Necromancer Games has officially launched a Kickstarter campaign for their upcoming release, Tome of Essential Horrors, a collection of more than 100 monsters tailored for use with Old-School Essentials (OSE). The campaign has already garnered significant support, with pledges reaching over $17,237 of the $3,000 goal, thanks to the contributions of 340 backers and still 23 days remaining before the campaign ends on June 16.
Celebrating over two decades since the release of the original Tome of Horrors, Necromancer Games continues its tradition of introducing unique and mysterious creatures to the table. The Tome of Essential Horrors introduces classic monsters from Frog God Games and Necromancer Games to OSE referees and players. Each entry includes a full OSE stat block, classic black-and-white art, and an interesting encounter that highlights the creature.
As a nod to its name, the Tome of Essential Horrors promises to bring thrilling and terrifying surprises to gaming tables. Heroes may find themselves ensnared by the witch tree, pursued by the riptide horror, or on the menu for the cave fisher. All these and more await in the pages of the Tome.
The Tome of Horrors series was first launched in 2001 for the 3rd edition of d20 rules and has since generated seven classic volumes, two comprehensive compendiums, and numerous softcover supplements. The series is renowned for bringing first-edition monsters into newer editions of the world’s most popular role-playing game and is still referenced widely in the classic gaming community.
The Tome of Essential Horrors will be available in two formats – softcover and hardcover, both with identical interior pages and trim sizes (A5, approximately 5.8″ x 8.3″). The books will be printed via DriveThruRPG’s Print-on-Demand Service.
The Kickstarter campaign offers various rewards depending on the pledge level. These include the Tome of Essential Horrors in PDF format, Tokens for VTT (Platform-Independent) based on the monsters found within the Tome, a softcover version of the Tome, and/or a hardcover version of the Tome. There will also be free digital extras distributed to backers as giveaways and expressions of gratitude.
To give potential backers a taste of what to expect, Necromancer Games is giving away a free PDF featuring one of the monsters from the Tome of Essential Horrors: the dreaded naga. This freebie showcases four varieties of these formidable foes — the guardian naga, hanu-naga, spirit naga, and water naga — all featured and statted out for Old-School Essentials.
Interested parties can follow the campaign on the official Kickstarter page for the Tome of Essential Horrors.