Look Up in the Sky! [Backer Preview Manuscript #3A]
Hello Good Doggos and Beguiling Birds!
Last week was Badger Week and a lot of fun, but this week is going to be triple packed! Our next chapter has been broken into three se...
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James Bell
6 days ago
Sneak Peek: Crows, Ducks, Sparrows
Hello Good Doggos and Brave Badgers,
I've got another sneak peek to take us into the weekend. Today we're going to look at some of the bird upbringings. We'll get the full c...
2
0
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James Bell
6 days ago
Realms of Pugmire Ficiton: Protect All from the Unseen
Protect All from the Unseen
The demonic sword fell to the ground, its black blade hissing and glowing in the snow, like it had just been pulled from the fire of a forge. The...
2
0
1
Eddy Webb
5 days ago
Pugmire Unleashed Actual Play starting today!
Ryan Wheeldon, one of the writers on Pugmire Unleashed, is running an actual play using the material in the book! They're heading up the Session 0 character creation session today, so if you're keen to see some of the cool new character options, check it out on Twitch! https:/...
0
0
0
Eddy Webb
6 days ago
Badgers on the Monday Meeting Blog!
This past Monday, on the official Onyx Path blog, Dixie Cochran (one of the writers on Pugmire Unleashed) posted a bit about badgers. If you're read the recent manuscript update this will be familiar to you, but it's always cool to see people talking about the material they wo...
Hello Good Doggos and Brave Badgers,
It's Badger Day! Backers will have access to the full draft version of Chapter 2 and you will be able to make your own badger characters...
Last week was Badger Week and a lot of fun, but this week is going to be triple packed! Our next chapter has been broken into three sections, each covering a different inhabitant of the Realms of Pugmire! Today, we've got birds!
Digital and Print-on-Demand Rewards
We know times are hard these days, particularly with rising costs and economic uncertainty, so we’ve designed this crowdfunder to be as painless as possible. We offer a wide variety of digital options for backing, as well as leveraging print-on-demand technology to have physical products printed as close to you as possible to cut down shipping and reduce tariff concerns.
Creating and fulfilling physical versions this way gets you the best price, fastest delivery, and excellent customer support!
DriveThruRPG's printing partners are located both within in the USA and the UK (and expanding), making shipping cheaper and avoiding the tariffs incurred by international manufacturing and shipping!
Draft Manuscript Previews
Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Pugmire Unleashed, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in bite-sized treats throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next 28 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.
Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.
In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Pugmire Unleashed Feedback Form>
You can use this Feedback Form to shrea your thoughts directly with the Pugmire developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
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 "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.
I've got another sneak peek to take us into the weekend. Today we're going to look at some of the bird upbringings. We'll get the full chapter next week, spread over three updates - Birds on Monday, Lagomorphs hop in on Wednesday, and Lizards run in on Friday!
But just to whet our appetites, here's a sneak peek...
The world is vaster than the realms and the monarchies. Other species besides dogs (and cats and rodents) exist, each with its own culture and history. As pioneers brave Pugmire and beyond, the sight of these people becomes less unusual each day. Heroes, villains, and everything in between strive to achieve their personal goals.
This chapter details three other species: birds, lagomorphs, and reptiles.Players will find here the options to create their characters as one of these people, while Guides need look to further to obtain all the details needed to implement them and their society in any game. Making one of these characters is the same as making a character in Realms of Pugmire, unless otherwise specified.
Birds
For a species with little presence within Pugmire, the Monarchies of Mau, and the wilderness beyond, birds are remarkably well-known. Most dogs can’t point at an acquaintance that met a bird directly, but the fame of birds knows no boundaries. This reputation owes to many factors, but none as important as the beaked tradition of storytelling. It’s through storytelling that birds first touch Pugmire, long before they can feel its winds under their feathers. The bird travelers who venture into the realms and the monarchies are eager to add new chapters to their sagas, filling them with thrills, adventure, and exciting characters.
Bird Upbringings
Birds’ upbringings are known as nestes, and are based upon how close they’re considered to be to the Sky Kingdom, as indicated by how well they can fly. A bird’s neste is determined at the moment they hatch, though they usually inherit their parents’ neste, so it’s rarely a surprise unless the parents come from different nestes.
Crow
Regarded as the most intelligent birds, crows constantly seek new knowledge to add to their collection of lore. When they hatch, crows exhibit dangerous levels of curiosity, often getting into trouble before they even learn to glide. They learn caution as they age, but the quest for secrets never ends. They’re quieter than other birds, communicating as efficiently as possible whether they’re telling a story or warning of incoming threats. The exception is when their special interests come up in conversation, whereupon they cheerfully relate every fact they know on the subject. Their keen minds make them excellent teachers, tacticians, physicians, and researchers.
Crows use partial wings attached to their arms to glide, granting them great mobility wherever they can get a high vantage point. They make excellent scouts, quickly moving from high points down to where their allies await news.
Crows make fantastic augurs, both because their intelligence is well suited to spellcasting and because their desire for knowledge makes the secrets of the future irresistible. Their tendency to gather shiny objects and interesting trinkets frequently makes it difficult to determine whether a crow is an adventurous collector or just an ordinary crow.
Views on other nestes
Ducks: I can only imagine the wonders you’ve glimpsed in distant lands. I look forward to hearing all about them when you return.
Parrots: Your stories are wonderful, and I appreciate all the help you can give me. Please, tell me of your latest travels, and I shall write it down for posterity.
Sparrows: It’s not how high you fly that matters, but what you do while you’re up there. I respect your judgment, but it takes all of us to see the whole picture.
Crow Tricks
Crow tricks rely on quick wits and resiliency. They frequently rely on Intellect and Vitality.
Glide
Crows glide with ease, able to move at their normal walking speed without touching the ground for a single combat turn, or turns equal to their Vitality (minimum 1) if they’re gliding from a high enough starting point, allowing them to guide their falls safely to avoid damage. While gliding, crows gain a boon on Traverse checks and Agility tests. By making a successful Agility test while gliding, they may gain a boon on their next attack.
Thermal Ascent
The crow perfects a keen sense for air currents, gaining the ability to utilize thermals and other updrafts to ascend. By using their action and movement, the crow may ascend up to half their speed per turn. The crow may attempt a number of these ascents equal to their Vitality (minimum 1) before requiring a nap. Additionally, the crow adds their experience modifier to the number of turns they can glide, and their gliding speed increases by 15 feet.
Duck
The far-traveling ducks are outsiders even among other birds. More comfortable in the wilderness than in the looming walls of civilization, they seek companionship among other travelers, and few have a permanent place to call home. While some follow regular migration routes through the wild places, many seek new sights, only feeling content in unfamiliar locations. They’re trained from a young age to take advantage of the terrain around them when roaming, and their cartographers’ maps are among the most detailed.
The narrow partial wings attached to ducks’ arms don’t bring them any closer to the sky, but they do grant them greater propulsion and mobility in the water. Many ducks also possess webbed feet, contributing to their comfort in watery environments. Ducks often serve as guides to other travelers, enjoying the opportunity to show off the valuable knowledge gained through their adventures.
Being the hardiest of birds, ducks are more likely to put themselves into physical peril over the course of their adventures. Many become raptors, as there’s often no other options for protection available when danger looms in the distant wilds. Others seek to uncover threats before they become a problem (augurs), but regardless of their calling, ducks wish to see new wonders and live to tell the tale.
Views on other nestes
Crows: I bring news from far away to add to your stores of lore. Perhaps you can help me make sense of what I’ve seen.
Parrots: You tell your story, then I’ll tell mine. Maybe you can give me some tips to liven it up a bit.
Sparrows: No matter how far you see from up there, you haven’t witnessed half of what I have. I wouldn’t trade my experiences for yours.
Duck Tricks
Ducks are hardy, resilient birds. Many of their tricks rely on Vitality.
Strong Swimmer
The character has mastered aquatic environments, gaining a boon on Traverse checks when swimming. Their swimming speed is 20 feet more than their walking speed, and they may hold their breath for twice as long. Additionally, natural adaptations to acidic waters have rendered the character (though not their possessions) resistant to corrosive damage.
Trek
Ducks travel deep into the harshest environments, doubling their experience bonus when using the Traverse skill and maintaining their full speed even in water. They also add their experience bonus to their Vitality when determining how long they can hold their breath. Their insulating waterproof feathers render them ice resistant.
Sparrow
Graceful and quick-thinking, sparrows are often treated like nobility among the birds. While the truth varies from bird to bird, sparrows are often considered haughty due to their ability to fly. This gift makes them excellent messengers, as they can freely dart from one place to another on the winds. Their swift minds allow them to quickly collect and analyze information, which they distill into solid advice. Because of this, they’re frequently leaders and judges, though even the most serious sparrow enjoys singing a sweet song.
Sparrows’ wings extend from their back, leaving their arms free to carry light objects even while flying. While walking, they tuck their wings behind them to avoid banging them into their surroundings, though many unfurl them at dramatic moments. Most sparrows feel claustrophobic in tight spaces or in buildings designed for other species, knowing their wings will do them no good when deprived of space to move.
Sparrows are skilled at improvisation and most possess beautiful singing voices, allowing them to excel when performing (rimers). Their perspective, both literally and figuratively, gives them a talent for spotting omens and dangers on the horizon (augurs). Regardless of their calling, sparrows prefer to take advantage of their wings to approach situations from an unexpected angle.
Views on other nestes:
Crows: Some of the facts you give are fascinating, while others are merely useless trivia. I believe you can learn the difference between the two.
Ducks: To have wings and still be denied the sky seems so unfair. I’m genuinely glad to see you’ve found a way to adapt.
Parrots: I wish you could see as I do. I can only imagine what you could do with your incredible stories if you shared my perspective.
Sparrow Tricks
Soar
Sparrows enjoy true flight, allowing them to move swiftly and gracefully through the air. While airborne, they maintain their full walking speed, doubling their Agility for defense when they’re able to move up out of reach. They gain a boon to Traverse rolls, and never fear falling as long as their wings are unencumbered. While engaged in strenuous activity, sparrows may only fly for a number of turns equal to their Vitality + their experience modifier (minimum 1) before landing. Sparrows may attempt a number of such flights equal to their Vitality (minimum 1) before needing to sleep.
Swift Flight
The sparrow has truly mastered the air, increasing their maximum flight speed by 10 feet. They add their experience modifier to the number of flights they can utilize while engaged in strenuous activity, and double it for determining the number of turns they can remain airborne.
While unencumbered and not engaged in other strenuous activities, the sparrow may fly for a number of hours equal to their Agility (minimum 1) before requiring a nap.
We'll dig deeper into our bird friends on Monday! Until then, let's continue to unleash the Pugmire support!
The demonic sword fell to the ground, its black blade hissing and glowing in the snow, like it had just been pulled from the fire of a forge. The paw of the badger wielding it fell to the ground as well, its milky-white eyes not registering pain or even irritation by the loss of its weapon or its appendage. The Unseen demon squirming inside the badger’s ambulating corpse, however, howled in silent agony as Yosha Pug held her mystic globe aloft in one paw, sending a flurry of mystical bolts into the borrowed body.
As the battle between the princess and the invisible demon reached its gruesome climax, two paws fell on the hilt of the sword at the same time, each trying to grab hold of the demonic weapon. Sebastian Springer and Patty Shihtzu locked eyes over the cursed blade.
“As a barghest,” Sebastian said as snowflakes dotted his muddy and wet robes, as well as the brown and white fur on his face, “I feel the sword is best held in my paws.”
“I bet you do,” Patty retorted, her own brown and white fur poking out of various joins in her heavy metal armor, with the symbol of the Church of Man etched on her breastplate. “Which is exactly why it needs to be returned to the Church.”
The barghest frowned at his colleague. “Those of my calling are the most knowledgeable about demons,” he argued, as another blast of mystical energy from Yosha exploded in the distance. “I am best suited to use the knowledge this blade holds to the benefit of the kingdom.”
“Do you hear yourself talking?” Patty yelled over the screams of the badger meat puppet. “Demons aren’t to be used. Only destroyed. It says so in the Code of Man.”
Sebastian frowned at this as the screams faded. “Technically, the Code of Man says….”
“Are you seriously trying to argue theology with a crusader?” Patty said, glaring at the barghest and ignoring the battle raging near her. “I know full well what the Code of Man says.”
“… ‘Protect All from the Unseen.’” Sebastian finished.
“I said I know!” Patty barked. The battle had gone quiet, and her loud retort echoed strangely over the snow-covered plain. Although she stood a foot or two shorter than Sebastian, she pushed her shoulders back and stood as tall as possible, while still refusing to release her hold on the sword hilt.
“Which mean you know,” Sebastian said, letting the sarcasm hang heavy on his last word, “that it doesn’t say ‘Murder All the Unseen.’ There’s nothing contradictory about using demonic tools against the very demons that plague our society.”
“I’m sure that badger thought the same,” Patty retorted, waving her free gauntleted paw at the remains of the battle. “I’m sure he and all his badger family and all his badger friends thought they could use a demon sword to fight the monsters and make themselves safe.”
“You don’t….” Sebastian started, but Patty suddenly yanked on the hilt of the sword. The barghest fell into the snow with a surprised yip of alarm.
The crusader sneered at the sword in her paw. “The only way to protect everyone from the Unseen,” she spat, “is to destroy all demons. And all the tools of demons. I’ll take this back to the Church, where it can be carefully disposed of and no other clans of badgers can be tainted by its call.”
Sebastian stood up and tried ineffectually to wipe the snow off his robes, paws, and face. As he did so, Yosha walked over to the two dogs, a big smile on her face. “Well, I think that demon’s been taken care of. I’ll let that funny little otter in Pugmire know that her possessed kin have been dealt with.” She looked between Sebastian and Patty. “What are you two talking about?”
“The sword…” Sebastian blurted out, just as Patty said “My lady….” Yosha ignored both of them and deftly took the sword out Patty’s paw before the crusader had even realized she had done it. “Oh good,” the princess said. “Thank you for getting that, Patty. I can ask the otter what her clan want us to do with this as well.”
The barghest and crusader locked eyes again, but this time in silent agreement. The two of them might differ on how to handle the tools of demons, but they both agreed neither of them would allow such a weapon to fall into the hands of Kibu the Red.
Ryan Wheeldon, one of the writers on Pugmire Unleashed, is running an actual play using the material in the book! They're heading up the Session 0 character creation session today, so if you're keen to see some of the cool new character options, check it out on Twitch! https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath/schedule?segmentID=5fecadf7-f517-4a08-afac-39555544921f
(Traditionally all Twitch videos on the Onyx Path channel end up going to Youtube, so even if you miss it, it'll be available online in future.)
It's Badger Day! Backers will have access to the full draft version of Chapter 2 and you will be able to make your own badger characters for your Realms of Pugmire game!
We've also unlocked our section stretch goal, a traditional Onyx Path milestone marker! Let's celebrate!
ACHIEVED! - At $11,000 in Funding - Redbubble Shirt Design
A Pugmire Unleashed-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
Digital and Print-on-Demand Rewards
We know times are hard these days, particularly with rising costs and economic uncertainty, so we’ve designed this crowdfunder to be as painless as possible. We offer a wide variety of digital options for backing, as well as leveraging print-on-demand technology to have physical products printed as close to you as possible to cut down shipping and reduce tariff concerns. Creating and fulfilling physical versions this way gets you the best price, fastest delivery, and excellent customer support!
DriveThruRPG's printing partners are located both within in the USA and the UK (and expanding), making shipping cheaper and avoiding the tariffs incurred by international manufacturing and shipping!
Draft Manuscript Previews
Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Pugmire Unleashed, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in bite-sized treats throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next 28 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.
Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.
In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Pugmire Unleashed Feedback Form>
You can use this Feedback Form to shrea your thoughts directly with the Pugmire developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
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 "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.
