The original Dark Tower board game used an electronic tower and was the centre of a legal battle. As a result, it’s rare and, with the tower model failing, gets even rarer and thus very collectable.
Step forward, Restoration Games. The company specialises in saving old games and doing something new and commercial with them. Bring on 9th Level Games, and we’ve a Kickstarter for an RPG based on the original.
The original is a board game in which players move around the tower. The RPG is similar, heavy in board game vibe, despite calling itself a roleplaying game. There’s still a race against time to take down the baddie.
The RPG is powered by 9th Level Games’ Polymorph RPG system. The mechanic in that engine is clever; each class/character is handled by a single dice. One might be a d4, another a d10, and while a d4 can never roll as high as a d10, it has a much higher chance of rolling a critical.
How does polymorph work for the Return to Dark Tower RPG? There’s a sneak preview for you to check out, at least while the Kickstarter is live, and find out.
Here’s how 9th Level describe the board gamey RPG;
The Return to Dark Tower RPG is designed to be played over a series of 3 to 5 game sessions collectively called a “campaign”. During each campaign, the players create an ADVERSARY together (or choose one of the existing great evils – like the Bane of Omens or the Ash Strider). One player will take on the role of the ADVERSARY and will act as the Maze Controller, or MC – the campaign’s game master. They will run the game sessions, and plot against the players using the resources laid out in the game manual to crush their puny heroes! The other players will each create a HERO and a COMPANION from one of the Four Kingdoms. Together, they will quest to assemble allies, armies, and artifacts of great power to aid their cause. They will take on quests and delve in dungeons to either build up their own power, or remove their enemies’ advantages.
As usual, you can support 9th Level Games and the project by sharing this Kickstarter with friends or by pledging some cash.
If you pledge $25 or more, you’ll get both the digital edition of the game and the Roll20 module. You’ll also get stretch goals.
At $50, with shipping to be added later, you’ll get the hardcover and add the physical stretch goals and the digital ones.
Keeping it simple, after a retailer level in the Kickstarter, there’s also a $125 pledge tier which is popular and adds the GM screen and the Player Tower accessory set.
9th Level estimate delivery around May 2023.
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