BackerKit FAQ

How does BackerKit crowdfunding work?

Crowdfunding is a collaborative way to bring ideas and projects to life. Project creators post their idea for a project, and backers pledge money to make the project possible. Backers get behind the scenes access and backer-only rewards, which can include exclusive products, special pricing, creative input, content, and more.

To become a backer, select a pledge level that features the reward(s) you would like to receive when the project is successfully completed and make your contribution.

All-or-nothing crowdfunding model: The creator sets a funding goal and a deadline to raise funds. If the project does not meet the goal by the deadline, backers credit cards are not charged and no money changes hands.

Crowdfunding projects can happen at various stages of the creative process. Make sure to check the estimated timeline of when rewards will be delivered. Project creators will keep you updated on the progress toward completion and delivery of your rewards.

Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as purchasing an item from a store. When you back a campaign you are supporting the creation of something new. Rewards are almost always delivered, but are not guaranteed.

When will I be charged for my pledge?

Your payment method will not be charged right away. You will be charged for the amount of your pledge when the campaign ends and the project reaches its funding goal. You will not be charged if the campaign does not reach its funding goal.

What happens after the campaign is over?

The Creator will send out a survey that will ask you for more information about your pledge, your shipping information, additional items you may want to add to your pledge, and collect shipping fees if applicable.

The survey will be sent to the email address we have on file with your pledge.

Any additional payment will be charged when you complete your survey and confirm your order.

Project FAQ

When do I pay for shipping for my pledge?

Shipping is NOT included as part of your pledge. As is becoming more standard for crowdfunding, shipping fees will be calculated more precisely and charged separately once the project is about to fulfill orders and ship items to you. This keeps project creators from needing to guess what shipping rates will be far in advance of delivery, and lets us keep the costs to you as close to the actual shipping rate as possible. You can see my current best estimates about what shipping rates will be to different countries and for different pledge tiers on the "Story" page, in the "Shipping" section.

Can you ship pledge rewards to my country?

Unfortunately, due to various circumstances beyond my control, I am unable to ship physical rewards to the following countries: Afghanistan, Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. Sorry about that! You're welcome to pledge for the digital edition, which requires no shipping. I have also had backers on past projects who were able to arrange for a proxy shipping service in another country that can forward packages... but the shipping address you type in when you fill out your BackerKit survey needs to be in a supported country.

Is the Downcrawl Deck required to play? Is there a print-and-play version?

The Deck is an optional part of the game. Effectively it replaces the process of "look up a table in the book, roll 2d6, and read the entry" with the draw of a card. (It's even more efficient when it replaces two linked table draws at once; see the "Downcrawl Deck" section under "Story" for more about this!) I've found the game runs noticeably quicker and produces bigger smiles when played with the Deck, but it's not required to play. Because the Downcrawl Deck is two-sided and color-coded, I've decided not to offer a print-and-play version of it at this time. As pieces of paper rather than embossed textured cards, it's harder to manipulate and move them around if you've printed them yourself, and the experience is just not the same. If you have strong feelings about this decision, though, let me know and I could reconsider!

Are digital versions of any of the extra reward items available?

You'll get a PDF of the Adventure Zine if you back any tier that includes it (or purchase it as an add-on), but this is not available as a standalone digital item. Some of the content from the Delver's Guide will be available as a PDF player handout when the game is released, but not the full book. Similarly I'll likely put PDFs of the Volume/Folk Template add-ons up on the website upon release so players can print their own. I am not currently planning on providing a digital or print-and-play version of any of the Downcrawl Decks.

What about Skycrawl?

My plan is for Downcrawl 2E to be the launch of a new engine for many future Crawl games, including, yes, a port of Skycrawl to the new system. Follow the campaign if you're interested in staying in the loop about Skycrawl 2E and future expansions and new settings!

Was any AI used in the making of this project?

Nope. I made up all this shit myself. (My cover artist, J.P. Targete, also helped!)

How do I indicate my choice of cover design if I'm pledging for a hardback?

You'll do this later on when you fill out your backer survey. Note that the current cover designs pictured are works in progress; the final design may change as the project gets closer to fulfillment. I'll keep folks in the loop with backer updates.

Can I get the Early Bird / Returning Backer incentive without the Downcrawl Deck?

No, this incentive (the ten extra bonus cards) is only included if you are pledging at the a level that includes a Downcrawl Deck (i.e. the "Softcover + Cards" level or higher, or the "Just the Cards" level). This is because I'm only able to ship these extra cards as an expanded version of the Downcrawl Deck, not on their own. Unfortunately because BackerKit cannot limit incentives by pledge level, if you are an Early Bird or Returning Backer but are pledging at a lower level, the incentive will still show up as part of your pledge. I've tried to make it clear in the incentive text however that this reward is only included if you're pledging at a level that includes the base Downcrawl deck. Sorry for any confusion!

Is there official support for online play?

Unfortunately, not at this time... in part because the game can be used alongside other systems, which complicates things re: VTT setups for instance, and also because I'm just one person and have been focused on the analog game so far. For proper online play, the biggest requirement is a shared map space that everyone can draw on. I've experimented with using a combination of Google Docs + Figma for online play, and hope to release a PDF documenting tips and tricks for digital sessions. I'd also be happy to repost any fan links or materials supporting online play, or if you do paid VTT conversions I'd love to hear from you-- drop me a line!

** Policy on unclaimed pledge rewards and unresponsive backers **

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CAN RECEIVE PROJECT UPDATE EMAILS FROM BACKERKIT! (There will be several sent during the month-long run of the campaign.) If you have turned update emails off, they aren't coming through, or the email address associated with your BackerKit account is not up to date, I WILL HAVE NO WAY TO REACH YOU to get your shipping address and send your rewards once it's time for fulfillment. ** In particular, in past projects I have seen backers using Apple Relay emails, or fake/custom emails like "[email protected]", miss updates and not been able to get in touch with them. I understand the desire not to get spammed, but please make sure the email you associate with your pledge is one I can reach you at! ** If I am unable to reach you, I will be able to hold onto your pledge rewards for up to 12 months after fulfillment begins. Since I can't pay to store unclaimed rewards indefinitely, after that point I will need to dispose of unclaimed items. And because there are costs incurred for me to run this campaign, pay platform fees, and manufacture items, I will not be able to offer any refunds after this grace period expires. So please make sure to READ THOSE UPDATES and fill our your backer survey once it's time to do so! =)

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