We're in the final days countdown for this Kickstarter campaign! Scion: God is finished crowdfunding on BackerKit on Thursday November 17th at 2:00 PM EST- there's still time to find additional heroes and demigods and invite them into our growing pantheon, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these next 4 days to make sure that everyone has all of the information they need to support the project in the way that works best for them.
November 13 - Reward Tiers + Add On options (That's today!)
November 14 - Sneak Peek: Antagonists
November 15 - Draft Manuscript #5 for Backers
November 16 - Stretch Goal Review
November 17 - Final Day Checklist & Next Steps
Whether you've just discovered your divine spark or you're working your way through apotheosis, these are good items to review to make sure that we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out the Final Week countdown post. It sets up our final week updates and notes some important points to remember before you pledge. But even more importantly, check out last week's Draft Manuscript Preview post, which contains the manuscript links for backers to download and review before any pledges are collected or payments processed.)
BACKER REWARD TIERS
Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover version for the epic culmination of the tabletop roleplaying game, Scion Second Edition. For many, this will be the epic conclusion (or, at least an epic step) in their Scion's story, which began back in Scion: Origins and Scion: Hero and continued through Scion: Demigod. Or perhaps you came from a slightly different angle, dealing with the unknowable or unthinkable in Scion: Masks of the Mythos, or even fought for your own secret history in Scion: Dragon. Regardless of how you may have arrived at this point, Scion: God presents the ultimate expression of a Scion's story, and we're happy to have you with us.
PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT
To borrow an analogy that I've used in past campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.
Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.
PhysicalIncarnation or Divinely Digital
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book for Scion: God. The first decision you need to make is what form your rewards will take. Do you want your main rewards in digital form and are going for the PDF rulebook? Or are you do you want your book to fully incarnate as a hardcover version (which includes the PDF as a bonus!).
With that decision in mind, we've got two key reward tiers to choose from:
Aspirant: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
Relic: This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
Two important reminders at this stage:
International Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the story page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.
Scion: God is Book 4 in the Scion Second Edition cycle. To better understand what God is, we need to be good folklorists and consider the steps that led us to this point.
Scion: Origin introduced players to The World and the basic mechanics of Scion, Second Edition. Origin gave the tools needed to play divinely-inspired characters skirting the edges of the supernatural elements and discovering the abilities and knowledge that separated them from ordinary mortals. Pre-Visitation Scions understand a fraction of The World.
Scion: Hero expanded options, casting open the doors to the divine. At the Heroic tier, Scions gain a fraction of the power of the Gods, giving them the opportunity to take their adventures further. This creates new choices for players, allowing their Scions to shape The World: protecting their neighborhood from Titanspawn, investigating dangers, and helping prevent catastrophes.
In Scion: Demigod, Scions stride further from humanity, becoming too powerful to be mistaken for mortals any longer. While most Scions of this tier continue working to better The World, the quest for power becomes its own irresistible journey. Apotheosis — the process of becoming a God — defines Demigod Scions as much as anything else. Demigods no longer wrestle with the question of whether or not to become a God, but rather what kind of God they wish to become, forging their own Legend.
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
Petitioner: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge tier is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Scion: God that we post throughout this campaign.
Name an NPC, Art Model: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to act as a Art Model or a chance to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in a supplement. Check each of the Pledge Tier descriptions for more details.
Need the first three Scion Second Edition core rulebooks as well? They form the basic system upon which your Scion: God character (and all Scion Second Edition games) are built. We've set up these one-click pledge paths to get you started! If you don't already have a copy of the Scion books, you soon will by choosing either of these reward tiers.
Seeker: A digital entry into Scion, this pledge path contains PDF versions of Scion: Origin, Scion: Hero, and Scion: Demigod, as well as our primary reward for this project, Scion: God.
Legendary Relic Set: This pledge path will get you both the PDF and hardcover books for all four of the Scion Second Edition core books (Scion: Origin, Scion: Hero, Scion: Demigod, and our primary reward for this project, Scion: God.)
After the campaign is over we'll launch our BackerKit Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for international orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this crowdfunding campaign!
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Scion: God campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a physical, printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which maybe some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.
SCION: GOD PDF VERSION - The digital version of Scion: God, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Backers will receive redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Advance Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.
SCION: GOD HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
Choosing Your Reward Tier
There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.
This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Funds for additional optional extras can be added to your pledge in preparation for rounding our your rewards and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.
First Step: Reward Tier
To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this kickstarter is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 90% of the options available to you. If you want a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.
Step Two: Add-On Funds
Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible rewards you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.
You can increase the amount of your pledge by the amount of the add-ons you wish to add in the pledge confirmation screen if you want to account for the funds now, or you can wait to add them and be charged later in the pledge manager after the campaign is over.
Scion is a game about Gods and humanity, and everything in between. It's a game about mythic deeds and the reasons people talk about those mythic deeds.
Scion: Origin (Second Edition Book 1) introduced players to The World and the basic mechanics of Scion, Second Edition. Origin gave the tools needed to play divinely-inspired characters skirting the edges of the supernatural elements and discovering the abilities and knowledge that separated them from ordinary mortals. Pre-Visitation Scions understand a fraction of The World.
Scion: Hero (Second Edition Book 2) expanded options, casting open the doors to the divine. At the Heroic tier, Scions gain a fraction of the power of the Gods, giving them the opportunity to take their adventures further. This creates new choices for players, allowing their Scions to shape The World: protecting their neighborhood from Titanspawn, investigating dangers, and helping prevent catastrophes.
In Scion: Demigod (Second Edition Book 3), Scions stride further from humanity, becoming too powerful to be mistaken for mortals any longer. While most Scions of this tier continue working to better The World, the quest for power becomes its own irresistible journey. Apotheosis — the process of becoming a God — defines Demigod Scions as much as anything else. Demigods no longer wrestle with the question of whether or not to become a God, but rather what kind of God they wish to become, forging their own Legend.
Scion: Dragon details the stories of Heirs, those chosen by Dragons to act within The World as their agents. It is the story of discovering history, subverting enemies, and espionage. Your Draconic patron seeks to embroil you in millennia old plots and ancient grudges as shadowy manipulators. All the while, you must learn their secrets, and either embrace the Dragon’s goals for you or make your own. Scion: Dragon is a standalone game in the World of Scion, and is meant for use with Scion: Origin.
Scion: Masks of the Mythos introduces powers older than humanity, Gods, and Titans, with an unknowable otherness that can shatter them all. Those that touch the Mythos are forever altered. The World explodes into full view for them, leaving some shattered, others power-mad, and still others knowing only secrecy protects humanity. Mythos Scions fair little better, empowered by these alien beings that alter their very essence, the ability to break Fate and leave the walls of reality weaker in their wake. These human embodiments of the Mythos are not good or evil; such easily definable morality is for lesser beings. What does one do when their power comes with a cost? Scion: Origin and Scion: Hero are required to use this book.
The Scion Second Edition Supplement Bundle comes with 12 PDF titles to enhance and expand your Scion game. A quick way to build your Scion library, this bundle includes the Storyguide Screen PDF, Titanomachy (new threats from the Titans' eternal cold war against the Gods), the Scion Player's Guide, Heroes of the World (Ready-Made Characters), Mysteries of the World (A companion with optional rules and new pantheons), Mythical Denizens (Ready-Made Antagonists), Car Competition (a new and unique avenue of competition for Scions), Tales of Heroes (a fiction anthology), So Now You're a Hero (advice to bring characters through Origin to Hero level), Making History Modern (advice on adapting elements of myth to the setting), Annie X (a new Ready-Made Character ), and Zeus We Just Wanna Talk (a lighthearted scenario providing an inciting event to bring Hero-level Scions together into a Band).
That's a lot of new and interesting Scion ideas and expansions all in one easy package.
And finally, the Scion: God Storyguide Reference Screen is a new Add On option that we unlocked via Funding Achievement earlier in the campaign. The reference screen is a three-panel shield with new charts and tables, and updated artwork to reflect the ongoing journey of the characters introduced on the Origin/Hero screen
The system that powers Scion Second Edition also provides a foundation for some other Onyx Path game lines. You can take your knowledge and experience of the Storypath system from Scion to explore these new genres and games right away in these special beginner bundles.
TheTrinity Continuum - The world is fraught with dangers, from the products of mad science and corporate greed to the perils of lost civilizations. Fortunately, as many of the Talented will tell you, danger is their middle name, and the Æon Society is here to help them put things to right. The only constant in the world is change, and that’s where you come in. With this beginner bundle, you can explore three eras within the Trinity Continuum, including a modern action/adventure setting (the Core Rules and In Media Res), a near-future superhero setting (Aberrant and You Are Not Alone), and a sci-fi setting of powerful psions (Aeon and the Æon Æxpansion). There are other eras and many more supplements for expanding Trinity Continuum setting, but this beginner bundle will provide you with a ton of gaming material to explore and find your footing.
They Came From - Cinema-inspired exploration of subgenres, the They Came From games can be used as a serious or tongue-in-cheek exploration of the many facets of horror. From the Atomic-fueled monster movies of the 1950s and 60s (They Came from Beneath the Sea! and Monsters from the Deep) to the dark gothic films of the 1970s and 80s (They Came from Beyond the Grave, Dracula's Tomb), these games take the tropes and themes of our favorite movies and make them part of the game itself. Other genres are explored in other They Came From games, and each of these is further expanded in different supplements, but this beginner bundle is perfect to get you started in the sometimes satirical and often hilarious send-ups in the They Came From line.
You can modify your pledges to add funds to cover Add Ons right up until the campaign ends on Thursday, September 17th at 2:00 PDF EST.
Once you've decided to Pledge to the campaign, or to Manage your Pledge if you've already backed, you either Confirm or Edit Your Pledge until Thursday, November 17th at 2:00 PM EST.
Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Funds
Ready to join in? If you're backing for the first time, you can click BACK IT and select your Pledge Tier and finalize funding amount in the next menu.
Using myself as an example, I've got the three previous Scion Second Edition books, and I know for sure that I want the hardcover version of Scion: God to continue my story and sit proudly on my gaming shelf. Once I click BACK IT, I see my pledge level options. If I want to know a bit more about each level, I can click Learn More, or if I know what I'm looking for, I can click Back It.
Clicking Learn More expands the Pledge Level info. Once I'm ready, I can click Pledge.
As mentioned, I've decided to back at the hardcover reward level, the Relic tier. I also want to pre-fund some Add ons, including the Storyguide Screen (+$25) and the Scion Second Edition Supplement Bundle (+$35). That brings my total to $115 USD.
When everything is correct, I can click Confirm Your Pledge, and I'll get an e-mail confirmation sent to me.
If you're already a backer but want to update to maybe pick a new pledge tier or add extra funds to include some Add On options in the Pledge Manager, you can select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then Edit Your Pledge from the review menu.
This allows me to review my current pledge, changing either the pledge level with a pull down menu or pledge amount as needed.
Once I've pledged or updated my pledge, I will confirm and receive an e-mail confirmation of my choices.
And with that, my pledge level and Add On funds are set for my pledge. At this time, I don't need to worry about setting my shipping information. Even though I'm an "international backer" (that's anyone outside the US), shipping information will be handled and international charges handled in our Pledge Manager when the books are preparing to ship.
You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.
Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order Scion: God at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list. The Stretch Goal rewards will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this crowdfunding campaign.
OPTIONAL HARDCOVER ADD ON REWARDS
All Add On and additional hardcovers can only be added to a reward tier that already includes a hardcover version of this book (and has therefore established shipping parameters). The Reference Screen must also be added to a hardcover reward tier, since it is a physical item that requires shipping. As with your pledge, international shipping charges will be calculated in the Pledge Manager with all physical rewards sent in a single shipment once the Scion: God books are printed and ready to fulfill.
REWARD DELIVERY
About 2-3 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At this point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like the PDF versions of the other Scion Second Edition Core Rulebooks, as well as the Scion Supplement PDF Bundle and the Storypath Beginner Bundles. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.
So, while it will take some time for Scion: God to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 4-5 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)
Physical Books
If you're waiting to see the International shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to the hardcover reward tier, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are ready to print and we know what shipping costs will be, so you'll be able to go back and adjust your pledge tier at that time.
It's going to take some time to create the final PDF for Scion: God and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover book. When the books are at the printer, I will be in touch with all backers to outline timeline for pledge adjustments, as well as lockdown procedures and when we'll be confirming addresses and processing BackerKit Add Ons and Shipping payments. That's a long time away, and we'll cover that as we get closer to that part of the process.
Don't fret if you had forgotten to add additional funds by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.
Step 1: Pledge Tier
Step 2: Add On Options
Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you can investigate PDF and digital options. If you select the hardcover tier, you will be able to add physical reward options. You cannot add on additional physical rewards if the Scion: God hardcover book is not included in your pledge tier reward list, but these Add Ons will appear in BackerKit if you later adjust your pledge choice.
Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, so take into account your conversion as needed.
It Adds Up!
That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Level and adding Add On funding and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.
Additionally, this may go without saying,please review your personal budgetand ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begincharging your payment methodonce the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.
Conclusion
As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Reward Level for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or figuring out the Add On funding, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.
On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.
So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to work on our final great deeds, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
And I'll be back Tuesday with the FINAL manuscript section for Scion: God, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
