August Update (Last Monthly Update!)
about 1 year ago
– Tue, Aug 08, 2023 at 05:59:47 AM
This will probably be the last update for the foreseeable future. I hope you’ve enjoyed our monthly bar-side chats. But I think we can chalk Barkeep on the Borderlands as a success. The books have been shipped to backers and have even landed in other stores (and my own store, at https://www.prismaticwasteland.com/shop, in case you need some spare coasters or maps for when you run the adventure yourself), although we are still working on a few stragglers who forgot to answer their Backerkit survey (and if that’s you, don’t worry, you will get your copy!).
Barkeep on the Borderlands also achieved a bit of acclaim: we won the gold ENnie for Best Supplement! We are super excited that our adventure resonated with so many, and I want to thank all our many contributors, as Barkeep wouldn’t be the same without each and every member of the team, and I also want to thank you. Barkeep on the Borderlands would have been impossible without the Kickstarter backers, who believed in this project from its inception and provided us with the means to make the very best zine we could. So thanks to all of you for helping us bring home the gold. You get the distinction of saying “I liked Barkeep on the Borderlands before it was cool.” I really appreciate all of you for making this project possible for me and my friends to work on.
While I am still always up for hearing about how Barkeep on the Borderlands goes at your table, I’m getting started on my next project(s). In the immediate pipeline are (1) a Pokémon-inspired game+adventure, which I’m hoping could be ready as soon as early next year, (2) a very big hexcrawl adventure that may or may not have a boxed set and other goodies, and which may take a couple years of work, (3) a couple of secret projects with pretty cool publishers slatted for next year, and (4) the Prismatic Wasteland, my science fantasy Dying Earth game that I am always tinkering on. And lots more, in various stages. I like to have a few things to switch back and forth between to assuage my restless mind.
If you’d like to keep up with those things more closely, or if you just want to support these endeavors, I started a Patreon where I’m posting WIP drafts and draft blog posts. There is also an associated Discord server where I more actively think through my design process. If you decide to tag along as I fall deeper into the hobby of TTRPG creation, it would be much appreciated.
That’s it for now. A toast to your good health and to many happy gaming sessions! Enjoy the pubcrawl.
Cheers,
W.F. Smith of the Prismatic Wasteland
Ennie Awards: Barkeep on the Borderlands Needs Your Help!
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 06:02:04 AM
Barkeep on the Borderlands is nominated for an Ennie Award for Best Supplement, but we can only win with your help. Voting is currently open to the public through July 23 at this link: https://vote.ennie-awards.com/vote/2023/
If you haven’t heard of the Ennies, they are sort of like the Oscars for TTRPGs, if the Oscars were a bit more like the Teen Choice Awards. Winning would be a huge deal, especially for a ragtag bunch of DIY hobbyists and OSR bloggers like the Barkeep team.
Voting will take just a few seconds (a combat round of your time) but would be so gratifying for me and all my co-authors, contributors, and co-conspirators.
Voting is easy and you’ll figure it out without my help, but here are some steps just in case:
- Follow the link to the voting page
- Scroll to the “Best Supplement” Category
- Select the drop-down menu beneath “Barkeep on the Borderlands”
- Vote “1” from the options to rank Barkeep as your top choice!
- Once you’re done ranking your votes (you don’t have to rank them all), just hit the “Vote!” button at the bottom of the page to submit your vote
Easy as that! From me and all my collaborators on Barkeep on the Borderlands, we cannot thank you enough for your support of our little adventure.
Again, here is the link to vote: https://vote.ennie-awards.com/vote/2023/
We are a bit of an underdog (a small but vicious underdog), so the only way we can pull this off is with your help. Cheers to everyone who votes! 🍻
Also, I just opened a “webstore” of sorts, a place to buy physical copies of Barkeep and Barkeep accessories (and maybe some more stuff when I have the time) if you are located in the United States. Meanwhile, Barkeep is already starting to land at other retailers, so you can be on the lookout at Exalted Funeral and other stores. I’m still reaching out to other retailers to get it stocked in as many places as possible!
Also the reviews are starting to come in! Playful Void's Bathtub Reviews and EN World both posted positive reviews this morning.
Cheers,
W.F. Smith of the Prismatic Wasteland
July Update
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Jul 05, 2023 at 06:05:57 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
June Update (SHIPPING NOW)
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Jun 14, 2023 at 10:17:31 AM
I've just heard back from our shipping partner that the smoke tests have been completed and that 400 of you are getting your books sent out today, another 500 over the next couple of days and the rest over the weekend! You should receive a tracking email from "Plus One Exp", so if you don't see that in your inbox/spam folder between now and Wednesday (June 21), please let us know and we will get you sorted out.
It is finally here! Very excited to hear what you all think about the adventure.
Cheers,
W.F. Smith of the Prismatic Wasteland
May Update (Shipping Begins!)
about 1 year ago
– Tue, May 30, 2023 at 06:13:05 AM
All of the books, posters, coasters and bookmarks we need for fulfilling the campaign have arrived! Our distribution partner will start kitting up all of the orders. So shipping will begin starting late this week or early next week! I will post another update once everything has been shipped out.
I can’t wait for these books to start landing in your mailboxes. And for the ideas inside to hopefully make their way to your gaming tables.
If you are looking for something RPG-related to read while you eagerly await Barkeep, I recently wrote a short blog post about the realism shown in the latest Zelda game and what that means for TTRPGs. In a similar vein, my friend at the Rise Up Comus blog also wrote about TTRPG advancement and how they relate to video games, and Nick LS Whelan (Barkeep editor and contributor) wrote about how the original Final Fantasy demonstrates the OSR play style. That should tide you over for a bit. Not much longer now!
Cheers,
W.F. Smith of the Prismatic Wasteland
