Crucible of Aether Funded and Pushing Stretch Goals!

CRUCIBLE OF AETHER is a player-empowering tabletop RPG where the skills you use shape your journey. Explore unparalleled character creation and progression, visceral high-stakes combat, and an intuitive skill system that encourages the table to solve problems in unique and interesting ways.

And it is now live on Kickstarter!

The Empire is in the throes of an industrial revolution fueled by ancient technologies of a long-forgotten people - and it is about to collapse. The land teeters on the verge of a succession crisis, barely held together by warmongers, plutocrats, and religious zealots. Its very foundations crumble as unspeakable horrors rise from the Empire’s clockwork heart. Now long-standing alliances decay, old rivalries turn to bitter hatred, and rebellion looms just around the corner.

Crucible of Aether's setting is a unique blend of gothic industrial and mystic fantasy - grown from themes of Dickensian class struggles within Victorian society, esoteric mysticism of dark fantasy, and the horrors that arise when the forces of empire and the eldritch meet. The Empire of Odayos is in the throes of an industrial revolution fueled not by any modern creation, but by the ancient technologies of a long-forgotten people.

Factories are powered by ever-turning gears of fleshy metal, and new inventions are birthed in the dreams of faceless, robotic scholars. Meanwhile, the fierce hoarding of these strange resources has caused vast technological disparity among nations.

In Odayos, mechanically augmented knights meet pike-wielding legionaries on the battlefield. Meanwhile, nobles in woolen tailcoats discuss politics with undead librarians in stone ziggurats. Numerous conflicts simmer at the edge of this society, from worker uprisings, religious strife, and civil war to external invasions and the birth of slabbering hordes of reality-warping monsters.

Players in Crucible of Aether create their character as part of a living world, where your choice of where you were born and how you were raised shapes the start of your adventures.

Characters can hail from the dark wealds and iron fortresses of Meisnland to the treasure-laden swamps of Beusos. And they can have backgrounds ranging from an artist who weaves illusions with moonlight, to a warrior poet  who wields frost and fury!

These characters can be further changed with powerful Transmutations that induce strange and permanent changes. These replace most of the body with clockwork flesh, turn characters into a bloodthirsty day-vampire, or even grant the gift of undeath.

With CoA's robust Skill System, players can tackle challenges in any way they can imagine by utilizing 1 of 40 Skills, each of which advances with every action: archery improves with each arrow that leaves the bow, performance with each note sung, and metalworking with each strike of the hammer.

Characters unlock and master Careers, which grant powerful bonuses and abilities, by joining factions or pursuing vocations. A street urchin could start out as a thief stealing bread for their next meal and grow into a spymaster or prize-fighting pugilist. They could even have a religious awakening and continue their journey as a pistol and blade wielding zealot — or experience countless other twists and changes. 

Unlike other systems with rigid or narrow character advancement, CRUCIBLE OF AETHER’s progression is a history of a character’s adventures. And like any good adventure, it’s exciting and often unpredictable.

The book features art from Emily Chapman and Allie Briggs, who help bring the Empire of Odayos to life!

These creations vary from the whimsical to the brutal, the mundane to the monstrous.

Allie in particular has specialized in bringing the creatures of the game to life, such as the dream-haunting Xysrtall -

The campaign started Jan. 14, has reached its funding goal and already unlocked its first stretch goal - a printed version of its starter adventure, "Incident on Illgriffe"!

Next up is a short story by Jess Levine, creator of I Have the High Ground and Going Rogue, titled "Angels of the Industrial Age" about Maekrons, the half-machine engineers who receive divine inspiration for their inventions!

Funding runs through Feb. 13, so don't miss out!