Let's head into the weekend with a quick sneak peek at the final draft manuscript section we'll be receiving on Tuesday! Today, - Dragons! This time I'm gonna give you a peek at more of the mechanical side, showing how Templates work and listing out the Qualities and Arts referenced.
Templates
Antagonists use a simplified set of character details to allow the Storyguide to easily put one together and abstract what they’re doing. These simplified templates give a general sense of the power level of the antagonist and all the important information in a condensed format. The antagonists’ dice pools indicate their general capabilities along with some important actions those apply to. All antagonists can move with ease across terrains fitting their type or anatomy, such as flying for a winged creature, burrowing for a subterranean monster, or swimming and breathing underwater of an oceanic being.
Primary Pool: The antagonist’s primary pool is its large action pool. This should be between 6 for the weakest character to 12 for the strongest character. Assign two to three actions the antagonist is good at.
Secondary Pool: The antagonist’s secondary pool is what it is next best at. This should be 2 points lower than the primary pool. Again, assign two to three actions that fall in this category.
Desperation Pool: The desperation pool is for everything else. This should be half the primary pool, rounded down.
Enhancement: Antagonists have access to Enhancement on certain actions, just like characters. List what kinds of actions the character gains Enhancement on here, and how much. Weaker characters shouldn’t gain more than 1 or 2 Enhancement overall, and stronger characters shouldn’t have more than 5 or 6 Enhancement overall, and they should never have more than +3 Enhancement to any one action.
Initiative: The antagonist’s Initiative score should be equal to its Desperation Pool.
Defense: Antagonists do not roll for Defense, and instead this number is a static number that serves as the difficulty to hit the antagonist. This should be 1 for the weakest antagonists, and no more than 3 for difficult antagonists.
Integrity: Antagonists similarly do not roll for Integrity against influence actions. Integrity should be against no more than 1 for weak antagonists or 3 for difficult antagonists.
Armor: If the antagonist has armor, it is listed separately. If the armor is magical or elemental in nature, it will be denoted as such.
Injuries: Antagonists have injuries, but not Injury Levels like the players’ characters. Otherwise, injuries work the same way. An “easy to knock out” category only has 1 Injury, while others range between 4-10. Above that, Armor, Qualities, or Advantages reflect the sturdiness of bigger monsters.
Qualities: List any antagonist Qualities here.
Arts: List any antagonist Arts here, and the number of times the antagonist may use each Art. Grunts do not have access to Arts.
Magic: List what magic type and specific spells the antagonist knows there.
Soul: This is the antagonist’s Echelon (if they have one) and Energy. This should be denoted such as 1 (4).
Extras: If the antagonist gets any Advantage, mention it here and what kind of Advantage.
Special: Some antagonists have unique perks to their Qualities and Arts or ad hoc rules to reinforce their identity.
Dragons
The sight of a dragon is the kind of event that happens once in a lifetime, one you’ll tell stories about for generations to come. Among the oldest creatures in existence, legend has it the dragons didn’t come to be as other beings — us included — did. No, dragons are manifestations of Gaia itself, arising from the world we inhabit to defend its sacrality and strike down its enemies. Way more than mere winged reptilian beasts, dragons wield the very same power they’re made of to dutifully perform their role as keepers of nature’s balance.
Legend and wonder given great and terrible shape, dragons act as Gaia’s guardian, protecting the world and its creatures on a scale smaller beings can’t even perceive, loyal as they are to the very same primordial imperative that defines their existence.
Dragons embody the circle of seasons in ways both literal and abstract. While the four dragon species follows a given duty they believe with absolute certainty comes from Gaia itself (a notion raising many questions about the nature of the world), each dragon is an individual of their own, with a definite personality and an unique perspective on life, other beings, and how to better perform their role shaped by their own quirks and experiences. A truly destructive dragon might stop their rampage in a matter of minutes and become a force of peace for the generations to come, answering only to Gaia when the matter of morals comes up, while other come to learn how to relate with other sentient creatures and even enjoy the occasional chat with those who demonstrate an understanding of nature, if perhaps a flawed yet endearing human one.
Dragons are solitary beings, known to be both allies and — especially when dragons of opposed seasons are involved — even rival or enemies. The land near a dragon’s lair takes after its master, changing according to the shape of their nature, meaning that two different dragons competing over the same region’s dominance literally fight over every inch of soil.
Using Dragons
Dragons are extremely dangerous creatures, and a rare sight in civilized parts of Everend. A dragon should be a rare encounter, and characters should not seek to kill one without great cause. These magnificent beasts are defenders of the natural world and deeply connected to Gaia’s magic. They may serve as guides, allies, mysterious benefactors, or at the end of a long quest to find a magical item or material. If the characters decide to attack a dragon, it should be an epic battle, and possibly part of a larger plot in which the dragon had turned to evil, or been void tainted.
Template: Archon Primary Pool: 12 (Attacking, Grandiose shows of power, Defend an area) Secondary Pool: 10 (Scout the lair, Sense threats to them or the aspect of Gaia they embody) Desperation Pool: 6 Enhancement: +1 Close Combat, +2 Impress Defense: 3 Integrity: 2 Injury: 10 Armor: 3 Initiative: 6 Qualities: Destructive Force, Frightening Presence, Elemental Focus 2 (Their own element), Natural Weapons 2 (Claws and fangs; Brutal, Piercing), Reset, Special Movement (choose 1), Stable, Willful Arts: Defensive Aura 2, Devastating Blow 1, Devour 2, Trample 2, Wave of Destruction (Elemental Breath) 4 Magic: Immunity, Magic Resistance, Shield Soul: 5 (20) Extra: +1 Durability Advantage, +2 Power Advantage
Destructive Force
Prerequisite: Elite template or higher, 1+ Power Advantage Due to its mass or sheer power, the antagonist devastates the environment with their blows. Their attacks gain access to the following combat Trick:
Demolition (2 successes): Rubble and debris fill the environment, applying the Demolished area effect to the scene as a Moderate Complication. This Trick can be purchased twice per action, in which case the Complication increases to Major. Any artificial structure or object in the Area is destroyed at Storyguide’s discretion.
Frightening Presence
Both people and animals see the antagonist as a dangerous threat not to be messed with, providing them +1 Social Advantage when intimidating others. Grunts flee from the antagonists at the mere sight.
Elemental Focus (1-2)
The antagonist’s presence empowers manifestations of a given element, be it one from Gaia or the Void. The Complication rating of area effects influenced by the element (like On Fire with fire) increases by a degree for each rank of this Quality, up to Major. Elements such as fire, ice, and electricity are all valid options for this Quality, but others like darkness or light likewise qualify.
Antagonists may possess multiple instances of this Quality or comprehensive ones to reinforce different elements.
Natural Weapons (1-3)
The antagonist is a natural predator and has some form of natural weapon that they can always use even when unarmed. These weapons can never be disarmed. Each time this Quality is chosen, pick a tag to apply to the weapons from the following: Brutal, Deadly, Increased Range, Piercing, Poison, Reach, Returning, Stun,Wrecking, or any elemental tag that makes sense for the antagonist’s type.
Reset
Prerequisite: Elite template or higher Once the antagonist’s Injury reaches half of their total or below for the first time in a scene, resolve all Combat status effects and refresh all used Arts.
Special Movement
The antagonist has a movement style outside the norm. It may have wings that allow it to fly, or fins that help it swim well. When you choose this Quality, pick a form of movement: burrowing, flying, swimming, wall-crawling. The antagonist may move using this special movement to specific range bands only accessible through Ranged Combat or an equivalent movement type. Additionally, while in these range bands, they may be able to avoid ground-based area effects.
Stable
This antagonist is immune the Slowed status effect and the effects of the Knockdown Trick. Additionally, it gains +1 Power Advantage against attempts to forcibly move them.
Willful
The antagonist gains +1 Social Advantage when resisting influence.
Defensive Aura
Type: Reaction (Any Attack) Whether peaceful, awe-inspiring, or intimidating, the antagonist’s mere looks discourage people from hurting them. The attacking character refuses to attack the antagonist again this scene unless it attacks them first.
If a character successfully buys off the Complication from this Art, it cannot be used against them again in this scene.
Devastating Blow
Prerequisite: Archon template Injury: Half Injury Type: Reaction (Melee) The antagonist hits a character so hard that they immediately gain the Taken Out status effect. For example, an Arkatross may swoop down and trample a character, while a magician might call down a meteor upon them.
Devour
Type: Reaction (Melee) The antagonist swallows their prey whole. While inside the antagonist’s belly, the target can only make an Athletics action against difficulty 1 for Adepts, 2 for Elites, and 3 for Archons to escape. Failure to escape inflicts a single damage on the swallowed character. Each damage the antagonist suffers in the same turn lowers the difficulty to escape by 1, to a minimum of 1. Most antagonists can devour only creatures of smaller size, but exceptions exist.
This Art cannot be used more than once in the same round.
Trample
Type: Simple Action The antagonist charges at its opponents with violence. As part of a Rush movement, the creature may purchase the Shockwave Trick for 1 hit. Unlike a normal Rush, Trample can be used even if the antagonist starts at Short or Close range.
This Art cannot be used more than once in the same round.
Wave of Destruction
Prerequisite: Elite template or higher Type: Reaction (Attack) The antagonist unleashes a lethal attack across a wide area. Examples include a summer dragon’s fiery breath or a trogganoth’s boulders. The antagonist deals 1 damage to all characters within Medium range. Choose a single element when purchasing this Art. Apply an appropriate area effect based on that element, such as On Fire for fire, Darkness for Void, Flooding for water, Suffocating for air, Extreme Temperature Cold for ice, or Quaking for earth.
Spring Dragons
Nurturers, loving custodians, and guardians both fierce and kind, spring dragons embody life and rebirth. Wherever they thread, plants grow and bloom, clean water comes forth the soil while rejuvenating rains anoint the land, and animals find a safe haven from dangers. Although people often find spring dragons to be the most approachable of their kind, they better not mistake their attitude for weakness: Spring dragons strive to safeguard life and prompt renewal. Anyone who dares to interfere soon discovers the floral dragons are terrible foes to provoke, capable of triggering deluges with a thought and wield plants like an extension of themselves.
Spring dragons are a beautiful sight to behold. Flowers adorn them from their horned head to the tip of their tail, and it’s unclear where their scales end and feather-like foliage begins. Their splendid gossamer wings shine with all the colors of a triumphant nature, dripping with blessed dew and life-giving pollen.
Drive: Defend Gaia by protecting animals, flora, and natural features. Qualities: Immunity (Water, Poison), Weakness (Lightning) Arts: Alter Environment (Overgrowth) 1, Barrier 2 Magic: Growth, Heal, Neutralize, Water Special: The spring dragon’s attacks benefit from the Poisoned tag.
Summer Dragons
Warriors, champions of Gaia, and patrons of heroes, summer dragons enter the battlefield when the fate of the world lies at stake. Their souls brim with courage and eagerness to fight, as strong as the fire that rages within their hearts. Although they never back down from their mission to protect nature from those threatening it, summer dragons aren’t averse to recruiting people to their cause whenever needs arise. They prove to be excellent war leaders, with a deep respect for seasoned warriors and the skills to forge those they see potential in into heroes. Whoever draws the ire of a summer dragon earns a terrible foe who will die rather than surrender — and few powers of this world can hope to stop one.
The looks of summer dragons range through the hues of fire, gold, coal, and sun itself. Hundreds of little flames dot their body, along a bonfire burning within their horns, and their metallic wings shine with the same intensity of a raging inferno.
Drive: Defend Gaia by going against whoever exploits the land or corrupts it. Qualities: Immunity (Fire), Weakness (Ice) Arts: Alter Environment (Extreme Temperature) 1, Leap 3, Sundering Impulse 2 Magic: Fire, Purify, Judgment, Valor Special: The summer dragons’ fiery breath sets victims on fire, inflicting the Burning status effect; the summer dragons’ attacks benefit from the Flaming Tag.
Backers will have access to the COMPLETE draft manuscript on Tuesday, when our final chapter becomes available! You'll be able to read the entire book before any pledges are processed or payments collected!
I'll be back on Sunday with an overview of the various Pledge Tiers and Add Ons available for backers.
So: have a great weekend, say hi to Danielle and the Onyx Path team if you happen to spot them at UKGE this weekend, and prepare to be tempted by exciting Add On options on Sunday. Remember we're in our final week, so please continue to spread the word!
