Psionics Preview
almost 3 years ago – Sat, Jul 17, 2021 at 07:17:15 AM

Hello Squeaky Toys,

This is but a small taste - a tiny nibble - of our upcoming preview for Chapter 3, which covers psionics in the Realms of Pugmire. Backers for this project will be able to download the entire draft version of Chapter 3 on Tuesday, and will have access to the entire manuscript for the book before the campaign ends on August 12th.

Psionics

Rodents do not practice magic like cats and dogs. Some rodents instead learn to channel the power of their minds, manifesting psionic abilities. A psionic rodent may be able to read the minds of others, project heat and cold, manipulate electronic devices with force of will, or even teleport from one point in space to another. They channel such amazing by expending power slots.

How Psionics Work

Rodents who take psychic knacks are collectively known as psionicists. All psionicists learn several psychic powers as they explore the boundaries of their psychic potential. The power’s magnitude enumerates the potency of a psychic power, with magnitude 1 as the weakest powers, magnitude 2 as slightly more powerful, and so on.

Each psionicist has several power slots which determine how often they can manifest powers before needing to rest. Psionicists have two power slots per level, plus an additional number of power slots equal to their Constitution modifier every level (minimum of 1 additional power slot per level). Activating a psychic power expends a number of power slots equal to its magnitude. (The three basic psychic powers granted when the psionicist gains a psionic knack do not use power slots when cast.) A psionicist can spend stamina dice while resting (Pugmire,p. 91 or Monarchies of Mau, p. 73) to recover power slots, just like recovering stamina points, and they recover all their slots after sleeping. In desperate times, a rodent can spend fortune to manifest a single power of any magnitude.

Each time a psionicist gains a level, they may choose two new powers from any appropriate college, unless they take a refinement that awards more powers — in other words, you do not get two new powers in addition to any acquired from advancement, but rather in lieu of any advancement that does not award new powers.

Psychic Affinity

When a psionicist learns a psionic knack, they must select either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to serve as their Psychic Affinity. This choice is determined by the rodent’s calling, or in the case of a mentalist the player’s choice. Many psychic powers do not require a roll when activated — they simply happen. If a power calls for an attack roll in the description, the psionicist rolls 1d20 + their Psychic Affinity ability modifier + their proficiency bonus.

Some psychic powers allow the target or those in the affected area to make a saving throw to resist. The difficulty for another character to resist a psionicist’s psychic powers is 8 + the psionicist’s Psychic Affinity ability modifier + their proficiency bonus.

Some psychic powers require concentration. This means that while the power is active, the psionicist must use a bonus action every subsequent turn to keep such a power active. The next time it’s the psionicist’s turn after the turn when they activated the power, they must use their bonus action to keep the power activated. If the psionicist doesn’t use a bonus action for this purpose, the power immediately ends.

Colleges of Psionics

Rats and mice divide the study of psionics into four distinct colleges, which group together a connected series of effects. Analysts study powers from the colleges of insight and parapsychology. Psychics focus their studies on the colleges of humorism and galvanism. Psionicists who access their powers as mentalists may learn powers from any college. The college a power belongs to is listed directly after the magnitude in the power description.

Parapsychology Powers Examples

Mental Ray

• Basic parapsychology
• Activation Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

A beam of translucent, gray, telepathic energy bursts forth from the psionicist’s forehead toward a character within range. The psionicist makes a ranged psychic attack roll against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 psychic damage.

Muse

• Magnitude 1 parapsychology
• Activation Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Duration: Concentration up to 10 minutes

You attempt to Charm a character you can see within range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw and does so with an advantage if you or your companions are fighting them. When the power ends, the character knows that you charmed them.

Empathic Rebuke

• Magnitude 2 parapsychology
• Activation Time: 1 reaction
• Range: 60 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

A character you can perceive that damaged you must make a Wisdom saving throw. They take 3d8 psychic damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one.

Mindshield

• Magnitude 3 parapsychology
• Activation Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Duration: 1 hour

After activating Mindshield, you have advantage on saving throws to resist all parapsychology powers as well as spells that affect your mind, memory, or impose the Charmed, Confused, Possessed, or Scared conditions. You also gain resistance to psychic damage.

Psychic Invisibility

• Magnitude 4 parapsychology
• Activation Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Duration: Concentration up to 1 hour

You instill a powerful subliminal aura upon yourself and up to eight willing characters of your choice within range. This aura compels other characters to ignore you, effectively making yourself and your companions Invisible for the duration. All characters granted invisibility with this power can perceive each other normally.

Anything the targets are wearing or carrying is functionally invisible while a target carries it is on their person. The power ends for a target that attacks, casts a spell, or activates a power that presents an obvious physical manifestation such as Burst of Electricity or Hypothermic Blast. Characters can use powers that do not create an obvious physical manifestation (including most insight and parapsychology powers) without ending this effect. 

Mindstorm

• Magnitude 5 parapsychology
• Activation Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose a character within range that you can see. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw, suffering 8d10 psychic damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.

As noted, on Tuesday all backers will have access to the full text from this chapter, so hopefully this tiny taste will convince some more marvelous mice to join us in supporting this project! 

#PscionicRodents

#SqueaksInTheDeep

A Little Bit of a Look and Listen...
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Jul 16, 2021 at 10:57:19 AM

Hello Squeaky Toys,

Today I've got some audio and video deep dives into the Realms of Pugmire, and into Squeaks in the Deep in particular. If you've been thinking about joining in and supporting this campaign, here's a little more info about these games and this project.

First up, a few weeks ago Onyx Path had their 2021 Online Gaming Convention. It was full of fun games and interesting panels, and today I'm happy to share the Realms of Pugmire panel, where Eddy Webb is joined by Elyssa Rich, Erykah Fassett, and Lauren Roy to discuss the various games that fall under the Pugmire umbrella.

And we'll move from the general to the specific, as we hear from Eddy and the Onyx Pathcast team as they dive deep into the Squeaks in the Deep book itself.

This episode of the weekly Onyx Pathcast (avaialble every Friday!) features:

• Why Eddy chose Squeaks in the Deep
• How Squeaks came to be
• A lot on the culture of mice and rats
• Why most rats and mice dislike the Cult of Labo Tor
• All six new Callings!
• A bit on our recent playtest
• Contrasting rodent backgrounds with dogs and cats
• On Psionics
• We go behind the scenes into how the world of Pugmire works!
• Secrets!
• The Underneath
• Squeaks for VTT

We've passed $27,000 in funding and are closing in on 500 backers! Please remember to share your excitement and enthusiasm for this campaign with your gamer friends and pet lovers! Please share in your social circles and on your social media, and let's keep it growing!

Now, I'm no mind reader, but I have a feeling that we'll get some more information on the psionics rules for Pugmire tomorrow! And then the full chapter dropping to backers on Tuesday!

#SqueaksInTheDeep

#Pugmire

#MonarchiesOfMau

Miska’s Tonic
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jul 15, 2021 at 07:11:47 AM

Miska’s Tonic

Howe Greymoor peered at the yellow liquid in the glass beaker. The rat frowned and swirled it around before setting it back on the table. Miska Goldenfur, his research partner — although she continually insisted on the word “friend” — poked her head over the edge of the table.

“Is it done?” she chirped. Howe was used to the higher pitches of his mice brethren, but Miska’s always seemed particularly… piercing, somehow.

“Not yet,” the analyst muttered, grabbing a bottle of green liquid and carefully pouring a few drops into the beaker. It turned a muddy brown.

The psychic huffed and sat back on her chair. “It’s never ready,” she grumbled. “I should touch it. That’ll make it go faster.”

Howe barely stifled a sigh as he grabbed his magnifying lenses. “Your burgeoning abilities in humorism are not toys,” he intoned, turning to Miska. Wearing the lenses made his eyes look three times bigger than usual, and Miska giggled at the sight. With a huff, Howe turned back to his experiment and continued. “Besides, there’s nothing about necrotic touch that will help this creation in any way.”

The psychic’s laugh tipped into a pretty pout. “Don’t think I’m ungrateful,” she hedged. Miska knew that Howe could be sensitive at times, and she liked to stay on his good side, no matter how irritating he could be. “You’ve taught me a lot about my psychic abilities. I just—”

At that moment, Howe dropped a flat white tablet into the mixture. It touched the brown liquid and crimson smoke burst into the room, filling it with a fine, oily, stinging vapor. Both rodents coughed, and Miska rushed to open the window to her apartment.

“That,” coughed Howe, “will keep your neighbors confused for a while.”

Miska hacked again and rubbed her eyes. Leaning her head out the window, she sucked in huge breaths of fresh air before she spoke. “It won’t be the first time,” she rasped once the gas cleared. “But folks here in the Cat Quarter don’t ask a lot of questions.”

Howe waved a wisp of gas from his nose and closed one eye, looking at the beaker again. “But they do ask questions,” he grumbled, half listening.

“Oh, sure,” Miska agreed. “Mister Meow even asked me if you’re a member of the Cult.”

The rat jolted his chin around to look at her, and Miska fervently waved her hands to reassure him. “No! I mean, I told him you weren’t! You’re a good rat!” He snorted and returned his attention to the beaker, swirling it and frowning. The mouse prattled on. “But you come and go a lot, and your knowledge of Science is greater than mine. It’s an easy mistake to make.”

“A mistake right-thinking scientists constantly pay for,” Howe groused.

“Besides,” Miska continued, “I think he’s looking for friends for some reason. Maybe to try to make the Cat Quarter a bit better. Which is why I asked you to make a tonic for him.”

Howe took a sip, nodded, and put the beaker on the table. “It’s hardly Science,” he pronounced, “but in my travels I learned a bit from my lizard friends on how to make a good health tonic. But I fail to see how this…”

“Mister Meow,” Miska offered.

“… yes, how he benefits.”

The mouse rolled her eyes. She’d explained this several times before. “Mister Meow is nervous about his health.”

“Yes, I got that much.”

“But he’s afraid to go to the Church of Man for healing. So when I mentioned I knew a rat who could mix an excellent turtle tonic, he got excited. ‘I must have Miska’s Tonic!’ he would say in that obviously really fake accent of his.”

“It was quite atrocious,” Howe agreed.

“If I give him the tonic, he owes me a favor.”

The rat sat down on a battered wooden stool next to Miska. “What favor do you plan to ask of him?”

“Me?” Miska giggled. The very thought made her anxious. “None. But if word gets around that he owes me a favor, the other cats will leave me alone.” She shivered involuntarily. “It’s hard being a mouse in a neighborhood full of cats.”

Howe shrugged. “So move. Your village fell to the Unseen, true, but there are plenty of rodent communities who would value your knowledge. Even the warm darkness of Chewpost would accept you.”

Miska walked back to close the window, but she lingered, staring out at the streets of Pugmire. “But if I go,” she asked, “who will make this place better?”

Howe didn’t have an answer for that.

#SqueaksInTheDeep

Stretch Goal Achievements!
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 07:30:06 AM

Hello Squeaky Toys,

What a first day it's been! Not only did we meet our funding target on the first day, we've already unlocked two Stretch Goal achievements and added some Squeaks opportunities!

Mice work, everyone!

The Guide Screen Add On is now available in the Add On section of the  pledge manager on Kickstarter. For anyone who's just joining, the pledge process allows you to pick your pledge reward tier, and then further customize your reward list by selecting any additional available options before confirming your pledge.

For those who've already pledged, you can select "Manage your Pledge" on the Kickstarter main screen, and then "Change your Pledge" to re-enter the process. It's easy to re-select your current reward and then select the Guide Screen if you want to add it to your Longhair/Cats & Rats/Bristlecoat reward tier in the configuration section. Since the Guide Screen is a physical item that requires shipping, it can only be added to reward tiers that include the hardcover book as part of the rewards list and have already factored in shipping arrangements.

Let's keep this momentum going and offer up another carrot to keep us motivated and hopefully lure in new backers! I had posted two Stretch Goal targets yesterday, thinking it would give me some time to get ahead of things and have stuff set up over these first days, but we blasted through those! So, let's add another two goals and see if we can unlock these over the next week or so!

Adding rabbits to the setting! Let's do it!!

#SqueaksInTheDeep

#Pugmire

Squeaky Stretch Goals
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Jul 13, 2021 at 02:54:13 PM

Hey Cool Cats and Good Dogs! And Awesome Mice and Rats! 

I'll have to come up with a nickname there...

We did it! This project is officially FUNDED!

Thanks to your support, Onyx Path will be able to develop and create this new chronicle sourcebook for Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau, delving into the final unexplored area of the Realms of Pugmire... the Underneath!

Now that we've accomplished our primary goal and will be making this project a reality, it's time to look at what we might be able to do with some additional funding! That's right... Squeak Goal time! I mean Stretch Goal time!

As we increase the overall funding and support for the project, we’re able to add additional resources to the project, expand the rewards listed, and add in new offers and opportunities. Each Stretch Goal will have a target that, once reached, will add a project to the reward list. We will continue to build on this list when we achieve these targets during the campaign. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, the image will be updated to reflect the achievement.

Since we're scurrying along so quickly at the start of the campaign, let's unearth a couple Stretch goal targets to work on over the next week!

We'll have our usual suspects - Guide Screen and Backer T-shirt opportunity - to kick off these additional goals. And then, ahead... well, I see some long fuzzy ears. I guess we'll see when we get there....

And now that we've squeaked past our funding target, it's time to reveal my true avatar for this project...

Let's keep the enthusiasm and excitement up and see if we can hit a Stretch Goal or two! We've still got a long way to go and many more areas of the Underneath to explore!

#SqueaksInTheDeep

#Pugmire