About
World Wide Wrestling RPG: International Incident
$16,658
568
World Wide Wrestling: International Incident is a tabletop pen-and-paper role-playing game supplement that adds a slew of international wrestling styles, Gimmicks, match stipulations, and rules options to the World Wide Wrestling Roleplaying Game. Click here to find out more about the game!
In World Wide Wrestling, you and your friends create iconic wrestling characters and play out their feuds and storylines through both in-ring and backstage action. International Incident adds:
- Gimmicks and advice on adding international styles of wrestling to your promotion, including Lucha Libre, Japanese puroresu/"Strong Style", classic All-In grappling in the British tradition, and contemporary high-octane Indy-style wrestling
- Promotion Advancement: a new system of narrative tags and troubles that reflect and describe how your Promotion grows and changes
- Audience Moves: Creative Moves that reflect how the nature of the crowd effects the action in the ring
- Mythic Moments: A Moves addition that creates iconic moments that build a wrestlers enduring legacy
- Stroke: A system for handling differences of opinion off camera
- Advancement options to support long-term (10+ Episode) play
- Advice on handling long-cons, wars and invasion angles and other variations on multi-table play
- Additional guidance and advice on how to play out wrestling matches and adapt ring psychology to the conversation of play
Ready to check it out? You can download the Beta Playtest version RIGHT NOW! This PDF contains fully playable rules and gives an idea of the kind of surrounding content that will be in the final book.
This supplement does require the core World Wide Wrestling RPG to play. For more about the game, including Actual Play videos, simply click here to visit the website!
New to the game? The $15 and $35 reward levels include the digital bundle of the World Wide Wrestling RPG, so you can start running your dream wrestling promotion right away!
Hi! My name is Nathan. I'm a game designer, independent publisher, and big wrestling fan! Last year I released the World Wide Wrestling RPG, and the response has simply been incredible. Between the highly successful Kickstarter campaign, having great games online and at conventions, seeing people come up with their own fantastic wrestling shows and talking to fans and friends about the game, I couldn't be happier.
As a fan, I've been getting more and more into the great stuff happening outside of the US in pro wrestling! I've been hooked by different aspects of Lucha Libre, Japanese strong style, World of Sport, and the "Indy style" I see at shows right here in Chicago. Inspired by the possibilities, I've spent the last year turning those elements into new playable components for the game. This project is all about putting them together into a cohesive whole and sharing it with you, the WWWRPG Universe!
I am creating a companion volume to the core WWWRPG book, featuring the same quality of diverse art, compelling essays and welcoming approach to existing and new gamers and wrestling fans. The funds from this Kickstarter are going towards:
- A new piece of original cover art from artist Eric Quigley
- Illustrations for the new Gimmicks from comics artist JB Roe
- New maneuver and wrestler illustrations from artist and game designer Gregor Hutton
- Editing from original editor, game designer and sharp wrestling writer Ian Williams
- Three new essays by engaged, passionate fans. WWWRPG POW Champion and game designer Tim Rodriguez is writing about Lucha Libre, Gregor Hutton is pulling double-duty and writing about World of Sport, and Shelly Deathlock, the Captain of S.S. Strong Style, is writing about Japanese pro wrestling.
- Covering the production cost for print book, custom screen-printed tee-shirts and higher-level one-time-only rewards
- ...and a few surprises to announce along the way!
Funds over the base goal go first towards making this the best book I can, then covering any unexpected costs to get all rewards out, and then paying me for my game design, graphic design and layout work.
I have plans for some additional content to announce during the campaign. These additions will go out to everyone, either as a digital supplement or as bonus content in the book itself.
These aren't stretch goals, they're things I've been wanting to do or that have been proposed to me that I'm able to pay for or pull the trigger on due to the general success of the campaign.
Here's the first bonus (Feb 17): The Road, a digital mini-supplement covering life on the road in between televised episodes of play! This will stay exclusive to backers as a thank you until book fulfillment starts, and then will be released as a pay-what-you-want PDF. Adam Ultraberg has done a great job distilling the narrative elements of the grind of the pro wrestling lifestyle, and I think it's going to be a very cool thing for folks who are interested in exploring that as part of their game.
Here's the second bonus (Feb 25): The WWWRPG Move Deck, a deck of custom cards containing every Gimmick and Role Move from all 25 officially published Gimmicks. Players can use the Move cards to add to their Gimmick sheet when they take new Moves as advancement options, and also as a one-stop-shop to browse the options when brainstorming how to customize and expand your wrestler!
In addition, the deck will have enough double-sided Role cards so that every player can keep a reference card with them, both so they have the Move at-a-glance and so that everyone else can see which Role they're currently playing.
How This Affects Your Pledge
- A print-and-play digital PDF will be included at no additional cost with every pledge!
- The printed Move deck is going to be included, for no additional cost, to every backer at the $50 level or above!
- Any backer who wants a printed Move deck in addition to their current reward can simply add $10 to their current pledge.
- And that's it! I will include a survey question to capture the add-on option at the end of the campaign.
Why add-on a deck now? The Move Deck will be a $15 standalone purchase after the campaign ends. Also, everyone who gets a Move Deck through the campaign will have it delivered in a custom printed sturdy cardboard tuckbox; post-campaign Decks will not have that option for the forseeable future.
See more details about the WWWRPG Move Deck in this backer update.
Here's the third bonus (Mar 5): We have a new illustrator for the Season One Gimmicks, filling in a sadly neglected void in the WWWRPG canon! I'm excited to work with @punkrockbgmouth on this set of 5 original portraits. You can see her pro wrestling fan art here, and check out the Ring of Honor coloring book she did here.
In addition, JB Roe agreed to take on the the Season Two Gimmicks along with his original commission, so we'll be getting ten pieces from him and ensuring that every official WWWRPG Gimmick has a portrait.
The physical book will be a 6x9 softcover, printed to the same specs as the core WWWRPG book. I am currently estimating it to come in at ~120 pages, about 2/3 as long as the core book. Once the book layout is done I will produce PDF and ebook digital versions of the game text.
If this is your introduction to the game, there are options to bundle the core book with this supplement! All physical rewards will ship together once the WWW: II books are printed, but everyone who selects a bundle reward will receive their included core WWWRPG Digital Bundle at the close of the campaign.
In additional, all backers will get early exclusive access to a set of Season Two Gimmicks, sourced from the WWWRPG Community over the last year and showcasing really interesting new wrestling archetypes! Become a backer to see the playtest S2 Gimmicks now! (link takes you to a backer-only update)
Joining the Roster and Brand Extensions are fantastic ways to get involved and make a real impression on the nature of the book. I can attest to how helpful it is to have these great characters and promotions at hand when running the game!
The Season Two baseball shirts and custom designed satin jackets will be printed by Lehigh Vally Apparel Creations. Owner/operator Chris provides responsibly sourced and printed merch for many wrestlers, bands and record labels, and I'm happy to have LVAC on board. The baseball tees will be printed on a high-quality raglan blend that suits both men and women's bodies.
The Lucha Libre masks will be made by Closet Champion, a company out of Philadelphia that makes gear for some your favorite independent wrestlers! I will work with you to customize a one-of-a-kind design for your mask.
The GASP Championship Title will be ordered from the same company as the POW belt from the original Kickstarter. They are reliable and do good work! Here's how the POW Championship turned out:
So, what's new in this supplement? In addition to the additional rules for Creative to use to guide the course of the game, players gain access to:
International Incident Gimmicks
- The Luchador: You are an iconic Lucha Libre competitor. Whether you were born into the business or you took up the mask out of love for the sport, you represent the unique culture of Mexican professional wrestling. But that’s just the beginning. What will you do with your skills and your heritage?
- The Cultural Champion: You started in the ring, but you are now known throughout pop culture even more for your character than for what you’ve done in the squared circle. Now you’re a little older and slower, but you have real emotional and financial investment behind you. Is it possible to keep your broad appeal or have you hit market saturation?
- The Ace: You are the top star of your division, consistently either holding the title or in contention for it. You’re considered to carry the company both in and out of the ring. You also have the biggest target on your back.
- The Young Boy: You are a new trainee. You’ve toiled in the training center or dojo and gone through the utmost physical conditioning, and finally it’s time to see how well you do in front of a live audience. Do you have what it takes to become your own wrestler?
- The Shoot Fighter: Whether you have a legitimate sport fighting background or you’re just a natural-born hardass, you know how to really hurt people, if you want. How long will the company make it worth your while to keep you in check?
- The Indy Darling: You’ve pieced a living together on the road, wrestling for anyone who’ll take you. You’ve built a cult following, a set of unique skills and a depth of experience. Finally, you have an opportunity to make your name at the next level. Will you take it?
New Match Stipulations
- Mountevan's Rules: Play out the World of Sport style grappling match, complete with public warnings!
- Shoot-Style Match: What happens when you really need to know how to hurt your opponent?
- Indy Match: You gotta pop the crowd
- Exhibition Match: WE WANT WREST-LING clap clap clapclapclap
You can see the playtest versions of much of this content in the FREE Beta playtest PDFS!
IN ADDITION, all backers will have exclusive access to the
Season Two Gimmicks
- The Time Bomb, by Justin L. Phillips: The business has taken its toll on your body. Held together by steel, screws, and sheer will, you probably should have hung it up by now but the child support payments, money you owe to your “pharmacist”, or your own hubris keep you stepping back into the ring. When will you take your final 3 count?
- The Iconoclast, by Sean Walsh: You’re a gunslinger, a giant-killer, a career-ender. Your talents are wasted on jabronis; your prey are the greatest heroes and vilest villains that the wrestling universe has to offer. You will forge your own legend from the broken bodies and shattered egos of past greats…until the day that you become the legend to be taken down.
- The Foreigner, by Adam Goldberg: Yer not from here. Yer from SOMEWHERE ELSE! You’re not sure what it says about pro wrestling that “guy from another country” is still a valid character, but you keep getting paid to make it work. How long until the audience stops caring?
- The Boss: You’re in charge. Whether you used to compete, you’re the head of the corporation or you just play the boss on TV, you have the power to make the rules, punish those who cross you and elevate those who you think are the real future of the business.
Click here for a first look at the S2 Gimmicks (link takes you to a backer-only update)
(Remember, card is always subject to change!)
And of course, there's more! Check out:
- Five or So Questions with Brie Sheldon, wherein she asks about the design process for the supplement
- Talking Tabletop interview with Jim McClure, wherein we chat about my history as a designer, making a living as a full-time creator, and of course PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
- WWWRPG on the Wrestling Mayhem Show, a video Actual Play with a small group of mixed wrestling and RPG fans
- Tabletop Superhighway podcast appearance wherein we chat about the role of supplements in small-press gaming
- Six Feats Under podcast Actual Play with an experienced group of WWWRPG veterans. THE CAN OPENER GOES ELECTRIC!
Don't forget to join the WWWRPG Google+ Community to ask questions, share your ideas and chat with other fans of the game!
Whether you've been a member of the WWWRPG Universe from the beginning or are just coming across the game now, World Wide Wrestling: International Incident has something new and exciting to offer you. All of the new rules included in this supplement add a new dimension to the game, whether you simply want to add more tension to backstage conflicts or run a whole game set entirely in a international Promotion. I am confident that this campaign, like the last one, will create an even more diverse and interesting set of Gimmicks, characters and ideas for you to run with and make your own.
Thank you so much for your support!
Risks and challenges
The biggest risk for this project is the number of collaborators involved. I've established schedules and set expectations as much as possible, but it is always possible that someone is going to have to drop their involvement. I have backup plans for the writing contributions, and a strong network of additional artists that I can tap to finish any additional artwork if need be.
I am working with a printer I know and trust for the books, but this will be my first time working with some of the other vendors. I have secured quotes and established communication in advance, and they have good reputations. If something does happen to disrupt production I have a list of backups.
I believe strongly in open and honest communication with backers and will keep everyone up to date with any disruptions that do occur and changes to delivery that those changes may require.
I have a proven track record of before- and on-time completion in my three previous Kickstarter projects. The bulk of the design work on the supplement is done, with a full playable beta text to show for it. I am confident that I can use my decade of independent publishing experience to minimize production risks, keep open communication with backers and complete the project to the best of my ability.
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Funding period
- (29 days)