Latest from the Creator
PROJECT UPDATE
jex thomas
CREATOR
3 months ago
Project Update: Update 27: Shipping Estimates + Surveys lock on FRIDAY 8/23
Howdy all,
I apologize for two updates in one week, but I'm excited to share shipping estimates from IPR! Now, please keep in mind these are just estimates and subject to change between now and fulfillment, but I'm hoping we can keep costs right around here. Note also that international rates are an average and may be slightly more or less depending where we're shipping.
So, with no further ado, estimated shipping costs (including handling fees) for one book are:
US: $9.88
Canada: $21.49
Rest of World: $25.49
Now that those are in place, we will be locking surveys on Friday. Your cards will be charged at that time for any add-ons or additional books you ordered. Books should hopefully be shipping to IPR's warehouse within a week or so. You can expect to be charged for shipping in about two weeks, though I will keep you updated on that timeline. We'll also give a warning one week out and 48 hours before charging you for shipping.
Keep in mind that if you ordered the physical hunt bundle and/or the sticker pack, these will be shipping separately with no extra charge for shipping and handling. I will work to get those out as close to the ship date of the books as I possibly can.
On the topic of the physical hunt bundle, it will now contain one more hunt by myself: The Auteur, a hunt about a filmmaker who has moved to Last Pine for research on his new project; since he's been in town, people have started going missing. Touchstones are Alan Wake, Life is Strange, 'Salem's Lot, Twin Peaks, and The Shining. I'm especially excited about some of the NPCs I came up with for this one. It also uses custom showdown questions, something we've been playing around with a bit. I won't publish it on itch or DTRPG until after fulfillment is complete, so those of you who've ordered one of the hunt bundles (it will be included in the digital bundle as well) get an exclusive early look.
Digital stretch goals are well under way. It's been really exciting getting to see what Eli is coming up with for the two new maps, and I can't wait to share them with you. The plan is to get everything to you by Halloween, at which time we might do another spooky season game jam on itch. I want to see what kinds of hunts, playbooks, factions, hacks, and so on that you all put together!
As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, ancient magic you've been dying to share, etc.
jex
I apologize for two updates in one week, but I'm excited to share shipping estimates from IPR! Now, please keep in mind these are just estimates and subject to change between now and fulfillment, but I'm hoping we can keep costs right around here. Note also that international rates are an average and may be slightly more or less depending where we're shipping.
So, with no further ado, estimated shipping costs (including handling fees) for one book are:
US: $9.88
Canada: $21.49
Rest of World: $25.49
Now that those are in place, we will be locking surveys on Friday. Your cards will be charged at that time for any add-ons or additional books you ordered. Books should hopefully be shipping to IPR's warehouse within a week or so. You can expect to be charged for shipping in about two weeks, though I will keep you updated on that timeline. We'll also give a warning one week out and 48 hours before charging you for shipping.
Keep in mind that if you ordered the physical hunt bundle and/or the sticker pack, these will be shipping separately with no extra charge for shipping and handling. I will work to get those out as close to the ship date of the books as I possibly can.
On the topic of the physical hunt bundle, it will now contain one more hunt by myself: The Auteur, a hunt about a filmmaker who has moved to Last Pine for research on his new project; since he's been in town, people have started going missing. Touchstones are Alan Wake, Life is Strange, 'Salem's Lot, Twin Peaks, and The Shining. I'm especially excited about some of the NPCs I came up with for this one. It also uses custom showdown questions, something we've been playing around with a bit. I won't publish it on itch or DTRPG until after fulfillment is complete, so those of you who've ordered one of the hunt bundles (it will be included in the digital bundle as well) get an exclusive early look.
Digital stretch goals are well under way. It's been really exciting getting to see what Eli is coming up with for the two new maps, and I can't wait to share them with you. The plan is to get everything to you by Halloween, at which time we might do another spooky season game jam on itch. I want to see what kinds of hunts, playbooks, factions, hacks, and so on that you all put together!
As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, ancient magic you've been dying to share, etc.
jex
PROJECT UPDATE
jex thomas
CREATOR
4 months ago
Project Update: Update 19: Pre-Order Store Now Open + Other Updates
Hey all!
We find ourselves in the waiting period between the campaign ending and Backerkit releasing the funds. Once that happens, we can move ahead with printing and sending out backer surveys. So be on the lookout for those in about two weeks or so.
We find ourselves in the waiting period between the campaign ending and Backerkit releasing the funds. Once that happens, we can move ahead with printing and sending out backer surveys. So be on the lookout for those in about two weeks or so.
Pre-Orders Now Available
I also wanted to let everyone know that I've flipped the "go" switch on the Pre-Order Store, so if there's anyone you know who was interested in the game but didn't (or wasn't able to) back during the campaign, feel free to share this link with them!
Backers: do not use the pre-order store to select add-ons that you missed during the campaign; you will be able to do this once the survey goes out.
Backers: do not use the pre-order store to select add-ons that you missed during the campaign; you will be able to do this once the survey goes out.
Projects Worth Supporting
I also wanted to share a couple of links to other projects I'm excited about:
- My friend Michael launched a really cool system-agnostic, Cy-Borg compatible module called The 55. It's based on a setting Michael's game Neon Black, my favorite cyberpunk TTRPG, and it's megablock-arcology-as-dungeon, with over 100 locations, hundreds of NPCs and factions, and a bunch of random tables. The zine also has just absolutely beautiful layout and graphic design. CHECK IT OUT!
- My buddy Sam hosts one of the coolest TTRPG-related podcasts around. Dice Exploder is launching a crowdfunding campaign for their fourth season which is sure to be a great listen. Past seasons have included cohosts like John Harper, Meguey Baker, Mikey Hamm, and Jason Morningstar. Also, the show was recently nominated for an ENNIE! Follow along now!
- Finally, I don't know the folks behind the Grimwild campaign, but it's a really cool fantasy heartbreaker that takes your favorite parts from D&D and puts them in a FitD-like framework. If I set up a heroic fantasy game any time soon, it's almost certainly going to be this one! They are currently in their final day of funding, so get while the going's good!
Timeline
Finally, a brief update on timeline:
- Boone is currently hard at work indexing the book and has already completed his first pass.
- As I mentioned above, Backerkit will be releasing funds in about two weeks. At that time, I'll place the order for the books and start working with our fulfilment partner on logistics.
- Once funds are released, we'll do a "smoke screen" test of the backer survey and provided all goes to plan, we'll send out the backer survey at which time you can pick up any add-ons you might be interested in. Shipping will not be charged at this time.
- At the same time, I'll start working with Sarah, Eli, and Richard to begin development on their stretch goals.
- Once the index is done, I'll put the final touches on layout and send all the files to the printer.
- I'm hesitant to even mention a date because I don't want to accidentally overpromise, but we are currently ahead of schedule and if everything goes according to plan, the books should be printed and shipped to the warehouse late August/early September, at which point cards will be charged for shipping and fulfillment will begin.
- Stretch goals will be fulfilled as they are completed.
As always, should this timeline change, I promise to communicate any and all updates or delays as promptly and transparently as possible.
Thanks again for all your support and the awesome energy you bring to this project. This is kind of a dream come true for me, and I appreciate your part in making it happen!
jex
Includes Backer-Exclusive Content
PROJECT UPDATE
jex thomas
CREATOR
5 months ago
Project Update: Update 14: New Video! How to Set Up and Run One Shots in Bump in the Dark!
Hey folks!
Thanks to the kind assistance of one of our wonderful backers, I was able to overcome my technical difficulties. Thanks, Stefan! So now, without further ado, here's my video on running one shots in Bump in the Dark. Hope it's helpful, and if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!
No other updates today. Just continuing to recover and getting some things sorted out with the printer so once the campaign is over and Backerkit releases the funds, we can hit the ground running.
Hope everyone enjoys their Thursday!
jex
Thanks to the kind assistance of one of our wonderful backers, I was able to overcome my technical difficulties. Thanks, Stefan! So now, without further ado, here's my video on running one shots in Bump in the Dark. Hope it's helpful, and if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!
No other updates today. Just continuing to recover and getting some things sorted out with the printer so once the campaign is over and Backerkit releases the funds, we can hit the ground running.
Hope everyone enjoys their Thursday!
jex
PROJECT UPDATE
jex thomas
CREATOR
5 months ago
Project Update: Update 6: Revised Edition Preview + Prior Edition of the Game (and some quick announcements)
Hey folks!
I wanted to make sure I could provide this stuff as quickly as possible, so in the exclusive content section of this update you will find a link to a Dropbox folder containing:
I wanted to make sure I could provide this stuff as quickly as possible, so in the exclusive content section of this update you will find a link to a Dropbox folder containing:
- ZIP file containing the previous edition of Bump in the Dark (v0.9.5) and three different versions of the Last Pine map by Eli Kurtz
- This is the same as what has been available on itch.io and DriveThruRPG prior to the launch of the crowdfunding campaign
-
Revised Edition Playkit, Oneshot Guide, and Pre-gen Character Sheets
- This is updated from what's currently on itch.io
- Fully playable and (almost) text-complete preview of the Revised Edition
- Note: this PDF contains no art
- Additionally, the following have been left out of the preview:
- Changing the Game chapter
- Oracles/roll tables
- Index
- Because of this the Table of Contents is a little broken
- These materials will become available once digital fulfillment begins after the campaign has ended
Now on to a couple other things:
UNLOCKED STRETCH GOAL: UV SPOT GLOSS FINISH
I'm really excited about this one! I think doing a UV spot finish on the cover will help elevate the look of the book and help it really stand out as a premium addition to your collection.
ONLY ONE STRETCH GOAL REMAINS
Pretty unbelievable, but only one stretch goal remains, which is unlocking monetary bonuses for all contributors.
There are not any plans for further stretch goals at this time. As this is my first crowdfunding campaign, I want to be very aware of the pitfalls of over-promising and being unable to deliver -- either within the expected time frame or not at all. I'm just one person with a little bit of help from some friends, and the last thing I want to do is let down the people who are supporting me and my game.
Besides, we do still have some fun community goals left, and if we unlock the next one, you all will get to vote on what it should be. We've been cooking up a few ideas and hopefully I'll get to see what y'all are most interested in!
There are not any plans for further stretch goals at this time. As this is my first crowdfunding campaign, I want to be very aware of the pitfalls of over-promising and being unable to deliver -- either within the expected time frame or not at all. I'm just one person with a little bit of help from some friends, and the last thing I want to do is let down the people who are supporting me and my game.
Besides, we do still have some fun community goals left, and if we unlock the next one, you all will get to vote on what it should be. We've been cooking up a few ideas and hopefully I'll get to see what y'all are most interested in!
Includes Backer-Exclusive Content
PROJECT UPDATE
jex thomas
CREATOR
19 days ago
Project Update: Update 36: Stretch Goals Ahoy!
Hello fellow Last Piners,
I hope this message finds you well.
Last night before bed I hit distribute on the stretch goals, so everyone who backed at the digital tier or higher should have access to a zip folder with four hunts -- two from Sarah Bolling, one from Richard Ruane, and one from myself -- and some new maps. I personally think they are all dope as heck and hopefully you will too!
I hope this message finds you well.
Last night before bed I hit distribute on the stretch goals, so everyone who backed at the digital tier or higher should have access to a zip folder with four hunts -- two from Sarah Bolling, one from Richard Ruane, and one from myself -- and some new maps. I personally think they are all dope as heck and hopefully you will too!
Odds and Ends
- It's come to my attention that some of the tracking numbers got mixed up when I uploaded them into Backerkit. If you think that might apply to you, please let me know!
- Additionally, if you still haven't received your stuff, please let me know! I am happy to look into what the heck is going on.
- The Cold Iron Blues supplement jam is still going strong. I'd love it if you'd submit something for it!
Gamehole Con
I had the pleasure of spending four days in Madison for Gamehole Con. I ran four sessions of Bump and two of Hunters, Inc. and had a really great time. All of the sessions of Bump were using hunts written by community members, which was really cool! I had one player who was being a gross shithead and had to be talked to, but besides that everyone I played with was lovely. Two major highlights for me were a duet game of Hunters, Inc. that hit some really amazing emotional highs, and an actual freakin' sea shanty being written and then performed at the table during a session of Bump. It was really cool, and I'll definitely plan on going back next year.
Speaking of cons, I'm taking a bit of a break, and then I'll be at the Midwinter Gaming Convention in January and hopefully returning to Breakout in Toronto in March. Before then, however, I'll be running Bump at the Milwaukee Krampusnacht 2024. There will also be sessions of Dungeon Crawl Classics and a few other games. It's going to be a cool event and I definitely need to write a Krampus-themed hunt for it!
I'm not sure I have anything else for now, but as always, don't hesitate to reach out with any concerns or questions.
With gratitude,
jex
Speaking of cons, I'm taking a bit of a break, and then I'll be at the Midwinter Gaming Convention in January and hopefully returning to Breakout in Toronto in March. Before then, however, I'll be running Bump at the Milwaukee Krampusnacht 2024. There will also be sessions of Dungeon Crawl Classics and a few other games. It's going to be a cool event and I definitely need to write a Krampus-themed hunt for it!
I'm not sure I have anything else for now, but as always, don't hesitate to reach out with any concerns or questions.
With gratitude,
jex
