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When the Wolf Comes RPG

Created by Ian Stuart Sharpe

An RPG set in the Doom of Ragnarök, utilizing Robert J. Schwalb's Shadow of the Demon Lord rules and based in Ian Sharpe's Vikingverse.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Gifts of the Wyrd Podcast
about 1 year ago – Wed, Jan 31, 2024 at 01:45:28 PM

Hello,

Here is a podcast I recently recorded about When the Wolf Comes. Perfect for a lazy Sunnudagr in Þorri. 

Give it a listen and a share!

Pósturinn Páll!
about 1 year ago – Tue, Jan 30, 2024 at 02:45:30 PM

Hello!

If you were an international backer of the physical rulebook, you should have received an email or seven about shipping. Thanks to everyone who entered into the spirit of solution finding!

Virtually everyone should have benefitted from a reduction in postage through a concatenation of carefully laid plans. 

There is a modern retelling of myth to be written where Útgarða-Loki disguises the postal system as a black and white cat. That's a Postman Pat* meets Gylfaginning joke. 

And so to celebrate, here is a picture of the print proof of the GM Screen.

*  Broadcast in Icelandic as Pósturinn Páll, hence the title of this update. Thank me when you win your next pub quiz or game of Trivial Pursuit. 

"Seven Feet of English Soil" - a postage update!
about 1 year ago – Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 10:24:31 AM

Hello!

More news:

For British and European backers*

I use Gazelle Book Services in the UK to distribute the existing novels and comics. Having exchanged emails overnight, I think there is a solution for British and European backers. Gazelle have a mechanism to move books from US into their UK HQ, and then ship using DPD which is good for large parcels. 

This brings the shipping cost down to to approx. $20CAD for the UK, and approx. $50CAD for mainland Europe. It's cheaper, but it's not quicker. I'll spend some time this weekend checking in with Backers on that side of the pond by email.

For Asian and Oceania backers

I am going to make some more enquiries and see what can be done for far flung corners of the globe. Print of Demand and batch sending are on my list of things to investigate.

For Canadian backers

Yesterday afternoon's update should have everyone a little more relaxed. Homegrown Victoria BC backers have all volunteered to be press-ganged into helping. They are nice like that.

For American backers

I think you should all be good. We found and fixed one glitched account and weird postage amount yesterday night. Email me if  you think otherwise.

And In General

Yesterday went about as well as Harald Hardrada's landing in 1066. (Before the battle of Stamford Bridge, his rival Harold Godwinson swore that the Norse leader would get "only seven feet of English soil" for his invasion. Because he was famously tall, you see? Harald was struck in the throat by an arrow and killed early in the battle, having worn no body armour while fighting with both hands around his sword).

In hindsight, it was obvious that the non-US shipments were crazy and I should have done the homework before contacting Backerkit. The clear message is "look before you leap (from your long ship)"!

So many apologies for the confusion, the collapse of the flanks and the general rout. Let's hope the counterattack is a little better.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at [email protected].

Fram, fram, konungsmenn!

ISS

* Blame Brexit for the extra typing

Canada Post to the (Partial) Rescue!
about 1 year ago – Wed, Jan 24, 2024 at 05:05:43 PM

Hello!

Having discovered the hard way that shipping anything from the US to anywhere is outrageous, I have conversed with a vísendamaðr or two and paid a trip to the local post office. Below, you can see the only printed currently copy in my hands out on a little excursion...

The good news is that, at least for Canadians, we can get the cost of shipping down considerably. The plan will be to get the rulebooks to me (in British Columbia) from the warehouse and box them up myself. That gets shipping down to around $30CAD. 

This will probably be the system we apply to all international shipments, but we will have to balance cost with speed. For example, a UK-bound postage is likely to be around $75CAD airmail or $36CAD (and many moons) using regular mail. I also have to go grab a bunch of boxes and bubble wrap!

We're also looking hard at all the prices in Backerkit, to see if there are other discrepancies that have crept in or economies to be had. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve and will report back.

BackerKit/Surveys with IMPORTANT news for NON US Backers.
about 1 year ago – Wed, Jan 24, 2024 at 12:20:49 PM

Hello!
 
Today, you should have received an email from the team at BackerKit, explaining a few things that we have been doing behind the scenes. 
 
USA Backers: If you are one of the 200 US Backers getting the book, it shouldn't be too painful.
 
INTERNATIONAL BACKERS - please stand by! Recognizing that shipping from the US is exorbitant, we are working behind the scenes on other solutions, such as sending them from Canada instead. Or possibly flying everyone to my house to pick them up. Which might be cheaper.
 
And the background, for those who want the detail:
 
If you have been following the updates here, the project switched publishers to Schwalb Entertainment last summer, which led to some changes to the survey you filled in (which was created by the previous publisher, Outland).
  • The main rulebook is considerably (57%) larger than originally envisaged (392 pages versus 250 pages).
  • Outland Entertainment books are no longer available and have been deleted from the order.
  • Shipping fees have been updated: the project is working with Studio 2 Publishing in Knoxville for fulfillment (they handle Schwalb Entertainment's books) and has used their latest 2024 shipping estimates to calculate cost.
  • We use USPS Priority Mail International Prices (translated into Canadian dollars to estimate the shipping fee). Because the rulebook plus packaging and airbags is nearly 5 lbs, it may have inadvertently caused Trauma and Shock. As above, we are having a long hard look at other options for Non US backers.
  • This is your opportunity to update delivery addresses if you have moved!