Been a slight pause as I get the funds from BackerKit (THANK YOU ALL) to buy more art.
I am also getting ready for EGG CON III.

I wanted to get this out before that, but I think it will be after. Unless I opt not to sleep! ;)

Love how this is looking and I can't wait to get it too you (and off my plate, it is stressing me out that I have not sent this out yet.)

Thanks!

Tim

Hello!

I know it hasn't quite been a month yet, but it's time for an update: Surveys Are Coming. 5% of backers should receive their survey shortly, and everyone else should see it tomorrow sometime.

Jamie and I have been chipping away at the book. The text has been edited once and laid out, so there is just one more round of copy edits and proofreading left before it is finalized. Jamie has been working on the illustrations and maps. Here's an updated take on the calcabrina:

Because of the expected timing for the fulfillment of this book, I've decided to offer something I haven't done before (but I know other creators sometimes do): in person reward pickup at PAX Unplugged! I have had a booth at PAXU in Philadelphia for the last few years, and I will be back there this December. If you are planning on going, you may have the chance to pick up your rewards in person and skip the shipping charges.

This is a new thing for me, and there are lots of reasons why it might not work out, so you will still be asked to enter your credit card information when you fill out the survey. I'll be in touch with backers that choose this option once we get closer to the convention date to make sure we can coordinate this.

That's all for now. I'll be checking in again later in July, hopefully with news that the book is complete and the proofing process has begun with the printer.

—MAH

First, let me extend my immense gratitude to all of you who backed The Black Spire Pact. We are having so much fun making this, and we are already talking about our next set in the line! 

If you don't want any spoilers, stop reading here.

It has been a wild ride writing these PvP gamebooks. I have revised some of the mechanics to better handle combat that involves NPCs and both players. After wrapping that up, I returned to writing dungeon rooms, and I got a bit stuck at the encounter with the infamous Leonard.  He is trapped in a magic circle and I am trying to avoid overly limiting player agency when it comes to engaging him in conversation, fighting, or taking some other more divergent approach like bringing him the green candle and performing the osculum infame.

Anytime there is much conversation, it can add a lot of branching entries!!

Once I get Leonard finished up, the last particularly complex room I have to tackle is the room of imprisoned Enochian angels. That one is probably going to be a doozy, but I think it won't be as complicated as the Leonard room.

I'm going to go ahead and wrap up this update here so I can get going on writing today.

Thank you again for your support. I am having such a good time with these books and am confident that they will be an absolute blast to play. I'll share more art in the next update!

By Night,

Max Moon

Proof copies arrived this weekend. The book itself looks great, but a number of small issues were found (widows), and some medium sized issues (need to shift text 1/8" to create a larger gutter, title graphic needs modified, bottom border color needs changed on one book).

So, the plan is to have all changes made by Friday and orders a second round of proof copies.



Also, Gary's Appendix 11 is coming to Kickstarter a couple weeks. Click this link to make sure you don't miss it--->  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1580058713/garys-appendix-issue-11?ref=8d2pef


No Sleep Till Brooklyn, 
                    Jeff Jones

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to address a mistake I made when setting up the shipping rates. Due to the way Backer Kit is set up, the listed shipping rate to EU countries was $65 which was not what I intended. I was able to access the shipping set up page and reset it to $37.77. The good news is that your card was not charged and this should have no impact on our fulfillment. If your pledge still lists a higher shipping amount let me know via message or email (listed down below).

Shipping For HELLCRAWL
As a reminder, we are working together with Studio 2 publishing, who are located in Kentucky. They have a warehouse and handle distribution for Agamemnon Press to game stores. They're a pretty large company and I trust their work, you can see their massive space at GenCon where they take up a whole alley to themselves! I decided to partner with them because we have over 900 backers, which is more than I could handle on my own, especially during the school year. We are on track to start fulfillment via Studio 2 publishing in Fall 2026.

No Import Fees
Another benefit of working with Studio 2 is that they will cover import fees for international customers. Another attractive reason to work with them since this is something I've never been able to do in the past. Their message to me specifically was: "We cover VAT and Duties to consumers so the customer does not have fees on their end."

Faster Delivery Times
Studio 2 uses FedEx International Connect Plus that typically delivers in 2-5 days. Meanwhile, when I do shipping myself I generally use ePost Global which is cheaper, but can take 13-20 days and has limited tracking. Because of this, the shipping fees are higher than my previous projects but I believe the end result is better. No import fees and faster delivery.

In the Future
I understand this still may be a disappointment. I'm going to make sure to be more open about estimated shipping costs in the future. When I started the HELLCRAWL project, I wasn't sure if I would do it myself or use a third party for fulfillment. Now that I know, I will list specifics on our project pages.

If you wish to switch to a digital only pledge feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me via my website AgamemnonPress.com. I can change your pledge manually. Thank you for your continued support.