November 2024 Update
20 days ago
– Fri, Nov 01, 2024 at 06:03:03 AM
Hello Born from Ice Backers,
As we ramp up to the holiday season, I'm thrilled to share an update on the progress we're making with Born from Ice.
Current Status
Born from Ice BETA Release v.01 - Oct. 2024
We released our first BETA of the Born from Ice Player’s Guide last month. Be sure to check out that update for information on how to access it.
D&D 2024 DM's Guide Review Process
The Dungeon Master's Guide for the 2024 D&D rules just dropped on D&D Beyond. We’re already into our review process, examining how it might affect Born from Ice. Our aim is to ensure compatibility while maintaining the unique feel of our setting, so we are looking closely to see if we need to adjust any of our content. We expect this to be a much lighter process than comparing the Player's Handbook, as the DMG has significantly less rules and focuses more on guidance and larger concepts.
Roadmap
2024 - December - Player's Guide BETA Verion 0.2
We’re planning on releasing Version 0.2 of the Born from Ice Player’s Guide in our December update. This update is expected to include:
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Two New Totem Paths – Adding even more character customization options for your clan members.
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Exploration and Travel Rules – Designed to elevate the adventure and survival aspects of the game.
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Resting Rules – A revision of Resting rules tailored to fit the setting, integrated with the Exploration Rules.
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Ability Score Adjustments – We’re making some tweaks to Ability Score calculations to better reflect the +2/+1 calculation already being included in the math.
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Technical Fixes – This update will bring fine-tuning of the PDF layout and functionality, including functional bookmarks and various text edits and typo corrections.
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Weapons Table Update – We’ll be revising the spears in the weapons table for more differentiation.
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Rules Glossary (If all goes as planned) – A big addition we’re excited about! This first draft of the Rules Glossary will provide a handy reference, as well as the unique rules changes that help make our setting work. While it's a big piece we're working hard to complete, its inclusion will depend on whether we can wrap it up in time for this release.
2025
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February 2025 – D&D Monster Manual will be released. We will evaluate the new monster guidelines and work to implement with our Bestiary. Some time after this, we will introduce our first pass on the Bestiary in BETA release of the Core Book.
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Core Book Development – Core Book BETA is expected to release in early 2025 with setting details and tools for GMs.
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Adventure Path Development – We also continue to work on the Adventure Path, and will have updates on it next year.
Complete Your Kickstarter Pledge
If you haven’t yet completed your Kickstarter pledge, please do so in our Pledge Manager:
Kickstarter Pledge Manager
You can adjust your pledge, choose add-ons, and update your delivery information through this platform. This is also where you’ll be able to download the Beta! Full instructions on how to complete your pledge are available in our May 6 update.
Thank You!
In America, November includes our Thanksgiving holiday—a time to reflect on all we’re grateful for. This year, for me, that includes all of you. Thank you, as always, for your incredible support and feedback.
Happy Thanksgiving!
— Loren Small
Designer, Born from Ice
October 2024 Update - BETA Player's Guide V0.1 is Now Available!
about 1 month ago
– Fri, Oct 11, 2024 at 02:07:38 PM
Hello Born from Ice Backers!
Sorry for the delay to mid-month. Between the recent flooding in Western North Carolina (I wasn’t impacted directly, but had family there) and wrapping up this major update, I’m running a bit behind. I think you’ll find it was worth the wait!
BETA Player's Guide V0.1 is Now Available!
I'm excited to announce that Version 0.1 of the Born from Ice Player's Guide is now live! This Beta version includes everything from the Kickstarter playtest, plus a host of new features and content for you to explore. Here’s a breakdown of what’s inside:
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Level 1-20 Progression for each class
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New Totem Paths to expand character options
- Playable Neanderthal Species
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New Feats and Epic Feats for even more character customization
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New Backgrounds
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Herbalism and Poisoncraft crafting systems
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Equipment - including weapons, armor, tools, and items
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New Dynamic Initiative rules to keep combat fast and unpredictable
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Initial compatibility revisions with the 2024 D&D rules
- Plus, a wide range of general tweaks and adjustments to improve balance and gameplay
Roadmap
We’ve got some big plans for future updates. Here’s what you can expect in upcoming revisions to this document, leading to final release next summer:
Player's Guide & Core Book:
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Exploration Rules to enhance the survival and adventure aspects of the game
- A Rules Glossary for quick reference
- A Back of Book Index to improve navigation
- A World and History Primer to quickly get players up to speed on the Born from Ice setting
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Revisions to correct mistakes and refine the content
- Continued revisions for 2024 D&D compatibility as new information comes out
Core Book Only:
- A Bestiary of unique monsters and foes
- Full Setting Information to bring the Born from Ice world to life
- A Session 0 Guide to help kick off your campaigns
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Adventure Building Tools for GMs
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Environmental Challenges to test your survival skills
- An optional system for Injuries to keep combat and survival tense
Our next major revision will follow the release of the 2024 D&D DM's Guide this November, expected sometime in December or January. This will depend on how much work the compatibility updates require and how the holidays affect our timeline.
Of course, we are also working on the Adventure Path, which will get it's own updates in the future.
Download Your PDF of the Beta
To download the Beta Player's Guide V0.1, log in to your Born from Ice BackerKit page:
BackerKit Login
Need help? Check out our BackerKit project FAQ here:
BackerKit FAQ
Complete Your Kickstarter Pledge
If you haven’t yet completed your Kickstarter pledge, please do so in our Pledge Manager:
Kickstarter Pledge Manager
You can adjust your pledge, choose add-ons, and update your delivery information through this platform. This is also where you’ll be able to download the Beta! Full instructions on how to complete your pledge are available in our May 6 update.
Now Available for Pre-Order
Finally, Born from Ice is now available for pre-order! If you know anyone who missed the Kickstarter, now's the perfect time to let them know they can still join the adventure. We also offer pre-orders for copies to donate to libraries!
Check out the pre-order store here:
Born from Ice Pre-Order Store
Thanks again for your support and patience! We’ve got some exciting things ahead, and I can’t wait to share more with you soon.
— Loren Small
Designer, Born from Ice
September 2024 Update
3 months ago
– Tue, Sep 03, 2024 at 01:59:07 PM
Hello Born from Ice Backers!
Here's what we've been up to:
Poison and Herbalism Crafting Preview
Last month, we released a preview of our Poison and Herbalism crafting rules. If you haven't had a chance to check them out yet, you can find them here. We’re eager to hear your feedback!
Compatibility Review with 2024 Player's Handbook
We’re currently deep in reviewing the newly released 2024 D&D Player’s Handbook to ensure full compatibility with Born from Ice. Our next major project milestone is updating the Core Book rules text for compatibility.
Doing these checks:
- Helps to ensure that Born from Ice is compatible with both the original 2014 5e rules and the revised 2024 (5r) rules.
- Gives us a chance to review and edit everything we have created so far in a more holistic view, rather than focusing on individual parts that can happen during the creation process.
The October Kickstarter update will include details from this review process.
We will do these checks again after the 2024 D&D DM's Guide is released in November, and the 2024 D&D Monster Manual is released in February.
Up Next
Once the Born from Ice Core Book rules are updated, our attention will turn to the Bestiary and the setting text within the Core Book. We’ll continue to provide updated previews to backers whenever we have new content ready to showcase.
Thanks again for being part of this adventure with us. We'll see you next month for our next update!
— The Born from Ice Team
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Nightcare is where all the superheroes and supervillains drop their kids off as they head out into the night. It’s a safe place for them to practice their powers, a place for them to make friends with other kids going through the same things they are.
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Crafting Rules Preview
4 months ago
– Thu, Aug 01, 2024 at 06:15:45 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
July / August 2024 Update
4 months ago
– Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 10:58:10 AM
Hello Born from Ice Backers!
I want to apologize for the delay in posting this update. A family emergency interrupted my usual communication schedule. Fortunately, this did not affect the development progress on Born from Ice, only the timing of this update and responses to email and other inquiries. I appreciate your patience and support these past few weeks, and I'm happy to report that I'm now catching up.
Because this update was delayed and we are only a couple of weeks out from August, I'm going to consider this both the July and August update. If there is any Born from Ice news that happens before September, I'll be sure to post about it!
Survey Update
Currently, 88% of you have completed your BackerKit surveys. Thank you to everyone who has submitted theirs—it's a huge help in making sure that we can deliver your rewards accurately and efficiently. If you haven't completed your survey yet, check out this update for all the info on how to fill out your survey.
Development Progress
I'm pleased to share that writing efforts are on track. I'll have more to share in the coming months as we hit various internal milestones.
The next major milestone we are looking at for the writing process is the release of the new 2024 D&D Player's Handbook in September. This is important for a couple of reasons.
- It helps to ensure that Born from Ice is compatible with both the original 2014 5e rules and the revised 2024 rules.
- It gives us a chance to review and edit everything we have created so far in a more holistic view, rather than focusing on individual parts that can happen during the creation process.
- Specifically, this review pass will cover all Born from Ice core game rules and systems. This also creates an internal goal of needing all of this work largely done by mid-September.
The October Kickstarter update should include details from this review process.
We anticipate being able to do a similar high level review of our work in November and again in February, after the new Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual are released. The November review will cover all of the world building and setting information of the Core Book, as well as any rules systems that might not have been covered by the Player's Handbook. The February review will give us the chance to review our work on Bestiary within the Core Book.
In Closing
Thank you again for your understanding, patience, and continued support. I'm excited to be on this journey with you and look forward to sharing more about the game soon!
Loren Small
Designer, Born from Ice
