IMPORTANT: Reward Related! Jobs and Testing!

I got a lot done this month in a way that felt like a lot of nothing but most certainly was not. For one, got a new job. I can't say too much about the new job, just that it for a big tabletop company on a game that's big even for them, freelance so I can keep working on Protect the Sacred (and it's something they want me to do), and I have to sign a big giant NDA. I will say when I can freely announce what it's for y'all will collectively go "of course Sahoni has opinions on this".

As far as Protect The Sacred TTRPG goes, Strawberry and Huckleberry-tier patrons will receive one of their rewards and will be able to test out the game for themselves for the first time! Please keep an eye out for a post asking for scheduling and interest. This is likely to be the first of many rounds so don't worry if you can't get in this go around. But if you want to know what has been taking up most of this month, this is it right here. There is a unique challenge in setting up to run a new game, especially when you'll literally be the first person in the world to run it. Even more so when you're writing something to test specific features and player responses.

But I wrote. And I ended up writing an 8 page long adventure. Probably a bit much.

This first test is basically a whitebox test. We're testing all the basic functionalities of the dice system for any bugs and unseen consequences before I add in the flare. Not to say that it won't be exciting. Just that the systems that shake it up (stunts, gear, big magic, flashbacks) won't be there this go around. I want to make sure every roll feels good before we mess with how we roll. Well, codify. I know how it all works, just about codifying it and the small details now. We're locking features down as we go.

And that's what most of the work has been this month. Spotting smaller issues that popped up during my test or adventure writing. It's amazing what looking at the thing you've been working on for years from a new perspective will do. Some patch note highlights include:

-Adjustment of stat points from the original estimate
-4 new dice roll types (competitive, extended, cooperative, extended competitive rolls)
-Adjustment of the KEY DICE bonus mechanic size and bands
-Adjustment of the difficulty scale range
-Adjustment of dice success bands
-Addition of countdown clocks, tension clocks, and more
-Adjustment to health values (y'all ain't even seeing health yet lol)
-Narrative control of a roll bonus

It's a lot of problem solving now that I have it all written out in front of me. But that's to be expected given I created the entire dice system from scratch. I've been told to call it the bramble dice system given it's pulpy nature, but we'll see.

No character creation allowed in this first playtest. Sorry. I'm not ready for those rules to be out there for the public just yet. I want you to get the full experience when it's time and I've still got health, gear, and the magic system to debuggify.

But if you want to meet the characters you can pick from in the playtest, how do these sound?