Wildermyth
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- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
Our first decision.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
On to the tutorial.
If you've played XCOM then you understand the tactical map. Each turn you can do a full move (the yellow squares), or a half move (green squares) plus an action, or two actions. And some actions are free actions.
We have Yovia extinguish the fires in the street ...
... and arrive at Gurieta's front door.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
The poor man's spear, axe and mace respectively.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
The beast in question. An ordinary wild deer, mutated into something maddened and murderous.
We follow the plan, Yovia and her pickaxe leading, Gurieta and her bow in the rear.
Heroes positioned adjacent to an ally reinforce one another, both taking less damage.
Yovia opens the back door and waits. The beast, recking nothing of strategy, comes to them.
Her strike is true, and the miserable creature yields up its life.
With this victory Yovia begins her destined track as a Warrior, one of the three classes. In addition to getting more swole, she gets to choose a special Warrior ability.
This should come in handy if the team faces a group.
Gurieta becomes a full-fledged Hunter, a class that excels in range and stealth. (Stealth mode is called "entering the grayplane".)
Aim for the legs, and you might buy yourself time for a second shot.
Sometimes there's gear to be found.
A blocking bonus should go to our front-line fighter. You can see Yovia wearing it on her weapon hand.
- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
We now go to the overland map.
Help is on the way.
Help is on the way.
- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
The power of the Mystic is that of interfusion, animating objects in the scenery to attack opponents. Suthille can interfuse with up to two objects at a time.
A wild boar made even more murderous by this strange corruption.
The creature is penned behind a barricade and can't reach Suthille, but she can interfuse with objects on its side. There's plenty of junk back there to choose from.
Objects have different combat effects depending on what they're made from.
This rope looks useful -- it can be animated to hurt an opponent as well as restrict its movement.
The beast loses 2 of its 5 health.
Time to finish it off. This bookcase is adorned with animal skeletons, and these bones can be formed into a piercing spear which should deliver the damage we need.
The boar is spitted, ending its tormented life.
Suthille's spoon makes an odd magic wand, but it seems to do the job. As a full-fledged Mystic, she gets to choose a new ability.
It turns out she can interfuse with living things too -- at least for a short time -- long enough to buy some breathing room in battle.
Stylish and defensive.
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Re: Wildermyth
With that, it's back to the overland map.
To clear this tile, we need to defeat the foes occupying the tower. After that we can fix it up into a place fit for civilization, whereupon it'll start producing materials for gear upgrades.
To clear this tile, we need to defeat the foes occupying the tower. After that we can fix it up into a place fit for civilization, whereupon it'll start producing materials for gear upgrades.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
The team goes with Gurieta's straightforward plan. For this combat they get a damage bonus for the first 3 turns.
Two enemies in this fight; still no match for our trio of heroes.
An ordinary raccoon isn't much of a threat, but its mutation has grown barbed tentacles that hurl shredding spikes at range. Not to be overlooked.
Fortunately the beasts are positioned close, so we'll be able to make full use of our temporary +damage.
Yovia, in front as usual, slays the Roe before I can even screencap it.
The Raccoon keeps its distance and scratches Yovia with a volley of spikes.
It has nowhere to run after that, so Yovia easily catches up and pickaxes it into oblivion.
A Stunt is basically a critical hit. It can sometimes have extra effects depending on the weapon.
After the fight, the team finds a Shield in good condition. It goes to Yovia. Any character can equip any gear, but some items are more practical for one class than another.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
All of these names sound pretty good, but we can also write or randomize our own name.
This one comes up and I like it a lot! It must be destiny.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
With the introduction complete, we find ourselves back on the overland map. The destiny of the Swans of the Wildermyth is ours to write.
From this point onward, whenever the heroes finish a fight their enemies get tougher. This is called a Calamity and involves that faction gaining a new enemy type or buffing an existing one. This card gives +2 damage to the mutated raccoons; an unfortunately hefty bonus, especially since they attack at range. We'll remember that and try to prioritize these beasts when they appear.
Calamities also occur as time passes, so there's value in being efficient and not wasting precious days. With that in mind, let's go back to the map.
Currently 2 regions are scouted: Holmlen Meadows, which contains our home village of Rockyfend, and the forest of Bogger Garden, containing the just-cleared tower of Hawkerworn Folly. Around us are other tiles not yet scouted. As time passes unclaimed tiles tend to get occupied by monsters, but early on we may be able to claim one without a fight.
There are other tasks we might spend time on. The orange banner in Rockyfend signifies that a new hero can be recruited there. We'll certainly do that at some point, but not right away -- let's give our original group some adventures first.
Now that Hawkerworn Folly is cleared, the green banner means we can build a resource station there. This generates raw goods and prevents monsters from moving back in.
And these are our objectives for the chapter: to scout and clear every tile, then travel to Ash Arches (in the tile northeast of us) and confront whatever lurks there.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
By now it may have crossed your mind that some of these names have a procedurally-generated feel to them. And, yes! Many of the places, people and things in Wildermyth are randomized and vary each game. Including our three heroes and their personality traits.
Speaking of which, let's pop the hood and get to know our company better.
Yovia Janrot is our Warrior, currently armed with pickaxe and shield, and perhaps the most conventionally heroic of the team. Every character has 3 personality hooks which influence dialogue and some quests; Yovia's are Distant, Flirt and Integrity. Her bio is generated to be reflective of these, somewhat.
Although characters are random, you can customize just about everything about them to your taste. This includes sexual preference and gender identity. The RNG heavily favors cishet, but customization allows you to choose a male, female or nonbinary identity, male or female body type and voice, whether they're attracted to men, women or both, and whether you want them to have romances and/or children. It's up to you.
The only thing I change for Yovia is to make her attracted to anyone. I'm hoping that'll increase her opportunities to act flirty, which would be fun.
That said, she is already in a relationship. We earlier established Yovia and Gurieta as romantically involved. The game effect of this is that if one character gets attacked (successfully or not) the other gains a damage bonus. Aww, that's sweet.
A deeper dive into Yovia's personality reveals numerical values for various traits. This, too, flavors their dialogue. Yovia scores big in Romantic and Poet.
I believe these ratings can change with age and life experience, but I'm not certain. We'll check in every so often.
Speaking of which, let's pop the hood and get to know our company better.
Yovia Janrot is our Warrior, currently armed with pickaxe and shield, and perhaps the most conventionally heroic of the team. Every character has 3 personality hooks which influence dialogue and some quests; Yovia's are Distant, Flirt and Integrity. Her bio is generated to be reflective of these, somewhat.
Although characters are random, you can customize just about everything about them to your taste. This includes sexual preference and gender identity. The RNG heavily favors cishet, but customization allows you to choose a male, female or nonbinary identity, male or female body type and voice, whether they're attracted to men, women or both, and whether you want them to have romances and/or children. It's up to you.
The only thing I change for Yovia is to make her attracted to anyone. I'm hoping that'll increase her opportunities to act flirty, which would be fun.
That said, she is already in a relationship. We earlier established Yovia and Gurieta as romantically involved. The game effect of this is that if one character gets attacked (successfully or not) the other gains a damage bonus. Aww, that's sweet.
A deeper dive into Yovia's personality reveals numerical values for various traits. This, too, flavors their dialogue. Yovia scores big in Romantic and Poet.
I believe these ratings can change with age and life experience, but I'm not certain. We'll check in every so often.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
Gurieta Dogwood is our Hunter, with a basic bow for ranged and a skinning knife for melee. Her personality hooks are Nostalgic, Darkheart and Destiny. (Darkheart means to be fascinated by the dark side of nature, occult rituals and the like -- not evil, just curious.)
Gurieta and Yovia are sweeties, the game effects of which we discussed earlier. She also shares a mutual rivalry with Suthille: the two are frenemies, basically. This is beneficial: when Gurieta or Suthille lands a critical hit, the other gains an "Oh Yeah? Watch This!" crit chance bonus. As we know from anime, nothing inspires a person to excel like a good rivalry.
In terms of personality, her big trait is Bookish: she's big into reading. She also has a goofy streak, but we haven't seen much evidence of that yet.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
Suthille White, our Mystic, has one of the strangest bios I've seen: raised by woodland critters?
At any rate, her hooks are Wildheart, Lucky and Nostalgic. Whether that means she's nostalgic for her forest princess childhood, or for the mundane life she never had, is up for debate.
She focuses mystical energies through her wooden spoon. It is comforting to her.
Suthille's main personality traits are Hothead and Loner, which I suppose makes sense for someone raised by squirrels. This is certainly somebody to watch.
Enough talk. Let's make our move!
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
First order of business is to get this tower, Hawkerworn Folly, cleaned up and productive. To do this, and other projects, characters need to devote time to the task. We want to spend our time as efficiently as possible.
When securing a tile, we have two options: the fast way, or the slow way which yields an item.
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Re: Wildermyth
Gurieta isn't actually going to stick around and help, though. Hunters are fast on their feet and are good at scouting tiles.
So while Yovia and Suthille work on the tower, Gurieta heads south to recon Tallplain.
Scouting the tile reveals it to be free of monsters for now. We'll want to build it up before that changes.
Gurieta moves on to another tile.
To the southeast, in Evenmud Swamp, we discover a nest of mutated creatures. They'll need to be driven out by force.
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Re: Wildermyth
By now Suthille and Yovia have put the old tower in working order.
In addition, because they searched thoroughly, they've found a piece of gear.
These Snakestone Kneepads provide a dodge bonus. They'll go to Gurieta. (She doesn't have to be physically present.)
The Swans of the Wildermyth may not be seasoned adventurers, but they're beginning to look the part.
In addition, because they searched thoroughly, they've found a piece of gear.
These Snakestone Kneepads provide a dodge bonus. They'll go to Gurieta. (She doesn't have to be physically present.)
The Swans of the Wildermyth may not be seasoned adventurers, but they're beginning to look the part.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
Their respective tasks done, the heroes decide to rendezvous in Tallplains and improve it.
We get some choice of what this new station will produce, but honestly I don't have a preference; anything is fine.
I should briefly mention Legacy Points. The company earns these by doing noteworthy deeds, and they are spent to do various things like building up tiles, negating Calamities and recruiting heroes. The Swans currently have 3 LP.
Soon the ribbon is cut on Tallwycke Outfitter, and that's another tile made civilized, for now.
It's time to bring the fight to the beasts. Onward to Evenmud Swamp!
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Re: Wildermyth
The battle for Ravenmarket Altar. None of the enemies are in sight, but we know there are three of them. The Roes shouldn't be much trouble, but the Raccoon needs to be dealt with before it hurts anyone. Those upgraded spikes are no joke.
As in all XCOM-likes, and I guess in real life, the goal is to find your enemy before they find you. Suthille interfuses with an object allowing her to extend her sight range through it. Gurieta enters stealth mode and spots the enemy just ahead.
The creatures charge forth like the maddened beasts they are. They still can't see Gurieta, who prepares to stealth up to the Raccoon and stab it.
A hit! A very palpable hit! Attacks from stealth ignore armor, although none of these enemies have armor so it doesn't matter. It'll get important later.
Also I just noticed this thing has six legs.
Yovia moves up to reinforce Gurieta, but she doesn't have enough actions to attack. If we want to bring the Raccoon down this turn, it's up to Suthille and her magic.
Interfusing with a nearby pillar, Suthille can manipulate the stone to make a projectile.
Whack! The stone discus puts the beast down, and this fight just got a lot safer.
From here it's pretty straightforward. One of the Roes scratches Yovia with its antlers, but she brings it down, and thanks to her Broadswipes ability, the deer next to it takes damage too.
And that gives Gurieta an opening to get behind it and do a whopping 10 damage. The bonuses stack up because:
- Flank attack.
- Knives do double damage with flank attacks.
- Damage bonus because Gurieta's sweetie got attacked.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
We noted earlier that Gurieta holds a fascination for the unnatural.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
With the site cleared, Suthille and Yovia get to work preparing it for settlement while Gurieta scouts the northward forest.
We will again take our time in order to find an item. Though we haven't forgotten that while time passes, our enemies get stronger.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
Gurieta reaches Badspruce Garden to find it not only occupied, but infested with mutant creatures. (All the enemies we've seen belong to the Gorgons. There are 5 enemy factions in all; in this campaign Gorgons are the main villain.)
Infested tiles add 1 enemy to the group defending it. To clear it we would need to fight 4 creatures. Or we can de-infest a tile by sending a group of 3+ heroes to Patrol, but again, this takes time.
To remind us of the consequences of time, around this time a Calamity happens. These occur at regular intervals and boost the strength of enemy factions, though we can spend Legacy Points to negate them.
Three of the boosts affect a non-Gorgon faction and we don't really care about those. We'll probably encounter the Morthagi only once or twice this campaign, if at all. But there are two for the Gorgons: an upgrade for the Roe which causes it to leave a trail of toxic sludge where it moves, and a new Bogmoor creature is added to the roster.
We spend -1 LP to keep the Roe upgrade from happening. We don't want to burn out our LP stock because there are other things I want to do with them.
A listing of Gorgon bonuses so far. The Yonderlands are growing dangerous, and we need to make sure the Swans of the Wildermyth keep stride.
To that end, the whole group heads to Badspruce Garden to clear it -- without wasting time to patrol, so they'll be facing 4 enemies. Our heroes are fully healed and luck has been on their side so far. Surely they can handle a little extra peril.
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- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
Everything's in the toilet.
- Mechanical Ape
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Re: Wildermyth
We're demoralized, we're outnumbered, the enemy is upon us, and our archer appears to be missing an eye. Such is the clay legends are shaped from. To arms!
Between Yovia's pickaxe and Gurieta's flanking, the Roe is quickly dealt with. But that is only the first of the horde, and the weakest.
Suthille explodes some nearby rubble which shreds away some of the Rager's armor, leaving it more vulnerable. It's still quite dangerous though.
And here come the reinforcements.
Bogmoors are what happens when the Gorgon disease afflicts a simple frog: it grows to hideous size, bloated with corruption. Beware its tongues.
The boar charges at Yovia (our tank, fortunately) who manages to block its jagged tusks. That could have ended much worse.
And once again, the Yovia/Gurieta one-two punch brings a monster down. That's 2 out of 4 foes defeated so far. Half done.
Now comes the hard part.