Three Nine Dispatch #31

Back to work.

Sep 06, 2024

I’ve had a peaceful week, really. My child started kindergarten and my wife has returned to work. So the house has been quiet. Too quiet.

I’ve accomplished some writing goals over this time, which aren’t related to TTRPGs. I’m quite proud of them, though. Unless you enjoy the finer points of sumo wrestling then these won’t be of interest to you. See for yourself, if you like.

Next week my newest semester starts and I continue on my quest to become a social service worker. I also have a sumo tournament I need to cover and a heavier work schedule, too (I have to write twice as much content at my day job when there is a UFC PPV coming up).

So I don’t expect to move mountains over the coming weeks when it comes to Three Nine Press. But that’s OK. Here lie projects that move at a snail’s pace, but move nonetheless (and that’s the point).

Waves of sand and snow (1914). Vaughan Cornish (1862-1948). Public Domain.

My tiny weeny bits of progress for the week are logged below.

Steam Thieves

(Steampunk x Forged in the Dark, Ashcan here [link])

For example, if a character is facing off alone against a small group of gangsters from The Management, the situation might be:

She fights the group straight up, rushing into their midst, hacking away in a wild Skirmish. In this case, being threatened by the larger force lowers her position to indicate greater risk, and the scale of the group reduces her effect (Desperate / Limited).

Sand & Stars

(Desert survival x Cairn, Ashcan here [link])

Design Philosophies

Sand & Stars adopts the following design philosophies:

Classless

A character’s role or skills are not limited by a single class. Instead, the equipment they carry and their experiences define their specialty.

Neutrality

The Envoy’s role is to portray the rules, situations, NPCs, and narrative clearly, while acting as a neutral arbiter.

Death

Characters may be powerful, but they are also vulnerable to harm in its many forms. Death is always around the corner, but it is never random or without warning.

Player Choice

Players should always understand the reasons behind the choices they’ve made, and information about potential risks should be provided freely and frequently.

Fiction First

Dice do not always reflect an obstacle’s difficulty or its outcome. Instead, success and failure are arbitrated by the Envoy in dialogue with the players, based on in-world elements.

Principles

The Envoy and the players each have guidelines that help foster a specific play experience defined by critical thinking, exploration, and an emergent narrative.

Growth

Characters are changed through in-world advancement, gaining new skills and abilities by surviving dangerous events and overcoming obstacles.

Shared Objectives

Players trust one another to engage with the shared setting, character goals, and party challenges. Therefore, the party is typically working together towards a common goal, as a team.