Welcome to a new year!

 

With all physical rewards save Affinity at distribution, we’ve moved on to current digital projects. 

 

The next adventure, and penultimate effort by William Miller, is our weird west adventure. After discussing it with a few friends, we decided to remove the pretense and go with our original plan; instead of setting it in a location inspired by a local period-specific town, we opted to have it set in the ACTUAL town. As a result, The Phantom Stage has been renamed…

 

We threw in some direct references to real Barkerville history and even included a bunch of “vintage” photos we took from our numerous visits there. To make the adventure accessible to everyone, we carried over the antiquated firearms inspired by Torus, along with a few new rules regarding the use of dynamite. 

Backers due to receive this adventure should see it in their downloads directory by the end of the day. If you don’t receive the link, head over to Backerkit and check. As I send out an announcement via DriveThruRPG, you’ll also see an email inviting you to purchase the adventure; obviously, you can ignore that.

 

This leaves only one adventure remaining for William, Clonefall, assuming that name doesn’t change as well. I know it’s been fully play-tested, but that’s all I know so far. The man’s days away from being a father, so I’m giving him some breathing room. 

 

Which brings us to my final adventure tied to this Kickstarter, the honestly provisionally titled Retroverse Chronicles. Before going into detail about my plans, I wanted to bring up a previous publication connected to this crowdfunding campaign, Threshold. 

 

You see, Threshold was designed to just be a campaign setting. But I’ve always been a fan of narrative art books / illustrated novels. While many people believe this genre began and ended with the books written and illustrated by Simon Stålenhag, in truth, they have gone back decades. I remember the Terran Trade Authority handbooks written by Stewart Cowley and published from 1978 to 1980, which presented a fictional history of the human race and their encounters with alien species. Threshold took inspiration, blending space exploration with cosmic horror, a hybrid not seen enough, in my humble opinion.

 

Threshold was a risk, but I was limited in my previously allotted budget. I was only supposed to create a single book, not a hybrid RPG supplement / illustrated novel. As a result, I could only afford a handful of new illustrations, mingling them with recycled art from Ultramodern and Amethyst. In the end, I’m pleased with the result and believe it a much better book than a single campaign book. As it has been out for a few months, I would love to receive feedback regarding whether it was a success.

 

This brings up Retroverse Chronicles.

 

I’d like to do the same as Threshold, creating an illustrated novel separate from the RPG aspects. However, I don’t want to recycle artwork again outside of the two images that provided the core inspiration. I am left with two options.

 

 

Those who have followed me for years know I’ve done this before. 

 

Affinity was such a project. It was initially meant as three 100-page books with black and white artwork and no physical print edition and was unlocked as a stretch goal for 2018’s Ultramodern5-REDUX campaign. Following its own successful crowdfunding, it turned into three 250-page books with full-color artwork and physical books, including a leather box set. 

 

This won’t be as large, but I’d like Retroverse to be a 10x10 illustrated novel with the aforementioned digital RPG supplement.

 

Like with Affinity, any backer due to receive the original Retroverse will still receive the RPG book. This is for people wanting the accompanying illustrated novel and for the RPG supplement to be expanded. 

 

The Retroverse Chronicles involves the crumbling alternative world of the late 1970s, where the injection of alien knowledge gave rise to “spark plugs”—devices able to inspire users to create singular, powerful pieces of technology. This promoted the creation of advanced biotechnology decades before the introduction of computers or the internet, including the GELF slave races, the BAAL biomechs, and the colossal “Hekaton” BRUTs, subsequently leading to the decimation of the planet through rising geopolitical conflict. By the late 1970s, little of the recognizable modern world remained. 

 

In the campaign setting, players would assume the roles of humans and GELFS as they struggle to survive among the monstrosities dismantling the world around them. In the novel, our protagonist is pulled into this world possessing the most sought-after knowledge—the capacity to create more spark plugs. As they travel across America, they discover the dying world around them, looking for a way to return home. 

 

The question is, would you pay more for a physical illustrated novel and an expanded campaign guide, or do you just want the originally promised campaign guide? Please comment below.

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT

Chris

 

 

 

This will be my last update of the year.

 

I have it under assurances that everyone's rewards have been sent out. My guess is that if you have not received them by the end of this week (December 14), reach out to me at [email protected] with what you are missing so I can try to fix it on my end. 

 

To repeat, contact me directly. I don't get notices from Backerkit for post comments for three days, so if you make a comment saying you have not received rewards, you're basically shouting at the aether. Contact me directly so I can fix the issue expediently. 

 

I've already fixed a bunch of missing rewards, and the replacements go out fairly quickly. 

 

As many of you might already know, we released a new book on the side. I was between projects, waiting on writing and artwork, so I decided to compile all my previously published spellcasting systems into one book. Then, of course, I decided I wanted to add new content, so I threw together THREE new ones. Here is the final book…

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/504150/oktober-s-arcane-almanac

 

Dark

This cyberpunk-inspired arcane system introduces a new ability score with connected skills and a mana resource that can be contained and manipulated by characters, weapons, armor, and cybernetics.

Maker

Psionics are presented through a video-game-inspired skill tree where character progression is tracked along four different elemental-themed paths. Customize your character and even "respec" your class if you change your mind.

Cryption

By etching sigils on paper, the Abecedarian class can lay down traps, enchant foes and allies, and even imbue life in the lifeless. This system also includes expanded rules for brewing potions and golem creation.

Smoke

A steampunk-themed system, players employ deckbuilding, constructing a deck from traditional playing cards. By drawing random cards, an Oxomancer powers their chaotic magical abilities.

Sprout

A Pleromancer constructs living spells, imbuing them with powerful effects. Customize your creations, cast them, and then release them against your opponents. If you can think it, it can think for itself. Leave your spells to act on their own.

Veil

A Veil-Walker made a pact with a powerful being who channels arcane powers to make their chosen assassin a supernatural killer. There are no rituals bestowed, no passive spells. To tap the veil is to make one the ultimate killer.

Trigger

Guns replace wands with the Gunjack class. Etch sigils on your weapons to increase their power. By using firearms, you increase your arcane threshold, allowing limit breaks and unleashing devastating finishing attacks.

Eldritch

Intertwining kung-fu and arcane power, the Invoker has developed a somatic spellcasting system where their movements double as martial arts, allowing melee attacks as one prepares spells.  

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/504150/oktober-s-arcane-almanac

 Again, thank you, and have a Merry Christmas. I'll have an update next month.