Final Days Review: Pledge Tiers and Add On Options
25 days ago
– Mon, Oct 28, 2024 at 11:50:24 AM
Hello Accursed!
I've got a lot to go over today, but before we get into it, let's celebrate! Because we've passed 2,500 backers and unlocked all of the Stretch Goals we had announced thus far!
ACHIEVED! -At $160,000 in Funding - Accursed Adventure Supplement - We will add a second playable adventure to the adventure book. This Accursed Adventure Supplement PDF will automatically be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving the Curseborne PDF as one of their rewards.
ACHIEVED! - At $165,000 in Funding - Streaming Overlay - A set of overlays for your online game will be created, for your use when streaming your Curseborne session. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
ACHIEVED! - At $170,000 in Funding - Curseborne Fiction Anthology - We will add 1 more story to the anthology. All backers will automatically have the Curseborne Fiction Anthology added as a bonus reward.
So, before we get into today's Final Days Review, let's set up some final Stretch Goals to carry us through these final days. The theme we'll go with here is MORE MORE MORE. We'll expand each of our Stretch Goal supplements that will be bonus rewards for backers, coming to you as rewards above and beyond what you've pledged for automatically.
At $175,000 in Funding - Tangled Webs Supplement - We will add one additional location complete with Storyguide Characters, and story seeds. All backers receiving the Curseborne PDF as one of their rewards will have the Tangled Webs supplement automatically added as a bonus reward.
At $185,000 in Funding - Accursed Adventure Supplement - We will add a third playable adventure to the book. The Accursed Adventure Supplement PDF will automatically be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving the Curseborne PDF as one of their rewards
At $195,000 in Funding - Curseborne Fiction Anthology - We will add 1 more story to the anthology. All backers will automatically have the Fiction Anthology added as a bonus reward.
I love it! I've been a fan of each of these supplements, and the idea of bulking them up one again makes me eave more eager to receive them as bonus rewards!
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Kickstarter campaign. Curseborne finishes the Kickstarter campaign on Thursday, October 31st at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to curse others to join our Family, 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 three days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Final Week Program
- Oct 25 - Manuscript Preview #5 - Storyguiding Curseborne
- Oct 28 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
- Oct 29 - Manuscript Preview # 6 - Adversaries!
- Oct 30 - Stretch Goal Review
- Oct 31 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you're just starting to decide on a Lineage Path or have hit Entanglement 4, these are some good topics to review over these final days to make sure we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backers, make sure you check out the Final Week Countdown / Resource update. It has links to the manuscript previews, podcasts and panels, tons of Actual plays, and other helpful information).
BACKER REWARD TIERS
Like it says right at the top of the campaign page, we've come together to help create a fully-developed PDF and hardcover version of the Curseborne tabletop roleplaying game. Merging decades of experience with horror roleplaying and the years that have gone into honing the Storypath Ultra system to it's latest form, this game really feels like a culmination of so much work at the same time it's launching something new and exciting!
PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT
To borrow an analogy that I've used in past Kickstarter campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.
Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.
Your Curse: Digital, Standard, or Deluxe?
The main rewards offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the Curseborne book. The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version, the standard hardcover, or the limited edition deluxe hardcover.
While the world of the Accursed is challenging and full of hidden perils and intrigue, we've tried to keep supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, select one of these pledge path tiers:
- ACCURSED: 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.
- THE HUNGRY: This reward tier includes the 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.
If you're really excited about Curseborne and want to take things up a notch, we're also offering a special limited edition Deluxe Curseborne Hardcover Book option.
- DELUXE EDITON: This reward tier includes the limited edtion deluxe version of the Curseborne 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.
- MOTH: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge tier is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participate in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Curseborne that we post throughout this campaign.
- SLIPCASE EDITION: A special slipcase containing the deluxe Curseborne hardcover book, the Storyguide Screen, and a special "Making Of" softcover book.
THE DEAD / THE PRIMAL / THE SORCERER / THE LOOPHOLE: Some premium Pledge Levels offer special limited rewards in addition to the basics. Availability of these premium tiers is limited and may be all claimed. If there's one you're really looking for, check carefully over these final days, as many backers will begin settling into their final pledges and you'll see them pop in and out of availability. Check each of the Pledge Level descriptions for more details.
- THE DEAD: In addition to the Curseborne Deluxe Edition Hardcover (and PDF), you will submit a name that will be used for a background character which will be incorporated into the setting. Immortalize a favorite character or honor a member of your gaming group!
- THE LOOPHOLE: Submit photo references to be used by Curseborne artists when creating interior illustrations. Get the Curseborne hardcover (and PDF) and find yourself appearing in one of the Stretch Goal supplements, or get the Deluxe Loophole which trades up to the Deluxe Edition hardcover and the resulting artwork will appear in the core Curseborne book.
- THE PRIMAL: In addition to the Curseborne Deluxe Edition Hardcover (and PDF), you will participate in an online game session run by the imcomparable Matthew Dawkins. You can watch a few of the Actual Plays from our Final Week Countdown post to see how much of a treat that will be.
- THE SORCERER: As a special reward, you will gain access to some of the early drafts and notes of the Curseborne game. In addition, you will have the option to work with the Curseborne team on creating some streamed media (a Q&A, deep dive, interview, or similar) which will explore the origins and creation of the game. In addition, you'll receive the Curseborne Deluxe Slipcase Edition (and PDF).
After the campaign is over we'll launch our BackerKit Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
An important reminder at this stage:
- Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the front page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.
You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this Kickstarter campaign!
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Curseborne campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a physical, printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which may be some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.
CURSEBORNE PDF VERSION - The digital version of Curseborne, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Kickstarter backers will receive redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.
CURSEBORNE HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Pledge Levels that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
CURSEBORNE DELUXE EDITION HARDCOVER BOOK - A deluxe version of the Curseborne hardcover book with a black leatherette cover featuring a silver foil stamp logo on the front and inset silk bookmark. Interior contents will be the same across all versions.
CURSEBORNE SLIPCASE EDITION - A glossy finish chipboard slipcase with artwork on the front, back, and spine contaiing the Curseborne Deluxe Edition Hardcover Book, the 4-panel Storyguide Screen, and a softcover "Making Of" book.
Choosing Your Reward Tier
There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.
This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Funds for additional extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.
First Step: Reward Tier
To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.
Step Two: Add-On Options
Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible rewards you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.
You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.
In addition to additional redemptions of the PDF or additional copies of the Curseborne hardcover, Deluxe Edition hardcover, or Deluxe Slipcase Edition, Onyx Path is also offering a few additional Curseborne accessories, some pre-orders for recently completed campaigns, and starter bundles for some of their key catalogue titles.
The Curseborne Storyguide Screen is a 4-panel thick cardstock reference screen, with artwork on the outside and handy charts and information on the inside to make the Storyguide's job just a little bit easier.
The Curseborne Dice Set includes Ten ivory/bone 10-sided dice and five black 10-sided dice, with the 8 and 9 noted in a different color and the 0 marked with a moth symbol to easily determine the number of hits on a roll.
Pre-Orders for recent campaigns. Each of these pre-orders includes the draft version of the manuscript, the PDF once released to backers, and a discounted Print-on-Demand option for the book.
- The World Below is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire. The World Below has many facets, from exotic settlements to abandoned temples and dungeons inhabited with monstrous predators and glittering wonders. Caverns ripped from alien worlds and portals to bizarre dimensions are hidden just behind a wall, down a pit, or buried within a lost city. New magics, technologies, treasures, and secrets await discovery.
- At The Gates is a high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game about burgeoning heroes struggling to survive, fighting for what’s right, exploring dangerous places, and saving the world. You play as heroes who have chosen to buck the status quo and try to change the course of things. Your characters may attempt to change the course of the war, delve into the secrets of daemons and the Void, fight against tyranny to protect what they love in the world, fight to restore balance to Gaia, or all the above. You stand at the gates, holding back the tide, changing the course of history.
- They Came From the RPG Anthology! is a collection of genre pieces made available under one cover. Chapters dedicated to Westerns, in the form of They Came from Cowboy’s Gulch!, and Noir, in the form of They Came from the Mean Streets! Going off the wall a little, costume dramas from the Regency to the Edwardian period, with They Came from Bridgton Rectory!, and transition from the screen to the stage with They Came from the Bard’s Quill! You’ll also find the much-demanded They Came from the Interstellar Starship! Within this book you’ll find a quick play ruleset based on a streamlined version of the Storypath system. They Came From the RPG Anthology! also includes the Storypath Ultra ruleset as an Appendix so you can retroactively apply it to the existing They Came From games if you want to give them the full Storypath Ultra experience.
- Storypath Ultra Core Manual is the system that powers Curseborne stripped of setting material so that you can use the building blocks to power whatever world you have in mind. Within it's pages, you'll find the complete rules for Storypath Ultra; expansions of the core rules, as well as building block systems you can drop into games as needed; advice on how to run and adapt Storypath to your needs; and three example settings to show you how to use Storypath or to run as games in their own right.
Beyond the pre-order titles, Onyx Path is also offering three digital "starter bundles" for games in their catalogue. These bundles include the main rulebooks for each line, plus Jumpstart scenarios designed to introduce your group to the setting and rules set.
- The Trinity Continuum is a tabletop roleplaying game about possibilities and human potential. In the continuum, you will portray characters who can act and achieve even the most outlandish goals. Talents are people who have the ability to unknowingly reach into the continuum and change their own circumstances, appearing to be extremely lucky or very skilled individuals.
- Scion is a game about Gods and humanity, and everything in between. It's a game about mythic deeds and the reasons people talk about those mythic deeds.
- They Came From presents dramatic and farcical tabletop roleplaying game encompassing the wonder, horror, thrills, and humor of 1950s and 1960s science fiction B-movies or the dramatic, hammy, and humorous Hammer, Amicus, and Roger Corman horror films of the 1970s.
You can add or update your Add On choices right up until the campaign ends on October 31st at 2:00 EDT. If you've already pledged, you just have to hit the Manage Your Pledge button on the top of the campaign main page.
Once you've decided to Pledge to the campaign, or to Manage your Pledge if you've already backed, you either Confirm or Change Your Pledge on the first menu.
Pick a Reward Tier, then Add On Options
Once I select my pledge, I'm given the opportunity to click a green "Pledge" confirmation button. Once confirmed, I am taken to the second part of the Pledge process, where I can further Configure my reward. There are many optional Add Ons, not just those visible at the top of the page. It pays to scroll down.
Once you've selected your Pledge, and then picked any Add On options, you press continue and review one final time before confirming your pledge.
Using myself as an example, I've pledged for the Deluxe Edition reward tier. During the Add On option review, I decided to add a Curseborne Dice Set and the Curseborne Storyguide Screen to my rewards list.
Kickstarter helpfully shows what the prices will roughly be in my local currency. I am treating myself on this one!
Once I click Confirm, my reward tier and add ons are set for my pledge. Note that I've included my shipping destination, but no shipping charges have been calculated. Those will be handled and charged in the Pledge Manager when the books are preparing to ship.
You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our Pledge Manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.
Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order Curseborne at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list. The Stretch Goal rewards will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this Kickstarter campaign.
OPTIONAL HARDCOVER ADD ON REWARDS
All Add On and additional or extra hardcovers can only be added to a reward tier that already includes a hardcover version of this book (and has therefore established shipping parameters). The Guide Screen and Dice Sets must also be added to a hardcover reward tier, since it is a physical item that requires shipping. As with your pledge, shipping charges will be calculated in the Pledge Manager with all physical rewards sent in a single shipment once the Curseborne books are printed and ready to fulfill.
Don't fret if you had forgotten to select an Add On by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.
Step 1: Pledge Tier
Step 2: Add On Options
Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you will be presented with digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be presented with the additional option to add an extra copy of the hardcover.
Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, although Kickstarter displays the approximate conversion rate.
It Adds Up!
That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Tier and Add On options and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.
Additionally, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. Kickstarter will begin charging your payment method once the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.
Conclusion
As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Reward Tier for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or Adding On optional rewards, try a different browser or device. Kickstarter is always refining their processes, but sometimes things are a little sticky. Changing browsers often solves the issue.
On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.
So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to finish this epic adventure, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
And I'll be back tomorrow with the FINAL manuscript section for Curseborne, making the current draft text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
So, let's get ready for Curseborne adversaries! Let's invite more backers! Let's unlock another Stretch Goal or three! And get ready as we race towards the end!
Oh! And make some characters!!
