$40k! Wooo!!
over 5 years ago – Fri, Nov 20, 2020 at 03:00:15 PM

Hey everyone!

Late last night we eclipsed the $40k mark so now you will be getting a brand new NPC in each copy of The Wanderer's Guide - the Druid!

Druids have had an interesting journey in the D&D game. Originally in the much treasured Eldritch Wizardry supplement, they were made truly official in the AD&D Players Handbook and offered players a kind of bridge between Clerics and Magic Users (Wizards). They couldn't use metal (mostly) but they gad access to both combat and healing spells. They were an interesting and fun class to play but were not common. Now, with 5th Edition (and Pathfinder) they have come into their own and are an extremely powerful class that offer up a wide range of options for players and GMs alike.

I love the idea of a Druid as an NPC for many reasons. As the image caption mentions, because they are mostly neutral, they can be both allies and opponents, and the same NPC can become both multiple times throughout a campaign! In fact, I once ran a campaign where the major quest giver for the PC's was a Lizard-folk Druid who the players originally thought they had to kill to protect the kingdom, but instead they took the time to discover his background and they fostered an alliance between him and their local lord.

What are some of your favorite Druids you have either played or encountered while you were playing your RPG's?

New Stretch Goals!

Three brand new Stretch Goals for us to hit in these last couple of weeks!

While all three of these are awesome, I want to point to the Archipelago map as something we can't wait to reveal. It will be a full, two page spread that will let you zero in on a specific part of the huge overland map that is the showpiece of this book. We think this is going to inspire a lot of creativity from the GMs and increase the immersion for the players in ways we can only imagine. 

Of course, those islands in the Archipelago are going to need a chieftain who is in charge, so we next will unlock that NPC, with his own plot hooks for you to incorporate into your game. Finally, we go to the classic adventuring staple, the merchant caravan. It seems like there is always some merchant who has some food, or beer, or whatever that has to get to the next town, and she has to take the shortcut through the goblin mountains to get there, and of course her usual band of bodyguards are busy with another job...so who gets the call?

Thank you very much for your continued support - and don't forget to tell your RPG loving friends and family about this campaign. Each pledge we get just gets us closer to more and more Stretch Goals which is going to make the final product you get that much more awesome!

-The Wanderer's Guide Team

Forest City added - Ewoks not included!
over 5 years ago – Sun, Nov 15, 2020 at 05:12:46 PM

We knocked down another Stretch Goal and this map I am super excited about - well I am excited about all of the maps - but this one hits home for me. I ran an entire campaign based in a castle that overlooked a humongous forest. The kingdom grew rich and powerful plundering the resources of the woods, but had to contend with the beasts within the wildlands, and some less than happy druids that made the dense foliage their home.

Long story even longer, the party had been kidnapped by a tribe of wild elves who drug them deep into the unknown until they reached their home, a city high up in the trees. Between escape attempts, diplomatic discussions, and finding out that a detestable dragon had taken up residence and was demanding tribute from the elves, an agreement was made, and an alliance was formed. All in all, the campaign took almost two years to complete, and I would have loved to have something like the Forest City map to make the players really feel at home!

Another NPC with a backstory that is yours to create, but we will of course give you some interesting plot hooks to use if you care to do so! Remember, with each stretch goal we meet, The Wanderer's Guide will only become that much better, and the longer that we can keep Andrew locked up in the basement, churning out fantastic art for this project!

We would love for you to show this off to as many people as you possibly could, share it with your RPG playing friends, and point them in the direction of this campaign. With your help, we can make this book even more awesome that it already is!

Thank you for your support!

-The Wanderer's Guide Team

$30,000 - another stretch goal down!
over 5 years ago – Fri, Nov 13, 2020 at 06:25:19 AM

Thank you all for your continued support - every day that we watch this campaign it reminds us that we are going to create this book, this idea that we had, and you are going to have it on your gaming table to enjoy. It brings us no small measure of happiness - in fact, it inspires us to keep creating!

Your players have heard of a small scouting party that has hidden themselves amongst the forested crags near their home village. They are undoubtedly up to no good, and your local lord needs information to send to the Queen. it will fall upon them to infiltrate the camp, discover their nefarious plans, and come back alive to tell the tale!

But what should be in an enemy encampment? You tell us!

Thank you all again for your support!

-The Wanderer's Guide Team

Stretch Goal unlocked - what do you think should be in the new map?
over 5 years ago – Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 11:29:07 PM

Now normally I wouldn't do two updates in one day - I don't want to hammer on your email inbox all that much, but I got to thinking about the Warlord's Fortress, and I got to thinking back on one of the original awesome 3rd party publications for D&D - The City State of the Invincible Overlord, published way back in 1976.

Now this map will by no means come close to the expansiveness of that original creation, but we think it will be able to spur your imagination to such greatness!

But what do YOU think should be in a map of a Warlord's Fortress? Give us some great ideas to add to the map - who knows, we may use them!

Thank you all for your support - you have been nothing less than awesome!

-The Wanderer's Guide Team

Another Stretch Goal Down! More Revealed!
over 5 years ago – Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 07:11:09 PM

What great news to wake up to!

I have run many adventures where animal companions have played important parts in the story. In one campaign, a friend came up with a PC idea of Verm the Cursed, a dour and angry warrior whose only friend was his dog named Rat. Rat quickly became a table favorite, and everyone who played would go to great lengths to make sure he didn't come to harm, risking their own lives to do so. The Wanderer's Guide  team would love to hear about your Animal Companion stories too! Please post them below!

Thank you all again for your support! We have so many maps, npcs, and more to unlock with this campaign, and the way for us to hit them all is for you to help us out and point your RPG loving friends in the direction of this campaign. Share it where you can, and help us make The Wanderer's Guide as amazing as possible!

-The Wanderer's Guide Team