Late July Update!
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 07:04:12 AM
Greetings All!
It’s been harder than I’d like to admit to update, both due to lack of time and the snail's pace of progress. There are massive things going on, but I’ll get into those below.
Before I Start However: Thank you to those that continue to reach out with kind words and support, it made a world of difference in the rougher times. I’m pretty isolated in my work, so you carry a lot of weight.
Now to get into the going ons.
Tariff’s:
This was a major concern, probably the main concern, and the main thing I have been working to address.
As of last update, when I wrapped, I didn’t have the capital to get them into the US where a majority of backers reside. I consulted with everyone from Hit Point Press to Kobold Press, It was a major stressor. Outside of taking out a business loan, I didn’t know how I’d cover the lump payment. It just was never planned into scope. A trade war, who knew?
Enter an NDA side gig. I torched the schedule for the chance to be able to smooth out delivery hiccups. It is something I can't talk about but offered a way around the hurdle of a sizeable fee. What did that mean? I was planning on a few weeks of nonstop work, paused everything and slept (when able) next to the computer. Well, it took closer to 2 months, and I definitely broke a lot of things (more below) in the process, but it offered a solution.
As long as the tariff stays within (30-50%) range, the containers won’t be turned away and I can get them into the country. As a single person company, this was a huge unlock and the biggest win this update.
US Tariffs update August 11th, I’ll be keeping a keen eye and update you with any changes.
Schedule:
So as you probably noticed the digital deliverables didn’t arrive. I was mid process when I detonated a bomb in the middle of the schedule to address the looming Tariff issue. It was a chance I couldn’t miss to make this happen, and it crushed everything.
To add salt to the wound: The Deck 1-5 updates were largely done, and I am immensely proud of them. Showing off the updated changes to the cards mostly involving the new icons and stat blocks. That hit a skid when I took extra burden, and I haven’t been able to take the last 5% steps and update the info sheets and upload. Getting on this ASAP.
There were promises that I would take care of myself this time around, and I’ve failed at that. I don’t think I’ve ever been as underwater as I was recently, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for getting through. I'm meeting with production today so I am hoping to have an updated schedule shortly.
I’ve been stubborn to realize that there are just so many hours in a day and if the wheels fall off, I’m the only one here.
Health / Crashouts:
It turns out, after a certain age you can only cut out so much sleep and self medicate with caffeine while under a mountain of stress. The body started throwing up alarm bells.
Outside of a particularly bad case of food poisoning and a bout of fevers, it wasn’t too terrible until it was. I crashed out pretty hard health wise while still pushing forward, I know that can’t be something I keep putting off.
I don’t want to get too into the weeds, but I am seeking some additional help and have enlisted some doctor's appointments scheduled the moment I get back from GenCon. Hoping this can set it straight and start the long road of repairing.
GenCon:
I’ve arrived at GenCon for meetings. It's a work trip so that I can have a sit down and discuss the production timeline with my manufacturers. They, as always, have been a delight. The meeting is so that they can give me their timelines and listen to my feedback as well.
I’ll let you know what comes of it as soon as there is concrete information on production, and when I can have the digital files together. I’m hoping to get some rest for the first time in a while, I’ll hopefully have more news soon.
TLDR:
Main tariff issue was handled by a load of extra work, the extra work broke Hos (a bit), working on getting better. Digital Content forthcoming, responsible (reasonable) timeline coming shortly.
I’m just happy I can put aside one worry and focus back into completion. Apologies for the delay of updates, I’ve been struggling after the last one.
Special thanks to those who have been checking in on Discord. Things are getting better.
Be Safe and Keep Playing.
Tariffs & Samples! April/May Update.
over 1 year ago
– Thu, May 01, 2025 at 09:28:51 PM
Greetings All!
Back with an update on how things are going on my end, and how the world stage is toying with production.
Production:
Die-Lines have gone pretty darn well, with it leading to some formatting changes in the book layout for breathing space, suggested by the graphic design help.
While my main production company (all items except dice) has been going swimmingly, I couldn’t ask for a betweer partner in this process. However, the much delayed dice samplings have shown that they are not up to snuff. This is doubly disappointing as this was the same company that handled the previous kickstarter, however the sharp edged black and gold has shown clear flaws (more below).
I’m in the process of moving their production over to my main supplier using the templates and progress made previously to patch up any delays. Outside of that hiccup—and the broader trade issues—everything with the factory has been moving along well.
Samples:
As mentioned above, the latest dice sample was a major disappointment. After months of delay, the gold ended up looking like floating glitter, and it didn’t even properly fill the clear resin. It was a gut punch after all the time sunk into the process. Because of that, I’m shifting production to my primary production company, who will now be handling the sharp-edged dice going forward.
Samples Going Forward:
If you’re the type who enjoys a rabbit hole, check out the ongoing legislative conversations around the De Minimis Exception—which is how samples are currently classified.
The concern is that this exemption might be removed or restricted, meaning every single sample imported could start facing extra costs or delays. This means many samples will be shifting to photo approval going forward, as the tradewar keeps on giving.
Tariffs:
The massive elephant in the room, as mentioned in the last update, the fear is now an undeniable looming menace. As it stands, U.S. tariffs have made shipping for the board game industry nearly untenable. The margins we work with were never designed to absorb a sudden 145% increase in production costs.
If you’ve seen other kickstarters, this isn’t unforeseen, just unfortunate news. I had been scraping to cover the additional 20%, before the last spike pushed things completely out of hand.
I’ve spoken with manufacturers, fulfillment teams, and fellow creators—everyone’s saying the same thing: wait, watch, and plan. So that’s where we are. A holding pattern, with the goal to resume production once negotiations or policy changes bring things back within the realm of reason.
In the meantime, I’m pivoting to Digital Deliveries, with the updated schedule listed below.
(As of writing today, China has at least signaled a willingness to return to the table—so here’s hoping.)
Production vs Storage:
AKA - Why not Print and Store?
Due to the Tariffs, storage costs in China have Skyrocketed. It’s getting harder and harder to secure physical space, especially with the much bigger game companies beginning to buy out storage as shipments stall (or even return). That means the production-to-shipping has to be airtight, there is simply no place to store it.
So upon the advice of my manufacturer, I’m refining through an additional round of samples and seeing where we are at in another month before reapproaching printing.
So when can we expect stuff?:
Show answer, I’m still hopeful for Q3 2026 but it all depends on the factors above. In the meantime, it’s a hard pivot into providing the best Digital Deliveries possible.
End of May 2025:
Enhancements of Digital Decks 1 to 5
Delivery of Digital Decks 6 to 10
End of June 2025:
Delivery of Digital Book
Depending on how long this delay stretches, I’ll reassess and determine the best path forward—but for now, it’s simply not feasible. That said, I’m keeping my head down and creating, crafting, and making.
Be Safe, and Keep Playing.
- Hos (Dungeon Scribe)
Date Correction! Schedule 2025*
over 1 year ago
– Sun, Mar 09, 2025 at 05:51:23 AM
Greetings All!
In the cold light of Daylight Savings morning, the typo was realized.
Schedule:
The timeline is tighter than I’d like, but we’re still within an acceptable margin, especially for a smaller print run compared to massive projects. Keep an eye out for shipping in Q2 2025*, with deliveries expected by Q3 2025* at the latest.
Apologies for the mild panic, I missed it during my personal review. Getting back to it now. It's all ready later than I like, no reason to worry about 2026.
Be Safe, and thank you for pointing it out in the comments.
Post-GAMA: Early March Update!
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Mar 08, 2025 at 10:15:42 PM
Greetings All!
Apologies for the late weekend update. I wanted to get this out after GAMA, but between the weather change and some allergies, I ended up with a sinus infection that took up all of my free time this week. Now, let’s dive into the news!
GAMA Recap
As always, this expo was an incredible experience. As an industry cornerstone, it remains unmatched. It offered an opportunity for a face-to-face time with my manufacturer—a much-needed catch up and ensure we're aligned moving forward.
Die-Lines & Proofs:
After a series of reviews and updates, there’s both good news and bad news—mainly related to refining my die-lines and how I had been presenting layouts. While this isn’t the biggest setback, it does mean I’ll need to make some additional layout adjustments before I’m ready for sampling. Several elements need to be brought up to standard, including the book itself—which is the big task. Luckily I have help, we’ll be running through it until it’s right.
Samples & Approvals:
So what does this mean? Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working quickly to reorder samples and push items through for approval. My goal is to have the PPCs (pre-production copies) ready for sign-off within 2–3 weeks of the new die-line completions. This is my top priority right now, so it’s a rolling review.
Project Schedule:
The timeline is tighter than I’d like, but we’re still within an acceptable margin, especially for a smaller print run compared to massive projects. Keep an eye out for shipping in Q2 2026, with deliveries expected by Q3 2026 at the latest.
KS Messages:
For those who have messaged me on Kickstarter over the past two weeks—I’m getting to them now! Between the GAMA travel and the crummy week, it’s been a struggle to make sure I don’t lose track. To ensure I give each message my full attention, I’ve held off on responding until I could focus properly. Expect my replies this week!
I’m going to finish up some more outstanding items tonight while this low grade fever peters out, and then we should be all ahead full come Monday. As always, I’ll have Discord opened on a monitor tab while plugging away.
Apologies if this update is less pristine, I don’t make my editor check messaging on the weekends.
Be Safe & Keep Playing, I’ll be back with more news soon!
- Hos (Dungeon Scribe)
Jan 2025 - Steady Going
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Jan 31, 2025 at 07:36:38 PM
Rolling in at the tail end of January with an update—short and sweet, and all good news if you’re looking to save time. But if you’re here for some of the details, read along.
Timeline Check-In: So Far, So Good
The updated timeline is holding steady, and I’ve had my head down making sure everything stays on track. It’s a lot. I have always known that, but I’m having a good time again. Even small progress is a reward at the end of the day, or early morning.
CNY - Working Through:
With our manufacturer on their well-earned break for Chinese New Year, I’ve been cutting my teeth on additional die-lines. The goal is to make sure as many hiccups and details are refined before we move into the Wet Proofs and Testing phases once they return for production. This is always a planned break, so no surprises here—just keeping the gears turning so we can hit the ground running when the factory reopens.
Proofing & Art Passes:
As always the process continues, and I’ve been deep in art tweaks while also wrapping up art direction for the final outliers. A few deadlines have slipped, but at this point, I’m not grumbling as long as we make the finish line which is within a full sprint.
If you’ve seen me at all these past months, it was probably just the ghost of a feral artist, clawing their way through the late-night hours. It’s a relentless cycle, but progress is progress, and I’m happy to be making up ground.
The Three Patrons:
These three were the biggest wild cards, because I was stepping farther out from my usual style to make impressively tough CR Monsters. That’s also likely why I am loving the unique process. They’ve each undergone some major reworks due to the help of some incredible professional creature designers, and the results have been something special. If you haven’t taken a close look at them in a while, I’d encourage a revisit.
I can’t wait to share some of the little surprises I’ve been cooking up for them. These aren’t just tweaks; they’re expansions including origins and goals, and I think they’ll bring something really unique to the final product.
That’s it for now—I’m diving back in, so full steam ahead!
As always, I try to keep a close ear to the discord and answer notifications or questions as soon as possible. I appreciate the patience and hope that this is a welcome update.
Be Safe, and Keep Playing!
