Hey Scribes! We hope you’ve had an amazing April ✨
We’ve got some big news - all playtesting for Covens of Midnight is now officially closed! 🎉
Thank you so much for all...
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Ruby - Crossed Paths
about 1 month ago
The Final Playtest Is Live 🥳
Hey Scribes, hope you're having a wonderful April!🪻
We’ve got some exciting news - and we couldn’t wait for our monthly update to share it with you!
✨ The final playtest vers...
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Ruby - Crossed Paths
about 2 months ago
U.S. Tariffs & Shipping
Hey folks,
Ash here - I wanted to share something that’s been weighing heavily on a lot of indie creators right now, including us. As of April 5th, the U.S. has brought in a ...
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Ruby - Crossed Paths
about 2 months ago
April Update
Hey everyone! Hope you all had an amazing March! 🪻
Exciting news - we’ve officially locked in our manufacturer for printing. 🙌
Alongside continuing to work through our deve...
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Ruby - Crossed Paths
3 months ago
March Update
Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic February! 🙌
We’ve been deep in the spellbooks working on V2, and we’ve got some exciting updates to share. Thanks to your feedback...
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Crossed Paths
4 months ago
February Update
Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic January! ❄️
Starting this month, we’re going to start our Monthly Backer Updates on the first Tuesday of every month to keep you i...
I was just going through version 0.3 and noticed that there seems to be repeated pages? The only different seems to be the page layout like on the Welcome section, and the Spread PDF one seems to just be a copy of the normal one. I'm not sure if it's just me or if others have noticed this as well, but thought I'd make a note of this.
Hey Scribes! We hope you’ve had an amazing April ✨
We’ve got some big news - all playtesting for Covens of Midnight is now officially closed! 🎉
Thank you so much for all your brilliant feedback and wild ideas - your voices have helped us craft a game that feels alive with magic, mystery, and heart. Over the past few months, you’ve shaped Covens into something truly special!
✨ Coming Soon
With playtesting complete, we’re hard at work weaving in the final round of feedback. Once that’s complete, we’ll send out the final digital version, giving you everything you need to step fully into the world of Covens of Midnight! Keep an eye out for updates (we usually drop major news on the first Tuesday of the month).
Then we’ll turn our attention to getting everything ready for production - preparing layouts, testing samples, and ensuring every single component meets our high standards. It’s all about getting things just right before the presses roll.
✨ Tell Us Your Favourite Moment!
To celebrate how far we’ve come, we want to hear from you. What’s been your favourite part of Covens of Midnight so far? Drop a comment below - we’d love to hear your highlights!
Thank you for every idea, every spell, and every moment you’ve shared with us. We’re so proud to have built this coven with you. 💜
Hey Scribes, hope you're having a wonderful April!🪻
We’ve got some exciting news - and we couldn’t wait for our monthly update to share it with you!
✨ The final playtest version of Covens of Midnight (v0.3) is here!
We pored over every word of your feedback from the last round of playtesting, and we’ve made changes based on the ideas, questions, and sparks you shared. This is your game as much as ours - and this version is proof of what we can build together. (You can check out the full changelog below to see what’s changed.)
✨ Check your inbox
The download link for v0.3 has been sent directly to your email! Make sure to check your inbox (and your spam/junk folder, just in case) for a message from us with the updated files, or head here: https://midnight.backerkit.com/backer/review
(Please download files from October 2024 or whenever your latest files are from - All the actual PDFs have been updated to the latest version)
This is the final round of playtesting before we move into production and printing. We’re reopening feedback for 2 weeks, until the end of April — so if you’ve got thoughts on gameplay, features, or anything else, now’s the time to share them.
We’re on track for our Q3 physical release, and everything is lining up well for the next stages of production. As we get closer to shipping, we’ll confirm final details like timelines, locking addresses, and the new US tariff rules (they’re still shifting daily, but we’ll keep you in the loop). For now, the focus is on finishing the game with you, and this version brings us right to that last creative milestone.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We’re proud of where the game is now, and we can’t wait to hear what you think.
Ruby & The Crossed Paths Team 💜
Changelog – Covens of Midnight (v0.3)
Last Updated: April 2025 Status: Playtest Update / Pre-Final Layout
New Additions
Orientation Week added to help new players begin their first term, including three themed Orientation Tables (General, Friend, Rival).
Best Friend and Rival Weekend Tables expanded to cover all 22 Major Arcana, each with unique Spark Point opportunities.
Phonetic Guide introduced for Kin names, regions, covens, Paragons, and lore terms to improve accessibility.
Lore updates:
Clarified that Leaf Blood and Shadow Blood elves were merged into Noble lineage.
Gnawborn may choose to remain permanently small, framed as a character-defining moment.
Elementai removed from official Kin list but remain available as a legacy/narrative option.
Paragon Strike system clarified:
Influence cost reduced from 3 to 1.
Opponents may use Major Arcana if they draw matching suits (currently under review for balance).
Spark Point gain during combat re-enabled as optional outcomes tied to specific narrative beats (e.g. shared vulnerability, mirrored action).
Changes & Balancing
Overwhelm mechanics rebalanced:
Maximum duration capped at 5 days.
Failed Purge no longer grants +2 Influence.
Influence threshold increases after each Overwhelm (e.g. 10 ➝ 20 ➝ 30).
Additional Spark Point prompts added across Term 1 to improve early-game relationship progression.
Clarified that "Semester" and "Term" are interchangeable for narrative flow.
Paragon Event Tables expanded to include:
Clear outcomes tied to Major Arcana.
Integration with core game stats and Spark systems.
More structured prompts for journaling during Paragon events.
Fixes & Cleanups
Replaced all instances of "Pawfoot" with the clearer term "Dogfolk".
Elementai repositioned for lore flavor only; removed from Kin list to avoid confusion.
Region/Kin pairings clarified as “common,” not exclusive, to promote character flexibility.
Planned / In Progress
Location Appendix for Exploration Events (brief descriptions to support narrative prompts).
Glossary Companion to expand phonetics, names, and lore references.
Printer-Friendly version of the core book (light background + high contrast).
Additional review of opponent use of Major Arcana and future Paragon Strike balancing.
Ash here - I wanted to share something that’s been weighing heavily on a lot of indie creators right now, including us. As of April 5th, the U.S. has brought in a 54% import tariff on goods manufactured in China - and unfortunately, that includes most of the board games and TTRPGs you know and love.
It’s a huge shift. One that came in overnight, with very little warning, and we’re still trying to understand what it’ll actually mean for us - and for you.
ℹ️What We Know
To be completely transparent, we don’t yet know the full impact this will have. The situation is changing every day, and new information is still coming out. For example, some reports suggest that books might be exempt, which would be great news for our rulebooks, but the language around that exemption is vague and unclear, especially when it comes to mixed products like ours. Right now, we just don’t have a solid answer.
What we do know is that these tariffs are applied when goods physically enter the U.S., not at checkout. So if nothing changes before we ship, there’s a chance that some backers might see additional customs fees at the time of delivery.
🔧 What We’re Doing
We're doing everything we can to understand what our options are and to make the best decisions. Our goal is always to minimise any additional costs for those of you in the USA. If we do need to pass on any part of these new tariffs, it will be done inside the pledge manager and we will make it as clear as possible.
We’ve built flexibility into our business structure so we have no plans to increase the price of our products. We’re also exploring alternative fulfillment options for backers in Canada and Australia, since our current delivery routes go through U.S. warehouses.
We are also looking at alternative printing options within Europe and other countries that aren’t as severely affected by these new tariffs.
We’re not ready to make any official changes or decisions just yet. It’s simply too soon, and there’s too much still up in the air. But we didn’t want to wait until we had all the answers to start the conversation. You’ve trusted us with your support, and you deserve honesty, even when things are uncertain.
🧭 What happens next
We’ll keep sharing updates as we learn more, and you’ll be the first to know once we have a clear path forward.
Thank you, truly, for your continued support, patience, and kindness. This is an uncertain time for a lot of game creators, and your encouragement means more than you know. We’ll always be honest with you, we’ll keep you informed as things evolve, and we’ll do everything in our power to keep things running smoothly.
- Ash and The Crossed Paths Team 💙
❓ FAQ
Will this increase the cost of my pledge? For anyone who has already pledged during the live campaign, the cost of your chosen items will remain as originally listed. However, if the tariffs remain in place by the time we ship, some backers may be charged additional import/customs fees at delivery.
How much more could I be charged? We can’t give a solid number yet. The exact amount depends on how the new rules are applied, how our product is classified, and what exemptions might exist for books. As soon as we have clear details, we’ll share them.
Couldn’t you just print the games in the U.S. to avoid this? We’ve looked into it. Unfortunately, printing in the U.S. isn’t viable for us. There are very few printers equipped to handle TTRPG production, and the cost is significantly higher, often far beyond what’s sustainable for indie creators like us. For non-book components, the infrastructure simply isn’t there. We are looking at alternative printing options within Europe and other countries that aren’t as severely affected by these new tariffs, but right now, printing in China remains the most realistic option.
Will this affect delivery timelines? Not at the moment. Our production and delivery timelines are currently on track. If anything changes, we’ll let you know right away.
What happens next? We’re monitoring the situation, speaking with fulfillment partners, and exploring options. We’ll make the most informed decision we can when we’re closer to shipping. You’ll be the first to know once we have concrete updates.
