[20:00] <+Dave_Silva> Hello, I am Dave Silva,game designer and writer of Fractured Kingdom, a game of mysticism and conspiracy in the dark future.
[20:00] <+Dave_Silva> Both the setting and system are original works.
[20:01] <+Dave_Silva> And we're working to bring this new orld to everyone as fast as possible. (Done)
[20:01] <~Dan> Thanks, Dave!
[20:01] <~Dan> Anyone have a question to get us started?
[20:01] <~Dan> (I'll wait a sec before offering my own.)
[20:01] <+Melum> Could you give us a brief description of the Realms?
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[20:02] <+Silverlion> Hi Dave!
[20:02] <+Dave_Silva> Absolutely, to start, players take the role of the Lucid, normal people that have been changed by one of four Outer Realms, the Dark, the Grave, The Slumber, and the Verdant.
[20:03] <+Silverlion> So Vampires, Ghouls, and Faeries? Or do they mao somewhere else?
[20:03] <+Silverlion> match..something else? subtler?
[20:04] <+Dave_Silva> The Dark is a place of shadow and half sen things. It is an ever shifting place that seems to have no end. The Dark is where nightmares dwell. Formed by our fears they take shape in the Dark.
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[20:06] <+Dave_Silva> Dark Lucid are able to this essence of fear, they are able to know things, ancient lore, simply through their connection with the Dark. The Dark also allows them to tap into others emotions or thoughts. Some are able to call forth peoples nightmares manifesting them in the Waking world.
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[20:06] <~Dan> (Howdy, Rasyr! Q&A in progress! :) )
[20:07] <+Rasyr> Cool
[20:07] <+Dave_Silva> The Grave, or Memoria is the Realm of forgotten things, and the dead. Here what has been left behind gathers and lingers.
[20:07] <+Dave_Silva> Grave Lucid are connected to this dead place, as such they can become supernaturally resilient or learn to channel the lingering spirits of the Grave for aid or information.
[20:09] <+Dave_Silva> The Slumber is the dreamers Realm. Here dreamers float in an endless sea, their unconscious mind crafting a tiny shell around them filled with their hopes and desires. The strongest of these ideas may break free slipping out into the Dream Sea and the collective unconscious. Here Glamours foster these dreams creating drive and desire in dreamers.
[20:10] <+Dave_Silva> One idea is that the Dream Sea rests between the Slumber and Dark with Glamours elevating dreams while Shades draw the dreamer down corrupting their hopes.
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[20:11] <+Dave_Silva> Slumbering Lucid may represent the idolized self, faster, stronger, tougher than mundane humans. The Slumbering Lucid are capable of incredible feats such as flight or recreating the experiences of others.
[20:12] <+Dave_Silva> The Verdant is a wild place, the wellspring of nature's bounty and fury. It is a Realm of lush glens and soaring mountains. Here great beasts and predictors some long extinct still roam free.
[20:13] <+xyphoid_> is it set in modern day?
[20:13] <+xyphoid_> (for the 'normal people' i mean)
[20:13] <+Dave_Silva> Verdant Lucid control the power of nature, this may take the form of well, taking the form of animals, or weather control, some have the power to heal, even call back the recently dead.
[20:13] <~Dan> (Xyphoid, please wait for his "(done)" for more questions. Thanks! :) )
[20:14] <+Dave_Silva> The game is set in the year 2202, 66 years after the Great War.,
[20:14] <+Dave_Silva> Dan, I'd like to jump back to a earlier question that came in while talking about the Realms if that's okay.
[20:14] <~Dan> Certainly!
[20:15] <+Dave_Silva> Silverlion asked about vampires, ghouls and faeries and I'd like to address that if briefly.
[20:15] <~Dan> Actually, since I was going to ask this anyway, while you're at it, can you describe the scope of your bestiary?
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[20:18] <+Dave_Silva> Dark Lucid can emulate the powers of the classic vampire if that's what you are looking to do. Although they lack the supernatural toughness of more recent vampires. The Grave bestiary includes Zombies, and Ghouls (undead that retain their minds), The Slumber, you might equate the Chandi to the Fae, these are beings that live within the Slumber and ...
[20:20] <+Dave_Silva> sometimes slip into the Walking World. Verdant Lucid can become shapeshifters so a lot of the classical fantasy creatures are represented but with the exception of the Chandi these are all Lucid, or mundane people that have become these things of legend.
[20:21] <+Dave_Silva> An origin of the species campaign is defiantly within the scope of the setting as many Lucid struggle to unlock any real understanding of their nature.
[20:22] <+Dave_Silva> Dan, to your question, there is a section in the core book Creatures of the Realm including 3 examples from each Realm.
[20:34] <~Dan> Is it difficult to create more?
[20:34] <+Dave_Silva> Dark: Shade, Nightmare, and Fear Eaters (worm like things that infect hosts causing to slowly loose their mind)
[20:35] <+Dave_Silva> Grave: Zombie, Ghoul, Poltergeist (Mindless spirits that infest the Grave)
[20:35] <+Silverlion> Interesting
[20:35] <+Rasyr> what are the system mechanics like?
[20:36] <+Dave_Silva> Slumber: Glamour, Chandi, and Broken Dreams )these are dreams released too soon and as incomplete they are often confused and very dangerous, in the worse cases some slip into the Waking World)
[20:37] <+Dave_Silva> Verdant: Predators, Nature Spirits, and Chimera (The Chimera represents the wild forces of the Verdant it is an ever changing thing that does not have a defined form until forced out of the Verdant and into the Walking World. There it often takes on aspects of animals in the region)
[20:38] <+Dave_Silva> It's not difficult to create new creatures. Due to the volume of ground we tried to cover in the core book I tried to keep things to 3 iconic creatures for each Realm.
[20:38] <+Dave_Silva> Done
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[20:39] <~Dan> Dave, care to field Rasyr's question about the mechanics?
[20:40] <+Dave_Silva> Indeed, the mechanics build off of a core rule. ..
[20:41] <~Dan> (I realize we've already discussed this a bit, but I'm going to play dumb for the benefit of our audience. ;) )
[20:43] <+Dave_Silva> Characters have various characteristics representing their aptitudes, some of these are generally familiar, such as Strength, or Unarmed Fighting, Others may be more character specific such as Orphan, or Grandmother. When you attempt to complete a task the GM assigns a core characteristic for that task. For example say you wanted to flip a car over...
[20:43] <+Dave_Silva> The GM may assign Strength as the core characteristic.
[20:44] <+Dave_Silva> Now if you only have Strength and nothing else related to the flipping over of cars the player would roll 2d6 adding it to the value of their Strength Score.
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[20:47] <+Dave_Silva> Why 2d6, a character gains 1d6 for free to attempt any task, this like a bare minimum of effort. There are 5 types of Characteristics, starting with the broad category of Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, etc, mundane Skills, and their Specialties: Unarmed Fighting, Perception, Gambling, etc, more supernatural or harder to define...
[20:48] <+Dave_Silva> Abilities and their Foci: Supernatural Tolerance, Enhanced Senses, or "Log Shot" That works for you when the odds aren't in your favor.
[20:49] <+Dave_Silva> When a character adds one of these they also unlock a possible die. so adding Strength to your roll gives you Strength + 2d6.
[20:50] <+Dave_Silva> Now lets say that character was a supernatural strongman, they may also have the skill Pack Mule and the Ability Strong adding these together the character would have a base Value of Strength + Pack Mule + Strong + 4d6.
[20:50] <+Dave_Silva> A character may use whatever characteristics are appropriate for a roll but if they use more thnaone of the same type like say 2 skills they can only gain the die from skills once. So you'll never roll more than 6d6/
[20:52] <+Dave_Silva> To this point the Mechanics chapter of the book gives an example of a character using their Orphan Background in combat when protecting a child, and another character's Needle Work skill when trying to solve a puzzle. This is to allow characters to chose, and emphasize background concepts without suffering "in game penalization" as in some point buy systems
[20:53] <+Dave_Silva> Lastly, characters have access to Boons, these are special powers, tricks or other things that really don't work with an assigned value. This includes things like Grave and Verdant Boon Flesh Eater that allows them to heal by eating flesh of a fresh kill.
[20:53] <+Dave_Silva> So that's kind of the mile high view, but I hope that helps give some idea of the rule set.
[20:54] <+Dave_Silva> (Done)
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[20:54] <+Silverlion> Do all characters have the same basic abilities? Or do they have more DIY lists...
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[20:54] <+Dave_Silva> Can you explain a bit more of what you mean by DIY lists?
[20:55] <~Dan> I think he means freeform abilities, as opposed to pre-set lists. Is that right, Sil?
[20:55] <+Silverlion> Yes.
[20:55] <+Dave_Silva> Okay, I think I understand the question now.
[20:56] <+Silverlion> Two questions, basically "Does everyone have the same stats?" and "if not do those stats come from a list, or to you create your own?"
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[20:56] <+Dave_Silva> Ah, yes to both parts
[20:57] <+xyphoid_> so what kind of things do characters do in this game - what's an archetypal adventure look like
[20:57] <+Dave_Silva> The core book defines basic characteristics but allows and encourages the creation of new Skills and Specialties to define the character. To help facilitate that there are some very broad categories such as Career (Fill in the blank), or Background.
[20:57] <+Silverlion> Awesome. BRB
[20:59] <+Dave_Silva> So this is something I really leave in the hands of the game group, the setting of Fractured Kingdom is designed to allow for high conspiracy, intrigue, more akin to thrillers or horror games, or high action, it really depends on what kind of game you want to run. Oh...
[21:00] <+Dave_Silva> So I mentioned before that Dark Lucid lack the toughness of more modern vampire type characters in fiction. All Lucid, really all supernatural creatures are inherently hardier and heal faster than mundane men and women.
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[21:00] <~Dan> What is the mundane world like? How high-tech is it?
[21:00] <~Dan> (Whoops, forgot to wait for the (done). *blush*)
[21:00] <+Dave_Silva> The tech level really varies depending on one's lifestyle.
[21:01] <+Dave_Silva> That's okay
[21:01] <+Gemini> Sounds cool
[21:02] <~Dan> What's the bleeding edge of technology?
[21:02] <+Dave_Silva> So there are bits of flash fiction between chapters in the book. A lot of the story happens inside a Coven's apartment (This is a group of Lucid that have banded together for survival) In addition to the wall sized TV they can't turn off it's wired into all their appliances and manages their shopping lists (so not too far off from today).
[21:02] <+Silverlion> Sounds cool.
[21:02] <+Dave_Silva> Then we cut to a different character who's in the middle of a sub orbital slingshot flight
[21:03] <+Dave_Silva> What is cutting edge? Well, in the Medical section we talk about Agent Harker, an investigator that is, nearly, killed by one of the other iconic characters. Who after being left for dead is rushed to a hospital where his body is basically regrown in a bath of fun fluids.
[21:04] <+Dave_Silva> So one may ask: It's 2202 where's my cyberware?
[21:04] <~Dan> Oh... Where's my cyberware?? :)
[21:04] <+Dave_Silva> The Great War ended 66 years before the start of the campaign date. It was concluded by an event called the Purge, in which religious fundamentalists from the US South attacked technological infrastructure and data stores, libraries and schools were burned and the wold was cast into a modern dark age.
[21:05] <+Silverlion> Sigh. I think that unsold me.
[21:06] <+Dave_Silva> One of their most common tactics was to use devastating EMP Bombs which would fry shielded electronics. This also had the side effect of killing, or wounding people with artificial prosthetic.
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[21:07] <+Dave_Silva> The Purge lasted for roughly 2 years before the church collapsed under it's own weight, resistance groups and trade embargoes.
[21:07] <+xyphoid_> so the whole world's trashed?
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[21:09] <+Dave_Silva> Since that time man has been working to recover lost information and rebuild society. What does this mean 60 years later? Technology has advanced but not as far as one might think. Archaeological and scavengers comb the wastes looking for lost relics. The poor live in in cities and enjoy a fair amount of creature comfort but lack the real amazing...
[21:09] <+Dave_Silva> technologies of the rich.
[21:09] <+Dave_Silva> xyphoid, yes and no, the world went through a long period of war and rebuilding.
[21:10] <+Dave_Silva> There are areas of scorched earth know as the wastes but there are world powers, countries, corporations, cites, towns, and well kept roads.
[21:11] <+Dave_Silva> To that effect I ran a campaign that for the most part happened in a tent city (squatter village) outside a city and in the Wastes, as well as multiple campaigns that are more urban .
[21:12] <+Dave_Silva> (Done, unless there is something here you would like more detail around.)
[21:12] <~Dan> How common are monsters in the setting?
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[21:13] <+Dave_Silva> Oh, good question, for the most part average people don't realize there is a supernatural presence in the world. Not because there is some force preventing it but because supernatural events get written off by the media. Even if there are more and more feed sites pooping up with strange happenings or events.
[21:14] <+Dave_Silva> The core book includes a sample story that involves a concert all full of screaming fans being turned into zombies when a Gateway to the Grave is opened.
[21:15] <+Dave_Silva> The sample adventure also includes several headlines that help explain the events in the aftermath.
[21:15] <+Dave_Silva> Not that one site didn't mention the undead, but four others have "rational explanations".
[21:15] <~Dan> Can adventures take place wtihin the Realms?
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[21:17] <+Dave_Silva> I'm sure of it. Due to size constraints I don't really explore that in great detail beyond the description of the Realms and the features on might find within them. This is something I am defiantly planning to explore in greater detail as we develop the setting.
[21:17] <~Dan> (Howdy, Heckboy! Q&A in progress!)
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[21:17] <+Dave_Silva> (Done)
[21:17] <~Dan> Does the Verdant feature dinosaurs? :)
[21:18] <+Dave_Silva> Only the diplodocus, because they are awesome.
[21:18] <~Dan> Are you serious?
[21:19] <+Dave_Silva> No, I am not a diplodocist, While the core book does not discuss dinosaurs, the Verdant is a place of eternal life and it is entirely possible that they still thrive within the Realm.
[21:20] <~Dan> Ah. Cool. :)
[21:21] <+Dave_Silva> To core book does describe a Predictor as a creature from the Verdant, these are primal beasts, hunters, there is nothing that says this may not be a T-Rex, the artwork is something akin to a saber tooth tiger, on steroids.
[21:21] <~Dan> Why are they called "Predictors"?
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[21:22] <+Dave_Silva> Apologies, that's a typo, Predators
[21:22] <~Dan> Ah. I was wondering. :)
[21:22] <+Silverlion> Predatacors might be cool.
[21:22] <+ArsMysteriorum> (Which is how Dinosaucers *really* happened)
[21:23] * ~Dan chuckles
[21:23] <~Dan> Is there magic in the setting?
[21:23] <+Dave_Silva> Just a note while we're talking about the Verdant
[21:24] <+Dave_Silva> At Dragon*Con this year one of the people I talked to made a character while waiting on his game to start which as a reptilian shifter that could create fire. He couldn't work out the wongs on a starting character but he was defiantly working towards a Dragon/Man
[21:25] <+Dave_Silva> Okay, is there magic? Do you mean beyond the Lucid's supernatural abilities, more akin characters like John Constantine, or Harry Dresden?
[21:26] <~Dan> Something like that, yup.
[21:26] <~Dan> Can you learn to use supernatural abilities, in other words.
[21:26] <~Dan> Or is it all intrinsic "powers"?
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[21:27] <~Dan> Oh dear.
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[21:28] <+Dave_Silva> Sorry for the disappearing act, not sure what just happened.
[21:28] <~Dan> No problem. Did you see my response?
[21:29] <~Dan> [21:25] <+Dave_Silva> Okay, is there magic? Do you mean beyond the Lucid's supernatural abilities, more akin characters like John Constantine, or Harry Dresden?[21:26] <~Dan> Something like that, yup.[21:26] <~Dan> Can you learn to use supernatural abilities, in other words.[21:26] <~Dan> Or is it all intrinsic "powers"?
[21:29] <+Dave_Silva> I'm sorry, I did not.
[21:29] <+Dave_Silva> This is something I've recently started working on.
[21:30] <+Dave_Silva> Because the Open Action System relies on keywords to define characters I'm currently working on a system that will utilize that.
[21:32] <+Dave_Silva> That said, these characters will be different from Lucid, being Mundane that have learned ways to manipulate supernatural forces. This offers them both advantages and disadvantages. One thing that will be central through is the idea that whatever area of magic a magi studies it will impact all their mundane actions.
[21:32] <~Dan> Cool.
[21:33] <+Dave_Silva> This is something that's still in the works but will have a different feel from the innate powers of the Lucid.
[21:33] <~Dan> Speaking of the powers of the Lucid, how powerful are they as compared to, say, Marvel Comics superheroes?
[21:33] <+ArsMysteriorum> Huh.
[21:34] <+Dave_Silva> That really depends on the hero in question.
[21:34] <~Dan> Well, I mean, what hero would you compare their power level to?
[21:59] <+Dave_Silva> Once could probably make a fairly close approximation to Daredevil, or Captain America with a Slumbering Lucid. Depending on who's writing the character you may be able to match Sabertooth's regeneration, and claws.
[22:00] * ~Dan nods
[22:00] <~Dan> So generally "street level" in superheroic terms.
[22:01] <+Dave_Silva> I;d say yes, with the caveat of starting level to with some experience PCs.
[22:02] <+ArsMysteriorum> Is the notion of Lucid, I take it, drawing on the concept of dreaming, wherein a person takes something from a 'dream realm' and can manifest it in reality?
[22:02] <+ArsMysteriorum> Or am I off the mark?
[22:02] <+Dave_Silva> Once you take the gloves off so to speak the system is open ended so it's feasible to create a character like Storm, or some of the heavier hitters.
[22:02] <~Dan> We're at 2 hours; however, you're welcome to hang out as long as you like, Dave.
[22:02] <+Dave_Silva> You are actually very close to the mark on that.
[22:03] <+Dave_Silva> The term Lucid came about as these were people that while everyone may experience one or more the Realms passively they have actively taken something from the Realm. Interacted with it in some way.
[22:03] <~Dan> Can you give us a quick rundown on combat?
[22:04] <+Dave_Silva> Before it gets too much later let me say that the website updates every Wednesday, and because we're on the 5th Wednesday of the month tomorrow's update will be part of the Lucid Tales series.
[22:04] <~Dan> Oh, come to that, when does the game itself come out?
[22:04] <+Dave_Silva> As soon as inhumanly possible.
[22:05] <+Dave_Silva> We are working on editing and layout currently.
[22:05] <+Dave_Silva> The core art is done and ready to go.
[22:06] <+Dave_Silva> Okay, Combat Rundown
[22:07] <+Dave_Silva> To start combat is broken down by Turns representing roughly 6 seconds. Characters can take 2 actions in a Turn. This may be a Move Action, Attack, or Active Defense along with other things such as interacting with objects, and the like.
[22:09] <+Dave_Silva> Combat begins with rolling Initiative, the highest value acting first. Characters may want to save one or more of their actions to either take an active Defense or Interrupt someone else's action during the Turn, so there some strategy involved even without any supernatural shenanigans going on.
[22:10] <+Dave_Silva> To keep things simple when a character attacks the player compares the roll to the target's Defense. On a high roll they successfully hit. Defenders may opt to spend an action to take an active defense rolling dice to add to their base Defense Value or to absorb part of the blow.
[22:11] <+Dave_Silva> Damage is based on the number of characteristics uses modified by weapons or any Boons. The base number is a set Value to make combat fast. Characters can take various actions to boost their damage or accuracy depending on the need.
[22:12] <+Dave_Silva> There is also an optional wild factor that adds or subtracts damage for groups that want to mix things up a bit.
[22:20] <+Dave_Silva> When a charter is damaged they suffer Health or Ego damage depending on the blow and in cases of larger damage may suffer Wounds. These impede the character representing things like deep issue bruises, sprains, fractures and later on broken limbs or concussions.
[22:21] <+Dave_Silva> We actually had a lot of fun with this in a play test with a Verdant Lucid healer character one would think was just absent minded with this limbs.
[22:22] <~Dan> We discussed this a bit on FB, but what is the advantage of having, say, a high Strength in terms of damage?
[22:23] <+Dave_Silva> So typically a character will use either Strength or Dexterity to resolve an unarmed attack.
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[22:26] <+Dave_Silva> Lets say Your character has an exceptionally high Strength of 20 along with an Unarmed Fighting Skill 6 and Specialty 4 in bar room brawling. Assuming they had nothing to add damage to a roll the character would roll 30 (Strength + Unarmed + Specialty) +4d6 and inflict 6 Damage on a successful hit.
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[22:26] <+Dave_Silva> Now, lets say you want to turn that Strength into damage. becasue you know you can slug the bloke using just 10 + 3d6.
[22:28] <+Dave_Silva> You would use what's called a Heavy Blow This adds an automatic 2 damage +2 damage for each 5 levels of the characteristic you turn over. Now the character is rolling 10 (Just Skill + Specialty) + 3d6 and doing 16 Damage on a successful hit.
[22:28] <~Dan> Aha!
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[22:29] <~Dan> Cleverl.
[22:29] <~Dan> (Howdy, Anduwaithe!)
[22:29] <~Dan> Does armor reduce damage?
[22:29] <+Dave_Silva> Alternatively, this same character might hedge his bets and go with Strength + Specialty rolling his Skill into damage and roll 24 + 3d6 with a Damage of 10.
[22:30] * ~Dan nods
[22:30] <+Dave_Silva> First thank you, glad you like that mechanic.
[22:31] <+Dave_Silva> Weapons and Armor, both have two values, Rating and Strength, These represent a bonus to hit and damage for Weapons and a bonus to base Defense and damage reduction respectively.
[22:32] <~Dan> Cool.
[22:32] <~Dan> And I should probably log off for the night. Would you like to stick around and continue fielding questions, Dave?
[22:33] <+Dave_Silva> Armor can be bypassed with an Action to target exposed areas. In these cases the character looses their Armor Strength but keeps their Rating.
[22:33] <+Dave_Silva> Actually, if no one has any more questions I should be logging off as well.
[22:33] <~Dan> Anyone have any final questions for Dave?
[22:34] <+Dave_Silva> Please remember to check the site wwwFracturedKingdom.com for game updates.
[22:34] <~Dan> In that case, I'd like to thank you for stopping by this evening, Dave!
[22:34] <+Dave_Silva> Thank you guys for having me.
[22:34] <~Dan> Do you have the link to my blog to access the log when I post it?
[22:35] <~Dan> (It's in the subject line.)
[22:35] <+Dave_Silva> Good night all.