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.