And it’s looking great! (If a little battered in transit!)
The Three Coins is an RPG within an RPG, and was an unlocked add-on on our smash hit a|state kickstarter. You’ll be able to grab a late pledge soon: sign up to our newsletter to get notified when late pledges go live.
The Carronade 2021 Report by Jon
It’s been such a long time since we’ve exhibited at an event – we’ve been living under various forms of Covid restriction for almost as long as we’ve been a company! Last weekend was Carronade, and our first trip out in a very long time.
We were satisfied that the Carronade organisers had things set up safely, we’re double vaxxed, and masks were worn all day, so we were happy to attend.
Carronade is our local show, but it’s surprisingly large, filling 3 gym halls and various other rooms in a local high school. It’s primarily a wargaming event, and features loads of participation and exhibition games along with tons of traders.
Handiwork Games exhibited at Carronade back in 2019, back when we had The Forest Dragon, Bang & Twang, and a handful of dice trays on offer. These days we have over 100 different products on sale, so this weekend was a nice opportunity to take stock of just how far we’ve come! Covid meant stalls had to remain at 2019 size, so we were back on a 6 foot table. (For comparison, at the last Tabletop Scotland, we had three 8 foot tables!) We weren’t able to bring everything, but we tried to fit in as much as we could. Map Tiles were a notable victim of the lack of space, but we managed to get a few in!
Before the day, I had decided we would be content if we had a day out, got to set up the booth, and met some other traders. I had zero expectation of sales, because who can predict anything anymore?
Such measured expectations were profoundly blown out of the water as the show opened and we sold a lot of stuff! Over the morning we had really good sales, with a consistently busy stall, and lots of compliments about the effort we’d put in to present things, which was really kind. Trade and traffic then noticeably slowed through the day. I think people came early, got what they wanted, and went home, which in these covid times is entirely reasonable.
Carronade has very easy trading hours of 10am until 4pm, so we were all done mid afternoon. It was a thoroughly enjoyable show, it was great to see a bunch of old friends from the Scottish gaming scene, reconnect with some of our fellow traders, and make new friendships. Nothing quite compares with face to face contact with you, the gaming public, and it was lovely to be out and about again!
Thanks to everyone who chatted and shopped with us, and a huge thanks to the Carronade organisers. We’re very much looking forward to next year!
Newsletter 29 September 2021
We’re back, with the last newsletter of September. How time flies! We’ve got convention news, Handimonsters news, BEOWULF news and more!
Newsletter Day
We’re trying out another day for our newsletters! What do you think? Do you enjoy getting the news a little earlier in the week?
BEOWULF: Age of Heroes
The latest adventure, Ear of Stone, is out now! Set sail for the island of Hreodan and Wayfarer’s Rest, once famed for its hospitality. But now a monster stalks its shores, and visitors are no longer safe.
For US backers awaiting their BEOWULF book, the latest news is that we know that they’re in the States and being processed through Customs. International shipping is short-handed and overwhelmed right now, but we’re hoping for a sudden and surprising ray of sunshine any day now!
Handimonsters
We released the Crypt-cell on Monday, the latest of the Dungeon Constructs. You can get its stat block and over 40 more by signing up at handimonsters.com for $3 (US)/£2.20~ a month. Each is compatible with 5e and are designed, written, illustrated and laid out by professional designers and artists. If you double your commitment you not only get the stat blocks but digital art files, virtual tabletop tokens (both portrait and topdown views) and printable paper minis.
We also have a special treat in store for Handimonster folks this week. We will be releasing Rysl-Bera, the Fat Bear, as a special BEOWULF Handimonster later this week, in celebration of Fat Bear week!
Conventions
Last week was Carronade, our hometown gaming convention in Falkirk. Jon and Paul attended and report that it was an excellent show with a lot of folks coming to our booth and purchasing our products. We will have a blog post with more details later this week.
This coming week is Albacon, an online convention! All of our BEOWULF: Age of Heroes games are filled up but there are still lots of other games you can play in, for a good cause. (Tickets for Albacon support Penumbra, one of Scotland’s largest mental health charities.) Visit albacon.co.uk to learn more.
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Out Now: Ear of Stone for BEOWULF
In this adventure for ENnie-Nominated BEOWULF Age of Heroes, our Hero arrives at the isle of Hreodan, where bonds of family and tradition are in grave peril, and danger lurks just beneath the surface…
Hreodan is an island protected from both storms and reavers by its resident guardian spirit. Those of the Book think the spirit is an angel sent by God, while those of the Old Ways say it is a holmgaast, or sea spirit, haunting the island and surrounding waters. Most residents of the island don’t see why it can’t be both. Whatever the spirit’s true nature, its protection makes Hreodan an ideal location for sailors to resupply and trade, earning the island’s meadhall the nickname of Wayfarer’s Rest.
Or so it was, until Hreodan’s guardian turned against it.
Check out Ear of Stone by KC Shi at DrivethruRPG now!
About BEOWULF: Age of Heroes
Successfully funded on Kickstarter, BEOWULF: Age of Heroes presents duet play for one GM and one player in an epic mythic setting of migration era Europe (also known as “The Dark Ages”).
Check out the FREE full-length scenario The Hermit’s Sanctuary to try it out.
News Update – 24 September 2021
Hello!
We’ve got lots of news from the worlds of Handimonsters, BEOWULF, A|State and gaming conventions, both in our homebase of Falkirk, Scotland and online. Let’s get into it!
Conventions
This weekend is Carronade, right here in Falkirk! We’re excited to return to the live convention scene by going to our favourite one (and close to home). While table size is restricted, we’re bringing everything that we can and we will have special show-only pricing on some of our items.
If you will unfortunately miss out on the convention, we’re also doing a special sale on our website to celebrate. To get the discount just subscribe to our newsletter before it goes out today, and you’ll get the code in your email.
Albacon is next weekend (Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd October 2021). It’s online, so no dealer table, but you can sign up for special demo games of BEOWULF: Age of Heroes run by Jacob. The Saturday game is sold through, but there’s still space in the Sunday game. Visit albacon.co.uk to sign up or learn more.
A|State
Work continues on the core rulebook, especially in adding on all of the unlocked stretch goal materials. The Three Coins, a roleplaying game that people in The City play, is coming together nicely. The Kickstarter backers unlocked the physical printing of Three Coins (what exactly you call the game or how you write it out depends on where in The City you live) so it will soon enough become a ‘real thing’.
We also have some new art from Paul to show off:
BEOWULF: Age of Heroes
Lots of news here! We just released Ear of Stone, our fifth adventure for BEOWULF, to the Kickstarter Backers. It will be available for purchase next week and we’ll be sending out messages on all the usual channels to let you know when it is live.
Digital Pack 5 will also be out shortly; we’re working to finalise a couple of pieces and then it will be ready for release. After that, the next piece of the puzzle is Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan’s The Triple Serpent. We’re aiming for an October release for that adventure, which will be appropriate since it is horror-rific in all the right ways.
We also just released Follower Cards in the shop . They’re pre-printed, with reference information and convenient trackers on the back side. They also come with some beautiful stickers with Follower art which you can use to organise and illustrate the cards, tokens or whatever strikes your fancy.
We also have Whale Road posters in the shop as well. Printed at A2 size on 350 gsm paper, matt laminated and signed and numbered by Jon and Paul, they make excellent display pieces, or your Player can use it to track their voyages across the Two Seas.
Handimonsters
We’ve recently introduced a couple of new categories for our monsters, including the Wildfolk. They are actually fey creatures embodied into humanoid animal forms, with personalities inspired by local folklore.
We’re really enjoying them and hope our patrons are as well. Let us know if you’d like to see more Wildfolk, or if you’d like rules for being able to play Wildfolk characters.
Our other current series is Dungeon Constructs, a series of strange creatures made by magic but now left to their own devices. On Monday, patrons will meet the Crypt-cell:
Sign up today at handimonsters.com to get access to these creatures and our entire back-catalogue (nearly 50 monsters and growing every week)!
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Carronade 2021 – exhibiting this weekend
We’re really excited to be exhibiting at Carronade, in our hometown of Falkirk this weekend! The show is a hidden gem of the war-games world, with several large gym halls full of traders. It’s a really large, really well run show, and we love it!
Naturally, due to the current events around Covid 19, there’s not a lot of space for big stalls, so we’re back, two years on, with the same size booth we started with right at the beginning of our life as a company.
Back then we just about filled that six foot stall with The Forest Dragon by Rory Age 9 and the brand new Bang and Twang game. Fast forward to now, and we have so many things to show and sell! We’re not exactly sure how we’ll fit in everything we want to bring, but we’ll do our best.
We’ll definitely have BEOWULF goodies, dice trays and our 3 foot square neoprene mats – full transparency, they fly off an in-person booth, but our webstore struggles to do them justice – a 36 inch square mat is really big!
We’ve also just had a restock of our BEOWULF miniatures, so they will definitely be in attendance. Speaking of which, we better go pack some boxes!
Maybe see you at Carronade? Don’t forget your face mask!
Friday News Update – New BEOWULF Products and a Cool New Spin for Handimonsters!
You asked, and we listened.
So, this week, we have brand new Follower cards! In a game crafted for one GM and one Hero, your Followers are not only your combat-support, they’re advice and lore from your Games Master, a layer of tension and humour, and a wonderful opportunity to role-play. And now, you can keep track of them, their gifts and burdens, with our brand new cards.
There are 50 in a presentation pack (so you’ve got plenty of opportunities for adventure) and they have spaces for everything you’ll need to record. They also come with stickers, to help your visualisations, and to keep track of the cards themselves!
We also have this absolutely beautiful BEOWULF Whale Road poster – A2 size, 350gsm paper, gorgeous matt laminate finish. Each one will be individually numbered and signed by Jon and Paul. Keep track of your travels, show off your journeys, or just stand back and admire.
And LOTS of BEOWULF games! If you’re looking to face the Horror at Herrogate, our trusty Hero Blaedswith returns to her adventure this week. With thanks to the Campaign Coins team, this is episode six, The Unwelcome Guest…
Don’t forget to grab the adventure for yourself from DriveThru!
Or, if you’re looking to actually play BEOWULF, co-writer Jacob Rodgers will be running The Serpent of Glinnredin at AlbaCon, on the 2nd and 3rd of October. Sign up to the Con via EventBrite, and head over to the Events Schedule. The Saturday game is fully booked, so jump on the Sunday slot – quick!
And our Handimonsters have a new look!
When is a Random Encounter not a Random Encounter? When it’s part of a theme! Many of our monsters now will now belong to a ‘family’, adding plenty of opportunity for a GM to create themed attacks, or whole scenarios and the settings to go with them. We’ve had Phase Elementals, and you’ve seen examples of both Wild Folk and (this week) the Dungeon Construct.
What else would you like to see? Jump on over to our Socials, or let us know on the Discord!
And keep your fingers crossed for the ENnies tonight, 8pm EDT. We’re up for two – for Best Electronic Book for BEOWULF itself and for Best Free Book for our a|state primer, Nicely, Done…
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Two new releases for BEOWULF
We have two new releases for BEOWULF Age of Heroes today!
Follower Cards Boxed Set
With the ENnie Award-nominated BEOWULF we’ve adapted 5e to work perfectly with one player and one GM. As part of our rules additions come Followers. Every Hero has a band of trusted companions that offer more abilities and opportunities to overcome the Monsters of The Whale Road.
The main BEOWULF rulebook comes with example blank follower cards, and you can download them here on the handiwork site. But we love a box of stuff, and so we put together the Follower Cards Boxed Set.
Inside the handsome craft cardboard box, you’ll find approximately 50, professionally printed Follower cards. They’re A5 in size, on sturdy paper stock with a mat finish to ensure ease of writing up your followers.
On the flip side there’s a helpful slice of Follower rules reminders and references, as well as a tracker for the Engaged condition – Followers in BEOWULF can tie up enemies in the background, allowing the solo Hero to focus on the main enemies. If the Hero doesn’t pull them back, they last 3 rounds before needing to take death saves.
Also included are 40 round, 38mm stickers of BEOWULF portraits, allowing you to personalise your follower cards with a face! There are ten individual designs, and you’ll get 4 of each.
Whale Road Poster
We’re also opening up pre-orders for The Whale Road Poster! This lovely map appears across a spread in the BEOWULF rulebook, but we wanted to give it the format it deserves.
This A2 poster is printed on very heavy stock – it’s 350gsm, which is the heaviest poster stock that printers can produce. The art is matt laminated so that it looks it’s very best.
We were planning on releasing this poster today. However when we took delivery of the posters we discovered they didn’t meet our high standards, so we’re having them reprinted. We’ve decided to offer them as a pre-order so that BEOWULF fans can combine shipping. If you chose to get both we’ll send them to you together as soon as we get the new improved posters! They’re now anticipated to arrive in October.
Grab both new releases exclusively at our web store now!:
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BEOWULF Follower Cards£15.99
Friday News Update – and BEOWULF is loose in the wilds!
On Saturday September 25th, we’ll be at our first public event since… well, since before BEOWULF, and since before we had our Map Tiles (and that was a while ago). We’ll be at Carronade 2021, the Falkirk District Wargames Club’s annual show – and we’re really looking forward to it.
The Show will be observing Covid safety rules, and we will have LOADS of stuff for you to buy – not only BEOWULF treasures, but maps and mats, dice and minis. Do pop along and say hello!
You should also find BEOWULF arriving at your local retailer. It has adventured its way out to (among others) Forbidden Planet and Leisure Games. And we’re really pleased to see it stretch so far. Please do drop by and show them (and us) your support!
If you are a retailer, you can find a load of assets on our website here.
And great news: US copies have almost landed! Thank you, everyone, for being so patient, they will be with you soon. And please post your parcels and goodies to your socials when they arrive.
If you’re looking to actually play BEOWULF, co-writer Jacob Rodgers will be running The Serpent of Glinnredin at AlbaCon, on the 2nd and 3rd of October. Sign up to the Con via EventBrite, and head over to the Events Schedule to book your game. Anyone can take part and all proceeds go to the mental health charity Penumbra.
And if you’re <still> looking for BEOWULF adventures (honestly, there’s no stopping you) you can jump on over to DriveThru, where there are five individual scenarios to keep your Hero/es out of trouble (or possibly to get them into it), plus packs of digital extras, and .stl files for 3D printing minis.
And don’t forget our Handimonsters – this week’s is the first of a series of Wild Folk, the Sly One. With its fox-like frame and twinkling black eyes, its both charming and flamboyant. But we wouldn’t trust it too far…
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Inspiration Tokens from a Saxon Atlantis?
In modern day Suffolk lies the town of Dunwich. It’s a small place today but many centuries ago, it was a thriving Saxon settlement of some five thousand souls. But Dunwich’s prosperity was not to last. It was lost to the sea – the whole place swallowed up in a mighty flood.
Whether the inhabitants had drawn the wrath of the God of the Book in their dealings with the heathen northmen, fallen foul of the attentions of some Monster of the sea, or whether Woden himself was displeased by their conversion to the ways of the new faith is unknown.
But Dunwich was drowned, and lost to memory.
After a millennia beneath the brackish sea marsh a small minding of this lost settlement has come to light: a single hoard of coins, weathered green by their time beneath the water. A portion of this remnant of the Saxon Atlantis can now be yours and aid the telling of your tales in the Age of Heroes. BEOWULF Dunwich coins are available for but a short time, and they are in strictly limited supply. On the 7th of September they return beneath the waves.
(It’s a great tale, but these coins are not really from Dunwich. And we’ve taken heinous liberties with the story of Dunwich, lost to storms in the 13th and 14th centuries. Our “Dunwich Coins” are limited edition BEOWULF inspiration tokens, designed by Handiwork Games’ Paul Bourne, made by Campaign Coins, and hand customised by artist Jon Hodgson)
