Battlezoo Bestiary 5e EARLY ACCESS Version is Out Now!
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 09:29:57 PM

As we finish the second half of the Battlezoo Bestiary for 5e, we wanted to get the first half of the book out to all backers right away. Starting today you can download the EARLY ACCESS version which contains all monsters and a preview of the monster parts system. If your order has been successfully processed, you should receive an email today with details on where you can download this EARLY ACCESS PDF, or you can log into your Backer account to download the PDF today. You can also access your account here if you are having issues with the link above: https://www.backerkit.com/are_you_a_backer.

The Battlezoo 5e Team

Up to now, we have been focusing a lot on the Pathfinder side of things, but we wanted to highlight our 5e team as you will be seeing a lot more of them in the near future. And think you will agree that we managed to put together a killer team. 

Paul Hughes reverse engineers and reassembles 5E D&D rules at blogofholding.com. He has designed monsters for projects ranging in scope from EN Publishing's 530-page "Monstrous Menagerie" down to "Monster Manual on a Business Card". He believes that any rule can be improved by running it through a simulator 100,000 times.

William Fischer has been creating strange and terrifying worlds for role-playing games for over 30 years. He is the author of The Runewild Campaign Setting published by Sneak Attack Press and has done work for Kobold Press, Goodman Games, AAW Games, and EN Publishing. He lives online at www.niznocspeaks.wordpress.com.

Sen.H.H.S. is a Taiwanese freelance TTRPG writer who has both self-published and written for various publishers and projects in the industry since 2019. Her work can be located in publications such as Pathfinder Bestiary 3, Lost Omens: Monster of Myth, and Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (See my card for the full list: https://senhhs.carrd.co/#portfolio). She also does sensitivity and cultural consultant and reading for TTRPG content with Chinese-inspired content.

As always, here is the general update:

Battlezoo Bestiary Monster Parts System 5e — As we mentioned last week, with Mark Seifter joining the team the very first thing he started on day one was jumping into the 5e system, reviewing all Bestiary 5e work done to date, and give it his final approval. As expected — as Mark is a monster — he managed to fully digest the entire 5e system and the 5e Monster Parts system in a single week. He is providing some final balancing updates with the larger 5e team right now and then will review the remaining 5e elements within the book throughout the week. As each item is approved by Mark we will go to layout for those items and finish the book.

Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons — In case you missed our live YouTube show last week, we previewed the full-page layout from the upcoming book. For those of you who missed it, here you go!

The book is nearly complete and we should start the final layout within two weeks — February is going to be a very busy month for Battlezoo products! And in case you want to check out our new live weekly YouTube show, Vox Populi, head on over and catch our show at 2 pm EST every Tuesday at youtube.rollforcombat.com. Our topic this week is:

Battlezoo Bestiary PF2 for Fantasy Grounds & Roll20 — Both products are complete and undergoing final review, as soon as they are approved and posted online we will let you know. Those who ordered the Roll20 FTT will automatically receive an email allowing them to unlock their pre-ordered content. For those who wish to order Fantasy Grounds, we will provide a link directly to the Fantasy Grounds store. Stay tuned!

Jewel of the Indigo Isles Adventure Path — A lot is happening with this project, but we will be focusing on finishing the Bestiary for 5e and the Dragon Ancestry book for the foreseeable future. But don't worry, this book is coming along great and we'll have a ton of content to share with you in the near future, including some incredible maps!

Battlezoo Bestiary Goes to Press and News on the 45th Dragon Special Guest
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 09:13:19 PM

Yesterday was a big day as Mark Seifter joined the Roll For Combat team full-time as the Battlezoo Director of Game Design. On average, Mark himself would write four books a year at Paizo, so having Mark join the team is a massive benefit for both the short term and long term. 

The other big news this week is that Mark and I will be starting a new weekly YouTube show where we will discuss various RPG topics on a weekly basis as well as answer questions from our listeners. As of now, we expect to show to air each Tuesday at 2 pm EST. If you wish to partake in the show, head on over to youtube.rollforcombat.com, subscribe to the channel, and click that alert icon to be made aware whenever we go live!

As always, here is the general update:

Battlezoo Bestiary Pathfinder Second Edition — Good news, the book has officially gone to print and we hope to have it in our hands around April. For those who ordered this book by itself (without other items to ship), we expect to send this book to all backers as soon as it arrives at our warehouse. We'll keep you informed as always.

Battlezoo Bestiary Monster Parts System 5e — Yesterday we spend half of the day reviewing the Monster Parts system with Mark and the 5e team in detail to ensure that Mark gives the system his seal of approval. We expect final approval to be given by early next week and then we can finish the layout of the book, send out the PDF to all that pre-ordered it, and begin the printing process. Since the 5e version of the book is nearly the same as the Pathfinder version, the 5e version should go to press quite quickly since all the necessary color balance and layouts have been completed. Expect to receive the 5e PDF in a few weeks!

Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons — As we mentioned last time, we have secured our "someone famous" to create the 45th dragon for the book. We are currently setting up our recording schedule with this someone famous as we expect to release two videos — one showing myself and Mark going over the dragon concept with this person, and then a final video showing the end result of their dragon. Expect to see these videos in a new few weeks! As for the book itself, it's nearly complete and we will be showing a preview of the book on our new weekly YouTube show today, at 2 pm EST. If you wish to see our new weekly show where Mark and I will discuss various RPG topics on a weekly basis as well as answer questions, head on over and catch our premiere show today at 2 pm EST at youtube.rollforcombat.com. Here is a tiny sneak preview of the design!

Jewel of the Indigo Isles Adventure Path — Ron Lundeen just submitted his final adventure turnover for the second adventure, which means two of the three adventures are complete. As I have stated on the Roll For Combat podcast, because this adventure is one massive adventure that connects all the adventures together, it was necessary to write them in order to allow each author to connect pieces from the prior adventure. The artwork for the adventure is nearly complete as are approximately 1/3 of the maps. We expect the receive the final adventure within the next month and then we can start the layout of the book.

Big News, Mark Seifter to Join Battlezoo Full-Time!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 08:40:50 PM

Sorry that we were a little quiet — a combination of the holidays and big things going on behind the scenes — kept us busy these last few weeks. The biggest news is that Mark Seifter, Paizo Design Manager, is joining Roll For Combat and the Battlezoo line full-time. 

For those who aren't familiar with Mark and his work, he has worked on over a hundred products at Paizo and is a legend in the RPG community. Just a portion of his work includes cover credit for the Pathfinder Second Edition Core Rulebook, Bestiary, Gamemastery Guide, Advanced Player’s Guide, Beginner Box, Secrets of Magic, Guns & Gears, and Dark Archive, he was the Class Lead for the Barbarian, Bard, Champion, Swashbuckler, Summoner, Inventor, and Thaumaturge classes, he was the Design Lead for 12 Lost Omens hardcover books, the Adventure Path Design Lead for 5 PF2 adventure paths and 6 PF2 adventures, he was the Design Lead for 18+ PF2 Bounties and 77+ PF2 Society Scenarios... and he designed the Monster Parts System for Battlezoo Bestiary and is currently writing the Battlezoo Ancestires: Dragons book!

Starting on January 24th, Mark will officially take the lead on all current and ongoing Battlezoo products to date for both PF2 and 5e systems. This is a very exciting time and will ensure that all Battlezoo products going forward are of the highest quality and led by one of the most experienced people in the industry.

So what does that mean in terms of the current projects? Here is the general overview as always:

Battlezoo Bestiary Monster Parts System 5e — We received excellent feedback from the Monster Parts playtesters and are currently updating the system based on the feedback. With Mark coming onboard full-time, we are making sure that Mark has a chance to review the entire Monster Parts system for 5e before it's released. I understand that this means that the system is slightly delayed while Mark gives his final sign-off on the system, but incorporating the playtester feedback and allowing Mark the opportunity to review the entire system in detail will result in a stronger product in the long run. Trust me, it will be worth the extra wait!

Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons for PF2 — Mark worked on the book over the break, updated various sections based on playtester feedback, and we believe it's around 85% complete. With Mark joining the team full-time, it will allow us to complete the book in a matter of weeks and then start the layout of the final product. As for the final stretch goal of the secret 45th dragon being created "by someone famous"... good news! We found our famous person and we are setting up the collaboration with this person and our team in such a way so that everyone can view the creation of this new dragon! Stay tuned for more details in the very near future!

Battlezoo Bestiary PF2 for Fantasy Grounds — Good news, the module is complete and under review by the good folks at Fantasy Grounds! Once the module is approved and ready for release, we'll let everyone know so they can order the module and start using it right away!

Jewel of the Indigo Isles Adventure Path — Work on this project is moving along at a nice clip. We should have all of the adventure materials turned in by the end of February and the work presented to date has been most impressive. We can't wait to show this book to everyone, as well as the amazing Player's Guide!

And finally, with Mark coming on full-time, expect to see a lot more Battlezoo products in the near future! There is a lot of exciting stuff coming down the pipe!

Battlezoo Bestiary PF2 Foundry Release, Updated Bestiary, and Monster Parts System 5e Playtest!
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Dec 16, 2021 at 12:39:53 AM

Lots of news items today, let's get to it!

Battlezoo Bestiary PF2 Foundry VTT — The Foundry PF2 VTT module has been released! If you pre-ordered the module, you should have received your key and instructions for accessing the content via email. If you haven't ordered this module yet, get it now before the price increases!

Check out the package here: https://foundryvtt.com/packages/battlezoo-bestiary-pf2e

Buy it here: https://battlezoo-bestiary.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders/357454

Battlezoo Bestiary for Pathfinder Second Editon — We updated the PDF once again with several fairly large updates. We strongly recommend that everyone download this new version and replace your existing version. This should be the last update (we hope) in quite some time, but a few of the updates include:

• Updated the awards banners on each monster to make them more clear
• Updated the Blood Mouse, Dryad Husk, Kharozat, Semuvig, Senidaemon, Warp Wyrm, and Windborne Dead stat blocks
• Updated the Mental and Positive Imbued paths
• Updated the suggested monster parts for the Ghostwriter, Swarm Assassin, and Warp Wyrm
• Updated the credits page
• Small text updates throughout

Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons for PF2 Playtest — Wow... a LOT of people wanted to get into this playtest. A lot of people. We did what we could, but couldn't get everyone into the playtest, we're sorry if you couldn't get in, but we might have an additional playtest, so be on the lookout for that in the near future. Plus, we are just that much closer to finishing the book as the feedback has been fantastic so far!

Battlezoo Bestiary Monster Parts System 5e Playtest — Okay the big news! Yes, the Battlezoo Bestiary for 5e book is done and complete. However, we want to playtest the Monster Parts System to make sure the final product is as awesome as possible. If you wish to apply to take part in the Battlezoo Bestiary Monster Parts System 5e Playtest, please review the following directions:

1) You need to have pre-ordered the Battlezoo Bestiary for 5e. Only those who have pre-ordered the Battlezoo Bestiary for 5e can get into this playtest.

2) If you meet the first requirement, you must send an email to [email protected] that includes your full name, address, email, and proof of your order of the Battlezoo Bestiary for 5e. You must send your request no later than December 15h, 2021, midnight EST.

3) If you are selected for the playtest, you will receive an NDA sent to the email you provided in step 2. You must sign this NDA in order to participate in the playest.

4) Once you sign the NDA, you'll receive another email providing you details on where you can view the Monster Parts rules and an invitation to a private server to provide feedback.

5) NOTE: You will need to provide all feedback by December 31, 2021. Make sure you have the time to contribute to this project!

This playtest has all the rules necessary for you to slay monsters, refine custom gear, and then imbue that gear with custom magical powers! If you wish to play with a group of people, then each of those people should send a separate email in order to get into the playtest and let me know that you are part of a larger group (groups of people will have higher priority).

You can also discuss the rules with others in the private Discord and arrange private games online to test out the rules. We have done this with the Dragons playtest and it has worked well.

Good luck and send those emails!

Big Updates This Week for Battlezoo Bestiary 5e, Dragon Ancestries for PF2, and Foundry VTT!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Dec 07, 2021 at 04:10:47 AM

Several big updates this week! Let's start this party!

Battlezoo Bestiary for 5th Editon — The writing/conversion from the Pathfinder Second Edition book is complete! We started to playtest and edit the final files, as well as started to layout the book. The Monster Parts System for 5e is (obviously) very different from the Pathfinder version, yet very similar — both systems feel alike when compared to each other, but each is designed to work within their ruleset. Here is a sneak peek at what to expect for the Monster Parts System for 5e!

Imbuement Paths for 5e — This is where things get fun! After you kill a creature, gather their parts, and create your custom gear, you can imbue your items with unique magic that can change and grow with your gear as you increase in level. The following imbuements can be placed on your gear, plus each imbuement has 3 unique paths to allow for further refinement — Might, Magic, and Technique! As of now, we have 31 various imbuements, each with 3 unique paths, and 6 levels per path. That's a total of 558 unique abilities you can put on your gear however you wish!

We currently have the following paths available:

•  Weapon/Focus — acid, chaotic, cold, evil, fire, force, good, lawful, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, thunder, wild
•  Weapon Only — bane, thrown, sentient, thrown
•  Focus Only — spell
•  Weapon or Shield —defense
•  Armor Only — invulnerability
•  Armor/Shield/Focus — charisma, constitution, dexterity, energy resistant, intelligence, sensory, strength, winged, wisdom

Here is an example of an imbuement can provide your gear (still a work in progress):

Acid Imbuement Path

Type: Focus or weapon

Parts: The monster must have resistance or immunity to acid damage, or an attack or ability that deals acid damage.

Effect: You imbue your focus or weapon with corrosive acid.

•  Imbuement 1: You can cast the acid splash cantrip at your level from the item.
•  Imbuement 2: The item gains 3 charges. You can cast acid arrow from it.
•  Imbuement 3: The item gains 4 charges (7 total).
•  Imbuement 4: The item gains 5 charges (12 total). You can cast cloudkill from it. When you cast cloudkill in this way, the spell deals acid damage instead of poison damage.
•  Imbuement 5: The item gains 6 charges (18 total).
•  Imbuement 6: The item gains 7 charges (25 total). You can cast disintegrate from it. When you cast disintegrate in this way, the spell deals acid damage instead of force damage.

MIGHT PATH

•  Imbuement 1: Acid Critical. When you critically hit with this weapon, or when a creature rolls a 1 on a saving throw against a spell that deals acid damage, the target takes an extra 1d6 acid damage.
•  Imbuement 2: Acid Strike. When you hit with this weapon or deal acid damage with a spell, the target takes an extra 1 acid damage.
•  Imbuement 3: The target of Acid Critical also takes 1d6 acid damage at the end of its next turn.
•  Imbuement 4: The extra damage from Acid Strike increases to 1d4.
•  Imbuement 5: The damage from Acid Critical increases to 2d6 immediately and 2d6 at the end of the target’s next turn.
•  Imbuement 6: The extra damage from Acid Strike increases to 1d8.

TECHNIQUE PATH

•  Imbuement 1: Attacks and spells made with this item deal double damage to objects. You can use an action to weaken an object with acid. Attempts to break a weakened item are made with advantage.
•  Imbuement 2: Acid Spray. When you hit with this weapon or cast a spell that deals acid damage, you can choose up to two additional creatures within 5 feet of the initial target. Those creatures are sprayed with acid and take 2d4 acid damage. You can use Acid Spray three times per day, but only once per turn.
•  Imbuement 3: You gain resistance to acid damage. Acid damage dealt by this item ignores resistance to acid damage.
•  Imbuement 4: When you use Acid Spray, you can spray all creatures of your choice within 10 feet of the initial target, and the damage those creatures take increases to 4d4.
•  Imbuement 5: You can use Acid Spray five times per day, but only once per turn.
•  Imbuement 6: When you use Acid Spray, the initial target and all creatures you spray with acid must also make a successful Constitution saving throw or be blinded. A blinded creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that fails the saving throw three times before the effect ends is permanently blinded.

Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons for PF2 — The big news is that we have completed the rules necessary to create a dragon PC from levels 1-20, the various archetypes, horde rules, and everything needed to create your very own Dragon PC! What is even bigger news is that we are looking for people who are interested in performing a private playtest of these rules. If you have made it this far in the update, congratulations, you passed the first test. Next, you will need to meet these requirements — you'll need to have pre-ordered the Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons book for PF2, you'll need to sign a mutual NDA and keep everything shared with you top secret, and you'll need to contact me via private message. We will only select a few people for this private playtest and you'll only have access to the first 20 dragons, but it will be more than enough for you to build some dragon PCs and test the system and provide feedback.

Battlezoo Bestiary Foundry VTT — The Foundry VTT module testing is complete! We are simply working with Foundry on getting this module released to the public, so if you ordered this module look for an email providing you access to the module shortly!

Battlezoo Bestiary VTTs — As for Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds, those are being worked on as well and moving along well. As they get closer to release we'll provide you an update.

We are moving forward with the other projects as well (don't worry!). We just finished outlining the final new ancestry for the Jewel of the Indigo Isles Adventure Path and Player's Guide, the Kragrak! Check it out!