It's been a while since I offered a progress report for Reaver, so here goes.
Since the Quickstart release, I've made a number of changes largely due to playtesting efforts, but also due to my desire to distance the game from OGL-related things. I want to keep the game squarely in the "Bran Mak Morn" style of sword and sorcery, wherein the fantastic elements just overlap with historical adventure, and I've been working to maintain and improve that feel. We've tried some rules that made the PCs even more heroic, which I liked, but the sense of danger slackened so I've relegated them to the sidelines. Some of the rules we've tried may appear as "optional rules" at some point.
Some of the major changes include:
- Fortune/Misfortune were removed in favor of a focus on the die chain mechanic.
- Hit Dice removed; PC hit points are generated differently.
- Resolve has been changed—PCs have a lower base Resolve, but have more opportunities to get Resolve through gameplay.
- More focus on opposed die rolls—attacking and defending are still player-facing; otherwise, if your action is directly opposed an opposed roll is used.
- Related to the above, Adversary Rank, though simple and straightforward, wasn't delivering what I wanted, so it has been removed. PC attacks/defenses are modified by the Adversary's combat statistics. PCs are still very competent, but fighting feels a bit more challenging. Enemies might be good at attacking, but easy to hit due to their size, sluggishness, etc.
Demimonde Update
Darkness of the Demimonde has received some minor typo corrections and one rules clarification—Scientist now governs first aid throughout. The PDF has been released and the POD version is also being updated; look for it to drop soon!
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