The State of the Boy - an Update on the Community & Content post-OGL

Hey Sponsors and general Supporters, I wanted to give you all an update as to what’s happening around here on Patreon, the channel, and the future of my content that you all have generously been supporting.

As I’m sure you all could tell, the past few months has been the most stressful time I’ve ever gone through as a content creator. Despite seeing one of my dreams actualized with the Alchemist Class hitting a print release, we watched this game we love torn apart by the company that creates it. The beautiful thing there is that I’ve never seen the tabletop roleplaying game scene more united than right now. I’m seeing new projects popping up every day, and the anger with Wizards of the Coast sems to be getting channeled into support for independent creators. 

This lead to a lot of new faces joining up on Patreon and in the Discord. In this last month, there was a spike of over $200 a month committed as new sponsorships and my other work has risen back into the  top 50 Most Popular products banner of the DMsGuild. Your support means the world to Amanda and I, and I want to thank you all for being here as we readjust.

So let’s get into the meat of this whole thing and what I’m doing with your money, shall we?

1.) Open Game License

I know people are eager for industry information right now on the OGL stuff. I promise you now as of writing this that I don’t know anything that the public doesn’t know.

Based on the information from OGL 1.1, I’m aware Wizards of the Coast is—at the very least—aware of the content model I and many others have used for our Patreons. Offering content marketed as exclusive without confidence that the content model will not be legally challenged in the future doesn't feel secure, and I would rather figure out something guaranteed for the long term.

2.) Discord

The most important skill any leader can have is the ability to inspire. For the last two years, the Indestructoboy Design-O-Sphere has been an incredible, ever-evolving place I have been honored to have as the hub for this community. 

Last year, I proposed some changes to try and pay for some operating costs of the community. This wound up creating more problems than it solved, and Patreon’s integrations with Discord clearly aren’t up to snuff just yet. It’s time I recognize with all the changes to the OGL stuff, there should be some restructuring here. 

Effective immediately, the Design-O-Sphere will become a free public server 

Roles are going to be mostly dissolved, as I didn’t really consider how the the current structure has a sort of “cool kid’s club” feel back when I made them.

3.) Patreon

I’ve been trying to formulate this plan while still keeping up with the OGL news happening. I’m sorry about getting this to you so late in the month, but it’s important to me that you all spend to support me in a responsible and informed way. I’m not going to beat around the bush here: 

Until there’s more security and clarification; my D&D 5e content that relies on the freedoms of the OGL 1.0(a) is on pause

This does not mean content is going to stop; it means I need to open it up to make sure I’m legally protected. Wizards of the Coast was clearly gunning for the content creation model I and many other creators have been operating under for years, and I don’t feel confident continuing to operate under OGL 1.0(a) with the impression that exclusives would stay exclusive. Keeping it exclusive also would have meant the Rimeguard and Crystallographer wouldn’t have made it to print, and I’m personally having some conflicted feelings about gating content this way as a means of creating content.

I can still do some consultations on D&D 5e and give opinions on what I’m seeing in material submitted, but it’s difficult to give an informed opinion on materials submitted for other systems. I’m working right now to inform myself better on lots of other games, but these are going to be what the Patreon tier provide for now.

Additionally, putting a monthly deadline on myself to get an exclusive out felt like it caused other stuff to suffer. 

Iron ($3.00/mo)

This tier’s main draw was Discord permissions, and since the server is going full-public, this tier is turning into a “general show of support” tier.

Copper ($5.00/mo)

Playtest & Previews Materials Access (My game & other works)

Silver ($10.00/mo)

Copper Benefits

Vanguard & Sovereign PDFs

Name Shout-Outs in Videos

Gold ($25.00/mo)

Silver Benefits

Producer Credit in TTRPG work starting 02/2023

Platinum ($50.00/mo)

Gold Benefits

Legend ($100.00/mo)

Platinum Benefits

We’ll talk something out!

What Happened to Design Credits?

I’m taking the advice of some colleagues and pulling this benefit for the time being. Requests were going to be another added stress on top of the other content I’m making, and I’d like to make sure I do this “making a TTRPG” thing right. This only affects about 4 sponsors, so if this was a major reason for you pledging at the level you previously did, please get in contact with me.

4.) YouTube/Twitch

D&D Coverage

Yeah, I’m pulling the brakes on D&D stuff for a hot second and exploring other tabletop roleplaying games, like the analytics are clearly suggesting you all want.

Mörk Borg

In case you didn’t catch the announcement, I will be stepping out of my comfort zone this year and gamemastering some sessions of Mörk Borg live on stream! You all will know when it happens a good 2+ weeks in advance, and I’m working to get groups together for the first couple of streams. Also be sure to let your favorite content creators know I’ll be running these if they’re interested in checking it out!

5.) Projects

On top of the PoD releases you’ll see below, I’m working on getting PoD versions of Ross Leiser’s works available. With me being approved for print-on-demand layout work on the Guild, 2023 was going to be our “Year of Print” before this whole thing shook out. Flash forward to the OGL 1.1 leak, and these changes have had a lot of us terrified about continuing to work in the D&D space. However, I recognize people are going to continue on with D&D even after the inevitable heat death of the universe, so despite the fact that I will be eventually transitioning to a different system; I still intend on making my D&D work available and publishing ports of my content to 5e.

Let’s go through a roadmap of what I personally have in store for 2023:

Sovereign Update

Some people have asked about the Sovereign’s progress and how I feel about it. Right now I’m comfortable publishing the class after an editing pass, but I know that comes with the caveat of it not being as “complete” as the Vanguard. What I mean by that is, though it is a fully functional 1st-20th level class, there’s some sort of feeling I get when I know a design is “done.” I look on my past work like the Alchemist and Vanguard and feel those are absolutely “complete packages,” but the Sovereign haunts me with feeling like it’s about 90% of the way there.

The problem with this was as I was working on the Sovereign in October, I started getting information on the OGL changes. I knew it would potentially impact the class, so I opted to do the early access publishing to get it out under OGL 1.0(a) before anything would mess up. It will get updates, especially because I intend on getting the thing printed this year. 

Oh... that reminds me!

January: Alchemist Print-on-Demand

This one is out there getting into your hands right now. Thank you all for picking it up and sending me pictures of it!!! It means so much to me to know you guys are getting to hold the work and have it physically present at your tables.

February: Vanguard Print-on-Demand

This one’s off to the printer, and I should have a softcover proof in my hands within 2 weeks. The moment everything looks good, I’ll have it approved for you all to pick up over on DriveThruRPG!

Late Q1 2023: Dancer Print-on-Demand

The Dancer is getting all new artwork from Maxwell, starting the moment the royalties from the Alchemist clear. If you’d like to make a direct donation towards artwork, you can do so directly through my PayPal.

Second Quarter 2023: Merchant and Sovereign PoD

Same as the Dancer, the Merchant will be getting a bunch of new artwork. The Sovereign will be getting a final design pass later this year, and also be up on DriveThruRPG.

Fourth Quarter 2023: Runekeeper PoD

Simply put, this one’s going to be a lot of work and I don’t know that I can guarantee a 2023 release. I know it will be worth it, but I would like to make sure it’s a complete package. I have Ross on the books to do the Elven Runic Dialect, so once that and the Primordial Dialect are done, it should be good to format. 

6.) Aspirations

I’m still chugging away at the D&D Heartbreaker TTRPG, but I wanted to share some other ideas I have for content this year with you all, starting with:

Dark Fort Adventure

As some type of Patreon release, I’d like to challenge myself to use the Dark Fort system and get you all some sort of solo TTRPG adventure! 

Excali-Borg

The pun alone is worth making this. A hardcover Mörk Borg hack of Arthurian fantasy with analogue horror aesthetics. I plan on hitting up the guys at Stokholm Kartell to get some information on just how far I can go with this, but this is one of the “weird ideas” I’ve been kicking around and would love to go hardback print if possible.

What Now?

Since this letter is out to you all, I will be working to implement the changes all over the community. Please reach out if you have any questions. I appreciate you all’s support and patience as we’re navigating all of this. I promise you I’m optimistic for what is to come of everything here.

We’re watching history. It’s a TTRPG Renaissance, and we’re discovering a whole world of potential. I’m stoked to have you all along for the ride.

Love, Taron