Autumn is Here!

Goodbye Summer, hello Autumn!

Today marks the official end of Summer (in the land of Oz at any rate) and to celebrate we're annoucing the suppliments in production stages for Hands of Fate.

The first suppliment is Monsters of Karth; a look at various critters and baddies to be found in Karth, the game setting for Hands of Fate. Thank you to those who offered contributions to add to the bestiary, and keep em coming in. PM me if you have more ideas you'd like to see in the game, and I'll work on adding it before the final draft is finished. We plan on offering Monsters of Karth as a free download, in PDF format, so stay tuned for it's release.

A Guide to Karth; a game setting information guide with a story preceding each chapter recounting one Imperial's journeys about the continent, exposing the various cultures and regions, while leaving large tracts open to discovery in your own games. A Guide to Karth builds on the brief descriptions given in the Core Rules, and adds depth and flavour to your games. Each chapter also provides several plot ideas by detailing various faction struggles in each area.

Ars Academia; the first Magic oriented suppliment expanding on the Sorcery rules found in the Core Rules. The various chapters will include setting information for running Academia Alchemica themed adventures, expanded magic item creation rules, spell lists for different skill levels and styles, and information on rivals and enemies of the Academy.

Return of the Weaver; A full multi-session adventure for Hands of Fate. Bringing old religions back into power, facing off against powerful Imperial houses and their scions, prophecies and giant fricken SPIDERS! The heroes are hired to undertake a dangerous mission for a mysterious young prophet, and soon find themselves out of their league when they learn they are responsible for the fate of gods.

Behind the Throne; a deeper look at the devious and subtle powers of Enchantments. Each chapter will include information on the use of illusion and charms to gather power, and the consequences of failure. More spells, more setting information and some NPCs for GMs to use as either the powers behind the throne, or the teachers of forbidden arts. A new society of Enchanters, called the Oculus, is introduced. Master manipulators and shadow players - are they the true power in the Empire?

Also, the Core Rules is just about ready for sale, and we anticipate a mid-March release date. Stay tuned, HoFers!

Moving Forward

Version 0.6 is complete! This milestone marks the completion of the Core Rules book, and is ready for online digital print sales. The PDF has bookmarks and indexed links to all the tables and chapters, making for ease of use on your tablets or PCs. In this state I have begun spreading the word, and getting the game out there to people for testing and feedback beyond my immediate group of gamers. I'm looking forward to the comments and suggestions on the state of play, and if there is anyone out there who would like to test it, please send me an email with some details about yourself and your group. I'm looking for new and old gamers, as they both have perspectives to offer that are unique and equally valuable.

I'm also thinking up some marketing strategies, such as discounts for online members (members of what? you ask...yeah I'm not sure yet either - stay tuned) and of course all the testers will receive either discounts, or even free copies as gifts depending on their level of involvement.

As it is, the product is looking to hover around 160 pages, and as far as setting information goes I consider it 'lite'. I intend to produce a couple of supplements at the same time, perhaps even free, to better illustrate the setting in the players' minds. There will also be an extended Bestiary, which is already in production stages, as the one in the book is merely meant to serve as an example of how easy this system is to create NPCs and monsters on the fly. There will be more supplements based around the different versions of magic, as each style has great potential for expanding and creating fantastic stories about. I've always been a fan of free style magic in games and this is a chance for me to truly flex my creative muscles in this regard.

So anyway, moving forward, I intend to release the product to the general public soon once playtesting of a few of the lesser tested areas gets...well, tested.

Stay Sharp!

Character Generation Peek

Here is a snippet from the Character Gen chapter, a cheat sheet or breakdown on how to build a character. Players can use this to help guide them during this process, and show them how to fill out the character sheets. This is an important step as know where to find information on these sheets in a timely fashion helps to move the game forward.

Second attempt

Thanks for those that gave me some feedback about the cover, constructive criticism is what I'm after and that's what I got. The general design was acceptable, but the wording was a little hard to read. I've toyed with the molten iron look and come up with another design, one I'm much happier with.

Cover Artwork!

I'm very excited to present the first draft for the cover of the printed copy of the Core Rules. I spent several hours on it, toiling away on photoshop to create the effects I desired, and if anyone has any feedback let me know as I am eager to hear what people think.

I may end up changing the text on the front, maybe get a hot glowing iron effect for the main title.

What are your first impressions?

Non-Human Races of Karth

Alfari

The Alfari Ascendency was once a massive nation of elves, who over time were corrupted by the pursuit of Sorcery, demonology and other more vile magic. They became twisted and perverse, enslaving other races in Karth and eventually were destroyed through a combination of their own depravity and the heroic uprising of the young Karthi Barbarians. Now, they are a savage and degenerate peoples, living in the wilderness in tribes and small communities. They war constantly with each other and prey upon any and every community not their own. They still wield powerful magic in the form of spirits and demons bound to fetishes by wicked shamans, although they are a shadow of their former power. They have been known for cannibalism and savagery of almost bestial quality. A few, however, have become unchained from their society's vicious cycles. Whether through compassion for an orphaned Alfari child, or more sinister reasons, some become functioning, if somewhat untrusted and hated, members of Karthi society. The Empire welcomes cosmopolitanism and recognises anyone's desire to live under Imperial rule. Alfari characters still possess some of the agility of their ancestors, and receive the Talent Agile, allowing them to add their Cunning to any one Reflex based Skill check once per day. They also receive the Talent Untrusted, which causes all NPC Attitudes to automatically be 1 level lower when they are first met.

Bolfi

Known throughout the Empire as Dwarves, the Bolfi generally keep to themselves, and rarely venture out of the mountains they call home. They have in the past traded with the Empire and Karthi before them, but the industrialist Empire has begun encroaching on their domain for the purpose of mining. The Karthi call them Stonefolk, due to their ashen, almost grey stone-like skin. They were enslaved by the Alfari as well, and respected the Karthi warriors as instrumental to overthrowing them. The Empire, not so much. No Bolfi will sit and be called a Dwarf without challenging the honour of the offender, and their quick tempers are legendary. Stout, strong backed and the most loyal of allies, Stonefolk characters receive the Talent Hardy, which allows them to add their Power to any one Resilience based Skill check once per day. They must also receive the Talent Stout, which reduces their Movement rate by 1 square.