A big update!
10 months ago
– Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 04:36:20 AM
Hello Backers! I am coming to you with an update that I have been hoping to write for eighteen months.
The book is done!
No, seriously. I am submitting the order for the printing proofs today or tomorrow. While they are being printed and shipped, I am adding hyperlinks to the PDF version and doing some sanity checking on that front. This is where, for us, the hurry up and wait begins. It looks like proof copies are going to arrive about two days after I leave for a vacation (naturally). It’s going to take a few days to review, make changes, etc. Then, we submit for the full print run, wait for them to be delivered, and start mailing them out. The full PDF will be made available when we submit the print order.
Whoa.
Some nuts and bolts
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How big will the book be? Before any final rewrites, we are at 182 pages. This includes over 100 pieces of art and 40 stat blocks for creatures and NPCs, named characters, and minions so that you can use these factions at your table on day one. They are a ton of fun, I am running a game where the Order of the Ivory Compass is a major player.
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Will this project be affected by tariffs? This answer is a little muddy. Is it affected directly? No. Is the fact that the day we submitted our proof order, our full print run saw a 40% increase a byproduct of higher tariffs? Probably. We’re currently figuring out what our best options are there.
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What about the add-ons? The only reason that this is a question is because Teespring has seemingly closed up shop in the last six months without any sort of announcement or actually going out of business formally. Which… is frustrating. We are looking at other vendors right now and this should be sorted out by the time the books arrive for mailing. The goal is for you to get everything at the same time, and I don’t see any reason why that can’t happen.
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Do I need to do anything further as a backer? Probably not! But, please make sure you have filled out your Backerkit survey so that we have your information. I have sent out survey reminders to folks that have not completed it.
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Is there anything you would like from me as a backer? Honestly? Please consider upgrading to the full print book, or adding one of our add-ons. There is a lot that can be said about the finances of crowdfunding, what its place in the industry is, and whether it is even a viable funding model for most game designers. Stay tuned on the Tabletop Journeys podcast for that. What I will say is that we go into Kickstarter campaigns with the hope of funding future projects, at least with the initial outlay to get books printed, art bought, and maybe do some marketing. As of right now, this project is not supporting that goal. One thing that you can do to help support us is to upgrade your order, or become a Patreon supporter at https://www.patreon.com/ttjourneys. Every bit helps!
To find your survey or upgrade your order, go to https://ttj-factions.backerkit.com/
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Help us make our next roll LEGENDARY! If you know someone who missed out on the original Kickstarter, share the preorder link with them so they can still get their own copy! Spreading the word is one of the best ways to support the project and grow our community.
That link is https://ttj-factions.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
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When does the Backerkit campaign close? I have set July 8th (Happy Birthday Josh!) as the Credit Card charge date. No, we won’t be changing it again. That’s the date.
I want to thank everyone for coming along with us on this ride. Getting the book done, and getting it done RIGHT, were always the driving forces behind the decisions that we made. To say that we are really happy with this project is an understatement, and we really hope that you enjoy it too.
Expect another update when we know more about distribution timelines and if there is any other big news, but we are just about across the finish line.
Whoa.
Josh & Lewanika
March Update
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Mar 10, 2025 at 04:12:38 AM
Good morning Backers!
I am really happy to report that progress on (finally!) finishing the Travelers Guide to Factions has been great!
Layout progress
There are 11 total chapters in the book, nine for the factions, plus a "How to use this Book" and a "How to Build your own faction like ours" chapter. Nine of those chapters are done in layout, one is in progress, and the other is going through it's final dust up. Things are progressing along very, very nicely. I am including some sample images from the layout here in this update, there are some really cool bits that we are really happy with. The next update you receive should be when the PDF alpha-versions are ready and we are reviewing them before sending them off to the printer. That's a very exciting sentence to be writing after all this time!
2025 style stat blocks
One thing that has definitely shifted from the start of this campaign is the general fifth-edition landscape when it comes to game play. This is due in large part to the rules update that came out in 2024/25. Because of the way our book fell in that timeline, we thought it was important that the stat blocks we are providing for each faction were in line with the newest version of the 5e rules. There are going to be over 40 stat blocks in here, so it is not insignificant. Without comprehensive rules or guidelines on 2025-version monsters, that left us thinking about what our monster creation rules would be.
All that to say that when the book comes out, not only will the stat blocks be in the PDF, the hardcover book, and probably a separate PDF with just the statblocks so you don't need to flip through the whole book to find them, we are going to send you the monsters in Markdown format. This will let you natively bring them into something like Homebrewery or GM Binder and change them for your own table. There is also a javascript website version of our monster generator that we used when making them, and we will be happy to give you access to it once all this is ready.
Sneak Peeks!
Standard disclaimer, these are just samples, what appears in the book may be different, etc. But enjoy! Right now the book is topping out at 120 pages with two chapters really to go. We are estimating print costs based on 160 pages, which feels pretty close after stat blocks, final art, table of contents, etc.
Thanks again for all your patience, we're almost there!
Josh and Lewanika
Update for Dec 2024
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Dec 28, 2024 at 04:37:46 PM
Season’s Greetings, Travelers!
As we close out the year and celebrate the holidays, we're thrilled to bring you an early New Year’s gift: a major project update! Why wait for January 1 when we have so much good news to share?
Writing Progress
Two of the Factions have been finalized, and we have final drafts for four other factions done. Final review on those four chapters is scheduled to wrap within a week’s time. This means six of the eleven chapters will be fully complete in just a few days!
Design & Layout
Our layout process is also under way. One faction is already fully designed, and the other finalized chapter was started this morning. This gives us a functional template for the rest of them. We are ready to apply this framework to each chapter as they’re finalized. The bulk of the layout work will be taking place through January.
Timeline
So what does all that mean? Once we get through layout, we'll go through it to make sure that we are happy with it. When we get ready to send the proof print order, expect a preview version of the PDF. We will mark up, revise, and revisit the layout with those proofs before the final version gets sent to the printer. Those are the next major milestones, and if we can keep the pace we have for the last couple of months (even with those pesky holidays in the way) there should be versions of the final or near final product out in the next couple months.
2024 challenged us in unexpected ways, but it also strengthened our commitment to you, our amazing backers. Your trust has been a constant source of motivation, and we are more determined than ever to create something truly remarkable.
2025 will be the year we bring all of this hard work to fruition, and close out a legendary journey. Stay tuned for more updates as we move closer to the finish line.
With gratitude,
The Tabletop Journeys Team
Update time!
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Sep 04, 2024 at 06:28:32 AM
Good morning everyone, and happy September!
Here is an update on the book progress. Lewanika and I contiunue to work through these massive chapters and apply the changes, doing rewrites when necessary. We've also thought a lot about how the chapters should be built. That means some gap filling where ideas diverged through the opening alpha-dump of content that was put down. It is painstaking work (and, to be frank, we've learned some things... this ain't your typical RPG book). It is going to take a while, and that's sort of the easiest way to put it.
BUT! We have two of the factions done, minus some very minor tweaks. Both the Outlanders League and the Order of the Ivory Compass have gone through this process of cleanup. This feels like a big win for us, and really helps us see how this process can work for the remaining seven. We're excited to build on this momentum!
We also needed to make an important decision, and it comes with a mea culpa. We started too many things all at once, and to clear our plates to focus on this project, we needed to clear two small projects first. Our Make 100 campaign is fully complete and heading to the printer, and our Project Kraken / Kraken Week project is wrapping up now. Trying to clear ground against three fronts was not working, so we had to hit the low hanging fruit first.
The goal right now is to start sending out some previews as these chapters wind up, and we're hoping to start that soon.
Thanks as always for your patience!
An unfortunate setback
almost 2 years ago
– Wed, Jun 19, 2024 at 02:02:42 PM
Good afternoon backers!
We need to let you know about a change in our creative team which is impacting production of the book. Our principal editor, and one third of our writing team, has let us know that he is stepping away from the company and the project effective immediately. Glen has been an incredible presence on our team from the very beginning, and he will be sorely missed.
So, what does this mean in terms of finishing the project? We are about 75% through our first major editing swing. This is the biggest part of the project. Once we get through this stage of the project, we’re looking at about 90 days until we start delivery if printing times keep where they are. At this point I am not totally sure when that 90 day clock will begin.
We greatly appreciate your understanding, and we are committed to keeping you informed about our progress. Lewanika and I are committed to finishing this project with the degree of quality you have come to expect, and will keep you in the loop as often as we can.
