FIST Paranormal Mercenary RPG Box Set

PLEDGE MANAGER EMAILS SENT!
7 months ago – Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 04:09:03 PM

Like the headline says, all of the pledge manager emails have been sent! Check your inbox for an email from BackerKit. You'll be able to enter your address, adjust your pledge, and purchase additional add-ons. Updates on Kickstarter will probably slow down for a while as we iron out the kinks of this very big, very important step and dedicate our time to customer service. When we post the next update, we'll likely have more information for you about our estimated release date, content from SUPPLY DROP and other projects, and any ways we expect the final product might differ (for better or for worse) from the original pitch. 

Thank you all so much for helping us get this far. As usual, we're honored to have you aboard.

Best wishes,
CLAYMORE

PLEDGE MANAGER SMOKE TEST
7 months ago – Mon, Sep 29, 2025 at 04:57:29 PM

Hey all! Very short update here: we sent out the BackerKit pledge manager smoke test today! For the uninitiated, the smoke test is just the first phase where 5% of backers get the pledge manager first, so we can iron out any immediate, obvious errors before we send it to everyone else. 

As you can see, of the lucky 76 backers who got the pledge manager today, 50% have already answered and it looks like everything's gone off without a hitch. We'll check back tomorrow to see if anyone had any problems, fix them if so, and then send the pledge manager to the rest of you tomorrow, September 30th, 2025!

Please keep in mind that you will not be charged shipping today or tomorrow. We are going to wait until right before the release/ship date to charge everyone shipping. We'll also be sure to give you ample notice before we lock orders. You'll have a while between now and then to change your pledge level, purchase additional add-ons, etc. As for the release date: we'd really like to finish, release, and ship everything in 2025, and we think we technically can, but it may significantly hurt the quality of the remaining material in development. If we decide to do one more delay and push the release to Q1 or Q2 2026, you'll be the first to know. 

That's all for now. Thanks again, everyone! 

All the best,
CLAYMORE

PLEDGE MANAGER UPDATE (AGAIN)
7 months ago – Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 08:13:48 PM

Hey all! Very small update here just to keep you in the loop. We ultimately had to use some placeholder images and slightly reinvent our SKU system, but we finally cleared all the preflight checks for the pledge manager and it is undergoing final review. We'll begin sending it out in two business days. Not everyone will get it at once but we think everyone will have it in their inbox by the 30th!

While we wait for the hardworking folks at BackerKit to cross the Ts and dot the Is, check out this cool design for the FIST Intel Cassette add-on!

Also, we're going ahead with a full-color alt cover for the GOTY core book and box, which we're excited to reveal to you soon! Until then, thanks for bearing with us.

Best,
CLAYMORE

PLEDGE MANAGER + TARIFFS UPDATE
8 months ago – Mon, Sep 08, 2025 at 09:24:08 PM

Hey folks! Just writing to inform you that nothing is wrong with the pledge manager and don't stress out if you haven't gotten it yet - while it is essentially finished, we're having some technical difficulties (namely, some small problems with SKUs and product images) and want to make sure it is absolutely flawless before we send it out to all 1500-ish of you. If you still don't have the email by the end of this month, please contact us by email ([email protected]) or here on Kickstarter - but we really doubt anyone will have to wait that long. 

We're a small outfit and this is our first time doing anything at this scale, so it's a learning process for us. We really appreciate your understanding that we are going at the fastest pace we can, and are probably going to step on every possible rake along the way. Rest assured, we lose sleep (and hair) thinking about this Kickstarter every day, and the fact that the finish line is even in sight is surreal. We demand of ourselves that when we get there, the product we deliver will be nothing less than stellar.

We'd like to take a moment talk about stretch goals and tariffs. In past updates, we've alluded to being a little concerned that we might not be able to fulfill everything as planned. We're not officially cutting anything yet, but we wanted to fill you in. Here's some more concrete information:

• We're committed to delivering, at the bare minimum, the FIST: Ultra Edition Box Set minus stretch goals. That means you'll get the core rules (softcover or hardcover, depending on if you ordered the GOTY edition), the SUPPLY DROP rules expansion, the RATIONS pamphlet collection, a character sheet pad, and plastic dice. GOTY boxes will also include a map pad, metal dice, and a poster. Boxes and dice are both components that are almost universally manufactured outside of the US, so they're going to be a lot more expensive for us than we could've expected (as are the print products, which we had hoped to print through a large overseas printer rather than a more expensive, domestic print house), but we can't send you a box set with no box, and no dice would be a shame. If something changes and even those components are too expensive for us, we'll try to pay out of our own pockets until we're literally broke. We certainly don't feel comfortable asking you lovely FIST fans for any more money, even though the sudden industry shakeup is entirely outside our control. 
• We're quite confident we can also deliver MANDELBROT SET, the Quickstart Guide, a nifty sleeve to hold the pamphlets, and all of the add-ons - but we might have to make some changes. All of the test versions we made of products involving silver foil were made overseas, and may now be unaffordable for us. That said, we're pretty darn sure we can get all of these stretch goals to you as planned, and if for some nightmare reason we can't, we'll let you know and try to make up for it with something else. For the add-ons, we certainly won't accept a situation where you paid for an add-on and received nothing, so those will be prioritized.
• CRY HAVOC and the POCKET HANDBOOK may be on the chopping block - at least physically. Our full-color, jumbo-size campaign kits are easily some of the most expensive and difficult-to-produce projects we've taken on. If there's anything we'll have to cut because every other component shot up in price, it's the second campaign kit, CRY HAVOC. The POCKET HANDBOOK, being a stapled, shorter zine, is less expensive and more within reach. In any case, we're continuing development on those stretch goals so that if push comes to shove and we are forced to cancel physical fulfillment of one or both, we can at least send them to you digitally. 
• You could get some surprise bonuses you didn't expect. If we do have to cut or change anything in a significant way, we'll want to make up for it. One of the stretch goals we didn't reach was an upgrade to the GOTY hardcover that adds a full-color alternate cover illustration instead of the default white logo on black. Originally, we'd hoped to commission an outside artist, but we're now looking at doing in-house full-color cover art, and upgrading the GOTY box to a full-color illustration as well. This will be a matter of cost (and it is only in reach if, when we settle on a new printer, they don't charge extra for color covers), but we'd certainly love to make it happen. Also, all backers will be getting a free digital copy of the playtest version of THE HOUSE EDGE, a crossover campaign between FIST and Triangle Agency, courtesy of Haunted Table. Thanks, Haunted Table!

Things could end up just fine (knock on wood). It's possible that when we open pre-orders, we'll do so well that we can afford to produce everything exactly as planned, because more sales equals less cost per unit. It's also possible the current "US vs. the world" trade war will die down by the time we begin full-on production. Considering that we've had a good chunk of people clamoring for a late backer option and that the Trump administration is at odds with the US Supreme Court over economic policy as we write this update, both of those might pan out. Even then, though, the damage to the tabletop and print industries has been done and may not bounce back for a while. We're not cutting or changing anything yet - we just wanted to let you know what the "bad ending" might look like.

Like just about every other indie TTRPG and board game developer, CLAYMORE is fighting tooth and nail not only to finish projects we started, but to stay in business at all. No matter what happens, we'll do our best and keep you in the loop every step of the way.

Kindly sit tight and continue to watch your email, folks. If everything goes wrong and we can't get that pledge manager approved, smoke tested, and in your inbox by the end of the month, you'll be the first to hear about it. 

All the best,
CLAYMORE

MANDELBROT SET OUT NOW! + SHIPPING UPDATE (WATCH YOUR EMAIL)
8 months ago – Sat, Aug 30, 2025 at 06:18:39 PM

We finally finished MANDELBROT SET! Check your itch library to find the Retail Version of the files. Also, if you haven't claimed the campaign kit yet, you can do so here (just make sure your itch account email matches the one you used to back this project):

https://claymorerpgs.itch.io/mandelbrot-set/backer-access

Also, we plan on sending out BackerKit emails to collect your shipping addresses by EOD tomorrow. You will be able to change your pledge level and adjust your add-ons. Please understand that BackerKit emails must go through a review process which we do not control (which the upcoming federal holiday may delay, since many BackerKit folks will be out of the office) and that the emails go through a smoke test period rather than going out all at once. Keep an eye on your email throughout the week!

We are still on track to deliver physical rewards within 2025. In our next update, you can expect more info about the SUPPLY DROP core rules expansion as well as updates on how we plan to tackle fulfillment in light of another tarriff shakeup harming the tabletop industry. Until then, thank you for supporting FIST!

All the best,
CLAYMORE