Thank you for taking the time to make a super insightful review!
in the writing of Time's Needle I kept in mind the label of "Tribesmen" as being something I did want to find a replacement for and that adjustment slipped through the cracks. I think it's very astute - and I realized only too late - that it could very well be Yasha-Gok Cultists!
Someone in the Discord joked - "What, not living up to your name?" Absolutely roasted!
So you're completely right, regardless of the superficial aesthetic of the warriors from the past, versus folks from the future, that will be reframed for 1.1.
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As to the era shifting there's some ambiguity built in although that's not a satisfying answer. Outside of the space-limited format I would definitely further clarify that my intention overall is for the entire tower to shift and often. Some missed content is to be expected of course but you're right that it would be a shame not to have players see the interesting changes if the rolls were unlucky. That's something I learned in playtest too. The danger level is either going straight to Deadly to be sure more encounters happen or some adjustments will be made for more static encounters.
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Again, thank you!