‘City Builder’ Platinum Edition Kickstarter Update #29: ‘Bathhouse’ and ‘Oracle’ Writeups Unlocked!

We maintained strong momentum moving through day twenty-nine of our Kickstarter campaign for a "Platinum Edition" of Skirmisher Publishing’s City Builder: A Guide to Designing Communities and by midday had unlocked two more Stretch Goals! This will allow us to even further expand the “In the Footsteps of Hercules” system-free companion book we are developing for backers. 

* When we hit $27,000 we unlocked the Nemean Baths, a specific example of a Bathhouse (one of the general sorts of places that appears in City Builder). Located in the town where Hercules slew the fearsome Lion of Nemea, this large bathhouse is popular both with athletes competing at the adjacent sports complex and with travelers walking the Footsteps of Hercules pilgrimage trail. 

* When we reached $28,000 we unlocked the Cave of the Tables of Knowledge, a specific example of an Oracle (one of the general sorts of places covered in City Builder). This sacred cave dedicated to Hercules is located above the banks of the river flowing through the rugged Vouraikos Gorge — through which the demigod chased the Ceryneian Hind — and is a popular stop for pilgrims hoping for glimpses into their futures. 

Storytellers will be able to use both of these places either in conjunction with the overall “In the Footsteps of Hercules” universal sourcebook or by themselves, and as part of the historical fantasy country we have set it in or within their own worlds. Each of these entries will include detailed descriptions, information about non-player characters associated with them, custom full-color illustrations by fantasy artist Amanda Kahl, custom maps/floorplans by artist William T. Thrasher, and two or three adventure hooks. 

* If we reach $29,000 we will unlock the Sanctuary of Ares Stymphalus, a specific example of a Shrine (one of the general sorts of places covered in City Builder). Located on the reedy shores of Lake Stymphalia — home to a foul and dangerous flock of supernatural birds slain by Hercules — this place is now the seat of a strange martial cult and is variously sought out or actively avoided by pilgrims walking in the Footsteps of Hercules. 

Thanks to everyone who has come on board with this project and helped bring it to the awesome point it is at! Backers of this campaign will now be receiving two complete publications — both a core book with descriptions of 85 general sorts of places and a companion sourcebook with a growing number of specific places — as a result of the Stretch Goals we have unlocked. We very much hope you are enjoying our updates to this project and pleased with the exciting things we are doing with it. 

Seen here is an illustration by fantasy artist Amanda Kahl that will appear at the beginning of Chapter 1 in the Platinum Edition of “City Builder.”