Chosen

                   Sample of Play: 

 

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Update: This example is outdated. Some of these mechanics have been retained, while others were scrapped altogether. An updated Sample of Play will be posted with the new website.

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All characters begin at Novice Rank. The contracts they pursue are also ranked and present a greater or lesser risk accordingly. In Chosen, much of the exploration uses tables to assist in determining and randomizing events in the game. One such table is the Lair Table, which determines the type of lair and other details surrounding each contracts home. Some entries even determine what time a character arrives. This is where we join our hero's journey.

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Ash's Novice ranked Dhampir of House Vello, Dante, arrives at the Novice Werewolf Den.

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The Lair Table indicates that Dante arrives in the middle of the night at a small labyrinth of caves that could connect to other dens. However, Dante isn't a Werewolf Trapper. As a requirement for starting their journey, each Chosen must complete a contract at their starting location. This is Dante's main focus.

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This contract isn't one commissioned by their House and Dante is still a Novice, so they receive a -1 penalty to all rolls while pursuing this contract. However, each Character Origin has its own traits. Ash notes that dhampirs have Ancient Warrior, which provides a +1 bonus to attack, evasion, and damage. This will effectively negate the commission penalty for combat, which is one reason dhampirs are excellent for beginners.

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Choosing not to explore the area, Ash initiates the Battle of Wits. The Chosen Houses specialize in hunting the most cunning of creatures, and the Battle of Wits is a way to simulate a creature's cunning by allowing them to use their lair to get the jump on the Chosen pursuing them. A dice roll of 2D6 represents this mechanic. 1 die represents the cunning of the Chosen. The other is the cunning of the target.

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Dhampirs also receive a +1 to Battle of Wits rolls, thanks to Vampiric Cunning. Ash rolls 2D6. The results are 5 & 4. Dante's Vampiric Cunning negates the commission penalty, keeping their result at 5. The werewolf does not get an attack of opportunity.

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Knowing that combat is coming, Ash chooses to activate Dante's Eldritch Knight skill. Order Skills are innate to every character, so no roll is necessary.

 

The Eldritch Knight skill reads, "You recall your training and channel the dark energies of the abyss. Reaching into the void with your mind, you find a valiant knight and embrace their spirit. Abyssal shadows engulf your physical body, and you no longer appear as yourself but as the valiant knight with shield and spear in hand."

 

As long as the Eldritch Tracker channels the Eldritch Knight, they wield an Abyssal Shield (-1 to physical damage received) and an Abyssal Spear (+1 Shadow Damage). When an individual takes shadow damage, they continue to take 1 point per turn until their attacker is dead.

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Combat functions much like the Battle of Wits mechanic. 2 dice are rolled. 1 represents the target's action. The other represents the actions of the Chosen. A tie means that the Chosen and the target become locked in combat and must roll again to "break" the lock. For some species, being locked also presents an opportunity for a special attack. 

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Ready for action, Ash makes their first combat roll. The results are 3 & 4 in the werewolf's favor.

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Dante loses 1 vitality point (VP) equaling the damage taken. The werewolf's hit typically does 1 VP of damage for the hit + 1 VP for Werewolf Claws. However, Dante's Abyssal Shield reduces damage by 1 VP, leaving Dante at 9 vitality points.

 

The next combat roll results in a 4 & 6, again in favor of the werewolf. The 6 represents a deadly blow and deals double damage. Before modifiers, the werewolf deals 4 damage to Dante. After modifiers, Dante takes 3 VP worth of damage, and Ash notes on their character sheet that they are down to 6 vitality points.

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Feeling the pressure, Ash rolls combat again. The results are 5 & 1 in Dante's favor. The werewolf's roll of 1 counts as a folly, a mechanic in Chosen where something completely unforeseen happens and presents an attacker with an unguarded hit (UH). UHs automatically do 3 VP of damage. This particular situation is compounded by the difference in dice values.

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Any time the dice values differ by 3 or more, the roll counts as a deadly blow. That means that Dante gets an unguarded hit + a deadly blow on the werewolf, reducing the werewolf's vitality points by 9 and infecting it with shadow damage.

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Contract targets follow a set "boss battle"-style routine. Since Dante reduced the werewolf to 6 vitality points, its first threshold (10 VP) gets triggered. This means the werewolf will perform its pounce special attack during the next combat round. When a skill involves a special attack, the focus of the combat shifts from attacking to evasion unless otherwise stated.

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Ash rolls combat. The results are 4 & 2 in Dante's favor. Since pounce leaves the attacker vulnerable when missed, Dante gets an evasive attack as a response.

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Ash rolls high/low on a 1D6 for the evasive attack. The result is a 5, meaning that Dante's attack succeeds. Like follies, hits from evasive attacks are unguarded but do a flat 3 VP of damage with no additional damage since evasion is the focus. The werewolf loses 3 more vitality points to the attack + 1 VP infected damage, leaving it at 2 VP and triggering its second threshold (5 VP).

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Ash feels the tides of battle shifting and rolls again for combat. The result is 6 & 6. The two combatants become locked in a stalemate that requires a "break" combat roll to separate them. Whoever loses the break roll takes 1 VP of damage plus regular combat damage.

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Ash rolls 2D6. The results are 5 & 2 in Dante's favor. Dante breaks the stalemate, dealing double damage (deadly blow) + 1 VP breaking damage + 1 VP shadow infection, resulting in the werewolf being slain.

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The next step involves Ash updating Dante's journal by answering a few narrative questions (including describing how Dante slayed the beast), then heading back to the Sanctuary of Orders in Ember Watch to receive credit for fulfilling the contract. At that point, Ash can choose to pursue the other contracts in Ember Watch or set out on their journey across The Shadowreach.

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This game is a work in progress, but the fundamentals seen here will not change. I hope you enjoyed the sample and feel free to reach out on Twitter or Discord, if you have any questions or would like more details.

Twitter: @ChaosJoe2023

Discord: a_rogue_clone