A new PFRPG-compatible campaign setting is in the works...and we need your help to make it awesome.
PF Scenario contributor Larry Wilhelm and I have joined forces with two fellow Canadians to create The Ages of Allu Campaign Guide -- an ambitious and exciting point of entry to a new high-fantasy world that blends mythology, elemental magic, and a dash of steampunk to tell sweeping tales of epic destinies.
Our other two team members are Orion Kidder, an RPG designer and comic book scholar (seriously!) and Tiffany Tate, illustratrix extraordinaire. You can read more about us, and about the world we're building, at agesofallu.com. (Visit often, as new content will appear every 2-3 days throughout November!)
We really, really want Pathfinder fans to get involved -- not just because we want your money, but because we know you can help make Allu cooler. That's why so many of our rewards involve world-building contributions from backers.
In my 25 years as a gamer, I have come to believe that, when it comes to role-playing games, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And as a writer, I know that a work is only as good as the readers, viewers, or gamers who engage with it. Your experience and insight can take our project to the next level.
Come weave a new world with us!
The Ages of Allu Kickstarter Page
P.S. We are always seeking feedback to improve our KS campaign, too! If you can think of ways to improve our rewards or stretch goals, post them here, or visit our first thread on the subject.
Just checked out the KS - the video was a lot of fun to watch, and extra super-duper bonus points for using Dead Can Dance as background music.
* The logo looks like the letter A is also the number 4 in "Ages" and "Allu". Nice. Good logo.
* Maps look like they need a lot of polish. Cool map though, I liked it.
What ARE the thirteen new races? Why would I back this if I don't know what I am getting? I see some pictures quickly, but even a Name/Theme/Potted history of each would raise the interest levels.
I see a lot of potential, and a lot of empty space. I would back something that has something, not something that has a lot of empty space. If you had a one-sentence (or even one paragraph) catch all phrase that could encapsulate both the standout thematic features and the variance from existing campaign settings what would it be?
A flat-planet is not entirely ground-breaking in recent Campaign Setting history - Kobold Press' Midgard CS (which also has clockpunk elements) is a flat-planet.
Basically I need a LOT more information to get excited by this, and I'm not sure this has that yet.
I'm very pleased to see some Canadian designers making a creative Campaign Setting. Good luck and I hope this feedback helps!!!
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Oh, and "Tolkien" is spelled incorrectly. Much as I might malign him, he deserves some respect. :)
@oceanshieldwolf if you go to our web site linked above, you get to see the first race preview. The diminutive plant-based Sagu! More are in the que as each day passes. Is this what you were speaking to, or did you want something different?
also the city map is just the turnover I sent in. It still needs to be done professionally. Glad you like the rough city map!
Thanks for your feedback, Oceanshieldwolf! As soon as I read your posts, I went right in and fixed Tolkien's name on the site.
You can read an overview of all our playable races here. We'll be publishing profiles of specific races regularly throughout November; as Larry said, the first is a brand new race of telepathic plants called sagu. But if you're looking for something with a bit more brawn, check back next week when we profile the minotauri.
Finding a tweet-sized pitch for The Ages of Allu has been challenging, precisely because we conceived it with ages in mind. As a result, I think it can be different things to different gaming groups:
- A mythscape of gods and titans terraforming and waging war.
- A beast-laden landscape waiting for heroes to conquer and civilize.
- A tyrannical empire, ready to be overthrown by underdog rebels.
- A rapidly collapsing world where fusing magic and technology may be the only hope of survival.
But settings aside, what we're really striving for is a setting that's conducive to sweeping, epic stories; cinematic acts of heroism against breathtaking environments; and a surprise at every turn.
I hope that helps! We're still growing this world and this project from the ground up, so any feedback and suggestions are most welcome.
Forgive the phrasing on this, but it does seem like a lot of this as been done before in other settings in one form or another (elemental affinities, flat world, steampunk-ish technology, etc).
However, I like the concept of better established fastplay rules and a faster paced game (and a setting designed to accept them). If you could elaborate on that bit more I'd love to hear more about it.
The concept of death being permanent is kind of cool, but then it if you can really enforce it, but then you went and reversed on that. I like reincarnation, but it seems a bit misleading at the moment to say there is perma-death. Could you elaborate on that? Seems like you guys have bigger idea out there that you were not able to convey in your video. Again, would love to hear more.
So I got Larry's background in Pathfinder, but out of curiosity, have you had any published works Scott or worked with other publishers?
Seems like you have a great start! Good luck! :-D
Thanks for including the expenditure breakdown, that is something that is always nice to see.
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Forgive the phrasing on this, but it does seem like a lot of this as been done before in other settings in one form or another (elemental affinities, flat world, steampunk-ish technology, etc).
However, I like the concept of better established fastplay rules and a faster paced game (and a setting designed to accept them). If you could elaborate on that bit more I'd love to hear more about it.
That is exactly our developmental focus right now. Orion is developing a fast-play multiple attack template for upper-level martial characters, and we're working on an easy bonus system that rewards cinematic role-playing, instead of punishing players when they try to step outside the RAW.
Seems like you guys have bigger idea out there that you were not able to convey in your video.
Absolutely! That video was shot in August, and a lot has changed even since then! I'll msg you as soon as we post the rules for death and reincarnation on our home page.
So I got Larry's background in Pathfinder, but out of curiosity, have you had any published works Scott or worked with other publishers?
Larry and I collaborated on two chapters of Headless Hydra's "Viridian Legacy" AP, but the project got shelved, so I'm not sure if they'll ever see print. Otherwise, my publishing credits are all in playwriting (which is a bit like writing adventures, but with a slightly more predictable outcome)!
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I've a particular fond-spot for the various things that Ages of Allu is looking to hit with its particular broadside salvos, and as I only back Kickstarters that resonate with me, I've backed this one at the $200 CAN level.
I'm also going to pitch this to my High-Fantasy-Loving friends, while I'm at it. :)
Very glad to hear that Jemstone. I'd like to thank you and all of our backer so far. We are soooo close to the halfway point we need all the help we can get. Sharing us with friends is very helpful. I'm excited to see the reaction we get with our next update!
Larry Wilhelm
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And I'm in. Here's hoping!
Glad to have you aboard!