to a few others. I’ve only had three that didn’t deliver (one of which refunded what he could). But I haven’t felt truly ripped off by any of them (meaning, I don’t feel like they were deceitful or duplicitous).

I _am_ currently backing the update of SWN, and I’m more than happy to do that because Kevin does such a GREAT job of delivering on his projects. With quality, and often using his stretch goals to make the art free. He seems like a stand-up kinda guy. I’m very happy to send my money his way.

I’m also looking forward to Tiny Dungeon 2e, and Tiny Wasteland. Tiny Wasteland was thrown off by the untimely death of Stewart Wieck … which actually interconnected to a dozen or so KS projects I had backed. It was amazing to realize just how much of my gaming was supported in one way or another by that man. I was, and am, in awe of that simple fact.

I’m pretty much on board with most Modiphius projects, and Ryan Wolff projects (he does starship deck plans). Again, they do an outstanding job of putting together an outstanding KS plan and delivering on it. Same with Evil Hat, but I don’t to buy into as many of their projects (not as interested in their non-FATE projects).

And then there’s dozens of other ones where I pledge a little here, a little there. (I think I’m over 260 projects total, at this point). Sometimes I back something because I like the idea (like Upwind), and sometimes it’s because I just want to see a small/independent publisher get ahead.

(and, yes, fellow grey-beared gamer, “Kick it!” evokes the same reaction with me 😉 )
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