Survey to be out soon
over 8 years ago – Fri, Nov 13, 2015 at 07:43:46 PM

I'm expecting Kickstarter to release pledges tomorrow at which time I can send out the survey. After a bunch of hemming and hawing on my part I've decided to basically set this survey up as a shopping cart. In my last project there was just too many opportunities for misunderstandings and several of the surveys just didn't give me the information I needed (which I still have not completely resolved).

I think that the easiest thing on both your part and my part is to just set this sucker up as a shopping cart, and then you can choose whatever you want. The one thing you will need to do as part of the survey is to give me any graphics that you want on the cases in the comments section of the survey.

You will need to be very specific on this part. So if you want Dragon 1 on a cherry monk, please let me know that. If you want different images on different cases, please spell it out for me....assume I'm your not-too-bright-brother who needs a little extra explaining. 

Images was the only thing I couldn't easily account for in the backerkit module. Felt colors, wood species, etc. all worked fine, but there were just too many images to make them an easy part of the survey.

Hopefully I'll get that out to you tomorrow. There will be some extras available on the survey as well...I'm putting an order in for Chessex dice soon and you can order some at a discount off MSRP, I'm putting an order in for Pen and Pencil kits and there are some REALLY nice offerings there (these make great gifts), and I'm finalizing things with the wood dice. I'll also be putting together some foam options for both the MONK and the BARD that you can get.

that is all for today. I hope to be back tomorrow with a survey and more info.

John

Where do we go from here?
over 8 years ago – Sun, Nov 01, 2015 at 09:29:58 AM

First, if you "sang" that title ala Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you rock!

Second, for those who haven't backed one of my projects before, I use Backerkit as the survey section of the project. What backerkit does is allow me to ask you more specific questions than Kickstarter's survey, and then will allow you to add-on any extra items you may want.

It will take me about 2 weeks to build the Backerkit module. I need to get all the items from this project in, any extras (artwork, wood types, etc.), and then I have to do the rest of the catalog (ROGUE, PRIEST, WIZARD, PENS). But here is the important thing....

When you get the backerkit survey, please read and follow ALL directions in it. Let me repeat: WHEN YOU GET THE BACKERKIT SURVEY, PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS IN IT. Just in case you didn't understand....WHEN YOU GET THE BACKERKIT SURVEY, PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS IN IT.

WHEN YOU GET THE BACKERKIT.... 

OK..I think you got the point.

Why am I stressing this so much? Because in the previous project, there were probably 10-15 percent who either didn't choose a wood type, an image, or left off other vital information. So this costs me extra time in trying to find out what you want, and it also costs you, because the first thing I do is put those orders on the bottom of the pile and take care of orders I can fill first. So, please. When you get the backerkit survey, please read and follow all directions in it. :)

Moving on.

So, for the next two weeks, I'm going to be building the Backerkit survey and making sure it is all in order. As soon as it is ready, I'll send the surveys out to you..that will bring us to mid-November. I will leave that survey open for you to complete until the first of the year, so you will have a full six weeks to finalize your choices.

I will begin fulfilling cases as soon as surveys are in to me. So, if you get the survey back to me two days after I send the surveys out, then I'll fulfill your order very soon. How soon will depend on A. how soon I complete the WARRIOR fulfillment (sorry, but those orders have top priority), B. if I have the wood available or before I make my purchase from my wood distributor, and C. if the weather continues to cooperate and my finishing shed stays warm enough to do the finishing work.

I will also be allowing a "preorder" module in Backerkit which will allow people who missed the project to still get in on the deal. So if you have friends or family who want a case, there will still be an opportunity for them to get in. I'll probably keep this module open until spring time.

Since this project didn't reach the levels I had hoped for, I will be able to completely fulfill this project much sooner than I projected. For anyone who gets their survey in to me prior to Dec. 1, I will do my best to get you your BARD or MONK case before the holidays. To those who wait until after December 1st, I'll get them to you asap. I fully intend to have this project closed out by Jan. 31st. I hate working in the woodshop in the winter, so I have lots of incentive to get things done before the weather gets cold.

So, thank you all who backed this project. I'm confident that you'll be very pleased with the end product. I won't be making many posts for a couple weeks so I can focus on getting the survey done.

Thanks again,

John

PREMIUM LEVEL BONUSES
over 8 years ago – Fri, Oct 30, 2015 at 10:31:02 PM

PREMIUM BONUSES!

 While the project has not hit the heights that I had hoped, thus unlocking some bonuses for PREMIUM backers, I still want to offer a few rewards to those who are backing me for more than $100. So, here is the list of options that PREMIUM backers will have: 

•  Free set of dice: Everyone always needs dice. It doesn't matter how many dice you have, you still need more. Every backer at the PREMIUM level will receive 1 set of Opaque Chessex Dice. You can choose the color on the final survey. Take a look at their selection here: http://chessex.com/Dice/Opaque%20Dice/opaquemainpg.htm 
• Misfit bundle add-on: When an item doesn't meet my standards, it gets put in the misfit pile. A bundle will include 1 WIZARD Tower, 1 miniature case (usually ROGUE, but there may be some BARDs in this batch) and 1 dice case (could be the standard dice case or a MONK). These items are chosen at random, so there is no telling what wood you get, but all items will be functional, if flawed. I'll have a tier for domestic woods and (maybe) a tier for exotic woods. Domestic woods are a $60 add-on. Exotic woods...well...I'll have to see what I have and figure out a price...there will be a very limited number of exotics available. If any bundles are left over after the project ends they will be put on my webpage as a special offer, but will also have a shipping charge added to it. 
• Wood Dice add-on: PREMIUM level backers will be able to order pairs of hand made wooden dice. These dice are made by someone I met at Gen Con this year. I'm going to hold off on more details on this because I want to confirm everything with him first. 
• WIZARD Tower pouch: to any PREMIUM level backer who adds on a WIZARD Tower, you will also receive a large felt pouch to store your tower in. These have the Hrothgar's Hoard logo etched into them and give you ample room to store your Tower or just a crap-load of dice. 

So, I was hoping that the end of the project would make this list much fuller, but this is what I can offer my PREMIUM backers right now.

Shout out from Saving Throw
over 8 years ago – Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 12:37:39 PM

If you don't watch the Saving Throw web show, you are missing out. You gotta watch it from the beginning (I'm currently behind). In episode 7, they give me a shout out for the MONK and BARD cases. Take a look here: http://savingthrowshow.com/barkys-brigade-episode-7-perlamore-council/

What the Flock?
over 8 years ago – Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 12:00:05 PM

I picked up some flocking (yes, that is the word) and tried it out in a BARD case last night. Results were pretty good. It has a crushed velvet feel to it and provides a uniform covering on both the bottom and the sides of the case. I think it adds a little extra "umph" to a case. One possible downside is that it doesn't act as a great cushion for minis since the flocking is so thin. I think I'll continue to include the normal thin padding in addition to the flocking for added protection. When you want to use half of the BARD as a dice tray, just remove the pad and roll on top of the flocking.

Add-on fee for the flocking is $10. Current color availability is only the red shown.