May Update!
11 days ago
– Mon, May 25, 2026 at 03:58:04 PM
Greetings Chosen!
First, let me say Happy Memorial Day to all of those who have lost a family member in military service or know someone who has. I thank them for their service!
Now, the game...
Considering that there are only six days left in May, I'm going to miss my soft deadline of June 1st. However, as I mentioned in the last update, I'm not worried about taking development into the Summer. I don't foresee a reason it will continue into the Fall convention season.
Some things have become clearer over the past few weeks. I said I would know a more accurate page count by the end of May, and I way undershot when I suggested it could be 130 pages. One reason is that the book size is both a friend and a foe to my Encounter Table. It's great that the page size is perfect for keeping prompts at a good length. Prompts need enough variation to maintain replay value, and each entry includes a variable for whether the encounter occurs during the day or at night. However, the variations that provide depth to the prompts result in one entry per page.
I don't consider that a setback, but it was unforeseen. I would rather have one entry per page and do the game justice than give you guys bland encounters that get boring. That said, the book will definitely be 150+ pages. How far over 150 it goes, I'll keep you updated.
Also, a colleague has indicated they want to run Chosen at Gen Con, which is a first for the game. That will be the first convention session of Chosen not facilitated by me. That's exciting! I'm looking forward to more people experiencing the game.
That's really all I have at the moment. I'll update you guys again soon.
Stay safe and happy gaming!
April Update 2.0!!!
about 1 month ago
– Thu, Apr 23, 2026 at 02:14:34 PM
Hey Everyone!!!
I mentioned at the beginning of the month that I would try to get out more than one update, so let me get to it.
Progress is coming along. The goal is still to complete the book before June 1st. If something comes up or interferes with that specific date, I'm not concerned. The game will go to printing this Summer.
Before I went back to school to become a writer, I read Stephen King's book, On Writing, about his journey to becoming a writer. Stephen has a routine where, once he finishes a manuscript, he puts it in a drawer for six weeks. That way, when he looks at it again, it's with a completely fresh set of eyes. This process makes editing one's own work easier and yields the best possible final copy when sent to an editor.
That has already happened to multiple areas within the game's book. In some places, more than once. That said, I feel like this will reduce the number of edits needed after I send it to the official editor. Plus, my wife is one of the harshest critics of RPG books that I know. She is not afraid to ask me why something is the way it is.
I've also decided to keep the short story I wrote in the game's world separate from the game book. I want the game's manuscript to focus on the game. The short story is still available for download on DrivethruRPG.com, and there will be excerpts from the story in the book as flavor text. I, honestly, feel the manuscript flows better that way.
As I work my way through the game's manuscript, finishing some areas and polishing others, we're sitting at a page count of 130 to 150. I will have a better idea of the final page count next month.
Until next time, stay safe and happy gaming!
March/April Update!!!
2 months ago
– Wed, Apr 01, 2026 at 12:59:43 PM
Greetings Chosen!
I apologize for not getting an update out sometime in the past couple of weeks. March was insanely busy. I had very little downtime, so progress was minimal. HOWEVER, I'm happy to say that I don't have another convention until Gen Con in late July.
The first weekend of March, when I was at GAMA Expo, a friend and fellow designer finally got a chance to play Chosen. In his words, "this is done. It's ready to go. Just get the book finished." This comes from a colleague whom I trust and know can give impartial advice. He's written and edited on projects much larger than Chosen, and is currently tagged to be one of the editors for the Ghost in the Shell TTRPG by Mana Project. I didn't need his approval, but it was great to hear.
That said, I think it's perfectly realistic for me to complete Chosen's development this Summer and have physical copies ready for Gen Con 2026. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I appreciate you all sticking with me during this development period. It's taken much longer than I would've liked, but I've learned a lot. The longer "cook time" has definitely paid off, as I know you're getting a higher-quality product than what you originally ordered.
That's all for the moment. I will be in touch again soon, likely later this month. Stay safe and happy gaming!
Joe Weaver
February Update!!!
3 months ago
– Fri, Feb 27, 2026 at 10:54:23 PM
Hey Everyone!
February has seemed to fly by for me! I can't believe it's already almost March. As I prepare to attend my first convention of the year, I wanted to reach out to you all with an update!
The expanded Encounter Table I mentioned in the last update is coming along. Thanks to the new table, a couple of new things for the game have been born. Previously, taverns were only in locales (villages, towns, etc). Now, taverns can exist as solo-standing structures along roads and paths. This allows for more RP moments and encounters.
Another thing I've been considering is non-contract monsters that fit into the world. One of the new encounters was originally written to involve a cockatrice. However, I wanted something original.
I just happened to watch Predator: Badlands and got inspired by Genna "The Death Planet." If you've seen the movie, you probably understand why lol. So, after watching the movie, I got to brainstorming.
Soon, the Raamulath Deathbloom was born. It's a carnivorous plant with thick, 50-foot vines that function like tendrils in combat. Deathblooms dig in at locations that provide soil soft enough for them to burrow through and a decent amount of prey (pretty much anything that has blood pumping through it). When it attacks, the deathbloom attempts to wrap its prey from head to toewith its long, thick vines. These vines then secrete an otherworldly ooze that coats the creature wrapped within, paralyzing it and creating a barrier primed for energy transfer. Over the course of the next 18 hours, the deathbloom drains the creature's lifeforce. While this happens, a chemical reaction in the ooze also turns the trapped creature to stone. Once a deathbloom deems an area a weak food source, it moves on to a different area. Needless to say, these otherworldly plants are considered extremely dangerous.
Other than that, I've been working on term corrections (tedious work) like making sure all instances of "initiate" now say "acolyte." That sort of stuff. I also balanced all the pre-gens so that they were no longer legacy characters. With these, players can have an original name and choose their Origin (human, dhampir, or demon-kin), instead of it being supplied. It will also offer a more balanced group experience, since every character will be the same power Tier. I plan to upload these new character pre-gens to DrivethruRPG when I return from GAMA Expo.
March is going to be much busier than I originally anticipated. Next week I attend GAMA in Louisville to work a booth. I will also be going to Gary Con 2026 with a friend. Then, I'll work a booth again at the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) the week after Gary Con. Regardless, I'll get another update out sometime in between all that.
Stay safe and happy gaming,
Joe Weaver
January Update!!!
4 months ago
– Sun, Feb 01, 2026 at 02:49:09 PM
Greetings, Everyone!
I started typing this yesterday and never made it back to my desk after dinner. I haven't forgotten about you guys. I just wanted to wait until I had a little bit more to report before sending out an update. I know a lot is going on in the US, but I hope you're all having the best start to the year as possible. It's been one of the longest Januarys for me that I can seem to remember, but the show must go on.
As far as Chosen goes, the new exploration table written by my friend and fellow writer, Jillian, has been submitted. I would like to send a quick thank you to her, as it's been helpful having someone else working on the project. Aside from the increased production, having someone around to ask questions keeps a designer on their toes and increases product quality.
I'll be working on editing and laying out the table in the book this week. I've also been working on a few other things in the meantime. Writing backgrounds and adding stat blocks for the three special mounts in the game was at the top of my list over the past few weeks. I have to say, the magmawing and rockhorn are great, but the Bolamog has really grown on me. It was fun to add more lore to the Queens of Neroda, the three Chosen who went against the Order by siding with a demon for immortality and the freedom to practice magic without rules.
Lastly, I know I've had the sniffles lately, so I hope you stay warm, safe, and healthy! I'll get back to you guys again in a few weeks. Until then, I'll keep hammering on these keys to get this game finished.
Happy gaming,
Joe Weaver
