Update for May 7, 2024

Hello! It's been awhile, but the time has come to make a fairly major update to The Walled and the Wood and also to prevaricate on these upcoming modifications/enhancements.

First off, the update coming on 5/7 will be present in both the Core Rulebook and the Player's Handbook (the copy of the rules which present the game in a more mysterious "what powers will I possibly achieve" kind of way i.e. not containing the Arts, Rituals, Spirits, Summons, and etc included in the Core). We're making two changes that I think of as fairly major:

1. Unarmed combat damage, i.e. damage dealt using the "Fisticuffs" skill (which may also apply to improvised weapons and the like, or maybe even clubs) is being modified to deal 4 damage, same as everything else. This brings the unofficial system more in tune with the original Lady Afterwards where any successful combat injury that wasn't reacted to successfully dealt an "injury" regardless of the source. Now all Harm in TWW does the same amount of damage. This makes the system significantly deadlier. Why? Because based on player feedback it felt better. A fair fight in TWW should be a very bad scenario in general, and while the idea of altercations being inherently extremely dangerous isn't new it does fit TWW very well. Hence this change.
2. ARTS and RESISTANCE and the WIFFLE-WAFFLING about how it works: this has been completely modified to a very simple "only players roll dice" ruling for Arts. Was I inspired by PbtA and other systems, and perhaps some games I'm playing/running right now? Absolutely. Does this also make my life easier as a GR of a TWW game? Absolutely. Are Tables able to ignore this update and do what they want? Absolutely.

The point of the last item was to un-complicate the way I had insufficiently (read: badly) defined the ability for characters to use Arts and their ability to Resist them. This is a narrative system (at least in my opinion though it probably doesn't meet certain expectations) and therefore it is player-focused and interaction-critical. The GR and players are coordinating a narrative. Certain NPC's may deserve to function at the same level as players, but for the most part the roll/role of the player can determine world outcomes when it comes to occult business. Which is ultimately the thing TWW wants to address.

So that's where TWW is at right now. Writing proceeds for the series of adventures using TWW which will be unofficial sequels to The Lady Afterwards, and so I hope you look forward to them. In any event, please re-download your materials as of 5/7/2024~! Other typos and stuff have probably been found since you last grabbed your copies.

Cheers, and dream well.