https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/432417423/shadow-of-the-weird-wizard
I've never played Shadow of the Demon Lord. I've heard good things about it. But it always looked too grimdark for me. Shadow of the Weird Wizard is, I believe, supposed to be similar to Demon Lord, but less grim. But I don't really have the urge to throw $100 at another Kickstarter unless it is something special.
There are only 12 hours left on the Kickstarter. Are there any fans here? What makes this worth $100?
Huh. I thought this was Kickstarted four or five years ago, back when it was Shadow of the Ma-(er, "Differently-Mentalled") Wizard.
I have a lot of respect for Shadow of the Demon Lord, though I haven't had a chance to play it yet. It's a really smooth integration of an OSR-like game engine with a WFRP-like class system, with some really solid monster and PC design choices. The lore leaves me cold, not because it's too grim but because it's too childish. Robert Schwalb seems to have a penchant for bodily humor which he can't leave out of his products. It's still a pretty great game, though.
I was watching this Kickstarter before launch, but $100 + an unknown shipping cost for a book which probably won't exist for at least a year is a little too rich for my blood. Doubly so when I know I'll be able to easily buy it off Amazon once it comes out. Maybe I'd go for it if I knew for a fact I was going to use it, but I've owned Shadow for over a year and not gotten around to it yet, and as far as I've seen there's no quick-start or free preview.
EDIT (Correction): I looked again and there is a quick-start, so there's that. I'll give it a look over, but it probably won't change my mind.
Quote from: ForgottenF on September 06, 2023, 11:30:42 PM
I was watching this Kickstarter before launch, but $100 + an unknown shipping cost for a book which probably won't exist for at least a year is a little too rich for my blood. Doubly so when I know I'll be able to easily buy it off Amazon once it comes out.
That's a great point about Amazon. I just checked, and Shadow of the Demon Lord is available there. Amazon is where I prefer to get most of my RPG stuff, so I think I'll just wait.
SotDL is too grimdark for me, so I was really interested in this. Until I saw the Quickstart. It opens with sample characters:
A Woodwose, which sounds like a Wookie with ram's horns.
A human fundamentalist (?)
A miniature dragon philosopher mage.
An elven rogue (elves sound more like immortal fae than Tolkien)
A clockwork construct.
Sadly, all of that is a minus for me. But I hope the KS does well.
I was interested up until I heard all the whinging about how SotDL was too grimdark for some people, and thus SotWW needed to be made. I promptly lost interest.
I haven't, but I've played an entire campaign of SotDL an I'd recommend checking it out.
It is a great game, better than D&D in many aspects.
Here are my detailed reviews:
https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2022/06/shadow-of-demon-lord-review-i-book.html
https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2023/08/tales-of-demon-lord-actual-play-review.html
Quote from: Thornhammer on September 06, 2023, 10:57:45 PM
Huh. I thought this was Kickstarted four or five years ago, back when it was Shadow of the Ma-(er, "Differently-Mentalled") Wizard.
And I might have backed Shadow of the Mad Wizard by virtue of the name alone.
Sad when a game called We Are All Mad Here can be released to fanfare, but this game got shelved for a Weird Wizard due to outcry from the socially aware.
Quote from: Dropbear on September 07, 2023, 10:38:11 AM
Quote from: Thornhammer on September 06, 2023, 10:57:45 PM
Huh. I thought this was Kickstarted four or five years ago, back when it was Shadow of the Ma-(er, "Differently-Mentalled") Wizard.
And I might have backed Shadow of the Mad Wizard by virtue of the name alone.
Sad when a game called We Are All Mad Here can be released to fanfare, but this game got shelved for a Weird Wizard due to outcry from the socially aware.
I would have announced I'd be changing it to Shadow of the Queer Wizard, and when the collective screeching stopped, changed it back to Mad. Wokies cannot be reasoned with; they should be mocked and ridiculed.
Also, I have no interest in this game. Not for any other reason than I already have plenty of games I put on rotation. If I wanted grimdark fantasy, I can just tweak any of the games I already own. I'm at that point where I want to stop dumping money into this hobby and just fukken play. I wish Robert luck, but I'm out.
Was the name changed because of outrage at the adjective "mad" or was it because it was too close to WotCs Dungeon of the Mad Mage?
Regardless, I quite liked Shadow of the Demon Lord both as a system and a setting. My players really liked the class system. The way characters develop into a more specific archetype over time was very well received. The action economy with fast and slow turns also, from our PoV, was pretty slick.
This, however, comes across a bit too goofy for my tastes.
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Quote from: rgalex on September 07, 2023, 12:12:23 PM
Was the name changed because of outrage at the adjective "mad" or was it because it was too close to WotCs Dungeon of the Mad Mage?
The former.
The name was changed in an attempt to appeal to wider audience, and specifically to avoid making a subset feel bad.
His game, so his decision to make on the subject.
I just recall the designer/author openly supporting Antifa during the 2020 riots, so that's a big no for me.
Quote from: TheShadowSpawn on September 07, 2023, 06:31:57 PM
I just recall the designer/author openly supporting Antifa during the 2020 riots, so that's a big no for me.
That's a big no for me also. Thanks for the head's-up. I'm glad I didn't support this.