Happy Friday Everyone!
Today, I am going to have a discussion about 13th Age. 13th Age is an RPG that was recently released from Pelgrane Press. 13th Age combines the best parts of traditional d20-rolling fantasy gaming with new story-focused rules, designed so you can run the kind of game you most want to play with your group. Created by Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet, 13th Age gives you all the tools you need to make unique characters who are immediately embedded in the setting in important ways; quickly prepare adventures based on the PCs’ backgrounds and goals; create your own monsters; fight exciting battles; and focus on what’s always been cool and fun about fantasy adventure gaming.
13th Age has so many great things going for it. I am going to go through a few of them.
First up is the Icon Relationships. The Icons are the movers and the shakers within the world itself. They include people like the Dragon Emperor, and Elf Queen, and the Golden Drake. When you build your character, you get to choose your relationships with the Icons, building a backstory for your character. For example, I could say that I have a minor relationship with the Dragon emperor, because I was a minor member of his court. Then I could also say I have a major relationship with the Prince of Shadows, because I was a member of a secret society of thieves within the capital. Really interesting, because it gives players a place within the world.
The next thing I want to talk about is the One Unique Thing. This ties back into the backstory of the character. The One Unique Thing is the one thing that makes your character different from every other PC. For example, my character can see a ghostly representation of his twin brother who died in the birth. This one unique thing never has an effect on game play, just on story itself. Usually a really good vehicle for moving the story, which is awesome. It also really helps bring your character to life.
In terms of gameplay, 13th Age does skill checks completely different. Each character has a certain number of background points that they get to assign, based on their background. These backgrounds are what players use to make skill checks! For example, if my character has 5 points in a thieving background, when he decides to make a lockpick check, he would add his 5 points of background to his check, and that would be the result. No more looking for relevant skill check. Use that backgrounds! Really make the game more streamlined.
Now, in terms of combat, 13th age offers a mechanic called the Escalation Die. This escalation die is a d6 that, as combat goes on, goes up, and when you make attack rolls and damage rolls, you add the escalation die to the result. For example, say it is round 5 of combat. I get to make an attack roll, add the escalation die, which shows 4, plus my modifier. Bam! Needless to say, combat is much much quicker, getting back to the narrative part of the story.
Now, the last thing I wanted to touch on was how awesomely quirky the book itself is written. There are tons of silly little things that stick out to you as you read it. Just to post an example, look at the monster reference for an owlbear, and the attacks it can make.
Rip and peck: +9 vs. AC—15 damage, and until the end of the owlbear’s next turn, the target is hampered (makes only basic attacks) while engaged with the owlbear
Vicious hybrid: If the escalation die is even, make another rip and peck attack.
Feed the cubs: An owlbear that scores a critical hit against a hampered enemy tears a piece of the creature off (GM chooses a limb) and will subsequently attempt to retreat with the prize to feed its cubs. The torn-up enemy is stunned until the end of its next turn.
I mean... come on. Tearing your arm off to feed the young? Awesome!
Take a chance to play this game! It is awesome!
Have a great weekend!
-Rob-
