Updates

Check out the latest news and keep up with progress

PROJECT UPDATE

Charles Ryan

CREATOR

about 18 hours ago

Project Update: Stretch Goal Hit! We’re Making a Premium Box!

An illustration showing a ornate dungeon hall, with archways, columns, and multiple levels. A group of characters approaches a dias with a glowing center, flanked by huge statues.

Hello, backers—

What an exciting week this has been! You’ve blasted through yet another stretch goal with head-spinning speed. The exclusive, backers-ony version of Jewel in the Sky will now come in a deluxe, magnetic-closure box that will make it just as cool and enticing on the outside as it is on the inside. Look at how you've expanded and upgraded this boxed set just in the first few days of this campaign!

Mockup of the Jewel in the Sky boxed set showing the upgraded premium magnetic-closure box and the bestiary, along with the books, maps, cards, handouts, poster map, and other components.

And, as always, there’s a bonus reward for every backer: another exclusive XP card to add to your collection. We asked you to vote for your favorite, and this is the design you chose:

Mockup of the collection of XP cards accumulated so far.

Charles and Liv on Cypher Unlimited TONIGHT

We’re having a live conversation with the fan community tonight on the Cypher Unlimited Discord, to answer questions about Jewel in the Sky and discuss the campaign—and perhaps to unveil a little treat for CU members!

Tonight (Friday), 7:30 p.m. EDT (4:30 PDT)
Join the Cypher Unlimited Discord here: https://discord.com/invite/347AjNFSM4

Cypher Unlimited is a friendly and welcoming hub for Cypher players to find groups to join, share advice and experiences, or just chat and hang out—if you’re not a member, you should be! You can join through the link above.

Our Next Goal: Bigger Maps!

The boxed set of Jewel in the Sky contains a bunch maps duplicated from the book in loose-leaf format, for extra-convenient use at the table. You’ve already increased the number of these loose maps through an earlier stretch goal. Now let’s make them even better!

The maps are currently letter sized (that’s roughly A4, for non-Americans). We’d like to make them bigger, taking them to tabloid size (roughly A3). This will let the details shine, and (for those maps that are player-facing) make them easier to view around the table.

We’ll double the size of the loose-leaf maps when we get to 1375 backers!

As always, we design to the best needs of the product. Some of the maps might work better at the smaller size—and, if so, that’s the size they’ll be. But we anticipate that most will benefit from the increase in size you’ll unlock through this stretch goal.

Plus Another XP Card!

When we unlock this goal, we’ll also give every backer another XP card as a free bonus reward! Which design should we add to the collection next?

Vote now!

Download and Share Jewel Graphics

If you like the imagery you’ve seen for Jewel in the Sky, good news: we’ve created a folder filled with images you can download and share.

Graphic button that says "Browse Images".

This campaign has really been moving this week. It will only keep up the momentum if backers keep the buzz alive. Crowdfunding campaigns live and die by the enthusiasm of their backers. We love what you’ve done so far—keep it up!

Thanks for your support!

—Team MCG

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PROJECT UPDATE

Charles Ryan

CREATOR

1 day ago

Project Update: Cards Expanded. Let’s Get Luxurious!

An illustration showing a group of scifi characters investigating a floating mysterious red jewel with a horde of skeletons attack the group.

Hello, backers—

In an amazing burst of speed, you’ve hit the latest stretch goal! We’re now adding at least a dozen additional creature and cypher cards to the Jewel in the Sky boxed set.

Mockup of the Jewel in the Sky boxed set, showing books, cards, handouts, and other components including more cards and the recently-unlocked mini-bestiary.

And, of course, with this goal comes a free bonus for all backers: another exclusive Jewel in the Sky XP card. At this pace, we’ll assemble a really nice XP mini-deck for use in your Jewel campaign—and these cards are completely compatible with the forthcoming Cypher XP Deck, so you can add them to that if you like, too. (You’ll also get this collection on the Datasphere Deck Tool, so you can use them digitally no matter how you play RPGs online.)

Here’s the design you voted for:

We’re pretty excited about the next stretch goal, but first:

Friday: Talk to Us on Cypher Unlimited

Charles and Liv are talking to the fan community tomorrow evening on the Cypher Unlimited Discord—and we’d love it if you joined us! We’re going to answer questions about Jewel in the Sky and discuss the campaign—and we may have a little treat for CU members!

Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (4:30 PDT)
Join the Cypher Unlimited Discord here: https://discord.com/invite/347AjNFSM4

(If you’re not a member of Cypher Unlimited, the fan community for all things Cypher and MCG, you can join here. The CU is a friendly and welcoming hub for Cypher players to find groups to join, share advice and experiences, or just chat and hang out!)

Now Let’s Talk about the Box

Look at this cool box!

Mockup of a Jewel in the Sky box with a front panel that's die-cut to reveal the art beneath, and a side-locking magnetic closure.

As it currently stands, the exclusive, backers-only deluxe version of Jewel in the Sky comes in a standard game box—sturdy, attractive, and well-made. But one of the great things about building up a product through a crowdfunding campaign is that we can go beyond what’s merely practical and make something that’s truly wondrous. Jewel is going to be a great mega-adventure, and we want every part of the experience to evoke the awe and wonder of Vocurro’s dungeons.

This box will have a handsome die cut and magnetic closure, giving it a reliquary-like feel. It will be a striking addition to your collection even when it’s just sitting on the shelf!

Help us reach 1300 backers, and we’ll give the boxed set of Jewel in the Sky this beautiful and inspiring presentation.

Choose the Next XP Card!

Our XP card collection continues to grow! Which design should we add to the collection next?

Vote now!

Keep Spreading the Word!

This has been a fantastic week for Jewel in the Sky, and we’re racking up the stretch goals quickly. This is a pretty short campaign (the timing is dictated by BackerKit’s Mega Dungeon Month promotion), and we’d really like to keep up the pace and unlock a LOT more stretch goals.

That’s up to you! Keep spreading the word. Here are a couple of shareable images, but we’re going one better: We’ve set up a repository with loads of images and art you can share. Click the button and see what we have for you!

Thanks for your support!

—Team MCG

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PROJECT UPDATE

Charles Ryan

CREATOR

1 day ago

Project Update: Bestiary Unlocked!

An illustration showing a group of fantasy characters as they explore a vast, strange dungeon space full of odd structures and weird reliefs set into giant stonework.

Hello, backers—

Another stretch goal over the line! You’ve funded the mini-bestiary, Creatures of Vocurro, which will now be added to the box.

Mockup of the Creatures of Vocurro bestiary.

You’ve also unlocked a bonus goal! Throughout this campaign, we’re giving every backer—no matter their pledge level—a free bonus reward every time we unlock a stretch goal. We’re building a collection of Jewel in the Sky XP cards, and you’ve been choosing the designs as we go. Here’s the card you chose to go with this goal:

Speaking of Cards…

The Jewel in the Sky box contains several dozen cards for creatures and cyphers. Creature cards put a monster’s stats in a handy, quick-reference form, with an illustration on the reverse side to show your players. Cypher cards each contain, well, a cypher. You can give the card to a player when they discover the cypher; they give it back when they use it. It’s quick and prevents scribbling notes on a character sheet, only to erase them a couple of hours, or a couple of sessions, later.

These cards are all fully compatible with the general-purpose Cypher Creature Deck and Manifest Cypher Deck—if you have those, you can combine them, in whole or in part, with these cards.

And like those decks, these cards will also be featured in the Datasphere Deck Tool, the forthcoming digital tool that makes our decks just as easy to use in the digital realm as they are at your physical game table. (You can learn more about the very cool Datasphere Deck Tool here.)

All of these things are so useful, speeding up and easing play. So let's have more of them!

Get us to 1225 backers, and we’ll add another dozen or so creature and cypher cards to the Jewel in the Sky boxed set!

And, of Course, Another XP Card!

Another goal means it’s time to pick another XP card! Which design should we add to the collection next?

Vote in the attached poll!

Thanks for Your Insights!

In our last update we asked you to contribute to a conversation about inviting non-Cypher fans into the dark dungeons of Vocurro. Many of you have offered really insightful thoughts and ideas. If you haven’t already, please hop in and let us know what you think!

(If you missed yesterday’s update, we really encourage you to give it a read.)

As Always, Your Help Makes It Happen

We’re so stoked for Jewel in the Sky, and where you’re taking this campaign. And when we say “you’re” taking it places, we literally mean you.

We’ve run a lot of very successful campaigns over the years (and we here at MCG back a lot of them, too!). One thing we’ve learned is that campaigns soar when—and only when—the backers share their excitement. Your voice reaches places we can’t, and it carries so much more weight than ours.

You can find shareable posts, images, ideas, and messages on our social media accounts. Please spread the word, and let's unlock these cards and, hopefully, many more stretch goals to come!

Thanks for your support!

—Team MCG

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PROJECT UPDATE

Charles Ryan

CREATOR

2 days ago

Project Update: New Stretch Goal: Making the Most of Monsters

An illustration showing a group of fantasy characters as they ascend a massive staircase full of rubble, and surrounded by giant statues of strange angelic beings.

Hello, backers—

Jewel in the Sky is, like Vocurro itself, really soaring! Thanks to your help spreading the word, we’ve knocked out our second stretch goal. The next one is really exciting, and we envision so much more beyond that to really make Jewel special!

But before we get to that, we need your insight. Read on…

An Open Invitation to Dungeon Fantasy Lovers

Jewel in the Sky is a love letter to dungeon fantasy, combining the classic experiences that have made gaming what it is today with all the innovation, elegance, and ease of use MCG has introduced over the past decade or so. It’s a return to classic fantasy for our fans—and even more, an invitation to all dungeon fantasy lovers to join the Cypher community. As such, this is as much your campaign as it is ours.

We are thrilled and grateful that over 900 members of our fantastic community have participated, and that’s just in the first couple of days! And we’re just as happy to welcome the 100 or so backers who are new to Cypher.

But here’s the thing: that number—around 100—is weirdly low compared to any previous Cypher campaign. In the recent Numenera campaign, as one example, roughly 1/4 of the backers were new to Cypher. We’re inviting dungeon lovers to our community, but for whatever reason, the invitation isn’t getting to them.

We love that you love Jewel. We want to make this the best and most appealing campaign for all gamers. So we need your help to reach them!

We’ve started a conversation in the Comments section of this campaign. We’d love to hear from you about how you discover new RPGs, and how you think we can continue to build this terrific Cypher community. After you read the rest of this update, please join us there and share your thoughts!

Your Bonus Reward!

You’ve helped us reach 1000 backers, and the Jewel in the Sky boxed set will now contain roughly double the number of physical handouts. In addition, as we do with each stretch goal, we’re giving every backer, no matter your pledge level, a free bonus reward. This is the XP card you chose in our recent poll:

Now Let’s Make a Bestiary!

Vocurro and its dungeons are home to many a strange, dangerous, and sometimes terrifying creature. Jewel in the Sky will include all the stat blocks and other information you need to run encounters with the monsters your PCs face.

But a great encounter gets even better when the GM can breathe real life into the PCs’ adversaries—and you may want to use many of the fascinating creatures Monte is creating elsewhere in your campaigns. So let’s do these monsters justice!

If you’ve ever seen the Cypher System Bestiary, you know what we’re talking about: details such as lair maps, motivations, companions or pets, and expanded lore. And customization options, like alternate special abilities and traits, variant looks, different names, unique mechanics, and more.

We’d like add a major new component to the Jewel in the Sky boxed set: a mini-bestiary. This won’t be a big hardcover like the Cypher System Bestiary, but it’ll be a hefty booklet packed with full-page spreads that build out your knowledge of the creatures introduced in Jewel, and make them more than just passing encounters. We’ll add this mini-bestiary to the boxed set when we reach 1150 backers.

Plus, of Course, Another XP Card

As we do with every goal, we’re adding a free bonus reward for every backer. Which XP card should we add to our growing collection?

Vote for your choice, and it will be added to everyone’s rewards when we unlock the mini-bestiary!

Remember to Help Spread the Word

We want to reach as many gamers as possible with word about Jewel in the Sky. Please visit any of MCG’s social media accounts—you can find them all here. Pick a post or three that you like. Give them a share, use them for inspiration for your own posts, or like a good GM going through a published adventure, loot them for text or graphics to make your own!

And don’t forget to jump into the comments and tell us your thoughts on reaching more dungeon fantasy fans!

Thanks for your support!

—Team MCG

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PROJECT UPDATE

Charles Ryan

CREATOR

3 days ago

Project Update: More Maps Unlocked! How About Handouts?

An illustration showing large column with spiral stairs set into a round shaft. The stairs descend down into the darkness.

Hello, backers—

It’s still the first day of this campaign, and you’ve already blasted through our first stretch goal! We’re going to double the number of loose-leaf maps in the Jewel in the Sky boxed set. You’ll have quick-reference maps for even more of the areas in the dungeons of Vocurro.

But why stop there? We want to add even more expansions and upgrades to the Jewel in the Sky boxed set. But first:

A Bonus Reward!

If you’ve backed one of our recent campaigns (Numenera or Cypher, for example), you might recall that sometimes we add a fun bonus reward to every stretch goal. We’re excited to be doing that with this campaign, too—but with a different twist!

With each stretch goal we unlock, every backer will receive a free, exclusive XP card with a unique design as a small thank you from MCG. These cards won’t be available anywhere else and will have a unique Jewel in the Sky theme—but they’ll be fully compatible with the standard Cypher XP Deck. Use them as a special Jewel mini-XP Deck, or integrate them into your regular XP Deck. You’ll get them as physical cards, and also digitally via the Datasphere Deck Tool.

All backers get these bonus cards—no matter your pledge level. If you’re backing at a PDF-only pledge level, you’ll have to pay shipping for them (but only if you claim the reward, which you can choose not to do).

For this first goal we’re giving you this card:

It gets better: we’ll add another XP card, chosen by you, the backers, with every new stretch goal we unlock! (More on that below.)

Our Next Stretch goal: Double the Handouts!

Vocurro holds many mysteries, and your PCs will uncover countless clues as they delve into the mega-adventure’s deep secrets—and exciting finales! Props and handouts deliver adventure information in a fun, immersive style that both speeds and eases gameplay. We here at MCG love a good handout, and if you’ve used the prop sets we’ve made for The Magnus Archives Roleplaying Game, Invisible Sun, and The Darkest House, you know how well-crafted they can be.

We’re already planning a bunch of handouts for the Jewel in the Sky boxed set—but let’s really load it up! Help us get to 1000 backers, and we’ll double the number of handouts in the box. These handouts will also be available in PDF, as a downloadable extra for the book as well as the boxed set.

Now: Help Us Choose the Next XP Card

Let’s have another bonus XP card to go with this stretch goal. Which design should we unlock?

Vote for your choice, and we’ll make it a free bonus reward for every backer when we unlock the upgraded handouts!

Want to Help Spread the Word About Jewel in the Sky?

You can right-click to copy these graphics to share them and help spread the word about Jewel in the Sky! Crowdfunding campaigns only soar when dedicated, excited fans spread the word—that means you!