Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults News

[p]Greetings, Adventurers! [/p][p][/p][p]Gold jingles in your purse and glory swells in your heart, but the greatest reward is the strength you carry forward. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on some of the systems that let your heroes grow mightier as they conquer the depths of the Vault. [/p][p][/p][p]These are early design drafts, so expect a few tweaks along the road! [/p][p][/p][h3]Hero Level [/h3][p]We’re excited to unveil the next stage of your journey into the Abomination Vaults! As you venture deeper, your party will grow stronger with each challenge you overcome. This, of course, is represented by levelling up! [/p][p][/p][p]We plan to utilize a "milestone" progression system, in which the heroes level-up upon defeating each floor's final major encounter or boss battle. Upon level-up, each hero immediately receives a handful of benefits:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Stat Increases: Each hero receives an HP increase reflecting their class’s natural hardiness, as well as Power and Defense: attributes that affect the heroes’ ability to output damage and healing and resist incoming damage.[/p]
• [p]New Abilities: For example, at Level 2, Ezren can gain access to Wall of Fire! You can freely equip new abilities via the Loadout Menu before or during any adventure. [/p]
• [p]One Feat Point: Feats are powerful passive bonuses spent in the Feat Tree, which is accessed at the Otari Garrison.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Each level-up further expands your capacity to customize each member of the squad. The role your characters play, whether offensive, defensive, supportive, or a hybrid, is yours to shape![/p][p][/p][p]A Hero Level-Up screen displaying unlocks for each character [/p][p][/p][h3]The Feat Tree[/h3][p]To further reflect the growth of each character during the adventure, the team has begun work on the Feat system. Players will access the Feat Tree by speaking with Captain Longsaddle at the Otari Garrison. Here you’ll spend Feat Points to hone your heroes’ specialties. If you ever wish to walk a different path, you may re-spec your Feat Points for a fresh start.[/p][p]
Each hero’s Feat Tree currently branches into three specializations containing four feats related to specific ideas like Amiri’s ‘Rage’ state, Kyra’s tanking capabilities, or Harsk’s ranged attacks. Choosing all four feats in a cluster will unlock its inner “Mastery” Feat, a potent additional power granted as a reward for your specialization. Will you cherry-pick the best feats from each cluster, or focus your points into one path for the valuable Mastery Feats? Let us know what you think of this system![/p][p][/p][p]The Feat Tree displaying specialisations and unlocks for each Hero [/p][p][/p][h3]Party Bond [/h3][p]Another concept we’ve been looking at is called the Party Bond, which represents the trust forged in battle between your party members. This design rewards teamwork and squad play, bringing everyone together! 

In this system, actions such as performing combo attacks, pulling off team plays, and watching each other’s backs earn Party Bond XP. As your bond strengthens, the entire party reaps the benefits, climbing from Tier 1 to Tier 10 over the course of the adventure.
 
Each Tier earned grants ever-greater blessings, such as increased combo effect damage and healing, faster ally revival, and longer-lasting support effects. Work together and reap the rewards![/p][p]The Party Bond Icon at the Centre of the Feat Tree 
 
We hope this first glimpse into our progression systems has been insightful. We can’t wait to hear how you build your heroes, master your Feat Trees, and strengthen your Party Bonds.
 
Join us in the official Discord for deeper lore, design insights, and tavern chatter as the game continues to take shape! We’re eager to hear your thoughts![/p][p][/p][h3]Starfinder: Afterlight – Support the Kickstarter! [/h3][p]Our friends at Epictellers Entertainment are creating a party-based RPG that brings Paizo’s beloved science-fantasy universe to life! It’s time to gather your crew and save the galaxy in a game featuring the Starfinder 2e ruleset where magic meets technology.  
 
You can support the project by checking out their Kickstarter page and wishlisting the game for free on Steam!
[/p][p][/p][p]Experience turn-based tactical combat with Starfinder’s classes: Soldier, Envoy, Operative,                       Mystic, Solarian and Witchwarper[/p][p][/p][p]In Starfinder: Afterlight’s branching narrative, your choices matter. Nothing is forbidden and everything has consequences. Choose salvation or profit, mercy or vengeance. Factions remember your deeds and companions judge your heart. 
 [/p][p]Narrative branches lead to hundreds of unique story paths. [/p][p][/p][p]We hope you'll show your support through wishlisting, visiting the Kickstarter page or spreading the word to friends![/p][p][/p][h3]Have Your Say  [/h3][p]We’d love to hear from you!  
 
Please take a moment to share your thoughts on how we can make our updates and news more useful for you. Your feedback helps us better understand and serve our community and it only takes a minute to complete this short survey.[/p][p][/p][p]That wraps things up for this progress update! Thanks as ever for your support. To continue hearing more update, join our official Discord server and follow us on social media![/p][p][/p][p]Onward, to glory! 
 
~ The Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults Team 
 
Discord | Twitter | Twitch | Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | TikTok | Sign up to our newsletter | Wishlist on Steam[/p]

[p]Hail, fellow Pathfinders! [/p][p][/p][p]One of our favourite parts of developing the game is translating Pathfinder 2E’s rich lore and crunchy mechanics from “Tabletop format” to “Action RPG viable”. [/p][p][/p][p]We want to take you along this journey to show just how we’re staying true to the beloved source material. Today, we’re starting with the strange and mysterious inhabitants of the Darklands: the Caligni. [/p][p][/p][p]- Wyatt, Creative Director at BKOM [/p][p] [/p][h2]Immersion and Understanding [/h2][p]We began by digging into the Caligni's tragic history. Once people of the mighty Azlanti empire who reigned over Golarion, they fled underground millennia ago to survive the cataclysmic Earthfall. [/p][p][/p][p]In desperation, they made a pact with malevolent demigods known as the Forsaken, who transformed them into resilient and merciless subterranean dwellers capable of surviving the Darklands. [/p][p][/p][p]As part of the deal, when a Caligni dies, they combust in a burst of light and flame, with their soul energy feeding the Forsaken… a cruel irony, as the Forsaken vanished long ago and no longer watch over them, meaning their souls feed no-one! [/p][p][/p][p]Caligni combatants are split into distinct societal and battlefield roles, such as Stalkers, Callers, and Vanguards, and many other roles. [/p][p][/p][p]The last piece of the Caligni puzzle is the Owbs, strange ancient beings from the Shadow Plane who the Caligni have come to worship and obey. These powerful creatures guide and manipulate the Caligni to their bidding. Whether the Owbs are manifestations of the ancient Forsaken, or simply imposters, is shrouded in mystery. [/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h2]Building out Battlefield Roles [/h2][p]Once we had a handle on who they were, we started dreaming up how different Caligni types would play out on the battlefield. We didn’t want Caligni to fight like normal foes - we wanted a cohesive but unusual fighting force that will challenge players in new ways. [/p][p][/p]

• [p]Caligni Skulkers: We envision Skulkers as meat-and-potatoes minions of the Caligni. They fight like rogues, zipping in and out of combat and whittling away at the heroes. The heroes will need agility, precision, and teamwork to corner the Skulkers and take them out efficiently.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Caligni Vanguard: We designed the Vanguard to be slow, powerful juggernauts who shake the battlefield with their heavy great sword strikes. Their presence forces heroes to manoeuvre around the battlefield to avoid devastating blows.  [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Caligni Callers: These are the “support types” of the Caligni forces: deadly glass-cannon priests who cripple the heroes with dark magics borrowed from their Owb masters, while empowering their Caligni allies to greater heights of ferocity. [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Owbs: We envision Owbs as powerful elite ranged enemies who use their shadowy “Curse of Darkness” to obliterate heroes from afar. Owbs will reposition when approached, hiding behind Caligni servants. When an Owb is on the battlefield, the heroes must pay attention to its attacks, or be wiped out by its shadow magic instantly. [/p]

[p] [/p][p]These designs are certain to evolve as we move forward with implementation and testing, so we look forward to letting you see the final implementation once we’ve tested everything out on the battlefield! [/p][p] [/p][h2]An Explosive Finale [/h2][p]One of the most defining aspects of the Caligni is how they die. Thanks to a nasty pact made ages ago, when a Caligni falls, they explode in a burst of flame and light. This was fun to translate over into gameplay: When a Caligni is defeated, a small AoE preview is displayed which heroes must escape (usually with a dodge) to avoid suffering a burst of damage and crowd control. [/p][p][/p][p]But after playtesting, we soon realized that we had totally overdone it with our death blasts! They were constantly stunning, killing, debuffing, and displacing the heroes: there were too many Caligni and, in the cramped corridors of the Darklands, not enough space to escape easily. It felt that we ended up spending more time avoiding death blasts than fighting the Caligni!  [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]However, this element of the Caligni is too important to their identity to simply abandon! Instead, we carefully dialled down the severity of the various death blasts until they provided the right balance of punishment and player agency. Now, taking out a Caligni still means being ready to roll out, but hopefully won’t lead to being pinballed around into five different explosions while your HP bar empties out.  [/p][p][/p][p]Ultimately, we want the “combined arms” dynamic and unusual mechanics of the Caligni forces to offer a new and unique challenge for heroes arriving in the Darklands. Their unusual fighting style should push Pathfinders to try new strategies and master the Caligni’s strengths and weaknesses. [/p][p][/p][p]We’ll value your insights and feedback for getting the design of the Caligni right, so I look forward to reading all your thoughts and suggestions. [/p][h2] 
Art Vision and Pipeline [/h2][p]Now let’s look at how designs like these are re-created visually in-game. Art Director, Jonathan Dufresne described the process: [/p][p][/p][p]Getting the visual design right always starts by looking at the source material. We take great inspiration from the books themselves and other art pieces from Paizo.  [/p][p][/p][p]At our current stage of production, our pipeline is well defined. It starts with reference gathering then moves to a front-and-back-view sketch. We try to keep all the key elements of the original design but adapt them to our vision.  [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Normally only one or two sketches are needed since the artwork provided by Paizo already provides so much to work with.  [/p][p][/p][p]Then it’s review time. We check the proportions and ensure they’re exaggerated enough to read well from a top-down perspective. Each enemy and character must feel unique in their silhouette so we can recognize them quickly. We also minimise the number of small details in the design so the visual stays easy to read. Consulting the game design team to check the enemy visually matches in-game behaviour is also crucial. [/p][p][/p][p]When we’re ready, we move to the 3D blocking. At this stage the main goal is to validate the proportions directly in-game with proper camera angles. We make sure it reads well in the context of our game first before moving to polish. At this stage we can even start animation using the 3D blocking, before we even get the final models. [/p][p][/p][p]The last step is the detailed, textured enemy. At this point, we don’t really have any big surprises — there might be some small feedback regarding materials, but most of it has already been approved in previous steps.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h2]Caligni Skulker Design[/h2][p]
Now we can use the Caligni Skulker as an example of our pipeline, going from concept all the way to final. You can also see the references used on the concept art. We tried to match the original intent quite closely, mostly playing with proportions to better match our other enemies and overall art direction. [/p][p] [/p][p] [/p][p]We obviously kept the tattered dark cloth and all the bandage wrapping since it’s core to the Caligni’s image, making them unique. [/p][p][/p][p]Weapons are often deliberately oversized as well. Even though the original design has a dagger, we made the 3D model much bigger so it’s easy to see in-game. From a top-down perspective, it reads much smaller, making this change necessary for gameplay. [/p][p][/p][p]As for animation and VFX, we tried to make him look quick and nimble with effects that support gameplay, like the smoke grenade. It’s at this stage that all the pieces come together and bring the character to life. [/p][p] [/p][h2]Wrapping Up [/h2][p]Thanks for taking the time to check out our break down of the Caligni! For more sneak-peaks throughout development, follow us on social media and join the official Discord server. [/p][p] [/p][p]Discord | Twitter | Twitch | Facebook | Sign up to our newsletter | Wishlist[/p][p] [/p][p]~ The Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults Team [/p]

[p]Greetings, adventurers![/p][p][/p][p]We're taking a closer look at the enemies currently in production: the Skeletal Hulk and the Vordine. We're also sharing a preview of a blog coming later this month that goes into depth on the Caligni. This is the first of a series where we share our approach to taking content from the Pathfinder table top game and translating it into our hack and slash ARPG. Enjoy![/p][p][/p][h2]Skeletal Hulk[/h2][p]The Skeletal Hulk is an imposing and terrifying enemy, typically encountered after the bones of a giant enemy or multiple smaller ones reanimate. In our game, the Hulk is an enormous mini-boss encountered deep within the Vaults on the fifth floor. [/p][p][/p][p]Our vision for bringing this lumbering monstrosity to life meant conveying it's devastating size. When the Heroes face it for the first time, it will feel like an unstoppable force.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Vordine[/h2][p]The Vordine are enemies faced even deeper at floor seven. Paizo's original design is a natural fit for our concept of them in-game. To represent the different types, we intend to produce both a melee and ranged based version to compliment each other in combat and provide a challenge for the Heroes to contend with![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Blog Preview: Tabletop to Hack and Slash: The Caligni[/h2][p]One of our favourite parts of developing the game is translating Pathfinder 2E’s rich lore and crunchy mechanics from “Tabletop format” to “Action RPG viable”. [/p][p][/p][p]We want to take you along this journey to show just how we’re staying true to the beloved source material. We’re starting with the strange and mysterious the Darklands: the Caligni. [/p][p][/p][p]- Wyatt, Creative Director at BKOM [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Getting the visual design right always starts by looking at the source material. We take great inspiration from the books themselves and other art pieces from Paizo.  [/p][p][/p][p]At our current stage of production, our pipeline is well defined. It starts with reference gathering then moves to a front-and-back-view sketch. We try to keep all the key elements of the original design but adapt them to our vision.  [/p][p][/p][p]Normally only one or two sketches are needed since the artwork provided by Paizo already gives us so much to work with.  [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Then it’s review time. We check the proportions and ensure they’re exaggerated enough to read well from a top-down perspective. Each enemy and character must feel unique in their silhouette so we can recognize them quickly. We also minimise the number of small details in the design so the visual stays easy to read. Consulting the game design team to check the enemy visually matches in-game behaviour is also crucial. [/p][p][/p][p]When we’re ready, we move to the 3D blocking. At this stage the main goal is to validate the proportions directly in-game with proper camera angles. We make sure it reads well in the context of our game first before moving to polish. At this stage we can even start animation using the 3D blocking, before we even get the final models.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Read the full blog later this month.[/p][p][/p][p]Onward, to adventure![/p][p][/p][p]~ The Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults Team[/p][p][/p][p]Follow us:[/p][p]Discord | Twitter | Twitch | Facebook | Sign up to our newsletter | Wishlist on Steam[/p][p] [/p]

[p]Greetings, Adventurers! [/p][p] [/p][p]Last month, we had the pleasure of showcasing our game at Summer Game Fest. This annual video game showcase hosted by Geoff Keighley, features new game announcements, trailers, and updates from major and indie developers.[/p][p][/p][p]Lots of gaming journalists and creators came to see what Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is all about, and today, we’d love to share with you how it went! [/p][p] [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]In case you missed it, we also took this opportunity to drop a brand-new gameplay trailer. [/p][p] [/p][h3]The MIX Summer Showcase [/h3][p]We first swung by The Mix Summer Showcase in downtown Los Angeles and demo’d Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults. This is another annual showcase specifically for indie games, organized by Media Indie Exchange (MIX) and running alongside Summer Game Fest. [/p][p][/p][p]The opportunity to share the space with so many other talented developers and spend the evening talking and playing games was incredibly fun. If you missed the event, you can tune in to watch the online showcase. [/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Our own Creative Director, Wyatt Gray, gave this interview to Seasoned Gaming at the Mix! [/p][p][/p][h3]The Build[/h3][p]Our intention was to throw players straight into the action, so the version of the game we displayed threw players deep into the Vaults, directly starting at Level 8.  At this depth, the map is mesmerising but deadly. This Darklands cavern is filled with dangerous enemies and hazards such as poisonous spores. [/p][p]It took the squad through tutorials on combat, group-obstacle clearing and much more. Eventually, players made their way through to the chamber of the boss: the monstrous Urthagul. [/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h3]Summer Game Fest [/h3][p]At the Summer Game Fest Play Days event, we used this same build to showcase Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults to gaming press and creators who had arranged to visit. Over the following three days, the game was shared in back-to-back appointments, and we’re delighted to say was massively enjoyed! [/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]Here are some of the articles written in the days following Summer Game Fest: [/p][p][/p][p]Mobile Syrup – Canadians were behind some of Summer Game Fest’s most creative games [/p][p]“You’ll be encouraged to create combos with your different characters, like special flame vortexes or poisoning scimitar slashes.” [/p][p] [/p][p]TechRaptor – Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults Preview – Focused on Teamwork [/p][p]“Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults looks like it will be a good time, particularly with friends. It has a let’s grab some food and drinks, chill for a bit, and just go on an adventure vibe.” [/p][p] [/p][p]mxdwn – Previews of Omut, Thick as Thieves, and Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults [/p][p]“If you’re into ARPGs that focus more on fun with your friends this game will be for you.” [/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]The event held a fantastic atmosphere, and everyone was excited to get hands-on with the game. Our setup was a sofa in front of a large screen and captured the couch Co-Op feeling perfectly. [/p][p][/p][p]Creative Director Wyatt summed up the experience:  [/p][p]
"At SGF, I had the opportunity to sit with prominent influencers and members of the press to battle alongside them, through hordes of spiders and other unwelcoming subterranean locals -- while telling them a bit about our vision for the game. 
 
Putting our game in the hands of the press for the first time -- and getting to hear their feedback, thoughts, and reactions -- was incredibly energizing. During development, our heads are so buried in the weeds that it's easy to forget how far we have already come, and to regain perspective on what's working well and what we need to focus on more. [/p][p] [/p][p]One thing I was pleased to see was how anyone, including folks who were novices on a gamepad, could pick up the controller and have a blast within just one minute of learning the controls. One of our tenets is the classic "easy to learn, hard to master" and I'd say we are progressing nicely on that front. [/p][p][/p][p]Surprisingly, one of my favorite moments was after we failed a boss fight. I was a bit worried, asking the two journalists I was playing with if they were willing to give it another shot. But then I saw it... that glint of determination (or maybe vengeance?) in their eyes, as they insisted we give it one more go, because they knew exactly how they would do things differently the second time around. And that second time around, we worked together much better and absolutely crushed the boss! The players were thrilled with their well-earned victory and couldn't wait for the next challenge. I guess you could say that "losing is fun!" [/p][p] [/p][p]Another of my favorite moments was at the end of my second day. The journalist and I had just finished playing through the entire demo (while I yapped for 15 minutes) and defeated the boss soundly. I answered a few of his questions and we were about ready to wrap up when he paused for a moment and asked, "Hey... could we play it again?" I was thrilled! So, we played the entire demo again, this time swapping between characters and trying out all the abilities. [/p][p] [/p][p]I can't wait for all our new friends from SGF to see the progress we'll have made when we return next year!"[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Members of the development and publishing team on site [/p][p] [/p][h2]Bonus Reveal: Swamps of Fogfen Concept Art Spotlight[/h2][p][/p][p]Moving on to how development on the game is going! Here are some sneak peeks. [/p][p][/p][p]The swamp concept art you see here represents an early exploration of the Fogfen, the moody, mist-drenched wetland that borders Otari. Designed to feel both magical and menacing, these environments play with verticality, dense foliage and a thick layer of creeping fog that twists perception. Trees stretch like skeletal fingers through the mist, while hidden ruins and half-sunken pathways tease dangers just out of view. These pieces help guide our lighting, color scripting, and mood composition for future surface-world content. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Exciting times at BKOM Studios! [/h2][p][/p][p]We had the pleasure of welcoming our amazing partners from Megabit Publishing to our Quebec City studio for a series of dynamic workshops with the development team. It was a week of expanding our creative horizons, sparking bold ideas and reinforcing our shared vision for the game. [/p][p]From meaningful conversations to inspiring collaboration, the road ahead promises exciting challenges and unforgettable gameplay experiences. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Creature Sketches from the Vault [/h2][p][/p][p]And because we know you love creatures as much as we do, here’s a peek at some of our monster concept sketches revealed during development: [/p]

• [p]The Seugathi Servant, a grotesque mind-warped worm with psychic eyes and bladed tails. [/p]

• [p]A Ghost, ethereal and sorrowful, floating in tattered robes with supernatural grace. [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]These early illustrations not only inform our modelling and animation pipelines but also help capture the tone and lore of Pathfinder’s universe. Expect these designs to evolve as we finalize VFX passes, voice work, and monster behavior. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]On top of that, the team has been actively iterating on the Squadplay HUD, implementing animations and working on object interaction User Experience as well as quick time events prompt mockups. We’re also making a big push on squadplay mechanics, adding new features like giving precise orders to the teammates, or performing combos to break specific enemy defenses! [/p][p] [/p][p]We can’t wait to give you more information on the above and show you what that looks like in a future update. Stay tuned! [/p][p][/p][p]In the meantime: keep your spells ready, your shield steady, and your stamina optimal. You’re going to need them! [/p][p][/p][p]Onward to adventure! [/p][p][/p][p]The Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults Team [/p][p][/p][p]Follow us: [/p][p]Discord | Twitter | Twitch | Facebook | Sign up to our newsletter | Wishlist[/p]

I nabbed an appointment for Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults at Summer Game Fest 2025, having quite literally no idea what I was jumping into. One of my friends said it was like D&D, and I was dreading the possibility of turn-based combat—it’s just not my thing. But once I started my co-op session, it became clear that Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is much closer to Diablo than anything else. Whether you’re playing solo or with friends, it looks like this game has something special going for it.

Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is indeed Dungeons & Dragons based, after the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path. Well, it’s actually based on something that’s based on D&D—it’s D&D inception, really. But I guess every RPG has some Dungeons & Dragons inspiration deep down, so here we are. Alright, that is it for the D&D talk. On its own, Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is a hack-and-slash ARPG, where four teammates progress through multiple levels... Read more