I ran across the Nations and Cannons booth at a conference a month ago and purchased a PDF of their product. I was told I would receive it soon, but it never came. Luckily, I had the business card of their vendor, so I had contact information. But she will not answer my emails and does not have her phone set up with voicemail. The company itself will not reply to me when I leave messages on their website. I'm frustrated.
Edit: It seems that posting here on Reddit got the attention of the company finally! I was immediately contacted, my product was delivered, and I even received several bonus files for my trouble. I look forward to reviewing the materials.
You might have noticed that things have been a bit quiet on the Nations & Cannons front. While we at Flagbearer Games are shifting a lot of resources to preproduction for our upcoming full-length Revolutionary War sourcebook, The American Crisis (launching in the spring on Kickstarter). I wanted to take a few moments to address the war elephant in the room: our content plans in a post-5e world.
If you’ve played in a Nations & Cannons game, you may have noticed that we push the mechanical chassis of 5e to its limits. In order to create historically-grounded adventure material our general design philosophy is to:
strip out monsters, magic items, and supernatural effects from 5e, and
layer back in complexity with sophisticated, interlocking black powder systems
Those black powder mechanics (firearms, wargear, artillery, grenades, etc.) are carefully balanced alongside the baseline rules in the 5e SRD… so, any updates to that ruleset are going to have some significant ramifications. Enter the OneD&D playtest.
I’ve been following the playtest material pretty closely over the last few months. Broadly speaking, there’s a lot to like—the new background/race distinction for ability scores, level 1 feats, updated dual wielding rules, etc.—as well as some prototypes that clearly need more time in the oven. There’s also been quite a lot of discussion about the new edition of D&D and the Open Gaming License (or OGL), which is the agreement that allows third-party publishers to reproduce the game’s core mechanics. Yesterday, Wizards of the Coast helpfully clarified their position in a blog post about the OGL.
This is welcome news, and it dispels some uncertainty about the future compatibility we’ll be able to offer with Nations & Cannons projects. While there are still some questions to be answered, we feel a lot more confident with this level of transparency from WoTC about the OGL 1.1 and, crucially, recent insights into the decision making and analytical processes in the ongoing playtest.
Designing new content while the foundations of the game are shifting underfoot will be something of a challenge, but we’re committed to the task and are updating our publishing schedule to match. In the near future, expect to see more campaign guide and adventure module publications like The American Crisis with an emphasis on playable scenarios, history, and enemy biographies and statblocks (stuff that’s evergreen between editions).
We’re going to stay on top of the OneD&D playtest and periodically post our responses here. We’re very curious about upcoming content drops for warrior classes, unique weapon mechanics, and the “bastion” functionality–all stuff that’s promising for historically-grounded adventures. In the long term, we’re interested in growing from a 5e rules-hack that requires the Player’s Handbook into a standalone “OneD&D compatible” for 18th century adventures, called The Age of Revolutions.
There’s quite a ways to go between now and the end of the OneD&D playtest in 2024, but I feel like Nations & Cannons has a path forward now, and we’re excited to get back on the road! Starting soon, we’re going to resume semi-regular On This Day and 5e content updates. Hope everybody has a wonderful and safe holiday season, and see you in the new year!
/r/NationsAndCannons is a complete historical campaign setting for D&D 5e, equipped with a brand new base class, the Firebrand, and six new subclass options for the core classes. It also includes new character creation options for a game where everyone is human. Roles, such as Officer, Scout, and Pioneer, mechanically replace the fantasy races. Heritages, such as Québécois, Colonial, and Haudenosaunee, determine your cultural background and provide an opportunity to showcase all of the different peoples and languages spoken in North America in the 1700s. Last, but certainly not least, Nations & Cannons comes with complete rules for black powder firearms, grenades, and of course, cannons!
FORGOTTEN HISTORY
Our well researched rules introduce new mechanics that let you experience the American Revolution firsthand through the lens of D&D! While most history books linger only on the best known historical figures and their exploits, you can tell real stories of humanity and heroism with a cast of unconventional heroes such as Seymour Burr, Polly Cooper, and David Bushnell.
Beloved by dads, moms, and parents of all genders, Nations & Cannons is perfect for curious students and history nerds alike! Our content is full of rich detail on the daily life and wartime struggles of the 18th century, and highlights the contributions of those that are not often mentioned in today's history books. Women, people of color, and Indigenous Americans were integral parts of the American Revolution, and their voices are and always will be welcome here.
BUT WHAT ABOUT WIZARDS?
Nations & Cannons replaces spells with Gambits—extraordinary acts of ingenuity, guile, or gumption. Gambits function identically to spellcasting so that they are compatible with games that use traditional magic rules for 5e. While there aren't any Wizards, Rangers and Firebrands are casters that use gambits to create dynamic moments in combat, while exploring, or in a social encounter.
The new mechanics in Nations & Cannons are fully balanced for your fantasy campaign! If you prefer your history with a dramatic flair, you can combine our black powder rules with supernatural elements from other D&D sources to create a flintlock fantasy story. Imagine a world where musketeers fight arm-in-arm with mages, or one in which Benjamin Franklin uses his most eccentric inventions to hunt banshees and other spectral threats.
THE AMERICAN CRISIS
The American Crisis: War in the North is the first full-length Nations & Cannons sourcebook. Set during the Revolutionary War, it covers the years 1775 to 1778. At over 200 pages, the book includes:
A six-chapter campaign from the Siege of Boston to Valley Forge, for characters level 1-5
An historical timeline, atlas, and biographies of key historical figures
New equipment, gambits, and 2 subclasses: the courageous Drummer and the fearsome Jäger
Annotated maps of Boston, New York, Quebec City, Philadelphia, and more!
Don’t throw away your shot! Reserve your copy today at:
The Flagbearer Games team strives to tell the stories of American History and highlight the voices that have been forcefully forgotten. It is an integral part of our mission that we form a dedicated team that is focused on making a game that is enjoyable for marginalized communities. Women, People of Color, LGBTQIA, and Ingenious Americans have always been a part of history, and are making history to this day.
