Let's get crafty! The final stretch goal: SMASHED! Time for the victory lap! PLUS: what's next with Backerkit, and have you heard of ARcana?
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Apr 13, 2022 at 11:38:24 PM

Blacksmiths, enchanters, artificers, rejoice! The crafting guide for the 500+ items in Book Two is unlocked! What an incredible crowning achievement to kick this Kickstarter campaign into the victory lap!

I don't have any more stretch goals planned for the campaign, but please know that every extra dollar spent goes towards making this product as good as it can be! Thank you so much for the outpouring of generous support, relentless enthusiasm, and revitalizing energy. I can't thank you enough with text, but please know that you have all come together to make a real difference in this project.

Also, as a quick aside, one of the limited EXTREME Legendary Hero backer tiers just opened up, so if you wanted to get your own handmade leather Saddlebag and a set of 5 of those coveted Total Access Codes (and your name in the book's Special Thanks!), now's your time!

So, what's next?

The next step will be getting everything assembled in Backerkit. Fortunately, I've managed to get a head start on this. I should be able to get surveys sent out inside of a week, if not sooner. I want to make sure that this transition is as seamless as it can be for you and for folks who come in after the campaign closes. As always, if something happens and I need a little more time, I'll be sure to post here and let you know. I'll also put out an update when the surveys are queued up for release!

Digital rewards going out immediately:

• PDF Book One
• Ledger+ Access Codes: Books One
• Ledger+ Access Codes: Books Two
• Ledger+ Total Access Codes
• Foundry Book Two item bundle
   

Rewards going out shortly thereafter through end-of-May:

• PDF Book Two — this will still have some missing filler art, but is perfect for you to start using at home. Proofreaders, if you find anything, I'll have means of contacting me about it and cataloging your finds! This should be pretty tight, though: lots of folks have already combed through it! Let's see if Ind Fonts is sneaking around again.
• Setting soundtracks should be live, too.
• Bulette Takes the Liar fable PDF and soundtrack
• Criir STL
   

Digital Rewards going out June through September:

• Updates to the PDF as needed leading up to the final printing version.
• Digital printable character sheets for those that got the journals. You're getting printed ones, obviously, but you can print new ones later or use 'em ahead of time!
• Griffons of the Multiverse Bestiary PDF
• Kibbles' crafting guide for The Griffon's Saddlebag: Book Two
   

Physical rewards: as soon as possible, obviously. Planned for February of '23.

If you've been a backer with me before, you already know that I do my best to be transparent with what's going on. In general, I'm always working to push the cart forward on this, and will be quick to post updates here on Kickstarter as I have them to share. I also check comments and messages here every weekday, if not also weekends, so I'm always reachable. You can also reach out through the Saddlebag Discord, if you're a Discord user.

BONUS: Have you seen ARcana? 

ARcana lets you play D&D at the table, even if it's at your own table and everyone else is hundreds of miles away. This isn't a VTT: it's Augmented Reality tabletop play. I used to work a bit with AR projects, and this is really cool to see.

Minis and physical terrain pieces are costly and take up a lot of room (and time, if you paint them yourself!). With ARcana, you can pull 3d models directly from the likes of Hero Forge and Dwarvenforge into a 3d space to create your own maps. Players can physically walk around and see their characters move throughout these spaces, allowing you to mix the fun of playing around a table with the convenience of digital online play.

I can also say that if this is your speed, and you like the Saddlebag, you can look forward to a future where you can even see your character running around with their own virtual Saddlebag on!

That's it for me right now! Until next time, keep on adventuring!

-g

1 million reached just in time for the final 48 hours! Enjoy your bonus bookmarks, and let's unlock those crafting recipes!
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Apr 13, 2022 at 03:26:53 AM

Hey everyone!

It's been such an honor being here with you all as we crossed this major milestone together into the million dollar range for this project. Thank you all, truly, from the bottom of my heart.

This last stretch goal at $1 million includes an exclusive silk bookmark in every pledge that has "pack" in the name. This special, limited-edition bookmark is styled with the classic Saddlebag red and teal triangle motif with embroidered edges and accents. No more marking the page with character sheets for you!

The last stretch goal that lays ahead for us is at $1.1m. This final goal unlocks fun crafting recipes for every magic item in this book (other than the artifacts) using KibblesTasty's heavily playtested and beloved crafting system. With this free supplement, you'll be able to forge your heart out and make your favorite creations all on your own, instead of relying on some other wizard or what-have-you to leave it behind in their lair for you to find.

So this is it! It's the final push!

Let's do it! Talk more soon!

-g

Woo-hoo! The planar griffon bestiary is unlocked! Griffons abound! Next up: the road to 1 million! Plus: EMPTY CARD BOX ADD-ONS, and a special KS campaign shout-out.
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Apr 07, 2022 at 03:17:57 AM

Boom! Done! That's another goal off the list! Thank you so much, everyone!

The multiplanar griffons have actually been a long-standing and flavorful hobby of mine with my monster-making friends. I'm so excited that this Kickstarter campaign can serve as the grounds to make more of these creature and share them with you all.

You'll find out what happens to griffons on the Elemental Plane of Water, or Fire, or even fey one or shadowy ones. What about hellish or celestial griffons? Chimeric ones? Phoenix ones? What fascinating monsters can we put together into new, grander griffons? Ooh, I can't wait!

Next up: the limited edition bookmark!

Next up: the 1 million mark! At this stage, everyone who receives a pledge with "pack" in the name will receive a limited edition, unique silk bookmark made with that classic red and teal triangle design. Thank you all for your continued enthusiasm and support! Truly!

Empty Card Boxes now available for add-ons!

They're ready! Thank you everyone for your patience with me getting quotes for manufacturing these. These boxes come with the same organizational perks as the ones that come in a set, like plastic dividers and a central column separator. Perfect for card overflow for when you sleeve your cards, or if you want your Book One cards to match your Book Two ones! These boxes match the design aesthetic of the ones that come as the set, but aren't labeled with "Book Two" on it so you can use them for whatever you like!

I'll be getting final confirmation on the GM screen interiors by the end of this week, Criir-willing. They have to do some tests to make sure it's doable, which should hopefully get you excited for it! More on that to come asap! Thank you for your continued patience with it!

PLUS: Adventures in ADHD

Lastly, but certainly not least(ly?), is a shoutout to this inspired D&D Kickstarter campaign: Adventures in ADHD! What happens when your literal attention is stolen by an archfey? What is it like to struggle with the effects of ADHD? This colorful and clever adventure supplement looks like a great way to introduce your players first hand to the minds of those with ADHD.

This campaign also hits closer to home for me, as my partner was recently diagnosed with ADHD (with medication). It has been nothing short of transformative for her to be able to identify parts of her daily life as symptoms of the divergence, rather than just "being bad at being a person:" a phrase that she and many others with undiagnosed ADHD have said (and do say) about themselves.

Anyway, this and Adventures in ADHD are to say that this divergence affects lots of people who display it differently than most of us were taught. ADHD is so more than just the hyperactive children we grew up being taught about, and I think it's important to give this Kickstarter campaign a well-deserved mention here.

So if this adventure sounds like something you'd like to explore, or if you or someone you know suffers from ADHD, be sure to check out Adventures in ADHD and show them your support!

Okay! Until next time: keep on adventuring!

-Griff

Book One Deluxes are back as add-ons! Plus, the 750k stretch goal has been reached! Griffon bestiary PDF is next!
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 03:03:00 PM

Hey everyone! Title says it all!

There has been a lot of demand for reprints of the first book's deluxe variant cover. I'm happy to announce that they're now available once again as add-ons. Thank you for your support, and for letting me know that this was an in-demand item!

Also! Wow! We hit that 750k stretch goal! I'm so excited to offer these curated playlists for each book's setting. These will be available as downloads, but also as easily-reachable Spotify playlists for you to quickly reach through your phone or computer!

The next stretch goal is only 125k away, and includes an illustrated bestiary of various griffons from across the multiverse. These griffons may have been influenced by elemental forces, or have adapted in unique ways to survive in these strange and foreign landscapes. All orders that receive the PDF will also get a copy of this, whether your PDF is an add-on or a a part of your backer tier!

I'm still getting quotes on those empty card boxes for those of you looking to sleeve your cards or simply looking for a matching box for the Book One cards. I'll be sure to update you here when I can about them!

Until next time: keep on adventuring, and thank you for your awesome support!

-g

Past 600k? It's time for the secret stretch goal announcement! Also, bonus size comparison of the leatherette backpack.
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 29, 2022 at 03:29:37 AM

Hey everyone!

Now that we're past the 600k mark (wow!!), I can announce the Secret Stretch Goal that I've mentioned in a few of my replies to your comments:

At 663k (the amount of funding from the first book), all backers that get the PDF will also get a Ledger+ code for Book Two.

This was a beloved stretch goal from the first Kickstarter campaign, and I'm happy to bring it back for this next one.

If you already added a code as an add-on, thank you! No hard feelings if you remove it or swap it out for something else. The Ledger+ is a great system, and I want to make sure that as many of you as possible are able to make the most of your digital and physical copies of the book. These are also great to share with your fellow players or GM friends, so if you have extra, share them! The more, the merrier.

Oh! I also got this (very short) bonus video from the backpack manufacturers. This is a paper demo, obviously, but you can see the size of this bag! It's going to be really great. If this looks like something you'd want to pack your game's gear in, be sure to snag yours as an add-on at the Kickstarter-exclusive price!

That's all for now! Until next time, keep on adventuring!

-g