Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;270469One Horse Town, you may want to have a look at this...

Good stuff. Cheers!

I like all the current changes, Dan! Everythign is moving in the right direction.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;270745I like all the current changes, Dan! Everythign is moving in the right direction.

-clash

Cool & the gang!

I'm working on getting a working draft of the tricks & signature moves sections done. When i've done that, i'm putting together the first playtest document.

You up for an alpha test in the next couple of weeks?

Quote from: One Horse Town;270920Cool & the gang!

I'm working on getting a working draft of the tricks & signature moves sections done. When i've done that, i'm putting together the first playtest document.

You up for an alpha test in the next couple of weeks?

You bet!

-clash

Groovy!

I'll get the 80-odd page document to you by the 18th!

That should sort the mechanics out.

Then it's grind, grind, grind!

I've altered the vermin section of the problems generation system. Now instead of a random roll to see what beastie you are plagued by, you get to roll twice! Once for the beastie and once for its attribute. This makes the entries easier to follow and means that the number of different critters possible has now been blown into orbit!

Where before a roll of 01 on d100 meant you had an infestation of Tall-toes spiders. Now you roll on d100 for the critter, so 01 would be spider, 05 centipedes, 15, frogs etc, then you roll d100 for the attribute, so 01 might be sulphuric, 05 might be tall-toes, 11 could be plague bearer etc.

Quote from: One Horse Town;273794I've altered the vermin section of the problems generation system. Now instead of a random roll to see what beastie you are plagued by, you get to roll twice! Once for the beastie and once for its attribute. This makes the entries easier to follow and means that the number of different critters possible has now been blown into orbit!

Where before a roll of 01 on d100 meant you had an infestation of Tall-toes spiders. Now you roll on d100 for the critter, so 01 would be spider, 05 centipedes, 15, frogs etc, then you roll d100 for the attribute, so 01 might be sulphuric, 05 might be tall-toes, 11 could be plague bearer etc.

Sweet!

-clash

I'm running this up the flagpole and seeing who salutes.

Tricks & Signature Moves. I've already got the mechanic in the game! :eek:

Status tests use the mechanic i'm going to expand into Tricks. In Status tests, when you roll your dice pool, you subract or add successes due to your Affiliations or Rivalries. This keeps the attempt to one dice roll.

When you attempt a Trick, depending on its difficulty (guidlines will give details on how to determine this) you subtract a number of successes from your final total. Your dice pool is the same. Still have successes left over? Then you are successful as long as they match the number of successes needed for the unmodified action.

Signature moves are distinct Tricks that you work out with the GM. You still subtract successes from the result, but gain additional dice to your pool.

So, effectively, Status Tests are distinct and explained Bearing Tricks.

Example: Dr. Carpetbagger needs to jump over a wide pit. The GM says that he needs one success in a Physique test (as Carpetbagger doesn't have the Occupational Skill: Athletics, his dice pool is equal to his Physique stat score only). The good Doctor is trying to impress Lady Nightshade, so wants to do a double somersault with pike on the way over. 'Tis a Trick! The GM decides that it will subtract one success from his Physique test. Dr. Carpetbagger rolls 4 dice (his Physique stat) and counts up the successes. He lucks 2 - with the Trick, he subtracts 1, leaving him with 1 success. The number he needed for the jump. Success! Lady Nightsahde lowers her fan and gazes at the good Doctor over its rim.

Thoughts?

No-one has piped up, so i take the silence as approval!

Here's a section from the front of the book.

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How to Use This Book

After a casual flip through Stone Horizons, you can be forgiven in being a little daunted by the contents. Much of the information found within these covers is designed to inform play at the table, inspire ideas, and in the case of the feature vignettes, be used as a default setting, already replete with quirky characters. With 92 features to choose from (which take up a big chunk of Stone Horizons) reading through the book from front to back is not how to get the best of the material presented.

Each feature entry has details on how living there modifies a character's profile, its place within the castle, and the events of a typical day for its inhabitants. There are also special instructions for the GM to create NPCs, Problems and Politics for the feature (in conjunction with Veiled Horizons, the GM handbook). If you read each feature entry exhaustively before you start your first game, then "fluff-fatigue" can set in before you get started.

To overcome this, but retain the flavour of the setting, Stone Horizons is laid out with pertinent setting and rules information upfront. At the front of the book is a description of the setting, a discussion of game-play elements that might not appear in other games and a treatment of the people and races that you can play. This is followed by the rules of the game. After the essentials we get to character creation. This section is included after the rules because the feature entries that make up the bulk of the book are an integral part of the character generation process.

Once you have a grasp of the rules and the setting conceits, you are ready to jump into the main body of the text. Don't fear, however, there is absolutely no need to read the rest of the book before you start playing your first game. Simply choose a feature that the group like the look of, read up on it and create the play area from there. You only ever need to reference 1 feature for each player character before you start playing – no poring over each and every entry! - Unless you fancy it, of course. The feature entries contain the information you need to complete the creation of your character. All that remains is for the GM to flesh out the game area via Veiled Horizons.

Quote from: One Horse Town;275031No-one has piped up, so i take the silence as approval!

Do so, Dan! I've been busy and didn't notice it, but it looks good to me.

-clash

Quote from: One Horse Town;275078Once you have a grasp of the rules and the setting conceits, you are ready to jump into the main body of the text. Don't fear, however, there is absolutely no need to read the rest of the book before you start playing your first game. Simply choose a feature that the group like the look of, read up on it and create the play area from there. You only ever need to reference 1 feature for each player character before you start playing – no poring over each and every entry! - Unless you fancy it, of course. The feature entries contain the information you need to complete the creation of your character. All that remains is for the GM to flesh out the game area via Veiled Horizons.

All good advise! That's why your game will be better than mine. I never put sound advice like this in my books because I make too many assumptions.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;275107All good advise! That's why your game will be better than mine. I never put sound advice like this in my books because I make too many assumptions.

-clash

I figure that there's enough different stuff in SH that i need to lay it out in the manner that i see it rather than leave it hanging. May help folk, may get them tutting and turning the page. :idunno:

A great intro chapter there.

What are you going to be doing with it when you're done? PDF publish? Free perhaps?

Quote from: Rob Lang;275308A great intro chapter there.

What are you going to be doing with it when you're done? PDF publish? Free perhaps?

Clash is publishing it via Flying Mice games. It'll be available on pdf and POD.

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I've finished up the vermin section now. Instead of 25 distinct and statted vermin entries, there are now 130 combinations of critter available.

Here's an example of an attribute that a swarm can have.

Stink

If screeches assault the ears, then infestations with this attribute mortally offend the nose. These vermin emit foul smelling odours. Proximity to a swarm requires a Physique test – failure results in extreme nausea that subtracts 1 dice from all tests attempted. Giant specimens can spray victims with a foul concoction. If they are successful, subtract 2 dice from all of the victim's tests if he fails a Physique test.

Add the following to the profile of a giant specimen with this attribute.

Giant Specimen: Musk Spray 4