Kickstarter - There and Back Again: An Anthology of Travel and Gaming

You ever come across a Kickstarter and think "Wow, I never would have thought of this. It's amazing!" Yeah, There and Back Again isn't one of those for me. Instead, it's more of an "I don't know what to think of this..."

What we have here is a book aimed at gamers but not about gaming. Instead, its "An anthology of how travel impacts tabletop role-playing games, featuring stars in the RPG industry."

Now, who are those stars, exactly? Eddy Webb, Mikey Mason, Lynn Hardy, Dan Repperger, Jack Norris, John Houlihan, Linda Mercury and Jason Durall. I recognize one name off the bat, a second when you point out there is a podcast host in the mix. I wouldn't exactly call the list stars, but they are certainly involved in the hobby.

What kind of essays are included?

• Adventures, campaign frameworks, and locations inspired by real-world sites people have visited.
• Rules and design notions based on the realities, wonders, trials, and tribulations of travel.
• Personal travel essays relating to gaming and gaming culture. 
• Thoughts and experiences about gaming in different cultures.
• A couple of wild cards that don't fit into any particular category. 

I see a very niche project here. One that probably won't fund. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. It simply is.

As an aside, offering a Facebook mention as a reward isn't much of a reward unless you have thousands of Facebook friends. Even then, not much of a reward.

The creator has five prior Kickstarters, three failed to fund. All book / fiction related. So, does that mean he's willing to take chances or that he doesn't know (or hasn't found) his audience?

Kickstarter - Lair of the Black Dragon (A DM-less, systemless adventure module for any level character?)

One of the great things about Kickstarter are the things that make you go "hmmmm"

One of the worst things about Kickstarter are the things that make you go "hmmmm"

Lair of the Black Dragon is both.

I understand very well how DM-less, whether solo or for group play, work. Usually, it's a hidden flow chart with lots of "if this, then go to section 43", etc. I am, after all, a Tunnels & Trolls player.

I understand how systemless adventures work. There is usually a lot of weight pulled by the GM to put in the appropriate mechanical balance for the system in question.

I understand how adventures work that are level adjustable, within reason. It requires changing the adversaries power level based on the system you are using.

I have no fucking idea how these will all come together in a playable mesh in Lair of the Black Dragon.

It's not like you have to risk much to find out, as the the $3 offers:

Heck, estimated deliver is THIS VERY MONTH. I mean, what could go wrong? Aside from everything that is.

Here's the pitch:

As a Player, have you ever wanted to adventure but couldn’t find a DM?
As a DM, have you ever had players wanting to keep going, but you didn’t have anything prepared? 

This is a complete adventure ready to be played through in a single sitting of 2-3 hours. It can be dropped into any campaign, and is designed so it can be played in several different ways; 

What it is: This project is a system neutral, solo-play, one-shot, complete adventure module for characters of any level. 

What that means: 

System Neutral means it is not dependent on any specific rule set or edition, and can therefore be dropped into just about ANY role playing campaign world setting. If your game rules use polyhedral dice, then this will work for you. It was written primarily for the most common traditional fantasy role-playing game settings, but it can be adapted for many other worlds with just a little imagination. 

Solo-Play means it can be played by a single person without a DM. It can be played with multiple players with or without a DM as well. It has a flexible design and concept so it can be used in many different ways. Though it was designed to be played by a lone player by themselves, it can be played with a group of players and multiple characters, or even with a DM. 

One-Shot means it is able to be completed in a single 2-3 hour sitting. This is also flexible in that you can increase the level of challenge (with more or stronger monsters) to increase the length of play time, or you can decrease the number of challenges to shorten the play session. 

Complete Adventure Module means that everything you need to get through this adventure is contained in the PDF, HOWEVER, this is NOT a stand-alone game. SEE ALSO: What it is NOT: 

For Characters of Any Level means that this module is scalable. You can increase or decrease the challenge based on the experience level of your character or characters. 

What it is NOT: This is NOT a stand-alone Role Playing Game rules set. The rules and mechanics for a Role Playing Game are not part of this. This is just an add-on, like an expansion, for whatever Role Playing Game system you currently use. You will need at least the basic guidebooks for whatever Role Playing System you normally use. 

Risks and challenges
There are no risks at all. Well, let's back up. There is the risk that you may not like the content, or you may not have fun playing it, but the module is already finished! All I need is to get enough funding to support my next project and you get a module for a dollar! So there's no risk that you won't get the PDF.

So, for as little as a buck you can buy in. 3 bucks gives you the bells and whistles. I almost feel like 3 bucks will give me my entertainment back, whether this is a hot mess or not.