The RECKLESS DECK GAMING FIGURINES Challenge!
about 7 years ago – Mon, Apr 17, 2017 at 10:26:49 PM

 Hi All!

I told you there was a lot of news to cover and catch up on, and here's another huge announcement: the kickoff of the RECKLESS DECK/ART ORDER GAMING FIGURINES CHALLENGE. We're teaming up with INFECTED BY ART, the fantastic site all about Fantasy & Sci fi art who's hosting this contest, to offer artists the chance to see one of their character designs get turned into a gaming mini for the set of four exclusive minis we'll unlock at the 60K mark.

Here's the live link to the contest!

On the contest page, you'll see a predetermined list of 18 Reckless Deck cards, chosen from Volume 1, Volume 2, and the Expansion Pack series. (This also serves as a tantalizing preview of what's coming in your rewards, so head on over to see all the brand new cards that just got spoiled! Comments welcome!) Artists must use a minimum of 3 cards in their contest entry designs. The contest will be judged by some pretty fabulous artists & professionals: myself, Jon Schindehette of ArtOrder, Khoi Pham, comics artist for both Marvel & DC Comics, and Lauren Panepinto, creative director at Orbit Books. There will also be a TBA fifth judge, which I hope to announce soon.

OK, SO WHY THESE MINIS?

Here's why I think these minis are incredibly cool, an a welcome addition to our assortment of offerings in the Kickstarter. Here's your first answer:

I know you're thinking, "What the hell?" But bear with me. Fundamentally, these cards exist to help people create cool things. Chances are, if you're interested in Reckless Deck, it's because you are the kind of person who's interested in creating things that begin as little neurons firing around in your head and become some kind of cohesive, real artistic statement out in the world. And ideas can start as very ugly, forlorn things that need to be shaped, hammered, erased, and molded into something that accurately communicates what you set out to say, or looks like anything presentable to the public. That process of creating a finished product is in and of itself a difficult and humbling one, requiring a lot of determination and will. The minis - and this contest - is meant to give artists the satisfaction of seeing something they created become something very real - something substantial, and very much three-dimensionally-in-the-world. And gaming minis are a form that I think is very much in our wheelhouse - minis to me represent in tiny & fun opportunity to represent expressive gesture, heroic proportion, and dramatic character. But most of all, when I see gaming minis, I think of play.

For those who enjoy gaming, I hope these minis will be thrown right into service in your next campaign. But I'm also hoping that these minis will be fun and effective talismans for the rest of us non-gaming creatives - a physical manifestation of a process you all watched happen. Over the course of this contest, we'll watch these things start from a couple of idea generating cards and a bunch of neurons, get hammered into original and cool pieces of art, and then ultimately immortalized in miniature grandeur, becoming pocket sized reminders of the risk & reward of having ideas and seeing them through to completion.

3 Awesome New Expansions
about 7 years ago – Sat, Apr 15, 2017 at 11:14:29 AM

 Hi All!

It's been an eventful week - we have a LOT to cover, in what will need to vie a series of Project Updates. But, I thought I'd start by celebrating the two big wins we achieved - and all giving you the news that I know interests you most: Having opened the WORLDS Expansion, CIVILIZATIONS, I now get to reveal the identity of the mystery Expansion every backer gets when we reach $50K.

CTHULHU FHTAGN

For those of you who don't know this about me, I'm a big Lovecraft fan. Having grown up in Rhode Island (where apparently, I've chosen to live again as an adult, despite everything my high school self thought he knew about anything). Howard Phillips and his world & I go way back. In fact, when I moved back here with my wife from NYC, the whole Lovecraft-iness of it all inspired me to start an ongoing writing project that will most likely be my next big endeavor once all those Reckless Decks we'll be getting back from the printer have set sail. Putting the LOVECRAFTIAN Expansion where it is in the evolution of this project also completes a cycle that started with the very first Expansion, POST APOCALYSPSE. As the fourth Expansion we've unlocked, the LOVECRAFTIAN Expansion gives each of the the four major genres of Reckless Deck - Sci Fi, Steampunk, Fantasy, and Horror - an expansion to call their own. And, in the same way that the STEAMPUNK EXPLORER Expansion is framed by a theme of swashbuckling Historical Fiction, the LOVECRAFTIAN Expansion also delivers a serious dose of elegant, sophisticated 1930's NOIR. 

 ...AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS

As decisions  get made about the dynamic new WORLDS deck, one thing began to become clear immediately: there needed to be some kind of distinction between the world itself and the societies that inhabit it. And while the fine tuning is still very much underway, I can tell you that the CIVILIZATIONS Expansion will inform your Environment art by offering a much more in depth look at the technology, governments, and belief systems of the cultures that inhabit your worlds.

BONUS EXPANISON PACK ANNOUNCEMENT

 I told everyone that once we unlocked CIVILIZATIONS, I'd announce the $50K Mystery Expansion. So here it is:

The Mystery Expansion that each backer gets when we reach $50K is THE SUPERHERO EXPANSION. This Expansion is a bit of a departure from form, because it's both a deep look at both Super Powers for the characters you crate, but also, HOW THEY GOT THEM. And that opens a strange little Pandora's Box in RECKLESS DECK world, because these cards depart from the physical, knowable, and draw-able - and cross the Rubicon into the world of NARRATIVE. Hope all the writers were paying attention just now.

Three Amazing Expansions in one week! We're getting down to the wire, but there's something new happening every day. I for one am extremely psyched to se what the next week has in store. 

WAVE 2 of Stretch Goals Announced!
about 7 years ago – Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 08:46:30 PM

 Hi all!

I promised you all a fresh wave of STRETCH GOALS, since your determination and enthusiasm has made fish food of the first fifteen we put out there - and this is me making good on that promise. Ready? Cause here goes...

$40,000 - 5 DECK COLLECTOR'S BOX. This 2.5"x3.5"x6" hardboard box holds 5+ Decks worth of Reckless Deck cards. It has gloss laminated art on the outside AND inside, and a spectacular magnetic closure on its longest side. It features the art of all 4 Reckless Deck Campaign Artists: Richard Anderson, Bastien Lecouffe Deharme, Kirbi Fagan, and Clark Huggins. We're approaching this stretch goal so quickly that we decided to leave it where it is. BUT, in honor of hitting the milestone of $40K in this campaign, we're doing something unexpected and very special: we are adding something to this Stretch Goal! A copy of the first-ever APPRENTICE PACK Expanison Pack: WONDERLAND, for EVERY SINGLE BACKER. Take a tumble down the rabbit hole ALICE-style!

$43,500 - LOVECRAFTIAN Expansion Pack. Get a sanity-crushing draught of H.P. Lovecraft-style gothic horror with this Expansion - along with a seriously stylish dose of 1930's Noir.

$46,000 - CIVILIZATIONS Expansion Pack. The first RD: WORLDS Expansion Pack dives deeper into the culture & characteristics of the societies that shape - or despoil - the worlds you create.

$50,000 - INTERSTELLAR MARINE CORPS Expansion - PLUS a MYSTERY Expansion! Celebrate hitting $50K with this future-military Expansion. New weapons, gear, and tech in the style of ALIENS, HALO, and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA! And, a Mystery Expansion Pack FOR EVERY PLEDGER - stay tuned for the reveal.

$53,500 - DARK FOREST Expansion. Good luck keeping to the path through the woods with this Folklore and Fairly Tale-based Expansion. The land of FAERIE calls to you!

$56,000 - URBAN LEGENDS Expansion. Hop in your '67 Chevy Impala and get ready for a road trip through the Heartland of American Contemporary Horror. Carry on, my wayward son...(Contains Mature Content.)

$60,000 - 4 RECKLESS DECK GAMING MINIS, & CONTEST! Something VERY special for the milestone of $60K: 4 32mm resin-cast gaming minis of RECKLESS DECK Characters! Expect a new character reveal every few days, chosen from our awesome pool of Reckless Deck art - including the work commissioned for this Kickstarter, advertising run in IMAGNE FX magazine, and entries into our RECKLESS DECK/ART ORDER CHALLENGE. And, for the 4th and final mini - a contest, open to all willing illustrators: submit a new Reckless Deck-based character design, and the winning character will be cast as the 4th gaming mini in the series! And, the artist gets the $99 Passport rewards tier! Minis will be sculpted by artist and WILD POWER GAMES creator Ryan Lesser, and cast by the awesome FORGE PRINTS (see their Kickstarter and examples of their minis here!)

$64,000 - GODS & MONSTERS Expansion. Infuse your creative projects with the power of the gods & goddesses of old in this classical Mythology basked Expansion! Design your own Pantheons of glorious gods & underworld horrors with these special, unique-to-this Expansion prompts. (Contains Mature Content.)

There you have it, guys! Let me know what you think of then new Stretch Goals in the comments section. Discuss!

DUNGEONCRAWLER Expansion is Unlocked!
about 7 years ago – Fri, Apr 07, 2017 at 12:53:17 PM

 Hi All!

Another milestone just completely shattered by the momentum of this campaign! The third iteration in the Expansion series is unlocked - DUNGEONCRAWLER! 

This Expansion is FANTASY with a capital 'F', offering an assortment of new weapons, gear, and character attributes all derived from the look & feel of classic Fantasy RPGs. Some of you I'm sure are still very much immersed in the band-of-adventurers, dice-roiling, & Dungeon Mastering Experience, but for me, this expansion is pure nostalgia. I don't get much time to devote to gaming (you can thank my two year old for that, and also, probably, Adulting in general). But I remember when I was 8 years old, and I saw DUNGEONS & DRAGONS for the first time. I was playing over at my neighbor's house, and his older brother and a bunch of friends were playing it. That moment was a little like looking into the Kid Fourth Dimension, and I played that sh*t relentlessly for years after that.

This Expansion tries to capture the essence of that classic gang of characters heading in to dark and foreboding catacombs. Their costuming, weapons, & possessions - and of course, the creatures they encounter, and the treasures they find. Its very much an Expansion full of classic High Fantasy imagery, great for artists who want to buff out that corner of their Reckless Deck arsenal, but also super applicable to writers, cosplayers, and most definitely, GAMERS.

And now, there is literally NOTHING standing in the way of us unlocking the vaunted RECKLESS DECK: WORLDS! I have every confidence it will happen, and expect it will be sooner rather than later. So, I was going to save this until after we hit the stretch goal, but I'm going to go and float this out there now. Since there seems to be so much anticipation for this deck, I want to hear from you: What kinds of categories and cards do YOU want to see in the WORLDS deck?

Discuss away in the Comments section!

The WORLDS Deck is Unlocked!
about 7 years ago – Thu, Apr 06, 2017 at 12:37:33 PM

 HI All!

Well, this is the Project Update you've all been waiting for - the WORLDS deck is unlocked, and careening swiftly toward a galaxy near you! And MAN, that happened FAST. Congratulations & thanks to all of you who pushed to make it happen!

Its BOLDLY GO time

The WORLDS deck has been on the docket for a long time now, but always seemed to be a bit out of reach, because there was always so much on RD's immediate plate that needed attention. At conventions over the past 2 years, I would often meet people who seemed very eager for an environments-only deck, and in talking to them, would absorb bits and pieces about what they would hope to see in it as far as content goes. So, there's been a WORLDS-dedicated spreadsheet for some time now. But, unlike the other decks, very few final decisions have been made about it. Which is why I began asking the question (and now I'm really REALLY asking it): what sort of categories and cards do YOU want to see in RECKLESS DECK: WORLDS?

The feedback so far has been great. A lot of it has been confirming the content that I've already got in motion - and that's GREAT to hear, because it means where I've been going with things is in fact the correct direction. But many of your suggestions have already sparked new ideas, or have caused me to think about things or organize them in a potentially new way, and that's also very exciting! So keep 'em coming! I'll definitely be keeping all of you in the loop, and create ways for you all to offer feedback as the deck takes shape.

 DECISIONS, DECISIONS

I mentioned somewhat cavalierly over the weekend that once we reached $30K, we'd be releasing the next wave of campaign stretch goals. Of course at that point, I was expecting to have several more days to think it over, and that you all wouldn't be shattering the sound barrier in a rush to get WORLDS unlocked. But, I feel like I've gotten enough clear feedback from you all to know what the next few should be. But before we make that official, I've got a question for you. One thing I've noticed about the $30K-$40K stretch goals since we launched is it's conspicuous lack of new card content. I know there's a lot of you who are really gunning for the 5 Deck Collector's Box, but, with the clear popularity of the newly unlocked WORLDS deck, I see a great opportunity to do a slight revising of the rewards tiers, and offer you the first-ever WORLDS EXPANSION PACK before we reach $40K. If we went this route, it could potentially tuck in between the UV Spot Gloss at $35,500 and the Collector's Box at $40,000 (thus making the WORLDS Expansion Pack a $39,000 goal, and bumping the box to $43,500.) But, I'd only do this after collecting direct feedback from you. So here's our very first Reckless Deck Kickstarter survey question! Follow this Survey Monkey link to answer the question:

Would you like to see a WORLDS Expansion Pack inserted in the Stretch Goals before $40,000?

We'll let this survey do its thing for 24 hours or so, and once we have your answers, we'll announce what the next wave of stretch goals are going to be. What your opinions prove to be about this question will determine how the next wave gets shuffled. (And please, don't take this WORLDS Expansion idea to mean that we've run out of character Expansion material. Trust me, there's PLENTY still to come.)

So let your voices be heard in the survey! And a huge congratulations on unlocking Reckless Deck: WORLDS.