Do you want to know what I thought when I first took a look at The Red Opera RPG KS preview page? Wow. There are nice Kickstarter projects, others are intriguing, some can be defined as brilliant. But few appear as spectacular as The Red Opera RPG, a D&D5e campaign centered on warlocks produced by Apotheosis Studios.
The project appears extremely well-finished in every detail and simply exudes quality. Obviously this is just a preview of future contents for us to immerse ourselves in. But if even part of the Kickstarter promises are kept, we are potentially facing one of the best campaigns for D&D5e one can have on the table in 2021.
In short, it is a long campaign set in a mysterious realm where anyone can make a temporary pact with one of the various Patrons (and for this the warlocks take on a key role). Along with the campaign manual there will be a dedicated soundtrack created by the metal group DiAmorte with the Budapest Scoring Symphonic Orchestra.
This summary description alone is intriguing but, by analyzing the project carefully, the attraction becomes more and more irresistible…
The Kickstarter page of The Red Opera RPG
I highly recommend you go to the Kickstarter page for The Red Opera RPG after readingd this preview. Just scroll down the page to realize how much quality there is. The images, the animations, the layout of each element. Everything is taken care of in every detail. When there is so much attention and work behind the presentation, the final product hardly disappoints. I would almost never say.
On the page, you will also find many details beyond what I reveal in this article, and an opportunity to download a 33-page preview to get an idea of the final product.
Key point of the campaign
The campaign is presented as a highly dramatic story in 10 chapters. There will be branched side quests and multiple endings based on player choices. In The Red Opera RPG : Last Days of the Warlock (that is the extended title) the nature of the Patrons is explored through an articulated plot and a dark and dangerous world made of intrigue and magic.
Not all players to have to play Warlocks, because the setting allows anyone to sign a temporary pact with a Patron. It will be possible to scale the campaign for each level and every chapter will offer multiple side quests that will allow the dungeon master to make the campaign even more long and complex.
The text already has more than 85,000 words and will offer many new options to explore the warlock class through various facets, in addition to the main plot and the collateral narratives.
The Red Opera RPG soundtrack
This campaign was inspired by the album of the same name from DiAmorte, a band that carries on the Theatrical Opera Metal genre. They are deeply involved in this roleplaying game project. The album is from 2018, but the soundtrack will instead be a separate work, in conjunction with the Budapest Scoring Symphonic Orchestra.
Each of the ten chapters will have a QR code that will refer to a trackto be played in background, to inspire the player as the story unfolds. On the Kickstarter page of The Red Opera RPG you can listen to a preview of one of the songs, A Scarlet Mercy (orchestral version).
Setting: the Shadelands
The realm in which the story unfolds is called the Shadelands. A place in the far north “where the veil that separates the worlds runs thin”. This makes it possible to integrate the campaign setting with relative ease into any game world and any story already started.
It is a place where all the Patrons and their power converge. This power is the foundation of the Shadelands and the city therein, Yon’Cath. This power is bound by Dorian, the Accursed King. He realized his vision of creating a place where the power of the warlocks was never to be hidden but to be boldly shown.
Although the political and intrigue component prevails, the setting seems to me to facilitate any kind of approach. it is also ready to welcome groups more dedicated to destruction than diplomacy.
The Red Opera RPG: handbook preview
The 33-page preview of The Red Opera RPG is graphically beautiful. There are many high-quality full-page illustrations and various maps and drawings made with clarity and great style. If this level is maintained throughout the manual it will be a real joy for the eyes!
Layout is up to the same level of everything else too. The usual two columns, with excellent spacing for titles, paragraph titles and text boxes. Editor color choices of a light background parchment, darker text boxes and dark red titles are elegant and well thought out.
The Kickstarter offer
The Kickstarter offer is very varied and interesting. There are many options supporting The Red Opera RPG. Although only seen in preview, they seem very captivating. There are three versions of the manual, each stylistically splendid.
I really appreciate the attention to detail in regards to the quality and weight of both pages and cover, and there is also information on the binding. It conveys the sense of a project that started with a clear editorial concept and the team is pleased to share every detail as a strength.
Among the various pledges and add-ons there are also many other items: the DiAmorte cd, the Yon’Cath coins, a premium plastic miniature. I hope one of the stretch goals will be a Dungeon Master’s screen!
The combinations and prices are many and I invite you to take a look at the tables on the Kickstarter site. The digital version retails for $30. Physical packages are $50 and $100, followed by more expensive pledges full of physical addons. The advantage of supporting the project rather than buying it later is important, with discounts ranging from 30% to 50% with savings of up to $ 110. The prices reflect the quality of the product, but the page so clearly illustrates how beautiful The Red Opera RPG will be that you can be sure you won’t be wasting your money on an over-hyped product.
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