V1.11: The Kickstarter Update

V1.11: The Kickstarter Update

This is the final version update before the Kickstarter goes live on September 13^th, 2022. You can view the pre-launch page here!

Most jobs received a minor adjustment to their stats, but some jobs received major reworks to their core traits. Alchemist, Arsenal, Assassin, Shadow Dancer, Skald, Stitch (renamed Lifeweaver), and Tidecaller were all affected. The details will be listed below, but if you were playing one before, check out the changes!

General

There have been a number of name changes in this version, from mechanical to narrative.

• Equipping a class is called equipping your Job. Class is the collection of abilities, and job is the actual equipable component.
• Ultimates renamed to Limit Breaks. [Just leaning further into the final fantasy influence].
• PARRY renamed to FOCUS.
• Focus saves renamed to Concentration Saves
• Unfocused techniques renamed to just being destroyed, like equipment. [originally destroyed techniques were renamed to being 'unfocused’ because of the narrative dissonance of how a skill/spell could be destroyed. However, with the use of ‘focus’ as a game term, it would become confusing. Plus, I don’t think there’s a need for two different terms to represent equipment/techniques being destroyed.]
• Updated wording on Free Actions.
• Environment factors and terrain features moved to Chapter 8, Combat Scenes, and added new ones. Some basic ones like the concepts of cover and free spaces still exist in the old section for players.
• Wound and Overstress checks renamed to Wound/Overstress rolls, in order to prevent confusions with other checks.
• Added Gold and Supplies
• Expanded GM section.

Narrative Play

The Shop downtime activity received a big rework with the expansion of Supplies.

• Skill Checks. They don’t add your grit to the roll, that was a holdover I forgot to remove from this version.
• Narrative Actions
  • Added Use Magic.
  • Gain Insight: Updated 10-19
  • Recall lore: updated wording.
• Downtime Activity
  • Make Something: Updated wording of 20+
  • Pursue Profession: Reworked
  • Run an Organization: Updated
  • Shop: Reworked.
• Skill Challenges
  • The Captured adversity now also puts the PC in chains, which can be disabled like a lock.

Combat Play

• MOVEMENT
  • Added SHIFT: movement that doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks or reactions and ignores ENGAGEMENT. This is a shorthand for self SLIDE effects, to cut down on the extra wording needed when using those effects on yourself.
  • Climbing now costs movement based on the size of what you want to climb onto, instead of just being difficult terrain. [Characters that ignored difficult terrain could just ignore most of the battlefield.]
  • Elevation: Removed references to elevation or vertical spaces. Everything on the grid is flat now.
  • Removed Jumping
  • Removed falling
  • Removed swimming
  • Underwater environment updated.
• ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
  • Low Gravity: Moved to GM section
  • Added Poisonous
• TERRAIN FEATURES
  • Added High Ground.
• TAGS
  • Traps are now auto-detected if you use the SEARCH action, no need to roll.
• LINE OF SIGHT
  • Updated line of sight rules
• Reroll Table: Option 3B now takes an enemy reaction. [this means enemies can’t do it if they’re stunned].

Action

• RECOVER. Mana recovery has been moved to the 1^st list of options, instead of the 2^nd.
• CHANNEL: Updated wording.
• RELEASE: Updated wording.
• INTERPOSE. Can only interpose each attack roll once. [Used to be in game, but got lost at some point. Added back in.]

Ancestry

• AVIAN
  • Get the Flock Outta There. Updated with Shift.
  • Gust: Updated to an integrated spell melee spell attack. Needs a FIGHT action to use, but now has reach 1.
• DRAGONBORN
  • Dragonfire. Now an integrated main artifact weapon.
• ELEMENTAL
  • Energy Aura: Damage is Piercing.
  • Elemental Nova: Now an integrated melee spell attack.
• ELF
  • Nature Step. Reworked.
• GIGAN
  • ENDURANCE renamed ENDURE.
• GNOME
  • Fade Away: Updated to 1/round reaction, mana 2.
• GOBLIN
  • Scurry. Updated with Shift.
• HALFLING
  • Lucky: Reaction changed to 1/round for 2 stress (self)
• HUMAN
  • Hang in There: Updated wording.
• KOBOLD
  • Trap Array: Now an integrated item.
  • Distract: Now a free action. [in general the 1/scene effects are either really strong, or a free action to use.
• LYCANTHROPE
  • Defender Strain: free action instead of quick.
• ORC
  • Charge renamed to RUSHDOWN.
• TIEFLING
  • Renamed to Cambion

Class

Lots of minor stat adjustments throughout.

• AEGIS
  • Dodge reduced to 6
  • Speed reduced to 4
  • Ward: Damage reduction increased to 1d6.
• ALCHEMIST
  • Scope increased to 8.
  • Stress cap reduced to 6.
  • Philosopher’s Stone: Updated wording.
  • Life Essence Extract renamed Potion Belt. Gains +1 Consumable charges.
  • Potion Injector: Updated wording
  • Sanitizing Vapors. Increased ranged, and better effects for BREAKING allies.
  • Scorpion Gauntlet. Reworked.
  • Volatile Mixtures: Updated wording.
• ARSENAL
  • Speed reduced to 5
  • Reworked traits: Added Armiger and Flex Weapons
  • Weapon for the Job: Now costs 1 mana to use.
• ASSASSIN
  • Scope reduced to 8
  • Mana reduced to 2
  • Weapon Slot: MAIN slot reduced to LIGHT
  • Support Slot: LIGHT slot increased to MAIN
  • Assassinate. Bonus damage is if the Assassin is hidden or the target is isolated. [This is the Shadowdancer’s previous bonus damage trait, which made more sense for the assassin]
  • Exterminate. Now improves Preparation generation, and enhances the Assassinate trait.
  • Death Mark replaced with Garrote, a support item that enhances grapple.
  • Sap replaced with Poisoner’s Kit, a support item with poison options.
  • Reaper’s Shroud. Invisibility is now auto when you defeat someone. No longer activated.
  • Death Strike. Updated wording.
• BERSERKER
  • Cut Through: Updated with Shift, and triggers when you also defeat someone.
• CHRONOMANCER
  • Speed reduced to 5
  • Updated narrative description.
• DEMON HUNTER
  • Scope reduced to 8
  • HP increased to 10
  • Recoveries increased to 4
  • Stress Cap increased to 9
  • A-Def reduced to 8
• DEMONOLOGIST
  • Scope increased to 12
  • HP increased to 7
  • Recoveries reduced to 2
  • Stress Cap reduced to 6
• DRAGON RIDER
  • HP reduced to 9
  • Dodge reduced to 7
  • Stress Cap reduced to 4
  • A-Def increased to 7
  • Dragon Echo: Dragon gains your Grit as a bonus to HP. Updated wording. [This helps the summon scale at higher levels].
  • Winged Boots: Removed immunity to falling. Soft cover lasts until the start of your next turn.
• DRUID
  • Speed reduced to 4
  • Mana increased to 4
  • Briar Patch: Updated wording.
  • Gust of Wind: Updated wording.
  • Entangle: Updated wording.
  • Create Elemental replaced with Tether Vine.
• GRAVEWALKER
  • Harvest: Updated wording.
  • That Which Is Already Dead: Now grants immunity to all wound rolls for the rest of the scene.
• GUNSLINGER
  • Scope reduced to 8
  • Mana increased to 3
• HEXBLADE
  • Dodge reduced to 7
  • Memory reduced to 5
  • Mana increased to 4
• PALADIN
  • Limit Break renamed Bastion of Resolve
  • Holy Avenger: Gains Accurate tag when it’s not your turn. [Brilliant suggestion by playtester Meatshed! The prior version of the Holy Avenger wasn’t working as intended. The support element of the weapon was inconsistent to achieve, so when it wasn’t critting, it was a subpar Bloodpike. This gives it a way of fishing for crits easier, and leans into the retribution trait the paladin has.]
• PHOENIX
  • HP increased to 7
  • Recoveries decreased to 2
  • Speed decreased to 4
  • Meteor: Spell gains Integrated. [this means you can’t lose the spell through damage once you activate it]
  • Immolate: Gains Indirect.
  • Vent Heat: Now requires a reaction to activate.
• RIFTBLADE
  • HP increased to 8
  • Speed decreased to 4
  • Rift: Updated wording.
  • Portal Gun: Teleport counts as forced movement.
• RIMEGUARD
  • Scope increased to 8
• SEEKER
  • Scope increased to 20
  • Save target reduced to 11
  • Swarming Shot: Updated wording.
• SHADOW DANCER
  • Class stats and slots reworked.
  • Reworked Traits: Shadow Clones, Shadow Realm, and Slip Step are new traits.
  • Eclipse. Updated wording.
  • Cloak of Darkness replaced with Shadow Sorcery.
  • Shadow Clones replaced with Living Shadow.
• SHAPESHIFTER
  • Speed reduced to 5
  • Stress cap increased to 7
  • Form for the Occasion: Updated due to new climbing/swimming rules.
  • Soothe: Can’t be used while STUNNED.
• SKALD
  • Tempo: Updated with Shift.
  • Ballad: Updated with Shift.
  • New trait, ENCORE.
  • Inspire: Now a free action 1/turn to inspire.
  • Mock: Failure on the save now applies the movement, no choice for the NPC.
• STITCH
  • Renamed to Lifeweaver.
  • Scope increased to 12
  • Save target reduced to 10
  • Stress cap reduced to 6
  • Healer’s Beacon changed to Quick Stitch. Reaction healing for bloodied allies.
  • Purge: Mana cost reduced to 2, can  target self.
  • Second Life: Now clears 2 wounds and overstress, and updated wording for selecting defeated characters. Can’t be used on self.
  • Restore replaced with Inner Balance.
  • Healing Well replaced with Serenity.
• THUNDERCLAW
  • Mana reduced to 2.
  • Wolf Claws: Updated with Shift.
  • Parrying Dagger. Removed 1 parry, and updated effects. [For a main support slot, the costs were too high. This makes it easier to use, and straight up improved the effect.]
  • Chain Lightning Strikes: Updated with Shift.
• TIDECALLER
  • Scope decreased to 8
  • HP increased to 8
  • Recoveries decreased to 3
  • Dodge reduced to 6
  • Mana increased to 5
  • Removed a LIGHT support slot.
  • Downriver: Mana to use, and line reduced to line 6. However, can now be placed within Scope, and no direction of flow.
  • New trait: Rising Tide: Can shift allies when subjecting enemies to forced movement.
  • Water Meld: Now gives better invisibility to allies in the river current.
  • Storm Surge: Updated wording.
  • Rainfall: Updated wording.
• WARDEN
  • Stress cap increased to 6
• WARLORD
  • Scope reduced to 12
  • Focused Plan: Updated wording.
  • Take a Breather: Updated wording.
  • Follow My Lead: Action allies can take is a standard action.
  • Command: Costs ally a reaction to use.
  • Standard of Courage. Now requires a quick action to dismiss, carries over damage, and gives flat 2 temp hp. [Changes bring it more in line with how the companion support item works].

Talents

• ARTILLERIST
  • Rank 1: Updated wording. [intent is you can combine Artillerist and Sniper talents]
• CALLED SHOT
  • Rank 1, changed to a Quick Action, 1 stress for +1 ACC on your next attack roll. If it’s a crit, it gains Piercing.
• DERVISH
  • Rank 1 gains a +1 ACC bonus to linked attacks.
  • Rank 2 renamed to Whirling, tempo renamed to Spin. [Skald already has an effect called tempo.]
• LANCET
  • Rank 1: Updated with Shift.
• METAMAGIC
  • Renamed some of the options.
• PARKOUR
  • Reworked due to the climbing/swimming/jumping changes. Updated with Shift.
• SLASHER
  • Rank 3: Updated with Shift.
• SNIPER
  • Rank 3: Changed to 1/round on a ranged crit while immobilized to deal +1d6 bonus damage.

Equipment

• WEAPONS
  • Lunar Cannon. Changed to line 15
• SUPPORT ITEMS
  • Climbing Gear. Updated due to new climbing rules.
  • Companion. No longer has innate speed. Quick Action to dismiss. [Normal summon dismissal is a free action, which makes sense for those summons that require a full action to conjure. The quick action ones, however, can be summoned and dismissed at little to no risk. This will hopefully fix that, without needing to change the basic summon rules to always be a quick action removal.]
  • Thieves Tools. Can now disable hidden traps.
  • Water maneuverability. Updated due to lack of swimming.
  • Explosive Trap. Damage must be physical/astral/lunar/force.

Techniques

• Arcane Bolt: Gains Indirect.
• Block: MEM reduced to 1
• New Technique: Bolster Aether: Does the same thing as block, but for A-DEF.
• New Technique: Resolve: Spend parry to increase your saving throw.
• Two Weapon Fighting: Removed Parry 1. [This was originally added to reduce how often it can be used, but having a parry cost to attack kind of messes with the concept that parry is a defensive tool. Going back to the latest version, we’ll see how it plays again.]

NPC

• ACTIONS
  • NPCs can’t release in the same phase they CHANNEL. This is only applicable for elites and solos that happen to have a turn in phase 6.

• ARCHITECT
• COMMANDER
  • Renamed Marshal. [To differentiate between the Commander talent.]
  • Miasma Field: Reduced to Blast 1
• ELEMENTALIST
  • Redesigned.
• EXPENDABLE
  • Scramble. Updated climbing rules
  • Swarm renamed Quantity Over Quality
  • Clutch: Updated wording.
• Fortress
  • Towering Wall: Gains the attack redirection property.
  • Harness: Loses the attack redirection property.
• FURY
  • Tomahawk renamed to Throwing Axe
• GLADIATOR
  • HP reduced to 14/16/18
  • Dodge reduced to 8/10/12
  • Glory or Death: Updated wording.
• GUNNER
  • Removed Flight
• HEALER
  • Relief: Updated with Shift.
  • Shield: Gains mana 1.
• MINDREAVER
  • Read Mind: Reworked.
  • Balance: Action increased to a CAST action.
• OVERLORD
  • Eye in the Sky: Updated wording.
  • Momentum. Updated with Shift.
• PEGASUS
  • Sunrise: Costs 1 mana. Attack bonus reduced to +1/+2/+3
  • Gate of Heaven: Renamed Divine Gate
• RANGER
  • Slight rework, now a general all around striker with a focus on ranged attacks. More durable.
  • Twin Blades. Updated with Shift.
• ROGUE
  • Shifty: Updated with Shift.
• SIPHON
  • Renamed to SPELLSHIELD.
  • slight rework, uses a similar effect to how shields work for PCs.
• SNIPER
  • Sniper Shot: Updated wording.
• SPECTER
  • Possess: Specter takes 1 stress each turn. [This puts a time limit on how long the specter can possess].
• SPELLSHIELD
  • Break Spell: Triggering character must be within Scope.
• SUMMONER
  • Conjure Conscript: Action increased to CAST.
  • Seize Command: Reworked.
  • Bodyguard: Interpose can be done 1/round.
• SWARM
  • Speed reduced to 4.
  • Slight rework.
• ELEMENTAL
  • Added Elemental Burn
  • Added Environmental Merge
• ELITE
  • Elite Actions. Extra initiative is +5 instead of +4, to prevent enemies with Initiative 2 from being able to instantly channel and release during their 2^nd turn.
• MINION
  • One Hit: Updated wording.
• OOZE
  • Sticky Climbing. Updated with new climbing rules.
• SOLO
  • Elite Action renamed to Solo Actions
  • Solo Actions. Extra initiative is +5 instead of +4, to prevent enemies with Initiative 2 from being able to instantly channel and release during their 2^nd turn.
  • Seize Initiative: Changed to 1 and 6.
• UNDEAD
  • Revamped template.
• New Template, Beast.
• New Template, Construct.
• New Template, Demon.
• New Template, Devil.
• New Template, Dire.
• New Template, Fey.
• New Template, Outlaw.
• New Template, Plant.

Bosses

• Great Wyrm
  • Burn can’t be used to opportunity attack, since it has no reach.
  • Guardians are 1 per PC.
  • Building heat reduced to 1 Discord, and increases by +1 instead of doubling each round.
  • Exhale: Reduced to Close Blast 3.
• LICH
  • Meteor Swarm reduced to Burst 3

Loot

• Hamstring: Now a melee skill attack.
• Heaven Piercing Fang: Now a ranged skill attack.
• Potion of Climbing. Updated due to new climbing rules
• Power Armor. Updated due to removal of swimming
• Sharkskin Armor. Updated due to removal of swimming.
• Cartwheel: Updated with Shift.
• Feather Token: Removed.
• Skeleton Key: Can now disable HIDDEN traps.
• Slow Fall: Removed
• Kyton Blade: Renamed to Chain Blade
• Quick Draw: Renamed to quick arm, to avoid confusion with Gunslinger trait.
• Guard Break: Also prevents use of reactions.
• Leap: Reworked since jumping no longer exists.
• Heroic Leap: Reworked since jumping no longer exists.

GM Section

• Added a little section on homebrew suggestions.
• Environmental Features
  • Ballista: Now applies to all ranged weapons.