First up: Our warehouse partners have spun up fulfillment and are steadily shipping rewards. They've got a chunk done but we're not far enough into the process to give you an estimated completion date. Rest assured they are churning away at those pallets of books! If you have questions about that process, see our previous update.
Bigger news for this post: A short while ago we released the coupon codes for the Blades '68 module on Roll20!
We're very proud of our Roll20 releases, we make a dedicated effort to ensure they are comprehensive and full of features that make it easy to run your game online.
If you pledged for the Roll20 module and missed the email from BackerKit, you can recover your BK survey here: https://blades-68.backerkit.com/ and go to your Digital Downloads section to retrieve your coupon code and the instructions on how to redeem it.
Note that these rewards are only going to backers who pledged for the Roll20 module. Unlike the Quickstart version, this is not a free reward.
Some quick answers to some common questions:
Where do I go to redeem my coupon code? This is already in the instructions, but short version is: sign in to Roll20 and plug your coupon code into this link https://marketplace.roll20.net/coupon
I tried to redeem my coupon code but messed it up somehow. Can I get another one? Sure thing. Reach out to [email protected] and we'll work it out.
I redeemed the coupon code but I can't find the game in my Marketplace Items. How do I start a game of Blades '68? There's lots of ways, but the most straightforward is to sign in to Roll20, make sure you have already redeemed the coupon for the module, and then go to the Blades '68 Base Module and press Play
I didn't pledge for the module during the campaign. When will this be available to the public? We'll have a public release on Roll20 the same day the books hit the street on September 14th.
I backed for the Alchemy RPG module. When is that going to be released? The folks at Alchemy are developing that. We don't have a current update on the status to share. Our understanding is they are currently doing a shakedown on their Blades in the Dark: Deep Cuts implementation.
I use [some other] VTT platform. When will you release it for [some other] VTT platform? Short answer: Sorry but we probably won't. We have the in-house resources to do the coding and support for Roll20. We do not have the staff to create and maintain repositories for every other platform out there. If you would like see Blades '68 on your platform of choice, lobby that platform to do an implementation. They have better skills and expertise than we do and we'll be happy to work out a license. Alternatively, we usually offer a VTT token and art pack for most of our games. We don't have a firm plan for Blades '68 yet, but you can keep an eye on DriveThruRPG.
Hey folks, long but important update today covering both the digital rewards and shipping process for your physical goods.
Yesterday we pulled the trigger and released the final PDFs for Blades '68!
If you missed the email from BackerKit, you can recover your BK survey here: https://blades-68.backerkit.com/ and go to your Digital Downloads section. You will find links to the PDF files as well as links to the files hosted on DriveThruRPG.
A few things to note:
The Roll20 version is not quite ready. We'll send out another BK email when it is released.
The DriveThruRPG codes are single use. So be sure you have a DTRPG account, are logged into your DTRPG account, and are ready to redeem/checkout. If you're not logged in and you idly browse the DTRPG offerings and close your session, we cannot guarantee that the discount coupon will be applied when you return.
The POD offerings are at-cost. That means you pay the cost of manufacturing and shipping for the physical goods you choose to order from DTRPG. We don't receive any compensation from DTRPG for these orders but it's important to understand that "at-cost" does not mean "free."
The international shipping cost for POD cards can be fairly steep. DTRPG has not found a European vendor for POD cards that meets their standards, so those products are all printed and shipped from the US.
We initially had an incorrect link for the Faction Deck PDF on DTRPG and the wrong file for the Player Gazette PDF on DTRPG. We have now corrected those issues. If you encountered the incorrect link, your Digital Downloads will now have the correct link to the Faction Deck PDF for DTRPG. If you got the wrong file on DTRPG page for the Player Gazette, you can download the updated PDF now.
With that stage of delivery well underway, we are now beginning physical fulfillment!
Important notes about fulfillment of the books, maps, and other physical rewards:
Addresses are now locked, so if you need to update yours please email [email protected] ASAP.
You should get an email notification when your package is scanned by the carrier. Note that this event doesn't provide enough information to predict when your package going to arrive, and that's not in our hands, so the email notification generated by our ShipStation software does not give an arrival timeline. Consider it more of a "heads-up."
Fulfillment is estimated to take 6-8 weeks. We are shipping ~4,000 orders. This is a huge undertaking. So if you don't see your rewards package right away, do not fret. Our warehouse has brought on extra seasonal help to make this as efficient as possible but getting to your specific pledge may take some time. We'll post an update when the shipping process is complete so we can track down missing packages.
To streamline shipping, we've prioritized bulk orders first. Most of those were retailers who made the extra effort of backing the campaign. If you see copies of Blades '68 at your FLGS before the September release date it's because that store is plugged into what's going on in the indie corner of TTRPGs. We strongly suggest you support them, they're a valued part of our gaming ecosystem.
If your rewards are damaged or defective, we will replace them at no cost to you. In a large operation like this, there are always a few difficult-to-spot defective copies or shipping mishaps. If you end up with a damaged or defective copy, just contact customer service at [email protected] with your shipping address information and one or two photos of the defects you’ve spotted in your copy, and we’ll figure out how to fix it. That’s on us, not you.
Finally, we talked about them so long, it's only fair to show off a photo of the books:
Hard to tell from the top-down view but they are heckin CHONKERS. We're really happy with how they turned out and hope they'll find a treasured place on your gaming shelf.
That's it for today! Thanks for your support, we'll keep you updated as we continue to roll out the rewards.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: We are about to fire the Backerkit process to collect and lock shipping addresses. You will have 48 hours to update your address. Look for an automated email from BackerKit that will be coming shortly.
If, for whatever reason, you miss this window you will be able to email us at [email protected] to have your info manually updated but obviously it's ideal to just get it right the first time.
In terms of fulfillment, here's what we are expecting: This week - Printed books get shipped to our warehouse Next week - The warehouse spools up the most efficient way to ship rewards Mid-July - Fulfillment begins
Due to the large number of packages we're sending out (4,000+ orders) we are projecting fulfillment will take up to two months. That means it's possible your individual order may not arrive until September. So please be patient.
Keep in mind, the best way to make sure your rewards arrive safely and on time is to have the correct shipping address entered in BackerKit.
That's the buzz. For a little bonus treat today, we recently received all the copies of the Player's Gazette. Here's a photo:
The print job for Blades '68 is finishing up and many of the campaign extras have already been delivered to our warehouse. So we're prepping systems on the back end here so we can start spinning up the fulfillment process later in July. Couple of things to bring to your attention:
1) We will be locking orders on Monday. THIS WEEKEND is your final chance to adjust your order and pick up any add-ons.
So if you want the Doskvol 98 City Map, the Faction & Trouble Decks, or just an extra copy of the game, please update your survey ASAP.
We'll send out an email giving you 48 hours' notice before we fire off the payment process.
You'll still have some time in the coming weeks to update your shipping address but if you're not moving in the next two months, do a little double check to make sure your address is correct.
We're approaching the home stretch.
Be forewarned that we'll have something like 5,000 packages to ship so the fulfillment process is expected to take place over July AND August. We'll have more info for you as we get closer and our warehouse dials in their shipping plans.
Finally, here's a little bonus for you: A photo of Blades '68 chunneling its way through our printer's machinery.
Our printer assures us that superlative Electroplasmic Insta-Puur Filtering technology prevents any sort of spectral corruption from being infused in the books. Any paranormal manifestations that occur after you take delivery are purely coincidental and - more importantly - not legally actionable.
We're getting close to placing our print orders which means it's time to "right-size" the quantities we'll need from the various vendors.
What this means for you:
Later this week we'll be sending out backer surveys. A small percentage of you will be in our "smoke test" group and will receive your survey today.
Your backer survey will enable you to enter your address, update and confirm your pledge, and add-on any items you didn't include in your initial pledge.
Some of the premium add-on items will have limited quantities. Once we reach that limit, we won't be bumping it up. So take a look at any add-ons you might want and reserve them.
We are not close to fulfillment. (We're still finishing the text for the printer)
We will not be locking orders for a couple months. So if you're moving soon, do not sweat it.
We are not ready to charge you for shipping. That will happen down the road when the printer has the finished producing the books. We'll give you a heads-up.
In terms of production, we're still cruising along with our project plan. The book is almost ready for the printer and we've already had some early drafts of the stretch goals pop into our inbox so production is on track.
This milestone is mostly a moment for you to review the rewards you chose and add on any extras you'd like. That way, when we order the print runs we dial in the right quantities.
Thanks for your support! We'll check back in when we have another milestone to share.
