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The Dragon Heresy Introductory Set Fantasy RPG

Created by Douglas H. Cole

The Dragon Heresy Introductory Set is a fully playable game, covering character creation, adventuring, combat, gear, and challenges. In the book you will find: * Norse-inspired culture, cosmology, and mythology * Deadly and tactically interesting combat * Rules and options to bring viking-style martial combat to the Fifth Edition of the world's most popular Fantasy RPG, with both tactical and narrative tools The game and contents are geared toward exciting play in these early levels. The "Introductory Set" get the players and GM acquainted with the new axes of engagement enabled by the new mechanics, and will be supported by future releases.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Fold and Gather samples here!
almost 6 years ago – Mon, Jul 30, 2018 at 08:14:29 PM

So, it's one thing to look at individual pages. It's one thing to look at a PDF on the screen.

It's quite another to get the entire book very nearly as it will appear in my hands.

Without further blather on my part: pictures. 

OK: one bit of blather. I cannot wait for the proofs and finals to be ready. This is going to be a book of which folks take notice. And y'all made it happen.

 If the mood strikes you, feel free to point other folks to this update. After all, after all is said and done, I will have 1,250 spare copies of the book to move . . . 

(Anyone want a great-looking book for their FLGS? Retail orders welcome . . . )

Print Approval: Achievement Unlocked
almost 6 years ago – Thu, Jul 12, 2018 at 03:44:31 PM

So, it's time.

This morning I received notification that my acceptance of the final proofs has initiated the printing process. Just need to mail 'em a check, which I will do this very day.

This means I'll be locking down addresses so I can start the process of figuring out fulfillment and how to get the books to folks.

Allowing for the two-day delay adjusts the anticipated schedule to this:

US Backers/Pre-Orders

  • July 10: I give the OK to print
  • July 27: Fold-and-gather samples are ready  
  • July 30: I give permission to bind the books  
  • August 9: Advance prelim copies are shipped to me from the printer  
  • Aug 14: Ready to Ship  
  • Aug 20: Estimated Departure from Printer[1]  
  • September 24: Arrival in MN  
  • Mid-October: Books arrive to backers in USA

Not-the-USA Backers/Pre-Orders

  • Aug 20: Estimated Departure from Printer to fulfillment in Korea  
  • Aug 27-Sept 4: Arrival in Korea; pack and ship to international  
  • Early to Mid October: Books arrive in Not-the-USA

Final Steps

I need folks to validate that their shipping addresses are correct in Backerkit. I will be locking them down on Saturday. From there, I will parse out final distributions. If you're looking for a shipped book and I don't have your address, things will get very expensive to fix, though I will leave a few surplus books in Korea to pick up stragglers.

After we lock down and confirm shipping, it's really all over but the waiting.

Thanks for coming this far. I can't wait to hold the book in my hands.

Douglas

Final Proofs, Backerkit Lockdown
almost 6 years ago – Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 01:31:21 PM

I wasn't happy with two of the images - signature images - that were originally part of the first set of "this is how the book will look" color proofs.

I received adjusted prints in the mail today, and they're much better.

There's not a ton of difference between them but there are a few details that were important that they not be lost in low-contrast/over-dark images.

But these are good. So that means that I'll send one final reminder on Backerkit, and then lock down shipping addresses. Guess that means it's time to write another big check.

Here we go!

Print Schedule
almost 6 years ago – Fri, Jul 06, 2018 at 08:52:35 AM

Quick schedule update. 

We're all about the printing process now. I have approved the end-sheet colors for the book, electing the same "medieval red" that features prominently through the book. My 9yo daughter's sensitive eyes were the judge on this one: I had a choice between a standard pantone color and my custom CMYK. They looked the same to me. I asked her: "Oh, this one is much nicer; it's brighter and more even." 

I look closely. She's right. So it is, then.

With that in mind, there is one thing yet to do: the initial proofs had two of the iconic images for the game a tetch too dark for me. I sent new images that I lightened up to bring out the details in the images. I'll get those on Monday. 

The old images weren't BAD. I just think they can be better. I will decide between the new and the old one way or another, and then proceed.

That means:

US Backers/Pre-Orders

  • July 10: I give the OK to print
  • July 27: Fold-and-gather samples are ready
  • July 30: I give permission to bind the books
  • August 9: Advance prelim copies are shipped to me from the printer
  • Aug 14: Ready to Ship
  • Aug 20: Estimated Departure from Printer[1]
  • September 24: Arrival in MN
  • Mid-October: Books arrive in USA

International Backers/Pre-Orders

  • July 10: I give the OK to print 
  • July 27: Fold-and-gather samples are ready 
  • July 30: I give permission to bind the books 
  • August 9: Advance prelim copies are shipped to me from the printer 
  • Aug 14: Ready to Ship 
  • Aug 20: Estimated Departure from Printer to fulfillment in Korea
  • Aug 27-Sept 4: Arrival in Korea; pack and ship to international
  • Early to Mid October: Books arrive in Not-the-USA

As always, shipping schedules are hard to predict. These could be earlier (doubt it), or later (always likely with international shipping). But we seem to be on schedule for the October delivery with a few weeks of "cushion" to keep it on time.

Proofs Arrived!
almost 6 years ago – Thu, Jun 28, 2018 at 06:17:44 PM

This is mostly a picture dump, but overall, here are my impressions:

  • Readability is excellent. The colors came through very well.
  • The spot finish on the cover may not be fully visible in the image, but it's awesome
  • Still going to be a pretty book

The mild criticisms. Two are on me.

  • One of the big signature images is misaligned in the borders. I can and will fix that (p. 140)
  • The Gaming Ballistic logo on the spine should get a spot finish and didn't
  • While overall color fidelity is good, some of the details on one of the important images got obscured in the printing process due to low contrast and a bit of color mismatch. 
  • I was supposed to get "wet proofs" of my end sheets, and didn't

I've provided this feedback (and the following pictures) to the printer, but obviously haven't heard back yet. I also need to do a (gulp) page-by-page inspection of the entire low-quality book block to ensure everything is good, and there are no more p. 140 surprises.

To the pix!

That's probably good for now, but this is major progress. When I hear back on p. 238 I'll know more about timing. More later!