project-image

The World Below

Created by The World Below RPG by Onyx Path

A tabletop roleplaying game of subterranean fantasy, horror, and exploration.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

May '24 Update
6 months ago – Wed, May 22, 2024 at 08:33:58 AM

Hello Deep Delvers,

I'm bringing you the monthly update a bit early this month and adjusting the schedule so it isn't *quite* so late in the month. I do want to give you the heads up on the 2024 Onyx Path online gaming convention coming in just over 3 weeks!

Next month, on June 14-16, they'll be streaming panels on their twitch channel (twitch.tv/theonyxpath). Here's the panel schedule


The big info panels are usually the Opening Ceremonies on Friday and the What's Up With Onyx Path? panel and Earthbane Cycle panel on Saturday. As noted last month, the Earthbane Cycle is the overall name for the line containing both The World Below and At the Gates - which is mid-way through our Crowdfunding campaign right now!
 
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.
 
Magic fuels all parts of Gaia, from fields of wheat to the people who sow them. Magic is rooted in the living nature of the world: the elements, the mind, the body, and the soul. The Void stands outside the world, and represents all the esoteric concepts such as order, entropy, and energy. Where the Void meets the world, Outlands grow. These places are warped by the intermingling of two opposite magics, and everything that lives there is tainted and dangerous. Hidden inside these Outlands are gates into the Void, standing as literal tears in reality. 
 
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 can stand at the gates and hold back the tide, changing the course of history. Will you heed the call? 


REWARDS STILL PENDING




Our two big Stretch Goal rewards - the Underworld Adventures book and Ed Greewood's Monstrous Ecologies - have both moved forward into Editing, alongside the World Below manuscript! Lots of goodies coming our way in the future!

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 (January 25 '24 Update)
  • Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
  • They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
  • Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Link (April 4 '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.




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://the-world-below.backerkit.com/



DRAFT MANUSCRIPT

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: <April 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
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.

 

April 2024 Update
7 months ago – Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 06:39:16 AM

Hello Deep Delvers,

It's the final Thursday of the month, which means it's time for our regular monthly update. Last month I mentioned a bit about At The Gates, Onyx Path's latest Ashcan release, and a project somehow related to The World Below (like distant cousins, but the connection isn't crucial to either game line. Just a fun easter egg, as far as I understand at this time).

Just in case you're interested in more...

Click here to sign up and get notified when the project goes live!

REWARDS STILL PENDING



One of our Stretch Goal projects has moved forward again - Ed Greenwood's Monstrous Ecology. Once the developers had brought all of the final drafts together and ensured it was clearly a cohesive single project, it went up the chain to Manuscript Review and Approval. At that point, it was deemed worthy of including more content, so some additional writing has been requested before it move to the next stage of development! I am always excited when something catches a vibe and the team decides to further expand the content. More for us!

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 (January 25 '24 Update)
  • Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
  • They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
  • Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Link (April 4 '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.




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://the-world-below.backerkit.com/



DRAFT MANUSCRIPT

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: <March 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

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.


4-4-24 Backer T-Shirt Bonanza
8 months ago – Thu, Apr 04, 2024 at 04:47:35 AM

Hello Dark Delvers,

A quick update at the start of the month because I've got a Stretch Goal reward for you!

Remember this during our Crowdfunding campaign?



Well, we unlocked that (along with a bunch of other fun things) and now it's ready for you!



If you're ready to glow in the dark, check out the design and various shirt options here: The World Below Backer Shirt <LINK>

AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW - FOR A LIMITED TIME!


So, this Stretch Goal during the Crowdfunding campaign was for a special available-for-a-limited-timeThe World Below Backer Shirt <LINK>. I listed it as a Backer T-Shirt, but really there are more than just T-shirt options there (and more colors as well!)

If you click over to Onyx Path's REDBUBBLE T-shirt Shop using this link <World Below Shirt> you will see the backer shirts, which will be available for a LIMITED TIME ONLY! You have ONE WEEK to order a shirt with this design if you'd like to announce you're ready for a Kalm season!

If you scroll down a bit, you'll see other options - including hoodies and other styles - you can change the style, color, and size to make sure it works for you! Changing the style and size may change the cost, so be aware. Make sure you review your selection before you process payment to ensure you've got the correct images, style, color, and size.

One last time: This shirt will be available for a LIMITED TIME ONLY - please act quickly if you're interested!

I'll be back later in the month for our regular monthly summary, now with one more reward moved from Pending to Delivered!

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.


March 2024 Monthly Update
8 months ago – Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 08:30:13 AM

Hello Dark Delvers,

Up here on the mythical surface world, I'm heading into spring. That means it's time for our regular monthly update. Each month, I'll list our "Pending" rewards and our "Delivered" rewards. We'll track the project status of our pending rewards by filling in the stage dots, and I'll note which update (and include a link) with each delivered reward, in case you want to go back and re-read the relevant update for more information. If any of these rewards were on your pledge list, you can access download codes in your BackerKit Digital Rewards page. And once they've been added to your DriveThruRPG library, you can access them through your DTRPG digital library at any time.

Before I get into our regular review, I wanna talk about a brand new release from Onyx Path which you may find interesting...




Now available in PDF: At the Gates, Ashcan Edition!


On the continent of Everend in the world of Gaia, magic suffuses everything, keeping all in harmony. The seven nations of Everend maintain peace after centuries of struggle — a peace now rapidly deteriorating. In an explosive demonstration of power, one nation pierced reality and called forth daemons from the Void through the resulting gates.

Now, all nations rush to gain daemonic magic for themselves. As the nations prepare for battle, common folk go about their daily lives fearing the brutality of war and the daemons’ incomprehensible power. All the while, the Void spilling through the gates collides with Gaia’s magic, creating Void-tainted landscapes. The taint transforms wildlife into ravenous beasts that rove across Everend. The balance has been upended.
Everend needs heroes to stop the march of destruction and to help people understand their place in the new world.

Will you heed the call?

At the Gates: Ashcan Edition is an early access experience designed to introduce you to the world of Everend and get you started playing the game today.

Inside you will find:
  • Details on how to play Storypath Ultra.
  • Four pre-made characters, along with all the rules necessary to play and understand them.
  • Rules on two nations and a couple of antagonists in which to set your story.
  • A short scenario to introduce you to the world.

In the most recent Monday Meeting Notes, Rich says of the At the Gates Ashcan Edition: 

It’s a bare-bones version of our newest fantasy game in the Earthbane Cycle, so it’ll give folks a real solid taste of the setting and rules before the actual text is released during its crowdfunding campaign. Which is the next one we’re doing – real dates coming soon!

Danielle and team did a fantastic job evoking the elements we love in JRPGs, as well as taking those elements and creating a bright, fun, and threatened world to play in. Plus, they made the tone dangerous in a very different way than in The World Below, while still working with the Storypath Ultra rules. Even in just the Ashcan, I think those qualities shine forth.

Oh, and about the Earthbane Cycle: we’ve very specifically not publicly tied down just what about these fantasy games make them part of Earthbane, or a cycle, so if you see anybody telling you what the connection is as if we announced it…nope, they’re only guessing, themselves. Someday, the truth will be out there, but that day is not today!

So... At the Gates is related to The World Below somehow, as both are part of Onyx Path's Earthbane Cycle in some fashion... but the actual connection is yet to be revealed.



REWARDS STILL PENDING



A bit of progress on one of our Stretch Goal supplements. Ed Greenwood's Monstrous Ecology has moved quickly through the writer stages and is now in the hands of developer Matthew Dawkins. This is the phase where Matthew takes all of the bits of the manuscript and ensures that it works holistically, presented in a consistent voice, and works within the aims of the greater game line. 

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 (January 25 '24 Update)
  • Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
  • They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '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.




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://the-world-below.backerkit.com/



DRAFT MANUSCRIPT

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: <February 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 Stretch Goal 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.




February 2024 Update
9 months ago – Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 05:23:59 AM

Hello Dark Delvers,

Thanks to Leap Year, it's the final Thursday of the month and time for our regular monthly check in.

As mentioned last month, each month, I'll list our "Pending" rewards and our "Delivered" rewards. We'll track the project status of our pending rewards by filling in the stage dots, and I'll note which update (and include a link) with each delivered reward, in case you want to go back and re-read the relevant update for more information. If any of these rewards were on your pledge list, you can access download codes in your BackerKit Digital Rewards page. And once they've been added to your DriveThruRPG library, you can access them through your DTRPG digital library at any time.


REWARDS STILL PENDING



A bit of progress on one of our Stretch Goal supplements. Ed Greenwood's Monstrous Ecology has moved quickly through the writer stages and is now in the hands of developer Matthew Dawkins. This is the phase where Matthew takes all of the bits of the manuscript and ensures that it works holistically, presented in a consistent voice, and works within the aims of the greater game line. 

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 (January 25 '24 Update)
  • Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
  • They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '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.




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://the-world-below.backerkit.com/



DRAFT MANUSCRIPT

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: <February 2024 Project Status Summary>.

(That link may not be live until later today, as it's the final day of the month)

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 Stretch Goal 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 CROWDFUNDING


Trust your instincts. Reward loyalty. Respect an honest duel.
And always, always pounce on the minions of the Unseen.

The Age of Man is long over. Cats – uplifted from our clever feline companions to use tools and language – now rule the world. In the Monarchies of Mau, cats study relics the Old Ones left behind to create new wonders, expand their understanding of the world, and combat the monsters and minions of the Unseen that threaten catkind. Curious cats explore ruins and set sail on the Acid Sea, or participate in games of intrigue against other houses, the dogs of Pugmire, and other rival species.
 
The world is full of mysteries and dangers, which excellent cats are eager to face.