Welcome to Alpha 3, the GM section update!

Finished just in time too! My goal was to get this update out before 2025, and I'm glad I managed to publish it on *squints* December 77th...

Patch Notes

General Rule Changes 
• Treasure value was moved from equipment to the GM section. Replaced with a rules reminder to help minimize the need to flip between sections while making a character. 
• Getting Started page reworded. 
• Editing pass to fix layout issues and ability wording inconsistencies. 
• Immobile now also stops you from swift attacking, dodging, or bracing armor. 
• Remnants can now be healed by Technology checks over Medicine checks. 
• Fixed Ancestry starting Stamina not matching the amount listed in the Ancestry chart. 
• Size Huge removed and huge things are now Monstrous. 
• Trickster development replaced with Fey Friendship. Various developments buffed. 
• Pistol mastery reworked to +1 Close Range per success instead of +1 ammo per success. 
• Gun crit damage doubled, and all gun reload costs increased by +1 Actions 
• Health skill +Stamina reduced by 50% to bring high end down, and allow Stamina bonuses from other sources to feel more meaningful. 
• History now grants bonus languages 
• Animal Companions from the Wilderness skill now need food. 
• Pickpocket checks clarified and Finesse capstone ability reworked and buffed. 
• Sleeping now grants rerolls at the start of every scenes. Tent nerfed to normal sleep. 
• Rations now restore Stamina if eaten during a short rest (added to ration description).

Fighting Style Changes 
• Scholar Arcane form nerfed from MP = +DMG to 1D12 Arcane +1D6 per 10 MP cost.
• Rune Gunner Artist talent buffed to allow all types of runes to apply to attacks.
• Run gunner traps can now be applied to coins, cards, and small objects.
• Balance pass on Engineer, Crusader, Bard, Abyssalist, Shaper, Storm Guard, and Firelord.

GM Section Changes 
• Added more advice for how to build an adventure, and how to build a world to the GM Section.
• Added large number of random tables and content to exploration GM section.
• Added large number of random tables and content to rewards GM section.
• Filled in the remaining 2 elemental weather tables
• Reworded some of the sound entries to clarify excessive sound
• Added Overland travel rules.
• Created 1 full enemy faction entry (Orcs) to represent how I want to structure the enemy section.

A majority of the balance patch changes above came from continued play testing. The rest were changes I already had planned, or just new content added to the game. Overall, I think the game is a good state, but definitely needs number tweaks. I mean there's probably a few hundred abilities in the game I would be an idiot to think they're all perfectly balanced first try.

Number tweaks feel like beta changes though, not alpha changes. Speaking of...

Road to Beta

This is the final Alpha version I plan to release. The next release will be a major one, and mark the change from Alpha to Beta. The two big changes to expect are the addition of Cover art, and the inclusion of art for each Ancestry. I'm also hoping I can add a bit more content to various sections of the game, and potentially include the sample adventure in the back I've been meaning to write.

Beta is also when I will start charging for the game. I'm not sure what price point I'll give it, but I think the game finally has enough content and enough polish that I'm comfortable putting a price on it. My friends say I've been putting it off for awhile and I should have charged for the alpha release, but I've been hesitant. I play a lot of video games and there are quite a few games that will release half finished with the promise that updates down the line will fix the game's issues. I don't want to do that to people who play a game I write.

So yeah. I think that about covers it. Expect the Beta update to come a lot sooner than this Alpha update took to come out. If I had to guess when, probably before the end of March. Hopefully before March 77th...

As always you can find me on the discord if you have any questions or comments (https://discord.gg/GGruKDNBun).

I always appreciate feedback.

<3