Break!!

Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Option Menu: Creating your own Species

BREAK!! Includes a number of intelligent species for players to choose from when making a character. Even more are wandering about the surface of Outer World, many of which also make for suitable adventurers (such as the mundymutts). Still, even with all these options people may have a missing archetype or new idea they want to try out. You may want to add even more or replace some of these species for your own games, especially if you are using your own customized setting. Whatever the case, this Option Menu entry is here as a handy guide for doing so.

Modifying/Reskinning Existing Species

Just like other character options, Species can be quickly modified without too much work by reworking a facet or two.

A species unique to BREAK!! can have its fiction changed to match another’s. The mechanics for Tenebrae and Prometheans could be used for “Dark Elves” and “Lizard Folk” in a more traditional fantasy setting, as an example.
Changing the size of an existing Species can be used to create variants or even make them into a new one entirely. Shifting Dwarves to Large sized would be a good start to introducing the big friendly rock munching folk of a certain popular video game franchise to your saga.
Adding a customized or re-skinned history to a Dimensional Stray can create characters who are stranded from realities or time periods significantly different from the contemporary.

Creating your own Species

Crafting a species might seem daunting, but it can be kept relatively straightforward by following the guidelines below. These should give you an idea on how to make a new species in the style of the entries found in the BREAK!! rulebook. While you don’t have to follow that format exactly, it is a good way to organize your thoughts and will give you a common ground to share them with your group (or others) on.

Overview: The name of your new species and a brief introduction to them. Think of it as the narration that a documentary about them would open with.

Physiology: What the new species looks like, interesting physical features they may have, and how this might relate to their surroundings. Feel free to be as broad as practical here because it's unlikely any species will have a truly uniform appearance.

Demeanor: How the new species comes off and how they act towards others due to their place and circumstances in the world. Don’t feel bad generalizing a bit - this is just how many of the species come off to the rest of the folk, not a decree on how every member of a species thinks and feels.

Outlook: Five general statements that outline the philosophies and shared wisdom the species has developed over generations. These should be sayings you can imagine caregivers saying to children, or adages repeated in difficult times.

History: A brief history on the species origins in the Outer World and how it has existed throughout the aeons. Again, feel free to be general with this one, it just helps players get a read on how the new species exists in the fiction of the game.

Adventurers: An outline on what members of the species generally become adventurers. Is it an honored tradition among them, something outcasts tend towards, or something in-between?

Typical Names: An explanation on what sort of given and family names appear among the new species and how they are decided upon, along with a few examples. A simple naming convention can go a long way in helping people decide on what to call their characters!

Size: The Species size should be noted. They can be medium, small, or large as noted in the BREAK!! rulebook.

Abilities: If you are creating a new species for players to use, the Species Abilities will make up the bulk of your work. The guide on creating Game Master Entities in the BREAK!! rulebook has a section on crafting new Abilities that will prove helpful here, though there are are a few additional considerations to keep in mind:

It is assumed that a basic character species is as capable and vulnerable as a human being. Anything that differs from that (such as the tenebrate’s special sight, the fact that prometheans can regrow lost limbs, etc) should be represented with an Ability.
Species Abilities should be broadly applicable and less focused than Abilities received from Callings. They should be useful to almost any sort of character to avoid pigeonholing your new creation.
Every Species should have one Ability that is purely advantageous that sets them apart from other folk. This can be something straightforward like the Dimensional Stray having an additional positive trait, or something more ambitious like the Goblin’s ability to make impossible but fragile gadgets. Try to use an existing Species Ability that’s close to your idea as a guideline.
Additional Abilities (such as those representing a bio-mechanoid’s mechanical nature, or how both the tenebrate and promethean begin play with points in Allegiance) can be used to further define a particularly odd or unique species. These should either have both benefits and downsides that should come as close to evening each other out as possible, or be mechanically neutral.
For example, in the case of the Bio-Mechanoid they are both immune to bad things that affect organic creatures, but also cannot benefit from things like magical healing or potions either.
Certain Eldritch or Physiological Quirks could be converted into these kinds of additional Abilities, such as Unusual Appetite for a species like the aforementioned rock eating folks from the re-skinning example.
A Species that needs more than 2-3 Abilities to define might not be suitable for a normal playable Species and might need to be re-worked a bit.
Maturative Abilities should be around as potent as an Advanced Elective Ability. They should stick to the theme set by the species itself.
Maturative Abilities are also a good place to hide some lore for the species as well. Both the Tenebrate and Prometheans have a bit of history hidden in their Maturative Abilities, for example.
Like all any customized option, If you are not the GM of the saga you are about to play in please consult them and make sure they approve of your creation.

Below is a new Species created with these guidelines in mind:

Hoppalongs

This lagomorphic species is hard to miss thanks to their darting movements and charming features. Don’t underestimate them though - they may seem docile but they are no less capable than more fearsome species.

Physiology: Hoppalongs are a little shorter than the average human and rabbit-like in appearance, with long ears and soft fur.

Typical Demeanor: Hoppalongs tend towards being curious and chipper. While there are many among them who are quite skittish, some are just a bit too brave for their own good.

Outlook:

Cowards can always return to correct their mistakes, the foolhardy rarely get the chance
Remember to look out for what’s overhead and underfoot
Glance twice, jump once
Keep pace with those you care about
Ask a lot of questions (at a safe distance)

History: The origin of the hoppalongs is something of a mystery. No record of them shows up prior to the 3rd Aeon, and while some have mentioned an island in the sky they came from no one can seem to confirm it. Still, these cheerful folk have managed to acclimate themselves into the societies of Outer World fairly well.

They first appeared along the coasts of the Blazing Garden, but they have since spread outwards and can be found in all corners of Outer World.

Adventurers: Most hoppalongs don’t intend to become adventurers. In fact, many who do simply got caught up in some trivial task and ended up on a much longer journey than desired. Still, they often take well to life on the road once their curiosity overtakes their high-strung nature.

Typical Names: Hoppalong names gravitate towards descriptors of softness, jumping, and alacrity.

Examples: Skippy Floofins, Cotton Highhop, Bouncy Bedding, Nimble Puffins

Note: The fiction here gives one a lot to work when deciding on the mechanics of the species, as well as tying Hoppalongs to a relatively simple theme of being rabbit folk.

Species Size: Hoppalongs are slightly shorter than a typical human.

You are a Medium Species.

Innate Abilities

Prey’s Instinct

The cautious nature of the hoppalongs should not be underestimated; alertness and avoiding harm is baked into their very being.

You have an Edge for Insight and Deftness Rolls involved with noticing or avoiding physical danger.

Maturative Ability

Springer

While most hoppalongs are athletic, some develop a talent for jumping that has to be seen to be believed.

You gain Supernatural Leaping, as described in the BREAK!! Rulebook

Note: Supernatural Leaping is a given when it comes to rabbit types, but it's strong enough to warrant being a maturative Ability. So for the standard Ability, I took another trait of rabbits (being especially alert and aware) and used that for inspiration.

Tuesday, 25 July 2023

Option Menu: Re-Skinning and Modifying Callings

BREAK!!’s Callings are designed to be well defined but provide players a lot of chances to make them their own. Each starts in the same place, but depending on the Elective Abilities one selects, along with how the Calling interacts with the character’s Species, Quirk, and History, that foundation can go in any number of directions. This variety comes with growth and advancement, intended to be influenced and very much a part of the Saga the character is involved with.

There may be times where one might want to tweak or alter this foundation a bit. A player might have a particularly well formed idea for a character from the get-go. A Game Master may want to have a specialized version of a Calling available for a homebrewed setting. Someone might like the mechanics of a character option but wants to go with a different vibe - whatever the reason, there are any number of ways to facilitate these desires. In this Option Menu entry, we’ll present two easy ways to do so.

Re-skinning and Re-Flavoring

The simplest way to go about this is briefly noted in the core BREAK!! rules but bears repeating: sometimes you can achieve what you are going for simply by choosing a different name and flavor for a particular character’s version of a Calling but retaining the mechanics as is. This can be achieved in a few ways:

You can look at a character's History and use that to inform their interpretation of a Calling. For example, you might call a Champion with the Holy Isle Samurai history a Bushi or Musha.
If you have already planned out a certain trajectory for your character, you could choose a new name based on that as well. Sages that are going to mostly learn Status Ailment afflicting Abilities might be called Witches or Hexers.
This does not need to be limited to Calling names either - you could also alter Abilities in a similar way. As an example, you might change the titles and look of the sealed names your Heretic calls upon while keeping their actual effects intact to create a necromancer or summoner.

Ability Swapping

Another, more advanced way to customize a Calling is to swap out one of their Starting Abilities for another. While relatively simple on the surface, this can change the feel and trajectory of Calling significantly.

When choosing a Starting Ability to swap out, make sure it’s not a key one that ties into the Calling’s Other Abilities. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to take away the Battle Princess’s Heart’s Blade as it ties into a good number of their electives.
The simplest and most straightforward use of this method is taking an entry from a Calling’s list of Standard Elective Abilities and switching it with one of the Calling’s Starting Abilities. The Starting Ability then becomes something the Character can select when they increase in Rank.
You may also rename the Calling to reflect this change if you would like. For example, a Sneak who has Sticky Fingers switched out for Able Alchemist might be called a Sapper or Saboteur instead.

It is also possible to take this a step forward and swap an Ability from another Calling entirely. This one requires a bit more thought and careful consideration.

In this case, one of the Character’s Starting Abilities can be swapped with a Standard Elective or Starting Ability from another Calling. The swapped out Ability does not become one the player can select from when advancing in Rank.
You want to avoid doing so with an Ability that might be too useful combined with the other benefits provided from the Calling, and you want to avoid encroaching on another Calling’s greater role (especially if the party also contains a character from said Calling). Your mileage will vary in this factor, so try to keep your group or the games you want to run in mind for this step.
Finally, this should be an Ability that adds an interesting twist to the character when applied. A Champion learning a Sneak or Factotum Ability adds a new facet to the character, while drawing from another warrior like the Raider is somewhat redundant.
The most suitable Abilities for swapping are useful on their own and at least somewhat standalone from the most common mechanical functions of the original Calling. Abilities that grant Crafting Disciplines or have self contained effects (such as Everyday Divination or Master Tactician) are good examples.
Conversely, Abilities that grant Bonuses or Edges, increase your Speed Rating, or grant you Supernatural Abilities shouldn’t be considered - these were written with being locked to their particular Calling in mind, and might unbalance things if given to other ones.
The new Ability might need to be reworked just a bit to fit in with the desired Calling thematically. This can take on many forms: a natural magical Ability might be retooled into a little ritual the character learned in their travels, or the Rolls required for the Ability might be altered to use the new Calling’s primary Aptitudes. The one strict guideline is any changes should not eliminate any existing limitations the Ability has (at least without adding a new one in its place).

Below are a few examples employing these methods. The first two show what you can do by Ability swapping and re-flavoring things within the same Calling, whereas the second set also includes an Ability taken from another Calling and re-worked to fit.

Bruiser

The Bruiser is a variant Champion. Rough and tumble fighters that prefer to rely on their fists and muscles rather than the armaments of war, Bruisers often come from humble stock that don’t have fancy weapons on hand but still need to deal with the many dangers of Outer World. As a result, they tend to be quite popular among folks in need of heroes, regardless of their particular ethical bent.

The Bruiser is identical to the Champion with the following exceptions:

The Starting Ability Combat Momentum is replaced with the Standard Elective Ability Brawler. Combat Momentum may be taken as an elective ability at higher ranks.
The Starting Ability Favored Weapon is replaced with the Standard Elective Ability Brazen Defense. Favored Weapon may be taken as an elective ability at higher ranks.

Note: Into the Fray is not an essential Ability, but so integral to how the Champion is played it’s likely best to keep it as a Starting Ability, like it is here with the Bruiser.

Bright-Heart Paladin

The Bright-Heart Paladin is a variation of the Battle Princess. These knightly sorts insist their magic comes from a devotion to righteousness and some form of spiritual movement. This is usually a philosophy under the umbrella of the Dawn Orthodoxy, but other organizations such as the Church of the Sacred Chain count a few Paladins among their number. It is rumored that Bright-Heart Paladins will lose access to their powers if they stray from a strict moral code, but this penalty is self imposed (if applied at all).

The Bright-Heart Paladin is identical to the Battle Princess with the following exceptions:

The starting ability Heart’s Blade is renamed Holy Sword, which functions in the same manner.
The starting ability Soul Companion is renamed Bonded Mount. It functions in the same manner as usual, though Mount must be taken as its first Ability at Rank 1.
The starting ability Shield of Love is replaced by the standard elective Ability Compassion Cure, which is renamed to Lay on Hands. Shield of Love may be taken as an elective ability at higher Ranks.

Note: It’s important to keep in mind here the Heart’s Blade name is changed but its mechanics are unaltered. This Ability is important to many of the other Battle Princess ones, so it shouldn’t be mucked with too much if you can help it.

With a little work a similar but thematically opposed Dark-Soul Paladin that uses the Murder Princess Calling as a base could also be created.

Mountebank

While Sage’s are generally thought of as reputable scholars that disseminate and chronicle useful information, not all the practitioners of wizardry are so upfront. Mountebank's have learned to sulk about and deceive, complimenting their roguish ways with the magic of their more forthright cousins. While many mages have a few colorful words to describe these rakes, playwrights and novelists often delight in and romanticize their antics.

The Mountebank is identical to the Sage with the following exceptions:

The Starting Class Ability Grand Grimoire is replaced with the Standard Elective Ability Murky Mask. Grand Grimoire may be taken as an elective ability at higher ranks.
The Starting Class Ability Sage’s Staff is replaced with Light Footed, a Sneak Starting Ability. Sage’s Staff cannot be taken later on.

Note: Light Footed was taken from the Sneak’s Abilities rather than Furtive because the Sage Abilities have access to Cloak of Obscurity down the line, so the former ultimately adds more to the Mountebank’s potential repertoire.

Scribe

Scribes are offshoots of the Factotum. Rather than toting around a bag filled with knick knacks and useful tools, Scribes are constantly absorbing trivia and recording things in their massive journals. Every experience is a chance for discovery and learning, something worth taking down and telling others all about. Their accumulated knowledge can be levied to solve problems, assist others, and thwart foes.

The Scribe is identical to the Factotum with the following exceptions:

The Starting Ability Factotum’s Pack is replaced with Journey Journal, which is explained here. Factotum's Pack cannot be taken as an elective ability later on.
The Starting Ability Second to none is replaced with the Standard Elective Ability Folklorist. Scribes may choose Second to none as a Standard Elective Ability later on.
Due to the replacement of the Factotum’s Pack, the Advanced Elective Ability Pack Tactics becomes Hardcore Hardcover, which functions in the same manner, just centered around the Scribe’s journal rather than the normal backpack.

Journey Journal (Starting Ability)

Every Scribe carries around an extensive journal that they are constantly scribbling notes, doodles, and other things into. They are never caught without these records, to the point they feel like extensions of their own bodies, rather than something they are carrying about.

While Journey Journals generally take the form of very large books, they don’t need to be - anything one can record information on that is suitably cumbersome could work.

Your Journey Journal is a large book or other collection of notes and sketches you always seem to have on hand, but never gets in your way. While in your possession, it takes up a single Item Slot. If anyone else tries to carry it, it takes up 3.
If you fail an Insight Check when attempting to recall a piece of information, you may consult your Journal for clues. Stuffed full of factual tidbits, the tome will allow the GM to reveal a hint to where the elusive piece of information can be found.
You scribble and sketch in some personalized form of hard to read writing when jotting things down for your Journal, such as shorthand, code, or riddles. This makes it easier for you to take down everything you notice quickly, but also means it’s more or less impossible for someone else to read unless they know you very well. Those who have a Social Bond with you may use the Journal for research in the same way you do.
If your journal is ever lost or destroyed, you may recreate it if you take a downtime action in an area where you would be able to procure the supplies to do so.

Note: This is an altered version of the Sage’s Grand Grimoire. It has been turned into a mundane tome to fit the Factotum’s down to earth nature.

Saturday, 20 May 2023

Kickstarter Completion and our next steps!

Earlier this week our kickstarter ended. BREAK!! was funded and then some, to say the least! The outpouring of enthusiasm and the fact that so many people are excited to play our game has left both of us feeling extremely grateful. Thanks again to those of you who've been following BREAK!! for a while now and to those who only found out about us recently. We can't wait to get the game into your hands.

If you missed out don't worry! We now have a pre-order button!

Speaking of which, we're in the process of proofreading and editing now. Once that's done, a preview PDF will go out to kickstarter backers for a feedback period - and after that's done, we can send out a finalized PDF. From there, it's off to the printers for physical fulfillment. In the meantime, we'll probably look into making the PDF up for sale in other outlets as well.

With crowdfunding more or less behind us, this blog will shift a bit in focus - once the rules are available in some form for people, this place will become a spot for announcements as well as free material for the game. We have several entries on how to tweak and customize BREAK!! for your home games planned for once the preview PDF is out, for example. And once the full game is out we plan on releasing zine style supplements and freebies for as long as we are able.

So keep an eye on this blog for all the latest, and thank you again for all your support!