GamesRPGThis bizarre, vague Kickstarter promises a “multimedia fantasy RPG experience” including a D&D-compatible sourcebook, an actual play series, an animated short film, a vinyl soundtrack, a scented candle, and (somehow) moreWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGThis bizarre, vague Kickstarter promises a “multimedia fantasy RPG experience” including a D&D-compatible sourcebook, an actual play series, an animated short film, a vinyl soundtrack, a scented candle, and (somehow) moreWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Todd Stashwick)
So, what actually is ProgCore Fantasy? Well… it’s vibes, basically. The pitch is incredibly vague, evoking nostalgia for the era of ’70s and ’80s fantasy and prog rock while giving almost no details about the setting. Its three core pillars are, we’re told, “wonder, mystery, and danger”. Well, we all like those, but if you want to know anything abouthowit’s going to be wonderful, mysterious, or indeed dangerous, you’re out of luck even after watching the full eight minute pitch video.
Experienced TTRPG players and savvy Kickstarter backers will already have spotted some other red flags here. For one, $150,000 is a small amount to raise to make even just the core products here happen—even if that goal is far exceeded, the project is unlikely to raise the kind of money realistically needed to produce a book, a web series, an animation, and a soundtrack, plus all the other physical rewards being promised across the various stretch goals and 21 (!) different pledge levels.
(Image credit: Todd Stashwick)
Another is the book itself. “System agnostic” means there’s no actual game here, just a setting. Given the incredibly scant details given (there are ancient ruins and dragons is about all we get) and promise that a significant portion of the book will just be short fiction, it’s really unclear what gameable content is actually being offered. Even the promise of D&D 5e compatibility is a little misleading—it’s suggested what that will consist of is mostly just advice on achieving the ProgCore Fantasy tone in a D&D game, with a few suggested house rules, rather than things like new character options or monster stats.
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The good news is that if you love ’70s and ’80s fantasy, retro-style role-playing, and prog rock, you’re already well served in 2024. The current OSR (‘Old School Revival/Renaissance’) movement is already full of fantastic games suffused with exactly those influences. If you’re intrigued, here are just a few recommendations to get you started.
Adventurers doing battle in the deadly realms of Dungeon Crawl Classics.(Image credit: Goodman Games)
Dungeon Crawl Classics
A weird and wonderful take on the early days of D&D, combined with bags of its own creative ideas and a huge library of really electric adventures to play. Features some of the best old school fantasy art in the business, including some dungeon maps that have to be seen to be believed.
Ultraviolet Grasslands
Vaults of Vaarn
A series of zines and adventures detailing a surreal science-fantasy world and its bizarre inhabitants, with a simple set of rules for bringing it all to life. Features crazed clones, synthetic ferrets, and a playable race of mushroom zombies.
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