Handimonsters

26th October 2021

Newsletter — 26 October 2021

Time for the news! We’ve got news for you on BEOWULF, Forest Dragon Farmer, Handimonsters and A|State.

A|State Pledge Manager Is Now Open!

The A|State Pledge Manager is open now. If you’ve been interested in A|State this is your opportunity to join the project and join us in The City. A|State is a game about improving your small slice of a dystopian urban landscape, using a custom Forged in the Dark ruleset that makes caring about your fellow Troublemakers as important as anything else.

We have ordered the production runs of The Three Coins and associated metal coins, the compass and the playmat so everything is in process.

For details on these items, go to the Pledge Manager and scroll down – each add-on has a section all about it!

Final development is in progress and the project remains on track for a June 2022 release.

BEOWULF

Digital Pack 5 is available to everyone today! Head over to DriveThru to pick it up!
More details are available here!

Work continues on The Triple Serpent from Gareth Hanrahan. Here’s a quick sneak peek!

With The Triple Serpent, we will have completed our commitments for the stretch goals from the Kickstarter. However, we don’t have any intention of stopping BEOWULF development. We’re currently investigating our options, including a subscription model, like we use for Handimonsters. Let us know what you would like: respond on our socials, or visit our Discord.

Discord-wise, if you’re not a member, just point your browser at www.discord.me/handiworkgamers and that will generate you an invite. Sometimes you have to cut and paste for the bot to do its magic.

For shipping news, we have not yet received any more updates, so it seems like the books are still in Miami. We realise this is very frustrating but we also know that everyone is working as hard as they can to clear the backlog and we’re hoping to learn any day that they’re on their way to the warehouse.

We reaching our first anniversary with the Handimonsters project soon and we’ve got a special announcement coming soon. We are also wrapping up our releases for Legions of Autumn with our latest release, the Lord of Autumn themself!

And Monday releases will continue – we have one more member of the Legions to release, then a couple more Dungeon Constructs, another Member of the Wildfolk (plus bonus material to use them as player-character origins) and a special end-of-November (and our production year) release of a BEOWULF: Age of Heroes monster that also makes a dangerous foe for Handimonsters!

When you join www.handimonsters.com you support us and our work, plus you’ll gain access to our entire backcatalogue of 5e monsters and receive a new monster every Monday!

Forest Dragon Farmer

The Forest Dragon Farmer is in final development. We’ll have more news for you soon!

Links:

And please do follow us on our Socials:

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12th October 202112th October 2021

NEWSLETTER 12 October 2021

It’s newsletter day! We’ve got updates for you on Handimonsters, BEOWULF, and A|State, along with news about our card game Forest Dragon Farmer. Let’s get into it:

A|State Pledge Manager Coming!

We are in the process of making final arrangements to open up the pledge manager very soon. That will allow you to make a late pledge in order to receive a copy of A|State or allow you to add on items to your existing order, like the fantastic looking Three Coins booklet:

We’ll have more information to come very soon on the pledge manager. Work continues apace, with more writers turning in their ideas to expand The City.

Forest Dragon Farmer

The Forest Dragon holds a very special place in our hearts, as Rory (one of our junior designers, then age 9) took the lead on developing, illustrating, and testing a card game of his own (award-winning) design.

The Forest Dragon Farmer is the next step in the saga of the Forest Dragon. You’re now retired from a life of adventuring and trying to succeed as a farmer. To do so, you need to collect the proper sets of seeds, fields, and helpers while avoiding setbacks! It’s a game of fun and strategy, and expect to hear more about Forest Dragon Farmer soon.

BEOWULF

Ear of Stone is our latest adventure release, and Digital Pack 4 is the most recent release with help on BEOWULF combat, inspirational material for character creation, three new music tracks and two brand new battle maps in a variety of formats. See the BEOWULF shop for all of our offerings.

We are hard at work getting The Triple Serpent by Gar Hanrahan ready for release. It should be with backers towards the end of the month. We’re still hoping for the end of Shipocalypse any day now!

Handimonsters

It’s now Spooky Time and the Legions of Autumn have arrived:

Visit www.handimonsters.com to sign up today. You’ll gain access to our entire backcatalogue of 5e monsters and receive a new monster every monday!

Links:

And please do follow us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

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7th October 2021

Handy Monsters for Any Adventure!

When we launched Handimonsters just about a year ago, the name we choose was not just about making a clever play on our company name, it was a commitment to providing useful and interesting monsters for gamemasters and players. And to provide an excellent value to our customers.

We always have at least one free release each month, usually the first Monday of the month. For September, it was the Sly One, the first of our Wildfolk!

Everyone received the statblock for free, but our Level Three patrons got not only the statblock but a digital art print, VTT tokens (both face-down and a portrait token) and printable paper minis.

Speaking of the printable paper minis, we think that they can be an easy and fast way to provide lots of options for tabletop gaming while remaining a great deal and easy to assemble.

The next monster we released was the Flammifer, which introduced our Dungeon Constructs line:

We think they’re a lot of fun — they’re monsters that resemble ordinary objects you might find in a dungeon but prove to be dangerous themselves.

Patrons not only get helpful printable minis for play at the gaming table, but tokens to use when communicating online. We always offer a portrait version and a top-dow

Finally, we often have a bonus monster, another free release. We usually do this when there are five Mondays in a month. The bonus monsters often tie into our BEOWULF: Age of Heroes game. Because they are extra, they usually don’t come with miniatures, tokens, or digital art prints.

This month’s free release was in celebration of Fat Bear Week and was just an extra that we decided to add on for the month.

A Fantastic Deal!

If you’re interested in getting everything for all our monsters, visit www.handimonsters.com today and sign up for Tier Three today. For around $6 (USD) per month, you can have access to everything we have already done and all of the Handimonsters that we have yet to release!

28th September 202129th September 2021

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.

And please do follow us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

Insta @HandiworkGames

YouTube @HandiworkGames

24th September 202124th September 2021

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)!

And please do follow us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

Insta @HandiworkGames

YouTube @HandiworkGames

17th September 20216th October 2021

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 2^nd and 3^rd 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…

And please do follow us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

Insta @HandiworkGames

YouTube @HandiworkGames

10th September 20216th October 2021

Friday News Update – and BEOWULF is loose in the wilds!

On Saturday September 25^th, 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 2^nd and 3^rd 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…

And please do follow us on our Socials:

Twitter @GamesHandiwork

Facebook @HandiworkGames

Insta @HandiworkGames

YouTube @HandiworkGames

20th August 202117th September 2021

Friday News Update – and a|state is Funded!

Not only funded, but coming in at 991 backers and almost £54k in pledges – so a massive thank you to everyone for supporting the project!

You’ve managed to unlock (deep breath)…

13th August 20216th October 2021

Friday News Update – More Stretch Goals Down!

We’ve been shouting a lot about our a|state Kickstarter – but it’s SO GOOD to see so many of you on board with the project, and to see those stretch goals tumble.

30th July 202113th August 2021

Friday News Update – a|state funds on Kickstarter!

Fully funded in 78 minutes – so a HUGE thank you to all of our friends, gamers and backers who’ve jumped on the project and have already made it a reality.

Even better, we’ve unlocked all of our original stretch goals and are already adding more – the a|state book will have two lots of additional artwork, a full media appendix by the co-creator of the first edition, Malcolm Craig, plus two new locations, Fogwarren and The Grand Emporium, and Gone To The Dogs, a complete adventure.

Our next stretch goal is the spot UV design on the cover (like the one we have on BEOWULF) – and we’re very close!

And don’t forget: when you sign up, you’ll get the 132-page preview .pdf, plus downloads links for a character sheet, a corner sheet and a starting situation sheet. And access to our Discord server where you can find ideas, help, players and GMs. And a lot of talk about movies!

And do grab the primer, Nicely, Done from DriveThru!

In BEOWULF news! Our UK pre-orders are now all fulfilled; your books and other treasures are all in the post. In the EU, they’re going take just a little longer; if you’re in the US, then they’re currently travelling that great Whale Road known as the Atlantic, and should be landing soon.

If you’re new to us, or were not a BEOWULF backer, then you can order the book from our website. Or, if you’re at UK Games Expo this weekend, then grab your copy from our retailer backers, All Rolled Up, at stand 2-510.

And keep up with the adventures – our friends at Campaign Coins are doing another of their wonderful live-streamed games!

After their fantastic play-though of The Hermit’s Sanctuary, they’re taking on the Horror at Herrogate. Follow Alex, playing Blaedswith, the Karelian Amulet Witch as she faces the dreadful dréag… and the mysteries of the village. Stream starting Monday 2^nd of August on the Campaign Coins Twitch channel!

And, of course, a sneak preview of next week’s HANDIMONSTER – the Plasma Phase Elemental!

A magical being, native to another plane of existence, it’s a creature of a superheated gas-like material that burns all that it touches. While intelligent, it can be confused, careless, or simply indifferent to the damage that it causes while on our plane.

Find out all about it, when you join our monster Patreon – with over thirty creatures detailed, it also brings you stats, lore, backgrounds and adventure hooks – and a new monster every Monday.

Plus – there’s still time (just about) to grab £2 OFF our Forest Dragon games (‘til the end of July). Enter the code ‘Summerdragon2’ to get £2 OFF The Forest Dragon and/or The Forest Dragon Bang and Twang – two award-winning creative/family games to keep the family entertained over the summer.

Keep up with all the news:

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Facebook @HandiworkGames

Insta @HandiworkGames

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