<+TrollLordJason> Hey, everyone. I’m Jason Vey, staff writer and 5e line developer at Troll Lord Games. The game we’re here to discuss is Amazing Adventures 5e, currently in Kickstarter!
<+TrollLordSteve> You all failed to mention To be or not to be
<+TrollLordSteve> I’m Steve Chenault, CEO and owner of Troll Lord Games
<+TrollLordJason> We should probalby mention that while we’re here to talk AA 5e, anything Troll Lord is on the table for discussion (as always)!
<+TrollLordSteve> That’s a good point. We do have lots of irons in the fire. So whatever anyone is curious about we’ll do our best to answer it.
<+TrollLordJason> /tumbleweed blows past
<~Dan> (We’re waiting for a (done) to open the floor to questions. ๐ )
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Thanks, guys! The floor is open to questions!
<+TrollLordSteve> lolol we trolls can be a bit slow (done)
<~Dan> So let’s start with the basics: What is Amazing Adventures 5e?
<+LaggingDice> Link to the kickstarter please?
<+TrollLordJason> Right. So Amazing Adventures (the original) is a sort of multi-genre RPG for the SIEGE Engine, our house game system. It essentially takes Castles & Crusades to the point where you can play any kind of game you want with it, though the core book focuses on pulp.
<+TrollLordSteve> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/amazing-adventures-5e-rpg?ref=user_menu)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/amazing-adventures-5e-rpg?ref=user_menu
<+TrollLordJason> Amazing Adventures 5e is the 5th edition rules version.
<+TrollLordJason> But it’s even more multi-genre. So it takes the 5e rules (of the World’s Most Famous RPG) and opens them up to any sort of modern, future, or whatever kind of game you want to play
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> So AA 5e is more generic than AA SIEGE?
<+TrollLordJason> I don’t like to use the term “generic.” It’s less expressly pulp focused
<+TrollLordJason> It’s a toolkit game that lets you play or run any kind of game you like, from wild west to sci-fi to cyberpunk to urban fantasy to cosmic horror, whatever.
<+TrollLordJason> And it uses the core 5e rules, without changing the mechanics. That was an important distinction to us
<~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, Guest00!)
<+TrollLordJason> A lot of folks are doing 5e modern games, but most are either dedicated to a specific setting or are heavily changing the 5e core to model whatever they’re doing
<+TrollLordSteve> Amazing Adventures is going to become the umbrella under which all TLG’s non-fantasy RPGs will appear.
<+TrollLordJason> We wanted ours to run seamlessly alongside standard 5e fantasy
* ~Dan nods
<~Dan> Makes sense.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Will you still be supporting AA SEIGE?
<+TrollLordSteve> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, I was just going to say that
<+TrollLordJason> AA SIEGE is NOT going anywhere
<+TrollLordSteve> Absolutely.
<+TrollLordJason> We are going to continue to support BOTH lines.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Good to know.
<+polyhedral> Were there any interesting challenges translating to/supporting 5e?
<+TrollLordJason> Tons. While SIEGE and 5e play similar on the surface, the underlying design assumptions are wildly different
<+TrollLordJason> I essentially had to rebuild the game from the ground up. Without the SRD to draw from, I’m not sure it would’ve been possible.
<+TrollLordSteve> We have a host of supplements that we want to bring out, some new, some needing overhauled, that will round out the Siege Engine Games. AA Siege will be the vehicle for that. (done)
<+TrollLordJason> So the character classes are a prime example
<+polyhedral> (Oops! Sorry to jump ahead.)
<+TrollLordJason> In the SIEGE Engine, classes are more like they are in 1e and 2e D&D
<+Guest00> Overhauled, how?
<+TrollLordJason> In 5e, the classes all have paths you choose. So each class had to be completely redesigned to fit the 5e paradigm
<~Dan> (Guest00: Please set your name with the /nick command; e.g., /nick Dan ๐ )
<+LaggingDice> Is the gypsy seer with the scrying ball an intentional likeness of Satine Phoenix?
<+TrollLordJason> In some cases this meant splitting classes–instead of a single Arcanist, for example, there are now 3: the Arcanist, the Hallowed, and the Occultist, and each has its own Arcane Tradition, Domain, and Patron
<+TrollLordJason> (yes, that is Satine)
<+TrollLordJason> (done, to let people catch up)
<+TrollLordSteve> Guest: The primary example is StarSiege. It never fully complied with the Siege Engine. Jason is overhauling that game to bring it into line with the AA and CC (Done).
<+TrollLordJason> Right, and StarSIEGE is now a sourcebook for AA instead of a core game unto itself
<+TrollLordSteve> Lagging Dice. Satine gave us her blessing. She’s just good people. (done)
<+TrollLordJason> We’re doing a 5e version of it as part of the Kickstarter, too–renamed Solar Burn
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+Guest00> How difficult is th e %E version to navigate?
<+TrollLordJason> Super easy. SUPER easy
<+LaggingDice> Re: Satine Phoenix, awesome! She is good people.
<~Dan> (Who is she?)
<+TrollLordJason> So take my wife, for example, who helped us playtest. She very much dislikes (I’m gonna just say it) D&D-style fantasy games. But she really enjoyed the 5e engine in AA 5e
<+LaggingDice> Community manager at Wizards of the Coast.
<~Dan> (Ah, cool.)
<+TrollLordJason> Guest00, if you play 5e fantasy, you’ll be up and running with AA in minutes with zero learning curve
<+Guest00> Will the 5E version translate to 5E D&D as the regular version does to C&C?
<+TrollLordJason> We playtested standard 5e classes alongside our new Raider, Gumshoe, Socialite, Mentalist, and PUgilist
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, 100%
<+TrollLordJason> If you want a 5e Fighter in your AA 5e game, just drop it in
<+TrollLordJason> You’ll need to give it modern weapon proficiencies, and an AC progression, but the guidelines are in the book to do that and it takes about a minute to do.
<~Dan> An AC progression?
<+TrollLordSteve> She also has her own company: Gilding Light. We met when I did a podcast with her a few years back. One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
<+TrollLordSteve> (done)
<+Guest00> What are the major differences between the 5E and regular version?
<+TrollLordJason> Yeah, so much like in AA SIEGE there’s the issue that modern games don’t have people running around in chainmail
<+TrollLordJason> Since 5e is a bit more codified than SIEGE, we couldn’t do the “pulp armor” idea. So what we did was give each class a class-based AC progression. Also each class adds a different ability score to AC as opposed to all using Dex.
<+TrollLordJason> The Socialite, for example, is so charming or gorgeous that they’re distracting to their opponents, so they add Charisma to AC instead of Dex.
<~Dan> Huh. Interesting.
<+TrollLordJason> Now, that being said
<+TrollLordJason> For people who want a more standard 5e fantasy approach, we also include “modern armor” which can be used instead as standard
<+TrollLordJason> So a leather jacket gives you AC 11. Full modern tactical armor gives AC 17. You can do that and simply ignore the class AC bonus.
<+TrollLordJason> Again, our goal was to offer options, but also provide a game that seamlessly works with 5e fantasy
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+LaggingDice> How lethal is combat in AA? In high fantasy games, a character with 150 hp can stand up to a lot of punishment. It would be suspension-breaking for a human-sized punk in a cyberpunk world to plug his head into a tank’s cannon barrel and survive a direct hit. How do you balance high-tech guns with hit point bloat?
<+TrollLordJason> We found that in 5e, hit point bloat isn’t that much of an issue because high level creatures put out a lot of damage.
<+TrollLordJason> It’s also important to remember that hit points don’t represent how much damage you can take. They are an abstraction of your overall combat efficacy
<+TrollLordJason> They’re bumps, bruises, near misses, “just dodged that shot”s and the like
<+Guest00> Any new equipment added?
<+TrollLordJason> Guns don’t do more damage than swords, if that’s what you’re asking. The reason for that is this: if you think about it, getting shot with a 9mm doesn’t do more damage than getting chopped in the collarbone with a 2-handed axe.
<+TrollLordJason> But guns shoot faster and hit more. So there are rules for rate of fire with firearms
* ~Dan nods
<+TrollLordJason> There are firearms, and yes, a laundry list of new tool kits and equipment packs
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+LaggingDice> Tactically speaking, is a “one shot, one kill” a feasible possibility for a sniper rifle? Or do we strap on extra-strength suspenders of disbelief and move on?
<+TrollLordJason> For a high level character? It’s unlikely you’ll score a one shot, one kill.
<+TrollLordJason> That’s not built into the 5e rules (or the SIEGE rules, for that matter)
<+LaggingDice> (Noted. Sorry, my Shadowrun roots are showing. Crunch, crunch.)
<+TrollLordJason> Yeah, I’d say that as games go, this is very low crunch
<+TrollLordJason> I mean it’s 5e, so there’s the moderate level of rules intensity that the system has, but there’s also a great deal of “at the GM’s option” going on
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> I would say think of this more as what I call “movie physics,” than simulationism.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> How much support do you provide for various genres and time periods? Do you cover Renaissance-era firearms, for example? Laser weapons?
<~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, Guest24!)
<+TrollLordSteve> We like a little flexibility in the rules (done)
<+TrollLordJason> There are laser weapons. Black powder weapons will get in there some time. They’re currently in the 5e Player’s Guide to Aihrde.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordSteve> That book is scheduled to ship in mid June (done)
<~Dan> Do you include any non-human species for use as PCs?
<~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, HeatherA!)
<+TrollLordSteve> Players Guide to Aihrde 5E that is (done)
<+TrollLordJason> Not in the core book, no, because elves, dwarves, and the typical fantasy races are in the 5e fantasy SRD
<+TrollLordJason> Most multi-genre games assume human as a baseline
<+TrollLordJason> That being said
<+TrollLordJason> Solar Burn will have alien races, so if you’re in at the $99 level or above, you’ll get that, which does have nonhuman PC races.
* ~Dan nods
<~Dan> Cool.
<+TrollLordJason> There are guidelines for using 5e fantasy races (essentially, it’s lower some ability scores and drop ’em in)
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> You touched on this earlier, but what are the classes in AA 5e?
<+TrollLordJason> The Arcanist; the Gadgeteer or Powered; the Gumshoe; the Hallowed; the Hooligan; the Mentalist; the Occultist; the Pugilist; the Raider; and the Socialite,
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> Oh, one more thing
<+TrollLordJason> We don’t like to reinvent the wheel, so the arcanist, hallowed, hooligan, and occultist are the wizard, cleric, rogue, and warlock, just tweaked to give them new paths and a more modern flavor. The other classes are 100% new.
<+TrollLordJason> We included those four because we wanted as complete a game as possible without requiring you to own the 5e fantasy PHB to play or run.
* ~Dan nods
<~Dan> Sure.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> TrollLordSteve is here for moral support :p
<~Dan> I note that you said Gadgeteer or Powered. Can you explain that?
<+TrollLordSteve> LOL Amazing Adventures is your rodeo! (done)
<+TrollLordJason> Yeah, technically the class is the Gadgeteer, but one of the archetypes (paths) you can choose for that is the Powered. That means instead of super science, you have super powers.
<+TrollLordJason> Just like with any 5e class, each class has about 3 different archetypes, paths, whatever from which you choose. For the gadgeteer, at level one you choose to be an Engineer, to have a Quartermaster, or to be Powered
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> I see.
<~Dan> Are the powers of the Powered based on magic spells?
<+TrollLordJason> Yes. Same as for all the gadgeteer abilities. You spend your gadget points to purchase spell effects, which you then re-skin and modify (with GM approval) into your gadgets or powers
<~Dan> How would you handle super-attributes?
<+TrollLordJason> Exactly the same as gadgets.
<+TrollLordJason> They’re just powers you have, instead of super-science gadgets.
<~Dan> What spell(s) would you use to simulate them, though?
<+TrollLordJason> Any you want. In general, you’re limited in the maximum spell level you can purchase, to half your level (rounded up). If you buy it at max level you can use it once per long rest. If you buy it one level below max, you can use it once per short rest. Two levels below max, you can use it at will. Cantrip-level gadgets are always at will.
<+TrollLordJason> If you buy a spell at max level, you have to pay for it twice more to get it to at will usage
<+TrollLordJason> That discourages people stocking up on max-level abilities
<+TrollLordJason> Again, what spell depends on what kind of power you want
<~Dan> I see… So Super-Strength would be some Strength-buffing spell that you would probably buy at will?
<+TrollLordJason> Correct.
<~Dan> Okay, I follow you.
<~Dan> What are your rules for psionics like?
<+TrollLordJason> We had a player in one of our playtest groups–a cyberpunk/technoir setting–who was playing a dude all decked out with bioware
<+TrollLordJason> Every time he bought a new power, it was a new implant he’d just discovered.
<+TrollLordJason> Psionics work substantially like they do in the SIEGE version. You have a suite of powers that you activate by making an Intelligence (psionics), Wisdom (psionics), or Charisma (psionics) check, depending on the individual power
<+TrollLordJason> There are two types of powers: Basic and Advanced
<+TrollLordJason> Basic powers have a base DC of 13 to activate, Advanced are DC 18
<+TrollLordJason> You only start getting Advanced powers at level 9, and they have Basic power prerequisites
<+TrollLordJason> The DC can go up with more complex effects.
<+TrollLordJason> So if you have pyrokinesis, it’s much easier to create a spark or start a campfire than it is to engulf someone in flame out of thin air, dealing 8d6 damage to them.
<+TrollLordJason> The former would be a DC 13 check. The latter probably a DC 17 check
<+TrollLordJason> If you fail a check, you lose access to the power till you complete a short rest. If you roll a natural 1, you lose access till you complete a long rest, and you suffer psychic burn, which is psychic damage.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Do you use a power point system for psionics?
<+TrollLordJason> No. You learn powers as you level up
<+TrollLordJason> And using them is a skill check using the Psionics skill, which only Mentalists are proficient in
<~Dan> So Mentalists can use powers as much as they want so long as they keep succeeding at their use?
<+TrollLordJason> Yup.
<~Dan> I see.
<~Dan> Does the rulebook contain the full range of D&D spells?
<~Dan> (brb)
<+TrollLordJason> All the ones that were in the SRD, yes
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> Any other questions?
<~Dan> (back, sorry)
* +eezo meeps
<~Dan> Does the game include a bestiary, and if so, can you give us an overview of its contents?
<+eezo> (oh sorry! Q&A?)
<~Dan> (Yup! #randomworlds2 open for general chat. ๐ )
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, it does include a bestiary as well as an extensive Rogue’s Gallery of human foes
<+TrollLordJason> The bestiary has your standard modern-appropriate monsters–animals, vampires, mummies, zombies, demons, angels, stuff like that. It’s pretty beefy
<~Dan> About how many entries, would you say?
<+TrollLordJason> There’s a couple new monsters in there (a devil that’s actually a Fallen Angel, for example), and many of the human adversaries are new.
<+TrollLordJason> Man, you’re going to make me go count, now
<~Dan> Oh, that’s not necessary!
<+TrollLordJason> Hahahaha
<+TrollLordJason> There’s a lot.
<~Dan> Fair enough.
<~Dan> Are there dinos?
<+TrollLordJason> It will probably be 30 or 40 pages or so, at a guess?
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, there are a few dinos
<~Dan> Excellent. There should always be dinos.
<+TrollLordSteve> Yes indeed!
<~Dan> How well can AA 5e handle horror? Seems like your typical PC would be too hardy to scare.
<+TrollLordJason> There are optional sanity, fear and horror rules in there
<~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, Guest02!)
<+TrollLordJason> A lot of that depends on how fast the GM allows characters to level up, honestly. In a horror game I would level characters VERY slowly
<~Dan> Can you say a bit about them?
<+TrollLordJason> They’re adapted from the ones in the 3.5 SRD, which in turn were excerpted from Call of Cthulhu d20
<+TrollLordJason> Again, I don’t like to re-invent the wheel if I don’t have to, and that system is tried and true, and easily drops into just about any game.
<~Dan> (Howdy, DLB_Chuck!)
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> How does horror differ from fear?
<+TrollLordJason> Oh, sorry, one more thing
<+TrollLordJason> There’s also a bit that points you to the 5e Fantasy GM’s Guide sanity rules if you prefer to use them. I couldn’t reprint them because they are not in the SRD
<+TrollLordJason> It doesn’t in any measurable way–it’s a Wisdom save when you encounter something that might scare or horrify you
<+TrollLordJason> As with most sub-systems in AA 5e, Sanity is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Going back to Gadgeteers for a moment, are gadget creation rules limited to spell effects, or can a Gadgeteer improve the performance of a vehicle, for example/
<~Dan> ?
<+TrollLordJason> It’s still done the same way–you use spells as a jumping off point to design your gadgets, and then you install them into a vehicle.
<+TrollLordJason> So if you wanted to, say, install missile launchers in the headlights of your Aston-Martin, you might buy Fireball and describe it as headlight missiles.
<+TrollLordJason> Note that your gadgets don’t have to follow the spell description EXACTLY
<+TrollLordJason> You can use what’s there as a jumping off point.
<~Dan> To what extent can you modify the spells?
<+TrollLordJason> Let’s say you wanted to create a scanner that looks for life signs. You might just base that on one of the Detect Spells.
<+TrollLordJason> The Gadgeteer works with the GM to design specific gadgets, using spell effects as a jumping-off point, and modify them to suit what you need
<+TrollLordJason> It’s a very simple, streamlined system which is very open to interpretation and creativity
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Do you have any settings books already planned besides Solar Burn?
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, we just unlocked as a stretch goal the Brotherhood of William St. John
<+TrollLordJason> That’s a big sort of meta-campaign that stretches from the Victorian era all the way up TO Solar Burn, through the eyes of a specific player-character-centric secret society.
<+TrollLordSteve> Long term we’ll bring Jim Ward’s Tainted Lands back for both the Siege and 5E games. (Done)
<~Dan> What is Tainted Lands?
<+TrollLordJason> In the future I’d like to see Wild West, Hard Boiled Gumshoes, Post-Apocalyptic, and Modern Urban Fantasy sourcebooks
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordSteve> Yeah, their Comrades, post modern setting. (Done)
<+TrollLordJason> TrollLordSteve, I’ll let you field Tainted Lands
<+TrollLordSteve> Tainted Lands is a horror setting written by James Ward. It creates extra-dimensional world in the world of Aihrde where characters that cross over become warped or tainted. Its a fantastic horror setting that needs brought into line with the Siege and now 5E.
<~Dan> (wb, Akyla!)
<+TrollLordJason> TrollLordSteve and I have also discussed, on and off, a planar adventuring setting based on the Rings of Brass from our Aihrde fantasy world. We’re planting the seeds for that into AA 5e
<+TrollLordSteve> Jason has developed some really cool ideas to tie it further to Aihrde as well. On top of al that it has the LollyGag Inn in it, which is one of my favorite inns in the fantasy genre (done)
<+TrollLordJason> As a side note, it looks like we’re about ten bucks away from our next stretch goal!
<~Dan> Wouldn’t Tainted Lands be done with C&C, since it’s based on a fantasy setting?
<~Dan> TrollLordJason: Great!
<+TrollLordJason> We have a 5e fantasy line as well
<~Dan> Ah, that’s right.
<+TrollLordJason> We are shipping the 5th Edition Player’s Guide to Aihrde at the end of this month (hopefully)
<+TrollLordJason> Tainted Lands will be both C&C and 5e
<+TrollLordJason> We’re slowly offering 5e options for most of our sourcebooks
<+TrollLordJason> and many adventures
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordSteve> That’s the joy of the way we are unfolding the settings and sourcebooks. They tie together and allow for cross overs. In the Kickstarter you’ll notice Ends Meet at 30K. That is an adventure that will allow cross overs…through the rings of brass like Jason mentioned. (done)
<+TrollLordJason> Steve and I have some really exciting crossovers planned. Including big announcements about the world of Aihrde.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Speaking of Aihrde, what are its major selling points as a fantasy setting? Can you give me the elevator pitch?
<+TrollLordJason> TrollLordSteve, that one’s all you
* ~Dan winces at the word “elevator”, since he was stuck in one today…
<+TrollLordSteve> Hahah That’s never good. As for Aihrde, its a fantasy setting that has tremendous scope and detail, probably more than any other setting out there. About 12000 years of recorded history are in the main book, a complete mythology with language, etc
<+TrollLordJason> But at the same time, ZERO metaplot
<+TrollLordSteve> Detailed regions and countries with working economic structures. Now one of the joys of Aihrde lies hidden in the extensive history. Because it was written for gamers and RPGs it is laced with all manner of adventure hooks
<~Dan> That’s a refreshing change.
<+TrollLordSteve> Things that the GM can pull out and use in their game.
<+TrollLordSteve> The other thing is, as jason just mentioned, that the world is reborn. It was important to me to create a setting that any gamer could play. All that past ends in a thousand year rule of the dark god Unklar
<+TrollLordJason> Right, a lot of games have what I call the Star Wars syndrome
<~Dan> (wb, Woo77!)
<+TrollLordSteve> He is cast out and the world is set 90 years after that. Though it is rich in history, the slate is clean, allowing gamers to become the heroes of the new age.
<+TrollLordJason> If you play Star Wars in the Rebellion Era, no matter how cool you are, Luke Skywalker gets to blow up the Death Star and face down Darth Vader. In Airhde you don’t have that. You ARE Luke Skywalker, because there’s not a litany of iconic characters who get to do all the cool stuff.
<+TrollLordSteve> Jason has said this best a number of times, but the way the setting is designed it hasย a mountain of source material to use in your game, both for players and GMs, but it is YOUR game. You are the heroes. You won’t be overshadowed by NPCs from a past age etc etc
<+TrollLordSteve> (done)
<~Dan> That’s good. ๐
<+TrollLordSteve> Jason had this great two line description at Garycon, but we can’t remember it now. hahaha (done)
* ~Dan chuckles ๐
<~Dan> Do you feature rules for vehicular combat and chases?
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, there are full rules for vehicle combat in AA
<+TrollLordJason> Vehicle stat blocks look a lot like monster stat blocks
<+TrollLordJason> So they’re instantly easy to read
<+TrollLordJason> Basically, if you have proficiency in a vehicle, you use the better of your Dex or the Vehicle’s, plus your proficiency bonus, to pilot. If you are not proficiency you use the worse of your Dex or the Vehicle’s
<+TrollLordJason> Proficiencies break down into civilian air, civilian land, civilian water, military land, military air, military water
<+TrollLordJason> The GM is free to break them down further if they like, but I kept it pretty cinematic at its core
* ~Dan nods
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> As a designer, I strongly gear towards a cinematic, “if it’s dramatically appropriate” method of design and play
<+TrollLordJason> I’m not much of a simulationist.
<~Dan> This seems to be an ambitious long-term project. How many folks do you have working for you?
<+TrollLordJason> Hahahahaa
<+TrollLordJason> Me
<+TrollLordJason> That’s it
<+TrollLordJason> I had three playtest groups to break it out. One external, two in-house. We playtested for year and took it all the way to level 20
<+TrollLordJason> “playtested for a year”
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> So Troll Lord is just you two guys?
<+TrollLordJason> OH, no. TLG has others
<+TrollLordJason> Amazing Adventures, though, is all me
<+TrollLordJason> That doesn’t account for the many artists Steve has at his disposal
* ~Dan nods
<+TrollLordJason> And editors, and the like. But as far as the design and writing on AA, it’s me.
<+TrollLordSteve> haha no. there’s a bunch of us. Tim, Peter, me, Davis, Pete, Todd, Jason Walton, Zoe. But Jason is the 5E man. He has three contract folks under him, Ross, Shane and someone who escapes me.
<+TrollLordJason> Tom
<+TrollLordSteve> Oh yeah, and the editors, Russ, Scott and Dan and Ross
<+TrollLordSteve> yeah Tom (done0
<+TrollLordSteve> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+Templum_Bee> Hello, everyone!
<~Dan> (Howdy, Templum_Bee!)
<+Templum_Bee> I started an Anime and Manga Discussion thread on RPGpub!
<~Dan> Is the Pugilist still akin to the Monk?
<+Templum_Bee> (Link: https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/anime-and-manga-discussion-thread.3081/)https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/anime-and-manga-discussion-thread.3081/
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, the Pugilist is a modified Monk–sorry, forgot to indicate that one above (done)
<~Dan> (Templum_Bee: Q&A in progress. #randomworlds2 open for general chat. ๐ )
<~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, Guest!)
<~Dan> Does the Pugilist become less viable in more high-tech settings?
<+TrollLordJason> Not remotely. They scale right alongside the other classes
<+TrollLordJason> Once the pugilist gets in close (which is often a factor of their fast movement) they nullify a lot of firearms
<+TrollLordJason> They also have the ability to deflect projectiles, and sometimes redirect them back at the sender
<+TrollLordJason> In playtest we had one do it with a grenade, which ended up SPECTACULAR
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Can you say a bit about applying a skill system to the skill-less C&C format?
<~Dan> (Sorry, thought I’d already posted that line.)
<+TrollLordJason> Again, it really wasn’t a matter of applying something to the C&C format. The game was rebuilt from the ground up for the 5e paradigm. So skills were just a part of the design from the first moment. They work just as they do in 5e.
<+TrollLordJason> You have a proficiency bonus and certain skills, tools, and vehicles in which you’re proficient.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<+TrollLordJason> The skill list is even the same, though I added Science as a skill, and added a metric ton of new tool kits (done)
<~Dan> Ah, I see.
<+TrollLordSteve> Hey all, this has been a blast, but I have to wander on!
<~Dan> Take care, TrollLordSteve!
<+TrollLordSteve> Thanks for hosting us Dan. Very much appreciated.
<+TrollLordJason> Hahahaa it’s later for me than it is for you :p. Talk to you soon, Hoss!
<+TrollLordSteve> Later Jason!
<~Dan> Do you need to head out as well, TrollLordJason?
<+TrollLordSteve> Yeah, I have to crawl under my rock now I think. ๐
<+TrollLordSteve> Take care all!
<+TrollLordJason> I can hang for a little while longer
<~Dan> How (if at all) does the book handle cybernetics or other such enhancements?
<+TrollLordJason> Those would be modeled using the Gadgeteer.
<+TrollLordJason> In many ways the Gadgeteer class is the heart and soul of any variety of character with superhuman abilities
<+TrollLordJason> The classes have been given names to be evocative of what they are at their core, but early in the book we talk about re-naming classes to suit whatever genre you’re playing in, as a side note.
<~Dan> How does that work within the context of the setting, though? I mean, if cybernetics are available for sale, are only Gadgeteers able to purchase them?
<+TrollLordJason> So in a cyberpunk game it may not be called a gadgeteer, but a cyber-doc, a technical engineer, a street samurai, or what-have- you
<+TrollLordJason> Yes. You’d have to take a level of Gadgeteer to model your cybernetics
<+TrollLordJason> I mean, the other option is for the GM to just make them equipment
<+TrollLordJason> If you have an arm gun, the GM is always free to say, “yes, you can have a carbine built into your arm.”
<~Dan> Cool.
<+TrollLordJason> Alternately, the GM could always say, “you have x number of gadget points you can spend on enhancements,” without requiring you to take a level in gadgeteer, but that could theoretically unbalance the game. If that’s not an issue for you, that works as well.
* ~Dan nods
<+TrollLordJason> Oh, you know what, I did actually build a feat into it that lets you get a level of gadget points.
<+TrollLordJason> So that’s another way to do it.
<~Dan> Ah, I see. Nice.
<~Dan> Let’s see here…
<~Dan> …In the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?
<+TrollLordJason> We also have an interesting bolt-on mechanic called Inspiration Points.
<~Dan> Oh? Do tell!
<+TrollLordJason> In a normal 5e game, you either have inspiration or you don’t, and all it does for you is give you Advantage. With Inspiration Points, you can gain multiple uses of Inspiration. In addition to granting you (or an ally) advantage, it lets you do things like spending hit dice on the fly, engaging in minor plot editing
<+TrollLordJason> (thank goodness that unconscious guard dropped his gun for me to grab!), and other things
<~Dan> So much like Cinematic Unisystem Drama Points.
<+TrollLordJason> Yes, or like the Fate Point mechanic in the SIEGE version of AA
<+TrollLordJason> We also have a cinematic unarmed combat system
<~Dan> How does that work?
<+TrollLordJason> I never liked the way that unarmed combat in fantasy gaming was hours of “I do 1 point of damage.” It seemed dumb that you couldn’t model epic tavern brawls where people get laid out with a good right hook
<~Dan> Agreed.
<~Dan> (Howdy, RayM!)
<+RayM> (Hiya!)
<+TrollLordJason> So what this does is, instead of tracking hit points, you track Constitution saves. Every time you get hit, you have to make a Con save, which increases in difficulty with each successive hit you suffer. As soon as you hit back, your save DC goes down and yoru opponent’s goes up
<+TrollLordJason> If you fail a Con save, you’re out cold
<+TrollLordJason> Pugilists, of course, get advantage and cause tougher Con saves
<~Dan> That’s cool.
<~Dan> Do you have something similar for armed duels?
<+TrollLordJason> It playtested quite well.
<+TrollLordJason> It also blends fairly seamlessly with “real” combat.
<+TrollLordJason> I think the Inspiration Points, the Cinematic Unarmed Combat, the Vehicle Combat, and the Psionics Rules are the biggest evolutions of the system, and again, none of them change the way the 5e paradigm works. All can be dropped right into your 5e fantasy game with no issues
<+TrollLordJason> Or they can be dropped and ignored for those who like their 5e rules exactly as they are.
* ~Dan nods
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> What’s next for AA 5e?
<+TrollLordJason> Hah. Let’s get through the Kickstarter first! I have a LAUNDRY LIST of extras and stretch goals to convert
<~Dan> Fair enough!
<+TrollLordJason> At the $99 level, so far, you’re getting two supermodules (3-part mini campaigns) which are connected. You’re getting the Solar Burn setting. The Brotherhood of William St. John sourcebook. The Day of the Worm module. The Don’t Fear the Ripper Module.
<+TrollLordJason> And there’s still tons more to come1
<~Dan> Awesome. ๐
<+TrollLordJason> So yeah, I’d love to move forward with adventure modules, genre books, converting the AA Companion, maybe a 5e monster book (though that’s a tricky prospect with so much already out there)
<+TrollLordJason> The Kickstarter is just starting, though, and there’s miles to go before we sleep. I really hope people dig in , keep backing it, and enjoy. We were funded in just 2 hours and we’re really blowing through stretch goals.
<+TrollLordJason> (done)
<~Dan> Thanks very much for joining us, TrollLordJason!
<+TrollLordJason> Thanks for having me!
<+TrollLordJason> Night, all!
<~Dan> As a reminder to folks, if you’ve enjoyed this Q&A and would like to treat me to a coffee, you can do so here: (Link: https://ko-fi.com/gmshoe)https://ko-fi.com/gmshoe
<~Dan> Now, if you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll get the log posted and link you!