Kickstarter, Retailers and Driving to work with LPJ Design

NeoExodus Chronicles: Quartermaster’s Handbook (PFRPG) Now available

Louis Porter Jr. Design has released its newest product for their NeoExodus Chronicles line, Quartermaster’s Handbook (PFRPG) for the NeoExodus: A House Divided (PFRPG) campaign setting at RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com.  Here is information on this product:

In the world of Exodus, scientific knowledge and might and arcane influence and power can often be one in the same. The Quartermaster Handbook only expands on this idea.  Quartermaster Handbook is add-on reference full of pages of magical and mundane items, from common adventuring equipment to unique magic artifacts. Quartermaster Handbook is the must-have companion to the already impressive Pathfinder RPG SRD listed equipment and best of all, this is completely specific for NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign Setting. The Quartermaster Handbook includes:

• A dozen new pieces of general equipment including a ball and chain, gossamer line and trace paper.
• Forty new pieces of adventuring gear including bugblight, forged papers, scent bane and sounding rock.
• Over 20 new and different poisons including Black Venom, Medusa’s Hair and Spirit Touch.
• Nearly 30 new Special substances and Items including Allure Musk, Coating Flame, Flash Sphere and Memory Ink.
• Nearly a dozen Tools and Kits including Dire Bear Trap, Springsaw and Trap Thumper.
• Nearly a dozen Special Material including Black Coral, Petrified Wood and Thornwood.
•  Nearly 20 new spells including Cloth Armor, Halt Constructs, Summon Firearm and Wall of Mithral.
• And much, much more…

 Availableat RPGNow!!!

Dealing with the issues of a Small Press Publisher while driving to work

Planning for the Future with your Business

Wish you could have Iconics for Way of the Wicked and the upcoming Throne of Night from Fire Mountain Games?

Gary McBride of Fire Mountain Games was kind enough to give us permission to do Adventure Path Iconics versions of their Way of the Wicked and Throne of Night. I wonder what kind of crazy ideas well will come up with. I am guessing there will be a Dalrean iconic in Throne of Night. This is will be basically mandatory for this adventure path. Talk to you later...

And now it is OVER!!!! $6,351 raised with 140 donors raised for our Kickstarter!!!!!!

I want to, first and foremost, thank everyone who helped make our Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG Kickstarter a success!  We could not have done this without you. And just to hit the ground running on this project, you can expect to see the rough draft of “Temple of the Forbidden God” adventure sometime this week. I also will be sending out he retailer rewards this week also so we can start to build additional interest in the NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign setting.  I expect to send the rough draft to the editor later this week and we should be in layout and to press by mid-April most likely. As I said, we are moving like a freight train with this one. Once again thanks for your support on what we are doing here at LPJ Design. Without our fans we are nothing. Talk to you all VERY, VERY soon!

[LPJ Design] Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Kickstarter Ends today!

This is it! The last day to support the Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for the Pathfinder RPG Kickstarter. We have said it over and over that last 40 plus day but NOW time is running short. You have less than 16 hours to donate for this kickstarter. If you like NeoExodus, LPJ Design, Free RPG Day or Pathfinder, then you should support us. Thanks to everyone who has helped us this far and to everyone who is about to help us.

The Ten Day $1,000 Kickstarter AKA Blitzstarter!!!

I have had an idea of doing a very super short, HYPER focused kickstarter for a Pathfinder project.  Ten days to complete and reach the goal. That is it. I don’t even want to call it a kickstarter; I want this to be called a "blitzstarter".  What kind of product can I make with $1,000? Well let’s see:

• 35K words written (roughly 50 pages) at 1 cent a word: $350
• 35K words edited at 1 cent a word: $350
• 3 Half-page pieces of artwork: $200
• Graphic Design & Layout: Free
• Amazon’s 10% Cut: $100

Now the fun part let’s say this is a 50-page full color product. Well first I sell it at RPGNow.com, DriveThruRPG.com, Paizo.com and D20pfsrd.com for a sale price of $5.99. I then go over to CreateSpace.com and send my PDF files to POD printing for a sale price of $15.99 direct to customers and 60% off the consumer cost for traditional distribution for retailers for a sales price of $6.40 per book.  CreateSpace will charge me roughly $3 a book to make and ship to buyers.

OK, did you understand all of that? Good. Now he is the fun part, since you did the blitzstarter you already paid for the cost of your product to get produced. Anything that you sell at this point on is 100% PURE PROFIT!!!!  You sell the PDF = Profit! You sell the POD to customer directly = Profit!  The retailer sells the POD to customer = Profit. Profit!!! Profit!!!  Profit!!!  Ta-Da!!!!!  

Blitzstarter does not sound so silly anymore now does it? Well maybe it does. But at least you can laugh your way to success AND the bank. Talk to you later…

3 days left in the Kickstarter and I just got the printer’s print quote in!

I just go the official print quote in from the printer and everything is moving in the right direction. I can expect to see the quote from the tote bags, dice T-Shirts sometime next week and once we get the real final donor numbers we will be ready to go.

I am glad we have done as well as we have, But I still hope we can make the $10K threshold goal!!!! There are still SO MANY COOL THINGS that are available at the threshold goals. So if you know anyone who has not donated yet, then help them get on board on what we are attempting to do. We can do it. We only need a little more than $4K to do it and we still need your help! Get your friend to help and donate.

As always, thank you to everyone for your support on thiskickstarter and 3rd Party Publisher of Pathfinder. We could not do this without you! Click here to donate tho this kickstarter.

[LPJ Design] Adventure Path Iconics: Path of Jade (PFRPG) Now available

Louis Porter Jr. Design has released its newest product line, Adventure Path Iconics for the Pathfinder Asian focused adventure path and the NeoExodus: A House Divided (PFRPG) campaign setting at RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com.  Here is information on this product:

This book provides eight complete pre-generated characters specifically designed for use in an Asian caravan-themed adventure path. Each character comes with a full stat block including campaign traits, a detailed background and personality, along with tips on advancement through 4th level. Just pick one that strikes your fancy and you’re ready to play. These iconics have been built using a 20-point buy making sure that would be all rules-legal and fully compliant.  In addition, each comes with instructions on how to adjust the stats to a 15-point buy, should your GM wish to use the standard adventure paths or if your group enjoys an epic fantasy feel for their characters, adjustments up to a 25-point buy are also included. There’s a little something for everyone. Whichever buy you choose, with a few minor adjustments your PCs will be ready to go!

The iconic consist of four human characters and four unique races from the NeoExodus: A House Divided campaign setting such as:

• Cynean: These beings of living crystal are masters of magic. Crystalline scholars of all things arcane, the cyneans are as mighty in mind as in body.
• Enuka: The most primal and barbaric of the savage humanoids have nothing on the enuka. Enuka are ferocious creatures with instincts for battle and the hunt, animalistic predators blessed with humanoid form and intelligence.
• Gevet: The gevet – or tiefling – claim to be the first to have mastered magic and that it is their descendants that ruled their lands.
• P'Tan: These feline looking, created from the primordial shadows and former slaves rose up and overthrew their harsh masters with their ability to cast black lightning.

These iconic consist of:

• Chan-Ona: Male cynean wizard
• Colm Durban: Male human alchemist
• Dorozan Alned Jawal: Male gevet (Tiefling) witch
• Horse-Breaker: Male enuka fighter
• Saiyeth Inissi: Female human monk (zen archer)
• Talar Meda: Female prymidian cleric of the Goddess of Travel
• Valentina Yeris: Female human rogue (acrobat)
• Vash Kandar: Male human samurai

Available at RPGNow!

Has kickstarter created the “Privatiation of retailing for customers”?

The biggest issue of late about kickstarter has been the issue of Kickstarter “taking the cream off the top of the sale” business model.  But what if Kickstarter has caused the “ Privatization of retailing for customers”?  Privatization as defined by Wikipedia is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service or public property from the public sector (a government) to the private sector, either to a business that operate for a profit or to a non-profit organization. What many have been accusing Kickstarter of is doing something similar to that. Kickstarter is taking the “ownership of the sale” from the retailer and placing it in the hands of the manufacturer.  This places the manufacturer in the sale role as the retailer, which of course upsets the retailer. Who owns the customers, if a product can never/will never be sold in a retailer location and only from the manufacturer directly?

Many retailers have complained with manufacturers becoming retailers (but many retailers don’t seem to have this same complaint with Apple doing this) but with the recent release of Marvel Comic new Marvel InfiniteComic line, I have to wonder what might be the future of retailers in the comic space which of course would come to the gaming space.  If Marvel has decided that the “infinite canvas” is the future of their products, where does that leave the retailer?  While I think of the whole infinite comic look reminds me a little too much of the late 1960s Marvel Comic cartoon where they use the artwork and simulated motion to make it “animated”, many feel this is the way of the future. What is old is new again. The Infinite comics give you the “perception” of movement but without those costly animators.

Now here is something that will sound even crazier, but what if Marvel Comic started doing retail stores? Now many retailers are laughing right now saying it would never happen. But what if Marvel copied the Best Buy / GeekSquad business model? Marvel open stores inside of other retailer store locations. Maybe 500 sq.ft to a maximum of 1,000 sq.ft is this locations size. These stores only focus on selling the “best” of the new comics and graphic novels only. Marvel gets to sell in stores; the store get comic fan base as customers; Marvel make a better percentage selling direct to customers; The store gets a percentage of the sales from Marvel. And where does this leave the current retail model? Video game companies have been doing something like this for years in GameStop. Why could this not work in coming and gaming stores? Maybe Marvel stores in Disney stores?

The part that really makes this whole think interesting to me is that Kickstarter and the other various online crowd funding copy cats are the real power in all of this. They use the “Hostage” or “Patron” business model and updated it for the 21^st century. So if you have a good idea, can make a good video, have a large enough “tribe” of followers, and can amplify you messages “loud enough” then you can success at this over and OVER again. While many of these Kickstarter do have retailer rewards, I have heard responses from retailer saying they would not support Kickstarter projects (see my post on February 6, 21013 labeled “Angry retailer tells me how he feelsabout Kickstarter, Paizo, Free RPG Day and his customers…”).  It looks like Kickstarter, retailers, and manufactures are headed to a showdown that somebody is going to win and somebody is going to lose it all. So what do you think? What do you think about the “ Privatization of retailing for customers”? Talk to you later…

Support our Kickstarter that ends in 5 days!

Remember that first time that you face a killed a dragon? 

Remember you first time you finished a dungeon crawl?

Remember the first time you played Pathfinder?

LPJ Design wants to celebrate those memories with out by providing you with the best and most innovated Pathfinder setting on the market today – NeoExodus: A House Divided. NeoExodus has been described as Game of Thrones meets Babylon 5 by players and we have described it as our fantasy love letter to Babylon 5. So if you want to support great fantasy setting go over to RPGNow and check out our full line of Pathfinder supporting products here and check out our bottom banner link to our kickstarter event that we have going on. If you like quality Pathfinder products and you want to see LPJ Design succeed; stop by RPGNow.com and purchase one of our top selling products or make a donation to this kickstarter. Every little bit helps.

And once again remember what it felt like the first time you were able to slay the dragon and take the gold. Thanks for your support!

The last donor threshold goal reached - 115+ donors

We just hit out latest and FINAL threshold donor goal of getting 115 donors for this Free RPG Day NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG kickstarter. With still 6 days left those guys at the Imperial Men-at-Arms ($35) level just received their last threshold goal.. But if you were at the Imperial Elder ($50), you would still be in the running for LOTS of cool stuff (Hello Sub-dungeon Level written by Owen K.C. Stephens!!! for example!). So thanks to all the Imperial Men-at-Arms ($35) level donors and higher that have helped make this whole kickstarter a success.  Talk to you later...

Preview of Adventure Path Iconics: Path of Jade

Here is the rough draft preview of the Adventure Path Iconic: Path of Jade Vash Kandar Male Human Samurai . We thought many of you might like to see it to get an idea of what we are looking to do with this new product line. Enjoy!

Four threshold goals left, less than $4,000 to go with only 10 days left on this kickstarter…

This is very simple: We need to raise just under $4,000 in 10 days to get the remaining four threshold goals for the Free RPG Day 2013NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG Kickstarter.  We know we can do this with your support. We want those who get our adventure for Free RPG Day to remember back what it was like the first time they first played a role playing game. All the excitement you remember.  All the fun you remember. The great time you had. That is what we are looking to build with this kickstarter, more fantastic memories for what gaming should feel like.  So we are asking for your help. Help spread what makes RPG exciting with Free RPG Day, while also being rewarded with unique rewards for your donations. Help expand the RPG world by supporting Free RPG Day and this kickstarter. There is only 10 days left to help. Just follow the linkto donate for this kickstarter. Once again thanks for your support!

Dreamscarred Press gets added to the threshold rewards!

With less that a week left week in our Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG Kickstarter, we have added the last of our threshold goals with the addition of Dreamscarred Press's Jeremy Smith including a sub-dungeon level to this adventure. I wonder what kind of psionic terrors he can add to this adventure. I guess we will find out when we reach this threshold goal. Here we come $9,250!!!!

My updates to the Island of Xao

Just to let you know I am always working on parts Xao, I modified the map and added cities.  I liked the original map but it need some changes due to some of the changes I have made with the history of the island.  This is a little some thing to let you know that I am still working on it. Just don't expect it anytime soon. I have a few other projects to finish first.  Talk to you later...

$5,500 Threshold Goal UNLOCKED: Reward added to the Imperial Elder ($50) donors and up!

Looks like the Imperial Elder donors and higher are getting another great reward in the way of a PDF version of NeoExodus Legacies: Cold Visitor.  With 14 days left it is looking there they might be no end to all the great rewards we are going to be giving out.  So If you like LOT of great stuff, you should donate at the Imperial Elder level. The rewards are well worth it. Talk to you later…

What do Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed and NeoExodus have in common?

For those that are video game fans the Ubisoft title, Assassin’sCreed, is one of the better known and respected game tiles. Recently two of Ubisoft’s writers on Assassin's Creed III: Liberation won the Writers Guild of America award for outstanding achievement in video game writing. One of those writers was Richard Farrese. Richard worked for LPJ Design as a writer in the past including working on the NeoExodus Campaign setting and the upcoming Xao: Island of Iron and Silk. So when I started this kickstarter for Free RPG Day  it only made sense to get in touch with him to help out and of course he did.  

So with that our $10,000 threshold goal is that of a NeoExodus novella eBook written by Richard Farrese exclusively for our Imperial Elder ($50) donors and higher.   

So if you are a fan of Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed, NeoExodus and cool fantasy fiction in general, now is the time to support this kickstarter. There are only 15 days left. Don’t miss out on even MORE cool rewards we have planned. Talk to you later…

What you get for $50 in this Free RPG Day NeoExodus Adventure kickstarter…

Remember that first time that you face a killed a dragon?

Remember you first time you finished a dungeon crawl?

Remember the first time you played Pathfinder?

For those who are not noticing, here is the current list of products that you get at the $50 donation level of this kickstarter:

That is a LOT of stuff you are getting for only $50. Better still, the more money that we raise and the more threshold goals we keep reaching, the more stuff we are adding to this reward level. Talk about a sweet spot.  So if you are still on the fence, DON’T WAIT. Support this Kickster NOW!!! This kickstarter ends this month and you do want to miss out on supporting Paizo, Pathfinder and Free RPG Day. Talk to you later…