NaGa DeMon: Day 8

It's actually pretty early on day 8 here in Oz. But I'm awake and I've finished the second prototype character type for Ghost City Raiders.

I'm envisioning the wandering sword-wielding zombie slayer for this one. Someone who lives by a code of ethics that they've picked up from martial arts movies, or maybe they've actually studied under a sword sensei who in turn learned from someone who survived from the old days.

The first one was more of a mover who gets around the board quickly to accomplish missions, this ones more of an honourable killing machine capable of bringing "great vengeance and furious anger" to the danger zone.

The Shadow Blade

As a side note, here's a full listing of the abilities that I've generated up for the game so far:

Academics (Smarts - boost): +2 to smarts

Acrobatics (Speed - action): Test speed. If successful, move to an adjacent location. This action is considered complicated if there is a barrier in the way.

Athletics (Speed - boost): +2 to Speed

Awareness (Modifier): You never consider it complicated when searching for someone (this overrides the stealth bonus). You may defend against an additional attack in combat without sacrificing your action.

Brawl (Strength - boost): +2 to Strength in unarmed Combat

Bureaucracy (Modifier): You may draw an additional card when searching for loot in an “Archive” location (choose which one to use).

Connection * (Standard action): Choose a specific location trait when this action is first acquired. While in a location with this trait, test with a rank of 6. Gain a “Blessed” token (+1 to all attributes) until you move from this location. You may have up to three “Blessed” tokens.

Cosmology (Modifier): You may draw an additional card when trying to gain a benefit from a “spiritual” location (choose which one to use).

Crafts (Smarts - action): Sacrifice two pieces of loot and test smarts. If successful, gain the prepared trait.

Discipline (Modifier): As long as you have not moved this turn, any attribute used in an action is considered one rank higher.

Endurance (Survival  - boost): +2 to Survival

Firearms (Smarts - action): Test your smarts to shoot a target in an adjacent location with your gun. This is considered complicated if the target’s location has either the “overgrown” or “covered” trait. If successful, target is hit in a single random location (this hit is considered heavy damage, injuring the location and attribute if damage is successful). Some firearms are capable of multiple damage to the one location; thus instantly incapacitating the target.

Fortitude (Stamina - boost): +2 to Stamina

Focus (Modifier): You may attempt to restore a fatigue point at the end of a turn even if you have moved and acted during the turn (this is still considered a complicated action).

Gift * (Standard action): Choose a specific character trait when this action is first acquired. When first dealing with a character possessing this trait, test with a rank of 6. Gain +1 to all attributes for the rest of the game in all actions dealing with this character.

Haggling (Modifier): At the end of the game, you earn a point for every nine or higher drawn when trading loot.

Honour (Standard action): Test with a rank of 9. If successful, gain the honourable trait. Lose the honourable trait if you declare combat against any target.

Hunting (Modifier): +2 to Strength in combat during the first combat against a specific opponent.

Intimidation (Survival - action): Test Survival against target. If successful, force target to move to an adjacent location, or take a piece of loot from them.

Investigation (Modifier): You may draw an additional card when searching for a scenario clue (choose which one to use).

Medicine (Smarts - action): Test Smarts. If successful, remove a single degree of injury from a target.

Melee (Strength - boost): +2 to strength when in melee combat

Navigation (Smarts - action): Test Smarts instead of Speed when making an extra move with the Run action.

Occult (Modifier): You may draw an additional card when performing an action on a target possessing the “spirit” or “possessed” trait (choose which one to use).

Repair (Smarts - action):  Sacrifice a number of pieces of loot and test smarts. If successful, restore a piece of equipment you started the game with. Loot sacrificed must equal the cost of the equipment item.

Reputation (Modifier): You may draw an additional card when performing an action on a target who shares one of your traits (choose which one to use).

Research (Modifier): After a failed “search” action, [STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE]

Riding (Modifier): If you move into a location with the “open” trait and you possess a mount, you may automatically move again.

Ritual (Modifier): You may draw an additional card when someone is performing a supernatural action (marked with a *), give it to them and they choose which one to use.

Scavenging (): [STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE]

Science (Modifier): [STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE]

Spirit Lore (Modifier): The presence of spirits and spiritual activity does not make things complicated for you.

Splendour (Standard action): Test with a rank of 6. If successful, [STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE]

Stealth (Modifier): Hiding is never considered a complicated action for someone with Stealth. It is considered a complicated action when a character tries to “search” for someone with Stealth.

Tactics (Modifier): Once per turn, if another character in your location is engaged in an action where you have a higher attribute. You may offer them the use of your higher attribute level for this action.

Theology (Smarts - action): Test Smarts against target possessing the “spirit” or “possessed” trait. If successful, force target to move to an adjacent location, or take a piece of loot from them.

Totem * (Stamina - action): Sacrifice a fatigue point and test Stamina. If successful, increase all attributes by 1 and gain the “possessed” trait until the next joker is revealed.

Visions * (Standard action): Test with a rank of 6. If successful, draw a face down card and place it to one side (you may look at this card). At any stage of the game, you may substitute this card for a card you are using or someone else is using. You may have one card set aside in this manner at a time. 

Note that these are all abilities that exist as a part of the Walkabout game, to allow for easy crossover potential between the two settings within the tilted world.

I realise that there is probably an imbalance between the benefits of different skills/abilities, that's the kind of thing that can only be assessed through ongoing playtesting. Where some skills prove less useful than others, I'll be trying to counterbalance this by creating scenarios where the less beneficial abilities provide scenario specific benefits (for example; Perform action "X", if you have skill "Y" gain +1 to relevant attribute).

Time to move on to one of those scenarios.