[20-Nov-21 03:04 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Hello, my name’s Rob and I’m the writer behind Isolation Games. I write indie RPGs and have also worked on a few larger games as a freelance writer as well, and I’m here to talk to you about Age of Steel, my first foray into RPG writing. Age of Steel is a Dieselpunk Action Adventure game in which players take on the roles of bounty hunters, private eyes and adventurers in a world inspired by our own in the 1920s and 30s but with a weird science twist.
[20-Nov-21 03:04 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Done!
[20-Nov-21 03:05 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Thanks, @rocket_bunny! The floor is open to questions!
[20-Nov-21 03:05 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Can you tell us a bit more about the world? Is it Earth or another planet?
[20-Nov-21 03:10 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Age of Steel is set in the world of Neres (pronounced Near-ees) which is a separate world to our own. It takes inspiration from Earth, but is a distinct and separate setting. The game is generally set six years after the nations of Neres have recovered from the first global war, a conflict spanning the planet and involving all nations which lasted for several years and cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women. This war gave rise to all manner of technology not found in our own world, such as diesel-powered mecha called Rigs, weird-science cybernetics used to treat injured soldiers, and incredibly destructive weapons that threatened to destroy all life the planet.
[20-Nov-21 03:12 PM] Chantel (SHE/HER)#5909
How do the class is work, Bounty Hunter go get al capino, Privat eye find out if Jasssic Rabit is cheating, Adventure Run the MoonShine?
[20-Nov-21 03:13 PM] PaulBaldowski#2273
My bad!
[20-Nov-21 03:14 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
There are no classes; characters can take their pick of any skills and equipment they feel like. Depending on the scope of the game the Gamemaster is running you have a set number of points to buy statistics, skills, and backgrounds with no limit as to what you take. So if you want to play a reporter who moonlights as a treasure hunter, you can!
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[20-Nov-21 03:15 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
How prevalent is weird science, and how would you describe the overall tech level of the setting?
[20-Nov-21 03:18 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
The overall tech level of the setting is roughly equivalent to our world in the 1930s. Movies are in black and white but they’re now in sound, big band music is on the way out and ‘slick’ music is on the rise, and people wear fedoras and long coats when possible. Weird science, known in-universe as ‘anslertech’ ranges from common applications such as labour rigs (huge mechs used for common labour) and loftium (a gas safer than hydrogen used to fill airships), to expensive items such as clanks (punch-card powered robots used as servants by the wealthy), to very rare items such as energy pistols and rocketpacks found only in the hands of eccentric inventors.
[20-Nov-21 03:19 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Are pulp heroes like the Shadow and Doc Savage a thing?
[20-Nov-21 03:20 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Totally! The game is intended to simulate the more pulp side of the genre, so heroes inspired by Indiana Jones, the Shadow, Alan Quatermain, and Nathan Drake have all appeared in games I’ve run in the past, and are archetypes I highly encourage players to use in their own games
[20-Nov-21 03:21 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
On a related note, do weird powers exist, like the Shadow’s ability to cloud men’s minds?
[20-Nov-21 03:23 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Well, in a way yes. There are optional rules for magic in the book, but they are generally more the domain of antagonists, rather than player characters. There is a side to the setting featuring a shadowy conspiracy by ancient eldritch creatures that seek to destroy reality, and their human worshipers are usually the ones found wielding the occult powers. The players are more commonly armed with grit, determination, and weird science
[20-Nov-21 03:24 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Does the setting feature monsters, then? And if so how common and commonly known are they?
[20-Nov-21 03:28 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
There are only two ‘real’ monsters listed in the core rule book: possessed and avatars of the Coiled Ones. These creatures are created by the aforementioned eldritch abominations, and are incredibly rare. However the book has quite a few large creatures such as giant gorillas, saurian hunters, and colossal snakes that the players might encounter more often while exploring jungles, ruins, and lost tombs.
[20-Nov-21 03:34 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
(Sorry, had a low blood sugar moment there and had to grab a snack real quick.)
[20-Nov-21 03:34 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
So the book does have a bestiary? How large is it?
[20-Nov-21 03:37 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
There’s an “stock NPCs” chapter, which works as a bestiary. It’s 7 pages long, and has profiles for NPCs characters are likely to encounter on their adventures, such as gangsters, crimelords, cultists, traders, and soldiers. There are also a number of animals such as wolves, snakes, monkeys, and the previously mentioned occult beasties.
[20-Nov-21 03:38 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Is the average Joe aware of the occult?
[20-Nov-21 03:39 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Not at all! The average person is enjoying the post war prosperity, although probably starting to worry about the slowly-increasing political tension that is once again growing between the great nations.
[20-Nov-21 03:41 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
How powerful is magic, and how is it used? Are we talking fireballs and lightning bolts, or is it more akin to nefarious rituals?
[20-Nov-21 03:43 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
It’s certainly powerful, but incredibly rare. I think in all the games I’ve run over the years I’ve had a magic slinging-NPC turn up about half a dozen times. It’s more bolts of dark energy, stepping through shadows, and rending enemies apart with invisible forces than anything else. Stuff only a dark magician would really use
[20-Nov-21 03:44 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
So does the average cultist rely on curved daggers and incoherent screaming?
[20-Nov-21 03:45 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Yeah, that’s very much the vibe. Although some cultists wear sharp suits and conduct their vile rituals in boardrooms and nightclubs
[20-Nov-21 03:46 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Gotcha.
[20-Nov-21 03:46 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Prohibition: Yes or no?
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[20-Nov-21 03:47 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
No! There are plenty of other things people smuggle, however
[20-Nov-21 03:49 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
You’ve touched on this, but generally speaking, who are the PCs?
[20-Nov-21 03:51 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
PCs in Age of Steel are generally people on the edges of normal society; people who are drawn to adventure rather than the comforts of mundane life. Bounty hunters, private eyes, disillusioned soldiers, investigative reporters, gadgeteer inventors.
[20-Nov-21 03:52 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Is there any organization of such people?
[20-Nov-21 03:53 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
There are a few, but the one featured the most in the book and some of the supplements is the Thorncroft Foundation, an “explorers’ club” created by people who have discovered the truth behind the occult conspiracy of the Coiled Ones and secretly carry out missions to thwart their plans.
[20-Nov-21 03:54 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Good name.
[20-Nov-21 03:55 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Are there Nazi analogs in this setting?
[20-Nov-21 03:57 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Yes and no. I’ve tried to avoid any real-world analogues to a lot of things. None of the nations are intentionally an analogue of any particular real-world country, and none of them are presented as ‘bad’. Every nation has a reason for doing its own thing, and a number of reasons for disliking the other nations. There are some gasmask-clad, brutal military organisations within those nations however, but shared out equally!
[20-Nov-21 03:58 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Let’s turn to the system for a bit… Do you have a character sheet available to view?
[20-Nov-21 04:02 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Sure, how’s this?
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https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/911738321603006514/aos-char-sheet.png
[20-Nov-21 04:03 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
That works! Just a moment while I look that over…
[20-Nov-21 04:04 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Nice, clean character sheet!
[20-Nov-21 04:04 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Can you describe basic task resolution?
[20-Nov-21 04:07 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
As you can see characters have three primary statistics: Physique, Intellect, and Presence. Each skill is assigned to one of those stats. To resolve a task you pick the skill you want to use and roll a number of d6 equal to the stat it is linked to and then count the number of successes you rolled. If you are untrained in the skill then any dice with a 5 or 6 is a success. If you are trained in the skill then any dice with a 4, 5, or 6 is a success. If you have mastered the skill then a 3, 4, 5, or 6 is a success. You compare the number of successes to the difficulty of the task assigned by the Gamemaster.
[20-Nov-21 04:07 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What’s the scale for the statistics?
[20-Nov-21 04:08 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
1 to 5, with most regular folks having 2 in each stat.
[20-Nov-21 04:09 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
However some gadgets might push a character’s stats higher
[20-Nov-21 04:09 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What are Moxie Points and Grit?
[20-Nov-21 04:11 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
So Moxie is what makes the player characters… the player characters. It represents luck, cunning, inner strength. Characters can spend Moxie points to do a number of things, such as gaining bonus dice on rolls, gain temporary armour, heal wounds, or even survive death.
[20-Nov-21 04:12 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Grit are hit points by another name. They represent minor injuries such as cuts and bruises. A character loses Grit when hit with an attack.
[20-Nov-21 04:13 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Speaking of which, how does combat work?
[20-Nov-21 04:16 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
In a very similar way to the task resolution already described. The attacker makes an attack roll, while the defender makes a defence roll (which can be to dodge or parry depending on the attack type). If the attacker hits they roll damage based on their weapon, which will be a number of d6 added together. If the target has armour this reduces the damage by a set amount, and any residual damage then reduces the target’s Grit. If the target runs out of Grit they start taking Wounds, which will eventually kill them.
[20-Nov-21 04:16 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Does strength affect melee damage?
[20-Nov-21 04:18 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
No, although it does affect unarmed damage.
[20-Nov-21 04:18 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Wait, I don’t even remember my own system! Physique does indeed increase melee damage
[20-Nov-21 04:19 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Heh. 🙂
[20-Nov-21 04:19 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
(good thing I have a stack of rulebooks next to me)
[20-Nov-21 04:19 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Indeed!
[20-Nov-21 04:19 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
I was going to say, that doesn’t make much sense. 🙂
[20-Nov-21 04:19 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Is there anything beyond societal norms preventing PCs from walking around in armor?
[20-Nov-21 04:21 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Just social norms! As the world is six years post-war armour does crop up, but someone walking down the street in full stormtrooper armour is going to attract some negative attention.
[20-Nov-21 04:21 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
I would think so, yes.
[20-Nov-21 04:21 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Can you say a bit more about the cybernetics?
[20-Nov-21 04:25 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Cybernetics, called “mechaugmetics” in-universe, were created during the later years of the Great War as a solution to the thousands of injured soldiers. Powered by small anslertech batteries, they range from limbs equal to a normal arm or leg, to eyes that can see over great distances, to powerful arms that can crush metal. Some Augmetics get even weirder allowing the person they’re fitted to to link into a Rig more effectively, or replacing their skin with metal.
[20-Nov-21 04:26 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
How common are they?
[20-Nov-21 04:28 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Due to the number of people injured in the war, fairly common. However each device usually requires a power cell to work, and post-war a great many former soldiers find themselves out of work and unable to buy new batteries, leaving them with a useless metal limb they cannot move. Some of these people turn to crime to pay for new power cells.
[20-Nov-21 04:29 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Do you have rules for gadgeteering?
[20-Nov-21 04:30 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Yes, a whole chapter! Rules for crafting items, and modding existing ones. In the most recent supplement, the Adventurer’s Handbook, I included even more rules for adding specific mods to vehicles and weapons.
[20-Nov-21 04:31 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Nice!
[20-Nov-21 04:31 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
How does gadgeteering work?
[20-Nov-21 04:34 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
When creating a new device the player and GM agree a rough cost for the item based on what it does. This cost is then used to work out how many crafting points the item requires to build, and also how much raw material. Crafting points are accrued by making successive skill checks. There are a number of factors that can affect the number of points needed, and how many are gained from a skill check, such as equipment used, the quality of workspace the character has access to, etc.
[20-Nov-21 04:35 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Sounds pretty free-form, then
[20-Nov-21 04:36 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Relatively yes. It’s something a lot of players have been interested in from the very beginning of my writing the system, so I wanted there to be some good rules for it
[20-Nov-21 04:38 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Certainly!
[20-Nov-21 04:38 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
How does magic function in the system?
[20-Nov-21 04:39 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Magic is very much a supplemental feature, so the rules aren’t heavy. The sorcerer makes a skill check, and if successful the spell works. Each spell has various effects, such as being able to walk from one shadow to another, or deal a set amount of damage to a target.
[20-Nov-21 04:40 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Magic is cast from Grit, however, meaning sorcerers literally give up their life for power
[20-Nov-21 04:43 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
On a scale of 1-10, how cinematic is this game? I’m speaking in practical terms here. Does the system encourage crashing through a skylight, both guns blazing?
[20-Nov-21 04:44 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
I’d say a strong 8 or 9. It’s something I always encourage, and the players I’ve run for always seem to pick it up as well. However it’s not something I really wrote rules to support, and something I’ve always thought I’d add when I get around to the second edition!
[20-Nov-21 04:47 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What is your least favorite aspect of this game?
[20-Nov-21 04:50 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Age of Steel was my first foray into publishing an RPG. While I’d written systems before that, the only people who’d read them were my close circle of friends. With Age of Steel, everything was my first trial run: writing, editing, buying artwork, layout, printing. There are a lot of little things that, 4 years later with a number of other games under my belt, I’d love to redo a little better. I think my least favourite aspect of Age of Steel is the layout of the book itself, there’s certainly a lot of things I’d tighten up if I did it again
[20-Nov-21 04:52 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What about your most favorite aspect?
[20-Nov-21 04:56 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
It’s hard to pick really! I’m very fond of the setting and lore, it’s something a lot of readers have commented on.
[20-Nov-21 04:56 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Cool. 🙂
[20-Nov-21 04:56 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?
[20-Nov-21 04:57 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
I’m not sure! I think that’s covered a lot of the general points
[20-Nov-21 04:58 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Fair enough! Well, please know that you’re always welcome to hang out with us, and to discuss your work when you do!
[20-Nov-21 04:58 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Usual reminder: If you’ve enjoyed this Q&A and would like to treat me to a coffee or two, you can do so at https://www.ko-fi.com/gmshoe. Anything’s appreciated! 🙂
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[20-Nov-21 04:58 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Thank you!
[20-Nov-21 04:58 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
And thank you for joining us today!
[20-Nov-21 04:59 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
If you’ll give me a couple of minutes here, I’ll get the log posted and link you!
[20-Nov-21 04:59 PM] rocket_bunny#4931
Sounds good!
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