Onyx Path's newest Trinity Continuum RPG introduces a 19th-century setting of steam-powered warfare, daring espionage, dynamic adventure, and thrilling diplomacy on a grand scale. Create a range of talented heroes and customize your war rigs with the multiple options in this book, which contains beautiful art by Larry Blamire and others. Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars is the first Trinity game powered by the easy-to-use Storypath Ultra system, includes all the rules needed for play, and sets the standard for the future of the Trinity Continuum!
The 19th century saw the emergence of a new kind of fighting machine: massive coal-fueled giants known as steam rigs. Crude and cumbersome at first, by the 1890s, they had become the primary weapons of war. Nations competed to develop the biggest and the best, while brilliant inventors like Lucy Tillencrest were sought by the highest bidder. But getting crews to man the rigs was a different story. For only the most reckless and foolhardy would dare to join the Steam Force, or, as it was called at the time… “the most dangerous job on earth.”
In Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, your player characters are the crewmembers of a war rig, venturing into battles against people from far off countries, aligned to ideals different than their own, and trying to preserve their peace, their way of life, or their rich deposits of a new, bizarre energy source: condensed coal. Your characters — the crewmembers of these war rigs — are as likely to be enlisted crooks as they are commissioned officers; gung-ho patriots as common as conscripted people from the imperial powers’ colonies. They fight because they have to. But in the fear and fog of battle, bonds form, friendships and rivalries grow, and legends are made. Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars is set in 1897, just as the Second Steam War is moving into its deadliest phase. Prussia and their Die Lanze alliance wage war on Britain, America, and Japan’s Iron Ring alliance. Meanwhile, the Fulcrum of Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Britain, and America combat their enemies in Central Europe as the Confederation of the Sea comprising Spain, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire seize the Mediterranean with their newfound power. Prussia and Korea utilize the Long Handshake alliance to pincer Russia between them, but imperial Russia isn’t without allies, as the Dual Entente with France aims to weaken Prussia’s aggression. The world is at war, but the theaters of conflict are many.
The Trinity Continuum is a roleplaying game line set in a multiverse of danger, from the products of mad science and corporate greed to the perils of lost civilizations. Players create stories of adventure and intrigue in any of several eras and alternate universes within the continuum, each focusing on a different genre of play. From Mythic heroes in Greece's Iron Age to two-fisted pulp action in the Roaring '30s, from modern-day assassins working in a shadow world to super-powered individuals and teams in the near future, and even all the way into the 22nd century as psionic humans travel to the stars. Each era of the Trinity Continuum presents endless possibilities.
TC: Steam Wars takes place outside the Trinity Continuum's "Alpha" timeline -- the worlds explored from Aegis to Æon -- taking place in a parallel reality, setting the stage for new adventures and discoveries.
As well as inspiring the setting for this roleplaying game, Steam Wars®is a successful graphic novel, series of art creations, and idea spawned from the ever-brilliant mind of Larry Blamire. Working with Onyx Path Publishing, Larry has co-authored this game to form a new aspect of the Trinity Continuum while furthering the possibilities within his Steam Wars® world. Readers, players, and Storyguides alike are encouraged to look up the Steam Wars® graphic novel and get a taste for what this roleplaying game has in store. Many of the characters, rigs, and actions appearing in this pages were introduced in Larry’s comic work, and they’ll undoubtedly serve to inspire you.
Your characters are an array of soldiers with different roles and duties to perform. The captain oversees command of the rig and all crew within it. The navigator plots the course, acts as draftsman, and surveys the terrain ahead. The envoy makes whatever diplomatic arrangements are necessary to ensure civilians don’t get harmed and that a friendly government will welcome a war on their land. Meanwhile, the engineers and gunners work as much with their muscles as with their minds to ensure the rig remains moving and with it, lethal. Finally, the pilot — perhaps more than any crew role — is in tune with the rig and walks it wherever it needs to go.
Characters in Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars don’t, however, all look at war as a traumatic misery. The Second Steam War is a great opportunity for heroism, for daring deeds, for medals, and for the chance to serve and save friends, companions, and innocents in peril.
Whether your tale plunges you into the Siberian tundra, the thick of urbanized Central Europe, or you find yourself battling between Japanese islands, remember Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars is a game that rewards combat, yes, but is one that can be played equally with behind-enemy-lines espionage, diplomatic engagements with enemies and allies, and stealth sabotage operations. Steam Wars is also a game where camaraderie between the troops is a vital element, so players and Storyguides alike are strongly encouraged to utilize the excitement, the bonding, the action, and the terror of late-19th century war. The colorful characters and ideas of the Steam Wars graphic novel amplify what it means to serve aboard a rig and that kind of story, where characters find shared experiences — good and bad — through action together, is a story for the ages.
Inside, you will find:
A complete setting based on the acclaimed graphic novel Steam Wars with writing by Larry Blamire.
Detailed rules on piloting, managing, and fighting massive coal-powered War Rigs in a parallel 19th century.
Six different roles you can perform on a steam rig, along with more than half a dozen Alliances involving in the Second Steam War that you can fight, ally with, or sabotage.
Storyguide advice, secrets, hooks, and plots, to enable you to start your game of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars
Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars uses the Storypath Ultra system and this book acts as the perfect introduction to how that system functions.
Storypath Ultra is designed to enable action-oriented gameplay in which each action drives the story forward through a combination of partial success mechanics and failure, which drive the story forward rather than ending it. The system encourages multiple strategies and approaches for achieving goals. It’s meant to facilitate quick gameplay through cinematic pacing, dramatic editing, and intuitive mechanics. If you take nothing else from this chapter, heed this: Keep the story moving and the pace high.
The three areas of action — action-adventure, investigation, and influence — work together and strengthen one another, which adds layers to the game while also providing natural changes in pace without compromising the plot. Each system considers multiple approaches, and players are encouraged to navigate through them according to their character’s strengths. Influence describes how to manipulate other characters, but also discusses how to build mutual bonds, such as friendship, and gives benefits and drawbacks for each.
The primary purpose behind this crowdfunding campaign is to enable Onyx Path to create a hardcover edition of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, a tabletop roleplaying game based on Larry Blamire's Steam Wars setting and artwork . Your support will allow Onyx Path to produce a fully-developed PDF and hardcover edition for this setting and system, opening up whole new paths for the Trinity Continuum. With your help we hope to not only deliver a beautiful book to all of our backers, but also fund at least one print run to be sold through distribution and into book and hobby stores that are so vital to our community.
Exceptional funding may allow the Trinity Continuum team to explore more of the adventurous possibilities open to characters in this game, perhaps introducing incredible new antagonists and threats, along with related character options. Additional support will provide the talented team behind the book with inspiration to unlock even more possibilities!
Beyond those campaign-specific goals, the hope is to do what these games have always done — build a community invested in each other's stories and shared imagination. Every person who participates is joining with the goal of bringing this game into the world, and that common goal is a powerful binding element that we can't help but want to share. When you back this project, you join us on this exciting journey and become part of our own rig crew.
All participants who would like to make this project happen can pledge their support and add to the overall campaign total. If the campaign meets the funding target ($15,000), then we will have funded the project and it will become a reality. Your pledge will only be collected if we achieve our funding target.
In thanks for your support, we offer rewards based on your level of funding pledged. The Pledge Roles 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.
DECIDING ON YOUR PLEDGE ROLE
Digitalvs 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 looking to add extras with the Add-On options available as well? 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.
While the Trinity Continuum contains nearly-infinite possibilities and variations, we've tried to keep supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, alight yourself with one of these pledge role reward tiers:
Pilot: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
Captain: 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.
In addition to these primary reward pledge roles, we also offer the following options:
Envoy: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge role is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars that we post throughout this campaign.
Engineer: This pledge role offers a special limited premium reward in addition to the basics: an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC added to the setting.
Finally, we love retailers, but modern publishing methods don’t always make it easy for them to get books into their stores. With this Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars campaign, we have created a special Reward Role just for you.
Supply: Any retailer who pledges at the Retail Reward Tier will get 5 copies of the TrinityContinuum: Steam Wars hardcover book (as well as the PDF version) 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.
ACCESS TO DRAFTMANUSCRIPT UPDATES – During the course of the campaign, we will be posting the ENTIRE manuscript for Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars. These previews will be shared via a special Backer-Only section in our updates. Backers will be able to review the manuscript and share feedback with the developers as well.
TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS BACKER PDF - Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption link 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.
TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARSHARDCOVER 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 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.
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a 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.
In addition to the rewards listed in each Reward Tier, backers can add extra options via the Add On menu associated with your reward format. Digital Rewards can be added to any pledge, while physical rewards can only be added to rewards lists that include a version of the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book, and will therefore have a shippable order when information is downloaded in the fulfillment system.
As we increase the overall funding and support for the project, we’re able to add additional resources to the project, expand the rewards listed, and add in new offers and opportunities. Each Stretch Goal will have a target that, once reached, will add a project to the reward list for backers of the relevant Reward Level Pledge Role. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, the listing will be updated to reflect the achievement.
ACHIEVED! - At $17,000 in Funding - TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS - LEVIATHAN SUPPLEMENT
We will create a PDF supplement introducing a new threat for the war rigs to face - titanic beasts that rise from the depths. Delving into the origin of these monsters, this supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards. [Captain reward tier+]
At $18,000 in Funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER
Fantastic TC: Steam Wars artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added as a free bonus reward for all backers supporting this project. [Envoy reward tier+]
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.
The following are estimates for shipping a copy of the hardcover book with full package tracking, projected on current trends. Please note that these are estimates only and are subject to change by the time of fulfillment (currently projected by March 2027)
DOMESTIC MEDIA MAIL (USA): $8 USD + $10 USD per additional book/item
CANADA: $45 USD + $15 USD per additional book/item
UNITED KINGDOM: $55 USD +$15-$20 USD per additional book/item
EUROPEAN UNION: $60 USD +$15-$20 USD per additional book/item
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: $75 USD +$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: $60 USD +$20 USD per additional book/item
Again, we will be charging the actual costs via our BackerKit pledge manager once the books are preparing to ship. These are estimated costs only, and the final costs charged will reflect the actual rates at the time of shipping. At this time, there's a lot of speculation about what that may mean, but we have no real way of knowing until we're there. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
*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. At this time, we can only ship books to Brazil.
ALTERNATE OPTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL BACKERS:
If you live outside of the US, here are your options for obtaining a physical copy:
Pledge to the campaign at the $25 Pilot 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 Envoy reward 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.
After the campaign is over we'll launch our Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for international orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
Onyx Path Publishing has managed more than 60 crowdfunded projects, and that experience allows us to maintain manageable projects and achievable goals. To read more about the knowledge that has been applied to this project, you can read the FAQ linked here: http://theonyxpath.com/about/faq/crowdfunding/
