Dwarven Forge Kickstarter: Cities Untold - Low Town (Delayed Launch)

The launch date was pushed back to February 12th to give time for more sculpts to be completed.

Some pics of interior pieces.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter: Cities Untold, splitting it in two

Word now is that the Cities Untold Kickstarter became too complex for its own good and is being split into two Kickstarters a year apart.

The upcoming part (Low Town - wood) is still scheduled for January 15th 2023. The other (High Town - ashlar) part will happen some time in 2024.

Apparently there are number of other projects in the works including a board game collaboration with a large company (not sure who). Other things mentioned include Catacombs, Sewers, etc.

We will have to wait and see just what effect this will have on pledges.

Dwarven Forge Cities Untold Kickstarter - Launch Date

 It looks like the plan is to launch the Kickstarter on January 15th, 2023. Of course plans can change with this much time to go.

Dwarven Forge Cities Untold Kickstarter - Yuck

Recently the folks at Dwarven Forge showed off more prototypes which are of course subject to change.

Here's a picture they provided and my thoughts on what it shows.

The building on the right is their Ashlar Stone design. The design itself is nice. The paint scheme however, is terrible. This is supposed to represent the higher class section of the city, but it looks like a much filthier version of the Tudor building colors.(Below)

Recommendation: Change the colors to not blend in with the Tudor buildings. Maybe go with an off-white, pale gray, light gray combo. It'll make it seem to be a higher quality stone and set it apart from mid and low town buildings.

The wooden building to the left would look better if the corner posts and floor matched much more closely to the walls, while still giving a slight difference.

The sea walls look terrible. I know these are prototypes, and they're probably trying to portray salt covered areas and wet areas, but presently, yuck. It looks more like a decaying sea wall. If it's meant to do so then they need to make some ruined sections crumbling into the sea.

The cobblestone design needs a re-do. I grew up by a port city with old sections having cobblestone streets. Cobblestones were used as ballast in ships to help maintain balance and reduce the chance of a cargo shift capsizing the ship. They would be loaded into the depths of the hold and during travel would rub and wear against one another. Cobblestones should not have sharp points or sharp edges. I'm biased by the ones I grew up around so maybe somewhere there could be sharp pointy stuff, but I dislike this look.

The miniatures shown do not appeal to me. I'll reserve my thoughts on these until I see more detailed images and what else they have in store.

The sea water terrain tray images look like stormy weather. Will the opposite sides be calmer?

And now a good thing. The window inserts look great. Stained glass and other designs will be available and they are talking about providing templates to help in making your own designs. There's also likely to be a magnetic picture frame you can put stuff in and hang on your building inside walls.

While I want to support the Kickstarter when it launches, the negatives so far have me hesitating. At least a lot of other people are asking for a clocktower like I am.

Dwarven Forge's Upcoming Cities Untold Kickstarter - I Want A Clock Tower

Dear Dwarven Forge,

I have a specific wish for you to include in your upcoming Kickstarter - A modular clock tower that I can make look goody two shoes, common place, or sinister.

For inspiration here's a picture of a non-modular Hirst Arts clock tower. One the other three sides it has stained glass and inside LEDs. As you can see it has statues all around on the second level (a great opportunity for post accessories).

So if you're launching the Cities Untold Kickstarter in December, consider granting my Christmas Wish.

Thank you, Sincerely,

OSRbaron.

Flee, Mortals! -The MCDM Monster Book For 5e on Kickstarter

Matt Colville is a very productive individual. His current offering on Kickstarter is a book of monsters designed for 5th edition D&D. It joins a library full of monster manuals, tomes, codex, compendiums, etc, that are already out or coming out over the next month to two years. Don't let that stop you from investigating the details.

Here's the Kickstarter link https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattcolville/mcdm-monster-book?ref=nav_search&result=popular&term=flee%2C%20mort

At the time this is being written the campaign has funded at over a million dollars and still has a couple weeks to go.

The plan is to provide familiar monsters with some additional abilities in combat to spice them up, and to introduce new monsters to surprise and entertain the DM and players. Also, there will be new rules for retainers, companions, minions (remember minions from 4e?) and a few more things.

Matt has not been shy about admitting that he likes a number of things from 4th edition D&D. In this book he brings a few of them back such as minions mentioned above, but he makes them his own with a variant of the idea. He also uses the monster types from 4e like Brute, Skirmisher, Solo, Controller, etc. 

Don't panic, this is not a work designed for 4e, but squarely aimed at 5th edition D&D. His application of types, and of minions should actually be useful, and doesn't burden the game with the cumbersome aspects of 4e. 

Additionally this work aims to include rival adventuring parties, which might split out to a separate book to keep the monster book page count down (already expected to top 320 pages). Named monster lairs are another bonus along with the unique treasure items to be found within.

In the campaign info of the Kickstarter is a link to a free sample of the kinds of material intended for the book. Have a look and see if this is something you can support.

I presently have a ton of monster books for 5e, with more on the way, having recently backed Tome of Beasts 3 from Kobold Press (which means I'll have 4 thick monster books from Kobold). I am very interested in MCDM's offering, but have not made up my mind for a couple of reasons. 1) it won't arrive as  a complete physical work until about October of 2023, and 2) it is $40 just for the .pdf and $70 for the hard cover. Sure, that's not a lot more than the other ones I bought, but do I need another book of monsters?

Currently I'm experimenting and learning how to convert, modify, and create new monsters in 5e, inspired in part by Matt Colville and more so by my own curiosity and penchant for tinkering with monsters. I also already create rival adventuring groups in my campaign, so I don't need more at the moment.

MCDM produce plenty of good, entertaining material and Matt is a great presenter. If you don't already watch his Youtube channel, I recommend it highly. Check out the Flee, Mortals! Kickstarter campaign for yourself.

Dwarven Forge Wildlands Kickstarter Rewards Have Arrived

I backed the Dwarven Forge Wildlands Kickstarter for a small amount and really wish I had both the storage space and the money to have picked up a bit more than I eventually did.

Over the last three DF Kickstarters (Dungeon of Doom, Caverns Deep, Wildlands) I have had to limit my participation below what in better times I would have invested. One of the many types of items it would have been good to get are the Terrain Trays and the magnetized pieces instead of non-magnetized. In hind sight it is easy to recognize just how handy they are, but sadly they are all currently out of stock. Of course with the cost of my storage locker increasing every year I'm at a loss for where to put it if I had backed for more stuff.

The Dwarven Forge collection began with a Master Maze Room and Passage set. It started small, but as my income grew, so too did my appetite for the terrain. Now that my income has fallen to a bare trickle my ability to collect is about as limited as when I first got bit by the DF bug.

The Reliquaries Kickstarter was skipped since it held little usefulness for my terrain needs and displaying dice on top of stuff is a recipe for disaster with cantankerous cats lurking about.

Here are the Wildlands rewards I've received (pictures are from the Dwarven Forge website). I'll be taking them to the next game session since they'll either get used then or the session afterward (most likely).

And here are the aforementioned cats.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 7: Some Early Beans

It appears the gang at Dwarven Forge have a good head start on designing the next Kickstarter project for the coming year.


Quoting Stefan Pokorny on Thanksgiving:

"BEANS: Yes, more Wilderness! And also some attention to City Builder and Castles! As I am designing all the interiors for Castles, Inns, Forts, etc, that will appear in the MYTHRAS Sourcebook I am getting frustrated with what I can do with the interiors, where I put corridors, how to configure the insides of houses and Castles . . . so Nate and I (and the team) are working hard to add the interiors of all these structures! Secret Doors! Tudor 2" x 4" style, 2" x 2" spiral stairs, smaller spaces (closets) garderobes, and more . . . so when the Mythras Sourcebook comes out you will be able to build to exact specs the Castle of Valoria! (Castle Crag), Temple of Khrom, Gold Coin Inn, Red Beards Tavern, etc."


I must admit that I was hoping for something different, but with my non-existent budget this might be a much needed break from the yearly struggle to participate. There will definitely be things I will want, but nothing yet that is likely to be a must have. We can only wait and see what surprises DF will have in store for us all next year.

If I had the budget I would like to see some additions to Sewers, Catacombs, cathedral, graveyard, and mausoleum.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 6: Caverns Deep - Afterthoughts

As mentioned in the previous post, lack of motivation sapped my interest in posting to the blog, even about things I would normally enjoy discussing. That includes this years DF Kickstarter which normally would have been the topic of several posts before and during the event. Here are some thoughts about how it went.

The project end with a total of over 3.3 million dollars and over 3,000 backers. Included in the themes for this year were caverns in standard color and Underdoom paint, crystal caverns, ice caverns, and the new outdoor terrain Dreadhollow Forest.

Variety seems to have been the objective this year, not only in themes, but in piece types. Multi use pieces called trifecta pieces are part of just about every encounter option in the project except for the forest. Diagonal walls and swell walls are also a major addition and enhance builds that can be created with the cavern pieces from the Kickstarter 2 Cavern sets allowing for more natural shapes to your layouts. The mix of shapes is impressive. Sadly getting enough of particular pieces is a costly endeavor.

Every year the designs get more detailed, and more complex which drives the prices higher. Increased inclusion of magnets, metal, and LED features (some that can change colors through use of a remote control) also factors into the price inflation. As a collector I love the bling, but as one of many with low or no budget, it seems that the idea of making Dwarven Forge terrain more affordable to a wider audience has been forgotten.

Too many themes being presented contributes to a paralysis when trying to decide on what to buy and what to skip, hoping to pick them up later through the web store. Trying to get some of everything leads to "feeling like butter spread over too much bread". I imagine people new to DF terrain get migraines trying to figure out how to maximize versatility while having variety.

Since I don't want to sound like a Negative Nelly, let me state that I love what I saw offered in this Kickstarter and if I had a budget this year as in previous years, well, my participation would have run pretty deep.

The new forest terrain is gorgeous. The modular trees and depth of detail left many wondering if the factory would be able to match what the very talented crew of artists have created. So far the painted prototypes coming back from the factory indicate that they indeed are up to the task. A full set of the Dreadhollow Forest (painted) runs about $900, and if you want greater table coverage the cost climbs from there, especially once you include the extra items that were added during the pledge manager phase. If you want incredible looking wilderness terrain you can't beat this set.

 The cavern pieces are also quite lovely. The attention to detail and to grand elevation pieces really defines these sets as among the best work Dwarven Forge has created. The artists involved deserve high praise.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 Snakes and Jade (and corrections)

More beans have been spilled and a big reveal is coming later today.

First a correction, the blood red in the previous post was (to quote Darkest Dungeon's Wayne June) merely a trick of the light.

The design of the final segment of this kickstarter includes a massive amount of jade coloring and incredibly detailed sculpting of pieces.

This new Dwarven Forge set is gorgeous. I'm anxious to see the details in the full release information later today.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 Forsaken Temple (of Doom)

More previews from the Dungeon of Doom kickstarter. The awesome continues.

Blood red altar and steps, serpent pillars, the serpent floor design pieces speculated about in a much earlier post, additional decorative pieces, etc.

          

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 - HOLY SNAKE SHIT

The Dungeon of Doom kickstarter is about half way through and already has eclipsed 1.6 million dollars on the way toward what could be well over 2 million by the end.

After looking carefully through the video of the kickstarter at the 3:38 mark you can see this amazing reveal of the heart and soul of this kickstarter: the real reason it is called the Dungeon of Doom; it may be inhabited by the bigger, badder brother of Conan's enemy Thulsa Doom.

Take a gander at these amazing pieces! The LED statue, the various wall pieces with intricate carvings, some with eyes, and the LED brazier with green flame. Wow!

At the time of writing this post, this has not been revealed in the kickstarter, but it isn't a secret since others have discovered it like I did by going through the video with frequent pauses to look for the cool pieces.

This truly is the dungeon of doom to your wallet; so much awesome stuff!

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 Dungeon of Doom confirmed launch date

In order to focus more attention on pushing out shipments of the previous Kickstarter rewards, DF have pushed back the launch date until June 17th.

It will be interesting to see how this progresses.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 - Ziggurat of stairs and other goodies

The latest teaser shows some interesting pieces. Take a good long, close look. Some we've seen before like the fancy floors. There's a corner pillar piece carved like a demon of some sort, some rune stones, etc.

The updated date of launch is back to the estimated date of June 11th.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 - Dungeon of Doom Traps

Here is the latest peek at stuff coming in the new kickstarter project. Traps.

While I am not interested in most of the trap pieces, I did notice the stone ramp which if painted to match the sewer set and offered as a pack of 4 would be on my list for a potential add-on to acquire. A slick, steep access point to a lower section of sewers and dungeon would make for a nice minor challenge to descend, and an obstacle to ascend (especially when being pursued by nasty critters).

It now looks as if the launch date is expected to be June 9th.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 - Dungeon of Doom lots o'stuff

DF just released a large image filled with upcoming goodies. The picture can speak for itself.

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter 5 - Dungeon of Doom! to your wallet

Here is the latest teaser picture for things coming in the Dwarven Forge Kickstarter later this spring.

In addition to the previously revealed terrain pieces a number of interesting items are revealed and hinted at in the image. LED walls, corners, and alcoves; walls with pedestals, curved and diagonal walls, a large pillar, a large archway with double doors, decorative floors, and what appears to be a portcullis add to the growing list of goodies to come.

The launch date for the Kickstarter has not been officially posted, though it is likely to be toward the end of May.

 

Dwarven Forge Kickstarter #5 forward look

Sometime in May, perhaps, Dwarven Forge will launch their 5th Kickstarter project which takes things back to the dungeon. Here are some preview pictures of prototypes for what is likely a big part of the new project.

The pillar and arch design provides the basic set a sufficiently different look and helps vary the appearance of the dungeon environment.

Here's what really grabbed my attention, the ability to build decent sized circular rooms using some freestanding curved walls and other pieces.

Additionally DF are working on alternative basic corners, diagonal walls, broken pillars, etc.

Does anyone recall if the snake design floor pieces below are old or new?

I currently have no available budget to speak of, but I would certainly like to add to my existing collection of DF terrain given the opportunity.

My Model Railroad Level Dwarven Forge Obsession

I admit it, I am addicted to most things Dwarven Forge. I have been this way since first encountering it while working at a distributor of collectibles in the late nineties and early two-thousands. Back then, and for some time afterward, I could not afford more than an occasional purchase and often had to chip in with other buyers to get portions of sets. The recent three Kickstarter campaigns have not helped ease this affliction and affection for adventure terrain.

My collection is much smaller than most of the regulars on the Dwarven Forge forums, many of whom buy 3 or more sets of every resin offering released by Stefan and crew. It also lacks some of the resin sets, Woodland and Lava, come immediately to mind. Still, over time my collection has grown.

Even with a fairly large collection available for use, I still enjoy mixing mediums. I routinely employ a battle mat along with the DF pieces, and have used many other props and non-DF terrain in combination.

I am considering purchasing some city terrain from Fat Dragon Games to flesh out scenes, limiting the DF City Builder items to the foreground immediate use area, while the card stock terrain sets the background imagery. Just like model railroad layouts, the viewer can be convinced of the depth of setting with less expensive materials in the distance while their vision is focused on where the action is happening.

My reasons for thinking of not getting very deep into the Dwarven Forge City Builder sets includes space and cost, and my three existing resin sets of DF MBS accompanied by accessories. Here are a couple of photos taken by a friend, of a past setup of mine.

 You can see the rest of the adventure layout pictures at this link.

Meanwhile, I'll be watching the current Dwarven Forge Kickstarter with interest, and will definitely be thinking about drooling over the new DF sewers.

Is there a 12 step program for Dwarven Forge terrain addicts?

Dwarven Forge City Builder Kickstarter

Here we are, a handful of days into their third Kickstarter and Dwarven Forge is closing in on the one million dollar mark. If my guess is right, the funding should surpass that number on the coming weekend.

At the time I write this on Wednesday evening, there are 1725 backers and over $885,000 in the pool.