Sean_RDP

I just want folks to know this is not a dead project. In fact it has increased slightly in scope. I should have some more for it next week.

In general since I am a one man team: new jobs, some career changes, and a 2.75 year old who is going through changes I had to put a lot of my creative projects on hold for a while, but it seemed old to keep coming back and saying "Uh... next week I swear!"

No Skaerune' is far from dead. I am just in the final edit for the Free to Play module. Making it was harder than I expected but is totally worth it. I have a plan for the game now that I think will work well. A week or two and it should be out. Thanks for asking! Ask any questions you like

Maybe I need to read it again OR re-read the RQ3 Sorcery bits, but it does not sound like RQ3 Sorcery except as very basic ideas. Am hardly the expert though. One thing I did like about RQ3 Sorcery is the fact anyone could learn it. In a way it was it's own subculture OR that is how we played it. It was alien to everything else or felt that way. Now it is also tied to the Runes and subsequently to more tied to individual cultures. That could be good, its flavorful, but it also loses something IMHO, which may be the intent. What bothers me is that it seems incoherent even though it is just a blog post explaining the very basics. I am also wondering how well it works in practice and if it bogs down the game. I am noticing in my own game design machinations that ideas I think I may end up changing days months or years down the line I just rip out. Sorcery feels a little tacked on and possibly not all that well tacked on. If it is there merely to satisfy some group of players, wouldn't it be better not to have it at all? If the design folks (and I have no idea, not being privy to their conversations) are not sold on Sorcery, then don't put it in RQ. Make a subset of the other magics if you put it in at all. Better that, than another magic system which will generate debate more than 30 years later. Just a thought. Edit: Just because the blog post felt a little incoherent, does not mean I do not think the ideas came through or I did not understand them. I followed it, but it felt wonky.

As (many) have said, this is not surprising. However, there is room for those working on fan works and those with more aspirations than that too. The key is to get people to play, find a new audience and get interest up. I would definitely be interested in finding out how the licensing works.

So after some play testing, I decided to change Strain (SN) from a number like hit points, to something that you would roll against. It is still made up of CON + PER, but this is now averaged to get a SN number. Each character will have 4 small boxes next to the SN number, for x4, x3, x2, and x1. Certain spells, using a number of MP over a certain threshold, and being wounded cause Strain rolls. If you fail the x4, you must roll in each subsequent round AND OR each subsequent time a SN roll is called for at the x3... and if that is failed at x2 and finally x1. Once a x1 roll is failed, the character breaks or falls unconscious, depending on circumstances. Ex. Syrene the Sorcerer casts Ill Wind on a group of Bokemono. The spells requires the character to make a Strain check. Since she has not suffered any strain yet, the roll is SNx4. If failed, the next time she casts a spell with strain OR at the end of her next round she must make a SNx3 roll and so forth. Success halts the progression but only actual rest resets the SN back to the x4 mark.

Still almost done. Work got in the way and I made a few minor changes, but have also added two new creatures: Hanging Spider and Salt Worms. So very close to being done.

So is it possible to play a Lunar character or campaign with the basic book only and the Gamemaster book just has more Lunar goodies, or will you need the GM book to effectively run a Lunar style game? And I think 3 books and a Kickstarter are good ideas.

Right gotcha. I was not even thinking about alchemy.

So I want to circle back to the original post to address a few things as I really have nothing to add to the RQ vs D&D discussion or the metaphysical merits of either. If the intention is to introduce new players to a game, a one shot with pregens seems like a great idea. Character Creation is generally one set of questions and then the game is another. So let them play the game first, roll the dice, and see actual results. The mindset of people often is different when playing something specifically introductory vs. jumping into even a small mini-campaign. They tend to be more forgiving in that environment. I don't see where house rules and Potions will help. They subvert the idea of playing a different game. Once you begin making game Y like game X, you may as well play game X. There are plenty of ways within the rules to help create a sense of excitement and accomplishment without changing rules OR handing out powerful magics day 1 to keep players alive. The problem is players are used to not dying in an early game, where as more classic games and players are used to character death, especially for early characters. And character screening is important, it really is. Even online in an open forum. Let folks know how deadly the game can be and then emphasize it again. Give folks an opportunity to think about it.

lol in the Upcoming Games forums you will find the Skaerune' sub forum. I make a lot of posts there. Currently working o the intro to the game/world called Salt Mine Blues. Its an adventure with pre gens. SHOULD be out next week, only 7 months late. After that a larger document with more of everything and finally early to mid spring next year, the full game. Likely an e-book and or POD.

Yes, as soon as I am done with the initial Skaerune' game stuff, I will be releasing an SRD and generic system book. I have learned a lot while designing my game and feel like it might be worth putting into a generic format for folks to use if they wish. Also technically Q21 will be open content so.

Well the way I see a generic system, especially one that leans towards the fewer end of the skill spectrum, that it would spend a page or two explaining the base skills in a different genre and any genre specific skills. Also any characteristic and attribute changes. For instance, Aura (AUR) something I am using in the Q21/Skaerune' rules. It measures strength of soul. In cybperpunk it could be used to measure humanity, in supers a force of will, in space opera it can be "The Force", but in a Hard SF setting, drop it altogether. There is no reason not to include that simple explanation in a generic doc. The key is to make sure parts are more or less plug and play and that you are not always recreating the wheel. For instance, how can the basic ideas of sorcery be used for say supers or hard sf? If I am inventing new power sets for each setting, it is easier to learn if they look and feel like Sorcery or Divine or (in my case) Weirds and Weirding.

This topic will be for errors that crop up in Salt Mine Blues

A lot depends on how well Skaerune' is received on a critical basis, but I intend to at least release the SRD for the Q21 system. Actually I have a less crunchy version that might make a better generic system, but there is no reason I can't put out both. From there it really depends on what potential players want.

So another group of people. I may have some more later this week, assuming I get done with Salt Mine Blues for Skaerune'. Sea Peoples Far in their past the Sea Peoples were kings and queens of great power. They rose in rebellion against a caste of god-kings and built great cities. It is said that the original Sea Peoples were sired by fire giants and although rare, red hair is not unheard of among them. Certainly their dark skin and tall legs mark them as children of the giants, though any connection between the two have been lost to the ages. Eventually the god kings took back their lands and drove the Sea Peoples out onto their boats. For years they traveled and settled small islands, though only a portion of the boats would stay. The rest would move on giving rise to the myth of the “great fleet”. There were never more than two hundred small and large ships in any fleet, but records and rumors suggest there may have been fifty or sixty such fleets at any time. Two thousand years ago they settled the outer islands of Orealis. In short order they became great traders and their boats were better than the native Qur'yll folk junks. The two cultures meshed well, though never quite mixed and there was peace along the coastal islands. Never ones to stay anywhere too long however, many thousands left the islands of Orealis and traveled across the sea to the west. After many years the survivors came to some islands off the coast of northern Oradham. Here they met a short and stocky people known as the Horse Folk. Later too they would meet the red elves and the Imperial tribes, but for now the Sea People and the Horse Folk became friends. Each year the Horse Folk would come and the groups would trade. Each valued personal freedom and honor and each found friendship more useful than rivalry. Together they formed the small trade posts that would one day become Hunburg. Recent History It was only when the Third Empire promised to stop letting its merchants hunt the Boat Clans, that the Sea Peoples agreed to become citizens. Now known as the Boat Clans, these folks still control the outer islands, fishing and reaving in the Black Sea. The descendants of those who “chose the land” are strong in Hunburg proper and three of the Matrarkhs are strongly of the Sea People line. Even the Boat Clans however, are more civilized than the red elves and they enjoy the fruits of having been members of the Third Empire even as it has fallen away. One thing that has not changed is their worship of the Three Beasts who rule the seas. Sea People Stats STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX APP 3d6 3d6 2d6+8 2d6+6 3d6 2d6+6 3d6 +10% to all Physical Skills +15% to Sailing skill

And FFG has a version out now, not sure how much support they have for it.

Interesting. I forgot how much that initial stuff was influenced by D&D 3rd edition.

So, some things NOT in Salt Mine Blues (but that will be in the big quick start version) Skill Synergy (though it is mentioned) Character Creation Detailed Criticals Very detailed Special Combat moves Sailing Detailed Culture Info Most of the Bestiary Detailed World Info Mounted Combat (though it is mentioned) Experience

That should be pretty interesting. Will the rules seek focus on being their own separate set of rules or will they call back in some way to the RQ game? How connected will they be? Will we need to buy them in boxes or can we order separate beasts? Will there be an official or semi official painting guide? Just some thoughts, the idea sounds pretty good.

So I missed another deadline of my own making, but I am working on the ever of Independence Day on Skaerune'. Recently I have been watching some RPG review videos (and enjoying them) and I realize the current trend is even more away from crunch in games than I thought. It did not bother me before: I mean for Skaerune' and Q21 to be a bit on the crunchy side. Yet still I had a frantic moment where I went through and was mentally cutting it up into pieces and wondering how I am going to keep my minor evolution. Then I went through the char sheet, made some minor tweaks and calmed myself the hell down. THIS is the game I want to make, publish, support, and sell. All I can do is sell it on its merits and hope plenty of people enjoy it. Crisis averted, now I get back to work.

Well they would need to be able to get the materials and then set up manufacturing. They MIGHT be able to build a steam ship, but maybe not several of them. I would suggest, if even just for your own edification you create a Tech Flow chart based on available materials. If they sent 10k people, did they send any heavy machinery? What kind of tools? The socio-economic ramifications seem very interesting. Are those dedicated to food production folks with power or folks indentured to the greater needs of the colony? How do the factions shake out and how does the Tech affect economy and social position.

So some new artwork came available and I updated the cover to reflect it. This is a work in progress part of the full cover, showing one of the iconic Rakshasa of the Fourth City.

Is it possible some of them could be Lunars, the characters I mean? Or is it a forgone conclusion or not an option? I admit my first blush with RQ and Glorantha was as a Lunar character and my POV differed from my companions quite a bit. And I get it; the Lunar Empire is supposed to be the big bad, but the most enjoyable campaigns for me have always been nuanced. I suppose my gut reaction is "Why wouldn't you want to work for a Lunar?" lol

So Salt Mine Blues, the very Quick Start version of Skaerune' will be out June 30th. It will include an adventure, an easy preview of the game systems, and four nameless and sexless Pre Generated characters. One from each of the four cities. I do not have the total page count yet, but will update this thread as soon as I have it. I am hoping its less than 30 pages.