Shipping Update Q&A - Part 3
over 1 year ago – Fri, Oct 21, 2022 at 05:47:41 AM

Hello Evil Backers,

For those of you who have sent us positive and constructive feedback, we thank you. For those who remain frustrated with shipping costs, we understand, and trust us we're frustrated too. That is why we’re working hard to give you as many options as we can to keep the pricing low.

I hope each of you keep in mind why you backed the Kickstarter program. To have the chance to play games in the iconic movie setting we all love. Just yesterday, we released a teaser of our new rules around ritual magic. When Editor-in-Chief, Owen KC Stephens, reviewed the rules mechanics, he said that this was one of the greatest additions to 5th edition he had ever seen. That is a huge compliment from one of the fathers of modern D&D and Pathfinder.

And if you think that’s neat, wait until you learn about what we’re doing with Pacific Rim. We just demoed the new Jaeger on Kaiju battle mechanics. I have to say that you haven’t lived until you’ve ripped off a Kaiju’s arm and beaten them with it, then hurled them into the next Kaiju on the battle map (yes, that really happened).

In the spirit of transparency, we will continue to answer your questions honestly and as quickly as possible. Note we will always work to change things that we can, and where we can't we will explain why:

Next Steps

As soon as we get approval from Backerkit, you will be receiving a new survey via email that will ask an additional question about shipping. You will have four choices to choose from:

1.  Multi-wave shipping: The default shipping option, outlined in Kickstarter update #37 (link). The most expensive shipping option, getting products first in multiple waves.
2.  Multi-wave shipping (Just the books): Receive just the books via. media mail minus the stretch goals (the GM screen, the dice, or the miniatures). This saves on shipping costs.
3.  Single-wave shipping: The cheaper but slower shipping option, outlined in Kickstarter update #38 (link). Get all the products in a single wave when they’re all ordered products are ready.
4.  Local pick-up: Get the products from a convention or a local store for just $10.

Please wait for that email. And we will extend the close and charge date to give everyone time to respond.

FAQs

Here are a few frequently asked questions.

1. When will I get the digital version of the Core Rulebook? Will I get an email that I need to go DriveThruRPG? We are planning for early November, just a few weeks away! Yes, we will send you an email when the download is ready.
    
2. Can I get the digital products first? Yes, if you purchased the physical versions of the Cinematic Adventures, you automatically get the digital versions. These are released well before the physical books hit the stands. See the following release schedule.
    
3. When will the Roll20 assets become available? The Roll20 assets will be available at the same time as the physical assets (currently planned for April 2023). You will get an email once these products are ready to use.
    
4. When will the Foundry VTT assets become available? The Foundry version of the core rulebook will be ready in April 2023.
    
5. If I had store credits for being a playtester, can I use them to pay for shipping costs? Yes, store credits are the same as cash.
    
6.  Everything I ordered is supposed to come in Wave 1 (or 2 or 3 or 4). If I chose the single-wave option, will you send the package out once the buyer's order is complete? Yes. We’ll send the full order when the last product you purchased is released.
    
7. What if I choose to pick it up at a con, but then can't make it to the con to pick it up? If you miss the pickup for any reason, we will arrange a shipment or a local pickup.
    
8. If I can organize local pick-up, will it be as it is released or all in one go? We will ship your ordered products to your FLGS at the time the product hits the stands. So you can pick them up as they are released or wait for them all to arrive, then pick them up.
    
9. Can you inform us of local FLGS in our areas? Although we have a worldwide distribution, we don’t have direct relationships with the FLGS or which ones will be carrying our products. We may have better information closer to the street release date.
    
10.  If the convention is before the release date for the product for which you pledged, how does that work? Then convention pickup won’t be a viable option for you. We will need to arrange a shipment or a local pickup at your FLGS. In general, you can pick up anything that is available at the time of the con.
     
11.  How will the convention pick-up option work for the releases after GenCon? If you plan to attend GenCon or Essen, we should have all products ready except for the Rules Compilation. We would have to send that via media mail. If you are attending PAX Unplugged, we should have all your products available.
     
12. Regarding the Shipping in waves versus the Ship all at once option, what is the time difference between the projected release of the Core Book and the 2023 Rules Compilation Book? The core rulebook ships in April 2023, and the final wave with the rules compilation ships in December 2023. So for anyone who chooses the sine-wave and ordered the Rules Compilation, you can expect the complete order in December 2023.
     
13. Hey, what’s the deal I thought you said shipping would be cheaper! The shipping rates were only based on shipping the core rulebook. At the beginning of Kickstarter, we didn’t offer Physical versions of the Cinematic Adventures or the Stretch goals. In order to accommodate your requests, both were added. This drastically affected the shipping dynamics. As you can see, we’re doing everything we can to make sure the shipping is affordable.
     
14. You already charged me $1 for shipping, why are you charging more? As we stated throughout the Kickstarter campaign, the $1 shipping fee was a deposit required by the Kickstarter platform. It was never meant to be the entire shipping charge.
     
15. Why are shipping costs to Canada so high? Beats me. However, we're working with Board Game Bliss to distribute our games locally. This will reduce the shipping costs in Canada considerably.
     
16. Why are you informing us of this 24 hours before you charge our credit cards? We’re not. We informed you of the shipping charges on October 17th and we didn’t plan to close the survey until October 25th. We will certainly make adjustments to that date so that people have time to respond.
     
17. When are the physical copies scheduled to ship? You can see the release dates below.
     
18. Why didn’t you charge my card earlier? Backerkit works differently than a webstore. We have to wait until we gather information from all backers (or at least a vast majority) before we proceed with charging cards. That’s why all the add-ons and the shipping costs on Backerkit will be charged now.
     
19. I still want the product, but I didn’t anticipate the additional costs. What do I do? Email us at [email protected]. If you’re willing to work with us, we’re willing to work with you.
     

Pledges Close on October 25th (Shipping Questions Answered)
over 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 20, 2022 at 02:49:41 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Shipping Updates: Single Wave and Local Pickup
over 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 20, 2022 at 01:05:04 PM

Hello Evil Backers,

During our staff meeting, when discussing shipping costs, one of our layout designers said “Hey we should offer a single shipping option for those who are budget conscious like me.” Boy, we should have listened to her. Maybe even make her CEO.

I want to thank the people who calmly and respectfully shared their concerns about the cost of multi-wave shipping. Obviously, we’re listening. Last night my team worked with the shipping partners to come up with a few options we think you will be interested in.

Single Wave Shipping

We are proud to offer single-wave shipping for those who don’t mind waiting until the release of your last purchase to receive their physical products. Despite the delay, you’ll still have immediate access to the digital versions of these products. Here is the pricing table below:

Local Pickup

For a flat one-time fee of $10, we can give you the ability to pick up your order at 1) any convention we will be attending or at 2) your local FLGS. Our official convention for next year will be:

• GAMA - April 24-27th, 2023
• Origins - June 21-25th, 2023
• GenCon - August 3-6th, 2023
• Essen - October 5-8th 2023
• Pax Unplugged - December 2023

In addition, we will be working with your local FLGS to allow local pickup. While we cannot guarantee it, we urge you to talk to the store and see if they are open to it. We have global distribution, so if they plan to carry our product, this should be no problem. We encourage you to talk to your local store before you choose this option.

It’s Your Choice

Within the next 24 hours, we will be populating the survey with three shipping options to choose from. They are:

• Ship in Waves
• Ship all at once
• Local Pickup

Please make your choice before we close the survey on October 25th, 2022 at midnight PDT.

One Final Thought

We understand your frustration with some of our decisions, this community is made of amazing, passionate fans of film and gaming. We ask for your patience as we work to bring you Everyday Heroes in the best way possible - forgive the hurdles it is our first go at this.

We're gamers and Kickstarter backers like you and we know the risk you've taken by supporting us. We hope that you have seen throughout this process that we are listening and when changes can be made to improve your experience with us, we make those changes.

In terms of shipping, there is only so much that we control. Our process for collecting shipping costs is as follows: We send the weights and dimensions of products to our shipping partners and they give us a price. Despite our best efforts, we are unable to negotiate prices, which leaves us with selecting the cheapest alternatives.

We hope some of the solutions we've presented and will present in the future are able to recover any faith you may have lost in the project. We will always take the side of our backers and work to provide you with the best experience possible. Thank you for supporting us, thank you for your patience with us, and thank you for your feedback.

Next Steps

Please complete the pledge manager before the deadline to avoid extra costs or delays in receiving your pledges. You will find your invitation link in your email (we will soon send new invitations to anyone who hasn’t completed it yet) or you can simply follow this link to get a new invitation. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]. We won’t be answering specific questions in the comments section

Again, thanks for your patience, and we are excited to put these products in your hands.

Inside Look: Classes From The Crow
over 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 20, 2022 at 06:55:42 AM

Hello Evil Backers,

We thought we'd share a little more about the Crow Cinematic Adventure. In the module, we do our best to show the expansiveness of the world.  Here is an example.

Ritual Magic

Magic exists in the world of the Crow. Well, Ritual Magic that is. Play with the fates and deal with the consequences. This artwork is from talented artist Bhavesh Visram. 

Sample Ritual

Anyone can attempt a ritual spell. Here is a quick look at one of the spells available to anyone who dares a ritual: 

Conjure the Dead

With this ritual, the caster can bring forth a recently deceased spirit and speak with it. When successfully cast, the soul of one person named by the caster appears before them for up to 1 minute. This soul cannot interact with the world, and only the caster can see it. It is under no compulsion to aid the caster.

Research. Standard. This is not a spell that is publicly available, but it can be found in many legitimate books on the occult. Access to an occult library or a book purchased from a legitimate occult store with a Price of 3 is enough to find the spell.

Requirements. You must cast this spell at the location the spirit died. Casting it requires at least four participants to join hands. You must draw a circle around you and your group in salt and speak the spirit’s name.

Casting Difficulty. Standard. This spell has a DC of 10. If you fail by 5 or more, the salt circle is broken and one of you is possessed by a spirit of the GM’s choice, which controls their body until it is exorcised.

The Soothsayer Class

There are other magics in the world as well. Enter the Soothsayer. 

You are a seer, gleaning what you can from psychic visions. You gaze into the future as easily as you look into the hearts of your enemies, guiding destiny to your benefit with a deft touch.

Soothsayers use their plans to gather information and influence fate. They can perform remote viewing or receive portents of danger. In combat, they mostly take on a supporting role, granting their allies bonuses, but with the right plan, they can also show their enemies terrifying visions, causing them psychic damage.

Sample Talents

•  As Foretold. Granted at level 1. At the start of an adventure, and whenever you finish a long rest, roll 2d20 and record the result of each die individually. At any time before you finish another long rest, you can expend one of your recorded results to replace the roll of any d20 roll with that number, regardless of who rolled the d20. You don’t need to be present, or even conscious, to do this. Expended results cannot be used again, and any that were not expended are lost when you finish a long rest.
•  Blessing of Fortune. Granted at level 1. As an action, you can choose one ally you are aware of within 120 feet. That ally adds 1d4 to the result of the next attack roll or saving throw they make before the start of your next turn.

Sample Plan

•  Witness Your End. As an action, you can enact this plan to show one enemy you are aware of within 120 feet their death. This might be their true end, or simply one possible future, at the GM’s discretion. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw, taking 2d8 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. On a failed save, the target also drops what it is holding and is Frightened until the end of its next turn.

Sybil is Back

You may run into some familiar faces in the world of the Crow. Remember Sybil from The Crow: City of Angels?

As you can see, we work with the best artists to ensure the highest quality roleplaying experience. If you haven't picked up this Cinematic Adventure, now's the time. You can visit our preorder store here.

Inside Look: Artwork from The Crow
over 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 13, 2022 at 11:48:38 PM

Hello Evil Backers,

We thought we'd share some of the artwork from The Crow Cinematic Adventure (PDF version released January 2023, in-store release in March/April 2023). 

New Cover Art

Unveiling the new cover art for the Escape From New York Cinematic Adventure from acclaimed artist David Chen. You'll notice a new enhanced pose for Eric Draven reminiscent of his walk in the rain.

The Villain of this Adventure

Introducing Vee. She is as dangerous as she is beautiful. And she is hellbent on bringing her twin sister back from the dead using the powers of the Crow.  Don't underestimate her. She has masterminded the perfect plot to ensnare your pitiful party to get what she wants. Drawn by the talented Jensen Sujaya. 

As you can see, we work with the best artists to ensure the highest quality roleplaying experience. If you haven't picked up this Cinematic Adventure, now's the time. You can visit our preorder store here.