Kinks & Cantrips: Adventures in Subspace

Go where the first two Kinks & Cantrips books have never dared to go: space and beyond! This time around we're offering not one, but two new books. Both of them are 5e and 5.5e compatible. Let's dive quickly into each:

Adventures in Subspace

This supplements brings all of the kinky topics to a SciFi setting and seeks to explore even more topics by delving into a world of space travel, ray guns, integrated circuits, and aliens.

In fact, this is our largest Kinks & Cantrips tome yet. The void of space may be empty and cold but the pages are bursting at the seams with everything players and GMs could want. As the first two books were planted in fantasy, there were so many kinks that were a struggle to properly represent without using technology. That is not a problem with Adventures in Subspace. While the staples of bondage, discipline, domination, and submission are all still flowing throughout the book, the future allows us to take a closer look at things like electroplay and medical play. As well, many of the kinks people have been asking for extra material have found a more robust offering this time around thanks to the technology a SciFi setting provides. 

At the same time, as many things as possible have been crafted to be easily convertible back to a fantasy setting. A good example is the aforementioned electroplay themed subclass - the Circle of Currents Druid - easily transfers back to a lightning themed druid in the fantasy genre. The hope is that no matter what kind of game you’re running, you’ll find a treasure trove of material to add to your games.

Curious Explorer’s Compendium

With each book we’ve put out an accompanying PDF that contains as much of the material as possible stripped of its overt kinkiness so that people could bring them to their other games without raising too many eyebrows. Over the years we’ve gotten a lot of requests to have this material in hardcover and we agreed, so we have collected both of those previous PDFs’ contents as well as the coming Adventures in Subspace conversion to make one giant tome of kink-free material. Want to play a Dynamic Duelist Fighter without explaining what being a switch is? Enjoy the nefarious power the Contract Warlock provides but don’t want to openly discuss the concept of negotiation? Well now you’ll be able to hand your GM a book like you would any other and they will be none the wiser to the material’s true source. This also makes for a handy one-stop-shop if all you’re interested in is the mechanics of every Kinks & Cantrips book (including Adventures in Subspace) without all of the education and celebration they seek to provide. We’re also looking to add art to this book like any other Kinks & Cantrips book, so it truly will be a standalone supplement, full fledged and ready to play.

Interested? Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect to find in each book.

Book Contents

Within Adventures in Subspace you can expect to find:

• Two new classes, each with 4 subclasses ready built for them. The first is the medical play themed Chirurgeon which seeks to honor that type of play’s many themes while opening up new avenues for your party. Want to deck yourself out in technological body modifications? There’s the Artificial Augmentation subclasses which specializes in it. Want to bind your friends’ bodies into ships and mechs so you can take command of them? Then the Biomechanical Integration subclass is right up your alley. The second class is the Compere, a full class conversion of the Path of Willing Prey Barbarian from Advanced Kinks & Cantrips. That subclass being tied to the Barbarian class always limited its design space and the Compere seeks to blow it wide open by having you craft your own Antagonist that will harry you on your travels. Should you be able to manage the chaos that accompanies them, and not fall prey to their wiles, you can manipulate the battlefield while fighting your favored foe. Example subclasses for the Compere include the enemies-to-lovers themed Archrival and the Antagonistic Companion that lets you turn one of your fellow party members into the individual that haunts your desires.
• 38 new subclasses. No base class has been left behind and we’ve ensured every class has at least one dominant-leaning option and one submissive-leaning option so no matter what you want to play you’ll have something you’re comfortable with. Many of these subclasses have specializations you’ll embark upon as you level, further allowing build paths that will make each character uniquely yours. A couple of examples include the aforementioned Circle of Currents Druid which wields lightning upon themselves as well as their foes, the Curse Bound Fighter which restrains themselves to aid in controlling a malevolent weapon, and the Way of the Ten-Fold Fist Monk which delves into the many ways hands can be used in corporal punishment, spanking of course included. Whether you want to specialize in hypnotizing ray guns or be the wishing star everyone fights for dominance over, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
• 21 new races/species. Included are two new Furfolk variants (Aqueous and Jurassic), 6 new Dragonkin subspecies, 4 new elemental Cubelings, as well as more exotic options like octopodal Cephalesques, autonomous Attendants, plush suited Britillions, and a modular build Xenonoid option which seeks to bring the variety offered by Furfolk to all manner of alien archetypes. From mech Dragonkin to mushroomish Mycelikin, a whole spectrum of options is added for all new character fantasies.
• Over 90 spells, 35 magic items, 30 feats, and 10 backgrounds. As we said, this is the biggest Kinks & Cantrips book yet and with that comes an unprecedented amount of options to customize your character. This isn’t even all of it, if our previous campaigns are any measure we’ll be continuing to add more as we get feedback from the community so who knows where these numbers could go?
  Modular vehicles. We’re including new rules for building your own Plug-n-Play Mech (don’t forget to don your Plug Suit), roving Trekkers that are perfect for exploring a planet’s surface, and even your home away from home: the ubiquitous Subspace Ship. Each seeks to supplement a particular segment of the campaign experience such as travel, combat, or downtime.
• Brand new general rules. Along with the Sensation system, which makes its return from both previous books, we’ll be adding new conditions and systems to make the game really feel like the kinky fun time you’re after. Examples include new specific bindings such as shibari options, a Kinky Wild Magic Table, hacking, and even a variety of item options such as Hard Light and other energy weapons. We advise installing robust firewalls to protect your kink implements from nefarious ne'er-do-wells.
• A full world setting. Bundheim was only the start, beyond the skies lies the Vast Unknown and its many starbound wonders. This setting will not only provide innumerable story ideas and aids for building out a campaign, it also seeks to delve into a setting where kink has been freshly introduced and in so doing examine how kinky communities integrate with modern society.
• A monstrous bestiary. The GM’s favorite section and the players’ least favorite. You’ll find an incredible amount of baddies to have fights with. From a scourge of haywire manufacturing drones that mummify their victims in plastic wrap to burrowing monstrosities seeking to devour their prey whole, from terrifying dragon-shaped superweapons to the greatest foe Bundheim or the Vast Unknown have ever known, there’s options for any level campaign, each ready to drop in the game and enjoy. Of course, descriptions accompany each to help in integrating their themes and lore to make a more cohesive narrative experience.

To give you a better idea of the material within the book, below you can download a PDF of sample material.

Rewards

Whatever level you’re looking to back at, we have an option available. While the following explainer may seem daunting, it really comes down to what combination of options you’re looking to get.

Limited Edition Hardcovers

The Limited Edition Hardcovers are alternative versions of the books that have proved very popular in the past. Each has not only a unique cover available only in this version, but also black pages with an entirely new color scheme for the text to suit it. This edition is currently limited in that there are as many available as backers wish, but the only time we’ll be offering them is during crowdfunding campaigns. We’ll also be offering any extra we have after the campaign ends, but as these are intended to handle shipping mishaps we won’t know the stock and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

One thing to note: there are no content differences between versions. We don’t want to lock content behind a different cost, this is purely an aesthetic change for those who enjoy it.

Below is an example of what this looks like from Advanced Kinks & Cantrips:

Personalized Spell or Magic Item Add-on

We want to allow your characters to live within the pages of the book in the most meaningful way possible and as such we’re bringing back the Backer created add-ons. Backers who purchase this add-on will be put in contact with the author to design a spell or magic item of their choice. As there is a rich history of personalized spells and items, backers are free to include an NPC name and short description to be included. The author has final say on content and mechanical design but will do their utmost to achieve the vision of the backer in the best manner possible. This add-on is limited due to space limitations in the book.

Your Character Here Add-on

Backers in the past have requested being able to add their characters into the book visually, which we're accomplishing via a "Your Character Here" option. We have had a draft commissioned representing what you can expect the piece to look like with simple figure stand-ins showing where the characters will go. This piece will serve as a header for a section of the book. Each of the characters comes with equipment and styling which can be adjusted to suit your vision, what’s represented below is merely a draft. You’ll also get a copy of the high resolution file in case you want to print it and put it on your wall.

Each stand-in character has been marked with a number denoting which reward it coincides with. If you are interested in this reward tier, please be sure to back the proper number for the position you want as we cannot guarantee a change to another character position.

Community Copies

We're implementing a community copy system to help get the book into the hands of those that are experiencing financial hardship. For each physical copy backed during this campaign, we'll add one PDF copy of both books to the pool. This is for each physical book so bundles of books will contribute multiple copies. We're also extending the offer for Limited Editions, which will contribute 2 copies per book. We're planning to distribute these via itch.io when the book is complete, free of charge. We've also added a donation add-on for those that are interested in further adding to the pool beyond their backing.

Fulfillment

This project will deliver physical rewards in the form of hardcover copies of the book. An additional add-on for a hardcover copy of Kinks & Cantrips or Advanced Kinks & Cantrips is also available. All  hardcovers will be printed utilizing a high quality print process from a professional printer and then be shipped out to backers.

Important Note: shipping will be charged after the campaign, just before fulfillment begins. This ensures the most accurate shipping rates for backers and helps with obtaining bulk rates to lower shipping costs. Due to shipping from a location in the United States, shipping rates may be more expensive for international backers in particular but they should be lower than purchasing from our webstore as we’re parceling to regions before final fulfillment, saving on cost per backer.

Backers will also receive a PDF download link and a redemption code to obtain the book on DriveThruRPG.

Prototype PDF

When the project finishes, all backers will gain access to the Prototype PDF as well. This PDF allows for the backers to both begin playing with much of the book's material as well as provide feedback before the book goes to print. This was highly successful the last two times and we are very much looking forward to working with those that are most passionate about the project in making it as fun and balanced as possible.

Finishing the Project

Ever mindful of ensuring completion of the project first and foremost, nearly all of the writing work has already been completed. Currently the material exists in first draft form, ready for editing, layout, and so on.  However, additional ideas may crop up during the process of taking feedback from the Prototype PDF, so more writing may need to be done as we work toward final delivery. A template also exists for completing the layout of the book, but (as we learned the last two times) it is best to wait until stretch goals and artwork are completed before going for the final layout.

What the books primarily lack is artwork, which is where the majority of production cost comes from other than printing. Funding will primarily be used to commission art pieces from a variety of artists so that the book can be as wonderfully illustrated as the first two. Already a number of pieces have been commissioned and completed, many of which are either on this page or in the Sample PDF.

Stretch Goals - ALL UNLOCKED

A number of ideas did not end up making it into the draft of the book, and they prove a wonderful opportunity for stretch goals:

UNLOCKED! - $25,000 - Probian Race/Species. Listen, we all know the place probing has in SciFi fantasies. This stretch goal will add an entire race/species option devoted to becoming the little green person of your dreams and utilizing delightfully intrusive technology to suss out the secrets of others. There’s already entries for these in the bestiary, so this will open the option up to players as well.

UNLOCKED! - $35,000 - Bundheim Backgrounds. The various factions of Bundheim never got proper Background options to accompany them. This option will rectify this and players will be given options to become a femdom themed Pentarchy Knight, a harsh Mandate Aristocrat, or a raucous Ember Carouser. Each major faction will have a background devoted to them with suitable Origin Feats to boot.

UNLOCKED! - $50,000 - Compendium of Encounters. Much like in Advanced Kinks & Cantrips, a smorgasbord of encounter ideas didn’t find a home in the book and we’d love to flesh each of them out into singular experiences that can be easily incorporated into any campaign, regardless of setting. This will help GMs easily craft memorable sessions with their players that can also be woven into a larger storyline.

UNLOCKED! - $100,000 - Experimentalist. A brand new base class themed around exploring your tastes over the course of your adventuring career. In lieu of selecting a subclass, you pick and choose packages of features from other Kinks & Cantrips subclasses, rewarding you for dabbling rather than specializing. If you ever wanted to build your perfect kinky subclass, this is the best way to do it. This class is intended for advanced players and will enable nearly limitless build possibilities while still reigning in power so it can function in a normal adventuring party.

UNLOCKED! - $200,000 - Focus Feats. Ever notice that mono-classing can feel unrewarding in comparison to the many build options multiclassing provides? We had an idea for a way to rectify this with something we’re calling Focus Feats. We successfully tested the waters with this in Advanced Kinks & Cantrips and would love to expand the system to every subclass in Adventures in Subspace. The short of it is that Focus Feats are something each subclass has access to that can be taken multiple times. If you take it as many times as you can throughout the leveling process, you’ll get access to a 20th-level capstone to really make your subclass sing. This way you get bonuses throughout the campaign and a big thematic prize at the end.

UNLOCKED - Halsbandjager Ranger. We've covered Pet Play from the Top's perspective via the Circle of the Tamer Druid in the first K&C book, but we have not yet covered it from the Bottom's perspective. This Ranger subclass turns you into the animal companion in one of four specific variants: a rampaging mauler, an alacritous stalker, a burly guardian, or an enchanted familiar. By assuming the relevant bestial form, you'll be able to facilitate the hunt or empower you spellcasting allies. The subclass is themed to allow you to literally transform into an animal or simply become restrained in a manner suiting one.

UNLOCKED! - 300 Collector's Edition Backers - Bookmark Ribbons. Bookmark ribbons will be added to the Collector's Edition books without additional cost. Extremely useful in keeping reference material handy at the table.

Should we by the grace of backers fulfill all of these Stretch Goals, we’ll be sure to figure out more with the help of the community. Speaking of which…

Community Goals - ALL UNLOCKED!

With the idea of growing the reach of the project and fostering a larger community, the following goals have been added to the project along with bonus material that will be added for achieving them. Here's what that looks like as a graphic, a more thorough description is below.

Link to the Kinks & Cantrips Discord

Community Rewards

As a thank you for helping spread the project, I'll be adding new feats to the book. These feats are centered around the idea of becoming a member of a group or organization and will benefit all members of that group, including the other players that also take that feat. For the 5.5e these are also origin feats that can be taken, so your whole table can begin the game as a cohesive unit. 5e GMs are also free to give players these feats when beginning the campaign. These feats seek to represent group dynamics in the gameplay space, enhancing social interaction into a benefit for other segments of the game as well.

Fulfillment

We'll be fulfilling physical orders via directly delivery through Quartermaster Logistics. Digital PDF fulfillment will be handled via the Digital Files functionality on Kickstarter, direct download link, and redemption link on DriveThruRPG.

Shipping

Shipping will be charged after the campaign ends, right before fulfillment begins. Costs will be calculated by BackerKit when rewards and add-ons are ready to ship. These prices do not include import fees, and things like VAT, customs charges, and duties might be charged by your specific country. Estimated price ranges for shipping are as follows:

• United States: $13-$22
• Canada: $25-$45
• Rest of the World: $45-$65

AI Usage

Neither this book nor any of the other Kinks & Cantrips books have used AI in the writing or creation in any way. This includes artwork which is entirely sourced from human beings who similarly have not made use of AI in their pieces. We have no desire to utilize AI in this process.