Chapelwick - A Soulslike Cosmic Horror Campaign for 5E

Art Director + Editor Pass + Antipathy Revealed!
11 days ago – Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 09:13:18 AM

Hello friends of Chapelwick,

It’s time for our March development update. The last few weeks have been full of progress across the project, and we’re excited to share several meaningful milestones with you. A lot of work is happening behind the scenes right now, especially around art direction, editing, encounter design, and preparing physical rewards for production.

Things are moving steadily, and Chapelwick is continuing to take shape in exciting ways.

Let’s jump in.

Writing and Game Design

Editor Announcement

We’re excited to officially welcome Matt as the editor for Chapelwick.

Matt brings deep familiarity with D&D rulesets and tabletop editing workflows, and he’s already begun his first full pass of the manuscript. This stage focuses on clarity, rules consistency, balance, and tightening language across the book so everything reads cleanly and plays smoothly at the table.

If you’d like to say hello, you can find him on Discord under @magpie.

We’re thrilled to have him helping shape the final version of Chapelwick.

Encounter & Madness Balancing Progress

We’re currently about 40% of the way through encounter balancing, and work on the Mindrift Madness Deck continues as we refine the conditions and narrative events.

This process involves carefully reviewing each encounter to ensure it delivers the right mix of tension, difficulty, and narrative pacing. Our goal is to create encounters that feel dangerous and memorable without becoming frustrating or unfair. We can’t wait to share more with you after they’ve gone through initial quality assurance.

Once this pass is complete, the encounters will move into internal playtesting and refinement.

Subclasses & Playtesting

We are currently working with our editor to polish the 2014/2024 versions of our subclasses. Once that process is finished, we will release them to the public for pruning. Make sure to check in on Discordand get the @playtesting role once it drops. We will have a unique channel ecosystem for this process. Expect this late March/early April.

Art and Visual Direction

Art Director Announcement

We’re also excited to welcome Keegan as Chapelwick’s Art Director.

With multiple artists contributing to the book, strong art direction is essential for maintaining a cohesive visual identity across the project. Keegan will be helping guide that process and ensure that the tone, atmosphere, and visual storytelling of Chapelwick remain consistent as more art comes online. He’ll also be responsible for creating many of the cornerstone pieces. The best part is you've already loved his work! He created much of the art featured on the Kickstarter page and in the campaign video.

If you’re on Discord, feel free to stop by and say hello to @keegan.

Art Progress

The art pipeline is moving forward!

At this point, most of our artists are now contacted, and art briefs for the entire book are nearing completion. We learned a lot at GAMA that’s already improving how we coordinate artists and manage the art pipeline, and we’re excited to continue bringing the world of Chapelwick to life visually. Speaking of which... 

Below is the 3D render for Antipathy, one of the 13th Hour Nightmare Hunters and a cornerstone piece that helped define the project’s visual direction. What you’re seeing here is the 3D model before the final paint over, which will give the piece its finished illustrated look in the book.

Keegan often begins major creatures and environments in a 3D space, which gives us several advantages throughout the development process. Starting in 3D allows us to convert models into STL files for miniature production much more efficiently, helping us move toward physical prototypes with greater accuracy to what you'll eventually see in the book.

It also helps with encounter design. Seeing these monsters in a physical space and viewing them from multiple angles gives us a much better sense of how they might move, how players might approach them, and how the encounter could feel at the table.

Fun fact: beyond individual monsters, Keegan has already constructed a full 3D model of the city of Chapelwick itself. This allows us to maintain consistent geography and architecture throughout the book while dramatically speeding up environment art. We can essentially drop a “camera” anywhere in the city, capture a base image, and then paint over it to achieve the final illustrated look we’re going for.

These large anchor pieces, while they took a lot of time to develop, play a huge role in establishing the tone and visual language of the setting, and it’s incredibly exciting to start seeing them realized.

Production and Manufacturing

Dice STL Files Sent to Manufacturers

We’ve taken a big step forward on the physical side of the project.

Our first batch of dice STL files has been sent to our manufacturing partner for review and quoting. This allows them to evaluate the models for printability, production requirements, and cost, enabling us to move toward creating physical prototypes.

Once we receive updated quotes and technical feedback, we’ll be able to refine the models where necessary and begin preparing for prototype production and quality assurance.

Business Development and Long-Term Sustainability

GAMA Expo

We recently attended GAMA Expo, one of the largest tabletop industry gatherings in the world.

During the event, we spent time deepening our knowledge of community management, manufacturing & distribution, art development, OGL/SRD intellectual property management, etc. We also met with several potential third-party partners in these spaces while continuing to strengthen relationships with current collaborators.

Events like GAMA are incredibly valuable for a growing publisher like Let’s Roll Press. They help us ensure Chapelwick isn’t just a great project but the beginning of a sustainable, long-term publishing strategy.

E-Commerce and Long-Term Accessibility

We’ve also been working with an incredible team laying the groundwork for our long-term e-commerce infrastructure.

Kickstarter is a fantastic way to launch projects, but a strong online store lets us keep Chapelwick available to new players long after fulfillment. It also gives us a sustainable way to support future releases, expansions, and new projects from Let’s Roll Press.

Our goal is simple: build a foundation that lets us keep creating and delivering worlds like Chapelwick for years to come.

Fulfillment, Surveys, and Communication

BackerKit Survey Progress

BackerKit surveys are now 90% complete, which is fantastic to see. Many projects of our scope never see a completion rate this high, so THANK YOU for being so enthusiastic about Chapelwick! 

Early survey completion helps us lock quantities, coordinate manufacturing, and reduce the risk of delays later in fulfillment. If you haven’t completed your survey yet, please take a moment to do so using this link.

If you’re experiencing any pledge issues, including a dropped pledge, please reference the previous Kickstarter update, where we outlined the process for recovering pledges and honoring Kickstarter pricing for original backers.

And as always, if you need help with anything related to your pledge, you can reach us at [email protected].

Next Update

As a reminder, we’ll continue sharing Kickstarter updates on the second Tuesday of each month. This cadence helps keep everyone informed while allowing us to bring meaningful progress between updates.

The next update will be on Tuesday, April 14th.

If you’d like more frequent sneak peeks, development discussions, and behind-the-scenes updates, we’d love to see you in the Let's Roll Press Discord!

Thank you again for your encouragement, enthusiasm, and support as we continue building this world together. Without you, Chapelwick would have never crawled out of the sea. 

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out at
[email protected].

In it together, 

Alexander
CEO

Development Updates + BackerKit at 86% Complete + Dropped Pledge Help
about 1 month ago – Tue, Feb 10, 2026 at 09:21:31 AM

Hello everyone! 

We’ve got a lot of meaningful progress to share with you today! This update touches nearly every major pillar of the project, from writing and game design to art, production, and fulfillment logistics. Things are moving steadily, and we’re excited to show you where Chapelwick is taking shape.

Let’s dive in!

Writing and Game Design

Book Layout Progress

Layout work is officially underway. Chapters 1 through 4 now have draft layouts completed, marking a major milestone for the project! This means the book is actively taking its final form, not just living in manuscripts and notes. As the layout progresses, we’ll continue refining readability, visual flow, and how art and mechanics sit together on the page.

Mindrift Madness Deck

The Mindrift Madness Deck is coming together nicely. Madness conditions and narrative events are now about 65% complete. These cards are shaping up to be some of the most flavorful and unsettling content in Chapelwick, and we’re having a great time refining them as we move toward completion. If you'd like to see some madness sneak peeks, join the Discord, as we'll be dropping some soon! 

Class and Subclass Development

All player class options are now nearly finalized. This includes twelve subclasses for the core D&D classes, along with our new class, the Bellfounder, which has three unique subclasses. We’ll be sharing sneak peeks of several subclasses very soon in Discord.

As a first look, here are the Bellfounder subclasses currently in the final stages of development.

• Deathsong Choirmaster - The pursuit of immortality has eternally plagued every shadowy corner of the Bellfounder College in Quella. Dark practices were debated, banned, resurfaced, and hidden repeatedly. Experiments of near-death and near-life were held in the college’s dark halls. Eventually, a faction formed: the “Deathsong Reverie.” Members of the faction held fast to the belief that they could defeat and even conquer the idea of death to bring about life, erase all memory of death. Weaving the fabrics of life and death into their bells, they eventually began to command sparks of power – songs that can stop and capture a heart mid beat – a cacophony that never resolves. Maybe with enough study into these powers, one could truly reverse the effects of death.
• Alabaster Gargoyle - Many Bellfounders have pondered the use of precious and magical gems. Those who experimented quickly discovered wild effects, not only on their bells, but on their own bodies as well. Stone forms set into human shape became common practice as flesh was replaced by gem-adorned structures throughout the Alabaster wing. Eventually, unable to distinguish stone from foe, the name Gargoyle spread among Bellfounder circles. Those who mastered this craft became known as Alabaster Gargoyles, shattering the belief that nothing is truly set in stone.
• Nola Astradamus - Nola the priest. Astra the star. Damus the giver. Runic studies of universal harmony are etched into bells forged from cosmic metals and worn at Nola’s belt. These Bellfounders study the push and pull that bind the universe together. To save is to take. To give is to sacrifice. Cosmological entities respond to Nola’s cries when the correct bells are rung in the correct order. Through change ringing and mathematical harmonies, they tug gently at the threads connecting every particle in existence. Those wrapped in these threads describe the sensation as being adorned and beloved beyond all words, a river of sound deeper than language itself.

Art and Visual Direction

Nightmare Hunter Art

We’re nearing completion on artwork for three of the 13th Hour Nightmare Hunters: Antipathy, Precognicia, and Kalopsia.

The Nightmare Hunters are among the largest and most important cornerstone art pieces in the Chapelwick project. We chose to begin with the Nightmare Hunters intentionally, since they define the extremes of Chapelwick’s visual and thematic identity. Their designs influence creature anatomy, factions, environments, and even symbolic language throughout the book. 

While we're not quite ready to share the images, we wanted to provide a description of what the artist has developed so far. Once we have them done, we'll be sharing in (you guessed it) Discord. 

• Antipathy towers amid fire and ruin as the embodiment of hatred and enmity, its form a fusion of gargoyle and demon, with a disfigured visage locked in perpetual gnashing rage. It wields an obsidian wagon wheel mounted to an ornate golden staff, chains clanging as the wheel slowly turns in direct response to the emotions it senses within living beings. The stronger those emotions become, the faster the wheel creaks and spins, black smoke, embers, and debris trailing behind Antipathy as it reacts violently to emotion itself rather than intent or action.
• Precognicia manifests as a colossal, exposed brain, its unwound cortexes riddled with gaping holes and hollow chasms where knowledge has collapsed into absence. Tendril-like stems spill across rooftops as glowing eyes stare outward, knowing eternities and futures while leaving gaps where understanding and matter should exist. Existing in a predictive state of emptiness, Precognicia embodies the collision of foreknowledge and ignorance, a monster of knowing that reveals the future by erasing what should be there.
• Kalopsia lurks within arched tunnels and shadowed corners, a many-limbed horror whose pale, almost gentle face masks a body twisted into an impossible, grasping form. It appears first as warmth, memory, and comfort, projecting the sweetness of childhood dreams to draw victims closer. Only when it’s too late does the illusion fracture, revealing the monster under the bed made real, a creature of endless want that haunts the 13th hour where beauty and fear collapse into the same lie.

Production and Quality Assurance

Editing and Rules Quality Assurance

We’ve identified an editor with deep, hands-on experience with D&D rulesets. We’ll be sending the first round of content their way shortly to begin formal editing and quality assurance. This step is critical for clarity, balance, and polish, and we’re excited to get expert eyes on the material. Once complete, we'll open the first round of community playtesting, then refine and finalize the content. This process will be repeated for nearly all encounters, subclasses, and related items as we develop the book. I say "nearly" because we want to keep a few things back for the final reveal. 

Manufacturing and Prototypes

We’re finalizing remaining details with our manufacturer for non-book items, including dice, pins, and other physical rewards. Having details locked in is a key step toward receiving samples, which will allow us to verify quality and finalize production specs before full manufacturing begins.

Fulfillment, Surveys, and Communication

BackerKit Surveys and Pledge Over Time

Kickstarter - As of last week, all Pledge-Over-Time payments are complete! A small percentage of pledges dropped due to payment issues, such as expired credit cards. We're working to contact each person individually to ensure they don't lose their pledge. If you get an email from us with the subject line "Chapelwick Dropped Pledge," please be sure to read it before time runs out! 

BackerKit - As of today, 86% of backers have already completed their BackerKit surveys! This is honestly fantastic. Across tabletop crowdfunding, it’s common for survey completion to drag on for months or even years after a campaign closes. Hitting this level of completion only five days after the final Pledge-Over-Time payment is an incredibly strong sign of smooth operations and an engaged community. We can't thank you enough for making this part of our work far easier than most! 

If you haven’t completed your survey yet, now’s a great time to do it! Simply click this link, enter your email, and BackerKit will send you your survey! If you have trouble, email us at [email protected], and we'll get you taken care of! 

Early survey completion helps us lock in quantities, accelerate manufacturing, and avoid delays later.

Recovering a Dropped Pledge

We know pledge issues can happen for all kinds of reasons, and we don’t want anyone who backed Chapelwick on Kickstarter to feel left behind.

If your pledge was dropped for any reason, we’ll honor Kickstarter pricing, exclusives, and promotional bonuses for all original Kickstarter backers through February 27th. After that date, pledges will still be available through BackerKit’s pre-order page at standard pre-order pricing.

If your pledge was dropped without being charged, just re-add your pledge in BackerKit and then email us at [email protected]. We’ll manually adjust it to the original Kickstarter price, including all applicable promotions like the early backer dice and VIP pin.

If your pledge was dropped after being charged, please email us at [email protected]. Your pledge has already been moved into BackerKit, and we’ll manually adjust your total to account for any funds already received before your card is charged again.

Future Update Frequency

As a reminder, we’ll be sharing Kickstarter updates on the second Tuesday of each month. This cadence keeps you meaningfully informed without overwhelming your inbox. The next update will go out on Tuesday, March 10th.

If you’d like more frequent updates, behind the scenes discussion, and sneak peeks at what we’re working on, we’d love to have you join us on Discord, where we share ongoing development as it happens.

Thank you again for your support and enthusiasm for Chapelwick!

If you’ve got any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected].

In it together, 

Alexander
CEO

BackerKit Surveys Sent + Add-Ons & Upgrades + Dropped Pledge Help
2 months ago – Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 10:50:58 AM

Hello everyone!

Great news! Nearly all BackerKit pledge surveys for Chapelwick have been officially sent, including those for Pledge-Over-Time. 

The only ones that haven't been sent are for payments in an errored status, so if you don't see a pledge survey, first confirm your payment went through on KS. If your payment went through, use the link below to resend the pledge survey email to your inbox. 

When you open your survey, you can also select add-ons to expand your Chapelwick collection. To upgrade your pledge to a higher tier, please email [email protected], and we will manually adjust your pledge, then invoice you for the difference through BackerKit's system.

If you have already completed your survey, THANK YOU! This is such a huge help for our team. If not, now is a great time to take a moment and lock everything in.

If you cannot find your survey email, you can locate it directly using BackerKit’s survey recovery page here: https://chapelwick.backerkit.com

If you still have trouble, send us an email, and we can provide your survey link directly. You can reach us anytime at [email protected] or connect with us on our Discord, where the community and team are active.

Recovering a Dropped Pledge

We know pledge issues can happen for a variety of reasons, and we want to make sure no one who backed Chapelwick on Kickstarter is left behind.

If your pledge was dropped for any reason, we will honor Kickstarter pricing, exclusives, and promotional bonuses for all original Kickstarter backers through Feb. 27th. After that date, pledges will still be available through BackerKit's pre-order page at standard pre-order pricing.

If your pledge has dropped, here is how to proceed based on your situation:

If your pledge was dropped without being charged:
After you re-add your pledge in BackerKit, please email us at [email protected], and we will manually adjust it to the original Kickstarter price. This includes all applicable promotions, such as early backer dice and the VIP pin.

If your pledge was dropped after being charged:
Please email us at [email protected]. Your pledge has already been moved into BackerKit, so we will manually adjust your pledge total to account for any funds already received before your card is charged again.

Future Update Frequency

We want to balance keeping everyone in the loop as things progress without overloading inboxes. We've decided to provide Kickstarter updates on the second Tuesday of each month. The next update will be on Tuesday, Feb. 10th. 

If you'd like to get more frequent updates and sneak peeks, be sure to join our Discord! We're currently working on designing and modeling the 13th Hour Nightmare Hunters and will have some updates on those in the coming weeks! 

Thank you again for your patience, support, and enthusiasm for Chapelwick! We are deep in production and cannot wait to bring this world to life for you.

If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to reach out.

In it together, 

Alexander
CEO

BackerKit Surveys Go Out Today!
3 months ago – Tue, Dec 23, 2025 at 12:12:13 PM

Hey everyone! 👋

Our BackerKit Pledge Survey is officially going out today, starting at 5 pm Pacific Time!

This is the step where you confirm your pledge details and tell us precisely what you want, where it should ship, and anything else we need to fulfill your order smoothly when we’re ready. If you've completed your payment in full, you'll receive the pledge manager survey at the email associated with your Kickstarter account. If you chose to pay over time, your pledge survey will appear a week or two after your final payment.

If you don’t see it by the end of the day, no stress. Surveys roll out in waves, so it may take a bit to reach everyone. If you haven't seen it by December 29th, you can search for "Let's Roll Press", "[email protected]", or "Response Needed — Get your reward for Chapelwick - A Soulslike Cosmic Horror Campaign for 5E" to find it. 

What you need to do this week

• Find the BackerKit survey email and open it
• Click through and complete your survey
• Double-check your shipping address and selections before submitting

Completing your survey early helps us finalize counts, plan production, and avoid fulfillment delays later.

What you’ll confirm in the survey

Depending on your pledge level and add-ons, you’ll be able to:

• Confirm or upgrade your pledge reward(s)
• Select any additional add-ons you want
• Select your early backer or PAX dice set (if applicable) 
• Confirm your VIP pin is in your pledge (if applicable)
• Confirm your shipping information (or update it if needed)
• Provide any required details for specific items (if applicable)
• Review your final total and submit

If you want to add anything to your pledge

BackerKit is also where you can add add-ons if you want to expand your haul. If you’ve been debating upgrades or extras, this is the moment to lock them in! Prices will increase when we go to retail, so this will be the best pricing for all things Chapelwick, ever!

Important notes about shipping addresses

Please enter your best current shipping address, even if you think you might move before fulfillment. 

If your address changes later, you can update it before we lock shipping addresses. We’ll give clear notice through all communication channels before that happens.

Didn’t receive your survey email?

A few quick steps:

• Search your inbox for "Let's Roll Press", "[email protected]", or "Response Needed — Get your reward for Chapelwick - A Soulslike Cosmic Horror Campaign for 5E"
• Check spam, promotions, and junk folders
• Make sure you’re checking the same email you used for Kickstarter

If you still can’t find it, reach out to us, and we’ll help you get sorted.

Deadline and timing

We strongly recommend completing your survey as soon as possible.

If you submit now but need to change something later, you’ll still be able to update your survey responses until we lock them for fulfillment. We’ll give clear notice through all communication channels before that happens.

Need help?

If you hit any issues at all, message us through Kickstarter messages (we respond weekly) or Discord (we respond the same day in most cases) with:

• The email address you used to back the project
• The name on the pledge
• A quick description of what went wrong or what you need to change

We’ll get you taken care of.

Thank you again for making this project possible! Seeing the surveys go out is a big milestone and another step toward getting everything into your hands. We can’t wait!

In it together, 

Alexander Newby
CEO

Project Timeline + Communication Cadence + PAX Unplugged Highlights
4 months ago – Tue, Dec 02, 2025 at 08:01:06 AM

Hey everyone! Time has flown these last few weeks. Our team went straight from the high of fully funding to PAX Unplugged, then to hosting Thanksgiving dinners for our friends and family. 

Last weekend was the first weekend our team got any meaningful rest in the last few months, so we're incredibly thankful for your patience as we've been working to respond to all your emails, comments, and messages about Chapelwick. 

We wanted to provide an update on what the next 12 months will look like. Please be flexible with this timeline and your expectations. We've accounted for and prepared for all the major pitfalls Chapelwick can face, but we can't perfectly prepare for everything, and there will be delays we can't foresee at this stage. We want to thank you in advance for your grace and support for all that is to come! 

BackerKit Surveys Coming Next Week!

The first big thing coming up is your BackerKit Surveys! We'll be sending those out next week, so please keep an eye on your inbox. It's INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT to complete this as soon as possible to avoid disruptions and delays. We'll send another announcement next week once the surveys have been sent, so you know when to start looking for it.

Project Timeline: 

To keep things simple at this stage, I'm going to focus on the steps that we have between now and fulfillment. We'll release more details in future updates, but this should be enough to answer the most common questions. The next major steps are: 

1. Narrative Polishing - This is largely complete. Our team has written the story and is in the polishing phase. The next major step is to thoroughly comb through the material to identify plot holes, continuity errors, and similar issues. 

2. Mechanical Design - This work has already started. Most of the subclasses are 70%+ complete (pending playtesting), and the thematic elements for most of the major encounters have been completed. Once we're a little further along, we'll begin play testing in our Discord. If interested, please joinand keep an eye out for play testing announcements! 

3. Art & Music - We've already started, but this will likely take the longest. We've got high standards for the art (must be chef's kiss) and the music (it's gotta be a banger), so this part of the process will take time! We'll be releasing sneak peeks occasionally here, but you'll get the most content by joining the Discord!

4. Production & Manufacturing - We're working with our partners to confirm production timelines. Even before the book is final and ready to go, we'll be getting samples of the other physical components. We'll post updates and pictures as we get them. Once the book is ready to go, we'll get samples, approve the pre-production elements, and then we're off to the races! 

5. Fulfillment - The home stretch! Once each book is off the press, our logistics partner will begin packing and shipping all the goodies to your front door! This process varies by region, so the timeline will differ. We'll provide updates by region so you always have the most up-to-date information. 

We'll provide more detailed updates as we go. Please let us know what questions you have, and we'll answer them quickly. Thanks! 

Communication Cadence

Since we’re a small team working hard to keep everything moving for the Kickstarter, here’s our usual communication rhythm. We'll respond to...

1. Kickstarter messages and comments once each week
2. emails within about 48 hours
3. Discord messages the same day in most cases

We'll also be posting a monthly Kickstarter update with project progress and other important announcements. These updates will be sent to your email, so be sure they're not going to spam! We'll also cross-post these updates in Discord. 

This approach helps us stay responsive while keeping production and planning on track.

PAX Unplugged Highlights

PAX Unplugged was such a blast for our team! We loved meeting so many of you in person, from longtime supporters eager to chat about Chapelwick to folks discovering the project for the first time. And wow, the clock dice tower (built by our very own Lewis) was a hit! People kept coming back to roll our big foam dice for prizes again and again! We loved seeing it get so much love before we donated it to a local game shop.

We also had a great time sponsoring Arcane Anthems at the show. They were awesome about sharing Chapelwick with new players and creators, and it was fun seeing people light up when they stopped by. If you haven't seen their work, check them out here! 

Our prequel one-shot playtests were another major highlight. The feedback was incredibly positive, and watching people dive into the world in real time was honestly energizing for all of us. We also made a bunch of new industry connections (during an impromptu Beyblade tournament, if you can believe it!) that have us excited about potential collaborations and future ideas.

All in all, PAX Unplugged was a fantastic weekend that reminded us of how strong and supportive this community is. We left feeling exhausted, inspired, and really excited for what’s coming next!

Thanks for reading all the way to the end! You rock! 

In it together, 

Alexander Newby
CEO