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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:

The Arts of Motion and Control
about 2 years ago – Thu, May 23, 2024 at 07:23:52 AM

Hello Outlanders,

I've got another sneak peek for you today, touching on some of the cool stuff that's coming our way in the next backer manuscript drop. Again, this is just a glimpse into the full draft of Chapter 6, which all backers will have access to on Tuesday.

You voted and our top two results are the Art of Motion and the Art of Control!

Arts

Martial practices rise among warrior-cultures all across Gaia. Scholars of fighting styles and martial history call these methods Arts. Some Arts are passed from master to student across centuries of refinement and study, while others are reflections of individual skill, honed by a singular warrior’s unique style.  Though they derive from her character’s profession Path, a player purchasing these Arts chooses how her character knows them.

Arts tie into the Momentum pool with Desperation and Readiness abilities. 

Desperation occurs when there are zero Momentum in the pool at the time the Art is activated. A player cannot spend the cost of an Art specifically to declare its Desperation effect. Ignore the normal Momentum cost to activate a Desperation Art when there is no Momentum in the pool. 

Readiness requires a certain number of Momentum be available to use. Each Readiness ability specifies the minimum number of Momentum necessary to activate it. Like Desperation, that number must be met at the time the Art is declared. Spending Momentum to use an Art’s effect does not cancel a Readiness ability if it would reduce the pool below the minimum requirement.



The Art of Motion (Harrier)

A character with the harrier Profession Path learns The Art of Motion and unlocks Rogue’s Guile automatically. Motion Arts utilize Athletics, Enigmas, and Larceny. Attacks boosted by the Art of Motion may use any of these Abilities in place of Close Combat, Esoterica, or Ranged Combat. The Art of Motion allows a harrier to make magical attacks with a close combat weapon rather than a focus.

Rogue’s Guile 

Prerequisites: Harrier Profession Path

Brick waits patiently as Cassandra brings the Void tainted creature into position. She strikes it, and Brick jumps in to take advantage of the opening she creates. 

Whenever your character attacks an enemy that has previously been attacked by an ally and is in the same range band as her and an allied character, treat all Tricks as requiring one fewer hit, to a minimum of 1. 

Readiness: If there are half the maximum or more Momentum in the pool and the attack is successful, apply an appropriate combat status effect relevant to your character’s Keystone. 

Backup Plan

Prerequisites: Enigmas or Larceny 3, Echelon 2

When things started to go south, Caspian spoke up. Their friends eagerly followed the harrier’s clever plan, deftly avoiding the danger ahead. 

Once per session, after seeing the result of any failed non-combat action — including its narrative consequences — you may pause the scene and spend a Momentum. After spending the Momentum, briefly discuss how this could have succeeded because of your character’s backup plan, and then continue with play as if the action had succeeded in the way you agreed upon. 

Clever Rogue’s Rush

Prerequisites: Athletics 2

Muriel dashed across the battlefield in a blur. No one even saw her knife plunge into the guard before he was down. 

Whenever your character runs or rushes, spend a Momentum. He may cross one range band further. For example, he may run from Close to Long range. If he is attacked before the end of the round in which he used this Art, he may use the Dive to Cover defense Trick as though it had a cost of 0. 

Readiness: If there is half the maximum or more Momentum in the pool, ignore any area effects during this movement. 

Discerning Scoundrel’s Sense

Prerequisites: Enigmas or Larceny 2

Hoffrun eyed the woman standing before him for no more than a second before concluding that she posed no threat to him or his allies. 

After using an action to observe a target or after successfully stealing something from a target’s person, you may ask the Storyguide to reveal one of the following: 
  • Criminal history or recent criminal activities the target may have done. 
  • The origin and value of any one item or weapon on their person, including if it is magical or not. 
  • The number of dice and actions in the target’s Primary pool. 

Readiness: If there are three or more Momentum in the pool, reveal one other piece of information. 

Parabolic Step

Prerequisites: Athletics 3

Unbound from the tyranny of the earth, Caspian leaps into the air and away from his pursuers leaving them baffled in his dust. 

Once per turn, in place of moving, you may spend one Momentum and instead have your character jump one range band vertically or leap two range bands horizontally. This bypasses any obstacles or area effects that could be cleared by jumping, rather than moving through them. 

Desperation: The character may make a reflexive attack against an enemy in the range band where he lands. 

Undeterred by Obstructions

Prerequisites: Enigmas or Larceny 4

Willow doesn’t allow something as mundane as doors or windows to stop her from getting to her prize. 

Once per scene you may use this Art to declare that your character has bypassed a locked, sealed, obstructed or otherwise unopenable portal such as a door, vault, or window. She may exit the area she accessed using this Art, but may not re-enter it during the same scene and may not take other characters with her. 



The Art of Control (Mage)

A character with the mage Profession Path learns The Art of Control and unlocks Arcane Mastery automatically. Control Arts utilize Esoterica, Science, and Technology. Attacks boosted by the Art of Control may use any of these Abilities in place of Close Combat, Esoterica, or Ranged Combat. 

Arcane Mastery

Prerequisite: Mage Profession Path 

Lucien set down the tome and heaved a sigh. His head throbbed, but he knew the study had paid off; his spells would be so much stronger now.  

When you unlock this Art, choose one of the following benefits to permanently benefit your character’s Spells. You may purchase this a second time. Each entry may only be purchased once. 
  • Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to rolled actions (such as attacks) supplemented by Spells in the character’s Keystone. 
  • Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to resistance rolls to avoid or ignore the results of Spells that target your character. 
  • Spells that target allies may target one additional ally. 
  • Spells cast in the same scene in which an ally takes a rolled action refresh bond Enhancement with that ally. 

Mental Library

Prerequisite: Esoterica 2 

Ophelia had spent hours and hours poring over books and scrolls. Her mind was filled to the brim with facts — useful and otherwise. 

Whenever an action regarding knowledge of some variety would arise and does not use Esoterica, you may instead substitute your character’s dots of Esoterica for the requisite Skill. The Storyguide should provide you with an answer through the lens of her vast breadth of knowledge, rather than the context of the specific Skill. 

Desperation: Add an Enhancement that stacks to this roll. 

Readiness: If there are three or more Momentum in the pool, reduce the cost of associated Tricks for this action by 1 to a minimum of 1. 

Alchemic Alteration

Prerequisites: Esoterica or Science 5, Echelon 2 

Lucien closed his hand around Cassandra’s bleeding wound. He chanted the incantation and the wound closed, transformed from blood and tissue to magical power, leaving his friend with only a sense of euphoria. 

Once per round, your character may end a negative status effect by transmuting it into a positive one. This applies once per scene outside of combat. Once per session, she may similiarly end an area effect by transmuting it into another of your choice. 

Desperation: If the transformed status effect did not become the Inspired status effect, gain it in addition. If it was, increase the Enhancement bonus from Inspired by 1. 

Readiness: If there are four or more Momentum in the pool and the area effect suppressed was Moderate or Major, your character or one ally within Close range of her may heal one injury. 

Enchant Item

Prerequisites: Science or Technology 3 

Terra waved their hand over the broken compass and imbued it with just a touch of her magic. The cracked glass mended, and the inert needle spun once again, but rather than point due north, it instead tilted directly toward the enemy stronghold. 

At the start of a scene or the first time your character takes an action in a scene, including combat, she may declare that she has transformed a mundane non-weapon object into something magical. This may also transform a mundane weapon into a magical one for the purpose of breaking or mending it. For example, a can on a string may become a long-distance communication device, or an ordinary torch may be enchanted to become waterproof, or a bucket of water declared to never run dry. This enchantment lasts until the end of the scene, at which point the item returns to normal. 

Mage Sense

Prerequisites: Esoterica or Science 2

Terra turned the strange orb over and over in their hands. Its smooth surface yielded no further information, but it was nothing they couldn’t discern with enough study. 

After studying an object or character in an investigation scene or after successfully defending against an attack in combat the first time an opponent attacks your character, you may ask the Storyguide to reveal one of the following: 
  • What magical property or origin does the character or object possess?  
  • Any one Block the target has access to. 
  • Any one magical weakness (such as vulnerability to fire damage) the target has.  

Readiness: If the pool contains three or more Momentum, reveal one additional piece of information. 

Portal

Prerequisite: Esoterica or Science 4, Echelon 2

With a flourishing gesture, Ophelia opened a hole in the world limned with pale blue light. Gareth Falconer tumbled through the portal to get closer to his prize. 

Once per session or once per fight, your character places a portal in one location within her range band or within the immediate area. The portal opens to another location within Long range in combat or another location she is familiar with or have previously been otherwise. This portal stays open for the rest of the scene. Characters may move through it using a movement action as normal. 

Desperation: Characters who pass through the portal gain one status effect appropriate to your character’s Keystone. Allies always gain a positive status effect. Enemies gain your choice of either negative or beneficial status effects. 

Readiness: If there are half the maximum or more Momentum in the pool, when an enemy moves through the portal, you may place them anywhere within medium range of the portal’s location.



OK, here are two more quick peeks....

Advanced Arts

Characters progress into Advanced Profession Paths, which unlock access to Advanced Arts. Advanced Arts function the same as basic Arts. 

The Sagacious Art (Sage)

Sages require the diviner Profession Path, Empathy 4 and Medicine or Persuasion 3. Characters taking this Advanced Art unlock Unleashed God-Rays automatically. 

Unleashed God-Rays

Prerequisite: Sage Profession Path, Restore the Soul, Echelon 2

Holding aloft her hand, Aphbet focused the power of her soul and used it to sear straight through the undead warriors in her path. 

Make an attack against a creature within Medium range and spend one Momentum. The target must be a daemon, undead, or some other creature of supernatural origin. This attack ignores any Immunity or Invulnerability Qualities the target may have as well as any armor. The target gains the unique Weakened status effect. You may not use this attack again against a target who is already Weakened.

Weakened
The target has been enervated by holy magic. They lose any Enhancement to attacks made against the Sage who applied this status effect. Additionally, their defense is decreased by 1 against attacks made by the Sage. 

Resolution: The target deals damage to the Sage who inflicted the condition, or another character within Close range of the Sage.        

The Tactical Art (Tactician)  

Tactians require the warlord Profession Path, Close Combat 4 and Leadership or Pilot 3. Characters taking this Advanced Art unlock Inspiring Presence automatically. 

Inspiring Presence

Prerequisite: Tactician Profession Path, Tactician’s Guiding Strike, Echelon 2

Nuna walked onto the battlefield and her allies cheered. Her presence was all it took to bend them doubly to their task.

Spend 1 Momentum. All allies within Close range of your character gain double-9s to attack and defense actions so long as they remain within range. 

Desperation: Extend the range to Short. 



As mentioned, backers will have access to the full draft version of Chapter 6 on Tuesday. In fact, all backers will have access to the complete current draft of the book before the campaign ends - before any pledges are processed or payments collected! So please continue to invite your friends and friendly gamers to join in on our campaign and you could literally start playing by June!

On Tuesday we'll get the full chapter, but who wants to wait until then to learn a bit more about Magic? We'll have another sneak peek on Sunday, this time covering the Pillars of Magic.

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.

The Pillar of Anima is a measure of a caster’s connection to her own Soul and that of others. From this connection comes the physical manifestation of health, vitality, protection, purification, and conversely, rot, decay, and the entropy that brings all things to ruin.

The Pillar of Cognition concerns itself with the minds of the inhabitants of Gaia. From the smallest animal to the largest dragon, Cognition soothes, provokes, tricks, and empowers others.

The Pillar of Elementalism represents a caster’s connection to the world around her and to Gaia. It is the most external of all magic, allowing the caster to manipulate the things around her.

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. 

So, which Pillar of Magic should we peek at on Sunday? Let's cast our votes! The top answer will be the subject of our next sneak peek!




New Minigame - Backer Recruiting
about 2 years ago – Tue, May 21, 2024 at 12:29:22 PM

Hello Outlanders,

I've been impressed for a long time with Danielle's creativity! Watching the Storypath system grow from those first Scion Second Edition and Trinity Continuum projects through to the latest Storypath Ultra iteration, which sort of evolved to bring At The Gates to life, to all of the early design diaries and bits and pieces she's shared on the Discord...

Well, it's been amazing to watch At The Gates come to life. But it didn't stop when the draft manuscript was ready for final development or the Crowdfunding campaign was set up. Danielle has kept creating and building new bits for this campaign.

Danielle has also been hard at work organizing and making new Add Ons possible. To celebrate, we have a new Minigame: Backer Recruiting!

(Yeah, that's my way of celebrating the Fishing Minigame from the latest backer Manuscript chapters! Check it out if you haven't already! It's a perfect example of genre emulation in this game).

BACKER RECRUITING

The rules for this minigame are similar to our existing Stretch Goal infrastructure, but instead of setting funding targets to trigger bonus rewards and opportunities, we're setting goals based on the number of Backers who have pledged to the project!



At 900 Backers - NEW ADD ON: AT THE GATE CHIBI PINS - Five different soft enamel 2" pin designs will be available as an Add On option at $14 each or the set of all 5 for $60. 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.
 


 
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.





Backer Draft Manuscript Part 3
about 2 years ago – Tue, May 21, 2024 at 05:58:48 AM

Hello Outlanders!

I know for sure this game is hitting me hard because it's starting to leak into my subconscious. I had a dream last night that I was a chokobo farmer. Very weird. I am not a Final Fantasy person at all, really, and I don't know where it came from, but reading all of the At The Gates stuff in the manuscript and that Danielle shares in interviews and around the web has definitely got some specific neurons firing.

Anyway, on to today's manuscript section!



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

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

I'm sharing the manuscript in sections over the next 2 weeks days. Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so that 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: Reflecting Genre
about 2 years ago – Sun, May 19, 2024 at 06:11:39 AM

Hello Outlanders,

First up, before we get to today's sneak peek, let's celebrate!  We've flipped another Stretch Goal target from red to green!


ACHIEVED! -At $46,000 in Funding – AT THE GATES SHIRT ON REDBUBBLE – An At The Gates-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.

Next up, some fun tools for online game play.


At $48,000 in Funding – AT THE GATES VTT TOKEN PACK – Digital assets will be created to support online play for At The Gates, including key character and creature tokens from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.

Hopefully we'll unlock this goal over the next week! Things do slow down during the middle weeks of a campaign, so please continue to spread the word and let's recruit new backers to our cause and see if we can continue to move forward on these achievements!


I've got another preview for you today, this time take from Chapter 7, which is full of Storyguide advice and guidance. As noted, Backers will have full access to the draft version of the manuscript for this chapter as well as Chapter 5 on Tuesday, and will be able to read the entire book before the campaign ends - before any pledges are processed or payments collected. So let your friends know they can join in at the $5 or $25 tier right now and read the book as we go along and bail out before the end if the game is not to their liking. I think they'll stick around, though - this game is awesome.

Genre Influences

At the Gates draws proudly on the genres of epic fantasy, political fantasy, and especially the space where they overlap in JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem. 

Political fantasy ranges from the dark and violent Song of Ice and Fire to equally dramatic but less bleak fare. At the Gates veers toward the more hopeful side of the genre, like the flash and drama of the Gentleman Bastards series. Young Adult fantasy series, with a fundamentally hopeful outcome, are useful reference points, as are comics like Monstress that adeptly blend the political with the magical. 

While Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem are the bedrock of At the Gates inspiration, it also draws on other high magic JRPGs like the Tales series and The Last Remnant. Spren from The Stormlight Archive is a good touchpoint for Everend’s daemons. Octopath Traveller and other games informed At the Gates’ magic. 

In truth almost any piece of media that pictures a world of tension and epic fantasy are great resources for At the Gates.

Reflecting Genre

Taking inspiration from these genres, in any media, is a strong foundation for At the Gates stories and characters.

Politics and Intrigue

Politics without intrigue and deception is just a meeting. Wars, treaties, the enforcement and breaking of agreements, and of course personal greed all feature strongly in the genres At the Gates draws from. In roleplaying games, politics gets interesting when it’s personal. Some of the greatest villains of our genres co-opt power structures for their own selfish, sinister, often cataclysmic ends (Seymour in Final Fantasy X being a prime example). They abuse the characters’ trust, turn them into tools (looking at you, Sephiroth) and betray them. Those betrayals cut far deeper than any act of war and they make arch-villains one of the most memorable parts of a story. These genres also give a Storyguide permission to make villains enticing, attractive, and seductive; if the heroes aren’t a little in love with their nemesis, can they really feel the right intensity of hate?  

Betrayal isn’t the only way to confound expectations. Unexpected allies are a pleasant surprise. Final Fantasy games make heavy use of mind control for this — for example, Sorceress Edea’s story in Final Fantasy VIII. Any story element gets old when it’s overused, and mind control’s so famous it’s almost a cliché, but you can villain-code any character by giving them an abrasive personality and incredible style. Less flippantly, when the players discover an apparent villain has a relatable motivation, for example saving a loved one, and the group wins them over by solving their problem, the reformed villain becomes an emotionally significant ally. 

Fire Emblem, along with the fantasy novels listed in “A Treasury of Inspiration” treat political intrigue as a contest of equals. There may or may not be an evil faction, but there’s rarely an entirely good one. That’s the model At the Gates uses. There aren’t goodies or baddies, but several factions for whom meeting their own needs requires trampling on someone else’s. That’s helpful for a Storyguide, as it creates far more interesting conflicts than a simplistic model of good versus evil.



Exploration and Travel

A key part of saving the world — and the stakes are always to save the world — is seeing the world. The Zelda games are a masterclass in exploration, presenting different biomes and landscapes, each with their own unique experiences for the players. And experiences are key. 

Oh, and airships. Airships, winged steeds, and other inherently magical forms of transport are never a bad addition to a story. Airships, flying castles, and other passenger transports double as a home base for characters, which gives them a chance to defend, rather than attack, changing up gameplay in the process.

Translating Tropes

There are also some genre tropes that simply don’t translate well to tabletop roleplaying. Teenaged protagonists are one of them. In a novel or video game, an author or designer can protect teenagers from anything uncomfortable. It’s harder to achieve that in a tabletop roleplaying game, even with a robust and well-implemented set of safety tools — especially when the source material cheerfully sends sixteen-year-olds, and often younger characters, into mortal and spiritual peril. Plus, players simply may not want to play teenagers. Opening games up to a wider range of character ages is an important tool for player comfort — and who doesn’t love a world-weary mentor, parental stand-in, or hero coming out of retirement? 

Slow, incremental levelling and resource gathering also falls flat in roleplaying games. Every Final Fantasy player has survived hundreds of hours of grinding, slaying the same monsters again and again for XP and crafting components. It’s an achievement, and it’s fun in a patient, low-key way. In a similar vein, fights where each side stand opposite one another in the middle of an empty battlefield don’t give players much opportunity to use all their skills or add flair to their roleplaying. In a game where fights take much longer and a group plays for just a few hours a week (or month, for some groups), combat must be memorable, exciting, and dynamic. Like boss battles. 

Video game boss battles use exciting environments, unexpected power sets (and transformations), and high stakes to make fights breath taking, edge of the seat, affairs. Not every fight should be as epic, or as lengthy, as a boss fight, but they should all have something that makes them memorable. An interesting arena, where characters must think tactically to make the most of the environment; interesting effects to change up play (enemies that steal trivial bits of equipment can get really annoying); consequences such as ticking clocks or people to rescue; or a foe the characters love to hate. There is, however, a lot of value in re-using the same types of foes, as long as they’re interesting. Once characters have refined their tactics to beat them consistently you can simply mention that, for example, the characters encountered a group of Osseous Warriors on their journey and easily defeated them. 

The single most important lesson to learn from the many works and genres that inspired At the Gates is this: go bigger. Then even bigger. Everything in your At the Gates game should be lovingly detailed and over the top. Character design, the descriptions of mighty sword blows and powerful magics, elemental disasters, and grand speeches are now your stock in trade. Go forth and tell vast, sweeping, epic stories. 



OK, we'll have our next draft manuscript download on Tuesday, covering a lot of the rules and Storyguide bits for the game. That said, I know we're always keen for the next bit after, and in this case, it's all about the Arts and Pillars of Magic.

I'll have a sneak peek coming your way on Thursday and we'll take a look at two of the Arts from the book. As we did with our first sneak peeks, we're going to turn this into a popularity contest! While we'll get all of the information when the draft manuscript comes our way in a few weeks, let's figure out which Art we're most excited to learn about and I'll have a peek at the top two answers.

Arts

Martial practices rise among warrior-cultures all across Gaia. Scholars of fighting styles and martial history call these methods Arts. Some Arts are passed from master to student across centuries of refinement and study, while others are reflections of individual skill, honed by a singular warrior’s unique style.  Though they derive from her character’s profession Path, a player purchasing these Arts chooses how her character knows them.

The Art of Succor (Diviner)
The Art of Succor utilizes Empathy, Medicine, and Persuasion. Attacks boosted by the Art of Succor may use any of these Skills in place of Close Combat, Esoterica, or Ranged Combat.

The Art of Motion (Harrier)
Motion Arts utilize Athletics, Enigmas, and Larceny. Attacks boosted by the Art of Motion may use any of these Abilities in place of Close Combat, Esoterica, or Ranged Combat. The Art of Motion allows a harrier to make magical attacks with a close combat weapon rather than a focus.

The Art of Control (Mage)
Control Arts utilize Esoterica, Science, and Technology. Attacks boosted by the Art of Control may use any of these Abilities in place of Close Combat, Esoterica, or Ranged Combat.

The Art of Command (Warlord)
Command Arts utilize Close Combat, Leadership, and Pilot. The Art of Command allows a warlord to make magical attacks with a close combat weapon rather than a focus.

The Art of Might (Warrior)
Might Arts utilize Close Combat, Ranged Combat, and Athletics. The Art of Might allows a warrior to make magical attacks with a close or ranged combat weapon rather than a focus.

Let's vote and I'll share a sneak peek for the top two results on Thursday. I should also note that there are Advanced Arts like the Killing Art for Assassins and the Tactical Art for Tacticians, but we'll learn about those when we get the full chapter on May 28th!

Sneak Peek: Basic System, Advantage, Attributes
about 2 years ago – Fri, May 17, 2024 at 06:04:03 AM

Hello Outlanders,

Many of us have seen the Storypath system arrive and evolve over the past several years, and have become pretty familiar with the basics of how the mechanics work and how characters interact with the game. 

But not all of us. For some, Onyx Path isn't introducing just a brand new game but also a new system that may be a little different than what they've experienced before. Or, some may be familiar with earlier iterations of Storypath from Scion Second Edition or the Trinity Continuum line but not familiar with some of the differences with Storypath Ultra, the latest version of the rules.

On Tuesday, backers will have access to Chapters 5 and 7 which are the rules-focused chapters in the book, explaining the Storypath Ultra system and how to play the game as well as everything you need to know to run the game for your friends.

Today we'll get a little sneak peek from Chapter 5. Much of this may be familiar to many of you, but for some this is just your first bit digging into the "game" part of the "roleplaying game."

Playing the Game

The core assumption in At the Gates is that your characters are competent at basic tasks. The only reason to pick up the dice and roll is when the result of their actions carry uncertainty, and failure might push the story in a new or different direction.

Any time the outcome of an action is variable, could result in a consequence for failure, or performing the action successfully could set off a chain reaction of unintended consequences, then the player rolls dice to help determine the outcome of the action. This means players should not be rolling dice for everything their character wants to do, especially if the results of the action are uninteresting, or if the failure simply results in the character retrying the action. Instead, consider if there’s something fun that could result from the action being performed poorly or improperly. If you’re ever uncertain about an action’s results, roll the dice.

Rolling the Dice

Storypath requires the use of multiple 10-sided dice (d10). Whenever a character is taking an action that comes with risks, the player forms a dice pool for their action using a Skill and an Attribute. Usually, the Storyguide, the person running the game, tells the player which Skill and Attribute to use after the player describes the action she wants her character to take, but the player may also suggest a Skill and Attribute combination that she feels is appropriate. Players roll dice against a difficulty set by the Storyguide, and must accrue hits equal to or greater than the difficulty for their character to accomplish the action. 

The player collects a number of d10s equal to the number of dots she has in her Skill plus her Attribute combined and rolls. Each die that meets or exceeds the target number of 8 is considered a hit. Any die showing a 10 is considered a double hit, which means the die counts as two hits instead of just one. Special abilities may grant double 9s, which conveys the double hit ability to dice showing 9s as well as 10s.

When rolling for actions, players have access to a special mechanic called Enhancement; which are additional hits that are used in the same way as hits from rolling dice. If the result of the die roll comes up with at least one die at the target number or above, the player can apply her Enhancement to the roll as additional hits.

If the player accumulates hits equal to or greater than the difficulty, the character takes the action as described by the player. This is considered a successful result. Afterward, the player may choose to spend extra hits to purchase Tricks, which allow the character to do more with her action than originally intended, such as take an extra action or gain a benefit.

Some actions come with Complications applied, which create unintended consequences of succeeding in the action. When the player nets enough hits to overcome the difficulty, but there are Complications applied, this is a success with consequences. When an action has a Complication, the Complication is noted in parentheses next to the difficulty. (Ex. Bribing a caravan guard is difficulty 1(2) because it has a Moderate +2 Complication.) The Complication’s number does not factor into the ability for the character to take the action, only to avoid the consequences of succeeding in the action. If the player succeeds and buys off any Complications, then that is considered an extraordinary success. 

A player may choose to accept the consequences of a Complication and instead spend her additional hits to purchase Tricks if she so wishes. If she has enough hits, she may choose to buy off the Complication and purchase one or more Tricks that would apply to the action. 

Rolling Breakdown
  • Roll d10s equal to Skill + Attribute
  • Count all dice showing an 8 or above as a hit. 10s count as 2 hits
  • If any dice show hits, add Enhancement
  • Use hits to overcome the difficulty of the action as set by the Storyguide

Roll Results
  • Disaster; the player does not garner enough hits to overcome the difficulty, but chooses to allow any Complications to occur anyway. (Gain 2 Momentum.)
  • Failure; the player does not garner enough hits to overcome the difficulty. Complications do not occur.
  • Success; the player accumulates a number of hits equal to or greater than the difficulty and may purchase Tricks with remaining hits.
  • Success with consequence; the player suffers consequence for any Complications on the action. Players may avoid unintended consequences by using leftover hits to buy off Complications. Players may also purchase Tricks instead of buying off Complications.
  • Extraordinary success; the player buys off any Complications, and may purchase Tricks to make their action better.

Failure and Disaster

If the player fails to meet the difficulty of the challenge with her hits, then she fails at her action. If she nets zero hits on her roll, then the action is considered an automatic failure, and Enhancement is not applied to the action. If the action carries a Complication, the player may choose to turn any failure into a disaster by allowing the Complication to proceed, even though the action is not successful.

Failure on an action does not imply that the character failed to act, but that his attempt was unsuccessful in some way. He might miss his mark, say the wrong thing to a guard, or get spotted by a struther while sneaking around a nest. 

The result of a failure should always push the story forward and may even include the character succeeding in her attempt, but creating a larger issue in doing so. Failure should always be interesting and introduce a new story element or change the story’s direction based on the character’s attempted action.

On a failure, the player gains a point of Momentum, which goes into a group pool for any player to use in the future. On disaster, the player gains two points of Momentum. 

Momentum

Momentum is a shared resource pool that any player may spend from to gain a variety of benefits. Each game session begins with Momentum points equal to the number of players around the table, regardless of how many Momentum points were available at the end of the previous session. More Momentum is added to the pool by players rolling failures and disasters, using the Bolster Trick, as well as via specific Arts.

Momentum can be used in the following ways:

  • Add an Enhancement hit to an action on a one for one basis. Spend Momentum after the dice have been rolled, and only if the dice roll has at least one hit (as per normal for Enhancement). Normal restrictions for Enhancement apply.
  • Spend 2 Momentum points to change a failure into a success or a success with consequence, if a Complication is present. If you choose this use, you cannot spend more Momentum points for Enhancement for Tricks or to turn the action into an extraordinary success. Other sources of Enhancement apply normally.
  • Spend one point of Momentum to describe a story element in a scene that is now a fact. For example, the player may decide the strange goat-man is a long-lost Caparan uncle, or that the rogue summoner is actually a member of an underground movement to overturn the Vitrumarian president. This is subject to Storyguide approval.
  • Spend 1 Momentum point to gain a piece of evidence about an investigation.
  • Certain Arts require Momentum expenditure to activate. Arts also have special rules that track how much Momentum is in the pool. To learn more about Arts, see p. XX.



Advantage

Sometimes, characters in At the Gates are so incredibly different in certain aspects, that they are beyond normal comparisons. Instead of simply using the base system for taking actions when dealing with these situations, we turn to Advantage to describe it.

Advantage is a comparison tool that determines if one character has… well, a major advantage over another in a certain arena. It’s only relevant when two characters are in opposition to one another, or a character is in opposition to a noteworthy force. Advantage is numbered, but those numbers represent a level of difference and nothing more. Characters have no Advantage over others unless a specific power or ability says they do. Some abilities that give Advantage stack with one another, but that will always be spelled out — otherwise, if multiple possible Advantages apply, the player or Storyguide picks the best or more appropriate one.

Characters can gain Advantage in different arenas, and their Advantage applies only to actions within that arena. The arenas are Durability, Intellect, Power, Social, and Speed. Most Advantage types are direct comparisons, such as two characters with a Social Advantage will compare that Advantage to one another. In the case of Durability, a character with a Durability Advantage is simply harder to attack (Durability Enhancement applies directly to their Defense) and requires Power Advantage to overcome.

Characters with Advantage tally up their total Advantage and compare it to each other and use the results below when taking an action against that character:

  • Gain +2 Enhancement for every point of Advantage a character has over the other. 
  • Suffer +1 difficulty for every point of Advantage a character has under the other.
  • In an opposed action, the character with higher Advantage gains the difference in Advantage as Enhancement on their action, but the character with lower Advantage does not suffer a difficulty increase.
  • If the difference in Advantage is three or more, neither character rolls, and the character with higher Advantage automatically succeeds. This success is always phenomenal, meaning that an attack deals damage and the attacking character can purchase any Tricks they want.

Enhancement from Advantage breaks the normal Enhancement rules for both stacking and the maximum Enhancement bonus on a single action.

Some non-character set pieces in a scene might also gain Advantage for the purposes of comparison. For example, a character may attempt to shoot an airship out of the sky, or race against a rolling bolder. While the airship and the bolder are both inanimate objects and do not roll dice, they may have Advantage. The character acting against them must compare Advantage and either gain Enhancement or suffer difficulty on the action. These special case Advantages are assigned by the mechanics that create them, such as area effects or special abilities.

Example: Yvette is attempting to parlay with the Orydonian congress, which collectively has a 2 Social Advantage. Yvette has a special ability that gives her +1 Social Advantage when making a speech, so comparatively, the council has a net 1 Social Advantage above her. Yvette’s persuasion action is made normally, but the Storyguide adds +2 Enhancement to the council’s Integrity action to resist it.



Attributes

Attributes reflect a character’s inherent capabilities. While Skills represent her learned abilities, Attributes represent mental and physical training. Attributes fall into three different Arenas: Mental, Physical, and Social. Within each arena are three different Attributes that make up the character’s composite abilities.

The Mental Arena’s Attributes are the genius of Intellect, the quick-wittedness of Cunning, and the discipline and attention to detail of Resolve.

The Attributes of the Physical Arena are the brute strength and speed of Might, the deftness of Dexterity, and the vital toughness of Stamina.

The Social Arena is divided between the charisma of Presence, the subtle graces of Manipulation, and the cool and collected nature of Composure.

Mental

Mental Attributes represent cognitive functions, and anything done by sheer power of thought, deductive reason, leaps of logic, mental fortitude, intuition, acts of concentration, and willpower in the face of adversity.

Intellect: Intellect covers a character’s raw computing power. It is used for deduction, problem solving, and processing information. 
Use Intellect when trying to recall specific facts, calculate the trajectory of an object, determine how to fix a broken machine, understand an ancient script, or find a safe place to sleep at night.

Cunning: Cunning covers mental tasks that require speed over power. 
Use Cunning when trying to notice something hidden, understand a political situation, solve a riddle or puzzle, apply emergency medical care, or get away from pursuers in a chase. 

Resolve: Resolve measures a character’s strength of will and resistance to trickery or mental pressure.
Use Resolve when trying to study evidence, search archives, move silently, follow tracks, resist persuasion, understand scientific theories, or stay focused under pressure.

Physical

Physical Attributes cover the control the character has over her body and its interactions with the environment. Feats of strength, coordination, and resistance to illness and injury are reflected in these Attributes.

Might: Might is raw physical power and brute strength.
Use Might when trying to forge a sword, lift or throw heavy objects, intimidate, punch someone with your fist, swing a sword, or climb walls.

Dexterity: Dexterity covers motor control, fine movements, and hand-eye coordination. 
Use Dexterity when trying to jump over a chasm, pick a lock, dance, walk over treacherous ground, maintain balance, shoot a bow, build a delicate machine, or impress people with physicality. 

Stamina: Stamina covers how well a character can resist physical threats, and endure physical pain, injury, and illness.
Use Stamina when trying to run long distances, continue in a fight despite injury, recover faster, meditate, or resist diseases or poison. 

Social

Social Attributes gauge a character’s ability to interact with others. This covers both positive and negative social interactions and how handily a character can interact with and sway others.

Presence: Presence measures a character’s ability to convince other people.
Use Presence when trying to give orders, influence another person, give a speech, interrogate a prisoner, sing, act, or train an animal. 

Manipulation: Manipulation measures a character’s ability to fine tune their social skills and to analyze social cues. The “hard sell” requires a high Presence. Intricate trickery requires Manipulation. 
Use Manipulation when trying to manage people, lie convincingly, perform sleight of hand, notice social cues, or seduce someone.

Composure: Composure measures a character’s ability to resist social manipulation. It measures a character’s ability to remain calm when being interrogated by the town guard or make sure that negotiations go their way. 
Use Composure when trying to resist manipulation, stay firm under pressure, remain calm during an emergency, cut through guild bureaucracy, or notice deception.




Again, these are just snippets from the rules, and Chapter 5 will outline the entire system, explaining Enhancements and Complications and so many more tools to make this game exciting and challenging! I'm a big fan of Storypath Ultra's bit on Advantage, and feel it's a solid implementation of rules that have been hotly debated in years past.

On Sunday, we'll get another sneak peek, this time from the Storyguide Chapter digging into how to reflect various aspects of the genre in your games, from politics and intrigue to exploring and travel.

I know how excited we are to get to Chapter 6, which is full of all the magic bits in the book... and we'll get there. But first, we'll get Chapters 5 and 7 in our next backer manuscript section on Tuesday. As mentioned, this will cover the rules and Storyguiding advice, but it will also include... the Fishing Minigame! So, you won't want to skip past it!

(I love that there's a fishing minigame. That's so perfect)

Have a great weekend, please continue to spread the word, and I'll be back with our next sneak peek update on Sunday!

#AtTheGates