Sundered Isles - Expansion for Ironsworn: Starforged

Setting the Dials of Your Sundered Isles Campaign
5 months ago – Tue, Apr 02, 2024 at 08:44:38 AM

Hello, Ironsworn!

The Sundered Isles campaign is wrapping up this week. Only 2 days left! 

I'm working hard to ensure we can hit the ground running on post-Kickstarter activities. I'll have more details after the campaign funding period closes later this week, but here's what's happening.

• I'm working on the remaining bits of the guidebooks and assets; still expecting digital delivery to backers this month.
• I've hired a contractor to help manage BackerKit setup and integration, which will ensure that I can rapidly spin up the pledge manager once the Kickstarter funds clear and the backer list is finalized. 
• I'm coordinating with my printer on the new (two books!) plan.

If you have any questions about the campaign or post-campaign schedules, feel free to comment below.

Forging Your World

As with Ironsworn and Starforged, Sundered Isles features a sandbox setting that you can make your own. The sweet spot is rebellious seafarers undertaking sworn quests in a world that is equal parts Age of Sail and fantasy, with hints of emerging steampunk-ish technologies and eldritch curses. But Sundered Isles can accommodate a variety of seafaring campaigns, ranging from gritty-historical to swashbuckling adventure to full-on nautical horror. If you prefer spacefaring adventures, you can simply pick and choose features that you want to add to your Ironsworn: Starforged sci-fi campaign. Or mix and match for Treasure Planet-style adventures among the ethereal tides.

The campaign launch exercises guide you through the process of choosing a realm, selecting the truths of your world, creating a character, and getting underway. This is very much part of the "prep is play" ethos that you see in Ironsworn: Starforged. Once you've set things in motion, that wind in your sails carries your adventures with zero prep.

So, what sort of world will you explore? I'm excited to see how you make the Isles your own!

3,000+ Backers! Thank you!
6 months ago – Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 04:24:26 PM

Hello, Ironsworn!

We are 3,000 backers strong, which is pretty amazing for an expansion that a significant portion of the Ironsworn community is getting for free — in digital form anyway.

Thank you! Your support and generosity mean everything.

I mentioned on the campaign page that I didn't plan any stretch goals for this campaign, but I did set one personal stretch goal a few months ago...

3,000 backers, I decided, was a pretty good bellwether for my ability to engage with folks and build a community. One that, perhaps, could sustain me moving forward.

So, with 3,000 backers, after four decades of working for others, I'd forge my own path. I'd make game design and self-publishing my full-time career.

And here we are! Do I have the courage to fulfill that vow?

The short answer is yes! Let's do this.

The longer answer is that I won't be making the switch immediately. I am not going to make a drastic change in my life until I completely deliver on Sundered Isles. I need to accommodate any unexpected and costly obstacles during production or fulfillment (like, for instance, realizing it needs to be two books). Once that is done and dusted, I'll have the flexibility to set off on this new and exciting adventure.

It will be challenging. It will be stressful. It may end in disaster. But I've never been more excited.

So, thank you. Sincerely. I know that there's a growing sense of cynicism around crowdfunding sometimes acting as a glorified preorder store. But it's also people like you generously supporting niche creators and outlandish dreams. 

Let's see where the wind takes us...

Sundered Isles is Sundered .... Into Two Books!
6 months ago – Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 09:34:33 AM

Hello, Ironsworn!

An important announcement for this update...

Over the weekend, I received my production samples for the Sundered Isles Wirebound Guidebook from the printer.

And I was not happy.

As I alluded to on the campaign page, this project outgrew its scope. Initially, I targeted a supplement of around 60-80 pages. Then 120. And now, as it turns out, 250+ pages of heavy paper in a wirebound format is just not a great experience. It is okay. It is functional. But it feels just a bit awkward. I love the feel of the Starforged Reference Guide, and this is notably less awesome. 

I considered my options. Lower paper grade to decrease the heft? No, I don't want to sacrifice quality. Cut content? Heck no. Use different binding? Also not a great option; the lay-flat feature is essential for the layout of the book and the at-the-table experience.

So, after a mild panic attack, I realized I had a perfect solution.

Not one book, but two.

Yes, two volumes.

Let me say four very important things:

• There's no need to change your pledge. If you are receiving the physical Sundered Isles Guidebook as part of your pledge, you'll now receive that reward as two books.
• There is no added cost, here or in the pledge manager, for the extra book.
• Shipping charges remain as estimated. If the weight of the second book increases shipping charges in your region, I will cover the additional cost.
• The Sundered Isles Digital Edition retains a single-book PDF format, ensuring that internal bookmarks and hyperlinks function as intended.
• This does not impact the project timeline. I'll need to sort out text references and prepare separate versions of my working files for digital and physical, but we are still on track for the Digital Edition next month and physical production soon thereafter.

Now let's dig into some details:

• Sundered Isles Guidebook One, Gameplay, includes setting information, options for guidelines for seafaring adventures, campaign launch exercises, and the moves reference.
• Sundered Isles Guidebook Two, Oracles, is self-explanatory. It contains the complete set of Sundered Isles generators and random tables for seafaring waypoints, islands, ships, settlements, characters, factions wrecks, ruins, treasures, and much more. Plus, cursed tables (see the campaign page for details on cursed oracles).

The two books will have similar page counts, each in the range of 125-145 pages. This is about the same page count as the original Starforged Reference Guide, meaning the quality and feel won't be compromised.

The aspect of this plan that excites me most is the additional level of at-the-table usability due to the way the content is split. Frequently referenced content can now be used in tandem. For example:

• As you work through the campaign launch exercises, which frequently point to the Oracles section, you can open both sections at once.
• You can easily reference a set of moves and a set of oracle tables at the same time. Less flipping around.
• If you are playing co-op, one player can manage the content in Guidebook One, while another references the oracles in Guidebook Two.

The relatively small format of the books (6x9 inches, or about A5) means they don't take up much space at the table, and the wire binding allows you to fold back a page completely, stack the two books, arrange them side-by-side, etc.

All that said, if two books are not an ideal scenario for you, for whatever reason, I perfectly understand if you need to drop out of the campaign. But I hope you'll see this as adding value rather than taking anything away.

And, in summary, I'll reiterate:

• No need to change your existing pledge
• No additional cost
• No additional shipping charges
• Digital Edition (PDF) is functionally the same
• No impact on the project timeline

I am updating the campaign page text and images to reflect this change as we speak, but I wanted to give you a heads-up on why that is happening. Also, because Kickstarter does not allow me to change the reward text once the campaign is underway, the pledge levels will continue to refer to Guidebook (singular) instead of Guidebooks (plural). I'll try to make this as clear as I can for new backers, but it won't be perfect.

Although this is a solution to a potential problem, I also think it's a better overall approach for Sundered Isles. And I am a bit bummed I didn't think of it a few weeks ago.

And who knows, if Sundered Isles does well, there may be potential for a Guidebook Three someday. Or, this handy split format might be used in other future Ironsworn products.

Feel free to comment below with any questions or concerns. 

Sundered Art!
6 months ago – Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 12:08:38 PM

Hello, Ironsworn!

For this update, I wanted to highlight a few of the talented artists who worked on Sundered Isles and share a few of my favorite pieces.

As the book grew beyond my original imaginings, so did the art! I ended up commissioning around 45 pieces of art, which is nearly as much as I commissioned for Starforged. The reasonably aggressive timeline also meant I needed to cast a wider net. I brought several new artists on board, with talented Starforged artist Joshua Meehan continuing to serve as the lead artist.

And, perhaps unusual for a TTRPG Kickstarter campaign, the art is done, paid for, and in place in layout. It's very easy for a development and fulfillment schedule to slip based on the time and effort required for artists to work their magic, so I'm very glad that we are ready to move quickly and get Sundered Isles in your hands as soon as possible.

First up are a few pieces from lead artist Joshua Meehan. I think this particular one was perhaps the second piece created for the book.  I call this: You're gonna need a bigger boat.

Or maybe you're gonna need a bigger-er boat.

The flames of rebellion!

The lighting and mood in this one is so good!

And speaking of lighting, here are the iconic Twin Fates  — Wraith and Cinder — looming over the Sundered Isles. 

This piece is one of my favorite things ever. It has an incredible sense of scale, and I think it does a great job of showing us what a miss with a match might look like on an expedition. 

This piece of a seaside settlement doesn't adhere to the typical colonial architecture or ramshackle pirate den that you might see in an Age of Sail-inspired setting. There are grander vistas to discover among the isles!

I love the sense of seafaring freedom exemplified in this piece. And the touch of the fantastic!

Summon The Kraken!

Some gorgeous and mysterious seaside ruins by Joshua...

And, the "Sundered Isles Crew." You can check this piece out in the downloadable sampler. We use it to represent just a few possibilities for character archetypes.

I found a version of this piece when looking through artist portfolios, and commissioned the artist, Vyacheslav Milinchuk, to make some adjustments for use in Sundered Isles. I love the grand scope of these ancient ruins!

Vyacheslav is a talented concept artist with a specialization in environment design. They went on to create several pieces for Sundered Isles, including this foreboding wreck mired in a coastal swamp...

And this cave within a cave...

Bryant Grizzle was a somewhat late addition to the project, but they blew me away with this first piece of two ships encountering each other along a cliffside passage.

Along with this beautiful panoramic illustration for our Seafaring Waypoint oracles...

Bryant went on to create several other pieces for Sundered Isles, including the fabulous cover art! The filagreed prosthetic arm is gorgeous.

The illustration for this skull-like edifice was the final illustration developed for Sundered Isles. the artist, Phill Simpson, came into the project very late, but I look forward to working with them on future projects.

Of course, there is lots more to see in the full book — and at the proper size and quality that is difficult to convey in a web-based post. I'm excited to share it all with you!

Every artist on this project was an absolute pro and a joy to work with. If you are a fellow creator or an art director in need of talent, follow the links below and reach out!

• Joshua Meehan
• Vyacheslav Milinchuk
• Bryant Grizzle
• Phill Simpson

And one crucial final point: this art represents a vision for the Sundered Isles born out of a collaboration between me and the artists. It is inspiration, not a mandate. You'll have your own vision of the setting! You may even decide to leave the bounds of the sea and chart a course for loftier realms!

Thank you for supporting this campaign, Ironsworn!

New Pledge Tier: Just the Starforged Rulebook
6 months ago – Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 11:31:04 AM

Hello, Ironsworn!

Based on a couple of messages and an informal survey on the Ironsworn DIscord, I've added a Starforged Core pledge level.

This tier is the Starforged hardcover rulebook + Starforged PDFs only. Choose this pledge if you're not interested in other rewards and missed out on the first printing. This rulebook-only pledge will ship early — likely by June — but is available only to backers in the US, Canada, UK, and EU. 

If you select this pledge and would like to include Sundered Isles as a digital-only reward, it is now available as an add-on.

The Starforged second printing is also available in the Complete Collection pledge, which includes the complete kit for Starforged + Sundered Isles at a bundle price. Those rewards will ship together later this year, with the Digital Edition PDFs sent to backers next month.

Let me know if you have any questions!