Cover Updated!
almost 6 years ago – Sun, Jul 22, 2018 at 09:02:41 PM

Resized for 8x10 format, more readable font that echoes the choices inside the document, and new Dungeon Fantasy RPG logos. A bit of tweaking of the back-cover text as well.

I also got a major interior file milestone done today. All things that needed to be written have been written. I still might put in a few hundred words on one subject in the wilderness section, but by and large, we're in the "proofing and tweaking and spelling and layout consistency" stage until I can send out a preliminary file. 

I ran into a snag with Backerkit today, or else y'all would have your surveys already. I expect to fix that tomorrow afternoon, and then surveys will go out. I've asked more questions than usual in this one, but you can always just put "NA" and move on if you don't want to answer. 

Check your backer crediting!
almost 6 years ago – Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 10:07:35 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Shipping Finalization
almost 6 years ago – Tue, Jul 17, 2018 at 09:01:04 PM

I heard back from my fulfillment partner and printer. So, here's the final word.

Printing

Printing is going to take longer than POD usually takes: 4 weeks from me placing the order to books being ready to ship. I intend to place the order on August 1, right after I send the PDFs out to y'all.

That just gets the books made, though, and it would appear that will take us through August 25 or so.

The book will be pretty cool, though. 140gsm/93# paper, matte finish for readability, with a glossy cardstock cover. If you're familiar with ACKS Domains at War: Battles, it will be about like that. Perhaps 3/8" or 9mm thick, 8x10 format. About the size of Spells and Companion put together, I'll guess.

Shipping

Once printing is complete, it will take about a week to get them from the printer to the fulfillment company, processed, packed up, and moved out. From that point, it will be hopefully a maximum of three weeks until everyone has their books.

Both the printing and shipping schedules quoted have as much of a week of slop in them. It could be three weeks to print, and two weeks until the first books arrive. 

Even so, we're looking at a span of 5-8 weeks, or delivery of the physical product between September 5 and Sept 26. In short, I will be a month behind my promised date for the physical books. 

This irks me.

Shipping Fees

The moment we've been waiting for:

• United States and United Kingdom: $6
• European Union: $9
• Everywhere Else: $12

If you're ordering a bunch of books, expect to pay a bit more per book, but not huge. 2-4 books total is 50% more than listed, and 5-8 books is 100% more than listed. Most folks will only be getting the one book, but if you want more, that's how prices step up.

Next Steps: Surveys and Processing

The finalization of shipping rates means I can rapidly get things entered into the system and things sent out. That means finalizing addresses, collecting shipping fees, and allowing you guys to allocate your pledge or extra money for add-ons, or just buy add-ons outright. I'll also ask a few questions about the Kickstarter and potential future products that I would be very pleased if you answered.

So that's it. Look for a survey from me in the next week or so. I'll get it out as soon as I can.

Excellent progress today on Sample Characters
almost 6 years ago – Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 10:56:43 PM

Just a quick note.

There are really four or five things left to do before the read-review-read-review-read-review cycle starts.

1. Finish pre-gen characters. This is very nearly done. I'm awaiting one more, the backer knows what direction to take, and I expect to have this in hand shortly. The rest of the chapter is done, though the team continues to review the characters for catching little things.

2. Finish the monster write-ups. There are but three left to do. 

3. Revise some of the wilderness travel rules. The older ones, based on Fifth Edition, don't hold up in a Powered by GURPS environment (so to speak). I know what I have to do here, so it should be fast. I also want to add pack animals and some true winter gear in there somewhere - maybe in the Things to Buy and Sell chapter, but it might have to go in The Journey due to layout reasons: I am absolutely going to hit a very, very full 128 pages.

4. I have to put some treasure somewhere; I know where. I'll work out what.

5. The last two maps have to be inserted. I saw a preview of one of them today, and your GM will kill you all. Oh, sorry. It will be a fun and rewarding delve. Really.

6. I have to write up a Norðlond glossary and pronunciation guide. Cause to not do that would be mean.

7. Backer list and credits.

I'm pretty sure that's it. I have an appointment to speak tomorrow to my fulfillment guy, and the final bids are in on printing, confirming my plans to print in the UK. I've got an idea for shipping options I want to bounce off of him that might be a real "best of both worlds" option. We'll see if it's viable or crazy-talk.

I also will be very quickly now setting up the Backerkit surveys and items and stuff, but I really can't get that done until I lock down approximate shipping cost. I hope to have that done by the end of the week, though, and then let the survey responses go until July 31. Then I'll lock down and distribute on Aug 1.

Boom! And that's a wrap!
almost 6 years ago – Sat, Jul 14, 2018 at 11:07:43 PM

Amazing. I'm floored and thrilled by the response to this Kickstarter.

Let me be straight. I expected about 300 folks and $20 per pledge. That would have been a success for me. We landed 1/3 as many backers as the CORE RULES THEMSELVES.

That's just wild, and I thank you for it.

525 Backers; nearly $16,000!

Next Steps

So there's always something to do, and here's what it will be.

As soon as physically possible, I'll get the list of backers to my fulfillment partner. That will allow me to be MUCH more specific about shipping. 

My printing contact comes back from vacation on Monday; I'll ping him ASAP about getting all the final pricing details, and do one last comparison of all options.

I have some finalization of the draft to do, including two new backers for A Thegn of Your Own, which brings the total to 16 sample characters, I do believe.

I will prepare the Backerkit portion of the project and get that launched as soon as freakin' possible. That more or less translates as "that portion goes live as soon as I have shipping costs."

There will be some important questions on there. Finalizing shipping address is of course one of them. You will also have the opportunity to spend your pledge and buy add-ons if you like. One of the key questions is going to be "If I get another DFRPG license, what should I make?" Another will be "If that expands beyond the DFRPG, what would you like to see?" I'll also ask if you'd like to be added to my mailing list. I don't use it much, maybe monthly to give updates. 

I guess that's it! Sometime right about when I push the PDF to backers, I'll come forward with my usual "where did the money go?" update that I always do, though I will need to be a bit vague about some things because not just my business.

In closing: Thank you, and I will endeavor to make this book worthy of your faith. And with that, hopefully earn your trust when I come back to do another.

I already have ideas. Plans, even.