DiasExMachina 4ED Update

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

DiasExMachina said:

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

Click to expand...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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...