Duet RPGs are games designed for one DM and one player, and Handiwork’s Beowulf is the first to come to mind. In that game, one DM and one player follow the heroics of a mighty legend.
Now Handiwork is back in Kickstarter for a ‘sequel’ in which that hero is now the King, or some other ruler, with mechanics to adjust the game. You don’t need to use Beowulf with it, but it may help, and there’s 5e at the core. The campaign was funded swiftly and is still live.
There’s a free preview to download if you want to take a gander.
Handiwork Games’ Jon Hodgson is known for excellent art and the company for production quality. The King Beowulf Kickstarter includes a limited edition version of the book, not limited to ‘just this one time’ but just to 48 copies.
Stretch goals add to the rewards.
King Beowulf offers up rules and systems for founding, inheriting or conquering a kingdom and the rules for creating that kingdom as a player character.
There are rules for meadhalls, the palace appropriate for the Beowulf setting, and seasons to surround them. The book also has systems for gathering information about the state of the kingdom, trading, raiding, exploring, relations with neighbours and monsters of suitable threat to worry the king.
When you play regular 5e, your character moves through a series of locations and events. With a kingdom adventure, a series of events moves through the location of your kingdom. It’s a different way to play and an exciting twist on a regular adventure.
Backers who pledge £15 will get the hyperlinked PDF of King Beowulf as a reward, plus Discord access and a digital hoard.
At £36, backers get the physical book as well.
If you want to stick just to digital and to catch up with the other Beowulf rules and adventures, then £50 is the tier that includes Trials of the Twin Seas, the core Beowulf: Age of Heroes game, the Beowulf 2022 and 2023 Annuals.
Backers reaching £75 get the physical King Beowulf book, MDF inspiration tokens, an inspiration mat, an MDF map set and a Beowulf dice tray.
That limited edition is at the £100 pledge level; it also comes with the PDF version.
Backers can go to £110 to get the three main Beowulf books in hardcover, but not that limited edition.
Those backers who hit £300 get the limited edition and their likeness illustrated by Jon as one of the rules featured in the game.
The digital editions are slated for August 2024, and the physical books for September 2024, though some heavier tiers are slated for October.
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