48 Hours Until Ryoko's Guide BETA-PDF Launch!
9 months ago – Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 10:38:29 AM

Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms: Beta Playtest Release

You read that right, within the next 48 hours we're going to be releasing the BETA-PDF of Ryoko's Guide! As detailed in the last update, it's a document similar to the Unearthed Arcana released by other publishers, formatted and ready for you to explore, playtest, and give feedback which we can act on. You'll be able to download it from Backerkit if you have paid, and will be notified upon its launch.

Beta Test. Although this is a beta playtest document, it will contain art. Some art is still in progress so please expect a few gaps.

In addition, some of the stretch goal content will not be included in the first iteration of the beta test PDFs. The whole team is taking a break over Xmas but plans to incoporate that content into an updated beta test PDFs, in January. That includes:

• Weapon mastery system (Ryoko's)
• College of hanabi bard subclass (Ryoko's)
• Disciple of fusion bender subclass (Ryoko's)
• Sensei tamer subclass (Ryoko's)
• Five kaiju familiars (Wrath)
• Kaiju feats (Wrath)

Locking Orders and Payment Information

At the moment, everyone's orders are getting locked in, which means this is the last chance to upgrade or make changes before the card details you provided will be charged (including any tax and shipping costs). This charge will happen at some point over the next 24 hours. If you haven't filled out your survey, or don't have sufficient funds in your account, you have until shipping begins (in the Summer of 2024) to resolve it, but you won't be able to access your digital downloads until your survey is filled and the balance is paid. If you've still got to fill out the survey, now is the time (it takes about 5 minutes). Here's the link if you still need to do it!

Moving forward, we'll lock in orders every Monday. So, if you complete your survey on a Wednesday, your card will be charged the following Monday, and you'll recieve any digital assets at that time too!

Future Changes

Are you concerned your order or shipping address might change? Don't worry! Although orders are locked, you can still change your shipping info on backerkit, and if you'd like to ammend your order or pick up some more add-ons, we're here to help. Just hop on the Loot Tavern Discord Server and we'll guide you through the process and be able to answer any questions you might have.

Wrath of the Kaiju

The Wrath of the Kaiju BETA Playtest is also coming out later this week! As with Ryoko's Guide, it is a BETA document designed to give you everything you need to playtest and enjoy the adventures for playtest purposes. It'll include the adventures, the kaiju stat block variations, and a load of NPCs, factions, locations, and a whole bunch more stat blocks!

 Playtest

We can't wait for you to enjoy the playtest and hear your feedback on how we can improve!  We're talking HUNDREDS of pages here, so doubltess there'll be a spelling error or two. Put on your most meticulous reading glasses and tell us what you want to see! You can find more information on the BETA-releases in the previous update, and Ryoko's Guide includes an introductory chapter on providing actionable feedback for us to dive into. 

Feedback Forms. Each BETA-PDF will include a link to a feedback form, which is how we'll collect your thoughts. If you'd like to bookmark the links to the forms early, here they are.

• Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms Feedback Form
• Wrath of the Kaiju Feedback Form

If you've got any questions, head on over to the #ryokos-guide-questions channel of the Loot Tavern Discord Server for the fastest response. We're excited to share the BETA-documents so you can start playtesting, it's won't be long now!

Happy holidays!

- Will and the Team

December Update! The Beta-Test Preamble
10 months ago – Wed, Dec 06, 2023 at 01:42:56 AM

Happy December y'all, I hope you're doing well in these chilly times. Everything is going great on our end; we're finishing page layout for the Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms BETA-test document right now, and the Wrath of the Kaiju adventure book is pretty much finished in terms of writing and is in the process of being edited and formatted. More on that in a moment though, because first...

The Free Dice Glitch - A Reminder

Here's a reminder to those of you who experienced the free dice glitch after changing tiers post-launch we discussed in the last update: you can now go onto Backerkit and add them to your order. You can always hop on the Loot Tavern Discord Server if you need guidance or support on anything, whether it pertains to this glitch or something else.

BETA Playtest Document: Coming This December!

The Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms playtest document is dropping in the second half of this month! Stretch Goals unlocked over the campaign will be added at a later date, most likely in a January update. We're in the process of finalising the Weapon Mastery system stretch goal, which just keeps growing with new skill trees, and now with a few new weapon properties too. Other stretch goals, like the Fusionist Element Bender, Tamer subclass, and NPC stat blocks, are going to appear in the January update. Some stretch goals, like the Ryōkido, are already completed so we can release those in the first version of the playtest document.

We've also recieved great feedback from you all, even at this early stage. One common request was for a guide on creating your own kaiju, or adapting existing stat-blocks into kaiju stat-blocks. That's something I'll definitely add in the stretch-goal update to the playtest! Other requests, like a deeper dive into lore and locations, we've worked into the adventure settings and history within Wrath of the Kaiju.

And speaking of Wrath of the Kaiju, we're in the final stages of writing and arrangement, and we'll get the playtest document of that book out to you two weeks after Ryoko's Guide. Of course, as a playtest document, not all art will be finalised in these documents, but we will include notes on what to expect in places where we're waiting on artists. Mainly, this is all about getting your feedback and playtest experience to ensure everything is as balanced, understandbale, and fun as possible.

A Kaiju-Sized Project

As we've been making Ryoko's, we've found areas to enhance and expand as we go. The number of feats has shot up from 40 to 75, for example, because we kept having great ideas while ideating on what feats to include Last week we just finished creating four, awesome backgrounds to jumpstart your character creation with close ties to the setting, and we've already mentioned the expanded Weapon Mastery system. Your support is inspiring, and allows us to focus on making the greatest book ever! Everyone on the team is kicking butt and firing on all cylinders as we close in on the BETA release; they are literally the greatest creators and fantasy artists in the world on the planet, after all. Can't wait for your feedback so we can take it to the next level!

If you've got any questions, head on over to the #ryokos-guide-questions channel of the Loot Tavern Discord Server for the fastest response! We're excited to share the BETA-documents so you can start playtesting, it's not far off now!

- Will and the Team

Mini-Update: Backerkit Bug Fix
10 months ago – Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 12:53:43 PM

Backerkit Bugs (And The Fix)

Hey everyone! Thanks to everyone who has completed their surveys so far. Things are going great with Ryoko's, and we can't wait to get to Beta-PDFs out to you for playtesting next month! 

Unfortunately, we've heard from Backerkit that there is a slight bug with the system regarding free dice on some orders. Don't worry, no matter what, if you are entitled to free dice we will make sure you will recieve them! It will just require one extra step to correct the backerkit order (explained below). Most of you are uneffected, the bugs only effect the free dice on two types of backers:

Type 1: Digital Deluxe Backers. This applies to you if you were a Kickstarter backer and ended up with the Digital Deluxe Tier (it doesn't matter if you chose on Kickstarter initially, or picked something else and switched to it on Backerkit). Your bug concerns an error on the displayed shipping price, and a failure for Backerkit to promt you to enter your shipping details upon getting the free dice. The information on how to how to fix these glitches are below (time required to fix: ~3 minutes).

Type 2: Early Bird Backers who changed tiers. This applies to you if you were a Kickstarter backer in the first 72 hours (backer # 10830 or lower) and you changed your pledge level on Backerkit. The bug removed your free, early bird dice option from your cart. The information on fixing this glitch is below (time required to fix: ~2 minutes).

If you are neither a Digital Deluxe backer, or an early bird backer who changed their tier, the bug doesn't effect you and you can ignore the rest of this update! If one or both of these apply to you, here is how to fix each bug.

Type 1: Digital Deluxe Backers - The Shipping Glitch

If you're a digital deluxe backer, when you claim your free dice, the Backerkit software tells you the shipping costs $38. This happens because Backerkit doesn't have your shipping address and it defaults to the most expensive option on earth. Don't worry though, if you simply proceed to the next page and enter your country, the shipping price will update. Here's a step by step in pictures:

Bug: The incorrect shipping price is shown.

Solution: Add your shipping address.

Ta-da! It's fixed, the correct shipping price is shown!

Type 1: Digital Deluxe Backers - Shipping Glitch Part 2: Revenge of the Shipping Address

For all Digital Deluxe backers, Backerkit never prompted you to enter shipping information when you said 'yes' to your free 1d20 and 2d6. This happened because Backerkit incorrectly read your order as digital only, even with the physical, free dice. Don't worry though, the fix is simple! 

The fix: For everyone who has already completed the survey and wants the free dice, if you log into Backerkit, you will be prompted to fill in your shipping details (see the above breakdown on entering shipping information). WARNING: Do not change your pledge level, it will remove the addon.

For all the Digital Deluxe tier backers who have not yet completed their surveys, you will have the option to add on one free copy of the d20 and d6 addon for a cost of $0, as shown in this image:

Type 2: Early Bird Backers - The Tier Change Glitch

This bug effects people who backed the Kickstarter in the first 72 hours (backers #10830 or lower), but changed their tier in Backerkit's survey. Backerkit's software removed the 'Dice Set - Yokai Dawn Resin (Free Early Backer Choice!)' from your cart. 

The fix: On the 30th of November, Backerkit customer services will manually add this addon back into your baskets. From the 1st of December, you will be able to log back into your Backerkit account and simply choose whether you want them or not. (We will remind you to do this in an update around that time).

Note: If you change your pledge level after November 30th, you can contact Smood on our Discord server and they'll sort it to ensure you still recieve the free dice! But honestly, it's probably best to ensure you're in the right tier before November 30th if you can. You can still add any addons you like and it won't affect the free dice!

 If you're confused, we're here to help!

If you think you are missing the Dice Mini Set, contact Smood on Discord in the #ryokos-guide-questions channel. If, after December 1st, you think you are missing the Free Full Set do the following:

1. Check your backer number on Kickstarter is #10830 or lower. If it's 10831 or higher, you are not missing it.

2. Get in touch with Smood on Discord in the #ryokos-guide-questions channel.

Thanks so much for your patience and understanding. Backerkit are doing everything they can, and we're working with them closely to ensure nobody misses out on their free dice. Once again, if you've any questions, head on over to the #ryokos-guide-questions channel of the Loot Tavern Discord Server for the fastest response!

We can't wait for you all to get the Ryoko's Beta PDFs next month and start playing!

- Will and the Team

Backerkit Surveys are ready! Everything you need to know
11 months ago – Fri, Nov 03, 2023 at 03:12:52 PM

The Backerkit Surveys are ready to roll!

We've run the smoke tests and confirmed everything is working, so the Backerkit Surveys will be launching on Monday. Because there are so many of us, we're going to be launching the surveys in batches of 5000 each day, so as not to overwhelm the Backerkit system. Yes, that is how powerful you are, Backerkit requested we don't all pile in at once! 

The last of you should receive your survey emails by Friday 10th November. If you haven't got them by end of day on Friday 10th, reach out to Backerkit Support.

NOTE! If you paid using Apple Pay and you have the feature turned on that hides your email, you will not get a survey and will have to reach out to Backerkit directly, giving them your details so they can find your pledge and manually change the email.

What is this survey anyway?

The Backerkit Survey is *your* survey. It's the place for you to confirm your details, confirm your pledge, and add any extras you might want. For example, many people who purchased the Core Book and Game-Ready Tiers were interested in upgrading their book covers to the Deluxe versions. This is the place you can do that!

It's also the place you can add on any totally new things, such as bonus dice for your treasure horde, or Bombuku's Notebook of Knowhow for your players to use at the table. 

SLIPCASE

It took some wrangling but, if you're in the Game-Ready (GR), Core Box (CB), or Deluxe Box (DB) tier, you can get the slipcase addon. This is one of the questions in the survey for anyone in any of those tiers.

To minimise damage during transit, the slipcase will be shipped with books inside of it. There are two options:

•  Ryoko's Guide (core cover), Wrath of the Kaiju (core cover), and the Art Book - available to GR and CB tiers.
•  Ryoko's Guide (deluxe cover), Wrath of the Kaiju (deluxe cover), and the Art Book - available to GR, CB, and DB tiers.

Important Note. If you are in the GR or CB tier, added the Art Book as a Kickstarter addon, and want the slip case, here's what you've got to do to not end up with two copies of the Art Book. Select one of the two slip case options and then immediately contact Backerkit Support and ask them to "remove the Art Book Kickstarter addon". If you do not request that they remove the Kickstarter Art Book addon, you will receive (and pay for) two copies of the art book.

If you're in the PDF or Book tier and you want the slipcase + extra books then the cheapest option is to move up to the Game Ready tier and select one of the highlighted options.

CHANGING TIERS

When you open your survey there is a tiny, hard-to-see hyperlinked text that says "Switch your Pledge Level" right below the 'Get Started!' button. If you click this, you can change tiers. We recommend only moving UP tiers as Backerkit we will not be able refund you the difference if you move down tiers.

FREEBIES

Finally, the Backerkit Survey is where your FREE DICE will be added to your order!

KS Book+ Backer. If you backed at a physical tier the (Book, GR, CB, DB, or AI tier) over the course of the campaign, you'll get a question added to your survey where you can claim them, as seen here: 

Early Bird. If you were an early backer then you'll see a $0-cost reward on the addons page. On the next page after that you'll get asked whether you want it or not. 

Note: the way BK works is that all physical items have a weight, and your final shipping cost is based on the total weight of your order and the destination. Selecting these free addons may increase your shipping cost.

SHIPPING

Regarding shipping information, many people have asked "what if I move?". Don't worry. Any shipping information you enter now can be changed later. For the moment, simply add your current address. If you move before the items are shipped, you can log in and change the address at the time. This section is also where you'll pay the shipping.

If you have any questions, we're happy to help!

We're holding the surveys to Monday to make sure everyone on the team is here help out if you need it! As always, if you've any questions, you can submit them in the comments to this update, the project updates, or, even better, on the #ryokos-guide-questions channel of the Loot Tavern Discord Server.

- Will and the Team

A Sneak Peak at Ryoko's Races and Finalising Order Surveys Coming Soon!
11 months ago – Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 07:06:39 AM

Finalising Orders

What's up, everyone? Backerkit Surveys are coming very soon: they will be ready by the end of next week! That is the place where you will enter your shipping information, choose the VTT you want (if you grabbed the VTT add-on or a tier that includes it), and pay for the shipping and tax. It's also where, if your Kickstarter pledge didn't go through for any reason, you'll be able to pay in full and still be entitled to your free dice if you initially backed during the campaign (even if your payment didn't go through at the time). 

You can enter your shipping address on that survey as well. Don't worry if you're not sure that you'll have the same address next year! If your shipping address changes you'll have an option to update it before we ship, so no worries there. It's also the place to add any add-ons, like the Bombuku's Notebook of Knowhow book for your players, or more dice if you want to grow your treasure horde!

In order to make sure everything is working, we'll run a "smoke test" late next week. That's where we take a very small number of backers at random, and send them the survey early just to make sure everything is working. Once they get back upon completing it and we're sure everything is working okay, we'll fire it out to everybody.

Beta PDFs This December 

Meanwhile, everything is going great with the books on our end! We're finalising small things, including adding the unlocked stretch goals like the new Fusion Element Bender, and are in the proofing, layout and arrangement process in preparation for the PDF Beta release this December. That's when you'll be able to dive in, have a blast, look around, and let us know if anything isn't jelling quite right or needs more clarification. After collecting your feedback, we'll upgrade and clarify everything that needs it, and that's when we create the final version, send it through to the printers, and to all of you as a final PDF. That's scheduled for next April, with the playtest period looking to end late January/early February.

It's all running smoothly, but I'll be damned, I can't help but share a sneak peak at the races to hold you over for December: here's every race in the book! We've got: Atatsu, Fuyohren, Haniwa, Isetsu, Kitsune, Ryōkido, Nishikin, Oniborne (Blue, Red, and Green), Enkoh (Hulking and Springtail), Tatsumi, and Tengu (Hanataka and Karasu). And they're looking beautiful...

Projects We Love

Our friends Legends of Avantris have just one week left in their Kickstarter. To celebrate the epic support on The Crooked Moon, they are giving away a free set of Pumpkin King dice to all backers who get any physical item! The Crooked Moon is bringing Folk Horror to 5e with a full adventure for players levels 1-13, a setting guide and tons of brand new player options, such as 15 subclasses, 13 new races, tons of spells, items and more. Check them out here! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendsofavantris/the-crooked-moon-folk-horror-in-5e?ref=c5syu4

If you've any questions, you can submit them in the comments to this update, the project updates, or, even better, on the #ryokos-guide-questions channel of the Loot Tavern Discord Server.

Will and the Team