SASQUATCH OFFERS PRIMEVAL THULE VIA KICKSTARTER
BACKERS RECEIVE CAMPAIGN SETTING FOR PATHFINDER, 13TH AGE, OR 4TH EDITION D&D
Auburn, Wash.—July 2—Sasquatch Game Studio announced today that their debut product, the Primeval Thule Campaign Setting, has launched on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter campaign offers backers the chance to explore the dangers and riches of the savage continent of Thule, a lost world of deadly wilderness and decadent city-states.
Primeval Thule will be available in versions compatible with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, 13th Age or 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons—a first for any roleplaying game setting.
"We’re extremely proud to offer gamers a powerful and compelling new world to explore in the most popular versions of the game," said Sasquatch CEO Richard Baker. "We’re highly experienced game designers, but we’re lifelong D&D fans, too. This is the game we’ve wanted to make for years—D&D was built on strong-armed heroes, savage beasts and vile villains, and Primeval Thule delivers on all counts."
Primeval Thule, inspired by the works of Robert E. Howard (Conan), Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan) and H.P. Lovecraft (Cthulhu), will be available to backers in both PDF and traditional book formats. The full Thule experience is a hardcover book that includes poster maps, a GM screen and player reference cards—everything needed to bring the savage, intense world to life at the game table.
"We wanted to replicate the old TSR box set experience as much as we could, so this is basically everything but the box itself," said David Noonan, Sasquatch co-founder and creative director. "Whether you're starting a new campaign or taking your existing storylines to dangerous Thule, we want to make sure you hit the ground running with everything you need."
Sasquatch Game Studio is making three different versions of the campaign setting to make sure players get the monsters, magic items and character options that match their game system of choice.
"The stories we can tell with Primeval Thule are independent of any game system, and we’d like every gaming group to have the opportunity to play in this sandbox.," said Sasquatch co-founder and design director Stephen Schubert. "We’ve got the experience and knowledge to make Thule work for any system, which is why we’re initially offering it for Pathfinder, 13th Age and 4th edition D&D."
Schubert, Noonan and Baker are the primary authors of Primeval Thule, but they've assembled a team of high-level talent to bring Thule to life. Fantasy artist Todd Lockwood will create Primeval Thule's cover art, and RPG luminaries Ed Greenwood, Jason Bulmahn and Owen Stephens are on tap to contribute to Thule if the campaign's stretch goals are met.
Backers can experience the savagery of Thule themselves with a PDF "Traveler's Guide to Thule" or the Primeval Thule hardcover or even a deluxe Thule experience. High-level backers are eligible for truly epic rewards, including premium leatherbound books, the chance to name dungeons or adventure sites, and the opportunity to play Thule with its creators.
The Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/11dxIWq) will have live updates at sasquatchgamestudio.com, on Twitter (@Sasquatch_Games) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SasquatchGameStudio). Throughout the Kickstarter campaign, Sasquatch will provide frequent previews of Primeval Thule content, including designer blogs, sneak peeks of art and other details of what it's like to adventure in such a savage land.
Baker is a New York Times best-selling fantasy novelist and award-winning game designer with more than 100 game sourcebooks, products and novels to his credit. He was one of the core designers of the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition game and currently works as a writer/developer on the Pathfinder Online game.
Schubert worked on more than 50 3rd edition and 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons products as a designer/developer and was a core developer on the D&D Miniatures Game team. He has since branched out into digital games.
Noonan counts more than 50 3rd edition, 4th edition and Pathfinder products among his credits. He was also the lead writer for the TERA MMORPG and consults with video game companies on script and narrative design issues.
Sasquatch Game Studio LLC is devoted to delivering top-quality hobby game experiences. For more information or to schedule press availability, contact press@sasquatchgamestudio.com or visit sasquatchgamestudio.com.
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Linkified that for you.
Thanks--that's what I get for flubbing up the hand-coding.
--Dave.
Twitter: @davidnoonan
Hmmm...this looks great! Got to read up on it a little more, but it sounds very promising.
Best of luck on the Kickstarter!!
Hmmm...this looks great! Got to read up on it a little more, but it sounds very promising.
Best of luck on the Kickstarter!!
Thanks, Doug. You can ask questions here, too. Unlike _actual_ sasquatches, we aren't hard to find.
--Dave.
Twitter: @davidnoonan
This looks so good. I have to see where my funds are when I get paid next week to see if I can pledge this - I want to.
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If you're curious about Primeval Thule, we're sharing PaizoCon seminar space with the good folks at Legendary Games on Sunday at 9 a.m. in Evergreen Salon F and we'll have lots of sneak-peek stuff to show you.
And we know 9 a.m. is early, so we're bringing donuts. Have a donut, see what Legendary Games has up their sleeves, and get a sneak peek of Primeval Thule. Not a bad way to start a day of gaming at PaizoCon!
Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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So first, I'm a stretch goal and thus a "person involved in this project" and I think my Pathfinder bona fides are well established.
Also, this project is designed for three game systems, Pf, 13 Age, and 4e D&D. The core of the project isn't going to be the rules (although I have ever confidence those will be done right), but the setting itself. And Rich, David, and Stephen know worldbuilding. I'd be excited about this even if there wasn't any chance I'd be involved.
These guys are professional game designers with histories that cover much, much more than one game system. They have the skills to take a game they have never designed before, take it apart, examine its pieces, understand how the engine runs, and put it back together with new bells and whistles.
For that matter, Goblinworks/Paizo has tapped Rich to write the Thornkeep sourcebook. Not only does that mean he's deep in the Pathfinder engine (and can ask the creators of the game if he has any questions about minor details), but this is his second Pf project, even though his first isn't in print yet.
And if Paizo trust him to get Pf right, I certainly do.
But I am also ready to vouch for all three of these designers as folks who can get it right the very first time, because they've all been doing complex, high-quality, multi-system RPG design longer than I have. Not that I expect anyone to just take my word for it, but in case anyone was interested in my opinion. :)
Consider me intrigued. I'm getting a new job soon, so I may have the money to do a new Kickstarter.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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It looks to me like there's multiple products, only the $10 version is without rules. The others contain crunch. Is that not correct?
Sorry if I was unclear. I wasn't saying the books would not contain rules content. I am saying that the most important part of the design work for this project is not clever new rules, it's a cool and interesting setting. Much as Forgotten Realms has been a big hit in different rules systems, because the setting itself has elements many players find interesting and adventure-provoking.
Which is not to say the rules are unimportant (of course they are important, which is why I mention Rich being tapped by Paizo already), or that you will automatically love their writing style. Just that setting design is a different kind of skill and (imho) more crucial for a new campaign setting.
As to their credits, the partial list offered above does a better job talking about their experience and history with rpg settings than I could. :)
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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Also, this project is designed for three game systems, Pf, 13 Age, and 4e D&D. The core of the project isn't going to be the rules (although I have ever confidence those will be done right), but the setting itself. And Rich, David, and Stephen know worldbuilding. I'd be excited about this even if there wasn't any chance I'd be involved.It looks to me like there's multiple products, only the $10 version is without rules. The others contain crunch. Is that not correct?
These guys are professional game designers with histories that cover much, much more than one game system. They have the skills to take a game they have never designed before, take it apart, examine its pieces, understand how the engine runs, and put it back together with new bells and whistles.Then it shouldn't be too much to ask that they put forward examples of their work. Maybe these guys are masters of the craft and can take systems apart and put them back together, if I don't like their writing style, I'm not buying their product. Especially since you said this is a crunchless book and so their system mastery won't matter.
If you're not familiar with the bibliographies of the guys involved with Sasquatch Game Studio and whether they've produced quality work, check the history. Terrific products reaching back to 1990, like some of my personal favorites in Unapproachable East and the Player's Guide to Faerun for Forgotten Realms, The Will and the Way for Dark Sun, the Birthright campaign setting, the 3.0 and 3.5 core rulebooks, and more.
The product line for Primeval Thule is not crunchless so much as it is modular in its crunchiness. The setting text from geography to politics, history and culture and religion and flavor; that is all system-agnostic. The crunch is being offered in three separate versions, so if you want the delicious fluff with Pathfinder crunch, you get that book; if you prefer 4th Ed or 13th Age, you get that book instead. The crunch changes, the fluff stays the same.
As for Pathfinder-specific bona fides of Rich, David, and Steven, we at Legendary Games have complete confidence in their talents and the incredible creativity they bring. So confident that after talking with the guys at Sasquatch we created a new strategic partnership between our two companies to combine their cross-system world-building savvy with our Pathfinder experience and mojo.
You say you are unsure about the Pathfinder credibility of Messrs. Baker, Noonan, and Schubert? Then place your trust in Jason Nelson, Neil Spicer, Greg Vaughan, Tim Hitchcock, Matt Goodall, Jim Groves, Russ Taylor, Clinton J. Boomer, and the rest of the Legendary Games team. Besides our own stellar line of products supporting Paizo's Adventure Paths and hardbacks, our authors have written almost 40% of the Adventure Path modules that Paizo has published (including 4 of the top 5 most prolific AP authors), on top of many hundreds of thousands of words for the Pathfinder hardback rulebook line, Companions and Campaign Setting lines, standalone modules, Pathfinder Society scenarios, and support articles of every kind. You're not going to find a group of authors anywhere with more Pathfinder expertise than that, period.
Our partnership with them means not only will we be producing an additional Kickstarter stretch goal, but we will also be creating additional Pathfinder-specific material for the Primeval Thule setting, and the guys at Sasquatch will be lending their expertise to content for Legendary Games. A shared commitment to excellence and vision for what makes an awesome gaming product are the things that brought our companies together, and we can guarantee that the final product is going to be Pathfinderrific.
Besides, stretch goals from Ed Greenwood, Owen Stephens, and Jason Bulmahn on top of what Legendary Games is doing? And you're worried about whether it'll be Pathfinder enough? Seriously, it's gonna be awesome.
Then it shouldn't be too much to ask that they put forward examples of their work. Maybe these guys are masters of the craft and can take systems apart and put them back together, if I don't like their writing style, I'm not buying their product. Especially since you said this is a crunchless book and so their system mastery won't matter.
ShadowcatX raises an excellent point: examples are key. Over the course of the next few weeks, we'll show off various parts of Primeval Thule: worldbuilding, rules, art, etc. Check those out and let us know what you think. We'll be posting most of that over at Sasquatch Game Studio, but I'll make sure it gets crossposted or linked here.
--Dave.
Twitter: @davidnoonan
I'm not at all concerned about the quality of the final product with the talent involved.
I see there has been some pushback on the PDF pricing, however, and I definitely agree it's a bit high. I assume you guys are looking to preserve value on what you consider inevitable, or at least likey, stretch goals.
I'll keep an eye on things and try and decide whether I need/want a hard copy version, or not.
Oh, screw it! The deluxe hardcover early bird special actually looks like a fair deal.
Roll on to those stretch goals!
What's the difference between the "normal" and "deluxe" hardcovers? The extra stuff (GM Screen, poster map and cards)?
Are the covers themselves "the same" at that point?
What's the difference between the "normal" and "deluxe" hardcovers? The extra stuff (GM Screen, poster map and cards)?
Are the covers themselves "the same" at that point?
The books themselves are the same. The Deluxe version has the extra stuff you mention, plus a PDF version so you can start playing Thule while the physical book is still at the printing press.
P.S. If you're interested in the Deluxe version, there are seven spots left at the early-bird level as I type this.
--Dave.
@davidnoonan on Twitter
One quick note for anyone with questions about Primeval Thule or our KS campaign:
If you're going at PaizoCon, come ask us questions face-to-face at 9 a.m. Sunday in Evergreen F. We'll have new concept art to show off and we'll talk through Thule's inspirations and what you can expect to find in the book.
We're also going to announce some additions to the Primeval Thule offerings that should sweeten the deal—whether you've backed us already or not.
You'll also hear about Legendary Games' plans for next few months, including some plans that include the world of Primeval Thule.
Plus, we're bringing FREE DONUTS. Least we can do for those willing to wake up for a 9 a.m. seminar, right?
--Dave.
@davidnoonan on Twitter
Backed it 85 dollars hope it gets me everything
Update for those keeping an eye on Primeval Thule--and for those who've already backed us!
• We're showing more concept art for the setting in our art gallery, and we have a playtest report from a group of Pathfinder playtesters (including me--I'm the GM).
• If you've pledged at a level that includes PDFs of the rules (including the $25 Player's Guide, the $40 Digital Thule, the $80/$85 Deluxe Thule, and the $125+ Premium Thule, you'll get PDFs for all three rules sets. That means a PDF compatible with Pathfinder, plus one compatible with 13th Age and one compatible with 4th edition D&D.
• We've adjusted our stretch goals--which include contributions from Jason Bulmahn, Owen Stephens, and Ed Greenwood--so give them a second look!
• Everyone who's getting a PDF reward will also get a PDF conversion document that'll let you play 7th edition Call of Cthulhu in the swords-and-sorcery world of Primeval Thule. Lovecraftian horror is a big inspiration for Thule, so we're excited to have Sixtystone Press deliver a conversion guide for Call of Cthulhu.
• More announcements Monday--including something that will make backers of the print product extra happy.
--Dave.
@davidnoonan on Twitter
Looks really kewl guys - just discovered this kickstarter. Love HP Lovecraft and RE Howard and classic S&S feel gaming. Looking forward to 7th ed CoC as well...
PF really needs a non-generic setting. Golarion is too much like other settings, whilst your vision looks fresh and exciting.
Interested in how you will keep the magic in the setting LOW - like in Iron Heroes..... and thus the fear factor and mystery high. In PF vanilla, it is simply at higher level: scry and fry....
Have backed it - hope others can spread the word!
How can others get to know this is happening in time? 9 days left to get funding.....!!
I'm a huge fan of Sword & Sorcery, so I'll address the elephant in the room:
Will this be PG-13? To me, the genre is about drugs, sex and some racist and controversial themes: Slavery, conduct with tentacled things, vile rites, drugs etc.
I like your approach to demi-humans. (Are they degenerate offshoots or not? Neat!)
How will you address magic/madness etc.? What about deities? As used in mainstream PFRPG, they'd represent a serious break of the mood with so much healing available.
I don't require things to be explicit, but I'd really be interested in how you'll address these concerns since I'm rather tempted and want this to succeed.
@dnoonan - the link you provided for the Kickstarter in your most recent post is broken?!?
I used one of the links in your earlier posts to get to the KS. Just thought I'd let you know. ;)
Im starting to worry if this Kickstarter will make it I really want this to work but im not sure
I put my money in
Hej Rich!
Thanks for the quick reply! I have to think a bit about the ramifications of what you posted. I understand that the racist attitudes of days gone by are not suitable for most of nowadays audience.
What about deities/divine healing? Madness?
And what about alignment? Xoth Publishing, for example, eliminated all alignments essentially in favor of being "normal" and tainted by cosmic evil.
Backed on ... day two I think? I loved the concept, the artwork and the designers has worked on some of all-time favorite game books. I hope this gets funded.
Backed!!
I'm eagerly awaiting said bog post since it, for now, remains one of the central topics to address. All the best and here's to the post to come - this may very well turn out to be what I've been looking for for many years!
I hope it funds as well, but to be honest with you with an initial goal of 60K that's pretty high. Even Numeria was only at 20K originally. I'd rather see a lower funding threshold, then have options at higher dollar levels.
I hope it funds as well, but to be honest with you with an initial goal of 60K that's pretty high. Even Numeria was only at 20K originally. I'd rather see a lower funding threshold, then have options at higher dollar levels.Agreed. And with lower buyins. $40 for a pdf when I can get a (probably) equal sized pdf from Paizo for $10 is a bit dangerous. Especially with a company that hasn't produced anything for the game yet. I've still got my fingers crossed for this to go though.
That was my sticking point. I've never seen a PDF I would pay $40 for yet. That was the reason I didn't pledge, even though I was interested.
I'm very interested in this setting as I prefer S&S over High Sorcery in general & miss the active support for the Conan RPG. I also like the inclusion of PF races & the PG-13 approach so I wouldn't have to hide the book from my kids.
However, I haven't pledged yet due to the seemingly high funding target & prices vs. funding goals. While I understand the desire to cover PF, 13th Age, & 4e, it seems counter-productive. You have to develop for three systems simultaneously & that has to impact development in other areas. Honestly, getting a PDF copy of something in multiple rpg systems holds no appeal to me as I will never use the other systems.
If this setting makes it, I'll pick up a PF version but right now, the kickstarter isn't grabbing me.
Hell, why not, I am a sucker for all things sword and loin-cloth and I probably have just about every similarly themed RPG published. That some of my favorite writers and artists will be involved makes it an easy decision.
I supported this one early on as I felt it looked pretty intriguing. Sadly, over time my interest in it has waned, and I haven't been particularly grabbed by any of the information that's been released so far. I also have to agree with BPorter and ShadowcatX. Telling me I'm going to get PDFs for three rule systems does absolutely nothing for my excitement levels. I don't play 4th Edition, and I've not even seen 13th Age yet. I currently only play Pathfinder and World of Darkness, with a Fate Core game starting soon... but even if I did play those other systems, the odds of me using the same setting in multiple systems is precisely nil.
Additionally, the latest add-on that was announced (the print) seems hideously expensive. Given that I've already pledged $80 plus shipping for international delivery, I don't think I'd really be keen to shell out another $50 just for a print plus another $15 shipping for it.
Sorry to say that I'm probably going to be withdrawing my pledge from this one, though I'll hold off until I have a bit more information closer to the end of the campaign. It's going to take some pretty impressive stuff to keep me on board though.
A quick note: you can see Rich talk about Primeval Thule to the good folks at io9 here.
Momentum is building, and we're in the last week. If you've backed us already, thanks so much. Spread the word everywhere you can--these campaigns level-up on word of mouth and the network effect.
To see our backer rewards (including all the adventures and everything in that PDF bundle), visit our Kickstarter page.
--Dave.
(@davidnoonan on Twitter)
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I wish Paizo would put this on the front page for a day
Sounds intriguing! I saw the io9 article. I wish Savage Worlds was one of the supported systems.... only skimmed, but the base hardcover does *not* include the PDF? Just wanted to check.
Been seeing some movement on this today, especially this afternoon. I hope for good things over the next 66 hours!