DiasExMachina 4ED Update

[DiasExMachina]

History of a Game. Part 2:

Throughout all of this, I never thought of Amethyst as a serious setting. I set it on Earth because the original treatment was set on earth. It was easy to mess with. There was not much of a story, just an obvious McGuffin to keep the players moving place to place.

Then I ran into David Fidler. My best friend from years past, we had drifted apart because he went to university and I went to college. We bumped into each other again at work and I told him I had been dragged back into role-playing from nearly a 3-year hiatus. He asked what the setting was and I explained, “It’s a techno fantasy not unlike final fantasy except that the world of fantasy and science don’t mingle at all…in fact, they actively disrupt each other’s existence.”

He said, “Wow, that sounds quite original.”

And I replied, “Yeah…you’re right.” I didn’t tell him at that point that the last part didn’t exist until it leapt from the lips. That was what I needed…the final mark of the setting to make it original. It cured a massive setting flaw in the story where science should be able to overwhelm magic. It also answered many problems, gave motivations to people on the other side, and fixed a glaring game mechanic. I began a huge retroactive shift in the setting. As a casualty, Rene left the group but the others would stay for the duration, eventually taking on Mike McMullen in replacement. The setting was still too much like D&D but I eventually uploaded what I had onto the same site where my Alien FUZION game sat. After the campaign finished two and a half years later—yes finished, actually finished—I began a second edition to be posted online. I also began working on a Ghost in the Shell D20 game, which is still online today. While I was working the second edition, I began another round of setting alterations, taking out more of the D&D cliché and inserting more original content. I was also planning on a third d20 free RPG, for The Matrix.

Amethyst was a collection of ideas based on original concepts and other inspired from artwork I had seen online. I had gotten permission from several artists to use their artwork for free on my page. Some of these names are quite well known in the industry. The first were Jaime Jones and Katherine Dinger, and eventually more threw in their support (Roman Kochnev, Fredrick Ramqvist, Christopher Vacher, John Wallin and a dozen others). When I started working on the second edition, I had also gotten Derrek Herring, Andy Simmons, and Nick Greenwood. Despite being allowed to use their art for free for my free game, Amethyst still had no original art to call its own.

By the fall of 2006, my finances were in trouble, and I was lacking direction. I was part of a car club, which became one of the most foolish endeavours of my life. It cost excessively much with a reward that never reached the level of investment. I love cars; I really do, always will. I just don’t like many of the people that pursue the passion enough to want to join a club. I recovered myself financially around the same time my original crew got together once again to start a second Amethyst game (after a 15-month break where we played the GITS game). This one would be set 500 years after the original Amethyst. Called Logos, it would be based off the new setting, not the original game that played years earlier. After seeing the potential of Print-On-Demand, and the slew of electronic PDF RPGs on the market, I conversed with Conan about publishing Amethyst for real. He supported the move.

It would still be six months before my finances were in a position where I could save money to publish such a book. Plans for the Second Edition were shelved and I started nearly from the ground up once again to develop the setting as an original 3.5 game. I approached possible artists and the first few I asked were the first to show their support initially. Most of them were busy but like the concept. Who knew this one little game published free could orbit around and net them money? My plan was to publish the game and not consider its profit potential. I wanted the game to be the best it could be. Progress moved smoothly as the game grew. Eventually, I needed a black and white artist but found few. One of the original artists that supported me with free work offered his talents for B+W. This would be Nick Greenwood, which would eventually be the most productive relationship I have had outside of my local gaming group.

The setting was still evolving. Disruption was only an electromagnetic pulse, allowing the use of enchanted traditional firearms and steam power, giving Amethyst a Steampunk layer. I realized that this still didn’t work with that I wanted and altered the setting again, taking out even this compromise. Now all technology above 18th century would break down. Anything more complicated than a windmill was vulnerable, and I had to lay down reasons for all this to occur. Now the motivation for those following technology was even more important.

Then 4ED was announced. We were admittedly not pleased. We spent the better part of 13 months creating a kick-ass 3.5 variation that was unique without overly breaking the system. We contemplated holding back by the confusion from WOTC made making a decision impossible. I decided I didn’t want to waist all the work that had been done with the 3.5 version. We would release it and see what response it got and wait and see how the landscape changed with the release of 4ED. SerenaDawn had developed a massive hit ratio and the popularity of Amethyst initially bled from there. I was still perfecting the setting, only leaving enough of the traditional D&D clichés in order for the mechanics to work.

After the release of 4ED, everyone associated with the project supported the move. We had three options: Jump onto 4ED, jump onto a variant like True20 or C&C, or create our own OGL-based setting. In the end, it came down to either an original OGL, which we almost did, or 4ED. After the GSL, I realized how 4ED was perfect for our needs. It made me (made me) rip out the remaining D&D clichés and create Amethyst as it was original intended.

Just over a year ago, my friends handed me George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones and I was floored. I decided to put my screenwriting days behind me and try writing a novel again. I began writing a novel for Amethyst, which also evolved the setting substantially. Part found its way into the 3.5 Amethyst but even those were re-written after the 3.5 book was published.

Which brings us to the present. Amethyst is now 4ED, my novel is being edited, and I have a purpose. With hopes, as we get close to final publication, an agent will pick up the novel and gain some synergy for publication. Only time will tell.

[DiasExMachina]

By the end of the weekend we're be nearing the end of the primary draft.

I once said to my staff that if we didn't make the October release but we worked our asses off, then I can at least say we are putting out one hell of a product that will justify the time spent and validate the patience fans have invested with us.

By today, we hit 255,000 words, that’s 50,000 words more than the DnD PHB. We are going to be removing certain elements (a race, a few feats, paragon path or two) to get us in our page budget. These sections are not being deleted; they're only being culled into the next book. I finished rituals and unique magic items and am currently polishing monsters with Jibblets. He still has nearly a dozen more monsters to go, half of which will probably be cut for a later book (sorry Jibbs).

Expect an announcement dealing with our planned release date hopefully soon. Also, by next week, we'll have a complete playtesting package ready for those interested.

I mentioned rituals. I didn't mention Foundation Spells. Foundation Spells were a game balancing effect we messed with in the 3.5 version. In order to fix issues we had with escalation of power levels (something still not addressed to my satisfaction with Pathfinder), we capped spells at 6th level and selected only a handful of spells from 7 to 9 to become foundation spells. To use a foundation spell, you had to have acquired an anchor--kind of a semi-unique magic item which contains the essence of the spell. We had thoughts of taking them out altogether but I really enjoyed the idea of wizards leading quests to foreign lands to find a unique spell.

The way this works is that Foundation Spells require their anchor in hand to cast. They come in two different forms: Rituals and Powers. Rituals are just like normal rituals except they also require the anchor in hand when casting. Power Foundation Spells are swappable powers for your class. They have a level suggestion, just like any other magic item, and with the wizard Foundation Mage epic destiny, you can swap out an existing power with this foundation spell. Like before, you must have the anchor in hand to cast. They are more powerful than the spell they are replacing and have costs to their casting. Here is one from our list:

TRICKSTER’S BULLET
It is no simple orb. It does not reflect the future or foresee the falls of kings. You hold up the silver sphere to the enemy. You whisper the word and it leaps from your hand, eviscerating your enemies from the sheer force of its inertia. It continues to bounce and penetrate enemies. Such a simple sphere could cut down an entire army.
Level: 21 Class: Power
Anchor: A silver sphere.
Effect: You gain Trickster’s Bullet as an alternative daily attack power.
Trickster’s Bullet Foundation Attack 19
Daily * Arcane, Foundation, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d10 + Intelligence modifier damage and the target is knocked prone.
Secondary Target: One creature except the primary target. The target cannot be more than 10 squares from the primary target (but can be more than 10 squares from you).
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d10 + Intelligence modifier damage and the target is knocked prone.
Tertiary Target: One creature except the secondary target. The target cannot be more than 10 squares from the secondary target (but can be more than 10 squares from you).
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d10 + Intelligence modifier damage and the target is knocked prone.
Sustain Standard: You may sustain as many additional rounds of continuous fire from Trickster’s bullet equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Sacrifice: You must hit ten targets with Trickster’s Bullet before your time runs out or the sphere will return to you with the same velocity. You are helpless for this attack. If you hit ten times, the sphere returns to you safely.

History: Unlike other foundation spells, there is documented evidence of this one’s existence and use. A narros general in command of the armed forced of the Fargon city of Jareg Devonen, Kingsman Lanis, was able to employ such a device against an invading force of skeggs into his land. The spectacle was witnessed by a shaman of a kodiak village of significant strength, who promptly fell to his knees and swore loyalty to the narros from then on. When Lanis died several years later, the sphere was bequeathed to his daughter, but the artifact was never found. A similar, or perhaps the same sphere, was spotted in use by a group of pagus in an assault across Tethuss nearly a century later. The wizard in control of the sphere did not fully understand the potential of the device and when an errant arrow missed his ear and distracted the pagus, the sphere recoiled back and killed him instantly. The body and the sphere fell into the lack and were never recovered.

[DiasExMachina]

I know you will all understand that many of these previews are early stage. With the first draft actually done, we are going back and seeing all the stupid sh@$ we’ve written. Sometimes its goofy grammar (I admitted I have bad spelling, maybe even a mild dyslexia...or just ham-fat-fingers and too tired all the time), sometimes it’s a minor alteration. Already we have made large changes to a few ideas, and I haven’t even gotten to the foundation spells yet. At this point, we like what we’ve done with our techan classes and our races have few problems, but we have modified several elements within the classes, totally screwed with one of them, and made a few alterations to lifepaths and equipment. Thankfully, nothing yet has occurred which has forced us to throw anything out. I will admit that we would throw out elements if we felt they weren’t working.

For Foundation Spells, these were always meant to be quest items—a reason for a voyage, and not something a player just got for free. They were something you fought and almost died to earn. Not only that, it was more powerful than the slot it filled, though you could only achieve it at a level when other abilities were as or almost as powerful. The question is: does the sacrifice counterbalance the slight increase in power the spell offers? This point was brought up by someone dealing with disruption, where we said disruption was not required to balance technology and was only a fluff point those pulling the techans out of Amethyst could ignore. We are not going that direction with foundation spells and like the idea of a spell that requires a sacrifice—which, by the way, is a fluff part of the novel I am trying to incorporate. This may not work and we may scale them back so the spell is different but not more powerful then the level it is acquired at. The plan was for them to be the outcome of a wizard’s final journey, something more tangible and believable than that goofy “demispell” idea. Foundation Mage is an Epic Destiny but not the only one for Wizard. I am looking at ways for other people to use them as well, making them strange magical relics rather than spells. Like I said, it’s a work in progress.

At 251,700 words, this first draft is done. Now, we test, retest, cut and modify until we have something that’s print-worthy. Truthfully, nothing would test the system more and find all the mistakes than to post these rules online and have all of you read it over and offer advice. Unfortunately, that’s just not an option. It’s not that I don’t trust those who post...it’s those you don’t.

I leave you today, with something special. Nick has been tiredly working on new artwork and I am hoping his sketches of final works will generate the same buzz the old sketches did. Here are two of my favourites...and yes, it was hard to choose.

[DiasExMachina]

I know. Not much has been said in the past few days. As you might have read here already, the book is done but now needs testing. Artwork is currently flowing down from the mountain as the long train of testing begins. For those that have already received the play testing package, we have made so many changes to the rules, we are not able to release an update file and will actually have to print up a whole new set of rules. This comes down to game balance issues mostly, though we did make some changes to starting techan classes that offer a few more build options. I also had to make significant changes to equipment.

With a hard-line cut-off of 195,000 words, give or take, and 256 pages for the first book, we are looking at what can be moved aside for now to offer the best value while still conveying why we think this setting is so special. The setting detail, also called framing fiction, also called “fluff”, will still be a strong component and one I am unwilling to compromise in favour of rule crunch.

There will be an announcement soon regarding the release date. On that day, we will unveil our new company logo and the product plan for the future. Once you all read that announcement, I think you will understand why we have been so cautious about timetables. I would hate to announce something we couldn’t deliver on.

One thing I have been wondering about is if people would rather have the skeletal framework for large-scale campaigns the DMs can design and customize themselves or they would rather have dungeon crawls using our races and monsters. Amethyst encourages larger story-arcs and vast, encompassing storylines and I hope to challenge storytellers out there to take our setting and create an original tale that takes characters across the world, uncovering a great mystery, meeting strange new people...and killing them. So what’ll it be? A skeletal framework for a campaign or a classic dungeon crawl?

I should add that we have created techan characters to test our system. Obviously, we are injecting our own unique brand of humour into the affair. I play a character named Steven Van Damme, Conan has created a gimfen (Halfling) called Ringo Chavez and Schuyler has entered the fray with Alexander Cosmonaut---yes, you heard right...Alexander...Cosmonaut.

Oh, and Amethyst’s first book has a name. We can’t and don’t really want to call it core rulebook, so as of this week, it has been titled Amethyst: Foundation

[DiasExMachina]

A question posed I realized I should answer concerns the setting differences between the 3.5 Amethyst and the 4.0 Amethyst. Would there be any? Should there be any? The answer is yes on both accounts. The follow-up question could be what but the important question that should be asked is why. The answer is that we had to make certain sacrifices with the old system to accommodate the rules. This may sound weird considering the limitations of the GSL. Here’s how our logic works:

Our old 3.5 system required the ownership of the 3.5 core books or an understanding of the OGL rules. We had planned with our next edition to completely reprint the OGL and make significant changes to it in order to accommodate our ideas. We were going to redo all the spells, remove base attack bonus, and create about 40 new monsters. So you can understand that moving to the 4.0 saved us quite bit of trouble while also allowing us to maintain our vision. Amethyst was intended to be mediocre in magic power and despite the spell names and descriptions in 4.0, are not unbalanced compared to martial classes. A base class can’t cast a wish or a true resurrection. With rituals, we can remove what we don’t like them and not break anything. We could add and remove elements and not modify what was in place.

So what are the actual fluff differences between 3.5 and 4.0? The old game removed all the races and replaced them, so that hasn’t changed. What was added were clarifications on certain issues with races. The rules now reflect their true form and most were heavily modified. Narros are no longer redressed dwarves and laudenians are now no longer useless. Damaskans, though the de facto elves of the setting, carry over none of the abilities of the 4.0 elf. They are closer now to what they were originally intended.

We never added fluff to classes so that hasn’t changed. Lifepaths are a different story. These replace “class focus” while also offering significantly new setting background. While Custodians come from the old book, most others are brand new and offer expanded fluff on the various roles characters can play. It dives deeper into certain nations and cultures. The same goes for paragon paths. Instead of only a handful, we have over a dozen, all of which are setting specific. Where before we had Urmage and Janoahn Knight, now we also have Order of Abraham, Crimson Leaf, Scholar Warden, Koana Academic, and Mutaharrik Captain. Epic destinies are also setting specific and include Foundation Mage and Lord of a Free House. Techan classes are no longer redresses from D20 modern and were built from the ground up.

I always had an issue allowing clerics in the setting and now we have been able to remove them (as always needing a cleric is not mandatory anymore) and replace them with supernatural lifepaths like Incarnate and Vivicator. Foundation spells, once a patch to allow high level spells, can finally now become the rare artifacts they were intended to be (well…not actual artifacts, we call them relics…legalese).

Probably the biggest change was the removal of classic D & D monsters being replaced with our own. This is where how I mentioned the GSL helped us comes into play. If we could alter entries, we very well might have kept kobolds and goblins in the game, though they never actually matched our ideas of how we wanted them presented. We would have to modify their history, their lore, and their stats. Now we can throw them out of the setting, introduce our Puggs and Boggs, and separate the setting even more from classic Dungeons & Dragons. We don’t have to redress a Blue dragon and call it a Cancer dragon. We can now make it how we wanted it.

In the end, as I mentioned once before, where the 3.5 Amethyst was at about 80% of the canon setting, 4.0 is closer to 95%. It isn’t perfect. We do somewhat ignore how flamboyant certain attack powers get because they are kept within the confines of the encounter. We also allow most monsters from the D & D monster manual even though the majority of them would never be seen. Like I said before, there are two Amethyst: Mine and Yours.

Finally, there are the big secrets. The 3.5 core Amethyst does reveal more than the 4.0 version. So for those who have read the old book, I will warn you and say more changes were made beyond what is presented in the first 4.0 book, Foundation. We only touch upon the demons/Shemjaza. Expect a few changes with them. The same can be said about the Saints, which are getting nearly a total facelift in culture and history, though they will not be introduced until a later book.

Here’s something interesting...Shotguns

Shotgun: Shotguns impact with tremendous force at close range but this stopping power diminishes rapidly. They are fairly distinct and few models are on the market.
Critical: On a critical hit, the target is knocked prone.
Special: Shotguns do +3 damage if fired at 2 squares or closer.
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Clip Cell Level TL
Shotgun +2 1d10 10/20 40 10 lb. 6 -- 1 0

[DiasExMachina]

Time to give credit where credit’s due. Although I have talked artwork before, I don’t think I have personally done it justice...so here I go, without a net.

When Amethyst was in its infancy, I went searching around for inspiration. Online artwork was a good place to start. I toured through GFX, Deviant art, Epilogue. During my surfing, I came across dozens of artists that reflected what I was looking for. At first, I used them for personal use only for my gaming group. As I moved the game online, I sought permission from these artists to use their work with Amethyst (it was free at this point). It is funny to note several of these talents have gone on to much bigger things. Some of them were already big. Let me start by saying these artists know perfectly well people download their images and are using them in ways where the artist should receive some compensation or at least permission. So when I contacted these artists with requests to use their artwork for a free RPG, you would be surprised how many said yes. Not only that, they were appreciative by simply being asked. Just ask and most will say yes. In fact, in the five years I have been following online artwork and getting permission to use artwork for these free projects, only two have said no. One was some Hollywood matte painter. You might think, “Of course, that person would say no,” but you’d be wrong. I had two other matte painters that said yes.

The first contacted was William Campbell of Spinefinger designs. William was one of those artists that inspired concepts that didn’t exist until I saw his work. Art fell into two categories: Art that I was looking to represent something specific or art that inspires something that didn’t yet exist. Often times, the idea that comes from the piece doesn’t resemble anything like the concept I explore, while other times they are creepingly similar. I did this for months, acquiring hundreds of images, many of which I abandon as my tastes narrowed and matured. I even got permission to use some terragen images by a talented artist who name escapes me now. Many of these moved on as I shifted from digital renders and moved towards digital paintings. William is now working for Kaos studies, recent publisher of Frontlines: Fuels of War. The second artist I contact was Jaime Jones, a young and talented painter with some astonishing work. He also said yes and expressed an interest in the setting, even to the point of doing free work for it (that never ended paying off but funny story on that one). Katherine Dinger was another artist I also got permission from in the early days. Jaime Jones would get a job working for Arenanet with Guild Wars and Katherine Dinger became a principle artist on George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire RPG and CCG, also being featured in Midnight. Fredrick Ramqvist (Magic: The Gathering), John Wallin (Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and Gears of War), and Christopher Vacher (a gaggle of Disney films—yeah, a matter painter; I told you) all allowed me to use their personal work for free. Other fantastic names followed like Gary Tonge, Seung Ho Henrik, Roman Kochnev, Hampus Gimfalk, and Andy Simmons. Fairly soon, I moved the game online as a free RPG and began seeking out even more artwork, but this time, art that fit and flowed with the others. Gone would be the renders, replaced with a more classic style that didn’t jar with the others. Dinger and Jones, Gimfalk and Kochnev all were kept around. This time, mere months before going online with the 2nd edition free Amethyst, I had acquired Derek Herring, Marek 'Prasa' Hlavaty, Martin Bland, and a gentleman by the name of Nick Greenwood.

As mentioned previously, this second edition never saw the light of day. It was abandoned and I threw down a challenge to my friends in creating a legit version of Amethyst that could be published, albeit on the internet. We needed art and we couldn’t use a single piece we had acquired because all of those were dependant on use not making money. I could buy the rights to them, but I felt it would be stronger to ask these supporting artists for original work. What better way to reward someone support like coming back and commissioning them with money...real money. Obviously, the first people I contact were the first that said yes: William Campbell, Katherine Dinger, and Jaime Jones. A second round went out to Derek Herring, Andy Simmons, Marek Hlavaty, and Nick Greenwood. Being a fan of other artists that didn’t respond to my requests, I did so anyway and mailed out inquiries to Keith Thompson and Jason Engle. Because of Campbell’s obligation to Fuels of War, he was too busy, as was Herring and Hlavaty. Jones still wanted to be part of the project despite his full time job but could only finish four pieces. Dinger would throw down with 8. Our biggest issue at this point was format. We originally tried to justify only a handful of color images, including a cover. Jones got the cover, which he dove into with both feet…and promptly vanished into for four months. Apparently, artists like cutting to the last second before delivering. Give an artist six months and he’ll go on vacation for five. Better to give goals like “three by this week” then repeat every week thereafter.

Either way, Jones didn’t want to do Black and White and we knew the majority of the book would be. Because color cost so much more, we needed to find a B+W artist. Alas, all the artists I had acquired only do color and I had to real fight to find one that would take the cut in commission. On our end, Black & White represented a classic time of RPGs. We don’t need color. Have we all been spoiled? Yes…and I was cheap. Well, not cheap. I simply didn’t have the money for dozens of color images. When Keith Thompson expressed interest, we were overjoyed…then we saw his rates and gloom began to set in. I’m not kidding folks, his B+W was twice as much as Jones’s color. We accepted we may only have five or six images for the 3.5 Amethyst.

God bless Nick Greenwood.

End part 1

[DiasExMachina]

Nick Greenwood has an immense strength with organic illustrations that cannot be compared. He is able to switch formats with ease and has mastered both without flaw. He did work for Goodman Games and Green Ronin. It was a dwarf monk that had caught my attention. Nick liked my proposal and offered a rate that was competitive and relative to the others (other meaning artist that could do black and white, but just didn’t want to). I initially offered Nick 25 pieces. These were half page sprawls of races, a few chapter starts and the like. Then we started getting images. Two half-page commissions became nine ¼-page commissions. Ten half-page chapter starts became eighteen. Fairly soon, Nick’s commission ballooned to fifty. My budget exploded as some of the most impressive artwork I had ever seen starting flowing down. I couldn’t help myself. This was Amethyst. I had found the one eye that could match my voice. On the basis of just his sketches, we were getting acclaim from people checking our posts. When the finals came down, we were slack-jawed. We never expected in any dream that we would have this much artwork with this much quality for our publication. Every review posted praised the art, wondering how such high quality work could appear under a new company first book. We don’t have a staff of dozens. We have no office. This is about the joy of the work and I could tell early on that Nick loved what he did. Through the expression of a few muddled ideas and hackneyed words, Nick was able to channel exactly what I was picturing, often times delivering something I wasn’t even expecting. Oh yes, not all of them were perfect, but my obsession of perfection was shared by him. If something didn’t feel right, I would tell him…often times resulting in several new sketches until we finally got the one that worked. I have a rejected folder of images I like to keep. Most of those were so good, we ended up ordering them as well. When we order an image that is 100% there, no need letting the one that is 98% there go to waste.



In the end, a commission I asked from an acclaimed artist fell through (a professional with a signed contract is expected to deliver and not ignore emails…how sad) and so that got passed onto Nick as well. A good chunk of the work he did for Amethyst, including his seldom seen alternate cover, can be found at his site at Nick Greenwood © - Illustration and Graphic Design. The 3.5 book is not perfect. Beyond my unchecked spelling mistakes (insert baby crying), it features some artwork I am not personally happy with. With the 4.0 edition, we committed ourselves to not make any compromises. Although we could have acquired a shotgun blast of artists to handle dozens of commission all at once (like everyone does it), we decided not to. Why can’t there be a singular voice to the artwork. It’s one thing about the Palladium games I always appreciated was the singular style of its art. Many games, even big ones, have been criticized for having an inconsistency with their art, ranging from the evocative and beautiful to the absolute embarrassing, often within a page flip.



This is one aspect of the game I gloat about…because I am not the one doing the drawing. I could not see doing this project with anyone else with the pencil and paint. I can see that dedication in the artwork for the 4.0 edition. I rarely reject anything. Nick usually does it himself, having taken a personal investment in the final quality. There is no phoning in of any talent, forcing us to live up the artwork he presents. For a signature piece for Thornshroud, Nick must have gone through a dozen sketches before he even let me look at them. The final is nothing short of magnificent in its own revolting way. Nick is also doing to cover for the 4.0 Ed, and I can’t wait to see what he bring to that.



My common comparison, without making too many allegations, associates Nick’s relation to Amethyst as John Howe to Lord of the Rings. Howe, a Canadian artist out of Vancouver, is the closest name associated with the franchise other than Tolkien himself (and now Peter Jackson, of course). Along with Alan Lee, Howe created many of the most striking visuals of the entire franchise. All of this, and I have never even met Nick. No idea if he is short, tall, black, white, Sasquatch. I know little more other than from the dedication of his work and the fact he is extremely productive—he has four daughters. Practice though I have, I have failed to even get married. All I have to show for the last two years was a persistent eye twitch which has not gone away and a book with a brilliant artist behind it.

[DiasExMachina]

On Sunday, October 19th, there will be a special announcement regarding Amethyst: Foundation.

Check one of the running forum threads or our development forum on that day for important information regarding the future of Amethyst including a release date.

It’s the biggest announcement we will have until the actual release and our new company logo. Can’t tell you anymore about it until then.

[DiasExMachina]

Ok...let me start with evidence of the extent of our geekness. We got to talking about Albert Camus, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, renowned for his novels about existentialism. His novel, the Stranger, comments on the nonexistence of god and the point is that life has no meaning. Albert Camus died on a car accident three years after winning the Pulitzer and I added at the end of the conversation, “not that it matters...” making it the longest time to a joke about nihilism I have personally encountered. We are all horrific geeks.

Okay....weapons. We have pistols, classed as one-handed small-arms. These ALL do around 1d6 damage. They are light and can be used in adjacent squares without provoking opportunity attacks. Rifles and other longarms are classed as two-handed small-arms. Their damage ranges from 1d8 to 1d10. They do provoke opportunity attacks and if you move faster than shift, you suffer a penalty to ranged attacks (A grounder option can remove this penalty). Heavy weapons, which are just that, cannot be moved in the same round they are fired (a grounder option can allow limited movement). Their damage is between 1d8 to 1d10 as well but usually have larger ammo capacities and additional capabilities (like Heavy Auto).

This does not actually convey the differences between the weapons. For one, where magic has 6 levels of enhancement, technology has 6 tech levels from basic chemical firearms (TL0-2) to plasma weapons (TL5-6). So, like magic, you add the tech level to attack and damage rolls. Also like magic items, higher tech items also have additional abilities dependant on their type. Gauss, for example, which are weapons like coilguns and railguns (TL4-5), have the following abilities:

Gauss: These weapons fire extremely fast and deliver astounding kinetic potential.
Critical: 1d6 damage per tech level.
Special: Gauss weapons reduce cover penalties by 2.
Rail special rule: If a rail (rail only) weapon shell kills a target with a critical hit, the shell continues on a straight path from the weapon, making a single free attack on any target in direct line of attack in the weapon’s range. This may only occur once per shot.

There are similar properties for Laser, Pincher, Plasma, Shotgun, Sonic, etc. Some properties are applied only with certain powers. For example, an “Auto” weapon offers benefits with the Burst Fire feat and can be used with powers with the Auto keyword. Similarly, there is also a Sniper weapon that can be used with powers with a Sniper keyword. In all of these, our weapons are used just like D&D classic weapons in every way. And yes, there are combinations of these powers. There are both “Auto Lasers” and “Sniper Gauss” weapons.

We also offer a unique selection of weapons that can only be used with a ranged basic attack. These are weapons that have specific properties which act like power features. A good example is the extremely powerful TL6 Vapor rifle…

Critical: +8 damage per tech level
Effect: This weapon does not require a roll for damage. It inflicts maximum [W] damage with every strike.

The only real exception to these rules is those of Grenades and planted explosives, which have their own unique power anyone can use:

Planted Explosives Attack Alternate Attack
The enemy strays to close to your plant and the explosion hopefully will go off as planned.
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Special
Requirement: You must have succeeded in your Demolitions skill check.
Special: Refer to the table above for damage, range, and area burst.
Target: All creatures in burst.
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex. Add the Tech Level of the detonator to all attack rolls.
Hit: 1 [W] + Dexterity modifier damage. Increase to 2 [W] + Dexterity modifier damage at 21st level.
Miss: Half damage for those in burst
Special: All classes may use this power as an alternative basic attack.

Next time, I’ll talk about Power Armor.

And just to remind you, big announcement on Sunday, October 19th.

[Reveille]

Just out of curiosity is the OGL version going to remain available at Lulu after the GSL version is available for purchase?

[DiasExMachina]

No, the GSL stipulates the OGL version cease publication upon the 4.0's release or January 1st, whatever comes first.

[Reveille]

Originally Posted by DiasExMachina

No, the GSL stipulates the OGL version cease publication upon the 4.0's release or January 1st, whatever comes first.

I'm guess I'm going to have to hold off on buying Batman The Animated Series for a while. I don't want to miss the opportunity to grab Amethyst as OGL while I have the chance.

[DiasExMachina]

Earlier this week, I talked about weapons, now I shall deal with armour. Techan armour is laid down the same way as techan weapons. At later levels, we have Aramid Survival Suits, Nanotech Combat Armours, and Combat Exoskeletons. The big point being addressed with armour is that they fill in several different roles. There is no such thing as magical cloaks. Advanced armour, like power armour, counts as multiple items. Mobile Motor Armour, for example....

Defense Bonus: Gain the Armor’s TL as an item bonus to Fortitude Defense and AC. Gain half the armor’s TL (rounded down) as an item bonus to Reflex Defense.

Large or Agile: The armor can either be medium and agile or large and intimidating. If Agile, the armor gains a +2 item bonus to all acrobatic rolls and a +2 item bonus to athletics when performing a jump. If Large, the armor gains +1 reach. Both armors can wield two-handed weapons as one handed.

Resistances: Gain the armor’s TL as resist to cold and fire.

Mobile Motor Armour starts at Tech Level 4 (TL4 or +4 enhancement) and continues up to TL6 (or +6). It counts as multiple items if chosen at a higher level. Some larger armour even has temporary hit points, their own base speed and built in weapons. Of course, they cost a fortune. Although we would love to offer actual mecha, we’ll save those for a later book. 

Two more days until our announcement...

Me out.

[DiasExMachina]

Obviously, the big news is out. Shortly after our Honourable Mention at the ’08 Ennies, we began negotiations with Goodman Games to distribute Amethyst to the masses. This was a great opportunity and one we had no intention in passing. Of course, we couldn’t release the details on the agreement until we signed the line which was dotted. Even then, we needed to ensure all the “I”s were dotted and the “T”s crossed. And then we needed the proper moment to make a solid impression. As stated, we have not compromised our setting in any way and there have been no demands placed on us to change the setting beyond the intentions we had already planned upon. I can’t say we are throwing more into this than before as a result. I don’t do anything half-ass…which may explain the daunting 275,000 words of the 3.5 Edition. It is not our plans to create one book and fade into the background. We are already in the planning stages and have created content for three future books, not including any modules on the horizon.

So, we have a release date, a book length, and a battle strategy. I am making it a commitment to attend GenCon and meet many of those that have supported us since our April release. I can’t really convey properly how confident we are with this 4.0 Edition. We had our second Techan battle and we were blown away at how fun it was. The aspect of teamwork was really present and we hope others will pick up on that as well.

We’re not finished by a significant margin. Aspects of the game are not finalized and we are still figuring out what will be included in this first book. I hope to keep people’s interest in the coming months.

In case you didn’t know, you can check the announcement here

Me out.

[DiasExMachina]

The lack of posts this week has not been over us working too hard. Though we have, we always have time to chat. No, the real reason was a computer failure.

What happened was that we were planning on a podcast to show off the gaming potential of techan classes. We had Goodman Games' DGC module, Sellswords of Punjar and were going to record our techan characters' progression through this simple and small dungeon. Suffice to say, it was memorable. It was funny, insightful, and we learned a lot about our system and where it needs to be improved. But it does show how the group works together to combat a threat.

Two hours into the podcast, my computer reboot. I lost the entire recording and everything has been going downhill ever since. The next morning, I took the computer to get fixed and they have had it since Thursday.

It’s currently sitting disconnected as I am at work, typing away on my break. I have not been able to receive or send out any emails so my apologies for anyone that has tried to get a hold of me. Normal operations should resume Sunday, the 25th.

One a side note, I have gone over the techan classes and made a major rework of several powers. We have nearly a dozen pages of revisions and additions to these classes, all coming from the last two weeks of playtesting. Those on the playtesting group should check the Development forum as there will be a downloadable file of the changes. Equipment has also been tweaked. Expect a major change to both Operator and Stalker.

Me Out.

[DiasExMachina]

Okay, here's the deal: The guys and I sat down with Goodman's Sellswords of Punjar adventure but played the dungeon crawl with 4 techan classes. The first podcast got lost so this one recaps the first session and dives right into combat.

Listen as four rifle/pistol/pipewrench weilding techans wade through the slums of the city's underground, battle accountants and theives, and somehow redirect an Otyugh into fighting on their side. This is a three part podcast.

Here is a list of the characters:

Sgt Ruttigar Howard -- A 3 foot tall Marshall from the Bastion of Mann. He specializes in redirecting enemies and granting allies additional attacks.

Einokchuk -- A grounder armed with an assault rifle and a pistol, trained in laying down area denial powers to prevent an enemy's advance.

Hugh Mann, the 3rd -- An Operator trained as a mechanic, even though the group is carrying Tech Level 0 technology and the only weapon that can disrupt is his own. He does still have abilities that boosts the capacity of his own technology.

Lamb Shanks -- A sniper-build Stalker in a dungeon where none of his sniper abilities can be used. He quickly rebuilds himself as a two pistol combat guru.

PODCAST

[DiasExMachina]

As I overcome a strange three-day virus that thankfully coincided with three days off I had (yeah), I have gone over the book for a third time and made yet another series of changes based on the experience of our playtesting. I played around with weapons again, added a few more items, included a Techan Adventurer's Kit (which was lacking and needed), and played around with the techan At-Wills. Altogether, the groups is really responding well to this altered approach to gameplay--based around movement and teamwork rather than singular grinding combat.

This week, we made a decision to remove Epic Destinies and everything relating to them from the first book. The reason came from a need to cut something that is being replaced by an included adventure. We're not removing the epic levels of techan classes as that would make them incomplete. We figured it would be better to remove large sections rather than nitpick through the book and cut the uniqueness of the book. Besides, with a second volume already being written for release in the same year, it’s not like players will get to Epic destinies before the second book comes out. It would just be better to have all the epic destinies in one spot than break them up over two books.

As stated in the press release, there will be a module released on the heels of the core book. That's being written as we speak. We hope to tie in the included adventure with this module and the adventure being written for Free RPG Day. Can't say more about this adventure other than it's inspired by a classic.

As a teaser today, I leave you with...A Flamethrower

Flamethrower: This weapon shrunk in size over many years. Though still two-handed, it no longer requires an unsafe nozzle to an even more hazardous backpack. Modern flamethrowers keep their tank mounted under the weapon stock. The tank is comprised of a relatively safe solid fuel. When combined with air, it actually reacts into an expanding foam. A small battery compresses air in a separate chamber. The foam enters the final chamber and when allowed to uncompress, sprays out in liquid form. A final magnesium igniter at its barrel sends the superheated stream of flame to its target. Despite rumors and urban legends, both older and modern flamethrower tanks do not explode easily if ruptured or if a spark flicks nearby. If the weapon tank is ruptured, the foam would break and spray but not automatically ignite. Even older models would only burst like aerosol cans and not violently explode.

Property: Target/s takes 4 ongoing damage (save ends). This damage is not cumulative with consecutive hits. This weapon can only be used with ranged basic attack.
Attack: Each creature in a burst3 area in weapon range.
Critical: +1d6 fire damage per tech level

[DiasExMachina]

As we polish up the core book and the starter adventure, we've begun to look into the future (to coin a phrase) at our next book and the first module, due to be released around the same time as Foundation. As promised, we are applying our own unique style to everything, despite certain concedes that are needed to be made in a module's construction. Despite having some classic dungeon crawl themes (like ludicrous traps and numerous though seemingly random and illogical placed monsters), we are still pushing for a plot-heavy adventure that's still easy enough for any green player to run through. As always, DMs create their own level of involvement--about how much of the module they are going to use and how many they are going to ignore.

Even though these first modules have yet to be named, we can reveal certain elements of what to expect. The first one is a classic mystery that blends into science fiction and finally into horror. The module is a tribute and homage to a classic Gygax adventure some of you may be aware of, called Expedition to Barrier Peaks. I have a copy of said module but will not be re-reading it. Rather, I just plan on taking its lead in doing something with my own brand of adventure and story. When I say I have a copy of the module, I mean I really do have a first printing, dated 1981, not the reprint in Realms of Horror many years later, including the cheesy color art and mammoth maps that required four screens! I hope to pay service to a few other beloved or derived franchises with this module like Alien, Outland, and even Event Horizon. I'm already about a quarter into the module.

Not much has happened with the core rulebook. As I was saying earlier, I think the majority of any issues would occur with character creation and equipment and once we are happy with that, the rest should fall together. Not willing to rest upon those achievements, we are already working with the GSL limitations to expand possibilities for this game and possible future products from the company.

Oh, and heavens forbid anyone should take anything we say with any merit, but from a bunch of Canadian hosers to all citizens of the United States, I would like to say that regardless of who you voted for, you made your voices heard by, as the President Elect said Tuesday, "rejecting the myth of their generation's apathy." Job well done.

[DiasExMachina]

The second podcast should be up Sunday. The final draft of Amethyst Foundation was completed this week and no we proofread. Meenwhile, I wanted to pass along a Glossary of terms used in Amethyst:

GLOSSARY

A.E. (After Enchantment): The progress of time in this new era. The game begins for many in the year 508 A.E., just a little over 500 years from when the White gate reopened.

Arkonnia: The same region occupied by the old Continent of Africa in old Earth.

Alternate Quantum Vibrational States: The generic title to any physical state out of phase with our own. "Echans" or magical folk call this state etherealness—being of this reality but not, where you can observe the real world, but exist separately. The real world may or may not detect you and may or may not be able to interact. "Techans" or techa-Folk progressed little in this field. A few bastions discovered a way for machines to enter this state so that they could pass through walls and slip past guard towers without detection. This is advantageous over simply being invisible because Etherealness displaces the subject out of the material reality altogether. Some scientists refer to the realms beyond the gates also as Alternate Quantum Vibrational States and claim the EDF derives from this.

Attricana: The term given to the enchanted realm existing beyond the white portal. It is often referred to as the gateway itself.

Bastion States: Sanctuaries of man's old ways. These are massive technological cities usually heavily fortified and densely populated. Most are echaphobic and forbid the use of magic within its walls. Each bastion stands as its own country, with very little to no contact with the outside world or even other bastions.

Blinder: A common derogative nickname mages and other magically imbued individuals call techans.

Canam: The continent previously occupied by Canada, the USA, and Mexico. It is commonly separated into Eastern Canam and Western Canam.

Corpus Continuity: The belief held by many echans and techans, corpus continuity postulates the similarities in enchanted species of fae and the evolved species of man proves the existence of God. The humanoid form comprising binocular vision, binaural hearing, base ten appendages, erect stature, and mammalian physiology matches the fae species exactly, a species not evolved from primate, but formed from magic itself. With the exception of the pointed ears and the variation of fae species when they branch into subspecies, there still remain remarkable similarities scientists cannot explain to this day. Because fae arose first, many believers of corpus continuity also subscribe to echalogical influence.

Dragons: The first species to achieve high intelligence on Earth. They were originally dinosaurs touched with magic and coaxed into a greater form. No one knows how they achieved such power. They were the first race under Attricana, followed some time later by the first fae.

Earth: The common name for the world everything resides on. It’s odd that many timelines refer to "before the first hammer" and "after the second hammer," eluding that the time between (about 65 million years) simply did not count.

Echa: The slang given to magic or 'enchantment'. It often refers to visual use of magic (spells and magically infused items).

Echalogical Influence: The manipulation / influence via the previous echan age of Terros on mankind's evolution and cultural development. Various theories exist attempting to explain why the previous age of Terros matches those of literature and mythology of humanity's past. One theory points to inherited knowledge, through genetics or fragments of lost magic, converting into mythology. Mythology altered over time, but many truths survived to this day. This theory remains popular among many trying to explain how dragons, elves, and magic exist in this world once previously only found in books of fiction.

Echan: Someone touched by magic or using magic. This term often refers to humans specifically embracing the path of enchantment. Echans still consider this ugly bastardization of "Enchantment" derogatory. Unfortunately, it stuck.

Echagenics / Echalogy: The study in both echa and techa cultures of the similarities between humanity and its recorded history against the fae, dragons, and their recorded history. This analyzes the obvious physical similarities between fae and man in conjunction with historical coincidences in their religions, legends, and mythologies. Theologians studying echalogy are referred to as echalogians. They claim much progress, ascertaining the similarities to the will of creation. Studying echagenics in techan cultures remains an uninspired field bearing little fruit. They admit too many coincidences exist between the time of Terros (old Earth) and modern Earth and are confounded with the numerous references on the world of Terros in mankind's mythology and religious dogma. After a thousand years of study, a firm, scientific answer has yet to arrive. A popular theory recently accepted pointed to a remnant of magical knowledge passing through time like inherited genes. This field coined the term "echalogical influence."

EDF - Enchanted Disruption Field: The enchantment disruption field prevents radio communication and disrupts electronic circuits like an electro-magnetic pulse when extremely powerful magic is nearby. It also carries the tendency of jamming many mechanical devices more complicated than a windmill.

Evolved Races: These are the few species of Earth science created through natural selection. These are the species untouched by magic, even though they can still possess and use it. Man is an evolved race. If both gates were closed, only the evolved races would remain. Obviously, humans and fae bear many similarities on almost every level. Popular theories point to residual background magic (like radiation) that continued to influence the planet even when the gate was closed. This is vital to echalogical influence.

Fae: The first species born naturally from magic after the dragons. All dominant magical races derive from them. Many races claim to be of the original stock and no known original fae live today. The fae descendant races include the narros, laudenian, gimfen, damaskan, tenenbri, tilen, sylphids, puggs, etc. The oldest race to not make that claim is the titans.

First Hammer: The first impact that destroyed the dinosaurs and ended the first reign of magic. It struck what would be called Mexico and initiated the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event.

Inosi: The region of Earth previously referred to as India.

Indoaus: The region of land previously occupied by Australia and Indonesia.

Ixindar: The name given to the realm existing through the black gate, where evil and hate lurks. The evil fiends set up a nation around it called Kakodomania.

Kakodomania: An obsidian glass spreads from Ixindar. In modern times, this realm envelops most of central Slav. Under permanent darkness, nothing entering returns the same. The Reluctant Wall borders the land of Shemjaza.

Lauropa: The term given to the region covering all of old Europe and western Slavic countries.

Second Hammer: The second impact that destroyed the technological empire of man. It struck Siberia, exactly where Ixindar lay buried.

Slav: Often separated into Western and Eastern Slav, this region on Earth covers the majority of China and the entire Russian / Slavic region.

Southam: The region of Earth occupied by South America.

Spawn Races: Enchanted creatures emerging from previous animal forms. Most of these are young races, birthed when the gate reopened. Very few develop any form of culture

Terros: What many non-human echans used to call Earth. The similarity of Terros and Terra (as well as Eoroe, Araa, and half a dozen other similar expressions tied to Earth in human languages) is one point of many connecting threads between the time of old Earth and new Earth. Most species separate the old time to the new time by identifying Terros as the time before, and Earth, the time after. Only laudenians refer to modern Earth as Terros.

Techa: The slang term given to the technology of man and is usually reserved for the bastions and their machines.

Techan: One using technology. Unlike echans, techans do not find their title derogatory.

[DiasExMachina]

Techan Podcast, Part 2, where our techan heroes conclude their battle with the bums, grubbs, and senile otyugh. After its conclusion, listen to the extents the players will go to acquire treasure. I won't ruin the surprise but it does involve a flashlight and a human suppository...