Hi everyone! Brett here with your monthly update on Fiendish Forge!
Progress Report:
Here is where we are at:
Writing: 87% Design: 74% Art: 86% Total: 82%
Design Test, Reworks, ReReWorks, and having the "Finger on the Pulse"
As we continue developing art for the book, I've been experimenting extensively with the current system. With SRD 5.2 out and able to create for 2024 5e Content, I've been reworking stat blocks to align with 2024 5e's Design. Fortunately, the changes made in 2024 are now more in line with how we were designing our creatures (I've heard that my finger is on the pulse MULTIPLE times to the point it's driving me up the wall). However, because 2024 is embracing more cinematic combat (such as Legendary Actions with Move being a part of them) - I figured we'd also embrace more the 2024 side of 5e.
Unfortunately, WotC has decided to withhold information on how to create creatures in 5e 2024 systems. Fortunately, the community has filled in, and started to reverse engineer the process. In the past few months, the Blog of Holding has been working on a breakdown of how 2024 5e now makes its monsters - and once again - it seems 5e 2024 has taken a page out of our book - making Legnedary Creatures more lethal in Damage stats (but strangely, not increasing their hit points). However, since this design philosophy seems to have taken hold, we're also reworking a little bit how we're handling some of our systems.
Phase Combat becomes Phase Encounters
One of the biggest challenges with Phase Combat is the Phase Turns, which have led to much inquisition about how these additional turns are handled. We continue to add rules to solve these issues as they arise, but I've felt this approach starts to burden the system with these additions when simpler solutions are on the table. That's why we're returning to "Legendary Actions" and "Legendary Resistance" as 5e has it, with some modifications of our own.
A new resource: Legendary Points (LP)
Legendary Actions cost LP to activate.
Legendary Actions do more than a single action - which may have the creature move or take other actions (such as Dodge, Disengage, etc)
Legendary Resistance uses the SAME resource to activate, meaning if a creature decides to use Legendary Resistance, they are typically taking away from their Legendary Actions (unless a creature is more defensive with additional LP). Legendary Resistance can also be used to end an ongoing condition.
Legendary Actions are highly recommended to be taken in order. This allows Legendary Actions to sort of build upon themselves.
These Legendary Actions are also a part of "Phases" where you can find the Legendary Actions to take. Phases present a ruleset on how to run the Phase, including when a Phase Advances (or Reverts in some cases). We can also introduce Transition Phases - sort of an intermission mid-combat, where there may be some sort of trial the party has to overcome to avoid consequences before advancing to the next Phase.
We'll be playtesting this during the month of June, so be sure to join our Discord and sign up for our Playtests if you haven't done so already. I've got some more accessible Phase Encounters for test, as well as some complex Phase Encounters (such as the Sprite Mother) which features a bunch of new mechanics familiar to MMO Veterans. Stay tuned for that announcement!
Please fill out this form. Please understand that any pending payments will be charged now for participating in the playtests. https://forms.gle/aG3FjX9VDSPwqME66
Elite, Bosses, and Superbosses
We will be playtesting many of these values to see if any adjustments need to be made for the encounter's sake, and we're also introducing a "Superboss" category for creatures. Be forewarned that you won't see many Superbosses in the book (right now, we only have one confirmed - the Astral Tarrasque) - but I wanted to introduce the option.
Standard creatures have Standard HP and Damage.
Elite creatures have 50% more HP and deal 25% more Damage.
Boss creatures have 100% more HP and deal 50% more Damage.
Superboss creatures have 200% more HP, and deal 100% more Damage.
Art Preview
I want to start showing art pieces that our art team has worked on to get you guys excited. I was initially thinking about holding these pieces until the book's release, but I'm too excited to wait. This piece is the Vampire Lord - which transforms into a Demon when Bloodied!
Beware the Vampire Lord, and their fiendish powers gained from the Hellscape
Thank you!
Thank you for your continued support as we develop Fiendish Forge! We will have more to show off very soon! Brett
