Obojima Tales–RPG inspired by Miyazaki, Ghibli, Zelda now on Kickstarter

Less than a week into its Kickstarter and a new RPG has already been funded, taking in $765,000 in pledges. The game is Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass from Portland gamemaker 1985 Games. Although it’s not officially licensed by Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Adventure Time, or The Legend of Zelda, the company says the RPG takes its inspiration from that source material. Key to what will make an RPG like this succeed is the artwork, and that’s provided by rising German artist Varguy (see his work here) and Australian artist Scott Higginbotham (see his work here). The influences are certainly obvious, and yet these images aren’t knockoffs.

According to the Kickstarter, Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass is a (licensed) 250-page campaign setting for use with Dungeons & Dragons 5E, so you’ll need all those core books to get started.

Here is some of the marketing material provided for the game:

Guide your players through breathtaking locations, encounter strange spirits, discover rare oddities, and battle wild and wondrous creatures. Create your own unforgettable narrative in this familiar world with an all-new collection of curious items, magical spells, and numerous player options.

A world built for exploration and adventure. Lose yourself alongside your players as you travel the breathtaking island of Obojima, a curious place with a mysterious past. Obojima is a prime location for many adventurers’ stories. You’ll find pages and pages of rich lore, detailed maps, pre-generated characters, strange factions, unique locations, and more. All of which is accompanied by breathtaking art to pull you deeper into the world.

On the Island of Obojima, potion crafting is a useful skill that most adventures learn, but few master. Luckily potion brewing has never been easier! Hunt for any of the 100 + ingredients spread across the island and combine them to create custom potion recipes. With over 180 potions to brew, you’ll be a seasoned adventurer before you’ve crafted them all. That being said, you must be careful; some of these fabled ingredients are hard to obtain! Many experienced Brewmasters have lost themselves or worse in search of a rare ingredient.

Foul magic has begun to spread across Obojima’s eastern coastline! The sea has turned black: the waters have begun to poison the sea life and corrupt the land. Rumors have spread among the spirits, but few claim to understand what’s taking place on this strange island. What we can say for sure is this corruption has bestowed unlikely creatures with dangerous abilities. It has even affected some adventurers.

Will you explore the coast and delve below the water’s surface to uncover the cause of this dark affliction? Play as an eclectic College of Masks bard and craft versatile theater masks to help you in any situation. Breathe life into paper constructs and control the battlefield as an Origami Mage. Harness the potent magic that has slowly begun to infect Obojima as the Corrupted Ranger. Fully immerse yourself and your players in the world by using any of the new subclasses, spells, backgrounds, feats, weapon types, or player races.

Create unforgettable encounters using any of the 60+ new monsters only found on the island of Obojima. See if your players can catch the elusive and playful Sheep Dragon on one of the islands’ rolling hillsides, or stay hidden as the dangerous and cruel Urugama haunts the roads between villages. Reveal these creatures’ strange quirks or powerful abilities and watch as your players scream and shout in delight or shock!