OK, after the latest update, I've decided to give the system a try.
OK, after the latest update, I've decided to give the system a try. I arranged a virtual version of the components using Photoshop and the Tabletop Simulator game.
It has been a really interesting experience, and I like the way the game flows. Also, I've gotten surprisingly lucky with my dice rolls, scoring strong hit after strong hit. But, who knows what will happen next!
Here's my first game session so far:
Character: Rhys of the Armak clan
BONDS:
COMMUNITY
- To the Armak Clan
PEOPLE
- To Aisha, leader of the Armak clan
- To Garth, master hunter (my mentor)
IRON VOWS:
BACKGROUND VOW: Find my true heritage (EPIC).
I was not born part of these people, but their leader, Aisha, willingly accepted me under her clan’s banner. Thus, I became an Armaki myself. I do not know who were my parents, and all I’ve got left of my early years is a small wooden icon in the shape of a raven, a bird foreign to these drylands. Because of this, six winters ago, I swore in front of the elders that one day I would venture forth into the wild to try to find my true ancestry.
SECONDARY VOW: Prove my worth to Garth by hunting down a Horned Marauder (DANGEROUS).
As part of my initiation ritual into adulthood, Garth, the master hunter of the clan, offered me the chance of becoming an Armaki hunter, if I swore I would train hard, and that on the fourth equinox of my training, I would go along with my bow after a Horned Marauder. I accepted his offer and vowed I would become a hunter under his tutelage. Now, I am but one moon away of having to fulfill my part of the deal. And so, I am preparing myself to go after my assigned prey.
INCITING INCIDENT: Locate Leela the Mystic and give her Aisha’s letter (TROUBLESOME).
Our leader Aisha has approached me early this morning and has consigned me a sealed letter to be delivered in person to Leela, the famed Mystic that lives in the old Mausoleum of Fire, not far from here. She told me this is to be done with utmost secrecy, for she fears there are spies of the clan of Dismas among our people.
ASSETS:
- ARCHER
- SLAYER
- HAWK: Sarosh (Far-seeing) HP: +3
ACT 1 - SCENE 1 - Letter delivery
Aisha calls me inside her tent. Even though the sun has not yet risen, she is already prepared for the new day. Her duties as clan leader usually have her working from early in the morning, up until very late in the night. Be it by helping the shamaness heal the wounds or illnesses of those in need among our clan members, or discussing combat tactics with the clan’s swordmaster, she is always busy.
As I approach the patch of pelts and furs upon which she is seated, I notice there is an old iron spearhead resting in front of her crossed legs. There also seems to be a sort of sealed parchment in her left hand.
“Sit down, sister,” she commands in her deep guttural voice, as rough as the grinding of stone over dry soil. I bow my head to her in respect. “I have called you, for I have a very personal request that I know you can easily fulfill.”
She extends her left hand and gives me the parchment.
“This is a message I need you to deliver to the Mystic that lives in the old Mausoleum of Fire, located a day’s travel from here. Her name is Leela, and it’s very probable she is expecting no visitors at this time of the year. So, don’t be surprised if she is not welcoming to you.”
I inspect the parchment I’m now holding. It looks thick, almost as thick as the hide of a hairless desert hound. There is a purple wax seal covering part of a thin leather strip that keeps the message closed.
“Tell her that I am sending her this letter because the red owl has plucked a crimson feather. She will understand what I mean...” she explains to me, as she fixes her gaze upon mine with an intensity that could render even the fiercest of warriors speechless. “Also, make sure no one knows I’m sending you on this mission. I have my suspicions of spies among our people, so I trust no one else to do this.”
“Why me?” I ask, puzzled.
“Because if someone knows the importance and honor of being an Armaki is you.”
I agree with her words. Unlike the rest, I was not born within the clan but was lucky enough to find my home among its people. Aisha offered me a new life, and so I swore I would serve her until the spirits chose to take me with them.
She offers me her right hand and indicates me to put my left hand in hers, facing up. I do, and in one swift motion with the help of her other hand, she puts the tip of the iron spearhead on my palm. Then, she pierces the skin, and a trickle of blood pours out of the wound, falling over the furs on the floor.
“Go, and do as you have been commanded. Then, and only then, shall you come back and speak to me the message you were given in response.”
I nod solemnly and wait for her to release my hand. Once she does, I stand up, bow once more, an exit the tent.
MOVE: Swear an Iron Vow
Action die: 6 +1 (heart) +1 (bond to Aisha) = 8
Challenge dice: 7 & 6
STRONG HIT
Outcome: take +2 momentum (it’s a +4 now)
The sun has not come out yet, which means everyone is asleep. It also means the day ahead will be a cold one, which is always a good sign when traveling across the arid wildlands. I go to my tent and retrieve my traveling gear, my cloak, my waterskin, some sun-dried pieces of viper meat mixed with wild berries, my black stone knife, my bow and quiver, and my leather gauntlet. I also make sure to let Sarosh out of her cage, so she may accompany me.
If my knowledge of the surrounding wilderness is right, the Mausoleum of Fire must be located in the nearby mountain range of Bhal-Tamora. Mmm… yes, it will probably take a day, if there are no sandstorms or bandits around. Maybe two, if conditions are not favorable. Fortunately, master Garth took me on several journeys around the area during my early training days, to learn how to search for game among the rocks and thorny bushes. I would go and ask him for some additional information on the terrain near the mountains, but Aisha has warned me others are not to be trusted right now. So, I guess it’s better if I get started right away and leave the camp.
MOVE: Undertake a journey
Action die: 2 +2 (wits) +1 (bond to the Armak clan) +1 (Sarosh’s far-seeing skill) = 6
Challenge dice: 3 & 3
STRONG HIT
Outcome: reach a waypoint (+3 progress due to Troublesome difficulty).
ALSO: You make good use of your resources: Do not suffer -1 supply.
Just as suspected after exiting Aisha’s tent, the morning is quite cold, and the wind blows chilly. Sarosh flies high in the sky, signaling the exact direction I should follow. Everything seems calm enough, so much so that the first couple hours seem to pass as fast as the lone clouds above me. I calculate it must be midmorning by the time I make my first stop, next to a group of heavy looking boulders a giant must have transported to this remote location in a far away past. I sit down for a while, to let my feet rest, and to grab a bite or two of the food I brought along with me. There’s plenty of it, so I offer a strip of dried meat to my hawk. She devours it.
I marvel at the landscape, which for a foreigner may not be much, but for us, people of the arid wildlands is an ample source of beauty and calm. Because the last time I traveled this far was not on my own, I decide it will be a wise move to assess the terrain that lies just ahead of me. Although, there are no known threats around this area, you never know when something surprising may arise.
MOVE: Secure an advantage
Action die: 6 +2 (wits) = 8
Challenge dice: 4 & 7
STRONG HIT
Outcome: prepare to act (take +2 momentum, it’s at +6 now)
After investigating for a few minutes, I come to the conclusion that as far as I can see, there are no dangers awaiting for unsuspected travelers.
Now that my legs are ready to keep on going, and my stomach is contentedly full, I decide to move once more.
MOVE: Undertake a journey
Action die: 2 (yet again) +2 (wits) +1 (Sarosh’s far-seeing skill) = 5
Challenge dice: 3 & 2
STRONG HIT
Outcome: reach a waypoint (+3 progress due to Troublesome difficulty).
ALSO: You make good use of your resources: Do not suffer -1 supply.
Surprisingly enough, the journey so far has progressed smoothly. No obstacles or foes have bothered me yet, and the sun is still high in the sky, with plenty of hours of light still ahead. The terrain has started changing, though. It is now covered in loose rocks, and there are increasingly larger hills decorating the horizon. The mountain range is also visible now. I believe I can also make the vague shapes of what could be the pillars of a building of gigantic proportions somewhere among the white walls of one of the tallest earthen colossi. I assume that must be the Mausoleum of Fire I’m trying to get to. Sarosh lets out a short screech as if she could read my thoughts, and wanted to assure me my observations are right.
It has been a really interesting experience, and I like the way the game flows. Also, I've gotten surprisingly lucky with my dice rolls, scoring strong hit after strong hit. But, who knows what will happen next!
Here's my first game session so far:
Character: Rhys of the Armak clan
BONDS:
COMMUNITY
- To the Armak Clan
PEOPLE
- To Aisha, leader of the Armak clan
- To Garth, master hunter (my mentor)
IRON VOWS:
BACKGROUND VOW: Find my true heritage (EPIC).
I was not born part of these people, but their leader, Aisha, willingly accepted me under her clan’s banner. Thus, I became an Armaki myself. I do not know who were my parents, and all I’ve got left of my early years is a small wooden icon in the shape of a raven, a bird foreign to these drylands. Because of this, six winters ago, I swore in front of the elders that one day I would venture forth into the wild to try to find my true ancestry.
SECONDARY VOW: Prove my worth to Garth by hunting down a Horned Marauder (DANGEROUS).
As part of my initiation ritual into adulthood, Garth, the master hunter of the clan, offered me the chance of becoming an Armaki hunter, if I swore I would train hard, and that on the fourth equinox of my training, I would go along with my bow after a Horned Marauder. I accepted his offer and vowed I would become a hunter under his tutelage. Now, I am but one moon away of having to fulfill my part of the deal. And so, I am preparing myself to go after my assigned prey.
INCITING INCIDENT: Locate Leela the Mystic and give her Aisha’s letter (TROUBLESOME).
Our leader Aisha has approached me early this morning and has consigned me a sealed letter to be delivered in person to Leela, the famed Mystic that lives in the old Mausoleum of Fire, not far from here. She told me this is to be done with utmost secrecy, for she fears there are spies of the clan of Dismas among our people.
ASSETS:
- ARCHER
- SLAYER
- HAWK: Sarosh (Far-seeing) HP: +3
ACT 1 - SCENE 1 - Letter delivery
Aisha calls me inside her tent. Even though the sun has not yet risen, she is already prepared for the new day. Her duties as clan leader usually have her working from early in the morning, up until very late in the night. Be it by helping the shamaness heal the wounds or illnesses of those in need among our clan members, or discussing combat tactics with the clan’s swordmaster, she is always busy.
As I approach the patch of pelts and furs upon which she is seated, I notice there is an old iron spearhead resting in front of her crossed legs. There also seems to be a sort of sealed parchment in her left hand.
“Sit down, sister,” she commands in her deep guttural voice, as rough as the grinding of stone over dry soil. I bow my head to her in respect. “I have called you, for I have a very personal request that I know you can easily fulfill.”
She extends her left hand and gives me the parchment.
“This is a message I need you to deliver to the Mystic that lives in the old Mausoleum of Fire, located a day’s travel from here. Her name is Leela, and it’s very probable she is expecting no visitors at this time of the year. So, don’t be surprised if she is not welcoming to you.”
I inspect the parchment I’m now holding. It looks thick, almost as thick as the hide of a hairless desert hound. There is a purple wax seal covering part of a thin leather strip that keeps the message closed.
“Tell her that I am sending her this letter because the red owl has plucked a crimson feather. She will understand what I mean...” she explains to me, as she fixes her gaze upon mine with an intensity that could render even the fiercest of warriors speechless. “Also, make sure no one knows I’m sending you on this mission. I have my suspicions of spies among our people, so I trust no one else to do this.”
“Why me?” I ask, puzzled.
“Because if someone knows the importance and honor of being an Armaki is you.”
I agree with her words. Unlike the rest, I was not born within the clan but was lucky enough to find my home among its people. Aisha offered me a new life, and so I swore I would serve her until the spirits chose to take me with them.
She offers me her right hand and indicates me to put my left hand in hers, facing up. I do, and in one swift motion with the help of her other hand, she puts the tip of the iron spearhead on my palm. Then, she pierces the skin, and a trickle of blood pours out of the wound, falling over the furs on the floor.
“Go, and do as you have been commanded. Then, and only then, shall you come back and speak to me the message you were given in response.”
I nod solemnly and wait for her to release my hand. Once she does, I stand up, bow once more, an exit the tent.
MOVE: Swear an Iron Vow
Action die: 6 +1 (heart) +1 (bond to Aisha) = 8
Challenge dice: 7 & 6
STRONG HIT
Outcome: take +2 momentum (it’s a +4 now)
The sun has not come out yet, which means everyone is asleep. It also means the day ahead will be a cold one, which is always a good sign when traveling across the arid wildlands. I go to my tent and retrieve my traveling gear, my cloak, my waterskin, some sun-dried pieces of viper meat mixed with wild berries, my black stone knife, my bow and quiver, and my leather gauntlet. I also make sure to let Sarosh out of her cage, so she may accompany me.
If my knowledge of the surrounding wilderness is right, the Mausoleum of Fire must be located in the nearby mountain range of Bhal-Tamora. Mmm… yes, it will probably take a day, if there are no sandstorms or bandits around. Maybe two, if conditions are not favorable. Fortunately, master Garth took me on several journeys around the area during my early training days, to learn how to search for game among the rocks and thorny bushes. I would go and ask him for some additional information on the terrain near the mountains, but Aisha has warned me others are not to be trusted right now. So, I guess it’s better if I get started right away and leave the camp.
MOVE: Undertake a journey
Action die: 2 +2 (wits) +1 (bond to the Armak clan) +1 (Sarosh’s far-seeing skill) = 6
Challenge dice: 3 & 3
STRONG HIT
Outcome: reach a waypoint (+3 progress due to Troublesome difficulty).
ALSO: You make good use of your resources: Do not suffer -1 supply.
Just as suspected after exiting Aisha’s tent, the morning is quite cold, and the wind blows chilly. Sarosh flies high in the sky, signaling the exact direction I should follow. Everything seems calm enough, so much so that the first couple hours seem to pass as fast as the lone clouds above me. I calculate it must be midmorning by the time I make my first stop, next to a group of heavy looking boulders a giant must have transported to this remote location in a far away past. I sit down for a while, to let my feet rest, and to grab a bite or two of the food I brought along with me. There’s plenty of it, so I offer a strip of dried meat to my hawk. She devours it.
I marvel at the landscape, which for a foreigner may not be much, but for us, people of the arid wildlands is an ample source of beauty and calm. Because the last time I traveled this far was not on my own, I decide it will be a wise move to assess the terrain that lies just ahead of me. Although, there are no known threats around this area, you never know when something surprising may arise.
MOVE: Secure an advantage
Action die: 6 +2 (wits) = 8
Challenge dice: 4 & 7
STRONG HIT
Outcome: prepare to act (take +2 momentum, it’s at +6 now)
After investigating for a few minutes, I come to the conclusion that as far as I can see, there are no dangers awaiting for unsuspected travelers.
Now that my legs are ready to keep on going, and my stomach is contentedly full, I decide to move once more.
MOVE: Undertake a journey
Action die: 2 (yet again) +2 (wits) +1 (Sarosh’s far-seeing skill) = 5
Challenge dice: 3 & 2
STRONG HIT
Outcome: reach a waypoint (+3 progress due to Troublesome difficulty).
ALSO: You make good use of your resources: Do not suffer -1 supply.
Surprisingly enough, the journey so far has progressed smoothly. No obstacles or foes have bothered me yet, and the sun is still high in the sky, with plenty of hours of light still ahead. The terrain has started changing, though. It is now covered in loose rocks, and there are increasingly larger hills decorating the horizon. The mountain range is also visible now. I believe I can also make the vague shapes of what could be the pillars of a building of gigantic proportions somewhere among the white walls of one of the tallest earthen colossi. I assume that must be the Mausoleum of Fire I’m trying to get to. Sarosh lets out a short screech as if she could read my thoughts, and wanted to assure me my observations are right.
Great ! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool virtual play space, Thredith Undomiel! I love seeing the asset cards with backs. I have plans to do something of that sort when I (hopefully) put together a POD deck.
ReplyDeleteHow are you handling the ticks on progress track markers? Different colors? Would be nice if Tabletop Simulator had little pie wedge tokens (like a Trivial Pursuit token) with four slots.
Great play report as well! Love the details of the setting. And don't worry, those strong hits will turn on you soon enough.
Shawn Tomkin I designed the backs of the cards in less than 5 minutes, I guess. It was just matter of desaturating the cover of the game, adding the card type as a title, and then adding some sort of effect to the frame.
ReplyDeleteAbout the ticks, I decided to use checkers pieces in two colors: white, and red. The white ones indicate +1 tick, the red ones indicate +1 progress. Because they're stackable, it's just a matter of adding white pieces, one on top of the other, to symbolize individual checks. In case I accumulate enough checks, I replace them with a red piece and move any extra checks to the next square. I tried doing it with mini cubes, and coins at first, but checkers pieces are better suited for making and handling tiny piles.
Thanks, Shawn! I'll play some more today. I cannot believe Rhys is going to make it to the Mausoleum of Fire so easily. But, I guess that also adds to the fact that the region where her clan lives IS truly arid and empty.
Here you go, a closeup of the "tick" system I'm currently using.
ReplyDeletehttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QWttLLax8RH1k1Qz-0LffeyI_yO_IDvZrcreDPJt2XIhrK_0HyVNDyiET9DoizeFjhFnfsWY3XDMww=s0
Ah, that's really cool and clever, Thredith Undomiel. I'll have to check out Tabletop Simulator. It's been on my wish list forever.
ReplyDeleteShawn Tomkin Do you have Steam installed?
ReplyDeleteShawn Tomkin Funny you should mention the ticks... I'm having a really difficult time making a tick system work in Acrobat (I'm working on a fillable PDF for the character sheet, which I'll send to you for a look-see when I finish). I wish I could do something like that in a small space in the PDF... Really good idea, Thredith Undomiel!
ReplyDeleteDan Davis Mmm... maybe you could use numbers instead of ticks. So if you have to mark 3 ticks, you could write 3 instead. A 10 would mean +1 progress.
ReplyDeletePinging Thredith Undomiel. I'd like to get you added to the credits page of the book. Can you let me know the name you'd like me to use? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteShawn Tomkin You could use my real name: Catalina Gerlein :) Thanks Shawn!
ReplyDelete