72 HOURS LEFT for the Survey! Also, Photos of the GM Bag Interior & Pockets
over 1 year ago – Fri, Sep 09, 2022 at 09:31:45 PM

Hey everyone!

Just a quick reminder, we're closing in on the survey lock date of September 12th, this coming Monday, which means there's just 72 hours to go! If you haven't finalized your order - and about 35% of you haven't - please get in there and do so, so we can get you your order as quickly and easily as possible.

For those of you that have already filled it out - thank you! But, if you have any last minute edits, you still have time. As you're hopefully aware by now, your order is not final until Monday, so you can add, remove or change items as much as you like until then! Just use the link in your BackerKit invitation email, or the order confirmation email.

I have some photos of the GM bag, and some important notes about the project below.

Display Inserts

One quick note for those ordering Display Panels: each Display Panel purchased, regardless of wood type, includes a Maple Display Insert. We have alternative display inserts available, of course, in various wood and gemstone options, as well as acrylic, for custom artwork.

I'm mentioning this here because there are a number of orders for Maple Inserts being placed, which we didn't expect to see - it's available, but as each Panel already includes a Maple Insert, these are generally going to be redundant and would mostly be backups in case you're concerned about something happening to yours, or have some other reason you want an extra on hand.

I'm guessing that many people missed the part in the listings about the Maple insert being included, and think they need to buy one to have any, so I wanted to make this note here. If you purchased one in error, log in and update your order to choose a different display insert material. As stated above, you can still use your invitation email link, or your order confirmation to get back to BackerKit and edit your order until Monday.

GM Bag Additional Photos

After our final BackerKit add-on, the new GM bag colors, some backers were requesting photos of the interior of the bag. I've got some here to demonstrate the capacity and function:

Hopefully this gives anyone that needs it a better idea of if the bag is a good fit for your needs! Also, as I mentioned in the listing on BackerKit - all bags will include a handsome shoulder strap:

Modular Storage Tower

One bit of potential bad news regarding our timeline - as you're aware, the first fulfillment wave comes in November. This is a very tight timeline, and the Modular Storage Tower, our late-game addition to the project, may not make it all the way through development and production in time for the first wave as a result. The main issue is that we're going to have the shelves and drawers manufactured via injection molding out of sturdy black plastic, but that means we have turnaround time from the vendor to contend with.

We're going to push hard to get them here as soon as possible, but there's a chance we won't be able to get it in time for the November wave. Please note, this should only impact November backers that order a Modular Storage Tower, and only if we cannot get the order accelerated. So it shouldn't be a major problem, and maybe not a problem at all, but I wanted to let you know as soon as I heard of the potential problem. I'll keep you posted on how the situation develops!

Next Steps

As discussed previously - you're probably sick of hearing it by now - the survey will lock on September 12th, and we should charge all outstanding balances in BackerKit later that day. You should be notified that your payment method was successfully charged, and then, things will quiet down a bit. But more on that later - for now, just make sure your order is in, and then we'll chat about the future in the next update!

Thanks for your support!

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

One Week Left to Fill Out BackerKit! New GM Handbag Colorways Added
over 1 year ago – Mon, Sep 05, 2022 at 10:46:36 PM

Hello, everyone!

Just dropping you a quick update as we approach our survey deadline. Let's dive right in!

One Week Left For Surveys

After about a week, we've got a bit over half of the surveys in. Those of you that responded last week, thank you! You're helping us to build solid forecasts for ordering materials, which we need to do quickly to get orders in early and ensure we can start fulfillment on schedule.

If you haven't filled it out yet, this is just a friendly poke to let you know - you've got one week left! Please get in there and finalize your order as soon as possible ahead of next Monday, when we'll lock them down.

If you haven't received your survey invitation email, please reach out to us via Kickstarter direct message right away, so we can make sure you get access.

Now, onto something a bit more fun...

New GM Bags

We've got some new bag colorways for you! We launched with two options, of which we got physical samples. We went through the book of swatches provided by the manufacturer, and chose a few other fabric/leather combinations, and we're going to be offering these colorways, in addition to the original Khaki and White options.

One note: these are renders based on our sample swatches, and not photos of physically produced items, so the final products may differ. These representations should be quite accurate, certainly not enough to go on, but I wanted to be up front that these weren't photos and that some variation in the final version is possible. 

If you'd like to order one, they're all available in BackerKit now - just log back into your survey using the same link you have, and add one - or change your existing bag over to your new preferred color. Remember, the orders aren't final until they lock down on September 12th!

That's All, Folks

One more thing I wanted to mention - I apologize for the lack of photos of the Wenge Modular Storage Tower. We didn't get one made in time, and won't be able to before surveys close. Still, there are lots of other products pictured in Wenge, including the Two Way Dice Tower, so hopefully that gives you a pretty solid idea of what to expect - if you're getting a wenge-heavy setup, it'll fit in just fine.

And with that, I'm out. I hope you're having fun picking everything out! I'll probably drop you another quick reminder towards the end of the week, before the survey closes on Monday. Until then, have a good one!

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

BackerKit Surveys are Going Out Now!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Aug 30, 2022 at 04:17:10 AM

Hey everyone!

This is the update you've been expecting - expecting, at least, if you read the last one...

Surveys are Going Out!

BackerKit surveys are going out right now. What's this mean? Well, it means the time has come for you to select all of your items! You should receive an invitation to complete your survey soon. We're sending out a group of about 1,000 now, which we'll review to make sure everything looks good, prior to sending out the bulk of surveys later today or (more likely) tomorrow morning. So, if you don't have your survey link by end of day tomorrow (August 30th), reach out and let us know so we can look into it for you.

BackerKit Walkthrough Video

If you're new to our projects, or to Kickstarter/BackerKit in general, I strongly recommend you watch the video in the last update. It will help save time and confusion - and will ensure you fill out everything properly, which is important if you want to receive your order.

Campaign Timeline

Two Weeks to Confirm Your Order

Now that the surveys are going out, the clock is running on confirming your order. You'll have two weeks from today, until Monday, September 12th, to get your order in. At that time, I'll be locking down the orders to further changes, and proceeding to charge all outstanding balances in BackerKit so we can lock everything in. I'll be in touch with an additional update before then, though. So for now, just focus on figuring out what you'd like to order. Speaking of which... I may have a complication on that front!

Introducing the Modular Storage Tower

We were working to develop a storage solution for the GM Screen, and we just barely managed to get it ready in time for the survey release... these photos were literally taken today, when the prototypes were brought to our Massachusetts location.

The Modular Storage Tower features a magnetic cover to keep things secure in transit. It includes 4 removable shelves by default, however can be upgraded with a 3-pack of drawers. Of course, you can mix and match to make whatever combination of inserts works for you.

Pricing for the Modular Storage Tower is identical to the Two Way Dice Tower, as are the outer proportions, which makes it a handsome addition on the opposite corner to balance out your dice tower. Thank you for your interest in this item, and pushing us to get it ready!

Note that these are prototypes, and the final product may vary a bit - the shelves in particular are not final, we're weighing the option of getting them made in black, to match the optional drawers. I'll keep you posted on that in future updates.

International Shipping

One further change to discuss, and then I'll let you get to the surveys. This section is just for international backers, and does not apply if you're in the United States.

In the prior updates, I mentioned that customs and duties fees may be due when your shipment arrived, and that you should familiarize yourself with these to avoid nasty surprises. Well, we're going to try something new with this project, in order to improve your experience. We're collecting VAT - value-added tax - up front. This is a tax that your country charges on all goods purchased outside its borders - it's not a fee we set, it's a tax we are collecting on behalf of your country, which we will transmit to them. We're required to charge VAT by some nations, while others leave it up to our discretion as to whether to charge it, or let you deal with it when the package gets to your local customs office. However, it's important to note there is no situation where you aren't assessed and charged VAT. We're charging it up front here to avoid you having to deal with it later on, which means an easier time for you later - you'll simply receive your order in the mail, and no further action should be required on your part.

In addition, we're going to flag all the international shipments to indicate to customs that we're collecting these fees up front. This will indicate that we're responsible for any fees that arise from the delivery, not you. Understand that this is the first time we're doing this, and since international shipping is enormously complicated, we don't actually know what these fees will add up to; we have estimates, but frankly, until we settle up the bills, we won't know for sure. This might seem hard to believe, but through long experience, I've learned that until you have hard data, oftentimes you don't really know anything. Estimates only go so far, especially in this arena, where virtually no one we talk to will actually give us straight answers. So, we're going to get some data the only way we can - by actually shipping the orders out.

After the November wave ships and the fees are all settled, I'll crunch all the numbers. Hopefully, it'll fall within acceptable ranges and we'll proceed with the rest of fulfillment the same way. However, this is a bit experimental - it's possible we'll need to course-correct after the first wave ships. If that's the case, I'll address any changes we need to make in an update, and I'll work to minimize the impact those changes have on you. Of course, I'll let you know as soon as I possibly can, but that won't be until after the November wave ships. The key thing is that we're working to try to simplify the process to get you your orders as smoothly as possible.

I apologize for the uncertainty - I'm being as transparent as I can be, and unfortunately, oftentimes the world of manufacturing and shipping can be quite uncertain, especially now. But ultimately this change should be very welcome news to those of you overseas, and however it goes, I'll let you know in future updates.

Lastly, I don't want to overstate things, or scare you too much - there's no scenario where the hit we take doing this in November is so crushing it puts fulfillment in jeopardy. It's a risk, but a calculated one. And, the risk is simply financial - the shipping itself should be reliable and relatively fast, as mentioned in prior updates. As to how it will go, I can see a few different scenarios, but at this point we're so far out with no hard information that I don't think it will be helpful to deep dive those now. The most likely scenario is that it works out great, and we can just proceed through fulfillment.

Bottom line: international backers in November, you're in for a smooth fulfillment experience. International backers in later waves, you probably are, too, but we'll have to see the results of the first wave before I can confirm that 100%, so stay tuned.

Surveys, Ho!

Alright, that wraps it up. Be on the lookout for those invitations today and tomorrow, and have fun browsing all of the offerings and locking in your orders! I'll be in touch soon.

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

BackerKit Preview Video & Accessory Only Shipping
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 25, 2022 at 07:30:30 PM

Hello everyone!

As promised, here's the BackerKit preview video, so you'll know what to expect next week when the surveys go out! In addition, I've included - by request - some modified shipping pricing for small orders. Shipping for this project was calculated assuming purchase of a GM Screen setup, for obvious reasons. But, if you're only buying a Two Way Dice Tower, that changes the math a bit, so I've modified the shipping structure to accommodate that. The prices for those orders are below, but first... BackerKit!

BackerKit Walkthrough

This video should provide you a guide to navigating BackerKit when the survey opens up on Monday. Most of the video consists of a screen recording of me going through the process, so it isn't the most thrilling viewing, but hopefully it's informative. I've summarized a few key points below the video - these are things that you would miss watching the video without sound, so I wanted to include them here for accessibility.

Notes From the Walkthrough Video

• Surveys will be sent out on Monday, August 29th.
• Expect your survey invitation to come to the email you used to back the project on Kickstarter. If you used the "hide my email" option with AppleID, you may not be able to receive these emails. If you don't have the survey within a day or so of the update I send announcing surveys are out, contact us immediately with an email address so we can switch it in the system and get you invited.
• In the survey, your welcome page will include your estimated fulfillment month. Take note of this date. If you're going to be moving anytime between November 2022, the beginning of fulfillment, and a couple of weeks past your fulfillment month estimate, contact us as soon as possible to let us know, even if you aren't sure of your new address yet. We need to flag your order in our system to make sure it doesn't get sent to the wrong place. When you reach out, include your current address, your new address (if you have it), and the date you will be able to receive mail at the new address. If you don't let us know about an upcoming address change, you may be responsible for the costs involved in redirecting or resending your order, so please be sure to let us know as soon as you can.
• If you have a WyrmwoodGaming.com gift certificate, you can use it to supplement your pledge in BackerKit. Simply enter the details in the survey. Note that the order total you see in checkout will NOT reflect your certificate - we will manually adjust your order prior to charging it to account for that.
• On a related note: your payment method will not be charged during checkout. They will be locked and charged on Monday, September 12th. So plan for the charge to come through on that day.

Small Order Shipping Prices

Shipping prices quoted in the last update did not account for backers only purchasing accessories, such as a single two-way dice tower, sets of dice, etc. For these small orders, a new starting tier has been added for all territories. The small order shipping prices for these areas are as follows:

United States: $15

Canada: $38

UK/Europe: $48

Australia/New Zealand: $60

Everywhere Else: $70

Please note: Most orders will not qualify for these prices. These are for orders weighing a total of less than 5 lbs, which excludes any order of a GM Screen. The prices in the last update reflect what the majority of backers should expect.

Campaign Timeline

Cancellations

As a reminder, tomorrow is the deadline to submit your requests to cancel your pledge for a full refund. If your financial circumstances have changed, you can't swing the shipping, or want out for any other reason, please let us know. You can still cancel after that date, but later cancellations will be subject to a 10% fee to cover the costs we've incurred. Thank you for your understanding!

Survey Says...

The survey is coming soon! I can't wait to see what you all decide on. I'll send out another update to let you know when the invitations have gone out. Until then... all the best!

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

The Campaign is Over, but the Project is just Beginning!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Aug 19, 2022 at 06:44:52 AM

Hello everyone!

Thank you for making this project such a success. Now, it's our turn. But before we get into all that, let's talk about what to expect moving forward. Typically, I would do this in the form of a video update, but there's a ton of information here, and it being spelled out clearly is really a better way to go - and it will allow me to get it out to you faster. So, a word of warning: buckle in, this is a long one. But it's all important info, so please read it.

This update will cover the following topics:

• Fulfillment timeline
• Shipping costs and methods
• Customs fees and taxes for international backers
• Cancellations and refunds
• Important deadlines
• BackerKit survey process
• Wyrmwood gift certificates
• Update schedule

So, lots of stuff to go over. Here we go!

Fulfillment Timeline

Here again is the estimated fulfillment timeline, beginning with the survey/charge dates and continuing through fulfillment. It includes a break for December (things always get really busy for us around then, for some reason). Your assigned wave depends on your Kickstarter backer number - the order in which you backed the project. Roughly the first 500 backers will be shipped first, the next 800 after that, etc. You'll know for sure which wave you're in soon - I'll be sending out an email today or tomorrow to all backers with their specific wave. Your fulfillment wave will also be clearly shown in BackerKit.

Note: these fulfillment dates are estimates on when your order should ship by - that is, if you are in March 2023, your order should ship out by end of day on March 31st, 2023. However, it could ship earlier. More on this below.

Shipping

We released the final shipping figures towards the end of the campaign, which hopefully you've all had time to check out. Here they are, for those of you that just joined the project at the end:

SHIPPING PRICES

United States shipping starts at $28, typically ranges $32-$48

Canada shipping starts at $50, typically ranges $58-$75

UK/Europe shipping starts at $65, typically ranges $70-$85

Australia/New Zealand shipping starts at $95, typically ranges $105-$130

Everywhere Else, shipping starts at $110, typically ranges $120-$150

While nobody likes paying for shipping, there is certainly an element of "getting what you pay for" - we're focusing on UPS services with this project. UPS has been our primary shipping partner for some time, and they offered us the best rates on this project - national postal carriers would have cost a lot more in many cases. In the US, we'll be shipping via UPS Ground, and internationally we're mostly using UPS Worldwide Expedited, which means you won't have to wait very long for your package once it ships, wherever you are.

International Backers: Customs Fees

IMPORTANT: Shipping charges we assess will not include customs fees, Value-Added Tax, brokerate fees or other charges your order may be subject to. One exception to this is the UK, which does require us to collect a 20% VAT charge on their behalf. You'll see this charge clearly marked in BackerKit if it applies to you. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean there can't be other fees.

When importing an item sent from another country, your shipment will be subject to taxes and fees imposed by carriers or your government, generally based on the price of the items in the order, which we are required to accurately list. These taxes and fees are not something we can predict, nor do we have access to them, so it's on you as the importer to be aware of them, since you will be responsible for paying them. I strongly recommend you look into this before your order is shipped. If you refuse to accept the delivery because of the customs fees attached, we will then have to pay to have your order sent back to us. Any refund you request will be reduced to cover that cost, so please, be aware of your nation's policies regarding customs, duties and taxes - these charges can be significant, especially on higher priced items.

Cancellations and Refunds

We know it's a volatile time, and some people have had to cancel for monetary reasons, including due to costs such as the ones I just mentioned. This is understandable, and totally fine! If you need to back out of the project, we'll be happy to give you a full refund of your pledge, as long as you let us know by August 25th (just over a week from now). Just reach out and let us know why you're cancelling, and we'll process the refund right away. After August 25th, refunds to your original payment method will be given, but are subject to a 10% fee. This covers the fees we'll have paid to Kickstarter, Stripe (credit card processing), etc. - fees we cannot recoup. However, if you'd like your refund on a WyrmwoodGaming.com Gift Certificate instead of cash, we'll issue you one reflecting the full amount of your pledge.

Project Survey and Payment Deadlines

We have a pretty aggressive timeline with this project. The survey will go out two weeks after the campaign closes - when the funds are final and transmitted to us - and then backers will have another two weeks to modify their order, add whatever items they like, then have their orders completely locked down. Why so fast, when we're months from fulfillment? Well, unfortunately we have to deal with certain realities as a manufacturer, and we need all the time we can get to ensure this fulfillment remains on track. All the magnets, acrylic and other components we need to manufacture these items, as well as the products we're having made for us - the markers and turn tracker, for instance - all take time to make, and lots of time to ship. We need to get final numbers and place those orders ASAP to be able to get orders to you starting in November - which is a lot closer than it might seem! Thank you for your cooperation in getting us this information fast, so that we can ensure a timely fulfillment for everyone!

One important note: we fulfill using software that tracks our inventory, and compares it to outstanding orders, always prioritizing inventory for the earliest orders. For example, let's say we've got 2,000 Black Walnut Solid Panels built on November 1st. If we only need 1,500 to fulfill every order in the November wave, that means we have 500 Black Walnut Solid Panels that can go to future orders... so the system will let us know. If someone in the January wave orders only 3 Black Walnut Solid Panels... their order will ship early.

For this reason, it's vital that you always provide us your up-to-date shipping address! If you are moving during the fulfillment period, let us know as soon as you know. That way, we can flag your order and be sure to ship it to the right place! Failure to notify us of an address change can result in extra shipping charges, if we need to re-ship or re-direct your order.

LATE RESPONSES

What happens if you miss the two week window and don't fill out your survey on time? Well, at that point you won't have lost your chance to get an item... but you will have lost your spot in line. Late surveys will still be honored and filled, but they'll be effectively bumped to the end of the fulfillment period, alongside the pre-orders, which will remain open until near the end of fulfillment. Basically, there are two kinds of orders - ones we have full information for by our deadline, and can plan for... and the rest. They'll all get filled, but the ones we don't plan for will likely have to wait longer.

BackerKit Walkthrough Video

We'll be getting together a BackerKit walkthrough video shortly to show you how the survey and order confirmation process works. It's pretty simple, but it always helps to get a preview, especially if you've never backed one of our projects before. Expect that to come out next week, prior to the survey release.

Using Wyrmwood Gift Certificates

If you have a WyrmwoodGaming.com Gift Certificate, you will be able to use it to supplement your pledge. Simply answer the survey question in BackerKit in the affirmative, provide your code, and we'll apply the balance to your order prior to charging it. Please understand that we can only apply credit to a balance due (meaning that if you pledged the full amount of your order on Kickstarter, you can't use a certificate to get a partial refund). More details on this will be provided in the walkthrough video.

Update Schedule

Lastly, I wanted to let you know what to expect as far as communication moving forward. You can expect, at the very least, an update on or around the 1st of each month, letting you know how the project is going, typically through a brief video update. We may have more frequent updates - especially right now, since there's a lot of time sensitive stuff to talk about - but, once we settle in, you should get an update at the top of each month. Once we enter the fulfillment phase, in November, that will double, with a mid-month check in around the 15th of each month, to let you know how that month's ship-out is looking. That schedule will remain in place until the end of fulfillment.

Up, Up and Away

This was a lot! Thanks for sticking it out and bearing with me through this. I'll be back next week with the BackerKit video. At this point, I'll be overseeing the project: Bobby had the fun of launching this thing and keeping the train rolling... but now it's my job to bring it into the station. So from here on out, it'll be me running these updates solo, maybe with the occasional special guest. And with that, we're off. I can't wait to see what you're all going to be choosing for your GM Screen... and getting them to you. Thanks for reading, and thanks again for your support.

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding for Wyrmwood