FIST Paranormal Mercenary RPG Box Set

NOVEMBER UPDATE
over 1 year ago – Mon, Nov 25, 2024 at 07:17:44 PM

Hey all! No new releases as of yet, but we thought you might like a preview of what we've been working on. Our timeline is the same: we expect to have a beta version of MANDELBROT SET out by the end of the year. We'd also like to roll out a few more preview sections from SUPPLY DROP this year. The full version of SUPPLY DROP, along with CRY HAVOC and other projects, will begin development in 2025.

Playtesting has been going well; we're continuing to patch holes in the story and make various sub-plots work together. Currently, we're wrapping up several different endings depending on FIST's performance, as well as an additional spread that goes in-depth about how the Zone works in relation to things like death, emergency insertion, rescues, and more. We're also cleaning up and tinkering with the graphic design - every page should feel special.

Here's how the table of contents is looking. We're having trouble squeezing everything into a page count of 64 and we'd like to hit that target - hopefully we'll be able to do this without compromising flow or readability. Some of the biggest space-taker-uppers are the full list of 36 traits and the greatly expanded Wyrd, but neither can be meaningfully trimmed. It's an interesting challenge. 

We promised you a new boss for this ultra-fied version of the Fractal Zone, and we intend to deliver. DESERT RANGER V is a counterpart to HOLY DIVER who shows up much earlier (3 FCUs), hits harder, and goes away forever once defeated. Unlike the Diver (who can in some cases become a recurring and even sympathetic character), V is a special event boss fight with terrifying tech but a proper payout (two nasty weapons, two useful pieces of armor, a collectable and a consumable). They haven't been playtested yet, but if you fight them, we'd love to hear your feedback over on the Discord server.

No more news for now. When we do get the beta out, we're thinking an open beta anyone can check out would be great for playtesting. Stay tuned, and keep an eye out in December. For now... stay frosty.

All the best,
CLAYMORE

Q4 2024 UPDATE + FAQ
over 1 year ago – Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 11:32:58 PM

How was your summer, folks? Ours has been rough, but things are looking up. A lot of you have been requesting updates and perhaps feeling a bit antsy about the state of the box set. Please understand that in addition to development, we're also full-time community managers and manufacturing planners, and that a full month of work doesn't necessarily mean we have new material worth posting about.

That said, here's what we're working on...

MANDELBROT SET had to be taken back to the drawing board, but now that we've scrapped about half of the content from the original release, we've got a much clearer vision. We had originally planned to release the entire box set on August 30th. Even if we hadn't lost staff, progress, and a big chunk of money, it's clear in retrospect that giving ourselves less than a year to develop multiple books was a bad idea. MANDELBROT SET is beginning to shine now that it has room to breathe — it's getting properly playtested, which takes time, and it's getting a big boost to production value. We're also aiming for content that tells a cohesive story, which is tough when the adventure is so heavily randomized. Point is: crunch makes for bad games, and the wait's gonna be worth it.

One thing we've noticed after gathering a few months' worth of feedback and playtesting data is that the original MS's heavy use of RNG and cruel deathtraps worked against its enjoyability. MANDELBROT SET's first outing was riddled with overly difficult content, softlocks, and unavoidable failstates (notable examples include spawning near massive bottlenecked deathtraps, becoming so corrupted that you can no longer freely navigate, and certain combinations of Fractal Traits making your character perfectly unplayable). To that end, we've rehauled multiple core systems (a few times by now) and introduced new some new design failsafe measures, like enemy types that always appear and always drop items needed to progress. While there's nothing inherently wrong with throwing nigh-unsolvable problems at a FIST unit, we need to make sure that the "unfair-fun" feeling comes from challenges presented within an essentially fair adventure, as opposed to challenges presented by broken or unintuitive systems. In other words, we're trying to solve the problem of real vs. artificial difficulty. 

We're also hard at work scrapping and replacing the large pool of content from which MS draws its randomly generated map. About a third of the original Outposts simply won't return, and the Facility Zero you saw in the alpha is being entirely rewritten. This is unusual for us, as we often leave very little on the cutting room floor and import the maximum amount of content possible directly from a previous version of a project. It's not a bad strategy, but it is biting us in the ass as we try to adapt MANDELBROT SET, because the original was designed for a very different FIST.

MANDELBROT SET development in summary:

• Major structural issues (broken traversal, softlocks, and brutal difficulty) are being fixed
• Rehauled content from the alpha is now being rehauled again, much more significantly (expect brand-new chunk of Outposts and Facility Zero)
• Production value is getting some extra love — illustration is a current focus
• OVERALL: Development hell but we soldier on

You'll likely see a beta release for MANDELBROT SET by the end of the year.

SUPPLY DROP is assembling itself before our eyes. We actually started commissioning guest authors to write bits of it over a year ago, and it's a simple black and white book, so development budget isn't much of an issue. Only now are we getting around to editing and/or laying out submitted material, but that work is fast — expect great and sudden strides in the coming months.

Much like MANDELBROT SET, we're scrapping a lot of content that was already written for SUPPLY DROP. In fact, the entire concept for the book has shifted from an unfocused anthology to an expansion ruleset with a specific function (as covered in a previous update). Shortening SUPPLY DROP is one of the primary challenges with the project: we have a lot of content in development for SD, to the point that it could easily be as thick as the core book. Landing on a modest final page count could make or break SD in terms of production cost, and it'd encourage us to use page space economically and ruthlessly cut anything that isn't absolutely top-notch work. 

We've got some new downloads for you to check out! Deathmatch Mode has been updated and it's got a clean new ruleset that adds a layer of strategy, in addition to spiffy book-style layout. Here's what changed:

• Revised reaction rolls: In addition to reacting, targeted characters can now tank and punish incoming attacks.
• Action speed guide: For easier rulings, common actions have been divided into SPEED ratings of 0-3.
• Control panel layout: The rules are now presented in the typical FIST spread style.

You can download the Deathmatch update here: https://claymorerpgs.itch.io/supply-drop

We're also working on a brand-new FIST adventure outside the scope of this Kickstarter: our long-awaited crossover with Triangle Agency, entitled THE HOUSE EDGE. Since our box set development has been slowed down by focusing on THE (which we're under contract to develop, lest the Triangle Agency erase us from reality), we figure it's only fair that all of you get a free copy of the module when it comes out. Haunted Table, the developers of Triangle Agency, were kind enough to let us do this. 

When THE HOUSE EDGE releases in plaintext format at the end of this year, FIST and Triangle Agency backers will get a copy — so you'll be getting more than you signed up for when you backed us last year!

If you're not familiar, THE HOUSE EDGE is a full-sized FIST adventure about breaking into the Triangle Agency's Vault and stealing everything that isn't bolted down. Since the Vault is squirreled away beneath a Las Vegas casino, THE has a gambling theme and takes the form of a repeatable cardcrawl (i.e., you build the Vault map from a randomly dealt hand of playing cards as you go). Much like a raid in an MMO, THE HOUSE EDGE can be added to your FIST campaign as an evergreen source of TA-themed loot and exotic materials. It's even got unlockable endings that alter the setting and premise of Triangle Agency, just in case you're running both games at once.

Finally, we're running another game jam! FIST: JAM OPS V begins on October 31st and runs 'til December 21st. The theme, as decided by our Discord server, will be "FORBIDDEN ZONES."

Since we hit our big roadblock, we've been a bit less active in the community. We don't have plans to bring back some community favorites like Weekly Challenges and the Google Docs homebrew repositories just yet, but game jams have always been the heart of the FIST scene and we're excited to get back in the action by setting up another. As always, jam submissions will be voted on by the community, and the winner will receive a fabulous prize! If past jams have been any indication, you'll have a fresh mess of FIST material to keep you busy while we chip away at the Kickstarter throughout Q4 2024.

Sign up here: https://www.itch.io/jam/fist-jam-ops-v

That's all for now, but there's more coming down the pipe. Please don't worry about less frequent updates: our workflow has necessarily changed, but we're not giving up and we still plan to deliver. To answer some frequently asked questions:

• Preorders, address changing, and shipping charges will be available when we launch the pledge manager. We are not launching the pledge manager until we feel comfortable charging people more money. Due to delayed and tumultuous development, we don't know exactly when the box set will ship or how much shipping will cost. Right now, we want to focus on our current backers rather than roping in new ones.
• If you can't find your download keys for anything we've released so far, check the email associated with your Kickstarter account. SUPPLY DROP updates are currently free downloads and RATIONS will always be free, so there are no download keys for them. When everything is done, we will compile all download keys and links into a final email and make sure everyone gets it.
• If you want to buy a separate physical copy of FIST: Ultra Edition, check Exalted Funeral. The game frequently goes out of stock, so signing up for email updates is recommended. 
• We are not accepting staff applications, commissioned work, collab offers, or official translation deals at this time. If you want to make, post, and/or sell something for FIST, you can do so without our permission. You can also make fan translations without our permission.
• We are short on budget because our income tax was higher than we expected. We are short on content and behind on development because we had to eject a staff member and scrap most of their unreleased work. Updates will be further apart. If you want more granular updates, check our Discord server, where we are frequently active.

Thanks for following along, and we hope you like the new material!

All the best,

CLAYMORE

SUPPLY DROP UPDATE
over 1 year ago – Sat, Aug 03, 2024 at 04:45:40 PM

Hey everyone! We know you're itching to rattle a box, and we're sorry to keep you waiting—but we told ya we had some boons on deck to soften the blow!

Several segments from SUPPLY DROP will be made available early to cover the release gap while we reappraise MANDELBROT SET and replace some old content that doesn't fit in with FIST anymore. What is SUPPLY DROP? Glad you asked...

SUPPLY DROP is an expansion to the core rulebook of FIST: Ultra Edition, aimed at experienced players looking to take their game to the next level. Collected as an anthology of advice, new rules, and supplies, SUPPLY DROP will help your table run a FIST campaign that stays fresh as it goes for the long haul.

If you're familiar with the Basic and Expert versions of the D&D Rulebook (also known as B/X), you know what we're going for. Consider FIST: Ultra Edition the Basic rulebook: a complete game playable out of the box focused around specific "package" adventures—in D&D, it was dungeons, in FIST, it's missions. Basic D&D was able to support characters from levels 1-3; FIST: Ultra seems to tolerate about five to ten advancements before it starts getting wacky. Expert D&D was about expanding, deepening, and balancing the game: adding more character options, more playable material, and most importantly, fleshing out adventuring on a larger scale. SUPPLY DROP aims to do just that.

Here's what we'll be releasing early—just a slice of what you'll find in SUPPLY DROP, for those "just one more mission" campaigns:

• More optional rules: We're releasing two pages of meticulously playtested optional rules meant to deepen FIST. These include expanded advancement (letting you level up with gear, training, and extra lives), expanded rendezvous points (ever wanted to party in a warzone?), even more uses for WAR DICE (Decrease enemy HP! Use a HAIL MARY to reveal a hidden passage! Reroll a random encounter!), a prestige system, rules for multi-attacks, alternate standard-issue items... we're proud of this one!
• PVP rules: We're releasing the long-awaited Deathmatch mode of FIST, where you can pit your cherished operatives against each other. This one has required extensive testing to make work right—as you may know, FIST is nearly impossible to balance, and its PbtA framework is hardly built for competitive play—but we're confident that the ashcan we've got is already plenty of fun.

More to come on SUPPLY DROP in future updates, including solo play, rare CYCLOPS gadgets, expanded base building, fresh missions, new factions, named NPCs, and referee advice! When the book is finished, we'll send out download keys to claim it on itch, but until then, you can download preview segments as we upload them here:

https://claymorerpgs.itch.io/supply-drop

Some of you are curious about the budget cuts we've mentioned. What we mean is that we got taxed 24% federally with state taxes on top of that, and our deductible expenses were so small as to be a drop in the bucket. That's cutting into our ability to pay ourselves a living wage, not produce the books. This affects our quality of life, which affects our development speed. As for the delay, we haven't given a new release date yet because we won't know until we dedicate time to figuring it out, and we realize it would be disappointing to underestimate and miss another deadline. We've learned the hard way why you should do a crowdfunding campaign earlier in the tax year, and spend as much of your production budget as possible within that year so it can be deducted. We erred on the side of caution and spent as little as possible—kind of counter-intuitive, but that's Uncle Sam. Either way, we're still going to deliver this box set. 

We're releasing these parts of SUPPLY DROP months earlier than intended because, while small, they add tons of replay value to the game. Characters can now be built more broadly as they level up, and we hope competitive play keeps you sated when there's nothing to do but sit around base and wait.

All the best,

CLAYMORE

DELAY NOTICE
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Jun 19, 2024 at 05:33:28 PM

Happy midsummer, everybody! We hope pride month is going better for you than it is for us – we're six necrotic spider bites deep over here, and between that, budget slashes, and an abrupt staff shakeup earlier in the month which leaves a few projects needing to be restructured, we think it's safe to say we won't be shipping the set by August or, frankly, for a while after that. We'll still be releasing things individually as we develop and finish them; we just can't swing any more dev crunch if we want the product to be, well, good. You know what they say about a delayed game...

We're also occupied with community upkeep and aftercare, and we want to take a little time to focus on that and take care of various backend business, customer service, (drumroll please) the pledge manager, etc.

Stay safe, and stay tuned!

CLAYMORE

ULTRA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY
about 2 years ago – Tue, Apr 30, 2024 at 04:14:40 PM

It's FIST: Ultra Edition's first birthday! That's right, the Ultra version of the game originally dropped on 4/30/23 (although it was updated to its final build concurrently with the Kickstarter launch a few months later). It's been a rollercoaster of a year - we won an award, got covered in Forbes, made an obscene amount of money none of us ever expected us to see in our lives, lost a genuinely painful chunk of it to taxes, and are left to pick up the pieces while battling unexpected health issues and the anxieties of moving house. Things have been a bit like pulling teeth so far, but there's still hope. Right now, we'd estimate there's about a 50% chance we hit our August 30th shipping deadline, and a 90% chance we're able to deliver everything exactly as promised (if not, we may have to cut a handful of features across several books - nothing drastic). Speaking of delivered promises...

First off, we've got TWO NEW RELEASES for you to check out! The first is the FIST Quickstart Guide, which will be included in every boxset. It's a four-page, US-letter sized booklet that collects everything you need to know to play, plus some brand new introductory text for prospective players of different experience levels, and a handy reference key that lists all of the traits, roles, standard issue items, and emergency insertion procedures. You could almost, just about play the entire game using this 4-page guide alone. If you've got any friends you've been meaning to introduce to the game, this is for you! We're not sending out a download key to our backers for the Quickstart Guide, because it's free. You can download it under the "Download demo" heading on FIST's itch.io page.

We've also released an updated (but unfinished) version of MANDELBROT SET. It's not quite done cooking - you'll notice it's marked "Alpha" - but that's okay, because we need as much feedback as possible over the next few months before we print and ship the things. 

You can use an itch.io account with verified email address to claim your download key:

https://claymorerpgs.itch.io/mandelbrot-set/backer-access

Notice something that's busted? Drop us a line in the #feedback channel on our Discord server.

How close are we to manufacturing physical box sets? Good question - with all the focus on PDFs in these updates, you might be wondering if we're having trouble working out print production. The good news is that pre-production is going well! About a third of the box set components physically exist in finished or prototype forms, including:

• The core rulebook (ready for mass production)
• The RATIONS pamphlet sets (ready for mass production)
• The RATIONS sleeves (ready for mass production)
• The MANDELBROT SET campaign kit (print prototype)
• The plastic dice (manufactured by Koplow Games)
• The signed misprints (add-on)

Another third haven't been printed yet, but we know their exact specifications from previous experience, which significantly cuts our workload:

• The Quickstart Guide (ready for mass production)
• The SUPPLY DROP expansion rulebook (in development)
• The CRY HAVOC campaign kit (in development)
• The metal dice (manufactured by Shenzhen Bifu Industrial Co.)
• The button pins (add-on)

Everything else we're still working out (with some success). Making physical prototypes of the components is important not only for testing purposes, but also for determining how much shipping will cost for backers. We haven't charged shipping yet because we need to make absolutely sure we don't overcharge you (or undercharge you and cut into our production budget), and we still don't know how much the products will weigh. We'll have a better idea of that when we assemble an entire prototype boxset.

That's all for now, but you can expect more updates relating to budget, shipping, and preorders as we approach our release date. Thanks for reading and we hope you have fun with the alpha!

All the best,
CLAYMORE