Sep 15, 2023

Dev Update #10: Map Preview - A Frontier Town Called Howling Valley

Unforetold: Witchstone - PatBrutal

Greeting Adventurers!

A few weeks ago, we previewed the Free Legion faction’s base, the Free Fortress. In today’s Dev Update, we’ll explore another town - one controlled by a rival faction to the Free Legion, the Commonwealth.

The recently established town of Howling Valley already has quite the history. Situated directly south of the port city of Kalsundar and accessible by train, it is also where you will make a big impact early in your journey across Kalsundia! Let’s take a quick look, shall we?

Please keep in mind that this map is currently in development and that every part of it is subject to improvements.

A Blessed Town

Founded and led by a priest, Howling Valley is known for its unusual shrine. While most shrines are built of stones and decorated with ornate statues of gods, Howling Valley’s shrine is constructed with repurposed pieces from the caravans of a scouting convoy.

Some of the current residents of Howling Valley are people who were in the convoy. They were searching for a good location for a new train station and outpost when thunderbeasts ambushed them. Surprisingly, during the chase, the thunderbeasts gave up and ran away. The priest and leader of the convoy (now current leader of Howling Valley) believed the valley where the beasts fled from to be blessed and ordered the construction of the shrine and train station.

A Commonwealth Town

Not long after the founding of the town, the Commonwealth came and also started building in Howling Valley. The Commonwealth sent up one of their young rising stars to take care of the planning, construction, and recruitment. It was a resounding success as the faction gained a fortified mansion and also now generates income through the stables and train station warehouse.

The Commonwealth have to keep all their properties well-guarded as many rival factions and bandits might want to snatch them away. Alarms and traps are set up in case someone does manage to sneak past the guards. As for the mansion, it is built on a cliff ledge and designed so that an invader has no easy way to reach the leader’s office.

A Mysterious Town

The mystery as to why the chasing thunderbeasts ran away that day has yet to be resolved. As well, the shrine is surrounded by rock pillars with shining lights, but their function remains unknown.

Researchers who have tried to dig deeper into the ground were met with fierce resistance from the founding priest. The leader of Howling Valley would rather not risk disturbing anything in this blessed area. But many believe that something ancient lies under the town.

Some Concept Art

I hope you enjoyed this look at Howling Valley and its history. Let us know in the comments what you think of the look and feel of this town.

We’ll be back next month with a Dev Update diving deeper into the setting of the game and it’ll come with a big surprise for you all! Stay tuned to our posts!

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Aug 16, 2023

Dev Update #9: Cleric Class

Unforetold: Witchstone - PatBrutal

Hello Adventurers,

Today, we'd like to talk to you about one of the core classes in our game - the Cleric. The Cleric is a divine spellcaster class that combines strength, wisdom, and faith to protect allies and smite enemies. They are an essential part of any adventuring party.

The Cleric, like the other core classes, has many subclasses - each with its own unique playstyle and ability sets. Let’s take a quick look at some of them!

As the game is currently a work in progress, some of the information below may be inaccurate by the time you play Project Witchstone.

War Priest

The War Priest is a warrior of faith who blends melee combat with divine magic. They are experts in battle, capable of calling forth holy power to smite their enemies and protect their allies. They are the sturdiest of the subclasses, being able to wear heavy armor and having a slightly higher hit dice versus their counterparts. Much like the Fighter class, they can also wield martial weapons making them a formidable frontline force on the battlefield.

Some of their abilities include:

Smite

A powerful melee attack that deals extra damage and radiates holy energy. The real power behind Smite is that the War Priest does not have to sacrifice attack actions to use this ability, which allows him to tap into a source of extra damage at the cost of mana, should they need to do so during their turn!

Lay on Hands

A versatile yet powerful touch-based healing ability that can be used in the heat of battle to restore a friend or himself, and clear negative status effects. Much like Smite, some of the power of this ability comes from not tapping into the War Priest's action economy, and can be used alongside an attack or spell on their turn.

Divine Ward

A protective barrier given to a friendly target that negates enemy status effects. Sometimes being proactive instead of reactive is a good idea, especially when you are about to fight a creature that, say, likes to paralyze your allies during battle. Following a recurring theme here as well, just like Smite and Lay on Hands, this ability does not tap into the War Priest's standard actions economy, making this ability fairly easy to use on one's turn along other actions.

Sage

The Sage is a specialist in the study of life and restoration. They are wise scholars who use their vast knowledge and divine magic to protect their allies and bring light and protection to those in need. They are the ultimate support cleric subclass, as they provide the strongest healing, warding and protection toolkit to their party. They can also wield light and holy magic to defend themselves should the need arise.

Some of their abilities include:

Consecration

The Sage can mark an area as sacred. The consecrated ground heals allies and damages foes alike. A great area denial tool that allows the sage to pick a spot where he can fight on his own terms, or simply heal or damage characters in a wide area around himself.

Bolster

A powerful ability that raises a friendly unit's maximum HP for a set number of turns. Perfect to supplement the survivability of your frontline, should the challenge ahead prove to be especially daunting.

Radiant Presence

A Sage's presence on the battlefield is always a welcome sight, unless you're on the opposing side. Radiating around the Sage is an aura that benefits friends and hinders foes on every turn while it's active. This effect grows stronger as the Sage progresses in experience.

Witchfire Priest

The Witchfire Priest is a passionate zealot who wields the power of witchstone to purify the unworthy of its use. They are a force to be reckoned with, using their spells to ignite their enemies and turn the tide of battle. Of the subclasses, they are the most offensively-minded. Their spells are focused on dealing damage or controlling the battlefield, making them ideal for players who enjoy a more aggressive playstyle.

Some of their abilities include:

Deconstruction Aura

A unique Witchfire Priest ability that causes any artificial constructs, undeads and demons around them to wither over time. Every turn spent around a Witchfire Priest channeling this aura will cause damage to those creatures until they are no more.

Witchfire Overload

Witchstone users beware, Witchfire Priests have a heightened magical influence on any Witchstone objects. As an ability, they are able to jam, overload or disable any source of witchstone, sometimes to the unfortunate surprise of their owner. Wield a witchstone-powered device in front of a Witchfire Priest at your peril!

Arcane Training

A Witchfire Priest is in a unique position where they are the only subclass that can double-dip in both Arcane and Divine spellcasting without multiclassing. Through Arcane Training, they are allowed to pick a few specific extra spells throughout their spell progression, only those spells are of Arcane nature, rather than Divine.

So there you have it, the Cleric and some of its subclasses! Whether you prefer to be a warrior of faith, a wise scholar, or a passionate zealot, there is a subclass for everyone.

We hope this gives you a better understanding of this class, and we can't wait to see what kind of characters you all create.

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https://discord.gg/spearheadgames[/url]

Jul 19, 2023

Dev Update #8: Map Preview - Free Fortress

Unforetold: Witchstone - PatBrutal

Hello Adventurers!

For today’s Dev Update, we want to show you a sneak peek of a map of the game: the base of the Free Legion faction, Free Fortress!

As one of multiple faction bases, this area will be explorable later in the game, as you make alliances and enemies of the main factions of Kalsundia. Will you ally yourself with the Free Legion and climb their ranks to gain the respect of their leader Tory Chanley? Or will you raid the Free Fortress alongside the Commonwealth or the Brightwind Clan?

Please keep in mind that this map is currently in development and that every part of it is subject to improvements.

Entering the Free Fortress

Situated in the northwest desert region of Kalsundia, the Free Fortress, much like its name suggests, is a fortified construction initially built by the Avondus Empire, for their invasion that failed. Built on rocky terrain, it is now the central home of one of the main three factions of the game, the Free Legion. Militaristic by nature, their might is on full display here; while some parts of the fortress are open to adventurers and merchants, they are reminded of the Legion’s power at every corner.

The Center of Power

Free Fortress’ main building, the War Room, is where Tory Chanley, the Free Legion’s commander, receives common folk in her audience chamber, which is well-guarded by her Shock Troopers. At certain moments of the day, she retires to the War Table with her trusted lieutenant to plan the faction’s next moves.

If someone decides to make an enemy of the Free Legion, this may offer easier assassination opportunities than a direct assault; taking advantage of climbing skills to reach the ramparts, and sneaking skills into back alleys, might allow you to reach a backdoor! You may even discover a hidden vault somewhere…

Legionnaires in Training

Now, it wouldn’t be a military headquarters without Training Halls, wouldn’t it? This restricted portion of the Fortress is where new recruits train under the watchful eye of Drang Rimmator, a veteran commander of the Legion. This building becomes a prime defense location in case of enemy assaults; but perhaps an individual who’s sneaky enough could get through it without alerting anyone?

Defending the Citadel

With its many bridges and lookouts, the Free Legion can see any threats and react promptly. With ballistas on their walls and armory stockout, they are well-prepared for enemy assaults. Unless the assault comes from within…

A Time and Place for Everything

The Free Legion may be militaristic, but they are also pious and respect their dead. This is an area for them to find peace and collect themselves; a small cemetery on the side of the Temple of Maurauth, one of the ancient Lynite gods. Please don’t step on the flowers or desecrate the graves!

Temples were often used as refuges and hidden passageways were often used to get the common folk out to the countryside in case of assault.

Some concept art for Free Fortress

That’s it for today! We hope you appreciated this first look at the Free Fortress. With a good mix of exploration and loot for everyone, and locked-off areas for people that aren’t friends of the Free Legion, we’re building this map to offer something for every playstyle, with some epic fights on bridges and between ramparts if one decides to wipe the faction out, and many side paths and locked doors for the sneaky types.

What do you appreciate the most about the feeling of coming fresh into a new town or city, ready to be explored? Let us know below!

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https://www.facebook.com/WitchstoneGame
https://discord.gg/spearheadgames[/url]

Jun 16, 2023

Dev Update #7: Narrative Character Creation

Unforetold: Witchstone - PatBrutal

Hello adventurers!

For this Dev Update we wanted to share some work in progress on our character creation process.

Defining your character is what puts the RP in cRPG, and is a crucial first step to any adventure. The imagination you bring to your character is what turns a bunch of stats and numbers into a living, dynamic person that can change the world.

When you launch into your journey with Witchstone, you will immediately be able to define who your character is, not just the class you want to play.

“What could this mysterious “Endurer” ancestry be?”

Once you’ve determined your ancestry and appearance, you’ll get the opportunity to share your origin story with a key NPC. Of course, if you’re playing the classic cloak-and-dagger, brooding-in-the-dark-corner-type, you’ll be able to decline sharing such personal details, and go straight to the finer details of character creation.

Creating Your Origin Story

In Witchstone, your words are just as powerful as your weapons and spells. You’ll be able to feel that power right at the jump as you define your background.

“Build your background through dialogue”

Through dialogue, you’ll have to answer the following questions about your character:

What happened to your family?
What kind of environment did you grow up in? Were you raised by politicians? Did you fight for survival in the wilds? Or did you enlist at a young age, knowing only the battlefield?
What skills did you use to get by?
Why are you traveling to Kalsundia?

Once you’ve finished, your character will be granted an archetype, specialty, as well as skills, attributes, and abilities that best match your origin story. Of course, you can always go back and change things to your liking! However, every origin combination features a balanced build that is well suited to tackle the challenges of Kalsundia.

“There are a large variety of archetypes and specialties to choose from”

The Right Tools for the Job

With so many ways to accomplish your goals in Witchstone, it can be hard to wrap your head around all the options at the start.

With the origin system, you get the opportunity to describe in an action-oriented way how you want to play your character. Will you turn to violence only to a last resort, relying on mediating conflict between the warring factions? Will you lie and manipulate others to do your bidding? Or will you rely on your power to subjugate the island to your will?

Of course, regardless of where your character has been up until their fateful journey to Kalsundia, nothing is set in stone. The charlatan can always commit to honesty, and the scholar can always eschew the pen in favor of the sword.

That’s all we have to share for now, but we want to know, what kind of character do you usually like to play? Do you think you’ll go for your tried and true archetype, or will you see where the origin system takes you?

May 12, 2023

Dev Update #6: Companions Overview

Unforetold: Witchstone - PatBrutal

Hello again, Adventurers,

Today, we’d like to share with you a sneak preview of the design for companions in Project Witchstone.

Companions are a staple of cRPGs. The majority of the most memorable characters in the history of the genre are companion characters. Our interactions with them are what we vividly remember from these games. We hope that this will also be the case in our twist on the conventional cRPG.

"Recruiting Companion"

In Witchstone, you can recruit up to three companions into your party. While we do have recommended companion characters, you are free to recruit anyone in the world. It doesn’t mean that everyone will gladly accept to join you though. Some will take a bit of convincing.

The people you recruit will become invaluable both in and outside combat. Of course, they are more than just tools - they are also distinct characters with their own motivations and personality, and can react accordingly. Let’s take a deeper look.

Controls and Interactions

On command, companions perform various actions for you and, depending on their own abilities and traits, open up some possibilities that wouldn’t be otherwise available to you.

During combat, you control all their actions, including movement. As the leader of the pack in a dangerous situation, they will follow your instructions without question as it is a matter of survival.

Outside of combat, you can also can give them orders, including having them interact with various elements (traps, doors, people):

Using any of their powers and abilities
Using their skills, such as sneaking, lockpicking or disarming traps.
Waiting for you at a specific location (useful to prepare an ambush, for example)
Picking up or stealing items

"UI Mockup"

But that doesn’t mean they will do your bidding like mindless robots. As mentioned previously, our approach for companions is that they are distinct individuals, and not simply extensions of your own character. While you are their leader, they do not follow blindly.

Outside of combat, they may be reluctant to perform certain actions, if such actions go against their values or if they can lead to getting harmed or killed.

For example, a good-natured wizard will refuse to throw a fireball inside a tavern. Or a Blade Master with no knowledge of explosive devices won’t blindly agree to try to disarm a trap.

However, you can always convince them to follow your order. You may attempt to persuade them on why it’s important they comply, or you may be the kind of leader that uses intimidation and threats to make their followers bend to their will. Of course, how you treat your companions may affect your relationship with them over time.

"Companion refusing order"

Appreciation and Reactions

Companions, like everyone in the game, also react to what you do. Depending on their own personality, they may approve of what you do, or go all the way to being appalled and leave the party. The aforementioned good-natured wizard would be strongly opposed to any harm done to civilians (should he, of course, actually witness you performing the deed!).

More than that, companions are active participants in your story. They may propose an approach to solve certain challenges or encourage you towards a certain goal. They will speak up but in the end, it is completely up to you if you want to heed their advice or do things your way.

"Want to talk icon"

Ultimately, how you treat your companions and depending on your actions, companions may evolve into unwavering allies, or sworn enemies that will actively try to stop you.

That’s all we have on companions for now. What do you think?
Let us know here or on our socials.

Talk to you again next month!

-Spearhead Games Team

Apr 21, 2023

Dev Update #5: Game Overview

Unforetold: Witchstone - PatBrutal

Greeting Adventurers,

It’s been a while since we last spoke to you all. First and foremost, we’d like to once again answer our most commonly asked question: Yes, Project Witchstone is very much still in development!

During our 2 years of almost complete silence, the team at Spearhead Games has been hard at work on the game, making sure you all get to experience a beautiful and groundbreaking cRPG. We decided that now’s a good time to finally show you all some of the progress made on Project Witchstone and some of the innovations we are bringing to the genre. As such, we will be releasing blog posts on a monthly basis.
For the first post of our return, we thought it would be good to remind you what Project Witchstone is all about.

Origins, Vision and Challenges

A key inspiration for Witchstone was the experience of playing a tabletop RPG, where the possibilities of roleplaying characters seem limitless, the feeling that the story is impacted by your decisions and that you have meaningful agency with the game’s world and its characters (at least with a good game master ;) )

While Witchstone has the look and feel of a cRPG, we don’t see it as being a traditional cRPG. Through its underlying combination of narrative, faction and NPC systems, we’re building the game with freedom of choice at its core, where those choices can have meaningful impacts on the game’s world as well as the story of your character. Unlike most RPGs, no quest is mandatory, no character is essential, and no choice is either good or bad.

Whilst this goal will provide an incredible opportunity for players to shape endless new adventures, this also poses some challenges, mostly learned behaviors and expectations from traditional cRPGs.

In more traditional cRPGs you are traveling through predetermined paths. You’re guided on paths through the highs and lows and the story is paced to match it.

We’re trying to break this on-rails, pre-determined experience and enable true freedom: the ability to work towards your chosen goal in any way you see fit. With Witchstone, you can experience your own story and shape the world in your own way but still feel the depth and quality of that journey.

We want everyone’s journey and progress to their goal to be genuinely unique; however, we also need to ensure that the experience doesn’t feel directionless.

The key high-level goals we are striving for are:

Gameplay is never directed

Witchstone is, fundamentally, still an RPG. We need to introduce the various systems including the features, and of course, the content to the player.
We want the players to have an idea of what’s possible and what next steps they could accomplish towards their goal.
That said, we also want to avoid leading and hand-holding the player too much and need to challenge some of the players’ learned behavior from playing other RPGs.

Every playthrough is unique

A different outcome to what the player is expecting shouldn’t be considered a failure. Instead, it should be just another challenge or another way to achieve your chosen goal. This idea should shape the core of the unique, emergent journey each player will experience.

Please let us know in the comments what excites you the most about Project Witchstone.

And finally, we’d like to thank all of you who have stayed with us these past 2 years, even if we didn’t talk at all about the game. Your continued support and curiosity has meant so much to the team. We promise never to disappear like that again.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WitchstoneGame
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WitchstoneGame/
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1064120/Project_Witchstone/
Discord: https://discord.gg/spearheadgames[/url] Talk to you again next month! -Spearhead Games Team
Talk to you again next month!

-Spearhead Games Team