the pathogenesis @necrose-rpg - Tumblr Blog

Well met, friends. Making this post to say I've been working on a project for a while and decided to actually use this blog to talk more about it.

what is necrose?

Necrose is a ttrpg I am working on set in a world corrupted by the blood of long-dead gods. It is a world set in twilight, where as much seeks to harm as to help.

Each character has been marked for greatness, or madness- probably both. For each step you take towards your goal, another is taken towards danger, death and loss.

Going to be posting bits and pieces about the game here, and also use it as something of a dream board to help me develop various concepts.

May your path be true,

Gabriel

#ttrpg #update post

thewindowofthesummerhouse

Seb McKinnon

#general vibes

sictransitgloriamvndi

Illustration to the Divine Comedy: Canto XXXII (1861/etching, engraving) - Gustave Doré

#general vibes

Well met, friends

This morning after a desperate seeking for a breakthrough, I have finally begun to see it.

This requires a major retooling of the "subclasses" sub-archetypes, I suppose, in a way I had not previously considered. This retooling will provide a sense of direction i thus far have been lacking, and will create more of a sense of cohesion.

Previously I had given each sub-type a wholly unique ability, though I realise now i had unwittingly shot mysef in the foot and limited my ability to create interesting love sets for each domain and archetype.

The focus for the sub types will shift to that of affinity, and an advantage on certain types of spells/abilities that align with this affinity. This idea hasn't been fully formed and will take some thinking, but it is another step towards the goal of an understandable, coherent game document.

I feel confident this was the right decision, and have renewed much of my vigour for the project.

May our paths be true

Gabriel

#update post #ttrpg #indy ttrpgs

#the leaden sky

Well met, friends

Explaining: the pathogenesis.

At first this was just the title for this blog, failing having anything else. However lately I am thinking that it makes a very fitting subtitle for the game itself.

The pathogenesis is the moment that the world became infected, the start of the rot at the heart of necrose's world.

It is doubly appropriate, as it is at the start of play that a characters affliction will be cultured- to grow more powerful is to take more of the world's disease into their soul.

Whether or not this will be my thinkin in a months time remains to be seen. For now, though, I am content.

May your path be true,

Gabriel

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg #update post

ganymedesrocks

Heart in Hand, Carved and painted, American, Collection of Lester Breininger

#the exposed heart

Well met, friends

I would like to take this time to muse upon the why of Necrose. Initially, it was just a thought exercise, of how typical dungeons and dragons classes might have turned out if I had designed them. As my mind typically does, it took a melancholy turn.

I began thinking that it would be interesting to have these sort of warped rpg classes, and how a character might evolve or devolve over the course of play based on circumstance and choices.

Following this, the archetypes and domains developed rather quickly, and with a few word adjustments have remained relatively unchanged thus far in the design process. I worry the game may seem too busy, but then I remind myself that many video games have large rosters of characters- final fantasy six has fourteen player characters, and thus I am comforted and let my imagination fun rampant.

The inspirations for Necrose have been varied and vast. I have been pulling(gently) from history, religion, occultism and art, as well as video games and other creators. The book Vermis by plastiboo I owe a great debt to, as it gave me the push I needed to start designing a world that is strange, hostile and unfair. If I love Vermis, I thought, maybe someday someone will love Necrose.

I may go further into this topic at a later time, there is plenty still I could speak on.

May your path be true,

Gabriel

#ttrpg #indie ttrpg #update post

sakrogoat

Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights

#general vibes

strange-house-art

Oath

#decay

Well met, friends

Introducing: domains

Following my overly verbose nature, in Necrose, I have retooled the typical rpg stats into 'domains'.

The world of Necrose is ruled by these domains, and they are the building blocks of how characters will relate to the world

These domains (at present) are

Fervour, of passion, drive, strong emotions

Presence, of being in touch with the senses

Decay, of the old, the dead and the dying

Gift, of bestowal, helping, and healing

Cognition, of learning and knowledge

Steel, of the sword and the power

For each of these domains, there are two archetypes that are strong, and two that are weak. I found this to be an interesting way to explore different ways that these domains may be expressed.

My current focus is working on a suite of abilities and spells that will be categorised by which domain they fall under. I am excited for this work to progress, as it is after this that I will be able to start some rudimentary play testing.

May your path be true,

Gabriel

#ttrpg #indie ttrpg #necrose #update post

Well met, friends

Introducing: archetypes

The world has patterns grooved into it through endless cycles. When the old gods corrupted the world, their motifs were left behind. This is my interpretation of "classes". Calling them archetypes is inspired by reading of Jung (and co). While I think it is incredibly flawed concept when applied to the real world, I think it can be a fascinating tool to analyse fictional characters.

As it relates to Necrose, I feel like it is interesting to implement these patterns into game play. The world that came before was a world of ideals, and as these ideals corroded, they became the archetypes (which I will expand more on in a later post) that dictate how the heroes and villains of the world might come to be.

I especially like the idea of incorporating Jung's shadow, the elements of the persona one does not wish to confront, but that present unconsciously. Through this, I am hoping to convey that it is a thin line between ideals and flaws. Commitment to an ideal is admirable, but let it not consume you lest you lose sight of your goal.

May your path be true,

Gabriel

#ttrpg #indie ttrpg #update post