FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN
about 1 month ago
– Fri, Aug 07, 2026 at 06:56:53 AM
Hello Tail-blazers,
We are officially in our final 7 days of this campaign. I'd like it to go on forever (especially because I have an appontment I'm not looking forward to scheduled right after it ends!) but we do have to finish up so the team can get on with the work of turning the manuscript into an actual PDF and PoD book.
So, over the next week I'll be sharing a handful of instruction and review-type posts about Reward Tiers & Add Ons, Stretch Goal reviews, and What Comes Next, so if you've got any process questions or are wondering about how the Crowdfunding steps work, I'm hoping to clarify any remaining questions before we finish. Of course, if you're still wondering about something, please ask and I'll help as best I can.
Final Week Guide
- August 10 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
- August 11 - Manuscript Preview 5B - The Rat Kings
- August 12 - Stretch Goal Review
- August 13 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
The Campaign ends on August 13th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time... sort of.
Are you ever really sure what time it is in the dark passages of the Underneath? Maybe we can sneak down another tunnel or two and make the campaign last.. just ... a little... longer. It's called "OVERTIME MODE" and it allows us to keep the campaign rolling as long as backers are pledging.
Overtime ModeOvertime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Barker... err...
Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.
You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.
So, we've scheduled the campaign to conclude on August 13th at 2:00 pm Eeastern Time, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as we programmed? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Mice Unite!
Growing our Pack
I know, this is something I've already said many times (
and seem to say during every project!), but for this final week, you are officially a Realms of Pugmire recruiter. It's time to share your excitement for
Lair of the Rat Kings. Basically, we want to recruit as many curious backers as possible to see how long we can keep our Barker Train running over this final week.
I know I've ended many update posts with "Keep spreading the word! Invite others to join in!" - but what does that mean, and how do you do it?
Easy answer - don't stop talking about
Lair of the Rat Kings until 2:01 PM Eastern next Thursday August 13th (and then as long as we continue running in Overtime Mode). Yes, family and friends are tired of me talking about it. But what else have I got to talk about?
The state of the world? That gets a little depressing fairly quickly. And - they've learned to tolerate me during a crowdfunding campaign. But here's the thing - there are others around who haven't heard or don't know about the campaign.
We all know this project is quirky and niche - it's player options/setting supplement/adventure tools for the Realms of Pugmire game - focusing on the world of the rodents. This book covers a lot of different ideas and topics, and surely something in there will be interesting to potential backers! Yet those barkers haven't yet heard about this campaign and would love to join in. We're right in the middle of relentless news and events so it's not surprising that new backers are just finding out about the campaign every day. If you have an opportunity to let someone know, please do and let's make sure they have a chance to join in before the end.
For me, one of my main ways of coping with these exhausting times is to dive into a game world with my friends. Reading the
Lair of the Rat Kings manuscript has been a much-needed escape over the past weeks, and my friends and I will absolutely be designing our own mice as part of our self-care in the future.
So, let's help out our awesome TTRPG fans and make sure that we've spread the word as best we can and everyone has an opportunity to participate in this campaign!
Resources to Share
If you're inviting new backers, or if you are a new backer (hi new backers!), here are a few key resources to be aware of for this campaign.
Backers are able to review the (soon-to-be) complete manuscript for this book before the campaign closes and any pledges are processed. With the exception of the Set Pieces section from chapter 5 coming on Tuesday (the actual Lairs of the Rat Kings that give the book it's title!), the entirety of the rules and options from this book are available for download and review by backers, along with all of the setting information for this fuzzy and fascinating world.
Anyone who pledges to this campaign before the end can read the entire book now AND provide feedback directly to the developers to help guide the manuscript through the final phases of development and editing!
And, if you join now, as I've noted, we'll be posting the final section of the book next week before we reach the finish line.
More About Lair of the Rat Kings
I love that you can read the manuscript before any pledges are processed or payments collected. But sometimes you still want more info about the book. Well... podcast time! The folks over at A Bunch of Gamers have two episodes all about our Rat Kings!
Eddy's episode talks about narrative dungeon crawling, how Psionics work, and of course, several tangents!
Travis' episode talks about choices made regarding the relationship between the Cult of Labo Tor and psionics, design choices on narrative dungeons, and more!
Give 'em a listen when you can!
Lair of the Rat Kings Fiction
The other fun way to learn about this setting is to read some of the in-game fiction that fleshes it all out! Two new stories have been shared as part of this campaign (and will be incorporated into the final book). Check them out:
Rodent Resource Roundup
The Discord is particularly lively and fun, but you might be able to gain further insight and some in-depth conversation at any of these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Share the Links!
1) Don't forget to share a link to the Crowdfunding page in any discussion you have (where appropriate) - and feel free to pass any of the long list of links above to those who may need more info (or, just point them to this post!)
2) Don't forget to tell us about any post or review or discussion you write! Come to the comments section and let us know so we can all go and contribute! I know I keep saying it, but really - these last days are key. Keep the enthusiasm high and keep on inviting others to join in, either directly ("Come see...") or just by setting an example of your enthusiasm and interest.
Final Week
We've got one week to go, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! We work together because it's the right thing to do, and because backers make it better! Let's finish strong! And let's continue exploring this amazingly furry and fabulous setting together, sharing our feedback with the writers and delving into the draft manuscript, and let's see if we can't get another Stretch Goal before we review next Wednesday!
At $8,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE III
Map Upgrade 3 - Secret Lair. The big set-piece Secret Lair map will be upgraded and built to add excitement to this underground experience.
Sneak Peek: Red Paw Gang
about 1 month ago
– Thu, Aug 06, 2026 at 06:28:43 AM
Hello Tail-blazers,
AS we complete the third week of our campaign, I've got one final sneak peek for you from our final draft manuscript section. Wow, we really are getting to the end.
As a reminder, anyone who jumps on the campaign for the next week has the ability to read the entire draft version of the book - before any pledges are processed or payments collected. We want to make sure you know exactly what you're supporting with this campaign. And the Onyx Path team also wants you to be able to start using the game materials as soon as possible!
This last sneak peek is from the second half of Chapter 5, which contains four big chapter- and story-concluding set pieces dealing with the Rat Kings from the title of the book.
King Kola Rump-White & the Red Paw Gang
The Red Paw Gang has menaced the Underneath for years, regularly raiding, pillaging, burning, and murdering their neighbors. The beleaguered villages hold out little hope that the Red Paws will cease their marauding anytime soon. Heroes have promised to take action several times in the past. Most of them have wound up feeding the Red Paws’ carnivorous plants the hard way. The few survivors either fled, or in one jaw-dropping case, joined them.
That lone exception was Kola Rump-White, a cunning rat, who has since risen through the Red Paws’ ranks to become one of the Rat Kings. Kola is a tactical genius (just ask him!) who has meteorically ascended the ranks of the Red Paw Gang, rising from a mere grunt with dreams of greatness and plunder to the king of the gang. This band of cutthroat dogs, cats, rodents, and a lagomorph plagues the nearby areas of the Underneath, as well as parts of the nearby surface. To hear him say it, he and his gang are of one vicious mind. However, his control over the Red Paws is far less than absolute; truly, he is more like a dog jerking a sled this way and that as it hurtles down a mountain, just ahead of an avalanche.
Kola has led the Red Paws for close to a decade, which is an eternity in bandit years. He talked his way out of a beheading through sheer audacity; after most of his adventuring party met their ignoble ends at the paws of the gang, he grabbed the other survivor and held a knife to her throat, claiming that he’d captured her and was a new member of the gang, entitling him to a cut of her loot. As the gang’s ranks had recently swelled to the point that no one member knew everyone else, they took his word for it and gave him a share of his former friend’s plastic.
That former friend survived the encounter, as Kola successfully bargained for her life, eventually getting her to join the gang. The then-leader of the Red Paw Gang, Palan, never trusted her and kept a close eye on her during a raid to test her loyalty. When he wasn’t looking, she put a dagger through his neck and fled. Kola took credit for the kill, claiming that Palan was holding the gang back from their true potential. The Red Paws were initially unsure what to make of the coup, but rapidly fell in line after he delivered a rousing speech and led them to victory over a well-guarded surface caravan.
Since then, he’s declared himself one of the Rat Kings, handing out lofty titles to each of the Red Paws to make them feel like nobles and constabulary. This had three immediate effects: it made the gang members feel entitled to tithes from neighboring villages, it granted an air of legitimacy to that entitlement, and it froze the gang’s violent culture as it was. The Red Paws see chaotic bloodshed as a completely valid response to “commoners” not obeying their demands. Though King Kola has tried several times to curb his gang’s horrific violence, they see it as the morally correct way to maintain their status.
The Red Paw Gang
The Red Paw Gang has divided themselves into a quartet of cliques, based on their personal views of the world and their roles within the gang: the Law, the Leaders, the Nobles, and the Recruits.
Each of the key gang members has varying loyalties, with some indifferent to King Kola or even secretly seditious. The rank-and-file members of each clique generally support Kola, although they tend to take their cues from their leadership.
The Law
Led by Sheriff Lucy Longhair, the Law sees themselves as the rightful legal authority within the Underneath. Longhair is supported by Constable Corso and a fluctuating group of “deputies.”
Constable Fabio Corso
Once a rising member of the Church of Man, Corso was defrocked and expelled from the order after he became a barghest, accepting favor from the Unseen while insisting that he was the one controlling the demons. Though cast out, he’s retained the air of a righteous dog, dishing out spells and wicked punishments on any who dare stand against him. He takes special pleasure in savagely castigating shepherds defending their people from the Red Paws. Seeing himself as the paw of Man, Constable Corso is the second most vicious member of the Red Paws, second only to Duchess Thunder.
His knowledge of Church of Man lore is deep, though he’s twisted many passages to suit his ends. Because of this, two-faced tricksters have an easier time of talking their way out of trouble with him than those who are actually schooled in the ways of Man. His position within the gang, “correcting” legitimate shepherds, brings him great joy, to the point where he’s content to serve under King Kola, though he holds no true loyalty to him.
In combat, Corso delights in hamstringing enemy frontline fighters with debilitating spells like Leash Foe, allowing Red Paws to bypass the front ranks to strike the more vulnerable members of the opposition. Once melees have gotten chaotic, he targets enemy shepherds with spells, his mace, and his venomous tongue.
Stat Block: Blessed (Realms of Pugmire, p. 188)
Sheriff Lucy Longhair
“The Sheriff,” as she’s known within the gang, is a rarity within the Red Paws; she’s a cat perfectly capable of violence, but she rarely chooses it. Instead, she prefers to enjoy her status to order others to do her bidding. Her greed and sloth are well known within the gang; she frequently stays behind on raids, but still demands first pick of the loot from her deputies. She argues that staying behind keeps the burrows safe from enemies and has brutally humiliated the few who’ve called her out on her laziness, so no one has had the guts to depose her.
She’s more than just a brutal dictator; she’s also somewhat a populist, using her share of the loot to acquire objects she shares with the rest of the Law, such as a music box and a scratching post. Because of her sloth and high-ranking position, she’ll fight tooth and nail to preserve her comfortable lifestyle but has almost no loyalty to the gang or King Kola. If someone deposed him, she wouldn’t bat an eye unless the revolution cut into her supply of tuna.
When it comes to fighting, Longhair uses the openings Constable Corso creates so she can savagely assault enemy spellcasters. If she can’t get at the back rank, she’s more than happy to simply takeout whoever seems weakest or closest to unconsciousness.
Stat Block: Forager (Realms of Pugmire, p. 188)
The Nobles
Headed up by Archduke Burrowlord, the Nobles see themselves as the true aristocracy of the Underneath. They are quite greedy and violent. In addition to the following Nobles, there is a handful of less members of the clique.
Count Quicksaber
Some among the Red Paws joke that the Count’s name is because he’s a rodent quick to turn his saber on anyone, including other members of the gang. Though no one has ever proven that he’s removed fellow Red Paws, he’s often the one to notice their absence and the first to pick over the departed members’ prized possessions. The Nobles have long felt pressure to do something about the Count, but he gives second pick of the murdered members’ belongings to them, so they’ve taken no real action against him.
Privately, he knows how many gang members he’s taken care of and knows there’s one missing Law member that wasn’t his fault: Detective Violet, who was poised to lead the Nobles to overthrow King Kola. He suspects Vizier Silverteeth but has never revealed his suspicions or the fact that he didn’t do anything to her, for fear that the psyker would reduce him to ashes. He was prepared to follow Violet in her uprising, so being the default suspect in her disappearance cuts him deeply. He has no idea who should lead the gang, but would give his left paw to see Silverteeth eliminated and Kola deposed.
Quicksaber is a cunning fighter in combat and often maneuvers through battlefields to eliminate weaker targets. When the tide turns against him, he disappears into the shadows, only to strike again.
Stat Block: Assistant of Labo Tor (Realms of Pugmire, p. 171)
Archduke Preston Burrowlord
The Archduke allegedly hails from a long line of noble rats, though few have ever heard of the Burrowlords. He is greedy and proud, often leading the Red Paws’ raids. As such, he’s become the face of the Red Paws for many outsiders. Though he’s an extremely competent combatant, he’s a poor leader, often taking first pick of loot and choosing to personally undertake tasks instead of delegating. This makes his appointment to King Kola’s second in command strange to everyone except Vizier Silverteeth, who sees it as a brilliant stratagem to prevent an organized uprising from the Nobles.
Archduke Burrowlord truly believes that his family was in charge of Underneath rat burrows, largely because that’s what his mother taught him when he was a pup, and it has never occurred to him that she might have been exaggerating in order to make him feel pride for his family. He believes that his position of second in command is a title of honor and feels beholden to Kola as a result. Though he’s a prideful and selfish rat, he holds King Kola in high esteem.
When it comes to fighting, the Archduke wades right into the thick of things, doling out damage wherever he feels will make the most difference. Perhaps because of his pride, he’s absolutely fearless in battle and will only retreat if someone he respects makes the call for him, such as Duchess Thunder or Vizier Silverteeth.
Stat Block: Chieftain (
Realms of Pugmire, p. 169)
This is just a small taste of the Red Paw Gang, the first of four big set-pieces for the Lair of the Rat Kings.
Backers will get the full text - and the complete draft manuscript - next Tuesday!
Tomorrow, we're going to kick off our final week with a review of all the stuff you should know and a schedule of all the things I'll be posting in our final week. Let's keep rocking right until the end!
Sneak Peek: The Bug Hive
about 1 month ago
– Tue, Aug 04, 2026 at 06:17:04 AM
Hello Tail-blazers,
We've got one final chapter in our draft manuscript, but it's massive and we'll be splitting it into two sections as we deliver the entire draft version of the book to you before the end of the campaign.
And it kinda breaks into two sections quite nicely. The first half is an interlaced adventure designed to test your characters' courage as well as a wide range of encounters to include in your stories. The second half is big set-pieces dealing with each of the Rat Kings themselves, sort of larger chapter and story-ending climaxes for your tales of the Underneath.
Today I've got a sneak peek from one of the encounters from the first half of the chapter. We'll get the entire text for the Adventures + Encounters half tomorrow, but until then, enjoy some BUG HIVE.
The Bug Hive
As you walk through the underground caverns, you begin to notice that the tunnels you’re in seem to have a uniformity about them, as if they were purposefully dug. They clearly weren’t shaped by tools or paws, but they’re all smooth-walled and similarly sized, as if hewn by a large instrument of some sort.
If the players succeed at a Cunning check (Notice or Survive) at difficulty 10, they realize the tunnels are part of a network leading to a massive insect hive. On a triumph, they also know some of the digging was recent, as if the insects were digging new tunnels or simply maintaining older ones. If they choose to stay and keep pressing into the tunnels, they will encounter giant ants (Realms of Pugmire, pp. 179-180). As it’s dark inside the colony, characters who can’t see in low light or darkness need to maintain some sort of light source to effectively fight the ants. As the party makes its way toward the center of the hive, roll on the encounter table to see how many and what kind of ants they encounter, adjusting if needed for party size.
Bug Hive Encounters (d4)
- 1d4 giant ant drones
- 1 giant ant warrior
- 1d8 giant ant drones
- 1d4 giant ant warriors
If you’d prefer not to roll the random encounters, have them face an escalating number and type of giant ants as they make their way toward the center, culminating with the queen. The following progression is a good example of play.
Approaching the Entrance
The entrance to the hive proper is meticulously dug out, with mounded soil off to the side and a gently sloping entrance. The acrid, musty scent of ant pheromones is everywhere, smelling of bitter citrus and faint mold.
Either roll on the encounter table or simply have the characters encounter a few giant ant drones here. They’re easily scared off but even if they don’t flee, the hive is alerted to the characters’ presence, as ants share a hive mind.
Tunnels
The packed-earth tunnels are remarkably neat, and all twist their way toward a central chamber, if circuitously. You can hear many ant limbs moving in the darkness.
As the party explores the tunnels, they will encounter more ants attempting to keep them away from the central chamber. Some ants are simply drones, and might be startled by the characters, but as they fight more warriors will show up to join the fray. Either roll on the table or have a combat begin with one giant ant drone for every party member and then bring in a warrior near the end. Have as many encounters as makes sense to you or is dramatically appropriate before reaching the final encounter with the queen.
Other Chambers
Throughout the hive, there are chambers dedicated to various things, including garbage disposal, food storage, and rearing larvae. Sprinkle a few of these in throughout the encounter, or simply describe each once as the characters explore. Any of these rooms would be a good spot for a tight encounter, where the characters can’t get as much as range as they might prefer between themselves and the giant ants.
Food Storage
This large chamber is clearly a place the ants use for food storage. Piles of food in various stages of decomposition line the stained walls, from well-preserved seeds to reeking meat. The ants clearly don’t have a discerning palate.
Lining the walls of those foul-smelling room are piles of food the ants save for later or to feed their queen and larvae. It ranges from nuts and seeds to grubs, unidentifiable meat, and the occasional whole corpse of an animal. If the characters choose to search the piles, they may find some things suitable for rations, as well as an explosive egg of a type of your choice (Realms of Pugmire, p. 161).
At any time while in this room, drone ants may come in bearing foodstuff, and they will attack the characters if they’re spotted, though they can hide behind the food piles if they hear the ants coming with a Cunning (Notice) check, difficulty 10.
Nursery
Larvae and pupae in various stages of development lie in large depressions dug into the dirt of this chamber, and those old enough to move gambol around and over their fellows. Four drones tend to the young, cleaning them and feeding them some sort of mash.
This chamber is clearly some sort of creche or nursery, as the characters would understand it. The young are noncombatants, but the workers will defend themselves and their charges ferociously, calling in one or two giant ant warriors if they feel it necessary. If the characters attack the young in any way, one giant ant warrior for each player will storm the room, regardless of if the prior fight is finished.
If the players want to adopt an ant to raise as their own, they may take up to one larva each, each of which is the size of a typical feline. A fully grown giant ant can be a mount for a rodent as long as they’re on the smaller size, but requires several consecutive Presence (Handle Animal) checks, difficulty 15, to truly tame one, as they would prefer to get back to their hive. If tamed, the giant ant uses its usual drone stats, but doesn’t have its grab or acid sting, and otherwise acts as a horse or other pack animal. It is impossible to tame a giant ant warrior or queen.
Trash Disposal
This chamber smells worse than the food storage chamber or the ants themselves. It’s filled with bones, molted exoskeletons, and other refuse. Among the biological waste, you can see pieces of cast-off armor and rusting weapons, presumably from others who have tried and failed to defeat the queen.
This room is set apart from other chambers, and will probably be walled off soon as the ants fill it and require a new refuse chamber. Most of the equipment seen in the pile is useless, having rotted or rusted away, but if you want the players to find a fix or wonder here, that makes perfect sense. This is also another good place for a drone encounter, should you so choose.
The Queen
As you near the central chamber, you can hear chittering insect sounds ahead of you. When you round the corner and your light reveals the chamber’s contents, you see a gigantic ant in the center of the chamber. This is clearly the queen, and she’s busy laying eggs while other ants attend to her needs. When her multifaceted eyes turn toward you at your sudden intrusion, she lets out a clicking wail that echoes mournfully through the tunnels.
The ant queen is terrifying, and is attended by 1d6 drones and 1d4 warriors. If the characters attack her, the whole ant colony rouses to her defense, sending reinforcements each round the queen is undefeated. If the characters defeat the queen, the rest of the hive flees, taking their eggs and young with them, along with as much food as they can grab. If you want to reward the players for this encounter, the queen’s chamber is an excellent place to have a relic, wonders and fixes, or a lot of plastic, perhaps given to the queen in tribute or offerings to dissuade the colony from attacking.
The Dead Tunnel
The stench of rotten flesh grows as the party moves deeper into a tunnel. Stepping past a series of stalagmites, the ground becomes soft and the stench grows more profound. Bugs and worms move along the chamber walls, feeding on the rancid material. Realization strikes. This isn’t a tunnel. It’s a corpse. An Intellect (Know Nature) or Cunning (Survive) check at difficulty 10 — made at a hindrance by those from the surface other than rodents — reveals this as a dead Spelunking Gullet (p. xx). If the party is brave enough to explore the creature’s mouth or descend into its belly, they may discover a valuable bounty. The Guide should roll on this table, select their preferred option, or use these items as inspiration for other objects the party might uncover:
Bounty in the Dead Tunnel (d6)
- Among the partially digested creatures littering the area, you find the remains of a nameless rodent, dog, or cat adventurer. While most of their gear is ruined, you find a torch and a container of ammunition within what remains of their rucksack.
- Some foul energies have animated the dead here. The floor quivers as several partially digested adventurers shamble forth, reanimated as zombies (Realms of Pugmire p. 192).
- A surviving, but traumatized creature — or group of creatures — claws its way out of the gullet as the party approaches. Use any combination of the enemies. Stomach acids have seared the creature’s flesh and eyes causing them to be Blind. They are in agony and lash out as a result. This causes them to automatically succeed on morale tests regardless of their tags.
- The monster’s belly is filled with riches left behind by its former meals. Fill the monster with 1d10 items, including relics, fixes, or wonders from any Realms of Pugmire book.
- The party finds an egg sac nearly the size and weight of a full-grown rodent. A successful Cunning (Survive) or Intellect (Know Nature) at difficulty 12 reveals the egg contains a gestating Spelunking Gullet (p. XX). A triumph reveals the egg will hatch in 2d4 weeks.
- From deep within the gullet the party hears a squeaky voice call out, “A little help here!” A grappling hook emerges from the dark maw, embedding in the rotten wall. A rope connects to the hook, descending into the deep, dark chasm below. Almost immediately, the hook begins to pull loose from the wall. If the party wishes to help, one character must make an Agility test at difficulty 10. A second character may use the Help action to grant a boon on this test. Success allows the party to catch the hook before it breaks free. They may then easily pull up the rodent on the other end of the rope. The grateful explorer introduces themself as one of the famed Underneath explorers, infamous salvagers of Spelunking Gullets, and proprietors of the Gus’s Goods family business. The Gus family are well known as reputable merchants. This merchant could be any of the Gus siblings: Ann Gus, Angus Gus, Esoph Gus II, or Prodi Gus. They all use the stats for the Clever Trapmaster (p. xx). The mouse is drenched in rot and filth but seems unbothered. They thank the party for their aid and offer them any supplies they need. Treat this member of the Gus family as a well-stocked merchant, willing to give each party member one non-masterwork item for free as thanks. They are willing to barter for additional items and their disposition level toward the party is Liked.
So that's a sneak peek at one of the many, many encounters that are in this chapter, alongside a full adventure. Pieces to build your story and adventure in the shadows and under the Realms of Pugmire.
Check back tomorrow for the full draft manuscript for Chapter 5 PART A, and then a sneak peek at the Red Paw Gang on Thursday. On Friday, I'm gonna have an information and scheduling page as we get into our final week, so you'll know what to expect over the last days of the campaign.
But for now, please continue to spread the word and share this campaign on your social media and in your social circles, and let's see if we can upgrade another map for this chapter before we're done!! This is the third and final upgrade and has to do with the big climatic location that we'll see in the second half of Chapter 5, coming in one week!
At $8,000 in Funding - LAIR OF THE RAT KINGS MAP UPGRADE III
Map Upgrade 3 - Secret Lair. The big set-piece Secret Lair map will be upgraded and built to add excitement to this underground experience.
Enemies! [Backer Draft Manuscript Preview #4]
about 2 months ago
– Fri, Jul 31, 2026 at 06:19:14 AM
Hello Tail-blazers,
What fun would it be if it were easy to just walk around in the world below the Realms of Pugmire? No challenges, no opposition, no adventure.
Well, luckily that's not the case. There are absolutely dangers in the dark. The Cult of Labo Tor is a big one, and other creatures (some of which we've previewed) lurk in the shadows.
Today, we get the complete draft version of Chapter 4, which covers all of the enemies in the Lair of the Rat Kings.
Draft Manuscript Previews
Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Lair of the Rat Kings, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in squeak-sized treats throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next 28 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.
Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.
In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose:
<Lair of the Rat Kings Feedback Form>
You can use this
Feedback Form to share your thoughts directly with the Pugmire developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
Digital and Print-on-Demand Rewards
We know times are hard these days, particularly with rising costs and economic uncertainty, so we’ve designed this crowdfunder to be as painless as possible. We offer a wide variety of digital options for backing, as well as leveraging print-on-demand technology to have physical products printed as close to you as possible to cut down shipping and reduce tariff concerns.
Creating and fulfilling physical versions this way gets you the best price, fastest delivery, and excellent customer support!
DriveThruRPG's printing partners are located both
within in the USA and the UK (and expanding), making shipping cheaper and
avoiding the tariffs incurred by international manufacturing and shipping!
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only -
you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.
