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My partner and I enjoyed it at first but then ran into issues that induced so much friction that it caused us to just stop playing.
Regarding the combat, specifically if both attacker and defender pass their attack and dodge checks, respectively). It doesn't give a clear ruling on what happens, this slowed us down a lot. We understand if some rules are left open, but this mechanic felt unfinished and left as a burden for the player to resolve.
It seems a little strange that the only way to get cooking ingredients is through the Tracker Mastery, I think camping with full benefits shouldn't be as inaccessible as it is now. Especially since it seems that most people just use cooking Supplies to make Rations. Perhaps a change would be keeping both levels of benefits, but camping without rations is considered "full benefits" and camping with rations is "double benefits".
The last issue that actually caused us to stop playing was trying to figure out the Bleeding condition. The book does not say how often damage is taken, when it ends, how to get rid of it, and is pretty vague in terms of how the damage is calculated. A lot of the conditions are like this too except for Frightened which is how conditions should be described.
I'll reiterate saying that open-ended rules are not a problem if they are open-ended for the sake of allowing the player to embellish the story, leaving unresolved mechanics like how often does the player take damage from bleeding just feels like it was made as an afterthought rather than intentional and causes friction.
My partner and I could very well be misinterpreting the purpose of this game but reading the front matter doesn't indicate it's very open-ended. In fact, I'd think a game that's meant to be punishing should have more explicit rules because the players are trying to survive and fight against the game rather than players molding the game to their benefit.
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Creator Reply: |
I'm sorry you're frustrated with the game's mechanics. Combat is clearly defined, though, and all possible instances have some sort of resolution. In order to make this clearer, some fans have made a Combat Matrix, there are a few around and you can find them on the Blackoath Discord, for example. As for finding cooking supplies, you don't need to be a Tracker to find them, that simply makes it easier. I've never played with a Tracker and I always find plenty of Rations, and that is the case for everyone, for what I've seen.
I'm sorry the Bleeding condition didn't seem clear enough, but it's all in the book. You take damage every round and the beginning of your turn while in combat, and once per room out of combat. you can find this on page 76 of the book. I admit there are some instances of vague rules, but precisely these ones you mention are very clearly laid out in the book. I'd be very happy to help you with any questions that might rise during gameplay, and if you join the Blackoath Discord, you will usually get instantaneous replies, either from me, or from other players. |
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Ever wanted to feel the hopelessness of fighting through a dungeon city, against overwhelming odds? Ker Nethalas will give you that experience and more.
The rules are fairly easy to come to terms with. After only a couple of runs, the game flows quite smoothly, without having to constantly refer back to the relevant rule.
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Great exploring, fast combat and a wide range of loot to find. This is one of the few games I've played where I have 0 house rules.
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This is the cultivation ttrpg that my group has been waiting for years to find. Character development is really in-depth and fun. It also has a ton of tools for GM-less play. Really excited about this product.
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“Ruthless heavens, boundless fates”, has been the science fantasy game that I’ve always wished existed!
I’ve been playing a great solo adventure that just keeps getting better and also running a really fun campaign for my friends every week within the same world as my character!
The tools and versatility of this game are so easy to use and I’ve even generated an additional solo adventure for myself to play with a little tweaking as a Jedi, while I do my anual Star Wars binge! lol!
I truly believe that this is a game that every fan of science fantasy should own!
…. Oh, and being able to level up your “living weapon” as well as your character!…. So awesome!
Really, this game rocks!
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If you're a fan of the LitRPG genre, then this is a great game to add to your collection. It is a very sandbox style game and has a great set of solo rules included for those lone RPG-ers, so there is a little something for everyone.
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I played my first game today and had lots of fun. There was quite a lot of page flipping but that was largely due to learning a new game and by the end I was starting to remember the system.
This is a skirmish warband game in the vein of Five Leagues, where your band of warriors travel around No Man’s Land battling other warbands or monsters. There is a management phase where the campaign elements happen and a battle phase for moving your toy soldiers around. Great fun!
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Another great title from Alex T. This book has a distinctive setting and a huge amount of content. I’m really looking forward to creating a character and sending them off around the Nolurian Sector for adventure and advance along the Path of Ascendancy.
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I regret purchasing this product. If you are a GM just read DotF for ideas. If you are a player, ask your favorite GM to read it. The author of this product defiantly has. It takes a wonderful concept and turns it into a hack and slash. Sure, there are lots of generic randomization tables but nothing innovative. The entire concept is taken from DotF and other game rule sets.
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Great simple game, lacks balancing in small aspects but its forgiving and great for beginners with solid rules for solo play.
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Combat is a slog and the 1s canceling hits along with enemies getting armor and auto canceling hits means good luck killing anything and living. I am trying to figure out how people play tested it and enjoyed it. Just dying isn’t fun. And the battle board doesn’t leave any strategic decisions like using cover etc to try and not get hit.
The game exploration was fun, it’s a better take on 4AD and D100 Dungeon but combat needs work for an enjoyable game. At least some special starter enemies to allow the player some satisfaction.
While I am disappointed with combat as it is a big focus, I am happy there are some great ideas in the game.
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Creator Reply: |
I'm sorry if you're finding combat frustrating. I hope you didn't forget the fact that 6s rolled are always a success and on top of that you can re-roll them, so they more than make up for the fact that 1s cancel successes. The game was playtested by several people and the majority managed to finish their missions successfully. Of course, a handful of people can't really account for the immense variety that a fully randomly generated game like this one can produce, so there's always going to be some unbalance. I'm a single developer and don't have the resources to playtest a game in the scale larger companies do. I'm glad you at least liked the exploration, maybe you can use it in some other of your games. |
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Feels a bit like a high concept 80’s board game that would come with a bunch of random room tiles and plastic miniatures. (think HeroQuest)
A bit light on the RP side of things, but plenty of room for a GM to work it in if they want. At the end of the day though the core gameplay is all about highly randomized missions and loot.
Great solo system based around giving your character buffs based on the amount of players in the party. Perfectly playable with 1-4 PCs.
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Great setting and plenty of areas for your scraphounds to explore... and run for their lives. :D Dice pool system with a neat mechanic for adding tension as you explore or search for your mission objectives.
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Every Blackoath Entertainment product I’ve purchased has been extraordinary!
Salvage & Sorcery had enabled me to quickly and easily get a game going with friends that are new to this title and are even new to the TTRPG hobby! “S&S” has a fast paced combat that feels so rewarding with its mostly d6 system and still give the players a sense of adventure and the tools to make the experience into a longer campaign!
This really is a wonderful addition to anybody’s game library, wether they be a veteran or novice!
….almost forgot to say that this game, along with all the Blackoath titles, have the best solo rules in the industry!
Enjoy!!!
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Game is awesome and publisher is top notch and helpful when I needed help. I'm hoping that this game takes off so that more material is created for this game.
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Creator Reply: |
I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I'd be happy to help with whatever issue you might have. |
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Thanks for updating your review! |
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