Expedition: Errata Post

No matter how much time you put into a text, you will probably be faced with a dreaded typo at some point. This happens to professional companies with a dedicated editing staff and it will happen to me and my editor, probably in the most embarrassing places. Unfortunately for an RPG game, a typo can be pretty harrowing and confusing, particularly for players looking to the rules as legal gospel (and for those looking for loopholes). However, I am thankful to have plenty of readers who will tear everything I write apart, and spear me to a crude monument for all of my mistakes.

That monument is this post.

In this post and its associated comments thread, I want people to post mistakes or confusing bits of the Expediton RPG text, and I will clear them up, keep them in the post for everyone to reference (with page numbers) and make a note to fix them for the possible next release/for the beta.

So get your spears ready! Here is the current errata for the game as of AUGUST 9th, 2011.

Attacks: There are three types of attacks in Expedition that have different benefits. Each of these attacks performs an exclusive function – Edge-Generating attacks generate Edge, Strikes deal Strikes, Damaging attacks deal damage. Unless an Edge benefit, class talent or Perk allows you to, you cannot deal Strikes with Edge-generating or Damaging attacks, cause damage with Edge-generating or Strike attacks, or gain Edge with Strike or Damaging attacks.

Defender Talent (Page 11): The Defender Fighter Talent allows the Fighter to give the benefits of its Guard to another character. The Fighter gains no benefits from this Guard. He or she loses 1 Protection Rating and gains +1 attack rolls. Think of this as the Fighter becoming vulnerable by defending another character, but gaining conviction to fight from having another person depending on him or her for protection from the enemy, and fighting with greater focus.

Soldier Perk (Page 20): In the Paragon benefit for the Soldier perk, the “Minor” should not be capitalized. The understudy gained through the Soldier Perk is just a Hireling (and can be any kind of hireling discussed with the GM), and follows all the usual Hireling rules, not any set of special rules that the uppercase Minor might imply.

Equipment (Page 28): By default, you actually have to buy starting Equipment using your starting Wealth. Some GMs may allow you to start with one weapon and a suit of armor for free, however.

Weapons (Page 29): A Weapon’s bonus applies to attacks made with the weapon. You can only attack with the weapon you’re wielding, and only use the bonuses of the weapon you are wielding. If you are holding a sword, you do not get the sword’s bonuses if you shoot a firearm instead – you are “wielding” the firearm. If you are holding a firearm, it does nothing to boost a magical attack. You apply your weapon bonuses with any attack that is made “as a weapon attack,” but not to magic attacks. Edge and Strike attacks made WITH a weapon get the bonuses.

Half Die (Page 31): The explanation for a half die is obtuse. Think of a half die as rolled 1d3 instead of 1d6. If you don’t have a way to roll 1d3, roll 1d6 and use the following to determine the true result: 1-2 is 1, 3-4 is 2, and 5-6 is 3. So basically, roll 1d6, halve the roll, round it up to the nearest whole non-zero number.

Expedition Point Purchasing (Page 37): Can I pay 5 resources twice to gain 1d6+1d6+5+5 Expedition Points, rather than pay 10 resources once to gain 2d6+5? It’s up in the air really. I would say no. I would say basically what you’re doing is going to a shop, buying something, leaving, and coming back. It’s a goofy exploit to get 5 more points.

Now, because so far there isn’t a level of spending above 25 points, I would say that, for example, if you have 30 Wealth you can pay 25 points for 3d6+15 resources, then pay 5 resource to get 1d6+5 more. In upcoming releases this table will actually have a formula that has been better playtested for converting resources to Expedition Points.

Reputation Example (Page 38): This example might seem confusing because at character generation, the Fighter actually has more reputation than a Rogue! The example is non-specific. Reputation is fickle after all.

Partial Edge (Page 50): If you gain regular Edge while you have Partial Edge, Partial Edge is lost. Partial Edge lasts 1 round. Effects that trigger upon you successfully gaining Edge do not trigger if you have Partial Edge or if you gain Temporary Edge from failing an Edge-generating attack while you have Partial Edge.

Spending Edge – PC Edge Privileges (Page 51): If you use the •1 Edge benefit listed on the page, it counts as a Retreat if you are engaged. The benefit is that it is made as part of the attack, rather than as its own action. Compare with the Blade’s ability to Disengage a target (and yet the Blade does not grant movement).

The Process of A Damaging Attack (Page 51): The Spending Edge page might not properly convey how Damaging Attacks are made. The following is a step-by-step explanation.

Step 1: Decision to make a damaging attack. The player selects a single Edge Benefit (denoted by the •# Edge) that he or she has, and that he or she can afford based on his or her Edge.

Step 2: The player declares the Edge benefit he or she is using. The player spends the needed Edge to get the benefit. The player rolls the Standard Roll for the Damaging Attack. If a player has bonuses to Strike or Edge-generating attacks exclusively, they DO NOT COUNT for Damaging Attacks. If a player has a bonus to all attack rolls, this is used for the damaging attack. The attack roll and damage roll are both made with a bonus equal to the amount of Edge spent. So for example, a character has a +3 bonus to attack rolls and +0 damage. He or she makes an attack with 2 Edge. This attack is made at a +5 attack roll bonus – because of the Edge bonus – and deals 3d6+2 damage, because of the Edge bonus.

Step 3: If the roll is successful, apply the Edge benefit. Edge benefits do not apply on a missed attack, unless they say they do (like the Rogue’s talent). However, if the Edge Benefit was a bonus to the damaging attack – “+1 Attack” or “+1 Damage” followed by a period and then a different benefit – then it is included in the attack before the attack is resolved, unlike benefits after the period. On a miss, the attack deals half damage.

A player does not HAVE TO declare an Edge benefit, but it’s somewhat pointless not to.

NEW RULE Glance (Page 52): Insert this somewhere in the explanation of Strikes.

On a failed Strike attack roll, you give the enemy a Glance point. A Glance Point lasts 1 round. By itself a Glance point does nothing – it is not a Strike. However, if any character fails a Strike attack against a character that has a Glance point, that character spends the Glance point and deals a Strike to the character.

This new rule makes Strike attacks worthwhile to make and to miss, much like how Edge-generating attacks have Partial Edge and damaging attacks deal half damage on missed attacks.

Vampirism (Page 104): The playable Vampire has certain drawbacks to evoke its vampiric flavor. One of these is expressed wrong in the text. The text should be: ” If the Vampire did NOT drink blood (kill a creature) at least once before Resting it cannot roll against its Liabilities.” The text as it stands is confusing without educated guessing.

Wyrmling (Page 105): The Wyrmling is a Wyrmling, not a Fighter! Its talents read “Fighter Talents,” when they should be “Wyrmling Talents.” This is a mix-up from reusing the Fighter’s template.

Slime (Page 106): The Shoggoth’s Slime trait does not properly convey the effects of Bludgeoning, Wave and Shock attacks on its Protection Rating while in Slime Form. Its Soak becomes +0 (any amount of soak) and its Protection Rating becomes 10 against such attacks. The current wording is very confusing in this regard.

Thanks everyone for their help so far!