Three new Nordlond Bestiary Volumes: Launching in October

[DouglasCole]

Gaming Ballistic is thrilled to present the next volumes in a hopefully ever-expanding set of ready-to-play creatures for your Dungeon Fantasy RPG games...or anything else that needs some horrific fun!

In October, three new bestiary volumes launch on Backerkit Crowdfunding!

The books include:

• Serpents of Legend (roughly 32-36 pages)
• The Bugstiary (roughly 32-36 pages)
• Garden of Evil (20 pages)

I'm trying something new here, and rather than run separate funding and survey campaigns, I've been invited to try out Backerkit's new integrated crowdfunding platform.

Find out (many) more details about the three volumes, including some teaser placeholder art here at the landing page.

[Dalin]

Can't wait for these releases!

I've had the opportunity to play in a few playtests for Serpents of Legend and it's been super fun (and deadly). The Bugstiary and Garden of Evil also fill important niches. All three of these, too, will provide more support for wilderness adventures which is always a good thing. (I always think of the wilderness as the rooftop garden of the dungeon anyway.)

[Armin]

I'm guessing at those page sizes that these will be stapled and spineless? Because that makes me sad.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Armin

I'm guessing at those page sizes that these will be stapled and spineless? Because that makes me sad.

For a book that needs reference at the table, the only choices I'd inflict on my customers are saddle-stitch (stapled and spineless) and sewn lay-flat binding. Perfect binding here would not sit flat, so would be very poor as an at-the-table reference, as it would keep trying to close unless you broke the spine (which risks pages falling out).

Let me think on it, but I think the three smaller books is where it needs to be.

Honestly, if I could count on 850-900 backers (which is a substantial increase over last time) I'd be able to do different things with confidence. Until I get to that point...these full color art-heavy books will remain a heavy lift.

[corwyn]

Given how many different monster books I'm getting to from various sources, I think I'll just stick to printing and throwing them in a binder like the old AD&D 2e Monstrous Compendiums. Easy to add new ones and pull out only the ones I need.

[Armin]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

For a book that needs reference at the table, the only choices I'd inflict on my customers are saddle-stitch (stapled and spineless) and sewn lay-flat binding. Perfect binding here would not sit flat, so would be very poor as an at-the-table reference, as it would keep trying to close unless you broke the spine (which risks pages falling out).

Let me think on it, but I think the three smaller books is where it needs to be.

Honestly, if I could count on 850-900 backers (which is a substantial increase over last time) I'd be able to do different things with confidence. Until I get to that point...these full color art-heavy books will remain a heavy lift.

I completely understand. My happy place would have been a second book like the first, even if the content inside was structured differently. I totally get where you're at. It's just not where I wish you were at.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Armin

I completely understand. My happy place would have been a second book like the first, even if the content inside was structured differently. I totally get where you're at. It's just not where I wish you were at.

Tell you what. I'll set a non-trivial stretch goal (and it may be the only such goal of the project), and if we hit it, all backers ordering physical books will choose between:

* Three softcover saddle-stitch volumes
* A hardcover compendium of all the books in one
* Both A and B

for no additional charge.

I suspect most folks will take "yes, both" but that'll be figured into the goal.

It won't be trivial or low, but back of the envelope says it will be possible. It will also be a dollar goal, not a backer-count goal, so wealthy benefactors can throw money at it and win. Some of my prior projects had backer-count goals, but this one really is about the dollars.

It may require an entirely separate shipping thing, as the hardback will take a LONG time to get from place to place, but the softcovers print in a few weeks. Hardcovers will also come from Eastern Europe, and if you remember the "Freight Check" card from last time...yeah. Pain.

Even so: I like me my hardbacks too.

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by corwyn

Given how many different monster books I'm getting to from various sources, I think I'll just stick to printing and throwing them in a binder like the old AD&D 2e Monstrous Compendiums. Easy to add new ones and pull out only the ones I need.

Just remember not to print monsters on both sides, or it will be impossible to alphabetize correctly, also like the old AD&D Monstrous Compendiums!

[Armin]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Tell you what. I'll set a non-trivial stretch goal (and it may be the only such goal of the project), and if we hit it, all backers ordering physical books will choose between:

Okie doke! I will definitely make some room in the budget to back for some dead trees and hope we can push into that stretch-goal territory!