Excalibird

For the past several weeks I've been working on Techniques and Perks, two of the three kinds of "abilities" in the game. Techniques are weapon abilities that are used primarily if not exclusively in combat. Perks are general skill abilities that find their use across most all aspects of the game. Spells are the third kind of ability, which are, as you might expect, tied to magic skills and vary wildly in use.

My problem with the magic system up until this point was that it felt like it was from an entirely different game than mine. It was like if you had a chocolate cupcake, with nice vanilla icing and sprinkles, and on the top, was a cherry tomato. It feels like it almost fits, but something's off.

And then it hit me, its because the magic system doesn't interact with the game in the same way as the other abilities. It's its own separate beast. Anybody who will participate in the playtest will notice that magic in Fate Be Damned is very similar to D&D, and that's because it is a massive holdover from years ago in FBD's history (I won't go into the whole thing cause I don't wanna keep on a long tangent).

So I came at it from the perspective of: "Imagine the game doesn't have a magic system. How would I incorporate one?" And I came up with the following

(Standard) magic is elemental in nature, fire, water, air, and earth. But these elements are kind of broad in their definitions. So fire magic is just as much about the fire of passion as it is about literal actual "my eyes are melting" fire.

Spells can be either active or passive (or maybe even both depending on their description). So an earth spell can be "active", allowing you to summon a pillar of jagged stone. Or it can be "passive", allowing you to remain stoic in the face of pain.

Spells are not gained by reading books or studying under masters (not directly at least). Instead, like other abilities in the game, they are gained at certain levels in their corresponding skills. So at let's say Level 6 in Fire Magic, you consult the spell list for Fire Magic, pick a spell you meet the requirements of, and bam, you know it. Which leads me to:

You do not need to "prepare" spells. All spells you've learned are at your disposal at all times. So you have access to the full suite.

Instead of spells costing spell slots or "Essence", they increase your "Havoc" which is a measure of the turmoil within your own soul, turmoil that magic creates. Unsure so far how you'd "vent" it, but I'm thinking you either do a downtime action, or spend health/stamina.

Now, currently, this magic system is just a list of bullet points, and not anything concrete. Anybody who participates in the playtest for Fate Be Damned V3 will not be using this system, and instead will be using the system I want to replace. But that's mainly because there are so many other things I want to playtest, and I've already added so much dev time to V3 that I do not want to delay it further.

But, as I have internalised after cutting out 75% of my old spell list, quantity ≠ quality. So what have I done to make sure these choices are meaningful and not bloat? Well I have mentioned in a previous post about how I had an idea for “paths” when tackling this subject. What does that mean? Well a path would be a certain thing that a weapon type is good at. Swords are good at parrying, so lets put a path in focused on that. Axes are good at exhausting enemies so lets put a path in for that. Bludgeons break through armour, so lets do something for that. Etc etc.

Defining two paths for the weapon skills allowed me to have direction in the things I came up with, which I lacked in previous versions. With this newfound direction I was able to further define strengths and make each weapon skill unique.

For the most part.

Yes of course not everything can be simple and easy, there’s one sticking point i’ve neglected to mention. Ranged weapon skills. There is not a whole lot I could come up with for ranged weapon skills. No paths, no super unique playstyles, nothing. Not because I think that’s a good thing to do, its simply because they all do mainly the same thing. They launch a projectile and hit a guy. You don’t parry, block, riposte, or make an attack of opportunity with a ranged weapon. There’s just less to do, in my limited imagination at least.

That’s not to say there’s nothing unique. Archery has Inertia which lets you knock people back. Firearms has Long Shot which lets you increase its effective range the longer you aim. Throwing has the most with Perfect Distance and Alignment that gives you bonuses if you’re at specific distances from your enemy, and Grenadier which makes you better with bombs.

This is something I intend to fix in V3. I’m starting out by defining “paths” that each weapon can take. Pugilism can focus on grappling or striking, Swords can focus on parries or bindwork, Bludgeons can focus on defeating armour or blowing through parries and blocks, etc. Defining at least 2 things a weapon type can be good at goes a long way toward making each weapon type feel unique, and allowing different builds to work with the same weapon.

The main sticking point I’ve found is with the ranged weapons. There isn’t really a whole lot you can do with three different flavours of throwing things. So for ranged disciplines, I don’t have any set “paths” as there aren’t a whole lot I can think of.

Sounds great, sounds fine. Except its not. I have been playing around with this system so much and it never feels right for the world or vibe of FBD. Magic based on emotion is cool but it feels odd to tell players how their characters are feeling based on a mechanic, even if that emotion is entirely artificial within the fiction of the game. It also has the issue of being powerful enough that players have been feeling like they're missing out by not investing in it, even though investing in it is making them weaker in other areas through opportunity cost.

I've tried different things to tackle these issues as we go through playtesting sessions but nothing has really felt right for the game. So I'm currently trying to wipe the board clean so to speak, and build a newer system mostly from scratch. My main idea is to have a "Havoc" gauge or something similar. Basically, the more you cast, the more Havoc you build. The more fuck shit can happen. You can probably invest in some perks that make you more effective the higher your Havoc but thats for after I build the system.

The year is 1312, the world of Iris is undergoing a technological, philosophical, and artistic revolution. This era will be studied by historians in the coming centuries, but you have the privilege of living in it.

Civilization

The hands of civilization spread to the reaches of the world, where hundreds of millions of people live their lives, unaware, or perhaps uncaring that the world is the best it's ever been. 

Though for some, that statement would be a cruel reminder rather than a comforting thought. As civilization spreads, so does hatred, intolerance, and war. When alchemists first discovered black powder, they could never have conceived of how many wars they would end, and how many more would take their place.

The resources to maintain large empires or confederations are far off in the future, the majority of world conflict happens as noble squabbles, or civil wars. Kingdoms are small, and kings numerous, with no shortage of reasons to levy men off to die mere miles from their homes.

Not all is so bleak however. In Azad, medicinal science is reaching heights never before seen, now able to save the wounded from deadly infection. In Casadia, they've popularised a form of theatre where angelic, vibrant vocals lead the story rather than rhyme or prose. Hallan metallurgy has fused with sculpture in some sects, crafting beautiful armour that serves a dual function as both a jousting harness, and an art piece.

The Wilderness

Between the bounds of civilization, where roads hold the empty promise of safety, is the wilderness, the untamed lands on the earth you walk. 

In the wild, it is best not to stray from the road, as in the wood lay all sorts of beasts, magic or otherwise. Bears see people as easy meals, and schrats will pull you beneath the bark of the trees you run past trying to escape.

The road too is unsafe, as brigands rob, kill, and take anyone they deem fit for robbing, killing, or taking. Led by robber barons occupying an empty fort, or perhaps just some desperate bastard in a lean to. What's it matter? You're dead all the same.

The Drifters

Amid this strife and innovation is you, a drifter. A wandering mercenary going place to place fixing problems for a price. You take jobs from people too weak, too entitled, or too busy to take care of them on their own. In return for shouldering the risk, you take home a coinpurse, should you survive.

You are not a hero. Your skillset can be bought and sold. You are not exceptional. You are just another man, woman, or something else living life chasing the next payday, or perhaps you're chasing another goal. Fulfillment through a religious cause? Vengeance on someone who wronged you? Death through battle? Your reasons are your own, so long as you get the job done.

A drifter is more of a category than a real occupation. A sellsword is a drifter in much the same way as a wandering physician is. They stay (relatively) neutral, they take jobs, they get paid, they drift away.

Regardless of your drifter's true vocation, the fact of the matter is that they are not special, but they are yours, so who cares about special anways?

I started with a list of about 500 spells. I wrote all of those over the course of several months, and those several months felt basically wasted because afterwards I read through these spells and hated the majority of them. But after a whole lot of work, I cut them down, reworked them, and even added a couple to make the evocations and rituals. So, I'd like to point out one ritual and one evocation I like, and why.

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Threshold Novice Thanaturgy Ritual

You know how you should never invite a vampire inside? This ritual lets you apply those rules to everyone. Threshold allows you to declare a room off limits for entrance for up to 24 hours. Anyone who tries is blocked by a forcefield. In order to get inside, you have to be invited in. If someone who's inside leaves, the spell ends. You can also reverse the polarity of this threshold so that anything inside can't get out, but anything outside can get in, ending the spell. Now why do I like this so much? It's because of the preparation aspect. If you know you're gonna be fighting something that really likes to move around, you can find its lair, put a reversed threshold, and fight it in a confined space. Or if you're about to get attacked by a horde in the next hour, you can threshold your hideout and come up with a plan knowing that they can't get in...for now.

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Conduit Apprentice Thanaturgy Evocation

Essence is a valuable resource in Fate Be Damned, it's how you cast your evocations after all. So what if you could give some to your buddies in need? Conduit allows you to do just that, spending up to 12 Essence (even more with Sorrow Volatility) and giving that to the target of your choice. This essence can even bypass maximums. HOWEVER, you'll start taking magic damage as that excess energy begins tearing you apart from the inside. Easy fix if you're a mage, just cast a spell. But if you're not a mage, you're gonna be taking that damage as you wait for it to passively vent off of you.

Currently it’s not publicly available. I’m in Version 2 of a private playtest. But when I get Version 3 done, I’ll open it up for public playtesting.