We hit £120k! I know what you're all thinking. What was that mystery stretch goal? IT WAS MERCH! Specifically a big mech sticker pack. You can slap these on your journal, mech, or if you only have access to lame human technology, your computer.
We're in the final stretch now with only 3 days left we're making that last call for those who want to join us on our interstellar adventures. Have your boarding waifers ready and Pilot's Handbook to hand. Not got your copy yet? Pledge here now. Already boarded? Strap in and make sure to share ION Heart with your friends who might love to pilot their very own mech as they explore the stars.
This is it! Our final manuscript preview for the campaign. Using the links below, all backers are able to read the entire current draft of the book, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. While these versions of The World are full of mysteries, there's no secrets here - you know exactly what you're getting into with this project.
Well, just about, I guess. The Onyx Path team will be adding two additional shard settings to the final book. Lost Time was added via Stretch Goal achievement and decided by backer vote. We've added a seventh shard via Stretch Goal, but the final theme of that last shard is still to be determined, chosen by backer vote when this campaign concludes on Thursday, August 15th around 2 PM EDT. There's still time to vote if you haven't, and time to plead your case if your choice isn't currently in first place!
Your options for a new shard:
Teen Drama: Scion High, but with a more action-y style and greatly expanded. More like Riverdale than other teen dramas.
Cartoon: Where being made a fool is worse than being Taken Out.
Sports Drama: Drawing inspiration from Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and the Sandlot. Personal growth through sports competition.
Journey to the Wild West: Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!
Aquatic Adventures: An Atlantis meets Waterworld and pirate-themed shard. Dive into the depths to recover lost relics or awaken the slumbering Earth Gods to create new lands.
Right now, we have about 230 votes, which is only 30% of all backers. So there are still lots of votes that could come in and make some dramatic shifts over the next two days!
International Shipping – Collected in the Pledge Manager
One quick reminder 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 "Read The Update" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the title treatment.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
I've shared the manuscript in sections - or shards, even - over the past 4 weeks. Part of the reason for that is to keep focus on one section at a time so that the team can gather feedback to help guide the manuscript through the next steps of editing and development. To that end, they've created a special Feedback Form for you to submit your comments after reading each section!
One of my favorite things about these shard settings are seeing the different ways that the Scion rules can be bent around new expressions. I *loved* Cyber-Scion, with the Divine Machines acting as expressions of our characters godly powers.
Space Odyssey is a shard that looks to one of Scion’s possible futures, recasting the children of the Gods as the main characters of a space opera. It is intended for Origin and Hero-Tier characters. Let's see how the rules incorporate Starships!
Starships
Space is vast, and people are small, squishy, and usually lack the ability to travel near, at, or beyond the speed of light. If you want to get around and you’re not capable of personally folding spacetime like an origami crane, starships are your best bet. Even better, they’re (often) stylish, comfortable, or at the very least warmer than the vacuum of space.
Starships in Tenebrium are like characters unto themselves, built with their own Paths and a handful of Attributes to represent their key systems. Characters use these Ship Attributes along with their Skills when rolling starship-scale actions — outrunning an enemy fighter combines the helmsman’s Pilot with the ship’s Engines, while repairing damaged systems tests a technician’s Technology alongside the ship’s Durability.
Ship Attributes
Starships have five Attributes: Amenities, Engineering, Maneuverability, Sensors, and Weaponry.
Amenities cover a ship’s general livability, which can be essential during long and difficult voyages. It’s usually paired with Leadership for rallying crew morale, but it can also be used with Empathy to identify personnel problems, Integrity to ferret out sabotage, or Persuasion to impress visitors.
Engineering covers a ship’s hull, shields, and other defenses, along with the ease of repairs and modifications. It usually pairs with Technology, but it can also be combined with Leadership to coordinate wide-scale projects, and Occult or Science to reconfigure the shields to deflect a miraculous or mundane phenomenon, respectively.
Maneuverability covers the ship’s speed and agility, helping it to outrun pursuers, meet deadlines, and navigate dangerous areas of space. It can be paired with Pilot for almost any actions, but you can also use Close Combat for getting into or out of a skirmish, Subterfuge to hide among debris, or Technology to overclock the engines.
Sensors covers the ship’s capacity to detect and analyze the outside world, whether you’re scanning a planet for signs of life or tracking down a hidden space station. It usually pairs with Science, but it can also be used with Academics or Culture to access alien databases, Occult to analyze miraculous intervention, and Medicine or Survival to detect life forms.
Weaponry covers a ship’s…well, weapons. Not all ships are equipped with these, but most have some defenses, especially in the Tenebrium. It’s usually paired with Firearms for attacks at a great distance or Close Combat (with the understanding that “close” is still a relative term for starships) for more intimate engagements. It can also be paired with Culture or Empathy to outwit enemy defenders, Leadership to launch coordinated attacks, or Technology to use unwieldy alien weapons.
Ship Paths
Starships get three Paths, just like the characters who inhabit them: Origin, Crew, and Destiny. Like character Paths, they can be invoked for connections and contacts, bonus dice, or twists of fate (Origin, p. 99).
The Origin Path covers the ship’s original purpose — who built it and why. This might reflect the quality or priorities of the builders, the integration of experimental or alien technology, or other unique aspects of the ship.
Examples: United Mars Deep Space Exploration Vessel, invoked to interface with other Martian technology or survive long journeys without replenishing supplies; Experimental Wukong-Class Engines, invoked to impress Shén explorers or make unusually short-range hops in hyperspace; or Rogue Smuggler Retrofit, invoked to blend in with criminals or conceal illicit cargo from scans.
The Crew Path reflects the general disposition and spirit of the ship’s crew, often focusing on either a shared background or common talents. This Path can sometimes change in play as a result of major shakeups in the Crew; the Storyguide and players should work together to determine how to best reflect these changes in the new wording of their Path.
Examples: The Best and Brightest, invoked to rally a crew of handpicked elite officers and inspire them to their highest heights; Misfit Criminals, invoked to draw on the crew’s diverse history and black-market expertise; or Plucky Up-and-Comers, invoked to jump into danger or start making a name for themselves.
The Destiny Path sketches out a mission, a shared goal the crew and ship strive towards. Sometimes it’s the ship’s true Fate; other times, it’s exactly what Fate is conspiring to prevent.
Examples: The Long Voyage Home, invoked to inspire others who are trying to escape the Tenebrium; Seeking the Horizon, invoked for missions of exploration and discovery; or Appeasing the Gods, invoked for crews seeking atonement and mercy.
Starship Creation
Creating a starship follows many of the same steps as creating any other Storypath character, listed below. Groups should collaborate to build their starting ship as part of Session Zero, though this doesn’t need to be the ship they were originally stranded in — a group might instead build the vessel they’ll receive shortly after arriving in the Tenebrium, for example.
Concept
Decide on the general concept of the ship — is it a sleek, state-of-the-art cruiser from a major stellar power; a beat-up junker retrofitted for smuggling; or a techno-organic starwhale domesticated as a living vessel?
Paths
Describe the starship’s Origin, Crew, and Destiny paths, and discuss what these mean for the group. What will “Deep Space Exploration Frigate” mean in play? How will the crew of “Hard-Nosed Revolutionaries” get along during the chronicle?
Attributes
Divide seven dots among the Ship Attributes, which all start at 1 for free. None can be higher than 5.
Finishing Touches
Starships begin with four Injury Levels, just like normal characters: Bruised, Injured, Maimed, and Taken Out. These represent damage, malfunctions, sabotage, and other shipwide problems that impede the vessel’s overall function. Ships automatically gain an additional Bruised level if they start with Engineering 4 or higher.
Choose a size for your ship, determining its Scale (see below). Most groups will do best with Scale 3 for an intimate game with a handful of recurring Storyguide crew members, or Scale 4 for a more diverse, episode-driven supporting cast.
Starships with crews at the Hero Tier may begin to develop a Legend of their own, starting at 1 and rising to match the Band’s as they progress. Each dot of Legend provides an additional dot of Ship Attribute, allocated at the group’s choice. At Legend 2, 3, and 4, the group also choose one of the ship’s Paths to enhance, allowing it to also function as a Legendary Title for starship actions.
Starship Actions
Starship actions are not just a single act on a character’s part, but an abstraction of many individual choices, usually over a long period of time. Characters can still take normal actions, such as using Technology + Intellect to repair a malfunctioning console or Science + Cunning to reconfigure a shield to filter out a new pathogen, but starship actions help to model large-scale endeavors that affect the entire ship at the same time. They’re also useful tools that the Storyguide can invoke to help frame the start of an episode or the outcome of downtime.
These actions suggest both general difficulties and potential Complications. Storyguides are encouraged to combine these two effectively — usually a low base difficulty and one or two Complications based on the ship’s circumstances. This helps to ensure that even low rolls push the story forward, forcing players to choose between potential Complications in order to establish what kind of dramatic challenges the crew is facing next.
Evasive Maneuvers
Starships move at vast speeds, but even simple maneuvers require tremendous, coordinated efforts. This action models efforts to evade pursuit, hide the ship, or otherwise get out of trouble.
This is usually rolled by a helm officer using their Pilot and the ship’s Maneuverability.
The base difficulty is 2, or 3 in open space without any nearby planets, asteroids, or other elements to leverage. Potential Complications include:
Dogged Pursuit (1-3): You can run, but you can’t hide. If not bought off, an opposing ship is able to match your speed — you’re far enough ahead to stay out of their reach, but only if you keep going. Alternatively, you’re leaving a trail that anyone can follow.
Overclocking (1-3): You can get away, but it taxes the engines to the limits. While you escape trouble, you begin the next scene with the Adrift Condition until you can make extensive and often costly repairs. Until then, you’re left to drift with only minimal thrusters to adjust course, and can’t attempt further Escape Maneuvers.
Perilous Course (1-5): Your escape plan takes you through dangerous territory. If not bought off, you suffer one or more Injury Conditions based on the severity of the danger. This might include scraping the hull in an asteroid storm, overloading the shields to hide in a gas giant, or other plans that put the ship’s safety at great risk.
Major Repairs
Starships have many interlocking systems, and implementing effective repairs demands skill, resources, and ingenuity. This action models the work of large-scale repairs and retrofitting, whether fixing the hull after a disastrous battle or incorporating the alien technology of the Tenebrium into a Martian freighter.
This is usually rolled by an engineering officer, using their Technology and the ship’s Engineering.
The difficulty for repairs is based on the Injury Condition to be repaired — 1 for Bruised, 2 for Injured, 4 for Maimed, and 5 for Taken Out. Other actions like retrofitting are usually difficulty 2 or 3, at the Storyguide’s discretion. Potential complications include:
Midnight Oil (1-3): The project is larger than the repair crew can reasonably handle given the time frame. If not bought off, characters involved in the repairs suffer the Burn Out Condition until they have extensive time to rest and recuperate, taking a −1 penalty to actions requiring physical and mental stamina and worsening their Attitude towards their fellow crew by one.
Expensive (1-3): The project is an enormous drain on the ship’s resources. If not bought off, the ship suffers the Shortage Condition, taking a −1 penalty to a Ship Attribute related to the shortage until they have the opportunity to restock. Alternatively, they might not be able to finalize the project at all until they take on needed supplies, forcing the crew to seek out a suitable source.
We'll get a better idea of how this all works, and a deeper look into other Starship actions and more, when backers gain access to the entire draft of the Space Odyssey section tomorrow. Remember, if you're a backer, you'll have access to the entire current draft of the book tomorrow, allowing you to read the entire thing before any pledges are processed or payments collected.
I'll see you tomorrow! In the meantime, make sure you've voted for our seventh shard, which will be included in the final version of the book!
With only 4 days left to go we know what you're thinking. What's the mystery 120k stretch goal? Well you're gonna have to wait another day to find out as Ben is still working on that little reveal. But what we do have to show you, is our final stretch goal to bring the launch to a close. NEPHILIM.
That's right. If we hit £150k we'll be adding an expanded Nephilim section to the books. Although the hard won peace in the Astral Union was a result of the defeat of the Nephilim that doesn't mean they're completely gone. We'll be exploring the remnants of the Nephilim presence in the galaxy, adding some of them as enemies, and diving into some lore from the Nephilim war.
We're very excited to hopefully unlock this as part of the launch but we need your help to do it. With only a few days left make sure to share ION Heart with you friends. Also, if you've not got your copy there's very little time left to board the rocket ship. Pledge here now.
Sing in me, oh muse, of planets unseen by the eyes of those who share my blood; of that interstellar sea, dark as midnight; of those travelers, weary of their strange roads, who pray for familiar worlds to unfold upon that next horizon. Sing in me and through me of that long journey home.
Seven months and seven days we have wandered here now, and oh muse — the things that I have seen. On jeweled Nymest, its skies adorned with rings of red stardust, there are temples that channel scouring wind into a sound of prayerful song, some ceaseless hymn-wise rhythm. I have stood astride comet-kingdoms, travelling cities that scar the velvet heavens with the blue fire of their passing. I have supped with presidents and empresses over dishes of scorpionfish and vat-grown veal, tasted wine untouched by gravity’s cruel grasp. Such wonders have I seen in our wanderings, and yet…
…and yet, such horrors. On the moons of Khophesat, I saw a plague of twisted shapes, each madness the bespoke torment of a genius long maddened. I have seen warships clad with world-wrecking armaments, the restless lightning-javelins of warriors in search of quarrel. I have seen starving worlds and lonely worlds and worlds long dead; their once-glittering cities open to the sky like the cloven chests of corpses.
And that crew, my crew; my far wandering and lonely crew. They labor beyond what I could demand of them, their faces hero-masked and stoic. I see exhaustion as it creeps into their bones; I see despair as it coils round their hearts. Brave and strong and brilliant as they are, none of them are accustomed to this strangeness. We have gained an infinity of novel worlds, and lost all possibility of home. End log.
Tamara Lowery looked down at the transcript of her day’s log and hovered her finger over the delete button. She was as no-nonsense a captain as the Martian Union had ever made, a steady presence to her relatively unseasoned crew. She came up through stellar cartography and deep space astronomy; she was a scientist, an officer, and a mother, not a poet. But there was something about being so far from home. It was easy to treat their journey home as some great odyssey worth a muse’s attention because that meant it was possible to get back. And there was no promise of that yet.
Mother. The word stuck in her mind like a thorn, and she tried her best not to pick at it. Twenty-nine weeks of wandering meant she’d already missed Virginia’s birthday. Lamar would turn five in a few more days, too. Not for the first time, she wished her love was a lasso long enough to reach her children from across endless space, and sturdy enough that she could pull herself home along it.
It wasn’t though. The little fits of poetry this place — the Tenebrium — provoked in her? They were a distraction. Worse: they were an indulgence. Love wasn’t enough to get them home, and prayer was a slim hope, too. The crew of the Forgiveness knew that they were going where they weren’t wanted when they’d signed up for a trip to Despina. Neptune told them nothing when he wrapped their starship in his wrath and flung them here, beyond all maps and hope of return.
She splashed her face with water from the sink. No moping today. No poetry. She was a rock, upright and steady. In the dim light of her quarters, Captain Tamara Lowery of the M.U. Forgiveness dressed herself and straightened, making her face the same mask of resolute confidence that she wore for her crew every day, and stepped through her door —
And into madness. Gone, the familiar corridors of glassteel and ultraplastic. In their place were high, crumbling walls of weathered stone. The floors were strewn with dust and debris, and overhead the sky — sky, she thought, on my damned ship — was ominous red streaked with clouds of offensive neon pink that hurt to look at for longer than a blink.
Captain Lowery looked down, activating the communicator on her wrist. She called out for a sitrep from anyone who was listening. At first all she got back was static, but she scrolled up the comm frequencies, examining the noise. The pattern reminded her of the signals she’d once gotten from the background radiation of a dying star, and once she knew what to scrub out, the signal came in clear and easy.
“Captain,” a voice came from the communicator. It was a brave voice, but rattled, and it belonged to Lieutenant Jackson. Jarrod was her youngest officer, a baby-faced engineering genius who’d never been outside of the Sol system before…well, before all that unpleasantness with Neptune, the planet and God alike. “I’ve got your signal locked now, Captain Lowery. I’m having trouble keeping up with everyone; the bridge is still here but the other floors have been overtaken by some sort of extradimensional incursion.”
“You’ve got a read on me,” the Captain said, her voice meticulously even-keeled. “That’s good. Good work, lieutenant.” She didn’t have to see the man to imagine him taking a big breath out. Jackson was a good kid, but he flailed around if you cut him off from other people. He didn’t need praise, just contact. Another voice on the comm line. And one day, he’d grow into the confidence he deserved. “Can you get a read on my surroundings?”
“The incursion continues throughout most of your deck, but I think you could still get to the maglift. It’s hard to be sure though; the interference on sensors is a lot thicker than on comms, and even when I get something concrete, the whole place is just a mess, captain, just —”
Tamara Lowery didn’t hear what Jackson said next. Something else pricked her attention. As casually as she could, she peered around a turn in the stone wall. More walls greeted her. Many, many more; branching off in at countless intersections. And there, fifty yards away and stalking towards her, was something so big and so heavy that the walls shook with its every step. It reminded her of a minotaur, but wrong — the horns curled like a ram’s before forking like a deer; the fur was a garish motley of blue and yellow; the snout had a hardness to it, like a beak. It saw her and sped towards her, its war cry enough to deafen her to whatever else Jackson was saying, still.
That was the Tenebrium, through and through — just familiar enough to get an inkling of what was happening, but alien enough that you couldn’t coast along on what you knew from home.
“It’s a maze, lieutenant,” she said, taking off at a run. She chose her path second by second, putting as many turns between her and the creature as she could manage. With luck, it wouldn’t be able to build up too much momentum that way. “Get those sensors sorted out now and point me towards the maglift.”
At $39,000 in Funding - NEW ADD ON - FOUR COLORS-THEMED DICE SET - A dice set selected to represent Four Colors will be offered as an option Add On to all backers pledging to a reward tier that includes a hardcover copy of Scion: Mythic Shards. A drawstring bag with ten 10-sided dice in For Colors colors can be added to your pledge for +$20 each.
At $40,000 in Funding - ADDITIONAL MYTHIC SHARD #2 - A seventh Mythic Shard setting for Scion second edition will be added to the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF and hardcover book. The theme for this additional Shard will be decided by Backer vote!
That's right! If we manage to achieve $40,000 in Funding, the developers and writers will come up with a SEVENTH SHARD to add to the Scion: Mythic Shards book. The theme of the new shard will be decided with a Backer Poll.
Your options for a new shard, should we achieve this Stretch Goal target:
Teen Drama: Scion High, but with a more action-y style and greatly expanded. More like Riverdale than other teen dramas.
Cartoon: Where being made a fool is worse than being Taken Out.
Sports Drama: Drawing inspiration from Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and the Sandlot. Personal growth through sports competition.
Journey to the Wild West: Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!
Aquatic Adventures: An Atlantis meets Waterworld and pirate-themed shard. Dive into the depths to recover lost relics or awaken the slumbering Earth Gods to create new lands.
The poll for backers to vote on their favorite will run until the moment the campaign ends. You must be a backer to have a vote for the possible new shard, so join in before the end if you haven't already! Again, we'll be voting now, but this shard will only be added to the development list and added to the eventual Scion: Mythic Shards book if we unlock this Stretch Goal at $40,000 in Funding!
Hey all! We are in the final few days of this project. You've all been incredible and helped us smash through every goal, thank you! 🥳
We are cramming a LOT into the two shoot days already so we won't be able to add more onto this campaign, but we're super excited to get together, get everything shot, and deliver your goodies to you! And who knows? There might be a few extra surprises along the way. ;)
If you want to join me and hopefully a few other members of the project for our end of campaign online party you can catch that on my Twitch starting Friday Aug 16th at 7:30PM Eastern. We'll be live through the end of the campaign at 8PM eastern that night and hang out a little after if people want to chat or ask questions.
Please keep sharing the project with artists in your community so they can know about this and get the super cool rewards!! 🥰 Yay poses!
I've got a lot to go over today, but before we get into it, let's celebrate! Because we've unlocked another Stretch Goal! Actually, we've unlocked FOUR since we started our Final Week Countdown. These were the four targets that were shared in our Final Week Countdown last Thursday!
ACHIEVED! - At $36,000 in Funding - MYTHIC SHARDS REFERENCE GUIDE PDF - FAREWELL TO HEROES - A series of charts and information for a Storyguide to use while running a Farewell to Heroes game will be added to the Reference Guide PDF. This PDF will automatically be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF.
ACHIEVED! - At $37,000 in Funding - NEW ADD ON - FAREWELL TO HEROES-THEMED DICE SET - A dice set selected to represent Farewell to Heroes will be offered as an option Add On to all backers pledging to a reward tier that includes a hardcover copy of Scion: Mythic Shards. A drawstring bag with ten 10-sided dice in Farewell to Heroes colors can be added to your pledge for +$20 each.
ACHIEVED! - At $38,000 in Funding - MYTHIC SHARDS REFERENCE GUIDE PDF - FOUR COLORS - A series of charts and information for a Storyguide to use while running a Four Colors game will be added to the Reference Guide PDF. This PDF will automatically be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF.
ACHIEVED! - At $39,000 in Funding - NEW ADD ON - FOUR COLORS-THEMED DICE SET - A dice set selected to represent Four Colors will be offered as an option Add On to all backers pledging to a reward tier that includes a hardcover copy of Scion: Mythic Shards. A drawstring bag with ten 10-sided dice in For Colors colors can be added to your pledge for +$20 each.
Our unlocked Dice Add On options now look like this:
And great to see our "DIY Storyguide Screen" PDF supplement has now expanded to include 4 of the 5 starting shards from the book. We should probably set up our final Dice Set Add On and Reference Guide addition Stretch Goal targets before the end. We've also got one more pretty big Stretch Goal target that we're closing in on...
At $40,000 in Funding - ADDITIONAL MYTHIC SHARD #2 - A seventh Mythic Shard setting for Scion second edition will be added to the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF and hardcover book. The theme for this additional Shard will be decided by Backer vote!
We;re *SO CLOSE* to unlocking this one. Once we manage to achieve $40,000 in Funding, the developers and writers will come up with a SEVENTH SHARD to add to the Scion: Mythic Shards book. The theme of the new shard will be decided with a Backer Poll.
Your options for a new shard, should we achieve this Stretch Goal target:
Teen Drama: Scion High, but with a more action-y style and greatly expanded. More like Riverdale than other teen dramas.
Cartoon: Where being made a fool is worse than being Taken Out.
Sports Drama: Drawing inspiration from Ted Lasso, A League of Their Own, and the Sandlot. Personal growth through sports competition.
Journey to the Wild West: Journey to the West, but it's set in the Wild West. Wuxia cowboys!
Aquatic Adventures: An Atlantis meets Waterworld and pirate-themed shard. Dive into the depths to recover lost relics or awaken the slumbering Earth Gods to create new lands.
The poll for backers to vote on their favorite will run until the moment the campaign ends. You must be a backer to have a vote for the possible new shard, so join in before the end if you haven't already! Again, we'll be voting now, but this shard will only be added to the development list and added to the eventual Scion: Mythic Shards book if we unlock this Stretch Goal at $40,000 in Funding!
Beyond that...
At $42,000 in Funding - MYTHIC SHARDS REFERENCE GUIDE PDF - SPACE ODYSSEY - A series of charts and information for a Storyguide to use while running a Space Odyssey game will be added to the Reference Guide PDF. This PDF will automatically be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF.
At $44,000 in Funding - NEW ADD ON - SPACE ODYSSEY-THEMED DICE SET - A dice set selected to represent Space Odyssey will be offered as an option Add On to all backers pledging to a reward tier that includes a hardcover copy of Scion: Mythic Shards. A drawstring bag with ten 10-sided dice in Space Odyssey colors can be added to your pledge for +$20 each.
Our final two stretch goals covering the final shard from our book! Let's see what we can unlock before the end! Hiromi has been out exploring the galaxy and collecting rare space dice in preparation...
We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Scion: Mythic Shards finishes the crowdfunding campaign on Thursday, August 15th at 2:00 PM EDT. There's still time to Inspire others to help explore these iterations of The World, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final four days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Final Days Schedule
Aug 11 - Reward Tier & Add On Review (That's Today!)
Aug 13 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Space Odyssey!
Aug 14 - Stretch Goal Review
Aug 15 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you're completed your apotheosis or have just had your first visitation, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews, podcasts, and a ton of Actual Play sessions.)
PLEDGE REWARD TIERS
Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover version for this collection of alternate takes on The World for Scion second edition. Some of you may have explored the "semi-shard" settings of Scion: Dragon and Scion: Masks of the Mythos, which add optional bits and new avenues to explore in the game, but these five (now six, soon seven!) setting shards really mix up what you can do with a game of Scion.
PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT
To borrow an analogy that I've used in past campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.
Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.
Hardcover Book or PDF Version
The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book for Scion: Mythic Shards. The first decision you need to make is what form your rewards will take. Do you want your main rewards in digital form and are going for the PDF rulebook? Or do you have space on your shelf for the hardcover book? (Note - the hardcover version includes the PDF as a bonus!).
With that decision in mind, we've got two key reward tiers to choose from:
MUTATED SCION: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier option that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost for you to download at your leisure.
HERAKLES INCIDENT: This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
An important reminders at this stage:
Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the story page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
Labyrinthian Navigator: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge tier is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participate in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Scion: Mythic Shards that we post throughout this campaign.
Divine Machine: Not only will you receive the Scion: Mythic Shards PDF that is the focus of this campaign, you'll also be adding the semi-shard setting sourcebooks Scion: Dragon and Scion: Mask of the Mythos to your rewards list as well (along with discounted Print-on-Demand options for each).
Society of Justice: More Scion settings than you can shake a stick at, you'll receive our main reward - the Scion: Mythic Shards hardcover book (and PDF version), as well as the hardcover and PDF versions of semi-shard setting sourcebooks Scion: Dragon and Scion: Mask of the Mythos.
Scribed by Ogma / Rendered by Apollo: Some premium Pledge Levels offer special limited rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in a supplement, a chance to supply photo references to be used by an artist when creating an interior illustration! Check each of the Pledge Level descriptions for more details.
Those premium reward tiers have limited slots, but we're not quite at the end, so there's still plenty of room right now. Things usually tighten up as we get into the final days and hours and budgets are calculated and pledges locked down, so act quickly if you're thinking about a premium reward tier.
After the campaign is over we'll launch our BackerKit Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this crowdfunding campaign!
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Scion: Mythic Shards campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a physical, printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which maybe some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.
SCION: MYTHIC SHARDS PDF VERSION - The digital version of Scion: Mythic Shards, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Backers will receive redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.
SCION: MYTHIC SHARDS HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
Choosing Your Reward Tier
There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.
This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Funds for additional extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.
First Step: Reward Tier
To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.
Step Two: Add-On Options
Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible rewards you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.
You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running. In addition to additional redemptions for the Mythic Shards PDF or additional copies of the hardcover, you can add on the PDF or hardcover versions of the four core books for Scion Second Edition.
Scion: Origin (Second Edition Book 1) introduced players to The World and the basic mechanics of Scion, Second Edition. Origin gave the tools needed to play divinely-inspired characters skirting the edges of the supernatural elements and discovering the abilities and knowledge that separated them from ordinary mortals. Pre-Visitation Scions understand a fraction of The World.
Scion: Hero (Second Edition Book 2) expanded options, casting open the doors to the divine. At the Heroic tier, Scions gain a fraction of the power of the Gods, giving them the opportunity to take their adventures further. This creates new choices for players, allowing their Scions to shape The World: protecting their neighborhood from Titanspawn, investigating dangers, and helping prevent catastrophes.
In Scion: Demigod (Second Edition Book 3), Scions stride further from humanity, becoming too powerful to be mistaken for mortals any longer. While most Scions of this tier continue working to better The World, the quest for power becomes its own irresistible journey. Apotheosis — the process of becoming a God — defines Demigod Scions as much as anything else. Demigods no longer wrestle with the question of whether or not to become a God, but rather what kind of God they wish to become, forging their own Legend.
Scion: God (Second Edition Book 4), Scions now have the incredible power they’ve dreamed of and can finally fulfill the desires they had in the earlier steps of their journey, regardless of what those might have been. Gods seeking to steer The World to a better place can play a geopolitical game, using their influence over their Cults and Religions to nudge humanity to a better path. They can take a more direct role, although the more overt the changes they seek, the more resistance they’ll encounter from other Gods. God-tier Scions can even create Incarnations — pieces of themselves to do good in The World much as they did when they were younger, but now with a clarity of purpose only available to those who can take in the entire breadth of The World with divine eyes.
You'll need at least Scion: Origin and Scion: Hero to explore some of the options of Mythic Shards, and Scion: Demigod and possibly Scion: God depending on which tiers you want to explore within your game. All PDF Add Ons come with an optional discounted Print-on-Demand order link, and all hardcover Add Ons come with the PDF version as a bonus.
In addition to the core Scion Second Edition books, the two "Semi-shard" settings which introduce secret histories for The World and new options for your Scions are available as Add Ons in both PDF and hardcover format. These books are already included in the Divine Machine and Society of Justice Pledge Levels.
Scion: Dragon details the stories of Heirs, those chosen by Dragons to act within The World as their agents. It is the story of discovering history, subverting enemies, and espionage. Your Draconic patron seeks to embroil you in millennia old plots and ancient grudges as shadowy manipulators. All the while, you must learn their secrets, and either embrace the Dragon’s goals for you or make your own. Scion: Dragon is a standalone game in the World of Scion, and is meant for use with Scion: Origin.
Scion: Masks of the Mythos introduces powers older than humanity, Gods, and Titans, with an unknowable otherness that can shatter them all. Those that touch the Mythos are forever altered. The World explodes into full view for them, leaving some shattered, others power-mad, and still others knowing only secrecy protects humanity. Mythos Scions fair little better, empowered by these alien beings that alter their very essence, the ability to break Fate and leave the walls of reality weaker in their wake. These human embodiments of the Mythos are not good or evil; such easily definable morality is for lesser beings. What does one do when their power comes with a cost? Scion: Origin and Scion: Hero are required to use this book.
These semi-shard settings are supported with two digital bundles, each focused on one of the books. The Dragon Digital Supplement Bundle includes Dragon Storyguide Screen, Dragon VTT Assets, The Library, The Sacred Temple, The Hollow King, Live by the Blade (Jumpstart). The Scion: Masks of the Mythos Digital Supplement Bundle includes Mythos Storyguide Screen, Mythos VTT Assets, Timeless Tomb of Tir'za'nthel.
And, finally, options added via Stretch Goal achievement. So far, we've added four themed dice sets, with colors and styles that reflect the theme of one of our shard settings. Each set comes with ten d10s and a matching velvet bag. Hopefully we'll add one more dice set option before the end of the campaign.
Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options
Ready to join in? If you're backing for the first time, you can click BACK IT and select your Pledge Tier and finalize funding amount in the next menu.
Using myself as an example, I've been collecting the Scion second edition books since the Demigod crowdfunding campaign, so will likely continue to fill my shelf with the hardcover version.
The main Pledges focusing on Mythic Shards are the $25 Mutated Scion for PDF only rewards and the $60 Herakles Incident for the hardcover book.
Clicking "Learn More" expands the Pledge Level info. For example, clicking "Learn More" on the Herakles Incident tier gives you...
This is the reward I'm choosing, as it exactly fits my needs for this project.
Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.
For this example, I will be adding the Scion: Dragon hardcover, the Scion: Masks of the Mythos hardcover, the two digital supplement bundles for those semi-shards, and the After the End-themed dice set.
My total is $197.00 USD. That's $60 for my Herakles Incident pledge path, +$55 for the Scion: Dragon hardcover book (includes the PDF) +$55 for the Scion: Masks of the Mythos hardcover book (includes the PDF) +$5 for the Scion: Dragon Digital Supplement Bundle +$2 for the Scion: Masks of the Mythos Digital Supplement Bundle +$20 for the After the Fall-themed Dice Set
I already have the Dragon and Masks of the Mythos hardcover books, so will probably remove those from my cart after this example, but I do want the supplements at that cost, so they're staying for sure. I'll likely revise my cart before the campaign ends and add more dice sets as well.
When everything is correct, click NEXT and then Confirm Your Pledge. You'll get an e-mail confirmation of your choices.
If you're already a backer but want to update your pledge or Add On choices...
Select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then you can Edit Your Pledge
Select "Manage Your Pledge" at the top of the page, and then "Edit Your Pledge" on your listing, and then...
You can select a new Pledge Level from the available option menu, or Change your Add On selection.
As before, you'll confirm all of your choices, and then receive an e-mail confirmation once that's done.
And with that, my pledge level and Add On options are set. At this time, you don't need to worry about setting shipping information. You can update your pledge and Add On items right up until the campaign concludes on August 15th.
You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.
Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order Mythic Shards at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list. The Stretch Goal rewards will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this crowdfunding campaign.
REWARD DELIVERY
About 6-8 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At that point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like PDFs of the existing books and the digital supplement bundles. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.
So, while it will take some time for Mythic Shards to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 8-10 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)
Physical Books
If you're waiting to see the International shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to any of the hardcover reward tiers, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are ready to print and we know what shipping costs will be, so you'll be able to go back and adjust your pledge tier at that time.
It's going to take some time to create the final PDF for Mythic Shards and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover books. When the books are at the printer, I will be in touch with all backers to outline timeline for pledge upgrades, as well as lockdown procedures and when we'll be confirming addresses and processing BackerKit Add Ons and Shipping payments. That's a long time away, and we'll cover that as we get closer to that part of the process.
Don't fret if you had forgotten to select additional rewards by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.
Step 1: Pledge Tier
Step 2: Add On Options
Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you can investigate PDF and digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be able to add physical reward options. You should not add on additional physical rewards (like the themed dice sets) if the Mythic Shards hardcover book is not included in your pledge tier reward list, but these Add Ons will appear in BackerKit if you later adjust your pledge choice.
Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, so take into account your conversion as needed.
It Adds Up!
That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Level and adding Add On options and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.
Additionally, this may go without saying,please review your personal budgetand ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begincharging your payment methodat midnight the day the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.
Conclusion
As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Level for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or figuring out the Add On options, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.
On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.
So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're very close to adding a seventh shard to the book and backers will be able to vote on the theme for that shard until the campaign concludes, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
And I'll be back on Tuesday with the FINAL shard manuscript section for Mythic Shards, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends! I'll see if I can sneak a preview in tomorrow, though, just to keep us excited!
Way to go Shardstriders! We have superhero themed dice unlocked!! We're so close to the 7th Shard. Please vote for your favorite shard idea in the poll! Who knows what other goodies might appear as we cross over the finish line!
