I’m backing more Kickstarters, and I started with this one…
When it comes to backing Kickstarters, I’m very finicky. Too finicky. So when I find something that piques my interest, it’s a big deal for me. You can laugh at my laughably low number of backings, but no more! I’m starting a new trend of just going for it with anything and everything–starting today.
MODERN: NECROMANCY – THE BOOK OF THE DEAD caught my attention. It’s written by Ray Machuga and is based out of his Higher Grounds (Pathfinder compatible) Modern Adventures RPG, but I intend to scrape content for my horror and fantasy games I run in the future.
The book offers rules for death and dying, explores the Underworld and dimensions of death (something this blogger is interested in reading), presents new playable character types, options and new antagonists, as well as plot hooks to steal. I get the feeling this could be useful for any Vampire the Masquerade or Buffy game, maybe a Cthulhu game… you get the idea. Like I said, I intend to run some horror and fantasy games in the future, so I think this could help make those games a bit more rich.
The book includes:
- 5 new playable species and All-new classes including: Banshee, Ghosts, Mummies, Necromancers, Necrografts, Vampires & Zombies.
- Detailed setting information for the Underworld and various Lands of the Dead.
- Descriptions and workings of death gods before and after Godfall.
- Terrifying and potent antagonists of the dead including the Valkyrie & Death-Eaters.
- New plot hooks including: Even gods die. The Book of the Dead includes lore and plot hooks regarding the power that was drained from the dying breath of the gods and what their deaths meant for the lands of the living as well as the lands of the dead.
Modern Necromancy – The Book of the Dead is written by Ray Machuga through Never Better Games and Higher Grounds Publishing’s Modern Adventures RPG. I’m not really sure what all that means, but I know this is something I want to read and use for my home games, so I backed it. At a $600 funding goal, it looks like Ray is doing all the work himself, and a release date of December 2021 means he should be able to get it done (I hope, but I honestly don’t mind if it’s a little late).
He has a few other releases already, and [being neutral] I cannot recommend someone that I am not too familiar with–as I understand it, he has under-delivered on at least one other project. However, he is just one dude, and he IS putting out various content–so I’m going for it. The PDF is $13 bucks, and I’d pay that for almost any PDF with this type and amount of content (I actually just backed the PDF and paperback for $30).
If what I’m about to say doesn’t make any sense, I apologize…
I do not know Ray Machuga, I have not backed any of his other projects, nor have I read any, either. So, I cannot recommend that you back this one. I do, however, want to read this material, so please back it…
Like I said earlier, I don’t back many things, but I’m turning over a new leaf and looking forward to this one.
Chris Stevens
In Chris's opinion, the very best vices are dirt bikes, rock music, and gaming, while the very best medicine is fatherhood. If he could just learn to balance them all, he'd live forever. He's much more creative than intelligent, often wakes up belligerent, and ponders many things insignificant. Lastly, in an effort to transform his well-fed body, P90X, Roller Blades, and Food are all laughing at him. And the pain continues.
Hi, Chris!
This is Ray from Higher Grounds/Neverbetter Games and I just wanted to say thank you for deciding to back my project – and write about it on your blog! This means the world to me. As you stated in this post, I am just one guy doing all of this, so seeing someone deciding to “take a chance” is incredibly motivating. Again, thank you!
Modern Necromancy is indeed a part of the Modern RPG Universe. The Modern RPG game line will be expanded to include Lex Draconis (In which you can play tragically broken Dragons), Modern: Shifters (Werewolves and such), The Created (A placeholder name, but basically Frankenstein’s monsters and other golem-like creatures as playable characters) and much more. Modern Necromancy will give light to the world of the dead. I personally love writing horror, so this is a love-affair project of mine. I’m just as excited as you are to get it finished and in player’s hands.
To expand a bit on “what that means”, Higher Grounds Publishing is the publishing company I run and Neverbetter Games is the game design studio in which I make those games, and many others. The companies will be merging fully into Never Better Games very soon and I will be posting information on how that will work as time goes on.
Once again, I just wanted to say that I truly appreciate your pledge and this blog post. If you need anything at all, please feel free to reach out.
Kind Regards,
Ray Machuga
Higher Grounds Publishing & Never Better Games