More Sneak Peeks & Production Prep Continues
6 days ago
– Thu, Feb 19, 2026 at 02:46:38 PM
Backers,
We continue to work through the print file review process with our vendor. This step has taken a bit longer than we expected, but there are a ton of elements as part of this KS, and we want to ensure everything looks right before we move into production. We've closed Kickstarter late pledges and BackerKit pre-orders to prepare for the start of production.
So while we're working on that, let's share some fun elements. Here's a sneak peek at two backgrounds: Soothsayer and Sword for Hire. You'll see we added a "Why Do You Adventure?" section for each background: a brief description of a potential character past and how it might contribute to their decision to adventure.
Here's a look at one of our NPCs from the appendix: Venom Bard. With poisonous words AND blade, create a charismatic villain your players will love to hate. Each NPC has a Roles table to provide inspiration on how you might use them in your campaign.
All of the NPCs in our appendix will be included in the package of Encounter Cards that comes in our Premium Edition, and many of these NPCs are used in the adventure The Oppression of Blood, included in Skullduggery.
PDF Delivery
There have been some questions about when we'll distribute the PDFs that come as part of the Kickstarter. We don't have an official date yet, but it will be after we confirm we've gone to print. Once that's confirmed and we know we have the final version of the book, we'll distribute the PDF to you as a Digital Download through your BackerKit account. That's likely to happen in April.
BackerKit Next Steps
The next step in the BackerKit Pledge Manager will be charging for shipping and any Add-ons or other charges through BackerKit which we're currently targeting for March 4th. Look for an email from BackerKit on that day.
Sincerely,
Bill, Charlie, Jon, Matthew, and Paul
Final Files Off to Printer
about 1 month ago
– Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 01:40:52 PM
Beloved Backers,
We're happy to report that we've delivered all final files to the printer and will be starting the pre-screen process with the vendor to ensure all of the files are formatted in the way they prefer.
Our last playtests gave us the opportunity to clarify a few things in the adventure content before finalizing. We also clarified one of the abilities of our new species: The Forsaken. Speaking of which, here's a peek at the wicked art from the talented Lauren Addy for that species.
Finally, we clarified a couple of new feats: 'Heel to Toe,' the must-have feat for anyone using our newly introduced weapon, Bladed Boot; and 'Lightning Quick' for those characters that are looking for epic nimbleness in battle. Here's a preview page from our Feats section.
Thanks again to all of our playtesters who helped keep us honest with these new options. We'll be sharing more progress as we go and we're still on track to delivery by August.
As Matthew loves to shout: Skullduggery!
Sincerely,
Bill, Charlie, Jon, Matthew, and Paul
Happy New Year! Locking Backerkit Orders JANUARY 9th!
about 2 months ago
– Fri, Jan 02, 2026 at 02:51:33 PM
Skullduggery Backers!
Happy New Year! We're looking forward to 2026 being the Year of Skullduggery adventures and thankful that you all helped make that happen.
Just a heads up that we're LOCKING Backerkit surveys on January 9th, 2026, so we have the most up-to-date numbers to give the factory. Most of you have already completed your survey (THANK YOU!), so this message is really just for the 10% of you who haven't responded yet.
Once we lock the orders, the next step in the process will be finalizing the shipping costs and charging for shipping. That will likely happen in late February, and we'll post an update and give you plenty of warning before we do that.
If you're not sure if you've completed your survey, you can check the status of your account here:
Thanks again and here's to a great 2026!
Bill, Charlie, Jon, Matthew and Paul
Design & Proofing has us on track
2 months ago
– Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 03:59:02 PM
Dear Skullduggery Backers,
Our designers on Skullduggery—Irrgardless—are absolutely crushing it. The book itself is looking amazing and in final proofing stages.
For those of you that ordered the Premium Edition (thank you! and if you didn't, what are you waiting for??) here's a quick rundown of progress.
- The Outer Box, GM Screen, Battle Maps, Bonus Adventure, and Handouts are all complete and ready for the printer.
- The Encounter Cards and Item Cards will be laid out as soon as those sections of the book are locked–to avoid any inconsistencies.
- The token designs are ready for the printer.
- The Skullduggery-themed Journals should be finalized and ready for the printer by end of December.
The bottom line is that we are right on time!
Without giving away too much, here's a teaser image of a in-world handout, 2 partial images of battle maps, and a page from the equipment section of the book—the types of items that will be converted into item cards as part of the Premium Edition.
We do not take the trust you've placed in us lightly and we're determined to deliver a book and box that you'll use for years to come.
And if you do want to upgrade your pledge to include the premium edition box or any of these additional elements, you can still modify your pledge in Backerkit.
With gratitude,
Bill, Charlie, Jon, Matthew, and Paul
November Project Development Updates
3 months ago
– Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 02:00:33 PM
Project Development Updates
Hi Everyone,
Design of the book is going well, and we're working in some last minute playtesting before we lock up the design. Thank you to our design team at Irrgardless for the great work! We're still on our original target to ship by September 2026.
You all voted to use the new Forsaken species for the Oath of the Dead Paladin subclass art. Here's the resulting art. We think artist Mitch Mueller really captures the vibe here!
And here's a sneak peek at the art for one of the NPCs found in that section of Skullduggery. Many of these are NPCs that play a role in the included adventure: 'The Oppression of Blood.' Some are additional NPCs that can be dropped into any campaign. They all come with stat blocks as well as a Roles table to inspire storylines.
We will continue to provide progress updates as we continue with development and production, and really appreciate everyone who has decided to take this journey with us.
Rising Fear Kickstarter ends on 12/1
If you're a fan of the macabre, and of tabletop games, we'd love for you to check out our newest Kickstarter Campaign for Ring of Chaos: Rising Fear which ends on 12/1.
We have created THREE new editions of our popular board/card game, Ring of Chaos. All three editions are standalone games that don't require the original version to play, but all are compatible with the original game for those who want to expand their Ring of Chaos game nights!
So please check out our Kickstarter campaign and consider backing us before it ends! And check out our videos of Matthew Lillard & Isaiah Mustafa, Becca Scott, and Paula Deming explaining and playing these new versions of Ring of Chaos.
Thank you all for your support!
Bill, Charlie, Jon, Matthew, and Paul
Beadle & Grimm's Pandemonium Warehouse
