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"Island of Dragons Bones" by Zhang Li |
This Adventure Site was written as a thank you for a generous monetary donation that arrived during a moment of need!
Thank you so much for your support, Nebulabash!
Howdy, Farmhands.
This was sitting almost complete in my drafts for two months, just waiting for someone to complain loudly enough that I hadn't posted anything about the Sanic hack in a while.
This one's for you, whiny little baby.
Till next time,
Farmer Gadda
RUBBERWHO
Rubberwho are a group of vibrantly colored, cartoonish folk. Their bodies are extra pliable, with skin like rubber and limbs that can streeeeeeeetch! Their physique and properties allows them to be incredibly mobile, with architecture built for primarily Rubberwho societies featuring long lengths of tubes, slides, and trampolines that would give other Kinds trouble. Despite the number of large family units choosing to settle among human-centric cities on the mainland, Rubberwho are adaptable enough to live comfortably anywhere that isn't too cold, and it isn't a stretch (heh) to find solitary Rubberwho happily added to a Furkind's pack.
NAMES
Rubberwho traditionally retain strong familial ties, with a single naming convention being adapted into the names of every additional member. This could mean a shared surname, similar to Humans, or a phonetic syllable repeated across multiple forenames. Solitary Rubberwho may choose names that, when combined, create a sort of pun or word association.
(I.e. The Smiths; Mac, Jack, and Plaque; Trom Bone)
COLOR AND SHAPE
Rubberwho can mold their bodies into almost any shape they want, choosing their form based on personal preference. Most tend to stick to simple geometric shapes, but some give themselves pseudo hair, ears, or other facial features. Sure, people read into their choices, make some assumptions about who they are based on their appearance, but are they accurate to the person inside? (That is, in fact, the joke.)
How do you choose to let the world PERCEIVE you?
| d6 | Color | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red The color of Power and Passion. Red Rubberwho are known for their aggression and short tempers. They may come across as irrational and difficult, or easy to mislead. | Ball The most common shape of the Rubberwho, simple to maintain and easily recognizable. They appear soft and nondescript, making an individual easy to overlook in a crowd. |
| 2 | Orange The color of Stability and Warmth. Orange Rubberwho are called the homemakers of the world, always ready to listen and offer comfort. As an extension of their gentle nature, it's said that Orange Rubberwho are uniquely skilled at handling children and wild creatures. | Cube Sharp right angles and smooth, even planes make up all 8 corners of a Cube Rubberwho. They have a reputation for being stubborn and difficult to talk to, and it's said that an opposing group of them are impossible to negotiate with. |
| 3 | Yellow The color of Youth and Joy. Yellow Rubberwho are seen as childish or naive, with cutesy personalities. They may appear to be unknowledgeable about complex topics, or unable to remember details. | Objectual Usually an offshoot of Ball or Cube shaping, Objectual Rubberwho emulate a physical object as a form of self-expression. It can be as simple as including a "leaf" to look like an Apple, or adding bumps and divots to replicate a computer monitor. This decision is considered quirky and trendy by most. |
| 4 | Green The color of Safety and Success. Green Rubberwho are considered trustworthy, but shrewd. It is commonly believed that any bet taken by a Green Rubberwho is sure to have a modest return. | Humanoid While every Rubberwho has qualities comparable to Humans and Furkind, some take it a step further by replicating Human physique. This appears in the presentation of a more detailed torso, a head separated from the main body by a proper neck, and extraneous body parts like ears and hair. |
| 5 | Blue The color of Melancholy and Calm. Blue Rubberwho have long been known for their emotional stability and ability to help shoulder burdens. Their coloration symbolizes rain in many cultures, so a soothing nature that washes away worries is expected of them. | Quadruped An inverse of Humanoid, many Rubberwho take inspiration from creatures, adding features like snouts, tails, and ears. Most choose to emulate an animal that exists within their local environment for efficiency purposes. Unfortunately, these forms come with the expectations of behavior similar to the creature being emulated, with Quadruped Rubberwho being labeled wild or feral. |
| 6 | Purple The color of Prestige and Refinement. Purple Rubberwho are assumed to have a strong sense of duty, with an air of authority to back it up. Being natural leaders in society, their taste in quality is never to be doubted. | Conceptual Rarest, but most notable, Conceptual Rubberwho base their appearances on ideas over objects, attempting to express themes such as 'Dreams' or 'Hope' with their shape. These Rubberwho choose vague designs for their bodies, emulating the fluffiness of clouds or the shining points of a star as part of their overall presentation. The Rubberwho themselves frequently describe this practice as freeing, but outsiders describe them as pretentious. |
TECHNIQUE
BLESSING
Unlike Furkind, who's blessings are chosen at the whims of the planet, Rubberwho inherit their special abilities from their ancestors, rarely deviating from generation to generation. This means that their pranks and bits can be iterated on for decades, with each successive Rubberwho continuing the work of their forefathers.
What BLESSING have you inherited from those who came before you?
| d6 | Blessing (Refer to This Blog Post) |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Reach |
| 2 |
Form |
| 3 |
Iron Stomach |
| 4 |
Cloud |
| 5-6 |
Elements |
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| Wispon Concept Art for Sonic Forces |
Prev Post / Next Post
Howdy, Farmhands.
I like to think that my posts in this series up to this point have been somewhat novel. TTRPG blogs tend to cover a lot of the same ground, which is not a critique or complaint- there's a limited number of tried and true topics that everyone ought to take a whack at. Meanwhile, I've been over here talking about Sanics and Soda and whatever other nonsense passes through my twisted little mind. Today, I'm giving you a list of Weapon stats and expecting you to ooh and aah in all the right places. I promise we'll get through this. Stay strong.
Weapons in this hack are made up of 3 things, Category, Damage Die, and Damage Type. Damage Die is the simplest; ranging from d4 to d12, and rerolled with every Attack. Attacks in Odd-likes Auto-hit, meaning that most of your math will be done calculating how the damage die is modified by the environment you're using it in.
Damage Type is a bit more interesting. Maybe a bit too interesting. Consider yourself lucky; I have had to physically restrain myself from creating a full-on Pokemon Type Chart for this. I think what I've landed on is still good. Instead of having pre-determined interactions between an exhaustive list of types, I intend to make use of the existing Enhance/Impair mechanic found in Cairn and a good dollop of Common sense.
If fighting from a position of weakness (such as through cover or with bound hands), the attack is impaired and the attacker must roll 1d4 damage regardless of the attacks damage die.
If fighting from a position of advantage (such as against a helpless foe or through a daring maneuver), the attack is enhanced, allowing the attacker to roll 1d12 damage instead of their normal die. - Cairn, as usual
Damage Types, then, are an opportunity to have visible triggers for Impairment or Enhancement of attacks. Fighting against a Wood Creature with a Fire type Weapon? Of course that's Enhanced. Trying to slice your Sword through something covered in Metal? Probably gonna be Impaired, bud. While every table is different, and some players may not be willing to take the lead on determining whether their character does LESS damage, I like the idea of the GM and Players working together to establish these interactions through play. Player A was Impaired the last time they tried to use Arrows against a Water Creature, so Player B innately assumes the same without the GM needing to add that tidbit to every Water Creature Statblock in their notes.
The core Damage Types I'm currently considering are-
And of course, we need Elements, but these I'm not considering to be quite as exhaustive as the core types. These can be paired with or used in absence of the core Damage types.
The final component of a Weapon is it's Category, a classification that works as shorthand for additional mechanics and range. Generally these will be grouped by shape and function. A Katana and Fencing Rapier would both be "Sword" Category; with their differentiation in use conveyed via their Damage Types. Maybe some enemy statblocks could specify a weakness to an entire weapon category instead, but I'm not going to hardcode that into place. Some example categories include-
| Category Name | Category Description |
|---|---|
| Sword | Swords, Clubs, Hilted weapons with a specific end you hit with. All Swords can perform a Flourish as a Technique, adding 1d4 to their attack if successful at the risk of taking Fatigue on a failure. |
| Polearm | Staves, Spears, and the like. All Polearms have double the reach of other Melee weapons, but do 1 die size smaller to foes that are too close |
| Dagger | Daggers, Knives, Throwing Stars. All Daggers have two sets of Damage Die, one for Melee and one for Ranged, as they can be thrown. The intended use of the specific dagger will determine which is mechanically optimal. |
| Gun | Any weapon that discharges an object as ammunition. Yes, Bows count as guns. All Guns are exclusively ranged weapons, unable to be properly fired at melee range. They also tend to have higher die sizes compared to weapons of the same quality class. The trade-off is their need to Reload- whenever a Gun rolls max damage, it becomes jammed, emptied, or otherwise unusable. A PC can use their action next turn to clear it, returning it to use the turn following. |
| Buster | Any ranged weapon that discharges energy as ammunition. Usually mounted on one's forearm. All Busters can Charge as an action, sacrificing a turn to add an additional Damage die to their next attack. |
| Bomb | Anything that goes Boom. All Bombs deal damage with Blast, affecting every target in an area around it. All Bombs require 2 turns to trigger, one to Activate it (lighting it's fuse, setting it's timer, etc) and another to Ignite. All activated Bombs will automatically ignite at the start of the Activator's next turn. |
Putting these three Components together creates a ton of interesting Weapon options! The tried and true options are available, but what about a Sword that does Clobbering Damage? Daggers that do Explosion damage when thrown? What would those even look like? And more important to the game I'm writing- what choice will the players make when they have the option to choose a bizarre weapon, but don't have the space to keep their more standard tools?
Remember, your lines are "ooh" and "ah." Don't ruin this for me.
| Name | Category | Damage Size | Damage Type |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Dagger | d6/d4 | Piercing |
 |
Dagger | d4/d6 | Slashing/Piercing, Explosion |
 Bomb |
Bomb | d6 | Explosion |
 Napalm Bomb |
Bomb | d12 | Explosion, Fire |
 |
Sword | d8 | Slashing |
 |
Sword | d6 | Slashing, Wind |
 |
Sword | d8/d4 | Slashing/Piercing |
 |
Polearm | d8 | Clobbering |
 |
Polearm | d6 | Piercing |
 |
Gun | d6 | Clobbering |
 Pudding's Guitar |
Sword/Buster | d4/d6 | Clobbering/Electric |
 Energy Ball |
Buster | d6 | Electric |
I've been playing a lot of Legend of Dragoon (PS1, 2000) lately. It's a turn based rpg with a quick-time mechanic- successfully pulling off combos increases an xp track per named combo per character. I'm not... going to make everyone engage with the same level of detail lmao. But this will be here as an Option.
As an OPTIONAL Mechanic, Players can choose to pursue a Weapon Mastery. This is a title and list of Techniques granted to a player character that has invested time and study of a specific Damage Type or Weapon Category. A PC can only be pursuing one Mastery at a time, though they may choose to change which Mastery is 'active' during Downtime.
A PC actively pursuing a Mastery that rolls Max Damage when using a Weapon that matches that Mastery's focus can choose to instead mark a Track and re-roll, taking the second value. For every (X amount? Set amount? Increasing amount?) of Marks, the PC may learn a Technique from the Mastery List. This Technique is permanently added to their kit, though it requires a Weapon of the Mastery's focus to perform.
In my mind's eye, each Mastery list will have at minimum 5 techniques to choose from, and the order in which they're taken is up to the player. Depending on the context of the technique, it's entirely possible a player will "dip" into a single mastery for 1 technique, then switch to another for the remainder of their play. Note that as Mastery is gained via a track that logs Max Damage, Mastery is easier to accrue using weapons with smaller damage die. In theory, that means faster advancement at "lower" levels, but riskier combat. Enemies hit like trucks in odd-likes; sticking with a weaker weapon to MAYBE get a new technique is in itself a massive risk.
| Technique | Effect | |
|---|---|---|
| Flurry Blade | For every Dice Size you choose to lower your Weapon Damage this turn, you may make another Attack with that Weapon | |
| Leaping Strike | You may move up to 1/2 your movement speed vertically to target an enemy that would otherwise be out of range. | |
| You Are Already Dead | Choose a target within your range of vision, and quickly unsheathe, then sheathe your blade. At the beginning of the target's next turn, their action is interrupted as they take delayed Damage from your Weapon | |
| Gambit Finish | Roll a number of 1d4 up to the amount of Fatigue in your inventory, adding the sum to your attack. On a failed save, accrue an equal amount of Fatigue. | |
| A fifth one | idk man i've been editing this for like a week i'm tired and just gonna hit post so i can not think about it anymore lists are hard |
-Until Next Time,
Farmer Gadda
Howdy, Farmhands.
Something I always struggle with when writing anything is remembering what i have and have not actually put into words. My brain is a disorganized cacophony of images and sounds on a good day, and lining them up into a string of comprehensible words is a challenge. My work on the SANIC hack, even when collated into an overview post, probably still doesn't look like anything close to a complete picture for an outside observer.
This post is me filling in some gaps; something I'll be doing for the next couple of posts as well- writing up semi-complete pages for character options for the SANIC hack that doesn't really need a full deep dive to explain them. The goal is just to have the edges of my imagined product be less blurry, as opposed to me thinking I've done anything clever and deserve praise.
Also it allows me to introduce readers to some of the setting lore I've been holding back for fear of Telling You About My World Lore, an activity that everyone loves unconditionally and should happen as frequently as possible. (/s)
Until Next Time,
Farmer Gadda
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| I actually owned this poster before the house fire destroyed my belongings and left me homeless for a winter. Maybe I should blog about more important things.. |
FURKIND
Furkind is an umbrella term for the many sub-species of humanoid animal people that exist all over the world. They are known for their relatively short stature, vibrant coloration, and durable bodies. While Mammalian Furkind are the most common, Reptilian, Avian, and Insectoid members do exist; some using more fitting variations of the term to refer to themselves. (I.e. Scalekind, Featherkind, etc). Furkind are more plentiful in regions too dangerous or chaotic for Humans to traverse, with the majority of Furkind cultures originating from the many islands that dot the great seas.
NAMES
Common forenames include Nouns or Verbs the Furkind identifies with. Common surnames use descriptors, such as their animal ancestor or their chosen job title; though a shared Clan or Family name may be substituted.
(I.e. Rush The Cat, Claws The Hunter, Carrot The Lop-Ear, Lavender Of The Tulip Clan)
WANDERING
Established Furkind societies develop around settlements of one or two Packs; groups of individuals that make up a family unit. The members of a pack can vary wildly, even including other Kinds a Furkind befriended along the way. More solitary Furkind can be found living with other Kinds the world over, adapting to those communities' structures. It is common knowledge that young Furkind will eventually feel the need to wander off on their own, leaving on a journey to find their own place in the world.
What made you leave your den to WANDER?
| d6 | Reason | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your Voice beats at your chest; you wander to share all that you know. Your Keepsake is a Crumbling Statuette, an Official-looking Seal, or a Decorated Mask; a symbol of your obsession | |
| 2 | Your Heart feels a Yearning; you wander to find those who will be your
Pack. Your Keepsake is an Old Bracelet, a Pock-marked Stone, or a Feather; a gift for your fated ones | |
| 3 | Your Mind is ever-curious; you wander to learn of other cultures. Your Keepsake is a Pocket Watch, a Wooden Abacus, or a Faded Tome; a tool of your education | |
| 4 | Your Feet never stop moving; you wander because staying still feels like
drowning. Your Keepsake is a Broken Compass, a Carved Walking Stick, or a Cracked Spyglass ;your first companion on your journey. | |
| 5 | Your Hands feel empty; you wander to find something you've lost. Your Keepsake is a Bronze Locket, a Sepia Photograph, or Ragged Toy; the last memory you held onto | |
| 6 | Your Blessing is a Curse; you wander to avoid those who would mistreat you. Your Keepsake is a Threadbare Scarf, Dark Eye-covering, or Broad-rimmed Hat;how you once kept yourself obscured |
BLESSING
Furkind are naturally in tune with the planet, and many find themselves blessed with supernatural abilities from birth. Often, these will manifest in enhanced natural abilities, like speed and strength. Rarer, a specific element will imprint on their being, giving them some control over it in a manner not unlike spell-casting. Neither are considered odd to Furkind, though other Kinds might be surprised to learn what they can do!
What BLESSING has the planet gifted you?
| d6 | Blessing (Refer to This Blog Post) |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Speed - A flash in the pan, a split second reaction, a foot that won't stop tapping. You're not just fast; everyone else is too slow. |
| 2 |
Strength - A bent metal bar, a shattered boulder, a world that folds around you like paper. Your strength is greater than most could gain with training alone. |
| 3 |
Flight - The wind in your wings, a gut-churning dive, the end of the horizon and a bright blue sky. You've broken your shackle to the ground, and now you are limitless. |
| 4 |
Shell - A tough hide, a strong constitution, a will to power through the pain. Your body has a covering you can use to shield yourself from harm. |
| 5-6 |
Elements - A burning passion in your heart, an icy chill down your spine, the depths of the ocean in your eyes. You gain the power of an Element, able to call it forth at will. |
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| Don't worry; there's no special stage above this one. Halfpipes suck. |
Howdy, Farmhands!
I don't expect many people to read this post. Or maybe it'll be the post everyone reads to avoid reading the previous posts, idk. I've made 5 full blogposts detailing my design choices for this ttrpg heartbreaker, (though the first was really just an overview/declaration of intent) so TODAY I think I ought to compile the changes made into a more concise post. Consider this the elevator pitch, but like, we've already stopped at every single floor and I've followed you into the hallway even though I was originally headed elsewhere.
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| Originally posted April 10th, 2024 |
The fact of the matter is that I wish to put a Sanic in Cairn, and none of you have any authority nor power to stop me. But before I do, a couple of points must be made. Firstly, what do I think a Cairn is? And secondly, what the fuck is a Sanic?
As of writing this post, it's actually been exactly one month since part 1 went live! Neat! This being my first Serious attempt at Poasting in this longer format (I'd posted before, but that was expected to only reach my existing Vtubing audience, not a greater fandom/design space) it's oddly verbose with a ton of links to images nobody really commented on. As a declaration of intent, it also didn't involve any interesting or actionable content. As a landing page, I think it's okay? Certainly helps weed out the people who aren't interested in This Sort of Thing without asking them to get invested before they leave. I only want to waste my OWN time, tyvm.
TL;DR-
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| Originally posted April 18th, 2024 |
"Doesn't this mean it's much harder for the players to ever seriously experience danger?" yes, but it creates a few more layers of player choice before you reach the "you don't get to roll any more" stage with those blorbos.
In hindsight, this was probably not the most interesting first, actionable post I could have made for this project, but it was the one I'd recently talked about on twitter, so my hands were tied. I spent the first section essentially trying to walk the reader through my thought process and first draft ideas for this topic, before jettisoning that work in favor of the final product in section 2.
This was a mistake. Don't expect your audience to get invested in something if you're only going to betray that investment in the very next paragraph. Heed my words lest ye befall the same fate.
TL;DR -
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| Originally posted April 21st, 2024 |
In an effort to differentiate Fantastic Furries from their less magical counterparts, I'm putting together a short list of options to be taken during Character Creation. I considered having separate combinations be available depending on what KIND of furry you're using, but frankly, that's boring.
Tweaking how 'death' works in an Odd-like was important for giving this heartbreaker more of a Super-Heroic feel without completely rejecting the elements of the Adventure Game design philosophy that led me to choose Cairn as my starting point. Part 3, then, was intended to push a little further and see if anything broke.
The only thing that broke was my formatting. This was the first post I made that got pushed not because I thought it was 'complete' but because I was so fucking tired of editing it, and it shows. I SHOULD clean it up now that I'm thinking about it but fuck if I want to do that.
One thing I should note here is that the list of Blessings available to PCs at Character Creation will be limited/curated by specific Lineage. I've established that I want to hold off on talking about My World Lore as long as possible, but the Fantastic Furries and the Ridiculous Rubber-people will both have overlapping but unique Blessings to choose from, while Humans are barred from picking a Blessing to start.
TL;DR -
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| Originally posted May 8th, 2024 |
I genuinely think this is my best post so far. Out of any of them. Like, this is the standard I'm going to be holding my writing to going forward. It's technically just a compilation of a brainstorming session on twitter that got out of hand, but the end result isn't just stable and actionable, it's GAMEABLE for people who AREN'T ME. Finally, I've moved out of the realm of theory and into actual Game Design, lookatmego.
Unlike PART 2: where I failed to properly guide the reader through my thought process and instead invalidated their investment two paragraphs in, this post does a very good job of describing both the starting point of the design from Cairn, the specific areas I've already made changes to, and the slice of design I intend to affect with the NEW design the audience is about to be introduced to. I did it Ma, I'm a blogger!!!!
I'm now legally required to repeat that I'm not going to explain Bar'd to you. Maybe I'll discuss Smackjeeves/The City RPs at a later date, from which you can triangulate what Bar'd is about, but that's somewhere down the line.
TL;DR -
Potions are a consumable liquid that produce an effect in the drinker.
They come in 3 Tiers, JUICE, SODA, and ENERGY, each with an associated Die Value (d4, d6, etc). A Potion that restores a resource (HP, Dice Pools) instantly grants that resource equal to the Die value of it's Tier. A Potion that grants an effect (Extra Damage, Invisibility, Extra Armor) temporarily grants that effect for a number of Rounds equal to the Die Value of it's Tier.
In Inventory, Potions of the same Tier and Flavor may be stacked up to the maximum determined by their Tier.
In Combat, 1 Potion may be Chugged each turn, before and separate from that PC's Action. In order to Chug a Potion, the PC must have at least 1 hand free to hold the container, and 1 forehead free to crush the container against once emptied.
- JUICE: 1d4, No Associated Save. Stacks up to 16. Usually served in Juice Boxes.
Arguably Healthy, considering the amount of sugar.- SODA: 1d8, Save against WIL or BURP*. Stacks up to 12. Served in Cans.
Carbonated, which makes the Magic Better or something.- ENERGY: 1d12, Save against WIL or BURP*. Stacks up to 8. Also served in Cans.
Contains the maximum recommended daily dose of various questionable chemicals. Drinking more than 1 per 24 hours risks a CRASH***BURP: Failing a WIL save after Chugging a Potion of SODA or ENERGY Tier results in a BURP, replacing your Action for the Round with a loud belch.
**CRASH: A Floating value Equal the number of ENERGY Tier potions consumed within 24 hours after the first. At any point after accruing any value of Crash, should the PC BURP, Fatigue equal to the Crash Value is instantly applied.
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| Originally Posted May 9th, 2024 |
Magical nonsense happens frequently, even if it isn't recognized as such... There's no chanting or latin, or even an agreed upon method of categorizing specific phenomenon. There is only chaos, and those who can temporarily control it.
You'll notice the weeks-long gap in posting between 3 and 4, and the literal 19 hours between 4 and 5. This is because Part 5 was ORIGINALLY intended to follow up after Blessed Be The Hog, and was a bitch to edit. Also, I had to do construction on my house after my wife fell through the floor. Don't worry about it. I'm happy with the final result, but the Soda Potions post was finished quicker, so it became part 4.
This is an Important Post for this project, even if it's mostly reflavoring existing Cairn/ItO mechanics to match the fantasy. With these terms and their uses described, however, I can now refer back to them as needed going forwards. It's all downhill (/pos) from here, lads.
TL;DR -
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| hey, wait a minute |
Going back over the previous set of posts in this series has actually been really interesting. It's odd, looking at the disparate ramblings as one cohesive project, and seeing the spots that still need attention. If I had to start the project over, I'd definitely post them in a different order, beginning with the reflavoring of existing mechanics such as in Part 5, tweaking Death mechanics such as in Part 2, and THEN introducing new content by way of Blessings and Soda Potions in 3 and 4. Hindsight is 2020 I'm afraid, so there's not much I can do about it now.
What I CAN do is give a brief overview of what I plan to do next. The blogpost following this one SHOULD be about Weapons, how they'll be categorized, and how specializing in one fighting style can earn PCs Weapon-specific Techniques. After that, the project should be 'Complete' mechanically, with the bones ready to be filled with meat. A few d66 tables later, and I'll be ready to begin Telling You About My World Lore, and probably giving this project it's own unique name. We'll see how much of the above I actually accomplish by Checkpoint 2.
Until Next Time,
-Farmer Gadda
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| Oh actually, I think this part of the game is gonna be easy to write - The Bounce Bracelet in Sonic Generations, Sonic Beyond (2022) |
Prev Post / Next Post
Howdy, Farmhands.
Odd-likes (I've made the executive decision to stop name-dropping Cairn as the sole originator of this project, people are making understandable assumptions) tie their magic systems in with their inventory system via the Fatigue mechanic. In many cases, powerful or supernatural abilities are either explicitly One-Time use, or cost a temporary burden filling in an Inventory slot. But also, there are objects that can contain multiple uses of an ability that cost no fatigue, but instead have specific requirements to regain those uses once spent. Do you use up your empty Inventory Slots to cast a spell multiple times? Do you fill your Inventory with single use spells you might never need? Do you bring a spent Relic on your journey in the hopes you can recharge it? And all of this is with the logical concern that you'll come across something important and shiny and need to decide what you take home with you; the stuff you have or the stuff you've just found.
It's honestly an excellent balancer in a game that's all about diegetic advancement.
(For the remainder of this blog, assume any stated Durations, Damage Die, and Charges are placeholders. I'm just throwing numbers out here as examples for now)
"Relics are items imbued with a magical spell or power. They do not cause Fatigue. Relics usually have a limited use, as well as a recharge condition." - Cairn
| ah yes now we are talking |
The Sonic series has a history of including optional collectibles, be they wearable swag, new technology to add to their existing battle mechs, or mystical artifacts that are usually a set of jewels. The specific context varies by game, but generally, these objects are referred to as Upgrades.
"Anyone can cast a spell by holding a Spellbook in both hands and reading the contents aloud. They must then add a Fatigue to inventory, occupying one slot... If the PC is deprived or in danger, the Warden may require a PC to make a WIL save to avoid any ill-effects from casting the spell." - Cairn, again
Magic
exists in the world I'm envisioning for this project, but not
necessarily in the Dungeons & Dragons way, Vancian or otherwise.
This dips a bit into talking about my totally cool fantasy setting I've
imagined, which I'm sure you're all thrilled to hear about, so bear with
me.
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| "This is like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me" - Shadow the Hedgehog no really he said this once in an official appearance. |
Magical nonsense happens frequently, even if it isn't recognized as such. Rules of reality are casually broken, super strength, flight, and psionic abilities are just born innately in the populace. The
energy that causes these events can be read and measured, with
geographical locations having more or less of it, relative to how weird
the place is. There's no chanting or latin, or even an agreed upon method of categorizing specific phenomenon. There is only chaos, and those who can temporarily control it.
The abilities performed by tapping into that power, then, would be less 'Casting a spell' and more 'Manipulating the Force;' with specific triggers being memorized as Techniques.
"Scrolls are similar to Spellbooks, however, they do not take up an inventory slot, do not cause fatigue, and they disappear after one use." - Cairn, a third time
This is even easier now that I've sorted out what "Upgrades" and "Techniques" are. Instead of a smaller form, one charge consumable Spell, we can just... HAVE Mario Power-ups.
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| (tired drug joke here) |
For the sake of the fantasy, some things won't be 1 to 1 between Cairn and the Sanic Hack. Techniques will not be part of a Grimoire, rather being a list of abilities, though they will require Saves to pull off. Power-Ups, unlike Scrolls, will take Inventory space, and their abilities won't be able to be transcribed into a collection for use later; they're one and done.
Likewise, I feel that Upgrades can and SHOULD be Weapons and Armor, but in a significant move away from how Odd-likes usually handle them, they should also be things that can be manufactured. Maybe not easily, lest they lose all credibility, but still something that can be tinkered with and improved in some way. Maybe a particularly tech-savvy PC would want to take an Item or Weapon or what have you, and slowly develop it INTO an Upgrade? I'll put a pin in that for a future blog post.
An Upgrade would need to be highlighted to Players at the table, especially if they're going to be commonplace tech in the context of the world. Mystical Gemstones, sure, they'll notice those. But placing a technological upgrade in an adventure site could lead to players missing them entirely.
I'm afraid I'll just have to take another whack at all of this later on down the line.
Until Next Time,
-Farmer Gadda
Howdy, Farmhands.
I'm terribly sorry about this.
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There honestly isn't any context I could add that would make this better. My friend circle was working through some stuff in 2006. |
Look. I refuse to explain Bar'd to you. Just know that in a very specific subset of Sonic fans who were Teenagers on the Internet that found a Webcomic Hosting Service called Smackjeeves in the Mid 2000's, a series of modern mixed drinks providing supernatural enhancements was not just the norm, it was the One True Way. Most of them were less than subtle attempts to experiment with kink in a safe space, but, again, I refuse to explain Bar'd to you. Anyway...
Goblinpunch recently put out a blogpost about Healing, Potions, and Shrines, laying out both the pros and cons of traditional Healing options in ttrpgs, as well as spitballing ideas for how to tweak that experience to be more in line with your specific fantasy. I don't vibe with every suggestion, but I can see why specific tables would gravitate to them. This got me thinking about what -My- preferred method of offering Healing at my table would be, if I got to choose.
Wait, of course I get to choose, i'm a game designer forever cursed to toil on my heartbreaker. Neat.
Reminder that I'm working off an ItO/Cairn framework for this project. Health is already kinda funky compared to Most Expected mechanics for HP and Damage and whatnot. HP stands for "Hit Protection", a gauge of how close a character is to actually taking the hit that will send them down. Damage that exceeds their available HP is taken from their STR score, with a save against that Score required to keep them conscious every time they take another hit. Once combat is complete and the Danger averted, however, HP is relatively easy to regain!
Resting for a few moments and having a drink of water restores lost HP but leaves the party exposed. Ability loss can usually be restored with a week’s rest facilitated by a healer or other appropriate source of expertise. Some of these services are free, while magical or more expedient means of recovery may come at a cost. - Cairn
This gameplay loop- having a refreshable pool of protection, but lasting effects of combat that carries through an adventure- is one I want to preserve. Therefore, any Healing I add to this ruleset should probably focus on quick refreshes of that HP pool, as opposed to undoing Ability loss.
Well, wait, I already did that. Sorta. Here's what I added:
Reaching Zero HP puts you Down, you're wheezing and looking rough. For NPCs, this is when the Morale roll happens to decide if they Flee or stay to take a stand. For PCs, they may choose to Move OR take an Action each round but not both. Any further Damage affects their STR score and they must make Death Saves as normal, or be Out. And "Out" is just. Fainted. They're not dead, but they're an unconscious or otherwise indisposed lump on the floor. They may not rejoin Combat. In Cairn terms, they're present but Deprived. Retreating when Downed is basically choosing to be Out, knowing you'll be able to recover HP as usual after the dust settles. But, because I love Mario & Luigi RPG, Downed PCs can stay in the fight by being Carried.
A PC may Carry a Downed PC if they have 5 Inventory Slots free. A Carried PC regains 1 HP per Round they are Carried, up to their Max. However, the PC doing the Carrying rolls attack rolls as if Impaired. - Me, "The SANIC Hack: Part 2 - Problem Solving"
Allowing another PC the option to temporarily handicap themselves to slowly refuel a Downed ally is still something I think is cool. It's not a negation of consequence on part of the Downed PC; their actions now directly hamper their friend's ability to perform in a dangerous scenario, but there's a chance the pair of them can make a comeback if both can be careful for just a few rounds. There's also the possibility that being Carried is just not an option for their situation, so it isn't a one size fits all. It ALSO only triggers once HP is gone completely AND an Ally chooses to sacrifice their Damage output and Inventory slots to perform it.
With these points in mind, this means the area we'll need to focus on is the space BEFORE a PC loses all their HP and is Downed.
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| "Sodaaaaaaaaaaaa" -Whoever voiced the Belts from kamen rider Gaim |
I'm specifically calling upon Drinks/Cans/Soda in this design for a number of reasons.
Potions are a consumable liquid that produce an effect in the drinker.
They come in 3 Tiers, JUICE, SODA, and ENERGY, each with an associated Die Value (d4, d6, etc). A Potion that restores a resource (HP, Dice Pools) instantly grants that resource equal to the Die value of it's Tier. A Potion that grants an effect (Extra Damage, Invisibility, Extra Armor) temporarily grants that effect for a number of Rounds equal to the Die Value of it's Tier.
In Inventory, Potions of the same Tier and Flavor may be stacked up to the maximum determined by their Tier.
In Combat, 1 Potion may be Chugged each turn, before and separate from that PC's Action. In order to Chug a Potion, the PC must have at least 1 hand free to hold the container, and 1 forehead free to crush the container against once emptied.
*BURP: Failing a WIL save after Chugging a Potion of SODA or ENERGY Tier results in a BURP, replacing your Action for the Round with a loud belch.
**CRASH: A Floating value Equal the number of ENERGY Tier potions consumed within 24 hours after the first. At any point after accruing any value of Crash, should the PC BURP, Fatigue equal to the Crash Value is instantly applied.
Each Flavor (Lemon, Apple, Mint, Vanilla) should have an effect attached to it; meaning Lemon Juice and Lemon Soda will recognizably perform the same function.
Homemade Potions, because there will always be that 1 person who wants to fulfill the Witches Brew fantasy, should do 1 dice size lower than the standard, Grocery Store version of that Tier. JUICE(Homemade) does 1d2, SODA(Homemade) does 1d6, etc.
Mixed Drinks that combine Flavors, and thus, effects, should ALSO be worth 1 dice size lower, per Flavor. Lemon-Lime, as an example, could Restore HP (Lemon) and Grant +1 Armor (Lime.) A Lemon-Lime SODA, then would restore 1d6 HP and Grant Armor for 1d6 Turns. A Lemon-Lime SODA(Homemade), would restore 1d4 HP and Grant Armor for 1d4 Turns.
Dregan, Author of Bar'd, if you're reading this, know that our time together is remembered fondly. Also, I'm Genderfluid now, which may be partly Your Fault. No hard feelings.
Until Next Time,
Farmer Gadda
Slip-Wreck Rock (An Island Adventure Site for your elfgame of choice.) "Island of Dragons Bones" by Zhang Li A simple jut...
