Greetings Backers, Nick here! It’s a new year, and we bid goodbye to 2024 and march into 2025. It’s a brave new world and we’re excited that you’re here taking the journey wi...
Hello Backers! Another Halloween has come and gone, and with that another month and another update to ELDRITCH AUTOMATA. We want to continue...
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Gehenna Gaming
3 months ago
Update #13 - Pins, Art, and Stretch Goal Updates
Hello Pilots! It’s our favorite month of the year, October! We have a MASSIVE update here with a lot of fun news, so sit back and enjoy!
Book Progress Update
Our focus is...
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Gehenna Gaming
4 months ago
Pledge Manager Closing TODAY
Hello backers! Just a reminder that the pledge manager closes TODAY. If you haven't submitted your survey you have till 3 PM EST, then it locks! There will also be a pause in pr...
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Gehenna Gaming
4 months ago
Update #12 - Stretch Goals Updates & Changes
Hello Backers! We’re here to provide a game update as of right now as we await the remaining drafts from writers, Nick has thrown himself into writing and completing the stretch...
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Gehenna Gaming
5 months ago
Update #11 - IT'S TIME
Hello Backers! The surveys have now been sent out (please check your inbox, spam folder, etc.). We'll leave the surveys open for collection for a few weeks to ensure everyone h...
Greetings Backers, Nick here! It’s a new year, and we bid goodbye to 2024 and march into 2025. It’s a brave new world and we’re excited that you’re here taking the journey with us. First off, we wanted to apologize for the lack of updates since before PAX Unplugged. It was a big month for us and we were attempting to get this update out by the end of the new year but with the holidays and PAXU and some other challenges, we found ourselves overwhelmingly busy. We also didn’t want to release an update so close to the BackerKit pre-release empty-handed… But with our editing complete on the pre-release it’s time to give you the New Year Update!
Let’s start with some news.
PAX Unplugged
PAX Unplugged was an amazing show for Eldritch Automata with over 60 sessions running eight different scenarios, six of which were created by our team of amazing GMs. We managed to fill every table and bring Eldritch Automata to the masses of Philadelphia for PAX. We brought a whole batch of physical copies of the Quicklaunch Guide and completely sold out by the third day, making Eldritch Automata a huge hit. We got to meet fans and prospective players alike and showcase the war against the Architect for them. We also did countless interviews during the show! But overall, showcasing the scenarios – including a new one written by yours truly – was a massive highlight of the show, and we got some amazing feedback from the players. And, of course, if you managed to stop by our booth we had some get our special edition pins (which you may see at future conventions as well)!
Did you play E//A at PAX Unplugged? Let us know what you thought in the comments!
The first eight chapters of the book have been finished and edited, and we’ve setup a PDF to share with all of you! By our current count, we have 16 total chapters for the Manuscript and our final page count will be somewhere north of 300 pages for the core rulebook in GLORIOUS US Letter size. The second half of the book is around 80% complete, pending some editing and revisions, and one of our guest operations is completely finalized, with the second one pending some light edits. The modules remain the last things from the BackerKit stretch goals that remain unfinished for the core rulebook, which is good for us! The only challenge we’ve hit is getting art finalized. The Automata Archetype art is about 99% complete as we near the end of that chapter being laid out, and the Pilot Archetype is underway, as well as some of our general page and margin art. Once we’ve finished the stretch goal modules, the core rulebook will officially be in its final stages, and my writing duties move on to the supplements and [REDACTED].
The Player Pre-Release for Backers
Ok, this is probably why you’re still here reading. Yes, it’s time for the pre-release to go out, as we’ve been discussing. That means you get your hands on the first eight chapters of Eldritch Automata (roughly the first half of the book) as a raw (edited) manuscript PDF, or “ashcan,” as we sometimes call it. I don’t consider this an ashcan anymore since it has gone through final editing, but rather an art-free PDF of the first eight chapters. The chapters have been run through our editing team and match what will be in the book, minus any errata you submit upon review. You’ll notice some things have been changed since the Quicklaunch and have been modified. Which begs the question…
Will the Quicklaunch Be Updated Again?
So, we consider the Quicklaunch Guideour official public release beta version of Eldritch Automata. It’s a polished version of the rules of that time alongside an official scenario. As of this time, we have no plans toupdate the Quicklaunch Guide, as it will serve as the publicly available rules until the release of the core rulebook. The Quicklaunch Guide is a state of the game that is tried, tested, and works. We know it does. The changes we have made that you’ll see in the pre-release are what is currently in flux and may not be final.
The next, and final update to the Quicklaunch will be after the core rulebook is finalized to align the two.
What does this mean for the pre-release player manuscript? Well, consider this a private beta, a v0.75 to the Quicklaunch Guide’s v0.5. Which is why we are sending out a feedback form with it. This feedback form will continue to stay open until the final publication of the core rulebook is locked in. This will be open to all Backers and playtesters, so please use this form to submit your feedback, typos you may have found, inconsistencies in the rules, and things that you feel need further clarification. The feedback form also has a question about what aspects of the game or mechanics you like+ and might want us to focus more on in future supplements.
To be crystal clear, this update gives Backers access to:
Full character creation, including all 26 Automata & Pilot archetypes
Talents
Pilot downtime rules
Horror Toxicosis & Seraph Radiation mechanics
The much-hyped Armory system for building your own unique weapons.
It will also include a blank character sheet for you to build your own characters, test the rules out, try some of the new changes we made for the rules out, and give us your thoughts. The private playtesting is over, it’s time for Eldritch Automata to enter your hands!
Finally… There Is Some Bad News
Unfortunately, with all of this, we need to be clear there is some bad news to share. While we have some art in process - art is very behind schedule. We were holding off on sharing this on the chance we would hit our deadline of getting the book to print by Chinese New Year, but between the current state of US relations with China, the status of our art direction, and finalizing some of the stretch goals, we know for sure that isn’t in the cards now. This means our timeline is going to shift a couple of months. Rest assured, we are still releasing in 2025. We’re just looking at a late Q3, Q4 release now. We will be proactive in sharing updates on this progress with you all, and showcasing some of the new art as it comes in, and we thank you in advance for your patience as we get this phenomenal game across the finish line!
Keep an eye out for an email containing the manuscript and character sheet, coming shortly!
Hello Backers! Another Halloween has come and gone, and with that another month and another update to ELDRITCH AUTOMATA. We want to continue doing monthly updates as we toil away on the book, with more frequent updates coming as we hit some big milestones. We have a lot to say in this update, as we’ve received a significant portion of the accessory rewards for the campaign and have a bunch of photos to share today!
Art
Gio is nearing completion on all the Automata Archetype Art and we’ll share a few more art pieces as they trickle in, like The Junker art in the banner above! We’re also hard at work with our Art Director getting the rest of the art for the book underway. We’ve also done a first look layout with our Art Director to see some of the mockups for the book and start finalizing the overall look and feel of the pages. We can’t wait to show you the work in progress as it all starts to come together, so here are a couple spreads and a preview of one of the Automata Archetype sections!
Writing
On the writing front of things, both guest operations are well underway with our guest writers. No Quest for the Wicked is turning “Heart of Entropy” into a full operation and Austin Ramsay (Beam Saber) has drafted a new operation, “Open Arms.” If you want to learn more about “Heart of Entropy” please consider listening to the original audio-play of it: https://noquestcast.podbean.com/e/eldritch-automata-heart-of-entropy-session-zero/ (also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts). “Open Arms” involves the players making contact with a resistance organization that harbors anti-Automata sentiment. The players will have to integrate themselves with the resistance, gaining access to special Horror-based weaponry in the process.
Merch
We’ve started receiving all of the various accessories as well, and there’s a lot to share here! The dice proofs have arrived for the Seraph Dice and they look amazing, the details and “corrosion” in the dice look great with the Seraph symbol standing in as the number 6 so you’ll know when you’ve rolled a big success!
We also received proofs for the acrylic dice, and while there are some minor changes, we don’t mind sharing these as well. The final color came out a little different from our mockups due to how the dye sets in the mold, but we’re really happy with the final product here!
Dice aren’t the only things we received either! The archetype pins, flight patches, and deskmats all came in as well, and they look gorgeous! Here are some high-res shots of the patches and pins…
Eldritch Automata Pilot Patch
Eldritch Automata First Launch Unit Backer-Exclusive Patch
And here’s one of the desk mats in use at my desk! They fit a full-sized keyboard and mouse perfectly with ample room to still get a good look at the horror looming on the horizon and roll some dice.
PAX Unplugged Showcase
While the team is hard at work on the book, we’ll also be showcasing Eldritch Automata at PAX Unplugged in a big way. If you’re heading to Philadelphia on December 6-8 to attend PAX UP, we’ll be running dozens of demos of Eldritch Automata in our Horror RPG room, selling physical print copies of the Quicklaunch Guide, some PAX-exclusive enamel pins, and other goodies to show off at our booth! We’re at booth 3463, with the big Eldritch Automata banners!
Speaking of pins, here’s a look at the PAX UP-exclusive pin we’ll be selling, and a limited edition "Seraph Killer" pin that’s available as well. But you’ll have to work to get that one… stop by the booth for more details there ;-)
Hello Pilots!It’s our favorite month of the year, October! We have a MASSIVE update here with a lot of fun news, so sit back and enjoy!
Book Progress Update
Our focus is still on the manuscript right now and getting it prepared to go into the editing phase. We are eyeing to release the manuscript preview to backers in two parts to keep people satiated and collect extensive feedback on the archetypes and armory sections of the corebook. What does this look like in the grand scheme of things? It means you’ll get the first eight (8) chaptersof the core rulebook, which gives players all they need to know about playing Eldritch Automata in a raw, text-only format. This isn’t going to happen overnight, and we want to at least get our editor to review the first eight chapters before releasing it. But we do want people to be able to start making their own characters and sharing their characters with us.
MERCH!
Shifting to the physical side of things, we’ve recently gotten the patches and enamel pins in and they look GLORIOUS. Honestly, every time a real physical piece tied to our game comes in it always leaves us in awe. They’re colorful and vibrant and will be perfect for repping your favorite Archetype.
Art (and Team) Update
Next, we are proud to announce we have hired an Art Director and Layout Artist to take over the management side of things and help us be more efficient. They’ve already taken to ripping and reorganizing all our folders (this is a good thing) and letting us declutter the past several years of assets and random image drops. We’re excited to welcome Paladin Mendenhall to the team! You might know their work from the award-winning Sina Una, and we’re excited to get their expertise on board as the book progresses.
Stretch Goal Progress Update
Stretch goal-wise, Nick is currently writing the location modules, starting with the Forge, and cleaning up a few things in the game mastering section of the book. “The longer I stare at this manuscript, the more I find myself revamping and adding.”
Our guest operations are in production and being written. We’ll have to address when the layout is getting underway if the guest operations are going to be able to fit into this book or if we’ll have to shift them to digital release.
Quicklaunch Guide v2
Finally, the Quicklaunch Guide revisions are done, and the print version is complete and sent off to the printer this week! To quickly cover it, here are the patch notes for v2:
Area weapon descriptor tag has been updated in line with the Area change we implemented into the core rulebook.
Ambush rules have been implemented into the Quicklaunch.
Judariel art and page spread has been updated with new art and a new design. This is all visual.
The Quicklaunch has gone through a facelift thanks to our editor Tori Queeno who has corrected our grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and helped us clarify a few rules.
Hello backers! Just a reminder that the pledge manager closes TODAY. If you haven't submitted your survey you have till 3 PM EST, then it locks! There will also be a pause in pre-order availability soon as we migrate pre-orders off Backerkit to our website.
If you lost your survey link you can find it here: https://eldritch-automata.backerkit.com/
Hello Backers! We’re here to provide a game update as of right now as we await the remaining drafts from writers, Nick has thrown himself into writing and completing the stretch goals for the core rulebook in order to get everything for the final manuscript done as soon as possible. We’ve got an overview of some of these updates and changes below!
The 13th Archetypes
We are happy to announce that both the Forgotten and the Eldritch are complete and in the official manuscript. The Forgotten involves talents that utilize Strands, such as Blank Space,which allows the GM to help build out your past with you, and Last of the Real Ones, which lets you contact other characters you have Strands with – no matter the distance. Our 13th Automata Archetype, The Eldritch, boasts some of the most unique talents we’ve written to date. Rapid Assimilation lets you consume fallen Horrors and add additional weapon tags to your Signature Arm, while Bring Forth the Nest lets you create dangerous field effects that your Automata thrives in.
The Eldritch Arms
We’ve also completed the 10 unique Eldritch Arms and added them to the book. The Eldritch Arms are the ultimate evolution of what Automata weapons can become. We often hear that with great power comes great responsibility, but in this case, great power comes at a great price. Every Eldritch Arm has a specific Bane – often a static debuff that affects you as long as you are wielding it. From a mechanical standpoint, the Bane is counted as “in effect” when it is placed in your Automata’s loadout when launching for a battle. The Bane lingers for a Shift worth of time from when it’s removed from your Automata’s equipment.
Now we’re finalizing descriptions and getting these off to modeling for our highest-tier backer rewards and the Equipment Deck 😉
Mechanics Updates & Changes
We received some great feedback from the Quicklaunch and our games at Gen Con this year, which has inspired us to make some gameplay tweaks. We’re adding a small section addressing Panic Roll Cascade, tweaking the rules behind the Ammo flaw tag, and clarifying the explanations on some of the more confusing mechanics. We also took the time to revisit the Area descriptor tag, we knew this would be a popular tag but also feared it overtaking the game. In our quest to tighten up game mechanics and make every bit of Eldritch Automata feel used we changed the Area descriptor tag in order to keep in line with the ruleset had for Explosions.
Area - Your weapon’s attack encompasses an entire zone, and can hit an entire group of enemies. Weapons with the Area tag act according to Explosion rules and act as if they had a Blast Power of 5. Additional successes cannot be used to add additional damage to your attack. However, you may buy the Area tag a second time to increase Blast Power to 7. (Cost 3)
We also revisited the Scorching Zone feature to bring it line with base rules we have for Fire. We’ve removed Scorching and tied in the talent of Scorched Earth from the Collateral to create fire with adherence to the Intensity mechanic.
These mechanical changes will all be available in the Quicklaunch update we’re working on!
Upcoming Events
In other news we are proud to announce we’ll be selling merchandise and official prints of the Quicklaunch at PAX Unplugged in December. So if you’d like to drop by and pick up a copy of the Quicklaunch and/or talk to the creator and lead designer of Eldritch Automata, stop by booth 3646!
That’s it for now. We’re hard at work getting everything ready, off to printing/manufacturing, and ready for PAX! Stay tuned for more news soon, and don’t forget to get your Pledge Manager survey finished, as we’re locking those down on OCTOBER 1!
