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Latest Updates from Our Project:
NEW REWARDS WITH ONLY TWO DAYS REMAINING!
over 2 years ago
– Wed, Sep 28, 2022 at 07:53:58 PM
HEY EVERYONE
We are on the final stretch! 48 (ish) hours remain for this amazing journey.
And can you believe it, I still have a surprise…
NEW REWARD: STL FILES!!
That’s right…take a look!
We have STL files. Well, okay, for now, we have one, but that’s more than zero. STL files can be used (for those that don’t know) by 3D printers to create minis. A few years ago, a 3d printer was a luxury: now, nearly everyone knows someone with one if they don’t own one themselves. I know three friends with them.
Our initial offering is for the 35mm-scale ETV “Scrambler”, an iconic vehicle in Amethyst and a common standard for non-fantasy characters in the post-apocalyptic world outside of bastion walls.
If we manage to unlock the upper stretch goals, more STL files could be unlocked!
Look at that, two days, and we’re still offering new rewards!
POD COSTS
I received a few questions regarding the print-on-demand coupons. Anyone who acquires a PDF will also receive a POD coupon, which allows a backer to order the POD at a reduced cost, but what could that be?
Obviously, we don’t know the coupon cost for Revelations, but I can reveal the prices for both Quintessence and Revelations.
They are $70 (CDN) and $75 (CDN) respectfully. As you can tell, if you add in the PDF, the total cost is significantly higher than the offset print, ignoring the fact that the offset gains all the physical stretch goals where the POD gains none of them. I hope this helps those interested in upgrading.
EPUB COMING
A few people have been asking for EPUB versions of the Amethyst novels. YES, for them, and all my other books, they are coming and will be offered.
NICK’S WORK
Nick Greenwood is already diving into illustrations, as mentioned. And he has been tackling these sea elves to get a good look going. And to think, this isn’t even close to finalized yet.
ANOTHER LINK FOR ELEMENTARA
I feel like crud as my last update I talked about this campaign, but accidentally used my own Kickstarter link. I fixed it within two minutes, but I feel it is worth mentioning again.
I generally run a Livestream during the finale minutes. Not sure if I will have anyone with me for Thursday morning, but I will be streaming to discuss the campaign and answer any questions people may have.
THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT
CHRIS
SHIPPING PRICES, SCHEDULES, & AHH, HECK WITH IT…FREE STRETCH GOALS
over 2 years ago
– Sun, Sep 25, 2022 at 07:03:42 PM
HEY EVERYONE!
This is an update you're not going to want to miss…
I'm going to do something business people say I shouldn't do. There are rules, they say, regarding Kickstarters. Set an objective, have stretch goals, and encourage people to pledge so said goals can be reached, but we're nearing the last few days, and there is a part of me that doesn't care how much the campaign raises by this point, given how successful it's been. I have a measure of pride, and I want certain goals to be crossed regardless, and it's not like they are far off, anyway.
Ultimately, if I want another Amethyst Kickstarter in the future, the goals met with THIS campaign would be the baseline going forward. As such, I want them to be the best they can be.
SO
This is me, pointing to the bleachers. This is my called shot.
That's right, I am unlocking all stretch goals to $110,000.
There are many reasons outside of what I just mentioned. For one, my quote from the offset printer included these features, and since I'm rebuilding Quintessence, Factions would be basically halfway done by that point, and I know that Stilson will need to work on the Fate and Savage Worlds editions for Factions, regardless. And every previous Amethyst has included an adventure, so it's not like I would never wring one.
That maxes out our "in-content" work for Revelations. We'll see if the final page count surpasses 400 like the two previous ones.
These goals also unlock all physical book rewards, maxing out all features for all three books' standard and luxury editions.
The AMETHYST GM SCREEN and WORLD MAPS will be an additional reward for ALL-IN pledges (that's two GM screens, in case you were counting). As said at the beginning, those pledges are gaining in value.
In case you needed reminding, the ALL-IN pledges now offer the following…
Amethyst Quintessence (Luxury)
Amethyst Factions (Luxury)
Amethyst Revelations (Luxury)
Ultramodern5 GM Screen
Amethyst GM Screen
World Maps (x4)
Digital Modules for Shard, Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry VTT
Aiden's Way (Novel)
Controlling Chaos (Novel)
Hallowed Kingdom (Novel)
PDFs of all DEM content (40+ PDFs)
Digital Art Download
Amethyst Soundtrack
Digital Signed Insert
Not bad, and remember, changing your pledge is easy!
As mentioned before, we have some additional stretch goals above $110,000. Metal pins, standees, and stickers, all wait above that line.
SO that's 19 stretch goals so far!
SCHEDULE
A few people have asked about our timeline for release. Thanks to numerous factors, some out of our control, our two previous books, Ultramodern5, and Affinity, were about five months late. On the scale of Kickstarter delays, most experienced backers will say that it is extremely fast (I am STILL waiting on rewards for some campaigns I backed that are three years old or more).
I folded that delay into Amethyst, which is why the delivery time is further back than in previous campaigns. The hope is that we deliver these books before those deadlines. I know nothing will make backers happier than receiving rewards early.
I am comfortable with this timetable, given my previous experiences. For example, Affinity wrapped its Kickstarter at the end of April 2020. I had all the PDFs out by April the subsequent year, followed by a 155,000-word novel by July. Physical books are on their way to distribution as you all read this.
This isn't our first go-around.
As many of you know, the VAST majority of other rewards are books previously published, like the first two Amethyst books. While all physical books will be sent out simultaneously, the PDFs don't have to wait.
The plan is that when you close your pledge manager, any rewards you are owed that are finished you gain immediately.
All the PDFs that are finished will be made available for download.
So, with hope, if we can make Backerkit work in our favor, after you close your pledge, the only thing you'll be waiting for is one new RPG and one new novel (along with any other stretch goal physical rewards).
SHIPPING PRICES
In our campaign, we stated that shipping wasn't finalized, but I believe there may be confusion regarding what that means.
In each physical pledge, shipping prices are offered (select a pledge to see what these are).
These are based on information received from distribution. When I stated they are estimates based on the current environment, that means that over the last few years, we have shown that things can get crazy and unpredictable. War. Pandemics. Power, fuel, and shipping crisis. Could they change? Yes.
But know this: I have never returned to backers asking for more money for shipping (this is my 5th Kickstarter). When Ultramodern5's shipping price came back $6,000 higher than quoted, I just ate that cost. For now, the quoted prices are what I have been informed of based on current trends.
The prices listed are our estimates, but backers shouldn't expect a shock. If the prices come back higher than expected, we will eat the difference as we have before, especially given our production runs aren't massive.
If any of you are curious how DEM can do that. Well, it helps that we are still a company comprised of a married couple where one does the writing and layout, and the other handles the money (I'll let you figure out who does what). Despite temptations to upscale and bring on full-time staff, disaster often occurs each time we have seen this happen with other companies. If we keep our operation small, everyone runs efficiently.
SO, IN SUMMARY
Shipping prices, as estimated in a physical pledge, are based on current information, and we do not expect these values to change.
Element-ify 5e with a hoard of new spells, elemental techniques for martial classes, a unique new world, and much more!
Elementara is an exciting new sourcebook that brings elemental manipulation to 5e, transforming the way you build characters and adventures with tons of new elemental options and resources. With this book, you’ll choose one of seven elements to awaken within your character, customizing them using 150+ new spells and martial techniques. Then, you’ll unleash those newfound powers in your own worlds or in the fantastic world of Ezara, a thrilling new campaign setting featuring seven great nations that have each built around a gargantuan elemental anomaly.
In Elementara, there are seven elements: nature, air, spirit, fire, metal, earth, and water.
In our next update. I will be throwing in YET ANOTHER NEW REWARD for ALL-IN pledges.
This reward is a preview of an upcoming stretch goal. Don't forget to check out this critical update!
THANK YOU, EVERYONE!
CHRIS
THE FINAL WEEK BEGINS
over 2 years ago
– Sat, Sep 24, 2022 at 05:20:32 AM
HEY EVERYONE!
We have begun our final week (actually it was yesterday, but who’s counting)! The campaign ends on Thursday, September 29, at 8:59 AM PDT. More than enough time to cross a bunch for stretch goals.
I don’t know about other campaigns, but DEM products get a massive bump in the last few days. We raised as much in the last three days of Affinity than the first week. So don’t think we may not get to those upper stretch goals: We absolutely can!
OFFSET VS POD
A few people asked about the difference between offset and print-on-demand (POD). Everyone receiving a PDF will also receive a POD coupon, processed through DriveThruRPG. This allows a backer to acquire a POD at a reduced price.
This POD is NOT the physical book backers receive if they pledge at physical reward levels.
The physical book rewards (both the standard and deluxe) are offset printing, not POD.
The offset books are the ones that will feature the spot-UV coating, satin bookmark, and higher-quality paper, and obviously, POD cannot offer leather books with metal corners, foil edges, and embossed logos.
It’s also important to note that the POD will be much more expensive for most people than offset. For example, the Quintessence book on DTRPG is $116 CDN compared to $79 for the physical offset book.
I am trying to keep shipping reasonable and mitigate the whole VAT issue to ensure that foreign backers can take advantage of the physical rewards and receive the higher-quality offset books.
TALKING ART
I have not spoken at length about the art. Okay, I probably have, because I rarely shut up about it, but I think it bears repeating.
Amethyst was originally a homebrew game employing previously created art used with permission from different artists. That last part was an interesting point, as so many artists I reached out to were honestly impressed I even asked. All but one, yes just one, said yes, with a few even taking inspiration from context to potentially create original artwork for the setting.
One of these artists was Nick Greenwood.
The first book featured other talents including Desmond Ng, Katherine Dinger, and Jaime Jones. Jones was an interesting acquisition, as when we worked together, he had just emerged from art college.
Original D20 Amethyst cover (2008)
He handled the original D20 Amethyst cover as well as several color images found within and was one of the only artists that had their work in Amethyst all the way through (the other two were cut by the time we got to Quintessence).
Janoah
Jones would later be hired by WOTC to work on Magic: The Gathering (I have decks that feature much of his art), and later, Jaime would be hired by this virtually unknown company called Bungie where he worked on both Halo and Destiny.
Many of the artists I did reach out to were initially interested, but a combination of pricing and scheduling prevented collaboration. One particularly popular artist got all the way to the sketch phase, only to ghost me (we haven't spoken since). It happens.
However, Nick was the real find. Initially, it was because of his allowance to work in black & white, but I discovered how amazingly creative he was. He quickly became the solitary artist, and the only one brought onto Factions and Revelations, so much so that Nick has expressed his own personal investment in Amethyst's quality.
One aspect of these page-1 rebuilds is the potential of replacing previous artists' work with Nick, more out of consistency than anything else.
For example, here is Dinger's illustration for Vanaka…
And here is Nick's…
Here is the original Ramkava…
And here is Nick's…
The first Laudenia…
And Nick's…
Gnimfall before…
And after…
The previous Thornshroud…
And Nick's amazing revision…
SPEAKING OF…
Nick has been sketching ideas for the new book. I think he is focused on our conversation regarding the sea elves. The concepts we’ve been dancing around involve a fae race employing alchemistry and “golem-like” magic to create magical devices that mimic machines without being so, something akin to what we see in Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Obviously, we are going to strive to be as original as possible, but I do prefer this direction over “wilder” elves.
THE ORIGINAL PLAYTESTING PODCAST
I've mentioned Amethyst is based on an 11-year campaign, but a few asked why there are no recordings of any sessions from that time.
Well, the truth is, I tried. And my players were...shall I be direct, certifiable insane when the mic is turned.
This was also intended to showcase the non-fantasy "tech" classes present within the core book.
Listener discretion is advice. Listen at your own peril.
NEXT UPDATE
There may be a bit of a surprise coming.
CHRIS
MORE STRETCH GOALS, RETAIL PLEDGES, & THE FUTURE
over 2 years ago
– Wed, Sep 21, 2022 at 11:52:46 PM
HEY EVERYONE!
The $85K threshold has been crossed…
THE REDESIGN
As mentioned, this redesign for the core books is meant to keep everything in line visually and update content based on new knowledge. Amethyst was later spun off to publish Ultramodern5, but that book has seen a revision. We are now looping many of those updates back to Amethyst.
As for the FATE and SAVAGE WORLDS redesign, C. Peregrin Stilson mentioned that several of their decisions were made because people they shouldn't have listened to make a case for change for change's sake. They've wanted to update the Fate and Savage Worlds rules for some time. Here is their statement:
"While I was originally designing Amethyst: Destiny, the latest iteration of the Fate system was still fairly new - we were one of the first third-party products to be announced. At the time, I was an active member of the official Fate Core online community. Unfortunately, I allowed many of my design decisions to be colored by that community. In particular, a discussion asked how much a Fate publication had to add to the game to be 'worth it.' The prevailing voices in that discussion agreed that a product had to be radically transformative to be more worth a customer's time and money than simply running a setting with minimal adjustments with the basic Fate Core or Fate Accelerated rules. I didn't necessarily agree with this conclusion, but I wanted to sell books, and this appeared to be the consensus on how to do that, so I went out of my way to make Amethyst: Destiny as transformative as possible. In hindsight, this was a bad choice and led to many design decisions I do not want to further build upon. There are some deviations from the standard that I am still pleased with (particularly the card hand-based mechanics, which introduced the tactical element of deciding which checks you could safely fail at or how many advantages you'd need to invoke first in order to succeed), but the majority of other changes were gratuitous and would not have been made if not for that online poll. I intend to scale back a bit for the refresh and bring things more in line with the standard system. It'll still be different; it just won't be as different as it was."
So, this stretch goal is less than a Quintessence rebuild as it is a core book rebuild for three different systems.
So, if you had some thoughts about how we handled the Fate and Savage Worlds editions, please note that we are listening and continue to do so. Send me those thoughts, and I'll ensure they are passed along to the writer.
THE FUTURE
$85,000 also reveals the next set of stretch goals, which I believe are achievable given our previous games' surges in their last days.
METAL CORNERS (LUXURY EDITIONS ONLY): These enhance the quality of the luxury leather books, and like we did with Affinity, backers will be able to vote on their favorite design.
INCLUDED ADVENTURE: Each Amethyst book has offered an adventure, and this is no different. With this unlock, Revelations will reach its full potential (as there are no more in-content stretch goals). However, unlike previous adventures, this one will be duplicated as a stand-alone for GMs to reference without turning to the big book (something we'll be repeating with previous books).
LENTICULAR COVERS (LUXURY EDITIONS ONLY): I have wanted to reveal these for some time! We weren't able to offer these with the Affinity leather set last year, but we can NOW for Amethyst. These lenticular plates will replace the central image on the luxury leather sets.
OBVIOUSLY, they won't look like these, but you get the idea...
AMETHYST FACTIONS PAGE 1 REBUILD: While not as extreme as the core book, a Factions page 1 rebuild will help keep all our books consistent.
PAPER QUALITY INCREASE: This is the last of the paper quality increase steps. At 105g Premium, these books will now feature the highest quality paper available. I've seen this quality in the Affinity leather books, and they feel amazing.
So, of course, the obvious question is this: Are there more stretch goals?
Why yes, yes there is. For one, we had more people vote for standees over pins and pins over stickers, so they will show up, and in that order. There is also ONE more luxury stretch goal.
We are also still discussing the possibility of an audiobook and a second soundtrack. Only time will tell.
RETAIL PLEDGE EXPANSION
Dias Ex Machina has always offered retail pledges for both online and brick & mortar retailers. However, one retailer asked for another opportunity to carry our previous successful Kickstarters as well, given that we are starting up another run of Ultramodern5-REDUX.
Therefore, retailers pledging for the Amethyst retail pledge can increase their orders accordingly to guarantee any of the following rewards.
$250 (CDN): 6 x Ultramodern5-REDUX (Standard Kickstarter Edition)
$187 (CDN): 3 x Affinity 3-pack slipcase (Standard Kickstarter Edition)
BOOK EXCERPTS
Back in 2014, as part of our previous Amethyst Kickstarter, I had a few friends narrate specific sections from the first Amethyst novel, Aiden's Way. I admit they are somewhat dated, considering the high-quality audio work by Jon Fink and his crew with their work on Affinity.
Here is an example of the improved audio work done by Jon Fink and his crew.
And here is another cool video montage I made some years back, showcasing all the art from Amethyst Factions.
'The Goblin Jarl' is a 60+ page PDF featuring a dungeon crawl into the gatehouse fortress of a lost city! Complete with new monsters, new magic items, and lore,
'The Goblin Jarl' is a complete adventure for 2nd-Level characters that can be played as a One-Shot or as the 2nd adventure in the DUNGEON DUUMHAVEN series.
Fully compatible with 5e, Old School Essentials (OSE), and OSR retro-clones based on B/X, it includes full 5e/OSE monster/magic item stats and 5e/OSE-specific rulings to save you time when running the adventure!
And only $5 AU (about $3.50 US)! Now that's amazing value!
Next update will be the first in our final week COUNTDOWN!
Chris
SAVAGE WORLDS, FATE, EDITORS, & BASTIONS
over 2 years ago
– Sun, Sep 18, 2022 at 08:13:59 PM
I, of course, credit all my amazing backers for helping spread the word. We've crossed a stretch goal—unlocking another paper quality increase for both standard and deluxe books. As mentioned before, once we cross $85K, I'll reveal the following three stretch goals, and two of them are doubled (meaning two get unlocked at the same time).
…and apparently, I promised my wife that if we cross 100K, we get a pet, but that really doesn't put pressure on any of you as that's on her dime. 😊
OUR EDITOR
I never did introduce my editor….
C. Peregrin Stilson has been a writer, actor, editor, graphic designer, comic book artist, and magician who causes computers to fix themselves upon entering the room (the opposite of what happens in Amethyst). They have been the editor on the Amethyst series since just after the change to 4th Edition and have been a regular editor and contributor to DEM works since. Additionally, they are the villainous mastermind behind the Savage Worlds and Fate Amethyst conversions. When not fixing other peoples' spelling mistakes, they write and draw comics and fanart under the handle 'KittyTheS' on DeviantArt.
But this brings up another point that is kind of a big deal…
SAVAGE FATE!
Dias Ex Machina proudly announces that Amethyst Revelations will now be offered for both FATE and SAVAGE WORLDS. As you all (might) know, adaptations already exist for the core books (Destiny and Untamed) and for the second book, Factions (the core books for each system carried a different name, but all second books were called Factions). Christopher Stilson, who handled the adaptation, will work on these new books.
However, as we are close to the "85K Quintessence Rebuild" stretch goal, it will also include the rebuilds of Destiny and the two Untamed books (Players' Guide and World Guide).
Anyone receiving a PDF for a 5E RPG will also receive (for free) the PDFs for Fate and Savage Worlds.
IMPORTANT: No one needs to change their pledge or worry about add-ons. If you are already due to receive a 5E PDF for an RPG, you will get that same RPG for the other two systems for free. This is regardless if you are receiving physical rewards or not.
Of course, the physical books will still ONLY be in 5E, but those wanting physical books for Savage Worlds or Fate can order the POD at a reduced rate (as usual).
So yes, new rewards, and we didn't even need to add another stretch goal.
BASTIONS
After the massive birth pains of Attricana's opening passed, the aura of enchantment finally subsided to a less chaotic level. Something passing for normality began to reassert itself. With what was left of humanity banding together, those still possessing technology also possessed the influence that comes with it. However, most of these initial communities could not expand that influence, relying only on malfunctioning machines, and the majority eventually turned to magic, forgetting their heritage and the bulk of thousands of years of technological development.
A few, however, grew fast and large enough to maintain their technological footprint. These surviving cities discovered caches or ruins from Earth's past intact enough to catapult the community to prosperity.
The bastion of Sierra Madre discovered a colossal cavern and easily accessible thermal power;
with Mann, an entire city pre-built by unknown hands was the catalyst to develop.
Of course, the positioning of some bastions defies explanation: nobody, not even its current residents, knows what possessed the founders of Selkirk to build their society inside a mountain within one of the most magically active regions on Earth.
Earth displays regions of heavy and light magical saturation like a weather map displaying topical zones and low and high-pressure isobars. Low disruption zones allow technology to function with virtually no side effects, although the EDF is always present, and certain problems never cease. The more a bastion expands, the more significant these dead zones grow. Most bastions have placed their highest technology or R&D facilities as close to the center of their cities as possible to keep the EDF's effects on them to a minimum. If a bastion was to collapse (which has been known to happen), the background magical saturation would reassert itself very shortly after; and if the collapse was due to an invading enchanted force, the reversion could be instantaneous.
Even a single echan in a bastion can cause havoc if their inherent disruption field shorts out part of a power grid or disrupts a communications line. Some bastions are more concerned about this effect than others: in York, a main road through the bastion allows echans to walk freely to the docks, mingling peacefully with techans (though it is advised they don't linger); in Angel, an entire section of the city was partitioned for the residential echans that helped build the first walls of the bastion; but in other bastions like Selkirk, Sierra Madre, and Mann, echans are strictly forbidden. For some, the prohibition strictly protects technology, but some communities have migrated towards bigotry with an unfortunate scientific justification.
MY Q&A VIDEO
Today, I ran a Q&A video going into detail on most of this update and others with a sneak peek of things to come.
