World of Dew

World of Dew, by Ben Woener of Woener's WunderWerks, is a game of noir samurai drama based on Blood and Honor.

I think this is the first time I have ever done a foreword to a review and I make no promises it will be the last. This particular review has been incredibly difficult to write and is still behind schedule. In no small part, this is because it has been difficult to strike the right tone. Here is the heart of the matter: I really like this game. It adapts an existing system in a clever way which explores a sub-genre which is frequently discussed, but nothing to date has done particularly well. Here's the but: But, this game is not for everyone. I don't even know if this game is for me.

The following review will get into why this is in more detail, but there are some fundamental gameplay assumptions many may struggle with. The most basic is it is in the players' hands to generally solve all of their problems and make the world a wonderful place. If the players are invested in solving problems, cutting the Gordian knot, emerging victorious, this probably isn't going to be the game for them. This can be worked around, but it will always be a mismatch of what the system does well and how it is being used. What it does is give players the tools to make everything messy and terrible in ways of their own choosing. It is an expectation of the game, as presented in every example of play, players will consistently make these choices. They will make things harder for themselves; they will use the advantages they have gained to create bleak drama of difficult choices where they may not win.

This is the world of Akira Kurosawa. One where the protagonists aren't necessarily heroes, but they are probably the best the world is going to get. Every story starts out raining and things only get dirtier and more complicated from there. In many ways, this is a instance where the meeting of two genres is a great way to examine each in a new light. The importance of honor and what it means takes a new light when viewed through the lens of the noir genre.

The system, which traces its lineage through Houses of the Blooded and Fate, is a fantastic vehicle for this kind of story. A brief description of the system for those who are unfamiliar: There are six attributes which govern all actions, one of which is a character's weakness and has a 0. Dice pools are built from an attribute and bonuses from other sources, such as appropriate traits (from the character, opponent's, the scene, etc.), reputations, sword schools, etc. Characters can voluntarily make life more difficult by wagering some of their dice, which will not be rolled, in exchange for narrative control at the conclusion of the action. The winner gets to narrate the immediate outcome and keeps all of their wagers. The loser keeps half of their wagers. Those involved use wagers to add additional details to the outcome of the action.

Wagers form the heart of the system and how players are given control of the story. Depending on the kind of action and governing attribute, events and the setting can directed by the players. For example, Wisdom wagers are used to establish facts of the setting. This allows players who enjoy world-building to emphasize the attributes which give the most opportunities for this, while players who are not as interested can instead be more action-oriented.

Only the narrator has the power to change an established fact of the setting. Throughout the course of play, whenever characters spend Honor or Ninjo points (similar to Fate points), they are handed over the narrator. Each point can be spent to change a fact which has been previously established. This mechanic, which is very clever in my opinion, explicitly means the protagonists can never truly be certain of the world around them. No matter how much they think they know, they never actually know everything. As in all things, it is generally better to save these twists for the right moment.

The city in the noir genre is a living, breathing entity as any character and is a part of creating the campaign. In a setup similar to the Dresden Files Role-Playing Game (which is actually called out), everyone will work together to create their specific setting, populating it with themes, locations, threats, organizations and their faces, and people not necessarily associated with an organization. Each player is given some points to spend on these things, which helps to give the endeavor a little more direction and structure. Based on past experiences with DFRPG, this is a good thing. In no small part because it gives a place to start and an indication when you are done.

World of Dew's default setting is during the Tokugawa shogunate at either the beginning, when things were a mess because the traditional social order was being dismantled to establish a power base, or at the end, when the traditional order was being dismantled to adapt to the changing world. Either of these are excellent eras to set a game, each offering something different, and the book goes into reasonable depth discussing why to choose each of them.

There is also a complete, but concise, look at religion within the setting. This is a very complex topic which can be difficult to approach from a Western mindset, particularly how seemingly disparate belief systems all co-exist and fulfill different needs. Along with this is a discussion of supernatural elements and how best to use them within the genre and to remain true to the setting on which this is based. Along with Kuro, this is one of my favorite discussions on the topic in an RPG (they approach this from very different directions).

As appropriate to any game in this setting, there is a discussion about etiquette and how to handle it, a topic with is going to be important in establishing the shared authenticity of the setting. It is a well-written distillation of the basic premise of etiquette within the portrayed society, but the contrast it provides to contemporary culture misses the mark a little (in my opinion) when it could have instead provided an excellent example. Specifically, the discussion is regarding the concept of makoto. The text goes into differences between Eastern and Western heroes, and what are seen as virtues for each of these characters. The former value harmony within society above all else, while the latter value individuality (this is the very condensed version) and how these reflect the values of each society.

This is all true, however where this could have been improved (in my opinion) is by using the disparity between the perceived value (individuality) and the displayed value (harmony) in our society as an example which is fitting to the noir genre. Anyone who has worked in a bureaucracy knows there is a stated culture of standing up and speaking the truth, however the functional culture is one where you must work behind the scenes and compromise to accomplish things. The concept of compromise is important and can have a deeper implication in a genre which explores the struggle between doing what is right versus what you want. What compromises are you willing to make and at what point have you managed to compromise away everything you have held dear? Again, this is just me, but there is less of a functional difference between the East and the West once you look beyond the latter's rhetoric.

Combat within this game is exceptionally brutal, particularly if guns are involved. It is easy to become injured and healing can take a very long time. With a gun, death is the default unless an Honor point is spent (the rarest of resources). To begin, a the conflict is between two people, the aggressor and the target. During this first round, they are the only two characters rolling. Following that, it can open up to anyone and it gets very chaotic. In all, this is works well within the genre where violence is seen as a last resort by the protagonists - it is dangerous. When a gun is drawn, things have just gotten real and people are going to start dying.

There is an example in the combat section which does not sit well with me, particularly because it carries the weight of expectation with it. It starts with one character (Hokusai) shooting another (Garuda) with a gun. He wins the contest and chooses to miss with his privilege. Garuda declares he shoots Hokusai, who in turn spends an Honor point to not die from this. Hokusai then spends a wager to shoot Garuda. This is followed by Garuda spending a wager to turn his pistol on Hokusai's companion and kill him if Hokusai doesn't do anything. Hokusai spends a wager to jump in front of the bullet and save his companion's life.

Why don't I like this example of play? There are a few reasons. First it shows a series of choices which I don't know many players who would actually make: opting to miss, spending a valuable resource potentially unnecessarily, then effectively countermanding the initial decision, and ending up wasting the Honor point. The second reasons, which doesn't sit well at all with me, is it brings in a character who wasn't allowed to participate in the conflict and shows they can be killed by a decision which they have no control over. As a player and a GM, I do not like this. As well, if you get into any fight with a gun, as long as the other character rolls at least a 10, there is a good chance both character will die. There may be a lesson here about living by the sword and dying by the sword, but this seems problematic at the very least. The good news is this can be easily solved by consent from the group as to how to handle these situations. I'm simply not a fan of killing a character by fiat - as much as this game is about giving a player agency, this act removes it entirely.

As I said in the foreword, this is not necessarily a game for everyone and I don't want to leave this review on these down notes, because this game doesn't deserve to be solely judged by the two small things I take issue with when the rest of it is quite good. One of those things is a conceptual nitpick and the second something which falls into some good ground rules to establish for any group playing this game (or any game): boundaries.

This is an excellent entry into the noir genre and highly recommended for anyone who is interested in gaming in the world of Akira Kurosawa. There are a number of clever mechanics and ways to get players invested in a in-depth and different setting. For the right group, this will provide an amazing experience in shared storytelling, particularly for those groups who don't want to go fully into a cooperative storytelling game.

Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Discipline 01 - Introduction

This is the first 4E Anatomy of a Discipline, 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 numbering for this series has restarted as this is the first entry for the new edition, Earthdawn Fourth Edition (ED4). This particular entry will not have an analysis of a particular discipline. Instead, I'm taking this as my opportunity to look at how things have changed and how my various Earthdawn columns will change.

As you hopefully noticed, there is a new bit of italic text at the top. This is going to be present in all of my ED4 posts which deal with mechanics and design. The reason for this is I feel it is important to separate my work here from the development for FASA Games. There may be some crossover and things which made their first appearance here may end up in an official release. However, until they are present in an official ED4 release, everything here is just the work of a fan.

There is going to be a global shift in how I approach various topics given my own change in perspective. While I am always going to strive to be as objective as possible, my analysis of ED4 is going to be tinged with subjectivity from my involvement. The good news to this is I will be able to offer an insider's perspective on how things ended up the way they did - why choices were made and what the goals were. My hope is this means the quality and value of each entry will go up because of those additional insights.

Another space I intend to explore more is introducing new material which I'm toying with on my own time. This will include doing updates of disciplines, spells, and thread items which have not been introduced in ED4 yet, in addition to new entries for each of those. My hope is to have all of the development be open so everyone can get an idea of how my process works.

To everyone reading this, here is your chance to make requests of things you would like to see or provide feedback to what you do see. Everything here is for the Earthdawn community.

Thank you for reading.

The Whispering Road

The Whispering Road, by Brent P. Newhall, is a game of finding your way home.

This cooperative game is inspired by some of the works of famed director Hayao Miyazaki (not including Princess Mononoke) and is explicitly appropriate for all ages. It is stated early that violence is not appropriate for the stories told within. This doesn't mean no action, just violence isn't the answer. The premise is that each character has been separated from their home by some circumstance and is looking for a way home (Spirited Away is an excellent example). Traveling with their friends in this new world, they encounter trouble, allies, and hopefully learn more about who they are during their journey. If they play their cards right, they may just get home. 

The book itself is very slim, coming in at 26 pages, but lavishly illustrated. In all honesty, I will probably spend more time writing this than it will take you to read the game. Part of this is the number of full page illustrations and the repeated information. This can be helpful for younger players since they will not have to refer to earlier sections as the move through their session.

Getting started has each player define some part of the setting (referred to as parameters). These can include facts about the setting, or requests about the story. This is essentially a formalized way of having everyone work to create a shared world and establish the kind of story they want to tell. Particularly the things which they do not want to see in the story (e.g. "adult" content). 

Making a character is very simple: pick an archetype, a need, and some traits.

The archetypes include the ordinary hero, special one, mentor, and rascal. The primary thing they provide is a goal to achieve within each act. For example, the ordinary hero's goal is to protect another.

Each character's need is what drives them forward coupled with something holding them back. Specifically, another player's character holding them back in some way. One of the examples provided is: I need to explore, but my friend is sickly and I need to take care of her. The first part is the most important, while the second provides some roleplaying cues and connections with the rest of the group.

Finally, your five traits. There is a list of traits to choose from, some of them have special tags (intellectual, physical, and relational) which have a function if they are used in a matching conflict. While most are mundane, some are decidedly supernatural, such as shapeshifter. 

Here is where things start to get murky. The special one and rascal both have mechanical effects from their archetype. The special one gets a special power or item, but loses a trait in exchange. While the rascal gets two additional traits. The problem with the special one is there is no indication you cannot be a rascal who has future sense, power of flight, power of illusion, and shapeshifter, with three more traits. Nor is there any indication of what effect the special one's special thing has - it appears to do nothing. While mechanical parity isn't going to be a major concern, traits are the only resource character's have and they are spent by using them, with only a limited number refreshing as the game proceeds. It is almost foolish for everyone to not be a rascal, particularly since they have a remarkably easy goal as well (prove your good soul to the others). Also, the example characters have some errors with regard to their traits.

Gameplay is divided into acts and each act has a particular focus. The prologue introduces each character and what their home is like; it is just a series of expositions. Act One moves the characters to the new world, which may or may not be fantastic (it is probably going to be fantastic). Act Two and Three introduce the antagonists and allies respectively. Act Four sends the heroes through an ordeal. Finally, Act Five resolves the action.

During each act, there will various conflicts which address the characters' needs. Each conflict must address at least one need and may have a type which corresponds to the trait tags. If you use a trait which matches with the conflict type, you get a bonus to your roll. Players work together to determine which needs are involved in the conflict and how things play out.

A significant part of the game is helping others before you help yourself. For this, each character has good and bad karma. If you help others (rolling dice to help with another character's need), you gain good karma, while if you help yourself (rolling dice to help with your need), you gain bad karma. There isn't any clear instruction on what to do if you roll dice in a conflict which helps with another character's need and your need. When all of the needs have been involved, everyone moves to the next act.

The after the final act has been resolved, each character's endgame is resolved. It's a little like Fiasco, only significantly less Fiasco-like. Subtract your bad karma from your good karma and compare the result to a chart which will indicate if you get home or not and some indication of the circumstances. Positive results send you home, while negative results keep you in the new world. 0 and -0 each appear on the table, so maybe it is a choice on where you go? 

While this is a cooperative game, two players take on special roles referred to as the Navigator and the Driver. It is easy to think of them as first among equals and should be the most experienced and invested in the fun of everyone else. This is because they are responsible for ensuring the game stays on track (Navigator) and keeping the action moving forward (Driver). Specifically, the Navigator has questions the conflicts need to answer, while the Driver has conflicts which need to be established.

Each act provides a list of questions for the Navigator and some conflict ideas for the Driver. The questions are broad, but specific enough to be helpful as cues. For example, the questions in Act Two are: How have the antagonists upset this world's balance? What is the antagonists' specific threat to the new world? Do you learn anything new about the new world? Likewise, the example conflicts presented are similar: Encountering the antagonists, encountering the antagonists' past victims, learning from a mentor, thrust further into the new world. This is particularly helpful for younger players who benefit from cues to keep them in the right direction.

How does it all turn out? Well, there are troubles with the mechanics, though nothing which is insurmountable. For example, the traits can easily be resolved by giving each archetype five and calling it a day, reducing them to a goal, or even removing archetypes entirely and letting players choose their own goals. What would help above all else is to have an example of play within the actual book to reference. This is very valuable to help gamers of all ages set a tone and see the intention behind the various pieces. Naturally, it can be particularly important for younger players to get ideas and see expectations.

In the end, this is a cute game which is best suited for younger players, particularly families which want to explore some of their favorite fantasy worlds.

Earthdawn: Part 33 - Comparison of 1E and 3E Part 7: Companion Talents

This is the thirty-third part in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Below is a list of all the Talents found in the 1E core book and the 3E Player's Guide. The list was compiled from both sources to note new Talents, not just missing ones, that may have been pulled from another source (1E Earthdawn Companion, or Denizens of Earthdawn), or never appeared in 1E at all.

Right now it is just a list, though if there is a desire for it (which means leave a comment to that effect) I can add some commentary and thoughts on the changes between editions. 

Animal Leadership - Now provides effects on a Pathetic result and no longer provides increased duration on an Excellent result.

Animate Object - Perception, Willpower, and Charisma of the object is no longer fixed. Dexterity, Strength, and Toughness are figured differently, but yield the same results. Animating an object considered weaving a thread for limits. Death Rating is no longer based on the material, but now provides Physical Armor based on the material. If a thread item, now gains benefits from attached threads.

Armor Mount - Now in Player's Guide.

Astral Pocket -  Now holds considerable less weight. No longer requires a test to place objects in or remove them from the pocket. Now has a duration.

Aura Armor -  Now based on Willpower, not Strength. Improves both Mystic and Physical Armor at the same time. No longer a test against current Armor. Duration is now based on Rank.

Bardic Voice - No changes.

Bargain with Summoned Creature - Now allows for Blood Magic to bypass the duration.

Bestial Resilience -  No longer requires an action.

Bestial Toughness - No changes.

Blade Juggle - Now in Player's Guide.

Blind Fire - Now based on Perception. Now a Simple action. No longer replaces an Attack test, instead supplements with a test against target's Mystic Defense to work.

Blood Guilt Weapon - No longer costs Strain. Now costs Karma.

Body Blade - No longer costs Strain.

Bone Compass - New talent.

Call Mount - Range multiplier has changed and is based on Rank instead of result. Now tests against mount's Spell Defense.

Casting Pattern - Difficulty for spells with no threads is now Reattuning Difficulty, not Weaving Difficulty +5.

Chameleon - Duration is now in minutes. Proscribed activities now temporarily disrupt the talent rather than end it. Spellcasting and weaving threads are now allowed.

Champion Challenge - Penalty duration is now in hours. Effects on loss are different.

Confront Horror - No longer +10 to Step by default. No longer costs Strain. Final test is now Confront Horror. No longer penalties for interference.

Create Arrow - No longer a talent.

Critical Hit - Now costs Karma.

Defense -  Now costs Karma. Now costs 1 Strain. Duration is now result rounds, not Rank hours

Detect Falsehood - Require result levels reduced by one. Additional Excellent result added.

Detect Influence - Excellent result now includes information if target is Horror marked.

Develop Animal Sense - Completely changed mechanics.

Disarm Magical Trap -  Now covered as part of Disarm Trap.

Dominate Arrow - Now result level for an Armor-Defeating Hit is increased by one.

Eagle Eye - New(ish) talent.

Earth Armor - No longer +10 to Step. Now has a Physical Armor rating. No longer increases result level for Armor-Defeating Hit. Not explicit if repairing armor costs Karma.

Echo Location - Now has a range.

Effect Pattern - Difficulty for spells with no threads is now Reattuning Difficulty, not Weaving Difficulty +5.

Elemental Walk - New talent.

Enduring Art - New talent.

Escape Divination - New talent.

Ethereal Weapon - Mystic Armor now provides protection.

First Ring of Perfection - No longer specifically affects bonus dice.

Forge Armor - Moved to Player's Guide.

Gain Surprise - Now costs Strain.

Gold Sense - Now a fixed difficulty. No longer a minimum quantity. Can no exclude materials from sense.

Howl - Paralysis now lasts Rank rounds and may be overcome like the fleeing condition.

Impossible Hide - New talent.

Impressive Shot - Moved to Player's Guide/now also Impressive Strike. Now Dexterity instead of Charisma. Action test is now the Attack test, no "Damage test" is made. Now improves Interaction tests, not causes opponents penalties.

Improve Armor - Now "Infuse Armor". Now costs Karma and 2 Strain. Description altered, now a Standard action. Effect is now result level to Physical and Mystic Armor, instead of +1 per application, up to talent rank. Duration now rank hours, instead of 24 hours. Now has an effect on a Pathetic result.

Incite Mob - New talent.

Incite Stampede - New talent.

Lion Spirit - Now also improves Spell Defense.

Matrix Strike - Now a Simple action. No longer replaces the Attack test. 

Mind Armor - New talent.

Mind Blade - New talent.

Mind Wave - New talent.

Missile Twister - Now a Standard action. Now affects thrown weapons, possibly to a reduced level. Missile Attack tests now require only one higher result level, not two.

Moving Earth - Area and thickness larger (likely to account for standardized measurements). Carrying capacity is now reduced. Now requires concentration.

Multi-Charge - Now requires movement between each attack.

Multi-Shot - No changes.

Multi-Strike - No changes.

Multi-Tongue - Now costs 1 Strain.

Multiweaving - Now "Multi-Weaving".

Netherwalk - Spell Defense bonus reduced. 

Pin - No changes.

Plant Shelter - Action Step no longer has a +10. Now takes 10 minutes to perform, instead of 5. Now has an explicit duration. Windlings are now considered one-quarter size, instead of one-half size, and dwarfs are now one-half size, instead of normal size.

Quick Shot - Now costs Karma. Now requires declaring the number of attacks initially and paying all Strain up front. No longer requires an initial Missile Weapons test. No longer requires only one target. Cannot be combing with other talents and skills which give additional attacks.

Quickblade - Removed.

Rally - No longer requires a mount to eliminate Strain. Now costs Strain if the adept cannot be seen by comrades.

Range Pattern - Difficulty for spells with no threads is now Reattuning Difficulty, not Weaving Difficulty +5. Range multiplier reduced from 100 to 20.

Reshape Object - New talent.

Resist Pain - New talent.

Rushing Attack - No longer has an Action step. Now costs Strain. Now costs Karma. No longer requires Dexterity based talents. No longer limits ranks. Now allows for splitting movement.

Safe Thought - No longer replaces Spell Defense. Now adds to Spell Defense.

Screaming Arrow - Now a Simple action. No longer causes Harried, now only causes fear. Now allows for a resistance test. Prohibition against combining with some talents (e.g. Flame Arrow). Increased duration. No additional effects based on result level.

Second Chance - No longer costs Karma. No longer requires a test against the target's Spell Defense. Retest is now made with Second Chance (limited by the original talent).

Sense Magic Weapon - Now has an area of effect, which includes the approximate direction to the magic item(s). Specific and item types may be excluded.

Shield Beater - No longer has an Action step. No longer bypasses the opponent's shield. No longer reduces the result level required for an Armor-Defeating Hit. Now reduces Physical Armor and on a Good success improves the odds of shattering a shield.

Show Armor Flaw - Now costs 2 Strain. No longer produces a number of flaws. No longer increases damage. No longer required to perform a Called Shot to take advantage of the benefits.

Slough Blame - Now in Player's Guide.

Soften Blade - No longer costs Karma. Range no longer based on sight, now Rank x6 yards.

Song of Deflection - Now a Standard action.

Soul Shatter - Action Step no longer has a +10. Now costs 1 Strain. Now costs Karma. Mystic Armor now explicitly provides protection against continued damage.

Spell Crystal Lock - Dispel Difficulty is no longer fixed. Now limits on the number of "locks" which the adept may have at one time.

Spirit Strike - New talent.

Stone Skin - Now costs Karma. Duration is now Rank rounds, not 24 hours. Now adds Rank to Physical Armor, not a fixed value. No longer increases Unconsciousness and Death Ratings. No longer a limit to the number of times it may be used in a day.

Storm Shield - New talent.

Summon - Now in Player's Guide.

Summoning Circle - Now based on Willpower. No longer costs Strain. Now costs Karma.

Tame Mount - May now be used once per animal per day. Animal is now only Unfriendly to others.

Thoughtful Expression - Range is now Rank x50 yards. Penalty is now Harried.

Thunder Axe - No longer has weapon requirements. Stunned condition now lasts Rank rounds.

Trace Missile - Duration is now in minutes.

Trample - No longer has an Action Step. No longer grants an additional attack.

Truth Skit -  Time limit now Rank years and days, not 7 year.Time interval is now one minute, not one round.

Unmount - Additional clarification regarding Setting for a Charge provided.

Venom -  No longer +5 to the Action Step. No longer costs Strain. Now costs Karma. Target may now only be affected by one Venom at a time. Now a specific prohibition against manufactured weapons.

Vital Strike - Now based on Perception. Now costs 1 Strain. No longer functions with spells. No longer replaces the Attack test. Now just adds Rank to damage.

Vitality - No changes.

Water Dancing -  Now compared against only the highest Social Defense. Now only affects Interaction tests. Duration is now Rank minutes, not 24 hours. 

Weapon Breaker - Now based on Strength, not Willpower. No longer has a +10 Action Step bonus. Success now reduces Damage Step of weapon by -2 per result level. Extraordinary results only shatter mundane weapons. Threaded weapons cannot be reduced below Damage Step 1.

Weapon Ward - New talent.

Web Astral -  Changed to "Astral Web". Step no longer has +10. Now costs 3 Strain. Area has been reduced. Test to move is now against the result, not the Step. 

Whirlwind - Now costs 2 Strain. No longer costs Karma. Damage is no longer reduced. Talent is now prohibited to use in the same round as talents granting additional attacks.

Wind Bow - No longer has an Action Step. Damage Step is equal to the Rank. Now allowed to use Flame Arrow in conjunction with Wind Bow. Duration is now minutes, not one round.

Wound Transfer - Now one test. Now transfers damage, which may cause a wound. Adept heals a Wound.

Hana Academy: Relationships

In the introduction to Hana Academy, relationships were discussed as an important part of the game. They represent one of the foundations of the game and an element which underpins many of the core mechanics.

Relationships have a special place in Hana Academy. They are one of the primary sources players draw their power, but also one of their greatest weaknesses. Instead of a pool of skill points, characters start with a pool of relationship points. These are spent on other characters (PCs and NPCs) to define how important the relationship is to the PC. Importance doesn't mean friend; rivals are just as important.

Each of these relationships has a skill associated with it based on what drives the relationship. A relationship with a teammate could be associated with Athletics, while a crush who is in your history class could be Academics. Naturally, the skill gets the rating of the relationship: the more important the relationship, the more the character is driven to excel at the skill. You can only assign each skill once.

The dark side to any relationship is how it can be used against you. Those who are closest to know the easiest ways to hurt us. Our most bitter rivals have a certain knack for always getting the best of us. If they didn't, the rivalry certainly wouldn't be so bitter. Whenever the character you have a relationship with acts against you, they gain a bonus equal to your relationship. This doesn't have to be related to the skill, simply any action at all. This is a one-way street - their importance to you is already represented by the skill itself.

There is some good news to this as well. Those closest to you know how best to help you: they gain it as a bonus when working directly to help you. This typically manifests through creating advantages for you to use. Friends also serve another important purpose: they are the best instruments for revenge.

Since your rivals gain an inherent bonus against you, it is always best to recruit friends. Since your enemies don't necessarily have the same importance to your friends, they can provide significant assistance as you plan the downfall of your continual tormentor. It's always good to have friends. Especially the kind who will help you hide bodies.

As you grow and change, your relationship values wax and wane. The people who were once so important to you drift away, only to be replaced by others. Your best friend may have once been your partner in crime, but now you are more interested in flower arranging together. People change and so will your relationships.

Relationships are found in other pieces of the game as well, such as Aspects, but those will be topics for another entry.

Epyllion: Drake Edition

Epyllion, by Marissa Kelly of Magpie Games, is a game of draconic friendship and adventure in a mythic setting of looming darkness.

Before I get started, it is important to mention this is the "Drake edition" of this game. It is a preview (ashcan) of the game and explicitly incomplete.

This is a new entry to the games which are "Powered by the Apocalypse" (I prefer to think of it as the Apocalypse Engine in no small part because it is less of a mouthful), including most notably Apocalypse World (which started it all) and Monsterhearts. If you are familiar with these games, Epyllion is going to look familiar. Though it takes things in new directions to tell an entirely different kind of story.

The basic premise of Epyllion has the players portraying a clutch of young dragons. The setting, Dragonia, is highly stratified based on age. Elder dragons sit at the top and deal with politics and running things, while younger dragons are sent out (quests) to complete tasks (adventures) for them. In the background, there was The First War Against the Darkness in which dragons eked out a victory against the corrupting Darkness at significant cost. The good news is the Darkness has been driven away forever and will no longer bother dragons.

Of course, the bad news is this is not actually true and the PCs are naturally going to be at the forefront of discovering this, bring the news to unbelieving elder dragons who refuse to admit they were wrong in the face of ever mounting evidence. Only after a great and selfless sacrifice will the elders realize their folly and allow for the dragons to finally mount an effective defense against the Darkness, but it may already be too late...

At least, this is how it all plays out in my head. As with all things, you mileage may vary.

This strays from the traditional Apocalypse Engine setup in a few ways. First, there is more structure and clearer expectations as to what exactly the PCs are doing and why. The second, and most important, is while Epyllion can get a little dark, it is inherently hopeful. Everything involves the PCs working towards a greater goal and not just causing a big terrible mess.

To go along with this, Epyllion borrows the idea of Strings from Monsterhearts, but changes the tone. This is clear since they are called Friendship Gems. Instead of being held over others, they are used to power the dragons' magic of the moon and stave of the corrupting influence of the Darkness. They aren't a price, but something you want to freely exchange with each other. They can be used to hinder others, but I would consider this to be a rare occurrence rather than the standard use given the tone of the game.

Another item borrowed from Monsterhearts is the Shadowself. This is the dark, self-centered reflection of the dragon's role within the clutch. While it seems to be played straight, there is an interesting nuance which shows a great deal of the expectations placed on the players. Specifically, the self-centered aspect. In a vacuum, the Shadowself may seem not so bad.

For example, the Warrior believes they must defeat the Darkness all alone, no one else is strong enough to help them. For each playbook, the character relies only on themselves and this is stated to be a bad thing. The theme is clear: you need your friends. In fact, the only way to rid yourself of this is through intervention by your friends.

Epyllion is different in how it approaches character growth (or, how it says it does - this is an incomplete game as of now). It is designed to be long term with characters aging and gaining the associated influence and power. It won't be long before you are bossing around younger dragons (there's a Move for that). The mechanics for death also play into this part of the game and in an interesting way.

Since this game goes in dark places, death is a real thing. However, it does not have to be a permanent thing. The work of some dragons (*cough*PCs*cough*) isn't finished when they die and the moons return them to life to finish what they have started. This process forces the dragon to mature and they automatically advance to the next age, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It means you have the benefits of being older, but you will never get to take the advances you missed before your death. It is the price of being forced to grow up too quickly. This is clever to me: death is a thing, but it isn't permanent, however there is a cost - your innocence. 

While the back of the book indicates it is for ages 12+, this feels like a game which can be appropriate for younger audiences with an adult running it for them. A grim My Little Pony.

There is a lot to like about this game and I am looking forward to it. However, there are some pieces which are missing and if you aren't familiar with Apocalypse Engine games it may be confusing due to an assumed familiarity.

The name of the historical conflict, The First War Against the Darkness, bothers me (perhaps irrationally). It implies there was a Second War Against the Darkness, but there was just the one. Which means it should be The War Against the Darkness; World War I was The Great War right up until there was a sequel.

This isn't the only issue, however I do not want this review to end will all of the negative items to what is explicitly an unfinished work. This looks like a lot of fun for a variety of people who want different things from a game. I have every intention of putting together a game with what is available and taking it for a spin. Whenever it becomes available, I plan to be one of the first people in line to pick up to final version.

EDIT: Based on feedback and requests, below is a discussion of the mechanics in the draft. 

The stats used in Epyllion (and the rough Apocalypse World analog) are Charm (Hot), Courage (Cool), Cunning (Sharp), and Heart (Hard). There is no Weird equivalent and the most interesting change is Heart, which may be surprising until the overarching themes become apparent: this is about fighting to protect your friends and home.

Here are the basic and peripheral moves presented in Epyllion: Examine an Object, Study Another Dragon, Battle the Darkness, Stand Up to an Older Dragon, Convince a Dragon of Your Age or Younger to Do What You Want, Act Despite Danger, Call Upon the Magic of the Moons, Help or Hinder, Nest in the Wild, Keep a Look Out, and Lead Others Against the Darkness. 

The rolling dice section indicates 7-9 makes the story more complicated or interesting. While this is generally true, it isn't always true. Also, many of the moves are considerably more passive than in Apocalypse World or Monsterhearts. For example, gaining information in Apocalypse World (through Read a Sitch or Read a Person) immediately makes the situation or interaction "charged". This goes into the lighter tone of the game overall; not everything is about to go terrible at any moment. Just like the only "forceful" options are against the Darkness - taking things from your friends and allies is not something you can do.

There are two different moves based around getting what you want in a social situation. Each is used depending on the age of the target relative to you. This makes the importance of the social order in Dragonia right in your face. The good news about bending the younger generations to your will is three of the four stats (sorry Courage) can be used, depending on your tactics. If you prey on the interests, Charm; duty and obligation is Heart; while trickery is Cunning.

Call Upon the Magic of the Moons is a bug, squishy ball. This move requires Friendship Gems to be spent, the number (up to 3) is your bonus on the roll. The effects you can conjure depend on the moon you are calling upon and the result allows you to choose what goes right. What ever doesn't go right is probably going to go wrong. Access to the moons changes as you age - each age bracket forever cuts off your connection to one of the moons, with some increased power to call on them (?). The last part isn't entirely clear, which is fine for where the game is currently at in development.

Keep a Look Out fills a strange place. It is only used during Nest in the Wild, but isn't a requirement. In fact, there doesn't seem to be a specific downside to not using this move, though it could be interpreted as an invitation to screw with the players. This isn't explicit from a player side and how it is supposed to be used needs more clarification. What it does specifically: If using the move and something approaches your encampment, on a hit it is a friend. 10+, the bring you things. Those things could be information and supplies, or they could be news of danger or a call to action. 7-9, they're pursued by danger or need your help. On a miss, the DM (Dragon Master) gets to do their thing, as per usual. Based on those results, there isn't necessarily a strong reason to use this move - it basically invites trouble without providing any specific help. 

Lead Others Against the Darkness is a clever way to resolve a larger conflict without getting too bogged down in the details. It allows the players to define the terms of their "victory" and decide the associated costs. There is also a strong incentive for everyone to work together; bonuses to this roll are scarce and it is one of them.

A change from how Apocalypse Engine games traditionally work is in earning experience. Generally, two stats will be highlighted and when they are used, the character marks XP. In Epyllion, everyone earns XP when the roll a 6. I'm interpreting this as a  bittersweet reward for almost succeeding, meaning your final result is a 6, rather than the numbers on the dice totalling 6 (in which you could succeed and earn XP).

The playbooks presented in the Drake edition are the Academic, the Crafter, the Daredevil, the Nature Adept, the Seer, and the Warrior. Each has two stats which start with a +1 and one with a -1, players get to add +1 to one of the stats. This setup is most similar to Monsterhearts, though with an additional +1 hiding in there. Each of the four stat is represented at least once as the low stat, though the good stats only exist in two combinations: Charm and Cunning, or Courage and Heart. To be honest, this is a little disappointing because it cuts down on the variety and is exactly what would be expected and creates a dichotomy of physical versus non-physical characters.

Beyond this, each of the playbooks has one stat which is featured in every playbook specific move which has a roll. The Academic and Crafter only use Cunning, the Daredevil, Nature Adept, and Warrior only use Courage, and the Seer only uses Charm. Interestingly, the Warrior is the only playbook which doesn't get a bonus to the listed stat (they get Heart), though they only have the one move with an associated roll.

Not all of the moves are quite created equal. For example, the Warrior starts with True Warrior which allows them to return a Friendship Gem at the beginning of each session to improve their Battle the Darkness move. This is problematic because it requires you to sacrifice a resource on the hopes you may use a move, which is also the least likely move to be used in a session.

Each of the playbooks also has two Houses listed. I haven't brought these up previously, but there are six Houses, each with their own themes. After each House is a task, e.g.: Defend someone weaker than you (the Warrior, Tessith, the House of Diamond). Earlier in the book it is indicated performing this task helps fight off the hold of the Darkness over you. While it isn't explicit, this probably means it eliminates a Condition on your Shadow Track. This is something which can stand to be more explicit.

There is a brief discussion regarding showing cruelty and evil which is not the result of corruption. Typically this is a good tactic - there are entirely mundane forms of darkness in the world. However, the way in which corruption manifests itself, it seems like it would be impossible to distinguish between such casual cruelty and true corruption. This is an idea which needs more textual support to distinguish it from corruption and expand on the concepts and themes surrounding corruption.

To reiterate, this is just the draft which was put out there and I do not want to end on a note of criticism for an unfinished game. There are a number of innovative ideas and different takes on what feels like a classic system at this point. I am very optimistic of what the final product will look like and plan on lending my support.

Hana Academy: Introduction

Welcome to Hana Academy, a Fate-based game about relationships and growing up in a school with mystery, magic, and flowers.

As one of the Gifted, you stand apart from the rest of their classmates as special. As a symbol of this status, all gifted bear a garland. These garlands hold many secrets for those able to decipher the language of flowers. The Gifted are able to travel to strange, beautiful, and often dangerous vistas through arbors - gates between our world and the garden.

The Garden is how the Gifted refer to places beyond our world. Curiosity is a powerful motivator and there is nothing quite like the Garden anywhere else. Sensations are more intense and there is the promise of adventure beyond every corner. Some of the Gifted try to avoid these familiar yet alien places, but are drawn to them by some machination - normally of their friends!

Gifts make the impossible a reality, but they don't seem to actually solve any of the most important problems: your childhood friend who is growing away from you, the bully who keeps picking on you, and why won't Alex pay attention to you? Nor do they make the looming questions of finding yourself any easier to answer. They do manage to make conflict more intense and the stakes always seem higher higher. A scuffle on the lacrosse field takes on new proportions when one of them can conjure flames and the other summons a sword from a plane of chaos.

The good news is you have your club to help you with the real problems. No matter what, you know they will be there for you. Through these bonds of friendship the gifted learn themselves and one another. You help each other grow into these new powers, sharing in victories, and easing failures.

As much as your relationships can cause you problems, they are what you derive your sense of self from. They are a very real part in determining what you are good at; either the relationship defines the skill, or the skill defines the relationship. As you grow and change, so will your interests and relationships. 

Hana Academy is a place to grow and learn. You will blossom into who you are meant to be and give you everything you need. Even if it doesn't seem so at the time. 

Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Thread Item 01 - Es'caliban

This is the first 4E Anatomy of a Thread Item, 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.

Part One and Part Two (3E) of this series.

The numbering for the series has restarted as this is the first entry in the series for the new edition, Earthdawn Fourth Edition. The design parameters have changed and this item will be updated to go along with them. This also represents a good opportunity to bring development of the item to a close.

Maximum Threads: 3
Mystic Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Warden

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the sword’s Name.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 6.

There is no longer a standard effect of applying the maximum Forge Weapon bonus to thread items. This is being changed to a simple damage bonus.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wielder gains +1 rank in Inspire Others. This talent may be used simply by brandishing the weapon.

This is getting moved up a Rank to go with the trend in 4E which encourages weapons to have more than just damage bonuses.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of who created the sword.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 7.

I was going between a damage bonus and a rank to Tactics for this rank. Ultimately the damage bonus won out because I didn't want to stack too many different effects on the same item. There is a place for items with a number of different bonuses to talents, but the place is when this is the theme for the item in question.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wielder now gains +2 ranks in Inspire Others.

Increasing the bonus to make it more usable and builds on the theme for future use.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of whom commissioned the sword.
Deed: The wielder must earn the approval of a member of the Landis royal family in good standing.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 8.

It is still a weapon and should be good at the whole being a weapon thing. The previous version had an additional bonus here, but this has been cut to be in line with the current thread item standards.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: Brilliant Edge: For 2 Strain, Inspire Others may be used as a Simple Action instead of a Standard Action.

An interesting ability which I like to play with uses this general template. It takes a talent, then improves it with an additional cost. The warning to go along with this is it can unintentionally break the game. Talents which encourage teamwork are more likely to get the pass from me if they may be too powerful since I am all for anything which encourages a player to take actions which benefit their group more than them. The other bonuses here were cut to keep this in line with the current guidelines. Also, Lion Heart is no longer just a fun talent - it is a very good talent.

Thread Rank Seven

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn Name of the last keeper of the sword.
Deed: The wielder must perform a significant service for the Kingdom of Landis.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9 and the wielder now gains +3 ranks in Inspire Others.

A little more of everything. Bonuses and abilities are getting switched around to create a capstone ability, rather than just ending with bonuses. 

Thread Rank Eight

Effect: Brilliant Edge may also cause fear in the wielder's enemies. This is resolved using the same Inspire Others test result and functions as the Battle Bellow talent (causing only penalties). The wielder may spend an additional Karma point on Inspire Others tests.

This is a very nice capstone ability. It improves a previous ability, which I like to do for Warden and higher thread items. The ability is good, since all of the costs are already being paid, but isn't terribly powerful since the wielder is only gaining half of the benefits from the talent. Allowing another Karma point on the test is a nice boost and something a bit different than just a rank bonus. For a talent like Inspire Others, it probably comes in just below an additional rank, even though it is +4 when used, since most players will save Karma for other tests and it is a finite resource.