TTRPG-loving Terry Pratchett fans have waited since 1998 for a new Discworld RPG, and it’s finally time! Modiphius’ Adventures in Ankh-Morpork Kickstarter campaign kicked off on Tuesday, and as soon as I clapped eyes on the backer bonuses and saw “Octarine dice”, I knew my wallet was in for a tough time.
As Pratchett fans will happily tell you (at great length, given half a chance) Octarine is the secret eighth color of the rainbow – the color of magic, visible only to wizards and cats. It’s described as a kind of greenish-purple (a hue not physically possible in our world’s spectrum) and generations of readers have given themselves headaches trying to imagine it.
Well, imagine no more – because the higher tier pledges for Modiphius’ Discworld RPG Kickstarter come with your very own set of Octarine dice, and reader, I’m hopelessly in love with them. I’m partially colorblind, for Offler’s sake, and even I can look into these little polyhedrons and drift into a fantasy world, just a little. Pretty dice alone won’t make this one of the best tabletop RPGs ever, but they’re enchanting nonetheless.
True to form, for a tabletop RPG based on fantasy novels, most of the other fancy pledge bonuses are book-based – including a standalone adventure book titled Tales from the Big Wahoonie, adding a bunch of pre-structured stories to explore in the titular, giant, revolting city of Ankh-Morpork.
Here’s what’s on offer at every pledge level (named after ranks within the Ankh-Morpork city watch):
- Lance-Constable – $52.34 (£40): PDFs of the core rulebook, gamemaster’s toolkit, and adventure book.
- Sergeant-at-Arms – $65.42 (£50): PDF and hardback core rulebooks, and a set of Octarine dice.
- Captain – $104.67 (£80): the Collector’s Edition core rulebook, core rulebook PDF, and Octarine dice.
- Commander – $130.84 (£100): a core rulebook, gamemaster’s toolkit, adventure book, Octarine dice, and PDFs of each.
- Duke of Ankh – $170.10 (£130): a Collector’s Edition core rulebook, gamemaster’s toolkit, adventure book, Octarine dice, and PDFs of each.
- Blackboard Monitor – $392.47 (£300): a Collector’s Edition core rulebook, standard edition core rulebook, gamemaster’s toolkit, adventure book, 4 sets of Octarine dice, and PDF copies of all books, as well as a print of the Paul Kidby cover illustration, and a Norse Foundry dice Tray of Holding™ featuring Death on its lid.
That Collector’s Edition rulebook, Modiphius says, sports “a new, original cover by Paul Kidby, gilded edges, spot UV varnish, and two reading ribbons”. The Librarian would be proud.
Although its almost-$400 price point is truly eye-watering, the tippy-top Blackboard Monitor pledge also has my buy-finger itching, as it comes with a custom dice tray emblazoned with prolific Discworld illustrator Josh Kidby’s iconic artwork of Death Himself, stroking His kitten.
As a rule, I’m leery of paying new-TV money for a few books, some dice, and a dice tray (however much they make my heart sing) – and we certainly can’t recommend it for everyone. But I always remind myself: these high-cost pledges aren’t about ‘value for money’; they’re about celebrating and rewarding small teams for making a product that really speaks to you personally.
And this does. I grew up with the Discworld, have read (nearly) every novel multiple times, and have excitedly covered Modiphius’ reveals about pun-driven gameplay and the ability to play as any Discworld race you can describe here on Wargamer. Since our first look at the Discworld RPG quickstart last month, my hype has hit new highs – so I can’t deny I’m tempted by the Big Silly Lots Of Money Thing.
If I wasn’t saving every red cent right now for my impending wedding, I’d be all over this like C.M.O.T. Dibbler when he’s heard there’s been a catastrophic accident, riot, public execution, or magical explosion just waiting to be monetized.
Still, if you’re not in the market for a new TTRPG right now, there’s always faithful old Dungeons and Dragons, currently releasing its brand new rulebooks. For the latest, read our DnD 2024 player’s handbook review, and catch up with our guides to all the DnD races and DnD classes.
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Source: Wargamer
