Lurker in the Fog
almost 5 years ago – Sat, Jun 01, 2019 at 04:21:28 AM

Lurker in the Fog

Noctis von Siberian, scourge of the Acid Sea, wasn’t happy. The report he got from the lookout meant that what he had to tell the captain was troubling indeed. He had spent the past three minutes in his cabin screaming into his pillow, getting all his frustrations out before making his way down to the captain’s room. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

“Come in,” came the sonorous voice beyond the door. Noctis stepped inside and closed the door behind him, standing at attention and staring over the dog’s head. Captain Desdemona Pug of the Wet Nose was finishing up her meal, her plate carelessly set on a set of navigation charts. Her coat was slung on the back of her chair as she wiped her hook clean, holding a napkin in her good paw. “How are things, number one?”

The cat stared hard at the wall past her. “Ma’am, I’ve asked you before not to call me that. I prefer the term ‘first mate,’ as the Old Ones dictated.”

Pug shrugged. “Nevertheless, what is your report?”

Noctis could feel another scream welling up in his throat. “Ma’am, it appears… we may be off course.”

The captain slid her coat back on and started to button her many shiny buttons one-pawed. “So get us back on course.”

Oh, why didn’t I think of that? Noctis wanted to say, but he bit his lip, continuing to stare at the wall. “Ma’am, we’ve drifted into… the Fog.”

“What’s wrong with…?” Pug stopped, and glanced down at her charts again. The impact of that capital letter suddenly dawned on her. “Ah. That Fog.”

“Aye, ma’am.”

“This is serious, number one.”

Noctis counted every grain on the wall he was staring at. “Aye, ma’am.”

She put a paw on the cat’s arm. He flinched at the sudden touch. “Don’t worry. We’ll sort out your mistake. Come along.” She brushed past her first mate and made her way up the stairs to the deck. Noctis watched her go, and as soon as she was on deck, he put his face into the crook of his arm and screamed again into his coat.

* * *

The deck of the Wet Nose was abuzz with activity. The crew desperately adjusted sails, pulled ropes, and turned wheels — anything to try and adjust the course of the shop away from the looming thick fog sitting dead ahead of them. Captain Pug calmly walked among the crew, staring at the Fog when she wasn’t barking the occasional order. Noctis double-checked the crew’s work before going to stand next to the captain. The two stood next to each other, not speaking. The fog dominated their vision as they stared, Captain Pug occasionally scratching her nose with her hook in deep thought. 

Finally, after what felt like hours of watching the Fog, Noctis noticed that he could see a faint patch of blue off to his left. Turning, he confirmed that there was clear sky peeking through the dense vapor. “We did it, captain!” he shouted with joy. The rest of the crew cheered, but Captain Pug continued to stare at the Fog. Seeing the captain so stoic always made Noctis nervous, so he yelled at the crew for a bit to make himself feel better.

Eventually, the blue sky took up more and more of the view. Confident they had avoided the Fog, Noctis returned to his captain, who was still staring ahead. “Ma’am, shouldn’t you be happy? We’ve cleared the Fog.”

“We have. But you’ve forgotten one thing.”

At that precise moment, the water all around the ship started to boil. The acidic water splashed onto the desk, irritating the eyes and skin of all the crew as they tried to figure out what was going on, Noctis ran to the side of the ship and stuck his head into the spray, shielding his eyes to get a better look. He caught a glimpse of something dark and rubbery slithering under the water before it disappeared again.

Then he heard a loud keening wail, and a giant squid-like creature lurched out of the water in front of the ship. Its tentacles waved menacingly in the air as it reared up, as large as the ship itself.

Captain Pug stared calmly at the monstrosity. “You forgot the kraken, number one.”

This time, Noctis didn’t try to muffle his scream.

New Calling: CRUSADER
almost 5 years ago – Fri, May 31, 2019 at 03:23:25 AM

Ahoy me hearties,

Weigh anchor, check the binnacle, ready oars, and give it the ol' heave ho! We continue on our journey...

For those curious about our voyage and our destination, we present another glimpse at the Pirates of Pugmire manuscript, which is being shared with all who join our merry crew!

New Callings: Crusader

Pirates of Pugmire presents six new callings for your adventurers to play, each of which represents a different set of skills and knowledge gained while traveling the Acid Sea. Callings define your pirate’s role and give them context within the crew. Bird and lizard characters can take any of the six callings in this book. Of the pirate callings, dogs may only take crusader or gundog, which require use of the Pugmire core rulebook, and cats may only take torpedo or mystic, which require use of the Monarchies of Mau core rulebook. Though not listed here, dogs and cats might still have views on the Code of Man or the Precepts of Mau and using those views to impact your pirate’s actions or personality is completely fine!

Each calling contains the following information, some of which impacts later steps in making your pirate.

Rucksack: What’s in your pirate’s rucksack to start. You may change items with your Guide’s permission and sometimes you will have an option of which equipment to choose. Each calling has one item in their rucksack acquired “under unusual circumstances.” For this step, you may pick any of the unusual circumstances from the callings in Monarchies of Mau pp. 49-59, Pugmire pp. 43-53, or create your own.

First knacks: Knacks are the equivalent of tricks in Pugmire and secrets in Monarchies of Mau; these are the ones with which your character starts at first level. 

Calling knacks: Which tricks or secrets the calling can draw from when using improvements, in addition to any First Knacks you haven’t taken. Once you take a trick or secret from one of the options provided, all your subsequent knacks must come from the same category. Example: If your Crusader takes a Guardian trick as a new knack, all future knacks must also be from the Guardian tricks.

Crusader

“If all I have left at the end of the day is my good word, that’s enough for me.”

— Joscelin Foxhound

Dogs who become crusaders do so for the noblest of intentions. Crusaders fight for what they believe in and use that belief to fuel their abilities as well as their powerful weapon strikes. Most crusaders act as guardians and voices of the Old Ones, wielding their faith as a weapon and healing their comrades as readily as dispatching their enemies. 

Crusaders fight especially hard against the Unseen, as the Old Ones meant good dogs to do. The Code of Man is vital to their calling but, unlike shepherds, they feel Man meant them to be a force for good both on the battlefield and in prayer. They aren’t always perfect, but they strive for balance and order, working to represent all the Old Ones wanted them to be with mighty blows from their weapons and patient understanding of the Code of Man.

View on other callings:

• Alkalists: Strange enough that lizards worship the sun rather than acknowledge the Old Ones’ importance, but I’m worried they’re going to blow up our ship!

• Gundogs: I respect their morals, but do they have to be so loud about them?

• Mystics: While I understand the birds and lizards who take up this calling, I didn’t think cats liked getting wet all that much.

• Rimers: Though having entertainment aboard ship is lovely, I wish they’d carry themselves with more gravitas.

• Torpedoes: Wonderful to have at my back in a fight — terrible to have at my back in any other situation.

Birds and lizards follow this calling for other reasons — birds for the eventual promise of the Sky Kingdom, and lizards for the glory of battle interspersed with the meditation and quiet contemplation of the sun. When birds take this calling, they refer to themselves as troopers, while lizards use the term dervish.

Six Crusaders

1. A quiet, reserved dog who prays overs each fallen enemy.

2. An excitable, burly dog who fights with zeal, exalting the Old Ones with every blow.

3. A proud dog who was training to become a shepherd, but realized battle was the only way to truly follow the Code.

4. A sweet, loyal dog who is struggling with their faith, but wants to be a good dog.

5. A lizard who meditates before every battle and can’t stand being away from sunlight.

6. A brash bird who knows she can enter the Sky Kingdom if she fights hard enough.

Typical crusader: A crusader will always do what they think is right above all else. If they are forced to take what they consider a “wrong” or “bad” action, it will eat at them until they atone in some way, whether that’s confessing their transgression to friends or members of their faith or praying on the issue for a time. Often, they will attempt to find a way to fix whatever they perceive they did, whether or not the other party is even aware of being hurt. Crusaders believe their word is their bond, and always try to keep promises.

Character Creation

Stamina dice: d10 per level

Stamina points: 10 + Constitution modifier per level

Primary abilities: Charisma and Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Heal, Intimidate, Know Arcana, Know History, Know Religion, Notice, Sense Motive, Survive, and Traverse.

Rucksack: One melee weapon and a shield or two melee weapons and no shield, one suit of armor, gloves, torches, rations, 50 feet of rope, and a token that reminds you of your faith. The token was acquired under unusual circumstances. 

First knacks: Simple Weapon Aptitude, Martial Weapon Aptitude, Light Armor Aptitude, Medium Armor Aptitude, Heavy Armor Aptitude, Shield Aptitude, and choose one from either Healing or Fighting Style.

Calling knacks: Guardian or Shepherd.

It was fun listening to the Audio Design Diary yesterday and having Eddy talk about Pirates of Pugmire! If you want to experience that in person - Eddy Webb, Matt McElroy, and Rich Thomas have traveled across the sea to join Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol at the UK Games Expo this weeked, May 31st - June 2nd. If you're in the area, drop by and say hi to the Onyx Path crew!

Kickstarter Question o' the Day: OK, dog friends! What's the name of the dog in your family, and do they like water? Are they swimmer or a landlubber?

#PiratesOfPugmire

#SwimmingDogs

Audio Design Diary 1
almost 5 years ago – Thu, May 30, 2019 at 08:18:41 AM

Yar! Ahoy me hearties,

As of this morning, we are 2/3rds of the way to our destination, with 3 weeks of sailing ahead of us! That means we've made good use of the wind, but we're getting to the point that we'll have to pull out the oars and row for a few weeks! These weeks will be a bit slower in terms of travel, but with new strong backs joining us every day, we'll surely reach our destination!

Before we launched this campaign, Onyx Path released a long design diary from Eddy Webb, where he discussed his goals and process for creating Pirates of Pugmire. Eddy was kind enough to break it up into smaller bits that I could share during the campaign - little 10 minute snippets that you can listen to during a work break. 

AUDIO DESIGN DIARY PART 1: https://soundcloud.com/eddyfate/pirates-of-pugmire-design-6

Yes, to keep it exciting, the file is labeled #6, but it's actually the first of seven segments that I'll share over the next three weeks. Pretend it's a disguise to throw sneaky pirates off our scent!

It also gives me an excuse to show off some more behind-the-scenes art in progress:

And a reminder about the new addition to our ship - the Pirates of Pugmire Guide Screen, now available as a $20 Add On. If you increase your total pledge by $20, you'll be able to confirm this Add On item in your rewards list when we do our post-campaign survey in BackerKit. Since this is a physical item, it will be shipped to you, and therefore can only be selected by backers who already have the hardcover version of Pirates of Pugmire as part of their rewards list (So, Reward Tiers of $45+). The Pirates of Pugmire Guide Screen will be shipped at the same time as your hardcover book, and does not add additional shipping fees!

#PiratesOfPugmire

#YoHoHoAndASpiderGoat

Mews and News: A New Add-On, A New Video
almost 5 years ago – Wed, May 29, 2019 at 04:12:22 PM

Hello Cool Cats,

(That's the mews part) - I've got some news to share in a quick update.

First, as mentioned in today's earlier update, we've got a new Add On for this campaign. Now that we've shared most of the rules (you've downloaded and read the first two previews, right?), we're proud to present a brand new Pirates of Pugmire Guide Screen!

That's right, as many of you have requested!  We'll be making a Pirates of Pugmire Guide screen available as an Add On Reward! It'll have pirate-specific tables and references for your chronicle, including the sailing rules, the new weapons (including gunpowder weapons), and rules for Gunpowder Panic, along with some information that will be useful for any Pugmire or Monarchies of Mau game!

Simply increase your total pledge amount by $20. Your Add On reward selection will be confirmed in BackerKit, our post-campaign pledge manager. Because this is a physical item that requires postage, it can only be added to reward lists that already include the Pirates of Pugmire hardcover version (reward tier of $45+).

A SPICY VOYAGE PART 2

I'm thrilled to present the conclusion to the Actual Play video I posted last week - this is the second part of the introductory scenario run by Travis Legge! Check it out:

Remember to share this campaign in your social circles and on your social media! We've still got a three week voyage ahead of us, and land isn't *quite* in sight, but we've caught some nice wind and are making excellent progress! Let's keep it up!

#PiratesOfPugmire

#ASpicyVoyage

The Tale of “Stumpy” Sabu Part 4: Honorable Theft & Never-ending Adventure
almost 5 years ago – Wed, May 29, 2019 at 05:10:27 AM

The Tale of “Stumpy” Sabu concluded…

Click <HERE> for our previous installment.

Honorable Theft

Sabu told an enthusiastic Polly about how he hid in a box on board Plastic Minnow and only emerged that evening — the very evening I’m recording this tale. He recognized some of the crew, such as the ever-bombastic but kind-hearted Captain Juniper Pipe and the grumbly ship medic Bugs Electrachilde (who often tells tales at the Lark’s Head), and realized he couldn’t bring himself to harm this oft-times friendly crew. He was forced to act with stealth instead of violence.

Sabu therefore sneaked around the ship like the lizard he is, hiding behind a barrel here, secreting himself beneath a coil of rope there. He scouted out his prey and eventually found it. The chest taken from his ship was in Captain Pipe’s quarters! What Sabu did next impresses me still.

He started a fire.

According to Sabu’s account, it was no inferno. He drizzled some pitch onto the deck and set it alight, hiding from sight as the crew rushed to put out the flames. He then broke into the captain’s quarters and liberated the chest, of course ensuring the contents were intact. Now armed with a chest, what was he to do? Well, there’s the impressive part. As he’d been darting around the ship, he was loosening ropes and sawing through knots, as he’d planned this exact moment. As Plastic Minnow’s crew assembled to douse the fire, he severed the final cord and down came the main sail, swaddling the whole bunch of them! In the confusion he jumped overboard with his chest!

I expect you exclaim now “Surely ‘Stumpy’ Sabu didn’t swim in the Acid Sea all the way back to Waterdog Port, and with a chest in his arms?!”

Of course he didn’t. As Polly remarked to Sabu, at the table not five feet from where I sat, “The first law in our pirate’s code: Always come equipped with an emergency rowboat.” (One of many “first laws” I heard that night, mind you.) Sabu had lashed a small boat to Plastic Minnow before the ship set sail, and having jumped into it, rowed all the way back to Waterdog Port with the treasure at his feet! That, my friends, is the mark of a bold and genius pirate. He stole his plunder, tied up the crew, and made his escape without a shot fired or his identity known.

Never-ending Adventure

Our story is nearly at an end, and I can tell you as I wrote this, I was feverish with my pen, transcribing everything I could hear “Stumpy” Sabu and “Pally” Polly saying to each other. My only unanswered questions were why Sabu was so grim when he arrived at this tavern, and where the treasure was now. I was about to pluck up the courage to ask when I found the two pirates stood either side of me.

“We’ve been listening to you scratching away at your paper all night,” said Polly, peering at my work.

“And when you’ve got eyes like mine, it’s easy enough to spot someone leaning back on a barstool to catch your every word,” added Sabu, placing his webbed paw on my forearm.

I was worried. This was the Old Quarter, and many an intrusive writer’s snout has been cut when diving too deep into the murk of this section of our city. Man knows I’ve had enough run-ins with the gangs and guilds alike here to say I know when danger approaches. Looking at the two pirates flanking me, I felt that danger.

I pleaded with them to allow me to tell their tale and change some names. Maybe even change the location to Port Matthew or Dalmatian Cove. After all, nobody would believe Sabu had been to the Governor’s Mansion, sneaked through the docks, boarded a ship, stowed away, stole treasure, and rowed back, all in one night. 

That’s when the two of them grinned at me. Sabu tapped my sheaves of parchment. “Of course, they won’t believe it,” he said. “That’s why when you write it, you’ve got to be as honest as you can. A pirate needs people like you to build a reputation! You’re just missing the ending.”

I eagerly took up my pen as Sabu leaned against the bar, lifting the half-a-tail for which he earned his name. “I did row all the way into Waterdog Port, it’s true,” he said, stroking his scales absently. “But I’m no brawler. For all my deeds, I’m only fit to row short distances. I was beyond exhausted. I had to ask a dock worker to help me from the boat and lift the chest up onto a cart for me. I even paid for the service.” Sabu paused. “I made a mistake.”

The end of my pen snapped, apparently for dramatic effect. I drew forth a spare, at which Polly nodded in appreciation. “I should never trust treasure to anyone outside my crew,” Sabu continued. “This dockworker was unknown to me. Just a young cat. But I should have recognized the two rings on his little finger, denoting him as a member of Ulf’s gang of pirates.” He shuddered repeating the name.

“That two-headed knave’s agents are everywhere, and, spying a pirate with a treasure chest and no support, his little kitten only went and ran off with the loot, pushing the cart away toward an alley I’m sure leads to the Underport. But alas, I was too weak to follow. So instead I found Polly and decided to drown my sorrows.” Sabu sighed, dropping his tail. “It seems that giant isn’t satisfied cutting me short; he wishes to rob me blind as well.”

I asked the two pirates what they were going to do next, and the question drew smiles from both as they ordered a round of drinks for the house. “Well you see, friend dog, when a pirate hires another pirate to steal some treasure, only for the second pirate to have that treasure stolen by thieves working for a pirate lord, and that second pirate then needs to steal it from another ship of pirates, only to have it stolen yet again by… a fifth or sixth pirate?” Polly contemplated the math and after a few seconds of calculation added “Yes, definitely fifth.”

I waited for the conclusion, but nothing was forthcoming so I asked, “Yes? What happens next?”

Sabu downed his drink, wiped his mouth, and looked me keen in the eyes. “Well then, that means Polly and I have some pirating to do.”

Ahoy me hearties,

And that concludes our introduction to the world of pirates from Stumpy! And some brand new art for Pirates of Pugmire! Hot off the presses and sent over by Mike Chaney, Onyx Path's Art Director!

PRESS GANG

Keep recruiting new crewmates! We've still got slightly more than 3 weeks to go, but need all hands on deck as we continue to travel toward our goal! Remember to share on your social media and in your social circles! Spread the word and let's keep this voyage going and growing!

I hope to have another update today or tomorrow, announcing a brand new Add On for this campaign, as well as the second part to the Actual Play adventure from the Onyx Path team.

Speaking of the Onyx Path team, Eddy Webb, Matt McElroy, and Rich Thomas have traveled across the sea, like swashbucklers, to join Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol at the UK Games Expo this weeked, May 31st - June 2nd. If you're in the area, drop by and say hi!

#PiratesOfPugmire

#EmergencyRowboat

#Spider-Goat