Map of Acik-Sehir (Work in Progress)

Here's the current state of the map of the Free Trade City of Acik-Sehir. This is a work in progress.

Update: re-did the warehouses, moved the landing pads outside the city walls, added a garrison, then added text.

Up next: adding scale, a grid, and a compass rose.

Map for Exiled in Eris

Here is the first draft of the regional map for "Swords of Cydoria: Exiled in Eris". It's zoomed in on southwest Markania, centered on the Free Trade City of Acik-Sehir where the game takes place. The little X's in squares are Vrildarian prison camps. The scale of this map is 1100km E/W by 850km N/S. Each grid square is 100km on a side.

Next up: a city map of Acik-Sehir.

Playtest Updated 6/24/13

I just updated the playtest rules document with some minor revisions. I added terrain/movement rules and also added how many GP  you start with (kind of important). Also, I added a lot more background info to the glossary and provided a regional map of Eris.

I did a lot of brainstorming and fleshed out the city of Free City of Ragava where the game will take place. Don't get attached to that name, I keep changing it and I'm still not happy with it.

Playtestable Version of Exiled in Eris Now Available for Download

The first draft of the play-test version of the new rules system for Swords of Cydoria: Exiled in Eris is available for download.

edit: I'm learning how Google Docs works. The document should be available to the public now.

I'm looking for feedback and comments and suggestions.

Be aware:

1. These rules are heavily inspired by d20, 4E, Savage Worlds, and BRP.
2. Don't expect a lot of ground to be broken or innovative game design. I wanted a simple utilitarian system.
3. This is not the final product! There's no art and rudimentary layout.
4. The final product will include more setting, intro adventure, monsters and opponents, artwork, layout, etc.
5. I'm not looking for proofreading. That will come later.

I'd like to hear feedback from people about character creation. What was it like? How easy was it? How intuitive? Is the power level right?

How about the combat rules? Any comments?

Status of New Version

I am working on a new version of Swords of Cydoria. This new version will incorporate several goals:

1) It will use its own custom system. I am 90% done with the writing the character generation and combat rules. Once its ready, I'll start play-testing and I will make the system available here for anyone to playtest and provide feedback.

2) It will incorporate some setting changes. Some of the changes are cosmetic, name changes to make things sound cooler. Some are more intrinsic.

• the Oudh is no longer a force field, it is still a field surrounding Uruta but it is no longer keeping Rhakadians out. This allows me to have meteor storms and more smugglers. I will provide other reasons to explain why the Rhakadians don't just invade or bomb them from orbit.
• I'm pushing the tech level forward a little bit to make the setting more dieselpunk.
• I'm bringing aya to the forefront a little more, making them more common and fantastic.
• I have completely re-written the Nazarians and the Xoog.
• Nazarians are now Axarians
• Xoog are now Xarian.
• Zorin is now Xorin.
• The Axarians are no longer human.
• Xoog are no longer slave races. The Axarians are now four races divided into castes:
• Yedrix, the thinkers and artists
• Jinx, the servants and craftsmen
• Orix, the warriors and guards
• Brux, the laborers and heavy warriors
• Several barbarian and non-human tribes are graduating to full-blown kingdoms with their own technology.
• I am adding several new kingdoms.
• Arus is now Eris.
• Daka are now Dakazi.
• The Dazumi Pirates are now the Sky-Pirates of Rakar.
• Aero-ships are now called Zephyrs.
• Zephyrium is now called Anemoi.

3) Another big change will be that of focus. I am focusing in on the frontier of Eris and adventuring there. The city-states are remote, distant. All the action will take place out on the borderlands.

4) The core book will be less than 100 pages. That's the hope anyway. I want to keep it small and focused. I can expand the focus in future sourcebooks (see my previous post about the ambitious plan). The focus will be on artifact hunters in the land of Eris.

5) The central location of the setting will be the Free Trade City of Ravaga, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. One part Mos Eisley, one part Las Vegas, one part Casablanca.

More updates are forthcoming, including rules excerpts!

Ambitious Plan

My current project for Swords of Cydoria is a re-boot of the setting with a new rule set.

I'm currently finalizing the rules, which will use a home-grown system, and working on revisions to the setting. The new game will have a tighter focus and I will try to keep the core book to less than 100 pages. Then I'll release supplements that expand the setting and character creation options.

Here is my rather ambitious plan.

1. Exiled in Eris - The core game, allowing you to play mundane humans hunting for artifacts in the ruins of Eris. I'm shooting for less than 100 pages for this book.
2. Legacy of the Sarcomage - Mutations and Zorinoids, new monsters.
3. Through Eyes Inhuman - Non-human races.
4. Force of Mind, Strength of Will - Psychic powers and new character types: Evokers/Summoners, Archons, Seers, Vasi Guardians, Katari Assassins, Oculus Mercenaries.
5. The Blade of Takshaka - A re-working of the adventure I wrote.
6. The Flight of the Tonbo - skyships, pirates, trade, factory-cities, generating settlements and villages
7. Remember Demetria - Rebellion, insurgency, imperial military
8. Intrigue and Deception - espionage and court intrigue

I'm going to try to keep each book between 30-60 pages.

 

A lot the material is already written. I just need to edit it into separate books.