Altheya: The Dragon Empire – A High-Fantasy 5E Setting

Locking Orders and Charging Cards
22 days ago – Fri, Jul 03, 2026 at 05:13:44 AM

Hey, I'm here to pin an important missive to the tavern notice board. Hear ye! Hear ye! 

Next week is a big milestone on our project timeline – Locking Orders and Charging Cards. Please give this update a read to check you're all set.

Locking Orders and Charging Cards

We're locking orders and charging cards for this project on Monday 6th July. That means you only have a few days left to edit your pledge rewards or throw in extra add-ons. If you need a quick link to your pledge manager, CLICK HERE.

If you fill out your pledge manager after the deadline, you could miss out on campaign-exclusive products and might receive your items later than other backers.

You'll only be charged for shipping and any items you added in the pledge manager.

If there are any problems taking payment, BackerKit will notify you and then try again a couple of days later. The most common issue is expired card details, so now's a good time to check your saved card is up-to-date.

Why are we locking orders now?

Now that the campaign has wrapped up, we're ready to confirm final quantities and move into the next phase of production. Locking orders gives us the information we need to start planning manufacturing and fulfilment with our partners.

Locking Addresses

Even though your choice of rewards will be locked soon, you can still change your address. So, if you're moving house between now and physical fulfilment, don't worry.

We'll let you know before we lock addresses, which we're currently expecting will be in January 2027.

What Next?

Here's a quick check-in on our timeline, so you can see where we are and what's coming up:

• February – March 2026 // Kickstarter campaign live ✅
• April 2026 // Pledge managers sent to backers after the campaign closes ✅
• July 2026 // Pledge managers locked and cards charged ⬅️
• May – November 2026 // Book written and edited, artwork commissioned and produced, proofreading completed.
• December – January 2027 // Early samples signed-off by the team, the products are printed in bulk, freighting begins.
• January 2027 // Pledge manager addresses locked.
• February 2027 // DIGITAL FULFILMENT BEGINS.
• March 2027 // Products arrive in our warehouses.
• April 2027 // PHYSICAL FULFILMENT BEGINS.

Creative Update

There's so much exciting progress being made on this project, so I'll share a couple of highlights before getting straight back to it!

• We've officially lined up 11 incredible artists to work on Altheya: The Dragon Empire. Some are artists Roll & Play Press has worked with for years, while others are brand new to us. We'll begin briefing everyone later this month, with artwork running through until November. I genuinely can't wait to see this world come to life in all its visual glory.
• Mara and I spent the whole day on Tuesday planning out Altheya province by province, from the overgrown territories of Mistwold, to the bogs of Urdas Kirr, all the way to the reaching spires of Kelscariss. By the end of the day, we both came away feeling very satisfied. Altheya feels more alive than ever before, and we can't wait to start writing about everything we came up with, and fleshing out parts of the world that have never been explored before. Seriously, I don't think you'll be able to stop flicking from page to page. Every province feels completely distinct and packed with stories waiting to be discovered.

That's it for now! Don't forget to check your pledge manager, and I'll be in touch again soon.

Have a great weekend,

Sam

Creative Progress and Poll Update
about 2 months ago – Mon, Jun 08, 2026 at 02:54:19 AM

Hey everyone,

A lot has been happening behind the scenes since my last update, so here's an update on progress.

Creative Progress

• Mara has drafted all 12 Subclasses and is now working on the Species, Feats, Backgrounds, Spells and Magic Items. Next, the Roll & Play Press team will be reviewing them, briefing artwork and getting them ready for playtesting. Are we excited? YES!
• Artwork has already begun for the Subclasses. Here's a look at the work-in-progress illustration for the Earthborne Sorcerer subclass, developing from sketch to first colours.

• Initial synopsis planning and development is well underway. Spreadsheets, spreadsheets, spreadsheets.
• We've been reviewing samples for the cloth map and coins, and we're due some more material samples soon.

Coin Poll Update

Talking of those all-important coins, a huge thank you to everyone who voted in the poll on our last update. 86% of you voted "Yes" to add the Jotnyr coin to the pledge manager.

Everyone who completed the sharing form still gets their coin for free, but now others can purchase a Jotnyr Silver Coin for £10. The coin remains exclusive to Kickstarter backers, and won't be available on general sale after the campaign. 

If you'd like to buy the coin: head over to BackerKit, log in and edit your pledge, then add the Jotnyr Silver Coin as an add-on. If you have any questions, or can't access your pledge, email us at [email protected] and we'll guide you through the process.

UK Games Expo

We took a side quest to UK Games Expo last week, bringing the Roll & Play Tavern to Birmingham (UK) for the first time. We were joined by Mara on Friday, and tons more Altheya backers across the three-day show, which was awesome. Drop us a comment if you stopped by and said hello!

Stay tuned for another update next month, and don't forget to fill in your pledge manager if you haven't already. We'll be locking orders and charging cards in July, but addresses can be edited until January 2027.

Until next time,

Beth

Pledge Manager Update and Poll
3 months ago – Wed, Apr 29, 2026 at 08:00:07 AM

Hi everyone,

It's been two weeks since the pledge managers went live, so here's an update on how things are shaping up so far.

Popular Add-Ons

We’ve been keeping a close eye on what everyone’s picking up, and right now the top 5 add-ons are:

• D&D Beyond Player Pack
• Clever Toad Coin
• Cloth Region Map
• Magic Item Deck
• Ambient Soundscape Tracks

Strong choices across the board.

Now… for your regularly scheduled coin update. There’s been a lot of requests asking how many coins are being printed, and the numbers are kind of wild. At the moment, it’s looking like we’ll be printing at least:

• 4,500+ Clever Toad Coins
• 4,000+ Empress Gold Coins
• 700+ Jotnyr Silver Coins

Honestly, incredible.

Coin Add-Ons

We’ve also had loads of messages from people wanting to grab extra coins. Right now, the Clever Toad Coin and Empress Gold Coin are both in the add-on store for £10 each.

So here’s the question: should we add the Jotnyr Silver Coin to the add-on store for £10 as well?

Originally, everyone who shared the campaign during the Kickstarter could earn one coin for free. That doesn’t change, if you unlocked a free coin, you’ll still get it no matter what we decide. But, understandably, some backers who are getting a free coin (and those who missed out on the sharing competition) would like to buy more.

There’s a poll attached to this update. Jump in and let us know what you think. We’ll check the results in a week and report back.

In the meantime, check out these photos of early samples that the printer sent us a few days ago. They're looking awesome!

Completion Rate

Over 4,000 backers have now completed their pledge manager! That's just over 68% of you. Amazing, thank you for being so speedy. If you haven't completed your pledge manager already, please do it as soon as you can, it's a massive help for us behind the scenes.

If you’re having any trouble accessing your pledge manager (or need to reset it), click here: https://altheya.backerkit.com/

Have a great week, speak soon,

Sam.

Pledge Manager and Key Dates
3 months ago – Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 07:39:31 AM

Hey there!

We have some important updates to share.

There's info below about the pledge manager, deadlines, fulfilment dates and access to your rewards. Even if you've backed one of Roll & Play Press's previous projects, please have a read through.

Estimated Timeline

• April 2026 – Pledge managers sent* 
• July 2026 – Pledge managers locked and cards charged
• August 2026 – Existing Roll & Play Press digital products sent to backers who selected these add-ons.
• January 2027 – Pledge manager addresses locked
• February 2027- Digital fulfilment of new Altheya add-ons, including D&D Beyond content.
• April 2027 – Fulfilment of all physical rewards begins

*  If you chose Kickstarter's "Pledge Over Time" option, your pledge manager link will be sent once the last instalment of your Kickstarter pledge has been paid (around mid June).

Pledge Manager Info

Receiving the link

The link to the pledge manager will be sent by BackerKit, so look out for their name in your Inbox (and Junk folders, just in case). The link is sent automatically to all backers in batches over the next week. All backers (apart from Pledge Over Time backers, see * above) should receive a link by Wednesday 22nd April. 

If you have any questions or don't receive a link to your pledge manager, send us a Kickstarter message or email and we'll help you out.

Filling in the pledge manager

1. When you open your pledge manager, check that your name, location and pledge level are all correct. If everything looks good, go ahead and click the 'Get Started' button. 
2. If you would like to upgrade your pledge to a higher level, click 'Switch Your Pledge Level' at the start of the survey. This will make sure that your pledge manager is set up with the right rewards for that level, including stretch goal rewards.
3. In the pledge manager, you will be asked a few important questions about your pledge and get access to the Add-On Store – where you can add extra items to your pledge. There is a flat shipping rate for this campaign, so adding more items will not cost you any extra in shipping costs! 
4. At the end of the pledge manager, you will be asked for your shipping address (if receiving physical rewards) and payment information for any outstanding shipping/add-on costs. 

The pledge manager should take 3–5 minutes to complete.

If something doesn't look right, click the 'Need Help?' button to contact BackerKit support.

Pledge manager deadline

• Pledge managers will be locked in mid July 2026. Backers who complete their pledge manager after this time will likely receive their physical rewards later than other backers.
• Existing Roll & Play Press digital products purchased in the pledge manager before the early July cut-off will be fulfilled in August 2026. Backers who complete their survey after this date will receive all digital files during the digital fulfilment of Altheya products in February 2027.

Making payments

You won't be charged for any outstanding balances, shipping costs or add-ons until July 2026. We will notify you again nearer the time, then charge the debit/credit card linked to your account.

Moving house soon?

If you are moving house soon, or aren't sure where you will be living during physical fulfilment in April 2027, we recommend using a friend or family member's address when asked for your shipping details.

You can change the address in your pledge manager up until January 2027. After this, address changes won't be possible, as the data will have been passed on to our fulfilment partners.

Upgrade to a signed copy!

During the pledge manager, anyone getting a physical book (standard or crownsteel edition) will have the option to upgrade it to a signed copy! Look for the question in your pledge manager if you're already getting a book, or opt for it in the add-on store.

Your book will be signed by the full High Rollers cast!

Free coins

We know the Dragon Empire runs on treasure, so here's our collectable coin check-in:

When you get your pledge manager, you'll answer some questions and be led to the add-on store. On the right-hand side of the add-on store, you'll be able to see what's already in your order, including any coins.

Bronze Clever Toad Coin 

• You'll see this if you were an early backer (with a physical reward in your order), or an Empress Bundle backer. If you're both, you'll have two! 
• If you were an early backer but didn't originally have a physical product in your order, you won't receive the coin automatically. If you now want to upgrade to a physical pledge level, or add a physical item, let us know, and we can manually adjust your pledge to include the coin. 
• You can also buy the Bronze Clever Toad Coin as an add-on.

Silver Jotnyr Coin 

• This coin has been added to all backer orders who qualified by sharing the project during the campaign. If you think you are eligible and cannot see you coin in your pledge, please get in touch.

Gold Empress Coin 

• This has been added to all backer orders who pledged for a physical reward during the campaign. 
• If you didn't originally have a physical product in your order, you won't receive the coin automatically. If you now want to upgrade to a physical pledge level, or add a physical item, let us know, and we can manually adjust your pledge to include the coin. 
• You can also buy the Gold Empress Coin as an add-on.

D&D Beyond Player Pack

If your pledge included the D&D Beyond Player Pack, or if you purchase it in the pledge manager add-on store, you will receive a digital code for D&D Beyond access with the rest of your digital rewards in February 2027. Stay tuned for more updates on how to redeem it.

Questions and support

Feel free to post a comment on this update, send us a Kickstarter message or drop us an email if you have any questions about this process, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

We'll be back next month with a more detailed creative update. At the moment, Mara is hard at work developing all the subclasses you unlocked with stretch goals. Stay tuned for updates on playtesting this awesome new content!

Have a great week,

Beth

FOR THE EMPRESS! CAMPAIGN COMPLETE!!
4 months ago – Fri, Mar 20, 2026 at 08:17:00 AM

YOU DID IT!!!! ALL GOALS SMASHED!

What a whirlwind of a last day, I still can't believe we smashed through our bonus stretch goal with less than 15 minutes left on the clock. The excitement in the office was unreal.

A free Empress Gold Coin will now be added to every physical pledge as a thank you from us all! We'll have the visuals to share soon.

The incredible support of the High Rollers community has also helped this become Roll & Play Press's most highly funded campaign ever. That's a testament to how you came out in force to bring the Altheya book to life – and how much you love shiny coins!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this all possible. In 30 days we raised £701,937 ($934,843) with 5,845 backers. Absolutely amazing.

Important Coin Info

The pledge manager (sent out in a few weeks) is where you'll be able to see any of the coins that were added to your rewards as a perk. That includes early backing (Clever Toad Bronze Coin), sharing the project (Jotnyr Silver Coin), and from the final stretch goal (Empress Gold Coin). 

What next?

Now the project is officially funded, we'll be diving straight into making these products the best they can be: writing the book, commissioning art, developing rules, planning play tests, getting production samples.

While we're busy with that, there are a couple of things you'll be asked to do:

1. Pay for your pledge – Over the next couple of weeks, Kickstarter will start charging cards and processing pledges. If there's an issue with your card, you'll have 7 days to resolve it before they try again. (And if there are still problems, this can usually be fixed in the pledge manager via PayPal).

2. Fill in the pledge manager – In a few weeks, you'll get a link to our pledge manager from BackerKit. We'll collect your shipping details, and a few other key bits of info. You can also upgrade your pledge or add extra rewards in the Add-On Store.

Orders and addresses won't be locked until later in the project, so there's plenty of time left to make changes to your pledge. If you have any questions, reach out to us at [email protected].

Project updates 

From now until we fulfil your rewards, we'll keep you up-to-date with progress in monthly updates. Look out for illustration reveals, photos of samples and other sneak peeks.

You'll also hear from us with any important fulfilment news. Here's a timeline of our key milestones:

• April 2026 - Pledge managers sent to backers to confirm rewards.
• July 2026 – Pledge managers locked and charged 
• August 2026 – Existing Roll & Play Press digital products sent to backers who selected these add-ons.
• January 2027 – Pledge manager addresses locked
• February 2027 - Digital fulfilment of new Altheya add-ons
• April 2027 - Physical fulfilment of all rewards

We'll explain each and every stage of the process as it happens. Between updates, you can join us on Discord, Facebook and Instagram where we chat about all things RPGs, from GM tips to dice hoarding. You can also sign up to the Roll & Play Press newsletter for a free random table every month.

Keep up-to-date with all High Rollers news and releases on their website, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Patreon and Discord server.

Until then, a HUGE thanks again to every single one of you.

Sam, the Roll & Play Press team, and the High Rollers team.

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