Jump to content

Question to Backers: How is Through the Breach?


Claymore65

Recommended Posts

It's still pretty obviously a first edition RPG, with a few oversights and omissions that make playing it a little more difficult (especially for the Fatemaster). I don't need a huge amount of rules, but if the Fated Almanac lists an Explosives skill and talks about dynamite, I'd like to have something to go off of in terms of pricing it out or figuring out appropriate effects. I think that I might just get a stack of the stat cards for the minis game and work backwards from there for all of the things that the rulebook doesn't contain. I also wish that the PDFs were optimized a little bit better - there are all sorts of things that you can pack into a PDF like hyperlinks to other sections or a PDF table of contents for fast navigation, and I have to wonder why those things weren't done. Also, the character sheet needs a lot of work - I want a stripped down version that doesn't have that annoying color (or greyscale) background, and which condenses the information down into a better form factor that doesn't take up four whole pages.

 

On the positive side, the game is pretty fluid, and flipping cards up works really well as a resolution mechanic. The biggest victory of the sourcebook is probably the setting it creates - the fluff, not the crunch, and it's some mighty fine fluff. Our session ran wonderfully even though no one had played the game before, and character creation - normally the worst part of a new system - seemed to go really well, and was soaked in flavor.

 

Overall, the problems I have with the product are fairly easily corrected, either by houserules or by a second edition that fills in some of the very obvious gaps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't need a huge amount of rules, but if the Fated Almanac lists an Explosives skill and talks about dynamite, I'd like to have something to go off of in terms of pricing it out or figuring out appropriate effects. I think that I might just get a stack of the stat cards for the minis game and work backwards from there for all of the things that the rulebook doesn't contain.

 

I had a similar mind, to enrich the economic portion of the game as well. For the number of pages of things you can buy, there's quite a few omissions.

 

Once the books and such get in our grubby little hands, if you'd like to work on it together, I'm willing to help out.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

To the guys who have spent more time with the PDFs:  How easy is it to GM this game?  I'd be coming at this from a totally newby perspective, I've played a few RPGs but never run one and would have some pretty experienced players if I were to take the plunge - would you recommend TTB as a beginners game in terms of GMing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To the guys who have spent more time with the PDFs:  How easy is it to GM this game?  I'd be coming at this from a totally newby perspective, I've played a few RPGs but never run one and would have some pretty experienced players if I were to take the plunge - would you recommend TTB as a beginners game in terms of GMing?

 

I've said before in other threads, your players will in large part influence how easy a time you have with this game as Fatemaster. The system is very slick and very flexible. The Fatemaster's Guide has the best section on "what your job as Fatemaster actually IS" that I have seen in gaming manuals. Specifically, the "Getting to Yes" portion is amazing.

 

I personally find it to be a highly enjoyable challenge to run the system in terms of setting up sessions, and very very easy in terms of actually running them. The hardest parts are setting appropriate difficulties (largely because I haven't printed a reference sheet yet) and making sure that the combats are "the right difficulty". The fights will take some getting used to, but if you plan your story arc for the campaign (bullet points, not detailed notes), talk to your players outside of session to understand what their goals as Fated are, and are willing to bend your details a little to include the fated desires, that this game is  a great one to learn how to be a Game Master.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^What Malsqueek said. The hardest bit is coming up with creative ways for the players to embrace or deny their fate, and rewards for each. Beyond that, it's pretty easy for a newbie.

 

My game that I've been posting up is my first ever GMing, and I think so far it's been going pretty well. Freewheel a bit, don't over-plan things, use the narrative to your advantage, and all the little mechanical aspects just slot into place after a few minutes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I recently demo'd this game twice.  Once as a play test and once for a few people at this years http://www.Prairiecon.com.  The character creation that I did ahead of time was actually fun to do.  In the past when I was creating a bunch of characters for a tournament RPG, this was really a chore.

The players all stated that they really enjoyed the game, world and game system.  About half of the players (4) had some knowledge of the world of Malifaux and the game, although they have never played or played the miniature game once or twice.  The rest knew very little.  A few stated that they were interested in trying the game on a regular basis and some thought that they would buy the game once it was available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Through the breach is delightfully malleable and wraps itself nicely in any story you chose to tell. I've played a murder mystery, a ghost story, a horror story, a hack and slash, and a breach reopening story. All very different and all fun. Just make sure you've got a GM who can really spin a tale. :)

Edited by Rathnard
off topic response removed
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a mixed feeling about through the breach. My players are currently 22% through our campaign they all fulfilled a destiny and stepped up their pursuits. I am waiting to finish the entire game to have an opinion. I do think that they should have given some things a little more crunch. It brings me back to Malifaux 1st edition, and how convoluted it was as a game, with 2nd edition being a much better game.

 

one major thing I hate is the Character Sheet... who designed this thing? and why? <3

 

one major thing I love is the magia and immunto system, I love the stuff my players come up with, it just feels so much more personable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a mixed feeling about through the breach... I do think that they should have given some things a little more crunch. 

 

I'm currently working on some loosely functional rules for Enchanting (per the skill), after which I'll do some work on Alchemy and perhaps touch up Artefacting a bit. All of these will be posted here as they complete.

 

Really, the only thing I'm missing at the moment is the crafting skills. Combat and Magic are excellent, and all the social and narrative skills are just the right degree of flexible. It's just the "how do you make things" that we have zero guidance on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe more crafting rules will show up in the TtB equivalent of an Arms & Equipment or Complete Adventurer's Guide, that, or it'll be a major part of the Arcanists' book.

Here's to hoping they're 1) already developing those other books that were more than hinted at, and 2) that it will -not- require a Kickstarter campaign to produce.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm currently working on some loosely functional rules for Enchanting (per the skill), after which I'll do some work on Alchemy and perhaps touch up Artefacting a bit. All of these will be posted here as they complete.

 

Really, the only thing I'm missing at the moment is the crafting skills. Combat and Magic are excellent, and all the social and narrative skills are just the right degree of flexible. It's just the "how do you make things" that we have zero guidance on.

 

Exactly, and that's what has annoyed me the most.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I'm currently working on some loosely functional rules for Enchanting (per the skill), after which I'll do some work on Alchemy and perhaps touch up Artefacting a bit. All of these will be posted here as they complete.

Really, the only thing I'm missing at the moment is the crafting skills. Combat and Magic are excellent, and all the social and narrative skills are just the right degree of flexible. It's just the "how do you make things" that we have zero guidance on.

How's this going, mal? I have a player who wants to do something with constructs and I was hoping to look at some rules before I went making stuff up. Game balance is not my strongest suit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How's this going, mal? I have a player who wants to do something with constructs and I was hoping to look at some rules before I went making stuff up. Game balance is not my strongest suit.

 

I've got Enchanting dialled in pretty well, but need to actually draft up the document (and could probably use some more minor enchants), and the Alchemy stuff is getting there.

 

I've got Artefacting prototyped, but am not certain really where to go from there as I had kind of envisioned it overlapping somewhat with construct manufacture and custom melee (and Ranged!) weapons. This part will need some more time, but if you are looking just at building constructs, I've got the relevant size v. time portion near and could share that.

 

Give me until this weekend to get the stuff typed up and I'll kick it your way.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information