I've got a lot to go over today, so let's settle in and prepare for a big review post.
Before we dig in to it, one more reminder of our current Stretch Goal targets:
At $34,000 in Funding - JADESTORM DIGITAL WALLPAPER
JADESTORM DIGITAL WALLPAPER - The fantastic Jadestorm 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.
At $36,000 in Funding - JADESTORM NOVELLA II
JADESTORM NOVELLA II - In a world of epic tales, a second short story written to explore the world of Eos and the play experience will be will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Jadestorm PDF as one of their rewards.
We're *this close* to unlocking that digital wallpaper, which is really just a stepping stone to get another novella for Jadestorm. If you've been lucky enough to read any of the recent fiction that Onyx Path has put out for the Exalted and Curseborne games, you know they've been killing it lately, and I really look forward to what those writers can do with the cool bits from the Jadestorm game.
Of course, there could be additional stretch goals set up if we clear that $36,000 target, but we'll get to that on Wednesday when we do the Stretch Goal review.
Jadestorm finishes the crowdfunding campaign on September 17th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. There's still time to add a few more links in our chain, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I want to remind everyone about our final days Update Schedule to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Whether you've just received your first jade fragment or an duellist battling mountains, these are some good topics to review in the upcoming days to make sure we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews, youtube videos, and other helpful information.)
Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully-developed PDF as well as standard and deluxe hardcover versions of Jadestorm, a book full of epic action, incredible powers, and amazing sorcery for this stage of the Earthbane Cycle.
PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT
To borrow an analogy that I've used in past campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (while they still exist): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.
Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.
Jadestorm
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished PDF, hardcover and deluxe edition for Jadestorm. The step in your decision chain is simple - do you save some shelf space and go digital-only with the PDF version or go all in with the hardcover version?
While the world of the Jadetouched is full of epic characters and larger-than-life adventures, we've kept supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project and receive the book in one (or more) of the formats offered, pick one of these reward tiers:
BEASTFATHER GAHL: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the ever-increasing shipping charges - 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.
STORMCLOAKED KORRAN: This reward tier includes the standard hardcover version of this book. 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.
If you're really excited to become one of the Jadetouched and want to really impress your gaming friends, we're also offering a special edition Deluxe Edition Jadestorm hardcover book.
SHADOWED ARA: This reward tier includes the limited edition deluxe version of Jadestorm hardcover book, with a leatherette cover, special cover design, and bound-in silk bookmark. 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 pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
SUNLIT ELION: 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 participate in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Jadestorm that we post throughout this campaign.
DANCING VETH-RAH / JUDGING SUHAL / DEATHLY MIR'YA / MYSTERIOUS WID-ROS: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including participation in an online game session run by Matthew Dawkins, an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC which will be incorporated into the game, and the ability to name and describe a settlement or dungeon which will be added to setting's lore, or even the option to pitch a Jadetouched monster to add to the game. Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.
After the campaign is over we'll launch our 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 path, should you choose to expand your reward selection. Funding collected after the Crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
After the Crowdfunding campaign, in the Pledge Manager, you 'll be able to:
Review and update your Pledge Level selection - for example, you can pledge to the Beastfather Gahl tier during the campaign and then switch to the Shadowed Ara once we know shipping costs and are preapring to fulfill the hardcover rewards.
Confirm and Update your Shipping information - you'll be able to update your final delivery address up until we're shipping out the hardcover rewards.
Pay for Shipping and additional Add On Options - we'll process payments for shipping costs and additional add-ons selected in your Pledge Manager survey when we get closer to reward fulfillment.
Download Digital Reward Redemption Links - the Pledge Manager will have links to access all of your digital rewards as they are fulfilled
An important reminder 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 (see our current guesses on the front page).
You'll note that two features - 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 Jadestorm campaign, some pledge tiers have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a 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.
JADESTORM BACKER PDF - Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption link for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer 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.
JADESTORM HARDCOVER BOOKS - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a standard and limited edition deluxe hardcover editions of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager prior to hardcover reward fulfillment.
Choosing Your Reward Tier
There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.
This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Funds for additional extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.
First Step: Reward Tier
To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want the standard hardcover, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the deluxe edition, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.
Step Two: Add-On Options
Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible PDFs you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.
You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.
As well as additional copies of the Jadestorm game in various formats - and the Storyguide Screen, which we unlocked via Stretch Goal achievement - you can add on the other games in the Earthbane Cycle line, as well as the Storypath Ultra Core Manual, which breaks down the system that powers all of these games.
THE WORLD BELOW (Corebook PDF) is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire.
AT THE GATES(Corebook PDF) is a high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game about burgeoning heroes struggling to survive, fighting for what’s right, exploring dangerous places, and saving the world. You play as heroes who have chosen to buck the status quo and try to change the course of things. Your characters may attempt to change the course of the war, delve into the secrets of daemons and the Void, fight against tyranny to protect what they love in the world, fight to restore balance to Gaia, or all the above.
MONSTER KINGDOMS (Corebook PDF Pre-Order) in this game, you play as a creature of darkness. You may be vampiric magus, or feyborn harlequin. You might be a warrior gauntlet, an orc cultist, a druidic elf, or a flame-spitting dragonkin. You can play a wildly creative goblinoid, a chaotic dwarf, a fierce ice elementor, or a shame-filled fiend. Your characters can be anything from hulking dreadnauts to disturbing mentalists, and many Mantles in between. Receive the draft manuscript while you wait for the Backer PDF to be distributed.
The STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL PDF presents a way for you to use Storypath Ultra to power whatever world you have in mind. We’ve created this book so anyone can use Onyx Path’s system for their own private tabletop game sessions. Many people over the years have talked about how they hacked one of our games into different shapes to play in their favorite worlds, so this book is here to allow us to give you advice on how to build your game using Storypath Ultra from the ground up.
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.
Once you click BACK IT, you'll see pledge level options. If you want to know a bit more about each level, click Learn More, or click Back It.
For example, clicking Learn More on the STORMCLOAKED KORRAN pledge gives you...
Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.
You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.
Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. It's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order the Jadestorm book at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list if applicable.
REWARD DELIVERY
About 4-6 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At that point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like existing Earthbane Cycle titles and the SPU Core Manual PDF. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.
So, while it will take some time for Jadestorm to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 8-10 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)
Physical Books
If you're waiting to see the 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 being manufactured 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 Jadestorm 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 additional copies of the hardcover and the Storyguide Screen.
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.
There are no refunds for regret, and the funds raised start being spent immediately on paying for the work done thus far and the additional work ahead plus the projects unlocked via Stretch Goal. So please be financially responsible.
Did I stress that enough? I hope so.
Conclusion
As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Level for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or figuring out the Add On options, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.
On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.
So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! I'll be back tomorrow with our final chapter, covering the Jadestorm antagonists, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out! Anyone supporting this project will be able to read the entire draft manuscript before any pledges are processed or payments collected, so you'll know exactly what you're getting! And you'll be able to submit your feedback directly to the developers who will use your notes to take the manuscript through the final stages of editing and development to make it the best it can be.
So, review your pledge, make sure it works for you in this moment, and let's carry on to our big finale on Thursday!
