I have a few questions: My group is a bit uncertain about how you would write new cultivation methods, and their clock-size and base quality. The earlier chapter seems to indicate that the default quality required for a breakthrough is (Realm + 3), but the cultivation methods have varying qualities?
I'm really excited about the game, and hope my friends and I have fun playing it!
Viewing post in Blades of the Immortals (Early Access) comments
Thanks for bringing that to my attention, I did forget to add some explanatory text in the appendix. Cultivation methods set their required quality like any other panoply item (except for the fine/poor wrinkle discussed in the section on breakthroughs), based on their edges:flaws balance, linked techniques, etc. Then, you slap a +3 tax on top. The examples in the appendix don't include the +3 modifier (because of minor realms).
As for clock size, it's just based on vibes. Assume the default is an 8-clock: adjust that up for more powerful or time-intensive cultivation methods, adjust it down for more materials-intensive ones or ones with bigger drawbacks/harsher flaws.
I'm glad you're excited about the game overall though! I hope you have fun, and please let me know how it goes! ^___^
Thanks for your answer! It's really helping clear things up. I do have another question, now. (^.^;) How do you price the addition of linked techniques on a cultivation method, I assumed they acted as either a minor or significant useful function. (I was doing the math on the example cultivation methods to get a feel for things), however, I'm not exactly sure. Should my group assume you can have 0-2 linked techniques on a cultivation method as part of the standard quality?
Frankly I haven't figured out how I want to cost linked techniques yet. To a certain extent this is a table style thing; if you want to hit a more Exalted-3E-esque tone then linked techniques could be free! It also depends on the technique, what it does, and how hard it is to unlock; a powerful technique that's very difficult to unlock probably wouldn't affect Quality at all.
As far as cultivation methods go, yeah, 0-2 linked techniques would be entirely reasonable imo. I also think that if a cultivation method requires some sort of external skill (like binding familiars for the God-Imprisoning Art) then it should include a linked technique that lets you do that.
Thanks for your really helpful and prompt responses! I really appreciate it. My group has transitioned from discussing the game to making more concrete plans and discussing characters and setting.
I've really enjoyed a some cultivation story content in the past, and I'm excited about the potential for playing a heaven defying wizard.
Also, from a design perspective I really respect the decisions to use more narrative positioning and powers as influenced by the group's consensus and conversation. It's, I think, going to make the experience really satisfying.
My group is trying to figure out something about the Inheritor's Heaven Defying Chance- if it's a cultivation method, do you automatically get a fine realm when you achieve the next realm, or should the cultivation method be made so that you can add lots of extra ingredients to it to make it easier to reach a higher quality? My partner is looking into that playbook, and we wanted to see what your intent was.
Thank you so much for your time!
so the HDC cultivation method's idea, which could potentially be explained better now that I think on it, is that it's got very significant and specific demands in terms of materials, but it gives you a fine realm without the need to hit the usual +3 threshold for fine-quality. so like, as long as you meet the required minimum quality for a breakthrough, it's automatically fine-quality without the need for any bonus materials or suchlike.
also i'm glad to hear that you like the game and are excited about it! thank you for your kind words! ^___^
once I had the idea to do Forged in the Dark xianxia, everything just started making sense immediately tbh. it sidesteps a lot of unnecessary and tedious attempts to quantify stuff that's fundamentally not quantifiable because the only thing that's really crucial is the internal logic of the fiction