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Serenissima Obscura & The Magical Renaissance

Created by Vortex Verlag

Serenissima Obscura is a setting guide & modular adventure in a dark version of Renaissance Venice. • Play with 5e, Ars Magica or your favourite system! • Combine with "The Straight Way Lost – Adventuring through Heaven and Hell" for years of exciting roleplay! This pre-order store will close soon. After that, all add-ons will only be available in their digital versions. So: Don't miss your chance to get the print editions of the Ars Magica conversion guide, the maps and the 5e Player's Guide.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

1st Stretch Goal Unlocked + Cool Collabs
10 months ago – Tue, Jun 03, 2025 at 06:18:46 AM

Hello everybody!

We have unlocked the first stretch goal an are now heading for the next one:
An elegant ribbon marker for our 400-page print version of Serenissima Obscura.
Can you help us get there?

If you have already pledged, why not share the project with your friends? I am sure, they will love it as well.

Today, I would also like to point out the kickstarters of our friends and collaborators. Please have a look at the two projects below.

Thank you,

Melina


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Complete your game with the official miniature line!

Over 40 resin-ready 32 mm STL files covering the most important creatures and characters from Serenissima Obscura.

  • Early Limited Tier — €35. Save €14 (≈ 29 %) before the price rises to €49.
  • Encountercomplete bundle: Every sculpt matches a specific encounter from the book, so you can run the entire adventure with one printthrough—no proxies, no gaps.
  • Addon packs: Masquerade revellers, street gamblers, painters, boat builders, and other NPC sets—ideal for bringing Venice’s streets to life and sparking new story hooks.
  • Digital delivery: STL files unlock as soon as funds clear. Print, paint, and play!

Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux

Gates of Krystalia is a tabletop role-playing game that blends the magic of anime with a unique, strategic card-based system.
The new campaign “Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux” is now live on Kickstarter.
Gates of Krystalia transports you to a vivid fantasy realm where you play as a hero summoned from Earth. Explore mysterious dungeons, battle fantastical creatures, and unravel the secrets of a magical world on the brink of collapse.
The game is available in 6 languages: 🇺🇸 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇩🇪 German | 🇫🇷 French | 🇪🇸 Spanish | 🇧🇷 Brazilian Portuguese.

Their kickstarter is already closed, but the pre-order-store is open.
👉 Check it out here!

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Ars Magica Fans: Help us spread the word!
10 months ago – Sat, May 31, 2025 at 01:37:03 PM

Hello everybody. 

It has been another exciting and exhausting day at the UK Games Expo. I have been meeting backers and potential backers to talk about our project and sold copies of our first work – The Straight Way Lost. 
It was very inspiring!

We would like to create a bit momentum to reach the next goals, which is why I have created a new topic in the Atlas Games Ars Magica Forum here:
https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/serenissima-obscura-the-magical-renaissance/175222?u=melinavortex

The goal is to inform more Ars Magica players about our crowdfunding and help reach the Ars Magica community goal. If you want to help us spread the word, please drop a line on the thread to get the discussion going.

If you have not yet backed us and are an Ars Magica fan: This is the place to ask me anything you want to know about the Ras Magica conversion guide and our involvement with Ars Magica.

Thank you so much!

Now off to bed,

Melina

P.S. Will post an update for the DnD fans by Monday. :-)

Funded in less than 48 hours – you rock!
10 months ago – Thu, May 29, 2025 at 08:33:31 AM

🎉 WE’RE FUNDED!!! 🎉

Serenissima Obscura has officially reached its goal — and we couldn’t be more thrilled and grateful! THANK YOU to everyone who backed, shared, and believed in this dream! 💛🎭

Now… let’s keep the momentum going and unlock those stretch goals!
The shadows have risen — and there’s so much more to discover. 🕯️


📜 New Reward Unlocked — Early Backers Will Receive an Exclusive PDF Adventure!
10 months ago – Thu, May 29, 2025 at 12:18:24 AM

Everyone who backs Serenissima Obscura in the first 48 hours will receive an exclusive adventure module in PDF formif we hit full funding within that time!

We’re almost there, with just 10 hours to go. If you’ve been thinking about backing, now’s the time — and if you’ve already joined us, you can still help by sharing the campaign with friends or on social media.

Let’s cross that finish line and unlock something special together! 🎭🕯️

🎉 20 Hours In — Thank You!
10 months ago – Wed, May 28, 2025 at 04:55:10 AM

We’re 20 hours into the Serenissima Obscura campaign and incredibly grateful to everyone who has backed so far! We haven’t reached the funding goal yet — but we’re well on track to hit it within the first 48 hours if we keep up the momentum. Please keep sharing and posting — it truly makes a difference! 💛

Our community goals are also moving forward:
📘 The Ars Magica Guide to Serenissima Obscura has reached 52 / 200 copies
🎭 The 5e Player’s Guide to the Magical Renaissance has reached 38 / 200 backers

If either guide reaches 200 backers, we’ll upgrade them to high-quality offset print editions.
✅ If not, they’ll still be printed — but as digital print editions (lighter paper, lower durability).

Let’s keep going — Venice is calling! 🕯️🌊

Please share this link: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/vortex-verlag/serenissima-obscura-rpg-setting-guide-adventure