Hello Spuperstars!

I've got another preview from our example setting/game for you today, this time looking at Relics from Pinfall from Grace, Bodyslams from Hell. 

While this bit technically falls under the Storyguiding section of the example game rather than our recent topic of Building Blocks, I'm going to either pretend that I was inspired by the Crafting system (which isn't true) or maybe say that I'm giving us a preview of material to come. 

Anyway, if you wanted to see how easy it would be to create Relics or special items for your game, I've got some examples for you today! 

This is just a small section and a quick preview, because we've got one more thing to go over today that is really the important part.

The first of the included example settings, Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell, not only offers a complete game set in the parallel version of the year 2000, but also illustrates exactly how Story Path was implemented and adjusted. We have plans to write two more, and as a backer you'll be able to vote on which ones you prefer.

For the first poll, you'll be voting on a Sci-fi setting example. Your options:

Voting will run until September 14th at 2:00 PM EST. You must be a backer of this project to vote for this setting.

We'll have a second poll launching tomorrow and running for the final two weeks of the campaign, where backers will be voting on one of the Fantasy Setting options.

Because angels have an affinity for physical objects, unlike demons, they sometimes remain slumbering inside items that can be used by other angelic hosts. These relics thus make their way around The Y2K World, passed between angelic wrestlers in times of needs, lost and found again by new owners, or stolen by less scrupulous wrestlers seeking an edge against their opponents. Some are even put up as the prize for winning a match.

Relics contain one or two miracles that anyone who meets the requirements can use. To use a relic, you must have at least one dot of Grace — normal humans and demonic hosts (neither of which have dots in Grace) therefore can’t use the hidden power of relics. Activating a relic costs a Grace point, much like using a miracle. This allows angels to access miracles from a choir other than their own, or ones they haven’t purchased with experience points, for as long as they hold the relic in at least one hand.

Unlike normal miracles, relics can be used during matches. However, every use of the relic comes with the Foreign Object Complication. Further, opponents can attempt to use various Moves (or tricks outside of matches) to take the relic away from the wrestler — if successful, the original owner can no longer access the miracles the relic provides, and the new owner can access them if they have at least one dot of Grace.

As Storyguide, you can make a relic based on any miracle in Pinfall from Grace, Body Slams from Hell. Simply choose a miracle (or, for particularly rare and powerful relics, two miracles), and tie it to an object that can be worn or held in one or two hands. Here are some examples to inspire you.

Activation: 1 Grace

These sunglasses tie into your angelic partner’s senses, allowing you to see clearly, even at night. After activating this relic, you can ignore any darkness-based or senses-based penalties or Complications in the Area, such as the effects of the Darkness and Overstimulating area effects.

Activation: 1 Grace

A small megaphone covered in unintelligible stickers and marker graffiti that allows you to sway the opinions of a crowd. When you activate this relic, impose the Social Code area effect on the area. You create the code based on the ideals of your angel, and anyone who fails to buy off the Complication gains the Ennui status effect.

Activation: 1 Grace

This portable radio always seems to play exactly the right music to get your friends excited and ready to dance or fight. Upon activating this relic, select a number of targets in perception range up to your dots in Esoterica. If the target has the Exhausted status effect, they lose it. If they didn’t have it, they gain the Refreshed status effect. The radio never needs batteries.

Activation: 2 Grace

This silver cigarette case, covered with strange glyphs and symbols, twists reality to protect its own. Upon activating this relic, gain two points of armor for the remainder of the scene. This does not stack with any other sources of armor. In addition, the first time you gain the Agony status effect in that scene, you also gain the Inspired status effect. The case can also hold up to ten cigarettes or sticks of gum.

Activation: 1 Grace

A neon pink portable tape player with matching headphones that allows you to hear the thoughts of nearby objects and animals. Once this relic is activated, you can speak with any inanimate object or animal normally incapable of human speech for the rest of the scene. Such targets will be as honest as helpful as they can but lack finer discernment and complex critical thinking. In investigation scenes, they offer an additional point of evidence but also suffer from a Minor Complication which causes the target to be unable to help further if the Complication is not bought off. It never requires batteries but tends to broadcast the opinions of any tapes you play on it along with the music.

Super quick and super simple!

But back to today's main focus... voting on our second example game setting. With hours left, "Lost in a Distant Galaxy" has a slight lead, but we've got nearly 400 backers who haven't yet exercised this bonus that comes from backing the project! Make sure your voice is heard and that you've voted, and help give the developers a direction for the second example featured in the final book!