Hey folks! 

Thank you all for checking out Monstrum! Initially designed as a testing platform for War of the Pips (the main game that uses the Pipsqueak system), I'm proud of the work that went into Monstrum and happy that it's growing in its own direction. 

I wanted to take some time in this update to talk about one of the game's main mechanics "The Eye", as well as dive into some of the newer updates to the game.  Below are the points discussed in case you wanted to jump right to a specific topic. 

The Eye - Its function and purpose. 

Action Rolls - Increasing the challenge to dice rolls and what it entails.

Companions - Addition to the companion cart and their functions.

THE EYE

The Eye is a mechanic that went through a number of iterations. The problem I faced was trying to create some form of creative secondary play for both the players and the GM. 

For the GM, they don't get a chance to roll for NPCs. Instead, the players dice results determine the actions of the NPCs. This should provide less load on the GM, enabling them to do more things. But, what? What can make things a little more interesting in encounters? 

For players, combat scenarios didn't feel cooperative, with individuals more focused on themselves (aside from perhaps the healer). How can I make players interact with each other in more meaningful ways. 

Enter the Eye. The eye as a mechanic similar to NPC awareness meters in videogames. Represented as a token at the table, the GM can non-verbally show the attention of the NPC by passing the token around the table. In combat, the Eye can affect your movement and attack rolls, while out of combat, it can assist in speaking, or assist in stealth scenes. 

Its main function is to create a secondary consequence to player's actions. For example, if the Eye is on a player with no armor and low on health, a you may want to draw the eye to you. The alternative is to risk a strike, where a failure would not only damage you, but the other player as well. 

Allow players to engage critically on their actions, as consequences go beyond their own wellbeing. 

For the GM, the Eye allows for another avenue to guide gameplay. Rules as written, the Eye can exude the personality of the NPC (in this case the monster). Does its low health make it chaotic and unpredictable, of decisive and hunt down the person that's hurt it most? 

Early conceptualisation of the Eye. 

ACTION ROLLS 

The latest update to V2.5 of the Pipsqueak system is aimed at making rolls (combat in particular), more challenging. Not sure exactly what changed between playtests, or I have stumbled on some unnaturally lucky dice, but it has come to my attention that the resolution system is overly easy to succeed with. 

To rectify this, I've removed the standard 1d6 players receive for their action. The result of this is that only a maximum of 4 dice can be rolled instead of the 5. This lowers the maximum dice success percentage from around 60% to about 50%. 

 Hopefully with the added challenge of being proficient with a single weapon in a class, the eye, etc. getting maximum dice pools will be a challenge. 

COMPANIONS

Companions are a new addition with the hopes of creating balanced gameplay. I've been tackling with the issue of balancing gameplay when you play solo, or with less than 4 players. Early ideas were to double damage, or "bring an NPC." Companions are a more concerted effort to solving this issue. 

Companions, mechanically, pretty much act as extra HP for the players, allowing players to stay in combat encounters longer. There are basic move and speak actions you can do with Companions, but it's quite basic at the moment. Companions have their own stat block that players can roll with. 

This creates some nice variety for companions, giving players unique combat experiences as well as a scale to increase and decrease difficulty. Find the game too challenging, bring a 7HP companion with a named weapon. Too easy? Bring Rolf! Of course, this is all offset by their fee. The stronger they are, the more expensive they are. So choose wisely. 

What's great about Companions is that things do not need to be adjusted according to player count. Just fill your characters to 4 and you are good to go. 

In the future, I'd like to further develop companions. Maybe with bag slots, or feats, to give them more character and mechanical opportunities.  

Thanks again guys for trying out Monstrum. Your thoughts and feedback are always appreciated and most welcome! I hope you enjoy this update! 

Cheers,

Vince