Hello Vaulters! As winter's grasp begins to loosen we bring you an update on the Vault of Mini Things. Action only required if you have yet to fill out your Backer Survey; if you have not done so, please complete this crucial step today. If you can't find the survey link in your email, go to this page (https://the-vault-of-mini-things.backerkit.com/) and we'll send the survey again. Be sure to check your spam & junk folders if, after this step, you still can't find the survey link. If you're unsure what the survey is: Backerkit calls it a "survey", which makes it sound like an optional marketing-information grab. It's not. It's an essential order-confirmation and option-choosing step, and unless it is completed, we can't send you your Vault. 

Marshall Art

The electric pen of Marshall "Printable Heroes" Short has been busy! Let's ooo and aaa together over some of his new creations:

 

Here's a handsome fella fit to judge the most imperious of subterranean interlopers.

Look, not every mini on the table has to be an appropriately-CR'd monster. The savvy DM will populate the scene with mundane MOBs to bump up the verisimilitude, and therefore enjoyment, of those gathered around the table. And if one of these cow-shaped minis is actually a wildshaped enemy druid, a werecow, or The Thing, well who doesn't like a fun surprise?

Speaking of animal forms: is this the infamous Count Strahd von Zarovich galivanting about the countryside? Or a swarm druid gettin' feathery wit' it? Or maybe it's a representation of a custom-flavored Cloud of Daggers spell! The redrum's the limit!

One of the big advantages of the Vault of Mini Things format is that we can include a whole bunch of BIG creatures and easily store them in our patent-soon-to-be-pending Creature Catalog filing system. Imagine wanting to include a Hill Giant in an encounter, and wondering to yourself "hmm, yes, but WHICH of my Hill Giants will I choose to present to my lucky players?" For this particular classification of giants (Hill), the Vault will include three to choose from.

Production Update
The back-and-forth with manufacturers continues and we are still on a path to hit our delivery target. The Tinker team is enthused to play some one-shot games using Vault figures and terrain the next time we're all able to physically gather in one place. If and when we do, we'll take some shots of the action and include them in the next update.

Also, I'm happy to share that the Vault community of backers continues to grow! We've been delighted to see that pledges continue to accrue well after the close of the campaign via Backerkit's Late Pledge functionality. Thank you, Vaulters, for your continued advocacy talking up the Vault and linking in your own online and in-person social circles. And if you've heard some folks complain about the time, expense, and transport & storage headaches of plastic minis send them to https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/tinkerhouse-games/The-Vault-of-Mini-Things !         

Until next time, Vaulters! 

With much appreciation,
Mike, Lane, Chris, and Marshall

Happy New Year, Vaulters! This update brings another dose of new art as well as a special behind-the-scenes update from founder and president Tinker Lane. No action required.

Marshall Art

One of the inherent benefits of the Vault is that we can include minis that might be rarely needed, but when you need them it really boosts the fidelity of the game to have them on-hand. For example: a cow, or a murder of crows. Or some of those freaky multi-armed snake demons from the Abyss.   

Tinker Tool Time with Lane

Hey all, this is Lane -- I write the tools that help us try and punch above our weight content-production-wise.  In my day job I'm a technical artist in video games, and what that means is I make tools to make production of digital content more efficient and less error prone.  If a given piece of content takes say, 30 steps to create by hand manually, generally we want to make a tool to handle at least 20 if not 25+ of those steps.  Specifically the tedious, non-creative steps.  This lets the content creators focus on the creativity and polish aspects, and not have to worry about the rote technical aspects.  As it turns out, that is very helpful in tabletop production as well, because really most of this content creation is done digitally using similar approaches.  

How does that work with the Vault?   Strap in, it's time for a tools deep dive! 

Let's look at a particular type of content we need to make a LOT of:  minis.  We have to make hundreds of minis, in a way that keeps our die tools (the big sheets of shaped blades that the factory makes by hand to punch out the minis) as inexpensive as possible.  Doing that manually involves the following steps:

That's a lot to do, and some of those steps (specifically the arranging things steps) are very labor intensive and tedious to do manually.  Which inherently means they are a prime candidate for human error to creep in.  And human sadness.  Because it really sucks to do all that work by hand even once, let alone multiple times (as would be necessary to correct errors and the inevitable last-minute adjustments).  So those types of labor intensive things are usually the first steps you want to look at for automation.

For Vault support tools that means the following:

The name of the game here is automation, so that content creators and designers can focus on what matters most.  Iterating the artwork to polish it as much as possible, and tuning the final result to be as efficient and quick to produce as possible.  If you can let your content creators have those efficiencies, you can give them the best chance of getting the best product to the customer.

I hope that was interesting and informative, I tried not to be too verbose but I can go on and on about tools. 

- Tinker Lane

Happy holidays, whichever they are that most appeal to you and yours!

We here at TinkerHouse come into the home stretch of the holiday season with a feeling of immense gratitude and appreciation for everyone who’ve supported our creative endeavors over the years. It’s a real honor to be able to make something you think people will enjoy, and have the people you make it for gather together to support and enable the making. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Though the House of Tinker is winding down for a holiday break with our families we do have some notable updates, in the form of a report on our presence at PAX Unplugged, a production update, some new Marshall art, and the conclusion of our iconic adventurers' journey to the Abattoir of Avarice. This update requires no action on your part.

First: PAX Unplugged.

We brought to the show our largest booth ever, measuring twenty feet by twenty feet. We set up a dining-room-table-size battlefield of our TinkerTurf sci-fi wargaming terrain, a fully-functional retail shop, and a dedicated build area where attendees could get their hands on assembling TinkerTurf for donation to the PAX communal terrain library. But the highlight, for those who Vault, was the front-and-center display of early-prototype pieces from the Vault of Mini Things. We figured PAX Unplugged attendees would be the most receptive audience for what we’re offering in the Vault and that turned out to be true.

I tried jotting down the superlatives but it got to be too many. Here’s a sampling:

“Wow! This is the exact thing I’ve been looking for. I’m a DM and I came here looking for an all-in-one platform. I’d left the show and was in my car and ready to go, and then thought I’d go back for one more lap. I’m so glad I found you!”

This was a real comment!

“Really love the way the colors pop!”

“This is so smart. This solves my storage problem.”

“I wish I’d found this two years ago, before I accumulated my Unpainted Minis Box of Shame.”

 

We had to caution folks that what they saw on the table were visual prototypes intended to give a sense of art style and scale, rather than production prototypes of retail-quality materials. But even when picking up the minis and mockups that we’d printed at home, on consumer-grade printers, folks were blown away. It was especially encouraging to see so many women turning their heads and making a point to tell us that they enjoyed the vivid art style and female representation among the minis. 

There was a sizable sales bump for the Vault post-show, a wave we’re still riding. Which is wonderful, and welcome. But in addition to those late pledges it was wonderful just to hear directly from the intended audience that they were looking forward to what we’re building. Those well-wishes will send us into 2024 with a burst of momentum.

Second: a Production update. Chris wrote a thorough production update as a response to a community comment, and I’ve included it below this paragraph. I just wanted to add that engineering work–though intense and interesting–is not something that’s suitable for sharing until it’s finalized for production. The reason is that unlike in-progress art, some engineering paths will result in nonviable dead-ends. And we’d be doing a disservice to the community if we got folks excited for a particular engineering solution that might not actually make it into the box. It’s better for all if you know that when we show you something, that’s what you’ll see when you open the box.

Here’s that production update In Chris’s own words:
As far as production goes here is where we are. While the majority of the artwork is completed, there are still around 50 of the standees that need artwork. As the art progresses we’ve been busy developing our own tools to handle the processing of the artwork into their final layouts for manufacturing. Handling all of the layout production by hand of over 1000 standees and then again segmented into multiple products can be a logistical pain. We have some standees that we issue multiple colors or art styles of that use the same cut tooling. By building these tools to automate the layout process we can eliminate the need for multiple tools and streamline our production process by simply changing out printed sheets. There is quite a bit of complication to this that can be minimized by an automated process.

Two wild updates from Marshall for your viewing pleasure:

 

This section is a narrative of the community-chosen adventuring band, as detailed in Update 18. Its purpose is to show the Vault used for actual play, and entertain backers over the course of product development and production. 

When last we saw our heroes, they’d managed to survive an onslaught of undead by accidentally summoning a terrible spirit: the mighty Krampus. Krampus dispersed the undead horde and, after a titanic struggle, destroyed the personification of the Abattoir of Avarice: a towering grave golem. When the dust settled Krampus regarded our heroes with unknown intention. Given the choice of Attempt to Exert Control, Parly, or Fight, the community chose Parley. Let’s see how that works out for them!

Amidst the shattered remains of the once-menacing cemetery, the party faced the looming form of the mighty Krampus. The full moon cast his shadow toward them, and Elora could swear it capered and taunted even as the actual form of the malevolent spirit stood dead still except for its labored breathing. The ragged breath was the only sound amidst the ruins of the cemetery, and after the crash and tumult of the fight with the grave golem the still silence made the adventurers feel exposed and oppressed. 

Krampus shifted his weight, the cloven hooves sending a cascade of broken masonry tumbling down the pile he stood upon. At the sudden sound and motion Votun strode two paces forward, shield set, sword held high and ready. “Stay behind me. Your spells are spent. You should flee. I can impede his pursuit long enough for you to get away.”

Elora gasped and shook her head no, but Grecken was already halfway toward the exit. Remme closed his weary eyes for a moment, then placed his hand on the Warforged’s steel shoulder. “Hold, my friend. It might not come to blows.” The old druid raised his voice, and called out “Parley, Krampus! Parley! What is your purpose here, and can we find common ground that would prevent violence between us?”   

Krampus smiled, revealing far too many teeth. “You know my purpose, Remme.” Elora heard the druid flinch to hear the devil speak his name. “You dictated the dusty rites that drive my dark deeds. You spoke them yourself. You called; and I came.” The being’s voice was deeper than a human’s natural range, guttural yet somehow seductive.

Remme shook his head. “Nay, fiend! I called for nature’s salvation for the poor souls interred herein! Rest, for restless spirits too long upon this land!”

Krampus threw back his head and laughed. If it was meant to scare them, it worked, but his harsh guffaws also contained genuine amusement. “Poor souls? The beings buried beneath us had many qualities, but “poor” was certainly not one of them! This is the Abattoir of Avarice, after all! Their craven covetousness conspired to curtail them in the ground here, though the ground groaned and disgorged them!” The beast laughed again, horns sawing through the air as he cavorted in glee. “They languished and lingered here long, harrowed and hungry, and you should remember that for the wicked there is no rest.” At this he shook a large wicker basket tied at his waist, and the group could see glimmering, sickly green light flashing from within. 

“Souls…” Elora whispered, unconsciously reaching a hand toward them. Remme shot her a look in alarm, and she snatched her hand back. Krampus jangled the basket in her direction and laughed again.

“Yes, I heard your hearkening and hither I came. I’ll whisk these wicked wisps away to where they’re welcome.” Krampus chuckled, hefting the basket in his gnarled fist. But he didn’t make a move to depart. Instead he let his chuckle die out. Then he said, “Oh yes, I’ll whisk away… but not just yet. For my work is not finished.”

He took a step toward the group. Votun did not move an inch, being already in a perfect defensive posture. But Remme and Elora took an involuntary step back. Krampus paused, considering the armored form before him. He seemed to then notice the absence of Grecken, and shifted his gaze back and forth, searching the toppled tombstones and rubble for the little rogue. “You see…” he mused, seeming to be buying time for himself to spot her. “My pure purpose is punishment. I deliver damnation to darkness. And I spy…” Krampus’s gaze settled on a shadowed form, just barely leaning out from behind a tree stump, bow trained at his heart. He grinned, and prepared to leap. “...a spoiled spot of soot within each of you!”

Just then the air shimmered with magic, and with a burst of festive bells, Santa Claus himself appeared, crashing between Krampus and the party on a sleigh drawn by enchanted reindeer. Dressed in his iconic red suit, Santa surveyed the scene, his eyes twinkling with both mirth and concern.

"Now, now, Krampus," Santa chided, "only I know who's on the naughty list."

Jingle Bells

The flabbergasted party could hardly believe their eyes. Grecken, hidden behind the stump, was so shocked that her numb fingers released her arrow. It flew straight toward the back of Santa’s head. Before Elora’s scream of warning could escape her throat Santa whipped his hand around his head, snatching the missile out of the air. With a flourish the arrow became a long ribbon of striped red and green, and he busily used it to tie a bow around a huge present he pulled from his sack. As he worked he glanced up at Grecken, who stumbled forward, dumbfounded, to stand with her party. 

“Careful, Grecken.” Santa said, with a twinkle in his eye. “You’ll shoot someone’s eye out!”

Krampus stalked back and forth, clearly unsure how to respond to this interruption. Santa, for his part, ignored Krampus as he nimbly leapt from his sleigh and carried past Krampus the large, brightly-wrapped present to a spot in the heart of the cemetery. He placed it upon a plinth there, then stepped back, dusting off his hands with a self-satisfied grunt. 

Krampus, who had kept careful watch on Santa’s sojourn, tore his eyes away from the seemingly-concluded spectacle and returned his attention to the party. “Where were we, my weary wanderers? Ah yes…” his bony hands wrung his staff in a tight grip, sending splinters to the ground. His eyes narrowed as he began to say, “My ghastly gaze glimpses a growing gloom–”

“Good evening!” Santa merrily shouted out, politely tipping his hat as he brushed past Krampus on his way back to his sleigh. The reindeer snorted. 

Krampus stomped his cloven feet in frustration. “Would you kindly stop perforating my performance?!” he snarled. 

Santa clamored atop his sleigh and settled in. He crossed his arms and regarded Krampus, eyebrows raised in a patient and innocent expression. When nothing happened, he gestured with his gloved hand for Krampus to continue.

Krampus warily eyed Santa, then shook his head and regarded the party again. “And this growing gloom that glowers in your heart-”

“Please, continue.” Santa called out, politely.

Krampus rounded on Santa and shouted “Isn’t there someplace you need to be?”

Santa pursed his lips in thought, then spread his hands in a shrug. He then pulled out a watch on a golden chain, looked at it, then replaced it in a pocket of his red suit.

“Waiting for something?” Krampus asked dryly.

“For someone!” Santa replied, helpfully.

Krampus rolled his lantern-yellow eyes and turned away in exasperation. His eyes settled on the gigantic present, sitting alone on the plinth. “And what of this gift? Who did you prepare this perfect present for?” he asked aloud, in annoyance.

Santa leaned forward. "Only he who is worthy of such an enormous surprise," Santa declared cryptically.

Krampus turned his back on the present in disgust. He focused his attention on the party, who by now had all, except for Votun, settled into a relaxed posture. Krampus clenched his eyes tight. Then, unable to further resist, he leaped backward, landing directly behind the present. He licked his lips with a several-foot long tongue and rubbed his hands together in obvious anticipation. Then he eagerly reached forward with clawed hands to tear apart the wrapping.

To his dismay, the present's top opened up to reveal monstrous teeth which clamped down fast onto Krampus's wrists. He yelped in shock and surprise, then the Mimic lurched backward, tossing Krampus into the air. With a shriek, Krampus cartwheeled into the Mimic's mouth and just like that, he was swallowed in one gulp. Santa clapped his hands and openly guffawed, calling out “Oh, you should have known better, old boy! No rest for the wicked, yes, but also no gifts for the greedy, Krampus! Ho! Ho! Ho!” The Mimic/present shook back and forth in response. Then it emitted a large belch, and was still. 

After the chaotic spectacle, Elora, couldn't help but ask Santa if what Krampus said was true about the darkness in their hearts. Santa's smile faded slightly as he admitted, "Yes, my dear Elora, there is darkness in each of you. But it's the denial of that darkness, and the goodness you strive for in helping strangers and watching out for each other, that earns you a place on the nice list!"

With a wave of Santa’s hand, a wrapped present appeared at the feet of each adventurer. Grecken eyed hers with open suspicion but Elora picked up her present with a squeal of delight. Her black-taloned fingers shred the wrapping to reveal a small box. She looked at Santa, who gave a nod of permission, murmuring softly, “good things come…” Inside was an amulet of golden links, with a dark shard mounted in the middle of the chain. As she touched it, a glow formed deep within the crystal. 

The other party members unwrapped their own presents, and as they did so a light snow began to fall and obscure the horror and ruin around them. Weary faces became cheery smiles as the party rejoiced in their gifts. For Remme, a willow branch adorned with silver bells. For Votun, a high-collared wool mantle adorned with sigils of warding. For Grecken…

“Really?” the gnome called out, glaring at Santa, as she held up a pair of fur-cuffed red boots with up-curled toes. Despite her words, her lips couldn’t repress a grin forming on her face as she felt the boots visibly vibrate with energy.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” Santa called from atop his sleigh, and gathered the reins for departure. The party paused the admiration of their treasures to bid him farewell.

"Remember," Santa called out as his sleigh lifted into the night sky, "it's the kindness and goodwill you share that truly make the season bright. Happy holidays, my friends! And Merry Christmas!"

And so, our iconic adventurers, having faced the Abattoir of Avarice and learned valuable lessons along the way, made their way from the dis-enchanted cemetery. Their hearts filled with newfound camaraderie, the joy of the holiday season, and the warmth of magical gifts that would doubtless serve them well in future adventures.

---

Thank you, dear backers, for joining this journey with The Vault of Mini Things. May your holidays be filled with laughter, love–and the magic of adventure!

Sincerely, 

Mike, Lane, Chris, and Marshall

Happy ongoing holiday season, Vaulters! This update is a celebration of nature. It does not require any action on your part. That said, as a reminder: if you have not yet completed your Backerkit Survey for your pledge, please do so.

PAX Unplugged
TinkerHouse Games will be showing up in force to PAX Unplugged! We'll have our biggest booth ever--20 feet by 20 feet--with all of our terrain on sale at convention-discounted prices. We'll also have a mockup of the Vault of Mini Things on display, as well as some art-proof mockups of walls, tiles, and standees. Badges for PAX Unplugged are still available as of this writing, so if you'd like to experience the best three days of tabletop gaming this December 1-3 in Philadelphia, PA: register for the show today!

Marshall Art

Marshall's proud to present some furry friends large and small. 

Vault Ventures

This section is a narrative of the community-chosen adventuring band, as detailed in Update 18. Its purpose is to show the Vault used for actual play, and entertain backers over the course of product development and production. 

When last we saw our heroes, they’d gone into the woods to hunt down an infamous haunted cemetery–but instead became the prey of the unhallowed burial ground. Faced with a ravenous horde of cursed undead, the Vaulter community decided our heroes would rally around Remme and protect him while he attempted a Druidic ritual…

Amidst the eerie glow of the moonlight filtering through the skeletal branches, the party rallied to defend Remme as he began the druidic ritual. Votun, the warforged, stepped into a leadership role, barking tactical orders that cut through the chaos of the undead onslaught. Grecken danced with her twin daggers, a whirlwind of steel that cut down the horde wherever it encroached while Elora channeled arcane energies to fend off the relentless advance.

Remme, in the center of this maelstrom, focused on his ritual, drawing upon the ancient magic of the land. The air crackled with energy as vines erupted from the ground, entwining the skeletal forms of the undead, slowing their relentless march. Yet, in the rush to defend against the horde, the ritual was completed with an unsettling haste.

The air thickened with an ominous tension as Remme's magic manifested. The avatar of nature he summoned was not the benevolent spirit of renewal he anticipated. Instead, emerging from the twisted energy, a malevolent and capricious figure materialized—the sinister Krampus himself!

As Krampus materialized, a twisted smirk on his horned visage, the party found themselves in a desperate struggle to protect the faltering Remme. Votun, ever the efficient tactician, directed the group with precision, exploiting the chaotic terrain of the cemetery to create chokepoints and provide cover. The clash of steel against bone reverberated through the night as Grecken and Elora fended off the relentless undead while shielding Remme from the chaotic swings of Krampus.

The battle escalated into a cataclysmic spectacle. Krampus, fueled by the corrupted magic of the cemetery, tore through the undead hordes surrounding him with terrible efficacy, sending splinters of bone and gobs of decaying flesh against the marble and iron walls of the Abattoir of Avarice. The party dodged through the tombstones, trying to stay ahead of the unstoppable force that was Krampus.

Amidst the devastation, a colossal grave golem lumbered forth to challenge the malevolent spirit. A titanic clash ensued, with Krampus and the golem smashing through crypts and tombstones, sending debris from shattered crypts and the splintered remains of sarcophagi flying through the air. Votun led the party into cover, then popped his head back up to analyze the respective capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of the giant combatants. Whoever wins is who they'll have to deal with. As he observed the combat he couldn't help but compare the golem's composition of wood, iron, and stone to his own body. Such a powerful form, devoted entirely to mindless destruction. The warforged's mechanical eyes flicked down to his hand, securely gripping the hilt of his well-tended and well-used blade. The eyes blinked, then flicked back to the fight.

The brawlers lurched into a tall mausoleum, bursting through the iron doors and bringing the roof down in a cacophony of splintering slate. As the dust swirled, a single hulking body slowly rose from the rubble. Then it threw its head back in a triumphant cackle, and the full moon silhouetted within the mist the horned form of Krampus. Remme, delirious and drained from the corrupted ritual, slumped to the ground, his magical connection with Krampus faltering.

Trick or Treat?

Silence descended upon the ravaged cemetery as Krampus turned to fully face the party. The twisted figure surveyed the destruction surrounding him, his eyes gleaming with malevolent delight. The party, battered but resilient, exchanged a quick conversation about their next move.

"Is he under our control?" Votun questioned, eyeing Krampus warily. "Or is he another pawn of the cemetery?"

Elora, her gaze fixed on the capricious figure, remarked, "Perhaps he has his own agenda, independent of our commands."

Grecken spared a moment to glare at Remme, "Well that was one hell of a magicking, Druid. You’ve brought us a powerful ally... or a formidable foe."

The party stood at a crossroads, unsure of the true nature of Krampus and the implications of his presence. With uncertainty hanging in the air, the adventurers faced a pivotal decision. What shall be their next move in this haunting tale?

Choice 1: Attempt to Control Krampus - Utilize Remme's druidic powers to assert control over Krampus, hoping to bend the malevolent spirit to their will.

Choice 2: Parley with the Devil - Engage in a dialogue with Krampus, seeking to understand his motives and intentions, hoping to discern whether he is an ally or a foe.

Choice 3: Seize the (and roll for) Initiative - Immediately attack before Krampus can regain his strength, choosing aggression over uncertain alliances.

The fate of our heroes rests once again in the hands of our esteemed backers. Make your choice via the poll associated with this Update, and let the story unfold in the next chapter of The Vault of Mini Things' iconic adventures!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Mike, Lane, Chris, and Marshall