There is this grid-based tactical combat system that I find interesting: Swords Against Heaven. The game describes itself as "mud-and-lotus," or in other words, mudcore plus wuxia. The author says it is "more wuxia than xianxia and yeah with a grittier, action horror vibe." The game further elaborates that low levels have "osr-like play" and "are reminiscent of Survival Horror."I am absolutely not a fan of mudcore, but I like grid-based tactical combat, so I am willing to give this an earnest try nevertheless.The writing is flowery and poetic. It is hard to parse the mechanics. It is not to my liking, but I can see why others might like it.This game is very much 4e-like. Characters are divided into four roles: damagers, protectors, controllers, and leaders. Each role has four Cultivations (classes), for a total of sixteen. Damagers are Adamantine Sword (sword specialist), Gun Oracle (firearm specialist), Lightness (fast skirmisher), and Red Mage (ranged damage magic). Protector Cultivations include Glare Mage (barrier magic) and Merciful Shield (armor tank), controllers include Darksmith (engineer) and Smirking Devil (fast-talking trickster), and leaders include Firebrand (warlord) and Magochemist (alchemist). The starter adventure has a bonus, seventeenth Cultivation, a controller, the Magister (heavy armor caster).Resources are 4e-like. Abilities are basic (at-will), advanced (encounter), or ultimate (daily). Characters have spirit (healing surges), and can regain hit points by channeling spirit (spending a healing surge). Movement and ranges are more restrictive compared to 4e, though; regular movement speed is 4 squares, light ranged weapons go out to 5 squares in combat, heavy ranged weapons cap out at 10 squares in battle, and diagonals cost 1-2-1-2.For good or for ill, unlike in 4e, there are no feats or higher-level abilities. Characters simply gain more slots for abilities, and can mix and match Cultivations and abilities as they rise in level.
Also for good or for ill, also unlike in 4e, enemies are not unique creations. They are simply built like PCs, using the same chargen, Cultivations, and abilities. Some exceptions apply; common "workers," "undead walkers," and "treasure spirits" have no Cultivations and are simply basic attackers, but even "zombie gorgers" and goblins have Cultivations.The game has not been publicly released yet. I am just working off the early release version. Does the system sound okay enough for a 4e retroclone?
It always astounds me that not only does Edna actually play games, but his opinions tend to be well-thought-out and nuanced. You lived long enough to see Edna become one of the best posters on the board.
>>96680137>You lived long enough to see Edna become one of the best posters on the board.I wonder how much of that is character development, and how much of it is the horrific decay of /tg/.
>>96680396Definitely the latter. Not even to shit on Edna, just that the board has sunk so fucking low that "actually plays game" automatically elevates even an autist like Edna above 50% of the people posting here.
>>96680668I'll take that a step further: The decay of people playing games is a direct result of the atomization of society. It's harder for people to maintain games when every player these days is used to Tiktok and Twitter where they can immediately get a massive dopamine hit within 12 seconds, and if something comes up they don't like or challenges them, they are normalized to block them within 7 seconds and not have to deal with the downturn.Longterm games require too much focus for most people these days. Sure, it's a higher high, but who cares when you can get high right now online, or even with drugs?Less people playing = Less people on /tg/ playing.
>>96680757There are more people in the hobby now than there has ever been, this is a braindead fucking sentiment.
>>96680927more bodies but less souls
>>96680030>>96680048As far as default setting goes, this game is a little quirky. It is described as a "dark fantasy Maoist wuxia world." It is squarely pro-communist.>to inject non-communist ideology into the game—non masses oriented ideology—is to miss the point of the game entirely.>the skills are for helping each other.>the fray combat system is for fighting together. In organized groups.With a little Christianity:>it also does not dismiss religion but rather subsumes it. Wields it. >the filipino masses wielded the christ-myth as a means of revolution. >the suffering that christ suffered>is the same suffering the revolutionaries and masses must suffer>*for the liberation of all mankind.*And Buddhism:>even sakyamuni buddha intervened. And went into protests.>even vajrapani slew shiva. When he refused to bow to dharma.>may all violence be compassionate. May all killing be enlightened.The final encounter in the premade adventure is against a bunch of theocratic, imperialist capitalists.>... this imperialism is in the name of God.>She will state that [...] those they slew were **Communists—enemies of peace and world order.**Must PCs be communist themselves? No. Indeed, if players randomly generate their PCs' political alignments, they need to score a 12 on 2d6 to be communist. Meanwhile, a 2 aligns the PCs with fascism, and a 6 is neoliberalism. The author has confirmed this: "people are on edge in post-calamity after two universe-devastating revolutions, people are scared to commit."
>the plebbit thread is full of people getting assmad because they can't figure out what "mudcore" meansDid we invent that? I thought it was more widespread.
>>96680927There are more people in general too, you absolute blithering retard.
>commie gameTrash
>>96681715Yes we did.
>>96680030> no level progression,just mix classesthis is an enormous red flag and is a deal breaker in gubat banwa too. You can get away with this in classless games like lancer but when you pick a class identity and then are forced to distort it it dampens that class fantasy greatly. I did not like paragon paths until the options were greatly expanded>>96680048This is actually kind of interesting. Again, one could interpret this as being underwritten or lazy again. But I can also give this game credit for doing something original here. Bad for GM's preptime but we rarely see the kind of design space in TTTrpgs. What other killer apps does this game have?
>>96684357Yes, I am a fan of games that actually implement higher-level abilities.If a level-based game does not have higher-level abilities, then rising in level simply feels like scraping the bottom of the barrel. After all, whatever we take next is likely less appealing than whatever we took before that.>What other killer apps does this game have?I do not know what you would consider a "killer app." This game has forced movement collision damage, much like Draw Steel, I suppose.
>>96684434are collision and the communism alignment gauge the only new features compared to gubat banwa? Also, calling classes cultivations is fucking dumb. Cultivation should be some kind of in combat/out of combat mechanic like dust or aether
>>96684496I do not know. I am not particularly familiar with Gubat Banwa.
>>96684504its a game from the same author that I found to be quite good. Good non d20 combat resolution mechanic, fantastic class fantasies ( very original and I like how they are divided up into the 4 factions being vaugely muslim, hindu, daoist and native) It just did alot of things right, very strong relationship between fluff and its tactical combatone of the best things in gubat banwa was rules for specific terrian hazards and how to liter the battlefield with them. 4e should have launched with this. Most TTTrpgs should launch with this.
>wuxia oh well this thread has my interest >sees some meta posting The fuck did I walk into
>>96684635>one of the best things in gubat banwa was rules for specific terrian hazards and how to liter the battlefield with them.Post them.
>>96684669pdf file size is too largeI also only have the 1.5 edition the game has gone through several major revisions since then
>>96684652When you've posted long enough on a smaller slower board like /tg/ you tend to recognize users by their typing style and OP images.
>>96684707>pdf file size is too largeAnything over 0 bytes pdf is too large nowadays, gofile it or something.
>>96684707Also edition doesn't matter, I'm not gonna play it (doubly so if it's in Filipino) and just want to rip the supposedly great terrain rules.
>>96684786>>96684792GF /d/xIEn5o
>>96684820Thankies.
Another thing gubat did very well was have a strong list of basic actions everyone could preform, something notably missing from Icon that was good in LancerLancer was a fully featured game at level 0 that only got better as you leveled up. Icon , much like normal dnd, you wont get to play your class fantasy out for several levels
>>96684652Is this wuxia or pinoyxia?
>>96680757I sorta agree? The inundation of society with cheap tricks and engagement-driven algorithms is a huge problem, I just don't think it applies to players and scheduling. I think it's more to do with the economy and the erosion of worker rights. People work more than ever but they also have less free time and less job security than ever. We're in a situation were a shocking amount of people simply can't leave early on a friday to play d&d because they're scared they'll lose their job over it.
