The acclaimed sci-fi/fantasy setting returns. Collect the latest volume or the entire series. Over 1200 pages of 5E content!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
SOME VIDEOS & TALK ABOUT WEAPONS
over 2 years ago
– Fri, Sep 16, 2022 at 09:10:39 PM
HEY EVERYONE!
After an unpredicted surge, we, unfortunately, struck another flat patch. It happens, folks. We’re so close to $80K CDN, which is also 60K! US.
The best thing you can do to help is share the campaign up and down social media circles. I'd love to hit as few more stretch goals before the final week.
SOME ONLINE TALK
I found this article at GeekNative kind of cool. Thanks for writing about us…
People have often asked how big Amethyst can get and how far it can reach. Well, it's based on an eleven-year campaign I ran…
QUINTESSENCE COMPLETE TOUR
Before its original release in 2016, I toured page by page the content of Amethyst (this is obvious before our expected rebuild as part of this KICKSTARTER.
It’s funny in that the video is 6 years old and I talk about ideas seen now emerging in One-D&D.
LET'S TALK WEAPONS
Amethyst was the first significant publication for 5E to feature modern/high-tech rules (2016) and was the predecessor to Ultramodern5, our most popular book. It introduced the standard rules we continue to employ concerning firearms.
Amethyst was somewhat unique in how every tech level can be encountered based on how advanced each techan bastion is.
Angel, the largest, is based on our modern Earth, while Porto has mastered anti-gravity and plasma weapons. This is due to magical disruption interfering with communication resulting in vastly different development rates. As a result, Quintessence introduced 75 new firearms, from blunderbusses to particle beam cannons. This doesn't account for the high-tech melee weapons and grenades also offered.
Amethyst follows the lead of D&D 5E and only adds to the rules; we don't change how the rules work.
However, some casual readers have often looked at our weapon table and assumed ours were horrendously underpowered, as they scale evenly with fantasy melee weapons, assuming there is some realistic comparison between a 1d8 arrow and a 1d8 bullet. This ignores the 1d10 melee weapons that can cleave someone in twain, which would, on the surface, indicate an unrealistic range between that and the arrow. In the end, there is no realistic scale. And as we know, most of the time, weapon damage is not what greatly affects how effective you are in combat.
It's the class.
This is why a rogue inflicts much more damage with a dagger than a fighter. This reflects tech classes as well. A sniper rifle is way more effective in the hands of a sniper than a gunslinger, and the latter can work miracles with one-handed small arms.
Amethyst Factions introduced 15 more weapons based on saint technology, and Revelations will introduce even more. Revelations will also go heavy in robotics.
STREAMING Q&A
I’ll be answering questions and talking Amethyst and other future projects this Sunday, September 18, at 11:00 am PST. You can access it via Dias Ex Machina's YouTube page and Facebook Page.
You can also post your questions below, and I will address them during the Q&A as well.
That’s it today, but there’s so much more to come…
Chris
STRETCH GOALS, AN UNBOXING, AND ART
over 2 years ago
– Wed, Sep 14, 2022 at 06:41:00 PM
HEY EVERYONE!
I had this typed out yesterday…
"We're closing in on the big 70K, which will reveal the next stretch goals!"
Never mind!
We HAVE crossed $70K, thanks to a massive surge in the past 24 hours, so I had to retype this update. We ARE going to reveal a whole new set of stretch goals.
Firstly, to get this out of the way, SPOT UV for standard edition books and GILDED PAGES for luxury books have both been unlocked, along with the SETTING EXPANSION FOR AFRICA. I knew this was going to be crossed, which is why Nick and I already discussed what would be in it. The page count for the final book has expanded once again.
Now, for the next set of stretch goals…
QUINTESSENCE PAGE-ONE REBUILD
This significant project involves redoing the original Quintessence book and incorporating revised content developed with Ultramodern5. The layout will also be improved to align with Factions and Revelations. I may also take this opportunity to balance a few things.
AMETHYST GM SCREEN
You knew it was coming…now, it probably won't look like this…
… When we get closer, Nick will fire up a bunch of ideas, and the backer community will get to vote. So it may be this or something else. We'll find out.
As stated, this GM screen is INCLUDED with ALL-IN pledges and will be an add-on for everyone else.
WORLD MAPS
Surprise! Yes, this is something I've been thinking about for some time. We have a bunch of excellent Earth maps within Amethyst's setting. This stretch goal prints ALL of them up in large poster-size sheets.
Like the GM screen, if reached, it will be included with ALL-IN pledges and be an add-on for everyone else.
Are there more stretch goals? Why, of course, there are!
I'll reveal the next set once/if we cross $85K (CDN). In fact, I'll say the next two currently concealed are double goals, meaning each tier will add two more items.
A CURIOUS PATTERN
As a side comment, I have noticed a marked increase in sales on DriveThruRPG for Amethyst products, which is incredible…except the PDFs part of this Kickstarter are cheaper.
The other oddity, and it really is one, is that some people are paying for the Hearts of Chaos preview module despite it being free for the month of the Kickstarter. I mean, I appreciate the contribution…
ART
We've already begun preliminary work on the artwork for Amethyst: Revelations. Nick Greenwood and I met yesterday to discuss our ideas concerning the setting. I am not one often to gloat, but I wish I had a dime for each time Nick commented, "that's such a cool idea," during that conversation. At this stage, we are throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, as we keep adding onto an already massive tome.
We were doing that last year. Nick accidentally drew an extra illustration for Affinity-Torus, so a couple weeks before publication, I created an entirely new race based on it.
During the conversation, I realized the setting had not directly addressed aquatic elves, but the challenge will be creating something interesting people may want to encounter or play with. This won't be an added stretch goal: I'm just going to add this in.
Not final
UNBOXING FACTIONS
In this video, I unbox the original POD for Amethyst Factions, published in 2019.
As I said, there may be some changes to the layout with this upcoming KS production run.
MEPHIT JAMES BLOG
I was interviewed by the Mephit James Blog; check it out here.
I love, love this campaign. I will mention it again, but I sat down and talked with this guy. He's from Poland, the capital of modern tabletop gaming, so it would appear, and his campaign is really taking off.
No longer will your party have to wait before they can explore the stars in their 5E games...
A whole galaxy to explore and more in 500+ pages of the monumental 5E supplement & campaign tome, Starlight Arcana!
New races, subclasses, artifacts, starlight spells, and to top it all off, a level 1 to 8 campaign to take your adventuring party beyond the stars so that they may cleanse the world of the corrupting void!
I remember back in 2016, the only non-fantasy 5E setting was Ultramodern5. Now the market is packed with them.
Anyways, that's me out for today!
CHRIS
DEM LIBRARY, REVISED CLASSES, AND A DEEP DIVE INTO ELVES
over 2 years ago
– Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 09:41:49 PM
HEY EVERYONE
After a slow Saturday, we surged Sunday to cross another stretch goal! Woohoo. Who needs expensive ad campaigns, minis, custom dice, and playmats? D&D is about the mind's playground, and I mean to offer the most in that category.
Revised classes, as explained in a previous update, do not replace classic traditional 5E classes but rather offer players new options that happen to be closer to the canonical roles in Amethyst.
FEEDBACK
I mentioned in the previous update that I would leave one of the upcoming stretch goals to the consensus. I've gotten little feedback about what one listed below backers would like to see up first…
(These were demos from China and don't represent our designs)
Please sound off in the comments what your preference is.
THE DEM LIBRARY
I admit some confusion regarding the DEM Library, one of the rewards offered with the all-in pledges. These include PDFs and POD coupons for the following games (yes, you get all of these).
I know I indicated 14 in my rewards, and that's 35 above.
Clearly, I can't do math; that's why I married an accountant.
And obviously, there are a lot of repeats if you have supported us in the past. But there is more value in the all-in pledges than just the library.
The only book in this collection that is technically apocryphal is the original D20 Amethyst, published in 2008.
ART RETROSPECTIVE
Here is the fifth and final video in our artist retrospective series.
A DEEP DIVE – DAMASKANS
This is an abridged section on Damaskans from the original Quintessence. There will likely be some revisions in the rebuild.
Damaskans are the most common, often seen, and widely circulated fae. Though the people of both Damaska and Limshau are considered the same species, damaskans from Limshau often refer to themselves as "Limshau fae" to emphasize cultural distinctiveness. Damaskans are also one of the few fae to permit the term 'elf' to be applied to them.
Damaskans are the most numerous and with the largest kingdoms. Because of their circulation over the globe, no one can be sure how many damaskans exist, but it's probably between two and three million, although only half reside in Canam. Narros hold rights to the largest armies, but damaskans claim all other records. They have the most artisans, the most diplomats, the most historians, and the most architects. Their wizards all employ the book as their totem, which makes them hard to distinguish from others since nearly all damaskans (at least in Limshau) carry books through their day-to-day activities.
Damaskans loathe pagus and the majority of anathema fae due to their destructive tendencies. Limshau places its trust in proven alliances with the gimfen, chaparrans, and humans—the latter specifically with the kingdoms of Abidan and Kannos. They are generally indifferent to other species, preferring to judge individuals on a case-by-case basis. Limshau is currently in conflict with Baruch Malkut due to said nation's policy on fae slavery, but war remains undeclared.
Each individual damaskan possesses an encyclopedic knowledge on a subject defined by their individual tastes. Where those from Damaska prefer internal recall for this information, citizens of Limshau insist on writing everything down. Until the damaskans appeared, fae seldom recorded anything. Their history was marred with inaccuracies, legends claimed as fact, or facts discredited as myth. This was part of why fae history from the time of Terros is so vague and sporadic. Alas, damaskans could bring nothing with them to the new world and had to reconstruct their past from memory, and although their memories are good, they are not eidetic.
One distinction damaskans are clear to make is that they never volunteer their own opinion in their papers or journals, nor clog the books with judgment, sentiment, or meaningless diatribe. Where humans believe any individual can stand on a box and preach prose worthy of print, damaskans remain quiet, recording events objectively.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Chris
STRETCH GOALS, FEEDBACK, & A NEW REWARD
over 2 years ago
– Fri, Sep 09, 2022 at 11:03:59 PM
HEY, HEY, EVERYONE!
Took a bit longer, but we finally made it past 60K. I always considered this a big one. As such, we are revealing the following three stretch goals, which I am confident we can reach.
In a previous update, I stated this is the last of the Increased Illustrations, with all the remaining interior stretch goals referring to content (lore and mechanics). However, we are also closing in on some interesting physical stretch goals as well.
SPOT UV / GILDED PAGES
These two are combined as one applies to the standard edition books, and the other applies to the luxury books. You can see the gilded pages in the Affinity unboxing video posted in an earlier update. It’s an amazingly cool effect, and if we can snag the metal corners, the Amethyst sets will equal the quality of the Affinity sets. However, there is one cool addition we hope to unlock for the leather books we couldn’t offer with Affinity, which is simply amazing.
SETTING EXPANSION – AFRICA
Expanding into Africa is a considerable chunk, and once we unlock REVISED CLASSES, it will almost guarantee the Revelations tome will hit 400 pages.
In Quintessence, I only covered North America. In Factions, I greatly expanded that section and opened up South America. I plan on adding that much detail to Europe and Africa. Asia and the rest of the world will have to wait…for another book.
Europe and Africa will feel different from the rest of the world presented thus far. The former is a tightly packed region of extremes—the most technologically advanced bastion and the most powerful magical nation exist here.
With Africa, it is almost presented as its own contained campaign setting as there are ideas that don’t exist anywhere else. We have the largest monsters, cities that float on oceans of sand, and fields of crashed spacecraft.
PAPER QUALITY
You’d be surprised how paper weight can affect longevity and overall quality. As a bit of a tease, there is one more paper quality increase, which sets both books to the maximum option available.
THE FUTURE
Now, I should end there, as we won’t be revealing the next set until crossing 75$, which may take longer to reach, but I really can’t wait and want to give you a preview of some stretch goals to come.
One is an Amethyst-themed GM screen. It won’t be the same as the Ultramodern screen seen below…
…This will be a unique offering, inside and out.
Both the “All-In” pledges will receive the screen as a reward and will be an optional add-on to everyone else.
A larger project to be revealed involves a complete page-one rebuild of Quintessence. Not only will it ensure all three books share the same layout and style, but it will also allow me to update all the rules given revisions offered in Ultramodern5. As many of you know, Quintessence came first, and Ultramodern5 was based on the former, which is why you don’t need UM5 for Amethyst. However, in the years that followed, UM5 has seen numerous updates to help balance the rules and offer more options. The page 1 rebuild will implement those changes and address other lingering issues I’ve had regarding the book.
A Factions page one rebuild is also a later stretch goal, but it won’t be nearly as involved.
And yes, in case you were wondering, these are updated books, not second editions, and those that already purchased these books will receive updated PDFs.
And finally, I wanted to throw some ideas past everyone to see what interests them for another external physical stretch goal. Basically, I’ll let the backers decide which of these will be revealed first…once again, any and all of these will be included in all-in pledges.
Sticker pages
Metal pins
Cardboard standees with bases
Finally, I have considered offering STL files, which can be used through a 3D printer to create minis. 3D printers are becoming more common, and I didn’t want to tackle offering physical minis with this campaign, as so many publishers bite off too much and often lose money on the endeavor.
I don’t think I’ll offer that one as a low goal, so choose among the top three. However, if you REALLY want STL files for some of Amethyst’s monsters (dragons initially), mention it in the comments.
ARTIST RETROSPECTIVE
Here is part 4 of our artist retrospective.
FINALLY...A REWARD / ADD-ON
I had assumed the majority of my backers carried over from previous projects. To my shock, I discovered this was not the case, and most backers on new projects are first-timers to Dias Ex Machina. As a result, I realized many of you have never seen the Ultramodern5 GM screen shown above.
While I do expect an Amethyst-themed screen will be unlocked, I have decided to offer the UM5 screen as an add-on (the image will go up later today).
HOWEVER, I HAVE DECIDED TO INCLUDE THE UM5 GM SCREEN AS A REWARD FOR ALL-IN PLEDGES.
Yes, in case you were curious, that does mean that potentially an all-in pledge will receive two different GM screens.
FORSAKEN
I have been plugging other campaigns, but this one is special. Noah Adelman is the brains behind GameTrayz, one of the leading designers in modern board games. We’ve been friends for several years; he worked with me on both Naramata and Brothers Bond, the former being a DEM-published product.
GameTrayz is finally publishing its own original title rather than working with other designers. And boy, do they not need my help. They are already closing in on $300,000. It’s a fantastic, weird west setting set on an alien world, something I similarly offered in my steampunk Torus setting a few months prior.
This game looks gorgeous, but that’s no surprise, given the minds behind it. I mean, just look at it.
Check it out. I think it’s an incredible campaign.
ANYWAYS
That’s me out for today! Hopefully, we’ll hit a bunch of stretch goals next week, and I can show off some cool stuff.
Chris
MORE REWARDS, ART, & STUFF!
over 2 years ago
– Tue, Sep 06, 2022 at 07:40:28 PM
HEY EVERYONE!
We are one stretch goal away from revealing the next three.
Meanwhile, we crossed $55k, unlocking the Angel saint race…you remember… this guy.
That’s part of what is considered the largest and most detailed image in Amethyst history.
I would consider that image borderline iconic, along with this one…
…which is actually present within the lore of Amethyst—the painting appears in front of the characters in the first novel.
But the “LAST SUPPER” was an attempt to showcase all the races of Amethyst…at least the races presented in the first book. We’ve added more since then.
I have such a good relationship with my artist because of his attention to detail. Case-in-point, you have any guesses how big this image is.
Higher…
Higher…
It’s just under a gigabyte.
No kidding, really.
To give you an idea how much detail is in this image…look at that angel again and let’s zoom into shoulder.
Yeah…that’s how much detail is present in some of these images.
One of the rewards is something I often give out called an art dump, which I admit I should probably rename; every image we create for the setting. Currently, that directory is just over 10 gigabytes in size and that’s before any illustrations from Revelations.
VIRTUAL TABLETOP SOFTWARE
We’ve updated the KS page this week reflecting recent developments regarding virtual tabletop software.
Initially, we were offering Roll20 modules to all three-pack RPG sets (digital or physical).
We are happy to report we’ll be offering the same rewards with Foundry (all three-pack RPG sets, digital or physical).
As stated in the prior update, we’ll be offering discount coupons for Fantasy Grounds and Shard Tabletop for three pack RPG sets but will be including them with “all-in” pledges.
So hopefully, that covers all the digital tabletop platforms backers could possible want. I have two workhorses already committed to the project. I’ll reveal a schedule for release after the campaign.
CONTENT WARNING
There was some confusion regarding my use of sensitivity readers.
If you’re a fan of Amethyst, you know that I don’t shy away from hard content and controversy. This setting will never have rounded corners. I brought on a sensitivity reader onto Affinity and not a single word was changed. This is not about offending no one.
Amethyst has carried a content warning and is a mature setting.
There is a big difference between softening a setting and ensuring language is correct so that the message is conveyed without confusion.
Amethyst is dark, with some content that will trigger people. I happen to believe that role playing games can be considered art in the same way that we accept video games and movies as. And us such, it cannot be accepted as art unless it upsets some of us. That’s part and parcel of the package. When Rite of Spring premiered in 1913, it was despised. There was a riot. Art will piss people off. That’s what art will do. I just want to make sure I do it the right way.
ART, PART 3
Here is part three in our retrospective of Amethyst’s art, back when it was all black & white.
My friend Russell Nohelty has launched a Kickstarter for the fourth volume of his awesome horror-comedy dark fantasy epic, Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter, and you should definitely go back it ASAP!
Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter is the smash hit Wannabe Press title about a mental patient that escapes from an asylum and becomes a monster hunter during the Apocalypse, but doesn’t know if he’s killing monsters, humans, or it’s all in his head the whole time.
I absolutely love the first three books and can’t wait to get my hands on the new volume. If you’re a fan of monsters, magic, mythology, and non-stop action, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, too.
