Amit Moshe once told Geek Native that Son of Oak’s word-based and story-focused City of Mist is an RPG for people afraid of D&D. I get the logic; the maths aren’t a problem, and solving the dungeon isn’t the goal.
Did that mean Son of Oak Game Studio would stay clear of fantasy? Not at all. Amit’s rustic fantasy TTRPG Legend in the Mist has smashed the $50,000 funding target in moments and soared through a quarter of a million on launch day. You can see how many backers are coming to the project on Kickstarter.
First-day (physical) backers get a pair of acorn dice, and you can download the Tinderbox demo for free via Google Drive.
The Kickstarter will now fund two books: Legend in the Mist Core Book and the Hearts of Ravensdale Setting Book. There’s an impressive range of accessories, too, such as a GM screen, cards, dice, maps and other temptations.
Stretch goals have unlocked River Pebble dice, a new faction, adventure, and scene maps with tokens. It’ll be surprising if the expanded survival and bestiary rules don’t also come online.
The system uses 2d6 to which players add an action’s Power, and that’s it, with each roll advancing the situation somehow.
Son of Oak Game Studio points out that this system makes it straightforward for mixed-level parties from the outset. In fact, the game gets deep in the balance of Origin and Greatness for characters.
Legend in the Mist is also setting-agnostic. If you’ve your fantasy world to bring players too; you can use LitM.
Hearts of Ravensdale is a setting designed to spark the same sense of wonderment, mystery, and awe you first encountered in such stories. It’s made especially to combat what we call “goblin-fatigue”, where monsters and creatures of legend are reduced to statblocks, magic spells are about damage output calculations, and encounters no longer feel narratively intriguing and satisfying. Combined with Legend in the Mist’s narrative toolbox, here is how Hearts of Ravensdale will touch your jaded roleplayer heart.
Backers at $29, which is about £24, unlock the PDFs of both books, Legend in the Mist Core Rules and Hearts of Ravensdale Setting Book, and get access to many optional add-ons.
At $49, the core book is added as a hardcover bonus to backers and at $70, both hardcover editions of the books are added.
Then 20 Fallen Leaf tracking cards, the GM screen, 8 pre-gen character folios and the Ravenhome Slipcase holding both hardbacks are the reward, with the PDFs at $129.
An impressive collector slipcase with leather-bound core and setting books, acorn dice in a leather satchel, a cloth map of the Dales, 10 art cards, the Ravenhome Slipcase, 20 Fallen Leaf tracking cards, the GM screen, 8 pre-gen character folios plus the PDFs make up a generous $299 and final tier.
There’s a wait, though, with the PDF-only books ready in March 2025 and everything else in June.
Son of Oak Game Studio will let the Kickstarter run until March 8.
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