Magpie Games has launched a massively successful Kickstarter campaign for Temeraire: The Roleplaying Game, an officially licensed tabletop adaptation of the award-winning fantasy novels by Naomi Novik. The project blew past its initial funding goal immediately and has already secured over £287,000 from thousands of backers.
Set in an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars where sentient dragons are integrated into the world’s military forces, the game allows players to join the British Aerial Corps. Magpie Games, known for major licensed titles like Avatar Legends and Root: The Roleplaying Game, brings their extensive design pedigree to the project with a brand new mechanical engine.
The Ædana System and Draconic Combat
To simulate the high-stakes environment of Regency-era military life and aerial combat, Temeraire uses the newly developed Ædana System. The core mechanic relies on a straightforward d6 dice pool for challenge rolls. Players assemble dice based on their character’s attributes, skills, assets, and favourable circumstances, rolling to secure ‘hits’ on results of 5 and 6.
The system goes beyond simple combat resolution by introducing a “Duties and Desires” mechanic. British society and the military chain of command act as a silken cage; players must balance their strict orders and obligations (Duties) against their personal passions (Desires). Invoking a Duty allows a player to guarantee a hit, while invoking a Desire allows for massive dice rerolls, mechanically rewarding characters who lean into their internal conflicts.
Building a Formation
Players are not restricted to playing human officers. A table will collectively build a flight formation, with players taking on roles such as the lead dragon, a bonded captain, or a signaller responsible for communicating orders mid-flight.
Character creation is highly specific to the setting. Humans select their Position, Nationality, Service Record, Station, and Temperament. Those choosing to play a dragon will select their Breed (from diminutive scouts to massive beasts like the Regal Copper), Age, Education, and unique Distinctions.
Reward Tiers
The campaign offers a range of options, from accessible digital copies to deluxe collector packages.
- Pledge $29 (approx. £22): DIGITAL ONLY. Digital PDF copies of the core rulebook, the A World of Wings supplement, and all unlocked digital stretch goals.
- Pledge $59 (approx. £45): ENSIGN. A physical hardcover copy of the core book, plus the PDFs and digital stretch goals.
- Pledge $99 (approx. £75): MIDWINGMAN. Physical hardcover copies of both the core book and the A World of Wings supplement, plus PDFs and digital stretch goals.
- Pledge $149 (approx. £113): CAPTAIN. The physical core book and supplement, plus a GM screen, a custom dice pack, and all unlocked physical and digital stretch goals.
- Pledge $249 (approx. £188): ADMIRAL. Everything in the Captain tier, plus deluxe metal dice, a dice scroll, and an upgrade to a deluxe physical hardcover core book.
For players eager to test the skies immediately, Magpie Games has released a comprehensive preview. You can download the Temeraire: The Roleplaying Game Quickstart right now to review the rules and run a preliminary mission.
The Kickstarter project is all-or-nothing and will close on Thursday, March 26th, 2026. Physical delivery is estimated for September 2027.
