Thanks to your awesome support, you have unlocked the $30K stretch goal! We are happy we now have the funds to add sleek spot UV coatings to the Fantasy Heroes Unbound hardcovers: core rulebook, Bestiary, Khromys, and Origins. A UV coating really does make a difference compared to an uncoated cover.
$40K Stretch Goal: Bookmark Ribbons for Hardcovers
As we mentioned in the previous update, another physical update will be unlocked if the campaign reaches $40K in funding: a satiny bookmark ribbon will be sewn into each hardcover spine to help keep your place.
Sneak Peek: Table of Contents
You’ve already read through the 32-page PDF Primer linked on the campaign page, right? Here’s another sneak peek that highlights what's in the core rulebook: the Fantasy Heroes Unbound table of contents.
Thank you so very much for helping this campaign fund in the first eight hours! Your support for Fantasy Heroes Unbound has been amazing! 🥳
You can help us keep the momentum going by letting your gamer friends and family know about your pledge. It would also help the campaign to spread the word on your social media feeds (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.) as well as on your game industry communities (Enworld, RPGnet, Reddit, etc.). Dyskami’s network only reaches so far, so we greatly appreciate the role you play as our Fantasy Heroes Unbound early adopters and influencers.
✅ And if you don’t yet receive email news from Dyskami, sign up to our low-volume newsletter at http://dyskami.ca/signup/
Now, Onto The Stretch Goals!
You may have noticed that we have already posted the first two stretch goals on the campaign page.
If the campaign reaches $30K in funding, you’ll unlock the first physical upgrade: spiffy spot UV coatings will be overlaid onto the covers of all hardcover books (core rulebook, Bestiary, Khromys, and Origins), adding perfect finishes to their gorgeous illustrations.
Then, if the campaign reaches $40K in funding, convenient satiny bookmark ribbons will be sewn into each hardcover spine (the four books above, plus the Deluxe Limited Edition core RPG) to keep your important pages handy. While these bookmarks are not essential upgrades, they sure beat using a pen, ruler, or character sheet to hold your spot while you leaf through the books.
Once again, thank you so very much for helping bring this reimagined Fifth Edition core rules to life with Fantasy Heroes Unbound! We’ll check in again soon.
It’s time! Fantasy Heroes Unbound RPG - Unleashing Fifth Edition is officially LIVE!
Thank you to everyone who followed the project, reserved, or helped us spread the word.
Now we get to Unleash Fifth Edition together.
New to Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is how projects like this come to life. Instead of one big investor, thousands of people come together to make it happen.
One important thing to know:
You won't be charged for your pledge, add-ons, or shipping until after the campaign ends.
How to Pledge
1. Create a BackerKit account
You'll need an account to pledge. It's also where you'll receive updates and manage your pledge throughout the campaign.
2. Choose Your Pledge Pick the reward tier that's right for you.
3. Choose any Add-ons you may want Want another set of dice? More books? You can add them before checking out.
4. Complete your pledge Once that's done, you're officially along for the ride.
5. After the campaign ends
We'll email you a survey where you'll confirm your selections, update your shipping information, and make any final adjustments to your order.
(If you selected Pay Over Time, your survey will arrive after your final payment.)
Meet the Species of Fantasy Heroes Unbound Now, let's show you a little of what you're backing.
Fantasy Heroes Unbound is built around giving you greater freedom to create the hero you have in mind, and your Species is one part of that process.
Combine your Species with Classes, Attributes, Build Points, and the rest of the Unbound character creation toolkit to start shaping a hero that's distinctly yours.
We'll be taking a closer look at these Species and plenty more throughout the campaign.
Tell us about your dream character! How often have you had a Fifth Edition character idea that you couldn't quite build? Let us know in the poll at the bottom of this update.
Then head to the comments and tell us about your dream character. Give us the character concept you've always wanted to bring to the table, especially one you've struggled to make work quite the way you imagined.
Thanks for being here with us! Let's have a great launch!
Fantasy Heroes Unbound started with a simple idea:
Give players the tools to build the character they actually imagined.
We recently sat down with Fantasy Heroes Unbound creator Mark MacKinnon to talk about where the game came from, why customization became such an important part of its design, and what he hopes players discover when they create their first character.
For Mark, the inspiration came from seeing how much players enjoy the Fifth Edition framework while still wanting more freedom within it. “Gamers are big fans of customisation, and many view the traditional species/class/level approach in Fifth Edition as too restrictive. They like the framework, but yearn for more flexibility and creativity.”
That desire for flexibility became one of the foundations of Fantasy Heroes Unbound.
Build the Character You Have in Mind
Character ideas don't always fit neatly into the options available in traditional Fifth Edition character creation.
Fantasy Heroes Unbound introduces a point-based framework alongside its familiar Class and Level structure. Build Points give players more control over the features, abilities, and talents that shape their characters.
That means your original idea can guide more of the decisions you make during character creation.
As Mark puts it: “Give players the tools to be creative, and they’ll make unbelievably rich and evocative characters.”
Classes and Species provide a foundation, while Attributes and other customization options give you room to develop the details that make your hero distinct.
The result is a character creation system designed to support a much wider range of concepts while staying connected to the Fifth Edition framework players already understand.
Give Players the Tools
Fantasy Heroes Unbound comes packed with new options, including 14 original Classes and 12 new, point-costed Species.
But Mark's larger goal for the system goes beyond expanding the menu of available choices. “Unbound doesn’t tell players and DMs ‘this is the way it’s done’ with another monster book, another set of classes and species, another tome of prescribed spells. Rather, it provides the means for them to decide for themselves the best way to create and play.”
That philosophy extends throughout Fantasy Heroes Unbound.
The point-based framework gives players greater control over their characters, while the broader toolkit gives Dungeon Masters additional ways to shape their games.
The possibilities come from what you decide to create with those tools.
A Fresh Look at Fifth Edition
Fantasy Heroes Unbound supports both the 2014 and 2024 versions of Fifth Edition, allowing players to bring their existing knowledge of the game with them.
Mark hopes the additional flexibility can help longtime players discover new possibilities within a system they already enjoy. “The endless variety of Fantasy Heroes Unbound means players and DMs can avoid ruts and the dangers of ‘sameness’ with Fifth Edition play.”
A new character concept, an unusual combination of features, or a different approach to building a campaign can be enough to get the ideas moving again.
That's what Unleash Fifth Edition means to us: opening up the framework and seeing where your creativity takes it.
Fantasy Heroes Unbound launches September 8 on BackerKit.
Follow the campaign now to get the Fantasy Heroes Unbound RPG Primer free and be there when the campaign goes live.
You can also reserve your pledge for $5 to receive a 32-page Fantasy Heroes Unbound Character Folio, valued at $15!
One More Question Before You Go...
We want to hear from you:
How often have you had a character idea that Fifth Edition couldn't quite build?
Cast your vote in the poll below, then tell us about that character in the comments!
What were you trying to build? What part of the character couldn't quite work the way you imagined?
We may even pick a few of your ideas and show you how we'd build them in Fantasy Heroes Unbound.
As we gear up for the September 8 launch of the Fantasy Heroes Unbound RPG crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit, we have some additional sneak peeks to share.
First is the Session 0 character creation for the livestreaming Unbound mini-campaign by Casters and Castles. You can watch the three-hour video on their Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2856542151?t=00h16m30s). Four additional gameplay sessions will roll out over the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
Next is the one-hour podcast interview that Unbound designer Mark MacKinnon had with Mildra. You can listen to the audio of their discussion about the Fantasy Heroes Unbound core rules and expansion on Mildra’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/live/lKeyOlnGops?si=mK7ygywIv4lpZmTX&t=180).
We hope you enjoy this additional Fantasy Heroes Unbound previews. Thanks for following the campaign!
