April Update!
about 8 years ago – Sun, Apr 03, 2016 at 09:32:49 PM

Hello! Once again, an update for all things Shadow of the Demon Lord.

Product Summary

Here's the updated summary of the products we've released and the pledge level that should have gotten it: 

Victims of the Demon Lord: Starter Guide PDF ($6+)

Survival of the Fittest PDF ($6+)

Shadow of the Demon Lord PDF ($24+)

Shadow of the Demon Lord Print ($66+, excluding Digital Cultist)

Tales of the Demon Lord PDF ($48+)

Demon Lord’s Companion PDF ($24+)

With My Last Scream PDF by Miranda Horner ($72+)

Beware the Tides of Karshoon PDF by TS Luikart ($72+)

Heart of Winter PDF by Chris Sims ($72+)

Oblivion’s Edge PDF by Stephen Radney-MacFarland ($72+)

The Apple of Her Eye PDF by Steve Kenson ($72+)

The Darkness in Shadowturrets PDF by Ed Greenwood ($72+)

The Giant’s Tribute PDF by Rich Baker ($72+)

The Gorgon’s Tears PDF by Cam Banks ($72+)

The Huntsman’s Isle PDF by Skip Williams ($72+)

The Last Train to Darksville PDF by Matt Forbeck ($72+)

The Measure of a Man PDF by Scott Fitzgerald Gray ($72+)

The Star’s Refuge PDF by Monte Cook ($72+)

The God Below PDF by Steve Winter ($72+)

A Measure of Faith PDF by Steve Townshend ($72+)

A Year without Rain PDF by Bruce Cordell ($72+)

The Slaver’s Lash PDF by Chris Pramas ($72+)

Wretched PDF by Shane Hensley ($72+)

The Feast of the Father PDF by Jason Bulmahn ($72+)

Tombs of the Desolation PDF ($72+)

Terrible Beauty PDF ($72)

In Need of Killing PDF ($102+)

Disciples of the Demon Lord PDF ($102+)

Unholy Champions of the Demon Lord PDF ($666)

Not Part of the Kickstarter

Dark Passages PDF

Shadow of the Demon Lord Screen PDF

Fever Dreams PDF

The Flute of Farewell PDF by Steve Dee

Spell Cards PDF/Printed

Tales of the Desolation PDF/Printed

Tooth and Claw PDF

Upcoming Stuff

Chronicles of the Demon Lord: Editing and revisions continue. Shooting for a summer release.

Adventures (Story Packs): The next two adventures are "The Demon's Wet-Nurse" by Stan! and "A Case of Consumption" by David Noonan. These are both written, edited, and illustrated. We're waiting on two maps and layout to get them out.

Exquisite Agony (aka Hell):  The manuscript is in Jennifer's hands and art has started rolling in. I love this book and I think you will too. Here's a look at the cover by Mirco Paganessi.

Uncertain Faith (aka Cults of the Demon Lord): Counter to the last update, I went back to the earlier idea because it's important to me you get details on the various religions shaping the Empire's culture. I have about 7,000 words written and so this one will be big by the time I get done. In this book, you'll find more information about the religions, alternate talents for priests to make them more distinct, new spells, new relics, and a selection of cool new creatures. Writing is 25% complete.

Lords of the Frozen Wastes: I began writing in March and this one looks like it will be closer to the promised page count. The jotun ancestry is finished and I'm working on a selection of paths now. Writing is 25% complete.

Godless, Adventures in a World of Fire and Blood: Writing began on this last week. It should fit in the expected 64 pages and it's shaping up to be a killer project. Writing is 5% complete.

Horrors of the Void: I'm still in the concept stage on this last setting expansion.

Poisoned Pages

Last month, I released a new installment in the Poisoned Pages series, "Tooth and Claw." It gives you rules for playing skin changers. Coming up, we a Poisoned Pages adventure, "Blood Will Run," nastier Insanity rules in "Unhinge the Mind," rules for true names in "Power in a Name," and rules for playing centaurs in the forthcoming "Riders of the Wind." You can expect these to drop this month and next.

And that's it! Thanks for backing and thanks even more for spreading the word about our little game!

Spell Cards of the Demon Lord
about 8 years ago – Mon, Mar 14, 2016 at 09:33:13 PM

First, apologies for the spammy post, but I'm too excited not to share.

Spell Cards of the Demon Lord! If you play a user of magic in Shadow of the Demon Lord or run the game using creatures with several spells on hand, it can sometimes be tricky keeping all the spell effects straight, especially when you need to bounce between two or three traditions. Now, I am proud to present spell cards for Shadow of the Demon Lord! Each card tells you what happens and what you need to do to cast the spell or, for the rare long spell, where to find additional information.

As the Shadow of the Demon Lord rulebook contains over 300 spells by itself, we’re selling the cards in tradition packs, both as PDF (for .50) and as physical cards (for 1.99 to 2.49, which also includes the PDF). The traditions from Demon Lord’s Companion follow the same model, while all the spell presented in Tombs of the Desolation are available as a single pack. Best of all, if you want all the cards in the set, we’re offering bundle deals. You can all the printed cards from the core set for $51.70 (a savings of $9.29) and all the printed cards from the Demon Lord’s Companion for $12.23 (a savings of $2.20). In other words, if you get the core printed bundle, you’re getting four decks free, and one deck free if you get the Demon Lord’s Companion Spell Cards bundle. 

These cards are available only at drivethrurpg.com and you can grab the card sets by clicking through the following links:

Core Set

DLC Set

Tombs Pack

Also, if you’re looking for hardcopies of Shadow of the Demon Lord supplements, they are also available for sale at DriveThruRPG.

Quick Update
about 8 years ago – Tue, Mar 01, 2016 at 09:03:02 PM

I've been a bit quiet, but that's because I'm burning the midnight oil (or something) to get the 2016 products out the door!

First, several people have mentioned they've lost track of what's been released and what they should be getting. Here's a quick summary:

Victims of the Demon Lord: Starter Guide PDF ($6+)

Survival of the Fittest PDF ($6+)

Shadow of the Demon Lord PDF ($24+)

Shadow of the Demon Lord Print ($66+, excluding Digital Cultist)

Tales of the Demon Lord PDF ($48+)

Demon Lord’s Companion PDF ($24+)

With My Last Scream PDF by Miranda Horner ($72+)

Beware the Tides of Karshoon PDF by TS Luikart ($72+)

Heart of Winter PDF by Chris Sims ($72+)

Oblivion’s Edge PDF by Stephen Radney-MacFarland ($72+)

The Apple of Her Eye PDF by Steve Kenson ($72+)

The Darkness in Shadowturrets PDF by Ed Greenwood ($72+)

The Giant’s Tribute PDF by Rich Baker ($72+)

The Gorgon’s Tears PDF by Cam Banks ($72+)

The Huntsman’s Isle PDF by Skip Williams ($72+)

The Last Train to Darksville PDF by Matt Forbeck ($72+)

The Measure of a Man PDF by Scott Fitzgerald Gray ($72+)

The Star’s Refuge PDF by Monte Cook ($72+)

The God Below PDF by Steve Winter ($72+)

A Measure of Faith PDF by Steve Townshend ($72+)

A Year without Rain PDF by Bruce Cordell ($72+)

The Slaver’s Lash PDF by Chris Pramas ($72+)

Wretched PDF by Shane Hensley ($72+)

Tombs of the Desolation PDF ($72+)

In Need of Killing PDF ($102+)

Disciples of the Demon Lord PDF ($102+)

Unholy Champions of the Demon Lord PDF ($666)

Not Part of the Kickstarter

Dark Passages

Shadow of the Demon Lord Screen PDF

Fever Dreams PDF

The Flute of Farewell PDF by Steve Dee

Upcoming Stuff

Chronicles of the Demon Lord

Editing and writing continues. I'll update when I know more.

Adventures (Story Packs)

Monday sees the release of "The Feast of the Father" by Jason Bulmahn, which wraps set 6. It's a gross and nasty adventure that will kill appetites everywhere. 

After, we have three more adventures. I just wrapped by first pass through "The Demon's Wet Nurse" by Stan! It's every bit as weird and disgusting as Jason's, so be ready. I'm still wrestling with Dave and Ken for their adventures, but I hope to have them in hand soon. As I mentioned in the previous update, these will release, maybe one a month until they're all out.

Terrible Beauty: A Guide to the Faerie in a Land of Shadow

Kim will be handing over the edited manuscript after Gary Con. Jack and Cecil will have art and maps turned in by then too. We're still on target for an April release.

Exquisite Agony: A Guide to the Devils in Hell

I'm working on rules for making Infernal Bargains. After that, I'm building cool stuff for enchanted objects, a smattering of relics, and finalizing the critters. Once all these bits are in place, I'm whipping up a short adventure to finish up the book. Then, it's a revision and into Jennifer's capable hands. I have the artists lined up and ready to get started. 

Uncertain Faith (aka Cults of the Demon Lord)

I scrapped the original outline and built something better. This short setting expansion will reveal several cults, covering their beliefs, ceremonies, dress, and more. The supplement will also include the gnome ancestry. I've been tinkering with this one a bit, but most of my time has been spent nudging Hell closer to the finish line.

“Raiders from the Frozen Wastes,” “A World of Fire and Blood,” “Horrors of the Void”

All of these are in the concept stage still. I have bits and pieces for all of them, but nothing in stone yet.

Poisoned Pages

Since the last update, I've released "Dark Passages," "Fever Dreams," and "The Flute of Farewell" by Steve Dee all under the Poisoned Pages banner (formerly known as Nasty Stuff). As mentioned above, these products live outside the Kickstarter and allow me to fill in story gaps, offer optional rules, and expand the game in interesting ways. Some of subjects I intend to cover include True Names, Lycanthropy, another adventure, the Centaur ancestry, a look at human cultures in the Empire, optional Insanity and Madness rules, and much, much more. You can find the Poisoned Pages products on DriveThruRPG and at http://shop.schwalbentertainment.com.

Tales of the Desolation

At Winter Fantasy, we debuted a set of four adventures set in and around the Desolation. Written by Jerry LeNeave, Andrew Follett, Nat Webb, and Greg Marks, the adventures explored just how dangerous the wastelands can be. Since returning from the show, I've tightened the screws and sent the manuscript to Jennifer for a formal editing pass. The book is laid out and art is placed. We're just waiting on a couple of maps and then it goes up for sale. Tales of the Desolation includes four adventures for expert characters and will be available for purchase as a PDF and Print on Demand very soon. 

Conventions

I'm headed off to Gary Con tomorrow, so if you're missing rewards, please send me a message on Monday. I will not be able to get you the download links before then. 

After, I'll be at MidSouthCon in Memphis from 3/17 to 3/20

Then, you can find me at MTAC in Nashville on 3/25 and 3/26. 

As always, thanks for being awesome backers, for playing and enjoying this game. Strange, uncomfortable, and demonic things are headed your way!

First Quarter 2016
over 8 years ago – Sun, Jan 24, 2016 at 11:15:14 PM

We got off to a great start this year, releasing Tombs of the Desolation, The Heart of Winter by Chris Sims, Oblivion’s Edge by Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and The Darkness in Shadowturrets by Ed Greenwood! And we still have more to come. Here’s a look at where things stand.

Chronicles of the Demon Lord

I spoke with Jim Lowder this week. He’s making progress on his story and the edits on the other stories. I still intend to release this by the end of the quarter.

Adventures (Story Packs)

Shadowturrets marked the last adventure for wave 5, leaving just six adventures to go. I have manuscripts in from Cam Banks and Matt Forbeck. I enjoyed both a great deal and I suspect you will too. The last four are taking a bit more time, but I planned to spread their releases out a bit anyway, so we should see these by the end of the second quarter.

Terrible Beauty: A Guide to the Faerie in a Land of Shadow

Boy, this product has had many names, but this one makes me very happy. Kim Mohan has the files and he’s rubbing his eyeballs and red pen over every word. Jack Kaiser is handling the art for this one and Cecil Howe has the map. I’m quite proud of this little (much more than the 16 pages I promised) book and I can’t wait to get it to you. Expect this to land in April.

Exquisite Agony: A Guide to the Devils in Hell

I made a significant dent in the manuscript last week and I’m shooting to wrap it up soon. This setting expansion includes the cambion ancestry, the apostate expert path, summoning magic, a nice selection of devils, plus a nice overview of one of the nastiest places in the game. Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes will be editing this one and I’m building the art team for this over the coming weeks.

“Cults of the Demon Lord”

I have a rough outline for this one. I originally planned to include the gnome ancestry, but I might release it somewhere else instead. Stay tuned.

“Raiders from the Frozen Wastes,” “A World of Fire and Blood,” “Horrors of the Void”

All of these are in the concept stage still. I have bits and pieces for all of them, but nothing in stone yet.

Nasty Stuff

As the adventures from the story packs are starting to wind down, I’m launching a series of short products under the “Nasty Stuff” banner to keep people interested and excited. Each one zooms in on a different part of the game and expands it. The first release is entitled “Poisoned Pages,” which gives you a set of tools for quickly creating books, scrolls, and similar items the characters might find while snooping around a library. “Fever Dreams” is next and it reveals several nasty diseases with advanced rules for using diseases in your games. I have plans for ten or so. These aren’t part of the Kickstarter rewards, but I think you’ll dig them.

Conventions and Appearances

I have a busy year ahead. If you’d like to play a game of Shadow of the Demon Lord, talk about the game, or just say hello, check out the events page on my website to see if I’ll be in a town near you.

And Beyond?

All of these are in the concept stage still. I have bits and pieces for all of them, but nothing in stone yet. Nasty Stuff As the adventures from the story packs are starting to wind down, I’m launching a series of short products under the “Nasty Stuff” banner to keep people interested and excited. Each one zooms in on a different part of the game and expands it. The first release is entitled “Poisoned Pages,” which gives you a set of tools for quickly creating books, scrolls, and similar items the characters might find while snooping around a library. “Fever Dreams” is next and it reveals several nasty diseases with advanced rules for using diseases in your games. I have plans for ten or so. These aren’t part of the Kickstarter rewards, but I think you’ll dig them. 

Conventions and Appearances 

I have a busy year ahead. If you’d like to play a game of Shadow of the Demon Lord, talk about the game, or just say hello, check out the events page on my website to see if I’ll be in a town near you. And Beyond? Last time, I mentioned plans for products down the road. Well, they’re still in the planning stage as my focus is on getting the last rewards out. Kickstarter is an important part of the business for now and I anticipate launching another to release phase 2. Before I do, however, I will be certain to have the main books done or darn close to done just like the last one. If there are things you’d like to see for Shadow of the Demon Lord, feel free to respond in the comments.

Thank You for a Great First Year!
over 8 years ago – Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 03:22:57 PM

As 2015 gasps and heaves its final breaths, I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you (see above) and to give you a look at what’s ahead for 2016.

Chronicles of the Demon Lord

This product combines all the short stories unlocked in the stretch goals. Jim Lowder is handling editing duties and i working with the authors to get these ready for release. I expect this product to release in the first quarter.

Games with Rob

Emails to schedule these games go out next week. 

Adventures (Story Packs)

I have nine more adventures to release in 2016 and the first three are in layout. First up is “Heart of Winter” by Chris Sims, an adventure for master characters. The characters venture into the Blasted Lands where they get to deal with an ancient and terrible evil.  

Next is “Oblivion’s Edge” by Stephen Radney-MacFarland. This bleak and nasty adventure for master characters is perfect for capping off a campaign.

Last is Ed Greenwood’s adventure for master characters, “The Darkness of Shadowturrets.” It’s the hardest adventure we’ve released, so expect a high body count.

I’ll be releasing the remaining six adventures from David Noonan, Cam Banks, Jason Bulmahn, Stan!, and Matt Forbeck throughout 2016.

Tombs of the Desolation

The first big release of 2016, Tombs zooms in on the wasteland beyond the Northern Reach, providing rules to play revenants, salamanders, and vampires. It’s bigger than planned, coming in at ~32 pages, it gives you everything you need to explore this blighted, ruined landscape. This supplement releases early February and we’re debuting a set of four adventures at Winter Fantasy that deal directly with this supplement.

Realms of the Faerie

The second release, due in April, explores several hidden kingdoms, introduces new ancestries, path options, spells, relics, enchanted objects, and creatures. This one is mostly written, though I need to trim content a bit since I went way, way over.

Hell, Cults, Frozen Wastes, Horrors, and Fire and Blood

These products are all in planning stages with bits and pieces written for each. I have some very soft release dates for these, so don’t hold me to them:

Pit of Hell (June)

Cults of the Demon Lord (August)

Raiders from the Frozen Wastes (October)

A World of Fire and Blood (October)

Horrors of the Void (December)

Beyond 2016

If the stars are right, delivering all these releases by the end of the year fulfills covers everything I promised from this Kickstarter campaign, so what's next? A big book of monsters? More magic? New worlds? Play beyond level 10? Stay tuned for more details.