Project SARPS entering next production phase!

Project SARPS is entering the next production phase, that of presentation and 'beautification'. We've gotten a new round of changes added, mostly to do with balancing and correcting of errors. Focus now is on getting the 'Preview' ready for release, and adding the final pages to the Campaign Setting being released with the full product.

As you can see from the logo above, we've gone back to the original name for SARPS: Ample.

We feel the name reflects the aspect of the system we like the most - that it's enough rules to run a full game; it's Ample. The main rule book is labelled Basic Rules Book, and is the core manual required to play the game, although future products may incorporate the Basic Rules Book into setting, are fans can. We're pretty happy with the logo, in fact I'm pretty chuffed, myself.

Anyway, enough patting myself on the back. Whats new? Read on, peeps:

Change Log

This version has some key changes, after some careful consideration and play testing. The most significant changes are in the Wealth System and Combat.

Wealth

• A more detailed description of the system
• A way to track purchases and have it affect the Wealth Advantage temporarily as players spend cash/gold
• A fleshed out processes for raising and lowering the Advantage, giving GMs more insight into when players should have the Advantage improve or when it should decrease
• Introducing Availability; players may also need to be able to locate an item, using the Region Advantage, in order to be able to purchase it
• Availability is added to the number of successes required to Craft an item
• Zero Cost items; how a player can purchase an item with a Cost of 0
• Players can now make a Wealth Advantage check using a d4 if they have do not have any points in the Wealth Advantage

Combat

• Active Defence has been changed to make it a little bit more balanced in the Attacker’s favour. Previously a Defender of mediocre skill and light armour could hold off several attackers at once with little or no threat of damage
• Block and Dodge now add to the amount of Slides an Attacker receives, aside from Armour and Cover. They no longer provide Chokes like other opposed Skill checks
• Taking into account the changes to defence, when an Attacker selects a target, the Defender first makes all Defence checks before the Attacker makes their attack roll. This is so the number of Slides the Attacker suffers is calculated beforehand.
• Dual Wielding has been rewritten. An off-hand weapon makes separate attacks, as a Secondary Attack, using full Weapon Skill but suffering a Choke. Using the Block Defence while dual wielding also grants the Fast Trait. If only fighting a single foe, a dual wielding attacker can make a single attack roll and simply add +1 to damage
• Executing an Exploit – this was added in the last version, but it’s been tweaked a little more. Using Skills, a character can outwit, out manoeuvre, or just play dirty and gain Bumps for their attacks. This can be done as part of an Attack (and hence Primary Action), or passed along to an ally as a Secondary Action. Exploits are very circumstantial actions that need to be narrated or at the very least explained to the GMs approval. Some actions, such as Burst Fire and Aiming (see below), expose a character long enough for other attackers to be able to attempt to Execute an Exploit against them
• Added Aiming. By exposing yourself from cover for longer, you can negate the effects of cover on your target. This is a Tertiary Action that, as written above, allows others to take advantage of if they can and make Execute an Exploit Actions
• Shields add 1 Slide to Armour, for all Attributes. This is a passive bonus.

General

• Crafting difficulties increase by the Availability of an item
• More ideas for modifying a game setting, such as Origins and Advantages, Equipment tweaks and simplification.
• Advice on when to award Bumps to players
• New Character Sheet, based on the mock up made for the Atlas City Almanac Game Setting for Ample. UPDATED – Character sheet reverted to previous version for now, software is playing silly buggers.

And that’s it for this version! There may be a few more minor tweaks I missed, but that’s

about the gist of it. New versions will be sent out shortly to all play test groups. Once again, if anyone is looking to play test a great new gaming system then send us an email or private message with your contact details and we’ll send you a copy!