Knights of the Dinner Table, Live?

On Sunday, December 8, 2013 Jolly Blackburn did something that surprised the hell out of me: he announced that there would be a kickstarter for a live action Knights of the Dinner Table web series! Over the years the Knights have been featured in a number of live readings at various conventions and even a short-lived podcast.

The project will be headed by Ken Whitman, who was fantastic as Russ in the Brothers Barbarian webseries, and his D20 Entertainment production company. According to the Press Release the guys from Kenzer Company will have creative input and control over the project - which is a huge relief for me, and I'm sure for many fans of the Knights of the Dinner Table.

The project has an ambitious goal of $60,000, but with a 60 day timeline for the project's funding it seems that this could happen (at the time I'm writing this the project already has 42 backers for a total of $3,687). But where this project really becomes exciting is when we start looking at the stretch goals:

• $90,000 - KODTLAS SCRIPT: Backers pledging $25 or more will receive PDF versions of the KODT Live Action Series script.
• $100,000 - "I waste him with my crossbow":  A free MP3 of BOB saying "I waste him with my crossbow" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $110,000 - "Fireball coming online": A free MP3 of BRIAN saying "Fireball coming online" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $120,000 - SHORT MOVIE: We will add more characters and produce 60 minutes of live action footage. We will also include a few bloopers and a "Making Of" short film. 
• $140,000 - "I want a big ass sword": A free MP3 of DAVE saying "I want a big ass sword" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $160,000 - "Animals": A free MP3 of SARA saying "Animals" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $180,000 - COMPLETE SET OF the KODT Live Action Series Comic Spectacular Spectacular:  Backers pledging $50 or more will receive a 36-page PDF containing one original strip using the series' actors, written by Jolly Blackburn.
• $200,000 - "Because I'm the GM": A free MP3 of B.A. saying "Because I'm the GM" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $115,000 - "Firk Ding Blast!": A free MP3 of WEIRD PETE saying "Firk Ding Blast!"  for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $230,000 - "Eeeep Eeep Eeep!": A free MP3 of SQUIRRELY saying "Eeeep Eeep Eeep!" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $250,000 - FEATURE LENGTH MOVIE: If we reach this level, we will produce a full-length 96 minute movie. There will be cameos from other KODT characters, and we will guarantee at least 20 minutes of CGI Squirrely & Weird Pete.
• $260,000 - "Hoody-Hoo": A free MP3 of B.A., Bob, Brian, Sara and Dave saying "Hoody-Hoo" for a phone ringtone, or any other thing you can use an MP3 for.
• $275,000 - MOVIE ADVENTURE SCENARIO:  Backers pledging $50 or more will receive a PDF copy of the Hackmaster gaming scenario run by B.A. Felton in the movie, written by B.A. Felton himself.
• $310,000 - FEATURE LENGTH MOVIE & Web Series: If we reach this level, we will produce a full-length 96 minute movie AND 30 minutes of a web series. We will also make sure we get cameos from all the members of the Black Hand Society Group.

There is a large audience of rabid fans out there for the Knights of the Dinner Table and I can only imagine our (yes, I'm one of them) collective excitment at the prospect of a feature length movie. The project ends of February 5, 2014 and I'm in, are you?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/d20e/kodt-live-action-series

The Strange by Monte Cook Games

I'm not normally one to invest my money into Kickstarter campaigns, as I've seen too many horror stories out there about campaigns that went sour and the money disappeared, but The Strange by Monte Cook Games might be the first one that I actually drop some money into. 

The creative team behind the project includes Bruce Cordell as Senior Designer, Monte Cook as Lead Designer, and Matt Stawicki as Lead Artist. I really like Bruce Cordell and have enjoyed several of his books over the years. I think his ruminations over the Far Realms are on point and that most of his books are easy to read affairs that mostly avoid the mind numbing textbook speak that has become the rage in modern gaming circles.

I'm excited to see him involved.

My problem comes from Monte Cook. I know that's unpopular to say as he's some sort of modern day god among the gaming elite - but seriously, the guy puts more power creep in his games than Kevin Siembieda ever even had hopes of dropping into Rifts. His Arcana book lines just kept getting more, and more powerful to the point where only power gamers were seriously considering playing in them. And not too gripe too much about him, but his adventures aren't the best things going as they often hold to themes that no player would ever want to explore (read: the Banewarrens).

But Bruce and Monte seem so happy in their stilted deliveries of hokey lines from their Kickstarter video.

I don't know, maybe I'm just becoming cynical in my old age but if I were going to be posting a video asking for money I'd make damned sure that it didn't sound like it was being done by a pair of jag-offs.

Anyway, the game system being used for Strange is the Cypher System from the Numenera product line. I've not played in that system but I imagine that with their pedigree that it's probably a decent enough system to begin with though inevitably Monte will allow in a massive amount of power creep and have to either abandon it altogether (as he did with the Arcana lines) or he'll have to release a new edition. So get ready for that edition war.

The setting for the Strange sounds like a mix between the television show Sliders and the Far Realm from Dungeons and Dragons. And I'm okay with that. In fact, it sounds like a lot of fun.

I'm not real sold on the use of esoteric language in describing a new product that none of us have a handle on yet, but then again, I wouldn't have put up that video either. My views on their use of language is only reinforced when you take their survey for which faction you belong to: Ruk, Earth, or Ardeyn. 

I don't know, shoot everything and ask questions later wasn't the answer to every question so I don't think I did too well on their survey. But hey, I'm representing Earth even though none of the fucking questions made sense. So it can't all be wrong, eh?

The artwork that has been released for The Strange is stunningly beautiful. 

Matt Stawicki was a steal and his artwork only continues to amaze me. If I were Wizards of the Coast I would steal him away today and start having him produce the new art for Dungeons and Dragons' new edition. He's everything you want in an artist as he makes even a reluctant patron consider giving to Kickstarter just so he can have more works by Matt Stawicki to look at. 

With that I'm going to finish this post by showing some of Matt Stawicki's works so you all can see who's going to be producing the visuals on this bad boy. 

Belarus by Matt Stawicki

 

Jumping off the Moon by Matt Stawicki

 

Raistlin Chronicles by Matt Stawicki

Minotaurs 2 by Matt Stawicki

Rebellion by Matt Stawicki

Darkwave by Matt Stawicki

The dude is just amazing.