Thursday, February 28, 2013

New rough drafts of artwork is in!

We got some new rough draft artwork in and wanted to share it with our fans.  Enjoy! Talk to you later...






Tuesday, February 26, 2013

$5,000 Owen K.C. Stephens reward UNLOCKED!!!!


You heard it right! Owen K.C. Stephens returns to the world of NeoExodus with his sub-dungeon level for the upcoming Free RPG Day adventure, Temple of the Forbidden God. Thanks to everyone who got us to this point! Now we move toward the Lee Hammock $7,500 reward! The world of NeoExodus is about to get crazier!!! Support our kickstarter here!

Transparent Agenda #006: Facebook is responsible for raising less than 2% of the money for this kickstarter

If you listen to Facebook they will tell you that they will help companies make money. Based on the stats I got from kickstarter, Facebook, to me, is a failure on that.  Personally, I have been suspect of the “great ads” on Facebook claims. But it is nice to have actual facts to back up what I thought.  We do a lot of posting on Facebook but it looks like there are better ways to reach people for kickstarter rather than Facebook. Very interesting when you look at the actual data of material and see what is really going on instead of guess blindly in the dark to boost up one’s ego.  Always checks the facts. It will be better for you in the long run.  Talk to you later…

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Transparency Agenda #005: D20pfsrd.com advertising experiment keeps making me more money…


Since I have talk about this in two other Transparency Agenda (#003 & #004) I am just going to get down to the numbers and you can make your own  opinions on if it is worth it.  As of today, February 24, kickstarter has reported that the direct donations from D20pfsrd.com has generated $1,466 with those ads. The D20pfsrd.com ads cost me $250. 


Here comes the simple math: Here comes the simple math: 100% of the cost of the ads for February ($250) has been paid for, with an additional $1,216 generated from the ads. Simply put, in the ads generated $61.08 a day and if continues at this rate the ads will generate $1,710.33 for the month of February. Theoretically if this continues like this until the ends of the month, every dollar I spend on those ads made me $6.84. Notice this is a higher rate than what I said last time of $6.66 on February 17. While it is only 18 cent more I am OK with that because this is still over $4 more than the original post of $2.68. 


Let’s expanded this out to include the month of March for another $250 for a total of $500 spend on advertising and we don’t raise another cent.  Then we end up with $966 generated from the ads.  The combined months of February & March state the ads generated $25.27 per day. For every one dollar I spent on these ads, they made me $2.93. The numbers keep getting better and better.  Talk to you later…

Reward added to the Imperial Man-At-Arms ($35) donors and up for Free RPG Day NeoExodus Adventure Kickstarter!

The Free RPG Day NeoExodus: A House Divided Kickstarter for Pathfinder RPG just reached another threshold goal!

Not a bad little add-on for just reaching the donor threshold. So don't miss out by not donating at the right levels for this kickstarter!

Two more thresholds added to the Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure


Since we are so close to reaching the $5,000 threshold goal and we still have 21 days left on this kickstarter we wanted to give you some more excitement by adding TWO threshold goals for $5,500 and $6,000. Since we started our organized play campaign system, NeoExodus Legacies, more and more people have seen the differences between our organized play system and the typical fantasy setting of Pathfinder Society. These two adventures; Cold Visitor and Encounter at Ramat Bridge show off what makes NeoExodus Legacies different from any other Pathfinder setting or organized play campaign on the market today. Making sure we get our threshold goals assures the Imperial Elder ($50) donors and up will receive these two amazing adventure! If you are not supporting this kickstarter NOW is your time! 
When you support 3PP of Pathfinder, You support Pathfinder RPG!

Friday, February 22, 2013

4 donors and $392 away from out next two threshold goals!


Just so you know we are closer than close for out next two threshold goals. With four more donors the Imperial Man-At-Arms ($35) level and higher will get a free copy of Enemies of NeoExodus: First Ones

Better still with less than $400 we but Owen K.C. (And the K.C. stands for Killing Characters) to work on his sub-dungeon level. Tell everyone you know about this kickstarter so we can smash all the great hidden threshold goals we have.  4 donors and $392 isn’t a lot of money or people to keep making this kickstarter a success. Talk to you later…

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Adventure Path Iconics are coming soon for Pathfinder

Paizo has proven that people like Adventure Paths. But the one thing that has not really changed in all the adventure paths is the choice for iconics for these adventure paths. Other companies have but out iconics, but they are the same old Tolkien-ese, Tolkien-inspired, Tolkien over done races that you have seen a MILLION times. You have seem them so many time they have become a trope of fantasy. I mean come on, the Hobbit was published in 1937. So let’s stop playing with your grandfather’s concept of swords, sorcery and fantasy; and how about we bring the concept of fantasy to the 21st century.

Each Adventure Path Iconics brings you eight different playable characters that easily plug into the most common themes that you have seen in adventure paths. We have iconics for Asian inspired and Wintry based adventure paths with many more coming in the very near future including everything horror to good old fashioned pirates.

The different playable character races will consist of four human characters and four unique races from the NeoExodus: A House Divided campaign setting which include races such as:

  • Cynean: These beings of living crystal are masters of magic. Crystalline scholars of all things arcane, the cyneans are as mighty in mind as in body. 
  • P'Tan: These feline looking, created from the primordial shadows and former slaves rose up and overthrew their harsh masters with their ability to cast black lightning. 
  • Enuka: The most primal and barbaric of the savage humanoids have nothing on the enuka. Enuka are ferocious creatures with instincts for battle and the hunt, animalistic predators blessed with humanoid form and intelligence. 

And many more of these unique and interesting races added to the Adventure Path Iconics series. If you are tired of playing the same old elf from the forest or dwarf from underground from the hundredth time, give Adventure Path Iconics a try. You and you imagination will be glad you did. Adventure Path Iconics: Path of Jade will be out VERY soon; while Adventure Path Iconics: Path of Winter will be soon. Talk to you later.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Transparency Agenda #004: D20pfsrd.com advertising experiment is a 600% success!!!

Back in Transparency Agenda #003, I was talking about advertising with D20pfsrd.com and how good it was going. Now 17 days in my ad campaign with this for our Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Kickstarter, I have noticed something thing very interesting. Before we get to deep in to the numbers, I suggest you go and read the Transparency Agenda #003 first since a lot of stuff we will be talking about will be referring back to it.

Back on February 1st, I placed two 160x600 pixel skyscraper banner ads and one 350x90 pixel banner ad on their site at a cost of $250 per month for two months for a total of $500.

As of today February 17th, kickstarter has reported that direct donations from the d20pfsrd.com banner ads has generated $1,011 from those ads. 

Here comes the simple math: 100% of the cost of the ads for February ($250) has been paid for, with an additional $766 generated from the ads. Simply put, in the ads generated $59.47 a day and if continues at this rate the ads will generate $1,665.17 for the month of February. Theoretically as of today, every dollar I spend on those ads made me $6.66. 

In the original post, I thought the ads would only make me $2.68 per dollar spent. I was off by nearly $4. 

Now if you want to be even more interesting, let's say I use the total cost of $500 for two months worth of ads at D20pfsrd.com as my cost AND I don’t make another cent from my ads. The simple math becomes this: 100% of two months of ads paid with the total money raised of $1,011 for the two months. For the 59 days of ads, the ads generate $17.14 a day. Theoretically, every dollar I spend on those ads made me $2.02. Who would not like to get back double their money from an investment? 

Best of all, there are still 28 days left in this kickstarter. Better still, I could get even more money that I have planned right now.

Now the next time someone asks you to advertise with them or their ad group, ask them this simple question: For every dollar I send with you and your advertisement, how much do you think it will generate for me? For people who have a Pathfinder based kickstarter like me, they can look at these numbers as at least a starting point. No, I can’t guarantee you will do as good as I have, hell you might do A LOT BETTER than me, but at least you have a starting point to look at. 

Oh by the way, remember that other person that I referred to in the original post who wanted to advertise with him; well he emailed me. He said it was about a quote he wanted to get from me about Paizo. I didn’t even waste time emailing the person back. Remember, living well is the best revenge and I am living VERY well. Talk to you later…

Saturday, February 16, 2013

29 days left on our Kickstarter: Two rewards added to the Imperial Elder ($50) donors and up



We have to thank everyone who helped our Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG Kickstarter  reach our first 2 threshold goals of adding PDF copies of the Enemies of NeoExodus: First Ones and Enemies of NeoExodus: Folding Circle to the Imperial Elder ($50) and higher levels. Those who have not donated at this level might want to rethink their decision since we still have more AMAZING threshold goal waiting including the $5,000 Owen K.C. Stephens Threshold Goal reward and the $7,500 Lee Hammock Threshold Goal reward!


Don't miss out on this and many other HIDDEN threshold goals that we have planned because you didn't spend as little at $15 to get them.  Thanks for your support. Talk to you later...

Friday, February 15, 2013

Only two companies supporting Free RPG Day with Pathfinder, and LPJ Design is one of them…

As our Kickstarter is still going on, I noticed something that surprised me a bit at the Free RPG Day website. I noticed that there were only two companies doing a Pathfinder product: Louis Porter Jr.Design and Paizo Publishing.  Last year, Jon Brazer Enterprise and LPJ Design were the only 3rd Party Publishers supporting retailers for Free RPG Day.   This surprises me a little. There are various3PP who have done very well this year with their various kickstarters but none of them are supporting Pathfinder to retailers for Free RPG Day. Why? Well the reason we are supporting Free RPG Day is with our kickstarter.  We did it last year and it worked out very well so this year was a no brainer. Most likely we will continue this trend of Free RPG Day kickstarters for some time to come.  But there’s a LOT of 3PP who have done very good last year and this year, so far.  But they didn’t. Why? There are a lot of publisher who want to get their product in front of retailers and this is an easy way to do it. But they didn’t. Why? Do most 3PP think it is not worth supporting retailer in this way? Why? It always comes back to the question of why? For me long term, supporting Free RPG Day is a good thing. Look what Free Comic Book Day has done for the comic industry.  Would you call it a positive or a negative? Why?  Lots of good questions, and something to think about when you are wondering why your business is not growing.  Talk to you later…

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Just a little graphic design work...


Here is a little something that I am working on. No it is not for Xao: Island of Iron and Silk but I can understand why you might think so.  The text is just there as filler text to test the layout, so don’t work about it.  So what do you think? Talk to you later…

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Lee Hammock added as the $7,500 threshold goal for Kickstarter

I have known Lee Hammock almost 10 years now. It started out as a simple call for help from a freelance writer on the original Mutants and Masterminds RPG with both of our love for comics.  Lee has gone on to work for for many major companies in the entertainment world including various other 3PP RPG publishers to DC Comics and now to Goblinworks as their lead designer for the upcoming Pathfiner MMO. In addition to all of this Lee also worked on the original version of NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign Setting. We thought it only made sense to contact Lee and pull him out of "NeoExodus retirement" and get him back int he game with a threshold reward. So when we reach $7,500 Lee Hammock, like Owen K.C. Stephens, is going to add another sublevel of danger and excitement to this adventure.  With only 32 days left, I KNOW we can do it!  Talk to you later...

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Print on Demand cards now on sale and Jeff Lee gets a promotion!

33 days to go on Free RPG Day NeoExodus Kickstarter

We have been every quite over the last few days of the FreeRPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG Kickstarter. I think some of you have said, “Yeah, they reach their goal. That is it!” And of course that is not it!

We have LOTS of hidden threshold and donor goals waiting for you. We have goals all the way up to $25,000. That is right we have planned to reach ten times the amount we need to raise! Now I know there are a lot of kickstarters out there asking for all kinds of donors for all kinds of cool things. But the big difference between those kickstarters and our kickstarter is that we are supporting Paizo, Pathfinder and other third party publishers with this kickstarer.

For each free adventure we give out at Free RPG Day 2013, that is a new potential gamer who is going to play Pathfinder. Better yet, each new gamer who exposed to a third party publisher of Pathfinder, discovers the amazing amount of support Paizo gives to third party publishers. We who play Pathfinder are a family and we at LPJ Design want to share our feeling of family to more and more gamers who have never played Pathfinder. So if you have a second go out and tell people about this Free RPG Day kickstarter and all the good it is doing for the pathfinder community. The more people exposed and playing Pathfinder is a good thing. As I have said before, when you support third party publishers of Pathfinder, you support Pathfinder. Show your support!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Return to Xao: Island of Iron and Silk - Map of the island


As usual I am working on several things at once. But one of my more fun things, Xao: Island of Iron and Silk, is currently at the forefront of my mind and I wanted to should you something fun from it. This is the VERY rough draft of the map I have planned for Xao. It gives you the locations of cities, the major kingdoms and the areas in black in the “undiscovered lands”. While nothing on this map is set in stone, it does give you an idea that we are looking to make this not only an interesting island but that one that works in conjunction with the NeoExodus Setting. Talk to you later…


Saturday, February 9, 2013

Owen K.C. Stephens added as the $5,000 threshold goal for Kickstarter

Owen K.C. Stephens was nice enough to offer to work on the Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder Kickstarter. As you may or may not know, Owen worked on the original 3.5 version of NeoExodus: A House Divided so it is nice to see him "come home" again.  So help us reach this goal so we can see more of Owen great work. Talk to you later...

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Angry retailer tells me how he feels about Kickstarter, Paizo, Free RPG Day and his customers…

The biggest issue that I have run into with doing a Kickstarters is retailers. Many retailers seem to have a open hostility of the concept of Kickstarter and specifically what it means for their customer base and their potential retailing future.  Here is an email that I received from a retailer on sending him an email informing him about our Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder Kickstarter and how they can become involved in this kickstarter. I have redacted some items to protect the identity of the retailer and their location:

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Kickstarter/Pathfinder/Paizo/In-store RPG players/Free RPG Day

None of these things generate any direct revenue at all, and effectively skip retailers like us. Printed RPG's are dead here in [REDACTED]. Digital downloads killed it. We accept that as retailers, and we have moved on.

It is an old story. RPG players take up a ton of space, make a huge mess. They sneak in bags of groceries, 2 liter bottles of soda and destroy our bathrooms. Any retailer will tell you that happens/will happen, or they have to constantly police that crowd with rules. They don't spend money anymore in our stores. As a group, they are gamer hobo's.

The smart retailer will be pushing Warmachine/Hordes, Magic, Yugioh, Cardfight, and Super Dungeon Explore. These publishers want us to sell there stuff with a good margin and don't compete with us.

RPG's used to be my #2 line, and now I am loathe to carrying. I play RPG's and so does my son and brother. From a player's perspective, it has never been better. Beautiful art, awesome content. From a retail side, it is over.

Pathfinder minis WERE going to be fantastic, until Paizo started selling them direct to players. That's like Wizards selling Magic singles on their own eCommerce website. Do you think that would fly?

From a business perspective, I think Paizo is brilliant. Skip the distributor, skip the retailer. What a huge margin. How about Fantasy Flight selling direct to Amazon this past holiday season? Like selling Netrunner at my cost with free shipping, gads. Paizo is no different.


Warhammer 40k can be purchased online from Paizo with a discount. Still trying to tell me you are not competing with me, and we should be pals?

Does Paizo want to have their own retail stores too like Games Workshop, and offer us a 35% discount on an over-priced line? "These are really neat things we are coming out with, get them direct from us, and wave them in front of everyone at your local hobby shop."

You want me to support Kickstarter? Come on, that is just silly. "Hey gamers! Go to Kickstarter, give us your limited amount of money, and spend nothing at your local hobby shop when it comes out. They won't mind if you play it in their game store and grow their brand, instead of what they are trying to sell you." I do mind, quite a bit.

Paizo is not on our side at all, and Free RPG day does not make money directly or in-directly to cover any of the lost money making opportunities of hosting it. Please take me off of your email list.

---------------------------------------

Once again, I find this WHOLE situation silly. Our kickstarter specifically focuses on getting players into his store to get people excited about playing games, which in turn get the retailer excited about selling products.  I have heard so many retailers complain that 3PP for Pathfinder does not sell in their store because there is no interest. I handle that by giving free product on Free RPG Day and offering them a retail starter kit and a VERY reasonable price (only $25) so if the people who like the Free RPG Day offering they can sell them product AT THAT MOMENT. I am offering you the free product to get them interested AND the actual product line that will generate money for your store, and STILL you don’t think you can support this Kickstarter? Really?

I was looking at Fred Hicks Fate Kickstarter and I noticed that only 43 retail store had signed up for his kickstarter. We currently have 11 retail stores.  Good products with good support with good margins and still some retailer cannot be bothered because, using this retailer’s words, “As a group, they are gamer hobo's.”  When you think about your customers as hobos, what must they think about you? Better yet, I have the feeling they have said a lot about you by purchasing this products in other locations than yours.

There is no longer a “hostage economy” in the world. You are now competing with everyone in the work who sells what you sell. What are you going to do to make your store unique and different to stand out? Here is an opportunity to do just that thing with and investment on only $25. To bad that retailer didn't see it for what it was.  Talk to you later…

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Transparency Agenda #003: D20pfsrd.com advertising what it cost and what it made

This is going to be a simple but informative look at advertising on d20pfsrd.com and what it cost me and the amount of revenue it has generated for me. These are all real numbers and amounts.

I started my Free RPG Day 2013 NeoExodus Adventure forPathfinder RPG Kickstarter on January 28th and I started having ad banner direct traffic on d20pfsrd.com starting February 1st to this kickstarter. I placed two 160x600 pixel skyscraper banner ads and one 350x90 pixel banner ad on their site at a cost of $250 per month for two months for a total of $500. 

As of today February 5th,  kickstarter has reported that direct donations from the d20pfsrd.com banner ads has generated $120 from those ads.

So simple math here: 48% of the cost of the ad was generated in only 5 days, $24 a day if you like.  If this continues at this rate for the full month of February the ads will generate $672.  $672 minus $250 equals $422. Theoretically, every dollar I spend on those ads made me $2.68.  

There was another individual who can to me when he saw my kickstarter was up and asked me to advertise with him. I did advertise with him last time with my Obsidian Apocalypse kickstarter and he charged me a lot of money and it cost me: every dollar I spend on those ads it made me 21 cents or as I call it I paid him 71 cents for each dollar I spend and it did nothing . Where I am from we call that a “BAD investment”.

So based on these facts, when he came around this time try trying to get some money for his large ad network that he claimed would be helpful what do you think MY response? No I didn't curse him out. Just a simple “No thank you”. I believe living well is the best revenge.  And if you are wondering who this person is I will just say this: It doesn't matter. What you should be focusing on get ads up at D20pfsrd.com to make sure your Pathfinder kickstarter is successful.  How’s that for transparency?  Talk to you later…

Friday, February 1, 2013

If Friday is pay day, then donate to our kickstarter for Free RPG Day!

It is the best day of the week, FRIDAY!!! What is even better about Friday? PAY DAY! Oh yes, Friday Pay Day! Now I know you ALREADY have plans for that money, but think about adding our the Free RPG Day 2013NeoExodus Adventure for Pathfinder RPG kickstarter to that list. There are lots of different donation levels that you can support, which in turn supports the Pathfinder Role Playing game. Best of all the more donations we get the more of a chance we will get those NeoExodus miniatures from Eastern Front Studios. Come one who doesn't want to see a Cynean, Prymidian or P’Tan miniature on their game table. So please help us reach that threshold goals! We cannot do this without you. Talk to you later…

[LPJ Design] Treasures of NeoExodus: Aegis of Makash (PFRPG) Now available

Louis Porter Jr. Design has released its newest product for their Treasures of NeoExodus line, Aegis of Makash for the NeoExodus: A House Divided (PFRPG) campaign setting at RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com.

Service in the Imperial blockade of Unthara is a difficult and thankless job. Danger threatens from many directions: the Brotherhood, grim and greedy mercenaries lured by Khaynite gold to break the blockade, and—perhaps worst of all—the foul necromancer Xon and his quickslaver allies. Despite this, the commander of the marines aboard the Imperial Alliance warship Cassandra’s Smile received a blessing both familial and divine in the form of an enchanted trident, imbued with powers that give the quickslavers pause. The Treasures of NeoExodus: Aegis of Makash is created for use with your NeoExodus: A House Divided campaign setting home gaming for the Pathfinder RPG.

The Treasures of NeoExodus series focus on creating unique and interesting magical and mundane items that you can use in your NeoExodus home games that give you more a personal connection to the item. This PDF comes with a background and history of Aegis of Makash, its special mundane and/or magical qualities plus magic item containing detailed information and blank versions of the cards. Everything you need to incorporate Aegis of Makash into your character’s background and your gaming sessions is here making them even more appealing, special and personal. Available at RPGNow!