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a-driftamongopenstars · 5 days ago

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alright, i finally finished Dragon Age the Veilguard.

tldr; 3/10. I didn't like it.

If you enjoyed the game and would rather keep enjoying it, please don't click the read more section as what follows is rather critical.

I can finally sit down with my thoughts and put them together in a more cohesive structured review, touching on most things that I wanted to address. I'll start with positives and then focus on the negatives.

Warning, this is VERY long.

Overall, I had a neutral to negative impression of DatV, which got worse by the end of the game. It had some good moments, but they were entirely unexplored and underutilized, suffering from bad writing. While the game itself is rather pretty, it didn't outweigh the dialogues, the stories and the lore butchering that took place.

1. Environment and visuals. 8/10.

I think Veilguard is a very beautiful game. I enjoyed exploring the corners of this new world, the little bits of environment design and storytelling that it had. It felt magical, certain locations were mesmerizing! I couldn't stop staring at the valley where you go to with Harding, the carcass of a titan.

2. Combat. 9/10.

I love flashy combat, I enjoy hack and slash, so until the very end of the game I was having most fun in combat. Yes there was repetitiveness but I tried to combat (hehe) it with changing my abilities and weapons every now and then. I liked combos and I liked timed parries. Enemy tactics got a bit boring by the end, but a few enemies still surprised me and challenged me.

.... That's where positives end. Now on to the negatives.

1. Characters. 2/10.

I don't understand what happened. Almost all the characters in this game were tuned down to a two-dimensional personality, "good" and "bad" - and absolutely no nuance. This happened not only to the villains, but to the different NPCs and even our companions. Their interests got narrowed down to single points of interest (Lucanis and coffee being a prime example to me), their motivations got watered down.

This is not what I expect from a Bioware game. I want to be challenged, I want to dislike characters or approve of their choices. I like characters who are messy and complex and don't always have their shit together.

I like villains who may have other reasons for their choices, other than "ba ha ha, I am so evil and I will do evil things". Where is Alexius who sold himself to the Elder one, just so he could save his beloved son? Where is Samson, forsaken by the Chantry and turned to red lyrium with his addiction? Where is Calpernia, misguided in her choices, just to free the slaves of Tevinter?

Where are the slaves of Tevinter anyway?? That's another topic.

2. Rook. 4/10.

On one hand, I liked playing Rook. They were stoic but with a humorous side, ready to get the job done, compassionate to other people.

The problem is that it's the only Rook you can really play. The protagonist is set in their ways and their dialogues and there is very little to roleplay. Rook really does feel like a gentle manager, trying to get everyone to play along nicely, while providing therapy every now and then, and is excluded from the majority of friendly interactions with other people. That awkward glance everyone gives you after their banter is embarrassing. The way you can third wheel people, the way the game actively offers you to leave a couple of animated conversations between other people - why even include those? Why not make Rook a part of the 'team'?

I did like Rook's dynamic with Solas. They got to see a different side of him, one that's not presented heavily in Inquisition. But like everything else, it felt surface level and underexplored.

3. Story arc. 2/10.

I am left unsatisfied with the story. The pacing threw me off so much nearly every quest, it was hard to stay on track. From "we need to solve this NOW" to "actually, let's all slow down and deal with our problems", the plot's priorities were all over the place. We kept hearing about the gods and their destructive oppression, but we saw surprisingly little of it. Yes, there was the Blight, yes there were Venatori and the Antaam, but they felt more like a video game fodder and dressing rather than a part of the story.

Not to mention that all of those things made little sense to me. Why would the gods align with aforementioned factions? Why would the aforementioned factions align with the elven gods? In-game explanation was not enough for me, it did not make sense. Not with the established lore in the previous games.

I also did not enjoy the ending. While the idea of Solas binding himself to the Veil is good and does make sense, what was suggested as the good ending (inviting Mythal to deal with Solas essentially) actually left me feeling awful. I sent a man, full of regrets and self-loathing, on a lonely journey to figure himself out. That... did not sit right with me at all. Neither did the fact that Northern Thedas, supposedly the point of the gods' attack, gets to live and flourish, while Southern Thedas is dying of starvation and blight. That is UNHINGED to me.

4. Music. 1/10.

There was no music. I remember one track. It was not memorable whatsoever and I can't believe they hired Hans Zimmer to do exactly nothing. Just wow.

5. Lore. ???/10.

And here is the worst offender. What was done with Dragon Age lore is unacceptable. I was doing a head-in-hands every five minutes. This was a slap in the face of so many fans who enjoyed the three prior games and delved into deep, interesting lore of various races, countries, cultures and religions. Veilguard showed a big middle finger to all that.

Everyone has already touched upon the sanitization of different factions. From the suddenly slaveless Tevinter to found family Antivan Crows, everything has been scrubbed clean and made sweet and palatable and "good".

The Dalish clans have been removed from existence as we know them. The Antaam left the Qun? Don't even get me started on that. The Chantry has no influence in this game? Really? The Chantry? The biggest religion in Thedas? The one that we know has heavy presence in the Anderfels, the Black Divine in Tevinter? That Chantry?

I think it really hit me how disrespectful the game is during the quest of saving the Dalish elves, where apparently Elgar'nan's Venatori, uplifted to be his servants and chosen people, were trying to sacrifice them. It's a gross and oddly telling idea that the ancient Elven god turned to a faction of racist mages to sacrifice elven people. I actually can't believe I'm writing this. Just how much are you going to shaft these people? Mindboggling.

There is a lot more I have to say on this specific topic, and I probably will later, but the idea is this.

6. Romances. 2/10.

Whoever said this is a game with romance lied so hard. So hard. The romance was atrocious. From the badly written flirting to the lack of romantic scenes (I romanced Davrin), to the poorly timed and awkward 'final' romance moment... It was atrocious. I felt no connection between Rook and Davrin beyond what game was telling me. My actual companions got more screen time with their romances than me and my LI.

Damn, even Evka and Antoine, my single most beloved NPCs in this game, had more romance going on that my Rook.

---

All in all, Veilguard was a massive let down. After having enjoyed the first 3 games many times over, with multiple playthroughs, I was so excited to see how the story of the Inquisition, of the elves, would end. When I saw the first trailer for VG, I knew I would never get to see it. When I played the game, I was left with disappointment and disdain.

I'm glad there are people who enjoyed this game, genuinely. I'm sure there's something to find for anyone, but it was not for me. Nor was it for many other people. It was a let down. I feel like I'll never get the conclusion I wanted - so I'll have to write my own I guess.

I have more thoughts on this game that I might be sharing, but for now this is the review I wanted to write. Thanks for reading!

#dragon age #dragon age the veilguard #veilguard critical #bioware critical #adrift babbles

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anim-ttrpgs · 2 months ago

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Gorgon Player Character Rules in Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy

Eureka has six playable "monster" types, and about ten total supernatural character options all together. Each supernatural trait is taken basically as if it is a normal trait like the ones you have been seeing us post. You cannot give a character more than one supernatural trait--and from what you are about to read, you probably wouldn't want to. Playing monsters is recommended for "advanced" players only, people who like a lot of "crunch" in their games, as require you to keep track of a lot more mechanics than playing a normal human.

I was going to post the wolfman but a bunch of people wanted me to do the gorgon so I'm impulsively doing the gorgon.

Here is the Gorgon Trait. This is going under a Read More because it's long as hell but we really hope that you will check it out and comment. This is, like, the whole entire ruleset for playing a gorgon in Eureka.

Gorgon (Monster Trait)

A gorgon is a mythological creature owing its origin in legend to Ancient Greece, Medusa being the most well-known example, but far from the only one. Historically, gorgons are often, but not always, depicted with serpents for hair, wings, and/or a serpentine tail[1], as well as frequent descriptions of other reptilian or serpentine features.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] The latter of which is far too noticeably abnormal for an investigator, but is not excluded from the possibility of belonging to a monstrous NPC. Gorgons as they are already push the boundaries of what a monstrous investigator can look like.

Petrifying Gaze

One of a gorgon’s most defining features is their petrifying gaze. Any living thing with eyes the gorgon makes direct eye-contact with for more than an instant will be turned completely to stone within seconds. This only works at a range of about 10 feet. Clothing and small objects they are holding will be turned to stone with them. [go back and clarify this is how the witch and fairy’s curse works too] This is not an ability the gorgon can control in any way, it happens to anyone they make eye-contact with.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] This works even if it is eye contact with only one eye.

If a gorgon makes direct eye-contact with someone unintentionally (as is a natural human instinct), they can avert their gaze quickly enough to spare them with a Full Success on a Reflexes check. If the other party is aware of the gorgon’s petrifying gaze, they may also make this Reflexes check. A Full Success by either character will prevent the petrification.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] A gorgon’s life is often one of isolation, with intimacy their most deadly curse.

Investigators are assumed to make eye-contact by default if they have a non-negative stat in Social Cues. For NPCs, the Narrator rolls 1D6, and on a 2 or higher, the NPC is assumed to make eye-contact by default.

The petrifying gaze only works through direct eye-contact, not through artistic depictions, photographs, video, or reflections. Looking through sufficiently opaque fabric, lenses, or other material will also prevent petrification, as long as the gorgon’s eyes are obscured from view.[1] The effect of direct eye-contact with a gorgon is still potent even if the gorgon is deceased, so long as the eyes are intact. Undead, living dolls, and gorgons are not affected by this petrification.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Contact lenses will not help to prevent petrification. Also, only the gorgon’s eyes being obscured from view matters. If the other party is wearing sunglasses, they will still be petrified.

Petrification is generally absolutely permanent, and is not reversed when the gorgon who caused it dies.

Effects of Being Petrified

A victim of petrification will not be aware of their surroundings while petrified, but they will lose 4 points of Composure per day until they are effectively dead, and can never be returned to normal. If relevant, consider NPCs to have 1D6+1 points of Composure to lose before this Composure loss starts to eat into their HP.

Reversing Petrification

However, a fairy or fairytale witch could reverse the effect (see p.XX). However, the petrification of gorgons is not the same as the petrication of a witch or fairy’s curse, and requires different components to reverse. Instead of the name or a lock of hair, this requires both eyes of either the victim or the gorgon who caused the curse. If this is done with the gorgon’s eyes, this only works on one victim (since the gorgon’s eyes are destroyed by the process)

Anyone coming out of petrification will do so as if they have just had a very long and totally unrestful sleep, and any damage they sustained as a statue will immediately take effect. For example, chips in their stone body become lacerations in their living body. If an arm was broken off their statue, their arm is now severed.

Snake Eyes

The eyes of a gorgon resemble those of a snake, and have vertical pupils. For a gorgon, “automatic” success or failure results are reversed, so a roll of double 1s is an automatic success, and a roll of double 6s is an automatic failure.

Gorgon Skin

Choose only one of the options below:[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The coloration of a gorgon’s scales is up to the player’s choice.

Normal Skin (Option): It’s normal.

Scaly Skin (Option): The gorgon’s skin is covered randomly in large patches of thick, hard scales. It is up to the player where on the body these patches are, which may make it easier or harder for the gorgon to pass as a normal human. Regardless, these scales reduce damage by half against 1-Damage and 2-Damage melee weapons. Having Scaly Skin also gives the gorgon Claws.

Full Coverage Scales (Option): The gorgon has no human hair anywhere on their body, and is instead covered nearly head-to-toe in thick, hard snake scales except for a smooth underbelly on the front of the torso, the inside of the hands, and soles of the feet. These scales make it near impossible to pass as a normal human without wearing full-body coverage, but reduce damage from all melee weapons by half. Having Full Coverage Scales also gives the gorgon Claws.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Gorgons with Full Coverage Scales also shed their skin a few times a year, but this does not happen often enough to be worth considering a codified mechanic. The patches of scales for Scaly Skin may also shed occasionally.

Gorgon Claws

A gorgon only has claws if they have Scaly Skin or Full-Coverage Scales. If they do, the gorgon’s nails are hard and sharp, like claws[1]. Because of their superhuman strength, these claws deal 2 Penetrative Damage.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] A steel file is required for filing these nails down, they tear up lesser files.

Gorgon Wings

Choose only one of the options below:

No Wings (Option): The gorgon has no wings. This is very helpful for passing as normal in public.

Wings (Option): A large pair of wings (leathery or feathery, player’s choice) stretch out from the gorgon’s back with at least a 15-foot wingspan from tip to tip. Effective use of these wings for flight requires enough space in one’s surroundings to fully extend the wings as well as get a running start, and an Athletics check. However, because gorgons lack any sort of tail or rudder, their flight will never be as stable or graceful as most other winged creatures. Apply a -1 to any roll to avoid obstacles or take any other action while in flight.

Full Success: The gorgon can take flight fully. +4 Acceleration.

Partial Success: The gorgon can at best glide low to the ground, maintaining flight for a few seconds at a time as they must touch down to kick themselves back off frequently. The gorgon will still have to contend with most Chase obstacles while this low to the ground. (As a travel method for the purposes of tracking Ticks during travel scenes, this kind of “flight” is only -2 Ticks.) +2 Acceleration.

Failure: The gorgon fails to take to the air, and probably falls flat on their face.

A gorgon’s wings are nearly impossible to hide without attracting at least some attention. As long as the gorgon is wearing sufficient clothing,[1] a Stealth roll can be made to hide their wings for the duration of one Scene, on a per-Scene basis.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] One suggestion would be to wear a large overcoat and walk with a hunch.

Full Success: No one will notice if they’re not already looking for it.

Partial Success: Most people won’t notice or care, but the gorgon will likely attract some stares in public. It looks like they are hiding something, maybe a backpack, under their clothes.

Failure: The gorgon’s wings slip out and, even if just for a moment, it is obvious to anyone looking that they are real or at least very convincing fakes.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Which is weird in and of itself.

Gorgon Hair

Choose only one of the options below:

Normal Hair (Option): It’s normal. If the gorgon has Full Coverage Scales, then this means no hair at all.

Normal Hair with Serpents (Option): (This option cannot be chosen alongside Full-Coverage Scales.) Alongside regular hair, the gorgon has several snakes which protrude from their scalp. These snakes grow in length at the same rate as the gorgon’s hair, though they are always slightly longer than it. So long as the snakes are behaving well, a gorgon can pass for normal without wearing a hat or hair cover. See “Head Snakes” below.

Full Serpent Hair (Option): Many snakes protrude from the gorgon’s scalp, fully covering it. These snakes grow out at the same rate as human hair. The gorgon will require significant coverage to hide these from the public eye.

Head Snakes

The snakes on a gorgon’s head can be any species of medium-sized venomous snake, though they are always all the same species. These snakes are part of the gorgon’s body, share their nervous system, and do not require independent sustenance, but do have minds of their own. The gorgon has only about as much control over them as they would a moderately trained pet. Unlike a gorgon’s primary eyes, the snakes’ eyes do not cause petrification.

The gorgon can sense anything that their snakes can sense, granting them a +1 Contextual bonus to all Senses checks. (If the gorgon has Full Serpent Hair, increase this bonus to +2.)

The snakes can swallow objects up to about the size of a baseball and spit them out at will.[1][2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] No, this does not mean they can spit them out with any considerable force.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] These snakes do not have a back end, they end at the gorgon’s skull.

A snake’s head being severed is painful and upsetting, requiring the gorgon to make a Composure roll at +0, but the head will grow back from the stump within one day. If the gorgon wants to cut their “hair,” it won’t be a fun process, but the gorgon only needs to make one Composure roll (with an exacerbating factor) no matter how many snakes they cut.

The snakes on a gorgon’s head have their own venom (chosen from the same list as “Venomous Fangs,” below). All snakes share the same type of venom with each other, but this does not have to match the type of venom in the gorgon’s primary fangs. Because it is a much smaller dose, however, it has an increased Onset Time of 1D6-1 Ticks to take effect. (If the gorgon has Full Serpent Hair, it takes 1D6-3 Ticks instead.)

At any point when another character is within arm’s reach, the gorgon may attempt to sic her snakes on them. When the gorgon is at 3 Composure or lower, this is no longer a choice. The snakes become aggressive, and this is rolled every time a person comes within arms reach of the gorgon. Roll 1D6. This takes one Movement if time is measured in Turns.

1-4: the snakes will do nothing.

5: the snakes will lunge out but miss the target.

6+: one or more of the gorgon’s snakes will lunge out and inject venom into the target. If the target is not Grabbing or being Grabbed by the gorgon, they can avoid the bite with a Full Success on a Reflexes roll.

Add +1 to this roll if the gorgon has Full Serpent Hair. Also add +1 if the target is antagonizing, aggressing, or otherwise frustrating the efforts of the gorgon. Add an additional +1 for every point of Composure the gorgon is missing below 3, as seen below.

3 Composure: +0

2 Composure: +1

1 Composure: +2

0 Composure: +3

Forked Tongue

Gorgons have forked tongues like snakes, as well as the ability to sense heat through pit organs in the nostrils. They can still identify the approximate location of living organisms and heat sources even in total darkness. Additionally, they are able to detect a much wider variety of chemicals than any human nose. These properties mean that gorgons can reasonably make Senses checks that an ordinary human could not attempt, or could gain additional information from relevant Investigative rolls that others would not.

Scent Tracking

Gorgons are capable of Scent Tracking. (See p.xx “Scent Tracking”.) A gorgon must regularly and very noticeably taste the air with their tongue while tracking a scent.

Superhuman Strength

Gorgons are considered to have superhuman strength, and have a +2 Base bonus to Athletics and +1 Base bonus to Close Combat.

Serpentine Anatomy

With an Athletics check, a gorgon can squeeze their entire body through any gap larger than their own skull, and/or perform other extreme acts of contortion.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] If the gorgon in question has the Just Built Different Trait, apply a -2 modifier to this roll.

Full Success: Gorgon makes it through.

Partial Success: Gorgon takes 2 Superficial Damage but makes it through.

Failure: Gorgon takes 2 Superficial Damage and gets stuck.

Venomous Fangs

Most gorgons have long, retractable, venomous fangs in their upper jaw. The venom only takes effect if injected into the target’s body, not if ingested.[1] Regardless of the type of venom, a second bite will double the damage or penalties taken by the target from the venom, but will not accelerate the process.

Each gorgon’s fangs has one of four possible venoms, though if they have snakes on their head, those may have a different type. Choose only one of the options below:

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Unless the victim has open cuts in their mouth or stomach.

Constrictor (No Venom) (Option): This gorgon does not have venomous fangs and neither do any snakes that may be attached to their head, and instead they rely on raw physical strength to subdue their prey. A gorgon with this feature has an extra +2 Base bonus to Athletics.

Paralyzing Venom (Option): One minute after being bitten, the target must make an Athletics check.

Full Success: The target has a -3 penalty to all rolls for 3 Ticks.

Partial Success: The target has a -4 penalty to all rolls for 4 Ticks.

Failure: The target has a -5 penalty to all rolls for 5 Ticks.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] This will be the number of Scenes instead if you aren’t tracking Ticks.

Agonizing Venom (Option): This venom applies poison (Non-lethal, OT: Immediate, DF: Per Round) to the target.

Lethal Venom (Option): This venom applies poison (Lethal, OT: 10 minutes, DF: Per minute) to the target.

Spray Venom (Option): Can be injected or sprayed, but requires 2 doses (see “Venom Doses” below) to take effect either way. When injected, it applies poison (Non-lethal, OT: Immediate, DF: Per Tick) to the target. When sprayed, the gorgon can propel the venom up to a range of 6 feet with a Close Combat roll, which causes immediate damage:

Full Success: 4 Superficial Damage

Partial Success: 2 Superficial Damage

Failure: No damage.

The gorgon must aim for the target’s face or an open wound for this attack to be effective. Clothing which completely covers the eyes will render this spray harmless, and a target wearing glasses will take half damage. Any Injury roll taken as a result of damage from this attack will count as one degree worse than the actual result.

Venomous Bite

When a gorgon has someone in a Grab or (regular) Hold, they may make a bite attack to inject venom into their opponent. This attack is rolled using either Athletics or Close Combat, and is subject to all other regular rules regarding melee attacks.

Full Success: Gorgon injects venom and deals 2 Superficial Damage.

Partial Success: Gorgon injects venom and deals 1 Superficial Damage.

Failure: Gorgon cannot get their fangs into the victim.

Venom Doses

Gorgons do not have an infinite supply of venom, and replenishing it takes a long time. If a gorgon does not have enough doses, they cannot use their venom. A gorgon can never have more than 4 doses stored at a time. At the start of the adventure, gorgons have 1D6-2 (to a minimum of 1) doses of venom stored. Venom is replenished at a rate of 1 dose per week, however, a gorgon can spend a number of Eureka! Points to instantly recover an equivalent number of doses.

Terrifying Visage

At will, the gorgon can contort their face grotesquely. Gorgons have a +2 Contextual bonus to Threaten.

Gorgon’s Blood

Arterial blood from a gorgon is deadly poison.[1] If it enters the body through any means, it will cause Lethal Poison.[2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Obviously this does not affect gorgons.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting.] For vampires, this counts as Non-Lethal Poison.

However, venous blood from a gorgon has supernatural healing properties for living creatures other than gorgons.[1] If fresh venous gorgon blood is applied to the wound with a Medicine check, the Medicine check will restore 1 or 2 additional HP depending on the amount applied. Extracting enough blood to restore 1 HP will cause the gorgon 2 Superficial Damage. Extracting enough blood to restore 2 HP will cause the gorgon 4 Superficial Damage.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Though vampires are humans, their healing is not the same, and this blood will have no special effect on them whether ingested or applied to a wound.

Blood taken from a wound will usually be a mixture of arterial and venous blood. If this type of blood enters the human body, roll 1D6.

1-5: The blood counts as arterial, as the poison ruins any medicinal properties of the venous blood.

6: The blood counts as venous.

If a character attempts to extract venous blood from a gorgon, the Narrator makes a hidden Medicine check for that character.

Full Success: Up to 2 HP worth of venous blood may be extracted.

Partial Success: Up to 2 HP worth of venous blood may be extracted, but causes an additional 1 Superficial Damage to the gorgon.

Failure: The gorgon takes the same amount of Superficial Damage as with venous blood, but the extracted blood is contaminated with arterial blood, unbeknownst to the characters.

Serpent’s Jaw (Gorgon True Nature)

Gorgons need to devour human beings whole as part of their diet.

The following sections deal a lot with “size” and “capacity,” which in most cases we handle abstractly. We advise that players and Narrators use common sense when working with these mechanics. Go with what seems to fit in the moment based on the rules provided, rather than pausing to calculate the exact volume of people or objects.

The gorgon regains no Composure from eating normal food, but does gain Composure from sleeping. They will lose Composure from skipping meals or skipping sleep. A gorgon’s diet works very differently from most characters’, see below for details.

Composure loss from skipping meals: Yes

Composure restoration from eating three meals a day: No

Composure loss from skipping sleep: Yes

Composure restoration from full night’s sleep: Yes

Normal Food

Gorgons are obligate carnivores. In order for a meal to count towards their daily meals, it must be primarily composed of meat. When gorgons eat normal food, they need to eat one exceptionally large meal and subsist off that for some time. Gorgons need only eat one meal per 48 hours, but the Wealth roll for buying this meal has a -3 penalty.[1] Food Budget for a gorgon costs 3WP, and only covers a single meal.

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] Ordering this much food in public may attract attention.

Eating this one meal of normal food will prevent Composure loss, but will not restore Composure. At the start of an adventure, they are always assumed to be in need of food that day.

If a gorgon attempts to eat multiple smaller meals over the course of a day like a regular person (or eat people piece by piece) they will suffer intense indigestion and lose 1 point of Composure each day they attempt this. Snake digestive systems aren’t built for that.

Swallowing Large Objects

Despite being outwardly near indistinguishable from the shape of a regular human, the internal muscular and skeletal structure of a gorgon resembles that of a snake. Their lower jaw is comprised of two separate mandibles attached by elastic ligaments, allowing their mouth and throat to stretch to incredible size. The back teeth in both upper and lower jaw are hooked backwards like those of a snake.

Their collar bone and sternum are similarly only attached by elastic ligaments, and, where needed to accommodate their eating habits, their skin and musculature are able to stretch well beyond the limitations of a regular person.

A gorgon can effortlessly swallow anything up to about the size of a baseball.[2] For anything up to a little larger than 3 feet in diameter[1] the gorgon must make an Athletics check.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] About the diameter of a large beach ball.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] This does not prompt a supernatural ability Composure roll.

Full Success: One Movement

Partial Success: One Action

Failure: 3 Actions (or 1 Tick)

Objects that are larger, but are elongated and able to pass through an opening a little larger than 3 feet in diameter (such as a human body), take longer to swallow:

Full Success: 1 Action

Partial Success: 3 Actions (or 1 Tick)

Failure: 6 Actions (or 2 Ticks)

The gorgon can still attempt to swallow objects of even larger size, but may hurt themselves. The gorgon takes 2 Superficial Damage[2] and a -2 penalty to the Athletics for every 1 foot or so of diameter the object increases beyond that of a human body.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] If the target is around 4 feet in diameter (your average hula hoop), that would be 2 Superficial Damage and -2 to the Athletics roll. If it’s around 6 feet in diameter (a large dinner table), that would be 6 Superficial Damage and a -6 to the roll

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] This damage should only be applied after the object is fully swallowed (or after a Failure).

Full Success: 3 Actions or 1 Tick, but takes no Superficial Damage

Partial Success: 6 Actions or 2 Ticks

Failure: They can’t swallow it, but still take the Superficial Damage from the attempt. They may try again.

Spitting Out Objects

Reversing the process is much trickier. To spit out any swallowed object, the gorgon must make an Athletics roll. If the object smaller than about a 3-foot diameter sphere (such as a beach ball), the item, use the following results:[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] After a victim has been digested, only one roll needs to be made to spit out all or most of their clothing. Particularly protective articles of clothing (such as a motorcycle helmet) may still contain bones.

Full Success: The gorgon can spit out the object as 1 Action.

Partial Success: The gorgon either:

takes 2 Actions (or 1 Tick) to cough up the object, as well as 1 Superficial Damage,

loudly belches (drawing a lot of attention) as they cough up the object,

or, if they were trying to retrieve a specific object, coughs up a different random object from the Random Gorgon Contents Table.

Failure: The gorgon fails to cough up the object, and either:

takes 1 Superficial Damage

loudly belches, drawing a lot of attention

Larger objects (including most people) are a bit more difficult to spit out and use these results instead:

Full Success: The gorgon is able to spit out the object with 3 Actions (or 1 Tick).

Partial Success: The gorgon is able to spit out the object with 6 Actions (or 2 Ticks), and both take 2 Superficial Damage.

Failure: The gorgon not only fails to spit them out, but belches, either:

drawing attention

or, if the gorgon was hoping to get them out alive, reducing the time they have before suffocation by 6 Rounds.

Stomach Elasticity

An experienced gorgon’s stomach can stretch virtually indefinitely, though weight and bulk can quickly become an issue.[1] The gorgon may take penalties or encounter other difficulties based on how much volume they have in their stomach, as seen below:

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Any gorgon without Full-Coverage Scales is very likely to have noticeable stretch marks around their waist.

Less than a Basketball: No penalty. One of a gorgon’s “normal” meals is about the upper limit of this.

Less than One Adult Person or Equivalent Mass: No penalty. Could pass for pregnant.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The stomach is quite a bit higher up than the uterus, but the likelihood of anyone shouting “Hey, her pregnancy is too high up!” is pretty low.

One Person or Equivalent Mass: -1 to Athletics, Close Combat, Reflexes, and Stealth. Could pass for pregnant with nonuplets.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] At this point the gorgon must lean back as they walk to adjust their entire center of balance.

Two People or Equivalent Mass: -2 to Athletics, Close Combat, Driving, Reflexes, and Stealth. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Three People or Equivalent Mass: -3 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Four People or Equivalent Mass: -4 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Five People or Equivalent Mass: -5 to all Physical Skills except Senses.. Can’t reasonably go out in public like this.

Six People or Equivalent Mass: -6 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move more than a bare minimum speed.

Seven People or Equivalent Mass: -7 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move more than a bare minimum speed.

Eight People or Equivalent Mass: -8 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move at all without a Full or Partial Success on an Athletics roll, and even then only bare minimum speed.

Nine People or Equivalent Mass: -9 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move at all without a Full or Partial Success on an Athletics roll, and even then only bare minimum speed.

Ten People or Equivalent Mass: -10 to all Physical Skills except Senses. Gorgon cannot move at all without a Full Success on an Athletics roll, and even then only bare minimum speed.

Beyond Ten: -10 Athletics, Close Combat, Driving, Reflexes, and Stealth. Gorgon cannot move at all, period.

On a per-Scene basis, a gorgon can make three types of roll to make their stomach appear one size smaller for the duration of the Scene. With a Full Success on an Athletics roll, the gorgon can suck in their stomach. With a Full Success on a Stealth roll, the gorgon can adjust sufficiently baggy or form obscuring clothing to hide their stomach size. With a Full Success on a Manipulate roll, they can act nonchalant so as not to draw attention to themselves. These methods can be combined, for up to a total three size category reduction in visibility and attention drawn.[1][2] Each of these rolls counts as one Movement if time is measured in Turns.

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] These methods do not reduce the penalties, just the amount of staring.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] A gorgon with the Just Built Different Trait can have their stomach counted as one size smaller all the time by default.

Neither of these methods of reducing the conspicuousness of the gorgon’s belly will hold up under direct scrutiny, it only “passes for normal” in the sense that even for people who do take notice, their first guess won’t be that there is a body in there, and it would be very rude to ask.

If anyone inside the gorgon’s body is attempting to struggle or scream for help, count the gorgon’s stomach as two sizes larger for both conspicuousness and penalties.

Swallowing Live Prey

If a target is (very understandably) resisting being swallowed the gorgon must first Grab them. Once a gorgon has a target Grabbed, they can put them in a Hold as normal, or put them in a Swallowing Hold.

Swallowing Hold

Mechanically this works exactly like a regular Hold except where stated otherwise. The gorgon has stretched out their jaw and begun to swallow the target whole. There is no Submission with a Swallowing Hold. If this is being done head-first, start to apply the Drowning/Suffocation rules to the target immediately.

Once a gorgon has their target in a Swallowing Hold, at the next opportunity, they may make another Swallowing Hold to finish the process and fully swallow their target.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Experienced gorgons often prefer to start with the hands. It also helps to lift a victim upside down, bringing gravity on one’s side.

Once a victim is cut off from air, the Drowning & Suffocation rules come into play. Optionally, once a victim is fully swallowed, the Narrator may simply declare them as good as dead with no need to play out their struggle mechanically.

Once a target is swallowed fully, the gorgon no-longer has any of the penalties associated with putting anyone in a Hold. Instead, refer back to p.xx Stomach Elasticity.

Internal Struggle

As mentioned earlier, living victims can struggle and fight, causing trouble for the gorgon inside and out. While in the stomach, they count as Held. If armed with a small piercing blade or a small firearm, they can attempt to attack the gorgon from inside, dealing normal damage. In this case, a Partial Success on a Firearms attack will still hit for full damage, and a Failure would fail to correctly operate the firearm and pull the trigger under these conditions. To escape, a victim will have to succeed at two Escape attempts, the first to reach up to the gorgon’s mouth, where they will count as being in a Swallowing Hold but without Drowning/Suffocation, and the second to pull themselves out of it. If the gorgon is taking a penalty to Athletics rolls because of stomach size, this penalty is not applied for the purposes of Weight Class with the victim’s Escape attempts. Attacking or trying to Escape will count as exertion for the purposes of the Drowning/Suffocation rules.

Digestion and Composure Restoration

Regardless of which option is chosen, the gorgon’s player should track the Ticks for digestion separately on their own. It should be noted that gorgons get more nutrients from live prey, but can subsist on recently-dead victims as well, as long as there is no decomposition. Choose only one of the options below:

Serpentine Enzymes (Option): The gorgon will digest person-sized meals over the course of a full week, and is able to fast comfortably for some time after. The size of the stomach will gradually decrease by one degree (see “Stomach Elasticity” above) every 48 hours or 40 Ticks. For 14 days, the gorgon will not lose Composure from skipping meals. For 7 days, the gorgon will regain 2 points of Composure per day per victim.They will regain an additional 1 point of Composure per day if the victim was eaten alive. Inorganic materials swallowed (such as a victim’s clothing) may sit in the gorgon’s stomach indefinitely until spit out. Neglecting to spit out clothing for several meals may result in being unable to reduce the size of the stomach past a certain point.

Additionally, at the start of each adventure, roll 3 times on the Monster Stomach Contents Table (see p.XX). The results are leftover objects that are still in a gorgon’s stomach from their last several victims.[1] Write these objects in the gorgon’s inventory but mark that they are in the stomach. Once per Scene, at the cost of 1 Superficial Damage, a gorgon with Serpentine Enzymes can attempt to spit out a single random object from the Random Gorgon Contents Table that they forgot was even in there.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The random results that this table spits out[1.1] will tell a story, and could imply a lot about the gorgon in question, but the intent is to leave creative leeway for the player to work with. A shoe belonging to the whole party’s mutual friend Jennifer could imply that Jennifer is never to be seen again, or that Jennifer is alive and well after she and the gorgon made a drunken bet.

[1.1 off to the side in the final formatting] Pun intended.

Aqua Regia (Option): The gorgon digests food with shocking rapidity, burning calories like a jet engine[3], and nothing can remain intact in their stomach for long. Eating an entire person still only sates the gorgon for 48 hours. The size of the gorgon’s stomach decreases by one degree every 2 Ticks. A victim is considered “digested” after 4 Ticks, and the gorgon regains 1 point of Composure from that victim (or 2 points instead if they were eaten alive). The gorgon can continue to swallow more prey while they are digesting - track the Ticks for each victim separately.[1] There will be nothing left to spit out, as this gorgon’s stomach even rapidly breaks down inorganic material into vapor.[2]

Victims in the stomach of a gorgon with Aqua Regia suffer from damage equivalent to Lethal Poison, not representing actual poison, but rather the rapid dissolution of their flesh. (Lethal, OT: Immediate, DF: Per Round)

Additionally, Wealth rolls to buy food for this gorgon have a -4 penalty instead of -3, and they lose 2 Composure for skipping a meal instead of 1.[4]

Gorgons with Aqua Regia cannot spit out random objects. No small object can survive more than a single Tick in their stomach. If they do try to spit anything out, double any relevant damage penalties.

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] Note that with Aqua Regia, each victim only restores Composure once, not continuously like with Serpentine Enzymes.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] The large amount of vapor created by this digestion means that the gorgon will have to expel it after eating - often with a small burp.

[3 Off to the side in the final formatting] While gorgons with Serpentine Enzymes can be found to have all manner of body types regardless of their diet, gorgons with Aqua Regia struggle to put on any weight at all.

[4 off to the side in the final formatting] Sometimes there are people who simply require more than others to live at the same standard of health. Can they simply curb their greed?

Cold Blooded Killer (Gorgon Weakness)

Cold-Blooded

Though they still have mammalian features, a gorgon’s body temperature is not self-regulated. Their skin will feel room-temperature to the touch, and they will not be easy to spot with thermal imaging.

Gorgons have nine levels of body temperature (seen under “Body Temperature Levels” below), and their body temperature can have significant effects on their ability to function. At the start of an adventure, a gorgon’s body temperature will always start at Ideal. Under most circumstances, their body temperature will decrease by one level at the beginning of every Scene, not counting the very first Scene of an adventure.

Because gorgons can not regulate their own body temperature, they are at the mercy of ambient temperature. In average ambient temperatures of 90°F and above, the body temperature will instead increase by 1 level each Scene. In average ambient temperatures of 50°F to 32°F, the body temperature will drop by 2 levels every Scene. In average ambient temperatures or 32°F and below, it will decrease by 3 levels every Scene. With no internal body heat, jackets and blankets are of limited help, though in temperatures of 50°F or below, they reduce the temperature drop by 1 level.

In real life, temperature fluctuates from day to day, and throughout the day and night. However, to keep bookkeeping from being a nightmare for the Narrator and player of the gorgon, for game mechanic purposes we recommend you set a single average outside temperature for the entire adventure based on the region and time of year it is taking place. For interior locations, most buildings are kept at a “comfortable” temperature between 65°F and 75°F.

Body Temperature Levels

At high body temperatures, gorgons digest more quickly. When an entry says “double digestion speed,” that means count every Tick that passes as 2 Ticks for the purposes of how quickly something is digested. At colder temperatures, gorgons cannot continue digestion at all - spending extended periods of time at this temperature will count as not eating for that amount of time, even if they have food in their stomach.

Overheating: Double digestion speed. -3 to Composure rolls. -5 to all Skills. 2 Superficial Damage for every Tick that passes at this level.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] Overheating is the only body temperature that will make a gorgon’s skin feel warm to the touch like a regular person’s skin.

Too Hot: Double digestion speed. -1 to Composure rolls. -2 to all Physical and Interpersonal Skills.

Hot: Double digestion speed. +1 Contextual to Reflexes. -1 to all other Physical Skills and all Interpersonal Skills.

Warm: +1 Contextual to Reflexes.

Ideal: No bonus or penalty.

Cool: +1 Contextual to Stealth

Cold: Do not advance digestion. +1 Contextual to Stealth. -1 to all other Physical Skills and all Knowledge Skills.

Too Cold: Do not advance digestion. -1 to Composure roll. -3 to all Physical and Knowledge Skills.

Freezing: Do not advance digestion. -3 to Composure rolls. -5 to all Skills. 2 Superficial Damage for every Tick that passes at this level.

Warming and Cooling Sources

Spending 1 Tick engaging in the listed activities or standing near the listed objects will raise or lower the gorgon’s body temperature as noted below. With no internal body heat, jackets and blankets are of limited help, though for Moderate Cold Sources or colder, they reduce the temperature drop by 1 level.

Major Heat Source: Increase by 3 levels. Examples: bonfire, furnace, “hot” bath or shower (around 100°F or higher)[1].

[1 off to the side in the final formatting.] What is “hot” or “warm” to a warm-blooded individual is very different to a cold-blooded individual.

Moderate Heat Source: Increase by 2 levels. Examples: Heat lamp, campfire, space heater, heated blanket, “warm” bath or shower (around 90°F), sharing body heat with a warm-blooded individual under a blanket.

Minor Heat Source: Increase by 1 level. Examples: hand warmers, heat vent, hot water bottle, strenuous exercise[2], ambient air temperature of 90°F or above, sharing body heat with a warm-blooded individual through skin contact[1].

[1 Off to the side in the final formatting] Having the warm-blooded individual in the gorgon’s stomach counts.

[2 Off to the side in the final formatting] Muscle movement generates heat.

Minor Cold Source: Decrease by 1 level. This is the default for ambient heat loss in the environment, which is why gorgons lower 1 body temperature level in most Scenes.

Moderate Cold Source: Decrease by 2 levels. Examples: AC unit, open refrigerator, ambient air temperature of 50°F to 32°F.

Major Cold Source: Decrease by 3 levels. Examples: Open freezer, ice pack, cold bath or shower (around 50°F), ambient air temperature below 32°F.

Monster Eyes

Most gorgons have learned the hard way not to look too closely at other people’s faces without a good reason. Gorgons have a -1 penalty to Social Cues and Charm. Additionally, if a gorgon sees their own uncovered eyes in any way, such as through a reflection, photograph, etc. they must make a Monster Composure Roll.

Yawning

If a gorgon gets less than a full night’s sleep the previous night, the Narrator rolls a hidden D6, and that many Ticks later, the gorgon will feel a monstrous yawn coming on, and must make a Reflexes check to stifle it if they don’t want anyone to see their enormous maw.

Full Success: The yawn is fully suppressed.

Partial Success: The gorgon yawns wide, but not noticeably wider than a normal person could. However, anyone looking directly at them may notice the other serpentine features of their mouth.

Failure: The gorgon yawns, momentarily opening their mouth at least wide enough to swallow a football.

Loss of Eye Coverage

Gorgons will typically wear dark or mirrored sunglasses, dark veils, or other means of covering their eyes. This eye coverage is always at risk of being lost in some way. If any offensive roll is made against them, and at least one of the dice on this roll shows a 6 [1], the gorgon’s eye coverage is knocked off, knocked away, or otherwise slips[2], regardless of the outcome of the roll. Additionally, if the gorgon gets a Partial Success or Failure on an Athletics or Close Combat roll, their eye coverage is also knocked off if either of the dice show a 6.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] To be perfectly clear, this is not about a +6 modifier, or a cumulative 6 made by adding things up. If you roll the dice and see a 6 on the physical dice, that is when the glasses are knocked off. This also applies when any roll happens to use a D12, still look for a 6.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] Just go with what makes sense - if the gorgon is wearing glasses, they are knocked to the ground. If they’re wearing a veil, it might just blow aside and require an action to readjust. If their eyewear is firmly secured to their face (such as ski goggles or a tightly tied blindfold), then don’t use this rule (though wearing ski goggles indoors is going to turn heads).

To recover their eye coverage after losing it, they must take 1 Action to retrieve it. Another character may also use their own Action to find and retrieve the glasses.

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