War Stories, Week 4

Elias’ Thoughts – We recently had a short form playtest which was mostly designed as a system check to see how the basic mechanics interacted with one another. While the base systems were very successful and fun to interact with, some questions arose on where to draw the line between skills with overlap, such as Ecology and Survival. I’ve been losing sleep over this and decided to sit down to try to suss out just where one ends and the other begins and I think I’ve reached a conclusion. While there are bound to be areas of overlap that remain, I’ve mostly decided that Ecology will pertain to general knowledge of flora/fauna and Survival will come into play when the flora/fauna are used to make something else.

This roughly mirrors how I see things like bushcraft in our modern world. While an outdoors survivalist and an ecologist might both be able to identify a pine tree, I think someone trained in survival would know that the lower branches contain enough pitch to create an easy firestarter in the form of fatwood. An ecologist, on the other hand, should know what type of animals (birds) use the tree as a habitat (nest) and might have a better chance of finding food (bird eggs) based on that knowledge.

While not a perfect system, I think it’s a little cleaner than something like D&D 5e where it gets broken into Nature, Survival, and Animal Handling. So below are some attempts to highlight the different flora that might be encountered in the Trench and how interacting with them using Ecology or Survival might yield different results. As always, this is a work in progress, but I do hope this illuminates how there might be different results if flora are approached through the lens of Survival vs Ecology.

NOTE: I do introduce a few things below that haven’t been formally discussed on the blog before. For example, money and perceived monetary value are both quite fungible in the Trench. Oftentimes things will be designated with Treasure 1/2/3, etc. in order to show how valuable they are. I also mention Memory Slots, which are functionally equivalent to Inventory Slots but are for less tangible things, such as locations, knowledge of spells, passphrases, etc. Additionally, things like Debts and Favors will be closely tracked and should result in NPCs going out of their way to assist players in a variety of ways.

Monday 1/22

Iron Bolete – A fungus that grows in thick, scalloped sheets along the Trench walls. The outer edges of the mushroom are incredibly dense and hard and only weaken where they attach to the main stem.

Survival: The mushroom caps are strong enough to operate as supplemental armor if harnessed to the body in some way. A single piece of Iron Bolete can be worn per person, it operates as Armor 1 but doesn’t need to be rolled, instead it blocks 1 Damage from reaching the player upon which it immediately degrades and can no longer be used. One cap of Iron Bolete can be harvested per successful Survival roll, each cap counts as a Medium item when not worn.

Ecology: Iron Boletes grow near rich mineral veins which the mycelium infiltrate and break down. This process causes an accumulation of rare metals in the outer edges of the mushroom caps, which can be quite valuable. A successful Ecology roll results in remembering the location of the Iron Bolete patch, which takes up one Memory Slot. This location is worth Treasure 1, with multiple successes increasing it to Treasure 2 or Treasure 3. For 3+ successes, the location instead takes two memory slots and is worth Treasure 2 and a Favor from the person that purchases it.

Tuesday 1/23

Rustroot – A deep orange creeping vine that seems to be able to grow through solid rock. Cutting the vine in any way reveals a viscous rust colored sap that readily drips seemingly without end.

Survival: The sap from a rustroot can be heated and cooked down into a thick paste with corrosive properties. One usage of this sap can be collected per successful Survival roll, which counts as a Small item regardless of the amount of sap harvested. The sap can be heated over a rest period and results in an item that can quickly corrode a lock or door hinge to the point that it fails.

Ecology: Rustroots always grow near a spot where there are abundant water reservoirs hidden deep within the earth. The plant pulls water from these deep reservoirs and purifies it as it passes through the twisting stalks and stems. Only the portion of rustroot that is above ground has the iconic deep orange coloration as that area has the highest concentration of oxidized minerals that has been pulled from the water. By digging a bit deeper and slicing the vine, potable drinking water can be collected. Enough water for a single person can be collected per successful Ecology roll. If 2+ Ecology successes are rolled and there is an appropriate container, a 1d4 usage Water can be collected.

Wednesday 1/24

Rattlepods – A tall and wispy weed like plant that culminates in a spray of barbed seed pods growing from the top. When disturbed by wind or motion, the seed pods let out a loud, reverberating rattling noise.

Survival: On top of the loud noise the seed pods make, the barbs on the pods are quite stiff and can easily penetrate most footwear or paw pads. One rattlepod can be harvested per successful Survival roll. Rattlepods can be used to make a campsite safe in the Wilderness, either by placing them in a chokepoint leading into the camp or by scattering them in a defensive ring. The pods will let out a loud noise if disturbed, altering the camp to intruders. Additionally, an intruder has a 50% chance of stepping on a pod if they are entering the camp. This deals 1 damage to them as the barbed pod pierces their flesh.

Ecology: Rattlepods rely on the barbs on their seed pods to be distributed throughout the Trench. When an animal passes by and brushes against a rattlepod, the pods are likely to stick onto their fur or skin to be deposited at a new location at a later date. One rattlepod can be harvested per successful Ecology roll. If the seed pod can be attached to a creature then their movement can be easily tracked through the Trench due to the loud rattling of the seedpod. This allows the creature the pod is attached to to be found if it remains in the same Location as the players. If the creature changes Locations but stays within the Region, players get a +2 on their roll to locate the creature. If a creature tries to hide from the players, they take a -4 to their Skullduggery roll. Particularly intelligent creatures, or humanoids, will notice the rattlepod and try to dislodge it from themselves.

Thursday 1/25

Strangleshroom – A type of giant mushroom that grows in dense groves, they are easily recognizable from above due to the deep purple stripes that cross the bright green caps. From below, they are more easily recognized from the fog of spores that constantly rain from their gills and the heavy, musky scent that the spores exude.

Survival: Most of the year, strangleshrooms can be safely walked underneath without issue. However, during a spore drop, the spore fog becomes dense enough to displace oxygen and can lead to gasping and choking. A successful Survival roll can determine if a spore drop is in process or is imminent, allowing players to potentially avoid a hazard by walking underneath. Multiple successes allow for the spores to be collected and weaponized into an aerosol grenade, which spreads strangleshroom spores over a single Zone and causes choking until the target moves out of the zone. One grenade can be created per success beyond 2+.

Ecology: The scent of strangleshroom spores is common enough that most predators wouldn’t give a second thought if they caught a whiff. With a successful Ecology roll, players can step through the spore fog and receive a +2 to Skullduggery rolls to elude scent based tracking for up to a Watch (approx. 6 hours). The bonus to Skullduggery increases +1 per successful Ecology roll.

Friday 1/26

Pitcherbell – A single, large flower, the center of which resembles an upturned bowl. The central portion of the flower contains an oily, dark liquid that attracts a variety of small, flying insects. 

Survival: If the flower petals of the pitcherbell are loosely tied shut, it creates a protective reservoir around the central bowl. The oil contained within is readily flammable and a rudimentary torch can easily be created from a pitcherbell. Each success on a Survival roll provides a single pitcherbell, which can be used as a source of Light and can burn for a single Watch (approx. 6 hours). If doused, a pitcherbell cannot be relit as either the oil has become fouled with water or the petals have become misshapen and no longer protect a flame. Harvested pitcherbells are a Light item and last for 48 hrs (8 Watches) after being cut.

Ecology: The oil inside a pitcherbell is a form of very alkaline nectar that is unsafe for humanoids to consume but draws an incredible variety of flying insects. These insects help pollinate pitcherbells and are drawn in such large clouds that handfuls can be scooped from the air with ease. Each successful Ecology roll results in enough Food to sustain one humanoid per watch. It might not be the most appetizing meal, but it is nutritious. 

Saturday 1/27

Spitfire Cress – One of the stranger plants in the Trench, spitfire cress is a short, creeping ground cover plant with wide green-gray leaves striated in brilliant red. It is often found around the base of pitcherbells or around strands of rustroot, where it seems to thrive in the surrounding high mineral, alkaline soil.

Survival/Ecology: The leaves of the plant are extremely bitter and not palatable to humans, but can readily be eaten by any variety of insect mount. These leaves are also extremely combustible due the buildup of minerals and, while not recommended by the manufacturer, can be stuffed into an internal combustion engine where they will readily fire from a spark. A successful roll with either Survival or Ecology grants a single unit of Fuel that can be used on either a mechanical or animal mount. Two successes gives a 1d4 usage Fuel die, three successes gives a 1d6 usage Fuel die, with 3+ successes giving multiple 1d6 usage Fuel dice.

Sunday 1/28

Eldritch remora: While a cosmic whale fall in itself is rare, even rarer is when one has an attached eldritch remora. Perpetually chasing cosmic whales through the inky Voidsky, lucky few remora are able to catch and attach to their underbellies. The ones that do grow to massive size, easily dwarfing the rest of their kind. While attached, eldritch remoras feast on star shards that the whales miss, internally compressing them into a pearl-like mass of captured, scintillating, life-giving energy. The star pearls are considered a panacea, sure to cure all ailments found in the Trench, and many would pay dearly for such a treasure.

• When encountering a cosmic whale fall, there is a 10% chance (rolling a 1 or a 20 on a d20) that an eldritch remora is attached
• Survival/Ecology: Goods can be harvested from this creature using either Ecology or Survival, with more successes meaning more goods successfully gathered:

1. Remora barbel, Light, Treasure 1
2. Pearlescent scale, Light, Treasure 2
3. Dorsal fin, Medium, Treasure 3
4. Star Pearl, Heavy, Treasure 5

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Evan’s Thoughts – This week is a bit of a hodge-podge. Still continuing with the Council of Twelve, while beginning to build out some gameable elements within the Star Fields and Plague Hills regions. Interactivity is the word of the week as I continue ruminating on both creating interesting effects for players to engage with and open ended situations that can be approached from multiple angles. Ideally nothing is too prescriptive for players, but also not too powerful for referees to manage. My goal is always to present a compelling situation players want to get involved in, tool they want to leverage, or problem to be solved, which can then spiral off into self driven play rather than plot driven scenarios.

Monday 1/22

Tola, the Sixth Judge: One of the members of the Council of Twelve. When he speaks at all, Tola stammers in barely perceptible murmurations, a wraith amongst wolves. Drifting at the periphery of the Bastille, Tola finds intruders or fleeing Penitents and walks in their shadow, a looming specter of punishment.

Barely 5 feet tall when standing straight, Tola’s hunched form normally appears less than 4. A patchwork of crimson wormflesh, his body scarred by deep furrows and gouges; a tapestry of abuse and self mutilation. Tola’s eyes are set so deeply in his misshapen skull they appear as hollow sockets, only the rapid flickering of his bloodshot whites betray the orbs within.

Tola’s pitiable appearance belies the quiet sadism of his actions. He revels in the methodical stalking of his victims, lovingly crafting an atmosphere of oppressive dread from the shadow of his quarry. If his prey notice his presence Tola is all too happy to turn their violence back upon them, manipulating the body of one member with deft movements to keep himself safely hidden behind them. Tola’s favorite game is making his enemies slaughter themselves as they attempt to kill him, inadvertently destroying their friends one by one with their ineffectual attempts to wound Tola.

Tola, the Sixth Judge

Stats

HP: 9

NP: 6

Armor: 0

Attributes

Grit – 2

Finesse – 16

Logic – 10

Moxie – 2

Special

• Tola’s highly refined reflexes allow him to indefinitely hide behind anyone he is shadowing. Tola is imperceptible to anyone he walks behind unless he deals any form of damage. Any time Tola deals NP damage the target may make a Reconnoiter check to detect Tola’s presence. If Tola deals HP damage the target is automatically aware of his presence. While doing so, Tola uses the victim as cover, using their armor value as his own. Any damage prevented by this armor is instead inflicted to the HP of the being Tola is using as cover.
• Tola hates his own image. If he ever sees his own reflection he will take no action on the next turn. After one round of inaction he will attempt to flee from any reflective surfaces. Tola will unmake himself if forced to observe his own reflection and prevented from fleeing.

Attacks:

1. Babble: Tola begins whispering barely perceptible threats of violence, perceptible to all beings in Short range. The mutterings gnaw at the mind of whoever hears them, slowly degrading their nerves. Roll the attack with 8 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2. This damage is dealt to NP and ignores armor. Every time this attack is made all victims may make a Reconnoiter check to see if they sense Tola’s presence.
2. Paralytic Thrust: Tola swiftly stabs his fingers into the nerve cluster of an Engaged enemy. Roll the attack with 10 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 3. The victim may make an Endurance check to prevent being paralyzed. If the victim is paralyzed, Tola can manipulate their body absolutely, allowing him to keep the affected target between himself and any enemies. While manipulating an enemy Tola uses them as cover, gaining their HP as Armor. Any time damage is prevented in this manner, the damage is dealt to the paralyzed victim.
3. Pain Transfer: Tola transfers damage he has sustained to an enemy in Engaged range. Roll the attack with 10 Base Dice. For each success, Tola deals 1 damage to an enemy and heals himself for 1 point of HP.
4. Shadow Walk: Tola steps between shadows, allowing him to move from any shadow in Engaged range to a separate shadow within Extreme range. The process of Tola moving through a shadow is traumatizing to living beings. Roll the attack with 6 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. This damage is dealt to NP and ignores armor. If the attack misses Tola still moves to the location of the shadow he targeted, but the owner of the shadow takes no damage.
5. Enrage: Tola taunts all enemies within Short range. All enemies within range of this attack must make a Resolve check or attack Tola on their next turn.
6. Subjugate: Tola disarms an enemy in Engaged range. Roll the attack with 8 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. If this attack hits the target must make an Assault check or be disarmed.

Tactics: Initially Tola will initially approach using his Shadow Walk, attempting to stealthily slink into the shadow of one target and walk with them in secret for as long as possible. While hidden Tola will perpetually Babble, winnowing away at the nerves of the party. When detected, Tola uses his Paralytic Thrust to incapacitate an enemy and use them as cover against their allies. Using his Enrage and Pain Transfer in tandem, Tola whittles away at individual members of a party, using Shadow Walk and Paralytic Thrust on new targets as previous ones die. If ever cornered, Tola will attempt to use Subjugate to reduce the current threat, then retreat via Shadow Walk. Tola avoids reflective surfaces compulsively, and will flee if he sees anything that could show him his own image. If forced to observe himself he will tear at his flesh, dealing 2 points of damage per round until he stops seeing his reflection or dies.

Tuesday 1/23

Satiating Poultice: A soothing balm mixed by the Devors of the Plague Hills. Its application usually slows the progression of Devourment, but runs the risk of agitating it further. A secretly guarded recipe handed down generationally. Smells vaguely of funerary perfume and formaldehyde.

Satiating Poultice

Item

1d6 Usage Die

1 Slot

A character afflicted with Devourment can apply Satiating Poultice by rolling its Usage Die whenever Durations decrease, either as a result of a roll on the Hazard Die or taking the Rest action. On a result of 1-5 the character’s Devourment does not decrease in Duration. Results of 1 or 2 still decrease the Usage Die as normal. On a result of 6 the character’s Devourment decreases in Duration as normal.

Shh, this should soothe your scratching.

Wednesday 1/24

Piccolo of the Deep Burrows

Soldier Saint Relic

Item (2)

1 Slot

A small bone flute carved from the ulna of a trench ratter. The alabaster body curves delicately, a sharp contrast to the ghastly wails it produces.

The bearer of the flute can make a Bushcraft check to draw rats in the area to them and direct the rats to perform a simple task. This check gains the Gear Dice of the Piccolo of the Deep Burrows. The rats can’t perform any actions that require logic or problem solving, only basic tasks such as retrieval, distraction, pushing, or pulling. The target of the action must be within Long range of where the flute was initially played.

They’re all so eager to debase men to rats, maybe we ought to try elevating rats to men instead.

Thursday 1/25

Encounter, Star Farming: A group of 1d6 Starlings are harvesting fallen star fragments. If surprised, their psychic fragments have a 4-in-6 chance of manifesting with the traditional technicolor spray. There are 2d6 star fragments scattered around the area. The fragments are valuable to the Starlings as the tools of their body augmentation. They can also be powdered at a rate of 2 star fragments per 1d6 Usage Die of Star Dust, which can be sold in Peccatu or other large settlements. The Starlings are unwilling to leave the star fragments, particularly if the party doesn’t have a Reputation with the Starlings.

Friday 1/26

Physician’s Defense

Soldier Saint Relic

Item (2)

1 Slot

The fused maxilla bones of a trench doctor fashioned into a surgical mask. Pock marked by irregular black masses and chartreuse clots.

While worn, the mask adds its Gear Dice to any checks made to avoid contracting a disease or resisting the effects of a disease. Additionally, the wearer can choose to expend one of the mask’s Gear Dice to reroll one check to avoid contracting a disease. This reroll is not a pushed roll and does not inflict Banes on the wearer. If the roll fails, the player is still allowed the push the roll, suffering all the benefits and penalties as normal.

I find the best method of study is immersion. After all, intimate knowledge requires intimate contact.

Saturday 1/27

Star Dust

Drug

Item (Usage Die)

1 Slot per 1d6 Usage Die

A fine prismatic powder that emits a barely perceptible opalescent shimmer. Ground from star fragments, this powder can be snorted or smoked to temporarily glimpse backwards in time. Though rare, Star Powder circulates in numerous circles. Detectives prize the ability to observe events retroactively, grieving spouses or parents seek the drug for the chance to speak with their loved ones, and historians leverage it as a way to glean insight into degraded pieces of the past. Relatively addicted, abusers are easily spotted due to their inability to differentiate the past and present.

Duration: 1

Addictive: Yes. Unmodified Resolve check after each use to determine if user becomes Addicted.

Effect: The user temporarily peers through the veil of time, allowing them to see events that occurred at a location, the condition of an object, or speak with a corpse they observe.

After Effects: When the Duration for the drug effect reaches 0, the user makes a Rational check. For each Bane rolled on this check, the user takes 1 NP damage. Each Success rolled on the check counteracts one Bane.

Sunday 1/28

Encounter, Whale Fall: The greatest tool of entropy is patience. Even the eternal eventually capitulate beneath the weight of the time’s infinite reach. Rarely the cosmic whales that breach our reality fall from the voidsky above rather than delve back beneath its endless eddies. Whether this is merely the death of a titan or a form of cetacean stranding is unknown, but when the amaranthine giants fall to the cavern floor a mad scramble begins. The corpse of a single cosmic whale provides a plethora of resources, commodities, and unique ecology to whoever can secure and harvest it. The sites of whale falls often become repeated battlefields as vying parties fight for the ability to exploit the corpse.

When this encounter is rolled, also roll twice on the region’s faction table. The first result is the faction currently in control of the corpse, while the second faction is actively attempting to take control of the corpse. Regardless of the results, every faction in the region will want access to the corpse, even if just to destroy it so others can’t access it.

The corpse provides access to a number of commodities (TBD), several unique pieces of ecology (TBD), and food. Securing the corpse allows the party to:

• harvest as much food as they desire, no check required (acquired in 1d6 Supply usage die increments). 
• Search for rare cosmic flora and fauna with a Bushcraft check (single attempt).
• Harvest commodities with a Bushcraft check (single attempt per day, roll on table with success).

The controlling faction will always defend their claim and maintain a strong presence around the corpse, though they may be willing to share access for assistance in dealing with other interested parties. The fixed location allows the party to ignore the situation, engage in stealth to covertly access the corpse, ally with the controlling faction, or attempt to wrest control either independently or with another faction in the area.

That marks another week of bits, bobs, and lore come and gone. We’ll be back next Monday with another week’s worth of Lore 24 posts!

If you’re finding this sometime in the future, please check out the Lore 24 Post Repository to see a roundup of all the posts in this series.

We actively encourage comments, questions, and feedback; we’re excited to be sharing our work and would love to chat about it with anyone who’s interested!