Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 15 - Cavalryman

This is the fifteenth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The final Discipline preview from the forthcoming Earthdawn Companion is here with Cavalryman. This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

There is one central thing Cavalrymen have going on, which everything else orbits: their mount. Other themes follow, such as a more general approach to combat, social and camaraderie, and travel. The importance of their mount primarily comes through their Discipline abilities, though there are a few talents as well.

The previous Discipline abilities, Gait Mastery and Resurrect Mount, were both in the same general theme, but didn't make the cut. The former is an interesting ability and good in the right circumstances, when you need to modify that Movement Rate to get your charge or Wheeling Attack just right. However, it's a little too fiddly and wasn't as generally useful as desired for Discipline abilities. This being said, it may yet appear in a different form.

Resurrect Mount is a different story. It's biggest problem is what it does to the setting and the events of a campaign. Bringing things back from the dead is extremely limited - last chance salves only work on mostly dead targets and have a restrictive time limit. As well, this ability negates the drama potential around a Cavalryman losing their precious companion and the journey to find a new one. The follow up is it may not even be relevant to a game, which is not a good place to be for the Master tier ability.

Their replacements are Shared Strength and Shared Spirit. Shared Strength is along the lines of many other Warden tier abilities, offering a +3 to their mount's Strength Step for a Blood Magic cost. It is a solid benefit that reinforces the connection between adept and companion. Shared Spirit also reinforces this connection, but provides a significant piece of utility: the ability to summon their mount.

Five of their seven Discipline talents were replaced. Shield Beater, Tame Mount, and Unmount are no longer talents, while Vitality (now Burning Vigor) wasn't a great fit because they only have another talent option to spend the Recovery tests on and Life Check is a talent option.

Replacing them are Animal Talk, Goring Attack (effectively Trample, moved from their talent options), Momentum Attack, Relentless Recovery, and Thunderstruck. Most of these enhance their combat capabilities (along with the returning Critical Hit and Multi-Charge), also enhancing the connection with their mount and building on the sense of dynamism the Discipline possess.

Their talent options saw similar changes: Call Mount, Develop Animal Sense, and Incite Stampede are no longer talents, Lion Heart is a Journeyman talent option, Bestial Toughness became Unflinching Fortitude, while Safe Path, Spirit Strike, and Tiger Spring were pulled as they weren't good fits or there were better options. For example, Spirit Strike requires either a degree of mysticism or dedication to the weapon. Despite being a combat Discipline, neither of these are true for Cavalrymen, who are dedicated and connected to their mount.

The talent options available to these adepts allow them to pursue a number of different directions. A Cavalryman dedicated to their companions may find value in Battle Bellow, Champion Challenge, Rally, and Thought Link, while one who is more of a dashing hussar type may prefer Impressive Display and Lasting Impression. Adepts who want to be tough, never letting their opponents see them falter, may find Fireblood, Iron Constitution, Life Check, Resist Pain, Resist Taunt, Steel Thought, and Unflinching Fortitude their style, and those who simply want to be in the thick of combat will probably want Defensive Posture, Down Strike, and Vicious Wound.

There aren't many offensive talent options for these adepts at high Circles. The reason is pretty simple: they don't need much help. Charge is already frightening and many of their tools exist around augmenting it. Combining the high damage of Charge with Critical Hit and Vicious Wound is... wrong is probably the best word. It's just wrong. Since Cavalrymen can be something of glass canons (paper tigers, paper ninjas, etc.) at low Circles, the overall goal was to provide them more defensive options. Not necessarily options that encourage them to wade into combat - such as high armor - but instead allow them to shrug it off for a time while delivering punishing blows. These adepts are prone to riding in at a critical moment to deliver an impressive and mortal blow, claiming the glory - of course, humbly shared with their companion.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 14 - Air Sailor

This is the fourteenth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

We have the final specialist Discipline this week: Air Sailor. This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

As far as themes go, Air Sailors have a lot of things going on. It's easy to think of them as a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. However, their role is a bit more complex than this. Their primary themes are teamwork and travel. The numerous directions they can pursue through their options allow them to grow into various roles necessary for their group. They also have numerous abilities that either benefit their group as a whole, or aid them when acting with their group. The biggest message here is Air Sailors are an asset to any group, even if not on an airship.

Both Discipline abilities are new, but within the same flavor of the previous abilities. Coordinate Attacks is their new Warden ability, replacing Determined Charge. This change was by no means because Determined Charge was bad - it served as an inspiration for a certain Swordmaster ability - but it didn't have quite the right feel for Air Sailor. While bravado isn't necessarily about of place for these adepts, it doesn't apply to all Air Sailors. It also puts them in the default position of being the primary actor, which also doesn't quite fit the Discipline as a whole. Certain members, without a doubt. Coordinate Attacks emphasizes their teamwork theme to a greater degree and brings a bit more of a tactical element, showing their experience as they gain Circles.

At Master Safe Passage was replaced for a few reasons. First, the nullification of Sky Raider's Lightning Song was weird and lame (your Discipline's Master tier ability has a direct reaction to another Discipline...?), and now irrelevant. As well, there's already the Safe Path talent, and it's not particularly interesting. Kinda the opposite of interesting since it makes things the opposite of it by definition.

Which brings us to its replacement, Windborne Speed. It's function is pretty simple: it makes you travel faster. There are a few interesting pieces. For instance, it doesn't require an airship and can affect land-based travel, though there is a size limit. It's not going to make a behemoth or an army travel any faster, but it will definitely benefit a smallish group. Also, it increases Movement Rate in combat by a flat rate, providing some additional mobility. This particular ability plays into both teamwork and travel and can be of remarkable value when dealing with the types of issues that beset Master tier adepts. Getting somewhere in a hurry, particularly with unexpected speed, can often be a thing.

Five Discipline talents were pulled: Life Check, Second Chance, Shield Beater, Wound Transfer, and Vitality. Of these, Life Check and Second Chance were both moved to Master talent options, Shield Beater and Wound Transfer aren't talents anymore, and Vitality (effectively replaced by Burning Vigor) wasn't a good fit. If nothing else, they don't have enough to spend those Recovery Tests on.

Concentrated Assault, Lasting Impression, Lion Spirit, Second Attack, and Song of Battle are the replacement Discipline talents. Along with the returning Rally and Thought Link, these showcase their primary themes of teamwork and travel. Lasting Impression builds on their versatility and is well suited for anyone who travels, while Concentrated Assault, Rally, Song of Battle, and Thought Link are all group oriented. Lion Spirit helps to ensure they don't get sidelined and can continue supporting their allies, while Second Attack gives them some additional combat capabilities. While they're not a combat Discipline, it is an area they always have competence.

Aura Armor, Elemental Tongues, Endure Cold, Ethereal Weapon, Multi-Tongue, Screaming Arrow, and Sense Danger were all removed as talent options for various reasons (Second Weapon is a Journeyman talent option). Endure Cold, Multi-Tongue, and Screaming Arrow are no longer talents, while Elemental Tongues simply wasn't a good fit. Sense Danger was a victim of being offered too late (it's not terribly appealing so late in the game, particularly with so many Awareness-related talents) and having better options. Finally, Aura Armor and Ethereal Weapon weren't the right fit, the former not quite the defensive flavor (and they have enough other ways to spend Standard actions in a fight), while the latter didn't play into any of their notable themes. They don't have a particular spirituality or connection to astral space (despite gaining the talent option to perceive it), nor are they dedicated enough to mastery of a weapon. Finally, this would lean them a little too combat heavy and there was a desire to maintain a greater diversity of talent options. There are plenty of combat talent options for them as it is.

Their new talent options include: Astral Sight, Blood Share, Critical Hit, Disarming Smile, Fluid Movement, Gliding Stride, Impressive Display, Relentless Recovery, Soul Aegis, Spot Armor Flaw, and Undermine. There are a lot of different ways to go with their talent options as a whole. If you are filling a social role, Disarming Smile, Impressive Display, and Undermine should be high on the list. If you're acting as the scout, Astral Sight and Eagle Eye are what you need. Looking to emphasize their teamwork theme, Blood Share, Cold Purify, and Spot Armor Flaw (with Show Armor Flaw) are good choices. The travel theme is supported by the movement-related talents Fluid Movement and Gliding Stride. Air Sailors as primary combatants are going to want at least some of the following: Champion Challenge, Critical Hit, Defensive Posture, Down Strike, Life Check, Relentless Recovery, Soul Aegis, and Spot Armor Flaw.

Even out of their element, Air Sailors are a fantastic addition to any team, bringing versatility and the ability for the group as a whole to be greater than the sum of their parts. These adepts can contribute in potentially any situation, even if they aren't the star of the show. After all, it's not (always) about them, but about the crew. That's who you look out for and that's who looks out for you.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 12 - Thief

This is the twelfth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The last Discipline in this triad is the Thief. This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

Thieves have a few different themes they explore in their higher Circles. One, seen through their Discipline abilities, ever increasing embrace of darkness and shadows. Another is taking their thieving abilities to another level, metaphorically, or even another plane, quite literally. There are also their deceptive and opportunistic streaks.

Both Warden and Master Discipline abilities are new, replacing the previous entries for different reasons. Shadowcloak is so appropriate for the Discipline, it is the Journeyman Discipline ability. Shadow Heal, on the other hand, isn't a bad ability, it's just a strange one. It fits with the idea Thieves are loners and don't need anyone else, but doesn't particularly reinforce anything else they have going on. Which is to say it may be seen again in some form at a later date.

As mentioned above, the new abilities both build on how Thieves aren't just as competent in darkness as they are in light, but it's starting to feel like home. It's a part of them. This begins with their Warden ability, Shadow Sight. As long as they can see, even magical darkness doesn't bother them anymore. If they're using Shadowcloak, they can see even better. At Master they can become one with their Shadowcloak, bringing a new dimension to their intrusion game.

Like so many other Disciplines before them, Thieves' Discipline talents got a makeover. Aura Armor, Gain Surprise, Gold Sense, and Lip Reading are all gone. Of those, Aura Armor is still a talent, but it wasn't a good fit for Thief. That feeling of fortitude, stability, etc., it just isn't their style. Gain Surprise is somewhat gone. We'll get back there in a moment.

Naturally, this means there are some new Discipline talents to fill the gaps that were created. Enter Beguiling Blade, Dream Thief, Power Mask, and Snatch Talent. Of those, Power Mask isn't new and is also a natural fit for a Discipline naturally involved in deception. Also, something about Thieves not always being popular *cough* Travar *cough*.

Building on the theme of deception is Beguiling Blade. This can be seen as the replacement for Gain Surprise, but it does a few different things that make it a more interesting option. It builds on an existing talent, Conceal Object, rather than effectively replacing it - an area explored in a number of high Circle talents. It does two things: improves the Conceal Object test and turns it into a Simple action. This effectively accomplishes the purpose of Gain Surprise, but has non-combat applications as well and Conceal Object just got better. The name strongly implies it is a combat-only talent, but to be perfectly honest, it's a really good name.

The next two new talents, Dream Thief and Snatch Talent, both move Thieves from stealing literal objects into the realm of stealing things more... ephemeral. Also, both interact with Pick Pockets. Snatch Talent does pretty much what it says on the tin, while Dream Thief is a bit weirder. It allows the adept to steal memories. The stolen talents and memories, once stolen, have a substance to them that can be stored in an Astral Pocket and transferred to others with the appropriate talent. Each has a duration and prohibition against using the stolen bits. But Thieves have a certain knack for breaking the rules.

Moving to their talent options, let's take stock of what has been lost: Bank Shot, Detect Falsehood, Mind Wave, Poison Resistance, Quick Shot, Safe Thought, Sense Magic Item, and Shackle Shrug. As usual, some of these aren't talents anymore or maybe weren't a good fit. With that, let's see the new entries: Acrobatic Defense, Alley Cat Approach, Anticipate Blow, Astral Sight, Defensive Posture, Disarming Smile, Echolocation, Fluid Movement, Netherwalk, Orbiting Spy, Perfect Focus, Resist Taunt, Spirit Strike, and Wind Catcher. It's worth noting Escape Divination is now Escape Plan, while Second Weapon and Sense Danger are both in earlier tiers.

There's a lot of new things here to support a variety of different Thief characters and their particular direction. The one thing that didn't get a lot of support is the more social Thief character, receiving only Disarming Smile and Resist Taunt. Many of the advanced social talents weren't a great fit and they already have access to solid set of abilities to support any grifting. These two build on that, without moving them into the realm of a truly social character. Instead reinforcing the idea social abilities are a means to an end for this Discipline.

One they do see more options include improving their ability to gain access and get out of trouble, with talents such as Alley Cat Approach, Escape Plan, Netherwalk, and Wind Catcher. Along with this comes new ways to gather information, useful for casing a target, scouting, or spying: Astral Sight, Echolocation, and Orbiting Spy. For those more interested in the role of opportunistic killer, they have some new defensive options, Acrobatic Defense, Anticipate Blow, and Defensive Posture, along with offensive options in Critical Hit and Spirit Strike.

All together, Thieves are embracing the concepts of taking and shadows. The ephemeral is now something they can grasp. That maybe all these rules are for other people, not them. And they would give it all up for just a little bit more.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 11 - Elementalist

This is the eleventh 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

Continuing with the established trend brings the final spellcaster: Elementalist. This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

While their mastery of elemental magic has always been their thing. As they enter higher Circles, Elementalists focus even more on their connection to the elements. Whether Discipline abilities or talents.

Earth and Wind, their Warden tier ability, remains mostly the same. The circle of earth has been clarified, noting the adept doesn't need to be inside the circle, the radius is based on successes, and now only affects allies. Which should make it more useful in general and inline with other Warden abilities. The circle of air also has the same clarification and successes effect, but now acts as Dispelling effect for some specific effects. It's not going to come up as much as the former ability, but is effectively a fun bonus ability that can be incredibly valuable in certain circumstances.

Their Master tier ability, Elemental Form, emphasizes their elemental connection and also serves to highlight some of the fundamental interactions of those elements. It doesn't have quite the raw power of Nethermancer's Astral Face, but offers more versatility through bonuses to Thread Weaving as well and a free extra thread. Well, versatility at a cost to giving up a particular element for the time - nothing's free. The fun really seems to begin when paired with an active Earth Staff and the high Circle spellcasting talents.

Element Matrix, the previous Master tier ability, isn't a bad ability at all - it's quite good. However, it didn't drive home their elemental connection other than carrying around a bag of sticks and stones. Something similar to this particular ability may show up again sooner than later.

Looking at their Discipline talents, there are two in common with the previous edition: Elemental Walk and Stone Skin. The other five are new: Concise Casting, Elemental Mastery, Plant Talk, Spliced Weave, and Vine Armor. These talents either improve their spellcasting abilities (Concise Casting, Elemental Mastery, and Spliced Weave), or their elemental connection (Elemental Mastery, Elemental Walk, Plant Talk, Stone Skin, and Vine Armor). As well, Stone Skin and Vine Armor work to improve their defensive abilities 

Of those, Elemental Mastery is the only talent new to the previews. It's basic effect, improving Thread Weaving tests for spells with an elemental keyword, is fairly staid. However, it designed to have knacks that enhance spells with specific elemental keywords hang off of it.

Their talent options are a similar story, with Armored Matrix, Perfect Focus, Shared Matrix, and Summoning Circle (previously a Discipline talent) being the only returning entries. As always, the reason for removing various talents runs a variety of reasons. Plant Shelter is now a spell, while Disarm Trap is much too late. At this point, the group has probably figured out some way to deal with traps. Possibly whoever has the most health. While many weren't a particularly good fit (Spirit Strike) or simply aren't talents anymore.

The talent options available all work to enhance some aspect of their primary themes, whether improving their summoning capabilities (Contest of Wills and Summoning Circle), their spellcasting abilities (Armored Matrix, Casting Pattern, Effect Pattern, and Range Pattern), their elemental connection (Burning Vigor, Iron Constitution, Shock Treatment, Temper Flesh, and Thunderous Resolve), being tough bastards (Burning Vigor, Iron Constitution, Life Check, Temper Flesh, Thunderous Resolve, Unflinching Fortitude), or their aptitude with objects (Evidence Analysis, Perfect Focus, and Suppress Curse).

There are a lot of different ways to approach these talents, depending on the direction the adept wants go and their role within the group. The result is a Discipline with quite a bit of diversity, which can build towards a variety of roles, focusing on one theme in particular, or picking up a variety of useful abilities. Which reinforces their role as a clutch supporting character, keeping the group going against all odds. Sometimes against their will - take that Recovery test. Take it and like it.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 10 - Warrior

This is the tenth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

For this week we have a preview of the Warrior. This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

While other combat Disciplines may have their particular specialties, Warriors are the all-around best when it comes to violence. Their particular specialty is sheer endurance. Their abilities don't tend to be as big and flashy, but they're dependable and enable Warriors to keep going, to be the bulwark when things go wrong. Along with their elemental and group themes, this continues through their higher Circles.

Their Warden ability, Battlefield Awareness, is similar to the previous edition, though it was rather costly at 3 Strain and often had associated timing questions. Such as, can it be used as a Free action to prevent being Surprised? Otherwise, it's of limited use. Now it lasts for an entire day for 2 Blood Magic Damage, which allows it to be specifically useful in the situations where it is most needed. However, it no longer entirely negates Harried because that is too powerful and entirely eliminates too many different options.

Elemental Warrior is the new Master ability, replacing Resurrect Self. It plays up their elemental connection in a way that gives players interesting ways to describe their actions, and provides a solid benefit to not just the Warrior, but their allies as well. Since it is always active and at no cost, this continues the overall trend of straight forward and effective abilities.

The previous Master ability, Resurrect Self, wasn't bad, but it also didn't come up very often and was too reactive in nature. It simply may never come up, which is good in a way, but also uninteresting. Coupled with the permanent cost for using it, this made it something that needed to be replaced.

As expected, their Discipline talents have a number of differences across the board. Earth Skin is available at Journeyman, while Resist Pain and Burning Vigor (effectively a replacement for Vitality) were moved to talent options, and Unmount is no longer a talent (an oddly specific Discipline talent against a rather uncommon opponent). This gave an opportunity to entirely rebuild their Warden talents with Chilling Strike, Relentless Recovery, Unflinching Fortitude, and Vine Armor.

Relentless Recovery and Unflinching Fortitude both improve the overall toughness of a Warrior, enabling to keep going longer and harder. Vine Armor has a similar effect, by both improving Wood Skin and their Mystic Armor at the cost of a Recovery test. Chilling Strike benefits Warriors for synergy with Air Dance, but also any allies who are ganging up on the same target.

While Stone Skin isn't a new talent and still improves Physical Armor, it has changed. Like Vine Armor is to Wood Skin, it also improves the usage of Earth Skin in addition to the Physical Armor boost for the cost of a Recovery test. The duration of both these talents is in hours, like the talents they improve.

Similar to their Discipline talents, there are quite a few changes to talent options. Battle Bellow, Body Blade, Frenzy, Matrix Strike, Mind Blade, Shield Beater, and Weapon Breaker have all been removed. Some aren't talents anymore, while others weren't the best fit given other options on the table.

The new talent options that were introduced, Champion Challenge, Defensive Posture, Iron Constitution, Lion Spirit, Rally, Soul Aegis, Storm Shield, Vicious Wound, and Vital Ward, support some combination of their themes. Iron Constitution and Storm Shield are both elemental themed, along with the already present Burning Vigor, Rushing Attack, and Steel Thought. Champion Challenge and Rally are both group oriented talents, an argument can even be made for Storm Shield supporting this as well - who doesn't like attacking an opponent on the ground?

Critical Hit, Ethereal Weapon, Spirit Strike, Vicious Wound, and Vital Strike provide new offensive options, while the list of talents that support defense or being tougher is... extensive. Iron Constitution, Lion Spirit, Steel Thought, and Soul Aegis all improve their ability to deal non-physical attacks, while Burning Vigor and Resist Pain simply make them tougher in general. The former can almost feel like a necessity given the number of talents at their disposal that cost Recovery tests. It was almost a Discipline talent, but ultimately cut because there wasn't a strong impetus for everyone to continually improve it. This leaves Defensive Posture and Vital Ward as options against physical attacks.

The resulting adept is tough as nails in virtually any situation with preparation. They can keep going all day and have access to a tool for virtually any situation. When things are grim, the best option may be to regroup behind the Warrior who can bear the brunt of an offensive. Warriors can be both the spear of an assault, and the rock opponents break upon. Which is about right for these masters of close combat.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 09 - Weaponsmith

This is the ninth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The specialist Discipline rounding out this triad is Weaponsmith. This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

Considered by many to be the ultimate support Discipline, the high Circles of Weaponsmith continue this trend. Their ability to be a force multiplier for their allies continues to improve, but they also gain the ability to leverage their natural mystic resistance to protect their allies. This allows Weaponsmiths who are more likely to shrug off or have tools to deal with Horror powers to bear the brunt of such attacks, while keeping their more combat capable allies in the fight. For these adepts, it's not about the glory, but the win.

The Warden ability, Blood Bound Forge, is similar to the previous Master ability, Craft Mastery. The concept behind the former was good, but it was expensive and had enough limitations to make it underpowered for the tier. The cost and damage bonus have been reduced to be in line with other Warden tier abilities (1 Blood Magic Damage and +3 Damage Steps). However, the armor bonus remains the same, making it a slightly better deal, which serves to reinforce the overall defensive nature of the Discipline. The high number of items that can be improved (Thread Smithing Rank) is limited by the restriction: all must be crafted by the Weaponsmith. There is a definite benefit to having gear made by your ally.

This left an opening at Master that was filled by Mystic Grounding. It's not a big, flashy ability, but it definitely improves the defensive abilities of a group. The ability to funnel all nasty abilities to one character, who can then in turn be supported by everyone else, gives a great deal more confidence. It also makes any Horror using the perennial favorite, Cursed Luck, just sad. Strategic use of this ability can definitely turn the tide of a conflict.

The previous Warden ability, Elementalism, deserves a bit of discussion. At first blush, it appeared like the perfect compliment to Weaponsmiths. However, it carried a lot of baggage. To get the most out of it, the Weaponsmith needed to devote a lot of high Circle talent options to basic spellcasting (Read and Write Magic at Journeyman, Spell Matrix and Spellcasting at Warden, and Armored, Shared Matrix, and Willforce at Master). That still leaves you with a total of three spell matrices for half your Warden picks and all your Master talent options. If you didn't care, then the Warden ability was pretty useless and the number of relevant talent options was unimpressive. Coupled with this, Elementalist and Weaponsmith is such a natural fit, there's more than a few characters who learned both Disciplines, which means it actually does nothing. It was a neat idea in principle, but turned out to not be a very good one in practice.

Looking at their Discipline talents, there are a lot of differences to be found. To start, Mind Blade, Weapon Ward, and Reshape Object are gone. Perfect Focus is quite similar to First Ring of Perfection, but got upgraded to a Discipline talent and moved to Warden - it may as well been created specifically for Weaponsmiths and then worked out for other Disciplines as well - and Ethereal Weapon was bumped to talent options. It fits Weaponsmith with their connection to weapons and armor, in addition to their growing mysticism, but it's directly offensive nature is just enough out of sync to not be appropriate as a Discipline talent.

Infuse Armor and Infuse Weapon have been reborn as Living Weapon and Forge Flesh respectively. The mechanics on these two are similar, but a little different than their predecessors. An important part is they don't require a medium, such as armor or weapons, but work directly on the target, showing how the adept has moved to directly forging living patterns and their vessels.

This gives some space to bring in new talent. In this case, Confront Horror, Dispel Magic, and Soul Aegis. All of which push their theme of confronting and defending against hostile magic and Horrors. It is pretty late in the game to see Dispel Magic, which is available to some Disciplines at Novice, but it isn't a talent that really gets seen outside of spellcasters. Which makes it an interesting and fitting trick to have for a Discipline dedicated to how things are made, which includes disassembling them.

There are some talent options that also departed: Armored Matrix, Critical Hit, Disarm, Sense Magic Item, Shared Matrix, Show Armor Flaw, Soften Blade, Spell Matrix, Spellcasting, Temperature, and Willforce. Okay, that may be a little more than "some". Particularly since Disarm Trap was moved to Novice talent options and Spot Armor Flaw is a Journeyman talent option (yes, they get Show Armor Flaw, but that's a knack for Spot Armor Flaw now). Except for Ethereal Weapon and Resist Pain, that's everything. The reasons for many of these should be obvious with the removal of Elementalism. From there, some aren't talents anymore, while others just aren't a good fit - such as Critical Hit and Disarm.

The good news is that's a lot of room to provide new options and directions to build. Weaponsmiths aren't combat specialists, but they get a fair number of options that reflect their unique style. Burning Vigor, Relentless Recovery, Unflinching Fortitude, Vital Ward, and Weapon Breaker are all defensive talents for a tough Weaponsmith, while Crushing Blow, Momentum Attack, Spirit Strike, and Vital Strike all support a more aggressive Weaponsmith. Those interested in exploring their growing mystic connection have Astral Sight, Evidence Analysis, Matrix Sight, and True Sight, with Lion Spirit offering additional protection.

In all, any group with a dedicated Weaponsmith is lucky to have their services. These stalwart companions support their through their services initially, then their very presence as they adapt to changes in the battlefield as they advance. These heroes get work done. They know it's about the team and sacrifice. They ensure the whole is stronger than the sum of the parts and that every part must be strong enough to persevere. It's their job to see to that, it's their burden to bear.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 08 - Illusionist

This is the eighth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

This week takes a look at another spellcasting Discipline: Illusionist! This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

Illusionist is a something of a strange Discipline, designed to approach problems subtly and laterally. Their primary tool is magic, but that rarely presents solutions in itself. Instead, they work best to enhance their social abilities, or provide unique support to other plans. The overall goal for high Circle Illusionists was to continue with this, offering them more social tools and ways to utilize and improve their illusions. How reality and illusion are more fluid to powerful Illusionists, much like the perception of truth and lies. These are important themes for Illusionists.

Both Discipline abilities for high Circle Illusionists are new: Hide Matrix has been replaced by Hide Spell, and Truth Interpreted has been replaced by Manipulate Reality. Hide Matrix is far too specific and simply may never come up - which is a bad place to be. However, the ability to cast a spell without being noticed is extremely useful, particularly for this Discipline and fits in perfectly with how they go about their business. This isn't to say Hide Matrix is bad, or there's no place for it, just not there.

Truth Interpreted is a little strange and in some ways feels more like a spell than a Discipline ability. However, the big problem is it's a little banal for this Discipline. It doesn't particularly play into their worldview or reveal anything about them, it's just a bigger illusion. The replacement is probably the single strangest ability and it is written knowing the application in a game is going to get weird. However, it perfectly represents how their understanding of magic, which is relatively unique - almost the other side of the Wizard coin. Reality and illusion is a difference of perception. The restriction is in place because Illusionists have to embrace both illusion and reality, and cannot just one. It requires understanding one to fully understand the other in their perspective.

The Warden and Master Discipline talents are almost entirely different, featuring two unique talents: Enthralling Visions and Truth Through Lies. The first enhances their illusions by making them so vivid as to be disorienting, while Truth Through Lies is a strange method of gathering information from a target by getting them to tell you lies you know are lies. It's definitely weird, but entirely fitting for them and their methods. As well, one of the few ways to gather good intelligence from an unwilling target. Infuse Memory is similar to Memorize Image, though with some key differences.

As to why the changes, two (Second Chance and Range Pattern) were moved to talent options because they aren't quite suited as Discipline talents. While Range Pattern is a good talent, it's not necessarily for everyone. Especially not as a Fifteenth Circle talent. Second Chance is available to every Discipline as a talent option, so that's just being consistent. The others (Detect Falsehood, Mind Wave, Multi-Tongue, and Thoughtful Expression) simply aren't talents anymore. 

Their talent options have numerous differences as well. Conceal Object and Hold Thread are both available at earlier Circles, Incite Mob is no longer a talent, and Chameleon is too banal. This does mean there are plenty of new talent options and they continue to suppor their overall themes, offering a variety of social talents, spellcasting support talents, and trickster talents.

In all, Illusionists continue to have some of the stranger abilities at their disposal, but also the most powerful if you go into a problem understanding the tools at your disposal. Some very weird tools. But it's less about turning a square peg into a round one, and more about realizing there is no peg or hole. Or something like that.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 07 - Swordmaster

This is the seventh 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

And the pendulum swings back, bringing with it Swordmaster! This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

Swordmasters are a hybrid Discipline, having one foot in the social arena and the other in a fight. Though a stylish fight to be certain. I think those are called "conflicts" or "duels". Each combat Discipline has a particular style that emphasizes how they go about their particular brand of violence. As they advance in Circle, the Swordmaster begins to evolve. The first half of their Circles were devoted to precision and timing, controlling the tempo of a conflict. Now they leverage that expertise in dangerous new directions.

But first, a look at their Discipline abilities. Warden features Blood Bound Blade, which is very similar to the previous Master ability, Keen Blade. Which was a perfectly fine ability, though a bit expensive and underpowered for when it showed up. With a few changes, it works great as a Warden ability. This provides a continual damage boost, much like Spot Armor Flaw, which helps support their multiple attacks while keeping Strain costs low. Which is important considering Swordmasters tend to have lower Toughness than their other close combat specialist counterparts. One particular change is it can be used on two weapons, which is only appropriate for a Discipline that prominently features Second Weapon as a key talent.

With the Master ability moved up, the Warden ability is clearly gone. Which is okay, because there's a spell with a very similar function and it was a neat ability, but too specialized. Nonetheless, this opened up for a new Master ability: Audacious Bravado. Which is just fun for everyone. It encourages players to get into trouble, following the Swordmaster's lead, and gives everyone a bonus along the way. There's a time and a place for the black op, but sometimes the best plan is when the Swordmaster sees underthings drying on a line and asks someone to hold their drink, "I've got a plan..." Of course it's a stupid plan! But it's going to be a lot of fun as it goes wrong.

Going back to their new talent spread, it's different. Plenty of talents aren't around anymore: Infuse Blade, Mind Armor, Mind Blade, Missile Twister, Pin, Shield Beater, Shield Charge, Vital Strike, and Whirlwind. Most of those simply aren't talents anymore for differing reasons. Gone, but not forgotten. Some are available earlier: Impressive Strike (now Impressive Display) and Spot Armor Flaw. Others were moved from Discipline talents to talent options: Champion Challenge and Ethereal Weapon. The last two deserve a little discussion. Champion Challenge is fitting for the Discipline, but it's not a talent that will necessarily come up in every game and there are other talents just as fitting for Swordmaster. Ethereal Blade works with their theme to master the blade, but it doesn't support their particular style as some other talents.

Talents like Critical Hit and Momentum Attack that benefit strongly from being able to deliver an attack with plenty of extra successes. Or Defensive Posture which serves to boost Riposte. Vicious Wound emphasizes their precise attacks and how they can control a conflict, along with Cutting Words - a social attack with a knockdown rider. And Fluid Movement, enhancing their already excellent access to mobility and letting them really explore the area. With stylish violence.

Swordmasters still looking to improve their social abilities have talent options working for them, such as Bardic Voice, Empathic Sense, Undermine, and Witty Repartee. Of those, Undermine is incredibly effective in their hands. There are, of course, options for the more conflict oriented, providing different offensive and defensive options. Chilling Strike gives an edge to adepts built around high initiative, while Aura Armor, Life Check, Lion Spirit,+ Relentless Recovery, Resist Pain, Soul Aegis, Unflinching Fortitude, and Vital Ward provide different defensive options. Finally, Ethereal Weapon, Matrix Sight, and Spirit Strike are for those who want more offensive options, particularly against opposing spellcasters.

These adepts have a variety of tricks up their sleeves and are at their best when creating openings and pressing the advantage. They can be comparatively complex, but with the ability to contribute significantly to both conflicts and social activities, stylishly, they are all about getting the maximum time in the spotlight.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 06 - Scout

This is the sixth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

Continuing with the pattern brings us to a new specialist Discipline to preview. After consulting with the Great Hunter and doing exactly as instructed, "we" are bringing you the Scout! This is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

The overall goal when approaching the high Circle Scout was to emphasize both their drive to discover and to blend in with their surroundings. With this in mind, their Discipline abilities saw some changes. First, their previous Warden ability, Blend, is something of an artifact of Silent Stride, which didn't have hiding as a default condition. As well, they're getting enough bonuses to evade detection (including a new Karma ability) and don't really need another. The replacement, Supernal Awareness, admittedly isn't incredibly interesting, but it is very good.

For Master, One with the World is a similar to the previous version, though features some subtle changes. First there are more specific mechanics around how it functions, as was previously somewhat confusing in certain circumstances. As well, it also provides them a broad bonus when looking for something, but not necessarily knowing what exactly they are looking for. Something that turns out to be pretty useful.

There is an easy trap for both designing and playing Scouts, and that is to focus exclusively on their wilderness aspect. However, they are supremely adaptable and should be comfortable in any setting. It was important for their Discipline abilities to support this versatility and not favor any particular scenario. This is going to show up again shortly.

Moving to the meat of the Discipline: talents. Again, their primary themes are discovery and blending in, with sub-themes of animals, combat (emphasis on talents not specific to melee or ranged), and knowledge. There is also a growing spirituality to this Discipline as they advance; their drive for discovery begins to move them away from our world, knowing there is so much more elsewhere.

Their Discipline talents have some notable changes, as only two of the seven (Chameleon and Echolocation) are still Discipline talents. This was to make their Discipline talents really focus on their primary themes, particularly with three entirely new talents, Alley Cat Approach, Bloodhound Form, and World Pulse. The latter of those is exclusive to Scout. All these talents enhance or open up new avenues for their primary themes.

The talent options available to high Circle Scouts have also changed considerably. Two of the previous options (Spot Armor Flaw and Tiger Spring) are available at earlier Circles, others aren't talents anymore (Multi-Tongue, Plant Shelter, Sense Poison, and Trace Missile), and one just wasn't quite the right fit anymore (Vital Strike). Cuts always create space to explore their primary and sub-themes. Which is to say often force new talents to be designed to fit the holes just created.

Combat talents for the Scout are a little tricky due to maintaining the aforementioned versatility when it comes to weapon selection. This is in addition to maintaining their overall approach to combat, which emphasizes precision and patience. Their overall goal is to never quite draw attention, if at all possible. Further displaying their versatility, lower Circles gave them access to avoidance talents, while high Circles move to more resistance based talents. It was tempting to maintain access to Defensive Posture, but it requires the character to have selected at least one specific talent option to make any use, and that didn't feel right when it comes to addressing how the Discipline adapts to situations.

Of their new talents, World Pulse is my favorite. It's weirdly spiritual and personal, in a way unique to the Discipline and each adept, and provides a unique lay of the land, revealing increasing details about the landscape and what it contains for rank miles in any direction. It's subtle, but very powerful in the right hands. Which is a good description of the Discipline as a whole.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 05 - Wizard

This is the fifth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

Since we've established a pattern (which can only end in disaster, since Disciplines are not perfectly divided), this means a spellcaster is next. The spellcaster in question is Wizard and this is intended to offer some insights into the Discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

Something particularly notable about the Wizard progression is how little the Discipline abilities have changed. Just a little tuning, that's it. Both are now Blood Magic Damage, rather than Strain, due to the potentially lengthy duration and associated power. The Casting Triangle is now a little more versatile, affecting talents like Concise Casting. Wizard abilities were top notch and didn't need any help.

Their talents are a completely different story. All the Discipline talents are different and the talent option list is different as well. The following talents have been removed: Astral Web, Detect Falsehood, Detect Influence, Multi-Tongue, Spirit Strike, and Wound Transfer. Some aren't around as talents anymore and the others simply aren't a good fit. Other talents are available at a lower tier (Power Mask and True Sight), while First Ring of Perfection is now Perfect Focus, which is mostly the same.

The three Pattern talents are now talent options rather than Discipline talents to give Wizards more flavor and distinction at higher Circles. It's entirely plausible an adept may not want all of them and while they're good, they're not terribly interesting. Also, having that many Discipline talents the other spellcasters get as talent options hardly feels special.

While "masters of magic" is clearly their primary theme (and how!), it's not their only theme. Wizards also have sub-themes around knowledge and social interaction. The latter is frequently tied to the former, these adepts being somewhat like professors in academia. Which is to say they can be nosy and surprisingly petty. For these two, they have Eidetic Memory as a Discipline talent, and Empathic Sense, First Impression, Memory Probe, Safe Thought, Thought Link, and Undermine as talent options. Graceful Exit and Soul Aegis make appearances to help them either get out of trouble, or survive if the former isn't an option.

Which brings us to their four(!) new and unique talents: Glyphs. All spellcasting Disciplines get access to glyphs for enchanting, though only Wizards currently have a personal glyph. The short story on a glyph is it is the physical shorthand for a pattern, most commonly used in enchanting to include a spell in the process. Laypeople may mistake them for runes and refer to them as such, but anyone with Patterncraft knows better. Wizards can take their personal glyph (which is a shorthand for their pattern) and perform some interesting manipulations of magic.

Ultimately, Wizards are at their finest when they have time to gather information, plan, and prepare, but they manage to bend the rules (never break them, that is for those Illusionists) and have tools to adapt, whether splitting their spell matrices, or swapping out spells as a Simple action with Glyph of Attunement. Truly, no other Discipline has quite the same command of magic as a Wizard. And they are likely to let you know precisely that.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 04 - Sky Raider

This is the fourth 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

Continuing with the Discipline previews from the Earthdawn Companion, we have the Sky Raider. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

Diving right into the Discipline abilities, the Warden ability is pretty much the same from the previous edition. There's an associated cost and additional flavor, but it was fitting and good. No reason to really change that. The Master ability, Stormcall, is new, though inspired by the previous Lightning Song. While flavorful, Lightning Song was far too specific in application to be useful. Even when in an airship, it still may never come up. It has a lot of limitations and isn't very good.

It's worth noting Stormcall began it's life as "Big Ass Lightning Attack", which Josh likes to joke about. To be fair, there are a lot of design names never intended for the wild. This one just made it a lot further into the process than most before Josh came up with the pretty awesome current name.

The place-holder name pretty much describes what it does. If you have to cripple everyone in the room, accept no substitute. It does a huge amount of damage to a large area with the ability to remove your allies. Damage which cannot be reduced by armor. This eliminates a press of less powerful opponents, or can put the hurt on a single, heavily protected opponent. Granted, there are some costs, but it's just some damage and a Wound. Nothing a Master Sky Raider doesn't laugh at. What we have is an impressive and powerful attack useful in a variety of situations, but particularly against many weaker foes, with inherent danger and harm to the Sky Raider. Perfect.

Moving to their talent lists, there are a lot of changes to be found here. Gone are Defense, Endure Cold, Ethereal Weapon, Frenzy, Howl, Mind Armor, Missile Twister, Rally, Shield Beater, Swing Attack, and Thunder Axe. Some of these aren't available as talents any more, others didn't fit the tighter direction for the high Circle Sky Raider. Which is to be utterly ferocious in combat, able to take freakish amounts of punishment, and terrifying.

Towards this end, there are a number of new Discipline talents for Sky Raiders (some of these are just older talents with a new name and coat of paint): Blood of Death's Sea, Burning Vigor, Unflinching Fortitude, Thunderstruck, Vicious Wound, and Vital Strike. This is six of the seven Discipline talents, the seventh being Second Attack (essentially a replacement for Frenzy).

Their primary sub-theme is being a leader/center of attention. Taking something of a social role. Here they see support as well with Champion Challenge, Impressive Display, Lasting Impression, Resist Taunt, and Undermine. Of these, only Champion Challenge isn't new to this list. It's worth noting that while Undermine may be listed here, it's an incredible boon to any Sky Raider, making their Battle Bellow and Battle Shout much more effective.

The other talent options primarily reinforce Sky Raiders as tough as nails shock troopers, though also provide more tactical options: Air Dance, Aura Armor, Critical Hit, Life Check, Lion Spirit, Relentless Recovery, Resist Pain, Storm Shield, Temper Flesh, Vital Ward, and Weapon Breaker. Not everything here is new, but it does give these adepts a new level for bringing the pain.

There are some key interactions found here, for example Blood of Death's Sea and Burning Vigor. The former allows Fireblood tests as a Simple action at the cost of a Wound (no damage), while the latter provides additional Recovery tests for use with talents. It also provides a bonus for raw applications of strength. While it may be obvious, Sky Raiders will probably want to invest in Resist Pain. Though it wasn't a Discipline talent because not everyone may want all 15 ranks.

In all, Sky Raiders become even more aggressive and dangerous as they advance in Circle, constantly wreathed in fire and blood. Some their own, mostly their opponents'. Utterly, completely terrifying. Just right.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 03 - Troubadour

This is the third 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

Troubadour is the next Companion preview, and this is intended to offer some insights into the discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

The changes to Troubadour are probably the most significant of the three Disciplines previewed thus far. In the seven Discipline talents, only two are shared (Bardic Voice and Song of Deflection), while four are entirely new. The reason is to continue to push the social mastery of the Discipline. Along with this comes their support role, which gets expanded as well. Expanded may be a little weak. Troubadours gain some incredibly powerful new abilities for that role.

Their talent options have a variety of different directions. Significantly more direct combat talents can be found at these higher Circles, such as Acrobatic Defense, Anticipate Blow, Critical Hit, Second Weapon, and Soul Aegis. A couple of these are rather late (Acrobatic Defense and Anticipate Blow), but this may be a case of better late than never and there are knacks that may make them attractive even this late in the game.

Knowledge driven Troubadours also have directly and tangentially applicable talent options in the form of Book Memory, Eidetic Memory, Memory Probe, and True Sight. As well, their social and support themes get options in the form of Cold Purify, Disarming Smile, Perfect Focus, Safe Thought, and Thought Link.

A new direction also starts to form at these tiers. This is true of a few other Disciplines as well. It typically begins as just an inkling initially, but begins to blossom at Warden. Here it is the Troubadour turning into the the heart, soul, and inspiration of their group. Not only do they support their allies, but the adept can face down any challenge with their allies at their side. This can be developed through Confront Horror, Lion Spirit, Soul Aegis (mentioned previously), and Steel Thought.

Moving to their abilities, Unnatural Charm is a natural fit and they get a lot of mileage from it. Encore isn't new, but it used to be the Warden tier ability. There's a couple good reasons it got pushed back. First, to make room for Unnatural Charm. Second, it was far too powerful as a Warden ability with many of the Charisma-based abilities at their disposal.

Which brings us to their new Discipline talents: Cutting Words, Song of Battle, Undermine, and Witty Repartee. Of these, Cutting Words is probably the most fun, as the adept now knows killing words. However, Undermine has the most subtle power. It's effect to reduce a target's Social Defense reinforces both the social dominance of the Troubadour, while also supporting the rest of their group. Any arena where Social Defense is relevant, from negotiations, court audiences, to combat.

In all, the Troubadour continues to build on what makes them great (social and support), while expanding their options into potentially some other areas as well. Their biggest weakness is still direct conflict, despite having some new talents, but that is why you always bring your friends. You're stronger with them, and they're a lot stronger with you.

Earthdawn 4E: Companion Discipline Preview 02 - Nethermancer

This is the second 4E Companion Discipline Preview, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

Nethermancer is the next Companion preview, and this is intended to offer some insights into the discipline design. Obviously the actual progression is missing, which is found at FASA Games.

As indicated previously, there were a lot of changes made at the Warden and Master tiers as compared to previous editions. This is true for Nethermancer as well, and the same host of reasons apply. Reinforcing and building on the elements from the Player's Guide, identifying talents that don't work in their current form, and introducing new material. There's a fair amount of new material to be found here.

Starting with the discipline abilities, both have the same/similar names as previously. Despite how simple it is and the pattern it follows with other disciplines, there was a lot of design that went into this ability. The previous incarnation, Otherworldly Control, was interesting and thematic, but not terribly useful. It's important for these abilities to have an impact on the game. Ultimately, this was pretty much the perfect solution, addressing a number of different minor things for Nethermancer that never quite fit.

Astral Face has always been thematically awesome and provides effectively the same benefits, though it also applies to "upgraded" versions of talents, with more restrictions. Why is easy: it was way too powerful. The new limitations make it's usage a tactical decision and not appropriate at all times. The ability to improve Effect tests, along with their Otherworldly Willpower, make them powerhouses at these tiers. Befitting for this Discipline.

Their talent progression continues with their mastery of all things astral, and builds on their desire for control and connection to blood. Along with this the minor focus on information.

These course corrections see some talents leaving their list: Animate Object, Bargain with Summoned Creature, Bone Compass, Cold Purify, Ethereal Weapon, Life Check, Soul Shatter, Spell Crystal Lock, Steely Stare (found in Journeyman), and Wound Transfer. This is a pretty long list. Some simply aren't good fits for Nethermancer (Cold Purify, Ethereal Weapon, and Life Check), while others are no longer talents.

The reasons for removing a talent can be various. It may no longer fit due to broader changes (e.g. Bargain with Summoned Creature), not make sense as a talent versus a potential spell (e.g. Animate Object or Soul Shatter), or have a new home elsewhere in the mechanics.

Some talents on this list are functionally renamed versions of old talents, though their systems are a little different. Concise Casting acts as a Spellcasting test as a Simple action after a Spellcasting test, while Spliced Weave lets the adept make multiple Thread Weaving tests.

Others are thoroughly new, such as Astral Domain, Blood Insight, and Nethersoul. The latter two are exclusive to the Nethermancer. Astral Domain and Blood Insight are talents that fall into an unofficial category of talents designed to interact heavily with the knack system. Due to space constraints, this may have to evolve over time, but they should offer interesting ways to flavor how powerful Nethermancers go about their business.

A more in-depth look at these talents can be found here at FASA Games.

It is also worth noting a prepared Master Nethermancer can significantly mitigate the dangers of casting raw magic. Which can be a tremendously powerful thing, but also full of terrible hubris. About perfect for a Nethermancer.