We're having a nice calm relaxing day here at home, and what better way to relax and have fun than to playtest the newest player spells from Age of Exploration! (Print and Play starter download available here)
I'm also super excited because we'll be playing with some awesome paper minis from @chiefasaur for the first time!!
The kids were THRILLED to help with the cutting and assembling of their character minis, and they were especially excited when I told them they could color the Kobold enemies themselves. (The Kobold pack I built includes both color versions and black & white.)
(Art by @chiefasaur posted with permission)
You can check out the whole Trash Mob Minis catalog on DriveThruRPG here.
My next step will be printing off a couple maps from @partyoftwo (you can support them on Patreon here) and then we'll be ON OUR WAY!!!
Art by Matt Holmberg (@orwin-dm) used with permission
From the Age of Exploration Monster Manual (initial draft)
Scarecrows: Slow, rickety, and not very bright, Scarecrows act as a convenient punching bag for adventurers looking to blow off some aggression. Scarecrows are typically found on or near farmland or along overgrown paths. These shambling dummies are often made of sticks, straw, or small rocks that have been stuffed into old and tattered humanoid clothing that has been enchanted to perform simple tasks like scare away critters, or pull unwanted weeds. Unfortunately, the enchantments on scarecrows will become faulty over time, leading them to mistake people for “critters” and “weeds,” and try to get rid of them. Fortunately, once a Scarecrow is defeated, the enchantment will wear off, so it wouldn’t be uncommon for players to complete part of a quest by assisting other characters deal with a scarecrow that’s gone “haywire.”
Alterra Flavor Cravings is a column that shares a look into the iterative process for worldbuilding and lore for the Age of Exploration game. Just like any iterative process, feedback is always encouraged, so please let us know what you think!
Dave here. Parrish and I wanted to try out a new column I like to call "Alterra Flavor Cravings." My aim for these posts is to toss around some tidbits of information about the world of Alterra, as well as some concepts and ideas that we're contemplating for the game.
Not everything you read in AFC will necessarily end up in Age of Exploration, and nothing is set in stone "canon" lore. (At least until @professortallguy says so.) But we thought this would be a good opportunity to give you some updates of what we've been working on, as well as get your thoughts and feedback on it all. So please feel free to let us know what you like, and what suggestions you have for improvement!
Since we've been working a lot lately on the Monster Manual, the first several AFC posts are going to be sharing current drafts of monster descriptions, and some of the thought process behind them. I'm excited to share them with you!
Hi everybody! Dave here. Our next Flavor Cravings entry doesn't actually come from the Monster Manual, but they do hold a special place in my heart. I'll be on the lookout in the next couple months to find the ideal expedition where they would be a perfect fit to add some fun and flavor.
Art by Matt Holmberg (@orwin-dm) used with permission
From the initial draft of the Kalapuken description:
Kalapuken: For the small and slippery fish folk known as the Kalapuken, the bigger something is, the more attention it deserves. For thousands of years, Kalapuken have sought out and revered the largest creatures in Alterra's oceans, such as krakens, leviathans, and sea serpents. Once found, a school of Kalapuken may follow one of these enormous creatures through the seas for generations. Now in this new Age of Exploration, Kalapuken have been drawn to the large ships that carry explorers and traders to the many continents of Alterra. In very remote locations, Kalapuken may mistake sea vessels for actual sea creatures, and try to follow them (often becoming angry when they discover the truth.) In routes that are traveled more frequently, the Kalapuken have become more accustomed to ships, and some schools have learned that a slow or sinking vessel makes very effective bait for attracting one of the monsters of the deep they love so much.
Alterra Flavor Cravings is a column that shares a look into the iterative process for worldbuilding and lore for the Age of Exploration game. Just like any iterative process, feedback is always encouraged, so please let us know what you think!
Age of Exploration is a tabletop adventure RPG with fast fun character creation, streamlined mechanics, and new fantasy races based on real world cultures and mythologies.
Alterra is the base setting for Age of Exploration, a bright and flourishing world, where magic, technology, and culture are entering a global Renaissance. A number of diverse races formerly separated across oceans and wild, uncharted continents are coming together to trade in exotic goods, arcane artifacts, and incredible new inventions.
"A Fantasy Tabletop Adventure for Everyone”
Age of Exploration is designed to be a game of exploration, magic, discovery, and wonder for everyone. All people, all backgrounds, all ages, and all levels of experience.
“A World of Discovery”
Alterra is a bright and diverse world, and the game takes place in an era of discovery, invention, and learning. It’s also a time of exploration as numerous fantasy races across the world begin to discover and interact with one another.
Like all worlds though, Alterra has its conflicts and challenges. Explorers of Alterra will encounter allies, enemies, and everyone in between. However, rather than black-and-white, “Good versus Evil” conflict, the conflicts explorers will come across as they play are typically much more nuanced, and will require solutions more creative than “Kill all the bad guys.”
“Exploration First, Combat When Necessary”
“Exploration” is the name of the game in Age of Exploration, (literally, it’s right there in the name!) and there’s a reason for that. The main emphasis of gameplay is focused on collaborative storytelling through open-ended choices, creative problem-solving, and teamwork. And player advancement and rewards are achieved through exploration, not combat.
But like anyone boldly going into a new frontier, explorers in Alterra need to be ready for trouble when it comes looking for them. With that in mind, Age of Exploration has innovated with several new game mechanics to help make in-game combat streamlined and easier to learn, speeding up turns without sacrificing on fun.
Now who wants to explore?!
There’s plenty more to say about Age of Exploration, and the world of Alterra itself, and that’s exactly what this blog is for! We’ll be posting game content and worldbuilding materials directly from the AoE design team, and we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!
Some posts will contain finalized content, while others will be asking questions or trying out ideas that we’re considering for the future. Either way, every post will be an opportunity for discovery, and we hope you’ll join us in Exploring Alterra together!
Art from Pepper & Carrot by David Revoy (License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0) This blog’s header image, profile art, and all other art (unless otherwise noted) also from Pepper & Carrot by David Revoy.
Hey everybody! Dave here. For the last few weeks I've been writing an introductory Expedition for players new to Age of Exploration. And tonight I finally got to playtest Part 1 and Part 2 with my kids for the first time. One thing I appreciate about playtesting with them is that they certainly help me know where to cut out excess content. On the other hand, if I've written something that actually holds their attention, I know it's got a good chance of success among players with more mature attention spans. Overall I think it went really well. My oldest daughter appreciated how figuring out the solution to Part 2 made her feel so smart. My son enjoyed casting his spells, but wished there had been a chance to use his weapons too. And my youngest daughter made it very clear that she was angry about not getting to use her katana until Part 3. (So it was a good mix of feedback.) I still have more work to do on the rest of the Expedition, but I'm REALLY looking forward to sharing it with all of you once it's ready! - Dave (Creative Design Team, Age of Exploration)
Hi, I’m Parrish, lead designer of Age of Exploration, and creator of the world of Alterra. I’m new to Tumblr, but we have a veteran on the creative team who said it would be a great place to get feedback on our worldbuilding ideas.
Since this is a game focused on Exploration, I thought I would lead off by sharing a few places from the world of Alterra, and perhaps you could share your thoughts and help us rename some of them.
The Shrouded Veil- Perpetually hidden in a misty valley in the world’s tallest mountain range, the homeland of Bird Maidens, is a religious city where many make a pilgrimage when seeking enlightenment.
Qualicity, City of Automation- The city at the forefront of technological innovation; birthplace of automatons, and flying machines.
Komana, The Skytree- A floating island city build on the roots of and shaded by an impossibly large tree that shares its name
The Mushroom Kingdom - a Feudal empire, only recently opened to the outside world, inhabited by a race of mushroom people. (Any ideas for a better name than its working title?)
The Vulcanforge- Sun elves built a massive forge on a volcanic island to harness the natural heat of its lava. It is the birthplace of many magical weapons and armors.
The Academie - An entire city dedicated to the study of magic and arcane history. It’s home to a great number of Djinni, who consider arcane study to be fundamental knowledge, with many devoting their 1000 year lifespan to it.
(I would love suggestions for a proper name. The flavor of this city is golden age Bagdad)
Artwork depicts Qualicity, Komana, The Mushroom Kingdom, and The Veil
Art from Pepper & Carrot by David Revoy (License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0)
Hearing what has been said on this blog so far, with references to a dodging mechanic, and the abundance of magic in the setting: I was wondering if the game is also balanced around players who don't want to do magical shenanigans? I know that lots of people play fantasy for the magic, but there are some people who want to play a typical immovable mountain type or a Hulk smash character and these days it can be difficult to do so
We REALLY loved this question, Jack, and I wanted to answer it myself. Alterra is a high magic world and all of the player characters exploring it use magic to meet their goals. I’m going to run through creating two example characters that use magic, but definitely aren’t frail old wizards or witches. There are 10 different spell schools for players to choose from. If you wanted to build an immovable mountain type- I suggest Earth Magic. You could play a 7 foot tall massive Summer Faun, with a head like a wildebeest and horns 4 feet in diameter. And you could wield a huge hammer that knocks enemies back and keeps them behind your front line. You could imagine that you channel the magic through primal forces that allow you draw it directly from the Alterra firma.
Or maybe unstoppable hulk is more your thing: If you want to be able to take more punishment than anyone, and dish it out too- play an Oni. This is a type of Ogre or Troll from Japanese mythology, and if they get hit by a critical strike, they can lose a limb instead of taking damage, and regrow it later, through their regenerative abilities. Choose the Metal spell school, for its magnetic field ability, and force all your opponents to attack you, instead of your allies, while shielding you from most of the damage. We’ll take a Katana as a weapon which further improves our ability to stick to enemies and incite them to duel us to an honorable death. There aren’t normally Attacks of opportunity in Age of Exploration, but all Katanas have ‘threat’ an ability that gives the player (or monster, because wolves also have threat) with a sudden attack for trying to flee. You could play a metal school character as a Magneto-esque sorcerer, or as Tinkering Inventor, but let’s give our Oni character a samurai motif to match their Japanese heritage. Imagine them drawing the metal elemental energy directly from their folded steel blade, and channeling it into powerful thematic abilities. -I like this character now so much I think I’m going I’m going to play them some time. 鉄也 Tetsuya. (Japanese for ‘to be iron’)
So in half the time that it takes to read this you can create a character.Choose a Race, Select a Spell School, and pick out a weapon or two. Then think of a name and make up a story, a motivation, or a motif to help you role play, and you’re done.-Parrish (Lead Designer, Age of Exploration)
