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At The Gates

Created by Onyx Path - At The GAtes

At the Gates is the core rulebook for a high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game inspired by Japanese RPG video games.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Sneak Peek: Dragons
6 months ago – Fri, May 31, 2024 at 08:54:43 AM

Hello Outlanders,

Let's head into the weekend with a quick sneak peek at the final draft manuscript section we'll be receiving on Tuesday! Today, - Dragons! This time I'm gonna give you a peek at more of the mechanical side, showing how Templates work and listing out the Qualities and Arts referenced.

Templates

Antagonists use a simplified set of character details to allow the Storyguide to easily put one together and abstract what they’re doing. These simplified templates give a general sense of the power level of the antagonist and all the important information in a condensed format. The antagonists’ dice pools indicate their general capabilities along with some important actions those apply to. All antagonists can move with ease across terrains fitting their type or anatomy, such as flying for a winged creature, burrowing for a subterranean monster, or swimming and breathing underwater of an oceanic being.

Primary Pool: The antagonist’s primary pool is its large action pool. This should be between 6 for the weakest character to 12 for the strongest character. Assign two to three actions the antagonist is good at.

Secondary Pool: The antagonist’s secondary pool is what it is next best at. This should be 2 points lower than the primary pool. Again, assign two to three actions that fall in this category.

Desperation Pool: The desperation pool is for everything else. This should be half the primary pool, rounded down.

Enhancement: Antagonists have access to Enhancement on certain actions, just like characters. List what kinds of actions the character gains Enhancement on here, and how much. Weaker characters shouldn’t gain more than 1 or 2 Enhancement overall, and stronger characters shouldn’t have more than 5 or 6 Enhancement overall, and they should never have more than +3 Enhancement to any one action.

Initiative: The antagonist’s Initiative score should be equal to its Desperation Pool.

Defense: Antagonists do not roll for Defense, and instead this number is a static number that serves as the difficulty to hit the antagonist. This should be 1 for the weakest antagonists, and no more than 3 for difficult antagonists.

Integrity: Antagonists similarly do not roll for Integrity against influence actions. Integrity should be against no more than 1 for weak antagonists or 3 for difficult antagonists.

Armor: If the antagonist has armor, it is listed separately. If the armor is magical or elemental in nature, it will be denoted as such.

Injuries: Antagonists have injuries, but not Injury Levels like the players’ characters. Otherwise, injuries work the same way. An “easy to knock out” category only has 1 Injury, while others range between 4-10. Above that, Armor, Qualities, or Advantages reflect the sturdiness of bigger monsters.

Qualities: List any antagonist Qualities here.

Arts: List any antagonist Arts here, and the number of times the antagonist may use each Art. Grunts do not have access to Arts.

Magic: List what magic type and specific spells the antagonist knows there.

Soul: This is the antagonist’s Echelon (if they have one) and Energy. This should be denoted such as 1 (4). 

Extras: If the antagonist gets any Advantage, mention it here and what kind of Advantage.

Special: Some antagonists have unique perks to their Qualities and Arts or ad hoc rules to reinforce their identity.




Dragons

The sight of a dragon is the kind of event that happens once in a lifetime, one you’ll tell stories about for generations to come. Among the oldest creatures in existence, legend has it the dragons didn’t come to be as other beings — us included — did. No, dragons are manifestations of Gaia itself, arising from the world we inhabit to defend its sacrality and strike down its enemies. Way more than mere winged reptilian beasts, dragons wield the very same power they’re made of to dutifully perform their role as keepers of nature’s balance.

Legend and wonder given great and terrible shape, dragons act as Gaia’s guardian, protecting the world and its creatures on a scale smaller beings can’t even perceive, loyal as they are to the very same primordial imperative that defines their existence.

Dragons embody the circle of seasons in ways both literal and abstract. While the four dragon species follows a given duty they believe with absolute certainty comes from Gaia itself (a notion raising many questions about the nature of the world), each dragon is an individual of their own, with a definite personality and an unique perspective on life, other beings, and how to better perform their role shaped by their own quirks and experiences. A truly destructive dragon might stop their rampage in a matter of minutes and become a force of peace for the generations to come, answering only to Gaia when the matter of morals comes up, while other come to learn how to relate with other sentient creatures and even enjoy the occasional chat with those who demonstrate an understanding of nature, if perhaps a flawed yet endearing human one.

Dragons are solitary beings, known to be both allies and — especially when dragons of opposed seasons are involved — even rival or enemies. The land near a dragon’s lair takes after its master, changing according to the shape of their nature, meaning that two different dragons competing over the same region’s dominance literally fight over every inch of soil.


Using Dragons

Dragons are extremely dangerous creatures, and a rare sight in civilized parts of Everend. A dragon should be a rare encounter, and characters should not seek to kill one without great cause. These magnificent beasts are defenders of the natural world and deeply connected to Gaia’s magic. They may serve as guides, allies, mysterious benefactors, or at the end of a long quest to find a magical item or material. If the characters decide to attack a dragon, it should be an epic battle, and possibly part of a larger plot in which the dragon had turned to evil, or been void tainted.


Template: Archon
Primary Pool: 12 (Attacking, Grandiose shows of power, Defend an area)
Secondary Pool: 10 (Scout the lair, Sense threats to them or the aspect of Gaia they embody)
Desperation Pool: 6
Enhancement: +1 Close Combat, +2 Impress
Defense: 3
Integrity: 2
Injury: 10
Armor: 3
Initiative: 6
Qualities: Destructive Force, Frightening Presence, Elemental Focus 2 (Their own element), Natural Weapons 2 (Claws and fangs; Brutal, Piercing), Reset, Special Movement (choose 1), Stable, Willful
Arts: Defensive Aura 2, Devastating Blow 1, Devour 2, Trample 2, Wave of Destruction (Elemental Breath) 4
Magic: Immunity, Magic Resistance, Shield
Soul: 5 (20)
Extra: +1 Durability Advantage, +2 Power Advantage 

Destructive Force
Prerequisite: Elite template or higher, 1+ Power Advantage
Due to its mass or sheer power, the antagonist devastates the environment with their blows. Their attacks gain access to the following combat Trick: 
Demolition (2 successes): Rubble and debris fill the environment, applying the Demolished area effect to the scene as a Moderate Complication. This Trick can be purchased twice per action, in which case the Complication increases to Major. Any artificial structure or object in the Area is destroyed at Storyguide’s discretion.

Frightening Presence
Both people and animals see the antagonist as a dangerous threat not to be messed with, providing them +1 Social Advantage when intimidating others. Grunts flee from the antagonists at the mere sight.

Elemental Focus (1-2)
The antagonist’s presence empowers manifestations of a given element, be it one from Gaia or the Void. The Complication rating of area effects influenced by the element (like On Fire with fire) increases by a degree for each rank of this Quality, up to Major. Elements such as fire, ice, and electricity are all valid options for this Quality, but others like darkness or light likewise qualify.

Antagonists may possess multiple instances of this Quality or comprehensive ones to reinforce different elements.

Natural Weapons (1-3)
The antagonist is a natural predator and has some form of natural weapon that they can always use even when unarmed. These weapons can never be disarmed. Each time this Quality is chosen, pick a tag to apply to the weapons from the following: Brutal, Deadly, Increased Range, Piercing, Poison, Reach, Returning, Stun, Wrecking, or any elemental tag that makes sense for the antagonist’s type.

Reset
Prerequisite: Elite template or higher
Once the antagonist’s Injury reaches half of their total or below for the first time in a scene, resolve all Combat status effects and refresh all used Arts.

Special Movement
The antagonist has a movement style outside the norm. It may have wings that allow it to fly, or fins that help it swim well. When you choose this Quality, pick a form of movement: burrowing, flying, swimming, wall-crawling. The antagonist may move using this special movement to specific range bands only accessible through Ranged Combat or an equivalent movement type. Additionally, while in these range bands, they may be able to avoid ground-based area effects.

Stable
This antagonist is immune the Slowed status effect and the effects of the Knockdown Trick. Additionally, it gains +1 Power Advantage against attempts to forcibly move them.

Willful
The antagonist gains +1 Social Advantage when resisting influence.

Defensive Aura
Type: Reaction (Any Attack)
Whether peaceful, awe-inspiring, or intimidating, the antagonist’s mere looks discourage people from hurting them. The attacking character refuses to attack the antagonist again this scene unless it attacks them first. 

If a character successfully buys off the Complication from this Art, it cannot be used against them again in this scene.

Devastating Blow
Prerequisite: Archon template
Injury: Half Injury
Type: Reaction (Melee)
The antagonist hits a character so hard that they immediately gain the Taken Out status effect. For example, an Arkatross may swoop down and trample a character, while a magician might call down a meteor upon them.

Devour
Type: Reaction (Melee)
The antagonist swallows their prey whole. While inside the antagonist’s belly, the target can only make an Athletics action against difficulty 1 for Adepts, 2 for Elites, and 3 for Archons to escape. Failure to escape inflicts a single damage on the swallowed character. Each damage the antagonist suffers in the same turn lowers the difficulty to escape by 1, to a minimum of 1. Most antagonists can devour only creatures of smaller size, but exceptions exist. 

This Art cannot be used more than once in the same round.

Trample
Type: Simple Action
The antagonist charges at its opponents with violence. As part of a Rush movement, the creature may purchase the Shockwave Trick for 1 hit. Unlike a normal Rush, Trample can be used even if the antagonist starts at Short or Close range.

This Art cannot be used more than once in the same round.

Wave of Destruction
Prerequisite: Elite template or higher
Type: Reaction (Attack)
The antagonist unleashes a lethal attack across a wide area. Examples include a summer dragon’s fiery breath or a trogganoth’s boulders. The antagonist deals 1 damage to all characters within Medium range. Choose a single element when purchasing this Art. Apply an appropriate area effect based on that element, such as On Fire for fire, Darkness for Void, Flooding for water, Suffocating for air, Extreme Temperature Cold for ice, or Quaking for earth.



Spring Dragons

Nurturers, loving custodians, and guardians both fierce and kind, spring dragons embody life and rebirth. Wherever they thread, plants grow and bloom, clean water comes forth the soil while rejuvenating rains anoint the land, and animals find a safe haven from dangers. Although people often find spring dragons to be the most approachable of their kind, they better not mistake their attitude for weakness: Spring dragons strive to safeguard life and prompt renewal. Anyone who dares to interfere soon discovers the floral dragons are terrible foes to provoke, capable of triggering deluges with a thought and wield plants like an extension of themselves.

Spring dragons are a beautiful sight to behold. Flowers adorn them from their horned head to the tip of their tail, and it’s unclear where their scales end and feather-like foliage begins. Their splendid gossamer wings shine with all the colors of a triumphant nature, dripping with blessed dew and life-giving pollen.

Drive: Defend Gaia by protecting animals, flora, and natural features.
Qualities: Immunity (Water, Poison), Weakness (Lightning)
Arts: Alter Environment (Overgrowth) 1, Barrier 2
Magic: Growth, Heal, Neutralize, Water
Special: The spring dragon’s attacks benefit from the Poisoned tag.

Summer Dragons

Warriors, champions of Gaia, and patrons of heroes, summer dragons enter the battlefield when the fate of the world lies at stake. Their souls brim with courage and eagerness to fight, as strong as the fire that rages within their hearts. Although they never back down from their mission to protect nature from those threatening it, summer dragons aren’t averse to recruiting people to their cause whenever needs arise. They prove to be excellent war leaders, with a deep respect for seasoned warriors and the skills to forge those they see potential in into heroes. Whoever draws the ire of a summer dragon earns a terrible foe who will die rather than surrender — and few powers of this world can hope to stop one.

The looks of summer dragons range through the hues of fire, gold, coal, and sun itself. Hundreds of little flames dot their body, along a bonfire burning within their horns, and their metallic wings shine with the same intensity of a raging inferno.

Drive: Defend Gaia by going against whoever exploits the land or corrupts it.
Qualities: Immunity (Fire), Weakness (Ice)
Arts: Alter Environment (Extreme Temperature) 1, Leap 3, Sundering Impulse 2
Magic: Fire, Purify, Judgment, Valor
Special: The summer dragons’ fiery breath sets victims on fire, inflicting the Burning status effect; the summer dragons’ attacks benefit from the Flaming Tag.



Backers will have access to the COMPLETE draft manuscript on Tuesday, when our final chapter becomes available! You'll be able to read the entire book before any pledges are processed or payments collected! 

I'll be back on Sunday with an overview of the various Pledge Tiers and Add Ons available for backers. 
 
So: have a great weekend, say hi to Danielle and the Onyx Path team if you happen to spot them at UKGE this weekend, and prepare to be tempted by exciting Add On options on Sunday. Remember we're in our final week, so please continue to spread the word!

#AtTheGates


FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN
6 months ago – Thu, May 30, 2024 at 11:36:03 AM

Hello Outlanders!

There are moments it feels like we just started this campaign, but in truth we've been running for just over three weeks now and we're now officially in our FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN!

Over this final week I'll be sharing a handful of instruction and review-type posts about Reward Tiers & Add Ons, Stretch Goal reviews, and What Comes Next, so if you've got any process questions or are wondering about how the Crowdfunding steps work, I'm hoping to clarify any remaining questions before we finish. Of course, if you're still wondering about something, please ask and I'll help as best I can.


Final Week Program

  • June 2 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
  • June 4 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Adversaries!
  • June 5 - Stretch Goal Review
  • June 6 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next




The Campaign ends on June 6th at 2:00 PM EDT... sort of.

We are all full of magic, and we're going to be using that magic to poke around and get into new situations. We're going to try something with this campaign and see what happens! It's called "OVERTIME MODE" and it allows us to keep the campaign rolling as long as backers are pledging.

Overtime Mode

Overtime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.

You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.

So, we've scheduled the campaign to conclude on June 6th at 2:00 pm EDT, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as we programmed? Who knows, but we'll find out together! At the Gates indeed!




Recruiting New Backers

I know, this is something I've already said many times (and seem to say during every project!), but for this final week, you are officially an At The Gates Ambassador for the nations of Everend and this Crowdfunding project. It's time to share your excitement for At the Gates! Basically, we want to recruit as many curious backers as possible to see how long we can keep our Backer Train running over this final week.

I know I've ended many update posts with "Keep spreading the word! Invite others to join in!" - but what does that mean, and how do you do it?

Easy answer - don't stop talking about At The Gates until 2:01 PM EDT next Thursday June 6th  (and then as long as we continue running in Overtime Mode). Yes, family and friends are tired of me talking about it. But what else have I got to talk about? And they've learned to tolerate me during a crowdfunding campaign. But here's the thing - there are others around who haven't heard or don't know about the campaign.

There are many, many Onyx Path and JRPG fans who haven't yet heard about this campaign and would love to join in. We're right in the middle of a very busy season - tons of different things competing for our attention and changing schedules and nicer weather - so it's not surprising that new backers are just finding out about the campaign every day. If you have an opportunity to let someone know, please do and let's make sure they have a chance to join in before the end.



Resources to Share

If you're inviting new backers, or if you are a new backer (hi new backers!), here are a few key resources to be aware of for this campaign.


Backers are able to review the (soon-to-be) complete manuscript for this book before the campaign closes and any pledges are processed. With the exception of the Adversaries chapter coming on Tuesday, the entirety of the rules and options from this book are available for download and review by backers, along with all of the setting information for this new game! 

Anyone who pledges to this campaign before the end can read the entire book now AND provide feedback directly to the developers to help guide the manuscript through the final phases of development and editing!

And, if you join now, as I've noted, we'll be posting the final chapter of the book next week before we reach the finish line. This final chapter is all about monsters and opponents, and we'll have another preview from that chapter tomorrow.




See and Hear the Game in Action!

One of my favorite ways to learn about a new game is to see it in action! And with these Actual Plays you can see the Onyx Path players bring it to life!


Interviews!

Not only can you hear the team playing the game, you can hear them talk about it! In the next episode of the Onyx PathCast (which drops on Friday), Dixie will be talking with several of the creators of the game!

In addition, Danielle has been making the rounds, talking about the inspiration and work that has gone into At The Gates. Check them out!






Danielle was also recently on the NotDnD Podcast to recruit even more new backers! Check out that episode <here>



At The Gates Fiction


Get a sense of the world and setting by reading a two-part fiction piece set in Everend that will be included in the final version of the book!




At The Gates Chat

The Discord is particularly lively, but you might be able to gain further insight and some in-depth conversation at any of these Onyx Path discussion zones:





Share the Links!

1) Don't forget to share a link to the Crowdfunding page in any discussion you have (where appropriate) - and feel free to pass any of the long list of links above to those who may need more info (or, just point them to this post!)

2) Don't forget to tell us about any post or review or discussion you write! Come to the comments section and let us know so we can all go and contribute! Like the discussions going on at RPG.net. I know I keep saying it, but really - these last days are key. Keep the enthusiasm high and keep on inviting others to join in, either directly ("Come see...") or just by setting an example of your enthusiasm and interest.

I'm really interested to see if we can get a backer train going at the end of the campaign and wondering if we can keep rolling for another 10 or 20 minutes past our set end time!

Final Week

We've got one week to go, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! We work together because it's the right thing to do, and because backers make it better! Let's finish strong! And let's continue exploring this new amazing game together, sharing our feedback with the writers and delving into the draft manuscript, and let's see if we can't get another Stretch Goal before we review next Wednesday!


At 975 Backers - NEW ADD ON: AT THE GATE LOGO and SIGIL PINS - A single hard enamel screen-printed 2" At The Gates logo pin will be available as an Add On option for $14, and five different soft enamel 1.5" sigil pin designs will be available as an Add On option at $10 each or the set of all 5 for $45. Single pin selection will be confirmed in the Pledge Manager. Fulfillment will be handled by NerdyKeppie.com and additional shipping charges will be collected at time of fulfillment.

Oh... maybe we need another Stretch Goal to keep us excited over this next week?! Maybe something with new content for the game?



At $55,000 in Funding - JUMPSTART PDF - An introductory scenario designed to welcome new players to the game, along with ready-made characters and a basic rules overview, will be created as a Jumpstart PDF supplement and added as a bonus to the rewards list of all backers receiving the At The Gates PDF.

#AtTheGates

Sneak Peek: Daemons
6 months ago – Wed, May 29, 2024 at 10:59:57 AM

Hello Outlanders!

Well, I've got to admit, I really thought daemons would take the majority of votes in our poll to decide which creature we'd be previewing first! They did come first, but with only 48% of the vote! It was a photo finish with Dragons, who finished at 44%, and undead showing up in third with a respectable 8% competing with those powerhouses!

The complete draft manuscript for Chapter 8 will be available for all backers on Tuesday, so anyone who's joined in to support this project will have access to the entire book before any pledges are processed or payments collected!

Even with that, who wants to wait to see some goodies, so let's get a sneak peek at Daemons...



Daemons

Before the past year, the creatures of the Void had no substantial presence on Gaia, bound as they were to Rifts and temporary passages to escape the chains of their prison. With Vitrumaria bringing the practice of daemon summoning to Everend, though, the entities now play a crucial role in determining the fate of the world, whether anyone — daemons included — like it or not.

Although daemons experience the frameworks of human morality again and again as their interactions with people become more regular and thus nobody can say what the future holds for their kind, as a whole the entities are more amoral than good or evil. Eons spent in the Void forced them to adapt to a reality whose nature doesn’t align with the wellbeing of this world. In fact, most daemons ignore their kind was once native to Gaia, the secret being only known to the most ancient and cunning among them. Daemons embody concepts and forms of magic from primordial Gaia such as destruction, creation, and rebirth, twisted by an eternity passed outside the boundaries of reality. They have magic of their own, many replicating the effects the spellcasters of Everend can create, but their powers — their mere presence — corrupts the world and changes the essence of the creatures inside it, tainting them with the primordial elements.

Two broad categories of daemons exist: The lesser daemons, who vary wildly in rank and power, and the mighty sovereigns, who are more akin to actual divinities.

Rule-wise, lesser daemons use Qualities, Arts, and Magic just as any other supporting character or antagonist, but few substantial differences mark them as creatures from beyond reality. 

  • Outside of Rifts or Void-corrupted areas, daemon can only exist on Gaia when summoned (p. XX) and return to the Void when slain or when the summoning ends.
  • When daemons use magic, they replicate the effects of a spell, but draw power from the Void and corrupt Gaia while doing so.
  • A summoned daemon gives access to their summoner and their allies to daemon magic befitting their nature, special Tricks that can be purchased for any action as long as the summoning lasts. The effects of the Tricks on characters, antagonists, objects, and environment end along with the summoning unless specified otherwise.
  • Some Tricks grant access to antagonists’ Qualities and Arts to characters. Activating any Art costs 1 Energy and is still subjected to cooldowns. The Trick specifies which dice pools the characters should use to employ the Art.
  • The cooldowns on a daemon’s Art start the moment they are summoned, meaning they need time before they can activate any.
  • Any player character or the antagonist who summoned a daemon can renounce their actions for a round to have the daemon gain the spotlight instead, using the creature — along with their dice pools and traits — to act.

Adept Tier

Flagros

Even more than other daemons, the flagros interact with us with eagerness: Our emotions and desires feed them, conflict helps them grow. They start as living flames, with clever eyes and fanged mouths, only to turn into furious bonfires and raging stars. Be careful with them, though: Those taking their first step into the art of summoning love flagros for how happy to fight they are, not to mention they infuse their energy into items of any sort — even buildings! — and turn them into marvelous means of transportation, but the daemons yearn to find their purest expression of self in a devasting explosion. 

Both sociable and easy to summon when compared to stronger daemons, flagros nevertheless hold within their blazing form the potential to be extremely dangerous. Their essence as daemons of fire and strong emotions with a love for battle certainly make them excellent picks for any summoner in need of help to defeat their enemies, but it’s the sheer destructive potential of flagros who solidified their reputation as living weapons. 

Vitrumaria dreams to employ flagros in great number someday, the daemons’ ability to explode at will after their flames are fueled a precious tool in any general’s arsenal, while the secretive summoners of Talpidium discovered their nation’s geothermically active nature suits well the flagros and that the creatures’ help can power instruments and tools away from indiscreet eyes. 

Template: Adept
Drive: Feed on strong passions and explode once sated
Primary Pool: 8 (Intimidate, animate objects, cause fires)
Secondary Pool: 6 (Feed, grow, perceive powerful emotions)
Desperation Pool: 4
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Injury: 4
Armor: 2
Initiative: 4
Qualities: Baleful Touch, Deadly Aura, Elemental Focus 1 (Fire), Immunity (Fire), Weakness (Water)
Arts: Alter Environment (Elite and above; On Fire, Minor) 1, Elemental Teleportation (Fire) 4, Explosive Demise 1
Magic: Fire, Fury
Soul: 1 (4)

Special: 
  • Feed The Flames: One use. When a flagros is at 1 Injury, it can activate this art as a simple action by rolling its secondary dice pool. On a success, at the beginning of the next round it heals any damage and grows by one template, up to Elite.
  • Rebirth: If slain by their own Explosive Demise, flagros don’t die but rather reform as Adepts on the following scene. Their demise still ends their summoning.

Flagros’s Magic
  • Blazing Strikes (1 hit): All the character’s attacks gain the Flaming tag.
  • Blazing Shield (2 hits): The character becomes immune to fire and explosions.
  • Incinerate (2 hits): Inflict the On Fire area effect (Minor) on the Area or increase its Complication rating by one step.
  • Immolation (3 hits): The flagros gains the spotlight as soon as the character passes it, detonating with the Explosive Demise Art.
  • Fuel (3 hits): The flagros reflexively activates the Feed the Flames Art, regardless of their current Injury. 

Kronalli

Foolish summoners think the only daemons worth calling from the Void are those who can lay a battlefield to waste with fire storms or pestilential winds. Nonsense. Each daemon is creature made of pure power; it only takes for an enlightened mind to know how to employ it. Take the kronalli, for example. Alien, like few other daemons, these golden wheels covered in eyes rotate around a glowing core made of pure temporal energy, the very essence of their being and the source of their powers. Kronalli manipulate time, accelerating and slowing creatures with the same ease I can move my hand, all while showing a terrifying mastery of the forces of entropy as well and the kind of stimulating perspective I appreciate in any intelligent conversation.

Through Gaia and the Void, all daemons maintain a connection with the primordial elements of the universe. For the kronalli, said element is none other than time itself. Kronalli perceive and understand time on a scale people and most other daemons can’t even fathom, their minds traveling through odds, distant pasts, and possible futures at an impossible pace. The multitude of wheels composing a kronalli’s body whirl with eerie intensity whenever the creature meditates, only stopping — sometimes all at once, sometimes only a few — whenever events demand their attention.

Despite their nature, the kronalli hold no respect for the sanctity of time on Gaia, a consequence of their lives spent in the Void, where the boundaries of time and space lose meaning. The daemons care little about other beings, and don’t hesitate to absorb their life energies for themselves.

Template: Adept
Drive: Steal time from other creatures
Primary Pool: 8 (Calculation, Defense, Manipulate speed)
Secondary Pool: 6 (Rush, Travel Unseen)
Desperation Pool: 4
Enhancements: +1 Manipulate Speed
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Injury: 4
Armor: 1
Initiative: 4
Qualities: Connected Mind, Connected Coordination, Extraordinary Speed 1, Heightened Reflexes 2, Magic Focus 3 (Time magic)
Arts: Drain 3, Invisibility 2
Magic: Reinforce, Time
Soul: 2 (8)

Kronalli’s Magic
  • Entropic Strikes (1 hit): All the character’s attacks gain the Piercing tag.
  • Slow Down (1 hit): All the character’s attacks gain access to the following Trick:
    • Decelerate (1+ hit): Inflict the Slowed status effect on your target. This status effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 plus any additional hits garnered on the action roll spent to inflict it.
  • Haste (2 hits): The character can move between Close and Medium range as a reflexive action and doesn’t need to use a mixed action when rising from prone or performing a Rush action.
  • Deteriorate (3 hits): The character renders the mundane gear of a target within Short range useless for the remainder of the scene. Magical gear isn’t affected by this Trick.
  • Time Warp (4 hits): Next round, the character can reroll one of their actions and choose which result to use to determine the outcome.


Elite Tier

Aglomps

Defining our first encounters with aglomps as disasters wouldn’t be an exaggeration. If anything, they provided a useful reminder that looks can be deceiving: Aglomps resemble strange hybrids of frogs and fish, no taller than the average person’s knees. Round, soft, and without any defining feature other than their big eyes and the luminescent lantern-like filament dangling over their heads, the aglomps don’t look like much. They’re almost cute, in an ugly sort of way. Even the few pointy crooked teeth showing out of their mouth act more as decorations than actual fangs. Things change when an aglomp opens said mouth wide to its fully uncanny extent and swallows an entire person, a chariot, a daemon ten times their size, absorbing their features to fight against whoever dares to underestimate them or hurt other daemons.

Among the weirdest daemons ever called forth from the Void, aglomps are far more terrifying than their deceptive appearance would suggest. The small daemons are a bundle of paradoxes: Seemingly embodying primordial concepts such as hunger and consumption, they’re also examples of extreme adaptability and care for those who can’t defend themselves. Their diminutive size hides the threat their all-devouring mouths — whose dangers ignore any law of reality — represent, not to mention the innate strength and mutation power each aglomp possesses.

Other daemons came to fear the aglomps, for the little beasts are both near the top of the Void’s food chain and show a penchant for feeding on whoever threatens the creatures of the Void, be them daemons or otherwise. 

Template: Elite
Drive: Eat. Snooze. Protect other daemons from bigger creatures.
Primary Pool: 10 (Eat, Adaptability, Deceptive cuteness)
Secondary Pool: 8 (Combat, Protect others)
Desperation Pool: 5
Enhancement: +1 Eat, +1 Protect Others
Defense: 2
Integrity: 1
Injury: 8
Initiative: 5
Soul: 3 (12)
Qualities: Malleable, Natural Weapons 1 (Unexpected Strength; Brutal), Regeneration, Reset, Slippery, Willful, Unusual Anatomy
Arts: Defensive Aura 2, Devour 3, Drain 2, Emerge 2, Explosive Demise 1, Leap 4, Pull (Tongue) 4
Magic: Valor
Soul: 3 (12)
Extra: +2 Durability Advantage

Special:
  • Gluttonous Abyss: Aglomps can use Devour on creatures of bigger size.
  • Absorb Power Art: 3 uses; The Aglomp copies one of the powers, Qualities, Arts, or Advantages of any creature currently subjected to their Devour Art, losing access to it at the end of the scene.


Aglomps’s Magic
  • Little Terror Armor (1 hit): The character gains an armor with the Elemental (One element), Padded, and Resistant tags.
  • Bounce (1 hit): The character gains the Leap Art and can move again after using it.
  • Adaptability (2 hits): End any amount of status effects the character suffers from.
  • Eat Whole (3 hits): The character gains the Devour Art. They can eat creatures of any size with it and the Difficulty to break out for ingested creatures amounts to 3.
  • Absorb (3 hits): The character gains one of the Qualities or Arts of any creature currently subjected to an instance of the Devour Art by them or their allies.
  •  All-Devouring Hunger (3 hits): Lower the aglomp’s Devour Art current cooldown by 1. If the Art’s cooldown is at 0, the aglomp activates it right after you pass the spotlight.

Nightmare Lanterns

Summoning a nightmare lantern equals confronting your worst fears. Even when properly enticed and bound, the daemons elicit a primal response in whoever looks at them, tapping into the deepest recesses of their mind. Resembling a floating cluster of giant disembodied eyes, nightmare lanterns already look horrifying before you notice the translucid mass surrounding the eye core. The actual “body” of the daemon, an ephemeral structure made of dream matter with vague resemblance to a cephalopod or jellyfish, tentacles, and all. Whether they devastate your mind with their psychic powers or crush your bones through a combination of ectoplasmic limbs and telekinesis, nightmare lanterns are behind a good amount of the cautionary tales about botched evocations that circulate nowadays.

Among all the daemons thus far observed and summoned on Everend, nightmare lanterns achieved a dreaded reputation, although not because of sheer physical power. Many other daemons are stronger, lots are better warriors, and plenty make for more efficient tools on the battlefield. What makes the nightmare lanterns unique, though, is how they combine their formidable intellect with their terrifying control of fears and their capability to wield both as weapons.

Despite their theoretical potential for both good and evil, nightmare lanterns are born out of all the terrors that plague the mind, creatures of nightmares, panicked frenzies, and screams. For each summoner entertaining a dialogue with one, dozens of stories about the horrors routing entire battalions with a gesture or haunting the dreams of a careless scholar spread across Everend.

Template: Elite
Drive: Cause nightmares and feed on fears
Primary Pool: 10 (Terrorize, Analyze, Power of The Mind)
Secondary Pool: 8 (Physical Combat, Intellectual Dialogue, Stealth)
Desperation Pool: 5
Enhancement: +1 Terrorize, +1 Power of The Mind
Defense: 2
Integrity: 2
Injury: 9
Initiative: 5
Source: 5
Qualities: Clingy 1 (Aggressive), Frightening Presence, Malleable, Natural Weapons 3 (Ectoplasmic Tentacles; Piercing, Reach, Stun), Reset, Willful, Unusual Anatomy
Arts: Alter Bonds 1, Bend Minds 3, Dreadful Gaze (Stunned) 2, Drain 2, Elusive Shape 1, Hypnotize 3, Mental Disruption 3, Read Minds 2, Telekinesis 4
Magic: Fear, Illusory Image
Soul: 3 (12)
Extra: +2 Intellect Advantage, +1 Social Advantage

Special:
  • Telepathic Omniglot: Nightmare lanterns understand all languages and can communicate with any creature in the Area they can perceive.

Nightmare Lantern’s Magic
  • Oneiric Horror Strikes (1 hit): All the character’s attacks gain the Stun tag.
  • Partially Corporeal (2 hit): The character gains a +1 Enhancement on Defense rolls. Can be purchased multiple times, up to +3.
  • Power of The Mind (2 hits): The character gains the Telekinesis (Short Range) Art and can use it to hold grapples.
  • Superior Intellect (3 hits): The character gains 1 Intellect Advantage. Can be purchased multiple times, but can’t take their Intellect Advantage total above 2.
  • Nightmarish Flesh (3 hits): The character gains the Unusual Anatomy Quality.
  • Horrors Unleashed (3 hits): Lower the nightmare lantern’s Mental Disruption Art current cooldown by 1. If the Art’s cooldown is 0, the nightmare lantern activates it right after you pass the spotlight.



Archon Tier

Crystal Seraphim

Other daemons we questioned about the creatures of the Void consistently mentioned the might of crystal seraphim, but we didn’t get a true sense of it until our first successful summoning of one. Kelabaxis, that was their name. I was there on the field when my lab partner managed to call the creature to Gaia. The seraphim made their triumphant appearance in a halo of iridescent light: This vaguely anthropomorphic being made of azure crystal, wreathed in golden veins. On their back, a host of floating crystals arranged like wings. I since discovered no crystal seraphim look exactly like another, but I’ll never forget Kelabaxis. Within a few seconds since their arrival, they summoned a crystalline sword in each of their four hands. A minute later, our enemies were no more.

It’s unclear whether crystal seraphim once were creatures of different shape who eventually transformed into crystal during their time spent in the Void or if concentrated primordial magic evolved form and sentience into these mighty angelic beings, but no summoner or daemon doubts they rank among the most powerful entities from beyond the boundaries of this world.

No less dangerous to Gaia than that of other daemons, the nature of crystal seraphim speaks of luminous might, judgement, fury, and ruthless purity. While crystal seraphim maintain a distance — or a disdain — for other not-crystalline daemons that betrays a sense of longing for Gaia and its freedom, they hold little tolerance for any perceived imperfections, weakness, or whatever they consider a corrupting influence.

Template: Archon
Drive: Unleash its furious might against anyone who provokes them or violates their righteous mandate.
Primary Pool: 12 (Attacking, Dreadful Shows of Power, Defile an Area)
Secondary Pool: 10 (Scout the Lair, Sense Where Gaia’s energies converge)
Desperation Pool: 6
Enhancement: +1 Close Combat, +2 Scare
Defense: 3
Integrity: 3
Injury: 10
Armor: 3
Initiative: 6
Qualities: Attentive, Magical Weapons 3 (Crystal Arsenal; Animated, Ranged: Short, Wounding), Extraordinary Speed, Frightening Presence, Immunity (Light), Reset, Willful
Arts: Defensive Aura 1, Dreadful Gaze (Senses Occluded) 3, Elemental Teleportation (Light) 2, Explosive Demise 1, Hypnotize 3, Trample 2, Usurp Flesh (Petrification) 2, Wave of Destruction (Rain of crystals) 3
Magic: Magic Resistance, Judgment
Soul: 5 (20)
Extra: +1 Durability Advantage, +1 Power Advantage, +1 Social Advantage, +1 Speed Advantage

Special: 
  • Luminous Champion: When activating Alter Environment, Crystal seraphim causes the Blinding Light (Major) area effect. The area effect works like Darkness (p. XX), except for its different nature and Complication rating.

Crystal Seraphim’s Magic
  • Shining Avenger Strikes (1 hit): All the character’s attacks gain the Crystal tag.
    • Crystal: The gem-like weapon turns enemies into crystal. Gain access to the following Trick when making attacks with this weapon:
      • Crystallize (2 hits): Inflict the Petrification status effect (p. XX) on your target.
  • Crystalline Wings (1 hit): The character grows wings of crystal and light, ignoring any penalty or Complication related to the terrain or weather during their movement.
  • Luminous Blessing (2 hits): The character becomes immune to any light-related hazard, Complication, or attack.
  • Judgement Light (2 hits): Inflict the Blinding Light area effect on the Area. 
  • Crystalline Body (2 hit): The character gains the Unusual Anatomy Quality.
  • Bright Champion (3 hits): The crystal seraphim gets the spotlight as soon as the character passes it, acting without the need for them to renounce their actions. Can be purchased only once per round.


Sovereigns

Above any other creature, claiming the title of divinity and well worth of it, Sovereign are entities of immense power, timeless age, and otherworldly perspective, eidolons of greatness both bright and terrible unbound by the limitations affecting beings of less godly nature. Their might ignores — or shatters — the laws of Gaia and their actions reshape the world as each step and gesture they make changes the fate of entire nations. A Sovereign can raze a mountain or lay waste to an entire army with a manifestation of power, making them coveted forces to summon despite the risks channeling one of them into service entails both for the summoner, their enemies, and the nearby region.

As beings of nearly supreme power well above lesser demons, Sovereigns don’t have dice pools. Rather, their traits describe the effects they impose over the battlefield, both as formidable blessing for their summoners, terrible afflictions against their enemies, or impossible challenges to face.

Whoever summons a Sovereign into the battlefield commands a force with few equals on Gaia and beyond, but the call of the Void binds the divine creatures to temporary manifestations. Still, a single Sovereign can change the tides of history with their mere presence, a truth the inhabitants of Gaia discovered with dreadful clarity.

Summoning a Sovereign requires the expenditure of 4 Energy and works as a normal lesser daemon summoning except for the following differences:
  • Sovereign daemons cannot be slain.
  • Sovereign daemons don’t have traits, but rather impose a wide range of effects on the Area. Negative effects only influence the enemies of the character who summoned the Sovereign, with them and their allies being completely immune.
  • Ongoing area effects happen immediately when a Sovereign is summoned as the entity warps reality to make room for their divine presence. Once the summoning ends, said area effects end at Storyguide’s discretion.
  • In addition to the effects a Sovereign imposes on the Area, any player character or the antagonist who summoned the daemon can renounce all their actions for a round to activate the Sovereign Outburst Art with a single use.

Sovereign Outburst

Type: Simple Action

The Sovereign rolls an attack dice pool of 13 and +4 Enhancement against the highest Defense among all enemies. On a success, it equally affects all not-allied characters in the Area. The attack benefits from the tags listed in the Sovereign entry and ignores any Advantage both from characters and structures.

Zohaki, the Hell Wyrm

Darkness reminiscent of the nothingness before creation reclaims its domain over the world. Then, in a conflagration of chaos, anger, and hellish fire, the abyss explodes. Something that should not be, a primordial horror emerging outside the crucible of existence with nothing but hatred for a world who refused it greatness, slithers through darkness and smoke. Colossal onyx black coils rush through the darkness, the trace of a crimson underbelly beneath. The monster delights in the terror it causes, before revealing the true extent of its nightmarish majesty: A terrible serpentine cobra-like creature, as tall as the highest mountain, with six bat-like wings and two pairs of blazing eyes, hisses in triumphant delight, fire and magma spewing from its maw as it flies above. The thing laughs, as if that bellow can be called laughter, and descends on the battlefield.

The primordial horror known as Zohaki is a creature born out of chaos, fire, and darkness. Its blazing breath condemns its foes to eternal damnation.

Effects: Bearing the profane blessings of the Hell Wyrm, characters gain +1 Power Advantage on all attacks, along the Flaming and Shadow tags. Zohaki imposes the On Fire (Major) and Darkness (Moderate) area effects on the scene. The Hell Wyrm scorches the soul of any antagonist whose Injury reaches 0 during the summoning, using their pain to open a rift to summon a daemon minion of equal template — or with the same Skills and Attributes for player characters — to fight for the character’s side. The minions’ attacks benefit from the Brutal, Flaming, and Shadow tags.

Outburst Tags: Brutal, Flaming

We'll see a LOT more on daemons when we get the full chapter on Tuesday, along with all of the other Antagonist systems and information like templates, qualities, arts, and principles of encounter design. Lots of great stuff coming our way!

On Friday, we'll get a sneak peek at Dragons!

Tomorrow is officially the start of our FINAL WEEK of the campaign! I'll be sending out a schedule of key update posts to look for over the final week, possibly outlining an additional Stretch Goal or two, and generally setting up a reference page for new backers and current backers as we head into the finish! 

Let's keep our momentum rolling! Please remember to invite your gaming friends and friendly gamers and share this campaign in your social circles and on your social media! 

#AtTheGates



Backers Draft Manuscript Part 4
6 months ago – Tue, May 28, 2024 at 04:43:26 AM

Hello Outlanders,

Are you ready for a little magic? It's Arts & Pillars time as we gain access to the draft version of Chapter 6 of the At The Gates manuscript!



Before we get to the manuscript, just a quick reminder...

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

IF you notice that the Pillars are named Providence and Mentalism in one section and then Anima andCognition, in another, you'll know that there's an opportunity for Danielle and 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!


You can submit your Feedback here: AT THE GATES FEEDBACK FORM <link>

And one more reminder...

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.

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 title treatment.



Sneak Peek: Pillar of Transformation
6 months ago – Sun, May 26, 2024 at 09:57:01 AM

Hello Outlanders,

By popular vote, let's get a sneak peek at the Pillar of Transformation! This is a small section from the next backer manuscript preview, which will be coming your way on Tuesday! As we've mentioned, anyone backing this project will be able to read the entire draft manuscript before any pledges are processed or payments collected, so you'll know exactly what you're getting into with your support!



The Pillars of Magic

Magic instills fear in the hearts of the meek and wonder in the souls of the bold. As present as it is throughout Gaia, even the most prestigious magic user keeps in mind how dangerous magic can be. As a caster’s skill with magic strengthens, so does their capacity for hubris and great harm. How long before an archmage decides that the swiftest way of finding and punishing a skulking killer is to burn down the city in which he hides with a magic-born inferno? How quickly might a sorcerer lose sight of who she is or was, due to the many augmentations she’s made to her appearance, persona, and psyche?

Magic is therefore studied with care by those who seek to use it responsibly and not lose themselves to its powerful allure. Magisters of old defined magic as emerging from four Pillars — though some occultists claim there are more forbidden Pillars hidden from the sight of who they call “fumbling practitioners” — and those four Pillars have remained the established norm throughout the kingdoms of Gaia. These four Pillars are generally known as Elementalism, Mentalism, Providence, and Transformation, though regional variations on these names exist.

When a character takes their first step toward wielding magic, they select a single Pillar from which to draw their Spells. For some, this Pillar comes naturally as an extension of their person, while others must seek out a Pillar and access it through exertion of will, overcoming a typically symbolic obstacle, or via Job training and apprenticeship.

Each Pillar is in turn divided into multiple Blocks, with the number varying depending on the Pillar. When a character first links to a Pillar, they feel an innate resonance from one of its Blocks, which becomes their Keystone. Spells from a character’s Keystone Block can be refreshed once per session without the expenditure of Energy. 

Magical Structure

Magic in At the Gates operates on a cooldown system, limiting the number of times a Spell can be cast without a refresh. A Spell can be broken from its cooldown period through the expenditure of Energy, at a rate of 1 Pool for 1 refresh, regardless of the Spell’s Echelon rating. Without Pool, however, Spells are restricted to one of the following casting periods:
  • Dynamic Spells can be used once per round. These Spells tend to be low impact, frequent use magical effects, not requiring the expenditure of Pool to refresh them from one round to the next.
  • Elevated Spells can be used once per scene. Once used, the Spell is usable again in the subsequent scene, or before, if the caster expends Pool to refresh it. These Spells are the most likely to see use in strategic ways, such as magical disguises, battlefield Spells, and the manipulation of another’s mind.
  • Iconic Spells are usable once per game session. Once used, the Spell isn’t usable again until the next game session, or sooner, if the caster uses Pool to refresh their access to it. Though abstracted as a game session, in Gaia this is a process taking hours, potentially including bed rest, meditation, or a good meal. Iconic Spells are rare abilities or extraordinary displays of power with a broad effect on their targets.

Casting a Spell is as simple as applying its described effects. When a target needs to resist its effects, they roll the dice pool specified in the Spell description (or an appropriate equivalent), with the difficulty equal to the caster’s Echelon.



The Pillar of Transformation

Gaia powers the Pillar of Transformation and empowers the caster to manipulate magic itself. While other Pillars connect to the mind, body, and Soul of others, or even the elements, Transformationists connect to the underlying magic residing in all things, and enact change at a fundamental level. The hallmark of Transformation magic is change. Whether by changing themselves, perfecting or destroying a weapon, or changing the very nature of a material, the caster manipulates the natural order and asserts her own will through the change.

The Advantaged
The Pillar of Transformation utilizes Advantage. Advantage is an additive feature. If a character has access to Advantage through multiple sources, those sources all work together to create the most advantageous outcome. All sources of Advantage stack unless otherwise noted, but the highest Advantage rating any one character can have is 5. Remember, if a character has three or more Advantage over another character, she automatically succeeds on actions against the other character.


Perfection

Perfection magic is considered the most straightforward application of transformation magic. The Transformationist strengthens his subjects rather than radically altering them. Wealthy clients seek out Perfectionists to endow themselves with strength, wit, and charm, engineers and smiths hire them as consultants, and many Perfectionists assist healers, artisans, and any other professional who needs their body or tools operating at maximum capacity.

Empower

Keywords: Elevated

Jade’s muscles swell as her magic courses through her body, making her ready for her next attack against the void-tainted beast.

When casting Empower, choose one: Speed, Power, Social, or Intellect. Gain +1 Advantage on the next action the character takes that would take advantage of the type chosen. If not used by the end of the scene, this spell’s effects are wasted.

Advancements

Empower Other •• Choose an ally the caster can see in Medium Range to cast the Spell on instead.

Ontological Inertia ••• The benefit lasts up to the caster’s Echelon actions, or until the caster dismisses the effect. If the caster casts the Spell again, the previous cast ends immediately.

Multifaceted •••• Choose two types of actions when casting the spell, the target receives +1 Advantage to both types of action during the duration.

Ascension ••••• The caster becomes a perfected form of herself. She gains +1 Advantage in all arenas until the end of the scene. Ascension is accompanied by an unmistakably magic visual effect while active: the caster glows with a fiery white aura, the image of a divine being appears behind them, their feet hover above the ground, or any similar effect of the player’s choosing. This advancement is used in place of all other effects.

Reinforce

Keywords: Iconic 

Teodoro watched as the dragon’s acidic breath disintegrated Jullian’s shield. “Not you, Isidore,” he whispered to his sword as he poured his Energy into its being.

The caster targets a single item within Short range. That item is now immune to all mundane attempts to break or destroy it for the rest of the scene.

Advancements

Harden •• The item provides its wielder with a point of armor, even if it isn’t armor. If it is an armor, this stacks with any tags or Spells already on it.

Metaphysical Integrity ••• The item is now also immune to magical attempts to break or transform it.

Living Bulwark •••• The caster may choose to target a living target within Short range instead of an item. The target gains 2 points of armor and gains gains +2 Enhancement to resist the End Spell or transformation effects until the end of the scene. This advancement is used in place of all other effects.

Eternal Artifact ••••• The reinforced item becomes not only indestructible, but bound to its owner. Only the item’s original owner can lift or wield it. Neither the item nor its wielder can be moved through the use of forced movement, including Tricks such as Disarm, Knockdown, or Throw Person. It also grants a +1 Enhancement to its primary use, which stacks.




Metamorphosis

Transformationists use Metamorphosis to alter not only the physical aspects of something, but also its fundamental function. Where Perfection magic strengthens and alters something true form, and Transmogrify turns one thing into another, Metamorphosis adapts people and items to any situation, changing parts of the whole to make it better, stronger, faster, and different, but not necessarily new.

Shapechange

Keywords: Iconic

With a small gesture, Terra’s facial features shifted and changed. In moments, she looked like nothing more than a regular bat-person, rather than her normal crystalline form.

The caster alters her body in a superficial way, changing her height, features, sex characteristics, and any of her physical aspects for the rest of the scene. Gain +2 Enhancement on attempts to fool others with the disguise, and choose two of the options below:
  • Gain 1 additional armor, on top of any armor they’re already wearing.
  • Gain a natural weapon with the Worn and Wounding tags.
  • The caster gains +1 Enhancement to Survival and Ranged Combat actions.
  • Become small and inconspicuous. Gain +2 Enhancement on actions that require stealth.
  • Grow tentacles that give the caster the Reach tag.
  • The caster may freely move underwater without worrying about breath at their normal speed.
  • Wings sprout from the caster’s back, allowing them to fly at up to Short range from the ground.

Advancements

Mimic •• The caster perfectly copies the appearance of another person or creature. Gain +1 Social Advantage when passing themselves off as the person or creature they choose in addition to the +2 Enhancement to disguise attempts. The caster needs to have seen their target either in person or in portraits, but if they can’t see their target when they cast the spell, they manifest a tell, such as the wrong eye or hair color. When the caster takes actions as the person they are impersonating, they suffer a Moderate Complication. Failure to buy it off leads to others investigating her, or trouble arising.

Greater Alteration ••• The caster may choose one additional option, and gains access to the following additional options:
  • Add the Poisoned tag to attacks made with natural weapons.
  • When the caster is in control of a grapple, their grappled opponent must spend an extra hit to Overwhelm or Disengage from the grapple.
  • The caster’s wings harden and may appear to thicken or crystallize. The caster and any ally within Close range is protected as if behind Light Cover.

Internal Shifting •••• The caster may purchase the following Tricks on Defense actions.

Formless Dance (1 hits): This Trick may be purchased multiple times. For each purchase, increase the cost of the Establish Grapple Trick against the caster by 1 hit.

Hidden Organs (1 hits): This Trick may be purchased multiple times. For each purchase, increase the cost of the Critical Trick against the caster by 1 hit.

Final Form ••••• The caster may choose two additional options, and gains access to the following additional options:
  • The caster’s skin hardens to stone. Gain +1 Durability Advantage.
  • The caster grows in immense size and strength. Gain +1 Power Advantage.
  • The caster’s sense become incredibly enhanced. Gain +1 Intellect Advantage.
  • The caster’s natural weapons become jagged and sharp. Gain +2 Enhancement to attacks made with natural weapons.
  • The caster’s wings become extremely powerful. The caster can fly up to any range band from the ground and has +1 Speed Advantage while flying.


Transmogrify

The act of transmogrification is not simply transmuting one substance into another. Instead, the Transmogrify Block takes a substance, or person, and changes them into something wholly different and new. Practitioners change the magic itself, making old into young, big into small, solid into liquid and so many other permutations that there are whole schools of magicians devoted to the study of Transmogrify.

Animate

Keywords: Iconic

The pool of water swirled and rose into the air before Ophelia. She nodded once in satisfaction as the small water creature took form and opened its eyes to look at her.

Target a single object to bestow life to for the scene. This can be any kind of physical matter, solid or liquid. The animated entity acts has the Adept template (p. XX) with two Qualities of the caster’s choice. The caster may give the animate commands as a simple action.

Advancements

Independence •• The caster may now give the animate commands as a reflexive action. In combat, it only moves and attacks enemies the caster also attacks.

Greater Animate ••• The caster may choose two additional Qualities for the animate, as well as a single Art which it can use a number of times equal to the caster’s Echelon.

Monstrous Creature •••• The animate now uses the Elite template (see p. XX) instead of the Adept template.

Enlightened Being ••••• The animate now acts of its own accord without commands from its master, and it gains access to a second Art. This spell no longer ends at the end of the scene and the creature persists until killed. At the end of the scene, the caster no longer has any connection to the animate, though it will start with a positive attitude towards her.

Lightspin

Keywords: Dynamic

Lucien pulled at the air and the light bent to follow his gesture. As he moved, the light wove into patterns until he carried a gleaming hammer, ready for use.

The caster creates a mundane object out of pure light that can be used for a single action. Any item created this way grants +1 Enhancement for its primary use, and gains a single tag appropriate for its type. Objects created with Lightspin glow as brightly as a torch with an inner light.

Advancements

Imbued Light •• The created item now lasts for a number of actions equal to the caster’s Echelon.

Motespin ••• The created item is considered magical. It now grants +2 Enhancement to its primary use and has 3 tags.

Soulspun •••• The item is bound to the caster’s soul. If it is a weapon, reduce the cost of Combat Tricks by 1 hit to a minimum of 1. If it is an armor, increase the cost to purchase Combat Tricks against the caster by 1 hit. If it is an item, reduce all Complications associated with its use by one rank.

Arsenal of Light ••••• As an iconic spell, the caster creates a gleaming armory of shimmering weapons and armor out to Short range that lasts for the scene. Any enemies in Short Range are immediately pushed out to Medium Range. If an enemy comes within Short Range they must make a rolled movement action with a Major Complication. If they fail to buy it off, they are knocked prone and suffer 1 damage. Any enemy within Short range suffers a Moderate Complication on all physical actions, if not bought off, they suffer 2 damage. The caster or any allies within the Spell’s effect may take a weapon and wield it as though it were created with Motespin. This advancement is used in place of all other effects.




We'll have the complete draft manuscript version of Chapter 6 out to backers on Tuesday, leaving our final chapter of amazing Antagonists coming our way on June 4. Before we get to that we'll have two final sneak peeks. What should we look at first?  (I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but let's see how many votes we can get by Wednesday morning so I know how much information to share about Daemons!)