Final Days: How Many Chapters? Pledge Tier and Add On. Podcasts. Actual Plays. ENDING SOON!
over 1 year ago – Wed, Jun 21, 2023 at 08:29:24 AM

Hello Anthologists,

Today is the final full day of the campaign. We conclude the crowdfunding phase of this project tomorrow, June 22nd at 2:00 PM EDT, so I'm going to take this opportunity to cram as much info into this one update as I can before everything finishes up.

Here's what we're gonna cover today:

• Game Chapters in the Book (5+4+1+1?)
• Pledge Tiers and Add On Review
• Podcasts
• Actual Plays

There are a few subsections in that first bit, so let's get right to it...

How Many Chapters in this Book?

They Came From the RPG Anthology! started with five different genre chapters, which we've shared with backers during this campaign. You’ll find chapters here 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, we’ll also explore costume dramas from the Regency to the Edwardian period, with They Came from Bridgton Rectory!, and then 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!, as people haven’t stopped asking for it ever since They Came from Beneath the Sea! was released.

All of this along with a quick-play rules system and a bonus version of the Storypath Ultra system if you want to expand any of your games to longer campaign play. Backers can read the entire current draft manuscript <HERE>. Please make sure you read the manuscript before the campaign concludes so you know exactly what you're pledging to support.

Those five genres were just the start! During this campaign, we've had the opportunity to expand the book, adding FOUR MORE new genre chapters that will be written and developed during the next phases of this project. Taking inspiration from comment threads on this page and in Discord and message boards, the final version of They Came From the RPG Anthology! will also contain:

• They Came from the Billiard Room with the Candlestick! (The Mystery Genre - Benoit Blanc, Agatha Christie, Clue, etc. with thrilling new Archetypes such as the Butler and the Colonel and a mystery plot device system!)
• They Came from Beneath Capes and Cowls! (Superhero Genre - Four Color Heroes with a splash of camp, with Archetypes including the Mystery, the Savior, the Mutant, and the Mecha and, Quips designed to emulate Batman, Spider-Man and Superman of the 1960s)
• They Came from the Meticulously Planned Bank Job! (Heist and Gangster Media - Ocean's Eleven, Reservoir Dogs, Goodfellas, etc. with new rules for planning your caper and building your reputation in the criminal underworld, including Archetypes such as the Mafioso, the Professional, and the Hitman.)

as well as a fourth chapter which is currently being decided in our voting booth! 

VOTE NOW

Right now, only 11 votes separate first and third place in our poll, with those scurvy pirates taking the edge at this moment. But there's been so much back and forth in the past day, and we're so close, and another 150 backers (at least) haven't yet voted on choice. So plead your case in the comments, and make sure everyone you know votes for your favorite!

While voting on the expansion chapters has been our main focus of the campaign, we've also had a few fun Stretch Goals to celebrate a couple of milestones as we near the end. We've hit our second Stretch Goal and can now unveil our final Stretch Goal target.

ACHIEVED! - At $23,000 in Funding - RPG ANTHOLOGY REDBUBBLE T-SHIRT - Onyx Path will unveil a RPG Anthology! -themed Kickstarter Backer T-shirt hosted on their Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.

At $25,000 in Funding - ADDITIONAL GENRE - Let's add another genre to the They Came From the RPG Anthology! This one will be decided upon by the writer team behind the book so they get the opportunity to directly influence this final piece of content!

That's right! We've got 5 chapters in our draft manuscript, we've seen the results for another 3 chapters to be added and a final 4th chapter to be decided when the poll closes tomorrow. BUT! If we hit $25,000 in Funding before the campaign ends, the writers and developers will add a 10th genre chapter to this book!

This won't be determined by a backer vote, but will instead come from the writers as they put the pieces together. Will it be one of the previously suggested chapters that didn't quite get enough votes? Will it be something else suggested in the comments section that didn't make it to a poll? Or will it be something that is figured our during the writing and development process, a new genre that fits in as a missing piece, making the book even greater in it's range and diversity of topics and ideas?

Remember, this book is written to welcome cross-compatibility between these genre games and ideas, so there's already so much more you can build with the tools contained within. Perhaps the writers will figure a piece that makes many more ideas possible to play? We'll see - BUT ONLY IF WE HIT THAT FINAL STRETCH GOAL!

So please continue to spread the word in your social circles and on your social media! Let's continue to recruit new backers right up until the end, and see if we can't hit that final Stretch Goal target! And get them to VOTE when they join in!

ARM and a LEG OPTION

There's one more possibility that I hadn't discussed before: the Arm and a Leg option! This is ridiculous, but you never know who's showing up to back these projects some times. In the early days of this project, weeks ago, some backers were suggesting they'd think about paying "an arm and a leg" to get their preferred genre added to the book. While I don't think anyone is serious about losing limbs to get Dawkins' Creek into the book, we have come up with a sole pledge spot for anyone with lots of passion and a big wallet. 

The Diplomat pledge tier for the whopping pledge of $5,000! As a special reward, you will select one of the previously unchosen Genre options to be included in They Came from the RPG Anthology!

A little bit of ridiculousness to add to such a fun game and campaign!

Yeah, let's focus on getting more backers and hitting that Stretch Goal instead!!

PLEDGE TIER and ADD ON REVIEW

We've had a lot of new backers join in the past few days. Many were inspired by the fun of the Onyx Path Virtual Convention over the weekend, many were fired up by the 48 hour alert as we approach the conclusion. It's important to review your Pledge Tier and Add On selection to ensure you've backed in a way that works best for you.

Do They Come From Digital or Hardcover?

The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with a bonus PDF version).

• THE ARCHIVIST: 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.
• THE LIBRARIAN: 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 noted, shipping charges will be calculated later and charged in the BackerKit Pledge Manager. We'll have exact shipping costs once the book is in production and we know the specifications, but we do expect it to be expensive. See our estimates on the front pate. If you're an international backer, you can pledge at The Archivist tier and upgrade in the pledge manager to The Librarian tier once the shipping costs are known before we lockdown orders.

• THE AUDITOR: 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 chapters from They Came From the RPG Anthology! that we post throughout this campaign.
• THE IMPRESSIONIST / THE MUSE / THE PERFORMER / THE OBSERVER / THE DIPLOMAT: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a pet's name to be used by an NPC in the book, to provide photo references used for an interior illustration, to participate in an online game session run by the developer, or to get special access to the new chapters that'll be added to the book as they're being developed. Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.

ADD ON OPTIONS - the second step of the Pledge Tier process. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledge, including other They Came From setting and rulebooks (They Came from Camp Murder Lake!, Cyclops's Cave!, [CLASSIFIED]!, as well as big bundles for the games that launched the line Beneath the Sea! and Beyond the Grave!).

Check out the June 18 Update which covers Reward Tiers and Add Ons for more information.

TO LEARN MORE

PODCASTS

If you want to know more about this game, or you want to share these links to inspire others to join in, we've got the Onyx Pathcast, which has devoted three episodes to discussion about inspirations for the various genres, Interviews with authors, and review of the polls and talking about adding new genres tot the book.

• ONYX PATHCAST Ep 260 They Came from All Over the Place
• ONYX PATHCAST Ep 261 They Came from the Authors' Brains!
• ONYX PATHCAST Ep 262 They Came from the Polls!

ACTUAL PLAYS

I always say the best way to learn about a game is to see (or hear) it in action. These actual plays are based on three of the chapters from this book! There's so much material here!

They Came from the Mean Streets! Actual Play:

• Red Moon Roleplaying - Murder Served Hot 01
• Red Moon Roleplaying - Murder Served Hot 02
• Red Moon Roleplaying - Murder Served Hot 03

They Came from Bridgton Rectory! Actual Play:

• Red Moon Roleplaying - Chechov's Two Sisters (and One Brother) 01
• Red Moon Roleplaying - Chechov's Two Sisters (and One Brother) 02

They Came from Cowboy's Gulch! Actual Plays:

• Gunsmoke and Goldrushes
• The Old West Podcast - The Old West Ways

Not Much More Time

We're about to wrap it all up!

As much fun as it's been suggesting new games and voting on new chapters and listening to the actual plays and reading the manuscript, we do have to bring this campaign to a conclusion. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, so we'll get the five existing chapters plus the three (soon to be four) that we've voted for. But with one final possible Stretch Goal almost within grasp, I know we could add one more chapter to this book! I know this last funding target may seem really daunting and unlikely, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! We're SO CLOSE to hitting a 10th genre game chapter and I'm hopeful we'll unlock that before the end, but we'll have to recruit new backers over this final day to make it happen.

So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in VOTE for their choice in the Round 4 poll.

And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybe unlocking that final genre chapter!

Remember, only the funds generated during the Kickstarter campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!

THIS CAMPAIGN ENDS AT 2:00 PM EDT on THURSDAY, JUNE  22nd, 2023!

#TheyCameFrom

BACKERS ONLY - Draft Manuscript Preview #5
over 1 year ago – Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 05:06:35 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

VOTE FOR MORE CONTENT - FINAL ROUND
over 1 year ago – Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 05:25:45 AM

Hello Anthologists,

Our final week, our final opportunity to vote on one more new genre to add to the book. We've had a ton of close races of the past four weeks, and I'm sure this poll will see another tight race.

In addition to the five genres already present in the manuscript (and mostly available to read for backers, with the final chapter coming tomorrow), we've voted on three new chapters for the writers to work on:

From Round 1, they'll be adding They Came from the Billiard Room with the Candlestick! (The Mystery Genre - Benoit Blanc, Agatha Christie, Clue, etc. with thrilling new Archetypes such as the Butler and the Colonel and a mystery plot device system!)

From Round 2, they'll be adding They Came from Beneath Capes and Cowls! (Superhero Genre - Four Color Heroes with a splash of camp, with Archetypes including the Mystery, the Savior, the Mutant, and the Mecha and, Quips designed to emulate Batman, Spider-Man and Superman of the 1960s)

From Round 3, they'll be adding They Came from the Meticulously Planned Bank Job! (Heist and Gangster Media - Ocean's Eleven, Reservoir Dogs, Goodfellas, etc. with new rules for planning your caper and building your reputation in the criminal underworld, including Archetypes such as the Mafioso, the Professional, and the Hitman.)

And now, for the final round, a second chance for all of our other options. 

1. They Came from the High-Octane Apocalypse! (Post-apocalypse movies and video games, often taking place along long stretches of highway - Mad Max, Fallout, The Road, etc. with Archetypes such as the Loner and the Leatherdaddy and explosive Cinematic effects!)
2. They Came from Dawkins Creek! (The '90s early '00s teen drama genre - Dawson's Creek, The O.C., Sweet Valley High, etc. with new Archetypes including the Lovesick and the Wunderkind, and Cinematics designed for playing Coldplay at appropriate moments!)

• They Came from the Steel Dragon Fighting Tournament! (Fighting Games and Martial Arts movies- Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, Virtua Fighter, Enter the Dragon, etc. with Archetypes including the Black Belt, the Street Fighter, and the Pugilist, and expanded Tropes and Stunts to allow you to customize your fighters with special moves)
• They Came from Neo Tokyo! (1990s Anime Genre - Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, lots of shouting protagonists, etc. with a system for mech battles and Archetypes including the Android, the Street Racer, and the Neo Ninja!)
• They Came from Avast Behind! (Adventure Movies and TV, especially focusing on pirates - Treasure Island, Our Flag Means Death, Three Musketeers, Mutiny on the Bounty, etc., with a flurry of exciting new Archetypes and Quips based on an adventurous life, including the Captain, the Swashbuckler, and the Scurvy Dog.)
• They Came from the Code of Bushido! (Samurai Movie Genre - everything Kurosawa, 13 Assassins, Zatoichi, etc. with a system for duels, mass battles and declarative Quips, including Archetypes such as the Sword Master, the Old Hand, the Divine Avenger, and the Stoic Monk.)

 VOTE NOW

One final round of voting, one final chance for these options, one final week for this campaign. 

The poll and the campaign will both end on Thursday at 2:00 EDT, so let's see if we can recruit some new backers and get more votes than ever for this final poll. I really have no sense of what may come out on top on this one, but it's gonna be great no matter what!

 VOTE NOW

#TheyCameFrom

FINAL DAYS - Reward Tiers & Add Ons
over 1 year ago – Sun, Jun 18, 2023 at 07:01:02 AM

Hello Anthologists,

I'm full of cold meds, so forgive any extra rambling and spelling mistakes on this post. Despite the aches and pains and congestion, I'm still happy to be celebrating a quick milestone! We've unlocked a Stretch Goal!

ACHIEVED! - At $21,000 in Funding - RPG ANTHOLOGY DIGITAL WALLPAPER - Dress up your computer monitor with some fantastic fantasy artwork from They Came from the RPG Anthology!  This reward will be added to the rewards list of all backers.

As we've talked about previously, this campaign is mostly about expanding the RPG Anthology core rulebook, but it's nice to have these fun little Stretch Goals unlocked along the way. Let's see if we can get one more before the end!

At $23,000 in Funding - RPG ANTHOLOGY REDBUBBLE T-SHIRT - Onyx Path will unveil a RPG Anthology! -themed Kickstarter Backer T-shirt hosted on their Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.

We're in the final days countdown for this Kickstarter campaign! They Came From the RPG Anthology! is finished on Kickstarter on Thursday June 22nd at 2:00 PM EDT - there's still time to find some new actors to find their way onto our set, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these next 4 days to make sure that everyone has all of the information they need to support the project in the way that works best for them.

Final Days Schedule

• June 18 - Reward Tiers & Add Ons (That's Today!)
• June 19 - Round 4 New Genre Poll!
• June 20 - The final Backers-only Manuscript Post, They Came from the Bard's Quill!
• June 21 - All the Info: Podcasts, Actual Plays, Interviews in one place
• June 22 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next

Whether you're a newcomer to these campaigns or a seasoned veteran with years of experience, these are all good items to review to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

BACKER REWARD TIERS

Like it says right at the top of the campaign page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover book for this game, the most diverse core rulebook for the They Came From game line.

They Came From the RPG Anthology! is a collection of They Came From genre pieces made available under one cover. Some of the genres featured were pre-selected by the developer, others will be voted in by backers of this Kickstarter campaign. These individual chapters cover types of movies, TV shows, games, and more that have yet gone untouched in the They Came From tabletop RPG library.

PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT

To borrow an analogy that I've used in past Kickstarter campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.

Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.

Your Adventure: Digital or Hardcover?

The main rewards offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the They Came From the RPG Anthology! book. The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with a bonus PDF version).

While the book is covering a ton of different genres with mix-and-match capabilities built in to provide a ton of variety, we've kept picking the right pledge option as simple as possible. To support this project, pick one of these pledge path tiers.

• THE ARCHIVIST: 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.
• THE LIBRARIAN: 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.

In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:

• THE AUDITOR: 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 chapters from They Came From the RPG Anthology! that we post throughout this campaign.
• THE IMPRESSIONIST / THE MUSE / THE PERFORMER / THE OBSERVER: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a pet's name to be used by an NPC in the book, to provide photo references used for an interior illustration, to participate in an online game session run by the developer, or to get special access to the new chapters that'll be added to the book as they're being developed. Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.

Availability of these premium tiers is limited and may be all claimed. If there's one you're really looking for, check carefully over these final days, as many backers will begin settling into their final pledges and you'll see them pop in and out of availability.

PLEDGE MANAGER ACCESS - After the campaign is over we'll launch BackerKit, our post-campaign 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. Funding collected in BackerKit after the campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.

An important reminder at this stage:

• International Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the front page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.

You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this kickstarter campaign!

ACCESS TO DRAFT MANUSCRIPT UPDATES – During the course of the campaign, we will be posting the current draft manuscript for They Came From the RPG Anthology! These previews will be shared via Backer-Only updates. You must be a backer of this project to receive these updates.

OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this They Came From the RPG Anthology! 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 may be 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.

THEY CAME FROM THE RPG ANTHOLOGY! PDF VERSION - The digital version of They Came From the RPG Anthology!, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Kickstarter backers will receive a redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Advance 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.

THEY CAME FROM THE RPG ANTHOLOGY! 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.

Choosing Your Reward Tier

There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have seen the game in play and worked through the draft manuscript. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.

This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Additional optional extras can be added to your pledge, rounding our your rewards and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal. 

First Step: Reward Tier

To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this kickstarter is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.

Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.

Step Two: Add-Ons.

Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible rewards you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.

Each Add On includes an extra amount to add on to your total pledge amount.

The Add On option menu appears in the second part of your pledge confirmation. When you decided to back the They Came From the RPG Anthology! campaign, you first choose a Pledge Reward Tier. Once you've selected that, you can configure your reward with additional options.

• They Came From the RPG Anthology! PDF - Add an extra digital redemption for the They Came From the RPG Anthology!  PDF to your rewards list (includes the discounted PoD option as well).
• They Came From the RPG Anthology! Hardcover Book - Add an extra copy of the hardcover book to your rewards shipment.
• They Came from Camp Murder Lake! PDF - They Came from Camp Murder Lake! is a sourcebook for Players and Directors wanting to embrace the thrills and horrors of the 1970s and 1980s slasher movie genre, when arguably, it was at its peak.
• They Came From Tasty Bit Compilation PDF - Contains 8 new settings and options for Beneath the Sea!, Beyond the Grave!, Camp Murder Lake!, or any They Came From game.
• They Came From the Cyclops's Cave! PDF - From an epic like The Thief of Bagdad or grim fantasy such as The Sword and the Sorcerer, Cyclops’s Cave! has everything you need for swashbuckling, noble heroism, and monster slaying.
• They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! PDF - Whether you’re a Moore-era Bond fan, an aficionado of John Steed and Emma Peel’s adventures, or an Austin Powers-esque swinging cat, [CLASSIFIED]! has everything you need for a groovy, espionage-filled story.
• They Came from Beneath the Sea! Digital Bundle - 6 PDF titles, including the main rulebook for They Came from Beneath the Sea!
• They Came from Beyond the Grave! Digital Bundle - 7 PDF titles, including the main rulebook for They Came from Beyond the Grave!

You can add or update your Add On choices right up until the campaign ends on August 18th at 2:00 EDT. If you've already pledged, you just have to hit the Manage Your Pledge button on the top of the campaign main page.

Once you've decided to Pledge to the campaign, or to Manage your Pledge if you've already backed, you either Confirm or Change Your Pledge on the first menu.

Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options

Once I select my pledge, I'm given the opportunity to click a green "Pledge" confirmation button. Once confirmed, I am taken to the second part of the Pledge process, where I can further Configure my reward. There are many optional Add Ons, not just those visible at the top of the page. It pays to scroll down.

Once you've selected your Pledge, and then picked any Add On options, you press continue and review one final time before confirming your pledge.

Using myself as an example, I've pledged to the hardcover book tier, the Librarian. During the Add On option review, I decided to add the Tasty Bit compilation PDF, since that's the only release I was missing, and it's full of fun stuff!

Once I click Confirm, my reward tier and add ons are set for my pledge. Note that I've included my shipping destination, but no international shipping charges have been calculated. Those will be handled and charged in BackerKit when the books are preparing to ship.

You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.

Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. It's important to note that any Stretch Goal achievements are part of the Kickstarter backing experience, and backers who wait and Pre-Order at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list. The Stretch Goal rewards will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this Kickstarter campaign.

Don't fret if you had forgotten to select an Add On by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.

Step 1: Pledge Tier

Step 2: Add On Options

Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you will be presented with digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be presented with the additional option to add an extra copy of the hardcover.  

Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, although Kickstarter displays the approximate conversion rate.

It Adds Up!

That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Tier and Add On options and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.

Additionally, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. Kickstarter will begin charging your payment method once the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly.

Conclusion

As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Tier for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or Adding On optional rewards, try a different browser or device. Kickstarter is always refining their processes, but sometimes things are a little sticky. Changing browsers often solves the issue.

On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.

So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to finish this amazing adventure, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!

And I'll be back Tuesday with the FINAL manuscript section for They Came from the Bard's Quill!, making the current draft text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!

But before that, we'll have our final additional chapter poll coming tomorrow morning! See you then!

And don't forget to check out the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention in it's final day!

#TheyCameFrom

Preview & Reminder: You'd be a Fool to miss the Onyx Path Virtual Con!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jun 16, 2023 at 08:34:47 AM

Hello Anthologists,

As we head into our final weekend of the campaign, I've got a quick update for you today. First up, a reminder about the excitement starting later today...

ONYX PATH VIRTUAL GAMING CONVENTION STARTS TODAY!

Join in at 5pm EDT for the Opening Ceremonies of Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention 2023! As always, they’re trying to raise money for the Bodhana Group, a nonprofit that advocates the use of tabletop games in therapy. Use command !bodhana or !donate in chat.

All the panels will be on the Onyx Path Twitch channel (all times listed are EDT):

Check out the Onyx Path website <here> for more information and actual play schedules. If you’re on the Onyx Path Discord, the Events tab at the top of the channel listing has all the events listed in your native time zone, so just mark off which ones you’re interested in, and Discord will alert you when they go live.

Preview: THE FOOL

They Came from the Bard's Quill!

Greetings ye Lords, Ladies, travelers from distant lands and blessed friends whose homes lie close at hand!

Sinister plots, love, power, revenge, heroes, villains, breaking the fourth wall and a heady dose of tragicomic. While one may suspect we are describing the works of William Shakespeare alone with such prose, we are also describing all games of They Came From!

Do you wish to play out a tragic romance, like Romeo and Juliet? A one-shot, fantasy game full of comic tropes and quips, such as Midsummer Night’s Dream? A deep and dark political thriller such as Julius Caesar? A combat heavy game of battles and war like Henry V? The Bard’s Quill can capture all these and more within a swish of its inked tip.

Familiarity with the works of Shakespeare will serve prospective Playwrights well here, for They Came from the Bard’s Quill!is more of a mode of play than evocative of a particular setting or genre. For that reason, what you will find here is everything a Playwright needs to pen your own 16th century masterpieces.

No aspiring Playwright need limit themselves to the ancient or even the human. Look for inspiration in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 retelling of Romeo and Juliet where Sword was a make of pistol and the horses had wheels instead of hooves. Perhaps even look to Disney’s The Lion King, an animalistic interpretation of Hamlet. For those who love the blast and thunder of ‘80s and ‘90s action movies, look to the comic trailer from Last Action Hero which features a cigar chomping Arnold Schwarzenegger affrighting the air of Denmark!

The Fool

Bumbling, humorous, yet kind-hearted and surprisingly competent, the Fool is the butt of every joke and never short of a jape themselves. Their cutting remarks and witty repartee can leave even the most erudite and educated foes tongue-twisted and looking twice the fool of the one they sought to embarrass. To go against the Fool is to play chess with a pigeon. It simply kicks down the pieces, befouls the board and struts around acting like it won. The problem is, in the case of the Fool, everyone tends to laugh along and agree.

When thinking of the Fool, the irrepressible Sir Jack Falstaff is the first name that springs to mind from the Bard’s works. A man of some small nobility who tricked, conned, and joked his way to a knighthood by carefully cultivating a friendship with a royal prince. Though plump Jack finds himself banished his Harry’s company by the close of Henry IV, this need not be the fate of the Fool in your production. Players who like to laugh long and don’t mind being laughed at are the prime choices for the Fool and should be encouraged to make as big a jackanape of themselves as they can.

Many a Fool can be found in officialdom as the court jesters of a friendly Authority, or even as a Keyser Soze-esque villain!

Appearance

Chaos is the world a Fool lives in and it’s reflected through their outer appearance. However, while it may seem to mark them as little more than a half-mad drunkard, there is a strange form of artistry to a Fool’s appearance. They should be colorful and larger than life characters with quick and easy smiles.

Hold nothing back when making a Fool. Anything from hats and boots covered in jingling bells and garish, harlequin-style coloring to tunics made entirely of leaves, stitched together with golden twine or even fancy dress. The Fool should stand out and make it clear to the watching audience, this is not a character to take your eye off, as they may surprise you.

Origins and Ambitions

The Fool delights in bringing humor to a group and is deceptively worldly or competent, equipped with wit or even bizarre fighting ability as they stagger drunkenly around blows. Example Origins include the Court Jester (Athletics, Enigmas, Larceny, Persuasion), who has either lucked into or otherwise earned a position of influence as a comedy sidekick to an Authority and perform for the amusement of their masters; the Tragic Clown(Culture, Empathy, Enigmas, Larceny), who was on course for something better until their vices or simple fate got in the way; and the Drunken Boxer (Athletics, Close Combat, Integrity, Medicine) who staggers from tavern to tavern winning bare knuckle matches despite being completely out of their minds on booze.

One might think the Fool lacks ambition, on the contrary, they are more driven than anyone when opportunity presents itself; opportunity for redemption or to show those who feed into their clownish persona they are more than they appear. This can make the Fool’s arc extremely powerful as they can evolve as a narrative unfolds, or simply accept who they are, coming to peace with themselves and the world around them. This is represented through such Ambition examples as Path to Redemption (Empathy, Integrity, Persuasion, Survival); Fight for Acceptance (Aim, Close Combat, Enigmas, Survival); and The World’s A Stage (Athletics, Culture, Empathy, Humanities).

The Fool, either through rejecting their persona or embracing it, may play out the role of a diamond in the rough, whose big heart conquers their selfish desires and their vices and leads them to play a key role in the victories of the protagonists, even though they may initially question why they brought the Fool with them. Their qualities are revealed over the course of a session and their bumbling ways become endearing to those who know them best.

Skills

Fools play heavily on the idea of impressing those around them, and so have Persuasion as a key Skill. Athletics may be useful for those who like to use feats of acrobatics or strength in their motley. Empathy allows the Fool to see the humor needed to uplift their comrades or outwit a foe. Many fools have lived a life on the wrong side of the law and learned a little Larceny can go a long way.

Tropes

Fool’s Take: With theatrical overtones, the Fool may hurl themselves to the ground, into the path of a passing character or directly into someone. While this may startle, annoy or amuse those who witness it, the Fool never comes away empty handed. Following dusting themselves off and being helped back to their feet, the Fool with this Trope may reveal that they have purloined one key item previously held by their target.

Free Meal at Any Door: Your unique charm may cause people to roll their eyes, but it also warms their hearts and you evoke a deep pity within those you encounter. Once per session, you can receive help from a character within the scene who is otherwise neutral to you. This could take the form of free food or drink, letting slip a key piece of information, even handing you a weapon or item they would have otherwise kept hidden from your searching friends. This can also be used to cause a hostile character or group of characters to dismiss you as no threat and walk away instead of attacking.

Mercutio’s Taunts: Quite the opposite of the above, your tongue is sharper than any blade and can be used to goad people into fighting, with your antics able to start a fight in an empty room. Once per session, you can taunt characters in the scene, on your own or on behalf of another, causing them to either attack you immediately, or begin fighting among themselves, allowing you to choose a side or slip quietly away. Bear in mind, if you make yourself the target, the enemies target you personally, only targeting other protagonists if they intervene. This can also be used to redirect attacks to the Fool and can be used outside of their turn in combat to save an imperiled friend.

The Gift of Laughter: Humor is a gift the Fool gives freely, but it’s also a weapon if used wisely. Once per session, you may utilize your gift for rib-tickling wit to either remove all debilitating social Status Effects or Conditions affecting friendly characters who can hear you or paralyze foes with bemusement and hilarity for a single round. While immobilized in this way, foes are blind and deaf to all else but the gales of laughter, allowing you and your allies to move freely.

The Killing Joke: Either through rage at your mockery, or laughter at your tomfoolery, you excel at getting enemies to harm themselves. Once per combat, you can roll Empathy or Persuasion + Presence or Manipulation as a combat roll with the Brutal tag, with excess hits each convertible to additional damage, as the victim runs into sharp objects or simply seizes up with laughter and collapses on their own swords.

Sample Fool Quips

• Why I was set upon by some two… four… fifty men!
• Thy dagger be like thyself, a small prick wielded by an ass.
• Hush now, lay thy head upon my gentle fist.
• A jester I may be, making me a fine judge of a poor joke, which thou art.
• A nightmare is but a horse to ride till morning.

Example Theatrics

Each of these can be activated at will at the cost of Rewrites from the Writer’s Pool. The cost associated is included with each.

Amateur Production

• Cost: 3 Rewrites

“Tis done! The scene of a life will quickly close! Ambition’s vain, delusive dreams are fled! And now I wake to darkness, guilt, and horror! I cannot bear it, let me shake it off! It will not be, my soul is clogged with blood, And cannot rise, a’ dare not ask for mercy, Hell drags me down! I sink! I sink! O my soul’s lost… forever!”

Not everyone who climbs upon the stage can be of the caliber required to deliver the sort of performance the Bard’s masterworks require. For example, the monologue above was added to Macbeth by a later actor as part of his death scene. He cut a rather comedic figure as he dramatically sank to the ground, appearing to have died before spasmodically bursting forth with yet another line.

When activating this Theatric, the player replaces the surrounding cast with rank amateurs, causing them to blurt out otherwise hidden pieces of information with little or no prompting, die dramatically and theatrically after taking only superficial damage (equivalent to 1 level of Health) or generally trip over themselves and run into each other while trying to give a convincing chase.

Give ‘em the Hook!

• Cost: 3 Rewrites

“Bait the hook well. This fish will bite.”

When confronted by a large group of villainous extras, it may be wise to try to even the odds. It was a well-established practice in the old days of theater to keep a long crooked staff to pull an actor from the stage who had overstayed their welcome, or otherwise was stinking the place out and causing the audience to descend into uproar.

With this Theatric, players can turn the hook to their advantage. Roll a ten-sided die for each enemy present in the scene and, upon the rolling of a success, the enemy is yanked unceremoniously from the scene. If one of those enemies is the main villain, perhaps this causes them to reappear later without henchpersons to back them up. However, if it’s the final act, the villain can be considered to have been killed. The players can describe the grand battle that should have taken place if the actor cast as the evil Lord Frou-Frou hadn’t proven to be such an absolute clod.

Line!

• Cost: 1 Rewrite

“Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across, Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face, Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i’th’ throat As deep as to the lungs? Who does me this, Ha? ‘Swounds, I should take it. For it cannot be But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall To make oppression bitter, or ere this I should ha’ fatted all the region kites With this slave’s offal – bloody, bawdy villain, Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous kindless villain. O, vengeance! ……….Line, please! Why, what an ass am I.”

Sometimes an actor just needs a helping hand when looking for the right thing to say. Even the greats of stage and screen have been known to call for a line while working. Sometimes even other members of the cast can pitch in and give assistance, or even try to ad-lib into giving them their next line.

When at a loss for words, a player can activate this Theatric to immediately call for a line from the Playwright or the other players. When the line has been agreed upon, it adds a +2 Enhancement to whatever the character next attempts in connection to their declaration, as they’re buoyed by confidence and reassured they’re on the correct path.

If a Quip is used as the line in a way all at the table agree is completely called for, this Theatric has no cost.

Like Bridgton Rectory! earlier, we've got another chapter that features a rarely explored inspiration for tabletop roleplaying games. Lots of fun stuff coming our way on Tuesday, when the full draft chapter drops for backers.

As we head into our final weekend, I'll be back on Sunday with the first of our final days posts. We're going to review the pledge tiers and Add On options for this campaign to ensure that everyone is supporting in a way that works best for them. And then we'll launch our final additional chapter poll on Monday.

So please continue to spread the word in your social circle and on your social media. I think it's clear that the team are trying to do something a bit different with this game, and provide a ton of tools and tropes to play in your favorite stories! 

And be sure to check out the Onyx Path Virtual convention, which begins tonight and runs through the weekend!

#TheyCameFrom