Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
over 2 years ago
– Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 08:15:10 AM
Kalm is a time for building. For reflection. For meditation. For negotiation.
These cellars are much broader than we first anticipated. We’re living under the feet, claws, and spines of the haemexii and building our own small world under here, brick by brick. We wait until they’re out hunting and then we go to work.
At first, we were at each other’s throats. But we’ve since had many chances to speak, to share ideas, and to find peace among each other.
We may only be three people trapped in the World Below, but we have the skills, the tools, and the powers to carve something out in here. Lines of defense should the haemexii find us, a narrow water channel, a source of green lichen, nutritious seeds, and protein rich bugs, and most importantly, quarters for solitude.
I would not wish to spend my entire life here, but this place could one day become more than a respite: this may be the foundation for a new settlement, built under the ruins of an old one.
Hello Diggers!
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign.
The World Below finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Tuesday, November 14th at 2:00 PM EST. There's still time to Inspire others to help brighten up the darkness, 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 four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Final Days Schedule
Whether you're a veteran of many Kaos storms or just prepping for your first Kalm season, 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, podcasts, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
Refresher Course
Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like how we're not including international shipping charges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.
Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! And it's fun to listen to those podcasts and watch the Actual Plays.
We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).
MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the
complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider it about 98.7% finished. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!
PLEDGE TIERS - This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.
The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the standard or deluxe hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF versions).
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HUNTER: 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.
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CARTOGRAPHER: This reward tier includes the standard 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.
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ARTIFICER: This reward tier includes the limited edition deluxe version of The World Below hardcover book, with a special cover design and bound-in silk bookmark. 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.
ADD-ON OPTIONS - The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including other The World Below items (like pendants and pins) plus messenger bags, Storyguide Screens, and a premium glowing dice set! We've also got digital starter bundles of some other Onyx Path games that are well worth checking out!
Choose Wisely
Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.
Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS only - Any International Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.
Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists. If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Surface-Touched tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.
On Tuesday, I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.
But until then, we're going to hopefully hunt down a final Stretch Goal achievement as we race through our final day of the campaign!
Over the past 28 days as we've worked through this World Below campaign we've not only funded the book but also unlocked ELEVEN Stretch Goal targets! That's right - we've unlocked the first TEN goals that were announced and we've ALREADY unlocked one of the final goals that was going to be announced as part of this update!
Within these Stretch Goals are some milestone markers that allowed us to maintain our pace through the middle parts of the campaign, and some really cool new supplements that we expanded and grew by working together. Let's review and see what we've accomplished so far...
MILESTONE MARKERS
Helping us maintain our pace during the regular "Funding Plateau" and between new content goals, these milestone markers are great celebratory moments allowing us to keep our focus, and fun rewards going out to all who supported this project during the Crowdfunding campaign.
WORLD BELOW T-SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE – A World Below-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
WORLD BELOW DIGITAL WALLPAPER – Weird and wonderful World Below artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
WORLD BELOW MOBILE WALLPAPER – Weird and wonderful World Below artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your mobile device lockscreen. This lockscreen wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.
ONLINE TOOLS
Like many of you, my days of gathering around the gaming table with friends to tell stories with our favorite characters have grown much less frequent in these past years. Online sessions have become the norm in my world and allow us to join gamers across the world to build our chronicles. We've unlocked some tools to help make that a little more fun!
WORLD BELOW VTT TOKEN PACK – Digital assets will be created to support online play for The World Below, including key character and creature tokens from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
WORLD BELOW STREAMING OVERLAY – A set of overlays for your online World Below game will be created, for your use when streaming your game. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
That's right! You've done such a great job spreading the word and recruiting new backers over the past 24 hours that I hadn't even had time to announce this goal yet and we've already unlocked it!
ADD ON OPTIONS
The support that this campaign has received has allowed Onyx Path to offer alternative options for one of their Add On items. Now you'll be able to select the black and green The World Provides bag or the current The World Below messenger bag.
ALTERNATE EXPLORER’S BAG ADD ON OPTION – An alternate version of the Explorer’s Bag will be made available as an Add On option. Backers pledged to the
Explorer reward tier will be able to select which bag they wish to receive in the Pledge Manager after the campaign.
NEW CONTENT
We've unlocked two supplements as part of our campaign, and then expanded both! We've also added a fun and useful Storyguide tool to help dive into this game. First up, a starting scenario that we've turned into an adventure path...
DELVING DEEP INTO THE WORLD BELOW – A starting scenario to play or serve as an example for a World Below Storyguide. Our first adventure concerns the most common field of play: venturing from the safety of one's settlement to explore, face dangers, and hopefully return with resources to strengthen one's communities. Expect some surprises in this one! This World Below Adventure Supplement PDF will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving The World Below PDF as one of their rewards.
DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE WORLD BELOW – The World Below Adventure Supplement PDF will be expanded to include a follow-up adventure. Our second adventure concerns the building and protection of our settlement, the political maneuvering of the guilds, and the clashes of dogmas that go on behind the so-called "safety" of the settlement walls.
Next up, that Storyguide tool I mentioned (although it's a fun product for everyone!)
WORLD BELOW MONSTER CARDS – A set of Monster Cards with illustrations on one side and information on the back will be released as a “Print-and-Play” PDF and added to the rewards list of all backers receiving The World Below PDF as one of their rewards. Backers will receive an option to order a physical version from DriveThruCards at a discounted rate.
And, finally, one of the stretch goal supplements I'm most excited about (no offense to any of the others, which are also amazing) -
Ed Greenwood's Monstrous Ecology!
ED GREENWOOD’S MOUNSTROUS ECOLOGY – A PDF supplement detailing some of the strange and unique creatures that dwell in the World Below. The intrepid Ed Greenwood delves into some of the common colossal bugs, monstrous entities, and carnivorous beasts dwelling in the World Below with the first part of our ecology book. This PDF supplement will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving The World Below PDF as one of their rewards.
ED GREENWOOD’S MOUNSTROUS ECOLOGY PART 2 – Ed Greenwood returns with an examination of the aberrant horrors, cosmic nightmares, and dreamlike phenomena of the World Below in the second part of our ecology book.
WHY STOP THERE?
It's great that we've unlocked 11 Stretch Goal rewards... but what about an even dozen?
With just over a day left in our campaign, I think one more Stretch Goal is certainly within our grasp. Let's do our best to unlock this before the end!
At $58,000 in Funding – FURTHER INTO THE WORLD BELOW – The World Below Adventure Scenario PDF will be expanded to include a third adventure. Our third adventure tasks our heroes with making contact with a distant settlement that's fallen unnervingly silent, reestablishing dead links, and facing the nightmares that have occupied the empty space where the living once dwelled.
YOUR REWARDS!
That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish The World Below! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have the Delving Deep/Digging Deeper Adventure Scenarios PDF Supplement, Ed Greenwood's Monstrous Ecology PDF, the Monster Cards PDF (with discounted PoD option), a digital wallpaper and mobile lockscreen wallpaper, an opportunity to add to your wardrobe and a set of tokens and streaming overlay for your online game!
Not Much More Time
The World Below provides, but only to the worthy!
Unfortunately, we seem to continue to move forward at a regular pace, and our campaign will some come to the inescapable end. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, but there is still one possible Stretch Goal rewards that is almost within grasp! I know this last funding target may seem daunting, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! That last one may take a little bit of work. It's certainly within reach, but won't be easy, so let's keep at it!
So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!
And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybe unlocking that final Adventure scenario!
Remember, only the funds generated during the Crowdfunding campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!
The World Below finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Tuesday, November 14th at 2:00 PM EST.
#TheWorldBelowProvides
Final Days Review: Pledge Tiers and Add On Options
over 2 years ago
– Sat, Nov 11, 2023 at 06:19:26 AM
Hello Diggers,
I've got a lot to go over today, but before we get into it, let's celebrate! Because we've unlocked another Stretch Goal!
ACHIEVED! – DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE WORLD BELOW – The World Below Adventure Supplement PDF will be expanded to include a follow-up adventure. Our second adventure concerns the building and protection of our settlement, the political maneuvering of the guilds, and the clashes of dogmas that go on behind the so-called "safety" of the settlement walls.
With that, it's time for two more Stretch Goals to be unveiled! Will we be able to unlock these before the end of the campaign? Stay tuned!
At $50,000 in Funding – WORLD BELOW VTT TOKEN PACK – Digital assets will be created to support online play for The World Below, including key character and creature tokens from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
At $52,000 in Funding – ED GREENWOOD’S MOUNSTROUS ECOLOGY PART 2 – Ed Greenwood returns with an examination of the aberrant horrors, cosmic nightmares, and dreamlike phenomena of the World Below in the second part of our ecology book.
That's right! We'll unlock some online tools for Virtual Tabletop gaming, and then back to Ed Greenwood to expand the Monstrous Ecology PDF supplement! If you were interested in the weird creatures we had in our sneak peek yesterday, you're gonna love the full chapter that backers get tomorrow, and you're going to really want to further explore the strangeness of the underground ecosystem, so let's get more!
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign.
The World Below finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Tuesday, November 14th at 2:00 PM EST. There's still time to Inspire others to help brighten up the darkness, 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 four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Final Days Schedule
- Nov 10 - Sneak Peek: Dangers!
- Nov 11 - Pledge Tier & Add On Review (that's today!)
- Nov 12 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Chapter 10 + Appendix
- Nov 13 - Stretch Goal Review
- Nov 14 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you're a veteran of many Kaos storms or just prepping for your first Kalm season, 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, podcasts, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
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 standard and deluxe hardcover versions for this great new tabletop roleplaying game, The World Below. Many of you have already explored different games using the Storypath system, but this is the first game designed from square one to use the refined expression of the Storypath Ultra rules set. And what a weird and wonderful world that's been created to make this system sing!
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 for The World Below. 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? Or, better yet, do you go all in with the limited deluxe edition? (Note - both hardcover versions include the PDF as a bonus!).
With that decision in mind, we've got three key reward tiers to choose from:
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HUNTER: 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.
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CARTOGRAPHER: This reward tier includes the standard 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.
If you're really excited to take the journey into the World Below and want to really impress your gaming friends, we're also offering a special edition Deluxe World Below hardcover book.
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ARTIFICER: This reward tier includes the limited edition deluxe version of The World Below hardcover book, with a leatherette cover, special cover design, and bound-in silk bookmark. 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.
An important reminders at this stage:
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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:
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SURFACE-TOUCHED: 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 World Below that we post throughout this campaign.
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KAOSIST / EXPLORER: These tiers bundle in some special collector's items to really celebrate the launch. The Kaosist tier includes the standard hardcover edition and PDF, alongside the deluxe starbearer glow dice set, the Storyguide screen, the World Below Provides pendant and World Below Provides enamel pin. The Explorer tier includes the limited deluxe edition hardcover and PDF, along with the Explorer's Bag, Storyguide screen, deluxe starbearer glow dice set, World Below Provides pendant, and World Below Provides enamel pin. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
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WORLDHEART / ALCHEMIST / MINERALBORN / FARSIGHTER: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in a supplement, an opportunity to gain access to a supplemental manuscript during development, an option to submit photo references to be used by World Below artists for an interior illustration, and participation in an online game session run by Matthew Dawkins and featuring Ed Greenwood! Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.
Those premium reward tiers have limited slots, and some are completely claimed at this point, but if you're really interested in any of them it's a good idea to check on availability right up until the end of the campaign, as budgets shift and we may see some pledge changes that could open up a slot or two.
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
World Below 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 may be 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.
THE WORLD BELOW PDF VERSION - The digital version of
The World Below, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Kickstarter backers will receive redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Advance 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.
THE WORLD BELOW HARDCOVER BOOKS - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a standard and limited edition deluxe hardcover editions 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.
See the Add On Options for descriptions of some of the deluxe items.
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.
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The World Below Storyguide Screen - a three-panel cardstock screen, with vibrant and weird World Below artwork on one side and charts and tables to make running the game a little easier on the inside. Can be added to any tier that includes a hardcover book (and therefore will have shipping options).
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The World Below Provides Pendant - show off your love of the underground with this bit of jewelry, perhaps fashioned from the carapace of a beetle.
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The World Below Provides Enamel Pin - perfect for backpacks, jackets, and collections, this enamel pin lets others know you've survived your share of Kaos storms.
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World Below Messenger Bags - carry your hardcover books, pencils, dice, and character sheets in style in either of these messenger bags.
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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.
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The World Below Dice Tray - a folding, snap-to-set-up dice tray to protect your dice... and your table!
In addition to these deluxe The World Below items, Onyx Path is also offering three "starter bundles" for their other Storypath game lines. These bundles include the main rulebooks for each line, plus Jumpstart scenarios designed to introduce your group to the setting and rulesset.
- The Trinity Continuum is a tabletop roleplaying game about possibilities and human potential. In the continuum, you will portray characters who can act and achieve even the most outlandish goals. Talents are people who have the ability to unknowingly reach into the continuum and change their own circumstances, appearing to be extremely lucky or very skilled individuals.
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Scion is a game about Gods and humanity, and everything in between. It's a game about mythic deeds and the reasons people talk about those mythic deeds.
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They Came From presents dramatic and farcical tabletop roleplaying game encompassing the wonder, horror, thrills, and humor of 1950s and 1960s science fiction B-movies or the dramatic, hammy, and humorous Hammer, Amicus, and Roger Corman horror films of the 1970s.
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 this world and the Storypath Ultra system and have decided to splurge and get the deluxe edition hardcover
to 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 three main Pledges focusing on
The World Below are the $25
Hunter for PDF only rewards, the $60
Cartographer Path for the hardcover book, and the $100
Artificer Path for the limited deluxe edition hardcover book. I could also go all-in with my gaming budget for the year and get the $260
Explorer pledge, which includes not only the deluxe edition hardcover book, but the premium pendant, pin, bag and dice set as well.
Clicking "Learn More" expands the Pledge Level info. For example, clicking "Learn More" on the
Artificer 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 $100 Artificer path, so I select BACK IT for that tier, and then I want to add on at least one of the optional Add On extras to my rewards list. I'm going to add the Storyguide Screen to my pledge.
My total is
$125.00 USD.
That's
$100 for my
Artificer pledge path,
+$25 for the
World Below Storyguide Screen Add On option
If I didn't already have all of the Trinity Continuum or They Came From PDFs offered in the bundles, I'd grab those too!
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 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 Monday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order
The World Below at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list.
The Stretch Goal rewards 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 The World Below 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 World Below 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 Storyguide Screen) if The World Below 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 budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begin charging your payment method at 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 Reward 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 Tuesday, 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 work on our final great delve into the dark, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
And I'll be back tomorrow with the FINAL manuscript section for The World Below, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
#TheWorldBelowProvides
Sneak Peek: Dangers!
over 2 years ago
– Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 06:56:01 AM
Fortuna favors the bold!
Joanne and Fyrn agreed that we should seek the emerald dragon for counsel, but before we could reach her lair, the loose rock gave way.
As I fell, I had three thoughts. “The people of Drope betrayed us.” “This is a dragon’s trap.” “I may never see my family again.”
The relief when we landed in a bed of spongy fungi, and not the toxic, spore-spewing kind… No, these fungi were on the edge of what I can best describe as a city of gold and diamond, spires, spines, and spikes, all penetrating upward.
We can see and hear no inhabitants. We can detect no signs of life at all, in fact, which tells me this cave has been sealed for generations. Maybe before the Great Descent, even. An Iprecean kingdom, maybe?
This could be the find of our lives, and even if it isn’t, with Kalm approaching it may act as sanctuary during the Kaos storm.
The World Below provides.
Dangers of the World Below
The World Below’s explorers have since their arrival attempted to catalogue and define the dangers they’ve encountered. From small, burrowing bugs to their enormous, devouring cousins. From alien assemblies of eyeballs and mouths to an entire civilization of arachnid humanoids. From caves filled with acidic mist and raging storms to deep, fast-flowing channels of magma. It seems impossible to chronicle every possible threat, yet still people try. You cannot survive unless you know your enemy.
Storyguides may use the pre-written antagonists presented in this chapter or construct their own using the Qualities and Antitheses available. The Storyguide should always be mindful of possible environmental threats to spring on the player characters, too. This chapter presents ways to make environmental threats more than something to just be escaped or survived. Interacting with one’s environment and mastering it is a way of turning a danger into an asset.
The World Below’s many monsters can be divided into categories of severity, ranging from Pests at the lowest end, followed by Blights — which might pose a problem for a new pack of explorers — and then Scourges. Scourges are the things that terrify communities and isolated outposts with impunity. Finally, Horrors make up the most eldritch and dangerous creatures in the Vast Underneath.
Note that while some creatures are capable of flight, wall walking, and swimming, it’s for the Storyguide to decide if the given antagonist has this capability and what actions they can perform during such a state.
Antagonist Templates
Antagonists use a simplified set of character details to allow the Storyguide to easily put one together and abstract what it’s doing. These simplified templates give a general sense of the power level of the antagonist and all the important information in condensed format. The antagonists’ dice pools indicate their general capabilities along with some important actions to which they apply.
Primary Pool: The antagonist’s primary pool is its large action pool. This should be between 6 for the weakest character to 12 for the strongest character. Assign two to three actions the antagonist is good at.
Secondary Pool: The antagonist’s secondary pool is what it is next best at. This should be 2 points lower than the primary pool. Assign two to three actions that fall in this category.
Desperation Pool: The desperation pool is for everything else. This should be half the primary pool, rounded down.
Enhancement: Antagonists have access to Enhancement on certain actions, just like characters. List what kinds of actions the character gains Enhancement on here, and how much. Weaker characters shouldn’t gain more than 1 or 2 Enhancement overall, and stronger characters shouldn’t have more than 5 or 6 Enhancement overall, and they should never have more than 3 Enhancement to any one action.
Defense: Antagonists do not roll for Defense. Instead, this number is a static number that serves as the difficulty to hit the antagonist. This should be 1 for the weakest antagonists, and no more than 3 for difficult antagonists.
Integrity: Antagonists similarly do not roll for Integrity against influence actions. Integrity should be against no more than 1 for weak antagonists or 3 for difficult antagonists.
Health: Antagonists have injuries, but not Injury Levels like the players’ characters. Otherwise, Health works the same way. An “easy to knock out” category only has 1 Health, while others range between 4-10. Above that, Armor, Qualities, or Advantages reflect the sturdiness of bigger monsters.
Armor: If the antagonist has armor, it is stated here. If the armor is magical or elemental in nature, it will be denoted as such.
Initiative: The antagonist’s Initiative score should be equal to its desperation pool.
Qualities: List any antagonist Qualities here.
Antitheses: List any antagonist Antitheses here.
Special: Some antagonists have unique perks to their Qualities and Antitheses or ad hoc rules to reinforce their identity.
Some Status Effects — and less commonly, Area Effects — may seem inappropriate for a given monster. How worthwhile is it to make a vermi feel
Crestfallen or describe them as a
Fabulist, for instance? With this in mind, consider your characters’ Theses, Syntheses, and Sorceries, as some are designed to affect humanoids with personalities and societies, while others are crafted to target monsters such as the ones in this chapter. It’s possible for a power to affect a creature in an unusual way, such as using the Rend the Sovereign Soul on an unthinking beast to make it flee briefly or succumb to a form of mental paralysis, though doing so is best discussed between the player and Storyguide instead of assumed.
Arachniida
My experience with arachniida never went beyond a solitary small one scuttling outside a crevice or the sight of webbing tapestries along the walls of the Illuneian Precipice. Settlers advised me to stay clear of those, and so I did. My luck changed when the ground beneath our caravan collapsed, and we fell inside the webs in the cave below. That day I discovered death runs on eight legs.
Thanks to the warning colors of their exoskeletons and their venom-dripping fangs, people know better than to disturb the arachniida, although caution only helps to a point: The many-legged creatures are often content to feed on less intelligent bugs but waste no occasion to attack prey that stumbles upon their nests or disturbs their webbings.
Arachniida range from smaller than a hand to as big as a cave, with a wicked intellect shining through their multiple eyes well beyond the dangerous cunning other predatory bugs possess. They communicate through an elaborate language Scarabs can learn to speak and demonstrate an unsettling attitude for problem-solving and the use of tools. Some gastrevores theorize arachniida are experiencing a rapid evolution due to the settlers’ invasion of their territory. The implication is that in a handful of generations they’ll become a menace nobody will be equipped to stop.
Template: Pest/Blight/Scourge/Horror
Drive: Weave. Feed. Reproduce.
Primary Pool: 6/8/10/12 (Weave Webs, Stealth)
Secondary Pool: 4/6/8/10 (Hit and Run, Bursts of Speed)
Desperation Pool: 3/4/5/6
Enhancements: 0/+1 Weave/+1 Weave, +1 Poison/+2 Weave, +1 Poison
Defense: 1/1/2/3
Integrity: 1/1/2/2
Health: 1/4/7/10
Armor: 0/1/2/3 (Adhesive)
Initiative: 5/6/7/8
Qualities: Natural Weapons (Bite, Stinger: Poison), Stable (Scourge+)
Antitheses: Devastating Blow (Scourge+) ×1, Entangle ×1, Pull (Blight+) ×2
Extra: 1 Power Advantage and 1 Speed Advantage (Horror)
Natural Weapons
The antagonist is a natural predator and has some form of natural weapon that it can always use even when unarmed. These weapons can never be disarmed. Each additional time this Quality is chosen, pick a tag to apply to the weapons from the following: Abyssal, Brutal, Deadly, Dreamcrafted, Electrified, Flaming, Ice, Kaos Touched, Long Range, Painful, Piercing, Poison, Reach, Returning, Shadow, Stunning, or Wrecking. If a natural weapon can be used at range, it’ll specify the range in brackets.
Stable
This antagonist is immune to the use of the Knockdown Trick and gains +1 Power Advantage against attempts to move them.
Devastating Blow
-
Prerequisite: Scourge+
-
Health: Half Health
-
Type: Reflexive (Melee)
The antagonist hits a character so hard that they immediately gain the Taken Out Status Effect. For example, a giant arachniida may swoop down and kidnap a character, while a Kaosist might pull down a cave roof on top of another.
Entangle
Through silky webs, lashing roots, shadowy tendrils, or other means, the antagonist can immobilize their opponents. The antagonist applies the Overgrowth Area Effect centered on itself out to medium range.
Pull
With fiery whip, web leash, gravitational clutch, or any other method, the antagonist drags its victim right into their grasp. The attacker is moved two range bands closer to the antagonist.
Chitters
Down here it’s either eat or get eaten, a way of survival that always made plenty of sense to me. That is, until I learned about the chitters. Chitters are… vurth, they’re all-consuming winged bugs, only as big as carts. The noise they make and their horrible, makiru-like faces make clear they’re anything but. They treat us like we treat mindless bugs, going as far as making deals with settlement leaders to protect people from enemies and predators in exchange for the right to harvest ripe livestock when they’re hungry. An offering only the foolish and the desperate accept, but it’s not like these tunnels lack either…
An oddity raising uncanny questions about the boundaries between settlers and insects, chitters keep more communities under their heel than sensible scholars like to imagine. Although it’s unclear whether they started as insects who evolved in response to the makiru expansion in the World Below or explorers who left behind their nature to become insectoid predators, chitters are clever, malicious, and lethal.
With thick skin and sharp mandibles, a chitter pack makes for a deadly treat, but the creatures feast and prosper thanks to their cunning more than their might. Chitters look for isolated settlements without allies, circle them while terrorizing the inhabitants with demonstrative assaults, and establish a gruesome ecosystem where the humanoids live as cattle for harvesting.
Chitters take care of their “herd,” happy to defend them from dangers and let people come and go as the necessities lives demand, but at the same time reserve themselves the right to slaughter anyone t. Whoever reveals the settlement’s secret or rebels is taken care of like a sick beast endangering its kin, while the chitters force the others to live in a nightmare where everyone prays to not be the next in line to feed their monstrous master.
Template: Pest/Blight
Drive: Surround a community, tend to it from afar, harvest mature prey.
Primary Pool: 6/8 (Close Combat, Stalk)
Secondary Pool: 4/6 (Coordination)
Desperation Pool: 3/4
Enhancements: +1 Stalk
Defense: 1/1
Integrity: 1/1
Health: 2/4
Armor: 1/1 (Light)
Initiative: 3/4
Qualities: Hive Coordination (Blight), Hive Mind, Natural Weapons (Chitin Spurs, Mandibles: Piercing)
Antitheses: Leap (Blight) ×2
Hive Mind
The antagonist shares an instinctive connection with other creatures in its hive. Provided it’s not separated from its peers at extreme range or greater, everything the creature sees or experiences gets shared across other members of the hive.
While this complicates all attempts to avoid detection, the shared information begins and ends with a given creature’s perspective. If characters flee or kill the creature who spotted them, the alerted reinforcements won’t demonstrate any prescient knowledge of their current position.
Hive Coordination
-
Prerequisite: Scourge template or higher; Hive Mind.
Within the network of its hive, the antagonist plays a central role in the control and organization of the colony. Other creatures with the Hive Mind Quality in the Area gain a +1 Enhancement on all rolls when the antagonist is present. Multiple instances of this Quality within a scene don’t stack.
If all antagonists with Hive Coordination involved in a scene die, other members of the colony must roll their desperation pool. On a failure, they either flee or fail to recognize their peers as allies and attack them.
Leap
-
Type: Reflexive (Any Attack)
The antagonist moves two range bands in a single bound, be it an impressive jump, an eldritch blink, or any other means of sudden movement. If this happens as a result of a ranged attack, the antagonist may use Leap to close the distance to the attacker.
Dragons
Dragons are a rare sight, but not one you’ll ever forget. Although their reptilian features and vast wings refuse to let the world forget their original majesty, dragons had to adapt to their subterranean home, as we all did. But how a body looks doesn’t define a dragon: their true heritage is power. Can you imagine how that feels? To be a living portent, to change the world with every breath? That’s what dragons are.
Among the mightiest creatures of the tunnels, dragons are presences no settlement can ignore. Be they merciless overlords, solitary monsters, or enigmatic hermits, dragons imbue the land around them with their own brand of power, drawn from Kaos and processed through the crucible of their being.
While their personalities vary, dragons are driven by pride, desire, and an aspiration to a magnificence lesser beings cannot comprehend. Their morality sometimes aligns to that of other creatures but exists in a different paradigm. A dragon can act as patron for a settlement while being a winged bearer of destruction for another, but each demands respect, if not outright worship, while plenty of dragons refuse to entertain conversation with non-dragons.
Although dragons consider the reminder a heinous offence, most of them are foreigners to the World Below. They have Dialectics of their own, although they consider those of others as disgusting aberrations. The land near a dragon’s lair takes after its master, changing according to the shape of their Dialectic.
-
Template: Horror
-
Primary Pool: 12 (Destruction, Grandiose Shows of Power)
-
Secondary Pool: 10 (Scout the Lair, Wealth Accumulation)
-
Desperation Pool: 6
-
Enhancement: +1 Close Combat, +2 Impress, +2 Ranged Combat
-
Defense: 3
-
Integrity: 3
-
Health: 10
-
Armor: 3 (Kaos Forged)
-
Initiative: 6
-
Qualities: Attentive, Destructive Force, Frightening Presence, Natural Weapons (Claws: Brutal, Deadly, Piercing) (Fangs: Deadly, Piercing), Stable
-
Antitheses: Defensive Rebuke ×1, Devastating Blow ×1, Devour ×2, Push ×2, Trample ×2, Wave of Destruction (Varies Depending on Dragon) ×1
-
Extra: 1 Durability Advantage, 2 Power Advantage
Attentive
The antagonist is extraordinarily difficult to take by surprise. All actions to avoid its attention face a Major Complication. Failure to buy it off alerts the antagonist that something’s amiss despite not noticing the character and will investigate the general area. Additionally, attempts to evade its pursuit or lead it on a false trail are made at a +1 difficulty.
Destructive Force
-
Prerequisite: Scourge+, 1+ Power Advantage
Due to its mass or sheer power, the antagonist devastates the environment with their blows. Their attacks gain access to the following combat Trick:
-
Demolition (2 successes): Rubble and debris fill the environment, applying the Demolished Area Effect to the scene as a Moderate Complication. This Trick can be purchased twice per action, in which case the Complication increases to Major. Any artificial structure or object in the Area is destroyed at Storyguide’s discretion.
Frightening Presence
Both people and animals see the antagonist as a dangerous threat not to be messed with, providing it 1 Social Advantage when intimidating others. Minor characters and Pests flee from the antagonists at its mere sight.
Defensive Rebuke
-
Type: Reflexive (Any Attack)
Whether peaceful, awe-inspiring, or intimidating, the antagonist’s mere looks discourage people from hurting them. The attacking character refuses to attack the antagonist again this scene unless it attacks them first. If a character successfully buys off the Complication from this Antithesis, it cannot be used against them again this scene.
Devour
-
Prerequisite: Blight+
-
Type: Reflexive (Melee)
The antagonist swallows their prey whole. While inside the antagonist’s belly, the target can only make an Athletics action against difficulty 1 for Blights, 2 for Scourges, and 3 for Horrors to escape. Failure to escape inflicts a single damage on the swallowed character. Each damage the antagonist suffers in the same turn lowers the difficulty to escape by 1, to a minimum of 1.
Most antagonists can devour only creatures of smaller size, but exceptions exist.
Push
The antagonist launches their opponent away, either through sheer force or mystical means. The attacker is moved two range bands away from the antagonist.
Trample
The antagonist charges at its opponents with violence. As part of a rush movement, the creature may purchase the Shockwave Trick for 1 hit. Unlike a normal rush, Trample can be used even if the antagonist starts at short or close range.
Wave of Destruction
-
Prerequisite: Scourge+
-
Type: Reflexive (Any Attack)
The antagonist unleashes a lethal attack across a wide area. Examples include a gold dragon’s fiery breath, an earth geoprocugalla’s seismic tremors, a Hypogean herald’s eldritch detonation, and a quaesitor’s disintegration ray. The antagonist deals 1 damage to all characters within medium range. Choose a single element when purchasing this Antithesis. Apply an appropriate Area Effect based on that element, such as Aflame for fire, Darkness for shadows, Flooding for water, Suffocating for air, Extreme Temperature (Cold) for ice, or Quaking for earth.
Haemexii
The haemexii fancy themselves a noble heritage, but you ask me, they’re nothing but a pestilence. Behind the doors of their blood-soaked citadels, deep darkward, they swarm upon their victims, draining them dry and then lapping at the drenched floor. I witnessed how flesh, chitin, and crystal rot away when receiving their curse, only for the matter to reshape itself in their nightmarish features. “Blood is life,” they chant, seeing us as a herd whose only purpose is to slake their crimson thirst.
Long ago, back before the Exodus, a darkward community made a terrible discovery. Digging deep, they found a slumbering god, wreathed in chthonic darkness. In that moment, the explorers made a decision. Some wonder whether an external influence revealed a secret — perhaps murmurs from the all-consuming Abyss — if only to explain what happened: each member of that civilization sunk their teeth into the sleeping god’s flesh and drunk deep, gorging themselves on divine essence. In a baptism of blood and death, the haemexii were born.
Haemexii exist somewhere between life and death, doomed to forever feast on other beings’ blood. Their dark curse changed them, a reminder of their blasphemous crimes: all haemexii resemble ravenous parasites, although the most powerful ones learn to mask their true nature. The curse carries forward even to those initiated in their secret society today. The promise of climbing through their ranks and eventually obtaining the blessing of their dark aristocracy spurns far too many to sacrifice everything they hold dear and leave their humanity behind.
The haemexii consider themselves supreme predators and dark demigods, seeing their need to feed on others as a divine right.
Qualities: Clingy (Aggressive), Natural Weapons (Bite: Poison), Unusual Anatomy, Vulnerability (Bright Light, Fire)
Antitheses: Consume ×2
Clingy
Whether through multiple limbs, an engulfing anatomy, or stranger features such gravitational powers or time magic, the antagonist locks their enemies into place with ease. The Break-Up Grapple, Overwhelm, and Disengage Tricks cost 1 additional hit to be purchased against antagonists with this Quality. This Quality has two versions: aggressive and defensive.
With the aggressive version, the Establish Grapple Trick is reduced to 0 hits.
With the defensive version, all Close Combat actions against the antagonist suffer a Minor Complication. Failure to buy it off results in the antagonist grappling the character.
The Quality can be picked multiple times to grant the antagonist both versions.
Unusual Anatomy
The antagonist’s biology demonstrates extraordinary resistance to all sorts of stress, to the point it’s questionable to define it as “living.” Increase the cost to purchase the Critical Trick by 1 hit for all non-spell altered attacks.
The Storyguide can also use this Quality to represent undead, artificial, or otherworldly creatures, choosing whether the antagonist ages and if it needs to breathe, sleep, or eat.
Vulnerability
Choose a sensation, behavior, substance, or source of damage. Each turn the creature is exposed to its vulnerability, it must roll its secondary pool as a reflexive action. On a failure, they either flee or are unable to act while their Defense lowers to 0. The antagonist suffers 1 additional damage from all attacks or hazards related to this vulnerability.
Consume
-
Type: Reflexive (Any Attack)
The antagonist consumes the Kaos inside its victims to sustain its own life. If it successfully hits in close combat, it can regain 1 point of Health by eating a generous handful of humanoid flesh. Antagonists express this Antithesis in different ways, such as devouring blood, brains, and souls.
If using this Antithesis would bring the antagonist’s Health above its maximum, the creature gains a +1 Enhancement on all rolls for the remainder of the scene, with successive instances raising it up to +3.
For Scourges and higher, Consume applies to all the antagonist’s ranged combat attacks as well. For Horrors, when the antagonist uses Consume on a target for the first time in a scene, it gains 1 Power Advantage.
Haemexii Warrior
While pages keep their masters’ homes in order and torment prisoners, warriors represent the bulk of the haemexii military force. Each wears the insignia of a dynastic house, ancient lineages almost as old as the haemexii themselves. Soon after the first nobles drained the dark gift from the sleeping god’s veins, they warred against each other in a furious war for supremacy. Broken alliances, betrayals, and vile strategies played prelude to countless battles, where warriors dutifully played their role.
Proud of their nature, haemexii warriors resemble humanoid spiders and assassin bugs. Their physical features suit combat well, but warriors train for the equivalent of entire mortal lives to fight and triumph for their dynasty. Their skills make them fearsome opponents, but warriors are so certain of their superiority they risk underestimating their foes.
Template: Blight
Drive: Exalt and defend the glory of their dynasty.
Primary Pool: 8 (Drain Blood, Combat)
Secondary Pool: 6 (Martial Discipline, Rally the Troops)
Desperation Pool: 4
Enhancements: +1 Combat
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Health: 6
Armor: 1 (Adhesive)
Initiative: 4
Qualities: Natural Weapons (Bite: Poison), Noxious Blood (Minor)
Antitheses: Beast Master ×2, Entangle (Medium Range) ×1, Leap ×2
Noxious Blood
Acid, lava, or another hazardous substance runs through the antagonist’s veins. When picking this Quality, select a Complication rating. Whenever characters strike the antagonist in close combat, they must buy off the Complication to not take 1 Injury.
Beastmaster
The antagonist can control beasts and vermin. As a simple action, it can focus on an animal inside medium range and roll its primary pool opposed by the target’s Integrity. On a success, the animal follows all the antagonist’s orders until the end of the scene to the best of its abilities, although it might still flee should characters scare it away.
Leap
-
Type: Reflexive (Any Attack)
The antagonist moves two range bands in a single bound, be it an impressive jump, an eldritch blink, or any other means of sudden movement. If this happens as a result of a ranged attack, the antagonist may use Leap to close the distance to the attacker.
Well Liches
What defines the Well Liches is power, pure and simple. Theirs isn’t a title one earns easily: All liches are the true masters of the Well, supreme rulers of Kaos. Anytime one decides to pursue their own mysterious goals outside the Well, their presence is enough to change the fate of settlements for generations. Yet, for all their might, never forget the truth they dread the most: they’re not invincible. Some have died in the past, when arrogance led them against horrors more terrible than them, but also by the hands of those who successfully rose against them. Their rule seems inescapable, closer as they are to gods than mere kings and queens, but the liches weren’t always there and the Well grants its blessings to anyone strong enough to claim them.
... and that's a pretty good sneak peek of the chapter! We'll get the full draft version - including the full write up for Well Liches - on Sunday when our final manuscript section becomes available for backers!
This campaign ends in FOUR DAYS! Please continue to share with your social circle and on your social media! Tomorrow, I'm going to review our pledge tiers and Add On options for those looking to join or wanting a refresher. As mentioned, on Sunday we'll have our final section from the draft manuscript so backers will be able to read the entire current version of the book before any pledges are processed or payments collected.
So join in if you haven't already!
#TheWorldBelowProvides
FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN!
over 2 years ago
– Wed, Nov 08, 2023 at 11:28:45 AM
Drope. Somehow, the Obscura took us lower than Longdeep. This strange place of deep stone and Kaos rock, and its stranger inhabitants are watching us as if we’re contaminated with something. We assured them we haven’t been to the toxic surface, but at that point I just don’t know.
Joanne is prepared to leave by herself, and Fyrn is listless. I’ve given them both my honest feeling that the party that sticks together survives. For now, I think they believe me, but how much more can we take?
We should have never passed through that Kaos portal.
The Faceless priests tell me there’s an emerald dragon not far from Drope, though it respects the settlement’s boundaries. Is it reckless that I want to converse with this dragon and discover why it’s so placid? Maybe it could advise us on a way through this stratum?
Or maybe I’m ore-addled. I’ve been away from Telver’s Hearth for too long.
Hello Diggers!
We're officially in the Final Week Countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign! Over this final week I'll be sharing a handful of instruction and review-type posts about Reward Tiers & Add Ons, Stretch Goal reviews, and What Comes Next, so if you've got any process questions or are wondering about how the Kickstarter steps work, I'm hoping to clarify any remaining questions before we finish. Of course, if you're still wondering about something, please ask and I'll help as best I can.
Final Week Program
- Nov 10 - Sneak Peek: Dangers!
- Nov 11 - Pledge Tier & Add On Review
- Nov 12 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Chapter 10 + Appendix
- Nov 13 - Stretch Goal Review
- Nov 14 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Recruiting New Backers
I know, this is something I've already said many times (and seem to say during every project!), but for this final week, you are officially an Underground Ambassador for this project. It's time to share your excitement for The World Below! Basically, we want to recruit as many interested backers as possible to form our own Community of Backers over this final week.
I know I end every update post with "Keep spreading the word! Invite others to join in!" - but what does that mean, and how do you do it?
Easy answer - don't stop talking about The World Below until 2:01 PM EST next Tuesday November 14th (when the campaign has ended). Yes, family and friends are tired of me talking about it. The end, that's all I can say. But what else have I got to talk about? And they've learned to tolerate me during a crowdfunding campaign. But here's the thing - there are others around who haven't heard or don't know about the campaign.
There are many groups that might love The World Below but haven't heard because they're not in the right cavern at this time! OSR fans who would love the difficult odds and survival aspect of the game. Community builders who would love the rules for the Kalm season and generational play! Ed Greenwood fans who remember the old articles in
Dragon magazine or the early days of the
Forgotten Realms.
World of Darkness fans who see some of the familiar themes that Matthew Dawkins is so fantastic at exploring.
Scarred Lands fans who may find many familiar names and ideas buried deep in
The World Below.
All groups that may not have founds this project as it's not their usual type of game. But all of these groups could find something within this manuscript, and join in the many more who love this latest upgrade to the Storypath system and the Onyx Path crew!
Anyway, I'm saying: please continue to spread the word and let's see if we can't make some new tunnels and reach some new communities!
Resources to Share
If you're inviting new backers, or if you are a new backer (hi new backers!), here are a few key resources to be aware of for this campaign.
Backers are able to review the (soon-to-be) complete manuscript for this book before the campaign closes and any pledges are processed. No need to wonder about which Paths to take or how sorceries work, no need to guess at the creatures that dwell in the deep darkness. Know what you're getting into by checking out the draft manuscript!
And, if you join now, as I've noted, we'll be posting the final Antagonists and Monster-focused chapter of the book next Sunday before we reach the finish line.
Writers and Developers Talk About The World Below
Not only can you read the draft manuscript for this book, you can get a peek behind the curtain and hear the writers talk about how it came together and their thought processes in creating the game!
The World Below Actual Plays
I love reading the manuscript and hearing the team talk about the game, but a great way to get a sense of the game is to sea and hear it in action! These Actual Plays showcase the gameplay and the setting of The World Below.
I mean, that's A LOT of people playing the game!
The Gentleman Gamer
And, finally, you can hear it right for the horse's mouth, as it were! Matthew Dawkins, developer of The World Below, gives overviews of much of the game in his guise as the Gentleman Gamer.
If you're trying to explain the game to someone, the easiest thing to do is just to send them that final link! I think all of these are great to watch for potential backers - BUT ALSO for current backers! In addition to reading the chapters, I've watched these videos and got a much better understanding of the system and setting. Great stuff!
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may also be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Share the Links!
1) Don't forget to share a link to the campaign in any discussion you have (where appropriate) - and feel free to pass any of the long list of links above to those who may need more info (or, just point them to this post!)
2) Don't forget to tell us about any post or review or discussion you write! Come to the comments section and let us know so we can all go and contribute! I know I keep saying it, but really - these last days are key. Keep the enthusiasm high (hitting stretch goals certainly makes that easier!) and keep on inviting others to join in, either directly ("Come see...") or just by setting an example of your enthusiasm and interest.
Final Week
We've got one week to go, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! We work together because it's the right thing to do, and because backers make it better! Let's finish strong! And let's continue exploring this new game together, sharing our feedback with the writers and delving into the draft manuscript, and let's see if we can't get another Stretch Goals before we review next Monday!
#TheWorldBelowProvides
