So far, yeah. I suspect that dead tree versions will be available to the genpop at some point. I wanted PDFs anyway.
Torchbearer 2nd ed: first impressions
darkbard
Legend
Ah, great! Thanks for the info, Fenris! I really want to check out this game, missed the KS, and much, much prefer holding a book to a screen.
Manbearcat
Legend
@pemerton , I'll get up a response to each of your posts later today or tomorrow. Going to close out the post encapsulating the Journey for Adventure 1 for now.
JOURNEY LEG 3
They're at the top of the cliff face of the fjord, looking down at the moraine-covered beach, the huge waterway, and the large island with the ruined settlement (their target) below. The weather is looming. The options are as follows:
1) There is a 200 meter mostly sheer face, protected from the wind and weather of the open fjord, that will bring them down to the beach. They can downclimb that in the course of the bulk of the day and be protected from the weather/threatening elements. Normally, this would be a Conflict (because everyone is involved and its a complex threat) with Dungeoneer and Health. But they've brought Rope (Karolina 2 Slots in Satchel) and Spikes (Taika 1 Slot in Satchel) as they knew a climb of some variety was likely in front of them. However, none of them are proficient climbers (no Dungeoneer Skill) so they'll have to Beginner's Luck. The Obs for this would be Vertical Pitch (2) + Small Group (2) + 1 for inadequate Tools (no one is trained...if you're trained, the Tools - harness/carabiners - are in your Satchel/Backpack unless you suffer a Gear Twist and loose them) for 5.
2) Alternatively, there are old trails that lead down to the beach from the top of these cliffs, but they haven't been trod in a long time and its a huge trek to work their way down to the beach. It would cost them the bulk of the day and they'll have to find shelter from the incoming snow, sleet, and blustery winds as the whole trek would be exposed. Because its as much about finding shelter and a way down, I let them test either Pathfinder or Survivalist. So Pathfinder Obs 5 (Short Journey 2 and Overgrown 3) or Survivalist Obs 5 (Locate Emergency Shelter 1 a few times in the course of the trek and Snow or Blustery Winds 3).
The elect to go the first route.
Karolina Beginner's Luck Health 4d
/2 =
2d
- 1d using Defender Trait against herself (she's lead so she takes the most dangerous role in the stead of her companions...once per session level 1 Trait)
+Fresh Condition +1d
= 2d
The best they could have mustered here would have been 5d6 and that had an extremely remote chance of success, so they don't spend Spikes and Taika doesn't Help (so she doesn't get a Condition on failure) and Karolina uses her Defender Trait against herself to earn a Check in case they have to Camp.
Obviously, this is an auto-loss. Net here is Success but:
* Karolina loses Fresh Condition and earns Afraid (apparently there is a reason this is her first time legit climbing; heights and downclimbs are a hell of a lot more than she bargained for) so, until she Recovers can't Help or use Beginner's Luck.
* Karolina marks 1 of 3 Beginner's Luck Tests needed to earn a rating of 2 in Dungeoneer.
* Karolina expresses her Belief (she is the bulwark that stands between her friends and harm...she led the test and basically ate the Condition on behalf of her friends).
* Taika expresses her Belief (she spent a great deal of effort going over every angle/all of their prospects before they came to a decision on this one...they ended up going with her plan).
* 3 Preserved Rations consumed by each PC for the 3 day trek; all from one of their Belt Slots so those are now open for loot or something else salvaged.
* Karolina Cartographer 2d + 1d chalk/parchment Supplies (Pouch 2 is now open) + 1d Aile Scholar Help + 1d Taika Pathfinder Help = 5d vs Obs2 to map the Leg 2/3 of the Journey from the Busy Crossroads of 4 to the ruins of 8 on the map. They get the success and the map and Karolina marks a Success for Cartographer.
Journey phase complete. They're at the beach, looking out across the icy waters of the fjord to the distant island and the long ago ruined Remote Village of site 8. Adventure phase begins next time we play.
JOURNEY LEG 3
They're at the top of the cliff face of the fjord, looking down at the moraine-covered beach, the huge waterway, and the large island with the ruined settlement (their target) below. The weather is looming. The options are as follows:
1) There is a 200 meter mostly sheer face, protected from the wind and weather of the open fjord, that will bring them down to the beach. They can downclimb that in the course of the bulk of the day and be protected from the weather/threatening elements. Normally, this would be a Conflict (because everyone is involved and its a complex threat) with Dungeoneer and Health. But they've brought Rope (Karolina 2 Slots in Satchel) and Spikes (Taika 1 Slot in Satchel) as they knew a climb of some variety was likely in front of them. However, none of them are proficient climbers (no Dungeoneer Skill) so they'll have to Beginner's Luck. The Obs for this would be Vertical Pitch (2) + Small Group (2) + 1 for inadequate Tools (no one is trained...if you're trained, the Tools - harness/carabiners - are in your Satchel/Backpack unless you suffer a Gear Twist and loose them) for 5.
2) Alternatively, there are old trails that lead down to the beach from the top of these cliffs, but they haven't been trod in a long time and its a huge trek to work their way down to the beach. It would cost them the bulk of the day and they'll have to find shelter from the incoming snow, sleet, and blustery winds as the whole trek would be exposed. Because its as much about finding shelter and a way down, I let them test either Pathfinder or Survivalist. So Pathfinder Obs 5 (Short Journey 2 and Overgrown 3) or Survivalist Obs 5 (Locate Emergency Shelter 1 a few times in the course of the trek and Snow or Blustery Winds 3).
The elect to go the first route.
Karolina Beginner's Luck Health 4d
- Rope (not spending +1d for Supplies to opens up Satchel 2 Slots because they want to retain for later)
- NOT USING (see below) Spikes +1d (roll 1d6-1 for number of spikes lost; player rolled 4 so 3 spikes lost; 3 left)
- NOT USING (see below) Taika +1d Help (Survivalist)
/2 =
2d
- 1d using Defender Trait against herself (she's lead so she takes the most dangerous role in the stead of her companions...once per session level 1 Trait)
+Fresh Condition +1d
= 2d
The best they could have mustered here would have been 5d6 and that had an extremely remote chance of success, so they don't spend Spikes and Taika doesn't Help (so she doesn't get a Condition on failure) and Karolina uses her Defender Trait against herself to earn a Check in case they have to Camp.
Obviously, this is an auto-loss. Net here is Success but:
* Karolina loses Fresh Condition and earns Afraid (apparently there is a reason this is her first time legit climbing; heights and downclimbs are a hell of a lot more than she bargained for) so, until she Recovers can't Help or use Beginner's Luck.
* Karolina marks 1 of 3 Beginner's Luck Tests needed to earn a rating of 2 in Dungeoneer.
* Karolina expresses her Belief (she is the bulwark that stands between her friends and harm...she led the test and basically ate the Condition on behalf of her friends).
* Taika expresses her Belief (she spent a great deal of effort going over every angle/all of their prospects before they came to a decision on this one...they ended up going with her plan).
* 3 Preserved Rations consumed by each PC for the 3 day trek; all from one of their Belt Slots so those are now open for loot or something else salvaged.
* Karolina Cartographer 2d + 1d chalk/parchment Supplies (Pouch 2 is now open) + 1d Aile Scholar Help + 1d Taika Pathfinder Help = 5d vs Obs2 to map the Leg 2/3 of the Journey from the Busy Crossroads of 4 to the ruins of 8 on the map. They get the success and the map and Karolina marks a Success for Cartographer.
Journey phase complete. They're at the beach, looking out across the icy waters of the fjord to the distant island and the long ago ruined Remote Village of site 8. Adventure phase begins next time we play.
Last edited:
Manbearcat
Legend
If I have time, I’ll do a post and contrast that Journey (and results) with TB2’s Toll procedures for Journey’s in the Loremaster Manual.
Thor Olavsrud and D. Koch are doing a 2E adventure The Slumbering Storm Giant and a Jotunheim Gazetteer on Indiegogo. Jotunheim is describes as 'a land of illusion and sublime horror'. Sounds fancy!
Manbearcat
Legend
I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear that I’ve never looked at a TB (1 or 2) Adventure to any significant degree and the Cartographer’s manual is the TB2 book that has seen my least interrogation!
That being said, I am very acquainted with the tropes abc mythology of the implied settling (which is important).
I was more interested in the Gazetteer half, but adventures are always good to mine for odds and ends. I haven't even bought the Cartographers Manual yet mind you, and may not. I can do adventure design. I also happen to have most of the adventures for 1E anyway if I wanted something quick and dirty. I was just excited about Norse giants.
Manbearcat
Legend
The convergence of conflict-laden mythology and highly functional tropes for actual play is THE important component of setting design. I’ve always had pretty significant misgivings about anything beyond that (particularly as you move toward Information saturation…working from a deficit is always better in my opinion).
One of the really great things about TB1 and 2 is how perfect the Norse-inspired mythology deeply informs the premise of play but doesn’t strangle it. Deeply informing yet not strangling (in that functional play gets lost in the weeds of minutiae) is a neat trick to pull off for setting designers.
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