Those last few BackerKit surveys—Addresses Lock Soon!
about 1 month ago
– Sat, Nov 30, 2024 at 03:53:19 PM
Hey All!
Hope all the Americans among you had a great Thanksgiving (and everyone in the UK had an amazing Dragonmeet).
I'm waiting on the last few Backerkit surveys (or at least, the ones from physical playkit backers). I'll be pressing the Lock Address button next week. I'm working on wrapping all the packages together. I'd hoped to have them out by Pax time so I could sell a few at Pax, but I'll only be bringing enough to fulfill folks who want to pick up their copies at the show.
Did you change your mind and now want to pick things up in person? Email me or send me a private Kickstarter message by Wednesday, Dec. 4!
Other than wrapping this up (literally since they're playkits), I've got a few things in the works.
It's Monday, Dec 24, 1979, and you're spending it in the only queer bar in 30 miles: Beverly's. The burgers are free, and while the taps aren't working, cans of Pearl Beer are 50¢. Like most of the folks here, you probably live on Le Moyne island (though there's some suspicious newcomers here as well), and there's gonna be more folks on the way once they escape their families or clock out at their jobs. That's when the only bridge to the mainland collapses, the fog rolls in, and everything goes to hell. Spend your Christmas Eve in a dying town the night the Undying take control. Inspired by Messiah of Evil, City of the Living Dead, ʼSalemʼs Lot, When Evil Lurks, Small Town Gay Bar, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and Iris DeMentʼs dirge-like "Out Town."
Liminal Horror is one of my favorite horror games right now, neck in neck with Bump in the Dark. I'm really excited to add my own night of terror as a third-party scenario.
(It's also on DriveThruRPG!)
In January, I'm rereleasing my first ever game, Dark Designs in Verdigris, as part of Plus One EXP's Zine Club. Verdigris, the fallen Emerald City, is all that is left of Oz, and now there's no way back to safe confines of the monochrome world you left behind. This includes material that didn't make it into the initial release in Codex Emerald with my omniskilled friend Mike Martens (of Sunken and The Wassailing of Claus Manor) on layout duty. This will be available digitally from me and in print from Plus One EXP. To get your mitts on the print book before it becomes cool, subscribe to Zine Club Adventures or Zine Club—All the Zines.
Also, I got to contribute to Mike's Zine Club entry, a supplement for Wassailing: Black Mold of Claus Manor, so Carmilla and other Karnsteins make an appearance.
Rumors of Other Projects
Roll 1d4 for the rumor you here about what R. Rook Studio is up to next.
- Metatopia playtests of Silver, a Marked by the Odd game of werewolves, went well, so it may shifting into high gear in January.
- Richard is talking to at least one esteemed east-coast game designer about collaborating on some Roseville Beach hacks for romantic fantasy and fantastical space opera games.
- Richard is talking to an award-winning west coast designer about collaborating on other Baum-inspired gaming goodness.
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Dim All the Lights, a stand alone game and supplement for Moonlight on Roseville Beach, is coming in 2025.
Cliff Cove Mysteries as Bump in the Dark Hunts AND Playkit Preview Photos
about 2 months ago
– Tue, Nov 12, 2024 at 02:27:37 PM
So there's some preview photos to share, but first the big news about the free-copy-claim links you all got earlier today.
Cliff Cove Mysteries Transmuted to Bump in the Dark Hunts
As backers saw from a previous backers-only update, the Bump in the Dark versions of the Cliff Cove mysteries are out and that link has your free-copy claim codes! If you didn't back during the campaign, you can buy Nerds & Black Leather and Count Dracutron's Parlor (of Pizza) for Bump in the Dark.
Also, you can get the Hunt I contributed to Jex Thomas's Bump in the Dark crowdfunding campaign on Itch and DTRPG.
And now for the pics you've all been waiting for!
Preview Photos!
All prints are in, so I'm working to get them assembled together into playkits.
Keeper Materials
I've added each mystery to the Keeper book, but printed cards for both R-Maps, as well as any information you'll want to share with players, including the town map and the game intro.
Player Materials
Booklets for each meddling kid, and a reference card for both the Sidekick and the Minivan.
Posters and Postcards
Everyone who got The Nerds & Black Leather playkit will receive the Haunting of Cliff Cove 6x9" poster cards and the 4"x6" art cards. The Count Dracutron card includes that mystery's map and location reference on the back, and each art card is an extra meddling kid character sheet.
Cliff Cove's Bump in the Dark Scenarios Out Now!
about 2 months ago
– Tue, Nov 12, 2024 at 02:00:50 PM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Orders Locking Soon and Print Previews!
2 months ago
– Mon, Oct 28, 2024 at 04:05:14 PM
Just sent everything for Cliff Cove to print! While I can't embed the previews in Kickstarter, I'm including some links.
Everything is paid for and should be arriving after I get back from Metatopia.
Orders Locking Soon
All but three physical reward backers have completed their surveys, so it's time to lock orders!
Between now and Wednesday or Thursday, I'll be locking all orders for Haunting of Cliff Cove. I'll make sure to send a 48-hour notice via Backerkit so that you can finalize any address changes or decisions to pick up in person (for free) at Pax Unplugged.
Update on Posters
If you had a reward with posters, I've replaced them with a full-sized postcard. My original intent was to print all posters on high-quality cover stock so they would withstand mailing without needing roller packs, but my poster printer removed that option. I've replaced the 8.5"x11" text-paper posters with cover-quality 6"x9" cards.
Surveys Out, Choosing Pax U Pickup, and More
3 months ago
– Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 11:23:50 AM
Surveys are out and you'll have through mid-November to get yours in, though I'll be sending out a lot of reminders along the way!
Pax Unplugged Pick Up: Want to pick up your copy in person at Pax Unplugged 2024? Choose Local Pickup (surveys aren't locked yet so you can edit your response, too).
Pre-Orders: Have friends who'd like a print copy? The Pre-Order Store is open!
Add Ons: If you're enjoying Haunting of Cliff Cove, consider picking up My Chivalric Bromance. You can get the PDF on Backerkit when finalizing your order or pick up a print copy, exclusive to Exalted Funeral. It has a similar tag-based, Forged-in-the-Dark style to Cliff Cove, but uses classic D&D-style hit dice for encounters and has guidelines for using the game with old-school adventures.
More New Releases from R. Rook Studio
As you may remember from prior updates and posts, I've recently become a full-time game writer. It wasn't exactly a choice: my primary client dropped me and all its other contractors last month. In addition to Haunting of Cliff Cove, I've got a few more projects out recently, including:
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Lunaris, originally part of Liminal Horror's Twisted Classics jam, this is a Liminal-Horror based game of werewolves accompanied by a mystery starter about escalating tensions between two packs. Alpha out now, beta coming soon (no really, these aren't wolf jokes). Inspired by Ann Dupuis' classic Basic D&D supplement, Night Howlers, Phillip Wessels' Pack of Strays, and many late 90s nights playing Werewolf: The Apocalypse, as well as TJ Klune's Green Creek novels, Williamson's Darker than You Think, and 1985 horror classic, Howling II.
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Mysteries of Rose Island (also on Itch), is the latest release for Moonlight on Roseville Beach (also at Itch, Plus One EXP, Twenty Sided Store, and IPR). It includes new Roseville Beach mysteries by Mary Georgescu and Logan Rollins, and will add new mysteries from James Estes, Bridgett Jeffries, and Viditya Voletti (and the price will go up). I'll also be adding some simple rules and pregens for getting Roseville Beach one-shots up and going fast.
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Roseville Beach Zine Series (issues 1-3) (also on Itch) came out in late '23 and early '24. I'll have print copies for sale at Pax U at the Plus One EXP booth.
There's more coming out, too. I've got projects in the works for Barrow Keep, new projects coming soon for Bump in the Dark and Liminal Horror,and a series of one-night adventures for Sherwood and My Chivalric Bromance.
