Crowdfunding over! Scion: Mythic Shards will become a book!
about 2 years ago – Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 11:04:38 AM

Hello Shardstriders,

We did it! We all came together for this book for of weird, new, exciting takes on The World for Scion second edition and made it into a reality!

Thanks to the support of more than 950 backers, Onyx Path will be able to develop PDF and hardcover versions of Scion: Mythic Shards!

We had so many new backers join in over the past week - and really, so many in the past 48 hours - and it was fun to see the numbers jump up dramatically in these last few days. Great job!

There's more to celebrate! Not only did we fund the project in the first day, we also unlocked a fantastic FIFTEEN Stretch Goals. From standard Onyx Path milestone markers to a DIY Storyguide screen Reference supplement PDF to a series of thematic dice sets included as Add On options to the big one, adding two additional shards to the book!

It came down to the last few days but we managed to hit every Stretch Goal we'd posted and nearly hit 250% of our funding target!

Our Bonus Reward Collection

Some Milestone Markers

ADDITIONAL UNLOCKED ADD ON OPTIONS

STORYGUIDE REFERENCE RESOURCE

ONLINE PLAY TOOLS

BEST OF ALL, MORE CONTENT ADDED TO OUR BOOK!

Thanks to stretch goal achievement and backer vote, the final version of Scion: Mythic Shards will include a sixth shard!

LOST TIME will have rules for playing a battle for the stability of all realities as Scions slip through the different shards and semi shards trying to thwart a usurper's plan to invade another reality. Sliders and Doctor Who style adventures with a group of Scions who are selected to be reality police.

AND! Thanks to your support and participation in our poll, the final version of Scion: Mythic Shards will include a SEVENTH shard!

JOURNEY TO THE WILD WEST is Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!

Can't wait to see what the writers do with those ideas!!

FIFTEEN STRETCH GOALS

I'm glad we were able to unlock all 5 of the Storyguide Reference sections, more excited that we managed to unlock all 5 sets of dice Add Ons, but most excited that we added two new shards to the book.

And all of that is, of course, on top of our main purpose here - the creating of the actual book itself! This is the real reward - everything else is a bonus!

So a huge congratulations to Kim and Hiromi and the creative team on this project, and to all of the backers who've joined in to make this possible. I'm happy about the goals we hit and rewards we introduced, but I'm also always amazed and excited about having so many backers join in during this campaign. Even though Scion is an established line, there's always some trepidation and hesitation when new material that strays from the "Core Four" books is presented, but the ideas here are just so cool and I'm glad the team took the chance!

AN EXTRA THANK YOU!

So, thank you to all the backers who supported us and made this happen. And an extra thanks to everyone who participated online, either in the Community comments section of the campaign, and on social media around the web. Thanks to everyone who talked about the project on the Discord and thanks to the Onyx Path team who answered questions and provided insight.

COMMUNICATION

So, as noted in today's earlier update, starting in September I'll be sending out updates once a month and whenever we've got a new goal, survey, or other item to cover. If you have any questions or need clarification on something related to the campaign, feel free to get in touch. I may take a bit to answer as I recover from these past four weeks and sneak in a a quick anniversary dinner somewhere in there, but I'll eventually have an answer!

TO CONTACT ME

Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your forthcoming survey page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:

Let's all gather together At The Gates!

The Discord is particularly lively, and I loved seeing the thoughts and jokes as the chapters came out bit by bit.

BackerKit will begin collected pledges and processing payments later tonight, so be ready for that.

High fives all around in the comment section and on the Discord, and you'll hear from me again in a month-or-so when I've got the pledge manager set up and ready to roll out!

#ScionMythicShards

FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT
about 2 years ago – Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 04:28:40 AM

Hello Shardstriders,

Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a pretty great run - funding very quickly and coming up to the end with over 900 backers! We've unlocked fourteen Stretch Goals and we may make that a fantastic 15 before the end of the campaign!

The most important part of this campaign, though, is that we have successfully funded this project! Thanks to everyone who's come out to support this campaign, we'll be getting this cool book!

And backers have made the book even better by adding two additional shards to the final version! So far we've got LOST TIME, and we'll have one other that'll be decided by your vote today!

FINAL DAY CHECKLIST

Whether you're completed your apotheosis or have just had your first visitation, these are some good topics to review over these final six hours...

1. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING

You can listen to Episode 322 of the Onyx Pathcast to hear co-developers Kim Godwin talk with Eddy about working on the book, and hear even more from Kim on the Old Ways podcast. Or you can see and hear the game in play with the Actual Play episodes listed in <This Update>

Backers can read the entire current draft of the manuscript <HERE>. Please make sure you read the manuscript before the campaign concludes so you know exactly what you're pledging to support.

2. PLEDGE TIERS and ADD ONS

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 hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF version).

MUTATED SCION: 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.
HERAKLES INCIDENT: 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.

As noted, shipping charges will be calculated later and charged in the BackerKit Pledge Manager. We'll have exact shipping costs once the book is in production and we know the specifications, but we do expect it to be expensive. See our estimates on the front pate. If you're an international backer, you can pledge to the Mutated Scion tier and upgrade in the pledge manager to the hardcover tier once the shipping costs are known before we lockdown orders.

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 semi-shard settings Scion: Dragon and Scion: Masks of the Mythos, plus the four core Scion books! We've also got different dice sets themed around the five shards presented that we've unlocked via Stretch Goal achievement!

ADD ON selections will be available in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as well.

SO: Ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier you want, and select any Add On options you wish to include. AND - make sure that you are comfortable with the Pledge amount, in terms of it covering everything you want and the affordability of the pledge at this moment!

I'm going to speak against my own self interest for a moment, and repeat something I say at the end of every campaign - 2024 has been financially challenging for many, and there's still lots of uncertainty ahead. Ensure that your circumstances enable to afford this pledge at this moment - BackerKit will begin processing payments late tonight after the campaign ends and neither Onyx Path nor I have any involvement in that process. If you are unsure of your financial situation but don't want to miss out, please pledge for a tier you can afford now and know that you will be able to upgrade to open pledge levels in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for some time before the book is completed. There are no refunds for regret, and the funds raised start being spent immediately on paying for the work done thus far and the additional work ahead plus the projects unlocked via Stretch Goal. So please be financially responsible.

Choose a Reward Tier You Can Afford
Read the Manuscripts and Make Sure You Know What You're Getting
Be Aware of the Projected Delivery Date (Onyx Path will try to deliver earlier than this, but the book will take some time to get perfect)

3. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Once you're comfortable with your pledge, please ensure that the payment and contact information in your BackerKit account is up to date and correct. Making sure your e-mail is entered correctly and your credit card isn't expired will speed up the next step process. (I have learned from experience!)

4. OVERTIME MODE

Overtime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.

You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.

So, we've scheduled the campaign to conclude on August 15th at 2:00 pm EDT, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as we programmed? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Making these shards Mythic indeed!

WHAT COMES NEXT?

5. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS

First, we celebrate. The campaign page will subtly change, locking out the ability to pledge and showing the final totals. We'll give socially-distanced high fives and digital fist bumps in the Community section and over on Discord.

Then, the BackerKit payment process begins. Starting late tonight and continuing over the next week, Backerkit will begin charging your payment methods for the total amount you've pledged.

If there is an issue with your payment method (expired credit card or incorrect number or pre-paid Visa awaiting funds, for example), BackerKit will keep trying to process payment during this time.

Once this step is done, which will likely be by early September, BackerKit will confirm everything with Onyx Path and I can begin to set up the project in the Pledge Manager and load in all of the campaign data.

In addition to providing the crowdfunding platform for this campaign, BackerKit is also Onyx Path's regular Pledge Manager partner.

BackerKit provides a robust fulfillment integration and pledge management program that will allow us to work with all of the data and distribute the rewards to you. It will take me about a month to set the project up. Once I've got it all entered and built, the team from BackerKit will review to ensure I didn't mess anything up too badly, and then I'll make any changes they've suggested and we can move on to the Survey stage.

6. BACKERKIT SURVEYS

Once BackerKit says I'm good to go, I will send out a survey to all backers. This is why confirming your e-mail is important!

The BackerKit survey is both a verb and a noun - it will collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group (enabling Onyx Path to set print runs, prioritize new projects, and fine-tune future campaigns), as well as providing a general review or summary of the reward tier you've chosen, confirm all of the rewards associated with that reward tier, and confirm your total pledge amount.

I expect Surveys to go out by late September 2024.

During the Survey period, you can choose to increase your reward tier and add on additional options. If you've found $20 in your fall jacket or found an alternate income source and decide it's time to trade up to the hardcover version of the book or include another add-on, you can do so at this time. Note, you will not be able to reduce your reward tier selection, only increase.

If you selected Add On options, they'll be added to your reward list automatically.

Note that you'll be able to upgrade your pledge tier for quite some time - until we're getting ready to print the book itself and have figured out International shipping costs. So don't feel pressure to have it all figured out right away - we'll make sure there's plenty of time to get it all sorted before the books go out.

Similarly, if you have a hardcover book as one of your rewards, the survey will ask you to confirm your shipping address, even though it'll be some time before we ship out the final product. Do not worry about moving before shipping begins - you will be able to update BackerKit right up until the point that we begin fulfilling the final book. We will send out a notice prior to lock down so you can update any information.

I'll also use the Survey to confirm some details for the premium reward tiers.

7. REWARD DISTRIBUTION

Once the surveys are up and running, I'll prepare fulfillment for the existing rewards - the Add On options that are all currently available, like the digital supplement bundles and the PDFs for the existing Scion books. Depending on how smoothly the Pledge Manager process goes, those should be out fairly soon after the survey stage starts. So, let's say the existing PDF rewards will be out to you by the start of October, if not earlier. That's only the beginning, though.

This is a long process, but I will send out regular updates (usually at the end of the month) to keep you up to speed on Onyx Path's progress. There will be strings of updates that are just "still working on it," but I will share new artwork or information when I can.

Eventually, we will have a completed PDF of Scion: Mythic Shards. Onyx Path will take some time to distribute, review, and compile any errata or corrections that need to be made. When they've made any necessary changes, they'll make an updated version of the PDF available in your DriveThruRPG digital library and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand and the hardcover versions.

It's yet another long road ahead, likely full of twists and turns and surprises, but one that we wouldn't be undertaking if not for your ongoing support.

So - one final time - please spread the word to any potential backers and fans, and thanks so much for a great campaign!

AND DON'T MISS YOUR FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR THE SEVENTH SHARD!!

Your options for the final shard:

Teen Drama: Scion High, but with a more action-y style and greatly expanded. More like Riverdale than other teen dramas.
Cartoon: Where being made a fool is worse than being Taken Out.
Sports Drama: Drawing inspiration from Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and the Sandlot. Personal growth through sports competition.
Journey to the Wild West: Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!
Aquatic Adventures: An Atlantis meets Waterworld and pirate-themed shard. Dive into the depths to recover lost relics or awaken the slumbering Earth Gods to create new lands.

Voting will close once the campaign ends.

Here's to our final hours!!

#MythicShards
#FinalDay

Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
about 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 14, 2024 at 05:12:02 AM

Hello Shardstriders!

We're not quite in the final 24 hours, but getting very close! With these last hours, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation! Let's get reviewin'!

We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Mythic Shards finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, August 15th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to visit others to help explore these new Worlds, 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

Aug 11 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
Aug 13 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Space Odyssey!
Aug 14 - Stretch Goal Review (That's Today!)
Aug 15 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next

Whether you're completed your apotheosis or have just had your first visitation, 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, plus two new shards that will be added to the final version. But, you can consider it most of the way there and a good representation of what you'll get in the final book. 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 hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF version).

MUTATED SCION: 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.
HERAKLES INCIDENT: 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.

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 Everend Explorer tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.

Tomorrow 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 29 days as we've worked through this campaign we've not only funded the book but also unlocked THIRTEEN Stretch Goal targets! That's right - we've unlocked all of the Stretch Goals that I had just posted a few days ago and thought would take us until the end of the campaign!

We started our Stretch Goal journey with an regular milestone marker that helped set our pace and allowed me to plan out the rest of our campaign, built a "DIY Storyguide Screen" Reference PDF that will include charts and tables for all five of the existing shards, added five sets of dice themed around our shard settings as new Add On options, and added two new shards to the final book! Let's review and see what we've accomplished so far...

MILESTONE MARKERS

Monitoring our pace at the start and end of the campaign, 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.

ACHIEVED! – MYTHCI SHARDS SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE – A Mythic Shards-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.

ADD ON OPTIONS

The support that this campaign has received has allowed Onyx Path to offer a bunch of new Add On options! Co-developer Hiromi Cota personally picked out dice sets and dice bags that matched the theme and feel of each of our five shard settings. Each of these dice sets contains a set of ten d10s and a velvet bag and are available to add on to your hardcover reward pledge for only +$20 each.

STORYGUIDE SUPPORT

Printing a different physical screen for each shard setting was logistically and financially prohibitive, so the team came up with the idea of a digital product allowing backers to create their own Storyguide screens using only the references they needed for the shards they were incorporating into their game. This "DIY Screen" supplement will be turned into a Storyguide Reference PDF that will be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF as one of their rewards. Over the course of the campaign, we've managed to unlock all five of our shard settings.

A BIGGER BOOK

Probably the most exciting Stretch Goals involved the two new Shards which will be added to the final version of the PDF and hardcover Mythic Shards book. Not only did we come together to add more content to this project, backers voted on the topics to cover for the new shards. In fact, voting is still going on for the second shard!

ACHIEVED! - ADDITIONAL MYTHIC SHARD - A sixth Mythic Shard setting for Scion second edition will be added to the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF and hardcover book. The theme for this additional Shard will be decided by Backer vote! The new section is LOST TIME (Rules for playing a battle for the stability of all realities as Scions slip through the different shards and semi shards trying to thwart a usurper's plan to invade another reality. Sliders and Doctor Who style adventures with a group of Scions who are selected to be reality police.)

ACHIEVED! - ADDITIONAL MYTHIC SHARD #2 - A seventh Mythic Shard setting for Scion second edition will be added to the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF and hardcover book. The theme for this additional Shard will be decided by Backer vote!

Thanks to your support, the green light has been given to add a seventh shard to the book, but the final theme of that last shard is still to be determined, chosen by backer vote when this campaign concludes on Thursday, August 15th around 2 PM EDT. There's still time to vote if you haven't, and time to plead your case if your choice isn't currently in first place!

Your options for a new shard:

Teen Drama: Scion High, but with a more action-y style and greatly expanded. More like Riverdale than other teen dramas.
Cartoon: Where being made a fool is worse than being Taken Out.
Sports Drama: Drawing inspiration from Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and the Sandlot. Personal growth through sports competition.
Journey to the Wild West: Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!
Aquatic Adventures: An Atlantis meets Waterworld and pirate-themed shard. Dive into the depths to recover lost relics or awaken the slumbering Earth Gods to create new lands.

Right now, we have about 300 votes, which is just over a third of all backers. So there are still lots of votes that could come in and make some dramatic shifts over the next two days!

VOTE BEFORE THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN! YOU DECIDE THE CONTENT TO BE ADDED TO THE BOOK!

WHY STOP THERE?

It's great that we've unlocked 13 Stretch Goal rewards... but what about 14? Or even 15?

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!

I've set up another standard Onyx Path milestone marker, just a fun celebration for our achievement as we approach the end and the final backers join in!

At $46,000 in Funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER - Awesome Mythic Shards 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.

And the, a little bit more of a stretch. Not sure if we'll make it to this one, but if you're anything like me, most of your gaming happens online these days. While my gaming group does make a special effort to get together in person at least a few times a year, our regular sessions take place via Discord and a VTT. These online tools help make those online sessions a little easier to run, and a little more thematic.

At $48,000 in Funding - VTT TOKEN PACK - Digital assets will be created to support online play for Mythic Shards settings, including key character and creature tokens from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.

YOUR REWARDS!

That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish Scion: Mythic Shards! 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 Mythic Shards Storyguide Reference PDF, a digital wallpaper, some online tokens, and an opportunity to add to your wardrobe, plus a bunch of cool Mythic Shards dice set add on options! AND TWO MORE SHARDS ADDED TO OUR BOOK! (Don't forget to vote on Shard Seven)

Not Much More Time

Close to Apotheosis!

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, and maybe another within reach just beyond that! 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 sight, 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 voting for a favorite idea for the Seventh Shard?

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!

MYTHIC SHARDS enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, August 15th at 2:00 PM EDT.

We will finish up as soon as our backer train ends after that point! So let's see if we can't hit a final Stretch Goal and then keep that train running for an extra 10 or 20 minutes!!

Don't forget to Vote!!

#MythicShards

#ShardSevenIsUpToYou

The Fifth Shard - Draft Manuscript Preview #5 for Backers
about 2 years ago – Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 03:56:01 AM

Hello Shardstriders,

This is it! Our final manuscript preview for the campaign. Using the links below, all backers are able to read the entire current draft of the book, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. While these versions of The World are full of mysteries, there's no secrets here - you know exactly what you're getting into with this project.

Well, just about, I guess. The Onyx Path team will be adding two additional shard settings to the final book. Lost Time was added via Stretch Goal achievement and decided by backer vote. We've added a seventh shard via Stretch Goal, but the final theme of that last shard is still to be determined, chosen by backer vote when this campaign concludes on Thursday, August 15th around 2 PM EDT. There's still time to vote if you haven't, and time to plead your case if your choice isn't currently in first place!

Your options for a new shard:

Teen Drama: Scion High, but with a more action-y style and greatly expanded. More like Riverdale than other teen dramas.
Cartoon: Where being made a fool is worse than being Taken Out.
Sports Drama: Drawing inspiration from Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and the Sandlot. Personal growth through sports competition.
Journey to the Wild West: Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!
Aquatic Adventures: An Atlantis meets Waterworld and pirate-themed shard. Dive into the depths to recover lost relics or awaken the slumbering Earth Gods to create new lands.

Right now, we have about 230 votes, which is only 30% of all backers. So there are still lots of votes that could come in and make some dramatic shifts over the next two days!

International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager

One quick reminder about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.

First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.

The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. 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. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.

DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY

Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Read The Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

I've shared the manuscript in sections - or shards, even - over the past 4 weeks. Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so that the team can gather feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!

Submit your feedback directly to the developers using this special Feedback Form <link>

Sneak Peek at Starships
about 2 years ago – Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 08:46:52 AM

Hello Shardstriders,

One of my favorite things about these shard settings are seeing the different ways that the Scion rules can be bent around new expressions. I *loved* Cyber-Scion, with the Divine Machines acting as expressions of our characters godly powers.

Space Odyssey is a shard that looks to one of Scion’s possible futures, recasting the children of the Gods as the main characters of a space opera. It is intended for Origin and Hero-Tier characters. Let's see how the rules incorporate Starships!

Starships

Space is vast, and people are small, squishy, and usually lack the ability to travel near, at, or beyond the speed of light. If you want to get around and you’re not capable of personally folding spacetime like an origami crane, starships are your best bet. Even better, they’re (often) stylish, comfortable, or at the very least warmer than the vacuum of space.

Starships in Tenebrium are like characters unto themselves, built with their own Paths and a handful of Attributes to represent their key systems. Characters use these Ship Attributes along with their Skills when rolling starship-scale actions — outrunning an enemy fighter combines the helmsman’s Pilot with the ship’s Engines, while repairing damaged systems tests a technician’s Technology alongside the ship’s Durability.

Ship Attributes

Starships have five Attributes: Amenities, Engineering, Maneuverability, Sensors, and Weaponry.

Amenities cover a ship’s general livability, which can be essential during long and difficult voyages. It’s usually paired with Leadership for rallying crew morale, but it can also be used with Empathy to identify personnel problems, Integrity to ferret out sabotage, or Persuasion to impress visitors.

Engineering covers a ship’s hull, shields, and other defenses, along with the ease of repairs and modifications. It usually pairs with Technology, but it can also be combined with Leadership to coordinate wide-scale projects, and Occult or Science to reconfigure the shields to deflect a miraculous or mundane phenomenon, respectively.

Maneuverability covers the ship’s speed and agility, helping it to outrun pursuers, meet deadlines, and navigate dangerous areas of space. It can be paired with Pilot for almost any actions, but you can also use Close Combat for getting into or out of a skirmish, Subterfuge to hide among debris, or Technology to overclock the engines.

Sensors covers the ship’s capacity to detect and analyze the outside world, whether you’re scanning a planet for signs of life or tracking down a hidden space station. It usually pairs with Science, but it can also be used with Academics or Culture to access alien databases, Occult to analyze miraculous intervention, and Medicine or Survival to detect life forms.

Weaponry covers a ship’s…well, weapons. Not all ships are equipped with these, but most have some defenses, especially in the Tenebrium. It’s usually paired with Firearms for attacks at a great distance or Close Combat (with the understanding that “close” is still a relative term for starships) for more intimate engagements. It can also be paired with Culture or Empathy to outwit enemy defenders, Leadership to launch coordinated attacks, or Technology to use unwieldy alien weapons.

Ship Paths

Starships get three Paths, just like the characters who inhabit them: Origin, Crew, and Destiny. Like character Paths, they can be invoked for connections and contacts, bonus dice, or twists of fate (Origin, p. 99).

The Origin Path covers the ship’s original purpose — who built it and why. This might reflect the quality or priorities of the builders, the integration of experimental or alien technology, or other unique aspects of the ship.

Examples: United Mars Deep Space Exploration Vessel, invoked to interface with other Martian technology or survive long journeys without replenishing supplies; Experimental Wukong-Class Engines, invoked to impress Shén explorers or make unusually short-range hops in hyperspace; or Rogue Smuggler Retrofit, invoked to blend in with criminals or conceal illicit cargo from scans.

The Crew Path reflects the general disposition and spirit of the ship’s crew, often focusing on either a shared background or common talents. This Path can sometimes change in play as a result of major shakeups in the Crew; the Storyguide and players should work together to determine how to best reflect these changes in the new wording of their Path.

Examples: The Best and Brightest, invoked to rally a crew of handpicked elite officers and inspire them to their highest heights; Misfit Criminals, invoked to draw on the crew’s diverse history and black-market expertise; or Plucky Up-and-Comers, invoked to jump into danger or start making a name for themselves.

The Destiny Path sketches out a mission, a shared goal the crew and ship strive towards. Sometimes it’s the ship’s true Fate; other times, it’s exactly what Fate is conspiring to prevent.

Examples: The Long Voyage Home, invoked to inspire others who are trying to escape the Tenebrium; Seeking the Horizon, invoked for missions of exploration and discovery; or Appeasing the Gods, invoked for crews seeking atonement and mercy.

Starship Creation

Creating a starship follows many of the same steps as creating any other Storypath character, listed below. Groups should collaborate to build their starting ship as part of Session Zero, though this doesn’t need to be the ship they were originally stranded in — a group might instead build the vessel they’ll receive shortly after arriving in the Tenebrium, for example.

Concept

Decide on the general concept of the ship — is it a sleek, state-of-the-art cruiser from a major stellar power; a beat-up junker retrofitted for smuggling; or a techno-organic starwhale domesticated as a living vessel?

Paths

Describe the starship’s Origin, Crew, and Destiny paths, and discuss what these mean for the group. What will “Deep Space Exploration Frigate” mean in play? How will the crew of “Hard-Nosed Revolutionaries” get along during the chronicle?

Attributes

Divide seven dots among the Ship Attributes, which all start at 1 for free. None can be higher than 5.

Finishing Touches

Starships begin with four Injury Levels, just like normal characters: Bruised, Injured, Maimed, and Taken Out. These represent damage, malfunctions, sabotage, and other shipwide problems that impede the vessel’s overall function. Ships automatically gain an additional Bruised level if they start with Engineering 4 or higher.

Choose a size for your ship, determining its Scale (see below). Most groups will do best with Scale 3 for an intimate game with a handful of recurring Storyguide crew members, or Scale 4 for a more diverse, episode-driven supporting cast.

Starships with crews at the Hero Tier may begin to develop a Legend of their own, starting at 1 and rising to match the Band’s as they progress. Each dot of Legend provides an additional dot of Ship Attribute, allocated at the group’s choice. At Legend 2, 3, and 4, the group also choose one of the ship’s Paths to enhance, allowing it to also function as a Legendary Title for starship actions.

Starship Actions

Starship actions are not just a single act on a character’s part, but an abstraction of many individual choices, usually over a long period of time. Characters can still take normal actions, such as using Technology + Intellect to repair a malfunctioning console or Science + Cunning to reconfigure a shield to filter out a new pathogen, but starship actions help to model large-scale endeavors that affect the entire ship at the same time. They’re also useful tools that the Storyguide can invoke to help frame the start of an episode or the outcome of downtime.

These actions suggest both general difficulties and potential Complications. Storyguides are encouraged to combine these two effectively — usually a low base difficulty and one or two Complications based on the ship’s circumstances. This helps to ensure that even low rolls push the story forward, forcing players to choose between potential Complications in order to establish what kind of dramatic challenges the crew is facing next.

Evasive Maneuvers

Starships move at vast speeds, but even simple maneuvers require tremendous, coordinated efforts. This action models efforts to evade pursuit, hide the ship, or otherwise get out of trouble.

This is usually rolled by a helm officer using their Pilot and the ship’s Maneuverability.

The base difficulty is 2, or 3 in open space without any nearby planets, asteroids, or other elements to leverage. Potential Complications include:

Dogged Pursuit (1-3): You can run, but you can’t hide. If not bought off, an opposing ship is able to match your speed — you’re far enough ahead to stay out of their reach, but only if you keep going. Alternatively, you’re leaving a trail that anyone can follow.
Overclocking (1-3): You can get away, but it taxes the engines to the limits. While you escape trouble, you begin the next scene with the Adrift Condition until you can make extensive and often costly repairs. Until then, you’re left to drift with only minimal thrusters to adjust course, and can’t attempt further Escape Maneuvers.
Perilous Course (1-5): Your escape plan takes you through dangerous territory. If not bought off, you suffer one or more Injury Conditions based on the severity of the danger. This might include scraping the hull in an asteroid storm, overloading the shields to hide in a gas giant, or other plans that put the ship’s safety at great risk.

Major Repairs

Starships have many interlocking systems, and implementing effective repairs demands skill, resources, and ingenuity. This action models the work of large-scale repairs and retrofitting, whether fixing the hull after a disastrous battle or incorporating the alien technology of the Tenebrium into a Martian freighter.

This is usually rolled by an engineering officer, using their Technology and the ship’s Engineering.

The difficulty for repairs is based on the Injury Condition to be repaired — 1 for Bruised, 2 for Injured, 4 for Maimed, and 5 for Taken Out. Other actions like retrofitting are usually difficulty 2 or 3, at the Storyguide’s discretion. Potential complications include:

Midnight Oil (1-3): The project is larger than the repair crew can reasonably handle given the time frame. If not bought off, characters involved in the repairs suffer the Burn Out Condition until they have extensive time to rest and recuperate, taking a −1 penalty to actions requiring physical and mental stamina and worsening their Attitude towards their fellow crew by one.
Expensive (1-3): The project is an enormous drain on the ship’s resources. If not bought off, the ship suffers the Shortage Condition, taking a −1 penalty to a Ship Attribute related to the shortage until they have the opportunity to restock. Alternatively, they might not be able to finalize the project at all until they take on needed supplies, forcing the crew to seek out a suitable source.

We'll get a better idea of how this all works, and a deeper look into other Starship actions and more, when backers gain access to the entire draft of the Space Odyssey section tomorrow. Remember, if you're a backer, you'll have access to the entire current draft of the book tomorrow, allowing you to read the entire thing before any pledges are processed or payments collected.

I'll see you tomorrow! In the meantime, make sure you've voted for our seventh shard, which will be included in the final version of the book!

Scion: Mythic Shards

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