Blood Sword News

[p][/p][p]Some adventurers master steel, others the arcane. The Sage seeks mastery of both body and spirit.[/p][p]Sages are not bound to one place alone. Some hail from the Monastery of Illumination on Kaxos, where spartan training hardens both mind and flesh. These are island ascetics, pale-robed monks who endure silence and hardship to wield the staff as both weapon and discipline. Others walk from the deserts of Opalar, where mystics temper philosophy with survival and zeal. They are guardians and visionaries, heirs to southern traditions of astronomy, poetry, and holy law, yet as quick to raise a quarterstaff as a prayer.[/p][p]In Blood Sword, the Sage walks two traditions:[/p]

• [p]The Warrior-Monk
  Trained in endurance and combat, these Sages master the quarterstaff, break nerve points with trained strikes, and shield allies with chants and mantras. They embody strength through discipline, turning willpower into armour.[/p]
• [p]The Mystic-Scholar
  These Sages pierce the veil of the unseen. They sense thoughts, glimpse the future, see through fog and shadow, and banish spirits that linger too long. They heal the wounded, dispel curses, and in rare moments rise from death like the Phoenix itself.[/p]

[p]Both paths share the same foundation - wisdom tempered by hardship, power sharpened by restraint. Whether in battle or in silence, the Sage is the still center of the storm.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]The Discipline of the Sage[/h3]

• [p]Premonition unlocks ESP and Paranormal Sight, letting you read surface thoughts and see through mist, water, or curtains.[/p]
• [p]Exorcism banishes ghosts and wraiths, silencing what should not linger.[/p]
• [p]Occult Lore reveals the meaning of runes, symbols, and forgotten relics in story encounters.[/p]
• [p]Levitation lets you bypass obstacles, rise above danger, or confound enemies.[/p]
• [p]Mind Over Body grants up to +6 Endurance, anchoring spirit to flesh.[/p]
• [p]Tranquil Spirit strengthens your Psychic Ability by up to +2, a shield against the supernatural.[/p]
• [p]Quarterstaff Technique rolls three dice instead of two, striking harder and forcing enemies to lose their next action.[/p]
• [p]Healing restores some Endurance to allies, channeled through the cosmic flux.[/p]
• [p]Mantra of Salvation halves all incoming damage for four turns, a bulwark in desperate hours.[/p]
• [p]Dazzle blinds foes in a burst of light, lowering their prowess and Awareness.[/p]
• [p]Mirage summons an illusory clone to draw enemy attacks.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]The Sage’s Place[/h3][p]The Warrior brings steel, the Enchanter brings spellcraft, the Trickster brings guile. The Sage brings balance - healer, seer, monk, mystic. From the cloisters of Kaxos to the spires of Opalar, they prove that the greatest weapon is neither blade nor spell, but mastery of the self.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]📜 Add Blood Sword to your wishlist and decide whether your Sage will be a disciplined warrior-monk, a visionary mystic-scholar, or both.[/p][p]If you made it all the way here, let me know in the comments - where did you first hear about Blood Sword and this adaptation?[/p]

We did it - 3,000 wishlists gathered! That’s one of the big milestones on this long road, and I’m grateful for every single one. Thank you to everyone who’s already signed up to follow the journey - it makes all the difference for a solo dev project like this.

[h2]What’s Next? The Demo[/h2]

The next milestone is clear: a playable demo.

Right now, the plan is to squeeze in around 8–10 combat encounters, spread across several alternative story paths. These will culminate in a tough enemy encounter - something like a boss fight - designed to reward replayability as you uncover its secrets.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Blood Sword without some hidden corners... so the most diligent explorers will find a few surprises tucked away in the demo too.



[h2]Under the Hood[/h2]

From a development standpoint, most of my time is going into fleshing out the combat engine. I started with the Fabled Lands system, but I’m refactoring it from the ground up - this time aiming for a more cunning AI.

On top of that, I’ve implemented a system of in-game announcements that pop up for achievements, stat gains, and other key moments. The new skill trees I’ve shown in previous spotlights tie into this too: not only will you gain points as you rank up, but some special story beats will grant extra skill points as well.



And, of course... there’s the never-ending battle against bugs. I recently squashed a fun one where dead characters managed to die again if they took damage. Fixed now - no more second funerals. ^^

[h2]Onward[/h2]

This milestone is just the start. Next stop: the demo that will help gather the next batch of wishlists needed. That’s when Blood Sword will really open up to your feedback - and together, we’ll shape the game into the best possible version of itself.

⚔️ If you haven’t yet, wishlist Blood Sword now and be there when the first battles are fought.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3645170/Blood_Sword/

And don’t worry - the next profession reveal is on the way as well. 😉

[p][/p][p]Are you a roguish knave, crouched in a tavern corner with dice palmed and a purse already half-emptied of its coin? Or an assassin in the night, dagger ready, poison gleaming on the blade as you wait for your mark to pass beneath the window?[/p][p]The Trickster can be either - Assassin or Knave - and many things besides. A tomb-robber, a troubleshooter, an explorer, a thief, a gambler, even a hero when necessity demands. Where the Warrior trusts in armour and warhorse, and the Enchanter in spellbook and wand, the Trickster accomplishes his deeds by guile.[/p][p]Assassins are feared and despised for their cowardly ways. Stealth, trickery, and poison are their trade. They slip into guilds and secret brotherhoods, learning to strike where the foe is weakest. To knights they are dishonourable, yet to princes and guildmasters they are a necessary evil. Few adventurers follow this path - barely one in a hundred by some reckonings - but those who do seldom die of boredom.[/p][p]Knaves are cut from different cloth. Vagabonds and scoundrels, they talk their way past guards, cheat at dice, and swindle their companions as readily as their enemies. Their sharp tongues open doors that locks cannot bar, and their wit wins fights without a blade drawn. Yet when pressed, they are no fools with weapons either. Knaves are the surest shots in Legend, loosing arrows with uncanny skill - a bow in their hands can settle matters long before blades cross.[/p][p]Together, Assassin and Knave form the two faces of the Trickster profession. Some adventurers fight with brute strength, others with arcane might. Tricksters live by their wits. If they can win by shooting an arrow from cover or slipping a dagger between ribs, they will. They can wield a sword if pressed, but their true weapon is cunning.
[/p][p][/p][h2]The Trickster in Blood Sword[/h2][p]In the books, the Trickster was always the rogue’s role: the liar, the cheat, the dagger in the dark. In the CRPG adaptation, I’ve taken that foundation and woven it into a full skill tree. You are not the strongest fighter nor the most potent spellcaster, but you are the one who bends the odds. [/p][p]Let's take a look:[/p][p][/p][h2]The Handbook of Tricks[/h2]

• [p]Trickster’s Touch lets you pick pockets, cheat at games, and manipulate locks and objects.[/p]
• [p]Cunning grants up to +3 Awareness as you invest more and more points, sharpening your senses for traps, ambushes, and ranged precision.[/p]
• [p]Acrobatics unlocks story choices where agility is key: climbing, leaping, dodging hazards, or slipping bonds.[/p]
• [p]Eloquence turns charm into a weapon, opening dialogue paths others cannot.[/p]
• [p]Dodging Technique makes you infuriatingly hard to pin down. At early ranks enemies add +1 to the roll to hit you; at mastery they need three dice just to land a blow, or four if you commit to defending.[/p]

[p]When you take the offensive, the Trickster’s arsenal is cruel and inventive:[/p]

• [p]Armour Piercing lets daggers, shortswords, and throwing weapons ignore armor (to some extent).[/p]
• [p]Toxic Rain poisons a target for several turns, dealing damage over time that grows stronger as you invest further.[/p]
• [p]Throwing Spikes scatter in a small radius, striking every foe nearby for 1d6 damage, with later ranks adding Bleeding.[/p]
• [p]Smoke Jar blinds and confuses enemies in a thick haze, lowering Awareness and even Fighting Prowess while shutting down ranged attacks.[/p]
• [p]Merciless Strikes add raw damage to every successful attack, scaling from +1 to +2.[/p]
• [p]Deathvow lets you mark a single target. Each turn your first strike against them has a two-in-three chance of hitting twice. Once sworn, such vows are rarely broken.[/p]

[h2]The Trickster’s Place[/h2][p]The Warrior holds the line. The Enchanter bends the arcane. The Sage unveils hidden truths. The Trickster thrives where no one else dares - in shadows, in whispers, in the thin places between honour and survival. Assassin, Knave, a Hunter, or something in between, the Trickster proves that guile can be sharper than steel.[/p][p]📜 Add Blood Sword to your wishlist and decide whether your Trickster will slip into the guilds of Ferromaine, stalk the haunted forests of Mercania, or simply grin as the world underestimates them.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]I'm writing this on a hot (34 C° / 93.2 °F) July day, sipping a cup of slightly overbrewed coffee at my desk. In just a day, I'm off on a short vacation with my family - the kind of trip where you need another day or two to recover once you're back. But before I disappear into the dungeons beneath our mountains (and offline), I wanted to share a few thoughts and updates on how Blood Sword is coming along.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Grind Begins[/h2][p]With the Warrior and Enchanter class spotlights out in the wild, I was tempted to finally unveil the curtain on the grind phase toward the release. What is my short-term goal? A playable demo.[/p][p]But not just a short demo - a complete vertical slice. A condensed, honest taste of the full experience. It’s got it all: story, tactical combat, choices that matter, and world exploration. It’ll let you see where this is all headed - and more importantly, give me feedback while there’s still time to make meaningful changes.[/p][p]This game is going to take years of my life to make and support, dedicated to it full time. Every system, every screen, every spell - it all needs to count.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Little Things, Big Feel[/h2][p]I’ve been doing a lot of polish work lately.[/p]

• [p]All menus now animate more smoothly, with curved easing and outing, so they feel snappy and responsive.[/p]
• [p]Story notes now snap together like pieces of a parchment - and choices appear step by step, like branching thoughts in a living manuscript.[/p]
• [p]The world map is alive now: wind, snow, rain, glowing fires, chimney smoke - the kind of little details that make Legend feel like, well, Legend.[/p]
• [p]Next up: the sea. I’ve got my eye on a couple shaders to bring those waves to life.[/p]

[h2]Items[/h2][p]All demo items are now in. I’m working on the logic that differentiates identified vs unidentified items - you’ll need the Sage’s Occult Lore passive skill to appraise and unlock their full potential.[/p][p]The inventory UI got some love too: slot highlights for better drag & drop feedback, and resizable loot chests that adapt to the amount of gear, so the story text doesn’t get shoved offscreen.[/p][p][/p][h2]Combat Order and Other Goodies[/h2][p]You can now reorder your party via drag & drop on the battle order screen - decide who’s getting decapitated first and who gets to watch.[/p][p]Victory and defeat screens are in. I also added a basic intro screen for each Act and some dev tools for loading test battles quickly.[/p][p]Still left: the quest journal, the scroll-map UI, and a proper checkpoint window. Once those are done, I’ll shift fully to building out combat maps, abilities, and spell systems.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Gather your party before venturing forth[/h2][p]This demo also doubles as a wishlist push - I’m aiming for the sweet spot of 7,000 wishlists before launch. That’s the threshold where this project gets a serious visibility boost from Popular Upcoming tab on Steam.[/p][p]If you’re reading this and excited for what’s coming - wishlisting is one of the biggest ways to support the game right now.[/p][h2][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/h2][p]Thanks for sticking with me on this journey. For the support, the feedback, the memes, and just being part of it all.[/p][p]
- Victor[/p][p]Solo dev, coffee addict, and keeper of mysterious dice[/p]

[p][/p][h2]In the world of Legend, warriors walk many paths.[/h2][p]Some are Knights, heirs to a shattered code of chivalry, trained in the civilised realms of Albion, Chaubrette, or the war-torn reaches of Kurland. Clad in chain and bound by oaths - or merely the memory of them - they stride into battle like avatars of the old world.[/p][p]Others are Barbarians, sons and daughters of the Eastern Steppes, the icy coasts of Thuland, or the burning sands of distant deserts. They owe fealty to no liege, but fight with the raw ferocity of a storm made flesh.[/p][p]And yet others wear no banner at all - only blood and dust - veterans of mercenary campaigns, tavern brawls, and a dozen wars no bard ever sang of.[/p][h2]In Blood Sword, the Warrior can be any of them.[/h2][p]You begin not with spells, but with steel. No illusions, no tricks - only muscle, training, and the refusal to fall.[/p][p][/p][p]You wear chainmail from the start, with an Armour Rating of 3, giving you unmatched durability. Your Fighting Prowess surpasses that of any class - you hit more often, and harder. Your Military Training unlocks a brutal arsenal:[/p]

• [p]Weapon Proficiency sharpens every strike.[/p]
• [p]Vigor and Fortify turn you into an immovable object.[/p]
• [p]Battle Cry rattles the enemy line, Whirlwind carves through it.[/p]
• [p]Battering Ram breaks formations. Precision Stance sacrifices defense for raw killing power.[/p]
• [p]And when things get desperate? Even bare hands become weapons with Unarmed Combat Mastery.[/p]
• [p]Let's not forget Ambidexterity or the legendary Merciless Strikes at higher ranks.[/p]

[p]Some Warriors fight for gold. Others for vengeance, for glory, for their gods. You? You fight because it’s all you’ve ever known. Barbarian or Knight. Mercenary or exile. The Warrior survives where others fall.[/p][p][/p][p]📜 Add Blood Sword on your wishlist and return for future tales of steel, sorcery, and survival! [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]