Dragon Town and the Darkness Below: Fantasy TTRPG Adventure
Created by JP Coovert
A hardcover collection of system-neutral fantasy adventures set in a whimsical town and the winding and weird caves beneath it.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Dragon Town Shipping Complete!
4 months ago
– Sun, Nov 23, 2025 at 02:35:08 PM
All the Dragon Town and the Darkness Below physical rewards have been mailed out! A few of you may still be waiting to receive your package, and a few more haven't filled out your Backerkit surveys, but for the most part, shipping is complete!
Check out some behind-the-scenes of the entire wild shipping process:
If you have any questions about fulfillment, please drop me a Kickstarter message and I can help you out. Please be patient, as it might take me a week or two to respond.
Shadowdark Conversion Update:
Michael has completed his work on the conversion. Now it's up to me to fill in some gaps with art and layout. There will also be a proofreading and editing pass too. Right now, the book is clocking in at 232 pages, but we still have to add art to the enormous monster section, so it could get even longer.
My hope is to have everything wrapped up and PDFs sent out by sometime in February. I know that's a bigger delay than what some of you were hoping for, but we are working hard to make this version super awesome. It will be worth the wait!
What's next?
Throughout this entire crowdfunding process, I've been releasing monthly zines on my Patreon. There's lots of fun stuff on there like drawing guides, more system-neutral adventures, Star Borg (Star Wars inspired Mork Borg), and my newest TTRPG, Keeper's Call (a great, rules-light system for running Dragon Town).
Besides creating monthly zines, once the new year hits and the Shadowdark conversion is wrapped up, I'll start work on the next BIG project. It's going to be ambitious and take lots of work, but I'm excited to share it once some important details are nailed down.
This will probably be the last update until the Shadowdark conversion is released. If you'd like to keep with all the stuff I'm working on, subscribe to my Youtube channel and consider joining the Patreon.
I really appreciate all the support you've shown so far. Dragon Town has been a life-changing project, and it wouldn't exist without you. Thank you times a billion!
Shipping has begun!
7 months ago
– Sat, Sep 06, 2025 at 06:55:03 PM
Shipping has begun! My dining room has been converted to a full-on warehouse, and our mail person is only slightly annoyed with the number of boxes he has to carry out to the truck, but a bunch of box sets are on their way!
From here on out, backers will receive tracking number emails when I'm getting ready to pack up your order. The first batch (all US, box set only, no add-on orders) didn't receive notifications due to a Shipstation error on my part. The process is pretty complicated, but I think I've got a system in place now. I appreciate you all being my test subjects in this big experiment!
I'm starting with box sets first because they take up the most space and will move on to books after that. Thanks in advance for your patience with this whole process. I'm going as fast as I can, but it is just me and a friend packing up almost 1,500 packages. Getting everything out the door is going to take some time, but it'll be worth the wait! I'm shooting to be wrapped up by next month.
If you have any questions, the best way to contact me is through a Kickstarter message - not a Kickstarter comment or email. If you need to change your address, please include your new address in the message.
The coolest part about doing all this shipping myself is that I get to see each and every one of your names as I pack up the books and box sets. It feels really special, and I'm so incredibly grateful for all the support on this project.
IMPORTANT UPDATE (your action may be needed)!
9 months ago
– Sun, Jul 20, 2025 at 03:41:55 PM
IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICAL REWARD BACKERS! Please read the entire update to ensure you get your rewards on time.
Exciting news! The books and box sets have arrived! My garage is filled 10 pallets of your rewards waiting to be shipped out.
There are a few more housekeeping tasks that need to happen before I can begin shipping. I will be locking surveys and charging credit cards for add-ons and shipping costs on August 1st. This is your last chance to purchase add-ons, add tariff support (see below), and update your credit card.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your BackerKit survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://dragon-town.backerkit.com/. Please ensure your survey is completed by August 1st to avoid delayed reward shipping.
Shipping prices have been negotiated as low as possible. The chart below shows how much you will be charged for shipping on August 1st. Please note that the following prices do not include the weight of add-ons. There is a chance the price will increase because of the extra weight from the additional zines.
Once you've been charged for shipping and the money has cleared, I will be able to print shipping labels and start sending out rewards. There will be another update in early August about shipping details, but I plan to begin sending out packages starting mid-August.
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Tariffs have been paid!
Some very kind backers have offered to help offset the price of the tariff on the box set. I was charged an additional $6,992 tax on the box sets entering the US. This means the price of each box set has increased by $4.66, so I've set up an optional Tariff Contribution in the add-ons section of your survey. Please know that only the box sets were unexpectedly taxed (the books were taxed 7.5% but that was an expected expense), and this add-on is entirely optional and does not affect you receiving any rewards!
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The Shadowdark Conversion is really coming along. All 12 chapters have been converted, but there is still some work to do on the bestiary (there are over 100 monsters!). Once that's done, I will rework some artwork to fit it into the clean Shadowdark layout, and there will be an additional editing pass as well. Michael and I are working hard to have the PDF wrapped up by October. I know that seems like a big delay, but it's going to be seriously worth the wait!
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Thanks for all the support and patience while I figure out the logistics of this sprawling project. If you have any questions, please send me a message on Kickstarter (view your pledge, then go to messages). THANK YOU!
Tariff and Shipping Update!
10 months ago
– Sun, May 25, 2025 at 04:07:59 PM
A couple of days after the last update, the tariffs on imported goods from China were reduced to 30% for 90 days. This was a huge relief, but 90 days isn't a lot of time!
So, instead of having the manufacturer hold the shipment, they rushed me a copy of the book and box set (pictured above! They turned out AWESOME!!!) for final approval. I gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, and they got everything packed up super fast and put on a boat heading to the US.
This means if everything goes according to plan (it's still likely there could be delays in the shipping process from this whole mess) Dragon Town will arrive to me sometime in the second half of July. That means shipping to backers could begin in August!
Of course, I will still have to pay the 30% tariff (estimated to be around $8k) but I'm willing to absorb that cost if it means there won't be any more delays. Many of you have asked if it's possible to help cover those costs, so I will add an optional add-on in the Backerkit survey once I know exactly how much I'll be taxed.
Once I have the books (making space in my garage and basement for 12 pallets - keep an eye on my youtube channel!) there will be another update here with more info on shipping costs and a solid timeline for when you can expect your rewards.
I really appreciate all the patience and support on this project and can't wait to get Dragon Town into your hands!!! More info soon!
May Update - Good News, Bad News
11 months ago
– Sun, May 11, 2025 at 07:34:37 AM
Hello backers! Good news first, production on the Dragon Town books and box sets is wrapping up around the end of this month and everything is looking great!
Now the bad news, everything was supposed to ship from the manufacturer to me this month (for July/August fulfillment to backers). But because of the tariffs and ongoing trade war with China, I have decided to delay the shipment for now.
Long story short, with the current tariffs in place, I would have to pay an additional (and unexpected) $26,000 when Dragon Town arrives in the US. I don’t want to pass that cost on to any of you, so I’ve decided to wait in hopes that the tariff rate will, at the very least, be reduced.
For a full rundown of all the details, check out this video, where I explain exactly how the money from this Kickstarter has been spent and how much the tariffs affect the project.
Please know that the decision to delay the shipment was a tough one. Believe me, I want these books and box sets in your hands and on your tables as soon as possible!
Some of you have asked if you can contribute the extra tariff cost as part of your pledge. That is amazing, thank you! Once I know exactly how much I will be paying in tariffs, I will add a section in the Backerkit survey where you add that amount to your pledge. My intention is to absorb the cost of the tariffs myself, so this will be 100% optional!!!
The moment I make the call to ship Dragon Town from the manufacturer to me, you’ll hear about it. At that point, I will have a general idea of when books will ship from me to you. Of course, there could always be additional delays because the entire worldwide shipping business is in a bit of a crisis. Again, I’ll keep you updated!
As always, thank you so so much for all your support and patience!!!
