March Update: Editing and Layout
12 months ago
– Fri, Mar 22, 2024 at 08:09:39 AM
Hi friends,
This will be a short update, but we're getting close to the end of the line! Editing is around 90 percent complete, and I hope to have it finished this weekend. It's mostly just cleaning up some grammatical issues, but it has taken longer than anticipated given how big this book has become. Did I mention the final product is closer to 340 pages, than the 250 or so we originally envisioned? Well, we've got a chonky adventure coming your way, and I'm really excited about it.
In other positive news, our layout artist has already created the template for the book and laid out the first section. They'll be able to hit the ground running once I hand off the final manuscript.
So what's left? We still have to have the dice manufactured, and work on VTT conversions can't start until the PDF is available, so there will be some bits and pieces coming through over the next month or two. But we're close on the PDF and will go straight into manufacturing the books when its ready!
February Update: Editing Continues
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Feb 22, 2024 at 08:44:30 AM
Hi friends,
Quick update today to let you know our current status. I'm in the midst of editing the book and hope to have that wrapped up within a few weeks. From there, we'll head into final layout of the book. Once layout is done we'll release the PDF and move forward with printing. We're getting close!
In the meantime, we've just about wrapped up the map book. Below you can see a spread from the book, the spiral rings will run through the blurred areas in the center so that they do not block any of the playable space.
Grizelda's Lost Journals, Beta Testing, and the Zombie Apocalypse
about 1 year ago
– Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 11:53:18 AM
Hi friends,
We've got a few pieces of information for you today!
Grizelda's Lost Journals
If you picked up the Grizelda's Lost Journals PDF as an add-on, you'll find it in your BackerKit digital files. You should also have received an email from BackerKit about the download being available. If you remember, this is a collection of player options (and a new monster) that didn't make the cut for our previous book, Grizelda's Guide to Ghost Hunting. Enjoy!
Beta Testing
The extended beta testing has been a blessing, and we are thankful for those of you who put in a lot of time pointing out errors or asking for clarification when we didn't realize it was needed. As a whole, this process will result in a very smooth experience. I'm excited to announce we're concluding the beta test, and will be moving forward into editing! Once we get close to the end of the proofreading process, I'll lay out the next steps.
Zander's Guide to Zombie Hunting is Coming
Our next Kickstarter campaign - likely our major project for the year - is launching in March! Zander's Guide to Zombie Hunting is packed with everything you need to raise the dead or survive the zombie apocalypse in a 5E campaign. It includes tons of new player options, including our first custom class - The Animist - designed by Ben Huffman. Ben is best known for designing the popular Pugilist class, and I'm excited about what he's working on for us. Additionally, the project will include:
- New subclasses
- New spells
- New magical items
- A new lineage: The Bitten
- A zombie bestiary
- Adventure hooks
- A guide to building a zombie apocalypse campaign
You can follow our prelaunch page now and be the first to get notified on launch.
Beta Test is Live
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Dec 27, 2023 at 08:57:51 AM
Hi friends!
The beta test is live. We'll run this for two weeks, consider feedback, and then move forward with the printing process. I've just hit the button to make both the map pack and the beta PDF available to you. Keep in mind this PDF is not hyperlinked and does not have any of the art included with it. You should receive an email from BackerKit shortly.
Want to Give Feedback?
We'd love to hear any feedback you have to offer. Click the link below to join our discord server and discuss it in our dedicated beta test channel. We're happy for any feedback, but especially appreciate any heads up on gamebreaking stuff like page cord errors, etc.
December Update: Playtests and Timelines
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Dec 12, 2023 at 06:59:48 AM
Hi friends,
Over the last few weeks we have been putting the finishing touches on the adventure, which has primarily included quality control efforts. After finding a handful of orphaned paragraphs (entries with nothing linking to them) during this process, we've decided to go back through everything with a fine-toothed comb. This will push back delivery of the book, but our ultimate goal is a player experience that is completely free of frustrating errors and dead-ends to the story.
Over the next two weeks, we'll be reviewing the manuscript a final time for any errors involving the story diagram. Once that is completed, we'll be ready to open things up to a public playtest. I hope to have the playtest to you before Christmas, and that process will last two weeks.
After that, we'll compile the feedback, make corrections if needed, and then go through final editing and layout. The plan is to have the PDF ready by the end of February, and immediately go into physical printing after that.
This means a delay of a few months from our January deadline. While we never want to push a project back, I am confident that the final book is going to be more polished thanks to taking a little more time with it.
