Utilizing Aspects in Earthdawn (Countdown to Earthdawn Appreciation Day)

As we get closer to Earthdawn Appreciation Day, I'm going to make some Earthdawn articles, some might be as simple as a monster, flora, fauna, etc. Today's article is on using FATE like aspects in Earthdawn.

Now if you're Familiar with Earthdawn, you're familiar with Karma Points. Karma points are typically bought with legend points. Legend points of course fuel advancement.

I'm also a huge fan of FATE and its aspect system.

Utilizing the two systems can create a more robust game that:
1. Doesn't detract from the advancement of the player's characters.
2. Makes the use of karma points more natural, so it doesn't feel like a tax.
3. Enhances role-playing and storytelling.

The most obvious 'Aspect' in Earthdawn is an Adept's Discipline. Of course utilizing karma points via the Discipline aspect is going to be to power Discipline talents. However the gamemaster should be able to compel you to follow the teachings of your discipline with a compel. Races are a major aspects as well. Each race having it's own outlook on life. Read that extra fluff in the various books, it will give you all the information you need to know about playing a T'skrang Swordmaster. Gamemasters utilizing this system should be intimately familiar with the fluff.

In Earthdawn you typically choose a Hidden and a Surface trait. If you make these Karmic Aspects, they begin to mean something on your character sheet. However, make them MORE robust. Instead of 'sensitive' for your hidden trait make it something like 'Sensitive to pain in animals' or 'pitifully sensitive'. Adding at least one adjective or adverb brings the trait to life. The same with surface traits, but more so. Instead of 'insensitive' try 'uncaring unfeeling bastard'. The gamemaster should easily be able to reward karma points by compelling traits. These traits will give the players an extra way to use karma, by invoking traits.

Invoking and Compels. Compels become very important in a game where the Karma points fuel your powers, because the characters will need those karma points.

The effect of karma spent will be per the normal mechanics for Earthdawn, providing the standard step 4/d6 extra die.

Here's where it gets REALLY good. Remember that horror mark the player gained...well that becomes an aspect as well. A purely negative aspect, which the gamemaster can compel. It makes painful to be marked, and gives a good reason why there are artisan tests to look for taint. Why do good people do bad things when they have been marked by a horror? Because they were compelled to do so.

Corrupted Karma may be used to further the goals of the horror as well. If can also be removed on a 1 for 1 basis by burning pure karma.

Play with it, try it out, or don't these are just the musings of mine.It needs some additonal work to be more polished, but these are just ideas for now. Enjoy.

The Light From Below Map

Below Clearspring, lies a danger long forgotten.

This map does belong to me, I give permission to use it for non-commercial purposes with attribution, per CCNA.  Enjoy

DCC RPG World Tour stop at Gam3rCon May 18th, 2013

So I'll be breaking out the Light from Below once more, Probably one of the last times before I move these characters to become the iconics for the 1st level adventure.

Help shape the town of  Clearspring and make an impact of the world....come on down and get your death on....errr...game on.



Gam3rCon Gam3Day at the Tenth Avenue Theater.

Designing for RPGs - Accepting Decisions

If you're going to do freelance for RPGs, you need to be able to do several things, be creative, hit deadlines, and probably most importantly, Accept the decisions of those in charge; no matter what your feelings are in the matter. You might think your ideas are the best ideas EVER, but the person employing you, or the developer, might have different ideas. You need put your personal ego aside and accept the decision. If you can't work for others, you won't get more work. If you CAN'T accept them, then you need to be working for yourself. 

Earthdawn Merits & Flaws update

So for Earthdawn Appreciation Day I will be updating a set of merits and flaws that I created for ED1 over a decade ago. Then I was basing it loosely on Old World of Darkness and 7th Seas plus a bit of L5R. Then, I didn't have a point buy system in place for 3rd edition, now I do, So working the merits and flaws into that system will work perfectly.

Now originally I did it to make characters different from each other. With the 3rd edition, characters aren't all the same, as they have a little leeway, but more background can never hurt.

I will be installing a 'trait' system as well, similar to Pathfinder's system, 1 pt very minor modifiers.

Modifiers will be innate bonuses to specific attribute-based skill checks.

I had been wanting to redo these rules, one night when I was chatting with James Sutton, it came up even. So this give me the  perfect excuse to do so.

Stay tuned for Earthdawn Appreciation Day (tell your friends!!!)...now back to work on Golems.

Designing for RPGs - Cutting the Mecha Rules down to size (Interface Zero 2.0)

So it looks like we're cutting down the mecha rules down to a more manageable size. Which is good setting wise, as I came up with GolemMart, Malmart's Golemmech customizing garage. Of course, just like real stores, you're not going to have a lot of choices. More like some swapping out and adding on, in minor amounts.

So for example if you hae a scout power armor, you can add a couple points of armor, here, up the strength, add some extra sensors, and maybe add a flight system to it. But not a free reign build your mech from scratch system...for now. Looks Like we're going to possibly add that to MalMart later.

The good thing about coming up with a full ruleset now is the mecha created for the Core rulebook will be created with the exact same rules for all the future mecha as well. Just with more flexibility later. And of course many, many more options.

So back to GolemMart's Garage.

Earthdawn Appreciation Day June 14th, 2013 (Official Launch)

On June 14th we will be celebrating one of the best Role-Playing Games to ever be produced (In my opinion). How can you participate? By creating some new and fun content for Earthdawn and posting it to your blog, G+ or by emailing your submission to me at epicrpgblog@gmail.com on June 14th. Reply to this post to add your blog to the blogroll of participants. The Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day had over 100 blogs participating, I'd be happy with that many.

FASA Games, Inc has put up some prize support,
via Drivethru RPG with 100% discount vouchers. (requires valid email address)
First prize = choice of any 4 Earthdawn PDFs
Second prize = choice of any 2 Earthdawn PDFs
Third prize = choice of any 1 Earthdawn PDFs
product from the current or back-catalogs
I will have the Following Earthdawn alumni as Guest Judges, Steven Black, Andrew Ragland, and Hank Woon.

Create new original content for Earthdawn (Including Savage Worlds and Pathfinder editions). This can include, but is not limited to:
Thread Items
Adventures
Artwork

Card Games
Charts & Tables

Cities
Equipment

Horrors

Maps 

Monsters
Mundane Flora and Fauna

Namegivers
New Disciplines 

New Sections of the Map (South Africa, Antarctica, Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu, Australia, North/South America, Greenland...The Moon, Mars?)

New Settings (Using Earthdawn Rules in a new setting)
New Talents
NPCs 

System Conversions (Earthdawn Setting in different ruleset.)

I'm setting the date to June 14th, 2013. Entries should be done by midnight on the 14th, so we can use the cool new material for the Free RPG Day!!!

NOTE! All content submitted for Earthdawn Appreciation Day remains your intellectual property, I will lay no claim to your IP nor responsibility for any copyright infringement you commit. If I am informed that your entry infringes on someone else IP, the entry will be disqualified and the Link removed. No Challenge is created to the Earthdawn Intellectual properties, all IP remains the property of their respective copyright holders. All rules subject to change.

If you wish to release your work under CCNA, add a rider to your work stating that it is released under Creative Commons.

If you wish to participate, put a link to your blog in the comments of this post, I will create a separate blogroll  specifically for EAD2013. Multiple entries will be allowed, however remember, that more is not always better, entries should be really impressive, a single well written article will beat out multiple poorly written articles. Note also, that only 1 prize will be awarded per person, so even if you enter 5 amazing pieces, you can still only win 1 prize. Though the community will love it, and the Judges will see it as well. 
  

 (I'm still looking for additional sponsors as well, so if you'd like your name attached to this fun project, something as little as a $5 gift certificate prize would be a welcome addition. Contact me at the email address above.)

EDIT: If you're going to participate and just send your entry in, PLEASE still let me know so I can keep track of how many people are participating. It may help in getting additional sponsors.