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First look: printed proofs & the Artificer
🕑 Added 2025-03-14 02:39:01 +0000 UTCHey everyone, quick update here on the Nimble printed books. Just got an update from the printer, they were supposed to have the wet proofs (the small batch of test prints) shipped to me already, but there wee some internal delays on their side (out of stock on a certain kind of paper, and their first print run they used the wrong thickness greyboard), BUT I should be receiving the physical proofs next week. In the meantime they did send me some pictures of the progress if you'd like to check them out!
I really like the gold foil on the front of the box, that was a last minute addition and I'm glad we did it. Also, you can peep the cool pattern on the inside of the box, and you can see a bit of the easter eggs on the side panels of the box. Little details like that really make a product sing, I think. Each book will also have a ribbon book mark in a matching color and an anti-scuff coating for extra durability. I'll definitely do a livestream as soon as I get them in!
Draft Artificer Art! (I went with "A")
Artificer
I was quite surprised to see the ARTIFICER ranked the highest on our recent "what to work on next" poll. So, I've started on it, and I REALLY like how it's shaping up, both fantasy-wise and mechanically.
The Nimble artificer fantasy: Someting akin to Iron Man, Batman, Rocket Raccoon. A person who uses their intelligence to create and use inventions that help them on the battlefield.
Sample mechanics and abilities:
I'd LOVE for one of the classes to pick up and roll entire fistfuls of dice. There's just something awesome and intimidating to all that clickety-clack. The problem is that it can be rather time consuming to add them all up. So one mechanic I'm testing is a dicepool type of system for the Artificer. They could roll, say 5 or 10 dice, and rather than tediously adding them up, something may happen only on the highest (or lowest result).
Push-your-luck mechanics. Your inventions can be used reliably, but you can also give them extra energy to make them deal more damage, but also risk a malfunction!
Arcane Cannon. A BIG ranged weapon that ignores armor and deals damage to all creatures between you and your target (think like a handheld Rail Gun type of weapon). You can fire it normally for a decent amount of damage. But you can also overcharge it for the chance to deal huge additional damage, but at the risk of it malfunctioning.
Reactive armor. When struck in melee, knock the medium or smaller attacker back 1 space they land prone. You can also give you armor additional energy to increase the effect (and risk of malfunction)
Extra Energy. Increase the size category or distance by 1.
Malfunction. You are knocked back and prone as well.
Gadgets. In addition to creating your own Weapons and Armor, you can create single-use/consumable items like the mighty Stim Pack! (all of these names and mechanics are definitely subject to change, btw) Stim Pack. Heal HP, Gain 1 action. End of turn: STR save or dazed (DC 16). How cool?!
And of course all of these weapons, armor, and gadgets can be upgraded and customized (that's the plan at least). I want to give he feeling of a. really intelligent, resourceful inventor, but without the needless complexity of sorting through 234123412311 different options.
I've got a lot more notes and will continue to work on them but so far, so good I think. What do you think?
What else I've been working on and what's next?
I've been spending this week doing a lot of work on the website, getting it up to the standards I've wanted. Not finished yet, but it's looking MUCH better now if you'd like to check out to progress.
I've also been cooking on the foundry module (will do a livestream of that SOON, maybe this friday) the Witch, kid nimble (I hired an artist to help with that project), and a couple of big secret projects I'll be announcing in the coming weeks/months. Exciting times!
Thanks again everyone for your continued support 💪
– Evan @ Nimble co.
Comments
Jason L Westbrook
Love all of this! If it's not too late however, "comatible" is misspelled on the box. Sorry, neurodivergent brain neurodiverging :)
Joseph Le May
Those proofs are looking fantastic!
Kory Bearclaw
One thought for Artificer dice pool is the Yahtzee (or Dice Throne!) mechanic of roll 5d6 with a few rerolls, trying to build a specific "hand". Could be different hands for different gadgets or something like that! Might be too complicated mechanically, but it's a very common idea that people can grok easily.
