Errata: Danger Sense

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As we tinker and fine-tune Bulletproof Blues (and the other Kalos Mechanism games), from time to time we run across a rule that could be improved. This is one of those times. Does this mean that a Bulletproof Blues 4th edition is on the horizon? I doubt it, but who knows. For now, here is some errata for Danger Sense. This replaces the first paragraph of the definition of the Danger Sense power:

Danger Sense is a self-only power which permits the character to sense danger and avoid being surprised, even if there is no way for the character to see the attack coming. A character with Danger Sense never rolls less than two dice on hand-to-hand or ranged defense rolls, even if they would ordinarily have a penalty, or don’t have the skill at all.

Additionally, if an attack is imminent, the GM will ask the player to attempt a moderately difficult (DV 3) Perception (Reason + Power Level) roll. If the Danger Sense roll is successful, the character knows that an attack is imminent, and may warn other characters.

Happy gaming!

Skill Synchronization

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We’ve taken a break from our next Character Pack to work on a project that has been percolating for a while: synchronizing the skills between the various Kalos Mechanism games.

The modern skill list (as seen in Bulletproof Blues and Rough Magic) and the futuristic skill list (as seen in ZeroSpace) were easy enough to sync. That required only a few adjustments in the skill examples. The archaic skill list (as seen in Warlords Of Kruhl) required a little more work. Some skills (such as Computing) have no counterpart in an archaic game, while other skills (such as Piloting and Science) are different enough that a name change was unavoidable.

Another issue with archaic games is the heavy emphasis on religion: unlike modern and futuristic games, gods are often real in archaic games, so a new skill, Religion, was needed. (In modern games, religion falls under the umbrella of the Culture skill.)

ArchaicModernFuturistic
AthleticsAthleticsAthletics
ComputingComputing
CultureCultureCulture
DeceptionDeceptionDeception
DiplomacyDiplomacyDiplomacy
CraftingEngineeringEngineering
FinesseFinesseFinesse
GamblingGamblingGambling
Hand-to-hand CombatHand-to-hand CombatHand-to-hand Combat
InvestigationInvestigationInvestigation
ManipulationManipulationManipulation
MedicineMedicineMedicine
Mental CombatMental CombatMental Combat
OccultOccultOccult
PerceptionPerceptionPerception
PerformancePerformancePerformance
SeafaringPilotingPiloting
Ranged CombatRanged CombatRanged Combat
Religion
NatureScienceScience
StealthStealthStealth
SurvivalSurvivalSurvival
WarfareWarfareWarfare

Evangelists Of Mars

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At long last! Our first and only supplement written by the honorable Steven S. Long, “Evangelists Of Mars”, has been updated to be compatible with Bulletproof Blues, Third Edition. It is now available, pay-what-you-want, on DriveThruRPG.

Evangelists Of Mars by Steven S. Long
Evangelists Of Mars by Steven S. Long

Evangelists Of Mars

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The character updates for Evangelists of Mars are complete. Next, I update the layout with those changes, create the PDF, and then upload it to DriveThruRPG. I think two weeks is a realistic amount of time to get that done.

And then… Character Pack 4! Now that will really be something. 🙂

Back from break

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Almost a year ago, I took a break from updating Steven S. Long’s “Evangelists Of Mars” to be compatible with Bulletproof Blues 3rd edition. I didn’t mean for that break to last a year, but it did. Tonight I started work on it again. It is the last of the old sourcebooks that needed updating. If all goes well, I’ll have it wrapped up in a few weeks.

Evangelists Of Mars by Steven S. Long
Evangelists Of Mars by Steven S. Long

Evangelists Of Mars cover

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Still working on the print version of Bulletproof Blues third edition (revised). We need to make sure the files are perfect for the printer, or they reject them. In the meantime, here is the updated cover for Steven S. Long’s “Evangelists Of Mars”.

Evangelists Of Mars cover

Is it possible to play “wrong”?

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Many years ago, there was a computer program called SimCity. In the designer’s notes, they said that although it was marketed as a game, it really wasn’t — it was a toy. A game has an objective, which you either accomplish or you don’t. A toy is something you play with, however you like. The only objective of a toy is to have fun playing with it.

Tabletop roleplaying games are not truly “games” — they are toys. Do whatever you want with it. As long as you are having fun, the toy is serving its purpose. There is no “wrong way” to play a tabletop roleplaying game. Correction: there is one wrong way. If anyone at the table is not having fun playing with it, then either someone at the table is playing wrong (being a bad player, in other words), or that particular roleplaying game is not suited to the tastes of that particular group of players (which doesn’t make the game good or bad; it merely means that group would have more fun playing something else).

(As a side note, I submit that this is one element that distinguishes tabletop roleplaying games from so-called computer roleplaying games. Computer roleplaying games most definitely have objectives, and it is clearly possible to play them wrong.)

Ruins Of Atlanta — almost ready!

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Knock on wood, I think the layout and revisions for the updated “Ruins Of Atlanta” are done. I want to give my brain a break from it for a day or two, and give it another once-over, but barring unforeseen events, it ought to be available for download some time this weekend!

Ruins Of Atlanta by Jason Tondro
Ruins Of Atlanta by Jason Tondro