What is Paths to Eternity

TBA

A Background on the Game

Paths to Eternity is a Free to Own, Free to Play Tabletop Role Playing Game (TTRPG) in the vein of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, built on new, updated DNA. It takes lessons from the classic fantasy role playing games (RPGs) of the past but combines them with new ideas from Japanese role playing games (JRPGs), non-traditional and non-fantasy TTRPGs and award-winning western video games.

For those completely new to TTRPGs and uninitiated in the genre, more details about how this game and similar games ‘work’ are provided in Part 1→ .

The ultimate goal of Paths to Eternity is to contribute to a new era of role playing games, built on fresh mechanics, where the games are focused on the players and game masters first. Being ‘player and game master focused’ means delivering the best and richest possible fantasy role playing experience (for free) without being concerned by the design constraints posed by legacy, page-counts or marketing.

Genre & Expectations

Paths to Eternity is designed from the ground-up to be a system aligned with the Dark Fantasy, Mid-Fantasy and Epic Fantasy genres. It is also designed to be adapted to any traditional fantasy setting, particularly for those already playing or running existing games. This means players and game-masters can expect the following;

• Magic is ever-present, but powerful magic is rare.
• Medieval to early renaissance-era technology is the norm (think swords and dark sorceries), however pockets of higher technology or unknowable magics may also exist.
• Monsters and other enemies range from giant rats and insect-swarms at the low-end, to vampire counts, dragons and even greater threats at the high end.

In addition to the main Fantasy genres encompassed by Paths to Eternity, tools are also provided to play and run games in a number of added sub-genres, including court intrigue, desert-survival and tales from the Far East. This is discussed further in Campaign Settings→ and later chapters.

Mechanical Inspirations

The driving inspiration behind creating Paths to Eternity was to combine Fantasy RPGs as they were circa the early 2000s (when they begun embracing deep customization and complex mechanics) with lessons learned from non-fantasy tabletop games and the millions of design-hours that have refined modern Video Games in the broader RPG genre.

The desired end-result is a visceral and impactful fantasy game with rich mechanics that are also streamlined (rather than simplified). It seeks to deliver an experience of meaningful progression, following adventurers from their beginnings as outmatched underdogs, all the way to wherever their destinies might take them — even unto challenging Dark Gods.

In striving towards those ends, a number of sources deeply inspired Paths to Eternity:

Table Top Role Playing Games

• Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Revised (aka D&D 3.5), published by The Wizards of the Coast (2005)
• Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, published by Chaosium Inc. (2014)
• Pathfinder 2nd Edition, published by Paizo Publishing (2019)
• Fabula Ultima, published by Need Games (2023)

As well as Against the Dark Master, Pathfinder 1st Edition, Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, Mythras, Dragonbane and many others.

Video Games

• Elden Ring, Dark Souls and other award-winning IPs by FromSoftware (2009 onwards)
• Diablo II by Blizzard Entertainment (2000) and other games in the Diablo franchise
• Guild Wars by ArenaNet (2005) along with its sequel, Guild Wars 2 (2012)

Plus numerous other action-oriented role-playing games such as Path of Exile, The Witcher 3, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV.

What makes Paths to Eternity different

While Paths to Eternity strives to be very accessible to anyone who has previously played Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, a number of its core design principals are fundamentally different. Perhaps the greatest of these differences include the following;

• Adventurers are not Heroes, at least not at the outset. While characters can be heroic in intent, becoming a hero is something that has to be earned by actions and choices.
• Combat is deadly, fast-paced and creative. Players must seek every advantage both inside and outside of encounters, as victory against greater threats is never assured.
• Characters (both player-made and otherwise) have things they care about. Social scenarios are not just a matter of ‘making checks’, but rather, every character has loyalties and failings — success hinges on role playing and seeking information about those you meet.
• And finally, every choice matters. From the talents one picks to the items they equip, choices in Paths to Eternity are not just a matter of ‘increasing your stats’. Every choice a character makes can make them play and function differently — especially once they finally unlock a Class.

What Paths to Eternity is not

Paths is not made to be a ‘lite RPG’. Characters require time-investment to make, rules (while as streamlined as possible) can be intricate and multi-layered and — most of all — campaigns and adventures are intended to be played over weeks, months or even years rather than just 1-2 sessions.

Paths is also not a ‘video game on paper’. While popular video games inspire many of the mechanics of Paths to Eternity (such as the items and equipment), playing Paths embraces the unique aspects only possible in a TTRPG. Combats can be ‘cheated’ or avoided by smart players, important characters can be killed-off early (ending ‘quests’) and talking your way out of situations is, if anything, encouraged. Where ‘video-gamey’ aspects have been incorporated, this has only been done to speed-up or add important nuance to play.

At its core, Paths to Eternity is about engrossing role playing, not just fighting monsters and winning — though doing both can definitely be part of the experience.

Where Next

While compiled initially as an online ruleset, Paths to Eternity is laid out like a book, complete with Parts and Chapters. Those new to the game are encouraged to start at the beginning, following the threads as they weave through the ruleset. This all starts with Part 1 - A Journey Begins→ (and Chapter 1 - How to play (The Basics)→).