What is the City of the Steam Sun
1894
Forty years ago on Krk Island in the Adriatic Sea, the City of the Sun was built — a new Utopia created from dreams of Victorian scientists. Mathematically calculated, perfectly thought out, a hymn to greatness of human mind, and a symbol of the unity of Europe; it became the largest scientific and cultural center of human civilization for almost two decades.
Everything changed in 1872. On the night of June 20th, the city was struck by the Eclipse — a cataclysm of unknown nature, which left a turbulent whirlpool in the place where the island had been. The disaster was terrifying. Everyone was convinced the city, like Atlantis, had perished at the bottom of the sea, and all its inhabitants died; the price for its attempt to compare with the gods.
But the truth was different. On the night of the Eclipse the city was moved to another reality — gray, cold, and lifeless; where the sky was covered with low clouds. Later, this place came to be called Limbo; because most of all it resembled the threshold of Hell, come to life from the pages of Catholic manuscripts.
In Limbo, the forced immigrants found food, water, and even some deposits of metals. But the most important thing they found was brimstone, "hell stone," an amazing fossil fuel that burned several times hotter and longer than coal. The findings gave a powerful impetus to the development of steam technologies. Only one serious obstacle was in the way of the scientific and technological revolution: lack of a stable inflow of new resources. So, when three years after the disaster the Embassy of demons came to the City with a proposal to open a portal back to the real world in exchange for the right to trade, the authorities were glad to have such a bargain.
In September 1875, appearing from thin air, a steam locomotive with several cars rolled out with clatter and clang onto the half ruined railway bridge which once had connected the island of Krk with the continent.
Over the next 15 years, the appearance of the city changed completely. Smoke from trains, factories, steam trams, and steam cars stained the walls that used to be snow-white. The streets were entangled with a network of pneumomail tubes. The metal steam-powered sun rolled on a huge metal rail in the sky.
The city received a new name: the Web. Once again it became a cultural, scientific, and financial center of society — but a society quite unlike the old one. Other conditions, other creatures, other social rules, and other laws of physics gave rise to a new, wonderful world.
In this world, the authorities lead diplomatic negotiations with demons; inventor-technomages dream of creation of a reasonable automaton; researchers look for traces of ancient civilizations; leaders of the criminal world and brilliant detectives fight for the right to set the rules — here, in the shine of the metal steam sun.
What are you going to play?
The City of the Steam Sun is designed for stories in the genres of classic detective, Victorian horror, and adventures in the style of Indiana Jones and Alan Quatermain. Each story can develop within the same genre, or combine the features of several.
Detective – Stories in the spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie will be good for those who like to work with information, analyze it, and move step-by-step to victory. The heroes of such stories are employees of a detective agency, guards, or even individuals who were affected by the consequences of some crime. Search for clues, questioning witnesses, matching data from different sources – you will feel the gray cells of your brain wake up.
Horror – Stories in the style of Victorian horror or mystical horror are easy to imagine in the world in which here and there you meet fanatical scientists who are ready to sacrifice to science not only their lives, standards of morality, and ethics; but also the lives of anyone who happens along. That is why here, you can face out-of-control scientific experiments, crazy infernal machines and their creators, as well as numerous creatures and entities that live in the depths of Limbo: ghosts, ancient deities, cursed tombs and so on; as if from the fantasies of Howard Lovecraft.
Adventure and crypto-detective – Limbo is a place with a rich history; it keeps many secrets that excite the imagination of researchers. Confusing mazes on the outskirts, mysterious traps and vague clues, mystical coincidences leading heroes to the goal. And, of course, smart competitors following heroes to the finale.
And all this is in the atmosphere of the late XIX century; in the city which turned from the Utopia of the Rational Age into the dark Web; in the world of steam devices and technomagic — the arcane background whose adherents use special equipment to work miracles.
Why you will like to play it
The City of the Steam Sun is a deeply developed world in which the latest steam technologies coexist with ancient powerful magic.
- More than 40 new edges.
- Three new arcane backgrounds with unique game mechanics: Technomages, relying on their equipment, Blessed Ones, who create miracle from their own life force and Dark Mages, who make grim sacrifices to gather power.
- Flexible rules for creation of inventions, suitable for those who want to dive into creation of a new device and enjoy choosing components and their various combinations; as well as those who prefer to assemble their mechanisms quickly. Create your own fine tuned weapons, transport and even semi-intelligent automatons.
- Three ready adventures, one per each genre. Discover plot behind the robbery of the officer of Expeditionary Force in the Case of the Winged Statuette, face horrors of the House of Forgotten and reveal some ancient secrets of Limbo on the Path of the Piligrim.
- Lots of secret societies.
- And a wide range of air and steam guns for all fans of steampunk.
What We Need & What You Get?
The setting materials have already been published in Russian. Now we are launching the English version. The translation is complete; but we need funds for additional editing, proofreading and layout. We invite you to support the project: you will get the materials of the setting, as well as the opportunity to become a part of the City of the Steam Sun and enter its history forever.
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Everyone who takes part in crowdfunding will be mentioned in the list of people who helped the project. We will print this list at the end of the main book.
The City of the Steam Sun will be published in two books. The first book will be intended for players, and will consist of three subsections: The Book of Human, The Book of Demon and the Book of Angel, for characters with different levels of knowledge. It will contain information about the world, new edges and hindrances, rules on inventions, and rules on magic with three new arcane backgrounds. This first book will have about 200 pages, and contain about 50 full-color illustrations (apart from the rules on inventions).
The second book, the Book of Creator, is intended for Game Masters only. It contains a detailed history of the world in a way that is unknown to any of the characters, bestiary, master tools, and three ready adventures. This book will have about 130 pages and 25 full-color illustrations.
The books will be distributed through the DriveThruRPG website. The printed version will be available in hardcover in premium color, using print-on-demand.
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Please note that for printed versions, pledge price does not include shipping and the basic cost of printing. When the book is ready for printing, you will receive a code that will allow you to order its printing on DTRPG at the cost of printing and delivery. Base printing cost for player's book will be around 20$ and for the Book of Creator around 15$.
For the Benefactor pledge, we are planning to contract artist Evgenia Seminenko, who has already created some character portraits for our game.
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Pledges
5$ Good Samaritan
Our immense gratitude is for those who understand how much a fine gesture means.
Even the smallest amount will help the project. And the feeling of joy it gives us that the City of the Steam Sun is important and interesting to the audience is really priceless. Therefore we will thank you and mention you in the list of people who supported the project.
10$ Librarian
The text file of the player's book is for those who prefers just letters.
You will receive only the text of the book of player, without illustrations and design. Only the text. The foundation and the skeleton of the world. And we will mention you in the list of people who supported the project.
15$ Desperate
PDF version of the player's book is for those who are ready to join the game.
You will receive a PDF version of the book of player — a full electronic copy with all illustrations. And we will mention you in the list of people who supported the project.
25$ Hermit
PDF versions of the player's book and the game master's book and stretch goals — for those who are content with little.
You get full copies of both books and all stretch goals in PDF format: with all illustrations, additional materials and adventure stories. Everything is exactly like in paper, just on the screen of any of your gadgets. And we will mention you in the list of people who supported the project.
25$ Researcher
A coupon for the printed player's book and a PDF version of the player's book are for those who are going to explore all the corners of the Web.
You will get a coupon for printed copy of the player's book, as well as a full copy in PDF format with all illustrations. And we will mention you in the list of people who supported the project.
25$ Surveyor
A signed postcard and PDF versions of all the books are for those who know something about brimstone.
You will get everything that is mentioned in the award "Hermit" and we will also send you a unique postcard with a picture on topic of the City of the Steam Sun signed by the authors.
40$ Gentleman
Coupons for all printed books and PDF-versions of all books are for those who have a serious approach to business.
You will get coupons for both books in printed edition, copies of them in PDF format, and all stretch goal pdfs: with all illustrations, additional materials, and adventure stories. And of course we will mention you in the list of people who supported the project.
50$ Engineer
A signed brand-name postcard, coupons for all printed books, and PDF-versions of all books are for those who love complex systems.
You will get everything that is mentioned in the award "Gentleman" and we will also send you a unique postcard with a picture on the topic of the City of the Steam Sun signed by the authors.
100$ Blessed
The opportunity to write your own spell, coupons for all printed books, and PDF versions of all books are for experts on Arcana backgrounds.
You will get everything that is mentioned in the award "Gentleman". Also, you can offer us an idea for an Arcane power; we will calculate it and include it in the chapter "Magic" of "The Book of Demon".
100$ Guard
The opportunity to create your own weapon, coupons for all printed books, and PDF-versions of all books — for those who are ready to join the battle.
You will get everything that is mentioned in the award "Gentleman". Also, you can bring us an idea for steam, air, or clockwork weapons; we will calculate it and include it in the arsenal. The gunsmiths of the City of the Steam Sun have invented a lot of great things; but in a power confrontation it is always useful to be one step ahead, isn't it?
150$ Professor of Magemechanics
The opportunity to create your own character, coupons for all printed books, and PDF versions of all books are for true fans of the setting.
You will get everything that is mentioned in the award "Gentleman", and you can tell us what role you would play in the world; we will include this character in the life of the City — like the missing piece of the puzzle.
200$ Benefactor
The character you created will appear in the book with your portrait based on your photo; you will receive coupons for all printed books, and PDF versions of all books — for those who are ready to visit the Web in the flesh.
You will receive everything mentioned in the award "Professor of Magemechanics". In addition, our artists will draw a portrait of your character based on your photo, which will be included in the book.
450$ Lord-Council of the Iron Embassy
We will write an adventure with an antagonist that you will create; you will get coupons for all printed books, and PDF versions of all books — for those who don't mind playing for the bad guys.
The Web is definitely not a blessed place. Lack of vital resources leads to a fierce struggle for a place under the steam sun. If you back at this level, you will receive everything that is mentioned in the award "Gentleman" and you can offer us an idea of a character that will oppose the players. We will write a short adventure in which he will appear in all his glory. This adventure will be free and will be added for all backers.
3000$ Dean of the Occult Faculty
An exclusive cosplay-quality set of technomagic equipment, coupons for all books, PDF-versions of all books. And adoration of everyone. For those who feel the pulsations of a technomage in their heart.
You will get everything that is mentioned in the award "Gentleman" and we will make for you a one-of-a-kind full-size copy of the equipment set for powerful technomages in the City of the Steam Sun. The set will include an energy battery, a programming unit, an emitter, and goggles. It will be made of brass, wood, leather, and glass.
And to be honest, we would be thrilled to make one especially for you.
Pledge Chart
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Stretch goals
If the wave of your support overwhelms us, we have some additional great plans:
5000$ We will translate a short adventure, "The Guards Of The Sunrise" — a story of a detachment of guards that protected the Steam Sun from the attacks of the Cult of the Eclipse followers; mad fanatics determined to establish a new order in the city. The pdf of this adventure will be added for every backer, and further it will be free to download on DTRPG.
7500$ We will add more illustrations to "The Book Of The Creator ". It already has some great art, but sky is the limit. We want to make it even cooler.
10000$ We will translate "Playing With Fire" — a collection of adventures, the events of which are connected with the appearance of explosive devices in Limbo. It was believed for a long time that it was impossible to create a bomb in Limbo, but the events of late November 1894 showed that the laws of nature can be circumvented. The hunt for new technologies began. This adventure will be added for free for backers with the Book of Creator pdf in their pledge and later it will be sold on DTRPG.
12500$ We will write and publish “Collector of the Automatons”, a dark horror adventure where players would explore the mansion of Albert Berstein, functionary of the guild of magemechanics and famous collector of human-like automatons, who gone missing. At the moment the plot for this adventure is complete, but the text isn’t and there is no art. When it’s ready, this adventure will be added for free for backers with the Book of Creator pdf in their pledge and later it will be sold on DTRPG.
15000$ We will make the Major Arcana of the deck "Tarot of the New Time", a set of cards with unique pictures by Maria Grobowskaya (Braderunner). Tarot of the New Time is a set of 22 unique edges in the City of the Steam Sun, representing the destiny of your character and it will be possible to get a physical copy of this deck for a deeper dive into the world of the City of the Steam Sun.
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Licensing
This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
Music used in video: AShamaluevMusic - Cinematic Orchestral.
Music Link: https://goo.gl/Tk377U
Voice actor: Stanislav Yakubovskiy
Sound recording: Vladimir Koshevoy
Video editing: Ekaterina Birukova
Illustrators: Evgeniy Haruk, Alexander Plekhanov, Ilya Shalkov, Igor Savchenko, Evgenia Seminenko, Maria Kuravtsova.
Risks & Challenges
From our previous experience in publishing our game we know that sometimes things don’t go well in game development, due to the number of people involved. But the translation, which was the hardest part, is finished; so we think that we’ll be able to complete the rest of the project in time. Most problematic part is art. We have all the art we need for the current version of the book, but if we add new art to the Book of Creator – due to stretch goal or Benefactor pledge – there may be some delays; but they won’t affect release date of the player’s part of the book. The same goes with our tarot; we want the whole deck to be illustrated by one artist, so it may take some time.