BLADES combat clarification

After getting a question regarding combat  clarification elsewhere, I realized there is an error on my part and an opportunity to insure everyone gets the same understanding.  

First I apologize for not making things 100% clear in the original writing of the rules, lots of reasons for why, but what matters is fixing the mistake--not the blame.

In Blades there are 3 skill levels-Inexperienced (I), Trained (T) and Expert (X). How this applies to combat skills & combat:

A character in combat that is INEXPERIENCED (I) with their weapon can make up to 1 attack or 1 defense in their turn with the weapon.  Each additional action suffers a +1 die DRM, this penalty is cumulative.

A character in combat that is TRAINED (T) with their weapons can make up to 1 attack and 1 defense in their turn with the weapon. Each additional action suffer a +1 die DRM,this penalty is cumulative.

A character that is an EXPERT (X) with their weapons can make up to 2 attacks and 2 defenses in their turn with the weapon. Each additional action suffer a +1 die DRM, this penalty is cumulative.


There are some gaps/confusion as currently written--but this is what I meant in the rules. I will re-edit and clarify the rules text later tonight to better call this out. I apologize it was not done so originally.   
Thanks again for your patience and support!

FROSTCRAWL...FEBRUARY

Sorry this is taken a bit longer than I had expected.  I am currently looking at some point in late February, as real world work load and travel is taking up more time than I had expected.

Thanks for your patience!

Wolfbat

image by Chiou! source

WOLFBAT
Number:1D6+2
ST: 5 to 10
IQ:6
DX: 12
MV: 6/ 12 flying
AR:-1 fur
DM: 1d3 blood drain (ST) per turn
Behavior: Territorial
Environment: Mountains, Forests

The wolfbat is a bloodthirsty beast seemingly created out of nightmares. They are svelte and smaller versions (about 3' long) of normal wolves but with bat-winged membranes that allow them to take flight for short periods of time. They often perch in high trees and glide down to ambush their prey.  Once on the scent, they may glide tree to tree to get ahead of their prey and then ambush them.  They drink the blood of their prey and rarely devour an meat from their kill. They will group together and try to pin down their prey and then bite an exposed neck or wrist to begin draining the blood to heir victim.  Anyone killed by a wolfbat has a 1 in 6 chance of rising as a ghoul on the next full moon.

Black Magic...when?

So here is a rough (and ideal) outline for what I hope to release this year:

1) FROSTCRAWL (JAN 2019) this will be a free PDF hexcrawl for use with BLADES or HOW, my way of saying thanks for all your patience and support!

2) BLACK MAGIC (APR/MAY 2019) This will include alchemy, spells and wizardy stuff for Blades & Black Magic.

3) CAULDRON 2 (FALL 2019)

That will be an "epic" release year for yours truly after may challenging years. After these I still plan on making a "Hexploration" guide book, a career/character compendium (writing up possible character background,samples for stuff like ratcatcher, herbalist, abbot, bailiff, etc.) that would be great for Players as a unique character choice to start with as well as Referee's use as NPC's.

All items are usable for HOW or for BBM so support of both systems is ongoing.

BLADES Inspirations: Conan #1 (Marvel, 2019)

Just released this January is issue #1 of Marvel's new run of Conan.  For the last 15 years, Dark Horse Comics told the tales of our favorite Cimmerian and (IMHO) published some of the best Conan work outside of REH's original works. They lost the license and it transferred to Marvel this year. So the house that Spidey built is charting a new course.

During the original Marvel run of Conan, I devoured every issue of the Savage Sword of Conan Magazine I could get my hands on--but the regular comic run of Conan? meh.

So here is issue #1 of the new Marvel regular series and its story crosses 3 different time lines in our favorite barbarian's life: Birth + Young barbarian + King Conan all in the same story.  Is it successful? Kind of.

Granted it is one issue and the story line clearly is going to continue to build, so it is hard to judge in one issue. The set-up creates the opportunity for Marvel to use any time in the Barbarian's wanderings for stories long term. The Young Barbarian section was great and good inspiration for an adventure but the other sections of the story--I guess we will wait and see.  So at $5 for an issue can I say rush out and buy it? Nope.

I'd suggest you wait for the inevitable collection of the first 4 or 6 issues and buy that because as an intro to Crom's finest its a bit of a miss, especially when compared to the Dark Horse issue #0 prelude and issue #1.

I give it 3 cleaved foes out of 5, promising but not yet savage.

BLADES unsheathed!

Well I am happy to say my own copies arrived and considering all the work time and effort that went into it, I am very happy to see the results. 

 I talked a bit about making a "BLADES boxed set"--and using some bits and pieces here is what mine looks like. If you make your own I'd love to see it!

I checked and my measurements were correct, 2 BLADES books fit in the box which means BLADES (and when completed) BLACK MAGIC books will BOTH fit in the same box with dice!!  The pencils and note cards will not, but still--it will make a crazy super fine portable boxed set!

With hard work and persistence, a dream (however goofy or small) can come true. Don't ever let anyone tell you different!

I am going to share a poignant bit from my reading of Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. I read this at lunch today and though written thousands of years ago, it still rings true.  When asked why he writes when he know the masses will not read or care, Seneca quotes Epicurus: "I write this not for the many, but for you; each of us is enough of an audience for the other."

I want to say thank you for letting me write for you, whomever you are and where ever you are-thank you.

Picture from the wilds

Well the first shot of a copy of BLADES in the wild comes courtesy of Rick Hull. He snapped it compared to his iPhone for size comparison! Rick also snapped a pic of BLADES alongside some inspirations!

Per Rick, in case you have misgivings because it is pocket book sized, he confirmed it is easy to read .

Looking forward to getting my own copies soon! You can get yours here!

Discount code

Have not ordered BLADES yet? well LULU has 15% off code right now to make the $9.99 price even cheaper!

Save 15% On Print Products

Use Code ONEFIVE during checkout

Offer expires January 10 2019

FROSTCRAWL update

With BLADES available now, my work is turned towards completing FROSTCRAWL. This will be a free PDF download hexcrawl for use with Heroes & Other Worlds  or Blades & Black Magic set in a mountainous/ cold setting.

The map I am using has 441 hexes to explore... (21 x 21) I am thinking about trying to make an entry for every hex--even if its not an actual "event location"  Something like

G14: Heavily forested with fog wisps winding between the trunks of ancient evergreens.

There will be included random tables for random finds.  A 1 in 6 chance with every hex explored.

Any thoughts or feedback on what makes a good hexcrawl usable for you is welcome!

The work continues...

3 & 4

 Thanks for the initial support and orders of BLADES! We are sitting at 3 and 4 this week on the Lulu games top 10 items!

Wow! This is remarkable to me as launching on New Year's Eve, I did not expect many takers/ interest yet as these things take time to get going.

I got notice my own copies are on the way so I hope yours are shipping soon to you as well!

I also got some of the hubless VHS cases so I can put together a "boxed" set and show the portable and playable fun size of BLADES.

I'm back from a business trip (the fun never stops!) so will be working on Frostcrawl this weekend.   Frostcrawl will be a free download that will pair well with either BLADES or HOW.  Its my small way to say THANK YOU for your support and patience.