UPDATE #3: The One About Getting Funded
about 4 years ago – Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 01:31:35 PM

Hey all,

We did it! Or should I say, you did it! We're 100% funded with 17 days left in the campaign. It's a little crazy seeing the number as it's so close to our number from last year. Especially so when you compare the number of backers from last year (517) to the ones so far for Wanderers (140). While it's a bit early for speculation, I think there's a few stretch goals we'll be able to hit before this whole thing is done. 😉

This update will be on the short side, but keep an eye out later tonight or tomorrow for a larger update that introduces the Grinning Rat Publications Calendar. The calendar will be on the grinningratpub.com website along with other relevant platforms and will show when articles go live, products get launched, timelines get adjusted, and much more.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

We'll talk more about what the calendar looks like and how it works in the next update. For now, congrats! And thank you, sincerely. Because of you, this thing is happening. 🎉

- Nate W

UPDATE #2: The One About Dungeon Types (and a 72 Hour Secret Stretch Goal!)
about 4 years ago – Thu, Feb 03, 2022 at 06:35:37 PM

Hey all,

This next update to Wanderers is going to cover the new dungeon types: the Crypt, the Hells, the Strange, and the Faerie Realms. We've also got a secret stretch goal that unlocks if we fund the project in the first 72 hours (that's by 9AM EST Friday, February 4). Read on!

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

Usually in roleplaying games, there exist a few tables to generate your own dungeons. Some of them include rooms, others talk about the type of dungeon it is. These tables are entirely serviceable, but... they're kind of boring. In fact, they rarely have anything in them that I couldn't come up with on the fly.

When making the dungeon types and their tables in Dungeoneering, I wanted to have tables with imaginative, evocative ideas; the sort of stuff that's hard to come up with on the fly and gets the imagination kicked on. In Wanderers, we're keeping with that tradition in creating tables that hopefully will help your games be epic, fantasy adventures with memorable creatures, NPCs, and objectives.

Without further ado then, the dungeon types in Wanderers:

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

The Crypt

Buried deep in the charnel earth are the waking remains of the dead and the foul creatures that have risen them. Here are a few examples of what the Crypt's tables are populated with:

• d6 "What is it?" Table: The dreaded necropolis of the Alabaster Ghouls. (Result 4)
• d6 "Who occupies it?" Table: A family of deranged surgeons ascribing to the Book of Mortis. (Result 5)
• d6 "What rewards are there?" Table: The platinum-lined bones of Ser Matas, Deadbane. (Result 6)
• d6 "What living thing thrives here?" Table: Rotvine, that pernicious perennial! (Result 1)

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

The Hells

Far and away from the realms of men exist the vast underworld of devils and fiends, eager to inflict pain and suffering on any who ascribe to that which is good. Here are a few examples of what the Hells' tables are populated with:

• d6 "What is it?" Table: The brimstone vaults of the miserly Coin Cambions (Result 3)
• d6 "Who occupies it?" Table: The demigod oracle Gargower, kidnapped by an obsessed Rakshasa. (Result 4)
• d6 "What rewards are there?" Table: The gem gallstones of a Mountitan, delicately extracted. (Result 4)
• d6 "How do we escape?" Table: Force a Demonlord to perform an act of goodwill. (Result 6)

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

The Strange

At the very edge of the known universe is a place of disorienting geometry, impossible life, and terrifying truths; few who tread here leave with their minds intact. Here are a few examples of what the Strange's tables are populated with:

• d6 "What is it?" Table: An interplanar moot hall protected by Planar Shikari (Result 5)
• d6 "Who occupies it?" Table: A colony of mechanical humanoids, toiling in harmony. (Result 3)
• d6 "What rewards are there?" Table: A Purgespike; stabs through the mind and shakes the madness. (Result 5)
• d6 "Which Old God watches this place?" Table: Gargthlal, the Mind Slaver. (Result 1)

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

The Faerie Realms

Glittering silver pools, hues of mulberry and emerald, and enchantments aplenty. The Faerie Realms are ripe with power for the taking—that is, if that power doesn't take you first. Here are a few examples of what the Faerie Realms' tables are populated with:

• d6 "What is it?" Table: Longroot Castle; carved corpse of the progenitor of Treants. (Result 5)
• d6 "Who occupies it?" Table: Poor Ser Landyn, here to fetch a silver rose for Lady Antiam. (Result 2)
• d6 "What rewards are there?" Table: A trade: all your teeth for triple their weight in jewels. (Result 1)
• d6 "What ritual is afoot?" Table: A Satyr on a pan flute, whose melodies banish non-faerie folk. (Result 1)

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

If we can reach our funding goal in 72 hours, all backers will automatically receive BackerKit Credit upon campaign completion! The amount of credit is determined by your pledge tier:

• Digital Version backers will receive $2.50.
• Physical Version backers will receive $5.00.
• Complete Version backers will receive $7.50.
• Collector's Version backers will receive $10.00.

These credits can be used towards your pledge or towards future add-ons, such as pins, character sheet pads, or another copy of any of the books! Remember: This will only unlock if we reach our funding goal by 9AM EST on Friday, February 4. That's tomorrow! 

More secret stretch goals may be unlocked as the campaign progresses, so keep an eye on your inboxes and on these updates.

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

Your early pledge will help us have the strongest possible launch and unlock rewards for everyone! And if you've already pledged, get the word out - our project thrives on your support. Thanks and see you in tomorrow's update!

- Nate W

UPDATE #1: The One About Roles (and the Dungeoneering Subreddit!)
about 4 years ago – Wed, Feb 02, 2022 at 04:01:45 PM

Hey all,

The first update to Wanderers is going to cover the new roles: Troubadour and Scout. We've also got a cool announcement about the Dungeoneering subreddit towards the end!

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

The Troubadour

The Troubadour is able to beguile even the nastiest of foes and has two special features that help them charm their way through a dungeon:

•  Captivate Audience: You may attempt to enchant an audience in order to befriend them or calm hostilities.
•  Bolster Allies: You may rally your allies with your words of encouragement.

Both features can be performed a number of times equal to your Favor mod, per dungeon level.

Starting equipment is as follows: 

• 1 x scimitar (sword)
• 1 x instrument (required for Captivate Audience)
• 1 x starting pack (5 x torches, 5 x rations, 1 x filled waterskin)

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

The Scout

The Scout alerts the party to upcoming threats and silently eliminates foes with two special features that grant them superior perception of the dungeon's inhabitants:

•  Silent Strike: In total darkness, you can inflict massive damage on unsuspecting foes.
•  Trackfinder: You can track the dungeon's denizens no matter where they are.

Both features utilize your Agility mod and grant bonuses as such.

Starting equipment is as follows:

• 1 x bow
• 1 x dagger
• 1 x starting pack (5 x torches, 5 x rations, 1 x filled waterskin)

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Both new roles bring exciting new features to Dungeoneering, allowing for more robust parties in the dungeon. While we can't show everything about the new features, this preview should give an idea of what to expect!

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

A true dungeoneer, adventurearth on Reddit, has gone through the trouble of creating a subreddit for the game! This was a fun surprise to learn about and they've already gone ahead with a few cool posts including a fan-made character sheet and a solo play report of the starter dungeon, Mazar's Tower (found in both the base game and as a freebie in the Quick-Start Rules available at grinningratpub.com).

Please go check it out and consider joining! It sounds like a great place for fans to congregate and discuss the game. I'll be checking it regularly as well, so it's a good place to ask questions and get insights on the game and its upcoming expansion.

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

That's it for today's update! Excited to see such amazing progress on the campaign so far and eager to see where we end up by campaign's end. Back today if you haven't already and share with your friends, family, LGS, and anyone else who likes to be bothered about RPGs!

- Nate W