Oxford-based indie studio Midnight Tower has launched a crowdfunding campaign for its latest fifth edition adventure, The Body in the Mage Tower. The project is an 80-page murder mystery heavily inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic novel, Frankenstein. Following their recent appearance at the UK Games Expo in Birmingham, creators Tove and Erik have returned to their established fantasy setting of Eastern Farraway with a story designed specifically to challenge players’ deduction rather than simple combat mechanics.
The adventure begins with a classic hook: the characters receive a frantic plea for help from an old acquaintance, Dr Ivan Mortenberg. Upon arriving at Mortenberg Hall on a stormy night, the party discovers the doctor’s lifeless body inside his locked laboratory, with an attic window left swinging open and a bizarre creature reported roaming the nearby settlement of Coppertown. Written primarily for level 7 characters, the module features scalable encounters that allow it to be adapted for any party from level 1 to level 20.
Gothic Themes and Mechanical Investigation
This module provides a distinct shift from traditional dungeon crawling, focusing on social interaction, witness interviews, and physical clue gathering. The book includes eight fully detailed non-player characters, each outfitted with distinct backgrounds and hidden agendas that players must unravel to identify the killer. The layout is supported by original artwork, featuring character portraits from Alaina Milare and a two-page centrefold spread of Mortenberg Hall by concept artist Oleksii Chernik, whose previous illustration credits include work on major properties such as Diablo and Fallout.
The expansion is fully compatible with both the 2014 and 2024 core rules for the Fifth Edition, as well as adjacent RPG systems like Tales of the Valiant and Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition. For groups operating on alternative game engines, the investigative mechanics are designed for straightforward conversion into systems like Pathfinder Second Edition. Alongside the main text, all backers receive The Secret Research Notes, a companion compendium that aggregates all unlocked stretch goals, including unique magical items, regional lore, and thematic custom character sheets illustrated by the artist Bookwyrmling.
Campaign Scale and Backer Tiers
Rather than offering only basic digital files, the campaign features structured tiers that scale from low-income PDF access to comprehensive physical archives. Digital backers receive the core book and the stretch-goal compendium as high-resolution files, along with a virtual tabletop asset pack containing tokens, gridless maps, and digital handouts. Physical options introduce full-colour softcover and hardcover printings produced on FSC-certified recyclable paper within the United Kingdom.
- Pledge £1: Midnight Tower Supporter. Access to updates, community involvement, and project tracking.
- Pledge £6: Body in the Mage Tower (Low Income). Full digital PDF copy of the 80-page book and compendium, reserved for students, veterans, healthcare workers, or those facing economic hardship.
- Pledge £12: Body in the Mage Tower (PDF). Standard digital tier containing high-resolution full colour PDF copies of the adventure, the stretch goal compendium, and your name printed in the book.
- Pledge £25: Body in the Mage Tower (Softcover Book). Premium full colour softcover print edition with perfect binding and a glossy cover, plus accompanying digital PDF rewards. Shipping collected after the campaign.
- Pledge £35: Body in the Mage Tower (Hardcover Book). Case bound full colour glossy hardcover printing of the adventure and compendium, alongside complete digital file access. Shipping collected after the campaign.
- Pledge £75: The Mystery Collection (Digital format). Digital bundle containing seven complete mystery adventures spanning over 560 pages of investigative gameplay.
- Pledge £80: For Retailers. Five physical hardcover copies of the book intended exclusively for brick and mortar retail stores, with store names featured in the print edition.
- Pledge £150: The Midnight Tower Digital Library. Complete digital archive containing 23 adventures and over 1,500 pages of content published by the studio since 2019.
- Pledge £200: The Collector’s Edition Box. Signed and uniquely numbered hardcover edition with an exclusive alternate cover. Includes liquid core dice, a leather journal, an engraved leather bookmark, a campaign poster, and worldwide shipping.
- Pledge £250: The Mystery Book Collection. Physical hardcover editions of all seven mystery modules released by the studio, plus a physical Gamemaster screen and a glow-in-the-dark dice set.
- Pledge £450: The Midnight Tower Book Library. Ultimate physical collection compiling 13 hardcover books, the complete campaign guide, a custom Gamemaster screen, and specialised dice accessories.
The campaign has already surged past its initial funding target of £2,300, securing over £18,000 from digital and physical tabletop players. The funding window is fixed on an all-or-nothing basis, concluding on Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 3:31 PM BST. Digital rewards are scheduled to begin distribution via DriveThruRPG in November 2026, with final physical printing shipments estimated to go out to backers by February 2027.
