This is a public service announcement.

I'm about to give the game text, especially the mechanics, a big once-over.

Here are the rules that I'm thinking of changing. Please comment if you see fit.

1) Move from a d8 to a d6. This is attractive for accessibility reasons. It also speeds up the character arc (average 25 experience rolls instead of 39), which is important because ...

2) The default starting character is now a rank Novice, with 1 in Ice and Light and 4 in Zeal. There will be an option to start higher up. This greatly speeds up chargen. (literally -- choose two of these and one name.)

3) Limit attribute values to 5.

4) Eliminate the subattributes (still not totally certain about this.) In combination with (3) this eliminates the possibility of a "no chance" die roll. You will always have at least a 1/6 chance of success. Similarly, success is never guarantteed.

5) Reduce the number of starting traits, probably to four, one in each category. I'm open to suggestions here. Clearly the Breathsuit goes, because the Starlight Sword is mandatory. I'm not entirely happy with "Lore of Demons" as a default trait, and I'm really torn between the human relationship and betrayal of the people as a default. Comments here would be helpful.

6) Change the trait categories around a bit, definitionally. Fates are simply a strong tie to a person, demon, place, thing, event or deed.

7) Rework the Stakes table so that it includes problematizing, changing, adding and eliminating traits, as well as a column for the world in general.

8) Rework the temptations, so that tempting order is Ice Maiden, New Moon, Full Moon, and the temptations interface better with the new system. Possibly rejigger them so that the "refreshless experience check" is removed from the system.

9) Countless little textual clarifications.

I'm not totally tied to these (1 and 3) in particular, but I think I'm going to change them for now and see how it plays, then change them back if I find things unsatisfactory.

yrs--
--Ben