Pathfinder In Space! Aethera Combines Wizards & Starships

"Pathfinder in Space" is not a new trope these days - and especially not since Paizo's Technology Guide and Iron Gods adventure path - but there are always different takes on it. Heck, even I attempted to publish a Pathfinder AP based on Mike Resnick's Santiago novels a couple of years back. Aethera is a campaign setting which calls itself "diesel-punk, sword and starships" which has a couple of weeks left on its Kickstarter and is about halfway there in terms of funding (in other words, pretty much on track). They've kindly sent me along a preview of the book because they know how much I love showing awesome previews. This preview includes part of the table of contents, and part of the races section.

The setting is a 400-page hardcover, with a 1920s-30s sic-fi art vibe to it. "In the Aethera Campaign Setting, you'll soar to asteroid outposts and ancient high-tech ruins on a ship powered by crystallized magic, journey to worlds populated by intelligent plant bio-engineers, musically prophetic technocrats, human-souled robotic war veterans, and alien shamans, all suddenly threatened by interstellar raiders." It's being written by Robert Brookes, who was a finalist in Paizo's annual RPG Superstar competition, and has contributed to a number of Paizo's Pathfinder hardcovers. You'll find the Kickstarter here (or click on one of the images below).

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[Doctor Futurity]

This looks really intriguing. I'm a bit tapped out right now on Kickstarter money (backed my limit already) plus the timing is bad (same week as my kid's birthday) but hopefully this will make it and be available for general release and purchase down the road.

 

[Tealadygrayhot]

Lisa Long here, part of the Aethera team, and I backed this project 1) Because it's the brain child of my Saturday Pathfinder gaming group, 2) because we have a super diverse and talented team of writers and artists, and 3) I love sci-fi, and I really want to play this game!! New races, classes, monsters, worlds! Spaceships!!! I'm all in!

 

[Clueless]

Also on this team There's a good chunk of hard SF RPG writers in with the fantasy RPG writers on this one (Myself included - I come at this from the Eclipse Phase end of things.) So we've been negotiating some of the balance in the project for a coherent mix between SF and Fantasy. So far, it's working out pretty well!

I just got done with the first draft of some cool groups that can act as quest givers in a campaign - and I will be forced to selfishly keep that all to myself if this baby doesn't fund. So please let others you know who might be interested know about it even if you've already funded or can't swing it this time.

 

[mrm1138]

I think it looks great, too, but I don't really feel like picking up Pathfinder to play it. If there were a D&D 5e-compatible version, I would absolutely back it!

 

[Raddu]

New blog post about Aethera: 8 Things you should know about the Aethera System. What questions do you have about Aethera?

http://www.aetherarpg.com/2015/11/8-things-you-should-know-about-aethera.html

 

[Tyranthraxus]

While this looks very interesting, Im looking for something a little less based on the Classes of Pathfinder (ie spells etc) and more hard scifi. The 20s-30s style is great however.

 

[wizardoest]

I'm very interested in this but I have an issue with the layouts shown—I have a hard time with light text on a dark background.

For callouts this is fine, but for something as text heavy as an RPG this is tough on the eyes and means that I won't back it. (I did already tip in $1 to make this same comment on the KS page.)

Thanks!

UPDATE—My concern was addressed on the KS page by Robert Brooke:

@Randy: Those pages and layout designs are primarily for our preview document. We won't be laying out the hardcover for a little while, so feedback on presentation will be very important. Also the effects light text on a dark background have on physical printing are a constraint we have to deal with too. I believe the final book will have a more reader-friendly layout.

I have now upped my pledge to get the book. Thank you.

 

[HonorBoundSamurai632]

Sadly only being 50% funded half way through a campaign usually means a project is never going to make it to 100%. Unfortunately their launch seems to have been really weak and the bump in interest they got from a io9 feature quickly fell off. I can absolutely see this setting be a success but I think they need to work on drumming up a more active fanbase and reconsider the large scope and cost they are shooting for in this unproven line.

I have to agree with everything you say here. I just found out about it myself, and unfortunately, with the holidays right around the corner and 2 teenagers, money is tight on my end. I want so badly to throw some money into this.
It breaks my heart that this may not come to light in this fashion. Being a fan of 2nd Edition's Spelljammer, I always felt that today's games are missing that option. The Pathfinder Distant Worlds book is GREAT!!!! Unfortunately, it is only 64 pages and only rubs that space itch I have. This book would have fixed all that!
I really hope that if this Kickstarter doesn't end up working out as planned, we still see Aethera make it's way to my table. Even if they have to make the book and sell it at an expensive price .... I'd still buy it!! I bought Psionics Unleashed for $80, Freeport: City of Adventure for $75, and Rise of the Drow for $100 ..... and I have lost ZERO sleep over those purchases. I purchased all those books from the publisher's websites because I knew they deserved every penny of my money for them. I would gladly do the same for Aethera if they can find a way to print the book if the Kickstarter doesn't reach it's goal.

 

[Shasarak]

As a long time Spelljammer enthusiast, this looks like a great product that I am very happy to back.

I have my fingers crossed that this will pick up enough to cross the line.

 

[John Benbo]

For anyone on the fence, there is now a 22 page preview guide available on Paizo.com- http://paizo.com/products/btpy9i4w/discuss?Aethera-Campaign-Setting-Preview-Guide#tabs