Let Us Build a Tower: A Mythic Bronze Age Adventure in Babel

Backer Preview PDFs + Tower Builder Beta Tokens + LUBAT Discord
about 1 month ago – Thu, Aug 01, 2024 at 11:45:52 AM

Digital Edition Preview

The day is here! At last, you can read and play Let Us Build a Tower at your leisure. Each backer with a Digital Edition reward has been sent their Backer Preview PDF and access token link for the Tower Builder web app beta via Backerkit. If you didn’t receive your Backerkit files, please visit https://let-us-build-a-tower.backerkit.com/ and follow the instructions to gain access. Ensure your order has been "locked down." If that doesn’t work, reach out to me via direct message, and we’ll get things sorted.

This Digital Edition Preview PDF isn’t quite final. The final release version will have Table of Contents hyperlinks and page number references (which have “p.XX” placeholders at the moment). It’s also getting one last round of editing and proofreading thanks to recent expansions and changes based on playtester feedback. 

Please let us know about any errors you find by emailing [email protected] with the page number (screenshots are also helpful). I recommend checking whether we’ve displayed your name correctly in the Kickstarter Backers acknowledgments. We’ll be sure to get reported errors fixed for final PDF and print. You can use the same email to report any bugs you find on the Tower Builder web app. Feedback about your favorite parts of the game is always welcome too!

The Tower Builder (Web App Beta)

To access the Tower Builder web app beta, visit your access token link received via Backerkit on your phone or computer. This link is unique to your Backer profile, so please don’t share it with anyone. Be sure to bookmark it for easy future access. 

Add the Tower Builder to your iPhone home screen by visiting your access token link in your browser, tapping the Share arrow, then selecting “Add to Home Screen.” Android users can do the same by tapping the triple-dot menu, then selecting “Add to Home screen.”

Use the Tower Builder by clicking or tapping Chambers on the map to receive descriptions of them and their Features below. Use the arrow buttons ↓ and ↑ to navigate between Floors of the Tower. Press the various buttons to generate Events, Treasures, Traps, Divine Transformations, dice rolls, and more. Generate a new Tower by refreshing the page or pressing the “Regenerate Tower” button at the bottom right. 

LUBAT Discord Server

Looking to play right away? Join the new Let Us Build a TowerDiscord server at https://discord.gg/4RnTN4g2sC. Meet fellow players and referees, chat about LUBAT, and join upcoming online game sessions. I’ll be running a game myself next Sunday, August 11th. Check the Discord event for time and signups. Hope to see you there!

Gamex Recap + Production Progress + PDFs Coming Soon
2 months ago – Fri, Jul 05, 2024 at 10:06:47 AM

Hi all, and happy holiday weekend to those in the USA!

Strategicon Gamex was another huge success. It was such a pleasure meeting more of you and playing LUBAT together, along with other upcoming Sojourn adventures. For those who missed the fun, Strategicon Gateway 2024 is right around the corner this August 30 – September 2. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on our event schedule. 

If you can’t make these conventions in person, I can tease that in the near future we’ll be launching an official Discord server! There you’ll be able to join online games of LUBAT run by yours truly, chat with other members of the community, and swap your own stories and strategies for Tower ascension.

As for the game itself: development on the backer rewards has taken longer than I estimated. In the process of building Mythic Shinar, we’ve continued to revise and tune the rest of Let Us Build a Tower too. The upshot is that physical books will not be printing and shipping this month as originally projected. I apologize for the delay, which is entirely a result of my own capacity. I’m eager to get your books to you in their best form as soon as possible and will keep you apprised of their production progress.

That said, the digital PDF version of LUBAT will be available to backers in just a few short weeks! This PDF is a backer-exclusive pre-final version and not yet hyperlinked, but it contains the complete game so you and your friends can start playing as soon as you’re ready. Tower-building mechanics, encounters, Throne-Seeker player options, and Mythic Shinar are all here for your exploration. You’ll also receive your private access token to the Tower Generator web app beta.

This means that we will be locking down orders on Backerkit shortly. You will receive an email next week with advance notice before that happens. This would be a good time to make sure your Backerkit order includes all the add-ons you want and that we have your correct email on file—as well as your correct shipping address and payment information, if your pledge includes physical books. 

If you’ve lost your Backerkit survey email, don’t worry: You can generate a new one by visiting https://let-us-build-a-tower.backerkit.com/. As always, don’t hesitate to message me if you encounter any issues.

Progress Update + LUBAT at Strategicon
4 months ago – Fri, May 10, 2024 at 10:06:21 AM

Hi all, just wanted to let you know where we’re at with Let Us Build a Tower stretch goal production. April progress was a little slower than expected on account of my wedding (😁) and some nasty bouts of recurring illness. I’m mostly recovered and off to a strong start with May’s production. Mythic Shinar: Adventures Beyond Babel is nearly ready for playtesting with a wilderness trek system, entries for numerous city-states, generators for royal tombs and antediluvian ruins, and a dynamic d100 events & encounters table. 

If you’re interested in giving it a shot, sign-ups are now live for LUBAT at Strategicon’s Gamex 2024 convention over Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27)! You can head to strategicon.net and click “Events -> Event Sign-Ups” to reserve a spot at our table after registering. If online sign-ups are full, don’t worry—there will be additional spots available for in-person sign-up at the con. I will also be running several new adventures for Dungeons & Dragons (Original Edition) over the weekend, so if that’s your jam, feel free to sign up for those as well.

Stretch Goal Production Progress + More Chances to Play LUBAT in Person
5 months ago – Tue, Apr 02, 2024 at 12:07:55 PM

Happy Akitu to all who celebrate! Let Us Build a Tower revisions and stretch goal production continue to make strong progress. I’m excited to say Mythic Shinar: Adventures Beyond Babel has taken on an expansive life of its own. No longer just a guide to “Wilderness Adventures,” you’ll now find cities and urban adventure hooks here as well.

100% of the original art commissions are now complete. LUBAT really has become a treasure trove of character, creature, and locale illustrations I can’t wait for all of you to have in your hands. In the meantime, check out these finished pieces by some of our fantastic artists:

Speaking of stretch goals, a beta version of our character sheet has seen play at conventions and local tables. We’re striving for a clean, clear, beginner-friendly design, and from early feedback it sounds like we’re hitting the mark! I can say from personal experience that the Referee Screen inserts are proving quite handy at the table too.

And speaking of tables, more opportunities to playtest LUBAT are coming soon. At Strategicon’s Gamex 2024 convention over Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27) in Los Angeles, I’ll be running Let Us Build a Tower along with an upcoming D&D adventure. Event registration should be live in just a few weeks. Don’t hesitate to say hi if you see me at the con! 

BackerKit Surveys Are on Their Way
7 months ago – Fri, Feb 02, 2024 at 02:11:18 PM

The first wave of BackerKit surveys has been sent! If you’re a backer, you should see a survey link in your email inbox soon. Responding to your survey as soon as possible will ensure we have your shipping address for physical rewards, any extra items you’d like to add to your rewards, and the right email address for us to deliver your digital rewards to. 

If you haven’t received your BackerKit survey link yet, don’t worry. The rest will be sent out in waves over the next few days. If you don’t see one in your inbox by next Friday, February 9, please message me so I can make sure you get one.