Steinhardt's Bonus Adventure + FAQ
20 days ago – Mon, Apr 15, 2024 at 02:29:28 AM

Hello good hunter!

Today's update will be in two parts.

Part 1 is about the new adventure path set in the world of Steinhardt’s. I'm giving it to you for free while you wait for your order

Part 2 is a FAQ to answer all your questions about printing, shipping and more.

1. Rise of the Wretched Adventure Path

Embark on a journey into the world of Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, in the heart of the doomed city of Luyarnha with "The Cursed Convoy," the first installment of the "Rise of the Wretched" adventure path.

In this adventure for 1st to 2nd level characters, your party finds themselves aboard a speeding train carrying both a curse and a chance at salvation. As the train hurtles towards Luyarnha, you become entangled in a web of dark secrets, eldritch mysteries, and perilous confrontations.

The subsequent adventures will be released progressively, building upon the events and revelations of "The Cursed Convoy" to form a complete campaign.

You can click the link above to read more about it, it’s free!

The full campaign will contain personal missions which can influence the adventure. 

It will also contain a faction relationship system that keeps track of the party's decision, and depending on their choices will turn allies into enemies and vice-versa, altering the path set before them.

I wanted to give you something to play with while you wait for your order to arrive.
 

2. FAQ

Do you have any more Steinhardt’s content???

Yes! See the Rise of the Wretched part of this update. It’s free for all backers.

What's the status on the Tamer subclass? Last I heard it was uncancelled, but then nothing more. What even was it going to do?

I updated the Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt PDF, you can find it on page 483.

The Core tamer class is free, I left a QR Code and link in the PDF to access it.

So, if you were to put a percentile value on completion, where would you say the overall progress is?
 

I’ll make 3 categories here: content, printing and shipping.
 

Content is at 95%

The book itself is completed, as well as all the supplementary content (expect the Trick Weapon Workshop, more on that further down). What remains is printing and shipping.

Printing is at 50%

We recalled the first batch of mass production because there were some defects. Notably, some pages being printed upside down.

Though it does give a unique look to the book, it ain’t very practical. We had to redo them.

Shipping is at 25%

The shipping companies are ready to come and pick up the orders, but for that the orders need to finish printing. Once that happens, everyone will receive a tracking number and be able to follow their orders.

Another issue with not being happy about something not being perfect? Its happening a lot to this project, Im not sure Im going to get the book at this rate, being a year late now
 

I’m sorry about the delay, I am not happy about it either, trust me.

The thing is, we are already late, so we might as well delay it more and ensure the product is top notch, rather than delivering something subpar. 

I’ve seen the fallout that happens to games like Cyberpunk 2077 when they are rushed.

Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting was also delayed, but now that people are finally receiving it they are thrilled about it.

I hope to deliver the same experience.

Once again, I apologise for the delay
 

Do you have any non-bloodborne music you would recommend to accompany the adventure or a game in the setting you've created?

I recommend the work of Solas Composer on YouTube, I’ve been using it a lot in my Steinhardt’s Games. He has music that can be used for everything, from exploration to boss fights. His “The Old Hunters” song is a favorite of mine as a Boss Theme.

Is it too late to adjust shipping info?

No,If you go to backerkit, there should be a button that says "Edit your address"

I've been so stoked ever since my original pledge! What's been your favorite part of the product to work on?

The writing. 

Production is a nightmare hahaha (tears) 

Recently I dove deep into the customer experience side of things, the first impression you get when you receive the box.

For example in the Dark Souls board game the first thing you see when you open it is a paper.

On it written: "You Died"

Damn, that sets the tone.

I wanted to create a similar experience. I hope you'll like what I came up with.

We also did a lot of finishing touches, including adding wax seals, better wrappings and more. 

I know it'll be low priority next to the physical goods being shipped, and I totally understand that - but is there any news regarding the trick weapon workshop?

It requires a lot of work to balance, and virtually all of my attention, so I’ll only finish it when the shipping begins so as not to delay it more.

I know of competent people to hire to help me finish it once we get heavily started on it.

If you could have your own trick weapon, what weapons would you combo to make it?

I wrote the book, so a lot of my favourite ones are already in writing. 

I'm cheating I know.

As a big Legend of Zelda fan I love the grappling hook. The Meat Hookshot is that but with a gun attached to it, which I adore.

The Silver Serpent Bladewhip is also tons of fun.

Any plans for more Kickstarters in this setting?

Nothing until everyone gets their hand on the book. 

That being said, I am writing ideas down in my free time.

I have also learned a great deal from this Kickstarter. 

So if and when Steinhardt’s 2 happens, I will only be after I’ve written all of the content, and have the samples ready so we can begin mass production immediately.

I don’t want people to wait as long as they have for this product.

If you could pick one creature/NPC from the book to get a mini for which one would it be and why?

The Galvanised Prowler, because the design is cool af.

The previews for the deluxe edition of the book show the tendrils around the outside on the front cover to be a more purplish black color and help make the art pop. The version you have shown recently from the samples is all gold foil on a black cover. Will the final version look like the promo images that were used during the kickstarter, and are still up in the late pledge site, or will they look like the sample images you have shown a few updates ago?

This is the final look. We tried both, but the gold and leather aspect is just so much cooler.

You mentioned you would eventually consider also adapting SGtEH to Pathfinder 2e, is this still an option you're considering? :)

Not at the moment, I’ve had conversations about it, but it’s too much of a time commitment, time which could be invested elsewhere.

Would you collab with 3D artists to create minis or even STL files of the monsters in your book so we can have physical versions of them?

STLs are a consideration.

Minis on the other hand, are not. They are incredibly difficult to ship without breaking, are very expensive to print en masse unless you have the equipment for it (which I do not). 

I just don't think I'm qualified enough to handle them.

Were there any subclasses (core classes and Jaeger) that didn't make the cut for the book? If so, what were they and will you remake them for Steinhardt 2 electric boogaloo?

A lot was left on the cutting room floor.

We had more osteomancy based classes which we didn’t touch.

I wanted to include a vampiric set, for that classic gothic horror element, but it just wouldn’t fit in the lore

I also had more oceanic based monsters which we left behind. 

Steinhardt’s 2 might include a Holy War and oceanic conquests, so we will see what we can do there. 

Where are the poison swamps ?/ Joking. Seeing as this is a homage of the fromsoft games , is there stuff from Elden ring you're thinking of integrating into V2 to mix up gameplay ?

Note to self: Add poison swamps

Yes that blue golem hidden on ledge in Caelid that shoots lasers and drops nothing.

Real Talk: I do, but don't want to say anything just yet.

I've noticed that the king of the hunt only has a stat block. Why isn't there any information on him like there are for all the other stat blocks? is the information hidden around the book or have you just not written anything for the mystery?

There’s plenty of information about him scattered throughout the book. I’ll let you puzzle out this mystery ;)

Will there be a pantheon/ elder gods mentioned in the campaign, and is there anyway to gain their favor?

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What is your philosophy for designing/running a good boss fight in the 5e system? Any tips or neat "moments" you envisioned for any particular bosses or encounters that perhaps you couldn't put into the books?
 

A good arena

A good boss is a good time. 

A good boss in a changing arena with interactive elements is an absolute blast.

I also like to prepare a cool description for something the boss does either at the beginning or in the middle of the fight. 

For example when Malach sheds his flesh, make sure to make that description as blood-curdling as possible.

Being more interested in the lore of this setting, we have been given great details in the history, districts, even some NPCs (the fallen hunters in particular) of Luyarnha. There’s just one person who isn’t very clear though are given bits of information about him through out the book and that being Steinhardt Silverblood himself. Are we gonna get more info on him one way or another?

Steinhardt’s story is yours to create from the lore scattered throughout, he was the only enemy that wasn’t given straightforward lore so that GMs could shape him to fit their needs. Who knows what happened of him after he vanished on a Hunt?

Take Care!
 

Evan | MonkeyDM
 

While we wait, let's do a Q&A!
2 months ago – Wed, Feb 28, 2024 at 09:22:00 AM

Hey there, Hunters,

I've noticed a lot of you are really looking forward to getting your stuff, which is awesome to see!

We're just as excited over here.

All the shipping details are sorted, and now we're just waiting for the mass production to finish. With over 20,000 orders to get through, including those late pledges, it's taking a bit of time, so thanks for hanging in there.

I also promised you an adventure to help pass the time. 

It's all set, but when I gave it another look, I wasn't happy with how some parts turned out, especially how the backgrounds (from the book itself) were blending into the story. So, I decided to polish those parts up a bit.

I'll drop the first part of the adventure in our next update, which will be pretty soon. 

But,  in the meantime, if you've got any questions, just ask them below. I'll make sure to answer the big ones in our next update.

Take care!

Evan | MonkeyDM

Happy New Year from the Steinhardt's Team!
4 months ago – Thu, Jan 11, 2024 at 08:25:49 AM

Hello good hunter,

As we step into 2024, I hope the holiday season was good to you.

Now, let's dive into the latest update for Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt

Book and GM Screen Enhancements

During the holidays, we received the final samples of our products, and I'm happy to say that they are perfect. 

The new version of the book looks fantastic, with the corrected colours truly bringing it to life, the darker colours now look incredible. 

This improvement is particularly noticeable on the GM screen, which was previously too dark, and now looks perfect.

The Cloth Map

However, we encountered a challenge with the cloth map. 

Despite numerous attempts, the sepia version consistently resembled burnt paper—and not in a cool way. 

To address this, we've requested a revision, opting for the regular map design without the cloud and fog effects. I’m waiting for that particular sample to arrive.

Digital Content Update

In case you missed it, all our digital content is now live and accessible since the beginning of the December. 

Your feedback on the VTTs is invaluable, and we’ve actively worked on resolving the minor issues identified for each platform.

Also, we encountered some hiccups with the Digital Bundle, but I'm happy to report that these have been resolved.

Logistics and Shipping Preparation

Our shipping logistics are lined up and ready to roll. We're currently awaiting the arrival of the revised map sample. 

Additionally, we're ensuring that the packaging boxes meet our  expectations. This is the final step before we can start mass production and subsequent shipping.

TL;DR:

We're about to begin mass production and, following that, the shipping process. It's an exciting time, and we're almost at the finish line. 

Your support and patience have been incredible throughout this journey, and we're eager to get the final product into your hands.

Thank you for being a part of this adventure, and stay tuned for more updates as we progress!

Take Care!
Evan | MonkeyDM

Steinhardt's Guide - The Samples are Here!
6 months ago – Mon, Nov 06, 2023 at 10:05:01 AM

Hello good hunter,

Let me update you on the progress of Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt!

Physical rewards.

On Friday I received initial samples of the book, deluxe book, art book, and the new dice sets. The results are epic!

Dice wise, the galaxy dice in particular went from a murky brown to a rich, vibrant galactic gold.

The books feel extremely sturdy and durable, which is essential for a nearly 500 page tome, and the binding holds up just fine.

The deluxe cover looks incredible in its black and gold motif too.

I've done some "stress testing" by tossing the books around, and they hold up great. (Don’t judge me, they are samples, meant to be tested haha)

The artbook is also awesome:

Despite looking fantastic overall, a few printing flaws did pop up on the main book:

The purples are overly saturated, causing some imagery to differ from the digital versions. And the dark aesthetic combined with the print process lost some background textures. I also noticed the red bookmark ribbon frays too easily, and some blends and positioning were off.

Not to worry! Over the weekend I made tweaks to the digital files to compensate for the printing quirks, and informed the manufacturer.

Now I'm test printing revised pages to dial in the look. 

Once we nail it, mass production and shipping can begin!

The rest of the deluxe rewards are on their way. I'll circle back once they arrive and I can confirm their quality.

Thanks for your patience—we're committed to delivering only the highest caliber final product!

Rest of the Content:

- GM Cheatbook: Completed, only waiting for the proofreading, in the meantime a test print has started.

- Digital Asset Bundle: Once the GM cheatbook is formatted properly, I'll complete the bundle and upload it.

- Trick Weapon Worshop: Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to writing it up, as I have been caught up in the rest of the production.

- More Steinhardt's Adventures: The First Two Adventures are written, and ready to roar, I do need to format and distribute them, I'll let you know how with the next update.

- Tamer Subclass: The tamer subclass is done, I just need to format it.

News on the virtual tabletop front:

- Roll20: It will launch at its deadline on schedule for 11/22, or perhaps a bit earlier, with some luck. This is the timing written on the contract, and I didn't manage to rush them more than that.

- Foundry VTT: The team has been hard at work updating the module, so be sure you have the latest version installed for the best experience.

- Fantasy Grounds: the approval process is nearly complete and we are waiting on the approval of Smiteworks to release it (about 2 weeks or less).

Take Care!

Evan | MonkeyDM

Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt
7 months ago – Thu, Sep 28, 2023 at 09:52:12 AM

Hello good hunter,

We've been busy, and I'm excited to share some updates about where we are with Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt.

FoundryVTT Module:

The FoundryVTT module for Steinhardt has finally seen the light of day! I've dispatched all the keys on Sunday.

Apologies for the late update on this front—launching had us scurrying with a few unanticipated bugs. We quite literally jumped from v1.02 to v1.06 within four days.

And guess what? v1.07 is scheduled for tomorrow, with even more patches.

Turns out 4 people playtesting the module, and thousands of people playtesting the module is a different kind of beast.

Should you stumble upon any bugs, our Foundry conversion team is active on Discord (https://discord.gg/nMxgTBEP)

If you experience any bugs, let them know there.

We're also sneaking in an FAQ section in the module to clear any confusion arising from what are Foundry's limitations, and not the Steinhardt’s module. It will also answer common questions (I assume you guessed that from name 'FAQ' haha).

Roll20:

This is the last message I got from the roll20 team:

So they are making progress, but it is taking time.

At least the Jaeger will be fully functional on Roll20, and that’s great news!

 Fantasy Grounds:
 

Good progress on that front, only Monsters and Adventures left to convert.

The Books:

Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt

Polished, refined, and now final!

You can snag your copy directly from Backerkit.

We corrected the mistakes, and hopefully the book should be squeaky clean now.

If you find any typos, let us know on Discord! (Normally you shouldn’t, but just in case).

EDIT: Forgot to make the page XX into actual page numbers, will fix that in the coming 48 hours.

The Artbook

The final version has been uploaded on Backerkit.

The GM Cheatbook

Let me be honest—it's being a tad stubborn.

I'm striving for that sweet spot where it proves invaluable to both new and seasoned GMs.

I've revised the draft three times already to ensure clarity and utility, so thank you for bearing with me.

I want to make it great, and that takes time.

      If you want a sneak peek of what's inside, you can find the rules for horde combat for free on my Patreon here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/running-horde-in-89878241).

Physical Goods

About that elusive package at the border—it was returned...

A fresh order has been placed, and the moment it reaches my hands, you'll be the first to see the photos.

I was excitingly waiting for this, this was what the update was supposed to be all about, it's disheartening that there was a hiccup.

But, silver lining, I now have a personal customs agent assigned to my shipments, ensuring smoother future deliveries of samples.

The digital goods look great, and I've invested quite a bit of cash in ensuring the physical counterparts are as epic.

Can’t wait to show you!

Digital Content

All your digital content (apart from the GM Cheatbook) awaits you on Backerkit.

We did have a minor glitch where the VTT bundle-only backers missed out on their items—sorry about that.

This has been rectified, although a new quirk has appeared where they seem to have multiple copies.

Bear with me; I'm diving to fix this.

But better too have too many than not enough of them, so progress.

 Bonus: Steinhardt's Setting Adventure 

I mentioned a couple of updates ago the idea of making an adventure in the setting of Steinhardt’s.

I’m happy to say that we finished the first draft for an adventure that will take players from level 1 to 5.

The first part (level 1-2) will soon be ready and offers about 8 hours of gameplay.

As you play, you'll interact with various city factions, choosing to join or oppose them.

I'm waiting for the corrections and the artwork for this segment, once that’s done, I'll let you know how you can access it.

Once again, thank you for your unwavering support and patience.

Take Care!
Evan | MonkeyDM