And Just Like That, Ptolus Is Funded!
over 6 years ago
– Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at 09:55:11 PM
Greetings, friend, and welcome to Ptolus!
If you have come, as so many have, drawn by the mysteries and riches of the newly discovered dungeons beneath the city, welcome! We hope you navigate these underrealms safely, return to the surface groaning under the weight of your riches, and never lose your way like so many other unfortunates.
If you have come to walk the city streets, drawn by the bustle of trade, the schemes of the great houses, or the tribulations of our fractured empire, welcome too! There is no end of opportunity in our ever-changing, ever-growing city.
If you have come for the Spire, thinking perhaps you will ascend its heights and face the evils within—well, good luck to you. And take care. It is best not to raise the ire of whatever—if anything—lies atop that height. We can only hope its inhabitants are truly and forever gone.
Regardless, you have come! And you have brought Ptolus back! Back into print, updated for two great modern game systems: Fifth Edition and the Cypher System. We are so excited that this will now, thanks to you, be a reality. And having funded so quickly, we have the entire length of this Kickstarter campaign to unlock stretch goals! Speaking of which. . .
You Will Tell Us Which Way to Go (or, How Stretch Goals Work)
The existing edition of Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire is already massive in scope, size, and quality. In almost every regard, it’s the type of product you’d expect to see after it has been upgraded by a bunch of stretch goals. That’s where we’re starting, but fortunately we have some thoughts about how we might be able to make it even better. These break down into three general areas:
- We might make further improvements to the book’s production quality, adding more premium features.
- We might unearth new treasures related to Ptolus—additional items to support your adventures in the city.
- We might even unlock entirely new content—adventures and more—expanding beyond the book into new Ptolus-related titles.
Coincidentally, the Ptolus setting offers three general areas to explore: the city itself, the extensive, city-sized network of dungeons beneath it, and the eponymous Spire looming over it all. So as we unlock stretch goals, we’ll ask you, the backers, where you’d like to explore:
- Roam the city to expand and improve the Ptolus book itself.
- Delve into the dungeons to unearth related treasures.
- Or ascend the Spire to unlock entirely new content and products. But beware: the Spire is not for the meek. You’ll need to accumulate some experience in the other regions before attempting the Spire.
With each stretch goal, we’ll poll you, the backers. Your feedback will determine which direction we go for the stretch goal to come. We’ll announce that result, and the actual stretch goal, when the poll closes—pay attention to the Kickstarter page itself to see that announcement.
For This Stretch Goal, Though. . .
Right now the campaign is moving very quickly. We may unlock our first stretch goal in a matter of hours. So we’re going to skip the poll for this one, and move directly into the city streets. And that makes sense: delvers new to the city need to set their feet under them, provision up, and get the lay of the land before diving into the dangers below and above.
Since we’re exploring the city, our first stretch goal will improve the Ptolus book. If we get to $160,000, we’ll commission eight full pages of new artwork. The original Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire is filled with art that was top-notch for its day and has stood the test of time beautifully, but we here at MCG feel like we’ve since upped the game. The new art will not only raise the bar again, it will also reflect a bit more of the diversity we like to see in our game products. We’ll start commissioning this artwork immediately—and who knows? If we’re lucky, we might even see some of it before the campaign ends!
Let’s hit that one quickly, and then we’ll vote on where to go next! Spread the word, and let your friends know about Ptolus and this campaign.
And thanks again for helping us fund this book so quickly. This is going to be great!