The story

Here we are… To the Skies of Heavy Shadows! And this time, it’s already available in English AND French!

In the majestic city of Aerenthia, a battle for power rages between the Skyborne elite, the rebellious Cogborne, and the enigmatic Iron Council. In “The Skies of Heavy Shadows,” join a group of adventurers as they navigate the treacherous skies, unravel dark secrets, and ultimately decide the fate of the city.

Caught in a web of intrigue and danger, the heroes will participate in thrilling airship races, investigate haunted engines, and infiltrate the notorious Odeum of Souls to rescue the Cogborne leader, Ekemon Ennui. As they explore the city, they will uncover the chilling truth about an ancient power that could change everything.

Will the adventurers choose to support the Cogborne’s revolution, aid the Skyborne in maintaining control, or forge their own path? Whichever they choose, one thing is certain: Aerenthia will never be the same.

Embark on an epic adventure full of breathtaking action, captivating mysteries, and unforgettable characters in “The Skies of Heavy Shadows”!

After the Labyrinth of Brass, it’s time to move from another region of Ars Mechanica!

Aye Captain! I’m back for the second volume of Ars Mechanica!

Being a passionate D&D player, I take great pleasure in crafting new realms and adapting them to fit the 5E TTRPG system. My love for Steampunk, as well as other Steampunk universes from books (Do you like Mortal Engines? The book, not the movie of course!), video games (such as Arcanum and one more recent I got the chance to try: Vaporum), and movies (The City of Lost Children, an old-school masterclass!), made it a no-brainer for me to start with it. 

The world of Ars Mechanica is still in its infancy, but I have grand plans for a vast library of adventures that will keep people playing for years to come.

Let’s take a moment to explore this second digital 5E supplement that will have you fully immersed on the ground and the skies this time!

The Skies of Heavy Shadows is a fully steampunk adventure from level 6 to 9, along almost 60 pages that you can use to add in your homebrew campaign, or follow all along from the beginning. It can be used as stand alone but I highly recommend you to get the Labyrinth of Brass (that you can get in the founder pack or as an addon.) to really enjoy the adventure from the beginning.

Featuring riddles, battles, dialogues, innovative mechanics, and other classic TTRPG elements infused with a unique twist, this steampunk universe will fill a gap in the D&D community that, in my humble opinion (and you know how much I like this universe if you’re coming from the first campaign!), has been longing for such a captivating setting.

A 2-time goal again this time!

Oh dears, the previous campaign was insane. Like truly insane. Your impressive dedication to always crush all of the stretch goals I was trying to add gave me some new ideas for this project!

The add-ons goal

The first goal will be a progressive goal. Because stretch goals allow me to produce small content only, I want to give the opportunity to backers to get something bigger and.. I was so impressed by the success of the previous modules and addons from the previous campaign that I decided to turn it into a real challenge!

How does it work?

Every 100 backers, a new addon will be revealed and you will get the opportunity to add it to your pledge in 2 clicks (ok maybe 3 but it’s sound nicer to say 2 clicks no?).

And since I REALLY enjoy making these addons and modules, you will get the chance to pledge for 3 of them, from the beginning!

Wait, you said 2 goals no? What’s the last one?

Well… The last is… the MASTER GOAL. This one for me is a bit crazy to be honest, but that’s a childhood dream. You know, before even discovering the DnD universe, I had another obsession : Card Games.

And when I discovered that you could print playable cards on DrivethruRPG and not only books I was mad. But then, I realized how much it will cost to edit a full card game and I was like “hum… Let’s say I have the most impressive community in the world, how many backers would be enough to create this game?”, and the answer to this question was…

…1000…

I know it’s a lot and that’s why I will not elaborate more about the game itself (let’s just say it will be a stand alone card game that your players will always want to play in the taverns between 2 quests and of course, it will be a STEAMPUNK CARD GAME!) but if the number of backers is going as crazy as the previous campaign, I will definitely make few updates about it!

Anyway, if we reach this crazy goal, you will get the opportunity to buy the card game directly on DTRPG!

So… Who knows? 

Tired to read ? You’re almost done, let’s talk about the stretch goals!

Stretch goals are a blast, aren’t they? (Pro tip: read this sentence with a Scottish accent, it’s delightful) There’s something magical about supporting a project you’re passionate about, sharing it with others, and then watching your collective efforts unlock new rewards without costing a dime more! 

Now, I don’t know about you (Actually I know, you were 500 to get the previous map pack from the first campaign!), but one thing I absolutely love in TTRPGs is diving into a brand-new map or, even better, a whole collection of maps. 

They’re so helpful for immersing yourself in the game world. And guess what? I get the chance from the previous campaign to talk with another map creator and I also get into some new software myself. Which means we will be 3 this time to create maps for the Steampunk Maps Pack Volume 2!

Here is the list of all of the stretch goals. 

I will constantly add more new ones until the end of the campaign so don’t be shy, explode these ones!

So, let’s join forces, spread the word, and see what delightful surprises we can unlock together!

Here is one example of the map you will find in this pack, and you can get it for free here: 

(Yes again! And with the VTT version!. I know… I know… I’m still amazing… Oh by the way, you need to click on the map to download it!)

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: file delivery! Almost slipped my mind, but it’s pretty crucial, wouldn’t you agree?

I became a huge fan of DrivethruRPG. This fantastic platform enables independent (and not-so-independent) creators to distribute, sell, and even print their content. To keep things simple, I’ll be using this system to deliver all content just a few days after the campaign concludes.

About the printed versions

A lot of pledgers ask a way to pledge directly for printed versions on the previous campaign and that’s why I found a way with the help of DTRPG to do it directly this time!

The printed versions will be sent in June and should arrive in July. Since this campaign is available for both digital and printed books, you will receive all of the digital files way before obviously. 

Again, the printed versions will be available both in ENGLISH and FRENCH, and you will be able to redeem the version you want without any extra cost.

ATTENTION: The pricing system is simply but could be confusing for people who never used DriveThruRPG for prints. But the concept is very simple, you will pay the royalties of the printed books directly on Kickstarter then, you will pay the cost of printing (which is currently around 8€) and the shipping fees (depends on your location and the shipping option you choose but if you’re in NA, Australia or EU, the price is very low, I will put an estimation price above) directly on DriveThruRPG.

This unusual concept (but very common on the platform) is the best way to avoid any mistake on the delivery addresses, get the books delivered as fast as possible and lower the final price as cheap as possible for everyone.

Also, this is allowing me to provide you premium color softbook from DTRPG for a fraction of the price.

Note: To avoid a flat rate nonsense on the delivery fees and any mistake on the delivery addresses, you will need to pay the delivery fees (depending on your location) and enter your address yourself on DrivethruRPG at the end of the campaign.

Alright, one last thing, and then I’ll let you go—promise! 

Phew, we’ve reached the end of this campaign page. I don’t even know how long it took me to write all this, but it’s been quite the wild ride! I realize I haven’t said much about myself again, even if some knows me a bit more with the previous campaign, but hey, you’re here for the book, not my life story, right? So, I’ll wrap things up with a heartfelt thank-you for reading this far, and sign off with my delightful surname.

˜˜Sereyrathana, your dedicated librarian! (did I succeeded to make a full presentation this time without talking about aeronef while this new book is literally blended with airships?)