The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
The quick character creation system in the Basic Hero's Handbook and included as an option in the Deluxe Hero's Handbook makes it much quicker and easier to make characters, especially for beginners.
That's a good elevator-pitch summary.
Flames of Freedom is a fine game, but it's just not Colonial Gothic. In some ways it's a more of an urban fantasy or action-adventure approach of the same period, with magic that's more common and utilitarian than rare and occult. It's closer to Hamilton...
The only American Civil War focused RPG I know of is This Favoured Land, a setting for Wild Talents. It’s a great book, but it’s about superpowered people during the war, so it may not be exactly what you want.
https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/60505/wild-talents-this-favored-land
How well does it work in play? It’s been on my Lulu want list for a long time.
https://www.lulu.com/shop/ronin-arts/the-whispering-vault/paperback/product-1rg4r4q.html
I really hope there there are enough backers to get an offset print of the first annual too. It doesn’t look likely, but I hope you get enough new backers and/or enough people change their pledges at the end to make it happen.
A Druid character of mine once turned into one of those. Sort of. My character was wild shaped into a dire bear while were fighting a vampire. When we defeated the vampire, it turned into mist, as they do. Not wanting it to get away, my dire bear took a deeeeep breath and inhaled the vampire...
Stonetop is my #1 too. I had to think a lot to narrow down what games were my #2 and #3, but Stonetop was a definite.
I’m surprised no one nominated Exalted Essence!
This one has the same problem the original had: It's a gorgeous two-page spread piece, which when chopped in half to fit on the front cover looks really bland and uninspiring. I'll be getting the alternate.
My top two were already mentioned - Fading Suns and Savage Worlds Adventure Edition - but I’ll add:
Lyonesse
(A stand-alone ROG based on Mythras, in the setting of Jack Vance’s mythic fantasy series)
Over the Edge 3rd edition
Nights Black Agents: Solo Ops
Changeling the Lost 2nd edition
The...