Cruel giants and demons devastated the land, forcing people to use primal magic to create a safer haven and portals to escape into it.
This new world, Grimnir, is full of its own dangers, though; dark forests with sinister monstrosities are spread across the many disjointed islands of the stormy seas.
Arcanum Worlds is an RPG publisher from Bioware vets Jesse Sky and James Ohlen, and Arcanum Worlds Canada (a naming convention that computer game studios often use) is from the designer and author Brent Knowles.
The 5e Kickstarter for Raiders of the Serpent Sea is a project from Brent, who worked at BioWare for 10 years, as a lead designer and creative director and on games like Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate.
If that’s enough to get you interested, I’d understand why, and the good news is that the Raiders of the Serpent Sea: Player’s Guide is out now. It’s free.
Geek Native had the chance to talk to Brent, who has over twenty short stories and articles published in magazines, about the project. Since we’d already shared the news of the free player’s guide, we talked about the future of the project instead. What happens next as the campaign runs?
It’s a pledge of CA$33 (about £20) for the PDFs of both the adventure and player’s guide. Stepping up to CA$72 adds paper copies of both, the adventure in hardback, but that tier is selling out.
The unlimited tier for paper copies of the book is a little higher and at CA$79.
What’s next for Raiders of the Serpent Sea?
So admittedly my focus over the past couple months has primarily been about getting the Kickstarter up and running. But before that, I had definitely mapped out a general route I wanted to take, through the Kickstarter and beyond.
Obviously up next, once we reach the funding threshold, is to announce stretch goals! Though Raiders of the Serpent Sea is not a direct sequel (or prequel) to Odyssey of the Dragonlords, it is the latest book from Arcanum Worlds AND Raiders needs to hit the same high quality bar (at minimum!) of our previous projects. This is very important to me.
No matter where we land in the funding, I want to ensure that the content I write — and that the playtesters help refine — has sufficient high quality character, monster, and map art. So with each stretch goal I am trying to offer a balance of written content and art.
Can you tell us about the stretch goals?
The first stretch goals will offer additional class archetypes (ideally one for each core class) and a new epic background (to add to the existing backgrounds already revealed). There will also be a few additions to the contents of the map pack — I’d like to offer a larger world map and to print the maps double-sided so more of the map content is available in this format. I also plan to add a small booklet to the map pack which will offer assistance to the game master in managing the encounters, handling the epic backgrounds, as well level and balance advice. Basically a game master’s sidekick, with unique content and aids to help navigate the beefier game master’s guide.
After that?
Well I’m really really hoping we hit at least the first of our three Epic Stretch Goals. If we do, I’ll be able to add Lost Lands content. What is this? Well there was a world before Grimnir (the setting of Raiders of the Serpent Sea) and things did not really work out (hence they being the “Lost Lands”). That world in fact, was overrun by all manner of monster and demon. Not really a place for mortals.But… if we hit this tier, the game master gets to send the heroes there! We get to add six more creatures including the ratatoskr (a… squirrel, kind of sort of), a massive bird known as a corpse swallower, and a fire demon based on Surtur from the Ragnarok myth. I very much want to see the art that Sebastian Kowoll (our creature artist) comes up with for these monsters!
We will also add (at least) 1 large exploration map of the Lost Lands and a couple interior maps, along with the needed magical items, adventure areas, and other content required to flesh this unpleasant place out. We would also expand the level cap from 1-10, all the way to probably about 14 (mileage of course varies, depending on every individual campaign, etc.)
By raising the upper level limit, it will allow me to do a few more interesting things with the climax encounters for the main plot as well, so my fingers are most definitely crossed.
And… after that?
Well there will be two other Epic Stretch Goals, along with smaller goals in between. All of it really depends on how much interest there is in Raiders of the Serpent Sea.
And… after… that?
I would love to be able to focus all of my professional time designing tabletop and other interactive experiences. I have been so fortunate to get to do this for most of my life already with BioWare, Beamdog, and my current contracting work, but the projects I have worked on have largely been under someone else’s creative control (or part of a very large team). This is the first time in a long time that I feel I’m charting the course and I’m loving it. I definitely miss being part of a team at times but by working with the artists and others helping me out, I’ve been able to draw them into the design discussions and they certainly influence the direction we take. So it is still collaborative, but ultimately I get to do a lot of the creating and I’m really enjoying it.
So… more adventures in Thylea and Grimnir? You bet. I’d love to expand on both Odyssey of the Dragonlords and Raiders of the Serpent Sea. And after that I have a few ideas for other settings, rules assistance, and even some digital tools. Ultimately I want to interact with entertaining stories at the tabletop and help others do the same. I’ve got lots of ideas and I’m thrilled to be part of such an exciting ecosystem.
Quick Links
- Kickstarter for Raiders of the Serpent Sea.
- Free to download Raiders of the Serpent Sea: Player’s Guide.
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