Well, May certainly flew by!
So May was a disturbing level of busy! But again, small and steady progress, right? Plenty of design and writing, much of it that made it out to be seen.
Let’s get cranking with Hoist the Colors.
First, there was a “Best of 2024” competition over on World Anvil, and Hoist the Colors was in several categories. Much to my complete surprise, Hoist the Colors won “Most Beautiful World” for 2024!
Now that isn’t just about how pretty it looks ( though I worked hard on that ). It’s presentation, how the information is organized, what is being presented, and so on. Needless to say, I wasn’t prepared at all to win. Getting that was an honor I still have no words for.
As for the rest? A lot of this was Creature Features, mostly with more Wraith subtypes ( I swear I’m almost done ). That really started as a “well, I’ll make a few examples for game masters to go by…”.
Yeah, those were famous last words.
But! I really did get into it with what they were, even to putting together some undead cultures wrapped around their individual natures. Good stuff there for future games, if Game Masters are interested.
Aside from that, it’s been working on the Action Roll rules. That’s been interesting. Action Roll rules are the ones that tie together how a player actually does anything with their character. This could be “pick the lock on the treasure chest”, “sway the port master to our way of thinking”, and yes even down to the dreaded combat mode of RPG.
Which is to say, there won’t be a dedicated “combat mode”. Why? Well, look at any novel. Combat and fighting isn’t a ‘mode’ or a ‘switch’ that gets turned on and people take turns. It’s messy, often fast, with a lot going on at once. Which is covered (mostly) by the Forged in the Dark ruleset, but I had to make some adjustments to fit the theme and other rules in Hoist the Colors.
Two key ones are the Privateer’s Gambit and the Ship’s Destiny. Each are rules I’ve invented for the game to bring in that spirit of the unexpected but also ‘epic’ and ‘heroic’ fantastic feel to the game. I will be writing fiction in Hoist (there is an outline already in progress), but absolutely want future players to see themselves in a narrative, story-first, game of Hoist the Colors as heroes making a difference in a harsh, if not dark, world for the better.
Because, really, we all need a little dose of that from time to time.
Exactly how I weaved the new rules in with the existing Action Roll rules for Forged in the Dark is something I’ll take on in a later post for subscribers.
Next up is Windtracer Tales.
Steady as she goes on that one. Chapter a week ( or episode if you like ) works well as a steady cadence. It helps me focus and not “over polish” or fret too much when I need to leave a chapter/episode freaking alone and move on. Yes, I’m one of those that set the perfection bar REAL high.
But I’ve got up to 33+ chapters planned out, so there is SO much more coming. For anyone reading it, I hope you’re enjoying the story so far! Though, that is a lot of episodes. I’ve been thinking of breaking some of that into a “Season 2”, “Season 3”. But the tough part is where to do that? Where do you break the story down without losing the pace? I mean it really is one contained story.
I don’t know. Question for the ages I guess. Makes me wish I could sit down with Charles Dickens or Alexander Dumas over a cup of tea or coffee and quiz them on how they handled it? Oh well, time travel’s not quite fully baked yet.
In any case, that’s a wrap for May! More to come in June with more Hoist the Colors lore, more Windtracer Tales… and maybe… new fiction entirely! We’ll see!
For more about Hoist the Colors or any of the other fiction I write, please consider subscribing as I would really appreciate the support, sometimes I post behind the scenes on writing, worldbuilding and more. If you’re wanting a deeper look at Hoist the Colors, take the plunge here at the link: Hoist the Colors.
-Kummer Wolfe