Far Away Land 1.5

This is a change log with updates to the FAL rules for version 1.5 

Here we go...

• Basic Rules
• Spell and Ability damages are now based on the users Arcane/Ability score. Damage is the score in d6 (this may be changed to score in d3 damage). This prevents damage from having to be listed and referred to.
• Actions have been simplified. Now longer will specific actions have specific costs. Simple actions are 1 Action, complex actions are 2 or more. This has removed need of an Action chart - yeah - cause I hate that thing.

• PC Creation
• Species/Race has been changed to Heritage to be more encompassing race, culture, language, etc.
• 36 Heritage templates have been included
• Sample names (both male and female) have been provided for all 36 PC Heritage templates to gives player a sense of language and feel 
• Catling claws damage changed to 1d3 (from 1d6)
• A d66 list of flaws so players can roll for flaws during character creation
• How flaws work have been updated to be more clear
• All PCs start with 2 Actions now. Actions can still be upgraded.
• Light weapons do d3 to 1d6 damage now to allow for more nuanced damage from smaller weapon
• 
  
• Advancement (largely untouched cause I really like the system)
• gaining XP examples have been condensed
• XP for cleverness and exploration has been introduced

• Combat (largely untouched -mostly just combining all of the optional systems)
• Weapon types have been clarified a bit
• Optional Combat Rules have been expanded to included Optional Combat Rules from all books
• Combat Achievements have been expanded to included Combat Achievements from all books
• 
  

• Magic 
• Magic rules have changed to be more freeform - spell lists have been removed
• PCs can now cast additional spells beyond the 3 + level per day but with a penalty of -1d6 per cast
• Armor hinders spellcasting now. Light armor -1 die, heavy armor -3 dice

• Abilities
• Some abilities have been simplified. FOr example, all of the -kinesis abilities have been grouped under psychokinesis with examples of various types provided. More specific defintions have also been provided
• Several undead abilities have been removed as they felt too much like spells
• Any Abilities that overlapped with magic have been removed (so weird summoning stuff and golem creation stuff is gone from the Abilities list)
• High-level abilities (like resurrect self and omniscience) have been removed.

Orka Game Engine and License

The Orka Game Engine Logo

As of this morning, I released the Orka Game Engine along with the Orka Game Engine License. Both can be downloaded on our site or via the following links...

Orka Game Engine

Orka Game Engine License

This system has evolved over the last year and a half or so. My initial intent was to build a super simple little game that I could use to introduce new players to gaming. That little system ballooned into a huge system which was then distilled into Mere Anarchy. From there I made Adventure Perilous and then the OGE. 

Currently, Mere Anarchy and Adventure Perilous each run off of this engine (however there is no mention of the engine in either game as their publication predates the OGE). Both the engine and the license are designed for simplicity and ease of use by third parties. The engine simply acts as a framework upon which user can build and modify and reskin (the engine offered has a fantasy skin but lacks any real flavor such as specific NPCs, monsters, etc.) The license allows for commercial use of the engine by third parties.

Basically, the OGE is taking OSR style games and simplifying them to bare essentials with the goal of as little record keeping as possible while still giving the players plenty of options as to character creation and advancement. Classes are ditched. Levels are simplified. Math is kept incredibly simple. 2d6 are used for most every roll. A focus is on players making characters and using their imaginations to play those characters as opposed to focusing on stats and score and predefined skills and attacks and magic and etc. The game is really designed to allow new players to learn the system in minutes and begin playing. Huge rulebooks aren't needed as the mechanics are straightforward and consistent throughout. 

I hope and encourage use of this engine and the license as I feel it is an incredibly elegant and robust system full of wonderful mechanics from scale and favorability rolls to attack and conflict rolls to rules for treasure and downtime to quick creation systems for NPCs and Monsters. 

Dirk