One Tier to Rule them All

Hey y'all, I've got big news for you, and it's something I've been thinking about a lot over the past few months. So as not to bury the lede, here it is:

Going forward, this Patreon will have a single $5 tier, and all benefits from all tiers, including those above $5, will be included. Benefits listed at the end of this post.

Got that? Okay. Now to explain my reasoning.

While I appreciate the idea of folks wanting to support me at higher levels, the benefits I'm able to give don't always (in my mind) equate out to fair value. Likewise, while having the $3 tier was good for entry level, in practice it was little more than a tip jar. Great in theory, but I want to be able to give more back to the people allowing me to do what I love for a living.

Additionally, it became a constant balancing act with time vs. what the tiers were going to be given that week. Do I focus on the content for the Coffee Goblin tier? Do I kick out something quick for the Arcane Barista tier? Wait, the Lab Goblin tier hasn't seen anything in a bit, I can go without sleep and work on that right?

Lather, rinse, repeat, and still it felt like I wasn't doing enough, or that things would have to be sidelined to maintain the balance.

Having just one tier is going to simplify that for me. Now, literally all of the bonus content and extra goodies I create can go to supporters. No additional paywalls, no FOMO, no feeling like they need to apologize when they have to change their pledge. I want folks to take care of themselves FIRST, and only support when they can.

And this will make that ten times easier on all involved.

I'm going to call this single, glorious tier LAB GOBLIN CORPS, as that's the name for the community that has really stuck over the years. It launches today, and the other tiers will be gone by the end of the week.

Now, I fully understand that this move is not going to please all parties, particularly those of you in the $3 tier. I want you to know that I've put a lot of thought into the pros and cons of this move, because I don't want any of you to feel like you have to bump up your support. If you need to discontinue entirely, I completely understand. Just know that you're always welcome in my Discord or my streams regardless, and I am truly thankful for the support you've given.

Likewise, for you higher tier supporters, please do not feel like you have to continue at that level. I appreciate it, and while I know this change will initially hurt things at first, I really feel it's the best path forward to give supporters the best bang for their buck, and hopefully grow things to improve my content across the board.

Whatever your level of support, please take some time to adjust as needed, and bear with me as I tweak things here to make sure everyone has proper access to everything. With that in mind, here's how the new tier will read:

Lab Goblin Corps:

• Access to Member's Only section of my Discord
• Access to Operating Theater streams on Discord
• Credit on streams and published TTRPG material
• Original D&D 5e Magic items, monsters, and NPCs
• Wallpapers featuring my newest Threadless designs
• Original line art for coloring pages
• Ability to vote on future streams, and builds
• Supporter-only newsfeed
• Special discount code for my Threadless shop

And that about does it. I hope everyone can understand this decision. I know it's a radical change, but I think it's going to do a lot of good, and allow me to better use my time and energy giving back to the people that have given me so much. remember, the new tier goes live today while the other tiers will be gone by the end of next week.

Until next time, Horns Up.
~X.R.
The Artificer