Preview: 100 Draw Steel Hero Complications

You can always choose to only prepare spartan meals

Hive_Indicator

The Medium complication is a clearer example of this. You gain a cool new ability that costs stamina to use. Unless you're obligated to use it when you don't want to (as is the case for Artifact Bonded), that's just beneficial.

Ernge

Sure, it costs something to use that extra recovery, but it's better than not having the option at all. Players might default to using this in order to gain a mechanical advantage.

Ernge

I think Punishment Curse is actually strictly beneficial. Think of it this way, you have the added option of using one extra recovery. Whenever you choose not to use it, you suffer no drawback.

Ernge

Wait a damn minute… everything we need up to level 10?! Does that include monsters as well?

Ryan

The Bredbeddle is the gift that keeps on giving! I love ‘Lost your head!’ Fantastic work!

Andrew Straight

Ah man. I misread "Master Chef" and for a second I got super excited that I could make a Spartan. 😂😭

Callahan Johnson

This is incredible. The best thing about it imo is that each complication has the same fundamental structure (1 benefit and 1 drawback) which makes it super easy to homebrew your own if somehow your fantasy can’t be found in this massive list.

Ryan

& monstrous menagerie A5e

Josh Garfinkel

I suspect fire damage is a much more common damage type. Thus having fire weakness is a bigger deal than cold weakness.

Callahan Johnson

Hey Aphrodyte! We're not seeing missing content in our PDFs and neither are the folks we asked to check in different PDF viewers. What program are you using to view the PDF? -James

MCDM Productions

"Host Body"? You sneaky so-and-so's, hiding a new playable race in the complications entry. This whole thing is amazing, some entries are just a little bonus flavor for your character and some entries are enough to completely redefine the character. I know at least one person who will absolutely fall in love with Draw Steel when she sees this section in the players book.

Ben Clarke

Looks like you got it. And if you search for Hudson Aliens clips on YouTube, you'll see just that as Hudson is practically in a panic as things go from bad to worse for the space marines (he starts out cocky) and when he finally gets into a fire fight, he is recklessly aggressive. PS: There's no way in hell Aliens isn't one of the (many, many) action movies MCDM's cinematic pillar is inspired by.

Eric Gershik

Okay, I think I'm starting to understand. You're a coward, but not in the classic sense. You're still a hero, just one that struggles with fear constantly. Because of that, you've figured out how to push down your fear and are now able to move towards what you fear. It might even be something of a coping mechanism that even if it's not the wisest thing to do, moving closer to the thing you fear makes you feel like you're conquering the fear and helps you deal with it? I know the mechanics don't force you to move towards the thing you fear, but the flavor text seems to be encouraging that thematically. So TL;DR: You're still a hero. Just one that's always afraid. The way you seem to have learned to deal with that fear is to force yourself to move towards the thing you fear.

Callahan Johnson

This is the BEST problem to have. Thanks design team!

Benjamin Ford

My only problem with complications is that there are too many, and they're all cool! I need to make 100's of characters to play them all. Yippee! :D I wanna take all of these but I think current design is one per character. And that makes since for game balance, but honestly... why not have more than one? There's almost a ranking of HOW complicated these complications get - a sort of tier. Low complication - you're old, high complication - your dreams of being a dragon are slowly entertaining reality! For me, I don't see why both these things can't be true. Daredevil is blind and he has a secret identity, two complications that are relevant to his story as a hero. I think for my games I would allow it, but I would need to do it by feeling. Game intuition. It would be nice if there was some additional layer for the game though to allow this as an optional rule though

Benjamin Ford

Awesome! I've been waiting for these!

Ernge

Frostheart seems like Fire and Chaos but better; it's the same plus the ability to do cold damage. Maybe fire damage is stronger or more common than cold damage?

slvgRPGs

Aphrodyte

Being afraid of lots of things is "being a coward". Being able to still act despite the fear does not nullify the fact you're afraid. The anime Frieren touches on this a bit. I guess, another way to think about it is... If someone has clinical anxiety and hate being in crowded places, but they still manage to do tasks despite it—like go to the store or go to a party—they still have anxiety.

John Champion

Check out the character Hudson played by Bill Paxton in the movie Aliens. A character could always advise caution, express fear, a willingness to turn back but whenever they are faced with the enemy, the only way they can deal with their fear is to charge what's terrifying them.

Eric Gershik

Is there anyone that understands how the 'Coward' complication makes sense thematically? I'm confused why they run *towards* danger. How are they a coward then? 🤔

Callahan Johnson

First off, this art is banging. Secondly - holy shit. Between complications and perks, this game is giving players so many cool ways to create unique characters embedded in their world.

Wilzard

Me: "Paul Hughes? Who's that? Holy poop crap, Blog of Holding!!"

Hive_Indicator

That art though

Douglas Grion Filho

100?!?!??? Holy cow, I was not expecting that, that's awesome!!

Mitchell Stevenson