Vale: Questions answered!
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Apr 03, 2025 at 09:17:52 AM
Hey Chosen Ones,
We are now exactly $1,000 from hitting the goal with just over 6 days left to go. That's amazing! I feel very confident we will get there by the end.
Over the course of this campaign, a few questions have come up again and again, and while I have adjusted the main page, added FAQs, and responded directly - I want to make sure everyone gets the answers.
How are the new tariffs going to affect Vale?
This is probably the MOST pressing question right now, as a lot of publishers are furiously crunching numbers and looking for new suppliers. Thankfully, I already print all of our books in the USA and have always done so. This means, as long as we fund and are able to start printing the book by June, the tariffs announced yesterday should NOT derail this project.
If we don't fund, that equation changes significantly. Even printing in the US will be affected as the cost of paper, ink, mechanical parts, and shipping supplies rise. This is why I keep telling people, honestly, it is now or never for Vale. The book will NOT get cheaper if we wait.
I could only find the PDF in the app! Can I change my pledge to a book?
Yes, you can! But I can't do it for you. If you pledged for a PDF and want to change that to a signed hardback book, you can absolutely do that. Simply click on the big green "Manage Your Pledge" button at the top of the page. Then you can update your reward.
Again, you may have to do this from the actual website and not a mobile app.
Is this game newbie friendly?
Yes, yes, yes! This game is very newbie friendly, both to play as a character and to run it as a GM. All the info a player needs to play the game is contained on two sheets of paper; their playbook character sheet and a downloadable cheat sheet.
While the text of the book goes much more in depth on explaining the rules and the abilities the players can us, each playbook gives a break down of ALL the special abilities a character has at their disposal. No book flipping to find out "What does this thing do again?" It's right there on your character sheet!
From a GM perspective, this is a very easy game to run, so long as you listen to your players and lean in to a very important question "What do YOU think it should be?" Your players have a lot of narrative influence in Vale, take the lead in world building, and pick the missions they are going to attempt. As a GM, you need to read the book and learn the rules, but you don't have to prep a campaign! It will develop via the back and forth conversation as you play.
When it comes to running NPCs, you pick the move they are making and it is up to the players to stop those moves from happening. The GM never rolls the dice. The GM simply drives the story forward and prompts a conversation with the table on what should happen next.
And just like for players, the book contains lots of guidance and many examples on how to run this game. For experienced gamers, Vale is a departure from a tactical battle simulator like D&D. This is a narrative game and it requires you to approach it from a shared desire to tell a good, collaborative story. The rules are there to provide tension, surprise, and resolution - they aren't there to see if you do 3hp of damage to a monster's AC of 14.
Is this game family/kid friendly?
Honestly, I don't know. There is nothing in here that is anti-family, or "adult content," but I wrote this game for adults in mind. Teens could certainly play it, but they will get more out of it if they have the ability to think like an adult looking back on a tragic event from their past. I don't think pre-teen or younger players will have the emotional maturity to delve into the deeper and more personal aspects of this game.
Granted, in my own gaming childhood we didn't play characters that were kids, we played played grown-ups that were heroes. And while that much is the same in Vale, there is an emotional and nostalgic value to be found in playing this game after having lived through challenging life experiences.
In the end, while personal loss is a core theme in Vale, this is a game about hope and fighting against the overpowering darkness. I think that can resonate with anyone, no matter what their age.
Thank you again for your support! Please keep sharing the project! We are almost to the finish line!
-Robert
Vale: Wait! What? An extension?
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 08:15:38 AM
Hey Chosen Ones,
As your probably know, there were serious iOS Kickstarter app issues on our day 1, which prevented US backers from being able to pledge for a hardback book. A week later, tech support said it was fixed.
On Sunday morning, I heard from a friend that they STILL couldn't back the project from the US. Clearly, the issue wasn't fixed. We were also having issues with the Android version of the app not showing any information at all.
After contacting customer support, Kickstarter agreed that these tech issues were clearly hurting this project's funding and offered to extend our deadline by one week. I absolutely took that offer.
I'm not sure they CAN fix the issues, but at least this give us time to let as many people as possible know whats up. You can back this project, but it maybe not from a mobile app.
Let me say that again: There are physical books for this project, but to see them you need to be on a web browser and not an app!
Thank you to those of you who reached out to let me know something was wrong. And thank you to everyone who has backed and shared and offered moral support, even with the apps fighting against you. And thank you so very much to Kickstarter's support folks for trying to make this right!
I will find something interesting to share as an update later in the week. Maybe some breakdowns of the denizens or the playbooks, but for now, I get to breath a sigh of relief.
Please, keep sharing and thank you for all your support.
-Robert
Vale: 75% funded + New Pledge Level!
about 1 year ago
– Sat, Mar 29, 2025 at 12:38:52 PM
Hey there Chosen Ones,
We are now over 75% funded with 4 days to go! I have faith that we will get over the finish line in the end, but it will be close. On Monday, both DriveThruRPG and Backerkit will be sending out another email blast and Kickstarter will let all the followers know that time is almost up. If you have any more spoons or spaces to share the project out as well, please do so!
Also, our final ad will go out on Monday, but you can have a sneak peak first!
Original Chosen Ones (pledge level)
Just in case anyone wants to help us get their quicker, I am adding a super pledge level at $500. Holy cow that's a lot! But this level gets you absolutely everything you need to play the game, plus four of your player names in the book as examples (instead of those of my own fallen friends)... and here's kicker, you get to name a brand new denizen!
We can't do Tolkien, D&D, or Pathfinder races (for obvious reasons) - but I will work with you to find something special so you can leave your mark! I will write up a section for them in the book (about two paragraphs) and Rebecca will make new art for it as well!
Here is all the cool stuff a $500 pledge will get you:
- Six signed copies of the hardback Vale book
- Six sheets of the map stickers
- A copy of the Vale PDF to share with your group
- Seven sets of 3d6, in seven different colors
- A cloth bag with plenty of glass tokens
- Four human names as the player names in the book examples
- A brand new denizen added to the book that you choose!
- A framed and signed 8x10 print of the original art for that denizen!
- And I cover the shipping to the US or Canada! (You might have to cover import tariffs though. Sorry.)
There are a max of three of these pledges available. We currently have 15 denizens in the realm and I don't have room for more than 18 in the book.
Thanks again for your support and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
-Robert
Vale: What am I backing?
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Mar 27, 2025 at 09:46:17 AM
Hey Chosen Ones,
As an indie game creator, it is inevitable that I will also have friends running projects at the same time as mine. But I LOVE kickstarter and indie games, so I it makes me feel good to share what my peers are doing too.
Today, I want to point out three other indie RPG games that I think are awesome. So awesome, that I put my money where my mouth is.(Warning: Don't put real money in your actual mouth. It is super dirty.)
The Psychic Danger Society
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jameskerr/the-psychic-danger-society
Little old ladies solving mysteries in their small, cozy town! There are some obviously some similarities to Brindlewood Bay here, but honestly, this one looks more accessible and easier to just pick up and play. I love the idea of rolling dice for psychic predictions and then spending those dice values during play. Also the fact that the GM has almost no prep to do is great, as the mysteries develop based on the player's failures, spinning out more and more trouble as the game progresses.
Only 31 hours left on this one, so if you want to snag a copy, you better act fast!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jaztice/extra-ordinary-a-belonging-outside-belonging-ttrpg
I think this is Kodi's first kickstarter and I am super impressed! I am also a sucker for stories about exceptional kids on the run; like Stranger Things, Goonies, and Runaways. This uses the Belonging Outside Belonging system, which I am not super familiar with but I love the number of playbooks and the obvious thought that has gone into every aspect of the design.
Also, this art is amazing!
OMG Cats!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wetinkgames/omg-cats
It's a game about cats... doing cat stuff. Look, I am not a cat person. I wish I was, and as a child I brought home many a stray. But the reality is that I am terribly allergic to them. I can't even be in a house that has a cat in it for more than a minute before my face starts leaking uncontrollably. I know that image doesn't make for a strong marketing angle, but this game lets my kids enjoy the idea of cats without letting a real one inside!
I also backed their previous game, Hecking Good Doggos, and these folks provide excellent, easy to play entertainment. And look at those awesome dice! Check it out! I promise you will not be disappointed.
Vale: One week to go!
about 1 year ago
– Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 10:26:54 AM
Hey there, Chosen Ones!
We have one week left in this Kickstarter for Vale of the Failed and the Fallen, and the goal is still within our grasp. Thank you all to those who have backed it and shared it!
Additional Add-On Hardbacks
Earlier today, I went down into our storage and recounted the books I have on hand of my other games. I had thought it wise to hold back some for Origins Game Fair this summer, but no longer! I have created add-ons for the books we are almost out of stock on: Purgatory House and Our Woodland Gods.
Purgatory House has won several awards over the years, and Our Woodland Gods was just nominated as a finalist for the Indie Groundbreaker Awards in the Best Rules category. If you missed out getting these from our past Kickstarters, you can now add them to pledge while our very limited supplies last.
The Best Deal for Vale is Now
As any responsible publisher would do, I have also been exploring options on how to proceed if we don't fund by the end of this kickstarter project. I know inflation is a mess, lots of folks have been laid off, and we really don't know what the future will bring. But ultimately, this game is done and I want folks to be able to play it.
After running all the numbers, many different ways, I can say with confidence that this Kickstarter is your only chance to get a hardback version of this game at the current discounted price. And it is the only chance to get the printed stickers.My printing quotes are good until June because my US-based printer knows they have paper to cover it until then. After that, printing prices will for this book go up.
I have also looked into the possibility of making this game in a paperback. Because of it's page count (224 pages), it's not much cheaper to do that either. As a paperback book, with a standard matte cover, this book would retail right now for $40. But again, that price will go up in June.
So it is either get Vale of the Failed and the Fallen via this kickstarter as a nice hardback for $46... Or wait for a $40+ paperback later this year.
Don't get me wrong, I am still aiming to hit the current goal. Even though it is clear the Kickstarter mobile apps have been causing issues for us. US backers were blocked for at least a few hours on Day 1, it often doesn't show the funding goal or number of backers, and on Saturday all the actual play videos somehow turned to Rick Rolls.
Clearly, the powers of evil do NOT want you to get this game! Which is all the more reason I urge folks to keep sharing the link!
Thank you again for your support. You really are the chosen ones!
-Robert
