Cairn is a rules-light tabletop RPG with a good reputation. The second edition in boxed set form is smashing it on Kickstarter.
Well over 2,500 backers have increased Cairn 2e’s funding to 400%, and there are still three weeks to get involved.
The first edition of Cairn hit Platinum Best Seller at DriveThruRPG before designer Yochai Gal kindly made it a free download.
Cairn 1e will be familiar to fans of Into the Odd, and Gal has enhanced the rules for 2e. In particular, Cairn 2e is larger and clearer on the rules. Backgrounds, for example, have unique abilities, equipment sets, histories, and roles/relations in the world.
The Warden’s Guide has advice, a bestiary, spellbooks, character levelling rules and details on the world of Vald.
The Wood surrounds and divides the realm and anyone (or anything) that has not yet sworn fealty. The Wood is not one forest, but all forests. The Root is the realm of mystery and horror underneath, and does not care for the petty divisions overground.
Backers at $20 get a digital copy of the Cairn 2e box set which means the Player’s Guide, Warden’s Guide, the adventure Trouble in Twin Lakes in digital and other digital stretch goals.
At $30, backers get those three books in print and PDF but still only digital stretch goals.
Stepping up to $55, there are the three books in print and PDF, the Warden’s Screen, character sheets pad, Collector’s Box, and both digital and physical stretch goals.
There’s a higher retailer tier.
The new Cairn team estimates a March 2025 release date for the tiers, and the Kickstarter campaign will run until April 26th.
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As far as I know, the first edition has always been a free download.