King Auberon of the seelie fey vanished with the Djinn, after striking her with his blade. Since that time, only the crueler fey have been seen, though they remain every bit as anxious to make deals with mortals.

Capricious and Treacherous - The Fey

The Crone manufactures tools that bear the semblance of life. These include the Golem Witchbreed, but also include things which are much larger—and sometimes much smaller.

Devil Doll - The Manikins

Cauldron-born made up the majority of the armies of the Grand Coven. These hardy soldiers, and countless other undead banes, were created by the Morrigan—the Witch who destroyed Shieldhaven and sundered the clans of Cairn Kainen.

The Morrigan - Keeper of Undead

We wanted to take a slightly different tact with some of the blog posts as we build up to launch the Kickstarter. In today's post, we discuss why we're using Savage Worlds as the game system for Accursed.

Accursed Savages

We're also continuing to release a new piece of artwork each day, as we continue our countdown. Over the past few days, we showed off the Mummy, The Revenant, and the Vargr.

We'll show another one during the 13th hour today. If you need to see the latest one, at the moment it happens, make sure to Like our Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

During the Bane War, refugees desperately tried to reach safety, anywhere they could. Many took ship to flee the subcontinent. Port Sorrow was the nearest established harbor, and it flooded with the desperate.

Port Sorrow

The artwork preview continued Monday and Tuesday afternoon with the Mongrel and the Dhampir.

Today's the big day. The Kickstarter for Accursed launches at 13:00 EDT today. Ross talks a bit about how we got here in today's post. (We'll start a fresh thread for the Kickstarter with the link at launch time. That way we can keep this one devoted to our blog updates.)

Launching Accursed

We've launched the last two pieces of Kickstarter preview art over the last couple of days. Wednesday afternoon, it was the Golem. Yesterday, we showed the unadorned cover art.

The Accursed Kickstarter's off to a great start, thanks so much for everyone's support. But, we're not here to talk about the Kickstarter. We're here because we haven't forgotten the blog.

We wanted to take a slightly different tactic with things for the next batch of posts. We're going to focus on the Archetypes and the Professional Edges that we are including in Accursed. These help to offer hooks as players design their characters.

First up in that run of posts is the Knave. These are characters who work to subvert their opponents with words rather than overwhelming them with their martial skills.

The Knave

In today's blog update, we discuss Witch hunters. These men and women are bold or foolish enough to still battle directly against the Witches and banes of Morden. Those who manage to survive quickly learn the vulnerabilities of their foes, and remain prepared to engage them.

On Witch Hunters - Malleus Maleficarum

We're continuing our discussion of the different professions by looking at alchemists today. While they must take care to prepare their abilities well in advance of use, these learned men and women sometimes have weapons perfect for overcoming the Witches' banes.

Alchemists - Transformative Agents

As we continue exploring some of the different professions in Accursed, the latest update focuses on the Enochian. Generally itinerant preachers, these men and women devote their lives to spreading the virtues, both through their words and through the examples that they live. The faithful respect their example and often work to replicate their generosity.

The Enochian - Spreading the Virtues

Today we focus on the investigator, whose research can provide characters with the information they need to identify and overcome a challenge. Sometimes, of course, the investigator's interests can create whole new series of challenges.

Investigators - A Light in the Darkness

Today's post discusses the white witches. These bold individuals risk their souls to dabble in the very powers that have already so damaged Morden. Some seek greater power for their own purposes, while others try to turn the evil against the tyrants that have mastered it.

White Witches - Daring Dabblers

The Bane War left thousands of veterans abandoned by their support network. Soldiers who fought for the Alliance had to choose whether to continue to battle for their beliefs without support. Those who fought in the name of the Grand Coven were simply abandoned, as tools that were no longer needed. In both cases, these men and women had well-developed skills that had been honed on the battlefield.

The Soldier - Queen of Battle

In Morden, the Witches are all-powerful tyrants who have conquered the nations and made the populations subservient. Their banes are now the monstrosities that maintain this state of affairs. Through terror, cruelty, and even manipulation, these supernatural entities keep the mundane population from revolting against their overlords.

Creating Banes - Inventing New Horrors

We want to make sure that game groups have fun scenarios to play in Accursed for many years to come. Part of that comes from making sure that there are great ideas built into the rulebook. Another part of that comes from making sure that Game Masters have a nice range of different ideas to pick from before each session. We're working to do our part to supply both of those.

Finding the Hook

We also throw out the gauntlet for a small challenge.

We're continuing our series of adventure hooks for the Accursed game setting with four more presented today. This particular batch is focused on exploiting some of the elements that are characteristic of Morden's different nations.

Casting More Hooks

I like the adventure hooks!

Thanks! We'd really love to get enough facebook likes to keep that going for a while.

I'll do my best

Today we present a group of adventure hooks that explore the different supernatural elements from Morden. Each of these elements could be explained through Witchcraft, Alchemy, or the mischievous actions of the Unseelie Fey. Gamemasters could use any of these to draw the attention of a campaign towards one of these different elements.

On a Line

We're winding down the Accursed Kickstarter over the next couple of days, but with the way its succeeded, we've been able to start moving forward on obtaining the artwork we need for the core setting book even before it closes. As we've focused on that, it seemed like now was a great time to talk about what has driven our artistic and thematic vision for the setting.

The Art Inspirations of Accursed

We're currently working on the final stages of completing the Accursed core book. We're just waiting on a few last pieces so that we can assemble everything into the game book that we hope will exceed everyone's expectations. Until that's complete, here's something that might pique your interest.

The introductory fiction from Andy Chambers (Kickstarter Stretch Goal #2) had been received and recently approved. We took a little bit of time today to convert that into an ebook format. We've now got it in both .epub and .mobi (Kindle) formats.

Then we went ahead and uploaded it to DriveThruRPG. Because the introductory fiction is part of the setting book, its development costs were already covered. With that in mind, we've listed the book as Pay What You Want, with a default price of $0.00. So, just click the link below to get to the book. Then add it to your cart, entering whatever value you think is fair (if you're seriously considering buying the game book, we don't expect compensation for this). You can then complete check out and download the two different versions of the file.

Link to the Fiction

If you don't have an ereader (or an ereader app for your smartphone), there are a number of different browser plug-ins that can open up the file. (I use epubreader.) A quick google search on "epub reader" should provide you with some options. If you've got a great one to recommend, please mention it in the comments.

We hope you enjoy the short story!

I'm currently looking at a deck of cards with the Accursed logo on the back and artwork from the game book on the faces. It's pretty gratifying to see that the project has led to the creation of a physical product. Obviously there are many more to come, and this is just a first step. But it's a step we're very excited to have taken.

The standard suit poker deck is now for sale. We offer both a PDF version suited for use with Avery Business Cards as well as a print on demand version. The PDF is $4.99, the print + PDF is $9.99 (plus shipping).

Link to DriveThruRPG.

We've included some photos of the deck at the above link.

Kickstarter backers who chose this Add-on should already have their coupons.

We've already ordered proofs of another poker deck, and we're in the final push to get the ebook together, so that we can order proofs of the printed version of that as well.

We've released the ebook version of Accursed. Here's a direct link to the PDF:

Accursed on DriveThruRPG ($20.00)

Here's a brief blog entry about the release, thank yous to everyone who has helped, and links to galleries for the contributing artists.

Monstrous Heroes Fight for Redemption

We still have a lot of work remaining in the Accursed project, including an upcoming Print on Demand release, but we've achieved a major milestone with this release, and we're very happy to have done so.

Good gaming and happy holidays!

Standard color versions of Accursed are now up for order on DriveThruRPG.

Paperback is $35, hardcover is $40.

We've posted pictures up in a Kickstarter update as well as on our facebook page. We expect to h

We expect to have the premium color ($50) version available for order tomorrow, assuming UPS is able to deliver a package through the current winter storm.

I used to play on the old SR MUXes with Ross Watson back in the day. I had no idea he a RPG writer/designer. Cool stuff.

Yep, that's the same Ross. He loves to talk about his time on Shadowrun MUDs. In fact, I think we chatted about it for a bit during the Shadowrun episode of his Gamer's Tavern Podcast.

The Festival at Glenelg is available now in ePub and Mobi (Kindle) formats at DriveThruRPG.com!

The Festival at Glenelg is a novella set in the world of Accursed. It tells the story of Erik Nygaard, a bard who also happens to be a Dhampir. When the festival he is attending is joined by a contingent of cauldron-born in service to the Morrigan, Erik must decide if he should flee on his own or attempt to battle the banes and perhaps redeem his soul.

About the setting:
In a world of dark fantasy and perilous adventure, the forces of evil have triumphed. Those who remain uncorrupted by wickedness must rely upon monsters to fight against the darkness. Witches have ruled the land since the last battles of conquest, but their Grand Coven has been sundered, leaving behind remnants of a once-mighty army. The remnants of the horde include captured citizens of the conquered nations that fought as the Witches’ shock troops.

These are the Accursed—the Witchmarks burned into their flesh and souls transformed these men and women into monstrous forms. Now, unable to return to their former lives, the Accursed wander the land, giving aid to those in need in an attempt to atone for past sins. Some have joined the Order of the Penitent, an organization devoted to ridding the world of the Witches and their evil influence. Others offer their skills as warriors, alchemists, and spies to the highest bidder. Yet others have succumbed to corruption, greed, or insanity.

Light has failed, darkness is ascendant—only those bearing the forms of monsters can stand against the tide of the Witches’ evil. The Accursed are this world’s only hope—they must learn to embrace their curse or to fight against it, and find some way to free themselves forever of their Witchmark.

The Accursed core setting book is available on DriveThruRPG in both PDF and Print on Demand.

About the Author

Richard Lee Byers is the author of over thirty fantasy and horror novels, including a number set in the Forgotten Realms universe. A resident of the Tampa Bay area, the setting for many of his horror stories, he spends much of his free time fencing and playing poker. Friend him on Facebook, Follow him on Twitter, and read his blog on Livejournal.

This novella is provided in both .epub and .mobi (Kindle) format. It is roughly 20,000 words in length.

Mel Odom's novella Patchwork is now available. This is the second novella funded by Kickstarter that uses the Accursed setting. We're thrilled to be able to release it! It's now available for sale on DriveThruRPG for just $4.99 in both .ePub and .mobi (Kindle) format.

Patchwork opens when Martin van Schattierung awakens within a mass grave, as grave robbers disturb his rest. The flesh golem is confused by his existence as an Accursed and shocked to learn that the Bane War ended fifty years ago. He must work to uncover his past at the same time as he attempts to find his way in a world so different from the one he remembers.

Mel Odom is an author of well over a hundred novels in a broad range of genres. This includes works based upon the Shadowrun, Forgotten Realms, and Top Secret role-playing game settings, as well as licensed fiction in the worlds of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Diablo, and NCIS. In addition to writing, he teaches at the University of Oklahoma.

Here's a generalized heads up to anyone interested in purchasing print versions of Accursed. It's now available through the book distribution system. This means that most major book stores can now carry Accursed. (Important note: Book stores, not necessarily hobby game stores.)

This includes major on-line retailers, such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Rakuten.

The version available through these vendors is the same as the standard color hardcover (sold on DriveThruRPG for $40). However, we have no control over retailer pricing at any of these outlets. Some have chosen to offer the game at a significant discount. While that can be great for the consumer, please be aware that these printings do not include a PDF version.