The Giant
2021-10-13, 09:43 PM
So this took a lot longer than expected, even by my standards.
http://i.giantitp.com/AMFES_Summer2_ForumCover.png (https://richburlew.gumroad.com/l/amfessummer2)
I'm happy to announce the sixth volume of A Monster for Every Season, a comprehensive set of print-and-play miniatures covering a wide variety of monsters and adventurers for your D&D game. It's basically a PDF file with pages upon pages of new OOTS-style monster art that you can print, cut, fold, and tape before dropping them into your game.
https://i.giantitp.com/AMFES_Summer2_Sample.png
But for the first time, we're also including digital tokens of each monster for use on Your Favorite Virtual Tabletop set-up! So you'll get three versions of each creature: the original color fold-up, the line art fold-up you can color yourself for reduced toner usage, and the full color token ready to drop into your online games.
https://i.giantitp.com/AMFES_Summer2_Roll20Screenshot2.png
The sets are loosely themed around the four seasons, and this is the sixth set we're putting out, Summer 2.
This set includes the following categories:
21 Brain-Eaters
46 Celestials
15 Dragons
36 Featherfolk
16 Mephits
28 Mind Warriors
44 Pirates
32 Psions
62 Psychic Threats
36 Seafarers
89 Wasteland
For a full list of all the monsters, here's a helpful Content List (https://s3.amazonaws.com/GiantInThePlayground_AMFES/AMFES_Summer2_Contents.pdf) to download. And for more information, you can check out the product page (http://www.giantitp.com/AMFESSummer2.html), or you can read the FAQ that is coming up. Or just head over to Gumroad (https://richburlew.gumroad.com/l/amfessummer2#) and check it out for yourself.
---------------------
Frequently Asked Questions:
Purchasing
I can't figure out how to buy them!
You can get to the purchase page by clicking here (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer2), or on the big cover pictures above, or you can get to the Giant in the Playground profile page at Gumroad (which lists all the products we have on one page) by clicking here (https://gumroad.com/richburlew).
How do I get my PDFs?
You'll get an email with a download link a few minutes after ordering. Keep an eye on your spam folder, just in case.
I paid for the product but I didn't get an email to download it! What do I do?
The first thing to try is to go to your Library on Gumroad, at this link: https://gumroad.com/library You should be able to see everything you've bought from them, and you can just manually download the file. That only works if you have an account there, but if you bought it without one, you can just make a new account using the same email you used to buy it and it should show up in your Library retroactively. If that doesn't work, then you need to contact [email protected]. I don't have much control over Gumroad's technical side, since I don't own them or run their service, so your best bet is to talk to them directly.
What does the watermark look like?
It's on the first page (the cover), and it's a small grey ribbon-shape with the Gumroad "G" logo, next to which it says "Sold to" and then the email address that you gave when you purchased the book. So don't buy using your top secret email.
Why does it say there are three files?
Your purchase includes a full color PDF that includes every monster as a print-and-play figure, and also a separate black-and-white line art version. These two sets in separate files, so you'll get one file that has everything in color and one file that has everything in line art. And this time, there will be a third file that's a zip archive of all 424 individual monsters as round digital tokens for you to add to your virtual tabletop. (You will need to have a way to open a .zip archive, by the way.)
Why are you using Gumroad instead of (insert name of other company)?
Because they charge the lowest commission, which means I could lower the price more. Plus, most other companies that offer a watermark service add it to every single page, which seemed like overkill to me. One page is enough.
Digital Tokens
How do I add these tokens to my virtual tabletop program?
I can't answer that. First, I can't possibly know how to add them to every existing tabletop simulator. And second, most such programs require art creators who claim compatibility with a given product to submit to a license of some sort, and I don't want to do that. All I can say is that these are basic unadorned image files, so if your tabletop allows you to import images at all then you should be able to figure it out.
Can we discuss how to import these files into programs here on the message board?
Yes! Just because I can't publicly comment on how to use these with a given product doesn't mean you can't. Feel free to discuss it, assuming the program in question legally allows user-imported images.
How can I use these tokens? Can I use them in an online game?
Yes. You may use them in a game that takes place via play-by-post, virtual tabletop, or other online method. You may use them in a game that you are streaming, too. All I ask is that you not put the tokens somewhere for people to download and use themselves, such as uploading them to a server or posting them directly on social media.
How big are these images?
The tokens for Medium-size characters (humans and such) are 480 pixels square. Larger size monsters are scaled appropriately, with the largest (Colossal Gold Dragon) coming in at 2400 pixels square. Note that these sizes are significantly larger than the minimum or even the displayed size of tokens on most tabletop programs, which was done to allow for preservation of detail when they get scaled.
Will the other sets be getting digital tokens too?
Yes! All new sets going forward will include them, and the older sets will have them released periodically, whenever I have time to convert them. If you already own one of the older sets, you'll be able to download the tokens free of additional charge when they become available—keep an eye out for an announcement email for each set.
Did the price of this volume go up just because of the tokens?
No, basically the exact opposite: I came up with the idea of adding the tokens after I realized that economic conditions meant I needed to raise the price. I didn't want to do that without giving everyone something extra for their money. Also, you should be aware that the older sets will be going up in price by $2 when I get around to adding the virtual tokens to them as well, but if you already own them before I add the tokens it won't cost you anything extra to just download them.
Will these tokens be available through the storefront of such-and-such virtual tabletop website?
Maybe. I certainly plan on exploring those options once I've finished updating all of the older sets with their tokens, but there's no solid plans yet. A lot of it will depend on exact commission percentages or if they require exclusivity or stuff like that. I'll need to do some research.
Contents
Does this set have every monster I would need to play? Does it have the entire contents of the Monster Manual?
No. Rather than sample every type of monster shallowly, each set attempts to be comprehensive for a limited set of categories. For example, this set includes 16 mephits but no other elementals (which you can find in the Summer (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer) and Winter (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer) issues, which came out a few years back.). The goal is that by the time the project is over, the collected set will include pretty much every monster that has ever been released for the game, or at least an exhaustive selection thereof.
Is this useful for players, rather than just DMs?
Yes! Each set includes a few pages dedicated to two or more character classes, showcasing a variety of player-ready characters in all of the most common player races. This Summer 2 set includes a wide variety of psionic heroes, and many pirates and similar swashbuckling types that can easily represent your latest character. There are plenty of miniatures that would be useful even if you never ran an adventure yourself.
What are "wasteland" monsters?
Monsters that might exist in a theoretical world that had been ravaged by ecological devastation, and may or may not have a sun that could be somewhat darker than normal. If you catch my drift.
Release Schedule
Are there other sets besides this one yet?
Yes. The first five seasons are already out; you can buy them here: Spring (https://gumroad.com/l/amfesspring), Summer (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer), Autumn (https://gumroad.com/l/amfesautumn), Winter (https://gumroad.com/l/amfeswinter), and Spring 2 (https://gumroad.com/l/amfesspring2)
Will there be any more sets after this one?
Yes, there will be at least two more sets (Autumn 2 and Winter 2) coming out. There's no set schedule for their release however. Certainly, it's highly unlikely that they will be released all within their respective seasons this year, as each set takes a while to draw.
Why did you waste your time drawing 425 monsters instead of doing more comics?!?
For previous sets, this is where I would say that I had already done the work for the Kickstarter backers so this wasn't really that much extra. But this time, I hadn't, and it was. So two reasons:
One, because I legitimately enjoy drawing them, and it's something that I can do a little bit of at a time between other work that doesn't have the pressure of writing attached to it. Some days, I just don't have comedy writing in me, and if there aren't any scripts already completed and waiting to be drawn then it's nice to be able to open up my list of monsters and draw five or ten. It's good to have a project that doesn't need me to be funny (or try to be funny, at any rate, for those of you who think I don't succeed very often).
And two, because they sell well and this is how I support myself and my family. While the main comic is obviously very important, financial concerns demand that I release commercial products when I can, irrespective of the release schedule of the comic. Work like this is why I'm able to afford to keep putting out the comic for free in the vast gulfs between when it's ready to be collected for the compilation books.
Didn't you say this was coming like last year or something?
Yeah, funny story: At some point since the last time I put out a new product, it turns out Gumroad revamped their entire backend system, and the very new, very modern website did not play well with my own outdated system. This problem has now been surmounted, though, so new projects will be delayed by something else.
Is there going to be a comic today?
Yes, either later tonight or first thing tomorrow morning.
Kickstarter Questions
Will Kickstarter backers be getting this set for free?
No. This set is purely a paid product. As nice as it would be to give it away for free to everyone who supported the pledge drive, I unfortunately can only justify spending the time on this at all due to its potential to earn revenue. The first four sets I created for Kickstarter backers contained more than double the number of miniatures that I originally promised, so I feel as I have finished that particular obligation (even as I acknowledge that I still have others left to fill). I hope that those of you who supported me then understand.
---------------------
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or technical difficulties, feel free to post them here. You can also check out the thread for the previous Spring 2 set (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?588542-All-New-quot-Monster-for-Every-Season-quot-Spring-2!), where your question might have been answered.
Please don't clog this thread by asking any of the above questions again or derailing it with other topics. As always, the moderation staff may ask posters who are unable to stay on topic to stop posting in this thread.
http://i.giantitp.com/AMFES_Summer2_ForumCover.png (https://richburlew.gumroad.com/l/amfessummer2)
I'm happy to announce the sixth volume of A Monster for Every Season, a comprehensive set of print-and-play miniatures covering a wide variety of monsters and adventurers for your D&D game. It's basically a PDF file with pages upon pages of new OOTS-style monster art that you can print, cut, fold, and tape before dropping them into your game.
https://i.giantitp.com/AMFES_Summer2_Sample.png
But for the first time, we're also including digital tokens of each monster for use on Your Favorite Virtual Tabletop set-up! So you'll get three versions of each creature: the original color fold-up, the line art fold-up you can color yourself for reduced toner usage, and the full color token ready to drop into your online games.
https://i.giantitp.com/AMFES_Summer2_Roll20Screenshot2.png
The sets are loosely themed around the four seasons, and this is the sixth set we're putting out, Summer 2.
This set includes the following categories:
21 Brain-Eaters
46 Celestials
15 Dragons
36 Featherfolk
16 Mephits
28 Mind Warriors
44 Pirates
32 Psions
62 Psychic Threats
36 Seafarers
89 Wasteland
For a full list of all the monsters, here's a helpful Content List (https://s3.amazonaws.com/GiantInThePlayground_AMFES/AMFES_Summer2_Contents.pdf) to download. And for more information, you can check out the product page (http://www.giantitp.com/AMFESSummer2.html), or you can read the FAQ that is coming up. Or just head over to Gumroad (https://richburlew.gumroad.com/l/amfessummer2#) and check it out for yourself.
---------------------
Frequently Asked Questions:
Purchasing
I can't figure out how to buy them!
You can get to the purchase page by clicking here (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer2), or on the big cover pictures above, or you can get to the Giant in the Playground profile page at Gumroad (which lists all the products we have on one page) by clicking here (https://gumroad.com/richburlew).
How do I get my PDFs?
You'll get an email with a download link a few minutes after ordering. Keep an eye on your spam folder, just in case.
I paid for the product but I didn't get an email to download it! What do I do?
The first thing to try is to go to your Library on Gumroad, at this link: https://gumroad.com/library You should be able to see everything you've bought from them, and you can just manually download the file. That only works if you have an account there, but if you bought it without one, you can just make a new account using the same email you used to buy it and it should show up in your Library retroactively. If that doesn't work, then you need to contact [email protected]. I don't have much control over Gumroad's technical side, since I don't own them or run their service, so your best bet is to talk to them directly.
What does the watermark look like?
It's on the first page (the cover), and it's a small grey ribbon-shape with the Gumroad "G" logo, next to which it says "Sold to" and then the email address that you gave when you purchased the book. So don't buy using your top secret email.
Why does it say there are three files?
Your purchase includes a full color PDF that includes every monster as a print-and-play figure, and also a separate black-and-white line art version. These two sets in separate files, so you'll get one file that has everything in color and one file that has everything in line art. And this time, there will be a third file that's a zip archive of all 424 individual monsters as round digital tokens for you to add to your virtual tabletop. (You will need to have a way to open a .zip archive, by the way.)
Why are you using Gumroad instead of (insert name of other company)?
Because they charge the lowest commission, which means I could lower the price more. Plus, most other companies that offer a watermark service add it to every single page, which seemed like overkill to me. One page is enough.
Digital Tokens
How do I add these tokens to my virtual tabletop program?
I can't answer that. First, I can't possibly know how to add them to every existing tabletop simulator. And second, most such programs require art creators who claim compatibility with a given product to submit to a license of some sort, and I don't want to do that. All I can say is that these are basic unadorned image files, so if your tabletop allows you to import images at all then you should be able to figure it out.
Can we discuss how to import these files into programs here on the message board?
Yes! Just because I can't publicly comment on how to use these with a given product doesn't mean you can't. Feel free to discuss it, assuming the program in question legally allows user-imported images.
How can I use these tokens? Can I use them in an online game?
Yes. You may use them in a game that takes place via play-by-post, virtual tabletop, or other online method. You may use them in a game that you are streaming, too. All I ask is that you not put the tokens somewhere for people to download and use themselves, such as uploading them to a server or posting them directly on social media.
How big are these images?
The tokens for Medium-size characters (humans and such) are 480 pixels square. Larger size monsters are scaled appropriately, with the largest (Colossal Gold Dragon) coming in at 2400 pixels square. Note that these sizes are significantly larger than the minimum or even the displayed size of tokens on most tabletop programs, which was done to allow for preservation of detail when they get scaled.
Will the other sets be getting digital tokens too?
Yes! All new sets going forward will include them, and the older sets will have them released periodically, whenever I have time to convert them. If you already own one of the older sets, you'll be able to download the tokens free of additional charge when they become available—keep an eye out for an announcement email for each set.
Did the price of this volume go up just because of the tokens?
No, basically the exact opposite: I came up with the idea of adding the tokens after I realized that economic conditions meant I needed to raise the price. I didn't want to do that without giving everyone something extra for their money. Also, you should be aware that the older sets will be going up in price by $2 when I get around to adding the virtual tokens to them as well, but if you already own them before I add the tokens it won't cost you anything extra to just download them.
Will these tokens be available through the storefront of such-and-such virtual tabletop website?
Maybe. I certainly plan on exploring those options once I've finished updating all of the older sets with their tokens, but there's no solid plans yet. A lot of it will depend on exact commission percentages or if they require exclusivity or stuff like that. I'll need to do some research.
Contents
Does this set have every monster I would need to play? Does it have the entire contents of the Monster Manual?
No. Rather than sample every type of monster shallowly, each set attempts to be comprehensive for a limited set of categories. For example, this set includes 16 mephits but no other elementals (which you can find in the Summer (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer) and Winter (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer) issues, which came out a few years back.). The goal is that by the time the project is over, the collected set will include pretty much every monster that has ever been released for the game, or at least an exhaustive selection thereof.
Is this useful for players, rather than just DMs?
Yes! Each set includes a few pages dedicated to two or more character classes, showcasing a variety of player-ready characters in all of the most common player races. This Summer 2 set includes a wide variety of psionic heroes, and many pirates and similar swashbuckling types that can easily represent your latest character. There are plenty of miniatures that would be useful even if you never ran an adventure yourself.
What are "wasteland" monsters?
Monsters that might exist in a theoretical world that had been ravaged by ecological devastation, and may or may not have a sun that could be somewhat darker than normal. If you catch my drift.
Release Schedule
Are there other sets besides this one yet?
Yes. The first five seasons are already out; you can buy them here: Spring (https://gumroad.com/l/amfesspring), Summer (https://gumroad.com/l/amfessummer), Autumn (https://gumroad.com/l/amfesautumn), Winter (https://gumroad.com/l/amfeswinter), and Spring 2 (https://gumroad.com/l/amfesspring2)
Will there be any more sets after this one?
Yes, there will be at least two more sets (Autumn 2 and Winter 2) coming out. There's no set schedule for their release however. Certainly, it's highly unlikely that they will be released all within their respective seasons this year, as each set takes a while to draw.
Why did you waste your time drawing 425 monsters instead of doing more comics?!?
For previous sets, this is where I would say that I had already done the work for the Kickstarter backers so this wasn't really that much extra. But this time, I hadn't, and it was. So two reasons:
One, because I legitimately enjoy drawing them, and it's something that I can do a little bit of at a time between other work that doesn't have the pressure of writing attached to it. Some days, I just don't have comedy writing in me, and if there aren't any scripts already completed and waiting to be drawn then it's nice to be able to open up my list of monsters and draw five or ten. It's good to have a project that doesn't need me to be funny (or try to be funny, at any rate, for those of you who think I don't succeed very often).
And two, because they sell well and this is how I support myself and my family. While the main comic is obviously very important, financial concerns demand that I release commercial products when I can, irrespective of the release schedule of the comic. Work like this is why I'm able to afford to keep putting out the comic for free in the vast gulfs between when it's ready to be collected for the compilation books.
Didn't you say this was coming like last year or something?
Yeah, funny story: At some point since the last time I put out a new product, it turns out Gumroad revamped their entire backend system, and the very new, very modern website did not play well with my own outdated system. This problem has now been surmounted, though, so new projects will be delayed by something else.
Is there going to be a comic today?
Yes, either later tonight or first thing tomorrow morning.
Kickstarter Questions
Will Kickstarter backers be getting this set for free?
No. This set is purely a paid product. As nice as it would be to give it away for free to everyone who supported the pledge drive, I unfortunately can only justify spending the time on this at all due to its potential to earn revenue. The first four sets I created for Kickstarter backers contained more than double the number of miniatures that I originally promised, so I feel as I have finished that particular obligation (even as I acknowledge that I still have others left to fill). I hope that those of you who supported me then understand.
---------------------
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or technical difficulties, feel free to post them here. You can also check out the thread for the previous Spring 2 set (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?588542-All-New-quot-Monster-for-Every-Season-quot-Spring-2!), where your question might have been answered.
Please don't clog this thread by asking any of the above questions again or derailing it with other topics. As always, the moderation staff may ask posters who are unable to stay on topic to stop posting in this thread.