Megadungeon Watch: Dwimmermount on the Rocks

My own attentions have wandered away from the game in the earliest moments of 2013, as personal logistics have somewhat isolated me from local gaming groups, and drawn me into new adventures in the realms of finance, personal improvement, and electronic music.

The total count of my toes-in-water for the OSR fantasy games is not zero, however. I am a backer of two D&D-related Kickstarter projects: Dice Rings and Dwimmermount. I have been for some time, and while the former's time scale has merely expanded, I have bad news for followers of the obstinate headliner of OSR megadungeons: I expect the Dwimmermount project has been abandoned.

News of Dwimmermount has trickled into my inbox via Kickstarter notes, and since Christmas of last year none of it has been good.

My understanding is: the remaining interested parties in the Dwimmermount Kickstarter have failed to maintain contact with James Maliszewski, the designer. Citing personal issues, James has adopted a withdrawn stance from Dwimmermount, apparently totally unresponsive to his backers and partners. I am receiving this information on his status second-hand, so it is difficult for me to speculate on his condition, or his willingness to continue. Unfortunately, attempts to call him back to Dwimmermount, requisition the rights necessary to complete the project in his stead, and/or secure what might remain of the Kickstarter finances, have been reportedly fruitless. As a mere Kickstarter investor from deep within the far reaches of the internet, this is all the fruits my investigations are likely to yield at this moment; there isn't much silver lining to see. Dan Proctor (creator of Labyrinth Lord, with Goblinoid Games) and Autarch (holders of Adventurer Conquerer King) have paid out their promised portions of the rewards at least, but it's only come after the horns are already sounding in the deep.

Personally, I am saddened by this development. My backing of Dwimmermount was my signaling to the game design community that I had a genuine interest in dungeon play, and that I was willing to support great products (such as OSR games and dungeon adventures created for them). Unfortunately, this time, it looks like my patronage will not be rewarded.

On the bright side, I do in fact have a copy of Barrowmaze now! Though it is unlikely I'll be able to bring it in front of a group of gamers in 2013, I did read it over January, and will do so again after retrieving it from storage this weekend. As little as promises mean in a time like this, I think an evening reviewing Barrowmaze will be quite relaxing in light of all that's changed, and I hope to bring it to you.

Thank you to enthusiasts and readers for continuing to follow in the void. I can't guarantee I'll be gaming in 2013, but I will continue to bring you news as I hear it, for my part.

Dwimmermount on Kickstarter

Dwimmermount on GROGNARDIA