Feb '24 Update: Here Come the Cats, Latest Manuscript Version.
9 months ago – Tue, Feb 20, 2024 at 07:37:46 AM

Hello Good Doggos,

In last month's update we had a podcast from Eddy about with a design diary for the eventual Realms of Pugmire "monster book" called Threats & Curs. Even as our Realms of Pugmire book advances bit by bit on the progress track, we're reminded that it's not only a fun game in it's own right, but the foundation for a line of setting expansions that are on the horizon.

In fact, the next book in the line is ready to join the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook in the project pile, as Curious Cats of Mau launches it's own crowdfunding campaign today!

The Age of Man is long over. Cats – uplifted from our clever feline companions to use tools and language – now rule the world. In the Monarchies of Mau, cats study relics the Old Ones left behind to create new wonders, expand their understanding of the world, and combat the monsters and minions of the Unseen that threaten catkind. Curious cats explore ruins and set sail on the Acid Sea, or participate in games of intrigue against other houses, the dogs of Pugmire, and other rival species.

The world is full of mysteries and dangers, which excellent cats are eager to face.

Welcome to The Curious Cats of Mau. This book details the lives of the cats in the city-states that make up the Monarchies of Mau as they explore the world, plan daring heists and feats of intrigue, learn what they can about the Old Ones, and pounce on the sinister entities called the Unseen. You’ll need Realms of Pugmire to play this game and learn more about the dogs of Pugmire, who have sometimes been the cats’ allies, and often been their rivals.

The cats of the monarchies believe that the Old Ones served them, and the cats’ ancestors granted Man great responsibilities as a reward. Though no one knows what happened to the Old Ones, they left many wonders behind to help the cats in their endeavors. Adventurous cats explore ancient ruins, hoping to discover artifacts they can study — sometimes by breaking them apart to discover how they work.

Several decades ago, the formidable Trillani Persian von Mau united the monarchies at a time when conflict threatened to tear catkind apart. With her clearheaded leadership, she guided the great houses as they worked together, and eventually helped bring about an end to the War of Dogs and Cats. Trillani died recently, and her successor (Threnody von Mau) struggles to keep the hard-earned peace. Cats are expert at schemes and spycraft, and secrets are power. Some plot against other houses, while others seek to renew hostilities between the monarchies and Pugmire. Meanwhile, the threat of the Unseen is ever-present, waiting to strike should the cats’ vigilance waver.

Will you be an excellent cat?

Some highlights of The Curious Cats of Mau include:

An evocative and family-friendly setting, full of interesting story hooks for players to explore and expand upon.
Full character creation rules featuring a cat’s house and new callings.
Expanded details about each of the monarchies, including interesting places to go and cats to meet, plus information on the sinister House Smilodon.
Updated spells, masterworks, and enemies.
Three exciting adventures for Guides to use at their tables.

Eddy talked more about this new expansion for Realms of Pugmire in yesterday's Monday Meeting blog on the Onyx Path site:

Curious Cats of Mau is going to launch soon! I sat and chatted with some of my Pathcast cohosts about the changes on the episode last Friday, and my codeveloper Lauren Roy will talk about even more in the upcoming episode this week, but if you’re a busy cat (hey, someone has to knock things off the shelves), here’s a short version:

Realms of Pugmire uses the new Onyx20 system. But don’t worry — it’s really just the natural evolution of the first edition! Now that it’s moved further away from the original, Open Game Licensed-based system, however, we’ve been able to make some much-needed refinements such as rebalancing the combat math, incorporating years worth of playtest data and errata, and expanding spells to be more flexible and dynamic.
One of the big changes is that I was able to add in a whole new template character creation system. Instead of full character creation rules (which is also available), you can simply pick some options that sound interesting and make your character very quickly. You can even roll randomly. In testing, you can make a complete character in ten minutes! And Curious Cats have their own templates as well.
Another big change for Onyx20 is the introduction of morale. Which enemies are a touch tougher across the board, that’s counterbalanced by the ability to push them into running away or not attacking. Sometimes this happens in certain circumstances, but there are also some abilities that force a morale check. And there are rules for making friends!

But enough about Onyx20 — let’s talk cats!

Curious Cats of Mau, unlike Monarchies of Mau, is a supplement rather than a full game in its own right. Which means it inherits all of those design improvements, but also it means we don’t need to reprint a lot of similar rules.
Taking out those redundancies means we have more room for even more things! A total of eight callings (including two that were previously introduced in Pirates of Pugmire), brand-new spells for *three* spellcasting callings, an entire campaign of three linked adventures, and much more!
Finally, there’s a lot more exploration of the monarchies themselves, including the updated political situation with the Ruling Council. There’s even more intrigue for heroic cats to engage with.

There’s a lot more to dig into, but you can see everything if you back the Curious Cats of Mau crowdfunding campaign at any level!

The campaign launches later today! Check it out <HERE>

UPDATED MANUSCRIPT

OK, that's a lot about cats, and we're here waiting for the dogs! As the development of Threats & Curs and Curious Cats of Mau proceeded, that brought some clarifications and updates to bits of the initial manuscript for Realms of Pugmire that make the whole system run a little better and make a little more sense.

The manuscript has also gone through editing and final development, and Eddy wanted to share this 2024 version of the manuscript with you so any references to rules and systems in other preview material make sense.

2024 MANUSCRIPT DISTRIBUTION

Your link to download the latest version of the manuscript will be sent out via BackerKit right after this update. You can find the link in your BackerKit page's Digital Rewards section, or just click the link in your e-mail to take you there.

The v2024 manuscript has updated versions of Chapters 1-8. The adventure and appendix are not included in this updated draft (though they are, of course, included in the PDF and hardcover book - they're just not needed when referencing any new previews).

If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://realms-of-pugmire.backerkit.com

REWARDS STILL PENDING

With the manuscript now through final development, art direction has begun on our book. I'm told everything is on schedule to meet the projected release we had during our campaign of this summer. I'm hoping now that the foundation is all in place, we'll see some movement on our Stretch Goal projects. I'll keep you updated as progress is announced.

REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS

[Add On] Pugmire 1E Digital "Dog" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Monarchies of Mau 1E Digital "Cat" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Pirates of Pugmire 1E Digital "Bird" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Squeaks in the Deep 1E Digital "Rodent" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Pugmire VTT Assets Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Fetch Quest Print and Play Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]

ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING

You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <January 2024 Project Status Summary>

You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!

I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final Stretch Goal reward has gone out.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:

TO CONTACT JAMES

Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click Richard Thomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

LAUNCHING TODAY

Trust your instincts. Reward loyalty. Respect an honest duel.
And always, always pounce on the minions of the Unseen.

January 2024 Update
10 months ago – Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 06:21:03 AM

Hello Good Doggos,

Welcome to the first update of 2024! I'm hoping we'll see lots of progress on our projects this year, and fill in lots of dots on our project tracker.

Before we get to our regular monthly update, I wanna share a couple things for an upcoming Realms of Pugmire project in the works. In our last update, I had some of the rough sketch artwork from the Threats & Curs book for Realms of Pugmire, sort of an antagonist/monster book that Eddy's got in the works. I've got two additional bits to share on that future project.

First up, let's dive into Eddy's design process as he shares a design diary, talking about his process and thoughts on the Threats & Curs book:

THREATS AND CURS DESIGN DIARY PODCAST <link>

And then, while we're in that mind space, let's look at a preview of The Ratcatcher, one of the creatures currently being designed for the book.

The Ratcatcher (OL 5; Enemy)
Most dogs think the Ratcatcher’s nothing but a legend. They’re the lucky ones. Those who’ve seen him know he’s both real and more dreadful than any myth or tale can convey.

Nobody knows the Ratcatcher’s origin. He could have been a victim of some vile experiments that forcibly altered the shape of his body. It’s equally possible that his insatiable appetite for the pain of rodents is born of nothing but cruelty. He may not be able to speak but it’s possible he could communicate his origin and his goals, given the opportunity. It’s just that nobody who sees him ever stays to ask questions. The blood-slick edge of his cleaver has that effect.

More than once the Ratcatcher’s preyed on a neighborhood so intensively the residents rally and gather to hunt him out. They’ve never succeeded — he’s always a step ahead, almost as if someone’s warning or guiding him. As if there was a hidden paw making sure he survived to kill again.

Description: The Ratcatcher’s a hulking, broad shouldered figure, vaguely dog-like in shape but far too huge, dressed in a tattered coat made of the hides of mice and rats. The smell of poorly tanned hides precedes him, as does the sound of a heavy blade scraping along the flagstones or sewer tunnels beneath his feet.

Tactics: The Ratcatcher skulks the city of Pugmire’s alleys and sewers, going wherever the vermin congregate and keeping their numbers in check. He sets traps and keeps his heavy-bladed cleaver sharp for when he needs to finish the job. He’s not all that discriminating though: if it’s caught in one of his traps, it’s a “rat” and he deals with it accordingly. He’s equally unaffected by threats and pleading, and if he’s capable of conversation he never makes the effort.

Defense: 17 (natural armor, hide coat)
Stamina Points: 54
Speed: 30 ft.
Experience Bonus: +3
Attributes: Agility +0, Might +4, Vitality +0, Cunning +2, Intellect –1, Presence +0
Skills: None
Attack: Cleave (+7 melee, 3d6 + 4 edged), crossbow (+3 ranged 150/600, 1d8 stabbing +2d6 poison)
Morale: +3; at 14 or fewer stamina points or when he takes 20 points or more of damage from a single attack
Tricks: Darkvision; immune to the Blind, Repelled, and Scared conditions, as well as poison damage

Fade Away: When the Ratcatcher enters a patch of complete darkness at least 5 feet wide, he can step through it to another patch of complete darkness up to 30 feet away. He often uses this ability to draw his foes close to one of his traps.
Hack and Slash: If the Ratcatcher’s cleave attack reduces an opponent to 0 stamina, he can take a supplemental action to make a second cleave attack on an opponent within reach.
Home Turf: The Ratcatcher never gets lost underground.
Rodents’ Nemesis: The Ratcatcher has a boon on all attacks against rodents, and deals an additional 1d6 damage to them on successful attacks.
Rat in a Trap: The Ratcatcher has at least one trap set up in any area he regularly traverses, all of which require a Cunning (Notice) check, difficulty 14, to spot and an Agility (Steal) check, difficulty 14, to disarm. Choose from:
Hidden Blade: Characters who don’t spot the trap are attacked by a hidden blade (spring-loaded or swinging). The Guide makes a +5 attack roll; if it meets or beats the target’s defense, they take 2d8 edged damage.
Pit: Characters who don’t spot the trap must succeed on an Agility test (difficulty 14) or fall into this ten-foot-deep pit. It’s lined with slime and sewer muck, imposing a hindrance on the victim’s Vitality (Traverse) checks, difficulty 14, to escape.
Snare: Characters who don’t spot the trap must succeed on an Agility test (difficulty 14) or be caught in a snare and Immobilized.

REWARDS STILL PENDING

REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS

[Add On] Pugmire 1E Digital "Dog" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Monarchies of Mau 1E Digital "Cat" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Pirates of Pugmire 1E Digital "Bird" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Squeaks in the Deep 1E Digital "Rodent" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Pugmire VTT Assets Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Fetch Quest Print and Play Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]

Within your BackerKit Digital Rewards page, you'll find a link to the collected Draft manuscript for Realms of Pugmire. So anytime you need to access it, know that it's waiting for you in BackerKit.

ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING

You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <December 2023 Project Status Summary>

I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final Stretch Goal reward has gone out.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

TO CONTACT JAMES

Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click Richard Thomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

CURRENTLY CROWDFUNDING

We’re all out of the traditionally-printed copies of several of our core rulebooks from previous crowdfunding campaigns. So we’re going back for more!

This should help us fund a new print run for:

You, if you back this. Fulfillment, probably later this year. No development needed, just printing.
Other campaigns: we like adding core rulebooks as add-ons to other campaigns (we did a bunch of those on this campaign too!), and this helps us keep doing that.
Retailers: Put our games in front of other faces at physical game stores!

The books have all received minor edits to fix a few errors we’ve noticed over the years. This Friday's Onyx Pathcast will talk about these books and the possible minor edits that are being worked on. You can check out the campaign for one more week <here>.

Dec '23 Update
11 months ago – Wed, Dec 20, 2023 at 08:17:49 AM

Hello Good Doggos,

First up, I wanna share a quick image from Onyx Path's most recent Monday Meeting Notes that feels appropriate for this December update!

As the year winds down, there are no big updates to share this month. Progress is still moving forward on our rewards, and Eddy and his teams are also working on projects for the Realms of Pugmire beyond the items we've got lined up as rewards.

In fact, Eddy has shared a peek into the behind-the-scenes work on Threats & Curs, an adversary tome for The Realms of Pugmire currently in early stages. Rich has also shared some of his in-progress concept art.

You can listen to Eddy's Design Diary for Threats & Curs here:

Onyx Pathcast Episode 289: Threats & Curs

Now, let's get to our progress review. As noted, no big changes from last month, but lots of work continuing behind the scenes.

REWARDS STILL PENDING

I think there's some substantial progress on the Roll20 sheet that I'm not noting here, but I'll touch base with Eddy in the new year and see where we're at for our January update.

REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS

[Add On] Pugmire 1E Digital "Dog" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Monarchies of Mau 1E Digital "Cat" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Pirates of Pugmire 1E Digital "Bird" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Squeaks in the Deep 1E Digital "Rodent" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Pugmire VTT Assets Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Fetch Quest Print and Play Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]

Within your BackerKit Digital Rewards page, you'll find a link to the collected Draft manuscript for Realms of Pugmire. So anytime you need to access it, know that it's waiting for you in BackerKit.

ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING

You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <November 2023 Project Status Summary>

I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

TO CONTACT JAMES

Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click Richard Thomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

Nov '23 Update
12 months ago – Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 11:49:18 AM

Hello Good Doggos,

Our updates for the rest of 2023 will likely be of the "no big news, stuff is still being worked on in the background" variety. Constant and consistent communication is important to me, but it's gonna be a bit boring for a while still.

REWARDS STILL PENDING

REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS

[Add On] Pugmire 1E Digital "Dog" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Monarchies of Mau 1E Digital "Cat" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Pirates of Pugmire 1E Digital "Bird" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Squeaks in the Deep 1E Digital "Rodent" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Pugmire VTT Assets Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Fetch Quest Print and Play Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]

Within your BackerKit Digital Rewards page, you'll find a link to the collected Draft manuscript for Realms of Pugmire. So anytime you need to access it, know that it's waiting for you in BackerKit.

ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING

You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <October 2023 Project Status Summary>

I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

TO CONTACT JAMES

Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click Richard Thomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

Oct '23 Update
about 1 year ago – Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 08:08:24 AM

Hello Good Doggos,

I don't have much for you this month; no major changes, no big updates. So I'll keep it quick! Let's get right to our monthly summary!

REWARDS STILL PENDING

Lots to go, but let's see what we've already got...

REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS

[Add On] Pugmire 1E Digital "Dog" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Monarchies of Mau 1E Digital "Cat" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Pirates of Pugmire 1E Digital "Bird" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Add On] Squeaks in the Deep 1E Digital "Rodent" Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Pugmire VTT Assets Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]
[Stretch] Fetch Quest Print and Play Bundle [Update #30, Apr 7 '23]

Within your BackerKit Digital Rewards page, you'll find a link to the collected Draft manuscript for Realms of Pugmire. So anytime you need to access it, know that it's waiting for you in BackerKit.

ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING

You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <September 2023 Project Status Summary>

I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final Stretch Goal reward has gone out.

ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS

TO CONTACT JAMES

Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click Richard Thomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.

CURRENTLY CROWDFUNDING

The World Below is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire.

The World Below provides. But you must dig. You must explore. You must map. You must build. You must defend.

The World Below provides, but only to the worthy.
The unworthy fall, consumed by bugs, lava, acidic fog, the vagaries of Kaos, and the World Below’s convulsing tunnels.

The World Below is your home, your prison, and your alien world containing terrible threats and wondrous discoveries.

The World Below is a complete tabletop roleplaying game, and includes:

Numerous playable options, some from the traditional fantasy mold, others unique to the World Below.
The complete Storypath Ultra System, allowing you to play this game straight from the book.
A myriad of settings, monsters, powers, and abilities for use in your stories, which you can play as minimalist dungeon crawls or World Below-spanning expeditions.

Come Join Us in The World Below!

Realms of Pugmire Tabletop RPG (A New Edition of Pugmire!)

Created by Onyx Path - Realms of Pugmire

Latest Updates from Our Project: