EVERYTHING IS TOO COMPLICATED!!!

UGG!!

I keep trying to add mechanics because I have new ideas, and all it does is make things extra complicated for no reason which makes balancing things VERY difficult! Specifically, Powers and Consumables! I know how I want them to work, but it ends up way too complicated for my liking...

I am going to have to go all the way back to the drawing board and simplify everything...

I'd really like some help on all this...

Many Updates!

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page

The game has been updated... alot.
Go check out all the changes at Obsidian Portal!
PLEASE play the game, look over the rules, give me feedback!

Training

I am planning on removing Specializations and replacing them with Trainings.

These are trees through which the Character specializes in their abilities.

These are based on (Currently 5) archetypes that I have created for the Hollow.

Training

These are trees of special qualities the character has gained from their experience. The character may partake in any number of Trainings, but they may not begin buying Ranks in another Training until they have completed their current tree. Each Rank of Training costs 6bp.

Valiant – They are the veterans of the battlefield; nothing can deter them or their allies from reaching their goal.

Training Bonus – Reduce penalties to Direct Combat Actions by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Reduce Armor Burden penalties by 1.

Rank 2 – Increase Willpower by 1.

Rank 3 – Increase all Consumable Unit Sizes by 1.

Rank 4 – Valiant Training bonus is applied to everyone within Close Range.

Tactician – They provides tactical support on the battlefield and through the Matrix to aid in their teams objective.

Training Bonus – Reduce penalties to Cyber Combat Actions by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Reduce penalties to Technical Skills by 1.  

Rank 2 – Reduce Tax Cost of Technical Powers by 1.

Rank 3 – Increase the Firewall rating of self and party by 2.

Rank 4 – Increase Duration of Technical Powers and effects by a factor of 1.

Operator – They act as advance surveyors and snipers of the battlefield. They gather information key to the survival of the mission.

Training Bonus – Reduce Rank required to Investigation by Training Rank. Increase Awareness rolls by 1 per Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Increase Weapon Accuracy by 1.

Rank 2 – Increase bonus provided by Aim Actions by 1.

Rank 3 – A single Aim Action may be made as a Swift Action per Round.

Rank 4 – The Character’s Defense is only reduced by half when Flat-Footed. This does not affect the Character if they are Helpless.

Mancer – Powerful wielders of powers who can fill many roles on and off the battlefield.

Training Bonus – Reduce penalties to Mancy Skills by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Gain a +1 bonus versus Mancy Powers and Skills.

Rank 2 – Reduce Mancy Power Energy Cost by 1.

Rank 3 – Increase Mancy Power Durations of Mancy Skill Powers and effects by a factor of 1.

Rank 4 – Reduce Damage required to Overwhelm targets with Mancy Powers by 1. Willpower Levels of Mancy Powers are increased by 1.

Dragoon – Unstoppable combat monsters, they reign supreme in close range; laying waste to all in their path.

Training Bonus – Increase Encumbrance and Speed by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – A single Melee Action may be made as a Swift Action per Round.

Rank 2 – Increase Tolerance by 1.

Rank 3 – Reduce Damage required to Overwhelm targets by 1.

Rank 4 – Increase the Character’s Defense by 2 versus Actions made at Close Range.

The Fae, part 2

Fae

True Fae are incomprehensible, monstrous, humanoid creatures. Their motives are obscure; any attempts to communicate have failed. They seem to consider other sentient life inconsequential and insignificant. They do not feel emotions as other sentient life would; they do not experience Envy, Lust, Pride, Wrath, Greed, etc. Nothing; they are simply a force. Fae seem undying, as killing one is nearly impossible. The Hollow have only been able to contain them, or place them into a stasis. The only way to completely destroy a True Fae is to disable its Field i.e. stop all neurological activity. Which is impossible because they cannot be killed.

True Fae produce a Field similarly to the Aether. However, they instead reshape reality, or completely destroy a piece of reality, converting it back into Chaos. These effects are, of course, reversed as soon as the Fae’s influence leaves the affected area; the Observer’s Aether returning to normal. This being said, Fae are not “observed” by the Observers; they do not belong , or rather shouldn’t exist, in the Hollow. Thus, Fae must establish their own reality apart from the Observers through their own Field. They create islands of reality around themselves fabricating everything from the environment upon which they stand, to their own physical form. 

APPEARANCE

A Fae’s appearance varies as they themselves construct their own physical forms. However, they are generally humanoid, lacking any distinguishable facial features, and stand an average of 7meters tall. 

Ergo, if a Fae’s Field were to ever fail, they would cease to exist; the Observer’s would observe that they shouldn’t exist, and they would not. 

IMMACULATE AURA - A Fae's primary mode of defense, and what a defense it is. 

A Fae does not utilize a Field in the same way as other sentient creatures, and may expand their Aura beyond themselves thus creating their own islands of reality. Ergo, the Fae’s abilities, traits, powers, etc. may only affect that which is currently within its Immaculate Aura's range. Further, for every increment of range beyond Touch Range the Aura is spread, Integrity is considered 1 Rank lower for the purpose of a Fae’s Powers. 

Touch – Increase Soak by Integrity versus targets beyond Touch Range; reduce Speed and Defense by Integrity.

Close – Increase Soak and Defense by Integrity /2 versus targets beyond Close Range; reduce Speed by Integrity /2.

Long – Increase Defense by Integrity versus targets beyond Long Range.

To this, it is impractical to engage Fae at extreme range as attacks are simply deflected from the Fae far from the danger. This makes orbital bombardment, fleetships, and other side heavy firepower nonviable. 

Ergo, units must be deployed on the ground, or in close proximity to the Fae, attacking it within it's own Field with heavy support just outside the Field's range. Those tasked with attacking the Fae directly experience incredible danger because within an Immaculate Aura, Fae are supreme. They make the rules. 

TRAITS

Shaping – The Fae may change the Environmental Modifiers, save the time of day, as a Free Action. The Fae may also construct a Field Hazard as a Complex Action.

Sight – Fae never suffer penalties to Awareness, and always roll maximum Awareness. Fae ignore LoS. Fae ignore Stealth. Fae ignore the Partially Covered, Covered, and Concealed Conditions. They are always aware.

Monstrous Creature – Increase all base Vital Statistics by 2, Increase base Speed by 2, Reduce Damage required to Overwhelm target’s with Melee Attacks by 2, Increase Melee Attack Damage by 1d6, Increase Heavy Melee Damage by an additional 1d6, Reduce Defense by 2.

Reality Impaired – Fae are immune to all Physical, Mental, and Dire Conditions. That being said, they are immune to Overwhelm effects. However, if the Fae is Overwhelmed, their Integrity is reduced by 1. Further, when normally considered Battered, all Shaping effects under the Fae are cancelled, it loses its Flight capabilities, and it may not use any of its Powers until they have recovered at least 1 Health. The Fae has no Vitality. Thus, in order to incapacitate the Fae, their Integrity must be reduced to zero. If the Fae’s Integrity is ever reduced to zero, they become Helpless.

Weakness to Orichalcum – Fae Suffer Aggravated Damage from Orichalcum. That is, any non-Special Munition’s Blok (Orichalcum Coin) deals Agg Damage when fired from a weapon. 

EQUIPMENT AGAINST THE FAE

Use unmodified Orichalcum Bloks with high Armor Penetration do prevent the Fae from regenerating. Deal as much Damage as possible to Overwhelm the Fae. 

And it that doesn't work...

Longinus Lance – 20ore

The Character uses this Consumable as a Weapon Attack Action. Deal 1d6 +4 Physical Damage with -1 Armor Penetration to a single target in Line of Sight. If the target is a Fae, the Damage suffered is Aggravated. As well, this Consumable will remain imbedded in the target. If this target is a Fae, their Integrity is reduced by 1 so long as it remains. The target may spend a full Round removing the imbedded Consumable.

Osmium Grenade – 18ore

Create the Fog Environmental Condition within Close Range for 1d3 +2 Rounds. Fae do not have perfect Awareness versus targets within this area.

Rowan Wand – 12ore

The Character gains a Rating bonus to Willpower versus Fae while this Consumable is equipped. 

The Fae

The Fae are the most dangerous enemies characters will encounter in the Hollow, and are treated as such by the peoples of World. That being said... I have not developed them as much as I would like to have done by now. I feel that I have done lots of research into creating them, but have only confused myself in the process many times. 

Anyway! 

THE FAE; beings of Chaos.

Traits

Voice – Social Combat causes damage and other harmful effects.

               

Glamour – Illusions; Field plane seeding (Neuromancy).

               

Shaping – Anti-observation; Reality Mancy.

               

Flight? – self-explanatory... could use some work.

Sight – PERFECT Awareness. Maximum rolls at all times.

Neuromancy should't effect a Fae, or it should suffer penalties. 

Weaknesses

Cold Iron – Material pegs the Fae for observation, inhibiting their abilities. Easily a Special Munition or other consumable. 

Rowan – Inhibits Glamour. Consumable; for setting, I see structures on the edges of Factories, Borderlands, etc which emit? built of? Rowan. Extra-Dimensional poison?

Shiny Objects? Again, structures similar to above and/or consumable. Possibly a power. Traparmancy?

Killing a Fae

Basically impossible.

Lesser fae (un-capitalized, abominations, aberrations, etc.) are more easily destroyed as they are still bound by the Reality maintained by the Observers, and they are technically still considered sentient in the way we understand the concept. These fae are accidental, and a far-cry from True Fae. They are merely touched by Chaos, and warped by the experience. Their body is destroyed or warped, their nervous system (and thus their Field) is the last thing to go. If the Field is left intact, it becomes exponentially more powerful, and begins to construct its own Reality, and thus, a new bodily form. Destroying the nervous system, their Core, will destroy this fae.

True Fae (capitalized) do not have a core, and they create their own reality. Their bodies are hollow, they are similacrum of mortal existence. Damaging the body is like attacking water. Further, Fae produce an anti-observation field which prevents the Observers from observing their existence. That is, if an Observer were to observe a True Fae, the Fae would cease to exists because it shouldn't; they are outside of established Reality as set by the Observers and, thus, do not exist. In order to truly destroy any Fae, their anti-observation Field must be disabled; they must be observed. 

Disabling a Fae’s Field

Chaos Particle Fountains? (SUPER exotic radiation disrupts everything)

A living being's Field; Mancy? (Opposite of an AO Field?)

Final Balancing? Beta please???

I have once again balanced the game rules and equipment with an new balancing model. The model is based on how much one need invest on average in a Skill and/or Attribute.

Basically, it is a shit ton of maths, and I really enjoy this new model. There isn't any one things that forces or discourages use, and players should be effective no matter what they do (so long as they do not miss spend their Skill and Attribute points).

The game is rather Combat heavy. Well... I would say actiony, rather, with Social and Cyber combats breaking things up a bit. Think Mass Effect, and I am happy with that.

Once again, the game may be found here:
https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page

PLEASE!! Play the game, and give me feedback!
I am trying to market this game. Thus, it needs to be good!

Also, look at the WORLD OF THE HOLLOW section for the lore and setting!

Much Balancing. So Words. Many Maths. Wow.

Okay, I think I have gotten somewhere that I am satisfied with.

Everything costs between 18 and 25 bp or ore.
That which does not is considered n/a.
Everything is balanced in an attempt to incentive usefulness.

The game feels rather combat heavy.
Though I have made rules for Cyber and Social combats, they seem more like means to an end.
That end being a boss battle at the end of a Scene, which I'm not sure is a problem.

More story is being written, and Chaos based stuff is also being created.
STILL need some anti-chaotic/fae Equipment's and stuff...