Downloading the Early Access PDF - Mini Update
over 1 year ago – Tue, Feb 01, 2022 at 03:46:05 AM

Hello!

We're thrilled with the engagement we've seen for the early access PDF! And y'all are making great use of the feedback forms (looks like the links were fine after all!)

Some folks have been asking questions about how to download the PDF, so we'll provide a little instruction here. After that, we'll provide more guidance on giving us feedback.

Downloading the PDF

You need to do this through Backerkit. How you do this is a little different depending on if you backed the Kickstarter, or you were a late backer on Backerkit.

Kickstarter Backer. When you backed the Kickstarter, you used an email address. Backerkit sent an email to that email address with a link in it. That link takes you to Backerkit where you can i) Give us your details, ii) Add addons, and iii) download digital products! 

So to download the PDF: find this email, click the link,  go to "Get Your Digital Downloads" on the left of the screen, download the file(s) you want (pages/spreads/optimised).

(Also, if you've used Backerkit before, you might have an account that you can log into and avoid finding this email.)

But I don't have the email with the link! Backerkit have you covered. Go to: https://www.backerkit.com/are_you_a_backer, type in "Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting", click 'go to project', re-enter your email address. An email (with the link) should arrive a short time later. Check your junk folder! If this still doesn't resolve your issue please join the Loot Tavern Discord server. We have a whole, wholesome, and helpful community there!

Late Backer. If you backed on Backerkit, you have a Backerkit account. Log in to it, click on the Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting project,  go to "Get Your Digital Downloads" on the left of the screen, download the file(s) you want (pages/spreads/optimised).

I don't see the Heliana's project! It's possible that you have backed but your card hasn't charged. This can be because it's still in the process of charging, or because the charges were denied. If it's the latter, Backerkit will have contacted you (by email) to update you payment method. If it's the former, it might just take another day. Note: the PDF can only be downloaded if the payment has fully processed.

If you still don't have access by Tuesday, please join the Loot Tavern Discord server and let us know.

Feedback & Future Versions

We love it! Thank you. You've already caught plenty of typos and I'll aim to fix those in future versions.

Reign of Iron Bard Songs. An extra 'http://' crept into this url. If you want access to the file before the next version of this PDF is released, you can just remove that bit of code from the URL.

Questions. Some folks are asking questions in the feedback - that's great, but I can't answer if you're not in the Loot Tavern Discord server. Almost everyone who has left detailed feedback has a question. In a lot of cases I need some clarification on what exactly is being asked, so please join the Discord server so we can clarify any potential points of confusion and help everyone benefit :). Note: leaving your discord ID isn't enough.

Feedback forms quick links:

Detailed feedback form

Typo feedback form

Ok, that's all for now. I'll check on this update tomorrow and reply to any questions. Thanks!

Gratefully,

Max (and Mo and Jess)

The January Early Access PDF is Here!
over 1 year ago – Sat, Jan 29, 2022 at 01:52:12 AM

Hey Backers!

We have something for you! We’ve been working really hard to pull together the content that we think is ready for you to start playing into a digital PDF. Once I figure out how to work Backerkit’s digital delivery, you’ll be able to download it (probably tomorrow!). You'll be notified either through Backerkit or by email. 

It might still need some tweaking. To that end we’ve made a couple of Google Forms; you’ll find QR codes/hyperlinks to those in the PDF.

So, What’s Inside?

This is not the final PDF, but it's still big: 209 pages! This is a selection of content that’s been through playtesting and is ready to be used.  Here’s what’s in this release:

• Chapter 4: Harvesting
• Chapter 5: Crafting
• Chapter 10: The Shining Shrine (Hunt)
• Chapter 12: Reign of Iron (Hunt)
• Chapter 13: The Veiled Lady (Hunt)
• Chapter 14: Shadow of the Broodmother (Hunt)
• Chapter 15: Dream Weaver (Hunt)
• Chapter 20: Appendix A—Magic Items*
• Chapter 21: Appendix B—Spells*
• Chapter 22: Appendix C—Creatures*
   

*The appendices include the content for the relevant hunts; there will be more items, creatures, and spells coming.

What’s Not Inside?

Chapter 5: Crafting does not contain the cooking rules, nor the GM’s item crafting workshop.

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: The Loot Tavern
• Chapter 3: Tracking
• Chapter 6: Races
• Chapter 7: Classes
• Chapter 8: Familiars
• Chapter 9: Gelatinous Polyhedrooze (Hunt)
• Chapter 11: Tavern of Terrors (Hunt)
• Chapter 16: A Tale of Two Tails (Hunt)
• Chapter 17: Mecha Koboldzilla (Hunt)
• Chapter 18: Tar-rasque (Hunt)
• Chapter 19: The Dire Bunny of Kaergannob (Hunt)
• Chapter 23: Index
   

When Will I Get The Other Stuff?

We will be releasing further PDFs every couple of weeks. Here’s the current line up (N.B. this may change, it all depends on what is ready):

•  Early February. Ch 6: Races, Ch 9: Gelatinous Polyhedrooze, Ch 16: Tale of Two Tails (Hunt), Ch 17: Mecha Koboldzilla (Hunt).
•  Late February. Ch 3: Tracking, Ch 5b: Cooking, Ch 7: Classes, Ch 8: Familiars, Ch 22: Appendix B—Spells.
•  Early March. Ch 2: Loot Tavern, Ch 5c: GM’s Item Crafting Workshop, Ch 11: Tavern of Terrors (Hunt), Ch 18: Tar-rasque (Hunt), Ch 19: The Dire Bunny of Kaergannob (Hunt).

We’re looking to have the final thing (inc. Chapters 1 & 23) done by late March.

What Sort of Feedback Will Be Helpful?

We want to know about almost everything. For example:

• Is there a typo!?
• Is an item unbalanced? If so, why
• Was a hunt too easy/hard?
• Is something confusing you? Can we clarify wording?
• Is a layout feature unhelpful? Is there something we could do to convey information more fluidly?
• Do you just want to say how much you like what we’ve done (here’s hoping!)?
   

What we don’t need is stuff like “I want more spells” (we know, they’re coming) or comments based on power without context “How is this item is uncommon, it’s OP!” (please tell us why you think this). Also, don't mind the British writing: I’m English.

A Note on the Hunts

These are monster hunts. They’re a type of adventure in which you find clues, prepare for the fight ahead, and then have a big battle. They’re not dungeon crawls. You won’t traipse through dark rooms fighting deadly monsters that inexplicably continue to exist within 20 feet of one another. Investigate, prep, fight.

Clues. Each hunt is a puzzle of sorts. The players must figure out the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. This can be done during the fight, however, in each hunt chapter, we provide three clues that can be conveyed to the players before combat starts. Understanding the clues is the key to your players preparing for the fight ahead and feeling empowered when their prep pays off. You might also have to encourage your players to take a rest before engaging the target of their hunt in order to switch out spells and swap item attunements.

Each clue has at least one example of how you can convey the information to your players, through interactions with NPCs and the environment. Please note, these are examples! It’s still up to you as the GM to make any necessary changes to the story and roleplay interactions to make sure your players understand these clues. Playtesting note: you may have to be much more obvious than you think!

Rule Zero. If you’re having fun, you’re doing it right! If you need to change anything to have fun, do it! This is a book of ideas. We’ve tried to make it as balanced and functional as possible, but every table is different. Some tables have power gamers, some have spellcasters who don’t even take damaging spells. Make this book your own!

One Last Thing

This book has been designed to be viewed as a book—2 pages at once (a format known as a ‘spread’). The PDF will come in ‘PAGES’ and ‘SPREADS’ format. Pages is a single page at a time (for viewing on a tablet), while spreads is the intended view. We’ll also have 2 versions of each of those: ‘normal’ and ‘optimised’. The former is a bigger file with full hyperlinking, the latter is a compressed file without hyperlink. Use whichever is easier for you!

A Project We Love - Seeds of Decay 

Our friend, SplatteredInk (a.k.a Darryl) has released his first 5e book on Kickstarter! It's a 300-page tome filled with new spells, classes, monsters, and a wonderful campaign for levels 1-8.  For those in the know, SplatteredInk is also the person doing our wonderful monster tokens for Heliana's, and with good reason: it's absolutely gorgeous! Check it out:

I (Max) actually had a chance to play this at PAX unplugged and I can tell you: it's fun. I played as the vine walker, a rogue subclass that could swing from the tress on vines, like a green-fingered spiderman. Darryl has written everything, drawn every piece of art, and is supported by our wonderful publishers Hit Point Press in bringing it to life!

Backerkit

So we’ve been a bit lax on this, but we will begin to charge all the cards that have not yet been charged. If you see a charge come up from Plane Shift Press - that’s us! I’m going to try and charge cards every two weeks.

Note, if you’ve already paid, you won't be charged again!

All that's all for now. Catch you in a fortnight!

Love,

Max (and Mo and Jess!)

First Look: Pygmy Rakshasa! - Creative Progress Update - Production
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Dec 24, 2021 at 04:17:37 AM

Hey friends!

Today we're looking at one of the new boss monsters, the Pygmy Rakshasa, its associated minions, and its magic manipulating traits. We'll give a breakdown of where we're at in the creative process, and pass on some production news.

Tony Two Tails

You've likely heard of Rakshasas; shapeshifting fiends inspired by Hindu mythology that, despite all their transformative abilities, always get their hands back to front, with the palms on the outside. Nobody's purrfect. In the 5e realm, they have a penchant for devious contracts, winning souls for their fiendish masters, and the innate ability to ignore magic of 6th level or lower.  We've adapted this creature to make for a more chaotic (though equally challenging) boss fight.

Tony Two Tails is a pygmy rakshasa and head of a mafia-like organisation operating out of the ancient Tomb of Dah Roude. The tomb never rests in one place for long, teleporting around the Lotof's End desert, and making it one of the few crypts unmolested by tomb raiders. Using the wealth of gold available in the tomb, Tony has driven up food prices throughout the desert causing its inhabitants to become desperate enough to make deals with devils...

Handler. The first thing to note is that the pygmy rakshasa tends to work in tandem with an individual known as a "handler"; a humanoid that has traded its soul for infernal power. It's Fiendish Audacity, Fury, and Vigour, augment its AC, increase its damage output, and grant it temporary hit points each turn, respectively. Unless, that is, your players work out that radiant damage limits this THP regeneration!

The handler carries its cat-like ward around, keeping it in protective, close proximity where it can use its "Guardian" reaction to prevent harm coming to it. The rakshasa's "Devil's Hiss" legendary action empowers the handler with fiendish haste, allowing it to make an additional weapon attack. Your players will have to find a way to deal with this duo. Perhaps they can separate them or focus fire on a single individual to break their synergy.

Rakshasa. The pygmy rakshasa has a similar limited magic immunity to its full-sized cousin, but is more adept at manipulating the Weave with chaotic consequences. Its first tool is its "Weavebender" reaction. This lets it manipulate the flow of magic, causing the point of origin of an AoE to shift by up to 10 feet, or causing a ranged spell attack to hit a different target . Spellcasters beware!

Next on the list of anti-magic offensive capabilities is the Pygmy's curse. A creature the pygmy rakshasa hits with a claw attack has a chance to become cursed and unable to be affected by spells of a certain level or lower, unless those spells originate from the pygymy rakshasa. In addition, magic items the cursed creature carries have their magic suppressed while the creature is in contact with the item. In combat, this is likely a detriment as it can prevent a creature benefiting from healing spells or buffs like haste and invisibility. However, clever players may use it to their advantage, using the effective immunity to wade through their allies' fireballs without harm.

Finally, the pygmy rakshasa has a new spell (one of a rapidly growing number in the book): weave entanglement. This concentration spell targets a single creature and makes spellcasting difficult, though not impossible. While afflicted by this spell, the creature must make an ability check with its spellcasting ability whenever it attempts to cast a spell. On a failure, there are wild, mostly negative consequences, from fireballs to entanglement. There is also a small chance that casting the spell doesn't cost a spell slot! True chaos, especially if combined with the pygmy's curse!

Immortals. We're in a desert tomb, so we had to use some undead! Unfortunately, mummys and mummy lords are CR 3 and 15 respectively and we needed something in the middle. Enter the mummified immortal. These CR 8 snake-like undead are simple, heavy hitters. With glaives, khopeshes, and rotting phlegm, they are a danger both near and far. Check out this amazing art by Ongjen Sporin!

Swarms of Fiendcats. What's scarier than one, evil-looking cat? A swarm of them. Collectively, this swarm has a spellcasting ability and can afflict your adventurers with the bane spell, or the new stench and aura of impurity spells. Stench is a 3rd-level DoT AoE, not dissimilar to cloudkill, but with an extra rider that confers disadvantage on saving throws made to maintain concentration (another tool in your anti-magic toolkit).  Have you ever smelled cat civit? What about fiendcat civit? This is accurate, trust me.

Overall this will be a challenging fight for spellcasters, who have their own strategies to develop indiependetly of the melee fighters!

Creative Process

So - where are we at? 

• Adventures: 9/11 are in or through playtesting,
• Monsters: 52/56+ done
• Monster Tamer: done
• Subclasses: 9/13 in or through playtesting
• Races: All 10/10 are in alpha and are about to be mathematically balanced (using the Detect Balance calculator!) before playtesting.
• Tracking: done
• Random encounters: 137/209 written
• Harvesting: done
• Crafting: done, as are the recipes for every SRD magic item and all the magic items we're introducing in the book.
• Craft your own magic items: Our excel sheet is done, meaning you should be able to create your own magic items without fear of creating something imbalanced. We'll talk about that in the next update.
• Items: 150/165 are drawn and written
• Cooking: Not finished! We have the recipes, and the effects for all ~130 different ingredients, but we're refining the core mechanics off the back of the crafting mechanics. This will be in our next update.
• Spells: we actually have over 70 and are trimming the chaff.
• Loot Tavern character bios: not done!

So, as you can see, there's work to do but we're almost there! Our biggest hold up right now is art. We've commissioned a dozen brilliant artists who're all beavering away, but it takes time and we want this to be freaking beautiful!

Digital January. Whatever happens regarding the art, we're still going to give you some digital content in January, potentially a work-in-progress PDF.  You've all been waiting patiently (thank you!) and much of the book is done. Plus, we figure that 19,000 proof readers are better than 6 so why not let you help us avoid having to errata content in the final edition!

Production

We've paid our deposits and production has started on many of the peripheries, from dice, to pins, to the moulds for various boxes. However, despite getting started on this front, tales of global delays in raw material harvesting, manufacturing, and shipping aren't going away. We still intend to deliver early summer, but whether or not global supply chains will worsen or snap back waits to be seen. We'll pass on information to you as and when we have it, but as always, it's best to expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised when it works out!

We're all feeling a little burnt out at the moment and we'll be taking some time off over the holidays to regenerate our batteries. We hope you all have a lovely end of the year! Catch you in January!

Love you guys,

Max (and Mo and Jess)

We're at PAX Unplugged! aaaaaand Bard Tunes
almost 2 years ago – Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 02:47:19 AM

Hey folks,

This update is a little less projecty, but it relates so we wanted to let y’all know anyway!

We're in Philadelphia, PA, for PAX unplugged! We’re gona be around to answer any Qs y’all may have about the book (=

We'll be hanging out at the Hit Point Press booth occassionally (booth #3213 in the  expo hall). Specifically you can catch me (Max) there on Sunday 12pm-1pm, and Jess will be there from 12-2pm.

Panels. In additional, Jess will be in the Main Theatre (he's kind of a big deal...) on Saturday 2pm - 3pm for the 'D&D YouTubers Chat About TTRPG + Q&A' (a catchy title, I'm sure you'll agree). Max will be talking about all things VTT and becoming a creator in the RPG space from 1.30pm - 2.30pm on Sunday in the Leviathan Theatre (he's less of a big deal... though Jess has asked me to emphasise his disagreement on this matter...).
 

Unfortunately, there's no Mo :(

 
Free Stuff! We have some free stuff for you! We've printed out a little poster of the Veiled Lady, with a stat block and other content on the back. They'll be available at the Hit Point Press booth. Pick one up - it's first come first served!

Bard Time

Here's a little sneak peak for from Loot Tavern's resident bard, Jack Patchett. One of our stretch goals was a tune for each adventure! When you defeat the Veiled Lady, Jaquito von Patchissimo will badger you to tell him the tale of your adventure. He will then promptly ignore the boring bits, embellish the good bits, and voilà - a legend is born. Check it out here.

Also rumour has it Jack will be dropping an EP next year - follow him on Soundcloud.

Project We Love - The Goblings!

It's just too cute. And it makes a great intro to RPGs for new friends! Look at their lil' butts! More from Bodie here:

We hope to see you! If not, we’ve a proper update coming next week with LOADS of art!

Thanks,

Max and Jess (and Mo!)

November Update! Dreamholders, Phantasms, and the Trifecta of Adventure
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Nov 02, 2021 at 08:57:31 PM

Hey friends!

It’s Max here coming at you with our November update! In this issue of “what’s been going on”, we’re gona take a first look at the ‘dreamholder’, a parasitic aberration that travels through peoples dreams, and some of the items and familiars that will be in the book!

Dreamholder

A native of the Far Realms, dreamholders often find routes through to the Astral Plane. From this staging post, they parasitise creatures who astrally project, hitching a ride on their psyche back into the Material Plane. There, they flit between the minds of sleeping sentient creatures, distorting the dreamer’s narrative and feasting on their fear, distress, and unease. An incorporeal version of the otherworldly eye monster (whose name may not be beheld), the dreamholder can unleash a devastating array of eye beams against lucid dreamers who threaten to expel the dreamholder from their mind.

Fear of Ejection. Rarely does a dreamholder find physical form on the Material Plane. Instead, a dreamholder traverses the world through the dreamscape, an ephemeral plane created by the psyches of sleeping creatures. If this dreamscape ever disappears, such as if all creatures within range of the dreamholder’s dream bridging awaken, the dreamholder is ejected back into the Astral Plane. For this reason, dreamholders are commonly found in densely populated areas, places with a mix of diurnal and nocturnal beings, or wherever sleeping creatures can be reliably preyed upon.

A dreamholder killed within the Material Plane is ejected back to the Astral Plane, a place it abhors due to the absence of its favourite snack: sleeping beings. The dreamholder is a clever and resourceful aberration. Should its continued existence on the Material Plane be threatened, it will choose one of two tactics. If it believes itself more powerful than its foe, it will immediately attempt to annihilate the threatening creature’s psyche and render their body a comatosed shell. Alternatively, a dreamholder might bargain with its assailant, delivering secrets to them nightly until such a time as it can destroy this erstwhile ally.

Dream Stasis & Bridging. Dreamholders possess the unique ability to bridge the dreams of sleeping creatures, a feature they use to slip from a soon-to-wake mind into that of one that has recently drifted off. Indeed, one of the symptoms of a dreamholder infestation is the increased frequency of shared dreams between individuals of a community (and the social awkwardness that soon follows). Powerful dreamholders can exert such great influence over a sleeping creature that the dreamer enters a ‘dream stasis’, a paralytic state from which it can’t wake of its own volition. A clever dreamholder learns to release these captured sleepers just before they waste away entirely, knowing full well that it must return to sleep eventually.

Dream Lair. Combining these two abilities of stasis and bridging, a dreamholder can create a tangled web of interconnecting landscapes, scenarios, and protagonists, a veritable feast of corrupted dreams. Time dilates and constricts at the dreamholder’s whim, and rest is rarely attainable. In this varied, restless landscape, physical prowess means little: the dreamholder is the ruler, and those that are weak of mind seldom emerge

Do you like it??

More First Looks

Here’s some of the wonderful art that our team has been working on!

The precise effects of these magical robes are nailed down yet. What do you think they should do?

Project We Love - Fool's Gold

You've probably heard of Dingo Doodles, they're a super successful DM/YouTube illustrator who brings you a thrilling hand-drawn journey through their campaign. Well, now they're releasing a D&D book about their campaign world! They just hit $1 million and there's a big PDF expansion and VTT assets just unlocked for all backers.

In their own words: Fools Gold: Into the Bellowing Wilds is an exciting new 5e adventure that takes place in the world’s deadliest jungle where everything wants to kill you! Fun! Enhance your games with this jungle campaign setting, including a buttload of new content. We’ve also got brand new wilder magic & curse charts that will definitely excite GMs while the players pray to the dice gods.
                      Delve into the Bellowing Wilds, discover the rich lore of the world, and find out what happened to the ancient Foreclaimers who disappeared thousands of years ago, leaving ruins, mysteries, MECHANICAL DRAGONS AND DINOSAURS, and awesome treasures behind…

Cross-Compatibility. All the magic items they're making in Fool's Gold will be craftable using our rules (and their own, compatible recipes). They're also working with ATLAS (read more below) so that the maps available from that campaign can be used in Fool's Gold. This is truly the trifecta of adventure! Get it here!

ONE WEEK LEFT - ATLAS (The Map Kickstarter!)

In case you missed it, our 200+ random encounters are going to reference maps in the ATLAS map Kickstarter so you can quickly and conveniently get combat started! They also have more random encounters (based on the format in Heliana's) in super handy  tarot card format. Wish we'd thunk of that...

Help them get to $200k so we can get 200 top-down tokens!! Please... I really want them..

ATLAS is a TTRP-game-changer: a binder of 100 huge, hand-drawn battle maps, 2 decks of thrilling ready-to-run combat and mystery encounters, and a plethora of reusable vinyl stickers lets you be ready for any event! Cut down on prep time and be perpetually prepared for any turn your adventurers might take! Grab it now before its gone!

Backerkit

For everyone who backed since we charged cards in Backerkit last time, we're going to charge again mid-week (probably Thursday 4th). The charge will appear as Loot Tavern US or Plane Shift Press (if we get it set up in time). If you see either one of those,  it's just us - don't worry!

We're all working extra extra over time this month so you might not hear from us so much! Hope you all had a spooooky Halloween.

Till next time amigos!

Love Max (and Mo and Jess) x