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This campaign has been successfully funded. You can still place a pre-order for Dead Letter Society via this page until March 17th. The campaign will close after this date to finalise print quantities.
Dead Letter Society is a GM-less epistolary and journaling game for 1-2 players. Take on the roles of vampires exchanging letters via a secret society, pursue your ambitions, and delve deep into the world you create together. It can be played together or apart, in a single session, episodically, or asynchronously. It's also a zine, made for Zine Month, that I couldn't let lie until it reached its final form. By supporting this campaign you will help me bring this book to print. Each pledge also contributes free digital copies to the TTRPG community, so everyone has a chance to play.
Try it out!
Download the free preview on itch.io or DriveThruRPG today! | Table of Contents |
A journaling game where letters drive the action
This is a journaling game with a difference: choose your genre, describe your world, and then be guided by what you write. See How to Play for a detailed gameplay breakdown with examples, and/or take a look at the Preview .
Artwork sample: The Ace of Wands
Stay on the same page with world building or playsets
Set expectations about the world your vampires live in, and always have something to talk about.
- Choose a genre and theme that captures the essence of the experience you’d like to have.
- Define what it means to be a vampire by choosing descriptors that you can elaborate on, or subvert, together.
- Discuss the features of humanity and vampiric society that form the backdrop of your story.
- Or choose a pre-written playset to dive straight into the action.
You’re never left waiting
A well-crafted letter takes time, which is why there’s always something to do while you wait for the post.
- Uncover the secrets of the Dead Letter Society.
- Write your vampire’s chronicle and follow where their interests take them.
Bear the scars of your ambitions
There are no statistics, skill modifiers, or dice to roll in Dead Letter Society . Your vampire is not defined by their strength or wits, but instead by the assets they can bring to bear in a situation.
- Develop (and forfeit) a cast of enigmatic allies, sinister rivals, enthralling locations, and otherworldly items
- Pursue your ambitions, negotiate setbacks, and be guided by your principles
- Feel the consequences of your decisions as you sacrifice one asset to save another.
Journaling prompts that work with your intentions
When chronicling your vampire’s life, decide your actions, set your intention, and see what awaits you with the tarot.
- 22 Major Arcana prompts related to the motivations and actions of the Dead Letter Society.
- 56 branching Minor Arcana prompts, for a multitude of ways to complicate your unlife.
- Choose between your assets. What will you sacrifice to see your goals accomplished?
Make game night fit around you
Play Dead Letter Society at your leisure, in person, online, or by post.
- Asynchronous gameplay means you can play on when schedules clash.
- Play in one sitting, or spread it out over the week.
- Four two-player game variants to suit different play styles.
- Four solo options.
- A Discord bot to draw and track tarot card prompts for easier online play.
Book mockups from the preview pdf (linked below)
But really, what is the Dead Letter Society?
A network for the discerning vampire who values their privacy. The Dead Letter Society enables the secure exchange of ideas between its members, and matches them perfectly according to their goals*. Depending on the genre you play in, it could be a physical 'dead letter' office that processes envelopes branded with archaic designs, an ever-changing arrangement of dead drops, or a secure means of electronic communication. Regardless of its form, one thing is certain: it's true purpose, operators, and long-term goals are unknown to new initiates.
*Meaning the Society's goals. Occasionally aligning with the vampire's goals.
How to Play
If you'd like to learn more about all aspects of the game, take a look at this in-depth walkthrough. I talk about everything from setting up the game, building a world (or using a playset), making a character, and the phases of play.
Alternatively, you can listen along to one of my solo play-throughs of this game, which is also available as a blog post.
Testimonials and Reviews
"The atmosphere of this game, which is supported beautifully through the examples of play, art, and layout choices, is excellent." -- @ms_winford, TTRPG Reviewer & Performer. See the full review here
"It is not only a wonderfully well thought out game with
insightful prompts and a plethora of potential settings (really, it
can work with anything, anywhere), but one that provided me with a
whole heap of enjoyment, and I am sure a lot more to come."
-- @GothHoblin,
TTRPG and Creative Writer. Check here for the full review
and playthrough
"If I could only play one game ever again it would be probably be this one." -- @PennyBlake1827, TTRPG Writer and Reviewer. See the full review here.
Content Warnings
This game includes content warnings. Journaling games can be immersive experiences, and it is essential you look after your mental health and that of your fellow player. Some journaling prompts touch on grief, depression, overwhelm, anxiety, isolation, feeling trapped, and despair. A full list of cards covering these themes is given, so they may be removed ahead of time.
There are two options for rewards if you support this campaign. All options contribute one digital community copy to https://montfordtales.itch.io/ as soon as digital rewards are ready. Note that shipping is not included in these pledge prices (see Fulfilment).
Digital Only (£12)
| Print + PDF (£20)
| It Takes Two (£38)
| "Dead Art Society" (£100)
| Retailer Tier (£100)
|
Fulfilment
Note: Shipping is NOT included in pledge prices.
| Print fulfilment | Digital fulfilment |
I've partnered with Peregrine Coast Press and Ratti Incantati to fulfil physical rewards for this campaign. Once the books are printed and ready for shipping, you'll go ahead and visit the relevant store to get your book shipped. Your choice of fulfilment location will be collected post-campaign.
Current (as of 04/Feb/23) shipping prices with Peregrine Coast Press are
- UK: £5
- EU: £6.50
- RoW: £9
and similarly with Ratti Incantati
- Canada: CAD $4.19 to $6.47+tax
- USA: $6.75
- RoW according to Canada Post's International shipping rates
Dead Letter Society is a chunky book, and is expected to weigh 230-280g depending on the final page count if you wish to estimate a shipping cost to your country.
Digital rewards will be fulfilled through both itch.io and DriveThruRPG.
Stretch Goals
- £1350: Yay! We funded! - Done!
- £1500: Two more worldbuilding playsets (for a total of six) - Done!
- £1800: Two pre-gen characters for each playset (total of 12) - Done!
- £2300: Initial contact letters from each pre-gen character - Done!
- £3500: Scenario for a specific playset (playset to be determined by vote!)
If we (somehow!) reach those, we can have a nice long discussion about other supernatural creatures and the stories we might tell. I have no desire to compromise the print run timeline, so these stretch goals will be planned primarily as digital expansions for anyone with a digital or physical reward tier.
Artwork sample: Temperance
Rori is a former physicist who switched to freelance illustration and writing for TTRPGs. You can find her work in several third-party supplements for games ranging from D&D to Call of Cthulhu, and she is developing unique games of her own. She also has a toddler, who can instantly locate the most dangerous place to climb, and a cat who loses mice under the sofa. | Editor - E. R. F. Jordan
E. R. F. Jordan is an author, editor, and layout designer for tabletop roleplaying games. She has worked on successful Kickstarters such as Skullkickers: Caster Bastards by Jim Zub and Eidol: the Endless Dungeon by Compass Publishing House. She hopes to continue writing and playing tabletop games until the robot uprising eliminates the concept of fun. |
I'm crowdfunding for the amount needed to finish editing the text and print physical books. If the campaign exceeds its goal, I get paid too.
- Printing: £530
- Includes buffers for: increase in page count, printer delivery to fulfilment
- Remaining editing: £600
- Approx 2/3rds of the game has been edited, and paid for, in advance of this campaign. This part of the budget covers the remaining text.
- Includes a buffer for increased word count due to preview feedback.
- Platform fees: up to £127
- This is a "nearly free" campaign. You may choose to cover the platform fees with your pledge, in which case this part of the budget adds to the buffer
- Buffer: £93 (this also makes the goal a round number)
- NB: foreseeable increases have a buffer already included (e.g. print costs increasing as page count increases)
Status at campaign launch
The writing for Dead Letter Society is complete, and all of the text in the preview has been edited. Approximately 1/3rd of the book remains unedited as this campaign begins. The page layout is complete, subject to feedback from the community. All art is complete for the preview.
During the campaign
While the campaign is open, I will continue to create additional art and consider feedback received regarding the preview document. All text will be finalised before the end of the campaign.
Post-campaign
This campaign closes on March 10th, 2023. From then the expected timeline is
- Post-campaign survey sent by March 14th. Closes mid-April.
- Art and layout finalised by March 28th 2023
- Editing completes by March 28th 2023
- Early April: Digital rewards sent
- One week allowed for feedback on digital copy in case of proofing errors (there's always something)
- Mid-April: Order print proof copy (there's always
something!)
- End-April: Order a second proof if things went really wrong
- Early May: Order print books
- Mid-End May: Books available at fulfilment partners
- June 2-4th, see me at UK Games Expo!
Risks
This is my first crowdfunding campaign, which carries its own risk. However, the writing is complete, and a significant portion (2/3rds!) has been edited. My art commission schedule will remain clear until this project completes to reduce the risk of overrun in that area.
I intend to see this project through to a digital release regardless of the outcome of this campaign. It might take a bit longer, but it will happen.
Perks
- 4 ordered
- 1 remaining
Choose a tarot card to include in the game's art, and receive the original inked artwork along with a print and pdf copy of Dead Letter Society. Each pledge at this level contributes one digital Community Copy after the campaign closes. See the terms in the FAQ before choosing this reward.
NB: Shipping is not included. It is collected during fulfilment.
Highlights
See all activity138The Almanac of Sanguine Paths: 24 hours remaining
There's now only 24 hours left until the Kickstarter campaign for The Almanac of Sanguine Paths ends.
The Almanac of Sanguine Paths is a sibling book to Dead Letter Society, putting werewolves centre frame. You may remember me saying at a few points during Zine Month how much I wanted to add werewolves to Dead Letter Society, but doing them justice was out-of-scope. I think that Almanac does them justice. :)
Be werewolves who write letters to each other in this 1-2 player tarot-driven epistolary & journaling game:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/montfordtales/the-almanac-of-sanguine-paths
- Rori
PS: If you've seen this from several places: thank you for being so supportive and keeping up with things in multiple places, and also -- sorry!
The Almanac of Sanguine Paths
Hi everyone,
It's been a while since you've heard from me here, since you all have Dead Letter Society in your hands. :) However, today (September 29th) I'm launching a sibling-book to Dead Letter Society on Kickstarter: The Almanac of Sanguine Paths.
The Almanac of Sanguine Paths is a GM-less letter writing and journaling TTRPG for 1-2 players. It sees you play as werewolves who’ve received a mysterious book from an unknown benefactor. Their motives are unknown, but within the book are the means of communicating with others of your kind.
Features
- A werewolf journaling game that adapts to your preferred play style and genre.
- A letter writing game without the waiting. You've always something to do.
- Tarot-driven and i ntention-based journaling. Decide what you'd like to do, then draw and answer a journaling prompt to develop the idea.
- Immersive world and character building.
- Game variants for both solo and two-player games.
- Pre-generated settings and characters to complement Dead Letter Society.
- Fully illustrated with traditionally drawn artwork inspired by werewolves and the tarot.
Dead Letter Society: Final updater
Hey everyone,
I think this is the last email you'll get from me about this Crowdfundr specifically – thank you for both your support and your patience.
If you ordered a print copy, you should have received an email about fulfilment from Peregrine Coast Press (I believe the invoice appears to come from "Roll With It Ltd") or myself with a discount code for Ratti Incantati's store.
If you haven't, please contact me!
If you've had a chance to play, I would love to hear your stories.
Happy writing, everyone. Next time: werewolves.
Cheers,
Rori
Dead Letter Society: Books books books
Hi everybody,
We're very, very nearly there!
- Books have arrived at Peregrine Coast Press, and you should have received an email to pay shipping and get your copy.
- Books are en route to Ratti Incantati, ETA this week.
- Books to be picked up at UKGE are all wrapped up and waiting to go. :)
I hope you enjoy playing it! I'd love to hear any stories you're happy to share.
UK Games Expo / Prints / Notebooks
I have a small table at the UK Games Expo this year, so if you're going, give me a wave. This also means I now have prints and notebooks featuring art from Dead Letter Society. I don't have many, but they're all available from my shop while I have them.
Cheers,
Rori
Dead Letter Society: 8-ish (?) weeks later
Hi everybody,
The print order has been submitted.
Hang on, that was fun to say, so I'm going to say it again:
The print order has been submitted!
So now we wait. :)
If you're picking up your order from me at the UK Games Expo, I'm at stand 2-952 (near the crossing of Dungeons and Dragons Street and Monarch Avenue). I'll check in ahead of the event to confirm, but your book(s) should be set aside and waiting for you.
If you're not doing that, keep an eye out for a mail from me around the end of May when everything should have reached the lovely Peregrine Coast Press (who are also at the UK Games Expo) and Ratti Incantati.
In other news:
- If you backed at the Dead Art Society level, please check your email. Your art is being shipped by me, not PCP/Ratti and I need to give you a shipping quote. (If your art is shipped, you can ignore this.)
- Digital copies have been updated on Itch and DriveThru to catch all the bugs I found with the print proof. No major changes, but a few "nice to haves".
Now though, I think we just twiddle our thumbs and wait for the printers to do their magic.
Thank you so much for your support – hopefully we'll have those print copies in peoples hands soon!
Cheers,
Rori
Dead Letter Society: Six & a Half Weeks Later
Hi everybody,
I held off on an update last Friday because it wouldn't have been as exciting as writing it now. The print proof has arrived, and it looks pretty good! There's a little flick-through on this Twitter thread if you're interested. I'll make a few small tweaks this week, but then we're heading firmly into the final stages. Let's review what happens next and how you can help.
Digital Rewards
Everyone should have received a link to their digital copy of Dead Letter Society.
- If you haven't received your link, send me an email.
- If you got your link via Itch.io: I've only just seen today that it's not letting at least one of you add the game to your library. I'm going to look into that next and potentially send out new emails to you all.
- If you got your link via DriveThruRPG, everything should have worked.
Print Rewards
This is important: I'm going to lock down the survey responses on May 3rd at noon (BST). If you haven't replied to the survey by then, your book will be available from Peregrine Coast Press as the default option.
- All of the books will be printed in the UK and then shipped to Peregrine Coast Press, which will forward copies to Ratti Incantati.
Why? Print costs in Canada, at the moment, where Ratti are based, are nearly double the UK cost (a margin that keeps increasing each time I look). I simply don't have the buffer available to print locally in Canada. On the bright side, this means they should all match the proof copy I received today.
On the downside, it will take longer for backers selecting Ratti to receive their books. I am very sorry about this, but I hope it's worth the wait.
- Please check you've selected an appropriate fulfilment location before May 3rd. Books shipped to Ratti will not be shipped back to the UK/EU (let's avoid that extra environmental load).
I'll be reaching out to the few backers who might fall into this category to be on the safe side, but please do check yourself.
- If you've lost your backer survey – email me, and I'll resend the link.
Dead Art Society Backers
All your reward art looks great in the book, and I've no reason to keep it away from you any more. I have shipping quotes at the ready and will be in touch tomorrow.
Discord Bot Progress
If you've been waiting for this, it should be available in a couple of weeks. It's almost in a 'blind test' form, which will occupy a few evenings next week, I hope.
Timeline Update
The print proof is here, and while I am planning on making a few changes, they are very small. I plan on placing the final order on May 4th or 5th. Hopefully, that means we'll start getting those books to you before the end of May.
--
I think that's everything for now, phew!
Cheers,
Rori
Dead Letter Society: Five Weeks Later
Hey everyone,
An early update from me: You should now have your digital downloads through either DriveThruRPG or itch.io, depending on your response to the backer survey.
If you haven't filled in the backer survey, you instead have a reminder email and – because we're all busy here – a note to say that if you've not filled it in by Sunday, I'll send you your digital copy via DriveThruRPG. (I dislike having downloads scattered across multiple platforms, personally, hence giving you the option to choose, but I also want you to get the game!)
Timeline update
Next week I'll be prepping the file for print (in other words, splitting my cross-page images) and ordering the print proof! I'll place the proof order on Friday, all being well, so if you do spot any errors when you read your digital pdf, let me know. :)
Next week I'll also have an update on the Discord bot and server template!
I hope you all have something to enjoy reading this weekend. :)
Cheers,
Rori
I'm surprised the link you have isn't letting you add the game to your library. Let me look into that -- I may need to resend those links!
Dead Letter Society: Four Weeks Later
Hi everyone,
As I thought, my time has been very squeezed this week, but not to worry, here's where everything's at:
- I have three blank spaces left to do something about before I feel
like everything is 'complete'. Then
- Bring the Table of Contents up to date with the rest of the design, alongside section names and page numbers.
- Remove a filler page from the end.
- Replace the 1st page of the digital-version pdf with the cover (on the screenshot below, you'll see it begins with the first interior page, which is similar to, but not the cover (as I'm laying it out as if it's print).
- Check all the bookmarks/links go where they're supposed to.
- Proofread again.
What this means is that I think I'll begin sending out links for the digital download by ~Thursday/Friday next week at the latest. If you haven't filled out your survey by then, you'll get a reminder mail instead. :) I'll then take a short break from it, read it again, and order a print proof.
If you backed at the Dead Art Society level, I'll send out your artwork after I've gotten that print proof in my hands (as once I've sent it out, I'll not be able to easily take another scan if I need it for some unforeseen reason).
Before I let you all enjoy your weekend, here's a peek at what it all looks like so you can play "spot the blank bits that bother me." Next week, the digital version should be with you, stretch goals and all!
Cheers,
Rori
Dead Letter Society: Three weeks later
Hi everyone,
It's Friday again, which means another update from me on Dead Letter Society.
- We're up to 78% completion on the survey that lets me know how many books need to go where.
If you've lost your survey, get in touch – I'll send also send a reminder mail to everyone I haven't heard from next week. (FWIW: If you don't reply, I'll be working on a default assumption that your digital copy will come from itch.io and your physical copy from Peregrine Coast Press.)
Timeline update!
- 100% of the text is laid out.
- I've got eight more blank spots of paper to fill, either with more art or examples. (So far, I count 19 original illustrations in there. I've been busy!)
Bringing the last pieces of art together for those blank spots may slip into the week of April 10th (because of the Easter holidays and a toddler). I'll see how it goes, but I'm very nearly there.
What's the mockup?
One thing I'm conscious of with this game is that there will be lots of flipping back and forth through prompt pages. To make this easier, I'm colour-coding the edges to make it easier to find the card suit you want. Only the prompt pages will be like this, so hopefully, they'll stand out.
Have a good weekend - we're almost there!
Cheers,
Rori
Dead Letter Society: Two weeks later
Hey everyone,
Another week, another update! Here's where things are at:
- About 75% of you have filled in your survey. Thank you!
The survey is very useful, and I value knowing where you'd like your books to be posted from. This week has involved looking at my printing and shipping options in more detail and observing how quickly things change! Right now it looks like all the books will be printed in the UK, then posted on to their respective fulfilment points*. In a couple more weeks, when I'm ready to order a proof, I'll need to reassess. My gut feeling is it's an area that changes rapidly, but we have enough buffer to make it work out without too many compromises.
I'll continue to be open about this, and do everything I can to keep your shipping costs down.
- Everything's edited, and 95% of the book's text is laid out.
- I'm working on a little more art and some borders to bring it all together.
You can take a peek at what the interior pages look like in the picture at the top of this post (this is a photoshop mockup!). I think it's coming together nicely.
Timeline check
We're still on track, and I expect I'll be preparing to send out digital copies ahead of April 7th.
Risks
I've spent a lot of time worrying about shipping this week. I think it's a problem a lot of people are facing at the moment, so please be kind to the other Zine Month/Tabletop Nonstop projects you're backing (who are likely also worrying about shipping). Look out for next week's update when I have a better idea.
Questions?
As always, if you need me (e.g. you can't find your survey or have a question about the project) you can find all my contact info here. :)
Cheers,
Rori
* This means print in the UK and split where the prints get shipped to. It's likely zines could ship from Peregrine Coast Press before they arrive at Ratti Incantati (as UK->UK post is significantly faster than UK->Canada). Printing in both the UK and US is out of budget for us given current printing costs in the US. I hope this doesn't upset too many people! If you'd like to change your fulfilment location, you can do so until the end of April.
One week later
Hi everyone,
Time for that first weekly campaign update.
- You should have received a google survey from me if you backed the campaign. If you haven't, do get in touch. Approximately 66% of you have filled it in, which is very helpful - thank you!
- The campaign was open for late pledges until today to help resolve
a few late payments. I believe everyone who had trouble and wanted
to join in has done so, so I've now fully closed it.
- If you find this post in a couple weeks time, don't worry - the digital version will be available soon.
Timeline check
Editing is now in its final pass, and should be ready to put into layout by the end of the month. While I wait for those last few sections, I've been working on the preview text (which has already been edited and is 2/3rds of the game) and improving its layout and adding more art (see above for a something new :) )
I don't yet have any roadblocks to report, so I believe the timeline remains intact.
Have a good weekend!
Cheers,
Rori
Post-campaign wrap-up
Hi everyone,
Today was the last day of the campaign, and everyone should have been charged for their pledges. I know there's been a few failed payments (if so, you should have received an automated email about it). I'll send you an email over the weekend if there's been a problem, but don't worry – as long as you still want the game, we'll figure out a way of getting it to you. :)
The campaign page will be open a while longer for late pledges while we get that sorted out, and then I'll close it so I can stress less over how many books need to go where.
Timeline!
From now on, I'll always include a timeline update here, so you know what is and isn't progressing.
- Editing is concluding. @ERFJordan is an excellent editor and she's giving everything a final pass.
- 3 of 4 of the "Dead Art Society" rewards are complete - the latest is at the bottom of this mail ("The Lovers") :)
- Right now there are no showstoppers or roadblocks ahead. If things ever change, you'll be the first to know. The timeline on the campaign page is still my best estimate.
Until next time
As I said in the last update, I'll stick to a weekly mail until, at least, we hit the digital release. So here's some art to tide you over, plus expect a survey on Monday :)
Cheers,
Rori
36 hours to gohttps://www.montfordtales.com/about/
Hi everyone!
The end of the campaign approaches – so three quick things:
1. You should be charged when the campaign finishes on 10th March at ~8 am. If you're not, for some reason, let me know (see here) and I'll figure out what's happened.
2. If I've emailed you about a duplicate pledge (it's hard to know if you've backed a project already) and you haven't replied to tell me to cancel one of them – or cancelled it yourself – let's get that sorted before we find out what happens to refunds and PayPal fees, please! :)
3. I'll send everyone a post-campaign survey on March 13th. This will let me and my fulfilment partners know how many books to send where. Please fill it out as soon as possible, as it helps me get all the ducks in a row.
And one longer thing:
This has been the sort of experience that would warm even a vampire's heart. I couldn't ask for a more positive introduction to Zine Month and game development. I don't expect to hit the last stretch goal, and that's a-okay. The scenario will come in due course at a non-stressful pace. If you've previously said you're open to play-testing, I may ping you an email to see if you're still interested when it happens (end of the year at a guess).
I am very, very glad to have gotten to meet so many of you. I hope to be regaled with many vampire letters as time goes by :) I've received some truly wonderful feedback and support from you all, and now I'm going to go and put the final touches on the game so we can all enjoy it.
I'll send one more update when the campaign's over and the survey's been sent, and then I'll stick to a weekly schedule so I don't trigger inbox fatigue.
Thank you so much for your support – I cannot wait to get this game into your hands!
- Rori
Playtest packs and the final campaign days!
Hi everyone!
There's just five days left in the campaign, so I expect the next days will be a bit of a blur. Please keep sharing Dead Letter Society with interested friends – every share really does help! (We made it into Gizmodo's coverage!)
If you've previously expressed interest in testing stretch goal content for the game, you should have the first playtest pack in your inbox: all six setting playsets (the two bonus extras will arrive after the print book is more finalised).
(If you're new to this campaign and are interested in testing content you can still use this google form to add your name to the list, even if the setting choices are now fairly firm.)
We're 191% funded and I am thrilled. This week I'll be working on some more stretch goal content, additional art, and also co-ordinating with my fulfilment partners to make sure they know how many books to (approximately) expect. I'll keep my fingers crossed for that last stretch goal, but we'll see what the next days bring.
I am incredibly excited to bring this game to completion for you and get it in your hands in the best possible form it can be. Please excuse the flurry of Twitter ads you'll unfortunately see this week (or even better, share them!).
Cheers,
Rori
PS: The illustration here is for the second backer at the
"Dead Art Society" level. There's still one left to claim...
Stretch Goal Three Unlocked!
Hi everyone,
Time is so weird right now! We've got nine days left on the campaign and have made it to the third stretch goal. I think I've talked about that enough in previous updates, so I want to tell you about my plans if* we reach stretch goal 4.
*If we don't reach it, watch out for this toward the end of the year.
(£3500) Stretch Goal 4: The Scenario
This is a big one. My goal is a tightly focused, dual-sided set of prompts and tools centred on one of the eight playsets (six in the physical book, two as "digital expansions") included in the game. If we reach it, I'll write a pitch for each playset and run a poll so you can have your say!
The finer details may change subject to playtester feedback, but in a nutshell here's what the words above mean:
- Tightly-focused
Dead Letter Society is purposefully written to let you choose the themes/genre/timescales you want to explore. A scenario replaces that with a specific genre and set of themes that you can expect to encounter.
- Dual-sided
Each player gets their own tailored set of prompts to guide you through the scenario. If you play the game solo, you'll have multiple angles to explore the scenario from with totally different content.
- Prompts
The same intention-based, choice-filled, tarot-driven prompt mechanic will be there. Nothing will intrinsically change about how you play the game. However, I will also use them to introduce...
- Tools
which is a short and awkward way of saying "fun things to interact with" - this may be an NPC (Actor) with motivations tied to the scenario (rather than your vampire), a letter cache (Item) with surprising information, or other hints, secrets, or goals for you to uncover. I adore games filled to the brim with intrigue – ask anyone who plays with me – so secrets will abound.
As I said - it's a big one. If you've been hesitating over backing the campaign because you're looking for something even more focused, this might be what you're waiting for.
What's Next?
There's still nine days left to share the campaign - please do! I'd
love to make it to this last goal (after that we're into
cross-compatible "Werewolf Dead Letter Society" territory, a
whole other ball game!)
Tonight I'll contact our fabulous editor @ERFJordan to pin down
when the last third of the book can shuttle off for editing (she's
running her own
Kickstarter if you also play 5e!). This week will also bring those
of you who wanted to playtest the chosen playsets will get a little
something in your inbox. :) And there'll be more art to share!
Stats Are Cool
Did you know that together you've made it possible to make 75 print books and 115 digital community copies of this game available so far? I wholeheartedly believe in making this game accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of their budget, so that means a lot to me. Your support has been outstanding throughout this campaign - thank you, again!
- Rori
FAQ
How does the "Dead Art Society" reward work?
I'm offering five rewards at this level. This is not a commission, but you will receive the original artwork. If you've followed any of my recent art giveaways on Twitter, you'll already know how this works.
The role you play
If you choose this reward, I will reach out to you once the campaign funds. You will get to:
- Choose a card from the Major or Minor Arcana that I haven't already illustrated that you'd like me to draw.
I will then make an A3-sized, traditionally inked illustration of that card in a style that fits with the rest of the art in the book. The art direction of the card is my decision. I'll consider any suggestions provided when you choose the card to be drawn and accommodate them where I can, but there will be no consultation process as with a normal commission. The artistic freedom you grant me allows me to meet schedules, ensure the art has an appropriate home in the book, keep your costs low, and still provide you with a beautiful, original piece of art.
What you get
You will receive the following:
- One A3 artwork, inked in either black or dark red (my choice), on 300 gsm Arches hot press watercolour paper. (Frames/mounts are not included.)
- A high-resolution digital scan for your personal use only.
- To see the card you chose appear in the book.
- If desired, credit for supporting the "Dead Art Society" in the book.
I maintain all rights to the artwork.
Shipping
Shipping is not included in this reward and will be collected during fulfilment. This reward will be shipped directly from me, not a fulfilment partner, unless we agree otherwise. You are responsible for shipping costs and customs fees. Alternatively, you can collect it in person at the UK Games Expo (June 2-4th).
Art samples
The art you receive will be in this style. If you'd like to see other examples of my work, you can find my portfolio (and standard commission rates) here.
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Activity
- 4 ordered
- 1 remaining
Choose a tarot card to include in the game's art, and receive the original inked artwork along with a print and pdf copy of Dead Letter Society. Each pledge at this level contributes one digital Community Copy after the campaign closes. See the terms in the FAQ before choosing this reward.
NB: Shipping is not included. It is collected during fulfilment.
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