This is a quick balance patch to address issues brought up during a recent playtest. Change log at the bottom of this post.

I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about how I balance games. I keep two key things in mind when I make something.

First: Numbers can always be changed later.

Second: It is always better and easier to start too strong and go down, than it is to start too weak and have to figure out if you can go up.

So when I'm trying to come up with a new mechanic or ability or I'm making something for the first time I make the most overpowered, coolest, most interesting, and most complicated version of the thing first. I put every bell and whistle on it that I can, and then I promise myself I'll come back later. The goals I had for the system meant I had a mountain of abilities and content to make, and I knew if I got bogged down in the bottomless pit of balance I would never get the game done.

Now that everything is designed though, it's time to go back and update the numbers.

And it's a really good thing I waited until the end here to balance things, because the game has gone through like 10 major revisions to core systems since I made some of these abilities. Although the obvious downside is that a lot of patches to the game in its current state are going to be nerfs which are just less fun to talk about.

Anyway, patch notes

• Alpha 2.2: Balance Patch 
• Fixed Guns skill missing from the character sheet. 
• Fixed Text on character sheet being blurry. 
• The recommended difficulty of all challenges increased by +1. 
• Dice roll table updated to 4 successes (20 and up). 
• Fixed adventuring gear table missing column 
• Fixed Resistance and Immunity spacing. 
• Marksman healing doubled now that Crits happen half as often. 
• Gun Crit Range replaced with Close Range. Now grants +1 success instead of treating the attack as a Critical Hit. 
• Made rules for using mounts and carrying people more clear. 
• Made Health skill more clear. 
• Guns rank 5 now gives Two-Hand guns Brute Force 1 instead of flat damage.
• Made Ride ability (Imposing) more clear.
• Abyssalist Deliver of Ancient Truth now grants healing instead of double damage. 
• Abyssalist Primeval hunter buffed from XD4 to XD4 + X 
• Abyssalist Hungering Blade effect now last until end of scene. 
• Challenges page clarified. Now explains 0 to 4 success challenges. 
• Added 1 more page to exploration to cover “event tables” 
• Added goblins to the back as more example enemies.