Ghost Spark
CREATOR
1 day ago
Project Update: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
The campaign has now ended, and we got a grand total of 6880€ in the bag. Now I'm ready to move on to the most pressing part of the development process, and that is the layout, art commissions, and playtesting.
New Artists!
During the tail end of the campaign, the art team has gained two new people: MachiToons and Conner Berkheiser. I will keep the campaign updated as the layout and art process develops.
(This isn't some ploy to sneak furry artists into the game after people have paid for the game. They are simply artists I had my eye on / knew already, and a true generic game has space for some anthro-style art as well. I wish I didn't need to make this disclaimer but this is just a pre-emptive thing so that we can avoid misunderstandings. Respect the artists, don't harass anyone!)
Layout and Art in unison
I'm going to squeeze everything I can get out of the campaign funds, and since the amount of art is still going to be rather sparse (1 picture per roughly 10 pages), I'm going to try to make some of them real standouts! I'll be working the layout together with the artists, so that the spreads and page turns are going to be interesting and exciting!
(This isn't some ploy to sneak furry artists into the game after people have paid for the game. They are simply artists I had my eye on / knew already, and a true generic game has space for some anthro-style art as well. I wish I didn't need to make this disclaimer but this is just a pre-emptive thing so that we can avoid misunderstandings. Respect the artists, don't harass anyone!)
Layout and Art in unison
I'm going to squeeze everything I can get out of the campaign funds, and since the amount of art is still going to be rather sparse (1 picture per roughly 10 pages), I'm going to try to make some of them real standouts! I'll be working the layout together with the artists, so that the spreads and page turns are going to be interesting and exciting!
Progress Update
I'm working on the 0.3 Playtest version of the game (which will be the final full rewrite before release), and there's been some interesting new developments with it:
Revamped Magic
I have completely revamped the Magic Setting Alteration. The new system is more narratively aligned, and allows players to do pretty much whatever they want with magic, within limitations. Previously, to cast a Fireball, you had to have the Fire Stream Ability, and then the Fireball Feat under it, and you just used that Fireball. Now, you just need the Fire Magic Ability, and as you cast a Fire Attack Spell, you add the Area of Effect (Radius) Trait to the spell. There's only a handful of traits you can add to a given spell, but it has increased the versatility of magic manyfold.
To make this new magic system easier, I'm probably going to make a character sheet page dedicated to Magic. The new system is very simple and efficient, but it is very different from D&D / Pathfinder -style magic, and having the tables for different costs is going to be handy.
Revamped Proficiencies
I have updated the proficiency system in the game to be simpler while still providing just as much overall progression. In the new system, Path Ratings, Path Points and Defense Upgrades have been simplified. Now every Defense and Path have a track of 5 pips, ratings 1 to 5 (and rating 0 for Untrained), which also translate into the new proficiency ranks: Novice +1, Trained +2, Adept +3, Expert +4, Master +5. These are more closely aligned with the Pathfinder Playtest proficiency ranks.
Now, as you level up, you simply distribute two Advance Points into two different Proficiencies. This means every level up will be equal, and you need to balance improving your Paths and Defenses. This allows players to make glass cannons, focus on defenses or diversify their skill sets at any point. It also makes the process of making higher level characters simpler, as you can just distribute the right amount of points and add in any benefits gained from them.
This is very similar to Attribute Boosts in Pathfinder 2e.
Capstones Restructured
I'm most likely going to can the various Capstone abilities as they are right now, and make a bunch of new standard abilities to take their place. Many of the Capstone Abilities feel poorly balanced with each other and not really jiving with the overall function of the game.
I am considering some sort of Specialization Mechanic to allow for characters to specialize in certain Abilities, to focus on character expression. This would be a specific thing to either put an Advance Point to, or a completely separate mechanic. I do want to make it possible to customize your character properly and specialize in specific aspects of the character, something I feel like is missing in many d20 games.
New Abilities
I'm working on adding various additional abilities into the game. Just recently, I added Berserk ability for rage-fueled combat and a Transformation Sequence ability for magical girl -style transformations. If you have any abilities you think are sorely missing, leave a comment and I'll see if I can make them fit!
Revamped Magic
I have completely revamped the Magic Setting Alteration. The new system is more narratively aligned, and allows players to do pretty much whatever they want with magic, within limitations. Previously, to cast a Fireball, you had to have the Fire Stream Ability, and then the Fireball Feat under it, and you just used that Fireball. Now, you just need the Fire Magic Ability, and as you cast a Fire Attack Spell, you add the Area of Effect (Radius) Trait to the spell. There's only a handful of traits you can add to a given spell, but it has increased the versatility of magic manyfold.
To make this new magic system easier, I'm probably going to make a character sheet page dedicated to Magic. The new system is very simple and efficient, but it is very different from D&D / Pathfinder -style magic, and having the tables for different costs is going to be handy.
Revamped Proficiencies
I have updated the proficiency system in the game to be simpler while still providing just as much overall progression. In the new system, Path Ratings, Path Points and Defense Upgrades have been simplified. Now every Defense and Path have a track of 5 pips, ratings 1 to 5 (and rating 0 for Untrained), which also translate into the new proficiency ranks: Novice +1, Trained +2, Adept +3, Expert +4, Master +5. These are more closely aligned with the Pathfinder Playtest proficiency ranks.
Now, as you level up, you simply distribute two Advance Points into two different Proficiencies. This means every level up will be equal, and you need to balance improving your Paths and Defenses. This allows players to make glass cannons, focus on defenses or diversify their skill sets at any point. It also makes the process of making higher level characters simpler, as you can just distribute the right amount of points and add in any benefits gained from them.
This is very similar to Attribute Boosts in Pathfinder 2e.
Capstones Restructured
I'm most likely going to can the various Capstone abilities as they are right now, and make a bunch of new standard abilities to take their place. Many of the Capstone Abilities feel poorly balanced with each other and not really jiving with the overall function of the game.
I am considering some sort of Specialization Mechanic to allow for characters to specialize in certain Abilities, to focus on character expression. This would be a specific thing to either put an Advance Point to, or a completely separate mechanic. I do want to make it possible to customize your character properly and specialize in specific aspects of the character, something I feel like is missing in many d20 games.
New Abilities
I'm working on adding various additional abilities into the game. Just recently, I added Berserk ability for rage-fueled combat and a Transformation Sequence ability for magical girl -style transformations. If you have any abilities you think are sorely missing, leave a comment and I'll see if I can make them fit!
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