Rules Updates, v1.6, Overview

Announcements
1

Hi everyone,

As you might know, Staff has been using our extended break over the Winter to work through some tweaks and adjustments to our rule set that have been on our to-do list for a while. There will be a few forum posts on this, broken out into approximate topic.

This post covers all rulebook updates. These will be reflected in the updated rulebook and in the changelog at the end. Some of these overlap with the BGS/PI/Research posts (coming soon), see those for details on the specifics of those rule changes. There are also some updates to non-rulebook skills, which will be emailed to you if relevant.

Quick Callouts-

Engineers: We’ve tweaked Knowledge: Engineering to include 5 points of Experimentation, and made Craft Basic give you access to a larger list of schematics (including parts). You’ll want to read the new Engineering appendix in the rulebook about this. You’ll also be interested in the Coordination/Chaining clarifications in the BGS forum post.

Apothecaries: Single Component Chemistry now comes with a Maker’s Mark. If you have this and don’t currently have a Maker’s Mark, please send a simple, small black-and-white image to staff to use on your elixirs. This should be approximately between 50x50 and 100x100 pixels, and should use thick enough lines to be visible through our often not fully transparent film canisters.

Surgeons: Post-surgery time is now called “Convalescence” for clarity, and people may block/defend with melee weapons during that time. We’ve replaced “go ask staff” with “consult the Book of Consequences” in interpreting surgery results, and clarified how exactly Downgrading a surgery works (the mechanism is changing one bead from white to red, or one bead from red to black).

Full list of changes:

  • Jail: removed references to the Jail as a public work; ”I throw you in jail” call is now always on
  • Convalescence: updated post-surgery time to make it so convalescing players may block/defend during the 15 minutes after surgery. We will begin referring to the post-surgery period during which skills cannot be used as ”Convalescence” to reduce ambiguity.
  • Surgery results: Updated nonstandard results to refer to the Book of Consequences; in downgrade description, replaced ”no complications → minor complications → major complications → death” with ”changing one bead from white to red, or one bead from red to black”
  • BGS: Clarified refresh timing for skills with both between-game and at-game uses; reduced topic limit to 3; updated BGS deadline to 10PM on the Friday 3 weeks before game (see BGS post for details)
  • Focus: Updated and clarified guidelines for use of Focus (see BGS post for details)
  • Special Calls: Added description of Malady, clarifying that Malady effects are permanent until removed and last between events.
  • Socialite: Updated description to use ”Political Influence” instead of ”Influence Points”
  • Criminal: Removed ability to purchase additional ranks of Criminal. Added reference to ability to unlock further utility from this profession in game.
  • Apothecary: Renamed ”Simple Component Chemistry” to ”Single Component Chemistry” (typo), and added Maker’s Mark requirement and specifications
  • Surgeon: Updated text of Surgery to reflect Convalescence and Book of Consequences changes
  • Soldier: Updated Chest Armor to indicate that it breaks if hit by a Critical or special call
  • Engineer: Updated Knowledge: Engineering to additionally grant 5 points of Experimentation that may be spent on schematic development or exchanged for 5 ducats.
  • Engineer: Updated reference to parts and basic schematics (Bullet and Bullet Mold) available to all Engineers with any Craft Basic Schematic purchased
  • Venom: added explanation of Venom effect to condensed list of calls
  • Appendices: Added appendices for Political Influence, Engineering (schematic creation guide and parts list, including Bullet schematic buff), and Research (see PI and Research posts for details)

Updates to non-Rulebook skills that you currently have should be emailed to you in the next week or so. If you think you’re missing an email about a skill that’s been updated, please reach out to staff@portkatherine.com.

Thanks,

Charlotte, on behalf of Staff

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2

In the rulebook it says special effect. Based on this posting should we assume it’s intended to be the special calls (Death, There is No Escape, etc) in the rulebook?

3

Do scholars who have Knowledge: Engineering (via Knowledge or Well-Read) also get these points, or only if it’s via the engineer header?

4

No, they do not. The points are only via the Engineering header

5

I think we’re using “effect” and “call” interchangeably here. Can you explain what you’re trying to distinguish?

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6

The engineer ability Glue Gun and Tranquilizer Dart have “root” and “sleep” effects. Are those a “special” effect that would break chest armor? I ask because special calls are defined in the rulebook but special effects are not.

7

I believe “special calls” in this case means a call that specifies in it’s description that it breaks chest armor. If this is the case, a specific list of calls that break chest armor may be appripriate to have instead of just saying “special calls”?

8

Generally best to let staff answer rules questions to avoid any confusion; that being said, the list of “Special Calls” is on p. 27 :slight_smile:

There are a few places in the rules that reference “Special Calls” (e.g. Parry doesn’t work on them) but “Special Effect” is only mentioned in the Chest Armor skill. I believe cswasey’s clarification was that “Special Effect” means the same thing as “Special Call”.

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9

This is correct. “Special Effect” in that skill was a typo, it should be “Special Call” as it is in all other cases. “Special Effect” is not a distinct concept that exists. I’ve added it to the list of typo fixes to make in the next edition of the rulebook.

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