Gemstone Dice for Kickstarter: Plan a Deluxe Add-On

A gemstone dice add-on gives backers a tangible upgrade without increasing the component cost of every base game. Making it work takes more than choosing an attractive stone: the set needs to fit the game, the selling price needs to cover delivery, and the dice need to reach the right fulfilment partner at the right time. This checklist is for creators who have decided a premium upgrade fits their campaign and now need a workable specification and quote.

Should gemstone dice be an add-on or a stretch goal?

An optional paid add-on lets interested backers choose the upgrade while the standard game keeps its original dice. A free stretch goal adds a cost to every qualifying reward, including rewards bought by people who did not specifically want stone dice. Either structure needs a confirmed quote. An add-on can help you size production against demand, but minimum quantities, cancellations, replacements and spare stock still need a budget; selling before production does not remove those risks.

Define exactly what one backer receives

Start with one clearly defined set. A polyhedral RPG set and a pack of custom D6s are different products, even if both are described as gemstone dice. Give the factory the shapes, sizes and quantity per backer, then request quotes at several realistic order quantities. Do not assume every stone or engraving option will have the same price.

• Contents: each die shape, its size in millimetres, and the number of dice in one complete add-on.
• Material: the named stone, such as obsidian, tiger eye or amethyst, and any acceptable alternatives.
• Faces: standard numbers or custom symbols, the face layout, engraving artwork and preferred ink fill.
• Packaging: individual protection, the retail box or pouch, and whether a care card or branded insert is needed.
• Quantities and destination: the forecast number of complete sets, quote tiers, and the assembler or fulfilment location.

Keep stone choices clear and manageable

Each extra choice creates another item to forecast, label, pack and replace. Start with a small range your fulfilment partner can handle. Natural stone is not mixed to a Pantone colour: choose the material and approve a representative range of shades, banding and inclusions. If your artwork needs a particular colour, we can propose the closest stone we cut, rather than promise an exact match.

Show photographs of the actual sample in the campaign and explain that individual sets will vary. If you also offer opalite or crackle glass, label those materials clearly as glass rather than natural gemstone. Backers should understand both what is included and what the sample photograph cannot guarantee.

Approve a physical sample before making promises

Check the sample in ordinary room lighting and during real play. Are the symbols readable? Do the dice fit the intended tray, insert and packaging? Can players distinguish different dice types without relying on colour alone? Supply vector artwork and a face layout for custom symbols, then approve the engraving, ink contrast and packed contents together.

CuiShen can make one fully custom sample before a bulk order. A sample fee applies and is credited toward the first bulk order from 10 sets. The standard gemstone dice minimum is 10 sets across stone types; confirm how your particular set composition and custom artwork affect the quotation. A sample approval is a decision point, not time to squeeze out of the schedule when launch approaches.

Price the delivered add-on, not just the dice

Build a cost sheet before setting the add-on price. Include the quoted dice and packaging, sample and artwork costs spread over the planned run, freight, insurance where applicable, customs brokerage, import duty or tax, warehouse receiving, pick-and-pack, and any extra postage caused by the packed weight and size. Also allow for applicable platform and payment fees, replacement stock and a contingency. Confirm current fee and tax treatment with the relevant providers rather than copying a percentage from another campaign.

Compare supplier quotes on the same shipping terms. CuiShen quotes EXW, FOB or CIF from China and does not offer DDP; import duty and destination customs clearance remain on the buyer side. CIF is not a quote for a parcel delivered to each backer. Agree who receives the shipment and who handles each onward leg before using the quote in your campaign budget.

Plan the dice and game production timelines together

Work backwards from backer delivery: final parcel delivery, fulfilment processing, inbound freight and customs, inspection and packing, production, then sample approval and any revisions. Ask for timing against the actual stone, quantity, engraving and packaging specification. Confirm the production slot again when final quantities and artwork are ready, and allow a buffer for revisions and transport delays.

Some stocked designs can ship quickly, but that is not a delivery promise for a custom engraved and branded run. Decide early whether the dice go to the game assembler for insertion or directly to a fulfilment centre as a separate add-on. A completed dice run sitting at the wrong warehouse will still delay rewards.

Agree packaging, inspection and replacements

Stone is hard but can chip under impact. Approve packaging that keeps dice from striking one another in transit, then check the complete packed sample with your logistics partner. Provide care instructions recommending a padded rolling surface and avoiding hard drops. Packaging protection, packed dimensions and weight all belong in the specification, alongside the appearance of the retail box.

Agree inspection criteria for engraving, chips, missing pieces and acceptable natural variation before production. Set a replacement allowance with the factory and fulfilment partner, and decide who holds spare sets or dice. Keep the approved artwork, sample photographs and packaging specification together so that inspection and any reorder use the same reference.

What should you send us for a campaign quote?

Send the game or campaign concept, dice contents per backer, preferred stones, sizes, face artwork, estimated order quantities and packaging brief. Include the campaign launch date, target delivery date and destination country or fulfilment warehouse. We can then check the specification and quote a sample and production run against the same brief. Keep the backer-facing offer provisional until you have confirmed the sample, costs and schedule.