Updates

Check out the latest news and keep up with progress

PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
2 days ago

Project Update: Pledge Manager Surveys Coming This Week!

Hello Tail-blazers,

It's been just over a month since our Crowdfunding Campaign ended, and now it's time to start the next phase of our project - The Post-Campaign, where we track the progress of the various projects we helped fund and send out rewards as they become available.

To help with all of that we use BackerKit's Pledge Manager.

Today's Topics

  •  BackerKit Pledge Manager Surveys Coming Soon 
  •  Compiled Draft Manuscript (available in BackerKit Digital Rewards) 
  •  Coming Next 

BACKER SURVEYS

Over the next handful of days (Sept 16-18), you’ll receive an email from us with a special link to your Pledge Manager survey. It’s important to respond to your survey as quickly as you can since we need this information to fulfill your rewards.



You don’t need to create a BackerKit account to fill out your survey (although you probably already have one from pledging to this campaign). When you receive the email with the survey, click the survey invitation link to respond. Answer the questions about your reward preferences, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you like. You don’t have access to this survey link yet, but it will be available later this week via email!

The e-mail will have a button that looks something like this:



After you respond to your survey, you can go back later and change your responses at any time before we close the surveys and get our final counts, and that won't happen until the books are being printed and we're preparing to ship.

If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://lair-of-the-rat-kings.backerkit.com/

If you have any other questions or concerns, you can post them to the comments for this update, the comment section, or message me via one of these methods:

TO CONTACT JAMES

  •  Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
  •  Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

If there are any issues you find with the Pledge Manager, please contact me as soon as possible to let me know. It rolls out in waves so that I can correct issues on the fly and make it work as best possible as people come on board.

I had initially expected to be sending this out a week ago, but this month has been a challenge! So the chances of a few errors in the Pledge Manager set up are ... greater than zero ... so let me know if you see something off and I'll fix it as quickly as possible.



Within the BackerKit Survey and Pledge Manager, you can:

  • Review your Pledge Tier Selection and Rewards
  • Upgrade your Reward Tier pledge selection
  • Confirm Add On selections
  • Set up payment information for any failed payments from the Crowdfunding campaign or to pay for any new Add On options selected.

When you click on your BackerKit invitation link, you should see something like this...




From the Pledge Manager welcome page you can choose to

  • Review Your Pledge Level and Rewards
  • Start Your Survey, confirming pledge rewards, confirming or selecting new Add On options, and confirming any payment info that may be needed
  • Switch Your Pledge Level

If you click on your Pledge Level, you will see a list of all items included in your Pledge Rewards (including Stretch Goals and the Draft Manuscript), and also have the option to switch your Pledge Level, in case you've decided to get the Big Cheese pledge instead of the Rat Lair-only pledge tier for example.

Once you've confirmed that your Pledge Level is correct and where you want it to be, you can GET STARTED with your BackerKit Pledge Manager Survey.

Once we've got a fair response to our survey and collected a reasonable amount of info, I'll be working on fulfilling rewards that are available now - like the PDFs of the titles included in our Add On section (for example, the various Realms of Pugmire books). 

You can likely find redemption links for any of those rewards in your Pledge Manager Digital Rewards page. Just in case you don't see them, the Pledge Manager will send a notice next week listing all of the Digital Rewards you have available.

So, in summary:

  • Look for an e-mail invitation to BackerKit's Pledge Manager sometime over the next 2-4 days
  • Get Started on your survey
  • Confirm your Pledge Level (or SWITCH your Pledge Level if you want to change it)
  • Confirm and Select Any Add On options
  • Confirm Your Payment Information (if needed)

Again, any Digital Rewards that are currently available that are part of your pledge rewards should be listed in your Pledge Manager Digital Reward Page. Next Week, I'll have the Pledge Manager send out a notice again, just in case you've got any of these rewards:

  • Realms of Pugmire Core Rulebook PDF
  • Curious Cats of Mau PDF
  • Threats and Curs PDF
  • Realms of Pugmire Fiction Omnibus
  • Pugmire Unleashed PDF




DRAFT MANUSCRIPT

In your BackerKit digital rewards page, you will have access to the compiled draft manuscript. It won't be different from the sections we shared during the campaign, it'll just be those bits all mashed into one compiled version. There's a link for that compiled version at the bottom of this update post (when viewed on the BackerKit site), but I'll also have a download link sit alongside your other rewards on the Pledge Manager's Digital Reward Page. The Draft Manuscript link may not be active when you first login to your BackerKit survey, but I'll throw the switch and it'll send you a notice next week after all of the invitations have gone out.

I will talk about how to access your BackerKit digital rewards links in an update coming early next month, when I send out the first wave of available rewards.

COMING NEXT

At the end of October we'll begin our regular monthly check-ins, tracking the progress of this project as it moves through this phase. It'll take some time, but we'll have regular updates all through the process. I'll also have notes on how to check the weekly and monthly All Project Progress updates on Onyx Path's website.

TO CONTACT JAMES

  •  Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
  •  Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

FINAL DAYS



Jadestorm is an epic game of adventure, vengeance, and power. You are a Jadebearer — an inheritor of one or more Jade cinders, fragments of destroyed demonic demigods — and it is for you to decide whether you use your powers to play the role of the glorious hero or wield them to become the most notorious of villains.

Learn from your master until you can defeat him.
Duel for Jade and best your rivals.
Venture into the Wilds and claim unconquered fragments of the Infernal Sovereigns.

The isolated nine realms of Eos are awaiting epic heroes and wicked villains to lead them into a new era. Will you bind the world in hope or drive its people fleeing into the Wilds?


Jadestorm is a complete tabletop roleplaying game of epic tales of adventure, vengeance, and power. It includes:

  • A game of epic wuxia-inspired fantasy, where heroes make fantastic chained actions, command potent sorceries, and every plot feels dramatic.
  • A huge number of playable characters.
  • An alive setting encompassing nine realms and the dangerous Wilds.
  • The entire action-packed Storypath Ultra system.

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PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
about 1 month ago

Project Update: Cheese the Day! The Lair of the Rat Kings campaign has concluded!

Hello Tail-blazers,

Thanks to the support of 300 amazing backers, Onyx Path will be able to develop the PDF and Print-on-Demand hardcover versions of The Lair of the Rat Kings.


There's more to celebrate! Not only did we fund the project on the first day, we unlocked FIVE Stretch Goals over the campaign. 


ACHIEVED! - At $3,500 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE
A Rat Kings-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. 


ACHIEVED! - At $5,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE I
Map Upgrade 1 - Red Paw Gang's Burrows. The planned hand-drawn maps to help roughly orient Guides and players will be upgraded to a full detailed and gridded map to aid game play. 

ACHIEVED! -At $6,500 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE II
Map Upgrade 2 - Selected Areas of The Not. Maps for key areas of The Not in Chapter 5 will be added to the book.


ACHIEVED! -At $8,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE III
Map Upgrade 3 - Secret Lair. The big set-piece Secret Lair map will be upgraded and built to add excitement to this underground experience.


ACHIEVED! - At $9,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS DIGITAL WALLPAPER
DIGITAL WALLPAPER - Artwork from the book will be used to create a digital wallpaper and will be added as a bonus reward to all backers of this project.

That's right! Thanks to you, the book was FUNDED and then MADE EVEN BETTER by allowing Onyx Path to dedicate additional resources to the maps for the big set pieces. And we added a few fun milestone markers at the start and finish as well!



So a huge congratulations to Eddy and the team on this project, and to all of the backers who've joined in to make this possible. I'm happy about the goals we hit and rewards we introduced, but I'm also always excited and delighted about having 300 backers join in to support this fun game! It's one of my favorites!




COMMUNICATION

So, as noted in today's earlier update, starting in September I'll be sending out updates once a month and whenever we've got a new goal, survey, or other item to cover. If you have any questions or need clarification on something related to the campaign, feel free to get in touch. I may take a bit to answer as I recover from these past four weeks and take some time to unwind and clean up my desk!

ALSO - don't forget to submit feedback on the draft manuscript using <THIS FORM>. Eddy usually keeps the feedback form open for about a week after the campaign ends, but better to get your notes in as quickly as possible so the team can start incorporating your feedback.

AND if you want the draft manuscript all in a single download, you can check at the bottom of this post on the BackerKit website.  


TO CONTACT ME

  • Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
  • Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your forthcoming survey page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:


Backers make it better! 


Includes Backer-Exclusive Content
user avatar image for James Bell
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PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
about 1 month ago

Project Update: FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT

Welcome to the tail-end of this campaign, Tail-blazers,

We've had a great run, funding on Day 1 and unlocking a bunch of Stretch Goals throughout the campaign. Inbcluding one final milestone marker that we just introduced yesterday! Well done!

Achieved! - At $9,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS DIGITAL WALLPAPER

DIGITAL WALLPAPER - Artwork from the book will be used to create a digital wallpaper and will be added as a bonus reward to all backers of this project.

The most important part of this campaign, though, is that we have successfully funded this project! Thanks to everyone who's come out to support this campaign, we'll be getting this cool book!




FINAL DAY CHECKLIST

Whether you're a rookie rat just setting out on your first adventure or an accomplished mouse dismatling a psionic threat, these are some good topics to review over these final hours...


1.  KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING

Backers can read the entire current draft of the manuscript <HERE>. Please make sure you read the manuscript before the campaign concludes so you know exactly what you're pledging to support. AND ALSO to offer feedback to the developers!


2. PLEDGE TIERS and ADD ONS

This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.

We've got two key reward tiers to choose from:

Mousterpiece Pledge

This is the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF and Print-on-Demand pledge tier. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure. In addition, you will get a special code to order the discounted Print-on-Demand hardcover version as part of your pledge rewards.

Snouts and Tails

This reward tier includes the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF (and PoD hardcover discount), as well as the Realms of Pugmrie core rulebook, which sets the stage for your underground adventures by providing all of the rules you need and setting lore necessary to make dog characters. As with the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF, you will receive a special discount code to order the Print-on-Demand softcover version of the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook.


Digital and Print-on-Demand Rewards
We offer digital options for backing, as well as leveraging print-on-demand technology to have physical products printed as close to you as possible to cut down shipping, reduce tariff concerns, and get this book to your table as quickly as possible!


ADD-ON OPTIONS -  The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are a few Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook PDF and the Curious Cats of Mau PDF, the Threats and Curs PDF, the Fiction Omnibus, and the recently released Pugmire Unleashed PDF.

ADD ON selections will be available in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as well.

Additionally, this may go without saying, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begin charging your payment method at midnight the day the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.


There are no refunds for regret, and the funds raised start being spent immediately on paying for the work done thus far and the additional work ahead plus the projects unlocked via Stretch Goal. So please be financially responsible.


  • Choose a Reward Tier You Can Afford
  • Read the Manuscripts and Make Sure You Know What You're Getting
  • Be Aware of the Projected Delivery Date (Onyx Path will try to deliver earlier than this, but the book will take some time to get perfect, and we're dealing with an imperfect world. Schedules sometimes go awry)

3. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Once you're comfortable with your pledge, please ensure that the payment and contact information in your BackerKit account is up to date and correct. Making sure your e-mail is entered correctly and your credit card isn't expired will speed up the next step process. (I have learned from experience!)




4. OVERTIME MODE

Overtime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.

You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.

So we're scheduled to end today at 2:00 pm Eastern, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as we programmed? Who knows, but we'll find out together! The power of rolling dice!


WHAT COMES NEXT?


5. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS

First, we celebrate. The campaign page will subtly change, locking out the ability to pledge and showing the final totals. We'll give socially-distanced high fives and digital fist bumps in the Community section and over on Discord.

Then, the BackerKit payment process begins. Starting late tonight and continuing over the next week, Backerkit will begin charging your payment methods for the total amount you've pledged.

If there is an issue with your payment method (expired credit card or incorrect number or pre-paid Visa awaiting funds, for example), BackerKit will keep trying to process payment during this time.

Once this step is done, which will likely be by the end of August, BackerKit will confirm everything with Onyx Path and I can begin to set up the project in the Pledge Manager and load in all of the campaign data.


In addition to providing the crowdfunding platform for this campaign, BackerKit is also Onyx Path's regular Pledge Manager partner.

BackerKit provides a robust fulfillment integration and pledge management program that will allow us to work with all of the data and distribute the rewards to you. It will take me about a month to set the project up. Once I've got it all entered and built, the team from BackerKit will review to ensure I didn't mess anything up too badly, and then I'll make any changes they've suggested and we can move on to the Survey stage.

6. BACKERKIT SURVEYS

Once BackerKit says I'm good to go, I will send out a survey to all backers. This is why confirming your e-mail is important!

The BackerKit survey is both a verb and a noun - it will collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group (enabling Onyx Path to set print runs, prioritize new projects, and fine-tune future campaigns), as well as providing a general review or summary of the reward tier you've chosen, confirm all of the rewards associated with that reward tier, and confirm your total pledge amount.

I expect Surveys to go out before the end of September 2026.

During the Survey period, you can choose to increase your reward tier and add on additional options. If you've found $20 in your school shorts or got a stuffed birthday card and decide it's time to include another add-on, you can do so at this time. Note, you will not be able to reduce your reward tier selection, only increase.

If you selected Add On options, they'll be added to your reward list automatically.

Note that you'll be able to upgrade your pledge tier for quite some time - until we're getting ready to send out the backer PDF. So don't feel pressure to have it all figured out right away - we'll make sure there's plenty of time to get it all sorted before the books go out.

I'll also use the Survey to confirm some details for the premium reward tier.



7. REWARD DISTRIBUTION

Once the surveys are up and running, I'll prepare fulfillment for the existing rewards - the Add On options that are all currently available, like the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook and expansions as well as the fiction omnibus. Depending on how smoothly the Pledge Manager process goes, those should be out fairly soon after the survey stage starts. So, let's say the existing PDF rewards will be out to you by the mid-October. That's only the beginning, though.

This is a long process, but I will send out regular updates (usually at the end of the month) to keep you up to speed on Onyx Path's progress. There will be strings of updates that are just "still working on it," but I will share new artwork or information when I can.

Eventually, we will have a completed PDF of the Lair of the Rat Kings. Onyx Path will take some time to distribute, review, and compile any errata or corrections that need to be made. When they've made any necessary changes, they'll make an updated version of the PDF available in your DriveThruRPG digital library and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand versions.

It's yet another long road ahead, likely full of twists and turns and surprises, but one that we wouldn't be undertaking if not for your ongoing support.

So - one final time - please spread the word to any potential backers and fans, and thanks so much for a great campaign! 

I'll see you on the other side!

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PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
about 1 month ago

Project Update: Final Days Review - Stretch Goals

Hello Great Doggos!

We're closing in on the final 24 hours of the campaign - we're actually in the last 28 hours as I prepare this post. Within this final day,  I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation. Let's get to the review!

We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Lair of the Rat Kings finishes the crowdfunding campaign on August 13th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to add a few more backers to our pack, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.

Final Days Schedule


Whether you're a rookie rat just setting out on your first adventure or an accomplished mouse dismatling a psionic threat, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  youtube Actual Play videos, and other helpful information.)

Refresher Course
Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like which books are includedin our pledges for this campaign and what Add On options exist. Plus, you can read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.

Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! 

We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).

MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done, but you can consider it most of the way there and a good representation of what you'll get in the final book. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!

PLEDGE TIERS - This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.

We've got two key reward tiers to choose from:

Mousterpiece Pledge

This is the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF and Print-on-Demand pledge tier. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure. In addition, you will get a special code to order the discounted Print-on-Demand hardcover version as part of your pledge rewards.

Snouts and Tails

This reward tier includes the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF (and PoD hardcover discount), as well as the Realms of Pugmrie core rulebook, which sets the stage for your underground adventures by providing all of the rules you need and setting lore necessary to make dog characters. As with the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF, you will receive a special discount code to order the Print-on-Demand softcover version of the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook.


ADD-ON OPTIONS -  The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are a few Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook PDF and the Curious Cats of Mau PDF, the Threats and Curs PDF, the Fiction Omnibus, and the recently released Pugmire Unleashed PDF.

Choose Wisely

Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.

Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.

Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists. If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Bare Bones tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.

Tomorrow I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.

But until then, let's review our Stretch Goal success story!

Over the past 26 (or is it 27?) days as we've worked through this campaign, we've not only funded the book but unlocked four furry Stretch Goals! That's right - we unlocked our Stretch Goal that was still on the horizon yesterday!



ACHIEVED! - At $3,500 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE
A Rat Kings-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. 


ACHIEVED! - At $5,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE I
Map Upgrade 1 - Red Paw Gang's Burrows. The planned hand-drawn maps to help roughly orient Guides and players will be upgraded to a full detailed and gridded map to aid game play. 


ACHIEVED! -At $6,500 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE II
Map Upgrade 2 - Selected Areas of The Not. Maps for key areas of The Not in Chapter 5 will be added to the book.



ACHIEVED! -At $8,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE III
Map Upgrade 3 - Secret Lair. The big set-piece Secret Lair map will be upgraded and built to add excitement to this underground experience.

And with that, we've now unloc ked all of the map upgrades that will go towards making this book a little bit better. If you've read the four big set-pieces in the draft manuscript preview section 5B, these maps should be of interest to you!

Four Stretch Goals is pretty good, and I actually thought we'd be unlocking that final one just before we ended tomorrow! So, while we still have 29 ... 28 ... hours to go, let's see if we can maybe sneak one more in there!

This is another milestone marker, a bonus reward for all backers just to celebrate this campaign.


At $9,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS DIGITAL WALLPAPER
DIGITAL WALLPAPER - Artwork from the book will be used to create a digital wallpaper and will be added as a bonus reward to all backers of this project.

We're in a good position and unlocking this is certainly possible, though it's aptly named since we will have to really Stretch to get there before the end! Still, we've done amazingly well so far, so let's see where we get before the conclusion! I like to change my computer monitor at the start of every month, and I'm really in need of some new images, so I'm hoping to unlock this and work it into a future rotation.



YOUR REWARDS!

That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish the Lair of the Rat Kings PDF and Print-on-Demand hardcover. Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and discount links for the hardcover! BUT AS A BONUS, you've upgraded the resources that will go into the maps, an opportunity to expand your wardrobe, and maybe also have a digital wallpaper?

NOT MUCH MORE TIME

Unfortunately, we seem to continue to move forward at a regular pace, and our campaign will some come to the inescapable end. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, but there is still one possible Stretch Goal reward that is almost within grasp! It's certainly within reach, but won't be easy, so let's keep at it!

So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!

And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybe unlocking that final bonus reward!

Remember, only the funds generated during the Crowdfunding campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!



LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, August 13th at 2:00 PM Eastern. 

We will finish up as soon as our backer train ends after that point! So let's see if we can't hit a final Stretch Goal and then keep that train running for an extra 10 or 20 minutes!!
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PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
about 1 month ago

Project Update: The Lair of the Rat Kings [Backer Draft Manuscript Preview #5B]

Hello Tail-blazers,

We're in our final days, and it's time for our final section of the draft manuscript! As of this update, backers have access to the entire approved draft and can read the book before any pledges are processed or payments collected. If you're with us beyond this point, you know exactly what this project is you're backing and a key member of the supporters bringing this project to life!

Before we get to the manusript download link, I just wanted to quickly go over a few key pieces of info. We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Lair of the Rat Kings finishes the crowdfunding campaign on August 13th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to add a few more backers to our pack, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.

Final Days Schedule

  • August 10 - Reward Tier & Add On Review (That's today!)
  • August 11 - Manuscript Preview 5B - The Rat Kings
  • August 12 - Stretch Goal Review
  • August 13 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next

Whether you're a rookie rat just setting out on your first adventure or an accomplished mouse dismatling a psionic threat, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  youtube Actual Play videos, and other helpful information.)


I want to highlight the Reward Tier and Add On Review post. Please review it prior to the conclusion of this campaign, as it outlines important information about your pledge selection, your rewards, and supporting this campaign that you should be aware of before we get to the end.

Tomorrow, we'll have a review of our Stretch Goal achievements, but here's a reminder about our current target.


At $8,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE III
Map Upgrade 3 - Secret Lair. The big set-piece Secret Lair map will be upgraded and built to add excitement to this underground experience.

This is our third and final map upgrade for the book, adding additional resources so Onyx Path can jazz up their plans a bit and make the book even more special. With today's manuscript download, you'll actually be reading about all of the big set pieces that these maps belong to, so you'll have a better idea of how this could help out.




Digital and Print-on-Demand Rewards

We know times are hard these days, particularly with rising costs and economic uncertainty, so we’ve designed this crowdfunder to be as painless as possible. We offer a wide variety of digital options for backing, as well as leveraging print-on-demand technology to have physical products printed as close to you as possible to cut down shipping and reduce tariff concerns.


Creating and fulfilling physical versions this way gets you the best price, fastest delivery, and excellent customer support!

DriveThruRPG's printing partners are located both within in the USA and the UK (and expanding), making shipping cheaper and avoiding the tariffs incurred by international manufacturing and shipping!



Draft Manuscript Previews

Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers have received the entire current draft manuscript for Lair of the Rat Kings, so now it's time to think about feedback for the developers.

Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.

In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Lair of the Rat Kings Feedback Form>


You can use this Feedback Form to share your thoughts directly with the Pugmire developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.


DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY

Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.

Includes Backer-Exclusive Content
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