Morrus, publisher of EN Publishing, EN World, and more, has a new Kickstarter, 65 Enchanted Trinkets for D&D 5th Edition. The campaign is an experiment testing a variety of crowdfunding options. After talking with him about his most recent Kickstarter, Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters, I wanted to find out why he went from MF&MM to a shorter, easier campaign.
EGG EMBRY (EGG): This feels like a skip level meeting where I’m bypassing Mike [my EN World editor] to talk to you, boss. But, instead of talking about EN World (where I freelance), let’s discuss your latest Kickstarter, what is 65 Enchanted Trinkets?
RUSS MORRISSEY (MORRUS): It’s a small, digital-only, two-week Kickstarter which includes five PDFs containing a total of 65 minor magical items – no Excaliburs or Dragonlances, but little things which add colour and fun to a 5E game without breaking it.
EGG: 65 trinkets is a pretty specific number, why is 65 D&D magic items the right amount?
MORRUS: Well, I took the five PDFs, counted the number of items in them, and there were 65! Also, that’s the number of toes I have.
EGG: <blink, blink>
…
Sometimes, I learn more than I expected… Moving on…
Of the magic items, which ones do you feel gaming tables will have the most fun with?
MORRUS: With 65 of them, it’s hard to choose just one. I very much enjoy the Arcane Apparel collection from Andrew Engelbrite. There’s a little illusional shoulder dragon you can wear as a fashion accessory! Also, it can attack people (though it doesn’t do much damage). I can just imagine a player character at a ball or something, and the little shoulder dragon attacking some noble who insulted them!
EGG: You’re offering one backer reward level, correct? What is that reward level, and why not offer more?
MORRUS: Yep, quick, easy, and simple. This is an experiment, really – to see if a short, digital campaign with just a single, simple reward works. So far, it looks like it does!
EGG: Where were these magic items published originally?
MORRUS: These come from EN5ider Magazine, our 5th edition online magazine on Patreon, which has over 250 mini supplements on it now.
EGG: You funded an RPG Kickstarter, Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters, on July 31st. 65 Enchanted Trinkets runs from September 1st to 15th. For most publishers, that’d mean they were running another Kickstarter without fulfilling the first, but that’s not the case with EN Publishing, is it?
MORRUS: Nope, we’re done with that one! I fulfilled the PDF rewards within two minutes of that Kickstarter ending, and the print run and shipping process is paid for and underway. Our part of it is complete – we just get to sit back and wait while the backers receive their hardcovers! I’m pretty sure we’re the fastest fulfilling creators on Kickstarter, and have been for a few years now!
EGG: This campaign is a 14-day affair instead of the normal 30 plus, why do this campaign as a quickstarter?
MORRUS: It’s an experiment. We do a couple of “big” campaigns each year, but I wanted to see if we could do some mini Kickstarters in between to keep things ticking over.
EGG: Recently, you announced a new RPG project, Level Up. What will that project be about?
MORRUS: That’s an ‘advanced’ version of the 5E rules you already know and love. While some folks lean towards lighter rules and more narrative play, this is for those who would enjoy a little extra depth to their 5th edition games in terms of mechanical support. Things like meaningful character choices at every level of advancement, a fully-supported exploration tier, and so on. Plus it’s 100% backwards compatible to the original.
EGG: You and Mike Myler did an open call for designers for this project. How many responses did you get? What mix of creators did you gather?
MORRUS: Somewhere between 150 and 200 applied. Our design team ended up being about 20 of those, and it’s a fantastic, diverse mix of 5E designers with different voices and perspectives.
EGG: Will any of the Level Up material be published via EN World or Patreon before launching a Kickstarter?
MORRUS: Not published per se, but there will be playtest documents and surveys over the coming months. It’s a data-driven process, and we want to ensure we’re making the best game we possibly can. And that involves subjecting it regularly to the fires of public playtests!
EGG: Morrus, as always thank you for talking with me. Where can fans learn more about you and 65 Enchanted Trinkets?
MORRUS: You can find me at EN World or @Morrus on Twitter. 65 Enchanted Trinkets is on Kickstarter until September 15th!
65 Enchanted Trinkets for D&D 5th Edition from EN Publishing
End Date: Tue, September 15 2020 11:51 AM EDT.
“A collection of colorful minor magical treasures to spice up your game without breaking it! 14 days only!
This collection of five short PDFs for the 5th edition of the world’s oldest roleplaying game presents you with 65 minor magical items suitable for inserting into any campaign. These items are not mighty artifacts, and they won’t turn the tide of a war, but they can spice up and add colour to a magical world!
Equip your character with a marble of direction, messenger ant, box of bees, or a cage of folly. Discover a conch of the secret voice, wand of cobwebs, paradise parasol, or a prismatic gown. Uncover wondrous magical treasures without breaking your game!
And the best bit? It’s just £7 (under $10) for the lot!”
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Amazon.
Latest posts by Egg Embry (see all)
- New Gamemaster Month 2023 - January 20, 2023
