Backwater is a post-apocalyptic survival horror set in the remains of southern America. The game deals with social issues, poverty, religion and other dangerous monsters.
Humanity is rebuilding, characters are Wardens, people tasked with keeping order at civilization’s southern reach. Staying alive requires careful thought. The project requires $2,500 to fund, and it is nearly there with 26 days still on the clock. You can join in or find out more on the pledge page.
The core rules are expected to come in around 215 pages and include;
- Character Creation Rules;
- Game System Ruleset;
- Setting Information for Players;
- Setting Information for GMs; and
- Threats and NPC Stats.
Add-ons and pledges for the campaign include a hardcover version, ebook subscriptions and Backwater Adventures.
A pledge of $5 will get you the SRD (Systems Reference Document) for Backwater which comes with basic rules.
$10 is enough for one year access to the core rules as an eBook. Not a download, a hosted and searchable document, accessible via a mobile device and valid while your subscription lasts.
At $22, you get the 2 years of subscription and a PDF download to keep.
There are pledges in between, but it’s not until you get to $80 when the hardback appears in the rewards, and that includes the early access SRD, 4 years subscription, a PDF copy and the same treatment for the Backwater Adventures module.
You will be able to get the hardback as an add-on.
Hosted eBook preview for Backwater
Racism
The Kickstarter includes a statement on race and racism. In short, the book will be checked for racist and ableist content (paid for by the Kickstarter), and racism is not a theme in the game.
The American Lands emerged from the apocalypse just as racially and ethnically diverse, by modern day’s standards, especially in New Orleans where many residents descend from African American and/or Haitian, German, French, or Spanish, Vietnamese, and Native American ancestry. Many stereotypes and inequities built around skin color and regional ancestry faded after The Old World ended in Backwater—they are not built into the game. Of course, figurative ghosts of slavery and racial oppression haunt the American south as a setting, including its structures, monuments, and cemeteries. We cannot forget this history or pretend that it did not happen, and we strongly encourage game masters to carefully consider the implications of custom settings before running a game. If a game master is uncertain, we suggest they converse with their players first and use a technique like John Stavropoulos’s X-Card system to edit out uncomfortable or triggering content.
Update: 31st Jan: Backwater has clarified that the hardback will be available as an add-on.
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