August Update
8 months ago
– Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 06:49:09 AM
Happy August folks,
I hope everyone is having a great summer. The unusually good weather has continued in Ireland, but the work on Beyond the Woods continues! I mentioned last month that we were hoping to get text into editing this month, and we are doing just that. The wonderful Ben Doherty is taking a scalpel (or, at times, a hatchet) to the writing, and we’ve even started to get some chapters into layout (which you can see below!). Here’s where things stand at the moment:
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Chapter 1. The Known World: Writing and editing complete, now in layout.
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Chapter 2. Character Creation: Writing and editing complete, now in layout.
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Chapter 3. Species: Writing complete, now in editing.
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Chapter 4. Classes: Writing complete, now in editing.
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Chapter 5. New Rules: Writing complete, now in editing.
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Chapter 6. Talents: Writing complete, now in editing.
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Chapter 7. Equipment: Writing complete, now in editing.
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Chapter 8. Bastions and Outposts: Writing in progress.
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Chapter 9. Magic: Writing in progress.
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Chapter 10. The Unknown World: Chapter outlined, writing due to begin in September.
New Art
We have some awesome new art in from the amazing Siman Vlaisavljević, who has just delivered pieces for the Avartach (Irish vampire) and the Bean Sí. Check it out!
What Next?
As it stands, we are on track to deliver the playtest PDF in September. However, a lot can happen in 30 days so we’ll be sure to keep you updated if anything changes. In the meantime, be sure to join the Discord and let us know what you’re excited about.
Sláinte!
Road Rage
Our friends from down under, Daggerwood Games’, post-apocalyptic TTRPG Road Rage is hitting Backerkit Crowdfunding soon!
In a wasteland ruled by mutant warlords, toxic dust, and jury-rigged machines, you'll play as animal-folk Battlers scrapping for glory, gear, and survival. A d6 dice pool system with unique fail forward mechanics. The rules are light. The action is loud.
- Full-Color Rulebooks
- Custom Toxic Dice
- GM Screens, Venture Decks, Gear Cards & More
Follow the Pre-Launch Page on Backerkit to be first in line when the campaign goes live. Early backers get exclusive Day 1 rewards. Don’t miss out!
You'll also get the Quick Start PDF rules FREE as a thank you for following.
You can Play Today!
July Update
9 months ago
– Mon, Jul 14, 2025 at 06:32:40 AM
Dia dhaoibh a chairde, hello friends!
We’re back with the July update! I’m not sure how the weather is everywhere else but Ireland has been suffering through an oppressive heatwave for the last week, and everyone’s brains are fried. Luckily, it hasn’t stopped work on Beyond the Woods, so let’s get into it and see how things are progressing. As always, if you’d like to stay more up to date or chat with me or any of the other Beyond the Woods fans, be sure to join the Discord.
Writing Update
We’ve made a big dent in the corebook over the last month, and it's now over 75% text complete! Here’s a breakdown on the progress of each chapter. Any chapters not listed are in outline stage:
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Chapter 2. Character Creation: Done!
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Chapter 3. Species: Done!
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Chapter 4. Classes: Done! BONUS: The subclasses for the Draoi are based on the major Gaelic/Irish festivals, so it only felt right to add an extra one! We now have four: Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lughnasadh, and Samhain.
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Chapter 5. New Rules: Done!
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Chapter 6. Talents: Done! (This was a surprise one, it wasn’t even on the schedule for last month!)
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Chapter 7. Equipment: Done!
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Chapter 8. Bastions and Outposts: Outlined and work is starting this week. These rules will help you set up a new base out in the wilds of Tír Nascath.
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Chapter 9. Magic: Complete spell list for the Channeller, Draoi, and Mage, plus a list of Rare and Lost spells. We also have a handful of new spells written, with more to come.
As we mentioned last month, the Tír Nascath Setting Guideis fully outlined with some adventures coming in, but is in the queue for after the corebook is complete.
Art Update
We continue to get some amazing art from our artists. We have some incredible pieces cooking but they're not quite ready just yet. However, Clara-Marie has finished the stunning illustrations for all of the Species, which you can see below!
What Next?
With over 75% of the core rulebook done, we are now going to try to get a playtest PDF into your hands so you can start playing as soon as possible! Editing will begin on any locked chapters at the start of August, with the aim to get chapters into layout by early September — but we’ll have more on that next month.
Until next time!
June Update
10 months ago
– Fri, Jun 13, 2025 at 05:03:53 AM
Hey folks,
With the pledge manager open and the books well into production, we’re going to be moving to monthly updates. We’ll use these to share progress on the books, new art, and anything else we think you might wanna see. If you’d like to stay more up to date or chat with me or any of the other Beyond the Woods fans, be sure to join the Discord.
Writing Update
Writing on the Core Rulebook is progressing well. The entire book is outlined, which means various sections are in place, word counts are locked in, and any new systems have been sketched out. Here’s a breakdown on the progress of each chapter. Any chapters not listed are in outline stage:
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Chapter 2. Character Creation: This has been the main focus of the last few weeks. It’s now about 70% done and should be finished in the next two weeks. This chapter lets you create your character using a lifepath, and is filled with tables to generate your characters skills and abilities, and create a rich background that reflects their life before venturing beyond the woods.
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Chapter 3. Species: Outline and mechanical work is done. Needs to be filled up with juicy lore.
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Chapter 4. Classes: Each class is designed out to level 3, with some going beyond this. Also needs to be filled up with lore.
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Chapter 5. New Rules: Done. You can take a look at 90% of this chapter in the Quick Start.
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Chapter 7. Equipment: 80% done. Needs a few new pieces of gear, as well as details on trading, mounts, and so on.
The Tír Nascath Setting Guide is also fully outlined, with the majority of writing scheduled to kick off once the Core Rulebook is complete. BUT, excitingly, we’ve started to get adventures in from our guest writers! I’ll be reviewing two of these next week, and they’re looking very tasty!
Art Update
We have lots of amazing new art coming in from our incredibly talented artists. Clara-Marie, who did all the Class illustrations, has started work on some of the monsters you’ll find in the Tír Nascath Setting Guide and, hoo-boy, are they looking good! Below you can see her design for the Oilliphéist (oll-ih-fesht) and the Dúlachán (dool-och-awn).
The Olliphéist was a gigantic sea serpent from Irish myth. In Christianised versions of the story, the Oilliphéist fled when St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland, which is what created the river Shannon. In other tales, an Olliphéist named Caoránach (cow-rawn-och) was slain by a man named Conan, and the creature’s blood died the stones of Lough Dearg (darr-ig) red — dearg being the Irish for red. In Beyond the Woods, the Olliphéist appears in one of our guest adventures, The Beast of Black Loch.
The Dúlachán (or Dullahan) is a headless horseman, or coachman, from Irish myth that is said to be the inspiration for the rider from Sleepy Hollow. I wanted our Dúlachán to appear as far more monstrous and terrifying. Rather than being a human revenant, I wanted them to be a wicked fae creature that takes pleasure in tormenting travellers. Clara-Marie captured that perfectly, with the smearing grin, glowing eyes, and grotesque almost two-headed horse!
Thanks again for all your support. Be sure to let us know what you'd like to hear about or see and we'll try to include it in next month's update!
Pledge Manager NOW OPEN!
11 months ago
– Wed, May 21, 2025 at 07:32:24 AM
Hey folks,
BIG NEWS! Following a successful smoke test, the Backerkit Pledge Manager is now open to all backers! Here’s what happens now:
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Pledge Manager Opens: You will (or already have!) receive an email notifying you that the pledge manager is now open. Click the link to get to the pledge manager. If you can't find the email, be sure to check your spam folder or the "Promotions" tab if you're using Gmail.
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Manage Your Pledge: When you get access to the pledge manager, you’ll be asked to confirm your pledge and will have the opportunity to switch your pledge and add extra items. Don’t forget, we added the cloth map and additional fold-out map and sticker sheets as new options!
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Pledge Manager Closes: The pledge manager will remain open right up until we are ready to send out PDFs and ship the books. This means the pledge manager will be open until the end of 2025, or early 2026. You can keep making changes to your pledge, including changing your shipping address, right up until the pledge manager closes. We will keep everyone updated in the meantime.
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IMPORTANT! Shipping and Taxes: Due to fluctuating shipping rates, we will be charging for shipping and related taxes (if applicable) at a later date. We will keep you updated through Kickstarter and will notify you once shipping fees and any associated taxes are added to your pledge.
Once again, thank you all for your amazing support. If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to [email protected]
And if you missed the campaign, don't forget you can pre-order Beyond the Woods here.
IMPORTANT! Pledge Manager Update
11 months ago
– Mon, May 19, 2025 at 09:09:33 AM
Dia dhaoibh a chairde, hello friends!
Today we have some exciting news — we have finished all the necessary prep in the backend, so the Backerkit Pledge Manager will be opening this week! Here’s how it works:
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Smoke Test: Today, we will send surveys to a random 5% of backers from each pledge level. This helps us catch any errors or issues.
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Pledge Manager Opens: Assuming the smoke test goes well, we will send surveys to all backers this week. We’ll post another update when this happens!
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Manage Your Pledge: When you get access to the pledge manager, you’ll be asked to confirm your pledge and will have the opportunity to switch your pledge and add extra items. Don’t forget, we added the cloth map and additional fold-out map and sticker sheets as new options!
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Pledge Manager Closes: The pledge manager will remain open right up until we are ready to send out PDFs and ship the books. This means the pledge manager will be open until the end of 2025, or early 2026. We will keep you updated! You can keep making changes to your pledge, including changing your shipping address, right up until the pledge manager closes.
Shipping and Taxes
IMPORTANT! Due to fluctuating shipping rates, we will be charging for shipping and related taxes (if applicable) at a later date.
We will keep you updated through Kickstarter and will notify you once shipping fees and any associated taxes are added to your pledge.
Questions
Thank you for your understanding and support! If you have any questions, please comment here, message us on Kickstarter, or email us at [email protected]
Adventurers Guide to Alchemy
Our friends at Misfit Hobbies have just launched their new Kickstarter for The Adventurer’s Guide to Alchemy, a beautifully illustrated cocktail and mocktail book designed especially for fantasy TTRPG fans!
The Adventurer’s Guide to Alchemy blends storytelling, worldbuilding, and real-world drinks into one unforgettable game night experience. Alongside the drink book, backers will also receive a companion adventure book, packed with system-agnostic encounters, enemies, and one-shots tied to the recipes, so every drink you serve at the table becomes part of the story.
With over 30 fantasy-inspired drinks like the Shadowstep Martini, Potion of Vitality, and the legendary Dwarven Fire, this is one project that’s made to be shared around the table.
Click here to back it now!
Fury of the Forsaken
From acclaimed designer Richard Pett and award-winning editor and art director Lou Anders comesFury of the Forsaken, a brand-new adventure for 4th level characters forTales of the Valiant and Dungeons & Dragons.
Discover the land of Norrøngard, a cold, inhospitable country inspired by Norse myth and Scandinavian folklore. Here, you and your fellow adventurers must traverse a snow-covered landscape to reach Frekrheim, an ice-bound lake town built upon the frozen waters of a fjord. In Frekrheim, your party uncovers a dark and tragic mystery, while simultaneously working to fortify the town against a siege of draugar—the vile, malevolent undead known as “after walkers.”
Fury of the Forsaken is an intense, moody, atmospheric tale with a dark mystery at its heart and a dramatic battle at its finish.
Click here to back it today!
