Steamforged Games is doing some awesome things, especially when it comes to the Epic Encounters line of products. And they’re only adding to it with the launch of the Epic Encounters: Local Legends Kickstarter that went live on June 28th!
As you probably know by now, Steamforged Games has built their sterling reputation for high-quality, gorgeous miniatures. Epic Encounters: Local Legends will definitely give you more of what you’ve come to love and expect, on top of even more evergreen content.
We’ll have an overview of some other Epic Encounters products in the near future, including the Barrow of the Corpse Crawler and the Hive of the Ghoul-kin boxes. However, Epic Encounters: Local Legends takes what you know about Epic Encounters and gives it more of a setting focus in addition to the miniatures.
Let’s find out what Epic Encounters: Local Legends has going on!
Epic Encounters Local Legends – What’s It All About?
You know that so many fantasy tabletop roleplaying games begin with the adventurers meeting in a tavern. It’s a well-known trope that’s a borderline meme, because it’s so effective! Where else is the party going to get a never-ending slew of plot hooks about dragons and dungeons?
Through the 10-day Epic Encounters: Local Legends campaign, you’re getting 10 specific taverns that are immediately plantable into your fantasy campaigns. And, what’s better yet, is that they’re all usable in your 5E campaigns and adventures!
That’s my favorite part about the Epic Encounters line. Everything you need to present your players with a unique encounter or situation is right there in the box. It severely cuts down on the Gamemaster preparation time and lets you instead focus on breathing life into the world. Instead of searching for statblocks, dreaming up memorable battles, and sifting through piles of miniatures to find the ones you need, you’ll be able to spend more time crafting an awesome battle speech or perfecting your character voices.
Each Tavern in Epic Encounters: Local Legends has a unique name and is pre-populated with NPCs. Steamforged takes it a step further by providing NPC cards that lists out the backstories and motivations of each NPC individually as well. We’ve all had our fills of random tables and NPC generators; sometimes I just want someone to hand me an NPC with some bullet points and let me run with it. I just need the high-level detail, which is exactly what you’re going to get.
Additionally, each tavern has its own isometric map. Isometric isn’t a standard choice for most tabletop roleplaying game maps; people generally prefer to have their maps as a part of a 2D battle grid. However, with the rising popularity of theater of the mind and indie RPGs, isometric maps are on the rise.
By showing the tavern inside in three dimensions, prepare to spark the creativity of your players. Oh, there’s a low-hanging rafter? Now that becomes a set-piece that your players can use to swing onto or launch an attack from. Plus, you get the full sense of depth and scale that you simply can’t get from a two-dimensional map.
On top of that, each tavern has a unique creature miniature that’s central to that tavern’s mythos or rumors. For example, one tavern might have a ferocious owlbear and another has twist on a scaled green dragon. These are classic monsters and creatures that you won’t have any trouble dropping into your adventures from the get-go.
Something I really love is that the Epic Encounters: Local Legends features taverns of all kinds. Each one is so much different than the last, and ensures that you’ll have a tavern no matter where your players find themselves. Need a seedy dockside bar? Local Legends has you covered. What about a tavern centered around the thrill of the hunt? The Huntsman’s Stag is just the place to hang your hat.
And that’s the real strength of Epic Encounters: Local Legends: it’s universal. The more games that I play, the more I appreciate the abundance of resources out in the world for Gamemasters and Dungeonmasters to tap into. As shows like the Glass Cannon Network or Critical Role continue to elevate storytelling, players want more and more from their beloved GMs. But this means that GMs are expected to prepare and come to the table with innumerable ways to blow the minds of their players.
With products like Epic Encounters: Local Legends, the pressure is off for a number of reasons:
- Preparation doesn’t feel like an extra job for me to do
- I know that what comes in the box is going to delight my players and myself
- Everything is RIGHT there! There are even GM tips and reminders to run the encounters
Epic Encounters: Local Legends – Campaign Ends July 7th!
The Epic Encounters: Local Legends Kickstarter campaign ends July 7th! This is your opportunity to pick up 10 wonderfully-crafted taverns to slot in your 5E games or any other tabletop roleplaying game application.
Once again, you can find the link to the Kickstarter right here. Be sure to take a peep at the slideshow below, showcasing the look of a few of the taverns from the campaign! It’s an exciting time to be a Gamemaster, and Epic Encounters: Local Legends helps ensure you’ll be at the top of your game. And I can cheers to that!
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