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.

What makes Storypath a great system for our role playing games?

First, competence. Player characters are assumed to be competent in their area of specialization. These rules aren't always meant to assume success or failure. They're used to determine influence over the story and to the degree to which the character succeeds.

Next, enhanced combat. Storypath combat uses range bands, area effects, and tricks, allowing players to contribute more to a fight beyond just damage. They're also convertible to miniature play or for use with virtual tabletops.

Then there's bonding. Storypath uses group mechanics to create a collaborative storytelling experience. Bonds formed during character creation and over sessions bring new overarching mechanics and collaborative themes into play.

Finally, there's scaling. Gods or superheroes can fight each other on mostly equal grounds, while the mere mortals can do the same to one another. It's only when the psychic superhuman deals with an average person, the mechanics such as advantage come into play.

You can download a free outline of the Storypath Ultra system <here>.

The Storypath Ultra Core Manual is a way for you to use Storypath Ultra to power whatever world you have in mind. Within its pages you'll find:

• the complete rules for Storypath Ultra, 
• expansions of the core rules, as well as building block systems you can drop into games as needed, 
• advice on how to run and adapt Storypath to your needs, 
• three example settings to show you how to use Storypath or to run as games in their own right.

Many people over the years have talked about how they've hacked Storypath games into different shapes to play in their favorite worlds, so this book allows us to give you advice on how to build your game from the ground up.
 

Chapter One: Core System contains a complete description and breakdown of the core rules of Storypath. Chapter Two: Expansion covers making your own rules as well as introducing complexity and detail to these core rules, while Chapter Three: Building Blocks contains all the optional bits you can add to your game should you choose. Chapter Four: Storyguide Advice is chock full of suggestions and tips on running Storypath games. 

Finally, we'll present three custom settings, which you can use right away to run games or review as inspirations for the kinds of worlds Storypath can be used for. You'll see the first example setting when we share previews of the draft manuscript. The second and third example settings will be voted on by backers during this crowdfunding campaign!

• Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell is a darkly humorous setting featuring player characters with unusual powers and an angelic companion hunting down demons that have controlled the world. It’s Street Fighter meets Fist of the North Star via professional wrestling. We also provide a lot of sidebars explaining the reasons behind some of the design decisions of the setting, to act as a comprehensive example of creating a setting and adapting Storypath to that setting. 

The first of the included example settings, Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell, not only offers a complete game set in the parallel version of the year 2000, but also illustrates exactly how Story Path was implemented and adjusted. We have plans to write two more, and as a backer you'll be able to vote on which ones you prefer.

For our Sci-Fi example, backers have chosen "An experimental space flight flings the player characters into a distant galaxy full of strange and alien sights."

For the final poll, you'll be voting on a Fantasy setting example. Your options:

1. A cozy fantasy game where explorers look for ingredients to help heal their sick dragon friend.
2. A war-torn world ripped apart by a devastating magic war, and a few surviving wizards try to prove who is the best among them.
3. A group of young heroes are blessed with magical armor and weapons in order to defeat an evil sorcerer queen seeking to destroy their land.

>>> CLICK TO VOTE ON THE FANTASY SETTING HERE <<<

Voting will run until the Crowdfunding campaign ends on September 26th at 2:00 PM EST. You must be a backer of this project to vote for this setting.


 

In thanks for your support, we offer rewards based on your level of funding pledged. The Pledge Levels linked at the top of the page outline the various rewards reflecting various levels of support pledged. Please note that shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.

Digital vs Physical: do you save some shelf space and go digital-only with the PDF version or go all in with the hardcover version? Are you just interested in the new book created by this campaign, or do you want to pre-order one of Onyx Path's games built to use the Storypath Ultra engine, like The World Below or At The Gates? Or maybe you want to go back to the early seeds of the Storypath System and add on a core rules digital bundle?

Even as you pick your Paths and Bonds to create interesting character combinations, we've tried to keep supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, select one of these pledge path tiers:

$25 STORYPATH ULTRA PDF REWARD

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 option 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 for you to download at your leisure. As a backer, you will be able to vote on new content during the crowdfunding campaign.

$60 STORYPATH ULTRA HARDCOVER REWARD

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. As a backer, you will be able to vote on new content during the crowdfunding campaign.

• Storypath Support: 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 participate in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual that we post throughout this campaign, and you will be able to vote on new content during the crowdfunding campaign.

• Name an NPC: This premium Pledge Level offers special limited rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in one of the example settings included in the Storypath Ultra Core Manual. 

• Retailer Reward Tier: Any retailer who pledges at the Retailer Pledge Level will get 5 copies of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual hardcover book (as well as the PDF versions) at a retail-specific discount so that they can sell in-store. You must have prior approval to back at this level. Otherwise your pledge will be adjusted in our post-campaign Pledge Manager. Please contact [email protected] to confirm your eligibility.

Onyx Path Games Built with Storypath Ultra

A collection of They Came From genre pieces made available under one cover. Chapters dedicated to Westerns, in the form of They Came from Cowboy’s Gulch!, and Noir, in the form of They Came from the Mean Streets! Going off the wall a little, costume dramas from the Regency to the Edwardian period, with They Came from Bridgton Rectory!, and transition from the screen to the stage with They Came from the Bard’s Quill! You’ll also find the much-demanded They Came from the Interstellar Starship!

A game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire. The World Below provides. But you must dig. You must explore. You must map. You must build. You must defend. The World Below provides, but only to the worthy. 

A high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game about burgeoning heroes struggling to survive, fighting for what’s right, exploring dangerous places, and saving the world. You play as heroes who have chosen to buck the status quo and try to change the course of things. Your characters may attempt to change the course of the war, delve into the secrets of daemons and the Void, fight against tyranny to protect what they love in the world, fight to restore balance to Gaia, or all the above. You stand at the gates, holding back the tide, changing the course of history.

And check out these games built with the Storypath system that planted the seeds for Storypath Ultra.

A collection of 8 Jumpstart PDFs for quick introductions to Scion, several Trinity Continuum eras, and two They Came From lines)

Get the Core Rules for Scion Second Edition, Trinity Continuum, They Came from Beneath the Sea!, and They Came from Beyond the Grave!

International shipping has become increasingly expensive and is often prohibitive to non-US backers. Several contemporary publishers have decided to discontinue international shipping completely. For this project, Onyx Path wants to keep all options open to our customers, though shipping costs will reflect the expense.

PLEASE NOTE: Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping—and have an opportunity to adjust your pledge—after the campaign through the pledge manager.

• DOMESTIC MEDIA MAIL (USA): $5 USD + $2-$10 USD per additional book/item 
• CANADA: $45 USD + $5-$15 USD per additional book/item
• UNITED KINGDOM: $55 USD +$5-$20 USD per additional book/item
• EUROPEAN UNION: $60 USD +$5-$20 USD per additional book/item
• AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: $75 USD +$10-25. USD per additional book/item
• BRAZIL*: $80.00 USD +$25 USD per additional book (only books available to ship to Brazil)
• THE REST OF THE WORLD: $55 USD +$5-$20 USD per additional book/item

*Orders to Brazil will be shipped with tracking numbers once only. Should the order become lost in customs processing or during last-mile delivery within Brazil, we'll need full payment of a second order before any re-ships can take place.

ALTERNATE OPTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL BACKERS:

• Pledge to the campaign at the $25 Storypath Ultra PDF pledge level to get the PDF version plus a redemption code to purchase the print-on-demand version of the book at a discounted cost (plus shipping) from DriveThruRPG.com once it's available (see Reward Descriptions, above, for more details).
• Pledge to the campaign at the $5 Storypath Support tier to get access to the preview manuscript. Later, you can buy the PDF and/or Print-on-Demand when eventually released.
• Contact your local game store and make sure you're put on a preorder list so they know there's demand for the game that they're being asked to fill, and then encourage them to back at the Retailer Tier for this campaign!
• Look into a freight forwarding service that can give you a US-based shipping address and get packages delivered to it and forwarded to you.