The GWO Blog has Moved. Also, a New Website!

Hey folks! Just wanted to let those who have read this blog in the past that I'm planning on getting back to it, just not with Blogger.

I just moved geekworldonline.com to a new host with their own Blog app that works better than trying to integrate Blogger. So, if you're interested in keeping up with the blog (there is an RSS Feed available for it) on RPGs, GWO, game design, etc., feel free to come check out the new site!

New GeekWorld Online Site

The Janus Project - What Is It? (JP Design Journal #1)

The Time Heroes project is moving along well. I've just received the edits for the sample adventure "Alexander of Bebopedonia" which is the last chapter that was off to the editor. Once I've had a chance to make those revisions, it will be time to figure out where art will go and then send everything off to +Jacob Wood for layout work! This will likely take place in early October.

In the meantime, while waiting for edits to come back, I began making revisions to the Janus Project. It is likely this will be GWO's second RPG, once Time Heroes is finished and out. What is the Janus Project, you ask? Why, the topic of today's blog entry!

The Game's History
Once upon a time, in 2012, there was  an online kingdom called RPGGeek. In this kingdom, lords and ladies came from all ends of the kingdom once a year to participate in a gruelling 24-hour marathon. It was a test of wits, and game play, and fortitude. Each participant had 24 hours to pen a game of roles and submit it to be voted upon by all members of the kingdom.

One of lords, called MasterGeek (as well as a few others), requested an additional challenge: Three words that must be included in the game in some aspect or other. The three words chosen by one of the Dukes of RPGGeek were Accessibility, Reactor, and Phase. One of those words was, fairly normal. The other two, however, vexed MasterGeek until finally, they meshed together. The rest of the game rose up around those two words, and thus the Janus Project was born.

Right, so I think I've stretched the attempt at bedtime story-ing the history as far as it will go. The point is, the Janus Project started out as a thrown-together (and not winning, for the curious, for good reason) system to enter in my first RPG contest. While the game as submitted didn't pull any awards, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

The Lore

Earth is overpopulated. Has been for as long as anyone alive can remember. Nations don’t fight over moral disagreements anymore, or even political. They fight over food and space for their people to live. Pollution has devastated large portions of the world, lowering even further the available space to inhabit.

We tried for many years to find a way to colonize space. Every attempt failed drastically, ending each time with the deaths of all volunteers. Things were looking bleak.

Then a group of scientists discovered Eden. This wasn’t a new planet, but a dimension that runs perpendicular to our own where magic, instead of technology, evolved. At the place where the two meet is a natural weak spot. However, we found that we couldn’t colonize Eden, at least not in the normal way, without endangering those who already lived there. That’s when the Janus Project began and the creation of the Reactors became necessary…

I figured the best way to give a brief synopsis of the world is by stealing part of the introduction from the 24-hour contest document. However, I should probably expand on that a bit.

Scientists found that biological matter could not pass through weak points, but inanimate matter and radio waves, brain waves, etc. can. When they discovered this, scientists found that if a resident of Eden with compatible brain waves could be found, someone from earth could ride along like a passenger inside their head. At first the scientists merely observed the world they called Eden, but they soon discovered they could communicate with their host. When a scientist's body died while she was touring Eden, she discovered (thanks to her host) that their two personalities could merge into one, becoming one being with the memories of both. This is where everything went wrong.

Some of the less altruistic of Earth found that, by destroying their bodies once their personalities were riding in the mind of an Eden resident, they could overpower their host, thus leaving only the Earth personality intact. In the world of Eden (and then to those of Earth who wanted to prevent this), they became known as Ravagers.

The response of Earth was not overwhelming disgust, but there were groups around the world unwilling to devastate another world simply so humanity could survive. These people made contact with members of Eden, creating the Janus Project. This project consisted of Earth folk willing to sacrifice their physical bodies to merge peacefully with a willing resident of Eden in order to prevent the Ravagers from wiping out a civilization in an attempt to save Earth's.

That's an extremely basic history of the game world. The PCs are Reactors, those of Earth and Eden whose brain waves react favorably to each other, allowing them to merge into one being when the Earth body dies. Reactors are able to switch dominant phases of the personality. When the Eden half of the personality is at the forefront, the Reactor can utilize the magic of Eden. When the Earth half is dominant, she can harness and command the nanites behind the tech of Earth that is able to be transported between the dimensions. Groups of Reactors work together to keep the Ravagers from completely decimating the ecology of Eden.

In the next JP Design Journal entry, I'll be going over the basic game mechanics. The new goal is to get at least one GWO Blog entry posted a week, preferably 2. 

Time Heroes - Kickstarter Experiences and Chase Mechanics

Wow, it has been too long since I've done any updating on the blog, and I'm aware I still owe a part two to the Eternal GM topic I started on prior to the Time Heroes Kickstarter, but hey, who know managing a Kickstarter project was such hard work? If you haven't had a chance to see how the Kickstarter has been going, feel free to check it out: Time Heroes Kickstarter Project.

Kickstarter Experience

I've been doing quite a few things to try and spread the word about the Kickstarter project. There hasn't been a crazy rush of backers like I've seen for a few other RPG projects, but there has definitely been an amount I'm pleased with. At this point, I'm extremely confident that we will fund and possibly hit a couple of the stretch goals. Of course, there's still time to hit most, if not all of them, so who knows? Anyway, here are a few of the ways I've tried to spread the word about the Time Heroes KS, for those of you curious or looking for ideas on how to promote your own.

RPG Communities - I'm an active participant over at +RPG Geek (more the main website than the community, though, truth to tell). That made it the perfect place to make an announcement as I'm known, and have friends, there. I also posted on RPG.net and asked +Russell Morrissey to post a link in his news feed for EN World, which he was kind enough to do.

Social Networking - Yup. Google Plus and Facebook is the way to go. I've been making sure my updates get over to both social networking sites and I know several new backers resulted from it. I am also currently running a FB ad (only $25 total) that links to the KS and I've gotten at least one backer off of that. I also used the networks to ask people in the industry like +Fred Hicks if he wouldn't mind giving it a look, and have gotten some great tips from +Steve Russell , who recently finished the successful Lords of Gossamer and Shadow Kickstarter project and +Kevin Mickelson, the man behind the Berserkon Kickstarter. My social networks have been a great way to both boost the signal for my project as well as get advice on running a successful Kickstarter. If I had one recommendation for people new to Kickstarters, it would be: Don't be afraid to approach industry pros. In my experience, they have been extremely friendly and more than happy to help a new RPG Designer get off the ground.

Additionally, I've picked up some great items to offer via the Kickstarter from social networking. +Jacob Poss is offering up his Defenders of Amaranthia Fate Core setting as a stretch goal, which I have gladly accepted. +Amanda Mickelson has just agreed to make some Cthulhu plushies that I can offer as add-ons to any reward level. Both of these items are sure to help boost the funds Time Heroes ultimately raises.

Lastly, having a presence on G+ recently lead to my being approached by +Stacey Chancellor, one of the hosts of Fate Points, and now I'll be a guest on the show June 17, right around the time the Kickstarter hits the one week remaining mark.

Physical Presence - I backed the Berserkon Kickstarter at the Artisan level, so that I could have an artist's table setup there. We made a banner with sample artwork from +Melissa Gay on it and had it manned by kind volunteers the entire weekend of the convention (I had intended on being there more myself, but ended up running back-to-back Time Heroes sessions the entire weekend). 

This gave a couple of boosts to the Kickstarter. First, there was hands-on experience available. I ran about ten sessions of the game over the course of the weekend, and I know several of the people who played turned around and backed the project (a couple even mid-session). This was fantastic in and of itself, but this also gave me the chance to run the game for the likes of +Joanna Gaskell and +Brian Lewis. Even +Bill Cavalier stopped by to visit about the game. What started as simply wanting to be able to run the game to let people see how it plays turned into a surprise chance to boost the signal a bit by running for some gaming celebrities. Trust me, no matter how small the con, if there's one you can get to to promote your project (particularly as it's running), DO IT.

The second boost to the Kickstarter came from the fact that I was able to be interviewed for the local news and for a podcast. I'm not sure that these resulted in anyone backing the project, but it's quite possible (and in either case, was a lot of fun).

Chase Mechanics
The second part of today's blog post is about me (possibly) changing how chases work in Time Heroes.

As they stand now, chases in Time Heroes are resolved just like they would be in Fate Core. However, thinking back on Saturday morning cartoons, I seem to recall chasing happening a lot. Maybe even once or twice an episode. As I thought about this, I decided maybe it would be a good idea to make chases have a more prominent role in the game. From there I decided to add a Chase Stress Track to the Physical and Mental ones.

I think that the stress track itself will be based on Athletics. Yes, Athletics is already used for quite a bit, but I can't think of a better skill to use. I'm debating possibly dropping Athletics as a defense against Fight to balance it out better. So, this means that the Chase track will have its boxes determined the same way Physical and Mental do.

Additionally, chases are more of a "between scenes" situation. When someone can no longer take Chase stress, it merely will determine the way the next scene starts for the players. As an example, in the "Rise of the Plushies" episode, there is a scene where the players are chasing H.P. Lovecraft through city streets as he attempts to reach the field to complete a ritual. No matter how the chase scene turns out, the next scene will take place at the football field. The difference between success and failure will simply be whether they get there before Lovecraft has jumped into the ritual or if they arrive as he's nearly completed it.

With that in mind, I think I will be having the Chase track not involve the ability to take consequences. Also, in all likelihood, I'll probably have the chase be the ultimate chase roll determined by the PC with the lowest Chase track (the speed of the group is determined by the slowest member, after all), with the other PCs able to assist.

The full mechanics haven't been worked out yet, but that's about as far as I've gotten. I may end up also adding a Chase skill to the franchise and use THAT to determine how many "hits" the group can take before they fail, which would require changing the way franchises are built. Anyway, that is a start on how I'd kind of like to envision the new mechanic.

Time Heroes - The Kickstarter Launches!

After months of preparations and waiting, the time has finally come! I've finished the beta draft and the quick-start packet. Sadly, due to separation from the original Time Heroes artist, the quick-start packet is currently artless (though Justin was kind enough to allow me to keep the logo, which is awesome!). However, it still exists, which is ok by me.

Due to this separation, I found myself in a position to find a new illustrator for the project. I was lucky enough to contact none other than the extremely talented +Melissa Gay who has worked on varied projects from the Dresden Files RPG (also Fate-based) to Mermain Adventures. I am certainly extremely excited to have her on board this project and glad that she saw fit to provide me with an image to include in the Kickstarter!

Now, the past couple of days have been pretty busy (in a good way). My fiancee, +Ashley Ishmael graduated from RN school yesterday and today she and I set a date for our wedding (September 28th of this year) so we went to my parents' for a bit of a celebration. I realized that I had all the pins set up for the Time Heroes Kickstarter, I just needed to roll the ball down the lane and I could make the celebration (pardon the switching of sports metaphors) a hat trick.

So, without further ado, I present to you the link to the Time Heroes Kickstarter, the very first (but hopefully not last) RPG project from GeekWorld Online:

Time Heroes Kickstarter Page

Time Heroes Progress Update - 4/21/2013

Between caring for a toddler while mommy is at school and work, keeping the house tidy and nice, and trying to build a RPG empire...or even a fiefdom, life has been rather hectic for the last couple of months. However, now, as we reach the final countdown to the Kickstarter (just about a month left to its start and counting), all the effort has been worth it.

First, we have another updated KS. I've made some changes to the preview to reflect that everyone at backer level of Big Bad and above will be receiving the Time Heroes PDF in addition to any other rewards they receive.  I revealed the first stretch goal and the amount needed to unlock it ($8,000 and the stretch is the creation of the Past/Future supplement book). For now, I've decided to keep stretch goals a secret until the previous one unlocked. Lastly, I have changed the Morgan la Fey backer level from $40 to $100 based on several suggestions that this level seemed to make more sense.

Next, I have just received a beta draft of the Quick-Start Packet from my layout designer/artst, Justin Rach. There are a couple pieces of art in it, but for the most part its just so I can see the layout design and write down any notes/changes I want to make. So far it looks good, but I still want to give it a closer examination.

My goal for this next week is two-fold:

1. Go over the Quick-Start with a fine-tooth comb (and red pen) and
2. Get enough of a start on the writing of the future/past supplement that I have an idea of length to give to Justin so we can verify what it'll cost to get it done.

That's about all the update I have for now, but I figured it's been a while since my last update and thought you might like to know!

Time Heroes Kickstarter Nearly Ready!

Well, if you're reading this, you likely already know more than you'd care to about Time Heroes. However, in case you haven't, this is the Kickstarter announcement I posted on both RPGGeek.com and RPG.net earlier today (as well as in the GeekWorld Online Time Heroes Kickstarter forum):

First, let me say that this is going to be the first official GeekWorld Online production (hopefully with more to follow).

Since backing and reading through Fate Core, ideas have been coming to me left and right for games that could be put together using Fate Core as the glue. Two projects really stuck with me to the point where I blogged many design journal entries on them, and one of them is just about ready for the Kickstarter to begin.

Time Heroes is a comedic adventure RPG that has been created to capture the feel of Saturday morning cartoons (along the lines of Inspector Gadget, the Real Ghostbusters, etc.). In its default setting, it is about stopping the evil sorceress Morgan la Fey from destroying time as we know it.

Morgan la Fey has come to a point in history where magic has long since died but before technology has evolved to completely replace it (basically, the present). She has torn open rips in the fabric of space and time to draw through armies from the past and future with which she intends to make the Earth her own. She has managed to place a time bubble around a few year block that has been separated from the normal passage of time. Her goal is to take control of the planet, send people back and then drop the bubble, altering the course of history in one fell swoop.

The Great Merlini, last living descendent of Merlin has gone from simple stage magician to discovering the power of his ancestor within himself with the assistance of his ancestor’s book of magic, the Bionomipro. He is using this power to draw his own people through time and space in order to hold back la Fey's ambitions. While the bubble around the present allows la Fey to bring people through without repercussions, it also prevents going back to alter events that have already happened within the bubble itself. Essentially, if Merlini can keep Morgan la Fey at bay for a few years, the bubble will drop and normality will be restored.

So that's the basic lore behind the setting. But how do I see this play out in the game itself?

While the way I've presented it just now may not indicate it (although how sheerly ludicrous the idea itself is might), Time Heroes is meant to be a zany romp for a group of players. Ultimately, I envision it along the lines of a television show or cartoon where, though there may be arcs here and there, primarily each session is its own episode and - much like, Inspector Gadget, for example - Morgan la Fey will always barely slip away at the end of each "episode." Obviously the reasoning behind this is because if she's taken out completely, any series would be over. Also, she will be almost entirely in the background pulling strings and not in the thick of it herself. I want the world of Time Heroes to be one in which a sword-carrying barbarian, a laser mop-wielding space janitor and a Spam salesman are all equally likely as character concepts, even in one group.

So, where are we at? Well, the beta draft of the core rules is finished, though it is art-free (much of the Kickstarter fundage will be for compensating my artist). A Quick-Start packet has been finished on my end, and is currently with the artist/layout designer. Once that is finished, it will be distributed at Berserkon in Duluth, MN (and will also be a

And now, info regarding our Kickstarter (set to start once the CC licensing is available):

After some thinking, we've put together some initial reward levels. We're still having troubles coming up with what would be good offerings for higher pledge amounts, but we still have time before the Kickstarter gets off the ground.

Without further ado, here's what we've decided on for certain:

$1 - Extra
You will have immediate access to the Quick-Start Packet PDF. This includes four pre-generated characters, the basic rules, and a Quick-Start Episode: Rise of the Plushies!

$5 - Supporting Cast
Includes the Extras level, as well as immediate access to the beta draft of Time Heroes. With this you can begin your very own Time Heroes series before the Kickstarter is even over!

$10 - Big Bad
You will receive the Extras and Supporting cast levels, as well as a copy of the Time Heroes PDF upon release.

$30 - Time Hero(200 available)
You will receive the Extra and Supporting cast levels, as well as the softcover of Time Heroes upon release (B&W). If you would also like the PDF, add $5 to your pledge.(total of $35) If you would like your copy autographed, simply add $10 to your pledge. (total of $40 without PDF, $45 with) Add $15 for international shipping

$40 - Morgan la Fey (10 available)
You will receive the Extra, Supporting Cast, and Time Hero levels. In addition, Andrew Goenner will help you create your own Time Hero to be included in the core rules.

$75 - Great Merlini (3 available)
You will receive the Extra, Supporting Cast, Big Bad, and Time Hero levels. Plus, Andrew Goenner will run an episode of Time Heroes for you via G+ Hangouts.

The price point on the last two aren't set in stone and may well be adjusted prior to the Kickstarter actually beginning, but that's what we're looking at so far.

Here are ideas for some of the stretch goals that we have (no monetary amounts decided on yet):

- A hardcover version of the core rules

- Colorizing the core rules

- An Era supplement covering the Past and Future Time Heroes setting

- A "Who's Who" of Time Heroes, filled with pre-generated characters as well as descriptions/statistics for NPCs in the Present setting.

As we progress closer to the Kickstarter, I'll pop back and update this thread. Otherwise, if you're looking for more information on GeekWorld Online or Time Heroes, feel free to head over to the site: GeekWorld Online. Links to the GWO Blog are there, as well as news pieces and the forums for discussing GWO projects.

Lastly, for the art-curious, I have a couple of samples my artist has provided for me for promotional use that I thought I'd share with you here:

Time Heroes Update - Nearing Readiness!

Things have been busy on the GeekWorld front. After some initial discussion with Justin, Time Heroes' illustrator and layout designer, we appear to have come to an agreement on his illustrating compensation. That just leaves compensation for layout work. He has also begun doing some work on the Quick-Start Rules and Episode, which is called Rise of the Plushies! I've been provided with a sample page, and am extremely happy with how that turned out, both art and design-wise. There should be no issues with getting that ready for Berserkon (and for the $1 Kickstarter backers).

Regarding my work on the game design end of things, I'm currently working on the "final" edit of the beta draft (accepting that there will almost assuredly be changes from backer feedback. I've given myself a rate of 10% today and, after today, have just hit the 50% mark. This means that after the upcoming Friday (4/5/13), the beta draft of Time Heroes will be done and ready to provide to the $5 backers. So, good progress!

In regards to the Time Heroes Kickstarter, I have solidly decided on the following reward levels (with more likely to be added before the thing gets going):

$1 Quick-Start Rules/Episode Rise of the Plushies
$5 Immediate access to the Time Heroes beta draft (with the ability to send errors/problems for amending in the final edition).
$10 Time Heroes PDF (black and white)
$25/30 (haven't decided yet) - Softcover of the Time Heroes core rules (in black and white, color might be a stretch goal)
$35/40 (depending on book cost) - Autographed copy of the Time Heroes core rules
$60/65 - As autograph level but I will run an adventure for your group

As I said, there will probably be more reward levels (and maybe more added once the Kickstarter begins, if supplement stretch goals get reached).

That's about everything I have currently, update-wise. Things are rolling along smoothly, and we're hoping to be able to get our Kickstarter going by Berserkon. Time (and the CC license) will tell!

Time Heroes - Fate Core - Status Update

Justin, the friend illustrating Time Heroes, pointed something out to me the other day in an email. He said that Sprit of the Century and the Dresden Files aren't Spirit of the Century of Fate or Dresden Files of Fate. That gave me pause, as he was absolutely right. 

The original reason I settled on Time Heroes of Fate was because I was hoping at some point down the road to release the original version of Time Heroes. However, this version has already garnered more interest than the other ever did (to be fair, the original has also been run far less). So I've decided to rename the game, dropping the "of Fate" at the end.

The question now becomes: Do I want to call it simply Time Heroes? Or do I want to call it Time Heroes, Inc.? For those of you who have been following along with the design journals, the "default" setting of the core rules is going to be present day, and the atmosphere is meant to be Saturday morning cartoony adventure. However, in the course of game creation, there is also the option to set the game in the future, post-apocalypse style or in the past with more of a standard role playing atmosphere. However, other than game creation, the rest of the book refers to the default modern cartoony setting.

In this setting, the PCs are part of a Time Heroes, Inc. franchise. The corporation itself is headed up by the Great Merlini, Merlin's last living descendant. However, that's neither here nor there. The problem is, games set in the future or past will not be based off of franchises. I do plan on releasing setting books for each of the other style of game (or one book with both, depending on length). Do I call the game Time Heroes, because these alternate settings aren't corporation based, or do I call it Time Heroes, Inc. because that's the default setting referred to in the core book? Any thoughts/comments/ideas are more than welcome, as always!

Time Heroes of Fate Character Sheet

Not a huge blog post currently. I decided to put together a Time Heroes of Fate character sheet today. I hopped into Microsoft Publisher 360 expecting to take forever, but I created something I'm quite happy with in under an hour. The "Time Heroes of Fate" text at the top will likely change with the official logo, somehow, but other than that I don't see much that needs changing. What do you think?

Time Heroes of Fate Character Sheet

Time Heroes of Fate Update - Beta Finished!

I've been pounding away at Time Heroes of Fate for quite some time now in order to ensure I have everything ready to go when I am able to launch the Kickstarter. Tonight, I managed to write the last few words of the beta draft of THoF.

I still have to go through and do some editing, reword much of it to add atmospheric flavor to it. I also have to go fill in some example boxes I added (so as to remember where examples should go). Other than that, the first draft is officially complete! Once +Fred Hicks and Evil Hat get the Creative Commons/OGL license up and running, the Time Heroes of Fate Kickstarter should be good to go!

Of course, now is when I rethink Magic/Future Tech yet again. I have included the version where either skill is used as a sort of replacement skill for another in situations where that skill would normally be ineffective (trying to hit someone with your weapon which is across the room on a table while you're handcuffed to a wall). However, after demoing the game at Plattecon a short while ago, I began to think about getting rid of that and instead making the two skills able to perform stunts you don't have for certain skills chosen during character creation (the amount of which is equal to your refresh after stunts are chosen) at the cost of a Quantum Point every time you do this. 

However, I'm wondering if this would eliminate reasons for people to choose stunts at all. Granted, even the simplest stunts would end up costing a Quantum Point when Magic/Future Tech is involved, but still, that seems pretty powerful. I think for now I'll leave it the way it is and see if I can't get some last minute feedback from folks.

So, what do you guys think? Leave those skills the way they are, or change them up?

Time Heroes of Fate - Roadblock Near the End of the Road

So I've entered my week to dedicate to finishing up Time Heroes of Fate (well, the beta of the core rules, anyway). +Ashley Ishmael, my fiancee, has just started her spring break and other than working the overnight tonight, she has neither work nor school until the end of the week. This means that I'll have lots of time this week to work on the beta of the core rules while she hangs out with the little guy.

Unfortunately, at the moment I'm not (obviously) working on the document itself. I had a great head of steam going until I hit the current portion of the game master section; designing adventures. I already have the idea for the sample adventure I plan on including in the core rules (it's going to be an adaptation of the con demo I've been running), but I also want to use creating it as the examples in the design section. I just created the text box for the first example (which is just the basic breakdown of a "typical" episode of Time Heroes of Fate) and slammed headfirst into a wall.

If course the first thing that came to mind was pop over to the blog/design journal that I've been basically ignoring since I began pounding out the core rules (which now officially clocks in at 92 pages with a chapter and a half left to go) to discuss it. The problem I'm running into is that I already know the basic layout of the adventure, but am having troubles breaking down the design aspects behind it. 

Instead, I've opted to pop over here and write up a little update on how everything sits.

- Two chapters left to write up (though I am debating writing up a third and inserting it earlier in the document.

- Justin Rach has signed on as artist for the project (the art shown in an earlier post is from him) and we are currently working on how to figure out compensation for the long term.

- Initial feedback from play test groups and con demos has been overwhelmingly positive. Some criticisms came out, but everything was constructive (and much was more GM-based than game-based which, due to my newness to Fate in general, was to be expected) and has pretty much been addressed.

- +GeekWorld Online has been registered as my DBA for the purpose of publishing the book and each 'i' has been dotted and 't' crossed, so that's official now (which also bodes well for custom dice bags designed by Ashley down the road to be made available to purchase).

- Several stretch goals for the +Kickstarter of the game itself have been decided upon, with plenty of time to come up with more still. At this point, we know additional art in the core rulebook will be a stretch goal, a physical copy of the book (as opposed to being strictly online dissemination) is another (with signed copies as a separate backer level from just getting a physical copy), with thoughts on my part of designing a 'Who's Who of Time Heroes of Fate' supplement (basically consisting of a large amount of pregenerated NPCs for use in the game, apart from those provided) being considered as another. 

-Several interviews have been done on camera, as well as actual play that will be spliced into the final Kickstarter video.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with progress on the project. If I'm stuck with some writer's block for a little bit, that's acceptable. I also plan on editing and posting at least one (if not two) actual play videos from Plattecon on the YouTube channel.

Things I still need to do:

- Get serious about spreading the word to people (or better yet, find excited people to assist in spreading the word so I'm not tooting my own horn all day long).

- Get t-shirts made up for the GeekWorld Online volunteers at Berserkon in May.

- Go back into the beta document once the basic chapters are done and do some minor rewriting to make the text more flavorful to the atmosphere of the game.

- Open up GeekWorld Online's business bank account so that's ready for when the time comes to start the Kickstarter

- Figure out exactly how to announce the Kickstarter at Berserkon (video at the artisan table, fliers, etc.)

- Put together a quickstart adventure with simplified rules and pregenerated characters and have that ready and available to handout at the convention in the hopes of drumming up excitement for the project.

So, that's how things sit so far. Now, I suppose it's time to get back into the document and see about taking a sledgehammer to that wall that's still sitting there.

First Pieces of Time Heroes of Fate Art!

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending PlatteCon, a gaming convention in Platteville, Wisconsin. There I had another opportunity to run Time Heroes of Fate for a couple of groups. Both groups of players seemed to have a lot of fun. Luckily, +Ashley Ishmael was present to record both sessions, as well as impressions and thoughts after the end of the scenario. 

The actual play recordings will be posted on the YouTube channel after editing (to cut out interruptions, etc.). However, I'm hoping to splice portions of the the actual play and game comments together for a Kickstarter campaign I want to get up and running once the Fate Core OGL/Creative Commons license is available. While I don't expect any potential Kickstarter to perform as well as the one +Fred Hicks did for Fate Core, hopefully it will enable us to get my dream game up and running! In the coming months I'm hoping to speak more on this topic with +Kevin Mickelson, friendly local Kickstarter expert.

Here I present you with the first two pieces of art, provided by old role playing buddy and artist extraoridanaire, Justin Rach. They are sketches of two of the pregen characters that I hope to include in the finished product: Ted Welker, Space Janitor (with trusty laser mop!) and Darlene "Massachusetts" Bones, adventuring historian. Keep your eyes peeled as there may be more to come (please note, Justin has granted me permission for now to use these images for promotional purposes)

Darlene "Massachusetts" Bones

Ted Welker, Space Janitor

Time Heroes of Fate - G+ Hangout Actual Play - Alexander of Bebopedonia (or Alexander and the Greats)

After working for quite some time yesterday on the Time Heroes of Fate document, I called it a night and decided if I could find anyone interested in going through a playtest of the convention demo scenario I had put together. +Jacob Poss and +Jonathan Henry were kind enough to answer the recruitment call. Jacob opted to play the Ludwig van Beethoven pregen character while Jonathan took up Derek "Oklahoma" Bones, historian/adventurer.

The posted video is the actual play session that was broadcast via YouTube. If you're interested in watching an actual play game of Fate Core, we did a pretty good job of hitting the basics of the system as well as stopping from time to time to discuss the rules themselves.

Time Heroes of Fate - Revamping Magic After an Actual Playtest

As those of you who read yesterday's post know, I finally had a chance to run a scenario from Time Heroes of Fate at a convention yesterday. During the course of play, I noticed one thing. Future Tech (and Magic), are either over- or under-powered. In my initial laying out of the Magic/Future Tech skills, I didn't greatly specify how they are used. I spoke of them in context of being rolled to pull of spells/devices (stunts), but that's about it. I didn't really clarify if that's the only situation they could be used in, or if they were some kind of "uber-skill." And to be honest, I hadn't really thought of it one way or the other until it came up in play. During the game I just used GM fiat to determine if something could be done or not, but I knew that I was going to have to sit down and look again at how Magic and Future Tech are used.

Magic as a Skill Supplement

This is the idea that hit me full-force as I was looking over my blog a short while ago. 

You can still use stunts for whatever spells/devices you and your GM can think up. However, the skills can also be used on their own, but only to supplement other skills. What I mean to say is, you can use Future Tech/Magic to perform the task of another skill, but ONLY up to the rank you have in the skill (whichever is lower).So if you have a Magic of +4 (Great) and a Burglary of +2 (Fair), you could use Magic to pick a lock but you would only add your Burglar rank of +2 to the roll. If the skills were reversed (Magic +2 and Burglary +4), you would still only add 2 because that's the lower of the two skills.

I'm also thinking to limit how many skills Magic/Future Tech can be used for. Even being used in place of another skill when something makes that skill unavailable, combined with rolling them with spells/devices it still seems pretty powerful. If I opt to limit the amount of skills, I'm currently thinking of allowing the player to link their Magic/Future Tech with one "regular" skill per rank in Magic/F.T. So, if a wizard had a Magic of +2 (Fair), she could link it with two skills and use it to supplement them.

How is this useful, you ask? It allows you to perform an action in a situation where you normally couldn't. Say you're held up against a wall by a thug, restrained. Just behind him is a perfectly-sized vase with which to clock him in the head. You have a Fighting of +2 (Fair) and a Magic of +3 (Good). Since you're held firm, you couldn't normally use fight to smash the vase onto the thug's head. However, being restrained doesn't prevent you from using your Magic, and so (since the Fighting skill is lower at +2) you roll and add +2, levitating the vase full-force into the back of the goon's skull.

Time Heroes of Fate - Layout Decisions

I'm finding myself extremely indecisive in regards to the design for Time Heroes of Fate. I want to put together a nice all-encompassing document that could be its own thing once the OGL goes into effect. However, I'm finding that I can't decide how to do it together.

My initial thought was to have an introductory chapter that goes into the basics of Fate Core and how it works. From there I'd move into Time Heroes of Fate itself. I'd mix setting and rules and go over everything in relation to Time Heroes.

However, then I started thinking about the fact that I would basically be reiterating the same rules. I'd be going over them in the Introduction to Fate Core and then again in the rulebook proper. On the flip side, wouldn't it be a good idea to give some sort of an introduction to the system itself before diving into the game proper?

Now I'm starting to think that maybe I should just give a synopsized version of the Fate Core rules. Maybe I can use the Introduction to talk about the extreme basics of Fate Core; talk about aspects, the Fudge dice, Stunts, etc. Instead of going into detail like I originally intended, just leave it to the generalities (so don't talk about teamwork, etc) and leave everything else to the Time Heroes of Fate rules.

Still, I can't make up my mind. So this is where I come to the few people who actually read this silly blog. What do you guys think would work for the layout for Time Heroes of Fate? The choices as I see them now are these:

• Full Fate-on in the intro. This will allow people to understand the game and possibly even run it without the Time Heroes setting, though I'd be essentially going over rules twice.
• General Fate overview in the intro. In this case, I'd be going over the basics of fate, but leaving out any of the advanced or in-depth items until getting to the Time Heroes of Fate rulebook proper.
• No rules overview in the intro. In this case I'd just mention Fate in the intro, maybe talk about the Fate dice, then go from there right into Time Heroes of Fate and introduce everything via the rulebook proper.

Of course there may be another option I haven't thought of, so please, chime in with thoughts/suggestions!

The Island -Time Heroes of Fate- Character Creation Steps

I've just now realized that when I was doing the design journal for Time Heroes of Fate I never went into the steps of character creation. As I prepare to do the writeup for the Island's character creation steps, I thought perhaps I would do the same for Time Heroes as well. I'll write up the Time Heroes proces first, then move on to the Island. Character creation for both games will be pretty much identical to that of Fate Core. The only difference will be in Aspect creation, so that's what each area will focus on.

In Time Heroes, characters were pulled from their various times so there isn't much of a likelihood the characters will have met previously to being thrown together by the Great Merlini (or Merlin or the Merlinator). Instead of Phases 1-3 involving the other characters, the phases for Time Heroes will be the following:

Phase One - Last Day of Previous Life: The first phase is a story from the character's life prior to being recruited by the Great Merlini (or Merlin or the Merlinator). The story could be an adventure the character had or just a regular "day in the life of" story. The story should end with their recruitment. Once this has been done the player should choose an aspect that the story illustrates.

Phase Two - First Encounter: This might be a "first adventure" kind of story. This phase revolves around the first encounter the character had with the Time War. The Great Merlini likes to drop his recruits into circumstances where they can show their worth to Time Heroes, Inc. From fighting members of the Roman legion to attempting to go undercover in Al Capone's group, this phase shows the character's first real chance to shine.

Phase Three - Equipment: This last phase is for an item or piece of equipment the character is known for carrying. This would be their signature item. Ghostbusters have proton packs, King Arthur has Excalibur; this aspect should be an item that embodies the character.

The Island is a situation where each of the characters may very well be from completely different dimensions. The first time the characters likely will be meeting is on the prison ship. Of course if it's determined the group has already been on the Island for a while, that might be different. But still, I think these phases will likely better capture the feel of the game.

Phase One - Race: In my last post I talked about Racial Aspects for the Island. Whether a character is Human, Elf, Dwarf, etc., each race has qualities both positive and negative. That is why the first phase is choosing what race the character is going to be.

Phase Two - The Crime: This phase is the story of the crime of which the character was convicted. Whether guilty or not, this story illustrates what the character's involvement in the situation was. The aspect drawn from this could be one that came about because of the crime and conviction, or one that led to it, or even one that showed itself during the crime.

Phase Three - The Belief: Even the most hardened of criminals believes in something. This aspect should paint a picture of something the character believes deep down inside. Granted, it could be something along the lines of "Suckers are Everywhere," but everyone believes in something. This gets down to the very core of a character.

The Island - Playing with Fate - Racial Aspects

Racial Aspects

The group that I'll be doing some play testing with has gotten started on the collaborative character/world creation in the RPGG forums. As this a fantasy setting, one of the things we are working on now is picking out races for the characters. I've opted to use Aspects to cover races.

I am going to list a few of the sample races I'm planning on using. With each one I will be stating sample Invokes as well as Compels. I'll begin each with a brief description of the race. Of course, the Invokes and Compels listed aren't the ONLY choices, just ideas based on the specific racial cultures.

I am still debating using humans as a Racial Aspect. Part of me says go with it, the other says to use them as the baseline; human characters then have that aspect to use for something else.

Dark Elf
Dark elves are a race of elves who live deep underground. Rarely going out in the daylight, they are a tribal race where the basest rule is the rule of deniability. Anything goes in the upper echelons as long as it cannot be traced back. Dark Elves are capable of slipping into shadows and disappearing. Some say they can literally turn themselves invisible.
Invoke Aspect - Invoke this aspect when slipping into shadows, using water magic, moving quickly or to maneuver about/notice things underground more easily.
Compel Aspect - A GM might compel this aspect in situations where the culture of this race is known, or when the light of the sun might affect the character's action, etc.

Golem
Golems are a race of large humanoids, manufactured from fired clay and generally used as servants. Though they are entirely sentient and intelligent, they are viewed almost everywhere as property. They are strong, indefatigable, able to withstand the elements and rarely need to rest. They can be of any size and shape, though generally they are made to appear as 8-9 foot tall humanoids.
Invoke Aspect - This Aspect can be invoked when attempting feats of great strength, when needing to remain awake while others sleep, to remain steadfast when others would move, withstand severe weather/temperatures or when using Earth Magic.
Compel Aspect - The GM might compel this aspect when the character needs to be taken seriously (as opposed to being viewed as an animate object), when the literal interpretation of something might cause complications, when heavy weight may be an issue, etc.

Human

Humans are the most prevalent race in the multiverse. They are found in nearly every (if not all) plane of existence. They are adventurous, innovative, equally warlike and peaceable to their neighbors. Unlike other races, humans are rarely viewed at with suspicion as a race.

Invoke Aspect - This Aspect can be invoked to illustrate a character's ability to not stand out in a crowd, to use the general amicability of humankind, embrace innovation or use Ritual Magic.

Compel Aspect - The GM might compel this aspect when the character is among another race that dislikes the prevalence of humans, when an impetuous move could cause problems for the group, etc.

Dwarf

Dwarves are a hardy race, shorter than humans. They are skilled at smithing and mining. They're generally seen as greedy but are loyal almost to a fault. Able warriors but as a race unaccustomed to mounts, they generally make up infantry in armies.

Invoke Aspect - This Aspect can be invoked when attempting to create well-crafted arms or armor, gauge the worth of jewels, tell direction when underground, strike a mighty blow at an enemy, be trusted with something of import or use Fire Magic.

Compel Aspect - The GM might compel this aspect when the character is drinking, his greed could get the better of him, or someone wants to use a loved one against him.

Elf

Elves are a graceful long-lived race. They are slightly taller than humans on average. On some planes they live in villages built high up in the trees; in others they create magnificent cities surrounded by woodlands; but wherever they live it is almost always in a forest. They are able ranged fighters, quick on their feet and are excel at creating items of great magic. Oftentimes they are haughty, looking down upon the other races. They are less hardy than the other races, though adept at dodging.

Invoke Aspect - This Aspect can be invoked when gracefulness is required, when forging magic items, combating within woodlands, hunting, leaving other standing in awe that allies might move about unnoticed or making use of Air Magic.

Compel Aspect - The GM might compel the aspect when interacting with other races, when taking a harsh attack, when not amongst the familiar surrounding of the forest, etc.

And that's it for now. I have chosen one race for each magic type, initially, though there will likely be more to follow. If I dump humans as an aspect I'll have to at least pick another to hand off Ritual Magic to.

The Island - Playing with Fate - The Repentant and the Innocent

Factions on the Island

Here are some of the Factions I'm planning on having existing on the Island, even prior to a collaborative world building. Of course, specific GMs can keep them or discard them as they wish. I, however, will likely be keeping them in any games I run.

The Repentant
Description: The Repentant is a religious sect on the Island. They believe that the Creature is the physical embodiment of the guilt of those who live on the Island. They believe the only way to be able to leave the Island and get free of the Creature is to declare repentance of their sins. They also believe that everyone on the Island IS guilty of the crime they were convicted of. This causes problems when they encounter people who remain steadfast in their innocence.
Aspect: Everyone is Guilty
Emotional Offense: +4
Magic Offense: +2
Mental Offense: +1
Physical Offense: +2
Social Offense: +3 
Emotional Defense: +1
Magic Defense: +2
Mental Defense: +2
Physical Defense: +2
Social Defense: +3
Trade (Cartography): +2

Franchise Affiliation Benefits
1-3: +2 Resource when attempting to trade for supplies
4-6: Guilt Stunt - Characters may use Empathy instead of Deceit when trying to talk someone into doing what they want
7-9: Evangelical - When using Guilt, character may add +2 to the roll. 
10: Hero of the Repentants - Free access to all Repentant maps, an additional +2 Resource when trading for supplies, open access to all Repentant Holds (free room and board)


The Innocent
Description: The Innocent is a group made up of all kinds of races and creeds. The only thing that binds them all together is the fact that every one of them attests that they did not commit the crime they were sent to the Island for.
Aspect: Live and let live
Emotional Offense: 2
Magic Offense: +2
Mental Offense: +2
Physical Offense: +2
Social Offense: +3 
Emotional Defense: +2
Magic Defense: +2
Mental Defense: +2
Physical Defense: +2
Social Defense: +3
Trade (Caravans): +2

Franchise Affiliation Benefits
1-3: +1 to bartering for supplies, +1 to Rapport interactions with X factions
4-6: +1 to Barter when trading for supplies, +1 Rapport interactions with X factions
7-9: True Soul Stunt - May spend a Quantum point to turn a successful Rapport roll with the Innocent and X factions into a Success with Style
10: One of Us Aspect; free room and board in Innocent Holds as well as ability to freely travel with trade caravans

I left off the consequence boxes because I think that is going to be dependent upon the collaborative world building (deciding which Factions have more Holds, etc). Once the world building is done the GM can assign consequence boxes as needed.

The Island - Playing with Fate - Faction Affiliation Part Two

In part two of the Faction Affiliation design journal, I am going to discuss the Faction Affiliation Rating (F.A.R.) and the impact it has both on a character and with the faction to which it refers. After that I'll be moving on to the Faction Conflict Mechanic.

Faction Affiliation Rating
Each character sheet is going to have an area designated for Faction Affiliation Rating. My current ideas behind how this works is it will start with zero. As the players interact with the various factions on the island, this will increase and decrease. The rating will start at zero.

My idea is whatever else is going on plot-wise, in factions the players have made contact with, various "side-jobs" would be available. Depending on the difficulty of the assistance rendered, it would be worth a certain amount of Faction Points. The Faction Points are an abstract way of measuring acceptance, trust and influence a character has with a given faction. At the moment I'm thinking that the F.A.R. will range between 0 (unknown) and 10 (Faction Hero).

How is the F.A.R. used? First, there is the Faction Benefit. These are going to be Aspects and Stunts available to those who reach an appropriate level. As soon as a character reaches the appropriate level with the faction they will have access to all F.B.s of that level and below.

Additionally, the F.A.R. can be used like currency during a Faction Conflict. A player can spend F.A.R. points from a third party when two factions are going up against each other. This will enlist the aid of that faction in the conflict on whatever side the player desires. This will essentially be calling in a favor and will lower the character's F.A.R. with that faction by that amount until they do something for the faction to regain the previous level.

Example: Fartosh sees that the Reapers are preparing to attack the Innocents. However, he has a rating of 5 with the Repentant faction and chooses to spend 2 of those points to aid the Innocent's defense. Now the when the GM rolls for the conflict, he adds to to the defense total of the Innocents and says that at the last moment a troop of Repentants join the fray and push the Reapers back into their own territory.

Faction Conflicts
As I mentioned in my last post, Faction Conflicts are going to be an adaptation of the Franchise Conflict from Time Heroes of Fate. While the idea behind it itself will be similar, the mechanics will be more in-depth and fleshed out. I want the system to illustrate the potential for changing alliances and possibly points when characters will have to look out for themselves over the whole of the group.

The first thing I want to say is that character involvement in Faction Conflicts is going to be secret. The conflicts themselves will occur at the end of a session. The players will write down what (if any) F.A.R. points they will be spending from which factions and pass them to the GM. The GM will then make the necessary rolls, privately adding the appropriate bonuses. After, the GM announces the results of the conflict.

I think I'm going to have the consequence boxes for the factions represent strongholds or important parts of the Island they control. As they lose conflicts, they lose the area in the appropriate consequence box. I haven't yet decided if it will then go to the winning side. I suppose it would make sense.

The skills are broken up into offensive and defensive versions (except for the Trade skill, which is simply an indicator of what that particular faction is known for being able to offer to the island's economy as a whole). Whatever skill is being used by the aggressor determines the defense used by the defender.

I'm going to do one more post on Faction Affiliation where I'm going to show some examples of factions I plan on designing between now and tomorrow. As always, feel free to comment or question! As was yesterday's post, this one was freeflowing, so if I missed something I meant to touch on, let me know.

The Island - Playing with Fate - Faction Affiliation Part One

Well, I'm afraid today's post may not end up with anything solid in regards to the topic. I'm mostly going to just freeflow thoughts on the topic as they come to me. I suppose that it's possible that by the end of this I'll have laid out how the Franchise Affilition mechanic is going to work, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyway, without further ado, here goes!

Faction Affiliations
The Island isn't just filled with wildlife. It has had hundreds of years for the various convicts to form their own societies, stake their own claims to parts of the island. If a group is going to survive in the longterm, they are going to have to make some sort of alliances somewhere along the way, at least while it's convenient. Unfortunately, there are limited supplies for an always-growing population. This leads to strive amongst the various subcultures of the island. With this in mind, I am creating a new mechanic for the game called the Faction Affiliation System.

Each faction upon the island will be created as part of the collaborative world-building session. In the final product I will be including some of the bigger players on the island, although specific GMs can use or not use any particular faction as they desire. Each faction is going to be an entity in its own right. Every faction will have a name, an Aspect and skills. In addition, I am thinking of including Aspects and/or Stunts that are specific to each faction that characters with a certain level of Faction Affiliation can make use of.

Factions
Each faction in the game will made up of the following (for sure):
Name:
Aspect
Emotional Offense
Mental Offense
Physical Offense
Social Offense
Emotional Defense
Mental Defense
Physical Defense
Social Defense
Trade (specific profession)

When designing a faction, my first instinct is to have the group allot 20 levels amongst all nine of the skills listed, with any given skill maxing out (initially) at +4 (Great). If split evenly, that would give each skill a rating of +2 (Fair) with two skills a rating of +3 (Good).

I'm also planning on including levels in the factions with various stunts/aspects/benefits for characters that have an equal lefel in their Faction Affiliation Rating. I'm not sure specifically what they are yet, but I'll have more to talk about tomorrow.

The last thing I want to mention in this post is that I am going to adapt the Franchise Mechanics from Time Heroes of Fate to work with the Island, with some additions to add more depth to the system and to give some control to the players (and also potentially pit them against each other in secret). Come back tomorrow and I'll have more in detail. It seems to me that as I am detailing this from the top of my head, I'm quite liking the route it is going. I have a pretty good idea of where I'll be going with tomorrow's post.

Stay tuned and thanks for following along!