Vellum News

We're taking a moment to celebrate our shared Early Access journey so far!

Since launch in March, Vellum has seen FIFTEEN substantial updates. We haven't done it alone; every new chapter - from fantastic spells to dangerous new enemies - has been augmented by the enthusiasm and feedback of our community!

Whether you've been here from our February Demo, joined up during an intriguing Chapter, or have just been keeping an eye on Vellum from afar - we offer you our sincerest thanks!


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Relive the excitement of a stunning amount of content and see how far we've come together! Not only has Early Access been jam-packed (you'll have to play the game yourself to see the very latest updates!), but there's plenty more Vellum on the horizon.

Our next update - Chapter VIII: Hard Cover - brings a brand new Signature Ink: Teal!


Now is a great time to dive into the Tomes! For the next two weeks, Vellum is 30% off!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/917950/Vellum/

Come play, make discoveries, and tell us all about them in Discord! We thrive on hearing about your personal experiences playing Vellum - it truly helps us make the game better.

Happy reading, Scribes - on to the next Chapters!

- The Vellum Team

Welcome to the table! Heroes, as evening approaches a new blog post appears... It says across the top:

"Happy Wednesday, Scribes! Vellum Early Access continues the adventure with Interlude Patch: Initiative!"

It continues on, summarizing the game's patch today: Clatter - a new generator spell, the Torn Bestiary, Enhanced Healthbars, and the start of Improved Ascension mechanics.

With your passive perception score, you also notice the post eloquently reminds you that the Vellum Roadmap is available in game - always charting the development team's progress.

What do you do next?

You want to battle? Great!

Roll to attack with Clatter: a new generator spell that conjures a 20-sided die, then blasts it at your foes!

Clatter applies additional effects determined by the result of your conjured d20. These payloads vary from an explosive area burst generating extra mana at higher numbers to a gut-wrenching single point of damage when rolling a 1.

If only there were Pages of Power to force the hand of fortune...

Ah - you'd like to research your adversaries? Good choice - they carry many secrets!

The Codex has expanded again with lore and combat information about each of the Torn enemies you've encountered in your journey as a Scribe.

Whether you're waiting for your teammates to decide their loadouts or licking your wounds after a tragic defeat - there is always time to study your foes!

I understand - you'd like to learn in the heat of combat!

With the new Enhanced Healthbars, you'll be able to track the important buffs and debuffs currently affecting the enemy Torn.

This includes specific statuses from your Signature Inks, like Blue's Blot and Pink's Outline.

As a more experienced adventurer, you'd like to reset and try a new path? Right this way...

We're iterating on the experience of an Ascendant Scribe! There has been a helpful amount of feedback around the rewards and pacing goals of resetting progress and continuing the journey.

Now, after Ascending for the first time, Scribes will be reset to Attunement 5. In addition, Ascendant Scribes - hungry for challenge or eager for faster leveling - will now be able to accelerate their Attunement increases:

For every 5 Binding levels above the target Goal, a successful run will add +1 to your Attunement increase!

We also know there is an appetite for more uses for Quillmarks and Gildings - we're on the case!

Heroes - time for a snack break!

It has been an exciting and eventful stretch for us recently; we remain committed to finding new ways to creatively meet the challenges ahead - both expected and surprising!

Thank you for your support, feedback, and enthusiasm.

Fun session, friends! Same time next week?

- The Vellum Team


[h2]Features[/h2]
[h3]New Generator Spell: Clatter[/h3]
- Roll a 20-sided die to clobber foes, dealing variable effects based on the roll result.
- 1: Deal 1 Damage
- 2-10: Deal 50 Damage
- 11-15: Deal 100 Damage and gain 150% Mana
- 16-19: Deal 100 Damage to Target, 25 Damage in an Area, and gain 150% Mana
- 20: Deal 250 Damage to Target, 50 Damage in an Area, and gain 150% Mana

[h3]Torn Codex[/h3]
- The Codex now has lore information and ability descriptions for all Torn you've encountered.
- Each Entry comes with a list of the Torn's Abilities.
- Boss Entries contain helpful tips and information about what abilities are modified by the Shredded - Pages (7+) and Broken Spines (14+) Bindings.
- Known Issue: Navigating with Gamepad is currently unavailable

[h3]Enhanced Healthbar Information[/h3]
- Combat statuses are now displayed on enemy healthbars.

[h3]Improved Ascension Mechanics[/h3]
- When Ascending, Players start at Attunement 5.
- Players can increase their Attunement level faster. Every 5 binding levels above their current Attunement will increase their Attunement level by +1 when completing a Tome.
- Tome Page Rewards are no longer reset when Ascending.
- Toxic and Amorphous Bindings remain unlocked when Ascending.

[h2]Gameplay & General[/h2]
- Spell: Draw - Spread decreased by 40%.
- Page of Power: Underscore - AoE Range increased from 7 to 10.
- Page of Power: Spattering - Now available when using Draw Spell.
- Torn Page: Primordial Soup Torn Power only shows when the Formless Binding is chosen.
- Signature Ink: Inkling Brute will now charge its target when using its Slam ability. Will prevent scenarios where the Inkling will Slam in place with no Torn nearby.
- Cleaning up Metronome VFX in Lost Symphony Tome.
- Fixed isssue with Eclipse spawning drafts that were not detonated when Player used their Pink Signature Spell.
- Fixed issue where Missra's ability was missing from the Quarry Tome.
- Fixed issue where Pink Signature Spell would sometimes break when having its cooldown reset.
- Fixed issue where Inscribed could hit multiple times with one cast. Now works on Weave channel.
- Fixed issue where some Torn were unable to spawn in certain Vignettes.

Welcome, Scribes!

We're excited to share a new Tome and new Torn challenges of every shape and size!

Our usual update author is secluded in candle-lit contemplation after being directly affected by the recent hurricane (but safe and sound!), so today's update might be a bit lighter on puns...

Vellum forges ahead in Chapter VII: Ventures!





The Bazaar is open in Pride and Profit!

In this new Tome, the Torn are bursting with gold that enterprising Scribes can collect and spend in the various Market vignettes. Collect, save, and spend as you push back the Torn with the unyielding power of commerce!

Along with this new Tome, we've taken the opportunity to reorganize the bookshelves, freshening up the variety in Tome unlock progression. You'll be able to unlock Pride and Profit by beating Rivals and reaching Binding Attunement 5 (and you won't lose access to any currently unlocked tomes)!


Find new variety and challenge in Tomes with 10 new Bindings! Each binding group has been fleshed out, each now with a base binding and 3 sub-bindings.

The binding attunement values have also been adjusted based on gameplay analytics and community feedback to better reflect their effective difficulty.



The Torn continue to gather strength, and new foes join the fray! A new Tangent Elite emerges to rain fire and brimstone on unsuspecting Scribes, and a new Raving, Splice, and Tangent all eagerly await their chance to expel you from the Tomes.

[h3]Torn Pages[/h3]
To compound the Torn Threat, an expanded selection of Torn Pages have been added, 18 in total. These pages have specific connections to other game features, to offer new opportunities for Scribes to take challenges into their own hands!



Natural disasters and upcoming life events will have some impact on our cadence of updates, but we're still pushing forward and excited for what we have in store (imagine a nice 'store' pun here!).

Thanks for playing and stay safe out there!

- The Vellum Team


[h2]Features[/h2]
[h3]New Tome: Venture[/h3]
- Torn drop gold that can be spent in new Market vignettes
- Awarded from beating Rivals and reaching Attunement 5
[h3]New Bindings[/h3]
- 10 new Bindings can now be unlocked and applied to Tomes
- Every core Binding now has 3 sub-bindings
- Adjusted Binding Levels based on analytics and feedback
[h3]New Torn Pages[/h3]
- 18 new Torn Pages can now appear in Tomes.
[h3]New Torn[/h3]
- Elite Tangent: Blaze
- Splice: Slimer
- Tangent: Acolyte
- Raving: Crab
[h2]Balance, Gameplay, and Fixes[/h2]
- Spell: Flutterstep should no longer get stuck when teleporting to Atlas
- Spell: Weave now has damage info in the ability interface
- Binding: Wildfire Protocol reduced damage
- Binding: Thunderous Boom increased severity of Stun effect
- Bonus Objective: Golden Ink resolved issue where orb would not spawn
- Bonus Objective: Bear the Burden damage area now despawns after bonus objective completion
- Bonus Objective: Header fixed issue with distant starting locations
- Vignette: A Giant, Felled navigation area fixes
- Page of Power: Discordant fixed interaction with Orange Signature Ability
- Page of Power: Inscribed no longer applies Signature status effect to Scribes
- Page of Power: Inscribed reduced duration of damage-taken increase
- Boss: Harvest reduced frequency of extra slashes while slowed by 1s
- Boss: Harvest improved legibility of slow soaking
- Fixed enemy navigation issues on multiple maps
- Fixed player spawn points on multiple maps
- Placement adjustments for Font Power upgrades on some maps

Happy Wednesday, Scribes! Vellum Early Access blinks forward today with Interlude Patch: Preposition!

Positions are key in the two new combat Arenas - and Scribes can now equip themselves with a potent teleport: Foreshadow! New Font Powers will now appear in Tomes and the game sees widespread performance improvements, bug-fixes, and some nice quality of life features!

As always, the Vellum Roadmap tracks our journey across the Early Access process - check it out in-game to see what comes next!


Today brings two new combat Arenas! Push back the Torn on a tropical island inlet, complete with boardwalks and palm trees!

Don't let your ink dry too fast in the second Arena - a mysterious ritual site deep in the desert... High ground, choke points, and a doorway fit for last stands and holdouts!

How shall the Scribes traverse such spaces?



Foreshadow. With two charges and unlimited range, this Spell lets bold Scribes warp themselves to face their targets head-on.

Be it aggressive gap-closing or panicked escapes - Foreshadow opens the door for incredibly fast-paced bursts of action.



There are a lot of ground effects in Vellum at the same time (and sometimes the same space) - which makes today's performance improvements all the more impactful.

Projectors see a massive upgrade, affecting a large number of our area of effect spells and abilities. This should allow for smoother play under those high-load encounters - like when you've chosen "Raving area size increased by 50%" and can't seem to kill off all those darn scorpions...

Status effects - another widespread pillar of the game - have also seen dramatic improvements. Vellum now handles big stack counts (like with Orange's Survey effect) much more efficiently!


We're adding some fresh new options to the general pool of Font Powers! These powers come in all shapes and sizes - including new drops, some anti-Torn counterplay, a BELL?!, and more.

With 16 new options in the pool, we're looking forward to hearing about your mid-run choices and discoveries!

Interlude Patch: Preposition comes fresh off the heels of a massive Chapter VI update. We're continually energized to be reading and digesting your feedback - from feelings on the Mana rework to questions on story elements, it is always an exciting and driving force for us to hear your experiences with Vellum.

We're also thrilled and intrigued when seeing new bug reports! The detail and back-and-forth is consistently helpful for us - and often sets up exciting puzzles for us to solve. Like Scribes, we get to explore the deep dark intricacies of the unknown and come out victorious!

Thank you for playing and helping to make the game better each step of the way!

- The Vellum Team


[h2]Features[/h2]
[h3]New Movement Spell: Foreshadow[/h3]
- Warp from any distance to face your current foe.
- Starts with 2 charges and may be cast without a target to blink forward a short distance.

[h3]New Combat Arenas[/h3]
- Two new Arenas can now appear in Tomes

[h3]Performance Enhancements + Quality of Life[/h3]
- Massive increase in efficiency for Projectors
- Dramatic improvement to Status Effects (especially in large quantities)
- New "Unstuck" button in Pause Menu

[h3]Font Power Pool Expansion[/h3]
- 16 New Font Powers can now appear in Tomes

[h2]Gameplay & General[/h2]
- Splice Elite: The Wringer will now properly appear in Tomes (Who could've thought the Torn would be so shy? Oops!)
- Algorithm fixes for Movement Spells gaining increasing damage interactions/avenues
- Spell: Vault now has a maximum usable height of 35 (was 20) and will partially refund cooldown if limited by height maximum
- Spell: Vault has adjusted visuals and sound
- Spell: Weave should now behave better with effects like Resourceful Seafarers Font Power
- Appendix Scaling slightly accelerated, with roughly 20% increase at Appendix 5
- Font Powers (like Sisyphus) will now have more natural spawn locations at chapter start
- Page of Power: Inscribed has been reworked and re-added to the pool
- Page of Power: Alamo now grants 15% of damage as barrier (max 50) (was 20% (max 100))
- Page of Power: Bamphlet now implodes the departure area and explodes the arrival area
- Page of Power: Chaos Theory now cycles through random teleport locations more slowly while Flutterstep is held
- Page of Power: Discordant should no longer refuse to give power
- Page of Power: Father of Quill should now behave properly with the Resourceful Seafarers Font Power
- Page of Power: Seismography should no longer be able to damage Scribes at the ends of Chapters
- Torn Page: Grounding Presence visual will no longer persist through death
- Torn Page: Grounding Presence now has a range of 12m (was 20m)
- Yellow Signature Spell should no longer double dip from the Radiant Inscription
- Yellow Signature Spell should now properly apply bonuses to Eclipse casts
- Inscription: Opportunist should no longer eat partially charged Mana
- Inkling Casts will no longer push the inkling backwards
- Raving Boss: Missra has some VFX adjustment to pools
- Many effects that move enemies will now sync more accurately in multiplayer
- Binding UI will no longer show +1 when maximally Attuned
- Fixed an issue with some Quests not properly awarding credit
- Various arena improvements when combined with Lava Floor Bindings
- Fixed navigation spots in Vignette: Seaside Path
- Fixed navigation spots in Vignette: Cavern Pass
- Fixed navigation spots in Boss Arenas
- Fixed an issue with improper Scriptorium navigation

Gather 'round, Scribes!

Vellum's journey continues in Chapter VI: Looming Threads! Not only does today bring more content, charging forward into the bright future of the game - this chapter also starts the unfurling of a dark past.

The new spell: Weave, a menacing Raving Boss, Lore Pages, and an evolving rework of Mana await!

Speaking of future and past - check out our Early Access progress below! It's a wild ride to read through chapter by chapter and imagine the game way back at the start of this process. No matter when you joined the story - thank you for accompanying us!



Inspiration is sometimes as simple as a wish granted. A wish denied. - Prism

The Legend section of the Codex is now available! Inside, you'll find record of any pages of lore you have encountered in your journey as a Scribe.

Scattered journal pages - left behind by various authors - will now appear in Vignettes, filling in bits and pieces of a particular history within the world of Vellum.

Special note: existing pages (i.e. Library pages) have also been rewritten, but should appear in the Codex if you have progressed far enough.

The story will continue to unfold in future chapters!



Weave a new path forward with the finest threads in fiction! This fresh variable cost Spender allows you to take full advantage of your pool of Mana: each additional Mana spent will summon more Needles.

Weave: Continually spin mana into threaded needles that seek foes through terrain when released!

Don't let the crown fool you - a royal audience with Missra is far from diplomatic...



Mana plays a central role in both the core combat rhythm of Vellum and the identities of Signature Inks. It has been a topic of incredibly detailed feedback since the beginning of Early Access - so we've had a solid period of time (while working on other game pillars) to collect our thoughts and goals.

This is an evolving rework - there are further steps beyond today's iteration! The central idea:

At maximum Mana, Generators will start colorizing Neutral Mana.

We believe this deepens the baseline decision-making around the Mana economy: providing both familiar and enhanced ways to infuse the identity and potency of Signature Ink into your combat style.

Additionally, Scribes can colorize Temporary Mana - allowing you to actively take better advantage of a great number of pages. We've also introduced new Mana-specific Inscriptions (Ink Level 8) to further customize around your combat preferences.

With the importance of Mana as a fundamental aspect of Vellum, we are deeply interested in your feedback on this change!



This is a huge update for us - iterating on central combat systems, unfolding lore and legend, crafting new bosses, introducing a wild new Spell, and diligently working on pivotal future chapters in the background. Chapter VI: Looming Threads turns a page toward the wells of inspiration ahead.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for playing!

- The Vellum Team


[h2]Features[/h2]
[h3]Legend & Lore[/h3]
- Codex Section: Legend
- Lore Pages will now appear in Vignettes
- Existing Lore Pages from Tutorial and Library have been rewritten
- Several Lore Pages have been unlocked for current players based on their existing progress

[h3]New Spender Spell: Weave[/h3]
- Damage: 35
- Mana Cost: 1+
- Hold & Release: Continually spin Mana into threaded needles that seek foes through terrain when released.

[h3]Raving Boss: Missra[/h3]
- Missra will now appear in Tomes!
- "Look like th' innocent flower, But be the serpent under 't."

[h3]Mana Rework: Colorize[/h3]
- New Behavior: Colorizing Mana
- At full Mana, further Mana generation will Colorize Mana
- This applies to Temporary Mana
- New Inscriptions have been added (Dev Note: Some Loadout inscription choices will have shifted from this)

[h2]Balance, Gameplay, and Fixes[/h2]
- Spell: Draw now generates 0.3 Mana per hit (was 0.25)
- Spell: Enkindle can now be interrupted by Spender Spells
- Spell: Concoct direct impact damage is now 35 (was 30)
- Spell: Concoct minimum area damage is now 15 (was 10)
- Spell: Concoct area size increased by 35%
- Spell: Concoct area damage falloff decreased (more damage at bigger range)
- Spell: Swoop now deals 75 damage (was 50)
- Base Inscription: Color Coded now increased the rate of colorizing Temp Mana
- Signature Spell Inscriptions (Ink Level 27) have been removed
- Page of Power: Beast Within will now benefit Enkindle and Passage
- Page of Power: Ephemeral Rush now requires a Movement Spell damage source before appearing
- Page of Power: Hot Potato should now properly affect mana generation
- Pages of Power that grant permanent color Mana have been temporarily removed from the pool (currently incompatible with mana rework)
- Raving Elite: Bogwalker homing orb should no longer over-seek when dodged
- Vignette: A Dark Wall should no longer award power beyond compare
- Vignette: Abandoned Stronghold has a new Lore Page and location
- Vignette: A Fateful Evening has a slight layout adjustment
- Tutorial has been adjusted to accommodate Mana Rework and Lore
- Tutorial now has updated Mana information after Signature Ink selection
- Tutorial now has updated UI Tutorials for Torn Page selection
- Signature Ink color navigation in Codex should now appear in the correct order
- Signature Ink tooltips have been updated to reflect new Mana behavior
- Various typo fixes