The Six Deadly Designers, Vol. 3: PhoenixCon 0 and the Kickstarter
We've been busy...
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to wind down, it is time to really get back to work, as in conventions and the World of Durmin Kickstarter.
First up, conventions. We are Proud Sponsors of the inaugural PhoenixCon in Neenah, WI, August 13-15, 2021. It is here that we will launch the World of Durmin Kickstarter. We will also be throwing a party of sorts with our friends from The Dragon's Head Tavern, who are launching their Kickstarter about the same time for their line of simple syrups called Alcohol Alchemy. I actually have some of these right here in the office, and they are amazing concoctions that will spice up your cocktail or mocktail. At PhoenixCon, William Parker from Dragon's Head will be on hand for a party to show off the Alcohol Alchemy line, with some samples as swag and, even cooler, FREE drinks and admission. You must be 21 to come to the party, but I promise it will be worth it.
Now...the World of Durmin. Let's reveal the world map.
This world map will measure 36" x 24", suitable for display in your gaming room. There will also be an individual map of each continent with 30 mile hexes inlaid, each measuring 24' x 18'. This map, like the classic map from the first campaign setting box set, only shows cities and large towns, leaving room for the Game Master to incorporate smaller locations where they see fit.
In addition to the maps, there will be two books about the World of Durmin. One details the world itself, while the other includes our OPTIONAL races and classes found in the world, which may need to be referenced for certain NPCs in upcoming products.
Also included in the box set will be an OSRIC version of our introductory adventure, Cult of Petosega, for 1st level characters.
More About The World of Durmin
The World of Durmin may seem familiar, but not at the same time. There are elements of high fantasy, gothic horror, and post-apocalyptic adventure found in the world. While it is a world unto itself, you can use it in conjunction with your preferred setting of choice, as it is a demiplane outside the existing planes. So those of you that are fans of certain old-school settings can run this as a one-off, a story arc, or even an entire campaign the characters must find their way out of. It can also be run as a primary setting, with its own ways of connecting with the planes of existence.
The World of Durmin Campaign Setting is designed as a sandbox for Game Masters to build upon themselves. Though we do plan on supporting this, you will not see a bunch of splatbooks giving you "official lore", telling you "THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE". From time to time, you will see more in-depth information come out about a city or a region, but nothing that is a concrete hard line that you cannot change to suit your needs.
All of our previously published adventures do take place in the World of Durmin, though they can be adapted to suit any setting. These will be notated in an appendix for where exactly they take place.
We are looking at the final cost for the Kickstarter right now, but it looks fairly affordable for a gamer on a budget. We are producing it ENTIRELY in the United States, like everything else, keeping jobs here as opposed to outsourcing the work. This will also give us the advantage of a planned fulfillment of late-November 2021, just in time for Christmas. We have been assured the books and maps can be printed by then, we are awaiting word on stretch goals and the boxes.
Stretch Goals
Every Kickstarter has stretch goals. We have a few in mind, including ones that do not involve our hands-on work. However, we cannot reveal these at this time as nothing has been finalized. We do have a few in-house produced items that will be stretch goals and add-ons, that we will reveal at launch.
Launch Party At PhoenixCon
We are launching the Kickstarter AT PhoenixCon in Neenah, WI, August 13-15, 2021. There will be an event with tickets (those are free, but limited). The Launch Party event will have swag for attendees. The first 25 guests to the Launch Party that back the Kickstarter will also get a special surprise in-hand just for getting us started.
The Kickstarter can also be backed at our vendor table all weekend, as we will have a device to log into Kickstarter on the table and back the World of Durmin, should you be interested, if you do not have a device on hand.
Why A Kickstarter?
I have been asked why a Kickstarter? Why crowd-fund when you haven't yet?
Simply put, this is a big project that is costly to produce, much more so than our adventures. We want this to get into the hands of people who want it, and Kickstarter is the best way to do this, as no one pays unless it is backed fully. We are still a small company, and cannot do this venture alone.
So there it is, in a small nutshell. More will be revealed as August approaches and PhoenixCon. I hope to see you there! Joe