Earthdawn Survival Guide

* Josh’s day gig has been a bear recently, so it’s another e-mail episode!

* Email from Scott: Is Shield Bash compatible with Second Weapon or Second Attack?

* Link to the Official Earthdawn Errata Document.

* Email from Corey: Correction on Teal’c from Stargate SG-1.

* Correction on member of a group pattern dying.

* Limit on number of permanent threads.

* Masks are great.

* Official support for community-created content?

* Email from Joe: Support for actual play podcasts or streams on the Discord?

* Allowing use of official logos and art for the same?

* Dev team engagement with chat in streams?

* Giveaways to promote or support podcasts or streams?

* Coordination with casters to promote upcoming new material?

* Back our Kickstarters to get early access to books!

* Email from Matthew: Suggestions for subjects to address in the show.

* Metaplot, Second/Sixth World, Legends, Namegivers outside Barsaive, Living Legend Cults, Lands Beyond the Theran Empire

* Email from Shane: Changing Cavalryman to be equally useful off their mount as on it?

* Email from Aaron: Second Discipline versus Paths?

* Anniversary suggestion: Live Q&A with developers?

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Don’t listen to Dan. It’s okay if this is your first episode.

* Email from Rob: Spirit Talk talent. Errata about Ally and Beast spirits.

* Email from Vince: Spell creation mechanics and why there are no plans for it in ED4.

* Number of threads versus narrative casting complexity?

* Reducing Wound Threshold as a Nethermancer spell effect?

* Email from Steven: Illusion buff targets not being aware of spell being an illusion?

* Email from Sedgewick: Weaponsmith picking up Sky Raider as additional Discipline?

* Email from Ken: Question about Shield Drive and knack effect overriding talent effect.

* Email from Shannon: Having Lou Prosperi on the show?

* Earthdawn sponsored streaming or podcasts?

* Email from Ste: Favorite characters or scenes from our games?

* Josh tells a story of his first longe term campaign.

* Dan talks about a couple of his characters.

* Email from Shannon: Standing an Earthdawn game from scratch?

* Josh’s first piece of advice: Don’t worry so much about getting the mountains of lore down!

* Session Zero: Get the group together and go through the Namegiver and Discipline options, see what captures your imagination or excites them.

* Start small: Still sealed or recently opened kaer. Establish a difficult but achievable goal for the first story arc.

* Research lore and background in the areas most relevant to those early themes.

* Encourage players to develop mastery of their character’s abilities and powers to help shoulder some of the mechanical burden.

* Crib shamelessly from other fantasy rpg material, recast for Earthdawn.

* Dan suggests random tables as inspiration for adventures.

* Let players explore their characters before jumping into major arcs.

* Allow players to rework their characters if they aren’t happy with choices.

* Reach out to the community for advice or suggestions.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Third time is the charm!

* Sky Raiders

* “Ruthless pirates”

* Sky Raider vs. Air Sailor

* Crystal Raider vs. Theran Empire

* Important Attributes

* Conceptually the aggressive, “barbarian-style” fighter

* Karma Ritual discussion

* Artisan Skills

* Combat Discipline, high Durability and no free talents.

* Novice Tier Discipline talent discussion.

* Focus on themes of combat, aggression, and endurance.

* Sidebar about Knockdown tests and Wound Balance.

* Novice Tier Talent Option discussion.

* Journeyman Tier abilities and Discipline talent discussion.

* Continued focus on Discipline themes.

* Journeyman Tier talent option discussion.

* Some leadership ability available for captains or officers.

* Why are Air Sailing and Wind Catcher options and not Discipline talents?

* A couple pop culture references.

* Tactically an easier combat Discipline than Warrior.

* Obsidimen and Windlings may have difficulty as Sky Raiders.

* Quarterly FASA Games Newsletter.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

There were technical difficulties getting out next episodes together. We know you want your weekly Earthdawn fix, so here's the audio from the FASA Games Panel at Orichaclum 2020.

Join Andi, Don, James, Josh, Karol, Kyle, Michael, and Morgan as they answer questions, talk about upcoming projects, and generally discuss Earthdawn.

* Episode Forty!

* Any ideas on one-year anniversary special?

* Any ideas for spreading the word about Earthdawn?

* Email from Lee: Windling Archer and weapon selection?

* Link to Fang from the Developer’s Blog

* Email from Kogorsi: Swordmaster feedback and Josh gets called out.

* Email from Brandon: Magicians not killing?

* How soon to provide thread items?

* Western gunslingers as inspiration for Swordmasters?

* Dual wielding?

* Another Email from Lee: True Shot process?

* Stopping Aim preventing actions? Timing?

* Brief sidebar on Initiative.

* Group pattern threads?

* Email from Benito: Wood Skin providing Unarmed damage bonus?

* Most Earthdawn movie? Casting?

* Ghost Master Ritual?

* Are t’skrang related to dragons?

* Namegiver discussion: Obsidimen

* Dan has a lot of obsidiman characters.

* Asexual, not necessarily agender or aromantic.

* “To learn and appreciate all things.”

* Have biological need to eat, sleep, breathe, etc.

* Massive beings, half-ton. Like trolls world not often made for them.

* No infantile or child-size stage of life.

* Often contemplative, unassuming, deliberate, even-tempered.

* Nature and trees are often sacred to obsidiman.

* Liferocks and obsidiman birth and life.

* Ultimate role-playing challenge in Earthdawn.

* Discussion of obsidiman attributes.

* Dexterity penalty, very large Strength bonus, Toughness bonus.

* Slow movement, low Karma.

* Limited to living armors.

* Obsidimen stand out as one of the more unique aspects of Earthdawn.

* Great choice for seasoned players looking for a role-playing challenge.

* Champions’ Challenge Kickstarter.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Nethermancers!

* Spooky, unsettling.

* Josh plays Virag, a Nethermancer in the Legends of Earthdawn game.

* Not Necromancers. An Earthdawn twist on a well-worn archetype.

* Focus on denizens of the astral realm and netherworlds.

* Karma Ritual example and the symbolic importance of ritual.

* Significance and symbolism of bones.

* Nethermantic Grimoire “Chain of Skulls”

* Half-Magic knowledge coverage and detection of spirits.

* Pop culture inspirations for Nethermancers.

* Commonly villains in pop culture.

* Progression Breakdown

* Durability 3 and two free standard matrices.

* Novice Discipline Talent discussion.

* Frighten is a potent talent and Virag does not use it enough.

* Spell synergies with Frighten.

* Novice talent options.

* Command Nightflyer and more spell synergies.

* Possible development lines: spell focus, scholar, survival.

* Journeyman tier abilities

* Enhanced matrix

* Karma to increase spell penalties.

* Blood Summon to make ally spirits last longer.

* Journeyman Discipline talent discussion.

* Journeyman talent options.

* Nethermancers as healers or physicians.

* Nethermancer style and role-playing tropes.

* Follow Virag’s adventures in the Legends of Earthdawn podcast.

* Keep in mind presence of ally spirits if you have a Nethermancer in the group.

* Make sure you aren’t hindering a Nethermancer too much with in-setting distrust.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Attitudes and Interaction Tests

* Josh addresses social mechanics and roleplaying.

* Some Disciplines are socially oriented and should leverage the social system.

* History lesson about reaction rolls and morale in past games and shifts in design.

* Attitudes and social rules can help reduce the GM’s workload.

* Attitudes range from Awestruck to Enemy.

* Intended mainly for PC to GMC interactions.

* Published adventures as a template or example of using game systems in play.

* Making an Impression tests

* Cautionary advice about not punishing characters for things you encourage them to do.

* Deceit: Exaggeration, Fabrication, Half-Truths

* Insight: The counterpart to Deceit

* Lean more on letting players roll the appropriate test for their characters and fewer contested rolls unless the stakes are appropriate.

* Intimidation

* Use Interaction tests to inform role play and vice versa.

* Look at the example of play on pages 152-153 of the GM Guide.

* Favors

* Use favor level as guideline for achieving objectives in social interactions.

* Economy of favors to count as automatic or extra success when players do something for a GMC.

* Followers: Building a long-term relationship with an NPC.

* Actually called “Supporters” and in First Edition Earthdawn Companion starting on page 125.

* Attitudes, Interaction Tests, and Favors are NOT mind control.

* Example from a problem brought up in the FASA Discord.

* Long-term relationships are built on reciprocal favors and positive interactions.

* Gamemasters should keep track of GMC Attitudes and Favor status as ongoing grist for the campaign story mill.

* Interaction tests with creatures and animals.

* Animal companions are more than a “special power” to activate when you need it.

* Animal Bond versus Dominate Beast.

* Interaction tests with spirits.

* Integrating Attitudes and Interactions more deeply into summoning.

* Interaction tests with Horrors.

* Generally a bad idea. That is how they get their hooks into you.

* Unfriendly AT BEST and unlikely to be improved with magic.

* Room for both mechanics and free-form role-play in social scenes.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Follow-up on Beast Form spell email from episode 35

* Email from Jesse: Information from an anthropologist about line marriage.

* Email from Cory: Using Earthdawn in a home-brew setting?

* Long sidebar about setting development and the stumbling blocks of a setting based in the real world.

* More from Cory: How hard is it to keep quiet about cool stuff you’re working on?

* Suggestion of an episode on astral space and astral sensing.

* Question about extra threads in an Enhanced Matrix.

* Bonuses to thread weaving from magic items?

* Masks

* Alter a creature to change its game statistics or powers.

* Provides a guide or template for a GM to modify creatures to increase variety and challenge.

* Review of the different mask categories and potential uses in your game.

* Use masks to foreshadow and thematically tie into adventures.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* A brief mention of listener metrics.

* Swordmasters!

* No lack of pop-culture references for Swordmasters

* But not Jedi

* Panache, style, presentation.

* Warriors versus Swordmasters

* Important Attributes: Charisma and Dexterity

* Combat as a dance

* Artisan Skills and Half-Magic

* Swordmaster schools and styles.

* Old dueling manuals.

* Princess Bride duel between Inigo and Westley.

* Jackie Chan versus Bruce Lee

* Not limited to swords!

* Combat Discipline Durability

* Novice Tier Discipline Talents

* Agility-style fighters, lack the endurance and resistance talents of the Warrior.

* Maneuver and a sidebar about numerical advantage

* Taunt: Penalize opponent to make it harder to hit the Swordmaster

* Balanced Social and Physical Defense bonuses.

* Riposte, one of the definitive Swordmaster talents.

* Avoid Blow OR Riposte

* Novice Tier Options

* Bladesman, Gallant, or balanced focus.

* Slightly more combat choices.

* Journeyman Tier abilities and talents

* Second Weapon, primary intended style.

* Journeyman Talent Options

* Slightly more social choices.

* No ranged attack options.

* Swordmasters using a shield.

* Novice versus Journeyman fighting styles.

* Defensive bonuses from magic items are important.

* Tend to be weak against spells and other Mystic Defense targeting effects.

* Swordmasters are great! Good mix of fighting and talking.

* Solid option if Troubadour is not as well suited to the campaign.

* Strong choice for new players.

* Iconic Discipline for a reason.

* FASA Games events and appearances.

* Last chance on the Empty Thrones Kickstarter!

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoifzUuBjez9V6wnvzom3g

Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc

FASA Games Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/uuVwS9u

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthdawnguild

Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Empty Thrones Kickstarter until July 31!

* Fragging Unicorn Games Kickstarter Gangs of the Undercity!

* Artisan Dice are good people as well!

* Josh will be on Seize the GM Podcast!

* Email from Chris: Questions and discussion about following multiple Disciplines.

* Email from Shannon: Metaplot focus on politics and factions?

* Email from Rafael: Beast Form spell and non-magical animals?

* Email from Brandon: Feedback and production questions.

* Josh pushes back against digs at other systems.

* Introducing new players to Earthdawn and RPGs?

* Trolls!

* “The dual people”

* Measures of extremes, very little gray area.

* Troll philosophy and culture shaped by their environment.

* Balance between frenetic and calm activity; oneness with the moment.

* Differences between troll and ork “live in the moment” attitude.

* Troll Honor - Racial, Clan, and Personal Honor

* Not using honor to be a jerk or disrupt the fun of your fellow players.

* Troll traditions of birth, Naming, marriage, and death.

* Game statistics; only drawbacks are a minor Perception penalty and low Karma.

* Really strong Warrior, Sky Raider, Beastmaster, Swordmaster.

* Josh’s second favorite race.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @EarthdawnG

Josh on Twitter: @mataxes

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

FASA Games on Facebook

FASA Games Discord Channel

Earthdawn Guild Facebook Group

Earthdawn West Marches