Hello Curious Cats,
It's been about a week since I let you know that Pledge Manager surveys were going out. Check out our previous update if you need to refresh your memory. We...
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James Bell
16 days ago
Pledge Manager Surveys Coming Soon!
Hello Curious Cats,
It's time for our first update of the post-Crowdfunding campaign phase!
We finished up the Crowdfunding portion of our campaign last month with a successfu...
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James Bell
about 2 months ago
You had me at meow!
Hello Curious Cats!
We did it! We built a cat community, explored the monarchies of Mau, and brought forth this excellent expansion for the Realms of Pugmire! The Cats have com...
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James Bell
about 2 months ago
FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT
Hello Curious Cats!
Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a pretty great run - funding fairly quickly by the third day day and now closing in on 700 backers, w...
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2
James Bell
about 2 months ago
Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
Hello Curious Cats!
We're not quite in the final 24 hours, but getting very close! With these last hours, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current ...
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James Bell
about 2 months ago
Curious Cats Draft Manuscript Part 6
Hello Curious Cats!
Here it is, the final section of the draft manuscript for Curious Cats of Mau!
With this final piece, you now have the entire contents of the book availabl...
We've already had a sneak peek at most of the creatures from the next chapter in our manuscript, but here they are all together - with a lot more threats mixed in for good measure! It's time to detail some of the challenges our cat characters will face as they traverse the monarchies; it's time for Chapter 6 from our draft manuscript!
International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager
One quick note about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, 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 The Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
I'm going to be sharing the manuscript in sections over the next 30 days, Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so the developers, Eddy and Lauren, can gather feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!
Hopefully some reward distribution will help inspire you! Because I've got some rewards to send out!
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://curious-cats-of-mau.backerkit.com/
Many of the rewards for our Crowdfunding projects take a lot of time and effort to complete. Usually, the crowdfunder is a means of moving the project from an idea (even when it's a mostly-fully-written idea) into the actual channel that turns it into a project/product. It'll be a while before we're ready to talk about delivery on Curious Cats of Mau.
That said, there are a few rewards that are available now, as they were mostly add-on PDFs of existing products. And now we can work on getting those out to you over the next few days.
The following Add On Rewards WillBe Distributed This Week:
[Add On] Pugmire 1E Digital Collection
[Add On] Mau 1E Digital Collection
[Add On] Pirates of Pugmire 1E Digital Collection
[Add On] Squeaks in the Deep 1E Digital Collection
It's basically this section from our Add On Menu:
With Realms of Pugmire currently in production, backers who have added that book to their rewards will also get the draft manuscript for that book until the PDF is available.
REWARD DISTRIBUTION
Your link to claim these digital rewards will be sent out by our BackerKit pledge manager over the nextfew days. Since we are using our partners at DriveThruRPG as the hosts for these, you will need to set up a DriveThru account if you don't have one already. If you encounter any problems with downloading your rewards, please contact DTRPG's customer service to resolve the matter, they've always been top-rated for customer service. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/contact_us.ph
Thebest way to ensure these redemption codes work smoothly is to log in to your DTRPG account first, and then click (or copy) the link shown in your BackerKit.
Again, you will receive an e-mail from BackerKit with links for these rewards over the next few days if any of them are on your expected list of rewards. I'll be releasing them in waves, so don't panic if you only see a couple links at first... the rest are coming. (We're in a digital world, but there are still a lot of manual processes. And there are manylinks to go out!!)
In addition to redemption links for these digital rewards, all backers will be receiving a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page, and you'll receive an e-mail linking to that with the first wave of rewards going out. Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order. Your link to the draft manuscript will be available in your BackerKit digital rewards page until our final reward goes out, so you'll be able to access it even after the book is in your hands.
MONTHLY PROJECT CHECK IN
And with the surveys out last week and the wave of existing titles coming to backers over the next 4 days, it's time to monitor the monthly progress on our Crowdfunding rewards from this campaign. There's still a long road ahead and a lot of work to be done on these projects, but we're going to have these regular updates at the end of each month to keep track of where we sit on our rewards.
I'll be back on the final Thursday of May to review where we stand on each project with a handy chart and some notes about where to find more on Onyx Path's project progress.
Until then, If there are any issues you find with the Pledge Manager, please contact me as soon as possible to let me know. It rolls out in waves so that I can correct issues on the fly and make it work as best possible as people come on board.
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.
It's time for our first update of the post-Crowdfunding campaign phase!
We finished up the Crowdfunding portion of our campaign last month with a successful run, adding many backers and extra bonus rewards. 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 SurveysComing This Week
CompiledDraft Manuscript (available in BackerKit Digital Rewards)
ComingNext
BACKER SURVEYS
Over the next handfulof days (April 25-28), you’ll receive an email from us with a special link to your Pledge Manager survey. It’s important to respond to your survey as quickly as you can since we need this information to fulfill your rewards.
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, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you like. You don’t have access to this survey link yet, but it will be available laterthis week via email!
The e-mail will have a button that looks something like this:
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 printed and we're preparing to ship.
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://curious-cats-of-mau.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.
If there are any issues you find with the Pledge Manager, please contact me as soon as possible to let me know. It rolls out in waves so that I can correct issues on the fly and make it work as best possible as people come on board.
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.
Whenyou click on your BackerKit invitation link,you should see something like this...
From the Pledge Manager welcome page you can choose to
Review Your Pledge Level and Rewards
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've pledged to a reward tier that includes physical rewards, you can enter your shipping country at this stage. As noted during our campaign, we haven't set shipping costs yet - those will be calculated and added in when we're preparing to ship the book. That won't be for a long time, though, and there will be plenty of opportunity - and notice - for you to make changes.
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 hardcover pledge instead of the 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 GETSTARTED with your BackerKit Pledge Manager Survey.
Once we've got a fair response to our survey and collected a reasonable amount of info, I'll be working on fulfilling rewards that are available now - like the PDFs of the titles included in our Add On section (for example, the Pugmire 1E Digital Bundle, the Mau 1E Digital Bundle, and the others). Those will likely be coming out at the start of May, and I'll send another update with more info when that time comes.
So, in summary:
Look for an e-mail invitation to BackerKit's Pledge Manager sometime over the next 4 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 Shipping Information (if needed)
Confirm Your Payment Information (if needed)
I will post an update in another week or two as I begin outlining the delivery of our first Add On rewards (the existing 1E Bundles, as noted above) and beginning distribution of those PDF rewards.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT
Looking in the example pledge list above, you can see a listing for the Draft Manuscript. In your BackerKit digital rewards page, you will have access to the compiled draft manuscript. It won't be different from the one that was shared during the campaign - it'll just be all gathered together in one big file. The Draft Manuscript link may not be active when you first login to your BackerKit survey, but I'll throw the switch and it'll send you a notice next week after all of the invitations have gone out.
I will talk about how to access your BackerKit digital rewards links in an update coming later this month, when I send out the first wave of available rewards.
COMING NEXT
In the next week or two, I'll send an update with details about the distribution for that first wave of Starter Bundle rewards. I'll also get the compiled draft manuscript up and ready for you.
We'll also begin our regular monthly check-ins, tracking the progress of this project as it moves through this phase. It'll take some time, but we'll have regular updates all through the process. I'll also have notes on how to check the weekly and monthly All Project Progress updates on Onyx Path's website.
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.
Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a pretty great run - funding fairly quickly by the third day day and now closing in on 700 backers, which is great! We've unlocked six Stretch Goals and will likely make that seven within the next few hours!
The best 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 this cool book!
Now that we've added the jumpstart PDF, that's an expanded bonus reward for everyone who's backed this project and has the Curious Cats of Mau PDF as one of their rewards! Let's see if we can get our backer count to 700 so even more members of our community get to enjoy this achievement! And, hopefully we'll hit that final stretch goal and then we can all watch eachother's streaming adventures with some cool graphics!
FINAL DAY CHECKLIST
Whether you've newly discovered the monarchies or are an established member of a Great House, these are some good topics to review over these final six hours...
1. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING
You can listen to Episode 298 and Episode 299 of the Onyx Pathcast to hear developers and writers talk about working on the book! A great way to confirm what the team is building is to hear their actual words. Or you can see and hear the game in play with the Actual Play episodes listed in <This Update>
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 first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF versions).
HOUSE MAU: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier option that you should begin with. 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 for you to download at your leisure.
HOUSE KORAT: This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
As noted, shipping charges will be calculated later and charged in the BackerKit Pledge Manager. We'll have exact shipping costs once the book is in production and we know the specifications, but we do expect it to be expensive. See our estimates on the front pate. If you're an international backer, you can pledge to the House Mau tier and upgrade inthe pledge managerto the hardcover tier once the shipping costs are known before we lockdown orders.
ADD-ON OPTIONS - The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including The Realms of Pugmire core rulebook in PDF or hardcover or deluxe hardcover, a Guide Screen (in either dog or cat flavor), and a Realms of Pugmire dice set and dice tray! We've also got digital bundles of older edition product that are well worth checking out!
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!
I'm going to speak against my own self interest for a moment, and repeat something I say at the end of every campaign - 2024 has been financially challenging for many, and there's still lots of uncertainty ahead. Ensure that your circumstances enable 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 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.
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 the book will take some time to get perfect)
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 21st at 2:00 pm EDT, 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 we programmed? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Curious Cats indeed!
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 end of March, 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 print runs, 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 by mid May 2024.
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 jacket or found an alternate income source and decide it's time to trade up to the hardcover version of the book 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 print the book itself and have figured out International shipping costs. 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.
Similarly, if you have a hardcover book as one of your rewards, the survey will ask you to confirm your shipping address, even though it'll be some time before we ship out the final product. Do not worry about moving before shipping begins - you will be able to update BackerKit right up until the point that we begin fulfilling the final book. We will send out a notice prior to lock down so you can update any information.
I'll also use the Survey to confirm some 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 digital first edition bundles. 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 end 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 PDF of Curious Cats of Mau. 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 version of the PDF available in your DriveThruRPG digital library and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand and the hardcover versions.
It's yet another long road ahead, likely full of twists and turns and suprises, 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 did it! We built a cat community, explored the monarchies of Mau, and brought forth this excellent expansion for the Realms of Pugmire! The Cats have come home!
Thanks to the support of more than 700 backers, Onyx Path will be able to develop and print hardcover editions for Curious Cats of Mau!
Not only did we sneak past the 700 backer count that I was hoping for, we extended the campaign with a last minute Backer Train taking us into Overtime!! That was cool! It's still a brand new feature, but we're curious cats so it was fun to test out the new stuff! We'll be having fun with that in the future, you can bet!
There's more to celebrate! Not only did we fund the project in the first 3 days, we also unlocked a lucky seven Stretch Goals. From standard Onyx Path milestone markers to a jumpstart campaign launcher to new art for the Realms of Pugmire Guide Screen!
It came down to the last few days but we managed to hit every Stretch Goal we'd posted and passed 200% of our funding target!
Our Bonus Reward Collection
Some Milestone Markers
AN ALTERNATE ADD ON OPTION
NEW CONTENT SUPPLEMENT
AND ONLINE TOOLS!
Unlocked just in the past day, all backers will be getting Streaming Overlays so you can be a cool and stylish cat when you run your online game!
LUCKY SEVEN STRETCH GOALS
I'm so happy that we were able to unlock the jumpstart, especially knowing how enthusiastic Travis Legge was to pitch for it. He's a fantastic adventure writer, so I'm really looking forward to that. And then to unlock our final Stretch Goal as we came into the final hours was a real treat!
And all of that is, of course, on top of our main purpose here - the creating of the actual book itself! This is the real reward - everything else is a bonus!
So a huge congratulations to Eddy and Lauren and the creative 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 amazed and excited about having more than 700 backers join in during this campaign. An expansion - even for one as cool as these cats - is always a risk. But when a game finds and builds a community, it's extra rewarding. And this is just the beginning, I'm sure...
AN EXTRA THANK YOU!
So, thank you to all the backers who supported us and made this happen. And an extra thanks to everyone who participated online, either in the Community comments section of the campaign, and on social media around the web. Thanks to everyone who talked about the project on the Discord and thanks to the Onyx Path team who answered questions and provided insight.
COMMUNICATION
So, as noted in today's earlier update, starting in May 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, but I'll eventually have an answer!
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:
The Discord is particularly lively, and I loved seeing the thoughts and jokes as the chapters came out bit by bit.
BackerKit will begin collected pledges and processing payments later tonight, so be ready for that.
If I wasn't already tired enough, I'm off for a weekend away if the snow holds off long enough! I thought it was supposed to be spring, but not where I live evidently! High fives all around in the comment section and on the Discord, and you'll hear from me again in a month-or-so when I've got the pledge manager set up and ready to roll out!
We're not quite in the final 24 hours, but getting very close! With these last hours, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation! Let's get reviewin'!
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Curious Cats of Mau finished the crowdfunding campaign tomorrow, March 21st at 2:00 PM EDT (or until we a backer train after that point). There's still time to herd a few more cats and get them curious enough about the game to join in, 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 days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Whether you've newly discovered the monarchies or are an established member of a Great House, 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, cool cat fiction, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
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 how we're not including international shipping charges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also 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! And it's fun to listento those podcasts and watch the Actual Plays.
We've had, and will have, a bunch of 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 Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider it about 98.7% finished. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - 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 first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF versions).
HOUSE MAU: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier option that you should begin with. 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 for you to download at your leisure.
HOUSE KORAT: This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
ADD-ON OPTIONS - The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including The Realms of Pugmire core rulebook in PDF or hardcover or deluxe hardcover, a Guide Screen (in either dog or cat flavor), and a Realms of Pugmire dice set and dice tray! We've also got digital bundles of older edition product that are well worth checking out!
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 only - Any International Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. 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 House Cymric 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, we're going to hopefully hunt down a final Stretch Goal achievement as we race through our final day of the campaign!
Over the past 28 days as we've worked through this campaign we've not only funded the book but also unlocked SIX Stretch Goal targets! That's right - we've unlocked one of the Stretch Goals that I had just posted a few days ago and thought would take us until the end of the campaign!
Within these Stretch Goals are some milestone markers that allowed us to maintain our pace through the middle parts of the campaign, and a cool new supplement that provides the perfect jumping on point for your game! Let's review and see what we've accomplished so far...
MILESTONE MARKERS
Helping us maintain our pace during the regular "Funding Plateau" and between new content goals, these milestone markers are great celebratory moments allowing us to keep our focus, and fun rewards going out to all who supported this project during the Crowdfunding campaign.
REDBUBBLE BACKER T-SHIRT – A Curious Cats-themed Crwodfunding Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
REDBUBBLE PET DESIGNS – A Curious Cats design will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store and made available on pet merchandise, including pet mats, pet blankets, and pet bandanas. Backers will be notified when these options become available.
DIGITAL WALLPAPER – Cool Curious Cat artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
MOBILE WALLPAPER – Curious Cats artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your mobile device lockscreen. This mobile wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
I love the idea of ordering a T-shirt for myself and a matching bandana for my pet. I mean, just for photo day!
ADD ON OPTIONS
The support that this campaign has received has allowed Onyx Path to offer alternative options for one of their Add On items. Now you'll be able to select the cat-focused Realms of Pugmire Guide Screen or the regular dog-themed version
ACHIEVED! - At $30,000 in Funding -NEW ADD ON: CAT ARTWORK GUIDE SCREEN - A three-panel Guide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a Realms of Pugmire game will be created and offered as an Add On to the hardcover reward tiers for +$25. This screen will have the same interior contents as the Realms of Pugmire screen, but the outside artwork will be changed to be cat-focused!
NEW CONTENT
We've just unlocked a supplement as part of our campaign that will be a great tool for Guides wanting to launch a game in the monarchies!
JUMPSTART PDF - An introductory scenario designed to introduce new players to the game, along with ready-made characters and a basic rules overview, will be created as a Jumpstart PDF supplement and added as a bonus to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Curious Cats of Mau PDF.
I'm excited about this one! I'm always a fan of Onyx Path's jumpstart releases - the perfect launching pad to get my players into a new game, or the best quick option for those days when we just wanna play something new without digging too deep.
While we were planning this Stretch Goal and getting it up on the big board, writer Travis Legge was already making his pitch to Eddy! Travis said:
We’ve announced a new stretch goal at the Curious Cats of Mau BackerKit! This is for a jumpstart that will include the necessary rules to play, pre-made characters, and a ready-to-run scenario. I’ve sent in a pitch for this and Eddy has been kind enough to give a thumbs up to it. I’m REALLY excited about this story and I’d love to work on it, but we need to hit that stretch goal to make it happen!
I'm big fan of Travis' work and got excited when he was excited, and now I'm happy we've already hit our target and added this to our bonus rewards!
WHY STOP THERE?
It's great that we've unlocked 6 Stretch Goal rewards... but what about a lucky seven?
With just over a day left in our campaign, I think one more Stretch Goal is certainly within our grasp. Let's do our best to unlock this before the end!
At $40,000 in Funding – STREAMING OVERLAY – A set of overlays for your online Curious Cats game will be created, for your use when streaming your cat-centric Realms of Pugmire game. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
YOUR REWARDS!
That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish Curious Cats of Mau! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have the Curious Cats Jumpstart PDF Supplement, a digital wallpaper and mobile lockscreen wallpaper, an opportunity to add to your wardrobe and your pet's wardrobe, plus a new add on Guide Screen option!
Not Much More Time
We've been curious, but now is the time for action!
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 book, but there is still one possible Stretch Goal rewards that is almost within grasp! I know this last funding target may seem daunting, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! That last one may take a little bit of work. 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 Adventure scenario!
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!
Curious Cats of Mau enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, March 21st at 2:00 PM EDT.
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!!
Here it is, the final section of the draft manuscript for Curious Cats of Mau!
With this final piece, you now have the entire contents of the book available for your review - before any pledges are processed or payments collected. A perfect opportunity for curious cats to know exactly what they're getting and make sure we're all in the right place with our support.
International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager
One quick note about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, 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 The Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
With only a few days remaining in the campaign, the team still want your feedback on all parts of the manuscript, Eddy and Lauren will use your feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!
I've got a lot to go over with you today, but before we get to our Final Days update, let's set ourselves up for some success over these next few days.
It's time for a few more Stretch Goal targets to be rolled out. First up, our current target...
At $32,000 in Funding -MOBILE WALLPAPER – Curious Cats artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your mobile device lockscreen. This mobile wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
Since we're *this close* to unlocked our current target, let's prep a few more to take us to our finale!
At $35,000 in Funding– JUMPSTART PDF - An introductory scenario designed to introduce new players to the game, along with ready-made characters and a basic rules overview, will be created as a Jumpstart PDF supplement and added as a bonus to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Curious Cats of Mau PDF.
At $40,000 in Funding – STREAMING OVERLAY – A set of overlays for your online Curious Cats game will be created, for your use when streaming your cat-centric Realms of Pugmire game. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
As I noted, we're so close to unlocking the mobile wallpaper that it could even happen while I'm typing this update. After that, we'll work hard to see if we can unlock a jumpstart intro supplement to help a Guide kick off a brand new Curious Cats campaign. And then, with a lot of teamwork from a lot of cool cats, we can unlock some Streaming Overlays. After watching some of the Actual Play episodes that I shared recently, I'd love to have my screen be more cat-themed while my group plays!
Now let's get to today's topic!
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Curious Cats of Mau finished the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, March 21st at 2:00 PM EDT (or until we a backer train after that point). There's still time to herd a few more cats and get them curious enough about the game to join in, 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 4+ 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 17 - Pledge Tier & Add On Review (that's today!)
Mar 19 - Manuscript Preview # 6 - Adventures!
Mar 20 - Stretch Goal Review
Mar 21 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you've newly discovered the monarchies or are an established member of a Great House, 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, cool cat fiction, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
PLEDGE REWARD TIERS
Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover versions for this cat-themed expansion for the Realms of Pugmire tabletop roleplaying game. Many of you have already helped us fund the core rulebook for this game and are ready to expand into the monarchies, while some of you may be learning about this fantastical world for the first time. Or maybe you loved the first edition and want to see how the game has evolved over the years. Here's the starting point for your curiosity!
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 (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): 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.
Hardcover Book or PDF Version
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book for Curious Cats of Mau. The first decision you need to make is what form your rewards will take. Do you want your main rewards in digital form and are going for the PDF rulebook? Or do you have space on your shelf for the hardcover book? (Note - the hardcover version includes the PDF as a bonus!).
While the monarchies of Mau may be full of mysteries, dangers, intrigue, and opportunities, we've kept supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, pledge yourself to one of these great Houses:
HOUSE MAU: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. 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.
HOUSE KORAT: This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
In addition to these primary reward pledges, we also offer the following options:
HOUSE CYMRIC: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge tier is for you. This does not include our primary reward, 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 manuscript of Curious Cats of Mau that we post throughout this campaign.
HOUSE SIBERIAN / THE SHADOW BLOC: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to have your pet serve as a Art Model or a chance to supply a pet's name to be used by an NPC included in a supplement. Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.
Need the Realms of Pugmire Core Rules as well? They form the basic system upon which Curious Cats of Mau (and all Pugmire 2E games) are built. We've set up these one-click pledge paths to get you started! If you don't already have a copy of the Realms of Pugmire Core Rulebook headed your way, you soon will by choosing either of these reward tiers.
HOUSE REX: A digital entry into Pugmire, this pledge path contains PDF versions of both the Curious Cats of Mau setting sourcebook as well as the Realms of Pugmire Core Rules.
HOUSE ANGORA: This pledge path will get you both the PDF and hardcover books for both the Curious Cats of Mau setting sourcebook and the Realms of Pugmire Core Rules.
The Realms of Pugmire Core Rulebook had a successful crowdfunding campaign last year and is currently in final development and pre-production. Any option that includes the Realms of Pugmire PDF will receive the current draft of the manuscript, which you can use as a rules reference until the Backer PDF is ready for delivery. All hardcover rewards will be sent in a single shipment, when Curious Cats of Mau is ready for fulfillment.
An important reminders at this stage:
Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the story page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.
Those premium reward tiers have limited slots, and some are completely claimed at this point, but if you're really interested in any of them it's a good idea to check on availability right up until the end of the campaign, as budgets shift and we may see some pledge changes that could open up a slot or two.
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. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. 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!
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Curious Cats of Mau campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a physical, printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which maybe some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.
CURIOUS CATS OF MAU PDF VERSION - The digital version of Curious Cats of Mau, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Advance Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.
CURIOUS CATS OF MAU HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
REALMSOF PUGMIRE PDF and HARDCOVER BOOK - The digital version of Realmsof Pugmire will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com, and the hardcover book will ship alongside your Curious Cats of Mau hardcover reward in a single shipment. Backers pledging to either the House Rex or House Angora tier will have the option to upgrade to the Deluxe Realms of Pugmire book in the Pledge Manager after the campaign.
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 a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.
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 rewards 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.
You can add additional copies of the Curious Cats of Mau PDF or hardcover to your rewards list, or add the Realms of Pugmire PDF or hardcover book - or even the limited deluxe edition version - that will ship when your hardcover Curious Cats book is ready to go.
Thanks to our Stretch Goal success, we also have two versions of the Guide Screen. While both have the same interior charts and tables, you can get either the dog- or cat-themed version depending on your preference!
Add more fun to your tabletop with the Realms of Pugmire dice set or dice tray!
In addition to these options for the Realms of Pugmire game and Curious Cats expansion, we're also offering four bundles of digital material for the older edition of this game. While not 100% compatible (although it's pretty easy to adapt), these are great sources of inspiration and information for anyone looking to dig deeper into some of the lore for the setting.
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'm already a fan of the Realms of Pugmire and have decided to splurge and get the hardcoverto sit proudly on my gaming shelf. 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.
I'm looking at the House Korat pledge. If I hadn't already backed the Realms of Pugmire campaign and secured the hardcover core rulebook, I'd instead pledge to House Angora.
Clicking "Learn More" expands the Pledge Level info. For example, clicking "Learn More" on House Korat gives you...
This is the reward I'm choosing, as it exactly fits my needs for this project.
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 House Korat pledge, so I select BACK IT for that tier, and then I want to add on at least one of the optional Add On extras to my rewards list. I'm going to add the cat-themed Screen to my pledge.
My total is $80 USD That's $55 for my House Korat pledge, +$25 for my cat-themed Guide Screen add on option
If I hadn't added the dice and dice tray during my Realms of Pugmire pledge, I'd likely get those as well.
When everything is correct, click 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 or Add On choices...
Select "Manage Your Pledge" at the top of the page, and then "Edit Your Pledge" on your listing, and then...
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. At this time, you don't need to worry about setting shipping information.
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.
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 1E digital bundles. 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.
So, while it will take some time for Curious Cats of Mau 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 6-8 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)
Physical Books
If you're waiting to see the International shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to any of the hardcover reward tiers, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are ready to print and we know what shipping costs will be, so you'll be able to go back and adjust your pledge tier at that time.
It's going to take some time to create the final PDF for Curious Cats of Mau and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover books. When the books are at the printer, I will be in touch with all backers to outline timeline for pledge adjustments, as well as lockdown procedures and when we'll be confirming addresses and processing BackerKit Add Ons and Shipping payments. That's a long time away, and we'll cover that as we get closer to that part of the process.
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 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. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you can investigate PDF and digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be able to add physical reward options. You should not add on additional physical rewards (like the Guide Screen) if the Curious Cats of Mau hardcover book is not included in your pledge tier reward list, but these Add Ons will appear in BackerKit if you later adjust your pledge choice.
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 Reward 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 work on our final great delve into the dark, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
And I'll be back on Tuesday with the FINAL manuscript section for Curious Cats of Mau, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
We're so close to the Jumpstart! I have a pitch from Travis Legge (who has worked on a variety of Pugmire products, both official and as community content), and it looks cool, but it would really help if we hit that stretch goal to give him the go-ahead! If you want even more cat adventures, and you've been on the fence about pledging, now's the time!
There are moments it feels like we just started this campaign, but in truth we've been running for just over three weeks now and we're now officially in our FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN!
Over this final week I'll be sharing a handful of instruction and review-type posts about Reward Tiers & Add Ons, Stretch Goal reviews, and What Comes Next, so if you've got any process questions or are wondering about how the Crowdfunding steps work, I'm hoping to clarify any remaining questions before we finish. Of course, if you're still wondering about something, please ask and I'll help as best I can.
Final Week Program
Mar 17 - Pledge Tier & Add On Review
Mar 19 - Manuscript Preview # 6 - Adventures!
Mar 20 - Stretch Goal Review
Mar 21 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
The Campaign on March 21st at 2:00 PM EDT... sort of.
Because we're all curious cats, we like to poke around and get into new situations. We're going to try something new with this campaign and see what happens! It's called "OVERTIME MODE" and it allows us to keep the campaign rolling as long as backers are pledging.
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 21st at 2:00 pm EDT, 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 we programmed? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Curious Cats indeed!
Recruiting New Backers
I know, this is something I've already said many times (and seem to say during every project!), but for this final week, you are officially a Curious Cat Ambassador for the monarchies and this Crowdfunding project. It's time to share your excitement for Curious Cats of Mau and the Realms of Pugmire game! Basically, we want to recruit as many curious cats as possible to see how long we can keep our Backer Train running over this final week.
I know I've ended many update posts with "Keep spreading the word! Invite others to join in!" - but what does that mean, and how do you do it?
Easy answer - don't stop talking about Curious Cats of Mau until 2:01 PM EDT next Thursday March 21st (and then as long as we continue running in Overtime Mode). Yes, family and friends are tired of me talking about it. But what else have I got to talk about? And they've learned to tolerate me during a crowdfunding campaign. But here's the thing - there are others around who haven't heard or don't know about the campaign.
There are many, many Mau and Pugmire fans who haven't yet heard about this campaign and would love to join in. We're right in the middle of a very busy season - tons of different things competing for our attention and a big Brando Sando campaign playing havoc with the system - so it's not surprising that new backers are just finding out about the campaign every day. If you have an opportunity to let someone know, please do and let's make sure they have a chance to join in before the end.
Resources to Share
If you're inviting new backers, or if you are a new backer (hi new backers!), here are a few key resources to be aware of for this campaign.
Backers are able to review the (soon-to-be) complete manuscript for this book before the campaign closes and any pledges are processed. The entirety of the rules and options from this book are available for download and review by backers, along with the relevant rules chapters from the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook!
Anyone who pledges to this campaign before the end can read the entire book now AND provide feedback directly to the developers to help guide the manuscript through the final phases of development and editing!
And, if you join now, as I've noted, we'll be posting the final chapter of the book next week before we reach the finish line. This final chapter doesn't feature any further rules; instead it's a trilogy of cat-themed adventures set in the monarchies of Mau.
See and Hear the Game in Action!
One of my favorite ways to learn about a new game is to see it in action! And with these Actual Plays you can see these Curious Cats brought to life!
1) Don't forget to share a link to the Crowdfunding page in any discussion you have (where appropriate) - and feel free to pass any of the long list of links above to those who may need more info (or, just point them to this post!)
2) Don't forget to tell us about any post or review or discussion you write! Come to the comments section and let us know so we can all go and contribute! I know I keep saying it, but really - these last days are key. Keep the enthusiasm high and keep on inviting others to join in, either directly ("Come see...") or just by setting an example of your enthusiasm and interest.
I'm really curious (cats!) to see if we can get a backer train going at the end of the campaign and wondering if we can keep rolling for another 10 or 20 minutes past our set end time!
Final Week
We've got one week to go, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! We work together because it's the right thing to do, and because backers make it better! Let's finish strong! And let's continue exploring this new Mau book together, sharing our feedback with the writers and delving into the draft manuscript, and let's see if we can't get another Stretch Goal before we review next Wednesday!
At $32,000 in Funding -MOBILE WALLPAPER – Curious Cats artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your mobile device lockscreen. This mobile wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
Well, I've seemingly survived flipping my clock ahead an hour. For now. We'll see how I'm doing later tonight!
But! I'm back in time for another quick sneak peek from our upcoming enemies chapter! Backers will have access to the draft version of the chapter on Tuesday and be able to provide feedback directly to the development team! If you haven't joined in, come get with us on this fun ride!
Also...
ACHIEVED! - At $30,000 in Funding -NEW ADD ON: CAT ARTWORK GUIDE SCREEN - A three-panel Guide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a Realms of Pugmire game will be created and offered as an Add On to the hardcover reward tiers for +$25. This screen will have the same interior contents as the Realms of Pugmire screen, but the outside artwork will be changed to be cat-focused!
So if you want your game to be a little more cat-themed, there's a new Add On available in your pledge options (and this will also be available in the Pledge Manager after the campaign. I'll talk about that more in one week).
Now, on to some bad guys!
Demons, Major
The power of the Unseen is everywhere, always. It walks in every shadow and stands behind every cat, waiting to pounce should their vigilance wane even a moment. No one is ever safe from their gaze, save to make oneself the least available target. While the Unseen is to be pounced upon with all due haste, many cats hope that it’s affecting someone else rather than themselves.
The All as One
(OL 10; Legendary; Unseen)
There is a whispered voice that is said to come beyond the mountains to the north of the monarchies, that the wind brought down following those warriors who returned from battle beyond them. It speaks with honeyed words and a silvered tongue about all peoples becoming part of the same family. Cats with their dog servants and rodent curiosities, all things as they should be. In reality, however, they want to rule over all as slaves and extensions of itself.
Description: The All as One is an amalgamation of innumerable cat bodies and corpses in various levels of decay. For the bodies with extant eyes, all glow with the same eldritch green light. When it speaks, the All as One’s utterances are a cacophony of voices from all its mouths.
Tactics: Once the All as One is allowed into someone, it is aware of everything they sense. It can search through all its many servants, and with a focus, can speak through them as well. It wants all living beings under its aegis, and will say and do anything to accomplish that. The only beings who should be outside of its control should be the dead.
Ever Watchful: The All as One can see, hear, and smell everything that all of the creatures possessed by demonic minions can.
Natural Invisibility: The ability is constant, allowing the All as One to remain Invisible even when attacking.
Pride Tactics: If the All as One attacks an opponent engaged with a creature it has Possessed controls, it gains a boon on the attack.
Possession: The All is One can use its action to summon a demonic minion that attempts to possess a target. The target must make a Cunning test (difficulty 17) to resist being Possessed.
House Smilodon
Long ago, the members of House Smilodon all left the other monarchies behind to see what lay beyond the mountains. Whatever they found out there united them in a way that no other house had ever been. Of course, the other cats fear what they can’t understand, and so they accused the whole house of being under the influence of Unseen. Is it fair to ascribe the want to be united as some kind of evil? The members of House Smilodon don’t think so and hope to bring the rest of the monarchies into the fold.
House Warrior
(OL 2; Enemy; Unseen)
The monarchies thought they destroyed House Smilodon, ripped them out root and stem. They failed. One can’t destroy Smilodon so easily, but when enemies try, the house’s warriors oppose them. They move with a grace and unity strategists can only dream about and don’t hesitate to give their own lives if it would further the house’s goals.
Description: The warriors of House Smilodon wear stylized heavy armor, with a two headed axe whose blades look like sabretooth tiger in profile, its mouth open and snarling.
Tactics: House warriors work in groups to gain the benefit of their pride tactics trick, and the cleave trick allows them to make short work of their enemies. They cannot be convinced to stop by outsiders, but end hostilities instantly if a member of the House orders them to.
Cleave: The warrior may make an additional attack as a bonus action when she reduces a target to 0 stamina points. She must use the same attack.
Pride Tactics: If the warrior attacks a creature engaged with an ally that isn’t Incapacitated or Immobile, the warrior gains a boon on the attack.
Sphinx
(OL 10; Enemy)
These monsters speak with two voices: one that asks strange and curious questions, and another that answers questions asked of them. Sphinxes know eldritch lore and even secrets of the Old Ones that not even scholars have, but accessing this information is dangerous. To ask a sphinx anything, one must first answer a riddle they give the petitioner. If answered incorrectly or if the petitioner asks their question before replying to the riddle, the sphinx attacks with unrivaled fury.
Description: Thesphinx is a giant creature with a cat’s body, bird’s wings, and a head that is strangely furless, mocking the legends of the Old Ones.
Tactics: A sphinx doesn’t actually want to fight or to kill anyone, and stands down if the cat correctly answers their riddle. However, if the rules of their game are broken, combat is the only choice they can make.
Defense: 20 (immortal hide) Stamina Points: 115 Speed: 60 ft., 50 ft. flying Experience Bonus: +6 Attributes: Agility −2, Might +3, Vitality +0, Cunning +3, Intellect +4, Presence −1 Skills: Know Arcana, Know History, Notice, Survival, Traverse Attack: Massive claws (+9 melee, 3d12 + 3 edged) Morale: +5, at 29 or fewer stamina points (see the Dedicated to Riddles Trick) Tricks: Immune to damage from non-masterwork weapons; multiple attacks (two massive claw attacks)
Dedicated to Riddles: The sphinx automatically succeeds on Morale tests if no one has answered their riddle yet.
Inscrutable: The sphinx is immune to any effect that can sense emotions or read thoughts, including Cunning (Sense Motive) tests to analyze the sphinx behavior.
Undead
While eschewed by dogs, Cats fear death and the undead a lot less. Necromancy is just another school of magic to learn. Out in the wilds, however, lost masterworks, demons, or other strange magics sometimes animate the dead who attack any living being they come across.
Breathtaker
(OL 4; Enemy; Undead)
On cloudy nights or those of the new moon, cats take double watches when camping out in the wilds, for breathtakers stalk the darkness, seeking the breath of the living to fill their undead lungs.
Description: From the road, breathtakers’ silhouettes appear like any other cat travelers. However, as they get closer, their gasping breaths give them away.
Tactics: The breathtaker tries to freeze the target in place with its ice blast attack. Once the target is frozen, it attacks ravenously until it can steal the target’s final breath.
Defense: 16 (frozen flesh) Stamina Points: 45 Speed: 30 ft. Experience Bonus: +3 Attributes: Agility +0, Might +3, Vitality +3, Cunning +0, Intellect −1, Presence −1 Skills: Notice Attack: Claws (+6 melee, 1d4 + 3 edged), ice blast (+3 ranged, 2d12 ice) Morale: +2, at 11 or fewer stamina points Tricks: Darkvision; immune to ice damage; weak to holy and fire damage; multiple attacks (one claw and one ice blast attack)
Flash Freeze: When it hits a target with an ice blast attack, the target must succeed on a Vitality test (difficulty 14). On a failed test, the target is Immobile until the end of their next turn. A botch on the test instead is Petrified into ice. The target repeats the test at the end of each turn. The condition ends when they succeed or when the breathtaker is defeated or flees.
Well, those are some nasties, that's for sure!
We've got one more posted Stretch Goal to work on this week! Let's see if we can't smash that as we get into our final 10 days for this campaign!
It's not all fun and games in the monarchies! There are dangers and threats that lurk in the shadows or outside the borders, and all cat adventurers should be ready and prepared to face some challenges as they navigate the world.
In addition to the creatures and dangers from the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook, curious cats may find themselves whisker-to-whisker with some of these enemies from the Curious Cats of Mau book.
Demons, Minor
When cats speak about the Unseen being all around them, it isn’t major demons that they’re speaking about. While those named demons are a horrifying threat, these lesser demons are the danger that lies both in every shadow and in the shadows of an unwary cat’s heart. None know why these fiends enjoy the terror they foster, but they delight in torment.
Frenzy Demon
(OL 4; Enemy; Unseen)
The berserkers of the Unseen, frenzy demons take possession of others and force them to crowded spaces full of unsuspecting cats before driving them to attack anyone they can get their claws on.
Description: Cats possessed by a frenzy demon can be detected by the dull red glow in their eyes and the eager way they flex their claws in the moments before they begin their assault. They tend to take the strongest of cats as their hosts.
Tactics: Frenzy demons use no tactics to speak of, aside from attempting to do as much damage as possible before their host is put down. They target mancers and other spellcasters first, before going after heftier targets.
Defense: 16 (impervious to pain) Stamina Points: 50 Speed: 30 ft. Experience Bonus: +3 Attributes: Agility +2, Might +5, Vitality +2, Cunning −2, Intellect −3, Presence +0 Skills: Bluff, Intimidate, Traverse Attack: Longsword (+8 melee, 1d8 + 5 edged), small crossbow (+4 ranged, 1d8 + 1 stabbing) Morale: +3, at 17 or fewer stamina points Tricks: Darkvision; resistant to all damage except from silver weapons and holy; weak to holy damage and damage from silver weapons; multiple attacks (two longsword or small crossbow attacks)
Cleave: As a bonus action, the frenzy demon can make a single additional attack when it reduces a target to 0 stamina points, but this attack must be the same type of attack it used on the previous target.
Smilodon’s Shadow
(OL 9; Legendary; Unseen)
It is said that the monarch of House Smilodon remains in the world, despite the entire House being destroyed root and stem. No one knows if this Shadow is just another shadow feline, or the father of all Shadow Felines, but the entity called Smilodon’s Shadow has been the subject of stories caretakers tell kittens to ensure their obedience. Such tales are told in hushed tones, for even now the name of that accursed house isn’t used in civilized company. Of course, their terror is real, and the tyrant of Smilodon sends shadow Felines all over the world, but he himself focuses in on Mau and those who ended his rule.
Description: Smilodon’s Shadow looks like a shadow feline, a black outline of a cat, with the points of a crown atop his head. When in his fully demonic state, however, he looks like a great demonic tiger with two fiery yellow eyes.
Tactics: Smilodon’s Shadow knows that once his feline form is defeated (his Stamina Points hit 0), the battle will continue in his demonic form, so he disregards self-preservation in battle. He uses his shadow blend trick to become invisible after an attack, giving the next turn’s attack a boon.
Demonic Form: When Smilodon’s Shadow is reduced to 0 stamina points the first time in the battle, he transforms into his demonic form as a reflexive action, regaining half of his stamina points and alighting his eyes with cold yellow fire. As a bonus action on his turns thereafter, a target that he can see locks eyes with him and must succeed on a Cunning test (difficulty 15) or become Paralyzed until Smilodon’s Shadow uses this trick on another creature.
Shadow Blend: In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a shadow feline can disappear into the shadows as a supplemental action, making it Invisible until its next turn. Artificial illumination does not negate this trick, but magical light does.
Waking Nightmares: As an action, each creature that Smilodon’s Shadow can see within near range must succeed on a Cunning test (difficulty 15) or become Scared of him. Afflicted creatures repeat the test at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a Success. Whenever a creature succeeds on this test, they become immune to this trick until they nap.
Dogs
While cats know the truth of the Old Ones and their place in the story of the past, dogs believe themselves to be the chosen ones of Man and worship the Old Ones as gods. Regardless of their hopped-up ideas of honor and service, the dogs of Pugmire, Houndston, or elsewhere do have their uses, and maintaining the peace between cats and dogs is paramount.
Gruff Wizard
(OL 3; Enemy)
Cats can’t help but smile at the clumsy way dogs handle the arcane. Sure, they have access to the many masterworks they find in their realm, but they don’t have the same affinity for magic that cats do. They couldn’t ever absorb the magic into themselves, thus proving their inferiority to mancers. Often these dogs seem unable to hide their disappointment, and who can blame them?
Description: Often elderly or otherwise disgruntled, these dogs are commonly found in worn and tattered robes and carry an object (typically a masterwork made of plastic) to channel their mystical energies through.
Tactics: While cantankerous, gruff wizards don’t want to fight and could very well be talked out of combat with kind words or reason. If he does have to fight, however, it’s more likely that he’d target enemy mancers, using his ward of protection trick against the strongest warrior coming for him.
Acid Burst: Once per battle, as an action a target must make an Agility test (difficulty 14). On a failed test, they take 4d4 corrosive damage, plus an additional 2d4 corrosive damage at the end of their next turn. On a success, the target takes 2d4 corrosive damage and no additional damage.
Ward of Protection: Once per battle, the wizard may cast this spell as an action. Until the start of his next turn, all attacks made against him are done with a hindrance.
Stubborn Sentinel
(OL 4; Enemy)
The War of Dogs and Cats didn’t end for every soldier that fought in it. Some, left for dead on the battlefield in Mau with no way to pay for passage back to Pugmire, earn whatever they can as a blade for hire in the monarchies. Others spend what’s left of their lives protecting the dogs they can find in this foreign land.
Description: Dogs wearing patchwork heavy armor or worn leather protection, these sentinels tend to rely on trustworthy weapons such as swords and axes.
Tactics: When working for some wealthy noble or other boss, there is little a sentinel won’t do, other than attack other dogs. When she finds dogs in trouble, she remembers to be a Good Dog and fights to the death to defend them.
Defense: 16 (patchwork armor and shield) Stamina Points: 50 Speed: 30 ft. Experience Bonus: +3 Attributes: Agility +0, Might +3, Vitality +2, Cunning +0, Intellect −2, Presence +1 Skills: Balance, Intimidate, Survive, Traverse Attack: Battleaxe (+6 melee, 1d10 +3 edged), spear (+6 ranged, 1d6 + 3 stabbing), shield bash (+6 melee, 1d8 + 3 blunt) Morale: +4, at 12 or fewer stamina points unless there is another allied dog in the fight Tricks: Darkvision
Cleave: The sentinel may make an additional attack as a bonus action when she reduces a target to 0 stamina points. She must use the same attack.
Shield Bash: If a melee attack misses the sentinel by 5 or more, she may make a shield bash attack against the attacker as a reaction. If the triggering attack was a botch, the shield bash automatically hits.
Servitors
When the Old Ones left, they knew there had to be a way for cats to prove their worth, to know that they deserve to be worshiped and to gain the masterworks of Man. To facilitate this, Man left behind masterwork creatures, known as Servitors, to guard their relics.
Death Hearse
(OL 7; Enemy; Servitor)
Cats and those in the know always look to the skies before leaving their cities for the open wilds. The death hearse’s long, thin, silvery form is difficult to spot from the true clouds in the sky. Should it notice a cat, it dives with the sound of a swarm of insects, attacking with spring-loaded silver snakes that wrap around limbs and the neck of the poor victim, pulling them into the air and the hearse’s belly.
Description: The death hearse looks like silvery clouds when hunting, but when it attacks, it becomes more solid, firing serpentine tentacles that wrap around anyone it can find.
Tactics: The death hearse uses its flight to its advantage, staying up high out of reach wherever it can and only attacking targets that are apart from the rest of the group if possible. There is no rhyme or reason why it attacks, and thus it can’t be bargained with.
One Track Mind: The death hearse is immune to being Charmed, Frightened, and Possessed, and automatically succeed on morale tests.
Reeled In: As a bonus action, the death hearse can pull an Immobile target 10 feet into the air. Next round, the death hearse drops the target, who takes 2d8 blunt damage when they land. If the target is no longer Immobile when they fall, they may make an Agility test (difficulty 15) to take half the damage instead.
Wrapped Up: After the death hearse hits with a slam attack, the target must make a Might test (difficulty 15). If failed, the death hearse’s tentacles wrap around the target and inflict the Immobile condition. The target may attempt to clear the condition by making the same test at the beginning of their turn.
Decayer Beast
(OL 5; Enemy; Servitor)
This black insectoid servitor was created to break down the old works of Man so they could create new wonders. It puts off a strange magical force that warps weapons, makes projectiles miss, and interfere with other magics, as well as spraying a strange acid that can eat through both masterworks and flesh.
Description: Decayer beasts look like large beetles made of dark metal with light purple arcs of energy between their spikes. A smaller jaw like an extendable mandible rests inside their main mouth.
Tactics: The beast always targets the cat with the most relics on their person, or the most metal if there are no relics. It cares not for wonders or fixes.
Magnetic Field: All attacks on the decayer beast are made with a hindrance. If it is hit by an attack, this trick stops working until the end of its next turn.
Masterwork Malfunction: When the decayer beast is dealt damage from an attack or spell, all creatures near the beast must each choose one of their relics and roll a d20. On a roll to 11-20, nothing happens. On a 1-10, the relic stops working or is unable to provide its bonuses to the user until the end of their next turn. If a relic is affected this way three times in a single battle, it is destroyed.
These are just some of the challenges that curious cats may face! I'll have another sneak peek on Sunday with an example of a Major Demon, a warrior from House Smilodon, a Sphinx, and an undead Breathtaker! We'll get the full enemies chapter next Tuesday, when backers will be able to download the current draft manuscript and provide feedback directly to the developers!
Halo crouched in a narrow cleft of rock, hidden behind a column which loomed over a dark, damp room at the bottom of a dark, damp dungeon. Hey, that was some good alliteration, she thought. I should work that into the song I’m writing for Blayze. I can already hear the notes on my sitar. The gray-and-brown-mottled wanderer idly composed the tune in her head to distract herself from the danger below her.
The good news was that she had found the object of her quest. Zarina von Mau, niece of Monarch Threnody von Mau, was here and alive. Probably. Her distinctive white fur with the black spot over the eye stood out even in the flickering torchlight as the noble lay insensate on a slab of rough-hewn metal. Halo thought she could see Zarina’s chest moving slightly, but it could have been the flickering of the green flames.
Slightly less good news: A pawful of zombies shuffled around Zarina. Their heads of molting flesh turned to and fro, as if looking around to find any intruders, but even in the dim light Halo could see their eyes were missing. Some bleak, blind bodies in the dark, damp dungeon.
Officially in the “bad news” column, however, was the mancer. He wore the traditional black robes of his profession, but the strange symbols stitched into its fabric seemed to bend and twist in the sickly light. Hung next to him was a large skeleton of some feline beast with two oversized fangs. The cultist murmured chants that Halo couldn’t understand, but they seemed to bypass meaning, sending chills directly to her spine. She distracted herself with more nonsense alliteration: The mysterious, malevolent mancer with the bleak, blind bodies in the dark, damp dungeon.
The chant came to a crescendo, and Halo noticed a thick, oily smoke pouring out of the feline skull of the skeleton. It didn’t expand into the room like normal smoke, but instead oozed into the room and towards Zarina’s face.
Time to go to work, Halo.
She jumped down from her perch, and the zombies turned, their eyeless sockets staring at her. “Stand down,” she growled to the undead minions, “or I will send you onto your next lives.”
The cultist spun to look at Halo. “You are too late!” he screamed, his paws thrust into the air to continue directing the unnatural smoke. “My mystical might has already corrupted this feeble noble. Soon all of House Mau will succumb to the will of Smilodon!”
Halo smirked. “’Mystic might’. That’s a good one.”
“What?”
As the bemused mancer stood dumbfounded by her non-sequitur, the wanderer leapt into motion. Her powerful legs shot her over the head of the nearest zombie, who kept staring ahead as if she hadn’t moved. Tucking into a ball, she rolled through the air before landing on her feet before the mage, one paw touching the cold stone to steady her landing.
Before the cultist could move to note her changed position, however, Halo spun in her stance, her foot glowing blue by the time it reached the mancer’s face. She felt as well as heard the loud crack of it impacting his skull, and she could see tendrils of ice start to form in the cultist’s fur. He fell to the ground with a thump as he landed on his tail.
“Seize her!” he snarled, pointing to Halo. The zombies turned to grab Halo, but she was still in motion. Her spinning kick had brought her in front of Zarina, who was spluttering from the viscous smoke that had entered her mouth and nostrils. Using the momentum of her spin she slashed at the ropes that were keeping Zarina bound. Grabbing one end, the severed rope slithered off the noble’s fur and wrapped around one of the zombie’s heads. Halo pulled on the end, and the captured zombie stumbled into its neighbor, sending both rattling to the ground.
Halo finished her spin and grabbed Zarina. Pulling the cat over her shoulder, she said, “Time for us to go, I think” and broke into a run, dodging around the moldering undead. Her speed and grace allowed her to temporarily run up the cavern wall for a moment, just long enough to reach the column she had hidden behind. On her back, Zarina moved, as if trying to wriggle free of Halo’s grasp.
Halo didn’t have a chance to see Zarina open her eyes. Her mysterious, malevolent, dark, damp eyes.
Last week I shared a link to an Actual Play podcast where you could listen to the Red Moon Roleplaying team run a session of Curious Cats/Realms of Pugmire.
Today, I've got even more examples of the game in action for you!
Red Moon Roleplaying finished their three-session scenario The Search for Papillon, and you can listen to all episodes here:
Next up, this is a bit more dog-focused and run using the older first edition rules, but if you want a sense of the Realms of Pugmire and some of the stories you can tell, the team at Critshow has released an actual play that was previously only available to their Patreon backers. Check these out:
And finally, Eddy is running a two-part Curious Cats of Mau actual play on Onyx Path's Twitch channel. The first episode streamed last Thursday, on Leap Day, and will be up on their Youtube channel soon.
But you can catch the second episode tomorrow, March 7th at 7am Eastern (or Noon GMT, for Eddy!)
Two great chapters from the draft version of Curious Cats of Mau for backers today! This is the Who, Where, and What phase, with a dive into the culture and customs of these cats, details about the monarchies themselves, and also Guide advice on the different kinds of stories you can tell.
International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager
One quick note about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, 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 The Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
I'm going to be sharing the manuscript in sections over the next 30 days, Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so the developers, Eddy and Lauren, can gather feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!
