2024 Sabre v1.1 update

Well, it's been a minute! Sabre's been ticking along nicely so I haven't felt the need to write up a full blog post. But this update has some important changes that I wanted to explain a bit better, plus I'll update progress on the scifi vehicles and legends manuals. So lets' dig in.

Version 1.1

Since the start of development, the unopposed checks never really fitted well with the other modifications Sabre had undergone from its beginnings as something closer to Mythras. Making things simpler and more intuitive is a guideline for improving the system, so instead of subtracting from the skill, now there's a Difficulty Challenge (or DC) number to meet. Essentially, it works just like an opposed check with the adding of your result bonus, but the GM sets the level of the challenge and you're still aiming to hit your skill level. Unifying the two skill checks is a more elegant system imo, and it works well!

Dreadnoughts and Detectives

The primary profession skill works well for most professions, especially for those that get a combat skill they can often roll against. But some professions don't get this privelige and it makes their advancement harder to achieve. Specifically, the Dreadnought, Detective and Bounty Hunter suffer from this, but there's a solution; the Courtesan. This profession has Seduction as its primary skill, but has plenty of combat opportunity to use it throguh specialised manoevures. So, I've altered these professions to follow the same template, with manoeuvres tied to that skill, themed to work within combat in a way that fits their theme, and gives them a little more power in the process.

General Fixes

There's a bunch of smaller stuff here too, such as improvements to the exotic weapons, balancing profession abilities better, and a number of little errors fixed. So hard to catch them all!

Future Manuals

I've been busy with a house renovation and moving operation for the past few months, but I've found time now and then to continue work on the Vehicles manual, and the Scifi Legends manual. I've split my time between them so they're both about 50% done, but I'll focus on getting the vehicles done first. Industrial era vehicles used to be listed as Inventions in the scifi manual, but they'll be fully integrated into the system just like modern and high-tech era vehicles. I'm not far away from getting back to work fully on this, so I still expect both to come out this year.

Oh and I'm discontinuing the higher quality print versions. It's too expensive to get one printed and sent around the world every time I update the manuals, plus the quality is only slightly better than the cheaper ones.

Well that's about all for now, enjoy!

Fantasy Player's Manual 3e v1.1

* Unopposed skill checks now use a different system; Difficulty Challenge. A task will have a DC set by the GM (such as 25 for easy checks) which the player must roll over, while being at or below their skill level, just like Opposed checks. This is more homogenous with Opposed checks, more intuitive, and allows the use of Result Bonuses for unopposed checks to reach the DC.

* The 'Tireless Worker' talent now correctly denotes that an extra Extended Period of Study can be performed, and that section of the manual now references that talent correctly.

* The 'Navigation' skill no longer has sub-categories, making it useful in any terrain.

* The 'Sprint' manoeuvre clarifies that the bonus is added to the base Movement stat, so it's doubled when Hustling etc.

* The 'Spirit Surge' action cannot be used while you have the Fatigued condition.

* The 'Battle Rage' talent also grants a +10% Resolve Bonus and some of the Epic Rage ability bonuses have increased.

* Clarified some of the language used in the Threat Level table.

* Added the human 'Ambitious Effort' manoeuvre from the Scifi system, under General Manoeuvres.

* The Human 'Ambitious' special trait and the 'Studied' special ability for some professions has been corrected to denote a time bonus of 1 hour, not 1 day.

* Weapon damage bonuses gained through a Profession special ability or built-in advancement now have a common baseline: +2 for a specific weapon type, +1 for more general weapon types.

* Savage 'Vanquisher' talent altered to give a smaller bonus to all weapons.

* The 'Sharp Eyes' talent now grants a result bonus to the Perception skill.

* Replaced the Ranger's 'Studied' special ability option with Trainer, granting bonuses to their pet.

* Thief's 'Trapper' special ability replaces the trap deployment speed with a new +10% result bonus to Mechanisms.

* Relic Hunter 'Scrivener' bonus now halves the cost and time of making scrolls.

* Detective's 'Paranoid' ability also boost the Investigate skill's Critical Range.

* Detective's 'Hot Pursuit' ability can now also be used to Hustle.

* Detective's 'True Detective' ability now grants a +10% result bonus for the Investigation skill, weapon skill benefits.

* Skill manuals are now cheaper, and also grant an initial one-time skill point bonus, as well as reduce the cost of learning that particular skill.

* Dreadnought's Iron Heart ability loses the Damage Reduction bonus and gains a +10% Resolve Result bonus.

* Dreadnought's Sworn Enemy ability only grants the result, CR and damage bonuses to chosen enemies; all other benefits have been moved to manoeuvres.

* Added 6 new knowledge: monsters manoevures for the Dreadnought profession.

* Added 6 new Investigation manoeuvres for the Detective profession.

* Seduction manoeuvres are only usable by Courtesans.

* Quick Spot Perception manoeuvre now has no skill level requirement.

* Katana no longer has Reach and is a Medium weapon. (it's the same size as an Arming sword).

Scifi Player's Manual 3e v1.1