Longwinter Status Report (Patreon)

Longwinter is coming along, but I am running into surprising challenges as I structure it into two books, one for everybody (players especially), the other just for Referees (the hidden mechanics). Fundamentally I had to take a several day detour to design the format of Skeleton (the overarching WizardThiefFighter rulebook) so that I could write and create to a single format.

Skeleton Sidetrack

In the process I realized that one crucial goal of what I am trying to do is to write a natural language rpg. What this means is that the rules are embedded in a common-sense reading of words, rather than hidden behind jargon and obscure reinterpretations of words. At a very basic level it's calling fighters simply fighters, rather than something odd like "glaives" or "strikers" or "DPS". Deeper within the game, it means not creating an artificial language of rounds and turns, or arcane formulations like "the character takes a dash action to execute two move actions in a single standard turn." I find that this kind of mechanical layer is a barrier to the kind of game I like to play, and also turns off many of the people I like to play with. I haven't completed it yet, but here is an example of a spell from Longwinter:

Skintaker - Changeling - You flay a creature, take its skin, and create a horrible magical suit out of its skin. When you wear the suit, you become your victim. You monster.

• Level 1: You spend a day flaying the skin and imbuing it with your magical essence.
• Level 3: You do it in an hour.
• Level 5: You do it in minutes. Dangerous.

Now, some things are mechanical within skeleton. For example, when I write about "imbuing the skin" I have a mechanic for what it means to imbue within the game world, which corresponds with the dictionary reading: to permeate or saturate the skin (the magic item) with your magical essence. In game terms, it means taking some attributes of your character (usually health points or hp) and putting them into the item. So long as you want the item to be magical, you do not have access to your hp, because they are keeping the item magical.

Likewise, when I say the spell is dangerous at level five, this both corresponds to the dictionary meaning (able or likely to do harm), and a common sense game mechanical effect: roll on some magical danger tables to see if you did something horrible to yourself by trying to magic a skin suit from a living creature in mere minutes.

Skeleton is not finished, but it's finished enough that I can now proceed with both Longwinter and Red Sky, and also compile a lot of the items, spells, curses, and other effects within Skeleton as well.

Back to Longwinter

So, it's back to Longwinter now, and the Barony of Brezim. In world if not in detail, Longwinter maps pretty closely to Witchburner. Indeed, you could simply slot it in as "the place up the big valley, where they have reopened an old silver mine."

I have most of The Traveller’s Guide To Brezim written up, which is the player-facing resource. Here's the writeup of Kastey, the main fortress on the main road into the barony: 

Kastey, several hours up the mule-road from Chodey, is a treasure in pinkish limestone, climbing up the flank of Spargleberg from the roadway. The monument comemorates over nine thousand heroes of the Reawakening in sumptuous bas relief, their names forever immortalized in their native stone. Spend some time and light a brazier to their memory.

The old Royalist-era fortress above the memorial is worth a visit all its own, though the staircase may be arduous for older visitors. Consider hiring the services of the native highlanders. Though dull of mind and shaggy-maned, they make admirably capable porters and sedan-bearers.

Once you reach the peak of Spargleberg you’ll be greated a surprisingly expansive and well-preserved fortress. Most of the villagers now live in the valley, by the modernist new bridge, but a fair few colorful characters still call the fortress home, including the First Sira of Brezim, Joia Tolltaker. She is still responsible for the barony’s lower granary, but not much else. Throughout the fortress you will find mention of its history as a place of refuge for the locals from Chodey and nearby hamlets during the burner raids.

Pay particular attention to the old manorhouse which has been lovingly restored to highlight the authentic local wood-carving traditions. Besides a small museum of hunting and shepherdry, it now also houses a fine guesthouse, The Hungry Hans. Suckling wild boar stuffed with mushrooms is a specialty.

Once you are ready to continue on your journey, descend to the red-and-green-painted suspension bridge. It was opened just a few years ago, under the direction of First Republican Engineer, Siro Ansel Fortunateson. Halfway across its span is a perfect spot to have your ideogram taken, with the rising majesty of Motherberg in the background, framed by the thick-wooded slopes of Dragonberg and the glittering icefields of Winterberg.

The bridge toll is symbolic, and well worth it. The old cartway down into the gorge would add half a day to your journey!

Be warned that you are now in a rougher area of the Republic, and there are still sightings of wolffolk and oldsettlers on the forested plateaus around Kasteel.

And here it is written up as Referee Notes:

Kastey: war monument: massive - hilltop fortress: royalist, ill repaired - inn: Hungry Hans - new suspension bridge.

Resource: first baronial granary.

Ruler: first sira, Joia Tolltaker - bored conservative reactionary.

Danger: wolffolk and oldsettlers in the woods.

--/--

I am a little conflicted with the Snooty Traveler tone I've adopted for the Traveller's Guide, but let's say it conveys something of the culture of gentlefolk adventurers from the cities who might wander into this setting. However, my reason for this is simple: I want players to be able to enjoy my illustrated guides, too!

Finally, since the authorial voice in the Snooty Traveller is obviously an unreliable narrator, it should over time transfer more and more authorial control to the Referee, as the snowbox spirals further and further away from normal and into icebox hell.

The final icebox of Longwinter is going to encompass (at a current estimate):

• ~Fourteen settlements of different sizes
• ~Fourteen natural sites (mountains, springs, rivers)
• ~Fourteen sketched out 'adventure sites'
• One detailed 'final' dungeon.
• ~60 sketched out NPCs (like the household members in Witchburner)
• Events, weather, and terrain effects detailed per day for 100 days (the winter)
• And then other stuff ... like ... a dozen spells, monster encounter tables, stuff like that. You know, the kind of things that get cleaned up as the final end approaches.
• Golem cars.
• Also, a dragon.

So, there you have it! If you want to tell people why Longwinter is cool, you can tell them: because it has a dragon in it. Like, a proper dragon. Not one in an egg.

If all goes to plan, Longwinter, Section 1, should be published next week. On Wednesday. Around teatime. With two lumps of sugar and one filterless cigarette on the side.