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The Game Master's Guide!

[h2]Start At The Very Beginning! 🙌[/h2]

A very good place to start! Today, we’re covering the GM Guide of Tales of Fablecraft. This update contains light spoilers for The Road to The Starfall Festival, session 3.

Whether you're a brand new or veteran GM, our ready-to-play adventures provide intuitive tools, helpful direction, and maximum fun for all!

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[h2]Looking For Guidance? 🔮[/h2]

Our GM Guide serves up exactly what you need, when you need it, helping you to steer your party through the adventure!



To start, select the adventure that you would like to run and jump in! For the purpose of this update, we're going to use The Road to the Starfall Festival, session 3 as our main example.

[h2]Prep For Adventure! 📜⚔️[/h2]

Now that we've selected our adventure, open the tray on the righthand side by clicking on the GM Guide icon at the top. This will display all of the upcoming sessions for the adventure.



The GM Adventure Guide provides a high-level overview of the complete adventure. It gives you a heads up about the places you'll go, the NPCs and creatures you'll encounter, and contains some handy tips for running the adventure, too.

[h2]Setting The Scene! 🌄[/h2]

We're starting session 3 of The Road to the Starfall Festival, so let's set the scene before we begin! The GM guide shows you where in Mythas we are going to be. In this case, your players will be attempting to enter an Old World Ruin.

Simply click the plus sign in the Scene Change box and watch the Ruin come to life!



Both the players and the GM have the option to toggle Animated Scenes on and off, the choice is up to you.



Whatever your preference, this will not affect what everyone else sees in the scene. We are striving to make each experience as customizable as possible!

[h2]Music + Soundscapes 🔊[/h2]

Tales of Fablecraft is more than just pretty artwork – we also have music and soundscapes!



The GM has an abundance of music and soundscape options to choose from. To view them, just hit the Jukebox icon at the bottom of the side tray.

If you're running an adventure from the GM Guide, thematically appropriate music and soundscapes automatically play with every scene

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Check out a preview of what this scene can sound like on our YouTube channel!

[h2]Read Aloud! 💬[/h2]

There are all kinds of notes and tips for GMs as we make our way through the session guide. Handy Read Aloud sections provide scripted moments to read to players. These Read Aloud moments can help to anchor you back into the story or give you a well-earned break from improvising.

Follow the text or go off-script as much as you like! The guide is here to assist you in whatever way works best for you and your party.



At the beginning of our example adventure, the GM Guide gives a quick recap of the previous session, before helping you set the scene for session 3.

The guide tells you to read aloud: "There are 2 Shadow Bandits and a leashed Timberwolf at the entrance (to the Old World Ruin). The Bandits' heads are bent low toward one another, as though discussing something."



The GM Guide will sometimes include prompts to add NPC or creature tokens to the story scene.

Alternatively, we can go over to the Character icon on the tray and pull out some Foes for our players. 😈

[h2]Group Choice 🤔[/h2]

Time for your players to decide what to do next! While they discuss amongst themselves, this is a good time to remind yourself what options are available to the players at this point in the guide.

Again, how closely you follow the guide is entirely up to you!



We try to anticipate potential player choices and provide narratively appropriate advice, whether your players want to go the stealthy route or crossbows blazing!

As any seasoned GMs know, players can always surprise you with wild suggestions - the GM Guide makes it easy to serve up skill roll requests and adapt them to your players' whims!

[h2]Prepare For Battle! ⚔️ 🔥[/h2]

Whatever your players decide to do, odds are that it may not go exactly as planned.

In the event that they don't manage to charm the guards and their canine companion, it's time to pull out the Battlemap!



As easy as one, two, three, combat! Click the plus sign under the Load Battlemap section and get ready for a fight!

The music will automatically change to something more epic when you load battlemaps from the GM Guide. The battlemaps are pre-populated with the right villains from the story, and it's easy to remove tokens (or add more) depending on your players' choices.

[h2]To The Victor Go The Spoils 🏆[/h2]

Phew! That was a close one but it looks like your players won the day! You know what that means? LOOT, LOOT, LOOT! 🙌



In the guide, there is a list of items that the players can find if they decide to rifle through the pockets of the defeated Foes

There are also dialogue suggestions for the Shadow Bandits, should your players decide to interrogate them!



While we're in Closed Beta, our game is still getting regular updates. Easily accessible and story specific inventory is gradually being added to the GM Guide, so GMs can simply drag and drop items from the guide into a player's inventory.

For now, let's go over to the Inventory icon on the tray and pull out some fun items to reward our players for a job well done! 🐸

[h2]End The Session! 🤩[/h2]

And that's session 3 of The Road to the Starfall Festival. The guide will have you set up the next scene and give you suggestions on where to end.



Tease the upcoming session and leave your players on a fun cliffhanger!

Until next time, Mages!

[h2]Wishlist Us On Steam! 💙[/h2]

Be sure to Wishlist us on Steam and join our party on Discord!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2176900/Tales_of_Fablecraft/?utm_source=steam&utm_content=steam-update-031524

Anthony Avon on Painting, Inspiration, and the Secret Sidekick Running the Show!

Spoiler! The sidekick in question is a lovely feline named Sana, who as anyone with a cat knows, deserves all the credit. She must be doing something right, because with 12 illustrations completed to date, Anthony Avon is one of Riftweaver’s busiest artists. Tales of Fablecraft players will encounter Anthony’s landscapes and creatures as they explore the Mythan Highlands and Long Meadows.

Name: Anthony Avon
Location: Serbia
Artistic superpower: A nonstop schedule and a love for the work
Interests beyond painting: Playing drums and legos
Couldn't live without: Everything - family, pets, toys, job - all of it!

A hidden doorway in the Highland Peaks

CLAIRE: Can you tell us how you came to be a professional artist?

ANTHONY: I was lucky to get my first painting equipment as a gift because I couldn’t afford it on my own. Later I was recommended for a small studio job in my city. I took those opportunities and haven’t stopped. I started as a 2D concept artist for casual games. After four years I transferred to freelance illustration because I wanted to push my skills. Ten years later, here I am. It’s been a fun journey.

CLAIRE: Can you walk us through your process when working on a Fablecraft artwork, from brief through to final execution?

ANTHONY: A few of the most recent pieces I did very quickly. Darci (studio Creative Director) and I talked about the idea, figured out the details, checked in to see if I got the idea right, and then I got busy painting. Typically it starts with a brief. I work on some sketches, we pick one that works and maybe combine some elements, then move on to rendering. My process is usually chaotic and is rarely point A to point B.

CLAIRE: When you get a brief do you paint in your head before you start sketching?

ANTHONY: I never know exactly what the final image will be. I know what kind of elements the painting is supposed to have but the specifics are the product of what I’m currently inspired by and where the idea leads. That’s what I love about working in teams. Everything I do with Fablecraft is going to be different from my personal paintings because other people’s ideas and feedback will influence the piece.

CLAIRE: Early on I remember making a joke about forcing you into our bright and happy world when a lot of the work in your portfolio was darker. Though we did eventually send you back to the caves…

A pathway leading into the Highland caves.

ANTHONY: (Laughs) I’m not only interested in dark and moody paintings. I’m happy to paint other things, too. Though I have done a couple of moody paintings for this project…

CLAIRE: Sometimes a player just needs a mysterious cave to explore.

ANTHONY: Exactly.

A crossroads under in the Highland Caves. Quite mysterious. And also damp. Don’t forget a sweater.

CLAIRE: What are your main sources of inspiration?

ANTHONY: I love traditional art from the 19th century. Every time I see that work I know I have to get back to practicing.

CLAIRE: Do you have a favorite artist?

ANTHONY: It’s hard to pick one. Auberge Bernstein and Frederic Church maybe. There’s dozens. That’s the kind of work I keep as a reference even if I’m not painting anything related to it.

CLAIRE: What is it about those artists you like?

ANTHONY: It’s literally everything - the way they use color, the way they compose the paintings. Today there’s an understandable cutting of corners because of time constraints. Masters went into detail with every brush stroke. I love exploring these paintings.

There’s the first reaction to the overall picture. Then you start zooming in on blades of grass and tiny flowers in the corner of the painting and it’s all done with a lot of care. I want to be able to do that with my art too.

A temple ruin found in the Long Meadows… zoom in for blades of grass.

CLAIRE: Talk us through one of your Fablecraft pieces. Which elements are you happiest with? What was the most challenging?

ANTHONY: I really liked the last mountain piece. At the time I was visiting my family in Canada. I told my Aunt that I was struggling with a painting so she suggested we go to a park. I was like, ‘no, I’m painting an underground cave, I need to go to a cave!’ So the next day we went to an actual cave. It changed my ideas of how textures and ideas came together in the painting. Direct experience is really valuable.

Mountain Exit - a big thanks to Anthony’s Auntie for this one!

ANTHONY: I also really like the last painting I did - the bison illustration. It’s personal work that I’m happy you adopted. But it wouldn’t exist if I wasn’t inspired by the other creature and monster illustrations in the game. I tried to make it a love letter to the world of Mythas.

CLAIRE: It definitely is! And it’s crazy because in an early playtest we had this idea of a quartz buffalo migration which I know you had never even heard about. And then suddenly you had painted what was essentially a quartz buffalo!

ANTHONY: Yeah, I didn’t even realize that until you mentioned it later! I like to think it’s because I’m invested and understand the world.

Long Meadows Quartz Buffalo

CLAIRE: What is your favorite piece of Fablecraft work that you didn't work on?

ANTHONY: Aleks’ Cora picture. It’s this really iconic picture with a central figure and the ship behind her. It’s very memorable.

Coraline Stormsinger, Wavechaser Guardian, illustrated by Aleksandra Wojtas

ANTHONY: Aleks does gorgeous rendering when it comes to the characters. I was so happy we could collaborate on a piece together. We got to combine several landscapes as well as characters. That was a really special partnership.


Fablecraft collaboration between Anthony Avon and Aleksandra Wojtas

CLAIRE: Any advice for aspiring artists out there?

ANTHONY: Keep practicing. This year I’ve done 100 studies - directly copying the work that I want to create and through that learning how to use color and rendering. And embrace frustration - illustration is hard, it’s difficult, it takes a long time - you have to just ignore that though.

Art was a hobby for me. I only had the basic equipment, I didn’t go to art school, I didn’t have a positive attitude, I didn’t think any of this was possible for me to achieve. But if I can do it, you can do it.

I’m now working with other artists at Riftweaver who have inspired me for years. When Andreas (Rocha) joined our Slack and complimented my work that was incredible! Hopefully some day I can be that person for someone else.

CLAIRE: Any last favorite Fablecraft pieces?

ANTHONY: I like the stone creatures! The gold is kind of cute. The crystal one is more serious.

Hulking Slab

Psychic Slab

Check out more of Anthony’s work on Tales of Fablecraft, a cooperative digital tabletop roleplaying game set in the vibrant, hopeful world of Mythas. Wishlist us on Steam today!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2176900/Tales_of_Fablecraft/?utm_source=steam&utm_content=steam-update-031124

Epic Success! 🎲🎲 Meet the Dice in Tales of Fablecraft

[h2]Let’s Roll! 🎲[/h2]

Hello, Mages! It’s time for another weekly update from your friends at Riftweaver. That’s us, we’re your friends.

Today, we’re diving into the dice system that makes Tales of Fablecraft equally accessible and exciting!

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[h2]It’s The Sparks That Pack Punch 🤜[/h2]

Skills, combat choices, and roleplay decisions in Fablecraft are all checked by dice, and, in some situations, the GM can dictate each dice roll’s difficulty settings.

Rather than numbers, the dice in Fablecraft feature pips called Sparks that automatically contribute to the potential success or failure of every roll.



Want to Charm the bartender at your nearest tavern into a sweet, sweet discount on drinks? You can! But the curmudgeonly slinger of ale and merriment is rarely in a good mood, so your GM sets the difficulty to Impossible. That means you’ll need a total of 3 Sparks in order to get it done.

The good news in this bar-haggling situation? Your Charm is set to 3, so you get 3 dice to roll at the check. Let’s see how it goes.



Great job, Mage! Clearing the check means your party is just a bit better fortified for tomorrow’s adventures.

[h2]Dice Have Their Advantages & Disadvantages 🎲[/h2]

We revealed these new Advantage and Disadvantage dice in a sneak peek last week, but here they are again with some fresh detail for the newfound Mages among us (hi, new Mages!).

As Mages roll through their adventures in Mythas, they’ll encounter moments that make success more difficult or more likely. This is where the Advantage and Disadvantage dice come into play.



Rolling an Advantage die can tip the scales in your favor, making a successful outcome more likely. On the other hand, a Disadvantage die can make things more challenging, adding an element of unpredictability to your journey.

[h2]How Charming! 💕[/h2]

One of the ways that players can acquire Advantage and Disadvantage dice is through items that they collect from the world. GM's can gift items to players by dragging and dropping them into their inventory.



Let's say you happen to have a bottle of Rizz Fizz in your inventory (we won't ask why you have that on you 👀). As long as you have it equipped, this is an example of an item that provides players with Advantage!

[h2]It’s The Galaxy Skin For Me ✨[/h2]

The standard dice are beauties, of course, but all our fellow dice gremlins out there can rejoice knowing that we’ll have a slew of skins available to make each roll that much more in-character or exciting.

Me? I love the Galaxy skin. ☄️



[h2]Last Call Reminder! 📆[/h2]

Our Kickstarter PledgeManager will officially close on March 10th, 2024. If you have already backed our project and still need to retrieve your Closed Beta Access Key(s), please do so before then!



If you would still like to back our project, this will be your last opportunity to do so before Early Access Release later this year.

[h2]Wishlist Us On Steam! 💙[/h2]
If you haven’t already, be sure to Wishlist us on Steam in order to be notified when we launch. Wishlisting helps indies like us a ton, so thank you!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2176900/Tales_of_Fablecraft/?utm_source=steam&utm_content=steam-update-030424

Want to hang with some like-minded TTRPG friends? Join our Discord

Until next time, Mages!

Tales Of Fablecraft & Last Call For Closed Beta!

[h2]New Year, New Us! 🙌[/h2]

Greetings, Mages! We've been doing some fun tweaks to our brand and we hope you like them as much as we do. Introducing Tales of Fablecraft! There are many different stories that we wish to tell on the Fablecraft platform, whether they are set in Mythas or beyond!

Same epic digital TTRPG with a shiny new glow up! 💅



Join us as we take our new look for a spin and set forth on even more exciting adventures!

[h2]Last Call For Closed Beta! ⚔️[/h2]

Our Kickstarter PledgeManager will be officially closing on March 10th, 2024. If you have already backed our project and still need to retrieve your Closed Beta Access Key(s), please do so before then!



If you would still like to back our project, this will be your last opportunity to do so before Early Access Release later this year.

[h2]Roll With The Punches! 🎲[/h2]

You may have noticed that Advantage and Disadvantage Dice have been added to your adventures! We will be diving deeper into how the Dice System works in an upcoming update.

For now, please enjoy a peek at this excellent concept art for Advantage and Disadvantage Dice in Tales of Fablecraft!



[h2]Wishlist Us On Steam! ✨[/h2]

We love hearing from all of you, so please keep the feedback coming! Your support makes a huge difference to an indie game like ours. Join our party on Discord and Wishlist Tales of Fablecraft on Steam!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2176900/Fablecraft/?utm_source=steam&utm_content=steam-update-030124

New Skills For Your Next Adventure!

[h2]Show Off Your Talents! ✨[/h2]
Check out your Combat Abilities, Mages. In addition to your Combat Abilities and Openers, you now have Talents!



How it works: Easy! Each player begins the game at level 1 with a Practiced Talent; specific to their chosen Combat Style. This Passive Buff is automatically applied. Players will gain more Talents as they level up and will be able to equip them going forward!



[h2]Practice Makes Perfect (Fireballs) 😈[/h2]
A Gravimancer's level 1 Talent allows them to gain bonus max health. A Radiant gains bonus health while also being able to restore more health. And an Elementalist gets extra ranged damage. Watch out, potential enemies! 🔥👀

As each Combat Style continues to level up, it will gain access to additional Talents that will allow players to do all kinds of fun new things!



[h2]Mix & Match! 🙌[/h2]
Talents are a lot like Gear, they are mix and matchable!

For Example: You can focus on equipping all Gravimancer Talents while leveling up, or take Talents from Elementalist and Radiant Styles as well! It all depends on you!



[h2]Wishlist Us On Steam! 👀[/h2]
Closed Beta for Fablecraft is well underway and Early Access Release will be here before you know it! Gather your party and Wishlist Fablecraft on Steam today!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2176900/Fablecraft/

We love hearing from all of you, so please keep the feedback coming and join our party on Discord! 💙