Seven Bells…

Corsairs hit DriveThruRPG and Itch.io on June 2nd, and has since been downloaded 348 times across both platforms. There have been a few extra sales, which has been nice, but almost all of them have been downloaded by Kickstarter Backers.

If you are a backer, and have not received your email, please reach out and let me know!

So what’s with the seven bells? Bells were a way of keeping time on a ship at sea, bell times were used not just to signal the passage of time, but eight bells would signal the end of a four hour watch…

So seven bells?

I left Corsairs ‘open’ for a period of time after the digital rewards were fulfilled. The object was to gather any feedback or corrections, and to generally ensure Corsairs was as tight as it could be before sending it off to the printers. That time is fast approaching. There are but a few days remaining before I ‘close’ Corsairs, and send the files off to the printers.

This is exciting, daunting, and generally thrilling moment, as I take a step I have never taken before – to send something off to be printed, and prepare for the fulfillment of the physical rewards.

This means of course, that the window to get in any feedback is fast closing. If you have had a chance to look at Corsairs, and have noticed any embarrassing slip ups or mistakes, please let me know at caradocgames@gmail.com using the subject line: Corsairs Errata. I have had some feedback already, and it has been much appreciated!

So with the seven bells rung out, we wait the approach of eight bells and the changing of the watch… Corsairs will be sent to the printers, and the next stage of our little Kickstarter will begin in earnest!

Indie Games for Bail funds

Right now on Itch.io there is a bundle of indie RPGs available called ‘Indie Games for Bail Funds‘. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Bail Funds for Protesters.

Here is the link again.

From the bundle:

#BlackLivesMatter, and protesters are doing the work of heros and champions. But because people on the other side of riot shields and barricades don’t get that, sometimes people get arrested, and that sucks. So this is A Charitable Aid Bundle, the proceeds from which will go to bail funds and other causes related to the BLM  movement and the protests for real change on streets all around the world.

All of these amazing indie TTRPG creators have kindly donated their work to the cause. Please buy these games, spread the word, and give back to the community!

All proceeds go to Bail Funds for Protesters, which is splitting all donations between bail funds in cities across the United States. 

Earlier this week I wrote some of my own thoughts on the current situation in a Kickstarter update, which I am adding below:

2020 has seen us gripped by fires, a pandemic, and now I watch what is unfolding in the US… The Black Lives Matter movement that has risen so loudly, defiantly, and powerfully in the US is a storm of energy pent up over generations of abuse and a power differential unfairly weighted against black people. As a white man, I have no context for what this feels like, what this means, and the weight with which it is felt every day. As an Australian I know that Indigenous Australians have suffered too, and continue to suffer a loss of culture, land, language, and self that can never be repaid. I hope this movement in the US brings about positive social change, and I hope it will have ripple effects around the world, not least in my country. 

Over the coming weekend there are going to be protests across my country in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and with a voice that echoes that of the black American community in calling for awareness and change in how Indigenous Australians are treated here in Australia. These protests are going ahead in many states despite some state Governments asking for them not to proceed, threatening fines, and declaring them illegal. I do not know how they will proceed, or what the result will be, but I hope the end result is change.

We are a stronger society together than divided.

Indie Games for Bail Funds has currently raised over $1000 USD, and while that may not be a huge amount, it is something. In that bundle are a host of games, up to 37 items all told, including some wonderful, lavish, and expensive games, reduced and available on sale, with all proceeds going to a fantastic cause. I thoroughly recommend checking it out, and once again, you can find the link here.

Setting Sail

Corsairs has set sail! After the Kickstarter launch as a part of the ZineQuest in February, backers have finally been sent their digital copies of the Corsairs RPG! Before hitting send I was a mix of nervous and excited, immediately afterwards elated and relieved! Corsairs has been released!

Corsairs is a role playing game zine containing the full rules for character creation, and character actions, as well as for ships and sailing the skies of the Molten Seas. Scattered throughout is background information on the floating islands, and the setting of Corsairs, as well as wonderful art from Felicity Haworth. When you buy Corsairs you will also get separate files for the character sheet, the ship sheet, and two rules reference sheets.

Corsairs is available now on itch.io here.

You can also find it on DriveThruRPG here.

If you get a copy, please consider leaving a rating or review!

For the next two weeks I’ll be gathering feedback and questions on Corsairs, before I send the files off to be printed. I’m excited, and I hope anyone who gets a copy enjoys reading and playing the game half as much as I did writing and developing it!