A new edition of the occult tabletop game about broken and obsessed people risking everything to change the world.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Tiwaz is Tuesday
about 8 years ago
– Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 08:22:15 PM
Beloved cabal,
We enter the home stretch! With only a little over two days to go until the Kickstarter ends, we've still got some amazing stretch goals and backer goals we'd love to reach. Every day I see more folks sign up to get in on the occult action that is Unknown Armies and I'm excited to see how much more content you all want.
Stretch Goal Update
Coming up at $225,000 is another 16 pages of Book Five: Mine, written this time by classy old school occult writer Kenneth Hite. Ken's contributed to UA in the past and his boundless encyclopedic mind is only further enhanced by his vast personal library of books. Ken's pages add to those already unlocked by Jason L Blair, Tim Dedopulos, Chris Lites, WJ MacGuffin, Ryan Macklin, Chad Underkoffler, and Filamena Young, bringing it to a full 128 pages.
Once we clear Ken's stretch goal, it's only another $5K until the PDF Reference Companion by yours truly is unlocked. This is the essential tablet/laptop/device package that brings together all of the UA3 content, rules, and rituals into a single easily searched and referenced toolkit. We're hoping that this makes both player and GM preparation and play easier and provides us with the opportunity to continue to update and upgrade the companion as the game expands.
At $240,000 we'll recruit James Semple to complete his Unknown Armies musickal trilogy with a third soundtrack suite. Then, at $250,000, assuming we can hit that goal we'll give everyone who backs the project at the digital ebooks level and greater a digital copy of Greg Stolze's Unknown Armies novel, Godwalker. We've been wanting to get this book to more people for a while now, and Greg would obviously love for all of you to read it.
The Numbers
Backer Goal Update
We're a handful of backers away from our 2333 backer target for the first UA3 tutorial video, covering character creation and setting prep! With this video we hope to show you just how much fun it is to string together your PCs and the world they inhabit upon the corkboard occult underground. We'll give you some helpful suggestions and pointers to make the first session of your game compelling and get your players invested.
At 2400, 2450, 2500, and 2500 backers we're going to unlock more Campaign Starter Kits, which we think are going to be incredibly helpful to new GMs and those groups without much spare time or with flagging inspiration. We've already got three of these unlocked and we're keen to get more.
2666 backers unlocks the second tutorial video, which will focus mostly on the many ways to manage conflict, shock, and consequences at the game table with UA3. Shock gauges and managing the outcome of conflict are key to driving the story forward, and this video drills down on how to keep things moving quickly while maintaining that atmosphere of menace and madness that we've come to love about UA.
Snapseed
Looking Ahead?
Beyond the Kickstarter, we're partnering with BackerKit to manage all of your pledges and to provide opportunities to pick up add-ons and other goodies. BackerKit's how we're getting your your digital content, and for this reason it's important that your contact information, emails, and addresses are all accurate and up to date. You'll get contacted by BackerKit within 2 weeks of the end of the campaign and we would hate for you to get these messages lost in the ether.
Archetype: The Logistician
It's our experience that putting in a few minutes now, ahead of the Kickstarter's conclusion, to straighten out your profile here and double-check your pledges makes it 100% more likely that things will go smoothly for you afterward.
Finally, a reminder that if you're interested in providing me with playtest feedback for the Gamma version of the rules, which are located in a Dropbox folder (the link is back here in Update 1), your deadline for that feedback is May 9th, 2016. All feedback goes to our playtest email at atlas-games.com, NOT the crowdfund email or via Kickstarter. Instructions and rules are provided in an instruction document in that Dropbox folder, so be sure to read that before you submit any feedback or comments.
Patron Pre-Game
about 8 years ago
– Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 08:44:52 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Ascendant Wednesday
about 8 years ago
– Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 09:23:04 PM
Beloved cabal,
We're only a little over a week to go before the Unknown Armies Third Edition campaign draws to a close, but we're shooting for the moon. In this update I reveal a surprise new writer stretch goal, an exciting new way to contribute to the occult underground, and a big thank you to our retailer backers!
New Stretch Goal: Kenneth Hite on Book Five: Mine
Anyone who knows obscure occult lore and eliptonic trivia knows Kenneth Hite, one half of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff and designer of such gaming-related gems as Trail of Cthulhu, Night's Black Agents, and Dracula's Dossier. Ken has had a long history with Unknown Armies and we are thrilled to have him come on board for Book Five, wherein he assembles some of his more disturbing campaign notes from the past and presents them to you. Assuming we reach the $225K goal, that is!
New Paths into the Occult Underground
Atlas Games is in the process of securing a secret pact with world-famous online vendor OneBookShelf to create the Statosphere, a new program for Unknown Armies creators and fans. You'll be able to write and publish your own UA3 content through the program, in a manner similar to Wizards of the Coast's DM's Guild and other upcoming community content programs. Here at Atlas we've always loved the truly amazing fan content that's been created in Greg and John's world of transcendent horror and we'd like to invite those fans to contribute to the growing body of UA work and make some money while they're at it!
We want to be sure that this is something you're interested in, of course. So, we're making it into something of a social stretch goal. If we can get 333 retweets of this Tweet by Atlas Games, we'll assume the voice of the adepts has spoken and make this a real thing!
333. 333. 333.
Our Beloved Retailers
We wouldn't be able to do what we do if it wasn't for the support of bricks and mortar stores and their digital cousins. We've always felt that opening up a tier for retailers was key to getting our games straight into the hands of fans who might not have the chance to back out Kickstarters, so we're grateful for the vendors who have decided to back this project.
So that's a big shout out to Hamamicha in Tel Aviv, Spheremaster Games in Germany, EndGame in Oakland CA, Dragon's Lair Games, Adventure Games Store, Kalman Spigel, Games & Stuff, Twenty Sided Store, Devin, ChaosPrime, Adrian Hunter, Darren Johnson, and Sean Holland. We can't always assign a business to the name but we're glad you're here and you're helping us make this game come to life!
Until next time,
Stay hungry. Play hard. --Cam and the Unknown Armies production team
M is for M-M-Monday
about 8 years ago
– Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 03:59:39 PM
Beloved cabal,
At the time of this writing the Kickstarter's pledge count as risen to over $200,000, which is just amazing. Thank you all so much for your continued support both here and across all of the occult underground that is social media. We've got five books, including a deluxe set, as well as a soundtrack suite and the first in a series of Campaign Starter Kits, all because of your generosity.
Here's the latest in what is to come (tl;dr, it's new stretch goals and new backer level goals, as well as a Facebook bones outreach goal).
New Stretch Goals
Today I revealed a list of new previously hidden stretch goals, beginning with a second suite of musick for Unknown Armies by master composer James Semple. Like the first one, this goes out automatically once it's completed to those backers who support at a tier that provides bonus digital content.
We're also seeking to expand Book Five two more times, once with WJ MacGuffin (to 96 pages) and again with Jason L Blair, whose work on other creepy and unnerving RPG books places him firmly in the realm of UA3 potential.
Near the end of the list is an all-new reference and resource product, the so-called PDF Reference Companion, which I'm planning as an all-purpose digital reference product that collects information across all five books and makes it easy to use on your tablet or computer, including form-fillable and printable forms, cheat sheets, and more. Everyone who backs the project at a tier that grants bonus digital content also gets this.
Liber est cogitatio charta adhæsit cutis.
New Backer-Level Goals
As well as offering more Campaign Starter Kits, if we reach specific numbers of backers we'll also make available one or more video tutorials that show you how the rules work in a more visual medium. The first of those is unlocked at 2333 backers; the second at 2666 backers!
These backer-level goals are important to us as we hope to expand the eventual audience for Unknown Armies and provide for that audience with better and more useful tools for play in a variety of ways: online, in stores, at conventions, anywhere that folks can hang out. With your support and sharing the Kickstarter project link, we believe we can get there!
Facebook Bones Outreach Goal
Many of you are also on Facebook and may know that Atlas Games has its own page there. Right now we've got the Kickstarter video included in a post that's been pinned to the top of the page.
If we get 333 Likes (or Reactions - we like the Wow one) we'll make the UA3 Dice Set include three colors of ten-sided dice: 2 each of three colors, rather than 3 each of two colors. Why is this better? Variety, checkers!
If we get 33 Reshares, we'll add the custom UA3 ten-sided dice icons and a few other fun things to the Dropbox folder for use as icons, avatars, or wallpaper.
That's all for now. Until next time, don't play it safe - that's for squares! Play it forward, and remember, you did it.
--Cam and the Unknown Armies production team
W is for W3dn3sday
about 8 years ago
– Sat, Apr 16, 2016 at 04:35:56 AM
Beloved cabal,
It has been five days since our last confessional. In the interim, we have inched closer to the $190,000 mark and our first expanded stretch goal for Book Five: Mine. We've announced a new set of backer-count-based goals set to launch at 2000 backers. And we've had a flurry of social media & interviews.
Today I want to focus on three things.
Icons, Avatars, and Wallpapers
Everyone who has backed the project now has access to a series of icons & avatars for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as wallpapers for your mobile devices and your desktop/laptop. They're in the Dropbox folder that's linked in Update #1.
Wondering where Update #1 is? Go to the KS project page, click on the Updates tab, and voila - there's all the updates we've posted. Update #1 is a backer-only update, though, so if you want to grab these new goodies (or take part on the UA3 Gamma) you'll need to pledge.
These freebies feature the talents of our art director Aaron Acevedo and graphic designer Thomas Denagh, so do thank them if you like them!
New Backer Tiers
Today at 3:33pm Eastern time, I'm planning on revealing two new backer tiers for those who want to pledge beyond the books. The first is a new Charged Merchant tier that's slightly less than the (sold out) Ascended Merchant. It includes 2 of the Deluxe Set, 2 of Book One: Play, and 2 sets of dice, but it doesn't include the "your store picture in the book" benefit. We are setting that at $170.
The second is the Medium, Well Done tier, which includes everything that comes with the Patron Charger level, PLUS an additional five sets of dice and five copies of Book One: Play, as well as an incredibly limited, hand-made, Unknown Armies Ouija board (er, "predictive accessory") lovingly and disturbingly crafted by Greg Stolze himself. These are hefty wooden boards, there's only two of them, and the tier is $999. Shipping is included, anywhere in the world.
Yes, Yes
Campaign Starter Kits
When we reach 2000 backers, I'm excited to unlock these new products. Each is a standalone digital-only Unknown Armies campaign starter with five pregenerated characters, a shared cabal objective, a scenario, and lots of GM notes and resources. Each one of them we unlock (and we'll unlock one at each new backer-count-based level) is included in your backer rewards if you've selected a backer level that provides bonus digital content or ebooks.
We've got a mix of new and old Unknown Armies writers from a wide range of backgrounds scheduled to write these, and you're sure to find one you like out of the collection. They're perfect for one-shots or for running at cons, and also ideal if you don't want to spend a session creating your campaign together but would prefer to just jump in.
Until next time, keep sharing the Kickstarter link, follow us on @atlasgames and use the hashtag #UA3RPG to get folks talking!
