Deathbringer Thanks You! And Late Backing Still Available For A Limited Time!
Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude. Thanks to all who believed and backed.
On vacation now. Will return on Saturday, August 22, at Miniatures Games & Adventures in Lancaster, PA, to run Deathbringer starting at 11am. Hope to see you there!
Thanks again for your support! Here is an overview of what happens next:
Over the next 2-3 weeks, your funds will be collected, and we'll get confirmation of the funds collected.
For those of you who paid overtime, this process will take 4 months, as your funds will be collected 25% of the total at a time.
In approximately 4 weeks from now, you will receive a survey from BackerKit. This is where you will finalize your order, add your shipping information, add any add-ons, and so on. People have been asking if they can "upgrade" their orders or change their tiers later. This survey is where you will be able to do all of this.
Our surveys are actually a bit more detailed than other campaigns you might have done in the past. We offer many upgrade paths and methods, where you only pay the difference between your original pledge and the new one.
You won't be charged for shipping at this time, only any upgrades or add-ons you select. We don't charge shipping until right before the packages are ready to go out, as we don't know the exact weights and sizes of the boxes yet.
As PDFs are finished, we will provide them for download. The UDTs are nearly complete, so expect to get the digital versions of those shortly after the survey is sent. We'll continue to update everyone with new releases as they are available.
If you purchased the Shadowdark PDFs, you'll have access to them as soon as the survey is completed.
If you are in the Deathbringer playtest, we will contact you directly with instructions in September. So for now just hold tight, but we'll have detailed instructions for all of you shortly.
As the book comes closer to completion, we'll provide additional information. But once the book is ready, everyone will receive the PDF copy right away so they can start using and playing Deathbringer!
As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected], and we'll get back to you.
Late Backers Can Still Back For a Limited Time!
It turns out that BackerKit has a "late pledge" feature that is still in beta, but we were allowed to use it for this campaign (I didn't know about it until yesterday!). So if you missed out, there is still time to back at https://deathbringer-ttrpg.backerkit.com/survey_stores.
We probably won't keep this link up for long, as late backing can cause issues with fulfillment, so act soon if you missed out on the original campaign!
Once again, thank you, everyone, for your support. We can't wait to get Deathbringer into your hands!
New Digital Only Record & Adventure and Stretch Goals!
Hey everyone, we are in the final stages of the Deathbringer campaign, as we have a few quick updates.
Due to very popular demand, we just added theDeathbringer: Songs of the Shattered Empire & Adventure (Digital Only) to the add-on section. With this add-on, you'll receive all of the songs from the album as digital tracks, along with the adventure written specially with this album in mind! So you'll receive both the songs along with the special adventure, only available with this album.
You can edit your pledge and add this (or any other add-ons), and it won't affect your early backer bonuses at all.
We'll also have all these add-ons available during the survey phase, in case you miss this notice before the campaign ends.
We have unlocked Deathbringer Online, which will allow you to build Deathbringer characters quickly and easily using an online tool. No, there is no excuse to kill off your characters, as there will always be a new one ready at the touch of a mouse!
Make sure to join us with a live stream tonight at 7 pm EST with Professor DM along with special guests as we finish the campaign strong!
Deathbringer here! Playtesters are my favorite sort of people: victims who are literally asking to be killed. I will take them in, chew them out, and add them all to the mountain of skulls. Their noble sacrifice will build something greater than themselves. I respect no one, but playtesters come close, those brave fools.
---
Over here at Roll for Combat, we try to treat our playtesters better than Deathbringer, though he's not wrong that there will likely be a lot of dead characters by the time we are through. Playtesting will happen in waves, with the first wave starting some time in September and the other waves' timing TBD (it will depend on the scope of the playtest changes and might be sooner or later based on that).
If you've participated in a beta or early access of a video game before and think the playtest will be something like that, think again. In this playtest, just about anything can change based on feedback, though it might not change the way you expect. We'll take in feedback to determine symptoms and then make changes to address the root causes. If it's already in great shape, maybe it'll just be tweaks, but in our experience you usually wind up needing a few big changes too. Professor DM has made it clear that he wants the gameplay to be as fast, smooth, and intuitive as possible and that anything can go if necessary to achieve that goal. Nothing is too sacred if it gets in the way of the game.
For the first wave, we are looking for a small and select group to provide focused feedback. Those who are part of the first wave (backers at the higher tiers) will be invited to a private Discord server, where you can discuss things with us and each other. The playtesters and their groups will sign NDAs and receive a playtest packet with the beta rules. We'll be looking to have a shared experience playtesting one or more of the pre-written adventures, as well as plenty of playtesting of the playtest GMs' homebrew adventures to test out the way the system handles various situations and make more use of the various monsters and options. The benefit of the shared experience is that it can show us more about variation; if everyone is running something completely different, then we only have exactly one example of how that specific situation played out. Professor DM will be joining periodically on video calls to chat with you as well.
Once the first wave stabilizes, no matter how long that takes, we will add additional waves of playtesters to help further refine the game. The later waves of the playtest are not as intensive, as we will likely have figured out the biggest changes from the first wave, but they are crucial for finding anything that remains to be found. Even if you don't have time during the playtest waves, Roll for Combat's policy in publishing is to always send you the digital versions when they are completely done; that way, if you notice a mistake or typo even after the playtest, we can still have a chance to fix it for the print version and release an updated PDF.
That's about it. We promise to stop Deathbringer from adding you and your players to the pile of skulls... but your characters? Maybe not so much.
Watch Professor DM Play Deathbringer LIVE from Gen Con 2026!
​We killed a room full of Gen Con heroes on livestream!
At Gen Con, Professor DM threw a room of volunteers into "The Fungus-Licking Cannibal Cult"—the demo adventure that ships with the game—and the bodies started dropping almost immediately. Characters died, got replaced, died again, and the crowd roared "Oh, the humanity!" every time the dice exploded. That's not a bug. That's Deathbringer!
​
And after the slaughter, make sure to watch the Deathbringer Q&A, view the statue test prints, the new skull-shaped Death Dice, the full-color 1980s-pulp artwork, and a first look at what's coming after launch! Check it out below!
You Demanded It! We added the Deathbringer Embroidered Patch Set to the add-ons!
Suit up like you survived the wasteland. This patch set brings the world of Deathbringer straight to your jacket, backpack, or battle vest, including a massive 11-inch embroidered back patch featuring the game's signature grim, larger-than-life logo—the centerpiece of any true Deathbringer kit!
Alongside it, you'll get 6+ smaller embroidered jacket patches spotlighting the classes and monsters that make Deathbringer what it is. From the heroes who cheat death to the horrors that make sure it doesn't stay cheated for long. Each patch is fully embroidered for durability, built to survive as many sessions as your character probably won't.
Fighter is Boring. We Need a New Name!
"Fighter." A word for tax collectors and shoe salesmen. In this world, you don't swing a blade to file paperwork—you swing it because it's the last thing standing between you and the grave. So we're retiring the name. Help us choose what replaces it.
Vote in the poll below and help us choose a new name for this class!
New Deathbringer Monsters!
The monster art continues to come in and promises to kill your characters in horrific ways. Check out some of the latest art!
First, we received some "test prints" of the Deathbringer and Deathbride statues, and they are coming out great! We are going to adjust them a bit (i.e., make the skulls more of a "bone color," Deathbringer's head is a bit too large, which is my fault as I did that, and other small adjustments), but you can see they are coming out great!
And if you find us at Gen Con, you can check out the statues in person! And to celebrate how amazing these statues are, we are adjusting the BackerKit special.
Here is the deal going forward:
We are adding back the special where you get the Deathbringer statue if you back the $250 tier or higher and both if you back the $495 tier or higher. So if you haven't backed those tiers and want one of these statues, you can still adjust your tier and get them today.
If you were an original early backer and backed the campaign before July 19th, 11:59 pm EST, you will now get to select which statues you want at the $250 or $495 tiers! Assuming we pass the $1.2m stretch goal, you'll be able to select the following:
Deathbringer painted
Deathbride painted
Deathbringer unpainted (so you can paint the statue yourself)
Deathbride unpainted
When the campaign ends, you'll be able to select which statues you want during the survey phase.
You CAN adjust your pledge now, and it won't affect your timing. As long as you backed the campaign before July 19th, 11:59 pm EST, you'll be able to select which statue you want.
Death Dice Updates
We are also doing some test prints of the Death Dice now, and they are coming out great. Below is the updated high-resolution render and a very quick 3D test print. We're having the production company make the dice now, and we should have samples to show everyone shortly.
Gen Con & Streaming Schedule
We are still putting together the full schedule as to where you can find us at Gen Con this week, and we'll have goodies to give people, including a Deathbringer badge ribbon, Deathbringer stickers, and Deathbringer t-shirts! Here is a preliminary schedule as to where to find us:
Thursday, July 30th
Professor DM will be walking around the show floor throughout the day, and we'll try to do a live stream sometime during the day. Make sure to subscribe to the Roll For Combat YouTube channel as to not miss any live streams!
Friday, July 31st
10:00 am - 11:30 am, Union Station: Grand Hall, Deathbringer live demo and Q&A. We'll also be giving out surprise goodies for all those in attendance, and we'll be streaming the event LIVE on the Roll For Combat YouTube channel.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Repertory Theater: 4th Floor, Death Saves live show with Joe Manganiello and Professor DM! We will try to stream it LIVE on the Roll For Combat YouTube channel.
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, BackerKit booth #363, meet Professor DM, see the Deathbringer statues, and get some free goodies!
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Union Station: Grand Hall, ENNIE Cocktail Hour. Come meet Professor DM and the Roll For Combat team in person!
7:30 pm - 10:00 pm, Athenaeum Basile Theater, Sentinels of the Shieldless live show with Luke Gygax and Professor DM. We will try to stream it LIVE on the Roll For Combat YouTube channel.
Sunday, August 2nd
Professor DM will be walking around the show floor throughout the day, and we'll try to do a live stream sometime during the day. Make sure to subscribe to the Roll For Combat YouTube channel as to not miss any live streams!
This schedule isn't final, and we'll probably be adding more events in the next 48 hours. But if you are at Gen Con and see the Professor, do come over and say hi!
Deathbringer here! Cast down your torches and howl, for the stretch goal has fallen beneath our blades! Deathbringer VTT is UNLOCKED, and the pits of hell themselves shake with digital thunder!
For those of you who pledged your coin — nay, your very souls—to the Core Box, the Deluxe Box, or the Everything But Your Soul tier: rejoice, for you need lift not a finger! Deathbringer VTT has already been bound to your pledge, chained there like a prisoner in the deepest oubliette. It's yours. It was always going to be yours. You simply hadn't earned the honor of knowing it yet.
For the rest of you wretches, clawing your way up from lesser tiers—fear not, your path to glory is not closed! March to the add-ons and claim Deathbringer VTT for your own table. The dungeon awaits, whether played by candlelight or by cursed glowing rectangle. Deathbringer cares not for your medium. Only your body count.
NOW A MATTER OF VANITY (YOURS, NOT MINE, I HAVE NONE)
My scribes have been busy in the shadows, and they've dragged forth a sneak preview draft of the Male Thief artwork! The stickyfingers, the burglar, the wretch who'd relieve a corpse of its coin before it finished falling. Two versions clawed their way out of the ink. Only one shall stalk these pages forever.
Look upon them. Judge them as you would judge a rival in a back-alley duel—swiftly and without mercy. Tell us which one deserves to live in the final book. The other is tossed to the thousand hells.
Deathbringer here! Cast down your torches and howl, for the stretch goal has fallen beneath our blades! Deathbringer VTT is UNLOCKED, and the pits of hell themselves shake with digital thunder!
For those of you who pledged your coin — nay, your very souls—to the Core Box, the Deluxe Box, or the Everything But Your Soul tier: rejoice, for you need lift not a finger! Deathbringer VTT has already been bound to your pledge, chained there like a prisoner in the deepest oubliette. It's yours. It was always going to be yours. You simply hadn't earned the honor of knowing it yet.
For the rest of you wretches, clawing your way up from lesser tiers—fear not, your path to glory is not closed! March to the add-ons and claim Deathbringer VTT for your own table. The dungeon awaits, whether played by candlelight or by cursed glowing rectangle. Deathbringer cares not for your medium. Only your body count.
NOW A MATTER OF VANITY (YOURS, NOT MINE, I HAVE NONE)
My scribes have been busy in the shadows, and they've dragged forth a sneak preview draft of the Male Thief artwork! The stickyfingers, the burglar, the wretch who'd relieve a corpse of its coin before it finished falling. Two versions clawed their way out of the ink. Only one shall stalk these pages forever.
Look upon them. Judge them as you would judge a rival in a back-alley duel—swiftly and without mercy. Tell us which one deserves to live in the final book. The other is tossed to the thousand hells.
Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude. Thanks to all who believed and backed.
On vacation now. Will return on Saturday, August 22, at Miniatures Games & Adventures in Lancaster, PA, to run Deathbringer starting at 11am. Hope to see you there!
Thanks again for your support! Here is an overview of what happens next:
Over the next 2-3 weeks, your funds will be collected, and we'll get confirmation of the funds collected.
For those of you who paid overtime, this process will take 4 months, as your funds will be collected 25% of the total at a time.
In approximately 4 weeks from now, you will receive a survey from BackerKit. This is where you will finalize your order, add your shipping information, add any add-ons, and so on. People have been asking if they can "upgrade" their orders or change their tiers later. This survey is where you will be able to do all of this.
Our surveys are actually a bit more detailed than other campaigns you might have done in the past. We offer many upgrade paths and methods, where you only pay the difference between your original pledge and the new one.
You won't be charged for shipping at this time, only any upgrades or add-ons you select. We don't charge shipping until right before the packages are ready to go out, as we don't know the exact weights and sizes of the boxes yet.
As PDFs are finished, we will provide them for download. The UDTs are nearly complete, so expect to get the digital versions of those shortly after the survey is sent. We'll continue to update everyone with new releases as they are available.
If you purchased the Shadowdark PDFs, you'll have access to them as soon as the survey is completed.
If you are in the Deathbringer playtest, we will contact you directly with instructions in September. So for now just hold tight, but we'll have detailed instructions for all of you shortly.
As the book comes closer to completion, we'll provide additional information. But once the book is ready, everyone will receive the PDF copy right away so they can start using and playing Deathbringer!
As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected], and we'll get back to you.
Late Backers Can Still Back For a Limited Time!
It turns out that BackerKit has a "late pledge" feature that is still in beta, but we were allowed to use it for this campaign (I didn't know about it until yesterday!). So if you missed out, there is still time to back at https://deathbringer-ttrpg.backerkit.com/survey_stores.
We probably won't keep this link up for long, as late backing can cause issues with fulfillment, so act soon if you missed out on the original campaign!
Once again, thank you, everyone, for your support. We can't wait to get Deathbringer into your hands!
Hey everyone, we are in the final stages of the Deathbringer campaign, as we have a few quick updates.
Due to very popular demand, we just added theDeathbringer: Songs of the Shattered Empire & Adventure (Digital Only) to the add-on section. With this add-on, you'll receive all of the songs from the album as digital tracks, along with the adventure written specially with this album in mind! So you'll receive both the songs along with the special adventure, only available with this album.
You can edit your pledge and add this (or any other add-ons), and it won't affect your early backer bonuses at all.
We'll also have all these add-ons available during the survey phase, in case you miss this notice before the campaign ends.
We have unlocked Deathbringer Online, which will allow you to build Deathbringer characters quickly and easily using an online tool. No, there is no excuse to kill off your characters, as there will always be a new one ready at the touch of a mouse!
Make sure to join us with a live stream tonight at 7 pm EST with Professor DM along with special guests as we finish the campaign strong!
Hey there,
Long time follower on YouTube here... I was wondering if you could make some of your art work and themes available as posters. The art style you chose to have is absolutely amazing and Id love to be able to support the artist(s) by ordering some wall posters.
😀
