project-image

Storypath Ultra Core Manual

Created by Onyx Path- Storypath Ultra Core Manual

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.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
about 2 months ago – Wed, Sep 25, 2024 at 07:53:06 AM

Hello Ultra-Backers,

We're not quite in the final 24 hours, but getting very close! With these last hours, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation! Let's get reviewin'!


We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Storypath Ultra Core Manual finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, September 26th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to get others to join us on this path, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over this final day to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.


Final Days Schedule



Whether you've chosen three Paths and selected all of your Edges or are just assinging your first dot, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  podcast and panels, and other helpful information.)




Refresher Course

Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like how we're not including shipping charges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.

Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! And it's fun to listen to those podcasts and interviews.

We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).

MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done, plus two new example settings that will be added to the final version. But, you can consider it most of the way there and a good representation of what you'll get in the final book. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!

PLEDGE TIERS - This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.

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 bonus PDF version).

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.

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.


ADD-ON OPTIONS -  The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including pre-ordering three of the Onyx Path games that use the SPU rules and two bundles of products that use the original Storypath system that planted the seeds for SPU.

Choose Wisely

Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.

Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS only - Any Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.

Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists. If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Storypath Support tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.

Tomorrow I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.

But until then, let's review our Stretch Goal success story!


Over the past 23 days as we've worked through this campaign we've not only funded the book but also unlocked SIX Stretch Goal targets! That's right - we've unlocked all of the Stretch Goals that had been planned for this campaign! 

Our Stretch Goals have been a mix of regular "milestone markers" that helped keep our pace and allowed me to plan out the rest of our campaign, as well as some new Onyx Path SPU license prioritizing and procedures, and an online game aid. Let's review and see what we've accomlished by coming together to Crowdfund this project!

MILESTONE MARKERS

Monitoring our pace during the mid-campaign, these milestone markers are great celebratory moments allowing us to keep our focus, and fun rewards going out to all who supported this project during the Crowdfunding campaign.


ACHIEVED - 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 – 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  –  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.

CREATE YOUR OWN CONTENT

In addition, we had two Stretch Goals that helped Onyx Path prioritize and plan for your ability to use the Storypath Ultra system in your own creations. The book itself is a toolbox designed to facilitate you creating your own homegames, but with these two goals new options are set up to share your work with the world.

First up, Onyx Path has had the STORYPATH NEXUS community content program running for a while, allowing creators to build and sell material for games like Trinity Continuum and Scion within some limits. Adding new material and opening new books has taken some time, though, as Onyx Path builds resources for creators and carefully outlines which material is available to use. Our first Stretch Goal in this section bumped the SPU Core Manual to the head of the line, though, and let Onyx Path know there was indeed a great eagerness to get some SPU material out into the Storypath Nexus for creators and fans!


ACHIEVED - COMMUNITY CONTENT PROGRAM - Onyx Path will expedite adding Storypath Ultra material to the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program.

For the next Stretch Goal in this section, Onyx Path will come up with policies and procedures to handle bigger projects that may sit outside of the scope of the Storypath Nexus program. If you've got a big game that you want to create using the SPU system, Onyx Path will develop a way to officially license the SPU material for approved partners.


ACHIEVED – 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.

All of these are now works in progress, and I don't know more than what has been written here, but I look forward to see where the Onyx Path team take these new paths...

ONLINE GAME TOOLS

This final Stretch Goal was just introduced within the past week, and I thought might be down to the wire. But our Final 48 Hour notice rallied the fans, and we've unlocked it with time to spare! If you're like me, about 99% of your gaming involves Discord over the past few years, so any tools designed to make it easier are very welcome in my world!


ACHIEVED – DISCORD DICE BOT - Onyx Path will work with an external developer to create and maintain a Discord Dice-Bot for Storypath Ultra.



YOUR REWARDS!

That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish the Storypath Ultra Core Manual! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have a digital wallpaper, some online tokens, and an opportunity to add to your wardrobe, plus you'll get to see the new material that comes from the community!

An Ultra Achievement

This campaign has exceeded expectations, and we've unlocked all Stretch Goals with more than 24 hours to spare! Now, some may consider coasting in to the conclusion of the campaign tomorrow, but we've still got one major task ahead of us!



VOTE FOR OUR THIRD EXAMPLE SETTING

In total, the SPU Core Manual will contain three example settings and games to demonstrate how you can build your own game with the systems provided. The first of the included example settings, Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell, has now been shared in it's entirety with backers.

It 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 as a backer you'll be able to vote on which ones you prefer.

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 the final poll, you'll be voting on a Fantasy setting example. Your options:


  1. A cozy fantasy game where explorers look for ingredients to help heal their sick dragon friend.

  2. 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.

  3. A group of young heroes are blessed with magical armor and weapons in order to defeat an evil sorcerer queen seeking to destroy their land.


>>> CLICK TO VOTE ON THE FANTASY SETTING HERE <<<

Voting will run until the Crowdfunding campaign ends on September 26th. You must be a backer of this project to vote for this setting.

Our current results, with just over 27 hours to go...


Option 2 is still holding it's lead, but it has slightly diminished by fractions of a percent! And we've still got about 600 Backers who haven't voted yet!

Make sure your vote is counted before the end! Even if you decide by rolling a die! Let's see if we can't get to 700 votes before the end of the campaign!

STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, September 26th at 2:00 PM EDT. 

We will finish up as soon as our backer train ends after that point! So let's see if we can't hit 700 votes and then keep that train running for an extra 10 or 20 minutes!!

Don't forget to Vote!!

#SPU

VOTE for the FANTASY EXAMPLE SETTING/GAME
about 2 months ago – Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 10:43:00 AM

Hello Ultra-Backers,

As one of the perks of backing, you get a say in some of the contents of the final version of the Storypath Ultra Core Manual.

The first way, of course, is by sharing your feedback on the manuscript directly with the writers and developers via the SPU Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/1fGuU881zBHPsktz7. If you've noticed an exploit that hasn't yet registered or a wording issue with a Building Block, make sure you submit your feedback to the team.



But, even more directly, you have the power to vote on one of the example settings that will be included in the final version of this book.

In total, the SPU Core Manual will contain three example settings and games to demonstrate how you can build your own game with the systems provided. The first of the included example settings, Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell, has now been shared in it's entirety with backers.

It 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 as a backer you'll be able to vote on which ones you prefer.

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 the final poll, you'll be voting on a Fantasy setting example. Your options:


  1. A cozy fantasy game where explorers look for ingredients to help heal their sick dragon friend.

  2. 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.

  3. A group of young heroes are blessed with magical armor and weapons in order to defeat an evil sorcerer queen seeking to destroy their land.


>>> CLICK TO VOTE ON THE FANTASY SETTING HERE <<<

Voting will run until the Crowdfunding campaign ends on September 26th. You must be a backer of this project to vote for this setting.

Our current results, with just over 48 hours to go...



Right now, it looks like Option 2 is in the lead, with 46% of the vote. BUT that's with only 483 backers having voted thus far. With 48 hours remaining, there are almost 600 backers who haven't voted!

600 Backers who haven't voted!!


At this time, that's all fine if you're not interested in options 1 or 3, but if those starting points sound intriguing to you, make sure you've spent 20 seconds on the poll page and made your vote count!

And votes may change, so even if your choice is winning right now, we'll see where we are in 48 hours!

We've got the setting example in Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell to give us an example of how these mini games will come together in the book, so let's give the writing team a direction to point in when they create the third setting.


The poll will run until the campaign ends, in roughly 48 hours. We've scheduled the campaign to conclude on September 26th at 2:00 pm EDT, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. 

And everyone who pledges is entitled to a vote on this example chapter, so let's see how we shake out at the conclusion!

#SPUBackerVote


Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell - Manuscript Preview #6
2 months ago – Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 07:15:47 AM

Hello Ultra-Backers,

At last we come to the final manuscript preview. With this update, the entire current draft manuscript is available for Backers to download and read, before any pledges are processed or any payments collected.

We've actually had the bulk of the rules and systems from Storypath Ultra for a bit now, and with today's chapter we're going to see what it could look like when you use all of the building material from SPU to assemble your own game.

The final version of the Core Manual will present three different settings that use Storypath Ultra as a system. They won’t spell out absolutely everything, but each of them will be a complete game to run for your players. We'll just leave some room for you to adjust and expand on them to suit your own taste.




The first example, presented in today's download, is Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell, which showcases alternative history, supernatural player characters, and a way to add more granularity to combat. Unlike the other chapters, this one also contains a variety of “Under the Mask” sidebars, explaining some of the design decisions of this setting to better illustrate how to create your own Storypath game.

Two additional game examples will be added to the final book, one flavored with a science fiction theme and the other with fantasy trappings. 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 the final poll, you'll be voting on a Fantasy setting example. Your options:

  1. A cozy fantasy game where explorers look for ingredients to help heal their sick dragon friend.
  2. 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.
  3. A group of young heroes are blessed with magical armor and weapons in order to defeat an evil sorcerer queen seeking to destroy their land.

>>> CLICK TO VOTE ON THE FANTASY SETTING HERE <<<

Voting will run until the Crowdfunding campaign ends on September 26th. You must be a backer of this project to vote for this setting.


WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

I've now shared the complete draft manuscript over this campaign. Along the way, the team has gathered feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!

Here's the link to the SPU Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/1fGuU881zBHPsktz7



International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager

One last note about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.

First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.

The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. 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. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.



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" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the SPU logo.

Final Days Review: Pledge Tiers and Add On Options
2 months ago – Sun, Sep 22, 2024 at 07:46:54 AM

Hello Ultra-Baclers,

I've got a lot to go over today, but before we get into it, let's celebrate! Because we've passed 1,000 Backers for this project!

Funding the project is the success we strive for with these Crowdfunding campaigns, but internally there's always a secondary dream of hitting 1,000 backers. It's a pretty great milestone, and it means that there's a lot of interest and support for the work the team has been doing in building this system and how it plays.

So, pats on the back to more than a thousand supporters who have come together to bring this Core Manual into existence!

Cheers!

We've got one final Stretch Goal still looming in the distance! Now that we're a thousand strong, can we recruit enough support so that we can all share in this reward? We'll find out over these next few days!


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.

We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Storypath Ultra Core Manual finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, September 26th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to Inspire others to assemble this toolbox, 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 final five days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.


Final Days Schedule


  • Sept 21 - Manuscript Preview #5 - Quick Conversion Appendix
  • Sept 22 - Reward Tier & Add On Review (that's today!)
  • Sept 23 - Manuscript Preview # 6 - Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell
  • Sept 25 - Stretch Goal Review
  • Sept 26 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next

Whether you've chosen three Paths and selected all of your Edges or are just assinging your first dot, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  podcast and panels, and other helpful information.)




PLEDGE REWARD TIERS

Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover versions for Onyx Path's Storypath Ultra Core Manual. Many of you have already explored the games built using this system or have some familiarity with the early Storypath system, but you want to be able to take the basic system and building blocks and use those to power your own game at home! This book is a box full of tools and material for you to assemble the game in your imagination.

PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT

To borrow an analogy that I've used in past 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.

Hardcover Book or PDF Version

The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book that is the Storypath Ultra Core Manual. The first decision you need to make is what form your rewards will take. Do you want your main rewards in digital form and are going for the PDF rulebook? Or do you have space on your shelf for the hardcover book? (Note - both hardcover versions include the PDF as a bonus!).

With that decision in mind, we've got two key reward tiers to choose from:



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.

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.

An important reminders at this stage:

  • 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 story page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.

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. 

That premium reward tier has limited slots, but we're not quite at the end, so there's still some room right now if you'd love to get your name set in the background of our Fantasy example game. Things usually tighten up as we get into the final days and hours and budgets are calculated and pledges locked down, so act quickly if you're thinking about a premium reward tier.


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 orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.


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 crowdfunding campaign!

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 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.

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.



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 read the manuscript previews. 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. Funds for additional extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options 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 crowdfunding campaign 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-On Options

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.

You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.


In addition to additional redemptions/copies of the SPU Core Manual, Onyx Path is also offering items from the three recently completed crowdfunding campaign for games that use Storypath Ultra. 

The World Below is 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 has many facets, from exotic settlements to abandoned temples and dungeons inhabited with monstrous predators and glittering wonders. Caverns ripped from alien worlds and portals to bizarre dimensions are hidden just behind a wall, down a pit, or buried within a lost city. New magics, technologies, treasures, and secrets await discovery. 

  • The World Below PDF Version - Add a copy of The World Below PDF to your rewards list. Currently projected to be available before March 2025. You will receive the draft manuscript and an optional discount link for the Print-on-Demand version once available.

At The Gates is 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.

  • At The Gates PDF Version - Add a copy of The World Below PDF to your rewards list. Currently projected to be available in August 2025. You will receive the draft manuscript and an optional discount link for the Print-on-Demand version once available.

They Came From the RPG Anthology! is a collection of 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! Within this book you’ll find a quick play ruleset based on a streamlined version of the Storypath system. They Came From the RPG Anthology! also includes the Storypath Ultra ruleset as an Appendix so you can retroactively apply it to the existing They Came From games if you want to give them the full Storypath Ultra experience.

  • They Came From the RPG Anthology! PDF Version - Add a copy of The World Below PDF to your rewards list. Currently projected to be available before January 2025. You will receive the draft manuscript and an optional discount link for the Print-on-Demand version once available.

We also have two digital bundles of games and material built using 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!

Finally, spinning out from the World Below campaign, we have some premium dice on offer.

  • The World Below Starbearer Glow Dice - includes ten 10-sided dice and a velvet dice bag. These are resin Elixir liquid core dice.  Elixir dice are infused with glittery liquid cores that swirl when rolled. Each set is handcrafted and polished to keep their beautiful sharp edges. 



Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options


Ready to join in? If you're backing for the first time, you can click BACK IT and select your Pledge Tier and finalize funding amount in the next menu.

Using myself as an example, I'm loving the Storypath Ultra system and want to use it to power some game ideas I have so decided to splurge and get the hardcover to sit proudly on my gaming shelf. Once I click BACK IT, I see my pledge level options. If I want to know a bit more about each level, I can click Learn More, or if I know what I'm looking for, I can click Back It.


The two main Pledges focusing on SPU are the $25 PDF Reward for PDF only rewards, the $60 Hardcover Reward Path for the hardcover book, all in all pretty self-explanatory.

Clicking "Learn More" expands the Pledge Level info. For example, clicking "Learn More" on the Hardcover Reward tier gives you...


This is the reward I'm choosing, as it exactly fits my needs for this project.

Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.

For example, I've decided on the $60 Hardcover path, so I select BACK IT for that tier, and then I want to add on aa few of the optional Add On extras to my rewards list. I'm going to add both of the Storyguide Seeds bundles to build my digital library, as well as the deluxe World Below Starbearer Dice Set as a special treat to myself.


My total is $185.00 USD.
That's $60 for my SPU Hardcover Reward pledge path,
+$10 for the Storypath Seeds Jumpstart PDF Digital Bundle Add On option
+$25 for the Storypath Seeds Core Rulebooks PDF Digital Bundle
+$90 for the Starbearer Deluxe Dice Set

When everything is correct, click NEXT and then Confirm Your Pledge. You'll get an e-mail confirmation of your choices.

If you're already a backer but want to update your pledge or Add On choices...



Select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then you can Edit Your Pledge


Select "Manage Your Pledge" at the top of the page, and then "Edit Your Pledge" on your listing, and then...



You can select a new Pledge Level from the available option menu, or Change your Add On selection.

As before, you'll confirm all of your choices, and then receive an e-mail confirmation once that's done.

And with that, my pledge level and Add On options are set for your pledge. At this time, you don't need to worry about setting shipping information. 

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. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order the Storypath Ultra Core Manual at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list, though many of the rewards we've unlocked are things that will be open to the Onyx Path community as a whole. That said, the Stretch Goal milestone markers like the Wallpaper and VTT Tokens will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this crowdfunding campaign.




REWARD DELIVERY

About 6-8 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At that point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like starter set bundles. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.

So, while it will take some time for SPU to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 8-10 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)

Physical Books

If you're waiting to see the International shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to any of the hardcover reward tiers, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are ready to print and we know what shipping costs will be, so you'll be able to go back and adjust your pledge tier at that time.

It's going to take some time to create the final PDF for the Storypath Ultra Core Manual and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover books. When the books are at the printer, I will be in touch with all backers to outline timeline for pledge adjustments, as well as lockdown procedures and when we'll be confirming addresses and processing BackerKit Add Ons and Shipping payments. That's a long time away, and we'll cover that as we get closer to that part of the process.



Don't fret if you had forgotten to select additional rewards 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 can investigate PDF and digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be able to add physical reward options. You should not add on additional physical rewards (like the Starbearer Dice) if the SPU Core Manual hardcover book is not included in your pledge tier reward list, but these Add Ons will appear in BackerKit if you later adjust your pledge choice.

Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, so take into account your conversion as needed.

It Adds Up!

That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Level and adding 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, this may go without saying, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begin charging your payment method at midnight the day the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.




Conclusion

As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Level 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 figuring out the Add On options, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.

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 see some rules for the most epic wrestling tournament, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!

I'll be back tomorrow with the FINAL manuscript section for Storypath Ultra, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!

#PinfallFromGrace
#StorypathUltraCore Manual

Appendix: Quick Conversion Notes - Manuscript Preview #5
2 months ago – Sat, Sep 21, 2024 at 04:15:37 AM

Hello Ultra Backers,

Jumping out of order for a quick manuscript drop today. If you've previously read the Storypath Ultra brochure that Onyx Path released last year, you've seen quick conversion notes for their existing Storypath system games. That information plus a little more is presented in an Appendix in the Storypath Ultra Core Manual.

Appendix: Adapting Storypath to Storypath Ultra

Adapting our existing Storypath games to Storypath Ultra is reasonably easy. We aren’t going to fine-tune every single ability and rule across all our Storypath games here — that’s a complex, word-heavy task, which isn’t the purpose of this book — but we can give you the guidance to convert the most significant parts of other Storypath games to use Ultra. With this advice, along with the other material we present in this book, you should be able to easily sort out situational cases as they crop up.




International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager

One quick note about Shipping before we get into the manuscript previews.

First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they can't really set up international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.

The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. 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. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.




BACKERS VOTE ON CONTENT

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.

The Onyx Path team has plans to write two more, and as a backer you'll be able to vote on which ones you prefer.

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 the final poll, you'll be voting on a Fantasy setting example. Your options:

  1. A cozy fantasy game where explorers look for ingredients to help heal their sick dragon friend.
  2. 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.
  3. A group of young heroes are blessed with magical armor and weapons in order to defeat an evil sorcerer queen seeking to destroy their land.

>>> CLICK TO VOTE ON THE FANTASY SETTING HERE <<<

Voting will run until the Crowdfunding campaign ends on September 26th at 2:00 PM EST. You must be a backer of this project to vote for this setting.



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" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the Feedback Form image.

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

I've shared the manuscript in sections over this campaign. Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so that the team can gather feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!

Here's the link to the SPU Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/1fGuU881zBHPsktz7