Hi Sabre fans, we're got some news on an upcoming release, and of course some fixes and balances to the system for you!
High Level Campaign
In spite of some covid-lockdown challenges now and then, I'm currently running one of the longest campaigns I've ever attempted, in order to see how the system works at the top end. The last update addressed some of the issues with spellcasters being a bit too squishy, and this time we've uncovered some other mechanics that need addressing. Overall it's working pretty well though, with the players in my group assuming they were going to be destroyed instantly at the start of a fight, only to find their abilities kept them alive and allowed them to prevail in a pretty well-balanced combat.
I think part of this comes from damage increasing a lot as skill levels rise, but Hit Points don't follow suit, but that'swhere armour, skill and magic come into it to keep them alive.
Legends
Another reason for doing a high level campaign is because I'm putting together a new manual called Legends, which covers new talents, unique magic items and new crazy powerful monsters to take on!
I know what you're thinking: "Hey what about that Atlas which still isn't done yet!" Well, with the power of my group's characters increasing every session, I needed to start developing this before they started to outgrow the challenges I was throwing at them, so it became a priority. The atlas will follow afterwards, as I want to get these two manuals done before working on another novel. I'm not far from completing this thing actually, with just the monsters and a few tweaks here and there to finish off, so maybe in a few weeks it'll be ready. A few monsters have been moved from the Bestiary to appear in the Legends manual, such as the Titan and Sa'quaarin, where they can be better used. I never had a party try to take on a Titan before, but I suspect they would have had little chance of defeating it without the new legendary abilities! Now, onto this update!
Hunters
The biggest fix for this update is the Hunter profession. It was supposed to be the premier ranged weapon profession, the one you'd take to focus on archery, guns etc. But the talents for it predate the current profession system, and were just kind of crammed in there. Well I've finally gotten around to fixing this one, with a revised profession and new talents to fit the current progression theme. They're the best ranged fighters, the best with traps, and their talents allow them to train bigger, meaner beasts to use in battle. This accompanies an improvement to bows, which can get up to 2d8 (or 1d16 if you prefer) for their base damage, allowing them to punch through armour better. Beasts and Dire Beasts in the Bestary have been revised to work better with Hunters, so you've got a good selection of creatures to work with. Oh and the Animal Training professional skill is simplified and revised, allowing anyone to have their own armoured cat to hurl into battle :D
Armour Fix
After witnessing a high TL paladin with masterwork vythir plate and kite shield tank like a beast, we determined that it's not armour that's the problem as such, but the Partial Block talent. The math is like this: 23 AP for that shiny armour, +14 on a successful block, but still gains +7 on a failed block, so that's AP 30 guarenteed, and 37 on a real block. We have no issue with a shield absorbing all that damage on a success, but if you fail to block, at least a little damage should be possible. So the Partial Block talent is being adjusted (nerfed!) to provide a flat +2 AP bonus when you first get it, rising to +4 AP at 99% skill. So that kite shield above would provide +4 instead of +7 on a fail, and that 3 points does make a difference, especially against two handed weapons. Two knights clanging away at each other with sword and board could still be at it all day though!
You see, the high AP in the system was fine while destroying AP with acid or Impact weapons was far more common. By substantially reducing those effects, it's just so hard to get around that AP, forcing fights to rely on collision, electrical or shadow damage to take down armoured characters. This change opens up regular damage to be more useful, and prevents ubertanking all day long. The damage from Body Slam and Piledriver manoeuvres has been reduced too, as they were a bit overpowered on creatures with high Damage Modifiers.
Finally, Cavalry plate has been removed. It was too heavy to really use properly, requiring a warhorse to carry the warrior around (intentionally so), but mounts are of limited use in games that go underground or indoors, so cavalry plate just isn't useful enough to invest in. Also, the extra AP really breaks the system!
Blades and Cooking
The other notable changes in this update are for blades, which simply couldn't defeat armour at high level, and cooking. Blades can now ignore half AP on a crit when the Duellist talent is taken at 99%, and their critical range buff has been improved slightly too. The Fencer talent was only useful for single-handed weapons, pointless for duel wielding or any other style, so it was quite niche. It's now been improved to provide a modest bonus for all blades, which is doubled if you do a single-blade fencing style.
Finally, cooking is more interesting and useful now, with two talents, and the ability to boost not just Hit Points, but Spirit Points as well. Raw Ingredients are properly listed, along with cooking herbs, so it's easier keep track of an aspiring chef's larder.
So that's about all for this month, keep an eye out for the Legends manual in the near future. Oh! Almost forgot, I'm going to take a crack at a print version of it (finally) as a test run to see if I can get the other manuals done too. Obviously, the continuing updates and fixes precludes it for the near future, but if I feel the system is finally settling down, I'll make those print editions and then do no updates for like, a year :D Take care, and stay safe everyone.
SabreRPG 2e Fantasy Premium v1.12
* Hunter profession revision.
- Hunter talents are no longer shared with Druid (Beastmaster).
- Hunter gains Endurance Resistance skill, but can only wear light armour.
- Special options are now Marksman, Trapper and Trainer.
- Removed old talents, replaced with 4 new condensed abilities based on a chosen ranged weapon skill, suitable for solo or hunter+pet combo.
* Revised the Animal Training skill, removing any TL limits from it and simplifying its use. Anyone can now teach talents and pet manoeuvres to their pet with Accolades, and there is no INT limit on what can be learned.
Armour Fix
* 'Partial Block' talent now helps absorb a fixed amount of +2 AP, increasing with skill.
* 'Bastion' shield manoeuvre now requires 90% skill.
* Removed Cavalry plate from the system.
* 'Body Slam' manoeuvre now deals half DM as collision damage.
* 'Piledriver' manoeuvre now deals just DM as collision damage.
* Added Brigandine Gauntlets.
* Added Leather Banadana as an armour head item. All other head armour receives +1 AP.
* Added 'Armour of Resistance' and 'Armour of Regeneration' artificer spells.
Cooking skill Revision
* Added 'Home Cooking' talent.
* 'Chef' talent is now 90% requirement.
* Revised the Craft: Cooking skill.
* Added Raw Ingredients and Cooking Herbs to the food and drink table, along with ENC scores for each item. Raw Ingredients are also used by Animal Training to tame and feed pets.
* Failing a herbalism check to gather herbs now yields 1d20 cooking herbs.
Other Fixes
* Second Profession talent now specifies that Background Events are taken from the primary profession.
* Removed the 'Unlucky' and 'Weak' negative background events, replaced with 'Results' and 'Shielded'.
* 'Strong Draw' bow talent now increases dice size a third time at 99%.
* 'Archery Master' talent now gives +5 damage vs a target that has already been damaged this round.
* Exotic Mounts talent now requires 99% skill.
* Added 'Flared Muzzle' and 'Rifled Barrel' firearm mods.
* Forward Stance manoeuvre now only provides +2 damage.
* Balanced Stance manoeuvre now only proides +4% result bonus.
* Added Back Stance manoeuvre that grants +3 Critical Range.
* Zen Master manoeuvre only makes the 1st manouevre in a round free.
* The 'Exotic Mount' talent now lets you teach the Mount talent to your mount (if it doesn't have it).
* Added 'Caltrops' trap.
* Corrected the cost of buying new artificer blueprints.
* The Lance is no longer listed as a polearm-type weapon under the skills section.
* Revised 'Imbue Divinity' spell.
* 'Enduring Weaponry' spell now also applies to armour spells.
* 'Armoured Beast' druid talent now only provides your worn AP if it's higher than the form they are taking (no longer stacks).
* 'Shifted Caster' druid talent lets you cast your own spells, but at x2 the normal Spirit Point cost.
* Improved the damage of the Force Bolt and Wand of Force Bolt spells, and it can now combine the bolts into a single high-damage shot.
* 'Critical Mastery' blade talent has been improved.
* The Prone condition now allows for 2 squares of movement.
* Sorcery 'Enlarge' spell now specifies a creature as its target.
* Sorcery 'Time Stop' spell now specifies that it doesn't allow things to be taken from creature's hands.
* 'Duellist' blade talent has been revised. It now ignores half armour points on a target when you get a critical hit.
* 'Fencer' blade talent now provides a bonus for all blades, which is doubled for using a single bladed weapon.
* At 99% skill, the 'Spellbreaker' talent's damage is no longer halved.
* Ammunition made of Cold Iron ignores 1/2 Energy AP.
* Ironwood and Auldheart now correctly list their HP is not halved instead of AP.
* Bloodwood, Ironwood and Auldheart now grant AP bonuses for shields.
* Ammunition for black powder weapons is now listed as 'Black powder & Bullet (1 shot)'.
Scifi Core Rulebook 2e v1.12
* Hunter profession revision.
- Hunter talents are no longer shared with Druid (Beastmaster).
- Hunter gains Endurance Resistance skill, but can only wear light armour.
- Special options are now Marksman, Trapper and Trainer.
- Removed old talents, replaced with 4 new condensed abilities based on a chosen ranged weapon skill, suitable for solo or hunter+pet combo.
* Revised the Animal Training skill, removing any TL limits from it and simplifying its use. Anyone can now teach talents and pet manoeuvres to their pet with Accolades, and there is no INT limit on what can be learned.
Armour Fix
* 'Partial Block' talent now helps absorb a fixed amount of +2 AP, increasing with skill.
* 'Bastion' shield manoeuvre now requires 90% skill.
* Removed Cavalry plate from the system.
* 'Body Slam' manoeuvre now deals half DM as collision damage.
* 'Piledriver' manoeuvre now deals just DM as collision damage.
* Added Brigandine Gauntlets.
* Added Leather Banadana as an armour head item. All other head armour receives +1 AP.
Cooking skill Revision
* Added 'Home Cooking' talent.
* 'Chef' talent is now 90% requirement.
* Revised the Craft: Cooking skill.
* Added Raw Ingredients and Cooking Herbs to the food and drink table, along with ENC scores for each item. Raw Ingredients are also used by Animal Training to tame and feed pets.
* Failing a herbalism check to gather herbs now yields 1d20 cooking herbs.
Other Fixes
* Second Profession talent now specifies that Background Events are taken from the primary profession.
* Removed the 'Unlucky' and 'Weak' negative background events, replaced with 'Results' and 'Shielded'.
* 'Strong Draw' bow talent now increases dice size a third time at 99%.
* 'Archery Master' talent now gives +5 damage vs a target that has already been damaged this round.
* Exotic Mounts talent now requires 99% skill.
* Added 'Flared Muzzle' and 'Rifled Barrel' firearm mods.
* Forward Stance manoeuvre now only provides +2 damage.
* Balanced Stance manoeuvre now only proides +4% result bonus.
* Added Back Stance manoeuvre that grants +3 Critical Range.
* Zen Master manoeuvre only makes the 1st manouevre in a round free.
* The 'Exotic Mount' talent now lets you teach the Mount talent to your mount (if it doesn't have it).
* Added 'Caltrops' trap.
* The Lance is no longer listed as a polearm-type weapon under the skills section.
* 'Critical Mastery' blade talent has been improved.
* The Prone condition now allows for 2 squares of movement.
* 'Duellist' blade talent has been revised. It now ignores half armour points on a target when you get a critical hit.
* 'Fencer' blade talent now provides a bonus for all blades, which is doubled for using a single bladed weapon.
* At 99% skill, the 'Spellbreaker' talent's damage is no longer halved.
* Ammunition for black powder weapons is now listed as 'Black powder & Bullet (1 shot)'.
SabreRPG 2e Fantasy Basic Edition 1.12
* Hunter profession revision.
- Hunter talents are no longer shared with Druid (Beastmaster).
- Hunter gains Endurance Resistance skill, but can only wear light armour.
- Special options are now Marksman, Trapper and Trainer.
- Removed old talents, replaced with 4 new condensed abilities based on a chosen ranged weapon skill, suitable for solo or hunter+pet combo.
Armour Fix
* 'Partial Block' talent now helps absorb a fixed amount of +2 AP, increasing with skill.
* 'Bastion' shield manoeuvre now requires 90% skill.
* Removed Cavalry plate from the system.
* 'Body Slam' manoeuvre now deals half DM as collision damage.
* 'Piledriver' manoeuvre now deals just DM as collision damage.
* Added Brigandine Gauntlets.
* Added Leather Banadana as an armour head item. All other head armour receives +1 AP.
Cooking skill Revision
* Revised the Craft: Cooking skill usage.
* Added Raw Ingredients and Cooking Herbs to the food and drink table, along with ENC scores for each item. Raw Ingredients are also used by Animal Training to tame and feed pets.
* Failing a herbalism check to gather herbs now yields 1d20 cooking herbs.
Other Fixes
* Second Profession talent now specifies that Background Events are taken from the primary profession.
* Removed the 'Unlucky' and 'Weak' negative background events, replaced with 'Results' and 'Shielded'.
* 'Strong Draw' bow talent now increases dice size a third time at 99%.
* 'Archery Master' talent now gives +5 damage vs a target that has already been damaged this round.
* Forward Stance manoeuvre now only provides +2 damage.
* Balanced Stance manoeuvre now only proides +4% result bonus.
* Zen Master manoeuvre only makes the 1st manouevre in a round free.
* The Lance is no longer listed as a polearm-type weapon under the skills section.
* Revised 'Imbue Divinity' spell.
* Improved the damage of the Force Bolt and Wand of Force Bolt spells, and it can now combine the bolts into a single high-damage shot.
* 'Critical Mastery' blade talent has been improved.
* The Prone condition now allows for 2 squares of movement.
* 'Duellist' blade talent has been revised. It now ignores half armour points on a target when you get a critical hit.
* 'Fencer' blade talent now provides a bonus for all blades, which is doubled for using a single bladed weapon.
* At 99% skill, the 'Spellbreaker' talent's damage is no longer halved.