Kickstarter Update #8
Hi all and may the Empress of the Night bless you with fortune!
I have finalized (well barring two more playtesting sessions) character creation and a more dynamic magic system. I am moving onto gameplay and scenes next barring another ‘sudden bathroom remodeling opportunity’.
I have been living with my in-laws for the past week and half after a brief flooding and lack of flooring. I am grateful for their help for myself and my family. My four-year-old thought it was awesome. As of this writing I am happy to be home and writing again!
It’s always strange when working on a game system that is completed. Going through the edits sparks new ideas and better tie-ins with other sections. As a creator, the game will never actually feel done. There are too many unexplored avenues and mechanics to tweak. For instance, what do you call a group of goblins? I have it narrowed down to:
a) A bedevilment
b) A vexation
c) A torment
d) A pester
What Do You Call a Group of Goblins?
Please let me know what you think! For now, I have put my pen down on about half of the book. And I’d like to share a bit for you now!
The All4Two System
The All4Two system doesn’t use regular dice. But any object (called bones) with an even number of sides that can be marked 0 or 1 equally will work. Each player will rarely need more than five or six bones to roll (or flip!) at a time. After you roll the bones, you add them together.
To promote the chaotic nature of goblins it is encouraged to use many different objects. No matter how many bones you roll the only numerical totals you will use are 0, 1, and 2. The 2 doesn’t JUST represent the number 2. It stands for every number that is 2 or higher. The art of counting is largely lost on goblinfolk. Below are the three possible results:
2= Success
1= Blunder
0= Disaster
Example: Player A rolls 6 bones. (6b for shorthand) They total 5. However, the result translates to 2. Success! Just the same if the player had rolled a total of 2, 4, or 100. It is the same success. No success is greater than another so no need to count higher than 2.
Success means the player achieves the stated check. Some checks are required in chosen scenes while others are initiated by the players.
Blunder means the player mostly achieved their goal but also earned some sort of drawback.
Disaster means the player failed…spectacularly. Not only do they fail the stated goal they also earn additional punishment.
Most scenes will give concrete rewards or punishments but the game guide is encouraged to add their own roleplaying flair.
Checks
Checks are how characters perform tasks where the outcome is not certain. Either the escort or the players may request a check to perform a meaningful action using one of their three attributes: guile, muscle, or smarts.
Do not make frivolous checks, the prophecy of the bones is not to be taken lightly. If the player doesn’t gain an advantage OR the storyline isn’t impacted, then do not do a check. Many a goblin has been struck blind by fidgeting with their baubles.
How to do a Check
To initiate a check, first assign an attribute. The attribute is dependent on the goal of the action. For example, if a goblin wants to sneak into a parlor, it should be a muscle check. If they want to disguise themselves as a constable, it would be a guile check.
Next the players and escort quibble about if the task at hand is made easier or harder by outside influences. Some checks automatically come with modifiers. Adding roleplaying modifiers is up to the escort and is considered an advanced way to play the game. If the group chooses to add roleplaying modifiers they shouldn’t be more than a difference of one. Fighting or outsmarting enemies automatically comes with modifiers.
Then the players declare if they are going to use any fortune modifiers. Note that this can happen before AND after the bones are rolled depending on the action.
Finally, after the dice are rolled and all modifiers are taken into account, cross reference the result of the roll from the correct table. Unless otherwise specified, checks use the Everynight Check table.
| Everynight Check Table | Result |
| Check Type | Any (Guile, Muscle, Smarts) |
| Success | Succeed check |
| Blunder | Fail, Gain a fortune |
| Disaster | Fail, Take 1 damage |
How to do a check checklist
- Assign attribute
- Assign modifiers
- Spend optional fortunes
- Roll the bones
- Consult the corresponding check table
Fortunes
The world of Goblin Market is interwoven with a mystical power that can pierce through the veil that separates Nighttide and the mortal world. It is a palpable feeling that can be carried, used, and exchanged by fairy folk. Some call it fortunes or luck. But most know it as magic. There are two types of fortune that can be earned, forced upon the players, or even traded called boons and banes.
When a fortune is gained, unless it is otherwise stated, the player may choose whether it is a boon or a bane. A bane cannot be turned into a boon and vice versa unless specifically stated in a scene. The actions are divided up by boon and bane costs.
Call on Aspect
Cost: 1 Boon
Trigger personal aspect ability.
Cheat the Fates
Cost: 1 Boon per bone
Add one bone per boon spent to the current check after the original results are rolled. This may be done once.
Gift Boon
Cost: 1 Boon
Add one bone to the current check after the original results are rolled. This may be done once.
Kismet Encounter
Cost: 1 Boon
A player may add an available enemy to the current scene. The enemy is under complete control of the Escort. However, the Escort may take what the player desires into account. The enemy will not be immediately hostile. In fact, the player may want to remain completely hidden and merely call the authorities to a scene where a theft is taking place.
Arouse Frailty
Cost: 1 Bane
A player may force a character to indulge in their frailty during the next Market Scene. The action must result in the player having to do a check to fulfill their frailty. It does not matter if the action succeeds or fails, only that the itch has been scratched! See the Frailty section on page XX.
Bestow Bane
Cost: 1 Bane
Subtract one bone to the current check BEFORE the original results are rolled.
Cast Jinx/Hex
Cost: See Magic section for more details.
See Magic section for more details.
Exploit Weakness
Cost: 1 Bane
Trigger an enemy’s weakness. The escort decides how the weakness is carried out but may take into account the player’s desires.
It is not uncommon for goblins to wheedle for fortune during particularly dangerous or rewarding checks. Boons are a valued commodity but not above being bartered for just like any other good. Secrets, bloodbacked trinkets, and even debts have been known to be exchanged.
Fairy folk are very sensitive to the comings and goings of the metaphysical world. They know when they are targeted for weal or woe. However, that does not mean they can divine its source. A goblin must be careful or quick with a cover-story before slinging curses at their running mates!