Rev SpecialMechanics

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The Record of Your Trade

Witchcraftin’, Sciencin’, and Doctorin’ all suggest that players keep a record of their creations. This is in part to help the GMs ensure fairness when interpreting the uses of these skills and allow for consistency in interpretation throughout the game. With that said, gods are fickle, experiments unreliable, and diseases mutate. The GMs appreciate your understanding if recipes need to be amended.

Special Mechanics

These skills have additional mechanics beyond the simple card draw and involve the players engaging with aspects of the resource game. Characters will be encouraged to explore combinations of the resources that are known and those that are new to the people of the Federated Territories of Arcadia.

Doctorin'

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The Doctorin’ skill is about healing and fixing the living. In Revenant how the character gained, and now uses, their skill is up to the player in the context of a Western.

Any remedies (Formula’s) created can be given, bartered, or sold to other characters and NPCs. These might also be useful for groups traveling into the wild west. There is a list of real-world medical discoveries Here.

With at least 1 level in Doctorin’ your character gains the following abilities:

Apothecary - Out in the west, obtaining medicine is expensive and unreliable. Ailments are many, there are injuries from accidents, critters that bite, and more. A character with at least one level in Doctorin’ can attempt to combine suitable (and even some unsuitable) resources to make substances that support the healing (long or short term) of injured characters and NPCs.

The new resources in the West provide opportunities for the enterprising Doctor by attempting to combine medicinal resources into new medicines. Resources may have medicinal properties that can be refined and/or combined to make medicine. When players have resources that have medicinal properties and wish to try to make a Formula (medicine), it will require a Doctorin’ draw and the handing over of the relevant resources. No single Formula will be a cure-all and some combinations may not succeed or have unexpected side effects.

It is encouraged that players record Formulae in a book to ensure they remember the useful and not-so-useful remedies that the characters have discovered.

Preachin'

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The Preacher’s purpose in Revenant’s End is to spread the message of the Gods of Civilised Lands to the faithful and bring hope and comfort. Preachin’ can’t be used in place of other skills.

In return for their faith & service, the Preacher character gains the ability to call on small miracles from their divine patrons, commonly for the benefit of their congregation.

With at least 1 level in Preachin’ you gain the following abilities:

Blessin’s: At the start of a session, you may nominate a skill that you have at least 1 rank in. For the session you will automatically fail any check for the chosen skill. In exchange, a number of characters equal to your level in Preachin' will be Blessed and have their target numbers for success reduced each time they use that skill.

Sin Eater: Spend at least 1 minute preaching to your congregation, you may then elect to take Revelations from characters that listened to your sermon. For each character you nominate, you must take as many Revelations as you can from them up to the value of your Preachin’ level and set them aside.
Then, make a Preachin’ draw: If you succeed, you may discard a number of those Revelations up to your Preachin’ level (& take the rest). If you fail, take all of the Revelations and then take 1 damage for each Revelation in excess of your Preachin’ level.

Example) Tobias has a Preachin’ skill of 3 and gives a sermon to a crowd of 3. Tobias nominates Characters A & B to take Revelations from. Character A reveals they have 1 Revelation. Character B reveals their 4 Revelations. Tobias takes 1 Revelation from Character A and 3 Revelations from Character B. Tobias sets those 4 Revelations aside and makes a Preachin’ draw (this is not impacted by the set aside Revelations, but does have to account for any that Tobias already had).

• Success: Tobias can discard up to 3 Revelations, and chooses to discard 2. They take 2 for themselves.
  
• Failure: Tobias takes all 4 Revelations, and 1 damage.
  

Divine Intervention: All preacher characters have the ability to call on the divine for aid in desperate times. Once per session, as long as you have 5 or more Revelations you may expend all of your current Revelations to request the intervention of one of the Gods of Civilised Lands. You do not get to choose the form this aid will take.

The power of Preachin’ comes from the Gods of Civilised Lands

Taking the Preachin’ skill in Revenant’s End means that the character has made a bargain with the Gods of Civilised Lands for the miracles to help their community. The power comes through making connections with others and the idea of community. How a player achieves this with their Preacher is a roleplaying choice.

Sciencin'

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Sciencin’ is about working with what you have to make what you need. Sciencin’ can’t be used to replace other skills.

There's the opportunity in the West to come across new and unknown materials. Sciencin’ inventions can be given, sold, or bartered to other characters and NPCs.

With at least 1 level in Sciencin’ your character gains the following abilities:

The Mother of Invention - Consult with a GM about what sort of invention you wish to create. The GM will provide you with the cost of the invention in terms of the number of specific tags that must be on Resource Cards used and the number of Revelations required. Each Resource Card can only provide one type of tag to the endeavour before it is exhausted. When you have gathered all of the required costs, spend 1 minute tinkering with your invention and surrender the cards to a GM.

Example) The Scientist wishes to create a Steam-powered Velocipede and consults a GM. The GM informs them that such an invention will require 2 [Metal], 2 [Mechanical] and 1 [Fuel] tags as well as 2 Revelations. The Scientist sets out to find the required supplies from the local stores, travelling traders, miners, adventurers, and maybe even the witchcraftin’ types.

Players who have taken the Sciencin’ skill are encouraged to record the resources and other costs used to build their creations so they can easily recreate them as required. These records will act as Blueprints and demonstrate that the character knows how to make the item without making a draw. Blueprints can be refined to reduce the materials cost but this will require a new draw. There may be other opportunities to refine this knowledge as the game progresses.

There is a list of some real-world engineering and science developments of the era which can be used as inspiration and potential starting points for players here.

Overload! - As long as you have 3 or more Revelations you may expend all of your current Revelations to immediately double the potency of an item or device - an overloaded engine will run twice as fast, an overloaded gun will hit twice as hard. When the item or device successfully completes its next operation it is catastrophically damaged and rendered inoperable until fully repaired.

Witchcraftin'

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Witchcraftin’ works on living things, including people, plants, and animals. Witchcraftin’ can’t be used to replace other skills.

Witchcraftin' works well as a support skill which can be used to help or hinder other characters, NPCs, and other living things. Items created via Witchcraftin’ or ‘The Craft’ may be given, sold, or bartered to other characters who can then use them at an appropriate moment.

With at least 1 level in Witchcraftin’ you gain the following abilities:

Hexed!: All witch characters have the ability to hinder other living beings. As long as you have 3 or more Revelations you may expend all of your current Revelations to immediately inflict a hex upon a living thing. This hex lasts until the end of the session or until lifted or dispelled in some way. A witch can sustain only a single hex at a time.

• The Hex of Frailty - Like an overripe peach the target bruises at the barest touch. The next time the target takes damage they take additional harm equal to the caster's Witchcraftin’ level.
  
• The Hex of Lethargy - Muck and mud cling to the target’s boots and their steps become heavy. While so hexed a target cannot move above a walking pace.
  
• The Hex of Deformity - Boils and poxes vex the target marring their visage. NPCs will recoil in horror from the target at best and become outright hostile at worst.
  

The Craft: The witch’s ability to create spells comes from their knowledge of The Craft. To create a spell, a Witch will need to find and use Resources with specific Tags, a predetermined number of Revelations, and any special requirements.

The GM will determine the cost of the spell. Players will need to consult with a GM about the type, number of recipients, and duration of spell effect they wish to produce. The spell information from the GM will include which Tags must be on the Resource Cards, the number of Revelations, and any other items or sacrifices required.

When using The Craft to cast a spell all Resource cards must be able to form a chain of three or more resources, where the tags of one resource card matches at least one of the tags on the next card in the sequence. When you have gathered all of the necessary ingredients, roleplay casting your spell and surrender the cards to the GM. The character must make a witchcraftin’ draw as the final step of the spell.

Example) The Witch wants to create a potion to help them find something at the bottom of a river. The Witch consults with a GM and is informed that their spell will need to include the [Natural] and [Mystic] tags and 1 Revelation. Gathering the needed cards the Witch hands them to a GM and proceeds to cackle over their cauldron before slinking into the water.

Recording the components and costs of spells in a Spell Book is recommended as future castings of the same spell (by any Character) may be resolved faster. The potions, charms, and other things made using The Craft will generally be single-use, though durational effects can be specified. They will have a higher cost.

Witchcraftin' Boundaries

Witchcraftin’ spells allow a Witch to sacrifice to the Gods of Wild Place, and their own skills, to enhance other characters, NPC’s, plants, and animals. If a Witch has Quick-footin’ they can make someone faster or jump higher with a bonus; if they have Workin’ or Wranglin’ they can attempt to make plants or animals grow bigger. Witchcraftin’ can’t be used to make fireballs or to make someone fly, but it can be used to send a short message on the wind, or guide the way to a missing person by the light of the moon. See an ST for further guidance.

Sacrifice & working as part of a Community

The witch gains power from a God of Wild Places through ‘sacrifice’. This sacrifice will at minimum include material components (in-game Resources) and Revelations. It may also include other items of value to the character or targets depending on the spell. The greater the complexity and power of a spell the greater the cost in materials, revelations, and sacrifice that will be asked of the character. To spread the load Witchcraftin’ rituals can be communal with spell costs shared between characters. Each participating character must contribute at least one resource or revelation.

Workin'

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Workin' Specialties

Once a character has 2 levels in the Workin' skill they must select a specialty. This will give guidance on how their Workin' skill can be used. A list of available specialties is below:

Generalist
With this specialty: Your Labor card value is increased by 1.
Without it: n/a
Note: This specialty is intended for characters whose Workin' skill does not reflect their primary trade.

Smith
With this specialty: You know how to work a forge and shape metal.
Without it: You cannot use this without the specialty.

Carpenter, construction worker
With this specialty: You’re able to build more advanced buildings, such as those with second storeys
Without it: You can build simpler buildings. You can help construct advanced buildings under the guidance of a construction specialist.

Crop Farmer
With this specialty: You can do every stage of growing crops. You understand the specifics of looking after plants, like seasons, soil, water, etc.
Without it: You can harvest “easy” plants. You can help with other labor under the direction of a farmer. You don’t know the specifics of looking after plants

Textile Worker (Tailor, Dressmaker, Weaver etc.)
With this specialty: You can do textile crafts to make clothing and items - sewing, knitting, crochet, weaving, etc.
Without it: You can do basic repairs and make simple items, like skirts and scarves

Cook
With this specialty: You can cook well enough to refine the food into special meals.
Without it: Your food is decently tasty and safe to eat.

Machinist
With this specialty: You know how to work with machinery.
Without it: This is all very new-fangled.

====Rule of thumb:==== If you’ve got a specialty, you can do the specialty as a full professional. If you don’t have the specialty but you’ve got good workin’, you can do the thing as a competent layperson except where noted.

How common are things that require a specialty?

For most town projects, workin’ is workin’. Most buildings can be built without specialists. Any buildings with a second storey, fancy construction techniques (eg. church, greenhouse) or metalworking (eg. sawmill, brewery) will require a specialist. Generally only one specialist is needed - others can assist under their guidance.

Specialists are often required to make equipment and items that have gameplay benefits. Items that could be made by non-specialists are typically not tracked (eg. everyone is assumed to have basic clothing, but you’ll need to speak to a tailor about getting a fancy coat that helps with the weather)

Labour Cards

All characters will have a Labour card which is used to track their contributions to Town Projects. A Labour card will typically have a value equal to 1 + the character's Workin' Skill. For more information on Labour please see the Town Building section of the Wiki HERE.