Kickstarter - Archive: Historical People, Places, and Events for RPGs (System Neutral)

In the way back, before I was a blogger, before I was a cop, before I worked retail - I was a college student. Not thinking so clearly back in the fall of 85 I decided to defer my major and just take the core requirements and classes that interested me. Lo and behold, come my Junior Year (as college credits are tallied, not by years spent) the computer wouldn't let me register without a major. Reflecting on the classes I had taken prior, t appeared to me that I had self selected History - Sociology was nearly tied, but what does one do with Sociology. Come to think of it, what does one do with History? ;)

Where does all of this lead us? Right to the Archive Kickstarter. If you dig history, if you love RPGs, you'll love the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup that's been put together for you.

Archive is a collection of adventure sites, NPCs, and events ripped right out of history and perfect for your campaign. It’s a 265-page book with 80 subjects. All have everything you need to make them come alive at your table: sights, smells, history, local color, and even plot hooks and ideas to help you adapt them to your campaign setting. 

Need a villain? Throw your PCs against Ching Shih, the notorious pirate queen, presented with the tactics and schemes she used to wreak havoc across coastal China! Need a random encounter during travel? Recreate the 1861 encounter of the French corvette Alecton with a dying giant squid, and the social consequences that followed. Need an adventure site? Why not Fort Jefferson, complete with real historical secrets for your PCs to uncover?

I actually have an advance copy of the PDF. 260 some odd pages, suffice to say I have not read it all. But what I HAVE read appeals to me as both a gamer and a history buff. It scratches both itches and it does it well.

10 bucks for the PDF is a steal. Seriously. 30 for the book plus PDF which is also damn good.

I'm going to do something I rarely if ever do, mostly because I don't have a product to review in order to do so - The Tavern is endorsing the Archive Kickstarter. the PDF exists, I have it and backers get their PDF in June - next month.

Additionally, Tristan Zimmerman of Molten Sulfur Press reached out to me in the right way. Seriously. He hit all of the notes - polite, respectful, explained the project, included a sample (well, the whole book) and ended with the following: "There’s an advance reader’s copy of the book attached. If you happen to glance at it and you like what you see, I’d sure be grateful if you’d mention it, but no pressure. Whether you tell anybody or not, we really hope you enjoy the book, and thank you for your time."

Kickstarter creators, take notes. There is a right way and a wrong way to get attention. Maybe reach out to Tristan if you need to refine your skills.