ginnydi
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The Game Master's Deck of Boons and Banes
🕑 Added 2024-07-23 15:50:04 +0000 UTCtl;dr version
I worked with Media Lab Books to write this 5e supplement! It comes out Oct. 1, but you can pre-order it here.
long version
The Game Master’s Deck of Boons and Banes brings the thrill of epic adventures and dire consequences to your tabletop games with 40 stunningly illustrated cards!
Boons bestow powerful abilities, like navigating planes with ease or controlling magical darkness, while banes impose challenges, such as being harried by mischievous imps or attacked by your own treacherous shadow.
Each card includes effects, quest hooks, and scaling guidance, offering endless dynamic gameplay possibilities.
SO.... I've been working on this since last September 😳
I can't tell you how much work and love and thought has gone into each and every card. First it was just me banging my head against the empty page for a few months (with Josh on standby to give his thoughts!) and then a few more months of going back and forth with my editor, Jeff Ashworth, who was absolutely indispensable and really helped transform my mainly ~vibes-based~ ideas into practical gameplay elements. The easiest part of this whole process was working with the artist, Tim Foley, who basically ONLY delivered excellence.
This deck is joining a line-up of incredible 5e titles from Media Lab Books. This has been my first time working with a traditional publisher, and it's been a huge learning experience! The latest thing I've learned is that pre-orders are hugely impactful to the success of a product like this.
This product will be stocked in stores like Barnes & Noble and Target, and those big name, brick-and-mortar stores use pre-order numbers as a guide for placement and promotion. So if I can drive a lot of pre-orders, the deck will get better placement in stores, which will in turn lead to better sales. But if I can't, it may end up in some dark corner where people only find it if they're actively seeking it out. This will absolutely make the difference in whether or not I make back my advance and start actually earning royalties from deck sales.
This is... terrifying, since I'm competing with actual, big-deal writers and publishers, who have much bigger budgets and broader reach than me! So if you want to support my first foray into traditional publishing, please considering pre-ordering the deck from your preferred seller.
The top three will likely have the biggest impact on promotion (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target), but I also highly recommend Bookshop.org, which supports independent booksellers, and also has the pre-order listed for a slight discount right now.
Whether you pre-order the deck or not, I just want to thank you all for your patience and your support while I work on projects like this, which often slow down my more public work and leave me looking very quiet even while I'm sweating behind the scenes! This is not the only major writing project I have coming out over the next few months and I cannot WAIT to finally have them all out in the world!
Comments
Nick Cordasci
I just pre-ordered from Bookshop.org. What a cool idea! I absolutely love the artwork too. I will forward this on to my DM friends.
Jack Fisher (ChumSlinger)
When I went to the Barnes & Noble site I was so happy to see the tag "Bestseller" on this, Congrats! .... (Which for some reason is no longer there the next day :(
Ginny Di
What luck!! 😍 Thank you so much!
Gerard Hoey
This is exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for!!! Love giving out special abilities to characters to add a bit more **pizzaz* and really make the campaign feel special Pre-ordered!
Aaron
I have no doubt I will!
Ginny Di
Thanks Glenn!! Hope you enjoy it! ❤️
Ginny Di
Thank you so much, Tim!! 🥰
Ginny Di
Thanks Joshua!! I hope they love it! (or hate it? 😂 that might be the more appropriate reaction to a bane...)
Ginny Di
Thank you Nicholas!! 🥰
Ginny Di
Thanks Aaron!! I hope you love it!
Ginny Di
I'm so impressed with the handful of people who somehow found this before it was announced! Y'all rolled very high on your Investigation 😂
Ginny Di
I wish I could take credit, but you have the publisher to thank! I'm thrilled to see a Canadian option, though!
Glenn Dallas
Absolutely pre-ordered!
ChemGeek - Tim
Pre-ordered! Glad to help support you!
Joshua Williams
Super excited to throw these at my players!
Nicholas Lesinski
Pre-Ordered. sounds fun! thank you!
Aaron
Pre-ordered mine today! Cannot wait to see these in person!
The Music of Keith Richie
Pre-ordered last month I think, when I saw it pop up. I live the game master series and congratulations on your contributions!
Ginny Di
Thank you so much, Ramona! 😭❤️
Ginny Di
I totally get it, I love Bookshop.org and I’m so happy it’s an option!
Ginny Di
Thank you Michele!! 🥰 I hope it helps!
Gilles Doyen
Thank you for including a Canadian location! It means a lot to me!
Ramona Wanders
Amazon NL and DE both have the deck up for pre-order, so if you google the deck with your nation after it, it may well bring something up. Found it in a few places for myself, but most shipped it from the UK (risking imports)
Ramona Wanders
deck is pre-ordered, unfortunately through Amazon, as that was the only retailer offering "local" shipping, so I wouldn't be incurring import charges and delays. Looking forward to it. Congratulations on your first published work Ginny. 🥳
Michael Dahn
Well this is just fabulous. Anything that has cards in it I’m all about. I’m sure the big retailers make a larger difference overall, but I can’t ignore supporting local bookshops.
Michele
And pre-ordered. Can’t wait to use it in my future games!!
Ginny Di
Thank you so much, Jordan!! 🥰
Ginny Di
Ahh, I'm so glad you've been enjoying that one!! I absolutely adore that book!
Ginny Di
This is the full list of retailers I've been provided with, but I know Barnes & Noble ships internationally, and Amazon often does, too! And if neither of those will ship it to you, I will also stock the decks in my store once they launch, and I ship all over. 🥰
Ginny Di
🥰
Ginny Di
The art is SO cool, Tim's work is so dynamic and expressive!! It makes me so glad this is a card deck instead of a book, because it almost certainly wouldn't have had art for every single boon & bane if it had been a book, and the art brings so much to it!
Jordan Woloshyn
Glad to see indigo as an option for us Canucks. Preordered 😁
Zach Davis
Preordered! I bought “The GM’s Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying” on your recommendation and it’s been AMAZING. Excited to get to support something you’ve worked on! 😄
Milla Mäkeläinen
Any retailers in EU? 🥹
Jenny Jones
Hell yea!
Stephanie
Preordered! So excited, I love using cards as a GM. Much easier than a rolling table, and these look so pretty!
Sam
I have most of the other "game masters book of..." And I love them. Knowing you are behind this one makes it an auto purchase
Ginny Di
Thank you so much!! I hope it's useful! 🥰
Maddie K
So excited to see your other projects too!
Ginny Di
Thank you SO much, Sam, I really appreciate it!! I hope you love it!
Ginny Di
Thank youuuu 😭 I can't believe I can finally talk about it!! It's been a secret project for so long!
Ginny Di
Ahhh, thank you so much, Maddie! 😍
Ginny Di
Thank you so much, Terry!! 🥰 I really hope it can be a useful tool for game masters!!
Zelbinion
And ordered this looks great and just the kind of extra I like to have in my games
Sam
Preordered!
ChatN
Wow! Congratulations!
Maddie K
Preordered! Can’t wait!!
Terry
This looks incredible, Ginny!!!
