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A jam submission

Cemetery BeachView game page

A hex crawl for Fatherfog RPG
Submitted by CAT SKULL PRESS — 19 days, 8 hours before the deadline
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Cemetery Beach's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
LAYOUT — How well does the module get across information?#24.1434.143
UTILITY — Is the module easy to follow? Is the prep reasonable for the payoff?#34.0714.071
Overall#43.7863.786
FAVORABILITY — how much do you personally like the submission?#53.5003.500
ART — How good is the art/graphic design?#54.2144.214
GAME DESIGN — How good is the game balance or concepts there in?#63.5003.500
WRITING — How does this read? does it emanate with horror, humor, drama...?#83.5003.500
THEME — How well is the jam theme used?#83.5713.571

Ranked from 14 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

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Comments

Submitted(+1)

This is really good across all categories! A few notes:

  • Is there a procedure for traversing a hex? Should I just assume that one random encounter happens in each hex and when that is done and the party has crossed the hex? How long is each hex? This affects how often they'll have to stop to eat and rest.
  • On the back of the panel it says that the crate must be carried by two players but in the spread it says one or two depending on party size. I would just work on this language to make it more consistent/clear.
  • Would love to see some sort of penalty if the players are forced to crack into the crate to survive, or if the players don't know what is in the crate, a rumor table to create confusion/dissension could really ramp up the intensity of the trek.

Really good overall, I love this!

Developer

When you say back panel? Which one? As far as I am aware, unless I have missed something, the only mention of carrying the crate is in the crate mechanics section above the hex map?

Developer(+1)

Nevermind found it, the text has been recitifed so it does not contradict that of the mechanics

Submitted(+1)

Awesome, glad you sorted it out. I think the "back panel" is usually the middle of the first page, at least for a typical trifold layout, maybe there are others.

Developer(+1)

I guess so. Whilst I studied illustration at university, we were taught that there is the Exterior panles and Interior panels, which are read 1-3 left to right when looking at them, so the side of the paper that features the cover would be exterior, and so forth, with each panel being numbered E1, E2, E3 and so on. Guess it is different around the world. 

Submitted(+1)

Ah, got it. I guess what I meant by the "back" is "the middle of the exterior page" as folks usually make one panel the cover and the other is tucked inside.

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

This is great, the themes presented along with a very visually appealing look make for a great read. I like the Crate mechanics as an additional hurdle the party must overcome. Some changes to consider:
A bit - > A Bit
The Lighthouse could be mentioned as the Foghouse
There was already some disqussion on the trick thing, but it does seem it was mostly intended as a weaknsess. From 0E:
TRICK: Players need to fight smarter, not harder. The Trick section provides just a few possible exploits to take advantage of in order to survive or end the fight as soon as possible.

However, in Into the Fog one of the creatures does have a benefit along with its weakness, but the overall intention is pretty clear.

Developer

Thank you!

Yeah, the tricky thing I did not understand at al,l and I let the other writer on this project, Daily Ritual Press, tackle it, as it's vague in my eyes and needs to be cleared up a little more, in my opinion. What does not help is that I sent this off to TKG as it is, and it was approved, so that was helpful in some way (laugh and sigh). If it changes and becomes more refined when 1E comes around, I will come back to this and do a 1E edition. For now, if they are okay with it, I will leave it as it is as the rules have triggered me enough to be vague and frustrating ahahaha.

As for the lighthouse bit, this has been rectified: a lighthouse on the coast, a Foghouse in the town. These will be updated post-judging!

Submitted(+1)

I totally get that. There is definitely a lot to consider system-wise compared to Mothership.

Developer

Having seen some of you mentioning the trick thing, and having asked around about their interpretations, one side going one way and the other another, I am just going to leave the interpretation as written as is, it's been approved by TKG with no comment, so I will just take it as is unless told otherwise, or 1E is released!

Submitted(+1)

nice one Haven!! I feel like if I was on this journey I’d eventually bust into that crate to see what the hell im going through all this for lol  

I see others have already mentioned the Trick thing  

Also in the Black Hounds star block you have it spelled “Hount”, perhaps you’ve already fixed that. 

Generally really cool and feels like I can run it right now if I had to. 

Developer (1 edit) (+1)

CHEERS! The text has also been fixed and refined along with some minor stat changes!

Submitted(+1)

Nicely done. Love a good hex crawl that blends solid tables and a great theme. I appreciate the stat blocks, as the PHB for FF only provides 4, so having some additional options to fill out a land is nice. My only gripe may be a difference in interpretation of the Trick. I understood the Trick of a stat block to represent a piece of information that could help the PCs fight more intelligently. But it seems, however, that you all have interpreted it to be a note for tactics for the Guide to know how best to use those stats. I don't think either is wrong, but it was unexpected for me.

The setting is incredibly evocative, and I was able to picture myself and my table running a session (kinda the hallmark for me and if I vibe with a game). I think the only thing I, personally, would balance is adding a couple of neutral and positive encounters to the table. I know the system is built to wear players down, but I wouldn't want to turn the session into a meat grinder too quick. Again, that's personal preference.

Really solid submission!

Developer(+1)

Cheers!

Submitted(+1)

The art is cute - I like the map in particular. This is a really accessible, easy to follow adventure and wouldn't take much to get going at a table! Well done team!

  • I find the x-height on the font makes it a bit difficult to read. 
  • The encounters table could probably be condensed down into a d10 (there is already one duplicate entry). This would also maintain consistency with the die type of the system.
  • The hex-crawl feels a bit deceptive - what would lead a group not just to take the most direct route? (the variety of environments doesn't really change on an alternate path)
  • Enemies: The Trick should be their weaknesses, not (just) special abilities.
  • The Giant Hermit Crab is probably going to kill everyone if combat starts! (that's alotta health and damage)
  • I want to hear more about the volcano and the freezing sea and the storied beach! 
Developer

Thank you for the notes: though I am curious, which do you consider to be the repeating elements on the table, and what would you suggest as a replacement

Submitted(+1)

5 and 18 feel like the same to me. A wave comes in and steals an item (even if one has an extra check). 
It might be fun to add a single positive event. Maybe a memorial marker on a quiet patch of beach that gives back a little hope.

Developer

An adjustment ahas been made to the table, thought nor shortened, but the new entry will help give a reason to explore the map a little more and present a new positive encounter. This will be updated after the jam judging has ended.

Submitted(+1)

Very pickup and play! Will be really easy to get to the table to try something. I do think it potentially suffers a little from FF's lack of travel/Fog mechanics, though I'm sure most Guides would be easily able to make up for this.
I don't know if the hexcrawl element of this really adds to the module. Apart from the detour to the Windy Headland, I don't see a reason that the party won't just run a straight line. Not stating this is a bad thing - just I believe it could really have been a pointcrawl with the same effect, maybe allowing for a different visual layout/imagery. 
My only other observation (and I'm not treating this as a criticism - its too early in FF to consider whether this is a must requirement) is that in the limited official material, the Tricks given for creatures have been ways for the players to trick the creatures. It seems you've chosen a route more akin to the strategy and tactics of the creature.

That being said - really nice entry overall!

Submitted(+1)

Really love this one. Feels like I could pick it up tonight and run a few sessions without any prep just from the pamphlet. Love the art and layout too.

Developer(+1)

Cheers!

Submitted(+1)

This is a fantastic pamphlet, almost top to bottom. The art on this goes so hard and there is a ton of it which make for a wonderful experince reading through and the adventure itself seems like it would make a great first session of Fatherfog. My only issue is that the hexcrawl doesn't tell you how to implement the map in that procedure or how big the hexes are, which make it hard to uses even the FF travel rules. Besides that, the writing is evocative, the theme is excellent, and the layout is intutive. I love this vibe!

Developer

Cheers!

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

So first off this is, of course, a joy to look at and knowing Haven the printability of this entry is just off the charts. 

The back panel's setup of the premise is great too - perfect little encapsulation of a dilemma and your goal. I can pretty much see a party struggling across the beach, carrying this big ol thing of cargo that's so precious, and the tension involved. That's without even remarking on the rest of it. Super awesome economy of words.

So color me surprised to find this is also a hexcrawl! 

This could easily run 2 - 3 sessions and should be a really memorable little scenario. 

The enemies, being mostly mindless or beasts, suffer a little bit from predictable motives but that's a nitpick. What I'mm really missing here is, if anything, some unexpected social encounters along the beach. 

Developer(+1)

Cheers!

Submitted(+1)

I want to know more about what my cargo is; I like how clean and concise everything is (already!), but is there interest in describing the nature of the cargo, its weight, and its utility?  For example: am I lugging boxes or bags?  Will I need to try and make a sled from my ship's wreckage? Can I open my cargo to help me survive certain hexes, at the cost of less profit when (if) I make it to Mirendell? 

That said, I understand that leaving it open-ended makes a lot of sense in the context of a modular trifold supplement, to be dropped into an existing adventure. But if I was solo'ing it stand-alone, I wouldn't mind a suggestion of what my cargo is, perhaps from a condensed 1d5 table or even just a blurb of flavor text,  maybe on the backpage with the lore premise.

That's the only suggestion I have for now; great work!

Developer

You are jumping ahead on my to do list ahahah, this is already something I have listed to tackle in my edits after my holiday this weekend! So far I am thinking simply a chest or a large crate one has to commute to the town. Will see what I can fit in overall!

Submitted(+1)

Oh gotcha gotcha, I'll try to focus on what *is* there now for WIP uploads. Excited to see what cargo you end up coming up with!

Developer(+1)

Let me know what you think of this? I havce taken on board your idea for how the cargo (now as a crate) may affect thge players, and have come up with this: 

And thanks for the question about it, I made me think and realised a good mechanic could be used here.