CHAOTIC NEUTRAL by Mark Sable and Chris Anderson

3 DAYS and 2 NEW TIERS!!!
over 4 years ago – Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 09:29:44 PM

Hello, you clearly sophisticated, refined, tasteful and classy backers,

Chris here. Wow, three days to go. that went fast. We really put a lot of thought into making this the best campaign it could be. But once in a while, an idea hits you late that so obvious you start to question wether you just snapped out of a mind flayer blast. Why not create a tier that you can buy where you AND three of your murder hobo friends can experience the game run by its creator, Mark Sable. Duh! so we have added that to the tier levels. If thats not enough for you, we also added an elder god level tier where you and three friends get to play the game with Mark PLUS you get 4 books, 4 monster card sheets, 4 original character commissions by me AND the ULTRA LIMITED EDITION: BLOOD DICE!!! available only in this tier. Good thing there is still time to upgrade your pledge! pfew!

Before we go, we always like to spotlight other kickstarter campaigns we think you would love.

Since its spooky season, and I’m know for my horror books, I thought id steer you toward this cool looking collection.

Also, Jimmy Palmiotti is a creator I’ve loved since my early days of fandom. I backed his last Painkiller Jane jam and it was a ton of fun. Jimmy has always been free to offer me great advice and I always like to pay it back when I can. check it out.

Just 2 days to back and NEW Stretch Goal!
over 4 years ago – Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 09:23:51 PM

Hey Everyone,

We just smashed through the last stretch goal, meaning EVERYONE who backed for a physical reward will get a sheet of carboard cut-out "miniatures" miniatures based on Chris's character art for the book.  

Our next stretch goal is more cardboard minis, this time of the original monsters that we've created for both the comic and adventure module:

There's just a little over 48 hours left to back this, so if you haven't pledged or are thinking of upgrading, please do.  And any shares you can do over social media would be greatly appreciated.  Here's the link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaoticneutral/chaotic-neutral-by-mark-sable-and-chris-anderson?ref=doktzg

Also, this Wednesday, October 27th 2021 from 4-7PM, I (Mark) will also be doing a signing for my book DRACULA: SON OF THE DRAGON at

Collector's Paradise in North Hollywood, California.

5114 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601

It's a great store, and my first store signing since the pandemic.

(If you backed DRACULA via Kickstarter, those copies should be on their way to you soon, signed by both myself and artist Salgood Sam).

Finally, here's one more Kickstarter worth checking out: Aubrey Sitterson's BEEF BROS: BEHIND BARS

It's an insane mix of professional wrestling and political satire and I've already backed it myself.

Thanks for making this happen, everyone!

Mark

A Peek Inside the Adventure Module, and Opportunity to Playtest
over 4 years ago – Sun, Oct 24, 2021 at 08:28:28 PM

Hey Everyone,

We're now in the last week of the Kickstarter.  We're less than $500 away from our stretch goal, at which point everyone who backed CHAOTIC NEUTRAL for a physical reward gets cardboard, fold-up "miniatures" based on Chris' amazing character art.

Meanwhile, it occurs to me that while we've show a lot of the comic that's half of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL, we haven't shared anything from the adventure module that lets you play in the world of comic.

The module is broken into three parts geographically, as seen on this map.

The first is the town of Alptraum.  Your players might have many reasons to be there, but one thing that will likely attract them is the fact that the peasants have banded together to hire adventurers to stop the ruling Prince Bishop from making human sacrifices to The Cult of Baphomet"

The town isn't just a place to purchase supplies and rest.  It's chock full of NPCs (non-player characters) who can help or hinder you, and treasures that might be just as valuable as those in the dungeon if you're feeling greedy.

Here's sample location, NPC and his belongings:

3. ALPTRAUM ANTIQUITIES

A bazaar of the bizarre, a hoarder’s paradise where strange items are sought but nothing is sold.

THE ELVEN ARCHAEOLOGIST

-FOUND: making etchings of rune covered tablets from the Cycolopean ruins

-FIRST IMPRESSIONS: haughty, pretentious high elf in frilly collared doublet. Has a spell or two up his sleeve and is surprisingly adept with his antique rapier.

-Secretly opposes the cult, but not out of morality. He hopes that when they are cleared from the Cyclopean Ruins he’ll be able to retrieve more artifacts.

-Still has quite the stash of gold (150 gp), not having fully paid Stellan the Gongfarmer. Will overpay for antiquities recovered from the Cyclopean Ruins.

-But his real treasure consists of massive stone tablets can be used as spell books, his etchings as scrolls.  He refuses to sell the tablets, but willing to sell the etchings at double standard price. Each stone/etching has one of the following spells: Light, Floating Disc, Detect Magic, Ventriloquism, Hold Portal

-Considers the wood elf druid in the Impenetrable Wood a barbarian.

Surrounding Alptraum is the aforementioned IMPENETRABLE WOOD.  It's kept Alptraum free of invasion for centuries, and is filled with dangers as well as potential allies.  Here's a sample locale:

DRUID HUT

-LOOKS LIKE: What appears to be a wattle hut actually made of still living vines

-HOME TO: The Wood Elf Druid, who sits inside in a meditative state, vines literally running into his veins

-Druids taught its secret can use those vines to heal themselves and others at double the normal rate

-Anything man-made brought inside will break - The Druid will warn PCs before entering.

WOOD ELF DRUID

-Antler’s protrude from his skull, wears naught but a leafy loincloth that grows from him

--Inside the Wood Elf Druid sits in a meditative state, with the vines literally running into his veins

-Unnervingly calm, focused on neutrality in general and the balance of nature in particular

-Will ask PCs to leave any metal outside, as he is vulnerable to it and considers it unnatural

-Wields: Cudgel of Entanglement. An extension of the Impenetrable Woods, works as an entangle spell – charges x 5. Can only be recharged by a druid in the Wood itself

Finally, there are the Cyclopean Ruins itself, the adventure's main dungeon.  It's filled with traps, treasures and monsters...but also factions you can pit against one another. It's home to the Cult of Baphomet, as well as it's mysterious, much older inhabitants.  

Here's one of the Cultist's chambers:

c. NECROMANCER’S STUDY

-An OSSUARY converted into a library. The walls are made of bones, and skulls crunch beneath their feet. Theirs is a 1d4 chance that one of those skulls will animate (STATS) and bite an intruder’s ankle.

-THE CULT’S NECROMANCER will be found studying intently here, unless he has heard a commotion in the (REDACTED).  Decrepit, but fastidious he has no use for conversation and even less regard for life

-Behind a bookshelf are two SOUL HUSKS – bloated zombies with flaming mouths and eyes, souls replaced with infernal fire. They burst into flame when they reach zero hp. water causes them to collapse.

-The HUSKS guard a TUNNEL that LEADS TO (REDACTED):

-TREASURE: Scroll of Animate dead can be found among the rusty tomes

-A smashed skull gnome skull with the upper and lower jawbone intact but for silver and gold fillings (worth 350 GP if removed) and inscribed with runes. More than just a marvel of medieval dentistry, it’s a JAWBONE OF TRUTH. When someone lies in its’ presence it chatters the truth. It can only do this 3 times before disintegrating.

Currently, there are over 20 rooms in the dungeon alone.  While the comic is 100% written and illustrated, the module is a still a work in progress, as we continue to playtest and refine it (in both old school D&D/AD&D and 5E now that the stretch goal has been unlocked.  

If you'd like to be one of those playtesters, remember there's a reward at the $99 level where Mark will run a session of the module online for a small group of backers.

Speaking of Kickstarters, here's couple worth checking out:

First, one by comics legend Mike Allred that's worth taking a look at: Mike Allred's Madmania Shindig Activity Book 

Also, here's a gaming one called The Bai Ze & the Book of Monsters.  It's  Fifth Edition D&D Compatible Adventure Module with a comic book story/setting.  You can back it here.

Finally, if you're enjoying seeing Chris' art in these updates, please check out his Patreon.  He posts progress on all his projects.  While Issue 1 of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL is done, he's already begun Issue 2 and that will be the place to get sneak peaks.

Thanks again to all of you.  Your support and generosity means the world to us.

Mark

Stretch Goal in sight & New Chris Anderson Project
over 4 years ago – Fri, Oct 22, 2021 at 05:57:23 PM

Hey all you Dungeon Crawlers,

We are so close to our 2nd stretch goal it's not even funny. Tell your friends about us and I'm sure it'll tip us over the edge. I wanted to share some of the art for the cut-out mini figures that you'll be getting when we do get there. Take a look. 

There are 6 more for me to draw for you. I can't wait to show you what's in store for the next goal.

A few of you have asked for additional books as add-ons. we'll put those up and they will be part of your fulfillment survey with BackerKit as well. So fear not. We have you covered.

I also wanted to let you know about another book I'm part of that's really awesome and launched TODAY!

G.H.O.S.T. AGENTS is a Spy-Fi Action/Adventure comic anthology in the vein of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and James Bond. This first issue happens to be an all female protagonist line up set in the swingin' 60s with art styles to match. All of you CHRIS ANDERSON COMPLETIONISTS won't be satisfied until you back this as well.

New CHAOTIC NEUTRAL Stretch Goal - Cardboard Miniatures!!!!
over 4 years ago – Fri, Oct 15, 2021 at 12:28:24 PM

Wow!  Thanks to all of you, we smashed through the $11,000 stretch goal, meaning that the adventure module will now be compatible not just with old school fantasy role-playing games but with Edition Dungeons & Dragons 5E, the latest edition of the game (and the one I've been running a weekly game in for years).

That's on top of the previous stretch goal of a behind-the-scenes PDF filled with extras like my script for the comic, Chris' character designs etc.  Everyone will be getting those regardless of what tier you backed at.

I'm even more excited about our next stretch goal - cardboard "miniatures" that you can can cut, fold and put together yourself of characters and monsters from the comic.  EVERYONE who backed the physical edition of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL will be getting them if and when we hit $14,500.

I grew up playing the Marvel Super-Hero Roleplaying Game, from the same company that published D&D.  (I probably learned more about Marvel's heroes and villains from their sourcebooks than from the comics).

One of my favorite things about that game was these cardboard character counters you could cut out, fold up and use to create paper miniatures for the game.  They were an affordable way to take my imagination into the physical, 3D world.

We thought this could be a great way for those who want to play the module in CHAOTIC NEUTRAL to do the same.  And for both RPG and comics fans, this is yet another great way to have Chris' art come to life.

Thanks again to everyone for your support, you guys really are the best.

Mark

P.S.  My friends Jackson Lanzing and Colin Kelly (Star Trek, Kang the Conqueror) just launched a great comic book Kickstarter today, WIFWULF.  It's a hearbreaker of a werewolf tale beautifully illustrated by Daelin Ogden, and is work checking out here.