V1.08: The Frozen Gates Update

V1.08: The Frozen Gates Update

 Beacon V1.08 introduces the RIMEGUARD class, a new Defender with icy powers.

A big part of this update is reducing the impact of action economy increasing effects. The Chronomancer and Warlord ultimates, for example, have been changed to prevent them from having long-lasting impacts to the action economy of the game.

General

• Color Update: Spells are now blue.
• DISCORD: Damage over Time has been changed to Discord, a 5^th damage type that works similarly to DOT, but as a single damage type. Discord uses MGK as the single save to clear it. Discord represents changes to the aetheric balance of a creature, with effects like poison, burns, and blood loss all putting someone in aetheric discord. [Tracking all the different types of DoT and the different saves was a headache. I had been looking for a simpler way to handle it, and the thought of framing it as aetheric discord, instead of a normal damage type, was a good fit. Plus, magic is common in Beacon, and everyone can use it, so it helps emphasize the importance of the MGK stat.]
• Line of Sight: Updated some Line-of-Sight determination language.
• Cover
  • Cover isn’t always an obstacle.
  • Clarified that soft and hard cover don’t stack.
• Reroll table: Clarified that accuracy or difficulty are also rerolled.
• Updating language from ‘empty’ space to ‘free’ space. [In most cases, I meant free space. An empty space is more restrictive, and in most cases, isn’t intended to be that strict of a requirement.]
• Overstress:
  • Unfocused result reduces max and current mana by 1, instead of 2. [2 reduction is a bit severe, 1 might be better since it offers the chance of accumulating if being ignored.]
  • Exposed result is VULNERABLE and WEAKENED until the end of your next turn, not until cleared. [Honestly not sure why this existed as until cleared. I think I meant for it to be until end of next turn, and just forgot to change that line.]
• Climbing: Climbing costs your standard movement, and climbing is at ½ your speed, not difficult terrain. [ignoring difficult terrain allowed characters to climb at their full speed, which wasn’t intended. Difficult terrain was just an easy way to handle it. Overall it should be harder to climb during combat, so taking your standard movement reduces when you can climb, how often you can climb, and how far you can climb. I’ve also added a new support item, climbing gear, that lets you climb easier.]
• ARCING: Only works vertically, can’t shoot around corners.
• Invisible: Miss chance happens before any attack rolls. The miss chance also applies to auto-hit attacks, since an attack still happens.
• AETHERIC: No longer ignores cover.
• INDIRECT: New tag, ignores cover.
• BLINDED: You can only target adjacent spaces. [Arcing and Homing effects shouldn’t get around blinded, and the old wording would have allowed it.]
• FULL ATTACK: You can now grapple/shove as options.
• Environmental Factor: Darkness is now Low Visibility. [the effects apply to more than just darkness, so the name has been updated.]
• Locks: Disabling a look lets you automatically open whatever was locked.
• Opportunity Attack: Can be used with VOLLEY/CAST/FIGHT spells if they have reach.

Ancestry

• AVIAN
  • Get the Flock Outta There: Triggers on external damage or stress, doesn’t need to be an attack. [For a reaction only usable 1/scene, might as well increase the opportunities for it to be used.]
  • Gust: Now just a spell attack, no AGI saves. [Making it an attack gives it the chance to crit, and has more synergies than just a save.]
• DRAGONBORN
  • Dragonfire: Now has reach 1, so you can opportunity attack with it, and the damage is [2 Discord].
• DWARF
  • Keep Moving Forward: Ignores speed and dodge penalties. [only ignoring Speed penalties was very lackluster].
• ELEMENTAL
  • Energy Aura: Damage set to 2. [Reducing length of time that reactions take, so setting damage to a set value instead of a roll.]
  • Elemental Nova: attack now creates a temporary zone of soft cover.
• GOBLIN
  • Scurry: Can’t use if you’re SLOWED.
• KOBOLD
  • Trap array: Snare trap improved, now harder to remove the condition. [with the addition of the Wire Trap support item, this item was identical. As an ancestry trait, I decided to buff it to make it more attractive, especially over a basic trap option].
  • Trapmaster: Gives the same effects as the Thieves Tools support item.
• MACHINA
  • Mechanical Body: Updated to discord.
• TIEFLING
  • Wrath: Now triggers on hit OR damage. [This allows it to work against effects that deal damage, but don’t require an attack roll.]

Class

• Added RIMEGUARD Class, a new defender.

• AEGIS
  • Offensive Shielding: Gains INDIRECT.
  • Proximity Shield: Characters can share spaces with the summon. [This is necessary for the summon to work. It was implied that characters could share spaces with it, but now it is explicit.]
• ALCHEMIST
  • Life Essence Extract: Can also be used during a SHORT REST.
  • Infusions: Updated for Discord
  • Scorpion Gauntlet: Updated for Discord
• ARSENAL
  • Role changed to STRIKER. [Field Repair can help your allies, but isn’t really enough of an assist to push it into a support role.]
  • Cycle Weapons: BRAWL action to activate, and reloads all weapons. [Meant to be a brawl action previously, but got left as a free action. Remaining as a free action would allow you to full attack, and then attack with every weapon again, which is more attacks than intended.]
• ASSASSIN
  • Scope increased to 10 from 5.
  • Master of Stealth. Removed ‘if you end your movement in cover’. [If you end your movement outside of cover, you likely are going to lose HIDDEN anyway. Plus this removes the need to retroactively figure out if you would have lost hidden while moving.]
• BERSERKER
  • Cut Through: Can’t use if SLOWED.
• CHRONOMANCER
  • Dodge reduced to 7 from 8.
  • Ultimate: Changed from Time Stop to Time Shuffle. [Previous version was too powerful of an ability that lasted for too long. In essence, it provided too much of an action economy benefit. This new version opens up a ton of interesting opportunities.]
  • Unwinding Beam: Damage reduced to flat 4, and now has an additional option on hit. [The intent is that this is a controlling spell, and the prior damage was pretty high. Targets would often be killed by this spell, rendering the control element kind of useless.]
  • Rewind: Reaction includes Stress as a trigger.
  • Borrowed Time:  Taking a long rest also resets use of this ability. [Long rests reset everything, but now it is explicit]
• DEMON HUNTER
  • Immolation: Renamed to Immolation Aura.
  • Sinbow: Reworked. [Previous version was too lackluster for a level 3 unlock.]
• DEMONOLOGIST
  • Voidheart Summon: Can now interpose 1/round for free. [The goal of this summon is to be an offtank, and being able to interpose is more of that role in Beacon than providing cover. The trick is to make sure it doesn’t do a better job at tanking than players, especially with Summoner 2].
  • Legion: demonologist summons gain bonuses until the end of the scene.
  • Agony: Updated to Discord. Attack now has two options. Gains Indirect. [Trying to remove DOT Stress from the game.]
  • Corruption Fiend: Updated to Discord
• DRAGON RIDER
  • Crash: Updated to Discord
• DRUID
  • Root: Changed to when you opportunity attack someone, instead of dealing damage you can choose to IMMOBILIZE them until the start of their next turn. [Previous version was automatic immobilization, which was too strong. With sufficiently long reach, you could lock someone down forever unless they used RUSH to avoid reactions. This way, there’s at least a chance of failure, if you miss. ]
  • Vine Whip. Damage reduced to 1. [Range 4 is extremely impactful, and it has an on crit effect. Reducing the damage means that you use this weapon for the movement effects or for things that trigger on opportunity attacks, like the druid’s Root ability. Damage doesn’t need to be a factor for this weapon because of the other benefits.]
  • Wall of Thorns: Now summons X+1 pieces of cover.
  • Entangle: Cast version deals 2 damage instead of physical damage, and channel version also deals [2 stress] to characters in the area.
  • Skybeam. Reworked. Mana 2. Now you create 10 continuous spaces in any order, and a MGK save for half damage. [As a level 3 ability, it needed a little more to make it stand out. Now it can hit grounded and flying targets.]
• GRAVEWALKER
  • Mana from 2 to 3.
  • HP from 10 to 8 [The Gravewalker is incredibly survivable and literally unkillable with their ultimate. They don’t really need a high HP pool, even as a defender.]
  • Psychopomp: Now costs mana 1. [This is potentially the longest-range teleport, and the condition of needing to defeat a character isn’t that rare. 1 mana seems like a good cost for it.]
  • Touch of the Grave: Now gives an additional bonus to wound/overstress checks. [This was a really bad technique, because many ancestries have a base trait that is better, letting you pick either astral or lunar. It has a niche use for a cheap way to get lunar resistance, but this gives it a little extra bump.]
• GUNSLINGER
  • Curve Ammo: Now 1 mana to gain a better version of ARCING, and 2 mana to gain HOMING. [so the gunslinger can equip everything, I wanted to reduce this size to Light, but needed to add more of a cost. So now it costs mana to gain the benefits of the enchantment. Overall the main goal is to make sure this enchantment isn’t a ‘must have’ for every ranged build, with the ability to just always ignore cover.]
  • Aim with Heart: Minor wording change to account for the update to the BLINDED condition.
  • Gun Kata: Removed, replaced with Ammo Crate. [I liked the idea of a gun kata skill, but never really liked the implementation of it. It was reminiscent to the old versions of Dervish, where it involved too much tracking. As a class all around reloading, this new ability gives it an additional method of reloading, that is useful for other classes and builds as well.]
• HEXBLADE
  • Edge of Darkness: Damage increase lasts until a long rest.
  • Bound Weapon: Enchantment gives the UNBREAKABLE tag, which is basically already did, but now I’ve given it the specific game term.
  • Curse Bolt: Moved to rank 2, switching places with Bound Weapon. [Curse bolt was a really good 1 level dip. Moving it to rank 2 makes it less of a dip pick, and gives bound weapon earlier, which is a basic concept ability of the class.]
  • Shard of Doubt: Reworked. Shards increase dmg received, and count as a condition. Can still be exploded as a channel/release, but can also be spread upon death.
• PALADIN
  • Ultimate: The bonuses to Interpose now include being able to move further.
  • Holy Avenger: Updated to discord
• PHOENIX
  • Burning Spells. Updated to discord
  • Burn Proof. Updated to discord.
  • Immolate: Now has a secondary option. Updated to Discord
  • Vent Heat: Now has a set range, but no longer needs to be your DOT. Updated to Discord, and deals astral equal to half of the discord cleared. [Keeping track of which Discord was yours and what wasn’t is too complicated, so this simplifies it.]
  • Solar Flare. Updated to Discord.
  • Phoenix Armor: Updated wording.
  • Wildfire: Now has similar wording to Vent Heat, and only affects enemies. Updated to Discord.
• SEEKER
  • Chain Shot. Gains an additional option.
  • Spectral Shot. Updated wording.
  • Swarming Shot: Updated wording, added an additional option. Gains Indirect
  • Coiling Shot: Upfront damage changed to 1d6+4 from 2d6, and extra damage changed to 3 (from 1d6). Gains an additional option.
  • Heartseeker. Updated to Discord.
• SHADOW DANCER
  • Removed Graceful. [Assassin and Shadowdancer are very similar, but Shadowdancer has an extra trait. This makes the two classes a little closer to each other, while keeping unique traits to each.]
  • Strangle: Gains Indirect.
• SHAPESHIFTER
  • Defender Form: Overhauled.
  • A Face You Know: Now called “Familiar Form”. Quick action to activate, and counts as a skill. [These changes make it function similar to the other forms the Shapeshifter gets access to.]
• SKALD
  • Tempo: Can’t use if target is SLOWED.
  • Mock: Updated language.
  • Parrying Dagger. Updated language.
• STITCH
  • HP reduced from 7 to 6.
  • Save reduced from 12 to 11.
  • A-Def reduced from 10 to 8. [The stitch’s stat spread was higher than all the other classes, even when ignoring their high recovery stat, which is basically a class feature.]
  • Second Life: Ultimate is not expended if you stop channeling before releasing.
  • Stolen Life: Gains an additional option. Gains Indirect
  • Soul Shield: Updated wording to account for the Rimeguard’s stacking temp HP ability.
  • Healing Well: Passive healing is flat 3, instead of 1d6.
  • Heal: Now a BOLSTER action to use, with an option to spend +2 mana to not cost a recovery. [With the changes to healing potions, and in light of how Lay on Hands works, this spell needed an upgrade, especially as a level 3 unlock.]
  • Restore. Updated to Discord.
• THUNDERCLAW
  • Bottled Lightning: Now creates a burst around you that auto-blinds. [The Thunderclaw is high mobility, and this version lets them move to a character that they want to blind, without being affected by it themselves.]
  • Wolf Claws: Can’t SLIDE self if SLOWED.
  • Kinetic Redistributor: Trigger is now ‘a ranged attack roll is made against you’. [This prevents weirdness with Interpose, which had the same old trigger.]
  • Chain Lightning Strikes: Can’t SLIDE if IMMOBLIZED or SLOWED.
• TIDECALLER
  • Scope is 10. [Was listed as 5 in the doc, but 10 in all other places. Intended to be 10.]
  • Aquatic: Effects are identical to water maneuverability gear.
  • Storm Surge: Updated wording. Deals 2 Stress. Gains Indirect.
  • Rainfall. Updated to Discord
  • Tidal Healing: Healing amount changed to 1d6+4, and now no longer has the die roll to determine if it can keep spreading. [For release effects, the new healing amount means that you won’t roll terribly, effectively wasting the action. Plus, for a channel ability, there doesn’t seem to be a need to limit how often it can keep bouncing the healing.]
  • Drown: Updated to Discord, and gains an additional option. Gains Indirect.
  • Whirlpool: Removed DAZED effect. [Dazed made it too hard for characters to get out of the Whirlpool, which effectively made them stuck in it forever.]
• WARDEN
  • Lifeblood. Updated to Discord.
• WARLORD
  • Scope increased to 15
  • Dodge reduced to 7
  • Follow My Lead: Each ally can only benefit from the ultimate once. [This will help reduce the endless action economy benefit from the ultimate, effectively only working equal to the number of allies you have. Strict downgrade, but part of this latest update is reducing ongoing action economy increases.]
  • Standard of Courage: No longer CONSUMABLE. However, if the summon is destroyed, the support item is destroyed. [This version allows for more uses of the flag, which still having a drawback. If destroyed, the whole item is destroyed. However, it can always be repaired during a short rest. Overall it should have some more use during combat now. It seems likely to be a primary target by NPCs, but AOE damage might destroy it.]
  • Focus Target: MEM cost increased from 2 to 3, and now has STRESS 2 (SELF) tag. [current version of the game has multiple ways to MARK outside of a standard action. With Warlord base trait and this technique, one mark can lead to 2 different attacks. I think that fits for a warlord with their tier 3 unlock, but it has a higher cost associated with it.]
  • Rally. Updated to Discord.

Talents

• New Talent: Gun Kata
• Artillerist:
  • Rank 2 and 3 reworked. [Sooo, I didn’t realize that Thaumaturge had the same basic effect, but better. Sure it was limited to artifact weapons, but it was much better. So we’re reworking these ranks to try and give it a different identity.]
• Dervish:
  • Tempo: Can’t slide if SLOWED.
• Duelist:
  • Flourish: avoid reaction attacks, not just opportunity attacks.
• Enchanter:
  • Keen: Weapon has to deal damage to have this enchantment.
  • Vorpal: Updated wording.
• Hospitaler:
  • Help: Temp HP only goes to allies, not self. [Intent with talent is to help others, so taking away the ability of this to help self. Rank 1 is already a good selfish ability.]
• Knight:
  • Phalanx: Instead of using adjacent allies, use the number of allies within [Range 3]. [In practice, it’s a bit too hard to have enough allies adjacent to you to get much use out of this.]
• Lancet:
  • Quick Step: Can’t slide if SLOWED.
• Leyline Walker:
  • Leyline Transport. Updated wording.
• Lichdom:
  • Phylactery: Updated wording.
• Metamagic:
  • Metamagic Upgrade: Updated wording.
  • Advanced Metamagic: Heightened spell only applies to saves triggered when the spell is cast, not ongoing spells.
• Parkour:
  • Tumble: Can’t slide if SLOWED.
• Shadow:
  • Hunt: Updated wording.
• Spellblade:
  • Aetherblade: Updated wording.
• Summoner:
  • Defender Summons: You now gain 1 parry if you have a summon active. [This will help get this ability to trigger more often].
• Sunblotter:
  • Overdraw: Now only drawback is 1 stress. [I see two different roles this talent should fit into. A hunker down role, where you would immobilize to increase range, or as a range extender. We’re going to try this version, using stress as the limitation.]
• Technician: Updated wording.
• Thaumaturge:
  • Empowerment: Fire’s effect lasts until the end of the target’s next turn.
• Warcaster:
  • Spellfighter. Updated wording.

Support

• Added CLIMBING GEAR.
• Arcana Crystal: Updated wording.
• Caltrops: Consumable 3
• Companion: Free action to dismiss, not quick. [This brings it in line with the normal SUMMON rules.]
• Healing Potion: Now regain all your HP, and Consumable 2. [Some builds have very low HP, and getting half of that number back is meaningless. Now it’s useful to have a healing potion regardless of your HP max, and doesn’t feel like as much of an action waste vs just taking the RECOVER action.]
• Lore Book: Removed Mana 1. [being a MAIN support is enough of a cost.]
• Mana Potion: Now regain all your mana, and Consumable 2. [Keeping its effects similar to healing potion, and reducing things you need to do, like rolling a die and then changing your gameplan if you don’t roll high enough. Now it’s easier to plan with.]
• Poison: Consumable 2.
• Resistance Potion: Now allows you to resist any damage type of your choice, and Consumable 2. [Damage types are fairly diverse, so this makes it useful in more situations.]
• Shield, Light: Reduced to LIGHT slot.
• Shield, Tower: Reduced to MAIN slot. [Shields just aren’t competitive with armor options. Size reduction for now might make them more attractive options, and future updates might see additional defensive related bonuses for them.
• Renamed Trap to Explosive Trap
• Added Wire Trap.
• Thieves Tools: No longer ignores traps, but provides +1 ACC to disable them or on saves triggered by them. [A stretch goal class in development uses traps, and this effect works much better on a class designed around traps.]

Techniques

• Added POWER ATTACK
• Added SHOCKING GRASP
• Aggressive Defender: Removed [The KNIGHT talent gives this ability now.]
• Arcane Explosion: Upfront damage is 5, with mana damage 1d6+5. [Reducing variability for channel effects.]
• Armor Training: Can only reduce armor to LIGHT slot at minimum, not free. [Overall armor is easy to get, and fairly cheap. This basically always allowed +1 armor for 2 MEM, which is a pretty good deal. Armor will be getting updates in later editions, but for now this is an easy start.]
• Endurance: Now UNIQUE.
• Glancing Blow: No longer a reaction, but you have to be capable of taking reactions to use it. [This change will allow the skill to synergize with builds that use Parry].
• Mana Reserves: Removed. [It was cheaper to dump points into MIND and equip mana reserves to get more mana, instead of putting points into MAGIC.]
• Weapon Training, Basic: Can be equipped in a light/light slot as the only weapon.
• Weapon Training, Heavy. Can be equipped in a main/light slot as the only weapon.

NPC

Overall many NPCs are getting a HP nerf. The idea was to give them higher HP to offset the fact that the reroll table exists, but that takes away the ease of killing a target with a strong attack, weakening the power of smaller weapons and attacks.

GM Section

• Combat Types: Added Destruction and Harvest combat types, minor updates to existing combat types.

• Added ARCHITECT.
• Cleaver: Speed reduced; initiative changed to 7.
• COMMANDER
  • HP reduced.
  • Advantageous Position: Costs 1 mana.
• Expendable: HP reduced.
• Firebug: HP reduced, speed reduced
• FURY
  • Grapple Hook: Ignores Engagement.
  • Lash Out: Only triggers on damage not caused by the Fury.
• Gunner: HP reduced.
• Healer: HP reduced. Flash Heal’s healing power reduced.
• Mirage: HP reduced.
• Protector: HP reduced, mana increased. Armored Zone now lasts a shorter period of time.
• Ranger: HP reduced.
• Rogue: HP reduced.
• Minion Template: Taking external sources of stress also defeats the minion. [This line was missing, was intended to always be present.]
• Warmage: HP reduced. [Bit overtuned, damage-wise]
  • Explosion: Now ARCING, damage reduced.
  • Flamestrike: Now ARCING, damage reduced to [5/7/9 Astral] + [2/3/4 DOT Astral (MGK)]
• Mounted Template: Reworked [Previous version was overtuned]

Loot

• Adamantine Construction: gains UNBREAKABLE. [It gave items unbreakable, so it makes sense that it should be too.]
• Aether Flask: Consumable 2.
• Aether Shield: Increased damage reduction. Updated to Discord
• Aid: MEM reduced to 1.
• Amulet of Health. Temp HP gained when using RECOVER action.
• Animate Objects. MEM 1
• Animated Shield: Updated wording.
• Armor Plates. Light size
• Astral Projection. Updated wording.
• Baleful Polymorph. Legendary
• Barbed Enchantment: Uncommon
• Barkskin: Now only gives parry to ally, but works at range up to Scope.
• Barkskin Armor: Light
• Beam Saver. Updated wording.
• Bloodstone Armor. Changed Limited to Consumable
• Bloodthirst. Gains Accurate
• Bonecaller Armor. Updated wording
• Boots of Speed. Legendary. Updated wording
• Caduceus Staff. Temp HP set to 3, gains Aetheric
• Cartwheel. Can’t use if SLOWED
• Catch a Breath. Rare
• Cleansing Touch: Mana 2
• Cloak of Elvenkind. Now easier to stay hidden.
• Conductor’s Baton. Aetheric
• Counterspell. Updated wording
• Critical Healing. Healing is a flat 2 HP now.
• Cursesong Armor. Updated wording
• Darksight Armor. Updated wording
• Defending Enchantment. Main
• Defensive Fighter. Updated wording
• Deflect. Updated wording
• Dimension Anchor. Updated wording
• Distracting Strike. Damage increased to 3
• Durable Construction. Gains Unbreakable
• Efficient Burns. Updated wording, updated to discord.
• Electrical Pack. Main, and updated wording
• Fast Movement. Unique
• Feral Instincts: MEM 1
• Firebrand: Save is AGI, and you ignore low visibility penalties. Updated to Discord
• Flare. Need at least 2 mana to use.
• Frost Fang. Reach 1
• Fusion Cannon. Updated wording
• Dragon Force Fists: Updated to discord
• Ember. Updated to Discord.
• Flamethrower. Updated to Discord
• Slime Staff. Updated to Discord.
• Elemental Burst Armor. Updated to Discord.
• Hemmorage. Updated to Discord
• Improved Spells. Updated to Discord
• Improved Weapons. Updated to Discord.
• Lava Lob. Updated to Discord
• Thunder. Updated to Discord.
• Healing Summon. Updated wording
• Heavy Draw. 2 MEM
• Homing Enchantment. Main
• Mithardain. Updated wording
• Mithral Construction. Main
• Mortal Strike. Updated wording.
• Multitasker. Legendary
• Oathbow. Updated wording.
• Oversized Enchantment. Heavy
• Penance. Reach 2
• Piercer. Updated wording.
• Portable Cover. Updated wording.
• Potion of Climbing. Updated wording.
• Potion of Size. Consumable 2
• Power Armor. Updated wording
• Recall Stone. Consumable 1
• Reincarnate. Updated wording
• Revive Kit. Consumable 2
• Riposte. Updated wording
• Rocket Sledge. Push 2
• Scroll of Protection. Consumable 2
• Scythe of Darkness. Accurate
• Shock Glove. Updated wording.
• Skeleton Key. Free, updated wording.
• Spider Staff. Aetheric, updated damage.
• Spikes: Updated wording
• Sprinter’s Potion. Consumable 3
• Stunning Summon. Updated wording.
• Super Mode. 1 MEM
• Super Speed. Updated wording.
• Taunt. MARK action, updated wording.
• Telekensis. Updated wording. Shove action.
• Tetherknot. Rare, Consumable 3
• Thrust. Stress 1 (Self)
• Thunderstruck. 3d6 Force damage, Reliable 3
• Torch Mace. Updated wording.
• Tracker. 4 damage
• Trap Sense. Also gains +1 ACC vs traps.
• Tremor Summon. Updated wording.
• Unarmored Defense. This armor bonus applies while Sundered.
• Unstable Wand. Damage is X+2
• Venom. Damage is 1 Discord.
• Vicious Enchant. Main
• Weapon Ring. Consumable 3
• Windsprint Armor. Invisibility lasts until the end of that turn.
• Removed Snare Trap
• Added Quickstep Boots
• Added Slippery
• Added Physical Discord
• Added Agile Discord
• Added Mental Discord
• Added Ghost Gloves
• Added Thorium Armor
• Added Prismatic Armor
• Added Endless Endurance