Reynastus

So on the discussion of roll20, I’ve used it, not for TTB but for DND 5e and I have to say I’m not impressed by it. firstly it’s reasonably expensive when you take into account all the things. Give me a second on this one though and consider the following, I’m Australian our dollar is pretty crap and our internet connection is far from desirable. Sure I could use the free version of roll20 but then you miss out on all those fantastic features that you get for subbing. So when I used it I subbed for like 2 years at 10usd/month. I used it weekly to monthly depending on the time and used it for published adventures (of which I purchased both as the book and again on roll20 at similar costs each, 60aud for the books and I can’t remember the cost for the roll20 modules but it was a similar cost). The end result was a product that I still had to spend a while prepping for pre written modules that had all the scenarios put in but was just an almost unfinished state (npcs not having statted tokens etc), the fog of war seemed to never work the way I wanted and I had more issues with that and the LOS implementation than is worth mentioning. Then the want to use purchased modules over custom made backgrounds etc, all in all I was just not all that wrapped in the overall package when you consider other VTTs out there. so I moved on and found fantasy grounds which has its own set of things and while it has one off purchasing available and storage space is only limited by what you have on your own pc. One of my biggest issues however is that you need to be running a PC to access it and all your players have to have the program. In the classic version there’s no LOS implementation, there is in the unity version but it’s rudimentary at best, and databases are all slow and clunky and the program (even unity) feels slow and sluggish to use even on the GM side of things. It’s one off cost and is about 150ish usd so it’s not a cheap purchase and there’s no free upgrade from the classic to the unity version and so I’d be up for another (cheaper than if I didn’t own the classic version) licence fee for it there which is still running around the 80ish usd last time I checked. Modules then cost to purchase as well which I have done so when I made the switch. Now to be clear on this I purchased the ultimate licence for fantasy grounds and did so because I wanted to be able to use the software with people who don’t have jobs or are on limited incomes (students as an example). so still not an ideal solution for me which is where I’ve moved to Vassal for running my TTB games. And I gotta say it’s not bad. It had a really good implementation for the fate deck and twist decks and the artwork for those is superb and it’s free, the mapping part of the software is limited but has the ability to generate a scene on the fly complete with a cool selection of themed terrain objects (even a train) that you just drop in. What it lacks is the LOS features of Roll20 (if they work right) and the scale of the mapping thing is bigger than you think with the player tokens being really small compared to the terrain objects. Barrels are easily twice the size of a person and the barbed wire fence could keep a herd of elephants in. Another thing I’m not a huge fan of with vassal is the inability to prep for a game map wise. Have more than one encounter prepared for the game... better plan to take 5-10 mins mid game drawing out the map... also you can do things that my group does and just have the train randomly driving through the map ... it’s hilarious. I have played on astral tabletop which I’m not even going to go into. Suffice it to say I’m not a fan of it either. Enter Foundry VTT. Now to be clear I am not affiliated with them, I believe it has a long way to go and I’m kicking myself for not being able to code in JavaScript because if I could I’d be all up in there for making modules for the games I play (TTB and Star Wars EotE). Foundry isn’t without it’s faults to be sure but it’s got some of the best implementation of things that I’ve seen in ages, is priced reasonably (one off 50usd), being actively developed, devs that listen to their community, and a nice interface that feels responsive. Now to go over these a bit more. The implementation of LOS is straight forward and just works and it’s real easy to be able to tell what a player can see just by clicking their token. It has some cool wall options that work really well and you can set sounds to happen based on token placement. Eg, you can make a waterfall sound happen from a waterfall and as the token gets closer to the waterfall the sound increases in volume. You can set playlists. You can do all kinds of things with it and I feel like I’m only just scratching the surface of the application. Oh you can add extra GM accounts. Have a friend that you want to play with? Set them as the GM and they can run the game, such a cool idea. As a player you just connect via a web browser. And it works. I will admit that mobile support is not there yet, I think I saw someone making a module to help with mobile support but at this point it’s a play on your laptop or pc (mac, and Linux as also supported, hell you can even deploy the application to a web host that supports json ... whatever that means). There is also a lot of support for DnD in there and there are a number of modules that I support on patreon for the development of their chrome extensions that have the ability to import/run characters from dndbeyond and so forth. The downside is that there isn’t a TTB module for it. I’d love to see one created but I just don’t know JavaScript and with a new baby on the way I’m not going to be able to learn anytime soon. So in the meantime I’ll settle for using the “simple” game module which is their universal game engine and use the stats in there as a means of tracking the wounds and def/wp of the mobs I’m running. I use Vassal for card though while running online games. sorry for the long post, just If I see one more “roll20 is so great” style post I think I’m going to have a bit of a meltdown. Just makes me think they are paying people to recommend them more than anything really. Rey

sorry about posting in the wrong forum, thanks for the clarifications and sorry about forgetting this post existed in the first place! thanks for the answers though.

So with 3rd edition out, is there rumours of any campaign seeing? Could the campaign rules in Shifting Loyalties still be used? I know this isn't strictly a rules question but seemed to be the only place that was even slightly relevant to ask.

Cheers thanks for the confirmation

Hi All I was asked by one of my players if they should use either the Core Rules or Into the Steam for Replacement Limbs (they lost their limb in the previous session) I rolled with the Core Rules as it was published after Into the Steam. Is that right? Cheers Rey

I wanted to run the game until the characters each met their destiny's with each episode ticking one off, I mean some evenings we don't do much more than shop or prep for the next session which is why I thought it weird that we would be advancing pursuits at that point. I may need to start really paying attention to the destinies and start putting things into each session to tick some of them off or the games going to go for years before it's completed. Thanks for the input though

Hi All Just wanted to see how everyone is pacing their games. I have been running a game that I feel like I have been pacing it too fast but in the same sense too slow. To clarify, I have been running this game after writing homebrew content for it (ie missions etc) with the aims of having each character reach a focus point for their destiny step completion. My first "session" or as I like to call them Episodes of content covered 4 actual sessions of gameplay as we play 2-3 hours a night once a week. The prologue was written and we did a rehash each time we sat down but didn't do an epilogue until the 4th or 5th session. This is where one of the Fated completed a destiny step and since then we have moved onto another branch of the ongoing story, of which we are 4 game sessions into and are close to completing the 2nd Episode and the 2nd destiny step completion for the group as a whole. The issue is with XP and Advancement of Pursuits. I have been so far allowing the advancement of pursuits and gaining of skill points at the end of each session (not episode) which I am not sure if that's the intention or should I only awarding these things on the completion of the episode. How do you do it? Cheers Rey

I feel like I have found the answer on page 285 of the Core Rules and that the only way multiple suits are met is if the fated take the general talent that allows a skill to have a suit attached (Specialized Skill - 221 Core Rules).

Hi All I have been running a game of TTB for a while and am really enjoying the system as a whole, however I am after some clarification on the statement "Final Duel Total". Example - Illusionist has the "Illusions Manifested Power" as stated in Into the Steam and there is a trigger for in there but the TN requires a . How would someone trigger that result if the final card on display is the required . Do all the cards that have been flipped for that duel count as being the final duel total? so if someone has an AV of 5, and flips a 7, realizes they don't have the correct suit so twists fate and plays a 9, does that mean the trigger would come into effect as it was part of the duel or is the only card in play the 9. Thanks for the clarification. Rey

Above the law is a book I don't have as yet.... Yet.

Hi All One of my Fated has 3 ranks of counter-spelling and has a the douse sorcery trigger attached to it. How does counter-spelling work? I get the shielding aspect and the ongoing effects aspect, but can you use it as a reaction to interrupt someone from casting a spell? It seems like you should be able too with the triggers that are attached as they all say if successful, I just can't find anything that says it's possible to perform an action during another characters turn. Cheers

I'd be keen to have some conversions as well. Not for use in a combat setting but I seem to have managed to make Cassandra a contact point for the dates in my game. It's not a massive issue but more just a way to know if the bewitching skill works etc. So if anyone has an idea how to get the characters physical and mental attributes from the derived stats in the card for the named characters, this would be awesome. Otherwise, I'll just mash up things (like make the showgirls stats better appropriately then find skills etc that suit or rewrite them) Cheers though. Side point, anyone had templates for fatmaster character creations that look pretty?

So I thought about Tom Waits (@ezramantis) as well as some Nick Cave and the bad seeds (specifically the murder ballad album because ... well reasons...) I totally forgot about Primus, and in particular their later albums. Grungy bass and weird vocals. Seems to fit what I am looking for although I do appreciate all the recommendations as I have definitely enjoyed the new music for listening too

Thanks for this list. Looks like I've got a bit to listen too now! Rey

Cheers for the info. I had a quick read through and didn't see too many changes from a cursory glance. The magic seemed clear though which was probably a good thing.

Out of curiosity, what are the major differences between 1st and 2nd ed.? I've got both and played a campaign of first but only just picked up 2nd and haven't been able to digest the differences yet.

Just after some inspiration of some music that would be fitting for Through the Breach games. I feel like malifaux aa a city would have 1920s esq style swing that's a bit dirty in sound as the most prominent style but struggling to come up with that sound that I'm looking for. So anyone have any ideas of what music could fit the city of Malifaux. (I did think of portishead and feel that's definitely appropriate but I didn't want it to just be the one artist) Thanks Rey

Thanks for letting me know you're using it and enjoying it. Are you using the google sheets version or the excel? Just so I know if they both need fixing. The excel one had some issues that I was aware of as and just haven't figured out how to fix them. As for the under quarantine stuff. I don't have that expansion just yet as my group are just focussing on into the steam and the core books at this point. I may get under quarantine soon but it'll take a while to get the info up and running. sorry I can't be of more help.

So pulling stats straight off a book generated enforcer (7) mob def4(11) is the enforcers rank of 4 plus the AV of 7 making end defence 11 right? When the fated have AVs of 5 or 6 that TN of 11 isn't that hard to hit. Or is there another rating I am supposed to be adding as well?

Hi All So I've been running a game for a couple of weeks now and using the Northern Aggression campaign as the story and as far as Roleplaying is concerned it is going well. Have a group that seems to enjoy the theme and like the idea of the card flips instead of dice rolling (there has been all these fun ways of trying to get me to touch the deck .... like putting it on the top of my beer - Sneaky buggers) Anyway - We got to the encounter with Kantor last night and while Kantor got the initiative against the group the following 2 fated to activate promptly shot off the fetish, and killed the guy. Now I didn't get a hit in because I screwed up a little on that front and I am ok with that but the relative ease with which the fated dispatched Kantor had me wondering what have I got to do to make this more of a challenge? I mean not even half the party got a chance to have a swing at him, and I was under the impression that an Enforcer level character would be a challenge for a group of fated. This happened with another encounter as well (Mature Nephilim - taken down entirely way too quickly). I am by no means an experienced RPGer but some of the people I am playing with are (20-30odd years RPG experience) and it all seems a bit "hinky". So let's clarify a few things Hitting someone (or shooting) is Card Flip + Acting Value (Or rating + associated skill) to hit, card flip for damage. Now with my fated characters having AV's of 5ish from character creation and have played a couple of sessions so now it is around the 6 mark. That means what should be a reasonably big challenge to hit is trivial ... even a TN of 14 (Master level) seems like its reasonably doable especially with cheating fate.... so am I doing something wrong or do I need to be altering stats to make more of a challenge (ie add a couple of points of def and wounds to make more of a challenge for my players) Thanks for the input Rey

Thanks for this as my group has a similar interest in the magical ways in the mix.

Thanks. Like I said it was a silly question. Still I would have thought it would have been in the magic section as well. Rey

Hi All This probably is a silly question and all but I just want to get it really clear in my head, and the fated almanac isn't really helping all that much. Casting a spell at a target (lets say elemental engulf magia + Fire immuto) using the Oxfordian method to cast for a full round action. The TN of the Magia is 5, the burning Immuto TN modification is +2 making it a total TN 7T with the resist being Wp. My understanding of this would be that a flip would be made first to see if the spell cast was successful (adding tenacity ascpect to the total) which then if successful would require a second flip and adding the targets Wp to see if it resists. If the target is NPC how do you work out if the spell hit or not? Thanks in advance Rey

Thanks heaps for the reference

Hi All Just wondering what the "Skill" value in the weapon tables means in the into the steam book (like the one on page 156 in the pistol table) Is it that is the skill required to actually use the weapon? I figure it is but I am just curious is all. Cheers Rey