About this project
"Line up the usual suspects..."
Cold Steel Wardens: Rogues Gallery is the first follow-up to the award-winning Cold Steel Wardens roleplaying game. Designed for both GameMasters and players, Rogues Gallery expands deeply on the Cold Steel Wardens setting, providing invaluable resources for the would-be vigilantes of New Corinth. It's a fantastic supplement for any investigative superhero game!
What's in the Book?
Cold Steel Wardens: Rogues Gallery is separated into five primary chapters, each with a different focus:
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to Rogues Gallery and includes discussion on how to best use the Cold Steel Wardens mechanics to create fantastic villains for your game. Chapter 1 also includes a new option for Heroes, based on material created by contributor and original CSW playtester Fred Webber: animal companions. Ever wanted to play The Falcon or Catwoman, or bring along Ace the Bat-Hound? Now you can!
Chapters 2 and 3 focus on two major locales in New Corinth: Stonegate Federal Penitentiary and the Lincroft Institution for the Mentally Disturbed. Both chapters will include fantastically-detailed maps, done by Stefan Schloesser, as well as a history of each location, major NPCs, countless plot-hooks, and more. Further, Chapters 2 and 3 also contain sections on how to run a campaign centered around Stonegate or Lincroft, including thoroughly researched information on prison psychology, psychological treatment methods, and much more.
Chapter 4 has Mooks, and lots of 'em! This chapter features a legion of goons, heavies, grifters, and lowlifes, ready to toss into any fight. What's more, they're sorted by affiliation, making it easy to for a GM to assemble a group of Rojo Bastardes gangers, an NCPD patrol, or a meeting of Genovese mobsters.
Chapter 5 forms the bulk of Rogues Gallery and is the most defining chapter. Chapter 5 features "Sawbones' Files", the collected notes of paramedic-turned-metahuman-vigilante Sawbones, which detail his numerous encounters with the crime bosses, the psychopaths, and the metahumans roaming the New Corinth night.
Sawbones' Files are written primarily from Sawbones' own perspective, though each entry also includes a series of character-specific plot hooks, all necessary in-game stats, and an in-world "prop" document, ready to be copied or printed directly from the book and handed to your players. These "prop" documents range from psychological profiles to police interviews to event fliers, all of which build upon the world of New Corinth through its numerous Rogues.
We anticipate CSW: Rogues Gallery to end out at approximately 160 pages, with a full-color cover and black and white interior art.
What is Cold Steel Wardens?
Cold Steel Wardens: Roleplaying in the Iron Age of Comics is the BAMF-sie award-winning roleplaying game upon which Rogues Gallery is based.
CSW aims to emulate the Iron Age of Comics, made most famous by works such as Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil: Born Again, and many others. Inspired by the works of comics luminaries like Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Denny O'Neil, and Neil Gaiman, CSW focuses on street-level action, in-depth investigation, and heart-wrenching moral dilemma.
Cold Steel Wardens utilizes the MAFIANAP mechanic: a rules-moderate system that walks a fine balance of character customization and player narrative control.
Praise for Cold Steel Wardens
"Cold Steel Wardens does exactly what it sets out to do: Presenting a grim-and-gritty world of morally ambiguous Iron Age superheroic crimefighting." --Dan Davenport, DriveThruRPG
"Cold Steel Wardens aims very firmly to set itself apart from the superhero pack by providing a focus on a system designed for violent, street level, anti-hero action..." --Tommy Brownell, "The Most Unread Blog on the Internet. Ever"
"Love the game--I like the setting. I really want to dig more into the flavor of the world....[CSW] hits that great sweet-spot between a lot of crunch and great role-playing fluff...I'm a fan of this game!" --CalebG, reviewer from TheRPGAcademy
"No surprise--I love this game! This is hands down my favorite...if I'm going to play a superhero rpg right now, this is the one I'm going to go to. Highest possible praise from me!" --Michael, reviewer from TheRPGAcademy.
Who is behind CSW: Rogues Gallery?
Author: A.P. Klosky
A veteran freelancer in the rpg industry, I'm the original designer of Cold Steel Wardens. I've worked with companies such as Cubicle 7 Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, GameWick Games, Gun Metal Games, and others. I'm also the owner of Blackfall Press LLC, through which I produce Cold Steel Wardens.
Contributor: Fred Webber
Fred is one of my original playtesters for the CSW rules-set, as well as one of the members of my home game group.
Developers: Lauren Coffey and Jeff Kintner
With me since the beginning, both Lauren and Jeff are old hands with the CSW rules-set and are professional writers and editors outside of the rpg industry.
Copy-Editing: Christine Crabb
The original editor of the CSW corebook, Christine has numerous credits throughout the rpg industry, most notably with Fantasy Flight Games on their Star Wars roleplaying products.
Cover Art: Talon Dunning
A storied veteran in the gaming industry, Talon Dunning's art has graced countless games including titles from Wizards of the Coast, White Wolf, and numerous others, including the cover of the CSW corebook.
Interior Art: JE Shields, Matt Morrow, Jon Gibbons, Stefan Schloesser (Maps)
Phenomenal artists all, this quartet brings decades of roleplaying game art to the table in high style. Check out their portfolios here: JE Shields, Matt Morrow, and Jon Gibbons.
Layout: Clay Gardner
Author of OVA: the Anime Roleplaying Game, Clay brings his extraordinary layout talents back for his second CSW book.
What does the money go towards?
Pretty simple, that: the manuscript of CSW: Rogues Gallery is complete. The money that we collect through the Kickstarter drive goes directly to finance art, layout/graphic design, editing, and other services necessary to producing a quality book. A successful drive also ensures that our publisher--currently Studio 2 Publishing--is investing in a well-made game line that they'll be happy to print.
I can't overstate this: without the funds from this Kickstarter, CSW: Rogues Gallery does not happen. Without Heroes like you, the rogues vanish into the night.
How about some Stretch Goals?
Stretch Goals will begin appearing on this page and via KS Updates, starting at the $8,000 mark. While some of these Stretch Goals are fairly basic, I've already lined up a number of compatriots, ready to leave their mark on the New Corinth setting!
- $8,000 Stretch Goal -- Andy adds 4 new masterminds to the Rogues Gallery text.
- $10,000 Stretch Goal -- Special Guest appearance!
- $12,000 Stretch Goal -- Andy adds 4 more masterminds to the text.
- $14,000 Stretch Goal -- Special Guest appearance #2!
- $16,000 Stretch Goal -- Andy adds 4 more masterminds to the text.
- $20,000 Stretch Goal --- ???
Risks and challenges
No Kickstarter is without risk. In New Corinth, the stakes grow even higher.
However, after the "learning curve" of the original CSW Kickstarter, we're going into this one much better prepared with eyes open to the challenges of producing a quality rpg supplement.
Our original KS delivery was delayed significantly. Much of this was due to my own inexperience in the layout/editing process on a professional level. To say the least, we go into this project fully cognizant of what needs to be done in what order. What was once a risk, no longer is.
Our original Kickstarter faced difficulties at the print level, due to communications issues with our original publisher. Since that time, we at Blackfall Press have joined forces with Studio 2 Publishing, ensuring both a quality product and fantastic logistical communication. What was once a risk, no longer is.
This is not to say that we are without fault. Health issues, unemployment, and other unavoidable problems do occur. Delays in art, layout, editing, and other necessary processes occasionally happen. In all cases, I will do my best to be open, honest, and up front with you at all times. In the end, I want nothing more than to have my book--the blood, sweat, and tears of my hard work--in your hands.
Thank you again. I aim to earn both your trust and satisfaction. There is no higher honor than having my game at your table.
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Funding period
- (33 days)