A crowdfunding campaign to produce a starter kit for ZWEIHÄNDER has launched on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter for the set contains not only the basic rules for ZWEIHÄNDER, a popular dark fantasy tabletop RPG that has a similar vibe to games like Darkest Dungeon or Bloodborne, but also a brand new adventure written by tabletop star designer James Introcaso with maps by comics illustrator Kyle Latino. The Starter Kit also includes a Gamemaster’s Screen, dice, and profession folios for easy access. As of press time, the Kickstarter had already surpassed its initial funding goal of $10,000, with about $34,000 in pledges.
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Originally launched in 2017, ZWEIHÄNDER was created by Daniel Fox and provides a darker, more perilous alternative to games like Dungeons & Dragons. Players choose one of several dozen professions, each of which have specific sets of skills that grow throughout the game. Checks are determined with the use of percentile dice, with a “double” roll (such as an 11 or 99) triggering a critical outcome. Unlike D&D, which uses a pool of hit points to determine relative health, ZWEIHÄNDER uses tracks to measure both damage and “peril” (which can lower one’s proficiency with certain skills). If an attack exceeds a player’s damage threshold, they move down the injury track, with the player potentially gaining debilitating or permanent injuries along the way. In ZWEIHÄNDER, a knife to the gut deals a lot more than 1D4 points of damage, it has the potential to make a permanent impact on the player character.
Since the launch of ZWEIHÄNDER in 2017, the game has won an ENNIE award and became the game engine for several other tabletop roleplaying games, including Flames of Freedom and Blackbirds, both of which have different settings and unique rules but keep the grim and perilous aesthetic and tone of the original.
The Kickstarter for ZWEIHÄNDER Starter Kit will end on February 28th. A $22 pledge comes with a digital copy of the set, while a $33 pledge comes with a physical version of the starter set. A premium edition is also available. You can check out the Kickstarter here.
