A rustic fantasy tabletop RPG based on the acclaimed City of Mist. Spin a tale of journey and peril where choices transform gameplay.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
First Step Into The Dales!
5 months ago
– Sat, Nov 08, 2025 at 07:52:57 AM
Hello there companions,
Apologies for the somewhat late update - we had a lot going on! Let's dive into today's news.
Hearts Of Ravensdale Playtesting Copy v0.1 Is Sending Out!
We're starting to drip content from Hearts of Ravensdale, initially only to backers.
Today we're sending out the ~40 opening pages of the book, with a short intro comic, the introduction, and the first part of Chapter 1, called Familiar Places, which talks about the locations and places in the Dales where your story will be set -- from the Hearth to the edges of neighboring regions.
Remember, this is a playtesting copy, so some elements may still change, typos may still be in the text, etc.
Over the next couple of weeks we will continue to add to the book all the content that has been written, polished, and laid out, starting with Familiar Faces, which reveals the characters and groups you might meet in the Dales.
PLEASE NOTE: We won't be sending a separate update on Kickstarter with each content drop -- so watch your inbox. Also, we will create posts and threads on the Discord #feedback forum so that you all can share your feedback about the book as it rolls out.
If you did not get your copy, or if you ran into any issues with receiving content updates, please reach out to [email protected] .
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Art, Art, Incredible Art!
Our celestially-inspired artists Alejandra Pinal, Mariusz Szulc, and Mark Hretzkyi are killing it with new art for Hearts of Ravensdale. Here are just a few samples, but brace yourselves for more!
Fortune-hunters (graverobbers) seeking glory and treasures in the Wanderlands sometimes make a stop at South Crossing, bringing tales and strange trinkets.
Curse Eaters are "untouchable" outcasts who roam the Dales and physically consume curses and bad luck left at crossroad shrines along with a little food.
Grandfather Crow. The human figures at the bottom should be x3-4 bigger (that is, Grandcrow is smaller than he appears in this design, although, he can probably easily grow to that size...)
Who was the mysterious Lady who is now accepted as the tutelary matron of the Dales? Her likenesses can be found everywhere, providing silent solace and spiritual sanctuary.
The Narrator Screen Is Sending Out Now!
The Narrator Screen was recently finalized and sent to print. While you wait for it to arrive, we packed it up as a digital file so you can use it online or print it at home. This is a part of the accessory PDFs included in all pledge levels.
The Narrator screen is designed to support the Narrator during the game with a summary of the rules and a ton of suggestions for Consequences and statuses, so it's extra handy when you need to come up with Consequences on the fly.
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How To Play - The Complete Playlist!
Another reward that was unlocked as a Stretch Goal was Kevin's Video Guides ($600K). We previously announced the beginning of the series, but we want to make sure all backers know it is now complete!
If you want to learn or teach the game without delving into the books, you can play through Kevin's easy-to-digest walkthroughs that cover every key element of the game. There are a few auxiliary videos planned for next year, such as how to play solo, but the core how-to-play video guides reward is now officially complete and delivered.
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What's Next?
That's all for today. As said above, we will continue to drip out Hearts of Ravensdale and related accessories over the next two weeks, and send out next update on Thursday, Nov 20th.
Keep your ears to the ground,
- Amit and the Son of Oak team
Going to Print + More On Creatures of Twilight!
6 months ago
– Thu, Oct 16, 2025 at 09:14:33 AM
Hello there companions,
We hope that the trail is treating you well! We're here today with another update and while we are still working on the Hearts of Ravensdale book PDF drop, we have some exciting stuff to share.
The Son of Oak HQ is abuzz with activity this month: from approving final proofs for print, through end-of-year marketing, to pressing forward on all three chapters of the book: the Dales, the Narrator's chapter, and the Wake Of The Oldways campaign. We can't wait to share it all with you!
As is often the case with relatively small indie teams, all this activity is creating bottlenecks (especially around yours truly), which are slowing the final polish and approval process, but rest assured progress is being made, and we think you'll love the final outcome.
Legend In The Mist Is The Top-Rated Game of 2025!
As of now, Legend In The Mist is the most rated and the top 5-star rated 2025 game on DriveThruRPG!
This is an amazing achievement considering the huge titles that were released this year, especially in the fantasy genre. So we just wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU for helping us make a game that is making more and more people excited and happy to play!
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Print Is Starting!
As we've discussed before, to reduce the overall delay, we're starting the print run for some of the items that are ready, including the Core Book, the Action Grimoire, and some non-setting-related accessories, such as dice. It's very exciting to go over the proofs of these books, which took so much care and creativity to craft - as well as your suggestions, feedback, and support!
Image courtesy of Inbar, our spectacular Production Manager!
The Challenge Chapter
One of the main topics for the dev team in the recent weeks has been the Challenge section, which will be a part of the second chapter of the Hearts of Ravensdale setting book. This menagerie of perilous Challenges will combine two main types of Challenges:
Challenges from the Dales
Everyday or Origin-level dangers that can befall your Heroes in the Dales, like when your Heroes will be hunted down by Red Marshals (we know that's going to happen) or ostracized by their village (same). A few of the fun Challenges that will be included are:
Drowned Cellar: Grandma's basement flooded by rainwater. You have to get out and/or take something important out before it is completely submerged.
Curdle Curse: A typical homebrew curse to make milk go bad - that you have to undo.
Vegetation Rescue: Someone you want to save or something you want to harvest is in the middle of a patch of poison vines. We've all been there.
Ostracism: What do you do when no one in the village would speak to you?
Lackadaisical Shepherd: This young shepherd boy keeps losing track of his flock as he dozes or goes off after faerie lights, and you have to whip him into shape.
Here you will also find Challenge versions of some of the Dalish inhabitants we mentioned in the Tropes in the last update:
The mysterious Crow Sisters who conduct strange rituals in the woods
A lonesome ridgeline hermit that does not want to be disturbed but holds a secret you need
Red Marshals, the keepers of peace and order in the Dales
Cedargate Woodwards, the shield-bearing defenders of the Dales against the Craggen Highlanders
Common witches and bog reculses, such as the foul-mouthed Cursing Hearthwitch
or the morose Bone Tenders, who range the Dolmen Knolls, singing Oldways lullabies to keep the waking dead asleep
-- all of whom could be a problem if you cross them the wrong way!
Other Challenges will include Dalish Journeys, such as Farming, and Dalish wildlife, such as the Dire Skunk or the Tall Tale Game, a unique specimen of an animal that you must hunt -- or save from hunters.
Creatures of Twilight
These are Challenges of a more mysterious kind, collectively called by Dalespeople "Creatures of Twilight", but in actuality contain a variety of different beings, creatures, and entities.
If you recall, during the Kickstarter we promised adversaries and monsters that fight "goblin fatigue", your players' sense that they already know everything in a fantasy setting.
This is achieved first by focusing on individuals rather than classes of creatures -- you'll never meet yet another "troll"; you will meet Mossback, the begrudging fallen godling of river pebbles that lives under the Underbough bridge and has rocky scales for skin.
Second, each such creatures has its own lore to uncover, which will keep your Fellowship guessing, and make lore-focused Heroes invaluable, because overcoming such a Challenge depends on revealing what it truly is. Can we fight this creature, or is it beyond our power and therefore we should parley with it? Is it some kind of monster, or the manifestation of a nearby curse, in which case, vanquishing it won't solve the problem? Is fire effective against its pebbly hide, or will burning it have an unexpected outcome?
Some of the local Creatures of Twilight that will be included are:
Grandfather Crow, a mysterious woodland spirit worshiped by the Crow Sisters, who teaches them how to steal magic by stealing trinkets, charms, and tools
Reeling Harvester, an especially destructive dust devil that ravages fields, thought to be an inebriated, wickedly swift, scythe-bearing giant - one with a sad story
The Stargazer, a reclusive creature associated with a purple aurora seen at nights on a specific mountaintop. The brave souls who seek him out to foretell their destiny risk losing their minds...
-- along many many more.
Halloween Creature Pack!
While we perfect this list of Challenges, we realize that Halloween is just around the corner, and many of you want to set up your spooky holiday games!
Therefore, we are collecting a set of five Halloween Challenges that you can use in your games this season -- we will send this PDF to all backers next week via DriveThruRPG. This set will include the Harvest Hag, Corn Maze, Possessed Black Cat, Haunting Lantern, and the Witch Trial, as well as some recommendations for Core Book Challenges that can be used in your Halloween horror game.
Here is the sketch preview for the Harvest Hag by the masterful Mark Hretzkyi:
Our friends at Czepeku -- the fabled creators of fantasy and sci-fi battle maps, painted scenes, and customizable tokens for tabletop RPGs -- are launching their Kickstarter for Bastions & Guidlhalls, a modular map maker that makes it easy for game masters to create beautiful and unique building maps for fantasy tabletop RPG campaigns.
If you like your maps, then you probably already know their incredible work. Follow their campaign here and be sure to back it on Tuesday!
We continue to work on a releasable version of the Hearts of Ravensdale PDF. Our next update will be on November 5th and we hope by then to be able to share something substantial with you all.
Until then, keep your ears to the ground!
-Amit and the Son of Oak team
The Din Of The Smithy: Dalish Tropes And Theme Cards Upgrade!
6 months ago
– Wed, Oct 01, 2025 at 12:20:27 PM
Hello there companions,
October 1st is here and, as planned, we're writing to give you an update on the development of the remaining books. We still do not have a share-ready Hearts of Ravensdale file to send out today, but we are continually working on the book and making some great progress with content, art, and comics. If you close your eyes, you could probably hear the din of brain-hammers and creative strokes coming from our little workshop...
If you haven't been following these updates, please refer to our previous update for a deeper explanation of the type of refining work we're doing at the moment.
And as always, with any question, you can reach us on [email protected] .
Theme Cards Upgraded From 40 to 60 Cards!
As shared before, we're about to hit the "GO" button on print of some of the items that are ready for print like the Core Book, Action Grimoire, and others, in order to avoid print delays later. One of these items are the Theme Cards, the deck of erasable cards (dry or wet) that you can use at the table to create and play your character.
Going over the list of cards included, we have: Hero Cards (that have a backpack section on the back), Fellowship Cards, and two types of Theme Cards: theme-specific cards, like Circumstance or Uncanny Being, and blank theme cards, which can be used for any theme, in case you run out of the theme-specific cards of a certain type. The theme-specific cards have all the theme's special improvements already on the back, so you don't need to copy them over when you pick one.
Working on the deck, we noticed that this item could really benefit from a few more cards, so we increased the total card count from 40 cards to 60 cards! Everyone who backed for this item will now get this upgrade automatically (and you can still add it to your order by reaching out to [email protected]) . The final list of cards is:
6 Hero cards
2 Fellowship cards
2 cards each of Origin themes (Circumstance, Devotion, Past, People, Personality, Skill or Trade, Trait), Adventure themes (Duty, Influence, Knowledge, Prodigal Ability, Relic, Uncanny Being), and Variable themes (Companion, Magic, Possession) = 32 cards
1 card each of Greatness themes (Destiny, Dominion, Mastery, Monstrosity) = 4 cards
16 blank theme cards
We can't wait for your Fellowships to have these cards and play your Heroes literally out of your hands!
Hearts of Ravensdale Dalish Tropes!
We finished refining the list of 24 Tropes that will be included in Chapter 1. This list includes only Origin-level themes (with some Adventure-level options in the choices) for players who want to play Heroes that hail from the Dales or nearby. As in the Core Book, each such Trope will have three built-in theme kits, and three options for the fourth theme.
Many of these innocuous-seeming Dalespeople are actually hiding a secret: unspoken Oldways (or darker) practices, a magical heriloom, or a relationship with Creatures of Twilight. You'll get the full write-ups and theme kits when we release Chapter 1.
Oldways Practitioners: Close-Knit Needlehand, Matchmaker, Morose Bone Tender (Dolmen Knolls)
Chapter 2 will include another list of Tropes -- accessible to players only in coordination with the Narrator -- for those who want to play Thaumaturges, Creatures of Twilight, and other unusual individuals right off the bat.
Higgins, a Woodward of Cedargate
What's Next?
We're working to get the Hearts of Ravensdale book out as soon as possible, and we will keep sending updates on our progress. Our next update will be on October 15th - we hope to have something polished enough to share with you then.
Until next time,
-Amit and the Son of Oak team
Refining The Recipe + Q&A session + 5e Crossover Tool + Acorn Dice!
7 months ago
– Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 09:06:47 AM
Hi there companions,
Still Working On Hearts Of Ravendale Drop
First thing's first - we will not be dropping Chapter 1 of Hearts of Ravensdale today as planned. Although we've been working on it diligently, it's just not ready yet at the level of quality we want it to be.
The causes for the delays are a cross between:
A massive workload around the digital release of Legend In The Mist. It was good to get LitM on the map and grow our community significantly (more players, more Cauldron content, etc.) but it also put a strain on our team that continued into the first half of September.
Our high standards with content creation. The process of refining the content we have simply needs more time. Read more about the creative refining process below. ⬇️
Ultimately, this delay is about balancing getting the word out there about the game while still making a quality game, at the same level of the Core Book. In the long run, I think backers will enjoy both having a bigger community -and- a better book, but the cost for this is a longer time between drops.
How will this affect the delivery timeline?
At this point, I don't expect a great impact on the estimated timeline because most of the material is already written. However, this is ultimately a creative process and I'll know for certain only further in. An October or November delivery still seems feasible, and we already have begun printing prep for the Core Book, Action Grimoire, and some accessories (including dice) to prevent any further delays on the printing front.
See some new acorn dice shots at the bottom! ⬇️
The 5e Crossover Tool is coming out today!
A significant part of the delay was caused by myself becoming a bottleneck, acting as both CEO for Son of Oak Game Studio and the Creative Director for the book. This has caused some of our team to get benched for a while as they wait for me to review and give feedback on the book.
In the meantime, they worked on a new free tool that will be sent to all of you today via DriveThruRPG -- the Legend-In-The-Mist 5e Crossover Tool, a set of theme kits and guides that allow you and your friends to bring your DnD characters into LitM, whether for a solo side story or for players who are versed in DnD and would like to start with something familiar.
Join Amit On Discord, This Friday 4pm ET
To share more details about the refining process, what's in the book, what's in the campaign, and what we're working on, I'll be hosting a Q&A session this Friday, September 19th, at 4pm ET (1pm PT / 10pm CET) on the Discord #ask-the-devs channel (for questions and answers) and on #legend-in-the-mist-general (for general chat).
If you can't make it but you'd like a question answered, feel free to post it ahead of time or send it to [email protected] .
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That's the all for today, you'll find additional thoughts and images below. Our next update will be sent on October 1st and we do hope to share something concrete with you then.
Thank you for your continued patience! We think you'll love what's coming.
- Amit and the Son of Oak team
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What Does "Creative Refining" Entail?
The Origins And Promise of the Hearts of Ravensdale Settings
I originally created the "Ravensdale" setting for children, although it was nevertheless a very serious setting. At the time, I was making a living by hosting roleplaying after-school activities at my home, and I needed a fantasy setting that was both wholesome and yet a little scary and dangerous to captivate my young players.
I wanted these kids (who are now in their twenties) to have the experience of a legend: that despite facing dark moments, they'd be left with a deep sense of "destiny" or "hope", a feeling there's some (nonjudgmental) guiding force that sets things right, and that by following that ever-elusive yet familiar whisper in their hearts they may somehow help things for the better. At the center of the campaign there was some great drama (no spoilers!) which they did bring to a satisfying resolution over the course of a year.
Draft Storyboard: Intro To The Dales
Refining the recipe
At the moment, I'm looking for the right pitch, the right vibration or flavor, with which to convey that feeling -- and much more -- to you all. As promised during this Kickstarter campaign, it's a mixture of nostalgia and darkness, wonder and terror, rustic vibes with a mysterious and magical realm.
This refinement is done by editing texts over and over again, focusing the art direction, and finding the right layout to bring it all together. Looking at the Core Book, you can imagine that it was not written in one go, and in fact, the community (that's you!) helped us immensely in this process.
We also want to put the right tools in your hands, because this is about your game in the world of Hearts of Ravensdale. Itamar has been working on some wonderfully rustic Ways of Magic; Kend'or is pulling together some delightful recipes; Kelly has curated the Tropes and Challenges; Brandon and the adventure writers have put together the campaign framework; Alejandra and Eran are working on the opening comics; and Manuel is honing the layout further and further.
We'll soon be ready to share some of this magic, but we don't want you to taste it before it's sufficiently stewed.
Acorn Dice and Satchel - New Images!
These photos were taken by Edward, our incredible Ops Manager who is also a talented photographer. If you didn't grab these during the Kickstarter but you'd like them, you can reach out to [email protected] .
Legend In The Mist is a smash hit!
7 months ago
– Fri, Aug 22, 2025 at 02:25:16 PM
Hello there companions,
We're here with another update on Legend In The Mist and an especially happy one! We have a lot of great announcements to make, let's get into it.
Legend In The Mist is a smash hit!
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Last week we launched the Legend In The Mist core book digitally into the world, and the world really loved it!
Looking at the January 2026 print delivery date, we realized that the hour was ripe for showing the world the game we made - with your help! - and getting as many players on board as we could. As the game voted most anticipated of 2025, we didn't want it to first come to light next year.
And indeed, the reaction was astounding!
More than 10,000 downloads of the free comic book tutorial in one week!
LitM quickly became #2 best seller on DriveThruRPG!
We had lots of YouTube creators create content covering the game! If you've missed it, you should really check out Ginny Di's and Bob World Builder's videos.
The video contest is still ongoing until Aug 31st!
Upload a video about Legend In The Mist with the hashtag #FindTheRimeThistle for a chance to win a Collector Bundle (as seen on our website). Find all details here: https://forms.gle/xHb9ZBxUJNKL8REX6
Kevin Has Launched His How-To-Play Video Series
The $600K stretch goal in this campaign was MC Kevin's Video Guides and first three episodes have already dropped! We're hoping to finish releasing all episodes by the end of the month or shortly after, so you can share them with players when getting ready to start a LitM game.
Between the free comic book tutorial and these videos, new players can now dive into the game in no time!
Create and Sell Your Own Legend In The Mist Content!
We're excited to announce that we are renaming the City of Mist Garage into The Cauldron of Mist, a community content program that will support all Son of Oak games, including Legend In The Mist!
We've just published a template pack and art pack for Legend In The Mist, so you can go ahead and start creating, publishing, and selling your own Legend In The Mist content, and now - it will also look like a LitM product!
(Please note: these templates are for use exclusively on the Cauldron; no other use is permitted.)
Will you create new adventures? New monsters or other Challenges? New Ways of Magic or Tropes? The sky is the limit! Remember to share your creations on the dedicated Discord channel so that people can find them there!
Progress With Hearts of Ravensdale Setting Book
Whelp, this month didn't go exactly as we planned - it went way better! The digital launch was well timed, evidently, but it did take my (Amit's) full attention for a while. In addition, the team is feeling the burnout after the core book, so some of us have taken and will be taking some time off this month to enjoy what's left of the summer.
As a result, we are not yet ready to roll out any additional PDFs or a preview of the Hearts of Ravensdale book -- but that doesn't mean work has not been ongoing. A lot of the book is already written, and we're now looking at ways to refine the presentation, ushering you into the magical world of the Dales:
*** Work In Progress - Design Concepts, Not Final ***
The current concept is to usher you into the Dales through a visual guide paid with a narrative exposition
RECIPES! We're adding a bunch of recipes to the book for those of you who like to take cooking or brewing actions, as well as for apothecaries and herbalists.
What's Next?
We're going to go into our cave for a bit and craft this pretty, bewitched opal until it's ready to show.
Chapter 1 of Hearts of Ravensdale will be released onSeptember 17th, with the goal of a full book release by the end of October 2025, as per the latest estimate (still on track).
It's a bit of a long time without an update, but know that we are diligently working on the next enchanting installment of this project.
