Thank you Klaus for taking the long video format with Fatebenders =) There's definitely an audience for the format. I'll clarify on a few of the rules mentioned: - Players aren't limited to staying in one city. They can move freely. It's just that the GM's prep is focused on what's going on in the settlement where the party is currently at or is going to. - Fatigue sticks around until you take a full night's rest after removing the source of fatigue. So taking a breath of air after suffocating for too long won't clear it. - To parry, block or dodge an attack, you don't need to roll. Instead only the attacker rolls against your DC of 11 + your skill + profession level. So basically a normal opposed check, but you choose the skill you oppose the check with. - To attune to an element your character needs to train with a teacher already attuned to this element (in addition to having a Mystic profession level at least equal to the number of attunements they want to have). So instead of levelling up and getting new abilities out of nowhere you can set this attunement as a goal for your character and then get XP when they attune to it. This training requirement also makes players consider more seriously what attunement they want to start with at character creation. if everyone takes Body attunement to use Cure after combat, then the whole party would miss out on all the other attunements or levels in other professions they might want to take. They would also have to refrain from "spending" all their fatigue during combat on other abilities or things like overexerting to use extra actions. Anyway, I hope this also answered the concern about abusing the Cure ability to treat wounds. But as you said, game masters can just tweak the rules to their liking. In the book I'm open about my reasoning behind design choices to support and encourage homebrewing. In the GM guide I also describe how to come up with new abilities, bendable elements and homebrew creatures or items or convert them from other games. I'd love to see Fatebenders or some of its systems or ideas evolve in the hands of other GM's and game designers.
Yes, after way too long, I'm back to making longer-form videos again! And this time (I SWEAR) I am genuinely planning a more regular upload schedule. My plan of action is to include more videos like this, that involve no script, a lot less research, and significantly less editing, in between the larger videos, like the How to Play Blades in the Dark video that I've been working on forever. I think giving myself the freedom to make simpler videos like this makes the bigger videos feel much less imposing. Plus, there are just SO many games I want to talk about, and if I were to give every game the How to Play treatment, I would burn out faster than a flashpaper rug in a volcano lair (how on earth is that the FIRST metaphor that I concocted????) Also, for any who care, here is an update on the How to Play Blades in the Dark video. Yes, it has taken a long time, and no, it's not like I've been working on it every day since I first mentioned it half a year ago (or probably longer). Life has been busy, and honestly I've been burnt out from my job, which is also content creation related, and thus makes it even harder for me to want to work on my own content. Ugh. But I'm really proud with how this one is coming together, as I feel I have better explained it than I did in previous How to Play videos, and also include a prolonged segment called "Example of Play" where I basically take all the info I've gone over in the first section, and give an example of play with explanations as I do. I think it's really great, but it definitely bulked up the video a bit, and thus bulked up editing. But I'm over 1/3 of the way through editing, and hope to have it finished by some time in November (maybe earlier, but let's be honest, I'm bad at estimating timetables...) Finally, I've had a few people ask me how they can reach out to me to cover their games, much like was done with this one. You can email me at klausvonh+dng@gmail.com with a rundown of the game. I cannot promise that I will get to every game, or that I will get to covering it very promptly (seriously, this one took me like 2 months, and it's a short book). I also absolutely reserve the right to not make a video if I have issues, but I will get back to you on why and hopefully work something out. Anyway, thank you all for your patience, and I hope to have more videos up soon! Look forward to a really exciting Overview video like this one SOON! If you like Stardew Valley, I think you're gonna be real excited...
Just wanted to say: I really appreciate you serving this vastly underserved niche regardless of how hard it is to get any TTRPG thing off the ground that isn’t screaming about Dungeons and Dragons at least once per minute
Thank you! I had the realization while making this channel that I needed to focus on just talking about what I'm genuinely passionate about, and not try to just do what would get me the most views. Even if this channel never really takes off in a big way, I'll be more than happy in the knowledge that I did whatever I could to shine a light on TTRPGs that deserve more attention. Messages like this make me confident that I've made the correct decision, so again, sincerely, thank you!
I like the more intimate appraoch this bar video has. Also in relation to the game, the theme of fatebenders and leveling up with critical fails does seem to align with the themeing of the game which is super wicked. I can definitely see for some players it gets frustrating but I appreciate the effort and detail with how luck and fate tie hand in hand!
Great video, I really enjoy learning about independent games. You cannot help it when the OS/Software decides to do a nosedive, most of us understand. Thank you for sticking it out. I look forward to reading this one.
I think making progression failiure based (I think I would prefer a 'degrees of success' crit fail like in Pathfinder rather than a random 'nat ' crit fail for this mechanic) is actually very interesting. It kind of balances the whole 'but my friends are progressing ahead of me' because the fact that you're not progressing necessarily means you're rolling well, gives another option to make failiure more bitter sweet, and is kinda 'realisitic', as people learn from their mistakes. One big problem I'd see is just that it would condition players to constantly roll, especially if the consequences aren't significant, just to progress faster, which slows down the game
This is solved pretty neatly in Chronicles of Darkness, and it's related titles, by awarding XP through the Beat systems (that's "beats" as in "story beats"). Five beats earns a player one XP. XP is fungible for most traits. Players take beats by: - resolving conditions that afflict their characters - fulfilling aspirations (a lot like goals) - dramatic successes on rolls AND... (most relevantly) - players may CHOOSE to dramatically fail a roll, when they've already rolled a normal failure, in exchange for a Beat Those first and last entries on the list mean that players are incentivized to choose hardship to progress their characters. This is coupled with the game's general ethos of "failing forward", and it works pretty well. Notably, CoD is a horror game, so the genre supports the idea that the protagonists will be getting roughed around a bit. I would be surprised if the designers of FateBenders weren't consciously trying to riff off of this system. That's not a dig. I really like the space that FateBenders is seeking to occupy in the current games ecosystem. I think a lot of 5e players might be happier with a simplified high fantasy ruleset, supported by a more narratively driven set of mechanics. This, it provides.
This does sound like an interesting game. Though, if I were to run it, I'd probably change the skill level up somehow. What I'm thinking right now is that I'd have it still be dependent on the d20 roll, but instead of being at a 1 I'd put it at maybe a 2 or 3. That way, it's still luck based, it's still learning from failure, but instead of requiring an average of 20 rolls to level a skill up it'd be an average of 10 or 7. I'd have to run it for a bit and see how often rolls end up being called for/skills end up being used to be sure, though.
I've paid a lot more than free for games I didn't like in the end, so you had me at "free". As for mechanical metagaming in this game, I'm not worried. Many games say you should only roll if there are consequences for behavior. Therefore, if you want to roll sneak in the bathroom line, there will be consequences for failure -- you just don't know them yet. Although, let's face it, in a one-city game, there are probably consequences for succeeding in "being the guy who keeps cutting in line for the loo at The Dragon's Skull".
Thank you Klaus for taking the long video format with Fatebenders =) There's definitely an audience for the format.
I'll clarify on a few of the rules mentioned:
- Players aren't limited to staying in one city. They can move freely. It's just that the GM's prep is focused on what's going on in the settlement where the party is currently at or is going to.
- Fatigue sticks around until you take a full night's rest after removing the source of fatigue. So taking a breath of air after suffocating for too long won't clear it.
- To parry, block or dodge an attack, you don't need to roll. Instead only the attacker rolls against your DC of 11 + your skill + profession level. So basically a normal opposed check, but you choose the skill you oppose the check with.
- To attune to an element your character needs to train with a teacher already attuned to this element (in addition to having a Mystic profession level at least equal to the number of attunements they want to have). So instead of levelling up and getting new abilities out of nowhere you can set this attunement as a goal for your character and then get XP when they attune to it. This training requirement also makes players consider more seriously what attunement they want to start with at character creation. if everyone takes Body attunement to use Cure after combat, then the whole party would miss out on all the other attunements or levels in other professions they might want to take. They would also have to refrain from "spending" all their fatigue during combat on other abilities or things like overexerting to use extra actions.
Anyway, I hope this also answered the concern about abusing the Cure ability to treat wounds. But as you said, game masters can just tweak the rules to their liking. In the book I'm open about my reasoning behind design choices to support and encourage homebrewing. In the GM guide I also describe how to come up with new abilities, bendable elements and homebrew creatures or items or convert them from other games. I'd love to see Fatebenders or some of its systems or ideas evolve in the hands of other GM's and game designers.
I heard TTRPG as titter pig. This is now my pronunciation forever more.
It is the only pronunciation, and I will make the world accept it! :D
Yes, after way too long, I'm back to making longer-form videos again! And this time (I SWEAR) I am genuinely planning a more regular upload schedule. My plan of action is to include more videos like this, that involve no script, a lot less research, and significantly less editing, in between the larger videos, like the How to Play Blades in the Dark video that I've been working on forever. I think giving myself the freedom to make simpler videos like this makes the bigger videos feel much less imposing. Plus, there are just SO many games I want to talk about, and if I were to give every game the How to Play treatment, I would burn out faster than a flashpaper rug in a volcano lair (how on earth is that the FIRST metaphor that I concocted????)
Also, for any who care, here is an update on the How to Play Blades in the Dark video.
Yes, it has taken a long time, and no, it's not like I've been working on it every day since I first mentioned it half a year ago (or probably longer). Life has been busy, and honestly I've been burnt out from my job, which is also content creation related, and thus makes it even harder for me to want to work on my own content. Ugh. But I'm really proud with how this one is coming together, as I feel I have better explained it than I did in previous How to Play videos, and also include a prolonged segment called "Example of Play" where I basically take all the info I've gone over in the first section, and give an example of play with explanations as I do. I think it's really great, but it definitely bulked up the video a bit, and thus bulked up editing. But I'm over 1/3 of the way through editing, and hope to have it finished by some time in November (maybe earlier, but let's be honest, I'm bad at estimating timetables...)
Finally, I've had a few people ask me how they can reach out to me to cover their games, much like was done with this one. You can email me at klausvonh+dng@gmail.com with a rundown of the game. I cannot promise that I will get to every game, or that I will get to covering it very promptly (seriously, this one took me like 2 months, and it's a short book). I also absolutely reserve the right to not make a video if I have issues, but I will get back to you on why and hopefully work something out.
Anyway, thank you all for your patience, and I hope to have more videos up soon! Look forward to a really exciting Overview video like this one SOON! If you like Stardew Valley, I think you're gonna be real excited...
Just wanted to say: I really appreciate you serving this vastly underserved niche regardless of how hard it is to get any TTRPG thing off the ground that isn’t screaming about Dungeons and Dragons at least once per minute
Thank you! I had the realization while making this channel that I needed to focus on just talking about what I'm genuinely passionate about, and not try to just do what would get me the most views. Even if this channel never really takes off in a big way, I'll be more than happy in the knowledge that I did whatever I could to shine a light on TTRPGs that deserve more attention. Messages like this make me confident that I've made the correct decision, so again, sincerely, thank you!
I like the more intimate appraoch this bar video has. Also in relation to the game, the theme of fatebenders and leveling up with critical fails does seem to align with the themeing of the game which is super wicked. I can definitely see for some players it gets frustrating but I appreciate the effort and detail with how luck and fate tie hand in hand!
This looks like a really fun system! Also, your bar looks really nice.
I love your videos - you explain everything so well in a fun way.
Glad to see you back on 😁. The way of leveling by getting 1s on a specific skill reminds me of Dragonbane.
Great video, I really enjoy learning about independent games. You cannot help it when the OS/Software decides to do a nosedive, most of us understand. Thank you for sticking it out. I look forward to reading this one.
OMG I was missing this channel so much! Thank you for posting!
The shadow?! *screams*
I think making progression failiure based (I think I would prefer a 'degrees of success' crit fail like in Pathfinder rather than a random 'nat ' crit fail for this mechanic) is actually very interesting. It kind of balances the whole 'but my friends are progressing ahead of me' because the fact that you're not progressing necessarily means you're rolling well, gives another option to make failiure more bitter sweet, and is kinda 'realisitic', as people learn from their mistakes. One big problem I'd see is just that it would condition players to constantly roll, especially if the consequences aren't significant, just to progress faster, which slows down the game
This is solved pretty neatly in Chronicles of Darkness, and it's related titles, by awarding XP through the Beat systems (that's "beats" as in "story beats"). Five beats earns a player one XP. XP is fungible for most traits.
Players take beats by:
- resolving conditions that afflict their characters
- fulfilling aspirations (a lot like goals)
- dramatic successes on rolls
AND... (most relevantly)
- players may CHOOSE to dramatically fail a roll, when they've already rolled a normal failure, in exchange for a Beat
Those first and last entries on the list mean that players are incentivized to choose hardship to progress their characters.
This is coupled with the game's general ethos of "failing forward", and it works pretty well. Notably, CoD is a horror game, so the genre supports the idea that the protagonists will be getting roughed around a bit. I would be surprised if the designers of FateBenders weren't consciously trying to riff off of this system.
That's not a dig. I really like the space that FateBenders is seeking to occupy in the current games ecosystem. I think a lot of 5e players might be happier with a simplified high fantasy ruleset, supported by a more narratively driven set of mechanics.
This, it provides.
This does sound like an interesting game. Though, if I were to run it, I'd probably change the skill level up somehow. What I'm thinking right now is that I'd have it still be dependent on the d20 roll, but instead of being at a 1 I'd put it at maybe a 2 or 3. That way, it's still luck based, it's still learning from failure, but instead of requiring an average of 20 rolls to level a skill up it'd be an average of 10 or 7. I'd have to run it for a bit and see how often rolls end up being called for/skills end up being used to be sure, though.
Wake up babe, new dungeon newb guide video just dropped ‼️
I've paid a lot more than free for games I didn't like in the end, so you had me at "free". As for mechanical metagaming in this game, I'm not worried. Many games say you should only roll if there are consequences for behavior. Therefore, if you want to roll sneak in the bathroom line, there will be consequences for failure -- you just don't know them yet. Although, let's face it, in a one-city game, there are probably consequences for succeeding in "being the guy who keeps cutting in line for the loo at The Dragon's Skull".
Great vid, but I can't help but notice your purple fingernails. What's up with that?
Oh, it isn't a medical condition or anything, just nail polish. Hope that clears things up.
@TheDungeonNewbsGuide oh, okay :)
Fartbenders
Your face when it's pronounced "Row-bear" not Robert
As someone who people often call "clause," there is a certain poetry to my foibles.