I've got a lot to go over today, but before we get into it, let's celebrate! Because we've passed 1,000 Backers for this project!
Funding the project is the success we strive for with these Crowdfunding campaigns, but internally there's always a secondary dream of hitting 1,000 backers. It's a pretty great milestone, and it means that there's a lot of interest and support for the work the team has been doing in building this system and how it plays.
So, pats on the back to more than a thousand supporters who have come together to bring this Core Manual into existence!
Cheers!
We've got one final Stretch Goal still looming in the distance! Now that we're a thousand strong, can we recruit enough support so that we can all share in this reward? We'll find out over these next few days!
At $52,000 in Funding – DISCORD DICE BOT - Onyx Path will work with an external developer to create and maintain a Discord Dice-Bot for Storypath Ultra.
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Storypath Ultra Core Manual finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, September 26th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to Inspire others to assemble this toolbox, 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 five days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Sept 23 - Manuscript Preview # 6 - Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell
Sept 25 - Stretch Goal Review
Sept 26 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you've chosen three Paths and selected all of your Edges or are just assinging your first dot, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.
(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, podcast and panels, and other helpful information.)
PLEDGE 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 versions for Onyx Path's Storypath Ultra Core Manual. Many of you have already explored the games built using this system or have some familiarity with the early Storypath system, but you want to be able to take the basic system and building blocks and use those to power your own game at home! This book is a box full of tools and material for you to assemble the game in your imagination.
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.
Hardcover Book or PDF Version
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book that is the Storypath Ultra Core Manual. 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 do you have space on your shelf for the hardcover book? (Note - both hardcover versions include the PDF as a bonus!).
With that decision in mind, we've got two key reward tiers to choose from:
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.
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.
An important reminders at this stage:
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.
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
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.
That premium reward tier has limited slots, but we're not quite at the end, so there's still some room right now if you'd love to get your name set in the background of our Fantasy example game. Things usually tighten up as we get into the final days and hours and budgets are calculated and pledges locked down, so act quickly if you're thinking about a premium reward tier.
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 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 Storypath Ultra Core Manual 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.
STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL PDF VERSION - The digital version of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual, 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 "Backer 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.
STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL 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 extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options 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 crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% 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 Options
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 select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.
In addition to additional redemptions/copies of the SPU Core Manual, Onyx Path is also offering items from the three recently completedcrowdfunding campaign for games that use Storypath Ultra.
The World Below is 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 has many facets, from exotic settlements to abandoned temples and dungeons inhabited with monstrous predators and glittering wonders. Caverns ripped from alien worlds and portals to bizarre dimensions are hidden just behind a wall, down a pit, or buried within a lost city. New magics, technologies, treasures, and secrets await discovery.
The World Below PDF Version - Add a copy of The World Below PDF to your rewards list. Currently projected to be available before March 2025. You will receive the draft manuscript and an optional discount link for the Print-on-Demand version once available.
At The Gates is 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.
At The Gates PDF Version - Add a copy of The World Below PDF to your rewards list. Currently projected to be available in August 2025. You will receive the draft manuscript and an optional discount link for the Print-on-Demand version once available.
They Came From the RPG Anthology! is a collection of 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! Within this book you’ll find a quick play ruleset based on a streamlined version of the Storypath system. They Came From the RPG Anthology! also includes the Storypath Ultra ruleset as an Appendix so you can retroactively apply it to the existing They Came From games if you want to give them the full Storypath Ultra experience.
They Came From the RPG Anthology! PDF Version - Add a copy of The World Below PDF to your rewards list. Currently projected to be available before January 2025. You will receive the draft manuscript and an optional discount link for the Print-on-Demand version once available.
We also have two digital bundles of games and material built using the Storypath system that planted the seeds for Storypath Ultra.
Storypath Seeds Jumpstart Bundle - A collection of 8 Jumpstart PDFs for quick introductions to Scion, several Trinity Continuum eras, and two They Came From lines)
Storypath Seeds Core Rulebook Bundle - Get the Core Rules for Scion Second Edition, Trinity Continuum, They Came from Beneath the Sea!, and They Came from Beyond the Grave!
Finally, spinning out from the World Below campaign, we have some premium dice on offer.
The World Below Starbearer Glow Dice - includes ten 10-sided dice and a velvet dice bag. These are resin Elixir liquid core dice. Elixir dice are infused with glittery liquid cores that swirl when rolled. Each set is handcrafted and polished to keep their beautiful sharp edges.
Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options
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'm loving the Storypath Ultra system and want to use it to power some game ideas I have so decided to splurge and get the hardcoverto 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.
The two main Pledges focusing on SPU are the $25 PDF Reward for PDF only rewards, the $60 Hardcover Reward Path for the hardcover book, all in all pretty self-explanatory.
Clicking "Learn More" expands the Pledge Level info. For example, clicking "Learn More" on the Hardcover Reward tier gives you...
This is the reward I'm choosing, as it exactly fits my needs for this project.
Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.
For example, I've decided on the $60 Hardcover path, so I select BACK IT for that tier, and then I want to add on aa few of the optional Add On extras to my rewards list. I'm going to add both of the Storyguide Seeds bundles to build my digital library, as well as the deluxe World Below Starbearer Dice Set as a special treat to myself.
My total is $185.00 USD. That's $60 for my SPU Hardcover Reward pledge path, +$10 for the Storypath Seeds Jumpstart PDF Digital Bundle Add On option +$25 for the Storypath Seeds Core Rulebooks PDF Digital Bundle +$90 for the Starbearer Deluxe Dice Set
When everything is correct, click NEXT and then Confirm Your Pledge. You'll get an e-mail confirmation of your choices.
If you're already a backer but want to update your pledge or Add On choices...
Select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then you can Edit Your Pledge
Select "Manage Your Pledge" at the top of the page, and then "Edit Your Pledge" on your listing, and then...
You can select a new Pledge Level from the available option menu, or Change your Add On selection.
As before, you'll confirm all of your choices, and then receive an e-mail confirmation once that's done.
And with that, my pledge level and Add On options are set for your pledge. At this time, you don't need to worry about setting shipping information.
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 the Storypath Ultra Core Manual at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list, though many of the rewards we've unlocked are things that will be open to the Onyx Path community as a whole. That said, the Stretch Goal milestone markers like the Wallpaper and VTT Tokens will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this crowdfunding campaign.
REWARD DELIVERY
About 6-8 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 that 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 starter set 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 SPU 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 8-10 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 any of the hardcover reward tiers, 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 the Storypath Ultra Core Manual and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover books. 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 select additional rewards 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 a hardcover tier, you will be able to add physical reward options. You should not add on additional physical rewards (like the Starbearer Dice) if the SPU Core Manual 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 options 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 methodat midnight the day 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 Pledge 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 options, 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 see some rules for the most epic wrestling tournament, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
I'll be back tomorrow with the FINAL manuscript section for Storypath Ultra, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
