Update - 25/12/2023

Hello, and welcome to the last update of the year! This has been an interesting year, for sure! On a personal level it hasn't been that great, but professionally (can't believe I can use that word when it comes to RPGs now) it's been great. I've published a lot of cool games and I continue learning what I'm best at and what I want to do. The highlight of the year would be the release of Across a Thousand Dead Worlds, or maybe we should call it soft launch since it's still not completely fulfilled, but I think that I'm put out some cool stuff aside from that monster of a game. 

But as you guys know, I have lots of plans for the next following months! Demonic #2 is now available for Patreon members, and it will be out next month for the rest of people. Next month we'll also finally release Under Ashen Skies. I don't know if I'll be able, but I'm really going to try to have Ruthless Heavens, Boundless Fate ready for you in January as well. The layout will definitely not be ready because art takes time, but I think I'll be able to have the text ready at least. I'm working really hard on it, and I'm almost done with the character creation chapter, which is as usual one of the largest sections in the book. I'm right now working on the character classes (yes, I'm working on adding classes, but they aren't restrictive, they just give you starting skills and bonuses, they don't limit a character's options), and I'll soon jump to the skills next. Skills are active abilities, and I'm planning on adding a hundred of them, so it's a lot of work! I'm very happy about how the skill system works, I'll talk about it in the future.

the core rules will be complete super fast because this is a D20 ruleset and I can work based off the Sacrifice rules. There are still a few blank spots in my design, like deciding how trials and missions are going to work, but I'll tackle it once I get there. I will probably steal a few things from Riftbreakers or Broken Shores, I enjoy how dungeons are created in those games. I'm also stealing the Alchemy rules from Sacrifice, because it's honestly some of the best game design I've done, so there's no reason to re-invent the wheel. I've seen similar systems now, but when I came up with it 4 years ago for Disciples of Bone & Shadow it was pretty unique, and I still love it.

The only thing that will derail my working on RHBF is the fact that I need to finish the Ker Nethalas Kickstarter stretch goals. I'm currently working on the cards with Glynn, and progress is being made at a great pace, but I need to sit and write the stuff I promised as stretch goals. I also need to finish the layout of that secret game I mentioned I'll be bringing to Kickstarter in February, most likely. We'll see!

So that's it for this week, I'm currently sick again and dealing with some family drama (like I said, shitty year), but I have a moment of peace and I want to make sure I spend it working on RHBF. I really wish you all the best and that you spend these days surrounded by friends and family. 

Thank you all once again for another year of support, 2024 is going to be even more full of games that 2023 was, you'll see!

- Alex