Ashcan and Actual Play

The Ashcan is here! We are still working on getting the final files ready to go, but in the interim, we've put together an ashcan or "beta" version of the module. This has everything you need to run an adventure wrapped up in a convenient to use zine form, just missing some design work. 

I do want to reiterate that this is still a work in progress, so you may spot an error or two that we've missed so far. While we're going to sic our editor and proofreader on the draft, if you see an error or typo and feel inclined to let us know, please either leave a comment on this post, or reach out to us on Discord.

What's Been Taking So Long?

So, it turns out layout is time consuming. Who would've thought? After the manuscript edits came in, I realized that the initial test layouts I had put together weren't up to the quality I would prefer, so a decent chunk of that work was tossed out and started over. I used this as an excuse to properly implement a baseline grid, as opposed to "layout by vibes", which will result in a much cleaner and easy to use zine. However, this also resulted in damn near every piece of text getting edited in some manner to properly fit with the allotted space, which has been where the bulk of our time has been spent since the last update.

Included in the Ashcan

• The text of the module, cleaned up fully laid out.
• Most of the commissioned artwork. During layout we realized we had space to squeeze in another piece by Zach, so that is currently underway to make it into the final.
• All of the required maps for the various locations.
• About half of the additional design assets. These are mostly for setting tone, so the missing pieces won't impact the ability to run the module.

What's Left?

• Editing. A significant portion of the text was adjusted during layout, so we're going to pass this on back to our editor for a quick pass to clean up the new language.
• Design. A decent chunk of assets need to be made now that the text is in close to final layout.
• Art. As mentioned above, we've got one more illustration in the pipeline that'll be wrapped up in the coming weeks.
• Internal linking. As with our other modules, we're going to do a robust series of internal hyperlinking to ensure the digital format is as easy to use as possible.
• Bonus content. This includes a stuff like a custom character sheet and player handout, though it might come after the formal launch depending on how the timing works out.

See The Bloom in Action

For the last few weeks, the award winning podcast Girls Run These Worlds has been running a short campaign of The Bloom over on Twitch, with VODs getting posted to YouTube. Beyond the joys of getting to see someone else run something you worked on, the Facilitator Kat has been doing a fantastic job, even pulling in elements from The Bureau to flesh out the experience. If you'd like to see the module in action, you don't want to miss out on this.

You can find the playlist with 4 current episodes available here. 

We're Coming to Print!

As the final part of this update, we're happy to announce that we've entered an agreement with Space Penguin Ink to bring The Bloom to print! Our focus right now is wrapping up the digital edition for folks who have supported us during the development phase, but once that's done, we'll get print files handed over. We've also got plans for a concurrent release with our other recent adventure One Night at the Shelterwood Inn. We'll have another update here closer to print, but keep an eye out in the coming months.