Happy Saddleversary! Year 5 starts now! Two minor Patreon updates and...a Saddlebag video game?! (Patreon)

Hey heroes!

In case you just want to cut to the game details, you can scroll down just a little bit ;)

If you've been here for a while, you know that I try to only make changes to the formula on Patreon at the start of each new Saddlebag year (each November). This is so that you can rest easy knowing that your monthly pledge reliably gets you what you expect. I want to make sure that you always feel confident with your support!

By year 5, I've got this down pretty well. However, a minor Quality of Life update I can make this year is that...

All new item Art and Card posts will be combined.

Nice! Now you'll just get one email a day from me, instead of two.

This has taken so long to change because of the original tier spread on Patreon. You may remember last year when that was updated, and ever since the Art and Card files have remained separate to abide by the same tiers they'd always been split across. However, for those who've stuck in here at the old Wandering Hero tier, you'll now get access to these new card files, too. Thank you for your long-term support!

Subclasses are continuing to be monthly. Settings will be quarterly*.

* with the exception of the last year 4 setting, which should have been out yesterday, but I'm still catching up from GenCon scheduling repercussions.

This change will only affect year 5 content. After year 5, subclasses will continue to be monthly, but settings will be bi-monthly (every other month). This is to make sure that I don't have to split up future compendiums. When you start printing too many pages, the books' binding gets fragile and prone to falling apart. The alternative would be that I make two books every other year, one for items and one for settings and stuff, but that'll just fracture your libraries and I'll need to pay to warehouse twice as much. This way, the number of settings remains low enough that I can keep them in the books with everything else so it's always all-inclusive.

Okay okay okay, but what's this about a game. Like, a video game?

Yes! And you can be among the first to read about it and support it on Patreon here! 

Introducing Daemons! 

This has been a side project of mine for over a year and a half, and I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with you!

I grew up playing games like Pokemon and Final Fantasy, like I suspect a lot of you have. In my adulthood, Dungeons and Dragons has recreated the sense of joy and wonder that I had when playing those earlier games. Now, it is my distinct and incomparable privilege and joy to be able to bring these beloved elements together in a brand new IP that falls within the larger Saddlebag (or Criir, rather) umbrella of content. You'll even encounter some friends you already know from the Saddlebag in the world of Daemons!

Both Dungeons and Dragons and Pokemon suffered from Satanic Panic scorn. What better way to bring them together than by summoning actual otherworldly (and adorable) creatures?

We're currently heads down on making the inaugural demo for it, but you can dive into the monsters, the world, and its development trajectory now!

Daemons! is an upcoming video game that features isometric pixel art and satisfying turn-based combat. Drawing on fan-favorite elements from games like Pokémon, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Stardew Valley, Daemons! is a vocal love letter to some of the most beloved games of a generation.

Combining the timeless charm of nostalgic pixel art with the sensibilities of modern day game design, Daemons! sets out to make a game and world that fills players with joy at every  turn. It has been in active development since the spring of 2021.

Support the Daemons Patreon here!

In Daemons!, you take on the role of a Pact Keeper: a  person capable of piercing the veil and interacting with the creatures  on the other side. This separate realm, called the Dae, overlaps  harmlessly with our own. The lovable creatures that live there are  called daemons—literally Dae Monsters—and it's through your supernatural sight that they're able to interact with you.

You can call on befriended daemons to assist you on your adventure and take part in fast-paced gridded combat. Encounters can be found anywhere throughout the world at whatever pace you choose: no more frustrating wild encounters! Combat meshes the snappy battles from classic games like Pokémon with the satisfying structure of gridded combat of Final Fantasy Tactics and Dungeons and Dragons.

If you want a deep dive on all the Daemons information there is to know, you can jump to this post here. 

Daemons are balanced to be viable in all levels of play. Take your first team with you from start to finish, or swap in new  daemons along the way to discover unique combinations. As daemons gain  levels, you can choose how their stats improve and even upgrade the moves they use to customize your battle style and tactics.

There are 14 different types of daemons. Each type has 3 unique strengths and weaknesses, with only a few exceptions. This makes virtually all type combinations equally valuable!

Unique team compositions can be used to your advantage. Gain special  bonuses when using teams daemons of a single type or shared theme. If you  decide to be the master of Thunder-typed daemons, you certainly won't be  punished for it!

Daemons come in all shapes and sizes. Even among the same species, their  colors can vary based on where they're found! All daemons have a star  shape somewhere on them, such as in a pattern or hidden in its natural  form.

On your adventure, you'll find people in need of your unique help as a Pact Keeper. You'll also have a grander quest to restore and lead your hometown's daemon clubhouse—a community center for Pact Keepers like you.  Dark forces in the world are also seeking to abuse the relationship  that daemons have with humanity, and it will take someone like you to  find and put a stop to their efforts.

The Daemons Patreon campaign is pay-per-post. Paid posts are generally  once a week and feature daemon art, characters, development updates, and/or additional world lore.

Every $100 is roughly equal to 1 hour of combined art and development.
100% of your support goes directly toward funding the game's creation.

Your  pledge of $2 per post allows you to choose your level of support. At  checkout, simply choose the number of posts each month you'd like to be  billed for. You'll always have complete access to every post as a  patron, even if you didn't pay for them all. Support the project  proportionally to your level of interest and budget!

The game's credits will feature patron names in descending order of financial support. The more you support the project, the higher up your name will appear.

Regardless of your level of support, whether it be as a follower or patron, thank you for being here. With your help, we can't wait wait to bring Daemons! to you.

So, welcome to year 5 for the Saddlebag! And a huge and endless thank you for your continued enthusiasm with the content and your belief in it even all these years into it. I am grateful every day for your support, and hope to be able to translate that into even more delightful means of bringing joy to your lives, both on the table and, now, to your TV and computer screens. :)

You are all, truly, my heroes. Again, thank you so much, and as always...

Keep on adventuring!

-g