Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Warrior abilities, first six (now eighteen!) illustrations
Here we have: Whirlwind strike, Galvanizer, Indomitable, Faith in wind, Favored weapon, Left hand of life (right hand of death), Brute, Executioner, Radiant champion, Berserker, Untouchable sprinter, Void master, Giant killer, Roar of the spirit, Sentinel, Iron fist, Desperado, Uncanny strategist.
Sunday, 1 March 2015
A little sad, always brave; themes in Break!!
The rules of Break!! are intended to be helpful and encouraging. The easily shouted title is a deliberate choice - my hope is that everything about the game encourages creativity, action and energy. Even failure should be an invitation to try something new, especially if it is because said failure has radically altered the situation somehow.
This doesn't mean things always work or are always easy - the world of Break!! is as dangerous for the characters as they are to it. The setting is diverse and contrasting; while the Wistful Dark is gloomy and foreboding and the Blazing Garden is full of wonder and oddities, both are home to a villainous Status quo. The Outer World has seen several "Golden Ages" rot away or end with abrupt violence and those that have risen to power in the current age range from malevolent to troubled. The dark twists and corrupts those trapped within it, the Bright turns a blind eye to those that suffer under it's gaze.
While some of the occasionally adorable or amusing inhabitants of the world even a lot of it out, it still ends up being a little sad.
But that too is intentional - the point is that it's not meant to stay that way. The world is filled with danger because it's assumed that adventurers will brave it. It is a dark place, but not a hopeless one. There is beauty to be unearthed and hope to be spread. Even the most mercenary parties may dredge up something wonderful, or oust some terrible threat to the people so they can loot its ill-gotten horde.
The game is likely best summed up by several sketches of Mariah the Battle Princess, defiantly staring at some unseen evil with tears in her eyes. Sorrow is understandable, valor is a must.
This doesn't mean things always work or are always easy - the world of Break!! is as dangerous for the characters as they are to it. The setting is diverse and contrasting; while the Wistful Dark is gloomy and foreboding and the Blazing Garden is full of wonder and oddities, both are home to a villainous Status quo. The Outer World has seen several "Golden Ages" rot away or end with abrupt violence and those that have risen to power in the current age range from malevolent to troubled. The dark twists and corrupts those trapped within it, the Bright turns a blind eye to those that suffer under it's gaze.
While some of the occasionally adorable or amusing inhabitants of the world even a lot of it out, it still ends up being a little sad.
But that too is intentional - the point is that it's not meant to stay that way. The world is filled with danger because it's assumed that adventurers will brave it. It is a dark place, but not a hopeless one. There is beauty to be unearthed and hope to be spread. Even the most mercenary parties may dredge up something wonderful, or oust some terrible threat to the people so they can loot its ill-gotten horde.
The game is likely best summed up by several sketches of Mariah the Battle Princess, defiantly staring at some unseen evil with tears in her eyes. Sorrow is understandable, valor is a must.