There is a world beyond Creation, a world alive with the endless motion of titanic machinery. This is Autochthonia, the Realm of Brass and Shadows, the world that is the living body of the Machine God. No green thing has ever grown here; no sun’s light has ever touched its vast metal expanse. It is haunted by alien machine gods and stalked by monstrous nightmares of flesh and steel. Survival here is all but impossible — and yet, the Eight Nations still stand.
The people of Autochthonia live within the body of their god, toiling to maintain the Great Maker’s industrial organs and world-machinery. It is a harsh existence, ever on the precipice of disaster. It is only by the incalculable effort of millions and the divine power of the Alchemical Exalted that the people of Autochthonia thrive.
The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of the Machine God, biomechanical demigods forged from divine metal and heroic souls. They do not rule the Eight Nations, but serve as Champions of the people, a sacred duty greater than any ambition. The eldest of Alchemicals transcend their human forms to become metropoli, living cities that offer the Eight Nations a stronghold against Autochthonia’s perils.
The Realm of Brass and Shadows is unforgiving, and the Eight Nations find themselves faced with many challenges: cataclysmic upheavals of Autochthon’s world-machinery, incursions of gruesome techno-organic gremlins, and the ever-present threat to their livelihoods. All the while, the slumbering Autochthon grows ever sicker, his corrupting Blight metastasizing throughout his world-body. Despair not. There is work to be done.
Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God is an expansion for the ExaltedThird Edition tabletop roleplaying game. It’s set in a mythic world where spirits walk openly among humanity, warring demigods topple kingdoms, and the restless dead roam on moonless nights. Heroes granted divine power contend against one another for the future of Creation. These are the Exalted!
Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God provides a detailed look at Autochthonia, an entire world of industrial machinery and impossible technology that exists within Autochthon’s body. It is the home to the Eight Nations, a world set apart from Creation and the rest of the cosmos. The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of The Machine God, artificial humans wrought from clay and metal and catalyzed by a heroic soul. The book also provides an extensive panoply of Alchemical Charms, along with new martial arts styles, sorcerous spells and initiations, and Autochthonian technology and artifacts.
The Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God deluxe edition will be an 8.5” x 11” hardcover book, featuring an enhanced foil-stamped cover with 300+ full-color interior pages. Metallic-edged pages and a ribbon bookmark will set this book as a worthy companion to previous Exalted Third Edition expansions, such as Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, Lunars: Fangs at the Gate, Exigents: Out of the Ashes, and the other Exalted Third Edition deluxe editions. Contents include:
Chapter One: The Alchemical Exalted introduces the Chosen of the Great Maker, the machine-heroes forged to stand against the enemies of the gods and the divine Champions of Autochthonia’s Eight Nations.
Chapter Two: Autochthonia explores the Realm of Brass and Shadows, the vast realm of world-machinery within the Great Maker’s body that the Eight Nations call home.
Chapter Three: Character Creation provides rules for creating Alchemical player characters.
Chapter Four: Traits details the unique traits used by Alchemicals, including their Castes and the cold, inhuman Clarity of their Great Curse.
Chapter Five: Charms provides an extensive panoply of Alchemical Charms, along with rules for the Rite of Reconfiguration that lets Champions install and remove new Charms.
Chapter Six: Martial Arts and Sorcery contains new martial arts styles that are prominently practiced in Autochthonia, like Thousand Wounds Gear style and Crystal Chameleon style, along with sorcerous spells and initiations from the Realm of Brass and Shadows.
Chapter Seven: Artifacts provides a variety of Autochthonian technology and artifacts, including signature Alchemical weapons like beamklaves.
Chapter Eight: Quick Characters provides traits for Alchemicals, machine spirits, and gremlins, including information and templates that Storytellers can use to create their own machine spirits.
The primary purpose behind this Crowdfunding campaign is to enable Onyx Path to create a fully-developed PDF and deluxe hardcover version of Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God. Your support will allow Onyx Path to produce a deluxe hardcover edition for Crowdfunding backers, as well as a PDF and eventual Print-on-Demand standard edition released for purchase.
Exceptional funding may allow the Alchemicals team to expand and further explore various aspects of the game, from the Forge of Legends to the Ever-spreading Blight. Additional support will provide Onyx Path with inspiration and resources to unlock even more reward options!
Beyond those campaign-specific goals, the hope is to do what these games have always done — build a community invested in each other's stories and shared imagination. Every person who participates is joining with the goal of bringing this game into the world, and that common goal is a powerful spark that can fuel many great things! When you back this project, you join us on this epic journey and become part of the extended Exalted family.
All participants who would like to make this project happen can pledge their support and add to the overall campaign total. If the campaign meets the funding target ($30,000), then we will have funded the project and it will become a reality. Your pledge will only be collected if we achieve our funding target.
In thanks for your support, we offer rewards based on your level of funding pledged. The Reward Tiers down the right side of the page outline the various rewards reflecting various levels of support pledged. Please note that shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
Digitalvs Deluxe: do you save some shelf space and go digital-only with the PDF version or go all in with the deluxe hardcover version? Are you just interested in the new book created by this campaign, or looking to add extras with the Add-On options available as well? Please note that shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
While the creations of the Machine God are complex and multi-faceted, we've tried to keep supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, pick one of these pledge path tiers:
Populat Hero: 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 options 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 and be able to download at your leisure.
Alchemical Champion: This reward tier includes the deluxe 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.
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
Tripartite Overseer: 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 participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God that we post throughout this campaign.
A selection of Premium Tiers offer special limited rewards in addition to our core rewards for this campaign. Check each of the individual Reward Tier descriptions for more detail, but in summary:
Prolific Scholar of the Furnace Transcendent asks you to suggest a new Charm for the Alchemical Exalted.
Inspiring Champion’s Visage asks you to describe your character so that Onyx Path artists can incorporate it into an interior illustration for an upcoming Alchemicals supplement.
Alchemical Exemplar combines two rewards - suggesting a new Charm as well as describing your character for inclusion in the art notes for a supplemental release.
Living Machine Compact has you suggesting a new First Circle or Second Circle machine spirit or gremlin for a Quick Character write-up.
Manifestation of the Machine-God’s Design has you share your ideas for a new artifact that will get written up in an Alchemicals supplement.
Renowned Chosen of Autochthon asks you to pick an existing Alchemical Exalted, either mentioned in the draft manuscript or previous Exalted material, who will receive a QC write-up.
Soul of Autochthon Embodied will have you pick a divine minister to get a full write-up and stats and be featured in an Alchemical supplement.
Finally, we love retailers, but modern publishing methods don’t always make it easy for them to get books into their stores. Any retailer who chooses to the Octet Quartermaster perk will get five copies of the Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God deluxe hardcover book (as well as the PDF versions) at a retail-specific discount to sell in-store.
ACCESS TO DRAFTMANUSCRIPT UPDATES – During the course of the campaign, we will be posting the ENTIRE manuscript for Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God. These previews will be shared via Backer-Only updates. You must be a backer of this project to receive these updates.
ALCHEMICALS: FORGED BY THE MACHNE GOD BACKER PDF - Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption link for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer 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.
ALCHEMICALS: FORGED BY THE MACHNE GOD DELUXEHARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a deluxe hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the 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.
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a 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 maybe 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.
In addition to the rewards listed in each Reward Tier, backers can add extra options via the Add On menu associated with your reward format. Digital Rewards can be added to any pledge, while physical rewards can only be added to rewards lists that include a version of Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God deluxe hardcover book, and will therefore have a shippable order when information is downloaded in the fulfillment system.
As we increase the overall funding and support for the project, we’re able to add additional resources to the project, expand the rewards listed, and add in new offers and opportunities. Each Stretch Goal will have a target that, once reached, will add a project to the reward list for backers of the relevant Stretch Goal path. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, the listing will be updated to reflect the achievement.
[ACHIEVED] At $40,000 in Funding - NEW ADD ON: ALCHEMICALS STORYTELLER SCREEN - A three-panel Storyteller Reference Screen with charts and information for running an Alchemicals game will be created and offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tiers for +$25.
Starting at $50,000 in Funding, a new Alchemicals supplement will be added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving the Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God PDF as one of their pledge rewards. This Alchemicals Companion PDF will be expanded via Stretch Goal achievement.
[ACHIEVED] At $50,000 in Funding - ALCHEMICALS COMPANION: The Lost City of Tekun - The disappearance of the metropolis Tekun is a mystery to the Eight Nations — but now, the truth is revealed. Cast though the Seal of Eight Divinities, the lost city has survived deep in the vast underground caverns of Creation. Its people still preserve the Octet’s culture and faith despite their isolation from the Machine God, a flickering light of hope amidst the many perils of the deep.
[ACHIEVED] At $60,000 in Funding - ALCHEMICALS COMPANION: The Forge of Legends - Additional Storyteller advice and plot hooks for Alchemical campaigns, whether in Autochthonia or Creation.
[ACHIEVED] At $70,000 in Funding - ALCHEMICALS COMPANION: Beyond the Eight Nations - An expansion of Autochthonia’s reaches and those who dwell within: tunnel folk societies, Alchemical outcasts, and gruesome horrors born of the Blight.
At $85,000 in Funding - ALCHEMICALS COMPANION: God-Machinery of Exalted Power -A panoply of Alchemical Charms and submodule upgrades, as well as Light-Sharpening Blade style, a martial art that makes use of beamklaves.
At $95,000 in Funding - ALCHEMICALS COMPANION: The Ever-Spreading Blight -Quick Character traits for Apostates, those Alchemicals corrupted by Autochthon’s Blight, and the lesser gremlins that stalk the Realm of Brass and Shadows.
Shipping has become increasingly expensive and is often prohibitive to non-US backers. Several contemporary publishers have decided to discontinue international shipping completely. For this project, Onyx Path wants to keep all options open to our customers, though shipping costs will reflect the expense.
PLEASE NOTE: Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping—and have an opportunity to adjust your pledge—after the campaign through the pledge manager.
The following are estimates for shipping a copy of the hardcover book with full package tracking, projected on current trends. Please note that these are estimates only and are subject to change by the time of fulfillment (currently projected by January 2027)
DOMESTIC MEDIA MAIL (USA): $5 USD + $5-$10 USD per additional book/item
CANADA: $45 USD + $5-$15 USD per additional book/item
UNITED KINGDOM: $55 USD +$5-$20 USD per additional book/item
EUROPEAN UNION: $60 USD +$5-$20 USD per additional book/item
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: $75 USD +$10-25. USD per additional book/item
BRAZIL*: $80.00 USD +$25 USD per additional book (only books available to ship to Brazil)
THE REST OF THE WORLD: $55 USD +$5-$20 USD per additional book/item
Again, we will be charging the actual costs via our BackerKit pledge manager once the books are preparing to ship. These are estimated costs only, and the final costs charged will reflect the actual rates at the time of shipping. At this time, there's a lot of speculation about what that may mean, but we have no real way of knowing until we're there. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
*Orders to Brazil will be shipped with tracking numbers once only. Should the order become lost in customs processing or during last-mile delivery within Brazil, we'll need full payment of a second order before any re-ships can take place. At this time, we can only ship books to Brazil.
ALTERNATE OPTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL BACKERS:
If you live outside of the US, here are your options for obtaining a physical copy:
Pledge to the campaign at the $25 Populat Hero pledge level to get the PDF version plus a redemption code to purchase the print-on-demand version of the book at a discounted cost (plus shipping) from DriveThruRPG.com once it's available (see Reward Descriptions, above, for more details).
Pledge to the campaign at the $5 Tripartite Overseer reward tier to get access to the preview manuscript. Later, you can buy the PDF and/or Print-on-Demand when eventually released.
Contact your local game store and make sure you're put on a preorder list so they know there's demand for the game that they're being asked to fill, and then encourage them to back at the Retailer Tier for this campaign!
Look into a freight forwarding service that can give you a US-based shipping address and get packages delivered to it and forwarded to you.
After the campaign is over we'll launch our 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 international orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
Onyx Path Publishing has managed more than 60 crowdfunded projects, and that experience allows us to maintain manageable projects and achievable goals. To read more about the knowledge that has been applied to this project, you can read the FAQ linked here: http://theonyxpath.com/about/faq/crowdfunding/
