V1.06


General

  • Updated basic weapons. There is now a more even spread between the 4 damage types (Physical, Force, Astral, Lunar), and new names to make some of them cooler.
  • Removed signature equipment/techniques.
  • SURGE now grants a 2nd turn, which allows for shenanigans but overall is much easier to explain.
  • Changed rules for HIDDEN and how to HIDE. Mostly just clarifying the language.
  • SLOW weapons can only be used with the FULL ATTACK action, instead of only during phase 7
  • Jumping now takes your full standard movement, instead of being in addition to it. This prevents characters from being able to just long jump always.
  • Improvised attacks specify they can only attack adjacent targets. This wording doesn’t give them any reach but still allows you to use them, which means you can’t opportunity attack with them.
  • REROLL TABLE: Provoking an opportunity attack reworded to always work if you are adjacent to an enemy, even if they can’t actually take the opportunity attack. You shouldn’t be penalized if the enemy doesn’t have melee weapons.
  • SHORT REST: Removed the ability to reduce your Surge level. With surge now granting an entire 2nd turn, it’s more powerful than ever, even with the increased stress cost. Playing aggressively with surge allows you to potentially eliminate enemies faster, reducing the amount of recoveries you might spend in combat, which means you can spend them to just reduce the surge level again.


Actions

 

  •  FULL ATTACK now specifies attacks with 2 different weapons/techniques, or a single SLOW one.
  • Clarified wording on READY action.
  • CHANNEL +  RELEASE:
    • Taking Stress will also trigger a concentration save, because that makes sense.
    • Concentration checks renamed to Focus saves
    • Release wording updated to reflect that if you continue channeling past the release phase, you can still release on subsequent phases.
  • Counterattack: Changed language to have slightly wider applications.

Ancestry

  • GOBLIN: Scurry now doesn’t work if you are grappled either.
  • HALFLING: Brave updated to account for new Surge rules.

Class

  • AEGIS
    • Aetheric Cube: Skirmish action now changed to a Quick action.
    • Force Shield: Now gains the benefits of a normal shield support item.
    • Offensive Shielding: Stasis field now does 2 stress, and IMMOBILIZES + SLOWS on a fail.
  • ALCHEMIST:
    • Philosopher’s Stone: Reworked effects to be a single use.
    • Grand Infusions: Removed Restore, increased to Consumable 2.
    • Removed Smoking Cauldron, added Transmutation Circle.
  • ARSENAL:
    • Break away Weapon: No longer a reaction, but can’t be used if you can’t take reactions. This allows it to still work when you interpose.
    • Gunblade: Type changed to magitech.
    • Mana Siphon: You only regain mana if the target had mana to lose.
    • Dancing Blade: Summon now has hover.
  • ASSASSIN
    • Untraceable Armor: Renamed to Reaper’s Shroud.
  • BERSERKER
    • Primal Strike: Updated wording
    • Charge: Gains Stress 1 (Self)
    • Berserker Axe: Name change to Rageblade. Now ignores the inaccurate tag if you are BLOODIED.
  • CHRONOMANCER:
    • Undo: updated wording so that it is a 1/round effect that can occur during your turn, so it also works when you Surge.
    • Time Stop: Updated wording.
    • Slow: Now is a Blast 1 area, and only targets enemies.
  • DEMON HUNTER
    • Moon Blade: renamed to mantis blade.
    • Demon Leap: Stress cost increased to 2.
  • DEMONOLOGIST
    • Corruption Fiend: DOT increased by +1.
  • DRAGON RIDER: Jump pads work on you as well.
  • GRAVEWALKER
    • Entomb: Failing the save now gives a number of conditions, but doesn’t do the entomb effect, which was basically a better, longer-lasting STUN. So now the target is still able to do things (poorly), and there’s an easier clause for ending the conditions early.
  • GUNSLINGER: One light slot becomes a main
    • Curve Ammo: Now a MAIN item. Just ignoring cover is a REALLY good ability, especially for a level 1 dip. This makes it a little costlier to equip, but it might need more drawbacks later, like costing mana.
  • HEXBLADE
    • Hex: temp HP triggers when the hexed character is defeated or wound/overstressed, regardless of who does it.
  • PALADIN:
    • Smite: Moved to level 2, switching places with lay on hands, and limited to 1/round. Clarified bonus damage applies to whole attack (for AoE), and can only be used once per attack.
  • PHOENIX
    • Burn Proof: Combined with Heat Resistance. No need for them to be split between different traits.
    • Solar Flare: Stress damage is now 1 DOT. Phoenix class needed more baseline DOT generating effects.
    • Fireball: Damage increased by +2. Low rolls could make a powerful channel pretty underwhelming, this way it should still always destroy minions.
  • SHAPESHIFTER
    • Defender Form: Initial and quick action temp HP increased by +1. This ability is pretty underwhelming and mana intensive, so I’ll be looking at redesigning it in the next update, looking to make it more interesting.
  • SKALD
    • Inspire: Only affects allies now.
  • STITCH:
    • Increased effects of Second Life.
    • Soul Shield: Increased temp HP gained by +1.
  • WARDEN
    • Lifeblood: Updated language

Talents

  • Added SAVAGERY
  • Added COPYCAT
  • Added TREASURE HUNTER
  • BRAWLER: Fisticuffs now give Improvised attacks a reach of 1, which allows
  • DERVISH: Reworked all ranks.
  • DUELIST: Reworded rank 3 options.
  • ENCHANTER: Portfolio of Enchantments: Speed language updated.
  • LANCET: Quick Step: Slide only works if you’re not grappled/immobilized.
  • LEYLINE WALKER:
    • You have to be fully within a sensor to regain mana.
  • TECHNICIAN: Mana ammo: declare the amount of mana spent before making the attack. The extra damage applies to every target hit.

Techniques

  • Two Weapon Fighting: The extra attack does not trigger linked weapon attacks. This is to reduce the potential number of attacks that can occur in a turn, especially when using FULL ATTACK with two linked weapon slots, which could result in 6 attacks in a single turn for little cost.

Support Items

  • Companion: No longer LIMITED, updated wording.
  • Shield and Tower Shield: Updated wording to clarify that they basically turn you into a piece of cover, that doesn’t benefit only adjacent allies but as a constant piece of cover.

NPC

  • Lots of minor changes.

Files

Beacon Playtest v1.06.pdf 10 MB
Dec 20, 2021
Beacon player character sheets.xlsx 5 MB
Dec 20, 2021
LOOT Cache Generator.xlsm 88 kB
Dec 20, 2021

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