Antwerp-based artist and designer Tine Fieldling has launched a Kickstarter campaign for The Hazelands: Stories of Yonder & Yore, a fairy tale setting guide designed for 5E and adaptable to any tabletop roleplaying game system. Seeking an initial target of £3,391, the crowdfunding effort reached £16,865 within its opening days from more than 260 backers.
Fieldling, collaborating with the production and editorial team at Caesar Ink (Doomsong, The Dark Crystal roleplaying game), has shaped a 200-page sourcebook framed around European folklore, thirteenth-century illuminated manuscript presentation, and non-violent problem solving. The setting prioritises wit, trickery, and negotiating with fickle spirits over martial power, arriving at a moment when indie creators increasingly lean toward pastoral and folkloric fantasy to refresh standard d20 fantasy tropes.
Folklore mechanics and player options
The Hazelands replaces conventional dungeon crawls with wanderlust and fable logic, adding tailored rules for travel, regional curses, and coin-flipping mechanics that introduce unpredictable complications to standard checks. The volume includes:
- Six Species: Faerie, Hazelands Elf, Gnome, Hobgoblin, Kinsfolk, and both one- and two-headed Trolls.
- Six Subclasses: Path of the Bridge Troll (Barbarian), Messenger of Pod (Cleric), College of Fools (Bard), Circle of the Woodwose (Druid), Dragonslayer (Fighter), and the Woman of the Woods Patron (Warlock).
- Character Backgrounds and Magic: 12 backgrounds (including Dethroned, Witch’s Errand Runner, and Adventurous Yokel), alongside 13 thematic spells such as Frog Rain, Shadow Snip, and Borrow Name.
- Bestiary and Tools: 32 folkloric creatures, such as the Flemish Kludde, the Goblin King, and the Troll-knight, supported by 15 random tables and more than 20 magic items.
- Included Adventures: A light-hearted introductory one-shot involving a king who lost his keys, followed by a multi-part campaign scaled for levels 2 to 7.
Medieval book production and 3D printable STL files
The hardback volume is presented in B5 format, with sewn binding, high-grade paper, a ribbon bookmark, and full-page decorative borders reminiscent of illuminated marginalia. Ems Verhaert, Zuzana Čupová, Jarne D., and Max FitzGerald provide the art, with additional layout and marginalia by Fieldling.
Alongside the core book, the project offers at least 22 printable miniature STL files sculpted by Fieldling and RossydoesDrawings, plus an unlocked guest terrain piece sculpted by Johnny Fraser-Allen (known for his modular miniature work and film contributions with Wētā). The campaign also features physical add-ons, including lead-free pewter and tin-zinc medieval pilgrim badges, a hemmed 60cm by 40cm cotton fabric map, and a limited run of five hand-drawn illuminated letters produced with oak gall ink and gold leaf.
Pledge tiers and fulfilment timeline
Entry-level access starts at €20 (approximately £17) with the Digital Scribe tier, which includes the PDF edition and digital print-at-home tidbits. Physical backers can secure the sewn hardcover volume via the Illuminator tier at €42 (approximately £36), while collectors seeking both physical and digital items can explore premium options: the €121 (approx. £103) Monster Hunter tier bundles the book, printable STL files, and a pewter Walking Ship badge; the €184 (approx. £157) Frog King tier adds the fabric map and Snail Mail art pack; and the top-tier €266 (approx. £226) Storyteller package combines all rewards with an original, hand-illuminated manuscript letter.
Digital files and STL packages are scheduled for release in August 2027, with physical book dispatches and regional fulfilment out of the UK, the Netherlands, and North America following between September and October 2027. The project operates under an all-or-nothing model and concludes on Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at 6:00 PM BST.
