Update #5

Jun 30, 2012

1. Unfortunately, my internet access at home and at work was down all

night (some kind of provider problem) and I have a funeral to conduct this morning

Update #8 - For backers only

Jul 4, 2012

2. The only difficulty I am running into so far deals with the poster. When

I set up this kickstarter project, I did not imagine we would have more than 250 supporters. Now that we have 572 supporters, I am unable to get all those name on an 11 x 17 poster - well, at least big enough to actually read! Since the 11 x 17 poster would fold down into digest size for shipping, I cannot make it larger.
Update #10 - For backers only

Jul 25, 2012 3. Just a quick update. I have been pretty quiet online since my last

update on July 10, 2012 and will continue to be for at least the next ten days. This is because I am moving my family (about 1/2 mile intown) to another house - one with an entire room for BHP! I will probably lose internet access next week for a while during the change, but I will send another update just before that happens.
Update #11 - For backers only

Aug 17, 2012 4. Actual update delayed. My mother had a knee replaced on Tuesday

and the surgery went very well.

Update #12 - For backers only

Aug 23, 2012 5. There is some bad news that is two-fold. It appears that nearly $1,350

in pledges never went through - and this includes some of the highest pledges.
6. In addition, since the successful end of this Kickstarter, two of my

artists and my box maker have all raised their prices.

Update #13 - For backers only

Sep 5, 2012 7. Sorry for the lack of updates in the last ten days, but both of my

parents were in the hospital during that time with very serious health issues.
Update #14 - For backers only

Sep 28, 2012

Progress on other projects continues to be made, but it is going much slower than I like or had hoped - and for two reasons.

8. First, it seems that all my artists are also doing art for other Kickstarter projects that ended around the same time this one did.
9. Second, the printer I am using to create the covers for these modules

is supposed to be giving me a 5 day turn-around, but in reality, the last one ended up being 15 days.
Update #17 - For backers only

Oct 20, 2012 10. If you remember, in an earlier update I announced that would need to

make some changes in this Kickstarter because: 1) nearly three times as many people contributed to this Kickstarter than I planned for, 2) a number of the highest pledges failed to actually go through when the Kickstarter ended and both Kickstarter and Amazon still took their take out of those pledges that did not go through), 3) and one of my artists and my box maker have all raised their prices on me (by 1/3 more) since the fund-raising part of this project ended. I have contacted all of the pledges that did not go through and offered them a chance to fulfill their pledge, but not one has responded.
Update #19 - For backers only

Oct 22, 2012 11. It seems I forgot about was something fundamental to a kickstarter

campaign - shipping the initial goal rewards to supporters as soon as possible.

12. Lastly, looking back, adding the Dagger Kids RPG to a DCC RPG

module Kickstarter may not have been a great idea.

Update #20 - For backers only

Nov 4, 2012 13. The only snag we are running into at moment is that my cover and

front piece artist, Steve Zieser (who has had stage four cancer for some time now) is having surgery to remove the remaining cancer on Monday.
Update #21 - For backers only

Nov 12, 2012 14. I will be at a clergy conference most of this week (my day job), so my

online access may be very limited.

Update #22 - For backers only

Nov 29, 2012 15. I am all set to send the first supporter shipment, but my main artist has

slowed down his production in the last few weeks and I am still waiting on the map for the "Vile Worm" module.
Update #23 - For backers only

Dec 9, 2012

16. Yes, I have missed the end of November shipping date, but that

shipment will go out asap.

17. ou may remember that one of my artists, Steve Zieser is battling stage

four cancer (and winning!), but his last surgery left him with a very painful and exhausting side affect that will require another surgery this week.
18. It seems that with every new successful crowd sourcing rpg project

that funds, professional artists get busier and busier and are able to increase their prices as well.
Update #24 - For backers only

Dec 12, 2012 19. Steve was unable to complete the front piece prior to his surgery

(which already took place today and was successful)!

Update #25 - For backers only

Dec 20, 2012 20. You will notice that this version is missing two pieces of art that were

in the last version. I made one piece much larger and another piece much smaller than what the artist created them as and after correcting them, they just did not fit into the module very well (because they were intended for an 8.5" x 11" version of the module originally).
Update #28

Feb 2, 2013 21. Third - shipping your modules. I have tested out trying to ship just one

or two of these modules at a time (which was my original plan back when I thought only 100-150 people at most would support this kickstarter). I have discovered that unless I put $1.50 worth of packaging around each module, the chances of them getting bent or damaged during shipment are pretty good. I do have tons of nice shipping boxes already on hand, so I have decided to ship as many of these modules to you at once as possible. I hate to put off shipping until the first of March, but I would rather have folks fuss about a delay than see hundreds of images of damaged modules emailed to me or posted online.
Update #29 - For backers only

Feb 4, 2013

Judging from some reactions, I did a poor job of writing my quick update over the weekend. The update was meant to reassure folks that this project is on track and that a major portion of the supporter products would be fulfilled in just a few weeks 22. This kickstarter is late and I except the blame for it - but it isn't over. I am sick over all the delays myself. I am doing the very best I can to fulfill everything I promised and more. I checked with Steve Zieser again today and he is creating the cover art for these modules, but he

is still recovering and not 100% yet. Steve is the only artist I paid upfront and he is the only artist that did not raise his prices after the kickstarter funded. Until Steve tells me he cannot do it, I am sticking with him. 23. Yes, if I had it to do over again, I would do it all very differently - I would not use Kickstarter because folks can pledge any amount and then cancel their pledge ten seconds before it funds. I would not offer so many extra bonus goals. And I would give myself much more than 30 days or less to ship the first supporters product. But hindsight is 20/20.
Update #31

Feb 16, 2013 24. I love my Apple laptop. It is the most reliable computer I have ever

owned. But the charger caught on fire today and it will no longer charge the computer.
Update #32 - For backers only

Feb 19, 2013 25. Yes, I know it uses cover art from BHP's version of S&W:WhiteBox,

but I cannot stand for great art to not be used and it really does match the art Mark Allen has created for the Dagger Referee's Screen.
Update #37 - For backers only

Mar 28, 2013 26. First, as part of my prepping for the first supporter shipment, I have

emailed every supporter using the email you provided to me in the survey, but it looks like a number of them no longer work and some spam filters might not like my email.
Update #40 - For backers only

Apr 16, 2013 27. The first shipment has not shipped yet but will be going out next week.

The delay is because I too am waiting on things that are very late. The printer that creates my module covers finally sent me one more cover (I am still waiting for two more). [] I am also still waiting for the last page of art for the Dagger RPG screen.
28. My editor is on vacation in New Zealand until this coming weekend

and I do not release anything until my editor gives it a once-over.

Update #41

Apr 24, 2013 29. We lost the baby girl that was due this July today. I will be off of the

internet and out-of-touch for a while.

Update #42

May 10, 2013

30. We made it through the stillbirth April 25, the funeral on April 29,

taking down the nursery and giving all the stuff away (this was our last pregnancy) and then the final conclusions of the doctors yesterday (a fibrous strand grew up in the placenta that wrapped around the umbilical cord).
31. I haven't really worked my day job in the past couple of weeks either

(other than saying a prayer or two at a service and making a couple of hospital visits).
Update #47

Jul 12, 2013 32. The first shipment is still going out, but much slower than we had

hoped. Unlike most other RPG publishers, we actually print, put together, wrap, pack and ship each module by hand.
Update #49 - For backers only

Aug 4, 2013

I won't post anymore updates about major hurdles or anything like that - only positive updates showing how the project is moving towards completion and fulfillment. I may start updated every other week rather than weekly.
33. I am looking into using a fulfillment company to handle the shipping

beyond this first supporter rewards shipment.

Update #50 - For backers only

Aug 29, 2013

I have become very good at over-promising and under-delivering.

34. I had a stress-induced heart issue that really scared me. It wasnt life-

threatening, but it sure showed me that I had to make change some of my work habits right away.
35. I apologize for not fulfilling your supporter rewards or answering every

email in a timely manner. With my new team and a little more time, I know we can go a long way towards getting your trust back.
Update #51 - For backers only

Sep 21, 2013 36. Without actually setting a final shipment date (I do NOT want to over-

promise and under-deliver again), I am trying my very best to get every reward to every supporter before the end of 2013.
Update #52 - For backers only

Sep 29, 2013 37. Nearly everyone has seen that the retail versions of the first two

Appendix N Adventures is on its way to game stores through distribution. We honestly thought we had most of October to get the first of the limited edition kickstarter modules out to supporters before the smaller retail versions (explained next) would hit game stores. I wish we would have waited another month before sending them to distribution, but I have been trying to get everything caught up with

BHP and I should have delayed my obligation to my distributor until all the kickstarter supporters had their print copies. Doing one more thing to upset folks is not what I was trying to do.
38. I am sorry for this betrayal of your trust and support. I will do my best

to try and win back both.

Update #54

Oct 8, 2013 39. I am so sorry that the so that retail versions of the first two Appendix N

Adventures have made it to retail stores before all of you got your modules first. I know there are very angry supporters who are alleging that this is some sort of nefarious plot on my part - and with all of the broken promises I have made over the last year plus, I can understand why they might think it.
40. Part 1: In the early part of the Summer (before I realized that I needed

to hire more help), I was printing and shipping the first two modules to supporters. However, the modules were much-reduced from my original design.
41. Part 2: When I decided to hire folks to help me print and ship a couple

months ago, I immediately decided to return the modules to my original design - modules with large print (just like the actual DCC core book), many players handouts and add-on adventures. We have been printing, binding and wrapping these expanded modules since then. However, I still had a few hundred copies of the much-reduced versions of the first two modules on hand.
Update #57

Dec 5, 2013 42. My main guy I hired to help me get these modules shipped out found

a better second job (more money, but worse hours) a couple of weeks ago, so I am trying to find more help. My day job has kept me working 12-16 hour days recently (with emergencies) and this is why shipping the first batch of modules has slowed down recently.
Update #58 - For backers only

Dec 16, 2013 43. We went through a winter storm since my last update. We received

almost 2 inches of freezing rain and sleet followed by a foot of snow. As a result, we were iced out of the BHP workshop for a few days and this is why we did not reach out goal.