About this project
$3,989
109
What is SagaBorn?
The SagaBorn Roleplaying System was created as a simplified D20 system. Its goal is to be simple, streamlined, and efficient. It is meant to encourage more storytelling and epic action rather than browsing through rulebooks and arguing over what is “allowed.”
This 8 level system was created for the Dark Return setting, but can be used in almost any fantasy setting.
- Seven playable races: elf, dwarf, half-dwarf, human, elfling, faun, and feral elfling.
- Eight classes: fighter, barbarian, archeon, luminar, wylder, bard, ranger, and rogue.
- Simplified skill system: only eight skills cover all the things an adventurer may need in order to overcome adventure obstacles. We replace Feats with a flexible point-based Talent system.
- Heroic action: a simple mechanism to resolve most non-combat conflicts. Each party rolls a D20, adds the appropriate bonus, and the highest roller wins!
- A simple mana-based magic system. Spells are organized by mana cost with no level or class restrictions.
Download the Beta book now to check out the unfinished version of SagaBorn!
When we first started publishing books, we used the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game system, and it was great. As time went on, we realized that we needed a smaller, more streamlined system to go with a low-magic world. We also did not want to keep chasing whichever system was winning the edition wars at the moment.
So SagaBorn was created.
The system is already written, and the book is out in beta form, so what does the funding go towards? We want to have the highest quality print book we can, so the funding pays for a top-notch editor, an amazing designer, some wonderful new art, and a high-quality print run.
I kept the goal as low as I could, and as we hit funding goals, we will offer more art and add-ons to help build the system for the players and game masters.
Michael Bielaczyc has been making art his entire life. He has been selling and showing work since 1995, when he self-published his own comic book. Going back to college at 23, he decided that art was going to be his main focus in life. In 2001, he started an art company, Aradani Studios, with his brother Paul. Together, they have shown and worked in shows across America, selling both their artwork and costuming. While Michael has worked for such popular roleplaying franchises as Dragonlance and Castlemourn, his real passion is for his personal work. He works in mediums from oil paint to latex prosthetics, video to graphite. You can see his work at www.michaelbielaczyc.com .
In 2012, Michael formed Lone Wanderer Entertainment with his oldest friend Dane Clark Collins. He wanted to create worlds and stories like those that inspired him when he was younger. LWE provides a place for creative people to weave the fantastical into various projects, and Michael enjoys helping produce as many of these projects as he can.
Brian Cooksey
Brian Cooksey is an RPG editor and designer who has been roleplaying since 1982. He has worked with Accessible Games and the SagaBorn system, among others. He is one of the hosts of the Play On Target podcast, and is the former chairman of Hypericon.
Artists:
- A L Ashbaugh
- Michael Bielaczyc
- Paul Bielaczyc
- Christopher Burdett
- Samuel Flegal
- Mitch Foust
- Melissa Gay
- Mathew Kaminski
- Nigel Sade
- Sarah Wilkinson
$1250 - Funded
UNLOCKED $1500 - The Path of Two - Adventure 1. We will write and release the first book of SagaBorn Adventures, a level 1 RPG adventure using the SagaBorn Game System. All backers will receive a PDF version.
UNLOCKED $1750 - SagaBorn RPG bookmarks. Everyone who pledged $12 or more will get 4 SagaBorn RPG bookmarks. RPG bookmarks are a great way to mark your books, notes, and more for important information.
UNLOCKED $2000 - The Path of Two - Adventure 2. We will write and release the second book of SagaBorn Adventures, a level 2 RPG adventure using the SagaBorn Game System. All backers will receive a PDF version.
UNLOCKED $2250 - More artwork. We will add 2 full-color pieces to the book and 2 B&W pieces by SagaBorn artists!
UNLOCKED $2500 - Player's screen. Everyone who pledged $12 or more will get the player's screen.
UNLOCKED $2750 - Sidequest unlocked. A dungeon delve into the Luk Dam. Open the old dwarven valves to save the city from the orlocks!
UNLOCKED $3000 - Adolescent Gorgalug miniature. Everyone who pledged $22 or more will receive a Gorgalug miniature!
UNLOCKED $3500 - SagaBorn RPG bookmarks - Everyone who pledged $12 or more will get 4 more SagaBorn RPG bookmarks.
UNLOCKED $3850 - Character sheets. Everyone who pledged $12 or more will get a booklet of 10 character sheets.
LOCKED $4300 - The Path of Two - Adventure 3. We will write and release the third book of SagaBorn Adventures, a level 3 RPG adventure using the SagaBorn Game System. All backers will receive a PDF version.
LOCKED $5000 - The Path of Two - Adventure 4. We will write and release the fourth book of SagaBorn Adventures, a level 4 RPG adventure using the SagaBorn Game System. All backers will receive a PDF version.
LOCKED $5250 - A short story by SagaBorn writer Dane Clark Collins detailing the gloomy world of Atheles, home of the Dark Return campaign setting.
LOCKED $5500 - Sidequest unlocked - A dungeon delve looking for all-too-lucky merchant Gregor Eluiska. Why is this merchant so lucky, and who is he hanging out in the strange cave?
LOCKED $6500 - Deck wrap decals. A way to wrap your deck box with cool SagaBorn artwork. Anyone who pledged $22 or more will receive two deck wrap decals!
LOCKED $7500 - Creature Compendium. Everyone who backed will receive a free PDF copy of our Creature Compendium.
LOCKED $8750 - The Journal of Martyn. Martyn has seen some crazy things in his years as Guild Master of the Wanderers. He has kept a detailed journal about the city of Kowal and its inhabitants. Part story, part city guide.
LOCKED 10,000 - The Book of Dwarves. All backers will receive a PDF copy of the book of Dwarves, going into deeper detail about the dwarves of Atheles.
LOCKED 12,000 - The Book of Elves. Our popular book, the Elves of Uteria, rewritten for SagaBorn, with a couple more elven cultures added. All backers will receive a PDF copy.
LOCKED 15,000 - The Guide to Atheles. All backers will receive a PDF copy of the Guide to Atheles, a tour of the world of the Dark Return.
(Includes shipping)
- The Book of Dwarves Print Edition - $16
- The Elves of Uteria Print Edition - $16
- Creature Compendium Print Edition - $22
- The Guide to Atheles Print Edition - $16
- Mana Tokens 10x for $10
- GM's Kit - $38
- Talent Cards Printed Deck 54 Cards - $12
- Talent Cards PDF Deck 54 Cards - $4
- Spell Cards PDF format 255 Cards - $10
- Spell Cards Print format 270 Cards - $38
All Backers will have their names featured in the book as supporters!
Talent Cards
Talents in SagaBorn are much like Feats or Proficiencies in other games. Your character will accrue many talents as they level, and Talent Cards will allow you to have a printed explanation card that you can keep right in front of you during play. Its an easy way to keep your characters abilities within easy access!
Talents do not use a progression tree like 3.5, instead they cost points. These are represented down at the bottom left of each card. Any Talent is open to any character class in SagaBorn.
Spell Cards
Besides the Talent Cards, Spell Cards are yet another way to keep my players thinking about their characters rather than the rulebook. Each card features the spell name, mana cost, and full description. Each spell will have its own PDF file, so you can build and print your spellbook as needed. And if things work out, we may also be able to offer them as a printed add on as well!
There are 253 spells in SagaBorn so the spell deck will be massive since every spellcasting class can use any spell that they learn.
Mana Tokens
The magic system of SagaBorn using mana to keep up with how many spells you can cast per game day. I made these acrylic tokens for use in my own games and wanted to offer them to backers as well!
The SagaBorn Roleplaying Game was designed for the gloomy setting of the Dark Return.
In ages past, Atheles was a land filled with wonder, mythical creatures, and abundant magic. But long ago, all of that changed. A terrible war spanning all the lands was fought not only with the blood and souls of countless mortals, but with mystic machines of war, great mythical beasts, and powerful dark magics that ravaged the world. In the end, something happened that has been lost from human records . . . something that ended the Aradan War and left the world without magic. The magical creatures, and those too close to magic, vanished from the world.
The old kingdoms crumbled, leaving behind city-states and large tracts of unclaimed lands. The survivors lived in darkness for years, and have spent the past seven centuries rebuilding what was left of their world. The people have suffered from famine and plagues for untold years, and the humans have trudged along, afraid of the myths and legends of days long past.
In the East, the land is harsh and twisted. The remnants of the dark sorcery used in the Aradan War have left the land nearly uninhabitable, save for small pockets of civilization. In the West, in the wake of the plagues, people have become isolated and insular. Fear has driven people to be wary of anyone or anything new. Their superstitions have lead to witch hunts and lynching of those believed to still use magic. People have become so downtrodden that even their belief in higher powers has fallen to little more than lip service.
But all of that began to change, 20 years back. Children started showing the ability to use magic . . . real magic. The elves reappeared, emerging from their forests with limited interactions with humans. The dwarves began to trade again. Now, whispers of growing dark powers, heroes, and a new dawn have begun to creep into this rain-soaked and gray world.
Risks and challenges
We have previously published several RPG books and have run several successful Kickstarter campaigns. The adventure is already written and has been extensively playtested. We need funding to pay our artists to produce the interior art, pay for formatting the module for publication, and pay for printing! We will be working with the same team of people as we have for previous RPG publications, so we are confident the art and the printing will be of the same quality you've come to expect from SagaBorn products.
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Funding period
- (15 days)