Officially licensed Evil Dead 2 Roleplaying Game Kickstarter!

[MCT28]

Lynnvander Studios revisits the Evil Dead 2 universe with an all-new tabletop roleplaying game!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legacyofmana/evil-dead-2-5e-rpg-campaign-and-setting-book

The Evil Dead 2 RPG Supplement is 250+ pages of new mechanics, settings, and gnarly adventure modules designed to crank your D&D game up to eleven. This is survival horror, Evil Dead style—complete with deadite possession, supernatural corruption, and even a splash of PvP paranoia. Gear up, because you’re going to need every ounce of luck and every boomstick you can find.

 

[Kain]

Is this related to the previous ED2 board game?

 

[MCT28]

Is this related to the previous ED2 board game?

Besides being made by the same company... no. This is a proper full-blown roleplaying D&D-like game with classes and campaigns. The "5e" in the title means that it uses the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition system, so players who are already familiar with that can use this as kinda like an add-on to their pre-existing games (at least, I'm pretty sure. I'm not an RPG guy).

 

[DyD]

They've already lost me at using the D&D system. That subclasses list is enough to make one cringe... Really seems like they're trying to force a square peg into a round hole there, or rather trying to mix two flavors that don't taste so good together simply because both are popular separately.

 

[MCT28]

One week left in the campaign. For anyone who hasn't been following along, five of the seven stretch goals have been unlocked (additional art, virtual tabletop tokens, spot uv/foil cover upgrade, custom character sheet, and more monsters).

 

[MCT28]

The campaign has officially ended. With the original goal of $7,500 (which was quickly passed within the first 24 hours), 704 backers brought the final total up to $68,562! All seven of the original stretch goals were unlocked, with the special bonus goal ("Shemps & Improvised Weapons") failing to hit its target of $75,000.

 

[MCT28]

After almost two months of silence, we've finally got an update on this thing. Apparently they're working on setting up the Backerkit page while they're waiting for the new version of the Open Game License. That's about it. And they shared a piece of art that will be in the book:

 

[Swofty]

They've already lost me at using the D&D system. That subclasses list is enough to make one cringe... Really seems like they're trying to force a square peg into a round hole there, or rather trying to mix two flavors that don't taste so good together simply because both are popular separately.

Our evildeadchansaws secured me a beautiful ED2 cabin at 32 scale that was originally built to be used in a D&D system of use. It's a work of art and the walls at the back are removeable for this purpose although I've never used it for D&D gameplay. I've also recently painted a 32 scale Ash and severed hand so one day I'll get round to getting a few local old school D&D fellow nerds and see how we get on. I'll try to remember to post some pics of it all here.

To D&D an evil dead board game just needs someone to be the games master, a ruler, dice and activity cards.

 

[MCT28]

Finally got another update. They're still waiting on the new D&D System Reference Document, which was due out "within weeks" all the way back in February (according to someone who works on D&D). Once that comes out, they'll be able to commit full-time to working on the ED2 RPG. We also got a new piece of art with some generic fantasy people and a disguised Deadite doing something devious.

 

[MCT28]

Another update has finally been posted:

The Evil Dead 2 D&D 5e (2024) book is still very much alive (or…undead?), and work continues behind the scenes. Our writers are still writing, our artists are still illustrating, and we’re actively working with the new 5e SRD 2.0 material, which has finally been revealed and allowed us to really dive into the final version of this project.

That said, we know the silence has been frustrating. We don’t yet have major visuals or content previews to share, and we’re currently quite backed up on several overlapping projects. This has slowed our pace more than anyone would like.

On a more personal note, our project lead recently experienced the sudden and unexpected loss of their father. It’s been a heartbreaking and disorienting time, and we want to acknowledge the human impact that’s had on our timeline and team capacity.

We’re not looking for sympathy, just understanding. This project is progressing, even if that progress is slower than hoped. We’ll aim to share a more content-rich update as soon as we’re able.

Not gonna lie: I literally forgot about this project until I saw the notification that there was an update today...

 

[MCT28]

Got another update today. I seriously keep forgetting about this even being a thing until I get the update notifications.

We want to begin by acknowledging that this is yet another update where we’re still working, but not quite where we hoped to be by now. You’ve already provided so much patience, and we sincerely apologize that there’s still nothing flashy to share.

We’ve been making steady strides behind the scenes, hacking away like Ash with a chainsaw, but several overlapping projects have created unexpected delays across the board. We’re deeply sorry that we haven’t yet been able to share any substantial previews or fresh visuals, but please rest assured, we are actively working and moving forward.

While we don’t have new artwork or content to unveil just yet, we are still on track. Our team is coordinating through a hefty workload, and it’s taking more time than any of us would like. That said, we remain fully committed to delivering this book in the best possible form.

The moment we have material that meets the quality you deserve, you’ll see it, whether that’s artwork, content previews, or early drafts.

Thank you again for your support, understanding, and patience. Your enthusiasm keeps us going, and we can’t wait to share more with you soon.

I find it a little improbable that there's absolutely nothing worth showing us at this stage... like artwork or something. You know, I'm beginning to wonder if people were right in assuming that the art we saw in the original preview was indeed AI generations, but intended to be placeholders, and they weaseled their way around it by saying the final art would be done by human artists.

 

[MCT28]

Update #10. Nothing substantial.

While we’re not quite out of the woods (or the cellar) yet, we wanted to give you a quick update. We’ve made some solid progress since our last update. Most notably, we’ve been doing a ton more playtesting, and it’s been incredibly helpful for fine-tuning the mechanics and flow of the gameplay.

Watching players interact with everything, each with their own chaotic approach, has been both thrilling and monstrously informative, helping us fine-tune the mechanics and flow.

Beyond that, the core work continues behind the scenes. We're still coordinating through a heavy workload and multiple overlapping projects, but rest assured we’re actively moving forward.

As always, thank you so much for your patience, support, and enthusiasm. We're eagerly anticipating the day we can share more substantial previews, artwork, and content with you soon.

 

[MCT28]

Update #11 is entitled A Somber Update:

Hello everyone,

We need to begin this update on a somber note. Our team recently suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of our friend and collaborator, Rob Wieland. Rob was not only a major contributor to this project, but also a cornerstone of the creative community. As a writer, designer, and storyteller, his humor, generosity, and imagination shaped every world he touched.

His loss has deeply affected our team, both personally and professionally, and we’re still finding our footing without him. We want to extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him.

As you might imagine, this tragedy has caused some disruption in our workflow. We’ve taken time to grieve, reflect, and plan the best way forward while honoring Rob’s contributions. There are no major new updates to share at this time. We’re still in active production, continuing to refine and complete the book, but Rob’s passing has understandably slowed things down as we regroup and adjust to fill the gaps his absence leaves behind.

Your support means a lot to us, especially now. We’re committed to finishing what Rob helped begin, ensuring the final result carries the same heart, care, and creative spirit that he brought to everything he did.

Thank you for being with us through both the highs and the hardships. We’ll share more as soon as we’re able. Until then, please take care of yourselves and one another.

I 100% understand that a the death of a key developer on this project can put a pause on things for a bit and that's totally fine... but we're approaching the one year anniversary of this launching and we've still seen nothing besides those two pieces of art and a preview PDF filled with what is probably AI art placeholders. I'm patient... I really am... but come on guys... was there seriously nothing else done (stories or art) while waiting six months for D&D 5e to come out?!? At least Space Goat had the decency to share updates artwork on a regular basis.

 

[MCT28]

Update #12: Candid Status Check-In

Hi everyone,

First and foremost, thank you for your patience. We know this update is overdue, and we want to be very clear and transparent about where things stand, why progress has been slower than any of us would like, and what that means moving forward.

We’ve said before that we’re a small team, and that we’re often juggling multiple overlapping projects. Unfortunately, a series of unexpected delays across those other projects has repeatedly skewed our timelines, creating a domino effect that’s been difficult to recover from.

Most notably, our recent ThunderCats Kickstarter required an enormous amount of focus due to extremely strict licensor deadlines. For a long stretch, it consumed nearly all available bandwidth, forcing us to pause progress on other projects, including Evil Dead 2. Compounding that, ThunderCats itself has also encountered an unexpected additional workload tied to licensor requirements, which further disrupted our planning.

We want to be clear that this explanation is not meant as an excuse. Our backers deserve better than long waits and vague reassurances, and we genuinely regret how long this has taken.

That said, progress is being made on Evil Dead 2. Much of it is behind-the-scenes work such as writing, revisions, coordination, and prep that doesn’t always translate into exciting visuals or easy-to-share previews. Because of that, we still don’t currently have a lot of concrete assets to show without risking misrepresentation of where things truly stand.

If it helps provide some reassurance, our Imaria: The Pillars of Power Kickstarter was recently updated with visible progress on the book’s layout phase. That project is a good example of the work continuing across the studio, even if it’s happening slower than any of us would like due to the realities of a very small team managing a large slate of licensed and original projects.

We fully understand how frustrating this is, especially for backers who supported Evil Dead 2 early and have been waiting patiently for meaningful updates. We’re committed to continuing work on this project and communicating as progress becomes easier to demonstrate.

Thank you again for sticking with us, for holding us accountable, and for your continued support. We truly appreciate it, and we’ll share more as soon as we’re able.

It's infuriating that we're are one full year after the campaign ended and we've still got absolutely nothing to see. It would have been completely understandable if they came right out however many weeks or months ago and said "Look, there's been a licensor demand to speed up things on ThunderCats... we're going to work on that first, and then we will be fully focused on ED2"... but they didn't.

 

[MCT28]

After the less than ideal update the other day, one of the guys working on this took to the comments and put out a call for questions. So I gave him some.

1: Is the content still exclusively the Evil Dead 2 license, or is there a bit more flexibility in what you can pull from since StudioCanal now has control over of the entire Evil Dead franchise (excluding Army of Darkness)?
2: Is there any possibility of including elements from THQ's Evil Dead video game trilogy ("Hail To The King", "Fistful of Boomstick", and "Regeneration") since those games use the Evil Dead 2 license?
1 &2) Content is specific to Evil Dead 2, in as much as anything we reference with specificity is from the movie. Anything you see in the film SHOULD be in the book somewhere, if we've done our job right. And then we get to add a bit of extra sauce wherever able. But anything specific from another source is probably not going to be here, at least not overtly. But it's worth digging for hints, I like to squirrel away little references for people paying attention.

I suspected that was gonna be the case since this was cooking before Renaissance made the deal StudioCanal, but now we've got conformation.

3: The second piece of artwork (shared in the April 2025 update) seemed to imply that this book is more fantasy focused with Evil Dead elements. Will the campaign stories be primarily set in a fantasy world, or will they be set across various time periods on Earth (like the 2005 Army of Darkness RPG), or a mix of both?
3) The current adventures are mostly set in the world of the films, so "modern"ish (70s and 80s). That said, we go over ways to blend an adventure backwards or forwards to suit your preferred setting, and the tools should be slippery enough that you can move these adventures into Fantasy, or play fantasy type characters in these adventures. We're hoping to toe that line between the two, allowing enough leeway that either avenue of approach would work.

Interesting that they're sticking with that specific time period. I wonder if that was a StudioCanal request or something they came up with on their own. I suppose that "limitation" can make it stand out from the AOD RPG (which had all sorts of settings).

4: How many campaign stories will be included?
4) 4 or 5. It's pending editorial and word/page count confirmations. I should note the adventures are not being designed as a campaign in the traditionsl sense, but more as one-shots. These would be ideally drop-in adventure sidequests perhaps, or as one-night special events for players. No long-form story is presented. I don't know if we can expect characters to live long enough to do a whole campaign.

Another difference from the AOD RPG. AOD's stories were designed to be one-shots, but also had elements that wove them together so you could make one long campaign.
I had also asked this question a long time ago:

Is there any chance we can get the demons from Space Goat's Evil Dead 2 comics added? Guys like Rabisu, Dagen, Hastur, ect.?
Would require a check-in with the licensor. Stuff made by Space Goat before the license expired for them is a weird space. Doesn't mean we CANT create similar monsters with differences but... ya know. We are going to create some amazing new creatures that only the Necronomicon could manufacture.
Rabisu and Dagen (both characters from the ED2 comics) got name-dropped in Evil Dead: The Game, so I guess they're not completely opposed to nods from that corner of the license... wouldn't hurt to ask...
A couple of those are sort of public domain type Lovecraftian monsters that could probably be rebuilt in some capacity, but there's lots of room in the woods for fresh and funky monsters.

I guess StudioCanal doesn't want to remind people of the Space Goat stuff. Can't say that I blame them, but it is a shame.

 

[MCT28]

A new update showing off the book's (not quite final) table of contents has been released!

 

[IAmWillGibson]

Are we liking how this is looking?!

 

[MCT28]

Are we liking how this is looking?!

I mean, besides all the delays/long stretches of no communication... I suppose it looks fine (you know, given that we've still seen basically nothing from the final interior). I really don't have anything to compare it to besides the 2005 Army of Darkness RPG.

 

[MCT28]

Update #14: Home Stretch!

Our goal is to have everything ready for print by the end of March. PDFs will be released around the same time so backers can begin surviving the Evil Dead as soon as possible. If all goes according to plan, physical books should arrive in your hands this summer.

Very nice. I'm also digging the page layout design.

 

[IAmWillGibson]

Update #14: Home Stretch!

Very nice. I'm also digging the page layout design.

I agree, I'm a big fan of the tone we're aiming at on these. Its great to see how the art and words are all getting nestled together during the layout phase.

It's been a nutty few weeks being very deep in the editing and re-editing, but I'm psyched to see the end of March approach, if only to stop me from endlessly fussing with the order of words.