I absolutely love the DMs Guild, and it’s still my go-to place for additional 5e content, but it seems that more and more creators are turning to Kickstarters to fund and market their adventures, lore books and D&D related products. A quick search reveals nearly a 1,000 projects related to 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons available to back on Kickstarter right now, with 1,000s more related to RPGs and table top gaming in general listed on the site.
That’s a lot of browsing for you to get through, so let me share some products that caught my eye recently, that are taking off right now. (My challenge, from now onwards, will be to keep this list fresh… if you have a Kickstarter you think I’ll like drop me a line!).
Selected 5e D&D Kickstarters…
Whenever backing a Kickstarter project be sure to read the small text and risks, and for physical products check the shipping costs.
Now, go and bring some of these extremely creative dreams to life!
Tanares RPG
Type: Campaign setting (5e)
Team: Dragori Games
Back By: 30th Sept 2021
With over 1.5 million dollars raised at the time of publication, Tanares RPG has been well and truly Kickstarted. A vast campaign setting based on Dragori Games’ multi-million-dollar-funded board game, Arena: The Contest (which fetches a rather smashing 8.8 rating on Board Game Geeks!), this dystopian, high magic scenario has been developed by such luminaries as Ed Greenwood (creator of the Forgotten Realms!), Bruce Nesmith, Amy Vorpahl and Skip Williams.
The Kickstarter is concentrated around three main products: the Campaign Sourcebook (for DMs), the Player’s Guide to Tanares (for players), and Adventures in the Realms of Madness (for DMs). Needless to say there’s all kinds of fun add ons and extras, such as GM’s screen, poster maps, cards and miniatures, depending on the size of your pledge.
One cool concept worth noting about the Tanares setting is that armed forces are strictly forbidden by the Empire, meaning conflicts are settled in the arena by “Teams”: you don’t have to be a genius to see how this works with Dungeons & Dragons and the classic party dynamic of 4 or 5 adventurers! As someone who wrote a 300-page adventure on a gladiatorial games, where the players unite to form a unique fighting outfit, needless to say I heartily approve!
Reward Tiers
Reward tiers start from $25 for one digital book, with the $129 essential kits looking like a great entry point, with hard and digital copies of all three books, plus the map and GM’s screen!
>> Back Tanares RPG on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, and decide whether to back by following the link above ☝️.
Valda’s Spire of Secrets
Type: Players’ compendium (5e)
Team: Mage Hand Press
Back By: 30th Sept 2021
If you’ve played every D&D class to death already, then Valda’s Spire of Secrets should prove a Pandora’s box of treasures to breath new life into 5e. A whopping 380 pages long, this compendium brings a total of 10 new classes and 150 new subclasses to your table. Fantasy class tropes that don’t quite get the dedicated attention they deserve from WOTC are given their own mechanics: I’m thinking alchemists, gunslingers, investigator, war mages and witches, while 5 new races add more roleplaying opportunities… I like the idea of the Geppettins in particular.
Reward Tiers
Reward tiers start from $25 for a starter kit and $35 for the full digital book.
>> Back Valda’s Spire of Secrets on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, and decide whether to back by following the link above ☝️.
Secrets of the Drow
Type: Adventure trilogy (5e)
Team: Midnight Tower
Back By: 14th October 2021
Powerful, creepy and evil to the core, drow really are one of fantasy’s best villains. In this simple Kickstarter, Midnight Tower are raising funds to bring three of their best-selling drow-themed D&D adventures to print in one beautiful volume. The good news is that the adventures have already been written and attracted excellent reviews on Drivethru marketplace, so you can be extremely confident of getting a great product in a timely fashion!
Reward Tiers
Reward tiers include $10 for digital book, $20 for softcover and $30 for hardcover.
>> Back Secrets of the Drow on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, and decide whether to back by following the link above ☝️.
Alkander’s Almanac of All Things
Type: Rules supplement (5e)
Team: The Dungeon Coach
Back By: 31st July 2021
The Dungeon Coach is, for my money, the best homebrewer of 5th edition rules out there. He has a knack for adding that extra bite that many of us want included in 5e, without ever making things too complicated (and as a D&D blogger who has tried to fix many of these issues myself I know how difficult that can be!). In Alkander’s Almanac of All Things, Dungeon Coach distills many of his long-standing homebrew rules, which he has introduced on his Youtube Channel and playtested with his community, into one suave-looking supplement. This Kickstarter is not about overhauling the Player’s Handbook in any way, it’s a modular series of optional add-ons that you can use to customise your Dungeons & Dragons game… taking the bits you like, and discarding or fine-tuning the bits that aren’t quite right for your table. Overall, Alkander’s Almanac promises to be the perfect supplement to breath new life into your game, impress your players and raise your D&D experience. I will definitely be getting my hands on this one!
Selected Reward Tiers for Alkander’s Almanac
Pledge $25 dollars
PDF version of the book
Pledge $55 dollars
Hardcover of the book
Pledge $75 dollars
PDF
Hardcover
Early access to new playtest material
Discord server access
Pledge $95 dollars
PDF
Early access to new playtest material
Discord server access + live streams
Name in Credits of the Book
Monster Booster Pack PDF
Magic Item Booster Pack PDF
Subclasses Booster Pack PDF
Homebrew Booster Pack PDF
Pledge $145 dollars
PDF
Hardcover
Early access to new playtest material
Backer Only Discord Server + Live Streams
Name in Credits of the Book
Monster Booster Pack PDF
Magic Item Booster Pack PDF
Subclasses Booster Pack PDF
Homebrew Booster Pack PDF
Pledge $545 dollars
PDF
Hardcover (signed)
Early access to new playtest material
Discord server access
ALL Dungeon Coach PDFs ever in a “DC Flash Drive”
Custom Alkander’s Almanac Dice Set
Limited Edition T-Shirt
Alkander Miniature
Backer Only Discord Server + Live Streams
Name in Credits of the Book
Monster Booster Pack PDF
Magic Item Booster Pack PDF
Subclasses Booster Pack PDF
Homebrew Booster Pack PDF
>> Back Alkander’s Almanac of All Things on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Heroes of Tara (Player’s Guide)
Type: Player supplement (5e compatible)
Team: Jacob Duerkson, Daniel Nimitz
Back By: 2nd August 2021
Step into a high fantasy version of Iron Age Ireland with this player supplement that brings Celtic and Irish mythology to your gaming table. Painstakingly researched by an RPG-obsessed archaeologist, players can create heroes using three new lore specific tribes (instead of races), three new classes and 30 new backgrounds. And if the stretch goals are met (I have a feeling they will be!), then many more player options will be unlocked…. plus a HUGE bestiary of 200 monsters rooted in Celtic myth and legend!
Selected Reward Tiers for Heroes of Tara
Pledge $30 dollars
PDF version of the book
Pledge $35 dollars
PDF version of the book
Option to buy hardcover (paying only Drivethru’s printing + shipping costs).
Pledge $150 dollars
PDF version of the book
Option to buy hardcover (paying only Drivethru’s printing + shipping costs).
Limited edition woodblock prints
>> Back Heroes of Tara on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Dungeons of Drakkenheim
Type: 5e adventure and setting
Team: Dungeon Dudes
Back By: 31st July 2021
Dungeon Dudes, Kelly McLaughlin and Monty Martin, dispense invaluable D&D advice via their popular Youtube Channel, and their first Kickstarter project invites you to explore the devastated city of Drakkenheim and its many dark, delirium-inducing secrets in a 5e campaign that takes players from level 1 all the way to 13. While the core of the product is an adventure, this campaign also features 20 detailed adventure locations within the city of Drakkenheim and 25 new monsters, amongst other reusable lore.
Selected Reward Tiers for Dungeons of Drakkenheim
Pledge $25 dollars
PDF version of the adventure
Pledge $55 dollars
PDF
Hardcover
Fabric map
Pledge $125 dollars
PDF
Hardcover
Fabric map
Delirium Dice Set
Eldritch Contamination Card Deck
Tactical Maps Pack
Magic of Drakkenheim Card Deck
Rat Prince Plushie
Miniature Set (x5 minis)
Factions of Drakkenheim Pin Set
GM Screen
>> Back Dungeons of Drakkenheim on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
The Oracle Story Generator
Type: Adventure Cards
Team: Nord Games
Back By: 8th July 2021
Enjoy brainstorming new adventures? This eye-catching Kickstarter promises unlimited creative potential for DMs and looks like a fantastic toolset for budding professional story writers out there too! There are 5 different decks being created with different themes (Epic Adventures, Political Intrigue, Simple Side Quests etc) and each deck has different types of cards within them – Actors, Actions, Subjects, Intents and Developments. On top of that each card has four options, so that a Warlord (Actor) might have four different variations, which you can use or select randomly for your story. The cards look stunning and each deck offers 250 million potential story combinations! Your fantasy RPG sessions are set for life basically!
Selected Reward Tiers for Oracle Story Generator
There are many different reward tiers for this project (including for retailers), so I’ll just highlight a few, and you can head to their Kickstarter.com page for more.
Pledge $7 dollars
PDF version of deck of your choice
Pledge $20 dollars
Deck of your choice + PDF
Pledge $70 dollars
All five decks + five PDFs
>> Back Oracle Story Generator on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, discover some cool stretch goals, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Isle of the Dreaded Accursed
Type: Adventure
Team: Mr. Tarrasque, JVC Parry, Nord Games
Back By: 30th June 2021
Estimated Delivery: December 2021
Inspired by the Ultimate Bestiary of the Dreaded Accursed by Nord Games (from which the adventure borrows many monsters and artwork), this stand alone adventure throws characters into the deep end of a divine temper tantrum, in which the Sea Goddess Elvirath has unleashed her full fury to punish her worshippers for not paying her ’nuff respect (and also spending too long dabbling in necromancy!). I’m loving the combined Theros and Ghost of Saltmarsh vibes about this one, and with a remote rocky island rife with undead as the main location this looks like the perfect 5e adventure to terrify your players with in winter 2021/22 (the adventure’s delivery date).
Reward Tiers for Isle of the Dreaded Accursed
Tier 1: Zombie (€10 pledge)
PDF of the adventure
20% discount on Nord Games products
Tier 2: Skeleton (€20 pledge)
PDF of the adventure
Softcover version
20% discount on Nord Games products
Tier 3: Revenant (€50 pledge)
PDF of the adventure
Softcover version
DM Screen
Dungeon Map
Player Handouts
20% discount on Nord Games products
Tier 4: Lich (€500 pledge)
PDF of the adventure
Softcover version
DM Screen
Dungeon Map
Player Handouts
20% discount on Nord Games products
Your NPC in the adventure!
>> Back “Isle of the Dreaded Accursed” on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, discover some cool stretch goals, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Wanderer’s Guide to Merchants and Magic
Type: 5e compatible sourcebook
Team: Eventyr Games
Back By: 1st July 2021
Estimated Delivery: March 2022
Players love magic items… and if you have DM’ed any mid- to high-level campaign you’ll know they are desperate to buy them and trade them too! Merchants & Magic promises to deliver a great toolset for this underserved niche in 5th edition, while furnishing GMs with 100s more magic items and a full bazaar of memorable merchants.
Reward Tiers for Merchants & Magic
Tier 1 (€15 pledge)
PDF version of Merchants & Magic.
Tier 2 (€25 pledge)
Softcover version of Merchants & Magic.
Tier 3 (€30 pledge)
Softer version + PDF
Tier 4 (€30 pledge)
Hardcover version of Merchants & Magic.
Tier 5 (€35 pledge)
Hardcover version + PDF
Enchanter Bundle (€75 pledge)
PDF
Hardcover version
Design your own magic item for the book!
Merchant Bundle (€125 pledge)
PDF
Hardcover version
Design your own merchant for the book!
>> Back “Merchants & Magic” on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, discover some cool stretch goals, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Weird Wastelands
Type: 5e compatible sourcebook
Team: Web DM
Back By: 12th July 2021
Estimated Delivery: March 2022 (PDF) / September-December 2022 (Hardcover)
Add post-apocalyptic flavour to your D&D games with these 10 magic-warped locations, and gain an entire toolset to bring weird and wonderful wastelands into the heart of your campaign. Product includes new monsters, new mechanics for exploration, new spells and new subclasses, as well as a return of the absent psion class for 5e. Developed by popular Youtube channel, Web DM, with foreword by none other than Monte Cook himself.
Reward Tiers for Weird Wastelands
Tier 1 ($25 pledge)
PDF version of Weird Wastelands
Tier 2 ($55 pledge)
Hardcover + PDF version of Weird Wastelands
Tier 3 ($100 pledge)
Deluxe Hardcover + PDF
Tier 4: Collector’s Box ($350 pledge)
Deluxe Hardcover + PDF
Weird Workbook
Weird GM’s Screen
Wasteland Flask
Wasteland Dice Satchel
Wasteland Dice
Everything else unlocked in stretch goals
>> Back “Weird Wastelands” on Kickstarter.com <<
Check out the official product teaser video, discover some cool stretch goals, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting
Type: 5e compatible sourcebook (with adventures)
Team: Loot Tavern
Back By: 1st July 2021
Estimated Delivery: Jan 2022
Reward Tiers for Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting
Tier 1 ($25 pledge)
PDF version of Heliana’s Guide
Tier 2 ($50 pledge)
Hardcover + PDF version of Heliana’s Guide
Kickstarter Exclusive Stickers
Game Ready Tier ($75 pledge)
Hardcover + PDF version of Heliana’s Guide
Kickstarter Exclusive Stickers
Heliana’s Handouts
Loot Tavern Map
All Pins Tier ($90 pledge)
Digital PDF
Enamel Pin Pack 1
Enamel Pin Pack 2
Kickstarter Exclusive Stickers
Core Box Tier ($125 pledge)
Digital PDF
Physical Hardcover Book
Heliana’s Handouts
Kickstarter Exclusive Stickers
Gelatinous Ooze Resin Dice Set
Heliana’s Dice Bag
Item Card Pack 1
Item Card Pack 2
Loot Tavern Map
Standard Dark Blue Box
Deluxe Box ($250 pledge)
Digital PDF
Physical Hardcover Book
Heliana’s Handouts
Kickstarter Exclusive Stickers
Loot Tavern Map
Indian Agate Gemstone Dice Set
Heliana’s Dice Bag
Item Card Pack 1
Item Card Pack 2
Enamel Pin Pack 1
Enamel Pin Pack 2
Collector’s Edition White & Gold Box
Back “Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting” on Kickstarter.com
Check out the official product teaser video, discover some cool stretch goals, and decide whether to back by following the link above.
Honourable Mentions…
Let’s round off the post with a few more projects I didn’t have time to elaborate on, but look pretty awesome:
Asian Monsters
A 112 page bestiary by Legendary Games. Check it out here.
Botanical Bestiary
Plant-inspired monsters derived with Slavic origins. More here.
5e Campaign Journal
A beautiful looking journal for your 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Record up to 3 years of your adventures in this gorgeous tome.
Carovea Victor
Ancient Rome and Greece translated into 5e! Read more on Kickstarter itself.
Latestarters
Ok that’s it from me for now… if you’re in the market for epic D&D adventures and supplements, be sure to drop my DMs Guild page and have a browse. My Platinum bestseller Esquiel’s Guide to Magic Weapons has garnered some rave reviews while I’m confident that your players will LOVE my latest adventure Dragonbowl – if they survive! And while already published content may lack that shiny new buzz of the latest Kickstarter project and its dramatic voice over video, you do at least benefit from being able to read the reviews and be assured of the quality of the product, rather than hoping for the best. Plus it arrives right away!
DRAGONBOWL (5e Adventure)
Type: 5e Adventure (Tier 2) and setting (30 locations)
Team: Hipsters & Dragons
Delve into the Underbelly cavern to take part in Faerun’s most bloodthirsty sporting extravaganza! A non-stop fiesta of parties, parades and arena combats disguises a trade fair of every type of criminal activity, and your heroes will face as many dangers outside Dragonbowl Arena as within it. With 16 fighting teams to choose from, 30 locations to visit and dozens of side quests, you can run Dragonbowl your way!
“If you took American Gladiators, the Colosseum, and the Quidditch World Cup and then mashed them all together I imagine you’d end up with something like Dragonbowl. More than just a combat-focused adventure, Dragonbowl is a Bacchanalian-style festival with its own economy and ecology. Opportunistic entrepreneurs (some more shady than others) are out hustling for profits and corporate sponsors have sunk their claws into monopoly (looking at you Bloodwizer).
This adventure is overflowing with well-designed NPCs for the players to engage with. They could also either oppose the players or join them, if need be. Dragonbowl has all the charm of a longstanding recurring carnival or state fair to include questionable prizes, hawkers, and mini-games and attendees. With so many personalities and activities competing for your attention, all players are bound to find things that speak to their characters while working their way through the adventure to its conclusion and main prize (who couldn’t use 500,000 gold pieces?!).”
>> Back DRAGONBOWL on the DMs Guild <<
Seen a Kickstarter your friends might like? Please share this page using the links below and help these amazing projects get off the ground!
Angela
There’s another D&D Kickstarter called the Demiverse live until Oct 21. Each demiplane is written by a different author. Looks awesome! I’m hoping they unlock all of their stretch goals.