Hello Cool Cats,
I'm going to be sharing previews from one of our stretch goal rewards over the next several months, as we track the various stages of our projects. Here's our...
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0
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James Bell
about 2 months ago
September 2024 Meowthly Update
Hello Curious Cats!
It's the second last Thursday of the month, so time for our regular monthly update.
No reward news for you this month, but I do have a cool Realms of Pugm...
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0
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James Bell
3 months ago
August 2024 Monthly Update
Meow meow meow,
Meow...
Oh my goodness. Can you imagine if I just typed "meow" over and over again for the whole update?
Cats, I think I may be ready for the weekend already....
2
0
0
James Bell
4 months ago
July 2024 Monthly Update
Hello Curious Cats,
It's the second last Thursday of the month, so time for our regular monthly update. We'll have a regular update around the second last week of every month t...
2
0
0
James Bell
5 months ago
June 2024 Monthly Update
Hello Curious Cats,
As I mentioned last month, we'll have a regular update around the second last week of every month to review the status of our Curious Cats of Mau book as we...
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0
0
James Bell
6 months ago
May 2024 - Regular Monthly Updates
Hello Curious Cats,
It's been almost three weeks since our last update, which covered the first round of reward distributions (all of the Add On options for the 1E bundles). It...
We've already had a sneak peek at most of the creatures from the next chapter in our manuscript, but here they are all together - with a lot more threats mixed in for good measure! It's time to detail some of the challenges our cat characters will face as they traverse the monarchies; it's time for Chapter 6 from our draft manuscript!
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.
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 The Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
I'm going to be sharing the manuscript in sections over the next 30 days, Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so the developers, Eddy and Lauren, 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!
I'm going to be sharing previews from one of our stretch goal rewards over the next several months, as we track the various stages of our projects. Here's our first of several sneak peeks at the upcoming Jumpstart.
Curious Cats Jumpstart Preview 1
Here’s Nerma von Korat, converted to the latest edition, as part of the Curious Cats of Mau Jumpstart!
Nerma von Korat
History: Nerma was always temperamental. He joined the Korat army at the behest of his mother, who thought the service would give him a good outlet for his rage. When his mother died, Nerma’s rage became too much to handle, and his outbursts led to his discharge. Now Nerma sells his sword to make ends meet, doing the bidding of any who can afford his rage and withstand his temper.
Roleplay Tips: Nerma is gruff and angry, though he has a soft spot for the helpless.
Description: Nerma is tall, muscular, and imposing. He has light-gray fur with dark stripes and spots. A small patch of brown fur decorates his snout, and he has deep blue eyes. He wears lacquered armor in dark red and a black cloak.
Personality: Drive: I am an excellent cat because I protect the weak. Secret: No one knows about my love for my dead mother. Weakness: No matter what, I just can’t control my temper.
Level: 1 House: Korat Family: Korat Background: Soldier Calling: Champion Experience Bonus: +1 Stamina Dice: 1d10 Stamina Points: 11 Defense: 16 Initiative: +0 Speed: 30 ft./35 ft. Attributes:Agility +0, Might +3, Vitality +1, Cunning +0, Intellect−1, Presence +1 Skills: Intimidate, Sense Motive, Survive, Traverse Tricks: Brute Strength, Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting, Rank Has Its Privileges, Simple Weapon Aptitude, Martial Weapon Aptitude, Light Armor Aptitude, Medium Armor Aptitude, Heavy Armor Aptitude, Shield Aptitude Rucksack: An insignia of rank and a set of common clothes, two scimitars (finesse, light, 1d6 stabbing) gifted by his mother before her death, one suit of lacquered splint-mail armor, gloves, torches, rations, and 50 feet of rope. Plastic Track: A few coins
Tricks:
Brute Strength: The cat with this trick gains a boon on Might checks involving lifting or pulling something.
Fighting Style: Two-Weapon: When wielding two light weapons, add the cat’s attribute and experience bonus to the damage roll. This counts as one attack (i.e., you are attacking with both weapons at once, instead of making two separate attacks), but the attacker can decide which weapon and damage type is used for the damage roll.
Rank Has Its Privileges: The cat can gain access to friendly comrades-in-arms, as well as gather common information and rumors from among the rank and file (not secret military plans, for example). Fortune: If the player spends fortune, she can declare that a previously unknown non-player-character soldier or other military official is an old friend or companion on good terms with the cat.
Simple Weapon Aptitude: Cats with this trick can add their experience bonus to attack and damage rolls when using any simple weapon. This includes clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaves, shortbows, sickles, slings, small axes and crossbows, spears, and unarmed punches, kicks, and bites.
Martial Weapon Aptitude: Using martial weapons requires practice and dedication — a cat without this trick always attacks with such weapons with a hindrance. Cats with this trick, however, can use martial weapons well, and can add their experience bonus to attack and damage rolls using them.
Light Armor Aptitude: The cat with this trick can wear light armor effectively, giving her a Defense of 11 + her Agility.
Medium Armor Aptitude: The cat with this trick can wear medium armor effectively, giving her a Defense of 13 + her Agility. Further, the cat’s Agility checks (not attack rolls) have a hindrance.
Heavy Armor Aptitude: The cat with this trick can wear heavy armor effectively, giving her a Defense of 16 (no Agility is added). Further, the cat’s two-legged and four-legged speeds are reduced by five feet, and her Agility checks (not attack rolls) have a hindrance.
Shield Aptitude: The cat with this trick can use a shield effectively, giving her +2 to her Defense. However, she only has one free paw and cannot use weapons or objects with the two-pawed quality. Further, the shield offers no benefit against attacks that the user cannot actively defend against (such as attacks from behind or spell effects that go around corners).
[Add On] Realms of Pugmire Backer PDF (Aug 22 '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://curious-cats-of-mau.backerkit.com/
In addition to redemption links for distibuted digital rewards, all backers have received a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page (See the link above for Claiming Your Digital Rewards if you need a refresher). Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order.
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
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
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.
With 7 days left in the campaign, we've passed 500% of our initial funding target and unlocked several Stretch Goals - including three new supplements that will be added as bonus rewards for backers of this project!
Want to know more about the Curseborne RPG?
PREVIEW MATERIAL: You can find information from the numerous previews Onyx Path has shared.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT: Over the course of the campaign, backers will receive access to chapters from the current draft manuscript of Curseborne. By the end of the campaign, backers will be able to read the entire book as it stands now, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. No secret curses with this campaign - you'll know exactly what you're supporting with your pledge. Read the manuscript and make sure the project is right for you.
It's the second last Thursday of the month, so time for our regular monthly update.
No reward news for you this month, but I do have a cool Realms of Pugmire treat to share!
This wasn't a reward for our campaign, but is in fact one of the first new books for this edition of Realms of Pugmire! And if you're as old as I am, the cover and a the interior inspiration may feel pretty familiar for those who've been rolling dice for the past 50 years...
THREATS & CURS
“Lots of dogs think that exploring the world is just one big adventure. But I’ll tell you what it’s really all about: dealing with an endless parade of threats and curs.” - Simon Mutt, Royal Pioneer (retired)
As pioneers explore new regions of the world, delve deeper into the Underneath, journey into the Fearful Forest, or venture out onto the waves of the Acid Sea, a whole new world of enemies lies in wait. Some, like the spider-goats used for sustenance and companionship by seafaring pirates, are friendly. Others, such as leviathans, are horrifying creatures of legend striking terror into the hearts of all but the bravest pioneer. The world is large, mysterious, and filled with threats both familiar and unknown.
Threats and Curs is an expansion for Realms of Pugmire offering dozens of enemies to be introduced as antagonists, rivals, or allies in your campaigns. The Realms of Pugmire core rulebook is needed to use this book.
Inside you will find:
Over 150 new enemies to include in your campaign
Expanded rules and new tags to construct exciting new encounters
A selection of ready-made encounters featuring enemies introduced in this book
Now available in advance PDF from DriveThruRPG: Threats & Curs for Realms of Pugmire!
REWARDS STILL PENDING
I'll post this chart in each monthly update, and fill in dots as projects move along.
[Add On] Realms of Pugmire Backer PDF (Aug 22 '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://curious-cats-of-mau.backerkit.com/
In addition to redemption links for distibuted digital rewards, all backers have received a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page (See the link above for Claiming Your Digital Rewards if you need a refresher). Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order.
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 everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
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.
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.
Oh my goodness. Can you imagine if I just typed "meow" over and over again for the whole update?
Cats, I think I may be ready for the weekend already. LOL
It's the second last Thursday of the month, so time for our regular monthly update. I've got one reward going out this month to any barkers ... I mean backers ... who added the Realms of Pugmire PDF to their rewards list via Add On, or those who pledged at the House Rex or House Angora reward tiers.
Reward Distribution: REALMS OF PUGMIRE Backer PDF
Dogs have inherited the world, building the kingdom of Pugmire untold centuries after the Age of Man is over. These dogs have been uplifted to use tools and language, and they seek to rediscover the ruins of the Old Ones. Some have learned to use the leftover technology of humanity, but they believe it to be magic handed to them by their lost gods. Others seek to create an ideal civilization, using a Code of Man compiled from ancient, fragmentary lore left behind by humanity. The world is dangerous and mysterious, but good dogs will persevere.
Some highlights of Realms of Pugmire include:
An evocative and mysterious setting that’s both family-friendly and deep enough to create compelling stories.
The Onyx20 rules system, designed for streamlined play and easy creation of heroic dogs with an emphasis on cooperation and action over competition and violence.
A variety of callings and breeds that give access to several fun and interesting tricks.
Rival species to interact with, like cats and rodents, along with terrifying and dangerous monsters that roam the landscape.
New features of this edition include:
Refined and clarified rules, developed after years of playing and community feedback.
New and updated tricks, spells, masterworks, and enemies.
New features such as random and template character creation, friendship rules, and safety-tool advice for Guides.
Advice on how to create cat and rodent player characters right away.
REWARD DISTRIBUTION
If this PDF was on your list of rewards, your link to claim your Realms of Pugmire Backer PDF will be sent out by our BackerKit pledge manager over the next day. Since we are using our partners at DriveThruRPG as the host for this, you will need to set up a DriveThru account if you don't have one already. If you encounter any problems with downloading your rewards, please contact DTRPG's customer service to resolve the matter, they've always been top-rated for customer service. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/contact_us.php
Again, you will receive an e-mail from BackerKit with links for this reward over the next 24hours if it is on your expected list of rewards.
BACKER PDF VERSION - This is the first version of Realms of Pugmire to be released. The design and development teams have done their best to proofread and correct any errors and typos - but some always sneak through. They wanted to get this version to you as quickly as possible, but it's not quite finalized yet. They will be correcting minor errata and fixing all of those Page XX notes and adding an index before releasing the finalized version, which will be open for general purchase. Once that happens, you'll be able to re-download the latest version at your convenience from your DTRPG library.
REWARDS STILL PENDING
I'll post this chart in each monthly update, and fill in dots as projects move along.
[Add On] Realms of Pugmire Backer PDF (Aug 22 '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://curious-cats-of-mau.backerkit.com/
In addition to redemption links for distibuted digital rewards, all backers have received a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page (See the link above for Claiming Your Digital Rewards if you need a refresher). Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order.
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: <July 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.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
It's the second last Thursday of the month, so time for our regular monthly update. We'll have a regular update around the second last week of every month to review the status of our Curious Cats of Mau book as well as the status of our various Stretch Goal rewards. Most will be pretty similar, with incremental progress happening behind the scenes. But whenever there's a reward ready for you, I'll be in touch with an update and provide more information on what to expect.
We're still in the earliest stages of this post-campaign, though, so it'll be a while before we are ready to talk about rewards. Before we get to our regular round up, I've got one cool video link to share with you.
ONYX PATH CONVENTION PANEL
Last month, Onyx Path hosted their annual virtual game convention, and one of the panels featured discussion on The Realms of Pugmire books, including the Curious Cats of Mau! Check it out <here>
REWARDS STILL PENDING
Still in the earliest stages, but our Jumpstart has made tremendous progress and is now in development, where the writer's drafts are worked on by the developer to ensure the project reads like it's one whole holistic piece.
I'll post this chart in each monthly update, and fill in dots as projects move along.
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://curious-cats-of-mau.backerkit.com/
In addition to redemption links for distibuted digital rewards, all backers have received a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page (See the link above for Claiming Your Digital Rewards if you need a refresher). Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order.
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: <June 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.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
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
Scion: Mythic Shards presents alternate realities for the World of Scion and provides new rules for players and Storyguides to incorporate into their games. Each chapter explores a single shard of reality at varying tiers of Scion gameplay. These chapters are standalone from each other and don’t need to be consumed with the other chapters in order to start playing.
Scion’s setting — the World — is an exciting place where heroes are larger than life, and Fate always lurks in the shadows, pulling strings. It is a place of urban fantasy where the legends and myths of our ancestors live in a world that’s much like our own.
But, there are some tales that belong to another world — stories that need another place to breathe and come alive — places like…
After the End: A post apocalyptic desert full of peril and opportunities for new beginnings
Cyber-Scion: A cyberpunk dystopia where Scions pilot mecha to fight corporate kaiju
Farewell to Heroes: Gritty noir cities where Scions are illegal
Four Color: A place of superheroes, alter-egos, and over-the-top excitement
Space Odyssey: An entire galaxy of starships and aliens
