V1.09: The Sky Rift Update

V1.09: The Sky Rift

Big changes in V1.09! This version introduces a new Class to the game, the Riftblade! This artillery class cuts rifts in reality, allowing it to effectively be in two places at once.

V1.09 also introduces the new Flying rules to the game. Overall combat play has been updated to be mostly a 2-Dimensional grid, with no real vertical elements. This simplifies the flying rules greatly, with no longer needing to track vertical position. Instead, it acts like flying units in the Fire Emblem games, where they still occupy spaces as normal, but have movement related bonuses. Melee attacks have penalties against flying units, to represent the flyer moving out of reach.

Because of this, the Dragon Rider class was completely reworked. Their previous version was dependent on vertical elements, so this newer version is an anti-air striker.

Ancestries with flight have also been upgraded to just use flight, no more stress for flying. Hovering has been removed from the game, as there’s no benefit to it anymore.

Several large changes have been made to the Narrative Play systems. Background skills no longer give static bonuses. Instead, the ranks you have in a background give Accuracy to a roll equal to your ranks, and you get to add your GRIT to skill checks.

Narrative actions have been added to the game, to flesh out narrative play more, and the downtime activities have been reworked. Advantages have been removed, and rolled into the SHOP activity, with rules for gaining money and selling loot.

Crashing down to earth with this update is a new flying NPC unit, the PEGASUS. This is a ranged, flying striker with magical advantages. 

General

• Discord: Clearing discord is a check, not a save.
• SLOWED Condition: NPC’s next initiative becomes 8. [NPCs that can take multiple turns were affected by slowed and stunned more than normal based on the old rules. Now only one of their turns is delayed.]
• STUNNED Condition: NPCs don’t have their initiative delayed, just PCs. [NPCs have a fixed initiative now, so they don’t need the delayed turn aspect anymore.]

Narrative Play

• Background Skills: Now give ACC equal to their rank, instead of flat bonuses. GRIT is added to the roll.
• Added Narrative Actions
• New Downtime activity, Imprint Job Crystal.
• New Downtime activity, Find Echo.
• Reworked all downtime actions
• Removed Advantages. [Effects rolled into the SHOP downtime activity.]

Combat Play

• Movement: Updated to indicate all movement is horizontal.
  • Added concept of Elevation. [With the new Flight rules, there needs to be an explanation for how elevation differences work, since the game grid no longer happens in a 3-dimensional grid]
  • Updated Falling rules.
  • Updated Jumping rules.
  • Updated Climbing
  • Forced Movement: Removed paragraph about movement being horizontal, since now all movement is by default horizontal.
  • Teleportation: Removed paragraph about vertical movement.
  • Swimming: Removed paragraph about calculating water depth.
• Environmental Factors: Split into Environmental Factors and Terrain Features.
  • Locks. Locks can be disabled as part of the action used to interact with the object.
  • Mana Zones. Must be fully within zone to gain effects.
• Terrain Features
  • Added Free Space
  • Added Weapon Rack
  • Added Impassable Terrain
  • Added Ballista
  • Added Catapult
  • Added Treasure Chest
  • Fog. Must be fully within fog to gain benefits.
• Line of Sight: Updated wording for determining Line of Sight. [removing references to vertical spaces].
• Cover: Clarified that some cover is taller than its space.
• STATUS AND CONDITIONS
  • SLOWED: Added special rules for how NPCs interact with the status
  • STUNNED: Added special rules for how PCs interact with the status.
  • FLYING: Added flying.

Actions

• Search: Updated wording.
• Grapple: Updated wording.

Tags

• Armor Piercing (AP) Renamed to PIERCING.
• THROWN: Not limited to attacking characters.
• UNBREAKABLE: Removed wording that specified Wound checks.

Ancestry

• AVIAN
  • Get the Flock Outta There: Updated wording.
  • Flight: You can Fly.
• DRAGONBORN
  • Draconic Wings: You can Fly.
• GNOME
  • Tinker Toy: Updated wording.
• MACHINA
  • Mechanical Body: Updated wording.
• TIEFLING
  • You can Fly.

Class

New Class, the Riftblade

• AEGIS
  • Dome Barrier: Updated wording
• BERSERKER
  • Charge: Action updated to an action during PHASE 4: REPOSITION. [Having this trigger off the Rush action meant that Thunderclaws could use it as a quick action, getting more attacks than intended.]
• DEMON HUNTER
  • Demon Leap: Ignore reactions when moving, not just opportunity attacks.
• DRAGON RIDER
  • Complete rework to account for the new Flying rules.
• DRUID
  • Create Elemental: Updated wording
• HEXBLADE
  • Shard of Doubt: Updated wording
• PALADIN
  • Aura of Inspiration: Applies to checks and saves.
  • Holy Avenger: Updated wording
  • Stalwart Shield: Updated effect to also mimic new Tower Shield effects.
• PHOENIX
  • Meteor: Damage changed to 1d6 Astral +  1d6+2 Discord. [Phoenix is all about Discord damage, so it makes sense to have the Ultimate deal Discord.]
• SEEKER
  • Guided Shot: Updated wording
• SHADOW DANCER
  • Cloak of Darkness: Limited to 1/turn, and as a free action. [This prevents the cloak from working when stunned or during other turns. Previous version would allow HIDDEN to occur way too often, and too easily. ]
• TIDECALLER
  • Drown. MEM cost increased to 2. [with the addition of the secondary effects, and the inclusion of Discord and the INDIRECT tag, Drown is now a strong ability that should cost more than 1 MEM. The ability to potentially blind a target repeatedly is very good, and needs a higher cost to either use or equip. Increasing the MEM cost is a good first step.]
• WARDEN
  • Gaia’s Wrath: Updated wording
  • Weight of Earth: Updated wording
• WARLORD
  • Frontline: Updated wording

Talent

• Artillerist. Redesigned. [Effects were still similar to Sniper, so redesigned it to give it a more unique mechanic. The Starcraft Siege Tank was the inspiration.]
• Called Shots. Redesigned. [Previous crit effects were too powerful at early levels, and could be applied too often.]
• Great Weapon Fighter. Redesigned. [Previous benefits didn’t really support a heavy melee style.]
• Shadow. Redesigned. [Wanted to give more ways to use Quick Actions, so you can now HIDE as a Quick Action, at a stress cost.]
• Speedster. Redesigned.

Support Items

• Shield: Redesigned, can now split damage between HP and Stress.
• Shield, Tower: Redesigned, can now split damage between HP and Stress. Keeps the Hard Cover effect. [Shields needed a buff, this should hopefully make them more attractive options to both people that wasn’t to protect themselves and others.]

Techniques

• Glancing Blow: Clarified damage is physical/force/astral/lunar.
• Two Weapon Fighting: Updated wording.

GM Section

• Removed HARVEST combat type. [Doesn’t really work, and isn’t fun. Works better as a RAID combat type.]

NPC

• NPCs can no longer FULL ATTACK automatically. They need a special trait or ability that allows them to do so. [NPCs with more than one weapon could be quite deadly with the Initiative system, getting in full attacks before phase 7. It’s still possible with certain traits, but not isn’t automatically available for every NPC with two weapons/techniques.]
• New Universal Trait, FULL ATTACKER. Allows NPC to Full Attack.
• New Universal trait, Recurring. When defeated, this NPC escapes. [Just a way for a GM to easily create a recurring villain, and be upfront about it to the PCs].
• AVIATOR
  • Hover: Changed to just flight.
• CLEAVER
  • Full Attacker: New trait.
• FIREBUG
  • Destructive Breath: Gains Reach 1.
  • Contagious: Updated wording.
  • Growing Flames: Updated wording.
  • Siegebreaker: Gains ARCING and Range 10 instead of Scope. [Intended to be a ranged, lobbing attack, but with a Scope of 5, it wasn’t really good at that.]
  • Ring of Fire: Only affects enemies.
• FURY
  • Full Attacker: New Trait.
• GUNNER
  • Hover: Changed to just Flight.
• CELESTIAL
  • Celestial Nature moved to Extra Features. [With the consolidation of energy damage to Astra/Lunar, flat resistance to Astral doesn’t make sense for every Celestial, since astral can represent fire and lightning as well. Now it’s optional instead of always.]
  • Divine Shield. Gains Mana 1.
• PEGASUS
  • New NPC. Flying striker.
• ELITE
  • Incompatible: removed Veteran, you CAN have a veteran elite NPC.
• SOLO
  • Full Attacker: New Trait
• VETERAN
  • Full Attacker: New Trait
• UNIVERSAL FEATURES
  • Removed HOVER. [Hovering doesn’t exist with new flight rules.]

Loot

• Boots of Levitation: Changed for new flying rules.
• Added Gambling Dice
• Added Ammo Kit
• Added Teleport Partner.
• Animated Shield. Updated with new shield rules.
• Shield of the Evil Eye. Updated with new shield rules.