September Update Addendum
over 6 years ago – Tue, Sep 26, 2017 at 07:50:13 PM

Hello Scarred Lands Backers, Again!

RichT here:

Sorry to send out another one of these so soon, because it doesn't change anything in the last Update, but I was just slapped in the back of the head by my Onyx Path crew for forgetting to mention our latest Kickstarter in this last Update.

Right now, we are running a Kickstarter for Cavaliers of Mars!

Live, fight, and love on Mars, a world of red death and strange mystery, a world of savagery and romance.

Return now to dying Mars in its last age of glory. A planet of flashing swords and choking sands, of winking courtesans and lantern-lit canal cities.

Mars, where fortune and heartbreak are two sides of the same obsidian chit, where lost cities and dry oceans stretch between the last bastions of civilization. Where the First Martians, the monument-builders, are but a haunted memory. Where the Red Martians become decadent and reckless in their last days. Where the Pale Martians rule the wastes, remembering a history whose weight would crush a lesser people.

If that sounds interesting, we'd love to have you check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/cavaliers-of-mars-a-tabletop-roleplaying-game

Remember: Mars has canals... therefore, Mars must have Venice!

August Scarred Lands Update
over 6 years ago – Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 10:35:40 PM

Hello Scarred Lands backers!

RichT here:

GenCon50 has come and gone, and we were indeed able to have samples of both versions of the Scarred Lands Players Guide, and of the new edition of The Wise and the Wicked at our booth.

Judging by the comments I heard as folks perused them, they were as impressed as I was by the quality of the paper and art reproduction. Our Operations Manager, Mighty Matt McElroy, took the books home afterwards, but sent me a few photos to share with you:

Matt, as well as myself, Art Director Mirthful Mike Chaney, and Developer Scott Holden, sat down at the convention and hashed out a plan of continuing operations for Scarred Lands that we're pretty happy about, as Onyx Path tries to fill the void left by Stewart Wieck.

Fulfilling this Kickstarter is job #1, and we're working with Steve Wieck and the remaining Nocturnal Media crew to pull together all the far-flung additional projects besides the books and do just that. The vast majority of your books are still en route from the shipper, and Steve is working with a new source for the SL dice. Right now, it's our intention to ship out everything we need to fulfill this KS together.

As a thanks you for your patience during all these unfortunate events, we'll soon be sending out "at-cost" coupons for Print on Demand physical book versions of the SL Players Guide and The Wise and the Wicked for use by any of you that want copies of the books earlier than we can get the traditionally printed versions you backed out to you.

The PoD discounted books are not mandatory to order and in no way replace the rewards you pledged for. You will still get all your books. This is just a small thing we're trying to do to say thanks as we all wait for the proverbial "slow boat from China".

I'll hopefully have good news next month on shipping, and more info on the kinds of projects our Scarred Lands team have lined up. (One clue: a CC KS).

Thanks for your support!

July Scarred Lands Update
almost 7 years ago – Mon, Jul 24, 2017 at 01:02:43 AM

Hello Scarred Lands backers!

RichT here:

I left info about what is happening with this project in the comments section, but a lot of backers don't read the comments on every KS they back, I know I don't, so here is the status:

Last month, Stewart Wieck, creator of this Scarred Lands Kickstarter campaign and owner of Nocturnal Media, had just finished a light fencing sparring match when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Obviously, this has been a terrible and sudden blow to his family and friends, and we have been both dealing with our personal loss as well as trying to step in and manage Stew's business dealings.

Because Scarred Lands is co-owned by Stewart's Nocturnal Media and my Onyx Path Publishing, I'm going to be taking over fulfilling the project and communicating with all of you good people.

Stewart and I were in constant communication with each other about Scarred Lands and this Kickstarter campaign, so although he was the public face, the direction of the project has always been something we were in total agreement on. That direction won't change now that he is gone.

I've given our printer the go-ahead to print the SL PGs and the Wise and the Wicked books, and in conjunction with Steve Wieck, Stewart's brother who is working through Nocturnal Media's other projects, we will be getting the dice manufactured soon.

We hope to have a sample copy or two of both books at the Onyx Path/Nocturnal Media booth at Gen Con in about three weeks, but won't have the books available to ship or sell in time for the con.

As you might imagine, this was not a situation any of us expected to be dealing with, and taking over a project, or the raft of projects that Nocturnal Media was involved with, is a far more complex task after the loss of the one person who knew how everything was supposed to fit together. So, please bear with us as things are further straightened out.

Thank you for your support.

Proof Copies!
almost 7 years ago – Sat, May 20, 2017 at 12:35:07 AM

The printer proofs of both versions of the Scarred Lands Player's Guide and The Wise & the Wicked have arrived. I've enjoyed looking through them, but now they're shipping to our designer Mike Chaney.

Here's a selection of photos of both versions. In both cases, keep in mind that the proofs are hand-trimmed and hand-bound, so errors in construction of these proofs are not a concern. For instance, the page numbers in the 5e OGL version of the SLPG are close to the edge of the pages and are sometimes even partly cut off. The machine presses will cause the same problem.

As soon as Mike receives and goes over these, and assuming there are no problems, the press run begins. Printed books should be ready to ship within a couple weeks of our approval. The shipping process is somewhat unpredictable, but we should receive the printed books in late June and have them shipping to you in July. More precise dates are impossible at this time.

For now, enjoy these photos!

I also like these two photos to show the differences in the layout of the two versions of the Scarred Lands Player's Guide. Both books end up at 312 pages, but midway through the books, the same spell illustration appears on different pages:

Other Projects

While I know this project has run late, I hope you'll take a look at our two Kickstarter projects that are live now. Onyx Path Publishing has the "cat version" of their Kickstarter smash-hit Pugmire:

While Nocturnal Media is funding The Moods of the Mad King, a much smaller casual card game project ending in a couple weeks:

 

Dagger of Spiragos!
about 7 years ago – Wed, May 03, 2017 at 10:02:14 PM

Artifacts from the fallen titan Spiragos have been recovered, and forces are at work that would see them used for ill. The Dagger of Spiragos and the Ring of Spiragos are now in the player characters’ hands — and they must do what they can to rid Scarn of the foul relics of the titans, whatever the cost!

Both versions of Dagger of Spiragos PDF are available now! They're uploaded onto DTRPG and I'm entering the digital delivery information at BackerKit after I send this update. If you added this second installment of the Spiragos Trilogy to your rewards, then watch your inbox for an email with download link.

Both versions are about 60 pages long and contain an Appendix A with about 10 pages of expanded information about Fangsfall and the surrounding peninsula. Then there's an Appendix B with nearly ten pages that update the... oops! Spoiler Warning! I guess you'll just have to see for yourself.

There's no further update from the printer, but that just means things are moving along smoothly. The next word should be a ship notice that proofs are incoming!

 

Surprisingly related (sshhhh!) to Appendix B of Dagger of Spiragos is the mood of a new game that Nocturnal Media imprint Gallant Knight Games is offering on Kickstarter now. The Moods of the Mad King is a 15-minute micro-game. The game is just $15, so please take a look... so long as you're not afraid of crossing the king and losing your head!