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Spire RPG

Created by Grant Howitt

Join the dark elf resistance against their cruel high elf overlords in this urban fantasy-punk tabletop RPG.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Art Prints!
about 6 years ago – Fri, Feb 02, 2018 at 01:13:48 PM

If you've backed at a level where you're entitled to an art print, we've given you complimentary credit equal to the cost of shipping a poster print to your area. Please go to the backerkit (https://spire-rpg.backerkit.com/) and update your order with the poster of your choice! There are around fifty or so art pieces for you to choose from.

If you ordered custom art - like becoming a god - then this doesn't apply to you, and we'll send you a print of your god instead.

(If you didn't back at a level where you get an art print, don't worry - you can buy one too, if you'd like.)

Also, please make sure to double-check that your address is correct while you're there.

Thanks,

- Grant

Audio Commentary Questionnaire
over 6 years ago – Wed, Jan 24, 2018 at 10:57:57 AM

Hi there,

We're in the process of recording the audio commentary for Spire, and we're interested to get your feedback on how you'd like to receive it. If you could fill out the following google form, that'd be great:

https://goo.gl/forms/2BTgklNkkhjg4yL32

Thanks!

- Grant

January update
over 6 years ago – Mon, Jan 22, 2018 at 10:07:03 PM

Hello!

Just to let you know: the book is laid out! Alina sent over the files to us last week, and we're going through them now and making corrections. We're still on schedule for a PDF release next month, and for the printing to start pretty soon after!

We've also completed our playtests of Eidolon Sky, both of which ended in hideous murder, and Chris is on the second session of his test of Kings of Silver, which is more sandbox-orientated. After being given the initial handouts, one of the players did this infographic which he's referring to as his "murder board," which seems healthy? 

Anyway, we're releasing both of these (and Blood and Dust, the sample adventure) as pay-what-you-want PDF downloads alongside the main launch of the book.

We're also happy to announce that we're going to be at the UK Games Expo this year, selling Spire (as well as our other products), so if you're around, do pop along and say hello!

That's us for now; here's some art from Adrian to tide you over, this time focusing on the different districts of Spire:

The Morticians rule the inner passages of Spire, the land of the dead, known as Necropolis
The Morticians rule the inner passages of Spire, the land of the dead, known as Necropolis

 

The Silver Quarter is a dizzying mix of money, connections, allegiances and games
The Silver Quarter is a dizzying mix of money, connections, allegiances and games
The lawless undercity of Red Row is a twisted knot of violence, profit and danger
The lawless undercity of Red Row is a twisted knot of violence, profit and danger

 

A grand, failed experiment, the Vermissian is a defunct train system that pierced the dark heart of Spire and bled nightmare energies into the world
A grand, failed experiment, the Vermissian is a defunct train system that pierced the dark heart of Spire and bled nightmare energies into the world

 - Grant

End of December update: more art, more layout
over 6 years ago – Sat, Dec 30, 2017 at 05:19:04 PM

Hello!  

LAYOUT  

Spire is currently in layout with Alina; by the time we’d inserted all the extra content generated by the Kickstarter, the Google doc had reached ninety-seven thousand words and change and was becoming increasingly difficult to edit online. Anyway, it’s done now, and she’s laying it out. Here’s what the first few pages look like: we’ve been through several iterations of the design, and we’re really excited about how this one looks. Take a look!

ART 

 Want to see some more art by Adrian Stone? Of course you do. Here’s a selection of his work - he’s nearly done, now, and working his fingers to the bone.

The Bound, protectors of the Perch shanties, worship the small gods that live in their weapons and armour
The Bound, protectors of the Perch shanties, worship the small gods that live in their weapons and armour

 

The Knights of the North Docks, once a proud order who defended free trade, have devolved into a hundred warring gangs of enforcers
The Knights of the North Docks, once a proud order who defended free trade, have devolved into a hundred warring gangs of enforcers

 

The Blue Port, home of the Azurite sect, uses seas of awnings to hide the drow from the baking summer heat
The Blue Port, home of the Azurite sect, uses seas of awnings to hide the drow from the baking summer heat

 

Pilgrim's Walk is a grimy sprawl of shady churches, semi-legal temples and get-saved-quick schemes, all pandering to the desperate and the downtrodden
Pilgrim's Walk is a grimy sprawl of shady churches, semi-legal temples and get-saved-quick schemes, all pandering to the desperate and the downtrodden

 

The Blood Witches (a character class available in the BLACK MAGIC sourcebook) have been infected with an arcane blood disease from the Heart, and are perpetually seconds away from transforming into a hovering web of nightmares
The Blood Witches (a character class available in the BLACK MAGIC sourcebook) have been infected with an arcane blood disease from the Heart, and are perpetually seconds away from transforming into a hovering web of nightmares

 PROGRESS 

 We’re still on target for our February/March delivery date - hopefully we should be sending off the document to the printers at some point in January. We’ll keep you informed as to any changes in the schedule as and when we know them. As soon as we have a complete PDF ready, we’ll send it out to you - so you’ll be able to get playing as soon as possible. 

That’s us for now - remember, if you’d like to pre-order a book (for a beloved friend, or a favourite enemy) then you can do so here at our Backerkit store, and if you’d like to check out the other games and resources that we’ve made, you can take a look at our main website here.

- Grant

November update: Art, Layout, Clippings, Adventures
over 6 years ago – Sat, Nov 25, 2017 at 08:17:05 PM

WE’RE DONE!  

Well, we’re done with the writing part, anyway. Harry has cast his skilled eye over the document, we’ve tweaked and fiddled with it, and now he’s doing a final pass over it to make sure all the dashes are the right sort of dash, etc. - which means that now the project lays mostly in the hands of our skilled artist and designer. 

On that front, we have some new character class art from Adrian Stone to show you…

The Azurites, clad in sacred blue and gold, worship trade and commerce
The Azurites, clad in sacred blue and gold, worship trade and commerce
The Vermissian Sages plumb the depths of the haunted nightmare train-line that carves through Spire to the Heart
The Vermissian Sages plumb the depths of the haunted nightmare train-line that carves through Spire to the Heart

Meanwhile, Alina has finalised the design of the corebook, and you can take a look at the layout here:  

 

 

Also, we’ve got the samples for Tim’s newspaper clippings. As you can see, they look great:  

They're all double-sided, too!
They're all double-sided, too!

As things stand, we look to be on-schedule to hit our February 2018 delivery time. If that changes, we’ll let you know.  

WHAT’S NEXT?  

As for our writing team, we’re focusing on what comes next in Spire. We’ve been blown away by the success of the Kickstarter, and the support for the game from the lovely people on our Discord, and we’re keen to explore the setting and rules further. As previously discussed, we’re working on three pay-what-you-want campaign frames to be released online alongside the Spire PDF. These all come with pre-made characters, so novice GMs and players can get started right away. 

They are: EIDOLON SKY, which sees the minarets and towers of New Heaven torn asunder by murder, drugs, and demon summoning; THE KINGS OF SILVER, which tasks the players with taking over the dazzling Silver Quarter by force or subterfuge; and BLOOD AND DUST, the sample adventure from the Quickstart rules, polished up and released to the public.  

After we wrote Black Magic, we sketched out a few ideas for further expansions to the core text, and realised that we could theme each of them to one of the in-game domains as sourcebooks. One of the ideas that really excites us is high society - the twinkling lights of Amaranth, the bloody backstreets of the Silver Quarter, the crumbling mansions of Ivory Row - and we’re interested in starting work delving deeper into its secrets soon.   

DRAGONMEET  

We’re going to be at Dragonmeet in London on the 2nd of December, so if anyone has any questions about Spire they want answered, track us down (we’ll be in or near the bar) and we’ll be more than happy to chat with you.  

That’s it! Speak more next month, or sooner if anything important happens,  

Grant and the Spire team