Changelog for Early Access 3

Happy Holidays to all, and happy incoming new year. A harvest cycle has ended, time to rest. Thanks for sticking with the game for so far. I'm excited with the changes we've gotten. Check them out! Stay safe always.

Overview

A slew of balancing after going over them and having run a game. I got some valuable feedback from a recent game and I get to put this in here.

The major change in Early Access 3 is the removal of Callings and replacing them with Types and Cultures. Cultures were already in the game, they were just in the Last Bits. Cultures are how the Kadungganan views the world.

Types are basically dramatic archetypes that provide a mechanical scaffolding for Kadungganan to engage with the world. They are based on popular mythic archetypes, not just from Filipino Folk stories, but from across the gamut of wuxia-esque fiction. Types are how the Kadungganan interact with the world. 

Types will have both the initial starting Debt and the Interesting Events baked into them, playbook style, to help streamline the character creation process even more. They will also have the starting items of a Kadungganan, so that one no longer needs to roll on the barter items table. In essence, they're Playbooks for the kinds of Kadungganan exist in Gubat Banwa.

Cultures, Types, and Disciplines are the trifecta of a Kadungganan’s soul as they interact with the Sword Isles. An example of a Kadungganan then is: A Virbanwan (Culture) August (Type) Senapati. "A Virbanwan August Senapati."

Mechanically, I put this in here because I felt that just Callings and Interesting Events were not robust enough scaffoldings to hinge the fiction first drama mode gameplay on. The Types provide this, and are built with them not as cloying archetypes to be chained to, but rather, describing terms to jump off of, to make one’s own unique Kadungganan flourish in the violent, violent world of Yutadagat.

 There are Ten Types in the Core Rulebook: August, Consular, Creative, Fierce, Poetic, Gentle, Sage, Sly, Stalwart, Vagrant

Umalagad Changes

The Umalagad no longer has their own token economy: they simply have things happen, following the fiction as the world reacts as Kadungganan spend and gain Conviction Tokens. This means Origin Qualities for foes have been tweaked as well: no Origin Quality needs Destiny Token anymore, and each Origin always has 3 Qualities, one for each Tier.

Range

For Lines, it now has this clause: Lines ignore height differences of 2. If the height is lower or higher than 2, then the Line does not affect that space.

The Battlefield and Spaces

I clarify and make it explicit that combat spaces and battlefields are abstracted affairs, blurs of tactical martial arts, in a similar way how narrative games would abstract combat. Thus, spaces are no longer just 5 foot spaces, but rather, relative to your environment. In Combat, the balance of the game comes first. Sizes are now just indicators of a units immensity and scale.

Colliding

Collision has been streamlined: 

“If it is breakable, the target and the object both suffer 2 piercing flat damage. If that’s enough to destroy the object’s durability, then break the object and continue the Forced Movement. Otherwise, the target lands on a space adjacent to the object.

 If it’s unbreakable and unmovable, the target suffers 2 piercing flat damage. Then the forced movement ends.

If a target collides with another unit, both units suffer 2 piercing flat damage. And then target continues the movement, while the one moved into is pushed 1 space away from their original space, out of the line of movement of the original target. This can cause a chain reaction of pushes (a unit pushed slams into another unit, etc.).

Therefore, if a unit is pushed 1 space into the space of another unit, both units suffer 1 piercing flat damage (since the pushed target slams first into the target before being pushed into the space), and then the unit collided with is moved to the side, and the original target takes the space of the moved target.” 

Forced Movement Clarifications

Clarified Push and Pull a bit more:

Push is forced movement away from the source of the push in any direction. They must end up in a space farther from the origin of the push.

Pull is forced movement towards the source of the pull. They must end up in a space closer to the origin of the pull.

A Note on Cosmology

A small note on cosmology has been put in the introductory section of the PDF. This includes the various “banwa” of the 14 layers of the cosmos, which I name here as Kalibutan. For ease of learning, wording, and because I just think it’s cool, the term Yutadagat has been replaced with Gubat Banwa. The realm of mortals and spirits toiling evermore in violence is known as the Warring Lands. (Other realms are known similarly: Hanginbanwa is the realm of wind spirits, etc. etc.)

Fray

The main problem with Fray is that its effect had a 50% chance of being nothing, masking its bite. Even if you stack a lot of Fray, it can lead to no outcome, which has a bad feel for those that want to focus on Fray, which is an avenue I want people to play with.

Due to this, Fray has been edited into this:

“FRAY is damage over time, sapping at your will to fight. Lasting burns, poisons, and strange ailments that sap at your will. Fray is a special kind of damage that cannot be modified in any way, and cannot be subtracted due to Technicks, Armor, or Affinities.
Whenever you suffer Fray, it will either note whether it is a d4 or a d6. At the end of your turn, you roll all Fray dice that you have, and you suffer piercing damage equal to the number rolled. However, if the fray dice rolls a 1, you instead discard that dice, suffering only 1 piercing damage.”`

What this means is that during the Fray rolling part of the end of turn, one can roll a lot of dice. d4 is the most common Fray, d6s are meant to be rare.

Due to this, a number of Technicks and Anting-Anting have had their Fray changed:

Maw of Arimaonga: When you hit with a melee attack, the target must pass a save or suffer d4 Fray.

Shrike: When you make an attack against a target with Fray, ignore Armor, Cover, and Barrier.

Mastery 2 of Death Blossom from Mangangayaw: Mastery 2: Stingray. All foes you deal damage to with this Technick suffers d4 Fray.

War Balyan: Fury of Lawana Sinigida: Mastery 1: Venom Aspect. All foes that start their turn adjacent to the Venom Idol must pass a save or suffer d6 Fray.

War Balyan: Sungleam of Indira Suga: Summon a burning sun-halo idol of Indira Suga, the Mother Sun, unto an unoccupied space in range 2~3. All allies adjacent to it can spend a Flourish to immediately remove 1 Debuff or 1 Fray die. All foes adjacent to it are obfuscated.

War Balyan: Burning Star of Mahadiwa Tala Kinabanaagan: Perfected: The Fulminating Dark of Mahadiwa Kalakatri Duumanun. After using this Technick for the first time, you can choose to perform the Fulminating Dark technick when you next use this Technick. Fulminating Dark deals +1 strengthen dark damage and inflicts d4 Fray on all foes damaged by the attack.

Headtaker: Salt. When you deal damage on a unit with Fray, you gain +1 precision.

Headtaker: IV: Hurl. Make a ranged attack against 1 unit in range 1~3, dealing physical force damage. On a Critical Hit, also inflict d4 Fray on the unit.

Headtaker: Bleed: Make a melee attack against 1 adjacent unit, dealing physical force damage and inflicting d4 Fray. Mastery 1: Wound. The target suffers d6 Fray instead.

Hunter: Bamboo Pit Perfected: Poisoned Pit. All that suffer damage from falling into the height suffer d6 Fray.

Hunter Enlightenment Art: Wild Hunt: While you are the Pack, you are Size 2, Hastened and all your attacks immediately inflict d6 Fray. All foes adjacent to you have Weakened to all saves. You can reuse all Technicks that have Scene and give +1 to all Technicks that have Charge X.

Martyr: God Hurls The World Mastery 2: Make God Bleed. The target, after colliding, also suffers d6 Fray when they fail the save.

Sword Saint IV: Bleed Hell. 1 unit in range 1~2 suffers d4 Fray immediately.

Sword Saint Second Wind: Self Laceration: Heal Breath. You can expend Cuts to suffer Xd4 Fray, X being the number of Cuts expended. If you do, remove X Debuffs and gain X times 2 Barrier.

Sword Saint Sidereal Rosary Perfected: Passion. As long as the unit is bound to the Star, 1s on the Fray roll do not remove the dice.

Flower Necromancer Quality: Harvester. 1/round, whenever a foe adjacent to one of your corpse flowers makes an attack, they gain a Thorn. Whenever a unit makes an attack against a target with a Thorn, they may consume the thorn to immediately inflict d4 Fray. A unit can only have 1 Thorn at any given time.

Flower Necromancer Vine Mastery 2: Biting Thorn. Inflict d4 Fray on the unit if they are unwilling.

Flower Necromancer: Thicket of Burning Flowers: This is dangerous terrain to foes. When a shot finisher is performed within the thicket area, the attack with the shot finisher tag also inflicts d6 Fray.

Flower Necromancer Enlightenment Art: All foes within the field suffer Debilitated, and every turn they start within a Field of Vengeance gives them an automatic d6 Fray.

Mender: Lunas Mastery 1: Dangerous Hilom. The first attack against the target at any round immediately inflicts d6 Fray on the target.

Star Shooter Naga Straight: Mastery 2: Comet. The target on the 5th space of the line becomes Burned and suffers d6 Fray.

Field Traits

12 has been turned to Large Rocks: Large Rocks. The field has boulders or giant rocks. Each boulder is Size 1 to Size 3 Blocking terrain.

17 has been turned into Rolling Boulders. The area has 2x2 rolling boulders. Whenever the rolling boulder suffers force damage, it is pushed a number of spaces until it collides with another immovable blocking terrain or water. All units the boulder moves through suffer 2d6 piercing earth damage and are knocked prone.

10 - Lantangan now has the following text: When adjacent to it, you may spend an Action to pray and heal Mettle equal to your Breath 

Discipline Balances

Major changes to Heavenspear and Murderglave.

Buwaya Lancer

Ancestral Hide now has the following effect: You cannot be Ripped, and all area attacks against you deal glancing damage.

Deathbound now longer has the Scene tag.

Kawal

Sentinel now has the following effect: As an Interrupt Reaction, when an ally in range 1~3 is attacked, spend a Conviction Token to Stride to them and block the attack if you end up adjacent to them. 

Mangangayaw

Smirk now gives +1 Strengthen as well on a Critical Hit: “When you deal a Critical Hit, you gain Hastened, +1 Strengthen on your next attack, and cannot suffer from Debuffs until the end of your next turn. Debuffs you were already suffering stay.”

IV: Typhoon Anyo changed the Avoid duration: “Then gain Avoid until the start of your next turn.”

War Balyan

Healing Spirit now has the Heal tag.

Death Dancer

Kick Gods in the Face now has the following effect: Spend a Conviction Token as a Reflex on your turn to never lose your Stances until the end of your next turn and give your next attack +1 Strengthen.

Pintas Awatara now has the following text: You are an avatar of violence. You can take on up to any amount of stances at any given time.

The River Courses Through Your Veins now has the following text: Whenever you start your turn while in a stance, you may shift yourself by 1 space.

Elementalist

Mentala Master now has the following text: All your attacks that deal Fire, Water, Earth, or Wind damage have Reliable 3.

IV Hokot now has range 1~5.

IV Mangagahum now has range 2~3, burst 1.

Bagyu’s range is increased to 2~4. Perfected: Mangabatarabagyu. Increase the range to in range 2~6, Burst 2.

Siga’s range is increased to Close Line 4. Mastery 1: Daksiga. The area of effect of this attack can become a Close Wall 7.

Batubalani’s range is increased to 3~4.

Headtaker

Sunder Mastery 2: Strongarm now has the following effect: Push the target 1d4 space after dealing damage.

Self Decapitation now has Tags and Conviction Token cost.

Baril Witch

Valley of Tears now has the following text: You can Rev-load as a Flourish or spend a turn not using a Gun Technick to gain another Ensorcelled Bullet.

Witch Gun’s range has been increased to 1~4.

Mangkukulam now has the following effect: Whenever you make a ranged attack, gain +1 range.

Water Lily Gun’s range has been increased to 1~5.

Sword Saint

Killing Intent and Lay Bare have been modified as follows:

Killing Intent. As a Response Reaction: all foes that successfully remove a Fray die while within close burst 2 of you you may immediately make a ranged attack against, dealing physical force damage.

Lay Bare. When you make a melee attack, you may immediately force the target to roll all their Fray dice. You suffer 1 piercing soul damage per Fray dice they roll.

Bleed Hell now has the following text: 1 unit in range 1~2 suffers d4 Fray immediately.

Passage of Swords now deals light damage.

Unassailable Cutting Saint now deals light damage on the reaction.

Mender

Mender Qualities have been tweaked:

Tambal. Gain a Conviction Token whenever you put yourself in danger to heal others. Spend a Conviction Token as a Flourish to let 1 ally in range 1~4 Second Wind, for free, even if they’ve already used it this scene.

Oil. Whenever you heal an ally, you may also give them Avoid.

Nourish. When you Revive an ally, you heal them to their full Mettle.

Herb. All allies in close burst 2 of you have +1 to all Saves.

IV: Oiled Weapon has an improved effect: “An ally adjacent to the target deals +1 Precision on their next turn.”

Sling’s text has been tweaked and range improved:

Whenever you perform a non-attack Technick that has you giving a Barrier, Healing, Buff or Debuff, or removing Debuffs, to an adjacent unit or a unit in range 1, (even if that technick requires a save), you can increase the range of that technick to 1~4. This does not affect Reactions. Use fiction to adjucate: in the fiction this is a sling used to lob items.

Mastery 2: Enhanced Sling. Increase the range to 1~5.

Salve has been improved:

Salve

Flourish, Ritual, Mentala

Remove 1d4 Debuffs from 1 adjacent ally, 1/round.

Proper salves heal The Vigor first and foremost, before diving into the intricacies of an ailment. It is the Vigor that keeps us from death, that keeps The Immortal imprisoned within our bodies.

Mastery 1: Refreshing Salve. The ally also gains Barrier equal to their Breath.

Mastery 2: Vigor. The ally gains Hastened until the end of their next turn.

Perfected: Tambal. The ally may choose to save against all debuffs instead.

Star Shooter

Spike’s range from Volley is increased to range 1~10 and is no longer an Action but a Reflex.

Dig now also includes Bursts: Dig. When you Burst or Dive, you can move your Speed, ignoring Terrain.

Point’s effect has been changed into this: As a Flourish, mark 1 unit in range 2~6 as your Point. Whenever you make a ranged attack against your point, gain +1 precision to the attack. You can only have 1 Point at a time.

Fly High and Serve’s ranges have been increased to 1~5.

Boast’s range is increased to 1~3.

Tigpana

Release’s range has been increased to 2~6.

Heaven Eye has been clarified that it gives +1 range.

Hiyang Lightning’s initial ranged attack’s range is increased to 2~4.

Dragonfly Spear’s range is increased to close line 5, and changed from a ranged attack to an area attack. Mastery 2: Tutubi Zips Through now increases it to close line 8. Removed the “Change Scene to Taxing” clause in the Perfected: Pagaspas Soul, and added that it ignores Reactions.

Enlightenment Art: Changed deal 8/9/10 damage to simply 10 piercing soul damage.

Hunter

Command: Fall Back! Now just heals 2 Mettle.

Inflict Violence: Warding Circle: “…shift 1/2/2 spaces” has been changed to just “…shift 2 spaces”.

Martyr

Holy Duty from Quality: Sabil now ends on the end of your next turn. You also now suffer +2 damage instead of just +1.

Murderglave

Murderglave Traits have been changed:

Passion. Gain a Conviction Token whenever you let your emotions get the best of you, bringing you into a worse position. By spending a Conviction Token as a Reflex, you can channel Mahadiwa Kalakatri Duumanun, the Saint of Murder until you stop with a Flourish. While channeling, every time you are attacked, you may move 2 spaces toward the attacker, and then inflict violence if you can. However, while Channeling, you cannot be Healed and you are Slowed.

Pain. When you are Slowed or Immobilized, push any number of units adjacent to you up to 2 spaces.

Love. When you attack, you can choose to deal glancing damage to gain Barrier equal to your Breath.

Vengeant. Whenever you deal damage to a unit, you can choose to make them Scarred (a Debuff) as a 1/round Reflex. Scarred units suffer 1d4 piercing flat damage when they make an attack that does not include you as a target.

IV: Bloody Hand now has the following effect: Make a melee attack against 1 adjacent unit, dealing physical force damage, and then you may shift the target by 1 space, but they must end up in a space adjacent to you.

Dark Lance now has the following effect:

Dark Lance

Action, Mentala, Maneuver, Perilous, Lunge Finisher

Make an area attack against all units in close line 3, dealing physical dark damage. The target must then pass a save or become Frightened.

Mastery 1: Shadowbringer. Shift each unit damaged by 2 spaces.

Mastery 2: Gravitas. Any unit forcibly moved by this technick must pass a save or is knocked prone.

Perfected: Soul Eater. Each target must make a save. On a fail, you or 1 ally adjacent to you heals 2 Mettle.

Penitent Stance now has the following effect: All foes adjacent to you gain Enmity to you, which cannot be overridden, and you gain Guarded.

Sarimanok Knight

Sarimanok Mount now has the following text: At the start of your turn, you may spend a Conviction Token to become Flying until the end of your current turn. While Flying, all your Lines, Walls, Bursts, and Blasts increase their range by +1 and deal +1 damage.

Heavenspear

Heavenspear changes are to exemplify the prime heaven striker style. They get teleports, leaps, flies, and off-turn movement.

Unbind now has the following text: Spend a Conviction Token as a Reflex, 1/turn, to unbind yourself from the ground and then plummet: choose 1 space in close burst 3, flying to that space. If there is a unit in that space, make a melee attack, dealing piercing wind or force damage to that unit, and then push them 1 space.

Skydancer now has the following text: You do not suffer falling damage. Whenever you gain Avoid, you can now stack it. Every stack of Avoid past the first lowers the target number of the Avoid roll by 1.

Celestial now has the following text: When you Burst, you become Flying until the end of your turn. Additionally, when you Stride, you can perform a Flourish or Action in between, letting you split up your movement.

IV Meteor now does force damage.

Teaching 1: Pinamaskan now has the following text: Make a melee attack against 1 adjacent unit, dealing physical force damage and pushing the target 1d4 spaces.

Mastery 1: Savage Tear. You may quickstep 1 space before making the attack.

Mastery 2: Lightning Strike. If the target collides with terrain, they suffer 2 piercing force damage and are bounced away from the terrain by 1 space.

Perfected: Heavensward. Instead of rolling 1d4, you can choose instead how many spaces the target is knocked back, up to 4.

Flurry has been turned into a mobility Technick thanks to the Unbind change:

Flurry

Flourish, Maneuver, Taxing

Gain Avoid until the end of your next turn.

The Heavenspear is not impeded by the battlefield. All obstacles are simply things that must be vaulted over. Heavenspear Hinalus sped through an entire forest to strike at a warrior resting within the mouth of a river.

Mastery 1: Flight. When you Stride, you can move through units and are considered Flying.

Mastery 2: Lightning Wine. Your next attack gains +1 Precision.

Perfected: Strider. Gain Hastened until the end of your next turn

Plummeting Thunder has been tweaked a bit as well 

Plummeting Thunder

Flourish, Stance, Maneuver

Gain the Plummeting Thunder stance, which lasts until the start of your next turn.

Plummeting Thunder Stance: While you’re in Plummeting Thunder, whenever you’re forcibly pushed, you instead control your movement. When a foe moves into a space adjacent to you, you may quickstep 3 spaces.

Mastery 1: Tsandira Dayawa Meditation. You are considered Flying while in this stance.

Mastery 2: Indira Suga Indignation. After moving, you may consume the stance to immediately make a melee attack against an adjacent unit, dealing wind damage.

Perfected: Jamiyun Kulisa Exaltation. When you consume this stance, after making the attack, you can then teleport your speed.

Foes

I removed the whole thing where Reactions are a completely different column of abilities. In exchange, the base number of Technicks a Foe can have is 4, up from 3.

Clarified that Perilous for Foes subtracts Mettle equal to their Breath.

Braves and Rivals get the following new Rank Quality: Unyielding. Gain +1 bonus to all Saves.

Monsters and Chiefs have a better Purified now: Purified. Gain +2 to all Saves.

Over 30 new Foes filled with lore and interesting mechanics have been added, mostly Origin Classes to be used in your own games. Enjoy~