The Total Package
about 3 years ago – Mon, Nov 29, 2021 at 08:09:34 PM

Good day, adventurers! It’s Sunday here in LA as we head into the last four days of this campaign. We thought today would be a great chance to show how Call To Adventure comes together with a closer look at the Deluxe Edition package, the Folded Space Insert, and a very cool new Add-On option.

First, congratulations on unlocking our $400,000 (800% funded) stretch goal!

Now let's look inside Call To Adventure: Epic Origins.

An Attractive Package

When we released Call To Adventure: The Stormlight Archive last year, we wanted to do something special. As part of a special partnership with Barnes & Noble, we created this book-style package with a magnetic clasp cover.

This version was so popular that when we designed the Epic Origins package, we knew we had to continue the tradition! After this campaign, the Deluxe Edition of Epic Origins will only be available directly from us (at conventions and sometimes on our website) so this is your best chance to pick it up!

Tray Magnifique

The plastic tray that comes in every edition of Call To Adventure is a good one: it can accommodate sleeved or unsleeved cards, it has separate compartments for tarot- and poker-sized cards, and it includes a removable rune tray. Everything else is meant to stay in the box.

But for this campaign, we wanted to offer something even better. A couple of months ago, we got our hands on Folded Space inserts and fell in love with the quality. Made from sheets of Evacore (diecut laminated memory foam), they’re sturdy but lightweight. Assembly is easy and fun, requiring nothing but your hands and a little bit of standard glue. Most importantly, the Folded Space insert offers separate storage for every deck, and every compartment is easily removable. That makes the game really easy to set up and put away.

When we first approached Folded Space, we were happy to move forward with regular gray foam like we’d seen in other products. But the Folded Space team was so excited about Call To Adventure that they offered us a new feature that they first created for their Gloomhaven inserts: full-color printing.

This insert will retail for $30 in the future, but it’s available as a $25 Add-On during this campaign. You can also get it as part of the Epic Hero pledge level (which also includes the neoprene playmat, a $25 value) for just $35 more than the Hero pledge level. Every Folded Space insert can accommodate 64 sleeved Character cards, 120 Story cards, and 96 Hero/Antihero cards, with two extra trays that each hold 36 Tarot-sized cards. It’s enough to fit everything in one big Call To Adventure set (the original, Stormlight, or Epic Origins) plus the smaller Name of the Wind expansion.

A New Classic

We’ve heard from a lot of people who have said they love the Deluxe Edition packages for Epic Origins and The Stormlight Archive, but wish they could match the original Call To Adventure. So today we’re unlocking a fun new $10 add-on:

To be 100% clear, this is an empty box. We don’t want to force anyone to buy the game again, but the print run is too small to offer a “just-the-box” version and a “with-the-game” version. If you’re adding on the original game and want this box, that will require two add-on purchases for a total of $40. However, we are making it free for anyone who pledges at the Chosen One pledge level!

Up for the Challenge

Our next stretch goal is at $415,000 and will unlock three new Challenge cards to give Act II even more variety. These images are just placeholders while our design team and artists work on all-new cards!

Even if you're already a backer, you help this campaign reach this $415,000 goal. If there’s an Add-On you’d like, you can add dollars to your pledge right now and choose your Add-On in BackerKit. (For example, if you want the Deluxe Box for Call To Adventure, you can just increase your pledge by $10.) If not, you can still help by spreading the word about this campaign!

Thanks for everything you’ve already done to get us this far, and here’s to a big finish as we head into the final days of the campaign.

Up for a Challenge?
about 3 years ago – Mon, Nov 29, 2021 at 12:52:25 PM

Greetings, Heroes!

We're getting close to the end of the campaign, and we'll be sharing more information about add-ons during our final few days. In the meantime, we wanted to share a little bit more about Epic Origins and how it differs from -- and stays true to -- the Call to Adventure games that came before it.

Challenges in Epic Origins

Yesterday we talked about Traits, a solid way to grow your hero when you need that certain icon. We also talked about how traits and Challenges differ. Challenges are the heart of Call to Adventure. They give your hero a choice, but then make your hero struggle to fulfill that choice. For veteran Call to Adventure players, challenges in Epic Origins will feel familiar but just a bit different. Let's take a look.

 1. The first thing you'll notice is that the challenges of Epic Origins are straight out of classic fantasy RPG adventures. You'll face goblins, dispel insidious curses, and even travel the planes. A hero built in Epic Origins should feel right at home in your 5E campaign.

2. You'll also notice that the format of challenges in Epic Origins has been made more consistent than in previous expansions. Now, every challenge has a base difficulty path (at the top of the card) and a +1 difficulty path (down below). This subtle change reduces the chance of getting "stuck" but makes every challenge a meaningful choice: do you push for the greater reward?

3. Challenge rewards have been balanced as well, featuring a better mix of Hero and Antihero cards and including more Tragedy paths. We've also reinforced the idea that Tragedy paths are more about surviving hardship and not about "being evil." (Villainy story icons are still available for you true ne'er do wells.)

4. Lastly, all of the challenges have been built around the array of story icons. Story icons reward you for set collection (the more you have, the better), but they're also a fun way to thread your hero's story together.

We're quite happy with how this set of challenges turned out, and we can't wait for you to start playing with them!

Closing in on the Mercenary

We're just a handful of pledges away from unlocking a new origin card, the Mercenary!

 The Mercenary is one of our favorite new Origins due to the flexibility it gives you during the game. And for those of you who like to see how stretch goals come together, here's a look at how Ari Ibarra worked during the past week to get this illustration ready:

We hope you're having a great weekend and we'll be back tomorrow with a closer look at the Deluxe Edition box and Folded Space insert!

Trait Yourself
about 3 years ago – Sat, Nov 27, 2021 at 02:17:22 AM

Happy Friday, friends! Normally, the middle of a Kickstarter campaign is a slow time, and you’d expect that to be doubly true during a major holiday in the States. But we’re continuing to grow and unlock stretch goals, including a big one today: three new Story cards for Act III!

The three new cards we’re adding to the game are all Traits, so today we’ll take a look at Trait cards and what they bring to the game.

Trick or Trait?

In Call To Adventure: Epic Origins, you start with four Character cards: your Heritage, Origin, Motivation, and Destiny. These form the heart of your engine, but your hero grows with every Story card you gain. Most of these are Challenges, which require you to push your luck and cast the runes. Trait cards only have one path, and can simply be added to your tableau.

In general, Challenge cards are calibrated to have higher point values than Traits. They also give you more options: because they have two paths, they’re more likely to provide an Ability rune or story icon you want. But they can be tricky to overcome, while Traits are safe bet. If you want to play more conservatively, Traits are the way to go.

Trait Up

As you move through each Act, you’ll see Traits rise in power. In Act I, they just give you an Ability rune, and the chance to trigger some kind of bonus:

If you compare Traits in Epic Origins to the original Call To Adventure, you’ll find that their rewards are a little lower, but they no longer require any kind of prerequisite. That makes them a more reliable backup plan.

In Act II, they get a little stronger. Instead of corresponding to skills, they line up with different roles a hero might play:

Finally, Act III Traits unlock two Ability runes. Some of these are inspired by RPG “prestige classes” from the past:

At this point, the Challenge vs. Trait decision has the highest opportunity cost. Taking a Trait means you miss out on the chance to earn at least 3 Triumph or Tragedy points that you’d get from facing a Challenge. But if you need certain runes to face the final Adversary, they can be a good choice.

Thanks to the stretch goal we unlocked today, we’re working on three new Traits! We’re still working to brief our illustrators on these new cards, but we’ll share a sneak peek at them once they’re ready.

Victory Has Its Price

To finish tonight’s update, we have another stretch goal that will take us to $400,000! It’s a new Origin card called Mercenary, which seems very appropriate for Black Friday.

Unless the weekend slows us down, we’re hoping to unlock this tomorrow. So stay tuned for a closer look in tomorrow night’s update!

Thanks for another great day, and we hope you treat yourself to a fun and relaxing weekend.

A Day of Thanks
about 3 years ago – Fri, Nov 26, 2021 at 11:23:14 PM

It's Thankgsiving here in the States, and we'd like to wish all our fellow Americans a Happy Thanksgiving! We're feeling particularly thankful to all of you today, regardless of where you are; the support for this campaign from around the world has been heartening. Our company was started on Kickstarter and we continue to rely on the backers here to make our games as special as they can be.

More Cards Unlocked

This morning we unlocked the adaptable Constructs.

That means we've unlocked a total of three new Heritage cards, providing tons of options for your starting heroes!

Next up, we'll be trying to unlock three new Act III Traits at $390,000. Traits are a critical part of your hero's story and in Epic Origins. They often present you with a difficult choice...or a spectacular opportunity. In true stretch goal fashion, we don't actually have these illustrated yet, so we're using some already existing stand-ins in the stretch goal art.

Art Decks

In yesterday's update we showed off the work of the talented artists of Call to Adventure. Today we want to remind you of the Art Deck add-on!

Tarot-sized decks featuring the art of the base game and Epic Origins will be available in the pledge manager to serve as writing inspiration, RPG campaign prompts, and general admiration.

May all your feasts be royal...

If you're in the States, we hope you're having a royal banquet with your friends and family today.

We're off to celebrate with our own family today and will see you tomorrow!

The Art of Epic Origins
about 3 years ago – Thu, Nov 25, 2021 at 02:46:24 AM

Artwork has always a big part of Call to Adventure, so tonight we’re bringing you an image-filled update with a closer look at this game’s illustrations. But first, we’re celebrating a huge addition to the value you get when you back this Kickstarter: the Forgotten Feats pack!

Thanks to your support, we’ve unlocked this major stretch goal and we’re well on the way to our next one.

The Science of Art

Great art is essential to the Call To Adventure experience. Our goal with this game is to stimulate your imagination and inspire storytelling, so it’s important that the art be compelling and evocative. There’s also a lot of it! With over 150 illustrations, the art budget for this game is something we couldn’t pull off without a Kickstarter.

Our aesthetic is informed by concept art. Our images aren't as tightly rendered or photorealistic as you see in many games. We ask artists to leave a bit more to the imagination, with painterly brush strokes and dramatic lighting. That said, we welcome a variety of styles. Here’s an image we provide our artists to give them a sense of that range:

Every card also requires thorough and thoughtful briefing. That’s where are our art directors come in. In the past, this process has been managed by Johnny – we wear a lot of hats here at Brotherwise – but for Epic Origins we also enlisted the aid of our longtime friend and collaborator Darren Calvert.

Here’s an example of the written art brief for one of our cards:

Favored Soul

• Type: Destiny (Tarot sized)
• Subject: A woman (African features) with a glowing mace reaches down to save an ally from falling into a pit of shadowy phantoms.  She’s dressed as a higher-level cleric or paladin “healer” type: white robes, probably some gold jewelry or armor.  There could be a bit of a “divine glow” surrounding her.
• Setting:  The edge of a pit filled with swirling shadows.  Probably in some sort of cave/underground setting.
• Action:  The woman pulls her ally up from the pit, drawing strength from her connection to the divine.  The shadows grasp and claw, trying to drag her ally down.
•  Mood: Narrow escape.  Divine light driving back the darkness.

But we don’t stop there! Here's a look at the visual brief that Darren created (left). Based on all of this, Artur Mosca delivered the final piece (right).

This was a very specific brief, but Artur delivered exactly what we wanted …while exceeding our expectations and bringing his own unique style. There's nothing cooler than seeing a piece come together like this. 

Art Appreciation

A total of 28 artists contributed to this game, and we are grateful to every one of them. To give you a sense of the talent and variety you’ll see in this game’s art, here’s a sampling of our illustrations.

Sometimes, we’re looking for pieces that feel hopeful and uplifting...

Other times we want badass imagery of fearsome villains and hardened antiheroes.

Horror-themed challenges and adversaries should inspire a sense of fear.

We want players to feel like they’re in a world where adventure is around every corner…

…but if you follow your hero’s journey, any challenge can be overcome!

Building a Better Heritage

Our next stretch goal is very on-topic. Way back in 2004, Johnny and Darren met online because they were both creating fan content for D&D. The first time they collaborated was on an Eberron fan site. Years later, Johnny is a game designer and Darren has worked as an official D&D illustrator. But they still both love friendly-looking fantasy robots, so our next stretch goal is the Construct Heritage card!

We’re already pretty close to unlocking this, so check back tomorrow for a closer look.

Thanks to everyone for another great day in this campaign, and for all your comments on yesterday's update. We're digging all the awesome book, movie, and genre ideas for the next Call To Adventure. We’ve read every suggestion and they’ll definitely guide our decision-making. It’s clear that there’s no shortage of ideas for ways to expand Call To Adventure in the future!