The definitive guide by Sandy Petersen. New rules and over 100 monsters for the Cthulhu Mythos plus tons of 28mm scale miniatures.
I just got this short email from our shippers regarding the US plastics sets situation:
Good morning,
Just got this message from the exam site facility. "US Customs is still in process of exam at this time."
I know this is non-news, but just keeping you as updated as possible.
We are still furiously working to get it done and into a PDF form for you to download. We understand it is frustrating when there are delays.
Some interesting news on this front is that freelance developer David Ross, who you may be familiar with, is tying up all the loose ends for us in the book to ensure equal quality across all the chapters and sections.
This is our first effort at a large sourcebook for a role-playing game (yes, Sandy has authored, co-authored, and developed countless RPG supplements in the 1980's, but it is very different when you are running your own company and handling it all). We've learned a lot from this experience, notably the value of extra freelance eyes going over content.
One thing we know to do for the future - we won't be Kickstarting any Pathfinder (or other) RPG sourcebooks unless the text is already fully developed, so that it can go to print far quicker. That was our primary mistake, and one we are actively correcting (hint).
The containers for the Americas are still at US customs, in "intense exam." This is extra frustrating for us because they refuse to give us any estimate whatsoever about how long it will take, and how many other containers are in line before us. We have repeatedly tried to get answers, and have been met with non-replies each time.
In short, we are completely in the dark, and have been for about two weeks regarding the status of our containers. The only thing we know is that the US government has them.
An "intense exam" has happened to us once before, in 2015, and that time only took about two weeks total. We are now already at about two weeks, so hopefully not too much longer. But we just don't know.
The moment I know anything, I will of course send a short update just so you know it's out of customs and back to us.
The container sent to Europe hit some bad weather, delaying the ship, but has since arrived in port. However, there is so much traffic in the port right now for unloading and customs that we've been told the container will not be able to arrive at the warehouse until May 16th.
On May 16th they should kick it out fairly quickly and so you should get tracking for your order shortly after the 16th. Unusually, many or all of you may even get it before all the US orders for a change. We'll see.
There was an error in what was sent to Australia. The total weight of the container matched what it should have been and the shipping marks and documentation of what was sent shipped matched the order that we told them to send to Australia. So, no one had any reason to believe there was an error until the cartons were actually opened in Australia and the fulfillment center told us that they couldn't fulfill all the orders.
This is because a handful of SKUs were missing, despite the container weights matching. It is a very peculiar thing. And it means we cannot fulfill all Australia orders just yet.
That said, our fulfillment warehouse is sending the orders that can be completed now (for which all the SKUs you ordered, we have in Australia).
Our assumption, which we cannot even verify yet, is that the SKUs that are missing in Australia were erroneously packed by the factory into the US containers somewhere. Since US customs has this product, we cannot even check, though.
All the plastic miniatures sets have been shipped to the Asia region!
Basically, when it rains, it pours. And right now it's pouring shoggoth protoplasm on our heads, apparently.
- Brain Cylinder #83.7.1
First off, the bad news. We don't have the .pdf of the entire book ready as we said we would. We are still a couple of weeks off from this completion. It's really just assembling & final editing. The good news is that this is being done because I am being compulsive and perfectionist about the last stages of the material, not because we're slacking off. Blame me, Sandy, and no one else.
I'll be signing the vellum sheets for those people who are getting the leather-bound books next week. The sheets are being shipped out of China, I'll sign them and send them back, and then they'll be bound into the books. (Front page!)
The Deep Ones are an incredibly strange species. Though they live undersea, they are capable of operating on land. Unlike any other known species, they can interbreed with other species, producing (eventually) more Deep Ones, rather than hybrids or mongrels. They are able to grow (or shrink) to different sizes, based upon diet. They have their own culture, ancient and independent, yet seem somehow tied to, and interested in, humanity and other mortal cultures. The key to the Deep Ones is to understand that they are an artificial species, created by Great Cthulhu to interact with, and possibly to supplant, humankind. They are physically roughly similar to humans (at least they are bilaterally symmetrical, and have four limbs), so that they can interact more effectively. They even use vocal sounds for speech. (Cthulhu’s species does not – they are telepathic.)
The Deep Ones are not an ancient species, though their culture is older than most mortal races. They themselves were designed shortly after humankind rose to prominence, because Cthulhu foresaw a need for their existence.
Deep One Life Cycle
The Deep Ones are able to reproduce with almost any other species of appropriate size. The resulting young look like the non-Deep One parent. Thus, if a Deep One mates with a large squid, the spawn looks like a squid. If a Deep One mates with an elf, the spawn looks like a baby elf.
Over time, the spawn grows and matures, and eventually it will begin to make the transformation to Deep One. In humanoid races, such as orcs, humans, or dwarfs, this starts usually a decade or two after the person reaches physical maturity. In a human, the hybrid would usually be in his or her 30s. The metamorphosis takes years to complete, often another decade from when it starts. Psychic or emotional trauma or shock can accelerate or stimulate the change.
The more different the mate is physically (particularly in terms of bone structure) the longer the metamorphosis takes. For example, a dolphin may take two or three times as long to complete the change as a human.
Once the Deep One change is complete, the entity typically moves undersea and joins with the rest of the Deep Ones. Ideally, the Deep Ones themselves are aware of their spawn, and keep in contact with them, even putting together social constructs to educated and control such individuals (such as the Esoteric Order of Dagon).
Under the Sea
Deep One society below the waves is stratified and controlled by the older, higher ranking entities. One feature of Deep One biology is that they can continue to grow, if fed sufficiently. The leaders ensure that this is done in a controlled basis – only those Deep Ones that are needed to be huge in size are permitted to do so. On occasion there have been entire cities that were ordered to become gigantic, but in a typical city, only a few individuals exceed the normal size, because it is more difficult to feed a gigantic population, and giants cannot as easily hybridize with the mortal races. When Deep Ones grow to large size, they do not necessarily stay humanoid in appearance. Instead, their body form can continue to mutant and adapt, and so extremely large individuals may look more like sea monsters than giant frog-things. Dagon and Hydra are good examples of this trend. The Deep Ones have a lot of skill in biology and genetics, and thus can often control and direct such growth.
Deep Ones are perfectly capable of domesticating and using other types of undersea creatures (particularly mythos beings such as shoggoths), and are generally the most socially and magically sophisticated races of the sea on any world in which they exist.
Deep Ones typically construct large and complex cities deep under the waves. When these are located near a shore, the local population is often subverted by the Deep Ones in many ways.
Interaction
The Deep Ones maintain constant surveillance and contact with the surface world near their homes. Their ultimate purpose is not determined by them, but by Cthulhu’s design for them. They not only monitor mortal activity, but may some day be used to supplant the mortal realm. Their hybridization and inbreeding is one important tool towards that goal, for it allows them to blend in with mortals. The hybrids, of course, knowing they will one day be full Deep Ones, are fully supportive of the Deep One goals.
All,
If you need to change your address, please email: [email protected]
This is the last day you will be able to change it, for the miniatures sets. Do not email Backerkit's support. They can no longer help you.
On April 13th, we will need the final file for all our shippers. If you are not able to provide a new address by today, please be prepared to retrieve your package(s) from whatever address you previously provided!
North and South America's container is arriving in port tomorrow. This means you should be expecting your package and tracking in 2 to 4 weeks, depending on various factors (such as customs, and how long it takes for the pick and pack, and if you live at the furthest point from our fulfillment center).
The European container is arriving in port April 20th. After April 20th, expect it to be on its way to you within 2-3 weeks, depending on various factors.
The Australian container arrived in port a few days ago. I'm told Australia had a holiday last Friday and Monday, but your rewards down under should be on their way to you shortly as well (getting it hopefully within the next 2-3 weeks, depending, again, on various factors).
Thanks!
All,
There are a few weeks left until some regions (such as EU) reach their port. However, the final fulfillment and shipping list for the plastic sets is being prepared as we speak.
If you need to change your address, please email:
[email protected] today!
To make sure it gets done as quickly as possible, please include the name of the KS project (in this case Sandy's Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos).
When we are preparing to ship the book this summer, you will be able to update your address again - this is only for the plastic sets.
Don't delay!
Thanks!