This one is super quick! According to the shipping manifests: The books will arrive at the Studio 2 Distribution Warehouse on Sept 23rd.
Which means...it will take 2 days to get everything sorted there, and then hardcovers will start going out.
LOOT Boxes will take an additional 2 weeks after that, but then we will be assembling those and getting those out right after!
*Almost there everyone!*
(All of this shipping stuff and timing is totally out of our own hands. The delays are simply caused by port capacity and boat availability. We are finally en-route however!)
Right as ONE book is going out though, we are launching an audio-book centered around Sarcastic Fantasy about the End of the World: Magical Anarchy.
If you like Audio Casts, Demons, Magic, Anarchy and Urban Fantasy: We are part of Printopia on Sept 10th!
I have fresh coffee, and...Ocean Freight Shipping Forms...
That means one thing: Everything has been made and paid for.
^ That right there, is cause for some hella celebration. The books, the pins, the tea, everything is all done.
Now comes the tooth flailing part:
It's not very helpful when they are still across the world.
For those curious on boring logistics: You spend all this time on the back end going over page weight, color tweaking, print proofs, and then you throw a bucket of money and print off a literal ton of books (seriously, books are heavy).
When the manufacturer is done making everything - they get boxed up.
THEN you get to contact at Freight Forwarder. Currently, our guy might be Justin. Justin's job is sort of like a Han Solo - getting product onto big boats that sail through international waters and then landed, loaded on trucks, through customs, and then off to the two places we are shipping from:
The ST Forge Warehouse (Rick's Garage) and Studio 2 Distribution (and actual distributor).
From there they then go out to everywhere.
This is the part we are at...and...it's also the part where there is nothing for us to do but sit on our hands and wait, hope that Justin can grease the right palms, and everything shows up.
Once they get into the two locations -> they then go out to you.
I was hoping to ship in July, and it might be somewhere near August: but the ball is moving. When I have news: You'll have news!
------------
In September - we are launching an Audio Book/Cast for Magical Anarchy: Dawn of the 7th Age.
If you are interested in a novel & audio book written by me (Rick!) that explores what happens when Magic comes crashing back into today's world -
I know the Dark Carnival files have been out for a while, but everyone is still waiting on the real prize: The actual book + goodies.
WE HAVE FINALLY MADE IT PAST PRINT PROOF!
This means we are officially placing the order with the manufacturer to get the books printed and shipped. This process will take about 45-50 days of manufacturing and then hopefully 2-3 weeks to get everything into the warehouse.
We will update everyone on shipping stages as everything gets assembled into place at Studio 2's warehouse and then gets dispatched. The books look gorgeous, and Memory Thief, the Adventure Journal redo, Dark Carnival, Loot Boxes, Enamel Pins are all in this run.
Hopefully this means the books are in everyone's hands by August. (*Loot Box orders might take a bit, because we are packing those boys by hand in our garage first. Turns out adding Tea made things have an extra step, but it's worth it).
(If you haven't ordered it yet, you CAN find the PDF for sale on our website: www.storytellersforge.com)
Performance Check: Royalty Free Music for your TTRPG Tables:
You will be seeing a lot of collaboration between Nat19 and Storytellers Forge in the upcoming future after this last rounds of events. They make TT-JRPG's, we write epic storylines, and both of us want music in our games for other purposes. So it's a natural match.
Performance Check is bringing royalty-free music to your TTRPG tables, streams, and private games! Nat19’s music team is launching a BackerKit campaign on June 1st to use their in-house music team to create JRPG-inspired soundtracks to give back to the TTRPG community - with any purchase, this music can be used freely in streams or in private games without being struck for copyright. Not only that, but the project’s $80 CAD tier also includes five of Nat19’s 5E D&D books, with over 1700 pages of 5E content to bring to your table among them!
Come back Performance Check on June 1st to support the TTRPG stream community, and get D&D content to bring to your table!
We have finally made it through pre-production! It took a bit to get the files print ready and all the foil layers and extra stamping options. Our first, physical copy of the Dark Carnival Print Proof will be finished on May 20th, and then once they approve that: we are off to production!
For Loot Box Holders:
-The Tea has arrived -The new adventure journal production has started and will be finished June 20th. -Memory Thief prints approved and will enter production at the same time as DC -The Enamel Pin production has passed it's greenlight. -The Loot Box ITSELF has been greenlit and will be finished June 20th.
This means we have every accessory, soundtrack, and extra thingy from the campaigns made. Once May 20th hits, the factory has a 45-day lead time. Which means we are looking at an August Delivery of Physical books (they gotta sail here after all).
I think I've got that all lined up and it's really close to our projected date, but if anything goes wrong with shipping it might take a little bit longer.
Still...it's done, and it's getting started and that's the most important part.
RPG In A Castle!
Just a reminder for those who want to plan ahead, ST Forge will almost always be running at TTRPG in a Castle. I'm doing the June 19th for Red Opera, and they have some August dates, and just announced an October 23rd-25th dates.
The final foil stamped covers and elements are being sent to the printer and we are starting the test run process. Some of you may notice that the mass-market version of the books are popping up on amazon / other retail stores - Yours are way fancier. Don't grab those unless you REALLY want a mass market edition.
Because nay, you backers get the special editions with the fancy colors and ribbons and foil stamped books. They just take longer to prep. We should still be on track to start shipping in July.
Black Ballad Second Chances: ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT! We are at 80% funded and this is absolutely the call to action!
Once the campaign ends, Second Chances goes up in price, and just like Dark Carnival - it's the delux edition that ships at the same time. After you kill your party in the Festival of the Forgotten: let them try their hand at a second chance.
Magnificently Dead - The Black Ballad: Second Chances is Live!
Hello you gorgeous Darklings and Cryptids! Hopefully some of you have gotten a chance to crack open the PDF and see how gorgeous this book is! (If you didn't back and want a PDF copy of your own, you can now just order one HERE.)
We enter Phase 4 of the plan. Manufacturing. Getting the UV, sprayed edges, foiled stamped, beauty of a book through all the manufacturing process takes a bit - so bear with us on that. It's a lot of technical bits.
HOWEVER! If you like what we do and you want a good idea to make the transition from 5E into a new system - consider a TPK! The Black Ballad: Second Chances is almost at it's 50% goal for funding over on Kickstarter and it's the herald to our Red Opera: Reforged campaign.
Within this splat book you'll get crossway coins, more music, a reusable oneshot, an all of the Black Ballad converted over into Shadowdark in a wickedly cool stylized fashion.
We need your support to make it happen! This project is already finished creatively, and our goal is to print it at the same time we order the Dark Carnival books.
So if your a Shadowdark fan, or just like helping indie studios and collecting cool stuff...
This one is super quick! According to the shipping manifests: The books will arrive at the Studio 2 Distribution Warehouse on Sept 23rd.
Which means...it will take 2 days to get everything sorted there, and then hardcovers will start going out.
LOOT Boxes will take an additional 2 weeks after that, but then we will be assembling those and getting those out right after!
*Almost there everyone!*
(All of this shipping stuff and timing is totally out of our own hands. The delays are simply caused by port capacity and boat availability. We are finally en-route however!)
Right as ONE book is going out though, we are launching an audio-book centered around Sarcastic Fantasy about the End of the World: Magical Anarchy.
If you like Audio Casts, Demons, Magic, Anarchy and Urban Fantasy: We are part of Printopia on Sept 10th!
I have fresh coffee, and...Ocean Freight Shipping Forms...
That means one thing: Everything has been made and paid for.
^ That right there, is cause for some hella celebration. The books, the pins, the tea, everything is all done.
Now comes the tooth flailing part:
It's not very helpful when they are still across the world.
For those curious on boring logistics: You spend all this time on the back end going over page weight, color tweaking, print proofs, and then you throw a bucket of money and print off a literal ton of books (seriously, books are heavy).
When the manufacturer is done making everything - they get boxed up.
THEN you get to contact at Freight Forwarder. Currently, our guy might be Justin. Justin's job is sort of like a Han Solo - getting product onto big boats that sail through international waters and then landed, loaded on trucks, through customs, and then off to the two places we are shipping from:
The ST Forge Warehouse (Rick's Garage) and Studio 2 Distribution (and actual distributor).
From there they then go out to everywhere.
This is the part we are at...and...it's also the part where there is nothing for us to do but sit on our hands and wait, hope that Justin can grease the right palms, and everything shows up.
Once they get into the two locations -> they then go out to you.
I was hoping to ship in July, and it might be somewhere near August: but the ball is moving. When I have news: You'll have news!
------------
In September - we are launching an Audio Book/Cast for Magical Anarchy: Dawn of the 7th Age.
If you are interested in a novel & audio book written by me (Rick!) that explores what happens when Magic comes crashing back into today's world -
I know the Dark Carnival files have been out for a while, but everyone is still waiting on the real prize: The actual book + goodies.
WE HAVE FINALLY MADE IT PAST PRINT PROOF!
This means we are officially placing the order with the manufacturer to get the books printed and shipped. This process will take about 45-50 days of manufacturing and then hopefully 2-3 weeks to get everything into the warehouse.
We will update everyone on shipping stages as everything gets assembled into place at Studio 2's warehouse and then gets dispatched. The books look gorgeous, and Memory Thief, the Adventure Journal redo, Dark Carnival, Loot Boxes, Enamel Pins are all in this run.
Hopefully this means the books are in everyone's hands by August. (*Loot Box orders might take a bit, because we are packing those boys by hand in our garage first. Turns out adding Tea made things have an extra step, but it's worth it).
(If you haven't ordered it yet, you CAN find the PDF for sale on our website: www.storytellersforge.com)
Performance Check: Royalty Free Music for your TTRPG Tables:
You will be seeing a lot of collaboration between Nat19 and Storytellers Forge in the upcoming future after this last rounds of events. They make TT-JRPG's, we write epic storylines, and both of us want music in our games for other purposes. So it's a natural match.
Performance Check is bringing royalty-free music to your TTRPG tables, streams, and private games! Nat19’s music team is launching a BackerKit campaign on June 1st to use their in-house music team to create JRPG-inspired soundtracks to give back to the TTRPG community - with any purchase, this music can be used freely in streams or in private games without being struck for copyright. Not only that, but the project’s $80 CAD tier also includes five of Nat19’s 5E D&D books, with over 1700 pages of 5E content to bring to your table among them!
Come back Performance Check on June 1st to support the TTRPG stream community, and get D&D content to bring to your table!
We have finally made it through pre-production! It took a bit to get the files print ready and all the foil layers and extra stamping options. Our first, physical copy of the Dark Carnival Print Proof will be finished on May 20th, and then once they approve that: we are off to production!
For Loot Box Holders:
-The Tea has arrived -The new adventure journal production has started and will be finished June 20th. -Memory Thief prints approved and will enter production at the same time as DC -The Enamel Pin production has passed it's greenlight. -The Loot Box ITSELF has been greenlit and will be finished June 20th.
This means we have every accessory, soundtrack, and extra thingy from the campaigns made. Once May 20th hits, the factory has a 45-day lead time. Which means we are looking at an August Delivery of Physical books (they gotta sail here after all).
I think I've got that all lined up and it's really close to our projected date, but if anything goes wrong with shipping it might take a little bit longer.
Still...it's done, and it's getting started and that's the most important part.
RPG In A Castle!
Just a reminder for those who want to plan ahead, ST Forge will almost always be running at TTRPG in a Castle. I'm doing the June 19th for Red Opera, and they have some August dates, and just announced an October 23rd-25th dates.
The final foil stamped covers and elements are being sent to the printer and we are starting the test run process. Some of you may notice that the mass-market version of the books are popping up on amazon / other retail stores - Yours are way fancier. Don't grab those unless you REALLY want a mass market edition.
Because nay, you backers get the special editions with the fancy colors and ribbons and foil stamped books. They just take longer to prep. We should still be on track to start shipping in July.
Black Ballad Second Chances: ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT! We are at 80% funded and this is absolutely the call to action!
Once the campaign ends, Second Chances goes up in price, and just like Dark Carnival - it's the delux edition that ships at the same time. After you kill your party in the Festival of the Forgotten: let them try their hand at a second chance.
