See that shiny new link at the bottom of the page? That's the current release of Shepherds of Fate's Alpha 1.7 edition. Feel free to check it out! At the moment, it's fully playable, though still in need of a few features. It includes instructions for making characters, lists of abilities and skills, as well as weapons, enchantments, and buyable items. Feel free to play or criticize! I hope you have as much fun playing it as we have had creating it.
Be sure to come back and check up on new features and edits as Alpha pushes through its playtesting phase and on into early beta. We will be posting changelogs regularly along with additions to the lore and setting of this game. If you would like to help advance this game (or just want to give your comments) feel free to comment on this post or the rules page, or PM me via reddit through my username LordOfAvarin.
Thanks!
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
In the home stretch!
As the alpha rules set begins to look less and less like a page covered in random letters and numbers and more like a page covered in ordered letters and numbers, my morale is beginning to rise. Shepherds of Fate is beginning to resemble a full game now. Being as I'm off work today, I intend to finish writing out tier 1 abilities and rebalancing magic.
It's getting to that point where I can see the end. Alpha is almost here.
There are a few things I need to do before it comes out in its entirety, and here's my changelog so far.
Pre-alpha 1.7
Added tier 1 abilities
Fixed magic point acquisition and added separate schools of magic
Added races, explanations of ability dice, and character generation instructions
Added skill descriptions
Minimum skill is now better-defined
Nerfed longbows. My god, they were overpowered.
Balanced leveling so HP and potential damage were synchronized.
Synchronized world history to the game and added a place where canon will eventually fall.
Things still to do
Balance pain threshold in higher levels
Define shock and hemorrhage
Add gold and items
A few more balancing tweaks and sample magic spells
Thanks for reading!
It's getting to that point where I can see the end. Alpha is almost here.
There are a few things I need to do before it comes out in its entirety, and here's my changelog so far.
Pre-alpha 1.7
Added tier 1 abilities
Fixed magic point acquisition and added separate schools of magic
Added races, explanations of ability dice, and character generation instructions
Added skill descriptions
Minimum skill is now better-defined
Nerfed longbows. My god, they were overpowered.
Balanced leveling so HP and potential damage were synchronized.
Synchronized world history to the game and added a place where canon will eventually fall.
Things still to do
Balance pain threshold in higher levels
Define shock and hemorrhage
Add gold and items
A few more balancing tweaks and sample magic spells
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Last night's playtest
Well, last night's playtest was a success. This game, which has previously only been playtested in sample combat and skill scenarios, went through a rigorous test over the course of a 4 hour one-night campaign. I found the game's strong points and weaknesses and have written a list of things to change before Alpha comes out for sure.
1: balance magic. It is ridiculously underpowered.
2: Add checks for individual kinds of knowledge
3: better flesh out what each ability does.
But it's coming along quite well. The multiple dice system is quick and intuitive, and fights are easy to DM and possess a very cinematic flow. The transition between combat and RP is very smooth, and I think this shows a lot of promise for the near future.
1: balance magic. It is ridiculously underpowered.
2: Add checks for individual kinds of knowledge
3: better flesh out what each ability does.
But it's coming along quite well. The multiple dice system is quick and intuitive, and fights are easy to DM and possess a very cinematic flow. The transition between combat and RP is very smooth, and I think this shows a lot of promise for the near future.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Multiple dice and you: what you need to know
As the alpha rules near a state where I can bear to show them to anyone, I would like to note an interesting feature in this game that may need a little bit of explanation...
By our reckoning, the D20 system is a really comprehensive system. It's full of nuances and details, but for our purposes in creating this universe and system, it fell a little short. Shepherds of Fate aims to be a bit more cinematic than a lot of the D20 systems out there by allowing multiple factors to be rolled for simultaneously and be added into a cumulative result. That means that when a character's attack fails, the DM (or any player) can look at the dice and tell you exactly why your attack failed, whether it be incompetent defense, shoddy footwork, or inept anticipation.
In Shepherds of Fate, we've dealt with that by replacing your base statistics with actual, separate dice. From D4 on up to D12 (and sometimes beyond), your abilities and how you perform are variables with little more to add. When you roll, you can see on the die how well you did without looking for more things to add. It's all right there in front of you. Why D12? Well, we've found that by using smaller dice, results are easier to add.
To attack, you roll three dice: weapon, ability, and base. Weapon dice determine the overall power of the weapon used. Ability dice represent your ability with that weapon. Base dice are added to most rolls and show your general competence as a fighter, diplomat, or any other role your character may be forced to play. Overall, it aims to be quick, intuitive, and cinematic. As playtesting advances, we will see how it fares.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment with suggestions.
By our reckoning, the D20 system is a really comprehensive system. It's full of nuances and details, but for our purposes in creating this universe and system, it fell a little short. Shepherds of Fate aims to be a bit more cinematic than a lot of the D20 systems out there by allowing multiple factors to be rolled for simultaneously and be added into a cumulative result. That means that when a character's attack fails, the DM (or any player) can look at the dice and tell you exactly why your attack failed, whether it be incompetent defense, shoddy footwork, or inept anticipation.
In Shepherds of Fate, we've dealt with that by replacing your base statistics with actual, separate dice. From D4 on up to D12 (and sometimes beyond), your abilities and how you perform are variables with little more to add. When you roll, you can see on the die how well you did without looking for more things to add. It's all right there in front of you. Why D12? Well, we've found that by using smaller dice, results are easier to add.
To attack, you roll three dice: weapon, ability, and base. Weapon dice determine the overall power of the weapon used. Ability dice represent your ability with that weapon. Base dice are added to most rolls and show your general competence as a fighter, diplomat, or any other role your character may be forced to play. Overall, it aims to be quick, intuitive, and cinematic. As playtesting advances, we will see how it fares.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment with suggestions.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Check out the character sheet!
While we finish work finalizing the alpha rules document, please take this humble offering. Under "Pages" at the bottom of the screen, you'll see a link to the character sheet for Shepherds of Fate. Everything a character needs is there, and it gives you an idea as to what is used in the game. Enjoy!
Hey all!
This is the development blog for Shepherds of Fate, a tabletop RPG
that's been in the works for a while. We hope that through reading this
and checking in regularly you can have a hand in creating this unique
new game designed for players, by players.
Shepherds of Fate, or SoF, is a D12 RPG in the style of Dungeons and Dragons. It is an eclectic, yet intuitive mix of features that allows for near-infinite customization of characters, settings, items, and weapons all based around a simple D12 core. It stresses the cinematic-- the unusual, dramatic, and sometimes hilarious exploits of characters in the in-game world of Anderin, or whatever world the players decide to frequent. Here are some of its more notable features:
1: Realistic damage and wounding system. Characters will sustain injuries that have healing times, chances of infection, and pain, and healers have a dynamic system for treating patients.
2: Customizable weapons and armor. For extra money, a character can buy or modify a serrated sword, spiked armor, or even arrows that can sever limbs. The statistics are modular and can be combined in whatever ways suit your character's nefarious ends.
3: A complete restructuring of the class system. What happens when Garrk, the goblin barbarian finds religion? Using a combination of in-game role-play and a dynamic XP system, Garrk can learn the ways of his favored god. The rigid concept of classes has been replaced in its entirety with independent skill trees and abilities, allowing for maximum customization and balance.
4: Dice tricks. If certain conditions are met while rolling for skills, or to attack or defend, characters have the chance to add something special to the result. Whether it be crafting an exceptionally nice bow or slicing a foe in half, dice tricks are sure to spice up gameplay.
A finalized copy of the game's alpha edition will be ready soon, and feature updates will regularly appear on this blog. As the game grows through its development I hope you enjoy watching and playing. In the world of Anderin, you never know what could happen. It could be frightening, suspenseful, raucous or glorious, but one thing is for sure: it will be fun.
Thanks for reading!
Shepherds of Fate, or SoF, is a D12 RPG in the style of Dungeons and Dragons. It is an eclectic, yet intuitive mix of features that allows for near-infinite customization of characters, settings, items, and weapons all based around a simple D12 core. It stresses the cinematic-- the unusual, dramatic, and sometimes hilarious exploits of characters in the in-game world of Anderin, or whatever world the players decide to frequent. Here are some of its more notable features:
1: Realistic damage and wounding system. Characters will sustain injuries that have healing times, chances of infection, and pain, and healers have a dynamic system for treating patients.
2: Customizable weapons and armor. For extra money, a character can buy or modify a serrated sword, spiked armor, or even arrows that can sever limbs. The statistics are modular and can be combined in whatever ways suit your character's nefarious ends.
3: A complete restructuring of the class system. What happens when Garrk, the goblin barbarian finds religion? Using a combination of in-game role-play and a dynamic XP system, Garrk can learn the ways of his favored god. The rigid concept of classes has been replaced in its entirety with independent skill trees and abilities, allowing for maximum customization and balance.
4: Dice tricks. If certain conditions are met while rolling for skills, or to attack or defend, characters have the chance to add something special to the result. Whether it be crafting an exceptionally nice bow or slicing a foe in half, dice tricks are sure to spice up gameplay.
A finalized copy of the game's alpha edition will be ready soon, and feature updates will regularly appear on this blog. As the game grows through its development I hope you enjoy watching and playing. In the world of Anderin, you never know what could happen. It could be frightening, suspenseful, raucous or glorious, but one thing is for sure: it will be fun.
Thanks for reading!
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