Nightfell - A Grimdark Fantasy setting for PF2

UPDATE #12 - PROJECT PROGRESS STAGE & SNEAK PEEK
9 months ago – Tue, Jun 17, 2025 at 08:58:27 AM

Dear Children of Darkness,

First of all, thank you once again for your continued support and patience. We want to reassure you that our commitment to bringing Nightfell to PF2 remains as strong as ever. The journey has been long, but we’re persevering with passion and determination.

We’re happy to share that the Bestiary is now complete and currently being prepared for layout!
Adapting the wide array of creatures from the Nightfell Corebook, Children of the Moon, and several new additions not featured in either volume has been no small feat. However, we are very proud of the final result: a richer, more refined monster compendium than even our previous 5e Bestiary, which won the Gold ENnie Award in 2022.

Throughout the process, we have been careful to preserve the spirit of Nightfell, crafting mechanics and hazards that remain faithful to the setting's dark themes while offering PF2 players a challenging and immersive gameplay experience.

Adventure Development in Progress

We are now focusing our efforts on the campaign adventure. After several internal meetings and creative deep dives, we’ve defined the key elements of the design process. Our goal is to follow the narrative and mechanical logic that PF2 players are accustomed to, which has led us to make several thoughtful changes to A Song of the Beast.

Here are some of the major design decisions we've made:

• Narrative Hook: The adventure will be directly tied to the events of the Quickstart (Our Lady of the Beast quest) to ensure continuity for those who have already experienced it.
• Session Zero: We’re adding a dedicated section to help NMs and players run a meaningful session zero, featuring narrative choices that establish the context of the downtime phase preceding the campaign.
• Milestone Leveling: Characters will begin the main story at level 5, following a prologue focused on narrative immersion and player agency.

These changes aim to embrace PF2 adventure structure while maintaining the flavour and depth that define Nightfell. We've also decided to change some encounters from the original focus on lycanthropy to make the experience more varied and also explore some encounters based on the rich bestiary you'll have at your disposal.

A Glimpse into the Lore of Iùrmen

We’re excited to offer you a sneak peek from the Corebook: the chapter dedicated to the history of Iùrmen. This will give you a taste of the setting’s dark atmosphere and rich lore while we continue working on the remaining content.

📖 Click here to look through the Veil

A Challenging but Rewarding Conversion

Adapting Nightfell to PF2 has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. This process has reminded us just how much content we’ve created and how vital it is to preserve its essence, even as we revise and rebuild parts of the system from the ground up.

We truly hope that when you receive your books, you will feel the dedication and care we are pouring into every page. Our goal is to deliver a product that you can be proud to have helped bring to life.

At this time, we are on track with our development timeline, and no delays are expected. That said, we are closely monitoring the global shipping situation and potential trade tariffs. We want to assure you that there will be no added shipping costs for backers. If necessary, we will absorb any increases ourselves (even if that means reducing our margins) to protect your pledge.

Thank you again for your continued support and belief in Nightfell.

Stay dark,
The Grim Moon Studio Team

UPDATE #11: NEWS ABOUT NIGHTFELL BESTIARY
11 months ago – Tue, Apr 01, 2025 at 02:26:34 AM

Dear Children of Darkness,

First and foremost, we want to extend our deepest apologies for the delay in this update. Over the past months, some of our team members have faced severe personal hardships, which placed us in a period of silence, reflection, and mutual support. However, despite these challenges, we have never ceased working on Nightfell PF2, and the studio’s operations have continued to move forward.

We are pleased to inform you that the Nightfell Bestiary is progressing steadily and is approaching completion. Below, we share some key details regarding its structure and content.

The Nightfell Bestiary for PF 2e will follow a structure similar to its original 5e version. Rather than grouping creatures solely by type, it will be divided into chapters based on thematic and narrative connections. For instance, hags may belong to different categories of monsters mechanically, yet they share a common narrative flavor, making them part of the same thematic chapter.

This approach is crucial to us, as the lore-driven adaptation of creatures into your games is a defining trait of Nightfell. To ensure ease of use for Night Masters, the bestiary will also include an analytical index listing all monsters alphabetically, as well as a level-based creature index. We understand how valuable these tools are when planning sessions, and we want to make navigation as smooth as possible.

Additionally, we would like to highlight a few key points:

• Expanded Content: We are incorporating some monsters originally introduced in the Nightfell 5e adventure book. Not only do we find these creatures compelling, but some were also written by the esteemed author Robert J. Schwalb. Preserving his invaluable contributions to the setting is important to us, and we want to ensure they remain a part of this adaptation.
• Encounter Terrains Adapted into Hazards: The encounter terrains featured in the original version are being converted into hazards to better align with PF2 mechanics while retaining their immersive environmental impact.
• Mechanical Differences Between PF2 and 5e: One major difference in monster design between PF2 and 5e is how shared mechanics are handled. In 5e, common mechanics are often rewritten for each individual creature, whereas in PF2, they are referenced as standardized rules. This applies to Nightfell’s signature mechanic: Vile Foe, which allows certain monsters to drain a character’s Soul Points.
  This mechanic is fundamental, as it makes specific categories of monsters uniquely terrifying. Facing them while low on Soul Points can be dire, as they have the potential to drive characters into a state of possession from the very beginning of combat. This creates a truly harrowing and immersive experience, reinforcing the horror-driven nature of Nightfell.

Chapter Overview

For those new to Nightfell, here is a brief overview of the Bestiary’s chapters and their thematic divisions:

This chapter is a record of the most horrifying undead of Iùrmen, especially those risen following the death of the Sun.

Here lie creatures cursed by lunar powers or deeply connected to moon-related folklore, such as werecreatures and the baleful Spectral Hunt.

Religions are a cornerstone in Nightfell's worldbuilding. This section details different members of different clergies and, more importantly,  the blasphemous heathens that work towards the end of all life.

While many dragons have perished in Iùrmen, this chapter explores the remnants of dragonkind, along with the terrifying necro-dragons risen from the void.

The utmost of evil, mysterious and formidable, they are an undying enigma for all scholars in Iùrmen and held in highest reverence from all who embrace the powers of the looming darkness.

Corrupt and malevolent fey creatures that have adapted to the shadows, and yet keeping  their own twisted and customs and quirks.

Iùrmen peoples’ worst nightmares made flesh. Here you’ll find accursed creatures, horrific constructs, and dark myths come to life, all gathered in this extensive chapter.

Vicious creatures apt in the foulest magic. They rule the wilds of Iùrmen in the Lunar Age and have been inspiring the darkest of fairytales since the dawn of time.

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Missing Core Manual Details

We had been awaiting official developments on how to handle lycanthropyes and vampirism in PF 2E. We are pleased to see that they are well-covered in official materials. To avoid redundancy or mechanical conflicts, we chose to avoid overwriting existing playable options. Instead, we will add a dedicated section, rich in folkloric and anthropologic insights, to help you fit such creatures into your Nightfell’s campaigns.

Additionally, we will provide mechanical adaptations about distinctive features of the Nightfell’s setting, such as the (un)life of vampires existing in a sunless world.

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We sincerely appreciate your patience while waiting for this update. We are steadily making progress, ensuring this adaptation aligns with the official timeline while integrating relevant new content without compromising stylistic coherence. We hope that these books, brought to life through your support, will truly expand your gameplay, whether you choose to fully delve into the dark depths of Iùrmen or draw inspiration for your homebrew campaigns.

Expect further updates regarding the adventure adaptation and the status of layout design. 

Thank you for taking part in this journey.

Grim Moon Studio Staff

UPDATE #10: UPDATES ABOUT THE CORE MANUAL
about 1 year ago – Fri, Jan 03, 2025 at 09:51:13 AM

Dear Children of the Darkness,

We wish to kick off 2025 with an update on the progress of Nightfell's conversion to the PF2e game system. The Core Manual—which has been the most challenging aspect of the adaptation—is nearly complete. We plan to review it with a fresh perspective before moving on to layout and design.

The greatest challenge has been adapting the content to this brand-new system while staying true to several key elements:

1. Nightfell is a setting, and it’s crucial to faithfully convey its atmosphere, messages, and lore.
2. Much of the content, originally designed for 5e, introduced new and unique elements at the time Nightfell was conceived. In PF2, the variety of playable options and customization features is significantly broader (and more intricate) than in 5e.

This required us to carefully deliberate on how to represent the setting without altering its essence while implementing the necessary changes to preserve its soul and atmosphere. At the same time, we strived to ensure that the adapted material would not overlap with existing official PF2 content.

Our goal is for Nightfell to enrich your gameplay experience rather than replace options you already have, offering something fresh and new.

Some of the new PF2 classes lack direct counterparts in the world of Nightfell. We chose not to create non-canonical or contradictory options for the setting, as this is a game world with its own unique ethnicities, specializations, and customs.

Another feature we are working on (which will be included in the Bestiary) is Encounter Terrains. This mechanic made combat in Nightfell particularly challenging, especially when facing the creatures of Iùrmen in their Favored Terrain or specific environments that interacted with their own initiative. These will most likely be reimagined as Hazards.

Below, you'll find an indicative list of Nightfell content that we have adapted and modified to make it suitable for the new system while preserving its essence.

Among Nightfell's eight ethnicities, some have been reimagined as ancestries (with heritages, such as in the case of the Lyvars), while others have become human heritages (e.g., the Gray Folk and the Ejre) since they can be seen as human diversifications.

The standalone class, the Lunar Cultist, remains as such (so you'll find a brand new class) due to its unique nature and now features new class options.

The Master of Tradition will be playable as an Archetype.

After extensive revisions, we decided to integrate our Medium/Spiritist as a new option for the Animist, given their striking similarities as classes.

Class options that served as subclasses in 5e have been reworked accordingly (with two exception). 

You’ll have 10 new lore-friendly subclass options for the following classes: Barbarian, Bard, Champion, Cleric (new deity and domain), Druid, Monk, Rogue, Sorcerer, Witch, and Wizard. Including the Animist, this brings the total to 11.

What about the remaining Nightfell class options?
The Warden of the Dead and the Dreamstrider have now been converted into Archetypes.

ADDITIONAL NOTE

"We are still reflecting on some remaining content related to vampirism and lycanthropy in Nightfell, also waiting to understand how they will be treated in the official manuals of the new edition of PF2 and possibly how to adapt the Nightfell lore content that concerns them."

We are putting our utmost effort into this project, as always striving to create game and narrative materials that meet your expectations and can accompany you in unforgettable gaming sessions.

UPDATES ON THE LATE PLEDGE

Next week, we will make the first charge on Backerkit for those who have already completed their surveys. However, since there is still time, you will always have the opportunity to update your address, edit your information, or add materials to your pledge if you wish to enhance it. The Late Pledge will remain open, and for those who join later (or for those who have not yet completed their surveys), there will be future reminders and corresponding charge cycles for shipments or potential add-ons.

Please keep an eye out for any charges on the cards you’ve provided (labeled as Nightfell or Grim Moon Studio) next week, as they will come from us. We understand that sometimes banks may block these charges as a precaution. If this happens, we recommend contacting your bank promptly to avoid potential additional resolution fees on Stripe.

Let us know your thoughts and if there are any curiosities you'd like to satisfy. We are confident that this is only the beginning, and truthfully, we’re eager to see how this editorial line of Nightfell for PF2 will be received and how it will evolve. As we’ve mentioned before, we hope to expand it further in the future and nurture the community of this system with new content or additional adaptations. In the meantime, we’ll keep working on the Bestiary!

Thank you for all your support!
The Grim Moon Studio Team

UPDATE #9 - THE NEW IÙRMEN'S WORLD MAP REVEALED
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 21, 2024 at 07:35:55 AM

Dear Nocturnal Wanderers,

We're thrilled to share the result of our work with you!

As you know, one of our stretch goals for the Nightfell PF2 crowdfunding was a full-color map of Iùrmen. As the previous (and as many artworks of the settings) it is painted by Angelo Peluso, the author. Well, we're here to say that we officially have the artwork done and the map aims to show the Known Lands of Iùrmen in a completely new and more detailed way!

Angelo has poured his heart and soul into this map, going through several iterations to ensure it was both useful to play and beautiful as collectible. At Grim Moon Studio, we believe in giving every project our all. We've dedicated a lot of time and passion to creating this map, and we hope it will enhance your gaming experience.

FEATURES

• The printed map will have illustrations on both sides. What will be on the second side? Well, the distribution of territories and regions.
• The digital version will be delivered in two versions: without grid and with hexagonal grid.
• The map is a big HD file and this means you will be able to zoom in a lot while playing online, to print it even bigger than A3 format and this will ensure an high quality printing for the physical version of this addon.

WANT MORE? HERE'S MORE

We are also working on some more. We are designing the Icons Characters' lore and aesthetics and here's a sneak peek for you below:

We look forward to hearing your feedback on this material!

In the next update, would you like to know more about the work we are doing on the Core Manual? Do you have any questions to ask us about which you would like an update? Let us know in the comments, because your participation is vital to us!

Thanks for your support! 
Sincerely,
Grim Moon Studio Staff

UPDATE #8 - PROGRESS REPORT AND EXCITING NEWS!
over 1 year ago – Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 02:38:36 AM

Dear Night Wonderers,

We know it’s been a while since our last update, and we wanted to take a moment to let you know about all the exciting progress we’ve made on the Nightfell PF2 conversion.

We apologize for the long wait, but we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, pouring our hearts and souls into this project. Converting Nightfell to PF2 has been a massive undertaking (being a very large and stratified setting), and we’ve also been busy planning our future roadmap for the game. Rest assured, we’re committed to making Nightfell the best it can be and expanding its universe in exciting new ways.

Core Manual Progress

The core manual is coming along great! We've been closely following the development of official PF2 materials to ensure maximum compatibility and to avoid duplicating existing content. Our goal is to create a seamless integration between Nightfell and PF2, offering you unique and exciting new options without overshadowing the core system. We'll soon make a new update about specific Core Manual's contents.

Bestiary Expansion

Once the core manual is finalized, we’ll be diving headfirst into converting the entire Nightfell bestiary. This includes all the creatures from the original Nightfell bestiary (which won the Gold Ennie in 2022) as well as the monsters from the Children of the Moon stretch goal. 

But that’s not all! We’re also thrilled to announce that we’ll be adding the original Nightfell creatures from the 5e adventure book, bringing the total number of new monsters to an impressive 160!

Thank You!

We want to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support. Your enthusiasm and patience mean the world to us.

We’re hard at work on the new map, and we can’t wait to share it with you soon. Stay tuned for more updates!

The Nightfell Team - Grim Moon Studio