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Legendary Planet is a kickstarter adventure path from Legendary Games. A 5E version is being created.
Although PF seems to get most of the attention, I am most excited about the 5E version. We have very little new options for 5E and this adventure path will open up the game quite a bit.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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Legendary Planet is a kickstarter adventure path from Legendary Games. A 5E version is being created.
Although PF seems to get most of the attention, I am most excited about the 5E version. We have very little new options for 5E and this adventure path will open up the game quite a bit.
Thanks for the shout-out, Charlie! The Legendary Planet AP just crossed the 600% funding mark and unlocked the fifth full adventure in the saga, in addition to a 42-page prelude adventure!
The core concept of Legendary Planet is that it is a "sword and planet" adventure path, the kind of interplanetary fiction best exemplified by Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels featuring John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, etc., though pulling in elements of other visionary authors from pulp fantasy and sci-fi from Jack Vance to Flash Gordon to Heavy Metal magazine. At its heart, this is still a fantasy story, through playing with many of the tropes of sci-fi. Technology exists alongside magic, and high-tech is similar in rarity to permanent magic items, but the focus is on the exotic planets themselves. There are no starships or hyperdrive, and you'll be packing your sword alongside your needler pistol or blaster as you ride your alien steed in search of a stargate that might take you to a distant system.
We have an impressive lineup of contributors on this project, all of them veteran adventure-writers as well as a team of experts in both 5th Edition and Pathfinder who are working to make sure that the play experience is equally dynamic in either system.
We think this AP offers a great opportunity to open up the possibilities of 5th Edition to new styles of adventure beyond traditional fantasy, while still embracing the roots of the game. D&D has a long history of crossover with sci-fi and technology, all the way back to 1st Edition and even before it with Dave Arneson's Blackmoor setting, and we think this is going to be a fantastic addition to the newest edition of the game. We have an experienced team that has a history of delivering Kickstarters on time (or early) with awesome content, so you can be confident that we will do the same here!
One more thing: This isn't a Kickstarter where you'll be waiting a year to get your rewards. We will have the prelude adventure ready to download IMMEDIATELY when the Kickstarter ends, and the softcover print version as well. In fact, if you are coming to GenCon you can also come to Booth 2639 to pick up the prelude adventure in person!
We are hard at work hammering out the first full adventure as well, and if everything breaks right we may have it ready in time for the end of the Kickstarter on July 27th, but more likely it will be available in August after GenCon.
We hope you take a good look at Legendary Planet and climb aboard for a ride that we guarantee will be out of this world.
The adventures of the Legendary Planet Adventure Path are described below:
Already funded:
The Assimilation Strain by Tom Phillips and Neil Spicer - a prelude adventure to introduce 1st-level characters on any fantasy world to a broader universe of insidious alien invaders.
To Worlds Unknown by Jim Groves - An adventure for 2nd to 5th level characters, featuring a breakout from an interplanetary prison and the exploration of a crime-infested hub world that could provide a gateway home, or draw the heroes deeper into a web of alien conspiracies and cryptic alliances.
The Scavenged Codex by Mike Shel - An adventure for 5th to 8th level characters across a post-apocalyptic desert planet in search of the forgotten lore of near-mythical creator races, now jealously guarded by corrupt cultists of the wastes.
Dead Vault Descent by Matt Goodall - An adventure for 8th to 11th level characters venturing forth to the blasted surface of a tidally locked world, half scorched by eternal sunshine and half frozen by endless darkness. The heroes must brave the primitive swamps of the habitable zone and penetrate the vast catacombs beneath in search of the keepers of hope to unlocking the mysteries of the ancients.
Confederates of the Shattered Zone by Richard Pett - An adventure for 11th to 14th level characters exploring the post-industrial ruins of an asteroid field, all that remains of a devastated world once held by the descendants of the creator races but bombarded into destruction. Can they recover the tools they need to form a resistance against a rising tide of evil?
Each of the above adventures (other than the prequel) contains not only a full-scale adventure of approximately 64 pages, but also an additional 32 pages of bonus material, including bestiaries of brand-new monsters, planetary gazetteers, and bonus articles detailing races, religion, equipment, character options, and more by guest authors like Sean K Reynolds and the Sasquatch Game Studio of Rich Baker, David Noonan, and Stephen Schubert, as well as an ongoing fiction series by award-winning author Chris A. Jackson.
Just unlocked today, we have now added...
The Depths of Desperation by Steven T. Helt - An adventure for 14th to 17th level characters who must confront an invasion that has already begun as the heroes venture into a watery world inundated by a sinister race of aquatic conquerors. What will they find left behind, and can they halt the aliens' unstoppable advance?
The full adventure has been unlocked, and every $2000 we'll be adding an additional bonus article.
Only two adventures remain to be unlocked over the course of the final two weeks of our Kickstarter campaign:
Mind Tyrants of the Merciless Moons by Tim Hitchcock - An adventure for 17th to 19th level characters set among the wandering moons of a gas giant seeded with psionic lifeforms, as the heroes plumb the depths of the mind in search of weapons to turn back the forces of evil.
To Kill a Star by Jason Nelson - An adventure for 19th to 20th level characters that takes characters to a massive Dyson sphere constructed around a waning star to confront the cabal of alien zealots trying to bring the universe to utter submission... or total annihilation.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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It seems unlikely, given the progress of the funding, but what are the plans if the final adventure was not unlocked? Would it be made available separately, or would the AP simply have an ending that would be somewhat unsatisfying? If available separately, what of the compilation?
We address this down in the Kickstarter FAQ. To sum up:
1. We will still complete all of the adventures (though not other bonus material/articles) regardless of whether they fund through the KS. It will probably take a bit more time to pay as we go, but the adventures will all be written. The compilation will be created when the adventures are complete. We will not be doing a "partial" compilation (though if for some reason an individual backer wanted that, we have a way we could accommodate them).
2. If you are backing the complete AP (Legendary Planeteer level and above), then you'll get the complete compilation of all of the adventures, including those that did not fund through the KS.
3. If you are backing it one adventure at a time rather than for the full AP, you get the adventures you back that get funded, and any adventures we finish later you can buy separately.
That said, we remain pretty confident that we will fund all of the adventures and beyond.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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OK, thanks.
I may purchase this down the road, but I don't think I'll be purchasing any APs via Kickstarter anymore. No offense to Legendary Games, who I believe has a very good track record, but Throne of Night has soured me towards any long-term Kickstarter projects.
I never begrudge anyone their purchasing habits. We all have the experiences that we have, positive or negative, with gaming projects and products. I do think our history shows us to be very reliable, and add to that the fact that you will start getting products from this Kickstarter IMMEDIATELY when the Kickstarter ends, and I think you can definitely count on us to deliver. A status update for you:
The Assimilation Strain - Pathfinder version at the printers, 5E version going to the printer this weekend.
To Worlds Unknown
Pathfinder manuscript is just about complete.
Development on completed adventure sections and backmatter articles in progress.
5E conversion begun.
Final maps nearly complete.
All artwork complete except for one action scene and the holy symbols for Sean K Reynolds' gods article.
The Scavenged Codex - Pathfinder manuscript due to be finished by GenCon (Neil and I will be meeting with Mike to go over any last changes). About half of artwork done.
Dead Vault Descent - Pathfinder manuscript about half complete. About half of artwork done.
That's half the AP right there and we still have 2 weeks left in the Kickstarter. I can't speak for the FMG people or their challenges, but I can tell you that Legendary Games has delivered EARLY on two Kickstarters already. That's just the way we do business.
IF this sounds like a hard sell, it is, because I think this project is not just GOING TO BE amazing, I think it already is. Even if you have sworn off long-term projects for life, I'd encourage you to back at the basic Planetary Explorer level ($20 for PDFs of The Assimilation Strain and To Worlds Unknown, plus free Player's Guide once we hit 300 backers) or Planetary Colonizer ($40 for the same plus softcover print versions of both adventures). It's a substantial discount vs. buying them off the rack, and you'll get the prelude adventure immediately upon the Kickstarter completion and the next adventure maybe at the same time, but more likely a week or two after GenCon (mid-August). We'd love to have you on board, but if you choose to wait, then we'd love you as a customer down the road.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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Posted up on the 3rd party forum at Wizards.com about the kickstarter, and one of our fans also posted over on the Giant in the Playground 5E forums as well. If you have a chance to hop over there or the Wizards forums and post a thumbs up about the project and help spread the word, please do!
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Kickstarter is always a risk. But it is designed to spur on creativity. We already know that we are getting the first two adventures very quickly. Also, I really want more 3rd part 5E products. So the risk is worth it in this case, especially with the track record that Legendary Games has with its other two kickstarters and with other Pathfinder products.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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Check out the latest update, not just to announce that the 5th Edition version is in layout and should be finished today, but also to get a preview of most of the holy symbols that will be accompanying Sean K Reynolds' article on the gods and goddesses of the Legendary Worlds cosmos!
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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The updates are starting to fly fast and thick, but if you keep supporting us we'll keep updating you to tell you how awesome you are and to announce the awesome stuff coming up next!
Check out the latest update here, celebrating unlocking ANOTHER bonus goal of a 10-page bonus bestiary by Steven T. Helt and the Legendary team, as well as teasing our special guest lying in wait at $50,000!
I must say I'm not a fan of James Jacobs. I never have been, really: I'm not wild about the contents of the 3e-era Dungeon and Dragon magazines, barring a few exceptions. I dislike what I have seen of Golarion, and I don't buy Paizo adventure paths.
But I'm still glad to see him joining the Legendary team. At the very least, I hope his name-recognition will get more people to back.
Plus, next time someone tries to convince me that Paizo doesn't pay attention to (or even acknowledge) non-Paizo game companies, I can just laugh manically and point at the credits page of this AP.
Anyhow, we are nearly at the 40,000 mark, almost two-thirds of the way to the completed series!
I must say I'm not a fan of James Jacobs. I never have been, really: I'm not wild about the contents of the 3e-era Dungeon and Dragon magazines, barring a few exceptions. I dislike what I have seen of Golarion, and I don't buy Paizo adventure paths.
I think you've missed out on some great introductory adventures. James is my favourite "set the scene" designer for any system - the first instalment of Serpent's Skull, in particular was a fantastic change of pace. Burnt Offerings was pretty good too, but Red Hand of Doom was another standout of his.
Even if you don't like his world building, I'd strongly encourage you to look at some of his adventures. I find them both entertaining and thoughtfully put together. (He puts a lot of effort into the flavor side of things, which is the key to a good adventure, in my mind - the mood and tone matter far more to me than the mechanical challenges).
That said, his name recognition will hopefully prove a plus for this project, as you say - no matter what his involvement is.
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I am a fan of James Jacobs. As Steve said, Burnt Offerings and Red Hand of Doom (with Richard Baker) were great. And James has already worked on combining sci-fi and fantasy in his homebrew world, so his inclusion in this kickstarter if we hit 50,000 makes sense beyond just his name. Not that name recognition isn't good too.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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I think James has an excellent handle on that delicate communion of fantasy and sci-fi with a dash of horror thrown in, and I think he'll bring some very fun ideas to the table. And a little name recognition doesn't hurt either.
I've gamed with James off and on for years, as player and GM, and he has a great grasp of *fun* in adventures, which not everyone does. That's something I think he'll definitely bring to the project and a big reason I'm happy to have him on board.
Down to $1000 away & $3000 away from unlocking the final part. :D
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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Check out the latest update for Legendary Planet right here!
New art, a preview page of the magic items bonus article, and a little something extra for our 5th Edition backers too!
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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LEGENDARY PLANET is rising!
The prequel adventure "The Assimilation Strain" (1st-2nd level) and the Legendary Planet Player's Guide are now available in wide release for 5th Edition as well as for the Pathfinder RPG! Check out the details here and pick up a copy wherever great gaming products are sold, available in PDF, print, and even for virtual tabletop play!
The next adventure, "To Worlds Unknown," has gone out to our Kickstarter backers and will be available for general sale once the following adventure "The Scavenged Codex" is goes out to backers, probably late January/early February.
Check out the latest on the Legendary Games website, including links to purchase!
Jason, when are we supposed to receive hardcopy stuff?
Are the individual copies being sent out or is it all going to be shipped once they are all available?
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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Jason, when are we supposed to receive hardcopy stuff?
Are the individual copies being sent out or is it all going to be shipped once they are all available?
I meant to send them out right after Christmas but ended up being swamped with family and out of town guests. I have one more family event today but should be able to get the orders submitted this afternoon/evening.
No worries. Just wanted to be sure I hadn't slipped off a list or something. :)
Looks like 5e print versions of The Assimilation Strain and To Worlds Unknown are off to backers!
Excited to get my mitts on those.
I meant to send them out right after Christmas but ended up being swamped with family and out of town guests. I have one more family event today but should be able to get the orders submitted this afternoon/evening.Jason, when are we supposed to receive hardcopy stuff?
Are the individual copies being sent out or is it all going to be shipped once they are all available?
Hi jason. My books arrived today and they look terrific. Thanks very much.
One query: in To Worlds Unknown (the gazetteer) I have two large, blank spaces on the top half of pages 68 and 70. Is that some error? It looks to me that at least one of them should be a map or something (?)
Page 76 also has a blank strip across the top but presumably that's just the section title.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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I meant to send them out right after Christmas but ended up being swamped with family and out of town guests. I have one more family event today but should be able to get the orders submitted this afternoon/evening.Jason, when are we supposed to receive hardcopy stuff?
Are the individual copies being sent out or is it all going to be shipped once they are all available?
Hi jason. My books arrived today and they look terrific. Thanks very much.
One query: in To Worlds Unknown (the gazetteer) I have two large, blank spaces on the top half of pages 68 and 70. Is that some error? It looks to me that at least one of them should be a map or something (?)
Page 76 also has a blank strip across the top but presumably that's just the section title.
I have had one other person get a copy with missing illustrations, so while it's thankfully not a common issue it has happened at least once before. If you could email pictures of the missing art to me I can take it up with CreateSpace for a refund on my end for the misprint. Meanwhile, I can send you a new copy.
Thanks for letting me know, Steve and sorry you got a glitched copy!
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With the first add-on content coming in the form of Planetary Heroes, I find myself wondering how much of the additional releases will be coming out in 5E versions. Bloodragers, gunslingers, psychics - I'm not sure how you could convert them in the context of the 5E SRD. Do you have any more detailed plans for 5E conversions of stuff like PH?
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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The spectacular saga of Legendary Planet begins in earnest with "To Worlds Unknown," a hundred-page behemoth featuring not only a massive adventure but also new magical and mundane items, a bestiary, an entire planetary pantheon, a gazetteer of the crossroads world of Argosa, and the first in a 7-part short story series by award-winning author Chris A. Jackson. Salutes go out to author Jim Groves, and contributing authors Thurston Hillman, Jeff Lee, Jonathan H. Keith, Sean K Reynolds, and Dan Dillon for their fantastic work making this adventure a reality.
This amazing adventure for 2nd to 5th-level characters is available for both Pathfinder and 5th Edition, and you can pick it up in PDF and print wherever fine gaming products are sold.
If you don't already have them, you also can pick up the 1st-level prequel adventure, "The Assimilation Strain," as well as the Legendary Planet Player's Guide featuring four new playable races, special campaign background traits, and more!
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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With the first add-on content coming in the form of Planetary Heroes, I find myself wondering how much of the additional releases will be coming out in 5E versions. Bloodragers, gunslingers, psychics - I'm not sure how you could convert them in the context of the 5E SRD. Do you have any more detailed plans for 5E conversions of stuff like PH?
That product is likely to be Pathfinder-only, for the reasons you just stated. We do have additional campaign setting material planned for later this year that will be system-neutral, and there are some products with additional monsters, magic items, and the like that will be produced for both systems.
We will be exploring the interest level of 5E customers in a "Heroes"-type product, as one of our guys is preparing a 5E version of our Conquering Heroes product, and we'll see what the response is like. If it's positive, we may revisit the idea of working on a 5E version of other Heroes products, including Planetary Heroes, and what that would entail as far as also creating class conversions, either as backgrounds or alternate features for existing classes or as potential new classes.
Are there particular rules elements that you think would be a great addition to 5E in a sword and planet context?