March was crazy! It's hard to believe how much was packed into one month. After a short visit to see my grandmother (who raised me), I was of to GAMA in Louisville, then about a week at home then off to Gary Con. Following that we had Easter, which for our family, is also a big event. Last week was Spring Break for my kids and then the Eclipse this past Monday. Just a few miles from my home was the epicenter of eclipse activity, where totality had the longest duration. NASA, Good Morning America, and literally thousands of scientists were in the area, using SIU as the hub. Reports suggest 200,000 people visited our region. Thankfully we only had 16 at our house to watch it. :)
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to a few weeks of quiet and routine to focus on the projects that you amazing people have paved the way for me to do.
Progress is on Schedule
Before the end end of the month, I should have the writing polished and edited. Next month's update will include specific details and the first bit of content.
Surveys from Backerkit
As soon as the admins at Backerkit approve our pledge manager setup, I'll send your surveys. This will start with the Smoke Test.
Smoke Tests
A small percentage of backers will get their surveys first. The feedback from that test will tell me if there are any errors or issues that need to be addressed before sending surveys to everyone. Please note: only 10% of backers will get the smoke test, so don’t panic if you are in a later batch! The smoke test should go out within a few days and the rest in about a week. Keep an eye on your inbox!
When the surveys go out, I ask that you complete them as soon as possible so I have the most accurate numbers for production. I want to get 80% of the surveys filled before production starts.
Commonly Asked Questions on BackerKit Surveys
Can I upgrade my pledge through the survey?
Yes! When you get your survey hit the button below "Get Started". This will enable you to up your pledge tier in case you've decided you want a different deal!
My payment didn’t go through and I was dropped from the Kickstarter. What do I do?
Don’t panic! You should still receive the BackerKit survey and you’ll be able to pay for your pledge there.
I missed the campaign. When will preorders be open? They're now live!
Preorders are now live! If you had a friend or colleague who missed out share this link with them!
VTT tokens unlocked! More monsters! Final week!
2 months ago
– Sat, Mar 09, 2024 at 07:46:54 AM
Adventures,
Thank you, for your amazing support. Zine Quest has been a lot of fun! I look forward to producing more zines in the future.
VTT Tokens Unlocked
You unlocked a set of top-down VTT Tokens while I was at GAMA! Amazing! Thank you.
Last Stretch Goal - More Monsters!
That's right. You voted for more monsters in our pole, so that's what you get!
Playmat Sample
I was able to get a sample of the Ultimate 5e Playmat. Here's a photo from my hotel in GAMA. It's really gorgeous. The photo doesn't do it justice.
Add-on Highlight - Seeds of Decay
Seeds of Decay is a 440-page tome of adventure, lore, monsters, items, and more! It is co-published by Hit Point Press, one of the most respected companies in the RPG industry. The books are currently with the manufacturer and set for fulfillment in June.
You can see a preview copy below, in the wild, at Hit Point Press's booth.
For this Zine Quest campaign, physical copies of Seeds of Decay are limited to US-based backers only.
Digital PDFs of Seeds of Decay will be sent shortly after the campaign ends. The PDF will sell for $40 everywhere after the campaign and the big book will sell for $70. They are both discounted during this Kickstarter, as you can see below.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Your forever GM and adventure Imagineer!
Darryl T. Jones (aka Splattered Ink)
Week Two Begins - New Stretch Goals?
3 months ago
– Tue, Feb 27, 2024 at 08:23:38 AM
Hello Adventurers!
It's been an amazing first week. We've far and away smashed the original funding goal of $500. In fact, at the time of writing this, we just passed the 4k mark which is 8x more than the original goal! We've achieved our first three stretch goals:
Upgraded cover stock
New magical items from the Dungeon Scribe
The fire lizard encounter
We are now nipping at the heels of the 5k stretch goal which is a big one, VTT Top-Down Tokens for all of the monsters in The Neverling.
I think it's fair to say that this campaign has exceeded my expectations. Thank you, thank you! As such, it seems fitting that I turn to you, our biggest fans, for ideas for our next stretch goal!
Our main aim for the next stretch goal after hitting the 5k mark is to get more content in your hands. Not only that, but we also want you to choose what content you want in your hands. Click the link to vote for the next stretch goal. If you want more monsters, we got you. Do you have an itch for more NPCs, then we can scratch that. Are gathering magical items your aim in life, well let us help you hit that target! We are excited to see where the campaign is going to go and can't wait to hear from you guys!
Day 2 is a wrap and another stretch goal unlocked!
3 months ago
– Thu, Feb 22, 2024 at 02:37:11 PM
Greeting Adventurers!
You've unlocked another stretch goal!
Thank you! The fire lizard is coming to the Neverling. Up next, we have a big stretch goal, and one of my favorites, top-down tokens! I've been drawing top-down tokens and monsters for a few years now and really enjoy it. There are now 8 unique monsters (...so far? Whatever could that mystery stretch goal be?) in the Neverling that need tokens to fully realize the VTT experience. That's what this stretch goal is for. Let's go get it!
The Ultimate 5e Playmat
I thought now was a good time to highlight one of our add-on products, the Ultimate 5e Playmat. I'm very excited about this product, in fact, it was suggested to me that it could be its own Kickstarter project. Who knows what will come of it, but I can certainly see lots of variations with different artwork and mechanics. Perhaps I make a whole line of playmats. But for now, we will start with this one:
I polished up the design last night and ordered samples today. I'm looking forward to sharing some photos when they get here!
That's all for now! Until next time, keep your dobbers up!
~ Darryl T. Jones
Funded! 2 Stretch Goals Unlocked!
3 months ago
– Wed, Feb 21, 2024 at 09:04:15 AM
Thank you all so much!
We were funded in a little less than a half hour and we unlocked two stretch goals in the first 24 hours! What a great start! Thank you again.
The fire lizard is a CR 9 creature with terrible destructive power. It is included in Seeds of Decay but not part of the story. This stretch goal provides a great opportunity to work one into the story. Your players will both love and hate this awesome monster!
Thanks again! May the dice roll ever in your favor!
