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!
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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
So, as noted in today's earlier update, starting in April 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!
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
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:
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
Whether you're just setting out for to gather food or a seasoned bug-tamer returning from selling your wares, these are some good topics to review over these final hours...
1. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING
These sourcebooks expand the options and setting for The World Below roleplaying game. Matthew Dawkins has shared many videos about the new content on his Gentleman Gamer channel, so you can absolutely get the vibe of this quirky and amazing game.
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.
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished PDFs and a discounted Print-on-Demand hardcover for The World Below Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos. The first decision you need to make is whether you're just looking to add the mostly character-focused Delver's Guide, or the Setting and Storyguide-supporting Secrets of Kalm and Kaos, or make it a two-book reward pledge and get both?
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.
And another key option:
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.
ADD ON selections will be available in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as well.
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 theaffordabilityof the pledge at this moment!
Be Financially Responsible
I'm going to speak against my own self-interest for a moment, and repeat something I say at the end of every campaign - 2026 has been pretty wild so far, and there's even more uncertainty ahead. Ensure that your circumstances enable you to afford this pledge at this moment - BackerKit will begin processing payments late tonight after the campaign ends and neither Onyx Path nor I have any involvement in that process. If you are unsure of your financial situation but don't want to miss out, please pledge for a tier you can afford right now and know that you will be able to upgrade to open pledge levels in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for some time before the book is completed. 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
Readthe 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
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'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
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 first week of April, 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 schedules, 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 May 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 spring coat or found an alternate income source and decide it's time to trade up to include both books or 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 distribute the backer PDFs. 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 details for the premium reward tiers.
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 World Below core rulebook PDF, and the At the Gates and Monster Kingdoms draft manuscripts, plus the other Storypath Ultra games (including Curseborne!). 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 start of May. 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 PDFs of The World Below: Delver's Guide and The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos. I don't think they'll be done at the exact same time, so we'll likely see one a few months before the other. 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 versions of the PDFs available in your DriveThruRPG digital library and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand hardcover 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!
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.
Whether you're just setting out for to gather food or a seasoned bug tamer returning from selling your wares, 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 videos from Matthew Dawkins, 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 included in our pledges for this campaign and what additional 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, 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.
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished PDFs and a discounted Print-on-Demand hardcover for The World Below Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos. The first decision you need to make is whether you're just looking to add the mostly character-focused Delver's Guide, or the Setting and Storyguide-supporting Secrets of Kalm and Kaos, or make it a two-book reward pledge and get both? While one book is tagged "Player's Manual" and the other is "Storyguide's Handbook," I think reading through the manuscrips you've see that there's a lot of excellent material with a ton of useful overlap in each book, and most like both are worthy of being added to your digital shelves.
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.
And another key option:
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
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 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.
But until then, let's review our Stretch Goal success story!
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!
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.
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.
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!
That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish the Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDFs and Print-on-Demand hardcovers. Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and discount links for the hardcovers! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have a digital wallpaper, a new adventure for your group, an opportunity to expand your wardrobe, and maybe a streaming overlay for online play?
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 books, 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 maybeunlocking thatfinal 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!
THE WORLD BELOW: BURIED TREASURES enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, March 19th 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!!
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.
Whether you're just setting out for to gather food or a seasoned bug tamer returning from selling your wares, 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 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
Over the course of this campaign, backers have received the entire current draft manuscript for The World Below: Delver's Guide and The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos. This isn't just a gesture - the Onyx Path team want you to read the books before your pledges are collected. They want you to know what you're getting, and 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: <TWB Buried Treasures Feedback Form>
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
Remember, thanks to BackerKit sorcery, 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.
I've got a lot to go over today, so let's settle and prepare for review.
Before we get into it, one more quick note about our current Stretch Goal 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.
Let's see if we can't expand our Advent of the Silt adventure before the end of the campaign!
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 (That's Today!)
Whether you're just setting out for to gather food or a seasoned bug tamer returning from selling your wares, 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.)
PLEDGE REWARD TIERS
Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create fully developed PDFs and Print-on-Demand hardcover version of The World Below Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos, two system and setting sourcebooks for The World Below tabletop roleplaying game. These expansions are full of new player options, additional setting material, new Storyguide systems and support, and pre-built adventures for Storyguides running The World Below roleplaying game.
PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT
To borrow an analogy that I've used in past campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (while they still exist): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.
Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.
One Book, Two Books, Yellow Book, Blue Book
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished PDFs and a discounted Print-on-Demand hardcover for The World Below Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos. The first decision you need to make is whether you're just looking to add the mostly character-focused Delver's Guide, or the Setting and Storyguide-supporting Secrets of Kalm and Kaos, or make it a two-book reward pledge and get both? While one book is tagged "Player's Manual" and the other is "Storyguide's Handbook," I think reading through the manuscrips you've see that there's a lot of excellent material with a ton of useful overlap in each book, and most like both are worthy of being added to your digital shelves.
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.
In addition to these primary reward pledge roles, we also offer the following options:
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.
Truthseeker / Othersidely Friend / Sorcerer's Workshop / Eldritch Monster Cult / Band of Masks: These premium pledge paths offerspecial limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in a supplement, participation in an online game session run by Matthew Dawkins, an opportunity to submit ideas for either a Sorcery or monster that'll be developed and incorporated into The World Below. and an option to submit a character description to be used by World Below artists for an interior illustration. Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.
Right now, there are still slots open for these premium tiers, but some will likely be claimed as we work towards the end, so keep an eye on availability of these tiers if you've been thinking about splurging on yourself.
After the campaign is over we'll launch our BackerKit Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this crowdfunding campaign!
THE WORLD BELOW DELVER'S GUIDE and SECRTS OF KALM AND KAOS Backer PDFs: The World Below: Delver's Guide PDF and The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Crowdfunding backers will receive redemption links allowing you to add the item to your cart at a $0 cost. Once you check out, it will be added to your DriveThruRPG digital library and available for download at your convenience.
PRINT-on-DEMAND BOOKS: In addition to the PDF releases, The World Below: Delver's Guide and The World Below: Secrets of Kalm and Kaos willavailable for purchase as Print-on-Demand hardcover books from our partners at DriveThruRPG. The cost of printing and shipping a PoD book is not part of your pledge amount, however Crowdfunding backers will receive a special link allowing you to purchase the PoD book at a discounted price.
Choosing Your Reward Tier
There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.
This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Funds for additional extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.
First Step: Reward Tier
To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want the Delver's Guide PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want both new sourcebooks, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.
Step Two: Add-On Options
Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible PDFs you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.
You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.
In addition to The World Below Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos detailed above, Onyx Path is also offering PDF versions of The World Below corebook and other game PDFs that use the Storypath Ultra system.
THE WORLD BELOW (Corebook PDF) is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire.
The World Below Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos require The World Below corebook to make full use of the systems and rules included in the book.
AT THE GATES(Corebook PDF Pre-Order) is a high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game about burgeoning heroes struggling to survive, fighting for what’s right, exploring dangerous places, and saving the world. You play as heroes who have chosen to buck the status quo and try to change the course of things. Your characters may attempt to change the course of the war, delve into the secrets of daemons and the Void, fight against tyranny to protect what they love in the world, fight to restore balance to Gaia, or all the above.
MONSTER KINGDOMS (Corebook PDF Pre-Order) in this game, you play as a creature of darkness. You may be vampiric magus, or feyborn harlequin. You might be a warrior gauntlet, an orc cultist, a druidic elf, or a flame-spitting dragonkin. You can play a wildly creative goblinoid, a chaotic dwarf, a fierce ice elementor, or a shame-filled fiend. Your characters can be anything from hulking dreadnauts to disturbing mentalists, and many Mantles in between.
The STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL PDF presents a way for you to use Storypath Ultra to power whatever world you have in mind. We’ve created this book so anyone can use Onyx Path’s system for their own private tabletop game sessions. Many people over the years have talked about how they hacked one of our games into different shapes to play in their favorite worlds, so this book is here to allow us to give you advice on how to build your game using Storypath Ultra from the ground up.
In CURSEBORNE (Corebook) PDF, our world is connected to disturbing realms via liminal spaces. In Curseborne, you are damned. Your damnation grants unnatural gifts and terrifying impulses. In this gameworld, the sins of the father are visited upon the son. Your accursed family’s pacts and crimes lead to a web of political intrigue and lasting perdition. In Curseborne, monsters are real. And you play as one.
THEY CAME FROM the RPG ANTHOLOGY! PDF introduces its players to a multitude of genres, mediums, playable character Archetypes, and more. This book contains everything you need to play any game of They Came from the RPG Anthology!, with the following genres included: Gunslinging Westerns, Noir and hard-boiled detective cases, Costume dramas, Sci-fi space opera, Shakespearean theatre, and much more!
Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options
Ready to join in? If you're backing for the first time, you can click BACK IT and select your Pledge Tier and finalize funding amount in the next menu.
Using myself as an example, I love The World Below but I'm going to pretend I'm totally new to this game and I'm looking to get the corebook PDF as well. Once I click BACK IT, I see my pledge level options. If I want to know a bit more about each level, I can click Learn More, or if I know what I'm looking for, I can click Back It.
The pledges as detailed earlier. It should be pretty self-explanatory, but you can click on the "Learn More" button to expand the Pledge Level info. For example, Clicking Learn More on the Paths Through the Vast Underground pledge gives you...
This is the reward tier I'm choosing, as it exactly fits my desire to get both books.
Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.
For example, I've decided on the $55 Paths Through the Vast Underground pledge path, so I select BACK IT for that pledge, and then I want to add on a few of the Add On optional extras to my rewards list. I'll pretend I haven't already backed the two previous campaigns, and select The World Below corebook PDF and the Storypath Ultra Core Manual PDF as Add On extras.
I'm a big fan of all of the books offered, though. If I really didn't have them all, I'd be loading up.
My total starts at $55 for the Paths Through... Pledge tier, and then I add + $25 for The World Below Corebook PDF + $25 for Storypath Ultra Core Manual PDF
To bring my final total pledge to $105 USD. Once everything is correct, you can select NEXT and then Confirm Your Pledge. You'll get an e-mail confirmation of your choices.
If you're already a backer but want to update your Pledge tier or Add On choices, here's what you look for:
Select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then you can Edit Your Pledge. Select "Edit Pledge" on your review page, and then you can revise your pledge tier or Add On selections.
You can select a new Pledge Level from the available option menu, or Change your Add On selection.
As before, you'll confirm all of your choices, and then receive an e-mail confirmation once that's done.
And with that, my pledge level and Add On options are set for your pledge.
You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.
Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order the Pugmire Unleashed book at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list if applicable.
REWARD DELIVERY
About 4-6 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At that point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like the existing titles including The World Below core rulebook PDF, the Storypath Ultra Core Manual PDF, the Curseborne Core rulebook PDF, and They Came From the RPG Anthology PDF. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.
For our Pre-Order Add-Ons, backers will get the draft manuscript for those books to review and use while we wait for the eventual backer PDF release.
So, while it will take some time for The Delver's Guide and Secrets of Kalm and Kaos to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 8-10 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)
Don't fret if you had forgotten to select additional rewards by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off on Add Ons until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.
Step 1: Pledge Tier
Step 2: Add On Options
Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that.
Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, so take into account your conversion as needed.
It Adds Up!
That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Level and adding Add On options and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.
Additionally, this may go without saying,please review your personal budgetand ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begincharging your payment methodat 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.
Conclusion
As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Level for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or figuring out the Add On options, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.
On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.
So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to see another amazing adventure for The World Below from the Secrets of Kalm and Kaos tomorrow, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
I'll be back tomorrow with the complete FINAL manuscript section for Secrets of Kalm and Kaos, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
