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Several years ago I released a couple of adaptations to Pathfinder 1e to explore the space opera setting I have created for my novels.

Now it's time for a new series, adapted to Starfinder!

Veil of Truth Campaign Primer is a FREE ebook 40 pages long with 2 new playeable species, new class options, basic information about the setting and an introductory adventure.

* The story of the Veil of Truth universe and its main factions and regions;
* 2 new alien races: the scheming negotiator Niterian and the pondering giant Pravii;
* 3 alternate Mystic Connections: Biomancer, Kineticist and Metabolicist;
* New Technomancer options to make a medtech: a nanotechnology healer;
* A new Soldier Fighting Style: The Psychic Warrior;
* Ideas on how to adapt monsters and items to a space opera setting;
* And an introductory adventure in search of a fabled space station left behind by one of the Fallen Empires!

Veil of Truth Fallen Empires is a 60 pages long ebook focused on adventures through the Forbidden Sector, where once upon a time two ancient empires clashed, leaving incredible ruins, fantastic artifacts and unknown creatures behind. This ebook brings 3 new playable species, 6 creatures, plus several tools to create events, encounters, artifacts, worlds and even monsters on the fly.

* Rules and tables to flesh out your exploration crew with Motivations and Flaws;
* 3 new alien races: the mysterious Celonians, the agressive Jakt and the multilimbed Thoy'ykoth;
* Rules and tables on how to make the party's ship a character that impacts in plot and challenges;
* The story of two Fallen Empires, the infamous Grey of the Coregency of Celon and the living machines of the Meridath Empire;
* Details about Vega Ringstation and the Exploratory Corps;
* Dozens of tables to help you create an exploration adventure, including how to create new locations, new artifacts and new creatures on the fly;
* 6 new alien enemies to throw against your players!

Enjoy!

You know what we need?

We need Space Flumph as a core race

You know you want it

Hello, peoples!

The Context RPG (a genre-free light rpg system) is currently running for a publication prize at ENWorld's 7-day RPG Contest.

I'd like to invite you guys and gals to check out the 2-page sample present at ENWorld and, if you guys like it, to vote for it (everyone has the right to vote on 3 games).

Thank you for your time!

---

The Context RPG system focus on allowing players and narrators to craft fun adventures and stories without creating too many constraints.

The system replaces tons of numbers that predefine what a character is capable of doing to a set of player-made descriptions that both give characters a story and context, and work as source for imagining how to handle conflicts and challenges.

It can be used to any kind of setting and any kind of RPG style, be it a gritty dungeon delve or a court intrigue in the 25th century.

7-Day RPG Competition at ENWorld

Hello, Exiled Prince!

This book has 24 pages + cover, index and license.

Now also available here at Paizo.com!

Currently top 32 hottest item on RPGNow.com!

It's the 2147. Humankind has stumbled upon a vast galactic society composed of dozens of alien species.

But fiction writers were wrong.

There is not an unified Human culture. No powerful Human Empire. Human Nature prevails.

Veil of Truth: Human Nature is the new sourcebook for the Pathfinder space opera campaign setting! In this book, you will find focus on Humankind and Sol.
* History of Humankind
* Information on all Solar System planets and their current status in 2147
* Earth's new governments and corporate states
* Humankind's colonies beyond Sol
* New equipment
* New aliens

You find this book for only 2.95 at RPGNow.com!

Soon also here at Paizo.com!

I was having this discussing with some friends about races in RPGs (in the specific case, Pathfinder and other d20 games). It started out with someone saying that picking a race has little (mechanical) effect to the character after the first few levels. It is arguably a fact (with some races).

Added to that was the discussing that the majority of players did not 'roleplay' these races, so that, in the end, they were all humans in funny costumes

Now, the question is, what is the reason for you choosing a specific race? The stats/abilities it provides? The concept of a dwarf or elf due to some affinity? Pure lore based on the campaign setting? Something else?

Chronicles of Weird wouldn't be weird without strange player characters! A land where not only dwarves, elves and orcs are uncommon, but human themselves, calls for a new batch of heroic (and not-to-heroic) characters!

Who are they and what new elements can they bring to your gaming table?

Link

Eridanus Books is proud to present an exciting new campaign setting: World of Eridanus! More than just another campaign setting, WoE is a massive world not unlike our own, but wholy different. Just like on Earth country and continent developed a story of their own before contact became inevitable, WoE is presented as several interconnected mini-campaign setting.

Each of WoE’s mini-settings bring you a new land, with its own story, factions, races, archetypes and rules, each independent, but, still, connected to WoE’s larger story: the fact that Eridanus is the battleground of a not-so-secret war between two outworldly factions.

But who are these planar entities? Angels and demons, faeries and unseelies, gods of good and evil, entropy, light and shadow or just plain old invaders? It depends on who you ask, of course! Each mini-setting has been affected in a different way by this war, and each has their points of view about who are they and why they are fighting.

And how better to start if not with the weirdest of all parts of World of Eridanus?

Read more.

Which was the main reason I didn't add it to start with :)

I still need to study this idea further. The concept of this line is exactly creating something easy to use with the core rules, so creating a whole new book would go against it

Killian:

I had feedback related to that. The main reason I didn't add the tables were because there were classes based on classes already presented at other Pathfinder books (either the core rules or the advanced players'). But feedback indicates players prefer to have that information at hand. For that reason (and others) I have been planning a 'deluxe' version of the core rules, with more content. I'm planning on offering it with a discount for those who have already purchased the first version.

On the Psion, yes, it was my creation. I actually had a similar concept for D&D 3rd back when I wrote the original novel (2004-5) and it simply fit perfectly with the concept presented by Pathfinder for the Oracle.

Aaron:
No need to be sorry at all! I wish I had more people giving the kind of feedback Killian and you are giving me. ;)

Aaron, thank you a lot for your feedback, positive and negative. In fact, feedback is something I have been lacking for most of Eridanus products, this one in particular.

This product was different from everything else for two reasons: first, I did it all on my own and, second, I needed to have it out soon due to the crowdfunding's slow uptake.

But this shouldn't be an excuse. If I'm putting products for sale, even free ones like Corporate Solution, I must aim at quality and so I apologize for the editing mistakes.

On the paragraph you mentioned, option two would be correct. It's the kind of thing that works well in Portuguese but, once translated, doesn't sound as good. I will keep an eye out for this sort of thing.

Once again, thank you for your feedback and, most of all, for downloading and reading this adventure. Give it a try! Maybe you'll end up enjoying it as much as the regular fantasy RPG ;)

This is the last week for you to be part of Veil of Truth: Human Nature! Do you want an exclusive miniature? Do you want to create one of Humanity's colonies in the stars? What about having one of the leaders of Humanity based on your good looks?

Check out the book cover, table of contents and more here.

In the Weird, nothing is as it seems.

Eridanus presents the second teaser.

Again, I keep getting things truncated or cut off at the top. The cyan blue blocks off a certain section.

Actually that really IS weird. There are 8 lines of text above that, plus the title, date and Eridanus Book's logo. Do you have this same error on other Blogger/Blogspot websites?

I like fiction. Is this an indication that there will be fiction accompanying the Veil of Truth material?

Well, Veil of Truth DOES have fiction (after all, it's based on my first novel), but Chronicles of Weird is not related to Veil of Truth. Its something new (and weird) ;)

Do you want to know more? Here is a teaser!

That's... weird ;)

Coming soon...

Let us know your opinion. I'd like to know what does or doesn't work for you with this product line

And thanks for the chance!

Now also available for free at Paizo!

Curious about playing Pathfinder RPG in space, but do willing to pay for something you haven tried? Eager to get your hands on an exciting space opera adventure? Looking to learn more on the future of Humankind?

The download the Veil of Truth Starter Kit here for free!

Corporate Solution takes a party of up to 4 pre-generated characters (human seeker, human medtech, niterian engineer and celonian psion) to a backwater colony on Mars in search of a genius scientist gone missing.

The Starter Kit has everything you need to know to enjoy this adventure (minus the Pathfinder Rulesbook, of course!)

And don't forget the crowdfunding campaign for Veil of Truth: Human Nature.

Hello, everyone! Just wanted to let you guys know I just posted an update on the Veil of Truth: Human Nature crowdfunding campaign, including a closer look at the cover art (created by artist Ig Barros, currently working for DC Comics) and an overview of what is planned for each chapter.

Please check it out and let me know your opinion!

Eridanus Books is proud to present the crowd funding campaign for Veil of Truth: Human Nature!

Veil of Truth: Human Nature is part of the Veil of Truth campaign setting, released in 2005 as a novel in Brazil and Portugal and this year as a rules book that adapts the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game to space opera adventure!

In this setting, it was a new cold war when Humanity stumbled upon the truth: that we have been treated as primitive natives of a reservation kept away from contact with the living and thriving universe out there.

But this is not yet another story about an unified Humanity that saves the Galaxy. We are an aggressive species. We are envious and greedy. We are Human.

Veil of Truth: Human Nature is a 64-page source book that brings you Humanity’s story prior and after Revelation Day up to the mid-22nd century. Each of the Solar System’s planets, as well as its major factions and extra solar colonies are presented in their full glory. Learn about the power of Corporate Nations, Earth’s new geopolitical map and of adventure and war in space!

Join the fight and you may get not only the sourcebook, but the chance to be part of it! Create a space colony, be one of the VIPs, get an exclusive hand-made miniature!

Will you help Humanity reach the stars?

An alternative: mix dungeon types 1 and 2

The player needs to have an 'exploration charter' (basically a quest to explore dungeons) to find said dungeons

Another idea would be of the same dungeon entrance that leads to different dungeons, such as the entrance into the Darklands. The context (a popup, loading screen) is that players wander through a natural maze before coming upon a 'dungeon' to explore.

Have you taken your party to the stars yet? Have you peeked beneath the Veil of Truth?

Then get ready for a new announcement...

Actually, not necessarely 3pp Pathfinder. Could be stand alone or even a board game.

There has been a lot of talk about successful crowndfunding campaigns at Kickstarter.

But currently Kickstarter places a barrier before many developers: you need to be an US resident with social security number and bank account.

There are, though, other crowndfunding websites out there with less restrictions. Sites that take payment by paypal, for example.

The question is, would you support a project on other websites (ex: Catarse.me), as long as they were produced in English for the internacional market?

This post made me think about something... we´re talking about a persistent world that is affected by player action. In that sense, player-built buildings, once abandoned, would be this world's "ancient ruins"

which leads me to the other point. It sounds like it would be interesting if there was a system to turn these abandoned buildings in npc lairs

On a similar note, what about a system that turns an area into haunted if too many people die there? Say, your guild built this keep and, a while later, another guild comes over and butchers everyone and takes over. A little while later, the keep becomes haunted, spawning skeletons and ghosts, including a boss ghost that looks like the higher level character who died in the area. It could be done with an attribute that increases with every player killed in the area, triggering the event on a certain point. This could also lead to haunted battlefiends, streets, etc...

Works for me

I confess I feel that it is moving slowly, but my biggest caveat is that there was nothing to indicate this would be a TPK encounter. Suddenly the whole party was down, a mount dead, and this is just the first encounter, and something (seemigly) out of control

Games usually indicate the incoming danger in some way, so that players may prepare or (a possibility for us) ran away

Yes, I like sandbox and the possibility of encounters that the party can't defeat by force (I use that in my games), but there has to be indication of the risk so that, if the players fail, it was because they decided to go on despite the warnings.

Please, don't take this personally

Hi, Alzrius

There will be both an update (considering your feedback) and a followup to this line.

We'll report back on plans for the line soon! ;)

Due to logistics, print is not an option right now, but POD is something I'm considering for the future.

Dark_Mistress> This is the e-book era! You can send it to space as data, so impervious to environmental hazards! (Though Alzrius)

Urizen> I had to put the project in the hibernation chamber for a while as I moved to another city (think trading a small town in a tropical island to the largest metropolis in the country). But the project is back and this is just the first of the Veil of Truth line.

I want to have a good headstart on the followup products before I announce them so I don't leave anyone hanging in space ;)

Veil of Truth is currently Top 5 Hottest item at RPGNow! ;)

Thanks everyone for your interest!

Available at Paizo and at RPGNow

Now also available at here at Paizo.com!

The late 21st century seemed surprisingly similar to the mid 17th century. The world’s major powers clashed in controlled wars for the conquest of resources in distant colonies. Space was the new frontier, a savage land out of control of any one power. The race for the outer solar system was on.

There was only one problem: THEY were waiting for us.

Veil of Truth is a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible product that brings the Space Opera into your table!

Inside you will find:
* 7 new races: celonian, en, karizar, nabora, niterian, thoy'ykoth and yahidar;
* 4 alternate classes: engineer, medtech, psion and seeker;
* New uses for skills and several new feats;
* Tons of high and ultratech equipment;
* Everything you need to know to start your very own Veil of Truth Campaign;
* And everything without needing to learn a whole new game system!

Available at:
RPGNow
(Soon also here at Paizo.com)

There are many payment models for MMOs today, each with a different focus. While I know in North America most people abhor the F2P model (even though this seem to be changing), it seems to be the 'model of the future', at least as a basic concept.

Turbine's change to F2P games first with DDO makes a lot of sense especially with the sort of game that ia D&D. People are used to buying adventure modules, so that buying adventure packs makes sense to them. It's not so different from what DCU is doing now. And you still can keep the monthly payment by the use of "VIP accounts". I would say the same about Pathfinder online.

A similar (but different) case is Guild Wars 1. You pay for the game and for expansions (content), but otherwise the game is free.

Both games also have microtransaction, of course, which help keep the developer with "small money" (in the player's perspective, as this sort of items are often very much profitable for the developer).

In fact all of this came up because of SWTOR (I played the last beta run) and how we agreed their monetization (buy game + monthly charge) feels wrong. Bioware is famous for content. So, if they decided to innovate in content and keep the core gameplay not unlike the current default (read WoW), it would sound reasonable that they sold content packs instead of charging monthly.

While I know Pathfinder Online will not be SWTOR, it seems to make sense to me that PFO would work out as a basic sandbox game with some basic content (remember Dynamic Events!) and monetize on extra content such as adventure modules, character/guild customization and maybe access to certain areas

There is a concept of interconnected events I worked on for an MMO in which I was Lead Content Designer that I believe approaches the 'sandpark' mix idea. While I obviously can't speak about it, I point at Guild Wars 2's Dynamic Events system

Basically, each region of the game has a series of small and large events (basically state-machines that interact with eachother). So, you could have a region in which orcs come out of a cave and begin to spread out. If players do not stop then, they take over a nearby fort and use it to send attacks further away (all that defined by a flowchart-like state machine). But thats just one event. Another one might be that a vender goes from one city to another crossing this path. If he is killed (say, by the orcs that now took over the fort), it cannot reach the other city and, therefore, the players have no access to whatever that vendor sells.

One of Arenanet's presentations mentioned also player-triggered events like this. For instance, if a player takes the 'pearl of power' from an undersea dungeon, it triggers a magical storm that causes coastal cities to be attacked by sea monsters

While GW2 was not released yet (and still makes use of instanced single-player style quests), I believe this is the best concept for MMO storytelling WITH relatively cheap content creation. Goblinworks might look at this as a good direction to aim at.

It was a fun idea (and I loved my character :D), but I agree. We lost momentum (and player!). This kind of game (investigation) is hard to keep moving, especially on a forum

But I loved it. It was my first opportunity to play by forum and the first rpg in months. Thanks James!

There is something I'd absolutelly buy that you did not place in your survey: adventure packs

It works greatly for DDO. In fact, it was the only game that made me spend money on (exactly for adventure packs)

How a story is told depends on the media you are working on. Thats why movies anre not the same as novels or games and, in a way. Something similar happens to game systems in different media (Pathfinder pen & paper mechanics to MMO, Dragon Age PC to Dragon Age pen & paper to Dragon Age social)

The thing is that, in MMOs you can't tell stories like you tell in single-player games. Themepark games, like WoW, offer the same a single-player experience regarding PvE, which makes it somewhat disconnected to the rest of the world (PvP or group PvE).

The 'right' way to tell a story in an MMO is to make an excellent backstory and focus on the PLAYERS story. As Kaplan (WoW's Lead Quest Designer) said in GDC 09 to MMO game writers "You are not writing a <f-wording> book". This not the developer telling a story where the player is the main character. Its the developer creating a world in which the player is a character with his own story.

So, yes, there are stories going on created by the developer (read about Guild War 2's dynamic events for an example), but the world is there to present the players with materials.

Shameless plug

Awesome news! I just spread it around my friends ;)

By the way, did I mention, aside from publising Pathfinder compatible ebooks I am also a professional game designer with 2 published MMOs and a couple of published social network games? ;)

Arg! just saw it

Ill read, set up my aliases and post tonight

Weeeee!

Did you just call me Scully? :P

Only now I saw there was a whole new page of posts. Weee! :)

Game on! ;)

PS: I need a name, which won't be Scully!

Eradico: While I agree with you, my character doesn't. Too bad. He should know better (or not) ;)

So is this the point in which we start kidnapping people and making them play with us?

Sounds great. Join in and lets get the exploration train going ;)

Eradico, what if we create fake accounts who want to play? :D

Oh, wait... I shouldn't have said that out loud...

Here goes my character. Do tell if I'm missing something.

I'll work on the background and details during the weekend.

Occupation: Police Detective
Drive: Sudden Shock

What I have in mind so far...

* Once a by-the-book police officer
* Homicide detective for over a decade
* Responsible for investigating a series of unusual murders such as desmemberment, supposed ritual killing, etc.
* Came across strange evidence that were either refuted or disapeared.
* His personality slowly changed to someone more forceful, who would skip the rules if it seemed necessary to find the truth
* Recently lost his partner during an unsanctioned raid
* Spent a few months out due to shock. He was found apparently unhurt, but babbling uncontrolably.
* He can't remember what happened in the raid, but knows that, whatever it was, it was not 'from this world'
* Police Detective driven by sudden shock