Pledged.
Will the Adventure Path added at the 18k stretch goal be print or pdf only? 40$ seems a bit low for a hardcover, a GM screen and six modules. Not the I would complain.
I agree, not that I would mind, but I have been burned by Kickstarters a few times when the business model or finances behind a product isn't thought thru..
They are intended to be print products. We've delved into the finances of it and it seems doable. But I completely understand your concerns! The idea that we might actually hit that stretch mark makes my head swim, but things have gone so well so far that I'm not ready to rule anything out just yet.
Thanks for your support, guys! I'll try and check here regularly in case you have any questions or other concerns.
I worked on a few of their D20 line of sourcebooks back in the day, specifically Good and Guilds. I was on the Spycraft Story Team for a while, and worked on the Wheelman book. I did work on one particular adventure in the Warlord Campaign Book, but other than that I got to create an evil paladin Medusa Lord I honestly can't remember much more about it than that. It was a long time ago!
Hey, look at that! We made it! Stretch goals, here we come!
Thanks to everyone here who linked over and pledged. Your support is invaluable and I greatly appreciate it.
We met our first stretch goal and it's only been a week since launch! My head is spinning from all the excitement. We're hoping to make it through another one before the end of the weekend, which will open up a lot of options for other people to play the game with different systems. (I mean, I love Pathfinder myself but I know some folks are persnickety about such things.)
We've also added some add-on purchases if you are inclined toward such things. I hope to reveal some art and mechanics previews in the next week as well. Stop on by and have a look!
Pledged! Thunderscape sounds really amazing! I think i remember seeing the game in store when I was a little boy, the first ad&d game i played was the "gateway to the savage frontier". I still have the gold box somewhere in storage.
Im hoping we will hit the18k stretch goal soon, so we get the 6path adventure pack and you guys have to make new stretch goals beyond 20k!
Everyone lets make this happen! :D
Thanks, Valen!
I posted some concept art last night, and the update also sneaks a peek at the mechanics reflected in the artwork. The 18k goal seems impossibly far away right now but I'll do my part and post what teasers I can to entice the masses! :)
ShadowCatX: I finally had a chance to dig out my old Warlord books! I wrote up the Darkness of Castle Blackthorne and wrote the background for Tiberius Blackthorne. The time between submission and publication was considerable, at least a year or two, and I'm sure there were lots of edits, but I did come up with the whole Doom of Souls bit that explained why there were two Blackthornes. I'm still pretty happy about that.
Anyway, back on target! Information to keep in mind if you're spectating and haven't decided yet:
1. The project IS going to be funded!
2. A $15 pledge gets you the core book and an adventure module on PDF!
3. A $40 pledge gets you the core book and a module in print and PDF!
Plus potentially much more if the stretch goals continue to roll in. :)
Considering that we already passed 11k and have 21 days to go, will 20k really be the final stretch goal?
When we clear that in a week, they have to make new ones.. :). Progress seems to be around 1k a day now.. So we will propably hit around 30-35k..
If we could hit 350 backers and average of 90 per backer it would be quite possible.. Double our current backers and one 15€ addon that everyone wants and we are there.. ;)
It is so weird to think about that I have carefully avoided the idea that we might go past $20k. However, if that -should- happen, then yes we will create more stretch goals to suit the new paradigm.
Thanks for your support, guys!
A reasonable suggestion. We'll see what we can come up with! But I'm not going to worry about that too much until we get a bit closer to the goal itself. It's sort of premature to spend a lot of time thinking about it right now.
Last night we updated with some information about one of the new classes you'll be seeing in this book, the Golemoid Warrior, as well as some concept art for the class from our art director. I hope you'll check it out!
Also, we are very, very close to our second stretch goal! Wooo!
I'm not familiar with the games, so please indulge me:
What sets your setting apart from other steampunkish settings? There is already the World of Terah, Pure Steam and Rhûne (which blends Norse myth with electricity/stormpunk) by Storm Bunny Studios. In the fantasy-component Midgard and the upcoming Shadowlands will probably be hard to beat. Fantasy/Sci-Fi blending is done superbly by Amethyst Renaissance.
I get that the jump to Renaissance/Industrial revolution was relatively recent. And that there was some sort of cataclysm. And that there's a race of intelligent bipedal animals, which will surely find its audience.
But what's the cinch, what's the sole thing that makes your setting blow me away? Why is laying in your setting so much cooler than in Golarion, NeoExodus or other settings?
What level of detail are you expecting? Bestiary? Planned supplemental material (beyond the arc/AP?)?
How will the PFRPG-classes (beyond core) feature in your world? How high on your priority-list ranks balance - since some AEG-books were great, while other were incredibly broken? What about psionics? Yes/No/compatible with DSP's books?
I'm not familiar with the games, so please indulge me:
Certainly.
What sets your setting apart from other steampunkish settings? There is already the World of Terah, Pure Steam and Rhûne (which blends Norse myth with electricity/stormpunk) by Storm Bunny Studios. In the fantasy-component Midgard and the upcoming Shadowlands will probably be hard to beat. Fantasy/Sci-Fi blending is done superbly by Amethyst Renaissance.
I get that the jump to Renaissance/Industrial revolution was relatively recent. And that there was some sort of cataclysm. And that there's a race of intelligent bipedal animals, which will surely find its audience.
But what's the cinch, what's the sole thing that makes your setting blow me away? Why is laying in your setting so much cooler than in Golarion, NeoExodus or other settings?
You start off your questions by specifically referencing other steampunk settings, so I will do the same. To me, Aden's take on steam is not at all steampunk, because the -punk appelation implies a certain amount of dystopian aspect to the setting, and that's not necessarily the case with regard to Aden. I prefer to think of it more as a steam-tech setting, but I suppose that's just the writer in me mincing words again.
Steam power is an important part of Aden, but not the central focus. Rather, it's something of a newcomer to the setting, and one that likely would not have been thrust so sharply into the limelight if it weren't out of sheer desperation. The Darkfall is, to me, the central focus of Aden. In a single moment, more than one thousand years of peace was shattered by a cataclysm of unheralded proportions. The beauty of the Darkfall is that it changed the entire world. It is a very recent occurence that is probably the single most significant event in the world's entire history, and no one understands it. Not only that, but the only people who might have been able to figure out out disappeared when it took place.
The world of Aden is in a desperate state. The Darkfall has doomed the way of life they knew only ten years ago. Every day is a fight to survive, and after a thousand years of peace, the nations were not in a proper position to fight a war of this scale. The pressure has started to fracture relations between the nations, and they squabble with one another almost as much as they fight with the Nocturnals, the minions of the Darkfall. Many have turned to steam-powered devices combined with magic to fight the Darkfall, but in truth they don't understand mechamagic a great deal more than they do their enemies. Are they trading one doom for another? Some fear that they are. Some are unsure. And some simply don't care.
Aden is a world that desperately needs heroes, and heroes that can quite literally change the face of the world.
What level of detail are you expecting? Bestiary? Planned supplemental material (beyond the arc/AP?)?
I have plans for a number of different sourcebooks to follow the core rules. What kind of release schedule we have will depend upon how successful the Kickstarter is and what kind of feedback we get from the backers. I want their input to help us decide what to do first. They're the ones making it possible, after all.
How will the PFRPG-classes (beyond core) feature in your world? How high on your priority-list ranks balance - since some AEG-books were great, while other were incredibly broken? What about psionics? Yes/No/compatible with DSP's books?
I'm not sure what you mean when you say "beyond core." All of Paizo's classes, whether in the core, the APG, or the Ultimate series, will be supported in the rules and the setting. Balance is incredibly important to me. If you are familiar with my work on the L5R RPG, particularly 4th Edition, I hope that will speak to how highly I value balance and mechanical stability.
I intend to support psionics in Aden, but not in the core. There will be a subsequent book that helps integrate that into the setting completely. However, it would be a simple matter to address its compatibility in a sidebar in the core so that interested parties will at least know that they can be utilized. Your question suggests to me that I need to do that!
Please don't hesitate to ask further questions if you feel you need a little more clarity.
Oh, this is exiting! I'll definitely pledge.
I've always wanted to see World of Aden to become a fleshed out world setting. I guess it's time to dust off my Pathfinder books.
Looking at the old manual of the Thunderscape video game brings back so many fond memories.* I love the mix of fantasy elements, firearms, steam-tech and technomagic.
You and me both, brother!
I'd like to ask a few questions if you don't mind.
I certainly don't!
How do you intend to handle firearms and steam-powered weaponry? Is everyone going to be able to use those or will there be (prestige) classes (like the Pathfinder Gunslinger)?
We're dealing with firearms by supplying new models that represent the particular designs commonly found in Aden, as well as adding certain types of firearm proficiencies to certain classes; guns are so common in certain portions of Aden that virtually everyone has at least fired one once before, so it only makes sense.
And on your facebook page I saw the cover art for Entomorph - Plague of the Darkfall. Now, it's been a long time since I've payed that game, but as far as I remember it had a very different feel to it. Didn't it have some kind of horror element where the hero willingly turned himself into a monster to fight the bbeg? And will you incorporate something like this in your sourcebook?
The events of Entomorph will be touched upon in the core book and the aftermath of that game will be dealt with as a primary focus of one of our first modules produced as a result of the $10k stretch goal having been met. So yes, it's safe to say you'll see plenty of Entomorph related content! :)
I myself am a great fan of the Aden setting and glad to see it on Kickstater. I have bought into the kickstarter and will be looking forward to getting the book in the future. I'll probably end up running a campaign of it on Rolld20 soon after I get the PDF version. Hope they have stats for Panorpid (The Bloodsucking Bees) in the game. They were such creepy critters in the Ectomorph game. I do have some questions concerning the setting however.
Is all of civilization in ruins at the moment or did many cities and settlements survive and rebuild from the coming of the Darkfall. Secondly, the sun went out for only a short time. Are the Nocturnals vulnerable to sunlight thus that is why they are driven underground rather than running wild after the sun came back? What of "Normal" antagonists in the setting like wandering wild monsters (Of the Non-Nocturnal type), Bandits, Savage monster races (Like Ogres, Orcs, Hobgoblins and Kobolds), Dragons, Aberations and other threats, do they exist in the World of Aden. It seems rather one sided if the Nocturnals are the only evil in the world. How does Aden interact with other Planes. Does it have links to the planes such as the elemental planes, the inner planes and the outer planes? What sort of Gods are worshiped in Aden and is Divine magic a possibility? Are races out of the Pathfinder Race Guide a possibility to play? Races such as the Undine, Sylph, Ifrit, Oread, Sulis and others? As you can see I have many questions concerning this world. I wonder if they can be clarified.
Is all of civilization in ruins at the moment or did many cities and settlements survive and rebuild from the coming of the Darkfall.
No, many of the larger cities and even some of the sturdier villages survived. Still others have been rebuilt in the decade since the Darkfall. If you look at the map on the front page of our Kickstarter, you can see there are still a great many settlements in existence, just nowhere near as many as there were before the Darkfall happened.
Secondly, the sun went out for only a short time. Are the Nocturnals vulnerable to sunlight thus that is why they are driven underground rather than running wild after the sun came back?
Nocturnals are almost infinitely varied. Some of them are susceptible to sunlight, yes, but many are not. There's no way to know unless you know the particular kind of beast you're fighting, such as the cacklers or shankers or what have you.
What of "Normal" antagonists in the setting like wandering wild monsters (Of the Non-Nocturnal type), Bandits, Savage monster races (Like Ogres, Orcs, Hobgoblins and Kobolds), Dragons, Aberations and other threats, do they exist in the World of Aden. It seems rather one sided if the Nocturnals are the only evil in the world.
Oh there are many, many threats in Aden that do not originate from the Darkfall. Tension between the nations are high, and there are threats that existed before the Darkfall that are still out there, like the Naga and the Ilithix, just to name two.
How does Aden interact with other Planes. Does it have links to the planes such as the elemental planes, the inner planes and the outer planes? What sort of Gods are worshiped in Aden and is Divine magic a possibility? Are races out of the Pathfinder Race Guide a possibility to play? Races such as the Undine, Sylph, Ifrit, Oread, Sulis and others? As you can see I have many questions concerning this world. I wonder if they can be clarified.
The relationship with other planes is delved into in the book. As per the previous materials, Aden does not have any gods that are broadly recognized. There are religions, yes, but they are not deity-specific, exactly. More about that in the book! But don't worry, we have plenty for clerics to do in the game so that we do not lose any of the divine class options.
In the last campaign I ran before we acquired the rights to Aden, we used races from the ARG. The party was a human, an elf, a goreaux, a tengu (Raven Ferran, in Aden terms), and a dhampir. So the setting absolutely supports use of the book, and I'll probably include a section in the book's race section addressing those options.
We just posted update #7 on the Kickstarter page! This is the first one to actually include previewed mechanical content, in the form of the goreaux racial rules. Have a look and let us know what you think!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1860935013/thunderscape-the-world-of-ad en/posts/438469
Mechamagic mastery - does that mean that they could leave a construct, it loses its hp and collapses? Or are these subtracted first?
I'm not a big fan of +4 to Int and Keen Mind - they gear the character too strongly into a direction of int-based builds. Good PFRPG-races (not the horribly broken examples in the ARG-races...) usually feature +2+2-2. Starting Int 22 is insane, especially when combined with the knowledge-class-skills AND skill focus as a bonus feat. This gearing of a RACE into a role predisposed towards CLASSES is more 3.X in design-philosophy than PFRPG. Additionally, the bonus feat and AT LEAST 10 (!!!!) additional class skills (the standard knowledge-skills in PFRPG) is INSANE. That's a total potential of +30 to skills, more with knowledge(local)-subtypes! At Int 22, that could mean +13 to a knowledge skill at 1st level - for ONE skill point investment. A rogue could cover ALL knowledge skills with his 14 skill points and still have 4 points. that is once +13, 9 times +10 + 4 regular skills. AT FIRST LEVEL.
Sans magic. Before all the other benefits like the fast speed for small characters, anti-construct-benefits etc. come in. And what if players want to play venerable Goreaux?
Sorry to say so, but not impressed. This race as written feels op to me, violates PFRPG-design philosophy in its specific direction and is in need of a hit with the nerfbat. I wouldn't allow them at my table as written.
Not trying to be negative, just my 2 cents since I'm contemplating joining up with the KS due to your reply to my first inquiries. I hope you'll improve the draft.
Cheers!
Gentlemen! First, thank you for checking the update, and for taking the time and trouble to post your thoughts. I appreciate that. Let me begin by reiterating what I said over on the KS page, and that is this: the mechanics are in the process of being playtested. Honestly I was reluctant to post any since they weren't finalized, but I had so many people PMing me asking me to put some up that I finally caved. Perhaps that was not the wisest choice, but at least it gives us some options for a good dialogue.
As a designer, let me say that I view the creation of all mechanics in terms of three vital criteria: balance, theme, and convention. To me, and I think I speak for our lead desigern when I say this as well, balance is paramount. It must be the foremost concern. A balanced mechanic should also be thematic, and, if it does not compromise the first two, it should adhere to convention.
Now, are the Goreaux overpowered? So far, testing has not indicated that they are, but we're still relatively early in the process. It may be that your conjecture here proves to be accurate, and if that is the case, I can absolutely assure you that it will be changed. Theme cannot superceed balance. Convention, on the other hand... that we are not as concerned with. The Goreaux do not precisely match the format of the PF core races, obviously, and that's not something we worry too much about, as long as it doesn't imperil balance. If it gives you comfort, though, please know that our other race designs much more closely resemble the kinds of things you see in the core races.
I will say that while I have not found the +4/-2/-2 paradigm to be particularly problematic in this case, I do find your concerns about Keen Mind well stated and worthy of consideration. I'm going to have a meeting with the LD and with the playtesters and see if we can find some alternative that will not give fans like yourself such a cardiac case of sticker shock upon reading it. I remain convinced there's some degree of middle ground to be discovered here.
Again, guys, thank you so much for your feedback. I place high value on interaction and feedback from the fans, and it's even more important in this case when your comments and critiques still have a chance to impact the final product. Please don't hesitate to post any further thoughts if you have them.
I'd strongly encourage you to deviate from the +4 attribute bonus, since basic rules assume at best a +2 bonus regarding attribute bonuses when taking attribute calculations into account. I've seen A LOT of race-builds and +4 attributes almost never work properly, gearing the race in a tighter closet than it should be. And yeah, Kenn Mind doesn't HAVE to be abused, but any halfway decent skill monkey will abuse the hell out of it. Looking forward to reading the revisions! Cheers!
Again, guys, thank you so much for your feedback. I place high value on interaction and feedback from the fans, and it's even more important in this case when your comments and critiques still have a chance to impact the final product. Please don't hesitate to post any further thoughts if you have them.
Scarman I would take Endzeitgeist comments and review as gospel. Endzeitgeist has proven time and time again to have the amazing ability really think about your product for use with the gaming masses. If he think there might be an issue with something, you might want to look more deeply into it. Just my thoughts...
I just found this yesterday... magic, technology, post-apoc, horror IS really my cup of tea so I'm really looking forward to this.
BTW, being a Kickstarter newbie, I was hesitant but this product changed that and I am happy to say that I already pledged (first timer).
Looking forward to more previews...
Hello, everyone.
I just wanted to mention that I put up another update last night, detailing the stretch goals up to $25k. I didn't want to put these up, honestly, because it feels like jinxing our great success so far, but it has been requested so many times that I felt like it had to be done in order to give backers (both current and potential) the information they desired. I do hope you'll drop by and offer your thoughts!
Remember, at the $40 level you now get the core book and an adventure module (both of them in print and PDF formats) as well as our new GM screen with vital setting-specific mechanical information!
We updated yet again! I'm like a machine these days.
Anyway, we added some new items to the add-on menu (a color map, a button pin) as well as some PDF options so that folks who only want the PDF can add on the bells and whistles and get their digital goodness. You can now, if you so desire, get the core book and first module for a $15 pledge, then add the second and third modules, and even the GM screen in PDF form if you want, each for only $10.
We're going to have a new round of mechanics previews starting shortly to bring us over the finish line in style. I hope you'll check us out!
Hello, all! Yesterday we updated the Kickstarter with a design essay on the Golemoid Warrior class. Later today we'll be updating again with a design essay on the Mechamage class. If you're interested in learning more about those classes, what they're capable of and what the process of their creation was, we hope you'll check us out and let us know what you think!
Also, we're only a few hundred dollars away from out next stretch goal, which turns the trio of adventures currently planned in the stretch goals into an Adventure Path that everyone gets to share in! It's going to be very cool.
Hi Scarman- I'm looking at pledging at the $40 level. Is the print edition a softcover or hardcover? Thanks.
Hardcover!
Awesome! I just pledged 40 bucks. Looking forward to the finished product.
So, with the KS clsoing and 80 bucks netting the sourcebook and a whole AP in print (as for as I understood) I am sorely tempted and have to ask:
I understand we'll get the first bunch of books and then the whole AP shipped once it's complete - does that mean shipping costs x2? If so, at how much shipping costs would we look at?
Secondly, mechanics-wise, are you streamlining everything to be more PFRPG in style than the preview? I'm a bit loathe to pledge when I'm not yet sold on the mechanic side.
And finally: What's your ETA for the completed AP?
Thanks and congrats for the amount of success you had so far!
Hello, Endzeitgeist! Let me see if I can address your questions.
The AP will be released as it is completed in PDF, and then once it is complete, a compiled copy will be shipped to those backers who are entitled to one as a result of their pledge level. There will be no second shipping charge. Honestly the AP thing, as I talked about in an update, was structured badly as a result of my inexperience, but I see no reason to pass that buck on to the backers. I am a man of my word, even if that word entails me eating some extra shipping costs. Besides, the way we have it set up now, additional sales over the period of the AP's release should help us defray those additional costs so that it won't be so painful. :)
The mechanics will in general be streamlined toward PFRPG compatibility. I can't guarantee every single mechanic will be 100% in line with your perception of the core, of course, but the vast majority will certainly be.
The AP's delivery date is a little up in the air, but our hope is to deliver the first PDF module when the core ships and to release one every six weeks / two months thereafter, so that there will be a steady stream of new material coming your way in thanks for your backing.
For those of you who are reading, I also just posted our final class essay so that you have an idea what the final class, the Seer, is all about.
Wow! Thunderscape is closing in on the 20k mark! If you haven't checked this out yet you should consider doing so. The $40 to $60 pledge levels are an amazing value. Here's hoping the $21k rewards for the classes gets unlocked!
The basic description calls this "a harsh world of industry, magic, and horror." How dark is the setting going to be? Horror for me is something that it is very easy to get too much of. Like what rating are you going for, for example? What does horror mean specifically for Thunderscape?
Hello, Keolin. Thank you for checking us out. Let me see if I can address your question.
I agree emphatically that horror can easily be overdone. There are horror elements that are intrinsic to the setting, but the degree to which they are integrated with any given adventure or campaign is dependant upon the tastes of the individual GM. An Aden game can, and has for me, focus on international intrigue, crime and punishment, horror, exploring ancient mysteries, and almost anything else.
To me, the horror of Aden is that there exists a vastly powerful, unknown foe whose minions take an almost infinite variety of forms, and whose only common traits are that they are exceptionally dangerous and extremely hostile. Using them can easily twist any game with a horor subtheme if you so desire, but it's not an automatic assumption.
Basically we're supplying you with a healthy spice rack of horror and you can season your campaign to your tastes.
Final day of Thunderscape KS and we have almost broken all of the stretch goals! Lets make the last few happen also! Fifth new core class is almost here! :)
"All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney"
Oooh... the games bring back memories... I loved them. Glad to see I got in right at the last minute.
Looks like my pledge put it over the 25k mark, so the fifth class is coming. I wonder if it will hit 26 before it's over.