Thornwatch Preview - Talking Cards & RPGs With Penny Arcade's Gabe

Mike Krahulik had tooled around with devising a card game for years before He really knew what to call IT. "At the time, I was fed up with running Fourth Variation Dungeons & Dragons," helium said. "It had cards, but information technology wasn't really a cards. I came from Pokemon and Trick: The Assemblage." He wanted to build a roleplaying game that was easier to frolic, faster, and less preparedness intensive for gamemasters and players. The game that finally emerged is being called a "card game adventure", and its name is Thornwatch. Information technology's supported Penny Colonnade's popular Eyrewood comics. After years of work, he's begun widely playtesting the mettlesome in preparation for a set up in 2015. I involved with Krahulik at PAX East, where I was able to talk with him about the game and sit for few hours of a playtest session.

"Originally the game was just known as Card Warriors," said Krahulik, whose alter ego Gabe is the spoil for Cent Arcade's Tycho. It was a game where players had characters, each represented by a deck, and fought a Game Master's premade adventure of enemies and monsters. The game didn't wealthy person a made-up abode for a long time; it was honestly screen out of soulless sounding. Soh it was thematically stagnant until the advent of the idea for the Thornwatch characters. "Once we put it in the Eyrewood and I came rising with the estimation of the Thornwatch it just started to roll." The Eyrewood, said Krahulik, was idealized for what He and original partner Jerry Holkins wanted to make. "It's a magical forest, which could be cool, but it's not: It's terrific. The thing we wish near it is that you have the Lookouts, which are microscopic kids therein horrible position doing horrible things. They'rhenium being upside-down to stone by basilisks. But they're still kids… On the other side you consume the Thornwatch, which is a much darker take all in all thing."

Revealed during the playtest academic term was the idea that the Thornwatch, who accept already had several comics written about them, are at peace. "They are spirits of the timberland, so if you are familiar with them before the playtest we talked about how when individual needs their help there's this usage that must be done to summon them. That's how they're able to travel through trees as if by magic and shift energy betwixt for each one other, they're spirits." Going connected, Krahulik laid out the dark place that the Thornwatch occupy in the world of the Eyrewood. "We did a comic a while ago that's about the Thornwatch from the lookouts' perspective where the lookouts are being taught never to foretell the Thornwatch. They actually have a bit poem nearly how horrible it is, and the reason it's looked down upon is because you're summoning ghosts. It's a ritual through with with blood." But the Thornwatch, IT turns out, are protectors.

When starting the biz, then, all mission begins with a magical grayback. "A knot gives you clues about what the mission is," said Krahulik, "Jerry has this whole list of knots, and the knots mean something. Like, Wagon-Wise tells you that something is absent." That story plays directly into the design of the spunky. "The game is focused along: Here's the slub, you guys arrive, let's have fun."

The brave will let in some a preplanned campaign in the world of the Eyrewood and a banal of quick knots and creatures to draw from for more ad-lib adventures. "We want those to pick out about two hours," aforesaid Krahulik, "and we require the campaign games to take about four hours for each one." The game will include a set of maps for that premade adventure, ready to be ray-utilized for custom ones. Krahulik said atomic number 2 had "about twenty-five" maps drawn up, but wasn't certain how many would be in the final product.

They're being cagey calm about what the demand taradiddle of that campaign will be, and Krahulik gave only this detail: "I'd aver the initial story will give players a new viewpoint into the Eyrewood. You've seen information technology from the Lookouts linear perspective just the Thornwatch is very different. There's even a few secrets about the Eyrewood that we'atomic number 75 emotional to share. In terms of [item-by-item] stories we plan on copulative all these groups. You will meet Lookouts and Daughters for convinced."

Theme &adenylic acid; Process Are Key

Microphone Krahulik didn't on the button have an easy time adapting his visual design work to making a tabletop game, though. "My sketchbook is each pictures. Whenever I cerebration of a cool ability it came from the estimation of a drawing on a card. I would sustain to draw information technology out. I would get to draw out entire decks, like for the Brand – swords and daggers and what would his deck look up to like." Visuals, then, drove his design mental process. "For 2 years it was just me by myself making card game and printing them out and playing with my friends at the office for fun." He described scheming monsters to me, locution "If I'm intellection of the tease I have to draw a picture show of the skeleton – what the card looks like-minded, whereas I think I knew a great deal of other designers wrote out rules or text."

Then, veteran game designer Mike Selinker moved into an government agency in the Penny Arcade edifice. Selinker played the game and told Krahulik that atomic number 2 "had to make this game now." Indeed Krahulik made-up a small team within Penny Arcade and set out disagreeable to convert his idiosyncratic designs into a usable initialise. "Every circuit card was an adobe Photoshop file with about 20 layers of rasterized school tex that you couldn't blue-pencil, and weird scribbles and sketches and drawings, and any time I cherished to print out a card I had to flatten the thing out and cut it and paste it onto an 8.5″ x 11″ page and cut that out." When they byword that, seemingly, Mike Selinker walked out of the room, and project manager Jamie Dillion's response inspired this comic.

You can tell the experience was humbling for him. It ready-made him smile and laugh Sir Thomas More than anything other we talked about, locution "I just don't work in a way that is conducive to designing a game. I work in photoshop. I'm whol about let's totally have fun, let's play in the emotional state of the secret plan." That posture, though, clearly made rules text frustrating for him. Mike Fehlauer, the V.P. of Centime Colonnade, is apparently a huge rules lawyer. "Fehlauer is like, I'm gonna understand every give voice on this card and I'm passing to make it do on the button what it says, not what you wanted it to do" said Krahulik. Those kinds of insights from opposite people, though, have made the game from hobby side fancy into a publishable intersection undergoing playtesting.

Same of the for the first time pieces of advice Mike Selinker gave Krahulik, later Krahulik ran the original Thornwatch demonstrate for Selinker, was "This is amazing, I hump this game: You are not gonna come in the box. You have to create a set of rules and guides so that anybody can pick up up this secret plan and get along what you just did for Maine." That triggered what Krahulik called a "major whoa" moment – He'd been flying blind on tabletop game contrive, and completed the filmy amount of money of unfamiliar function required to turn a fun game into a amusive game that other people could play. When it comes to the prototype he has, though, his long time of instincts and have with unusual roleplaying and instrument panel games seems to have paid off – he's got a suite of incomparable and interesting mechanics to work off of.

Then how does it play?

In short, silken. I played in a playtest session that took nearly ii and a half hours, and the disclaimer atomic number 3 to what I adage there is that accordant to Krahulik the primary goal was "to tension test the basic combat system." By his own admission some of the more playact focused mechanics, or abilities that required heavy Game Overlord rulings, were left proscribed. That playtest, and the mechanism showcased in it, were remarkably well-fitted for a complex, multi-part, asynchronous innovation in a game category without much prior work in it. Most of all, though, they were diverting. They were readily well understood for a tired person, late at night, along the second mean solar day of a convening. That goes along with what Krahulik's design goals are for the system. "I cerebrate the barrier to entering on Thornwatch would atomic number 4 a lot lower," he said, comparing his game to traditional roleplaying, "you could picture up to play Epidemic Oregon Ticket to Mount and just put Thornwatch down and start playing it." I'd guess it took me about tenner minutes to learn the game's rudiments, and I learned the breathe as we played in about fifteen more.

The game revolves around the idea of class decks. Each character embodies united of the Thornwatch's Icons, ideals of heroes that have lived happening for years every bit different ghosts take over the role. Each of those decks has a suite of moves and abilities for you to frolic, and each of those cards has a skill case. For the melee-focused Guard, e.g., every card in the deck is either Strength surgery Vitality. For the Blade, from each one is Manual dexterity operating room Strength. Your character has a couple statistics independent of their adorn and give: A movement speed, a couple of Traits for roleplaying, a United States Department of Defense value, and a hurt threshold that determines when you drop barren.

In the playtest there were four classes available. The Bodyguard was a brawler who drew enemies' attacks to himself and supernatant his allies. He had various stances, like a battlerage that turned his wounds into Strength card game that clean-burning his abilities and a defensive stance that made him harder to hit. The Greenheart was a therapist and service program paladin who non only dished tabu harm in melee, just could create magical trees on the battlefield by planting seeds inside of key enemies. Those seeds exploded into, e.g., a Tree of Vitality that gave healing fruit to nearby allies. The Blade was a fast, maneuverable class themed close to having much swords, knives, and daggers than everyone else out there – and doing more with them. Atomic number 2 appeared the most straightforward, but distinctly had nuanced abilities to dart in and out of combat. The Sage was a spellcaster like a longstanding D&D Wizard: Able to hurl prejudicial fireballs, only clear more utilizable when employing powerful utility conjuration to boost allies and hamper enemies – like a mirror image that allowed him to discard cards in convert for penalties to enemy attacks.

As you played abilities out of your hand, you'd past accept to fuel them with certain kinds of cards. Each turn you could play other cards with the right keywords out of your hand, unitary of each of your character's skills at a clock time, to fire your attacks. For example, my Guard character had an overhead smash attack that had to run a Long suit and a Vitality scorecard before it could exist reactive, and could be boosted to greater levels with more card game. When you attack, roll two ten-sided dice and add the number of cards powering the attack you're using, trying to attain the target number of your opposition's defense. Enemies, likewise, do the same to hit you – but they deliver set attacks and damage non supported cards. The hold to your attacks is that the Strength and Vital force card game you're playing to fuel your ability are themselves other abilities – a Cleave card would be tagged Vitality, piece the aforementioned Budget items Smash was a Strength posting itself. That mode, you'Re losing a bit of flexibility to power your attacks at base strength, and losing a lot of tractability to boost them to their utmost tear down. At the end of each turn, you'd draw back up to cardinal cards.

As your character gets damaged by enemies, you make wound cards into your deck. Those wound cards, when drawn into your hand, get stuck at that place. When you have more wound card game in your hand than your wound threshold, you die. That wound system, said Krahulik, was one of the seeds of the entire game. "I've had that for over two years," he said. In the playtest, the Guard had the highest wound threshold at 5 and the Salvia the lowest at 3. The spit system is remarkably simple, but information technology's emphatically Thornwatch's killer conception, winning the boring death spiral of hit point based roleplaying systems and handsome a satisfying quantity of randomness to it. You know how many wounds you've taken, but not when you'll succumb to those wounds.

When you die, you yield what's called a Scar card into your deck – permanently – and past make out hindermost from the dead. Remember, you're a ghost after all. Scratch cards have their own personal effects – no of them good. The Scar my character picked up, e.g. crusade him to pause at key moments, knock him down the Momentum track. Beyond simple penalties, Krahulik had braggart plans for the scratch cards. "Over the course of a campaign we want the scars you get to equal relevant to the adventure you're playing." He followed up with a hypothetical situation, clearly excited about the prospects. "Say I go to your house to play and I bring my Blade deck, and I twist a combat injury where I was run through by a unicorn. I want you to say 'When the fuck were you run through by a Unicorn?' and I'll state 'Buckeye State, well I was playing last week at Jerry's…'I wishing these cards to be chronicle. Just like warriors sitting around a campfire locution 'Well right here's when I got wrapped by that electric Snake.'" Sooner or later, he went on to say, you'd retire your grievously wounded character in party favour of one with a new personality and a new-made bedight – once you had too many negative cards to deal with.

Monsters, however, father't take wound cards when hurt. That brings us to Thornwatch's new killer foundation: What's called the impulse track – it's rowing of cards that decide who Acts when during a snipe. By itself, a alkalic visual twist on the bog standard roleplaying game initiative system. However, when a monster is hit with an attack, it moves pour down in impulse – literally slows down – until it's last in order. If it takes damage while inalterable in fiat, IT's killed. The momentum is a Recent matter for the crippled. Accordant to Krahulik, momentum was maybe trio months old when they brought it to PAX Eastmost. "I intend at one point Jerry just said, you hit the skeleton, he drops retired. Kiko [Villasenor, Graphic Designer for Penny Colonnade] and I started unerect. And I said, let's discuss this. Let's talk about this for the sleep of the fucking day. Kiko was convinced somebody would break IT present at [Kiss of peace East], but nobody has."

The game will glucinium played on maps that, like comic book pages, enjoin part with of the story of the mission that the Thornwatch is on. Panels of comic with text edition on the outside of the battle map grid testament recount a story about what's going on, frequently dropping clues, hints, or game mechanics. Krahulik said they want to put puzzles into it, overly. "Say you have around primitive statue with runes, and that describes more or less mystify to you. What if as they'Re looking at the board it's right in that respect? And [players] are like wait a sec – there IT is – almost ilk a hidden object." IT's about like the booklets of visual cues for players in old TSR Dungeons & Dragons modules, but with a more transparent and open flair elysian by the kind of storytelling that the game wants to do.

Some of the game's mechanical features more obviously stem from contemporary roleplaying games: Each character had a set out of two traits, either randomized or selected by the player, like "bloodthirsty" or "optimistic." Those traits dis not only as cues to what kind of spirit is playing the part of Blade or Guard this game, simply equally incentives to playact to the hilt. If you play unsuccessful your traits you get a special D10 called the Action Drop dead, which you can roll as a fillip to anything you've through with or hand to an friend thusly they can hit with a clutch attack.

Other mechanics intelligibly grew out of Krahulik's frustration with the table environments of many roleplaying games. "I got eliminate players having to take notes or rails their H.P.," he said. "My whole thing almost Thornwatch was getting rid of all the bullshit I hated about running [RPGs] for two old age." He went on to feed examples. "I unloved that it's not your turn around, so you're along your phone. So, the Synergy card game – everybody's gotta be watching everyone's turn complete the time." The Synergy cards were some of the simplest design in the playtest, you didn't feel obligated to pay attention to others' turns, Oregon grudging – you wanted to use your interesting power, so you were e'er connected the lookout. My Guard, e.g., could take a wound for an friend before information technology went into their deck, or give an friend a bump for a unrestricted attack when an enemy missed. It was a great deal like watching for the perfect time for an Flash spell in Magic: The Gathering. In the game's story, the synergy cards are the spirits existence connected aside the forest, able to push energy to and fro between each other.

Other personal frustrations drove some of the design decisions likewise, like this peerless: When you miss aside one point, if you can describe to the GM wherefore you really impinge on, then you ut. A very straightforward reign, but for reasons that might surprise some. "I've played at a peck of tables where people are uncomfortable with roleplaying," said Krahulik. "I wanted on that point to be a mechanic that gave you the slightest thought about non you every bit a player at the table, but you as a graphic symbol in the brave." It's clear that though the game definitely straddles the nice between roleplaying plot and get on game, Krahulik doesn't seem worried about whether a mechanic fits extraordinary style of game terminated another – nor should he be. He should make a good game and let everyone else figure verboten what to Doctor of Osteopathy with it.

Some things did get left forbidden for the playtest, Krahulik told Maine. "We have a Sister of the Eyrewood deck, which is sort of like our pet class, and then we also have the Briarlock." Where the other characters would use a combination of two core skills like Dexterity and Strength, the Briarlock deck uses Spirit – like, articulate, the Greenheart does – but also wounds. "It's a plain blood mage," aforementioned Krahulik. "The Briarlock deals damage based on wounds relevant , so the more fucked up the totally party gets the many damage he deals." The Briarlock's deck was mostly done, but the execution of the Impulse system was, according to Krahulik "the big moment, and it was awesome and it broke the Briarlock deck."

So there are still kinks beingness worked extinct, but if what I saw was a realistic indication of what's approaching, this is courageous is full of sound, and fun, mechanics. If it sounds like information technology's something you'd like, well, you can comfortably get excited. Look for more about Thornwatch later this year on Penny Arcade and here at The Escapist. The plot is matter-of-course to release in 2022 – "whether that means PAX East or PAX Prime we force out't estimate on the nose," said Krahulik, laughing. Like much about the game, information technology seems like that too will be a process of learning.

If you're interested in what else happened with tabletop games at PAX East 2014, check unfashionable our extensive roundup.

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/thornwatch-preview-talking-cards-rpgs-with-penny-arcades-gabe/

Source: https://www.escapistmagazine.com/thornwatch-preview-talking-cards-rpgs-with-penny-arcades-gabe/

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