Posted March 26, 2024 by Martian Muckraker
#release date #king kong #monsters #combat
Howdy all - this project hasn’t had an update in 90 days, so I wanted to provide an update.
As I have mentioned in a prior devlog, playtesting for “Under a Hostile Sun” has gone very well. Playtesting for “In the Kaiju’s Shadow” . . . not as well.
I have been watching the 2005 King Kong (a very good movie) in preparation for the Godzilla vs Kong movie. The movie has helped me see that there is a benefit for slightly smaller Kaiju. At the size of the creatures in the 2005 movie, humans are still able to meaningfully fight the monsters. Whereas when things are Godzilla-sized (as Kaiju’s Shadow is currently written), there can be little for the characters to do except run.
So, I am planning on taking this project “back to formula” and making a Skull-Island inspired setting with smaller Kaiju.
The most recent rules for Boss Monsters in Under a Hostile Sun are going to inform the combat system. Humans have actions per round. Creatures will have a Pester Radius and an Impact Attack.
This means there is no “upper limit” to how many creatures a Kaiju can damage in a round. Every creature that enters it’s “Pester Radius” will need to make a Pest Resist or take damage. Likewise, the Impact Attack will designate a section of the map as elevated impact.
Right now the main “Under a Hostile Sun” is taking precedence as I need to have the project and sample adventure ready by GenCon. Nonetheless, I am hopeful I will have a rewrite of Kaiju’s shadow sometime in May.