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10+ projects backed in 2023
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Project Update: Pledge Manager Surveys Coming This Week!
We finished up the Crowdfunding portion of our campaign just about four weeks ago with a successful run, adding many backers and a few fun stretch goals. Now it's time to start the next phase of the 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
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 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!
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 prepped for backer distribution.
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://buried-treasures.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.
I've been mostly in a zombie state over the pst few weeks, and 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.
From the Pledge Manager welcome page you can choose to
- Review Your Pledge Level and Rewards by clicking your Pledge Level title
- Start Your Survey, confirming pledge rewards, confirming or selecting new Add On options, and confirming any shipping and 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 double book pledge instead of a single title PDF-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.
- Look for an e-mail invitation to BackerKit's Pledge Manager sometime over the next 1-3 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)
I will post an update at next week as I begin outlining the delivery of our first Add On rewards (the existing title PDFs, as noted above) and beginning distribution of those PDF rewards.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT
For now, there's a link for those compiled versions at the bottom of this update post (when viewed on the BackerKit site), but the plan is to have the download links sit alongside your other rewards on the Pledge Manager's Digital Reward Page.
COMING NEXT
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.
10+ projects backed in 2023
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Project Update: We have unearthed the Buried Treasures!
As the Kaos Storm subsides and we prepare for our next Kalm Season, it's time to take stock of our recent endeavor and see what we've found.
That is to say... thanks to the support of nearly 300 World Below backers, Onyx Path will be able to develop the PDF and Print-on-Demand hardcover versions of The World Below: Delver's Guide and The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos!
There's more to celebrate! Not only did we fund the project on the first day, we unlocked FIVE Stretch Goals over the campaign. That's right - we unlocked our final stretch goal target today, in the final hours of this campaign!
.
At $10,000 in Funding - THE ADVENT OF THE SILT
THE ADVENT OF THE SILT - The team will create a West Marches-style adventure for The World Below, focused on exploration and cave delving. A PDF version of The Advent of Silt will be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving either the Delver's Guide PDF or the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF as part of their pledge rewards.
At $13,000 in Funding - WORLD BELOW SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE
WORLD BELOW SHIRT DESIGN - A new World Below shirt design will be made available on Onyx Path's Redbubble sore for a limited time only. Backers will be notified when this design becomes available.
At $14,000 in Funding - WORLD BELOW DIGITAL WALLPAPER
WORLD BELOW DIGITAL WALLPAPER - All backers supporting this project will receive a digital wallpaper for their computer desktop featuring artwork from the Delver's Guide or Secrets of Kalm and Kaos books.
At $15,000 in Funding - THE ADVENT OFTHE SILT EXPANDED
THE ADVENT OF THE SILT - The adventure scenario will be expanded to include opportunities for base building and resource hunting. A PDF version of The Advent of Silt will be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving either the Delver's Guide PDF or the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF as part of their pledge rewards.
At $16,000 in Funding - STREAMING OVERLAY
WORLD BELOW STREAMING OVERLAY - A set of overlays for your online game will be created, for your use when streaming your World Below session. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
So a huge congratulations to Matthew 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 nearly 300 backers join in to support this quirky, odd, and amazing game. The World Below has such a personality, such a vibe, and I really dig it, if you'll parden the pun.
COMMUNICATION
I'll also see if I can sneak a compiled draft manuscripts out to you maybe by the first weekend in April. Nothing changed, just smashed together in order.
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
Backers make it better! Now, get ready to dig, train, grow, and prepare in the World Below!
10+ projects backed in 2023
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Project Update: FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT
Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a fun run - funding the books, reading the manuscripts for The Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos, building our community, and unlocking almost all of the Stretch Goals!
In these final hours, we're tip-toeing up to our final goal, which we just posted yesterday.
At $16,000 in Funding - STREAMING OVERLAY
WORLD BELOW STREAMING OVERLAY - A set of overlays for your online game will be created, for your use when streaming your World Below session. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
When I shared this yesterday, I thought it was gonna be a tough stretch - possible, but difficult. But we're *this close* to unlocking this before the end!
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 these amazing books!
FINAL DAY CHECKLIST
1. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING
- Buried Treasures Campaign Overview {Day Before Launch)
- New Calling: The Gem Master
- New Calling: The Soulweaver
- New Dialectic: The Ichori
- Navigating the World Below
- The Chasm Settlement of Agosby
- Fishing in the World Below
- Mounts and Pets
Backers can read the entire current drafts of the manuscripts <HERE>. Please make sure you read the manuscript before the campaign concludes so you know exactly what you're pledging to support.
2. PLEDGE TIERS and ADD ONS
With that decision in mind, we've got three key reward tiers to choose from:
LANTERN IN THE DARKNESS
This is the pledge path to select if you're only interested in The World Below: Delver's Guide book. 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 reward.
LORE OF THE LABYRINTH
This is the pledge path to select if you're only interested in The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos book. 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 reward
PATHS THROUGH THE VAST UNDERGROUND
This amazing reward tier includes both The Delver's Guide PDF and the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF, along special discount codes to order each of these rewards as Print-on-Demand books.
KALM SEASON
Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge role is for you. This does not include any of our primary rewards, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscripts of The Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos that we post throughout this campaign.
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 World Below corebook as well as pre-ordering the other Earthane Cycle game corebooks, At the Gates PDF and Monster Kingdoms PDF. Since these is still in the pre-order phase, you'll get the draft manuscript for those until the Backer PDF becomes available. Other games using the Storypath Ultra system are also avaialble to add on in PDF form.
SO: Ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier you want, and select any Add On options you wish to include. AND - make sure that you are comfortable with the Pledge amount, in terms of it covering everything you want and the affordability of the pledge at this moment!
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 these two books will take some time to get perfect, and we're dealing with an imperfect world. Schedules sometimes go awry)
3. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION
4. OVERTIME MODE
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've scheduled the campaign to conclude on March 19th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, 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 planned? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Kaos Storm Protocol!
WHAT COMES NEXT?
5. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS
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
7. REWARD DISTRIBUTION
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.
So - one final time - please spread the word to any potential backers and fans, and thanks so much for a great campaign!
10+ projects backed in 2023
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Project Update: Final Day Review - Stretch Goals
We're closing in on the final 24 hours of the campaign 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. The World Below: Buried Treasures finishes the crowdfunding campaign TOMORROW - March 19th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to add a few more delvers to our group, but we're definitely getting closer to the end of the Kalm season. 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 Week Program
- Mar 16 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
- Mar 17 - Kalm & Kaos Manuscript Preview # 6 - Adventure Scenario
- Mar 18 - Stretch Goal Review (That's today!)
- Mar 19 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
(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 videos from Matthew Dawkins, and other helpful information.)
Refresher Course
We've had, and will have, 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 draft manuscripts for both books are available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to these preview manuscripts 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 manuscripts available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making these books - 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.
With that decision in mind, we've got three key reward tiers to choose from:
LANTERN IN THE DARKNESS
This is the pledge path to select if you're only interested in The World Below: Delver's Guide book. 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 reward.
LORE OF THE LABYRINTH
This is the pledge path to select if you're only interested in The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos book. 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 reward
PATHS THROUGH THE VAST UNDERGROUND
This amazing reward tier includes both The Delver's Guide PDF and the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF, along special discount codes to order each of these rewards as Print-on-Demand books.
KALM SEASON
Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge role is for you. This does not include any of our primary rewards, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscripts of The Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos that we post throughout this campaign.
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 World Below corebook as well as pre-ordering the other Earthane Cycle game corebooks, At the Gates PDF and Monster Kingdoms PDF. Since these is still in the pre-order phase, you'll get the draft manuscript for those until the Backer PDF becomes available. Other games using the Storypath Ultra system are also avaialble to add on in PDF form.
Choose Wisely
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 Kalm Season 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.
Over the past 28 (or is it 29?) days as we've worked through this campaign, we've not only funded the book but unlocked four fearsome Stretch Goals! That's right - we've unlocked our latest goal even as I was putting this update together!
WORLD BELOW DIGITAL WALLPAPER - All backers supporting this project will receive a digital wallpaper for their computer desktop featuring artwork from the Delver's Guide or Secrets of Kalm and Kaos books.
THE ADVENT OF THE SILT EXPANDED- The adventure scenario will be expanded to include opportunities for base building and resource hunting. A PDF version of The Advent of Silt will be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving either the Delver's Guide PDF or the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF as part of their pledge rewards.
With our main four goals unlocked and set up, let's sneak a fifth and final goal on there to keep us focused on the finish line! I don't know if we'll be able to unlock this, but it'll certainly give us something to dig deep for as we get towards the end.
At $16,000 in Funding - WORLD BELOW STREAMING OVERLAY
WORLD BELOW STREAMING OVERLAY - A set of overlays for your online game will be created, for your use when streaming your World Below session. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
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! For my group, 98% of our games are played online - we are really only able to get together twice a year in person, and those meetings take about 3 months of scheduling. So any extra tools to jazz up online play are appreciated by me!
YOUR REWARDS!
NOT MUCH MORE TIME
THE WORLD BELOW: BURIED TREASURES enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, March 19th at 2:00 PM Eastern.
#TheWorldBelow
10+ projects backed in 2023
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Project Update: The Obscure Labyrinth [Secrets of Kalm and Kaos Manuscript Preview 6]
We're in our final days, and it's time for our final section of the draft manuscript for Secrets of Kalm and Kaos! As of this update, backers have access to the entire approved draft and can read both books 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. The World Below: Buried Treasures finishes the crowdfunding campaign on March 19th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to add a few more delvers to our group, 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 Week Program
- Mar 16 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
- Mar 17 - Kalm & Kaos Manuscript Preview # 6 - Adventure Scenario (That's Today!)
- Mar 18 - Stretch Goal Review
- Mar 19 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
(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 videos from Matthew Dawkins, 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 $15,000 in Funding - THE ADVENT OFTHE SILT EXPANDED
THE ADVENT OF THE SILT - The adventure scenario will be expanded to include opportunities for base building and resource hunting. A PDF version of The Advent of Silt will be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving either the Delver's Guide PDF or the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF as part of their pledge rewards.
Draft Manuscript Previews
You can use this Feedback Form to shrea your thoughts directly with the World Below developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
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