So far backers have unlocked roughly 100 pages of RPG material for the core set, and about 150 pages in the deluxe set—with more RPG material on the horizon at the $100K stretch goal.

In addition to that, the standalone microgame for 1-2 players will be about 28 pages of material.

Lastly, we are looking at a novella’s worth of fiction by C.L. Moore between Black God’s Kiss and the unlocked stretch goal for Black God’s Shadow.

In total, backers should expect 200-250 pages of material in the box set, depending on what level they pledge—and more material to come as further stretch goals are unlocked!

Last updated: September 08, 2022 16:41

We are designing the adventure materials to equip GMs with a variety of hooks and objectives. Because the style of play is different in each system, each adventure option will be customized for either OSE or 5e.

That being said, for OSE play there will be options suitable for player levels 1-6; while for 5e play there will be options for levels 1-6, and an additional set of options for levels 7-15.

Keep in mind that across both systems, we put “perilous setting” right in the headline for this project! Toward that end, the challenges will be designed in the “old-school style,” meaning that not all encounters are intended to be balanced to the party’s capabilities or resolvable by brute force. Judicious use of stealth, parley, and trickery are to be encouraged, in place of blindly rushing into combat.

Last updated: September 08, 2022 16:42

We did this for a variety of reasons. First and foremost: we didn’t want to force backers to choose between the most popular TTRPG system in the market and a dark horse system which is growing rapidly in popularity. We often play multiple systems ourselves, and so wanted to challenge ourselves to create something that could serve both interests without making people buy the same game twice.

Additionally, as lovers of the old school ourselves, we hope that this provides new players with an opportunity to dip their toes into OSE without abandoning the chance to grab something compatible with the more familiar 5e.

Lastly, we want to assure everyone who has asked: we are very aware that 5e and OSE have dramatically different play styles! Accordingly, we have developed different narrative paths for play (and of course stats / difficulty) depending on the system you choose to run.

Last updated: September 08, 2022 16:42

OSE is a reworking of B/X with high attention to organization, clarity, and easy to use layout. B/X is similar to 1e AD&D but is a bit lighter. For those reasons OSE is going to be a much lighter system than 5e and will be quicker and easier to learn and play.

That being said, play-style is also a big consideration. If you want an old school and deadly play-style then OSE is great, but if you want to do a deep dive into character customization and advancement, then 5e is going to give you more of that.

Black God’s Kiss will work great with both systems so you can’t go wrong going with whichever system you are most intrigued by. And because each system will have different hooks and objectives there is a very high replay-ability factor for anyone who wants to run both systems.

Last updated: September 08, 2022 16:44

Then you’re a philistine and you can get off our lawn!

deep breath

Okay, in all seriousness, the reason we packaged it this way is because adapting a work of fantasy fiction that was published four years before Gary Gygax was born is a complex and nuanced endeavor. People already familiar with these stories have expressed either excitement or skepticism (and sometimes both) about how the stories could be realized as a game.

Moore’s writing is very atmospheric, often surreal, and contains as many subtleties as it does dramatic encounters. To provide a multi-dimensional and immersive experience for backers we wanted to create a variety of entry points into the Black God / Jirel mythos. We believe reading the stories will enhance your experience of the TTRPG. Furthermore, by designing a standalone microgame we were able to highlight the pivotal themes and struggles central to the fiction in a way that just isn’t possible in a “sand box” RPG mode of play.

You don’t need to read the fiction or play the microgame, if you don’t want to; the TTRPG stands on its own. Just as licensing Moore’s work to a game allows us to offer something unusual to the TTRPG audience, we wanted to use this opportunity to develop a truly unique box set that’s never been done before.

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:22

This isn’t a setting in the traditional sense, but it does have its own character. We have interpreted the realm of the Black God as a kind of pocket dimension that can be easily visited (or plugged into) any large game setting or campaign—or run a one-shot game within it. The Black God’s realm is a place that people throughout the cosmos may find themselves in—deliberately or unwittingly—who want to make an infernal pact. Something like Ravenloft meets Hellraiser…

Toward that end, there will be a variety of tools for GMs to lure their players into the realm, and guide them once they begin to navigate it. Among these tools will be hooks, objectives, narrative side quests, a number of new creatures, magic items, maps, and of course treasure galore! The Encounter the Architects booklet (included with the Deluxe tier, or available as an add-on to the Core and Digital tiers) will also have new character options and spells. We’ve also implemented some custom mechanics (for use in both 5e and OSE) that addresses the spiritual and psychological toll simply existing in the Black God’s realm can take on PCs (more on that later).

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:23

Yes!

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:23

We had originally intended for the GM screen to be exclusively available through the Black God’s Bundle pledge tier but demand for it was so high that we pivoted early on in the campaign and will now be making it available as an add-on. That said, we do want to preserve a Kickstarter-exclusive quality to the Black God’s Bundle, so the poster and the t-shirt will only be available by pledging at that tier.

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:24

We had originally intended for the GM screen to be exclusively available through the Black God’s Bundle pledge tier but demand for it was so high that we pivoted early on in the campaign and will now be making it available as an add-on. That said, we do want to preserve a Kickstarter-exclusive quality to the Black God’s Bundle, so the poster and the t-shirt will only be available by pledging at that tier.

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:23

If you scroll allllllllllll the way down to the bottom of the project page, you’ll see estimates for shipping to regions around the world.

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:23

All digital rewards will be distributed directly to backers through a link that will be provided via Backerkit, which is our pledge management system.

Last updated: September 10, 2022 13:23