Chapelwick - A Soulslike Cosmic Horror Campaign for 5E

58-Page Lore Document + Dice Prototypes Underway + Precognicia Revealed!
7 days ago – Tue, Aug 11, 2026 at 07:24:23 AM

Summer is fading fast, and with it, Chapelwick's development is hitting a critical threshold. We're deep in the work of locking down the world, finalizing the manuscript, and watching our physical prototypes come to life. This is the kind of month where momentum compounds and the pieces start fitting together in ways that get us really excited!

Let's take a look together! 

Manuscript: Foundational Lockdown

Matt and Jane have made significant headway with manuscript planning. Since our last update, they've finalized developmental outlining, which has resulted in the creation of an updated, 58-page lore document consisting of over 25,000 words. By doing so, they've formalized canonical lore and ironed out any narrative inconsistencies that existed in earlier drafts of the manuscript. This also means any team member can now visit a single source of truth to have any story questions answered (like when I'm writing these updates). 

Let us know in Discord if you’d be interested in reading through the lore doc. We don’t want to give away any spoilers, but if there’s enough interest, we may share redacted excerpts in future updates!

Furthermore, the team is currently in the midst of line edit outlining, part of which involves studying and breaking down other TTRPG source materials for inspiration on general layout and presentation. In tandem with performing this kind of research, Jane and Matt are also hard at work creating a polished chapter template where they are standardizing language, voice, and sequencing. They're building quick view charts and organizers that do more than just look good: they're designed to dramatically reduce prep time and make Chapelwick genuinely accessible to new DMs. This commitment to intelligent information design will be a signature element of every Let's Roll Press project.

All in all, there's a lot of effort being put into laying down this foundational groundwork so that Jane has all the tools and resources she needs to succeed as she prepares to begin revisions on the next draft of the manuscript. Ultimately, devoting the time to this kind of meticulous planning should allow us to move with real speed through the revision cycles ahead.

Playtesting & Mechanics

With the world canonically locked and the manuscript moving into revision, we're excited to lean into the mechanical systems that live within Chapelwick. We're hoping to open playtesting for the Bellfounder and Subclasses v0.2 in September along with renewed work on encounters and spell mechanics.

If you're interested in joining the playtesting community and helping shape these systems, join us on Discord for play tester signups next month.

Environment Artist Spotlight: Najeeb Najjar

We're excited to have welcomed Najeeb Najjar to the Chapelwick art team as one of our environment artist. Najeeb specializes in creating landscapes and cityscapes with epic scale and immense detail which is exactly what Chapelwick demands.

Much of our visual direction draws inspiration from beautiful dark fantasy worlds like Bloodborne and Elden Ring. Those games create environments that feel simultaneously grand and unsettling, where architecture and landscape tell their own stories. Najeeb's skill at building those kinds of spaces makes him an ideal fit for bringing Chapelwick's districts and environments to life.

If you use the images below as desktop backgrounds, we wouldn't blame you and Najeeb has more on the way! If you want a 4k version of any of these, let us know in Discordand maybe we can put a folder of high-res images together for you all! 

Nightmare Hunter: Precognica

Today we're introducing Precognica, one of our thirteen Nightmare Hunters brought to life by our Art Director, Keegan.

Precognica haunts Quella, Chapelwick's College of Magic and Academic District. Quella functions as an undergraduate campus, indoctrinating arrivals into the Cult of the Blind Veil. The curriculum is deliberately contradictory and paradoxical; students learn in order to sacrifice their knowledge to the Blind One as an act of faith.

Precognica embodies the nightmare that emerges when knowledge becomes a weapon and education becomes indoctrination, clarity twisted into contradiction, wisdom transformed into madness.

We’ll be releasing another Nightmare Hunter on Discordbefore next month so come check it out!

Manufacturing

We've revised the cover of the deluxe edition book. Before the campaign, our resources were limited and we made the best choices we could with what we had. Now, with your backing, we're able to realize the cover design we originally envisioned. It's an elevated version that captures the vibe of Chapelwick far more faithfully than we could have pulled off initially. Below is a teaser. The full reveal will drop in the Discord when our manufacturer confirms the design is viable which should be in the next week or so! We can't wait to show you! 

Our manufacturing partners are also deep in prototype production. The stone dice are complete and currently with our manufacturer. Resin subclass dice are being molded, and the metal and liquid core dice are in process too. We're also working on getting the dice bag prototype made this week! This first round of prototypes will all ship together. Once those prototypes arrive, we'll take pictures and videos to share on Discord.

PAX Unplugged

The Let's Roll Press team will be at PAX Unplugged this year and we'd LOVE to see you! Once we have our booth number confirmed, we'll let you all know. Please, please, please plan to swing by and say hello!

Also, our team usually designs a staff t-shirt and hoodie that we wear at PAX. One of our team members suggested that we open that up to all of you! If we added them to our web store, would you all want to represent Chapelwick at PAX Unplugged? Let us know in Discordand if there's enough interest, we'll make it happen before next month's update. 

Until Next Time

We're grateful for every backer who's believed in this project from the start. You're the reason this world exists.

Our next update arrives on September 8th. Until then, the conversation continues in our Discord community.

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

Talk soon!

Alexander
CEO

Manuscript in Revision Phase + Parasitica & Revelry Quarter Revealed + Manufacturing Agreement Signed
about 1 month ago – Tue, Jul 14, 2026 at 08:34:46 AM

Hello everyone!

We've got solid progress to share this month, particularly on the manuscript front. The editing phase is complete, revisions have begun, and we're one step closer to locking in the final manuscript. We've also got another Nightmare Hunter reveal and a new district reveal, plus we have exciting news on the manufacturing side!

Things are moving forward steadily, and the project continues to take shape!

Let's dive in.

Writing and Game Design

Manuscript Revision Phase Underway

Great news on the manuscript front! Matt has completed the developmental and line editing passes on all 14 chapters. As a result, he and Jane are now in a revision planning phase where the two of them are discussing and working out each of Matt's suggested revisions. This is where the core Chapelwick canon solidifies. Jane will soon implement the agreed-upon changes from Matt's edit, refining the narrative and polishing the prose. This first round of revisions is significant because it locks in the foundational world, story beats, character arcs, core cannon, and the thematic through-lines that make Chapelwick what it is.

Once she completes her first set of revisions, the manuscript will go back to Matt for another review. This back-and-forth will continue through a few more revision cycles as both collaborate to perfect the manuscript. And here's the good news: each round of revisions should be noticeably quicker than the last. As the big-picture elements settle, the revisions become increasingly targeted and granular. The manuscript tightens and stabilizes as we move through each pass.

Once all revisions are complete, Matt will perform a final copyedit which is the last layer of polish for grammar, syntax, and CMoS formatting before the manuscript is locked for publishing.

We're excited to see Chapelwick's world crystallizing at this level of detail and care. If you want to chat with Matt or Jane about the writing and editing process, come say hello in Discord!

Intentional Sequencing: A Short Pause in Mechanical Polish

As we've moved deeper into production, we’re learning more and more about what it takes to build a complex, living world like Chapelwick. Part of this learning has lead us to adjust the order in which we develop and test mechanical systems. We wanted to start spell playtesting, the Bellfounder subclass playtesting, and encounter/madness playtesting, but as we've learned more about development, our approach has shifted.

We're intentionally holding these until the manuscript is a little closer to being fully locked in because we want these systems to be inspired by the world, not retrofitted to it. Spells, items, encounters, and madness conditions need to grow naturally from Chapelwick's narrative, themes, and lore. They should feel native to this world, born from it, rather than bolted on afterward.

To be clear, we won’t wait for the whole manuscript to be final. Rather we’ll begin in batches as sections of the manuscript are finalized. This process will ultimately save us significant rework later, allowing us to deliver faster overall, and ensuring everything feels cohesive and authentic when you sit down at the table.

We also wanted to mention that we didn’t face this challenge with the subclasses nearly as much because they were foundational to the project from the start. Much of Chapelwick's world was actually built around the subclasses. They shaped the setting as much as the setting now shapes them. That's why they've already been in your hands for playtesting.

Feel free to jump in the Discord and talk shop with the team about mechanic design! We’d love to say hello and answer questions about what we’re cooking up!  

Art and Visual Direction

Nightmare Hunter Reveal: Parasitica

This month in our Discord, we revealed Parasitica, one of the 13th Hour Nightmare Hunters. This is one of the boss encounters your party will find in the 13th Hour Nightmare Realm. 

Crawling over the maze of web built into the buttress network of the buildings, a massive spider formed of smaller parasitic creatures stalks overhead. Leeches feed on one another and on any living thing they find, binding together in the form of the spindly legs that fester over the sides of buildings. The slumbering victims of Chapelwick are pulled into the webbing and fed upon by the thousands of hungry mouths within the core of Parasitica. Creatures of disease, leeching off of unwilling hosts, multiplying, infecting, draining. 

As a reminder, we reveal nightmare hunters and other art and previews early in the Discord! If you’re seeing this now for the first time, there’s even more waiting for you in the Discord! Come join us! 😊

District Highlight: The Revelry Quarter

We want to highlight one of our favorite Chapelwick districts. Each one has its own flavor, its own secrets, its own reason for existing in this strange and unsettling world. 

At first glance, this district might seem at odds with the overall vibe of Chapelwick at first glance, but there is profound unease woven into every bright thread and joyful note. The Revelry Quarter is Chapelwick's beautiful lie. A carnival that never ends, where celebration has become its own trap. Beneath the masks and music, something sinister hides in plain sight.

Every stone building of the Revelry Quarter is adorned in bright greens, golds, and purples. Streamers and bright fabrics wave from the balconies; confetti drifts through the air tossed about everywhere and intermingled with the thrown coins and jewels from the floats. Every face is covered in the bright garb and mask of fools.

The streets are alive with the music and celebration of carnival. The A parade loops in a continuous route around the quarter above the district’s catacombs. All are engaged in the song and dance of celebration: horsemen, musicians, marchers, and the Krewe royalty of fools. Everyone is so caught up in the festivities that no booths and stalls are left unattended and no one is sitting to rest. The song of the celebration repeats the refrain “Libera nos a festo scurrae et da nobis requiem quadragesimae.”

Check out some art from the big parade scene, a centerpiece moment that captures the fever dream energy of the Revelry Quarter.

More district highlights will be coming in the Discordas the art pipeline continues to expand!

Production and Manufacturing

Manufacturing Agreement: Signed & Deposit Paid

Great news on the manufacturing front, we've officially signed the manufacturing agreement and the deposit has been submitted! This is a major milestone. We're now moving into prototype production for all products that don't require the finalized book: dice, pins, art prints, and other physical rewards.

The initial round of prototypes typically takes 45-70 days to produce once the deposit is placed. That means we're looking at physical samples in our hands sometime in late August or mid-September depending on how the process goes. 

Once we have prototypes in hand, we’ll get pictures and launch the online store! We'll announce the launch date as soon as we lock it in, and you'll see all the prototypes in Discord as soon as we have them in hand.

Project We Love: Elementary

The lunch bell rings... You're the new kid... and every monster in the cafeteria is lining up. You need to make new friends, and all you have is what your momster packed for you...

Imagine being a little monster sitting in a school cafeteria, trying to figure out who is sharing their lunch and who is totally bluffing. It is a cozy social deduction game where you win by collecting Snax, matching colors, and building the ultimate lunch table crew. The artwork by Sandara Tang is stunning, and the vibe is completely wholesome. None of that mean-spirited elimination you get in other deduction games. It is quick to learn, full of laughs, and perfect for game nights with friends or family.

They just launched on Kickstarter this morning (literally 30 minutes ago) and have already hit their funding goal!

If you want to check it out and support our friends at Littlest Lantern, swing by the official Elementary Kickstarter Page right now and take a look!

Next Update

As a reminder, we'll continue sharing Kickstarter updates on the second Tuesday of each month. The next update will be on Tuesday, August 11th.

If you'd like more frequent sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes updates, and first looks at what's coming, we'd love to have you in the Discord.

Thank you again for your patience, enthusiasm, and support as we continue building Chapelwick together. The work is real, the progress is meaningful, and we're excited about what's coming next.

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

In it together,

Alexander
CEO

Manuscript in Major Edits + Kalopsia Revealed + Alchemy Approval + Manufacturing Moving Forward
2 months ago – Tue, Jun 09, 2026 at 11:31:37 AM

Hello everyone,

This month brings some of the most meaningful progress we've seen on Chapelwick since the campaign closed. The manuscript is in a major editorial phase; we're pulling back the curtain on one of the 13th Hour Nightmare Hunters, and we've gotten approval for something we've been working toward for a while now.

Let's dive in.

Writing and Game Design

Manuscript Editing: Major Milestone

Matt has been working through the manuscript systematically, and we wanted to pull back the curtain a bit on what that actually means. There are two initial phases of editing. 

• Developmental editing is the broadest, most high-level form of editing. It tackles the big picture elements: plot, pacing, character arcs, structure, and themes. The goal is to ensure the entire world reads as one cohesive narrative rather than a collection of pieces. 
• Line editing is the mid-level pass. It refines the flow, voice, pacing, and sequencing at the paragraph and sentence level, increasing clarity and readability.

Most publishing projects handle these as separate passes, one after the other. But because the manuscript is already in solid shape, we can do both simultaneously. This means we can approach all these story components together, saving us significant time without compromising quality. Both layers are considered the minimum standard in professional publishing, and they go a long way in making the final product stronger.

We've now completed both passes on 9 of the 14 chapters, and the remaining chapters will be completed by the end of the month! 

Once Matt completes this round of edits, the manuscript will return to Janelle for her to begin revisions and implement all of the agreed-upon changes. Revisions are a collaborative process that will see the manuscript go back and forth between the two of them a few more times until they finalize the draft. Each set of revisions should be quicker than the last as the revisions become more and more targeted.

Once the manuscript is set, Matt will perform one final layer of editing known as a copyedit, after which the manuscript will be locked for publishing.
I wonder what our authors will work on in their free time while we're finalizing the rest of Chapelwick?

Spell Development

Spell creation and balancing reached completion this month. The full spell roster is now moving into editing, where Matt and Leroy will work through clarity, balance, and integration with the subclasses. Once that pass is complete, we'll open spell playtesting so you can test the subclasses with their full toolkit available.

Madness and Monsters: Next Phase Unlocked

With spell creation nearing completion, we'll soon be able to move forward on two interconnected systems that have been waiting in the pipeline.

The Mindrift Madness Deck and the encounter roster both relied heavily on the custom spells as they were being developed. Those spells influenced how the madness conditions interact with player abilities and shaped encounter design around the tools players would actually have available. Now that the full spell roster is locked, both the Madness Deck and the encounters can move forward.

Art and Visual Direction

Nightmare Hunter Reveal: Kalopsia

Kalopsia lurks within arched tunnels and shadowed corners. Its 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.

Parasitica Coming to Discord

We've got one more Nightmare Hunter that's complete! Parasitica will be this month's early reveal on Discord over the coming weeks. If you want to see Parasitica early, join us there. This is a good reminder that Discord is where you'll catch the earliest looks at what we're working on, before the monthly updates.

Mysterious Symbols

We're dropping something fun this month. These symbols are pretty close to final but might be adjusted slightly as they go through their final round of refinement. Take a guess. What do you think these represent? What are they going to be for? Where will they appear? Drop your theories in the comments here and on our Discord, and we'll reveal what they are and their significance in a future update.

Production and Manufacturing

Manufacturing Deposit: Moving Forward This Week

We're locking in a portion of our manufacturing agreement and placing the deposit this week. Once that's done, we move into prototype production for the dice, pins, and other physical rewards.

We expect the initial round of prototypes to land in 45-60 days, give or take, once the deposit is placed. Once they arrive, we'll photograph them for the store and verify quality, materials, weight, and finish in person before committing to full production runs.

We'll share photos as soon as we have them, but given the timeline, they probably won't be in next month's update. We will post pictures and videos in Discord ASAP, so if you want to see them as soon as we have them, be sure to join! 

Online Store: Waiting on Prototypes

The store remains 90% complete, fully designed and ready to go live. We're holding off on launch until we can photograph as many of the actual prototypes rather than relying on renders. This means the launch is tied directly to when the physical samples arrive and are photographed. We'll announce the launch date as soon as we lock it in.

Community and Long-Term Vision

Alchemy Approval

We've been working with Alchemy to integrate Chapelwick into their platform, and we're excited to share that they've pre-approved the full campaign.

What makes this significant is that Alchemy is very selective about what they feature. They approved us without reviewing the manuscript, which speaks to their confidence in the project and in us as creators. This kind of partnership helps ensure Chapelwick reaches people who are actively looking for exactly what we're building.

As a reminder, you can already play for free with the Chapelwick pre-qualification module on Alchemy. It's a great way to get a taste of the world and the mechanics if you haven't had a chance yet. Let us know in the Discord if you need help getting your free access code. 

You Guys are Really Making it Your Own

We're genuinely excited when we see screenshots like this one in Discord. One of our core goals for Chapelwick has always been to create a world and systems that players can make their own. We want to give you the tools and the concepts you need to tell stories that matter to you at your table. Seeing someone in the community build an entire pre-campaign around the Nightmare Hunters, creating character backstories and giving players agency in how they connect to the world, is exactly what we're hoping for. 

Chapelwick isn't meant to be a rigid story you follow. It's meant to be a foundation for your stories. That's what makes this special to us. Every table that runs this campaign will be different. Every group will find their own moments, their own themes, their own reasons these characters matter. And knowing that we're helping people create those meaningful moments around the table, that's the real point of all this work.

Okay, done being sappy.

Project We Love: Hover

We love highlighting great projects from fellow creators, and today we're excited to share Hover - A Surprisingly Brutal Hummingbird Game!

In Hover, players take on the role of hummingbirds competing for two things: nectar and romance. You'll fight, flirt, and outmaneuver your feathered rivals as you gather resources, build a nest, and attract a mate. The goal is simple but delightfully competitive: be the first bird to complete a nest and successfully perform a courting call to secure your legacy and win the game.

If you enjoy lighthearted competition, clever player interaction, and a unique nature-inspired theme, Hover is definitely worth checking out. They're over 3000% funded and only have 9 days left in their campaign! 

Next Update

As a reminder, we'll continue sharing Kickstarter updates on the second Tuesday of each month. The next update will be on Tuesday, July 14th.

If you'd like more frequent sneak peeks, development discussions, and behind-the-scenes updates, we'd love to see you in the Discord.

Thank you again for your encouragement and support as we continue building this world together. The work is real, the progress is meaningful, and Chapelwick is taking shape.

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

In it together,

Alexander
CEO

Playtesting Reactions + Character Art Reveal + Manufacturing & Pledge Updates
3 months ago – Tue, May 12, 2026 at 08:08:20 AM

Last month, something we've been building toward for a long time finally happened: the first wave of Chapelwick playtesting was put in your hands. The subclass playtest has been live for a month now, and the community response has been incredible. We've also got progress to share on editing, spell development, character art, manufacturing, and our e-commerce store launch.

Let's dive in.

Subclass Playtesting: One Month In

When we opened subclass playtesting on April 14th, we honestly weren't sure what to expect. A month later, we can say with confidence that this community has shown up in a huge way.

The feedback rolling in from Discord has been thoughtful, specific, and genuinely useful. It's exactly the kind of input that makes a game better.

A few high-level themes from what we're seeing:

• Rogue and Paladin subclasses are early favorites, with strong, enthusiastic reactions to both the mechanics and the flavor.
• Overall playability is high across the roster. Most feedback centers on small refinements rather than structural concerns, which is a great sign this deep into development.
• The flavor is landing. Players are connecting with the feel of these subclasses as much as the mechanics, and that's been one of the most rewarding things to read.

A couple of standout reactions from Discord that we couldn't resist sharing

If you haven't joined playtesting yet, it's not too late. Hop into Discord, grab the @playtesting role, and you're in.

Thank you to everyone who has tested, written up feedback, posted reactions, and helped shape these subclasses. This is genuinely your game as much as ours.

Editing Update

We're continuing the first full pass of the manuscript, currently working through a high-level edit focused on stylistic consistency, narrative structure, and continuity of both format and lore. This pass is essential to ensuring Chapelwick reads as one cohesive world rather than a collection of chapters. 

Spell Creation and Balancing

We've made a focused push on spells this month and are now roughly 60% of the way through spell creation and balancing. Spell creation will be finished and move into editing this month, with playtesting to follow shortly after.

This became the priority this month because many of the custom spells are written to integrate directly into the subclasses, so once spell playtesting opens, you'll be able to test the subclasses with their full toolkit of abilities available. The current playtest gives us a strong signal on the core mechanics; the spell-integrated playtest will round out the picture and let you see these subclasses operating at full strength.

Mindrift Madness Deck Progress

The Mindrift Madness Deck is fully drafted. Both the core deck and the Twisted Madness expansion are now complete and have moved into balancing and editing. Once balancing wraps and the editing pass is complete, the deck will be ready to lock in.

Art Progress: Character Art Spotlight

This month, we want to share some of the work coming out of our character art pipeline. These pieces are a great example of how Chapelwick's visual identity is taking shape across the cast of characters who bring the world to life.

There's a lot more on the way. As more art comes online, we'll keep sharing both here and in Discord.

Manufacturing Update

We're in the final stretch on our manufacturing quote and will be locking it in with a deposit soon. Once that's done, we'll move into prototype production for the dice, pins, and several other physical items.

Prototypes are an important step. They let us verify quality, materials, weight, and finish in person before committing to full production runs.

A note on timing: prototype production typically takes a few weeks once the deposit is placed, and once they arrive, we'll need additional time to photograph them properly for the store. The next several weeks are about getting these steps right.

We'll share photos as soon as we have them in hand.

Shopify Store: 90% Complete

The Let's Roll Press Shopify store is about 90% complete. The site is designed, the product structure is in, and the underlying systems are ready to go. Product pages are built out across the catalog, including the core book, dice, pins, and bundles.

We decided to delay the store a bit beyond what we communicated last month because we're really close to having prototypes in hand, and we wanted actual photos of the products on the site wherever possible, instead of digital renders.

As soon as the prototypes are photographed, we'll go live, and you'll be among the first to see it!

Pledge Wrap-Up

The April 21st final deadline has passed, and all completed pledges have been locked and charged. Thank you to everyone who finalized on time. The level of engagement and follow-through from this community has made this process smoother than we could have hoped for.

A quick ask: during charging, a small number of cards failed (typically expired cards, declines, or banks flagging the transaction). Please take a moment to log into BackerKit and double-check that your payment went through. If your card needs updating, you can do it yourself directly from your pledge confirmation page using the "Edit Payment Method" link — once you add a new card, BackerKit will automatically retry the charge. The sooner it's fixed, the better. We don't want anyone to lose their pledge over a card issue we can easily resolve.

If you need to make any other changes to your pledge (tier upgrades, add-on adjustments, etc.), reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll get it sorted.

If you weren't able to finalize before the deadline, the new Shopify store will be the path forward once it goes live. Pricing will reflect standard pre-order rates rather than Kickstarter pricing, but the door isn't fully closed. If you have questions about your specific situation, email us at [email protected], and we'll see what we can do.

Next Update

As a reminder, we'll continue sharing Kickstarter updates on the second Tuesday of each month. The next update will be on Tuesday, June 9th.

If you'd like more frequent sneak peeks, development discussions, and behind-the-scenes content, we'd love to see you in the Discord.

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

Playtesting Begins!! + Progress Updates + Final Pledge Deadline
4 months ago – Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 08:45:26 AM

We’ve got a full update for you this month! There’s been steady progress across design, art, and infrastructure, and we’re starting to hit meaningful milestones behind the scenes.
At the same time, playtesting is kicking off, more art is coming online, and systems in development are taking their final shape.

We’ll walk through everything below, along with a few important updates around pledges and next steps.

Let’s dive in!

Discord Community

Discord isn’t just where you’ll come to playtest. It’s quickly becoming the heart of the Chapelwick community.

One of the most exciting parts of this project right now has been watching that community come to life. Our Discord has grown to 893 members and counting, and it’s become a place where people don’t just follow the project, they actively shape it.

We’ve got everything from familiars (yes, lots of pet pics) to painted minis to home cooking to deep D&D conversations and theory-crafting and a Play-by-Post D&D game that’s been running for a few months! It’s exactly the kind of creative, slightly chaotic, and deeply passionate community we hoped Chapelwick would attract. 

Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening lately:

I'll confess it was really tough/fun trying to decide what things to take screenshots of! My wife and I couldn't decide between all the cute pets, cool crafts, and projects the community has been sharing! 

If you haven’t joined us yet, Discord is where we’re sharing sneak peeks, running upcoming playtests, and building the world together.

Design / Writing / Editing

Progress continues across several key systems as we refine and polish the experience.

• Encounter balancing is being actively tuned to ensure fights feel challenging, dynamic, and fair throughout the campaign, with a strong focus on meaningful decisions and memorable moments at the table. 
• The Mindrift Madness Deck and the Twisted Madness expansion are now fully drafted, with both the mechanic description and complete card database, including the expansion, sent to editing for review. This marks a major milestone for one of the core systems that helps define Chapelwick’s tone and gameplay.
• Subclasses are moving into the next phase of development and will begin active playtesting this month. This will be one of the first major opportunities for the community to directly shape how the game feels in play, and we’re excited to start gathering real feedback and iterating quickly. More details are in the playtesting section below. 

Overall, this side of the project continues to move smoothly and remains one of the more advanced areas of development. These systems are core to how Chapelwick actually feels at the table, so getting them right now saves significant time and rework later.

Art 

Art is one of the biggest drivers of both timeline and final quality, and it’s a major area of focus for us right now.

We’ve officially completed 100% of our story art briefs and have now moved on to spells, bestiary entries, and key graphic design elements across the book. At the same time, we’re in conversations with about 10 artists to expand the team and accelerate production.

Here are a couple of samples of what’s coming together:

You’ll start to see more consistent art reveals as additional artists come online and production ramps up. 

Playtest Subclasses Today!

We’re ready to open the next phase of playtesting! This is where Chapelwick becomes your game as much as ours! This round will feature EVERY. SINGLE. SUBCLASS. For you to test out at your tables. We’re not quite ready to release the all-new class (the Bellfounder), but that will come soon! 

• How to Join: Playtesting access will be managed through role assignment found in the Discord channel #patient-rules. We’ll send out a full announcement and ping @everyone when it’s live, so you don’t miss it.
• Start Date: Playtesting is available starting today! To participate, simply join the Discord and select the playtesting role when prompted. If you just want to look and don’t plan to offer feedback, you can click here to download the playtest materials. 
• How to Submit Feedback: We’ll release the feedback form in one week on Discord.

E-Commerce Store Update

Behind the scenes, we’ve been building out our e-commerce store to strengthen Let’s Roll Press's foundation and set Chapelwick (and the company) up for long-term success.
Our goal is to have a launch or preview ready by the end of April or early May. This will give us a clean, centralized place for ongoing Chapelwick pre-orders and future releases of new projects!

This is an important step for us as a company. It not only helps ensure we can deliver the best possible version of Chapelwick but also creates a sustainable path forward, allowing us to continue supporting the game after release and begin funding future projects once Chapelwick is complete.

We’d also LOVE to feature YOU on the website. Click here to be featured! 

We’ll share more details and an early look on Discord, and it may even be live by next month’s update!

Delivery Timeline

We want to share a quick update on timing as the project continues to take shape.

Overall, writing, design, and development are progressing well. As we’ve moved deeper into production, two areas are going to take longer than originally anticipated: art production and physical manufacturing. These are also two of the most important elements of Chapelwick, and they play a major role in the final quality of what you’ll receive.

When we launched, we had a significant portion of the written material already completed. We expected that head start to meaningfully accelerate the overall timeline. And in many ways, it has. Those elements of the project are right on track and, in several areas, further along than most TTRPG projects would be at this stage.

However, one thing has become very clear. Human-drawn art simply cannot be rushed. High-quality illustration, iteration, and direction take time, especially at the scale Chapelwick requires.

At GAMA, we had the chance to connect with a number of experienced publishers and partners, and one consistent theme came up: most Kickstarter projects run longer than their initial timelines. More importantly, we now have a much clearer understanding of why. High-quality art pipelines and physical production simply take time, especially when you’re aiming to do them right.

We want to be very clear about our approach. We are not willing to compromise on the quality of the art or the physical products. If that means slowing things down to ensure everything meets the standard this project deserves, that’s a trade-off we’re intentionally choosing to make.

Our original target was October 2026. Our current goal is to deliver the full PDF by the end of the year, but we do not yet have a firm timeline for physical rewards. We're deep in conversations with our partner and hope to have updated timelines for you soon! 

As we lock in more details with artists and manufacturers, we will communicate updates clearly and early so you always know where things stand.

Our goal is fully aligned with yours: to deliver the best possible version of Chapelwick. While this adjusts our original timeline, it reflects a clearer and more realistic path to delivering Chapelwick at the level of quality the project and you deserve.

Pledge Status & Final Deadline

We previously communicated that March 31 was the final deadline to complete your pledge. We’re extending this one final time until April 21, to give everyone a last opportunity to lock things in.

We’ve extended this deadline multiple times and have also worked hard to notify and help backers recover dropped pledges, including manually restoring pledges where possible and individually messaging and emailing dozens of backers. We’ve been told by many of you and other industry professionals that this level of support is uncommon among Kickstarter projects, but it was important to us to ensure as many people as possible could stay part of Chapelwick.

After the deadline, you’ll still be able to join through our new e-commerce store, but Kickstarter pricing and bonuses will no longer be available. This applies to all backers with incomplete or unpaid pledges. Completing your pledge ensures your rewards, pricing, and selections are fully secured.

If you still need to complete or recover your pledge, you can do so here: https://chapelwick.backerkit.com/

Simply enter your email, and BackerKit will send your pledge directly to your inbox so you can complete it. 

If your pledge on Kickstarter was dropped due to a payment issue, you can still recover it using the link above. We’ve already manually updated pledges with partial payments to reflect the amounts paid on Kickstarter, so everything should be accurate when you get to BackerKit.

After this final deadline, incomplete pledges will be closed out, and the only way to rejoin the project will be through the new e-commerce site.

If you have any questions or need help, reach out to us at [email protected], and we’ll take care of you.

Need Pledge Help?

If you have any questions or need assistance with your pledge, the fastest way to get support is to email us directly at [email protected]. We’re happy to help you get everything sorted.

Next Update

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

The next update will be on Tuesday, May 12th.

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

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