Chosen

Update #5: End of Week 3 + Stretch Goal news!!!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Apr 10, 2024 at 05:33:55 PM

Greetings, Chosen!!!

It’s the end of Week 3, so it’s that time again! As always, I can’t thank you enough for all the support. This game wouldn’t be a reality without all of you, and I can’t wait to watch you become the fiercest of slayers. For all the newcomers, welcome aboard! We’re about to start the campaign’s home stretch, so you’re joining us at the perfect time.

Before proceeding, I would like to take a moment to celebrate unlocking the first stretch goal. Woooo!!!

That is all your doing, so give yourselves a pat on the back! Now, I want to give you a window into what’s next. Stretch Goal #2 is the House of Volratha: House Majoburu. House Majo is the House of Witch Hunting that specializes in navigating the deadly swamps of The Shadowreach and destroying the hags, crones, undead sorceresses, and swamp-fiends that live there.

To combat the evil of the swamps, House Majo turned to necromancy as their primary method of fighting. In most games I’ve played, you’re always killing the necromancer. In Chosen, a member of House Majoburu walks the line between life and death, bringing back formidable “weapons” from the abyss and using them against the very things that sent them to the abyss in the first place. Chosen of House Majo also can choose between an undead mount or an undead familiar. I thought, “Since we’re going the necromancer route, why not?”

This past Sunday, I took time out of my family’s trip to join my friends at Gaming Honors on their stream Honor Among Thieves. Below is a QR code to the episode if you want to check it out. 

The way I see it, the more platforms discuss Chosen, the more people will hear about the game. In turn, the larger the campaign’s reach, the better the chance we’ll unlock the remaining stretch goals. You’ve all been amazing, so I have no doubt we can hit another goal!

New Add-Ons

As I mentioned above, I’ve been on vacation the past week to visit family. In the chaos of trying to see everyone, I misjudged the amount of free time I would have. With that said, you’ll get two updates this week. Update 5.5 will go out this weekend and be geared toward the special character sheets I mentioned last week. Character customization is one of my favorite aspects of games, so this is the type of stuff that I just love to design.

Lore Reveal - Demon-Kin (Racial History & Character Origin)

Players in Chosen are welcome to develop a backstory for their character. Clone your favorite monster hunter or create a completely new one. Either way works, and I encourage it. However, I also wanted to provide enough narrative for players to have the option to pick up the game and run with it. The Character Origin section in the book documents playable example backgrounds and the abilities of each origin.

In today’s lore reveal, I focus on the descendants of the 4 demons who founded The Order. The humans the Volratha bred with came from all walks of life and all regions. The Volratha had no capacity for discrimination based on such primitive notions as station or skin color. For centuries, they pursued their goal. However, no babies were born to the Volratha themselves. Instead, their “seeds” were carried by those the Volratha seduced into their beds. When the Volratha inevitably broke off the relationship and the individual moved on, any offspring bore after mating with the demon would carry the demon gene.

Racial History - Demon-Kin
A decade after shadows of the dimensional rupture darkened the world, whispers of a new breed emerged among humans – demon-kin. Their demonic genes activated by the chaotic energy released during The Tear, demon-kin are the direct descendants of the Volratha. Some manifested unique abilities, a testament to the twisted legacy of the demons’ seed. Others developed inhuman physical traits, making their afflictions more obvious. Both faced widespread skepticism due to the nature of their arrival.

While some worked hard to earn the trust of human communities, these instances were outliers, with many living under constant scrutiny. Even today, the delicate dance between acceptance and suspicion persists, a reflection of the fractured world they inhabit.

With abilities ranging from elemental manipulation to warping
reality, some demon-kin have found acceptance among the Vampire Courts, allowing the Queen to utilize their talents to further the Vampire agenda.

Character Origin - Demon-Kin
Graced with the blessing of the Hunter’s Eclipse, you bear the ominous sign that stirs superstitions among the wary. Seen as a blight on your family’s name, you were abandoned as an infant. To imply that you didn’t receive the same empathetic treatment as humans born during celestial anomalies would be an understatement. Left to die in the gutter, you owe your life to the kind soul who took you in until their untimely death. Since adolescence, you’ve managed to navigate a hostile world alone, the struggles you experienced as an orphan etching resilience into the fabric of your being.

Life’s trials became your mentors, forcing you to train your demon-kin abilities and martial skills in secret. Every hardship and scar sculpted you into a formidable force, turning the shadows of abandonment into the crucible of strength. Now, armed with a determination forged in the crucible of adversity, you set out to become a hunter of the supernatural. The eclipse, once a foreboding omen, is now the harbinger of your relentless quest to destroy that which darkened the world.

Last Thoughts

What a great week! We reached a stretch goal; I shared more lore (my favorite part of the week) and was on a Twitch stream for the first time in almost 8 years. I’ve had a blast talking to people about the game, the Kickstarter, and everything else surrounding Chosen. I really can’t wait to see where we end up.

Just a reminder—all of you are amazing! I can’t say that enough. Also, please remember to share the campaign, and don’t forget about the custom coin add-on. I’m really excited about those. As I said, I’m working on the custom character sheets and plan to reveal them this weekend. Have a lovely rest of your week, and as always, happy hunting in all your Chosen endeavors!

Best,

-Joseph Weaver - Designer

Week 2 Update + Add-Ons!!!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Apr 03, 2024 at 08:03:40 AM

Good Morning, Chosen!

We're at the 2-week mark in the Chosen campaign, and it's time for another update!

First, I want to thank all of you for helping make this campaign successful. At the time of my publishing this update, we are 98% funded with 15 days to go. That's amazing news! Thanks to all of you, this game will be a reality. That also means we can start working on meeting stretch goals. I have no doubt we can unlock them if we reach enough people.

Second, if you go have a look, you'll find a new add-on in the rewards. I wanted to give you guys more options, and it gives me more opportunities to design cool stuff. This first add-on replicates what I envision as the Order of Volratha currency. I call it the "Vor." Different values of vors would be demonstrated by their metal type (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Copper). They're a limited run, so I would get it during the Kickstarter if you want one. If I do another run, it will likely be a different design and color.

This is the coin's design. The translation for the Hunter side reads, "The Order Provides" in Ancient Uddithan. I'm basing the language on a combination of real-world languages. I know the design of the Volratha side is definitely doable. I leave to see my family tomorrow and will order these as soon as I get back next week. If the hunter side needs to be simplified a bit, it shouldn't take much if it does.

These coins/D2s will come from Foam Brain Games. I've decided to go with Antique Silver for these. Like I said if I make a run in the future, I'll likely make a new design with a different color. Below is the chart from Foam Brain so you can visualize it.

More Coming!

Hopefully, I'll have the second add-on ready to go by this weekend! I plan to design custom character sheets specific to the Houses of Volratha. The book will come with a generic character sheet that can be used for any House. The custom sheets are just so you can vibe out with your character and represent who you are in the game. They will come in packs of 4 (one for each House of Volratha). If they're not added by this weekend, then they should be ready to go for the next update.

Lore Reveal - The Tear/Northern Sector/The Ancient One

I was a little torn on what to address today, but I think I want to reveal some history of the world you'll be hunting monsters in. I mention in the campaign how the Volratha foresaw a great cataclysm coming, which is what stirred them into actively spreading their seed among the human population. A corporation brought on that cataclysm. This is the story of how that came to be known.

"Have a seat, dear. Do you know much of the Northern Sector? No? Well, that's no surprise. It's a mystery to most people. Allow me to tell you a story about how our world became the way it is. It won't take too long. You'll humor an old woman, won't you?

Now, all this chaos started with a discovery. It's been so long now the name's been forgotten. However, the corporation that brought on The Great Darkness frequently comes up in conversations across The Shadowreach. Rumors swirl all the time of new information found in a buried archive or on an undead from the Northern Sector that wandered too far South.

While these incidents are possible, many are rumors and nothing more. The people of The Shadowreach simply want answers, and not even the Order of Volratha has produced anything satisfactory. The closest anyone has come to providing a solid answer was centuries ago when Head Grand Master Kovili of the Order spoke at the signing of the Treaty of Northgate. That day, all four city-states formed an official alliance with the Order of Volratha. Kovili saw the fear in the eyes of the people, and she did her best to give them solace.

'Great people of Udditha, I stand before you saddened by what is happening all over our world. One has to look no further than outside your walls. Northgate has always been a place of peace and beauty. Now, eldritch horrors and undead wander the nearby forests. Demons dare step into the light and inflict their tortures on the living. These are dark times, but fear not, for the Order will not back down. Somewhere in the Northern Sector, buried under all the rubble, are the answers we seek. They must be there because the Order has scoured all of Udditha in search of a solution and found none.

You look at me with fear in your eyes and sadness in your heart, and I feel it in my soul. I heard something for the first time this morning. I overheard someone refer to Udditha by the collective term: The Shadowreach. When I asked for an explanation, I was told that sailing vessels have confirmed that the entire world is enveloped in shadow. There is nowhere in Udditha that the darkness does not touch now.

Well, I refuse. I was born an Eosian of Udditha, and I will not give those monsters the satisfaction of renaming our world for THEM! This is OUR world, and as long as there is blood in my veins, the Order of Volratha will not quit. We will search and fight until we are swimming in blood if that's what it takes! That is my pledge to you, great people of Northgate. We will find the answers, and we will bring back the light.'

Her speech was met with thunderous applause, of course. However, even the great Kovili had admitted the Order had not found a way to disperse the shadows that enveloped our world. Two years later, Kovili led the first expedition into the Northern Sector with a battalion of soldiers and several Chosen Masters. Three people emerged from that doomed expedition. Kovili was not among them. She gave her life for the people of Udditha, so that future generations would have a chance to destroy the darkness.

One of the survivors was the great Grand Master Doon of House Vello. He revealed that the expedition had been successful. Thanks to Kovili and her efforts, the Order knew the path it needed to take. Doon then informed the leaders of the city-states that the Order would be doubling its efforts to seek out those children born during an eclipse. He was convinced they would need as many Chosen as possible to achieve their goal.

According to Doon, the desolation and destruction the expedition encountered in the Northern Sector was immense. Crumbling and rotting buildings, rusted husks of vehicles, and partial skeletons of citizens from before The Tear were scattered everywhere. The expedition had found some sort of facility under what could only have been the former northern capital. There, they found a large stone covered in ancient runes that hummed with energy. When two Chosen touched it, they screamed in agony and were vaporized into a bloody cloud of mist. When the blood settled on the stone, it began to pulse, sending out waves of energy. An otherworldly roar was heard somewhere outside, and the pulses intensified.

The energy waves became so intense that they drove Kovili and her people out of the facility, but not before grabbing as much information as they could. There was no electricity for the old computers, but there were still notes and journals in the room with the stone. For some reason, the mass destruction that had demolished the surface had not touched the underground lab. When they exited, they were confronted by an enormous entity that Doon described as 'the most evil thing he had ever encountered.' Kovili and the rest sacrificed themselves so Doon and the other two Chosen could escape. Doon learned from reading the journal later that the evil being was called The Ancient One. 

According to journals, The Ancient One had been coercing those studying the stone device to activate it. The Ancient One had the scientists convinced the device would grant them the knowledge needed to travel the stars. Instead, it unleashed hell on everything they loved, ripping reality like it was a piece of cloth. The Tear caused such an energy blast that it destroyed the city. What followed was a swarm of evil creatures that flowed forth like water from a broken dam.

With this knowledge, Doon began to rebuild the Order of Volratha stronger than before. When possible, children were taken from birth and raised in a controlled environment. They ate, slept, and breathed monster hunting, all with the goal of training Chosen to defeat The Ancient One. No Chosen has succeeded yet. However, we persist, and the Order has held true to Kovili's word. They still hunt the horrors that come from The Tear, but no real progress has been made to disperse the shadows that keep Udditha in a perpetual state of night. It would seem that the Order and the darkness they're at war with are at an impasse.

Whenver you see a Chosen in the street, remember, the Order protects the people. However, it also draws its strength from the very darkness it combats. The real question is, what will happen to the Order of the Volratha when the world returns to normal? You think on that, dear. Now, run along. I need to stretch my legs." -- Lady Garbindall of Northgate to a child passing through the castle's gardens

Last Thoughts

Alright, well, I hope you enjoyed the lore! Remember to share the campaign. Also, remember to add the new custom coin add-on if that interests you. As I said, custom character sheets are on the design board, and I will have them ready to add to the campaign very soon.

Once again, I appreciate and thank all of you for helping make this happen! Have a wonderful day!

-Joseph Weaver - Designer

Week 1 Update + Lore!!!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 07:08:59 PM

Greetings, Chosen!

Today marks the 1-week milestone for the launch of Chosen, and wow, do I have a massive update for you!!! We're currently sitting at 81% funded with 22 days left to go! For all the newcomers who have backed since the last update, welcome aboard! I can't reiterate enough how much I appreciate your support!!! 

Now, this is where the fun begins. Campaigns often hit a drought around Week 2, so we need to keep climbing through these next 14 days. Doing so should give us a good opportunity to unlock one or more stretch goals. To that end, every time you tell a friend about this Kickstarter or share it on social media, it goes a long way toward making that happen. We still have a journey ahead of us, but I know we'll get there! 

Now, with that said, let's talk game development. I have a few things I want to address.
I'm excited! Are you excited? I hope so because here we go!!!

Cover Update

I need to correct something I shared in Update #2. Once I started formatting the Dread Knight artwork for the cover, it just didn't work. The all-imposing figure that made it such a draw was, actually, too imposing. He practically consumed the entire front cover. However, I've found a solid cover replacement that I hadn't seen the first time around. I was so convinced that I just had to have it. Here's how the new front cover is shaping up:

This may not be the final iteration, but this is where we are at the moment. Feel free to let me know in the comments what you think! I love to hear feedback!

For those who really liked the previous artwork, I apologize. However, fear not. It will be in the book!

New Add-On

I have a surprise add-on in the works for all of you! I discussed it with Foam Brain Games earlier this month at GAMA Expo. That's the only hint you're getting for now. I'm currently looking at pricing to make sure it's worth my and, in turn, your investment.

House Wylfenfis and Evigbo'ri Lore Reveal

House Wylfenfis is the fourth and final House of Thought founded by the Volratha. Due to the sheer voracity of the Evigbo'ri, the hunters of this house are expert trappers. After centuries of hunting werewolves and losing hunters to the point that the House was on the verge of collapse, Wylfenfis turned their focus to the progenitors of their prey. 

When an Evigbo'ri moves into a region, it immediately starts building a massive Den, spreading its disease to all who pass or live nearby. Trapping 4 to 5 werewolves in a den's Territory allows a member of House Wylfenfis to gather enough information for an Evigbo'ri hunt. Unlike those they infect, the Evigbo'ri do not have a second form and are immortal, so allowing a den to fester is certain doom for that area. Evigbo'ri are bipedal but frequently walk on all fours, causing many a villager to mistake them for some other large animal. This inadvertent camouflage vanishes, however, as soon as an Evigbo'ri stands upright.

Their size and features make them unmistakable. Unlike the ghostly light that shines in the eyes of werewolves, the eyes of an Evigbo'ri glow a sinister red (not unlike vampires). Werewolf fur ranges from a light to medium coat. Evigbo'ri coats are always thick and have an almost supernatural softness to them, making them prized by Wylfenfis trappers as armor adornments. Werewolves are smaller than their progenitors, usually reaching a height between 10' and 12' when standing upright. The largest Evigbo'ri ever killed was 15'4" tall and weighed 2,210 pounds. Lastly, werewolves never reach a 100% wolf-like visage, often demonstrated by a stubby snout. Evigbo'ri, on the other hand, possess the head and snout of an extremely large wolf. 

Taking out one of these massive beasts instantly pacifies any individual they've infected, either directly or indirectly. In most cases, the progenitor's death cures the individual's lycanthropy. However, individuals infected by an Ancient Evigbo'ri are not guaranteed a cure. The strain of lycanthropy these creatures carry has been shown to persist after death, causing those unfortunate souls to live a life of exile. Scattered throughout The Shadowreach, these survivors occasionally form pack villages as havens for those who suffer the same fate.

Last Thoughts

There's still more to come, and it's already been a wonderful ride so far! I'm debating the creation of a lore library. Depending on how the formatting goes, I may need an additional place to dump information. Who knows, maybe there's a larger project in the Chosen world waiting in the future. 

Right now, we're making a zine, and I'm loving it! By the way, there's a good chance the book will have 48 pages instead of 45 (no charge to you, of course). That gives me a little wiggle room and all of you more content.

Please keep sharing the game whenever you get a chance. As I've said before, your efforts do not go unnoticed! We're all on this train together. I can't wait to bring you all more content and look forward to what the next week holds! 

As I mentioned on the campaign page, I'm a huge Hideyuki Kikuchi fan. Without him, this game likely doesn't exist. Since Vampire Hunter D is one of my favorite properties, I'll leave you with an interesting quote.

"As far as fashion was concerned, I decided to have him in a double-breasted, long coat with high boots and long gloves. I never considered giving him a cape. Putting someone with vampire blood into a black cape would be too easy. Too expected." - Hideyuki Kikuchi regarding the aesthetic of D

Happy Hunting,
Joseph Weaver - Designer

Book Cover and Campaign News
about 2 years ago – Fri, Mar 22, 2024 at 04:01:47 PM

Greetings, Chosen!

It's Day 3, and we're still on an excellent trajectory!

I'm scheduled for an interview with Mildra the Monk on April 3rd to discuss Chosen. That will expand the campaign to YouTube and hopefully reach more potential pledges. Thanks, Mildra!

More pledges = more Chosen = more Evigbo'ri* heads mounted in the halls of the Wylfenfis temples. That's never a bad thing when your world's been so overrun by darkness that it's become known collectively as The Shadowreach.
*Immortal humanoid wolves that don't have a human form

I had planned on waiting until next week for another update, but I came to a final decision on the book's cover last night, so I wanted to share it with all of you. This was originally a candidate for the Kickstarter thumbnail, but I chose to go with the Demon Slayer for that. However, I will be using this wonderful piece of art from warm_tail as the cover. It showcases the vampire-hunting House Luma, specifically the loadout: Dread Knight.

The dominating presence of the knight just demands your attention, doesn't it?

We still have a good bit to go before we're funded. To that end, I only ask that you help us keep spreading the word. Share the Kickstarter with your friends and social media groups. The sooner we get funded, the higher the chance we have of reaching the stretch goals. Working together, I have no doubt we'll reach our goal and beyond it! 

I mean, who wouldn't want the chance to have a special mount, like a fiend (House Draknapa) or giant squid (House Gehenavvos), or create an undead pet to assist them on contracts (House Majoburu), right? 

So far, I've had backers ask some great questions. Keep them coming! If I don't answer right away, fear not. I will get to you.

There's a lot to look forward to with Chosen, so once again, thank you all for your support! I can't tell you how excited I am to bring you this game!

 Have an excellent weekend!

Until next time,
Joseph Weaver, Designer

Welcome to Chosen!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 11:35:35 AM

Welcome, Slayers!

First, I would like to thank you all for your support! The Chosen Kickstarter is in full swing, and it's a profound feeling to see people like my designs. Each pledge, share, and word of encouragement only adds fuel to my desire to push and strive for excellence in every aspect of game development. With that said, to ensure this project reaches its full potential, please share this project with your friends and social groups where possible. The more eyes we get on it, the more gamers we can reach.

That's important because the #1 thing I hear at conventions is that people would like to play but have no one to play with. The solo and GM-less markets are changing that, and zines are a big part of that movement. Thanks to Zine Quest 5, I have the opportunity to bring my vision for a zine to you. Together, we can bring life to a thrilling tabletop RPG experience where players hunt that which creeps in the shadows while walking the edge of those shadows themselves. 

Over the course of the campaign, I'll be releasing more material for the game (lore details, info on House Wylfenfis, new art, and possibly more). As we journey together through the darkness, know that you play an integral part in this game's success. I'm honored to have you by my side and look forward to sharing this epic adventure with you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for joining me on this incredible journey.

If you haven't joined the Advent Chaos Discord server, jump in and say hi. I would love to get to know my backers.

Happy Hunting,

Joseph Weaver, Designer