Differences

[SurreyLee]

Hi All, i've not played TTB but am looking at it....what's the main differences between the first and second editions? How does it play compared to Malifaux...are they comparable?

Thanks for any advices....

[Steamtastic Vagabond]

Through the Breach uses the same basic mechanics as M2E, though it is less tactical and more narrative driven. The 2nd edition book refined the rules from the original books and adds a lot more lore (or so I'm told).

[SurreyLee]

57 minutes ago, Steamtastic Vagabond said:

Through the Breach uses the same basic mechanics as M2E, though it is less tactical and more narrative driven. The 2nd edition book refined the rules from the original books and adds a lot more lore (or so I'm told).

thanks for your reply. I'll try getting some more reviews etc but seems like a nice alternative for the more casual games

[spooky_squirrel]

They streamlined some of the get-off-the-ground information and changed a number of skills and talents, including removing some. They've also completely revamped the Tinkerer class (as an example) and included things like triggers into the core rules. There's enough information difference where you might not be able to translate 1E characters to 2E, but you can still use the expansion books (quarantine, bayou, and steam) with minimal fuss. Friction between those expansions and the 2E Core rules is addressed in the 2E Core rules, to include skill substitutions.

Cleaning up the get-off-the-ground information makes it a lot easier to introduce to a group of casual gamers.
Campaign-wise:
You'll still want to have a Session 0 where the Fatemaster (DM/ref/storyteller) and the Fated (players) talk about type of campaign and what kind of story you want to create as a group. This would be where initial character creation and basic introduction to the mechanics comes into play. With a cleaned up creation process this is a lot easier to manage and may take less time/energy than under 1E (depending on the people involved, as always).
Session structure for normal sessions is roughly the same: Prologue (Fatemaster sets the stage, Fated make plans and pick Pursuits for the session), Acts of the session (various scenes and challenges, minor resolutions, Fate Step hooks), Epilogue (session resolution, character advancement). With some planning, you can inject Penny Dreadfuls in during these sessions to change the pace or just to reduce the Fatemaster load.
One-shots:
If you use a Penny Dreadful for a one-shot, you can orient towards one of the ones that has pre-generated characters and basically run it like a storytelling board game without a whole lot of fuss.