ACKS Player's Companion Kickstarter is Live!

Hello everyone -
We are pleased to announce that we have launched our next Kickstarter.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142014231/players-companion-for-adventurer-conqueror-king
With the Adventurer Conqueror King System Player’s Companion, you will get:
· 6 new character classes, including the dwarven machinist, dwarven spelunker, elven ranger, mystic, priestess, and shaman
· 144 character generation templates with pre-selected proficiencies, spells, and equipment options to create archetypes such as the Aristocrat Bard, Buccaneer Thief, Gladiator Fighter, or Runecaster Shaman.
· 100 new spells, including never-before-seen dweomers such as dismember, earth’s teeth, and undead legion.
· A point-based customized class system that lets you create the perfect blend of fighting, thievery, divine, and magical power. The custom class creation rules are 100% backwards compatible with every class in the ACKS core rules and all of the classes in the Player’s Companion.
Autarch’s Adventurer Conqueror King System raised nearly triple its initial funding target this summer. Thanks to Kickstarter we did it crowdfunded and with substantiative fan base interaction and customer feedback. Whether you missed out on the chance to be a backer with our last effort, or already know how much fun it can be to work with us behind the scenes to make our products the best they can be, we need your help again to bring the Adventurer Conqueror King System Player’s Companion into the world.
Bonus Goal #1: We will add 2 new character classes, the barbarian and the elven enchanter, along with 16 new character generation templates for those classes.
Bonus Goal #2: We will add another 2 new character classes, the paladin and the warlock, along with 16 new character generation templates for those classes.
Bonus Goal #3: Our third and final bonus goal will be announced if and when we hit our second bonus goal! Stay tuned.

Good luck with it ! :slight_smile:

Sounds interesting. I think I’ll get involved this time. However, I’m not that thrilled with extra character classes. Feels too much like the salami-slicing days of AD&D 2e and onwards. How about some tables for helping to create your character’s family? Since you don’t choose your family, it’s always struck me as eminently appropriate to be randomly generated. Also, I have no idea what the families of dwarves and elves should be like (small or large, very extended or compact).

While the content list seems pretty much settled, one thing that would be very neat – in Companion or elsewhere – would be a listing of a bunch of toggles to tune the game in different directions.
Ie. not just optional rules, but optional rules plus “this is what this rule probably does to your game, and why it is not the default” explanations.

Already pledged. Can’t wait to see this one.
When are we getting a setting supplement?

I’m a backer (again). I hope we can get to bonus goal #2, at least. Very much looking forward to this one!

Demos - that’s an interesting idea.
Talath - If the Player’s Companion kickstarter is a success, we will be following with an Auran Empire Campaign Setting kickstarter after Garycon.

Sweet.

Meh. Have to wait for preorders. since I have no credit card i cannot pledge :frowning: too bad that kickstarter ist not accepting paypal…nevertheless happy funding and good luck!

Alex - Given some of the things you talked about when posting about the extra character classes and kinda justifying their existence I think Demoss’s idea is a fantastic one.
Here’s how we suggest you make a ‘lower fantasy, lower magic game’.
Here’s how to add a little bit of magicpunk…(I have plans for this myself.)
etc…
and
‘By using this set of rules, here’s the impact’ - applying that to some of the Domain mechanics could be very interesting indeed. You’ve already sort of done it with the Centralised vs Distributed settlement patterns. It’d be interesting to look at ‘Here’s how to model a corrupt governance model’ and other sorts of State.
Also - If I had $1,000 floating about I’d snap up that Patron Deity reward. Goblin Tinker class for the win :slight_smile: (Screw the Halflings…)

Meh. Just tried to back but Amazon isn’t taking the payment… I’ll try again later.

Re. optional rules + ramifications / rationale.
Trail of Cthulhu is an example of this done nicely (for their purposes, ACKS would need to slightly different take): they list all sorts of optional rules, and mark them either as “Pulp” or “Purist” rules, depending on the direction they dial the game.
For ACKS I would expect things along the lines this forum and the blog has covered:
“Increasing/Decreasing the Cost/Time to do X: <discussion on game effects, and other places in the system you need to consider if you do this>”
“All Shields Must Shatter: increases the survival rate of low-level characters, but tempts people into carrying bags of holding filled with shields – which makes them very, very hardy compared to other means of protection.”
“Vancian Magic: allows spellcasters to have a larger repertoire, but if you can either memorize Magic Missile twice, or Light once and Magic Missile once you’re going to go for two Magic Missiles – so in all likelyhood less diverse spells will actually be cast in the game. <<more commentary on mixing the two styles, etc>>>”

‘How about some tables for helping to create your character’s family? Since you don’t choose your family, it’s always struck me as eminently appropriate to be randomly generated’
To my mind, it would be better to cover stuff like this by optional lifepath generator tables in the Gazetter instead. I find when you’re getting down to background details -making it setting-based is better than generic.
Alex - are the templates in the PC spread across the levels or are they are all 1st Level ?

BAM! Backed. Damn that international shipping :wink:

Backed!
Um…looks like people are already providing feedback. Where do we download the playtest docs?
-NB

Ok, so this actually lured me into becoming a backer… my first Kickstarter yet in fact. Can’t wait for the new supplement. :slight_smile:
And, as Lauguz said… how do we get access to the other forum?

Just backed the Kickstarter, so can’t wait to get my Contributors’ access. :slight_smile:

God-Emperors are already gone. Dang.

Kicked in the quid!
Very stoked to have the opportunity to back this project, and I really look forward to seeing what the whole Autarch team and community continues to create.
I think the core idea of Demoss’ suggestion is brilliant - one of the qualities that drew me to ACKS in the first place was the insightful analyses provided on various design topics, informed by hard data, historical reference, and the experience driven by playtesting. If these insights were available as commentary, footnotes, or similar reference material, I think we’ll all be better for it.
Given that the Players Companion will be introducing new classes, I’m especially interested in how class balance is being approached - will the basic human fighter still be a valued member of the party, or will Drizzt strike again? :wink:
Quasi.

I have the same question as above; where do we get the playtest documents? I’ve looked on the forum and about in general, but must have missed the link.