THREE Stretch Goals Unlocked Overnight!
over 3 years ago – Wed, Mar 31, 2021 at 07:57:26 AM

We may be headquartered in the Eastern time zone, but clearly the world keeps on moving even while we sleep. 😴

Overnight, backers like you worked together to unlock three stretch goals – including ones that we didn’t even have a chance to announce yet! We are thrilled to reward your pledge dedication, though, so let’s talk about what has now been added for Anime 5E Kickstarter backers.

✅ $40K Unlocked – Anime 5E Adventurer Scenario

A custom Anime 5E PDF adventure, written by designer Mark MacKinnon, will be sent as a free bonus to every backer who pledges $100 and above.

✅ $45K Unlocked – Extra Fifth Edition Monster Conversions to Anime 5E

Mark will also now convert an additional five monsters from the Fifth Edition MM to Anime 5E stat blocks, and we’ll make his work available as a free bonus PDF to all backers pledging $13+ after the campaign. These extra five monsters are in addition to the 14 that we detail in the Anime 5E core book (download the Table of Contents PDF if you haven’t already).

✅ $50K Unlocked – Triple Bookmark Ribbons for the Deluxe Limited Edition

Another convenient physical upgrade: we will now print the Anime 5E Deluxe Limited Edition with not just one bookmark ribbon, but with three bookmarks instead. That way, you can mark several important places in the book at the same time for quick reference during character creation or game sessions.

Unlocked Next At $60K – Magical Artefacts!

Although the Anime 5E core book provides descriptions and stats for nearly 50 fascinating items of power, legendary weapons, and adventuring gear, you can never have too many sweet, sweet magical items, amiright?!?

If campaign funding reaches $60K, Mark will create five new original magical artefacts across the power spectrum, with Anime 5E stat blocks and brief descriptions. These artefacts will be available as a free bonus PDF download for all backers pledging at least $13 in the Kickstarter.

In addition to your pledge, the best way to help the campaign unlock even more stretch goals is sharing the link with your gamer friends and social network. You can either share the Kickstarter link directly, or use our master link http://Anime5E.com which redirects to the campaign page.

Thank you all for your tremendous support! We’ll be in touch again later today.

We Have Bookmarks at $35K – And An Adventure in the Wings
over 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 30, 2021 at 07:14:35 PM

Clearly, you all have proficiency in the Pledging skill! 🤓

Thanks to your help spreading the word about the Kickstarter and crushing the $35K stretch goal, all backers of physical rewards will receive a free Anime 5E bookmark with their pledge shipment. With this plus the sewn bookmark ribbon unlocked at $25K, you’ll never lose your place again while flipping through pages.

$40K Stretch Goal: Exclusive Anime 5E Adventure

If the campaign raises enough pledges to reach the $40K funding goal, Anime 5E designer Mark MacKinnon will write a short introductory adventure for 1st level characters. The custom adventure PDF will be send as a free bonus to every backer who pledges $100 and above. At some point, the scenario will likely be available for sale on DriveThruRPG as well – but for now, it’s an exclusive reward for eligible backers during this campaign.

We are in the Eastern time zone, and it’s getting late here. Today has certainly been a wild ride, and we are thankful that you’re joining us on this journey. Check in tomorrow!

Free Adventure, Next Stretch Goal, and The Foundation of Anime 5E
over 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 30, 2021 at 03:39:05 PM

Have we thanked you recently for your continued support? 😉 Because you certainly deserve it!

You broke through another stretch goal, and now every backer pledging $13+ will receive a free copy of the Anime 5E adventure conversion for “Unrest in Syfia”.

Life in the town of Syfia is hard, but it’s the ideal slow pace for those who seek to get away from the larger disputes of the kingdom. Recently, there’s been unrest in Syfia, and someone must investigate it. The characters are all minor nobles or employees of an ancient outlier royal family with modest holdings – the Yubet Family. The primary Yubet ancestral estates are located at the foot of a mountain range a short distance from town.

$35K Stretch Goal: Printed Physical Bookmark

If the campaign reaches this threshold, we are pleased to offer this special gift to every backer who pledges for a physical reward: a printed 2” x 6” Anime 5E bookmark to keep your place in your favourite game book, novel, or magazine. We are still finalising the design since there’s lots of time before we send it to press, but rest assured it’ll be awesome!

Anime 5E’s Foundational Objectives

If you’ve read through the Kickstarter campaign page, you’ll have a good idea of what Anime 5E is all about. Presumably, that’s why you stepped up and pledged! Since Anime 5E was created as a hybrid approach between the traditional Fifth Edition fantasy RPG and a point-based flexible character creation system, the game design approach focussed on several distinct objectives.

Provide Effects-Based Rules For Fifth Edition

The 5E fantasy RPG is a powers-based system – character abilities are prescribed as stemming from a particular power sources such as magical ability, racial heritage, or class training. Conversely, Anime 5E introduces an effects-based system to the game. This means that the game rules provides the effects or outcome of an Attribute, and the players and DM define the specific application of those effects. For example, a character might achieve the capabilities of Flight using: wings, magic, anti-gravity fields, psionics, force of will, reality-warping techniques, thermal riding, or many other methods. Similarly, a Weapon inflicts damage that could take the form of a near-infinite number of sources, such as physical trauma, fire, electricity, cold, acid, mental, poison, etc. Adding an effects-based lens to character abilities in 5E provides a new and dynamic perspective to the game.

Offer Point-Based Character Options

Traditional 5E fantasy RPG races and classes acquire specific benefits as they gain Experience Points and progress through character Levels. Some benefits offer a meagre selection of options from which to choose, though the range is tightly controlled. Conversely, Anime 5E layers a point-based system of benefits and hindrances on top of the Fifth Edition foundation that give characters exceptional diversity regarding their special abilities, talents, and flaws. Points provide balance between characters of different races and classes, and empower the players to direct the creation and growth of their fantasy alter egos in exciting directions with unique combinations. Constructing characters from points unshackles the player’s imagination to progress beyond the Level-based approach to character advancement.

Explore Rule Alternatives

Over three core books (PHB, DMG, MM), the Fifth Edition RPG provides a solid rules foundation for playing and running fantasy RPG adventures. Anime 5E expands on this ruleset by providing alternatives and options to enhance gameplay. A few of the new sections you’ll find in Anime 5E include discussions concerning: called shots, tactical actions, combined attacks, critical hits and failures, wound difficulty penalties, and much more. Use what you like, modify ideas as appropriate for your gaming group, and discard what you don’t like.

Not Just Fantasy – Anime Fantasy

Although Anime 5E can be integrated with any standard high-fantasy Fifth Edition gaming campaign, the races, classes, options, and new rules present a game that evokes the best in fantasy anime and manga series. The artwork sets a strong visual tone, of course, and this book features some spectacular pieces by extremely talented illustrators. Also, some story and character elements that are common in anime and manga – but are not as common in Tolkien-esque high-fantasy settings – provide additional flavour, such as pet monster duels (the Monster Training Attribute), characters that attract a swarm of admirers (Magnet Defect), and more. Finally, Anime 5E provides excellent guidance for playing and running campaigns to help you create an evocative anime-style flavour in your adventures (Chapters 9 and 12).

PS. Have you downloaded the Anime 5E Table of Contents from the campaign page link yet?

Third Stretch Goal is Crushed!
over 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 30, 2021 at 01:04:52 PM

It feels like we are spamming your inbox today with all these updates, but you keep crushing the stretch goals so quickly! With the $25K threshold reached, the Anime 5E hardcover will now have a bookmark ribbon sewn into the spine. 👍

For the next stretch goal, we pivot from physical upgrades and into additional content.

$30K Stretch Goal: Anime 5E Adventure

If the campaign reaches $30K in funding, we will partner with DriveThruRPG publisher Just Honey Badger It to release an Anime 5E version of their “Unrest in Syfia” introductory adventure. Anime 5E designer Mark MacKinnon will handle the stat conversions for the scenario to ensure it integrates well into the game and serves as a way for players to take Anime 5E for a metaphorical "spin around the block". Every Anime 5E backer pledging $13+ will receive a free PDF copy of the adventure so they can jump right in and start playing when the game is released!

Stay tuned for even more updates as we keep posting stretch goals and you keep knocking them down! 😂

Sweet! Anime 5E Deluxe Upgrade is Unlocked!
over 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 30, 2021 at 11:46:14 AM

Well, you collectively didn’t take long to smash through the $20K stretch goal, helping us achieve 200% funding in well under three hours! Backers with pledges that include the Anime 5E Deluxe Limited Edition are going to love having a panoramic, wraparound dust jacket that’ll tenderly embrace their shiny precious! 😂

$25K Stretch Goal: Bookmark Ribbon for Anime 5E

If the campaign reaches $25K in funding, you’ll unlock another physical upgrade for the Anime 5E RPG hardcover: a convenient satiny bookmark ribbon that’ll be sewn into the spine to keep your important pages handy. It’s not an essential upgrade, but it sure beats using a pen or character sheet or pair or scissors to hold your spot while you leaf through the book (we’ve all been in that place, right?)

What is the strangest object you’ve used as an RPG bookmark? Ever use a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie? We did – and don’t recommend it! 🤦🏻‍♂️

The image below shows how the ribbons turned out in our BESM RPG line. From the feedback we’ve received, they’re are a huge hit with both players and GMs.