Job and Kickstarter Update
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 07:35:52 AM

Hello everybody!

This last couple months have been incredibly stressful for me. I've put out a couple hundred applications looking for jobs since I was laid off and for the most part I was left without any responses. It has been a nonstop draining experience that has left me in a pretty bad state BUT as of yesterday, I've finally gained employment again. Now that that complication is out of the way, focus is going to return to this project. 

I appreciate everybody being patient while I've been going through the job search. During that time, I got an update from the editor with the revision work done. I'll be starting on getting the revised text into the layout this weekend. Once I have that done, all that will be left is a town map and dungeon map for the adventure which I've already got work started on.  Once those are done, this project is finished and I can release it to PDF for all of you! I know it's been a long time coming and I thank all of you for helping this come to fruition.  I'm hoping to have everything wrapped up on this in the next two weeks so I can put this out and start getting this ready to ship out to print. 

Once I have this ready for digital release, I'll open up the backer kit for everybody and get things sent out. Once that opens, I'll make an update for everybody. I'm looking forward to finally wrapping this project up! 

Speak with you all soon as I get this wrapped up. 

 David

A Couple of Stumbling Blocks
over 1 year ago – Mon, May 15, 2023 at 06:28:34 AM

Hello everybody. Wanted to check in here and give a recent update on the state of this project. It's still moving along but the editing and revision phase isn't going as quickly as I had hoped. It's still proceeding and the document is getting nice and cleaned. But it's still going a bit slower than my initial estimates. That being said, editing isn't the biggest stumbling block that I've recently hit. 

I'm an independent creator. As such, this is a hobby that I enjoy. Making things to put out there and share fills me with immense joy but it's not what I do to pay my bills. Everything from this project is being fed back into this project and setting up future ones. I work in the tech industry as a Frontend developer and recently I've fallen into the same issue that many developers have and I've been laid off from my job. This is putting a sever wrench into my time. As of now my focus has to be on finding a new job. I don't think this will take a large amount of time but it will mean that continued work on this project will have to slow down further. Editing should continue as I have an editor already but the revision work I've been doing based on the editor's comments is where things will slow down. 

My goal was to get the PDF of this out around this week or near the end of this month but that doesn't seem like it will be the case as of now. I sincerely apologize for this delay. I will do what I can to keep this moving forward but right now my focus has to be on supporting my family and myself. I don't foresee the job hunt stalling this project for too long but I do think this may have to push the PDF release back until end of June or mid-July. I really appreciate the enthusiasm I've seen for this and I hope everybody can forgive the slight delay. When I find a new job, I will make an update again letting everybody know that we're back on the normal focus I've been giving. Until then, I apologize again for this hiccough. It was an unforeseen thing and, believe me, if I could have made it not happen I would have. 

Thank you all for your patience. I hope to have another update soon letting everybody know the job hunt is over.

Until then...

Art and Update
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 22, 2023 at 10:16:18 AM

Hey, everybody! It's been a little bit since I've given an update so let's fix that by giving you an idea of where the project is currently sitting and sharing some of the amazing artwork that's been coming our way. 

First We Art

I really want to share the artwork first because we've been getting  some amazing pieces in for this book. Here's a sampling of what we've been getting. 

I am in love with so many of these pieces. I can't wait for this book to come out so I can share the rest of the work with everybody. Speaking of the book coming out, here's a bit of a progress report. 

Book Update

For those that don't really want the specifics, the big picture here is we're still expecting this to come out on time, potentially a bit early dependent on editing and revision work. The goal is mid to late May for the PDF to come out. We'll start sending the PDF out for print samples the moment the PDF is launched. Now, if you're interested in the nitty gritty, here's all the details on where everything is sitting. 

Writing

As of this point, my work on writing the book is complete minus a couple tweaks. These will be wrapped up this week and mostly concern reviewing mechanics on the new school of magic, the School of Kinesis. 

The NPC stat blocks that Zac was working on are also finished with the exception of Gribble's stat block. While it is technically complete, I still need to review it and make sure the spell list works. Other than that, the NPC stat blocks are ready to go. 

The guest writer adventure. This is the area that still has the most work. This turned out to be a lot larger than I was expecting. Right now it's sitting at nearly 22 pages in google doc form. This is also adding an unexpected gain for everybody that backed this because now we're getting a lot more stat blocks, new magic items, and some campaign setting expansion that I hadn't initially considered adding to this book. I've helped Chris Hopper through some of the world lore and I'm very excited to get this into players and GM hands. This is a tier 4 adventure that includes a town siege, location hopping, and long lost ruins and lore to be unearthed. Chris expects to have this wrapped up very soon which leads into the next part of the update. 

Editing

This has been the biggest hurdle. I've only just now, like minutes before posting this, locked an editor in for this project. It's put this part of the project slightly behind but now that we've got one, I'll be able to get the ball rolling in this aspect of the project. 

Artwork

As I've shared, a lot of the artwork is in. In fact, all but 2 pieces have been finished from the artists I've commissioned. But there are still quite a few pieces that I'm working on. Specifically, the town map and dungeon map for the adventure and some minor pieces throughout the book. I'm tackling my duties in chunks and expect to move into the artwork after I have my writing 100% finished. Given that only tweaking small items remain, I expect to shift focus to my art pieces this week or next week. One of the piece of constructive criticism I received on my previous work with Knights of the Shadow Realm was there wasn't enough artwork so a large portion of the Kickstarter funds has gone into making sure that isn't the case this time and I think, once everybody is able to see the whole thing, they will agree it was worth it. This book is looking amazing with everything coming together in it. Which brings me to the final bit. 

Layout

I've been working the layout and graphic design elements as this has been coming together so mostly of this is already where I want it to be. I'm holding off locking everything into place until after editing and revision work is done as that can shift some of the layout around but I don't except there to be massive changes come from this. At this point, Layout is one of the easiest things left to work on. Once I have all content finalized, it should come together quickly and we can get this out in PDF form to everybody. 

Wrap Up

Alright, that's basically it for the update. Once I have the PDF ready to go out, we should be able to open backerkit and start locking everybody in for their orders. Once we have that ready to go, I'll send out the PDFs of Gribble's Guide alongside the 3 adventures that were unlocked in the stretch goals. I've already had a few people reach out with address changes and other requests. I've noted these down so, as we set everything up on our side, we'll make certain everything comes to where it's expected to go. 

And that's basically everything. If anybody has questions or concerns, feel free to message me. I'm more than happy to field them and answer how I can. I'm hoping the next update that comes out either says when we'll be wrapping up or that we have wrapped up. Looking forward to being able to send that one out. Until next time!

Wizard Subclass Reveal and Feedback Form
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Feb 14, 2023 at 04:38:25 PM

Alright, everybody! This is the last subclass reveal. I want to thank everybody that's taken the time to respond to these as they've come out. I've done a fair bit of tweaking to most of these at this point and I think they all work a bit better thanks to the feedback that we've gotten. I'll be posting another update next week to give a full run down of where I am with this project and what all is left before the PDF is released so stayed tuned. And again, thanks for giving me feedback.

School of Kinesis Wizard

Many academies of magics are created on the backs of theoretical ideas that are pushed with further experimentation. It comes as no surprise that studies of kinetic energy have begun expanding into a new school of magic. As a student of this school, you study the potential energy held by all creatures great and small.

You study the energy and potential of motion. Movement is a charge, similar to other magical charges and you’ve found the potential energy needed to move something can be influenced and manipulated. You’ve made it your goal to control both your kinetic energy and the energies of those around you.

Kinetic Strider

2nd level School of Kinesis feature

Early lessons into the school of kinesis have taught you how to manipulate the potential energies within yourself in tense situations. Once per turn, after you cast a kinesis spell, you can move up to half your speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Kinetic Savant

2nd level School of Kinesis feature

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a kinetic spell into your spellbook is halved.

Forced Motion

6th level School of Kinesis feature

After mastering your own potential energy, it now becomes paramount to manipulate the motion of others. As a bonus action, you can target a creature you can see within 30 feet and force them to make a Strength saving throw equal to your spell casting save. If they fail, you can move that creature up to half their movement in a straight line in any direction as long as they are not blocked by an object. A willing creature does not have to make a save against this ability. You can do this a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one.) All expended uses of this feature are stored after a long rest.

Unstoppable Force

10th level School of Kinesis feature

Your studies have taught you to master motion and nothing will prevent you from exercising your skills. Your movement cannot be reduced by difficult terrain created by natural or magical means. You have advantage on saving throws made against spells or spell-like effects that would cause you to be restrained and on ability checks made against grappling.

Transient Vibration

14th level School of Kinesis feature

You’ve taken theories written in scrolls and books about the potential of motion and pushed them to extremes, learning how to control kinetic energy to a molecular level. When you use a bonus action to activate this feature, you gain the ability to move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 5 (1d10) force damage if you end your turn inside an object. This lasts for 1 minute.

Once you use this ability, you can’t do so again until you take a short or long rest.

Wizard Feedback Form

The following google form is meant to collect thoughts on the School of Kinesis Wizard subclass. Honest feedback will help in making any additional tweaks to the mechanics or theme of this subclass. The feedback will be collected over the course of 2 weeks after which the form will stop collecting responses.

School of Kinesis Wizard Feedback Form

Warlock Subclass Reveal and Feedback Form
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 05:32:19 PM

The Inevitable Patron Warlock

Through forlorn ritual or errant divination, chance partitioners in hope of untangling possibilities to events that have yet to come instead find their visions piercing the Veil that lies at the edge of reality itself. Even a momentary glimpse is forever binding. Those who have witnessed what lies beyond the Veil are now marked by knowledge of the inevitable. This insight forever binds them to an entity outside of time and space, leaving them an inadvertent thrall to mechanisms of the universe itself.

Expanded Spell List

The Inevitable lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

• Spell Level: 1st
• Spells: command, divine favor
• Spell Level: 2nd
• Spells: augury, zone of truth
• Spell Level: 3rd
• Spells: clairvoyance, speak with dead
• Spell Level: 4th
• Spells: divination, phantasmal killer
• Spell Level: 5th
• Spells: dominate person, skill empowerment

Unerring Knowledge

1st-level Inevitable feature

Peering through the Veil at the edge of all reality has imparted you with a kernel of secret, lost knowledge or lore. This knowledge has changed you. It is now the driving force that inspires you and gives you purpose in all that you do, binding you eternally with your patron. Discuss with your DM what this knowledge is and how it influences one of your character’s personality traits.

Once it is decided which personality trait this knowledge becomes a part of, nothing can change or affect it.

Intended Result

1st-level Inevitable feature

Everybody must walk a path to its intended destination. You’ve been shown what paths are destined and which are errant. It now lands on you to make certain these variant outcomes are corrected.

As a reaction, you can do one of the following:

• When you fail a skill check or saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead.
• When a creature within 15 feet of you has to make a skill check or saving throw, you can choose if that roll fails or succeeds.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Unavoidable Impact

1st-level Inevitable feature

The knowledge given you provides intent to every aspect of your life, including combat. Whenever you roll a 1 on a damage die, you may reroll. You must take the new result. You can do this to a number of dice equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). All expended uses are restored after a long rest.

Entropic Finality

6th-level Inevitable feature

Time is a gift given to all of us. It ebbs and flows but eventually it must end and sometimes you are the arbiter of this finality. You can use your action to create a spectral hourglass that hangs in the air above you. Once the hourglass has been summoned, choose a single creature on the battlefield to tether it to. For the next 1d4 rounds, that creature cannot benefit from damage resistances or damage immunities. The creature’s stats return to normal once this feature ends. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Fated Encounter

10th-level Inevitable feature

Some encounters are left to chance and then there are those that are written in the annals of fate. The paths of many whom you interact with are unavoidable and you do what you can to make certain that destiny is fulfilled sooner rather than later.

Once a day you can name a creature that you are familiar with. If that creature is on the same plane of existence as you, you immediately gain an idea of how far they are and in what direction. You don’t ascertain an exact location, but you do sense the general distance. You can name a different creature once you finish a long rest. After you do so, you lose your connection to the previous creature and can no longer sense their location until you name them again.

Inescapable Punishment

14th-level Inevitable feature

It is the folly of man to believe their fate can be escaped. You have seen past the Veil and taken in its truths. Time is not infinite and their punishment is inevitable.

As an action you can target an individual creature you can see within 60 feet. You then launch a torrent of energy directly at them that automatically finds its mark. The creature takes 50 force damage that ignores resistances. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Warlock Feedback Form

The following google form is meant to collect thoughts on the Inevitable Patron Warlock subclass. Honest feedback will help in making any additional tweaks to the mechanics or theme of this subclass. The feedback will be collected over the course of 2 weeks after which the form will stop collecting responses.

Inevitable Patron Warlock Feedback Form