The World of Kensei is dangerous in theme and in style. It could kill characters, and there’s the racism hazard, but RiotMinds handles the latter well.
On the former, the setting threatens with stark evil, old golds, new spells, subclasses and races for 5e. The project has been funded, and there are more than two weeks left on Kickstarter.
RiotMinds do not name any culture or place on real Earth at no point in the Kickstarter pitch. You might be reminded of our history or places with people today, but that’s not the goal.
There are great heroes and terrible villains in the World of Kensei, which spans countries steeped in legend and fraught with peril. Daring heroes venture inside the desecrated temples of long-dead gods, where only the most horrible of monsters dwell. Tatsu is a new continent with stunning natural features and ancient, sinister forces at work.
Players are free to explore, protect, mould, and ultimately reign over Tatsu.
I do want to talk about RiotMind’s approach to the perils of cultural appropriation. First, they say;
The World of Kensei is a made-up fantasy setting. It is a mix of many stories, myths, mythologies or just made up things with a label that sound or does not sound like any geographical region’s language or have similarities with something that might have existed or a mix of both.
If that’s not clear enough, deeper into the pitch, RiotMinds adds a disclaimer;
At RiotMinds, we do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. We encourage and value diversity in our products. We produce pure fantasy products, not political manifests, and we understand that sometimes that is influenced by our own culture and social context, despite being a multiethnic team. We know we cannot satisfy everyone, and even though we try to be aware of how we present things we can also do wrong or say things that might offend people from different religious, cultural, sexual, political, or other backgrounds and lifestyles. That is not our intent and if that is the case, please contact us in a polite and objective manner and suggest changes, and we will listen.
I’d argue that everything is politics, but I am happy with the intent here.
Now, let’s quote something related to what backers are getting and explore the land of the dragons.
For a thousand years, the ancient land Tatsu has been shrouded in darkness, war, and ancient evil. It is a land of high adventures and a certain death for those unprepared. The old grounds of the dragons rise from the wild and storming sea, with their shorelines always embraced by a thick magical fog. For over a thousand years, clan wars have torn these lands apart, and just as the waves throw themselves toward the hard rocks, so do men and women fighting the never-ending wars. Toughened by sword and spear, the warriors roam the lands hunting for prey but also to win glory and honor, fighting wild creatures and evil dragons. Between the great castles is a harsh and unforgiving wilderness and endless adventures for the brave. In the deep jungles, one can find temple ruins, once abodes of the old gods, and travelers can discover treasures hoarded by ancient dragons in the highest mountains.
A pledge of SEK 150 (RiotMinds are Swedish), about £13, is enough for the Core Rules and Scroll of Wukong Adventure in PDF. You can back the project for any amount of cash or help it by sharing it on social media.
With an upgrade to SEK 400, £32, the physical products for both are added to the rewards. Shipping will be calculated later.
There’s only one more tier, and that’s SEK 800 or about £64, which adds in a dice tray, a print of those fantastic covers, a slipcase and an art booklet. Nearly as many fans have found the cash for this tier as they have for the one before.
The estimated delivery is June 2023 if all goes well.
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