52 weeks straight my dudes. That feels weird… and good? Yeah, good. I’m proud of the commitment I’ve made here. But I’m a little bummed that I’ve not finished a thing. Is finishing a thing the point of this, though? I’m not sure. The process is important and I enjoy that. It would be neat to have something I can actually play with my friends, though. I’ll get there (I think/hope).
Project Run down
Sand & Stars
(Desert survival x Cairn, Ashcan here [link])
Revamped the survival rules and adding things for navigation, food, rest and beasts of burden.
Liking the idea of referring to my player characters as “travelers” throughout the text. It really sets the intention that a big part of this game is about roving over great distances.
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Survival
The Desert, which never ends, is the single greatest risk to all travelers in Sand and Stars. The lack of water and punishing heat are fatal to all who are ill-prepared or unlucky.
Navigation
Those who traverse the Desert rely on The Road. Guideposts and cairns along The Road reveal the distance between roadside communities and landmarks.
Travelers use the sun and the stars to determine what direction they are heading. Any traveler with vision can discern north by looking into the clear sky.
Compasses, which are very rare, can be used to discern direction when a view of the sky is not possible, like when traveling underground or sand.
Weather
At the beginning of each belt one player must roll on the appropriate weather table to determine the weather conditions for that belt.
The Lovers
1: Rain
2-25: Cool
26-100: Cold
The Child
1: Rain
2-25: Temperate
26-85: Hot
86-100: Blistering
Fool & judge
1: Rain
2-15: Temperate
16-65: Hot
66-100: Blistering
The Hangman
1: Rain
2-25: Temperate
26-85: Hot
86-100: Blistering
The Weeping Moon
1: Rain
2-25: Cool
26-100: Cold
Mouse & Snake
1: Rain
2-15: Cool
16-100: Cold
During Hot conditions, the first time a traveler is exposed to the elements they add one Fatigue to their inventory.
In Blistering conditions, the first time a traveler is exposed to the elements they add three Fatigue to their inventory.
If a traveler does not have a head covering they add one extra Fatigue each time they are required to add Fatigue due to Hot or Blistering conditions.
In Cold conditions, if the traveler is not wearing a head covering and warm clothes they must add one Fatigue to their inventory the first time they are exposed to the elements.
Augury tools and meteorological instruments have a 50% chance of correctly predicting the conditions of the next belt. On a successful roll, a player with those items may make an early roll on the appropriate weather table to determine the conditions for the next belt.
Water
A waterskin occupies a single inventory slot whether it is empty or full. Water is measured in skins with one skin of water being enough to fill a single waterskin. Containers that hold multiple skins of water are widely available. They occupy as many inventory slots as skins they hold.
Travelers must consume one skin of water a day (eight belts) or else add a Fatigue to their inventory.
Natural sources of water are sparse in the Desert. Water can be collected when it rains or from rarely encountered succulent plants, wells and oases. Communities are often built around or close to water sources. However, access to water in these locales may be costly, difficult and/or dangerous.
All water must be purified before it can be safely consumed. A traveler who drinks water that has not been purified adds a Fatigue to their inventory. Water can be purified through boiling and other less mundane methods (such as spells and magical items).
Food
Food is measured by inventory slots. The Guide Player determines how many slots various food items may occupy. A traveler must eat one inventory slot’s worth of food every two days or add a Fatigue to their inventory.
Rest
Travelers must rest for two consecutive belts each day or add a Fatigue to their inventory. During this rest period, at least one belt must be spent sleeping. Eating and drinking can be done during a rest period.
The Guide Player determines if a given activity is laborious enough to interrupt a rest period. Walking more than a few steps, heaving lifting, crafting, cooking, vigorous conversation and fighting are examples of activities that should interrupt a rest period.
Beasts of Burden
Riding and pack beasts are widely available in the Desert. These beasts have evolved to survive in the harshest conditions. The amount of water and food a beast must consume to survive varies on their size.
Small beasts, such as monkeys and cats eat and drink a negligible amount of food and water, shared from a traveler’s supplies at a rate which does not require tracking.
Medium beasts, such as horses and riding lizards, must consume food and water at the same rate as a traveler (1 skin a day).
Large beasts, such camels and eluphants, store large amounts of water in their bodies. If a large beast drinks 10 skins of water, they don’t need to drink for another 30 days. Large beasts consume food at the same rate as a traveler.
Beasts generally require rest at the same rate as travelers.
Beasts of the desert do not suffer ill effects from weather conditions.
If beasts aren’t cared for appropriately (or kindly) they will bolt, become too disobedient to be helpful, or die.
Steam Thieves
(Steampunk x Forged in the Dark, Ashcan here [link])
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No progress.
Goodnight Maus
(Mausritter adventure site inspired by Goodnight Moon)
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No progress.
Trinakum
(Original design - 3d6 dice pool/grid-based/combat simulator with Iron Age Celtic/Gaulish flavour, Ashcan here [link])
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No progress.
Gatekeepers
(Mythos inspired Breathless game for the Beyond the Gates Jam, Ashcan here [link])
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No progress.
WAKE
(Completed Breathless game inspired by Control, Inception and The Matrix, Game Page here [link])
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No progress.
GIANT PINBALL
(Dungeon Crawl Classic Funnel set inside a pinball machine)
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No progress.
That’s all for now.
happy paper anniversary!