So the older members should remember when I was publishing the Kaidan setting of Japanese Horror (PFRPG) as an imprint under Rite Publishing. Well from 2010 to 2017, I published a GM's Guide, a Player's Guide, 2 class/faction guides, 3 racial guides, a haunts guide, a 3 full module introductory mini campaign, and five one-shot modules. While it's been a success, now that I'm my own small publisher and creating 2 products with another within in a week supporting the Starfinder Roleplaying Game of science fantasy, my next big project is to convert Kaidan fantasy to the Kaidan Interstellar setting of Japanese Horror. A feudal Japan and MegaCorps or samurai and starships setting.
It looks like it's going to be a 360 page Core Rules guide with 140 pages of art, maps, deck plans and tables, making it the largest production I've ever been involved with. I'm shooting for a Halloween 2018 release, though anything could delay that. It will be a setting guide, GM's guide, player's guide and a bestiary of up to 24 Japanese monsters, so a comprehensive guide. Buyers should be pleased to get an "all in one book" setting guide.
I've been digging up and gathering art to support the project - even a map I created for a CG monthly Challenge sponsored by Kobold Press as a map used in an adventure module long ago (don't remember when this was). Djekspek won that by 1 vote, after an exciting week of neck in neck in the voting process - it took the author of the module to vote and break the tie! That was a fun challenge, and though I didn't win, and Djekspek's work was great, it was so close. So now I'm going to use that map in my Core Rules, since it wasn't published previously - makes me glad I didn't win that challenge
While the capital of Kaidan will be like a futuristic Tokyo mega-city with castles, shrines, and temples mixed with skyscrapers and a vast modern city beyond, I want the countryside to appear more like traditional cities, towns and villages of the feudal period. There is still tech, but it's hidden underground, in buildings that look traditional on the outside with computers and power plants on the inside, so I can use the map as-is. (I posted that map below)
Also, 10 years ago I purchased 20 pieces of awesome b/w pencil illustrations from Mark Hyzer of Japanese monsters, which I only used 7 pieces throughout all the original Kaidan releases. I contacted Mark just to make sure he wouldn't mind or wouldn't require me to repay to use any of the pieces I already did use. I got his approval, so that's 20 pieces of awesome art I don't have to pay for. Small RPG publishers have art budgets from $0 to $100 most of the time - I need every break I can get. Where I did spend some money was for cover art. While the artist, Alessandro Botti is Italian, and he includes himself as self-portraits in his personal work, so the armored samurai doesn't look Asian, I'm okay with it, as this is a very awesome cover art, and most RPG covers just aren't this good. The landscape orientation is a little problematic for a cover design, but I will make it work.
Anyway, though it will be a big project, I am really looking forward to it. While I will be the author, I have a brilliant designer, Edward Moyer, who will do the rules conversion from Pathfinder to Starfinder. Though we'll cut some of the Pathfinder stuff out, since a full conversion isn't perfect, but we're including so much, including extra stuff, it should convert fairly straight forward. I am really looking for this massive project!
Enjoy!
GP
iwaizumi-odp-map.jpg Same-bito.jpg kaidan-2-cover.jpg