Backer Characters

The Backer Characters are characters created by real-life backers for the Terrain of Magical Expertise Video Game Kickstarter. Much like the series' background characters, these characters were fan submitted and are animated by series creator Chris Niosi and are not only shown in the background of the game, but depending on the tier, will also serve as opponents in the game and will be able to interact with the Dandy Alliance.
Backer characters are given to players who donate to the $30, $50, $60, $90, $200, $350 and $500 tiers. $90 are the only non-opponent backer characters with speaking lines. Since backers are unable to voice their characters, actors will be provided based on the characters' attributes. Designs and backers' input are taken to consideration, with a sleight exception to the $500 tiers, so as long as it works with the game's hardware and software limitations. The designs will also be "TOMEified" to fit the show's design style with some modifications for the game's limitations and to avoid any copyright issues.
Since only becoming an overworld NPC is the perk, the $30-60 tiers will remain nameless. While $90 backers are only given a speaking line with an NPC, their names have been confirmed on the TOME Check-In Stream on August 7, 2018, as well as the dialogue boxes as observed in the Chapter 1 demo of the game.
Despite that the campaign had officially ended on November 4, 2017, there were several occasions where non-backer fans were given the opportunity to have their characters inserted into the game:
*On November 4, 2018, a TOME 7-Year Anniversary Giveaway was announced where fans' names on Twitter were drawn on a raffle and the four winners would fill in the remaining spots for the backers whom were unable to complete or finalize their backer agreements. The winners were announced on November 11, 2018 on the series' 7-year anniversary and the characters' drawn stream went live on November 30, 2018.
*On March 30, 2019, a TOME Fan-Art Contest was announced where both non-backer fans and returning-backer fans are given the opportunity to create and submit fan-art of the game on Twitter. The contest will be judged by Mike Luckas (co-creator and character artist), Zack Frost (character designer), John "Helios" Freeman (background artist) and Michael Scott Prinke (head programmer). The fan-art requirements will consist of an interaction with selective characters of the game with the fan's original/fan character albeit with no inappropriate content, no dialogue or any intentional references to the franchise' two predecessors series, as well as it must be submitted on Twitter with one entry per person. The contest will end with three winners with prizes consisting of a background NPC for the third winner, a speaking NPC character for the second winner and a fighting opponent for the first winner. Backers from the $30-90 tiers are the only ones eligible to participate in the giveaway, although all backers are encouraged to still make fan-art. The contest concluded on April 15, 2019 and the winners were announced on April 30, 2019.
*On June 22, 2019, a charity auction for an enemy character was announced in which an eBay auction will be placed on June 25 and will run through June 30, in which returning and new fans will be able to bid for the opportunity. The enemy is equivalent to the $200 opponent tier from the Kickstarter campaign. Unlike the previous occasions, all participants (including higher-tier backers) are welcome to the auction. Half of the proceeds go to New Alternatives, a New York-based charity function, due to June being Pride Month. The final hours were livestreamed on June 30, 2019 in which the auction raised $790. The characters' drawn stream went live on July 10, 2019.
*On September 30, 2019, a giveaway was announced for another enemy character as a prize. Much like the Anniversary Giveaway, a raffle is used and only $90 and below backers are eligible to participate. Unlike the giveaway, additional social medias alongside Twitter are allowed. The campaign ended on October 7th, 2019 and the winners' drawn stream went live on October 11, 2019.
*On February 20, 2020, the final contest has been announced as well as revealing the game's new race-based minigame. The contest entails participants to create a name for the vehicle that the Dandy Alliance will drive in the minigame, and must email it to the provided address accompanied with a link to their social media, albeit with no other additional content beside what was instructed. Much like the 9/30 and Anniversary giveaways, only $90 and below backers are eligible to participate. Judged by the development team for the 3 best names, the prizes consist of a background NPC for the third winner, a speaking NPC character for the second winner and a fighting opponent for the first winner. The campaign ended on February 27, 2020 and the winners' drawn stream went live on March 3, 2020.
*On April 14, 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a charity drive has been announced where donators to the #HopefromHome charity event can get speaking NPCs implanted in the game. Only 30 slots are available for the $70 donations and the campaign takes place on April 17, 2020. Much like the eBay charity auction, all participants (including high-tier backers) are welcome to the drive. Previous NPC-only based backers also have the option to upgrade their character to have a speaking line if they donate. Another alternative reward, which opened on April 18, 2020, was to receive a commission drawn by Chris himself. Only 16 slots are available for that alternative reward. The campaign ended and the donators' drawn stream went live on April 18, 2020 while the commission stream went live on April 20 in the following day.
*On December 30, 2020, to commemorate the end of the year 2020, a 24-hour charity stream was announced where donators to the Doctors Without Borders COVID-19 Crisis Fund can get a background NPC implanted in the game. The donations work in similar to an online auction, in which a fully animated enemy character upgrade will be given to the highest donator of the campaign, as well as possibilities of a previous donator becoming the highest if they subsequently donate more to the campaign, are more keen to happen. Regardless if a donator ends up getting out-bid, they would still receive their background NPC reward. Much like the eBay auction and the #HopeforHope charity drive, all previous donators and backers from past campaigns are welcome. Below-$90 based previous backers also have the option of either upgrading their implanted character to have a speaking line or if there donation was $90 or higher, submit an entirely new character with a speaking line. The latter rule applies to all donators as well. Although slots and donations are unlimited, only one character insert is permitted per donator. Each stream will consist of the progress of designing said characters (provided of course if references are sent early before streaming begins), special guest stars such as fellow voice artists, colleagues of Niosi's career (ex: Ian-Jones Quartey), content creators (ex: Vivienne Medrano, the cast and crew of Epithet Erased) and concluded midnight on December 31, 2020. The campaign raised over $10,000 and the donators' drawn stream went live on January 11, 2020 and concluded on January 13, 2020.
Several backer characters are also part of several guilds as well.
$500 · $350 · $200 · $90 · $30-60
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Backer Characters/$500|$500
Backer Characters/$350|$350
Backer Characters/$200|$200
Backer Characters/$90|$90
Backer Characters/$30-60|30
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