Tabletop game studio Autarch LLC is crowdfunding their next supplement, Lairs & Encounters. The Kickstarter will run for another 24 days, but already they’ve exceeded their goal.
Lairs & Encounters will supplement the Adventurer Conqueror King System, or ACKS, but will work with other games based on the D20 tabletop role-playing system. It will feature a whopping 135 ready-made areas for use in campaigns, whether as stand alone encounters or as part of a larger narrative surrounding “a would-be ruler’s attempt to secure land for his domain.”
There are new subsystems for creating a sandbox role-playing environment, such as guidelines for populating the empty miles between points of interest on a hex map with lairs based on the map’s general disposition of settlements, and the types of terrain. There’s also a new scouting system in place for “searching for lairs” so that your adventurers can get to the action while staying in character.
They’ve also included a complete system for the taming and training of monsters, for those of a Dungeons & Dragons meets Pokemon persuasion. It’s rather extensive, covering everything from monster lifespans, to the roles they play in combat, and the tricks each creature employs. If none of the available creatures are to your particular specifications, Lairs & Encounters will also include a complete and rigorously detailed system for creating your own.
Lairs & Encounters features a team of talented fantasy artists, including Michael Syrigos, Simon Forster, and Cecil Howe. And while the Kickstarter has already sailed past its goal, there is still plenty of time to jump in and secure a copy at release, perhaps alongside one of the numerous donation tier rewards. Notably, the very top spot that starts at $5,000 is still open. Whoever snags it will get to feature their own custom designed lair and its denizens on the cover of the supplement. If you’re an aspiring Evil Overlord, or just a typically sadistic Dungeon Master, make sure to check it out.