White Box Cyclopedia Now Live on Kickstarter

PDF, Print on Demand, and Special Editions Available

After almost five years of work, The White Box Cyclopedia is now live on Kickstarter! Anyone who knows me knows I have a passion for vintage gaming and especially for the rock solid chassis that is White Box. This is my biggest Kickstarter to date and its scale of its success or failure will have a huge impact on Barrel Rider Games in the years to come. Backers can get a PDF copy for a $15 pledge, a coupon for an at-cost Print-on-Demand hardcover for $30, or a special limited edition off-set print run version for $120 - that last one is limited to 100 copies that’ll have synth sewn binding and individually signed and numbered book plates.

White Box Cyclopedia is a culmination of a decade long love affair with White Box gaming. It is, first and foremost, a stand alone game. But it’s more than just a reprint and includes over 200 pages of optional rules that let Referees and players create a custom fantasy experience while still keeping to the simplicity of old school fantasy. The Cyclopedia includes the following additional material beyond just Swords & Wizardry White Box:

• Thirty Character Classes: Even the traditional Fighter, Cleric, and Magic-User classes have optional rules to make them more unique. Classic fantasy archetypes ranging like the Acrobat, Barbarian, Cavalier, Ranger, and the Thief are are joined by more exotic options like the mysterious Metaphysician, the Tomb Robber, and the Friar.

• A Dozen Character Heritages: Alongside Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings, players using the optional rules can select crafty Goblins, powerful Troll-Kin, elusive Shadow Elves, whimsical Gnomes, and other fantastic heritages to give your campaign an exotic flavor that is still rooted in classic fantasy.

• Strongholds and Homesteads: Every character, regardless of class or heritage, can construct and maintain a stronghold that will provide unique benefits during their adventuring career and give them a meaningful way to spend their plundered wealth.

• New Spells: The White Box Cyclopedia includes over 100 spells. This includes all the spells that appeared in Swords & Wizardry White Box, dozens of new Magic-User and Cleric spells, and (by popular demand) a unique spell list for the Druid class.

• Exotic Arcane Abilities: Optional rules allow players to have psychic abilities, latent spellcasting abilities, engage in Arcane Duels, summon wily familiars, and craft magic items.

• Chivalry and Nobility: Optional Honor rules allow any character to earn their knighthood, unlocking unique abilities independent of their class or heritage.

• Genre Customization: Players aren't the only ones with new options! Referees can draw upon optional rules to flavor their campaign. So, whether you're trying to solve the riddle of steel, facing off against a vampire count in a realm of shadow and mist, or an eclectic collection of heroes on an epic quest to destroy an evil artifact, you'll have optional rules to highlight what makes those classic fantasy sub-genres unique and engaging.

• Endless Exploration: Rules for hex crawling, dungeon exploration, seafaring and ship-to-ship combat, are all included, meaning players can seamlessly travel to the ends of the world and back again.

• New Monsters: Almost 200 monsters are detailed here, ranging from classic goblins, to the familiar floating, eye-stalked Orbitus, to exotic new monsters like the Sanguine Fog and Killer Bees ("Not the bees!")

• A Hoard of Treasure: All the classic magic items found in Swords & Wizardry White Box re found here, along with new, unique treasures. Over 200 magic items are included, including intelligent weapons.

Honestly, when you’re in the trenches doing the writing, organizing the art, and prepping the Kickstarter to ensure success it’s easy to forget how much I absolutely love this game. In the end, no one puts this much work into something they’re not in love with. And that’s what this has been for me for the past five years: A labor of love.

From the earliest planning stages, I really wanted to capture the simplicity, the earnestness, and the sense of wonder we all had in our earliest days of gaming. When we spent the days between sessions wondering what new dangers the Referee had planned, didn’t worry about character death because we already had another super cool character stashed away ready to go, and pulled out those lucky dice with a grin right before the game got started.

If you back it, and I hope you do, I just hope you love the game as much as I do. I hope you love getting together with friends, throwing a few math rocks, sharing some laughs, cheering together when someone rolls that clutch natural 20 just when you need it, and that when it’s all over you walk away with some great stories and some memories that’ll make you smile for decades to come.

Even if you can’t afford to back it right now, spread the word. But if you can afford it and decide to back White Box Cyclopedia, thanks for the support and thanks for sharing the love.