I need to revise the Work mechanics if you're going to spend them all doing Research, which are one of the purposes of low-effort actions. A big reason behind why I went through with the mechanics change is because it was just too much for me to do. I want to be able to spend my time focusing on the actual content of an update rather than thinking and stressing about Research or crafting or what have you.

Essentially, I want to be able to make all of an update enjoyable to read, which is simply impossible (for me, at least) if there's too many disparate things going on

Fair enough. Removing them as an option for Work is fine going forward (I think Work doesn't need changes beyond that). You, uh, actually already wrote up that specific list of Research options already other than Sword Stepping (found here), which is why they were reprised. I guess we can call them a freebie or something and use actual actions for Research in the future? Or just leave them costing Work this turn but remove that as an option going forward?

Like, I can remove them from the plan, but you already gave us that info so...

That said, there are some things that currently fall under Research that seem like they would not ever be worth an action and should maybe be Work. Specifically, checking if Alloys work and examining the one-off magic items that we've acquired from our Wizard-Owl. I dunno what we'd call those, but while things like learning languages and making armor and doing whole Soulscape things are totally worth actions "Do X and Y make an Alloy?" or similar things that should take maybe 5 minutes to check and maybe a sentence or two to write costing a full action seems...excessive. Maybe have those cost Work but be limited to 1 per turn?

Adding an option something like the following to Work (replacing Research) seems reasonable:

-Proof of Concept (Make a quick check of how two magical things interact, most obviously this allows checking if an Alloy works, though it'd also allow checking unknown magic items and how they work and similar things. Can only be done once per turn).

Would that work? Because given our other stuff I dunno if we're ever gonna get through our Items still in need of Research or make new Alloys if we can't do this or something like it. Something for gathering basic info on people would also be nice (a use of Work to gossip!) but I can see that being a lot more of an issue to write.

-Seidr and Other Magic (Do something like collect an Experience or perform a single divination or fertility blessing. Each costs 9 Work)

Oh, and looking back over Work, this is too expensive. Most Seeresses would be literally incapable of paying this at all given the amount of Work most people get (unless they all have, like, Labor 7 and a Trick or shapeshifting to help, which seems off thematically). It being 3 Work still means that most people can only manage one or two seidr-related things a turn (and even Halla abusing shapeshifting and Infusion would be limited to, like, 4-6 at most). If 3 is too low, 6 would also work (capping most seeresses at 1 and Halla at maybe 2-3), but 9 is just too high to be workable in-universe, IMO.

I also still had these questions, @Imperial Fister:

1. Do we still get a free Yule Divination, and if not would we be able to do it with Work or what?

2. How should we assign Focus actions: The thing it's most important to get done, even if we think it'll be real short, or the thing we think should get the most word count? Is the Focus an in-character thing or us the readers making a decision about what we're interested in reading?
 
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Proof of Concept (Make a quick check of how two magical things interact, most obviously this allows checking if an Alloy works, though it'd also allow checking unknown magic items and how they work and similar things. Can only be done once per turn).
I'll say that you have 9 of these a season, which you can use in an order, in any amount, as you like.

As long as you don't just wait until the last moment to do them all at once, because I will be quite cross with that.
Oh, and looking back over Work, this is too expensive. Most Seeresses would be literally incapable of paying this at all given the amount of Work most people get (unless they all have, like, Labor 7 and a Trick or shapeshifting to help, which seems off thematically). It being 3 Work still means that most people can only manage one or two seidr-related things a turn (and even Halla abusing shapeshifting and Infusion would be limited to, like, 4-6 at most). If 3 is too low, 6 would also work (capping most seeresses at 1 and Halla at maybe 2-3), but 9 is just too high to be workable in-universe, IMO.
Seidr rituals are supposed to be done many times over in order to work, so I reckon 3 is fine as the abstraction of that.
I also still had these questions, @Imperial Fister:
1. It'll be an action. Either focus or low-effort, though the distinction is up to you folks.
2. You decide. I will always place the majority of effort into the Focus action, which means that it is going to be the meat of the update. What you want to see the most of should be the Focus action.
 
I'll say that you have 9 of these a season, which you can use in an order, in any amount, as you like.

As long as you don't just wait until the last moment to do them all at once, because I will be quite cross with that.

Totally fair, yeah.

What about the existing set of Research? What should be done with that since it's already written? Should we spend Work or get it for free or what?

Seidr rituals are supposed to be done many times over in order to work, so I reckon 3 is fine as the abstraction of that.

Cool. Will adjust.

1. It'll be an action. Either focus or low-effort, though the distinction is up to you folks.
2. You decide. I will always place the majority of effort into the Focus action, which means that it is going to be the meat of the update. What you want to see the most of should be the Focus action.

Hmmm. The divination thing makes for a slight issue, but the plan can likely be adjusted...
 
You did, yes. You don't have to make up for it

Sweet. Alright then.

That being the case, here's a revised turn plan with all that understood. Sadly, the Yule stuff amounts to three actions, which puts off sending off Brother Bart a turn, which is not ideal, but should be workable in context (we're still sending him off in what would have been Turn 1 in the old system if we do it next turn).

[X] Plan Yule And Owlbears

-[X] [Focus] Yule Party
--[X] Specifically, invite a bunch of people to our Yule party with a specific focus on any women any of our huscarls say they'd like to invite (they're all single, giving them an opportunity to mingle is good)
--[X] All direct neighbors would also be invited, including Buri's family
--[X] Very publicly give our retainers the things we've made for them (weapons, armor, and arm-rings)
--[X] Give out Grand Forged Iron farming tools to those families in the valley most in need of good tools, picking members of the family other than the head if appropriate
---[X] Including one set Bo Burisson, former member of our crew

-[X] Talk To Buri
--[X] The idea here is to get somewhere private and recruit him to the cause of bringing down Dorri.
--[X] Taking all reasonable, and possibly some unreasonable, precautions to prevent being overheard.

-[X] Yule Divination
--[X] Take all appropriate privacy precautions, especially about vermin like ants
--[X] Ask who knows about Dorri's deal with Drysalt (using the same list of important people in the Valley for answers)
--[X] Ask who knows the truth about what happened to the Witch (again, same list)
--[X] Ask id defeating and slaying Dorri would escalate things with Drysalt in a way that speeds up the time-table on his plans? (Drawing lots for Yes, No, Likely, Unlikely, and Uncertain)

-[X] [Extended] Hunt the Owl-Fire-Bear-Thing
--[X] Taking at least Abjorn, Stigmar, and Alvis with us...possibly others depending on the situation

Training:
-[X] (Training) Hamr (511 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Sword Stepping 9xp
--[X] Train Harvesting Sense 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Fire Starter 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Brazier Bomb 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Ember Stoke 6xp (3xp)

-[X] (Training) Hugr (255 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Ignition 60xp (15xp)
--[X] Train Standstill 24xp (12xp)
--[X] Train Size Up 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Dancing Sparks 8xp (2xp)

-[X] (Training) Fylgja (512 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Owl-Eye Pulse 6xp

Work:
-[X] (Work Options)
--[X] Craft 9 Grand sets of Forged Iron farming tools as presents for those most in need in the Valley, customized to what we know of their needs (9 Work)
--[X] Plant hashish in our soulscape, spending 3 Odr for a crop (and see how much that gets us and what effects it has)

Other:
-[X] (Incidentals)
--[X] Before gaining Odr this turn infuse 128 Odr into Hamr, afterwards infuse 6 Odr into Labor, 4 Odr into combat, 2 Odr each into Smithing and Scouting, and 3 Odr each into Housecraft and Travel.
--[X] Adding Taafl Board Capacity Gains to: Asgeirr, Eyvor,
--[X] Receiving Metal from Dwarves: 24 oz Forged Iron, 6 oz Storm Iron,

-[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
--[X] Assign new slot to Reduced Sleep
 
It might be a good idea to spend more on armor piercing stuff with the new rules. Actually, @Imperial Fister maybe as an opposite direction to the half soak rule, attacks dealing more damage then the armor soak reduce it by extra? That makes it a bit better to do big attacks at times, and makes sense. And it also makes higher soak armors more resistant, which makes sense
 
It might be a good idea to spend more on armor piercing stuff with the new rules. Actually, @Imperial Fister maybe as an opposite direction to the half soak rule, attacks dealing more damage then the armor soak reduce it by extra? That makes it a bit better to do big attacks at times, and makes sense. And it also makes higher soak armors more resistant, which makes sense

This is very possibly true, but I think we need to know how our existing armor-piercing options work first. @Imperial Fister what do Leaping Cleave and Flashfire Cleave actually do to armor? Flashfire Cleave's mechanics are obsolete-ish (I converted them not knowing about the armor change), and Leaping Cleave's are a bit ambiguous.

So how do those two Tricks actually work? Do they do more than one point of Armor loss or ignore some amount of armor, or what?
 
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So how do those two Tricks actually work? Do they do more than one point of Armor loss or ignore some amount of armor, or what?
Strips soak equal to damage.

0~0~0

Voting is now closed. Fuck me, I'm nervous
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Jan 26, 2024 at 4:38 PM, finished with 57 posts and 3 votes.

  • [X] Plan Yule And Owlbears
    -[X] [Focus] Yule Party
    --[X] Specifically, invite a bunch of people to our Yule party with a specific focus on any women any of our huscarls say they'd like to invite (they're all single, giving them an opportunity to mingle is good)
    --[X] All direct neighbors would also be invited, including Buri's family
    --[X] Very publicly give our retainers the things we've made for them (weapons, armor, and arm-rings)
    --[X] Give out Grand Forged Iron farming tools to those families in the valley most in need of good tools, picking members of the family other than the head if appropriate
    ---[X] Including one set Bo Burisson, former member of our crew
    -[X] Talk To Buri
    --[X] The idea here is to get somewhere private and recruit him to the cause of bringing down Dorri.
    --[X] Taking all reasonable, and possibly some unreasonable, precautions to prevent being overheard.
    -[X] Yule Divination
    --[X] Take all appropriate privacy precautions, especially about vermin like ants
    --[X] Ask who knows about Dorri's deal with Drysalt (using the same list of important people in the Valley for answers)
    --[X] Ask who knows the truth about what happened to the Witch (again, same list)
    --[X] Ask id defeating and slaying Dorri would escalate things with Drysalt in a way that speeds up the time-table on his plans? (Drawing lots for Yes, No, Likely, Unlikely, and Uncertain)
    -[X] [Extended] Hunt the Owl-Fire-Bear-Thing
    --[X] Taking at least Abjorn, Stigmar, and Alvis with us...possibly others depending on the situation
    -[X] (Training) Hamr (511 XP to rank up)
    --[X] Train Sword Stepping 9xp
    --[X] Train Harvesting Sense 6xp (3xp)
    --[X] Train Fire Starter 6xp (3xp)
    --[X] Train Brazier Bomb 6xp (3xp)
    --[X] Train Ember Stoke 6xp (3xp)
    -[X] (Training) Hugr (255 XP to rank up)
    --[X] Train Ignition 60xp (15xp)
    --[X] Train Standstill 24xp (12xp)
    --[X] Train Size Up 6xp (3xp)
    --[X] Train Dancing Sparks 8xp (2xp)
    -[X] (Training) Fylgja (512 XP to rank up)
    --[X] Train Owl-Eye Pulse 6xp
    -[X] (Work Options)
    --[X] Craft 9 Grand sets of Forged Iron farming tools as presents for those most in need in the Valley, customized to what we know of their needs (9 Work)
    --[X] Plant hashish in our soulscape, spending 3 Odr for a crop (and see how much that gets us and what effects it has)
    -[X] (Incidentals)
    --[X] Before gaining Odr this turn infuse 128 Odr into Hamr, afterwards infuse 6 Odr into Labor, 4 Odr into combat, 2 Odr each into Smithing and Scouting, and 3 Odr each into Housecraft and Travel.
    --[X] Adding Taafl Board Capacity Gains to: Asgeirr, Eyvor,
    --[X] Receiving Metal from Dwarves: 24 oz Forged Iron, 6 oz Storm Iron,
    -[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
    --[X] Assign new slot to Reduced Sleep
 
Alright, dice rolls for asgeirr and eyvor, please. As well as some silly dice rolls (just d6s) for your unmarried Retainers.

That's right, we're doing this shit again, baybee
 
Alright, dice rolls for asgeirr and eyvor, please. As well as some silly dice rolls (just d6s) for your unmarried Retainers.

That's right, we're doing this shit again, baybee

Aw. Sad. They rolled so well last time (for the most part), I was hoping we could keep those rolls. That said, for ease of use, here's a list of unmarried retainers.

Stigmar
Tryggr
Trausti
Vagn
Kare
Ingolf
Eysteinn
Alvis
Hakon
Trygve
Magni

And I'll roll for both kids Capacity gains since there are a lot of rolls to make. EDIT: Sadly, no Capacity gains right now.
DeadmanwalkingXI threw 1 6-faced dice. Reason: Asgeirr Total: 4
4 4
DeadmanwalkingXI threw 1 6-faced dice. Reason: Eyvor Total: 5
5 5
 
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Prowess
With everything going on when I posted the revised mechanics, I accidentally overlooked the exclusion of a rather important mechanic. My apologies for that, by the way.

Prowess is a way for you to close the gap between you and the top tiers, a gap I didn't really think about before hand. Every time you level Prowess, you get a point to spend on increasing one of your combat stats by one. It starts out requiring 3xp to raise and, with every level up, it requires 3 more xp to get to the next.
Prowess 1 - 3xp
Prowess 2 - 6xp
Prowess 3 - 9xp
Prowess 4 - 12xp
Prowess 5 - 15xp
Prowess 6 - 18xp
Prowess 7 - 21xp
Prowess 8 - 24xp
Prowess 9 - 27xp
Prowess 10 - 30xp
Prowess 11...

Regardless, there's some point allocation for you to do. I'm starting you out at Prowess 9 because 9 is a good, Norsely number. As such, you have 9 points to spend on the following;
Initiative: How fast you react to things and, thus, how soon you act in both a round of combat and clashes.
Stamina: How many clashes you can manage in a single round of combat. Once all clashes have completed—or something flips the table—the round ends.
Speed: How many attacks you can make in a single clash.
Capacity: How many different tricks you have available for the round.
Analysis: How well you can read your opponent/s and/or the situation.
Offense: What gets added to your attack rolls.
Defense: What gets added to your defense rolls
Pierce: Things that add damage to your attacks
-Specifics: Sometimes, you have things that give you Pierce only in specific situations/requirements
Resist: Things that detract damage from enemy attacks
-Specifics: Sometimes, you have things that give you Resist only in specific situations/requirements

Halla's current combat baseline (that is to say, not counting equipment or shapeshifting);
Initiative 1
Stamina 1
Speed 6 (+5 from Shapecrafting)
Capacity 12
Analysis 8 (+8 from Frenzy)
Offense 8 (+8 from Frenzy)
Defense 8 (+8 from Frenzy)
Pierce 0
Resist 0

You have 9 points to spend here, how would you like to spend them?
[ ] Write in

0~0~0

I'm going to leave this vote open till tomorrow.
 
[X] Think Fast!
-[X] +6 Initiative
-[X] +1 Speed
-[X] +2 Analysis
 
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Uhh… how? like don't they also get this or is this a protagonists special? Because if its not it doesn't really close the gap it's just adds another avenue of growth (which isn't a bad thing by itself).
I remembered someone talking once about how it felt like they'd maxed out all the routes of progression and still hadn't reached the strength of Steinarr despite Steinarr not having half the things they did. Thinking on it more, I realized they weren't entirely wrong.

With that in mind, I devised this as a solution to that problem. NPCs, of course, have access to this as well.
 
[X] More Clashing, Faster
-[X] +5 Initiative
-[X] +4 Stamina

Leaning into speed is good, but if we can not only start our clashes faster but do more that seems even better.
 
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