We lost the surface world centuries ago…

Our ancestors tell of a time when dwarf and goblin walked among the stars, when we fought as bitter enemies, when wars were waged over unimaginably petty slights. Those days are gone. Consigned to the hazy memories, distant legends and forgotten times before we were driven underground.

Before, the Cairnking came. Hordes of undead rampaged across the surface world, driving us further and further back and in a last ditch effort, the great forgepriests and goblin magi joined forces, sealing the tunnels to the surface world behind us as we retreated into the dark.

DEEP DARK is a roleplaying game of dwarves and goblins, co-existing in an underground society, as they struggle to carve out a new world for themselves. 

You will go on adventures to clear monsters who might prey on the travelers in the tunnels that connect the cities, seek new alchemical agents or resources to aid your peoples, and work with allies as you create new adventures together!

Illustrated by Nicolas Giacondino, written and laid out by Alan Bahr, and published by Gallant Knight Games, DEEP DARK is a rules-light, minimalist fantasy RPG powered by and inspired by a combination of games like Knave, Tunnel Goons, and much more!

New rules for dwarven rune magic, goblin chaos magi, and useful tables populate this 30 page zine.

Why Crowdfundr?

Throughout 2023, Gallant Knight Games is exploring new methods of production that allow us to put more money in the hands of the creatives and partners who make these games possible. Crowdfunding lets us assess the size of print runs, plan expansions, and learn what our friends, family, and community want us to make! 

DEEP DARK is a creative back and forth collaboration between Alan Bahr of GKG, and Nicolas Giacondino, an astounding freelance artist who has worked with the GKG team on dozens of projects (and many more to come).

As the first collaboration of this nature between Alan & Nic, Crowdfundr was an excellent place for GKG to explore a new platform, as well as ensuring that the creatives who are involved are rewarded beyond even their initial compensation (all the team members involved have been paid, but Nic's art is so good. We want to pay him more).

We'll be able to produce a high-quality printed zine, gauge the response to the line and its potential and support our wonderful artists above and beyond, as much as we can!

What are the risks?

Very few. The core zine is done in digital, less a few monster entries. We just need to print it (something we've done hundreds of times over the years). 

GKG is well versed in this. Any hiccups will be due to the new learning curve on Crowdfundr, but we've done lots of research and their excellent team will help us out!

You'll get your PDF almost immediately, with your print to follow within 90 days.