Note 2018-06-05: Eldritch Realms has been renamed to Magonomia. Also, the production schedule hasn't kept pace with this optimistic early plan, but I'm preserving the article as a snapshot of development that accurately represented our expectations at the time it was written.
Eldritch Realms has taken enough shape that I can start to talk about the production schedule.
The magic rules are firming up. Designing a new magic system out of whole cloth takes time -- especially since magic is the centerpiece of this game. I am confident we have a solid foundation in place. Since I have a background with the classic RPG Ars Magica, I want to emphasize that Eldritch Realms' magic system is not like Ars Magica. It's based on the period writings of Renaissance magicians, about whom we know quite a lot (thank you, Mr. Gutenberg!). There are several different styles of magic, which I call "sciences" -- used in the archaic sense to mean any organized field of study, not necessarily one as rigorous and formal as what we today call "science." The three primary sciences are astrology, alchemy, and conjuration. If you want an idea of what a powerful wizard (not a beginning player character!) can do in Eldritch Realms, take a look at Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
The whole year of 2017 will be devoted to development. We're aiming for a closed, invitation-only alpha playtest in the fall of 2017. After that we will revise, hold more public playtests, and repeat for at least half of 2018. Since I am eager to get a paycheck from this game before I have kids and send them to college, I will do my level best to make sure the Kickstarter to produce this game launches before the end of 2018.
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