When I created Heroes of Havokk, it didn’t start as a card game with tabletop RPG-style rules and game elements. The original idea was from when I was a teenager and my love of Horror and the macabre led me to create a horror-based custom trading card game based on some of the rules and ideas I had liked from other games. I also created custom cards for other games I had enjoyed before this, but this was my first time creating an entire game and rule system all on my own. The original idea was shelved for many years while I got my life in order, and eventually, I decided I was at a point in my life where I wanted to share my updated vision with the world.

I have always had a passion for creation. For as long as I can remember I have tried to add-on, create, or come up with new ideas for things that I loved or enjoyed. I grew up playing various card games with my friends or family, and over the years, I started to want more out of these games and similar hobbies I was already involved with. There were characters that I hadn’t yet seen created, so I would make cards for them. In several role-playing games, I would spend hours reading and comparing rules text so that I could create custom campaign scenarios, items, monsters, classes, and everything in between.

What started in the Horror game as a cliché battle between the forces of darkness and defenders of innocent lives evolved into something much more. As I built out the complete rule system and game around the ideas tumbling around my mind for so many years, things started to come together into what is now known as “Heroes of Havokk.” With twenty-five years of card game experience under my belt, I felt I was finally able to complete this lifelong project, and I am grateful to say I can now share this dream with you knowing that this version of the game is truly a definitive experience I was looking to share with others all these years.

Role-playing games have always captured the interest and love of game enthusiasts across the world because they allow the player a brief opportunity to exist in a different time, place, or world than their own, and provide endless opportunities to express themselves or experience a story’s events. These games are excellent platforms to tell the stories of their creators because they often involve long and intricate storylines, complex and compelling characters, and exciting adventures that span over a large amount of time or content. Role-playing games, however, despite their many advantages, have some more “real-world” drawbacks that are part of the design decisions behind Heroes of Havokk.

As adults, it’s sometimes very difficult to align a consistently set time or location to gather with friends or loved ones. Resources, materials, and the cost of a game can be a determining factor for some players. Some tabletop games require hundreds of hours of painting or assembly for game pieces. Though each are rewarding, these types of requirements sometimes completely deter potential players from ever giving a specific game or platform a chance. When thinking about accessibility to younger players, if a game is too complex, it can’t be enjoyed by younger players or those with learning impairments. If the game is too vast or has too much content, this can also scare away a potential player because they may feel like they need to acquire an entire library of content to play a game instead of just introductory content. As I designed Heroes of Havokk, these were some of the critical elements I tried to keep in mind.

Over the years, I hit several roadblocks, moments of doubt and insecurity, financial burdens, and even the loss of several close family members. Not that I am asking for pity, but merely trying to acknowledge that we often lose sight of our dreams because of the obstacles we face. I promised myself and my family that I would finish this project, both for myself and also for those who are out there doing their best to get by and might have, like me, gotten sidetracked along the way.

Thank you, all of you, who continue to fight the good fight to create and express creativity, and inclusion, and support others and their dreams. I am eternally grateful to all of you for inspiring me to continue onward. I truly hope you enjoy Heroes of Havokk, and one day I hope that Havokk can inspire you to pursue your quest, and your own dreams, and that you too will turn your life into the adventure you are seeking.

-Chris Niedrich

I have changed a lot over the years, and through those changes, I've tried to make an effort to grow as a person and my emotional intelligence. I feel that my life, despite the challenges I have faced, has overall been gifted with many things that people like myself or in my current situation may take for granted. One of the foundational principles of all projects and products to be released through Weird Dad Games, including Heroes of Havokk, is what I have named the "D20 Principle."

Simply put, a saying that I encountered has always found meaning with me, and inspired this logic:

"If good is enough, then better is possible."

It's one thing to help when needed, but it's another to be helpful proactively so that those in need are not expected to need help in the first place. We all collectively influence the world around us, and our actions affect the current world and affairs, having infinite downstream consequences for our future generations. With that being said, I don't feel that what we are currently doing to support our future generations is enough, or even "good."

The D20 Principle is my effort to improve these results. Weird Dad Games plans to donate no less than 20% of all profits to non-profit, non-religious, and non-political organizations. The goal: to provide resources and funding to groups that promote learning, creativity, inclusivity, and the desire to improve the overall state of the world.

Profits are only temporary; our collective future and the resources available to our future generations depend on our ability to act now on their behalf instead of leaving them to pick up the messes we created. I believe it is my duty and responsibility to my family, yours, and the future of our species to contribute towards a better tomorrow. If that means sacrificing a portion of any profitability I obtain through the games and products I create, then this is a small price to pay for a hopefully brighter future. As I see it, 80% of the profits of our products is more than enough to operate, and that "good" enough we have means that "better" could be possible for someone else, if only we make the effort to do so.

If you are interested in learning more about this process or assisting, please reach out, and Weird Dad Games will provide additional information about how you can help. Thank you for your consideration and for taking the time to learn more about Weird Dad Games, Heroes of Havokk, and the D20 Principle.

-Chris Niedrich

Douglas Draco

https://www.artstation.com/douglasdraco

Dahlia Wilder

https://dahliawilder.carrd.co/

Ranzinza Cinza

Instagram: @ranzinzacinza

Tim Sparvero

www.infinityroads.com

Other Artists and Designers

Various works feature adaptations of art by Daniel F. Walthall, originals found at: drivethrurpg.com/product/181517, available under a CC BY 4.0 license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/