Latest from the Creator
PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
Repeat Backer of Onyx Path
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Gold Tier
This user is a top contributor to this community!
7 months ago
Project Update: Backer Draft Manuscript Part 5
Hello Outlanders,
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. At The Gates finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, June 6th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to Inspire others to help explore Everend, 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 final four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. At The Gates finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, June 6th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to Inspire others to help explore Everend, 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 final four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Final Days Schedule
- June 2 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
- June 4 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Adversaries! (That's today!)
- June 5 - Stretch Goal Review
- June 6 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you're a veteran of many daemon summonings or just learning your first Art, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be. If you're looking at this update and deciding whether or not to join, please click on the Pledge Tier Review link to get a better idea of which rewards are included in our pledge tiers.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews, podcasts, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
Before we get to the manuscript, just a quick reminder...
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
IF you notice that the Pillars are named Providence and Mentalism in one section and then Anima andCognition, in another, you'll know that there's an opportunity for Danielle and the team can gather feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!
You can submit your Feedback here: AT THE GATES FEEDBACK FORM <link>
And one more reminder...
You can submit your Feedback here: AT THE GATES FEEDBACK FORM <link>
And one more reminder...
International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager
One quick note about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. 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. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. 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. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Reply to this Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.
Includes Backer-Exclusive Content
PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
Repeat Backer of Onyx Path
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Gold Tier
This user is a top contributor to this community!
11 days ago
Project Update: December 2024 Monthly Update
Hello Outlanders,
I'm back with our final month end status check-in of 2024! I'm coming to you a bit early this month for a pretty obvious reason - the time crunch and shifting schedule around the year end holidays! I'm buying myself some free time to wind down and enjoy my family. Maybe with a game or two!
I'm back with our final month end status check-in of 2024! I'm coming to you a bit early this month for a pretty obvious reason - the time crunch and shifting schedule around the year end holidays! I'm buying myself some free time to wind down and enjoy my family. Maybe with a game or two!
So let's get into our Review!
Rewards Still Pending
No major changes, incremental progress in the background but not yet enough to fill in more dots. I'm looking forward to seeing stuff move along in 2025 and can't wait for At The Gates to come to us as a backer PDF.
Rewards Distributed to Backers
- Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- The World Below (Oct 31 '24 Update)
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://at-the-gates.backerkit.com
- BackerKit How-To: Reviewing and Updating Your Information <Download PDF Here>
- BackerKit How-To: Claiming Your Digital Rewards <Download PDF Here
Onyx Path Project Tracking
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <November 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
To Contact James
- Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
- Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
Final Hours To Pledge
Final Hours to join in on Crowdfunding by BackerKit
The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of the Machine God, biomechanical demigods forged from divine metal and heroic souls. They do not rule the Eight Nations, but serve as Champions of the people, a sacred duty greater than any ambition. The eldest of Alchemicals transcend their human forms to become metropoli, living cities that offer the Eight Nations a stronghold against Autochthonia’s perils.
The Realm of Brass and Shadows is unforgiving, and the Eight Nations find themselves faced with many challenges: cataclysmic upheavals of Autochthon’s world-machinery, incursions of gruesome techno-organic gremlins, and the ever-present threat to their livelihoods. All the while, the slumbering Autochthon grows ever sicker, his corrupting Blight metastasizing throughout his world-body. Despair not. There is work to be done.
Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God is an expansion for the Exalted Third Edition tabletop roleplaying game. It’s set in a mythic world where spirits walk openly among humanity, warring demigods topple kingdoms, and the restless dead roam on moonless nights. Heroes granted divine power contend against one another for the future of Creation. These are the Exalted!
The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of the Machine God, biomechanical demigods forged from divine metal and heroic souls. They do not rule the Eight Nations, but serve as Champions of the people, a sacred duty greater than any ambition. The eldest of Alchemicals transcend their human forms to become metropoli, living cities that offer the Eight Nations a stronghold against Autochthonia’s perils.
The Realm of Brass and Shadows is unforgiving, and the Eight Nations find themselves faced with many challenges: cataclysmic upheavals of Autochthon’s world-machinery, incursions of gruesome techno-organic gremlins, and the ever-present threat to their livelihoods. All the while, the slumbering Autochthon grows ever sicker, his corrupting Blight metastasizing throughout his world-body. Despair not. There is work to be done.
Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God is an expansion for the Exalted Third Edition tabletop roleplaying game. It’s set in a mythic world where spirits walk openly among humanity, warring demigods topple kingdoms, and the restless dead roam on moonless nights. Heroes granted divine power contend against one another for the future of Creation. These are the Exalted!
PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
Repeat Backer of Onyx Path
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Gold Tier
This user is a top contributor to this community!
about 1 month ago
Project Update: November 2024 Update
Hello Outlanders,
As we slide into the back half of November, it's time for our regular monthly update. We're still in the early days of this stage of the campaign, so not a lot of new or exciting info in these updates, but I want to make sure that communication is constant and consitent, even if it's a little boring.
So, that said, let's get right to it!
As we slide into the back half of November, it's time for our regular monthly update. We're still in the early days of this stage of the campaign, so not a lot of new or exciting info in these updates, but I want to make sure that communication is constant and consitent, even if it's a little boring.
So, that said, let's get right to it!
REWARDS STILL PENDING
Incremental progress behind the scenes on the book, but nothing to fill in a dot yet!
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
- Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- The World Below (Oct 31 '24 Update)
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://at-the-gates.backerkit.com
- BackerKit How-To: Reviewing and Updating Your Information <Download PDF Here>
- BackerKit How-To: Claiming Your Digital Rewards <Download PDF Here>
ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <October 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
TO CONTACT JAMES
- Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
- Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
CURRENTLY FUNDING
Now Funding on Crowdfunding by BackerKit
The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of the Machine God, biomechanical demigods forged from divine metal and heroic souls. They do not rule the Eight Nations, but serve as Champions of the people, a sacred duty greater than any ambition. The eldest of Alchemicals transcend their human forms to become metropoli, living cities that offer the Eight Nations a stronghold against Autochthonia’s perils.
The Realm of Brass and Shadows is unforgiving, and the Eight Nations find themselves faced with many challenges: cataclysmic upheavals of Autochthon’s world-machinery, incursions of gruesome techno-organic gremlins, and the ever-present threat to their livelihoods. All the while, the slumbering Autochthon grows ever sicker, his corrupting Blight metastasizing throughout his world-body. Despair not. There is work to be done.
Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God is an expansion for the Exalted Third Edition tabletop roleplaying game. It’s set in a mythic world where spirits walk openly among humanity, warring demigods topple kingdoms, and the restless dead roam on moonless nights. Heroes granted divine power contend against one another for the future of Creation. These are the Exalted!
PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
Repeat Backer of Onyx Path
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Gold Tier
This user is a top contributor to this community!
about 2 months ago
Project Update: October 2024 Update
Hello Outlanders!
Happy Halloween! I'm sneaking in our monthly update on the last day of October because I wanted to sneak one quick reward in for backers who added on The World Below to their rewards list. The Backer PDF for that one is now ready and will be going out via BackerKit within the next day.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://at-the-gates.backerkit.com
Happy Halloween! I'm sneaking in our monthly update on the last day of October because I wanted to sneak one quick reward in for backers who added on The World Below to their rewards list. The Backer PDF for that one is now ready and will be going out via BackerKit within the next day.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://at-the-gates.backerkit.com
- BackerKit How-To: Reviewing and Updating Your Information <Download PDF Here>
- BackerKit How-To: Claiming Your Digital Rewards <Download PDF Here>
REWARDS STILL PENDING
The World Below Backer PDF will be going out to those who added it on to their rewards list over the next 24 hours. Our At The Gates Jumpstart PDF has entered the First Draft stage! Incremental progress continues behind the scenes.
For those receiving The World Below Backer PDF, the design and development teams have done their best to proofread and correct any errors and typos - but some always sneak through. If you catch any typos, incorrect math, visual glitches, and the like, we want to hear about them and correct them before we send the book off to print. Onyx Path will be launching a special The World Below Feedback Form, which you will be able to access here: https://forms.gle/jTQ95sHhJmhGvYUq8
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
- Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- The World Below (Oct 31 '24 Update)
ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <September 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
TO CONTACT JAMES
- Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
- Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
FINAL HOURS ON KICKSTARTER
FINAL HOURS to back the CURSEBORNE Kickstarter campaign.
Curseborne is a game about being unapologetic monsters in a world where being monstrous is the least of your worries. In Curseborne, you play as Accursed, descendants of monstrous lineages lurking in a modern world that closely resembles our own. You rebel against the ancient feuds between these entwined families, as well as against the web of curses that bind you, while fending off inhuman antagonists seeking to claim — or reclaim — your power.
The world of Curseborne is full of intrigue, magic, and things that go bump in the night. It’s just like our world, except the reason that things don’t go your way or that bad things happen is that the people are literally living in a world of curses. Some people are cursed more than others, and these are our Accursed characters. They have a particularly large curse that hangs over their heads and makes them more prone to bad things happening to them and around them. The nature of this curse also makes them magical in nature. They have a sense of the thing holding them back, and they can manipulate it in ways that normal people cannot.
This book is comprised of two main parts. The first part is the setting of Curseborne, as well as more about the Accursed themselves through the view of the characters. It shows how they see themselves, their world, and their place in that world. Lineages represent five broad categories of Accursed: The Dead (ghosts and spirits), The Hungry (vampires), The Outcasts (angels and demons), The Primal (shapeshifters and werewolves), and The Sorcerers (magicians).
The second part of the book are the instructions on how to use this book to play a game. You’ll find the chapters on how to play the game using the Storypath Ultra system, how to create a character, all the cool powers those characters have, and information on how to run a game of Curseborne.
The world of Curseborne is full of intrigue, magic, and things that go bump in the night. It’s just like our world, except the reason that things don’t go your way or that bad things happen is that the people are literally living in a world of curses. Some people are cursed more than others, and these are our Accursed characters. They have a particularly large curse that hangs over their heads and makes them more prone to bad things happening to them and around them. The nature of this curse also makes them magical in nature. They have a sense of the thing holding them back, and they can manipulate it in ways that normal people cannot.
This book is comprised of two main parts. The first part is the setting of Curseborne, as well as more about the Accursed themselves through the view of the characters. It shows how they see themselves, their world, and their place in that world. Lineages represent five broad categories of Accursed: The Dead (ghosts and spirits), The Hungry (vampires), The Outcasts (angels and demons), The Primal (shapeshifters and werewolves), and The Sorcerers (magicians).
The second part of the book are the instructions on how to use this book to play a game. You’ll find the chapters on how to play the game using the Storypath Ultra system, how to create a character, all the cool powers those characters have, and information on how to run a game of Curseborne.
- <This Update> has a list of resources to check out, including Panels and Discussion about the game, Explainer videos, a ton of Actual Play sessions, and free brochures.
- <This Update> covers the Reward Pledge Tiers and Add On options for the Kickstarter campaign.
- <This Update> has the ENTIRE draft manuscript available for Backers to read before the campaign ends, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. A $5 pledge will get you access and you can be building characters tonight!
PROJECT UPDATE
James Bell
CREATOR
Repeat Backer of Onyx Path
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Gold Tier
This user is a top contributor to this community!
3 months ago
Project Update: September 2024 Update
Hello Outlanders,
Once again, the time for our monthly check in has arrived. No big changes this month, so let's jump in!
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://at-the-gates.backerkit.com
Once again, the time for our monthly check in has arrived. No big changes this month, so let's jump in!
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://at-the-gates.backerkit.com
- BackerKit How-To: Reviewing and Updating Your Information <Download PDF Here>
- BackerKit How-To: Claiming Your Digital Rewards <Download PDF Here>
REWARDS STILL PENDING
Our main reward, At the Gates, has seen the mansucript complete editing and move on to a final development pass, to ensure the work reads as a single holistic piece and makes sense throughout!
I'll post this chart in each monthly update, and fill in dots as projects move along.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
- Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
- They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (July 17 '24 Update)
Once a project finishes up on the progress chart and is distributed to backers, I'll move it down to this list and note which update talks about reward distribution for that item in case you want to go back and get more information.
ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <August 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
TO CONTACT JAMES
- Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
- Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
CURRENTLY FUNDING
In 2017 Onyx Path unveiled the Storypath System, the rules engine that has come to power many of our games: the sci-fi universe of hope, heroism, and peril known as the Trinity Continuum, the modern-day stories of old gods and titans called Scion Second Edition,and the trope-focused exploration of genres that is the They Came From! series, and more.
We're extremely proud of what we’ve done over the years with Storypath, but felt it was time to tighten up the rules, smooth off the rough edges, and get rid of anything that got in the way of telling amazing stories. As a result, we’ve created the Storypath Ultra Core Manual.
Storypath Ultra isn’t a new edition, nor is it a replacement rule set — many of the concepts we developed and refined from the Storypath System are still there, even as they rearrange or rename things to make them as clear as possible. Think of it as a new take on Storypath: It’s the same great game but spruced up and tweaked to be the best possible version.
Storypath Ultra isn’t a new edition, nor is it a replacement rule set — many of the concepts we developed and refined from the Storypath System are still there, even as they rearrange or rename things to make them as clear as possible. Think of it as a new take on Storypath: It’s the same great game but spruced up and tweaked to be the best possible version.
Currently Crowdfunding! We're almost in the final week! Join now and you can vote on an example game that will be included in the final version!
COMING TO KICKSTARTER ON OCTOBER 1ST
Curseborne is a game about being unapologetic monsters in a world where being monstrous is the least of your worries. In Curseborne, you play as Accursed, descendants of monstrous lineages lurking in a modern world that closely resembles our own. You rebel against the ancient feuds between these entwined families, as well as against the web of curses that bind you, while fending off inhuman antagonists seeking to claim — or reclaim — your power.
The world of Curseborne is full of intrigue, magic, and things that go bump in the night. It’s just like our world, except the reason that things don’t go your way or that bad things happen is that the people are literally living in a world of curses. Some people are cursed more than others, and these are our Accursed characters. They have a particularly large curse that hangs over their heads and makes them more prone to bad things happening to them and around them. The nature of this curse also makes them magical in nature. They have a sense of the thing holding them back, and they can manipulate it in ways that normal people cannot.
This book is comprised of two main parts. The first part is the setting of Curseborne, as well as more about the Accursed themselves through the view of the characters. It shows how they see themselves, their world, and their place in that world. Lineages represent five broad categories of Accursed: The Dead (ghosts and spirits), The Hungry (vampires), The Outcasts (angels and demons), The Primal (shapeshifters and werewolves), and The Sorcerers (magicians).
The second part of the book are the instructions on how to use this book to play a game. You’ll find the chapters on how to play the game using the Storypath Ultra system, how to create a character, all the cool powers those characters have, and information on how to run a game of Curseborne.