We’re halfway there! From a time perspective, as well as financially, though projections are still as good as guesses in a networked world. The Kickstarter went live two weeks ago today, and we are currently marching through towards the final two stretch goals – paying for all full-color interior art and also commissioning a great cover.

So thanks to all who have pledged to get us this far! But we still have two weeks left, so where are we, and were are we going?

The Round Table

Firstly, if you haven’t heard it already, you might want to nip over to The Tome Show and hear James Introcaso and I discuss the game extensively on The Round Table Ep 146. If you are on the fence about the game, or are trying to figure out how to entice others to back it so that things can get even nicer, or are just wondering what sensibilities animate the design of the game . . . the conversation with James has you covered.

He’s a great host, and it was a great discussion.

Status and Progress

Just today I sent Nathan a note musing about what would go into the book, cover to cover, in every edition. You guys are my investors, so here’s the basic contents of that note:

• Cover. I need two covers, one with the bar code and ISBN for the PDF, and another for the print version, which will have the DTRPG SKU on it. I will need a front/back cover image, the relevant bar codes and spaces, the front and back text, and the various logos for compatibility. I don’t have the custom cover yet, but basically everything else is in hand. Nathan has agreed to help me compose those into a print-ready cover.
• Title Page. This is optional. I like ’em, but I’ll look at final page count after everything else is said and done. Still, that’s words-on-a-page level stuff. No work there.
• Title/Credits Page. I’ll need two of these, one per ISBN. But other than replacing that number, this is done.
• Table of Contents. This gets done last, automatically. Push button, receive content. Boom.
• Main Body. Done, except for the art. All the art direction is finished. I have been receiving sketches from artists. I’m embellishing some of the chapter pages (Chapter 1: Core Concepts) with background images sourced from Dyson Logos and Stephan Joy (that’s an impromptu upgrade, ’cause I like both of their work). Once the art is done, the main body is done.
• Backer List. Will receive this when the campaign is done, and we’ll sort it by tier, as promised.
• Quick-Reference Guide. Two pages of tables and calculations all in one place.
• Index. Done.
• Hyperlinks and Internal References. Will be done when all is assembled. Not sure how extensive this will be, but the PDF will make use of both layers (for print-friendly behavior) and internal click-and-jump so that you can easily navigate within the book.

And that’s the book, cover to cover. It is THAT close to done. Art, a bit of block and tackle, and then finished.

e-Book

The first stretch goal was for an eBook. It will be included in every pledge level that contains PDF and higher (so the $5 level and up).

This will be a single-column, text-and-tables only version of the book, optimized for small screens and fast loading. It’s the portable, rather than the pretty, version of the book. That seemed best.

The Weeks Ahead

This week and the first half of next week I’ll be providing some previews on art and status updates as they come in. But mostly I’ll be ensuring that Backerkit can get you what you want, and trying to figure out how much time to give folks to get their surveys done before they’re locked down. I’m thinking 10-14 calendar days after the campaign closes. When the finances are all settled, Backerkit will distribute all the digital files.

I will also be highlighting some of the great content to be found in the two Add-ons available. The Manor Collection is a great resource of quick-start micro-adventures and other kernels of gaming utility. Guardians asks the question of what would happen if the original genre chosen for the basic rules was superheroes instead of epic fantasy. You’ll find the grappling rules in both places, which is why they’re here in the campaign at all.

Thanks again for your support, check out The Round Table podcast, and I hope we finish as strong as we started! How can you help? It’s still not too late to spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, and other forums. Know someone into gaming with a great following? Direct them this way, and encourage resharing.

And for those in the states, I hope that this week is happy, healthy, and as full of tryptophan as you can stand.