ThunderMouser
For Chris Borchert its creating an app of sounds to be used by the community to help add atmosphere for the players at a DM's table which was launched in 2020. Here we were lucky enough to get some time with Christian during his busy schedule to find out more...
Totally Pawsome: When was the business launched and how did you pick its name?
Christian Borchert: I reserved the URL in 2011 for both Evening Huddle Enterprises and My Sound Delve but didn’t form the business until 2017. It’s a play on my children- Hudson and Evelyn, but it also reflects when we typically play our games- huddled around a table at night. I launched the app Friday the 13th of November, 2020 at the MACE gaming convention in Charlotte, NC.
TP: What is your business best known for?
CB: We are best known for the soundboard app, currently mobile only, but have expansion plans to include a web version.
TP: Why the TTRPG space?
CB: I’m a forever GM & put my players to use in my games. I also wanted to add more immersive qualities at our sessions. I build terrain and use miniatures, but something was still missing. Ambient music didn’t quite fill the gap. I started searching for an app that would give my players and I an audio match to what our characters and creatures were doing for encounters. Because everything is built for GMs, I decided to create one player-centric.
TP: What is your favourite product that you produce?
CB: I only have one product, but have multiple sound effects. I organize them in our audio galleries as Weapons (melee & ranged), Spells (Arcane, Divine, Druidic & Tech), Critical & Fumble, Phrases and Foley. The under utilization of verbal components in game play while nearly every spell requires it was a huge motivator for making this app. Working with the quality voice actors & writing 3 magic languages puts Verbal Components (Spell Action sounds in the app) at the top of my favorites list.
TP: How do you see the business developing in the next five years?
CB: Well, I must confess, while the concept of MSD is player-centric, the monetization strategy fits more for the GM. Free or Subscribe is the current model. Even the $2.99/mo is too much for players. So, I’m working with my developers to improve the UI and alter the way users can access the sounds. Still wanting a free pathway, I’ll be offering users an ability to watch an ad for coin credit. That credit can purchase the unlocking of a sound.
Today, users must put in their credit card to access a 3-day sampling of all our 3,400+ sounds. In the new version, all sounds will be sample-able for 5 times before locking up.
Currently all our sounds are downloaded on the users’ device. That eats up too much space. The new version will accommodate a synch option that will be much appreciated by our users.
In 2.0, we’ll have sounds that are linked to shorten the time in making scenarios (when an Action sound is chosen a default Hit and Miss will auto fill). We’ll alsi allow for multiple sounds, too. That way, even the player won’t know what sound combination will play.
I’ll introduce gamification and a rewards system for users who really use & recommend the app.
I also want a web version as that will be better for streamers and pod casters to use our sounds real-time in their sessions.
I’ll continue to collaborate with Kickstarters and fellow creators bringing sounds from their worlds to the community.
I’ll be packaging our sounds into thematic packs for users to purchase. I’ve started this process and will be publishing them in the VTT space mid-2023.
TP: How do you decide which products to create and sell?
CB: Again, with one product, I’ll address this question differently. When first launched, I thought about what sounds are missing and made thematic sound packs (different from the ones mentioned above).
I looked through the Open Gaming License to know which specific creature or spell names I could use. I put out 24 such themes like Undead, Comedic Release, Sci-fi 1.0 and 2.0, Aberrations, Way of the Monk. I even consulted a sensitivity consultant who helped me with two Disability releases.
For 2023, I’m only doing four releases based around the four main elements- air, water, earth and fire. I’ve teamed up with Bolwerk Publishing and their geomorphic dungeons. So, while elemental, they also support their dungeons, too.
Lastly, in 2021, I was invited to play in a Yuletide one-shot hosted by Mike from 19 Hits the Dragon. That experience inspired me to make a Yuletide release of 65 sounds. For 2 years now, I’ve made those sounds free for about 6 weeks. It’s a seasonal gift to the community of users.
TP: Whilst you do take commissions, what guidelines do you have in place?
CB: I don’t take commissions. I’ll take suggestions and I’ll take inspiration from the community. Each inspired sounds goes into the free sound bucket, though.
TP: If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique for yourselves, what would it be and why?
CB: Oh, this is easy. While I don’t LARP, I would love to make an investment in my app to support that niche group. If used via a device like an Apple Watch & a linked BT speaker, players could hear the success or failure of their actions quite well. That would be quite spectacular in my opinion. Why? Because it furthers the immersive essence, which is my goal for MSD and the user community.
TP: What do you think are the best services you offer to others in the TTRPG space and why?
CB: I am a solo sound engineer. With our new platform, I’d love to have other creators publish on our future e-commerce site so that our app sounds can interface with others for even greater uniqueness.
I will continue to find collaborators willing to add audio to their work. All because audio as a foreground sound vs background sound really enhances the game experience- especially when huddled around the gaming table. I’ve seen late night players dozing only to be surprised when a Critical Hit is played. It’s great fun and brings the table closer.
TP: Competition between independent business is at an all time high, as a small business what makes you unique that you feel helps show customers why they should do business with you?
CB: True. I can only say that in our super niche space, we are the only player-centric soundboard app that has the largest ttrpg sound effect library. I spend all subscription revenue (at this time) supporting fellow creators- artists, musicians and voice actors primarily. Other than development and sound licensing, nearly $10K has stayed in our ttrpg family since our start. That’s unique and should be appreciated by our community.
(All images in this article are sculpts by Tytantroll.)
Totally Pawsome: How do you work out which themes to create pieces for?
David-Lee Whitaker: I make whatever i feel like i want to sculpt for the month. I bare in mind what will be popular, the usability of it across different themes to boost sales as much as possible.
I have a keen interest in anything fantasy, it helps if i can reuse the same bases across multiple models too which so i can create ~10 models, bundle them up and ship them off.
I love goblins too. The only reason I don't do goblins every single month is because basically, I have a customer base to keep happy. - So they may get a tiny say every now and again. But if i'm TOLD what to do, that goes to the back of the list - naturally.
TP: What would you say sells your miniatures to people?
DLW: Renders. Renders sell the miniatures. when people see my work, they're usually instantly fooled into thinking that its a real miniature painted with some kind of black zenithal wash (so i've been told - I've never painted a miniature before. But, if fooling people into looking further into my work. I'll keep doing it. Eyes on = sales.
DLW: I have a guy who designs miniatures for me on a monthly basis for a week. His sketches take a few hours to come up with each, designing things. and I take a few hours and produce this. We've worked together for years on multiple projects. So we know what we like. Shane Cook. Check him out. - Though, he's awful at marketing himself and updating his links
TP: What is your favourite piece that you've created and why?
TP: Coming up with a piece is often an idea that gets written into a journal to come back to. How often do you find yourself working on one piece and another comes to mind and can you give an example?
DLW: I don't have a journal or any kind of diary, to-do list or sticky notes etc. - Everything i do is kept mentally and if i miss something it's usually forgotten about, if no one reminds me, its not important, right? Probably not.. Anyway - i rarely forget about the stuff i'm working on as it all somehow links, I have about 6 projects on the go, Kickstarters, Patreon/Tribe, Client Work, My own TTSG, this interview. Its prioritized though, so some stuff is getting worked on, just slowly, as other things always get nudged above the others.
For example.. 2 days ago, i started sculpting some kobolds. I didn't have kobolds planned, but then i decided to start a new kickstarter line. Thats pretty much how it goes with me. I'm a workaholic with some undiagnosed ADHD and the monthly releases with bits thrown in, is perfect for me. But I totally understand and have empathy with those who struggle with it. Especially when it barely pays the bills. - But this is another topic.
TP: What do you think is most inspiring about your miniatures and why?
DLW: Honestly. I don t think they're anything special, and thats their selling point. They're generic, forgettable. I make bundles of encounters, - I make big fun pieces now and again, and funnily enough, noone buys them. So i don't make them and they're not my focus. I'd love for people to want my more fun pieces. But unless they're pin-ups or are exactly what they're looking for (for DnD) they don't want them.. + This is a 3dprinting market - we're all fighting against the grain.
TP: Where do you see your business taking you in 5 years?
DLW: No idea, I want to continue what i'm doing. Kickstarters, miniatures, tabletop game or 2 with an expansion maybe. Who knows. We'll see what happens in the market between then and now.. I'm definitely on the right track, i think. But the market is turning, and its spooky to see.
DLW: Most of the stuff i want to do isn't really farfetched. I have contacts in the industry to work wherever i want on whatever i want. I've worked on Lord of the rings, Fallout, Judge Dredd - I did go for a Games Workshop sculpting job in house, but the pay wasn't quite what i was looking for. Again, fiscally minded. - My future is more important to me than their miniature line, as cool as Bloodbowl was.. Currently in talks with Josh Kirby's IP to work on some discworld minis. I'm very happy. - I love discworld
DLW: Duncan Shadow - The guy who inspired me to start a patreon. After seeing what was possible - while his work isn't really my cup of tea, the business side of it was very alluring to me. He was alot bigger back in 2019. But as more people muscled him out of the limelight, he fell back a bit. But he's still here. And its great.
But, honestly. every hard worker out there trying to make it work for them. I have less respect for the huge ass teams dropping the quality of the models but putting out massive amounts and lowering the bar for everyone.
TP: What got you all into TTRPG's in the first place?
DLW: I've never played a TTRPG - but i got into making miniatures by Tom Lishman - a phenominal artist. He got me into the industry working on the aforementioned moonstone, and while he stopped for a while doing freelance works working on manner of projects - he stuck with steamforged for a long time. And now he's moved back into games, currently working on sea of thieves. All round cool guy.
Here Jeph Wilkinson has taken our interview and wanted to let you know about Big Campaign's fab world setting and how the fun at the table takes precedent...
Totally Pawsome: As a creator of podcasts for TTRPG's, what inspires you each time you sit down to record?
Jeph Wilkinson: I really like telling stories, especially ones that can evolve with other people helping me tell the same story.
TP: What would you say is the best selling point of your Podcast and what has people coming back for more?
JW: I think we have a real interesting world/setting. I hope people are coming back for that and just the fun of the table.
TP: Why the TTRPG space?
JW: It feels like such a neat and contained petri dish of creative types. When people hear that unique thing that sets them off down a path to start making all sorts of new things and I think that is amazing.
TP: What is your favourite individual podcast that you've worked on and why?
JW: So far I have only worked on mine, so I am kind of biased. I am having a lot of fun playing around and learning audio.
TP: With some podcasts being a little behind the actual play of the game what can you tell us about what you're up to now?
JW: Right now I am working on guest episodes involving a bunch of forever GMs.
TP: Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?
JW: I think people that enjoy pathfinder/d&d but likes a little bit more grounded. Overall I think some of the higher level play can get pretty out in making it feel like you are still playing the same game you started.
TP: Where do you see your TTRPG podcast taking you in 5 years?
JW: Hopefully we have a decent base of people that like to talk about nerd stuff and help join in the altering and creating of the world.
TP: If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?
JW: I think I would like to find a way to make various podcasts that all cross in the same world, like the Discworld series.
TP: Who do you admire in the podcast community and why?
JW: I am a massive fan of the Knowledge fight cast, dedication, quantity, quality, and all around deep introspective takes - I think even if you are not interested in their source material they bring a lot to the table.
TP: What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?
JW: I found a golden dice at a garage sale a decade before I learned there were games designed to use it.
I've been lucky enough to hear from the creator/designer for this new game and here he is to tell you more...
Stephen Nowland: My roleplaying group couldn't decide on which system they wanted to play, so I decided to blend a d100 system with a d20 system to take the best from both! I probably bit off more than I could chew, but I've managed to stick with it and create a fun system with plenty of depth.
TP: What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPG's?
SN: Flexibility with character design and play style. It's taken some iteration to find the right balance between structure and freedom but it's in the sweet spot now. My players love that aspect, and the advance-while-you-play system is a cool mechanic. And to be clear, I'm a solo developer with a little assistance from my playing group, which is demanding on my time but it's very fulfilling to see it all in action.
SN: While I've also written novels, I love the idea of giving people the mechanics to tell their own stories. Making my own TTRPG was inevitable, given my love of roleplaying.
TP: What is your favourite product that you produce and why?
SN: The Sabre RPG is a passion project of mine, but the part of it I love the most is the starship's manual (not quite done yet!). After many years of being deep into fantasy works, I now prefer scifi over fantasy and the ship system works really well! I can't wait to get it finished so I can get it out there for people to enjoy.
TP: What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?
SN: I'm finishing up a new supplement for the Sabre Fantasy system, with Summoning magic (a tricky one to get right) and the new Geomancy magic, involving gems, mirrors and other precious metals to create clever and powerful effects. Summoning was in the 2nd edition of Sabre, allowing the spellcaster to summon monsters of various types to fight for you (or grant you some of their abilities) but it was rather unbalanced so I'm taking another crack at it. Then I'll be finishing off the final tweaks to the Scifi system. I'm currently playtesting it with two separate space campaigns and tweaking/modifying as we go.
TP: Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?
SN: Anyone looking to tell practically any kind of adventurous story, be it fantasy, steampunk, modern era, future scifi etc. But not superhero stories, that'd need an entirely new manual to cover and there's plenty of those systems already out there :) I wouldn't say that newcomers to RPG's would be ideal for this, as Sabre isn't an entry-level RPG system like D&D, but once a player gets a handle on how an RPG works, Sabre is a great next step.
SN: WIth the core Sabre RPG system done, I want to finally finish off the atlas to my fantasy campaign setting, and also get my (slowly) developing scifi campaign setting done too! I'd also like to finish my current novel and complete the rest of the series. There's a work-in-progress.
TP: If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?
SN: The Sabre RPG is pretty much that; it's been ten years of work so far, and I hope to have it all done by the end of the year. If I knew how hard it was to make an RPG, I probably wouldn't have gone down this route, but I've managed to push through this behemoth in my spare time and I'm proud of the result.
SN: Anyone who takes the time to make their own TTRPG. It's a time-consuming process that requires dedication over many years, and those who decide to put their work out there automatically earn my admiration. Oh and I want to send a shout-out to Dean Spencer, who makes some of the amazing stock art I've used extensively to make my manuals look so professional.
TP: What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?
SN: An over-active imagination! I love telling stories, and when I finally gave rpg's a try back in my youth, I was hooked pretty quickly. The fun of playing with friends around a table (and virtual tabletops aren't bad either in this respect) is a style of gaming that's truly special.
Whilst we're not aware of the timeframe for funding for this, we really want to get our hands on the graveyard set and with so many options being added each time something new comes out, it won't be long before we'll have to find some new storage solutions. But don't take our word for it, have a look yourself...
ThunderMouser.
With one of my characters being a cleric, I've often lost track of my spells and whilst I do own the spell cards, The Speechless Bard has brough out a fabulous Spell Counter book that holds the cards and looks fab doing it.
So when we were lucky enough to get an opportunity to talk to the married couple behind the business, we couldn't wait...
Totally Pawsome: When was the business launched and how did you pick its name?
The Spechless Bard:
Noor: We launched in August 2020, merging our two small bussinesses into one. The name is supposed to sound like a shop or tavern, and is inspired by our own first original TTRPG characters. The Speechless refers to Luuk's kenku character, as kenku don't speak common but repeat sounds they've heard. Luuk is also known by most visiting customers as 'the one who is quiet'. The Bard refers to Noor's bard character, while Noor is also the face/voice of the shop and the social opposite of Luuk.
Luuk: As Noor mentioned we started The Speechless Bard in the summer of 2020, although we've been active in the TTRPG business as individuals since 2018. At some point we realised it was better to just merge our businesses so that it was easier to help each other out without feeling guilty about "abandoning" our own work for a day or two.
TSB:
Noor: Product-wise we are best know for our smallest and for our largest product; the colourful D20 bracelets and the magnetic Caster Compendia. But we are in general known for our custom crafting; almost all products in our shop are made to order and have a variety of options to create a personal treasure.
Luuk: Hopefully our service and providing unique little treasures! But yeah, product-wise I think definitely the bracelets and Compendia.
TP: Why the TTRPG space?
TSB:
Luuk: Because this is really a hobby that got out of hand for us! We started crafting for our home games, and after posting pictures online other folks wanted to buy them, and it just gave SO MUCH energy seeing how happy folks were when they received our items. The TTRPG community really is something else!
Noor: I started out leathercrafting for the archery space, but found that many archers still prefer a 'classic' style. As I started crafting for my own TTRPG character, I found a new joy in drawing designs around fantasy themes and started sharing these online. As the enthusiasm from the TTRPG space erupted, so did my drive to continue. I still love how our customers are cheerful, grateful and incredibly fun to interact with.
TSB:
Noor: Oooof, that is a tricky question! Anything that requires special paintwork I think. The scrolls and dice trays where I get to paint the engravings I've done on white leather. It feels a lot like watercolouring, and it's very relaxing. I could do that for hours easily.
Luuk: Tricky question indeed - I think for me it's the Caster Compendium; we've made about 900 now I think over the last couple years (mainly for the Kickstarter) but I never get bored of them. Other than that, I absolutely love making something completely custom for customers who come to us with a unique problem that needs solving.
TSB: How do you see the business developing in the next five years?
TSB:
Luuk: We're actually hoping to move to a new home soon with a larger workspace, I hope that brings more (literal) space to expand our skillsets and develop even more cool items. I doubt that we'll expand to a larger company with extra staff and such, as we enjoy it way too much working with just the two of us.
Noor: And then maybe a new sewing machine! Hahaha I have little plans, for maybe a year or two.
TSB:
Noor: It's a strange process really. Sometimes I have an idea for something I can craft in a day, so I'll try it out and throw it on my socials. If the reaction is big enough, I continue developing it and put it online. But sometimes we develop something for weeks, months, maybe a year. The most important questions we ask with a product are did we make it ourselves and is it unique enough? There's no need for us to learn how to build wooden dice vaults for example.
Luuk: I agree, we don't really have guidelines on this; basically sometimes we get a random idea of something we want to make, we try to figure out if it'll be just for ourselves or if it's something we could actually sell, and then we consider if it's worth spending resources on developing it. Posting early prototypes on social media can be a huge help for that!
TP: Whilst you do take commissions, what guidelines do you have in place?
TSB:
Noor: Oh no, I feel attacked. I'm the one who takes on the craziest commissions that come to bite me in the ass.
Luuk: Guidelines? What guidelines? Nah, we evaluate each request individually if it's something we can make properly and if we can keep it affordable for the customer, as we're wildly uncomfortable asking for large sums if we don't think it's worth it, haha
Noor: I try to work in a note of 'we'll see what we can do' when I reply to a commission, but I always get way too excited to make unique items. And as we make a lot of different things, we can go quite the distance for someone.
TP: If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique for yourselves, what would it be and why?
TSB:
Luuk: A new system of magnetic terrain! I already have an existing system that I produced for a couple of years but got drowned out by the success of the Compendia, but I've had ideas for a new system that I'm eager to develop further, but it takes MASSIVE amounts of time and resources...
TSB:
Noor: Oh wow, I forget that we help out in the space at all sometimes. I forget we are a legit business sometimes! Do we help out?
Luuk: I think crafting items of which customers can really feel like they were made *just* for them. I've also heard from a lot of customers that our Pride bracelets and "This Too Shall Pass"-bracelets provided a lot of comfort for them during difficult times, and I'm really glad we can help in this way.
Noor: Oh yeah, the bracelets are my favourite things to talk about at cons! I love the genuine reaction the Pride bracelets get out of people!
TP: Competition between independent business is at an all time high, as a small business what makes you unique that you feel helps show customers why they should do business with you?
TSB:
Noor: Our complete and utter attention for the adventurer who ordered something. We read the names, their orders, and we craft something for them. There's no huge pile of stock to just grab and ship. We communicate a lot with our customers and we adore them way too much. We remember names and faces at conventions and talk with them for way too long.
Luuk: Hundred percent agree with Noor, though I don't talk as much at conventions, haha.
Noor: One of us has to be the brains while the other blabs!
