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Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars

Created by Onyx Path

A tabletop roleplaying game of Steampunk Warfare

Latest Updates from Our Project:

FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT
about 1 year ago – Thu, Feb 27, 2025 at 04:33:59 AM

Good morning Steam Warriors,

Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a fun run - funding the book, adding nearly 450 members to our crew, unlocking almost all of the Stretch Goals - but we're closing in on the finish line very soon!

Will we unlock our final Stretch Goal before the end? We're *very close* to our target, so it's definitely a possibility!



At $20,000 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT DESIGN ON REDBUBBLE

A TC: Steam Wars-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. [Envoy reward tier+]

The most important part of this campaign, though, is that we have successfully funded this project! Thanks to everyone who's come out to support this campaign, we'll be getting this cool book!




FINAL DAY CHECKLIST

Whether you're a rookie co-pilot in a Runabout Class rig or sitting in the big chair of a Behemoth Class machine, these are some good topics to review over these final six hours...

1.  KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING

You can learn a ton the game from this Gentleman Gamer video series:



Backers can read the entire current draft of the manuscript <HERE>. Please make sure you read the manuscript before the campaign concludes so you know exactly what you're pledging to support.


2. PLEDGE TIERS and ADD ONS

 This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.

The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with a bonus PDF version).

Pilot 

This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.

Captain

This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.  In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.

As noted, shipping charges will be calculated later and charged in the BackerKit Pledge Manager. We'll have exact shipping costs once the book is in production and we know the specifications, but we do expect it to be expensive. See our estimates on the front pate. If you're an international backer, you can pledge to the Pilot tier and upgrade in the pledge manager to the hardcover tier once the shipping costs are known before we lockdown orders.

ADD-ON OPTIONS -  The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including a ton of Trinity Continuum books and also some of the They Came From titles that feature art from Larry Blamire.

ADD ON selections will be available in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as well.

SO: Ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier you want, and select any Add On options you wish to include. AND - make sure that you are comfortable with the Pledge amount, in terms of it covering everything you want and the affordability of the pledge at this moment!

I'm going to speak against my own self interest for a moment, and repeat something I say at the end of every campaign - 2025 has been pretty wild so far, and there's even more uncertainty ahead. Ensure that your circumstances enable you to afford this pledge at this moment - BackerKit will begin processing payments late tonight after the campaign ends and neither Onyx Path nor I have any involvement in that process. If you are unsure of your financial situation but don't want to miss out, please pledge for a tier you can afford now and know that you will be able to upgrade to open pledge levels in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for some time before the book is completed. There are no refunds for regret, and the funds raised start being spent immediately on paying for the work done thus far and the additional work ahead plus the projects unlocked via Stretch Goal. So please be financially responsible.

  • Choose a Reward Tier You Can Afford
  • Read the Manuscripts and Make Sure You Know What You're Getting
  • Be Aware of the Projected Delivery Date (Onyx Path will try to deliver earlier than this, but the book will take some time to get perfect, and we're dealing with an imperfect world. Schedules sometimes go awry)

3. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Once you're comfortable with your pledge, please ensure that the payment and contact information in your BackerKit account is up to date and correct. Making sure your e-mail is entered correctly and your credit card isn't expired will speed up the next step process. (I have learned from experience!)



4. OVERTIME MODE

Overtime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.

You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.

So, we've scheduled the campaign to conclude on February 27th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as planned? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Full steam ahead!

WHAT COMES NEXT?


5. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS

First, we celebrate. The campaign page will subtly change, locking out the ability to pledge and showing the final totals. We'll give socially-distanced high fives and digital fist bumps in the Community section and over on Discord.

Then, the BackerKit payment process begins. Starting late tonight and continuing over the next week, Backerkit will begin charging your payment methods for the total amount you've pledged.

If there is an issue with your payment method (expired credit card or incorrect number or pre-paid Visa awaiting funds, for example), BackerKit will keep trying to process payment during this time.

Once this step is done, which will likely be by the mid-March, BackerKit will confirm everything with Onyx Path and I can begin to set up the project in the Pledge Manager and load in all of the campaign data.



In addition to providing the crowdfunding platform for this campaign, BackerKit is also Onyx Path's regular Pledge Manager partner.

BackerKit provides a robust fulfillment integration and pledge management program that will allow us to work with all of the data and distribute the rewards to you. It will take me about a month to set the project up. Once I've got it all entered and built, the team from BackerKit will review to ensure I didn't mess anything up too badly, and then I'll make any changes they've suggested and we can move on to the Survey stage.

6. BACKERKIT SURVEYS

Once BackerKit says I'm good to go, I will send out a survey to all backers. This is why confirming your e-mail is important!

The BackerKit survey is both a verb and a noun - it will collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group (enabling Onyx Path to set print runs, prioritize new projects, and fine-tune future campaigns), as well as providing a general review or summary of the reward tier you've chosen, confirm all of the rewards associated with that reward tier, and confirm your total pledge amount.

I expect Surveys to go out before April 2025.

During the Survey period, you can choose to increase your reward tier and add on additional options. If you've found $20 in your spring coat or found an alternate income source and decide it's time to trade up to the hardcover version of the book or include another add-on, you can do so at this time. Note, you will not be able to reduce your reward tier selection, only increase.

If you selected Add On options, they'll be added to your reward list automatically.

Note that you'll be able to upgrade your pledge tier for quite some time - until we're getting ready to print the book itself and have figured out shipping costs. So don't feel pressure to have it all figured out right away - we'll make sure there's plenty of time to get it all sorted before the books go out.

Similarly, if you have a hardcover book as one of your rewards, the survey will ask you to confirm your shipping address, even though it'll be some time before we ship out the final product. Do not worry about moving before shipping begins - you will be able to update BackerKit right up until the point that we begin fulfilling the final book. We will send out a notice prior to lock down so you can update any information.

I'll also use the Survey to confirm some details for the premium reward tiers.

7. REWARD DISTRIBUTION

Once the surveys are up and running, I'll prepare fulfillment for the existing rewards - the Add On options that are all currently available, like the Trinity Continuum and They Came From books. Depending on how smoothly the Pledge Manager process goes, those should be out fairly soon after the survey stage starts. So, let's say the existing PDF rewards will be out to you by mid-April. That's only the beginning, though.

This is a long process, but I will send out regular updates (usually at the end of the month) to keep you up to speed on Onyx Path's progress. There will be strings of updates that are just "still working on it," but I will share new artwork or information when I can.

Eventually, we will have a completed PDF of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars. Onyx Path will take some time to distribute, review, and compile any errata or corrections that need to be made. When they've made any necessary changes, they'll make an updated version of the PDF available in your DriveThruRPG digital library and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand and the hardcover versions.

It's yet another long road ahead, likely full of twists and turns and surprises, but one that we wouldn't be undertaking if not for your ongoing support.

So - one final time - please spread the word to any potential backers and fans, and thanks so much for a great campaign!

Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
about 1 year ago – Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 11:01:12 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

We're just at the Final 24 Hour Countdown, or very close as I type this. Within this final day, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation. Let's get to the review!


We're in the Final Day Countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars finishes the crowdfunding campaign on February 27th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to assemble a few more backers, but we're definitely looking right at the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final 24 hours to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.

Final Days Schedule



Whether you're a rookie co-pilot in a Runabout Class rig or sitting in the big chair of a Behemoth Class machine, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  youtube videos, and other helpful information.)



Refresher Course
Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like how we're not including shipping charges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.

Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! And it's fun to check out those videos from Matthew. In fact, I've got two more new Letters from the Front videos for you to check out...



We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).

MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done, but you can consider it most of the way there and a good representation of what you'll get in the final book. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!

PLEDGE TIERS - This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.

The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF version).

Pilot 

This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.

Captain

This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.  In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.

ADD-ON OPTIONS -  The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including a ton of Trinity Continuum books and also some of the They Came From titles that feature art from Larry Blamire.

Choose Wisely

Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.

Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS only - Any Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.

Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists (based on the Pledge tier). If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Envoy tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.

Tomorrow I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.

But until then, let's review our Stretch Goal success story!


Over the past 28 (or is it 29?) days as we've worked through this campaign, we've not only funded the book but unlocked a trio of Stretch Goals! That's right - we unlocked a Stretch Goal that was just announced yesterday!


ACHIEVED! - TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS - LEVIATHAN SUPPLEMENT 

We will create a PDF supplement introducing a new threat for the war rigs to face - titanic beasts that rise from the depths. Delving into the origin of these monsters, this supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards. [Captain reward tier+]
 

ACHIEVED! - DIGITAL WALLPAPER

Fantastic TC: Steam Wars artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added as a free bonus reward for all backers supporting this project. [Envoy reward tier+]

ACHIEVED! - TC: STEAM WARS REFERENCE PDF

We will create a useful reference PDF with handy charts for TC: Steam Wars Storyguide that can be printed out or kept on a computer or tablet! This PDF will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars PDF as part of their rewards. [Pilot reward tier+]. All backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards will also receive a link to order a print-on-demand version at a discounted cost [Captain reward tier+].


I kno wthe Digital Wallpapers are one of the minor rewards that we use as milestone markers during a campaign, but I do love to refresh my screen every few months to keep things interesting, and I absolutely *love* the artwork from Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, so looking forward to that.

And a small supplement to introduce the idea of Kaiju as another antagonist for our war rigs?! I mean, that's fantastic!

And with these complicated steam-powered machines under our control, it certainly won't hurt to have some more reference material to help run a game!

But... maybe we can unlock one more?



At $20,000 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT DESIGN ON REDBUBBLE

A TC: Steam Wars-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. [Envoy reward tier+]

I'm certainly enjoying my new TC: Steam Wars digital look, and it'll be fun to take that into the real world! Let's see if we can unlock one final Stretch Goal before we end tomorrow!




YOUR REWARDS!

That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have a digital wallpaper, Storyguide Reference charts, and a supplement adding a whole new element to the game and world!

NOT MUCH MORE TIME

Unfortunately, we seem to continue to move forward at a regular pace, and our campaign will some come to the inescapable end. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, but there is still one possible Stretch Goal reward that is almost within grasp! I know this last funding target may seem a challenge, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! It's certainly within reach, but won't be easy, so let's keep at it!

So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!

And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybe unlocking that final bonus reward!

Remember, only the funds generated during the Crowdfunding campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!



TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, February 27thth at 2:00 PM Eastern. 

We will finish up as soon as our backer train ends after that point! So let's see if we can't hit a final Stretch Goal and then keep that train running for an extra 10 or 20 minutes!!

#TCSteamWars

Steamy Storyguiding [Backer Manuscript Preview Download Part 5]
about 1 year ago – Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 05:58:22 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

We'll have a look at our Stretch Goal progress and targets coming tomorrow, but let's have a little sneak peek at our current target.



At $19,000 in Funding - TC: STEAM WARS REFERENCE PDF

We will create a useful reference PDF with handy charts for TC: Steam Wars Storyguide that can be printed out or kept on a computer or tablet! This PDF will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars PDF as part of their rewards. [Pilot reward tier+]. All backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards will also receive a link to order a print-on-demand version at a discounted cost [Captain reward tier+]

Tomorrow, we'll mark our victories and look ahead at future targets! For today, I've got the FINAL draft manuscript section for backers. With this download, all backers are now able to read the ENTIRE draft mansucript, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. Everyone who's part of our crew at this point should be dedicated to the cause and know exactly what we're working towards.



Shipping Costs will be Collected in the Pledge Manager

First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. And that's as of today - we're all in the dark about how things will look in 2 years. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they haven't been able to set up ongoing international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.

The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.


Draft Manuscript Previews

Over the course of this campaign, backers are receiving the entire current draft manuscript for Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, but not all in one go. The previews will come out in bite-sized sections throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over these 30 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.

Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.

In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars Feedback Form>
You can use this Feedback Form to shrea your thoughts directly with the TC: Steam Wars developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.


DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY

Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.




Sneak Peek: Storyguide War Rigs
about 1 year ago – Mon, Feb 24, 2025 at 08:51:18 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

We're into our final days, and I've got one more sneak peek before our final manuscript section drops tomorrow. All backers will be able to read the entire draft manuscript for Trinity Continuum: Steam Warriors before any pledges are processed or payments collected.

Today, we're going BIG with a trio of war rigs from the Storyguide chapter. Descriptions of famous rigs are provided to help build your world and provide additional lore.

Battlefield Rigs

The following rigs are among the most legendary in the Second Steam War. Many are still in service, and liable to face off against the player crew in the field.

Goliath Class Fighting Rig USSF Illinois

In 1897 the goliath class was the Jim Corbett of fighting rigs, which was to say the current heavyweight champion. Pound for pound it was the top of the line, the state of the art, in steam warfare; 90-feet high, 620 tons of steel, hefting one ten-pounder at the chest and three Maxim machine guns (one on the headcab, two at the epaulets). 

The Illinois was shiny spanking new at the outset of the Second Steam War. But its inaugural run turned out to be a trial by fire no one saw coming. They were assigned escort duty, babysitting a trainload of condensed coal fresh off the plant, with a pair of 46-foot ajax rigs taking the point. To the Illinois commander, spit-and-polish Major Franklin Pearson, this was a cakewalk and not the action he desperately sought. He had his gunner Bill Tunney put the green crew through the paces, but the latter had his doubts about them, including young pilot Webber, and he was typically hard on them. 

The enemy’s strong desire for condensed coal became obvious when the Americans were flank-ambushed by a KPD goliath class rig (aka siegfried class), with a massive 8,700 ton Prussian coal tender, or königskohletender, in tow, ready to upload and process the spoils. Because of Major Pearson’s misjudgment (which Tunney had tried to correct), the ajax escorts were taken out quickly and efficiently by Hauptmann Wilhelm Kreiber’s crack gunners. The Prussians had them cold. 

When Pearson was wounded it may have been a blessing, as Gunnery Sergeant Tunney took command and called an unheard-of “abandon rig.” He further went against protocol and organized an all-out guerilla assault on the coal tender. The königskohletender was just vulnerable enough to be taken, and, in a further audacious move, Tunney directed the two-hundred-foot-plus monster towards the goliath rig, even as he and his men fended off Prussian marines. 

Amazingly, Kreiber surrendered before certain disaster could occur. Pearson showed his gratitude by throwing Tunney in the brig, despite the gunny winning the day. Some of the crew were commended, however, including a Black American stoker named Combs who proved a capable fighting man. It did not, unfortunately, break the color barrier, and his dream of promotion to gunner was once again on hold. 

Major Pearson returned to the navy as Captain Pearson once again; like many other officer transplants, a fish-out-of-water in the experiment that was the Steam Force.



USSF Barrelback Runabout R47

“The runabout is a problem I cannot lick, but shall.”

One would expect that the smallest of steam rigs would have gone through the most painless of evolutions. One would be wrong. These walking coal-barrels tripped up more times than one could imagine. Perhaps because their raison d’être was nothing if not speed. Another brainchild of John Chandler Tillencrest, the runabout carried a pilot (or pilot and gunner), a water-cooled machine gun, and that was pretty much it. Even with condensed coal it required frequent refueling. Which is why Tillencrest’s American “barrelback” version was at least a move in the right direction, and achieving balance with that extra fuel heft was no mean feat. 

The trial and error was evidently worth it, as the barrelback runabout was the most successful of these two- sometimes three-legged spitfires, more so than the bulkier Prussian dampfläufer. Both versions, and most other runabouts, benefitted from the “pistonation” method of leg action, employing a piston-like action that allowed greater speed and maneuverability, particularly on sharp turns. At its best, the R47 could run rings around larger rigs, deliver fast reconnaissance and slow an enemy advance with hit-and-run tactics. It was also capable of more covert work, as long as its engine was masked by other sounds, such as other rigs, factories or work-machines. It should be noted, runabout service was not for those wary of dark cramped spaces. 

The USSF barrelback R47, launched in 1894, was 14-feet high, 6-feet wide and 8 tons. It had a top hatch but no gunports, with the mounted .30 caliber Maxim machine gun on a swivel that allowed it to swing out, and swing in, as need be. As of yet, only the larger dampfläufer has a driver porthole.



Hercules Class Fighting Rig USSF Van Buren

Some steam rigs aged well, some didn’t. A lot of things factored into this. Manufacturer, materials, design and just plain dumb luck, depending on how much abuse they took. No question, the Van Buren looked old before its time. It hadn’t seen all that much action by 1897 when it found itself with a mostly green crew, up against an unmarked rig that turned out to be manned by Norwegian mercenaries (possibly associated with the network of notorious Danish renegade Kaptajn Korgaard). 

The enemy rig was in the great helm style, somewhere between hercules and goliath class, with twin ten-pounders at the chest, but no fixed rapid-firing weapons. As for looks, it appeared even worse for wear than the Van Buren. But this could be deceptive, as mercenaries were known to scar and weather their own machines to appear less threatening. In truth, they employed some of the best rig engineers on those tough-as-nails rebuilds. The Van Buren won what turned out be a textbook example of a tit-for-tat steam duel. 

But the thing to take away here was how they won. It involved no expertise on Capt. Amos Swanson’s part. As we see time and time again, the USSF commanding officers were not always up to the task. The fledgling force had largely poached brass from the US Navy, US Army and US Cavalry, assuming their ability to command would carry over. Steam rigs were a different animal, calling for a different method of thinking. In the case of this battle it was the actions of Gunnery Sergeant Tunney, Pilot Bascom, and novice Port Cranesman Cribbs, going against the grain (and orders) that saved the day. Not that Capt. Swanson didn’t take the credit for it. Neither did he press charges for disobedience. He knew better. And, to be fair, the officer’s previous cavalry record was flawless. 

All part of the painful learning curve of what (in 1897) was a new kind of animal.



Final Days Review: Pledge Tiers and Add On Options
about 1 year ago – Sun, Feb 23, 2025 at 11:14:30 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

I've got a lot to go over today, so let's fire up the boilers and start up the steam!

Before we get into it, one more quick reminder about our current Stretch Goal target!

At $18,000 in Funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER

Fantastic TC: Steam Wars artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added as a free bonus reward for all backers supporting this project. [Envoy reward tier+]

We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars finishes the crowdfunding campaign on February 27th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to assemble a few more backers, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final five days to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.

Final Days Schedule


  • Feb 23 - Reward Tier & Add On Review (that's today!)
  • Feb 25 - Manuscript Preview # 5 - Chapter 5+6
  • Feb 26 - Stretch Goal Review
  • Feb 27 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next

Whether you're a rookie co-pilot in a Runabout Class rig or sitting in the big chair of a Behemoth Class machine, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  youtube videos, and other helpful information.)




PLEDGE REWARD TIERS

Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover version for these quirky divergence for the Trinity Continuum roleplaying game. Other eras and settings have been explored in the Trinity Continuum's Alpha timeline, but this is the first time a close tangent universe has been the focus of a main book rather than part of supplemental material, and it's interesting to see what other opportunities this presents to branch out from the Continuum we know.

PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT

To borrow an analogy that I've used in past campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.

Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.

Digital vs Hardcover

The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book that is Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars. The first decision you need to make is what form your rewards will take. Do you want your main rewards in digital form and are going for the PDF version? Or do you have space on your shelf for the hardcover book? (Note - the hardcover version includes the PDF as a bonus!).

With that decision in mind, we've got two key reward tiers to choose from:

Pilot 

This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.

Captain

This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.  In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.

An important reminders at this stage:

Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the story page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.

In addition to these primary reward pledge roles, we also offer the following options:

  • Envoy: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge role is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars that we post throughout this campaign.
  • Engineer: This pledge role offers a special limited premium reward in addition to the basics: an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC added to the setting.


After the campaign is over we'll launch our BackerKit Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.



You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this crowdfunding campaign!

OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which may be some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.

TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS BACKER PDF  - Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption link for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.

TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.



Choosing Your Reward Tier

There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.

This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Funds for additional extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.

First Step: Reward Tier

To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.

Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.

Step Two: Add-On Options

Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible rewards you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.

You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.


In addition to additional redemptions/copies of the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars book, Onyx Path is also offering digital version of previous Trinity Continuum and They Came From releases.

The Trinity Continuum is a tabletop roleplaying game about possibilities and human potential. In the continuum, you will portray characters who can act and achieve even the most outlandish goals. Talents are people who have the ability to unknowingly reach into the continuum and change their own circumstances, appearing to be extremely lucky or very skilled individuals. Unlike TC: Steam Wars, which contains all of the rules needed to play, the era sourcebooks for the main "Alpha" Trinity Continuum universe all require the Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook to play.

  • Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook - The Trinity Continuum Corebook is a standalone setting within the Trinity Continuum, but also serves as the foundation for other era/genre expansions, such as Æon, Aberrant, Adventure! Inside, you will find rules for creating characters within the Trinity Continuum; rules for Action Adventure, Intrigue, and Procedural play; advice for running genre games and styles of play in the Trinity Continuum; information on playing Talents in the modern era.
  • Trinity Continuum: Æon - Humanity has begun settling on planets circling other suns. Teleporters and the new Leviathan jump ships can take anyone across the galaxy in a few hours, so the stars are at last within our reach. However, we have found dangers as well as wonders out there, and only by working together can we overcome them and take our place on the galactic stage. 
  • Trinity Continuum: Aberrant - Trinity Continuum: Aberrant is a game of superpowered adventure in the near-future of the Trinity Continuum. In 2018, novas — people with superhuman powers — first appeared following the explosion of a space station high above Earth. Now, 10 years later, thousands of novas have transformed the world, using their extraordinary powers to fight crime, clean up the environment, invent new technologies, and create wonders.
  • Trinity Continuum: Adventure! - Trinity Continuum: Adventure! is a pulp action game set in an alternate history 1930s putting the players in the shoes of daring adventurers who seek to right wrongs and stop evildoers. In a world altered by strange telluric energy, characters may find themselves transported to places out of time where dinosaurs still roam or stopping an evil genius from blowing up the moon.
  • Trinity Continuum: Assassins - Trinity Continuum: Assassins transports players to the Contiuum’s underworld where well-dressed killers-for-hire use high-tech weapons and gear to eliminate their targets. Assassins join hidden Societies, each unified by their preferred method of doing violence. Their lives are brutal, blood-stained, and glamorous.
  • Trinity Continuum: Anima - Trinity Continuum: Anima is a game of cyberpunk and LitRPG (short for “literary roleplaying”) adventure set in the future of the Trinity Continuum. Characters in Anima are Talents — supremely talented individuals with an innate and unconscious ability to change the world. They have come to Cascade for their own reasons but are drawn into the intrigues of both the physical and virtual worlds. Some will enter the dangerous world of corporate cloak and dagger to uncover the answers lurking in shady business deals, while others will delve deep into the virtual world’s mysteries, discovering secrets meant to be left buried. Whatever the campaign’s focus, troupes will need to work in both worlds to ensure survival. Players need strong allies for security in the real world as well as high-level animas to fight back about the forces seeking to control a world fighting to rebuild itself.  
  • Trinity Continuum: Aether - Trinity Continuum: Aether is a game of steampunk adventure, exploration, and mystery set in 1895 in the Trinity Continuum. In the decade prior, Nikola Tesla identified and learned to harness Aether, an energy source capable of spinning new realities or unwinding the effect to restore reality. Now, Aether users dot the globe, silently spinning and unwinding with ease while Victorian era society goes about unaware of the dangerous experiments taking place in underground laboratories, dark alleys, and foreign worlds. 
  • Trinity Continuum: Aegis - Trinity Continuum: Aegis is a game of epic adventure and exploration set during Greece’s Iron Age. The setting features figures and events from history and mythology, viewed through the lens of the Trinity Continuum. In this game you’ll play Champions, Oracles, and Olympians — characters who have come into contact with the mysterious substance called ambrosia and been transformed into Inspired individuals with powers similar to Talents, Psiads, and Novas millennia ahead of their counterparts’ times.  

The They Came From... tabletop roleplaying games take your favorite movies, television shows, video games, and pop culture touchstones and turn them into action-packed and wise-cracking opportunities to tell your own versions of these cinematic stories. Featuring the art of Steam Wars® creator and artist Larry Blamire.

  • They Came from Beneath the Sea!  is a dramatic and farcical tabletop roleplaying game encompassing the wonder, horror, thrills, and humor of 1950s and 1960s science fiction. This game allows you to play with all the great content from the B-movies of decades ago, and promises a dynamic, fun time for all involved!
  • They Came from Beyond the Grave! is  a dramatic, hammy, and horrifying tabletop roleplaying game encompassing the shock, terror, eroticism, and humor of 1970s horror. This game allows you to play with all the magnificent content from the movies of Hammer, Amicus, and Roger Corman, and promises the fun and thrills of the horror movie genre!
  • They Came from the Cyclops's Cave!  - From an epic like The Thief of Bagdad or grim fantasy such as The Sword and the Sorcerer, Cyclops’s Cave! has everything you need for swashbuckling, noble heroism, and monster slaying.
  • They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!  - Whether you’re a Moore-era Bond fan, an aficionado of John Steed and Emma Peel’s adventures, or an Austin Powers-esque swinging cat, [CLASSIFIED]! has everything you need for a groovy, espionage-filled story.

Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options


Ready to join in? If you're backing for the first time, you can click BACK IT and select your Pledge Tier and finalize funding amount in the next menu.

Using myself as an example, I've supported every Trinity Continuum campaign since the start and want to continue building my inspired library.  Once I click BACK IT, I see my pledge level options. If I want to know a bit more about each level, I can click Learn More, or if I know what I'm looking for, I can click Back It.


The two main pledges focusing on Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars are the $25 Pilot path for the PDF only reward, and the $60 Captain path for the physical hardcover book. It should be pretty self-explanatory, but you can click on the "Learn More" button to expand the Pledge Level info. For example, Clicking Learn More on the Captain pledge gives you...


This is the reward tier I'm choosing, as it exactly fits my needs for this project.

Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.

For example, I've decided on the $60 Captain pledge path, so I select BACK IT for that pledge, and then I want to add on a few of the Add On optional extras to my rewards list. I'll pretend I haven't already backed the two most recent setting eras (actually, the most recent campaigns... the eras for these settings are actually the furthest in the past for the TC universe so far...), and select Trinity Continuum: Aether and Trinity Cotinuum: Aegis as Add On extras.


My total starts at $60 for the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars Captain pledge tier, and then I add
+$ 20 for Trinity Continuum: Aether PDF
+$ 20 for Trinity Continuum: Aegis PDF

To bring my final total pledge to $100 USD. Once everything is correct, you can select NEXT and then Confirm Your Pledge. You'll get an e-mail confirmation of your choices.

If you're already a backer but want to update your Pledge tier or Add On choices, here's what you look for:

Select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then you can Edit Your Pledge


Select "Edit Pledge" on your review page, and then you can revise your pledge tier or Add On selections.


You can select a new Pledge Level from the available option menu, or Change your Add On selection.

As before, you'll confirm all of your choices, and then receive an e-mail confirmation once that's done.

And with that, my pledge level and Add On options are set for your pledge. At this time, you don't need to worry about setting shipping information.

You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.

Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars book at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list if applicable.



REWARD DELIVERY

About 4-6 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At that point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like starter existing Exalted titles and bundles. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.

So, while it will take some time for TC: Steam Wars to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 8-10 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)

Physical Books

If you're waiting to see the International shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to any of the hardcover reward tiers, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are ready to print and we know what shipping costs will be, so you'll be able to go back and adjust your pledge tier at that time.

It's going to take some time to create the final PDF for Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover books. When the books are at the printer, I will be in touch with all backers to outline timeline for pledge adjustments, as well as lockdown procedures and when we'll be confirming addresses and processing BackerKit Add Ons and Shipping payments. That's a long time away, and we'll cover that as we get closer to that part of the process.



Don't fret if you had forgotten to select additional rewards by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.

Step 1: Pledge Tier

Step 2: Add On Options

Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you can investigate PDF and digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be able to add additional copies of the hardcover. 

Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, so take into account your conversion as needed.

It Adds Up!

That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Level and adding Add On options and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.

Additionally, this may go without saying, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begin charging your payment method at midnight the day the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.



Conclusion

As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Level for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or figuring out the Add On options, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.

On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.

So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to see some rules for the most epic wrestling tournament, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!

I'll be back tomorrow with a sneak peek at some of the Storyguide Rigs from our final chapter, and on Tuesday with that final piece - the complete FINAL manuscript section for Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!

#TrinityContinuumSteamWars