What Would You Like To See in Sundara in 2024?

As I step into 2024, I realize that I'm closing in on 3 years of releasing content for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting. It all started with the initial release of Ironfire: The City of Steel back in 2021, and since then I've put out a total of 17 unique splat books for it (many of which have been double released for Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons), with one more on the docket to be released later this month. That book, for those who've been wondering, is Merchants of Sundara, which I've been hyping up for a little bit.

However, with the year still fresh, I wanted to ask you all something... what would you like to see for Sundara while we start wading into 2024?

More like this supplement, perhaps?

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

There's So Much Of The Setting That's Still Open

While Sundara has been one of my biggest ongoing projects, I've been placing less emphasis on it over the past year and change. However, it's definitely still on my work desk as a place I'd like to add more stuff to... if there's an audience for it, of course.

So whether you're someone who's been following the setting since I first started putting out splats for it, or you're one of the recent arrivals to these strange and unusual lands, now is your time to raise your voice and let me know what you'd like to see for both the setting's official releases, but also for the supplemental material and associated media that I (and other folks) put together for it!

For example, do you want to see more cities in the setting? Or, since Cities of Sundara: Hoardreach seems to have become popular overnight for no particular reason (other than the fact that it's awesome), should I delve deeper into this location run by a Cooperation of 5 dragons and write an adventure module that takes place there? Or should I write a piece of fiction set in the city, either as text, as an audio drama, or perhaps both if the audience likes it enough?

Something that expands on the story I already wrote for the supplement, and which has been made into an audio story on the channel, Testing Your Wings, perhaps?

As you can see, these questions go beyond just which pieces of content should I put up for sale on DTRPG. For example, would you like to see a follow up to my Ask Me Anything About Sundara that I made a little over a year ago, answering fresh questions about the setting? Do you have a particular rules system that you'd like to see already existing supplements ported to, whether it's Castles and Crusades, Savage Worlds, or any others? Do you have something that you feel has been overlooked in Sundara so far that you want to see addressed, either on this blog, on the YouTube series Speaking of Sundara, if not as part of future releases?

I'm asking you all directly because while there are lots of things I'd like to do with Sundara as a setting, a soldier marches on his stomach. The fewer copies the setting moves, and the fewer views videos about it generate, the tougher it is to go back to the well to draw up more water... not only that, but the less activity the setting generates, the harder a sell future content becomes. Because if something hasn't proven profitable, then why would a publisher want to keep doubling down on it in the hopes that it might, maybe, possibly become popular in the future?

So if there's something you would like to see, whatever form it takes, make your voice heard! And if there's something that already exists in the setting that you want to see more of, please consider boosting the signal on that story, supplement, video, etc., so that more people can become aware of it. The better the setting does, after all, the higher a priority I can make it for future releases.

Need To Catch Up On Sundara?

Whether this is the first you're hearing about Sundara, or you're one of the folks who picked up the Deal of The Day and are curious about what else you can find in this setting, the older supplements are all listed below! Additionally, I've been putting together episodes of Speaking of Sundara on the Azukail Games YouTube channel (which you should definitely subscribe to) talking about some of the design strategies I've used, breaking down what's in particular supplements, and explaining some of the changes I've made to what folks might expect from a traditional fantasy RPG setting, from how I chopped out alignment, to the uncertain nature of gods, to how technology and magic both lead to unique inventions among the people of Sundara!

Check out the full 26-video Speaking of Sundara playlist, in addition to the following supplements!

Cities of Sundara

The setting first began with the Cities of Sundara splats. Self-contained guides to some of the larger and more powerful centers of trade, industry, arms, and magic, these unique locations provide plenty of fodder for character generation and plots. Not only that, but each one comes with unique, mechanical goodies for players and GMs alike to take out for a spin!

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!

- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and DND 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.

- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.

- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.

- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.

Gods of Sundara

- Gods of Sundara (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E): In a world with no alignment, and where the gods are often genuinely mysterious forces that are far too large for mortals to truly comprehend, the divine feels genuinely strange and unknown... something that really does have to be taken on faith. This supplement provides a sample pantheon for Sundara, but also provides instructions on how to easily make your own gods in a world where you can't cast a spell and tell whether someone is good or evil.

Species of Sundara

Sundara is filled with creatures that many of us recognize, but I wanted to give greater depth to their cultures, and a wider variety of options. After all, humans always get 15+ ethnicities, languages, and unique histories, while elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, etc. are almost always left with footnotes, or maybe with a handful of offshoots. So, in short, I wanted to give all the fantastical creatures the treatment that humans usually get in our games.

And there is no human book yet. If readers demand to know more, then I may sit down to pen one... but I figured that humans didn't need to be front-and-center in this setting just yet.

- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!

- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.

- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.

- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!

- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.

- Gnomes of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Gnomes are strange creatures, found in places where the spirit of the land has coalesced and made children of its own. The sons and daughters of the ancient nymphs, they are the stewards of these places, and they change as often as the weather and the land.

Organizations of Sundara

Phase 3 has been going strong, but there's still a few titles left in it! So if you haven't seen them, consider checking out:

- Sellswords of Sundara: With power structures being smaller in scale in Sundara, standing armies aren't often maintained for long. As such, soldiers of fortune are quite common! This supplement contains 10 mercenary companies, their history, uniform, sample members, whispers and rumors, as well as either an archetype or subclass for playing these unique warriors. Grab your copy for Pathfinder of DND 5E.

- Cults of Sundara: Faith comes in many forms in Sundara, and there are as many gods in the Prim as there are dreams in the minds of people. This supplement contains write-ups for 10 cults, their histories, sample members, rumors about them, their beliefs and tenets, and a unique magic item for each. Get your copy for Pathfinder or DND 5E.

- Guilds of Sundara: While cities and villages may be relatively local, guilds are spread across the length and width of Sundara. From professional orders of skilled miners and dredgers, to monster slayers and bounty hunters, this supplement has 10 guilds with histories, sample members, rumors, as well as unique feats one can take to represent the skill and benefits of joining this order. Available for Pathfinder as well as DND 5E.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"Threat Assessments," "Medals of Honor," and More in 2024 For Army Men!

While I've been quiet about the project for the past several months as proofs get sent out, and prints get finalized, my first ever TTRPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic is currently on-schedule to be released in Spring of 2024! And in case you missed it, forgot about it, or you find yourself with a little extra holiday cash to spend, you can still grab a copy for yourself.

However, I don't just want to remind folks that this game exists. Rather, I wanted to give regular readers some updates on what's going on behind the scenes, and some of the things I'm currently working on for additional supplements and expansions that should be hitting the ground right behind the initial release!

We've got incoming!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Reinforcements on The Horizon!

While the initial Kickstarter for Army Men was a success (once again, a huge thank you to everyone who helped make it a reality), we didn't quite manage to reach any of our stretch goals, much less make the huge splash that some projects out there have. So while we don't have the extra scratch to put together any extra large rulebooks to cover additional genres and styles of play (yet) my hope is that the game will grow in popularity, and that there will be an audience demand for more once people get a look at what I and the rest of the team made.

However, there are a couple of smaller supplements that I'm currently tinkering with that I feel I can talk about to peak folks' interest. Because while the initial project was a rather large labor of love, there's still so much more that I feel we can cover with this game!

For unflinching valor under fire...

One of the first supplements I've been working on is something I'm tentatively titling Army Men: Medals of Honor. In this RPG you don't really have personal equipment the same way you do in traditional games; rather, you requisition your equipment before your mission. This cuts down on the constant treasure grabbing, and it provides your Game Master a relatively easy method of helping set the tone for your mission, as well as your difficulty. However, something I wanted to introduce as a kind of milestone mechanic was the concept of medals you can be awarded for your conduct. So whether you performed deeds of great valor, you saved companions at great risk to yourself, or in some cases survived what should have been a suicide mission, characters (or even entire squads) may be awarded these medals.

While that's fun for your story, and really adds to the military flair of the game (pun very much intended), the idea behind the medals system is that it will give you some kind of bonus that you can carry forth from that point onward. For relatively "easy" medals, like the Crimson Badge (the Styric Republic's equivalent of the Purple Heart with Silver Cluster, for those in the know), this might allow a recipient to, once per mission, gain temporary hit points when they would otherwise start making death saves because they're so used to fighting through injuries in the field. Alternatively, the Order of The Circle is a medal that denoted those who have been recognized by the ruler of United Polymeria (the equivalent of being knighted by the British crown, and just as with this honor, those not from the nation may only be given an honorary version of this medal). This medal may grant one bonuses in social situations, access to facilities they would normally be restricted from, and other benefits.

My hope is that all of these medals will be fun and useful, and that it's one of the many systems in this game that end up getting expansions both by myself, as well as by people who play Army Men!

They're in the goddamn trees!

The other supplement I'm currently working on which doesn't have a title as far as I know (but which I have labeled Threat Assessments in my notes), is a collection of additional antagonists for folks to use in their missions to spice things up a bit!

The base book has a bestiary of threats, ranging from regular animals one might have to deal with, through a dozen different varieties of Vespoid (the colossal, insectoid menaces that caused the different nations to unite into the Plastos Federation in the first place), but one of the original tiers on offer was to help design new monsters and threats... so that's what this project is going to do!

While there are going to be new vespoid forms and mutations, there are also going to be a variety of other types of enemy introduced through this supplement. Some are riffs on other types of toys (both the Creepy Crawlers and Easy Bake Oven were put forth by folks who supported the Kickstarter), but you're likely to also find those cheap, space-age looking robots, along with some unsettling military experiments that may have slipped the leash, and escaped from the laboratories of the various Federation nations.

EDIT: Threat Assessments and Medals of Honor are both now live on DTRPG!

What Could Be Next?

My hope is that these relatively modest projects are just stepping stones to bigger things for this game. As I mentioned in older posts like What's Next For "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic" After The Kickstarter?, I still want to put together supplements like Motor Pool where I get into vehicles and vehicular combat. I'd also like to work on the next book Soldiers of Fortune, which discusses missions undertaken as freelancers and mercenaries, which will introduce new casts (classes), weapons, monetary tracking systems, and even a reputation system that will play into what kinds of clients you may attract, as well as how famous (or infamous) you and your fellow contractors are.

And, of course, I'd love to produce mission packs so that you have some objectives to send your various squads after. Covert operations, bug hunts, reconnaissance, naval patrol... there's a whole lot of possibilities out there! But, as with all things, how much time, effort, and energy can be dedicated to that will depend partially on you. You are the players and the Game Masters, and we need your support to make the game bigger, better, and more expansive than it already is!

So please, get yourself a copy if you haven't yet, and tell your friends about us so we can keep building interest and excitement in this game, and its unique setting. And if you're just hearing about this game for the first time, and you're wondering just what all this hype is about (not unusual, FB ate a lot of my attempts to spread the word earlier in 2023), then check out Under The Hood With "Army Men": A 5E Game With A Lot of Tactical Add-Ons to get the low-down on what the game itself is like, and some of its more unique selling points. And in the event you didn't see it, check out the short video I made for the Kickstarter itself to really get folks in the spirits of the game!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my noir cat novels Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!