The shirts have been up on the store and selling well. We have already sold out of the 2XL sizes. I will be considering the option of shirts with some of the art work seen in the Core Rules book as well as Amaurea's Dawn, however my main focus are on the next 3 PDFs.
What's Next
There are 3 remaining stretch goal PDFs to fulfill. Not necessarily in order that they will be released, we have:
Massacre at Writhing Bridge (Intro Adventure) with A Trick of Light (Short Story set in Schlectenberg)
The Endless Dream (Intro Adventure) with The Waking Dream (Short story set in House Rhuviel)
Fields of Harnerton (Intro Adventure)
Advanced Mechanics are still out on the horizon, but most likely won't be out until 2021. There will be playtesting for these, so if you'd like to be a part of that, as well as have input on them, be sure to check announcements on the official Discord ( https://discord.gg/J27ZbYP ), Twitter ( @OpenLegendRPG ), or the Community Forums ( https://community.openlegendrpg.com/ ).
Social Intrigue
Mass Combat
Wallpapers are still on the list, and I may take a break from working on layout to get these out to backers before the end of 2020.
The Future
I am happy with the progress that is being made. It is slow, but steady, as I learn new things, sort through the large drives of data and images, and make new connections with writers and artists. There is already a new adventure slated to start work in November.
As long as there are no other hiccups, there is the strong possibility of a kickstarter in late 2021 or early 2022 for an official bestiary with a goal of 300 creatures.
Thank you
Again, I want to thank everyone for your patience as I continue to adjust and learn so that I can provide high quality products for the system I fell in love with shortly after discovering it. I am excited to see Open Legend RPG continue to grow, and hope you will help by spreading word of mouth about the system!
Your Open Legend Caretaker,
Jonathan aka Great Moustache
August Update
over 3 years ago
– Thu, Aug 27, 2020 at 10:26:07 PM
Things are continuing to progress for the stretch goals, so here's my update on things as they are over the last month!
Shores of Valhalla
Those following on social media ( twitter: @OpenLegendRPG and/or #OpenLegion ) already have seen that the BETA PDF document for Shores of Valhalla is available to download via backerkit ( https://www.backerkit.com/backer_accounts/sign_in ).
Since releasing it in this format, I've already made improvements on the document for the interactive table of contents as well as the sidebar bookmarks that you can view in a PDF (you won't see these improvements in the current PDF on backerkit). I will be waiting another few weeks for any feedback on editing and balance (via Signs of Favor) before pushing out the final PDF.
For those that didn't grab the "All Stretch Goals" tier, I will be making Shores of Valhalla available on the official store ( https://store.openlegendrpg.com/ ).
Wallpapers
I have started work on some of the desktop wallpapers, and have found some good landscape ones. Since there are so many portrait oriented artwork, I have decided to make a few phone wallpapers available too. I am still working on these though, as I want to ensure a high quality resolution.
Shirts
There are a limited quantity of Open Legend Shirts that were hidden away that I will be making available on the official store soon ( https://store.openlegendrpg.com/ ). They feature the Open Legend Key Hole design on the limited edition core rules cover and are available in Purple and Black.
These should be available for purchase in a week, 2 weeks tops. I will make an announcement on Twitter, Facebook, and in the Discord when they are.
Other Stretch Goals
As Shores of Valhalla wraps up, I'll be pushing forward with the Intro Adventures. I'll be looking for those interested in playtesting as well as looking over for any errors. I will do a similar timeline where I make it available first to those who have asked to be playtesters (mostly on the Discord), and then release a BETA version on backerkit.
Information about this will be posted on social media.
Thank you
Thank you for your continued trust as the reins have been handed over to me, and I look forward to the future of Open Legend, and future projects after the Stretch Goals!
Your Open Legend Caretaker,
Jonathan aka Great Moustache
July Update
almost 4 years ago
– Sat, Aug 01, 2020 at 07:40:23 PM
Continuing my promise to give an update each month, we are now at the end of July. Just a few highlights on what is going on, and what I hope to be showing everyone in August.
Valhalla
Playtesting has been going on with a few volunteers. I plan to release a beta version mid to late August that will be available via backerkit to those who pledged with stretch goals. After the beta is release, I will wait at least 2 weeks for feedback and further playtesting before going forward with the full release of the mini campaign setting.
If you are wanting to be a part of the playtesting now, look to the bottom of this update for further information and expectations.
Teaser of edited PDF page:
Desktop Wallpapers
I realized recently that the desktop wallpapers were never sent out. This will be another stretch goal that I will be working towards fulfilling. The biggest hurdle for this is that most artwork done for Open Legend has been in the portrait orientation. This is relatively easy compared to editing and layout of the Mini Campaign and Intro Adventures, though it still requires some work, especially to make sure a decent resolution is achieved. This may be delivered in August as well, but I still have some more sorting to do before I can give a definite.
Playtesting Information
Being a playtester will allow you to playtest the Intro Adventures as they are worked on as well, in addition to the Valhalla Mini Campaign that is currently being playtested.
Expectations of a Play Tester
þ What happens in Play Testing stays in Play Testing
þþ In order to become a play tester, you must fill out a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Basically, until the product has been released to the public, you have to keep it to other play testers.
þþþ If you/your group want to film the games, you can, but you can't release those videos until after the product has gone public
þ Feedback! The whole reason for the play testing is to get feedback about the product. What is good, what is bad, how you felt about it.
þþ This can come in 2 (or more) forms. Feedback to the GM of the game, who then provides that and their own feedback. Surveys that players and GMs can fill out after a game (with optional anonymous ones).
þ Once you have signed an NDA it applies to all present and future Seventh Sphere LLC products, so you can continue to play test other material, but you are not obligated to. You will not receive access to the play testing channels until an NDA has been turned in.
Applying to be a Play Tester
For now, there is no stringent qualifications (this may change in the future). If you are truly interested, you simply need to send an e-mail to:
You will then be e-mailed a link to download the NDA form. You can fill this out and digitally sign it, or print it out, sign it, and then scan it and e-mail it back. Please try to reply only so all e-mails are in a single "thread" or "chain".
Update, Plans, and Valhalla Mini Campaign Setting
almost 4 years ago
– Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 06:01:56 AM
Greetings Adventurers, Legends, and #OpenLegion,
As one of my goals was to communicate with the community, I am sending out this small update on the progress of things with Open Legend RPG and a look into the plans I have. I will endeavor to make an update at least once a month going forward.
Transfer of Open Legend RPG
This part is boring, but I want to be transparent. Things have been progressing with the transfer of the company, but the joys of bureaucratic red tape on top of the COVID-19 situation have slowed some things down. I have already been able to communicate with several of the community and help them with questions and issues that they may have, and it has been great hearing back from them.
Website and SRD
The Community License information as well as the official SRD are being worked on. I plan to have these done by the end of the year for sure, and sooner if possible. There has been a slight hiccup with updating the website that is more on the technical side of things, but that should be cleared up in a month or two.
Stretch Goals
I have been able to start going through many files, and am excited for the stretch goals as a fan of the system. My initial focus is the Valhalla Mini Campaign Setting. I plan to start doing some play testing for this in the coming weeks, for sure at the start of July. I will initially be organizing this via the official Discord (invite link: https://discord.gg/J27ZbYP ).
What I'm looking for in play testers are people that will provide feedback on suggestions, parts that they found difficult, parts they found unbalanced, as well as any editing that might have slipped through so far. Naturally I will need both GMs and Players for this, and there will be an NDA required to be signed until the product is officially released.
The other stretch goals will require more time for layout and design, but as they are prepared, I will be doing play testing for those as well. I want to ensure that the products which get into everyone's hands have gone through the ringer at least a few times before release.
As the products are released and made available for download via backerkit, they will also be made available for sale on the official store, thus making more products available, and showing the continued livelihood of the company while bringing in revenue for future endeavors.
GM Screens
The PDF for the GM screens was released awhile ago by Brian. The process of printing and shipping out the physical product costs money, and as I have just recently purchased the company, there is not a lot of spare money to get this particular stretch goal done right away. I will be going back over the provided estimates for the printing and shipping, getting new ones, and proceed from there to get this out to backers as soon as is practically possible.
Advertising
One of the red tape hold-ups has to do with banking, but that will hopefully be shored up in the next 2 weeks. I will begin some advertising campaigns to draw more attention to the system, and bring new people on board. You can help with this too, but letting others know about the system, and inviting them to join the awesome communities over at the Discord and Forums!
May the Dice ever Explode in your Favor
Expect another update sometime in mid to late July, though possibly sooner depending on what there is to update everyone on.
Your Open Legend Caretaker
Jonathan "Great Moustache" Potter
Changing of the Guard
almost 4 years ago
– Sat, Jun 06, 2020 at 06:42:44 PM
Hail fellow adventurers, steampunk pirate captains, and intergalactic smugglers, I’ve come to know fondly as the #OpenLegion!
Many of you have probably wondered about the fate of Open Legend…
“Is it dead?”
“But the store still works, right?”
“Why is that?”
Great questions, let’s talk about those and others.
3 years ago, about my 7 months after the Kickstarter was wrapped up, I was right in the thick of things writing both the Amaurea’s Dawn Campaign Setting and also the Open Legend Core Rules book. At that time, I had been working probably about 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for a number of years. I had a momentous “crash” and, if I’m being honest, a near miss with a mental breakdown. I’m grateful that I didn’t have a full-on breakdown.
As is often the way when we realize there is something out of alignment in our lives, I sat for a long time in a kind of shell-shocked state and began to ponder my life and the meaning of my choices. After some time, I realized that I had become a workaholic. Open Legend was my 10th business venture. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have started it, and it will always hold a special place in my heart, since it was my brainchild that was met with far more enthusiasm and success of any of my previous mad science experiments as an entrepreneur.
Despite my love for it, I realized that my life had become severely out of balance and Open Legend (as well as other business ventures) had become an escapist means of coping with a life that was deeply painful and void of meaning outside the project itself. Since I was 13, it was Dungeons & Dragons for 20 years and then Open Legend for 7. I know the world is full of pain and I’m not the only one out there who has been helped by Open Legend to create a safe space when sometimes life does not live up to the great dreams and aspirations that we cradle secretly in our hearts. We live out those secret longings in our hearts, and role-playing games are among the best ways to express that. I personally have felt led to move my “adventures” to things that I can feel and touch in real life – rocks, trees, rivers. I spend most of my time outside these days, in the mountains hiking, backpacking, skiing, etc. My heart has been stolen away by these things.
I’ve long hoped for the opportunity to “set the little Open Legend bird free” and entrust it to a better caretaker. For legal reasons, this has only become possible recently. When that option opened up, I knew immediately the person whom I would like to take over as captain of this whacky crazy ship. “Great Moustache” as many of you know him (Jonathan Potter to the rare few who know his no-longer-secret-identity as of this moment) has been an incredible steward of this whole project in my absence. I know that he cares more about it than anyone else involved. I encourage all of you to support him and help him as he learns the ropes (I’ll be helping him behind the scenes as well).
To those who have felt the pain of my poor communication, slow response to emails, and lack of motivation in delivering the content that was promised by the Kickstarter, I promise you that things are about to change in the most wonderful way imaginable.
Please accept my apologies, all who have been affected by my struggle in and through all of this. I know that I’ve let you down. It was never my heart to do that, but I alone am responsible for the ways the company (Seventh Sphere is the owner of Open Legend, technically) has let down her customers. I trust that Jonathan will do infinitely better than I have done and that the company is coming into the bright new future that I’ve always hoped for it, but not had the heart to deliver on.
If you’ve seen the Netflix series “Godless”, I feel it does a decent job of telling my story. “A man who got away clean” is something you might say of the main character and the catharsis he experiences as he rides off into the sunset and away from the darkness of his past.
I hope all of you can forgive me and wish me well on my journey as I ride off into the sunset of the Wild West. Jonathan will take great care of you in my absence and will help address the remaining things that I’ve left undone.
Catch you later on down the trail folks
Brian
-----------------------------------------
Hail Adventurers, Legends, and #OpenLegion
I am Great Moustache (on Discord, and @Great_Moustache twitter), and some of you may have already seen me around. I’ve been involved with Open Legend RPG since finding out about it at the start of the kickstarter campaign. I became involved with the “Admin” team after making the Roll20 Character Sheet, which was a group that served as a sound board for Brian as the rules were being finalized, as well as the creation of a few additional boons, banes, feats, etc. The “Admin” team assisted with some proof-reading, feedback, and editing with the Core Rules as well as some of the setting material. I also got the pleasure of going to GenCon and assisting with and even Game Mastering a playtest of setting material. I have since written a few ideas on additional rules content (feats, boons, banes, etc) and made a few videos.
I have been a huge fan of the Open Legend RPG system, and when the opportunity came to help keep it going, I was quick to jump. This is no small undertaking, however. I recognize the work it is going to take, and I don’t plan to rush anything out the door nor make any sweeping changes. I love this community, and I want to work with it to help make great content and reach more people.
I do not have a time table for things yet, as I will be spending some time going over the current state of Open Legend RPG, and the responsibilities I need to attend to. I also have some learning and educating that I am planning to do in order to be the best I can be for this community. My first focuses will be the following, not necessarily in order:
Getting the website and GitHub updated where needed
Getting an up-to-date and usable SRD put out and available
Working on the original Kickstarter Stretch goals
Renewing Marketing/Advertising
Communicating with the Community
I look forward to seeing the Open Legend RPG system and community grow, and I hope you will join me in this excitement. I ask that you give me some time as the process of transferring ownership is not always immediate, and I will need to see exactly where things are, and what I am able to do first.
Excitedly Yours,
Jonathan “Great Moustache” Potter
-------------------------------------
One last thing I wanted to add, I plan on starting a small playtest for some of the stretch goal content, which will be on the official OL Discord (link to join found here: https://discord.gg/J27ZbYP ). The process won't be immediate, as things will slowly transition over the next week(s) as I get a full grasp of the workings of everything. I plan to have more to post in July, but possibly sooner than that.
I know a lot of you have sent messages, and I will be going through the backlog, but again, I ask you give me some time as I transition into this role for the community.
