The Week in Autarch

Star-Spangled Squadron, Poplar Progress, and ACKS Braunsteins

Apr 07, 2025

There’s lots of excitement afoot here at Autarch!

Star-Spangled Spectacular

Star-Spangled Squadron Volume II is coming together nicely. When I launched the Ascendant line back in 2020, I wanted to see the Ascendant universe realized with the sort of big, bold, art style that had made me a fan of comics in the 1990s. I feel like we've delivered on that; and Ascendant: Star-Spangled Squadron II is the best-looking book yet in our product line. Every page is beautifully detailed and lavishly colored. Huge thank you to Mel Joy San Juan and Pradeep Sherawat for their efforts to bring the Ascendant Universe to life!

Poplar Goes into Production

After some terrible setbacks due to mis-sized wood, the poplar slipcases are finally being assembled. I've just received my sample and it is absolutely majestic. The poplar wood has been treated with a deep rich oil-based "weathered oak" stain on the exterior that matches the gold leaf of the books, while the interior uses a water-based stain to guarantee that no oils damage the precious tomes. The fit is perfect, the feel is smooth, the look is sharp. The interior and exterior are sanded to a silky smooth 320 grit, so the books slide in and out cleanly without damaging the leather texture. Backers will begin to receive their poplar slipcases the week of April 22nd.

ACKS To Grind - How to Run an ACKS Braunstein

ACKs to Grind is the 90 minute livestream I run on my YouTube channel Arbiter of Worlds. Each week, a guest and I grind through the issues facing our hobby armed only with our wisdom, wits, and proficiency in critical hits. Tomorrow night’s livestream features ACKS community member and Braunstein expert Bdubs in a special episode, “How to Host an ACKS Braunstein.”

If you haven’t been watching ACKS To Grind, be sure to check it out.

When You’re Not Grinding, Be Substacking

Also be sure to check out Thalassios’s Seaside Musings. He’s new to Substack but he’s delivering exactly the sort of thoughtful content that Arbiter of Worlds readers delight in.

Thalassios's Seaside Musings

Anti-Patterns in TTRPGs: Terminally Unique PCs and Main Character Syndrome

This time I want to cover two related and reinforcing anti-patterns “Terminally Unique PCs” and “Main Character Syndrome.” As a refresher allow me to give a definition of an Anti-Pattern…

4 months ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Thalassios

And be sure to check out these favorites from the ACKS substack community:

If you have a blog or third-party product that supports ACKS or Ascendant, please let me know and I’ll be happy to include you in my next round-up.

Are You a Patron of the ACKS Patreon?

If you're interested in "what's next" for ACKS II, members of the Patreon are getting monthly updates and sneak previews from Before All Others: The Cyclopedia of Elven Civilization. One of the best perks of being part of the Patreon is the opportunity to help shape the design process by seeing the earliest drafts. Those who've been with us for the long-term know that Autarch (me, really) listens intently to the community's playtest feedback.

If you've never checked out the ACKS Patreon, you can find it here. The recurring revenue from the Patreon is what sustains the business during the long spells between Kickstarters, especially in 2023-2024 when sales of ACKS I have dried up during the transition to ACKS II. In today's economy, with inflation making every dollar count, I am exceptionally grateful to everyone who chooses to allocate some of it each month to helping keep Autarch in action.

Support the Community

Once you’ve pledged for the crowdfunding campaign, head on over to these community links:

Arbiter of Worlds