V1.12: The Stretch-Goal Update

Version 1.12 is the first public update since the launch of the Kickstarter campaign for Beacon! There are a lot of changes in this version, so let’s get started!

GENERAL

• The three stretch goal classes (Equinox, Knightmare, and Shadebinder) have been added to this document. Please note that these classes may not be included in the final core book when it is released (they’ll still be available for free, but potentially separately), but are included now to make testing easier.
• Enchantments can now apply to Techniques (skills and spells). Most enchantments have been updated with additional options.
• Quick action renamed to Minor Actions. [Done to help prevent confusion for Lancer players.]

NARRATIVE PLAY

• Fixed “how to make a skill check” section, you don’t add grit to skill checks.
• New downtime activity, DISENCHANT, allows you to turn loot into residuum, which can be spent to improve future loot crates.
• SKILL CHALLENGES
  • Infiltrate approach: Dmg of Trapped Environment must be physical, astral, lunar, or force.

COMBAT PLAY

• Specified that conditions, statuses, and resources go away at the end of a combat scene unless otherwise stated.
• ACTIONS
  • CAST: This action has gained a new feature, an Improvised Spell Attack. It’s an aetheric attack that costs 1 mana, and deals 2 stress on a hit. [This gives all characts the opportunity to deal stress and use mana for something.]
  • GRAPPLE: The Grapple Target can make an opposed BLK check as a minor action to break free, not just if they’re smaller. Updated wording. [Old wording made it technically impossible to end a grapple if you were the target and larger than the initiator.]
  • HIDE: Hide no longer has prerequistes to hide

COMBAT RULES

• ATTACKS
  • AUTO HIT: No longer affected by invisibility.
• RANGE, REACH, AND AOE
  • Line: Clarified that lines must be drawn directly away from you.
• DAMAGE
  • Resistance: Resistance rounds UP, not down. [Basically everything in the game rounds up, this was a typo].
• MOVEMENT
  • Climbing: Updated rules to account for cover. Basically, if you are standing on terrain/cover, you can’t benefit from cover of the same size or smaller. For example, if you are standing atop a piece of Size 2 cover, you don’t benefit from size 1 or size 2 cover.
• ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
  • Added Cold and Heat
  • Low Visibility: Also affects thrown weapon ranges. HIDDEN characters are INVISIBLE. [Old feature of ignoring HIDE prerequisites is no longer applicable, as there are no longer any prerequisites.]
• RESTING
  • Rules for bringing a defeated character back into play.
• TAGS
  • New tag, Aura Tag
  • New Tag, Polymorph tag
  • Summon: Updated wording
  • Trap: Traps now arm at the end of a turn. Updated wording.
  • Unbreakable Tag: Updated wording.
• STATUS
  • HIDDEN: Slight rework. Hidden no longer provides full immunity to being targeted, as adjacent character ignore that effect. Hidden is only ended at the end of a turn passively, or normally with search. [Testing out some buffs to stealth builds in general, by increasing the ease to enter hidden, and reducing complexity by shifting the timing to lose stealth to the end of turn, so movements don’t have to be interrupted by calculating line of sight.]
  • GRAPPLED: Extra clarification on some rules.
  • FLYING: Does not trigger traps from moving, but is still able to be affected by them.

ANCESTRY

• AVIAN
  • Gust: Updated wording.
• DRAGONBORN
  • Dragon Fire: Updated wording.
• ELEMENTAL
  • Elemental Nova: Updated wording.
• GOBLIN
  • Scurry: triggers on any attack, not just melee.
• KOBOLD
  • Trap Array. Updated wording, and all traps now create a [Burst 1] area when triggered.
• LYCANTHROPE
  • Sneaky Form: Gains Polymorph tag
  • Travel Form: Gains polymorph tag.

CLASS

Three new classes added, the Equinox, Knightmare, and Shadebinder.

• AEGIS
  • Perfect Shield: Can be activated at any time, instead of as a DEFEND action.
  • Force Shield: Changed with new Shield rules.
• ALCHEMIST
  • Potion Injector: You can now also use your standard action in phase 3 or later to use a support item with a quick action activation. Range reduced to 8. [Now that the Alchemist has Scope 8, it makes sense to have the potion injector use the same range, instead of 10].
  • Sanitizing Vapors: Can clear stress up to amount. Allows option to clear less.
  • Volatile Mixtures: Sticky bomb language updated so that the target spends at least 1 turn immobilized, and creates an explosion effect when the condition ends. Explosive Concoction now deals auto damage, targets 1 target, and can spend 1 mana to make it a blast.
• ARSENAL
  • Armiger: Updated wording.
  • Mana Siphon: Changed to now have different effects based on the weapon size.
• ASSASSIN
  • Assassinate: Updated wording.
  • Preparation: You now don’t have to spend all preparation at once. Preparation points renamed to prep.
  • Exterminate: Updated wording.
  • Poisoner’s Kit: Now works with any non-aetheric weapon attack
  • Master of Stealth: Tweaked due to new stealth rules.
  • Garrote: Damage is capped at your speed each turn. [With rushing and high movement, this could be outsized amounts of damage, especially for a light support item.]
• BERSERKER
  • Reckless: Updated wording.
• CHRONOMANCER
  • Rewind: Updated wording.
  • Borrowed Time: Updated wording.
• DEMON HUNTER
  • Aether Sight: Added ability to detect mana values.
  • Immolation Aura: Renamed Immolation Field.
• DEMONOLOGIST
  • Legion: Reworked. Now allows summoning of extra summons among all your abilities, exceeding the normal amount of summons that can be active at once. Action changed to a CAST action, and costs 1 mana. [With the introduction of the Shadebinder, the demonologist can lean more into its role of a disposable summoner, while the Shadebinder is more of an enhancer summoner]
  • Book of True Names: Moved to level 2
  • Skull of Kroldar: Moved to level 3. Summoned infusion replaced with Double Summon, which allows for the summoning of an extra summon at the cost of 6 soul essence. [Summoned Infusion competed with Summoner rank 3, so it needed a change.]
  • Ravager: MEM cost reduced to 2. Gains a minor action the summoner can use to make a line attack. [as a capstone summon that costs mana and a channel action, ravager felt like it needed a little more oomph.]
• DRAGON RIDER
  • Dragon Echo: The dragon gets to make its attack during the dragon rider’s turns. Reduced damage to 1d6.Wording changed to indicate breath weapon is a standard action that the summon takes.
  • Extending Enchantment: Now has effects for techniques.
  • Crash: Completely reworked. No longer removes you from play, and has a teleport component.
  • Winged Boots: Renamed to Dragon Saddle, updated flavor text.
• DRUID
  • Wall of Thorns: Updated wording.
• GRAVEWALKER
  • That Which is Already Dead: Can be activated at any time in a scene.
• GUNSLINGER
  • Curve Ammo: Can apply to ranged techniques.
• HEXBLADE
  • Minor rework of class
  • Scope reduced to 10
  • Memory increased to 6
  • Hex: Reworked into an auto-hitting ranged spell attack. Also spreads conditions to nearby enemies. [This version of hex synergizes with the spellblade talent, and supports a spellcasting style as well.]
  • Doom Hex: Reworked. Now applies a bunch of conditions on a single target, which roll off slowly.
  • Bound Weapon: Can apply to techniques.
  • Edge of Darkness: Damage increase limited to 1/turn. Damage increase only works of this weapon does the defeat, but also works if it wounds/overstresses them. Also grants temp HP in those cases.
  • Curse Bolt: Reworked. MEM reduced to 1, deals increasing damage based on the conditions the target has, and reworked the options. Gains Reach 1.
  • Curse of Weakness: Now a spell instead of a skill
  • Shards of Doubt: removed
  • Hexing Aura: New spell, gives an aura that hinders enemies, instead of helps allies.
  • Soul Strike: Now a skill. Also applies DAZED on a hit, and potentially SUNDERED.
• LIFEWEAVER
  • Quick Stitch: Can heal up to amount. Allows option to heal less.
  • Stolen Life: Can heal up to amount. Allows option to heal less.
  • Heal: Can heal up to amount. Allows option to heal less.
• PALADIN
  • Aura of Inspiration: Renamed Layered Auras, now allows stacking of 2 different auras.
  • Bastion of Resolve: Reworked limit break, can be activated at any time.
  • Lay on Hands: Can heal up to amount. Allows option to heal less.
  • Auras of Protection: Freedom aura no longer grants immunity to the grappled condition, and instead lets them break out of it as a free action automatically.
  • Holy Avenger: Updated wording.
  • Stalwart Shield: Updated with shield changes.
  • Auras of Resistance: Updated with aura tag.
  • Auras of Protection: Updated with aura tag.
  •  
• PHOENIX
  • Limit Break: Reworked into Supervolcano.
  • Immolate: Damage increased by +1, and spontaneous combustion creates a burst 1 area.
  • Wildfire: No longer affects allies, only enemies.
  • Fireball: Replaced with new spell called Inferno.
  • Phoenix Armor: Renamed Royal Phoenix Armor, effects reworked.
  • Vent Heat: Updated wording
• RIFTBLADE
  • Riftcutter: Updated wording.
  • Gateway: Range reduced to 15.
• SEEKER
  • Limit Break: Damage reduced to 1d3+1
  • Guided Shot: Updated wording. Clarified that the attacker is rerolling the attack (and therefore attacking), not the seeker.
  • Marksman’s Eye: Accuracy bonus only applies to the seeker’s allies, not to self.
• SHADOWDANCER
  • Shadow Clones: Updated wording. Shadow Clones are the same size as the user.
  • Eclipse: Now causes Shadow Realm to cost 0 mana until the end of the scene.
• SHAPESHIFTER
  • Beast Weapons: Updated wording.
  • Perfect Form: Completely reworked. Now a pool of 10 abilities you can choose from, and switch around on subsequent turns.
  • Scout Form: Gains polymorph tag.
  • Defender Form: Gains polymorph tag.
  • Familiar Form: Gains polymorph tag.
• SKALD
  • Parrying Dagger: Just makes a melee attack roll, not against anything or with any weapon.
  • Song of Rest: Can heal up to amount. Allows option to heal less.
• THUNDERCLAW
  • Scope 5 [This was always supposed to have Scope 5, and has had it in the character sheets. This was a typo in the PDF, although it has been in there for a few versions].
  • Flurry: The 1/round damage bonus and 1/round stun attempt have been separated into their own 1/round effects. This way you can both attempt to stun and deal bonus damage in the same round.
  • Wolf Claws: Gains Piercing, greater potential movement, and an on crit effect to repeat the attack. Damage set to 2. Movement effects triggers on damage, not on hit, and the on crit effect can only happen 1/turn. [reducing the number of times wolf claws can be attacked with to prevent a lucky player from taking an incredibly long turn. Setting damage to a flat amount makes planning the movement easier.]
  • Thunder Bolt: Reworked.
  • Chain Lightning Strikes: Reworked.
• TIDECALLER
  • Rainfall: Updated wording.
  • Storm Surge: Updated wording
  • Tidal Healing: Can heal up to amount. Allows option to heal less.
  • Drown: Updated wording.
  • Downriver: Now also suppresses difficult and dangerous in the river current.
  • Whirlpool: Subsequent slides require 1 mana.
• WARLORD
  • Take a Breather: Clarified that the character that gains the temp HP must be within range 10 of the recovering character.

TALENTS

• Removed DUELIST.
• Added SOLDIER.

• BRAWLER
  • Rank 3: Updated wording.
• BREAKER
  • Rank 1 and rank 2 switched. [Clubs are often inaccurate, so moving the effect that requires crits to a higher rank means level 1 club users get a benefit that they’re likely to use more often.]
• DERVISH
  • Rank 1: Updated wording.
  • Rank 2: You now gain spin on non-AOE LIGHT attack hits, not just on crits. Now just triggers on 2 different light weapon attacks, and has a set effect. No longer count spin, it’s just an on/off effect.
• ENCHANTER
  • Updated all of the enchantments, giving most of them an additional option.
  • Rank 2 changed to allow a single enchantment to apply to two different things.
• GREAT WEAPON MASTER
  • Talent reworked. Now focuses on cleave and cleave effects.
• GUN KATA
  • Talent reworked. [This version focuses on ranged weapons that have reach, and the benefits are limited to those or LIGHT ranged weapons (which gain Reach 1 through the talent)].
• JUGGERNAUT
  • Rank 2: Limited to 1/round. Triggers on any push, not just from the Shove action.
  • Rank 3: Characters must be pushed out of your path, so you can’t just keep pushing them in front of you.
• LICHDOM
  • Phylactery renamed to soul vessel.
  • Rank 1: Reformed reaction now only triggers on damage/stress from other characters. [You can no longer use Soul Vessel to avoid the stress from surging.]
• SHADOW
  • Reworked due to new stealth rules.
  • Rank 2: Not losing hidden for being in an enemy’s line of sight until the end of your turn applies whenever you hide, not just hide from this specific effect.
• SLASHER
  • Rank 1: Renamed to Feint
  • Rank 2: effect no longer has a save to resist the slowed condition
  • Rank 3: Reworked. 1/round allows you to split total damage between normal and discord.
• SPOTTER
  • Rank 2: When you full attack, you can replace one or two of the actions with MARK. [This makes the talent more flexible, and now allows a character to mark and attack in the same turn].
• Thaumaturge
  • Rank 3: Updated wording.

WEAPONS

Visually updated starting weapon section.

• Photon Axe: Damage increased to 1d6+7.

• Rapier: Damage reduced to 1d3.

SUPPORT ITEMS

• Added Supply Convoy
• Added Battering Ram
• Added Resistance Enchantment
• Arcana Crystal. Now has 3 charges, and an extra option to increase the save target of a spell by +2.
• Caltrops. Reworked. Now has a thrown and trap component.
• Explosive Trap. Renamed and reworked. Now has a thrown and trap component.
• Lore Book: Size reduced to Light.
• Resistance Potion: Applies resistance to physical, astral, lunar, and force, not just one of them.
• Shield and Tower Shield: Base effect has been changed to take 2 stress to gain resistance.
• Smoke Bomb. Renamed Smoke Charges and reworked. Now has a thrown and trap component.
• Stoneskin: Gain 1d3+2 Focus instead of 1d6. [This makes it less swingy, reliably getting at least 3 Focus when you use it, which for a Main support is better.]
• Sunrod. Reworked to have a thrown flash bomb component as well.
• Wire Trap. Renamed Wire Charges and reworked. Now has a thrown and trap component.

TECHNIQUES

• Armor Training: Replaced with support training, which is no longer restricted to support items with the Armor tag.
• Block: Updated wording
• Bolster Aether: Updated wording.
• Hinder Spell: Now has an on miss effect, letting you spend 1 mana to deal 2 stress.

COMBAT SCENES

• Added combat scene terms
• Objectives don’t take turns, clear all effects at the start of each round.
• CONTROL: Updated wording. NPC budget increased to x2.
• DEFEND: Updated wording.
• RAID: Goal is to have the most treasure at the END of round 6, not whoever has the most before.

NPC

• New Support NPC, the Ardent.
• CHARGER
  • Speed Shield: Resistance only applies if you use Charge Attack, and ends if you become immobilized, prone, or slowed.
• FORTRESS
  • Siege Ram: Reach 2 instead of Range 15. [This was a typo.]
• HEALER
  • Shield: Updated wording.
• MINDREAVER
  • Enthrall: Updated wording.
• PROTECTOR
  • Gains +1 mana
  • Shield Wall: Costs 1 mana
• SWARM
  • HP increased to 20/25/30
  • Swarm Form: corrected that grapple is a status, not a condition. Changed so that grapples against the swarm fail, instead of being immune to the grappled condition.
• UNIVERSAL FEATURES
  • Long Weapon: Should be a ranged weapon, not melee
  • Updated wording on the ENHANCED trait.
• SOLO
  • Focused: Renamed to Focused Concentration.
• DIRE
  • Shred: Renamed to Tear.
• FEY
  • Polymorph: Gains polymorph tag.
• UNIVERSAL FEATURES
  • Darkvision: Updated wording.

BOSS

Bosses have been reworked. They now act closer to a PC that gets to take multiple turns. Events have also been added, which are effects that just occur when a boss is in a phase. This takes some of the more interesting effects of bosses and makes them a thing that just happens, instead of taking a boss’ turn.

• New Boss added, the KRAKEN
• LICH
  • Mana Nexus are 1 space big.
  • Ray of Frost: Damage changed to lunar from force. [should have always been lunar.]

LOOT

• Animated Shield: Updated with shield changes.
• Armor of Growing Endurance: Added additional option.
• Armor Plates: Added additional option.
• Baleful Polymorph: Gains polymorph tag.
• Barbed Enchantment: Added additional option.
• Blinding Powder: Just auto blinds now.
• Broom of Flying: Updated wording.
• Darksight Armor: Updated wording.
• Defending Enchantment: Added additional option.
• Durable Construction: Applies to techniques as well.
• Electrical Pack: Applies to techniques as well.
• Elemental Enchantment: Added additional option.
• Empowered Spells: Updated wording.
• Escape Enchantment: Added additional option.
• Homing Enchantment: Applies to techniques as well.
• Justicar Armor: Added additional option.
• Mithral Construction: Applies to any support item, not just armor.
• Paired Enchantment: Applies to techniques as well.
• Razorwire Enchant: Added additional option.
• Safe travels: MEM reduced to 1
• Shield of the Evil Eye: Updated with shield changes
• Spacewarp Enchant: Added additional option.
• Spikes: Added additional option.
• Twin Death: Now gives an extra attack on a crit, and applies to skill/spells.
• Vicious Enchant: Applies to techniques as well.
• Vorpal Enchant: Now deals maximum damage on a crit.

SHOPS AND SUPPLIES

You can only bring one copy of a supply per quest. You can buy multiples if you’d like, but can’t bring multiples on a quest.

• Prismatic Armor: Updated wording.
• Pouch: gives extra light support slot, not weapon.