Upcoming Products from Autarch

Could you please rate your level of interest in the following products (1-10, 10 representing a high level of Kickstarter support; 8 a definite retail purchase; 5 a possible retail purchase; 0 a total lack of interest).

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - optional rules for gaming in lower-magic worlds like Hyboria and Middle Earth; new combat and healing mechanics, rules for heroic codes and heroic funerals, magical corruption, pinnacles of good (Rivendell), 50+ new spells inspired by heroic fantasy fiction (e.g. Summon Giant Eagle, Sunder Structure)

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - history, races, maps, climate, laws, culture, architecture, metaphysics of setting; 25+ new monsters; half-dozen new classes; 25+ new magic items; possible rules for weather, campaign events

Guns of War - rules for arquebus, muskets, pistols and cannon in personal combat; D@W Campaigns recruitment and mercenary costs for firearms-equipped troops; D@W Battles rules for firearms-equipped troops; siege warfare with guns

Lairs & Encounters - rules for calculating lairs per hex; searching hexes; monstrous proficiencies; monstrous ability scores; monster age categories; taming and training monsters; and a mini-lair for every monster in the game

Secrets of the Undercity - Flagship dungeon for Auran Empire’s Borderlands campaign; including main town (Cyfaraun) and 200 room dungeon, with map by Dyson Logos

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - Starter dungeon for ACKS, set in Auran Empire’s Borderlands; including starter town and large multi-faction dungeon (like Keep on Borderlands)

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 10

Auran Empire Campaign Setting -10

Guns of War -8

Lairs & Encounters - 8

Secrets of the Undercity - 7

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara -5

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 9

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 9

Guns of War - 6

Lairs & Encounters - 10

Secrets of the Undercity - 10

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 10

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 9

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 5

Guns of War - 9

Lairs & Encounters - 7

Secrets of the Undercity - 5

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 5

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 5

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 8

Guns of War - 4

Lairs & Encounters - 9

Secrets of the Undercity - 8

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 5

How would Sinister Secrets be a unique contribution to the set of starter dungeons? There are a lot of them out there, after all. And some are pretty decent.

Also: If we’re adding guns to ACKS, I would personally be more interested in a Carcosa- or Book of the New Sun-style “weird sf” expansion than a more conventionally historical treatment. I realize that’s not an option being offered, though.

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion: 8.5 (I don’t do Kickstarters, but for this, I might)
Auran Empire Campaign Setting: 6
Guns of War: 8
Lairs & Encounters: 8
Secrets of the Undercity: 3
Sinister Secrets of Sakkara: 2

I sort of agree with Yukiomo; I think, if you’re going to publish firearms rules, you should probably publish rules that at least accommodate, or even actively support, pulp SF guns (ray guns, Barsoomian rifles & revolvers, etc.).

Not sure how to interpret your numeric scale, so I’m just going to put thoughts and intended actions.

Heroic - Not really interested in Hyperboria, but if Middle Earth is in the offing, then Midnight is basically in too. And I do love Midnight. Would probably back at pdf level early - I think this is probably the game my (impetuous, bullheaded, Iron-Heroes-enjoying, fighter-loving) players want to be playing.

Auran - I’m interested in metaphysics, weather, and OE-style campaign events, could be interested in classes if they’re doing interesting new things like Spellsinger, but I don’t really need another campaign setting. Might kickstart at pdf level at 2-3 weeks into the kickstarter once rewards and content and whatnot are known and I’ve read some forum discussion about it.

Guns of War - Not really interested.

L&E - Lairs per hex, searching hexes, taming and training, and sample dynamic lairs all sound useful, even though I’d probably ignore any rules that would result in an increase in my DM workload by increasing individual-monster complexity. Might back at pdf level, might not.

Undercity and Sakkara - These are a bit odd, because while I might not use them, I think that they’d be very useful to the ACKS community as a whole. Modules written by the system’s publishers serve as a useful insight into how the game is intended to be run; they’re additional documentation for all the unwritten assumptions of the game, especially if they’re adapted from your campaigns. Good module support is very handy for getting groups new to ACKS acclimated (ACKSlimated?), and might be useful if you’re trying to pull from the 3.x playerbase, which has become used to Paizo paths. So I think modules are important to the long-term health of the game (arguably moreso than supplements, especially now that the PC is out and we can build our own classes and spells).

I think of those two, Undercity would be the most useful. Nobody’s coming to ACKS as a first-time DM, I think, so a starter dungeon might not be so hot at this point (except inasmuch as a short adventure would be a good testing ground for groups who are uncertain; if taken in that light, you almost have to go publish a sequel). On the flip side, there seems to be a number of megadungeons out in the wild already; you’d need to do something better/different (though I suppose applying ACKS’ cardinal virtue of consistency and sensibility would go a long way). There aren’t so many good starter adventures; there’s the Keep itself, and probably some DCC modules (but they’re liable to be built for DCC and less portable), but I think there’s less credible competition in this category within the OSR at least. I’d also rather have a fleshed-out city than a campaign setting; I can drop a city with a dungeon underneath it in anywhere.

So I guess Undercity → probably back kickstarter at pdf level, Secrets → somewhat less likely to back or purchase, but would be glad to proofread or advertise.

If I had to choose two, I think they’d be Heroic and Undercity. I apologize for using words instead of numbers :stuck_out_tongue:

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 5

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 10

Guns of War - 3

Lairs & Encounters - 10

Secrets of the Undercity - 8

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 10

My thoughts:

Heroic Fantasy - while I do sword & sorcery, my Barbarian Conqueror King setting is not low-magic, and neither is my ACKS: The Dark Project setting. Could be useful for some bits to snag for BCK, but not top priority.

Auran Empire - while I won’t be running it anytime soon, this would probably contain a huge amount of inspiration and useful bits, plus, as I know Autarch, would be very interesting to read.

Guns of War - marginally useful for ACKS: The Dark Project, not really useful for BCK (unless it will include rules for lasers and lightning guns for Visitor and Serpentman relics, that is).

Lairs & Encounters - HIGHLY useful in ANY setting.

Secrets of the Undercity - Megadungeons are always useful, especially if they can be ported to BCK.

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara -Small dungeons are always useful, even more than megadungeons, as you could probably drop them anywhere.

I don’t do Kickstarters, so take that into account. The reality is that I would probably eventually pick up everything (except perhaps the firearms book) assuming they were offered on reasonably priced pdf’s. Good luck with expanding the line!

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 8

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 5

Guns of War - 0

Lairs & Encounters - 8

Secrets of the Undercity - 5

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 8

ACKs Heroic Fantasy - 10
Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 5
Guns of War - 0
Lairs and Encounters - 8
Secrets of the Undercity - 5
Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 5

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion: 6

Auran Empire Campaign Setting: 9

Guns of War: 0

Lairs & Encounters: 10

Secrets of the Undercity: 8

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara: 7

Heroic Fantasy - 9
Auran Empire - 9
Guns of War - 6
Lairs & Encounters - 5
Undercity - 7
Sakkara - 7

I do Kickstarters but since I live in the UK, the international postal rates can be killers (Reaper Bones I & II anyone?!) but I’ll always be in at least as a PDF backer.

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 8

Auran Empire Campaign Setting -10

Guns of War -0

Lairs & Encounters - 10

Secrets of the Undercity - 10

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara -10

These scores may seem a tad OTT, but when I’m into a project I prefer a more all-or-nothing approach!

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 7. I’m on the fence on this one. I’d probably buy the pdf, but not on day one. Exactly emulating LOTR is less interesting to me than rules for heroic codes and magcal corruption.

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 3. I’d love to see the classes, and I think this would be a wonderful book, but it’s not for me.

Guns of War - 0

Lairs & Encounters - 10 or 8, depending on contents. I’ll definitely buy it in pdf, will probably back it for the monster lairs alone, but I’m very curious about the hex rules as well.

Secrets of the Undercity - 5 I love Dyson Logo’s but mega dungeons are too big for me.

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 7 I’d be interested to see the Autarch take on this.

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 6
Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 10
Guns of War - 2
Lairs & Encounters - 10
Secrets of the Undercity - 8
Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 8

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 10

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 10

Guns of War - 3

Lairs & Encounters - 10

Secrets of the Undercity - 10

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 8

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 9

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 6

Guns of War - 9

Lairs & Encounters - 10

Secrets of the Undercity - 10

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 9

ACKS Heroic Fantasy Companion - 10

Auran Empire Campaign Setting - 10

Guns of War - 8

Lairs & Encounters - 8

Secrets of the Undercity - 3

Sinister Secrets of Sakkara - 3

Thank you for the feedback everyone. (And if you haven’t voted yet, jump on in). It looks like product interest is (1) Lairs & Encounters, (2) Heroic Fantasy, (3) Auran Empire.

I’m taken aback at the level of interest in the Heroic Fantasy supplement. Good to know.

Guns of War is a kickstarter bonus goal from Domains at War - it won’t be lasers and sword/planet themed at all. It’ll be about pike and shot. It would be useful for 1600s pirate games, LOTFP/Ravenloft style settings, etc.