Good day! I'll keep the intro short today and just briefly address miniatures, which you can read more about below. A comprehensive update, which will include a timeline update, is very much in the works, but it has and does require a lot of communication with the factory, along with other work, and that process is still ongoing. In the meantime, we'll continue to give you a progress graphic each update and let you know what work is being done.

With the Israel hub getting shipped out on the 16th, we can officially close the book on wave 1 & 2 fulfillment. I'll also be closing up this segment of the update until wave 3 shipping begins. As always, though, if you need any help with any part of your order, please reach out to [email protected]!

From Danielle:
We have a couple of updates this week for you on the RPG front. We’ve moved into higher level playtesting and ensuring all class and ancestry picks are good and meaningful. I’m already seeing some of the playtesters writing about enjoying their experience.

New for this week: we are in the process of contracting artists for book artwork. Because we are illustrating parts of the Gloomhaven world that have never been seen before, we’re taking a lot of care in how we describe people, clothing styles, buildings, and even the activities they partake in.

Layout is moving apace. By our next update, we should be fully into our first proofing pass. The layout artist does everything from choose fonts, colors, adds stylistic effects on the page, chooses texture, and in this case, leaves blank placeholders for art to hang out in. I’ve got a couple of single-page layout images to show you, which highlight the current style.

From Arch:
Hey everyone! Over the past few weeks we’ve continued working on multiple fronts to bring graphic design for Gloomhaven 2.0 to a close. 

One of the things I’m really proud about with this project is the “from scratch” factor. This is still Gloomhaven, but many of its components have been rebuilt from the ground up. This has become much more than a fresh coat of paint, as we’ve been working to incorporate the best of Frosthaven and Jaws of the Lion back into our core game. I’ve been thrilled with the level of polish we’ve been able to bring.

Price and I have received our white box samples from the manufacturer. We’ve been triple checking the physical dimensions of the components within to ensure a snug and efficient fit in shipping as well as a satisfying storage solution once the game has been opened and punched.

Punchboard layout continues, as do component proofing, revisions, and final fit-and-finish adjustments. Our game design team and playtesters have joined us in a thorough review of the game component design and per their feedback, the graphic design team has been making adjustments for a clearer and more intuitive experience. As these efforts continue, I will be working with the manufacturer to get some physical color proofs so we know what to expect when mass production begins. 

Arch out! Wishing a very merry PAX West to those who celebrate. Catch y’all in the next update!

We are nearing completion of all initial sculpts and submissions to our manufacturer! Most excitedly, we have received (and approved) physical red wax samples of our GH2E Mercenary miniatures (seen above) and are proud to say these are some of our best and most detailed miniatures to date. With these officially off to mold production, our internal miniatures focus gets to shift entirely to the few remaining monsters, bosses, and summons.

As some of you have noticed, we haven't been able to provide many updates beyond initial 3D sculpts and digital revisions. We did need to pause the project for a time because of evolving art needs on Gloomhaven, which had a ripple effect on finishing the sculpts based on those pieces. The manufacturer has many resources and specialists on hand to get us moving forward, and we just needed to be in the best place ourselves for their staffing allocations, which we feel we are now.

We are being told to expect more hands-on resource commitment from our manufacturing partner starting in September—specifically, their digital modification artists and physical red wax/plastics production team members. This will allow us to start making some significant strides in those areas over the coming months.

We don't, however, want to speak to that progress or timeline before we've seen the promised results, but our production team is meeting with them multiple times per week, preparing to making meaningful progress that we can start sharing back with you.



                               



In other news, the third scenario of the Frosthaven community-driven campaign has been released. In addition, the officially licensed TTS mod for Frosthaven, Frosthaven Enhanced, has been released, and you'll even be able to play new community-driven scenarios on there as they are released!

We'll continue to work over here to get all the projects out to you, and I'll catch you next time with more updates on our progress.

Good day! We've got a lot of interesting stuff coming at you this week, including another artist spotlight, an RPG designer diary, and an update on miniatures.

Most of the feedback on the last update was about more info on miniatures, and all that will be discussed below, so let's get to it!

The last of fulfillment is finishing up! Product to the Israel fulfillment hub is set to arrive at the end of week, with all other hubs having received product and have delivered it to backers. This means that by the next update, we should be able to fully put waves 1 & 2 to bed. If you haven’t yet received your Wave 1 (Frosthaven) or Wave 2 (Buttons & Bugs) items, please contact support to check on your order!

We are catching up on some support tickets from over the weekend, but we're still seeing turnover within a couple days, so we're going strong there. Let us know if we can help with anything at [email protected]!

So now let's talk miniatures, and we'll start with an updated progress graphic:



While we do have the updated progress here, we are unfortunately still finalizing the timeline with the factory. They've given us some preliminary dates to work with that have us finishing the molds and entering production at the beginning of quarter 2 of next year, but there's still some questions we need to resolve with them before we are comfortable presenting you with a confident timeline.

Now that the last of the sculpts are coming in, we've been able to more effectively communicate with the factory about dates and get things moving faster on that end. I know you haven't gotten a good update on miniatures since March, and I am sorry about that, but going forward, expect regular updates about the progress and what is going on.

For info on where Gloomhaven is at, here is an update from Arch:

Our Gloomhaven component graphic designers have shifted their focus to punchboard development. Making all these creatures, map tiles, and tokens fit efficiently onto a board is one of the most technical production aspects of creating a game of this scale. Layne and Andrew have been doing incredible work to make this happen, and I’ve been working with them to make sure the punchboard assets are formatted properly for placement. 

We’ve got some much appreciated Gloomhaven alumni help as well. Aaron Estepa, who put together the normal Frosthaven scenario books and the Frosthaven play surface books, has been closing in on finalizing the scenario book after several rounds of edits. And Jason Kingsley, who created the rulebooks for Jaws of the Lion and Frosthaven, is hard at work on the rulebook. Expanding our collaborative team has allowed us to make strides across all aspects of the project simultaneously, but having the knowledge and wisdom of legacy teammates makes a huge difference in helping us deliver the consistent experience you expect. 

While we finish up graphic design, we're also moving forward with proofing with the factory. Price and I have received white box samples of the full boxed game and all its components, and we will be reviewing those this week. We’ll be looking at the configuration of its contents to ensure that your games all arrive in good shape, unjumbled, and ready to unpack and enjoy!

– Arch

We’re continuing our artist spotlight series with Fabian Parente! He worked with us on the Gloomhaven project to shine a new light on an old foe and help fully define the appearance of another, offering creative angles that we hadn’t yet considered and working with Isaac and I to create these updated entries. 

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m Fabian Parente, a self-taught illustrator with a deep passion for fantasy and art. My fascination with vivid illustrations in role-playing, card, and board games from a young age sparked my journey into the world of illustration. Over the past eight years, I’ve had the privilege of working as a freelancer with prominent clients within the TTRPG community, contributing to various exciting projects. I’m excited to continue creating compelling images and am always eager to learn and grow as an artist. I look forward to the possibility of collaborating on more incredible projects.

I love Aesthers the most because of their mystical and enigmatic nature. Their deep connection to powerful magic and otherworldly origins resonate with my love for fantasy and the unknown. 

One of my hobbies is practicing martial arts, which I enjoy for its discipline and the mental and physical challenge it provides. I also love traveling, as it broadens my horizons and inspires my creativity. Playing the bass is another passion of mine, allowing me to express myself musically. Additionally, I've been learning Italian and Japanese for several years, which enriches my understanding of different cultures. Living in Japan for the past four years has significantly influenced my creative perspective. I also have a rescued injured Japanese bird as a pet, which adds a special touch to my daily life.

My favorite subject to draw is fantasy because it lets me bring to life the worlds and creatures I've always imagined. There's something magical about creating characters and places that don’t exist in reality—it's like turning dreams into something you can see and feel. Fantasy art gives me the freedom to be as creative as possible, and that's what I love most about it. My all-time favorite video game is the Baldur's Gate saga. It’s a classic in the RPG genre, offering deep storytelling, memorable characters, and a rich fantasy world that has had a lasting impact on how I approach both playing and creating games. Plus, who can resist the nostalgia of those epic adventures?

The illustration I'm most proud of so far is actually one of the pieces I did for Cephalofair. I genuinely think it's some of my best work yet. It pushed me to explore new techniques and capture the essence of the fantasy world in a way that felt both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

We are really thrilled to have met Fabian through this project and we're pleased to introduce him to the Gloomhaven community! In addition to creating commissioned art for game publishers, he makes frequent contributions to the TTRPG community through Oracle Press via Patreon where he creates magical content to elevate D&D adventures. You can also find more of Fabian’s work on his Artstation page!

All the information on where the RPG is at is in Danielle's latest designer diary:

Greetings Mercenaries!

It’s time for the July update… in the middle of August. Yeah, I know it’s been a minute, but better late than never, am I right? I wanted to wait until after Gen Con so I could talk about how that went, but I got sick at the tail end of the convention and spent all last week recovering. 

But! That gave the game enough time that I can report some pretty amazing news! The entire text of the RPG (sans a small item appendix) is finished with editing and on to layout! With the full edited text of the draft complete, graphic design becomes the new hotness. I’m sure I’ll share some images of what that looks like in the coming months.

We’ve been through several small tweaks over the course of writing and design that happens over the life of any brand new RPG. We might make extremely tiny changes, such as to a number here or a line there, during proofing. Usually, once the text is fully edited, we try to make as few changes as possible so as to not introduce any unintentional errors (this means all errors are in fact intentional!). Layout always feels like the home stretch because I’m not going to be making any large text changes beyond this point. While we’re still playtesting and ensuring mechanical structural integrity, the game part is DONE.

Which is great, because we've been getting stellar feedback from fans who have had a chance to interact with the RPG at conventions. Our friends at Lurking Fears ran games for us at Origins Game Fair and Gen Con, and their players were all having a great time. At Gen Con we made characters in the booth, and then ran through a short combat and a short social scenario. People were thrilled to get a chance to look at how easy it is to create an RPG character, which even explaining the game to folks who were entirely unfamiliar only took at most 30 minutes. Everyone had great fun running through both the short combat (eager to start the next round, though I had to shoo them out to invite the next group in) and the social scenario.

Last month I shared some Mindthief Skills with you, and I saw some folks asking about the conversion from hexes to feet. In specific, why 5 ft, why feet at all, and why not just keep using hexes? While we think it’s easiest to run the RPG combat using a hex grid, we didn’t want to limit people’s accessibility and enjoyment if maps and minis just aren’t their thing. We wanted to ensure folks could use the theater of the mind to a certain degree. And while using exact numbers and distances isn’t always easy to think about, it’s far more grounding and narrative than saying 1 or 2 spaces. So we abstract a number and set it to a real life unit of measurement, and we then just say 1 hex = 5 ft. And we chose feet because we’re an American company, and it's the unit of distance we’re most familiar with thinking about.

Finally, some RPG teasers:

Because we made characters at Gen Con, I wanted to share the materials folks saw at the convention. I give you both the simplified creation steps handout that Monica created, and the demo character sheet created by Wilting Moon we had for folks during the show.

And speaking of how during character creation you start with choosing your ancestry, I wanted to share an ancestry excerpt that would give you an idea of how we characterize the ancestries and their Skills. 

Play a quatryl if you want to portray a hyper-intelligent individual who has a penchant for following their impulses and indulging their curiosity. Quatryls might be small in stature, but they are big in personality and presence. Quatryls become mercenaries as a way to make a living, satiate their curiosity, and travel in a semi-nomadic lifestyle. 

Fighting Styles 

What a quatryl lacks in sheer strength, they more than make up for with ingenuity. No matter what their chosen profession, a quatryl knows how to handle most weapons, especially ones that require gunpowder or flint. Quatryls are cold and calculating in a fight, watching their opponent and waiting for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow. They tend to be fast, and others underestimate their strength and fighting skill, much to their detriment. While some quatryls might be duelists, guards, or other martial professions that give formal combat training, most quatryls learn how to fight the hard way, by getting beaten and then figuring out how to defend themselves. These quatryls aren’t above fighting dirty and employ an arsenal of ready-made gadgetry and weapons to ensure they don’t ever suffer the same fate twice. 

Beyond a natural curiosity, quatryls tend to be friendly. Some are high-strung and anxious, always needing to be working on a new project or goal to feel normal. Others are easy-going, taking life as it comes at them and treating every new experience with childlike wonder and joy. Sometimes the same quatryl will oscillate between both states, making it hard to relate to others. As mercenaries, quatryls lend their talents as fixers, problem solvers, and sometimes thrill-seekers to their fellows, earning a reputation for often mad-hat enterprises. 

Classes 

Many quatryls never leave their university, but those who do take their training with them. Many quatryls are tinkerers, using their engineering studies to create new and deadlier weapons to deploy against their enemies, or innovating ways to keep their allies healthy. Quatryls make excellent quartermasters, always keeping stock of the company’s wares and ensuring everything is in proper working order. Quatryls who have taken up the arts tend to be soothsingers, wielding their robust knowledge to read other people. They use this to encourage their allies and demoralize their enemies in equal measure. Quatryls who take an interest in magic tend to be spellweavers, finding the dichotomy between Ice and Fire a satisfying quandary to puzzle over for a lifetime. 

Common Names 

Quatryls tend to have names associated with their interests. While all quatryls have given names that they use when they are young, they often choose their own names as they get older. Sometimes they append titles to their names to designate their specialties. Other quatryls show a great deal of reverence to the title of Master, Professor, and Magus, even if the quatryl using them has never stepped foot into a higher-degree program. 

Examples: Archmaster Trini, Colbert, Dean Hubert, Inventor Olga, Klein, Lord Lightning Brass, Master Clock Smith, Professor Jules, Senior Agriculturalist Prizz, Top Engineer Madrigal, Warden Hall, Xander, Zeze
 

Ancestry Skills 

Quatryls all have above-average intelligence, which they often put toward invention and experimentation. Even those who do not follow the life of an engineer find an affinity for technology and study. Their culture encourages unreserved curiosity, which can lead them to great things and get them into big trouble. They are also smaller in stature than most other ancestries, leading people to view them as weak. 

Gain a bonus to Attribute checks when the quatryl uses their Ancestry Skills to study, understand, avoid, activate, or otherwise interact with a piece of technology. Additionally, gain this bonus when they make checks to satisfy their curiosity, come up with a quick solution to a problem, prove someone wrong about them, show off, or surprise someone, especially someone who has underestimated them in some way. 

Technological Affinity 

Level: 1 

Initiative: 42 

Primary: Recover up to 2 Expended items. Then you may immediately play a different Skill or Talent to perform one of its actions. 

Secondary: Jump up to 25 ft. Then give one adjacent enemy the Wound condition. 

Bonus: Advantage, +1 

There isn’t a single piece of technology in this world that is foreign to you.

Underestimated 

Level: 1 

Initiative: 14 

Primary: Make a ranged attack 4 on one target within 15 ft. All attacks targeting you this round gain Disadvantage, and you Taunt until the end of the round. 

Secondary: Heal yourself for 3, and you Taunt until the end of the round. Whenever you are attacked this round, the attacker gains the Immobilize condition. 

Bonus: Advantage, +1 

Those who don’t know you would never suspect what you’re capable of. 

Quick Thinking 

Level: 1 

Initiative: 10 

Primary: Make a ranged attack 3 with pierce 3 on one target within 15 ft. 

Secondary: Gain retaliate 1 until the end of the round. The next enemy that suffers damage from your retaliate this round gains the Pacify condition. 

Bonus: Advantage, +1 

Until next time!
– Danielle

                                   

And that will do it for this update! I had an absolutely wonderful time at Gen Con earlier this month, and I just want to sincerely thank all the fans who came out to talk to me about their experiences with all our games. And to the one marvelous fan who came cosplaying as the Saw! Stuff like that really energizes me and the team to keep doing what we're doing, so thank you!

We also released a new promo scenario at Gen Con for Buttons & Bugs, which you can also find at the Buttons & Bugs website. And check out this graphic for info on where the team will be in the near future!



See you next time!

Good day! And greetings from Indiana! Gen Con will be kicking off in a few days, and it's the first big convention I (Isaac) have been to since PAXU, so I'm excited to hang out at the booth and show off Buttons & Bugs and the RPG to fans.

In lieu of running RPG demos at the booth, we're going to be running interactive highlights of different elements of the game each day of the con, so if you stop by for a little bit each day, you'll get to learn all about character creation (Thursday), faction missions (Friday), combat scenes (Saturday), and exploration scenes (Sunday). Or just stop by one day and experience whatever you're most interested in!

No changes since last update. Still finishing up wave 1 and 2 fulfillment in Asia and done everywhere else. I will also say that we understand the pain points better now with fulfillment in Asia and will be taking steps to not have it lag behind like this in future waves.

We're also keeping on top of support requests. So if you have any unresolved problems with wave 1/2 fulfillment (missing delivery, etc.) or you sent in a request that hasn't been resolved for more than a week, please reach back out to [email protected] so we can fix the issue.

The end of the month approaches, and here is an update on getting all the files finished from art director Arch.



Hello friends! As anticipated, July was a busy month for component graphic design. With all of the general illustrations complete we’ve been able to move forward on a number of components, including character mats, ability cards, and punch boards. The game design team has been reviewing the rulebook and scenario book as they continue their visual development. 

We’ve discovered that there isn’t exactly a linear handoff between graphic design and proofing in this project. Since many components have contingencies that rely on completion of other components, the overall design process has involved close collaboration and constant iteration between the game designers and graphic designers. The resulting workflow sees us working in tandem with the game designers in a process that is more intertwined than was originally projected. As a result, graphic design for this project is about 80% complete at this point. Importantly, proofing and related revisions are also underway well ahead of when we expected them to begin in earnest. 

In the coming weeks we will continue this collaborative process with the game designers. We still hope to begin reviewing physical printed proofs in late August for color calibration and quality. 

Anyway, back to work! A very merry Gen Con to all who celebrate. Please say hi to Genevieve for me! 

In addition to these updated components of the Silent Knife, we're also previewing the updated art of a locked class (Eclipse) on Reddit. You can head over there to check it out, but be warned of spoilers!

We are still neck deep in editing and layout on the book over here, but things continue to move along. We're starting to get pages back from layout, and it is all looking quite nice. We got some love for the lore dump last time, so we'll work on bringing more of those in future updates, along with more solid info on where we're at once layout is further along and Gen Con is behind us.

The continued clamoring for miniatures updates is heard, but unfortunately we're not quite there yet. We're still in the middle of talks with the factory to figure out the timing of everything. It is a big project with a lot of moving parts, so planning all this out can take some time. What I can tell you is that the last batch of sculpts for the entirety of the miniatures project is being finished now, and we are actively working on getting you a proper miniatures update with the progress graphic as soon as we can. In the mean time, here are a couple mini previews to tide you over.

                                         

Once again, please come say hello if you're going out to Gen Con, and if you're not, we'll have some highlights from the show in the next update. Also just gonna drop a link to the next scenario in the Frosthaven community campaign. Have a great week, and I'll catch you next time!

Good day! We are back with yet another Backerkit update!

Now that we've updated the Gloomhaven and RPG timelines, there has understandably been some clamoring to get an update on the minis project, and we hear you! It has been too long, and this is something we are definitely working on. There's a lot of elements that need to be arranged and discussed before we'll have all the info on updated timelines ready to present to you, but that work is being done behind the scenes, and we will do our best to get you a miniatures update as soon as we can.

For now, what I have for you this week is updates on shipping and support requests, a new artist spotlight for the new edition of Gloomhaven, and a lore excerpt from the RPG.

At this point, all shipping is complete for waves 1 and 2, aside from some outstanding regions in Asia, and the update there is the same as it has been. You can track the progress of your region here: https://vfi.asia/hubs/ (The project is listed under Frosthaven).

If you are having any trouble with a shipment, you can reach out to [email protected], and we will sort it out for you. As of now, I am happy to report that we are at zero outstanding tickets in the support inbox, so turnaround time should be very quick on your support requests now!

We're making great progress on all the graphic design here. Realistically, we are still doing our best to have all files ready by the end of the month, but we may end up overshooting that deadline by a week or two, especially as we have to contend with Gen Con at the end of the month, where most of the industry is out of commission for a week, including some of our contractors.

I'll check in next time once we hit the end of the month with more details on where we're at, but for now, we thought it would be nice to send out another artist spotlight.



Alex Elichev has more than 15 years of experience as an illustrator, photographer, and explorer. He’s a long-time Cephalofair friend and collaborator, having worked closely with Isaac to develop some of the first people and creatures to inhabit the World of Gloomhaven. You can see his work on Gloomhaven, Forgotten Circles, Founders of Gloomhaven, and Jaws of the Lion as well as the upcoming new edition of Gloomhaven. 

A: In 2012 I entered the world of board games with my first illustration "Twilight Gate" for Warhammer. Since then I have worked on many different projects from Fantasy Flight Games and now have a whole collection of cards for a variety of universes.

A: Orchids are close to me, they are magnificent and mysterious. They are close to nature, their ability to crystallize makes them so graceful and fantastic.

A: Many are interesting to me like Spellweaver and Hatchet although I prefer to develop them. I love lore in games, it's amazing to create a character from scratch and imagine them in motion to try to understand their character.

A: I love to travel to different countries, try new foods, and photograph unique landscapes and animals. I also like to develop logic and tactics with a good game of Chess.

A: Of course I do! I search for films, music, art, and historical clothing that’s relevant to the setting I’m working in. Sometimes I go to a museum. I do everything I can for inspiration.

A: Back in art school I saw Lord of the Rings. I fell asleep the first time, but the second time I watched it and eventually read all the books. I make time to enjoy these movies again every year.

A: I think everyone knows Baldur’s Gate 3. I am inspired by this world, the characters and especially the team itself. They are very interesting and creative people who are always honest with their fans. They make a great game! 

A: I particularly enjoy subjects in which I can show my imagination to the maximum. Monsters. Fantastic creatures. Dragons and much more.

A: This is probably the very first CRPG I've played. Neverwinter Nights and all its additions. Lots of skills, spells, races and all in my favorite world of Forgotten Realms and with the enchanting music of Jeremy Soule.

A: Look for inspiration in everything, be positive, try to think about your future. 

A: I really like Ruan Jia. I always wanted to make the most detailed illustration like him, but unfortunately I don't have that much free time. He can make one illustration for about a month.

A: I’m most proud of the original Gloomhaven cover art because it tells a story. 

A: Do good things for people, walk in parks, don’t forget about art ;) 

The new edition of Gloomhaven will feature a number of classic and new art pieces by Alex, including more items and summon, like the Iron Beast above. We’re thrilled to continue working with this inspirational and imaginative artist! Check out his full portfolio at https://www.artstation.com/alexandrelichev to see everything he’s been up to!

Everything is continuing smoothly along on the RPG as well, as we work on editing and layout. And as we have some of the cool lore chapters back from editing, we thought we'd share with you an except that we're excited about. Here is some info on the quatryl homeland of Cyrgen:

Far to the east of Casskia, across the Misty Sea, lies Cyrgen, the ancestral home of orchids and quatryls. The western side of Cyrgen is a lush land filled with forests and gentle rolling hills. The north is dominated by the Risen Peaks, a massive mountain range that spans the continent. In the south, the Wild Peaks separate west from east with the Shimmering Desert on the leeward side.

Orchids view Cyrgen as a treasure to protect and preserve. They discourage immigration, spreading stories about impoverished, rocky wastelands. On the other hand, quatryls love visitors and encourage newcomers to stay as long as they like. This causes some tension between the two, though nothing has come of it yet.

Recently, the coasts have seen an influx of quatryls wishing to gain access to the greater world. Their curiosity drives them, and they have built settlements spreading out from Declyod as they prepare to travel the world.

In contrast to the relatively new cities in Casskia, the cities of Cyrgen are old, refined, and built to interact and coexist with their surroundings. While this has changed recently near Declyod, there is still a general respect for the land, even in the most industrialized areas.

Declyod
While traditionally nomadic, quatryls love living in cities. Their shining jewel is Declyod, which sits in a natural bay created by the Silver River. The city, originally founded by orchids, now serves as their capital. Quatryl nomads originally built a university near the city as a place for study and rest between their constant travels. As more people came to study, the university grew and soon quatryls were more populous than orchids. The orchids simply made space for the quatryls, who eventually took over the city.

Declyod is a modern marvel filled with technological delights. The city is lit with electric lights powered by both magically captured air and hydroelectric power. They have a working sewer system complete with flushing commodes and water treatment. They have long-distance communication, automatic single- and double-person vehicles, and a wide variety of hand-held personal devices that make life easier.

The center of the city is the oldest part, and still has the sturdy stone and crystal spires built by the original orchid inhabitants. The docks are made of treated wood, worn to a lustrous dark brown with age and use. The areas further out from the city center are a hodgepodge of construction, buildings pile on top of one another, the newer simply built atop the older. The newest areas, built stretching around the arms of the bay, are a mix of temporary homes and permanent sprawling estates taking advantage of the extra space.

Declyod’s inventors are the best of the best, often working to one up each other in friendly rivalry. Twice a year, the city hosts a maker’s faire. It opens the old university courtyard to the city and crafters from all over the world bring their latest inventions to show off. The entire city celebrates the occasions in week-long festivities offering everything from special baked goods to discounts in shops.

Quatryl society encourages curiosity, rewarding failure and success in equal measure as long as something is learned. Young quatryls have a great many opportunities for learning and study, though the pressure to study engineering at the Great University is often burdensome. Declyod has recently suffered from a loss of their younger generation, who seek to find their paths and fortunes across the sea in Casskia. They wish to find adventure and new experiences and believe the only way to achieve that is to leave home.

The Great University
Another major quatryl city lies north of Declyod at the southern tip of the Violet Delta. Here, the Declyod Institute for Scientific Study and Research (DISSR) has created the largest learning institution in the world. The entire city is the Great University itself, boasting over three dozen different colleges devoted to specific areas of engineering and study. Student and professor housing lies nestled in between each college so that they may easily walk to their primary class buildings. Broad boulevards separate colleges and residents into districts, each with restaurants, shops, and entertainment to supply them. Non-matriculating residents live in housing that spreads outward from the city center, and commute to the campuses to work and experience the brilliance that comes out of the Great University daily.

The Great University’s colleges are primarily dedicated to engineering disciplines. The quatryl definition of engineering is rather loose, and includes agriculture, architecture, manufacture, distillation, baking, astronomy, and even poetry and prose. While many quatryls prefer the natural sciences and practical applications of their studies, some study the more esoteric fields and seek to gain a basic understanding of their environment.

The Great University’s motto is “To Learn and Grow” which is embodied by every student. They prioritize innovation over perfection, though the professors urge students to at least grasp the fundamentals before they start innovating.

                                     

And one other exciting bit of news to report before I sign off: the first 10-scenario community-driven campaign for Frosthaven has begun! This was something I've been aiming to do ever since we launched the Frosthaven Kickstarter back in 2020. And now that the second printing of Frosthaven has finally delivered, it seemed like a good time as any to get into it.

You can find out more about the campaign here, but, basically, I'll be posting a scenario every two weeks and then giving the community the power to vote on what happens next in the campaign. In this way, it becomes more of a choose-your-own-adventure, where none of us really know what's around the corner, because I make up everything on the spot in response to the voting results. We've done a few for Gloomhaven in the past, and they're always a lot of fun.

You can follow this link to get the first scenario and vote on what happens next. And the best way to follow along as it happens is to subscribe the this geeklist, so you get a notification any time something new is posted.

And that's all there is to report! Like I said, we're working on bringing you a miniatures update, so stay tuned for that as well as more info on the new edition and the RPG. Until next time!

Good day! I hope everyone is doing well today. We've got an updated RPG timeline for you, as well as some more Gloomhaven art to share now that almost all of it is finished. But first, I want to get in the habit of addressing some of the most prominent concerns from last update's comments.

First, there are a number of concerns from people who did not get charged for wave 3. We consulted with Backerkit, and found there were multiple orders that didn’t get charged because they were already in “fulfillment” status, which caused them to not get automatically processed when we closed the PM. Backerkit will be processing all these orders tomorrow morning.

We are also seeing some frustrations over the response time to support emails. Like I mentioned last time, due to the end of fulfillment and charging for wave 3, we have an increased volume in support tickets and the response time does go down. We were also hindered by the storm in the Midwest that knocked out power to our support team for several days.

We’re currently at just over 400 support tickets and are about 2 weeks behind in response, however we’ve assigned an additional team member to assist, and yesterday alone they were able to get through over 200 tickets. They’ll all be working diligently over the next couple days to get as caught up as possible before the end of the week. We appreciate your patience!

EU: We expected all EU orders to have been shipped last week, but Fulfillment Europe had a few slowdowns. They have been working to get the remaining orders that contained Envelope X out. There are about 70 orders left, and they’ve committed to having these all shipped by the end of the week.

Brazil: We’ve received replies back from most of you with your CPF#, and these orders have been added to Fulfillment Europe’s queue, these will be shipping after the rest of the Envelope X orders have been processed. We still have 5 Brazil orders that we’ve tried contacting multiple times, so if you haven’t sent us your CPF# yet please check your email!

Asia: Fulfillment continues here with no changes from last time. You can track the progress of your region here: https://vfi.asia/hubs/ (The project is listed under Frosthaven.)

Israel: We’ve had multiple people emailing asking about shipping to Israel. These orders have already shipped with VFI, and they have now updated their page to reflect this.

I want to talk about the RPG next, as we've got important timeline updates for you. As we speak, the first chapters are coming out of editing, and we are gearing up to start the layout process and commission all the art we need. So from here, this is the timeline we're looking at:

These are our best estimations up to this point, but as we hit November, our estimations become unfortunately even more unclear. The issue is that manufacturing in November and December (especially for books) can get a little chaotic. I'd like to tell you that we'll have everything on boats by the end of the year for fulfillment in the beginning of next year, but it is just unclear at this time, and we'll very like see some production delays because of the timing - delays that could even cause production to bump up against the Lunar New Year, causing further delays.

We're going to have to play it by ear and update you as we go, but I want to set your expectations now that we may be looking at production into February and not be able to fulfill until the second quarter of next year. We'll do our best to keep things moving when we get to production, but I want to make sure you're aware of the realistic possibilities.

Also, I want to note that these are timelines for the book. We also obviously have the cards and the deluxe box to produce as well. We'll be working on these in tandem, of course, and they shouldn't cause any delays leading up to submitting all the files to the factory, though confirming the assembly of the deluxe box is one of the reasons we're anticipating a month for the proofing process.

With all that said, we also have a new designer diary for you from Danielle. It's kinda long, so I'm going to post it below the discussion of...

June was a big month for the creative team! Outside of map tiles, we have only two outstanding art pieces that will be in by the end of the week, plus a handful of very minor art revisions that should also be done by the end of the week. Map tile art, however, has been a bit more of a struggle, as we still have several outstanding pieces, but we're confident that the delay here won't cause further delays in efforts down the line.

Here is a creative update from Arch, the art director:

Creatures, Bosses, and Summons! Pictured above is a sampling of new art pieces that you’ll see throughout the new edition of Gloomhaven. I’ve had the honor of working with a number of incredibly skilled artists on this project, and I can’t wait to fully reveal what they’ve been working on. In addition to a reimagined set of map tiles, there will be more than 50 all-new illustrations to enjoy in this updated classic. These efforts have not only helped to further illuminate this updated game, they’re also helping us build a properly lived-in world for the upcoming RPG.

In addition to these efforts, our graphic designers have continued to work hard to bring all these pieces together. Their expertise allows us to make a game that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but easy to follow as well. They’ve been working with the game design team with a sharp focus on all the details. About 70% of the game’s overall layout is complete at this point, with cards and other general components now in a phase of active review and revision. The rulebook and scenario books are well underway.

The creative team is starting July off strong! We expect to be finished with layout and related revisions for Gloomhaven by the end of this month, at which time we will begin the thorough and discerning process of proofing everything from copy to color combinations to ensure a smooth production run.

Greetings Mercenaries!

Time for another design diary. I feel like I literally just wrote May’s diary, and I think that’s because June flew by so fast. I just got back from running games at Origins Game Fair, and it was once again great fun and a great success. If you had a chance to play games with the Lurking Fears team, I hope you had a great time. Please let them know how much you appreciate them, because they worked extremely hard to bring you our game in its playtest state.

If you missed Origins, Lurking Fears is also running Gloomhaven at Gencon, though the events are already sold out. If you’re really just looking to see the rules differences, I’ll be at the booth showing it off. You won’t get the full experience of playing a session, so if you’re looking for that, keep an eye out for open slots with the Lurking Fears team. If you just want to say hi, I’d love to meet you and chat, so come on by.

Last month, I told you I’d have a preview to show you, so let me preface it with a little back story. When Isaac was originally working on the RPG, the goal was to let folks use their board game components to play the RPG. As we worked on the mechanical aspects of the RPG, the need for some major differences became apparent. I know I’ve already talked about how we’ve changed up the powers and cards, but that posed a new problem. You can’t just pull your character cards from your Gloomhaven box and play the RPG. I originally thought I’d figure out how to do a conversion guide, but the mechanical conversion is so drastic that I’m not sure translation is truly possible for the casual player.

This meant that I needed to ensure that players did not need the RPG cards to play the game if they didn’t have them or didn’t want to buy even more Gloomhaven components. The cards are still present, and they are still extremely useful to streamline your turn, keep check on what you plan to do, and are great play aids. Ultimately, I wanted people to be able to write their card powers down on their character sheet and know exactly what they were capable of doing if they didn’t have access to the cards.

So, after making all the adjustments to the class and ancestry mechanics, we’ve been hard at work converting symbols and shorthand into long-form RPG text to make what each power does extremely clear. We changed up some language to accommodate this, so the RPG talks about “primary actions” which are the actions you find at the top of a card, and “secondary actions” from the bottom. We did this not to be confusing, but to ensure that if someone isn’t playing with the cards, they aren’t wondering why we called the actions top and bottom. We also wanted to ensure that players could use their “ability cards” to do non-combat things, and knew they were accessible for that. So we renamed “ability card” to Skills specifically so we could reference them outside of combat and outside of needing a card. 

All that said, here are a few Skills from the Mindthief.

The mindthief puts abilities called Augments into play. Augments last until the scene ends or until a new Augment ability is used, which replaces the existing effect. 

While their Special Skills in battle allow them to seize control of an enemy, in noncombat scenes they get a sense for what others might think or feel. A mindthief gains a bonus on Attribute checks when Expending their Special Skills for reading another’s intentions, detecting lies, understanding another’s motives, or establishing a rapport with another. In an exploration scene, the mindthief may use an appropriate Special Skills to establish a connection with a thinking character or object capable of humanlike emotions or empathy, granting a bonus to Attribute checks when appropriate. 

Basic Skills: These are the Skills that the Mindthief learns that do not need to be Expended on use.

Debilitating Strike
Level: 1
Initiative: 48
Primary: Make a melee attack 2. Add +1 attack for each negative Condition the target has.
Secondary: Control one enemy within 20 feet to move 5 feet. If Ice is present, force the controlled enemy to suffer 1 damage. 

Frigid Knife
Level: 1
Initiative: 27
Primary: Make a melee attack 3. If Ice is present, inflict the Wound Condition on the target.
Secondary: Control one enemy within 20 feet to move 5 feet. If Ice is present, force the controlled enemy to suffer 1 damage. 

Special Skills: These Skills must be Expended on use.

Into the Night
Level: 1
Initiative: 14
Primary: Make a melee attack 4 with Advantage. If the attack kills an enemy, gain the Invisible Condition. Infuse Dark!
Secondary: If you have not moved this round, gain the Invisible Condition. You may not perform Move abilities this turn! Infuse Dark!
Bonus: Advantage, +1
You wrap yourself in dark, disappearing from sight in an instant.

The Mind’s Weakness
Level: 1
Initiative: 75
Primary: Augment: Add +1 attack to all your melee attacks. Then, make a melee attack 2. You may control the target of the attack ability to make a melee attack 3.
Secondary: Control one enemy within 20 feet to make an attack 2. If Ice is present, force the controlled enemy to suffer 2 damage.
Bonus: Advantage, +1
With a little psionic twist, the mindthief pulls their target’s greatest weakness to the forefront, driving them to act in desperation.

Paralyzing Edge
Level: 1
Initiative: 8
Primary: Make a melee attack 2 that inflicts the Stun Condition. Infuse Ice!
Secondary: Move up to 15 feet. If Ice is present, inflict the Stun Condition on an enemy within 5 feet.
Bonus: Advantage, +1
The mindthief draws down the cold of ice to freeze their target’s mind, putting them into a stupor.

Possession
Level: 1
Initiative: 12
Primary: Control one enemy within 20 feet to make an attack 4 that inflicts the Muddle Condition.
Secondary: Move up to 15 feet. Then, Heal yourself 3. Infuse Ice!
Bonus: Advantage, +1
The mindthief takes control over their target’s mind, making them act in ways that are against their very nature.

Psychic Assault
Level: 1
Initiative: 77
Primary: Augment: Your single-target melee attacks may target enemies up to 10 feet away from you. Then, make a melee attack 3 that inflicts the Curse Condition. Then, control the target of the attack to Move up to 5 feet.
Secondary: Move up to 20 feet. Inflict the Curse Condition with all attacks you and enemies you control perform this round.
Bonus: Advantage, +1
With a blast of psychic energy, the mindthief overwhelms their target’s senses.

Withering Touch
Level: 1
Initiative: 18
Primary: Augment: Add the Poison and Muddle Conditions to all your melee attacks. Then, make a melee attack 3 that inflicts the Immobilized Condition.
Secondary: Jump up to 25 feet. Then, make a melee attack 2 that inflicts the Poison and Pacify Conditions. Infuse Ice! Lose this Skill.
Bonus: Advantage, +1
The mindthief infuses themselves with the staying power of ice, and with a touch, petrifies their target with a creeping cold.

Origins was a great success! We debuted our life-sized first scenario of Buttons & Bugs, and people couldn't get enough of playing a real life mercenary in the game. Plus, all tables were full of players for the Gloomhaven RPG sessions.

We also brough in a promo scenario for Buttons & Bugs. for Origins, and we'll be releasing another one at Gen Con. Any promos that you miss, you can always find on our website to print and play. Here is the link for the Origins promo.

Our next convention will be San Diego Comic Con, July 25 to July 28. And then, of course, the biggest gaming convention in North America: Gen Con in Indianapolis, from August 1 to 4.

                                   

And that's all there is to share this time! I look forward to continuing to get your concerns addressed and update you on the progress being made. Until next time!