The Storypath Ultra Core Manual is the best possible version of the Storypath tabletop roleplaying system, ready to be used for your own tabletop game sessions.
In 2017 Onyx Path unveiled the Storypath System, the rules engine that has come to power many of our games: the sci-fi universe of hope, heroism, and peril known as the Trinity Continuum, the modern-day stories of old gods and titans called Scion Second Edition,and the trope-focused exploration of genres that is the They Came From! series, and more.
We're extremely proud of what we’ve done over the years with Storypath, but felt it was time to tighten up the rules, smooth off the rough edges, and get rid of anything that got in the way of telling amazing stories. As a result, we’ve created the Storypath Ultra Core Manual.
Storypath Ultra isn’t a new edition, nor is it a replacement rule set — many of the concepts we developed and refined from the Storypath System are still there, even as they rearrange or rename things to make them as clear as possible. Think of it as a new take on Storypath: It’s the same great game but spruced up and tweaked to be the best possible version.
What makes Storypath a great system for our role playing games?
First, competence. Player characters are assumed to be competent in their area of specialization. These rules aren't always meant to assume success or failure. They're used to determine influence over the story and to the degree to which the character succeeds.
Next, enhanced combat. Storypath combat uses range bands, area effects, and tricks, allowing players to contribute more to a fight beyond just damage. They're also convertible to miniature play or for use with virtual tabletops.
Then there's bonding. Storypath uses group mechanics to create a collaborative storytelling experience. Bonds formed during character creation and over sessions bring new overarching mechanics and collaborative themes into play.
Finally, there's scaling. Gods or superheroes can fight each other on mostly equal grounds, while the mere mortals can do the same to one another. It's only when the psychic superhuman deals with an average person, the mechanics such as advantage come into play.
The Storypath UltraCore Manual is a way for you to use Storypath Ultra to power whatever world you have in mind. Within its pages you'll find:
the complete rules for Storypath Ultra,Â
expansions of the core rules, as well as building block systems you can drop into games as needed,Â
advice on how to run and adapt Storypath to your needs,Â
three example settings to show you how to use Storypath or to run as games in their own right.
Many people over the years have talked about how they've hacked Storypath games into different shapes to play in their favorite worlds, so this book allows us to give you advice on how to build your game from the ground up. Â
Final cover subject to change.
Chapter One: Core System contains a complete description and breakdown of the core rules of Storypath. Chapter Two: Expansion covers making your own rules as well as introducing complexity and detail to these core rules, while Chapter Three: Building Blocks contains all the optional bits you can add to your game should you choose. Chapter Four: Storyguide Advice is chock full of suggestions and tips on running Storypath games.Â
Finally, we'll present three custom settings, which you can use right away to run games or review as inspirations for the kinds of worlds Storypath can be used for. You'll see the first example setting when we share previews of the draft manuscript. The second and third example settings will be voted on by backers during this crowdfunding campaign!
Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hellis a darkly humorous setting featuring player characters with unusual powers and an angelic companion hunting down demons that have controlled the world. It’s Street Fighter meets Fist of the North Star via professional wrestling. We also provide a lot of sidebars explaining the reasons behind some of the design decisions of the setting, to act as a comprehensive example of creating a setting and adapting Storypath to that setting.Â
The primary purpose behind this crowdfunding campaign is to enable Onyx Path to create a fully-developed PDF and hardcover version of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual. With your support we can create a full-color hardcover book, which will be sent out as a reward to backers and also made available to game and hobby stores through Onyx Path's distribution partners.Â
Not only will you help make this a reality, you'll help decide the contents, as we vote to determine two of the example Storypath settings to be featured in this book. Along with Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell, these setting examples will serve as demonstrations on how to adapt Storypath for your own ideas, provide inspiration for your game, or serve as the setting for your next session so you can start right away!
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 picking a path with the goal of bringing this game into the world, and that common goal is a powerful binding element that we can't help but want to share. When you back this project, you join us on this heroic journey and help us form new bonds.
The first of the included example settings, Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell, not only offers a complete game set in the parallel version of the year 2000, but also illustrates exactly how Story Path was implemented and adjusted. We have plans to write two more, and backers have voted on initial concepts as starting places for the writers.
For our Sci-Fi example, backers have chosen "An experimental space flight flings the player characters into a distant galaxy full of strange and alien sights."
For our Fantasy example, backers have chosen "A war-torn world ripped apart by a devastating magic war, and a few surviving wizards try to prove who is the best among them."
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 ($10,000), 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 Pledge Levels linked at the top 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 Physical: do you save some shelf space and go digital-only with the PDF version or go all in with the hardcover version? Are you just interested in the new book created by this campaign, or do you want to pre-order one of Onyx Path's games built to use the Storypath Ultra engine, like The World Below or At The Gates? Or maybe you want to go back to the early seeds of the Storypath System and add on a core rules digital bundle?
Even as you pick your Paths and Bonds to create interesting character combinations, we've tried to keep supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, select one of these pledge path tiers:
$25 STORYPATH ULTRA PDF REWARD
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. As a backer, you will be able to vote on new content during the crowdfunding campaign.
$60 STORYPATH ULTRA HARDCOVER REWARD
This reward tier includes the 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 a backer, you will be able to vote on new content during the crowdfunding campaign.
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
Storypath Support: 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 participate in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual that we post throughout this campaign, and you will be able to vote on new content during the crowdfunding campaign.
Name an NPC: This premium Pledge Level offers special limited rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in one of the example settings included in the Storypath Ultra Core Manual.Â
Finally, we love retailers, but modern publishing methods don’t always make it easy for them to get books into their stores. With this Storypath Ultra Core Manual campaign, we have created a special Reward Tier just for you.
Retailer Reward Tier: Any retailer who pledges at the Retailer Pledge Level will get 5 copies of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual hardcover book (as well as the PDF versions) at a retail-specific discount so that they can sell in-store. You must have prior approval to back at this level. Otherwise your pledge will be adjusted in our post-campaign Pledge Manager. Please contact [email protected] to confirm your eligibility.
ACCESS TO DRAFTMANUSCRIPT UPDATES – During the course of the campaign, we will be sharing the current draft manuscript for the Storypath Ultra Core Manual. Backers will be able to review the manuscript and share feedback with the developers during the course of the campaign.
STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL PDF VERSION - The digital version of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Backers will receive redemption links 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.
STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical 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 Storypath Ultra Core Manual campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a physical, 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.
A collection of They Came From genre pieces made available under one cover. Chapters dedicated to Westerns, in the form of They Came from Cowboy’s Gulch!, and Noir, in the form of They Came from the Mean Streets! Going off the wall a little, costume dramas from the Regency to the Edwardian period, with They Came from Bridgton Rectory!, and transition from the screen to the stage with They Came from the Bard’s Quill! You’ll also find the much-demanded They Came from the Interstellar Starship!
The World Below
A game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire. The World Below provides. But you must dig. You must explore. You must map. You must build. You must defend. The World Below provides, but only to the worthy.Â
At The Gates
A high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game about burgeoning heroes struggling to survive, fighting for what’s right, exploring dangerous places, and saving the world. You play as heroes who have chosen to buck the status quo and try to change the course of things. Your characters may attempt to change the course of the war, delve into the secrets of daemons and the Void, fight against tyranny to protect what they love in the world, fight to restore balance to Gaia, or all the above. You stand at the gates, holding back the tide, changing the course of history.
And check out these games built with the Storypath system that planted the seeds for Storypath Ultra.
Storypath Seeds Jumpstart Bundle
A collection of 8 Jumpstart PDFs for quick introductions to Scion, several Trinity Continuum eras, and two They Came From lines)
Storypath Seeds Core Rulebook Bundle
Get the Core Rules for Scion Second Edition, Trinity Continuum, They Came from Beneath the Sea!, and They Came from Beyond the Grave!
While the primary focus is on funding the book and having backers vote for the two additional example settings, additional funding may allow us to celebrate with some fun milestone markers as Stretch Goals. The 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 image will be updated to reflect the achievement.
ACHIEVED - At $30,000 in Funding - COMMUNITY CONTENT PROGRAM - Onyx Path will expedite adding Storypath Ultra material to the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program.Â
ACHIEVED - At $35,000 in Funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER - Sensational SPU 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.
ACHIEVED - At $38,000 in Funding – STORYPATH ULTRA SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE – A Storypath Ultra-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.
ACHIEVED - At $40,000 in Funding – APPROVED LICENSING PROGRAM - Onyx Path will develop guidelines and a review process for approved publishers to create material using the Storypath Ultra system outside of the Storypath Nexus community content program.
ACHIEVED - At $45,000 in Funding – VTT TOKEN PACK - Digital assets will be created to support online play for Storypath Ultra games, including key character and creature tokens from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
ACHIEVED -At $52,000 in Funding – DISCORD DICE BOT - Onyx Path will work with an external developer to create and maintain a Discord Dice-Bot for Storypath Ultra.
International 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 August 2026)
DOMESTIC MEDIA MAIL (USA): $5 USD + $2-$10 USD per additional book/itemÂ
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.
*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.
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 Storypath Ultra PDF 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 Storypath Support 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 BackerKit 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/
