Friends, thank you so much for your outpouring of support for this chill game of adventurers settling down to run a cozy tavern. We had an incredible stream of backers show up on the final day! Over 500 people kept the Backer Train running and we not only stayed open past the 6pm deadline but we tipped past the $200,000 mark which means all our authors and artists are getting an 80% pay bump!
The next couple weeks will largely be quiet in terms of updates. BackerKit needs to collect and distribute your funds to us, we are hard at work commissioning art and revising the layout, and then we'll fire off the order for the print books. We'll also be working with Campaign Coins and Wood Tactics to get the dice and coins produced.
We'll keep you apprised as we hit milestones, but for the near future we're going to keep our heads down to push this material into production.
Along those lines, note that the stretch goals you all unlocked will be created on a separate timeline. Most of them will not be part of the book itself and will be delivered when they are completed. (We don't make a habit of commissioning stretch goals until we know the goal has actually funded.)
On behalf of the whole team, once again: thank you again for being part of this project. You blew past our humble expectations and we're excited to bring Stewpot to market. It's going to be a bigger, prettier, and better game because of you.
It's been a long journey - several years in the making on our end, and at least a couple months for each of you. I've adored hearing all of your stories of games using our system, and the feedback since we've released the Prototype PDFs has been incredible. But... we're just about at the end! This is the final version of the Prototype PDF we plan to put out - in 2-3 weeks from now you should be receiving your key to unlock the final version of the game in Itch.io.
The Final Prototype PDF
You heard that right. Version 1.8 is the final version of the Prototype PDF we plan on releasing here - everything in the book is finally 100% complete, and we've locked orders so we can finally include backer names. All that's left to do is check for typos, formatting errors, and make sure we haven't messed anything up. That's where you all come in! While me and Iris both will be checking the book extensively for errors, we only have two pairs of eyes. You've all been a massive help noticing errors and typos so far, but in this final stretch - we'd like for anyone willing to read through the book one final time to check for:
Any grammar errors or typos still present in the book (Please note that the book should appear in European English).
Any formatting errors that appear inconsistent with the rest of the book.
Any inconsistencies with the ways that we've described rules throughout the book.
If you notice anything, we have a ticket channel in our Discord for letting us know! Thank you for your assistance in advance.
Changes in 1.8 of the Prototype PDF
In each update where we release a new version of the Prototype PDF, we'll be including a changelog so you know what you need to check if you've already read through the whole book:
Various typos, formatting, and inconsistencies fixed.
1 New Guest Encounter Included (MBT)
1 New Champion Tier Encounter Included.
1 New Generic NPC Encounter Included.
Originally this space was supposed to be filled by an additional Champion Tier encounter. However, the person who had backed at the Champion level has sorely faced some substantial medical issues and has been unable to work with us to a level they can be happy with. We will be refunding them for the difference, and to replace their space within the book we've instead included one of the encounters we built for the Booster Pack.
Backer Names have been added to the Credits section
PLEASE NOTE:Some backers appear to have misunderstood the question during the survey and answered with a variation of "Yes", "Sure" or similar, instead of including how they would like to be referenced. Similarly, some backers have included names that are either inappropriate or imply the collaboration of businesses that haven't backed our project. These backers names were unable to be included - if you think this may be you, please get in touch with me or Iris so we can fix this.
PNG versions of the Player Tokens have been added to the Printables section.
The Playtest version of the Booster Pack has been updated with some updates and new content:
New bridging text has been added between sections of the Booster Pack.
2 New Playbooks have been added:
The Facade
The Crew
4 New NPC Encounters have been added.
3 New Alternate Formats have been added under the Alternate Formats section:
Momentum Rules
Pack Opening Rules
Champions' Path Rules
Progress on Perfect Draw!
We're working hard to get Perfect Draw! done and ready for printing in May. Right now we're on track to getting everything done on time and included in the book!
Core Book:
Writing, Playtesting, Layout, Art (100% DONE)
Guest Encounters:
Derek Ehlmann (100% DONE)
Riley Hopkins (100% DONE)
Zak Borough (100% DONE)
Joseph Rothschild (100% DONE)
Millenium Blades (100% DONE)
Champion Tier Encounters (100% DONE)
Booster Pack PDF:
New Playbooks:
The Mentor (90% PLAYTESTING)
The Lovestruck (90% PLAYTESTING)
The Other Me (90% PLAYTESTING)
The Facade (80% PLAYTESTING)
The Crew (80% PLAYTESTING)
Additional Premade Cards (90% PLAYTESTING)
Additional New Encounters (90% PLAYTESTING)
Three New Card Game Combat Formats (70% PLAYTESTING)
Art for Each Unlocked Playbook (80%)
Layout for Booster Pack PDF (0%)
Other:
Custom Card Creation App (100% DONE)
Print & Play + VTT Assets (100% DONE)
What Else is Happening in Perfect Draw!
As we approach the complete version of the core book, our attention internally has turned a bit more towards the Booster Pack! We've released an exciting new version of the book with two new playbooks this update, and one of them (The Facade) even already has art! The Crew is going to be a weirder one since it naturally represents multiple characters, but I'm excited to show you all what we've been cooking up. In other news, more streamers have begun series where they run Perfect Draw!. While Dimension Chasers has been going strong for some time now, two new Actual-Plays have entered the battlefield. Check them out here:
These have both been fun watches, and I highly recommend giving them a look if your searching for more of a Perfect Draw! Actual Play fix.
When Will You Receive the Physical Versions of Perfect Draw!
With the incredible responses we've seen from not just the crowdfunding project but also the preorder store, it's sad to say that fulfillment of physical copies is likely to take some extra time then we originally projected. With that said, if you pay close attention to the Credits section available in the new Prototype PDF you'll notice an exciting new bit of information: we now have a Publishing Partner!!
While most well known as a board game publisher, Japanime Games has worked to publish a number of TTRPG projects over the last few years - Including Glitter Hearts and the Cowboy Bebop TTRPG. Now, they've asked us to work with them not just for fulfillment of this crowdfunding project, but a retail release of Perfect Draw!
This comes with some exciting news we can't quite reveal yet, but it also means we'll be able to get you your physical books sooner then we would have had to, should we have tried to print over 1000 copies ourselves. We'll have more information for you soon.
Would it be possible to include another d% in the set? A major mechanic of Call of Cthulhu is rolling a d10 and 2d% for advantage or disadvantage, and it would be really cool to have a matching or contrasting die to use for those rolls.
This update announces a revision to the delivery estimate of The Vault of Mini Things from late summer/early fall to fall/winter. It goes into the reasons behind the revision and in particular gives a look into the iterative engineering that’s gone into the vertical terrain elements of the Vault. No action is required.
Delivery ETA
When we launched this project we anticipated delivery in late summer/early fall of 2024. This estimate was based on our extensive experience making terrain and Marshall’s deep, existing catalog of minis. Today, we’re announcing that the delivery estimate is changing to late fall/winter 2024. To put an exact deadline on it: we’re targeting orders to be in the mail and on the way to customers by December 6–the first day of PAX Unplugged 2024.
Three factors contributed to us not being able to hit the original delivery estimate:
Art
Dieline complexity & feature creep
Vertical element engineering
Testing out some of the graveyard map tiles.
Art
Even with hundreds of minis art already “in the can” thanks to the Printable Heroes catalog, the Vault demanded the creation of hundreds more original works of art. Marshall has been making minis art for years and is quite fast considering each mini actually requires two pieces of art at minimum: the front, and the back. And Marshall being the creative illustrator that he is, his pen will often lead him into making variants of a mini. Say, different weapons, hair or armor styles, or a variety of fantasy races. Looking at what we already had and what we needed, we felt that we could hit the original estimate if Marshall’s output was augmented by an already-lined-up contractor artist. Unfortunately that contractor went through a major life event and was unable to contribute. It took several months to find and onboard a new artist. Fortunately this new artist, Jordan Kotzebue, is up and running and we are moving much faster now. Moving the delivery estimate gives us the time we need to complete the art lift.
Dieline complexity & feature creep
The minis in the Vault (and Pouches of Mini Things) are packaged on sheets of die-cut cardstock. At first glance this seems simple enough: just print all the minis onto a sheet, make a die to cut (or rather, score-for-punching) that sheet, and off we go. However: each mini in the Vault has a unique silhouette / shape. And some minis will come in multiple quantities–enough so that you can field a raid of orcs, or a rattle of skeletons. Figuring out how to efficiently arrange as many minis as possible onto a sheet, and taking into consideration multiple quantities, for a product containing a thousand minis… that’s a task for a computer. Fortunately, the Tinkerhouse team includes a member who writes software tools for a living. Unfortunately, writing such a tool takes significant time, and can’t be fully tested until all art and design is finalized.
Test output with colored tabs and numbering system.
Some of that art is the miniature art mentioned above. But some is art and design elements we’re developing to improve quality-of-life and user experience for you, the backer. For example, colored and numbered tabs to make both initial setup and daily play quicker and easier. Some of these quality of life elements were discovered as we iterated on production and amounted to time-consuming feature creep. But we strongly believe that they’ll result in a more positive user experience.
Vertical element engineering
Tinkerhouse has been making full-color chipboard wargaming terrain for many years, and we anticipated that the seemingly-simpler terrain for the Vault would be fairly quick & easy. This was not the case. The terrain in the Vault is meant to compliment the inherently 2-d nature of the Vault’s standee minis. This is conceptually and practically very different from the 3-d terrain we’d been building. Whereas Tinkerturf Terrain can feature robust, thick columns and supports Vault terrain must attempt to represent the maps found within RPG adventure modules–and those maps often don’t account for wall thickness or buttressing. We also had a product design goal/constraint of quick-and-easy setup, with no glue or “hobbying” required, while still being sturdy and strong.
So we went through several rounds of engineering iteration, covered in the Terrain Engineering Overview section below.
The mess of engineering iterations and ideas.
Terrain Engineering Overview
Printable Heroes method
The method Printable Heroes had been recommending for print-and-play walls, with thin printed walls permanently taped onto elongated hexagon bases, just wouldn’t work for the thicker cardstock we’re using in the Vault.
Printable Heroes method
They’re too tippy, and the thickness of the bases would unpleasantly tilt any mini placed alongside a wall. We tried many different shapes and thicknesses for supporting walls from a flat base, and each had a flaw that negatively impacted setup and gameplay. So while small elements such as torches and treasure chests will be supported from the bottom, using the same base that the minis use, we had to come up with a different solution for larger elements like walls and big obstacles.
Cross-support pieces
The traditional method for standing up a simple vertical terrain element is to use one or two notched cross-pieces. This is simple, intuitive, and quick to set up and take down. It’s what we settled on for supporting outdoor vertical terrain elements like rocks, trees, and fences–elements that will be placed with plenty of space between them, and lots of room for minis to maneuver around.
Nobody puts mini in the corner.
But cross-pieces don’t work in tight interior spaces, such as a dungeon environment. If a cross-piece extends even just one inch from a wall, this effectively creates a barrier all the way across a 10-foot wide (two 1-inch squares) corridor–and completely prevents setting up a narrow 5-foot wide (one 1 inch square) corridor. That limitation just isn’t feasible.
Side support pieces
In the end we selected the same system of support used in home construction: we support a wall by attaching it to another wall. Two perpendicular linear elements joined together forms a sturdy structure. Since the actual use-case of our collection of walls and door frames is forming rooms and corridors, we figure we can safely assume that any wall or door frame will be joined to at least one other vertical element. Once we settled on that concept it took weeks to design, engineer, test, and select our solution for the method of connection: plastic compression-fit columns in a brick texture suitable for both dungeon and tudor village environments. They’re quick & easy to set up and take down, store compactly, don’t meaningfully protrude into the playspace, and look good.
A simple dungeon form showing the function of the side support pieces.
Closer view ot the side support piece.
Showing off two Vault minis for scale.
—
While a delivery delay is not what any backer wants to hear, we hope that the quality (and quality of life) improvements will make the Vault much more enjoyable and user-friendly when it reaches your table. Thank you for your continued support of The Vault of Mini Things.
We'll conclude this update with two short gifs from Marshall showing a turnaround of a complete Vault mini with front-and-back art, insertable terrain pog, and custom base.
Complete Vault Mini: double sided standee, terrain POG, and 3D printed base.
All right mercenaries, The Valraven multi-table event at PLAY Modena was a success, and as promised, here are some pictures from the room. It's the first time we've had so many people playing the game at once, and the scenario focused on repelling a Darokar invasion. Each mercenary Company was able to help other mercenary Companies (with players physically able to move between tables), protect or sabotage machinery and structures, and make sure the Darokar Titans couldn't crash into the city walls. A huge thanks to the organizers for running the event, and to the 10+ Master of Chronicles who made it possible. I was only able to attend for a few moments, but it was definitely a cool thing to see. I don't have the final scenario in my hands yet, but this is probably something that will be shared in some form on our Discord server at some point.
Lone Blade: Solo Mode
It's unlocked! We knew this was a fan favorite, we just didn't realize that people might want more of it. I'm happy to report that after consulting with the game's author, Alberto Tronchi, we have decided to accept the community's request to work on an expansion that will allow you to play not only as a lone hero, but also as the entire mercenary company solo. This is all new, never-before-published work, so we'll tie it to reaching the 36 000€ stretch goal, which is within reach as we’re entering the final days of the campaign.
The next stretch goal, at 33 000€, is instead a collection of incredible NPCs to be added to the Book of Eclipse, developed by our friends at fellow publishers like Tin Hat Games (Urban Heroes, Xenoscape, Weird World, True OSR) Fumble GdR (Not the End), and prominent content creators from the Italian TTRPG/literary scene like Morgengabe, Andrea Lucca, Dr. Manhattan, and Gabriele Campagnano.
Upcoming Live Stream
In the vote for the Season of Venom, Jared justified Kyra's actions... the final Season will be released before the end of the campaign, and the vote will close at the same time as the campaign to allow last minute backers to vote.
In this regard, we're planning a new live stream starting half an hour before the end of the campaign, on Friday, the 24th, at 9:30 AM - PT / 18:30 CET. Stay tuned for the link and more.
Is it possible to get an add-on for a PDF-only version of the 246 Corbitt Street add-on that was just created? I really don't want a physical copy but would love to have the PDF by itself.
Summer is just around the corner, and do we have news for you. A few weeks ago, all files were sent to the printer! That's right, everything. This includes:
Grimtooth's Old School Traps in 5E
Grimtooth's Old School Traps in DCC
Against the Thieves Guild in 5E
Against the Thieves Guild in DCC
Trials of the Trapmaster's Tomb (DCC funnel)
Plus, the next book in the Original Adventures Reincarnated line is coming to crowdfunding very soon. OAR #9 Caverns of Thracia!Check out the landing page here.
The NPC cards are becoming a great and helpful deck. Thank to your amazing support, now they will be even of greater quality, printed in PRO LINEN 320 g/m2 paper! Remember, only the Dark Goddess pledge level gets this physical hand out.
I finally got around to looking at the preview PDFs. Overall I am really impressed. I like the concepts and the writing; and the general style and look is great.
One small request/recommendation: Any chance you could adjust the hyphenation settings in the final layout?
It looks like the current approach is to keep the columns and square as possible, which commonly makes use of hyphenation to avoid a more ragged right side. But this is going a little too far. Single syllable words like "north" shouldn't be hyphenated, and it's probably a good idea to avoid hyphenating proper nouns as well to improve readability. "Scions" is even hyphenated at one point.
Just a small thing, but I really thing a small tweak to the hyphenation settings would greatly improve readability.
