Happy Eostre's Day!

A bit late, but screw it, I ain't christian. Whatever you believe to be the origins and reasons for celebrating Easter, at least be safe and enjoy the 3 day week that we get here in Australia due to the near overlapping of Anzac Day.

Onto business!

Playtesting for SARPS is coming along nicely, gotten several good ideas and feedback that we've incorporated into the next version. Overall, we're happy with the general rules (with some minor tweaks as playtesting progresses), enough that we can start in earnest on the up coming companion setting 'Atlas City Almanac'.

The Almanac takes the SARPS Basic Rules and adds a skin to it, a cyberpunk-esque dystopian city of rampant crime and mutating nano-technology. Players have the choice of playing private law enforcement officers called Watchdog Operatives, or getting theirs on the other side of the law as a crime Crew. There's also plenty of adventures to be had in the Wilds, searching for valuable salvage and technology from before when a nano-Virus and the nuclear measures taken to stop the mutated hordes from spreading pretty much wiped out civilisation.

Playtesters looking for examples on what the system can do (and those looking to become playtesters) can email me directly, post in the comments or otherwise get in contact as the beta version will be available in about 2 weeks (less if I get motivated). All up it should be close to 100 pages of flavour and additional rules, new Archetypes and Advantages, full equipment lists and expanded Wealth system, adversaries and nano-tech powers. Plus a whole city waiting to be explored and plundered!

Change is Progress

After a rather successful week of playtesting, we've made the first round of major changes to Public Beta versions of SARPS. Received enough great feedback to start tweaking and modifying, finding things we wouldn't have found by ourselves (kind of the same as why you can't proof read your own work).

Change log is as follows:

Archetypes

• Now all Archetypes receive 1 free Bump on their Skills, on top of +1 to each Skill at Generation. Without this, they were kind of meaningless.

Skills

• Removed alternative references to Combat Skill as Combat Style. Clarified the Combat Skill base skill in descriptions

Combat

• Removed requirement to 'Declare Actions' and removed the reference to it in the Order of Combat.
• Highest Initiative simply acts first, and may delay their actions
• Categorised Actions into Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Actions; Primary were main actions, Secondary remains the same, Tertiary are free actions.
• All Primary and Secondary Actions produce Slides on subsequent actions, regardless of which type.
• Added the Execute Exploit Action; previously the Bump/Slide economy was left a little vague, Exploits are ways to use a character's Skills in conjunction with an attack to grant a Bump. Exploit Actions can be opposed, and don't add a Slide to subsequent actions like regular actions do.
• Shields allow for the Block Defence to be performed as if holding a weapon with the Fast trait.
• Weapon Skills have their effects removed, these will now be added as Traits on individual weapons. Weapon Skill now simply act much as proficiencies, and detail which attribute is used with the weapons.
• Burst Fire and Indirect Fire have had the penalty removed and changed to allowing anyone targeting them to Execute an Exploit with an Intelligence based Combat Skill check.
• Mounted Combat allows the rider to move 1 Range Category as a Tertiary Action instead of a Secondary.
• Unarmed Attacks work much like untrained attacks do.
• Untrained attacks (always a tricky mechanic in an RPG system) now simply use the Combat Skill base skill and suffer a Choke.
• First Aid is updated to match the previous change of damage per Wound. Now 3 successes on an Intelligence based Academics check is required to heal 1 Wound, and 1 per damage during combat.

Equipment

• Updated the sample equipment list to include more traits since the weapon skills had them removed.
• Added a few more entries because I could.
• Tweaked Wealth success requirements for purchasing items. We're sill not 100% sold on the Wealth system and but may end up just leaving there for those that don't care for book keeping coins.
• Added the Slow, Armour Piercing and Bump on Exploit traits; Slow provides an additional Slide on subsequent actions, Armour Piercing removes Slides on armour and Bump on Exploit provides a Bump...on...Exploits...yeah, thought we didn't have to explain that one.

Playtesters, expect the newest version in your inboxes soon, this time they're amended with a version number for reference, which is the date of the update in day/month/year format.

If you find any references in the rules that don't make sense, flag it as it's probably something we missed after we made the changes. Keep it coming in!

Play Testers Wanted!

This week we kick off the public testing phase of Project SARPS:

What is Project SARPS? SARPS stands for Setting Agnostic Role Playing System. As the acronym indicates, it's a setting free roleplaying game thats both flexible and easy to understand. Once you have a grasp of the rules, you can tweak it, bend it and twist it to fit nearly any genre of roleplaying. We started the Project as a sort of internal challenge, to create a generic system that can be used as a base for further projects. The more we wrote, the more ideas we had. 

Some key features:

4 Attributes - Strength, Cunning, Intelligence and Personality - combine with 9 Skill - Academics, Athletics, Communications, Perception, Mechanical, Stealth, Stunts, Crafting and Combat Style - to produce 36 different ways to tackle problems. All with a just a few dice.

Attributes determine the type of die, Skill detemine how many - A Strength of d8 and a Combat Style of 3 means 3d8 on an attack roll. Successes scored based on individual dice, generally a 4+ is a success.

Modifiers produce 'Bumps' and 'Slides' that upgrade or degrade a single die at a time to the next higher or lower die type; a Bump on a d6 makes it a d8, a Slide makes it a d4 etc. 

Success and Failure are not absolute - Many complex tasks require multiple successes to perform, sometimes more than a character has in a single skill roll. As long as a character gets at least 1 success, and the situation warrants it, the next round can be spend making another skill check and adding the successes to the total until the require number is  met. Failing to get a single success on the first roll is a Total Failure, the task may not be attempted again soon, while getting at least 1 success, but failing to get any further successes is a Partial Failure - the character can attempt again but loses all previous successes. This can also be narrated instead, success at a cost to character, for example.

Advantages - Nearly anything can have an Advantage, magic, reputation, wealth, a car, a weapon, a potion, a piece of tech, a spaceship, an NPC or an area. This feature allows a GM to produce almost any effect, based on a simple roll of 1d6 per point in the Advantage. For example, a Gangbanger NPC has the Advantage of Thug Life 1; once per battle the Gangbanger may make a Thug Life Advantage check by rolling 1d6. If they score a 4+ then in 3 rounds time 1 more Gangbanger arrives to help out.

Wounds reduce Attribute die types - Someone with a Strength of d8 suffers a Strength Wound, and their Strength gets reduced to d6.

Abstract Wealth system - As Wealth can be an Advantage instead of an exact figure, you can treat it as a simple die roll to purchase things or achieve results by spending cash. Items can have a Wealth requirement, meaning the number of successes needed on such a roll to be able to purchase it. Partial successes could mean the item is purchased but the Advantage suffers a loss, or a temporary penalty.

Flexibility is the theme, and we want to know just HOW flexible we've made it. 

This is where YOU come in. We'd like to send out free copies of the beta version for play testing, with the one condition that you send us an email with your thoughts and discoveries, as well as any cool settings you've come up with and how you used the system to do what you wanted. Either post a comment or PM with your email address and we'll try and get you a copy to toy with!

Enjoy!

#RPG #Playtest #openbeta

It's ALIVE!! It's alive!

Well, folks, we got it out! At long last the Hands of Fate Sci-Fi edition is here!

To celebrate, we're sending out special discount codes for customers who've purchased our products before, and for those who read this blog! Simply click on the hyperlink below to be sent to the store page with the discount applied. Hurry, though, this code expires in a month's time!

Hands of Fate - Exile's End DISCOUNT!

Oz Day Long Weekend

In 2 days, the Australia Day Long Weekend starts and so does a good solid grind to get the final stages of Exile's End proof read. If all goes well, and I'm not too distracted with BBQs, Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown, or other frivolities and festivities, I should have a new product being uploaded onto RPGNow.com and Drivethrustuff.com.

Plans for the future:

• Get back on track with Behind the Throne - it's all written, just not formatted or had artwork added.
• Consult the crew on a direction to take the first supplement for Exile's End; do we expand Psionics? Equipment? Starships? Or do we flesh out an entire Network, perhaps the Known Network, to support more than just sandbox style play?
• Advise and take notes; Colin is doing a Conan port of Hands of Fate, and armed with the revised system from Exile's End this is an opportunity for me to start pooling together ideas for HoF 2nd Ed.
• That's right, Hands of Fate Second Edition! It's in no way started yet, but the more we play, the more we build, the more ideas are coming forth; modelling Sorcery and Benedictions on the easier, yet still fluid Psionics; the Penetration vs. Fortification dynamic; Fatigue system revamped. Lots of positive changes to come. Don't worry if you've already purchased the Print on Demand version of the Core Rules you'll be getting a free update, the Pay What You Want version will be assessed at the appropriate time.
• A Benedictions Supplement, and possibily one or two others focused on either Factions or combat in general.
• Teaching myself 3D artwork using a few really handy programs. Already made a few beauts for Exile's End, and with some of the proceeds of selling Exile's End I'll be getting more resources to play with.

Back to Exile's End; if anyone would like to help out proof reading there's a free copy in it for you (with mistakes) on the condition that you send me back a word or openoffice document with all the typos and incorrect references in it. Just PM me or leave a comment for me to get in touch with you.

Well, thats all for this entry...oh wait...almost forgot ;)

The final short story from Behind the Throne:

The Eye Gazes West

Kalia, although a woman, bore the title of Master of the West. She paced before her subordinates, handpicked men and women from all over the Empire. They knelt before her as she paced, faces toward the ground in supplication. They all knew of her wrath, had tasted it first hand on their own rises to power. Momentarily, Kalia stopped.

“Nifam, you shall travel to this northern city, Skoro, and control this new conglomerate of merchants causing all the stirrings we’ve heard reported. Take whoever you need from New Corah, but for Lokan’s sake, do not let that pig of a Stralhd buffoon screw up the tributes to Anselm Gladius. He must receive the Tributes on time, or else the Emperor’s own agents will come looking for answers. How you ensure this occurs is your job.”

“Yes, Mistress” the young Kallamus Sorcerer struck a fist to his chest, then cupped his eye like a monocle. He rose and left the darkened chamber.

“Vance, you will monitor the retired good General Firebrand, ensure his forces pull out of the cities on schedule, if you can convince him to leave Karth altogether that would be grand, but not necessary; so long as the Magistrates have full authority to police their states I will be happy. Understood?”

A burly soldier, crippled but still strong, rose from the floor, a solemn nod followed by a repetition of the previous salute and the man limped from the room.

“Listian, my sweet spider, you will infiltrate the Great Houses in Karth. Use your body, use your brains, use other peoples bodies. Seduce who you must, but get them fighting with each other like ever before. We must have them more involved with themselves than with noticing who is really pulling the strings.”

“Mmm…seducing young noblemen is my specialty, Mistress,” came the sultry reply from the seductress Listian, as she too rose, a suggestive glance at her Mistress and the two remaining Overseers. Her perfume lingered for minutes after she exited the chamber.

“Langor, you will stir up the barbarian tribes. Cause unrest. Test the defences and security of the cities and find their weaknesses. You will spend the most time in the wilderness, so report what you can about these wild men and Alfari demon worshippers that I keep hearing about. I want to know more. If you can find a way to control them, I want to hear about it.”

A tall, weathered man with a hook instead of a left hand rose, “As you command, my lover.” he said, a knowing smile on his roguish face. Kalia returned the smile, and waited until only one man remained before her.

“You, my beloved, may rise. I have a special task for you.”

The last man stood, brushing off his knees. A wry grin on his dark, handsome face. “He still does not suspect. Poor Langor.”

“Hush, no more talk of this. Before you bed me, my true lover, I must get a pledge from you.”

“Anything, my mistress of the heart.”

“Watch the others, your task is to keep them in line. If one of them falters, or shows signs of slipping and you cannot intervene to recover their endeavour without revealing yourself; kill them.”

“Even your puppy, Langor?”

“Especially him. Our work is too important to let emotion get in the way.” Now she smiled at the unnamed man, “Despite his prowess on the silken battlefield…”

“Prowess, has he?” the man stepped closer to Kalia, drew her scent into him, “what does the boy know of prowess…”

Kalia’s heart thudded in her chest as for a moment she swore she could see his eyes change, a flash of the beast’s power within him. Such power is intoxicating, she thought, and it is mine…all mine…
 

She grabbed the man by the sleeves and pulled him to her.

A New Year, A New Era for HoF

A new year is upon us, fellow gamers. With it we bring news of an exciting new product nearing completion: Hands of Fate - Exile's End! This new edition of the Hands of Fate System bring updated rules, streamlining of several key aspects of the game, and SPACESHIPS! Yes that's right, we go Space Opera!

But fear not, we haven't forgotten our previous promise; another story from the up and coming Behind The Throne enchantments supplement for HoF:

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

King Harlgrif was but the shadow of the man he was two seasons ago. The terrible poison of the foreigners had taken its toll on him and his household, eating away at his body, reducing him to a feeble old man as weak as a milk drinker. His finest warriors, his strongest advisors, they all suffered as he had. How foolish had he been? How could he have let the rat faced merchant trick him so?

The snake had never smoked his own herb, he had realised too late into the addiction. When he tried to stop, he could not. It made him weak of mind as well as body. The last of his cursed stock was dwindling and rationing had been in force for weeks. It had been disastrous when they tried to give up the smoke. His own son had died; two others perished when their hearts gave out, the rest were driven almost to madness before the King ordered them to ration the herb to all that needed it.

And now, when his worst fears were about to become reality – the last of the herb literally up in smoke, the foreigners’ army are at his Hold, demanding access to the mountain pass.

Their spokesman stood before him now, as the King slumped in his chair.

“In addition to the unfettered access to the pass, we require the use of your Clan Hold as a staging point to advance towards the west. We shall build a fort in the middle of the Hold, the walls of the Hold itself acting as an added line of defence.”

Harlgrif did not like this man, reading from a list of demands like he was already defeated. He had yet to lift his axe to the invaders, and already they treat him like a defeated foe! His blood boiled, his rage momentarily giving him energy enough to ignore the terrible affliction plaguing his body. He rose, crashing aside a table beside him for refreshments.

“I am King of this Clan! This Hold! This Pass!” He bellowed, “We are the Karthi! We do not bow to demands from foreign milk drinkers!”

To his credit, the foreigner actually looked impressed at the King’s outburst. “Your majesty, these are not demands, but requests in good faith. We have coin to pay for these valuable services you can offer us.”

“We have no use for Imperial coins! What fool would trade his own currency for worthless metal from another land?”

“The coastal holds accept our coin, as do several other lands we have encountered on our march through these lands. But if it is not coin you desire, we have other…luxuries.”

The King blinked. His energy spent he nearly collapsed into his chair. An aide rushed to attend him but the King waved him off in annoyance. “Go on…” he urged.

“I can’t help but notice a certain affliction, prevalent in your good peoples…”

“You speak of the poison brought to my Hold by one of your peoples. A snake disguised as a merchant.”

“Yes, your grace, a most foul act by an unscrupulous individual. We have methods of weening the addicted off such poisons, advanced herbalism and medical techniques. If you agree to our terms I can arrange for our apothecaries to begin treating and teaching this aid to you immediately.”

“For such aid, I will only grant you access to our mountain pass. I will not side with the Empire in this…invasion.”

“Exploration, your grace,” corrected the spokesman, “we bring the riches and culture of a vast Empire to these lands, no more. Perhaps, though, I can sway you to accept my whole request…”

“The only thing that would convince me to side with you in this war, for that is what it is to be should you pass beyond this mountain, is if you find me the snake that did this to me. His death at my hands would restore my honour. Nothing less shall I agree to.”

“Your Majesty…the knave is indeed known to us, he is our prisoner even now, a criminal of the basest of crimes. Lieutenant Horten, bring forth your charge!”

An armoured soldier in the Empire’s livery advanced from the gathering of foreigners in the hall. The Lieutenant shoved a battered and beaten man before him, who stumbled and fell. The swollen and disfigured face of Finix looked up at the King.

Once more the King was on his feet, ailment forgotten. He looked at Finix with a hatred he had never known before.

“You shall have your fort, Imperial, you shall have access to my pass and men for your war…”

The Imperials withdrew from the Karthi hall. Still the King stared at the broken man before him, seething.

“What say you, dog? How shall you die?”

A small gasping moan was all Finix managed, but his mouth opened long enough for all to see his broken teeth, the blistered stump where a hot knife had cut out his tongue.

The Eagle and the Egg

The second short story from Behind the Throne...

The Eagle and the Egg

Five men faced each other across the oak table, their faces shrouded in deep shadow so that no man saw the other fully. The darkness was a little too theatrical for Zandral, one of the men, as they all wore their formal masks over their faces, as always. Zandral expected the darkness was merely a ploy by the Master of the North to set the others on edge. Let him have his silly parlour tricks, he thought, only a fool would fall for them. Another thought occurred to him then, perhaps the ploy was not so foolish after all – any here who were perceived as being affected by this would show a weakness that can be exploited later. He smiled under his porcelain mask and he could not help but let a short ‘harrumph’ escape his lips.

     “Do you find the destruction of an entire culture funny, Master of the West?” queried the Master of the East.

     “Not at all, Alephand,” he apologised, “I hold the destruction of the Noi in the most serious of lights, my mind was merely on other matters. Please, forgive my interruption and continue.”

    “As I was saying, the Arch Mage Singrefel was successfully motivated to lead the Academy’s contingent into the Noi homeland, their defences utterly useless against their Sorcery. The Emperor’s Arm is expected to send the report within the month of the city’s destruction. As hoped, the surviving Noi will galvanise in their desire to hunt the Academia Alchemica and will be one more thorn in the Sorcerer’s side for many years to come.”

    “Excellent work,” praised the Master of the Eye, a man known only as Tens of the Foe, “Now we turn our gaze upon the Hunters of the Empire, the Ordos Venatori.”

    “For too long have they acted without our guidance.” Agreed one of the others.

   “They are too spread out, too independent, their leaders have too little power over their members.” spoke another.

    “And what of this Aguila Magnus, The Great Eagle? From all accounts he is incorruptible, scrupulous and honourable. A great man, indeed. How does one manipulate a man such as he?”

Zandral stood, it was time to reveal his plan.

     “We do not. We kill him.”

    “No easy feat, Zandral, many assassins have met their end on his blade. As memory serves, Grand Master Grendal has forbidden any contracts on the man at any rate.”

Tens of the Foe turned his full attention to Zandral. A gaze that can bring Emperor’s low.

    “And how would removing the only man with the power to direct the entire Order allow us to direct them more easily? This is foolishness!” The Master of the North was also standing now.

   “The Ordos Venatori are driven by their pledge to destroy the monsters that plague the Empire. Aguila Magnus Tieth has proven that he is more than willing to lead from the front of his Great Hunts. I say we give him a foe that he can neither ignore, nor hope to defeat. When his death at the hands of such a mighty foe reaches the rest of the Hunters, it will unite them in a way that no other has in generations.”

    “Yes…and controlling such a beast is a far easier task…we relocate it, or at least spread rumours of its presence where we want the Hunters to gather…a good plan, Master of the West, a worthy plan.” Approval from the Master of the Eye was a good sign.

     

    “But where do we find such a monster? They don’t simply advertise their presence, they are not so easy to locate as you would think, Zandral!”

Zandral smiled, he had taken authority of the meeting from the Master of the North, by showing that his information was far more pertinent to the group.

    “I suspect that Master Zandral already has a candidate in mind, am I right?”

The Master of the Eye sees many things, Zandral mused. He reached around behind him to a chest, and placed an ovular object on the table before them all.

    “An egg, captured from the nest of the Great Wyrm Vermilloximunda…”