The Bestiary has cleared customs … but of course we hit a giant “reset” button and my freight company left out important details. Now we’re waiting for something called “de-vanning” and that apparently was not conveyed to me. On the flip side, I am awaiting only Kickstarter’s approval to get the next solo adventure for TFT underway. Lots and lots of secret-squirrel conversations with Steve Jackson Games, and some excellent development work by my author squad. The Foundry VTT module has been sent out to all backers, and is receiving good reviews.

• I can see why Phil Reed is pulling his beard out over the long list of reasons why freight companies cannot move goods from place to place. What looked like a sure thing to get my books less than 200 miles from NYC to Baltimore has seen more than a week of delay.
• I got the final cover, the revised manuscript, and lots of playtest feedback on David’s ‘Till Death Do Us Part solo adventure for TFT. This will be a blitzkrieg Kickstarter, but the only thing that I need right now is interior art and more playtesting. Everything else is ready.
• Really good conversations with SJGames about a lot of things. There were something like 6-10 project discussed, some of which are “awareness” and some of which were “permission.”
• I’m likely to try and launch a Kickstarter a month through the end of the year. Some are single-book, some are multiple-release.

Gaming Ballistic Patreon

To help with ongoing funding of art and speed eventual time to delivery, Gaming Ballistic started a Patreon in January 2021. Here’s the weekly update on Patreon status.

• Membership status: 63 patrons and $590 per month.
• Special Content in May: Wizards to Grow post and two sneak previews of David’s new solo for TFT in preliminary form. Also a WIP of Let Us Rejoice!, a systemless volume building on festivals in fantasy worldbuilding. Preview installs of the Foundry VTT module for the Bestiary. Till Death Kickstarter Preview

Thus far, been a good month for Patreon content distribution, with good previews and some real utility. Things getting a bit tight over the last week or so, as I was a bit head-down on some things.

Gaming Ballistic in Media

• I published three posts taking Delvers to Grow to 500–600 points. The knight limited out a bit, the swashbuckler didn’t, and wizards required more work. I got a guest post by Kalzazz on the swashbuckler and I’m sure I’ll do one soon as well.

Currently Manufacturing/Fulfilling/Shipping

Projects where hardcopies and PDFs are going out or scheduled to do so.

Nordlondr Ovinabokin: Bestiary

• Books cleared customs and released for pickup May 19
   … oh, I’m sorry, when we said they were “ready for pickup,” we neglected to mention that while that is technically true of your books, in fact, the container that they’re inside is NOT completely cleared, and we need to clear that first, which means that the books need to be “de-vanned” and that wasn’t complete until the morning of May 27, and now we’re talking about a June 1 ETA … but of course, we haven’t actually scheduled a pickup or delivery with the trucking company, so that June 1 date? Yeah, we’re making that up just so that we can tell you something and make you go away, at least until you call back tomorrow.
• From last update: Anticipate arrival in Baltimore for fulfillment May 15-19, but will it happen on time? “Even the wisest cannot tell.” -Galadriel. We are now looking at something like more than two weeks to move a small pallet of books less than 200 miles. If I didn’t already have a buzzcut, my hair would be bald by now. Ridiculous.
• The VTT Foundry Module was distributed to all backers. As people install it and use it, Nick and Nose are resolving issues as they come up. Find one? Use this github link to report it.

Crowdfunding and Product Launches

The Bestiary Kickstarter is in the fulfillment stage, and starting to look like we can perhaps see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have made arrangements to have the Bestiary PDF and the Delvers to Grow physical and PDF books hosted on Warehouse 23. Expect that soon, along with ensuring ALL of my products can be had in both physical and PDF form from there.

Now Available in PDF format on DriveThruRPG:

• Bestiary and Enemies Book (Dungeon Fantasy RPG)
• Delvers to Grow: Core Book (Dungeon Fantasy RPG)
• Delvers to Grow: Strong Delvers (Dungeon Fantasy RPG)
• Delvers to Grow: Fast Delvers (Dungeon Fantasy RPG)
• Delvers to Grow: Smart Delvers (Dungeon Fantasy RPG)
• The Crypt of Krysuvik (125-point adventure for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG)

If ‘Till Death Do Us Part doesn’t launch next week, it will do so the week after. Watch for the “Follow the Campaign” link!

Product Announcements

The full Product Catalog has been updated for Spring 2022. It now includes Delvers to Grow, Tower of the Moon, and the Nordlond Bestiary. Any pre-orders for the Bestiary will be filled roughly April 2022, once the shipment comes in. I will be changing my retail discount structure to be much simpler, only a 50% discount level for retail orders.

Strategy change on the Nordlond Bestiary to Brazilian Portuguese. I’m going to get Fantastic Dungeon Grappling professionally translated. It’s only eight pages, and that will be very fast. We’ll use THAT as a test of the ability to reach Brazil with a PDF offering, and gauge market size. If that works out, I’ll do more. Maybe much more.

Till Death Do Us Part (TFT), by David Pulver, has a KS Preview Page  and launches in 1-2 weeks.

Till Death Do Us Part (OSE), by David Pulver will mark Gaming Ballistic’s first release for Old School Essentials. I’m going to follow the TFT version very quickly with an Old School Essentials solo adventure kickstarter. The current plan is to convert some or all of the four solos I have to OSE and launch them in July, immediately following the TFT version of ‘Till Death.

Let Us Rejoice! is a systemless exploration of festivals and gatherings as great ways to make a world come alive. Uses and collects the Nordlond material that is scattered over several books as examples, but also goes further than that. This will be GB’s first systemless release, aimed at mid-August.

Unspecified DFRPG Project(s). A minimum of two, possibly more, DFRPG projects in late September or early October.

In Development

Writing and content creation for announced projects. Some of this may be cryptic.

• Nordlondr Bestiary, by Douglas Cole. Dungeon Fantasy RPG. Almost there.
• Till Death Do Us Part, a TFT and OSE Project with David Pulver. First draft received, sent back with comments, revised draft received and laid out. Cover art revision received and cover laid out. ISBN obtained. Now starting to commission interior artwork.
• Let Us Rejoice! Systemless short book (probably less than 16 pages) on festivals in fantasy gaming, and why you should be using more of them.
• Secret Bestiary Project. One thing led to another, and a long-time collaborator is turning author on this short and focused expanssssion to the Nordlondr Bestiary.
• Secret DFRPG Short Project. Another Dungeon Fantasy RPG project, again with a new-to-me author, that will be a short rules expansion. Think Fantastic Dungeon Grappling short, hopefully bringing more optional awesome to one area of play.
• Secret Delvers to Grow Material. I’m working with a new-to-me author on some work expanding the Delvers to Grow landscape. I’m not sure if this will go to publication as a stand-alone or be incorporated into a future, broader expansion. I could see either way.
• Portuguese Nordlond Bestiary/Fantastic Dungeon Grappling, by Douglas Cole. Looking at doing FDG in Brazilian Porguguese as a market test, and explicitly stating it that way. We shall see.
• Two Warring Houses, by Douglas Cole. Systemless. Actually saw some writing over Valentine’s Day. On hold as other things come first.
• Inns and Taverns, by Marshall LaPira. Systemless. Still postponed indefinitely. A good time for this would either be along with Let Us Rejoice (in a few months) or real close to the end of the year.

I note that for new authors, Delvers to Grow and Bestiary entries are fantastic ways to get into the game, as such projects lend themselves very well to focused writing and fast turn-around.

Friction

Bits of news and items that put a monkey in the wrench.

• Freight partner manages to miscommunicate badly, and now we’re looking at more than two weeks to NOT move the books fewer than 200 miles. It would be comical if it weren’t so aggravating.
• No work on Let Us Rejoice, again, though my time was productively taken up in other places.
• Still struggling with SendOwl, FoundryVTT, and Shopify because no one wants to cooperate with anyone else. Gah.
• Am probably going with “Pay Shipping Later” for Backerkit, a new option. But that means no PayPal this go-around, which is sad. They say that PayPal function will be restored when the pay later concept gets out of beta-test. I forwarded Backerkit a list of commentary on what the issue is with simply kicking the can down the road on shipping will be: their way of addressing shipping doesn’t correspond to reality, and that means that “do it later” is really just prolonging the pain, without the ability to actually put in “my goods cost this much to ship.”
• On the flip side, and equally painful, I cannot actually get a download of shipping costs by user from ShipQuest either, and not sure if I can. I talked to my US fulfillment partner, and they can’t won’t supply a preview on prices either. This is not just hard, it’s being made deliberately so.
• I’m really tired.

Fair Winds

Information about things that move GB forward.

These last two weeks made some progress, but then really accelerated at the end. The last 2–3 days in particular were really productive.

• ‘Till Death is really shaping up well. This is the earliest I’ve gotten playtest feedback, and two testers checked all the links, and one of those replayed the scenario four times, plus running the major battles. This is going to be touch and go, in all the right ways, and the choices you make matter. Kudos to David.
• Really good and productive conversation with a Brazilian Portuguese translator. And a much better strategy there.
• New artist has started working on counters/tokens for ‘Till Death, and his first effort is really slick. That’s going to work out.
• Very productive set of conversations and emails, first with Sean, then Alain, and some good progress towards ensuring all of my stuff is on Warehouse 23 in both physical and digital formats. And am expecting a hopefully positive conversation about promotion next week as well.
• I submitted my Kickstarter for review and should hear back by Monday, though Monday is Memorial Day in the USA so that’s likely not really going to happen either.

So I’m hopefully looking at some amount of revenue in June, and then with any luck, I’ll get some OSE buy-in for the solo adventures in July. Here’s hoping!