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Spheres of Power is approaching its end (the final PDF update will come mid-February, and then the book heads off to print) and we're making progression on the Wizard's Academy bestiary and adventure.
And now we're launching our next kickstarter: Skybourne!
The great forest consumed the world, scattering the races to the underground, to the ocean, across the planes, to the frozen wastes, and to floating isles in the sky. Now teams of adventurers have a world's worth of ruins to plunder, provided they can keep their airship running long enough to make the journey.
This kickstarter is to fund the first three books in an upcoming line, each of which can be re-purposed and dropped into any home campaign, or can be used together to explore the Skybourne Campaign setting: Andrus: The City of Men, Woodfaring Adventures, and The Player’s Guide to Skybourne.
Andrus: The City of Men: Andrus is the last great city of the planet's surface. Founded in a crater not even the forest could claim, creatures the world over travel to Andrus to discuss their discoveries and seek their fortunes. Demon lords, dragon riders, merfolk traders, sentient plant creatures; anything and everything finds its way to Andrus eventually, and a thousand clans, cultures, and factions are constantly locked in battle for control over this last, great holdout of a bygone world.
Woodfaring Adventures: This book details the dangers of the forest and the treasures lurking within. From the relative safety of the treetops, to the dangers of the forest floor, to the inexpressible horror of the cryptwoods, this book details monsters, dungeons, and everything else a team of adventurers might encounter as they explore a dangerous new world.
The Player’s Guide to Skybourne: The Player’s Guide to Skybourne details airships and vehicles, new skill uses and player options, adventuring equipment, and everything else an adventurer needs to make their way through the world of Skybourne. With both completely new options and expanded and updated versions of some of our previous content, The Player's Guide to Skybourne details a host of player options for spicing up any campaign.
Skybourne runs from now until Feb. 14th!
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I am definitely putting in a contribution next month. Not only does the campaign setting sounds great, but I was so impressed with Spheres of Power that I am confident my investment in this project will deliver a superior product.
You Sir have made my night.
I will be checking this out. Sounds intriguing always looking for new ways to set up a world. :)
Provided the KS is a success, when is the estimated release date then?
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When 'Companions of Firmament' came out and the Technology Guide was on the horizon I started planning a homebrew game with flying as the central theme. What I came up with was a planet with eternal day on one side and eternal night on the other due to a battle between gods. As a result the Light Hemisphere's plants crushed the surface civilizations driving people to live on country-sized canopies and flying islands using winged companions, airships and flying surf boards(Rules gained from Jon Brazer's 'Vehicles of War'). Meanwhile dark forces and wild animals lurk in the strata beneath the canopies and Dark Hemisphere along with lost secrets from the old world waiting for adventurers to discover.
Skybourne from the description is so close to that concept that I'm eventually scrapping that campaign in favor of Skybourne. (Also I don't have to do the work of writing the campaign setting anymore.) I went ahead and pledged and will be sure to be vocal.
I also imagine this will be less silly than what I cooked up considering that I poached Dragonflyz, Air Raiders and He-man for air-pun-names like the lost city of Airlandis, and the hub of civilization Aircadia.
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Sounds cool. Just read a review of Rajan Khanna's Falling Sky. Here's the background:
A disease turned most of the world’s human population into ferals two generations ago. Most of the folks who survived took to the skies to get away from the highly contagious bug. They have taken to the air in dirigibles and airships, but, like all birds, occasionally they must land to forage for supplies and when they do the threat of ferals is omnipresent.
Emphasis mine.
I'll check the KS. Good luck!!!
But surely, if borne by sky ships, should it not be Skyborne? The extra "u" just makes it seem like an attempt to be fantastic or olde worlde-y for the sake of it…
[Later - after looking at the KS] Well, I don't think it needs the planeswalking, and the inclusion of drow seems… I dunno, unnecessary. I think I tire of Campaign Settings that seem to be reskins of the Core Rules, and take the time to make serious departures. I really like the forest/woodfaring and the requisite delving in lost civilizations. I can leave the rest. Thumbs up for Firefly reference, but then both thumbs get cut off for mentioning Forgotten Realms. :)
Still, the art is great, and with backers of sufficient pledge-level having the chance to pitch ideas and perhaps some direction, it could really rock. And regardless of the fluff, I could always mine it for ideas.
I'd like to pledge at the physical reward tier, just dreading the shipping to Australia.
Again, good luck Adam, and I hope to pledge soon.
When 'Companions of Firmament' came out and the Technology Guide...
Adam - please be sure to check out Companions of the Firmament. Endzeitgeist has done quite a detailed review of it - a fantastic aerial adventures and aerial combat resource.
I haven't checked the Technology Guide out, but I'm sure it will be useful too...
I always appreciate the advice and links. We plan to talk regularly with the backers about what they want out of these books, so the more feedback we get, the better job we'll do.
Now I see in the description that you guys are taking cues from Star Wars and Firefly. Does that mean that Skybourne has a technological slant to it? I am all aboard for steampunk airships with a robot-man weilding a light saber while riding a magic flying hoverboard attacking a dragon with shoulder mounted siege weapons with hair metal wailing in the background.
Will Skybourne be written to use Spheres of Power? Will the books expand the Spheres of Power system in any way? That might change how I pledge.
This was on an update for Spheres of Power about Skybourne
**Is this compatible with Spheres of Power? Or is it ONLY compatible with Spheres of Power?**Each of the three books is usable with standard Pathfinder. That being said, they will also include new player options, casting traditions, and other mechanical tidbits for the benefit of those who are looking for an expanded SoP experience. SoP is our baby, and we'll be supporting it with everything else we produce.
Personally I know I will pledge for the player's guide. Hopefully the whole thing.
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Good to know. Thank you!
Yeah, given what that says, and I am most interested in mechanical widgets rather than setting or monsters, I am really happy with the Player's guide for sure.
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We just posted an update that outlines the player's guide, and we're asking for comments on what options they'd like to see expanded in the book. I don't know how many of the backers also backed Spheres of Power, but personally I'd love an excuse to flood the new book with new SoP archetypes and options. "The backers MADE me do it!"
We just posted an update that outlines the player's guide, and we're asking for comments on what options they'd like to see expanded in the book. I don't know how many of the backers also backed Spheres of Power, but personally I'd love an excuse to flood the new book with new SoP archetypes and options. "The backers MADE me do it!"
On it.
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Funded!
Funded!
Already!? Oh well. You'll still be getting my contribution next month. I wanna be able to vote on those polls.
Funded!
Congratulations Adam, and DDS.
Funded!
Well that was quick. I guess I should start thinking up some stretch goals to beg for.
I guess the first and most obvious is more spheres. I'm wary of asking for more talents considering that having the talents in two or three pages made making my Mageknight today so painless, I don't want the talents to be scattered all throughout your products, but new spheres would be amazing. Also new sphere-specific classes sphere-related feats. I also noticed that the Alchemist's 'casting' is hard to transfer to Spheres of Power. If there were sets of Alchemy spheres or something like that I will up my pledge level. Same for if there are any martial Spheres or Sphere-like abilities.
Speaking of martial spheres, I'd love it if there was some good martial support in general. Mostly because in a world that has taken to the skies they are the most disadvantaged at their base. They need options to close the gap or compete at a range without strength becoming an obsolete stat.
I mentioned it up top but if there's a Sci-Fantasy slant to this world I have a wishlist;
1. Hoverboards. Remember that movie Treasure Planet? I want to fly on a magic or steam-powered hoverboard so I can swing a sword while I fly.
2. Steampunk melee weapons. When technology comes online the game becomes a touch AC battle quick as all the support goes to ranged weapons. I'd like to see gunblades, shock gauntlets, gravity hammers, sonic swords, and lightsabers.
3. Vehicle or animal mounted siege weapons. I want to ride a Pegasus with shoulder cannons.
4. A hookshot. A wrist-mounted grappling cannon for pirates to use to board enemy ships.
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We've posted initial stretch goals, which include a canvas map, interior color, and the two most-requested items: Ship customization and more SoP options.
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We've unlocked the map: hand-drawn, printed on 27x18 inch canvas, and pretty awesome. We've also posted a survey in the latest update for which new races people would like to see in the book.
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Jim Groves joins the Skybourne team as a stretch goal; when unlocked, he'll be writing an introductory adventure for Andrus: The City of Men. We've also added a stretch goal for Hero Lab files, and a 4th book expanding airship designs, customization, and combat.
Woo! The the most important stretch goal has been reached for me! I really wanted the expanded airship designs, customization, and combat. I am happy to hear that its getting its own book too! Please tell me, will this 4th book affect the current backer levels, or will it generate new back levels? I really want to get all 4 books in PDF form, and at least 1 if not all in print form.
I'm a little disappointed that we voted in a second plant race as opposed to the dino-men, but I upped to the new tier to get a lot of stuff which is nice.
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The $35 reward level gets a PDF of everything, and the new $100 level gets a printed copy of everything (including the canvas map).
The $35 reward level gets a PDF of everything, and the new $100 level gets a printed copy of everything (including the canvas map).
What about the additional rules for Spheres of Power? I was not around for the Spheres of Power kickstarter.
The $35 reward level gets a PDF of everything, and the new $100 level gets a printed copy of everything (including the canvas map).What about the additional rules for Spheres of Power? I was not around for the Spheres of Power kickstarter.
I think the extra spheres of power stuff will be distributed between the 4 books.
I think the extra spheres of power stuff will be distributed between the 4 books.The $35 reward level gets a PDF of everything, and the new $100 level gets a printed copy of everything (including the canvas map).What about the additional rules for Spheres of Power? I was not around for the Spheres of Power kickstarter.
I expect the majority in the player's guide.
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I expect the majority in the player's guide.I think the extra spheres of power stuff will be distributed between the 4 books.The $35 reward level gets a PDF of everything, and the new $100 level gets a printed copy of everything (including the canvas map).What about the additional rules for Spheres of Power? I was not around for the Spheres of Power kickstarter.
I asked Adam this question on kickstarter, and he responded, to paraphrase, that yep, the majority of the SoP stuff would be in the Player's Guide.
Crunch will be mostly in the Player's guide. There will be crunch in the other two, but the focus of the player's guide is crunch, the focus of Andrus is setting, and the focus of Woodfaring is monsters, maps, encounters and adventures.
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We unlocked full-color a few days ago. There are few things as exhilarating as watching stretch goals be met, and watching a campaign become all it can be.
We've made a few changes to rewards and add-ons that are worth looking into.
Also, we'll be hanging out on Reddit today if there's anything anyone wants to ask us about!
Will you allow someone to up their backing post kickstarter?
You mention dragon riders in the Andrus book description.
Will this be a class that will be playable in this setting? Will it be in the players guide? Are dragons in Skybourne different than the chromatic/metallic variety common to other settings?
@Insain: We'll be using backerkit, and so there will be options to up your pledge after the kickstarter is over, yeah.
@Kryzbyn: The Player's Guide will house most of those types of player options. As for dragon-riders, the book includes a racial archetype for dragon-riding halfling rangers (and we're also playing around with a racial archetype for dragon/wyvern taming orcs bandits as well), and as production continues we'll also be doing polls for backers to see what sorts of options they want to see included in the books; if there's interest for more dragon-related options, they'll become more prominent.
We haven't touched any alterations to the standard dragon/dragonkin varieties yet, no. That being said, they may very well be expanded upon with future releases.
You made my day! We wanted to get the physical copies of everything, but can't afford it right now!
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We've passed another stretch goal! Skybourne now gets Hero Lab support! Now we just need to get Jim Groves and the additional 4th book!
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C'mon last 3 day rush!
Wishing for some magical fairy to drop 10g's on this Kickstarter for the $30k stretch goal... Heh.
Can't wait to partake in the idea pitching and surveys.
One day left, and we've unlocked the final stretch goal early. "Ships of Skybourne" is added to the project as a 4th book!
Can't wait to get my first book I'm in at $100 level. 4 books and a cloth map what a deal. :)
Double checking. I will be able to up my pledge to 100$ via backerkit at a later date? I want all 4 books, but need a bit more time.
@Kryzbyn: The Player's Guide will house most of those types of player options. As for dragon-riders, the book includes a racial archetype for dragon-riding halfling rangers (and we're also playing around with a racial archetype for dragon/wyvern taming orcs bandits as well), and as production continues we'll also be doing polls for backers to see what sorts of options they want to see included in the books; if there's interest for more dragon-related options, they'll become more prominent.We haven't touched any alterations to the standard dragon/dragonkin varieties yet, no. That being said, they may very well be expanded upon with future releases.
Good enough. Backed!
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As if things weren't good enough: Mike Myler joins Skybourne as a last-minute stretch goal!
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A stretch goal which has been met too.
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Glad to be aboard! :D
For those who missed the initial campaign, backerkit is up and letting new people get involved until the end of March.
So what's the word on a book for the rest of us?
Flipping through my copies of Ships and Player's guide to Skybourne and I have to say I am liking the setting very much.
Lot of wierdness and a lot of open ground for customizing.
although the Created kind of wierd me out