Battlezoo Ancestries: Year of Titans

Preview Video for Titans 5e, Shelled Krakens, and New Vote!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Dec 06, 2024 at 08:01:18 AM

Hi everyone,

There's just under a week left on the Kickstarter! Check out the video from Dungeon Dad above for an in-depth sneak peek at the titan ancestry for 5e. 

Additionally, we hit the stretch goal for shelled krakens! That means it's time for what will likely be one last vote (some of you with the many eyed bogey heritage might have spotted this already when Stephen put it up early on the front page). For our final vote, would you like to see an icesoul heritage for snowsoul, with frozen armor made of magical ice, or a contaminated bogey heritage for bogey, formed from mortals' collective fear of disease? Vote for your favorite in the comments of this update (or in the main comments if you prefer; there's already some votes there and we'll tally up both). 

I'm excited to see where we go from here! I'll leave you with more on the kraken ancestry from Aitheria Nyx, in honor hitting of the shelled kraken stretch goal!

~Mark Seifter, Roll for Combat Director of Game Design

From the Archives of Aitheria Nyx

They Might Be Titans

Krakens are famous as rulers of the boundless sea, colossal beings that guard the deepest trenches and sink ships that intrude upon their territory. These legendary krakens are the precursors to the amphibious krakens that now roam the land and sea alike. 

Amphibious krakens are smaller than their sea-dwelling cousins, and most are less powerful upon reaching adulthood. To what can these differences be attributed? I’ve read several fascinating essays that posit an ancient magical bargain, pact, or ritual. This mystical trade might share common roots with the dragon’s lux aeterna ritual, in which an immediate sacrifice of power is required in exchange for the ability to flexibly choose one’s own destiny and grow in accordance with bravery, skill, and fortune.

Another compelling theory holds that all krakens are descended from one of the god-beasts known as First Ones, and that amphibious krakens are metaphysically weakened by the separation between their own ways and the ways of their Progenitor. This theory is a common belief in some amphibious kraken circles, who worship this god-beast, the “Ur-Kraken,” so to speak, and gain blessings from their devotion. If krakens are indeed descended from a First One, as titans are, they could technically be classified as a type of titan, or perhaps at least titanborn. But unlike typical titans, born from a god-beast’s spark, landwalking krakens share commonalities in their morphology, with children of kraken parents invariably being krakens themselves.  To what can this increased heritability be attributed? It might be a consequence of the Ur-Kraken’s relatively greater metaphysical presence in the modern day. 

The nature of this presence remains a mystery. Could the Ur-Kraken still be around? A survivor of the ancient Titanomachy where the dragon deity Talir devoured the other god-beasts? In truth, they might still dwell deep in an ocean trench somewhere, at depths that would crush most mortal life. Or they might be an intangible spiritual entity, or an ascended form of god-beast that swims across the seas of the Planes Beyond. It’s also unclear what objectives they might seek to achieve. Aquatic krakens often concern themselves with warding against other forces that dwell in the depths—could this be a reflection of the Ur-Kraken’s ancient conflict against other forces that rose from the frigid abyss? And if so, would the forces that lurked at the boundaries of existence, in the most secluded of places, have any connection to the machinations of the Enigmas?

As difficult as it is to gather solid information about the Ur-Kraken in the present, determining their past is no more straightforward. Contemporary records from the Titanomachy are fragmentary at best, and they rarely name the god-beasts that they describe. Somewhat later scholarship gave titles to these majestic beings, but it’s exceedingly difficult to discern which descriptions and titles refer to the same creature, or even when the same description or title might refer to multiple different creatures. Was the Ur-Kraken the Eternal Whirlpool, or the Eightfold Ruler of Endless Deep? Both? Neither? Were they the “tsunami that writhed as an endless boil of thrashing snakes”?

Those of us who ponder these secrets can only hope they will prove less unfathomable than the oceans themselves.

~Aitheria Nyx, Herald of the Space Element, Advocate of Monsters

Next Goal Reached: Ogre Mutations Are Running Rampant!
over 1 year ago – Mon, Nov 18, 2024 at 08:05:06 AM

Thank you so much everyone! Together we crossed the next stretch goal threshold, and the vote continued to be close. In fact, there was a single moment when shelled krakens pulled ahead, ironically from a voter who wanted both options to make it and so chose shelled kraken expecting it to lose. But then after that, hypermutated ogre took the majority of the remaining votes and grabbed back the lead! That means we're greenlighting it, along with some extra mutation feats, for the ogre ancestry. I've let Linda, the author for ogre, know we hit the stretch goal, and she has some great ideas for what mutations to add. I think you'll really enjoy them!

The next stretch goal will be shelled krakens, since it was so close in votes. If and when we reach the goal for shelled kraken, or at least when we're closer to it, I'll return to let you know about the next vote. For now, let me know what character ideas you have for a hyper mutated ogre (or a living curse or vital spark titan from our previous stretch goals) in the comments below!

And in honor of hypermutated ogre's win, take a look at the never-before-seen Aitheria Nyx essay for ogres!

~Mark Seifter, Roll for Combat Director of Game Design

From the Archives of Aitheria Nyx

You Are What You Eat

Ogres are a multitalented ancestry, with the rare ability to profoundly adapt the shape and capability of their bodies by absorbing the fundamental essence of whatever they eat. Most  ancestries can only achieve a gradual change to body composition from their diets and activity. Ogres, on the other hand, can adjust their height, replace their skin with scales, or even sprout new limbs. 

The most popular theory for the origins of this transformative ability maintains that ogres’ distant ancestors ate something of such profound power that it fused with their bodies, granting them additional might while allowing them to continue to absorb strength from their food. This theory immediately raises a question, though–what could they have eaten that would have such a profound effect on themselves and all of their descendants?  

I’ve found claims that tie the origins of ogres’ remarkable ability to the most ancient of conflicts. Specifically, claims that ogres are descended from people who ate pieces of the fallen god-beasts known as First Ones, in the aftermath of the Titanomachy. Most of the bodies of the god-beasts are said to have been devoured by the dragon deity Talir, who then went on to distill their might and use it to produce the first dragons. While the proto-ogres might have gained the power of god-beasts directly, it’s also possible that they consumed the remains of some of these first dragons, acquiring the power of the god-beasts secondhand.

If the origins of ogres’ power can be traced to eating god-beasts or other mighty primordial beings, we must also consider the question of why they chose to eat what they did. Would you eat a suspicious hunk of god-beast, overflowing with potentially deadly primal energies? Perhaps they partook for the typical reasons that all creatures eat, and were unaware of the way in which they would transform. The god-beasts or other beings might have been sufficiently similar to other sources of food to be appetizing, such as a god-beast that took the form of a giant boar would be to a culture already accustomed to eating swine. Or even if the creatures didn’t look like typical food, they might have seemed edible enough to suffice in a time of conflict or economic or ecological hardship. 

On the other hand, at least some proto-ogres might have been broadly aware of what they could gain, and thus consumed the bodies of god-beasts ritually in order to absorb their might. If they had such knowledge, where did it come from? Was it something they were able to deduce through observation or study, or were they encouraged by an outside force? And if there was an outside force involved, who were they, and what could they have hoped to gain from all this? Did they want to manipulate ogres for their own ends, or perhaps they wanted to vest potential in ogres to prevent it from being used for other purposes? Here too, as in all mysteries from ancient times, we must consider the possibility of the hands of the Enigmas. The presence of isolated pockets of Enigma-worship among modern ogres might suggest the fell deities’ ever-elusive hands at work.

~Aitheria Nyx, Herald of the Space Element, Advocate of Monsters

Vital Spark Titan Unlocked and Last Day For Free Adventure
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 08:25:07 AM

We quickly surpassed the second stretch goal and unlocked the vital spark titan, and the vote is ongoing for the third goal between the hypermutated ogre and the shelled kraken in the comment section of the previous update. It's close right now, with the ogre in the lead, but there's plenty of time for things to change as we build up toward that third goal.

We're also in the final 24 hours of the free adventure offer. You'll still be able to add the adventure, Release the Kraken, on at any time, but if you're on the fence, you might want to consider pledging now to lock it in for free.

Since I gave you Aitheria's notes for titans first in the update that unlocked living curse to set the stage, I'll end with the notes for living spells.

~Mark Seifter, Roll for Combat Director of Game Design

From the Archives of Aitheria Nyx

Sufficiently Advanced Magic

When the Titanomachy raged, the gods slung a dizzying onslaught of magic at each other. Out of the fray, a few of these exceptional spells developed minds of their own, and lived on far past any typical concept of duration. They were the first living spells to be recorded in myth.

Much as the gods’ magic is filled with nigh-limitless potential, living spells were not constrained by the boundaries of simple cause and effect that circumscribe more conventional spellcasting. Instead, they experienced lives full of boundless potential, growing and changing as surely as people with more conventional organic bodies. They mirrored their creators in both shape and size, with towering forms that reached up toward the heavens.

Do any of these original living spells still persist in the modern day? It’s not out of the question. After all, a living spell’s lifespan depends upon the stability of their physical and conceptual bodies, and some of the gods’ magical workings persist for millennia. However, given the scarcity of reports about such ancient spells, it’s reasonable to assume that most or all of these primordial wonders have succumbed to time’s inevitable course.

As far as I’ve been able to discern, all living spells born in recent centuries are mortal. In that way, they share more with organic creatures than beings like angels or demons, whose eternal bodies are woven of spiritual essence. Yet they retain some echoes of their ancestors’ nature, as the methodologies of their creation follows grooves in the metaphysical fabric of magic that the gods carved out long ago. 

The variation in the nature of these grooves allows for substantial diversity among living spells. Though the gods’ original role in generating the potential for the first living spells might suggest that they would all have an affinity for divine magic, such affinities are far from universal. After all, the First Ones’ magic called upon the most destructive forces of primal nature, while the draconic might of the ur-dragon Talir mustered mastery of the arcane. Some living spells even resonate with occult traditions, a phenomenon that lends some credence to my suspicion that the mysterious and otherworldly Enigmas were involved in the gods’ war. And the four classical spell traditions are not necessarily the unifying concept behind a living spell’s essence; some are affiliated with omni-traditional classifications of magic like curses, or even the laborious but flexible field of ritual magic.

Buried within the nature of living spells and the idiosyncrasies of what makes their creation possible in the modern day are countless fragmentary clues about the ancient past, as well as the evolution of magic itself. Fortunately, many living spells take interest in such questions, and their scholarship has proven a vital resource in my investigations. Can I find the fingerprints of the Enigmas within the building blocks of the right living spell? I won’t know until I try. But perhaps the furrows of occult magic themselves were able to form consciousnesses, souls, and identities, without any intervention from the Enigmas. After all, sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from an act of the immortal.

–Aitheria Nyx, Herald of the Space Element, Advocate of Monsters

We Smashed Our Goal! Curses Rise and New Vote
over 1 year ago – Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 07:57:35 AM

Fellow Seekers of the Titans!

Thank you so much for supporting the Kickstarter. We funded in 20 minutes and reached our first stretch goal already overnight. The resounding winner is living curse, though vital spark managed to pull enough interest to slot in as the second stretch goal. We should pass that goal soon, so I'll give you a sneak preview of the next vote, which you can vote for in the comments of this update. 

The vote for the third stretch goal will be between shelled kraken and hypermutated ogre!

Shelled Kraken: We will add a Shelled Kraken heritage inspired by a nautilus. 

Hypermutated Ogre: We will add a hypermutated ogre heritage that grants an additional mutation feat and more mutation feats.

In case you're wondering about mutation feats, in general, we're looking to include some support for the heritages that win the vote, such as feats using the shelled kraken's shell. But hypermutated ogre would be an ogre that engages more deeply with the base ancestry's special mechanic of mutating based on what they eat, so it makes sense to add a few new mutation feats as support. Both of these options are really interesting to me, so vote for your favorite in the comments below! 

I'll leave you off today with a little introductory essay by Aitheria Nyx, introducing the Year of Titans. If you're on our mailing list, you might have spotted this earlier.

~Mark Seifter, Roll for Combat Director of Game Design

From the Archives of Aitheria Nyx

Remember the Titans

My friend, thank you for joining me over the years in my studies and analyses into the many varied ancestries who share this world with us. It’s because of your support, and those of like-minded others, that I’ve been able to continue searching for answers, but today, I’m writing to you about something different. Yes, there’s another mysterious ancestry involved along the way, and as always, we should think before we demonize them. My philosophy hasn’t changed. In truth, my work serves multiple purposes, and it’s time I revealed one of the others to you. While as an advocate of monsters, I speak for those people who society doesn’t give a voice or a chance, as a herald of the space element, I’ve been investigating certain actions of the mysterious god beings known as Enigmas across the world as I travel. 

Usually I’m looking at recent incursions or schemes. But this investigation goes back to ancient days. You might have heard of an ancient Titanomachy? A war between enormous god-beasts sometimes called the “First Ones” or the “Progenitors” and the new gods, invaders at the time. History tells us it was a war, but in most religious accounts, the victors have portrayed it as mainly a one-sided slaughter. The new gods birthed a child, a mighty world dragon, who devoured the god-beasts and used their divine essence to lay eggs that would then become the various heritages of dragon. The mortals were saved from the First Ones’ rampages and lavished praise on the new gods, but they feared the dragon who did most of the fighting, causing an estrangement that led to the great dragon being imprisoned in the moon.

These religious and historical accounts seem internally consistent, and they’ve been confirmed by deities who keep track of records of the past. But I sometimes wonder if those records might have been tampered with, or if some of the information is being kept from mortalkind intentionally. Is that true? And if so, then why? I believe it has something to do with a subtle manipulation by the Enigmas that had major consequences. Some of the story doesn’t quite make sense. I’m not sure what they did, but I think they wanted the dragon deity trapped and angry, ready to use in some future scheme. 

But like I said, the religious and historical accounts from followers of the new gods were consistent. You might think I said that as a compliment, but I meant it as a complaint… and as an observation. History, especially ancient history, is usually messy. The consistency is unusual, and it’s incredibly unhelpful to what I’m trying to study. Almost suspiciously so. And that’s why I realized I needed to talk to people versed deeply in other religions.

I started by asking a long-lived adherent of the Eld, the ancient elemental religion that predated even the Titanomachy. This follower was a herald of the time element and seemed a likely candidate for a competing account. But they explained to me that the Eld stayed out of that conflict entirely. The embodiment of the world’s elements is ever neutral, so that’s not really a surprise, but I suppose I expected that even the ever implacable and unflappable elemental life force of the planet would have taken note of something as unmistakable as the Titanomachy.  

I was disappointed, but this avenue wasn’t a dead end. The herald of the time element shared a secret with me that few alive yet know. And it’s one I’ve chosen you, out of those who share my correspondences, to read first. I trust you to keep this confidential for a time, though I can assure you I have verified it before informing you: Not all the god-beasts are dead. A few survived, especially those who either were no threat to mortalkind in the first place or lived in a secluded location where they didn’t run into mortals at the time, such as a lonely volcano or the bottom of the sea. And even the ones that died left behind descendants. Whether through the kind of reproduction similar to mortals or perhaps even the fracturing of their divine essence upon their death—in much the same way the great dragon birthed the dragon ancestry by devouring some of that essence. They are beings of incredible potential. Scions of the First Ones. Children of the Titanomachy. Titans.

I realized that titans, or the last few surviving god-beasts among the Progenitors, might have the answers hidden from the historical record. And that’s where it gets interesting—when I met my first titan, I learned that there are other ancestries, such as bogeys, living spells, and ogres, with different connections to the Titanomachy, and others, such as krakens and even the amphibious salamander people known as xotlxotl, that might genealogically be an especially exceptional sort of titan that happen to exist in large numbers and share a distinct set of features due to their specific origin and the shifts of the intervening generations.

This wasn’t just the case of a tiny window cracking open when a door closed—I had been given the key to an entire treasure vault of secrets that might expose secrets lost to myth. The gods aren’t talking about it, but why? Are they ashamed? Grieved? Or something more? Whatever the case, I will seek the truth. And when I’m done gathering all I can, the world will once again remember the titans.

–Aitheria Nyx, Herald of the Space Element, Advocate of Monsters