The Campaign Builder's Guild

Update: I have posted 2 foci -the gunslinger and the gearborg. More to come.

I really like some of the ideas you've got here. Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Matt. Though, credit mostly belongs to Monte and Steerpike. I'm just the eidolon vampirically exploiting them to sustain my veneer of creative vitality. :)

Oh, now that was a surprise- I thought you were planning on running the game in real life- I didn't realize you were planning to run it as a PbP here(!)

A pleasant surprise, I hope! I might run a tabletop game or two during the summer, but the "unreal interwebs" are where I do most of my GM cavorting now.

I like the Foci so far!  I remain a little skeptical of some of the baseline magical abilities, but confident that with cosmetic personalization they could be made to "feel" more in tune with the setting.

So glad you like the Foci thus far posted! Let me know what foci you'd like to see next -especially if they might pertain to Skein.

As for the esoteries, I made 2 changes.

First, mind-reading is now mind-glean. Rather than allowing you to actually read one's mind, you instead gain only a vague understanding of its desires (you may tap into their aetheric dream currents with witchcraft or tap into their brain waves using psychotheurgy/technology, or summon a spectral demon that advises you). Either way, the connection reduces the DC of tasks to gauge or persuade the target (e.g., detect lies, seduce, intimidate, haggle).

Second, I changed Mind Control to Somatic Control. Now, you hijack a creature's body, but not mind.

I thought both changes helped reinforce the effective non-existence of psychotheurgy (the foci is basically the only means of developing psychic abilities) and made it a bit more visceral.

Hopefully you agree. Either way, let me know what other esoteries I might change, drop, or add to help ameliorate your concerns.

I've also been toying with the idea of creating a couple sample PCs. The intent would be to demonstrate what a created character looks like. Providing an assembled picture, rather than a slew of potentially combined parts. As a mental exercise, I might even make them based off of bounty hunters I might use in Light Dragon's game.

It seems to me that Magisters/Demonists and summoning rules would probably be vital for a Skein campaign.

I think those are good changes on the esoteries.  I think sample characters are always a good idea; they can always show up as NPCs, too.

Quote from: Steerpike
It seems to me that Magisters/Demonists and summoning rules would probably be vital for a Skein campaign.

Definitely. I have a Diabolism focus all-but-ready to post. So I'll do that next. Also, I was planning on doing Thievery, Governance, Dueling, and Artifice. I figured they might work for syndicate members, nobles, philosopher-fencers/rakes, and professors/engineers/inventors.

QuoteI think those are good changes on the esoteries.

Glad to hear.

QuoteI think sample characters are always a good idea; they can always show up as NPCs, too.

True, though as NPCs, they wouldn't use PC stats, but function as NPCs with levels and specifiers. Hmm, that might be a good illustrative example of how the conversion looks. Ok, it's on the to-do list.

Diabolism is up. Abandon all hope...

Artifice, Bloodletting, and Way of the Blade & Pistol are up.

I thought you might base Way of the Blade & Pistol off of Wields Two Weapons at Once. My complain is that the original Focus is pretty narrowly focused on characters using two melee weapons and a lot of it doesn't really make sense for a character using both a ranged and melee weapon; Deadly Distraction and Dervish's Massacre especially, but even Myriad Defense seems suspect.

Yep, definitely based on such. As such, the Way of the Blade & Pistol (a lilix title) is more about using multiple weapons at once. Technically, this focus could be used by someone not using a sword or gun at all, such as a ghul who focuses on using his two claws or a zerda who combines her bite and a bone-flail.

But to respond to Deadly Distraction & Dervish's Massacre, I see their effect based more upon a combatant using multiple weapons rather than a specific combination of ranged and melee weapons.

To explain, Deadly Distraction comes from the following logic -it's harder to dodge two weapons than just one. It's harder to attack without leaving yourself exposed.

Dervish's Massacre is likewise not tied to blade & pistol combo. The rapid barrage is a function of preternatural skill and training with simultaneous use of multiple weapons, be they two axes, two revolvers, a bite and claw attack, etc.

Also, for what it's worth, the Numenara's focus also has verbiage that allows any melee and ranged weapons (or at least does not contraindicate such). 

To the contrary, I thought the original wording of the Focus pretty heavily implied that it was meant to be used with two melee weapons. Since guns are vastly more common in the Cadaverous Earth, I guess I was expecting the abilities to be tied explicitly to the blade & pistol combo.

True, the original flavor blurb does have one sentence that explicitly refers to using two melee weapons. My point was moreso that the actual mechanics and their verbiage have no such qualifier or contraindication.

Originally, my intention was to allow the focus to work for all kinds of characters who specialize in simultaneous use of multiple weapons, be they melee, ranged, natural, or any combination thereof.

Did you have any specific ideas for abilities tied explicitly to a blade & gun combo? 

For instance, I could add one that essentially allows you to pistol-whip without hindrance.