project-image

Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars

Created by Onyx Path

A tabletop roleplaying game of Steampunk Warfare

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Stretch Goal in Range! Full Steam Ahead! [Backer Manuscript Preview Download Part 3]
about 1 year ago – Tue, Feb 11, 2025 at 06:23:56 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

We've moved forward over the past week, funding the project and setting up some stretch goals. I know Steam Wars® creator Larry Blamire is excited at the potential of the Kaiju curveball, as he's been working on some inspirational sketches since we funded this project!




At $17,000 in Funding - 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+]

I've also updated my wardrobe since we've now crossed our funding target and Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars will become a published book in the future!



Matthew has also continued working on a project inspired by the TC: Steam Wars setting...

As part of the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars crowdfunder, I’ve had the great pleasure to write and record some “war diaries” and “letters home” in the style I recall fondly from the Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary series. Throughout the campaign check out our Onyx Path YouTube channel for more of these pieces of narrated correspondence, but for now, here’s a couple:




I've got another manuscript preview for backers today. We've looked at the setting and the Paths that differentiates characters, but now we're going full steam into the system part of the game. The divergent setting of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars has given the developers an opportunity to bring in the Storypath Ultra rules set, and today's chapter will give us the mechanics of the game itself!

Some quick things to note before we get into the manuscript.

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 these 4 weeks, 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: Large Scale Units in Combat!
about 1 year ago – Fri, Feb 07, 2025 at 08:12:39 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

I don't want to stray too much from the main setting for our book - giant war rigs battling it out in the late 1800s - but I am also excited about the curveball presented in our first Stretch Goal target. Steam Wars® creator Larry Blamire is also excited and created this cool sketch banner while dreaming about new threats to the war rigs.





At $17,000 in Funding - 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+]



We're gaining ground on our first target, and it's fun to have kaiju daydreams, but it's time to get back to our current project and talk about Large Scale Units!



Boarding Parties and Defenders

Sometimes, battle strategy calls for getting aboard an opponent’s rig. Perhaps the best way to disable the target is to get behind its controls or sabotage its machinery. The enemy might have a hostage the crew needs to rescue, or an asset they want to capture. Or maybe the rig itself is the target worth acquiring, to gain access to an opponent’s rig yards and bases, or simply to scavenge for parts.

In general, boarding party actions happen on the enemy rig’s turn. However, Storyguides should feel free to allow them to go on their home rig’s turn if serves the story and the players’ plans. For example, the gunner may be waiting for the boarding party’s signal to take a shot, or the boarding party leader can’t send the rescued scientist back to their home rig until the pilot brings the headcab close.

Boarding parties can consist of any number of characters, from stealthier one- or two-crew member missions to swarms of riggers ziplining across to a Behemoth’s midrig railings. Larger rigs’ boarding holds can contain dozens of marines. If the party consists of Storyguide characters accompanying player characters, focus on the player characters’ actions as party leaders or pursuing their individual objectives. Storyguides may wish to narrate the Storyguide characters’ actions, or allow players to control them using the Large-Scale Combat system below.

These rules also apply to the player characters’ rig should an enemy boarding party gain access. In this case, the Storyguide controls the enemy rig’s boarding party, while an appropriate player decides how the additional (non-player) crew carries out its defense. While the captain’s player is a good default choice for this role, anyone can control the rig’s LSU. This can change from round to round as the enemy gains access to different parts of the rig. Maybe the engineer rallies the stokers to make a stand against anyone getting past the chest compartment, or the navigator leads civilian passengers in a daring mission.

To represent skirmishes against an enemy rig’s troops, the Storyguide may wish to quickly create an LSU representing those troops. Remember that boarding parties consist of individuals, so the “Shooting at Steam Rigs” sidebar still applies to them. However, individual player characters or boarding party LSUs that gain access to an enemy rig may target its internal systems or disable the human operators those systems rely on, imposing Complications or increasing the difficulty of that rig’s actions.

Large-Scale Combat

Large-scale units, or LSUs, are abstractions of a battle unit’s capabilities. Each LSU is treated as a character. When assigning traits to an LSU, the Storyguide should apply a threat level to the unit and create them as you would make an antagonist character. Though these traits are rooted in the antagonist rules, players may also control boarding parties in a large-scale combat scenario, representing them with an LSU. Player-controlled boarding parties use the same traits as those controlled by the Storyguide. 

Each LSU has the following traits to define its capabilities in combat:

Primary Pool: This pool represents the LSU’s greatest skills and assets. This is the LSU’s main purpose and what the unit is best at. LSUs assign their primary pool to one of the action types detailed on p. XX.

Secondary Pool: This pool represents areas of battle the LSU is competent with but are not their areas of greatest strength. LSUs assign their secondary pool to two of the action types. 

Desperation Pool: This pool represents the action type the LSU is least competent in. Any action not represented by the primary pool or secondary pool uses the desperation pool. When LSUs defend against individuals in large-scale combat (p. XX), their desperation pool acts as their resistance value for all actions not resisted by Defense. An LSU applies its relevant area of Advantage to any such resistances. For an individual to overcome that Advantage, they must either be able to leverage that Advantage on their own or gain access to it through the Lend Advantage Trick (p. XX).

Enhancements: This is the amount of Enhancement the LSU applies to their primary pool and secondary pool rolls. This Enhancement may only be used to purchase Tricks from the action types listed in those pools.

Defense: This is the difficulty of all attacks against the LSU. If something would affect the LSU’s armor rating or Defense, apply it directly to this Defense rating.

Integrity: Like Defense, this is the difficulty for all social actions against the LSU.

Injuries: This is the amount of damage the LSU can withstand. When an LSU is reduced to half its Injuries (rounded down), the unit suffers the Demoralized status effect. If the LSU loses all its Injuries, it is Taken Out. Any surviving individuals within the unit escape if possible or are detained or killed by the victors.

Resolution: This status effect resolves when the LSU loses all Injuries, the LSU regains enough Injuries to bring their total above half their maximum (rounded down), or the scene ends.

Advantages: This lists the LSU’s Advantages in the areas of Durability, Intellect, Power, Social, and Speed. LSUs begin with 1 in all areas of Advantage and receive a pool of additional Advantage points to distribute among these areas based on their threat level.

Vulnerabilities: Each LSU has vulnerabilities that can be exploited by enemies. LSUs begin with vulnerabilities equal to their desperation pool. Each vulnerability includes a word or phrase that describes the vulnerability and an area of Advantage that vulnerability applies to. Enemy units may claim 1 additional Advantage when acting in that area of Advantage against the target and exploiting the vulnerability. Alternatively, the enemy unit may leverage the vulnerability on their opponent’s turn, adding +2 difficulty to relevant rolls.



An LSU must identify a vulnerability before they can act on it and must declare that they’re leveraging that vulnerability before rolling any dice for the turn. Once the LSU decides how they will leverage a vulnerability, they must do so the same way for the remainder of the combat. An LSU can leverage multiple vulnerabilities at once but must declare all the vulnerabilities they are leveraging at the beginning of their turn (for additional Advantage) or at the beginning of their opponent’s turn (for added difficulty).

Vulnerabilities can be any quality the Storyguide or player chooses but must be chosen at the beginning of the conflict. Example vulnerabilities include:

  • Concerned for Environment (Power): The LSU wishes to contain collateral damage as much as possible.
  • Inferior Parts (Any): Some parts of the LSU have a significantly lower Advantage than the unit in the affected area of Advantage.
  • Speaking Tubes (Intellect): The LSU relies on speaking tubes within the rig to disperse orders and execute tactics. These communications can be interfered with or intercepted, providing a tactical opportunity for enemy LSUs.
  • Target-Rich (Durability): The LSU contains several small units that tend to clump together, creating a higher vulnerability to high-powered and area attacks.

LSUs In Action

Boarding parties operate differently than individual combatants. Each die roll represents several exchanges of fire, movements within the enemy rig, and defensive maneuvers. Rather than narrate every exchange, the Storyguide describes the general results of the boarding party’s actions at the end of the round once all actions are resolved.

Large-scale combat uses four action types, which limit and define the kinds of actions the unit can take. Each round, every LSU involved in the combat makes a single roll. Hits achieved on that roll are divided among the four action types.

  • Assess: Assess actions allow the LSU to gauge the capabilities and weaknesses of enemy units, including enemy rig crews or the rigs themselves.
  • Attack: Attack actions target enemy LSUs, systems within a rig, or objects on the battlefield to deal damage.
  • Maneuver: Maneuver actions are defensive in nature. This can include simple evasive maneuvers or attacking enemy LSUs in ways that don’t affect the target’s Injuries, instead reducing their effectiveness in combat.
  • Reinforce: Reinforce actions allow the LSU to recover from Injuries and to overcome interference inflicted by enemy LSUs.

Each round of combat, an LSU must declare which dice pool they use for the round. 

The LSU may buy Tricks from among any of the action types each round, regardless of which pool they roll. However, LSUs rolling a primary or secondary pool must spend half their hits (rounding up) on an action type they’ve assigned to that pool, prior to applying Enhancement. The remaining hits may be divided among other action types at the controller’s discretion. Enhancement applies only to the action types listed in the LSUs primary and secondary pools, though Advantage applies to any action, regardless of the associated pool.



Large-Scale Combat Tricks

Large-scale combat relies on Tricks to describe what each unit can accomplish over the course of a round. Large-scale Combat Tricks sharing a name with an existing Trick elsewhere in the rules supersede and replace that Trick with the rules listed here. In addition, increases to hit costs on these Tricks can exceed 3.

Assess Tricks

These Tricks can be purchased using Assess hits. They may only benefit from the LSU’s Enhancement if the LSU has Assess for their primary or secondary pool.

Fog of War (1-3 hits): By taking advantage of the chaotic nature of the battlefield, you impose Complications on an enemy LSU’s next action at a value equal to the number of hits you spend on this Trick. Any levels of Complication that aren’t resolved in the enemy’s next action are applied as damage to the enemy LSU. This can represent damage due to friendly fire, collision with obstacles, or any other hazardous battlefield impediments. You may not spend more hits on this Trick than your LSU’s Intellect Advantage.

Identify Vulnerability (2 hits): The LSU collects and processes combat data on the components of an enemy LSU to determine the enemy’s vulnerabilities. This action uses the LSU’s Intellect Advantage. If the party using this Trick has a higher Intellect Advantage than their target, they gain +2 Enhancement per level of Intellect Advantage they enjoy above their target’s Intellect Advantage. If the target has a higher Intellect Advantage, increase the base cost of this Trick by 1 per level of difference. Identifying a single vulnerability costs 2 hits, and this Trick can be purchased multiple times to identify additional vulnerabilities. Once identified, the vulnerability can be leveraged on subsequent turns.

Attack Tricks

These Tricks can be purchased using Attack hits. They may only benefit from the LSU’s Enhancement if the LSU has selected Attack for their primary or secondary pool.

Critical (3 hits): Deal an additional 1 damage on your target. This Trick may be purchased twice.

Inflict Damage (0 hits): Inflict 1 damage on your target. You may purchase this Trick once for each level of Power Advantage you can exert over the target’s Durability Advantage.

Maneuver Tricks

These Tricks can be purchased using Maneuver hits. They may only benefit from the LSU’s Enhancement if the LSU has selected Maneuver for their primary or secondary pool.

Evasive Maneuvers (2 hits): Increase your Defense by 1 for one round; this Trick can be purchased multiple times. This is influenced by the relative Speed Advantage between you and your opponent LSUs. If your Speed Advantage is higher, you gain Enhancement on this Trick, but if your opponent’s Speed Advantage is higher, the difference in Speed Advantage is applied as a +1 difficulty per level of Advantage difference.

Target Visuals (2 hits): This Trick can represent any sensory interference deployed by the LSU so long as the interference affects only the targeted LSU. This could represent baffling lights, a section of the rig plunged into sudden darkness, or an area filled with steam. Increase the cost of your target’s Assess Tricks by 1. You may purchase this Trick a number of times up to your Intellect Advantage. The effects of this Trick persist until the end of the scene or until the target uses the Fresh Intel Trick.

Reinforce Tricks

These Tricks can be purchased using Reinforce hits. They may only benefit from the LSU’s Enhancement if the LSU has selected Reinforce for their primary or secondary pool.

Fresh Intel (2 hits): If the LSU has suffered from the Target Visuals Trick, they may use this Trick to gain fresh military intelligence. This can also represent data fed up the chain of command to inform adjusted tactics. This Trick allows the LSU to regain 1 lost Enhancement, and can be purchased a number of times up to the LSU’s Intellect Advantage.

Repair and Bolster (2 hits): The LSU distributes repair teams to address damage to craft and apply first aid or other medical care to living members of the LSU. This can also reflect reinforcements called in to supplement the LSU. Regain 1 Injury. The LSU may purchase this Trick a number of times up to the LSU’s Durability Advantage.


As always, this sneak peek is just a small preview from stuff coming in a few weeks when backers have access to the entire contents of Chapter 4! I'll have a few more previews dealing with these massive war machines -looking at Rig Stations and also looking at the components that come into play when you build your own rig! 

But before we get to those meaty bits from Chapter 4, backers will have access to the system that powers the game rather than their war rigs, the Storypath Ultra system. Next Tuesday, backers will have access to the rules chapter for this game! It's good stuff!

So let's keep spreading the word and recruiting new backers to our crew and see if we can't unlock some kaiju expansion material within the next week!

FUNDED! Now let's set up some Stretch Goal Targets!
about 1 year ago – Wed, Feb 05, 2025 at 06:40:59 AM

Hello Steam Warriors!

Well, many brave souls heard the call yesterday! Shortly after I sent out the update noting we were very close to hitting our funding target (I think we were about $50 shy at that point), many many amazing backers joined in on our project and helped us achieve our funding goal.

That's right - we've all come together to support Onyx Path's efforts to make this quirky, cool game and now the project is officially FUNDED!


Before we get into talk about possible Stretch Goals, however, I've got one other bit of interest to share with you today!

Over on Onyx Path's Youtube channel, you can hear the first of their Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars "Letters from the Front," dipping into the lives and world of the people in this alternate history. An amazing bit of setting introduction! Check it out!

Letters from the Front Part 1: Jake Pulaski



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 for backers of the relevant Reward Level Pledge Role. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, the listing will be updated to reflect the achievement.

[LOCKED] At $17,000 in Funding - 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+]
 

[LOCKED] 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+]

I know that we're only in the earliest days of this campaign and backers have just had access to the first two chapters so far, and we've still got lots of content to come our way... but it's always fun to think about what else we could do with the game.

While there's tons of material and many, many game sessions you can run with the stuff included in the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars book ... what if your Steam Rigs also had the threat of giant kaiju? This potential supplement would introduce a new monstrous threat for our War Rigs and can be used to take the game in entirely new directions. In fact, just the thought of these creatures has begun inspiring intrepid Steam Wars® creator and artist on this project, Larry Blamire, to begin some sketches!



Again, nothing is written and this Stretch Goal supplement is only at the very initial concept stage, but will become a reality if we unlock that first Sretch Goal funding target!

So please continue to spread the word! Share the message in your social circles and on your social media! This project is now funded, so the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars book will become a fully-developed reality. New backers will be able to read along with the manuscript downloads as they come out, know that the project will happen, and help us add even more content and potential rewards for backers!


While we continue to recruit new backers, we're also going to keep getting sneak previews from upcoming chapters! Later this week, we'll take a look at some rules for Boarding Parties and a peek at Large Scale Combat!

And next Tuesday we'll have our chapter outlining the Storypath Ultra system for TC: Steam Wars! 

#TrinityContinuumSteamWars

Almost Funded! [Backer Manuscript Preview Download Part 2]
about 1 year ago – Tue, Feb 04, 2025 at 06:03:50 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

We're *this close* to achieving our funding goal on for this project and officially moving Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars from the "concept" to the "production" track.

Those are just my categories - in fact, the amazing Onyx Path team has already turned that "concept" into a full draft manuscript, which I'll be sharing with the backers chapter by chapter every Tuesday of the campaign. But you get what I mean - hitting the Funding target will take this project to the next stage, and I can't wait.

We've danced up to the line, put a foot over, moved a foot back, and now we're just ready to take that one final step. It's like a Crowdfunding hokey pokey, and I'm looking forward to someone putting their left foot in!


Before we get to today's manuscript download for Backers, I wanna do a quick review of the game - thanks in large part to the most recent Monday Meeting blog post from Onyx Path. Matthew answered some questiosn about the game and I figured we could use this update post to share that and point potential backers this way when they're curious.

1. Do you need another book to play Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars?

No! Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars is a self-contained rulebook and has everything you need to play games of TC: Steam Wars and any spin-off you should wish to create for your group. There’s a multitude of options within for characters and rigs, so you can start playing immediately upon purchase!

2. Are characters regular people or Talents?

The term “Talents” isn’t used in Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, but the characters are “talented.” They get access to a wide range or Edges that set them apart from regular humans, with some tied to rig warfare, and others having a wider context. Your characters are heroes in war and in the wider world.

3. Is this game They Came From or Trinity?

Larry Blamire has worked with us on the They Came From games, but this is most definitely a Trinity Continuum game.

4. Is this a Trinity Continuum game?

TC: Steam Wars fits within the Trinity Continuum just like Aether, Aegis, and Anima. TC: Steam Wars is the newest volatile element in the Trinity Continuum toolbox, setting 1897 up to be a very different year to the one we have in our recorded history. The book contains a depth of setting too, to help establish your stories and games.

5. Why is this a Storypath Ultra game?

We’ve conducted a lot of playtesting using SPU and we came to the conclusion after much testing that Ultra was the version to use for this Trinity Continuum game.

6. Is airship combat a thing in TC: Steam Wars?

Absolutely! Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars sees a radical pace of war technology advancement, and with it, greater dangers to those operating them. If you want to use one of the skysleds from this game, have fun (and good luck)!

7. How does this link to the Trinity Continuum?

It’s a part of it. It’s linked in the sense that Aether may precede it and Adventure may follow it, at your table. Plus, some familiar characters from the Trinity Continuum show up in the setting for this game. You’ll find out even more when we drop the setting secrets as part of the backer manuscript.

8. Is all gameplay conducted inside a war rig?

No, not at all. Your character Roles are diverse and many of them excel outside the rig, especially the Envoy and Navigator, though all have their uses inside and outside their iron giant. This is a game that supports adventure, espionage, action, diplomacy, and of course, warfare.

For more information from Matthew, you can check out his video from The Gentleman Gamer channel covering "What do you play in Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars?" found <here>



Some quick things to note before we get into the manuscript.

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 the next 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, but it's not going to come to you 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: Alliance Paths
about 1 year ago – Mon, Feb 03, 2025 at 10:19:16 AM

Hello Steam Warriors,

Before I get to today's sneak peek at the next part of our manuscript, I wanna share the link for something coming later today (or maybe earlier, depending on when you read this!)

Developer Extraordinaire Mathew Dawkins is talking about Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars on The Gentleman Gamer chanel today. Today's topic - What do you play in TC: Steam Wars?

You can check out his video (once it's posted) here - <LINK>

We're now just about six days into our 30-day campaign and we're super close to our funding target, but still have a little more to cover before we lock in our funding for this project and the Onyx Path crew can begin working on taking this draft manuscript to a fully-developed complete game.

This is slight departure from their Trinity Continuum "Alpha Universe" titles and a little more quirky and maybe niche, so needs all the help we can give it! Please continue to spread the word in your social circles and on your social media, and let's see if we can't get this boiler fired up and get our war rig into action!


All backers have access to our first manuscript section, which covers the history and setting for this parallel world within the Trinity Continuum. Last week we had a sneak peek at some of the options when creating characters, focusing on their Role Path. Today, I want to look at one of the other choices that you make when creating your character - your Alliance Path! Below, the write-ups for two of the Alliance choices your character can make. 

There are 7 included in the manuscript, so this is this is just a sample of the contents of this chapter, just to give us an idea of what we can expect. There's a lot more information and direction provided in the actual text, but this should be enough to get a conversation started!

Alliance Path

A vital part of any character’s build in Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars is the Alliance to which their characters and rig belong. It’s possible for characters of disparate Alliances to work together in a single rig in events where groups such as Fulcrum and the Iron Ring work together, or where Die Lanze has utilized the Confederate of the Sea for mercenary purposes, though most rigs will represent one Alliance’s military might.

All Alliance Paths have Skills, Edges, and contacts suggested for players. Players can choose whichever of these traits they wish, however, in character creation. The only requirement for Edges is the character meets the prerequisite (where applicable).

Confederation of the Sea

The seas were calm, but the world beyond the Mediterranean was far from it. The fighting was still too far away to see smoke on the horizon, but sometimes the smell of it wafted from afar, mixing with the salt air and leaving an acrid taste at the back of your mouth. Teodoro watched the place where sea met sky nonetheless, waiting for the moment he spotted an ironclad’s silhouette rising out of the blue. Soon, the British and the French would stop asking politely for passage across the Mediterranean. When they did, the Confederation of the Sea would be ready.

Role on the World Stage

Without significant condensed coal resources to leverage, and with their political power diminished or waning over the last few decades, the nations of Italy, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire have found themselves at odds with or rebuffed by the powers around them. Down, however, is not out. While Britain, France, and Prussia compete to create the most cutting-edge steam rigs, those war-machines thus far perform best on land. They have yet to create rigs that can stride the seas.

The Confederation of the Sea claimed control over the Mediterranean while their European neighbors were busy at war, and in so doing proved that their members shouldn’t be so easily dismissed. The Mediterranean Sea isn’t as strategic a body of water as the North Sea or the Sea of Japan as far as transporting rigs goes, but it is a convenient travel route for nations with colonial interests in North Africa. With access to the Suez Canal’s northern terminus under the Confederation’s control, non-member nations must return to much longer trade routes through the South Atlantic. The Confederation’s member fleets have imposed and enforced a blockade on all non-member ships seeking passage across the Mediterranean, including merchant vessels. Only those parties that pay massive tariffs may proceed. The Confederations’ coffers now swell for the first time in over a century, and in some cases revitalized the nations’ shipping industries due to lower competition. 

The Confederation’s declaration that the sea was off-limits as long as the war continued in Europe and Canada puts the most pressure on France and Britain to end the hostilities, though the chances of that seem slim. France and its North African colonies suffer the greatest effects from the blockades, preventing vital resources from reaching their destinations in both directions. Additionally, France’s diminished ability to send troops increases the likelihood of revolt, especially in Algiers. Though the British also feel the strain in reaching their colonies, tensions are highest between the Confederation and the Dual Entente. Open conflict hasn’t been declared, though shots have been fired and lives lost on both sides already.

We want YOU to join the Confederation of the Sea!

When one avenue to success gets blocked, members of the Confederation of the Sea find another way around... or make their own. A good recruit takes stock of the resources at hand and the people surrounding them and makes a plan based on that. They focus on immediate, achievable goals. This isn’t to say the Confederation isn’t making long-term plans — “end the war” is an extremely lofty objective — but sometimes it’s more worth it to make a big, short-term impact and adjust from there.

Confederation members are good team players, able to find common ground among disparate groups of people. They’re adept at assessing everyone’s skills and putting them to their best use. Some see the other alliances’ habit of overlooking them as an advantage. You can accomplish a whole lot when no one’s watching your every step. Others view it as a challenge and take steps to make their presence and achievements unignorable.

Scientists and engineers looking to innovate in non-military applications for condensed coal find opportunities with the Confederation of the Sea. Universities such as Bologna and Salamanca offer laboratory space, and Ankara has dedicated a steelyard to prototype rigs intended for civilian aid. 

History and Future of the Confederation of the Sea

The path that led to the Confederation of the Sea has been long and winding. Tensions between France and Spain heightened during and just after the Carlist wars, at least partly due to disputed claims over whether Spain possessed the condensed coal deposits it claimed. Spain therefore sought allies beyond their northern border.

After the assassination of King Umberto of Italy in August 1894, Italy cut ties with France. Together with Austria, Italy proposed an alliance with Prussia, hoping that Prussia’s betrayal by Russia would convince them to consolidate power in central Europe. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck roundly and disdainfully rejected their approach. Like Spain, Italy was left to look elsewhere for friends.

A year later, in response to France ramping up military actions, Italy convened the gathering named the Mediterranean Table in Sicily. Representatives from Portugal, Spain, Greece, and the Ottoman Empire attended the talks, but tempers were high and old rivalries soon made themselves known. The fragile Ottoman Empire would only concede to allying with their western neighbors if Greece agreed to formally entering a protectorate arrangement with Turkey, which they predictably and fiercely declined. Spain made a similar overture to Portugal, to which the Portuguese stated if one nation was to become subject to another, it ought to be the Spanish as the lesser partner. Sabers rattled and talks broke down, diplomats returning to their embassies.

To the surprise of many, the Confederation of the Sea officially formed in March 1896. Neither Portugal nor Greece accepted places in the new alliance, the aforementioned political reasons forming one part of their decision, with pressure from Britain another. Diplomatic outreach with both countries is ongoing in the hopes they might yet join. In January 1897, outbreaks of war in Europe and Canada pushed the Confederation to declare the Mediterranean their exclusive territory. Thus far, other European powers haven’t opposed the declaration with fighting, but Britain and France — who need access to the sea to quickly reach their African colonies — have registered their objections.

Technology Level

The Confederation’s steam rig technology lags behind that of other alliances. This puts them at a disadvantage should Prussia set its sights on their territory, but even steam rigs are currently no match for the sea. Confederation members have focused efforts on upgrading their navies to accommodate condensed coal power, and adapted various weapons initially designed for rigs to work aboard their ships. Civilian-focused technology is where the Confederation shines, though most alliance members still need to pay to import condensed coal from other countries. A few deposits have been discovered in the Pyrenees, creating additional tension between France and Spain. The Confederation has entered trade agreement with the Long Handshake featuring non-military condensed coal applications and civilian rig designs. Such arrangements make other alliances wary, though thus far no one has offered the Confederation a better deal or good reasons to disengage. 

On land, the Confederation’s rigs lag behind others in terms of design and capability, so instead they rely on getting in close enough for their crews to board and disable enemy rigs. However, when they can fight within range of the coast, they have backup from their ships’ artillery.

Path Concepts

The Confederation of the Sea values diplomacy and tenacity within its members. Though it’s the least belligerent of the alliances, its member nations don’t back down easily when challenged. Individual recruits share these attitudes, looking for compromise and equitable solutions where they can find them, but willing to use force when talks fail. They live by the following codes: “We won’t be overlooked,” and “Progress should benefit everyone.”

Skills: Culture, Persuasion, Ranged Combat
Path Attributes: Mental 1, Social 3
Edges: A Little Extra, Refreshingly Honest, Say Again, Shadow, Someone to Watch Over Me, Tell a Thumper
Contacts: Harbormaster at a busy port, shipyard overseer, ambassador from another alliance

A Little Extra (•)
You’ve been lucky as long as you remember, and the world just seems to favor you in small ways. Once per session, you can describe a story element as if you had spent a Momentum: you’ve found some money on the ground, accidentally received an extra ration of bacon, or any small boon. The exact amount will be decided by the Storyguide. 

Refreshingly Honest (•)
You may not have a way with words, but you have a natural straightforwardness that most people respect. The cost of the Encourage or Prevent Thought Trick costs 1 hit less.


The Long Handshake

The good thing about the Russian rigs was they were so loud, even when they were idling. It wasn’t just the engine chugging and steam hissing, but the scrape of stokers’ shovels and the crewmembers’ chatter. They had to raise their voices to be heard over the boilers, adding another layer of noise to the night.

In comparison, Nan Ju-Hyeon’s little steel grasshopper was almost silent. Oh, the snow crunched beneath its spindly legs as it skittered along, and her engine huffed in time as she raced toward the larger rig, but the Russians wouldn’t hear her until she was on top of them, and their first clue to her presence would be the rat-a-tat-tat when she opened fire. That would be plenty loud enough.

Role on the World Stage

At first, the news of Korea’s alliance with Prussia was met with skepticism in international circles. The two countries were too far apart for any agreement to do much good. Yet proving the naysayers wrong has turned into a point of pride for the Long Handshake, forcing those who had previously dismissed Korea’s potential to be a power on the world stage to reconsider such opinions. For Prussia, the alliance with Korea grants the ability to hinder Japan’s response capabilities should their Iron Ring obligations be called upon. Korean ports also provide a vector of attack into Russia by sea. 

With the influx of Prussian scientists, engineers, and of course funds, Korea has swiftly advanced its steam rig capabilities. Factories and refineries appeared quickly, and Korean inventors wasted no time studying the schematics their Prussian counterparts provided and iterating upon them. Their ambassadors reached out to their counterparts in the Confederation of the Sea and neutral nations to negotiate trade agreements for non-military technologies. Such arrangements place no political or military obligations upon either party, earmarking the transactions for academic, commercial, or humanitarian use.

We want YOU to join the Long Handshake!

Members of the Long Handshake view the impossible as a challenge. If they’re told something’s too hard or too complicated, or that it runs counter to current scholarly and scientific theory, a determined recruit looks for a way to make it happen anyway. The worst case is you fail and try another tactic. Military leaders with clever new fighting strategies, engineers with implausible rig designs, and diplomats whose politicking style is just a bit unorthodox do well in the Long Handshake. 

Out of all the alliances, the Long Handshake is at the forefront of experimental — and often dangerous — innovation. Prussia saves the more tried-and-true — and therefore stable — advances for deployment in Die Lanze missions, while they view the Long Handshake and the Korean front as a testing ground for cutting edge technologies. Skirmishes against Long Handshake forces run the risk of their rigs exploding on the battlefield, taking out both allies and enemies. 

The Long Handshake also draws in spies and information brokers who do a healthy trade in stolen schematics and intercepted communications. While Prussian rig yards might follow a stolen schematic exactly to spec, teams in Korea look for ways to improve upon it before rivet ever meets steel. Both methods deliver a similar message: underestimate this alliance at your own risk. Information brokers throughout the alliances have noted the shadow intelligence war taking place between Prussian-backed Korea and Britain-backed Japan.

History and Future of the Long Handshake

Against the advice of Britain, France, and the United States, Korea opened negotiations with Prussia in December 1895. They thought little would come of the offer but expected the move to grant them a measure of leverage with neighboring nations. At the very least, Korean diplomats sought notice on the world stage. However, Prussia took Korea up on their proposal, perhaps aided by stolen steam road plans in Korea’s possession. Their scientists and engineers arrived in early January, ready to share steam rig plans and build bases, factories, and refineries. Prussia, in return, gained access to Korea’s condensed coal reserves. 

While Korea stayed out of many of Prussia’s conflicts over the spring and summer of 1896, they upheld their obligations as allies in the fall. With their steam rig fleet in fighting order, Korea attacked Russia by sea, attempting to drive Iron Ring and Dual Entente forces out of their waters. The nation continued to prove its loyalty, harrying Russian armies and forcing Russian military officials to divide their attention on multiple fronts. Korea harbors its own ambitions, beyond those of their ally. Their strategists eye Japan cautiously, aiming to gain the upper hand in the intelligence war. Winning it is a key step in their ultimate plan to control northeast Asia’s entire eastern coastline.

Technology Level

Not only does the Long Handshake benefit from Prussia’s advanced technology, Korean engineers have improved on several models as the nation builds up it steam fleet. As the country’s steam rig fleet nears completion and its steam roads offer easy transport, engineers turn their sights toward rigs with new capabilities. The inability for the Long Handshake’s members to reach each other’s territory swiftly is a problem they hope to solve. Rumor has it that Lucy Tillencrest seeks to build flying rigs for the United States. Now, metalworkers in Korean rig yards experiment with wing shapes and movement, racing the Americans to the skies. Fields around such rig yards are littered with debris from failed flights. Safety measures are low-priority; implementing them wastes precious time and resources. Therefore, test pilots who survive crashes embroider tiny parachutes onto their jumpsuits’ sleeves as a mark of pride.

On the battlefield, Long Handshake forces are unnervingly unpredictable, due to their engineers’ constant churn of new features and improvements. Just when opponents think they know what the alliance’s rigs are capable of, the captain reveals a shocking modification, or the gunner takes aim with a surprising new weapon.

Path Concepts

The Long Handshake’s ranks are full of radical futurists. Those members who are more conservative upon joining eventually come to embrace a degree of uncertainty and the thrill that comes with discovery through dangerous experimentation. Recruits share the alliance’s attitude of defiance in the face of dismissal, and go to great lengths to prove naysayers wrong. They live by the following codes: “We might die trying, but the advancement is worth the risk,” and “Nothing is impossible.”

Skills: Culture, Enigmas, Science
Path Attributes: Mental 2, Physical 1, Social 1
Edges: Close Quarters, Code Breaker, Evaluating the Skirmish, Inside and Out, More Than We Know, Not Just a Pretty Face
Contacts: Engineer from another alliance, renowned steam rig test pilot, foreign dignitary

Close Quarters (••) 
You may not be actually fighting in someone’s house (or maybe you are), but you’ve been trained for the unfortunate possibility of being stuck in a built-up area during a skirmish. Negate the Crowded, Tight, or Social Code area effects.

More Than We Know (•)
There are depths of knowledge that we have yet to plumb, yet for you they just float to the surface. Whenever you take an investigation action, you can purchase the first Extra Evidence Trick of this investigation for 0 hits.


We're gonna get a whole lot more about Alliance Paths - and all of character creation - on Tuesday, when we get our next big manuscript section. Backers will gain access to the complete draft manuscript, chapter by chapter each Tuesday, and we'll be able to read the entire book before any pledges are processed or payments collected at the end of this campaign. 

You'll also be able to provide your feedback directly to the writers and developers, because backers make things better! 

SO - join in if you haven't already, and spread the word if you're already a member of our crew. Let's get this project funded and power up the engines on our massive machine!