[Q&A] Marc Langworthy (Devil’s Run)

[11:20] <+KyraRed> Hi folks! My irl name is Marc Langworthy, I’m the creative lead at Red Scar and Lead Writer for Modiphius on their Mutant Chronicles RPG line.

[11:21] <+KyraRed> We’re imminently heading to kickstarter to ask for support in publishing an RPG set within the post-apocalyptic world of the popular Devil’s Run board game

[11:22] <+KyraRed> If you can imagine the zaniness of Mad Max mixed with the grit of shows like The Walking Dead, then you’re in the right area!

[11:24] <+KyraRed> The RPG itself will stand alone, but we’re also working on some amazing crossover support with the board game so that everyone can enjoy ride

[11:25] <+KyraRed> We have an in-house system, TriCore, to power the RPG, but will also be offering rules to support the Savage Worlds system.

[11:26] <~Dan> (Howdy, RayAtHigherGrounds!)

[11:27] <+KyraRed> Apart from myself (of course 😉 ), we have gathered an excellent stable of writers and artists.

[11:28] <+RayAtHigherGrounds> (Hiya!)

[11:29] <+KyraRed> And we’re also shortly due to announce some very exclusuve pledge levels and add-ons that can certainly be called truly unique

[11:29] <+KyraRed> I think we can open the floor now!

[11:29] <~Dan> Thanks, KyraRed!

[11:29] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!

[11:30] <+ChrisILovetheCorps> RELEASE THE CROCODILES… no wait, wrong kind of floor opening…

[11:30] * ~Dan chuckles

[11:30] <~Dan> What is the source of the apocalypse in this settingZ?

[11:30] <~Dan> -Z

[11:30] <+KyraRed> the ones with giant frickin laser beams you mean? :O

[11:31] <+KyraRed> Well, we’ve specifically not set a date for the Day of the Apocalypse

[11:31] <+KyraRed> though it’s clearly based around the political instability of recent years

[11:33] <+KyraRed> Under ever-increasing strain and sword-rattling, the U.S strike against their auld enemies with nuclear brutality

[11:34] <+KyraRed> and although Russia and China are largely decimated, they do manage to strike back with anything they can muster – from their own nuclear threat to a deadly chemical payload that delivers the deadly Revenant Virus

[11:34] <~Dan> (Howdy, willows!)

[11:34] <+willows> (hi)

[11:35] <+ChrisILovetheCorps> Revenant as in zombies? (I know Walking Dead was referenced for tone, wondering if there is also Max Max cars vs the living dead.)

[11:35] <+slyphic> so what’s the general arc of this game meant to be?  Do the players defeat a threat to their region, rebuild an enclave, explore, all of the above?

[11:35] <+KyraRed> The board game, conceieved by Word Forge Games, introduced the apocalyptic scenario. We’ve been working hard to expand on it and envision it in real terms

[11:36] <+KyraRed> Ultimately, being an RPG, we’d like to offer players and GMs the opportunity to do everything you’ve mentioned

[11:36] <+slyphic> not as in what does it potentially support, but what is planned to be published as supplements, or back of book seeds and adventures

[11:37] <+KyraRed> There are already several well-established factions, so play could revolve around rising through those ranks

[11:37] <+KyraRed> But there will be rules on creating your own road gangs

[11:38] <+KyraRed> The core book will provide a small introductory adventure based around one faction, with notes on exploring it in a more mercenary role, or from other perspectives

[11:39] <+slyphic> road gangs you say?  so there’s a vehicle combat system.  How does that work?

[11:39] <+KyraRed> We also have a campaign book planned that will be more ‘faction-neutral’, plus plan to expand the faction lore with other stretch goals i.e. one large book to encompass three or so factions

[11:40] <+Motulev> what are these factions?

[11:40] <+KyraRed> It wouldn’t be a post-apoc Mad Max setting without road gangs 😉

[11:40] <~Dan> KyraRed: Did you see ChrisILovetheCorps’s question about zombies? 🙂

[11:41] <+KyraRed> I didn’t sorry. Will pick that up first!

[11:41] <+KyraRed> Revenants are effectively zombies yes. It’s part of the lore we inherited from the board game, but I didn’t want them to be the focus

[11:42] <~Dan> “Effectively” meaning… living “zombies”?

[11:44] <+KyraRed> Not at all, just not zombies in the recent popular sense. They don’t zombify other people by biting them. It’s the virus that infects and reanimates, but it doesn’t transfer once it has a host.

[11:44] <~Dan> Ah, gotcha.

[11:45] <~Dan> Are there any other “weird” aspects to the setting? Are there mutants, for example?

[11:45] <+KyraRed> So all of the zombies from the apocalypse will be long gone, but the virus is still a threat

[11:46] <+KyraRed> indeed there are. we have plans to introduce a ‘badlands’ sourcebook – which will pretty much be the East Coast into Mid-Western states

[11:46] <+KyraRed> Most people cling to life along the West Coast. The further East you travel, the worse it gets.

[11:47] <+Will> Will GMs have a choice of keeping zombies around?

[11:47] <+KyraRed> The board game also introduced some wierd tech, like sonic and microwave weaponry – which have been fun grounding in real life!

[11:48] <+KyraRed> Zombies can still be a ‘thing’

[11:48] <~Dan> Oh, that brings up another question: Did the apocalypse happen in the present day, or in the future?

[11:49] <+KyraRed> in fact, the new faction we announced today, the ‘Los Nigromantes’, make use of the virus to turn anyone they don’t like into their own private zombie army

[11:49] <+Will> Oh nasty nice

[11:49] <+Will> (And hey, there are already prototype Sonic/microwave weapons, so not too far fetched)

[11:50] <+KyraRed> That’s why we’ve kept the actual year loose, to provide a bit of freedom in setting the actual day. Though as I say, it’s very much based around recent political termoil.

[11:50] <+KyraRed> indeed Will, it just became tricky creating a means to develop the tech in a post-apoc setting :O

[11:52] <~Dan> Can you tell us a bit about the nature of the mutants? How “gonzo” are they?

[11:53] <+KyraRed> I’m sure DWPearce will appreciate this, but it will be a case of Cursed Earth style. Clinging to life, lost humanity, wierd adaptations.

[11:54] <~Dan> So no frickin’ lazerbeam eyes? 🙂

[11:54] <+KyraRed> But that will be its own thing. For the core book, we’ll be discussing those elements, but focussing primarily on the West Coast, as there is already so much rich lore we’ve created.

[11:55] <+ChrisILovetheCorps> (off now, bye everyone.)

[11:55] <+KyraRed> There won’t be any Jonny Alphas lol

[11:55] <+KyraRed> bye ChrisILivetheCorps

[11:56] <+KyraRed> for the vehicle combat, we’ve striven to keep everything fast and free flowing. It actually fits seamlessly with the rules, rather than being its own thing.

[11:57] <+KyraRed> Although we will be offering advice and mechanics for making use of the lovely board game tiles if that’s what people wish

[11:58] <~Dan> Do you have a character sheet posted for the TriCore ruleset?

[11:58] <+KyraRed> Of course, Savage Worlds has its own fast and furious vehicle rules too.

[11:58] <~Dan> (wb, Beelzedude)

[11:58] <&Beelzedude> (ty)

[11:59] <+KyraRed> (Link: https://www.facebook.com/redscargaming/photos/a.878267975617439.1073741832.632467186864187/900519250058978/?type=3&theater)https://www.facebook.com/redscargaming/photos/a.878267975617439.1073741832.632467186864187/900519250058978/?type=3&theater

[11:59] <+KyraRed> here you are sir!

[11:59] <~Dan> (Howdy, JohnDKennedy!)

[11:59] <+JohnDKennedy> Hello! *finds a chair*

[11:59] <+KyraRed> (Hey!)

[12:00] * *Chair* manifests for JohnDKennedy

[12:00] <~Dan> This appears to be an attribute + skill system of some description. Is that accurate?

[12:02] <+KyraRed> Not at all

[12:02] <~Dan> Can you describe the core mechanic?

[12:02] <+KyraRed> We wanted to design a system that would allow players to choose a strength and play to it

[12:03] <~Dan> (Howdy, Geek2theRight!)

[12:03] <+JohnDKennedy> (When can we ask questions? :))

[12:03] <~Dan> (Now. 🙂 )

[12:03] <+KyraRed> our thinking is that irl, people (largely) possess raw talent, hone their skills, or rely on cool gear

[12:03] <+KyraRed> or a combination of those

[12:04] <~Dan> So this sample character… hones his skills?

[12:04] <+KyraRed> So a character’s Aspect will define how they interact with the dice

[12:04] <+KyraRed> Skills = Trades indeed

[12:04] * ~Dan nods

[12:05] <~Dan> JohnDKennedy: Here’s the character sheet we’re looking at: (Link: https://www.facebook.com/redscargaming/photos/a.878267975617439.1073741832.632467186864187/900519250058978/?type=3&theater)https://www.facebook.com/redscargaming/photos/a.878267975617439.1073741832.632467186864187/900519250058978/?type=3&theater )

[12:05] <+KyraRed> Aspects define how a character interacts with the dice

[12:06] <+KyraRed> essentially, players roll 3d10 against a TN of 6

[12:07] <+KyraRed> Under the TN negates a success. On the TN neither add nor subtract. Over the TN and you gain a success

[12:07] * +Motulev counts the odds

[12:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, scya!)

[12:09] <+KyraRed> with negative successes you fail. On zero successes, you succeed, but karma nips at you. Positive successes then you succeed, with a chance of earning bonus effects depending on how well you succeed

[12:10] <+KyraRed> the dice, however, can be downranked by the difficulty of the task

[12:11] <+Geek2theRight> That system is weighted toward failure. Is that intentional?

[12:11] <+KyraRed> each level of difficulty will ‘downrank’ all three dice by one step i.e. d10 to d8 to d6 etc

[12:12] <+KyraRed> Well, this is where charaters play to their strengths

[12:12] <+KyraRed> So Stardust, for instance, is a Trades character. His Aspect provides him with the ability to lower the TN

[12:13] <+KyraRed> Providing that he is using one of the many skills that he has honed

[12:13] <~Dan> Wow… Is six a lot of skills in this game?

[12:16] <+KyraRed> He’s a novice character, so it is for him. Though we wanted to keep things simple, so there isn’t an endless list of skills 🙂

[12:16] <+Murazor> hi all

[12:16] <~Dan> (Howdy, Murazor!)

[12:16] <+KyraRed> (Hi!)

[12:16] <+JohnDKennedy> I like the system! Can you elaborate on how Karma hurts you at zero successes?

[12:16] <~Dan> (Howdy, Teylen!)

[12:17] <+Murazor> Q&A ongoing?

[12:17] <~Dan> Yup!

[12:17] <+KyraRed> We wanted the game to focus on survival, carnage and mayhem over book-keeping 🙂

[12:17] <+KyraRed> There is a system of glitches. Minor, Medium, and Major

[12:17] <~Dan> Topic: Devil’s Run. Post-apocalypse, Mad Max/Walking Dead. 🙂

[12:19] <+KyraRed> Characters play to their strengths and draw on the TriCore element, which actually locks one of die to a d10 if they’re using a defining feature – in Stardust’s case, this would be something like Insightful Wisdom, or Manipulator

[12:20] <+KyraRed> Each time he does so, he adds one to the payback clock. So he can keep on doing heroic things, but at some point (3 for a minor, 6 for a medium, 9 for a major effect) the GM gets to push the button on the clock and step in with karma

[12:21] <+KyraRed> the same happens on zero successes. the GM can introduce a minor glitch to the narrative

[12:21] <+KyraRed> Put it like this

[12:22] <+KyraRed> the character is chasing down a warrig and makes a roll to take a risky overtake manouevre and get ahead

[12:23] <+KyraRed> if the GM had the chance to introduce a glitch at any point, a minor might be some road debris, which forces a roll to avoid

[12:24] <+KyraRed> a medium might be the warrig swerving into them, again forcing a roll to avoid particularly heavy damage

[12:24] <+KyraRed> or a major might be a tyre blowing out, meaning hefty penalties every round

[12:26] <~Dan> Can you describe how combat works?

[12:26] <~Dan> Oh, wait…

[12:26] <~Dan> You mentioned how Trades affect the dice. What about attributes and equipment?

[12:29] <+KyraRed> Characters that rely on Attributes can prevent downranking, while gear-savvy people use it to give them re-rolls

[12:30] <~Dan> Is the entire scale 1-3?

[12:31] <+KyraRed> although gear folks can also dip into the other attributes in a minor way, as they could end up seriously disadvantaged if they’re without their special equipment

[12:32] <+KyraRed> the core of the system is based around elements of three

[12:32] <+KyraRed> three Aspects (Talents, Trades, Trappings)

[12:32] * ~Dan nods

[12:33] <+KyraRed> 3 dice for actions

[12:33] <+KyraRed> 3 core Atrributes, 18 skills

[12:33] <~Dan> Can the system handle superhuman individuals and/or large animals?

[12:33] <+KyraRed> though there are elements that have an orbiting fourth element

[12:34] <+JohnDKennedy> Orbiting 4th element?

[12:34] <+KyraRed> It can indeed, and we  have plans for that with our own IP further down the line 😉

[12:35] <~Dan> Well, for now, how would you stat up something like a bear?

[12:35] <+KyraRed> aye, JohnDKennedy , health for instance

[12:36] <+KyraRed> you have different health levels for different types of damage, but also a Death Row for when you hit critical health levels

[12:37] <+KyraRed> The stat blocks are actually minimalistically simple

[12:38] <+KyraRed> There are three levels of opponent

[12:38] <+KyraRed> strangely enough

[12:38] <+KyraRed> Lackeys, Elites, and Kingpins

[12:39] <+KyraRed> Kingpins are statted exactly as characters would be and interact with the game in exactly the same way

[12:40] <~Dan> (Howdy, LW`!)

[12:40] <+KyraRed> Lackeys and Elites have smaller stat blocks and can only take actions at certain times

[12:41] <+KyraRed> Elites more often that Lackeys

[12:41] <+KyraRed> So a bear could be statted as any one of the three, depending on how big a foe the GM intended it to be

[12:42] <~Dan> Hmm… So it’s impossible for anything to be more powerful than a normal human?

[12:45] <+KyraRed> Not neccessarily, as there are extra abilities that NPCs have access to. These will be more apparent in our future IPs 😉

[12:46] <~Dan> Ah, I see.

[12:46] <~Dan> Now can you explain how combat works? 🙂

 

[12:48] <~Dan> (Howdy, Crazy-Cabal!)

[12:49] <+Crazy-Cabal> (yo)

[12:49] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)

[12:49] <+MonkofLords> 0/

[12:49] <+KyraRed> we’re working on a roundless combat, as the action is driven by the players

[12:50] <~Dan> Huh. Interesting.

[12:50] <+KyraRed> the players decide who acts first and each take turns

[12:50] <+KyraRed> the GM acts with the enemies on those glitch levels

[12:51] <+KyraRed> The only difference are Kingpins, who act following the players regardless of a glitch

[12:52] <+KyraRed> though a glitch can be used to allow them to act before

[12:52] <~Dan> So the NPCs never go first in combat?

[12:53] <+KyraRed> not unless one of those glitches is used

[12:53] <~Dan> Ah, gotcha.

[12:54] <+KyraRed> and then its really what I’d class as the normal mechanics of combat. We recommend a loose range increment system, though will offer tactical rules for that board game crossover element

[12:55] <+KyraRed> health levels come in the form of Bash, Bullet, or Blade

[12:56] <+KyraRed> with each weapon allocated a type of damage. Fill your Bash track, you head into Blade etc, though a Bullet weapon will fill that track up then head straight into Death Row (critical injuries)

[12:57] <+JohnDKennedy> *nods*

[12:58] <+KyraRed> Armour then provides protection against certain types of injury, but not necessarily others

[13:01] <+KyraRed> We’ve opted for healing mechanics that are a little faster than realsitic, but still suitable for post-apoc to account for how lethal combat could be

[13:01] * ~Dan nods

[13:02] <+KyraRed> Didn’t make sense to have people off their feet for weeks on end… Mad Max wouldn’t be after all

[13:02] <~Dan> Yeah. Sometimes realism just isn’t fun or practical in a game.

[13:03] <~Dan> I had that problem in WH40K.

[13:03] <~Dan> Rogue Trader, to be specific.

[13:03] <+KyraRed> Ah, indeed. I’ve only ever played Deathwatch, and that was crazy broken

[13:04] <~Dan> So in the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?

[13:05] <+KyraRed> Hopefully I’ve given enough information? And introduced everyone to TriCore

[13:05] <~Dan> Indeed.

[13:05] <+KyraRed> We actually wanted to call it Trinity – even still refer to it as such – but opted to avoid legal issues 🙂

[13:05] * ~Dan chuckles

[13:06] <~Dan> Oh, as usual, my tip jar is here for those so inclined: (Link: https://gmshoe.wordpress.com/the-gmshoes-tip-jar/)https://gmshoe.wordpress.com/the-gmshoes-tip-jar/

[13:06] <~Dan> Thanks very much for joining us, Marc!

[13:06] <+RayAtHigherGrounds> Good show!

[13:06] <~Dan> If you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll get the log posted and link you. 🙂

[13:06] <+KyraRed> aha! nice timing Dan!

[13:07] <+KyraRed> Thank you very much for having me everyone! Hope my ramblings were as clear as mud

Advertisements