Next Steps: BackerKit Survey
about 4 years ago – Fri, May 01, 2020 at 03:17:26 PM

Hi folks!  Thank you again for making this Kickstarter successful.  I've been working with my layout artist, who has already begun the needed tweaks and changes to ensure the Collector's Edition is a single volume and improved.

Next Steps

I'll be sending out a BackerKit survey hopefully over this weekend.  This is where you'll be able to select Add-Ons, and more importantly, provide your email address so I can begin fulfillment of the PDFs you're already entitled to.

Keep your eyes out; I'll be posting another update to make sure it's explicit when the survey triggers.

Roll20

As a side note, for the past 5 weeks I've been running DO1 in Roll20 with some friends.  It's been a blast, and it's reminded me how very much fun DO1 is as a sandbox adventure setting.  There's no shortage of things to do, and although we've been playing it for 5 weeks already, I feel like it's just the tip of the iceberg--you could play an entire year in Berinncorte, for sure!

Although I've found getting used to Roll20 a little frustrating, I'm in my stride now and it's fun.  Not quite as easy to use as I'd like, but still super fun.  The separate map image files DO1 comes with make setting up a game super easy.

Onward!

Coronavirus, Quarantine, Planning, and Crossing the Finish Line
about 4 years ago – Tue, Mar 31, 2020 at 05:01:50 PM

Hi, folks.  Hope you're all safe and sane.  As things wind down with the campaign's deadline this weekend, I wanted to provide an explicit update in the context of the global virus situation.

The short version is that DO1: CE is still happening, and although I project that the KS campaign will not be nearly as successful as it would likely have been without the crisis, it still seems likely that it will be sufficient to fund the layout work that I need to commission.

So, without further ado, some frequently-asked questions:

Um, Is DO1: CE Still Happening Now?

Yes.  In fact, the timeline should be unchanged.  The product itself is unchanged from original projections.  I doubt we'll unlock the same stretch goals as we might have had the pandemic not occurred, but we're still in decent shape.

My Financial Situation Has Changed.  How Do I Still Support This Effort?

Many of us have been affected by the virus, the shutdown, and ancillary effects.  If you can no longer support the project via a pledge, don't despair: you'll still be able to Pre-Order it via BackerKit following the completion of the Kickstarter campaign itself.  

You can also pledge at a lower level now, and adjust your pledge level in BK afterwards if that's easier.

What Are the Major Differences in Layout From the Current Version?

Unfortunately I can't really give a visual example of this, since it hasn't been laid out yet; that's the whole purpose of this campaign, to fund and make that effort possible.  However, I can point out some snippets from the campaign description that attempt to provide an answer.

Added Player Content: More maps and description.

A House Divided: Instead of two 500 page books, the Collectors Edition will be a single, ~800+ page book.

Rampant Corruption: The 5E edition will actually be completed and fully converted.

Standards & Practices: The Collectors Edition will do away with oddities in presentation that quite frankly took up way too much space.  Although they were intended to serve ease of reference and use, it didn't really accelerate things.

I Want to Play DO1, DO2, Druid Enclave, and/or Berinncorte Basecamp RIGHT NOW, Without Waiting.  How Do I Do That Cheaply?

One positive to the quarantine that many of us are living under is that some of you have additional extra time on your hands.  I don't, because I'm now caretaking three small children full-time, but more power to you if you do.  :)

I've made two Quarantine Edition publications available immediately; each is 50-70% off normal price and will last only so long as the quarantine does.  All proceeds from sales of these products go directly toward supporting those whose livelihood and financial stability has been threatened by the coronavirus epidemic.

One is the Dark Obelisk Adventure Path, which contains both Pathfinder and 5E PDFs of all four major mega-adventures I've published: DO1, DO2, BB, and DE.  This is 70% off and can be found here.

The second is the Pathfinder Crunch Bundle, which contains six massive books in PDF format.  Over 2,600 pages of detailed NPCs, PCs, magical items, villains, henchmen, and more.  It's over 50% off and can be found here.

Can IGS Products Be Used in VTT (Virtual Tabletop) Apps?

Absolutely!  In fact, from the very beginning five years ago, we've made available ultra-high-resolution standalone image files for each and every map in each adventure product.  I've personally, and I know at least a handful of other GMs who have, used these in Roll20 and other VTT apps, to great and easy success.  I've received tons of requests and recommendations over the years to create dedicated VTT content for my adventures, but have not yet had the time to even consider doing so, so for the moment, it's just the maps, but those can be very easily used in any VTT app.

Incidentally, if you're merely looking for nearly 2,000 ultra-detailed and ready-to-use fantasy RPG maps, check out the Ebon Cartographer map subscription here.

Onward!

Quarantine Edition Adventure Path
about 4 years ago – Sat, Mar 21, 2020 at 08:42:15 PM

If you have ever downloaded any of our products from drive through RPG, earlier today you probably received an email notification announcing a new product that is available.

This new product, the dark obelisk adventure path quarantine edition, combines all of our published Maga adventures into a single massive library, offered at a massive discount over what it would cost normally.

I realize that this makes things very confusing in terms of this kick starter, and the collectors edition. It was not my intent to confuse the matter, particularly in this chaotic environment.

Hi, and perhaps more importantly, the colleague to whom I am intending to outsource the layout of the collectors edition, are still very heavily reliant upon the funds from this kick starter in order to realize our intended vision. I have also commissioned additional artwork for the book, and have prepared the artists involved, given the circumstances that many of them are dealing with in light of the global pandemic.

I would encourage you to consider the Quarantine edition if you are interested, and also consider the kick starter.

Happy to answer any specific questions if this is still unclear. Stay safe, and again, my apologies for confusing the matter.

Onward.

Big Day 1: FAQ Added
about 4 years ago – Sun, Mar 15, 2020 at 03:20:54 AM

Our first day is in the bag, and I'm thrilled at the support so far.  Thank you to backers, old and new alike.  We're nearly to our funding goal!

I've updated the campaign description with the following frequently asked questions based on comments and messages I've received so far... as always, if you have a question or suggestion, please let me know!

Will there be a Pathfinder Second Edition version of DO1?

"Not right now", is the short answer, and there's three reasons.

• 1: DO1 is already a done deal in PFRPG and 5E formats.  To produce a P2E version would require a lot of work, which I'd gladly do, except that I have a bunch of other books to produce and finish first.  So if/when I do do a P2E version, it would be far in the future.
  
• 2: The tool I use for generating creature and NPC crunch, pcGen, is now regrettably defunct, without full support for P2E.  So it would take me an order of magnitude more time than it did for the other rules system formats to create NPC crunch for DO1 P2E.  DO1 is extremely NPC-heavy, which you'd expect from an urban sandbox kind of setting, so this is a big deal unfortunately.
  
• 3: The biggest reason is that, shockingly at least to me, P2E isn't nearly as popular right now as I would have expected.  Sure, there's lots of folks checking it out, but 5E's popularity is SO much larger, and P1E's still thriving, that P2E didn't have nearly the love that I would have assumed it would by now.
  

Will the print-on-demand codes for the Collector's Edition at the Platinum pledge level be Standard Color?

Yes, they will be in standard color, heavyweight paper.  The Limited Edition will be in Premium Color, heavyweight paper.  Cover quality will be identical, though the LE will have a sigil on it specifically indicating that it's LE and therefore sooo much more awesome than the CE.  

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure I can always tell the difference between the two print qualities, and I've printed several different projects in both styles and cannot differentiate usually.  There is an ENORMOUS cost difference--nearly 2x!--between the two, and very, very few customers have ever opted for a premium-quality print at cost.

Do the Platinum and Adamantium pledge levels include the Digital Map Files?

Yes, they do.  Sorry about the confusion!  I missed a place where this isn't clear, but now that there are backers against those pledge levels, I cannot change them now unfortunately.

Generally speaking, each pledge level should include everything from the tier before it, and then new stuff as well.

Will there be a Collector's Edition of Dark Obelisk 2?  Of Druid Enclave?  Of other planned adventures?

"We'll have to see", is the short answer here.  There's already a lot on my plate, and the DO1 CE is a pretty straightforward effort that I can entirely outsource, so it was an easy call to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of the company, but I wouldn't want other Collector's Edition projects to interfere with planned work.

Almost certainly, there will be a CE for DO2, and my goal there would be to include loads more additional Quests.  Druid Enclave is pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be, so other than adding my signature to it and helping backers get their hands on it at a discount, I'm not sure what I would be adding to the equation there.

But, as with everything else I do, if there are backers asking for it, there's a good chance I'll make it happen!

Onward!

Stretch Goals & Add-Ons
about 4 years ago – Sun, Mar 15, 2020 at 03:20:34 AM

Hi all!  As expected, now that we're funded and have a lot of days left in the campaign, there's a bit of a lull... but not of interest!  :)

I've added the following blocks to the campaign description, clarifying some quick Stretch Goals and several Add-Ons due to backer request.  

Stretch Goals: Added Content

• $3,000: Mystery of Brushgather Farm standalone adventure.  A ~90 page, full-color book, assembling the one-session, sinister farmhouse adventure originally published in Berinncorte Basecamp.  FREE PDF for Gold and above tiers; $5 for all other backers.
  
• $5,000: Berinncorte Basecamp Epilogue Setting.  A ~150 page book.  FREE PDF for Platinum and above tiers; $10 Add-On for other backers.
  

Add-Ons

Following the Kickstarter campaign, I'll be using BackerKit to coordinate surveys, choices, and so on.  You'll also have two additional options with the survey: you can change your pledge level, and you can select Add-Ons.

The following Add-Ons will be available in the BackerKit survey.  If you know for sure that you want any or all of these now, then you can simply add the relevant amount to your Kickstarter pledge now, and it'll count against our Stretch Goals above.

Short Version: It'll be largely the same options that are currently available on the Pre-Order BackerKit site for our previous project, FlexTale Encounter Generator v2.0.

• FlexTale Encounter Generator (FTEG) v2.0: Core Book: $25 PDF.  You'll also receive the current, v1.0, upon completion of the survey.  A $50 value.
  
• Aquilae: Bestiary of the Realm (ABRE): $200 PDF.  Includes six massive, 500-650 page volumes covering all 1,600 monsters published under the Pathfinder v1 era, meticulously and lovingly converted to four "Quad Statted" iterations to use with PCs across a wide range of difficulty levels.  Includes a complete 6-volume set for each of the following rules systems: 5E, Pathfinder, Pathfinder Second Edition, and OSR.  Also includes the Master Index and the FlexAI Guidebook.  An $850 value.
  
• FlexAI Guidebook: $15 PDF.
  
• FlexTale Solo Adventuring Toolkit: $20 PDF.
  
• Dark Obelisk 2: The Mondarian Elective: $40 PDF, includes the Atlas, Players' Guide, and Adventure Books in both 5E and Pathfinder formats.  A $120 value.
  
• Druid Enclave: $40 PDF, includes the Atlas, Players' Guide, and Adventure Books in both 5E and Pathfinder formats.  A $120 value.
  
• Artifacts & Artifice Volumes 1 & 2: $65 PDF, includes both Pathfinder and 5E formats.  A $140 value.
  
• Villainous Compendium: $35 PDF, includes both Pathfinder and 5E formats.  A $80 value.
  
• The Ebon Cartographer: $45 PDF.  A lifetime subscription to all of Infinium Game Studio's adventure maps: currently contains ~1,000 maps comprising 9 GB of digital map content and PDF Atlases.  A $100 value.
  

Onward!