Read
The v1.5 preview of Salvage Union is out; it doesn't look like there are any massive mechanical changes, but there are some more details about mech equipment that seem aimed towards the campaign stuff that'll be in the final game.
I'm also coming around to a lot of the stuff in the Blade Runner RPG that I was initially wary of, though I still think the book could explain the money stuff more clearly. It took me way to long to find (and understand) Chinyen Points, without any examples of how it's supposed to work.
Play
Still just the 5e game. I had to miss the last session and DM scheduling conflicts have impacted a couple, so there's not much to report, though. I kinda wish we were a smaller party – it's hard to feel like you're making a significant contribution with five other PCs in the mix – but it does provide redundancy for when one or two people are unavailable.
GM
Since one of my players is the aforementioned 5e GM, Avatar Legends is on a similar hold at the moment, but the time to plan is a double-edged sword. I reckon I'm overthinking things a lot.
I'm also sort-of prepping a Scum & Villainy game in the background, after having a flash of inspiration for a setting. No real idea of when it'll kick off or who'll be playing in it yet, but coming up with locations and factions is keeping the brain ticking over.
I'm also coming around to a lot of the stuff in the Blade Runner RPG that I was initially wary of, though I still think the book could explain the money stuff more clearly. It took me way to long to find (and understand) Chinyen Points, without any examples of how it's supposed to work.
I've still only scanned this, but it seems very similar at first glance to how Call of Cthulhu handles money, where the actual cost of things only really matters in exceptional circumstances.
The complicating factor, for me, is that it's only sort-of abstracting away money as a resource. You're assumed to have pocket change for daily expenses, but to buy anything of note you have to spend Chinyen points and then make a Connections roll in order to get it. It's unclear if your Chinyen is depleted if you fail the roll, though.
To make a private purchase beyond your everyday needs, you need to spend Chinyen Points and make a CONNECTIONS roll. … If you spend twice the required amount, you get an advantage on the roll. If your CONNECTIONS roll fails, you have wasted time and need to look elsewhere. (p.204)
Hmm. Use of the word "spend" seems to imply that it's gone, but then it vagues it right back up again by only specifying time as lost.
I'd probably have said deduct it; otherwise you may as well just allow a Connections roll without any other requirement (in which case it seems weird to even have Chinyen in the game).
EDIT: Unless you only spend the Chinyen if you succeed? I.e., you use Connections to ask around for the thing you want, but you only spend the cash if you can find someone to sell it to you?
Read
Loads. The release of Symbaroum 5e finally pushed me to read the Symbaroum books I got in a bundle a couple years ago. They are pretty good.
Band of Blades. This has really fired my imagination. First up I was thinking it would be a more interesting, and quicker, way to run through the seven books of Symbaroum, now I'm wondering if I could use it for a Fire Emblem sort of thing.
Now I'm reading Mindjammer which is kind of massive, it's adventures are really good though.
Play
I'm going to be playing a game! I'm booked in for two sessions of Delta Green in September.
GM
I'm on holiday so I'm having a break from running. My 13th Age game is going good. My Troika game which I'm running for a few new gamers will be wrapping up soon, they have requested something SF next. I'm thinking maybe Alien, not sure. My Traveller game hadn't really been going, too many players with exams so they've suggested playing something fantasy for a bit before getting back into Traveller. Maybe a bit of 13th Age, maybe they'd like to try Band of Blades?
