The Gallantfunding is currently active for By Feather and Coop, the latest supplement for The Hero's Journey, Second Edition. This zine supplement will be available in both PDF and Print. You can get the PDF for $3.99 or the Print+PDF combo for $6.99. I'd really appreciate your support in this little project.
I know it might seem strange to do a book that focuses on chickens, but for me it was never really out of the question and fits quite well within the paradigm and ethos of The Hero's Journey, Second Edition. THJ2e is firmly rooted in folktales and mythology and more than a few children's stories. This is where the idea began to germinate in my mind - in the works of novels such as The Book of the Dun Cow or fable of Chanticleer and the Fox - the latter of which dates back to the medieval period.
But beyond even that, The Hero's Journey, Second Edition has a very "salt of the earth" subtext in how it presents player characters. Most of the professions in the core book are workers, farmers, craftsmen, and the like. There are no superheroes in this game. Even its Archetypes, like the Yeoman, are presented with a humble overtone.
Animal protagonists have a place in fables and animal companions have a place in fairy tales. They'e humble, steadfast, loyal, and use their unique inhuman (yet still very rooted in the real world) abilities to aid their two-legged allies that wield sword and spell to defeat evil. They are often the heart of the story given characterization and form. Whether it's A Horse and His Boy, the dog Denmark from Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, or everyone's favorite pack pony Bill of Lord of the Rings fame.
Chickens are present in my everyday life and have something so very mundane, so very humble, so very simple in their nature. Feathers to provide mattresses and pillows, eggs to provide food, a crow to wake us at the dawn. But if you've ever seen a rooster get their ire up and prance about proudly, then you know they can be quite fearsome when riled. Provider and protector, yet firmly rooted in the comforts of home that the simple chicken enjoys and protects without complaint.
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I can't think of something that more accurately encapsulates the values of The Hero's Journey, Second Edition.
By Feather and Coop is currently Gallantfunding until October 7th. You can support the fundraising pre-order at this link.
I had never thought of the game this way, but "salt of the earth" clicked for me. It's a new way to help differentiate it from it's dungeon crawler contemporaries. Thank you for sharing this, James!
ReplyDeleteLooks fully funded now! Great, I look forward to buying it through DriveThru in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened with "Betwixt & Between: A Book of Fairie Lore" ?
ReplyDeleteIt has been completed drafted (at over 60,000 words!), but the pandemic put a monkey wrench into a lot of our larger products. Smaller products like By Feather and Coop are released because they have less lead time and let customers know the product line is still very much alive. Betwixt and Between is coming up very, very soon.
ReplyDeleteAny update on "By Feather and Coop"? I haven't heard anything from GKG since before the campaign closed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd just like to let you know that as one of the Kickstarter backers for "The Hero's Journey, 2nd Edition", I *loved* it, and everything you've put out for it so far. I'm really looking forward to "By Feather and Coop", and to "Betwixt and Between."
Thank you!