Kickstarter [Aynbath] Shadowdark powered Dark Fantasy Adventure launching mid February

[ain_soph]

CROWNED BY THE HORN is a build-your-own Shadowdark adventure hailing from the ominous darkness of the Horned God’s Wood. It is not only featuring the 10 mystical encounters from The Wood's Voiceless Hymns, but also a lot of Lore and 5 unique classes! Each creature comes with esoteric secrets, primeval spells, or strange gifts to take for your own. When played together in combination with one of the 5 mystical paths it creates a journey you won't forget...

This campaing is going to be launched as a Zinequest campaign.

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• Minimum 130 page hardcover in A4 format and perfect bound.
• 5 mystical Shadowdark classes for your character creation
• 10+ unique powerful spirits each with a bespoke customizable encounter that together creates an exciting story of dark rebirth, including the secret-bound Singing Mountains and the eccentric-yet-wise Oak King.
• 20+ NPCs for filling Aynbath with all manners of drama, mystery, and sagacity.
• Inspiring elements in the form of lore, poetry, spells and encounters.
• Many atmospheric artworks depicting the adventure's setting and mood.
• Surprises from the gloomy depths of the horned god's realm

More insights and previews coming the next few days.

 

[ain_soph]

And here is the painting and bindrune for one of the 5 unique classes

It's the GAPAUGA ( ᚷᚫᛈᚫᚢᚷᚫ )

"The eye is not the only way to see the world around you. The eye is not the only way to see the truth. In the dark of the forest, in the shadows within the hearts of men, lies an Abyss that contains every fear and every pain; all regrets and all that we suppress; echoes of mortality and too memories wished forgotten. Turn away from this Abyss and never will you know yourself. Gaze into it, walk through it, come to an understanding and too will you understand the truth of all things."

 

[ain_soph]

Here are some rules changes unique to the project:

+ Runic Insights: This is our leveling up system that replaces treasure for experience. Characters gain deeper insights into their Bindrunes by experiencing Powerful Spirits, Mystical Nature, Mortal Conflicts, or Other Events dictated by the GM. Some of these categories provide more insights than others, and the Other Events category can include anything from moments of significant character development or finding mystical treasures.

+ Spirit & Mortal Phases: This is our replacement for the adventure phase and downtime. The Spirit Phase takes place in the Forests of the Horned God, where players gain Runic Insights. In the Mortal Phase, special encounter prompts are given to the players reflecting how the society of Aynbath forces the players to do something. When this prompt is dealt with, the GM will roll a Fate die vs the player's Destiny die, determining what unexpected impacts the player's might have on the prompt.

+ Mystic Nature: There are three kinds of mystical nature that effect the game. Seasons (based off solstice and equinox) apply one rule to the whole world; Skies (appearing when powerful spirits are encountered) add a new rule for that encounter; Spectacles are something akin to stat blocks that can produce other encounters or challenges for the players.

+ Burning Lubją: Lubją, proto-germanic for special leaves like sage, replace torches in this game and serve as a 10 minute timer. When the Lubją burns out, the shadow falls, increasing damage to all parties until Lubją is reignited. Lubją is only ignited during the Spirit phase.

+ Mysticisms: These basically replace spells and traits. You gain Mysticisms from various sources, but you can only be under the effect of a number of mysticisms equal to your level. You choose the mysticisms you can access when you go change phases or if you spend a rest to do so.

These are all streamlined ideas that allow you to play a new kind of Shadowdark themed heavily around the pagan mysticism we've based Aynbath on! Feel free to ask any questions about this stuff.