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Beta release - Part 2


What a week. With the last edits as fresh as this morning, we've pulled through. Grand Heresy is happy to announce release 2 of our rolling beta. This week we cover a ton of material, going from about 15 pages to 95, putting us up to Chapter 08.

You can download your copy here

Chapter 03 Anatomy of a Bastard takes you through the structure of character creation, starting with creating your band of bastards first and establishing the overall tone and expectations for the campaign ahead.

Chapter 04 Attributes & Skills has full writeups for each, exactly as you'd expect, as well as some more specific rules on using them in play.

Chapter 05 Proficiencies & Maneuvers is what many of you have been looking forward to. It covers a character's training at arms, our proficiency system, and the maneuvers 'Bastards uses to make combat interesting. In addition, it also covers Simple Combat, allowing for less intensive combat resolution for quick scuffles or groups that are less interested in the ebb-and-flow of melee.

Chapter 06 Edges & Flaws is thus far the largest single chapter in the book, accounting for 23 pages on its own. Therein we list all of the information for the various options available to your character, and how to get the most out of your flaws in play.

Chapter 07 Story Aspects details the mechanic that really drives our game forward, covering the role it plays in allowing the player to guide the story, the reward cycle, and how SAs play into character advancement.

Finally, Chapter 08 Supporting Cast covers how players can establish NPC relationships at character creation, or make new contacts and enemies through play.

Threads have already been set up on a chapter-by-chapter basis in the Beta section for feedback.

We look forward to hearing from you!

- The GH Crew

Time to second someone else's request for an up to date character sheet - they'd certainly make the play testing easier...

4chan has some interesting input on the Beta so far.

Relevant parts:

They actually added overpowered "Large" edge the absolute madmen.

What the **** is a skilling?

They must be Scandinavian. It's kinda weird to use that in an English language game rather than Shillings.

The BoB guys claim to have a more streamlined way to handle reach as well, at least compared to TROS

Check their PDF. When you are at optimum weapon range and your opponent isn't, you get +2 dice. Daggers and Spears get +4 instead.

So they must be handling reach just as a bonus to your die pool? That's actually pretty smooth, compared to TRoS activation costs. Also, Daggers would be terrifying if someone got inside your reach.

Not at all. If range changes after the first exchange, one player might lose all his remaining dice and other player get huge advantage. This creates annoying swings in tempo. Other question is why player with reach control gets this huge advantage even if other player dodges while holding now unfavored weapon in hand. TRoS did it better, reach advantage hinders opponent. Player can't capitalize on reach advantage if he wasted dice to acquire it

Point. Though we don't know how it's calculated yet exactly. It could be dice at refresh, instead of shifting every exchange.

I like the character creation Skill allocation. Makes even a Tier 1 not completely incompetent.

So, release 1 was basic mechanics, and release 2 was character creation. What's on the docket for release 3?

4chan wrote:Point. Though we don't know how it's calculated yet exactly. It could be dice at refresh, instead of shifting every exchange.

This is exactly how it is.

taelor wrote:So, release 1 was basic mechanics, and release 2 was character creation. What's on the docket for release 3?

A subsystem most people probably aren't expecting to see at all. The more active forumites will probably see it coming, as the subject has come up here and there, but... You'll just have to wait see.

Naval Combat. I'm calling it. You were trying to trick us into thinking you hadn't had it finished.

Considering it comes straight after character creation, I think it has to do with gear.

My bet is on economics and coins.

I'm totally taking both those bets.

The Buying Stuff section of Chapter 3 says that "Chapters 15 and 16 have prices and rules listed for anything you might want to buy."

A quick search of the beta document shows higgins to be a dirty misleading prankster.

Chapter 9: Melee Combat.

NO! It's all a lie! The next chapter is MAGIC! I want it to be!


Hahaha wow, i'm bad at guessing

thirtythr33 wrote:A quick search of the beta document shows higgins to be a dirty misleading prankster.

Chapter 9: Melee Combat.

That's been fixed to read Chapter 10 in our copy

GM section?

higgins wrote:A subsystem most people probably aren't expecting to see at all. The more active forumites will probably see it coming, as the subject has come up here and there, but... You'll just have to wait see.

It was unexpected, indeed.
By "here and there" you mean discussions about chases? I believe the Full Contest System is your response in this topic? Am I right? You have designed it only recently, in February, when making final edits on the Beta?
Another brilliant and elegant solution (the mechanic is universal and works with the whole game), great job!

Yes, it's our response to the chase and stealth discussions, as well as the inevitable question of social combat. At this point, the concept has been though several iterations and even a full blown write-up before being redesigned from scratch in February.