Path of the Wilds: Moving On

Christopher Moore November 16, 2019

Hey everyone,

The Path of the Wilds Kickstarter has ended, and we unfortunately did not hit our funding goal. Thank you to everyone that backed the project and gave words of encouragement: even if the campaign was not a success, it means a lot to me.

So, where does that leave us?

Let’s go down the list of questions I’m sure you have for the future of Path of the Wilds and Ascension Games:

Is Path of the Wilds Cancelled?

Hell no. I’ve put in too much effort to just toss it. I’ll be damned if I give up just because of this.

Are you going to re-launch the Kickstarter?

No. Kickstarter campaigns aren’t cheap, and they’re time-consuming and stressful. This last campaign already cost a few hundred dollars just for promotional material (ads, music/stock art for the video, etc.). That’s not counting the price of the artwork that Miguel did for the book; that’s just Kickstarter stuff. At this point I will look into alternative means of funding the book. Even if that means paying for it out of my personal savings, I’ll get it done.

What went wrong with the Kickstarter campaign?

Plenty. I didn’t do enough lead up to the campaign itself (no pre-launch page, etc.). Add-ons weren’t put on until a week in, when they could have given a big surge at the start. I didn’t start running ads on places like Facebook and other campaign aggregate sites until after the initial few days (and if you know anything about a typical campaign, you pretty much should get 30-50% done in the first few days, or you can expect to fail). It all seems obvious in hindsight, but in the lead up you can get lost in the chaos of just getting the stuff in front of you finished that you miss necessary steps.

Most of this is undoubtedly my own fault. The campaign for Path of Iron went well with less prep, so I figured just doing that a second time would suffice, and it clearly wasn’t enough. However, I think the biggest factor is that PF1’s market has shrunk significantly with the release of Pathfinder 2nd Edition.

Why’d you wait until after Pathfinder 2e launched before making another 1st edition book?

It wasn’t really by choice, though I have no one to blame but myself. This book was in the works as early as 2016, but life has a way of messing up plans. Multiple job changes, moves, nearly getting evicted, illness, you name it. I had a point where I was selling my MtG cards to pay bills (RIP foiled Deathrite Shaman). It was only recently that I got back on my feet and was able to really dedicate time to writing again, but by that point PF2e was already on its way.

Have you considered writing for other systems (D&D 5e, Pathfinder 2e, etc.)?

I get asked this quite a bit, and yes, I have. One of the last updates I had posted before the several-year radio silence was a plan to port Path of Shadows to 5e. Of course, much like with Path of the Wilds life got in the way, and so it was delayed and delayed. That being said, I still have a lot I want to do for PF1e. Path of the Wilds, obviously, but the “Path” series was originally four books, the last being Path of Blood (working title, a bit too edgy but it’s accurate). Once all four books came out there was planned to be a fifth “expansion” that gave new material to all four of the books in the series. But as with this Kickstarter, PF2 has taken most of PF1’s market.

In an ideal world, I get to finish Path of Blood and the expansion/collection for PF1. Then once it’s all done, I can port the whole series as a single big collection to other systems. Not only would that let me do what I wanted originally, but will also give PF2 some time to mature as a system (and for me to get more experience with it) so I can see where the weaknesses and strengths of the game lie. That was a big reason that Path of Shadows for 5e got put on hold: I didn’t understand the system well enough and was making poor design choices because of it.

I want to finish the series for PF1, I really do. I’ve had these ideas floating around for literally years and want to see them made. Money’s not my main motivator: I just like writing books and don’t settle for “average”, which is why they aren’t cheap. But if I put $3000+ into this book and only sell $2000 worth of copies, then it’s not viable for me to keep going in the red to publish for PF1. I’m not looking to get rich, but I need to at least break even.

So here’s the deal on other editions:

I’m going to put out Path of the Wilds regardless, for PF1. This is going to be the litmus test for what edition I write for moving forward. If I at least break even, and there seems to be desire for more, I’ll jump into finishing the series for PF1. If it doesn’t, then there’s a few options. I can cut out Path of Blood and make the expansion content for just Shadow, Iron, and Wilds, and thereby wrapping up most of what I wanted out of PF1 (which I might do anyway, depending on how early development of Blood goes). I could start porting books individually to 5e or PF2, though I don’t have any real PF2 experience aside from the playtest. Hell, I could just move on to writing my own games rather than making 3PP: I have some ideas, but haven’t been putting much time into them. I’m not going to commit to a single route until I see how Path of the Wilds does.

Anything I can do to help?

First, if you haven’t already, consider joining the Ascension Games Facebook page or following me on Twitter. I’m not exactly a social media guy but it’s a good way to stay informed of any updates and helps get some eyes on new books.

If you’re a fan of Ascension Game’s products and have already bought some or all of our products, you’ve done plenty, and you have my heartfelt thanks. If you’re just learning about us from the Kickstarter, please consider supporting us through the Open Gaming Store, DriveThruRPG, Paizo.com, or here on the Ascension Games store. Print copies are only sold on DriveThruRPG or the Open Gaming Store, so if you want any in print you’ll need to go there.

You can also help with the playtest, which will still continue forward. Your feedback is vital to making sure this product is as great as it can be. You can view it on Google Drive, DriveThruRPG, Paizo.com, or the Ascension Games store.

Discussion threads are open on Giant in the Playground and Paizo.com . You can also just comment directly on the google doc.

Thanks again to everyone that supported the campaign. I’ll be posting infrequent progress updates (ideally every two weeks or so) here on the Ascension Game’s blog, which will also be linked to both the Facebook page and Twitter.

Until next time,

Christopher Moore
Ascension Games, LLC

Path of the Wilds Kickstarter Ending Soon! We Need Your Help!

Christopher Moore November 13, 2019

The Kickstarter for Path of the Wilds is ending soon! CLICK HERE to support the project!

Call up those high-level clerics, ‘cause we’re in need of a miracle! The project still has a long way to go, and we need your help now more than ever. With your generosity, and the help of your tabletop group, we can make this project come to life.

You might be thinking, "Well, with how much is left before reaching the goal, should I even back the project?" To which I say, Kickstarter projects only charge you if the goal is met. If you are interested in Path of the Wilds, even if you think the project might not make its funding goal, please consider backing! If everyone that was hesitant to back the project for fear of the goal not being met actually did back the project, we'd hit our funding goal in no time at all. Every bit helps!

A quick sampling of the content of Path of the Wilds:

Three new base classes: the spell-slinging elementalist, the spirit-bound invoker, and the protective warden.
Dozens of new options archetypes for your favorite classes. Channel the four elements as an Elemental Savant sorcerer, or summon ancestral totems as an Animist barbarian. Gain divine power and flexible shapeshifting with the Mystic Shifter, and commune with the spirits of the wild as a Primal Vessel medium.
New feats to support all kinds of play styles for nature-based classes. Use Elemental Strike to alter the damage of your weapon attacks, or Ferocious Assault to tear at foes with claw and steel in tandem. Hunt down impossible prey with the Skilled Tracker feat, and call out their weaknesses with the Spotter’s Call combat feat.
At least 60 new spells for practically every magic user. Conjure toxic blooms to poison foes, or create a burst of volcanic might with the eruption spell. Unleash your wild side with the primal fury spell or destroy aberrant threats with natural order.
New magic weapons, armor, wondrous items, and more. Soar on wings of air with the stormlord’s raiment and freeze foes solid with the rimeflower bow.

There's also a playtest document you can download directly from DriveThruRPG, Paizo.com, or the Ascension Games store. You can also check out our content previews here on our blog:

Thank you for your continued support!

Christopher Moore,
Ascension Games, LLC

Man of the Land (Part 2): A Look at the new Animist Barbarian

Christopher Moore November 11, 2019

Time for our final content preview! Today we look at the new animist archetype for barbarians, which greatly changes the way the class plays.

Rather than raging, the animist summons a totem that provides buffs to allies (sort of like skald in a way). Where it gets more interesting it that the animist can take multiple lines of “totem” rage powers and attach them to the totem she summons, granting a lot of flexibility in her group’s approach to combat compared to a skald’s raging song. Eventually the totems take on a life of their own, too, acting as spiritual weapons or spirit guardians to attack nearby foes!

The Kickstarter ends this Friday! We still have a looooong way to go, so help us get the word out in any way you can!

Animist (Barbarian Archetype)

Most believe that the soul only exists in the living. The animist knows that this is a lie. An ancient tradition, these contemplative warriors summon mystical totems that invite the innumerable wild souls of the world to turn the tide in battle.

Totem (Su): An animist has learned a mystical technique to create spiritual totems out of natural power. The animist can summon a single totem as a standard action in an open space within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). At 7th level, she can summon a totem as a move action instead of a standard action, and at 13th level she can do so as a swift action. The animist can maintain a totem for a number of rounds each day equal to 4 + her Wisdom modifier. Each animist level gained after 1st lets her summon totems an additional 2 rounds per day, and she can dismiss the totem as a free action. The animist can only have one totem summoned at a time.

The totem is a small object (about 2 feet in diameter and 4 feet high) and must be placed on a horizontal surface. It is semi-solid and made of a mixture of magical power and wild energy: it has 10 hit points per level the animist has and hardness 5. Being semi-intangible, it can be destroyed through damage but cannot be moved, and creatures can move through its space unimpeded. Once a totem is dismissed, it cannot be summoned again for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds the totem was summoned. If the totem is destroyed (and not simply dismissed), the animist cannot summon another totem for the previously described duration or for 1 minute, whichever is longer.

While the totem is summoned, it grants enhanced power to the animist and her allies, so long as they remain within 30 feet of the totem. The totem grants a +1 morale bonus to one of the following:

Weapon attack and damage rolls
Armor class and saving throws

The bonus is chosen when the totem is summoned and cannot be changed until the animist summons a new totem. The bonus increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th levels, to a maximum of +4.

Allies affected by an animist’s totem are treated as under the effects of rage for the purpose of other effects that mimic and/or do not stack with rage, such as a barbarian’s rage, a skald’s raging song, or the rage spell.

This ability replaces rage. Abilities and effects that grant additional rounds of rage, such as the Extra Rage feat, instead grant additional rounds the animist can summon her totem.

Totemic Powers: When selecting rage powers, the animist can only select “totem” rage powers, such as Spirit Totem or Beast Totem. Unlike most barbarians, an animist is not limited to only a single totem set and can learn any number of totem powers. She must otherwise meet the requirements of these rage powers, as normal.

When she summons a totem, she can select a single type of totem rage power she has. The animist and her allies gain the benefits of all rage powers of that totem type that the animist has, but only while they are within 30 feet of the totem. She can choose a different set of totem powers to share with allies each time she summons her totem. If the rage power’s effects depend on the animist’s ability modifier (such as lesser spirit totem), affected allies use the animist’s ability modifier instead of their own for the purposes of this effect. An animist never qualifies for the Extra Rage Power feat. This alters rage powers.

Spirit Sense (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, the animist can contact the spirits that exist in all of creation to guide her. She may cast her choice of either whispering lore or detect snares and pits as a spell-like ability. She may do so once per day.

For every three levels she gains past 3rd, she gains an additional use of this ability, as well as new spells she can use, as listed below:

signs of the land (6th)
speak with plants (9th)
commune with nature (12th)
find the path (15th)
stone tell (18th)

She can spend her daily uses of spirit sense to cast any combination of the above spells that she has access to. All effects use her animist level for her caster level, and the DC of any saving throw is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + her Wisdom modifier. She must use the spell’s normal casting time. This replaces trap sense and the rage power gained at 4th level.

Spirit Guardian (Su): At 11th level, the animist’s totem can manifest its own life force, acting of its own will. When summoned, the animist can choose to invoke this power, causing the totem to act as a spiritual weapon in its space. The guardian must be given a target (as described in spiritual weapon), but it may only move and attack foes within 30 feet of the totem’s space and will not pursue a target outside of this range. The animist uses her level for the caster level of this effect and it lasts as long as the totem remains summoned. Each round she has the ancient guardian summoned requires her to spend an additional round of her totem ability for the day. This ability replaces greater rage.

Hasten Spirits (Su): At 17th level, the animist can summon totems immediately without delay, regardless of whether the totem was dismissed or destroyed. This replaces tireless rage.

Ancient Guardian (Su): At 20th level, the life force of the totem becomes indomitable. The spirit guardian now acts as a spiritual ally, using the animist’s level for its caster level. The totem becomes impervious to damage, and only effects that can specifically destroy a spiritual ally can destroy the totem (whether the guardian is summoned or not). This ability replaces mighty rage.