In Curseborne, you play as Accursed, descendants of monstrous lineages lurking in a modern world that closely resembles our own.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Mid-Month Update - Curseborne Player's Guide on Kickstarter
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Oct 15, 2025 at 07:25:51 AM
Hello Accursed,
I'll be back with our regular monthly update at the end of the month, but I wanted to switch it up a bit to highlight some of the Curseborne activities that have been going on during this spookly month!
BACKER PDF IS OUT
First up, unless you've missed it, you know the Backer PDF came out almost three weeks ago. I was already impressed with the draft manuscript we saw a year ago, and reading over the tweaks and revisions the team made for the backer PDF have made me love it even more. Thanks to the feedback of everyone who supported the campaign a year ago, I think the game has been opened up to more groups and playstyles.
The Onyx Path team have similarly collected your feedback on the Backer PDF and are doing their best to ensure typos and text are as perfect as they can be for the final release to the public. I'll keep tabs on Onyx Path's announcements and let you know when the book has been finalized (and also available to order in the print-on-demand format).
WEAR YOUR CURSE
Onyx Path have recently released a bunch of Curseborne designs on their Redbubble store.
Here are two things you know from supporting this campaign:
First, these projects take time to put together, even if the Onyx Path team have a fully-written draft manuscript. Just think - it's already been a year since we first read the Curseborne drafts!
Secondly, backers make these things better! Your participation and feedback helps the team shed light on some of the dark corners of the game, ensuring the setting and rules are communicated in the best way for the most players.
To ensure that this amazing game line continues to evolve at a reasonable pace and the material is solid, the Onyx Path crew are currently Kickstarting the Curseborne Player's Guide!
This book is divided into three sections, first expanding on the varieties and culture of the Accursed, then presenting advice and guidance for exploring these concepts, and finally introducing entirely new ways for players to approach Curseborne.
Families and Orphans
New Families introduces new families of Accursed for players to be and know.
Family Gatherings discusses the particular social dynamics that arise when Accursed of the same Family assemble.
Orphans introduces an option for Accursed who do not find themselves aligned with a Family, by fortune or by choice.
Before and After
Becoming Accursed discusses the circumstances that give rise to Damnation, and the lives people lead before the curse changes them. On top of ideas for your character’s history, we talk about how to play your character before their curse strikes.
Living in Your Skin delves further into the experience of being an Accursed of each Lineage, including roleplaying tips and concepts to work on to deepen your character’s presentation.
You Can’t Pick Your Family presents new voices from each Family, including those introduced in this book, as they share advice and secrets about the Family life.
Picking at the Bones
New Mechanics provides new Role Paths, new Lineage Torments, and new spells for each of the Lineages’ practices.
Venators provides an option for a different type of character from the Accursed. Players can take on the role of monster hunters who have complex relationships with the Accursed and risk everything to purge the world of cursed creatures.
Template Character Creation is a special tool for making characters quickly, for the hurried, the daunted, and the lovers of random tables.
As they did with the Curseborne corebook campaign last year, Onyx Path is sharing the draft manuscript with backers over the course of the Kickstarter. So anyone who joins in will be able to read the entire book (in current draft form) by Halloween, before any pledges are processed or payments collected.
And if you want a quick overview, DriveThruRPG currently has a free Curseborne Player's Guide Preview that'll give you a taste of the book!
BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM
Alright, that's a quick mid-month update. It's been one year since our campaign ran, and we're right back in the thick of another exciting Curseborne October!
Onyx Path will be doing a Reddit AMA on Friday October 17th at 17:00 BST (I'll let you convert to your local time zone) at r/RPG.
I'll be back in a few weeks with our regular reward tracker and the latest Tasty Bit for Curseborne, the Unwoven!
REWARD! CURSEBORNE Backer PDF is ready to go out!
about 1 year ago
– Fri, Sep 26, 2025 at 05:55:29 AM
Hello Accursed,
Well, I guess "soon" is "now" because the Onyx Path team have worked their butts off to get this to you before the end of September!
Reward: CURSEBORNE Backer PDF
In Curseborne, our world is connected to disturbing realms via liminal spaces.
CAN YOU TASTE THAT EMOTION IN THE AIR? SOMEONE CLOSE BY IS HIDING. AND THEY’RE SCARED.
In Curseborne, you are damned. Your damnation grants unnatural gifts and terrifying impulses.
I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS. AN ANCESTOR MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL. I BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES.
In Curseborne, the sins of the father are visited upon the son. Your accursed family’s pacts and crimes lead to a web of political intrigue and lasting perdition.
YOU THINK I’M SCARY NOW? WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE BEAST I BECOME.
In Curseborne, monsters are real. And you play as one. This book contains:
The complete guide to playing an Accursed in the world of Curseborne.
31 playable types of Accursed split across five damned Lineages: the vampiric Hungry, the shapeshifting Primal, the otherworldly Outcasts, the spellweaving Sorcerers, and the haunting Dead.
A massive number of spells and abilities with which you can customize your character and tailor their journey.
A setting and huge number of story hooks, varied adversaries, and the complete Storypath Ultra system.
REWARD DISTRIBUTION
If this PDF was on your list of rewards, your link to claim your Curseborne BackerPDF will be sent out by our BackerKit pledge manager over the next day. Since we are using our partners at DriveThruRPG as the host for this, you will need to set up a DriveThru account if you don't have one already. If you encounter any problems with downloading your rewards, please contact DTRPG's customer service to resolve the matter, they've always been top-rated for customer service. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/contact_us.php
Again, you will receive an e-mail from BackerKit with links for this reward over the next 24hours if it is on your expected list of rewards.
The easiest way to see if you've got digital downloads available is to login to your backerkit account: https://curseborne.backerkit.com and it'll show anything available. Your backerkit account should also confirm all rewards that you should expect from your reward tier selected.
BACKER PDF VERSION
This is the first version of Curseborne to be released. The design and development teams have done their best to proofread and correct any errors and typos - but some always sneak through. If you catch any typos, incorrect math, visual glitches, and the like, we want to hear about them and correct them before we send the book off to print.
With that in mind, I'd like to introduce the CurseborneFeedback Form!
They are aware of the Page XX notations - those are left in to replace for the final version once any changes you've suggested are made, so they can reference the correct page if any shifts in layout result.
Onyx Path will keep errata collection open for the next week. Please submit your feedback as soon as possible so the team can get on to finalizing this file - and working on our print version as well!
They won't be collecting errata from other spots, just this specific form.
After any needed corrections are made (based on your feedback!), they will prepare an updated final PDF version of the book and you will receive a notice from DrivethruRPG that you can re-download your file with the latest version.
You've already made the book a reality with your Kickstarter support. Now you can make it even better by helping us crowdsource any minor errors and corrections.
SO: Look for your reward email over the next 24 hours, or check your BackerKit page to see your digital reward redemption links. Review the backer PDF and submit any feedback you have, and let's make this book as awesome as possible!
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://titans-rising.backerkit.com
The Curseborne Player’s Guide is primarily focused on the players at the table who take on the role of individual characters. If you’re a Storyguide, you can expect to find ideas that help you prompt the other players and frame their place in the world. Use these to create details that resonate with a player’s intentions and to direct the story to places where the main characters’ themes and concepts can flourish. Other players can expect to find tools to develop your character, both in your narration and on your character sheet.
In this book, we introduce grounding concepts for playing the Accursed, providing role-playing hooks and touchstones rooted in the world they find themselves. These are intended for both brand-new players looking for a place to start and for players in the middle of a story who are open to new angles and complications. We expand on all the types of Accursed introduced in the Curseborne corebook, including those who don’t have a family to call their own, but also provide even more ways to express and wield the power of curses through new spells. We even add a new angle to the world of Curseborne as we present playable rules for the monster-hunting Venators, who contend with the same supernatural forces as the Accursed without Damnations of their own.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of the process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click RichardThomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
September 2025 Update [Revised Manuscript Preview - The Outcasts]
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 07:03:43 AM
Hello Accursed,
It's the final Wednesday of the month, and lots to cover today. I've got a few things for today, and a few things for ... soon!
Today: Dr. Seth Winston
Today: The Outcasts revised manuscript
Soon: Curseborne Player's Guide
Soon: Curseborne Backer PDF
Dr. Seth Winston
Dr. Seth Winston presents the ninth in a year of monthly adversaries for the Curseborne RPG. Within these pages, you’ll find a new threat in the form of a dangerous serial killer and trophy hunter. Dr. Seth Winston is a cruel killer who seeks to twist the minds of his victims before bringing them to a tortuous end, stealing their power in the process.
Alongside traits and powers, this book includes a selection of story seeds and hooks so you can introduce weeping scars into your Curseborne stories.
Last month we had the revised write up for The Hungry. This month, we've got The Outcasts! The revised manuscript download link will be coming your way today from our BackerKit Pledge Manager - you'll get an e-mail from your Pledge Manager page with all of your links to available rewards. So, look for that shortly.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://curseborne.backerkit.com
The Curseborne Player’s Guide is primarily focused on the players at the table who take on the role of individual characters. If you’re a Storyguide, you can expect to find ideas that help you prompt the other players and frame their place in the world. Use these to create details that resonate with a player’s intentions and to direct the story to places where the main characters’ themes and concepts can flourish. Other players can expect to find tools to develop your character, both in your narration and on your character sheet.
In this book, we introduce grounding concepts for playing the Accursed, providing role-playing hooks and touchstones rooted in the world they find themselves. These are intended for both brand-new players looking for a place to start and for players in the middle of a story who are open to new angles and complications. We expand on all the types of Accursed introduced in the Curseborne corebook, including those who don’t have a family to call their own, but also provide even more ways to express and wield the power of curses through new spells. We even add a new angle to the world of Curseborne as we present playable rules for the monster-hunting Venators, who contend with the same supernatural forces as the Accursed without Damnations of their own.
Pending Rewards
Backer PDF SOON!
Right now, our corebook is in the Proofing stage. Once the team has hammered on all of the little bits that stick out and filed off the sharpest edges, I'll have an update about distributing the Backer PDF. You'll be able to send your feedback and notes to the Curseborne Crew one more time to help tweak the book into it's final form, taking those final steps across the finish line.
Even as the Backer PDF is finishing it's time in the oven (so many mixed metaphors!), our Stretch Goals continue to slide forward, with the fiction anthology and adventure supplement both in editing.
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <August 2025 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of the process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click RichardThomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
In the chaos of the Monster Kingdoms, now is your time to make a mark and shape the world to your liking.
Monster Kingdoms is a complete tabletop roleplaying game of dark fantasy, where evil is a natural state, adventure boasts horror and violence, and politics are cutthroat. It includes:
A massive number of playable monstrous characters.
A dangerous setting encompassing 13 unique, competing kingdoms.
The entire dynamic Storypath Ultra system.
August 2025 Update [Revised Manuscript Preview - The Primal]
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Aug 27, 2025 at 07:52:53 AM
Howl's it going, Accursed?
We're at the final wednesday of the month, and that means Curseborne update day!
Weeping Scars
Weeping Scars presents the eighth in a year of monthly adversaries for the Curseborne RPG. Within these pages, you’ll find a new threat sprung forth from human cruelty and pain. Weeping scars are shattered spaces that draw people in and feed on their fear, pain, and regret. As they foster negative emotions, they swell in size, engulfing everything in their path.
Alongside traits and powers, this book includes a selection of story seeds and hooks so you can introduce weeping scars into your Curseborne stories.
Last month we had the revised write up for The Hungry. This month, we've got The Primals! The revised manuscript download link will be coming your way today from our BackerKit Pledge Manager - you'll get an e-mail from your Pledge Manager page with all of your links to available rewards. So, look for that shortly.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://curseborne.backerkit.com
Our main reward, the Curseborne core rulebook, is in layout and proceeding along! This month, the Adventure supplement we unlocked via Stretch Goal has also moved forward, now in the post-manuscript approval development phase.
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <July 2025 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of the process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click RichardThomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
In Monster Kingdoms, you play a creature of darkness. You may be vampiric magus, or feyborn harlequin. You might be a warrior gauntlet, an orc cultist, a druidic elf, or a flame-spitting dragonkin. You can play a wildly creative goblinoid, a chaotic dwarf, a fierce ice elementor, or a shame-filled fiend. Your characters can be anything from hulking dreadnauts to disturbing mentalists, and many Mantles in between.
Name your weapon and make it your sceptre.
Slay a beast and seize its crown.
Build your infamy either as a monster or as a servant of the light. Perform deeds worthy of repute: vanquishing a beast greater than yourself, toppling a lord from his tower and seizing control of his lands and people, or freeing slaves to weaken the Malignant Mind. A character’s infamy is a means of measuring their success in the Monster Kingdoms, whether virtuous or vicious. The only unworthy deeds are the ones no one hears about.
In the chaos of the Monster Kingdoms, now is your time to make a mark and shape the world to your liking.
Monster Kingdoms is a complete tabletop roleplaying game of dark fantasy, where evil is a natural state, adventure boasts horror and violence, and politics are cutthroat. It includes:
A massive number of playable monstrous characters.
A dangerous setting encompassing 13 unique, competing kingdoms.
The entire dynamic Storypath Ultra system.
July 2025 Update [Revised Manuscript Preview - The Hungry]
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Jul 30, 2025 at 07:45:08 AM
Hello Accursed!
It's almost the end of July, it's hot and humid where I live, and it's time for another great Curseborne update!
MASTER CAT
Throughout history, there have been tales of cats acting as familiars to wizards, witches, and mystics. In many cases, it’s simply that such practitioners feel lonely and want some companionship. Occasionally, the cat acts as a kind of guardian, or maybe is actually a magical familiar.
Rarely, though, the roles are reversed. A cat appears in the world full of inhuman intelligence, and it takes control of a human being. The person it connects to suddenly hears a cat talking to them, and the target feels unnaturally drawn to it. These master cats can control their human pets directly by possessing them, but they can also plant suggestions in their mind to act upon. And if the human in question ever decided they want to break away from the master cat… well, who is going to believe that a housecat is talking to them and telling them what to do?
Curseborne: Master Cat is an antagonist for use in Curseborne.
Last month we had the revised write up for The Dead. This month, we've got The Hungry! The revised manuscript download link will be coming your way today from our BackerKit Pledge Manager - you'll get an e-mail from your Pledge Manager page with all of your links to available rewards. So, look for that shortly.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://curseborne.backerkit.com
All of our stretch goal supplements have moved forward, and art direction continues on the main Curseborne book (another illustration preview this month above!). Hopefully we'll continue with revised manuscript previews until the Backer PDF is on our screens.
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <June 2025 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of the process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click RichardThomas under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
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