As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
ThunderCats… HOOOOOOOOO! One of the most iconic cartoons of the 1980s is back and making the leap to the tabletop, with ThunderCats: The Roleplaying Game now live on Kickstarter. The game is designed by RPG publisher Lynnvander Studios in partnership with Dynamite Entertainment (who currently publishes the comic book adaptation) and will use the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 5E ruleset.
The Kickstarter marks the first time that ThunderCats has been adapted into a TTRPG, but demand (and nostalgia) is clearly still high as the project was funded just 1 minute after it was launched. Below, we snarf down all the details on what fans can expect.
What’s the ThunderCats RPG Kickstarter about?
ThunderCats: The Roleplaying Game is an upcoming 240+ page, full-color hardcover rulebook that uses the D&D 2024 5E mechanics and includes everything both players and GMs need to run the game, including:
- New species, with updated rules for playing Thunderians and inhabitants of Third Earth
- New character options, including setting-specific classes, subclasses, feats and backgrounds
- New monster stat blocks for Mu’tants and Brutemen, as well as other servants of Mumm-Ra
- New magic items, including the legendary Sword of Omens and Lion-O’s iconic Claw Shield
- A campaign setting with lore from both the cartoon and recent Dynamite comic book series
- GM resources, including pre-made adventures, random tables and advice on running a campaign
What are the ThunderCats RPG backer options?
The Kickstarter offers several pledge tiers, including:
- Digital PDF Edition ($40 USD): Includes the full ThunderCats RPG rulebook in PDF format.
- Standard Hardcover Edition ($50 USD): Includes the hardcover and PDF.
- Kickstarter Limited Edition Hardcover ($60 USD): A Kickstarter-exclusive variant featuring cover art inspired by the original 1985 series.
- Deluxe Leather-Bound Edition ($150 USD): Limited to under 2,000 copies, this premium edition features leather binding, gold-foil embossing, a ribbon bookmark and a numbered certificate of authenticity signed by the design team.
- Retailer Bundle ($200 USD): Intended for verified local game stores, it includes four standard hardcovers and two limited edition hardcovers.
Who is Dynamite Entertainment?
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher that was founded in 2004 and is known for original series such as Hack/Slash and The Boys (which was later adapted into an Amazon Prime TV series), as well as being the current license holder to long running comic book characters such as Red Sonja and Vampirella. Over the years Dynamite has also published numerous comic book versions of TV and film franchises, including Transformers, Voltron, Game of Thrones, James Bond and The Terminator.
Who is Lynnvander Studios
Lynnvander Studios is a Canadian game company that’s best known for their board game adaptations of popular film and TV franchises including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Army of Darkness and Star Trek. They’ve also worked on a number of well-known TTRPG products, including Shadowrun, D&D Adventurer’s League and the recently released 5E supplement The Crooked Moon.
Why Is the ThunderCats RPG Worth Backing?
- The first of its kind: Surprisingly, the ThunderCats have never been ported over to the TTRPG space, so this marks a major step for the franchise and something longtime fans will likely want to snap up.
- Built for modern 5E play: With full compatibility with the current D&D 2024 ruleset, the game has significant player base to draw on, which also makes it much easier to pick up and play, as opposed to a completely new system.
- A complete rulebook: The ThunderCats RPG includes all of the materials for both players and GMs in a single sourcebook, so it’s really all you need to get running.
- Already completed: Lynnvander Studios has confirmed the book is already done, so it’s simply a matter of getting into backers’ hands once the Kickstarter ends.
- A high-profile team: Dynamite Entertainment is a major player in the comic book and pop culture space and has a ton of art and resources to bring to bear. Similarly, Lynnvander Studios has release a number of incredibly successful TTRPG products, so the quality here is likely to be extremely high.
Final Thoughts
Nostalgia for classic 1980s entertainment is high and in the past few years we’ve seen similar products, including long running games like Renegade Studios’ Transformers RPG and G.I. JOE RPG, as well as more recent releases like Palladium’s TMNT RPG Redux. With ThunderCats: The Roleplaying Game also now making its way onto the scene, it looks like there will be even more Saturday morning cartoon goodness to be had at the table.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the days ahead and will update this page with new information as it’s made available. In the meantime, you can back the new ThunderCats RPG for yourself now on Kickstarter.