Oddity Press
CREATOR
2 months ago

Project Update: Final 24 hours, huge Quickstart Update (v0.3.1) + Changelog, new art!

Hey adventurers!

Thank you all so much for the support this month. Having so many people talking about the game, getting our Discord community off the ground and full of activity, and playtest reports rolling in has been incredibly motivating. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate that!

Below, you'll find discussion about the Final 24 Hours, the Quickstart Update, New Layout pics, the very long Changelog, and then a backer-only new art pic that just rolled in at the bottom..


FINAL 24 HOURS

We're entering the final 24 hours. Maybe it's a good time to get out there and tell a friend. Sending them the quickstart link is an easy way to get someone to check out the game!  If you know someone that likes Dungeon World but wants a more modernized take, or someone tired of D&D/Pathfinder mechanics slog, maybe they'd enjoy taking a look. Blades in the Dark fans wanting a fantasy alternative are also pretty keen, I'd imagine.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/484233/Grimwild-Core-Four-Edition-Preview?affiliate_id=4237062


QUICKSTART UPDATE

The Quickstart has been updated to v0.3.1 and includes a massive layout update, many rules and terminology changes, and . These are all detailed in the changelog down below. Some changes look big, but under the hood not much is changing. It's mostly terminology, organization, and reorganizing some jobs of the rules into other places.

After the clarity update, I wanted to work towards a finalized layout and have also been taking in the great deal of feedback I've received. It's been very helpful in polishing the ruleset and I set to work to create a massive, near-final version of the ruleset before the campaign ends.  The core will not change much at all moving forward. Planned changes revolve around how the Ancestry system works, as well as releasing classes to be playtested and tinkered with as we move along.  Feedback here on Backerkit, via e-mail ([email protected]), or on Discord are very much appreciated.


LAYOUT CHANGES (these are also on the campaign page now)






Changelog v0.2.2 -> v0.3.1

This is quite long, but I wanted to include it here anyway!  This last month has been really motivating for me and I've taken that energy to toss it right back into improving the game.  This is also available as a TXT included with the download.

Grimwild Changelog

v0.2.2->0.3.1  (v0.3 was released, then this v0.3.1 quickly released to fix some layout errors and spelling mistakes).

This update saw substantial changes to the layout, some of which are still in flux. Forgive any irregularities.  This also represents a change from my original ultra-concise rules presentation to a more robust one, with multiple examples. I've expanded more on many elements that weren't clicking with readers even after the clarity update. We're now approaching the final form the rules will take.

I've appreciated the month of discussion and comments very much!  People have been dropping me e-mails and there's been loads of discussion on Discord. It's all been very helpful.

  • Added a new gameplay intro page (pg. 7) that better describes what the game is about.
  • Described d66 tables and crucibles in detail (pg. 8)
  • Better detailed stats and how specialized tasks function. (pg. 11)
  • Updated the character sheet with new character traits that you choose on character creation, and the front/back sheet with the new adventuring party options. (pg. 13 for an example).  Also expanded the section for additional wises.
  • Removed narrative elements from spark. Instead now it adds +1d and activates certain abilities. Adding details, previously called bits (now without a specific name), is done by spending "story". You gain 3 story per session, marked on your sheet.
  • Introduced an inventory system, marking boxes to indicate equipment carried. You can also spend "pack" to add small items you have on the fly. (character sheet)
  • Spark had been doing too much and I wanted to refocus it, and move some of its utility options into story and pack. This has landed nicely in playtesting and made explaining the concepts clearer in the rules.
  • Renamed and refocused "Creative Freedom" to "Cinematic Gameplay", organizing the narrative gameplay elements of the rules prior to the mechanical dice-related one. (pg. 14)
  • Detailed story usage and wises more clearly. (pg. 16 and 17)
  • Added character traits, prompts on the sheet to indicate personality and ambitions that you character does and doesn't have. This replaces the adventuring party motivations, which have been simplified into choosing a party type and previous adventures. (pg. 18 and character sheet)
  • Bonds completely removed. They are mostly replaced with the character traits, drives, tangles, and quarreling forming natural bonds that don't need specific detailing.
  • Quarreling mechanics revised. You no longer roll bond. Instead, you build a pool:  1d, +1d for a relevant trait, +1d for a relevant drive. You're better at fighting for the things you care about.
  • Abilities: You now gain your core ability and select one additional ability at the beginning of the game.
  • XP & Advancement revised.  Multi-class abilities now cost the same 10 XP as class abilities. There is a prompt to explain how you picked up those out-of-class skills.  Core abilities remain at 20 XP.
  • Wise gains: For every 15 XP earned, you gain a free wise.
  • At character creation, you gain 1 XP for detailing your drives and giving a flashback pursuing 1.  This means you will receive your core+1 ability at character creation, then third ability after the 3rd session. You'll get a 3rd wise after the 5th session.  This ramps up early progression to realize character concepts more quickly.
  • Clarity added to how to build the basic dice pool, including a new flow chart. (pg. 20)
  • Thorns explanations expanded to give more clarity on how the GM adds them and how they interact with dice pools (pg. 21)
  • Defense rolls moved to its own page and better explained in detail, especially what happens on a messy. (pg. 23)
  • Montage rolls changed.  Now, you roll 3d on any montage. If it's a group montage, all participating roll 2d. Thorns can be added to these rolls by the GM. (pg. 24)
  • Helping has been changed. You no longer roll bonds or spend spark. You can now help at any time it makes sense. You roll 1d and share the risk and narration. (pg. 24)
  • Diminishing pools are now well explained over a two-page spread, detailing 5 different types of pools: timer pools, danger pools, task pools, resource pools, and potency pools. These show the different ways pools can be flexibly applied. Clarity that criticals on pools only counting if they're potency pools was also added. (pg. 26)
  • Damage restructured into a concept called Escalating Damage, from Marks to Wounded/Vex to Dropped. Nothing has changed, but this adds clarity. The layout is substantially different for both this and vex, on the next page (pg. 28-29)
  • Clarity was added to conditions and how the GM uses them as a catch-all outside the basic damage types, and also on when to allow them to be recovered from. (pg. 30)
  • Magic has been much more clearly explained. Nothing has changed, but there is a great deal of added clarity. (pg. 32-34)
  • Touchstones as a broad concept were removed along with Bits, instead now only serving as touchstones for setting the limitations of magic. (pg. 33)
  • Fronts renamed to Faction pools and you assign goals to them. Campaign timers are also rolled along with fronts, representing other movements in the fiction at the campaign-level. Fronts ended up being confusing terminology when 95% of them were factions. (pg. 40)
  • The GM Crucible had layout problems in v0.3. These are fixed in v0.3.1. (pg. 41)
  • A new rule added to melee weapons. Heavy weapons now always reduce a pool by 1, then roll the pool. They cost 2 inventory slots instead of a normal weapon's 1.  This is a temporary rule as I hone in on mechanical rulings involving weapons, but is a good starting point for my thoughts on them. (pg. 45)
  • Roleplaying with Moxie section has been trimmed slightly to focus it better. (pg. 48 & 49)
  • The adventuring party creation process is much simpler now.  You choose the style of party (e.g. Heroes and Rebels, NOT Believers) and then the results of your last adventure. You then make characters and fill in character traits to create a cohesive group, but with some friction between their personalities and motivations.
  • You take your core ability + one more ability at character creation.
  • You get 1 XP for establishing a character drive in character creation, then pursuing it in a brief flashback. This lets you advance to your third ability after the 3rd session, establishing character concepts more quickly.  Advice for slower campaigns will be in the last chapter of the book. (pg. 52)
  • The cleric ability Guidance was changed from spending spark to usable Twice per session. (pg. 54)
  • The cleric ability Iron Will now ignores any mark once per session, not just mental marks. This ability is in flux as I compare it to other class abilities.
  • The rogue ability Lurking Presence has had references to bits removed instead just presenting three choices. It's easier to use now. (pg. 58)
  • The wizard ability Familiar now allows you to respawn the Familiar after a proper rest, instead of after downtime. (pg. 60)
  • A few repeated or confusing terms in the Wizard spell crucible (rot, wood, wine) were changed. (pg. 61)
  • Chapter art for each of the other 4 chapters in the game is now included in the quickstart. This also gives a better sense of the structure of the final book.

That seems quite extensive, I know. And it's not small, but the vast majority of these are reframing of mechanics as new terms or reorganizing them. Feedback has been very helpful in letting me know what terms haven't landed well and what concepts don't make immediate sense. Having so many new eyes on the project and hearing opinions has been invaluable.  I've had to kill a few darlings along the way design-wise, but I'm very happy with where the game (and the new community!) is at right now.

Thanks everyone. This'll be my last post, I think, during the campaign.  See you all after it wraps up and we settle in to the normal schedule as we move towards printing!

- Max
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