Cthulhu Awakens Roleplaying Game

Gamemaster's Kit PDF Available to Download!
4 months ago – Fri, Dec 22, 2023 at 04:24:22 PM

Hey everyone,

We are sending out the digital files for the GM's Kit. If you added it to your pledge, you should be getting an email shortly with the download link, but even if the email never arrives (or gets caught in spam), you can log into your Backerkit survey and check under "Digital Rewards" for it.

Currently we are expecting the print copies of the core rulebook and GM Kits to ship from the printer and be on the way to our fulfillment partners early next month, but we'll update everyone again with an estimated shipping timeline once we know for sure. Malcolm will be back next month for an update on all the stretch-goal-goodness as well. 

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday, and we'll see you in 2024!

Horrid Movements in the December Darkness
4 months ago – Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 08:36:30 AM

Hi everyone,

The main news is that Cthulhu Awakens’ proofs have been approved, and it’s fully ready for a production print run! In addition, the Game Master’s Kit has joined it—and remember that it includes the mini supplement Unexpurgated Texts. Estimated shipping date from the printer is January 10th, though it needs to reach our warehouse people before it goes to you.

After a few technical hiccups, the Roll20 version of the game is coming along at a rapid pace and is estimated for release in early January. Preorders for anyone who didn’t order this version of the game are starting this week! 

(editor's note: Today in fact! But not to worry, backers will receive their Roll20 activations ahead of preorder customers.)

DREADCRAWLS #0 is also ready to print, but in that case, we’re waiting a bit to get it going because as a zine, it’s a quicker, simpler job. The aim is to ship them simultaneously.

Everything else is in the queue for production—that is, layout and press preparation. All text development is complete.

In addition to items mentioned in the campaign, we have two more issues of DREADCRAWLS, the Quickstart (introductory rules and adventure) called The God in the Tree, and Cults of the Mythos in various stages of readiness ranging from in the production queue to almost ready to print. Therefore, you can be assured Cthulhu Awakens will have continuing support.

Cthulhu Awakens belongs to the AGE (Adventure Game Engine) family of games, and elements from these games can be added or swapped with minimal fuss. Want the Outsiders to enter The Expanse? It ain’t canon, but you can play it! And it so happens that next year we’ll be working on a new project to support the system as a whole. More to come.

Finally, in 2024 you’ll be able to publish Cthulhu Awakens support through DriveThruRPG! We’re just putting the finishing touches on adding Cthulhu Awakens to the AGE Creators Alliance third-party publisher program.We have to be careful about the guidelines because the Mythos is a bit of a minefield when it comes to intellectual property ownership. Therefore, the most important rule will be that anything that isn’t in Cthulhu Awakens must be entirely original—no using it to reproduce things invented by our friends at Chaosium, August Derleth, and so on. From monsters to weird humans to Outsiders, we need you to be wholly original when you work outside the published game. I’m looking forward to seeing what people invent.

That’s December, and that’s 2023! Thank you for your support, and especially your patience. Remember that our gift in recognition of the latter is Revelations of the Bacchae, which should be available through the inboxes of qualified backers now. See Update #48 for details.

Thank you. We’re proud of our work, and hope you’re enjoying it now, and will continue to do so when physical and Roll20 copies ship. Enjoy the holidays you love, and have a happy new year—I mean, how many of those do we have left?

On that ambiguously happy note, we leave you with work in progress screenshots of the upcoming Roll20 edition!

Revelations of the Bacchae - Bonus Adventure!
5 months ago – Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 11:10:37 AM

Hey there everyone!

As some of you may recall, during the campaign Ian Lemke (developer for the Expanse and Fantasy AGE), ran a livestreamed game of Cthulhu Awakens called "Revelations of the Bacchae". As a thank you to our backers for all your patience while we finish production and printing of the book, we're sending a PDF copy of Ian's adventure to all pledge tiers that include a reward. Keep an eye out for an email from Backerkit, but if it gets caught in your spam folder, you can get it from the Digital Rewards section of your survey.

Even better, we got the band back together for a new series that starts this Saturday at 6:00pm Pacific! (check out session zero here)

And don't forget to tune in to ThusdAGE today at 2pm pacific, where Malcolm Sheppard will be on to talk about setting design in Cthulhu Awakens and Threefold!

November: From A Cold Place
5 months ago – Tue, Nov 14, 2023 at 10:36:32 AM

It’s snowed up here a few times, and it puts me in mind of environmental horror. The Mythos has numerous examples of that, such as the cryokinetic Gnoph-Keh. But you’re interested in cozying up with a good book—or perhaps, an evil one. And thus:

Core Rulebook: The core rulebook is at print!

Otherwise, the only news is some people may have heard about a recent PDF update to Cthulhu Awakens and multiple Modern AGE .pdfs. This was to correct the credits in those books, not the gameplay material.

We’re still working hard on the Roll20 version (see screenshots below), but we’re well past the main effort there.

GM’s Kit: The GM’s Kit is at print!

Don’t forget that where Green Ronin usually does an adventure if it adds anything extra to a GM’s kit, this time we decided to include Unexpurgated Texts, a sourcebook describing new Mythos grimoires and less conventional sources of lore.

Weirdness Overflowing—60s Adventure, Weirdness Overflowing—Cults of the Mythos, Quickstart: At the production stage at various levels of completion.

Revelations of the Bacchae: Revelations of the Bacchae, 95% finished and should be released soon.

DREADCRAWLS: #0 has been released in PDF. It is expected to have a much shorter print time, so it will be going to print later with the aim to send it simultaneously with the core and GM’s Kit.

Two other issues beyond KS pledges are in layout.

Campaign Book: The next supplement beyond the Kickstarter, is a campaign book. Still in the planning stages.

We also have some work-in-progress screenshots of the Roll20 development!

October: Wide Revelations
6 months ago – Mon, Oct 09, 2023 at 08:24:19 AM

What’s going on in October? Let’s get to it.

Core Rulebook: The final pre-press PDF has been released to qualified backers, and the core is up for preorder (and the PDF is for sale) to general audiences. The standard cover is done, and the limited-edition cover is in mid-process. The Roll20 version is in the home stretch of development as well, as we look for firm printing arrangements.

GM’s Kit: Layout on the screen is finished! Our hope is to get this printed simultaneously with the core rulebook. Remember that the kit comes with its own sourcebook, Unexpurgated Texts, featuring eldritch sources of knowledge ranging from old books to a video game.

Weirdness Overflowing—60s Adventure, Weirdness Overflowing—Cults of the Mythos, Quickstart, and Revelations of the Bacchae: Still in the production queue. Revelations of the Bacchae, the bonus we added as a thank you for your patience, is well along, with art and maps finished.

DREADCRAWLS: #0 has been released in PDF, awaiting a print release. Two other issues beyond KS pledges are in layout.

Campaign Book: The next supplement, outside the Kickstarter, is a campaign book. Still in the planning stages.

This month, I thought I’d showcase Steve Jones’ work on the Roll20 edition of the game and related resources. Please note that these aren’t final, as some come from earlier stages of development.