Broken Links Repaired!

Ack! Apparently, the URLs for the Solider's and the Pyrotechnic's Skill Sets had changed at some point. Well, that's finally been mended. Also made some vital cosmetic changes, such as some irksome white patches on the Pyrotechnic's Skill Set. A few days back, I added a new familiar or two, as well. Should get around to testing how easily non-Hunter characters can obtain familiars soon.

Winter Warden..Finished!

Yup, after a quick burst of inspiration, I have finally fleshed out the Winter Warden. At this point, nearly every set list is complete! Now I only have a single slot to fill, and all characters will be complete! Now, I need to develop more Familiars. So far, the Hunter has been faring well with the trapping system, and I've even defeated the first boss with the aid of Familiars. I've yet to see, however, how easy it is for other characters to obtain Familiars, so I still have plenty more testing to do. Stay tuned...

Finished Bosses, Updated Multiplayer Modes.

Added the other three bosses to the Advanced Rules page. Also, I updated the multiplayer modes to accomodate Familiars. Now, if only I could test those modes with another willing player...

Familiars - and First Boss!

Been devising new familiars - and more to come later. Also: I've finally figured out how players should win the game - through defeating mega monsters that I call Flux Generators. I've designed all four, but I've only posted the first one, since I haven't actually challenged it yet myself. Expect more soon.

Hunter Complete! Familiars Available!

Tonight, I finally fleshed out the Hunter's skill set. I've also devised a few low-value Familiars. And - I just caught my own Salamander tonight during a test run. ; ) Really satisfied with the Hunter class and the trapping process. Still tinkering with Familiars and their appropriate values - and, of course, still have higher value ones to create. Might be time, though, to work on the Winter Warden...

More on the Hunter

Nearly finished on the Hunter - all I need now are the Basic Skills for Lvl. 9 and Lvl. 12. Everything else is complete. Only one Familiar so far, but I'll crack down on that after I'm done with the Hunter. I've still got to test drive this new trapping system, too...

Innovation - The Hunter and Familiars

I've finally figured out what the Hunter class is all about - and, in the process, I've added a whole new element to the game. Solo players can now buy Familiars to fight alongside them, and can develop them by purchasing enhancements; Hunters, on the other hand, can catch and train their Familiars without forking over any dough. Haven't really developed many Familiars yet - hoping to finish the Hunter first.

Also - tweaked level up requirements a bit. The formula now for the amount of Exp required to level up is (where L=level number) 5L + 2L. This equation ensures that the amount of battles fought per level increases exponentially.

Abilities Named; Co-Ops added

All abilities that have been created have been named. Also, all characters, with the exception of the Hunter, have Co-Op Abilities. Finally, refined the Pyrotechnic - Refuel has been changed to Crossfire, which allows that character to split attacks each turn. Exciting, right?

Back at Work...

Taking advantage of my crippled state to work more on this project. Finished the Herbalist, and added Bonus Skills to the Martial Artist. Also, felt compelled to start naming Abilities, which I shall finish up by today. Finally, been brainstorming  new concepts for the game - such as Familiars and Boss Battles. So stay tuned.

Format and Skills

First, updated the format of character skill pages. Next, removed Bonus Skill slots from Soldier and Storm Mage, so that these two characters are now complete. Finally, invented a few more skills here and there.

Storm Mage - Nearly Done

Finished all basic skills for Storm Mage. Skill set's almost done for that character - just need two more bonus skills and it'll be done.

More Work on Storm Mage

Added Lvl. 9 skill and Lvl. 15 ability for Storm Mage tonight. Would do more, but I am falling in and out of sleep as I type.

Updates and Refurbishing

Added the Storm Mage's Lvl. 6 skill and Lvl. 10 ability. (See them here.) Also, decided that Lvl. 6 skills for all characters should cost three cards, not two.

Made some changes to the Rulebook. I was playing the game today, and encountered an enemy that pulled not only a pair, but a three-of-a-kind on its turn - and I realized (with some reluctance) that I couldn't let that go. So, I drew another attack card for that enemy, and took the full force of that blow. I've also realized that allowing damaged enemies to attack again is unnecessarily annoying; the greater chances of losing more gold should be enough of a penalty. So that's out.

Finally, unearthed my musings about the context/background of the game. Lends nothing to the actual mechanics or gameplay, but it's a framework for future plots or campaign arcs.

I should be able to finish the Storm Mage's skills and abilities soon. Then I'll have to figure out the Hunter.

A Few Minor Changes

Well, now that college is out, I plan on tinkering with this a little more. I've added a link to some pointers on playing - you can find it in the Rulebook. Also, added information about the Show Stopper at the top of the Item Chart (because, for some reason, I can't reach any of the outer columns at the bottom). Next objective - figure out more moves for the Storm Mage. (So far, though, Rain Scent has been pretty handy.)

Open for Business.

Finally re-organized this mess of blogs into more accessible pages. All skill sets are up, although some classes are less complete than others. The Fire classes are the most complete; others are playable to at least Level 3. My next objective should be to come up with at least the first Bonus Skill and the first Ability Update for everyone. Might also figure out a way to upload a template for character sheets - could even create a different character sheet for each class, so that the player doesn't have to figure out the shop inventory.

As always, testers are welcome to experiment with what I have so far.

Happy holidays, folks.

Storm Mage's Skills (In Progress)

This is the skill set for the Spiritual Thunder class, the Storm Mage. The Storm Mage can detect and influence changes in the environment (i.e the draw pile). Gaps in the list indicate levels that have not been developed yet. The "Bonus Skill" list denotes skills that can be obtained through slipstream rounds.

Lvl. 3: Thundershower (<3^) - Attack with 1 <3 (regardless of the enemy's type). Draw two (^2-10) to three (^J-A) cards from the top; if you find any other <3, you may attack any other monster with them for 1/2 the card's value.
Lvl. 6:
Lvl. 9:
Lvl. 12:
Lvl. 15:
Bonus Skills
Lvl. 4:
Lvl. 7:
Lvl. 10:
Lvl. 13:
Ability Updates:
Lvl. 5: At any time during your round (even after your attack), you may choose to take two cards off the top of the deck and move them to the bottom.
Lvl. 10:
Lvl. 15:

Notes On Playing

For those who are considering testing this game, I have a few pointers on general gameplay.

Character Sheet

Before starting play, you'll want a sheet of paper to keep track of your character. You'll want this info down - your name, class, and level; your max Hold, Hand, and Base; your initial Ability and Skill, with open spaces for more; Exp. to level up; Gold; a space for Inventory; your class's Shop. 

Dyherd the Hunter's character sheet.
Notice the corner for bonuses.

When I've sustained half damage from an attack, I tend to flip that attack card upside-down, and I write the actual damage I've taken next to my Base. If monsters have received more or less damage than what my attack cards show, I find a blank spot on the page and jot down the monster's active Base and the damage it's taken.

I keep track of Gold and Item Bonuses in the top right-hand corner of my page.

Once you've got this sheet laid out, you shouldn't need any reference materials - at least, until you start learning skills and abilities.

Misc. Rules

Ethereal Imbalance - if, on the initial draw, two active Bases appear that would normally cancel each other out (i.e a <310 and a ^10), pick up these Bases, shuffle them back into the deck, and re-draw them.

Context of the Game

Some of you might be wondering what sort of background/world/context this game exists in. At any rate, I have, so here's a general idea...

So there's this valley, which connects the villages in the highlands with the larger cities in the lowlands. Lately, a dense fog has enveloped the valley, which has bereft the land of any form or stability; anyone who attempts to enter this haze is dismembered at once. A handful of individuals, however (i.e you) are pioneering a series of devices that will enable adventurers to explore the chaotic valley. These brave souls hope to find the source of the flux warping the valley and return order to the land.

Don't ask exactly what Base is...I imagine some sort of suit/transport device that provides a form for the character. So, when the Base of anything is destroyed, the individual exposed is immediately ripped apart by flux. The act of drawing cards represents the notion of flux - of seizing wayward currents of energy and harnessing them into attacks. When you level up, you master a bit more control over your surroundings.

Monsters, I reckon, wouldn't have conventional shapes. They wouldn't exactly be "monsters", but latent concentrations of ether that have adapted to the flux with quasi-stable forms. The higher the Base, the more solid the monster.

I'm not exactly sure how to explain the shop, either...perhaps some sort of telekinetic device that can summon items from the towns/cities to your character's inventory. That said, I probably ought to change the currency from gold into some sort of unit of ether/force. And, in a slipstream, the high currency of flux present hinders communication with the outside.

...I don't know if this helps anyone actually play the game. But it helps me as a developer to get some rough idea of the context.

Winter Warden's Skill Set (In Progress)

This is the list of skills that the Water Physical class, the Winter Warden, can learn. The Winter Warden is the hardiest of the classes, and can resist severe amounts of damage. Gaps in the list indicate levels that I have not yet developed skills for. The "Bonus Skill" list indicates skills that may be obtained through slipstream rounds (see the Advanced Rules).

Lvl. 3: Freeze Jab (^ ) - Does 1/2  damage to 1 monster (regardless of type), and ignore 15 (^2-8) to 20 (^9-A) damage from that monster.
Lvl. 6:
Lvl. 9:
Lvl. 12:
Lvl. 15:
Bonus Skills:
Lvl. 4:
Lvl. 7:
Ability Updates
Lvl. 5:
-----(Co-op Only - At this point, before drawing a monster attack, you may choose to take the attack instead of flipping a coin.)
Lvl. 10:
Lvl. 15:

Martial Artist's Skill Set (In Progress)

These are skills which the Physical Thunder class, the Martial Artist, learns in the game. The Martial Artist specializes in countering and reacting to enemy attacks. Gaps indicate levels which I haven't created skills for yet. The "Bonus Skill" list includes skills which cannot be earned through levelling up.

Lvl. 3: Meditate (<3^) - If a monster should attack you in your next turn, you will still take damage - but take the monster's attack card and add it to your Base (regardless of whether or not you've reached your maximum).
Lvl. 6: Thread the Needle (<3u) - Any time that a monster attacks you on your next turn, you may retaliate with either the <3 or the u, regardless of the enemy's type.
Lvl. 9:
Lvl. 12:
Lvl. 15:
Bonus Skills:
Lvl. 4:
Lvl. 7:
Lvl. 10:
Ability Updates:
Lvl. 5: When performing a skill that anticipates an enemy attack, you may declare an element besides one you are weak to. These attacks now do 1/2 damage to you, regardless of whether you'd be normally weak to them or not - and you may now react to these attacks with your skill.
-----(Co-op - At this point, before drawing an enemy's attack, you may choose to take the attack instead of flipping a coin.)
Lvl. 10: If you're performing a skill that anticipates an enemy attack, you may hold the effects of this skill for one more turn.
Lvl. 15: Pick one other element besides <3. Enemy attacks of this element do 1/2 damage back to the enemy.