Ancestries Funded, Print Zines and New Stretch Goals
over 3 years ago – Sun, Sep 27, 2020 at 11:18:59 AM

So we're nearly halfway through the project and we've funded all the stretch goals we've planned. 

Strap in folks. This is going to be a big one. 

Ancestries

The Gastropods snuck into the Ancestries Zine on the last few inches of their slime trail. With a hairbiting 68 votes compared to the Beastmen's 63, they just edged out 3rd place. 

They will join Lamenters and Rebel Automata in the zine. Which is now going to be in PRINT. 

Physical Zines- New Pledge Levels

We've been asked by dozens of backer if we are doing printed physical copies of the Heroic Zine, the Consequences Zine and the Ancestries Zine. Our original answer was no, but we've done a u-turn on that decision.

The main reason for this is that we just don't have time. It takes a long time to lay out new material, and our trusty layout wizard, David, is busy up to December working on the core books. This means if we were to offer print Zines, we'd have to either delay the shipping of the core books, which is unfair on the backers who planned to get their books in January, or have two batches of shipping, which would be complex to arrange.   

We're going to add a new set of pledges to add physical stretch goal content. These will be delivered in February, not January like the core books. We'll do the books individually as add-ons for £10, but for £20 you can add all three zines to your cart: the Heroic Zine, the Consequences Zine and the Ancestries Zine.

We've added new 'Deeper' pledge levels to Hoarder, Tomekeeper and Completionist, so you can get the zines whatever level you want. 

As a reminder, if you just want the PDFs, these are included in all pledges above £25 at no cost to you, dear backer. 

Stretch Goals

Now we've broken the barriers of BLB: Deeper, it's time to embark on the next journey. 

We're calling the next stage of the project A Doom To Speak: Volume 2.

Some of you might remember that last year we ran a Kickstarter to make 14 'zinis'. Each of these double sized A4 adventures features an RPG adventure designed to be printed at home, packed full of ideas with as much density as we can muster. 

Every two and a half thousand pounds from now until the project closes, SoulMuppet will make a new zini with a new author from across the RPG community. 

Zach has been flipping through his RPG rolodex looking for the next horror writers that a reasonable word rate could buy and we've managed to line up this first few stretch goal writers for you: 

20k - Chris McDowell - Bad Apples

Chris is the Manchester-based game designer behind rules-lite, flavour heavy games like Into the Odd and Electric Bastionland. He also writers regular articles alongside audio and video content at Bastionland.com   

Bad Apples 

A cursed apple harvest has caused rampant mutation in the hamlet of Brubearn. A coven of hags are being held responsible, let the witch hunt begin!

22.5k - Pam Punzalan - Fairest of Them All

Pam Punzalan is a designer, writer, editor, and consultant based in the Philippines. Beyond making her own games across OSR, PtbA, FitD and storygame systems (like Sundo: We, Once Mortal & Asian Acceptance), she has contributed to projects big and small, including Spire (for Rowan, Rook, and Decard), The Curse of the House of Rookwood, and The Islands of Sina Una.  

Fairest of Them All

Even though the last Bride managed to kill those bastard Lovers, no one's dared to go to the Estate of House Valerian. Too much blood spilled on those grounds, they say, tempting as the prospect of all Estate's treasure might be. If the strange puzzles don't get you, the ghosts of every Bride who failed the Lovers' Tests just might. Worse yet, you may meet the Brides who wander the Estate still, trapped in nightmares of the past, yearning for human flesh.

25k - Grant Howitt - A Taste of the Goods

Grant Howitt (@gshowitt)is the delinquent weekend father of one-page roleplaying games, having written the unfathomably popular Honey Heist and some other stuff as well (Heart, Spire, One Last Job, Goblin Quest, etc). He spends his spare time making toy soldiers and dressing like a sort of fashion wizard.

A Taste of the Goods

The Cryptdiggers are hired to reclaim stolen property from a wizard whose latest shipment of potions was hijacked by bandits. About half a day’s travel from the city, the bandits have holed up in the ruins of an abandoned fort and prepare to sell their ill-gotten goods - the time to strike is now.

Thanks for your continued support, and here's to smashing the goals and getting more content throughout the rest of the project. 

Zach

The Ancestries Zine: The Candidates
over 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 06:54:58 AM

Thanks to your amazing support, last night we hit 15k. The Consequences Zine now exists, and will be added in PDF form to every tier about £25.

Up next are Ancestries.

In the Best Left Buried core rules, we assume the characters are humans, and each character has an Archetype. In the Ancestries Zine, we're recreating the three Demi-Human Archetypes from the Deluxe Edition and adding 3 more, which we are going to let our beloved backers choose from this list of 6. 

Here are the options: 

1. Beastfolk 

Experiments with magic and chemistry sometimes result in humans crossed with mundane beasts, possessing the wildly varying forms of various species. Suspected by many of affiliation with the corruptions of the Cinderbeasts, these creatures are mostly outcast from civilized society. Enclaves are found scattered across Lendal, most commonly the Hyena-Clans of Norui, the Bestial Knightly Orders of Calver and the Feline Empire of Haven in the thick jungles of Northern Roche. 

2. Drakespawn

Only fool wizards and mad kings trifle with dragons, and in the ancient days of Fal, both bid recklessly for such power. They fused the form of drakes, low draconids of bestial wit; with the guile and grace of humanity. The Drakespawn, born in avarice and forged in unkind hands, sought vengeance for their malformed birth. Martial, gold-lusting, they venerate the Old Gods who might see them made anew in greater purity. Rare, even in the Northern Islands of their home, they serve under the banner of many a Freeblade and Cryptdigger company.

3. Gastropodians

Hailing from distant lands far beyond Lendal, perhaps beyond this sphere entirely, as the curious Gastropodians. Quasi-humanoid mollusks with puckered brachial torsos and otherwise gastropod features.  Those few known within the Duchies have earned reputations as guileful and vindictive entities; as mercurial as they are entrepreneurial, often carting their wares in great burdens upon their backs, in place of where a shell might be upon their lowborn offshoots. Many less wealthy Gastropodians serve within Cryptdigging Companies, working as quartermasters or making use of spells unstudied in Lendal.

4. Lamenters

When a necromancer raises an undead creature from the grave, the being's sentient and willpower sometimes rests itself free from their grasp. Necromantic creations who successfully murder their masters inherit the magic that raised them from dead, and continue on in a shambling half-life. Unable to fit in with normal society, many become Cryptdiggers. While they smell bad and are usually pretty antisocial, they don't eat much and tend to be handy in the Crypt, so many companies tend to tolerate them. 

5. Orcs 

Born from the raucous laughter of Vashni, the Orcs are a people of bold ambition and a proud desire for self-mastery. Throughout Lendal they are renowned for their hunting of great beasts, their peerless skill at arms, and their devotion to artifice. All things an Orc does reflects their devotion to Vashni and his Sky-Bride, and thus only the desperate and the outcast join Cryptdigging Companies. Few Orcs would risk death in the cold dark earth, rather than under a rapturous blue sky where they can earn the love their god.

6. Rebel Automata

Imprisoned inside a artificial cage of wood, clay and wire is a human skull and within that skull is trapped a soul. Created as mindless beings of industry by the Torrian aristocrat Samsun Eth, the Automata were intended as tireless, obedient servants. Having fled the plantations and workhouses where they were forced to work,  some of the rebellious Automata seek their fortunes in Cryptdigging companies. While the technical details of their production and maintenance are carefully guarded trade secrets of Torre's industrial complex, the Automata have become skilled at rudimentary field repairs and improvised improvements to their bodies.

Here's how to vote... Head of to the below link, and vote for the ones you want to appear in the book. 

https://www.strawpoll.me/20992701

The three Archetypes with the most votes will be included in the zine. 

Speak soon and keep sharing the Kickstarter across all corners of the internet. 

Thanks, 

Zach

Consequences Zine: Better Injuries
over 3 years ago – Sun, Sep 20, 2020 at 09:42:45 AM

Hey all, 

As part of the Consequences Zine, Brian Yaksha has been hard at work on a new set of Injuries available for particularly grizzled Cryptdiggers. They're split up by method of Injury. They were designed to add a bit more flavour to the Veteran's Archetype, but they could be used in the place of any other Injury you might take. They're split into 6 categories by the method of their infliction: Man, Beast, Horror, Folly, Sorcery and War. 

3. [d6] Inflicted by Horrors

1. Marked by Darkness.
The horrors beneath the world looked at you as though, for a moment, you were chattel to them. A lesser sibling. A chill has haunted you ever since. Lose D3 Grip. You must make a Grip check to Escape or perform a Heroic Rescue while in a crypt.

2. Infected Form.
When the horrors struck at you, they infected you with something. A lingering itch of horrid potential. Perhaps it is only in your mind. Lose a point of Grip and a point of Vigour. You are always Against the Odds when dealing with any Growing Afflictions.

3. Warped Wounds.
The wounds inflicted by the horrors healed strangely, as if you were to herald its terrible power. Lose a point of Brawn. Your wounds, if unhidden, make you Against the Odds in polite society. Your wounds sting slightly in the proximity of the horror.

4. Mangled & Mutilated.
Only by some grim necromancy are you still alive. The horror mangled you, mutilated you, brutalized you. Lose an arm or leg, making it Impossible to perform tasks which need two hands or for you to run (even with a prosthetic.) You have the Upper Hand when terrifying folk about the nature of what dwells in the crypts.

5. Marred Inhumanity.
The thing in the crypt took more from you than merely flesh and blood, it destroyed something in you that made you a person. Take a Character Flaw, you are unable to recover Grip unless you indulge it. You come across slightly disquiet and wrong to others, no matter how charming your words.

6. Lingering Horror.
The crypt took everything from you, and it has not released your mind from its grasp. Nights are filled with screams, you see the horrors in the corner of your vision. Lose D3 Grip. You gain +1 Initiative when in a crypt.

These are all pretty nasty. The kind of horrible consequences you might get fighting a creature who looks like this: 

If you like the art in Best Left Buried and you're cool enough to be on Instagram, head on over to our brand spanking new Insta account and give it a follow.

Here's the link.

Have a good day, and keep sharing the project on social media. 

Thanks, 

Zach

The Consequences Zines: New Afflictions
over 3 years ago – Fri, Sep 18, 2020 at 10:49:11 AM

More art is coming in from Ben by the day. I have no clue what this weird and terrifying beastie is meant to be. 

Let's crack on with the Consequences Zine. This book is split into two parts, 18 new Afflictions and a bunch of new, more flavourful injuries which we'll look at in tomorrow's update. Let's crack on with these Afflicitons, penned by Nick Spence: 

Bloodsoaked (Character Flaw)

Characters with Bloodsoaked can only solve problems with violence and people fear them for it, even when they try to be nice. They are characterised by short tempers and disproportionate  reactions. The first tools they reach for are weapons, and when provoked they always take the bait. They would rather act first with overwhelming violence than consider the possibility of losing.

Zach - A character flaw designed for martial characters who let things get a little too violent. We wanted to center this new set of afflictions on less general maladies, and ones that lend to specific characters telling specific stories. Another focus of our new Character Flaws is how others interact with the character, not just how the characters themselves act. Without the mechanical features of Growing Afflictions, they have to have heavier narrative consequences. 

Crisis of Faith (Special Affliction)

You have seen the Crypts, the horrors they contain, and what surely awaits you within. While the gods may rule the sunlit world above, how could they possibly be with you down below? Involving yourself in the rites of the gods can make the experience quite unsettling. When a character with God is Dead has a Holy Advancement used on them, they must make a Grip Check. When a character with God is Dead uses a Holy Advancement on another Cryptdigger, the target must make a Grip Check.

Zach - The depths of the Crypt are a terrifying place, powerful enough to brittle the faith of even of the most righteous Cryptdiggers. Following this revelation, the character has a harder time using Holy Advancements, or having them used on them. We wanted to provide an opposite to Guided by the Gods, moving in a different direction to the certainty and arrogance provided by faith. 

False Tongues (Character Flaw)

Characters with False Tongues erroneously believe that they can speak with all kinds of animals and plants, perhaps even the elements themselves. These beings supposedly have all kinds of wisdom, so the character will defer their decision making to them in many cases. More infuriatingly, the character will be almost completely inconsistent in their “abilities”, and may not be able to ‘talk’ to those they were ‘conversing’ with earlier as suddenly they speak “different dialects”.

Zach - We mainly wrote this because it was a cool idea. The goal was to create a Character Flaws  that allowed players to dive deep into roleplaying and improvisation, and to give them lots of leeway for how much the Affliciton would affect their character. I can imagine this would be sweet for druids and wizards. 

Finally, here's an image of Marshall we showed off yesterday, which Ben finished in the wee smalls of last night. 

I hope you liked the content from we've showed off for the last few days. Let us know what you think, and continue to share the project across social media so we can get more backers and smash through the stretch goals. 

We'll be back tomorrow with some info on the Injuries in the Consequences Zine. 

See you soon, 

Zach 

Heroic Zine: The Marshall
over 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 17, 2020 at 10:01:32 AM

So our first Stretch Goal, the Heroic Zine, is ever so nearly funded. We put a vote on Twitter, asking our fans which of the 4 new classes they wanted a sneak peak at. 

The Marshall was the winner. 

The Marshall is a Martial class, a resilient support fighter who acts as a force multiplier for their allies. They are often grizzled, wise commanders, often the leaders of Cryptdigging companies. Here are three of their Advancements, with some design notes from Zach below. 

Blood of the Marshall

“These noble soldiers lead Cryptdigger, serving with valour and skill as officers of the Company, fearless commanders who understand the Crypt and how to fight within it.”

In addition to their normal pool of Grip, the character has an additional pool of 3 Commanding Grip. These function like normal Grip, except they can only be used on Commanding Advancements.

Commanding Grip can also be used to re-roll attack rolls made by or against allied characters, as if they were using Exertion.

This pool of Commanding Grip refreshes every time you roll Initiative.

Zach - This works like the normal 'Blood of the XXX' advancement, except allies can use the Commanding Grip for Exertion also, granting a massive pool of free re-rolls to the party. 

Called Shot

“As the thing lumbered towards us, The Snake barked out a order at Justeyne, who fired her crossbow at just the right time. It slumped down, a bolt jutting from its eye socket.”

Once per combat, the character can spend a point of Grip to have an ally within short range make an attack against a monster. The attack is always resolved Against The Odds, but if it deals damage, it automatically causes an additional Injury. 

Zach - A nasty move, allowing an ally to make an ally make an immediate attack out of their normal turn sequence. Perfect to squeezing out an extra bit of damage on a monster in an awkward situation. 

Age Old Memory

One-Eye had been around long enough to know most of what the Crypt could spit out, and he was certainly keen on telling us about it whenever he could.”
Upon seeing a distinct monster for the first time, the Doomsayer offers a Cost in Grip to the character. If they choose to pay the Cost in Grip, they have fought, seen or heard of the creature before. The Doomsayer may tell you about the monster’s weaknesses, strengths, or even some of the Adaptations it has. The Doomsayer may deny this feature to particularly obscure or unique monsters.

Zach - This is one of my favourite Advancements in the whole book. This Marshall has truly been there, done that and has the scars (both mental and physical) to prove it. 

We'll be back again tomorrow with some more details about the content of the Consequence Zine at 15k. Let us know in the comments if you want to see new Afflictions or new Injuries. 

Please keep sharing the project on social media so we can continue to gain traction and smash through those stretch goals. 

Thanks, 

Zach