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In an ancient age, many galaxies away…
The universe is in collapse, as planets and systems struggle for freedom under the rule of sinister despots. Against the malevolent sorcery of the Overlords, stand the few remaining bearers of the legendary Solar Blades.
What will you do when the forces of the Void close in?
Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells is a complete Role Playing Game, inspired by the Old School Renaissance, the Pulp Literature and the many Science Fantasy stories brought to us by movies, comics and games. Based on the Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells RPG, this game system provides players and Overlords (that's how we call the GM in this game) a set of flexible and streamlined rules, as well as an array of tools to make gameplay fast and fun, allowing them to have exciting adventures with solar blades and cosmic spells!
The game itself is already written and could be published as is, but I want it to be better. This campaign will help funding the costs of editing, proofreading and will pay for artwork. So the more money it collects, the more money will go towards making the text better and towards filling more and more pages with awesome and inspiring art!
But What is Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells?
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Standard Cover by Bruno Prosaiko
Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells is a Rules Light, Star & Sorcery, Role Playing Game with an Old School spirit. But what does this really means?
It's Rules Light
This means the game has only the essential rules to play, avoiding subsystems to detail every aspect of gameplay, preferring general rules and a referee's rulings to govern the almost endless possibilities. The system has only a few different mechanics, and once those have been mastered, the need to consult the book for rules clarification will hardly come up during play, allowing for a more fluid and exciting game. Essentially, you can learn and teach all that you need to play in a single session.
It's Star & Sorcery
It’s science fiction, it’s fantasy, it’s space opera, it’s sword and sorcery, it’s post-apocalyptic. It’s all that and more, mixed up and packed together. In this game the party can be composed of knights of a mystical tradition, space pilots, cyber hackers, smugglers running from space authorities, barbarians from a primitive world, engineers and inventors, students of the lost and dangerous art of cosmic spells, or anything in between all this. In this universe, technology is advanced but the great accomplishments of it were lost in a glorious past. Sorcery is real and is wielded by terrible despots. It is also feared by most of the species, being the main reason why the old glorious days are over. Planets and sectors have many different cultures, most of them are now divisive and belligerent, led by these Sorcerer-Emperors. It’s sword and sorcery in space and with some cosmic horror thrown in.
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It’s a Role Playing Game
In this type of game, participants work together to create and experience a tale of adventure. One of them, called the Overlord, creates a setting with different characters (each with its goals), interesting locations and a set of events about to unfold, usually instigating the other participants to take some action relating to them (opposing it, taking advantage of it, helping it reach its end or even ignoring it in favor of something else). This group, called the Players, creates fictional characters inspired by the Overlord's setting and the fiction they love, and makes the decisions for them. They decide what their characters say and do according to the descriptions of the Overlord. In turn, based on their actions, the rules of the game, and their own judgement, the Overlord describes what happens afterward, instigating the players to take further action, renewing the cycle. Through these interactions, both the Overlord and the players create a tale of adventure together, without any of them really knowing what will actually happen in the end.
It has and Old School Spirit
Although not directly related to an old game, Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells was designed to be played with the same spirit and style. All the principles of the classic A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming by Matt Finch apply to this game (and if you don't know about A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming, you should google it), although this is not a proper Retroclone. It does take inspirations and is based on many games that are (and some that are not), and other actual Old School games. However, to avoid the controversy of calling itself an Old School Game, Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells calls itself a game with Old School Spirit. But what does that really mean, you ask?
First of all, it relies on the Overlord to make judgement calls for how, when and why rules apply (or don't). This is called rulings over rules, and implies that the system has an abstract set of rules to resolve situations and it's up to the Overlord to determine how those rules apply on each situation, or to come up with a solution based on them when needed. Additionally, this game focus on player skill rather than on character skills and powers. The system is very simple and abstract, providing players with characters with a few iconic abilities and very broad statistics. How to use them to create solutions to the challenges the Overlord comes up with will depend solely on them. Social and intellectual challenges rely mostly on the players' ingenuity than on the roll of the dice.
Also, according to the Old School sensibilities, characters can be heroes, but they risk a lot doing so. It's something they can achieve, but it's not something they can do easily with little concern to their safety. The rules make sure the characters are a little more capable than the average person, but they are not superheroes, capable of facing entire battalions by themselves.
Finally, the game system ignores the modern concept of game balance and “appropriate encounters”, preferring the approach of setting consistency and challenging gameplay. In this way, there might appear obstacles during the game in which players’ characters have no way of resolving. Their better strategy could very well be to run, as well as to negotiate or simply to avoid it completely. That’s the Old School way.
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The Book
The book has approximately 168.000 words, which accrue to about 370 pages of text. We estimate that the final product will have around 500 pages, with a lot of black and white illustrations. The book will have enough material to keep a group entertained for years.
Why Crowdfunding?
My first game, Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells (on which Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells is based), was written with only the most essential rules and tools to allow gameplay. It didn't provide examples of how rules would be applied, nor a setting for the game. In the end, it had only 48 pages, with a lot of illustrations that were either released and Royalty Free images, or images made by me or some of my friends.
With Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, however, I wanted to provide a game with everything you need to play, and to learn how to play. Even though the game system is a revised version of the one used on SS&SS (with some additions, like Sanity rules, vehicle combat, more spells, and other optional rules), this time the text comes with examples to clarify how the rules are applied and how the Overlord can use their judgment. We even have a complete example of play in the Appendixes!
But that is not all. The game comes with an implied setting and a toolbox to create this setting as you play the game. The book is full of tools to help players and Overlords to generate game elements, such as locations, NPCs, monsters and adventure hooks.
Thus, the book will be bigger (around 450 to 500 pages), and will require a lot of work from editors, proofreaders and artists, and I want to pay them for their effort. I want the book to be as good as it can be. And I need your help to do that.
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The Costs
There are many costs involved in the production of a RPG Book, and in order to make this the best book it can be, we are asking for your help and contribution.
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Cover Art (two covers): $ 350.00
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Logo Design: $ 100.00
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Editing and Proofreading: $ 1,000.00 (Initially, as they will be paid more if we hit stretch goals)
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Interior Artwork: $ 800.00 (Initially, as we will be buying and commissioning more art as we hit stretch goals).
- IndieGoGo and Credit Card fees will accrue on about 8% of total funding (plus 25 dollars from raising money in dollars to deposit in a Brazilian bank).
The book will be produced by Print on Demand, and contributors will either receive a PDF or a PDF + Print at Cost Coupon to print the book over DrivethruRPG. So there is no costs associated with printing and shipping the book.
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What Do You Get By Pledging?
There are many options to choose from, allowing you to simply get your name on the book as a contributor and a PDF, to a level where you can get coupons for the Standard and Limited Edition Hardcovers and a piece of original artwork made by me. All contributors also get immediate access to the book's draft text (see the first Update of the campaign).
Space Traveler - US$ 10.00
This pledge level gives you the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game.
Space Adventurer - US$ 15.00
This pledge level gives you the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; and a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Softcover version (print cost estimated at US$16.09)
Space Knight - US$ 20.00
This pledge level gives you the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; and a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Standard Hardcover version (print cost estimated at US$ 21.70).
Space Sorcerer - US$ 25.00
This pledge level gives you the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; and a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Limited Edition Hardcover version (print cost estimated at US$ 21.70). The Limited Edition Hardcover version has an exclusive cover that will be available only through this IndieGoGo campaign and will not go on sale after it's done.
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Limited Edition Cover by Dan Ramos
Cosmic Beasts - US$ 40.00
This pledge level gives you the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Limited Edition Hardcover version (print cost estimated at US$ 21.70) and a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Standard Hardcover version (print cost estimated at US$ 21.70), saving you 5 dollars of total cost. The Limited Edition Hardcover version has an exclusive cover that will be available only through this IndieGoGo campaign and will not go on sale after it's done.
Galactic Overlord - US$ 150.00
This pledge level gives you the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Softcover version (print cost estimated at 16.09); a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Limited Edition Hardcover version (print cost estimated at US$ 21.70); and a Print at Cost coupon to use at DrivethruRPG for the Standard Hardcover version (print cost estimated at US$ 21.70). The Limited Edition Hardcover version has an exclusive cover that will be available only through this IndieGoGo campaign and will not go on sale after it's done.
Additionally, the contributor will receive an original piece of artwork made by the author for one of the full page illustrations created for the book. This will be mailed directly to them through mail. The artwork will be black and white, made with ink on paper, roughly the size of a single sheet of 6x9 inches paper.
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Citizen of the Ghost Sector (Exclusive for people in Brazil) - US$ 45.00
This pledge level is available exclusively for those that live in Brazil (as I do). Contributors will receive the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; and a Softcover copy of the book shipped directly to them with no extra shipping costs.
Lord of the Ghost Sector (Exclusive for people in Brazil) - US$ 55.00
This pledge level is available exclusively for those that live in Brazil (as I do). Contributors will receive the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; and a Standard Hardcover copy of the book shipped directly to them with no extra shipping costs.
Emperor the Ghost Sector (Exclusive for people in Brazil) - US$ 60.00
This pledge level is available exclusively for those that live in Brazil (as I do). Contributors will receive the complete PDF of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, with all the rules and tools to play the game; and a Limited Edition Hardcover copy of the book shipped directly to them with no extra shipping costs.
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Fulfilled by DriveThruRPG
This project will be fulfilled through DriveThruRPG platform. PDFs will be sent as a coupon to add them freely to each contributors account. Contributors who pledge for print copies will receive a coupon to print their books at cost at DriveThruRPG website. The "at cost" estimate prices are indicated in the descriptions of the pledges above. It's important to notice that contributors will also have to pay for shipping.
For those of you that are in Brazil, I decided to make your lives easier. If you pledge at either the Citizen of the Ghost Sector or the Lord of the Ghost Sector pledge levels, I will order the books myself and ship them directly to you once it arrives in Brazil. This way I can order multiple copies at once, saving on international shipping costs.
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Stretch Goals
As previously explained, the initial funding goal will help pay for editing, proofreading and a small quantity of artwork pieces. If we manage to have a bigger support and more people contribute to the campaign, all the funds will go towards paying those working on the book more money, and to purchase more artwork.
US$ 2,000.00 - Initial funding goal. - ACHIEVED
US$ 3,000.00 - Pay our editor and proofreader more and commission more artwork pieces. - ACHIEVED
US$ 4,000.00 - Pay our editor and proofreader more and commission even more artwork pieces. - ACHIEVED
US$ 5,000.00 - Pay our editor and proofreader the amount they deserve, and we will commission 5 pages of comics to use as an introduction for the game. - ACHIEVED
If, somehow, we actually get more pledges accruing more than US$ 5,000.00, we will work something out, commissioning more artwork, making a art free version of the book available for free, designing archetype specific character sheets or something else that won't delay the production of the actual book.
But what will we do after that? How about two new Stretch Goals?
US$ 6,500 - We will get even more illustrations commissioned and will make a Reference Booklet with just the rules of the game. This will make looking up rules and results of tables easier and faster. Every backer will get it in PDF, and every backer of print copies will get a coupon to print it “at cost” too. Backers from Brazil who got any of the pledges from the “Ghost Sector” can add 10 dollars if they want the Reference Booklet printed and sent to them too. The delivery date of the Reference Booklet will be a few months after the core book, so around March 2019. That’s just to be safe. - ACHIEVED
US$ 7,000 - Andre Novoa, author of The Squid, The Cabal, and The Old Man for Lamentations of the Flame Princess, will write an Adventure Module for SB&CS. All backers will receive a PDF of the adventure, and the ones who are getting print coupons will also receive a “print at cost” coupon for the adventure. Brazilian backers will have the option to pay a little more to receive the adventure with the corebook (but that may delay the delivery of it). The module will be published separately from the Core Book not to delay its release. - ACHIEVED
US$ 8,000 - More Illustrations commissioned! Additionally we will make an art free version of the book’s PDF! This way we can make the game more accessible and you can send the art free PDF to players and friends so they can read it and get ready for the game! It will be completely free! - So Close! WTH... ACHIEVED
I have a few more surprises in store for you guys! Let's see if we can make them happen!
Risks and Challenges
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Crowdfunding seems a lot more risky than simply buying a ready made book, right? But this also allows creators to make the final product much better than if they just used the funds they have at hand. My first RPG, Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells (and it's Addendum) were published without a crowdfunding campaign. Booth of them had less than 100 pages and could count on a large amount of royalty free or accessible stock art supply.
Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, however, is a science fantasy RPG with some very specific influences. Finding stock art appropriate to the feeling of the book isn't an easy task. That's why this crowdfunding campaign is important.
All in all, the risk is minimum, since the text is already done and all that we will need to do after the campaign ends is to get the awesome artwork our artists will produce and put it into the book itself, with a clean and easy to read design.
Other Ways You Can Help
In addition to contributing money to the campaign, you can help the project by sharing the campaign's URL on social media, telling your friends about the project and playing the game in your local game stores and conventions. The more people know about the project, the better chances we get at producing an even better product in the end! Everyone wins!
Grab your solar blade, ready your cosmic spells and spread the word!
Artist Credits
In this campaign we used the artwork of the following artists: Bruno Prosaiko, Diogo Nogueira, Dan Ramos, Jeshields, Maciej Zagorski (The Forge Studios), Lucas Bigorenski, Bradley K. McDevitt.
