Deathstalker: For Love and Cash
Deathstalker options motion, attractive poster paintings from Boris Vallejo, and nostalgia, a potent mixture for any TTRPG followers of a sure age. As mentioned within the “The place’s The Beastmaster Roleplaying Sport?” article, publishers create tabletop roleplaying video games for love and cash. Creating the Deathstalker Roleplaying Sport, like every TTRPG, could be a labor of affection, so let’s discuss concerning the economics of the equation.
Deathstalker was the topic of two 2024 crowdfunding campaigns. These Kickstarters weren’t TTRPG associated, however they provide us some perception into the amount of cash that the property may increase:
- Vault Comics’ Slash presents DEATHSTALKER Kickstarter by Tim Seeley, Jim Terry, and Steven Kostanski reached 645 backers that pledged $51,177 in 2023.
- Steven Kostanski’s DEATHSTALKER Kickstarter reached 592 backers that pledged $95,457 in 2024.
- RELATED ENTRY: Lawrie Brewster’s The Slave and the Sorcerer – Sword & Sorcery HORROR MOVIE! Kickstarter, which takes inspiration from the Deathstalker sequence however just isn’t an official Deathstalker movie, reached 803 backers that pledged £78,751 in June, 2023. Plus, they did a stretch marketing campaign that added 90 backers who pledged an extra £7,446 in July, 2023.
Utilizing these numbers, any Deathstalker TTRPG would attain 600 to 900 followers of the movie plus any viewers the RPG writer brings to the desk. Elevating a purpose of $50,000 through crowdfunding is possible.
As a result of these motion pictures characteristic Boris Vallejo posters and the comics have paintings from Jim Terry and Nathan Gooden, that attractive artwork together with pictures from the films might and must be recycled in any Deathstalker TTRPG. A hypothetical writer might save a little bit of finances when creating this TTRPG by repurposing current pictures. Followers would welcome the posters, covers, comedian panels, and actor pictures from Deathstalker gracing an RPG of the identical title. This e-book might supply some context and a little bit of the visible historical past of the Deathstalker franchise to make this half RPG and half movie historical past.
What Writer Would possibly Tackle the Deathstalker TTRPG?
As mentioned, this sequence of flicks just isn’t for everybody. Alongside the identical traces, this undertaking won’t match into each writer’s publishing plan. Whereas researching this text, no less than one writer let me know that producing a Deathstalker TTRPG just isn’t on their publishing wishlist. Which is smart as a result of a writer must consider within the properties that they publish.
Assuming that there’s curiosity, a hypothetical writer must carry a number of objects to the desk. Amongst these, the flexibility to work with the licensor. Andreas Walters supplied some steerage on the topic right here (the feedback on this Fb publish concerning the article are additionally illuminating). Working with a licensor means Shout Manufacturing facility, Slash, and Steven Kostanski plus distributor Raven Banner Leisure and, probably, Vault Comics. The Deathstalker Kickstarters talked about every of those people and corporations by title, so it’s a secure wager that every one must seek the advice of on this undertaking. The flexibility to construct consensus whereas staying true to the property and followers can pay dividends.
As well as, the writer wants a built-in fanbase that may embrace an OSR model of Deathstalker. This property screams out for an old style OSR sourcebook influenced by the period of Deathstalker and the ‘80s sword-and-sorcery movies. Doing one other system could be a disservice to the spirit of those motion pictures. Subsequently you’ll want an OSR writer.
I’m going to share an inventory of potential publishers, however I need to make it clear that none of them have said that they’re or actively pursuing this property. That is my record of potentialities together with Darkish Wizard Video games, Bloat Video games, ThrowiGames, Pickpocket Press, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Mudpuppy Video games, and plenty of extra are potential publishers. All they want is a powerful need to make this occur, and the contacts to barter the contract.
Will There Ever Be a Deathstalker RPG?
We might by no means get an official Deathstalker TTRPG, or a sourcebook devoted to an current system, however there may be all the time the chance. TTRPG followers have lifted components of Deathstalker for his or her residence video games and one, Pun Issac on the Halls of the Nephilim weblog, mixed the setting with an current system for avid gamers to get pleasure from. Utilizing Bloat Video games’ The Blackest of Deaths engine, Pun offers stats in his articles “Deathstalker (1983)” for the “True Orc” and “Deathstalker II (1987)” for “Deathstalker (John Terlesky).” Pun supplied Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Version (2014) stats for “Pig Face” in “Swords & Saturdays – Deathstalker (1983)”.
Final yr, I spoke to Michael Paszt, Managing Associate at distributor Raven Banner Leisure Inc., and he report that there was an inquiry about licensing Deathstalker for a tabletop roleplaying sport, however the IP has not been licensed for TTRPGs at the moment. Meaning we could also be inching nearer to a Deathstalker TTRPG.
In case you are on this world to your gaming desk, what system would you employ for an incredible sport of Deathstalker? Which of the Deathstalker movies and comics did you want the perfect? Tell us within the feedback, and have enjoyable stalking demise!
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