Where You At?

I've been silent on here as I've been working feverishly to promote Pure Steam on Kickstarter via YouTube, , Twitter, and anywhere else they'll like me write words.

If you're still reading this blog, I apologize for letting it rust like a car in the front yard.  We've made good progress so far, raising 58% of the required funds on Kickstarter at the time of this writing.  But we've only got three weeks to go, and I could really use the support of my core gamer friends (that's you!).

Would you mosey over to Kickstarter and drop some love?  It'd mean a lot. 

Pure Steam Kickstarter Rewards

Kickstarter.com has accepted our proposal, and will allow us to fundraise on their site. This is huge! Projects on their site have a 50% success rate (provided they have an explanatory video, which we will). I threw together this logo for the project until we can get a professional one together.

In case you're not familiar with Kickstarter, the gist is you get individuals to donate to your project in exchange for some sort of tangible reward.  The project won't be up for fundraising for another week, but I wanted to give my followers a glimpse at the rewards:

$5: Name printed in book as a supporter.

$15: PDF download a month before release.

$25: Soundtrack download a month before release.

$35: Adventure module PDF download a month before release.

$75: Signed hard copies of book, soundtrack, and adventure module a month before release.

$150: Exclusive access to first round of beta playtest.  Your feedback will influence the design.

$250: A seat at an exclusive game session run by our team at either GenCon Indy or Origins (your choice).  Feedback from you will influence game design. (limit 20)

$500: You'll be written into the setting as an NPC.  AvatarArt will do a MASTER level illustration of you in your NPC role, published in the book (limit 10)

Pure Steam is Happening

I know it's been a while since I posted.  I've been locked away with some developers making my steampunk RPG a reality.

Paizo granted us a compatibility license with the Pathfinder RPG.  That was a load off!

AvatarArt.com has been working with us on some concept art.  I'm very pleased.

Con Goodwin, Ructioneer Fighter

So far, here's some of the updates...

We have two completely new classes:
Chaplain: part healer, part social adept, part buffer.  There is some overlap with the bard, but no music required.
Prodigy: In a world of tech with no magic, those with quick minds prevail.  The prodigy can focus their mind on medicine, combat, technology, or a mix of the three.

There are a archetypes fleshed out:
Fumigant Alchemist: Donning a gas mask and turning any agent into an aerosol is what they do best.
Ructioneer Fighter: Provoking and frustrating foes is this guy's forte.  He can use diplomacy to WORSEN a mood.

Plus all the steampunk tech you know you love.

Electromagnetic Belt of Deflection

More to come.  We're up on Kickstarter come January.  We'd appreciate all your support!

Pure Steam Update: PF Compatibility

Pure Steam was just granted a Pathfinder Compatibility License!  What does this mean?

1.  We'll be able to use Paizo copyrighted material, giving credit where it's due.
2.  We'll be able to put the Pathfinder logo on our products.
3.  A larger base will (hopefully) give our game a try.

Why is this so huge?  Well, Pathfinder is currently the biggest tabletop RPG on the market.  Yeah, suck it 4E!  I love this, because Wizards (imho) tried to screw Paizo out of business by taking back the Dungeon and Dragon magazine publishing rights.  Paizo has taken the once defunct 3.5 ruleset, revamped it, and crammed it back down Wizards' throat.

There are some great classes in Pathfinder which will suit Pure Steam well.  Examples are the alchemist and gunslinger. 

What are you looking for in a Steampunk setting?

Steampunk Development Underway

So, I've assembled a team of crack(pot) developers to help me move Pure Steam (that's what I'm calling it until I come up with something better) into an actual product.

I have three game content developers on board, as well as an artist and a musician (yeah we're rolling out an original soundtrack with the core book!).

Last night, we were supposed to have a telecon (considering 2/3 of us live out of my town). I was dialed in, waiting for a couple more people to call in (Lance was already there!), when our social worker arrived (we're adopting a baby!). She wasn't supposed to visit our house until the day after (today), but she mixed up her dates. So, I had to cancel the meeting. I could imagine what kind of marks I'd get if I told her, "Go away! I'm meeting with guys to make a game!"

So, sadly, I had to cancel the meeting. But Brennan stayed, and we hashed out a few more details.

Also, Devon worked up a few (very) preliminary sketches of our cast of characters and some lighter-than-air transport. I'll post them soon.

Comment and let me know what you'd want to see in an original steampunk setting!

Airship Pirates

This track is currently giving me newfound motivation for steampunk innovation.

New RPGs

Just a quick note:

I'm working with some fellow gamers to push two RPGs out the door soon.

Metal Corps, a futuristic soldier-based RPG, will start beta playtesting next month. It uses rules similar to 4E or SWRPG Saga Edition, with plenty of fresh changes to speed up play and capture the real hopelessness of a space colony encountering some dire threats.

I have an old friend who's going to produce an original soundtrack for Metal Corps, and I am VERY excited about that!

And, I've finally found a solid partner to assist with my Steampunk endeavor. I've decided to use Pathfinder OGL rules. So, my goal is to roll out the core setting by this time next year. The Steampunk game is going to take place in Appalachia, with some pretty familiar archetypes and politics. Firearms and technology are expected to push realism (of course, there will be plenty of fantastical exceptions).

If you're interested in playtesting either of these games, let me know!

Steampunk Classes, Part I

After two playtest sessions (ridiculously adventurously fun sessions, by the way), I'm looking into some of the rules and assumptions I started out with in this Steampunk Campaign Setting I'm working on.

I've been using the Fantasy Flight Games book Sorcery and Steam as a jumping off point (it's 3e generic, but it's pretty in line with the way I want to run things).

The basic pathfinder classes I want to use are:

Barbarian
Bard
Fighter
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer

I'm also considering the Cavalier, which is a marshall/knight type of class if you're familiar with 3.5.

Today I'm mulling also over the Musketeer class, which is presented in S&S as a unique character class. It's fraught with dead levels, which is something Pathfinder doesn't take kindly to, so I've been thinking of how to modernize it for the system. But I was thinking, does the musketeer need his/her own class? Couldn't a fighter accomplish the same?

What about the artificer class? This is also in S&S and it's essentially a skilled (8 skill points per level like the rogue) character who gets craft-related special abilities. I think something like this class is essential in a technologically advanced setting. It's especially relevant (and appealing) in a gestalt game (which mine will be, if you recall) due to the fact that you can be a creator character without sacrificing pulpy action (by taking a fighter class or something similar in conjunction with the artificer class).

Any other thoughts? What classes would (or wouldn't) work well in a world where religion isn't (necessarily) relevant and magic is outlawed but existent?

My Foray into Steampunk

I am but an infant standing before an ocean when it comes to the genre of Steampunk, but I am quite excited about the gaming opportunities it extends. A gnome escaping from a train heist by sealing the dining car's door with a glue bomb would be amazing. Or a group of half-orc tribesmen that take down the zeppelin of the local oppressive duke with bows and arrows, yeah, that's the ticket!

I'm a long way from making this a true sustained campaign reality, but so far here's what I know.

The world will be my own (sort of).
The geography will match that of our Earth, but history shall be quite different.
The 'civilized' world at this point currently reside on the continent we call North America.
There are approximately 36 nation-states. The two most powerful of which are the Federated States of Ullera and the Sovereign Kingdom of Rausch, currently allies which share borders.

Ullera sits between what we know as the Mississippi River and the East Coast, going north to the shores of the Great Lakes and south to the Everglades. It is a technologically driven state which in many ways mirrors the U.S. in the 1860s. Magecraft has long been outlawed here, but it is rumored to exist.

West of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean spans the vast, sparsely populated Kingdom of Rausch. It's king rose from despondent orphanhood to a high position in the state church, eventually securing royal status by marrying ALL THREE of the prior king's daughters. He is highly respected and quite just.

Ulleran settlers, sick of coalsmoke-clogged cities, set east decades ago on all manner of craft (from dirigible to clipper to ship), but the harsh conditions and violent natives in the continents to the east have prevented Ullera from establishing meaningful colonies.

Gameplay will likely be limited to three player characters at a time. Pathfinder RPG rules will be used, augmented by third party steampunk expansions (mainly 3.0 books, actually). Players will all run gestalt characters (taking the best of any two classes).

Gameplay in the first campaign will include limited options. Greater options will be 'unlocked' as the world is explored (Example: once players encounter Knights of Rausch, the paladin class will become available.)

Players will start in Ullera (in game one), and race/class options will be limited to:

Races: Human, Half-elf, Elf, Gnome, Dwarf, Halfling.
Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer.

Magic knowledge available to players will be limited to 3rd level spells until higher knowledge is unlocked.

Equipment: Modified black powder weapons exist. Reloading will take something like two full rounds (anything more will make it little fun for an RPG), which can be reduced by feats and class features.

There's plenty to flesh out here. Hit me up with questions. I'm sure there are aspects I haven't considered yet!