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Wayfaring Strange

Created by Drowning Moon Studios

Wayfaring Strange is a tabletop roleplaying game about hidden highways, urban legends, folk magic, and survival in liminal America.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Addendum to the Previous Update
19 days ago – Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 11:59:20 AM

Hi everyone, I wanted to give you a brief update regarding progress on the PDF for the Wayfarer's Guide. For the last couple of week's I've been working to finish the last bits of proofing and layout, intending to have the book to you by Halloween. Unfortunately, I've run into an unexpected delay with the software I'm using, so it's taking longer than I hoped. 

The short version is that the software keeps bugging and shutting down every couple of hours while I'm in the middle of working with it. I'm talking to the company that makes the software and attempting to troubleshoot the problem, but I'm not sure I can guarantee the book will be out tomorrow. At this point, I've just accepted that the book will be done when it's done, and that will hopefully be in the next couple of days.

Once again, I'm really sorry for the delay, especially this close to the finish line. I am doing my best to have the book to you as soon as I possibly can.

Project Release Timeline & New Crowdfunding Project, Final Girl Rising
27 days ago – Tue, Oct 22, 2024 at 01:28:23 PM

Project Release Timeline Updated

Hello Wayfarers! I wanted to let you know that work on the core book for Wayfaring Strange, the Wayfarer's Guide, is complete, save for one last round of proofreading. We plan to distribute PDF copies to backers via Backerkit on October 31st, 2024! We'll notify you here as well, but keep an eye out for that book hitting your inboxes before the end of the month.
 
I've completed outlines and skeletons for each subsequent book, and should begin fleshing out the next one the first week of November, with a planned delivery date before Christmas. (I promise not all of the books will be released on major holidays, though I'm strongly considering releasing the 3rd one on Valentine's Day for the bit XD.) My goal is to have a new book in the series to you every 2-3 months until complete, and begin shipping physical rewards 1-2 months after the final book in the series is released.

New Kickstarter Launched: Final Girl Rising

I also wanted to mention that Drowning Moon Studios has launched a brand new crowdfunding campaign for a slasher horror ttrpg called Final Girl Rising! If you're a fan of horror games, you might be interested in our newest project, which has just launched on Kickstarter today! 

Final Girl Rising is a feminine slasher horror roleplaying game that explores and dissects the popular horror trope of the "final girl." In Final Girl Rising, you play as one of six horror movie heroine archetypes doing whatever you can to survive, by supporting your fellow players and ensuring at least one of you makes it to the end of the game alive. It uses the Powered by the Apocalypse rule system, and is available as a 6x9 hardcover book and PDF. A supplemental book, called Final Girl Rising Supercut, filled with chilling scenarios for players to explore, is also available as a 6x9 softcover book and PDF.
 
Final Girl Rising is a love letter to the slasher genre, feminine horror, and the will to survive and is the perfect horror game to round out your spooky season. Back it here on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drowningmoonstudios/final-girl-rising

That's It for Now!

Thank you once again in believing in Drowning Moon Studios. As a tiny indie studio, your support means the world to me. Look for PDF copies of the Wayfarer's Guide here on Backerkit in just a few days, and have a happy Halloween!
 
-Joie

Poll Results & New Cover
2 months ago – Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 08:47:04 AM

Hello Wayfarers! A brief update to let you know the results of the poll, and to give you a sneak peek at the new cover for the core book, the Wayfaring Strange Wayfarer's Guide!

In the last update, I put up a poll on Twitter to determine what design should go on the back of the wooden nickels for Wayfaring Strange. You overwhelmingly voted (72%!) for a nautical star/compass design, so that image will be on the back of the wooden nickels, and the Wayfaring Strange logo will be on the front.

I also wanted to update you on the progress of the core book. At this time, art for the book is complete, so the layout and proofing process has begun. I did want to give you a sneak peek at the cover for the game, however, and you can find that attached below:


The cover, and most of the artwork for Wayfaring Strange, are composite images created in Photoshop. They usually start with a base photo that I build on top of using a variety of techniques. This one was made through the use of color correction and enhancement, highlighting, filters, graphic layering, editing and hand drawing.

Hopefully the next update will be to notify you that the Wayfarer's Guide is done. Keep your fingers crossed!

New Timeline and a Poll
2 months ago – Sun, Sep 08, 2024 at 01:42:45 PM

Hello Wayfaring Strange backers! I apologize for so long without an update, but I appreciate your patience while my body decided to revolt. I finally managed to overcome the health issues I was battling, and had my final checkup, post-kidney surgery, a few weeks ago. So far, everything seems to be operating exactly as it should. This means I've been jumping back into various projects and moving forward on Wayfaring Strange.

As of now, the core book for Wayfaring Strange, the Wayfarer's Guide, is completely written and edited. I'm currently working on additional art and layout, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to get the book into your hands in the next couple of weeks. Once that's done, I'll begin working on the supplemental books in turn, starting with the Travel Guide's Atlas. Once all PDFs are complete, I'll begin the printing process, then shipping physical rewards.

Regarding physical rewards, I'll be using the same wooden nickel supplier I use for demo games, but I'm stuck on what to put on the back of the wooden nickels. I have several options, so I thought I'd leave it up to you to decide. If you'd like to vote on which design to use, there's a link to a poll on my Twitter account below. It's only open for a week (because that's as long as they'll let me keep it open), but I'm interested in your feedback! Right now, I'm debating between the traditional wooden nickel buffalo, the pyramid-and-eye (aka the "eye of providence"), or a nautical star/compass. I've also left room to suggest other designs, if you have more ideas I haven't thought of.

You can cast your vote for the wooden nickel design here: https://x.com/awaywardmoon/status/1832879877134962694

Finally, I originally intended to have all books in this series complete by October of this year, but it currently looks like I'll only have the core book done by that deadline. I'm really sorry for the delay, but I'll continue working on the additional books in the coming months, and I'll endeavor to keep you better updated on my progress. I really do appreciate the trust you've put in me and, once again, thank you for believing in this weird little game!

Locking Orders & An Overdue Update
12 months ago – Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 09:43:22 AM

Hi everyone, I realize it's been a while since I last updated, so I wanted to let you know what's going on. I'm not as active on social media as I used to be (neither I nor Drowning Moon Studios has a working Twitter account at this point), but you may remember me talking about health problems in the past. More specifically, I've been battling my left kidney for a year + and finally had the surgery that is supposed to correct the problem for good. I'm still in the process of recovering, but I intend on getting back to work on Wayfaring Strange after the start of the new year.

Because of this, I will be locking orders at the end of this month, especially because I need to estimate manufacturing minimums for things like the patches and wooden nickels. You will still be able to update your address right up until everything ships, however, (and you still won't be charged shipping until that happens) you just won't be able to purchase additional add-ons after December 1st.

As for the game's production schedule, my goal is to have the core book PDF to you by May, 2024. Other PDFs should follow in the months to come, but physical rewards won't ship until everything is complete. I will make an effort to do a better job of updating you in the future, and thank you once again for backing Wayfaring Strange.