An old-school, tournament-style roguelike dungeon-crawl inside of a living god at the end of the world.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Post-Campaign Update 10: Here They Come!!!
about 1 month ago
– Fri, Aug 28, 2026 at 04:03:15 PM
Keep An Eye Out!
As of today, all zines destined for mail delivery have been carefully packaged and set on their way! Thanks to Space Penguin Ink for taking care of that part of the project!
I'd love photos of you with your loot! You can hit me up on instagram or bluesky and drop a #bloodbathdungeon tag!
I have 2 more hand deliveries this weekend, then a few that I still need to deliver to their forever homes over the next month (and those are all scheduled).
Thanks for coming on this journey with me and I really hope you dig the adventure! Swing by the discord and tell me if you run a mini bloodbath tournament, just enjoyed the adventure, want to share phots, have any questions, or just want to yammer about stuff.
What Is Next?
The Last Shoppe I'm aiming to open the crowdfunding on Backerkit in October. A departure from our usual "blood and guts", The Last Shoppe is a chill solo RPG about self-discovery and building a community while running a shoppe. Prelaunch page has most of the details. Playtest and reviews have been really solid!
PROPAGATION Art Begets Art Not an adventure, but an collaborative project with 21 (so far) artists. This project focused on artists being inspired by the work of other artists and that inspiration creating something entirely new and purely human. You can find out more and sign up to participate or follow along from the DuckandCrow.com.
That is all the news I have to share (unless you want to hear about the breakfast I'm excited for at Red Emma's tomorrow while I'm here in Baltimore). Please continue to be amazing to each other, support real artists, small independently owned business, and your local library!
-Dale L. Houston, Duck and Crow Press
Now go cause a TPK and brag about it.
Post-Campaign Update 9: Eat the Sun!
about 2 months ago
– Tue, Aug 18, 2026 at 07:30:24 AM
Hello, Fearless Backers!
Shipping Update: All of the limited edition copies, with the expectation of the 2 that I'm taking to the post office after I write this, are either in backer's hands, in the mail, or scheduled for face-to-face hand-off. Backerkit info is updated and Space Penguin Ink is preparing to send out the adventures to complete fulfilment. Everyone should have their copy soon. And please send some feedback (leave a review on DrivethruRPG or join the Discord).
A Few More: There are 5 backers who have pledged but haven't filled out their info on Backerkit (address, survey, or payment). I'm going to send out one last reminder from today - I want everyone who pledged to get their stuff, but still need info to be able to send it!
Check 'Em Out
Standard edition, Cave Paper edition, and velum edition. The cave paper and velum are representative, because each one is unique!
As this campaign is moving toward completing fulfilment, I'm spinning up the next books!
The Last Shoppe
A solo RPG about gathering and selling goods, but also about self-reflection and building a community through interaction. Playtesting is wrapping up, editing is imminent, art is incoming, and you can follow the Backerkit pre-launch page to keep updated! Chances are I'll be launching this in early November.
Bloodbath Dungeon 03: The Caliginous Cenotapth of Cemlyn
A few people asked if I would write "traps-focused" Bloodbath next. I am quite giddy to be doing just that! The pre-launch page is going up very early ... but follow along for now. Aiming for Backerkit Zinetopia next Feb. Check out the pre-launch page.
Cheers!
As always, thanks for your support. I'm looking forward to hearing about your bloody adventures with AND HE SHALL EAT THE SUN and hope you check out new campaigns!
-Dale L. Houston, Duck and Crow Press
Post-Campaign Update 8: Home Stretch!
about 2 months ago
– Fri, Aug 07, 2026 at 08:20:03 PM
I had a fancy and well-formatted update for you, but I'm apparently bad at clicking and lost it, so, here are the important parts:
Updates My apologies for the delay sending updates. I dropped the ball on that. There may only be 1 or two more after this, but they should be more timely.
Delivery I spoke with Space Penguin earlier this week and, while there were some unforeseen circumstances that have cased a delay, they let me know that fulfilment will start this month. Possibly later in this month, but definitely in August.
Limited Edition Bindings I started packing these up today and plan on having the majority of them in the mail next week, with the exception of those folks who I've spoken with and will be doing hand-offs at conventions.
In the Works For those that like the dungeon life, Bloodbath Dungeon 03: The Caliginous Cenotaph of Cemlyn is on deck for next year!
Prefer a more cozy scene? Then our next solo game The Last Shoppe may be what you are looking for. Looking to crowdfund this in the Fall.
Upcoming Shows 8/8: Wolf Crest Game Con 8/13-8/16: Necronomicon in Providence, RI 8/29-8/30: Art and Collectibles in Baltimore, MD 9/4 - 9/6: Whose Yer Con in Indianapolis, IN 9/11 - 9/13: CouncilCon in Schenectady, NY 9/25 - 9/26: ShireCon in North Canaan, CT
Thank You! Thanks for everyone's patience and support. This is my first crowdfunding experience and I've learned a lot (usually after it would have been beneficial, but c'est la vie. You should have your books soon and hopefully, soon after, piles of dead characters to look down and laugh about!
-Dale L. Houston, Duck and Crow Press
Post-Campaign Update 7: Distribution Has Begun!
3 months ago
– Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 07:13:15 AM
Hello, everyone!
I'll jump straight to the point: physical books have been sent to Space Penguin Ink and will begin distribution to y'all in the next few weeks. It's been a wild journey from "fun idea in the back of my head" to "more books than I could safely lift," but we're in the final leg of it now -- a few locals even came out to GAMEFACE in Baltimore to pick their books up in-person!
As mentioned before, due to their hand-crafted nature the special edition books are being shipped separately by yours truly. And I do mean hand-crafted:
Is it still called penmanship when you're carving each letter out with a knife?
Cave paper bindings are nearly finished and awaiting cover stamping (and a bit of glue).
If I had to describe the process in one word, it would probably be: exhilarating! Getting to work with these materials is incredibly rewarding, and seeing the stack of finished books slowly piling up beside me fills my heart with joy. I certainly have not been sealing each one with a kiss, despite any rumors or photographic evidence to the contrary.
That's all for this time, backers, as I feel the siren song of my workshop calling me back. You've already done all you need to do, so from here on it's just a waiting game between you, me, and your local postal service delivery expert. See you soon!
-Dale L. Houston, Duck and Crow Press
Post-Campaign Update 6: Surveys Locked, PDFs Distributed!
5 months ago
– Wed, May 20, 2026 at 07:38:52 AM
Hello, everyone!
Big announcement today: I've just finished locking in Backerkit surveys, charged cards, and distributed PDFs via Backerkit's pledge manager. If you backed at a level that gives you a PDF, you should have received an email a little bit ago with a download link. If not, comment and I'll get you sorted out immediately!
Physical books are being packed up for shipment to Space Penguin Ink in Florida. The special limited edition books are being assembled as we speak, and let me say you lucky backers are in for a treat. There's some really gnarly patterning on this stag hide parchment, and the cave paper is gorgeous:
Cave Paper, torn instead of cut to keep that rugged, hand-made edge.
Look at these colors and scars. Ceritified 100% gnarly.
With a special shoutout to the all-star bookbinder, Laserbeam.
I'll keep this update brief as I'm sure you all want to get right into your new books, but thanks again for supporting the project! Expect another update in the coming weeks as physical distribution of the edition is under way.
