Reaver and Website Update!

We are pleased to announce that we have a new website and, with it, a new blog. This blog will be retired but will remain up for posterity!

You can find our new site at www.ravengodgames.com !

Our Kickstarter for Reaver Sword & Sorcery Role-Playing Game is rapidly approaching! Please visit our launch page and give it a follow to be among the first to know when the project launches!

Current Progress & Projects

It's been a while since I offered a progress report for Reaver, so here goes.
Since the Quickstart release, I've made a number of changes largely due to playtesting efforts, but also due to my desire to distance the game from OGL-related things. I want to keep the game squarely in the "Bran Mak Morn" style of sword and sorcery, wherein the fantastic elements just overlap with historical adventure, and I've been working to maintain and improve that feel. We've tried some rules that made the PCs even more heroic, which I liked, but the sense of danger slackened so I've relegated them to the sidelines. Some of the rules we've tried may appear as "optional rules" at some point.
Some of the major changes include:

• Fortune/Misfortune were removed in favor of a focus on the die chain mechanic.
• Hit Dice removed; PC hit points are generated differently.
• Resolve has been changed—PCs have a lower base Resolve, but have more opportunities to get Resolve through gameplay.
• More focus on opposed die rolls—attacking and defending are still player-facing; otherwise, if your action is directly opposed an opposed roll is used.
• Related to the above, Adversary Rank, though simple and straightforward, wasn't delivering what I wanted, so it has been removed. PC attacks/defenses are modified by the Adversary's combat statistics. PCs are still very competent, but fighting feels a bit more challenging. Enemies might be good at attacking, but easy to hit due to their size, sluggishness, etc.

I'm currently updating the Quickstart to "version 2" to reflect the changes and have it released as soon as possible. The Kickstarter will follow in spring of 2024, later than desired, but you'll see a better game. I've also secured a cover artist, but have to keep that name under my hat for now---I'll just say that I am very excited!

Demimonde Update

Darkness of the Demimonde has received some minor typo corrections and one rules clarification—Scientist now governs first aid throughout. The PDF has been released and the POD version is also being updated; look for it to drop soon!
 
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Darkness of the Demimonde Released!

Big News!

Our Kickstarter campaign for Darkness of the Demimonde is complete! With the help of our glorious backers, we created a 37-page, rules-light game of Victorian pulp horror and two sets of Victorian-themed VTT character tokens totaling 14 individual characters and 70 tokens! We also created 12 pre-generated characters (that match the tokens!), three scenarios included in the book, and separate, high-detail scenario maps depicting different areas of London---all designed to help you jump right into the game!

These are all now available at DriveThruRPG!

Darkness of the Demimonde RPG

Victorian VTT Tokens Set 1

Victorian VTT Tokens Set 2

Reaver Quickstart Print Available!

What's this!?

The Print-on-Demand version of Reaver: Sword & Sorcery RPG Quickstart is now available from DriveThruRPG! Overall, I am very happy with the print version and everything looks as intended. The only thing to expect is that the colors are a bit muted and dark compared to your digital version. This is normal for the "Standard Print" version from DTRPG, and I wanted to keep costs low.

Also, don't forget to check out our ZineQuest offering, Darkness of the Demimonde on Kickstarter--funded and currently chasing stretch goals!

 

Darkness of the Demimonde Kickstarter Update!

Greetings!

We have reached the end of the first week of this project, and what a week! Quite unexpectedly, we funded on the second day, and over the next few days, backers helped us crush the three stretch goals we had planned! Every version of the book will have an additional scenario included in the book and every backer will receive a separate digital pack of twelve pregenerated characters with matching VTT tokens, each with custom art by me. This should be plenty of material to allow you to jump right in and start playing Darkness of the Demimonde!

I mentioned last week that I would be considering adding a few additional stretch goals to improve the product and I've chosen two that won't delay fulfillment nor hinder shipping of the Deluxe Edition.

First, we've again contacted Scott Malthouse who has agreed to pen another adventure! Upon reaching $2,000, we'll add that scenario directly to all versions of the book! You'll have three scenarios in the book, ready to be played!

Second, at $2,500, we have a special improvement to the limited edition print run! We will increase the weight of the cardstock cover from 110# to 130#. This will only affect Deluxe Limited Edition print version of the book, but will make the book more resilient to table wear and give it a nice tactile feel.

Thanks to all of you who have supported the project! If you haven't yet, please do visit the Kickstarter page and see if its for you!

Cheers!

 

Interview with The GMologist Presents!

This week, I was invited on and honored to be interviewed on The GMologist Presents! The host of the show, Karl Rodriguez, and I talked about a wide variety of topics, from our gaming history to current projects, the newly released Reaver RPG Quickstart and the upcoming Darkness of the Demimonde Kickstarter, and more. Direct link to the interview.

Karl is a regular in my Reaver playtest group and an all around great guy; if you haven't been following his show, you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and Spotify!

And a quick reminder that you can sign up to be notified when the Demimonde Kickstarter goes live at the above link! The KS runs from Feb. 1--Feb. 28 2023, can we hit 100 followers before it starts!?

Darkness of the Demimonde Kickstarter Page!

Lots of things happening at Raven God Games this year! 

Not only is the Reaver Quickstart now available, we've just completed set-up of our first Kickstarter project, Darkness of the Demimonde, a rules-light, RPG of Victorian Pulp Horror. 

You can sign up on the Kickstarter page to be notified when the project launches on February 1st!