Mike Connell, Kevin Manklow, and Frank Avila have launched a Kickstarter campaign for Feral, a historical fantasy roleplaying game set during the 18th-century North American fur trade. The tabletop setting adapts the established Feral comic series into a survival-focused grimdark world where colonial expansion collides with Indigenous lore, mythology, and supernatural forces.
The campaign offers a system-agnostic 200-page Chronicle Keeper’s Guide alongside 40-page system-specific Player’s Handbooks, supporting Troll Lord Games’ Siege engine, Dungeons & Dragons 5E/5.5, and Shadowdark. The project requires $10,000 CAD to fund a minimum print run and production costs, with delivery to backers planned for the fourth quarter of 2027.
The Mark and corruption mechanics
Survival in the game requires navigating two distinct tracking systems that measure supernatural influence on the world and the characters. The Mark mechanic applies to wildlife, dictating five escalating stages of supernatural mutation that transform ordinary animals into apex threats.
The Corruption Meter tracks player choices on a spectrum between Feral, representing instinct and the untamed wilderness, and Crown, representing authority and order. Moving too far in either direction risks the character’s humanity or identity, forcing players to manage this balance to survive and retain their agency.
The Chronicle Keeper’s Guide
The core 200-page rulebook includes five character classes, over 20 folklore-inspired monsters, and an original 12-page comic. The book also features a ready-to-run adventure setting named Stonemill to help game masters start their first chronicle. The creators have stated a strict anti-generative AI policy for the project, relying entirely on human illustrators and indie creators to produce the physical and digital materials.
This is grimdark fantasy rooted in history and consequences rather than spectacle.”
Instead of a sprawling menu of isolated items, the campaign structures its reward tiers to accommodate digital-only players, physical collectors, and inner-circle patrons. The digital tiers bundle the core guide and a player handbook, while the premium tiers offer special edition bindings and direct input into the game’s ongoing development.
- Pledge $80 CAD (approx. £43): The Expedition Pack. Provides the physical and digital 200-page Chronicle Keeper’s Guide alongside a physical and digital Player’s Handbook for your chosen rule system.
- Pledge $125 CAD (approx. £67): Black Ledger Society: Inner circle. Includes the special edition physical rulebook, a player handbook, a membership badge, and access to a private development community for playtesting and direct feedback on game mechanics.
The Feral campaign operates on an all-or-nothing basis and will conclude on Wednesday, 25 November 2026, at 15:21 UTC. The estimated delivery date for physical and digital rewards is December 2027; shipping will be calculated and collected separately after the campaign ends.
