Oct 2, 2019

Half-Elf & Academic Background UNLOCKED! Music Upgrade & Boss Monster Vote NEXT!

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

Annnnnd cut! The Final Votes are:

Backers: Half-Elf (614 - 52%) - Half Orc (559 - 48%)
Discord: Half-Elf (247 - 51%) - Half-Orc (235 - 49%)
Twitter: Half-Elf (51%) - Half-Orc (49%) (413 Total)
Facebook: Half-Elf (57%) - Half-Orc (43%) (495 Total)

Half-Elves won the battle, poor Half-Orcs never stood a chance it seems. They will be the 5th Race to join Solasta: Crown of the Magister - that's Stretch Goal #6 wrapped up! You also unlocked the Academic Background for Character Creation and its special questline!

You had two passions growing up: history and magic. Your teachers saw your interest in all things old and magical, and ensured that your potential was nurtured. Your mission in life is to discover the secrets of the past, both magical and mundane - and you are ready to risk your life in the pursuit of discovery. You have been considering joining the Antiquarians but in the end, you wanted more freedom and didn’t want to stay in a library all day, so you took your backpack and went on to discover the wonders of Solasta by yourself.

Now, for the upcoming Stretch Goals!

Music Upgrade - Full Orchestral

Currently, we have planned for live musicians recordings in studio for Maxime Hervé's compositions - most often done individually.

This Stretch goal will be used to extend it to Live Orchestral recording sessions. This means not only more recordings for more variations and better interpretation, but also a greater cohesive musical ensemble to create an even more vibrant world.

Boss Monster - Community Vote

Four iconic monsters, one community, one stretch goal. Which one will you choose?

Bulette - Extremely dangerous and heavily armored, the Bulette burrows beneath the ground to snatch its prey from below.

Remorhaz - A gigantic beast that can grow up to 40 feet long, the Remorhaz is a monster that can produce an incredible amount of heat, easily melting any non-magical weapons that dare hit it.

Cloaker - A stealthy creature of the dark, the Cloaker is an intelligent monster that manipulates shadows and hunts unsuspecting victims from above.

Roper - A horrifying monster that often goes undetected until it's too late, the Roper grabs its victims with long tendrils to sap their strength, drawing them close to consume.

New Questline - Legendary Item

Well well now... I have a story for you. One of power, of mystery, of a long lost item that has eluded every scavenger party so far. The stuff of legends, basically. And I happen to know about its whereabouts, for a low low sum of... Wait come back here! I swear to the gods, adventurers these days are so stingy! So, as I was saying, Legendary Item, power, yada yada yada... Are you in or what?

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Oct 1, 2019

Cohh UNLOCKED - next goal: Ranger! Half-Elf vs Half-Orc vote starts NOW!

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

Time is running out!

We've now passed the last 72h of the Kickstarter Campaign, and Cohh Carnage has been unlocked as a Guest Voice Actor. Next in line is the much requested Ranger Class!

Wait what's that? We're revealing 2 Stretch Goals at once? You're right, because it's time for another Community Poll - this time to decide on the next race to implement! Half-Elf, or Half-Orc?

Voting period ends when we reach the Stretch Goal. Similarly to the previous poll, Backers vote will have more weight!

By Edalliath Keenmind, Loremaster of the Arcaneum

Origins

Most half-orcs are children of violence rather than romance. Those raised in an orc tribe are usually persecuted for their physical weakness, and learn early to compensate with their higher intelligence – higher by orcish standards, that is. Half-orcs raised among humans suffer in a different way, ridiculed for their ugliness and seen as little more than beasts, at least until they grow into their adult size and strength. After that, the comments and jokes are mostly kept out of their hearing.

Being rejected by both their parent races and belonging nowhere, half-orcs tend to stick together. In a town or city they will have carved out their own quarter, and made sure that it is easily defensible. The same holds true for orc camps and caves.

Physical description

Half-orcs are taller than humans on average, with broad shoulders. They tend to have red eyes. Many claim this is from the fire of their natural fury. They have slightly protruding loser canine teeth, giving them a somewhat brutish appearance. In contrast, their skin is very smooth, and they have very fine hair, usually dark in color.

Next Generation

Half-orcs breed in fairly predictable ways:

The offspring of two half-orcs will be a half-orc;
The offspring of a half-orc and a human will be human;
The offspring of a half-orc and an orc will be an orc.

This explains why half-orcs are rare on Solasta, almost millennium after they first appeared.

Today

Half-orcs are often found in the Marches, far from civilization. Some are members of orc tribes, while others have integrated into the settlements of other races. There are also a few settlements exclusively populated by half-orcs.

They can also be found occasionally in the lands of the Snow Alliance and the Principality of Masgarth, often working as bouncers, caravan guards, or criminal enforcers. The melting-pot cultures of these two nations makes them more welcoming to half-orcs – or, at least, tolerant of them - and encourages integration. While they may not make many close friends of other races, they can at least hope to be treated fairly.

Origins

The native races of Solasta are not able to interbreed, so there were no half-races before the humans arrived. As humans spread across the world in the wake of the Cataclysm, they became valued for their divine magic and for their ability to work without magic at all.

They were of great help to the nonhuman communities where they settled, and in some instances, shared difficulties led to intimacy. To the great surprise of all, it was discovered that humans and elves could produce viable offspring.

The sylvan elves of Colthannin were more welcoming to the humans than the high elves, so most half-elves are part sylvan elf. Sylvan elves like half-elves, finding much to enjoy about their affinity to Misaye in her mischievous aspect.

High elves, on the other hand, tend to frown upon half-elves, regarding them as the fruits of misalliance or worse. Because of their “impure” blood, their lot in the New Empire can be a harsh one.

Physical Description

Half-elves combine the physical traits of their parent races. Their build is slender by human standards but sturdier than that of most elves. Their faces are very fine, with pronounced angles and planes. Eyes are invariably of different colors, although one eye is always gray. Male half-elves can grow facial hair, and most wear a fine, silky beard.

While they mainly follow human fashions, half-elves tend to wear bright clothes of a daring cut. Whole few humans could carry off such fashions, but the half-elves’ natural elegance and flair ensure that while daring, they are never vulgar!

Next Generation

Half-elves breed in fairly predictable ways:

The offspring of two half-elves will be a half-elf;
The offspring of a half-elf and a human will be human;
The offspring of a half-elf and an elf will be an elf.

This explains why half-elves are rare on Solasta, almost millennium after they first appeared.

Today

The largest concentration of half-elves on Solasta is the town of Gift, in the Sylvan Realm. They are found in smaller numbers across Solasta, sometimes living in half-elf enclaves in the larger towns and cities, and sometimes integrated into the population at large. The New Empire has the smallest population of half-elves, as some traditionalists and reactionaries there regard their existence as an abomination.

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Sep 30, 2019

Party Banter Feature Unlocked! Stretch Goal #4 Revealed: The Ranger is back!

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

Let's start this final week with some good news. As of a few moments ago, Stretch Goal #2 - Party Banter - has now been reached!

Now your Rogue can be sassy even outside cutscenes!

Part of the fun of Tabletop RPGs is the "friendly" and "wholesome" remarks from your companions when you roll the dice - even more so when you fail repeatedly. It just wouldn't have the same charm without these jabs and sarcastic comments now, would it?

Well, worry not - you will now be able to experience this in Solasta: Crown of the Magister as well! The kind Cleric that encourages you to do better next time, the wholesome Paladin who tells you not to give up... Or the Rogue who simply laughs at you and tell you how much you suck. It's always the Rogue. Why is it always the Rogue.

Stretch Goal #4 - New Class: Ranger

The polls were so close that we just couldn't leave the Ranger behind! If you haven't already, we've posted an Update with the Lore and Archetypes of the Ranger that you should read. They may not have animal companions in Solasta, but they are no less deadly! The archetypes are:

Hunter (SRD) - Master of both Melee & Range combat, the Hunter is the supreme predator of the lands.
Marksman (Solasta) - Heir to ancient archery techniques, the Marksman is the deadliest ranged combatant of Solasta.
Shadow Tamer (Solasta) - Wanderer of the desolated Badlands, the Shadow Tamer walks where others fear to tread.

We're still seeing questions when it comes to Physical Add-Ons and Pledge Manager, so it's time for a little reminder again!

What are Physical Rewards / Add-Ons?

The Physical Rewards / Add-Ons refer to the four Physical Items you can order separately on top of your Pledge, which are:

Solasta Campaign Rulebook (Hardcover) - Kickstarter Edition: 41€ / $45 approx.
Solasta Campaign Rulebook (Hardcover) - Standard Edition: 32€ / $35 approx.
Solasta Adventure Box: 27€ / $30 approx.
Solasta Original Soundtrack Vinyl: 27€ / $30 approx.

How do I add these to my Pledge?

It's simple, when selecting your Pledge level just add the price of the Add-On on top of your Pledge. You can add multiple Add-Ons if you want.

When will I get to choose which Add-On I want to add?

After the Campaign is over, you will receive an email from our Pledge Manager. The Pledge Manager will recognize which Tier you pledged for, as well as any additional funds you added on top of it - which can be used to select the Add-Ons you want.

Can I order Add-Ons directly in the Pledge Manager after the Campaign is over instead?

Yes, but that will not contribute to the Kickstarter Stretch Goals.

When will I pay the Shipping Fees?

We will inform you of the Shipping Fees price next year (2020) before shipping the Physical Products to your home, which is when you'll have to pay the Shipping Fees (through the Pledge Manager).

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Sep 26, 2019

You did it, 100% Funded! Stretch Goals start now!

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

You people are fantastic! We reached 100%!

Get yourself a drink, round's on us!

Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our heart. From the very start of the project, we poured the passion we had for Tabletop RPGs into Solasta: Crown of the Magister. We stayed in the dark for some time, turning a prototype into a real, solid and beautiful game - followed by working on a public Demo.

During that time, there is one question that's always in the back of every game developer's head - will players like it? Then we went to Gen Con this summer with the first version of the playable Demo, and the tabletop crowd loved it. We went to Gamescom, and the journalists loved it. We went to Pax West, and the video game community loved it.

Finally, we went to Kickstarter and you guys loved it. It's thanks to every last one of you that we're funded today, and that we'll be able to expand beyond the initial scope of the game. As promised, these $200,000 will go towards many things, the most important being more content!

Stretch Goals will be gradually revealed as we reach more and more of them!

The first Stretch Goal is the New Background: Lawkeeper!

You have an instinct for spotting trouble and the force of personality to nip it in the bud. As a deputy, you learned how to spot a lie and how to discourage a troublemaker with nothing but a cold-eyed stare. And if keeping the peace and protecting the innocent requires you to break a few heads, you're ready. After some time working in law enforcement in the Principality of Masgarth, you discovered that dealing with petty criminals on a daily basis wasn’t enough for you, and you left for a different life - one of travel and discovery, hoping that your experience and personal qualities would serve you well.

The second Stretch Goal is the New Feature: Party Banter!

Part of the fun of Tabletop RPGs is the "friendly" and "wholesome" remarks from your companions when you roll the dice - even more so when you fail repeatedly. It just wouldn't have the same charm without these jabs and sarcastic comments now, would it?

Well, worry not - you will now be able to experience this in Solasta: Crown of the Magister as well! The kind Cleric that encourages you to do better next time, the wholesome Paladin who tells you not to give up... Or the Rogue who simply laughs at you and tell you how much you suck. It's always the Rogue. Why is it always the Rogue.

The third Stretch Goal is... Thought I would tell you? You'll see soon enough!

As a reminder, the Paladin is already unlocked from reaching 100% of the Campaign Goal.

As good news come in pair (wait what), we're happy to announce that we've reached the first tier of the Referral Program, meaning every backer gets the In-Game Item: Dwarven Bread! Keep spreading the word of Solasta out there!

Delicious (not really) AND deadly as an improvised weapon!

Support us on Kickstarter!

Sep 25, 2019

Stretch Goals & Character Creation Sneak Peek (almost there!)

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

Hello folks!

As we're getting awfully close to being fully funded and some of you are getting really eager to know what's in store, we're giving you a sneak peek of the upcoming Stretch Goal Table!

First comes the Paladin, who will be unlocked immediately when the project is funded as a result of the Community Votes. And ooooh what's next? A new Background to add to the Character Creation!

Backgrounds in Solasta

There's more to Backgrounds than the usual Bonus Proficiencies, Languages & Equipment. In Solasta: Crown of the Magister, Backgrounds will also be crucial in shaping your Characters' personality, giving them different dialog options in various situations. There will also be quests that are background-specific, meaning replaying the game with different Backgrounds may unlock different questlines.

Adding New Backgrounds thus means adding more Dialog Options & more Quests! Note that due to how Backgrounds interact with Personality, Characters in Solasta currently aren't allowed to share the same Background. That being said, remember that we're still early in the development cycle so design may change along the way!

You were many to ask about Character Creation, as it was absent from the Pre-Alpha Demo on Steam. And for good reasons too! Tabletop RPGs wouldn't be half as fun if you were stuck with Pre-generated characters.

Today we'll be sharing with you our progress on the Character Creation Tool, which is currently being implemented by none other than our Creative Director (and CEO). Please keep in mind that a lot of what you will see is still work in progress, so do not make assumptions based on these images (like the number of races / classes displayed). There might also be some placeholders. But first, a word from the Boss (who's sitting at his desk tinkering with what you're about to see):

The Character Creation was actually the first part of the game I developed (more than a year ago, before the studio was established), in conjunction with the database of classes, races, etc. It made sense to start working on this first, as a good tabletop game starts with character creation. The complexity was to figure out how to handle all the possibilities of character creation in a unique interface. It was fully functional in our early prototype, then set aside as we focused on the Ruins of Telema and in-game features. Now that we are moving our focus towards developing the full game experience, our UI/UX partners FIGS have produced the gorgeous concepts that you see today. They know RPGs, but they are not SRD experts so there may be incorrect / temporary fluff in some screens. I have also started implementing this new design to enable the final Character Creation feature for the game.

I believe most of you will be very familiar with Character Creation works, though I'll still be explaining for those who may not know the system so well. You will first be selecting the Race & Sub-Race of your character, which will grant you Racial Features and Stat Bonuses.

After that, you'll be choosing your Class. This will give you Class Features, Proficiencies and Saving Throws on top of what you already got from selecting your Race. Skills will be selected later down the line, and Spellcasting Classes such as the Wizard here will be selecting their Spells after that.

We're now reaching Background Selection. As we presented at the beginning of this article, Backgrounds in Solasta actually have a lot of hidden attributes on top of the usual Proficiencies and Equipment, so do keep that in mind when selecting one!

You've been patient so far, now is finally the time to roll the dice! In the current system, we're using the standard 4d6 drop 1 - meaning you throw four 6-faced dice, keep the three best rolls and add them up to get an attribute score (rinse & repeat 6 times). And for those who like to "force their luck" we have an option to reroll the dice as many time as you want. It's a single player game, no-one will judge you. Maybe.
For those who want, you also have the option to use the Standard Array as shown here in the "Predetermined" option. Standard Array gives you a score of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 - which you can then distribute as you want in the different Attributes.

We also have the Point Buy System for those who prefer it that way. How it works is that all your Attributes start at 8, and you have 27 points to spend. You can't get an Attribute past 15 (before Racial Bonuses), and increasing one past 13 cost 2 points instead of 1 per Attribute point (so 12 -> 13 costs 1 point, but 14 -> 15 costs 2 points).
This is the end of our Character Creation Preview for today! We'll have more to show in the weeks to come.

Today we're featuring an adorable and fairly original Fan Art by Sarraiah: a cute Space Hamster holding a D20! The story behind it is fairly sweet - SpaceHamster is one of our most active community members in Discord, and there was a lot of discussions about Rangers & Pets. So... Space Hamster Pet. Note that while absolutely adorable, we have already stated that Pets are not currently planned for Solasta - and not even a cute drawing will make us go back on that decision.

Now it's been quite some time, here is an update of where we're sitting at for the Social Goals!

KS Backers: 4,441 / 5,000
Twitter Followers: 1,333 / 2,000
Retweets: 248 / 300
Youtube Subscribers: 1,450 / 1,500
Steam Followers: 4,243 / 5,000
Facebook Likes: 795 / 1,000
Shares: 93 / 200
Fan Art: 9 / 10
Discord Members: 1,024 / 1,000 - Goal Reached!
Forum Members: 696 / 1,000

Prequel Short Story in 2 more Goals!

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Sep 24, 2019

The Orcs & Humans of Solasta (+ Reddit AMA Schedule & 95% Funded!)

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

The Tactical Adventures crew will be holding an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit /r/games starting Thursday 26th at 7 am PDT / 10 am EDT / 4 pm CEST. Tactical Archimat (CEO & Creative Director), Tactical Zaz (Gameplay Director) and myself (Community Lead) will be answering questions live for at least 3 hours (and maybe a few more).

So don't be shy, come and ask us what you want to know! On another note, only 5% more to go and we'll be funded!

By Aileen Rendyll, Loremaster of the Einarium

Origins and History

Unlike elves, dwarves, and halflings, humans are not native to Solasta. Their race appeared on another world, called Tirmar.

Humans are short-lived, and value the present and the future more highly than the past. After a millennium on Solasta their memories of Tirmar have become legends, studied only by priests and scholars. The high elves say that humans have three talents: multiplying, forgetting, and worshipping.

Human Cleric (Early Draft, Research)

Where Solasta was a world of magic, whose peoples learned to shape mana using arcane spells and rituals, Tirmar was a world of gods. Instead of studying arcane magic, humans worshipped the gods, and strengthened them through their devotion. There were gods for every aspect of life on Tirmar, even for the darkest purposes. In return, they gained a mastery of divine magic.

Years of war and fear led to the birth of the Tirmarian Inquisition, an institution created to protect humans, but that ended up corrupting them instead. An evil god grew in power, threatening all that was good on Tirmar. Many gods left their homeworld with their followers, passing through the Rift to Solasta. Humans arrived on this new world, full of hope and praying for safety, but before they had time to settle, the Cataclysm struck.

After the Exodus and the Cataclysm, humans found themselves welcome across most of Solasta. Unlike the elves, they knew how to build, farm, and survive without magic, which was a great advantage in a mana-depleted world, and even their divine magic relied on the power of the gods instead of the mana of the world.

Human Spellcaster (Sketch, Research)

The humans and their deities became part of Solasta. They have been integrated into almost every nation, and some have become powerful, well established lords, wizards, or kings. They settled the majority of their population in Borealis and south of the Badlands, and are also numerous in Gallivan, the Snow Alliance, and the Principality of Masgarth.

Despite this widespread integration, a few humans still revere the old culture of Tirmar. In certain regions, these traditionalists preserve the old Tirmarian language through religious ceremonies and profane rituals. Scholars traveling in remote areas have encountered human villages where the pure Tirmarian language is still spoken, a thousand years after the Exodus.

Some elements of Tirmarian architecture have also survived, partly through the inexplicable workings of the Cataclysm that brought entire buildings from one world to another, but mainly because most temples on Solasta are constructed following the same architectural principles as their predecessors on Tirmar.

The Church of Einar, god of valor and fidelity, is the chief preserver of relics and stories from the past, from the rise of the Inquisition to the Exodus and the Cataclysm. Paladins of Einar swear an oath to Tirmar itself and devote themselves to following the tenets of the Inquisition, continuing the fight against the evil that cause the fall of Tirmar and that followers of Einar swore to never let rise again. We, at the Einarium, make sure the past is never forgotten.

Male Paladin (Early Draft, Research)

Appearance

Humans are as diverse on Solasta as they had been on Tirmar, with a much wider variation in height, build, and coloration of skin, hair, and eyes than any of the Solastan races. On average they are taller than dwarves and broader than elves, with facial features that are not unlike those of halflings.

Origin Story

Scholars agree that there were no orcs on Solasta before the Cataclysm. They are also absent from the surviving human histories of Tirmar. They seem to have appeared in the aftermath: a new threat in a beleaguered world.

Some speculate that they came through the Rift from some third place, but the archivists of the Einarium are firmly against this theory.

Orc Warrior (Sketch, Research)

The truth is that the orcs are linked to the Cataclysm. Their story is a sad one, for their ancestors were proud Tirmarian humans. Members of barbarian tribes from the high, jagged mountains of Tirmar, they were fearless in battle, for their harsh environment fostered a contempt for death within them. While they respected the Tirmarian pantheon, each tribe also venerated a totem animal, typically one renowned for its strength and ferocity. They made ideal shock troops, and the Tirmarian Inquisition regularly sent them into the toughest spots.

As the Cataclysm unfolded, the Bear Brothers and the Snow Lions fought on the front lines, side by side with the Imperial Iron Legions. Heedless of casualties, they slowly forced the enemy back so that the Imperial wizards could come close enough to close the Rift.

As the rift closed, the enormous strain on the mana of the land had a devastating and varied series of consequences. All know of the centuries when there was not enough magic to cast even the simplest cantrips; of the earthquakes, floods, and famines; the cold and the drought – but the fate of the Tirmarian barbarians was crueler still.

As the Rift closed, a backlash of magic engulfed the front lines, wiping out the Iron Legionnaires. For some reason, though – their human physiology, or their unyielding barbarian toughness – the Tirmarians survived. However, they were no longer human. The twisting magic ripped through their bodies, turning human intelligence into orcish ferocity and barbarian honor into monstrous bloodlust. The men and women were transformed into half-beasts, warped parodies of humanity’s basest instincts.

Orc Tribe Variations (Sketch, Research)

Over the days following the battle, the transformation became complete and the survivors began to move away from the Rift. They called themselves orcs, from the dim memory of a word in the mountain dialect: urrak, meaning strong or capable. Strength and capability had become the only virtues they understood. They wandered the land looting and killing. Many became cannibals, eating the bodies of their fallen foes as much to show dominance as to satisfy hunger. As they spread across the ruined world, sub-groups gathered behind particularly strong leaders, sometimes taking over a tribe and sometimes splitting off to form a new one. Tribes fought whenever they met, but all followed the violent orc way and all would band together against a foe who wielded the hated power of magic.

In time, the orcs moved out of the Badlands and into the Marches. Occasionally a tribe will grow strong enough to raid civilized areas and bring back captives as slaves or as food. Even less frequently, a cunning leader is able to forge a temporary alliance of tribes for the same purpose, but orcs are fractious by nature and such alliances seldom last long.

With strongholds in the mountains that separate the Marches from the Badlands, each orc tribe developed its own form of orc culture, fully orcish and yet distinctive, as each tribe forged its own path.

Although orcs share a common hatred of magic, their shamans wield a quasi-religious power through pacts with local spirits. They strive to prevent clan rivalries and petty feuds from developing into all-out war, often by organizing ritual combats between the champions of both sides. These fights sometimes settle a dispute, but just as often the losing side resorts to war rather than accepting defeat.

Orc Warrior (Concept Art)

Psychology

Although other races regard them as savages, orcs do have a culture, however barbaric. Orcs define themselves by their clan. For an orc, being clanless is, in many ways, worse than death, and in many clans banishment is regarded as a harsher punishment than execution.

As well as identity and protection, the clan provides structure and order. In the chaotic environment of the Badlands and the Marches, these are things that orcs crave. Each orc has a rank and a place within the clan, with superiors, inferiors, and duties. Ambitious individuals scheme to improve their position, usually under the watchful gaze of the tribe’s shaman.

Orcish mercenaries are occasionally hired by Solastan employers, most often the petty warlords of the Marches rather than the rulers of the more civilized nations. They are generally employed as expendable shock troops as well as for those unsavory tasks which might cause their employers’ regular troops to mutiny. A clanless orc takes surprisingly well to the mercenary life, with the mercenary band filling the role of the clan in providing security and structure. The colors of a mercenary company usually ensure that orcs are not taken for raiders and killed on sight, and as harsh as mercenary discipline can be, it is seldom as brutal as life within an orc clan

Description

Orcs are of a similar size and build to unusually large and muscular humans. Their skin is a dark olive green in color, and often decorated with clan tattoos and brands. Their hair is usually black and coarse. Their jaws are heavy and their teeth are large, with especially pronounced canines.

Orc Types (Early Draft, Research)

Orc Types

Even though the Cataclysm destroyed much of their humanity, orcs retain a notion of classes and professions, and they are encountered in greater variety than most other monsters.

Orc fighters are melee fighters, tough and brutal.

Orc archers are not as strong as fighters, but make up for that with cunning. Their skill with bows, makes them effective hunters and secures them a place within the tribe. They sometimes use poison on their arrows, usually to subdue or paralyze rather than to kill.

Orc Shamans pray to the totems of their clan, keeping the ancient animistic traditions, albeit in a dark and twisted form. Shaman spells are based on divine magic, but shamans do not specialize in a particular domain. Indirectly, and unknown even to the shamans themselves, their prayers are answered by Arun in one of his more primitive manifestations.

Orc Chiefs are almost always the biggest, strongest, and most brutal members of their tribe. Most are more intelligent than average, and possessed of an animal cunning that serves in place of education. Having the first choice of any loot (or rather, the strength to take anything they want from anyone else in their clan), they usually have better armor and weapons than other orcs. As a sign of prestige and power, some orc chiefs employ ogres as a personal guard.

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Sep 23, 2019

Almost there (92%), Paladin wins the vote! (+Referral Update & Physical Goods)

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Myzzrym

That 100% goal isn't going anywhere!

You folks are fantastic. We had prepared a little sketch of our favorite sassy elven rogue in anticipation for hitting 90%, but when we arrived at the office we were already at 92%. Words cannot express how excited we are so close to the goal, so close to revealing our upcoming stretch goals!

Class Vote is over. The final results are:

Facebook: 562 (51%) Paladin - 532 (49%) Ranger (1,094 Votes Total)
Twitter: 49% Paladin - 51% Ranger (630 Votes Total)
Discord: 329 (50.2%) Paladin - 326 (49.8%) Ranger (655 Votes Total)
Backer Vote: 816 (51%) Paladin - 729 (49%) Ranger (1,585 Votes Total)

The Paladin is in and ready to kick some major butt!

Paladin wins this round... barely! The Ranger did not go down without a fight. Keep an eye out - he lost the battle, but not the war.

Some of you voiced their issues over the week-end with our current Referral Program. As one of the pillars of Tactical Adventures is to be transparent with our community, we promised we'd give a bit of insight about it, and so here we are.

At the end of the day, it's still your money and the final decision falls to you. While we're always sad to see people leave, we will always respect your choice.

Why make a Referral Program?

It's fairly simple, really: our current goal is get as many people as possible to know about Solasta: Crown of the Magister, and back the project. Referral Programs work well in encouraging people to share the project, and the promise of rewards give an extra push to those who might have been on the fence.

Why did it launch so late? I already shared the project with my friends!

First of all, our upmost thanks to you if you did. You just need to send us a mail over at contact@tactical-adventures.com with "Referral Program" in the title, and your Backer Name + the Kickstarter names of your backer friends, and we'll add you to the list.

The late launch was not on purpose - we're using Beta Tools provided by BiggerCake. Between ensuring the good launch of our Kickstarter Campaign and testing those tools to make sure they work properly, the Referral Program unfortunately launched a fair bit later than we would have liked.

Isn't this unfair? Most people won't have access to those items!

Our reasoning was the following: "Let's create a few weak but entertaining magic items to encourage people to share the project". By doing so they bring more people, and in turn we can reach more stretch goals - adding more content for everyone. However, we noticed that quite a few of you were unhappy with not being able to get these small magic items. To be completely honest, we didn't think they would be that important in your eyes.

Which is why we decided to update the rules a little. The Referral Program stays as it is, but if we reach a certain number of Referrals, we'll progressively unlock the Items to every backer. This way people are still incentivized to bring in new friends, but on top of it everyone benefits if it works!

Hopefully those changes should address the issues that were brought up over the week-end. If not, don't hesitate to tell us in the comment!

We noticed that a lot of people were confused or unaware of the option to purchase physical add-ons separately from their pledge. As a reminder, here is how it works:

You decide which Kickstarter Tier you want to Pledge
You check the price of the Add-On you want
You add that amount to your Pledge
When the Kickstarter Campaign is over, you get to select the Add-On in our Pledge Manager

What Add-Ons are available?

The Adventure Box, with a GM Screen, Dice Set, Short Adventure (lvl 1-3), Standees, Battle Board, Character Sheets & more

The Solasta Campaign Rulebook, detailing the World & Factions of Solasta, as well as Archetypes & Sub-Races specific to the setting

The Kickstarter version of the Solasta Campaign Rulebook, sporting an additional section with various Illustrations, Sketches & Concept Art

The Solasta Original Soundtrack on Vinyl Records

Can't I wait until the Kickstarter Campaign is over?

Well, technically you can simply wait and purchase the Add-Ons in the Pledge Manager, but doing so in Kickstarter will contribute to the Stretch Goals, whereas doing so in the Pledge Manager won't.

Why do I have to wait after the Kickstarter Campaign is over to choose?

Kickstarter unfortunately does not have an interface for Add-Ons, meaning that you will only be able to choose what you do with that extra money you added on top of your pledge after the campaign ends, when the Pledge Manager takes over. It's more a technical limitation than anything else.

New week, new friends! If you’re looking to get your blood pumping, check out the fast paced action-adventure platformer that is Savior ! Not only does the gameplay and the animations look smooth as butter, there’s an undeniable charm behind its lovingly-crafted Pixel Art. And the combat is shaping up to be incredible too!

So, interested in exploring the open-world of Arcadia to help its inhabitants? It’s just a click away!