We're not quite in the final 24 hours, but getting very close! With these last hours, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation! Let's get reviewin'!
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. At The Gates finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, June 6th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to Inspire others to help explore Everend, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Whether you're a veteran of many daemon summonings or just learning your first Art, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews, podcasts, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
Refresher Course
Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like how we're not including international shipping charges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.
Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! And it's fun to listento those podcasts and watch the Actual Plays.
We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).
MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider it about 98.7% finished. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!
PLEDGE TIERS -This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.
The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the regular or deluxe hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF versions).
DIVINER: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier option that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost for you to download at your leisure.
MAGE: This reward tier includes the standard hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
WARRIOR: This reward tier includes the limited edition deluxe version of At The Gates hardcover book, with a leatherette cover, special cover design, and bound-in silk bookmark. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
ADD-ON OPTIONS - The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including The World Below core rulebook in PDF or hardcover or deluxe hardcover, an At the Gates Storyguide Screen, bookmark set, enamel pins, and more! We've also got digital bundles of older edition product that are well worth checking out!
Choose Wisely
Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.
Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS only - Any International Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.
Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists. If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Everend Explorer tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.
Tomorrow I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.
But until then, we're going to hopefully hunt down a final Stretch Goal achievement as we race through our final day of the campaign!
Over the past 29 days as we've worked through this campaign we've not only funded the book but also unlocked ELEVEN Stretch Goal targets! That's right - we've unlocked one of the Stretch Goals that I had just posted a few days ago and thought would take us until the end of the campaign!
Within these Stretch Goals are some milestone markers that allowed us to maintain our pace through the middle parts of the campaign, a Companion with expanded content, and a cool new supplement that provides the perfect jumping on point for your game! Let's review and see what we've accomplished so far...
MILESTONE MARKERS
Helping us maintain our pace during the regular "Funding Plateau" and between new content goals, these milestone markers are great celebratory moments allowing us to keep our focus, and fun rewards going out to all who supported this project during the Crowdfunding campaign.
AT THE GATES Digital Wallpaper - Awesome At The Gates artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
AT THE GATES SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE – An At The Gates-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
ADD ON OPTIONS
The support that this campaign has received has allowed Onyx Path to offer a bunch of new Add On options! I love the look and feel of this game so far, and I'm looking forward to getting some of these additional rewards to add a bunch of At The Gates flavor to my office!
AT THE GATES Storyguide Screen - A three-panel Storyguide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a game set in the lands of Everend will be created and offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tiers for +$25. AT THE GATES Bookmark Set - Need something cool to mark your place? We'll have a set of six At The Gates cardstock bookmarks offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tier for +$15.
NEW ADD ON: AT THE GATE CHIBI PINS - Five different soft enamel 2" pin designs will be available as an Add On option at $14 each or the set of all 5 for $60. Single pin selection will be confirmed in the Pledge Manager. Fulfillment will be handled by NerdyKeppie.com and additional shipping charges will be collected at time of fulfillment.
NEW ADD ON: AT THE GATE LOGO and SIGIL PINS - A single hard enamel screen-printed 2" At The Gates logo pin will be available as an Add On option for $14, and five different soft enamel 1.5" sigil pin designs will be available as an Add On option at $10 each or the set of all 5 for $45. Single pin selection will be confirmed in the Pledge Manager. Fulfillment will be handled by NerdyKeppie.com and additional shipping charges will be collected at time of fulfillment.
ONLINE TOOLS
IF you're anything like me, most of your gaming happens online these days. While my gaming group does make a special effort to get together in person at least a few times a year, our regular sessions take place via Discord and a VTT. These online tools help make those online sessions a little easier to run, and a little more thematic.
AT THE GATES VTT TOKEN PACK – Digital assets will be created to support online play for At The Gates, including key character and creature tokens from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
AT THE GATES STREAMING OVERLAY - A set of overlays for your online game will be created, for your use when streaming your At The Gates session. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
NEW CONTENT
We've added some projects that will give us even more content for this game! First we added a small Companion PDF and then expanded it's contents, and then we've just unlocked another supplement that will be a great tool for Storyguides wanting to launch a game in Everend!
AT THE GATES Companion - More On Professions and Arts - The At The Gates team will create a small Companion PDF containing more information on each of the Professions and new associated Arts (special Professional techniques). All backers receiving the At The Gates PDF as one of their rewards will have the Companion PDF added to their rewards list as a bonus!
AT THE GATES Companion - New Advanced Paths - The Companion PDF will be expanded to include a section with new Advanced Profession Paths for characters to take if they want to unlock new Arts specific to their mastery of these professions. Backers receiving the At The Gates PDF as one of their rewards will automatically have the Companion PDF added to their rewards list as a bonus.
JUMPSTART PDF - An introductory scenario designed to welcome new players to the game, along with ready-made characters and a basic rules overview, will be created as a Jumpstart PDF supplement and added as a bonus to the rewards list of all backers receiving the At The Gates PDF.
I'm excited about this one! I'm always a fan of Onyx Path's jumpstart releases - the perfect launching pad to get my players into a new game, or the best quick option for those days when we just wanna play something new without digging too deep.
But having the Companion as a bonus reward for all backers is really huge! I already love the Professions in the core rules, along with their associated Arts and the Advanced Paths that were presented. And now we know we're gonna get more? Amazing!!
WHY STOP THERE?
It's great that we've unlocked 11 Stretch Goal rewards... but what about an even dozen?
With just over a day left in our campaign, I think one more Stretch Goal is certainly within our grasp. Let's do our best to unlock this before the end!
At $65,000 in Funding - AT THE GATES Companion - Legendary Weapons - The concept of Legendary Weapons will be introduced and explored in the Companion PDF, with examples and guidance to introduce your own to your game. All backers receiving the At The Gates PDF as one of their rewards will have the Companion PDF added to their rewards list as a bonus!
YOUR REWARDS!
That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish At The Gates! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have the At The Gates Companion PDF, Jumpstart PDF Supplement, a digital wallpaper, some online tools, and an opportunity to add to your wardrobe , plus a bunch of cool At The Gates add on options!
Not Much More Time
We've studied our Arts, but now is the time for action!
Unfortunately, we seem to continue to move forward at a regular pace, and our campaign will some come to the inescapable end. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, but there is still one possible Stretch Goal rewards that is almost within grasp! I know this last funding target may seem daunting, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! That last one may take a little bit of work. It's certainly within reach, but won't be easy, so let's keep at it!
So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!
And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybeunlocking thatfinal Companion section!
Remember, only the funds generated during the Crowdfunding campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!
AT THE GATES enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, June 6th at 2:00 PM EDT.
We will finish up as soon as our backer train ends after that point! So let's see if we can't hit a final Stretch Goal and then keep that train running for an extra 10 or 20 minutes!!
