Where were we?
No, actually, it’s been too long.
Where are we now?
Surprisingly, playing the fourth version of the game.
So let’s be clear, aspirations of publishing this as a product to sell are more or less out of my head. The desire to turn my creative pursuits into jobs isn’t really there any more. I have a job. I have creativity. They’re separate. I create to create, that’s it -- whether it’s visual art, writing or games. Sometimes I share it.
So here we are. Three versions later. What’s different with my little fantasy heartbreaker?
Lots. And also not a lot? The core rules are mostly intact. It’s a simple version of a D20 system at base, where the only D20 rolls are attacks and saves (hurt something or avoid getting hurt), and the only other die rolls are for damage and healing. No skill rolls. No perception tests. Just like before. No experience points, but you have to spend your treasure on training to level up.
Some of the changes are aesthetic. I changed the playable species around, to fit the style of game world I want. Ditched some of the standard D&D species (goodbye orcs and dwarves) and added some things that fit this game better.
The species of trollfolk are: ettins (big mountain trolls), gnomes (little earth trolls who see in the dark), and hulders (tall, usually skinny forest trolls with antlers and prehensile tails).
The species of fairyfolk are: elves (“changelings” who can change their appearance with magical glamor), hobs (“hearth fairies” who can move things with their mind, and when they have a home, this power is enhanced there), and sprites (“elemental fairies” who can produce light and fire at will, and extinguish it just as easily).
And finally, the species of beastfolk are: humans (folks who can speak any language), ravinim (fur-covered folks descended from predators like cats and wolves, who have claws and fangs and the ability to eat almost anything without trouble, even uncooked or spoiled food), and deluvians (hairless blue people with gills that let them breathe seawater, and faint memories of the darkness at the bottom of the sea).
Most of the other changes have been about balancing numbers. I got rid of variable Health points in favor of always giving Health in multiples of 5.
The biggest change is Morale -- and no, it’s not the big scary system you would expect if you have tried to play older wargames. It’s quite simple: every creature has a Morale rating (most folks have just 1, including most starting player characters). When a group travels together, you combine everyone’s Morale into a group pool. When Morale hits 0, the whole group is “shaken”, and they’ll have to run away the next time someone gets damaged or they would lose more Morale. Lots of effects cause Stress. Just like damage reduces Health, stress reduces Morale. Getting spooked by ghosts? That’s fear stress. Held back by spears? Shock stress. Dazzled by a sparkling illusion? Awe stress. Allies getting knocked out stresses you, too. When stuff messes with your mind or feelings, you might lose Morale and eventually just have to book it.
And this applies to enemies as well! Heroes can cause stress to their enemies to force a retreat. Not every fight ends with the winners slaying or beating their foes into submission. Sometimes, you just drive the monsters away.
There’s more to discuss, of course. Lots. But that’s enough for now.
And if you’re reading this, neat! I didn’t write it expecting readers. But you’re welcome all the same.